Egyptian Rights Advocates Welcome Dar Al Iftaa Fatwa Forbidding Short-Term Marriages
New
Age Islam News Bureau
16
October 2021
Mannequins
display wedding gowns designed by al-Ashi family at their atelier in Gaza City
on June 3, 2013. - MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images
------
• Historic
Srinagar Mosque Locked Up, People Not Allowed To Pray: Anjuman Auqaf Jamia
Masjid
• Freedom
of Religion Act: Breath-Taking Disparity Between The Actual Complaint And Gujarat Police Made Up FIR of Love Jihad
• Post-Taliban
Takeover, Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Again Emerging As World's No 1 Terrorist
Hub
• Norway
Bow And Arrow Attacker ‘Knew Nothing About Islam,’ Says Local Imam
Arab World
• How
Lebanon’s Hezbollah widens Iran’s Middle East reach
• More
than 180 Houthis killed in strikes south of Marib: Coalition
• Lebanon
needs ‘serious change,’ political leaders solely responsible: Prince Faisal
• Lebanese
Christian group denies Hezbollah claim it planned Beirut bloodshed
• Mecca,
Medina Holy Mosques To Host Pilgrims With Full Capacity
--------
India
• Census
Data Shows Rate Of Muslim Population Rise Fell More Than Hindus’ In 20 Years
• Friday
prayers amid police cordon again as Gurugram residents continue protest
• Muslims
should support party that gives maximum tickets: Maulana Kalbe Jawad
• RSS
chief raises concern over Taliban, collusion of China-Pakistan
• NSG
is world-class trained force to tackle terrorism: Amit Shah
• India
fears Taliban fallout in Kashmir
• J&K:
LeT top commander involved in killing of 2 police personnel trapped in Pampore
encounter
• Two
LeT terrorists slain in Kashmir: Police
--------
Pakistan
• PUC
Supports Legislation Against Forcible Conversion To Islam, Says Ashrafi
• Allama
Abbas Jafri appeals to observe 'Week of Unity' from 12 to 17 Rabi al-Awwal
• Pakistani
Senator: Unbreakable friendship of Pakistan and Iran basis on bilateral tolerance
• Turkish
firm moves World Bank body over row with Pakistan
--------
Europe
• IS
fighters massing in Afghanistan, Putin says ahead of meeting
• Turkey
presents options to UK for armed drone purchase: Turkish minister
• ‘Unity
of Bosnia, Herzegovina important for regional stability’
--------
South Asia
• 35
Killed As Suicide Bombers Target Shias In Taliban’s Stronghold Of Kandahar In
Shia Neighbourhood
• Daesh/ISIS
claims responsibility for deadly mosque attack in Afghanistan
• Taliban
ask officials not to carry out public executions unless directed by 'top
court': Report
• Fresh
attack on a temple as tension remains in Bangladesh
--------
Mideast
• Iran
Criticizes UN Chief for Weak Report on Use of Unilateral Sanctions
• Iran
Criticizes IAEA's Silence on Israel's Nuke Program
• Iran
Condemns Terrorist Attack in Afghanistan's Kandahar
• Iran:
Israel's Nuclear Weapons Preventing Formation of Nuke-Free Middle East Region
• Iran
not ready to resume Vienna talks, wants to discuss texts first: EU official
• Turkey
plans military action against Syrian Kurdish YPG if diplomacy fails
--------
Africa
• Martyrdom
of Imam Reza (a.s.), symbol of resistance: Sheikh Zakzaky
• Sudan’s
PM Hamdok unveils roadmap with political players to end crisis
--------
North America
• Lawyer:
‘Preposterous’ To Blame Afghan Man In US War Deaths
• New
poll reveals how much we presume about Muslim Americans’ politics
• Hasan
Minhaj is ‘proud’ to be making Muslims ‘culturally relevant’ in the US
--------
Southeast Asia
• Apple
Removes Quran App In China After Request From Officials
• Report:
Malaysian travel agencies fear Saudi policy on Covid booster shots may
jeopardise umrah trips
• PM:
Klang Valley moves to Phase Four of Recovery Plan on Monday
• Malaysian
Mufti Says Spending Real Money On In-Game Loot Boxes Is Haram
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egyptian-rights-dar-al-iftaa-fatwa-/d/125589
-------
Egyptian
Rights Advocates Welcome Dar Al Iftaa Fatwa Forbidding Short-Term Marriages
Shahira
Amin
October
15, 2021
Mannequins
display wedding gowns designed by al-Ashi family at their atelier in Gaza City
on June 3, 2013. - MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images
------
Dar
Al Iftaa has issued a fatwa forbidding so-called tahleel marriages, or
short-term, intermediate marriages in which a man marries a divorced woman for
the sole purpose of making it religiously permissible for her to remarry her
first husband.
The
latest fatwa published on Dar Al Iftaa's official Twitter account condemns such
marriages as "sinful," or haram. The fatwa was welcomed by social
media activists and women's rights campaigners, the latter of who have long
called for an end to the archaic practice that discriminates against women.
They are hoping the religious ban on the practice paves the way for legislation
criminalizing such marriages in Egypt.
Under
Sharia law, a husband may remarry his wife without preconditions if he divorces
her once or twice. If, however, he divorces her a third time, whether orally
(by simply uttering the words "I hereby divorce you") or by filing
for divorce in court, the divorce is irrevocable.
It is
sinful for the couple to wed again after a threefold divorce unless the
divorced woman weds another man and that second marriage is consummated. If it
so happens that the second marriage also ends in divorce or the death of the
second husband, only then can the woman return to her former spouse.
Muslim
scholars argue this precondition is meant to curb divorce, the most "detestable"
of lawful acts in the eyes of God, according to a hadith, or saying, of Prophet
Muhammad.
Some
couples have nevertheless found a way to circumvent the Islamic ruling by
resorting to tahleel marriage. In such cases, after an irrevocable divorce, arrangements
are made (often by the husband himself or by his ex-wife's family) for the
woman to marry another man, a so-called muhallil, for a short period of time
(sometimes lasting no more than one night and often without sexual intercourse)
for the sake of legitimizing their reunion. The difference between tahleel
marriage and the Islamic ruling is that the former is a sham marriage with a
prearranged time limit and often with the muhallil (the second husband) getting
paid to serve as an intermediary.
Despite
the religious ruling against tahleel marriages, such marriages are not outlawed
in Egypt and have even been promoted in TV soap operas, films and theatrical
comedies such as the long-running "El Wad Sayed El Shaghal" in which
veteran actor Adel Imam plays the role of the muhallil.
In
issuing the latest edict, Dar Al Iftaa cited the hadith of Prophet Muhammad
narrated by his companion Abdullah Ibn Massoud: "Cursed is he who serves
as a muhallil, and cursed is the (former) spouse who allows his divorced wife
to enter a sham marriage (after their third, irrevocable divorce) for the sake
of making her lawful for him (the ex-spouse)."
The
fatwa came in the wake of the prosecution of a man who admitted during
interrogation by prosecutors that he had married and later divorced no fewer
than 33 divorced women within the span of the last two years in what he
described as a "charitable" act to enable the women to reunite with
their former spouses after the couples' third divorce.
Mohamed
El Mallah (the man in question), who is married and works as an accountant,
describes himself as a "lawful muhallil." In a live interview in an
episode of "Hadatha Fee Masr," a show broadcast on the satellite
channel MBC Masr, he was unremorseful, insisting he was "doing the right
thing by saving families from destruction."
"I
married the women in compliance with Sharia law and without seeking payment or
reward," Mallah said.
It
all started when a colleague at work told Mallah about a female friend of hers
whose husband had divorced her for the third time and suggested that he do a
charitable deed by acting as a muhallil to allow the divorced woman to later
return to her former spouse, albeit with a new contract.
Mallah
married the woman and divorced her three days later. He then met other
divorcees seeking a muhallil through Facebook, where he promotes himself on his
page as a "lawful muhallil (who aims) to reunite divorced women with their
former spouses." Some of the other women he married were introduced to him
"through common friends" or "mutual acquaintances" who knew
he was willing to fix broken marriages for no charge.
Mabrouk
Attia, a preacher and professor of Sharia at Al Azhar University who appeared
on the show with Mallah, criticized the latter's actions as "un-Islamic."
He argued that in Islam, marriage is based on mutual consent without a
prearranged time limit. If a husband annuls the marriage for a third time, his
former spouse would need to marry another man (before she can return to him),
but that (second) marriage should by no means be a stepping stone to
reunification with her former spouse, noted Attia.
Azza
Soliman, a lawyer and human rights defender, affirmed that tahleel marriages do
take place in Egypt and noted, "We have no idea how prevalent they are as
they are rarely publicly declared as such."
"We
find that a woman whose husband has divorced her three times is registered as
married to another man," Soliman told Al-Monitor. "After a month or
at times, even a week, we find her registered again as a divorcee, having cited
incompatibility or some other reason as grounds for her divorce from her second
husband."
"The
same woman then remarries her previous spouse after observing the iddah,"
Soliman said, in reference to the three-month waiting period a Muslim woman
observes after divorce or after the death of her husband.
"There
are no statistics to indicate how common tahleel marriages are," said
Soliman. "What is certain is that there is no mention of muhallil in the
proposed Personal Status draft law, nor has tahleel marriage been criminalized
in Egypt."
Mozn
Hassan, a women's rights campaigner and founder of Nazra for Feminist Studies,
believes while legislation is important to curb the practice, what is even more
important is to find out the root cause of the problem. "We need women to
speak out so that we can better understand why some women agree to [be]
exploited in this manner," she told Al-Monitor.
"Criminalizing
such marriages is an important first step, but rather than focus on this
phenomenon we need to look at the entire situation and adopt a holistic
approach to women's rights," Hassan said. Describing the Personal Status
draft law submitted by the government as "regressive," she complained
that proposed amendments to the law "largely discriminate against women
and fail to recognize them as equal to men."
Nehad
Abul Komsan, founder and chairperson of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights,
said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had in 2017 called for a ban on verbal or
oral divorce, but the call was met with stiff opposition from Al Azhar clerics.
