New Age Islam News Bureau
26
Jul 2020
•
Muslim Man Embarks Upon 800km Journey to Attend 'Bhoomi Pujan' of Ram Temple in
Ayodhya
•
Pakistan: Ulema Vow to Root Out Sectarianism from Society; Promote Inter Faith
Harmony
•
'Termite' ISI Agents Destroying Afghan System, Should Be Confronted: Ex-Afghan
Intel Chief
•
Indonesia’s Muslims Switch to Online Services for Annual Sacrifice Ritual
•
Israelis Protest Netanyahu’s Coronavirus Response, Call for His Resignation
Somalia
Ousts Prime Minister in Parliamentary Vote, President Accepts
India
•
Eight Mosques and Two Dargahs Around Ramjanmabhoomi: A Message Of Harmony To
Rest Of The World
•
Muslim Man Embarks Upon 800km Journey to Attend 'Bhoomi Pujan' of Ram Temple in
Ayodhya
•
What Can Be Done to Expedite Trials Against Tablighi Jamaat Attendees In
Nizamuddin, Asks SC
•
Pakistan troops again violates ceasefire on J&K LoC
•
Muslim man undertakes 800km journey to attend bhoomi pujan in Ram Temple
•
Sikh leader abducted by terrorists; Hindu minorities stranded in Pakistan due
to Covid-19 crisis arrive in Delhi
•
Indian Envoy: US Unable to Dictate Delhi Concerning Iran
-------
Pakistan
•
Pakistan: Ulema Vow to Root Out Sectarianism from Society; Promote Inter Faith
Harmony
•
Widespread criticism over rationale for new law to ‘protect’ Islam
•
Shia Ulema Council rejects bill, warns of protests
•
Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill Will Be Signed After Consensus: Sarwar
•
TikTok, books do not pose danger to Islam in Pakistan: Fawad Chaudhry
-------
South Asia
•
'Termite' ISI Agents Destroying Afghan System, Should Be Confronted: Ex-Afghan Intel
Chief
•
UN Says Thousands of Anti-Pakistan Militants In Afghanistan
•
NATO urges Taliban for an urgent inter-Afghan dialogue
•
Afghan forces kill, wound 14 Taliban militants in Logar province
•
Saudis take madrassa-building spree to Afghanistan: Report
-------
Southeast Asia
•
Indonesia’s Muslims Switch to Online Services for Annual Sacrifice Ritual
•
Rohingya Refugees Feared Dead Found Alive On Malaysian Islet
•
Indonesian religious group cries foul over tomb closure
-------
Mideast
•
Israelis Protest Netanyahu’s Coronavirus Response, Call for His Resignation
•
Israel arrests two Hamas-affiliated Palestinian legislators in West Bank
•
Armed Separatist Team Destroyed in Southern Iran
•
Israeli army, defense minister warn of Hezbollah attack along Lebanon border
•
UAE money destroying Yemen’s Ta’izz: Pro-Hadi commander
-------
Africa
•
Somalia Ousts Prime Minister in Parliamentary Vote, President Accepts
•
Sudan to deploy troops to conflict-stricken Darfur after string of violent
killings
•
Tunisia’s Interior Minister Hichem Mechichi named new PM: Presidency
•
Over 60 killed in fresh violence in Sudan's Darfur: UN
-------
North America
•
US Calls on China to Stop Coercing Uighurs To Return After Turkey Extradition
Report
•
Iranian-American cleric found dead in Iran after being murdered over money:
Report
-------
Arab World
•
Reporters Without Borders Urges Internal Probe into Saudi Journalist’s Death
•
Iraqi protesters gather in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square over electricity cuts
•
Explosion rocks military base near Baghdad: Iraqi military
•
Conflicts in Syria, elsewhere will intensify if Iran arms embargo lifted: Hook
•
Saudi Arabia border guards stop 196 drug smugglers in a month
•
Hezbollah says ready to confront any Israeli aggression
•
Car bomb goes off in Turkish-controlled northern Syrian city, eight dead
-------
Europe
•
Moscow Police Arrest More Than 30 People After Azerbaijani-Armenian Fights
•
Former Home Secretary Javid pours fuel on Russia report fire
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/eight-mosques-two-dargahs-around/d/122473
-------
Eight Mosques and Two Dargahs Around Ramjanmabhoomi: A Message Of Harmony To Rest Of The World
Jul
27, 2020
The 70-acre Ramjanmabhoomi premises is hemmed in by eight mosques and two mausoleums, including one believed to have been built by Hindu hermits
----
Ayodhya: The 70-acre Ramjanmabhoomi premises is hemmed in by eight mosques and two mausoleums, including one believed to have been built by Hindu hermits. These Muslim places of worship are located within 100-200m off the fortified area, where Azaan and Ramayana chants seamless blend to cement the syncretic culture of Ayodhya.
Unlike
the Babri masjid, where Namaz stopped after December 23, 1949, five-time
prayers are offered at these centuries-old Islamic structures adjacent to
Ramjanmabhoomi, which also includes a Shia mosque and Imambara and the
Tehribazar Jogiyon ki Masjid, which as the name suggests was built by Hindu
salvation seekers (jogis) more than 200 years ago.
“Though
these mosques are in close proximity to Ramjanmabhoomi, we never faced
opposition from our Hindu brethren even at the peak of the temple movement and
many of them visit our dargahs during the annual Urs.
Five-time
Azaan and qawwali during Urs go hand in hand with chant of Ramayana verses,
displaying communal harmony and peaceful coexistence for centuries,” said Syed
Akhlaq Ahmad Latifi, peer of the 500-year-old mausoleum, Khanqaahe Muzaffariya.
Talking
to TOI, Haji Asad Ahmad, corporator of Ram Kot ward that straddles
Ramjanmabhoomi, said, “It’s the greatness of Ayodhya that mosques surrounding
the temple of Ram Lalla gives out a message of harmony to rest of the world.
Our Barawafat procession winds its way around the periphery of Ramjanmabhoomi
and our Hindu brothers also join in.”
The
eight mosques around the 70-acre land mandated by Supreme Court for building
the temple, include Masjid Dorahi Kuan, Masjid Maali Mandir ke Bagal, Masjid
Kaziyana Achchan ke Bagal, Masjid Imambara, Masjid Riyaz ke Bagal, Masjid Badar
Paanjitola, Masjid Madaar Shah, Masjid Tehribazar Jogiyon ki (built by Hindus).
There
are two other dargahs — Khanqaahe Muzaffariya and Imambara.
Chief
priest of Ramjanmabhoomi, Acharya Satyendra Das, said, “Only the mosque named
after Babar was disputed. Other mosques and mausoleums symbolise harmony and
peaceful coexistence. Muslims offer namaz and we offer our puja. Mosques
adjacent to Ramjanmabhoomi will only strengthen the bond between the two
communities. Both Hindu and Muslims in Ayodhya accepted the Supreme Court
verdict and we have no dispute with each other.”
What
better portrait can be drawn of Ayodhya than of a magnificent Ram Mandir surrounded
by mosques with all offering prayers according to their belief, said Mahant
Yugal Kishore Sharan Shastri, chief priest of Saryu Kunj temple adjacent to
Ramjanmabhoomi. Ayodhya represents the true India, he added. Similar sentiments
were echoed by Mahant Raju Das, chief priest of Hanumangarhi temple.
Talking
to TOI, Triloki Nath Pandey, decree holder of Ramjanmabhoomi, said, “Ayodhya
must live in peace and harmony. Only the Babri mosque was disputed, we have no
issues with mosques surrounding the birthplace of Lord Ram.”
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/8-mosques-2-dargahs-around-janmabhoomi/articleshowprint/77188217.cms
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Muslim Man Embarks Upon 800km Journey to Attend 'Bhoomi Pujan' of Ram Temple in Ayodhya
JULY
27, 2020
Bhoomi pujan for Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be conducted on August 5(AP)
------
A
Muslim man proclaiming to be a devotee of Lord Ram has embarked on a long
journey of 800kms, travelling from Chhattisgarh’s Chandkhuri village all the
way to Ayodhya, where Ram was born. He is doing so to attend the 'bhoomi pujan'
ceremony set to take place in Ayodhya next month on August 5.
Mohammad
Faiz Khan, who hails from Lord Ram's mother Kaushalya's birthplace, has reached
Madhya Pradesh so far, a report in ANI stated.
"I
am a Muslim from my name and religion but I am a devotee of Lord Rama. If we
find out about our ancestors, they were Hindus. Their names might be Ramlal or
Shyamlal. We all have Hindu origin whether we go to church or mosque,"
Khan told ANI.
Khan
considers Lord Ram as the "main ancestor" and his journey is further
fueled by Pakistan's national poet Allama Iqbal, who had tried to explain that
a person with a "perfect sight" would feel that Ram is, in fact, the
lord of India, he stated.
Unfazed
by all the criticism coming his way, Faiz said, "Some people in Pakistan
have created fake IDs with Hindu and Muslim names and are abusing each other to
show that all communities are fighting in India."
Meanwhile,
priests in Ayodhya have prepared an elaborate plan for the ceremony with
three-day Vedic rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, beginning on August 3.
This will be followed by Ramacharya 'puja' on August 4 and the 'bhoomi pujan'
on August 5, which will be held around 12:15pm.
Five
silver bricks will also be set inside the sanctum sanctorum during the 'bhoomi
pujan' ceremony. The first will be laid by PM Modi.
The
five bricks are believed to symbolise the five planets as per the Hindu
mythology.
The
design and the architecture of the temple is the same as the one proposed by
the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) — the design will follow Vishnu temple's Nagara
style while the 'garbha griha' will be octagonal.
Amid
the planning of this grand 'Bhoomi Pujan', some news websites claimed that
Samajwadi Party MP Azam Khan has said he will take ‘jal samadhi’ in the Saryu
river, or in other words, sacrifice his life, if not invited to the ceremony.
It turned out to be fake news. The quote was from SP’s Azam Khan but it was a
namesake. This particular Azam Khan is the president of ‘Sri Ram Mandir Nirman
Muslim Kar Sewak Manch’ and claims to be a Ram devotee.
https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/muslim-man-embarks-upon-800km-journey-to-attend-bhoomi-pujan-of-ram-temple-in-ayodhya-2736743.html#:~:text=A%20Muslim%20man%20proclaiming%20to,next%20month%20on%20August%205.
--------
Pakistan: Ulema vow to root out sectarianism from society; promote inter faith harmony
July
27, 2020
Renowned
Ulema of different sects Sunday expressed resolve to fight out sectarianism
from the society and promote inter faith harmony, tolerance and brotherhood to
strengthen the country.
-----
AhlulBayt
News Agency (ABNA): Renowned Ulema of different sects Sunday expressed resolve
to fight out sectarianism from the society and promote inter faith harmony,
tolerance and brotherhood to strengthen the country.
