Egyptian Islamic Scholar Ahmed Mamdouh Permits Limited Instances of Hymen Repair in a Recent Fatwa
New
Age Islam News Bureau
06
October 2021
Women's rights activists in Egypt appreciate the
new ruling despite the controversy on social media
-----
•
US Freedom-Of-Expression Group Honours Imprisoned Iranian Writers
•
Inquiry Finds 216,000 Child Sex Abuse Cases in French Catholic Church Over 70
Years
•
Taliban Leader Anas Haqqani Praises Mahmud Ghaznavi Calling Him ‘A Renowned
Muslim Warrior’
•
COVID-19 Plays Spoiler to Visit My Mosque Program Tour for Non-Muslims in India
Arab World
•
Diplomat in the UAE Rescues Baby Bird for Young Afghan Refugee
•
Lebanon PM Mikati says family wealth legal in response to ‘Pandora Papers’
•
Iraq’s Iran-backed militias seek to consolidate political power in vote
•
Israel is ready to solve dispute with Lebanon over sea border: Energy minister
•
UAE issues Golden Visa to more than 500 doctors in Abu Dhabi
--------
North America
•
US Republicans Blast Arab States over Normalization Efforts with Syria’s Assad
•
Diplomacy is best way to rein in Iran's nuclear program: Biden's adviser
•
A first for US military: War in Afghanistan ended with zero MIAs
--------
Europe
•
UK government officials hold talks with Taliban in Kabul
•
Greece should not be provoked by others against Turkey: Turkish defence
minister
•
Georgian, Turkish, Azerbaijani defence chiefs agree to improve cooperation
--------
South Asia
•
Afghanistan to start issuing passports again after months of delays
•
From Insurgency To City Beat: Taliban Police Learn The Ropes
•
Taliban Introduces 38 New Members in Caretaker Govt
•
Prices Soar at Opium Market In Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan
•
Taliban Unlawfully Killed 13 Hazaras, Says Rights Group
•
Kabul Gurdwara Ransacked In Broad Daylight, Guards Tethered
•
UK envoy holds Kabul talks with Taliban leaders: Officials
•
Taliban captures 11 IS-affiliated terrorists in Kabul
--------
India
•
Uttarakhand Govt Accused of Targeting Muslims as It Flags ‘Rising Numbers of a
Community’ Ahead Of the State Assembly Elections In 2022
•
Mumbai: Mosques, Dargahs to Reopen With ‘Halal’ Sanitiser
•
BJP got power by pitting Hindus against Muslims: Lalu
•
FB whistle-blower’s complaint details importance of Indian polls, hate speech
--------
Mideast
•
Israeli Minister Says UAE Should Train Palestinian Imams on 'Moderation'
•
Gaza Sculptor Exhibits Disembodied Limbs, Inspired By Palestinian Amputees’
Loss
•
Al-Aqsa: Dozens of Israeli settlers storm mosque after Jewish holidays
•
Iranian Sends More Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
•
Russia, US discuss reviving Iran nuclear deal
•
Quest for more leverage drives Iran’s nuclear stalling tactic: Analysts
•
Azerbaijan shuts mosque linked to Iran supreme leader Khamenei
•
Azerbaijan shuts down office of Khamenei’s representative in Baku: Iranian
media
--------
Pakistan
•
Pakistan Shares Western Military Tech with China, Cautions IAF Chief
•
PM Imran urges Bill Gates to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghan people
•
Pakistan court gives India more time to appoint lawyer in Kulbhushan Jadhav
case
•
ECP bench reserves judgement on delay in local govt polls in Islamabad
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Sarawak MP Urges Police to Act against Preacher Who Made Racist Remarks against
Non-Muslims and Dayak Community
•
I Was Misunderstood, Speech Was Only For Muslims, Says Preacher
•
Penang Opens Up Mosques to Fully-Vaccinated Foreigners
•
Mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for civil servants in line with shariah, says
expert
•
Foreign minister: Malaysia prepared to hold dialogue with Myanmar’s National
Unity Govt
--------
Africa
•
Red Crescent Says Bodies of 17 People Washed Ashore In Libya
•
Libya legislative vote rescheduled for January: Parliament
•
Rival Libya factions dispute over on new election law
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/egyptian-scholar-islamic-hymen-repair/d/125521
--------
Egyptian
Islamic Scholar Ahmed Mamdouh Permits Limited Instances of Hymen Repair In a Recent
Fatwa
05
October 2021
Women's rights activists in Egypt appreciate the
new ruling despite the controversy on social media
-----
A
recent fatwa issued by a senior Egyptian Islamic scholar that permits limited
instances of hymen repair may have opened the door for other women-related
social issues, long considered a taboo in Egypt.
During
a live broadcast on the official Facebook page of Dar Al-Ifta – the institution
tasked with issuing religious fatwas [Islamic edicts] – Ahmed Mamdouh, head of
the Islamic Sharia law research department argued in late August that hymen
repair was "permissible and necessary,” for example, where a girl has been
raped or deceived [by a man] and wished to repent and turn a new page."
He
added that concealing the sin was required or else it was “closing all doors of
mercy [that may lead sinners] to despair or encourage them to continue doing
immoral deeds.”
Mamdouh’s
comments came in response to an inquiry by a gynaecologist on whether the
procedure is permissible in Islam. She said that she performed the surgery on
survivors of rape and on girls tricked into having sexual intercourse with
their lovers, fearing repercussions if their parents or possible suitors knew
they were not virgins.
A
righteous fatwa?
Mamdouh’s
rather controversial fatwa stirred up mixed reactions on social media. While
some believe it was overdue, others thought it would encourage girls to engage
in sex outside wedlock and lead to deception.
The
fatwa is not new to Egyptians. In 2007, former Mufti Sheikh Ali Gomaa issued a
similar edict that allowed the practice in almost all cases, arguing that
“since God concealed a woman’s sin, she should not scandalise herself.”
“I
believe these edicts are quite upright conforming to the reality we are
surviving. This is practical, realistic thinking that applies to this era, even
though I don’t agree with the concept of trickery,” counselling psychologist Dr
Mervat El-Amary told The New Arab.
She
further believes that “the society has pushed women towards going through an
experience like hymen repair, regardless of whether it’s right or wrong.”
“People
are fooling themselves. Sex is one of the basic human needs. If it’s not met in
a virtuous manner, it could be met in a roundabout way,” El-Amary argued.
“In
developed countries, people are truthful about their needs and they are
responsible for their acts,” she added.
Hymen
reconstruction is commonly practised in Egypt in secret at private clinics and
medical centres. Yet, surprisingly, some of these facilities promote their
activities on social media. Ultimately, there is no clear law criminalising the
practice.
When
contacted by a female reporter with The New Arab personifying a client, a man
named Karim representing a Cairo facility replied answering her seemingly
anxious questions.
He
identified the main doctor performing the surgery as Engy El-Saeid. According
to Karim, a permanent hymen repair carried out under local anaesthesia costs
12,000 Egyptian pounds (about $760/£560), while a temporary one performed two
days before the wedding night costs only 4,000 EGP (around $250/£186).
Karim
added that “the practice may be illegal but carried out at a legal facility…
while [El-Saeid] has no time to examine clients prior to the procedure, only
performs it on-demand and follows up with them before their weddings.”
A
social schema
In
Egypt and other eastern and Arab countries, an intact hymen is a schema, often
regarded as a girl’s proof of virginity and, hence, chastity, though,
medically, it could be torn due to reasons other than engaging in sexual
activity.
The
subject is even found in local folklore. An Egyptian proverb compares a girl’s
virtue (in this case the hymen) to a piece of a matchstick that can only be
struck once, while songs in the countryside and southern Egypt are often
performed during weddings that hint at deflowering the bride’s hymen and how
virtuous she turned out to be.
Not
only that, in some rural, southern and lower-middle-class communities in Egypt,
the bride is often subjected to a demeaning, traumatising situation on her
wedding night, when her hymen is unfolded in the presence of women from her
family and her husband’s, either via a midwife’s or by the husband’s finger.
Afterwards,
they put blood released from the hymen on a white handkerchief to show the
wedding invitees and her father that she was a virgin.
In
case the bride’s hymen does not release blood, she may be killed by her father,
another male guardian, the husband or widely scandalised and immediately
divorced.
A
paradox
Mamdouh’s
fatwa has highlighted how hypocritical
Egyptian society could be. While a man can engage in pre-marital sex
without being judged or he can just be simply reprimanded, a woman can be named
licentious or even killed for doing the same.
“It’s
a contradictory society perceiving men with several relations as being
masculine and women having relationships before marriage as being shameless… We
lack the appreciation of the value of a woman in many communities, looking at
her as a physical body rather than a human being with a soul and feelings,”
El-Amary said.
“Both
men and women don’t have a culture of responsibility, while many relations are
based on fear. In our society, it’s honesty versus fear,” she argued.
“Men
and women are not equal when it comes to rights and duties. Women are mostly
the ones stigmatised when it comes to relationships because they bear children
and lose their virginity as a result,” El-Amary concluded.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/controversial-fatwa-opens-door-female-taboos-egypt
--------
US
Freedom-Of-Expression Group Honours Imprisoned Iranian Writers
06
October 2021
PEN America Recognizes Abtin, Bajan, and Khandan
Mahabadi with PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, Raising Crucial Awareness as
the Pandemic Exacerbates Dire Conditions for Imprisoned Writers Around the
World
------
Freedom
of expression non-profit PEN America honored three imprisoned Iranian writers
on Tuesday at its annual gala that featured actors Jodie Foster and Awkwafina.
The
literature and human rights organization awarded Baktash Abtin, Keyvan Bajan
and Reza Khandan Mahabadi the 2021 PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award.
The
trio are serving a combined 15 and a half years in prison for their involvement
with Iranian Writers Association (IWA), an anti-censorship group.
PEN
paid tribute to them at a star-studded gala at New York’s American Museum of
Natural History after last year’s event was held virtually because of the
pandemic.
“They
are writers who are called not only to offer prose and ideas on a page, but to
live fearlessly—and sacrifice immensely in service of the liberties that
underpin free thought, art, culture, and creativity,” PEN CEO Suzanne Nossel
said in a press release ahead of the event.
Abtin,
a poet and screenwriter, novelist and journalist Bajan, and Mahabadi, an author
and literary critic, have been imprisoned in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison
since September last year.
Abtin
and Mahabadi contracted coronavirus there and have not received proper hospital
treatment for other ailments, according to PEN.
Some
800 guests attended the gala, which is typically the highlight of New York’s
literary calendar.