In
Egypt, a husband may annul the marriage by simply uttering the words "I
hereby divorce you." This partly accounts for the high divorce rate in the
country. With more than 200,000 divorces per year, Egypt ranked first among
world countries in divorce in 2019, according to official statistics. The
following year saw a spike in divorce and domestic abuse cases filed in court
as a result of the pandemic lockdown, according to Ahram Online.
Still,
women's rights advocates are hopeful that the historic decision to appoint
female judges at the State Council and Public Prosecution will augur well for
Egyptian women, "as the women judges will likely be more sympathetic to
women's causes," suggested Hassan. She hopes the move "will spell the
end of such discriminatory customs as tahleel marriages that cause women severe
socioeconomic distress."
Source:
Al Monitor
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Historic
Srinagar Mosque Locked Up, People Not Allowed To Pray: Anjuman Auqaf Jamia
Masjid
Oct
16, 2021
Jamia
Masjid in Srinagar. File
----
SRINAGAR:
The managing body of Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid on Friday claimed that
authorities did not allow congregational prayers there by deploying security
forces in large numbers.
In a
statement, the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid also said that police personnel
“forced” employees to close all gates of the mosque and no ‘Namazis’ (devotees)
were allowed inside.
“Authorities
did not allow congregational Friday prayers to be held at the Jamia Masjid
Srinagar today. Heavy deployment of forces was carried out since early morning
in the entire area. When Auqaf employees opened the gates of the mosque, police
personnel forced them to close all gates, and no ‘Namazis’ (devotees) were
allowed inside the mosque for offering the obligatory Friday prayers,” the
mosque’s managing body said.
A
large group of devotees, including women and children, who had gathered outside
the mosque, strongly protested this “authoritarian move” and demanded that they
be allowed to go inside the mosque to offer prayers, but to no avail, it
claimed.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Freedom
of Religion Act: Breath-Taking Disparity Between The Actual Complaint And Gujarat Police Made Up FIR of Love Jihad
10/9/2021
First
case of love jihad under Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act: separating truth from
propaganda
Representative
image only
-----
A
report prepared by a social activists’ fact finding team on the 'claimed first
love jihad case' of Gujarat, registered in Vadodara, the state’s cultural
capital, two days after (June 17) the Gujarat’s Freedom of Religion Act (June
15) came into force, has claimed that the Dalit girl, who got married to a
Muslim boy “may have been a victim of domestic violence but she was not a
victim of forced marriage.”
The
team, under the umbrella of NGO Buniyad, consisting of Hozefa Ujjaini, Samina
Malek, Khairunnisha Pathan, Kherunben Saiyed and Pravin Soya says, on perusal
of the documents and the affidavits signed by both the parties, “it seems that
both the parties out of their own will had got into the marriage”, adding,
“They registered their marriage under the special marriage Act.”
According
to the NGO team, “It cannot be ignored that the girl’s name was changed to
Suhana Bano in the Nikah certificate but her court affidavit “states that the
Nikah was performed with her full consent and in the presence of her parents”,
insisting, “The case was falsely described as ‘love jihad’ by the police to
propagate the agenda of love jihad in the society to promote fear in the
community about inter-faith marriage and spread hatred.”
Quoting
documents obtained from the two sides, especially the affidavit filed in the
district court by girl Priya (name changed), the report admits, however, that,
since “they belonged to different religions, there were some cultural
differences that arose between them. These differences led to arguments and
fights.”
It
adds, “She got upset and went back to her parents’ place. She went to file a
complaint against her husband for physical and mental abuse. She denies that
her complaint had anything to do with religious conversion or forced sexual
relationship. She also clarifies that neither Sameer nor his family hurled any
casteist slurs on her.”
At
the same time, the report says, “In the affidavit, she has expressed shock on
seeing the copy of the FIR which put false charges against Sameer and his
family which defames them and her. In fact she goes on to state in the
affidavit that she still loves her husband and wants to live with him.”
Dated
June 24, quoting Priya’s affidavit, the report says, that “she befriended
Sameer Qureshi through Instagram in February 2019. Though the account name
showed ‘Sam Martin Rider’ on Instagram, she said below that name ‘Sameer
Qureshi’ was clearly mentioned. Thus, she was aware that Sameer was a Muslim.
They became friends and started meeting often. This resulted in a love affair.”
She
went to file complaint against her husband for physical and mental abuse. She
denies her complaint had anything to do with forced conversion
Further,
it says, they used to frequently go to hotels and have sexual intercourse
“which was consensual and out of their own free will. She was not forced into
having sexual intercourse”, adding, “She admits that she became pregnant and underwent
abortion out of her own will since Sameer was underage and couldn’t marry her
yet.”
According
to the report, “She feared defamation if her pregnancy came to light and thus
took oral medication to abort the foetus. Sameer didn’t force her to abort. The
second time she was pregnant, they went to the hospital for abortion where
again Sameer hadn’t forced her.”
However,
the report says, “She categorically refuted the allegations that Sameer
forcefully had sex with her, took her naked pictures and threatened to make
them viral. She called these allegations utter lies in the affidavit. She
clearly says that she didn’t make any of these allegations in the FIR filed by
the police.”
It
adds, “She clarifies that Sameer’s identity was not hidden from her family.
Sameer used to frequently come to her parents’ house to meet her and talk to
her parents. He was aware that they belonged to the Dalit caste and they were
aware that he was a Muslim. When Sameer came of age, Priya and Sameer got
married in front of their families with their blessings.”
The
report blames “the involvement of Hindu Jagran Manch”, involved, especially its
leader Neeraj Jain, an accused in communal riots in Khambhat, for “actively
pursuing the case against Sameer and his family by raising the bogey of love
jihad.”
Source:
Kashmir Times
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
http://www.kashmirtimes.com/newsdet.aspx?q=112672
--------
Post-Taliban
Takeover, Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Again Emerging As World's No 1 Terrorist
Hub
Oct
15, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Post Taliban takeover, the vast and rugged terrain on the Afghanistan-Pakistan
border is again emerging as the world's number one terror hub.
Iraklis
Voridis writing in Greek City Times said that the problem has worsened
manifolds by a recalcitrant Pakistan that is vigorously supporting the Taliban,
by pressuring the world community to accept it, as it is, citing a humanitarian
crisis and misery of the Afghan people.
Violence
is already on the upswing targeting ethnic and religious minorities and could
reach nightmarish proportions, without the domineering, yet ineffective,
presence of American and the NATO forces.
Western
efforts are being made to bypass the Taliban who have formed an interim
government that is far from inclusive and totally excludes women's role.
Moreover,
the problem is complicated by the hands-off attitude of China and Russia,
ostensibly to score diplomatic points with the US/NATO, reported Greek City
Times.
They
have extended tacit support to the Kabul regime, hoping they can work out their
own security arrangements with Kabul, said Voridis.
Last
week suicide attack at a Shia mosque in Kunduz in Afghanistan that claimed over
a hundred people lives and injured many is a grim reminder of escalating
violence in the region.
Credit
for it was taken by the ISIS-Khorasan that has a record of being violently
anti-Shia. Also, the presence of Al Qaeda and ISIS, with their factions and
affiliates is being increasingly felt, security experts say.
Further,
the news about violence along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, especially in
and around Spin Boldak and Kandahar is being suppressed, as desperate Afghans
trying to escape the country, said Voridis.
Pakistan's
own record of dealing with the terrorists at home is becoming alarming and
also, bizarre. Instead of fighting them and even seeking to curb them, Prime
Minister Imran Khan's government is seeking to appease them.
Of
the domestic groups, it has proscribed the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP),
and also reached a formal agreement with it. It is struggling to hold in
captivity, the TLP's young chief Hafeez Saad Rizvi after the court released
him. The detention and release are both worked out in such a way as to leave
loopholes in investigations and prosecution, reported Greek City Times.
The
most alarming case is of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Among the worst
actions by the TTP was the attack on the Army Public School, Peshawar in
December 2014 in which 140, mainly school students, were slaughtered.
The
Army's campaign to catch them led to their crossing over to the no-man's tribal
land from where it launched attacks in Pakistan, said Voridis.
According
to Voridis, both the Taliban groups - Afghans and the TTP - are ideologically
close and are allies. Unable to get the TTP, the Khan Government is seriously
contemplating peace with them.
This
has sent alarm signals from the security committee that it is perplexed at the
appeasing approach of the government when the situation in neighbouring
Afghanistan is also worrying and Kabul is not cooperative on TTP.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Norway
Bow And Arrow Attacker ‘Knew Nothing About Islam,’ Says Local Imam
October
15, 2021
LONDON:
The Muslim convert who killed five people with a bow and arrow this week knew
nothing about Islam and considered himself a messenger, his local imam has
said.
Espen
Andersen Braathen, 37, has been sent for a psychological evaluation ahead of
his court appearance Friday, police have confirmed.
Locals
have said that the man, who was a convert to Islam, was a “confused” individual
who obviously posed a threat and had been reported to police in the past.
Oussama
Tlili, imam at the mosque in Kongsberg where Braathen lived and carried out his
attack, confirmed that he had visited three times about four or five years ago
but “seemed to know nothing about Islam.”
Tlili
says Braathen spoke incoherently about “a message” he had been passed by a
higher power, and that he needed help delivering it. He was turned down by the
imam, who rejected his plea to assist him in delivering the message, and also
told him: “Kongsberg is not the place to do it,” Norwegian broadcaster NRK
reported.
The
imam said he had serious concerns about Braathen’s mental health and that he
had considered reporting him to the police — but the incident was forgotten as
Braathen stopped attending the mosque.
Childhood
friends of the man also had concerns over his deteriorating mental health in
the years leading up to the attack.
One
former friend reported him as a security risk after seeing a 2017 video in
which Braathen announced his conversion to Islam and also declared that he was
“a messenger” who came with “a warning.” In that video he also asked viewers:
“Is this what you want?”
His
friend told police that he was a “ticking time bomb” and was potentially
dangerous. He told TV2 that, looking back, he does not believe Braathen’s
conversion to Islam was sincere, but was instead a symptom of his declining
mental state.
Braathen
was “confused” when it came to ideology and his choice of Islam was
“coincidental,” said the friend.
His
neighbors had also been concerned about his behavior, after observing him
amassing an arsenal of weapons including batons and clubs, and practicing with
them in his garden.
