Fatwas (Religious Edicts) Not The Only Way, Try Scientific And Humanistic Approaches Too, Says Saifuddin Abdullah, Malay Minister
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 April 2022
Saifuddin Abdullah, Foreign
Minister
----
• Qutub Minar Was 'Vishnu Stambh' Before Being
Reconstructed And Renamed As Quwwat-Ul-Islam By A Muslim Ruler, Claims Vishwa
Hindu Parishad Leader
• Afghanistan Will Remain Untouched By Pakistan
Crisis: Taliban
• Former Hostages Unmask Islamic State 'Beatle' at US
Trial
• Muslims, Christians Serve Iftar To Those Fasting In
Bethlehem
Southeast Asia
• Indonesia students rally against mooted move to
extend president’s term
• MPs who hop should quit to face new election, says
Shad
• CLP exam cap an unfair hurdle in the way of law
grads
--------
India
• Muslim Man Stitches ‘Zari-Embroidered ‘Safa’ For
Hanuman
• Hindus, Muslims walk together at Ram Navami rally in
Bengal
• Probe Possible Link Between Al-Qaeda And Muslim
Student Who Protested Against Hijab Ban: BJP MP to Karnataka CM
• Bombay High Court To Examine Law On Muslim Community
Not Mentioning Caste
• Gorakhnath temple attacker was ragged, humiliated at
IIT-Bombay: Father
• Two Pakistani LeT terrorists killed in Srinagar, 3
security men wounded
--------
South Asia
• Eleven Taliban Affiliates Die in Car Accident
• Muttaqi Raises Ill-treatment of Afghan Refugees in
Iran with Country’s Ambassador to Kabul
--------
North America
• Killing of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani crucial to show
US’ promise to Gulf: Mike Pompeo
• Iran says US ‘imposing new conditions’ in nuclear
talks
--------
Mideast
• Official: Iran’s Human Rights Situation Improves
Based on Islamic Laws
• Over 70 Jewish Settlers Defile Aqsa Mosque
• AEOI Head: Iran Expects IAEA Not to Surrender to
Outside Pressures
• Iranian Scientists Develop Radiation Detection
Devices
• Iranian Navy Commander Underlines Unjustified
Deployment of Foreign Forces in Region
• Iranian FM Updates Names of US Officials,
Individuals in Terrorism, Human Rights Violation Lists
• Israel, West Bank on edge after more bloodshed
• Palestinian woman shot dead as she approaches
Israeli forces in West Bank
• Iran wants Biden to show goodwill by lifting some
sanctions prior to nuclear deal
• Yemeni Prime Minister says peace depends on extent
of Houthi’s surrender to Iran
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Army Rejects BBC Propaganda Story On PM’s
Ouster
• An Iftar where Christians and Muslims break bread
together
• Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan after Eid: PML-N
leader
• Names of six Imran Khan aides added to stop list:
Report
• All institutions played role in line with
Constitution, says Ashrafi
• Protest in Dubai against Imran Khan's ouster
• PTI, PML-N supporters face off in London
• PTI supporters rally in Islamabad against removal of
Imran Khan
• PTI workers hold massive protests in Lahore on call
of Imran
--------
Europe
• Putin’s ‘Foot Soldier’ Says Russia Will Take Kyiv
• Ethical Green Iftar Back In London After Two-Year
Hiatus
• 15 EU Countries Call On EU Commission To Urgently
Disburse Aid For Palestine
• Syria rescuers film tutorial to aid Ukraine’s first
responders
--------
Arab World
• Israel Strikes Government Positions In Syria: State
Media
• Iraq official warns of extremist threat from Syria
camp
• Kuwait vows support to cash-strapped Lebanon
• Iraqi president urges consensus to form gov’t
• 2 soldiers killed in Daesh/ISIS attack in Iraq’s
Anbar
--------
Africa
• Bandits Kill Miyetti Allah Chairman, Four Others In
Abuja
• Turkish aid agency distributes Ramadan food aid in
Uganda
• Tunisian protesters accuse President Kais Saied of
‘failed dictatorship’
• Tunisia to compensate revolution’s dead and wounded:
President
• Six children among 13 migrants found dead off
Tunisia
• Libya exhumes 11 bodies from mass grave in Sirte
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/fat-scientific-humanistic-malay/d/126773
--------
Fatwas (Religious Edicts) Not The Only Way, Try
Scientific And Humanistic Approaches Too, Says Saifuddin Abdullah, Malay
Minister
Saifuddin Abdullah, Foreign
Minister
----
'Ainin Wan Salleh
April 9, 2022
PETALING JAYA: Muslims should not be too quick to look
for fatwas (religious edicts) to resolve problems affecting the community but
instead move towards more scientific and humanistic solutions, foreign minister
Saifuddin Abdullah said today.
He said that Muslims in Malaysia tend to be more
legalistic and first ask “what is the fatwa?” instead of resorting to other
ways when faced with human problems.
“I am not saying fatwa is not important, but surely
there are more than just fatwas (to resolve issues).
“We have to ask the hard questions and move away from
the legalistic approach to a more scientific and humanistic approach to solving
human problems,” he said at a webinar today, adding that there is nothing wrong
with fatwas.
The webinar dissected political scientist Ahmet Kuru’s
book “The Ulema-State Alliance: A Cause of Authoritarianism and
Underdevelopment in the Muslim World”, which has been translated to Malay.
Saifuddin said while there is plenty of discourse on
Islamic law, Muslims need to also take part in discussions on topics like
political science, economics, sociology, and mental health.
Kuru’s book discussed the rise and fall of Muslim
nations and civilisations and the possible factors leading to them.
According to Kuru, when Muslims were successful in the
past, there was “a certain level of separation between politics, religion,
academia, and economy”.
Meanwhile, Sara Salimi of student movement Demokrat
Universiti Malaya said that in Malaysia, any discussion of separating religion
from the state is considered taboo.
She said that the link between Islam and the state is
further strengthened by the intertwining of the religion with the Malay
identity, which makes any talk of secularisation harder to approach.
“Under the Federal Constitution, a Malay must be a
person who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks Malay and
conforms to Malay customs,” she said.
She said that Malaysians are often made a tool to
garner votes in elections and the dynamics between religion and state are very
real.
“If you go against Islam then you are going against
Malays, and if you go against Malays then you are going against Islam,” Sara
said.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Qutub Minar Was 'Vishnu Stambh' Before Being
Reconstructed And Renamed As Quwwat-Ul-Islam By A Muslim Ruler, Claims Vishwa
Hindu Parishad Leader
File image of Qutub Minar.
Credit: News18 Hindi
-----
April 11, 2022
New Delhi: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on 10
April, 2022, claimed that the Qutub Minar was a 'Vishnu Stambh' before some of
its portions was reconstructed by a Muslim ruler and renamed as
Quwwat-ul-Islam.
VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal claimed that
the 73-metre-high structure was built on a temple of lord Vishnu constructed
during the times of a Hindu ruler.
"When the Muslim ruler came, some of its portions
were reconstructed with the materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu-Jain
temples, and renamed as Quwwat-ul-Islam (Might of Islam)," Bansal claimed,
speaking to PTI.
He claimed that Muslim rulers made multiple efforts to
rebuild some of the top floors that they had "damaged", but they
could not restore it.
"One can see a clear difference in the structure
of the first three floors of the tower and the remaining floors towards the
top. These floors were superimposed by them as they (Muslim rulers) just wanted
to showcase the dominance of Islam," he claimed.
"It was actually a Vishnu Stambh built on a
Vishnu temple. They (Muslim rulers) did not build it. Our (Hindu) rulers built
it," he claimed.
The VHP on 9 April, 2022, demanded that the government
rebuild the ancient temples at the Qutab Minar complex and allow resumption of
Hindu rituals and prayers there.
The demands came after a group of VHP leaders,
including Bansal, visited the compound of the monument, which was designated as
a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.
National Monument Authority (NMA) chairman and BJP
leader Tarun Vijay had on 7 April, 2022, said that Ganesha idols were placed
"disrespectfully" in the Qutab Minar complex.
"The idols are currently placed at the most
disrespectful place, upside down at the feet level of visitors. The idols
should either be removed or placed respectfully inside the Qutub complex, he
had told PTI.
Vijay also said that he had raised the issue with the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over a year ago but was yet to receive a
response to his letter.
VHP spokesperson Bansal said, "Tarun Vijay ji has
raised the issue with the ASI... We hope that the government and its concerned
departments do a serious pondering over the issue and restore the honour of the
Hindu society."
When asked about the VHP's future course of action on
the issue, he said the matter will be discussed by senior leaders and "if
the need arises, we may also consider taking a legal course of action."
According to the Delhi Tourism website, the Qutub
Minar was built with materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu temples at
the site after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom.
The website states, "An inscription over its
(Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque) eastern gate provocatively informs that it was built
with material obtained from demolishing '27 Hindu temples'."
An advisory body which carried out an evaluation of
the monument for its inscription in 1992 had noted that the building of the
Quwwat-ul-Islam congregational mosque had begun in 1192 by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak
and completed in 1198, "using the demolished remains of Hindu
temples", it said.
"It was enlarged by Iltutmish (1211-36 AD) and
again by Alau'd-Din Khalji (1296-1316 AD). The Qutb Minar was also begun by
Qutbu'd-Din Aibak, in around 1202 and completed by his successor,
Muhammad-bin-Sam," read the advisory body evaluation uploaded on the
website of UNESCO world heritage sites.
"It was damaged by lightning in 1326 and again in
1368 AD, and was repaired by the rulers of the day, Muhammad-bin-Tughluq
(1325-51 AD) and Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-88 AD). In 1503 AD Sikandar Lodi
carried out some restoration and enlargement of the upper storeys," it
notes.
The report also noted the iron pillar in the mosque
compound was brought from elsewhere in India.