Star
of “The Farewell” Awkwafina hosted the event while Foster and Nobel Laureate
Wole Soyinka helped present the awards.
The
gala is the latest New York cultural highlight to return following the pandemic
after last month’s Met Gala.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Inquiry
finds 216,000 child sex abuse cases in French Catholic Church over 70 years
Cindi
Cook and Faruk Zorlu
05.10.2021
PARIS
In
a stunning revelation, an independent commission Tuesday said that there were
216,000 cases of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church in France between 1950
and 2020.
During
a news conference, the French Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in Church
(CIASE) said anywhere from 2,900 to 3,200 priests and other members of the
church were given a free hand to abuse parishioners, which was subsequently
covered up by the church leaders.
The
commission was set up in 2018 by the Bishop’s Conference of France and the
national congregations conference to look into the matter.
Former
CIASE head Jean-Marc Sauve puts the figure of 216,000 as a minimum estimate.
The
2,500-page report, which details the abuse occurring over the past 70 years,
took two and a half years of investigation.
The
report discusses the mechanisms as well that allowed the abuse to continue and
possible remedies for its end.
"Pope
Francis learned with pain and sorrow of the report's contents during the recent
visit of the French bishops to Rome," Matteo Bruni, the director of the
Holy See Press Office, told journalists, according to Vatican News website.
Pope's
thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their wounds, Bruni said, adding:
"Pope Francis is grateful to them for “their courage to speak out” and for
“turning to the Church of France, so that, having become aware of this
appalling reality."
In
September, Pope Francis raised the issue of sexual abuse with French bishops
during a meeting at the Vatican. The issue is now expected to be studied
further by the Vatican and senior members of the clergy.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
Leader Anas Haqqani Praises Mahmud Ghaznavi Calling Him ‘A Renowned Muslim
Warrior’
Oct
06, 2021
Taliban
leader Anas Haqqani on Tuesday visited the tomb of Mahmud Ghaznavi, who
attacked the Somnath temple in Gujarat multiple times in the 17th century.
Haqqani, younger brother of Taliban's new Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani
of the infamous 'Haqqani Network', glorified Ghaznavi calling him "a
renowned Muslim warrior".
"Today,
we visited the shrine of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, a renowned Muslim warrior
& Mujahid of the 10th century. Ghaznavi (May the mercy of Allah be upon
him) established a strong Muslim rule in the region from Ghazni & smashed
the idol of Somnath," Anas Haqqani wrote about the visit on Twitter. He
also posted pictures of the tomb.
Today,
we visited the shrine of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, a renowned Muslim warrior
& Mujahid of the 10th century. Ghaznavi (May the mercy of Allah be upon
him) established a strong Muslim rule in the region from Ghazni & smashed
the idol of Somnath. pic.twitter.com/Ja92gYjX5j
—
Anas Haqqani(انس حقاني) (@AnasHaqqani313)
October 5, 2021
Ghaznavi
was the first independent ruler of the Turkic dynasty of Ghaznavids, who ruled
from 998 to 1030 AD.
According
to history, Mahmud Ghaznavi attacked the Somnath temple 17 times, and finally
ransacked it in 1024 AD. The chief deity of the temple is Lord Shiva. Ghaznavi
specifically targeted Hindu temples, since they were the centres of wealth,
economy and ideology for the Hindus.
Anas
Haqqani was a member of the Taliban's negotiation team in its political office
in Doha.
The
Haqqani Network and the Taliban came closer during the 1990s, and this time
too, the dreaded terror group is part of the government led by Taliban. In
fact, Sirajuddin Haqqani - a global terrorist - heads Afghanistan's interior
ministry.
It
is widely believed that Mullah Omar, the one-eyed founder of the Taliban, was
radicalised in Darul Uloom Haqqania in Pakistan's Khyber-Paktunkhwa province,
from which the Haqqani network derives its name.
The
Haqqani network is a jihad group incorporated in Pakistan with two of its
members, Sirajuddin Haqqani, deputy leader of Taliban, and Khalil Haqqani, the
Taliban emissary, carrying USD 15 million in reward on their head. The group is
linked to some of the most brazen attacks on Indian interests in Afghanistan.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
COVID-19
Plays Spoiler to Visit My Mosque Program Tour For Non-Muslims In India
Shuriah
Niazi
06.10.2021
NEW
DELHI
Although
communal tensions often hog the headlines from India, a Muslim organization has
been attempting to bridge the gap between religious communities by arranging a
tour of non-Muslims to mosques.
But
like other activities, COVID-19 related restrictions have halted the Visit My
Mosque Program as well, according to organizers.
Coinciding
annual Mosques and Religious Officials Week which is being observed in Turkey
from Oct. 1, the organizers Rahmat Group – a charitable trust in the southern
Indian city of Bangalore – told Anadolu Agency that last year they had managed
to bring several hundred non-Muslims to see Muslims praying at the city's
historic Modi Masjid.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency Vinay Sahai, a Hindu said that he got a chance for the first
time to see the mosque from the inside and learned what is happening there.
He
described it as a very good initiative since it allowed non-Muslims like him to
interact with the Muslim community. He said the program has also helped to
remove the negative stereotyping build around the community.
"It
was a new and different initiative," said Sahai, who had visited a mosque
in Bihar Sharif, the seat of the Nalanda district in the eastern state of
Bihar, last year.
“Our
initiative had received significant support from diverse communities as people
wanted to learn about Islam,” said Mohammed Suhaib Usmani Qasmi, an
office-bearer of Rahmat Group.
Afternoon
prayers were also shown to the participants in this half-day program so that
they could know about Muslim prayers.
“Practical
Islam was shown to the visitors as they were welcomed and taken inside,” he
stated and added that there was a separate area for women and that this
encouraged more ladies and families to visit the mosque.
Qasmi,
however, said that because of coronavirus restrictions, his organization has
been unable to organize such programs for the last one and a half years.
“People
frequently ask us questions, but the government has placed restrictions on
religious places, and we are not permitted to host such events,” he said.
-
Encouraging feedback
“No
one put a negative comment in a feedback form before leaving,” he asserted.
Last
year, a similar program was organized in India’s commercial capital Mumbai. The
tour was conducted by the socio-religious Muslim organization Jamaat-e-Islami
Hind (JIH).
“We
wanted people to see what Muslims do inside mosques directly. People learned
and experienced everything firsthand rather than being told about it, and they
recognized that a mosque is a good place where nothing improper is taught,”
Akhtarul Iman, president of JIH in Kalyan locality of Mumbai, told Anadolu
Agency.
He
believed that with such programs non-Muslims would gain an understanding of the
place of worship and remove misconceptions about Islam.
The
majority of those who took part in these activities stated in their feedback
that visiting the mosque made them feel peaceful and relaxed and that they
would like to return if they get the opportunity in the future.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Diplomat
in the UAE rescues baby bird for young Afghan refugee
06
October ,2021
The
Ambassador of France to the United Arab Emirates has revealed how he saved a
baby bird that a young girl fleeing the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan had
smuggled with her during rescue evacuation operations.
The
UAE helped more than 20,000 people who led Afghanistan in the wake of the
Taliban regaining control of their country and facilitated the evacuation to
countries around the world.
Among
those was a young girl, Alia, who was evacuated to Al Dhafra Air Base in the
UAE, wrote diplomat Xavier Chatel on Twitter.
In
her possessions when she arrived from her 1,800 kilometer journey from Kabul
was a tiny young bird.
“This
is a story I have been meaning to tell for a while,” the diplomat said. “During
the Afghan evacuation operation, a young girl arrived at Al Dhafra airbase,
exhausted, with an unusual possession; a bird. She has fought all the way at
Kabul airport to bring the treasured thing with her.”
However,
the diplomat said for sanitary reasons, the bird could not leave with the young
refugee as she embarked on her next plane to France, where she would be rehomed
with thousands of other Afghan refugees.
“She
cried silently. I was moved and I promised to take care of the bird and feed
him. I said she could visit him any time and take him back. I won’t forget her
look of gratefulness.”
The
diplomat said that during a fortnight at the base, he was only sleeping about
three hours each night, so intense was the evacuation of desperate Afghan
refugees.
However,
he still found time to feed the bird – which he named Juji – and managed to
take the small creature to the French embassy in the UAE.
“This
energetic little mynah managed to escape his box and make a big mess in the
car,” he wrote on social media, sharing a video which has since been viewed
thousands of times. “He hid behind the seat and wouldn’t budge. When I tried to
talk him into coming back, the fierce little fellow showed me that if he
survived the Kabul airport, I was no match.”
However,
the diplomat said he refused to give up on the promise he had made to the young
refugee.
“I
bought him a nice cage, fed him and took him out in the cool morning so he
could see other birds. He has a girlfriend now - a dove that visits him every
day.”
The
diplomat then began noticing the bird was trying to communicate.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lebanon
PM Mikati says family wealth legal in response to ‘Pandora Papers’
05
October ,2021
Lebanese
Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s family wealth comes from a communications
business that has been audited in the past and is legal, a statement by his
office said on Tuesday in response to a giant leak of financial documents.
A
Lebanese news organization, Daraj, was one of a number of international media
outlets that reported the “Pandora Papers”, a set of leaked documents purported
to reveal offshore transactions involving global political and business
figures.
Daraj
had said Mikati owned an offshore firm in Panama called Hessvile through which
he purchased a property in Monaco worth 7 million euros.
On
Tuesday, Mikati said owning property through firms was a common commercial
practice that was legal.
Mikati’s
family wealth was audited when his communications firm listed in London in 2005
and when it merged with South Africa’s MTN later, the statement said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraq’s
Iran-backed militias seek to consolidate political power in vote
05
October ,2021
Among
the candidates running in Iraq’s general elections this week is the leader of
one of the most hard-line and powerful militias with close ties to Iran who
once battled US troops.
Hussein
Muanis joins a long list of candidates from among Iran-backed Shiite factions
vying for parliament seats. But he is the first to be openly affiliated with
Kataib Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades, signaling the militant group’s formal
entry into politics.
The
group is on a US list of terrorist organizations and is accused by US officials
of targeting American forces in Iraq. Muanis himself was jailed by the
Americans for four years from 2008 to 2012 for fighting US troops.
“Our
entrance into politics is a religious obligation. I battled the occupiers
militarily and now I will battle them politically,” he said, speaking to The
Associated Press recently in his office in central Baghdad.
Muanis,
50, says he has given up his militia fatigues in favor of politics. He now
heads a political movement called “Harakat Huqooq,” or Rights Movement, which
is fielding 32 candidates and an electoral program stressing the departure of
US troops from Iraq.
