Anti-Extremism Prevent Strategy Failing To Engage Muslim Communities, Allows Islamists to Dominate Perceptions of the Scheme, Says UK Adviser
New Age Islam News Bureau
04 June 2022
Sara Khan, the British
government's extremism adviser, said the UK has let Islamists dominate the
conversation over what Prevent does. EPA
-----
• Afghanistan’s Taliban Rulers Face Threat from
Islamic State, Maintain Close Ties with Al-Qaeda: UN Report
• Security Beefed Up In Karnataka's Srirangapatna over
VHP's Call for Puja At Jamia Mosque
• Counsel Says FIA Wants To Arrest PM Shehbaz, Hamza
in Rs16bn Money Laundering Case
• Egyptian Court Upholds Sentence for Listing 56
Muslim Brotherhood Members on Terrorists List
Europe
• AOCE Praises Appointments of Two Muslim Ministers in
Australian Gov’t
• Salman Rushdie leads over 40 British Indians in
Queen's Jubilee Honours list
• Türkiye summons Greek envoy for terror groups'
activities in Greece
• NATO chief speaks with Turkey’s Erdogan about
Finland, Sweden joining
--------
India
• Agra's Jama Masjid May Be UP's Next Disputed Mosque
• RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Stand on Shrines Offers
Hope: Deoband-based cleric Mufti Asad
• "Karnataka Declaration”: Karnataka Congress to
Fight Assembly Poll under Collective Leadership, To Protect Muslims, Christians
• High Court declined urgent hearing on plea against
stopping of prayers at mosque
• Islamic State terrorist sentenced to life
imprisonment by Kolkata court
• Shiv Sena Backs Bhagwat's 'No Need To Find Shiv Ling
In Every Mosque' Comment; Needles BJP On Kashmir Situation
• Violence Breaks Out in Kanpur as Police, Muslim
Protestors Clash
• Six Hurt, 18 Held In Kanpur Violence Over Closure Of
Shops After Friday Prayers: Cops
• India’s engagement with Taliban should redefine
Tajikistan relationship
• Hizbul commander killed in encounter in J&K's
Anantnag
--------
Pakistan
• TTP declares indefinite ceasefire with Pakistan
• China ‘directly responsible’ for grim economic
situation of Pakistan
• ISI given legal cover to screen government officials
• No major breakthrough yet as jirga returns from
Kabul
• Opposition senators take on govt over ‘economic
terrorism’
• Maryam Nawaz lashes out at Imran Khan for
criticizing Pak army; calls him ‘sick-minded person’
--------
Arab
World
• Lebanon-based hackers linked to Iran’s government
targeted Israeli groups: Microsoft
• EU, Egypt near gas supply deal in shift away from
Russia
• Lebanese security chief fears political paralysis,
social collapse
• UAE firm to screen passengers at Afghan airports
• YPG/PKK Terrorists Accelerate Planting Mines, Booby
Traps in Northern Syria
• Erdogan taking advantage of Ukraine war to push his
own goals in Syria
--------
South
Asia
• Acting FM of IEA, Muttaqi at Gathering Recounts
Achievements of Islamic Emirate
• Islamic State in Khorasan Province’s Rocket Attack
in Tajikistan
• 'We Want Cordial Relations' With World: Mullah
Yaqoob Mujahid
• The Afghan Refugees’ Failure in Security Screening
Delays Their Evacuation from the Balkan Camp
• Pakistan Seeks Kabul Mediation to Negotiate with TTP
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Is Indonesia’s Grand Experiment with Democracy
Coming to an End?
• After Telling Bangladesh Not To Join Quad, China Now
Urges It To Shun Bloc Politics
• 11 more arrested over half-naked dancers at open
house
• Local cacao inspires duo to make a business out of
it
• Sabah PH reps go to court over 40% revenue share for
state
--------
Mideast
• Iranian Ambassador at the UNSC: Anti-Iran Sanctions
New Method of War against Civilized Nations
• Deputy FM: Israeli Regime Can Only Dream of
Attacking Iran
• Iran, Kenya Vow to Broaden Mutual Cooperation
• Iran, Syria Discuss Ways to Fight Sandstorms
• Iran vows ‘immediate response’ to any Western move
against it at IAEA
--------
Africa
• Libya’s Persistent Political Polarization amid
Islamic State’s bid to Remain Relevant
• Kwara Hijab controversy: Islamic group demands
justice for student allegedly killed
• Sudan to privatize army firms, says Gulf aid talks
ongoing
• Türkiye, Mali discuss bilateral relations, regional
issues
• UN Security Council extends Libyan arms embargo for
1 more year
• Islamic Group, Ansaru Dissociates Self from
Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack
--------
North
America
• New York Man, a Uzbekistan Citizen, Sentenced To 15
Years In Prison For Support To Islamic State
• Muslim leaders ask FBI to investigate body found in
burnt car as hate crime
• US airstrike kills 5 al-Shabaab terrorists in
Somalia
• US Congress members denounce Israeli restrictions on
academic freedom in Palestine
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/extremism-muslim-communities-islamists/d/127173
--------
Anti-Extremism Prevent Strategy Failing To Engage
Muslim Communities, Allows Islamists to Dominate Perceptions of the Scheme,
Says UK Adviser
Sara Khan, the British
government's extremism adviser, said the UK has let Islamists dominate the
conversation over what Prevent does. EPA
-----
Simon Rushton
Jun 03, 2022
The UK’s controversial Prevent anti-extremism
programme has failed to engage with Muslim communities and allowed Islamists to
dominate perceptions of the scheme, according to a senior government expert.
Dame Sara Khan, a UK government adviser on
counter-extremism, said a continuing review into Prevent’s work needed to
rectify past mistakes.
She said the government “left a vacuum” about the
purpose of the scheme, which has since been “dominated” by Islamists.
Prevent was launched in 2007 to stop people being
lured by extremism and persuaded to become terrorists, but it has also faced
criticism from some Muslim groups for what they call an unfair focus on their
communities.
“The government did not explain to Muslim communities
to explain what Prevent is about. They left a vacuum which Islamists dominated
and said what Prevent is about. There have clearly been mistakes,” she said.
“There were issues, detrimental failures that cause
people to not respect the programme,” she added, citing problems over
perceptions that it was a spy programme.
“So those types of challenges have continued and I
think continuing to engage with communities, explaining what the programme is,
addressing concerns — that's got to continue in a much better way than we've
seen previously,” she said.
Speaking on the BBC’s Political Thinking podcast, Dame
Sara said there was a difference between Muslim communities and Islamist
threats.
She also pointed out there were many types of
extremism that needed to be looked at, from the far-left to far-right.
“I have criticised Prevent many times. I have reviewed
the government’s counter extremism programme and said it was completely
outdated and not fit for purpose,” she said.
“I think good policy has to be ideologically blind. If
you understand extremism is a societal ill that has existed throughout time.
It’s like crime.
“For me, there are all different types of extremism.
Focusing on one at the expense of others is totally counterproductive.”
Prevent aims to protect people from becoming
radicalised. Referrals are put to a Channel panel that decides if those people
would benefit from more support and its programme.
Concerns over extreme right-wing radicalisation among
teenagers have grown in recent years.
In January 2019, the government announced a review of
the programme after some Muslim leaders claimed they were being unfairly
targeted. Former charities regulator Mr Shawcross was appointed to lead the
review last year.
The government said it plans to shake-up the programme
after a series of attacks in which perpetrators had already been flagged by the
counterterrorism strategy or had slipped through the net.
Source: The National News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Afghanistan’s Taliban Rulers Face Threat from Islamic
State, Maintain Close Ties with Al-Qaeda: UN Report
Taliban fighter guards a street in Kabul, Afghanistan,
December 16, 2021. (Reuters)
-----
03 June, 2022
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers are maintaining close
ties with Al-Qaeda as they consolidate control over the country, and their main
military threat is coming from the Islamic State extremist group and
guerrilla-style attacks by former Afghan government security personnel, UN experts
said in a new report.
The experts said in the report to the UN Security
Council that with the onset of better weather, fighting may escalate as both
Islamic State and resistance forces undertake operations against Taliban
forces.
But neither IS nor Al-Qaeda "is believed to be
capable of mounting international attacks before 2023 at the earliest,
regardless of their intent or of whether the Taliban acts to restrain
them," the panel of experts said.
Nonetheless, it said the presence of IS, Al-Qaeda, and
"many other terrorist groups and fighters on Afghan soil" is raising
concerns in neighbouring countries and the wider international community.
Since their takeover of Afghanistan last August as US
and NATO forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal from the
country after 20 years, the Taliban "have favoured loyalty and seniority
over competence, and their decision-making has been opaque and
inconsistent," the experts said.
In the report obtained Thursday, the panel monitoring
sanctions against the Taliban said its leaders have appointed 41 men on the UN
sanctions blacklist to the Cabinet and senior positions, and they have favoured
the country’s dominant Pashtun ethnic group, alienating minority communities
including ethnic Tajiks and Uzbeks.
The Taliban’s primary concern has been to consolidate
control "while seeking international recognition, to re-engage with the
international financial system and to receive aid in order to deal with the
growing economic and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan", the experts
said.
"Since taking power, however, there have been
many factors creating internal tensions within the movement, leading to
perceptions that the Taliban’s governance has been chaotic, disjointed and
prone to reversing policies and going back on promises," they said.
As the Taliban struggle to transition from an
insurgency to a governing body, they have been divided between pragmatists and
hardliners who have gained the upper hand and want to turn the clock back to
the group's harsh rule from 1996 until December 2001, when they were ousted
from power by US forces following the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
To date, their efforts to win recognition and aid from
Western nations have floundered, largely because they have not formed a more
representative government, and have restricted the rights of girls to education
beyond elementary school, and of women to work and travel without a male
relative's oversight.
"The central dilemma is how a movement with an
inflexible ideology can engage with a society that has evolved during the past
20 years," the experts said. "Further stresses revolve around power,
resources, and regional and ethnic divisions."
Despite these serious issues, the panel said the
Taliban "appear confident in their ability to control the country and
'wait out’ the international community to obtain eventual recognition of their
government."
"They assess that, even if they make no
significant concessions, the international community will ultimately recognise
them as the government of Afghanistan, especially in the absence of a
government in exile or significant internal resistance," the experts said.
So far, not a single country has officially recognised
the Taliban, and there is growing international anger at its treatment of girls
and women and its failure to keep its promise of forming an inclusive
government. There are also concerns about the Taliban’s inability to keep its
promise not to allow terrorist groups to operate in Afghanistan.
The panel said the Haqqani Network, a militant
Islamist group with close ties to the Taliban, moved quickly after their
takeover to gain control of key portfolios and ministries including interior,
intelligence, passports and migration. It now "largely controls security
in Afghanistan, including the security of the capital, Kabul," the experts
said.
"The Haqqani Network is still regarded as having
the closest links to Al-Qaeda,” the panel said, and the relationship between
the Taliban and Al-Qaeda also remains close. The experts pointed to the
reported presence of Al-Qaeda’s "core leadership" in eastern
Afghanistan including its leader Ayman al-Zawahri.
To counter the Islamic State, the report quoted an
unidentified country as saying the Taliban have created three battalions of
special forces called "red units".
The emergence of the National Resistance Front and
Afghanistan Freedom Front comprising former Afghan security personnel "has
led the Taliban to adopt aggressive measures against populations suspected of
supporting anti-Taliban operations," the panel said.
In April, it said National Resistance Front forces
stepped up operations in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Jowzjan, Kunduz, Panjshir, Takhar
and Samangan provinces.
The Afghan Freedom Front, which only emerged recently,
"has also claimed several attacks on Taliban bases in Badakhshan,
Kandahar, Parwan and Samangan," the experts said.
"Taliban forces may be hard-pressed to counter
several insurgencies simultaneously," they said.
Source: The New Arab
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/taliban-faces-threat-islamic-state-un
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Security Beefed Up In Karnataka's Srirangapatna over
VHP's Call for Puja at Jamia Mosque
Photo for representation. iStock
----
04th June 2022
MANDYA: Security has been heightened in Srirangapatna,
the erstwhile capital of 18th-century ruler Tipu Sultan in the district,
following Vishwa Hindu Parishad's (VHP) call to perform puja at the Jamia
mosque, claiming that it was built after razing a Hanuman temple.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in the temple
town under section 144 of the CrPC to prevent any protest or procession from
taking place.
Besides the district police force, contingents of
Karnataka State Reserved Police have also been deployed.
The roads have been barricaded and security pickets
have been erected in the town.
Wearing saffron scarves and holding saffron flags, the
Bajrang Dal and VHP activists on motorcycles raised 'Jai Sriram' slogans.
Fearing backlash, many shopkeepers around the shrine
downed shutters for the day.
Members of fringe Hindu outfits have called for a
protest march to the mosque.
However, authorities have denied permission for it.
State Home Minister Araga Jnanendra has given
directions to the police to take all the measures to ensure peace and public
order in view of VHP's 'Srirangapatna Chalo' campaign.
Meanwhile, the Sriram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik
condemned the restrictions saying they should be imposed on 'them'.
"There is a Ganapati temple, a temple tank and a
well inside the mosque. Despite all these, mosques running Madrassas and
offering Namaz there is wrong. It is 'they' who should be stopped. They should
be thrown out. I condemn the BJP government which is trying to stop our
protest," Muthalik told reporters.
The right-wing organisations have been claiming that
the Jamia mosque was an Anjaneya Temple, which Tipu Sultan had destroyed to
build a mosque over it.
The outfits have submitted a memorandum to the district
authorities seeking a survey of the mosque and taking steps to return the
'Anjaneya Temple' to Hindus if their claim is found to be true.
Source: New Indian Express
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original story:
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Counsel Says FIA Wants To Arrest PM Shehbaz, Hamza in
Rs16bn Money Laundering Case
Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif outside the Special Court (Central-I) in Lahore today. — DawnNewsTV
-----
Rana Bilal
June 4, 2022
The counsel for the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA)
confirmed to a special court in Lahore on Saturday that the agency wanted to
arrest Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza
Shehbaz, in a Rs16 billion money laundering case.
The counsel's confirmation was in response to
presiding judge of the Special Court (Central-I) Ijaz Hassan Awan's query on
whether the FIA wanted to arrest the father-son duo in the case against them
and their family.
Both PM Shehbaz and Hamza, whose interim was extended
till June 4 at the previous hearing, appeared before the court today.
At the outset of the hearing, the FIA's counsel told
the judge that half of the prosecution's team had been barred from reaching the
courtroom by security, at which the relevant SP gave assurances that the FIA
members stopped by the security would be allowed into the courtroom.
PM Shehbaz and Hamza's counsel, Mohammad Amjad
Pervaiz, then began his arguments, saying that the case had been investigated
for one-and-a-half year and yet no evidence was on record.
Referring to the PTI's tenure but without naming the
party, he said: "There had been worst political engineering in the
previous tenure. The Lahore High Court has also declared political engineering
a reality."
The counsel said it had been said a certain Mushtaq
Cheeni had been included in the investigation, but he was neither made a
witness nor a suspect.
He claimed that the FIA included Shehbaz and Hamza in
the investigation while they were in jail and went on the allege that
"state machinery was used to suppress opposition leaders in the previous
tenure".
In response, the counsel for the FIA contended that
the "suspects had not been included in the investigation". He did not
elaborate whether he was referring to only Shehbaz or Hamza here.
Shehbaz and Hamza's lawyer argued back that the
"suspects had been included in the investigation", and that "the
FIA's lawyer is making a false statement".
