New Age Islam News Bureau
25 January 2024
Municipal authorities demolished in the morning portions of alleged
unauthorized structures and additional shades of the many shops inside the
Galli next to Minara Masjid on Mohammad Ali Road. (Express photo by Amit
chakravarty)
------
·
Day after Demolition Drive In Thane District,
BMC Bulldozes 40 Structures in Muslim-Dominated Area in Mumbai, some of These
Date Back To The 1930s
·
Saudi Arabia Announces Historic Shift: Approval
for Alcohol Sales and Consumption In The Islamic Kingdom
·
Pakistan:
Islamic Studies No Longer Compulsory For Non-Muslims
·
Nearly All
US Senate Democrats Back Two-State Solution for Israel and Palestinians
·
Activists
Unveil Giant Banner in Madrid to Demand Ceasefire in Gaza
-----
India
·
Shahi Idgah Mosque Dispute: Fresh Plea In
Mathura Court Seeking DirectionsTo Put Up A Notice Board At The Temple
SayingThat It Is "Not The Real Birthplace" Of Lord Krishna
·
AMU case:
How can you not accept Parliament amendment, SC asks Centre
·
Gyanvapi Mosque
Case: ASI Survey Report To Be Made Available To Both Sides, Rules Varanasi Court
·
11 Held In
Agra For ‘Hoisting Saffron Flag Atop Mosque’
·
Telangana
Muslim Man Insults Saffron Flag In Reel, Thrashed, Paraded Naked
----
Arab World
·
Ansarullah
orders US, British UN staff to leave Yemen
·
Saudi
Arabia warns of escalating crisis in Middle East at UN debate
·
Makkah
deputy emir receives heads of Islamic chambers
·
Qatar
fumes at Netanyahu’s criticism, says he undermines talks for political reasons
·
Saudi
deputy minister meets UN envoy for Syria
·
Saudi,
Georgian FMs discuss cooperation in Riyadh
·
Jeddah
hosts first Saudi-India festival
-----
Pakistan
·
Pakistan Calls
For Concrete Steps By UN To Stop Israeli Slaughter Of People In Gaza
·
Armed
Forces fully prepared against any threat: COAS
·
PM urges
youth to collectively fight enemies’ propaganda
·
Jail trial
notification: IHC reserves verdict on IK’s pleas
·
Section
144 imposed in Punjab to hamper PTI show: Imran
----
North America
·
Local
Islamic Civil Liberties Group Accuses Emory Of Violating Civil Rights Act
·
CAIR-Colorado
Welcomes Sentencing in Hate Crime Arson Targeting Church
·
CAIR Calls
on Biden Admin to Demand End to Israeli Attacks on Gaza Hospitals
·
NY state
voters split on aid to Israel, in shift from November: poll
·
US Special
Envoy Calls for Sustainable Development in Afghanistan
----
Europe
·
UK Foreign
Secretary Meets With Netanyahu, Calls For Immediate Humanitarian Pause
·
Taliban
not recognized due to human rights violations: Russian FM
·
Family
rejects apology of man who mowed down Muslim family with a truck
·
Islamic
Group Calling For Shariah Law Cancels Canadian Event After U.K. Declares It A
Terrorist Entity
·
Italy to
treat 100 wounded Palestinian children
----
South Asia
·
Afghanistan
Committed to Strengthening Religious, Modern Sciences: Kabir
·
Afghanistan’s
Collapse blamed on US ‘Deep State’: Amrullah Saleh
·
Inequality
rising for lack of democracy: BNP leader Nazrul
·
Govt to do
everything possible to implement verdict against Tarique: FM
·
PM hopes
for more help from China to implement dev initiatives
·
India
sends 40,000 litres of Malathion to help Afghanistan combat locusts
----
Mideast
·
Hamas
Getting $12 Million A Month In Donations, Israel Claims: 'Financial Jihad’
·
Zionist
enemy forces storm Jenin city in W Bank
·
Islamic
Resistance in Iraq targets port of Ashdod
·
US-UK
aggression against Yemen risks expansion of war: Iran
·
New US
envoy to Egypt lauds Cairo’s role in fighting for Middle East peace
·
President
Raeisi calls for UN reform, says body unable to end Gaza genocide
·
Iraq’s
Kata'ib Hezbollah vows more attacks until US forces expulsion from region
-----
Southeast Asia
·
Indonesian FM Walks Out During Israel's Ambassador's
Speech At UNSC
·
Peace
Foundation introduces Global Madani Awards to honour transformation efforts
·
110
Rohingyas arrested in Myanmar
·
Yayasan
Sultan Kelantan channels RM1 million to flood victims
·
Japan’s
Chargé d'Affaires Vows to Help Afghans
----
Africa
·
Churches And
Mosques Burnt In Nigeria As Curfew Imposed In Mangu
·
South
Africa expects ICJ judgment on Israeli genocide in Gaza on Friday: Report
·
Human
remains recovered near Al-Sahaba Mosque in Derna
·
Libya’s
September flood requires $1.8 billion in recovery funds, report says
·
What I
Like Most In Prof Pantami Is His Commitment To Islam – FaniKayode
·
Bandits:
Gov Abdulrazaq visits released Nabeeha family members in Abuja'
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/demolition-thane-mumbai-muslim/d/131585
------
Day after
Demolition Drive In Thane District, BMC Bulldozes 40 Structures In
Muslim-Dominated Area In Mumbai, some of These Date Back To The 1930s
Municipal authorities demolished in the morning portions of alleged
unauthorized structures and additional shades of the many shops inside the
Galli next to Minara Masjid on Mohammad Ali Road. (Express photo by Amit
chakravarty)
------
Nayonika
Bose , Pratip Acharya
January 25, 2024
A day
after the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) razed encroachments from
around 15 structures at Haidary Chowk on Mira Road in Thane district, the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a similar exercise, on Wednesday
razed encroachments from around 40 shops on Mohammed Ali Road in Mumbai.
The MBMC
carried out the demolition on Tuesday in the same area where clashes had broken
out between two munities on Sunday night.
When
contacted, BMC officials said all the structures that were brought down on
Mohammed Ali Road were illegal encroachments and were pulled down to free up
space on the footpaths.
A visit
to the area showed that almost all the structures that were demolished were
awnings of existing commercial establishments, including shops, located on
Ibrahim Mohamed Merchant Road and stalls of hawkers. Some of the key commercial
entities affected by Wednesday’s drive include Noorani Milk Centre and Suleman
Usman Mithaiwala, whose origins date back to the 1930s.
mumbai
demolitions Municipal authorities demolished in the morning portions of alleged
unauthorized structures and additional shades of the many shops inside the
Galli next to Minara Masjid on Mohammad Ali Road. (Express photo by Amit
chakravarty)
While
the BMC carried out the drive on Mohammed Ali Road, there were no reports of
any such drive by the civic body in any other ward. At least 10 ward offices
that The Indian Express contacted confirmed that no anti-encroachment drive was
carried out in their wards. Mumbai has a total of 24 administrative ward
offices. A couple of ward offices said they have been working on Chief Minister
Eknath Shinde’s ‘deep cleaning’ initiative that mostly entails removal of
illegal vendors.
When
contacted, an official from BMC’s removal of encroachment department said, “At
present there are local drives being taken up in all municipal wards as part of
CM’s ‘deep cleaning’ drive. For which, we are removing small roadside eateries
and vendors to ensure the pavements stay clean. This drive has been operational
since first week of December.”
The
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday demolished nearly 40
structures on the Ibrahim Merchant Road including the extension of the
well-known Sulaiman Usman Bakery. pic.twitter.com/bZGg4QnUhr
The
opposition parties, including the Congress, questioned the action against a
“particular community”.
Congress
spokesperson AtulLondhe said the “bulldozer culture” should be opposed as it is
not constitutional. “Use of bulldozers is not the constitutional way to act
against unauthorised constructions. A proper legal procedure of hearing and
notices being served should be followed. One also wonders why such actions are
always targeted at particular communities. It should be stopped,” he said.
Samajwadi
Party MLA from Bhiwandi, Rais Shaikh said, “The government is doing all this
because elections are coming. They single out one particular community and they
think that by doing so they would be able to please the other one. But they are
mistaken. This would in fact go against them. Maharashtra has been a land of
saints,” said.
Speaking
to The Indian Express, shopowners maintained that the move came as a surprise
as there was no prior warning or notice issued by the civic authority on the
demolition drive.
The
civic authorities also maintained that no notice was issued ahead of
Wednesday’s drive. “These stalls are temporary structures and not legal.
Therefore, they don’t have a proper recipient address, as a result we didn’t
issue them any notice and took direct action on Wednesday,” a BMC official
said.
A senior
official from BMC’s B ward, where Mohammed Ali Road falls, said, “Last week we
carried out an anti-encroachment drive to identify illegal structures that were
blocking pedestrian space. Following this, we took action on Wednesday morning
and demolished nearly 40 structures on Ibrahim Merchant Road that were creating
obstruction on footpaths.”
Operating
since 1936, Noorani Milk Centre and Suleman Usman Mithaiwala are among the
oldest shops of the area. Jilani Noorani of Noorani Milk Centre, which was
among the shops whose awnings were razed on Wednesday, told The Indian Express,
“The last time such a drive was carried out was nearly five years back.”
A
fifth-generation owner of the shop, Noorani added, “My father was at the shop
when they arrived around 8.30 am. All the shops have put up awnings outside as
protection from the sun and rain. When the BMC arrived today, our shed was
rolled up. First, they tried to move the glass cases displaying sweets. As they
were heavy, they started removing the awning instead. We did not say anything,
neither the BMC said anything to us.”
Following
the demolition, Noorani has been receiving frantic calls from his relatives.
“All TV channels are airing the news, family members have been calling us,” he
said.
“When
the drive happened in the morning, there were not many hawkers as most hawkers set
up shops in the evening. The BMC keeps removing hawkers regularly but drives
against shopowners is highly unusual,” he added.
Meanwhile,
the 88-year-old establishment, Suleman Usman Mithaiwala — the biggest shop of
the lane comprising four shopping windows — incurred the maximum losses.
According to a staffer at the shop, the civic body razed their awning resulting
in losses of nearly Rs 2 lakh.
“This
shop has been there since 1936. But the BMC has never carried out such drives
at our shop. This has happened for the first time. When they started breaking
the shops, we did not raise our voice as everyone was afraid and confused,”
said a worker at Suleman Usman Mithaiwala, requesting anonymity.
Abdul
Hasim, the third-generation owner of the Janata multi-cuisine restaurant, whose
awning was also demolished, said, “The BMC just came in the morning and razed
the shed without any warnings and notices. We had put up the awning as it
offers protection from the sun and rain. If the civic body has an issue with these
structures, then they should have told us about this. We would have removed it
ourselves. We have now incurred a loss of nearly Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000.”
On
January 21, a clash had broken out between members of two communities in Mira
Bhayander. A group passing by in vehicles with saffron flags and chanting
slogans was stopped by some local people from another community. An argument
broke out, leading to violence.
Officials
of the MBMC on Tuesday took bulldozers to Haidary Chowk, which is close to the
place where the violence erupted Sunday night, and removed encroachments from
about 15 structures.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mbmc-demolition-drive-mira-bhayander-bmc-muslim-dominated-mohammed-ali-road-9126074/
-----
Saudi
Arabia Announces Historic Shift: Approval For Alcohol Sales And Consumption In
The Islamic Kingdom
Igor Golovniov—SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/Jack Daniels bourbon
whisky seen at Rewe supermarket.
-----
January
25, 2024
Saudi
Arabia is set to inaugurate its inaugural alcohol store in the capital, Riyadh,
marking a significant departure from its conservative traditions. The
establishment, located in the Diplomatic Quarter, is designed exclusively for
non-Muslim diplomats, aligning with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s
efforts to open the nation to tourism and business. As a key facet of Vision
2030, the country’s ambitious post-oil economic diversification plan, this move
reflects a broader agenda to modernize and attract international investment.
To
access the alcohol store, customers must register through a mobile app, secure
a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and adhere to monthly purchase
quotas. The stringent regulations underscore the delicate balance between
embracing economic reforms and respecting Islamic principles, where alcohol
consumption is traditionally forbidden.
The
store’s exclusive access for non-Muslims aims to cater to the expatriate
community residing in the Diplomatic Quarter. However, it remains unclear
whether other non-Muslim expatriates will have access. The store’s impending
opening, expected in the coming weeks, symbolizes a significant shift from
Saudi Arabia’s strict alcohol-related prohibitions, which have historically led
to severe penalties, including lashes, fines, and deportation.
Saudi
Arabia’s ongoing societal transformations include the relaxation of strict
social codes, such as gender segregation and mandatory abaya-wearing for women.
While these reforms, accompanied by initiatives like allowing non-religious
tourism and women driving, contribute to a more open society, there is a
parallel tightening of political control, evidenced by crackdowns on dissent
and rivals.
As the
government introduces new restrictions on alcohol imports within diplomatic
consignments, the emergence of the alcohol store could see increased demand.
Vision 2030’s broader goals include boosting local industries, creating
logistics hubs, and generating employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.
The delicate balance between modernization and religious adherence continues to
shape the trajectory of Saudi Arabia’s evolving socio-economic landscape.
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/saudi-arabia-announces-historic-shift-approval-for-alcohol-sales-and-consumption-in-the-islamic-kingdom/
----
Pakistan:
Islamic Studies No Longer Compulsory For Non-Muslims
Students
arrive at a school in Lahore in Punjab province on Nov. 2, 2023. (Photo: AFP)
-----
January
25, 2024
Kamran
Chaudhry
(UCA
News) — The Pakistani government has decided that the study of Islam is no
longer compulsory for non-Muslim students in Pakistan.
In a
notification on Jan. 22, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional
Training approved a new curriculum, which makes studying Islam non-compulsory
for Christian, Bahai, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Zoroastrian students in the
Islamic nation.
The
Religious Education Curriculum 2023 for Grades 1 to Grade 12 will be introduced
from the next academic year in 2024-2025.
The
Catholic Church has been urging the government to make provision for non-Muslim
students to receive religious education in their faith instead of Islamiat,
which comprises courses on Islamic beliefs and practices.
Naeem
Yousaf Gill, director of the National Commission of Justice and Peace, the
rights body of the Pakistani bishops’ council, welcomed the development.
“We appreciate
the government for involving Catholic bishops in developing the syllabus of
Christianity. However, its monitoring and implementation is another challenge.
Policies for minorities often flop in our country,” he told UCA News.
Pakistan
has one of the lowest budgetary allocations for education in South Asia. The
nation allotted 1.7 percent of its GDP for education in the fiscal year 2022-23
against 1.4 percent earlier.
“The
long-term process will require training of teachers and a salary structure,”
Gill observed.
In 2020,
the provincial Punjab government made it compulsory for Muslim students to
study the Quran, and non-Muslim students were asked to study ethics in lieu of
Islamiat from Grade 3.
JaipalChhabria,
president of the Pakistan Hindu Forum, rejected teaching religious studies in
educational institutes.
“Civilized
nations don’t do it. It was never the vision of our founding father [Mohammed
Ali Jinnah],” he said.
“You are
free, you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or
any other places of worship in this state of Pakistan,” Jinnah had said in a
speech to the nation after independence from Britain.
“In an
environment where the majority thinks its religion is superior, it is
impossible for a Muslim teacher to teach Christianity or Hinduism,” said
Chhabria.
In the
last national census of 2017, Pakistan had 2.6 million Christians who made up
1.27 percent of a population of 207 million. Hindus were at 1.73 percent.