Police
were often at the attacker’s house, and court documents show he picked up
multiple convictions for aggravated theft and drug possession, and he had also
previously had police visit him over concerns of radicalization.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1948581/world
--------
Arab World
How
Lebanon’s Hezbollah widens Iran’s Middle East reach
15
October ,2021
The
Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has worked hand in glove with Iran across the
Middle East since it was established in 1982. Here’s what you need to know
about one of the most important relationships in the Middle East today:
What
is Hezbollah?
Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards founded the group in 1982 to export its Islamic Revolution
and to fight Israeli forces that invaded Lebanon that same year.
Hezbollah
shares Tehran’s Shiite Islamist ideology and sees Iranian Supreme Leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as its political and spiritual guide.
Classified
by the United States and other South American, European and Gulf countries as a
terrorist organization, Hezbollah has a powerful military wing that it has
acknowledged is armed and financed by Iran.
The
group also has a formidable intelligence apparatus and polices its own areas of
south Beirut and southern Lebanon, as well as border areas with Syria.
One
of Lebanon’s two dominant Shiite parties, Hezbollah has MPs in parliament and
ministers in government. Its political clout grew in 2018 when, together with
allies, it won a parliamentary majority.
Its
commercial activities include a retail empire and a construction company. It
also runs schools and clinics and has drug cartel networks across the globe,
according to reports.
The
group, which has grown to be more powerful than the Lebanese state over the
last four decades, has largely been defined by conflict with Israel.
Hezbollah
fighters forced Israel out of Lebanon in 2000 and fired 4,000 rockets into
Israel in a 34-day war in 2006. Hezbollah has since rearmed into an even more
powerful force.
The
group has been accused of bomb attacks far from Lebanon.
Argentina
blames Hezbollah and Iran for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in
Buenos Aires in which 85 people were killed and for an attack on the Israeli
embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 that killed 29 people. Both deny
responsibility.
Bulgaria
accused Hezbollah of carrying out a bomb attack that killed five Israeli
tourists in the Black Sea city of Burgas in 2012. Hezbollah denied involvement.
How
does Hezbollah help Iran in the region?
Hezbollah
helps Iran to project power across the region.
Its
secretary general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, is a leading figure in the Iran-led
"Axis of Resistance," which aims to counter Israel, the United States
and its Arab allies.
A
charismatic speaker, Nasrallah helps to rally and organize Tehran’s Arab
alliances.
Hezbollah’s
close links to Iran were vividly illustrated when in 2013 it joined the war in
Syria alongside Tehran in defense of their common ally President Bashar
al-Assad.
In
Iraq, Hezbollah has openly acknowledged it has supported paramilitary Shiite
groups that are backed by Iran.
In
Yemen, Hezbollah has also supported the Iran-aligned Houthis, according to Arab
Coalition fighting in the country. Hezbollah in 2017 denied it had sent any
weapons to Yemen.
Hezbollah
has also acknowledged providing support to the Palestinian group Hamas.
Where
does Lebanon fit in?
Hezbollah
has established Iran as a major player in Lebanon, a country where the United
States, Russia, Syria and Saudi Arabia and many others have competed for
influence for years.
Shadowy
groups, which Lebanese security officials and Western intelligence say were
linked to Hezbollah, carried out attacks that forced US troops to withdraw from
Lebanon in the early 1980s, including suicide attacks on Western embassies.
Hezbollah has never confirmed or denied responsibility.
Hezbollah
entered Lebanese politics more visibly after the killing of former Sunni Muslim
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in
2005.
A
UN-backed court last year convicted a Hezbollah member of conspiring to kill
Hariri, who was seen as a threat to Iranian and Syrian influence in Lebanon,
although it found no evidence of direct involvement by the leadership of
Hezbollah.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
More
than 180 Houthis killed in strikes south of Marib: Coalition
15
October ,2021
The
Arab coalition supporting Yemen’s government said Friday it had killed more
than 180 Houthis in strikes south of the strategic city of Marib.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lebanon
needs ‘serious change,’ political leaders solely responsible: Prince Faisal
15
October ,2021
Lebanon’s
politicians and the new government have not made any decisions to help the
country and its people, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin
Farhan said Friday.
“They
[politicians] need to make a real choice to lift Lebanon out of the morass it
is in now. We have so far not seen that they have made that decision,” Prince
Faisal said during a briefing with reporters in Washington.
“The
responsibility for that lies squarely on the shoulders of the Lebanese
leadership,” he added.
Citing
the deadly clashes on Thursday in Beirut between Hezbollah and Amal supporters
with unidentified gunmen, the Saudi diplomat said he was worried about the
situation in Lebanon.
Prince
Faisal said the violence was proof that “Lebanon needs real, serious change.”
He
said the international community needed to be focused on “substantial change,
rather than short-term fixes.”
Saudi
Arabia has withdrawn much of its political and financial support for Lebanon
after decades of being one of its number one supporters. A primary reason for
this change in posture has been Iran-backed Hezbollah's increased influence and
sway over the country.
“I
think we are going to continue to give advice, but I’ll leave it at that.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lebanese
Christian group denies Hezbollah claim it planned Beirut bloodshed
October
16, 2021
BEIRUT:
The head of the Christian Lebanese Forces party (LF) denied late on Friday his
group had planned street violence in Beirut that killed seven people, and said
a meeting held the day before was purely political.
Thursday’s
violence, which began as people were gathering for a protest called by Shiite
Muslim group Hezbollah against the judge investigating last year’s Beirut port
blast, was the worst in over a decade and stirred memories of the country’s
ruinous sectarian civil war from 1975-90.
Samir
Geagea told Voice of Lebanon International radio that a meeting held on
Wednesday by a political grouping the LF belongs to had discussed action
options should Iran-backed Hezbollah succeed in efforts to remove the judge.
Geagea
said the option agreed upon in that event was to call for a public strike, and
nothing else.
The
powerful Hezbollah group stepped up accusations against the LF on Friday,
saying it killed the seven Shiites to try to drag the country into a civil war.
The
violence, which erupted at a boundary between Christian and Shiite neighborhoods,
has added to concerns over the stability of a country that is awash with
weapons and grappling with one of the world’s worst ever economic meltdowns.
Asked
whether the presence of LF members in the areas of Ain Al-Remmaneh and
Teyouneh, where the shooting erupted, meant the incident was planned, Geagea
said they were always present in these areas.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1948911/middle-east
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Mecca,
Medina holy Mosques to host pilgrims with full capacity
October
16, 2021
As
Saudi Arabia eases COVID-19 restrictions, the two holy mosques in Mecca and
Medina will host pilgrims with full capacity as of Sunday.
Worshipers
and pilgrims who have received both vaccine doses will now be able to visit the
Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina while wearing a mask and using the Umrah
tracking app.
Saudi
Arabia will also begin easing other COVID-19 restrictions on Sunday, allowing
gatherings and lifting some mask mandates for those who have received both
vaccine doses, the interior ministry announced Friday.
Masks
in open spaces will no longer be mandatory for fully-vaccinated people,
although members of the public must still wear them in closed spaces and areas
that are not monitored by the Tawakkalna tracing app, the ministry added in a
statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
Source:
ABNA
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India
Census
Data Shows Rate Of Muslim Population Rise Fell More Than Hindus’ In 20 Years
Oct
16, 2021
While
India’s Muslim population grew faster than the Hindu population between 1991
and 2001 and then between 2001 and 2011, the pace of growth declined more
dramatically for Muslims than Hindus over these two decades, census data shows.
Indeed,
of all major religious communities in the country, the smallest decline in
population growth between these two decades was in the case of Hindus while
smaller groups such as Jains and Buddhists saw the sharpest drops.
The
1991 census did not cover Jammu & Kashmir and therefore, growth rates have
to be calculated excluding the erstwhile state, now split into two Union
Territories.
Excluding
Jammu & Kashmir, the country’s overall population grew by 21.5% from 1991
to 2001, but by a lower 17.7% between 2001 and 2011. All religious communities
contributed to this slowing down with each one seeing slower growth than in the
previous decade.
The
decline in Hindu population growth was by 3.1 percentage points from 19.9% to
16.8%, the only major group for which the slowdown was less than the national
average. Muslim population growth dropped by 4.7 percentage points from 29.3%
to 24.6%, while the Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain population groups saw
even larger declines.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Friday
prayers amid police cordon again as Gurugram residents continue protest
By
Abhishek Behl
Oct
16, 2021
embers
of the Muslim community offered prayers amid heavy police presence, shouting of
slogans, and singing of bhajans (religious songs) in Gurugram’s Sector 47 on
Friday afternoon, as local residents continued their protest against offering
Namaz in open spaces for the fourth consecutive week.
The
police shifted the site of the Friday prayers around 100 metres from the
original designated spot to avoid any confrontation between the protesters and
the devotees. But local residents, many of whom were Hindu, said they wanted
prayers to completely stop.
Around
100 policemen and policewomen were deployed at Sector 47 to prevent the
protesters, who were singing bhajans and shouting slogans, from reaching the
prayer site. Heated arguments were also witnessed between the police and
protesters, who insisted on trying to get to the spot where prayers were being
offered. The police also did not allow reporters to reach the prayer site and
cordoned off the area.
Police
said protesters gathered at the parking site around 12.30pm. They started
singing bhajans while walking towards the prayer site but were stopped by the
police. They also carried placards demanding a ban on namaz in open spaces and
shouted slogans against authorities for failing to stop Friday prayers in their
sector.
Sunil
Yadav, president of the Sector 47 residents’ welfare association (RWA), said
that they wanted the authorities to stop Friday prayers in their sector as a
majority of the devotees did not belong to the area. “We have held a discussion
with district administration and suggested sites near Subash Chowk and Marble
Market, which have little to no residential population. If the authorities
check the identity cards and Aadhaar cards of the people offering prayers in
Sector 47, they would not find a single local as all are outsiders,” said
Yadav.
In
2018, the controversy of holding Friday prayers in public places resulted in a
major dispute, after which the police and administration identified 37 sites
where Friday prayers were allowed.
The
RWA president said the list of designated places for Friday prayers, including
the Sector 47 site, finalised in 2018 has been submitted to the police. He
claimed that the list mentions that the order was meant for a single day.