The
participating Ulema of a conference on "Inter-faith harmony and tolerance
guarantee stable Pakistan" organised by Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Khateeb
historic Mosque Mohabat Khan here at press club agreed that together they would
wipe out sectarianism from the country and promote religious harmony and
brotherhood.
Federal
Minister for Religious Affairs Noor ul Haq Qadri speaking as chief guest on the
occasion, appreciated the organiser of the conference and said such events were
inevitable for creating religious harmony in the society and for giving a
strong message to the world that whole nation stood united along with the
security forces and the government for the sake of motherland.
He
said anti- state elements had always tried their best to destabilize the
country by creating linguistic and religious differences, in the name of
Balochistan card, Talibanlisation and other moves, adding that now these
elements were out to create unrest by fanning sectarianism through social
media.
The
minister said the government was fully aware of the situation and taking
cognizant action against, he however called upon the Ulema (Religious Scholars)
to promote unity and brotherhood to foil nefarious designs of enemies of the
country.
He
emphasized upon Ulema to play their imperative role in creating religious
harmony and tolerance in the society and guide people that those who were
fanning sectarianism wanted to destabilize the country and create chaos.
The
minister said that sacrifices of people, security forces, politicians and
Ulemas would not go in vain and every possible step would be taken to protect
the country from the conspiracies being hatched by anti-state elements.
He
said Ulema of every religion had been playing their important role in keeping
the nation united on all fronts, adding that all Ulema were united for a stable
Pakistan.
In
a joint press release issued here after the conference, it was said that all
Ulema were united and together they would curb sectarianism.
They
said that internal peace and stability were inevitable for protection of
motherland against nefarious designs of anti state elements.
The
Ulema acknowledged the sacrifices of security and armed forces and people of
the country for the sake of motherland and assured their full cooperatio to the
armed forces.
They
said that due to acumen and wise policies of the country's leadership, the
nefarious designs of anti state elements especially India were foiled.
They
condemned Indian aggression against innocent unarmed Kashmiris in Occupied
Kashmir and appealed to the world community to take notice of Modi government's
aggression in the held valley.
They
said the conference was evident of the fact that all Ulema stood united with
the government, adding that due to efforts of Ulema the brotherhood, harmony
and tolerance had prevailed in the country.
The
participants of the moot appreciated efforts of the Federal Minister Noor ul
Haq Qadri in creating religious harmony and always keeping the Ulema on board
on all important issues.
The
conference was attended by Maulana Yousaf Shah, Ameer JUI-S, former provincial
minister for Oquaf, Qari Rohullah, Sahibzada Junaid Amin of Astana Alia Manki
Sharif, Allama Abid Hussain Shakri of Shia religion, Professor Dr Abdul Ghafoor,
Maulana Ahmed Salfi of Ahle-Hadees sect and Dr Abdur Rehman Khalil of Sheikh
Zaid Islamic Centre.
https://en.abna24.com/news//pakistan-ulema-vow-to-root-out-sectarianism-from-society-promote-inter-faith-harmony_1058114.html
--------
'Termite'
ISI agents destroying Afghan system, should be confronted: Ex-Afghan intel
chief
Jul
26, 2020
KABUL:
Former Afghan intelligence chief Rahmatullah Nabil has termed agents of
Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) "termites" who
are destroying the Afghanistan system stating they pose serious threats to the
country and should be confronted.
Nabil,
speaking at press conference on Saturday, said that the employees of
intelligence agencies of the regional countries are being employed in the
government institutions, which pose serious threats to Afghanistan, Tolo News
reported.
"There
are termites which are destroying the system. The ISI (Pakistani military
intelligence) agents in the system must be confronted," said Nabil.
The
former Afghanistan intelligence chief said that people within the country and
the region are exploiting the process for their political and economic agendas.
He
expressed discontent that other countries are making the decision about peace
in Afghanistan.
"Now
we see that our peace has also become a proxy one in the sense that the Afghan
people do not have any sort of involvement in the process," said Nabil.
Nabil
said he fears the repeat of an old game: "The Soviets departed, they left
us war and Afghan-killing. Now it's the same program. The Americans came for
counter-terrorism. They are withdrawing, but leaving the war and the
Afghan-killing to us."
Nabil
also criticized disagreements between President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah
Abdullah, the head of High Council of National Reconciliation, stating that
discrimination, corruption and injustice have reached their peak.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/termite-isi-agents-destroying-afghan-system-should-be-confronted-ex-afghan-intel-chief/articleshow/77179959.cms
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Indonesia’s
Muslims switch to online services for annual sacrifice ritual
July
27, 2020
JAKARTA:
A few weeks before Eid Al-Adha is usually a busy time for Dudi Rustandi, an
employee of a private information technology firm based in Indonesia’s capital
city of Jakarta.
For
the past 20 years, Rustandi has volunteered at his local mosque in South
Tangerang, south of Jakarta, to organize the Qurbani, or annual sacrifice
ritual, held on the holiday to mark the end of the Hajj season.
With
fellow members of the mosque’s management board, Rustandi coordinates a
Qurbani-saving program, by which a household can save between Rp200,000 ($13.7)
and Rp500,000 ($34.3) per month.
Ahead
of Eid, the board informs each participating household of their savings balance
and confirms their choice of animal for the Qurbani. A cow or bull is sold for
a price ranging between $1,000 and $15,000, depending on its weight and breed.
Later, the board purchases the animals accordingly before slaughtering them at
the mosque complex.
“Residents
of the complex sacrifice at least five cattle in total during Eid Al-Adha every
year,” Rustandi told Arab News in a phone interview.
However,
the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) this year has changed the
process for Rustandi, his neighbors, and a majority of Muslims in the country.
Following
a quiet celebration of Eid Al-Fitr in May and the cancellation of plans to send
a Hajj contingent to Saudi Arabia in June, the Indonesian government has now
called on the public to avoid mass gatherings during Eid Al-Adha to limit the
spread of the deadly disease.
Rustandi
said members of the management board decided to abide by the government’s
recommendation, and while three out of 10 members earlier insisted on
performing the Qurbani as usual, eventually everyone agreed that the risk
involved was far higher than the benefits.
“Anyone
can be a carrier of the virus. We cannot guarantee strict physical distancing
if we hold the Qurbani at the mosque,” Rustandi said, adding that an insistence
on doing so may also propagate fitna (defamation) over an unfounded accusation
should anyone involved in the ritual become infected with the virus.
Instead
of being performed at the mosque’s complex, the Qurbani will now be held at the
Al-Kautsar Mosque, a larger mosque in the area, Rustandi said.
There
are concerns, however, that the mosque’s management will be overwhelmed with a
sudden increase in Qurbani animals.
Therefore,
Rustandi and his colleagues devised an alternative option to hold the Qurbani
online by using services provided by various zakat (charity) organizing bodies.
“Personally,
I have conducted Qurbani through the online platform since 2017. It’s easy; I
just have to transfer a certain amount of money and let the agency do its job,”
he said.
Rustandi
added that now was not the time to launch into a debate “over the principle of
correctness or fiqh in committing the ritual,” before stressing the importance
of “working together to reduce the risk of a wider transmission.”
Indonesia
continues to see more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases daily, while the total
number of confirmed cases stood at more than 97,286 as of Sunday, the highest
in East Asia. As many as 4,714 fatalities have been recorded.
Qurban
poses a huge risk for infection as the ritual attracts crowds in the thousands
in the country with the world’s largest Muslim population.
According
to the Indonesian Agriculture Ministry’s 2019 data, there are 30,359 Qurban
sites in 26 out of 34 provinces across the country. An average of 56 people
work at each location, slaughtering up to 1.87 million cattle, sheep and goats
nationwide.
To
avoid a spike in infection numbers, the ministry and the government-backed
National Zakat Agency (Baznas) have urged Muslims to conduct the Qurban through
an online platform this year.
Most
zakat organizing institutions, as well as major e-commerce players such as
Tokopedia and Bukalapak, are now offering online Qurban services for Indonesian
Muslims, based on the official recommendation.
Irvan
Nugraha, chief marketing officer of Rumah Zakat, a Bandung, West Java-based
zakat institution, told Arab News that there is an increase in demand for the
agency’s online Qurban services. Rumah Zakat offers two online Qurban options —
SuperQurban and Desaku Berqurban — in addition to the standard Qurban services.
Last
year, about 85 percent of Rumah Zakat’s 13,000 clients performed Qurban online,
said Nugraha. This year, he said that the agency aimed to serve 25,000 clients.
Nearly 9,000 customers have been registered as of July 22. “Around 90 percent
of them chose our online services,” he said.
During
a webinar hosted by Tokopedia on July 22, EcoQurban CEO Zaenal Arifin said that
a majority of Muslims have become more confident in performing the sacrifice
through online platforms. This is partially due to improved credibility of
organizing agencies as they provide customers with comprehensive reports about
the ritual and the meat distribution afterwards, he said.
Arifin
said that online Qurban services provide ease for the Muslim community over the
ongoing social restrictions amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
As
usual, the meat from the slaughtered animals will be distributed to people in
need this year, with the addition of those who are affected by the pandemic,
Arifin added.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1710591/world
--------
Israelis
protest Netanyahu’s coronavirus response, call for his resignation
26
July 2020
Thousands
of Israelis protested Saturday in Jerusalem and other cities including Tel
Aviv, demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation over his
government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
For
more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.
In
Jerusalem they rallied outside Netanyahu’s residence holding up signs accusing
him of corruption, a reference to the premier’s indictment in January for
bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases. He denies all the charges.
“We
are fed up with the corrupt,” some signs read, alongside others reading “Where
are the morals? Where are the values?”
Protesters
also slammed a law passed this week that gives the government special powers to
fight the spread of the virus until the end of 2021.
Protests
against economic fallout from the pandemic have spread across the country in
recent weeks. In some cases police sprayed demonstrators with water cannons,
injuring some.
Israel
won praise for its initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak, but the government
has come under criticism amid a resurgence in cases after restrictions were
lifted starting in late April.
After
experiencing more than 1,000 new coronavirus infections a day in recent weeks,
the government has re-imposed some restrictions, including closing bars,
nightclubs and gyms.
The
country of some nine million people has so far recorded 60,496 confirmed cases,
including 455 deaths.
On
Saturday thousands of protesters also rallied in the coastal city of Tel Aviv.
Protesters
are also frustrated with the impact virus curbs had on the economy, with the
unemployed and reduced-income families saying the government is not doing
enough to help them.
Israel’s
unemployment has jumped from 3.4 percent in February to 27 percent in April,
before falling slightly in May to 23.5 percent.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/26/Israelis-protest-Netanyahu-s-coronavirus-response-call-for-his-resignation.html
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Somalia
ousts prime minister in parliamentary vote, president accepts
25
July 2020
Somalia's
parliament has ousted Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire in a no-confidence vote,
the speaker of the house says, due to criticism of his efforts to tighten
security in the country.
