Dunstable School Apologises After Depicting Prophet Muhammad as Osama Bin Laden In a Religious Education Class
New Age Islam News Bureau
01 March 2022
An image of Osama bin
Laden was used in a religious studies lesson to depict the prophet Muhammad/ Credit:
Google
-----
• Archbishop of Canterbury: Muslims too are Victims of
Blasphemy Law in Pakistan, Muslims Misusing It against Muslims
• Leaked Docs Show How Sweden's Ericsson Bribed Daesh
to Continue Services in Iraq
• Over 220 Latin American Scholars Demand Branding
Israel as Apartheid Regime
• ASI Vaghela, Among Cops Who Rescued 2002 Gujarat
Riot Victims, Offers Namaz at Mosque
Europe
• UN Security Council Calls Houthis A Terrorist Group
For First Time, Expands Arms Embargo
• Facing Western Isolation over Ukraine, Russia Looks
To Mideast, Islamic World
• Erdogan discusses Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with
Belarus counterpart Lukashenko
• Taliban restrict Afghans going abroad, draws
criticism from UK envoy
--------
Pakistan
• Turkey, Pakistan Jointly Work On 'First Islamic World
Fighter Jet' Project
• Five Pakistanis arrested in Spain on terrorism
charges
• Archbishop Welby an ‘ambassador of peace’: Ashrafi
• Quran covers each and every aspect of human life:
Noor-ul-Haq
• Pakistan ‘won’t take sides’ in UN debate on Ukraine
• EU snubbed Pakistan Army chief’s request to join
landmark meeting with Indo-Pacific in Paris
--------
Arab
World
• UAE welcomes UN resolution labelling Yemen’s Houthis
as terrorists for the first time
• UAE ‘deplores ongoing violence in Ukraine’ and calls
for ceasefire: Mission to UN
• Saudi aviation authority scraps PCR test requirement
for citizens returning from Ukraine
• French Senate delegation praises efforts of
Saudi-based Etidal centre to combat extremism
• Russia’s Syria intervention provided hints for
Ukraine war
• Success of Vienna talks important for Iran, entire
region: Lebanon president
--------
Mideast
• Islamic Jihad Chief Urges All Palestinian Fighters
to Defend Occupied Al-Quds, Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Palestinians protest French statements on Jerusalem
• Palestinian girl, 11, wounded as worshippers and
police clash at Damascus Gate
• Ringleader of Separatist Terrorist Group, Habib
Farajollah Chaab, Discloses S. Arabia’s Plot against Iran in Court
• Israeli forces kill Palestinian gunman in West Bank
raid: Palestinian health ministry
• Iran says three key issues remain unresolved in
Vienna nuclear talks
--------
India
• Kerala CPM To Undergo Generation Shift, Leaning
Towards Alliance With Muslim League
• 'We Muslims Are Treated Like the Sacrificial Goat in
Uttar Pradesh’
• Muslims, Pandits Bond Over ‘Herath’ Festivities
Online
• Srinagar's Iconic Jamia Mosque to Reopen For Prayers
After Long Closure
• India, Pakistan to hold Indus water meet in
Islamabad
• ‘Bulli Bai’ app case: Mumbai court rejects bail plea
--------
Southeast
Asia
• China to Host Regional Meeting on Afghanistan Next
Month
• Boy dies after 'beating' by Indonesian soldiers
• Russian oil tanker hit by US sanctions heading to
Malaysia
--------
South
Asia
• Iran Will Recognize Inclusive Government in
Afghanistan: FM
• UN Urges Taliban to Respect International
Humanitarian Law
• Islamic Emirate Forces Freed Iran’s Citizen from the
Grip of Abductors in Herat
• Financial crisis forcing Afghans to sell their
kidneys to feed families
• 240 Afghans arrested over illegal entry in Dera
Ismail Khan
• Taliban halt evacuations until ‘assurance’ over
situation for Afghans abroad
--------
Africa
• Sudanese Protesters against Military Rule Defy Tear
Gas To Reach Palace Gates
• South Sudan’s civil defense woefully lacking in
resources
• Gov Bello swears-in Kigera as Niger’s new Grand
Khadi Sharia Court of Appeal
• Suspected Islamist militants kill 20 civilians in
eastern Congo
--------
North
America
• Muslim Community In Wisconsin Seek Their Own Voice
In Government
• US would walk away from Iran talks if Iran displays
intransigence: State Department
• Turkiye's UN envoy calls for 'humanitarian pause' in
Ukraine
• In phone call, top US, Turkish diplomats discuss
Ukraine's humanitarian plight
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Dunstable School Apologises After Depicting Prophet
Muhammad as Osama Bin Laden In A Religious Education Class
An image of Osama bin
Laden was used in a religious studies lesson to depict the prophet Muhammad/ Credit:
Google
-----
March 1, 2022
A school in Dunstable has apologised and suspended a
member of staff after 5Pillars revealed that Osama bin Laden’s photo was used
to depict the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a Religious Education class.
The All Saints Academy secondary school in
Bedfordshire has launched an investigation into the incident after complaints
from a concern student and members of the public.
5Pillars emailed the school asking a series of
questions but received no direct reply.
However, in a statement on social media a school
spokesperson said: “We are fully aware of a totally inappropriate resource that
was used by a teacher during an RS lesson. All Saints Academy recognises the
deep hurt and distress that has been caused to the Muslim community, and many
other people of faith, by the totally inappropriate images that were used as
part of a recent RS lesson. Not only was it offensive to attempt to portray an
image of the Prophet Muhammad, but the image that was used was that of Osama
Bin Laden, a terrorist leader, which further added to the deep insult.
“The academy reiterates its unreserved and sincere
apology for the distress this episode has caused. In terms of actions taken, we
are happy to share the following information. Upon learning about this incident
from a concerned student, the member of staff was immediately suspended by the
Principal pending a detailed and swift investigation which will follow the
academy’s disciplinary procedures. It would be against the terms of that
procedure either to identify the individual concerned or to comment any further
until the final outcome is determined.
“Apart from investigating the actual incident, we will
also commission a wider review of the circumstances surrounding the case to
determine how this individual came to act in such an inappropriate and
upsetting way. For purposes of transparency, this review will be conducted by
an external person who has no connection with the academy.
“Finally, having now established very useful links
with members of the Muslim community in Luton, we would hope to work together
to gain a better understanding of religious and cultural matters that impact on
all our lives and will help us to be better educators.”
After uncovering the photo on Friday, 5Pillars wrote
to the school asking them to confirm/answer the following:
Was this presentation slide from All Saints Academy
Dunstable? If yes:
For how long has this presentation slide been used in
R.E. classes? Is it still being used?
What is the name of the teacher who put this
presentation together? We’d like to contact them for comment as well.
What action have your board of governors and
headteacher taken regarding this matter (if any)?
Does ASA believe this is remotely acceptable?
Is the teacher in question competent enough to teach
religious education?
Source: 5pillarsuk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Archbishop of Canterbury: Muslims too are Victims of
Blasphemy Law in Pakistan, Muslims Misusing It against Muslims
British High Commissioner
Christian Turner and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
-----
Jamal Shahid
March 1, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on
Monday said though there was a clear commitment by the Pakistani government to
religious freedom and belief, minorities of all sorts, and also the Muslim
majority, remained suppressed in their daily lived experience.
“There are very clear misuses, as is recognised, of
the blasphemy law against minorities; however most of the misuses — well over
50pc — are Muslims misusing it against Muslims,” Archbishop of Canterbury
Justin Welby said during an interview with Dawn.
The archbishop is visiting Pakistan to express support
to the Christian community, meet national leaders and highlight the importance
of maintaining good relations between different faiths in Pakistan.
His visit also aimed to show support to the Church of
Pakistan and the wider Christian community, hear their concerns, and spend time
in prayers, worship and fellowship.
He also condemned the recent attack on two pastors in
Peshawar.
Archbishop Welby said there were also issues on the
daily experience of forced conversions, child marriage and access to education
and jobs.
This was, in his view, a cultural reality in the same
way as in the UK there were different cultural realities.
“The law clearly prevents racism but lived experience
of many minorities in the UK is of racism. There remains a deep commitment from
many religious leaders, to peace and harmony, to building good communication
and making it work. There is a long way to go,” he said.
In his impression of the blasphemy law, Justin Welby
argued: “If you are going to have blasphemy law, it is so important that it
cannot be misused. One of the things that many religious leaders, including
Muslims, are saying is there needs to be a balance between the blasphemy law
and its misuse. If one person accuses someone of blasphemy falsely and with
malicious intent, they should have a criminal penalty, in the same way as when
there has been blasphemy, and the blasphemer should have criminal penalty.”
In response to a question, Justin Welby shared
concerns of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was worried about Islamophobia in
the West.
“As in all communities there are religious leaders who
are Islamophobic. They are not major religious leaders and not well known, but
it exists. There is also racism and the two were often interlinked in a really
bad way but there was genuine Islamophobia,” he said, explaining how it had now
gotten worse in recent years along with anti-Semitism and racism.
“One of the roles of the Church of England was to
combat Islamophobia, which the Queen and I often speak about following her
example, is that the church exists to protect minority faith. Our job is to
speak up for the minority faith,” he said.
The archbishop said he and his wife joined the Muslim
community in Central London to reject the attack in Christchurch, New Zealand.
“When people express Islamophobic views in the church
they are told how wrong they are in no uncertain terms,” he added.
He said his conversation with Prime Minister Imran
Khan at a meeting on Monday was largely around interfaith harmony.
“We talked particularly about education and its role,
ensuring that education is used creatively and constructively, which is clearly
what he wishes for, and not used as a tool to impose particular views,” Justin
Welby said.
He also met Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Jawed
Bajwa to congratulate him on the success of Pakistan Army against the
insurgency and at the same time condoled with him on the terrible casualties
suffered in Pakistan in the battles in the last eight years.
In response to another question, Archbishop Welby said
his favourite story from the Bible, particularly from the Old Testament, was
the Book of Ruth - beautiful, profound and on interfaith harmony.
“From the New Testament there is one of Jesus washing
his disciples’ feet, which is the image of the way in which God is
compassionate and merciful, reaching out to the world in love,” he said.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Leaked Docs Show How Sweden's Ericsson Bribed Daesh To
Continue Services In Iraq
This composite photo
purportedly shows Daesh forces, and the Ericsson flag. (by The Guardian)
-----
28 February 2022
Leaked documents have revealed how the Swedish telecom
giant Ericsson paid bribes to the Daesh terrorist group to continue its
business after the group seized control of large parts of Iraq.
The leak of internal investigations at the
multinational telecom company also finds that it exposed its contractors to
high security risk and allowed them to be kidnapped by the militants.
The investigations also unravel allegations that the
company was involved in corruption in at least 10 countries across four
continents, a report in British newspaper The Guardian said on Sunday.
The British daily said leaked papers issued by the
flagship company’s internal investigation bureau allegedly showed Ericsson had
paid Daesh huge sums of money to maintain its services in Iraqi areas under the
temporary control of the terrorist group from around 2014 to 2017.
The Stockholm-based telecom company released a public
statement admitting to “serious breaches” in company rules in Iraq.
The revelations of corruption prompted Erickson to
fire several employees and offer enhanced training and awareness activities,
policies and procedures, and third-party management processes to its staff
members.
However, the company witnessed a plunge in its stock
prices following the revelations showing it had violated its own ethics code.
The Swedish firm been approached by British
authorities for the development of the United Kingdom’s next generation 5G
mobile phone technology. This, after being forced by the United States to
refuse signing deals with Chinese telecom giants to develop the new 5G
technology in Britain.
The US threatened the UK to cut off security ties with
Britain if the British government proceeded with plans to involve Chinese
telecommunications companies in the development of its next-generation 5G
network.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Over 220 Latin American Scholars Demand Branding Israel
as Apartheid Regime
More than 220 scholars and
academics from fourteen Latin American countries have denounced Israeli
authorities for enforcing a system of oppression and domination against
Palestinians,
-----
28 February 2022
More than 220 scholars and academics from fourteen
Latin American countries have denounced Israeli authorities for enforcing a
system of oppression and domination against Palestinians, stating that Israel
must be branded as an apartheid regime.
The scholars pledged in a joint statement that they
would not participate in any academic exchanges with Israeli institutions, and
would decline funding from Israel, as reported by the Palestinian Campaign for
the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI).
The signatories then called on Latin American
universities to suspend cooperation with Israeli educational centers, which are
contributing to the regime’s military occupation and the crime of apartheid
against Palestinians, until the Tel Aviv regime respects the political and
human rights of all Palestinian people as stipulated by the United Nations.
Among the signatories are Afro-Dominican anthropologist
Ochy Curiel, Colombian anthropologist Arturo Escobar, Chilean historians Igor
Alexis Goicovic Donoso and Sergio Grez Toso, Chilean artist Ingrid Wildi
Merino, as well as Argentine philosopher Silvana Rabinovich.
Earlier this month, at least 277 human rights groups
and civil society organizations denounced Israeli officials for imposing
apartheid on Palestinians.