"It bears a 4th century AD Sanskrit inscription
describing the exploits of a ruler named Chandra, believed to be the Gupta king
Chandragupta II (375-413)," it says.
Source: Firstpost
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Afghanistan Will Remain Untouched By Pakistan Crisis: Taliban
Image for representational
purposes only. (File Photo)By ANI)
-----
Apr 11, 2022
KABUL: Taliban has issued a statement saying the
political crisis in Pakistan seeing a constant soar, will have no effect on
Afghanistan. However, analysts predict an impact is inevitable on Afghanistan's
situation due to changes in Pakistan's administration.
"The Islamic Emirate seeks good economic and
political relations between the two countries", said the deputy spokesman
of the Islamic Emirate, Inamullah Samangani.
"The current political crisis in Pakistan will
not have any particular impact on relations between Afghanistan and
Pakistan," he said in a further statement, reported TOLO News.
Meanwhile, political analysts claimed that there will
be some impact on Afghanistan's situation as there will be a major change in
the administration in Pakistan.
In a statement, Tahir Khan, a Pakistani journalist
explained "There is a possibility that the consultation between the two
sides will increase and maybe on how to bring good things in policy... when the
new government is formed, it will announce its new policy but I don't see that
there will be very much changed regarding Afghanistan."
"The political crisis in Pakistan will affect the
economic relations of the people and government of Afghanistan," economist
Hamid Aziz Mujadidi said.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan was voted out of
power on April 10 as he lost the vote of confidence in parliament mandated by
the Supreme Court's ruling.The result of the vote, which was the culmination of
a 13-hour session that included repeated delays, was announced just before 0100
(2000 GMT on Saturday) by the presiding speaker of parliament's lower house, Ayaz
Sadiq, read a statement by TOLO News.
Khan, 69 was ousted after 3-1/2 years of serving as
Prime Minister of the nuclear-armed country of 220 million, where the military
has ruled for nearly half its 75-year history.
Parliament will meet on Monday to elect a new prime
minister, says TOLO News.
Opposition parties were able to secure 174 votes in
the 342-member House in support of the no-confidence motion, National Assembly
Deputy Speaker Sadiq said, making it a majority vote.
"Consequently the motion against Prime Minister
Imran Khan has been passed," he said to the thumping of desks in the
chamber. Khan, who was not present for the vote, had no immediate comment.
The house voted after the country's powerful army
chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met Khan, and stated two sources in a statement
to TOLO News who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and a front-runner to become Pakistan's next prime
minister, said Khan's ouster was a chance for a new beginning.
"A new dawn has started... This alliance will
rebuild Pakistan," articulated Sharif, 70, in parliament.
Parliamentary elections are not due until August 2023.
However, the opposition has said it wants early elections, but only after it
delivered a political defeat to Khan and passes legislation it says is required
to ensure the next polls are free and fair.
Khan is the first to be removed through a
no-confidence vote and his ouster extends Pakistan's unenviable record for
political instability.Opposition parties say he has failed to revive an economy
battered by COVID-19 or fulfil promises to make Pakistan a corruption-free,
prosperous nation respected on the world stage, says TOLO News.
Reema Omar, South Asia legal adviser to the
International Commission of Jurists, also said it was an ignominious end to
Khan's tenure. On Twitter, she posted, "3.5 years marked by incompetence;
extreme censorship; assault on independent judges; political persecution;
bitter polarisation and division; and finally, a brazen subversion of the
Constitution."
Imran Khan rose to power in 2018 with the military's
support but ultimately lost his parliamentary majority when his allies quit the
coalition government. There were also signs he had lost the military's support,
analysts claimed.
Imran Khan has become the first Prime Minister of
Pakistan to lose the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly. Regardless of
repeated attempts to dodge the no-confidence motion, the voting took place
after midnight on Saturday, where 174 members voted in favour of the motion in
the 342-membered house. Several members of the ruling Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaaf(PTI) were absent.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Former Hostages Unmask Islamic State 'Beatle' at US
Trial
FILE - The United States
District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, is seen in Alexandria,
Virginia.
----
April 10, 2022
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA —
Former hostages taking the witness stand at the U.S.
trial of their alleged Islamic State group captor have described their brutal
treatment in chilling detail.
Eight former IS hostages have testified so far at the
trial of El Shafee Elsheikh, accused of being a member of the notorious
kidnap-and-murder cell known as the "Beatles."
But in a quirk of the case -- none of the former IS
captives has been asked so far to formally identify their alleged captor in
court.
That's because the 33-year-old Elsheikh and the other
alleged "Beatles" -- so-called because of their British accents --
took pains to conceal their identities.
The former hostages said they were frequently
blindfolded and their captors wore balaclavas at all times with only a slit for
the eyes.
"They always tried to protect themselves,"
said Edouard Elias, a French photographer held prisoner by IS from June 2013 to
April 2014.
"With other guards I could get some information,
but not with them," Elias said. "I just saw that one had a darker
skin, that's all."
The kidnappers also had a "rule" whenever
they entered the cells where the prisoners were held.
"We had to kneel down with our face toward the
wall and never look them in the face," said Federico Motka, an Italian aid
worker who was held for 14 months, longer than any other hostage.
"We had to cover our face," said Frida
Saide, a former Doctors Without Borders (MSF) worker who was held for three
months.
Nicolas Henin, a French journalist, told the court the
hostage-takers apparently believed that "as long as they were masked they
were protected from prosecution."
"This was maybe a stupid idea," Henin said.
Despite the precautions taken, prosecutors are
confident they can prove to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that Elsheikh, a
former British citizen, was one of the "Beatles."
Elsheikh and another alleged "Beatle,"
Alexanda Amon Kotey, were captured in January 2018 by a Kurdish militia in
Syria while attempting to flee to Turkey.
They were turned over to U.S. forces in Iraq and flown
to the United States to face charges of hostage-taking, conspiracy to murder
U.S. citizens and supporting a foreign terrorist organization.
Elsheikh is charged with the murders of American
freelance journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Kayla
Mueller and Peter Kassig and suspected of the kidnapping of nearly 20 other
Westerners.
Kotey pleaded guilty in September 2021 and is facing
life in prison.
Elsheikh, who pleaded not guilty, is not expected to
testify at his trial but prosecutors have been using his own words against him.
After his capture, Elsheikh gave interviews to several
media outlets and prosecutors have played excerpts from those interviews for
the jury.
In the interviews, Elsheikh acknowledged interacting
with the hostages but claimed he did no more than ask them for information --
email addresses, for example -- so the kidnappers could open ransom
negotiations with their families.
Elsheikh also sought to deflect responsibility on
another member of the "Beatles," Mohammed Emwazi, the IS executioner
known as "Jihadi John" who was killed by a U.S. drone in Syria in
November 2015.
The former hostages tell a far different story --
brutal beatings at the hands of all three "Beatles," waterboarding,
electric shocks and other forms of torture.
"George was into boxing. John kicked a lot. Ringo
talked a lot about how he liked wrestling, putting people in headlocks,"
Motka said.
"It was like a team," Elias said.
Saide, the ex-MSF worker, said they were
"friendly, comfortable around each other."
"They seemed to be good friends," she said.
The former hostages have testified that even if they
could not see their faces, they could easily recognize the "Beatles,"
even from the individual ways they would knock on their cell doors.
Besides their distinctive British accents, the
"Beatles" were also better equipped than the other guards with
expensive pistols and walkie-talkies.
In court, Elsheikh resembled a college student wearing
fashionable civilian clothes and oversized glasses. A long black beard
protruded from beneath his black COVID-19 mask.
During witness testimony, he appeared to spend most of
his time staring straight ahead.
Elsheikh's lawyers have seized on the question of
identification in mounting his defense.
In opening arguments, they acknowledged he was an IS
jihadi but insisted he was not one of the "Beatles" and it was a case
of "mistaken identity."
Source: VOA News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.voanews.com/a/former-hostages-unmask-islamic-state-beatle-at-us-trial/6523214.html
--------
Muslims, Christians Serve Iftar To Those Fasting In Bethlehem
Palestinians shop at a
market in the West Bank city of Ramallah on April 7, 2022, during the Muslim
holy month of Ramadan. (AFP)
-----
April 11, 2022
Along with Muslims, Christians in Palestine have been
taking part in Ramadan initiatives to mark the Muslim holy month of fasting.
Aid projects, help with street and market decorations,
and the distribution of water and dates before iftar, are among the activities
they have been involved with in Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Nablus in the West
Bank.
Khalil Kawa, a 41-year-old Christian, has been handing
out dates and drinking water to passersby at a road junction in Nablus, a city
where Muslims, Christians, and Samaritans live side-by-side.
He said: “I do not feel that I am doing something
strange being a Christian and distributing dates and water to those who are
fasting. I do not like to distinguish between a Muslim, a Christian, or a
Samaritan. We are all Palestinians.
“In 2013, a group of my friends and I founded a youth
group that we called the Nablus Tour. We are a group of photographers. We
wander around the city of Nablus and take pictures, distribute sweets on the
Prophet Muhammad’s [PBUH] birthday, and decorate the city in the runup to the
blessed month of Ramadan and during Eid as well. In addition, we distribute
dates and water to the late fasting people.
“It is a very beautiful feeling that cannot be
described, especially since people are waiting for us and ask before Ramadan if
we are ready or need anything,” he added.
Kawa pointed out that initially the project was funded
by him and his colleagues but as the group became known it often found itself
with plentiful funds and supplies thanks to contributions.
In Ramallah, a group of young people launched a
Ramadan awareness campaign titled, “Forgive and shake hands in the month of
love,” aimed at spreading positive messages among communities.
In the predominantly Christian city of Bethlehem, in
the south of the West Bank, members of the Salesian scouts and guides group
have been distributing yogurt, water, and dates.
One of the scouts, Fouad Salman, said: “The residents
of Bethlehem, Muslims and Christians, inherit love and coexistence from
generation to generation, and the march of love must continue.”