The
vote also followed a dispute over the timing of a national election.
Khaire,
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, and the heads of regional governments have
been in talks this week to try to agree if it should go ahead in February 2021.
Lawmakers
voted 170-8 to remove Khaire from office, parliamentary speaker Mohamed Mursal
Sheikh Abdirahman said.
Khaire,
a former oil company executive, was not immediately available for a comment.
President
Mohamed said in a statement carried on state radio that he had accepted the
decision of lawmakers to remove Khaire, citing the need to preserve the unity
of the various arms of government.
"He
will soon appoint a new prime minister," said the statement posted on the
state radio's website.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/25/630394/Somalia-vote-no-confidence-prime-minister-Khaire
--------
India
What
Can Be Done To Expedite Trials Against Tablighi Jamaat Attendees In Nizamuddin,
Asks SC
Jul
27, 2020
NEW
DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta what
can be done to expedite the trials against the foreign nationals, who attended
the Markaz Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin in March this year.
A
bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar was hearing a batch of petitions
challenging the blacklisting and cancellation of visas of foreign nationals who
attended the congregation, which had reportedly become an epicentre for the
spread of coronavirus in the country.
Mehta,
senior law officer representing the Central government, submitted that 23
foreign nationals, out of the total 34 petitioners, have been let off on fine
after they accepted mild charges under the plea bargaining process.
He
added that nine foreign nationals, however, have opted to face trial here,
which will take place in various courts, to which the bench asked the Mehta
what can be done to complete the trials expeditiously of these persons?
Responding
to the bench, Mehta said that he can speak to the investigation officer, seek
instructions, and figure out how the trial may be expedited.
Senior
lawyer CU Singh, appearing for several petitioners, requested the bench that
the return of these 23 petitioners must be facilitated at the earliest.
The
apex court, which had earlier stated that these foreign nationals could
individually move concerned authorities, fixed the matter for further hearing
to July 31.
The
petitions, filed by the foreign nationals from 35 countries, have sought
directions to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to remove their names from the
blacklist, reinstate their visas and facilitate their return to their
respective countries.
The
petitions sought to declare the decision of the MHA of blacklisting the foreign
nationals who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation as
"arbitrary".
These
foreign nationals were blacklisted for a period of 10 years from travelling to
India for their alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowprint/77191633.cms
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Pakistan
troops again violates ceasefire on J&K LoC
Jul
27, 2020
JAMMU:
Pakistan troops again indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation on the Line of
Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Monday, following which
the Indian Army retaliated befittingly, an official said.
"Pakistan
initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation around 10.30 am today by firing with
small arms and shelling with mortars along the LoC in Mankote Sectorof Poonch
district. The Indian Army is retaliating befittingly," Defence Ministry
spokesman Colonel Devender Anand said.
On
July 25, the Pakistan troops had violated the LOC ceasefire for the 4th
consecutive day in Poonch district.
Pakistan
has been violating the ceasefire with impunity since the beginning of this
year. So far, in 2020, more than 2,700 ceasefire violations have been reported,
in which 21 civilians have been killed and 94 injured.
Hundreds
of border villagers are living on the edge as Pakistan shelling and firing has
been endangering their lives, homes, and cattle.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pakistan-troops-again-violates-ceasefire-on-jk-loc/articleshow/77193207.cms
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Muslim
man undertakes 800km journey to attend bhoomi pujan in Ram Temple
Jul
27, 2020
A
Muslim man has begun 800-km long walk from Chhattisgarh’s Chandkhuri, the
village where Kaushalya, mother of Lord Rama was born, to Ayodhya, the venue
for the ground-breaking ceremony of Ram temple that will be conducted on August
5.
Mohammad
Faiz Khan, who has reached Madhya Pradesh’s Anuppur, told ANI, “I am a Muslim
from my name and religion but I am a devotee of Lord Rama. If we find out about
our ancestors, they were Hindus. Their names might be Ramlal or Shyamlal. We
all have Hindu origin whether we go to church or mosque.”
“Our
main ancestor is Lord Rama. Allama Iqbal (Pakistan’s national poet) had tried
to explain in a way in which he said that the one who has perfect sight, will
consider Lord Rama as lord of India. With this reverence, I am taking soil from
Kaushalya’s birthplace at Chandkhuri to Ayodhya for dedicating it during the
ground-breaking ceremony,” he said.
Asked
about people criticising his initiative, he said, “Some people in Pakistan have
created fake IDs with Hindu and Muslim names and are abusing each other to show
that all communities are fighting in India.”
He
claimed that he has walked 15,000 km to various temples and even stayed there.
“This
is not the first time I am walking to the temples. I have walked 15,000 km and
stayed in temples and mutts. Nobody said a word against me. This journey is
only 800 km,” Khan said.
“Pakistan
is trying to create communal tension in India on the occasion of Ram temple
construction,” he added.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslim-man-undertakes-800km-journey-to-attend-bhoomi-pujan-in-ram-temple/story-c9EGv6BerYsWPb5pLD6i2M.html
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Sikh
leader abducted by terrorists; Hindu minorities stranded in Pakistan due to
Covid-19 crisis arrive in Delhi
Jul
26, 2020
Eleven
members of the Sikh and Hindu minorities of Afghanistan, including a community
leader who was recently abducted by terrorists, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday
after the Indian embassy in Kabul facilitated their travel.
In
a statement issued on July 18 after the release of Nidan Singh Sachdeva, the
Sikh leader who was kidnapped in Paktia province last month, the external
affairs ministry said the government had decided to “facilitate the return of
Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan
to India”.
Sachdeva
was among the Afghan nationals who reached New Delhi on a Kam Air flight at 2
pm on Sunday. The flight also carried Indian citizens who were stranded in
Afghanistan because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Adesh
Gupta, a leader of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and
others received the Afghan Sikhs and Hindus at the international airport.
“Travel
of some members of the Hindu and Sikh [communities], interested in moving to
India, was also facilitated,” the Indian embassy in Kabul said in a tweet.
“We
appreciate the efforts of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
in extending necessary support for the safe return of these families,” the
external affairs ministry said in a statement.
The
Indian government had earlier expressed concern at the “targeting and
persecution of minority community members [in Afghanistan] by terrorists at the
behest of their external supporters”.
Concerns
among Afghanistan’s dwindling Sikh minority have increased after a terror
attack on a Sikh place of worship in Kabul in March that left 25 people dead
and others injured. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State, though Indian
and Afghan security officials believe the assault was planned and executed by
Pakistan-based Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Several
of the Afghan nationals who arrived in India on Sunday had lost their relatives
in the attack on the Sikh place of worship. Also in the group was a teenage
girl who was rescued from people who allegedly tried to forcibly convert and
marry her off.
According
to reports in the Afghan media, there were some 220,000 Sikhs and Hindus in
Afghanistan in the 1980s. Their numbers dwindled to 15,000 when the Taliban
were in power in Kabul. An estimated 1,350 Sikhs and Hindus remain in
Afghanistan now, according to the reports.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sikh-leader-abducted-by-terrorists-hindu-minorities-stranded-in-pakistan-due-to-covid-19-crisis-arrive-in-delhi/story-D3RWJD4X4fTWaLVxfBpCAL.html
-------
Indian
Envoy: US Unable to Dictate Delhi Concerning Iran
Jul
26, 2020
Dharmendra
said India has informed the United States that it is not entitled to tell Delhi
what to do with respect to Iran’s Southern port of Chabahar.
He
named China as one the countries that provide Delhi with equipment for
development of the port city.
Delhi
has already tried to exempt Chabahar from US sanctions as the port city is of
great importance for India because it set up a ground and marine link between
India and Afghanistan and contravenes Pakistan’s ground route.
Last
week Delhi announced that, despite problems posed by US sanctions, an Indian
company has quadrupled its activities in Chabahar for the past 2 years.
In
a relevant event it was announced on July 19 that Afghanistan would send its
first shipment to Tianjin port of China through Chabahar in Southeast of Iran.
Managing
Director of Sistan and Balouchestan Ports and Maritime Organization Behrouz
Aqayee said the shipment has been dispatched via Chabahar to Mundra port in
India and will be then transited to China.
While,
the world is gripped by coronavirus epidemic, it was another record for
Chabahar port, Aqayee added.
Afghanistan
used to transit its commodities through Karachi in Pakistan to other countries;
but now thanks to suitable infrastructures and services in Chabahar port,
traders prefer to transport their goods through Chabahar.
Chabahar,
Iran’s only oceanic port, is a strategic region on the Persian Gulf and Sea of
Oman shores and in North-South Corridor.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990505000911
--------
Pakistan
Widespread
criticism over rationale for new law to ‘protect’ Islam
27
Jul 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Various sections of society, including a federal minister, have criticised the
passage of the Punjab Tahaffuz-i-Bunyad-i-Islam (protecting the foundation of
Islam) Bill 2020 by the Punjab Assembly, warning that such trends would fan extremism.
Federal
Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry in a tweet stated: “An
environment has been created in the Parliament, particularly in the Punjab
Assembly, where every [other] member comes up with a motion on a daily basis
warning that Islam will be in danger if it is not passed. This is a dangerous
trend and it will plunge us deep into sectarianism and religious extremism.”
In
response to another tweet criticising the act of passing the bill making
publishing of objectionable and/or hate material punishable, Mr Chaudhry
stated: “Islam in Pakistan is neither facing any danger from TikTok nor from
books. We are facing a danger because of the division on the basis of
sectarianism and extremism.
“Those
living in palaces must exercise caution and do not fan the fire that burn
themselves.”
In
a statement, National Party’s Punjab president Ayub Malik said the new law
would fan sectarianism besides stoking hatred against minorities in the largest
and most populous province of the country that had a history of religious
hatred against the marginalised sections of society.
Minister
says such trends will plunge nation into extremism
Mr
Malik said the country had already suffered a lot due to the retrogressive
policies of military dictator General Ziaul Haq that encouraged obscurantist
elements of society to badly damage the vision of Jinnah’s Pakistan.
“Now
with this new law, the concept of Jinnah’s Pakistan has been pushed towards the
verge of complete destruction, paving the way for more hatred against
minorities and other sections of society,” he added.
He
questioned the rationale of enacting the law when Islamic injunctions of 1973
Constitution along with Section 505(2) of the PPC and Section 8 of the
Anti-Terrorism Act already penalise racial and sectarian hatred.
Chief
of Tehreek Nifaz Fiqh Jafaria Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi in a statement
termed the bill contrary to Quran and Sunnah and an attack on the Constitution.
He
also announced that peaceful protests would be held across Pakistan on Friday
against this law. “We will not shy away from taking any big step to save the
foundations of the religion and the motherland,” he said, demanding that “this
vicious bill be withdrawn forthwith”.