The organizations, which came from 16 Arab countries
as well as six European and Latin American states, demanded in a joint
statement the trial of Israeli authorities involved in perpetration of
genocide, war crimes and racial discrimination against Palestinians.
They condemned Israel’s racist practices against
Palestinians and its treatment of the latter as an inferior racial group, and
called for the launch of a campaign to put an ultimate end to the regime’s
apartheid actions.
The human rights organizations also urged punitive
measures, including travel bans and asset freezing, against Israeli military
officials besides arms embargoes against the Tel Aviv regime.
They called upon the International Criminal Court
(ICC) to include apartheid crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in its
future investigations.
The organizations then voiced support for
pro-Palestinian groups that document and expose Israel’s atrocities and racism,
above all the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
The BDS movement, which is modeled after the
anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, was initiated in 2005 by over 170
Palestinian organizations that were pushing for “various forms of boycott
against Israel until it meets its obligations under international law.”
Thousands of volunteers worldwide have since then
joined the BDS movement, which calls for people and groups across the world to
cut economic, cultural, and academic ties to Tel Aviv, to help promote the
Palestinian cause.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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ASI Vaghela, Among Cops Who Rescued 2002 Gujarat Riot
Victims, Offers Namaz at Mosque
A 29-year-old Vaghela was
posted at Naroda Patiya in anticipation of trouble brewing after the bandh
call.
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By Vaibhav Jha
March 1, 2022
This would have been like any other Monday for
49-year-old Pradipsinh Vaghela, an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Gujarat Police,
who heads a traffic police team at the busy Sardarnagar-Airport Road stretch in
Ahmedabad, except that he decided to spend it with the survivors of Naroda
Patiya, the place where he was posted in 2002.
Vaghela visited the Noorani mosque in Ahmedabad’s
Naroda Patiya — the locality that witnessed the single largest massacre during
the riots, and offered Namaz to pay homage to the 97 people who were killed on
this day 20 years ago.
Vaghela, a police constable who was among those who
rescued victims in the Naroda Patiya massacre, says the incident deeply
impacted his life. “I am a follower of Ambaji Mata and Shiva but today, a day
before Shivratri, I offered Namaz with my friends to pray for peace so that no
incident like this ever happens again. I have for long battled depression and
medical complications after I took part in the rescue process at Naroda
Patiya,” Vaghela says.
His friend, auto rickshaw driver Saiyyed Abbas, says,
“He asked if we could teach him how to offer Namaz. We took him to Jama Masjid
and Siddi Saiyyed mosques along with the Noorani mosque.”
On February 28, 2002, a mob attacked the
Muslim-dominated Naroda Patiya in the morning hours during a Bandh called by
right-wing organisations in the wake of the Godhra train burning incident that
killed 57 people.
In 2012, a special SIT court had convicted 32 accused,
including BJP’s Maya Kodnani, for their role in the Naroda Patiya incident. Six
years later, the Gujarat HC acquitted 18 of them, including Kodnani. Vaghela’s
name also features in the HC judgment among the list of cops who were deployed
that day outside Naroda Patiya.
He was part of a four-member team that discovered 58
burnt bodies from various houses at a lane in Naroda Patiya in the evening
hours. The team had also rescued a 10-year-old boy in the process. The Gujarat
police has faced criticism for alleged inaction during the riots.
Vaghela joined the Gujarat police as an 18-year-old.
He is a second generation policeman in his family; his father RK Vaghela had
served as a police sub-inspector in Ahmedabad.
“I was on leave that day but my father read in the
morning chhapa (newspaper) about the Bandh and said I must report for duty.
Around 11 am, two groups — each of 4,000-5,000 persons — started assembling at
Naroda Patiya trying to create unrest,” he recounts.
Vaghela claims the police were able to take command
only by evening 6 pm after houses in the Naroda Patiya locality were set on
fire. “I found at least 58 burnt bodies piled upon each other in different
houses… smoke still coming out of them. We used iron rods to remove the bodies
and found a 10-year-old boy alive. He had suffered burns and could not tell us
his name. Since I had served at Sardarnagar and Naroda police stations, the
local people knew me. One woman, whom I used to call ‘aapa doshi’, called for
help and we found over 250 people, including women stuck in one of the lanes.
The State Reserve Police was then called and they were rescued. They told me
the boy who was rescued was called Moeen,” Vaghela says.
Vaghela had to go through severe symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression after his duty during the
riot days. “Two days later, we returned to the same spot and found four more
burnt bodies in another house. These bodies were decomposing and infected with
worms. Just a week after the rescue, I started coughing up blood. I was
diagnosed with a severe kidney infection due to the constant contact with
decaying bodies and was bedridden for the next four months,” he adds.
Soon, depression took over. “It started with insomnia
and then, depression. Initially, it felt like the stench of bodies and cries
for help would never leave me. I underwent therapy and was prescribed
anti-depressants. I was overwhelmed with guilt for not having done enough but
the police were simply outnumbered,” Vaghela says, adding, the medication
finally stopped in 2018.
Meanwhile, he continued to serve in the Gujarat
Police, rising through the ranks to become an ASI. From 2015, he has been
serving in the traffic police.
Now, Vaghela is a popular figure at the busy Airport
circle. Regular commuters shake hands with him. He offers toffees to bikers
wearing helmets and drivers wearing seat belts as a token of
He shows pictures of himself with former president APJ
Abdul Kalam and business tycoon Ratan Tata. “When Kalam sahib met me, he told
me to stay determined and never lose focus. It is the reason why I continue on
the job, despite the health challenges. I overcame medication in 2018 with the
help of my family and friends. Today, on the 20th anniversary of the incident
that changed my life forever, I wish to start afresh by offering Namaz,” he
says.
Source: Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Europe
UN Security Council calls Houthis a terrorist group
for first time, expands arms embargo
February 28, 2022
NEW YORK: The UN Security Council on Monday voted to
adopt a draft resolution on Yemen that expands the scope of an existing arms
embargo targeting the leaders of the Houthi militia, including Abdulmalik
Al-Houthi, to encompass the entire membership of the Iran-backed group.
In addition, the resolution labels the Houthis as a
terrorist group for the first time, following an ongoing series of cross-border
drone and missile attacks targeting the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and a wide range
of violations affecting the Yemeni people and the international community.
It also renews financial sanctions and a travel ban on
senior members of the Houthi militia for an additional year
Security Council Resolution 2624, which was tabled by
the UAE, condemns the continuing supply of weapons and weapon components to the
Houthis from outside Yemen in violation of the arms embargo established by
Resolution 2216 in 2015. It urges all UN member states to step up efforts “to
combat the smuggling of weapons and components via land and sea routes, to
ensure implementation of the targeted arms embargo.”
Iran is accused of providing the Houthis with training
and a growing arsenal of sophisticated weaponry and technology, including
anti-tank guided missiles, sea mines, explosive-laden drones, ballistic and
cruise missiles, unmanned maritime vehicles.
Eleven of the 15 members of the Security Council voted
in favor of the resolution; Ireland, Mexico, Brazil and Norway abstained
because of humanitarian concerns.
In the run-up to the vote on Monday, negotiations were
especially intense around the question of whether or not the Houthis should be
designated as a terrorist organization. Some members expressed concerns that
this might hinder the efforts of the UN’s envoy to Yemen to broker peace, and
about its possible negative effect on humanitarian operations in Yemen.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed by the
war, which has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world and
pushed the country to the brink of famine.
The resolution stresses that the new measures are “not
intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population
of Yemen, nor civilian access to humanitarian assistance, commercial imports or
remittances.”
It also calls on states to fully comply with the
principles of international law, including humanitarian law and human rights
law, in the implementation of sanctions.
In addition to the ongoing cross-border attacks on the
UAE and Saudi Arabia, the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group also
reflects its attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Yemen; its
“policy of sexual violence and repression against politically active and
professional women;” its recruitment of children for warfare; its incitement to
violence against religious groups; and its indiscriminate use of landmines.
“The Houthis have also obstructed the delivery of
humanitarian assistance to Yemen, or access to or distribution of humanitarian
assistance in Yemen,” according to the text of the resolution, which adds that
sexual violence and violence against children during armed conflict are
sanctionable acts that “threaten the peace, security or stability of Yemen.”
The Security Council also condemned “in the strongest
terms” the growing number of attacks by the Houthis on civilian and commercial
targets, and their seizure of commercial vessels in the Red Sea off the coast
of Yemen. Members demanded the release of the crew of the UAE-registered
merchant vessel Rwabee, who have been detained by the terrorist group since
mid-January
Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s permanent representative to
the UN, welcomed the adoption of the resolution and the addition of the entire
Houthi organization to the Yemen sanctions list in response to their “flagrant
violations and heinous attacks.”
It will, she said, reduce the group’s military
capabilities, and help to prevent its hostile actions toward civilian vessels
that threaten shipping routes and international trade.
Nusseibeh called on the Houthis to halt their
terrorist, cross-border attacks and return to the negotiation table and
participate in a serious political process.
“We emphasize that there is no military solution to
the crisis in Yemen,” she said. “The only way to overcome the current crisis is
through concerted efforts to reach a Yemen-led, Yemeni-owned political
solution, under the auspices of the United Nations.”
In their explanation of the vote, council members
condemned the attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Trine Heimerback, Norway’s
deputy permanent representative, backed the implementation of targeted
sanctions that can help to support “a path toward a political settlement and
contribute to the protection of civilians.”
She added: “Joint action by the council to limit the
Houthi’s capabilities to launch attacks and harm civilians is therefore
welcome.”
However, she noted that the resolution fails to
address Norway’s key concern about the possible negative effects it might have
on the peace process and humanitarian operations in Yemen.
She said her country fears that the designation of the
Houthis as a terrorist organization, “absent a clear definition (by the UN
charter,) may have negative impact on UN efforts to facilitate a political
solution in Yemen (and) unintended humanitarian consequences (that) could
negatively impact UN efforts to address large-scale humanitarian needs in
Yemen.”
Kenya’s ambassador to the UN, Martin Kimani, said his
country is alarmed by “the increasing trend of transnational groups undertaking
attacks outside a territory in which they are engaged in peace processes.”
He added that the Houthi attacks on the UAE and Saudi
Arabia “cross over an unacceptable threshold (and) contradict this council’s
effort to help the mediation of peace in Yemen.”
“It is time for the Security Council to limit such
incentives for groups that have launched cross-border attacks as a way to draw
attention to themselves and leverage in their national positions,” Kimani said.
“Sanctions such as these being leveled today help
reinforce to those groups that they will need to cease their external attacks
to have any hope of being accepted as legitimate political actors.”
The Houthis’ control over the Yemeni population and
their manipulation of humanitarian aid must not be tolerated by the council, he
added.
“Surely we are aware by now that attacks on civilians
and civilian objects are some of the gravest drivers of humanitarian crises,”
Kimani said. “Countering terrorism and supporting humanitarian action are not
in conflict with one another.
“Humanitarian organizations must be enabled to better
operate in the (humanitarian) space to avoid exploitation by groups. Otherwise
we will be discussing the imprisonment of entire populations (as a means) to
exploit the humanitarian response to their crisis.”
The Kenyan envoy also addressed the concerns among
some council members about the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist
organization on the grounds that such a designation is not clearly defined by
the UN Charter.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2033376/middle-east
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Facing Western isolation over Ukraine, Russia looks to
Mideast, Islamic world
Kirill Semenov
March 1, 2022 —
After the start of Russia's military campaign against
Ukraine and the resulting unprecedented sanctions against Moscow, the latter is
focusing its attention on the leading states in the Islamic world and the
greater Middle East to negate the impact of Western isolation.
The operation against Ukraine began when Pakistani
Prime Minister Imran Khan was in Moscow on an official visit; he had arrived in
the Russian capital on the eve of the launch of the military operation. This
gave rise to speculation about whether the Pakistani leader’s visit could be
considered an implicit endorsement of Russia's actions.
In particular, US State Department spokesperson Ned
Price was asked at a Feb. 23 briefing whether Washington considers the choice
of the Pakistani prime minister to visit Moscow at this particular time the
equivalent of “indirectly endorsing” Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“You would have to ask the Pakistani government. I’m
just not in a position to offer an assessment on the timing of foreign
counterparts’ travel to another country,” Price replied.
The visit was never rescheduled, despite obvious
military preparations and sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States, the
European Union and a number of other countries due to Moscow's recognition of
the independence of the Moscow-backed Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern
Ukraine on Feb. 21. Khan arrived in Moscow on the evening of Feb. 23, on the
eve of the invasion, but held talks with Putin on Feb. 24, when Russian troops
were already advancing on Ukrainian territory.
Earlier, on Jan. 17, Khan thanked the president of
Russia for his support on behalf of Muslims after Putin had said disrespecting
the Prophet Muhammad is not part of freedom of speech. Putin “is the first
Western leader to show empathy and sensitivity to Muslim sentiment for their
beloved prophet,” Khan said after his call with the Russian leader.