The
Kataib Hezbollah group has been struck by US forces near the Iraq-Syria border
several times. In December 2019, the US carried out strikes targeting military
sites belonging to the group after blaming it for a rocket barrage that killed
a US defense contractor at a military compound near Kirkuk in northern Iraq.
Around 20 militiamen were killed.
Harakat
Huqooq’s campaign advertisements decorate the streets of Shiite dominated areas
in Baghdad and southern Iraq.
Iraq
is holding elections on Oct. 10, the fifth parliamentary vote since the US-led
invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, which shifted the
country’s power base from minority Arab Sunnis to majority Shiites. The vote
was brought forward by one year in response to mass protests that broke out in
late 2019 over endemic corruption, poor services and unemployment.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
is ready to solve dispute with Lebanon over sea border: Energy minister
05
October ,2021
Israel
is ready to renew efforts to solve its dispute with Lebanon over the
delineation of their territorial waters in the Mediterranean, but it will not
accept that Beirut dictates the terms of the negotiation, its energy minister
said on Tuesday.
The
talks mediated by the United States were launched a year ago to try to resolve
the dispute, which has held up exploration in the potentially gas-rich area.
The talks stalled in May.
US
special envoy Amos Hochstein is due in both countries this month to try to give
fresh impetus to the talks just as Lebanon has sought clarifications from the
international community after Israel granted US oilfield services group
Halliburton an offshore drilling contract.
“We
need to look for a solution that leads to a break through and not try to think
in the old ways of drawing lines,” Israel’s Karine Elharrar told Reuters in an
interview in Paris, adding that she would speak to Hochstein soon.
At
the end of talks in May, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said there should be no
preconditions. He rejected the US mediator’s suggestions asking for
negotiations to be on the basis of Israeli and Lebanese border lines already
submitted and registered with the United Nations.
“We
started (negotiations) by one line and then they (Lebanon) pushed the line.
Pushing and pushing the lines literally,” Elharrar said. “It’s not the way to
have a negotiation. They cannot dictate the lines.”
Earlier
talks stalled after each side presented contrasting maps outlining proposed
borders that actually increased the size of the disputed area.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE
issues Golden Visa to more than 500 doctors in Abu Dhabi
06
October ,2021
The
United Arab Emirates has issued more than 500 Golden Visas to doctors in the
capital Abu Dhabi, as part of “efforts to reinforce the emirate as an incubator
of talent and honor the achievements of residents working the healthcare
sector,” the Abu Dhabi Media Office (ADMO) reported Wednesday.
“The
doctors were nominated for their distinguished commitment, responsibility and
sacrifice to ensure the health and safety of the community,” ADMO said.
“Ensuring
doctors and their families enjoy long-term residency in the UAE and
highlighting the importance of the healthcare sector,” the media office added.
The
Department of Health in Abu Dhabi (DOH) held a virtual ceremony for the doctors
and healthcare professionals that were awarded the Golden Visa.
Golden
Visa
The
UAE’s Golden Visa is available in Abu Dhabi to global talent and investors. It
provides successful applicants with visas for up to 10 years, with holders
permitted to live, work and study in the emirate without the need of a national
sponsor, ADMO reported.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
UK
government officials hold talks with Taliban in Kabul
Muhammad
Mussa
05.10.2021
LONDON
UK
government officials on Tuesday traveled to Afghanistan for talks with the
interim Taliban government in Kabul.
Sir
Simon Gass, the UK prime minister’s high representative for Afghan transition,
and Martin Longed, the charge d’affaires of the UK mission to Afghanistan, met
with senior Taliban commanders and leaders and discussed an array of pertinent
matters.
“They
met senior members of the Taliban, including Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Mullah
Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, and Mawlawi Abdul-Salam Hanafi,” a government
spokesperson said in a statement.
The
pair talked about how the UK could be of assistance in addressing the
humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, the essentiality of the country
not becoming a hotbed and launch pad of terrorism, and the continued need of
safe passage for those Afghans looking to leave the country.
“The
government continues to do all it can to ensure safe passage for those who wish
to leave, and is committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan,” the
statement added.
The
government representatives also discussed the issue of the treatment of
minorities and the rights of women and girls.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Diplomacy
is best way to rein in Iran's nuclear program: Biden's adviser
06
October ,2021
President
Joe Biden’s national security adviser told his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday
that diplomacy is the best way to rein in Iran’s nuclear program even as he
reaffirmed Biden’s warning to Tehran that Washington could turn to other options
if negotiations fail.
Biden
senior aide Jake Sullivan hosted Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata
for talks which, according to a US official, gave the two allies a chance to
share intelligence and develop a “baseline assessment” of how far Tehran’s
nuclear program has advanced.
Under
a 2015 deal, Iran curbed its uranium enrichment program, a possible pathway to
nuclear arms, in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. Then-US
President Donald Trump quit the deal in 2018 and the Israeli government opposes
US efforts to revive it.
US
experts believe the time it would take Iran to achieve nuclear “breakout” -
enough enriched uranium to build a nuclear bomb - has “gone from about 12
months down to a period of about a few months” since Trump pulled out of the
pact, the US official said earlier, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Iran,
Israel’s regional arch-foe, has consistently denied it is developing a nuclear
bomb.
Sullivan
in Tuesday’s talks “emphasized President Biden’s fundamental commitment to
Israel’s security and to ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” the
White House said in a statement.
“Mr.
Sullivan explained that this administration believes diplomacy is the best path
to achieve that goal, while also noting that the president has made clear that
if diplomacy fails, the US is prepared to turn to other options,” it added.
Sullivan’s
words echoed the message that Biden gave Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett
during a White House meeting in August.
Tuesday’s
meeting of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group included military,
intelligence and diplomatic officials and came amid stalled international
diplomacy with Iran.
Western
powers have been trying for weeks to get Tehran to commit to resume indirect
negotiations with the US in Vienna. The talks have been on hold since June,
after hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi was elected Iran’s president, and Tehran
has been vague about when it might return to the table.
US
officials have declined to specify what actions are under consideration if
diplomacy with Iran collapses.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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A
first for US military: War in Afghanistan ended with zero MIAs
Oct
6, 2021
When
the last US military cargo jet flew out of Afghanistan in August, marking the
end of the US’ longest war, it also signalled a largely overlooked
accomplishment. For the first time in the nation’s history, a major conflict
was ending without the US military leaving any troops behind: no one missing in
action behind enemy lines, and no nameless, unidentified bones to be solemnly
interred in the Tomb of the Unknowns.
It
is a stunning change from previous wars that ended with thousands of troops
forever lost, their families left to wonder what had happened to them.
Christopher
Vanek, a retired colonel who commanded the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, spent a
combined 6 1/2 years deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, and took part in a number
of high-profile searchand-rescue operations. He said rescues became the
priority. Even for low-ranking troops with little strategic importance, he
said, the military spared no effort to find the missing.
When
two navy sailors were missing in 2010 in Logar province, south of Kabul, “all
combat operations came to a screeching halt,” Vanek recalled. “We had 150
aircraft working on trying to find them. We refocused our entire effort from
fighting and killing al-Qaida to recovering these men.” The bodies of both
sailors were located and retrieved several days later.
There
are several reasons no one was left behind this time. In Afghanistan, combat
smoldered more often than it blazed, and lacked the large-scale chaos that led
to many losses in the past. Modern DNA analysis can identify any service member
from a sample of just a few shards of bone. And unlike the jungles of Vietnam
or the beaches of Tarawa Atoll, it was comparably difficult to lose sight of a
comrade in the dry, open terrain of Afghanistan.
But
the driving factor, experts say, is a military culture that has changed
considerably since the draft ended in the 1970s. That culture now makes the
recovery of troops — dead or alive — one of the military’s highest priorities.
“It has come to be seen as almost a sacred commitment from the nation to those
who serve,” Vanek said. “It’s hard to overstate the amount of resources that
were committed to look for someone who was lost.”
“Straight
rescues are hard as hell because the enemy holds all the cards,” said Jimmy
Hatch. World War II left 79,000 Americans unaccounted for. The Korean War,
another 8,000. Vietnam, 2,500 more. In Korea and Vietnam, rescue efforts were
few and many US troops wasted away in prison, facing torture. After Vietnam,
though, the nation’s attitude began to change, according to Mark Stephensen,
whose father was a fighter pilot who was shot down over Vietnam in 1967.
Source:
Times of India
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Europe
UK
government officials hold talks with Taliban in Kabul
Muhammad
Mussa
05.10.2021
LONDON
UK
government officials on Tuesday traveled to Afghanistan for talks with the
interim Taliban government in Kabul.
Sir
Simon Gass, the UK prime minister’s high representative for Afghan transition,
and Martin Longed, the charge d’affaires of the UK mission to Afghanistan, met
with senior Taliban commanders and leaders and discussed an array of pertinent
matters.
“They
met senior members of the Taliban, including Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Mullah
Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, and Mawlawi Abdul-Salam Hanafi,” a government
spokesperson said in a statement.
The
pair talked about how the UK could be of assistance in addressing the
humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, the essentiality of the country
not becoming a hotbed and launch pad of terrorism, and the continued need of
safe passage for those Afghans looking to leave the country.
“The
government continues to do all it can to ensure safe passage for those who wish
to leave, and is committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan,” the
statement added.
The
government representatives also discussed the issue of the treatment of
minorities and the rights of women and girls.
In
August, the Taliban retook Afghanistan in a lightning offensive that saw the
Afghan government and its 300,000 strong NATO-trained militaries collapsed in
less than two weeks. The armed movement, however, said that Afghanistan would
no longer play host to foreign groups.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Greece
should not be provoked by others against Turkey: Turkish defence minister
Sarp
Ozer
06.10.2021
Greece
should not be provoked by others against Turkey, Turkish Defense Minister
Hulusi Akar said Tuesday.
Underlining
that Turkey has always believed in a peaceful solution in compliance with
international law and good neighbor relations, he noted that Ankara favors
dialogue with Athens.
Akar
made the remarks while speaking to the press following a meeting with Georgian
Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze and Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir
Hasanov.
Referring
to a recent incident in which the Greek research vessel Nautical Geo was
intercepted while trying to violate the Turkish continental shelf, Akar
stressed that Greece continues to engage in provocations and violations despite
Turkey’s warnings.
Although
Turkey favors dialogue and a peaceful solution, it will not allow its rights
and those of Turkish Cypriots to be violated, he said, noting that any fait
accompli would not be tolerated by Turkey.
Also
commenting on recent big-ticket arms purchases by Greece, Akar reiterated that
Greece should not allow some countries to provoke it against Turkey, noting
that such actions would not benefit Greece.