Agha
Moosavi said the passage of the bill just before Muharram was aimed at
thwarting the efforts of the government to maintain law and order during the
month.
The
Women Democratic Front (WDF), a civil society organisation working for women’s
rights, also expressed deep concerns over, what it called, “the blatant attempt
at increased state censorship through the Tahaffuz-i-Bunyad-i-Islam Bill”.
It
said the bill was a transparent ploy to attack the already shrinking space for
intellectual independence and religious freedom by threatening to monitor and
censor books, magazines, pamphlets and other reading material published and
imported into Pakistan in the name of protection of religion.
Through
the passage of this bill, it said, the state wished to trample even further on
freedom of thought and expression in the country and stifle any dissenting
discourse.
The
WDF called upon the Punjab governor to not ratify the bill and condemned those
political parties which claimed to fight for the rights of minorities and yet
voted for the bill.
“It
is no secret that religious, intellectual, academic and political freedoms are
under attack in Pakistan. Efforts to silence academics, journalists and
political workers through force have been increasing while rightwing forces are
making it harder for non-Muslim Pakistanis to practice their religion freely,”
the statement said. It called upon all progressive forces in the country to
join hands in calling upon the legislators to repeal this bill with immediate
effect and stand with the forces of freedom rather than against them.
The
law passed on July 22 makes “desecration” of any prophet, any of the four
divine books, family and companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as
well as abetting or glorification of terrorists, and promoting sectarianism in
any book punishable with a maximum of five-year jail terms and up to Rs500,000
fine. It makes the use of the words “Khatam-un-Nabiyyeen” mandatory whenever
the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is mentioned.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1571343/widespread-criticism-over-rationale-for-new-law-to-protect-islam
--------
Shia
Ulema Council rejects bill, warns of protests
Asim
Hussain
July
27, 2020
LAHORE
: Shia organisations on Sunday continued protesting and condemning the Tahaffuz
Bunyad-e-Islam Bill passed by the Punjab Assembly, terming it an encroachment
upon their basic faith and conspiracy against the liberal kind of Pakistan
envisioned by Quaid-i-Azam.
After
a major Shia group, Majlis Wahdat Muslemin (MWM), announced withdrawing
political and electoral support in future to all those parties who backed the
bill in assembly, another Shia organisation, Shia Ulema Council (SUC), warned
of sectarian strife and protests just ahead of Muharram if their reservations
on the bill were not removed.
SUC
Punjab president Allama Sibtain Haider phoned Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch
Pervaiz Elahi on Sunday and, on behalf of SUC chief Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi and
other central leaders, conveyed him the reservations of Shia community over the
bill. He expressed wonder how Punjab Assembly members were taken in by some
hardliners to make a controversial legislation which was totally unacceptable
to Shias. He said both Shias and Sunnis greatly respect and honour the
companions of Holy Prophet (PBUH) and had always been writing ‘Alaih-e-Salam’ with
their names as mark of love and respect, adding both Shias and Sunnis have
reservations against this bill.
He
later told the media that Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Pervaiz Elahi assured that
the reservations of Shia community over the bill would be resolved. He said on
the invitation of Ch Pervaiz Elahi, a delegation of SUC would meet him at his
residence on Monday (today) and convey reservations of Shia community to him
over the bill.
Meanwhile,
the central secretary general of MWM, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, announced
totally rejecting the bill, terming it contradictory to the constitution of
Pakistan and a conspiracy to make the country a sectarian state. He said in the
presence of the Constitution of Pakistan, there was no need for enacting such a
controversial legislation.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/692541-shia-ulema-council-rejects-bill-warns-of-protests
--------
Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam
Bill will be signed after consensus: Sarwar
Faizan
Bangash
July
27, 2020
LAHORE:
Punjab Governor Ch Sarwar has said the Tahaffuz-e- Bunyad-e-Islam Bill 2020
will become an act after consensus. Talking to The News over
Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill that was passed by the Punjab Assembly on July
22, the governor said the bill is very sensitive and it would be signed after
consensus is developed over it. Under the law, a bill after being passed by a
provincial assembly is referred to the governor and after he signs the
document, it becomes law.
The
Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill is very much likely to be referred back to the
Punjab Assembly’s Standing Committee again as the governor is not going to sign
it in a hurry. Already, the bill, which was tabled in the House by the PML-Q
MPA and minister, has sparked a controversy which was obvious from the press
conference of Majlis-e-Wahdat Muslimeen leadership which completely rejected it
while expressing serious reservations on it. The MWM leadership holds the view
that this bill was passed at a time when the House wasn’t even able to meet the
quorum and most of the members didn’t even turn up at a session when this bill
was being debated.
Moreover,
some politicians while expressing their reservations even said the timing of
this bill has been very sensitive as just a few days later, the month of
Muharram is commencing and sectarian divide could be disastrous for country at
this hour.
On
the other hand, the Punjab government bigwigs like Law Minister Raja Basharat
have termed it a step towards the ‘PM’s vision of Riyast-e-Madina’. Punjab Assembly
Speaker Pervaiz Elahi being the key player behind this bill also believes that
this legislation would increase harmony amongst different sects. He has also
contacted different religious scholars to build consensus over the bill.
Our
correspondent adds from Islamabad: Central Secretary General of Majlis-e-Wahdat
Muslimeen (MWM) Pakistan Allama Nasir Abbas Jaffary Sunday termed the Tahaffuz
Bunyand-e-Islam Bill as against the Constitution of Pakistan and fundamental
human rights.
He
emphasised that the promotion of tolerance and brotherhood was cardinal and the
document prepared under the tag of ‘Message of Islam’ would go a long way in
maintenance of sectarian harmony and mutual respect. Extremism, he pointed out,
had claimed more than 70,000 lives in Pakistan in the last three decades. He
said that Shia Ulema and Sunni clerics were not consulted before introducing
the bill in the Punjab Assembly.
Speaking
here at a news conference at MWM Secretariat along with central and provincial
leaders, he said that no other bill was required in the presence of the
Constitution of Pakistan. “The Shia community rejects it outright. A fatwa of
disbelief was imposed on Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal before the establishment
of Pakistan.”
Meanwhile,
Patron-in-Chief of Supreme Shia Ulema Board Quaid-e-Millat Jafaria Agha Syed
Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi announced that a peaceful protest day would be observed
all over Pakistan on Friday (July 31) against the bill in the Punjab Assembly.
He
was addressing the office-bearers of Tehreek Nafaz Fiqh-e-Jafariya Punjab who
called on him. He pointed out that the Article 227 of the Constitution clearly
indicates that interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah will be considered
acceptable as is interpreted by any sect, accordingly.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/692674-tahaffuz-e-bunyad-e-islam-bill-will-be-signed-after-consensus-sarwar
--------
TikTok,
books do not pose danger to Islam in Pakistan: Fawad Chaudhry
Jul
26 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Islam in Pakistan was not threatened either by TikTok or books, Science and
Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Sunday, a few days after the Punjab
Assembly passed the Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill.
In
a series of tweets, Chaudhry underlined how "at present, an atmosphere has
been created in the parliament, especially in Punjab, where a member comes up
with a new motion every other day, claiming Islam is in danger if that is not
passed".
"This
is a dangerous attitude that will throw us into a vicious circle of sectarian
and religious extremism," he said. "In Pakistan, Islam is neither
threatened by TikTok nor books."
The
minister added that Pakistan, on the other hand, was threatened by sectarian
divisions and extremism.
"Individuals
in palaces should be careful not to fan the flames lest they be burned themselves,"
he noted further.
Pakistan
with green flag
Earlier
today, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Nasir Abbas spoke about the
Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill passed Wednesday by the Punjab Assembly, saying:
"We need Quaid-e-Azam's, Allama Iqbal's Pakistan, with a green flag and a
crescent."
"Unfortunately,
some elements do not want the country to remain Quaid-e-Azam's Pakistan,"
he added, noting that the Constitution gave every citizen in the country the
right to live their lives according to their faith.
"The
country is facing economic, political and diplomatic problems. In the current
situation, it cannot afford any more challenges," he added.
'Islam
takes precedence over everything else'
In
addition, Senator Professor Sajid Mir, the chief of the central Jamiat
Ahl-e-Hadees, also issued his comments about the bill while speaking Lahore,
saying his group supported the passage of the Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill in
the Punjab Assembly.
"There
may be political differences but Islam takes precedence over everything
else," Prof Mir added, terming the bill "a historic step".
The
senator further noted that Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and
other MPAs deserved congratulations on the Bill's passage.
"The
Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill is the best attempt to eradicate sectarianism in
the spirit of Islam," the cleric said.
'Permanently
hampered'
Last
week, the Punjab Assembly had passed the Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Bill 2020,
which gives the Directorate General Public Relations (DGPR) powers to visit and
inspect any printing press, publishing house or bookstore and confiscate any
book, before or after printing.
Also
read: Chaudhry speaks up about 'moral policing and ban approach'
Earlier,
Chaudhry had spoken about it was not okay to go on banning apps left, right,
and centre, as it would "destroy [Pakistani] tech industry".
He
had further highlighted how development in technology would "be
permanently hampered" across Pakistan, a country that already lags
significantly behind the world in terms of science and research.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/299841-tiktok-books-do-not-pose-danger-to-islam-in-pakistan-fawad-chaudhry
--------
South Asia
UN
says thousands of anti-Pakistan militants in Afghanistan
Jul
26, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
A UN report says more than 6,000 Pakistani insurgents, most belonging to the
outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group attacking Pakistani military
and civilian targets, are hiding in Afghanistan.
The
report released this week said the organization has linked up with the
Afghan-based Islamic State affiliate and some of its members have even joined
the IS group, which has its headquarters in eastern Afghanistan.
The
Afghan government did not respond to The Associated Press requests Sunday for
comment.
The report
said the IS in Afghanistan, known as IS in Khorasan province, has been hit hard
by the Afghan Security Forces, as well as US and NATO forces and even on
occasion by the Taliban. The report was prepared by the UN analytical and
sanctions monitoring team, which tracks terrorist groups around the world.
The
report estimated the membership of the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan
at 2,200 and while its leadership has been depleted it still counts among its
leaders a Syrian national Abu Said Mohammad al-Khorasani.
The
report also said the monitoring team had received information that two senior
Islamic State commanders, Abu Qutaibah and Abu Hajar al-Iraqi, had recently
arrived in Afghanistan from the Middle East.
"Although
in territorial retreat, (the Islamic State) remains capable of carrying out
high-profile attacks in various parts of the country, including Kabul. It also
aims to attract Taliban fighters who oppose the agreement with the United
States," said the report referring to a US peace deal signed with the
Taliban in February.
That
deal that was struck to allow the US to end its 19 year involvement in
Afghanistan also calls on the Taliban to guarantee its territory will not be
used by terrorist groups. The deal is also expected to guarantee Taliban
all-out participation in the fight against the Islamic State.