Two days before the arrival of the Pakistani premier,
on Feb. 21, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also visited Moscow. Amid the
escalation between Russia and NATO and the preparation of a Russian military
operation against Ukraine, Aliyev signed a declaration on allied cooperation
between Azerbaijan and Russia.
Russia and Azerbaijan agreed to provide each other
with military assistance.
“In order to ensure security, maintain peace and
stability, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan may consider
the possibility of providing each other with military assistance on the basis
of the UN Charter, separate international treaties and taking into account the
existing international legal obligations of each of the parties,” the
declaration stated. In addition, Putin and Aliyev agreed to refrain from any
actions that, in the opinion of one of the parties, damage the strategic
partnership and relations between the two states.
Thus, Yerevan has lost its status as Moscow's sole
ally in the south Caucasus. This can also strengthen the depth of Moscow's
strategic partnership with those states that are already allies of Baku or have
privileged relations with it. In particular, the signing of the
Russian-Azerbaijani allied declaration is of particular importance since
Azerbaijan is already an ally of Turkey on the basis of the so-called Shusha
Declaration, and a strategic partner of Pakistan, with whom it repeatedly
conducts joint military maneuvers.
In turn, Moscow can still count on Ankara's special
position, which differs significantly from the approach of other NATO member
countries to the events in Ukraine and can be considered the most favorable for
the Kremlin. First of all, we are talking about Ankara's refusal to join the
toughest anti-Russian sanctions.
Turkey also abstained on Feb. 25 from voting on the
suspension of Russia's rights in the Council of Europe, as "it stands for
the continuation of dialogue under any circumstances."
In addition, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, despite
statements condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is still set to interact
with and is ready for direct face-to-face contacts with Putin.
At a meeting of the ruling party on Feb. 26, where the
main issue was the situation in Ukraine, Erdogan said, “In a telephone
conversation with Mr. Putin, I invited him to Turkey to normalize the
situation,” according to TGRT Haber TV channel.
In turn, Sheikh Ali Al-Qaradaghi, secretary-general of
the International Union of Muslim Scholars, called for the speedy establishment
of peace in Ukraine in a Feb. 27 Tweet. Qaradaghi also named Turkey and
Pakistan as two states that could mediate the conflict.
“I urge countries that have good relations with the
conflicting parties, such as Turkey and Pakistan, to make sincere and serious
mediation efforts to immediately end the destructive war in which not only
these peoples are losing a lot at all levels, but the whole world may be
losing,” wrote Qaradaghi.
One should also pay attention to the position of
another Middle Eastern country — the United Arab Emirates — which is currently
a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council. The UAE joined China and
India in abstaining from a UN resolution condemning the invasion, in a position
seen as favorable toward Moscow.
Abu Dhabi justified the abstention by saying the vote
was a “foregone conclusion.”
“The result of this vote was a foregone conclusion,
but the avenues for dialogue must remain open more urgently than ever before,”
the UAE said in a statement put out by its permanent mission to the UN. “We
urge for immediate de-escalation and the cessation of hostilities.”
It is important to note that the leaders of the
Houthis in Yemen, following Russia, recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk
republics, thereby confirming their loyalty to Russia. In this situation,
Moscow has new opportunities to influence the leaders of the Houthis in terms
of preventing missile attacks on the UAE, which can also be used to maintain a
favorable attitude toward Russia from Abu Dhabi, which may try to take
advantage of Russian opportunities to influence the Houthis. In particular, on
Jan. 25, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
praised Russia's support in the wake of the recent Houthi attacks on civilian
targets in the UAE. The need for cooperation between the two countries on the
Yemeni settlement track was also confirmed during a Feb. 24 telephone
conversation between the foreign ministers of the UAE and Russia.
Taking into account the unprecedented sanctions
against Russia that many states have imposed, cooperation with the states of
the Islamic world and, above all, the Middle East may turn out to be one of the
few "windows" in order to receive metered economic and political
support.
Source: Al Monitor
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Erdogan discusses Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with
Belarus counterpart Lukashenko
01 March ,2022
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s office said early
on Tuesday that he held a phone call with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander
Lukashenko to discuss developments in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The two premiers discussed ceasefire talks between
Russia and Ukraine, according to Erdogan’s office. The talks failed to reach a
breakthrough on Monday, and negotiators have not said when a new round would
take place.
Erdogan’s office said he told Lukashenko that Turkey
will continue to make efforts to stop the war and restore peace. Russia calls
its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”
Turkey’s leader said on Monday that his country could
not abandon its ties with Russia or Ukraine, adding Ankara would implement a
pact on passage via straits in Turkish waters leading to the Black Sea to
prevent an escalation of the war.
NATO ally Turkey on Sunday called Russia’s invasion a
“war,” allowing it to invoke articles under a 1936 international accord that
will limit the passage of some Russian vessels from Turkish straits.
Turkey has previously offered to mediate in the crisis
between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey shares maritime borders with both countries
and has good relations with them.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Taliban restrict Afghans going abroad, draws criticism
from UK envoy
28 February ,2022
The Taliban administration’s announcement that it
would restrict Afghans from leaving the country under certain circumstances
drew criticism from the United Kingdom’s envoy on Monday amidst fears they
could hamper ongoing evacuation efforts.
The Taliban administration’s spokesman Zabihullah
Mujahid had said at a media conference on Sunday that Afghans would not be
allowed to leave the country unless they had a clear destination and that women
could not travel overseas for study without a male guardian.
Hugo Shorter, the UK charge d’affaires for
Afghanistan, said in a Tweet they had seen the Taliban’s statements.
“These would be unacceptable restrictions on freedom
of movement,” he said. “I call on the Taliban to clarify their remarks
urgently.”
It was not immediately clear whether the plans would
hamper the efforts by international governments and organizations to evacuate
thousands of Afghans who had worked with foreign embassies, militaries and
projects and were eligible for asylum in Western countries but still in
Afghanistan.
“We will not allow Afghans to leave the country unless
their destinations are known,” Mujahid said.
Mujahid said the travel restrictions would apply to
Afghans who worked with NATO and American forces, but did not elaborate under
what, if any, circumstances they would be able to evacuate.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Pakistan
Turkey, Pakistan jointly work on 'first Islamic world
fighter jet' project
February 28, 2022
Turkey and Pakistan are jointly developing a 5th
generation fighter jet, in an effort to replace and advance their existing
fleets of fighters and combine their abilities in defence cooperation.
The TF-X [Turkish Fighter Experimental], which was
first announced in 2016 and has been in development since, is envisioned by
Turkey to be its first 5th generation twin-engine stealth fighter jet that is
focused on air-to-air capabilities while also operating in an air-to-surface
role.
In an interview with a Pakistani TV station this
month, the CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS), Temel Kotil, revealed
that the project is being developed jointly with Pakistan.
According to an article earlier this month, Pakistani
Air Vice-Marshal, Rizwan Riaz, said the project's development team – based in
Turkey – distributes smaller tasks of work to students and researchers based in
Pakistan, who contribute to integrating the components.
Kotil also announced that some of TUSAS' operations
will move to Pakistan this year as part of activities to improve and advance
cooperation between the two countries in the defence industry.
The joint project – which has been dubbed by some as
the 'Islamic world's first fighter [jet]' – is predicted to benefit both Ankara
and Islamabad, replacing their outdated fighter jet fleets. As for Turkey, it
is reportedly unable to completely develop the fighter jet on its own due to
the economic crisis it has been suffering over the past few years.
Source: Middle East Monitor
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Five Pakistanis arrested in Spain on terrorism charges
1 March, 2022
Madrid [Spain], March 1 (ANI): Giving body blow to the
already settled radical Islam in the country, the National Police of Spain
arrested five Pakistani citizens for encouraging their compatriots through
social networks to assassinate those who raise their voice against them.
Police arrested the Pakistani citizens on February 21
in Barcelona, Gerona, Ubeda (Jaen) and Granada, according to a media report.
The detainees, all in their twenties, were
sympathizers neither of the Islamic State (ISIS) nor of Al Qaeda, the groups to
which practically all of those arrested in Spain are related, but of a radical
Islamist group of Pakistan, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), with
parliamentary representation and which advocates the implementation of Islamic
law and execution of those who are branded as blasphemers, said the report.
The judge of the National High Court Manuel
Garcia-Castellon has ordered the admission to preventive detention of all of
the accused on charges of collaboration with a terrorist organization, glorification
and incitement to commit murders.
The investigation that has led to these arrests began
after the attack in September 2020 on the former Paris headquarters of Charlie
Hebdo. The satirical magazine had already suffered a jihadist attack in January
2015 in which eight persons had died.
In the second attack, in which two people were
seriously injured, Zaheer Hassan Mahmoud, a 25-year-old Pakistani who assured
that his intention was to attack the publication again for its decision to
re-disseminate the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, was arrested. The French
police investigation found links between Zaheer Hassan Mahmood and the
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, the media report said.
According to the report, that arrest triggered the
alert among Spanish anti-terrorist experts due to the fear of being faced with
a new terrorist phenomenon, especially after learning that the detainee had
maintained contacts with a compatriot based in Barcelona.
The investigations have revealed that those now
detained used social networks, mainly profiles on Facebook and Tik-Tok, as an
authentic propaganda device in Urdu (the language spoken in Pakistan) through
which they disseminated audiovisual material, in part created by them, in which
they praised the terrorist attacks that were being committed both in Europe and
in Pakistan against those they considered blasphemous, said the report.
“They were very active and had numerous followers, and
not only in Spain, but also in other European countries, such as France, Greece
or Italy,” sources close to the investigation pointed out, according to the
report.
It was the increasing reach of their radical messages
that precipitated the arrests. The alleged leader of the group was arrested in
Barcelona; another two, in Girona; one more, in Ubeda (Jaen); and the last, in
Granada.
In the records of their homes, the Police have not
located weapons or plans to commit a specific attack, but abundant jihadist
material from the Islamic State in which threats against Europe and Israel were
poured, according to the report.
Source: The Print
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https://theprint.in/world/five-pakistanis-arrested-in-spain-on-terrorism-charges/852824/
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Archbishop Welby an ‘ambassador of peace’: Ashrafi
February 28, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Tahir Ashrafi, adviser to the prime
minister on interfaith harmony, termed Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby,
who is currently on a tour to Pakistan, an “ambassador of peace”.
Ashrafi was addressing a banquet he hosted in the
honour of the most senior bishop in the Church of England at a local hotel in
Islamabad.
Ashrafi said: “This [gathering] is small in size but
in fact [is] a big one as a towering figure is among us who is an ambassador of
peace. For me, he is a teacher and […] has a leading role in the global
perspective for promoting peace and interfaith harmony.”
“This is a blessing [to have] you here in Pakistan
that is your own country,” he added.
He said Welby always supported the people encouraging
peace and interfaith harmony worldwide.
He observed that during times when it was difficult to
speak on matters related to interfaith harmony and dialogue at global forums,
the Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) lent its voice to the cause.
Ashrafi said he was the only one who spoke openly
whether it was the 2012 Rimsha Masih case or the Joseph Colony torching of 2013
or an attack on a minority place of worship because there was an element of
fear among the people at the time.
But today, the situation was different, he added.
The official said there were some complaints of
instances of forced marriages and conversions but his office had resolved them
with his pragmatic approach.
In 2022, not a single case of abuse of blasphemy laws
was registered across the country because he had personally investigated every
instance.
In 113 cases, Ashrafi said he had ordered to release
the accused and remove the cases against them. Now the situation was improving
with the passage of time, he added.
Source: Pakistan Today
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https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/02/28/archbishop-welby-an-ambassador-of-peace-ashrafi/
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Quran covers each and every aspect of human life:
Noor-ul-Haq
March 1, 2022
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith
Harmony Dr Pir Noor-ul-Haq Qadri Monday said that the Holy Quran is a complete
code of life, covering each and every aspect of human life.
Addressing the ‘Qiraat Competition’ final round at the
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here, he said that Holy Quran
provides the basis for Muslim unity and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
government is striving to promote Quran teaching in the country.
The minister said that the government was making
efforts to publish translation of the Holy Quran acceptable to all schools of
thought, adding that the task was near to complete now, as all schools of
thought were reaching consensus in this regard. He said that the government has
included the Holy Quran and the biography of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) in the curriculum.
Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said that the Quran bill to protect
Quran from errors had been introduced which was passed by the National Assembly
Standing Committee, adding that the composing and printing of the holy book
would be monitored by the government authorities and religious scholars. He
said that fine and penalties had been recommended in the bill for the
violators. He said that publishing of the Holy Quran on newsprint was
prohibited under the law. A particular quality of paper had been specified for
printing of Holy Quran, he added.
He said that the government had developed a mechanism
to restore the sacred papers of the Quran, adding that establishment of a
recycling plant was also on the cards, which would be set up in Islamabad. He
said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Al-Azhar University Egypt
had been signed to promote Qiraat in educational institutions under the
supervision of Egyptian ‘qaris’.