Turkey
has never been a threat to any party but on the contrary always a credible,
strong and efficient ally, Akar concluded.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Georgian,
Turkish, Azerbaijani defence chiefs agree to improve cooperation
Ruslan
Rehimov, David Kachkachishvili, and Sarp Ozer
05.10.2021
Georgian,
Turkish, and Azerbaijani defense ministers on Tuesday underlined the
significance of trilateral cooperation in regional security, peace, and
stability.
The
cooperation in the field of defense among the three countries is of crucial
importance for the stability of the whole region, said Juansher Burchuladze in
a news conference following the 8th Georgia-Turkey-Azerbaijan Defense Ministers
Meeting with Hulusi Akar and Zakir Hasanov in the Georgian capital Tbilisi.
At
the end of the meeting, the defense chiefs inked the Trilateral Meeting Final
Statement which mainly focuses on further improving cooperation among the three
countries.
Referring
to the geostrategic importance of the region, Burchuladze said he believes that
the only possible alternative to solve the present disputes is through peace,
and added that the aim is to preserve and maintain security and stability of
the region through joint efforts.
He
emphasized the significance of trilateral and multinational military drills,
recalling the drill participated by Azerbaijani and Turkish soldiers,
Indestructible Brotherhood 2021, currently taking place in Georgia.
The
training of the Indestructible Brotherhood 2021 exercise to be held in
Nakhchivan with the participation of Azerbaijan has been carried out
successfully, Turkey's National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
Noting
that another drill is soon to be held in his country, Burchuladze said Turkey
and Azerbaijan are also invited to participate in the exercise and added that
the friendship and unity will last among the three countries.
On
his part, Hasanov said the meeting with his Turkish and Georgian counterparts
is a clear example of the strategic-level trilateral dialogue.
The
ways to improve the relations among the three neighboring and friendly
countries through bilateral and trilateral ways were discussed during the
meeting, he added.
They
also discussed that the terrorist and separatist activities in the region pose
a direct threat to the peace, stability, and economic development, as well as
the security of international activities, Hasanov said.
He
noted the importance of solving conflicts through the principles of international
law, especially in line with the UN, Organization for Security and Co-operation
in Europe, and European Council decisions, based on respect towards territorial
integrity and internationally recognized borders.
Hasanov
underlined that the trilateral activities of Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan
should be considered a peaceful message for the preservation of stability, and
voiced agreement on the decision to carry out more joint military drills to
reach reconciliation among the military troops.
Akar
and Burchuladze met ahead of the meeting in the Telavi province. During the
meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation in the fields of defense and
security.
During
the meeting, Akar said Turkey and Georgia are two strategic partner countries
with common geographical, historical, and cultural ties.
Akar
stressed the need to further increase cooperation in the fields of military
education and the defense industry.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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South Asia
Afghanistan
to start issuing passports again after months of delays
October
6, 2021
KABUL:
Afghanistan will start issuing passports to its citizens again, a senior
official said on Tuesday, following months of delays that hampered attempts by
those trying to flee the country after the Taliban seized control in August.
The
process, which had slowed even before the Taliban’s return to power following
the withdrawal of US forces, will provide applicants with documents physically
identical to those issued by the previous government, the official said.
Alam
Gul Haqqani, the acting head of the passport office, said between 5,000 and
6,000 passports would be issued each day, with women being employed to process
those meant for female citizens.
“No
male employee has the right to perform a biometric (check) or other passport
work on a woman,” he told reporters in Kabul, the capital.
Interior
ministry spokesman Qari Sayeed Khosti told the briefing that 25,000 applicants
had reached the final stage of paying for passports, with roughly 100,000
applications in the earlier stages of the process pending.
Outside
the passport office in Kabul, a resident, Najia Aman, said she was relieved it
was open again, so that a member of her family could get a document to travel
abroad for medical treatment.
“I
am very happy the passport office has been re-opened,” she said. “We faced a
lot of problems and we could not get a passport to go to Pakistan for his
treatment.”
Women’s
soccer team
Members
of the Afghan women’s soccer team are uncertain about their future after
evacuation to Australia following the Taliban takeover, captain Shabnam Mobarez
said on Tuesday.
Australia
evacuated more than 50 Afghan women soccer players, athletes and their
dependents after the Taliban seized control of the capital, Kabul, on Aug 15.
Mobarez,
who lives in the United States, said the evacuated Afghan players were
receiving good care in Australia, but were still confused about their future.
“It
is very unsure, the situation they are in right now,” Mobarez told Sky Sports.
“It
was a traumatising experience getting out. Now they are trying to get used to
this whole normal new life.
Source:
Dawn
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From
insurgency to city beat: Taliban police learn the ropes
October
6, 2021
KABUL:
After spending 13 years as a Taliban fighter waging an insurgency, Rahimullah
is now slowly adjusting to the relatively ordinary role of a policeman in
Afghanistan’s capital.
Like
the rest of the Taliban, he is grappling with an awkward transition from rebel
fighter to civilian patrolman, as the hardliners vow security and build a new
police force.
Kabul
residents say street crime has dropped, with widespread fear rooted in memories
of the Taliban’s brutal regime in the 1990s, infamous for harsh punishments
such as public stoning, lashing and amputations.
“This
is not risky work,” says Rahimullah, who joined the Taliban as a teenager “for
Islam and for my country”.
The
28-year-old from neighbouring Wardak province, along with his team of eight
men, has the task of managing security in a central Kabul district.
His
work involves “catching thieves, murderers and those who drink wine”, he tells
AFP, which was allowed to accompany a patrol overseen by a more senior Taliban
official.
Some
of his colleagues appear unsure of how to navigate their new role in a city far
from their previous lives in the much more conservative countryside.
“It’s
not our favourite job, but it’s our responsibility,” admits the Taliban
commander overseeing the patrol.
Instead
of the jackets and trousers formerly worn by officers, many Taliban forces don
traditional Afghan dress, called shalwar kameez.
Some
have had new versions made from the blue-and-black camouflage material used in
old Afghan uniforms.
At
one station, in Kabul’s 10th district, the emblem of the previous police force
can still be seen, near the Taliban’s white and black banner.
Taliban
punishments have already been on display in some parts of Afghanistan – last
week, the bodies of four suspected kidnappers were hung from a crane in the
city of Herat.
Challenging
transition
The
old police force, created by the international powers that drove out the
Taliban in 2001, no longer exists.
It
collapsed when the Taliban swept back into power on Aug 15, as former policemen
and civil servants fearful of revenge and abuse scurried into hiding or fled
the country.
The
Taliban authorities are eager to keep their promise of strict law and order in
the new Afghanistan, where the justice system under the US-backed government
was plagued by corruption and inefficiency.
“There
is a training programme underway, and there will be professionals at all
levels,” said interior ministry spokesman Qari Sayed Khosti, who has invited
former to return.
The
new force already counts about 4,000 men in the capital, says Kabul police
spokesman Afez Sirajuddin Omeri, insisting the city is far safer than before.
“Under
the previous government, there were 300 to 400 crimes reported each day. Now in
total they report around 15 a day,” said Omeri as he drove a dusty old Toyota
Corolla through the city, his car radio playing religious songs.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Taliban
introduces 38 new members in caretaker govt
Oct
6, 2021
KABUL:
Taliban on Monday announced 38 new members of its caretaker government of
Afghanistan, in civil and military positions.
The
new appointments include a Political Deputy for the Prime Minister, acting
Minister for the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, deputy ministers and
commanders of corps.
The
names of Afghanistan's military corps have changed from 209 Shaheen Corps to
"Mazar corps" in the new list.
"We
hope the new army can defend Afghanistan's territorial integrity and respond to
any possible movements by enemies and forces opposed to the current
government," said Mohammad Sadeq Shinwari, a former military figure,
TOLOnews reported.
The
names of some key members of the caretaker cabinet include Political Deputy for
Prime Minister- Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, acting Minister for the Ministry of
Martyrs and Disabled Affairs- Mullah Abdul Majid, the head of Afghan Red
Crescent Society- Mawlawi Muti-ul Haq, Deputy Head of the Red Crescent Society-
Mawlawi Nooruddin Turabi, the Commander of Kandahar Corps- Mullah Mehrullah
Hemad, the Commander of Kabul Corps- Mawlawi Hamdullah, the Commander of Mazar
Corps- Mawlawi Attaullah Omari, TOLOnews reported.
Source:
Times of India
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Prices
soar at opium market in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
Oct
6, 2021
HOWZ-E-MADAD:
While the economy teeters on the brink of collapse, vendors at an opium market
in southern Afghanistan say prices for their goods have skyrocketed since the
Taliban takeover.
Plunging
his knife into a large plastic bag filled with four kilograms (nine pounds) of
what looks like brown mud, Amanullah, who asked to use a fake name, extracts a
lump and places it in a small cup suspended over a primus flame.
The
poppy resin quickly begins to boil and liquify, and he and his partner Mohammad
Masoom can display to buyers that their opium is pure.
"It
is haram (forbidden) in Islam, but we don't have any other choice," Masoom
says, at the market on the arid plains of Howz-e-Madad, in Kandahar province.
Since
the Taliban overran Kabul on August 15, the price for opium -- which is
transformed into heroin either in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran before flooding
the European market -- has more than tripled.
Masoom
said smugglers are now paying him 17,500 Pakistani rupees ($100, 90 euros) per
kilogram. In Europe, it has a street value of over $50 a gram.
As
he sat beneath a canvas suspended from four stakes to protect the precious
wares from the burning sun, he said the price prior to the Taliban takeover
stood at just a third of what he can make today.
Speaking
to AFP on his field a few kilometres away, poppy farmer Zekria confirms that
prices have skyrocketed.
He
says his opium is more concentrated -- and therefore of better quality -- than
Masoom and Amanullah's because the flowers were picked at the start of the
harvesting season.
He
says he now gets over 25,000 PKR per kilo, up from 7,500 before the Taliban's
takeover.
Back
at the market, hundreds of producers, vendors and buyers chat over green tea
around sacks of opium and hashish, discussing the soaring prices.
The
weather, insecurity, political unrest and border closures can all affect the
ever-fluctuating opium price, but everyone seems to agree that it was a single
statement by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid last month that made the
prices take off.
At
the time, he told the world the Taliban did not want to see "any narcotics
produced" -- but added that international backing was needed to allow
farmers to shift away from the trade.
The
rumour that a ban on poppy-growing was imminent spread through the province, a
historical Taliban stronghold and the centre of the country's opium production
and drug trafficking.
Buyers
are bracing for a looming shortage, "so the opium price is soaring,"
said Zekria, who also used a pseudonym to avoid retribution.