The 37-year-old added that he felt proud of belonging
to Palestine and Bethlehem and had taken part in voluntary work since being a
child, including renewing carpets in mosques.
Source: ABNA24
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Indonesia students rally against mooted move to extend president’s term
April
11, 2022
JAKARTA:
Students protested in Indonesia on Monday over high cooking oil prices and a
mooted extension of President Joko Widodo’s stay in office, despite attempts by
the popular leader to dampen speculation of a plan being hatched to keep him in
power longer.
Demonstrations
took place in several parts of Indonesia, including South Sulawesi, West Java
and the capital Jakarta, where hundreds of students wearing neon jackets
marched toward parliament to complain about rising goods costs and the prospect
of the president outstaying his two-term limit.
The
idea of a term extension for Jokowi, as the president is known, either by
changing the constitution or delaying the 2024 election, has gained momentum
lately in the world’s third-largest democracy after some influential political
figures publicly backed it.
On
Sunday, for a second time in under a week, Jokowi, 60, urged ministers and
security chiefs to cease discussion of the issue and said it was clear that an
election would be held in February 2024, as planned.
“Don’t
let there be speculation among the public that the government is trying to
delay the election or speculate on extending the presidential term or anything
related to a third term,” he told a meeting.
The
idea of allowing more than the maximum two, five-year terms as president has
fueled concern about a threat to hard-won democratic reforms.
Students
have traditionally been at the forefront of efforts to protect Indonesia’s
democratic gains, after taking to the streets in 1998 during huge protests that
helped topple former strongman President Suharto.
Jokowi
has retained a high approval rating since he was first elected in 2014, but a
recent survey by pollster Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting showed more
than 70 percent of Indonesians reject the extension plan.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2060851/world
--------
MPs
who hop should quit to face new election, says Shad
April
10, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Any MP who switches parties should resign from the seat and secure a
new mandate from the people at a by-election, says constitutional law expert
Shad Saleem Faruqi.
Shad,
who is emeritus professor at Universiti Malaya, said the suggestion was his
personal view and was a proposal he would put forward if an MP hops to other
parties.
“Maybe
he (the MP) has genuine moral, ideological, conscientious objections concerning
his party’s direction, but in that case he must go back to his voters and say
‘thank you for electing me last time, now I’m wearing a new songkok (hat) and
you need to trust me again (about why I left the party) and I want you to give
me a new mandate’,” said Shad.
Shad,
who holds the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair in law at UM, said he was against
party-hopping being made an election offence.
“I’ve
read with some concern a very extreme proposal in Malaysia that switching camps
midway should be an election offence under Article 48 and should be a cause for
the seat to fall vacant and a five-year disqualification applies.
“I
don’t think we should bring criminal law into the picture here,” he said in an
interview on Bernama TV today.
An
alternative method would be for a party leader to inform the Speaker of the
Dewan Rakyat that an MP is no longer a member of the party if he resigns from
his party, votes against the party, or defies the party on an important issue.
However,
it would give the party leadership too much power, as party members would be
unable to say anything or challenge the party leader.
“The
problem is this, if the party doesn’t have the power to take action against an
MP, then I’ve been informed by some people, that what the MP could do is stay
with the party formally, but keep on voting against it, thereby actually, even
possibly, bringing the party to a defeat on a vote of confidence.
“Sadly,
there’ll be no solution which is perfect, as in life, so in law we will have to
walk the middle path and arrive at what possibly will be the lesser of two
evils,” said Shad.
He
said Article 48, Clause 6 (of the Federal Constitution) would have to be
amended because it currently forbids any MP from contesting any parliamentary
election for the next five years if he resigns from his seat.
An
amendment to Clause 6 as well as to Article 10 (which spells out the right to
freedom of association) would have to be made, Shad said.
He
said defections had caused the fall of state governments, such as Terengganu in
1962, Sarawak (1966), Kelantan (1977) and the federal government in the last
two years.
Such
changes in government had brought chronic instability to the country, he said.
A
special parliamentary sitting is being held to debate the Constitution
(Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2022.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
CLP
exam cap an unfair hurdle in the way of law grads
K.
Parkaran
April
11, 2022
Placing
a limit on the number of times anyone can sit for a professional qualifying
test after obtaining a degree just does not make sense to many people.
It
would be understandable if universities imposed such a time bar for students to
get their degrees but to have it for a qualifying test is highly questionable.
And
to impose this only on law graduates who obtain their qualification from abroad
and local private universities is not only unfair but appears to be cruel. It
cuts short the dream of those wanting to practise law despite having the
degree.
Unlike
those graduating from local public universities and one government-linked
institution in the country, these graduates have to sit for the Certificate in
Legal Practice (CLP) in order to work as lawyers.
If
this double standard isn’t enough, they are only allowed a maximum of four
attempts at passing the CLP examination within five years. Only with a pass can
a law graduate enter a legal chambers as a pupil before being admitted to the
Bar.
Candidates
who fail in one of the five CLP papers are granted a conditional pass for the examination,
and are allowed to re-sit the paper but they have a maximum of three attempts
to pass.
Some
2,000-odd graduates from local private universities and colleges abroad will
take the CLP exam from April 11-20.
Based
on the fact that only 20% to 25% of the 2,000-odd candidates appear to pass
annually, some lawyers claim that there is an unwritten quota set by the Legal
Profession Qualifying Board, which of course has been denied by the
authorities.
For
the 2020 CLP examination which was only held last year because of the Covid-19
pandemic, only 399 of the 1,656 law graduates obtained a full pass.
This
constitutes 25% of the total candidates, a marked improvement compared with the
20% who passed in 2019.
The
CLP division is under the Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB) which is
headed by Attorney-General Idrus Harun.
There
are thousands of Malaysians who must have spent huge amounts of money to obtain
a law degree but who cannot go into practice because they have not got through
the CLP.
In
effect, their legal career is as good as over, even before they get started.
It
must be tough for those who had taken loans from banks or the national higher
education fund board (PTPTN), and painful for parents who had spent hundreds of
thousands of ringgit sending their children abroad for their degrees.
Without
the CLP, the graduates can work as in-house legal officers but such vacancies
are limited, or work as paralegals in legal firms, but that is not the career
they slogged for.
One
lawyer said CLP focuses mainly on procedural aspects of the legal practice and
it does not go deep into the actual needs of one practising law. These law
degree holders have to attend classes for a good six to nine months before they
can sit for the exam.
He
feels that most of it can be picked in chambers, a nine-month mandatory period
in which graduates serve as pupils supervised by a senior lawyer.
Having
been a master to pupils in chambers, he says the quality of some local
graduates who do not have to sit for the CLP is much lower than those trained
abroad or in private colleges.
The
mandatory need for a CLP seems to be an additional hurdle placed by the
government in the name of understanding the local legal system.
There
is no such requirement for other professionals who graduate from abroad or from
local private institutions before they are allowed to practice here, including
doctors and accountants.
Some
argue that it is no fault of the government as these students knew the
requirement before they signed up for their courses. True, but no one expected
the CLP to be such a difficult exam to pass. Or the presence of an unwritten
quota.
Ok
fine, it’s the LPQB’s prerogative to set the passing mark or even impose a
quota, rightly or wrongly. But why then limit the number of times one can sit?
Shouldn’t they be allowed to re-sit until they get through or give up? After
all, they pay huge exam fees each time they sign up.
Looking
at the issue from the point of fairness and equality, the government should do
away with the CLP and have a common qualifying examination for all law degree
graduates, whether they are from local public and private universities or from
overseas.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Muslim
Man Stitches ‘Zari-Embroidered ‘Safa’ For Hanuman
Apr
11, 2022
Prayagraj:
A Muslim tailor from Sangam City, who has been stitching costumes of Ramleela
protagonists for over a decade, is now busy sewing the ‘safa’ or turban for
Lord Hanuman. The zari-embroidered ‘safa’ will be resplendent on the presiding
deity of the revered Bada Hanuman temple on April 16 — Hanuman Jayanti.
Khuldabad
resident, Mohd Sartaj Khan, who has been quietly spreading the message of
communal harmony by actively participating in Ramleelas for 11 years and
adorning epic characters on stage with his specially-tailored clothes, has
taken his mission a step forward.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hindus,
Muslims walk together at Ram Navami rally in Bengal
Anupam
Mishra
Murshidabad
April
10, 2022
A
rally organised by the Bajrang Dal in West Bengal brought together the Hindu
and the Muslim communities in Murshidabad district’s Panchthupi village.
The
procession was organised to commemorate Ram Navami, the birthday of Ram.
The
500 participants of this rally - Hindus and Muslims - intended to promote the
message of secularism and communal harmony.
Debdas
Biswas, the officer in-charge of the Burdwan police station, oversaw the
proceedings to ensure law and order was maintained.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Probe
Possible Link Between Al-Qaeda And Muslim Student Who Protested Against Hijab
Ban: BJP MP to Karnataka CM
Nagarjun
Dwarakanath
April
11, 2022
Anantkumar
Hegde, a BJP leader and MP in Karnataka, has written a letter to Chief Minister
Basavaraj Bommai seeking an investigation into the "possible link or
connection between Muskan in Mandya and al-Qaeda" terror organisation.
Muskan,
a Muslim student from Mandya district in Karnataka, rose to fame after a video
in which she took on a right-wing mob outside her college went viral on social
media. In the video, she could be heard shouting 'Allah hu Akbar' in response
to sloganeering by a group wearing saffron scarves.
The
incident occurred in the midst of protests and counter-protests against the
hijab ban in some educational institutes in Karnataka.
The
BJP MP's letter comes after al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri purportedly
released a video praising Muskan for her act. Last week, Karnataka Chief
Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said he was not surprised that al-Qaeda chief
Ayman al-Zawahiri was heaping praise on college student Muskan Khan.