The minister said that an international competition
would be arranged on Qiraat after Eid-ul-Fitar in the federal capital in which
contestants from 12 Islamic countries would participate. He stressed the need
to teach the students of Quran and Sunnah how to speak and behave to give
positive image of Islam to the rest of the people.
Source: Pak Observer
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Pakistan ‘won’t take sides’ in UN debate on Ukraine
Anwar Iqbal
March 1, 2022
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has decided not to
participate in the emergency session of the UN General Assembly that began on
Monday to discuss the Ukrainian crisis.
“Pakistan has decided not to take sides on this
issue,” a diplomatic source told Dawn. “Islamabad supports a peaceful and
negotiated settlement.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan, who visited Moscow on the
day the invasion began, defended his decision on Monday, saying that he was
there to discuss bilateral issues only.
The General Assembly is expected to wind up its debate
on Tuesday and by then representatives of more than 100 countries would have
addressed the emergency session. The meeting will decide whether to support a
US-sponsored resolution that demands Russia’s immediate withdrawal from
Ukraine.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya warned
the global body that “if Ukraine does not survive, the UN will not survive.”
Polish ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski told the meeting
that Pakistani civilians and students were among those thousands of people who
were seeking refuge in Poland and the Polish government was sheltering them.
The General Assembly has only held 10 emergency
sessions since 1950, in line with a provision widely known as the ‘Uniting for
Peace’ resolution.
The resolution gives the assembly the power to take up
important matters when the Security Council is unable to act due to differences
among its five permanent members.
A General Assembly debate is considered the world
body’s second-best option because its resolutions are non-binding, unlike those
of the Security Council.
The US, which initiated the debate, first went to the
Security Council on Feb. 25, seeking a binding resolution, but Russia vetoed
the effort.
As the debate began, UN Secretary-General António
Guterres informed the assembly that while Russian strikes were largely
targeting Ukrainian military facilities, they had “credible accounts” of
non-military targets sustaining heavy damage.
“Enough is enough,” he said. “This escalating violence
… is totally unacceptable. Soldiers need to move back to their barracks.
Leaders need to move to peace.”
He also emphasized the need to respect “the
sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its
internationally recognized borders.”
Assembly President Abdulla Shahid informed the
meeting: “As we convene here in the General Assembly, negotiators from both
sides are holding talks in Belarus” to end the crisis that began last week.
Although China and India had abstained from the Feb.
25 vote in the Security Council, they participated in Monday’s debate.
China’s Permanent Representative Zhang Jun said China
supports the EU, Nato and Russia resuming dialogue including the “legitimate”
security concerns of all, including Moscow’s.
Source: Dawn
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EU snubbed Pakistan Army chief’s request to join
landmark meeting with Indo-Pacific in Paris
PRAVEEN SWAMI
1 March, 2022
New Delhi: European Union diplomats stonewalled
requests from Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, to be invited
to attend a high-profile multilateral conference on the Indo-Pacific region in
Paris last week, as well as a one-on-one meeting with the organisation’s High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell
Fontelles, three diplomatic sources have confirmed to ThePrint.
General Bajwa, the sources said, also sought an
invitation to the high-profile Munich Security Conference, which fell through
after organisers pointed out that Pakistan’s National Security Adviser, Moeed
Yusuf, was already scheduled to speak on Afghanistan.
The European Union did not respond to a request for
comment from ThePrint. This report will be updated if a response is received.
Leaders from more than 30 countries in the Indian
Ocean Region, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, attended the
EU’s Indo-Pacific conference on 22 February, along with the foreign ministers
of EU member states. The conference has been seen as a step towards shaping a
coherent European security policy for the Indian Ocean, through which an
estimated 60 per cent of its global trade transits.
Europe has faced calls to contribute more to security
operations in the Indian Ocean, where only one member state, France, has a
significant naval presence.
The United States has also been pushing European
states to push back harder against China, with some success. Earlier this
month, Germany’s foreign ministry was reported to have circulated a paper to
other ministries, urging them to regard China as a “systemic rival”.
Islamabad was not invited to the conference, one
European diplomatic source said, in a sign of ire over its failure to deliver
on promises to rein in the Afghan Taliban, and anger over the country’s
handling of Islamist protesters demanding the expulsion of France’s ambassador
to protest the country’s protection of purported blasphemers.
The EU’s ambassador in Islamabad, Androulla Kaminara,
had pushed for Borell to meet with General Bajwa, an Indian diplomatic source
said, arguing that he represented a pro-West section of the country’s
establishment, committed to containing China’s influence.
EU diplomats, however, pointed out that the meeting
would be inappropriate, as Gen. Bajwa is a military officer, not a diplomatic
representative of his country.
During a visit to Belgium this month, Gen. Bajwa met
with the secretary-general of the European External Action Services (EEAS),
Stefano Sannino, and the chairman of the European Union military committee,
Claudio Graziano, the Pakistan Army’s official Inter-Services Public Relations
agency announced on 18 February.
The three officials, the statement said, held
discussions on the regional security situation, including Afghanistan.
The EEAS is the European Union’s diplomatic service,
reporting to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
and is tasked with executing the alliance’s foreign and security policies.
General’s mysterious visit to London
Following his European Union meetings, Gen. Bajwa made
an undisclosed visit to London last week, the Indian diplomatic source said.
The general and another senior officer, Inspector General for Communication
& Information Technology, Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor, stayed at the
Grosvenor House hotel in central London for two days, the source said. A
credible Pakistani media source also confirmed the meeting.
Even though there has been speculation that the move
might have been related to tensions between Gen. Bajwa and Prime Minister Imran
Khan, a leader of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League
(N) told ThePrint that there had been no meeting between the army chief and the
exiled Pakistani politician.
Sharif has been living in London since 2019, in the
face of multiple requests from Islamabad for him to be deported home. The
United Kingdom’s Home Office denied Sharif’s request for a visa extension last
year, saying he had completed the medical treatment for which he had been
granted entry. An immigration tribunal is set to decide on an appeal by the
former prime minister later this year.
Gen. Bajwa has close personal links to the United
Kingdom, which is home to his sister-in-law, Asma Bajwa, and brothers Tariq
Bajwa and Javaid Bajwa.
Source: The Print
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Arab
World
UAE welcomes UN resolution labelling Yemen’s Houthis
as terrorists for the first time
01 March ,2022
The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the adoption of
a UN Security Council resolution renewing sanctions on Yemen’s Iran-backed
Houthi militia, and labeling them a terrorist group for the first time.
“The purpose of this resolution is to limit the
capacity of the Houthis and to limit the escalation of war in Yemen,” Lana
Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN said in a statement.
“It also calls for an end to attacks on international
navigational waters and vessels and to put an end to the suffering of civilians
in Yemen and in the region in the face of these terrorist attacks,” she added.
The UN Security Council voted Monday to extend to all
of Yemen’s Houthis an arms embargo that until now targeted only some leaders of
the Iran-backed militia.
Yemen has been embroiled since 2014 in a civil war
between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government.
An Arab Coalition including the UAE and Saudi Arabia
intervened in support of the government in 2015.
The Houthis have launched regular strikes on Saudi
Arabia since its intervention, and in January staged unprecedented attacks on
the UAE, killing three foreign nationals.
Source: Al Arabiya
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UAE ‘deplores ongoing violence in Ukraine’ and calls
for ceasefire: Mission to UN
01 March ,2022
The United Arab Emirates “deplore[s] the ongoing
violence in Ukraine” and has called for a ceasefire in a statement from the
country’s mission to the UN published on Monday.
In the statement, the nation also highlighted the need
to recognize the sovereignty of states, after conflict erupted on Thursday when
Russia’s forces invaded its neighbor.
The Gulf nation, without denouncing one side or the
other, has publicly called for an end to the violence since the invasion.
This is despite the fact that the UAE abstained from
voting on a draft UN Security Council resolution to end the conflict on Friday.
UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al
Nahyan stressed the “strength” of ties with Russia in a phone call with his
Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday, the day before the invasion.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed then spoke to US Secretary
of State Antony Blinken on Friday to discuss “the importance of building a
strong international response to support Ukrainian sovereignty through the UN
Security Council.”
The UAE is also “looking into the Ukraine’s
humanitarian needs resulting from the crisis,” according to Monday’s statement.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi aviation authority scraps PCR test requirement
for citizens returning from Ukraine
March 01, 2022
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil
Aviation on Monday instructed all airlines operating at airports in the Kingdom
to exempt all Saudis traveling from Ukraine, and their non-Saudi dependents,
from the requirement to provide the result of a PCR tests before entering the
country.
Instead, the authority said a PCR test must be taken
within 48 hours of arrival, the Saudi Press Agency reported. GACA said that failure
to comply with the instructions would be a violation of government regulations,
and legal action will be taken against anyone that violates them.
It was announced on Feb. 9 that regardless of
vaccination status, Saudi citizens and foreign nationals traveling to the
Kingdom must present proof of a negative result of an approved PCR or rapid
antigen test taken within 48 hours of departure. Children under the age of 8
are exempt, although any regulations imposed by the country of departure
related to COVID-19 testing procedures for children must be followed.
Citizens who test positive for COVID-19 but are fully
vaccinated with a vaccine approved by authorities in the Kingdom can enter
Saudi Arabia seven days after a positive test without needing to take another.
Those who are not fully vaccinated can enter the Kingdom 10 days after a
positive test.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2033636/saudi-arabia
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French Senate delegation praises efforts of
Saudi-based Etidal centre to combat extremism
March 01, 2022
JEDDAH: Mansour Al-Shammari, the secretary-general of
the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, also known as Etidal,
welcomed a delegation led by Olivier Cadic, the French senator and president of
the France-Gulf States Friendship Group, to the center’s headquarters in Riyadh
on Monday.
Al-Shammari began the meeting by welcoming his guests
and commending the role played by France in supporting international stability.
He also highlighted the continued cooperation between Etidal and the France in
efforts to counter extremist ideology.
Cadic, who is on an official visit to the Kingdom, and
his delegation were briefed about the center’s strategies, its monitoring and
analysis mechanisms, the technologies it employs, and the models it has
developed to dismantle extremist discourse.
Cadic congratulated Etidal for the work it is doing,
saying: “I was impressed by the vision on understanding and combating extremism
using objective means such as artificial intelligence, which is a very
reassuring medium.
“In this regard, my work within the France-Gulf States
Friendship Group and with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will focus on finding a
connection through which we can seek to build a bridge of cooperation,
particularly in this area, given that we share the same objective, which
consists of having a world where people can live, a modern world of moderation.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2033601/saudi-arabia
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Russia’s Syria intervention provided hints for Ukraine
war
March 01, 2022
BEIRUT: From a tent in the rebel-held pocket of Syria,
Ahmad Rakan has closely followed news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. More
than two years ago, a Russian airstrike destroyed his house in a nearby village
during a months-long Syrian government offensive backed by Moscow’s firepower
that drove him and tens of thousands of others from their homes.
“We more than anyone else feel their pain,” he said of
Ukrainian civilians currently under Russian bombardment.
For the past seven years, Syrians like Rakan have
experienced first-hand Russia’s military might as it struck opposition
strongholds, brokered mass surrender deals and deployed military police across
their country, practically rendering it a Russian protectorate on the
Mediterranean.
Observers say Russia’s brazen military intervention in
Syria and the impunity with which it was met emboldened Vladimir Putin. They
say it gave him a renewed Middle East foothold from where he could assert
Russian power globally, and paved the way for his attack on Ukraine.
“There is no doubt that the Russian intervention in
Ukraine is an accumulation of a series of Russian military interventions in
Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014 and Syria in 2015,” said Ibrahim Hamidi, a
Syrian journalist and senior diplomatic editor for Syrian affairs at the
London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
Putin “believes that America is regressing and China’s
role is increasing and Europe is divided and preoccupied with its internal
concerns … so he decided to intervene,” he said.
Moscow’s 2015 decision to join the war in Syria was
its first military action outside the former Soviet Union since the
federation’s collapse. It saved President Bashar Assad’s government and turned
the tide of the war in his favor, enabling the Syrian leader to brutally
reassert control over much of Syria. Russian airstrikes often indiscriminately
hit hospitals, schools and markets.
The war-ravaged country became a testing ground for
Russian weapons and tactics that it can now bring to bear in Ukraine.
Anna Borshchevskaya, a senior fellow at The Washington
Institute focusing on Russia’s policy toward the Middle East, said Russia
deployed a “multi-domain” approach in Syria, including long-range precision
weapons and large-scale bombing campaigns, along with cyber warfare,
disinformation and use of paramilitary forces.
Deploying its air power “has come to define Russia’s
evolving way of war and Syria was an especially important illustration of this
development,” she said.
Moscow also showed a canny diplomatic touch in Syria,
creating arrangements with the West that forced an implicit acceptance of its
intervention. It created joint patrols with NATO member Turkey which backed
Syrian rebels, to enforce truces in some areas. It established understandings
with Israel that allowed the latter to carry out airstrikes against Iran-linked
targets in Syria. It set up a so-called deconfliction line with the US to
prevent mishaps between American and Russian planes flying in Syria’s skies.