But
the 40-year-old, who like his father and grandfather has spent much of his life
growing poppies, said he did not believe the Taliban "can eradicate all
poppy (farming) in Afghanistan".
In
2000, during the hardliners' last stint in power, the Taliban banned poppy
growing, declaring it forbidden under Islam, and virtually eradicated the crop.
After
the US-led ouster of the Taliban in 2001, poppy farming again proliferated,
even as the West poured millions of dollars into pushing alternatives, such as
saffron.
Then,
with the Taliban switching from ruling Afghanistan to insurgency against US-led
forces, they relied on opium production to finance their rebellion.
In
2016, half of their revenue came from the trade, according to the United
Nations.
Afghanistan's
opium production has since remained high year after year, producing about 6,300
tonnes last year alone, the UN says.
Source:
Times of India
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Taliban
unlawfully killed 13 Hazaras, says rights group
Oct
6, 2021
KABUL:
Taliban forces unlawfully killed 13 ethnic Hazaras, most of them Afghan
soldiers who had surrendered to the insurgents, a rights group said on Tuesday.
The
killings took place in the village of Kahor in Daykundi province in central
Afghanistan on August 30, according to an investigation by Amnesty
International. Eleven of the victims were members of the Afghan national
security forces and two were civilians, among them a 17-year-old girl. The
reported killings took place about two weeks after the Taliban took control of
Afghanistan in a blitz campaign, culminating in their takeover of Kabul.
Source:
Times of India
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Kabul
gurdwara ransacked in broad daylight, guards tethered
Oct
5, 2021
AMRITSAR:
A group of 15-17 unidentified people barged into Gurdwara Karte Parwan in the
Afghan capital Kabul in broad daylight on Tuesday, ransacked the holy
structure, tethered guards and left after breaking the CCTV cameras installed
there.
President
of Gurdwara Karte Parwan Gurnam Singh informed TOI over phone from Kabul on
Tuesday that the group barged into the gurdwara around 3.15 pm. “They tied the
guards and demanded to hand over their vehicle, but then they left after some
time, not before breaking the CCTV cameras,” he said.
While
denying that anyone in the gurdwara knew them, Singh said there were around six
to eight Sikhs there at the time of the incident.
“We
have demanded justice from the Taliban regime. Two police teams have visited
the gurdwara and took stock of the situation,” Singh said, adding that the
Talibani police tried to recover the recordings from the damaged CCTV cameras.
In
the past, Talibani representatives had visited Gurdwara Karte Parwan twice and
had assured the minority Sikh community of safety. They have also shared their
contact numbers in case of any emergency.
Source:
Times of India
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UK
envoy holds Kabul talks with Taliban leaders: Officials
Oct
5, 2021
KABUL:
A British envoy held talks with senior members of Afghanistan's new Taliban
government in Kabul on Tuesday, officials from both governments said.
Simon
Gass, the UK's representative for Afghan transition, spoke to deputy prime
ministers Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi, the British foreign
office said.
Source:
Times of India
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Taliban
captures 11 IS-affiliated terrorists in Kabul
Oct
5, 2021
KABUL:
The Taliban on Tuesday captured 11 terrorists affiliated with Islamic State
(IS) group in Kabul, Afghanistan, said a spokesperson for the Interior
Ministry, Qari Sayed Khosti.
The
Taliban on Monday captured IS operatives from the Bagh-e-Daud area, Xinhua
reported.
The
arrests happened after a bomb blast in Kabul on Sunday.
Source:
Times of India
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India
Uttarakhand
Govt Accused of Targeting Muslims as It Flags ‘Rising Numbers of a Community’
Ahead Of the State Assembly Elections In 2022
PRITHVIRAJ
SINGH
5
October, 2021
Dehradun:
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttarakhand has asked local authorities
in the state to identify areas that are witnessing a spurt in the population of
a certain “community”, leading to Opposition allegations that it is fuelling
Hindu-Muslim tensions ahead of the state assembly elections in 2022.
The
government order comes in the backdrop of complaints by members of the BJP over
an alleged rise in the state’s Muslim population and illegal construction of
mosques.
In
an order issued on 24 September, the state home department directed district
magistrates and SSPs to identify outsiders living in the state, and set up
committees to resolve “communal issues” that have allegedly arisen with the
“rise in population of a community”.
“DGP,
district magistrates and SSPs have been directed to identify and prepare lists
of persons from other states living in Uttarakhand and have criminal history. A
complete record of their business activities and verified domicile residential
areas must be prepared. A district-level committee should be constituted to
suggest measures for resolving communal issues arising out of the rise in
population of a community,” the order stated.
The
Pushkar Singh Dhami government has also asked district authorities to track the
“illegal sale and purchase of lands” in the areas allegedly witnessing the rise
in population.
“It
has to be seen that people should not sell their properties under pressure or
in fear. Details of the foreigners living in these districts, who have obtained
Indian voter and other identity cards, must be prepared and legal action be
initiated,” noted the order.
A
statement by the state government, on 24 September, also seemed to make a
veiled reference to an alleged rise in Muslims’ population, and raised concerns
about the possible migration of Hindus from the state.
“Some
areas in Uttarakhand have witnessed demographic shifts due to excessive
population growth. Its fallout is manifested as migration of members of a
particular community from their homelands,” the statement, issued by the state
home department, said. “Apart from this there is every possibility of rise in
communal discord in these areas under present circumstances,” it added.
Reached
for comment, Anand Bardhan, the CM’s additional chief secretary and head of the
home department, told ThePrint, “DGP, district magistrates and all 13 SSPs have
been informed about the concerns of the state government resulting from rising
population in select areas as stated in the order. They have been asked to
remain alert and take appropriate actions in accordance with the directions in
the letter.”
“It’s
a continuous process that requires enforcement agencies to be on alert mode and
provide feedback to the government. Prior to this, the DGP was also asked to
provide opinions on some specific complaints received by the chief minister,”
he said, adding the government also wants to prevent “criminal elements taking
refuge in Uttarakhand”.
‘Illegal
mosques have been constructed’
Over
the past few weeks, the state government has received complaints about an
alleged rise in the Muslim population.
Darshan
Bharti, a Right-wing activist who heads the NGO Uttarakhand Raksha Abhiyan,
said “several locations in hill areas are witnessing a shift in demography.
Illegal mosques have been constructed on government lands”.
Bharti
had written a letter to CM Dhami on the issue on 23 July.
“I
started a fast-unto-death against ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’ witnessed in
Uttarakhand and called it off after the chief minister promised to take steps.
The Dhami government’s decision is a welcome step but it must be buttressed by
appropriate action on the ground.”
Ajendra
Ajay, a senior BJP leader and former media adviser to the Uttarakhand
government, also wrote to the chief minister in August asking him to curb
“illegal construction of mosques” in the state.
“There
are several areas in Uttarakhand, especially in the hill areas, where there is
demographic instability and illegal construction of mosques. Villages in
Pithoragarh district along Nepal border have a few such examples,” Ajay told
ThePrint.
“Recently,
the district administration dismantled a mosque constructed illegally in Tehri.
The government must enact a law to discourage bulk purchase of land by those
coming from other states. This is important also as Uttarakhand shares two
international borders,” he added.
Last
month, the Dhami government posed a query to Director General of Police (DGP)
Ashok Kumar, seeking his opinion on the purported demographic shift.
“There
is a demand for a separate strict law restricting land purchase in hilly areas.
It is being looked into after the home department’s directive to the DGP
seeking his opinion was circulated to the divisions and officials concerned in
the state police and administration,” a senior official from the state police’s
intelligence wing told ThePrint.
The
official, however, refused to name the areas that the state government is
specifically looking into.
‘BJP
government trying to communalise population issue’
In
light of the order, the Congress has accused the BJP government of fueling
Hindu-Muslim polarisation and targeting a particular community ahead of next
year’s assembly elections.
Source:
The Print
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Mumbai:
Mosques, dargahs to reopen with ‘halal’ sanitiser
Oct
6, 2021
MUMBAI:
With places of worship reopening on Thursday, the city’s mosques as well as
iconic Sufi shrines like Haji Ali and Mahim dargah are making their own
preparations, which includes arranging for halal (non-alcoholic) sanitisers for
worshippers.
Islam
prohibits the use of alcohol. The halal sanitisers used by these shrines will
instead contain hydrogen peroxide and colloidal silver.
“We
will ensure that the SOPs issued by the government are complied with. We will
also keep halal or non-alcoholic sanitisers for devotees,” said Sohail
Khandwani, managing trustee of Mahim dargah and trustee of Haji Ali dargah.
He
added that no devotee will be permitted inside the shrines without face masks,
and social distancing will be maintained strictly. Both at Haji Ali and Mahim
dargahs, separate queues for men and women will be formed for better crowd
management.
Shoeb
Khatib, president of Juma Masjid of Bombay Trust, which manages both Juma
Masjid near Crawford Market and Bada Kabrastan at Marine Lines, said that a
full-body disinfection machine is being installed at the iconic mosque’s
entrance. “Nobody will be allowed to enter the mosque without getting sanitised
completely. We will follow all the protocols that the government has issued,”
he said.
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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BJP
got power by pitting Hindus against Muslims: Lalu
October
05, 2021
Rashtriya
Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday launched a vitriolic attack on the
BJP, which he accused of pitting Hindus against Muslims (Ram aur Rahim ke
bande), and likened it to a beast that has "tasted blood".
Addressing
party workers here through video conferencing, Prasad, who has been in Delhi
since his release from jail a few months ago, also expressed "strong
condemnation" for the incidents in Lakhimpur Kheri district of BJP-ruled
Uttar Pradesh, where a car allegedly belonging to son of a Union minister
ploughed into a crowd of agitating farmers.
The
former Union minister, who had been an MP for many terms before getting barred
from contesting elections in 2013, also lamented the lack of unity in the
opposition and asserted that the BJP could be defeated if all parties opposed
to it could keep their flock together.
Prasad,
who had to step down as the Bihar chief minister in 1997 because of the
charge-sheet filed against him the fodder scam, also predicted an "early
fall" of the Nitish Kumar government, which returned to power in the assembly
elections last year.
The
outspoken OBC leader, a mascot of pro-Mandal politics, also expressed outrage
over the Centre submitting before the Supreme Court that it would not be able
to enumerate the numerically powerful social group despite Prime Minister
Narendra Modi having hinted otherwise during a meeting with an all-party
delegation from Bihar, headed by Kumar and including Prasad's son and heir
apparent Tejashwi Yadav. He claimed that the BJP has looked down upon
affirmative action and declared, "We will fight and see to it that caste
census is undertaken and policies are formulated taking population of different
castes into account".