Source: eurasiareview.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.eurasiareview.com/25012024-pakistan-islamic-studies-no-longer-compulsory-for-non-muslims/
-----
Nearly
all US Senate Democrats back two-state solution for Israel and Palestinians
Jewish Americans and supporters of Israel gather in solidarity with
Israel and protest against antisemitism, amid the ongoing conflict between
Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, during a rally on the National Mall in
Washington, U.S, November 14, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis Acquire Licensing
Rights
-----
January
25, 2024
WASHINGTON:
An overwhelming majority of President Joe Biden’s fellow Democrats in the
Senate on Wednesday backed a statement reiterating US support of a two-state
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Forty-nine
of the 51 members of the Senate Democratic caucus backed an amendment
supporting a negotiated solution to the conflict that results in Israeli and
Palestinian states living side by side, ensuring Israel’s survival as a secure,
democratic, Jewish state and fulfilling the Palestinians’ “legitimate
aspirations” for a state of their own.
Senator
Brian Schatz introduced the measure as an amendment to an upcoming bill that
would provide national security aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
“What
will determine the future of Israel and Palestine is whether or not there’s
hope. And the two-state solution has to be that hope,” Schatz told a news
conference.
With war
raging in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said at a press conference this month that he objected to any
Palestinian statehood that did not guarantee Israel’s security.
The
statement provoked international concern, including from Israel’s biggest
backer the United States. Washington maintains that the two-state solution is
the only feasible way to bring lasting peace to the region.
The only
two Democratic senators who did not sign onto the amendment were John Fetterman
and Joe Manchin.
Fetterman
has long supported a two-state solution, but he believed the measure should
include language stipulating the destruction of Hamas as a precondition to
peace, an aide said.
Manchin
issued a statement, in which he said: “Once a Palestinian government with its
peoples’ best interests at heart agrees that Israel should be a state, I will
be the first one to sign on to a bipartisan amendment supporting that Israel
recognize a Palestinian state.”
Many of
Biden’s fellow Democrats in Congress have been pushing the administration to do
more to address the steep toll on Palestinian civilians of Israel’s campaign
against Hamas since the militant group’s deadly assault on Oct. 7.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2447726/world
----
Activists
Unveil Giant Banner In Madrid To Demand Ceasefire In Gaza
Greenpeace activists unveil the illustration "Obey" by U.S
artist Shepard Fairey, which depicts a photograph by Gazan photojournalist
Belal Khaled of a Palestinian child crying for help, next to a banner reading:
"Ceasefire now", outside Reina Sofia museum, home of Picasso’s
"Guernica", in Madrid, Spain January 24, 2024. REUTERS/Susana Vera
Acquire Licensing Rights
-----
24 January 2024
Rights
and environmental activists demanding ceasefire in Gaza unfurled a giant
picture of a Palestinian child crying for help above the entrance to Madrid's
Reina Sofia museum, home to Pablo Picasso's painting "Guernica" that
depicts the horrors of war.
In
Wednesday's action, global campaigning group Greenpeace and Unmute Gaza
movement that supports photojournalists reporting from the war zone, used a
banner with an illustration by US artist Shepard Fairey based on an image taken
by Gazan photographer Belal Khaled.
"Can
you hear us?" read the caption, with "Ceasefire now" emblazoned
below. Police and firefighters watched on without intervening.
Picasso's
mural-sized masterpiece kept inside the modern art museum was inspired by a
Nazi air raid on the northern Spanish town of Guernica in 1937 that killed as many
as 1,600.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/24/718844/Activists-unveil-giant-banner-in-Madrid-to-demand-Gaza-ceasefire
----
India
Shahi
Idgah Mosque Dispute: Fresh Plea In Mathura Court Seeking DirectionsTo Put Up A
Notice Board At The Temple SayingThat It Is "Not The Real Birthplace"
Of Lord Krishna
25 Jan
2024
MATHURA:
A new plea has been filed in a court here seeking directions to the Shri
Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust to put up a notice board at the temple here saying
that the present sanctum sanctorum is "not the real birthplace" of
Lord Krishna.
The suit
has been filed by Delhi-based advocate PV Raghunandan in the court of Civil
Judge (Senior Division) Anupama Singh.
Plaintiff's
advocate Pankaj Joshi told the media that the case has been accepted for
hearing, but no date fixed in this regard.
In the
plea, the plaintiff has claimed that the "original" sanctum sanctorum
of the ancient Keshavdev temple was demolished by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb and
Shahi Idgah mosque was constructed at that place.
Therefore,
it should be clearly told the devotees visiting the present sanctum sanctorum
of the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple that the place is not the "actual"
sanctum sanctorum by erecting a notice board, the petition said.
Joshi
said that the plea has sought from the court to pass an order to put up a
notice board in this regard.
The
Uttar Pradesh government, Mathura municipal corporation, and State Archaeology
Department, among others, have been made defendants in the case, Joshi said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/Jan/25/home-ministry-names-1132-personnel-for-gallantry-service-medals-on-republic-day
----
AMU
case: How can you not accept Parliament amendment, SC asks Centre
24
January, 2024
The
Chief Justice of India (CJI), DY Chandrachud, on Wednesday expressed surprise
over the Centre’s stand that it does not accept the 1981 amendment inserted by
the Parliament to confer minority status on the Aligarh Muslim University
(AMU).
Presiding
over a seven-judge Constitution Bench hearing a clutch of pleas concerning the
minority status of the AMU, the CJI stressed that the “Parliament is an eternal
and indestructible body under the Indian Union.”
“How can
you not accept an amendment by the Parliament?” the CJI asked Solicitor General
Tushar Mehta, the second-highest law officer of the Centre.
“Parliament
is an eternal and indestructible body under the Indian Union – irrespective of
which government represents the cause of the Union of India. I cannot hear the
government of India saying that it does not stand with the amendment made by
Parliament. You will have to stand by this (1981) amendment,” the CJI observed.
He said
that the Union Government has always an “option to go through the amending
route and change the amending Act again.”
During
the hearing, Justice Sanjiv Khanna asked Mehta, who was arguing for the Centre:
“This is an amendment by Parliament. Is the government accepting the
amendment?” “I am not,” Mehta replied.
The law
officer said that he was answering “constitutional questions” before a
seven-judge Constitution Bench.
Further
he said, “As a law officer, it is my right as well as my duty to say that the
view taken by the Allahabad High Court declaring the amendment in question as
unconstitutional is correct.”
It may
be recalled that the 1981 amendment conferring minority status on the
institution was struck down by the Allahabad High Court in 2006.
To this,
CJI Chandrachud said, “This will be radical because a law officer would be then
telling us that he does not abide by what the Parliament has done. You ought to
stand by what the Parliament has done.”
“Parliament
is undoubtedly supreme in its law making function and can always amend a
statute. Can we hear any organ of the Union Government to say that it does not
accept the amendment brought in by Parliament? Parliament is an eternal,
indivisible and indestructible entity under democracy,” the CJI said.
Mehta
submitted that he was supporting the 2006 view taken by the High Court. “How
can you say that I do not accept the validity of an amendment?” the CJI asked
him.
Responding
to the query, Mehta said, “It is not my stand. There is an affidavit filed by
the government.”
He
added, “Would a law officer be expected to say that all amendments made in the
Constitution during the Emergency were true only because they were made by the
Parliament.”
The CJI
said, “The 44th amendment came to redress the evils which were perpetrated in
the name of constitutional amendments. Parliament – the elected body of the
people – can always say that what we did during the Emergency was wrong and we
are rectifying it with the 44th amendment.”
The
matter will be heard next on January 30.
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/amu-case-how-can-you-not-accept-parliament-amendment-sc-asks-centre/
-----
Gyanvapi
mosque case: ASI survey report to be made available to both sides, rules
Varanasi court
Asad
Rehman
January
25, 2024
The
Varanasi District Court on Wednesday allowed copies of the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) report in the Gyanvapi mosque complex to be made
available to both parties in the matter, said advocates representing the Muslim
and Hindu sides.
In
December 2023, the ASI had submitted its report on a scientific survey it had
undertaken at the Gyanvapi mosque complex to the District Court, which had
ordered it to ascertain whether the mosque was “constructed over a pre-existing
structure of a Hindu temple”.
Speaking
to The Indian Express on Wednesday, Advocate Mumtaz Ahmad, representing the
Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, said, “The District judge has ordered that
parties can submit applications, and that they will be provided a copy of the
ASI report”.
The
order was passed by District and Sessions Judge A K Vishvesha, said Ahmad.
Advocate
Vishnu Shankar Jain, who represents the Hindu petitioners in the court, said,
“A hearing happened today. An understanding was reached between the parties
that a hard copy which is certified be made available to parties in the case.
The court will pass an order in this regard soon. We will have to see what the
court writes in its order. The court has agreed on issuing certified copies to
parties”.
“The ASI
said that soft copies can’t be issued because of the threat of cyber crimes…
Once the court order comes, we will apply for a copy of the report,” he added.
On May
16, 2022, a videographic survey of the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque
was completed by a Commission appointed by the local court. During the survey
proceedings, a structure which the Hindu side claimed was a “shivling”, and the
Muslim side claimed was a “fountain”, was found to be inside the mosque
premises.
On July
21, 2023, a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex was ordered by the
Varanasi district court. This time, the District and Sessions Judge A K
Vishvesha had directed the ASI to “undertake scientific
investigation/survey/excavation at the property in question i.e. settlement
plot number 9130 (Gyanvapi mosque)”.
On
August 4, 2023, the survey by the ASI amid tight security arrangements was
resumed after the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court allowed it,
dismissing pleas filed jointly by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee and
the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board. The ASI teams have been surveying the campus
since then.
On
December 11, 2023, the Varanasi District Court granted another week to the ASI
to submit the findings of the court-ordered scientific survey of the Gyanvapi
mosque premises. The ASI on December 18 submitted its report on a scientific
survey it had undertaken at the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/asi-survey-report-gyanvapi-varanasi-court-9125737/
-----
11 held
in Agra for ‘hoisting saffron flag atop mosque’
January 25, 2024
Agra
police on Wednesday arrested 11 persons for allegedly hoisting saffron flags
atop a mosque in the Tajganj area of the district during a shobhayatra. The
incident took place on January 22 which marked the opening of the Ram temple in
Ayodhya.
A
purported video of the alleged incident also went viral on social media where a
group of men can be seen climbing over the mosque and recording a video while
hoisting the saffron flags.
“Some
anti-social elements forcefully tried to enter the Shahi Masjid in Tajganj
while hoisting saffron flags on January 22. Around 3.30 pm, about 1,000-1,500
people with sticks forcefully entered the mosque and raised objectionable
slogans,” reads the FIR, which was registered after a complaint by the mosque’s
caretaker Zahir Uddin. “They created
chaos in the mosque and hoisted saffron flags on the mosque’s minarets, walls
and inner premises,” the complainant alleged.
“The 11
accused included Sunny (24), Himanshu (19) and Sunny (25),” said a police
official. An FIR under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with
deadly weapon), 452 (house-trespass) and 505 (2) [statements creating or
promoting enmity] has been lodged at Tajganj police station.
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/11-held-in-agra-for-hoisting-saffron-flag-atop-mosque-9126488/
-----
Telangana
Muslim Man Insults Saffron Flag In Reel, Thrashed, Paraded Naked
Jan 25,
2024
Rishabh
Sharma
A Muslim
man in Telangana's Sangareddy was beaten and paraded naked by a mob after he
uploaded a reel insulting the bhagwa or saffron flag.
In the
reel, the Muslim youngster is seen inserting the saffron flag, with the Hindu
religious symbol 'Om' marked on it, inside his pants in an insulting manner.
Enraged
by the reel, people in a village in Medak district found him and beat him. Some
videos showed the mob chanting Jai Shri Ram and beating the Muslim youngster,
parading him naked and trying to put his private parts on fire.
A
complaint was filed by the villagers against the man for hurting the sentiments
of Hindus. He was booked by police under IPC sections 153(a), 295-A, 505(2).
The
Muslim youngster also lodged a complaint against the villagers for assaulting
him. On this, the police have booked locals under IPC sections 341, 323,
505(2), and 506.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please click the following URL to read the
text of the original story
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/telangana-muslim-man-beaten-paraded-naked-for-insulting-reel-on-saffron-flag-with-om-2493258-2024-01-25
----
Arab World
Ansarullah
orders US, British UN staff to leave Yemen
25
January 2024
Yemen’s
Ansarullah officials have ordered US and British nationals working for the
United Nations and humanitarian organizations in the capital Sana'a to leave
the country within a month.
Yemen's
Foreign Ministry gave the order in a letter to Peter Hawkins, the UN's acting
humanitarian coordinator in Yemen on Wednesday, after US and UK carried out a
new round of military strikes across the country in response to attacks by
Yemeni armed forces on Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
"The
ministry ... would like to stress that you must inform officials and workers
with US and British citizenships to prepare to leave the country within 30
days," the letter said.
The
letter also instructed foreign organizations to not hire American and British
citizens for Yemen's operations.
Mohammed
Abdulsalam, the Ansarullah spokesman, confirmed the letter's authenticity to
Reuters.
In a
statement, the US embassy said it was aware of reports about the letter but
"cannot speak on behalf of the UN or humanitarian organizations in Yemen”
as to what they may have received from Ansarullah authorities.
The
British embassy also noted that its staff had not yet been told to leave and
the mission was in close contact with the UN on the issue.
On
Monday, US and British forces launched strikes at eight different locations in
Yemen, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands,
according to a joint statement signed by the six countries.
The
strikes came as the Yemeni armed forces have been staging many such strikes
against Israeli vessels or those bound for the occupied Palestinian
territories' ports over the past month.
The
operations have been described as a response to the Israeli regime’s war on the
besieged Gaza Strip.
So far,
eight rounds of strikes over the past month have failed to stop attacks by
Yemeni armed forces against shipping linked to the Israeli regime.
The
Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian
resistance movement Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm
against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s atrocities
against Palestinians.
Since
the start of the aggression, Israel has killed more than 25,700 Palestinians,
mostly women and children.
The
Israeli regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting
off fuel, electricity, food, and water to the more than two million
Palestinians living there.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/25/718856/Yemen-Ansurallah-order-US-UK-UN-staff-leave-strikes-Red-Sea-Palestine-Israel-Gaza-war-support
----
Saudi
Arabia warns of escalating crisis in Middle East at UN debate
January
24, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji participated in the UN Security
Council’s open debate, “The Situation in the Middle East,” in New York, the
Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
In his
speech, Elkhereiji said that the situation in Gaza is worsening due to
indiscriminate bombing by the Israeli army, leading to an increasing number of
casualties.
He
called for immediate, concrete action to halt the killing of unarmed civilians
in Gaza, emphasizing the international community’s shared responsibility in
taking measures to bring the conflict to an end.
He also
highlighted that Saudi Arabia had warned about the danger of the conflict
expanding, affecting regional and international security, and said that
alleviating human suffering and ending military operations in Palestine are the
Kingdom’s top priorities.
Elkhereiji
also expressed concern about the military operations in the Red Sea region and
Yemen.
He
underscored the need to take measures to contain the repercussions of the
crisis on neighboring countries, protect international peace and security, and
achieve a just and lasting solution.
Rejecting
Israel’s self-defense excuse, Elkhereiji said that the forced displacement of
the population of Gaza is unacceptable and condemned the disregard for
Palestinian lives and the recurring violence against them with no prospect of
positive change in the near future.