Continuing his arguments, he said, "There was
just one agenda to the previous government: to somehow put them (Shehbaz and
Hamza) in jail".
He denied that Hamza had ever been a director or
shareholder of the sugar mills named in the case.
Following that, Hamza and Shehbaz left after taking
the court's permission.
Charges against Hamza, Shehbaz
The FIA had in December 2021 submitted the challan
against Shehbaz and Hamza to a special court for their alleged involvement in
laundering an amount of Rs16bn in the sugar scam case.
"The investigation team has detected 28 benami
accounts of the Shehbaz family through which money laundering of Rs16.3bn was
committed during 2008-18. The FIA examined the money trail of 17,000 credit
transactions," according to an FIA report submitted to the court.
The amount was kept in "hidden accounts" and
given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity, the report added.
This amount (Rs16bn) has nothing to do with the sugar
business (of the Shehbaz family), it claimed. The money received from the
accounts of low-wage employees by Shehbaz was transferred outside Pakistan via
hundi/hawala networks, ultimately destined for the beneficial use of his family
members, the FIA had alleged.
"Eleven low-paid employees of the Sharif group
who 'held and possessed' the laundered proceeds on behalf of the principal
accused, are found guilty of facilitating money laundering. The three other
co-accused of the Sharif group also actively facilitated the money
laundering," the agency had said.
Source: Dawn
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original story:
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Egyptian Court Upholds Sentence for Listing 56 Muslim
Brotherhood Members on Terrorists List
A previous trial for suspects in the case. (AFP)
-----
3 June, 2022
Egypt's Court of Cassation upheld the sentence to list
56 persons on the terrorism list and to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a
terrorist entity.
The initial sentence was issued by the Cairo Criminal
Court.
According to the investigations by Egypt’s Public
Prosecution, the listed Muslim Brotherhood leaders put a plan to provide
financial support to the group through exploiting their personal credit in the
Egyptian banks and part of the profits of the group-affiliated economic
entities.
This financial support would go to fund violent acts
against the state’s institutions, blockade of main roads, and disruption of
transportation.
Financing also covers the group’s media activity
against the state through spreading rumors and false statements to cause a rift
between the citizens and the State.
The goal is to cause chaos in order to oust the ruling
regime.
Investigations showed that the defendants possessed at
their places of residence and companies amounts of money, regulatory papers,
and laptops that contained the organization’s plots.
They demanded listing 56 defendants on the terrorists
list and designating the Muslim Brotherhood on the terrorist entities list.
Source: Aawsat
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original story:
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Europe
AOCE Praises Appointments of Two Muslim Ministers in Australian Gov’t
3 June, 2022
Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism (AOCE)
hailed the appointment of two Muslim ministers in the new Australian
government.
AOCE touched upon the Australian government’s
performance after the victory of the Australian Labor Party led by Anthony
Albanese at the parliamentary elections.
It added that this cabinet line-up, comprising two
Muslim ministers, is unprecedented.
Anne Aly took on the ministry roles of Minister for
Early Childhood and Youth.
Anne Aly, Australia’s first female Muslim minister,
was sworn in as minister for early childhood and youth, while Industry and
Science Minister Ed Husic is the first Muslim to serve in Cabinet.
AOCE praised this step considering that assigning
Muslims to pioneering posts is a response to the hate speech promoted by the
far-right groups in Europe.
Meanwhile, Azhar celebrated 5,000 teachers at Azhar
who passed a training program to teach English language (AATAGs) in cooperation
with the British Council.
This program comes in partnership with the British
Council in the sustainable professional development field.
Source: Aawsat
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Salman Rushdie leads over 40 British Indians in
Queen's Jubilee Honours list
Jun 2, 2022
LONDON: Salman Rushdie, the Mumbai-born author of the
Booker Prize-winning novel 'Midnight's Children', leads a list of over 40
professionals and community champions of Indian-origin to be honoured in the
Queen's Birthday Honours list.
Rushdie is named a Companion of Honour, an exclusive
club with membership limited to just 65 people at any given time, for services
to literature in a list released on Wednesday night as the Jubilee Honours to
mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years of service to the
UK.
"It's a privilege to be included in such
illustrious company, both past and present," said the 74-year-old author,
who was the subject of a fatwa by Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini for his
controversial novel ‘The Satanic Verses' over 30 years ago.
The Companion of Honour is a special award granted to
those who have made a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or
government lasting over a long period of time.
Very few receive this high honour, which has been
conferred on the likes of former British prime ministers Winston Churchill and
John Major and renowned physicist Stephen Hawking in the past.
“Born in Bombay, he later attended Rugby School and
King's College, Cambridge, where he read History,” reads the citation for
Rusdhie, author of 14 novels.
“Beginning his career in advertising, ‘Midnight's
Children' was twice (1993 and 2008) voted Best of the Bookers by the public. He
was knighted for services to literature in 2007. He is also a storied author of
non-fiction, an essayist, co-editor and a noted humanist,” it notes.
Others honoured with some of the higher royal awards
coinciding with celebrations of the 96-year-old monarch's 70-year reign,
include a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for Avnish Mitter
Goyal, Chair of Care England, for services to social care and philanthropy.
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBEs)
include hotelier Kishorkant (Vinu) Bhattessa for charitable and voluntary
services, particularly during Covid-19, and Liverpool headteacher Rohit Naik
for services to education.
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
recognise a large number of British Indians who have contributed to their local
community, including Councillors Pranav Bhanot and Ameet Jogia.
In the healthcare sector, Professor Indranil
Chakravorty of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO)
and orthopaedic surgeon Professor Srimathi Rajagopalan Murali are among those
to be conferred with an MBE.
Dr Chila Kumari Singh Burman, Sandeep Mahal, Professor
Daljit Nagra and Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan are among those honoured with MBEs in
the field of arts, culture and literature.
“I'm thrilled and humbled to receive this significant
recognition for my academic and voluntary work,” said Dr Nikita Ved, Research
Fellow and Lecturer in Medicine at the University of Oxford and co-founder of
the 1928 Institute dedicated to British Indian research, who received an MBE
for services to Covid-19 Response.
“Although myself and others have reservations on the
phrase ‘Member of the British Empire', I am accepting this award in the spirit
of being acknowledged, particularly at my age as I feel many young people are
overlooked for their hard work,” said the 32-year-old academic.
Further down the list, Varsha Kumari Mistry – a
Forensic Practitioner at Scotland Yard – has been conferred a Medallist of the
Order of the British Empire (BEM) for services to diversity and inclusion in
policing and to the Hindu community.
In tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, recipients have been
awarded for their outstanding contributions across all sectors, but in
particular for sustained public service, the environment and sustainability,
and youth engagement.
“This historic Platinum Jubilee is not only a
celebration of the monarch but of the qualities she possesses,” said British
prime minister Boris Johnson.
“The honours she confers this week reflect many of
those qualities that have been invaluable from all different walks of life and
to communities across the UK. I pay tribute to all of this year's winners.
Their stories of courage and compassion are an inspiration to us all,” he said.
A total of 1,134 candidates have been named for
honours across different fields by the UK Cabinet Office – which compiles the
list, with 13.3 per cent of the successful candidates from an ethnic minority
background.
Others to receive high honours include a knighthood
for crime writer Ian Rankin and CBEs for actor Damian Lewis and fashion
designer Stella McCartney.
Source: Times Of India
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Türkiye summons Greek envoy for terror groups'
activities in Greece
Burak Bir
04.06.2022
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry summoned Greece's
ambassador to Ankara on Friday because of the PKK terror group demonstrations
near the Turkish Embassy in Athens and his country's turning a blind eye to
terror groups.
Christodoulos Lazaris was summoned to the Foreign
Ministry building and was informed of Türkiye's views and reactions to the
presence and activities of terror groups in Greece, according to diplomatic
sources.
The Greek ambassador was also informed that terror
organizations easily carry out propaganda, financing and recruitment activities
in Greece and Greece's identity as a "safe haven" has increased in
circles associated with terrorism.
Additionally, the Lavrio camp was shown to Lazaris as
an example that terror groups threatening Türkiye's security benefit from all
kinds of logistics and training opportunities.
Lazaris, who was also told that the Lavrion camp has
become a hotbed for terrorism comparable to PKK camps in Iraq and Syria, was
informed of Türkiye's reaction and views on the subject due to action that
started from the camp and turned into an overt PKK demonstration around the
Turkish Embassy in Athens.
During the meeting, concerns about the safety of
Turkish representatives and citizens in Greece were also expressed, and the
expectation of effective cooperation in the fight against terrorism was
reiterated.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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NATO chief speaks with Turkey’s Erdogan about Finland,
Sweden joining
June 04, 2022
BRUSSELS: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has
met with Finland’s prime minister and spoken to Turkey’s president as he seeks
to overcome Turkish resistance to Finland and Sweden joining the alliance.
Stoltenberg, who visited Washington this week, tweeted
late Friday that he met with Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin while there and
discussed “the need to address Turkey’s concerns and move forward” with the
Finnish and Swedish membership applications.
Russia’s war in Ukraine pushed the Nordic countries to
apply to join NATO, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Sweden
and Finland of supporting Kurdish militants deemed by Turkey to be terrorists.
Stoltenberg said he had a “constructive phone call”
with Erdogan, calling Turkey a “valued ally” and praising Turkish efforts to
broker a deal to ensure the safe transportation of grain supplies from Ukraine
amid global food shortages caused by Russia’s invasion. Stoltenberg tweeted
that he and Erdogan would continue their dialogue, without elaborating.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2096401/world
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India
Agra's Jama Masjid may be UP's next disputed mosque
Siraj Qureshi
Agra
June 3, 2022
The temple-mosque issue is refusing to die down in Uttar
Pradesh, despite the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's strong statement against Hindu
organizations dragging every mosque into dispute.
Now, a lawyer has claimed that the 'vigrah (idol)' of
Thakur Keshav Dev Ji was removed from Mathura’s Krishna Janmabhoomi and taken
to Agra, to be buried under the city’s Shahi Jama Masjid.
The petitioner, Mahendra Pratap Singh, has served
notices to the Centre, Secretary of Culture, Director General of the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Director of ASI Mathura, and Superintending
Archaeologist of Agra before filing a petition at the court of the Civil Judge
of Agra.
Singh had filed the same petition on May 27, as well.
But it was rejected by the court since the ASI had not been served a notice.
“Aurangzeb demolished the Thakur Keshav Dev Ji temple
in 1670 and then buried the 'vigrah' of the temple either under the stairs of
Begum Sahiba Qudsia Begum Mosque or the Jama Masjid so that Muslims can walk
over the deities for centuries,” he told India Today.
“In my notice, I have cited many historical accounts
in support of my claims,” he said, adding that the notice requires the ASI to
hand over the idol to Mathura’s Katra Keshav Dev Temple within two months,
failing which he will move court again.
Source: India Today
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RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Stand on Shrines Offers
Hope: Deoband-based cleric Mufti Asad Qasmi Jun 4, 2022
MUZAFFARNAGAR: A day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
called for a “path through mutual agreement” while reacting to the ongoing
controversies and litigation involving Muslim properties, clerics across UP
welcomed his statement on Friday, seeing it as a “ray of hope”.
While addressing an event in Nagpur on Thursday,
Bhagwat had said, “Why look for a Shivling in every masjid? We cannot change
history (on the Gyanvapi issue). Neither present-day Muslims nor Hindus created
it. It all happened at that time.”
Reacting to Mohan Bhagwat’s comments, Deoband-based
cleric Mufti Asad Qasmi said, “What he said deserves praise. It came at a time
when the environment of hate is spreading fast. The statement is certainly a
welcome step towards building communal harmony.”
Another prominent cleric Maulana Ishak Gora said, “We
may not agree with all his comments, but we agree on this one. People should
pay attention to what the RSS chief said and try to build unity.” Gora is also
a patron of Muslim organisation Jamiat Dawat-ul Muslimeen.
Urging people to refrain from “unnecessary
controversies”, Lucknow-based scholar Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali
said today’s society should be “kept away from disputed matters”. He added:
“The more this can be done, the better.”
Maulana Mahmood Madani, chief of Jamiat Ulema-I-Hind,
had recently stressed on the “urgent need to build an environment conducive for
peace and harmony”.
Source: Times Of India
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"Karnataka
Declaration”: Karnataka Congress to Fight Assembly Poll under Collective
Leadership, To Protect Muslims, Christians
04th
June 2022
BENGALURU:
The Congress in Karnataka on Friday expressed its firm resolve and commitment
to protect Muslims and Christians, fight the "cultural terrorism"
unleashed by the ruling BJP, and come back to power in the State in the 2023
Assembly polls under a "collective leadership".
The
principal opposition party in the State - Congress - which today adopted
"Karnataka Declaration" at the end of its two-day 'Nava Sankalpa
Shibira' has decided to reserve 50 per cent tickets to leaders aged below 50 in
the upcoming local body polls, and to consider extending it to the Assembly
polls.
The
party, at its brainstorming session held on the lines of party's recent Udaipur
'Chintan Shivir', also promises to introduce reservation in the private sector
if it comes to power, and would try to bring in reservation in the government
sector where there is outsourcing.
"The
political affairs committee of the party has decided to go for Assembly
elections under a collective leadership and come to power," Shivakumar
told reporters here.
Sharing
details of the deliberations that took place for about 12 to 13 hours at the
meet, which was attended by about 600 delegates, he said several issues
concerning the State and party organisation were discussed and suggestions came
in for the party manifesto.
"The
pride of the State is getting affected and we are committed to protect it, our
culture and tradition is being disturbed, even education is being polarised,
the State is being defamed internationally. We are committed to restore its
legacy and protect it. We will protect all sections, especially Muslims and
Christians, facing atrocities and false cases, we stand behind them firmly,"
he added.
Congress
Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, too,
condemning atrocities and false cases against Muslim and Christians, said the
party has resolved to fight the "cultural terrorism" unleashed by the
ruling BJP.
He
targeted the government on the textbook controversy, accusing it of supporting
emotive issues being raised in the name of religion and communities, while not
focusing on developmental issues.
In
response to a question on PFI and SDPI, both leaders without taking any names
said the party condemns all kinds of communal activities, and such politics,
and would fight them.
The
"Karnataka Declaration" almost resembled what probably would be the
party's manifesto for the next year elections, as it contains many promises the
Congress wants to fulfil on coming to power.
While
promising to reserve 50 per cent of all party positions to those aged below 50,
the Congress has decided to try this out in ticket distributions for the local
body polls.
"In
the upcoming Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), zilla and taluk
panchayat elections, 50 per cent of the tickets will be given to people below
50. We will consider this for other elections, too," Shivakumar said.
Assuring
women in organisational positions of 33 per cent reservation, he said all
communities and sections would be given representation in mandal and panchayat
committees of the party.
Several
top Congress leaders, including national General secretary Randeep Singh
Surjewala, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and former
Union Minister Veerappa Moily, took part in the meet.
The
party had set up six committees - economic affairs and price rise, social
justice and empowerment, organisation, farmers and agriculture,
youth-women-education and employment and political affairs and AICC programmes
implementation - to deliberate at the meet.
Congress
wants to introduce a NREGA-like scheme in urban areas, comprehensive reforms
for the way in which government recruitment is done, and it promised to spend
Rs 2 lakh crore in 5 years to complete all irrigation projects on coming to
power.
"Every
year, Rs 40,000 crore will be spent on irrigation, this is our
commitment," both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah said.