The
septuagenarian also appeared to place a lid on the controversy triggered by the
declamation of his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav that the RJD supremo was being
"held captive in Delhi and prevented from visiting Bihar", remarks
which were seen as the mercurial leader's outbursts aimed at his younger, but
more powerful, sibling Tejashwi. Prasad told the gathering in Patna, where
Tejashwi was present, "I will soon come to Bihar.
Almost
every day I keep asking my doctor here when can I go. I suffer from a serious
kidney problem and have been advised to keep my daily intake of water limited
to one litre. But my health is improving and I look forward to being with you
soon". "The country is reeling under joblessness and soaring prices.
But the BJP has no interest in resolving these problems. It has tasted blood,
(munh khoon lag gaya hai) having come to power by pitting the followers of Ram
and Rahim against each other," said Prasad. He also reaffirmed his
commitment to secularism, reminding the people of the arrest of BJP leader L K
Advani when the Ram Rath Yatra was crossing through the state.
Prasad,
whose party recently snubbed the Congress, its ally in Bihar, by fielding its
candidates from both by-poll bound assembly seats despite the latter wishing to
contest one of these, also made a snide remark about the "high command
culture" prevailing in the national party contrasting it with his style of
functioning. "During elections, candidates of other parties including
Congress used to wait for clearance from high command for their tickets getting
finalised. I used to put my signature sitting under a tree," said the RJD
supremo, known for his earthy mannerisms.
Source:
The Week
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
FB
whistle-blower’s complaint details importance of Indian polls, hate speech
By
Vishal Mathur
Oct
06, 2021
Whistle-blower
Frances Haugen has submitted internal documents with her complaint to the US
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) referencing allegedly fear-mongering
and dehumanising content promoted by Facebook accounts purportedly believed to
be either run by or associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the
ideological fountainhead of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“RSS
(Indian nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamswvak Sangh) Users, Groups,
and Pages promote fear-mongering, anti-Muslim narratives targeted pro-Hindu
populations with V&I (violence and inciting) intent...,” says the complaint
filed with the SEC.
HT
has reached out to the BJP and RSS for their comments. The copy will be updated
once they respond.
On
Tuesday, Haugen, a former Facebook employee, appeared before a US Senate
Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection.
Facebook
is defending allegations that the company has long ignored teenage safety on
its platforms, particularly Instagram, resolving conflicts in favour of
profits. Facebook has been accused of hiding internal research about how
Instagram’s algorithms were negatively impacting young users’ mental health and
other important information.
An
“Adversarial Harmful Networks – India Case Study” document that has been filed
with the complaint cites “political considerations”, the categorisation of
India in “Tier 0” alongside the US and Brazil when it comes to what the company
calls “Top 3 Political Priorities” and the company’s internal awareness about
the issue of content against a particular religion in India.
Only
0.2% of the reported hate speech is taken down by automated checks, according
to internal assessment. Then there is the known problem of the lack of language
classifiers, which will be able to check for translations as well. The complaint
says that Facebook’s internal records show how this problem of lack of Hindi
and Bengali classifiers meant much of the reported content, particularly the
anti-Muslim narrative, was never dealt with or flagged by the systems either.
Facebook
has over 340 million users in India, which makes for a large demographic of its
2.89 billion monthly active users globally.
Classifiers
are automated systems and algorithms that are designed to detect hate speech in
content on Facebook.
Facebook
has maintained it is detecting and eliminating more and more hate speech than
ever before. In 2019, it claimed that hate speech detection algorithms on the
platform supported four Indian languages—Hindi, Bengali, Urdu, and Tamil.
Yet,
Haugen has claimed that Bengali classifiers are unavailable to monitor content
in India.
Haugen’s
complaint highlights the categorisation India gets alongside the US
presidential elections as well as the elections in Brazil. In 2020, the “Top 3
Policy Priorities” for Facebook are referenced as “Tier O includes Brazil,
India, United States” while Tier 1 includes Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Israel,
and Italy. What exactly the prioritisation to Tier 0 means in terms of
Facebook’s investment in India remains anyone’s guess.
Facebook
has faced allegations of inaction against content posted by certain groups in
India. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) last year cited an internal report and
said it termed Hindu nationalistic group Bajrang Dal a “dangerous”
organisation. But the company did not act on the report because of financial
and safety concerns. WSJ reported that Facebook “balked at removing the group”
because its security team warned that action against Bajrang Dal “might
endanger both the company’s business prospects and its staff in India”. No
decision was eventually taken on the issue.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Israeli
minister says UAE should train Palestinian imams on 'moderation'
05
October, 2021
The
Israeli interior minister has suggested to her Emirati counterpart that
Palestinian-Israeli imams could be trained in the UAE on "religious
moderation", according to media reports.
Israeli
Minister Ayelet Shaked made her first official visit to the UAE where she met
her counterpart Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on the sidelines of the Dubai
Expo 2020 on Monday.
The
meeting comes ahead of an agreement to cancel entry visa requirements for both
states' citizens.
Shaked
reportedly suggested that Palestinian imams in Israel could be trained and
educated in the UAE on "religious moderation, tolerance, and combating
violence", Israel Hayom newspaper reported.
The
Israeli interior ministry oversees the appointment of around 300 imams who are
Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The
minister also reportedly highlighted the importance of a strategic relationship
between the two countries, as she invited Al-Nahyan to visit Israel in November
to participate in a "joint interfaith prayer".
The
ministers also discussed initiatives to enhance cooperation between Israel and
the UAE, which include interfaith projects.
The
UAE shocked the Arab world by agreeing on a normalisation deal with Israel last
year and has sought to portray itself as a moderating power in the region.
"I
experienced today what true peace is. The administration has gone out of its
way to make it clear that a real partnership has been forged between the
countries. I see great importance in strengthening the strategic relationship
between Israel and the United Arab Emirates," said Shaked, according to
Israel Hayom.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/israeli-minister-says-uae-should-train-palestinian-imams
--------
Gaza
sculptor exhibits disembodied limbs, inspired by Palestinian amputees’ loss
05
October ,2021
Palestinian
artist Khaled Hussein’s sculptures of human limbs are on display in a Gaza
exhibition he calls “I Miss You Very Much,” inspired by the loss felt by
amputees, including victims of the conflict with Israel.
“There’s
a great number of amputees everywhere. It has become a phenomenon, so I wanted
to work on this issue and reflect it artistically,” Hussein, 46, told Reuters.
The
International Committee of the Red Cross said in 2019 there were at least 1,600
amputees among Gaza’s population of two million people. Assalama Charitable
Society, which cares for wounded and disabled people, said 532 Gazans had lost
limbs in the conflict.
Seven
of Hussein’s sculptures of limbs went on display this month in a Gaza art
gallery. The life-sized sculptures are made from clay and then cast in other
materials such as bronze or concrete, and create a haunting image in the small
gallery space.
One
shows two legs standing side by side, the big toe of one curled gently over the
other foot. Another shows a naked foot poking out from under a rug lain over a
calf.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Al-Aqsa:
Dozens of Israeli settlers storm mosque after Jewish holidays
5
October 2021
Dozens
of Israeli settlers stormed al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem's Old
City on Tuesday, in a move seen as "provocative" by Palestinians.
Local
media reported that 70 or so settlers entered al-Aqsa through the Moroccan Gate
on the western side of the compound, which the Israeli authorities have
controlled since the beginning of the occupation of East Jerusalem and the West
Bank in 1967.
Jerusalem's
Islamic Waqf has repeatedly described the settlers' tours as
"provocative" and said that Palestinian worshippers and guards at al-Aqsa
Mosque feel uncomfortable with the presence of Israeli police and settlers at
the Muslim holy site.
In
September, almost 6,117 Israeli settlers broke into the compound during the
Jewish holidays of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, according to a monitoring
report by Palestinian National Agency (Wafa).
Despite
a longstanding joint agreement between Israel and Jordan, Israeli far-right
activists have repeatedly pushed for an increased Jewish presence at al-Aqsa.
Some
right-wing Israeli activists have advocated for the destruction of the al-Aqsa
Mosque complex to make way for a Third Temple.
But
others want to seize the eastern area of the complex, known as al-Rahmeh Gate,
to turn it into an exclusive Jewish praying site, accessed by an ancient gate in
the eastern wall of the Old City.
Palestinian
Muslims and Christians do not seek to pray in the Western Wall Plaza, the
holiest site in Judaism to the east of Al-Aqsa Mosque. Their access to the
site, however, has to go through a strict security check.
Under
attack
The
al-Aqsa Mosque was one of the flashpoints of the violence in May. Israeli
forces stormed the site in the month of Ramadan and assaulted Palestinian
worshippers, firing rubber-coated bullets and tear gas at them.
At
the height of the Covid-19 outbreak, in early 2020, the complex was closed
altogether for 69 days, finally reopening on 31 May. During the closure,
Israeli authorities still allowed settlers to tour and enter the site.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestine-israel-jerusalem-al-aqsa-settlers-storm-mosque
--------
Iranian
Sends More Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
2021-October-5
The
aid, which is the fifth shipment from the Islamic Republic of Iran, was
delivered to the officials of the interim Taliban government in the presence of
the charge d'affaires of the Iranian embassy at Kabul airport.
The
shipment contained food and medical commodities, which was donated by the
Iranian Red Crescent to the Afghan Red Crescent officials to be distributed
among people in need in the neighboring country,the Iranian Embassy in Kabul
said.
In
a relevant development in late September, Iran dispatched a plane carrying 21
tons of humanitarian food aid to Afghanistan.
According
to a recent survey by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), only five
percent of Afghans currently have access to three adequate quality meals a day.
“In
the last two weeks, about 50 percent of the Afghan people have been without at
least one meal,” said Arif Husain, the chief economist and director of the Food
Security Analysis and Trends Service at the WFP.
The
UN agency has already asked for $200 million in emergency aid to deliver food
to Afghanistan's vulnerable people before the winter season, Husain said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000713000395/Iranian-Sends-Mre-Hmaniarian-Aid-Afghanisan
--------
Russia,
US discuss reviving Iran nuclear deal
06
October ,2021
Russian
foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has discussed reviving Iran’s nuclear deal with
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russia’s foreign ministry said on
Wednesday.
Lavrov
was set to meet his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian later in the
day.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Quest
for more leverage drives Iran’s nuclear stalling tactic: Analysts
05
October ,2021
Western
powers have been trying for weeks to get Tehran’s answer to one question - when
will the Islamic Republic return to nuclear talks that have been on hold since
June. Iran’s response has been vague and simple: “soon.”