He
reiterated the Kingdom’s commitment to promoting peace in the region.
Saudi
Arabia, he said, strongly condemns violations of international humanitarian law
by any party and asks the council to take a firm stance and compel Israeli
occupation forces to respect international law and end the suffering of the
Palestinians, as well as to establish an independent Palestinian state that
safeguards the rights and dignity of its people.
UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres also briefed the council on the latest developments in Gaza,
including the destruction wreaked on the strip by Israeli bombardment, calling
for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds. He also called for the release of
hostages held by Hamas.
Guterres
asserted that a two-state solution meets the legitimate aspirations of both
Israelis and Palestinians and is the only way to achieve a lasting end to the
conflict.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2447286/saudi-arabia
----
Makkah
deputy emir receives heads of Islamic chambers
January
25, 2024
MAKKAH —
Prince Saud bin Mishal, deputy emir of the Makkah region, received the heads of
the boards of directors of Islamic chambers participating in the Makkah Halal
Forum, at the emirate’s headquarters in Jeddah on Wednesday.
Prince
Saud listened to a briefing on the activities of the forum, which discusses,
through more than 10 discussion sessions and 250 meetings, a number of issues
and topics related to the halal industry sector in the world.
The
three-day forum under the slogan “Creativity in the Halal Industry,” is hosted
by the Makkah Chamber of Exhibitions and Events Center. It is noteworthy that the
forum is organized by Manafea Agreement and the Islamic Chamber for Halal
Services (ICHS).
The
strategic partners of the event are the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality
Organization and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, along with the participation
of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and
Development.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
Please click the following URL to read
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/639913/SAUDI-ARABIA/Makkah-deputy-emir-receives-heads-of-Islamic-chambers
-----
Qatar
fumes at Netanyahu’s criticism, says he undermines talks for political reasons
24
January 2024
Qatar’s
foreign ministry on Wednesday chastised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for
saying that it was “problematic” that Doha was acting as the mediator between
Israel and the Hamas terror group.
In a
recording aired Tuesday by Israeli television, Netanyahu could be heard
criticizing Qatar over its role as mediator in hostage negotiations with the
terror group and appearing to express disappointment with the United States for
not applying more pressure on the Gulf state, which is a leading patron of
Hamas and hosts its leaders.
Majed Al
Ansari, the spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, said that Doha was
“appalled” by the remarks, adding that if confirmed, they “are irresponsible
and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising.”
“If the
reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing
and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his
political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including
Israeli hostages,” he wrote.
“Instead
of concerning himself with Qatar’s strategic relations with the United States,
we hope Netanyahu decides to operate in good faith and concentrate on the
release of the hostages.”
Finance
Minister Bezalel Smotrich shot back, calling the Gulf state “a
terror-supporting and terror-funding state.”
Smotrich
said on X that Doha was “Hamas’s patron and is largely responsible for the
massacre of Israeli citizens Hamas committed [on October 7].
“The
West’s treatment of it is hypocritical and based on improper financial
interests. The West can and should employ far stronger leverage and bring about
the release of the hostages immediately,” he said.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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the text of the original story
https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-fumes-at-netanyahus-criticism-says-he-undermines-talks-for-political-reasons/
-----
Saudi
deputy minister meets UN envoy for Syria
January
24, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji on Wednesday met UN
Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in New York on the sidelines of the UN
Security Council meeting.
The pair
discussed the work of the Kingdom and the UN in helping to find a political
solution to the Syrian crisis.
In
separate meetings Elkhereiji met his Kuwaiti counterpart Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad
Al-Sabah and Spain’s State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs Diego
Martinez.
The
parties discussed ways to improve relations to serve their shared interests.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2447591/saudi-arabia
-----
Saudi,
Georgian FMs discuss cooperation in Riyadh
January
24, 2024
RIYADH:
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Georgian
counterpart Ilia Darchiashvili on Wednesday in Riyadh.
The
meeting discussed strengthening ties in various fields as well as regional and
international issues of mutual interest.
The
officials also signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the
Saudi-Georgian Coordination Council.
Saudi
Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati and the Kingdom’s Ambassador
to Georgia Salman Al-Sheikh were also present.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2447466/saudi-arabia
----
Jeddah
hosts first Saudi-India festival
January
24, 2024
JEDDAH:
The first Saudi-India Festival was recently held in Jeddah as part of an
agreement between the Consulate General of India and Goodwill Global
Initiative.
Almost
5,000 people, including prominent Saudis, turned out to celebrate the
friendship between the Kingdom and India.
Diplomatic
relations between the two countries were established in 1947, and the two sides
celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2022.
A
cultural fiesta, featuring performances by Saudi and Indian artists, enthralled
audiences at the International Indian School’s Jeddah auditorium.
Indian
Consul General Mohammed Shahid Alam, in his keynote address, said that the new
generation of Saudi and Indian youth should learn about the shared history and
culture of the two countries.
“As an
Indian, I feel proud of these special relationships and bonds that serve as the
foundation for all our relationships. Today, India and Saudi Arabia are
strategic partners, and are taking great strides in the economic relationship,
manifested in the exchange of frequent high-level visits,” said Alam.
He
hailed the achievements of Saudis of Indian origin who settled in the Kingdom
more than 100 years ago and have become part of modern Saudi Arabia.
“We have
decided to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these Saudis together with
the talent of the Indian diaspora in the Kingdom,” Alam added.
Special
guests at the festival included Adil Hamza Malaibari, supervisor of Madrasa
Malaibariya in Makkah; Tarek Mishkhas, editor-in-chief of Malayalam News; Dr.
AkilaSarirete, dean of the college of engineering at Effat University; and Dr.
Ghadeer Talal Melibari, assistant professor, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah.
The
guests of the evening also included Consuls Mohammed Abdul Jaleel and Mohammed
Hashim, and Abeer Medical Group President Mohammed Alungal.
Goodwill
Global Initiative President Hassan Cheruppa presided over the inaugural session
while General Secretary IshaquePoondoli proposed a vote of thanks.
A
documentary highlighting the centuries-old economic and cultural ties between
India and Saudi Arabia was shown at the festival. It covered the Indian trade
routes — the ancient spice route, Silk Road and incense route.
The
theme of the event, “camaraderie,” reflected the mutual trust and friendship
that binds Arabs and Indians.
At the
festival, mesmerizing performances by the 16-member SautulMamlaka Folk Arts
Troupe, led by Fadi Saad Al-Hawsavi, stole the show. The group enthralled
audiences with performances of traditional Saudi folk art forms.
Audiences
also enjoyed Indian dances such as bharatanatyam as well as Gujarati, Punjabi,
Rajasthani and Kashmiri varieties.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2447211/saudi-arabia
----
Pakistan
Pakistan
calls for concrete steps by UN to stop Israeli slaughter of people in Gaza
January
24, 2024
Pakistan
has called for concrete steps by the United Nations to stop the Israeli
slaughter of people in Gaza saying a lasting end to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict can only come through a two-state solution.
Taking
part in the debate on Middle East crisis at Security Council in New York,
Pakistan permanent representative to the United Nations Munir Akram said
Pakistan hopes the Security Council will be able to adopt a resolution
demanding a complete cessation of hostilities, full access to humanitarian assistance
for the besieged population of Gaza, and international protection for the
Palestinian people.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/24-01-2024/pakistan-calls-for-concrete-steps-by-un-to-stop-israeli-slaughter-of-palestinian-in-gaza
----
Armed
Forces fully prepared against any threat: COAS
January
24, 2024
Army
Chief General Syed Asim Munir has said the armed forces of Pakistan are fully
prepared against any threat and conspiracy.
Addressing
the participants of Pakistan National Youth Conference in Islamabad today, he
said Pakistan will never compromise its sovereignty.
Expressing
full confidence in the bright future of Pakistan and upholding the past glory
of forefathers, the Army Chief said the Allah Almighty has bestowed Pakistan
with numerous mineral resources, agriculture and young human capital.
Syed
Asim Munir said he is feeling immense pleasure while interacting with the
future leaders of Pakistan and eagles of Iqbal. He said the sole objective
behind the creation of Pakistan was that our religion, civilization and culture
were totally different from that of Hindus but it does not mean that we should
adopt western culture. He said the youth should trust their country, nation,
culture and civilization.
The Army
Chief said the youth of Pakistan should believe that they belong to a great
country and nation. He said our youngsters are the torchbearers of bright
traditions of the country and the nation as well as the true outcome of the
dreams of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam.
Syed
Asim Munir said the armed forces can fight terrorists but they too need
cooperation and support of the entire nation. He said the negative propaganda,
being spread on social media, is aimed at creating uncertainty and hopelessness
in the country. He stressed the need for double checking the news on social
media. He said without proper research and positive thinking, there will be a
chaos in the society.
The
youth, on the occasion, chanted slogans ‘Long Live Pakistan, Pakistan Army and
Quaid-i-Azam Zindabad’.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.radio.gov.pk/24-01-2024/pakistan-armed-forces-fully-prepared-against-any-threat-conspiracy-coas
----
PM urges
youth to collectively fight enemies’ propaganda
January
24, 2024
ISLAMABAD:Caretaker
Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Wednesday affirmed that as responsible
citizens, the people of Pakistan must reject and collectively fight the vicious
propaganda onslaught unleashed by the enemies against Pakistan in the recent
past.
The
prime minister, addressing the Pakistan National Youth Convention 2024 as the
chief guest, said the youth could play a constructive role in dealing with this
emerging national security challenge provided they remained focused, and
fact-check all details through authentic information from the state
institutions rather than falling prey to the propaganda.
Chief of
Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, who also addressed the participants, was
the guest of honour.
“We, as
a nation, have fought the menace of terrorism most valiantly, offering
unparalleled sacrifices,” he said.
PM Kakar
appreciated the role of the armed forces in the fight against the menace of
terrorism with full commitment and professional excellence. “Pakistan’s
successes in the war against terrorism would not have been possible without the
participation and support of the youth who make up 65% of our population,” he
added.
Addressing
the conference, the army chief cautioned the youth against content on social
media, saying one of the objectives of "propaganda" on it was to
"spread negativity and chaos in society".
He urged
the attendees to corroborate and confirm content on social media as he expressed
confidence in the upcoming generation. COAS assured the attendees that the
armed forces of Pakistan were always ready to face any threat and conspiracy
against the country and emphasised that if we, as the people, exist as Pakistan
is our identity and we would be 'nothing' without the country.
The army
chief added that the country will never compromise on its sovereignty and he
has full faith in Pakistan's bright future.
Referring
to the youth as guardians of the country's bright traditions, the army chief
said maintained that though the army can fight against terrorists, the
cooperation of the entire nation is necessary in the fight.
General
Munir also urged the youth to have confidence in the country, its culture,
civilization and in themselves, adding that they should be confident that they
are the offspring of a great homeland and nation.
The army
chief also said the country is blessed with abundant mineral resources,
agriculture and a demographic youth bulge.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2454273/pm-urges-youth-to-collectively-fight-enemies-propaganda
-----
Jail
trial notification: IHC reserves verdict on IK’s pleas
2024-01-25
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC), Wednesday, reserved its verdict on Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s petitions against his jail trial
notification in Toshkhana and Al-Qadir cases.
A
division bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mahmood Jahangiri
heard Imran’s petitions against his jail trial notification in Toshkhana and
Al-Qadir cases. Imran filed the petitions through his counsel Sardar Latif
Khosa advocate and cited the chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and
others as respondents in the case.
During
the hearing, Imran’s counsel Advocate Shoaib Shaheen argued that they did not
say that the jail trial could not be conducted but certain parameters [for it]
were necessary.
He said
the jail trial was held in extraordinary circumstances, which required a
judicial order in which the relevant judge stated those extraordinary
circumstances.
The
attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) contended that the trial of NAB cases was
being conducted in an open court at the Adiala prison, where the former prime
minister remained incarcerated.
Shaheen
contended that the NAB had no authority to write to the federal government
seeking a jail trial. He added that if the NAB had any reason, it should have
placed them before the relevant court and then the court would have decided
after looking at these circumstances.
He
continued that a two-member bench of the IHC had given a decision on the same
legal point in the cypher case, which had not been overruled by the Supreme
Court and was binding on this court
as well.
AGP
Mansoor Usman Awan informed the court that there were Facebook, Twitter, and
YouTube screenshots that proved the media was being given access to the trial.
Shoaib argued that there was no court order related to the jail trial. He said
a notification was issued when the references had not even been filed, arguing
that the malice was clear.
At this,
the IHC CJ said there was no doubt that the jail trial was conducted in
extraordinary circumstances. Later, the court reserved its verdict on the petitions.
Imran’s
petition stated that the notifications of jail trials in the cases, issued on
November 14 and 28, respectively, were unlawful and malicious. He prayed to the
court that the jail trial notifications be nullified and urged the court to
issue a stay order to halt the proceedings.
In his
petition, the petitioner, Imran, impugned the notification dated 28.11.2023
issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice, according to which, the federal
government had accorded approval that the “Accountability Court concerned”
shall sit and conduct trial of the petitioner and others in Central Prison,
Adiala Rawalpindi with reference to the case regarding misuse of authority and
misappropriation/illegal sale of gifted State assets, etc. under Section 16(b)
of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40285596/jail-trial-notification-ihc-reserves-verdict-on-iks-pleas
------
Section
144 imposed in Punjab to hamper PTI show: Imran
January
25, 2024
Malik
Asad
RAWALPINDI:
Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the Punjab government
had imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to hamper the
upcoming show of power by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s candidates.
He was
speaking to media persons after attending proceedings of GBP190 million,
Toshakhana, and cipher cases.
Accountability
judge Mohammad Bashir deferred the indictment of Mr Khan in the £190m reference
as the defence counsel was absent.
Judge of
Special Court (Official Secrets Act) AbualHasnat Mohammad Zulqarnain, on the
other hand, concluded the cross-examination of four prosecution witnesses in
the cipher case.
Indictment
of former PM deferred in £190m case; cross-examination concluded in cipher
case; ECP to proceed against Imran, Fawad after polls
There
are 25 prosecution witnesses to be cross-examined by the counsel for Imran Khan
and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
The
witnesses cross-examined on Wednesday included Deputy Director of Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Iqra Ashraf, Imran Sajid, ShamoonQaiser and cipher assistant
Mohammad Nauman.
Later,
Mr Khan told media persons that the caretaker government, a few individuals in
the establishment and the Election Commission of Pakistan are united against
his party.
He
claimed that PTI had an overwhelming vote bank within the armed forces and the
party would not be deterred whatever coercive measure were adopted to suppress
its voice.
Mr Khan
said he never witnessed such a pre-poll rigging in the country’s history and
they planned to rig Feb 8 elections, but they would see the public rage on the
election day.
In reply
to a question about the possibility of a deal with stakeholders, Mr Khan said
that the only deal in which he is now interested is holding of free and
transparent elections.
He said
the prevailing mindset of the power corridors is harmful for the country and
the election is for “real freedom”.
The
former prime minister said he has applied to cast the vote through the postal
ballot.
He said
Section 144 has been imposed after he had asked the PTI candidates to hold
large-scale public meetings.
He
expressed apprehensions that the government would not allow PTI candidates to
hold their show of power.
The
former prime minister claimed that the PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif is
behind the imposition of Section 144, as he has failed to bring out people in
his public meetings.
He said
the PTI has devised a contingency plan and in case any candidate is arrested or
barred from contesting elections, his replacement would do so.