Source:
India Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bombay
High Court to examine law on Muslim community not mentioning caste
Vidya
April
11, 2022
The
Bombay High Court observed that it will examine the law by which the Muslim
community does not mention caste. The court was hearing a plea seeking to quash
an order passed by the caste scrutiny panel of Sangli who refused to issue a
caste validity certificate of a Muslim Naikwadi inder Vimukt Jati category.
A
bench of Justices SB Shukre and GA Sanap was hearing the plea filed by Zuveria
Shaikh, a resident of Sangli's Miraj Taluka.
Shaikh
had appeared for CET for admission and secured admission for a diploma course
in Electrical Engineering as a Vimukt Jati student based on the caste
certificate of 2013. The college then sent Shaikh's caste claim to the District
Caste Scrutiny Committee in October 2021, who rejected the claim.
The
plea stated that the caste committee was expecting documentary evidence which
mentioned that the petitioner is a Muslim-Naikwadi. The caste certificate was
important to consider Shaikh’s admission under Vimukt Jati category for direct
admission to the 2nd year of engineering course.
The
petition stated that the status of Vimukt Jati is given to some persons in the
Muslim community based upon their traditional business. Since the caste system
does not exist in the religion, the Caste Scrutiny Committee should have taken
it into consideration.
"It
is one of the contentions of the petitioner that just because in some relevant
documents, the caste of petitioner’s relatives has not been mentioned, Caste
Scrutiny Committee ought not to have held such absence of caste in the relevant
documents, as going against the Petitioner for the reason that in many of the
Judgments delivered by the Division Bench of this Court, a consistent view has
been taken that in Muslim community, there is no practise of mentioning
caste," noted the court in one of its order.
The
bench said, “We would like to examine the law on this point and therefore, we
request both sides to assist the Court on the question."
It
was claimed that Shaikh's school leaving certificate did not mention caste as
Muslim Naikwadi, as it was not a practice in the Muslim community to mention
sub-caste.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bombay-high-court-muslim-community-caste-1935914-2022-04-11
--------
Gorakhnath
temple attacker was ragged, humiliated at IIT-Bombay: Father
Apr
11, 2022
LUCKNOW:
Murtaza Abbasi, who's accused of attacking two PAC jawans outside Gorakhnath
temple, suffered ragging and humiliation during his stint at IIT-Bombay, his
father told interrogators on Sunday. Murtaza's remand ends on Monday when he
will be produced in court.
Sources
said, father of accused Munir Abbasi disclosed his son wanted to quit BTech at
IIT and return home. In the second year, he left the hostel and began staying
with his father in Mumbai. "He would stay awake all night and cry. He had
no friends and this continued for years," his father told the ATS
personnel.
Sources
also said Murtaza was not cooperating with investigators and sleuths are
awaiting the report by psychological experts. ATS also summoned Murtaza's
uncle, Dr Khaled Abbasi, but he cited his advanced age and illness to skip
questioning.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Two
Pakistani LeT terrorists killed in Srinagar, 3 security men wounded
Apr
11, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Security forces gunned down two Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in a
shootout at Bishembar Nagar in the heart of Srinagar city on Sunday.
According
to Kashmir range IGP Vijay Kumar, two J&K policemen and a CRPF trooper
suffered splinter wounds in the operation to catch or kill the two LeT men
hiding in a house in the locality.
“The
cornered terrorists (identified as Mohammad Mudassir Bhai alias Abu Qasim and
Abu Khalid Arsalan alias Aadil) threw hand grenades and fired at the forces,”
he said. “These two Pakistanis were involved in a series of attacks, especially
the one on April 4 at Maisuma Bazar in Srinagar in which a CRPF man was
killed.”
They
operated mainly in the central Kashmir districts of Srinagar and Budgam.
Mohammad and Avu were active in J&K since 2019 and last year, respectively.
The
IGP said legal action will be taken against the owner of the house where the
two terrorists were hiding. “The property will be seized.”
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Eleven
Taliban Affiliates Die in Car Accident
11
Apr 2022
Local
officials of the western Herat province said that eleven Taliban affiliates die
after their car-Ranger- collided with a truck-trailer- on Sunday morning, April
10, 2022.
The
accident has taken place on the Herat-Islam Qala highway.
Press
in charge of the police headquarter of Herat city Mahmood Shah Rasooli said the
two civilians have also been injured in the accident.
Head
of Herat’s provincial hospital Arif Jalali said that ambulances were dispatched
to the scene and those injured were taken to the hospital.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/eleven-taliban-affiliates-die-in-car-accident-65785765/
--------
Muttaqi
Raises Ill-treatment of Afghan Refugees in Iran with Country’s Ambassador to
Kabul
11
Apr 2022
Foreign
Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that acting Foreign
Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Iran’s ambassador to Kabul Bahadur Aminyan
and raised the issue of the recent ill-treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran.
The
meeting took place in Foreign Ministry on Sunday, April 10, 2022.
Spokesperson
of the Ministry Abdul Qahar Balkhi in a series of Twitter posts said the
Muttaqi asked the Iranian envoy to convey his deep concerns over the
ill-treatment of Afghan refugees to Iran’s leaders.
“Minister
Muttaqi stressed that the message should be delivered to the leadership in Iran
to instruct some malicious circles in a planned agenda launches negative
propaganda to create spite between the two friendly and neighboring countries.”
Reads a Twitter post.
The
Tweets further read that, Iran’s ambassador called Afghan refugees in Iran
Guests adding that Afghan refugees’ behavior in Iran over the last 43 years has
proven their love and interaction with the Iranian people.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
Killing
of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani crucial to show US’ promise to Gulf: Mike Pompeo
09
April ,2022
The
US took several measures including the killing of Iranian General Qassem
Soleimani to instill confidence in America’s promises to the Gulf region before
the signing of the Abraham Accords, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
said in an interview published on YouTube.
“There
were some very difficult issues that had to be overcome,” he said, adding that
many of the leaders who signed on to the peace agreement reportedly asked that
the US was in the mix to “backstop” the commitment.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
However,
the former US government official credited the leaders for working with the
future in mind as the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco normalized ties with
Israel under a US-brokered deals known as the Abraham Accords in 2020.
“Whatever
enmity may have been before historically no longer makes sense, and they were
better off acknowledging Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish homeland,”
Pompeo said in an interview published on the ‘Yalla’ YouTube channel.
Current
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on more Arab nations to recognize
Israel as he met four ministers on the anniversary of a normalization accord in
2021.
“We
will encourage more countries to follow the lead of the Emirates, Bahrain and
Morocco. We want to widen the circle of peaceful diplomacy,” Blinken was quoted
as saying in an AFP report.
The
agreement has translated into changes to local reform and foreign affairs
agreements between Israel and other Gulf countries.
“For
ordinary people [in the Gulf], it means you can get on a airplane and fly to
Tel Aviv,” said Pompeo, pointing at the easing restrictions between some Gulf
nations and Israel.
For
instance, Israel and the UAE concluded negotiations for a free trade agreement
on April 1.
The
trade agreement includes 95 percent of traded products, which will be customs
free, immediately or gradually, including food, agriculture and cosmetic
products, as well as medical equipment and medicine.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
says US ‘imposing new conditions’ in nuclear talks
April
11, 2022
JEDDAH:
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday that Washington
was “imposing new conditions” in the negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear
agreement.
“On
the issue of lifting sanctions, they (the Americans) are interested in
proposing and imposing new conditions outside the negotiations,” the minister
said.
“In
the last two or three weeks, the American side has made excessive demands that
contradict some paragraphs of the text,” he added.
Iran
has been engaged for a year in negotiations with France, Germany, Britain,
Russia and China directly, and the US indirectly in Vienna to revive the deal,
known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“The
Americans keep talking about the need for direct negotiations, but we have not
seen the benefit of direct talks with the United States,” Amir-Abdollahian
said.
“We
seek the lifting of sanctions, but with dignity and with a lasting agreement,”
the foreign minister said, adding that “Iran has stood and will stand by its
red lines.”
His
remarks follow President Ebrahim Raisi’s earlier assertion that Tehran would
not give up its right to develop its nuclear industry for peaceful purposes,
and all parties involved in talks to revive the 2015 nuclear accord should
respect this.
“For
more than the one-hundredth time, our message from Tehran to Vienna is that we
will not back off from the Iranian people’s nuclear rights ... not even an
iota,” Raisi said on Saturday in a speech marking Iran’s Nuclear Technology
Day.
The
US is considering removing Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its
foreign terrorist organizations blacklist in return for Iranian assurances
about reining in the elite force, Iranian and Western sources had told Reuters.
A
senior administration official said President Joe Biden did not intend to
remove the group from the terrorism designation, Washington Post columnist
David Ignatius, who specializes in intelligence matters, reported on Friday.
Iranian
state media reported that Iranian MPs had set conditions for the revival of the
2015 pact, including legal guarantees approved by the US Congress that
Washington would not quit it.
“The
United States should give legal guarantees, approved by its ... Congress, that
it will not exit the pact again,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted a
statement signed by 250 MPs out of a total of 290.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2060721/middle-east
--------
Mideast
Official:
Iran’s Human Rights Situation Improves Based on Islamic Laws
2022-April-10
In
its midterm report to the UN Human Rights Council, Iran’s Judiciary’s High
Council for Human Rights stressed that “huge progress” has been made in the
human rights situation in Iran.
The
report was prepared by Qaribabadi and was sent to the UN Human Rights Council
on Saturday in line with the Universal Periodic Review, known as UPR, a process
that involves a review of the human rights records of all member states of the
UN.
The
report cites “huge progress” in improving the human rights situation in Iran,
based on Islamic standards and the country’s constitution,
“In
accordance with the existing conditions and with the aim of upholding social
justice and establishing people’s welfare, Iran has made huge investment in
economic, cultural and social fields, and has guaranteed people’s rights to
equal participation and progress.”