Aman
Yadav, ACP, Sadar, Gurugram confirmed that the residents submitted a list of
places but its veracity needs to be checked. “In the meeting held earlier, this
list was not shared,” he said, adding that the prayers were held under police
protection and without any hindrance.
The
protesters, a majority of whom were local residents, said they were ready to
offer the Sector 47 community centre for Friday prayers for the sector
residents, but demanded that outsiders not be allowed to pray in public.
Members
of the Muslim community, meanwhile, said they were being harassed by residents.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Muslims
should support party that gives maximum tickets: Maulana Kalbe Jawad
14th
October 2021
Saharanpur:
Well-known Shia cleric and senior member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB), Maulana Kalbe Jawad, has said that Muslims should tie up only with
parties that can give enough seats to members of the community.
“When
Muslims have enough seats to be able to make or break the government, only then
will they get the desired respect,” the cleric told reporters in Deoband.
Jawad
said, “In 1947, Jinnah made the biggest mistake of partitioning the country. If
there was no Partition, there would have been 60 crore Muslims in India and no
political party would have dared to point fingers at them.”
MS
Education Academy
Jawad
said political parties had failed to do anything for the Muslim community.
“Congress,
SP, BSP have done nothing for Muslims even though Congress ruled the country
for 55 years. BJP also wants to keep only the majority community happy,” he
said.
The
cleric was visiting the family of a 40-year-old farmer who died mysteriously during
a police raid in Thitki village.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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RSS
chief raises concern over Taliban, collusion of China-Pakistan
15th
October 2021
NAGPUR:
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday showed concern
over the geo-political changes in Afghanistan and questioned the intention of
Taliban, Pakistan and China while adding that our military preparedness on the
borders needs to be strengthened.
In
his annual Vijaya Dashami address, the RSS chief said, "We know Taliban's
history. China and Pakistan support it to this day. Even if the Taliban
changed, Pakistan didn't. Has China's intentions towards India changed? While
dialogues should happen but we need to be aware, alert and prepared."
"Their
predisposition - passionate fanaticism, tyranny and terrorism in the name of
Islam - is sufficient to make everyone apprehensive of the Taliban. But now
China, Pakistan and Turkey have coalesced in an unholy coalition with the
Taliban. Since Abdali, our north-western borders are once again a matter of
serious concern," said RSS chief.
Bhagwat
said that border security needs to be strengthened not just along the land
border but also along the coastline where silent attacks take place.
He said
that the illegal infiltration from across the border should be completely
curbed while adding that these infiltrators should be deprived of citizenship
rights by creating a national citizen magazine.
Bhagwat,
who recently went to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after the abrogation
of Article 370, while praising the administration urged the government to take
necessary measures to stop targeted killings in the valley.
"Terrorists
in Jammu and Kashmir have restarted the spate of targeted killings of
nationalists especially Hindus. This is being done to destroy their morale and
to re-establish the reign of terror in the valley. The government should fast
track its efforts to curb and neutralise the terrorist activities," added
Bhagwat.
Source:
New Indian Express
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NSG
is world-class trained force to tackle terrorism: Amit Shah
Oct
16, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday greeted the elite National
Security Guard (NSG) force on its 37th raising day, saying it is a
"world-class trained force to tackle all facets of terrorism" and the
country is proud of its troops.
The
elite striking force, the NSG was established in 1984 after the Union Cabinet
decided to create a 'Federal Contingency Force' that was 'well trained to
tackle various manifestations of terrorism.
Every
year, the Raising Day of the NSG is celebrated on October 16. This year marks
the 37th anniversary of the establishment of the NSG, popularly known as Black
Cats.
"Greetings
to our brave NSG personnel on their 37th Raising Day. NSG is a world-class
trained force to tackle all facets of terrorism. This formidable force has left
no stone unturned to live up to its motto 'Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha'. India
is proud of NSG black cats," the Home Minister tweeted.
NSG
is intended to be deployed in exceptional circumstances only and is not meant
to take over the functions of other paramilitary forces or state police forces.
The
task-oriented force comprises two complementary elements in the form of the
Special Action Group (SAG). The SAG is formed of army personnel as well as the
Special Ranger Groups, which comprise of personnel drawn from State Police
Forces or Central Armed Police Forces. It has six operational centres, with
plans for the seventh one in Pathankot.
The
NSG is capable of handling a variety of high-pressure situations such as
terrorist attacks, hostage captivity and hijackings. It also used to handle VIP
security in the country, till a decision to withdraw the force from the same
was taken in 2020 by the Central government.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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India
fears Taliban fallout in Kashmir
Oct
16, 2021
SRINANGAR:
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out his Taliban worries to world leaders
this week, army staged raids and battled Kashmir militants who he fears could
be emboldened by the Islamists' victory in Afghanistan.
Kashmir
rebel shootings of civilians and police, raids by the security forces on
terrorist hideouts, and insurgent infiltrations across the India-Pakistan
ceasefire line have all increased in the Muslim-majority region since the
Taliban overran Kabul on August 15.
About
40 people have been killed in shootings and clashes in the two months since
then in the Himalayan region, which has been divided since India and Pakistan
became independent in 1947.
Terrorists
have targeted minority Hindu and Sikh civilians, while gun battles near the
ceasefire line have also left soldiers and rebels dead.
India
has not openly blamed the Taliban takeover for the uptick in violence, but it
has intensified patrols near Pakistani Kashmir and fortified some army camps,
according to residents and security officials who spoke to AFP on condition of
anonymity.
Modi
told a G20 summit in Rome earlier this week that international efforts were
needed to make sure Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for
"radicalisation and terrorism".
He
has also raised India's concerns with US President Joe Biden.
In
September, he told the UN General Assembly that no country must be allowed to
use Afghanistan "as a tool for its own selfish interests" -- a
comment widely seen as a reference to neighbouring Pakistan, the chief backer
of the Taliban's 1996-2001 regime.
This
time, Islamabad has stopped short of recognising the new Taliban government.
Still,
New Delhi accuses its arch-rival in Islamabad of fuelling Pakistan-based
militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which are blamed for many
attacks in Kashmir.
Pakistan
denies the claim.
India
was a backer of the Soviet-puppet government in Kabul that was overthrown by
mujahideen forces in 1992.
In
2001 it helped the US-led forces that toppled the Taliban. And it was a major
donor to the government that the hardline Islamists crushed in August.
Afghan
militants fought alongside Kashmir fighters in the 1980s and 1990s. About 20
Afghan "guest mujahideen" were killed and 10 were captured, according
to a former Kashmiri fighter.
India
worries that weapons and fighters could again reach the region, over which it
has fought two wars against Pakistan.
"What
we can say and learn from the past is that when the previous Taliban regime was
in power, that time definitely we had foreign terrorists of Afghan origin in
Jammu and Kashmir," said India's military chief of staff General M.M.
Naravane.
"So
there are reasons to believe that the same thing might happen once again."
Protests
are virtually impossible in Kashmir because of restrictions imposed by Delhi
since the region's semi-autonomous status was revoked in 2019.
But
some in Kashmir have quietly welcomed the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan as a
victory against the odds that they too can aspire to one day.
"If
they can defeat the world's largest military power, we see a possibility that
we too can win our freedom," one businessman in the main Kashmir city of
Srinagar told AFP, declining to be named.
A
former Kashmir militant who trained in Afghanistan in the 1990s and fought
alongside Afghan mujahideen in Kashmir added: "The Taliban victory has
already supplied oxygen to our movement."
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
J&K:
LeT top commander involved in killing of 2 police personnel trapped in Pampore
encounter
M
Saleem Pandit
Oct
16, 2021
SRINAGAR:
An encounter broke out between security forces and holed-terrorists in Drangbal
Pampore area of South Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said on Saturday morning.
A
joint of team of police, Army and CRPF launched search operation in the area on
Saturday morning after receiving information about the presence of Lashkar
terrorists, an official said.
He
said that as the joint team of forces intensified searches towards suspected
spot, the hiding militants fired upon the party, which was retaliated, thus
triggering an encounter.
He
said that the exchange of fire is on and one to two militants are believed to
be trapped in the area.
Meanwhile,
IGP Kashmir said that top Let Commander involved Umar Mushtaq Khanday who was
involved in the killing of two cops at Baghat, is trapped in Pampore encounter.
Pertinently,
Umar was recently named among top 10 terrorists in Kashmir.
Source:
Times of India
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--------
Two
LeT terrorists slain in Kashmir: Police
M
Saleem Pandit
Oct
16, 2021
SRINAGAR:
Two LeT terrorists, one involved in the killing of civilians and the other
responsible for the gunning down of a probationary police sub-inspector, were
shot dead by security forces in separate encounters in Kashmir on Friday, the
police said. The terrorist believed to have killed the SI was shot dead in
Bemina, in the heart of Srinagar.
Shahid
Basir Sheikh of Srinagar was killed in an encounter that began in Pulwama at
about 5.30 pm, IGP (Kashmir zone) Vijay Kumar said. He was told to surrender but
chose to open fire and was killed when the forces retaliated.
Source:
Times of India
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Pakistan
PUC
supports legislation against forcible conversion to Islam, says Ashrafi
October
16, 2021
LAHORE:
The Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East
Affairs, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, has said Islam is the biggest
protector of the rights of non-Muslims and women in the history, and added
there is no concept of coercion in Islam for converting non-Muslims to the
faith.
SAPM
Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi was delivering the Friday sermon at the
Grand Jamia Masjid, Baharia Town, Lahore.
Ashrafi,
who is also the Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), said Ulema and
Mashaikh across the country delivered Friday sermons on the “Rights of Women
and Minorities in the light of ‘Seerat-e-Mustafa (SAW)”.
He
said the clerics highlighted that Islam is the protector of the rights of
non-Muslims and women and there is no concept of coercion in Islam; if anyone
tries to forcibly convert someone to Islam, he should be punished severely.
Talking
to the media, Ashrafi said the PUC and its allied organisations are in favor of
legislation against forcible conversion to Islam, but it is not right to ban
conversion to Islam and making it conditional with officials’ approval.
He
said Islam is the protector of women’s rights; not giving women the right to
inheritance and depriving them of education is against Islamic Shariah.