IHC
bench reserves judgement
In a
related development, a division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC)
comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri
reserved its decision on two petitions of Imran Khan against his trial at
Adiala Jail in Toshakhana and 190m pound corruption cases.
Mr
Khan’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen said the notification had been issued in
violation of relevant laws.
He
pointed out that earlier another division bench of the IHC had scrapped court
proceedings while observing flaws in the issuance of the notification for the
jail trial.
Attorney
General Awan told the court that the matter before the other bench was not
identical.
He said
the government has completed all codal formalities for the former prime
minister’s trial in jail.
Contempt
proceedings puts off
In
another development, the Election Commission of Pakistan agreed not to proceed
with contempt of the ECP and the chief election commissioner against Imran Khan
until the Feb 8 general elections.
A
four-member ECP bench, headed by its Sindh member Nisar Ahmed Durrani, heard
the case. Advocate Shoaib Shaheen appeared before the bench on behalf of the
former prime minister, while Faisal Fareed represented former PTI leader Fawad
Chaudhry.
“Statements
of witnesses were to be recorded today,” reminded Mr Durrani when PTI founder’s
lawyer said he had applied for adjournment of the case due to elections.
Mr
Shaheen, who is also the party’s independent candidate from an NA seat of
Islamabad, urged the bench to adjourn the case hearing till after elections.
“This
hearing is giving an impression that the Election Commission of Pakistan is
facilitating one political party while targeting another,” Shoaib Shaheen said.
To this, Justice retired Ikramullah Khan, who is the commission’s member from
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, made it clear that the ECP has no inclination towards any
political party.
Replying
to him, the PTI founder’s lawyer pointed out that Section 144 has been imposed
in Punjab, but the ECP member emphasised that such matters pertained to the
administration and they have nothing to do with the Commission. “What could the
Election Commission do if a terrorist enters the rally?” he asked.
The
lawyer then referred to a recent ECP order about PTI intra-party polls, adding
that the commission took away PTI’s poll symbol ahead of the general polls.
“People
know PTI founding member. What is the importance of ‘bat’,” retired Justice
Ikramullah asked.
“Posters
in every constituency of Islamabad have big pictures of the PTI founder,” he
remarked.
The
lawyer expressed the party’s readiness to hold intra-party elections afresh and
remarked: “We are ready to hold intra-party elections again under the
supervision of the Election Commission of Pakistan. The party has been
dissolved for five years by denying the poll symbol to it.”
The ECP
member retorted that the case has been in limbo for more than a year, when the
lawyer urged that statements of witnesses should be recorded after Feb 15. The
hearing was then adjourned till Feb 20.
Regarding
the contempt case against Fawad Chaudhry, his lawyer Faisal Chaudhry requested
for adjournment of the hearing, to which, ECP member from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
pointed out that no reply has been submitted by Fawad Chaudhry on the
show-cause notice till date.
The
lawyer still insisted for more time to submit reply to the show-cause notice
and was given time till Feb 21 to do the needful. The lawyer submitted written
request for the issuance of the production order of Fawad Chaudhry, saying that
the trial should be conducted in his presence and maintained that trial is not
conducted in the absence of an accused.
Mr
Durrani of the ECP said that the production order would be issued only if
needed, and that an order would be issued in this context.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1808406/section-144-imposed-in-punjab-to-hamper-pti-show-imran
-----
North America
Local Islamic
civil liberties group accuses Emory of violating Civil Rights Act
Jan 25,
2024
The
Council on American-Islamic Relation’s Georgia chapter (CAIR-Georgia) and other
civil rights organizations sent Emory University President Gregory Fenves a
letter today demanding that the University protect Palestinian, Arab and Muslim
students from anti-Palestinian, racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic harassment
and doxxing on campus and reaffirm students’ right to advocate for Palestine.
The
group claimed that Emory violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by
holding a “biased” stance against these students and failing to respond when
they reported mistreatment, opening the door to “active harm, intimidation of
students, and a hostile campus environment.”
Title VI
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits institutions that receive federal
funding from discriminating against individuals on the basis of race, color or
national origin.
“As a
university obligated to provide an educational environment welcoming to all
regardless of race, color, or national origin, Emory cannot justify its failure
to address the hostile anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic environment students
have been subjected to on campus and by its own administration,” CAIR-Georgia
wrote in the letter.
Emory
community members gather in Cannon Chapel Sanctuary for a vigil in honor of
Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war on Oct .14, 2023.
(AlyaKhoury/Contributing Photographer)
CAIR-Georgia
Legal Director Javeria Jamil said that University leadership was aware of
students’ concerns since Oct. 9 or 10.
“The
students have filed numerous bias reports, the students have talked to numerous
faculty and administrators and the University has not done anything to date
that we are aware of or the students are aware of, to fix the Islamophobic
harassment and doxxing that’s been happening against the students,” Jamil said.
Assistant
Vice President of University Communications Laura Diamond told The Emory Wheel
that the University is still “reviewing the letter” and did not provide a
response to the specific allegations in the letter.
“Emory
does not tolerate any action that discriminates against groups or individuals
because of their nationality, identity or beliefs,” Diamond wrote.
An
executive member of Emory Students for Justice in Palestine (ESJP), who
requested to remain anonymous due to fear of retaliation, said that the
University has not followed up on any of the bias reports filed.
“We’ve
submitted … at least 10 or more [bias reports] at this point,” the student
said. “We hear back saying the bias reports are being processed, as it says, …
but as of now, we still have not gotten any sort of concrete feedback from
these various reports.”
CAIR-Georgia
outlined several alleged incidents of harassment that members of ESJP, as well
as Arab and Muslim students, have faced. They include accusations of derogatory
remarks on LinkedIn, doxxing, violations of the University’s Respect for Open
Expression Policy and in-person harassment. The letter claimed the perpetrators
ranged from current students, faculty and alumni to outside parties on campus.
“The
discrimination, harassment, stereotyping, disparate treatment and racial
profiling … are not isolated instances, but rather they are the product of
deep-rooted, dehumanizing bigotry against Palestinians and their allies in an
attempt to suppress speech supporting Palestinian rights on college campuses,
which the University not only did nothing to address, but further contributed
to by committing discriminatory acts of its own,” CAIR-Georgia wrote in the
letter.
As a
result, the group alleged in the letter that Palestinian, Arab and Muslim
students, as well as students who are “perceived” as Palestinian or Muslim or
who are “associated with Palestinians,” are afraid to leave their rooms to
participate in campus life and go to class or unable to focus on school work.
“Palestinian
students have especially suffered as a result of this open hostility and fear,”
CAIR-Georgia wrote. “Many are experiencing trauma and are afraid of seeking
help from the University because of the fear that their names and information
will be released to external parties, or that identifying as Palestinians who
believe in their own equality and right to life could lead to criminal
consequences.”
Several
other organizations, including the Asian American Advocacy Fund, Democratic
Socialists of America Atlanta chapter, Jewish Voice for Peace Atlanta chapter
and Kennesaw State University’s (Ga.) Muslim Student Association signed the
letter.
Another executive
member of ESJP said that students’ academic performance are suffering due to
the time it takes to file bias reports and reach out to university officials.
“Just
being able to be a student to the full extent that you want to be, has been
limited because of the aggressions, because of feeling unsafe on campus and
having to do the heavy lifting that the University should be doing on its own
if it was doing its job correctly,” the student said.
Source: emorywheel.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://emorywheel.com/local-islamic-civil-liberties-group-accuses-emory-of-violating-civil-rights-act/
-----
CAIR-Colorado
Welcomes Sentencing in Hate Crime Arson Targeting Church
Ismail
Allison
January
24, 2024
The Colorado
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CO), the nation’s
largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the
sentencing of a man convicted of burning a church in Loveland, Colorado.
A
Colorado man has been sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted
on a federal hate crime charge for setting fire to a church in Loveland in
January of last year. The man said he was motivated to start the fire because
of the “religious character of the church.”
“We
welcome the sentencing in this case and stand in solidarity with the
congregation impacted by this hateful crime,” said CAIR-CO Board Chair Krista
Cole. “No faith community should have its house of worship targeted by
bigotry.”
Cole
urged religious institutions of all faiths to make use of CAIR’s Best Practices
for Mosque and Community Safety guide and implement security measures.
CAIR’s
Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety guide can be accessed here.
She said
CAIR and the American Muslim community stand in solidarity with all those
challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia,
white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-colorado-welcomes-sentencing-in-hate-crime-arson-targeting-church/
----
CAIR
Calls on Biden Admin to Demand End to Israeli Attacks on Gaza Hospitals
Ismail
Allison
January
24, 2024
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Biden administration to
demand that Israel’s far-right government end its attack on hospitals in Gaza
housing hundreds of patients and displaced civilians.
Israel
is attacking near Khan Younis’s three main hospitals – al-Aqsa, Nasser and
al-Amal – making it difficult for civilians to flee and targeted a UN building
in which some 800 people sought shelter.
Doctors
Without Borders said its staff was trapped inside Nasser Hospital, along with
some 850 patients and thousands of displaced people.
Israel
has now killed almost 26,000 Gazans, mostly women and children, while Israeli
media “mostly keep Gaza’s human toll out
of sight.” Israeli strikes on Khan Younis city killed at least 210 people
killed over the past 24 hours.
In a
statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“When
will the Biden administration acknowledge the daily slaughter of civilians and
attacks on medical and United Nations facilities that we are all witnessing in
real time? President Biden must immediately demand that Israel’s far-right
government stop its campaign of genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, secure a
ceasefire, and pursue a just and lasting peace by ending the occupation.”
Mitchell
added that yesterday, CAIR condemned the latest of what it calls the “Israeli
war crime of the day,” the murder of a Gaza civilian in a group holding a white
flag and holding their hands up in a so-called Israeli “safe zone.”
CAIR
recently condemned other “Israeli war crimes of the day” in Gaza, including
eyewitness reports of the execution of civilians by Israeli forces, looting of
archeological artifacts, reports of the “torture” of detainees and the ongoing
desecration of cemeteries.
He noted
that Israel’s far-right government has systematically destroyed religious
(1,000 mosques destroyed), historical, educational, institutional, and cultural
sites in Gaza.
CAIR
condemned the killing of a Palestinian-American teen by the forces of the
far-right Israeli government in the occupied West Bank.
CAIR
previously called on the Biden administration to condemn the far-right Israeli
government’s targeted murder of journalists in Gaza.
An
investigation by the Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 83
journalists and media workers were among the almost 25,000 people killed by
Israel in Gaza since the war began.
CAIR
also called on President Biden to condemn Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and take action after he admitted to being opposed to the existence
of a Palestinian state in any scenario.
CAIR
condemned what it called the latest “Israeli war crimes of the day,” including
a new call for ethnic cleansing of Gaza by a top Israeli government official,
the demolition of a Gaza university, attacks near a Gaza hospital, video of
Israeli troops mocking Palestinian suffering, and Israeli actions forcing women
to give birth in the streets.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-call-on-biden-admin-to-demand-end-to-israeli-attacks-on-gaza-hospitals/
------
NY state
voters split on aid to Israel, in shift from November: poll
Jan 25,
2024
New York
Jewish Week via JTA — Voters in New York state are split on whether the United
States should provide aid to Israel, according to a recent poll, a shift from
the weeks following Hamas’ October 7 attack.
A Siena
College survey published on Monday found that 45 percent of the state’s voters
are opposed to providing further military or economic aid to Israel, while 43%
support it, with the remainder either on the fence or declining to answer.
That’s a
shift from a November survey of New York state voters by Siena, taken roughly a
month after Palestinian terror group Hamas’s October 7 invasion of Israel that
killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and launched the current war. That
survey found that 51% were in favor of aid to Israel while 37% were against it.
Israel
responded to the attack with a military campaign to destroy Hamas, remove it
from power in Gaza, and free 253 hostages who were abducted by the attackers
and taken captive in the Palestinian enclave. Most are still being held.
In this
week’s poll, few subgroups supported aid to Israel. A slim majority of suburban
respondents and those 55 and older backed the aid, along with 75% of Jewish
respondents. Among Jews, 18% oppose aid to Israel.
Positions
on aid did not diverge sharply along party lines, though Republicans were
slightly more supportive. Among Democrats, 47% were against aid to Israel and
43% were in favor, while 43% of independents opposed aid and 38% supported it.
Among Republicans, 46% supported aid and 44% opposed it.
The poll
queried 807 New York state voters between January 14-17 and had a margin of
error of 4.5%. Margins of error for the subgroups were slightly higher.
The poll
also appeared to show a drop in support for aid to Israel among denizens of New
York City in particular. A poll by Quinnipiac University last month found that
residents of the five boroughs were split, with 46% opposed to sending military
aid to Israel, and 45% in favor.
But in
this week’s Siena poll, 53% of the city’s residents opposed aid to Israel and
35% supported it.
Subgroups
of younger voters, and those with lower incomes, were also less supportive of
aid to Israel. In addition, half of white voters supported aid to Israel, while
40% opposed it. Thirty percent of both Black and Latino voters supported the
aid, with 56% and 46% of those groups, respectively, in opposition.
The
survey also asked about aid to Ukraine, which proved slightly more popular,
with half of voters in favor and 40% against. On that issue, there were wider
partisan gaps: 63% of Democrats supported more military and economic aid to
Ukraine, compared to 26% of Republicans.
Ukraine
aid was more popular than aid to Israel among all racial and age groups except
Jews, who were still largely supportive of it at 70%.
Source: timesofisrael.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ny-state-voters-split-on-aid-to-israel-in-shift-from-november-poll/
-----
US
Special Envoy Calls for Sustainable Development in Afghanistan
Fidel
Rahmati
January
25, 2024
The
Special Representative of the United States for Afghanistan Affairs stated on
Wednesday that the majority of the Afghan people need humanitarian aid.
Thomas
West emphasized that the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan cannot be solved
with aid such as flour and oil, and Afghanistan requires “sustainable
livelihood and private sector development.”
In an
online meeting with representatives of several Afghan media outlets, Tom West
mentioned that humanitarian aid to Afghanistan will continue because over 70
per cent of the people need such assistance.
He
dismissed the criticism that the Taliban are benefiting from international aid.
According to him, American cooperating organizations have directly distributed
humanitarian aid to the people. West added that these organizations have halted
their activities to prevent aid from falling into the hands of the Taliban when
necessary.
However,
John F. Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in
the U.S. Congress Foreign Relations Committee, stated that there is a possibility
of the Taliban misusing this aid.
He
pointed out the Taliban’s interference in aid distribution and the
establishment of fake aid organizations, which divert some of this aid into the
Taliban’s pockets.
The U.S.
representative mentioned that major donor countries are discussing stability
and economic growth in Afghanistan due to the reduction in Afghan people’s
emergency food aid needs.
West
said, “We need to find a way for sustainable assistance. We want to move away
from the current approach of distributing flour and oil. We want to move
towards creating sustainable livelihoods that strengthen the private sector.”
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.khaama.com/us-special-envoy-calls-for-sustainable-development-in-afghanistan/
-----
Europe
UK
foreign secretary meets with Netanyahu, calls for immediate humanitarian pause
AysuBicer
25.01.2024
UK
Foreign Secretary David Cameron held crucial talks on Wednesday with Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
According
to a statement by the government, Cameron "explained that he wants to see
an immediate humanitarian pause to get hostages out and aid in, leading to a
sustainable cease-fire without a return to hostilities."
"To
enable this, Hamas must agree to the release of all hostages, they could no
longer be in charge in Gaza firing rockets at Israel, and an agreement must be
in place for the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza to provide governance,
services and security," it said.