Behind
Tehran’s stalling is an attempt to gain leverage to extract more concessions
when negotiations do eventually resume, officials and analysts said, including
by advancing its uranium enrichment program, a possible pathway to a nuclear
bomb.
Iran
has long denied seeking to weaponize nuclear energy.
The
talks, which aim to bring both Washington and Tehran back into compliance with
a 2015 nuclear pact aimed at curbing the Iranian enrichment program, were
adjourned in June after hardliner cleric Ebrahim Raisi was elected Iran’s
president.
“Iran
will eventually return to the talks in Vienna. But we are in no rush to do so
because time is on our side. Our nuclear advances further every day,” a senior
Iranian official said on condition of anonymity.
Ali
Vaez, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group, said “more time
equals more leverage, given the exponential growth of Iran’s nuclear program.”
While
China and Russia, closer trading partners of Iran, are more restrained, Western
parties to the pact can scarcely conceal their frustration. The United States
and European powers have urged Iran to resume talks, saying the diplomatic
window would not stay open forever as Tehran’s nuclear program is advancing
well beyond the limits set by the 2015 pact.
The
nuclear agreement limited Iran’s uranium enrichment activity to make it harder
for Tehran to develop nuclear arms, in return for lifting international
sanctions.
But
former US President Donald Trump ditched the deal in 2018, saying it did not do
enough to curb Iran’s nuclear activities, ballistic missile program and
regional influence, and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.
In
response, Tehran breached the deal by rebuilding stockpiles of enriched
uranium, refining it to higher fissile purity and installing advanced
centrifuges to speed up output.
“They
(Iran) keep saying they are going to come back to the table. But when they say
soon ... it means absolutely nothing,” said a senior European diplomat.
“That
doesn’t mean we think they don’t want to come back, but we think they want
their cake and to eat it. They want to create a fait accompli on the ground -
technical and nuclear - and preserve the possibility of a negotiation.”
More
for less
Emboldened
by the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Iran’s rulers are confident
their stalling strategy will not bring serious repercussions, analysts said,
especially when US President Joe Biden is embroiled in a growing rivalry with
China and battling a COVID-19 crisis at home.
In
contrast, the Biden administration is signaling that Iran should take nothing
for granted.
Top
US officials will tell visiting Israeli counterparts in Washington on Tuesday
they are committed to diplomacy but would be prepared to pursue “other avenues”
to ensure Tehran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, a senior US official said.
Israel
says it will not allow Tehran to get a nuclear bomb.
The
man with ultimate authority in Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has
blamed the United States for the pause in the talks.
“Ayatollah
Khamenei seems to believe that by waiting, he can get a better deal from
Washington. That time is on his side,” said Meir Javedanfar, Iran lecturer at
Israel’s Reichman University.
Tehran
and Washington still disagree on which steps need to be taken and when, with
the key issues being what nuclear limits Tehran will accept and what sanctions
Washington will remove.
The
fact that indirect talks between Tehran and Washington paused after the
election of Raisi was a sign of Tehran’s plan “to press for major concessions”
from the United States, said a former Iranian official.
“The
establishment is also weighing different tactics to get more and give less in
return. It takes time to determine their strategy,” he said.
Naming
Ali Bagheri Kani, an ardent critic of the 2015 pact, to replace former
pragmatist chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi, signals Tehran will take an
uncompromising approach when the talks resume, Eurasia Group analyst Henry Rome
said.
Economic
risk
In
addition to seeking the lifting of Trump-era sanctions in a verifiable process,
Tehran also wants Washington to remove Iran’s Revolutionary Guards from a
terrorism blacklist. It also wants Europe to guarantee foreign investors will
return, and assurances that Washington will not renege on the deal again.
For
his part, Biden wants to restore the pact’s nuclear limits and, if possible,
extend them while pushing back against what he has called Iran’s other
destabilizing activities.
Sanam
Vakil, deputy director of Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Program,
said Iran would ‘win’ if it gained further concessions from Washington, but
should the deal collapse Iran’s rulers sense that they could survive through
“maximum resistance”, a reference to economic self-reliance.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Azerbaijan
shuts mosque linked to Iran supreme leader Khamenei
05
October ,2021
Azerbaijan
has closed a mosque linked to Iran’s supreme leader, Iran’s Tasnim news agency
reported Tuesday, days after Tehran launched war games near their shared border
in a move denounced by Baku.
“The
mosque and representative office of Seyyed Ali Akbar Ojaghnejad, representative
of supreme leader (Ayatollah) Ali Khamenei in Baku, were sealed and closed
today by order of the authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Tasnim said,
without giving further details.
Ojaghnejad
has held the post since 1996, according to the website of his office, which is
located inside the mosque.
Azerbaijan’s
interior ministry spokesman Eskhan Zahidov said in a statement that the move
was necessary because of “a surge in Covid-19 cases in several locations in
Baku” and that the mosque’s operation had been “suspended temporarily”.
Iran’s
embassy in Baku said in a statement on Tuesday evening that it had followed up
on the matter via diplomatic channels, adding that there had been no advanced
warning of the move.
Since
mid-September, tensions have soared between the two neighbors, who share a
700-kilometer (430-mile) border.
On
Friday, the Iranian army’s ground forces began maneuvers near the frontier, a
move criticized by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
“Every
country can carry out any military drill on its own territory. It’s their
sovereign right. But why now, and why on our border?” Aliyev had told Turkish
news agency Anadolu.
Iran
invoked its “sovereignty” to dismiss Azerbaijan’s concerns.
“Iran
will not tolerate the presence of the Zionist regime near our borders,” foreign
ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, alluding to Iran’s arch-foe Israel.
Israel
is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan, which last year won a six-week war with
neighbor Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan’s
foreign ministry spokeswoman Leyla Abdullayeva said Monday that Iran’s claims
were groundless.
“We
reject the allegations of any third party’s presence near the
Azerbaijani-Iranian border, such allegations are totally baseless,” she said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Azerbaijan
shuts down office of Khamenei’s representative in Baku: Iranian media
05
October ,2021
Azerbaijan
on Tuesday shut down the office of the representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader
Ali Khamenei in Baku, Iranian state media reported.
Azeri
authorities shut down the mosque and office of Ali-Akbar Ojaghnejad, the semi-official
Tasnim news agency said, without providing further details.
The
Iranian embassy in Baku later on Tuesday denied the closure of Ojaghnejad’s
office, saying that only a congregation hall affiliated with the office has
been closed due to COVID-19 related restrictions, Tasnim reported.
Tensions
between Tehran and Baku have risen over the past week.
Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev last week criticized Iran for holding military drills
near his country’s borders.
“Every
country can carry out any military drill on its own territory. It’s their
sovereign right. But why now, and why on our border?” Aliyev said in an
interview published Monday with Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency.
In
response, Iran said the drills near the border with Azerbaijan were a “question
of sovereignty.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
shares western military tech with China, cautions IAF chief
Oct
5, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Making it clear that there was nothing to fear from the Sino-Pak
partnership at the global or regional level, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air
Chief, Marshal VR Chaudhari on Tuesday cautioned the western countries against
providing weapon systems to Islamabad as it shares their military technology
with Beijing.
Addressing
his maiden Air Force Day press conference, the IAF chief also suggested that
the IAF had an edge over the Chinese Air Force as even though the People's
Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was building three bases very close to the
Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh, they would continue to remain weak in terms
of capability to launch multiple high altitude operations.
"There
was nothing to fear from this (partnership between Pakistan and China), the
only worry is about the western technology (given in aid to Pakistan by western
countries including US, Sweden and other European countries) passing from
Pakistan to China," Chaudhari said when asked about the possibility of a two-front
war and the ongoing collusion between the two adversaries at the multiple fora.
When
asked about the deployment of fighter aircraft by the Chinese side on their
side of the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, the IAF chief said the
disengagement process was on in the area but the Indian Air Force was fully
prepared and deployed there to deal with any eventuality.
Source:
Times of India
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--------
PM
Imran urges Bill Gates to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghan people
October
6, 2021
Prime
Minister Imran Khan has urged Microsoft co-founder and billionaire
philanthropist Bill Gates to consider providing humanitarian assistance to
poverty-stricken people in Afghanistan.
In
a telephonic conversation on Tuesday, the prime minister highlighted that more
than half the population in the war-torn country was living below the poverty
line and in dire need of financial assistance.
The
two leaders shared their concerns regarding the health system in Afghanistan —
the only other country in the world that is polio-endemic along with Pakistan,
according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Expressing
their resolve to eradicate the infectious disease from both countries, they
discussed the resumption of polio campaigns in Afghanistan to secure Pakistan's
recent gains in the elimination of the poliovirus.
**Read
more: Pakistan, Afghanistan will enhance cooperation to stop polio transmission
The
premier apprised Gates of Pakistan's "continued progress" against
polio eradication and appreciated the invaluable assistance provided by Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation in that regard.
He
added that the country had reported only one case of wild poliovirus (WPV) this
year and positive WPV environmental samples had decreased substantially.
He
stressed that his government remained committed to ending all forms of polio in
the country.
Source:
Dawn
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--------
Pakistan
court gives India more time to appoint lawyer in Kulbhushan Jadhav case
Oct
6, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad high court has given India more time to appoint a lawyer to
review the death sentence ordered to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav.
According
to a report in Dawn, an IHC larger bench, comprising chief justice Athar
Minallah, justice Amer Farooq and justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, on Tuesday
took up a petition filed by the law ministry seeking a lawyer for the Indian
spy.
Kulbhushan
Jadhav, a former Indian Navy officer, was arrested in March 2016 in
Balochistan, according to Pakistan authority. He was sentenced to death by
Pakistan military court in 2017. India has rejected Pakistan's allegations and
said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar. In early 2017, a
Pakistani military court sentenced him to death.
During
Tuesday's hearing, the attorney general Khalid Jawed Khan showed the court
correspondence between Pakistan and India for providing counsel to Jadhav in
order to comply with the verdict in the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
He
said the Indian government did not respond and argued that the federal
government had filed the petition seeking the appointment of a lawyer so that
the verdict of the military court could be revisited at an appropriate forum.
The
ICJ has ruled that Pakistan was in breach of its international obligations
because of the failure to provide consular access to Jadhav.
Source:
Times of India
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--------
ECP
bench reserves judgement on delay in local govt polls in Islamabad
Kashif
Abbasi
October
6, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
A two-member bench of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved
its judgement after hearing the view point of government officials over delay
in holding of local government elections in the capital.
The
bench comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Mohammad Jatoi heard comments of
the interior secretary, chief commissioner and deputy commissioner regarding
the government’s preparation for local government elections in the capital.