“It
is the responsibility of Muslims to protect the rights of women and
minorities,” Ashrafi said. To a question, he said Istikharah has been ordered
by the Holy Prophet (SAW). The Djins (Jinaat) are not superior to human beings,
he said adding that political leadership should not criticise others’ beliefs.
Source:
The News Pakistan
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Allama
Abbas Jafri appeals to observe 'Week of Unity' from 12 to 17 Rabi al-Awwal
October
16, 2021
The
Central Secretary-General of MWM of Pakistan, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri
advised all districts representatives to observe a “week of unity” on the
occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad birthday).
He
said in a communique issued from the Central Secretariat that the Great Leader
Imam Khomeini has advised the Ummah to celebrate the “week of unity” in the
reception of Holy Prophet PBUH on earth. Meantime, is also an important need to
thwart Anti-Pakistan conspiracies by promoting unity between Shia and Sunni
brothers.
Source:
ABNA
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Pakistani
Senator: Unbreakable friendship of Pakistan and Iran basis on bilateral
tolerance
October
16, 2021
The
Chairperson of the Standing Committee for foreign affairs of PakIran, Senator
Sheri Rehman said that Pakistan and Iran maintain an unbreakable friendship
basis on bilateral tolerance.
She
expressed such views while meeting with a delegation of the Pakistan Iran
Parliamentary Friendship Group headed by Ahmed Ameerabadi Farhani along with
Mohsin Pir Hadi, Ismail Hussain Zaidi, Elham Azad, and Malik Fiasali.
Iranian
delegation discussed bilateral affairs of both countries with the Pakistan
Senator.
On
this occasion, Sheri Rehman said that Pakistan is proud of its strong diplomatic
and cultural ties with Iran.
She
added that Pakistan People’s Party’s Government started the Iran Pakistan Gas
Pipeline Project under the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari.
Both
the countries enjoy evergreen bilateral friendships based on their admirable tolerance.
Source:
ABNA
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
firm moves World Bank body over row with Pakistan
Nasir
Iqbal
October
16, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is again facing an international dispute before the International
Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) over what appeared to be
the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) project. This time again the claimant
against Pakistan is a Turkish construction company.
The
ICSID is part of the World Bank Group and handles disputes between
international investors.
Although
details of the case initiated by Bayindir Insaat Turism Ticaret are scarce, the
International Disputes Unit (IDU) housed inside the Attorney General Office
within the premises of the Supreme Court told Dawn that it would vigorously
pursue the case and safeguard the country’s interest at all costs.
The
Ankara-registered company’s claim under the 1995 Turkey-Pakistan Bilateral
Investment Treaty (BIT) was registered at the ICSID on Oct 12, but details of
the case are not yet known, including the quantum of the claim which would be
determined in case the decision came in favour of the claimant company.
Details
are scarce, but the ICSID website states that the case concerns a highway
construction project, the IDU said.
Bayindir
is the same company which had previously brought a claim against Pakistan under
the same BIT in 2003. That case related to a contract to build a six-lane
motorway between Islamabad and Peshawar (M-1), but was filed on the grounds
that the Turkish investor was expelled from the project.
A
tribunal chaired by Switzerland’s Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler and comprising UK’s
Franklin Berman and Germany’s Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel had dismissed the case in
a 2009 award.
Now
Bayindir was using Jones Swanson Huddell and Daschbach and Fishman Haygood in
New Orleans and Kabine Law in Istanbul.
In
the earlier case, Bayindir had used Samdani and Qureshi in Islamabad and Sidley
Austin and Stephen Schwebel in Washington, DC. Pakistan retained Eversheds in
Paris and Samuel Wordsworth QC of Essex Court Chambers.
The
new ICSID claim has added yet another dispute against Pakistan which is still
fighting a case to annul a $5.97 billion award won in 2019 by Australian mining
venture Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) over a copper and gold deposit.
On
May 25 this year, the High Court of Justice in the British Virgin Islands (BVI)
had ruled in favour of Pakistan a case initiated by TCC for attachment of
Pakistan’s major assets abroad, including two hotels in New York and Paris, in
the Reko Diq international arbitration.
TCC
had initiated the dispute for enforcement of the July 12, 2019, award amounting
to $5.97bn against Pakistan by the ICSID in the Reko Diq litigation.
On
December 16, 2020, the BVI high court had through an ex parte order attached
the assets belonging to Pakistan International Airlines Investment Limited
(PIAIL), including the company’s interests in two hotels — Roosevelt Hotel in
Manhattan, New York, and Scribe Hotel in Central Paris — as well as frozen
PIA’s 40 per cent interest in a third entity, Minhal Incorporated.
TCC
had claimed $8.5bn for rejecting its application by the mining authority of
Balochistan for the multimillion dollars mining lease in the province in 2011.
According
to the IDU, the BVI high court had ruled that it had no jurisdiction to decide
the matter, besides the receiver appointed had been discharged with immediate
effect.
Likewise,
in 2019, Pakistan settled a billion-dollar ICSID award in favour of another
Turkish investor, energy company Karkey Karadeniz, without making any payment.
That dispute concerned the cancellation of a short-term electricity contract
and seizure of Karkey’s vessels amid allegations of corruption. The contracts
were signed between 2006 and 2008 to plug the energy shortfall as a stopgap
arrangement through rental power projects.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1652362/turkish-firm-moves-world-bank-body-over-row-with-pakistan
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Europe
IS
fighters massing in Afghanistan, Putin says ahead of meeting
October
16, 2021
MOSCOW:
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said hundreds of fighters loyal to
the militant Islamic State (IS) group were massing in northern Afghanistan, as
Moscow prepares to host international talks on the country next week.
The
United States, China and Pakistan will join talks on the Taliban takeover on
Tuesday, the Kremlin’s envoy to Afghanistan said.
A day
later, the Taliban and other regional players will talk to Russian officials on
how to rally international assistance to stave off a humanitarian crisis.
“According
to our intelligence, the number of (IS) members alone in northern Afghanistan
is about 2,000 people,” Putin said during a video conference meeting with
leaders of other ex-Soviet states.
Pakistan,
US, China will join talks
He
said they had plans to move between ex-Soviet Central Asian countries disguised
as refugees.
Earlier
this week, Putin warned of the threat of veteran fighters from Iraq and Syria
with IS links crossing into Afghanistan, while Russia’s foreign ministry said
it expected the Taliban, which recently gained control of the country, to deal
with the threat.
On
Friday, Putin said IS leaders in Afghanistan were seeking to project the
group’s influence across former Soviet states in Central Asia — which Moscow
sees as its backyard — to stir up religious and ethnic discord.
‘We
need to interact’
“Terrorists
are seeking to infiltrate the Commonwealth’s territory, including under the
guise of refugees,” Putin said, referring to a group of ex-Soviet countries —
some of which border Afghanistan.
The
Taliban, which seized control of Kabul from a pro-Western government in
mid-August, are seeking international recognition and aid.
Putin’s
special envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said on Friday that Tuesday’s talks
would focus on trying “to work out a common position on the changing situation
in Afghanistan”.
Source:
Dawn
Please
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1652322/is-fighters-massing-in-afghanistan-putin-says-ahead-of-meeting
--------
Turkey
presents options to UK for armed drone purchase: Turkish minister
Övünç
Kutlu
15.10.2021
Turkey
has presented options to the UK for the sale of armed drones, the Turkish industry
and technology minister said on Friday.
"The
UK is very interested in Turkish armed drones. Now, they have to decide. We
presented them with the options. Right now, they're seriously considering these
options," Mustafa Varank told CNN Turk in an exclusive interview.
"I
believe that in the very near future, we'll see Bayraktars and Ankas (unmanned
aerial vehicles) purchased from Turkey flying in European skies, as well,"
Varank had said earlier this year during an event jointly organized by the
Istanbul Defense and Aerospace Cluster Association and Istanbul Chamber of
Industry on Jan. 21.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
‘Unity
of Bosnia, Herzegovina important for regional stability’
Talha
Öztürk
15.10.2021
ELGRADE,
Serbia
The
unity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina are important in ensuring
stability in the region, the Austrian foreign minister said Friday.
Michael
Linhart's remarks came during a joint press conference with Bosnia's Foreign
Minister Bisera Turkovic in the capital Sarajevo.
“Austria
is one of the biggest investors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today, we discussed
the further strengthening of this cooperation,” Linhart said, adding the future
of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in Europe.
“The
unity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina are very important in ensuring
stability and confidence in the region. This is a very important issue for
us."
Turkovic
said Austria is one of the key countries supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU
membership process, and they will continue to work to further strengthen
bilateral relations.
Linhart
also met President of the Presidential Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zeljko
Komsic, Bosnian member Sefik Dzaferovic and Serb member Milorad Dodik.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
South Asia
35
Killed As Suicide Bombers Target Shias In Taliban’s Stronghold Of Kandahar In
Shia Neighbourhood
Omer
Farooq Khan
Oct
16, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
At least 35 worshippers were killed and more than 70 others injured after three
suicide bombers detonated their explosives inside a mosque during the weekly
Friday congregation prayers in the neighbourhood of the minority Shia community
in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.
The
incident took place a week after dozens of people were killed in a bloody
attack on a Shia mosque during the congregation prayers in the northern
province of Kunduz. The previous attack was claimed by the Islamic State of
Khorasan Province (ISKP), a regional affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS).
Local
residents said that three blasts took place, one after another, at Bibi Fatima
mosque in the heart of the Kandahar city.
Two
similar terrorist attacks on a minority community within seven days during the
busiest congregation prayers of the week indicate that the security threat from
the terror outfits in the war-battered country poses the biggest challenge for
the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
By
sending three suicide bombers against a non-strategic, non-combatant target in
Kandahar, Afghan analyst Abdul Haq Omari said, all regional powers should worry
about the depths and confidence of the terrorist group in its recruitment
effort. These attacks also busted the myth of the Taliban security card played
by the group by claiming that they were the only ones who could ensure security
to the country. The attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second biggest city with
a population of six million and considered to be a Taliban stronghold and the
spiritual birthplace of the group’s movement, seemed to have sent the message
that no place is safe in the war-torn country.