At the same time, it sought to defend Assad on the
international scene, dismissing as fabrications Assad’s use of chemical weapons
and barrel bombs against civilians. Within Syria, Russia added a soft power
campaign. In some areas, festivals were put on to popularize Russian culture,
Russian national songs were played on Syrian television, self-serving
propaganda was churned out and hot meals were served to civilians.
Max, a dual Syrian-Ukrainian national who hails from
Syria’s coastal province of Latakia, recalled working for a week as a social
media troll disseminating the “truth” about Russia’s positive actions in Syria.
He and other Russian-speaking Syrians worked from an office set up in a local
university.
A member of Assad’s Alawite ruling sect, he said he
and others in his hometown were grateful when Russia intervened militarily in
2015, particularly as Islamic extremists had been approaching the area.
“Then Russians came and the front line was pushed way
back,” he told The Associated Press in a phone call from Ukraine, where he is
now stuck in an Airbnb in a residential area of Kyiv.
Max, who is now working for an international
organization in Lebanon, had flown to Ukraine to update his personal documents
when he became trapped there by Russia’s invasion. He spoke on condition his
full name would not be used for his safety.
Today, Max no longer buys into the Russian narrative.
Many in his hometown in Syria, though, support Russia’s war in Ukraine, as
Moscow continues to mount a sophisticated disinformation effort about its
invasion.
Images coming out of Ukraine, including the harrowing
mass flight of civilians, are stirring intense and conflicting emotions among
Syrians at home and refugees across the globe.
Resentment runs deepest in the northwest province of
Idlib, Syria’s last opposition-held bastion, where Russian airstrikes continue
to this day. In a statement issued Monday, the opposition’s civil defense group
known as the White Helmets group, deplored Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
“It pains us immensely to know that the weapons tested
on Syrians will now be used against Ukrainian civilians,” it said, lamenting
what it said has been a lack of support from the international community in
holding Russia to account in Syria and elsewhere.
“Instead of standing up for international norms, such
as those against the use of chemical weapons, the international community has
tried to find ways to cooperate with Russia and to this day considers Russia a
willing and essential partner in diplomacy,” it said.
Borshchevskaya said the lesson Putin took from Syria
was that “the West will not oppose his military interventions” and it gave him
a success to build on.
Source: Arab News
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Success of Vienna talks important for Iran, entire
region: Lebanon president
28 February 2022
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has underlined the
importance of promoting peace among all nations, expressing hope that the
ongoing talks between Iran and the P4+1 group of countries in the Austrian
capital of Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran deal will end in success in
order to bring peace not only for Iran but for the entire region.
In a meeting with Iranian Minister of Culture and
Islamic Guidance Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili in Beirut on Monday, Aoun said the
success of the Vienna talks "in a way that would guarantee comfort of
people and their happy life signals peace not only for Iran, but for the entire
region."
He added that Iran has managed to "deal with the
difficult circumstances it has faced and succeeded in developing its industries
… despite the imposition of sanctions and deprivations [against it].”
The Lebanese president also expressed his country's
willingness to maintain best relations with Iran.
The US unilaterally left the 2015 agreement,
officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018 and
re-stored the sanctions that had been lifted under the accord. Washington’s
European allies in the deal—France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—have been
toeing the sanctions line closely by ending their trade activities with Iran.
The Vienna talks began last April between Iran and the
remaining parties to the JCPOA on the assumption that the US, under the Joe
Biden administration, is willing to repeal the so-called maximum pressure
policy pursued by former president, Donald Trump, against Tehran.
Iran says it won’t settle for anything less than the
removal of all US sanctions in a verifiable manner. It also wants guarantees
that Washington would not abandon the agreement again.
Iran's chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani returned to
Vienna on Monday to continue the eighth round of talks with senior
representatives of the five remaining parties to the JCPOA on resolving the
remaining issues pertaining to the agreement's revival. He flew to Tehran last
week to hold consultations and receive necessary directives.
During the Monday meeting, which was also attended by
Judge Mohammad Wissam Mortada, the Lebanese culture minister, Esmaeili hailed
the Lebanese president's principled, pivotal and firm positions which have
given the country a unique position.
He said the new Iranian administration has an open and
constructive foreign policy based on establishing convergence and dialogue with
regional countries in general and the friendly and brotherly countries in
specific.
He added that strengthening cooperation and constructive
convergence among regional countries guarantees their security and stability on
one hand and empowers them and prevents interference of foreign countries on
the other hand.
Esmaeili pointed to Iran's success, especially in
battling the coronavirus pandemic, despite the sanctions imposed on the country
and said, "The Vienna talks are proceeding positively, which could help
reach a positive and constructive agreement."
The Iranian minister emphasized that Iran insists on
reaching a "fair, permanent and lasting" agreement with the P4+1
group of countries in Vienna "in a way that ensures that it will not be
cancelled with the change of ... administrations in the United States.
Source: Press TV
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Mideast
Islamic Jihad chief urges all Palestinian fighters to
defend occupied al-Quds, al-Aqsa Mosque
28 February 2022
The secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad
resistance movement has called upon all Palestinian fighters to defend the
occupied city of al-Quds and the scared al-Aqsa Mosque against increasing
attacks by extremist Jewish settlers.
Speaking at a ceremony entitled “Resistance is the
path to liberation” in Gaza City on Monday, Ziyad al-Nakhalah stated that
demolition of Palestinian-owned homes across the West Bank and the killing of
innocent people require Palestinian resistance fighters not to hesitate for a
moment to fight the Israeli enemy and resist the regime’s actions through all
available means.
He said it is a duty to engage Israeli military forces
anywhere in the occupied West Bank, and disempower the troops.
The Islamic Jihad chief also stressed the need for
mobilization of Palestinians against the Israeli occupation, stating that such
a move requires participation and cooperation of all political and social
forces.
Nakhalah reiterated his group's firm stance that the
only path before the Palestinian nation is continued resistance.
“The illusions of a [political] settlement with the Zionist
enemy must be dispelled, and a national unity plan which demands the historical
rights of all Palestinians must take precedence over anything else,” he pointed
out.
“The resistance front in Palestine and the region is
now stronger than ever, and the enemy, despite being in possession of all kinds
of munitions, is weaker than ever. There is abundant evidence to support this
premise,” Nakhalah said.
Source: Press TV
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Palestinians protest French statements on Jerusalem
Hani al-Shaer
28.02.2022
GAZA CITY, Palestine
Palestinians staged a rally in the Gaza Strip on
Monday to protest statements by French Prime Minister Jean Castex in which he
declared Jerusalem as "the eternal capital of the Jewish people."
“Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Palestine,” reads
a banner waved by protesters during the rally organized by the Palestinian
group Hamas in the western city of Khan Younis.
“Castex’s remarks were part of the continuing bias of
French and Western decision-makers to the Israeli occupation,” Hamas leader
Mushir al-Masri told Anadolu Agency.
“The Western policy can’t give Israel legitimacy on
the land of Palestine,” he said.
On Friday, Castex claimed during a gala dinner hosted
by the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF) that
"Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Jewish people."
"That does not stop anyone from recognizing and
respecting the attachment of other religions to this city," he said.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/palestinians-protest-french-statements-on-jerusalem/2518317
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Palestinian girl, 11, wounded as worshippers and
police clash at Damascus Gate
By AARON BOXERMAN
28 February 2022
An 11-year-old Palestinian girl was hospitalized after
being struck in the head by a sound grenade fired by police during clashes near
Damascus Gate on Monday afternoon, as Palestinians gathered in Jerusalem for an
Islamic holiday.
Police dispersed groups of Palestinians with stun
grenades and blasts of acrid-smelling high-pressure water from cannons. Dozens
of passersby, including women, children and a man in a wheelchair, fled for
cover.
One of the sound grenades smashed in the face of the
11-year-old Palestinian girl. Medics immediately rushed her to Jerusalem’s
Hadassah Ein Karem hospital in moderate condition, according to a Hadassah
spokesperson.
According to police, Palestinians had “chanted
incitement and threw stones and bottles at police on the scene.” A spokesperson
for Jerusalem police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on
the wounded 11-year-old girl.
“Police forces have acted these past few hours to
protect public order and prevent rioting,” an Israel Police spokesperson said.
The girl’s family identified her as Manwar Burqan, a
resident of the middle-class Shuafat neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Burqan is
deaf and attends a special needs school in the city.
Around 25 Palestinians were injured during the
clashes, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Twenty Palestinians were
arrested and four officers were wounded, according to Israel Police.
Thousands of Palestinians had gathered in the Old City
entryway to celebrate al-Israa wa al-Miraj. The holiday celebrates the
miraculous “night journey” of Islam’s prophet, Mohammad, from Mecca to
Jerusalem
According to Islamic tradition, Mohammad ascended
heavenwards from the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which Jews also revere as the site of both
Biblical temples. Palestinian Muslims often celebrate the holiday by gathering
in Jerusalem for festivities and prayer at the shrine.
Cops also appeared to violently slap a Palestinian
girl while subduing her on the ground, according to footage from the scene of
the clashes.
In another video, a Palestinian runs after a cop and
pushes him onto the ground as the officer grapples with a second Palestinian.
The stairway leading to Damascus Gate is a popular
site for Palestinians to enjoy the holiday cheer before heading to the Al-Aqsa
Mosque for prayers. But the gateway has also become one of Jerusalem’s most
charged sites.
Source: Times Of Israel
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Ringleader of Separatist Terrorist Group, Habib
Farajollah Chaab, Discloses S. Arabia’s Plot against Iran in Court
2022-February-28
Habib Farajollah Chaab, also known as Habib Asyud,
stood trial at Branch 26 of Tehran’s Islamic Revolution Court on Sunday.
During the hearing, prosecutor’s representative Amin
Vaziri said that Chaab had admitted that the Saudi intelligence service pushed to
unite all terrorist and separatist movements under a single umbrella
organization to counter Iran following the formation of the Islamic Awakening
movement.
He added that the Saudi intelligence service has also
launched several satellite channels with the aim of facilitating the
partitioning of Iran.
Chaab said the Saudi-sponsored satellite channels
aired videos and other visual material on a round-the-clock basis in order to
spread violence in Iran.
The terrorist ringleader also confessed that Saudi Arabia
had funded terrorist groups with the final goal of spreading Takfiri ideology
in Iran, Vaziri said.
The prosecutor’s representative noted that the
defendant had formed a terrorist group to carry out acts of terror in Iran and
cooperated with anti-Iran terror groups, including PJAK and Jaish ul-Adl.
During the third session of the trial earlier this
month, the prosecutor's representative had also presented evidence showing the
Saudi and Israeli sponsorship for the separatist outfit.
At the hearing, Amin Vaziri, the prosecutor’s
representative, said Chaab is accused of corruption on earth through forming,
managing and heading the SMLA, as well as planning and carrying out terrorist
operations, and destroying public property.
“Members of this terrorist group visited Saudi Arabia
annually under the guise of Hajj to carry out the plans dictated by the Saudi
intelligence agency. These plans included actions against innocent citizens of
the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.
Vaziri also displayed the picture of a meeting between
the Saudi culture minister and an SMLA member, who was arrested in the
Netherlands for terrorist acts and sentenced to four years in prison. He
further showed the photo of an invitation sent to the militant by the Saudi
king.
Another picture showed a meeting between the SMLA
spokesman and the Saudi king.
Additionally, the prosecutor’s representative pointed
to the ties between the SMLA and Israel’s Mossad spy agency.
He also presented written documents that showed Chaab
had dealings with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The defendant, Vaziri said, has over the past years
infiltrated into non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and even charities to
attract and organize SMLA members.
As the trial continued, images were displayed of
intelligence and military elements of the terrorist group, who freely engage in
terrorist acts against innocent Iranians in Sweden, Belgium and the
Netherlands.
Based on an indictment, he is charged with “leading
and heading the SMLA terrorist group as well as planning and carrying out
numerous bombing and terrorist operations in Khuzestan Province and destroying
public property in order to counter the Islamic Republic of Iran’s
establishment”.
He is also charged with bombing operations at the
Housing and Urban Development Office, Planning and Budget Organization, and
Department of Environment in Ahvaz.
Chaab’s other charges include bombing operations
targeting the governorates of Dezful and Abadan and oil pipelines in the cities
of Abadan, Ahvaz, and Mahshahr, and also planning a bombing attack against
Ahvaz’s Judiciary office.
In September 2018, the SMLA claimed responsibility for
an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz that killed 25 people, including
members of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and civilian
bystanders, and injured 70 others.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the prosecutor's
representative said the SMLA's operations are designed with the Saudi backing
in Sweden and Denmark, where the group's ringleaders are residing.
European and Arab countries have failed to extradite
the terrorists to the Islamic Republic despite a red notice issued against
them, he noted.
“In addition to intimidating and threatening Iranian
citizens, SMLA elements call for violence in their accounts on social
networks.”