The
party said it would prepare region-specific manifesto for - including Kalyana,
Kittur, Bayalu Seeme - Karnataka regions and also for Bengaluru, and formulate
programmes aimed at stopping migration, giving impetus to tourism and priority
for youth and locals in job creation.
Also,
the party leaders said it would formulate programmes on arts, housing,
environment, forest rights and so on.
The
'Karnataka Declaration' document would be out in a couple of days, said the
leaders.
Speaking
about organisational changes, Shivakumar said by June 25, elections would be
held to form new committees starting from the booth-level.
Source:
New Indian Express
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High
Court declined urgent hearing on plea against stopping of prayers at mosque
June
03, 2022
New
Delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea
against the halting of offering Namaz by devotees at the mosque in South
Delhi's Mehrauli area.
The
plea for an urgent listing was mentioned before a bench of Acting Chief Justice
Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Datta which declined to list it for Friday or
during vacations.
File
it, we are not going to list it today. No way... For vacations, you mention
before the concerned registrar. We are not going to direct any listing for
vacations, the bench said.
The
Mughal mosque is situated at the entrance of the Qutub Complex, an area that is
protected by the government.
Source:
Firstpost
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Islamic
State terrorist sentenced to life imprisonment by Kolkata court
Indrajit
Kundu
Kolkata
June
3, 2022
Islamic
state (IS) terrorist Md. Masiuddin alias Musa was sentenced to life
imprisonment by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Kolkata
on Friday.
Musa
was the first IS terrorist arrested in Bengal back in 2016.
Musa
was arrested over charges of planning to carry out attacks at important tourist
destinations in Bengal and Srinagar.
He
was booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act,
Indian Penal Code and section 25 of the Arms Act.
Musa
was even interrogated by a team of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
He was arrested by West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) in 2016 and
later handed over to NIA.
Mohammad
Masiuddin alias Musa, a resident of Birbhum district, was arrested by CID from
Burdwan railway station in July 2016.
Source:
India Today
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Shiv
Sena backs Bhagwat's 'no need to find Shiv Ling in every mosque' comment;
needles BJP on Kashmir situation
Jun
3, 2022
MUMBAI:
The Shiv Sena on Friday supported RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comment that there
was no need to find a 'Shiv Ling' in every mosque and start a new dispute every
day, and added that the focus should be instead on how to save the lives of
Kashmiri Pandits.
In
a searing attack on the BJP-led Union government, Sena leader and MP Sanjay
Raut also said that in view of Kashmiri Pandits once again fleeing from the
Valley, "Kashmir Files 2" should be made to show who is responsible
for their current plight.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah had supported the film
"The Kashmir Files" which helped its producer earn Rs 400-500 crore,
but the situation of Kashmiri Pandits did not change, he said.
“I
support his (Bhagwat's) statement. This daily chaos should end or else it will
hurt the country. Instead of looking for a Shiv Ling, we should think of how we
can save the lives of Kashmiris....how the lives of Kashmiri Pandits can be
saved,” he said.
On
Thursday, Bhagwat had said the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute
in Varanasi involved some issues of faith and the court's decision on it should
be accepted by all, but also there was no need to find a `Shiv Ling' in every
mosque and start a new dispute every day.
Raut,
meanwhile, dubbed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir as “really serious”,
noting that Union Home minister Amit Shah held an emergency meeting with Lt
Governor Manoj Sinha over the developments.
The
government is making efforts, but the situation is returning to what it was in
1990 when Kashmiri Pandits fled the Valley en masse, the Shiv Sena MP said.
Vijay
Kumar, a 29-year-old bank manager from Rajasthan, was shot dead by a terrorist
of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba organization inside his office in South Kashmir's
Kulgam district on Thursday, making it the eighth targeted killing in the
Kashmir Valley since May 1 and the third of a non-Muslim government employee.
The
BJP got votes by promising resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, but
despite the scrapping of the Article 370, there was no change in the situation
on the ground, Raut claimed.
Kashmiri
Pandits were being targeted and killed and the government is not taking any
steps to provide security, he alleged.
Had
there been a government of any other party, the BJP would have made it a big
issue, Raut said.
“But
the Prime minister, the Home minister and the administration in Kashmir belong
to you (the BJP) but still Kashmiri Pandits are being killed,” he said.
Source:
Times Of India
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Violence
Breaks Out in Kanpur as Police, Muslim Protestors Clash
Jun
4, 2022
New
Delhi: Violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur in the evening of Friday,
June 3 as members of the Muslim community in the region clashed with the
police.
According
to a report by the Hindustan Times, local Muslims had closed their shops and
taken out a procession in response to an alleged insult to Prophet Mohammad.
Hundreds of protestors had taken to the streets Kanpur’s Becon Gunj.
The
police reportedly baton-charged the protestors, leading to the outbreak of
violence in which six individuals sutained injuries and 16 of them were
detained thereafter.
The
protestors were reportedly responding to objectionable comments about the
prophet made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma during a
debate on TV news channel Times Now on May 26.
After
her comments, Sharma was booked by the Maharashtra police on May 30 and then by
the Hyderabad police the next day, on the basis of a complaint by All India
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Awasuddin Owaisi.
Source:
The Wire
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https://thewire.in/government/violence-breaks-out-in-kanpur-as-police-muslim-protestors-clash
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Six
hurt, 18 held in Kanpur violence over closure of shops after Friday prayers:
Cops
Jun
03, 2022
At
least six persons were injured after violence erupted in Kanpur city of Uttar
Pradesh on Friday as members of the minority community clashed with police.
Police
said 18 people were arrested in connection with the violence. The injured were
rushed to the hospital. A senior police officer also suffered injuries in the
clashes.
According
to reports, the violence broke out in the Becongunj area near Yatimkhana after
police baton-charged some locals. Hundreds of people soon took to the streets
in protest.
Some
locals, including shopkeepers, reportedly observed a shutdown and had taken out
a procession after Friday prayers over an allegedly insulting remark about
Prophet Mohammad made by a BJP spokes on national television. Soon after, the
clash broke out. Police said action would be initiated against the accused
under provisions of the Gangster Act for creating tension in the city.
While
initially the situation was brought under control, the violence resumed a
little later with at least two shots being fired.
Additional
director general (ADG) of police, law and order, Prashant Kumar, said the
violence broke out when one group tried to oppose forced closure of markets by
Muslim groups after Friday prayers. He said while 18 people were arrested,
while further identification of trouble-makers were been done through video
clips and photographs collected from different sources.
He
said over 12 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary were rushed to Kanpur
to bring the situation under control.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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India’s
engagement with Taliban should redefine Tajikistan relationship
By
Shishir Gupta
Jun
04, 2022
The
Narendra Modi government’s swift move to offer humanitarian assistance and
development cooperation to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan by sending an
official delegation to Kabul clearly has sent shock waves in the neighbourhood
of the Islamic Emirate.
While
the delegation led by India’s Afghan expert J P Singh is slated to return from
Kabul today, it is quite evident that the Indian official quietly met the top
Taliban leadership in the Afghan capital and discussed the next steps in taking
the bilateral cooperation forward. Fact is that both sides were looking forward
to the meeting which apparently caught both Pakistan and China unawares.
The
Indian pragmatic engagement of the Taliban is expected to trigger a fresh
approach of New Delhi towards Afghanistan’s neighbour Tajikistan as it has a
deeply adversarial relationship with the Sunni Pashtun force across the Amu
Darya in Kabul. After the Taliban takeover of Kabul, Tajikistan under its
authoritarian ruler Emomali Rahmon conducted military drills near its over 1300
km border with Afghanistan, alongside troops from members of the Russia-led
Collective Security Organization.
Although
India built a civilian hospital in Farkhor in southwestern Tajikistan and
virtually across the border with Afghanistan way back in the 1990s to not only
help the local population but also treat the Northern Alliance members injured
in Afghan civil strife, New Delhi should have a recalibration of its
relationship with Tajikistan as the latter has moved very close to Beijing in
the past decade. China today is Tajikistan’s biggest debt holder and its
biggest investor. Since Tajikistan is largely a remittance-based economy, it is
clearly under the Chinese debt trap and hence has compromised with the Xi
Jinping regime to the extent of allowing Beijing to use its military base on
its border with the restive Xinjiang region. Fact is that Dushanbe is a
supporter of Chinese repressive policies against Sunni Muslim Uighur community
in the Xinjiang region and has allowed Chinese companies to mine gold, silver
and other mineral ores in Upper Kumarg goldfield in the Sughd province. China
is also building an airbase in Tashkurgan, which will clearly help the PLA to
monitor any Uighur secessionist activity in the Wakhan Corridor on the
China-Afghanistan-Tajikistan border in the name of counter-terror cooperation.
It
is perhaps due to the growing Chinese presence in Tajikistan and its service
provider-client relationship with Pakistan that India really had a joint
military air base just in name across the Afghan border with Dushanbe
succumbing to pressures from China and Russia. China made it known to
Tajikistan that it was apprehensive of Indian actions in Afghanistan and in
Central Asia. This is despite India giving grants in aid, food, medicine,
vaccine and humanitarian assistance to Tajikistan in the past decades.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Hizbul
commander killed in encounter in J&K's Anantnag
Jun
4, 2022
SRINAGAR:
In an overnight encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, a
self-styled Hizbul Mujahideen leader was killed, while three soldiers and a
civilian were injured, police said on Saturday.
"Terrorist
Commander of proscribed #terror outfit HM Nisar Khanday killed. #Incriminating
materials, #arms & ammunition including 01 AK 47 rifle recovered.
#Operation in progress," Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar
tweeted.
#AnantnagEncounterUpdate:
#Terrorist Commander of proscribed #terror outfit HM Nisar Khanday killed.
#Incriminating… https://t.co/YzIrXed6sS
—
Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) 1654285872000
According
to a police spokesperson, the encounter started on Friday evening in the
Rishipora region of Anantnag.
Three
troops and a civilian were injured in the initial exchange of fire with the
terrorists, he added.
Source:
Times Of India
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Pakistan
TTP
declares indefinite ceasefire with Pakistan
Jun
4, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Amid negotiations between the Pakistani Taliban and the grand jirga constituted
by Islamabad in Kabul, the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Friday
announced a truce for an indefinite time period.
A
50-member negotiating team comprising tribal elders and some sitting and former
parliamentarians has been tasked by Islamabad to take forward the negotiations
that had been going on between Pakistani security officials and militants for
several weeks. The talks have been facilitated by the Afghan Taliban in Kabul
to broker a final peace deal.
The
TTP and Islamabad had agreed on an indefinite ceasefire ahead of the visit of
jirga to Kabul but the two sides had avoided to publicly announce it.
“In
the preceding two days, tremendous progress had been made in the negotiations.
As a result, the TTP leadership has declared an indefinite ceasefire,” Muhammad
Khurasani, a TTP spokesperson, said. He added that conversations would continue
in the next days to advance the dialogue process.
No
official statement, however, was issued by Islamabad to verify TTP’s claim.
Hours
before TTP’s announcement, Pakistani Army had claimed the killing of its
soldier during an exchange of fire with terrorists who had attacked a military
post in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan tribal district bordering
Afghanistan.
Source:
Times Of India
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China
‘directly responsible’ for grim economic situation of Pakistan
4
June, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], June 3 (ANI): Chinese firms are enjoying the lion’s share of
benefits from the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its ill effect is
directly affecting the local people of Pakistan.
As
per Islam Khabar, Pakistan is also landing in the debt trap of its “all-weather
friend” China.
The
economic crisis in Pakistan appeared grimmer after more than two dozen Chinese
firms or Independent Power Producers (IPPs) threatened to cease operations at
power plants on May 9, if payments are not made upfront, media reports said.
Reportedly,
Pakistan has to pay more than Rs 300 billion Pakistani rupees (USD 1.59
billion) in dues to several Chinese firms, which are operating in Pakistan.
There
are more than 30 Chinese companies which are operating under the China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) in several infrastructural projects in various fields
like energy, communication, railways, roads and highways – across Pakistan to
facilitate trade connectivity.
There
was a myriad complaint from the Chinese side, including those relating to
complex visa procedures for Chinese executives, heavy taxation and so on. About
25 representatives from Chinese independent power producers (IPPs) spoke one
after the other and complained about the buildup of their accruing dues and
warned that without upfront payments they would shut down within days, reported
Islam Khabar.
In
March 2022, with China threatening to halt the multi-billion-dollar CPEC over
differences in cost estimations and contractual disputes, the issue of overdue
payments owed to Chinese independent power producers (IPPs) is near a breaking
point.
Reports
claimed that Beijing was reluctant to pump in new funds under the CPEC
arrangement until difficulties faced by Chinese investors are resolved and
previous CPEC-related agreements are fully honoured by Pakistan.
Beijing
has voiced its concerns about the non-payment of power dues for some time,
including at the highest level during Imran Khan’s visit to Beijing in 2022.
Geopolitical
issues in Pakistan are also propped up, as the Baloch insurgency poses a
constant threat to peace and stability. The Baloch insurgents are regularly
targeting CPEC infrastructure projects, such as gas pipelines and electricity
towers, because they consider China as an imperialist power that, along with
the Pakistan government, wishes to plunder Balochistan’s natural resources.
China
is surely facing a tough situation in Pakistan. There may have been no
departure of Chinese workers from Pakistan after the Karachi University attack,
but they look less confident about the country’s ability to protect them.
The
CPEC project was started in the year 2015. In April 2015, Chinese President Xi
Jinping visited Islamabad to inaugurate the CPEC, a US USD 46 billion
investment in Pakistan’s energy and transportation sectors. As part of China’s
One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, CPEC was planned to endorse regional
linkages among Pakistan, China, and Eurasia.
The
two sides set up the “1+4” cooperation model, meaning the two sides take CPEC
as the core while prioritizing in Gwadar, Energy, Transport Infrastructure and
Industrial Cooperation. The Chinese side of the CPEC vision is to further
advance the western development strategy, encourage economic and social
development in Western China, quicken the Belt and Road construction, make way
for China’s advantages in capital, technology, production capacity and
engineering operation, and help the formation of a new open economic system
friendly to China.
On
the other hand, the Pakistani side vision is to fully harness the demographic
and natural endowment of the country by advancing its industrial capacity
through the formation of new industrial clusters, complementing the regional
socio-economic growth, enhancing people’s happiness, and sponsoring domestic
peace and stability.
However,
only three schemes have been declared completed by the CPEC Authority,
including USD 4 million Gwadar Smart Port City Master Plan. The other two
schemes are the Physical Infrastructure of Gwadar Port and the Free Zone
Phase-1 costing USD 300 million and the Pak-China Technical and Vocational
Institute which has been built with a USD 10 million Chinese grant.
Keeping
the slow pace of various projects and other challenges, it can be said that,
CPEC is improbable to ever accomplish the aspirations that Xi Jinping and Nawaz
Sharif envisioned in 2015, reported Islam Khabar.
Pakistan
had big hope since beginning with this mammoth multi-pronged investment under
CPEC but it must have approached it with great caution. Pakistan should be an
equal partner rather than giving China a free hand and be allowed to monopolize
its energy sector.
Source:
The Print
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https://theprint.in/world/china-directly-responsible-for-grim-economic-situation-of-pakistan/982935/
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ISI
given legal cover to screen government officials
Malik
Asad
June
4, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The prime minister has officially tasked the country’s premier spy agency,
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with the screening of civil servants before
their induction, appointments and postings, as well as promotions.