Taking
to Twitter, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid condemned the attack and
wrote: “The Islamic Emirate condemns the barbaric attack on civilians in a
mosque in Kandahar. We have directed the security forces to find the
perpetrators of such grave crimes as soon as possible and bring them to
justice.” He extended his government’s deepest condolences to the families of
the victims.
Interior
ministry spokesman Syed Khosti said the explosion took place in the mosque of
the Shia brotherhood in the police district one (PD-1) of Kandahar city.
“Special
forces of the Islamic Emirate have arrived in the area to determine the nature
of the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Khosti added. He
appealed to the people to donate blood to help the victims.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Daesh/ISIS
claims responsibility for deadly mosque attack in Afghanistan
Eşref
Musa
16.10.2021
The
Daesh/ISIS terror group claimed responsibility late Friday for a deadly mosque
attack in Afghanistan that killed at least 47 people and wounded dozens in the
southern province of Kandahar.
The
attack on the Fatimiya mosque was carried out by two suicide bombers, according
to a statement circulated by the terror group on social media.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
ask officials not to carry out public executions unless directed by 'top
court': Report
Oct
16, 2021
KABUL:
The Taliban has directed local officials to refrain from carrying out
punishments in public unless Afghanistan's "top court" issues the
order for public execution.
The
Council of Ministers has decided that no punishment will be carried out
publicly when there is no need to publicise the convict and till the court
issues an order, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet.
"Public
executions and hanging of bodies should be avoided unless the supreme court
issues an order for such an action," Mujahid said was quoted as saying by
the Dawn newspaper.
"If
the offender is punished, the punishment must be explained so that the people
know about the crime," the Taliban spokesperson said.
Last
month, the United States had strongly condemned the Taliban's plans to
reinstate amputations and executions as a type of punishment in Afghanistan.
During
a presser, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the US stands with the
Afghan people, especially with members of minority groups, and demand that the
Taliban immediately cease any such atrocious abuses.
"We
condemn in the strongest terms reports of reinstating amputations and
executions of Afghans. The acts, the Taliban are talking about here, would
constitute clear gross abuses of human rights, and we stand firm with the
international community to hold perpetrators of any such abuses
accountable," Price had said.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Fresh
attack on a temple as tension remains in Bangladesh
Oct
16, 2021
At
least one person was killed and 17 others were injured when a mob protesting
against the alleged desecration of the Quran at a pandal during Durga Puja
festivities attacked the properties of Hindus in Bangladesh’s Noakhali district
on Friday. An Iskcon temple was also vandalised as protests continued for the
third day in the country.
Shops
and houses of Hindus were allegedly vandalised when the mob took out a rally in
Noakhali’s Begumganj Upazila, Dhaka Times reported quoting superintendent of
police (Circle Begumganj) Md Shah Imran.
The
victim has been indentified as 42-year-old Jatan Kumar, Imran said.
Separately,
Iskcon, a religious Hindu organisation, alleged its temple in Noakhali and
devotees were attacked by the mob.
“ISKCON
temple & devotees were violently attacked today by a mob in Noakhali,
Bangladesh. Temple suffered significant damage & the condition of a devotee
remains critical,” it tweeted with pictures showing the damage in the premises.
As
many as 17 people, including the officer-in-charge of Begumganj police station
Kamruzzaman Sikder, were injured in the attacks in Noakhali, the SP said.
Elsewhere
in Bangladesh, police fired tear gas and rubber bullets as thousands of
protesters took to the streets in the country’s two main cities on Friday,
authorities said.
The
protests began on Wednesday after images purportedly showed a copy of the Quran
— Islam’s holy book — on the knee of an idol during Durga Puja celebrations in
Cumilla district, triggering incidents of vandalism at Hindu temples across
other parts of the country.
At
least four people were killed late Wednesday when police opened fire on a crowd
of around 500 people attacking a temple in Hajiganj, one of the towns hit by
the disturbances.
On
Friday, up to 2,500 Muslim worshippers gathered outside Baitul Mukarram Masjid,
Bangladesh’s largest mosque in central Dhaka, demanding “exemplary punishment”
for the “desecration” of the Quran.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Iran
Criticizes UN Chief for Weak Report on Use of Unilateral Sanctions
2021-October-16
"The
UN chief's report is disappointing and has no practical value because it has
not condemned or even rejected illegal unilateral measures," Hajilari said
addressing the Second Committee of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
"Prior
to delivering my statement, Madam Chair, allow me to refer to the report of the
UN Secretary-General on 'Unilateral economic measures as a means of political
and economic coercion against developing countries' delivered today by his
representative. I am sorry to say that,
unfortunately, this report is very weak, disappointing and has no practical
value because it has not condemned or even rejected illegal unilateral measures,"
he added.
Hajilari
went on to say that furthermore, this report does not provide any solution,
especially with regard to the need for the immediate and total elimination of
these illegal actions.
"Unfortunately,
it seems that it was prepared and presented only out of obligation, cutting
corners on the details necessary to adequately address the issues at hand.
Therefore, the content of this report is not acceptable for my
delegation," he added.
Hajilari
said that "my delegation" would like to associate itself with the
statement delivered by the distinguished representative of the Republic of
Guinea on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.
"I
would also like to add some points in my national capacity. COVID-19 and its
devastating impact on people’s livelihoods as well as its negative effects on
international trade and the global economy remind us of the vital importance of
upholding multilateralism, solidarity and international cooperation," he
further added.
Hajilari
pointed out that however, regrettably, the imposition of unlawful and illegitimate
unilateral coercive measures, including the unjustified and illegal sanctions
with the extra-territorial impact by some countries which have alarmingly
intensified, have led to widespread tragic human suffering simultaneously with
the pandemic.
"These
issues arise in spite of the fact that, based on the Agenda itself, states have
been strongly urged to refrain from promulgating and applying any unilateral
economic, financial or trade measures," he added.
Hajilari
reiterated that financing for development is posed to challenges now more than
ever. "The rampant blow to multilateralism as well as the pandemic have
generated enormous hurdles for financing and for development."
He
also said that the unilateral policies by some major players cast doubt on the
effectiveness of multilateral financing and trading systems.
"Allow
me at this point to share with you some of our thoughts and concern"s:
The
international community should ensure that financing for development in no way
becomes hostage to the coercive and restrictive agenda of financier countries
and organizations. Promulgation of unilateral coercive economic, financial and
trade measures, which are clearly inconsistent with the principles of
international law, including those enshrined in UN Charter, also contradicts
the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations among nations which is a core
building bloc of many global initiatives, including “financing for
development”.
The
concern expressed in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda is still the case, and
Official Development Assistance (ODA) is far from meeting its expectation. ODA
providers should reach their assigned targets.
International
trade continues to play its traditional role as an engine for the economic
growth, development and prosperity of peoples and countries. This is the right
of every sovereign state to be part of a universal, rules-based, open,
transparent, predictable, inclusive, non-discriminatory multilateral trading
system. The World Trade Organization, where the Islamic Republic of Iran has
been denied membership for more than two decades, is now a target of harsh
unilateral behavior which puts the whole international trading system at risk.
Transfer
of technology and financing for development are equally important for
developing countries. New technologies, including emerging digital
technologies, are creating opportunities and challenges for “development”.
Technical, technological and financing support for bridging the existing gaps,
including the infrastructure gap, are quite pivotal for countries in stepping
up their fight against poverty and underdevelopment.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Criticizes IAEA's Silence on Israel's Nuke Program
2021-October-16
"What
is the advantage of being both a NPT member and fully implementing the Agency's
safeguards?" Qaribabadi tweeted.
“How
could one see the IAEA as a serious, professional and impartial partner when it
does not pursue evenly and justly the implementation of its safeguards regime
for all its members?” the Iranian ambassador argued.
He
then warned that silence and negligence about Israel's nuclear program sends a
negative message to the NPT members and that is "being a member equals
accepting the robust verifications, while being outside the Treaty means to be
free from any obligation and criticism, and even be rewarded”?!”
Qaribabadi's
remarks came in reaction to an interview of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi
where he had said that the reason why the UN nuclear watchdog talks a lot about
Iran but never speaks about Israel was that the Israeli regime wasn’t a member
of the NPT.
In
relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative
to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi in a letter to the UN Security
Council warned of Israel’s growing threats against Iran, reiterating that the
threats should be condemned as a violation of international laws.
Takht
Ravanchi in the letter submitted to the current president of the Security
Council on Wednesday cautioned of a sharp increase in Israeli threats against
the country, warning against any “miscalculation” or “military adventurism” on
the part of the regime against the Islamic Republic, including its nuclear
program.
He
also warned that the frequency and severity of the regime’s provocative and
adventurous threats had steadily increased over the past months and reached an
alarming level.
Such
blatant systematic threats against one of the founding members of the United
Nations are a gross violation of international law, in particular Article 2 (4)
of the United Nations Charter, Takht Ravanchi added.
As a
case in point, the diplomat referred the recent comments by Israeli Military
Chief Aviv Kochavi who said earlier this month that the regime was in constant
preparations for an attack on the Iranian nuclear program.
Kochav
had said that “the operational plans against Iran’s nuclear program will
continue to evolve and improve,” and that “operations to destroy Iranian
capabilities will continue, in any arena and at any time”.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000723000408/Iran-Criicizes-IAEA's-Silence-n-Israel's-Nke-Prgram
--------
Iran
Condemns Terrorist Attack in Afghanistan's Kandahar
2021-October-16
The
Iranian diplomatic mission condoled with the bereaved families of the victims
on the tragic event.
"We
hope that the Afghan officials will take firm action to fight against such
sinister terrorist phenomena," it added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000723000425/Iran-Cndemns-Terrris-Aack-in-Afghanisan's-Kandahar
--------
Iran:
Israel's Nuclear Weapons Preventing Formation of Nuke-Free Middle East Region
2021-October-15
Balouji
made the remarks addressing the UNGA's 76 First Committee's Combined Thematic
Discussions: Nuclear Weapons, Other WMDs, Outer Space, and Conventional
Weapons.
"Achieving
global nuclear disarmament remains one of the most long-lasting goals of the
United Nations. Today, international security is under threat by the existence
of almost 14,000 nuclear weapons with well-funded, long-term plans to not only
modernize but also strengthen the arsenals of NWSs and so nuclear arms
race," the Iranian envoy said.