The
second and perhaps the most critical part of that agreement calls for talks
between the Taliban and Kabul's political leadership.
Late
on Saturday the US State Department issued a statement saying its peace envoy
Zalmay Khalilzad was again shuttling through the region seeking to jump start
those negotiations which have been repeatedly postponed as both sides squabble
over a prisoner release program.
The
US-backed deal calls for the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban
prisoners and the Taliban to free 1,000 government and military personnel as a
so-called good will gesture ahead of talks. Until now the government is
refusing to release nearly 600 Taliban prisoners it calls high-profile
criminals and have offered to free alternatives. The Taliban has refused.
"The
parties are closer than ever to the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the key
next step to ending Afghanistan's 40-year long war," said the US State
Department statement. "Although significant progress has been made on
prisoner exchanges, the issue requires additional effort to fully
resolve."
The
Taliban's political spokesman earlier this week said it was ready to hold talks
with Kabul's political leaders after the Islamic holiday of Eid ul Adha which
is at the end of the month, providing the prisoner release is completed.
A big
worry for Pakistan is the presence in Afghanistan of militants, particularly
linked to the TTP or Jamaat-al Ahrar or Lashkar-e-Islam, as well as those with
the Baluchistan Liberation Army, which has taken responsibility for high
profile attacks this month in the southern Sindh province as well as in
southwestern Baluchistan Province. Several Pakistan military personnel have
been killed this month in southwestern Baluchistan province in battle with
insurgents.
The
TTP took responsibility for one of the most horrific attacks in Pakistan in
2014 when a Pakistani army school was attacked and 140 were killed. Most were
students and some were as young as 5.
"The
total number of Pakistani foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, posing a
threat to both countries, is estimated at between 6,000 and 6,500, most of them
with TTP," said the report.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/un-says-thousands-of-anti-pakistan-militants-in-afghanistan/articleshow/77181556.cms
--------
NATO
urges Taliban for an urgent inter-Afghan dialogue
27
Jul 2020
The
Taliban had agreed to enter into an inter-Afghan dialogue with the Afghan
government and politicians after signing a peace pact with the United States in
late February 2020.
In
nearly 20 weeks, no signs of progress have been noticed in the intention of the
Taliban. Taliban’s violence continues on a non-stop basis, however, the Afghan
government has released over 85% of the prisoners and the U.S forces have left
5 military bases as per the agreement.
Unacceptable
violence levels by the Taliban cause the majority of civilian casualties, NATO
office tweeted.
NATO
has expressed concerns that the continuation of violence by the Taliban may
harm the opportunities to reaching a peace.
Taliban
must cease violence, live up to their comments and enter intra-Afghan
negotiations ASAP, NATO called on the Taliban in a tweet.
This
as as the UNAMA has also called on the Taliban to prioritize civilian
protection and start peace talks.
The
new report by UNAMA indicates that violence in Afghanistan have left 3,458
civilian casualties during first half of 2020.
According
to the report, 1,282 civilians have been killed and 2,176 have been injured
during the first 6 months of the year.
According
to a statement published by the UNAMA along with the 2020 half-year report, UN
urges all parties to end conflicts through political solutions in order to
reduce civilian casualties.
UNAMA
urges all parties to the conflict to strengthen their engagement with the
United Nations and reminds them of their responsibility to protect civilians.
Peace remains the best protection for civilians affected by armed conflict.
We
call on all parties and those who can influence them to work toward political
solutions to end the conflict, UNAMA added in a statement.
https://www.khaama.com/nato-urges-taliban-for-an-urgent-inter-afghan-dialogue-797976/
--------
Afghan
forces kill, wound 14 Taliban militants in Logar province
27
Jul 2020
The
Afghan security forces killed at least 6 Taliban militants during the clashes
in central Logar province of Afghanistan.
According
to a statement released by Ministry of Defense (MoD), the Taliban militants
were planning to attack the security posts in Dado Khel in the provincial
capital and Lashkar Khel in Mohammad Agha district.
The
statement further added that the security forces launched pre-emptive
operations to counter the attack.
The
security forces killed 3 Taliban militants in the provincial capital of Logar
and wounded at least 2 others, the Ministry of Defense said.
It
also added that the security forces killed 3 Taliban militants and wounded 6
others during the operation in Mohammad Agha district.
The
Taliban group has not commented regarding the incidents so far.
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-forces-kill-wound-14-taliban-militants-in-logar-province-08989/
--------
Saudis
take madrassa-building spree to Afghanistan: Report
27
July 2020
Saudi
Arabia is to build as many as 600 madrassas in Afghanistan following its
experience in neighboring Pakistan where such schools have become synonymous
with creating terrorists through extremist Takfiri teachings.
The
schools would be constructed by the rural development communities instead of
private sectors, English-language Afghanistan Times Daily reported Sunday,
citing the Afghan embassy in Riyadh.
Earlier,
chairman of the Afghan senate Fazal Hadi Muslimyar said Saudi Ambassador to
Kabul Jassim bin Mohammed al-Khalidi had supported building 100 madrassas and
one “college” in the Nangarhar province.
The
plan has been met with widespread reaction across social media, with users
asking whether the centers will be presided over by the Afghan Education
Ministry instead of having their curricula and procedures dictated by Riyadh.
Afghanistan
Times Daily said the schools, to be propped up across Afghanistan, would be
"monitored by an independent watchdog organization,” suggesting they would
not be answerable to the education ministry.
‘Nurseries
of extremism’
The
madrassas, blamed for preaching hatred against various religions and sects
among their pupils, have earned notoriety for being “nurseries of extremism.”
Last
year, Pakistan agreed to start reforming its roughly 30,000 radical centers,
mostly funded by Saudi Arabia, which are the target of global outcry for their
role in training future terrorists.
Saudi
Arabia is widely known for exporting its extremist ideology of Wahhabism
worldwide through the so-called educational centers.
Wahhabism
forms the mindset of Takfiri terrorist groups across the world, which consider
subscribers of other faiths to be worthy of nothing but death.
The
most violent of those groups to date that ran amok across Iraq and Syria from
2014 to late 2017 is the Daesh terrorist outfit.
The
Saudi envoy’s expression of support for the creation of a “college” in
Nangarhar is curious because the province is hosting the largest number of
Daesh terrorists who have fled Syria, Iraq and other countries.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/27/630497/Saudi-Arabia-building-schools-Afghanistan-madrassa-Pakistan-radicalization-Wahhabism
-------
Southeast Asia
Rohingya
refugees feared dead found alive on Malaysian islet
27
July 2020
Twenty-six
Rohingya refugees who had been feared drowned while trying to swim ashore on
the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi were found alive hiding in the bushes
on a nearby islet, a senior coastguard official said on Monday.
Malaysia
does not recognize refugee status, but the Muslim-majority country is a favored
destination for Rohingya Muslims seeking a better life after escaping a 2017
military crackdown in Myanmar and, more recently, refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Late
on Saturday, one Rohingya swam ashore from a small boat off Langkawi's west
coast. Officials had feared that the rest of the group had drowned while trying
to reach the beach, but they were later discovered on an islet just off the
coast.
"They
were found hiding in the bushes on the island," Mohd Zubil Mat Som,
director-general of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), said in a
text message.
Authorities
have detained the refugees. Two more Rohingya migrants have also been arrested
for suspected trafficking in connection with the people found, Mohd Zubil said.
The
refugees were believed to have transferred to a small boat to sneak into
Malaysia, having traveled on a "motherboat" carrying hundreds of
Rohingya from Bangladesh, the coastguard official said.
Last
month, Malaysia had detained 269 Rohingya who arrived in Langkawi on a damaged
boat. Mohd Zubil had said at the time that dozens of people on the boat were
believed to have perished during a voyage that lasted four months.
Prime
Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said last month Malaysia was unable to take in any
more Rohingya, citing a struggling economy battered by the coronavirus
pandemic.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/27/630498/Malaysia-Rohingya-refugees-feared-dead-found-alive
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Indonesian
religious group cries foul over tomb closure
Konradus
Epa
July
27, 2020
Followers
of Sunda Wiwitan, an indigenous faith group in Indonesia’s West Java province,
have accused authorities of bowing to pressure from hardline Muslim groups who
forced the closure of one of their most sacred sites.
The
Kuningan district Public Order Agency last week sealed off the tomb of two
Sunda Wiwitan leaders — Prince Djatikusumah and Queen Emalia Wigarningsih, who
died last year and were buried at the site in the village of Cisantana.
Group
members were also prohibited from praying at the tomb.
"The
entire site was closed,” Okky Satrio Djati, a Sunda Wiwitan spokesman, told UCA
News on July 25.
Sunda
Wiwitan has about 100,000 followers across West Java and Banten provinces who
venerate the power of nature and the spirit of their ancestors.
Djati
said it was unbelievable that authorities bowed to pressure from conservative
groups who had protested and ordered the tomb to be removed.
The
tomb has giant stones indicating Sunda Wiwitan’s closeness to nature and was
meant to be a shrine for followers to pray at.
Local
authorities saw it as a monument that required a government permit. Under
Indonesian law, religious sites require such a permit.
Djati
said the community was in the process of getting one but intolerant groups saw
this as an opportunity to pressure the government to not grant a permit and
tear the shrine down.
He
said they filed a request for a building permit on July 1 but were rejected on
July 14.
Cecep
Murad, from the Indonesian Ulema Council, said Muslims rejected the site
because they were worried it would become a
place of idolatry.
"The
tomb is different from other [ordinary] tombs. Hence, it is a concern of
Muslims," he said.
Kuningan
district chief Acep Purnama denied Sunda Wiwitan followers were being
discriminated against. He insisted that the tomb was a monument without a
government permit.
“Sealing
it is the best way [to prevent bad things happening],” Purnama said without
explaining why the request for a permit was rejected.
Rights
groups condemned the site’s closure.
Jesuit
Father Johannes Haryanto, general secretary of the Indonesian Conference on
Religious and Peace, accused the district chief of seeking political backing
from Muslim hardliners.
“The
closure of this site is regrettable and we ask the people in Kuningan district
to join hands and create harmony with one another,” he said.
Bonar
Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Democracy and
Peace, said the Sunda Wiwitan community and other religious minorities face
difficulty in burying their members in public cemeteries “because they are from
another faith and are considered heretics.”
He
also said that a lack of a political will by many local governments has had a
dire effect on religious freedom.
“They
have become the main barrier to religious freedom because they cave in to
public pressure too easily,” he told UCA News.
Usman
Hamid, director of Amnesty International Indonesia, said the government must
respect diversity and the rights of religious minorities.