Underlining
the imperative for a long-term political strategy, he called for a credible and
irreversible pathway leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state
alongside Israel.
Addressing
the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, Cameron emphasized the urgency of
increasing aid to the region.
He
called on Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, extend the operation
of the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom crossings, and support the United Nations in
effectively distributing aid across the entirety of Gaza.
Cameron
"also underlined the need for Israel to ensure effective deconfliction in
Gaza and to take all possible measures to ensure the safety of medical
personnel and facilities."
He also
met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, underscoring the
importance of engaging all stakeholders for a comprehensive resolution.
More
than 25,500 Palestinians have been confirmed killed since Israel began its war,
with thousands more feared dead under the rubble amid widespread devastation.
The vast majority of those who have been killed, roughly two-thirds, have been
women and children.
About
85% of Gazans have been displaced, all of whom are food insecure, and the
health system is collapsing. Hundreds of thousands are living without shelter
and less than half of the number of aid trucks are
entering the territory compared to before the conflict.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/uk-foreign-secretary-meets-with-netanyahu-calls-for-immediate-humanitarian-pause/3118007
----
Taliban
not recognized due to human rights violations: Russian FM
Fidel
Rahmati
January
25, 2024
The
Russian Foreign Minister says that Moscow does not recognize the Taliban due to
their violation of commitments, especially regarding human rights, particularly
women’s rights and the formation of an inclusive government.
The
Russian Foreign Minister, in a press conference at the United Nations
headquarters, said that the Taliban government consists of “all Taliban” and
does not include other ethnic and religious groups such as Hazaras, Tajiks, and
Uzbeks.
He
emphasized that in the Taliban government, it’s not only about ethnic inclusivity
but also political and religious inclusivity that needs to be implemented.
Sergei
Lavrov also urged anti-Taliban factions to strengthen the “peaceful” approach.
The
Russian Foreign Minister noted that the resistance factions in northern
Afghanistan may not be inclined to negotiate with the Taliban, but he urged
influential figures among them to pursue peaceful dialogue.
The
Russian Foreign Minister reiterated the presence of Hamed Karzai, the former
president, and Abdullah Abdullah, the former head of the Afghan High Council
for National Reconciliation, in Kabul, expressing their desire to assist in
steering the country back to its original course.
Last
week, the Russian Foreign Minister acknowledged the National Resistance Front
led by Ahmad Massoud in northern Afghanistan and called for building a bridge
with them. He also suggested the Taliban include other political forces in the
governance structure.
Following
the Taliban’s takeover, countries in the international community have refrained
from officially recognizing their government, with a few exceptions like Iran,
Pakistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and China, which maintain unofficial relations.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-not-recognized-due-to-human-rights-violations-russian-fm/
-----
Family
rejects apology of man who mowed down Muslim family with a truck
Jan 24,
2024
A man
who killed four members of a Muslim family in London, Ont., told a sentencing
hearing on Tuesday that he was sorry for the pain he caused, an apology
dismissed by the victims’ family as the “strategic words” of a “killer.”
Nathaniel
Veltman, 23, was found guilty in November of four counts of first-degree murder
and one count of attempted murder for hitting the Afzaal family with his truck
while they were out for a walk on June 6, 2021.
Before
Veltman addressed Tuesday’s hearing, the court heard arguments on whether his
attack amounted to terrorism, with the Crown arguing he was a white supremacist
with a plan to commit violence while the defence claimed he kept his beliefs to
himself.
“I want
to take this opportunity to express my regret for the loss of the Afzaal
family,” Veltman told the court.
“I’m
sorry for this pain and suffering that I caused. I cannot turn back time,” he
said.
Veltman
has been convicted of killing 46-year-old Salman Afzaal; his 44-year-old wife,
Madiha Salman; their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna; and her 74-year-old
grandmother, Talat Afzaal, while the couple’s nine-year-old son was seriously
hurt but survived.
Speaking
outside the court after the hearing, Madiha Salman’s uncle Ali Islam rejected
Veltman’s comments on behalf of the family.
“This is
not an apology. These are strategic words coming from a killer after he is convicted.
He could have chosen any time to apologize, but to do it just before
sentencing, so it can be entered in the record as an apology is a checkbox …
for the parole board. This is not an apology. This is strategy,” Islam told
reporters.
Veltman’s
trial was the first where Canada’s terrorism laws were put before a jury in a
first-degree murder trial.
During
Tuesday’s hearing, Crown lawyer Sarah Shaikh argued that evidence in the case
showed Veltman is a “right-wing white nationalist, and a white supremacist.”
“He has
a vision about a new society and a plan to achieve that new society … his plan
involves sending a message through a violent act,” she said.
Shaikh
argued Veltman’s attack should be considered terrorism because he was motivated
by white nationalist ideology at the time and had stated in a manifesto found
in his apartment and to police that he wanted to send a message to Muslims that
they are not welcome in Canada.
“His
desire for revenge against so-called Muslim-on-white or Black-on-white crimes
fuelled his racist beliefs that the white race is the superior race,” she said.
Veltman
had a plan to inspire others to commit similar attacks, Shaikh said, noting
Veltman said he was inspired by Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 people in a pair
of New Zealand mosque shootings in 2019.
“The
offender’s larger plan is the development of an all-white society,” Shaikh
said. “To achieve this plan, he decided to commit brutal violence towards
Muslims, killing who he can in an effort to convince the rest to leave.”
Defence
lawyer Christopher Hicks argued Veltman’s attack should not be considered
terrorism because he didn’t publish his manifesto, which the lawyer noted also
contained antisemitic views.
“You
have a 20-year-old young man sitting in his studio apartment … just making
notes to himself,” Hicks said. “He has no plans to disseminate it, it’s never
propagated anywhere. It’s on his computer, and he is virtually the only one to
see it.”
Justice
Renee Pomerance, who has been presiding over the case, asked Hicks whether
Veltman had told police he kept his ideology private so “his plan would not be
foiled.” Hicks said Veltman had obsessive compulsive fears he would be detected
by police or federal government intelligence agencies.
Veltman,
wearing a wrinkled black suit and shirt, sat in the courtroom listening to the
proceedings. He had been greeted earlier in the day by one of his defence
lawyers with a fist bump.
Jurors
at Veltman’s trial had been instructed by Pomerance that they could convict
Veltman of first-degree murder if they unanimously agreed prosecutors had
established he intended to kill the victims, and planned and deliberated his
attack. She also told jurors they could reach that same verdict if they found
that the killings were terrorist activity.
The
terror component wasn’t a separate charge, and juries don’t explain how they
reach their verdict, so it’s unclear what role – if any – the terror
allegations played in their decision.
Speaking
to reporters outside the courthouse before the hearing began, defence lawyer
Peter Ketcheson said Veltman faces a sentence of life in prison with no chance
of parole for 25 years on his first-degree murder convictions. The issue of a
terrorism designation could become significant if and when Veltman applies for
parole, he said.
A
decision on the terrorism issue will also be significant for future cases, he
said.
“There’s
not much case law in the area,” he said. “This is going to be precedent-setting
and cases in the future when they’re determining whether or not it is terrorist
activity, they will look back on Justice Pomerance’s decision for some
guidance.”
Pomerance
is expected to sentence Veltman on Feb. 22.
During
the trial, Veltman testified he had been considering using his pickup truck,
which he bought a month earlier, to carry out an attack and looked up
information online about what happens when pedestrians get struck by cars at
various speeds.
He told
the jury that he felt an “urge” to hit the Afzaal family after seeing them
walking on a sidewalk, adding that he knew they were Muslims from the clothes
they were wearing and he noticed the man in the group had a beard.
Jurors
had also seen video of Veltman telling a detective his attack had been
motivated by white nationalist beliefs. Court also heard that he wrote a
manifesto in the weeks before the attack, describing himself as a white
nationalist and peddling unfounded conspiracy theories about Muslims.
Veltman’s
trial was heard in Windsor, Ont., but the sentencing proceedings, including
victim impact statements, are taking place in London.
Source: sookenewsmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.sookenewsmirror.com/national-news/family-rejects-apology-of-man-who-mowed-down-muslim-family-with-a-truck-7300681
-----
Islamic
group calling for Shariah law cancels Canadian event after U.K. declares it a
terrorist entity
Jan 24,
2024
The day
after an Islamic organization was declared a terrorist group in Britain, the
group’s Canadian branch cancelled a conference it was hosting this weekend that
was calling for the resurrection of the Muslim caliphate and the imposition of
Shariah law.
Hizb ut
Tahrir Canada was convening its conference on Saturday in Mississauga, just
outside Toronto, called the Khilafah Conference 2024. Khilafah is the Arabic
word for caliphate, referring to a Muslim community governed under Islamic law.
The
conference materials — posters, a website, and a polished promotional video —
said the group urges the rejection of a Jewish state and the involvement of the
United Nations, international law, or other “compromises” in the Middle East,
instead encouraging military forces in the Muslim world to defeat “occupiers”
in the region.
Hizb ut
Tahrir Canada’s conference materials, along with its entire online presence — a
website active since 2012, a YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, and X
accounts — has now been deleted or deactivated, apparently internally.
A former
leader with the Hizb ut-Tahrir, who now works in extremist deradicalization,
said the British declaration has spooked the group’s Canadian supporters.
“Until
they can provide the right guidelines for the organization’s English-language
speaking areas they will avoid, as much as possible, their membership and
activists making statements in the public arena,” said Rashad Ali, a resident
senior fellow at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a counter-extremism
think tank based in London, England.
“Unless
they can control what their membership is saying in English, then they can’t be
sure that they aren’t going to say something they will regret.”
The
members will also fear that Canada might follow Britain’s lead, Ali said.
“Australia
and Canada tend to, in counter-terrorism matters, follow where Britain goes. It
will be quite likely that if the ban and proscription in Britain is upheld by
the British courts, they will apply the same thing in Australia and Canada.”
Before
it was cancelled, the conference was causing concern over the group’s
statements, seen as starkly antisemitic, hawkish on eradicating Israel, and
supporting elements of militant jihadi violence.
“As a
listed terrorist entity in the United Kingdom, the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization
should not be given an opportunity to promote and indoctrinate Canadians with
their extreme and radical viewpoints through their Khilafah Conference,” said
Shimon KofflerFogel, president of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, a
Canadian Jewish advocacy organization.
“If it
had not been pre-emptively cancelled, we would have expected the authorities to
step in to identify it as a potential security risk and prevent the conference
from moving forward.”
When
introducing Britain’s proscription order against Hizb ut-Tahrir under the
Terrorism Act, U.K.’s Home Secretary James Cleverly said: “Hizb ut-Tahrir is an
antisemitic organization that actively promotes and encourages terrorism,
including praising and celebrating the appalling 7 October attacks.
“Proscribing
this terrorist group will ensure that anyone who belongs to and invites support
for them will face consequences. It will curb Hizb ut-Tahrir’s ability to
operate as it currently does.”
The
terrorist designation went into effect on Jan. 19.
Registered
attendees for the Khilafah Conference in Canada were notified the event was
cancelled on Jan. 20, with a note saying: “It is with a heavy heart that Hizb
ut Tahrir Canada has decided to cancel the Khilafah Conference 2024 because of
unforeseen circumstances.”
The
notification apologized for the inconvenience but offered no explanation.
Tickets for the event were formally cancelled Monday, with instructions on
obtaining a refund. Ticket holders had not yet been told where in Mississauga
the conference was being held.
Conference
organizers did not respond to requests for information and comment by National
Post prior to deadline.
The
theme for the conference was “Khilafah: Eliminating the obstacles that are
delaying its return.” Its materials refer to Israel only as “the Zionist
Entity.”
There
were four keynote speakers advertised: Muhammad Malkawi, Mazin Abdul-Adhim,
Bilal Khan, and Malik Abu Luqman.
Malkawi
was considered the headliner.
In a
speech last month, he was quoted as saying that if Muslims came together “you
don’t even need to fight for Palestine because there will not be a Jewish state
there.” His online accounts say he is based in Jordan, where Hizb ut-Tahrir’s
central headquarters are located.
“He is
very well known, very public, a popular speaker within the party and has been
active for decades,” Ali said.
Malkawi
did not respond to a request for comment prior to deadline.
Mazin
Abdul-Adhim is based in Canada, in London, Ont., and is active on social media.
He describes himself as a Hizb ut Tahrir member on X, where his avatar is the
logo for the cancelled conference.
He did
not respond to a request for comment. On social media he reacted to Britain’s
ban of the group, saying: “by banning HT, they make us a much stronger force,
impenetrable and absolutely bulletproof from their false allegations and lies.”
A
conference with a similar title is scheduled to be held in Chicago in March,
organized by Hizb ut-Tahrir America.
Hizb
ut-Tahrir, Arabic for “Party of Liberation,” was founded in 1953 by a cleric as
a revolutionary party, meant as a springboard to power in countries with large
Muslim populations to spur their unification to restore the medieval Muslim
empire, said Ali. (The Canadian branch does not use the more common hyphenated
version of the party’s name.)
Although
it calls itself a political party, it is not a democratic institution.
“The
Hizb ut-Tahrir rejects democracy, it rejects participating in governance with
other parties, it rejects the electoral process as a method of gaining power —
the only way is by the overthrow of government by revolution,” said Ali.
He said
Hizb ut-Tahrir is perhaps unique in the Islamist extremist space, and quite
different from groups like ISIS or Al-Qaeda.
“The
Hizb ut-Tahrir don’t engage in material action, does not undertake violent
acts,” he said. They can, however, be accused of “sanitizing terror ideology
and calling for revolutionary change.
For
example, they have the view that Israel is an occupied country and therefore
violent action is acceptable there, he said.
“They
don’t do it as a group, so their members don’t engage in it,” Ali said of terror
attacks. “Neither do they call for their members to do so. However, they do
believe that military action to liberate these countries is acceptable. There
is an ambiguity there.”
The
organization has been banned in several countries, including Russia, China,
Germany, Indonesia, and in most Arab countries.
Hizb
ut-Tahri’s message of overthrowing Muslim governments standing in the way of
unification makes it an enemy in many Muslim states. It is not banned in
Israel, Ali said.
“It is
not a particularly popular movement.”
In
Britain, Hizb ut-Tahrir is the 36th international organization to be declared a
terrorist group. The list includes Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, best
known as ISIL or ISIS, which also pushes for an Islamic caliphate.
Prior to
Hizb ut-Tahrir, the most recently proscribed terror organization by Britain was
the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, added last year. In 2021,
Hamas’s political wing was added, as were The Base, Atomwaffen Division, and
National Socialist Order, U.S. white supremacist militant groups.
The
British government said Hizb ut-Tahrir “has a footprint in at least 32
countries,” with its headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon.
“The
U.K. government assess that Hizb ut-Tahrir, including its national branches, is
currently concerned in terrorism, and meets the ‘promotes and encourages’ limb
of the statutory test,” the British government said.
“A
number of articles were posted online on Hizb ut-Tahrir’s central media website
(and third-party websites), attributed to several of Hizb ut-Tahrir’s branches,
which celebrated and praised the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas and associated
events. The content of these articles, many of which refer to Hamas as ‘heroes’
and encourage further terrorist activity, constitute the promotion and
encouragement of terrorism.”
Hizb
ut-Tahrir’s central media office in Beirut did not respond to requests by the
Post for comment prior to deadline.
Hizb
ut-Tahrir in Pakistan issued a statement Monday about Britain’s declaration.