In
doing so, the government has given legal cover to a practice that had already
been in place, but had not been formalised as part of protocol.
According
to the Establishment Division notification: “In exercise of powers conferred
by sub-section 1 of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act 1973 […] read with
notification No. SRO 120 (1)/1998 […] the Prime Minister is pleased to notify
Directorate General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
as
[the] Special Vetting Agency (SVA) for verification and screening of all Public
Office Holders (Officers Category) …”.
The
quoted laws — i.e. sub-section 1 of section 25 of the Civil Servants Act as
well as SRO 120 — empower the prime minister to amend or make rules for the
civil bureaucracy. The direction to notify the ISI as SVA had been issued from
the office of the Prime Minister on May 06, 2022.
A
senior official from the Establishment Division told Dawn on the condition of
anonymity that the ISI and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) both send their reports
about civil servants before the latter are posted on important assignments.
Reports
are especially sent to the Central Selection Board (CSB) at the time of
promotion of bureaucrats. The practice has continued even though superior
courts had, in a few cases in the past, discarded such intelligence reports
while noting that there was no legal provision in the Civil Servants Act that
mandated agency screening of civil servants.
According
to the official, notwithstanding the notification, the IB will continue to send
its reports as per routine. The official said that since the government has now
given legal effect to reports issued by the ISI, these could henceforth be used
in courts as a valid legal document.
However,
a former Establishment Division secretary disagreed. He noted that though the
prime minister has the power to amend or make rules for the bureaucracy, it
would have been better if the Establishment Division would have issued a
Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) to amend the Appointments, Promotions and
Transfer (APT) Rules governing the civil bureaucracy if it wanted to give the
ISI formal charge of the vetting process.
“Unless
the rules are amended, a mere notification will not legitimise the agency’s
report and it cannot be used as a valid document during judicial scrutiny,” he
said.
The
official said they did not believe that vetting by the ISI is required in the
initial appointment of civil servants through the Federal Public Service
Commission (FPSC).He added that the agency may instead be asked to screen those
officers inducted from the armed forces into the civil bureaucracy.
It
is worth noting that clearance from intelligence agencies is not only an
integral part of the promotion process for civil servants, it also plays a key
role in the appointment of judges to the superior judiciary. The Judicial
Commission of Pakistan, headed by the chief justice, considers intelligence
reports at the time of the confirmation and elevation of a Supreme Court judge.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1693049/isi-given-legal-cover-to-screen-government-officials
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No
major breakthrough yet as jirga returns from Kabul
Ismail
Khan
June
4, 2022
PESHAWAR:
A 57-member jirga negotiating with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) returned to Pakistan on Friday without any major breakthrough over the
militants’ demand for the reversal of Fata’s merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a
member of the jirga told Dawn.
The
jirga consists of tribal elders, politicians and parliamentarians who met with
senior TTP leaders at Kabul’s Inter-Continental Hotel for two days and held
threadbare discussions over demands, including the most contentious issue of
Fata’s merger.
“The
overall atmosphere was very positive,” a senior jirga member said. “There were
long discussions. They had their own point of view and we had our own. We
explained to them that the 25th Amendment that led to Fata’s merger had
political consensus and parliamentary support. Even the Supreme Court of
Pakistan endorsed it,” the member said. “We neither have the mandate to commit
to undoing it, nor do we sincerely think it would be possible to undo it, given
the broad political support including that of a larger section of the tribal
people,” the member said.
He
said that the jirga sought three months’ time for mutual consultation and
discussions with important stakeholders, including political and military
leadership, to frame proposals to address some of their concerns within the
Constitutional framework.
Sirajuddin
Haqqani recalls TTP sacrifices in jihad against Americans, says Pakistan should
work out its differences with group through concessions
“We
can meet in between and will continue to remain in touch to exchange ideas but
the three months’ timeframe is for us to complete our work within this time
period,” the member said.
He
suggested that amendments could be made to the 25th Constitutional Amendment
without changing its spirit but undoing it was not possible. The jirga member
said that the TTP appeared to be under pressure from their Afghan hosts to
resolve their issues with Pakistan.
Sirajuddin
Haqqani, the acting minister for interior, said that the end of TTP’s conflict
with Pakistan was in Afghanistan’s best interests, the member said. “Any attack
from this side irks Pakistan, which creates problems for us with our neighbour
and such incidents have international ramifications for the Islamic emirate”,
the member quoted Mr. Haqqani as saying.
“But
we don’t want to coerce the TTP. They have waged jihad with us against the
Americans and made sacrifices. It would be better that Pakistan and TTP come to
terms, after giving each other some concessions,” Mr. Haqqani had told the
jirga, according to the member.
“Overall,
I think this issue is going to take some time. I don’t see it ending any time
soon. This would require engagement, perseverance and sincerity of purpose,”
the member said.
Separately,
at the weekly press briefing at the Foreign Office, Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar
Ahmed said that Pakistan will continue taking steps, including engagement with
interim Afghan authorities and others, to have peaceful and stable borders.
Talking
about the peace talks with TTP, he said that the objective of this exercise is
peace, and “we hope that it leads to an outcome that ends violence by these
groups”.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1693014/no-major-breakthrough-yet-as-jirga-returns-from-kabul
--------
Opposition
senators take on govt over ‘economic terrorism’
Iftikhar
A. Khan
June
4, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Opposition lawmakers in the Senate were up in arms on Friday over the
recent massive increase in the prices of petroleum products and power, while
the treasury held the former ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) responsible
for the current economic mess and urged it to suggest a way forward instead of
political point-scoring.
The
issue was raised by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem,
who sought a detailed discussion on it in the House on an adjournment motion,
which the chair allowed after the question hour. PTI senators also staged a
walkout as a mark of protest against yet another increase in the prices of
petrol and diesel and hike in power tariff.
During
the proceedings, the PTI members, some carrying placards, gathered near the
chairman’s podium and chanted anti-government slogans. They accused the rulers
of capitulating before the lending agency and making the lives of the masses
miserable.
PML-Q
Senator Kamil Ali Agha, while speaking on the adjournment motion, protested the
POL price hike, calling it unprecedented. He lauded the previous PTI government
for allocating Rs466 billion for the subsidy it had announced on petroleum
products.
Former
finance minister Shaukat Tarin claimed the economy was in a tailspin owing to
the indecision of the government and giving in to the IMF demands, whereas the
PTI government had faced the lending agency for six months and did not increase
power tariff and levy taxes worth Rs700bn.
Earlier,
Leader of the House and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar urged the opposition PTI
to avoid point-scoring on the price increase and suggest a way forward as a
ruined economy was not the issue of a single political party. He said the
country needed unity badly. The PTI government had left the country on the
verge of default besides ruining the economy. He blamed the PTI for high
inflation, and urged the party to display political maturity by avoiding chaos.
Minister
of State for Finance Dr Aisha Ghaus-Pasha called on the PTI members not to
misguide the public, and urged them not to play with the economy and instead
help the government, as it was a national issue. “There should be no politics
on economy,” she stressed, as some PTI senators kept beating their desks with
some documents.
She
reminded Mr Tarin that only a day ago he had suggested the government go to the
IMF without any delay without which the government could not steer the economy
and the country forward, but today he took a 180-degree turn. “What happened
within 24 hours that made you take this turn?” she questioned.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1693041/opposition-senators-take-on-govt-over-economic-terrorism
--------
Maryam
Nawaz lashes out at Imran Khan for criticizing Pak army; calls him ‘sick-minded
person’
3
June, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], June 3 (ANI): In a scathing attack on former prime minister Imran
Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz called
him a “sick-minded person” and on the “verge of insanity”, adding that such
person should not be allowed to roam freely.
The
remarks came after Imran Khan criticized the Pakistani army and said that
Pakistan could “split into three parts,” reported The Express Tribune.
She
said that Imran was desperate for power, and he wanted to take revenge on the
“state” for his failures in politics, adding that nothing will happen to
Pakistan but the party of the former premier itself would be split into 300
parts.
Addressing
a news conference in the federal capital outside the Islamabad High Court
(IHC), Maryam said that the PML-N also criticised the army but “it was positive
criticism”.
She
claimed, “Imran is attacking the army” because it was abiding by the
Constitution, reported The Express Tribune.
She
also asked him to explain whose “agenda” he was working on.
She
added that Imran was the first politician who had talked about the division of
the country. “Your logic is that when you are in power then ‘long live
Pakistan’ but when you are thrown out of power then Pakistan is on the verge of
breaking into three parts,” she chided.
The
PML-N leader said that the nation would stop Imran if he tried to drag the
military into politics, adding that the former premier will not be allowed to
put the sacrifices of the law enforcement agencies on the altar of his
politics.
In
an allusion to Imran’s comments that the establishment should make the “right
decision” to prevent Pakistan from “suicide”, Maryam asked Imran about these
“right decisions”.
“What
are the right decisions in your opinion?” she asked. “Is it the decision to
shut down the RTS system to help you win the election, or remain silent on your
catastrophic economic policies, or help you take revenge on your political
rivals?
Maryam
said, “Imran believes that the army standing by the Constitution instead of him
is wrong.”
She
added that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa was a “great
general” when he supported Imran during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
government, but now he was being called “Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq” by the
former premier. She claimed that Imran had always turned on his benefactors and
supporters, reported The Express Tribune.
Maryam
further claimed that several PTI MNAs were in contact with her party over en
masse resignation issue.
In
response to a question, Maryam said that a number of PTI stalwarts were in
contact with the PML-N led government as they wanted to quit the former ruling
party over the issue of resignations from the National Assembly (NA).
The
PML-N leader claimed that the PTI leaders were unhappy because they believed
Imran’s economic policies and the foreign conspiracy narrative had considerably
damaged the political stature of the party, reported The Express Tribune.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Lebanon-based
hackers linked to Iran’s government targeted Israeli groups: Microsoft
04 June,
2022
Microsoft
has announced that it detected and disabled cyberattacks over the last three
months from a group based in Lebanon with ties to the Iranian government
targeting over 20 organizations inside Israel and one intergovernmental
organization in Lebanon.
According
to statement released on Thursday, the group named POLONIUM was working in
coordination with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security “based primarily
on victim overlap and commonality of tools and techniques.”
Microsoft
has suspended more than 20 OneDrive applications created by the POLONIUM group.
“Our
goal with this blog is to help deter future activity by exposing and sharing
the POLONIUM tactics with the community at large,” Microsoft’s blog post read.
The
ties between Tehran and the hackers align “with a string of revelations since
late 2020 that the Government of Iran is using third parties to carry out cyber
operations on their behalf, likely to enhance Iran’s plausible deniability.”
Earlier
this week, FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed that the US foiled a
cyberattack by the Iranian government against a children’s hospital in Boston,
Massachusetts. The FBI head said it was “one of the most despicable
cyberattacks I have ever seen.”
Detailing
the attempts to target Israeli and Lebanese groups, Microsoft said POLONIUM had
been focusing on critical manufacturing, IT, and Israel’s defense industry
since February of this year.
Microsoft
also said that an IT company was used to target a downstream aviation company
and a law firm in one incident.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
EU,
Egypt near gas supply deal in shift away from Russia
03 June,
2022
The
European Union and Egypt are set to sign a deal later this month on supplying
the bloc with gas as the bloc seeks to slash its dependence on Russian
supplies, according to a draft document.
The
two sides, and Israel, are poised to agree on a memorandum of understanding
when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits Cairo later this
month, according to the draft statement.
Bloomberg
previously reported that such a deal would involve Israeli natural gas being
liquefied at Egypt’s processing plants before being shipped to the EU. It may
also contain measures to help stem leaks of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
“Security
of gas supply is a common major concern, said the draft document,” which is
still subject to change. “Egypt and the EU will work together on the stable
delivery of gas to the EU.”
The
proposed deal with Egypt highlights the country’s crucial role in ensuring both
food and energy security following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
EU
leaders have also highlighted the potential of African countries to provide not
only the liquefied natural gas needed to replace Russian fossil fuels, but also
green hydrogen in the coming years.
The
bloc targets imports of 10 million tons of the green gas from abroad by the end
of the decade, the same amount as the region aims to produce itself.
Still,
there are concerns over the climate impact such new agreements will bring,
especially regarding methane emissions that can be 80 times more powerful than
carbon dioxide over two decades.
Algeria,
another country with which the EU wants to source gas supplies, has a giant gas
field that has been leaking methane for nearly four decades.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Lebanese
security chief fears political paralysis, social collapse
03
June, 2022
A
senior Lebanese security official has said the risk of political paralysis has
increased since an election produced a fractured parliament last month, warning
of a possible “disaster” because there is no majority to legislate.
Major
General Abbas Ibrahim also said he was concerned about social instability,
saying this worried him more than political instability in a country suffering
one of the world’s sharpest financial meltdowns.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“The
results of this election could cause a disaster since we have large political
blocs with widening gaps between them on various issues and no majority to pass
laws,” Ibrahim told General Security magazine, an official publication of his
security agency, which was published on Thursday.
The
May 15 election, Lebanon’s first since its economy collapsed in 2019, resulted
in the Lebanese Hezbollah group and its allies losing their majority.
Reform-minded
newcomers and the Lebanese Forces - a Christian party - gained seats.
Analysts
have said the more fractured legislature increases the chance of political
paralysis and tension among Lebanon’s fractious politicians, at a time when the
country is in dire need of government decisions to address the economic crisis.
The
meltdown has sunk the Lebanese pound by more than 90 percent since 2019, frozen
depositors out of their savings in the banking system, and led poverty to soar.
“The
people have a right to object and raise their voice over the collapse of the
Lebanese pound but we don’t want matters to turn into chaos and we are working
very hard to prevent the country from entering social chaos,” Ibrahim said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
UAE
firm to screen passengers at Afghan airports
03
June, 2022
The
Taliban have tasked a United Arab Emirates firm with the security screening of
passengers and luggage at Afghan airports, officials said, as the country seeks
to expand international flights.
While
some domestic and international flights are operating out of the capital's only
airport, significant support is needed for major foreign airlines to resume a full
service.
The
full operation of Kabul's airport -- which was trashed in August during the
mass evacuation of civilians after the Taliban stormed back to power -- is seen
as crucial to reviving Afghanistan's shattered economy.
Abu
Dhabi-based GAAC said it will manage screening at Kabul, Herat, Kandahar and
Mazar-i-Sharif airports for the next three years.
“The
signing of this contract is expected to enhance the confidence of foreign
airlines to resume their flights,” Ibrahim Morafi, regional director of GAAC,
told AFP.
Afghanistan's
transport and aviation ministry confirmed the deal.
No
country has yet formally recognised the Taliban government, which has
increasingly stripped away the freedoms of Afghans, particularly women.
GAAC,
which operated in Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover, signed a separate
contract last month to provide ground handling services at Kabul, Kandahar and
Herat airports.
A
Qatar-Turkey consortium has been in talks with the Afghan aviation ministry for
months about operating Afghan airports, but discussions have stalled over the
Taliban's insistence that their fighters guard the facilities.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2022/06/03/UAE-firm-to-screen-passengers-at-Afghan-airports
--------
YPG/PKK
Terrorists Accelerate Planting Mines, Booby Traps in Northern Syria
Ethem
Emre Ozcan and Omer Koparan
03.06.2022
The
terrorist group YPG/PKK has accelerated its efforts to lay mines and booby
traps in Tal Rifat, northern Syria, near the Turkish border, according to
locals and reporters on the ground.
The
planting of the mines and booby traps in the center of Tal Rifat, which is
occupied by the terror group, has especially accelerated.