“We
urge the local government to reopen the site because it discriminates against
the community and violates the law,” Hamid said.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-religious-group-cries-foul-over-tomb-closure/88921
--------
Mideast
Israel
arrests two Hamas-affiliated Palestinian legislators in West Bank
26
July 2020
Israel
has arrested two legislators affiliated to the Gaza-based resistance movement
of Hamas along with several more Palestinians in separate operations across the
occupied West Bank.
A
large number of Israeli troops raided the home of Sheikh Hatem Qafisheh in the
city of al-Khalil, located 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Jerusalem al-Quds,
on Sunday morning.
Local
sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Nayef Rajoub was also
detained after the troops broke into his family home in Dura, eleven kilometers
southwest of al-Khalil.
Israeli
forces have detained Rajoub on multiple occasions in the past. He was once
arrested by his brother Jibril in 1996 during a crackdown on Hamas members by
the Palestinian Preventive Security (PPS). Jibril Rajoub was the chairman of
the Palestinian security apparatus at the time.
Also
early on Sunday, Israeli forces broke into several homes in the city of
Qalqiliya. Three young men, identified as Mohamed Yassin, Wisam Hamada and
Wajdi al-Shanti, were detained.
Israeli
forces also arrested two brothers, identified as Rabhi and Ahmed al-Asmar, in
the Old City of Jerusalem al-Quds.
More
than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in some 17 Israeli jails,
with dozens of them serving multiple life sentences.
Over
350 detainees, including women and minors, are under Israel’s administrative
detention.
The
administrative detention, which is a form of imprisonment without trial or
charge, allows authorities to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months.
The duration could be extended for an infinite number of times.
The
detention takes place on orders from a military commander and on the basis of
what the Israeli regime describes as ‘secret’ evidence.
Some
prisoners have been held in administrative detention for up to 11 years.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/26/630460/Israel-Hamas
-------
Armed
Separatist Team Destroyed in Southern Iran
Jul
26, 2020
Abbas-Zadeh
said that the team had staged an armed assault on the house of a local Basij
commander and a member of the volunteer force on Wednesday night.
He
noted that the mother of one of the Basij members was martyred during the
shooting.
Abbas-Zadeh
reiterated that in less than 48 hours, three main agents of the terrorist
incident were identified and arrested.
He
went on to say that the separatist team have records of illegal actions in the
province.
In a
relevant operation on July 16, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) forces
identified and destroyed a terrorist cell affiliated to the Mojahedin-e Khalq
Organization (MKO, also known as the MEK, PMOI and NCRI) terrorists in Shiraz,
Fars province.
The
terrorist cell was dismantled before carrying out any operation, the report
said, adding that all members of the terrorist cell have been arrested.
In
another relevant operation on the same day, the IRGC announced in a statement
that a number of main elements of anti-revolutionary groups, who were provoking
people to embark on protest rallies in Northeastern Khorasan Razavi province,
have been identified and arrested.
According
to the statement released by Imam Reza Corps of Khorasan Razavi, some of the
detainees have records of measures like espionage against Iran’s national
security.
The
statement went on to say, “With full mastery and action of the intelligence
organization of Imam Reza Corps of Khorasan Razavi province, a number of the
main hostile groups, who were persuading their advocates and people to hold
protest rallies on streets via publication of call, were identified and
arrested.”
The
report added that some of these elements have records of measures such as
spying against national security, stirring chaos, and trying to disturb public
order via cyberspace.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990505000873
--------
Israeli
army, defense minister warn of Hezbollah attack along Lebanon border
25
July 2020
The
Israeli army’s chief of staff visited soldiers along the Lebanese border on
Saturday, as reports circulate of Tel Aviv anticipating an attack from
Hezbollah in response to the killing of one of its fighters in Syria.
Israel’s
defense minister, Benny Gantz, also met with the Israeli army ahead of the
military’s preparations “amid concerns of a Hezbollah reprisal,” The Times of
Israel reported.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Gantz
ordered the army “to continue its heightened preparedness in the [military]
sector and to use the required measures,” a statement from his office said,
according to the Israeli outlet.
The
Israeli minister also warned Syria and Lebanon that they would “bear direct
responsibility” of any action they might take.
Last
week, a Hezbollah fighter was killed in an Israeli airstrike near Damascus
airport, according to a death notice declaring him a martyr with the Islamic
Resistance, a reference to Hezbollah, and which was confirmed by the group.
Hezbollah
has deployed fighters in Syria as part of Iranian-backed efforts to support
President Bashar al-Assad in a conflict that spiraled out of protests against
his rule in 2011.
Following
the killing of two Hezbollah members in Damascus last August, Sayyed Hassan
Nasrallah, the group’s leader, vowed to respond if Israel killed any more of
the group's fighters in the country.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/25/Israeli-army-defense-minister-warn-of-Hezbollah-attack-along-northern-border.html
--------
UAE
money destroying Yemen’s Ta’izz: Pro-Hadi commander
26
July 2020
Monday,
27 July 2020The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is destroying the Yemeni city of
Ta’izz, a source says, after clashes erupted between the Emirati-sponsored
Tareq Mohammed Abdullah Saleh’s forces and the self-proclaimed Riyadh-backed
government of former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
Clashes
erupted last weekend in Ta'izz between the two sides after the Saudi-backed
militants tried to impose restrictions on the UAE-sponsored mercenaries in the
southwestern city.
The
Middle East Eye said in a report on Sunday that impoverished Yemenis in Ta’izz
are joining the ranks of Tareq - the nephew of the late Yemeni president Ali
Abdullah Saleh who is accused of leading a deadly crackdown on 2011 protests
against his uncle - "for one reason: Emirati money".
He
established the National Resistance Forces (NRF), which is primarily made up of
former members of the Yemeni Republican Guard, at the western coast around the
port city of Mocha.
According
to the report, the group has expanded to Ta’izz, recruiting new mercenaries
every day due to the high salaries it offers.
The
prospect of higher salaries has prompted thousands of pro-Hadi militants to
join the NRF. Most of them now live in the town of al-Turbah which lies on the
strategic main road between the Ta’izz and the port city of Aden.
Violent
protests
In
response, the so-called military police in Ta’izz, which are loyal to the Islah
party that represents the Hadi’s self-proclaimed government in the city,
deployed reinforcements to impose restrictions on the movement of Tareq's
militants in al-Turbah.
As a
result, the NRF and their supporters staged protests in al-Turbah last weekend,
demanding the withdrawal of the new military camps, most of which are linked to
Islah forces, in the area.
Clashes
between NRF supporters and the Islah-backed forces stopped on Sunday, but
sporadic fighting broke out again.
Ahmed,
a military police member, told MEE that not only Tareq's supporters, but all
the UAE-backed sides, took part in the recent protest and clashes in al-Turbah.
"It
is the UAE's money that is destroying Ta’izz and the whole country. The UAE
succeeded in dividing Ta’izz's army by its money. Nowadays, we can see new
brigades supporting the UAE."
He
noted that the UAE-backed armed groups “exploited the poverty of Yemenis, and
some needy people join UAE-backed forces for the sake of money".
Ahmed
further said that many residents of Ta’izz oppose the presence of NRF fighters
in their villages, but are afraid to speak out.
Both
the UAE-sponsored mercenaries and the Saudi-backed militants loyal to Hadi
serve the Riyadh-led military coalition and have been engaged, since March
2015, in a bloody war on Yemeni people, with the aim of bringing the government
of Hadi back to power and crushing Ansarullah movement.
The
UAE has been accused of attempting to occupy Yemen’s strategic Socotra Island
to secure what it perceives to be its geopolitical interests in the Red Sea and
Gulf of Aden.
According
to a new report by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED),
a nonprofit conflict-research organization, the Saudi-led war has so far claimed
the lives of around 56,000 Yemenis.
The
Saudi-led war has also taken a heavy toll on the country’s infrastructure,
destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN has already said that a
record 22.2 million Yemenis are in dire need of food, including 8.4 million
threatened by severe hunger. According to the world body, Yemen is suffering
from the most severe famine in more than 100 years.
A
number of Western countries, the US and Britain in particular, are also accused
of being complicit in the ongoing aggression as they supply the Riyadh regime
with advanced weapons and military equipment as well as logistical and
intelligence assistance.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/27/630509/UAE-money-destroying-Yemen-Ta%E2%80%99izz
--------
Africa
Sudan
to deploy troops to conflict-stricken Darfur after string of violent killings
26
July 2020
Sudan’s
prime minister said Sunday the country would send security forces to
conflict-stricken Darfur to “protect citizens and the farming season.”
Abdalla
Hamdok’s announcement came two days after gunmen in the region killed at least
20 civilians, including children, as they returned to their fields for the
first time in years, the latest in a string of violent incidents.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
impoverished western region has seen years of conflict since an ethnic minority
uprising prompted the government to launch a scorched-earth campaign that left
300,000 people dead and displaced 2.5 million.
“A
joint security force will be deployed in the five states of the Darfur region
to protect citizens during the farming season,” Hamdok’s office said in a
statement after he met a delegation of women from the region.
The
force will include army and police forces, it said.
Violence
in Darfur has eased since Bashir’s ouster by the army amid mass protests
against his rule last year, with a preliminary peace deal signed in January
between the government and a coalition of nine rebel groups, including factions
from the region.
Farmers
displaced in the conflict have since started to return to their land under a
government-sponsored deal reached two months ago, in time for the July-November
planting season.
But
the bloodshed has continued, particularly over land rights, according to expert
Adam Mohammad.
“The
question of land is one cause of the conflict,” he said.
“During
the war, peasants fled their lands and villages to camps, and nomads replaced
them and settled there.”
On
Friday, armed men drove into a village and killed 20 civilians returning to
their fields for the first time in years, an eyewitness, and a tribal chief
told AFP.
In
late June and early July, hundreds of protesters camped for days outside a
government building in the Central Darfur town of Nertiti to demand that the
government beef up security after multiple killings and looting incidents on
farmland and properties.
Bashir
is wanted by the International Criminal Court over charges of genocide and
crimes against humanity in the conflict.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/07/27/Sudan-to-deploy-troops-to-conflict-stricken-Darfur-after-string-of-violent-killings.html
--------
Tunisia’s
Interior Minister Hichem Mechichi named new PM: Presidency
26
July 2020
Hichem
Mechichi, who until now has served as Tunisia's interior minister, has been
appointed to form the next government, the president's office said Saturday.
The
46-year-old lawyer succeeds Elyes Fakhfakh, who resigned earlier this month –
but Mechichi was not one of the names proposed by the ruling political parties
to President Kais Saied.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
As
well as being interior minister in the outgoing government, Mechichi has been a
counsellor to President Saied, handling legal matters. He has previously been
chief of staff at the transport ministry and also served in the social affairs
ministry.
Mechichi
now has a month to form a government against a background of political tensions
among the major parties.
At
that point his choice will be put to a parliamentary vote of confidence and
will need an absolute majority to succeed. Failing that, parliament will be
dissolved and new elections organised within three months.