Chaab was arrested in November 2020 on the back of a
set of “specialized and combined measures” by Iranian intelligence forces.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Israeli forces kill Palestinian gunman in West Bank
raid: Palestinian health ministry
01 March ,2022
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian fighter on Tuesday
in a raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian
health ministry said. The Islamic Jihad group claimed the gunman as a member.
According to witnesses, undercover Israeli forces
exchanged fire with Palestinian fighters after they were exposed during a
pre-dawn raid of the camp. The Israeli army did not respond to a Reuters
request for comment on the overnight incident.
Two other men were critically wounded in the raid, one
of whom was shot in the head, the Palestinian health ministry said. It was not
clear whether the men were involved in the fighting.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran says three key issues remain unresolved in Vienna
nuclear talks
28 February ,2022
Iran said on Monday that reviving a 2015 nuclear deal
is possible if Western powers take a political decision to resolve three
remaining issues, as indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington enter
a crucial stage.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman identified the
remaining outstanding issues as: the extent to which sanctions would be rolled
back, providing guarantees that the United States will not quit the pact again,
and resolving questions over uranium traces found at several old but undeclared
sites in Iran.
After 10 months of talks in Vienna, progress has been
made toward the restoration of the pact to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in
exchange for sanctions relief, which the United States abandoned in 2018. Both
Tehran and Washington have cautioned that still there are some significant
differences to overcome.
“Reaching a good deal is possible... three key issues
still remain to be resolved. The US and European powers have not taken
political decisions on these major issues,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh told a weekly news conference.
“We believe that we need an appropriate pathway to
solve remaining issues in the areas of lifting sanctions, guarantees and
political claims that have been levelled against our peaceful civilian nuclear
program,” Khatibzadeh said.
Iran’s lead nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, who
flew to Tehran last week for consultations with Iranian officials, “has
returned to Vienna to pursue the negotiations with a clear agenda,” Khatibzadeh
said.
“The return to the nuclear deal will not be a one-day
process, it will rather be a journey of many verifications on the part of the
US."
Diplomats from parties involved in the negotiations
have said they have entered a crucial stage, while Tehran rejects any
“fabricated deadline” for the talks.
The 2015 deal between Iran and world powers limited
Tehran’s enrichment of uranium to make it harder for it to develop material
that could be used for nuclear weapons, in return for a lifting of
international sanctions against Tehran.
Source: Al Arabiya
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India
Kerala CPM to undergo generation shift, leaning
towards alliance with Muslim League
March 1, 2022
The CPI (M) will undergo a generational shift and party
workers are now in high hopes ahead of the party state conference to be held in
Kochi from Tuesday, March 1.
The party's vision document claimed to be the future
of Kerala and could prove to be the front runner of this change. The 80-year
age cap for party forums has now been decreased to 75. Moreover, strict tenures
for ministers and legislators will continue, two for legislators and one for
ministers.
EDGING CLOSER TO MUSLIM LEAGUE
The party is also thinking favourably of bringing the
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) into its fold. Coincidentally, the last time
such a possibility was discussed at a state conference, it happened in Kochi.
The party's top tier is focussed on bringing the
minority votes in. The main voice against this move, VS Achuthanandan, is
unwell and therefore will not be attending the party conference.
"It’s a period of transformation and at certain
stages, there will be a few rapid spurts of growth, converting quantitative
gains to qualitative changes,” said CPM Politburo member M A Baby.
Meanwhile, the party membership is expected to grow by
25 percent this year.
Source: India Today
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'We Muslims Are Treated Like the Sacrificial Goat in
Uttar Pradesh’
March 1, 2022
In mid-August last year, a Hindu vigilante group
attacked a popular food stall run by three Muslim brothers in the temple town
of Mathura in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The men accused them of profiting from the name of a
Hindu god and tore up their posters and signboards, said Abid, one of the
brothers who ran Shrinath Dosa Corner.
"They said Hindus eat here because they think
you're Hindus," he said.
Abid's stall, located in a market that sells
electronic goods, is just a few kilometres from a temple dedicated to the Hindu
god Krishna. Shrinath is another name for him and the devout believe Mathura to
be his birthplace.
Every food stall near the temple is named after the
deity, except Abid's which is now called American Dosa Corner.
After a video of the attack went viral, Abid lodged a
police complaint and one of the vandals was arrested. But six months later, he
tries to downplay the incident "because he doesn't want any trouble",
explains a local journalist.
Uttar Pradesh (UP) has made headlines for violent
crimes against Muslims since 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power in India - three years later, it
won a landslide in the state. The BJP appointed Yogi Adityanath, a
saffron-robed Hindu monk-turned politician known for his anti-Muslim stance, as
the chief minister.
Within days of the win, one UP village put up posters
asking Muslims to leave. It was among the first states to pass a law against
forced conversions that is routinely used to harass and jail Muslim men in
interfaith relationships with Hindu women. Muslims who protested against the
controversial citizenship law were beaten up and their properties seized, until
the Supreme Court declared it illegal. And during the pandemic, BJP leaders
accused Muslim men of "corona jihad" or alleged behaviour that spread
the virus.
Such day-to-day discrimination, which is far more
insidious, is marginalising Muslims, who number 40 million and constitute
nearly 20% of UP's population. As the state votes to elect a new government,
members of the community tell the BBC that under the BJP's Hindu nationalist
rule, they have become "second-class citizens".
Mufti Zahid Ali Khan, retired professor of theology at
Aligarh Muslim University, says Mr Adityanath "behaves like a BJP
politician, not a government functionary".
"Since he came to power, Muslims have been living
in fear. Whenever our children go out, our women pray for their safe return."
Legislator and BJP vice-president in the state Vijay
Pathak said it was "not true that Muslims in UP are feeling
marginalised".
"The government doesn't discriminate on the basis
of caste or religion. Muslims will vote for us in larger numbers in these elections,"
he said.
But critics point to the recent anti-minority remarks
made by Mr Yogi and several of his party leaders.
A BJP lawmaker said that if re-elected, he would
"ensure that Muslims stop wearing skullcaps and start putting on the
vermillion paste used by Hindus. And last month Hindu religious leaders called
for attacks on mosques and Islamic priests.
Zamirullah Khan, a former legislator from the
opposition Samajwadi party in Aligarh, says "we work with Hindus, we trade
with them, we attend weddings in each other's families", but "the
politics of hatred has been on the rise" - and it gets into sharper focus
whenever elections are close.
"We are the sacrificial goat - we are fed and
fattened and then slaughtered for the party. Politicians whip up anti-Muslim
sentiments to polarise people and win votes. Once the elections are over,
everyone goes home," he says.
According to official data, Muslims are the poorest
religious group in India and nearly 46% of them work in the informal sector as
electricians, plumbers, vendors and daily wage workers. It's no different in
UP.
The pandemic, coupled with government policies, has
only worsened their situation, they say.
Mr Adityanath's government has shut down
slaughterhouses - an estimated 150 in the past four-and-half years -
traditionally run by Muslims, saying they were operating illegally. Those that
are open are forced to close for days during Hindu festivals in many districts.
This has hit butchers hard and forced many consumers
to change their diet, says Zakir Hussain, a restaurateur in Mathura.
For the past eight years, Mr Hussain and his brothers
have been running Majeed Restaurant, famous for its chicken biriyani and
serving 500 meals a day.
But in September Mr Adityanath ordered a ban on
serving meat within a radius of 10 sq km (about 4 sq miles) around the Krishna
temple. The temple abuts a mosque and the area his home to many Muslim
families.
Overnight, signature dishes vanished from Majeed's
menu, as did most customers.
"Dozens of restaurants and about a hundred shops
that sold meat and eggs shut down and thousands lost their livelihoods,"
Mr Hussain said.
His brother, Shakir, says "this was done to get
us Muslims out of business since in the past few months, several non-vegetarian
restaurants run by Hindus have come up outside the prohibited zone".
The brothers also rented a place in the safe zone to
open a new restaurant, but on the third day, they were attacked, allegedly by a
mob of Hindu nationalists.
"They asked us to give them free food and pay them
protection money every month. When we refused, they ransacked the restaurant
and assaulted us," Mr Zakir Hussain said, adding that they had lodged a
police complaint.
Source: BBC News
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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-60544034
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Muslims, Pandits bond over ‘Herath’ festivities online
Peerzada Ashiq
MARCH 01, 2022
Otherwise separated by three decades of conflict, the
displaced Kashmiri Pandits and local Muslims on Monday joined hands on social
media to spread warmth on the occasion of ‘Herath’ or ‘Shivratri’, historically
a major festival of local Hindus who migrated in large numbers in the 1990s
when militancy broke out here. Hundreds of Muslim netizens were seen greeting
Pandits, not living in Kashmir anymore, on social media and prayed for peaceful
times ahead. “Herath [Shivratri] greetings to all my Kashmiri Pandit friends.
May this auspicious day bring in lasting happiness, prosperity and peace in our
lives,” wrote former bureaucrat Ghulam Nabi Qasba on Facebook. Such posts by
Muslims evoked immediate response from Pandits living outside J&K. “Same to
you! Bless you with lots of happiness and see you very soon,” Sanjay Kachru
wrote, in response to Dr. Qasba’s post. Traditionally, Muslims in Kashmir would
visit Pandits the next day of ‘Herat’ celebrations for ‘salaam’. “On the day of ‘salaam’, Muslim neighbours would
visit the Pandit houses for greetings on the Shivratri. Pandits would keep wet
walnuts for Muslims, a tradition followed by many Muslims in the old city,”
said Rashid Ahmad Rishi, a resident of Ganpatyaar. Hundreds of Pandits left the
Valley in the 1990s. More than 3,800 Pandits have returned to Kashmir since
former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unrolled a special rehabilitation package
for displaced Pandits in 2008-09. Around 610 have started reusing their
properties in the last five years. A number of Pandits on Monday were seen
paying obeisance at the temples at Ganpatyar and Hanuman Temple in Srinagar.
“’Herath’ is Kashmiri Pandits’ main festival. We prayed for peace and
prosperity,” a Kashmiri Pandit said. Special stalls of fish and dry fruits were
made available by the government on the occasion. Senior leaders of J&K’s regional
parties, including the National Conference, the Peoples Democratic Party and
the Peoples Conference, greeted the Pandits. “Herath greetings to Kashmiri
Pandits everywhere. May all your prayers on this special day be answered,”
former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted. Former Chief Minister and Peoples
Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti also greeted the community. “’Herath
Poshte’ to our Kashmiri Pandit brethren. May this occasion bring you joy,
prosperity and peace,” she tweeted. People’s Conference chairman Sajad Gani
Lone said apart from the festivities, the occasion is “a reminder of the good
old days”.
Source: The Hindu
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Srinagar's Iconic Jamia Mosque To Reopen For Prayers
After Long Closure
February 28, 2022
Srinagar: In a major decision by the government,
Kashmir's largest mosque - Jamia Masjid in Srinagar - may finally be reopened
for Friday prayers after remaining largely shut for congregational prayers
since August 2019.
Top administration and police officers today visited
the mosque and held discussions with the management of the central mosque to
reopen it for prayer services.
The mosque, which is the biggest cultural and
religious centre in the Valley, was closed following the abrogation of Jammu
and Kashmir's special status under article 370 on August 5, 2019.
The mosque was reopened briefly but was closed again citing
Covid restrictions. For the last 30 weeks, the mosque hasn't been allowed to be
opened for congregational prayers.
This morning, top officials including the Divisional
Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police visited the mosque and took
stock of arrangements for reopening the 14th-century architectural marvel in
Kashmir.
Inside the mosque, there is a space for around 40,000
people. Many more used to pray on its lawns and outside the mosque premises
during religious congregations.
The chief priest of the mosque is Mirwaiz Umar Farooq
who is also a Hurriyat (separatist) conference leader. He says he has been
placed under house arrest since August 2019.
The mosque is located at Nowhatta in downtown
Srinagar, it used to be a site of stone-pelting and clashes between police and
protesters. The protests and stone-pelting incidents have effectively stopped
in the last three years.
This is the longest closure of the mosque in recent
history.
The closure has badly hit businesses in the area. Once
a bustling marketplace, the Jamia market has been a ghost town since August
2019.
Junaid Mattu, Mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation,
welcomed the reopening of the historic mosque.
Source: ND TV
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India, Pakistan to hold Indus water meet in Islamabad
Mar 1, 2022
ISLAMABAD (PAKISTAN): India and Pakistan are set to
hold the annual meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) in Islamabad
from Tuesday.
The Indian delegation of the Indus Water Commission
reached Pakistan via the Wagah border crossing on Monday.
The three-day talks on water disputes will be held
from March 1 to March 3, ARY News reported Monday. The Indian delegation is
headed by Indian Water Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Saxena.
According to Pakistan media, the Indian water experts
team will proceed to Islamabad for talks over water disputes between the two
countries in their three-day visit to Pakistan.
The last meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission
(PIC) was held on March 23-24, 2021 in New Delhi.
Under the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty,
signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, the two Commissioners are required
to meet at least once every year, alternately in India and Pakistan. The
meeting could not be held in 2020 due to restrictions imposed on account of the
Covid-19 pandemic situation.