YPG/PKK
terrorists often use Tal Rifat and Manbij as bases to mount attacks on the
nearby areas of Jarabulus, Afrin, and Azaz.
Aiming
to slow down a possible counter-terrorism operation by Türkiye, the YPG/PKK
laid anti-tank and anti-personnel mines at the entry points to some roads
leading to the district center, according to information obtained by Anadolu
Agency from local residents.
The
terrorists are placing booby traps in some of the structures that the Turkish
Armed Forces and opposition Syrian National Army units are likely to enter
first if they need to evacuate the region for a possible anti-terror operation.
The
terrorists also laid mines on the frontlines of the Tal Rifat district with the
regions of Azaz, Afrin and Mare.
Through
the joint efforts of Türkiye and the Syrian National Army, a large number of
mines were found and disposed of during Operation Olive Branch and Operation
Peace Spring, carried out in 2018 and 2019 in YPG/PKK-occupied regions in Afrin
and east of the Euphrates River.
YPG/PKK
terrorists often target Turkish security forces who provide security in the
areas of the Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch and Peace Spring operations, and
try to infiltrate the positions of Syrian opposition fighters from regions that
the terror group was supposed to withdraw from under agreements with the US and
Russia.
Since
2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across
its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and
enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive
Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Erdogan
taking advantage of Ukraine war to push his own goals in Syria
June
04, 2022
BEIRUT:
In northern Syria, residents are bracing for a new fight. With the world’s
attention focused on the war in Ukraine, Turkey’s leader says he’s planning a
major military operation to push back Syrian Kurdish fighters and create a long
sought-after buffer zone in the border area.
Tensions
are high. Hardly a day passes by without an exchange of fire and shelling
between the US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, and Turkish forces and
Turkey-backed Syrian opposition gunmen.
Analysts
say Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking advantage of the war in
Ukraine to push his own goals in neighboring Syria — even using Turkey’s
ability as a NATO member to veto alliance membership by Finland and Sweden as
potential leverage.
But
a major incursion by Ankara comes with risks and complications, threatening to
upset Turkey’s ties with both the US and Russia.
It
also risks creating a new wave of displacement in a war-ravaged region where
the Daesh group still lurks in the shadows.
Here’s
a look at the situation on the ground and some of the key issues:
Erdogan
last month outlined plans to resume Turkish efforts to create a 30-km deep
buffer zone in Syria, along its southern border through a cross-border
incursion against US-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters. Erdogan wanted to create
that zone in 2019 but a military operation fell short of achieving it.
“We’ll
come down on them suddenly one night. And we must,” Erdogan said, without
giving a specific timeline.
Since
2016, Turkey has launched three major operations inside Syria, targeting
Syria’s main Kurdish militia — the People’s Protection Units or YPG — which
Turkey considers to be a terrorist organization and an extension of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. The PKK has for decades waged an
insurgency within Turkey against the government in Ankara.
The
YPG, however, forms the backbone of US-led forces in the fight against Daesh
militants and has been a proven top US ally in Syria.
Turkey,
through the three previous military operations in Syria, already has control
over a large chunk of Syrian territory, including the towns of Afrin, Tel Abyad
and Jarablus. Ankara plans to build thousands of housing units in those areas,
to ensure what it says will be the “voluntary return” of 1 million out of the
3.7 million Syrian refugees currently in Turkey.
Erdogan
said Wednesday that Turkish troops now aim to take new areas, including the
towns of Tel Rifaat and Manbij, which sits on a major intersection of roads on
Syria’s west-east highway known as the M4. Turkey says the Syrian Kurdish
fighters use Tel Rifaat as a base to attack areas held by Turkey-backed Syrian
opposition fighters.
There
have been also reports that Turkish troops might enter the strategic border
town of Kobani, where the US military and Kurdish fighters first united to
defeat IS in 2015. The town holds powerful symbolism for Syrian Kurds and their
ambitions of self-rule in this part of Syria.
Analysts
say Erdogan likely sees a confluence of circumstances, both international and
domestic, that make an operation in Syria timely. The Russians are preoccupied
with the war in Ukraine, and the Americans need Erdogan to drop his objections
to the expansion of NATO to include Finland and Sweden.
“They
(Turks) sense an opportunity to try and get concessions from the West,” said
Aaron Stein, head of research at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in
Philadelphia.
A
Syria offensive could also be used to rally Turkish nationalist voters at a
time when their economy is in decline, with inflation running at 73.5 percent.
Turkey is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections next year, and
previous incursions into Syria to drive out the YPG have bolstered support for
Erdogan in past balloting.
So
far, there are no signs of mobilization pointing to an imminent invasion,
although the Turkish military could be called upon fairly quickly. Syrian
Kurdish fighters, however, say they are taking Turkey’s latest threat seriously
and have been preparing for a possible attack.
They
warn that an incursion would affect their ongoing fight against Daesh and their
ability to protect prisons in northern Syria where thousands of extremists,
many of them foreign nationals, have been locked up since Daesh was defeated
territorially three years ago.
A
large-scale military operation carries high risks and is likely to anger both
the US and Russia, who also have a military presence in northern Syria.
Turkey
and Russia support rival sides in Syria’s 11-year conflict but have been
closely coordinating in the country’s north. While Russia has not officially
commented, it has in recent days sent fighter jets and helicopter gunships to a
base close to the border with Turkey, according to Syrian opposition activists.
As
one of Damascus’ closest allies, Russia’s role in Syria has been paramount in
turning the tide of the conflict in Syria — which started amid Arab Spring
uprisings in 2011 — in favor of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Syrian
opposition fighters were relegated to an enclave in the northwest and Turkey’s
sphere of influence.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2096266/middle-east
--------
South
Asia
Acting
FM of IEA, Muttaqi at Gathering Recounts Achievements of Islamic Emirate
Jun
4, 2022
The
acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, said the Islamic
Emirate’s relations with foreign countries are being extended.
Muttaqi
made the remarks at a gathering held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which
several spokesmen of the government institutions participated.
“We
have a balanced policy towards the whole world. Today, we don’t have problem
with any neighboring country. Today, the Shirkhan port is opened, Hairatan,
Torghondi and Islam Qala ports are opened. The Spin Boldak and Torkham ports
are opened. We have good relations with all. Step by step Afghanistan will
become an economic hub and this is a good policy,” Muttaqi said.
“Before
us, the education centers were closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Now, in the
male section, all of them are opened. Before, the government had control over
30 percent of the soil but now the schools are opened in 100 percent of the
soil,” Muttaqi added.
Source:
Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-178312
--------
Islamic
State in Khorasan Province’s Rocket Attack in Tajikistan
By:
Nurbek Bekmurazev
June
3, 2022
On
May 7, several rockets were launched from the Hojagor district of Takhar
province, Afghanistan into the neighboring Panj district in Tajikistan (Radio
Ozodi, May 8). The Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) released a
statement on the same day to claim responsibility for the attack (Eurasianet
May 9). On May 8, the State Committee of National Security of Tajikistan (GKNB)
claimed that “bullets accidentally ended up on the territory of Tajikistan”
after a shootout between Taliban and ISKP forces near the Afghan-Tajik border.
The
GKNB statement also noted the situation on the border was stable, and the
Taliban was conducting operations to locate and disarm the perpetrators
(Khovar, May 8). Taliban officials confirmed this by delivering a statement on
May 9 promising that “efforts are being made to arrest the perpetrators of the
rocket attack from Afghanistan into Tajikistan (Pajhwok Afghan News, May 9).”
Several Tajik analysts and authorities nevertheless doubted the sincerity of
this promise and blamed the Taliban for the attack.
Although
there were no reported casualties or material damage, ISKP’s presence in
Afghanistan is becoming more worrisome for the international community, and
especially Central Asian countries. This was ISKP’s second rocket attack in
Central Asia in a three-week period and prompted conflicting accounts and
explanations, with blame assigned to both the Taliban and ISKP (Radio Ozodlik,
April 19). This article, however, explains why ISKP was clearly behind the
latest attack in Tajikistan and what its motivations were.
Mistrust
Between Tajikistan and the Taliban
Although
the Tajik government did not explicitly blame the Taliban, several Tajik
experts claimed that the attack occurred with the Taliban’s blessing in order
to exert pressure on the Tajik government to recognize the Taliban as the
legitimate government of Afghanistan. The attack was, according to this view,
retribution by the Taliban for the Tajik government’s decision to provide
sanctuary and support to the National Resistance Front (NRF) (Radio Ozodi, May
10). The NRF diplomatically and militarily opposes the Taliban, is based in the
northern provinces of Afghanistan, and is led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of the
deceased leader of the Afghan-Soviet War Ahmad Shah Massoud. Between May 4-8,
the NRF targeted Taliban fighters in the Andarab district of Baghlan province,
allegedly killing 27 (Aamaj News, May 9).
Fueling
speculations were comments from Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who was Afghanistan’s
prime minister for several months in 1996 and was one of the leaders of the
1980s and 1990s mujahideen factions. On May 6, a day before the ISKP attack and
following Hekmatyar’s meeting with the Taliban’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Hekmatyar delivered a speech. In it, he blamed the Tajik government for
providing sanctuary to the NRF and stated that this was equivalent to declaring
war on Afghanistan (Asia Plus, May 10).
It
may be far-fetched to interpret Hekmatyar’s comments as any indication that the
Taliban were somehow responsible for the rocket attack against Tajikistan,
however. First of all, ISKP and the Taliban are mortal enemies, and the Taliban
would never empower and provide publicity to its fiercest enemy by allowing
ISKP to carry out and claim the attack. Second, the attack dented the Taliban’s
legitimacy and credibility by giving Central Asian states another reason to
question the Taliban as a security guarantor. Third, Hekmatyar does not hold
any official post in the Taliban, so his comments cannot be seen as
authoritative.
Most
likely, Hekmatyar’s comments are related to the commencement of NRF attacks on
the Taliban in early May. The Taliban are frustrated by these attacks and the
fact that the Tajik government is providing a sanctuary to the NRF 130
kilometers south of Dushanbe in Farkhor, where NRF fighters can recuperate,
receive training, and travel to the front lines in Afghanistan (Asia Plus, May
10). Thus, it is likely that the Taliban used Hekmatyar as their talking head
to send a message to the Tajik government that the Taliban leadership is aware
of Tajikistan’s dealings with the NRF and will not tolerate such relations in
the future, even though the Taliban itself had no involvement in the rocket
attack.
ISKP’s
Growing Capacity
With
the Taliban eliminated as a possible perpetrator of the rocket attack in
Tajikistan, there should be no doubt that ISKP was the perpetrator. First and
foremost, ISKP claimed responsibility for it and published video proof with a
man firing seven rockets in the direction of Tajikistan (Twitter/@war_noir, May
9). Moreover, Tajikistan has been the target of other ISKP terrorist attacks in
the past, so this attack is not something that was totally unprecedented
(Sputnik Tajikistan, November 9, 2019; Asia Plus, August 1, 2018).
Second,
the attack continues the trend of ISKP coming into its own after the U.S
withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. In less than a year, the number of
ISKP operatives has increased from 2,000 to roughly 4,000, with some new
recruits coming from recently released prisoners in Afghanistan (PDF/UN
Security Council, February 3). As a result, in the last four months of 2021,
ISKP carried out 119 attacks in Afghanistan, a steep increase from the 39 which
took place during the same period in 2020 (New York Times, May 1).
Source:
James Town
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://jamestown.org/program/islamic-state-in-khorasan-provinces-rocket-attack-in-tajikistan/
--------
'We
Want Cordial Relations' With World: Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid
Jun
4, 2022
The
acting minister of defense, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, in an interview
with CNN News 18 said the Islamic Emirate wants "cordial relations with
all countries of the world, especially the neighboring countries including
India.”
Mullah
Yaqoob Mujahid appeared on a television news program for the first time and
discussed the current situation of Afghanistan including girls’ access to
education and the Islamic Emirate’s relations with the world. “We, Inshallah,
will have cordial relations with all these countries. India is known as one of
the best countries that maintains amicable relations. Afghans make friends with
India and their friendship is cordial, based on trust and honesty,” Mullah
Yaqoob Mujahid said, as quoted by News 18.
On
Thursday, a high-level delegation from India arrived in Kabul and met with
several officials of the Islamic Emirate. The visit was the first since the
Islamic Emirate came into power in the country.
Political
analyst Torek Farhadi said: “India’s policy has accelerated since Shahbaz
Sharif replaced the government of Imran Khan in Pakistan. India feels that
Shahbaz’s government doesn’t provide similar support to Kabul and (will try) to
use this vacuum with a less diplomatic investment.”
“India
is in the heart of the people of Afghanistan. It can gain its influence in
Afghanistan by providing humanitarian aid and preventing the influence of
Pakistan,” said Wali Frozan, a political analyst.
The
acting minister of defense said the Afghan soil will not be used against the US
and other countries.
He
also said that there is no order regarding "stopping education” in
Afghanistan.
Source:
Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-178311
--------
The
Afghan Refugees’ Failure in Security Screening Delays Their Evacuation from the
Balkan Camp
By
Saqalain Eqbal
Jun
4, 2022
According
to US security authorities, a number of Afghan nationals who were transferred
to US military bases in Kosovo during the evacuation process failed the security
screening process, causing the evacuation to be postponed.
Sean
South, the Director of Strategic Communications and Assistant Press Secretary
of the US National Security Council, stated that many of these immigrants
passed the security screening procedure, with only a few being refused.
The
base was originally planned to house evacuees for a period of one year, but it
has now been extended until August 2023, according to Kosovo government
officials.
Due
to the non-disclosure of their personal information, Kosovo officials denied
providing any additional information.
A
number of US authorities have stated that a number of these migrants were
transferred in these camps during the security screening process by the
Department of the Interior and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for
a variety of reasons, including a lack of sufficient documents and security
concerns.
Afghans
at the Kosovo camp held protests at the same time, claiming that their lives
were in shambles.
The
plight of these Afghan refugees has left them restless and desperate, and they
recently organized a demonstration in the camp, shouting “We want justice,” to
demand an end to the situation.
The
base has taken in a number of adults and children. People who travel with their
families and have not yet been able to secure a US visa are among them.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Seeks Kabul Mediation to Negotiate with TTP
By
Arif Ahmadi
03
Jun 2022
ISLAMABAD,
Pakistan – The Taliban government vowed to continue being a mediator between
the Pakistani government and its local insurgent group TTP, according to
sources, aiming to ensure regional peace and stability.
Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban, is an umbrella
organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the
Afghan–Pakistani border, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“Based
on its main and permanent policy of supporting security and stability in the
region, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has continued to mediate between the
Pakistani government and the Tehrik-i-Taliban and is still continuing its
efforts and hopes for good results,” said Inamullah Samangani, a spokesman for
the Islamic Emirate, as TOLOnews quoted.
On
Wednesday, Pakistani government sent a 50-member delegation of tribal leaders
to Kabul to negotiate a ceasefire with Tehrik-i-Taliban, as the so-called
Islamic Emirate played vital role as a mediator.
The
TTP insurgency has been centered in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,
bordering Afghanistan, which the group demand to be free from Pakistani army.
The group also seek the release of its over 100 members, including elders, who
are imprisoned by the Pakistani government.
“They
want the release of all their prisoners (102 prisoners). They mentioned this at
the beginning of the talks that include their elders,” said Tahir Khan, a
Pakistani reporter, according to the local media. They also called for the
reverse of the cases that have been forged against them.”