Balouji
pointed out that the US withdrawal from the INF spelt an end to the commitment
to eliminate an entire class of nuclear missiles, and said, "Similarly,
its withdrawal from the JCPOA, and the unwillingness to return to it, have
caused immense damages to international efforts towards nuclear
disarmament."
""We
reiterate our call on the international community to compel Israel to dismantle
its nuclear arsenal, promptly accede to the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon party
without any preconditions and place all of its nuclear facilities under the
IAEA’s full-scope safeguards," he added.
The
Iranian ambassador said that in the same vein, the nuclear weapons of the
Israeli regime are the main obstacle to establishing a nuclear-weapons-free
zone in West Asia.
Balouji
underlined that Iran is among the countries with the highest record in
accession to the international instruments banning WMD.
"Twenty-four
years after the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, there is
still a danger of the use of these weapons, and the destruction of chemical
weapons and the universality of the Convention has not yet been realized,"
he added.
The
Iranian ambassador pointed out that the US as the only possessor of the
chemical weapons has not only failed to meet the final extended deadline of
April 2012 for the destruction of chemical weapons, but has also sought to
postpone the fulfillment of its obligations until 2023.
"We
urge the US to utilize its full capacity to expedite the completion of the
destruction of its chemical weapons stockpiles in the shortest amount of time
before the scheduled timeline," he said.
Balouji
also said that the continued non-adherence of the Israeli regime to the
Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is a
major obstacle to their universality while endangering regional security.
He
underlined that the prevention of an arms race in outer space (PAROS) can stop
a severe threat to international peace and security.
"To
this end, further measures, including a legally binding instrument with
appropriate and effective verification provisions, shall be developed timely by
the CD," the Iranian envoy said. "We are deeply concerned about the
increasing threat of weaponizing outer space."
He
recalled that the US has already established a Space Force and its budget for
this year is more than $17 billion budget and will increase by 13% in the next
year.
"We
reject the illegal sanctions by the US against Iranian Space Agencies," Balouji
added.
The
envoy pointed out that Iran reaffirms the sovereign and inherent right of
States to acquire, manufacture, export, import, and retain conventional arms
under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
"However,
in regions like the Middle East, overproduction, massive transfer, and
excessive accumulation of these weapons have caused regional and international
security concerns. Israel is the largest recipient of US arms aids in the
region," he said.
Balouji
concluded by saying that last not least, regrettably the outcome document of
the BMS 7 contains provisions including the establishment of an open-ended
expert group that is not consistent with the mandate of the BMS.
In
relevant remarks on Wednesday, Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative
to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi in a letter to the UN Security
Council warned of Israel’s growing threats against Iran, reiterating that the
threats should be condemned as a violation of international laws.
Takht
Ravanchi in the letter submitted to the current president of the Security
Council on Wednesday cautioned of a sharp increase in Israeli threats against
the country, warning against any “miscalculation” or “military adventurism” on
the part of the regime against the Islamic Republic, including its nuclear
program.
He
also warned that the frequency and severity of the regime’s provocative and
adventurous threats had steadily increased over the past months and reached an
alarming level.
Such
blatant systematic threats against one of the founding members of the United
Nations are a gross violation of international law, in particular Article 2 (4)
of the United Nations Charter, Takht Ravanchi added.
As a
case in point, the diplomat referred the recent comments by Israeli Military
Chief Aviv Kochavi who said earlier this month that the regime was in constant
preparations for an attack on the Iranian nuclear program.
Kochav
had said that “the operational plans against Iran’s nuclear program will
continue to evolve and improve,” and that “operations to destroy Iranian
capabilities will continue, in any arena and at any time”.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
not ready to resume Vienna talks, wants to discuss texts first: EU official
15
October ,2021
Iran
is not ready to return to talks with world powers over its nuclear program yet
and its new negotiating team wants to discuss the texts that will be put
forward when it meets with the EU in Brussels in the next few weeks, a senior
EU official said on Friday.
EU
political director Enrique Mora, the chief coordinator for the talks, was in
Tehran on Thursday to meet members of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team, four
months after discussions broke off between Iran and world powers.
Iranian
President Ebrahim Raisi has so far refused to resume indirect talks with the US
in Vienna on both sides returning to compliance with the deal, under which Iran
curbed its nuclear program in return for economic sanctions relief.
Diplomats
from France, Britain and Germany, who are party to the accord along with China
and Russia, said ahead of Mora’s visit that it came at a critical time and
things could not be deemed “business as usual” given escalating Iranian nuclear
activities and the stalling of negotiations.
The
US said time was running short. “They are not yet ready for engaging in
Vienna,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity, adding that he
believed Tehran was “absolutely decided to go back to Vienna and to end the
negotiations.”
The
Islamic Republic has repeatedly said it will return to the negotiations “soon”,
but it has not given a clearer timeline. Western diplomats had hoped the Vienna
talks might resume before the end of October.
However,
after Mora’s visit, Iran’s foreign ministry said it would hold talks in the
coming days with the EU in Brussels.
“They
insisted that they don’t want talks for talks, they want talking with practical
results and with a final agreement on how to bring JCPOA back to life,” the
official said.
Describing
a meeting in Brussels as a “good idea”, the official said it would give both
sides the opportunity to go through the texts on the table from June and
clarify questions that Iran’s new negotiating team may have.
“I
think we are just clarifying even more the situation for a final destination,
which is going to be resuming in Vienna. I expect that soon,” he said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkey
plans military action against Syrian Kurdish YPG if diplomacy fails
15
October ,2021
Turkey
is preparing for possible further military action against a Kurdish militia in
northern Syria if talks on the issue with the US and Russia fail, two Turkish
officials said.
President
Tayyip Erdogan said this week Ankara was determined to eliminate threats
originating in northern Syria and that a Kurdish YPG militia attack that killed
two Turkish police officers was “the final straw”.
Turkey
said the police in Syria’s Azaz region were hit in a guided missile attack on
Sunday launched from Tel Rifaat by the YPG, which Ankara considers a terrorist
group closely linked to militants fighting a decades-old insurgency in
southeast Turkey.
“It
is essential that the areas, notably the Tel Rifaat region from which attacks
are constantly carried out against us, are cleansed,” one senior official told
Reuters.
Turkish
forces have launched three incursions in the last five years, seizing hundreds
of kilometers of border strip and pushing around 30 kilometer (20 miles) into
northern Syria.
Russian
jets, Iran-backed fighters, Turkish-supported insurgents, extremists, US troops
and Syrian government forces also operate across the patchwork of territories
in northern Syria, as well as the Kurdish YPG.
The
US views the YPG as a key ally in the fight against ISIS in northeast Syria.
Russia has forces in the area to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Timing
unclear
The
time and nature of any further Turkish military action was unclear. The
official said the military and national intelligence agency MIT were making
preparations.
“The
decision for this has been taken and the necessary coordination will be done
with particular countries. This subject will be discussed with Russia and the
US,” he added.
The
officials said Erdogan would discuss the issue with US President Joe Biden at a
G20 summit of the world’s major economies in Rome at the end of October.
Another
official said the YPG must be pushed back at least 30 kilometer, noting Russia
was completely in control of the areas from which recent attacks had come,
along with some Iranian elements.
Erdogan
will speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the talks with Biden, he
said.
“If
there is no outcome from diplomacy and the PYD does not leave these areas, an
operation appears unavoidable,” he said, using the abbreviation for the YPG’s
political wing and referring to Tel Rifaat and “several other locations”.
On
Monday, shells believed to have been fired from a YPG-controlled area east of
Tel Rifaat exploded in the Turkish town of Karkamis, across the border from
Syria’s Jarablus, causing slight damage, Turkey said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Martyrdom
of Imam Reza (a.s.), symbol of resistance: Sheikh Zakzaky
October
16, 2021
Sheikh
Ibrahim Zakzaky stated, “The martyrdom of Imam Reza (a.s.) has become a symbol
of resistance. Imam Reza (a.s.) fought the enemy with his knowledge. So that
the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) called him “the Scholar of the family of
Muhammad (p.b.u.h)”.”
The
6th Summit of “Mujahideen in Exile” was held in Tehran.
In
this summit, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky stated in a video message, “The martyrdom
of Imam Reza (a.s.) has become a symbol of resistance. Imam Reza (a.s.) fought
the enemy with his knowledge. So that the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) called him
“the Scholar of the family of Muhammad (p.b.u.h)”.”
“Imam
Reza (a.s.) fought against atheists and misconceptions. In his debates with
representatives of different religions, he defeated them all. Finally, Mamun
Abbasi martyred him. Today, the jihad of Imam Reza (a.s.) is manifested and
helps us in the war of thought, belief, and even weapons. They (the enemies of
Islam) have occupied many Muslim lands. But today they are retreating,” he
added.
“Today
we live in an age where both war of ideas and war of arms are taking place. The
enemy is trying to change the meaning of Islam and they are attacking it. They
tarnish the name of Islam and seek to destroy Islamic values,” stated the
official of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria.
“The
enemies call the Muslims terrorists. But, Alhamdulillah, the enemy is in a
position of retreat today. The resistance of Muslims around the world has shown
that neither war against ideology nor field war against Muslims has worked.
Therefore, on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Reza (a.s.), we
celebrate the victory of the resistance,” he added.
Source:
ABNA
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sudan’s
PM Hamdok unveils roadmap with political players to end crisis
15
October ,2021
Sudan’s
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok said on state TV on Friday that he agreed with
main political players on a roadmap to end crisis.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
Lawyer:
‘Preposterous’ to blame Afghan man in US war deaths
October
15, 2021
NEW
YORK: The lawyer for an Afghan man awaiting trial in Manhattan federal court on
charges that he commanded the Taliban fighters responsible in the killing of
three American soldiers said Friday it was “preposterous” to charge his client
in deaths that occurred in a war the US started.
Attorney
Mark Gombiner spoke at a pretrial hearing after his client, Hajji Najibullah,
pleaded not guilty to charges in a rewritten indictment released against him
last week.
Najibullah
was already charged in the 2008 gunpoint kidnapping of a reporter for The New
York Times and another journalist. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
But
the new indictment accused him of commanding the Taliban fighters responsible
for a fatal ambush of the three service members in Afghanistan in 2008.