The
report elaborated on Iran’s laws and measures aimed at supporting human rights
for different groups, from the disabled to religious minorities, women and
children to refugees, during the Iranian year 1399 (March 2020-March 2021) and
the first six months of year 1400 (ended on March 20, 2022).
Qaribabadi
wrote in the report that Iran has made significant achievements in improving
its human rights situation despite restrictions in place as a result of “cruel
and inhumane” sanctions imposed by the US over the past 43 years.
“The
unilateral coercive measures by the United States against the Islamic Republic
of Iran over the past four decades have extensively and discriminately violated
the basic rights of the Iranian people and left irreparable harms,” he added.
“Those
measures are in clear violation of the UN Charter, international law
regulations as well as international human rights laws,” Qaribabadi noted.
His
report referred to the US measures, including sanctions on medicine imports and
equipment to Iran, saying that such sanctions had an adverse effect on
hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“To
lower the effect of the unilateral US sanctions, which have been tightened in
the past two years, Iran has taken into consideration the impacts of the
coercive measures in all processes involving the formulation of laws and
policy-making, and has implemented plans supporting vulnerable classes of the
society, particularly during the COVID pandemic.”
The
report stressed that there is always place to further improve the human rights
situation.
It
also said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is among the countries that
actively implement the UPR, and “the country’s basic policy is to support this
balanced and non-selective mechanism”.
Iran
has many times criticized the UN rapporteur for preparing biased reports about
the human rights situation in the country.
In
relevant remarks in March, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh
strongly dismissed the latest report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the
situation of Human Rights in Iran as "biased", and protested at
Javaid Rehman for using information provided by terrorists.
"Selective
and political approaches will undermine human rights instead of improving
it," Khatibzadeh said.
He
reiterated that adopting a political and selective approach to human rights not
only does not help to promote it but also destroys and undermines human rights.
Iran
has provided detailed comments on this report, which has been officially published
by the UN Human Rights Council, he said.
Reiterating
that Iran does not accept the mission of the Special Rapporteur, he added that
the false accusations and allegations of the reporter are based on
misinformation received from biased sources, including terrorist and Western
groups.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Over
70 Jewish settlers defile Aqsa Mosque
April
11, 2022
Hordes
of Jewish settlers desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds under tight
police protection on Sunday morning.
According
to Quds Press, at least 73 settlers entered the Mosque in different groups
through its Maghariba Gate and toured its courtyards.
During
their tour at the Islamic holy site, the settlers received lectures from rabbis
about the alleged temple mount and a number of them provocatively performed
Talmudic prayers.
Meanwhile,
the Israeli occupation police imposed movement restrictions on Muslim
worshipers at the Aqsa Mosque’s entrances and gates during the second week of
the holy month of Ramadan.
Last
night, the Israeli police prevented dozens of Muslim worshipers from entering
the Aqsa Mosque to perform the Tarawih prayers in an attempt to decrease the
number of Palestinians who perform I’tikaf (religious retreat) during the holy
month of Ramadan at the Islamic holy site.
Source:
ABNA24
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//over-70-jewish-settlers-defile-aqsa-mosque_1246880.html
--------
AEOI
Head: Iran Expects IAEA Not to Surrender to Outside Pressures
2022-April-9
Eslami
made the remarks on Saturday, addressing a ceremony to celebrate the National
Nuclear Technology Day also participated by President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi.
He
said that the AEOI has managed to prepare the Comprehensive Strategic Document
of Iran’s Nuclear Industry for the next two decades with the collaboration of a
group of Iranian experts.
Eslami
also said that documents for human resources development, radiation application
development with the intention of covering all domestic products, and nuclear
power development, including a program for establishing 1,000 megawatts of
nuclear power in the aforementioned timeframe, have been prepared.
Iran’s
nuclear chief also noted that the organization has planned to direct
interactions with the IAEA towards a professional approach and to prepare the
Country Program Framework (CPF) to submit it to the IAEA in order to prevent
future allegations and psychological operations by the enemies on Iran’s
nuclear activities.
With
the clarification policy adopted by Iran, Eslami underlined, Tehran expected
the IAEA to be committed to implementation of its legal tasks and stop
succumbing to excessive demands, pressure and malign operations from Iran’s
enemies, the Israeli regime in particular.
He
announced that the AEOI has had 77 achievements in various nuclear-related
fields 9 of the most important of which were unveiled by President Rayeesi,
including the Comprehensive Strategic Document for Nuclear Industry, the first
sample of silicide fuel disks to replace Tehran Research fuel, designing and
manufacturing detoxification system for pistachios using cold plasma, designing
and manufacturing cold plasma system for cancer treatments, three brilliant
achievements on radiopharmaceuticals in cancer treatment, developing
sustainable zirconia powder production technology, and designing and
manufacturing laser source for micromachining used in building tiny parts with
high accuracy.
Addressing
the ceremony today, President Rayeesi expressed satisfaction with the progress
made by the Iranian youth and scientists in the field of nuclear energy,
describing the achievements as a symbol of self-confidence and reliance on
domestic capabilities.
He
called for extending such a spirit to other industries and strategic fields in
the country.
While
stressing Iran’s inalienable right to access peaceful nuclear energy, the
president stated that the country's rapid and major strides in the areas of
nuclear technology and expertise were irreversible.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010120000774/AEOI-Head-Iran-Expecs-IAEA-N-Srrender-Oside-Pressres
--------
Iranian Scientists Develop Radiation Detection Devices
2022-April-10
Iran
on Saturday unveiled the home-made radiation detection machines on the National
Day of Nuclear Technology.
The
devices include dosimeters for measuring the level of ambient radiation
pollution as well as individual radiation detection gates.
They
have been developed by the experts of Iran’s radiation defense base. The two
new knowledge-based products significantly improve the speed of assessment when
accidents are highly likely and enhance the success rate of rescue operations
when it comes to controlling the level of radiation contamination.
Iran’s
Radiation Defense Base, as a knowledge-based sphere, has made shining
achievements in recent years.
Iranian
President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi visited the exhibition of the National Atomic
Energy Organization (AEOI) on Saturday to see the new achievements of Iranian
scientists in the field of peaceful nuclear activities.
Three
achievements in the field of radiopharmaceuticals, two achievements in the
field of plasma and four achievements in the fields of lasers, control systems
and photography are the achievements unveiled in this exhibition.
During
the visit, AEOI Head Mohammad Eslami and Vice-President for Science and
Technology Affairs Sorena Sattari were present.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010121000445/Iranian-Scieniss-Develp-Radiain-Deecin-Devices
--------
Iranian
Navy Commander Underlines Unjustified Deployment of Foreign Forces in Region
2022-April-10
“Our
message to trans-regional and non-friendly countries is that enough power
exists in our region, and there is no justification for their presence in the
waters of this region,” Rear Admiral Irani said on Saturday.
He
added, however, that there is no problem if the trans-regional countries come
to the region in order to visit and exchange knowledge.
“But
if they want to enter the field of security, we must say that today the Islamic
Republic of Iran does not accept such a thing,” Rear Admiral Irani said.
Elsewhere,
he pointed to the latest maritime drills held by the Indian Ocean Naval
Symposium (IONS), saying the Iranian Navy’s fully-homegrown destroyer Dena had
a powerful presence in the exercises.
He
said the operational capability of the Iranian Navy was assessed during the
wargames.
“Our
goal was to prove ourselves and our country’s defense capability and to
introduce the humanitarian culture of the Iranians and the ... Islamic Republic
establishment to the world,” Rear Admiral Irani said.
He
explained that providing humanitarian aid was part of the exercise, adding, “We
want to tell neighboring countries to be sure that the establishment of
security in [regional waters], especially in the northern region of the Indian
Ocean, can be done by ourselves, and we just need to get closer to each other
and our hearts should come together.”
In
relevant comments in March, Rear Admiral Irani had said that the American and
European naval forces avoided tension with Iran's Navy thanks to its power and
might.
"The
power and might of the Navy of the Islamic Republic of Iran has increased so
high that today the Americans and Europeans avoid facing it," Rear Admiral
Irani said, addressing a ceremony in Northern Iran to introduce the new
commander of Imam Khomeini Naval University of Noshahr.
He
added that the Navy has tried to carry out missions everywhere in the world
with its upgraded military equipment and increasing its defense capability.
Rear
Admiral Irani also warned that it necessary to stay vigilant against the
conspiracies designed by the enemies.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
FM Updates Names of US Officials, Individuals in Terrorism, Human Rights
Violation Lists
2022-April-9
"The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in conformity with
the Act on Countering Violations of Human Rights and Adventurist and Terrorist
Actions of the United States of America in the Region, particularly, Articles 4
and 5, identifies and imposes sanctions as set forth in the abovementioned Act
on the following persons in connection with their involvement in terrorist
acts, glorification and supporting terrorism and gross violations of human
rights," the statement read.
"The
designated persons, as indicated, have played role in supporting, organizing,
imposing and also intensifying the imposition of the United States’ Unilateral
Coercive Measures against the people and government of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, and also in financing and supporting terrorist groups and terrorist acts
against the latter and in supporting repressive acts of the Zionist regime of
Israel in the region, in particular, against the Palestinian people," it
added.
"The
Unilateral Coercive Measures imposed against the people and government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States’ deliberate infliction of hard
conditions of life on the Iranian people including by deprivation of access to
medicine and medical equipment and services, especially, in the situation
caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and by depriving them of their fundamental
rights has endangered lives of millions of Iranians and has had serious
negative impacts on enjoyment of their economic and social rights," it
noted.
"Such
unlawful measures constitute flagrant violations of the fundamental principles
of international law and fundamental human rights and are a clear example of
crime against humanity. In addition, supporting, organizing and conducting
terrorist acts as well as organizing, financing and providing material support
including weapon, intelligence and training to terrorist groups are in
violation of international law and contravene international obligations
undertaken in fighting terrorism," Foreign Ministry said.