Last year, discussions continued on designs of two
Indian projects, namely, Pakal Dul (1000 MW) and Lower Kalnai (48 MW). Indian
side held that these projects are fully compliant with the provisions of the
Treaty and provided technical data in support of its position.
Source: Times Of India
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‘Bulli Bai’ app case: Mumbai court rejects bail plea
Mar 01, 2022
By Vinay Dalvi
MUMBAI: A Mumbai court on Friday rejected the bail
plea of Vishal Kumar Jha, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the
“Bulli Bai” online mock auction of Muslim women. Photos of prominent Muslim
women were uploaded on the “Bulli Bai” app for their auction virtually.
Jha, 21, who is from Bihar and was enrolled for B Tech
in Bengaluru, was the first accused to be arrested in the case. He moved a
Sessions Court after a Metropolitan Magistrate rejected his bail.
Jha’s lawyers Shivam Deshmukh and Aarti Deshmukh
argued that the main accused in the case was someone else from Delhi and the
other accused were from different states. They added Jha was not connected to
them.
The lawyers claimed Jha was falsely implicated in the
case. They added he is neither the user nor creator of any user identities
concerned.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Southeast
Asia
China to host regional meeting on Afghanistan next
month
28 Feb 2022
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in
his recent remarks said that China will host a conference of Afghanistan’s
neighboring countries as early as next month.
The five neighboring countries, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, and Pakistan will be focused on Afghanistan’s
economic and humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, some sources have also confirmed that
Afghanistan has also been invited to the conference to share its thoughts.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has welcomed all
conferences that are concentrated on Afghanistan but have not said anything
about their participation in the conference.
In the meantime, a trilateral meeting between the
representatives of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan is
also planned to be held. The agenda of the meeting is said to be participating
in regional projects.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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https://www.khaama.com/china-to-host-regional-meeting-on-afghanistan-next-month-786576476/
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Boy dies after 'beating' by Indonesian soldiers
Konradus Epa
February 28, 2022
Rights groups have accused Indonesian soldiers of
killing one child and severely beating six others after accusing them of
stealing a weapon from a soldier in Indonesia’s Papua region.
Up to 12 young children were reportedly arrested on
Feb. 27 in Puncak Jaya district after a soldier providing security at nearby
Tapulinik airport reported his weapon missing.
While in custody seven were allegedly beaten so badly
that Makilon Tabuni, 12, died, while six others were taken to hospital with
various injuries.
The ages of the injured boys or the others taken into
custody were not given.
The Legal Aid Foundation in Papua accused the soldiers
of committing an act of barbarism against the children, who were falsely
accused of stealing because three men, who were not identified, were later
suspected of the theft.
“After the weapon was lost, soldiers hunted for the
perpetrators and searched for the weapon in houses of local people where they
arrested the children, took them to their base and beat them,” Emmanuel Gobay,
the rights group’s director, told UCA News on Feb. 28.
“This is not the first time children have fallen
victim to unlawful killing. Such behavior is unacceptable and those responsible
must be brought to justice.”
The Indonesian military were accused of killing three
schoolchildren in Puncak in West Papua in Nov. 2020, while a child was killed
and one wounded when government forces clashed with separatist insurgents in
October last year.
Theo Hesegem, executive director of the Papua Justice
and Human Integrity Foundation, also condemned the alleged abuse.
“Indonesia's military chief General Andika Perkasa
said security forces would adopt a softer approach to dealing with problems in
Papua but this incident with the children suggests otherwise,” Hesegem said on
Feb. 28.
Amnesty International Indonesia also condemned the
incident.
“Whatever the reason they were accused, how can they
be tortured and even killed? Civilians, particularly children, can't be singled
out like this,” Amnesty International Indonesia’s deputy director Wirya Adiwena
said on Feb. 27.
Source: UCA News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/boy-dies-after-beating-by-indonesian-soldiers/96284
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Russian oil tanker hit by US sanctions heading to
Malaysia
01 March ,2022
A Russian-flagged ship targeted by US sanctions and
suspected of carrying Iranian oil is heading to Malaysia, shipping data showed
on Monday, amid growing scrutiny of businesses linked to Moscow following the
invasion of Ukraine.
The Linda, a crude oil tanker identified in a US
Treasury document detailing sanctions against Russia, was in the Indian Ocean
and was expected to arrive at Sungai Linggi port on Malaysia’s west coast on
Sunday, according to data from ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com.
It was not immediately clear whether authorities in
Malaysia plan to allow the ship to anchor. Its marine department and foreign
ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
US advocacy group United Against a Nuclear Iran
(UANI), which monitors Iran-related tanker traffic through ship and satellite
tracking, said Linda was transporting Iranian oil transferred from another ship
at sea on January 30.
The vessel had loaded crude oil from an Iranian port
10 days prior to conducting the transfer to Linda, UANI’s chief of staff Claire
Jungman told Reuters, citing satellite data.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the
information.
The destination of the oil was not known but it could
be transferred to another ship off Malaysian or Singapore waters, Jungman said.
According to the United States, Linda is owned by PSB
Leasing, a unit of Russian lender Promsvyazbank, which has also been hit by
international sanctions.
In a statement sent to Reuters, Promsvyazbank said PSB
Leasing did not own Linda, adding that the vessel was redeemed by its owner in
April 2021. The bank did say who the owner was.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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South
Asia
Iran will recognize inclusive government in
Afghanistan: FM
28 Feb 2022
Iran’s Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian said that
they will recognize if the Taliban establish an all-inclusive government.
Speaking in an interview with Iran’s Press TV,
Amir-Abdollahian said that an Afghan delegation has recently visited Iran that
talked over different issues.
The Iranian Foreign Minister added that he reminded
the Afghan delegation and the Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Motaqi that the
establishment of the inclusive government in Afghanistan is Key and that all
factions in Afghanistan must see themselves in the government.
Abdollahian called US withdrawal from Afghanistan
“embarrassing” and added that the US 20-year presence in Afghanistan was a
debacle.
“The US claimed that everything from the US pullout to
the resurgence of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan but the United States
asked Iran’s cooperation that was denied.” Said the Foreign Minister.
Amir-Abdollahian further added that the Afghan people
have been their close neighbors and that the people have resisted the US
presence in the past two decades in Afghanistan as they did in the past decades
against the Soviet Union.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/iran-will-recognize-inclusive-government-in-afghanistan-fm-765876/
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UN urges Taliban to respect International Humanitarian
Law
01 Mar 2022
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutters has
expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and other
countries and has asked the Taliban to respect humanitarian and international
law.
Speaking at the Human Rights Council of the United
Nations, Antonio Gutters asked Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Ethiopia to respect
equal rights and safety of minorities not only during the conflict but also
after.
The General Secretary further added that dictators of
the world cannot take human rights hostage and that human rights are so
powerful that cannot be connived.
In the meantime, United Nations, High Commissioner for
Human Rights Michelle Bachelet speaking at UNSC said that those who have
violated human rights in particular the rights of women and children in
Afghanistan will be held accountable.
Bachelet also expressed concern about the lives of
journalists, attorneys, human rights activists facing threats, particularly
after the Taliban takeover.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/un-urges-taliban-to-respect-international-humanitarian-law-76548756/
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Islamic Emirate Forces Freed Iran’s Citizen from the
Grip of Abductors in Herat
2022-02-28
HERAT (BNA) An Iranian national rescued from the grip
of abductors in Herat.
The Iranian citizen, who had apparently entered Herat
for commercial purposes through Bandar-e-Islam Qala, had recently been abducted
by several gunmen.
Herat intelligence source told BNA that their forces
were able to rescue Seyed Mostafa Mousavi from the Abductors in an operation.
He said a man had been arrested in connection with the
abduction and that efforts is under way to track down and detain other
abductors.
Source: Bakhtar News Agency
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of the original story:
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Financial crisis forcing Afghans to sell their kidneys
to feed families
March 1, 2022
HERAT: Jobless, debt ridden, and struggling to feed
his children, Nooruddin felt he had no choice but to sell a kidney — one of a
growing number of Afghans willing to sacrifice an organ to save their families.
The practice has become so widespread in the western
city of Herat that a nearby settlement is bleakly nicknamed “one kidney
village”.
“I had to do it for the sake of my children,”
Nooruddin told AFP in the city, close to the border with Iran. “I didn’t have
any other option.”
Afghanistan has been plunged into financial crisis
following the Taliban takeover six months ago, worsening an already dire
humanitarian situation after decades of war.
Practice is now so widespread that a settlement in
Herat is nicknamed ‘one kidney village’
The foreign aid which once propped up the country has
been slow to return, with the hardline regime also cut off from Afghan assets
held abroad.
The trickle-down effect has particularly hurt Afghans
like Nooruddin, 32, who quit his factory job when his salary was slashed to
3,000 Afghanis (about $30) soon after the Taliban’s return, mistakenly
believing he would find something better.
But, with hundreds of thousands unemployed across the
country, nothing else was available.
In desperation, he sold a kidney as a short term fix.
“I regret it now,” he said outside his home, where faded clothes hang from a
tree, and a plastic sheet serves as a window pane.
“I can no longer work. I’m in pain and I cannot lift
anything heavy.” His family now relies on their 12-year-old son for money, who
polishes shoes for 70 cents a day.
A kidney for $1,500
Noorudin was among eight people AFP spoke to who had
sold a kidney to feed their families or pay off debt — some for as little as $1,500.
It is illegal to sell or buy organs in most developed
nations, where donors are usually related to the recipient or are people acting
out of altruism.
In Afghanistan, however, the practice is unregulated.
“There is no law... to control how the organs can be
donated or sold, but the consent of the donor is necessary,” said Professor
Mohammad Wakil Matin, a former top surgeon at a hospital in the northern city
of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Mohamad Bassir Osmani, a surgeon at one of two
hospitals where the majority of Herat’s transplants are performed, confirmed
“consent” was the key. “We take written consent and a video recording from them
— especially from the donor,” he said, adding that hundreds of surgeries have
been performed in Herat over the past five years. “We have never investigated
where the patient or donor comes from, or how. It’s not our job.”
The Taliban did not respond to requests by AFP for
comment on the practice, but Osmani said the country’s new rulers have plans to
clamp down on the trade and are forming a committee to regulate it.
Afghans desperate for money are usually matched by
brokers with wealthy patients, who travel to Herat from across the country —
and sometimes even from India and Pakistan.
The recipient pays both the hospital fees and the
donor.
Azyta’s family had so little food that two of her
three children have recently been treated for malnourishment. She felt she had
no choice but to sell an organ, and openly met a broker who matched her with a
recipient from the southern province of Nimroz.
“I sold my kidney for 250,000 Afghanis (around
$2,500),” she said from her small damp room. “I had to do it. My husband isn’t
working, we have debts,” she added.
Now her husband, a daily labourer, is planning on
doing the same.
“People have become poorer,” he said. “Many people are
selling their kidneys out of desperation.”
‘One-kidney village’
On the outskirts of Herat lies Sayshanba Bazaar, a
village made up of hundreds of people displaced by years of conflict. Known as
“one-kidney village”, dozens of residents have sold their organs after word
spread among destitute families of the money to be made.
From one family, five brothers sold a kidney each in
the last four years, thinking it would save them from poverty.
Source: Dawn
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240 Afghans arrested over illegal entry in Dera Ismail
Khan
March 1, 2022
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The police on Monday arrested 240
Afghan nationals for entering Pakistan without valid travel documents.
Officials said the Gomal Bazaar police arrested them
in Tank city after they entered South Waziristan illegally. The arrested
persons also included 26 women and as many children.
A police official said the Afghan families were trying
to travel from Wana area of South Waziristan to different parts of the country
in 37 vehicles. They were held at the Gardawi checkpost.
Source: Dawn
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of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1677611/240-afghans-arrested-over-illegal-entry-in-dera-ismail-khan
--------
Taliban halt evacuations until ‘assurance’ over
situation for Afghans abroad
Feb 27, 2022
The Taliban will not allow any more evacuations of
Afghans until the situation improves abroad for those who have already left,
their spokesman said Sunday.
"The government has the responsibility to protect
the people so this will be stopped until we get the assurance that their lives
will not be endangered," Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference.
More than 120,000 Afghans and dual nationals were
evacuated up to August 31 when the last US-led troops withdrew, two weeks after
the hardline Islamists seized Kabul.
Hundreds more were allowed to leave on flights after
that, but the last official evacuation by air was on December 1. Occasional
evacuations have taken place by road via Pakistan until recently, however.
Source: Hindustan Times
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of the original story:
--------
Africa
Sudanese protesters against military rule defy tear
gas to reach palace gates
28 February ,2022
Huge crowds of Sudanese protesters demonstrating
against military rule advanced up to the gates of the presidential palace in
central Khartoum on Monday, despite facing heavy tear gas and stun grenades, a
Reuters reporter said.
One protester was killed by a gunshot to the head
during parallel protests in neighbouring Omdurman, and dozens were injured in
Khartoum, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.