In
recent months, the Islamic Emirate has mediated several talks between the
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan and the Pakistani government, as the tribal elders
confirmed their latest trip to Kabul intended to agree on an extended
ceasefire.
“Pakistan
wants to give the group international credibility and then use the talks as a
bargaining chip to lift international sanctions against the group if it
agrees,” said Asadullah Nadim, an analyst on military affairs.
Who
are Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)?
Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), commonly known as the Pakistani Taliban is an umbrella
organization of various Islamist armed militant groups operating along the
Afghan–Pakistani border, now the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Formed
in 2007 by Baitullah Mehsud, its current leader is Noor Wali Mehsud, who has
publicly pledged allegiance to the Afghan Taliban (known as Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan). The Pakistani Taliban share a common ideology with the Afghan
Taliban and have assisted them in the 2001–2021 war, but the two groups have
separate operation and command structures.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-seek-kabul-mediation-to-negotiate-with-ttp/
--------
Southeast
Asia
Is
Indonesia’s Grand Experiment with Democracy Coming to an End?
By
Dr. Rizal Ramli
June
03, 2022
Almost
a quarter of a century ago, in the midst of the Asian financial crisis in May
1998, Indonesia’s economy literally came to a standstill. The rupiah had
crashed, tycoons were going bankrupt and losing their business empires.
University students were filling the streets of cities across the archipelago
demanding the resignation of then President Suharto, and after the tragic
shooting of students in the yard of Trisakti University in Jakarta, protests
became even larger and led to complete chaos. Indonesia was literally on the
brink of collapse.
Suharto
was reluctant at first to succumb to calls for him to step down. After more
than three decades in power, he found himself surrounded by sycophants telling
him that could ride out the wave of protests and manage to stay in office. Yet
in his final days in the palace, realizing that if he ordered the military to
come down hard on the protesters it could easily end in a bloodbath, Suharto
came to his senses and realized he was playing the equivalent of a zero-sum
game on a sinking ship.
On
May 21, Suharto announced his resignation, and the New Order regime, which had
overseen an economic success story yet was stained with violence and
oppression, came to an end.
The
only question at the time was, what would the next chapter look like? Would
Suharto’s previous vice president and successor, B.J. Habibie, prove to be an
authoritarian as well, or would he meet Indonesians’ demands for sweeping
political reform?
As
a former university student who protested against the Suharto regime in the
1970s only to find myself in jail, I waited with trepidation. Throughout his
career Habibie was seen as a subservient acolyte of Suharto and his clan; his
career offered no hints that he would end up becoming a reformist. And the fact
that he was surrounded by men who had spent their years in power under Suharto
as well made me pessimistic about our future.
What
happened next came as a complete surprise to Habibie’s naysayers, including
myself. Instead of clamping down on pro-democracy activists, Habibie announced
that democratic elections would be held three years earlier than scheduled. He
also liberalized the press, oversaw the lifting of restrictions on political
parties and the decentralization of political powers, effectively granting
local governments a much greater control over their affairs.
These
sweeping reforms marked the beginning of Indonesia’s democratic transition.
When Habibie’s successor, Abdurrahman Wahid, came to power in the latter part
of 1999, he managed to negotiate peace agreements with separatist groups in the
provinces of Aceh and Papua. Wahid, the former head of the world’s largest
Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, quickly became a well-known figure on
the global stage as a voice for moderate Islam, at one point even suggesting
that Indonesia open up diplomatic relations with Israel.
Indonesia
now held center stage as one of the world’s more prestigious democracies,
ranking as the third largest and the largest in the entire Muslim world. It was
held up as a shining example of what other Muslim majority countries could, and
should, aspire to.
It
was during Wahid’s stay in power that I served in his cabinet. Wahid made it
known when he was first elected that he would prefer men and women who were
previously staunch Suharto critics to serve in his cabinet. I was one of them,
and after entering office my colleagues and I went about instituting economic
and institutional reforms as part of our efforts to root out corruption in
places such as the National Logistics Agency, and set out policies that formed
the foundations for a quicker and sustainable economic recovery.
For
the most part, we achieved our goals. Not only was Indonesia a vibrant
democracy, it was now firmly on the path to economic growth and on a more
equitable basis than ever before.
Wahid
was not without his faults, one of which was an erratic leadership style that
resulted in his earning a number of political enemies. Tycoons were unhappy as
well since Wahid had no qualms about going after the rich and powerful. He
could be fearless when it came to facing down those who he felt were on the
wrong side of what he perceived as the nation’s interest.
The
wolves were circling, and one early morning the military also made its
dissatisfaction known by sending tanks to the palace grounds with its turrets
pointed toward the president’s residence. As one conglomerate owner was
overheard one day talking to his friends, “don’t worry, it is only a matter of
time before we get him.”
Political
elites and the military leadership decided to take action by calling for the
president’s impeachment and dismissal from office after he issued a decree to
dissolve the Indonesian legislatures and disband the Golkar Party, which was
former president Suharto’s party and arguably still the most powerful in the
country. In one fell swoop Wahid had managed to make mortal enemies out of
nearly the entire political establishment.
Wahid
saw this as an attempt to drain the proverbial political swamp, but rather than
cleansing Indonesia’s politics it ended up devouring him. Finally, during a
special plenary session of the People’s Consultative Assembly held on July 23,
2001, a majority of the legislators voted for Wahid to be dismissed from his
presidency.
Wahid’s
successors, first his vice president Megawati Sukarnoputri who replaced him and
served for the remainder of his five year term, and then retired general Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, continued with the reform of Indonesian politics. Political
stability and democracy were firmly in place, and as Indonesia’s economy rose
to become the 17th largest in the world, the future seemed incredibly bright.
That
was then, but some things have gone horribly wrong since. With the ascent to
power of Joko Widodo, better known simply as Jokowi to Indonesians, there has
been a steady and dramatic reversal in our democratic institutions and norms.
As
an indicator of Indonesia’s democratic backsliding, one need only refer to the
Economist Group’s annual Democracy Index. In 2017, Indonesia fell 20 places in
the index from 48th to 68th, making it the worst performer among the 165
countries surveyed, sliding from “flawed democracy” toward the “authoritarian”
end of the scale.
Such
a dramatic reversal is not only saddening. It is also a huge disappointment for
me and the many Indonesians who voted Jokowi into office. When he first ran for
the presidency in 2014, this former mayor and small business owner from Central
Java came across as an easy-going personality and a man of the people. The fact
that Jokowi didn’t hail from the Jakarta elite classes or the military as
previous presidents had, led voters to believe he would prove to be a new and
better class of politician.
They
were wrong.
To
be fair to Jokowi, he should not be entirely blamed for Indonesia’s ills. I had
the pleasure of serving as coordinating minister in the earlier part of his
presidency, and what I saw was a decent man with good intentions.
But
decency and good intentions do not necessarily make for a good leader.
Unfortunately Jokowi treats his coalition partners and cabinet members with kid
gloves, and all too often they too easily get their way even when it is
painfully obvious their behavior and actions cause harm to the national and
public interest.
I
was dismissed from my position in the Jokowi administration because more than
once I spoke the truth when politicians were being dishonest or worse. Now I am
back on the sidelines, much like I was during the Suharto years, and playing
the role as an activist, public intellectual, and critic.
The
freedom of speech, the right to express oneself and most importantly being
careful to present the facts even if it means being critical of those in power
and exposing hard truths is crucial in any democracy. When those rights are
denied, democracy inevitably suffers. Unfortunately this is precisely what is
happening now. Indonesians who post critiques of the president and the
political establishment on social media are warned and must have the posts
removed or otherwise face the consequences. Critics like myself are openly
ridiculed by Jokowi’s henchmen and threatened with lawsuits for blasphemy. The
truth is no longer treated with respect; it is considered the enemy.
To
the dismay of many Indonesians, Jokowi has lately fallen into the practice of
promoting family members into positions of power and influence. The dynastic
excesses of Jokowi have gone beyond even those of former presidents Sukarno,
Suharto, Habibie, and Wahid. Jokowi was, for example, successful in promoting
his son Gibran to become the mayor of Solo and his son-in-law Bobby to become
mayor of Medan. His sister is also married to the chief of the Constitutional
Court. All of these are clearly conflicts of interest.
There
is a risk that Indonesia’s democratic backsliding could become even worse.
Right now there are party bosses lobbying behind closed doors to get a
supermajority vote in a bid to amend Indonesia’s constitution that would
effectively allow the president to serve three five-year terms in office. If it
happens, then Jokowi could conceivably win and end up serving 15 years as
Indonesia’s president.
So
far these party bosses have come up short of securing the supermajority they
need. But anything can happen in Indonesia’s transactional politics, so the
possibility should not be entirely dismissed.
Source:
The Diplomat
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://thediplomat.com/2022/06/is-indonesias-grand-experiment-with-democracy-coming-to-an-end/
--------
After
telling Bangladesh not to join Quad, China now urges it to shun bloc politics
Jun
3, 2022
BEIJING:
China has told Bangladesh to stay independent and reject bloc politics, a year
after publicly asking Dhaka not to join the Quad alliance comprising India, the
US, Japan and Australia. “China believes that countries in the region,
including Bangladesh, will bear in mind the fundamental interests of their own
countries and the region, uphold independence, reject the Cold War mentality
and bloc politics,” Liu Jinsong, director-general of the department of Asian
affairs of the Chinese foreign ministry, told Bangladeshi ambassador to China
Mahbub Uz Zaman on Wednesday.
The
regional countries should safeguard true multilateralism and defend the hardwon
environment for peace and development in the region, Liu told Zaman during
their meeting in Beijing, according to a press release issued by the foreign
ministry.
In
May last year, China’s ambassador to Bangladeshi Li Jiming in Dhaka courted
controversy by publicly asking Bangladesh not to join the Quad alliance.
“Obviously, it will not be a good idea for Bangladesh to participate in this
small club of four (Quad) because it will substantially damage our bilateral
relationship,” Li had said in Dhaka. Reacting to Li’s comments, Bangladesh
foreign minister AK Abdul Momen had called the Chinese envoy’s comments “very
unfortunate” and “aggressive”. “We are an independent and sovereign state. We decide
our foreign policy,” Momen had said at the time.
China
has been opposing Quad projecting it as Asian Nato aimed at containing its
rise. In his meeting with Zaman in Beijing, Liu attacked the recent speech by
US secretary of state Antony Blinken in which he said China is the only country
with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the
economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do it.
Unveiling
Biden administration’s China policy, last Thursday, Blinken had called China
“the most serious long-term challenge to the international order”. He had said
the US, while stepping up competition with “invest, align, compete” strategy,
will, avoid conflict or new Cold War with China.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
11
more arrested over half-naked dancers at open house
June
3, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The police have detained 11 more witnesses for investigations into an
Aidilfitri open house involving a group of trans women dancing half-naked.
Selangor
police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed said six of the 11 were remanded, including one
released on bail to undergo surgery. Five other witnesses were guests.
He
said the police were tracking down two more suspects believed to be involved in
the case.
“Currently,
we have detained the organisers and identified the dancers involved. In
addition, the police have identified the motive behind the event, which was to
attract public attention,” he said.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Local
cacao inspires duo to make a business out of it
Fathimath
Nuha
June
4, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The Covid-19 pandemic was a life-changing event on a global scale. Many
people experienced lightbulb moments about the state of their lives and a fair
number of them made corresponding lifestyle changes.
One
of these people was Khaleeda Arpandi. An accountant by profession, she walked
away from a well-paid job because the pandemic helped her realise that she
needed more from life than a routine. She knew she wanted to run her own
business.
“If
you’re going to do it, do it now. If not now, when are you going to take that
chance? But I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do for a business,” she told
FMT.
As
always, Khaleeda went to her good friend Amirul Asraf Mohsin for his insight.
The 27-year-olds had met while studying in New Zealand and their shared love
for food cemented their friendship.
It
was on one of these food hunting trips that they came across a locally produced
bar of chocolate and were floored by the richness of the taste, the smooth
texture, and especially by the fact that the cacao used for the chocolate was
locally grown.
“I
felt like I wanted to tell everyone about it,” Amirul said, beaming.
After
some research, they discovered that cacao grown in Kelantan and Kota Marudu had
won international awards for taste and quality.
Shocked
by the lack of local knowledge that such quality products existed in Malaysia,
they immediately threw themselves into starting a business dedicated to sharing
the wonders of locally grown cacao.
“It
tasted so good,” Khaleeda laughed, “so we figured, why don’t we do something
with this local cocoa.”
Since
Khaleeda was freelancing as a graphic designer at the time, she began working
on the branding for their business. Amirul, a full-time finance executive,
helped by researching possible designs in his free time.
“I did
all the taste testing,” Amirul said with a big smile. He said he spent weeks
experimenting with different combinations of cocoa powder and types of milk
before hitting on the blends that they now sell.
The
Good Cacao officially launched in March 2022 and began appearing at pop-up
events and in bazaars throughout Kuala Lumpur. They have since gained a steady
following.
Their
mildly bitter, thirst-quenching iced chocolate drinks are a tasty alternative
for those who are not fans of coffee but also dislike the sweetness of boba
drinks.
As
a business entity, they have made a conscious decision to collaborate with
like-minded organisations that support local businesses and promote good
causes.
This
led to them serving a cup of their ice chocolate to Tunku Puteri Intan Safinaz,
the chairperson of the Malaysian Red Crescent Society.
“It
was such a big deal to us, to have someone we admire like that being one of our
first customers,” Khaleeda said happily.
It
matters to them that the public know that there are good quality cocoa products
available that are single origin and do not have as much of a negative climate
effect as chocolate treats from other countries.
Amirul
explained that The Good Cacao’s objectives are two-fold: to spread the message
that Malaysia has good cocoa products, and to help provide a sustainable income
for local cacao farmers.
Right
now, they receive their cocoa from suppliers working with farmers in Kelantan,
Kota Marudu in Sabah, and Chemor in Perak.
In
the future, they hope to work more closely with the farmers themselves and help
develop the industry to a global level.
“We
hope to collaborate with government agencies in the future to create more
support for local cacao farmers and help them gain recognition locally and
globally,” Amirul explained.
It
may seem a big dream for such a small business, but this might be well within
the reach of two young people who are so fiercely proud of local Malaysian
bounty.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
--------
Sabah
PH reps go to court over 40% revenue share for state
June
3, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Twelve Pakatan Harapan (PH) elected representatives in Sabah have filed a
legal action at the Kota Kinabalu High Court, seeking a declaration that the
state’s 40% revenue share formula, as stipulated in the Malaysia Agreement
1963, is still applicable.
They
are also seeking declarations that a review of Putrajaya’s annual grant to
Sabah should have been carried out in 1974, and that the 2022 review – jointly
announced by the federal and Sabah state governments in April – was
unconstitutional.
Among
the representatives involved were Sabah PKR chief Christina Liew, Tuaran MP
Wilfred Madius Tangau, Sabah DAP chief Frankie Poon, Sabah Amanah chief Lahirul
Latigu, and Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin.
Their
lawyer, Nelson W Angang, said the group also wanted the federal government to
disclose the net revenue derived from Sabah annually so that the state would
know how much the 40% amounted to.
He
said the group is also seeking a declaration that any review of Article 112D of
the Federal Constitution, which touches on special grants and revenue for
Sabah, must be based on the 40% formula.
Nelson
said they also want a declaration that special grants from 1974 should be based
on the 40% formula instead of the fixed amount of RM26.7 million which Sabah
had been receiving since the 1970s.