"The
United States by conducting such unlawful acts which have been carried out,
facilitated or operationalized by the following persons, has breached its
international obligations in respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights
and in desisting and refraining from organizing terrorist acts and financing
terrorism as well as the obligation to refrain from applying Unilateral
Coercive Measures which as internationally wrongful acts entail the
international reasonability of the United States."
"In
view of the above, the Islamic Republic of Iran in conformity with its human
rights obligations and obligations in combating terrorism and countering terrorism
financing, in particular, terrorism perpetrated by the United States, imposes
the sanctions on the said persons."
"The
Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates that the promulgations and application of
Unilateral Coercive Measures is a stark violation of the fundamental principles
of international law set forth in the Charter of the United Nations and a
blatant transgression of international law and impede enjoyment of human
rights. Accordingly, and taking into account the internationally wrongful acts
of the United States, the sanctions delineated in the Act are imposed in
compliance with the obligations of the Islamic republic of Iran in countering
Unilateral Coercive Measures and on a reciprocal basis."
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel,
West Bank on edge after more bloodshed
10
April ,2022
Israeli
forces killed two Palestinian women on Sunday after one ran towards troops and
the other stabbed a soldier in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank,
Israeli security officials said.
The
bloodshed follows a string of deadly Arab attacks in Israel. There have also
been Israeli raids in and around the West Bank city of Jenin, a militant
stronghold, against what Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has called “a new wave
of terrorism”.
No
weapon was found on the body of the woman shot in Bethlehem after she ignored
soldiers' calls and warning fire to stop approaching, the Israeli military
said, adding that it had launched an investigation.
In
the second incident, a woman armed with a knife was shot dead after she
slightly wounded a paramilitary border policeman in Hebron, outside the Tomb of
the Patriarchs, which Muslims call al-Ibrahimi mosque, Israeli security
officials said.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed both deaths.
Israeli
forces have been on high alert following attacks by three members of Israel's
Arab minority and two Palestinians from the West Bank that have killed 14
people in Israel since late March.
More
than 20 Palestinians, many of them armed militants, have been killed by Israeli
forces since January, while Palestinians have reported a rise in violence by
Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
An
incident on Sunday, on a highway near the southern Israeli coastal city of
Ashkelon, painted a portrait of a country on edge.
A
man attempted to grab a soldier's assault rifle - many troops have been ordered
to take their weapons home while on leave - and was shot dead by a senior army
officer who was passing by.
Initial
Israeli media reports said the assailant was apparently a Palestinian who
wanted to carry out a shooting. Police later identified him as an Israeli Jew
with mental health problems.
Hussein
al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official, said Israel's expansion of
settlements on occupied land Palestinians want for a state and visits by
far-right Israelis to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem have led to
escalation, at the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when violence has
erupted in the past.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinian
woman shot dead as she approaches Israeli forces in West Bank
10
April ,2022
Israeli
soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian woman in the occupied West Bank on
Sunday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, after a string of deadly Arab and
Palestinian attacks in Israel.
The
Israeli military said the woman had run towards soldiers at a position near
Bethlehem and did not heed their calls or warning shots to stop.
“When
the suspect continued approaching, the soldiers fired towards the suspect’s
lower body,” the military said, adding that no weapon had been found on the
woman and that the incident was being investigated.
She
was identified as Ghada Ibrahim Sabatien, a widowed mother of six, the
Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The
Israeli army said troops fired warning shots into the air when the woman
approached them near the town of Husan, before they “fired towards the
suspect’s lower body.”
The
woman was transferred to the Red Crescent for treatment, the army said, adding
it was investigating the incident, which comes amid heightened tensions in
Israel and the West Bank.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry said the woman, in her 40s, was pronounced dead in
hospital.
Israeli
forces have been on high alert following Arab and Palestinian attacks that have
killed 14 people in Israel since late March.
More
than 20 Palestinians, many of them armed militants, have been killed by Israeli
forces since January, while Palestinians have reported a rise in violence by
Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
In
public remarks to his cabinet on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett
said there would be no restrictions on security forces in stopping what he has
described as a “new wave of terrorism.”
Tomb
damage
Palestinian
Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh condemned the killing of the woman, saying he
held Israel “fully responsible for the consequences of this heinous crime.”
Hussein
al-Sheikh, a senior Palestinian official, said Israel’s expansion of
settlements on occupied land Palestinians want for a state and visits by
far-right Israelis to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem have led to
escalation.
Al-Aqsa,
in a part of Jerusalem that Israel captured along with the West Bank in the
1967 war, has been a flashpoint of violence, often during the Muslim holy month
of Ramadan, which began last week.
The
complex is revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as Temple
Mount, the site of two Biblical Temples.
In
recent days, Israeli forces have mounted security operations in the West Bank
city of Jenin, a Palestinian militant stronghold, where deadly clashes with
gunmen have ensued.
Israel
condemned on Sunday serious damage which it said Palestinians had caused to
Joseph’s Tomb, a sacred Jewish site
in
the West Bank. Pictures published by Israeli media showed the
tomb
partly smashed and torched.
“Attacking
holy sites is attacking the heart of a people,” Israeli Foreign Minister Yair
Lapid tweeted. “We will bring the perpetrators to justice and repair Joseph’s
Tomb.”
There
was no immediate comment from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
wants Biden to show goodwill by lifting some sanctions prior to nuclear deal
10
April ,2022
US
President Joe Biden should lift some sanctions on Iran to show his goodwill
towards reviving the international nuclear agreement with Tehran, Iran’s
foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Sunday.
Iran
and the United States have engaged in indirect talks in Vienna over the past
year to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement which then-US President Donald Trump
left in 2018 and Iran subsequently violated by ramping up its nuclear program.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Negotiations
have now stalled as Tehran and Washington blame each other for failing to take
the necessary political decisions to settle remaining issues.
“If
Biden has intentions to lift sanctions and return to the nuclear deal, he
should issue an executive order to show his goodwill instead of applying
sanctions on natural and legal persons in Iran,” the foreign minister said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Yemeni
Prime Minister says peace depends on extent of Houthi’s surrender to Iran
09
April ,2022
The
establishment of peace is dependent on the extent to which Yemen’s Iran-backed
Houthis “surrender to Iran’s agenda,” Yemen’s Prime Minister Maeen Saeed said
in an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya.
Yemen’s
president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi transferred his powers to a newly established
presidential leadership council and relieved the vice president Ali Mohsen
al-Ahmar of his duties on Thursday.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
former president vacated the post 10 years after he was elected to power in
2012.
The
Prime Minister told Al Arabiya that the changes that have been made will “help
to accommodate everyone and strengthen legitimacy.”
The
head of Yemen’s new presidential council said on Friday he would end the
seven-year-long war via a peace process, in his first speech since power was
delegated to the body by the country’s president this week.
“The
leadership council promises the people to end the war and achieve peace through
a comprehensive peace process that guarantees the Yemeni people all its
aspirations,” Rashad Al-Alimi said in the televised speech.
Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with the newly-formed Yemeni
presidential council on Thursday.
The
Kingdom on Thursday welcomed the Yemeni president’s decision to transfer his
powers to a new presidential council, urged the body to start negotiations with
the Iran-backed Houthi militia and said it would arrange $3 billion of support
to the war-torn country’s economy, state news agency SPA said.
Two
billion dollars would come from Riyadh and another $1 billion from the United
Emirates, which is part of the Arab Coalition.
In
light of this support from two of the key players in Yemen’s fight for
legitimacy, Saeed reportedly pledged to work to “enhance the government’s
ability to meet the demand for foodstuffs,” and stressed the importance of the
support from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
“It
will contribute to supporting the economy and the currency,” he said in the
interview, while calling on other Gulf states to offer similar instances of
support.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Army rejects BBC propaganda story on PM’s ouster
April
11, 2022
Pakistan
Army rejected a story ran by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) related
to the ouster of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the events at the PM
House in the wee hours of Saturday, Pakistani media reported.
“The
typical propaganda story lacks any credible, authentic and relevant source and
violates basic journalistic ethos,” the Pakistani media said.
BBC
Urdu story published today is totally baseless and a pack of lies, it added.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
An
Iftar where Christians and Muslims break bread together
Shazia
Hasan
April
11, 2022
KARACHI:
A beautiful example to interfaith harmony was witnessed at St Jude’s Church in
Hussain D’Silva Town where a joint Iftar for both Muslims and Christians was
held on Saturday.
The
scrumptious Iftar followed by a delicious dinner was attended and enjoyed by
members of the Christian community as well as Muslims along with clergy from
neighbourhood mosques. Archbishop Benny Travas, the Bishop of Karachi, was the
guest of honour on the occasion.
The
joint Iftar was the idea of the parish priest of St Jude’s parish Father Mario
Rodrigues. He had been planning it for some time now, but the Covid-19
lockdowns and consequent standard operating procedures were constantly coming
in the way of his plans. This year, though, he was happy to see it happen
finally. “It is the seventh Muslim fast and the 34th Lent fast for us. And we
will both break our fasts together at sunset or Maghrib,” Father Mario told
Dawn.
The
popular Iftar delicacies like pakoras, samosas, spring rolls, fruit chaat, milk
sherbet, etc., were all homemade as was the dinner. Father Mario could be seen
running around between kitchen and the big U-shaped dining table as he was
supervising so many things while also welcoming his guests with amazing grace
and energy.
In
a rare show of interfaith harmony, St Jude’s Church allows Muslim guests to
offer prayers on church grounds
A
popular community figure, the little children didn’t take long to find their
way to his lap the moment he sat down from a breather and to break his fast.
Both
Muslims and Christians then broke their fast on the call to Maghrib prayer with
dates and milk sherbet. It was a rare sight to then see the Muslim guests say
their prayers on the church grounds where special arrangements had been made
for the purpose.