“This
decision came as a shock to Western intellectuals and political observers. Hizb
ut-Tahrir has been known for its non-militant, intellectual and political
struggle for over seventy years,” it said.
It
added: “Hizb ut-Tahrir has been working day and night to mobilize Muslim armed
forces, including those of Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan and Egypt, in support of
the Gaza and Palestine.”
Source: vancouversun.com/
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://vancouversun.com/news/canada/hizb-ut-tahrir-canada
------
Italy to
treat 100 wounded Palestinian children
Jan 25, 2024
One
hundred Palestinian children wounded in war-torn Gaza are to receive medical
treatment in Italian hospitals, the defence ministry in Rome said Wednesday.
The
healthcare system has almost entirely collapsed in Gaza after more than three
months of devastating Israeli bombardment and fighting in the besieged
Palestinian territory.
The
ministry announced "the start of the operation for the transport of 100
Palestinian children and their families from the Gaza Strip to Italian hospital
facilities."
The
first 30 children are set to be transferred in the next few days "with an
air force airlift between Italy and Egypt", the ministry said in a
communique.
Another
30 children will arrive at the end of the month on board an Italian military
ship, the "Nave Vulcano", which will soon leave Egypt's port of El
Arish, it added.
The
children will be hospitalised in several Italian cities, including Rome,
Bologna, Florence and Genoa.
Separately,
the ministry said it is in talks with countries in the region to set up an army
field hospital.
Earlier
Wednesday, seven wounded Palestinian children arrived in France for medical
treatment, the second such evacuation to the European country after two other
Palestinian children arrived late December.
The war
in Gaza erupted when Palestinian militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented
attack against Israel on October 7, resulting in the death of about 1,140
people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
At least
25,700 Palestinians, the majority civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip
in Israeli bombardments and ground offensive, according to the Hamas government
running the territory.
The
United Nations on Tuesday warned of a "looming threat of famine" in
the territory.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/israels-attack-on-palestine/news/italy-treat-100-wounded-palestinian-children-3527886
-----
South Asia
Afghanistan
Committed to Strengthening Religious, Modern Sciences: Kabir
Nazir Shinwari
January
24, 2024
The
Deputy PM for Political Affairs, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, at the opening of
“National Conference on the Improvement of Educational and Higher Educational
Institutions of Afghanistan” said that along with religious sciences, the
Islamic Emirate is also committed to strengthening modern sciences in the
country.
The Deputy
PM for Political Affairs added that the educational system of the country has
faced stagnation in the past and there is a need for an educational system with
international standards in the country.
Mawlawi
Abdul Kabir, said: "Besides learning Islamic sciences, in schools and
universities, we must also teach medicine, engineering, economics, or
literature to students."
The
acting Minister of Education, Habibullah Agha, also at the opening of the
conference said that contemporary and religious education in the country is
currently weak in terms of quality and the Islamic Emirate is working on
strengthening religious and modern educational centers to standardize these
institutions.
Habibullah
Agha, said: “Based on our information, if it is religious or worldly sciences,
it is faced with very low quality."
The
acting minister of higher education, Neda Mohammad Nadim, was also one of the
speakers at the opening ceremony of this conference. He said that the Ministry
of Education forms the infrastructure of all departments, and the Ministries of
Education and Higher Education should be strengthened.
According
to Neda Mohammad Nadim, coordination between educational institutions and
having a strong will can solve the problems in educational and higher
educational institutions of the country.
Neda
Mohammad Nadim, said: "We have academic cadres, we have good scholars and
shaikhs, we have professors with Afghan and Islamic mindsets, we just need to
have the will so that God can easily remove these shortcomings that we have in
the educational and higher educational sector, along with our strong will and
yours."
Officials
at the Kabul Education University of Rabbani stated that the purpose of this
conference is to identify and find solutions for the challenges in the educational
and higher educational centers of the country.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-187114
-----
Afghanistan’s
Collapse blamed on US ‘Deep State’: Amrullah Saleh
Fidel
Rahmati
January
24, 2024
Amrullah
Saleh, former Vice President of Afghanistan, revealed information in an
interview with the Russian newspaper “Nizavisimaya” published on Monday,
January 22nd, regarding the views of American officials on Afghanistan and the
meetings they had with senior American officials before the collapse of the
Ghani government.
Amrullah
Saleh stated that the republican system in Afghanistan did not collapse
overnight but rather began to unravel in the spring of 2011, following the
death of Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan.
This
gradual process was initiated through an agreement between the United States
and the Taliban in February 2020 in Doha, lasting for ten years.
Mr.
Saleh believes that Russia’s annexation of Crimea in Ukraine had a significant
impact on American policy in Afghanistan. After this event, American meetings
with the Taliban accelerated, ultimately leading to the Taliban’s rise to power
in 2021, as sustaining the Afghan government required substantial resources.
Saleh is
of the opinion that, similar to the Cold War era, Islamist extremist forces are
more advantageous for the United States in the region compared to democratic
and pluralistic forces.
The
former Deputy Head of the Afghan Presidency provided details about meetings he,
Ashraf Ghani, and Abdullah Abdullah had with the President, Defense Minister,
and the Director of U.S. Intelligence two months before the fall of the
republic in June 2021.
Saleh
mentioned that before meeting with Joe Biden on June 23, 2021, during a dinner
with American generals, ambassadors, and influential figures, General David
Petraeus, the former CIA chief, told Ashraf Ghani that American political and
military forces were planning to “deal with criminals in your country and
financially support them. If you dare to act in such circumstances, I
congratulate you, but our actions will resemble those of criminals.”
He said
that the next day during his meeting with President Biden, he asked three
critical questions: “Is the Doha negotiation process between the U.S. and the
Taliban a peace process or preparation for a regime change in Afghanistan?
Will
your logistical, financial, and military support continue after the withdrawal
of American forces from Afghanistan?
If the
Taliban besieges Kabul, do you have a backup plan in emergency conditions, and
how can we prevent the collapse of the republic?”
According
to Saleh, Biden had said that these fundamental questions should be answered by
General Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
He
stated that during the meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Austin also
evaded giving a clear answer. Lloyd Austin mentioned that the U.S. would
continue its military assistance after leaving Afghanistan and conduct airstrikes
if Kabul were besieged by the Taliban. Details of this assistance will be
clarified later in Kabul.
Amrullah
Saleh said that he, along with Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, met with
William Burns, the head of the U.S. Intelligence Agency. Burns assured that the
U.S. would maintain its reputation and credibility as a reliable partner and
would stop the Taliban militarily if they besieged Kabul.
However,
he also emphasized to these three Afghan officials that the next Afghan
government must be established through a peace agreement with the Taliban, as
the U.S. would oppose any other option.
Mr.
Saleh told the Russian newspaper that at the end of this trip, they did not
receive any specific answers to their questions from the Americans, and in practice,
no military support or airstrikes were carried out.
During
the Munich Security Conference in 2020, Mr. Saleh revealed a meeting involving
President Ghani, Mike Pompeo, Heiko Maas, and Jens Stoltenberg. Pompeo directly
requested Ghani’s support for the Doha agreement with the Taliban, a request
that Ghani declined. Saleh believes that the Afghan government’s biggest
mistake was trusting the United States and not prioritizing the peace process,
leading to the exploitation of government weaknesses and a lack of regional
allies.
Saleh
pointed out that the collapse of the Afghan republican system wasn’t driven by
either the Republican or Democratic parties but rather by undisclosed power
entities within the U.S., often referred to as the “deep state.” He emphasized
that the betrayal of Afghanistan is attributed to this deep state, composed of
influential individuals shaping the country’s strategies. They decided that
Afghanistan was no longer worth the previous support, regardless of the
consequences.”
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistans-collapse-blamed-on-us-deep-state-amrullah-saleh/
-----
Inequality
rising for lack of democracy: BNP leader Nazrul
Jan 24,
2024
BNP standing
committee member Nazrul Islam Khan today said the lack of democracy in the
country has caused a rise in inequality between the rich and poor.
"Due
to the absence of democracy, the majority of people are affected by rising
prices while a handful of wealthy people are buying crore-taka houses every
day," said Nazrul Islam at a discussion programme at BNP's Nayapaltan
central party office in the capital.
"Five
percent of the country's people are looting the country's wealth, and this is
happening because the government does not need the support of the majority
anymore," said Nazrul Islam.
The BNP
leader claimed the current government has discarded the democracy that was
earned through the Liberation War.
"There
is no democracy in Bangladesh today. The democracy we earned with the blood of
people does not exist today," he added.
The BNP
leader's remarks came ahead of the 9th death anniversary of Arafat Rahman Koko,
the youngest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia.
A prayer
ceremony was also held at the party central office yesterday.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/inequality-rising-lack-democracy-bnp-leader-nazrul-3527416
-----
Govt to do
everything possible to implement verdict against Tarique: FM
Jan 24,
2024
Foreign
Minister Hasan Mahmud today said the government would do everything possible at
an appropriate time to implement the court verdict against convicted BNP acting
chairman Tarique Rahman, now living in the UK.
"Our
government wants to make sure that every convicted person's verdict is
implemented. The government will do everything possible at an appropriate time
regarding Tarique Rahman's issue," he told reporters at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
The
foreign minister made the remarks when a reporter wanted to know about the
efforts to bring back Tarique for implementation of the court verdict.
He spoke
with the reporters after a meeting with British High Commissioner to Bangladesh
Sarah Cooke at his office where they discussed ways of strengthening
cooperation between the two countries.
The
government has been trying to bring back Tarique to implement the court
verdict, but it all depends on the UK government.
In an
interview with Voice of America in Washington last year, Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina said, "He is there [in UK]. Whoever the criminal is, they should be
brought back and their sentence should be carried out. We are making efforts in
this regard. But now it totally depends on the British government. Will they
keep him there or allow the punishment to be executed? It totally depends on
them.
There
are a number of cases including money laundering, arms smuggling, corruption
and also the August 21 grenade attack against him.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/govt-do-everything-possible-implement-verdict-against-tarique-fm-3527126
-----
PM hopes
for more help from China to implement dev initiatives
Jan 25, 2024
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina today hoped that China would come forward in a bigger
way during the tenure of her new government to implement development
programmes.
"China
is one of the most important development and strategic partners of Bangladesh.
We hope that during the new government's tenure China will help us more than
previous times to continue the development journey of Bangladesh," she
said.
The
prime minister said this while Chinese Communist Party's Vice Minister of the
International Department Sun Haiyan called on her at the GonoBhaban.
PM's
speech writer M Nazrul Islam briefed the reporters after the call on.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/accidents-fires/news/6-family-burnt-narayanganj-fire-3527961
---
India
sends 40,000 litres of Malathion to help Afghanistan combat locusts
Fidel
Rahmati
January
24, 2024
India
has sent 40,000 litres of Malathion pesticide to Afghanistan via the Chabahar
port to combat the locust menace.
Malathion,
recognized for its effectiveness in arid regions and low water requirements,
plays a vital role in locust control. This assistance not only tackles the immediate
threat in Afghanistan but also acts as a preventive measure against locusts
spreading to neighboring Central Asian nations.
The
Agriculture Ministry under Taliban control thanked India for the aid, stressing
its role in safeguarding crops and ensuring food security in Afghanistan
“Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation &
Livestock of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is grateful to the Government
of the Republic of India and its people for supplying 40,000 litres of chemical
material (Malathion) in the agriculture sector, to prevent the locusts menace,
that the mentioned assistance arrived today through Chabahar port,” the
Ministry said.
India
delivered 40,000 litres of malathion pesticide in two trucks to the
Taliban-controlled Agriculture Ministry in Afghanistan.
The
ministry statement said, “Agriculture and livestock are inclusive sectors of
humanity, which their benefits and harms are same for everyone, Afghanistan is
a war-torn and backward country, and any country that assists us in the field
of disease prevention, research, promotion of mechanization and marketing of
agriculture and livestock sectors, is considered as cooperation with humanity.”
Locusts
are highly destructive pests with the potential to threaten food security due
to their voracious appetite and ability to destroy vegetation. Pakistan faced a
severe locust infestation in early 2020, prompting a national emergency
declaration.
Meanwhile,
In support of food security in Afghanistan, India has sent 50,000 MTs of wheat
in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP).
Additionally, baby food kits were supplied to the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for internal distribution within Afghanistan.
India
has also continued its collaboration with the Afghanistan National Agricultural
Science and Technical University (ANASTU) in Kandahar, offering online courses
to Afghan students studying agriculture-related subjects since 2021.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.khaama.com/india-sends-40000-litres-of-malathion-to-help-afghanistan-combat-locusts/
------
Mideast
Hamas
getting $12 million a month in donations, Israel claims: 'Financial jihad’
Jan 24,
2024
Israel-Hamas
War: Israeli financial-intelligence officials said that US also believes that
Hamas receives significant funding from online-donation sites.
Israeli
officials claimed that Hamas is getting $8 million to $12 million a month
through online donations through organizations posing as charities to help
civilians in Gaza. This implies that there is a multi-fold increase for online
funding for the group compared to what it was receiving before its attack on
Israel on October 7. Israeli financial-intelligence officials told Bloomberg
that US also believes that Hamas receives significant funding from
online-donation sites.
But
tracking Hamas' fund raising is difficult because the organization has years of
experience of getting around sanctions. Matthew Levitt, a fellow at the Washington
Institute for Near East Policy, said, “There is no question that there is a
sharp increase in legitimate and illegitimate charitable giving to Palestinians
in wake of the Gaza hostilities."
He
added, “An uptick in the interest to donate gives increased cover for Hamas.
I’ve seen charities that were previously designated by the US popping up, some
under new names, but there are also lots of new ones.”
Earlier,
Hamas officials have also publicly called for cash gifts for their fight
against Israel as Ismail Haniyeh said, “This is not just a humanitarian issue,
despite its immense importance and Gaza’s need for any aid it can get. This is
financial jihad.”
Before
the war, donations were made to charities after which money reached Hamas in
different ways, including aid convoys, Israeli officials said. Hamas also uses
Trade-Based Terror Funding- donations by asking local Gazan business owners to
transfer money to Hamas. However, it is challenging to determine whether a
charity is legitimate or assisting Hamas, they said.
Hamas is
also raising money through organizations in other countries and which aren’t
clearly linked to the group, Israeli and US officials said as per the report.
This
comes as Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after it swarmed southern Israel
from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people. More than 25,000 people have been
killed since Israel retaliated by attacking Gaza.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/hamas-getting-12-million-a-month-in-donations-israel-claims-financial-jihad-101706104982644.html
----
Zionist
enemy forces storm Jenin city in W Bank
[25/January/2024]
RAMALLAH
January 25. 2024 (Saba) - The Zionist enemy forces on Thursday morning stormed
the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
The
Palestinian News Agency reported that the enemy forces reinforced with two
bulldozers stationed in al-Marah neighborhood and in the eastern region of the
city of Jenin, and also sent large reinforcements of their military vehicles
from the direction of the Dothan and al-Jalama checkpoints to the city, amid
storming various neighborhoods.
The
agency added the enemy forces clashed with the Palestinians.
The
enemy forces stormed El-Irsal and Ain Misbah neighborhoods in the city of
Ramallah.
Local
sources said that the Zionist enemy forces stormed the two neighborhoods with
dozens of military vehicles and raided several homes.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3299220.htm
-----
Islamic
Resistance in Iraq targets port of Ashdod
[25/January/2024]
BAGHDAD
January 25. 2024 (Saba) - The Islamic Resistance in Iraq on Thursday morning
carried out a drone bombardment on a target in the port of Ashdod in the
occupied Palestinian territories.