In
April, Putrajaya announced Sabah’s special grant would be increased to RM125.6
million from RM26.7 million beginning this year.
But
Nelson said this review was unconstitutional because it was not based on the
40% revenue share formula.
“We
want the court to rule that once Article 112D is involved, you have to use the
40% as the basis,” he said.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Iranian
Ambassador at the UNSC: Anti-Iran Sanctions New Method of War against Civilized
Nations
2022-June-3
"Iran,
for decades, has been the target of economic and financial sanctions by the
US," Takht Ravanchi said addressing an open debate at the UNSC on
strengthening accountability and justice for serious violations of the
international law.
The
Iranian ambassador underlined that the US' economic and financial sanctions on
Iran directly endangered the lives of its most vulnerable population.
Washington
left nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May 2018, returning the
illegal and unilateral sanctions that the accord had lifted.
Later
in 2018, Iran took the case of the sanctions to the International Court of
Justice, which unanimously issued an order on provisional measures requiring
Washington to remove any sanction on the imports of humanitarian goods into the
Islamic Republic.
“Unfortunately,
the United States has not only failed to comply with the Court's order but also
defied it by imposing additional sanctions, particularly during the COVID-19
pandemic,” the UN’s website cited Takht Ravanchi as saying during the debate.
He
pointed out that the sanctions have even caused the deaths of some Iranian
patients, including children, as a result of restrictions on medicine and
medical supplies.
Takht
Ravanchi also said the UNSC had fallen short of performing its duty to properly
address some serious violations of the international law, particularly the
illegal sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
The
Security Council's silence on the ongoing crimes of the "Zionist regime
against the Palestinian people is a clear example of the council's
irresponsibility and inaction", he added, describing such crimes as war
crimes and crimes against humanity.
Under
the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),
Iran accepted certain caps on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting
of sanctions.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Deputy
FM: Israeli Regime Can Only Dream of Attacking Iran
2022-June-3
Baqeri
Kani, who is on a visit to Norway, made the remarks in an interview with the
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) on Friday.
He
warned Tel Aviv to stop daydreaming about attacking Iran, and said,
"Whenever they dream it, they will never wake up of such a dream!"
Baqeri
Kani's remarks came as the Israeli regime has once again been claiming that its
armed forces are reportedly practicing conducting attacks on Iranian nuclear
facilities while accusing Iran of pursuing a non-peaceful nuclear program.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010313000588/Depy-FM-Israeli-Regime-Can-Only-Dream-f-Aacking-Iran
--------
Iran,
Kenya Vow to Broaden Mutual Cooperation
2022-June-3
During
the phone talk on Thursday night, Amir Abdollahian and Omamo explored avenues
for bolstering and reinvigorating mutual cooperation in various areas.
During
the telephone conversation, Amir Abdollahian assured his Kenyan counterpart
that the Islamic Republic is ready to send humanitarian aid, including medical
assistance such as vaccines to Kenya and the African Continent.
The
Iranian foreign minister pointed to progress in the process of holding the
joint commission of Iran and Kenya, and stressed the significance of broadening
of relations with Africa, specially Kenya.
Amir
Abdollahian also underlined the need for synergy between the Islamic Republic
of Iran and Kenya regarding some common threats in the international arena like
terrorism and piracy.
The
Iranian foreign minister further pointed to the positive trend of containing
the COVID-19 disease in Iran, and underlined his country’s readiness to send
humanitarian aid, including medical assistance such as vaccines to Kenya and
the African Continent.
He
also invited the top Kenyan diplomat to visit Tehran.
Omamo,
for her part, underlined Iran’s important place in the world and called for
expansion of bilateral ties.
She
then pointed to the upcoming sessions of the joint commission of Iran and Kenya
and expressed hope that holding the commission will result in further expansion
and development of relations between Tehran and Nairobi.
The
Kenyan foreign minister reiterated the need to expand cooperation with Iran in
regional and international organizations more than ever before.
In
relevant remarks last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian
underlined his country's serious determination to expand relations with African
countries.
Amir
Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone conversation with Foreign Minister of
Burkina Faso Olivia Rouamba.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010313000466/Iran-Kenya-Vw-Braden-Mal-Cperain
--------
Iran,
Syria Discuss Ways to Fight Sandstorms
2022-June-3
Salajeqeh,
who also heads Iran's Department of Environment, held talks with Makhlouf in
the Syrian capital.
The
two officials explored ways on how to fight sandstorms that have in recent
weeks intensified in both countries and left a number of people dead in
Syria.
Salajeqeh
told reporters that assessment jointly conducted by Tehran and Damascus shows
that Deir al-Zur, situated in Eastern Syria, is one of the main centers of
sandstorms that have also swept Iran and other regional countries.
He
said that the two sides have exchanged views on how to mitigate the impact of
this phenomenon and alleviate the suffering of their people.
The
Syrian minister, for his part, said that efforts are underway to accelerate
measures initiated in 2006 in the environment sector.
Makhlouf
said that Syria has already taken significant steps in protecting the
environment, including the reviving of meadows.
The
Syrian official explained that the war in his country over the past decade also
caused harm to the environment, as terrorists have cut trees and burned
forests, among other things.
He
blamed Turkey's cutting off the flow of the Euphrates too.
Prior
to his trip to Syria, the Iranian official also visited Iraq where he met with
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi for talks on how to tackle sandstorms.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010313000346/Iran-Syria-Discss-Ways-Figh-Sandsrms
--------
Iran
vows ‘immediate response’ to any Western move against it at IAEA
03
June, 2022
Iran
vowed on Friday to show an “immediate response” to any move against it by the
United States and European countries at the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, Iranian
state media reported.
“Any
political action by the United States and the three European countries in the
agency (IAEA) will undoubtedly be met with a proportionate, effective and
immediate response from Iran,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian
was quoted as saying by state media.
Amirabdollahian
also said the IAEA head’s visit to Israel, Iran’s arch-enemy, was in conflict
with the agency’s impartiality, the media reported.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Africa
Libya’s
Persistent Political Polarization Amid Islamic State’s bid to Remain Relevant
By:
Dario Cristiani
June
3, 2022
Introduction
Following
the October 2020 ceasefire and successful United Nations-brokered Libyan
Political Dialogue Forum Process (LPDF), Libya finally saw the formation of a
new, unified government, which ended almost six years of division. During those
six years, the country had two governments: the internationally recognized
Government of the National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj and the
eastern-based government led by Abdullah al-Thani. This eastern-based
government was supported by the House of Representatives (the parliament
elected in 2014 and led by Aguila Saleh) and was de facto dominated by the
Sirte-born warlord Khalifa Haftar, who was leader of the Libyan National
Army/Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LNA/LAAF). [1]
However,
after Haftar’s military failed, in spite of significant external support by
several countries (the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Egypt, and France), to
conquer Tripoli due to the Turkish military intervention in November 2019,
conditions changed (Al-Monitor, June 4, 2020, The Daily Sabah, December 26,
2019, Al-Jazeera, November 13, 2019). Rapidly, the forces fighting alongside
Haftar’s militia, including sub-Saharan African mercenaries primarily from
Sudan and Chad, Russian Wagner Group fighters, and Syrians brought by Russia to
Libya, had to retreat. By April 2020, it had become obvious that the offensive
failed. In August 2020, Haftar also had to end the oil blockade he launched in
January 2020, and in October 2020 the parties agreed to a ceasefire that paved
the way for UN-backed political dialogue.
The
success of the LPDF brought about the establishment of the Government of
National Unity (GNU). Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, a businessman from Misrata, became
the new interim Prime Minister. Mohammad Menfi became the head of the
Presidency Council. The primary task of the interim government was to oversee
the electoral process that should have brought Libyans to vote for a new
president and a new parliament on December 24, 2021.
However,
the elections were not held in the end because of mounting disagreements
between different Libyan interest groups concerning procedures, timing and
outcomes of the process. Moreover, the particularly pro-active and somewhat
populist role that interim Prime Minister Dbeibeh played in using public money
to strengthen his position, and the fact that he was ready to run for the
presidency (even though he agreed not to when taking over his role), triggered
adverse reactions from many of his rivals (The Arab Weekly, March 31; Asharq
Al-Awsat, February, 19; Majalla, November 21, 2021). This resulted in a new
institutional and political stalemate as Dbeibeh’s opponents started working
together to limit his power while hoping to force a change of government.
The
Genesis of the Government of National Stability
This
dynamic, as has often happened in Libya’s history, pushed former arch-enemies
to cooperate against what they perceived as the common enemy, who in this
specific case was Dbeibeh. Thus, in response to Dbeibeh’s political
machinations, in December 2021 Fathi Bashagha and Ahmed Maiteeg, two other key
political figures from Misrata and crucial personalities in the GNA as the
Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister respectively, initiated a
process of rapprochement with the eastern-based forces represented by Haftar
and Saleh (Al-Wasat, December 21). This process culminated in the appointment
of Bashagha as the new Prime Minister in February and the launch of the new
Government of National Stability (GNS) one month after Bashagha received a vote
of confidence from a part of the House of Representatives (The Libya Herald,
March 2).
Dbeibeh
did not recognize the parliament’s vote and reiterated that he would only hand
over power to a government elected by the Libyan people. Being also the interim
Defense Minister, he then placed the armed forces on alert and closed Libyan
airspace, which was reopened only two weeks later to prevent Bashagha’s arrival
(The Arab Weekly, March 23). A few days after the vote of confidence, Bashagha
and the groups supporting him tried entering Tripoli, but were blocked by the
militias that remained loyal to the GNU. Bashagha tried to enter Tripoli again
in May, but this attempt triggered violent clashes with the city’s militias.
The violence forced Bashagha to leave with an announcement that the GNS would
work form Sirte instead (The Libya Observer, May 17; Asharq Al-Wasat, May 18).
Haftar’s
Wild Card: The Oil Blockade
The
return of political and institutional polarization created incentives for all
actors involved to use their territorial control and military capacities to
pressure rivals. As the political standoff continued, the Representatives of
the Eastern Region in the 5+5 Military Committee, who were linked to Haftar,
called for a ban on oil exports, the closure of the coastal road, and stopped
their work in the committee (The Libya Herald, April 10). A few days later, oil
production stopped, with the National Oil Corporation (NOC) declaring force
majeure at Zueitina, El Sharara, and El Feel. The blockade was justified as a
response to the grievances of local workers and tribal groups, who launched
protests and blocked production (The New Arab, April 27).
The
past has shown that there was a direct connection between Haftar’s decision and
the situation at oil fields and terminals. In 2020, the oil blockade was lifted
after Haftar’s intervention (Libyan Express, August 19, 2020). As such, since
his forces together with Russian Wagner mercenaries have continued to control
most of the territory in which Libyan oil resources are located, there is a
casual connection between his decisions and the return of the oil blockade.
This decision to control the oil fields was even suggested by Wagner Group
commanders a few weeks earlier (Al Monitor, June 26, 2020, The Libya Observer,
March 12, 2021). The Libyan oil output thus went from one million barrels per
day (bpd) to 450,000 bpd in the second half of April 2022. Immediately after
the launch of the blockade, Dbeibeh called upon the public prosecutor to launch
an investigation into the closure of oil facilities and export terminals (Ain
Libya, April 20).
Haftar
already tried and failed to use an oil blockade in January 2020 to force the
GNA to surrender. The current blockade will prevent Libya from taking advantage
of the world’s high global hydrocarbon prices while at the same time forcing
them to suffer the affects of inflation and food supply shortages due to the
war in Ukraine (al-Jazeera, April 26). Moreover, the freezing of oil revenues
at the Libyan Foreign Bank, which was announced on May 14 and was a move to
undermine the GNU’s ability to use oil-related funds, is exacerbating these problems
even further.
According
to a press-release issued by the House of Representatives, the freezing will
last until “the establishment of guarantees and a mechanism for all Libyans to
benefit from this income, in a manner that achieves justice and equality for
all.” (Libyan News Agency, May 14). While the blockade and the freezing
inevitably put pressure on the GNU, it also risks backfiring, particularly in
the areas in which Haftar and his forces are most present. Something similar
happened in 2020 when the oil blockade launched by Haftar undermined power
production in eastern Libya, leading to protests and riots. The oil blockade
and the freezing of revenues may bring the same problems related to electricity
production, but could also exacerbate issues related to food, goods’ shortage
and mounting inflation.
Is
the Islamic State a Real Problem in Southern Libya?
Against
the above-mentioned backdrop, Libya is also facing a return of the Islamic
State (IS). On April 19, LNA/LAAF sources claimed that a car bomb exploded near
a military camp in Umm Al-Aranib in the southwest of the country, blaming IS
for the attack (Maghreb Voices, April 19). This violence followed similar
operations that occurred in previous months. In January, two IS-claimed attacks
targeted LNA/LAAF forces, prompting authorities to launch a security operation
which resulted in the killing of several IS fighters (Al Wasat, February 7).
IS
had officially returned to operational status in Libya as early as June 2021
after an almost two-year hiatus. The group had become silent after airstrikes
allegedly decimated its leadership in September 2019 and put an end to the
operational revival that the group experienced in Libya between 2017 and 2019,
particularly in the south. IS’s landmark attack was on June 6, 2021 when a
truck exploded at a Mazig checkpoint north of Sabha, killing at least two
people, including a senior police officer, and injuring four more people
(Libyan Express, June 8, Al-Monitor, June 7).
Later
that same day, IS claimed responsibility for the Mazig checkpoint attack, with
the Amaq news agency publishing photos and footage of the car bomb used and the
suicide bomber, Mohammed Al-Muhajer (The Libya Observer, June 13, 2021).
Haftar’s forces used the series of attacks from the Mazig checkpoint onwards as
a pretext to launch a renewed military campaign in the south (The Libya
Observer, June 19). This push into the south regained momentum shortly after
Bashagha’s Tripoli fiasco and amid mounting tensions with some local groups,
including several Tebu leaders. Haftar’s forces were also motivated by the need
to fight Islamists and secure the Libyan borders with Chad, where instability
is on the rise (Akhbar Libya 24, May 31; Libya Channel, May 31).
It
is notable that Haftar did something similar during his military campaign in
Western Libya in 2019 when he tried to strengthen his military positions in the
south before launching the main operation. However, as noted by the wave of IS
attacks that the LNA/LAAF forces suffered over the past few weeks, this attempt
to strengthen the LNA/LAAF presence in southern Libya has come with a cost for
Haftar. While IS in Libya is far from being the systemic threat it represented
from 2014 to 2016 and, to some extent, 2018, the group can still inflict some
damage. Haftar’s militiamen, who are more exposed than the Sirte-born warlords,
will pay the higher price in human and logistic terms.
Conclusion
IS’s
operational return must be monitored, although it should not be overestimated.
According to Ibrahim Bushnaf, the GNU National Security Advisor, IS in Libya
does not represent a severe concern at the moment, as the organization is
trying to portray itself as more potent than it is in actuality, and its
presence is limited to several outposts in the south of the country (Libya
Al-Hadath, April 3). In the past, IS exploited domestic fragmentation and
political polarization in Libya to make inroads into the country. Two examples
from history include their attempts to strengthen their presence in Sirte in
2014 or reorganizing itself in the south after the group was dislodged from
Sirte in late 2016.
It
is clear that IS these days does not have the same capacity it had in 2014 or
2017-2018. The return of political polarization and institutional duality, with
the relative incentives to undermine rivals as shown by the recent oil
blockade, will nevertheless favor fragmentation and chaos, sharply increasing
the risk of military confrontation between militias and groups supporting the
GNU and the GNS, respectively. This bodes well for IS in Libya.