During
the hearing, ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal told the bench that the term of
local government elections completed on Feb 14 and ECP was supposed to conduct
elections within 120 days. He said the ECP had written several letters to the
interior secretary and chief commissioner in this regard.
Interior
Secretary Yousuf Nasim Khokhar said he had mentioned to the ECP that steps were
being taken for holding local bodies elections in Islamabad, adding that the
federal government was going to formulate a new Local Government Act to give
more power to the new system. A draft act has been sent to the Ministry of Law
and Justice for vetting.
After
vetting from the law ministry, the draft bill will be presented before the
Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases (CCLC) for approval.
It
is relevant to note here that the interior secretary and chief commissioner had
been summoned by ECP for the said hearing over the matter relating to delay in
provision of requisite information and enactment of local government law ahead
of the upcoming local government elections.
The
ECP, through separate letters (dated Sept 27), had directed the aforementioned
officers to appear before the commission.
Earlier,
on Aug 5, a meeting was held at the ECP Secretariat, which besides others was
attended by both the interior secretary and chief commissioner.
According
to the letter issued by the ECP: “In the afore referred meeting on the
assurance of the federal government for taking necessary steps/making
arrangements i.e establishment of union councils with an average population of
20,000 per union council and requisite legislation/enactment of new Local
Government Act with the approval of federal cabinet, period of one month was
allowed to the federal government doing the needful.”
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Sarawak
MP urges police to act against preacher who made racist remarks against
non-Muslims and Dayak community
05
Oct 2021
BY
SULOK TAWIE
KUCHING,
Oct 5 — A Sarawak politician today urged police and the Attorney General’s
Chambers to take action against a preacher who allegedly made inflammatory
remarks against non-Muslim religions and the Dayak community while giving a
religious talk.
Selangau
Member of Parliament Baru Bian said many reports have been lodged all over the
country against preacher Syakir Nasoha for making the remarks in a one-minute
video clip, which was uploaded online recently and had since gone viral on
social media.
“It
is obvious to me that an offence under the law had been committed.
“The
video in question may have been made in 2017, but it is just as damaging to our
unity today as it was then, and should be condemned by those who are in
positions of power in this country,” he said in a statement today.
He
urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Sarawak Chief Minister
Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders to
take a stand against the preacher and all those who try to sow discord,
ill-will and hate in the country.
He
said many civil society groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have
lodged police reports against the preacher, including Malaysian Consultative
Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) and
representatives of the Dayak community in Sarawak.
He
said former Member of Parliament Tawfik Ismail had also lodged a police report
against the preacher, stating that the preacher is a threat to the peaceful
coexistence of multiracial, multi-religious, and multicultural society in
Malaysia.
Source:
Malay Mail
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I
was misunderstood, speech was only for Muslims, says preacher
October
5, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: Preacher Syakir Nasoha, who allegedly made inflammatory remarks against
other religions in a one-minute video that has since gone viral on social
media, said his speech was taken out of context and misunderstood.
His
explanation comes after 3,000 police reports were lodged against him across the
country for making such remarks.
He
added that his speech was meant for Muslims only.
“The
video was recorded back in 2017 at a mosque in Sungai Petani, Kedah. I did not
ask for my speech to be recorded. What I said in the video was meant for
Muslims only, not for non-Muslims,” he said in a YouTube video today.
Syakir
explained that the viral video posted online containing parts of his speech was
taken out of context and did not show his full remarks.
“The
original video was about one hour and 30 minutes long. The shorter version of
the video could have led to the misunderstanding, especially among non-Muslims.
“I
would like to explain that in the original video, I was talking about the Quran
and the hadith.
“I
did not criticise other religions, I was only talking about our beliefs and
religion. As a Muslim, I must put the Quran and the hadith above all. That’s my
right as a Muslim,” he added.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Penang
opens up mosques to fully-vaccinated foreigners
Tuesday,
05 Oct 2021
GEORGE
TOWN, Oct 5 — Penang will begin allowing foreigners who have been fully
vaccinated against Covid-19 to perform Fard and Friday prayers at mosques and
surau from tomorrow.
Penang
Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAIPP) director, Mohd Zakuan Zakaria,
said it will be according to venue capacity.
“After
the announcement by Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and based
on the current situation, decisions were made including allowing foreigners to
come and pray as long as they are fully vaccinated,” he said in a statement
today.
Aside
from this, Subuh sermons lasting 45 minutes are allowed, but attendees must
remain where they are or in the demarcated area.
Mohd
Zakuan added that sermons, Quran and Yassin recitations are permitted after the
Maghrib prayer till the Isyak prayer, but attendees must remain where they are
or in the demarcated area.
He
said congregants for the funeral (Janaza) prayer are based on venue capacity.
Mohd
Zakuan said guest imam and khatib are not allowed to lead prayer or deliver the
Friday sermon.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Mandatory
Covid-19 vaccination for civil servants in line with shariah, says expert
06
Oct 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 6 ― The government’s decision to make it compulsory for civil
servants to be vaccinated against Covid-19 is sanctioned under shariah (Islamic
law) and shouldn’t be considered as restricting individual freedom, said a
shariah expert.
Dr
Syed Shahridzan Syed Mohamed, who is Federal Territory Mufti Office (PMWP)
Principal Assistant Mufti (Research), said that based on siyasah syar’iyyah
(authority to act according to the benefit), the government can take
disciplinary action against the group of people disobeying the order related to
the public interest.
“Islam,
through siyasah syar’iyyah, gives the government full right to issue certain
orders to help manage an emergency like Covid-19.
“Under
siyasah syar’iyyah, disciplinary action by the government can be categorised as
mild punishment,” he told Bernama when recently contacted.
Syed
Shahridzan said that vaccinations are for the public good and that cooperation
is necessary for success.
“We
utilise the fiqh (principle) that “al-masalahatu al-‘ammatu muqaddamatun ‘ala
al-maslahati al-khaassati” (the public interest takes precedence over private
interest), in this case.
“The
government can require civil servants to get the Covid-19 vaccine based on
maslahat (benefit).
“With
the advantage provided by siyasah syar’iyyah, the government could make the
Covid-19 vaccine compulsory for all citizens,” he said.
Syed
Shahridzan said it was based on the fiqh that “tasarruful Imami ‘ala
al-ra‘iyyati manutun bil maslahati” (the ruler’s decision for the people is to
be executed in their interest).
He
added that the majority of Muslims in Malaysia belong to the Sunnah Wal Jamaah
school of thought that makes it obligatory to follow a ruler’s orders in
matters related to the public interest and not against syariah.
Source:
Malay Mail
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Foreign
minister: Malaysia prepared to hold dialogue with Myanmar’s National Unity Govt
06
Oct 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 6 ― Malaysia is ready to consider holding a dialogue with Myanmar's
National Unity Government (NUG) if the five-point consensus agreed upon by
Asean to resolve the crisis in the country, does not get the cooperation of the
current ruling military junta.
Foreign
Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting
last Monday was informed that Naypyidaw was still not cooperating with the
terms of the consensus.
“In
the past, Malaysia had been the first country to facilitate constructive engagement
even before Myanmar became a member of Asean,” he said during
question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
He
said this in response to a supplementary question from Wong Chen (PKR-Subang)
who wanted to know if Malaysia was willing to hold a dialogue, even when Asean
as a bloc, has yet to have one with the NUG.
NUG
is shadow government formed last April by representatives from the National
League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi and others. NUG activities are
largely carried out online.
Saifuddin
said if there was still no progress on the part of the Myanmar authorities to
implement the consensus, Malaysia is of the opinion that it would be difficult
to invite the army chief currently in power in Naypyidaw to attend the Asean
Summit on October 26 to 28.
“However,
the five-point consensus is still being worked on in whatever humanly possible
by the special envoy (Asean),” he said.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Africa
Red
Crescent says bodies of 17 people washed ashore in Libya
06
October ,2021
At
least 17 bodies, likely of Europe-bound migrants, have washed ashore in western
Libya, the Libyan Red Crescent said.
They
were found Tuesday near the western Libyan town of Zawiya, the Red Crescent’s
branch in the town said. The bodies were handed over to authorities for burial,
it said.
The
migrants likely drowned. The UN migration agency says more than 1,100 migrants
were reported dead or presumed dead in numerous boat mishaps and shipwrecks off
Libya so far this year.
The
Red Crescent posted images purporting to show its workers carrying white body
bags with the Mediterranean Sea in the background.
Libya
was plunged into turmoil by the NATO-backed 2011 uprising that toppled and
killed former leader Muammar Ghaddafi. The North African nation has since
emerged as a popular, if extremely dangerous, route to Europe for those fleeing
poverty and civil war in Africa and the Middle East.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Libya
legislative vote rescheduled for January: Parliament
05
October ,2021
Libya’s
legislative elections have been postponed until January, the country’s eastern-based
parliament said on Tuesday, instead of being held on December 24 as planned.
“The
election for members of the House of Representatives will take place 30 days
after the presidential vote,” still scheduled for December 24, parliamentary
spokesman Abdullah Bliheg told a press conference.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Rival
Libya factions dispute over on new election law
05
October ,2021
Two
rival Libyan factions have again disagreed over legislation governing elections
planned for December, raising further doubts Tuesday over whether the UN-backed
polls can take place.
In
the latest dispute the equivalent of Libya’s senate, based in the western city
of Tripoli, said on Tuesday that it had rejected a law that eastern-based MPs
adopted a day earlier on the planned legislative elections scheduled for
December 24.
The
polls are supposed to help unify the country after years of conflict and
division, but disputes over their legal and constitutional basis have again
laid bare the extent of the split between the country’s east and west.
The
Tripoli-based chamber “rejects ongoing violations by the parliament... the
latest being the promulgation of what it called the ‘electoral law of the
parliament’,” said Mohammed Nasser, spokesman for the body formally known as
the High Council of State.
On
Twitter he wrote that a deal signed in 2015 requires parliament “to come to an
agreement with the High Council of State on this law.”
Legislators
would be held responsible for “any delay or disruption to the date of the
elections due to unilateral actions,” he added.
The
law passed on Monday by the eastern-based chamber in the city of Tobruk came
less than a month after Aguila Saleh, speaker of that body which is known as
the House of Representatives or parliament, signed off on legislation for a
presidential election also to be held on December 24.
Opponents
said the move bypassed due process and favored a run by his ally, the eastern
strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The
High Council of State also rejected the text covering the presidential poll.
Libya
has endured a decade of conflict since the 2011 fall of dictator Muammar
Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising, which unleashed a complex civil war that
dragged in multiple foreign powers.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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