Secretary-General
of Sayyed al-Shuhada Brigades in Iraq Abu Alaa al-Walai announced the start of
the second phase of the Islamic Resistance operations in Iraq, which includes
enforcing the blockade on Zionist maritime navigation in the Mediterranean and
putting the entity’s ports out of service.
On
Tuesday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq announced that it had targeted the port
of Ashdod in the occupied territories with drones, stressing that it would
“continue to destroy enemy strongholds in support of our people in Gaza.”
The
Islamic Resistance in Iraq has been participating in “Al-Aqsa Flood” since
October 17, in response to Washington’s support for the Zionist aggression on
Gaza.
Since
the start of the operations, American forces in Iraq and Syria have been
subjected to about 151 attacks, injuring 70 of their soldiers, according to
Reuters over the Pentagon.
Resistance
operations in Iraq are not limited to American forces, but have also affected
Zionist targets, after they expanded the targeting circle in light of the
ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip for more than 100 days.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3299218.htm
----
US-UK
aggression against Yemen risks expansion of war: Iran
Jan 25,
2024
TEHRAN,
Jan. 25 (MNA) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has reiterated
Tehran’s opposition to any foreign military aggression against Yemen and warned
the US and the UK that their strikes on the Arab country could expand the war.
Amir-Abdollahian
took to X social platform and referred to his speech at the United Nations
Security Council on Tuesday night, in which, he said that the US-UK airstrikes
on Yemen are a strategic error.
“I
clarified that the US and British military aggression against Yemen only leads
to the expansion of the scope of the war”, he said in the post.
During a
speech at the Security Council meeting focusing on Palestine and the developments
in West Asia, the top Iranian diplomat issued harsh warnings about the
catastrophic situation in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli genocide there.
“I
emphasized the need to stop the crimes and genocide of the Zionists in Gaza and
lift the blockade of this territory in order to send relief aid immediately”,
Amir-Abdollahian added.
The top
Iranian diplomat further stressed that Iran believes that Palestinians can
decide their future without any foreign interference.
The top
Iranian diplomat also criticized the US for its all-round support for the
Zionist apartheid regime as the main obstacle to preventing genocide in the
besieged Gaza Strip.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/211282/US-UK-aggression-against-Yemen-risks-expansion-of-war-Iran
----
New US
envoy to Egypt lauds Cairo’s role in fighting for Middle East peace
January
24, 2024
GOBRAN
MOHAMED
CAIRO:
America’s new ambassador to Egypt has praised the decades of “courage” shown by
Cairo in fighting for peace and stability in the Middle East.
And
Iraq-born Herro Mustafa Garg pledged the US’ ongoing support for Egyptian
efforts to bring about an end to regional conflict and broker a two-state
solution for the people of Palestine and Israel.
In a
video posted on the US Embassy’s social media page, the envoy highlighted “the
courage and conviction shown by Egypt’s leaders 45 years ago (signing the
Egypt-Israel peace treaty) in giving priority to peace over conflict, elevating
common understanding over violence, and investing in prosperity over strife.”
She
said: “It can and should serve as a source of inspiration for us and our shared
mission of restoring peace and stability in the region.”
Garg
noted that as the new US ambassador, she was looking forward to working in
Cairo and building a partnership with the Egyptian government and people.
Born in
Iraq, she moved to the US with her family at an early age and pointed out that
she had recently become “the first American ambassador to Egypt from the
region.”
She
added that during her career at the US State Department and the White House,
she had focused on joint work between the US, the Middle East, Europe, and
India.
Garg
said: “I can think of no place I would rather be right now than in Egypt, the
beating heart of the Arab world.”
The
American diplomat noted that the current conflict in the Gaza Strip once again
demonstrated the extent of Egypt’s leadership capabilities and its key role in
contributing to efforts to achieve stability, peace, and prosperity in the
Middle East.
She
added that her priorities were to strengthen the economic, security, and
diplomatic partnership between the peoples of Egypt and the US.
“Expanding
our strong partnership is essential to respond to the current regional
conflict. It also will ensure that we, together, address our broader shared
challenges, including the effects of climate change and the global food
insecurity crisis, (while) holding ourselves up to the highest standards of
human rights accountability and achieving inclusive and sustainable economic
growth for Egypt that harnesses the full potential of all segments of society,
particularly women and youth.
“I look
forward to discovering the rich culture, history, and traditions of Umm
El-Dunya (mother of the world).
“I can’t
wait to start working together to chart a prosperous and hopeful path forward
for our two nations,” Garg said.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2447586/middle-east
-----
President
Raeisi calls for UN reform, says body unable to end Gaza genocide
24
January 2024
Iran’s
President Ebrahim Raeisi has called for the reform of the United Nations and
other global bodies, lamenting that they have failed to prevent the Israeli
genocide in Gaza.
He made
the call in a joint presser with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
which was held following a two-hour meeting between the two at the presidential
palace in Ankara on Wednesday.
“Those
who claim to defend human rights and whose mission is to defend global peace
and security have been on the sidelines and are no longer effective," he
said
The
president called the Palestinian issue the top issue of humanity and said the
entire world is shocked by the extent of death and destruction in Gaza.
Raeisi
said it’s a tragedy that the US is officially supporting the Israeli genocide
and is practically complicit in the war.
“It is a
great tragedy that America officially backs the Zionist regime. In fact, it is
the United States that commits these crimes, and it is more unfortunate that
the unions, international organizations, and the United Nations have lost their
effectiveness and are unable to prevent the crimes that have become clear to
everyone.”
The
Iranian president said international organizations have failed the test of Gaza
and showed they’re no longer effective. He said the world should move toward
forming new mechanisms to deal with threats to international peace and security.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip says the death toll from Israel’s
brutal aggression against the besieged enclave has surpassed 25,000, as the
occupying regime’s war rages on into a fourth month.
He also
called on Arab and Muslim nations to immediately cut ties with the Israeli
regime and disrupt its financial lifelines to force the regime to stop its
indescribable violence in Gaza.
Raeisi
said he and Erdogan agreed that more efforts must be made to support
Palestinian resistance and to restore their rights.
He said
the Israeli occupation must end and Israelis must compensate for 75 years of
crimes against Palestinians.
The
Iranian president said Palestinians are the victors of over 100 days of war in
Gaza and the Israeli regime is the loser.
‘Iran,
Turkey can settle intl. issues’
In his
remarks, the Iranian president also thanked Erdogan for his warm welcome and
efforts to expand bilateral relations.
The
president said the two countries have had good relations for many years and now
they want to elevate these ties to even higher levels in future.
Raeisi
said Iran and Turkey are two regional heavyweights who can work to settle
regional and even international issues.
Touching
on economic cooperation, he said the two countries plan to engage in more
efforts to boost bilateral trade to 30 billion dollars.
He said
they also agreed to further boost their fight against the scourge of terrorism
in the region.
Erdogan,
for his part, said he discussed with his Iranian counterpart the need for
cessation of Israel's “inhumane” attacks on Gaza and the urgency of just and
permanent peace.
He said
they also agreed on the importance of avoiding steps that would further
threaten security, and stability of our region, referring to the Israeli
onslaught on Gaza.
Erdogan
said he also discussed with his Iranian counterpart the importance of closer
cooperation to fight the Kurdistan Workers' Party militant group and its
affiliate terrorist groups.
The
presser was held shortly following the eighth meeting of the Iran-Turkey
high-level cooperation council.
The two
presidents oversaw the signing of 10 memoranda of understanding to promote
bilateral cooperation in various arenas including, security, education, energy,
and natural resources.
Raeisi
and Erdogan will also attend the joint meeting of business people and economic
actors of Iran and Turkey. The Iranian president will also meet with Iranian
nationals living in the neighboring country.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in a phone conversation with his
Turkish counterpart HakanFidan, called for “maximum efforts” to end the Israeli
regime’s genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Heading
a high-ranking politico-economic delegation, Raeisi left Tehran for Ankara on
Wednesday at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart.
Raeisi’s
visit to Turkey was twice canceled in recent months.
The
Iranian president canceled his planned visit to Turkey early this month
following a Daesh-claimed terrorist attack in the southeastern city of Kerman on
January 3, during which 94 people lost their lives and 211 others sustained
injuries.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/24/718835/Iranian-president-meets-with-Turkish-counterpart-in-Ankara
------
Iraq’s
Kata'ib Hezbollah vows more attacks until US forces expulsion from region
25
January 2024
A major
Iraqi anti-terror group says it will continue its “painful” attacks on American
forces as long as the occupation troops remain in the Arab country and the
region.
Kata'ib
Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) made the announcement in a statement on
Wednesday after the US military launched airstrikes on facilities used by the
Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), which is an umbrella group for resistance
movements in Iraq.
It said
the United States had committed another crime by bombing the PMU headquarters
in Jurf al-Sakhr, in central Iraq, and the Western towns of al-Qa’im and
Tarbil, which killed one and injured three people.
The
continued US attacks require resistance fighters “to expand the scope of their
retaliatory strikes from the military bases used by the US occupation forces to
their interests in Iraq and the entire region,” it added.
“Iraq's
resistance will keep supporting Gaza and the Israeli-occupied Palestine while
conducting painful attacks on US occupation forces until they are driven out of
Iraq and the region.”
The
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday’s unilateral strikes
were a response to attacks on American bases, including the one carried out
last week on Ain al-Asad in Iraq’s western province of Anbar.
The
Iraqi government condemned the US air raids, saying, "This unacceptable
act … blatantly violates Iraq's sovereignty and leads to an irresponsible
escalation.”
“We will
treat these operations as acts of aggression and take necessary actions to
preserve the lives and dignity of Iraqis on their land,” read a statement
released by the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.
The
spokesman for the commander-in-chief of Iraq’s Armed Forces denounces the
recent US strikes against sites and facilities of the Iraqi army and
anti-terror groups as “unacceptable” and a “blatant” violation of the Arab
country’s sovereignty.
In the
past few months, Iraqi resistance forces have conducted dozens of strikes on
the US-run military installations in both Iraq and Syria amid growing anti-US
sentiments in the region over Washington’s support for Israel’s genocidal
aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Israel
waged its brutal war following a historic operation by the Gaza-based Hamas
resistance group against the occupying entity in retaliation for its
intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
However,
111 days into the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its
objectives in Gaza despite killing at least 25,700 Palestinians, mostly women
and children, and injuring 63,740 others.
The US
is a partner in the Gaza carnage as it has supplied Israel with weapons and
intelligence support, and blocked UN resolutions calling for a humanitarian
ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/25/718855/Iraq-Katain-Hezbollah-attacks-US-forces
-----
Southeast Asia
Indonesian
FM Walks Out During Israel's Ambassador's Speech At UNSC
January 25, 2024
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister RetnoMarsudi walked out of the
UN Security Council (UNSC) open debate regarding Palestine while Israel's
Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan was delivering his speech at the meeting.
"Minister
Marsudi and delegation chairs of several other countries walked out while
Israel's permanent representative was delivering his statement,"
spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, stated
through a text message on Thursday.
He noted
that the minister walked out because Israel's ambassador was also not present
in the room while delegates from Indonesia and several other member states of
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) were delivering their speeches at
the meeting.
"Likewise,
the delegations of Indonesia and a number of OIC countries were also not in the
room when Israel's permanent representative delivered his statement,"
Iqbal remarked.
The UNSC
open debate on "The situation in the Middle East, including the
Palestinian Question" was held in New York on Tuesday (January 23) local
time.
At the
meeting, Marsudi conveyed Indonesia's strong rejection of Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statement opposing the establishment of a
Palestinian state after the war ends.
"Indonesia
strongly rejects this statement. This statement is unacceptable. This confirms
Israel's ultimate goal to wipe Palestine from the world map," she
stressed.
To avoid
a full-blown war in the Middle East, the minister called for a ceasefire that
will provide space to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
She also
urged relevant parties to begin post-conflict reconstruction as well as
continue the two-state solution process.
Furthermore,
she emphasized that Palestine must be granted full membership in the UN
immediately.
"This
is essential to start fair and balanced work on the two-state solution and to
stop Israel's brutal aggression," she remarked.
At the
meeting, Marsudi also urged the world to stop the flow of weapons to Israel
that can be used to kill innocent civilians.
"Israel
must be held accountable for its actions, including atrocities in Gaza. No
nation is above the law," she highlighted.
Source: antaranews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://en.antaranews.com/news/303948/minister-marsudi-walks-out-during-israels-ambassadors-speech-at-
unsc?utm_source=antaranews&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=top_news
-------
Peace
Foundation introduces Global Madani Awards to honour transformation efforts
25 Jan
2024
KUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 25 ― The Policy and Economic Affairs Centre Malaysia Foundation (Peace)
has introduced the first-ever Global Madani Awards to recognise transformation
efforts based on the six pillars of Malaysia Madani.
Deputy
Prime Minister Datuk Seri FadillahYusof said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim initiated it with the vision of becoming the leading global award to
honour and celebrate the contribution of local and international communities.
He said
he hoped the Global Madani Awards could trigger more efforts to nurture the
Madani values among the Malaysian communities and expand globally.
He told
reporters this after officiating at the soft launch of the awards at Zepp Kuala
Lumpur last night, which was also attended by Senior Political Secretary to
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.
Meanwhile,
Shamsul Iskandar said the Global Madani Awards aspire to become a beacon of
hope and inspiration, propelling forward values and shaping a better future.
“We are
confident that the recognition rendered to those individuals and personalities
will inject in them a sense of being valued and appreciated and more
importantly, a sense of duty whereby their work to execute the six pillars of
Malaysia Madani (sustainability, well-being, creativity, values of respect,
confidence and courtesy and mercy) must continue relentlessly and continuously
to inspire others,” he said.
He said
that this way, the ideals of Malaysia Madani could be unearthed holistically
and thus understood by people of all backgrounds.
“As a
think tank, this is an excellent opportunity for Peace to assist the government
to espouse the Malaysia Madani framework to Malaysians from all walks of life,”
he said. ― Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/01/25/peace-foundation-introduces-global-madani-awards-to-honour-transformation-efforts/114449
----
110
Rohingyas arrested in Myanmar
Jan 25, 2024
More
than 110 Rohingyas from war-torn western Myanmar were arrested as they tried to
flee the country to Malaysia, a local security source told AFP yesterday.
Fifty-nine
men and 58 women were arrested from two trucks in Thanbyuzayat township in
eastern Mon state on Tuesday, according to the local security source, who
declined to be named as he was not permitted to talk to the media.
The
source said the group was headed for Malaysia via Thailand.
According
to initial reports, the group travelled first by boat from Sittwe and Maungdaw
in Rakhine state and were later picked up by traffickers in Thanbyuzayat for
the onward journey to Thailand before being abandoned.
In
recent weeks, fighting between the junta and ethnic armed group the Arakan Army
(AA) has rocked swathes of Rakhine state, displacing tens of thousands.
The
military has since closed highways and banned water travel in the riverine
state.
In 2017,
the military launched a crackdown on Rohingyas in Rakhine, sending hundreds of
thousands of the persecuted minority fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh.
The
crackdown is now the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of
Justice, while the Rohingyas who remain in Myanmar are subject to what rights
groups describe as apartheid-like conditions.
Every
year, thousands of Rohingya people undertake risky sea journeys from Myanmar
trying to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
Around
569 Rohingyas were reported to have died or gone missing at sea last year, the
United Nations' refugee agency said on Tuesday, the highest number since 2014.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/asia/news/110-rohingyas-arrested-myanmar-3527621
----
Yayasan
Sultan Kelantan channels RM1 million to flood victims
24-01-
2024
PASIR
MAS: Yayasan Sultan Kelantan (YSK) has channelled RM1 million in donations to
flood victims in the state, said MenteriBesar Datuk NassuruddinMohd Daud.