In
the last elections held in October the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha came top but
fell far short of a majority – holding 54 of 217 seats in parliament – and
eventually agreed to join a coalition government.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/07/26/Tunisia-s-Interior-Minister-Hichem-Mechichi-named-new-PM-Presidency-.html
--------
Over
60 killed in fresh violence in Sudan's Darfur: UN
27
July 2020
More
than 60 people have been killed and another 60 wounded in fresh violence in the
West Darfur region of Sudan, UN officials announced Sunday.
Around
500 armed men attacked Masteri Town, north of Beida, in Darfur on Saturday
afternoon, said the statement from the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The
attackers targeted members of the local Masalit community, looting and burning
houses and part of the local market, the statement added.
"This
was one of the latest of a series of security incidents reported over the last
week that left several villages and houses burned, markets and shops looted,
and infrastructure damaged," said the statement, from the OCHA's Khartoum
office.
Following
Saturday's attack on Masteri, around 500 local people staged a protest
demanding more protection from the authorities.
Members
of the Masalit community said they would not bury their dead until the
authorities took action, said the OCHA.
On
Sunday, Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said the government would send
security forces to the conflict-stricken region to "protect citizens and
the farming season".
His
announcement came two days after gunmen in the region killed at least 20
civilians, including children, as they returned to their fields for the first
time in years, the latest in a string of violent incidents.
The
recent killings have targeted the African farming tribes in conflict with the
nomadic Arab tribes over the land.
"The
escalation of violence in different parts of Darfur region is leading to
increased displacement, compromising the agricultural season, causing loss of
lives and livelihoods and driving growing humanitarian needs," said the
OCHA statement.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/27/630485/Sudan-darfur-violence-un
--------
North America
US
calls on China to stop coercing Uighurs to return after Turkey extradition
report
26
July 2020
Beijing
must “cease efforts to coerce” Uighur Muslims who fled the country to return, a
US State Department spokesperson told Al Arabiya English on Monday, following
reports that Turkey is sending Uighur refugees back to China.
“The
United States will continue to call on the People’s Republic of China to
immediately end its campaign of repression in Xinjiang, release all those
arbitrarily detained, and cease efforts to coerce members of Muslim minority
groups residing abroad to return to China to face an uncertain fate,” a State
Department spokesperson told Al Arabiya English on Monday.
Turkey
is sending Uighur refugees back home to China, where they face imprisonment and
persecution, through third countries like Tajikistan, the Telegraph revealed on
Sunday.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “is helping China repatriate Muslim dissidents
by sending them to third countries before they return [to China],” the
Telegraph reported.
For
decades Uighur Muslims have sought refuge in Turkey from repression in China,
which has detained one million Uighurs in “reeducation camps” that reportedly
force them to renounce their religious identity.
Beijing
considers many Uighurs to be extremists and claims they are dangerous to
China’s national security.
In
the past, Erdogan, who styles himself as a global Islamic leader, has called
Chinese actions against Uighur Muslims in China “genocide.”
But
recently his government has stopped speaking out against China’s treatment of
the Uighurs, a move the Telegraph says is likely economically motivated and
stems from Ankara’s desire for Chinese investment in Turkey.
From
Turkey to Tajikistan to China
The
Telegraph recounts the story of 59-year-old Aimuzi Kuwanhan, a Uighur who fled
China and sought sanctuary in Turkey, residing in state housing.
After
disappearing last summer, she was traced to a detention center in the Turkish
city of Izmir, before being extradited to Tajikistan, according to the
Telegraph citing a lawyer hired by her family.
“Sources
who knew Kuwahan say from there she was sent to China,” the newspaper said.
In
the past, Erdogan, who styles himself as a global Islamic leader, has called
Chinese actions against Uighur Muslims in China “genocide.”
But
recently his government has stopped speaking out against China’s treatment of
the Uighurs, a move the Telegraph says is likely economically motivated and
stems from Ankara’s desire for Chinese investment in Turkey.
From
Turkey to Tajikistan to China
The
Telegraph recounts the story of 59-year-old Aimuzi Kuwanhan, a Uighur who fled
China and sought sanctuary in Turkey, residing in state housing.
After
disappearing last summer, she was traced to a detention center in the Turkish
city of Izmir, before being extradited to Tajikistan, according to the
Telegraph citing a lawyer hired by her family.
“Sources
who knew Kuwahan say from there she was sent to China,” the newspaper said.
“I’m
not sure if China is putting pressure directly on the Turkish government to
control Uighurs here,” Parach said in an interview with NPR, “or if Chinese
agents have infiltrated Turkish society to frame us as terrorists.”
Uighur
persecution in China
The
Uighur population, an ethnic minority in China, are overwhelmingly Muslim and
reside in the northwestern Xinjiang region, which borders many countries
including Tajikistan.
Since
2017, the Chinese government has systematically cracked down on the community
by detaining more than a million Uighur Muslims in “reeducation camps,”
according to US and UN estimates.
Claiming
that these Uighurs in custody hold extremist views, Beijing detains them and
forces them to renounce Islam and live in prison-like conditions at the camps,
former detainees told The Globe and Mail in 2018.
Uighurs
have been detained for attending services at mosques and texting about the
Quran, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/07/26/Turkey-sends-Uighur-refugees-back-to-China-through-third-countries-Report.html
-------
Iranian-American
cleric found dead in Iran after being murdered over money: Report
26
July 2020
An
Iranian-American Zoroastrian cleric was found dead in southeast Iran alongside
two others, state media reported on Sunday.
The
dead bodies of California-based Zoroastrian cleric Arash Kasravi and two of his
acquaintances were found at a villa in the city of Mahan in Kerman province,
the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported citing the province’s prosecutor
Dadkhoda Salari.
Salari
confirmed the three were murdered, saying: “Investigations indicate the murders
were financially motivated.”
The
police discovered $10,000 in one of the victim’s cars, he said.
Kasravi
had received death threats in the past, according to IranWire.
“The
source of these threats was unknown, but the subject was mostly financial,”
IranWire quoted a source close to Kasravi’s family as saying.
Kasravi
had returned to his hometown in Kerman from the US to attend the anniversary of
his father’s death and to handle legal matters related to his inheritance.
Kasravi
and his acquaintances had gone missing for several days before their dead
bodies were discovered.
Kasravi,
53, immigrated to the US with his family ten years ago. He worked at a
Zoroastrian temple in California.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/26/Iranian-American-cleric-found-dead-in-Iran-after-being-murdered-over-money-Report.html
--------
Arab World
Reporters
Without Borders urges internal probe into Saudi journalist’s death
26
July 2020
The
Paris-based media rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called for
an international investigation into the case of Saudi journalist Saleh
al-Shehi, who died two months after his release from prison.
“We
demand an independent international inquiry under the UN’s aegis to shed all
possible light on a possible link between Saleh al-Shehi’s death and the
conditions in which he was held,” said Sabrina Bennoui, the head of RSF’s
Middle East desk.
“His
sudden release two months before he died raises doubts and requires
explanations and transparency on the part of the Saudi authorities. If he fell
ill in prison, they must assume full responsibility.”
Shehi,
a well-known columnist for the reformist daily al-Watan, often wrote about
poverty in Saudi Arabia as well as nepotism within the ruling elite and called
for a debate about alleged reforms in the kingdom.
In
December 2017, he was arrested for talking about corruption within the royal
court on the Saudi TV channel Rotana’s program “Ya Hala”.
In
February 2018, the journalist was sentenced to five years of imprisonment
followed by a five-year ban on leaving the country for “insulting the royal
court.”
Shehi,
however, was released on May 19. His health condition deteriorated quickly
thereafter and led to his death on July 19.
His
illness has not been formally named, but the Saudi newspaper al-Riyadh spoke of
three weeks of complications resulting from the COVID-19 infection.
The
Prisoners of Conscience, an independent nongovernmental organization advocating
human rights in Saudi Arabia, announced the journalist’s death in a post on its
Twitter page.
Shehi
was described as “the proletariat’s writer” by his friend Jamal Khashoggi, a
dissident Saudi journalist, who was brutally murdered inside the kingdom’s
consulate in Istanbul in October 2018.
“Saleh
al-Shehi is courageous,” Khashoggi said a few months before his killing. “Those
who want to be independent and raise awareness go abroad where they can speak
freely, but Saleh al-Shehi committed a suicide by staying and writing
articles" in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier
this month, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary
Execution Agnes Callamard said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the
prime suspect in ordering and inciting Khashoggi’s murder.
Abdullah
al-Odeh, son of imprisoned Saudi cleric Salman al-Odeh, said Shehi's death was
the latest tragedy in a line of deaths of prominent anti-regime journalists.
"May
God have mercy on Saleh al-Shehi who died today... after being released from
prison," he tweeted. "May God have mercy on Abdullah Hamid, who died
on the floor of his cell due to medical negligence. May God have mercy on Jamal
Khashoggi, who they killed in the consulate."
Writer
and activist Abdullah Hamid died in April in prison, where he was serving an
11-year sentence on charges including “undermining national unity, disobeying
the ruler, and questioning the integrity of officials”.
Saudi
Arabia is ranked 170th out of 180 countries and territories in RSF's 2020 World
Press Freedom Index.
Ever
since bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader in 2017, the kingdom has
arrested dozens of activists, bloggers, intellectuals and others perceived as
political opponents, showing almost zero tolerance for dissent even in the face
of international condemnations of the crackdown.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/26/630437/Saudi-Arabia-journalist-Saleh-Shehi
-------
Iraqi
protesters gather in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square over electricity cuts
27
July 2020
Dozens
of Iraqi protesters gathered in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square on Sunday night to
protest over electricity cuts and lack of public services, according to videos
being shared by activists.
There
were reports of several injuries and at least one protester dying during the
clashes with Iraqi security forces near Tahrir square.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Other
reports by local media suggested that Iraqi security forces fired tear gas
canisters in a bid to crackdown on the nighttime protests.
Iraqi
security forces reportedly raided tents in Tahrir Square and dispersed
protesters.
Nationwide
protests began late last year after Iraqis took to the streets to demand the
resignation of the government and renewed rejection of Iranian influence in the
country.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/27/Iraqi-protesters-gather-in-Baghdad-s-Tahrir-Square-over-electricity-cuts.html
--------
Explosion
rocks military base near Baghdad: Iraqi military
26
July 2020
Explosions
rocked a military compound in Baghdad Sunday, but the cause remains unclear, an
Iraqi military statement said.
The
initial explosions were reported at al-Saqr military base.
A
statement from the Iraqi Media Security Cell said that an ammunition warehouse
belonging to the police exploded due to the high temperatures and "poor
storage."
Civil
Defense arrived on the scene, the statement added.