The
attack killed Matthew L. Hilton, of Livonia, Michigan; Joseph A. McKay, of Brooklyn,
and Mark Palmateer, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Najibullah was also charged with
playing a role in the downing of a US military helicopter later in the same
year.
Gombiner
said evidence will show the allegations are not true.
The
lawyer said the deaths of American soldiers was an “immense tragedy.”
“Nobody
disputes that,” Gombiner said.
But
he said it “is preposterous” that his client should be held responsible for
murder in a US courtroom for the death of “American soldiers fighting in a war
commenced by the United States.”
US
District Judge Katherine Polk Failla interrupted Gombiner, accusing him of
having “gone off on a huge P.R. campaign.”
She
added: “I want you to talk to me and not the press.”
The
lawyer, however, said prosecutors were to blame for publicizing the charges
through a news release “that was circulated around the world.” The lawyer noted
that he refused to comment when reporters asked him about the new charges.
Assistant
US Attorney David Denton told the judge that Gombiner was raising arguments
“that have been raised and dismissed before, particularly as it relates to the
Taliban.”
Najibullah,
45, was extradited to the United States last year to face charges including
hostage taking, conspiracy and kidnapping.
The
original indictment charged him with orchestrating the abduction of David
Rohde, who then worked for The New York Times, and Afghan journalist Tahir
Ludin, when they were on their way to interview a Taliban leader.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1948741/world
--------
New
poll reveals how much we presume about Muslim Americans’ politics
October
15, 2021
By
Simran Jeet Singh
(RNS)
— Twenty years ago, Americans hardly gave their Muslim neighbors a thought.
Then came 9/11, and our opinions suddenly blossomed. Two decades later we may
be past assuming that Muslims want to topple the American government, but other
supposed givens — that Muslims tend to be conservative, for instance — have
been challenged in a new poll that shows how rudimentary our understanding of
American Muslims can be.
Start
with the finding in a new poll, commissioned by Emgage and Muslim Public
Affairs Council, that Muslim Americans voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden in
2020, with 86% support. Only 6% voted for Donald Trump.
These
numbers should not surprise those who have followed Trump’s multiple negative
comments about Muslims, his hotly debated travel bans that disproportionately
targeted Muslim countries and the spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes under his
leadership.
But
the survey of more than 500 Muslim Americans also gives us a picture beyond the
vote into how Muslim Americans view the Biden administration and key domestic
and foreign policies.
It’s
not surprising that a majority of Muslim Americans want the administration to
combat white supremacy, Islamophobia and hate-violence, which have direct,
negative consequences for Muslim Americans. Their interest in addressing
inequalities and enhancing access to health care, however, is more
counterintuitive for a group we think of as first-generation immigrants. More
than three in four American Muslims support Medicare for All, and 78% of Muslim
voters believe the tax system is too generous to the rich.
These
progressive stances are easier to understand if one is familiar with the
justice orientation of Islam, as well as the demographic makeup of the American
Muslim community. One-third of Muslim households in America are at or below the
poverty line, making Muslims the most likely faith community to report low
income levels.
These
lived experiences, combined with Islamic values of caring for those who are
less fortunate, tend to produce voters who champion the rights of those on the
margins.
Muslim
Americans’ feelings about U.S. foreign policy also seem self-explanatory on the
surface: They want the Biden administration to fight the persecution of
Palestinians, Uyghurs in China and Rohingya in Burma. These concerns no doubt
reflect their concern for their fellow Muslims, those who share a global
Islamic vision of familyhood (ummah).
But
these assumptions also turn out to be overly simplistic. Muslim Americans also
want the U.S. to pursue human rights when Muslim-majority countries perpetrate
atrocities against civilians (e.g., Syria), even to the point of military
force. It’s short-sighted and misguided to simply ascribe Muslim-centric
motivations to the views of Muslim Americans.
Source:
Religion News
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hasan
Minhaj is ‘proud’ to be making Muslims ‘culturally relevant’ in the US
Oct
14 2021
American
comedian Hasan Minhaj is getting candid about his recent acting debut in Apple
TV’s The Morning Show and how its groundbreaking for him in many ways.
During
an interview with New York Post, the former Daily Show correspondent shared
details about being on the screens with the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Reese
Witherspoon.
“It
is a very relevant show. It is poppin’. And for a long time America deemed
Muslims culturally irrelevant. So I’m making my community proud. That means a
lot. I want to be part of projects like that, that I didn’t think were
possible,” he said.
He
went on to say how he has discussed the issue of Muslim representation with
British actor Riz Ahmed as well.
Source:
Geo Tv
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Apple
removes Quran app in China after request from officials
15th
October 2021
New
Delhi: Apple has taken down one of the world’s most popular Quran apps in China
after a request from Chinese officials, the BBC reported.
Quran
Majeed is available across the world on the App Store, and has nearly 150,000
reviews.
However,
Apple removed the app at the request of Chinese officials, allegedly for
hosting illegal religious texts, the company said.
MS
Education Academy
The
Chinese government has not responded to a request for comment.
The
deletion of the app was first noticed by Apple Censorship – a website that monitors
apps on Apple’s App Store globally, the report said.
The
Chinese Communist Party officially recognises Islam as a religion in the
country.
However,
China has been accused of human rights violation, and even genocide, against
the mostly Muslim Uyghur ethnic group in Xinjiang.
It is
not clear what rules the app has broken in China. Quran Majeed says it is
“trusted by over 35 million Muslims globally”, the report added.
Last
month, both Apple and Google had removed a tactical voting app devised by jailed
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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https://www.siasat.com/apple-removes-quran-app-in-china-after-request-from-officials-2208837/
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Report:
Malaysian travel agencies fear Saudi policy on Covid booster shots may
jeopardise umrah trips
16
Oct 2021
BY
DANIAL DZULKIFLY
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Malaysian travel agencies offering umrah packages want the
government to ensure that Muslims here will be given the necessary Covid-19
booster shots so they can perform their pilgrimage abroad.
Bumiputera
Travel Operator Association Harun KC Ahmu said the Saudi Arabian government’s
policy on Covid-19 vaccination for Muslim pilgrims has been confusing, Utusan
Malaysia reported today.
He
hopes the Malaysian government will provide clarification on the issue soon so
that Malaysian pilgrims seeking to perform the umrah will have peace of mind.
“With
the third shot, this can help Muslims who had postponed their trips previously
to carry on, and simultaneously resolve the issues of refunds as companies
providing umrah trips have paid the government over there.
“Some
travel agencies have paid for hotel lodgings even before the pandemic but when
this issue occurred, the affected hotels aren’t able to return the money paid,”
Harun was quoted saying.
According
to Harun, a significant number of Malaysian travellers that went through his
association had received the Sinovac vaccine and had cancelled their trips
after finding out about the Saudi policy.
The
Saudi government requires all umrah travellers to its country to receive a
third Covid-19 vaccine dose if they had previously received the China brand
Sinovac.
Booster
doses are not required for recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca
vaccines.
Datuk
Seri Razali Mohd, the president of the Association of Umrah and Haj Travel
Agencies Malaysia, told the Malay paper that it has not yet seen a cancellation
in travel bookings.
However,
he hopes the government will facilitate the booster shots for pilgrims even if
they have to pay for it, and that the process can be shortened.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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PM:
Klang Valley moves to Phase Four of Recovery Plan on Monday
15
Oct 2021
BY R.
LOHESWAR
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 15 — Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will join Melaka to move
from Phase Three to Four of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) on October 18,
Putrajaya announced today.
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Kelantan, Perak, Penang, Sabah and
Kedah will move from Phase Two to Three on the same day as well.
“Seeing
as these states will be moving into different phases, this means the entire
Malaysia is now under Phase Three,” Ismail said in a statement.
“These
movements are in line with the guidelines in the NRP and rate of vaccination in
the country. The Ministry of Health has reported cases have been below 10,000
for two weeks in a row.
“Adding
to that, as of yesterday, our vaccination rate for adults is 95 per cent for
one dose and 91.2 per cent for two doses.”
Ismail
announced several easing of restrictions: allowing highway rest stops to
operate 24 hours a day, while e-hailing vehicles can resume carrying passengers
without restrictions from tomorrow.
The
quarantine period for fully vaccinated travellers from abroad has also been
reduced to seven days, and 10 days for partially or non-vaccinated travellers.
As
for those with close contact, fully vaccinated individuals are to be
quarantined for seven days and 10 days for non-vaccinated or partially
vaccinated individuals.
Previously
the mandatory quarantine period was 14 days with a second test to be done on
the 10th day of quarantine.
Apart
from that, cyber cafes in states under Phase Three can operate at 80 per cent
capacity while those in Phase Four at 100 per cent.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Malaysian
Mufti Says Spending Real Money On In-Game Loot Boxes Is Haram
by
Adrian Lai
Oct.
14, 2021
The
act of purchasing and opening in-game loot boxes using real money is not
permissible in Islam (haram) as it is akin to gambling, said the Malaysian
Federal Territories Mufti's Office today.
In a
statement issued on its official Facebook page, the mufti's office said loot
boxes in video games are a zero-sum game, whereby the type of rewards obtained
by players depend entirely on luck.
Two
of the most popular mobile games in Malaysia are PUBG Mobile and Mobile
Legends: Bang Bang, which sell players loot boxes that potentially contain rare
or exclusive items that are not available in the in-game store.
"Such
a concept (loot boxes) is prohibited in Islam because it contains elements of
gambling," the statement read in Bahasa Malaysia.
In
the case of PUBG Mobile, it said, players "place a bet" using UC
(Unknown Cash) that is purchased using real money and, at the same time, PUBG
offers exciting items that can only be obtained by opening loot boxes.
"Ownership
(of said items) is only valid by placing a bet. If luck is on the players'
side, they can obtain the items by opening only one loot box. However, it is
possible that players will not be able to get the items (they want) even after
dozens of attempts and spending thousands of UC."
The
mufti's office also said loot boxes deny players the right to directly purchase
the items of their desire.
Source:
IGN Southeast Asia
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egyptian-rights-dar-al-iftaa-fatwa-/d/125589
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