Qari
Bakhtullah, the imam from a neighbourhood mosque, the Jamia Masjid Al Sattar,
led the prayers.
Later,
he told Dawn that he was glad to have accepted the church’s invitation.
“My
Christian brothers respect our religious obligations as we do theirs. Their
prophet Jesus Christ is also our Hazrat Isa Alay-hi Salam. Caring for one’s
neighbours and respecting their beliefs is also part of good religious practice
followed in both our faiths,” he said.
Father
Asher Liaqat of St Jude’s pointed out that their church was located in the
Hussain D’Silva Town, home for both Muslims and Christians. “It was due to the
strong friendly bonds between Muslims and Christians that this town came about.
We hope that this friendship becomes even stronger as more peace spreads in
this place in the future,” he said.
Archbishop
Benny Travas, the Bishop of Karachi, said that as they broke their fasts
together and broke bread together on the same dining table, it felt like they
were all a part of one family.
“We
fast for 40 days during the Lent season, a time that we also spend looking to
strengthen our relationship with God Almighty. We pray to Him and we give
charity to the poor. You also spend Ramazan Kareem in fasting, praying and
distributing zakat. We are so similar in our religious beliefs and
obligations,” he pointed out.
Dr
Syed Khurram Mehdi, convener of the South Asia Research Institute for
Minorities, and Advocate Nasir Ahmed also spoke on the occasion.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1684413/an-iftar-where-christians-and-muslims-break-bread-together
--------
Nawaz
Sharif to return to Pakistan after Eid: PML-N leader
Apr
11, 2022
SLAMABAD:
Deposed Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to return from London
next month after Eid, a senior PML-N leader has said, amid a whirlwind of
political developments that have embroiled the country following Imran Khan's
ignominious ouster from power.
Mian
Javed Latif said a decision on PML-N supremo and the three-time prime minister
Sharif's anticipated return will be discussed with the coalition partners.
All
decisions would be first brought up with constituent parties of the coalition,
The Express Tribune newspaper quoted him as saying.
Eid
will be celebrated in the first week of May.
Several
corruption cases had been launched by the government of ex-prime minister Khan
against the 72-year-old supremo of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz since his
ouster from the office by the Supreme Court in July 2017 in the Panama Papers
case.
Sharif
in November 2019 left for London after the Lahore high court granted him a
four-week permission allowing him to go abroad for his treatment.
He
had given an undertaking to the Lahore high court to return to Pakistan, citing
his record to face the process of law and justice within four weeks or as soon as
he is declared healthy and fit to travel by doctors.
Sharif
was also given bail in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case in which he was
serving seven-year imprisonment in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.
Commenting
on the political uncertainty in the country, Latif said the coalition
government will not last longer than six months and the only solution to the
prevailing woes was to hold fresh elections.
“However,
there was this task of election reforms that had to be done prior to
elections,” he said.
He
noted that the issues regarding the electronic voting machines (EVMs) and
overseas voting rights were two primary issues that are to be addressed at the
earliest. “EVMs are susceptible to external interference and similar to RTS,
this system can be tampered with easily. As for overseas Pakistanis, exclusive
seats can be created for them to elect their own representative, similar to the
seats in Kashmir where seats are reserved for migrants,” he said.
Sharif's
return to Pakistan has again made headlines in the country after ex-prime
minister Khan became the first premier in the country's history to be voted out
of power through a no-confidence motion held early Sunday.
The
joint opposition's no-confidence motion, which required 172 votes in the
342-strong parliament to pass, was supported by 174 lawmakers on Sunday, ending
Khan's prime ministerial term and seemingly bringing an end to the protracted
political crisis in Pakistan.
The
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, which ruled for over
three-and-a-half years, had been struggling to stay in power as its allies
joined hands with the joint opposition that had been vying for an in-house
change.
The
much-anticipated vote followed on the heels of the perpetually drawn-out
session of the National Assembly punctuated by long adjournments amid high
political drama, as well as unverified swirling speculation gripping the
nation.
Sharif
on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court's decision to restore the National
Assembly after the deputy speaker dismissed a no-trust motion against Khan.
“People
of Pakistan are thanking God that this decision has been announced. The premier
made the common people of Pakistan starve,” he said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Names
of six Imran Khan aides added to stop list: Report
Apr
11, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The names of six key aides of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan have been put on
a stop list by Pakistan's top investigation agency to prevent them from leaving
the country, according to a media report on Monday.
The
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) placed the names of the six on the ‘stop
list' on Sunday after Khan's ouster as Prime Minister by the joint opposition
through a no-confidence vote, Geo News reported, citing sources.
Being
on the list bars them from travelling abroad without permission.
Khan's
former principal secretary Azam Khan, ex-special assistant on political
communication Shahbaz Gill, ex-adviser on interior and accountability Shahzad
Akbar, director-general Punjab Gohar Nafees, and DG Federal Investigation
Agency Punjab Zone Mohammad Rizwan's names have been added to the list, the
report said.
Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf's head of social media Arsalan Khalid's name has also been
added to the list.
The
FIA introduced a system of ‘stop list' in 2003 to stop unwanted people from
trying to leave the country in the shortest possible time as placing someone's
name on the Exit Control List (ECL) takes a long time. The people on the ECL
are prohibited from leaving Pakistan.
Despite
the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government's hectic efforts to avoid voting
on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint opposition succeeded in its
month-long efforts to oust Khan from the Prime Minister's office as 174 members
of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him after a day of high
drama.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
All
institutions played role in line with Constitution, says Ashrafi
April
11, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said
after the Constitution of Pakistan, 'Paigham-e-Pakistan' is a unanimous and
unified document of the nation. Serious efforts are needed at all respective
levels to eradicate intolerance and extremism from society.
Hafiz
Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi said that amidst the current political crisis in
the country, all institutions played their role in accordance with the
Constitution and law of Pakistan.
“Political
leadership should also pursue a code of conduct like 'Paigham-e-Pakistan', so
that they don't distribute treason certificates for one another,” he said while
addressing Paigham-e-Pakistan One-Day Workshop arranged here on Sunday for
Ulema-Mashaykh of different religious schools of thought here on Sunday.
He
said Paigham-e-Pakistan has unified religious schools of thought and religious
scholars and all the religious schools of thought are pursuing the philosophy
neither to leave one's belief and nor to intervene in belief of others.
Unfortunately,
he said the extremism among our politicians has increased so much that today
the politicians are giving Fatwas of disbelief and treason to one another,” he
said. He said that this act is harming Pakistan. Today, the constitution of
Pakistan is also being tarnished. “For one's vested interests, Fatwas are being
issued without any thought,” he said.
Ashrafi
said those who do not even know the Quran and Sunnah, are also issuing Fatwas
against the commandments of Quran-o-Sunnah. Paigham-e-Pakistan will be taken
door to door, said Hafiz Ashrafi, adding that there are non-Muslims in Pakistan
who are given full rights by the Constitution of Pakistan. “Islam is the
protector of the rights of minorities,” he said.
During
the last 15 months, he said not a single case registered in Pakistan in view of
misuse of blasphemy law and any illegal case in view of
Toheen-e-Namoose-e-Risalat (SAW) and Toheen-e-Mazhab.
In
response to another question, Hafiz Ashrafi said that the statement of the
National Security Committee regarding the diplomatic correspondence has come to
light. “Holding meeting with diplomats don't make anyone traitor and if the
government owns evidence that any particular ambassador or diplomatic staff has
violated the law of Pakistan, action must be taken against them,” he said.
Source:
The News
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Protest
in Dubai against Imran Khan's ouster
Apr
11, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have staged a protest in
Dubai, the United Arab Emirates against Imran Khan's ouster as the Prime
Minister through a no-confidence motion last night.
Taking
to Twitter, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said: "Dubai, UAE Call was for
Pakistan but Pakistanis across the globe standing up for #ImranKhan."
Meanwhile,
in Pakistan, PTI has taken out massive rallies in several cities across the
country. The cities include Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Lahore with
demonstrators shouting slogans against the Opposition.
On
Monday, PTI chairman Imran Khan expressed gratitude to the people of the
country for supporting the protests against his ouster as the Prime Minister of
Pakistan.
"Thank
you to all Pakistanis for their amazing outpouring of support and emotions to
protest against US-backed regime change abetted by local Mir Jafars to bring
into power a coterie of pliable crooks all out on bail. Shows Pakistanis at
home & abroad have emphatically rejected this," Imran Khan tweeted.
"Never
have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history,
rejecting the imported govt led by crooks," he said in another Tweet.
On
Sunday, the PTI supporters agitated outside former Pakistan Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif's residence in London after Imran Khan was voted out of power by
opposition parties.
The
voting on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led PTI government
began in the country's National Assembly late on Saturday night where 174
members recorded their votes in favour of the resolution that ousted Imran
Khan.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PTI,
PML-N supporters face off in London
Atika
Rehman
April
11, 2022
LONDON:
Supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
faced off outside the residence of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in London on
Sunday, as one group celebrated and the other protested the ouster of PTI
chairman Imran Khan from the premiership.
A
heavy police contingent stood in a chain between the two groups as they chanted
slogans against each other’s leaders.
The
morning started with a few PML-N supporters gathering outside Mr Sharif’s
Avenfield House residence to celebrate. Two men were hired to play the dhol
(drum), while party supporters broke into a dance and chanted slogans in favour
of Nawaz Sharif.
“Chant
your slogans loudly so Mian Sb can hear you inside!” said one supporter to the
others, as they yelled “sher sher” (tiger). Mr Sharif’s bodyguards stood
outside the main entrance of the apartment block. Members of the family were
not seen at the gathering.
A
stone’s throw away in the green expanses of Hyde Park, hundreds of PTI
supporters demonstrated against Mr Khan’s ouster.