Although
the operational capacities of IS in Libya have been so weakened that it does
not represent a systemic threat, security fragmentation and political
polarization can favor its bid to maintain a presence in Libya in line with its
principles to “remain, attack, and expand” (Terrorism Monitor, August 9, 2019).
Source:
James Town
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Kwara
Hijab controversy: Islamic group demands justice for student allegedly killed
June
3, 2022
By
Don Silas
The
Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has cried foul over the move to reopen Baptist
High School, Oyun, where crisis erupted earlier this year due to the alleged
refusal of the school authorities to obey the State government’s directive
permitting the use of hijab in all schools in the State.
The
Kwara State Government (KWSG) had yesterday re-opened Baptist High School.
However,
MURIC is demanding justice for the 20-year-old Muslim, Habeeb Idris, allegedly
killed during the protest.
In
a statement issued on Friday by the group’s leader, Professor Ishaq Akintola,
MURIC complained that the murder case had been swept under the carpet.
The
statement reads part: “The Kwara State Government (KWSG) yesterday reopened
Baptist High School, Oyun, where a crisis erupted in February 2022 due to the
refusal of the school authorities to obey the state government’s directive
permitting the use of hijab in all schools in the state.
“While
we are not interested in disrupting the educational pursuit of the students, we
are perturbed that no arrest has been made for the killing of 20-year old
Habeeb Idris who was fatally shot during the demonstration outside the school’s
gate by fully armed members of the Baptist mission who had assembled inside the
school to prevent hijab clad female Muslim students from gaining entrance into
the school.
“While
we welcome the reopening of the school and fully endorse KWSG position on the
government’s ownership of all public schools, we frown at the government’s
silence on the killing of Habeeb Idris.
“Somebody
inside the school shot Habeeb. It is premeditated murder. Otherwise what are
gunmen doing inside a school? Four other students were macheted and they
sustained varied degrees of injuries. Members of the Baptist mission were ready
to kill in order to enforce their will not only on innocent Muslim students but
also on the state government. They had the noun ‘murder’, the verb ‘to kill’ and
they actually did. Those blood thirsty zealots should not be allowed to go scot
free.
“KWSG
in its statement said it opened the school in order to restore normalcy. But
there can be no normalcy without peace and justice is the soul of peace. Unless
KWSG is seeking peace in the graveyard, it must pursue justice by ensuring that
the killers of Habeeb Idris are apprehended. The spirit of young Habeeb is
calling for justice.
“We
are asking the Nigerian Police to tell us why Muslim life is so cheap that
nothing happens when a Muslim is killed but the police will spring into action
the moment a Christian is the victim.
Source:
Daily Post
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Sudan
to privatize army firms, says Gulf aid talks ongoing
04
June, 2022
Sudan
is pressing ahead with plans to privatize companies owned by the military and
is in talks with Middle East nations to help finance its cash-strapped economy,
according to Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim.
The
government is still on track to shut many of the country’s 650 state-owned
companies and privatize others, despite a military coup in October that
derailed its democratic transition, he said in an interview.
That
would keep to a series of proposed reforms suggested after a popular uprising
ousted former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
“All
commercial companies will be put up for public subscription, except for
companies that produce weapons, and that will be soon,” Ibrahim said on the
sidelines of the annual meetings of the Islamic Development Bank in Sharm
El-Sheikh, Egypt.
The
minister’s comments come as the North African nation’s military leaders prepare
to hold direct talks with civilian politicians and activists next week for the
first time since the putsch.
A
settlement may prove difficult, though, with protests ongoing, many political
prisoners still behind bars and confidence in the military at an all-time low.
The
government is seeking funding after decisions by the US, European Union and
World Bank to suspend billions of dollars in assistance because of the takeover
left its finances bare.
“There
are talks with Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar,” he
said. “We hope that these talks yield results. It is difficult to talk about
specific amounts.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Türkiye,
Mali discuss bilateral relations, regional issues
Merve
Berker |
04.06.2022
In
a Friday call, the Turkish president and Malian head of the transitional period
discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as the
regional issues, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said.
Recep
Tayyip Erdogan exchanged ideas with Assimi Goita on bilateral relations and the
regional issues, stated the directorate on Twitter.
Mentioning
that Türkiye will keep supporting Mali during its political transition period,
President Erdogan stressed that his country will also continue to back up Mali
in the combat against terrorism, the statement noted.
Ankara
expects the same support from Mali on Türkiye's fight against terrorism, as
well, said Erdogan, adding that the activities of the Fetullah Terrorist
Organization (FETO) must be blocked in Mali from now on.
Underscoring
that Türkiye is greatly pleased to contribute to Mali's development, the
Turkish president emphasized that the steps will be taken soon to strengthen
the economic and trade-based relations between the two countries.
FETO
and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July
15, 2016, in Türkiye, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkiye-mali-discuss-bilateral-relations-regional-issues/2605300
--------
UN
Security Council extends Libyan arms embargo for 1 more year
Seda
Sevencan
04.06.2022
The
UN Security Council extended Friday the mandate for an operation to enforce its
arms embargo on Libya for one more year.
“The
Security Council decided today to renew measures designed to implement the arms
embargo against Libya for another year, in particular those authorizing Member
States — acting nationally or through regional organizations — to inspect
vessels on the high seas off Libya’s coast believed to be in violation of the
arms embargo imposed on that country,” the Council said in a statement.
It
added that the resolution was adopted by a 14 - 0 vote, with one abstention
being Russia.
The
Council requested that the secretary-general report on the implementation of
the resolution within six months and 11 months.
The
European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation (IRINI) was launched in the
Mediterranean Sea on March 31, 2020, following the Berlin Conference on Libya
to oversee the UN's arms embargo on Libya.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Islamic
group, Ansaru dissociates self from Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack
By
Saxone Akhaine, Kaduna
04
June 2022
‘Our
Mission Is To Defend Islam From Nigerian Govt
Dreaded
Islamic group, Jama’ar Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladi Sudan, popularly known as,
Ansaru has disassociated itself from the recent attack on Abuja-Kaduna train,
saying that its mission was to defend Islam from Nigerian government.
The
denial by the group was in a statement distributed to the residents and
motorists plying the Birnin Gwari Road yesterday, titled, ‘Message to the
Nigerian Government and the Citizens.’
According
to the statement, the essence of the group is to work for Allah by protecting
Islam and Muslims, who have been cheated and oppressed in Nigeria, claiming
that they don’t kill for killing sake or abduct for abduction sake unless they
were sure the person is a kafir (infidel) or an oppressor.
They
also claimed that Abu Barra, who was said to have been the leader of the group
that attacked the train in March, was not their leader, adding that they would
disclose the name of their leader at the appropriate.
According
to the group, their mission is to defend Islam from the wicked Nigerian
government and other black African countries. It would be recalled that in a
recent security update, the state Governor, Nasir El-rufai confirmed the
presence of the group in two LGAs of the state – Giwa and Birnin-Gwari.
In
the same vein, the Chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU),
Ishaq Kasai, in an interview on Friday, confirmed the receipt of the statement.
He
said, “Our Coordinators from some of the wards intimated us that the Ansaru
group came on motorcycles and dropped the pamphlets in their various
communities and gave some to motorists. We asked them to bring the pamphlet to
us as you can see.”
The
message reads in part: “In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most
Merciful. We are Jama’ar Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladi Sudan. We want to inform
you that the attack on Kaduna-Abuja train was not by us, though the attackers
claimed our group’s name. It is not
everyone that we attack.
“Our
mission is to work for Allah by protecting Islam and Muslims, who are being
cheated/oppressed. Our group’s aim is to become defenders of Islam and Muslims
from the wicked Nigerian government and other black African countries.
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/islamic-group-ansaru-dissociates-self-from-abuja-kaduna-train-attack/
--------
North
America
New
York Man, A Uzbekistan Citizen, Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Support To
Islamic State
By
Kanishka Singh
June
4, 2022
June
3 (Reuters) - A Uzbekistan citizen who is a resident of New York City who was
convicted of conspiring to and attempting to provide material support to
Islamic State was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday, the U.S. Justice
Department said.
Dilkhayot
Kasimov, 34, was convicted of both counts following a trial in 2019. He was
charged in 2015.
"Kasimov
is an ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) supporter who collected and gave
money to another individual to fund his travel to join the terrorist group.
With this sentence, Kasimov is being held accountable for his crimes,"
Matthew Olsen, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a
statement.
The
United States brands Islamic State a "foreign terrorist
organization."
"Kasimov
was part of a group of individuals who sought to travel to Syria to join ISIS
or to fund others who sought to become foreign fighters for ISIS," Olsen
said.
A
representative of Kasimov could not immediately be reached for comment on
Friday.
In
2015, Kasimov's co-conspirators, Abdurasul Juraboev and Akhror Saidakhmetov,
planned to travel to Syria to fight on behalf of Islamic State, the Justice
Department said, adding that Kasimov provided money to help fund Saidakhmetov’s
travel and expenses.
Source:
Reuters
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Muslim
leaders ask FBI to investigate body found in burnt car as hate crime
JUNE
3, 2022
ST.
CLOUD — Muslim leaders here Friday asked authorities to investigate a possible
hate crime after 33-year-old St. Cloud resident Musa Sabriye was found dead in
a charred car Monday in the neighboring city of Waite Park.
"What
is critical is for us to know how Musa lost his life — what caused him to lose
his life and if somebody was involved in taking his life," said Sabriye's
brother Abdullahi Ali, speaking in his native Somali through a translator.
"We need steadfastness and quick justice."
Local
police and firefighters responded to a car fire just north of Interstate 94
near Hwy. 15 a few minutes before 1 a.m. Monday, according to Waite Park Police
Chief David Bentrud.
The
vehicle and body were so badly damaged that authorities were unable to
immediately identify the victim or the make of the vehicle. After obtaining a
DNA sample, officials confirmed the remains as Sabriye and notified the family
on Thursday.
Police
are working with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the State Fire
Marshal and the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office on the investigation.
Community leaders on Friday asked the FBI be consulted, too, to investigate
whether the incident was a hate crime.
"We
will continue to keep his family informed as our investigation
progresses," Bentrud said Friday. "In keeping with Minnesota law, we
will release all public information from our investigation once the
investigation is closed."
Friends
and family at the Islamic Center on Friday described Sabriye as hardworking and
kind. He worked at a distribution facility and was taking classes to obtain his
GED, his brother said.
Jama
Alimad, a Somali elder, said he feels the community generally has a good
relationship with area police but wants to ensure Sabriye's case is treated
with as much diligence as other suspicious deaths.
"Musa
was a productive community member," Alimad said. "He was [part] of
the future of this community. And now he's gone."
Mohamed
Ibrahim, deputy director for the Minnesota chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, asked authorities to communicate better with
Sabriye's family to keep them apprised of the investigation.
Source:
Star Tribune
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
US
airstrike kills 5 al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia
Mohammed
Dhaysane
03.06.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
The
US forces have conducted the first airstrike against the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist
group al-Shabaab in Somalia since US President Joe Biden reauthorized sending
US troops to Somalia, killing five al-Shabaab terrorists on Friday.
A
statement by the Somali Information Ministry said the airstrike was conducted
in coordination with the federal government of Somalia.
"US
forces conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab terrorists after they attacked
partner forces in a remote location near Beer xaani, Somalia" on Friday,
the statement said.
"Five
al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in action and no civilians were injured or
killed, given the remote nature of where the engagement occurred," it
added.
The
ministry said the government and the US "remain committed to fighting
al-Shabaab to prevent the deaths of innocent civilians."
"Violent
extremist organizations like al-Shabaab present long-term threats to
Somalia."
The
airstrike came hours after the Somali military announced that it had killed at
least 10 al-Shabaab terrorists in an operation outside the port city of
Kismayo, the administrative capital of southern Jubaland state.
Somalia's
newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud last month welcomed the US
decision to redeploy troops to the Horn of Africa country.
Former
US President Donald Trump pulled around 700 American troops out from the east
African country during the final month of his presidency.
On
May 16, US President Biden reauthorized the deployment of forces to Somalia.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-airstrike-kills-5-al-shabaab-terrorists-in-somalia/2605213
--------
US
Congress members denounce Israeli restrictions on academic freedom in Palestine
June
04, 2022
WASHINGTON:
A dozen members of the US Congress have asked the Biden administration to look
into recently introduced Israeli rules that limit the numbers of American
academics and students who can teach or study at Palestinian universities in
the Occupied Territories.
Jamaal
Bowman, a representative from New York, sent a letter, co-signed by 11 of his
Democratic colleagues, to the secretaries of state, homeland security, and
education calling for an inquiry into the restrictive new rules. They were
announced by the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government
Activities in the Territories, which functions as the de-facto Israeli military
government in the Occupied Territories.
The
Congress members said in their letter: “According to the recent COGAT
announcement, a limit of only 100 foreign academics and 150 foreign students
will be allowed to teach or study at Palestinian universities.”
They
said the new rules will “severely restrict the ability of American academics
and students to teach and study at Palestinian universities” in the Occupied
Territories, “while no similar restrictions apply to American academics and
students seeking to teach and study at Israeli universities, nor to Israeli academics
and students seeking to teach and study in the United States.”
In
addition, they noted that the Israeli government “will only grant visas to
professors and students for approved fields of teaching and study and limit the
amount of time professors and students can spend at Palestinian universities.”
They
said: “We find the policies outlined by the COGAT to formalize discriminatory
treatment of Palestinian Americans and other citizens.”
These
new rules are due to take effect in July, the members of congress noted, and
they asked Biden administration officials to reveal how many Americans seeking
to study or teach at Palestinian universities have been denied entry to Israel
and on what basis?
They
also asked the State Department to clarify its position on the new procedures,
which “would have the effect of limiting academic freedom of American citizens
seeking to study and/or teach at Palestinian universities.” They set a deadline
of June 10 for a response.
The
other members of Congress who co-signed the letter include Rep. Betty McCollum
and Rep. Ilhan Omar, both from Minnesota, Rep. Marie Newman, a progressive from
Illinois who has been a vocal advocate for the rights of Palestinians, and Rep.
Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American from Michigan.
Chris
Habiby, the legislative and policy coordinator for the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee, told the Arab News that the new COGAT rules
“simply formalize the practices that Arab Americans, and in particular
Palestinian Americans, have been experiencing for decades.”
He
added: “The ADC appreciates the courage of shown by Congressman Bowman and 11
other House Democrats in calling out Israeli discrimination against
Palestinians.”
Israel
has asked the Department of Homeland Security, which polices entry into the US,
to include Israeli citizens visiting America in the US Visa Waiver Program.
Objections to this center on allegations of Israeli discrimination against
American citizens of Palestinian or Arab descent who are subjected to intrusive
searches and often denied entry to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The
Visa Waiver Program includes statutory requirements that must be met before any
country is considered for inclusion. One key requirement is “reciprocity,”
which means that American citizens visiting a country that is a member of the
program must be treated the same way as a citizen of that country who is
visiting the US.
The
letter from the members of Congress points out that according to the US State
Department: “Some US citizens of Arab or Muslim heritage (including Palestinian
Americans) have experienced significant difficulties and unequal and
occasionally hostile treatment at Israel’s borders and checkpoints.”
Habiby
urged US authorities to put pressure on Israel to prevent the new rules taking
effect.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2096256/world
--------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/extremism-muslim-communities-islamists/d/127173