He said
that the first phase of the donation was channelled to the area most affected
by the flood, namely Pasir Mas district.
“I hope
that the donation channelled by YSK can ease the burden of the flood victims in
the state,“ he said, after presenting the donation to 500 flood victims at
Dewan Apam Putra, here today.
Nassuruddin
added that the state government is always prepared to face any possibility of a
fourth wave of flooding.
Meanwhile,
commenting on the recent incident involving an individual jumping off the
bridge in Tendong, Nassuruddin said that the state government will hold
discussions with relevant parties, including proposals for the construction of
nets.
“We will
hold Solat Hajat (prayer of need) on Feb 5, at 10 am, with the hope there will
be no more suicide attempts in the area.
“The act
of committing suicide by jumping off a bridge is not a solution to a problem,
it causes more trouble for many parties and families,” he said.
On Jan
15, a 43-year-old man is believed to have jumped off the Tendong Bridge, here.
However, the state Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), together with
the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), ended the search operation yesterday after
failing to find the man.
As of
Jan 15, a total of 17 cases of jumping off bridges, believed to be suicide or
attempted suicide, have been recorded in Kelantan since 2021.–Bernama
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://thesun.my/local_news/yayasan-sultan-kelantan-channels-rm1-million-to-flood-victims-KB12027692
----
Japan’s
Chargé d'Affaires Vows to Help Afghans
January
24, 2024
The
chargé d'affaires of the Japan embassy, Takuya Tanimoto, said that considering
the long historic relations between Afghanistan and Japan, Tokyo seeks to
support and help the people of Afghanistan.
In an
interview, Tanimoto said Tokyo wants to strengthen its ties with Kabul in a bid
to have enduring relations with the people of Afghanistan.
“Japanese
people are standing with Afghanistan people. We do ... enjoy the historical
relation between Japan and Afghanistan. I hope that it’s going to be more
sustainable and more productable,” he said
Tanimoto
also stressed the importance of education, calling it the fundamental right of
Afghan citizens and added that for the good progress of a country, its citizens
need to be educated.
“Japan
has committed to support Afghanistan especially in … women's activity, private
sectors, and we are going to stand with Afghans,” he said.
This
comes as the Islamic Emirate welcomed the prospect of the extension of
relations with Japan.
Zabihullah
Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said: "We also want to have
good relations with Japan. These relations are not only for the benefit of one
country, but also for the benefit of others, and nations benefit from these
relations."
In
December, last year, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution co-penned by
the UAE and Japan that focuses on a path for Afghanistan's reintegration into
the international community referencing the recently completed independent
assessment on Afghanistan.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-187106
----
Africa
Churches
and mosques burnt in Nigeria as curfew imposed in Mangu
January
24, 2024
Mosques
and churches have become targets of destruction in Nigeria's central Plateau
state amid escalating tensions over a fatal clash involving cattle.
The
incident unfolded in Mangu, claiming the lives of eight individuals as cattle
wandered onto a road, obstructing traffic and triggering a series of violent
confrontations, local media reported.
The
state governor has implemented a 24-hour curfew in Mangu to curb further
violence. However, exceptions have been made for the solemn occasion of
burials, allowing the community to bid farewell to those who lost their lives.
The
central region of Plateau has unfortunately been a hotbed of inter-communal
tension, frequently spilling over into religious and ethnic strife. This
volatile environment is exacerbated by the unique geographical and cultural
intersection where the predominantly Muslim north converges with the largely
Christian south, resulting in a mosaic of diverse communities.
As the
nation grapples with this challenging situation, efforts are underway to
address the underlying issues contributing to such conflicts and promote a more
harmonious coexistence among the various communities in Plateau state.
A BBC
report states that six mosques and two churches were burnt down in the mayhem.
Cause of
events
The
violence started in Mangu, Plateau state, following an unsuccessful attempt by
armed thieves to steal Fulani cattle, according to local media reports.
The
chaos ensued after the cows escaped during the altercation, leading to deaths
and destruction. Both Christian and Muslim communities targeted places of
worship, causing further unrest. Despite a curfew, unconfirmed reports suggest
clashes continue.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/24/churches-and-mosques-burnt-in-nigeria-as-curfew-imposed-in-mangu/
----
South
Africa expects ICJ judgment on Israeli genocide in Gaza on Friday: Report
24
January 2024
South
Africa expects the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule this Friday on
whether it will grant emergency measures to stop the Israeli genocidal campaign
in the besieged Gaza Strip, a report says.
News
website News24, citing two sources close to the matter, reported on Wednesday
that a South African government delegation had touched down in The Hague in
anticipation of the judgment.
South
Africa's justice ministry spokesperson ChrispinPhiri, however, in a social
media post on X said: "We do not have an official communication from the
court as to when the judgment will be delivered."
South
Africa filed the lawsuit against Israel at the end of December, after nearly
three months of Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza.
The
lawsuit said Israel’s actions are “genocidal in character because they are
intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the
Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”
The application
also said Israeli attacks breach the UN’s Genocide Convention, and urged the
court to “order Israel to cease killing and causing serious mental and bodily
harm to Palestinian people in Gaza.”
South
Africa has formally lodged a case against the Israeli regime at the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the genocide of Palestinians in the
besieged Gaza Strip.
South
Africa has been one of the outspoken critics of Israel’s ongoing onslaught
against Palestinians and has led some initiatives to hold Israel accountable
for its actions in Gaza.
In
November, the country referred Israel to the International Criminal Court,
which is already investigating the occupied Palestinian territories.
In the
same month, the country’s lawmakers voted in favor of closing down the Israeli
embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations until the onslaught
stops.
More
countries have joined South Africa in a case filed against Israel in the
International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the regime’s genocidal war on the
besieged Gaza Strip.
A
Belgian minister recently pledged her country’s backing for the case filed by
South Africa with the ICJ seeking to halt Israel’s genocidal campaign in the
besieged Gaza Strip. Caroline Gennez, Belgium’s minister of development
cooperation, made the call in a series of social media posts over the weekend.
Almost two months since the Israeli-American
genocidal war on the Gaza Strip started, the besieged territory has seen
widespread death, destruction, displacement and diseases.
One
hundred and ten days into the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the regime
continues with its deadly carpet-bombing campaign across the besieged
Palestinian territory.
Khan
Younis, the largest city in the southern Gaza Strip, has become a flashpoint for
Israel’s ongoing genocidal war where dozens of lives have been lost.
Pro-Palestinian
protesters have interrupted US President Joe Biden’s speech several times
during a campaign rally in Virginia state, chanting “Genocide Joe” amid
Washington’s continued support for Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
The
regime bombings have also targeted the vicinity of several hospitals in Khan
Yunis. The Israeli military has issued an order for over 500,000 Gazans to
evacuate the area.
More
than 200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza in a matter
of 24 hours alone.
The
total death toll from more than three months of Israeli onslaught is at around
25,700.
Source: presstv.ir/
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/24/718825/South-Africa-ICJ-Chrispin-Phiri-Gaza-Israel-
----
Human
remains recovered near Al-Sahaba Mosque in Derna
24/01/2024
The
Libyan Red Crescent announced on Monday, the recovery of human remains near the
Al-Sahaba Mosque in Derna city.
The Red
Crescent said in a post on its Facebook page, that it had received a report
from one of the companies working for the Libya Reconstruction Fund in Derna,
regarding the presence of human remains near the Al-Sahaba Mosque.
The
specialized team recovered a large group of remains dating back to an ancient
period, which were transferred to the General Authority for Search and
Identification of Missing Persons, to take the necessary measures.
Source: libyaobserver.ly
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/human-remains-recovered-near-al-sahaba-mosque-derna
----
Libya’s
September flood requires $1.8 billion in recovery funds, report says
January
25, 2024
Libya’s deadly
flash flood in September constituted a climate and environmental catastrophe
that requires $1.8 billion in reconstruction and recovery, an international
report said on Wednesday.
Huge
swathes of the city of Derna were destroyed in the flood, after heavy rainfall
from Storm Daniel crashed through two aging dams, sweeping entire districts
into the Mediterranean.
The
report by the World Bank, United Nations and European Union said the disaster
affected about 1.5 million people or 22 percent of Libya’s population, and
cited figures from the UN humanitarian agency OCHA of 4,352 confirmed deaths
with 8,000 still missing.
Libya
has been split since 2014 between rival power centers ruling in east and west
despite a ceasefire reached in 2020, and disputes between the Tripoli
government and eastern authorities complicated the disaster response.
The
report said the dams’ collapse was partly due to their design, based on
outdated hydrological information, and partly a result of poor maintenance and
governance problems during Libya’s conflict.
Population
growth and development downstream, limited weather forecasting in the region
and inadequate early warning systems to ensure evacuation accentuated the
disaster, the report said.
Climate
change had made the rainfall unleashed by Storm Daniel up to 50 times more
likely and 50 percent more intense, according to the report.
Physical
damages and losses from the flooding in Derna and other cities from Storm
Daniel accounted for $1.65 billion — about 3.6 percent of oil-rich Libya’s
gross domestic product in 2022, it estimated.
The
flooding destroyed or damaged more than 18,500 houses, equivalent to 7 percent
of Libya’s housing stock, initially displacing nearly 44,800 people including
16,000 children, the report said.
It said
the “limited accountability and capacity” of Libyan institutions posed “a key
challenge to recovery processes” while weak coordination between rival
authorities was expected to hit the government’s ability to “channel, manage,
disburse and monitor” recovery funds.
Despite
calls by the UN for Libya’s ruling factions to put aside their differences to
formulate a coordinated response to the Derna disaster, there has been little
sign they are willing to do so.
Efforts
to resolve Libya’s long-running conflict through holding an election have also
been stymied by disputes over voting rules and control of the interim
government.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2447691/middle-east
----
What I
Like Most In Prof Pantami Is His Commitment To Islam – FaniKayode
January
24, 2024
Former
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has listed the qualities
he cherishes in the person of the immediate past minister of Communications and
Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, one of which is Pantami’s
commitment to his islamic religion.
“…most
important of all, and I have to say this, is his religious fervency, his
commitment to Islam. “Because he is first and foremost, in my view, and this is
probably why I admire him so much, a cleric, a sheikh, and a man that will
stand for, and by his faith any day and any time. And that is something that
ought to be admired.”
Fani-Kayode
spoke today, January 24, at the public presentation in Abuja, of a 341-page
book, written by, and chronicles the two decades of Professor Ali Pantami in
academia, both full-time and part-time.
The
book, titled: “A Scholar’s Journey: Navigating the Academia,” covers the former
Minister’s academic life across four continents – Africa, Europe, Asia and
North America – from January 2003 to January 2023.
Speaking
as chairman of the public presentation, Fani-Kayode described Professor Pantami
as a public figure of ‘indomitable courage’ who has a true passion for national
service.
“Professor
Pantami is courageous about his faith. He is courageous about his academic
achievements. He has been courageous in his political career. He has been
courageous when it comes to his friendships and his loyalty to so many people.
“He has
been courageous in his support and standing by President Muhammadu Buhari
through thick and thin, which is something that is a great honor because most
people when somebody is out of power, they no longer stand with that person. He
has been consistent and clear and that speaks for him.”
Reviewing
the book, the former Executive Secretary of the National Universities
Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed, said that anyone who knows
Professor Pantami would not find it difficult to label him a scholar.
“Nobody
will doubt his credentials as an influential Islamic scholar. Nobody in
governance or in the academia will doubt the scholarly credentials of Professor
Pantami in the broad discipline of computing, especially the area of cyber security.
“In his
exemplary life in public service, first as the DG of NITDA, and later as
Nigeria’s first Minister of Digital Economy, you will find an adequate basis
for defining the basic constituents of the ideal academic in government or a
multi-faceted scholar in national political space.”
Professor
Rasheed said that the book is made up of 17 chapters, organically arranged in a
linear chronological order, regarding its structural and thematic concerns.
“Professor
Isa Ali Ibrahim’s academic autobiography is a remarkable book, crafted by a
highly intelligent, resourceful, dynamic, charismatic, and culturally educated
public servant and academician.
“The
book itself is fairly well written, edited, and structured. It is
reader-friendly and has a delightful technical finish. The language is simple
but dignified, logical, coherent, authoritative, and thoroughly persuasive. ”
Also
speaking, the Governor of Borno State, Professor BabaganaUmaraZulum described
Professor Pantami as a multi-faceted expert that has greatly impacted the
trajectory of Nigeria’s technological landscape. He said that the ex-Minister
is a leader who has demonstrated exceptional capabilities in the fields of
administration and leadership, together with the academic world.
“This
book is a chronicle of a remarkable life, one that has left an indelible impact
in the realms of computing, cyber security, oil and gas, and technological
innovation. Prof. Pantami’s tenure as Minister of Communications and Digital
Economy was marked by transformative policies that have catapulted our nation
into the digital era.”
Responding,
Professor Pantami said that the new book will serve as a mentorship guide for
the younger Nigerians.
“The
book was authored to also share the experience I got while serving the general
public and Nigeria as a nation.
“The
current public officers will learn greatly from my successes and challenges
while holding a public office for them to succeed. Aside from this book, I will
sooner or later be unveiling five other ones I am currently working on, at the
moment.”
The
public presentation of the book was chaired by the Governor of Borno State.
Present
at the occasion were Governors Muhammadu InuwaYahaya of Gombe State and
AbdullahiSule of Nasarawa State, together with former Governors of Lagos, Gombe
and Ekiti States: BabatundeRajiFashola, Senator DanjumaGoje and Dr.
KayodeFayemi and several Ministers (both serving and former).
Source: greenbreporters.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original story
https://greenbreporters.com/news/what-i-like-most-in-prof-pantami-is-his-commitment-to-islam-fani-kayode.html
-----
Bandits:
GovAbdulrazaq visits released Nabeeha family members in Abuja'
January
25, 2024
Governor
AbdulrahmanAbdulrazaq of Kwara State, on Wednesday, visited the
NabeehaAlkadiriyahs’ family in Abuja whose kidnapped children were released by
their abductors after payment of ransom.
During
the visit, the governor spent some time and interacted with the girls who
recently regained their freedom from the captors.
In a
personal statement released, governor Abdulrazaq said, “I am impressed to see
them in high spirits and responding well to their therapies, clearly unbowed to
whatever that had happened, and very positive about the future which I’m certain
will be better and brighter for them.
“To
their parents, whom I had earlier met when the girls were in captivity, I doff
my hat for your calm and bold efforts to confront the situation with patriotism
and hope in the Almighty. That has greatly paid off.”
He
expressed his hearty condolences for the sad loss of Nabeeha and her uncle in
the unfortunate circumstances.
“God
will comfort the family now and always.
“I trust
that the security agencies will hunt down whomever was involved in that
incident and similar others; they will not go unpunished.
“We are
too strong as a people to bow to the few cowards who target innocent citizens
in their nefarious activities,” the governor added.
DAILY
POST recalls that the children were abducted in Abuja recently and released
after a huge ransom was paid, though two persons lost their lives in the
process.
Source: dailypost.ng
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the text of the original story
https://dailypost.ng/2024/01/25/bandits-gov-abdulrazaq-visits-released-nabeeha-family-members-in-abuja/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/demolition-thane-mumbai-muslim/d/131585