Protesters have been marching on the presidential
palace frequently since an Oct. 25 coup that ended a civilian-military
power-sharing arrangement that was meant to lead to democratic elections. At
least 84 people have been killed in security crackdowns.
There was no immediate comment from the military or
the police.
Monday represents only the second time since the coup
that protesters had been able to reach the palace gates, a site that
demonstrations in Sudan have historically targeted.
They began retreating before sunset and some were
chased into side streets by security forces, a Reuters reporter said.
On Sunday, resistance committees organising the
protests announced a political charter aimed at unifying civilian political
forces. Protesters could be seen carrying banners in support of the charter and
distributing copies.
Security forces had fired tear gas, some coloured red
or yellow, as well as stun grenades and red-coloured liquid, as they attempted
to stop protesters more than a kilometre away from the palace, a Reuters
witness said. Several unconscious protesters were driven away on motorcycles.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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South Sudan’s civil defense woefully lacking in
resources
Benjamin Takpiny
28.02.2022
JUBA, South Sudan
People in South Sudan say the country’s Civil Defense
Service attends to emergencies without adequate resources, which leads to loss
of life and property.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the eve of World Civil
Defense Day on Tuesday, Taha Mohammed, a businessman who lost two of his shops
to fires last year, claimed that the firefighters that responded the incidents
did not carry water, as they are mandated to.
He said the Civil Defense Service in South Sudan is
very weak and cannot rescue citizens once there is a fire.
“Fires have broken out many times here in Juba, and
every time people have tried calling the fire department, they have always been
late, and later they arrived when everything was over. They have really let us
down as businesspeople in the country. We could have preserved a lot of things
if they had arrived on time.”
He called on the government to strengthen its civil
defense services to rescue citizens whenever there are fires in the country.
“This is an embarrassment. Why are they coming with a
fire truck without enough water? Where is water? Are they really serious about
saving the lives and property of people? This is a clear failure of the
leadership in the country.”
Mayen Daniel, another shop owner, whose shop was burnt
to ashes in December last year, said he lost all the merchandise he reserved
for the Christmas season and does not know what to do.
“Our Civil Defense Service is one of the weakest in
the world. They cannot manage to rescue anything once there is a fire outbreak.
They come and look at you suffering from the fire and cannot do anything.
“I lost all the clothes I purchased for the Christmas
last year, and now I have nothing,” he said.
Daniel said he and his family have been suffering
because he does not have any food to give them due to the fire, which destroyed
everything he had.
“I have a wife and three kids, but I do not know what
to give them and my shop is the only source of our income for us,” he added.
Bith Abraham, the spokesperson of South Sudan National
Civil Defense Service, admitted that they are not doing enough to respond to
fires across the country.
“Actually, citizens may be right to blame us because
our response is not enough due to inadequate equipment. In other states, we are
not responding. We only respond in Juba, where we have only two fire trucks,
and in other states, we do not have (any fire trucks) except in Western Bahr El
Ghazal and Eastern Equatoria states. These are where we have fire trucks, but
they are in the capitals of the states, not even at the county level,” Abraham
said.
“There is no excellent response on our side.”
He said they had a plan to equip their fire department
in order to provide a timely response whenever there is a fire.
“We presented our plans to South Sudan’s President
Salva Kiir Mayardit and they were approved by him and sent to the Finance
Ministry for purchasing equipment for firefighting and also for disaster
management equipment.
“Let our citizens be vigilant. In a short period of
time, we will be able to deliver services to the maximum level they want all
over the country,” Abraham added.
According to the 2011 Constitution, as amended, the
Fire Brigade Service is tasked with preventing fires and disasters and
protecting the people of South Sudan and their property.
The revitalized peace agreement also expects the new
unity government to improve the Fire Brigade.
Pascal Ladu Mathias, director of the Civil Defense
Service in Central Equatoria state, decried the logistical problems that make
it difficult to prevent and contain fire outbreaks.
“We have limited resources. Most of the trucks we have
are broken down.”
In December last year, at least 62 shops and 108
kiosks were destroyed by fire at the Custom in Juba, which caused over 100
million South Sudanese pounds ($768,000) worth of damage, according to the city
council.
The busy market caught fire in the evening when most
traders had closed their shops.
The traders were left shocked, as most of them did not
know what to do after their shops were razed.
During the outbreak of the fire in the Gudele market
last year, South Sudan’s Police Inspector General Majak Akech was quoted by
some media outlets as saying that the government limited resources to oversee
the sector.
“You should also consider our situation. Our ability
is limited and the city is big. Incidents may happen in different places at the
same time,” he said.
“We have limited resources, and we want our citizens
to consider this. The government has a lot of obligations – peace
implementation, the paying of civil servants among others. We have numerous
challenges in the government.”
In February, a Juba-based fuel company’s truck burst
into flames and was destroyed.
The incident happened in Lologo on the outskirts of
Juba.
Abdulsukut Muhammad, the director of Sebbele Company
Limited, said the firm lost about between $30,000 to $40,000 in the incident.
He said the fire broke out as they were pumping fuel
into one of the trucks that were destined for the state.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/south-sudan-s-civil-defense-woefully-lacking-in-resources/2518029
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Gov Bello swears-in Kigera as Niger’s new Grand Khadi
Sharia Court of Appeal
February 28, 2022
By Priscilla Dennis
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has
sworn-in Abubakar Musa Kigera, as the new Grand Khadi of the state’s Sharia
Court of Appeal.
Bello, who presided over the swearing-in of the Grand
Khadi at the Government House, Minna, expressed confidence in the capability of
Kigera to carry out his duties diligently.
He stated, “I know that you have been through
turbulent storms in the performance of your duties and execution of justice in
the state.
“I have no doubt in my mind that we have a capable
Grand Khadi.
“Allah has made it possible for you today to become
the Grand Khadi of the state, we will continue to pray for Allah’s guidance and
protection for you,’ Bello said.
He then pledged his full support to ensure the Grand
Khadi succeeds in his duties.
The Grand Khadi, Kigera, in his address, assured of
his preparedness to build on what his predecessors had done.
He thanked the Governor, the acting Chief Judge,
Justice Halima Ibrahim Abdulmalik, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney
General of the state, Nasara Dan-Mallam and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
for their support, adding that as the Grand Khadi of the state, he will
discharge his duties justly, fairly and with equity.
Source: Daily Post
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
--------
Suspected Islamist militants kill 20 civilians in
eastern Congo
By Erikas Mwisi
February 28, 2022
BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, Feb 28 (Reuters) -
Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 20 civilians in northeastern
Democratic Republic of Congo overnight, according to a local resident and an
activist who criticised the failure of Congolese and Ugandan forces to stop the
repeated massacres.
The attack late on Sunday evening in the village of
Kikura was blamed by the resident and the activist on the Allied Democratic
Forces (ADF), a Ugandan militia that has killed thousands of civilians in
eastern Congo since 2013.
Congolese and Ugandan troops launched joint operations
against the ADF in late November but attacks by the group, which has pledged
allegiance to Islamic State, have continued to kill dozens of civilians each
month.
The assailants struck at around 9 p.m. with machetes
and also burned down houses, said Odette Zawadi, the president of a local
activist organisation. She said 20 bodies had been recovered and that the death
toll could rise further.
"We already didn't seem to have confidence in
these so-called joint operations. How can you explain that 20 people are killed
in the presence of these two forces?," she told Reuters.
Claude Kalinde, a local resident, confirmed that 20
bodies had been recovered.
"We thought that the coalition of the Congolese
and Ugandan armies would help us, but look at how sad this is," he said.
Capitaine Antony Mwalushayi, a spokesman for Congo's
army, said it had taken a while for soldiers in the area to learn of the attack
since it was carried out without firearms.
"We cannot be discouraged because the objective
of the enemy is to discourage us, to separate us from the population," he
said.
Source: Reuters
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North
America
Muslim community in Wisconsin seek their own voice in
government
March 01, 2022
WISCONSIN: Leaders in the Muslim-American community in
Milwaukee in the state of Wisconsin are hoping to achieve representation in the
city government to reflect their growing numbers and needs.
The city of Milwaukee’s diverse Muslim community is
concentrated in the 13th district and is seeking to have its own representation
in the city council, known as the Common Council, in which 15 districts are
represented by 15 aldermen. However, differences over representation with the
Hispanic-Latino community, which seeks to increase its own presence in the city
government, has brought the issue to public attention.
Arab and Muslim Americans were legally counted as
“white” in the last census, contributing to their under-representation.
Community leaders say that the 13th district has tens of thousands of Muslim
residents whose national origins lie in the Middle East and other parts of the
world.
After the US national census last year, the Hispanic
and Latino community, which controls two other districts, wanted to represent
the 13th district as well. This reflects a desire to have more representation,
as a result of its own growing population, once redistricting is approved by
the city government. This situation has created a conflict about who should be
representing the 13th district.
The Latino community had sought to have a
Hispanic-majority or near-majority 13th district by advocating the transfer of
heavy Latino areas into the 13th district and removing areas with the least
number of Latinos.
Under this scheme, the Muslim community in the district
would be chopped up between different districts and lose its economic and
political contiguity to accommodate the objectives of the Hispanic leaders.
Janan Najeeb, a community leader and president of the
Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition and director of the Islamic Resource Center,
told Arab News that the Arab and Muslim community has no problem with the
Latino community — in fact she considers them natural allies who have shared
the same struggles.
Najeeb said that leaders from the Muslim and Hispanic communities
have had many meetings to resolve their differences in a way that will benefit
both groups. She added that all the redistricting maps submitted by the leaders
of the Hispanic community proposed remapping the wards or areas that were
heavily Muslim and dispersing them in different areas, causing them to lose
their concentration in the 13th district. The plan would ultimately deprive the
Muslim community of the opportunity to have a Muslim representation in the city
government, she said.
Najeeb said that the Muslim community was still
expanding and it would be unfair to let another ethnic group represent them
when they could represent themselves.
“We want a Muslim representation in the city that
would reflect our own interests and issues,” she said.
Milwaukee’s city government has not passed the
Hispanic community’s proposed remapping and redistricting, leaving the original
district map intact. This is considered a major win for the Muslim community as
it leaves its areas part of one district.
The 13th district is home to the largest concentration
of Muslims in Wisconsin. The community is very mixed, reflecting the diversity
of the Muslim world itself as many people have roots in the Middle East, US,
Africa, Asia and Europe. It also includes a growing number of Latino Muslims.
There are more than 100 Muslim businesses and
institutions in the district, with three mosques including the Islamic Society
of Milwaukee, hosting the largest mosque in Wisconsin, and the Salam School
with 1,000 students on two campuses, civic institutions, pharmacies and medical
clinics.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2033691/world
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US would walk away from Iran talks if Iran displays
intransigence: State Department
February 28, 2022
WASHINGTON: Washington is prepared to walk away from
the effort to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal if Iran displays intransigence,
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Monday.
“We are prepared to walk away if Iran displays an
intransigence to making progress,” Price told reporters at a regular press
briefing of the indirect talks taking place in Vienna.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2033521/middle-east
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Turkiye's UN envoy calls for 'humanitarian pause' in
Ukraine
Servet Günerigök
01.03.2022
WASHINGTON
Turkiye's envoy at the UN called Monday for an
immediate "humanitarian pause" in Ukraine as Russia’s attack on the
country entered its sixth day.
"It is the only way to prevent a grave and
irreversible loss of innocent civilian lives," said Feridun Sinirlioglu at
a rare special emergency session of the UN General Assembly.
Earlier, Ukrainian and Russian delegations held talks
in the Gomel region of Belarus, which borders both sides to the conflict. After
the five-hour long talks, both sides agreed to hold a second round of
negotiations to achieve a cease-fire soon.
Sinirlioglu said the talks between the parties must be
results-oriented for a cease-fire.
"It should be approached with good faith and not
be misused to buy time."
He said the UN is not powerless and has the power to
pave the way for a peaceful solution.
"But if we fail to take action, the rising death
toll will rest on the conscience of humanity for decades to come. History will
not judge us kindly.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkiyes-un-envoy-calls-for-humanitarian-pause-in-ukraine/2518972
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In phone call, top US, Turkish diplomats discuss
Ukraine's humanitarian plight
Dilara Hamit
28.02.2022
In a phone call, the top Turkish and US diplomats on
Monday discussed the humanitarian plight in Ukraine.
In my phone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu, I reaffirmed U.S. condemnation of Russia’s actions and
emphasized that we will continue our close coordination in support of Ukraine,
its sovereignty, and territorial integrity," US Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said on Twitter.
Also on Twitter, Cavusoglu said during the call they
discussed recent developments in war-torn Ukraine and the humanitarian
situation there, and that they both emphasized the importance of a cease-fire.
Since Russia's war on Ukraine began last Thursday, it
has been met by outrage from the international community, with the EU, UK, and
US implementing a range of economic sanctions on Russia.
In the war, more than 350 civilians have been killed
and over 1,600 injured, according to Ukraine’s Health Ministry.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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