Multiple
explosions could be heard in Baghdad on Sunday evening. Security sources said
the depot, which is part of a military base used by both the police and
paramilitary forces, was one that had caught fire in August last year.
That fire
also set off explosions heard across Baghdad, killing one person and injuring
29 others. There were no casualties reported immediately on Sunday.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/26/Explosion-rocks-military-base-near-Baghdad-Iraqi-military.html
--------
Conflicts
in Syria, elsewhere will intensify if Iran arms embargo lifted: Hook
26
July 2020
The
US special representative for Iran on Sunday sought to rally Gulf allies as
Washington tried to extend an arms embargo on Tehran, warning failure would
“intensify” regional conflicts.
“I’ve
spoken with leaders here in the Gulf and around the world -- no one believes
that Iran should be able to freely buy and sell conventional weapons such as
fighter jets... and various kinds of missiles,” Brian Hook told journalists in
an online briefing while on a visit to Qatar.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
United States has urged the UN Security Council to extend an arms embargo on Iran
that expires in October.
The
extension is opposed by veto-wielding Russia and China, which stand to gain
major arms contracts from Iran.
“If
the Security Council fails to extend the arms embargo by October 18, Iran will
be able to freely buy and sell these weapons,” Hook said.
“Imagine
what the region will look like if this happens, conflicts in places like Syria
and Yemen will certainly intensify.”
US
arch-foe Iran is a key player on the side of the Syrian government in the
country’s conflict and is aligned with Houthi militia in Yemen fighting the
government, supported by the Arab coalition.
Washington
has warned it could employ a disputed legal move to restore wide UN sanctions
on Iran if the Security Council does not prolong a ban on conventional arms
sales to the Islamic republic.
The
US envoy will visit Kuwait on the next leg of his trip, having already visited
Tunisia, a current member of the Security Council.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/26/Conflicts-in-Syria-elsewhere-will-intensify-if-Iran-arms-embargo-lifted-Hook.html
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Saudi
Arabia border guards stop 196 drug smugglers in a month
27
July 2020
Saudi
Arabia’s Border Guard prevented approximately 196 smugglers from bringing in
drugs, including hashish and opium, into the Kingdom last month, the agency’s
official spokesman Lieutenant General Misfer al-Quraini said.
The
smugglers collectively tried to illegally import 937 kilograms of
hashish,18,893 kilograms of the stimulant khat, 640,295 Amphetamine pills, and
6,809 grams of opium, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited al-Quraini as saying.
The
smugglers were arrested and have been referred to the competent authorities,
SPA reported.
The
General Directorate of Border Guard is a Saudi Arabian agency responsible for
policing the Kingdom’s land and sea borders.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/07/27/Saudi-Arabia-border-guards-stop-196-drug-smugglers-in-a-month.html
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Hezbollah
says ready to confront any Israeli aggression
27
July 2020
Hezbollah
Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem has reiterated the Lebanese
resistance movement's readiness to confront any Israeli aggression.
Speaking
in an interview with al-Mayadeen TV channel on Sunday, Sheikh Qassem declined
to clarify the movement's response to an Israeli attack that killed one of
Hezbollah fighters in Syria last week.
"Let
the Israelis have their own estimations and calculations in this regard,"
he said.
Hezbollah
announced the death of Ali Kamel Mohsen, one of its members, in an Israeli airstrike
in Damascus on July 20 and promised retaliation.
Sheikh
Qassem also played down recent Israeli threats, saying there were "mere
chest-beating.”
His
remarks came after Israel’s minister of military affairs Benny Gantz
warned Syria and Lebanon that they would
be held responsible for any attacks against Israel coming from their territory.
“We
don’t want any unnecessary escalations, but anyone who tests us will be met by
a very high capability to take action, and I hope we won’t need to use it,”
Gantz said.
Sheikh
Qassem dismissed the prospect of an all-out war with Israel in the next few
months.
“Israel’s
political confusion and low expectation from war outcomes as well as US
President Donald Trump’s quagmire eliminate the possibility of an imminent
eruption of the war,” he said.
But
he promised Tel Aviv will be delivered yet another defeat if it launched an
aggression.
“If
Israel decides to go to war with us, then we will confront them, and the 2006
[Second Lebanon] War will be the model for our response,” Sheikh Qassem said.
The
Israeli military went into high alert near the Lebanese border, amid concerns
that Hezbollah would conduct a retaliation attack.
Gantz
made his threats during a visit to the border between the occupied territories
and Lebanon on Sunday, where he said the Israeli regime was “prepared for all
possibilities”.
Shortly
later, an Israeli spy drone crashed inside Lebanon, according to an Israeli
military spokeswoman.
In
his interview, Sheikh Qassem also touched on the US harassment of an Iranian
passenger plane over Syria, saying Washington wants to wreck a strategic pact
between Iran and Syria.
The
move by the US warplanes was similar to Israeli tactics in the past, when
Israel's aircraft used civilian planes as a shield to draw fire from Syrian
air-defense systems.
Iran
and Syria signed a "comprehensive" agreement to boost military and
defense cooperation on July 8.
On
Thursday night, US warplanes operating illegally in Syria conducted aggressive
maneuvers dangerously close to an Iranian Mahan Air flight over Syria’s al-Tanf
region.
Mahan
Air’s Flight 1152 had taken off from Tehran and was en route to the Lebanese
capital, Beirut, when the incident happened.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/27/630494/Hezbollah-ready-Israel-war
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Car
bomb goes off in Turkish-controlled northern Syrian city, eight dead
26
July 2020
Eight
people, including women and children, have been killed in a car bomb attack in
the strategic border city of Ra’s al-Ayn in Syria’s northeastern province of
Hasakah which Turkish forces and allied militants captured in an offensive
against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in October.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA reported that the attack was carried out near a
marketplace on Sunday. Some of the injured are in a critical condition.
The
Turkish Defense Ministry blamed the YPG in a post on its official Twitter page.
The
new bombing attack came after on June 5, two children were killed in a similar
attack at the same place.
On
October 9, 2019, Turkish forces and Ankara-backed militants launched a
long-threatened cross-border invasion of northeastern Syria in a declared
attempt to push the YPG away from border areas.
Ankara
views the YPG, which is supported by the White House, as a terrorist
organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has
been seeking an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey since 1984.
Two
week after the invasion began, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey’s
Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a memorandum of understanding that asserted the YPG
had to withdraw from the Turkish-controlled "safe zone" in
northeastern Syria within 150 hours, after which Ankara and Moscow would run
joint patrols around the area. The patrols have come under attacks by militants
ever since.
That
announcement was made hours before a US-brokered five-day truce between Turkish
and Kurdish-led forces was due to expire.
Meanwhile,
the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that US forces and
allied Kurdish-led militants from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had
arrested a number of local residents and internally displaced persons near a US
base in the Jazira region of Hasakah.
Elsewhere
in the northwestern province of Aleppo, Turkish-backed militants looted
privately-owned property.
SANA
reported that members of the Hamza Division terrorist group broke into several
houses on Saturday, stealing money, furniture and home appliances.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/26/630451/Syria-car-bomb
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Europe
Moscow
police arrest more than 30 people after Azerbaijani-Armenian fights
25
July 2020
Azerbaijanis
and Armenians have engaged in a series of fights and violent rampages in
Moscow, venting their anger over recent cross-border clashes between the two
ex-Soviet nations.
Moscow
police said Saturday they have detained over 30 people on charges of
involvement in fights and disturbances. In St. Petersburg, police detained
dozens Saturday in a bid to prevent another big fight between Azerbaijanis and
Armenians.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
clashes between Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the Russian capital
follow an outbreak of hostilities on the border between the two South Caucasus
neighbors earlier this month. Several days of cross-border shelling left about
20 people dead.
Russian
news reports said the spate of violent incidents began when groups of
Azerbaijanis beat up Armenians in Moscow early Friday and later assailed
Armenian-owned stores.
In a
series of clashes across Moscow that followed, Armenians and Azerbaijanis
engaged in fights and attacked each other's shops and restaurants.
Calls
for restraint from Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats and other officials
didn't seem to have any effect and the brawls have continued.
Armenians'
Union in Russia said that officials from Russia's Federal Security Service, the
top KGB successor agency, held a meeting Friday with representatives of the
Armenian community to discuss the violent clashes and promised that the
instigators of violence would be punished.
The
two Caucasus neighbors have been locked for decades in conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the control of
ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994.
International efforts to settle the conflict have stalled, and clashes have
been frequent.
Russia
has maintained close ties with both Armenia and Azerbaijan and has been part of
the so-called Minsk group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe alongside the US and France, which has tried to mediate a settlement of
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/07/25/Moscow-police-arrest-more-than-30-people-after-Azerbaijani-Armenian-fights.html
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Former
Home Secretary Javid pours fuel on Russia report fire
26
July 2020
Former
Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, has waded into the Russia report controversy by
arguing for tougher espionage laws.
Writing
in the Daily Mail (July 25), Javid argues that threats to national security
emanating from “hostile states” must be treated as seriously as domestic
terrorism.
Whilst
the initial thrust of his article is focused on Russia, Javid expands his
vitriol to include China as well.
“I
believe we need to take it [espionage] as seriously as terrorism … That means
more resources, more powers, and more international cooperation”, Javid writes.
Despite
his emphasis on espionage threats, Javid, who was Home Secretary from April
2018 to July 2019, ends up conflating the issue with terrorism by taking a
swipe at Shamima Begum.
Begum,
who was only 15-years-old when she traveled to join the conflict in Syria, was
stripped of her British citizenship by Javid (on the advice of the Security
Service MI5) in February 2019.
Javid
sharply criticizes the decision earlier this month by the Court of Appeal to
call for Begum’s return to the UK so that she can fight the citizenship
deprivation decision.
“Too
often, it feels as if our laws work against a common sense of justice and
security”, Javid writes referring to the Court of Appeal’s decision.
But
Javid neglected to explain that the Court of Appeal had made its decision on
the grounds that Begum had been denied a fair hearing.
More
broadly, Javid argues for a new “Espionage Bill” in conjunction with the
updating of the Official Secrets Act to treat “economic espionage” as seriously
as “state secrets”.
Furthermore,
Javid calls for greater international cooperation with Britain’s traditional
allies in the security and intelligence spheres.
Javid,
who also briefly served as Chancellor between July 2019 and February 2020,
calls for a “strategy of solidarity” with the UK’s “Five Eyes” intelligence
partners, notably Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US.
“A
fist is stronger than five fingers … If we unite together, domestically and
internationally, I wouldn’t bet against us”, Javid boasted.
During
his tenure as Home Secretary, Javid significantly stepped up citizenship
deprivation measures, an arbitrary power that is proving to be deeply
controversial with the more traditional components of the British judiciary.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/07/26/630475/UK-Russia-Report-Sajid-Javid-Espionage-Bill
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/eight-mosques-two-dargahs-around/d/122473