Imran
Khan’s UK spokesperson Sahibzada Jahangir had in a video message called on the
party’s supporters to gather at the park and then march to the US embassy to
register their protest against alleged “foreign interference by America in Pakistan”.
A
message circulating in PTI Whatsapp groups said the purpose of the
demonstration was to raise their voice against “regime change” and the Supreme
Court’s decision; and to demand free and fair elections through electronic
voting as well as the right of overseas Pakistanis to vote.
At
the PTI protest, both speakers and members of the crowd condemned the alleged
US role in Imran Khan’s removal, with many saying they believed the letter and
conspiracy Mr Khan spoke of was a reality. Several of Mr Khan’s supporters were
also critical of the military establishment, and blamed it for his exit.
Emotions
ran high and some supporters were teary-eyed as they spoke about their anger
over his ouster.
“This
new imported government is unacceptable,” chanted Mr Khan’s supporters.
“The
sense of pride that we feel as Pakistanis has been instilled in us by Imran
Khan alone.”
Some
chanted: “No Imran, no remittances.”
The
sizeable crowd was made up of PTI supporters from all over London, with many
families turning up on the sunny day along with their children. Many wore
shirts emblazoned with a photo of Mr Khan, and carried posters in which they
condemned the heads of the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s component parties.
Although
the plan for the PTI crowd was to march to the US embassy at 2pm, hundreds of
people instead turned towards Park Lane and decided to take their protest to
Avenfield House. Police raced ahead of the PTI demonstrators to create a divide
between PML-N workers who were already outside Mr Sharif’s residence.
As
the two groups confronted each other, both sides chanted slogans in praise of
their leader and denounced the other.
Slogans
raised by PTI supporters included “boot polish, boot polish” as well as anti-US
chants, while PML-N workers did the bhangra to the drum beats and clapped.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1684457/pti-pml-n-supporters-face-off-in-london
--------
PTI
supporters rally in Islamabad against removal of Imran Khan
Kashif
Abbasi
April
11, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Scores of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters brought out a
rally on Sunday night to express solidarity with their leader Imran Khan, who
according to them, was removed under an international conspiracy.
Prime
Minister Imran Khan was voted out through a no-confidence motion in the
National Assembly on Saturday.
Hundreds
of charged PTI workers, including families, gathered at Zero Point who then
joined a rally that headed to F-9 Park.
The
participants raised slogans against the US and opposition parties in Pakistan.
Demand
holding of early elections, term govt’s ouster a foreign conspiracy
“Imran
Khan attempted to give the country an independent foreign policy. He visited
Russia against the will of the US. He is the person who tried to make a vibrant
Islamic bloc and hosted two back-to-back meetings of the Organisation of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Islamabad. But the US through Pakistani political
parties removed him from power,” said Wajidullah Khan, a banker.
Raising
slogans in favour of the former prime minister, he claimed that in the next
elections people of Pakistan will take revenge against all those involved in
the plot to remove Imran Khan by voting him back to power.
Another
PTI supporter, Ghulam Rasool, who participated in the rally with his family,
said: “We are here to support Imran Khan who was removed through a plot. We
demand new elections, which are only solution to pull the country out of the
current political tension.”
He
requested the Supreme Court to take up the issue of the conspiracy letter to
reach the truth. Mr Rasool, while showing a rubber bullet injury on his leg,
which he said he received in the PTI sit-in of 2014, said the PTI workers will
leave no stone un-turned in the next elections for getting two-third majority.
PTI
MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz while addressing the rally at Zero Point said people of
Pakistan had rejected the new government which was being set up on the basis of
international conspiracy.
Meanwhile,
MNA Ali Nawaz Awan told Dawn that the PTI would not accept the new government
as ‘tainted’ politicians were all set to take the rein of the country.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1684373/pti-supporters-rally-in-islamabad-against-removal-of-imran-khan
--------
PTI
workers hold massive protests in Lahore on call of Imran
April
11, 2022
LAHORE:
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday continued staging massive
protest demonstrations on the second consecutive day at Liberty Roundabout in
Gulberg where the party workers chanted slogans against, what they termed,
foreign intervention in Pakistani politics.
A
large number of party leaders, workers, including women, took part in the
protests, which were called on the appeal of the ousted prime minister and PTI
chairman Imran Khan, who lost the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly
the other day.
The
protests had covered the whole of the green area of Liberty Roundabout and
there were massive rallies of motorcycles and cars on the road from the Kalma
Chowk underpass till the Lahore Centre on the Main Boulevard.
Noor
Jehan Road was also blocked, leading to the Liberty Market. Some of the
protesters were mounted on the min-truck and leading the sloganeering through
the loudspeakers.
Demonstrations
in other Punjab cities as well
The
protesters were waving the PTI flags and displaying banners and placards with
slogans inscribed on them. Some common slogans included ‘Amreeka ka jo yar hai,
ghaddar hai’; ‘Imran Khan qadam barhao – hum tumharay saath hein’, ‘imported
government – na-manzoor’ and ‘foreign dictation – na-manzoor’.
PTI
leaders Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Murad Raas, Sheikh Imtiaz, Musarrat Jamshed
Cheema, Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and others led the protest demonstration.
The
PTI leaders said the turncoats in the party should be named and shamed and
added that they would soon be disqualified from courts.
There
were massive protests being held at Lalik Jan Chowk in the Defence Housing
Authority and other places of the provincial metropolis when this report was
filed. There were reports of big rallies and demonstrations of the PTI against
the ouster of the party government in other cities of Punjab, as well. Huge
demonstrations were also held at the Rangpura Chowk in Sialkot, Mazdoor Puli in
Sahiwal and famous Ghanta Ghar in Faisalabad. The PTI workers had gathered in
Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur, Mianwali, Taunsa Sharif and Burewala.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1684401/pti-workers-hold-massive-protests-in-lahore-on-call-of-imran
--------
Europe
Putin’s
‘foot soldier’ says Russia will take Kyiv
April
11, 2022
MELBOURNE:
Ramzan Kadyrov, the powerful head of Russia’s republic of Chechnya, said early
today that there will be an offensive by Russian forces not only on the
besieged port of Mariupol, but also on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
“There
will be an offensive … not only on Mariupol, but also on other places, cities
and villages,” Kadyrov said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.
“Luhansk
and Donetsk – we will fully liberate in the first place … and then take Kyiv
and all other cities.”
Kadyrov,
who has often described himself as Russian president Vladimir Putin’s “foot
soldier”, said there should be no doubt about Kyiv.
“I
assure you: not one step will be taken back,” Kadyrov said.
Kadyrov
has been repeatedly accused by the US and European Union of rights abuses,
which he denies.
Moscow
fought two wars with separatists in Chechnya, a mainly Muslim region in
southern Russia, after the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.
But
it has since poured huge sums of money into the region to rebuild it and given
Kadyrov a large measure of autonomy.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Ethical
green iftar back in London after two-year hiatus
ZAYNAB
KHOJJI
April
10, 2022
LONDON:
An ethical iftar that aims to reduce wastage and make Muslims think about the
food they eat will be held in person for the first time on Sunday since the start
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
People
attending the iftar are encouraged to bring their own dinnerware to the
three-course vegetarian meal in order to reduce their carbon footprints.
“We
are not against people eating meat, but one thing we noticed and statistics
suggest is that during the month of Ramadan, the percentage of meat consumption
almost trebles among Muslims, particularly in Muslim countries,” the co-founder
of the Green Deen Tribe, Rabiah Mali, told Arab News.
“Food
wastage also increases dramatically during the holy month — the amount of food
that goes into the bin doubles during Ramadan. There is a huge conflict between
what the essence of Ramadan is and what is happening in Muslim communities,
particularly in Muslim countries,” Mali said.
The
Green Deen Tribe is the community organization that is hosting the iftar.
Mali,
who is also a medical herbalist, describes the organization as a “a collective
dedicated to the inner and outer work of stewardship (khilafa) through the
exploration of spirituality, nature and our connection to the environment
through Prophetic teachings and Islamic sacred text.”
Khilafa
refers to the Islamic principle of human beings being entrusted with taking
responsibility for the earth and looking after it.
The
iftar has three main aims: Reducing meat consumption, eliminating the use of
disposable plastic dinnerware and stopping food waste.
Mali
said the Green Deen Tribe wants Muslims to be more conscious of the food they
consume, and encourages them to eat in a way that is as less damaging and
disruptive to communities as possible.
This
year’s iftar is the fourth annual meal that the Green Deen Tribe has hosted in
person and there will be no disposable plastic in sight.
“We
initially started off by using compostable plates, cups and utensils to serve
food as an alternative to using plastic. As we continued, we realized that even
this was ending up in the bin and that it was still a waste,” Mali said.
“This
year, we’ve decided that people need to bring their own plate, cup, spoon and
tupperware. So this iftar and the one before the pandemic, we’ve encouraged
people to bring their own. When we originally decided to do this, we were
unsure whether people would respond to that, but they came with their spoons,
plates and cups. It was beautiful to see that people were willing to be part of
this unusual experience,” she added.
Mali
said that if people forget to bring their own dinnerware, they can either buy
or rent dining packs for the evening.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2060496/world
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15
EU countries call on EU Commission to urgently disburse aid for Palestine
Agnes
Szucs
11.04.2022
BRUSSELS
Fifteen
EU countries urged the European Commission to urgently disburse aid for
Palestine that has been delayed because of controversies in school textbooks.
In
a letter dated April 8 and disclosed by Politico news outlet on Monday, a group
of EU countries with the leadership of Ireland expressed concerns over “the
continued delay in the disbursement of EU assistance to Palestine for 2021 due
to Commission proposals to condition funding on education sector reform.”
The
signatories argued that the funding should be released “as soon as possible”
because “the Palestinian Authority is in a challenging situation and is
experiencing a severe fiscal crisis, further compounded by the inflation of oil
and wheat prices caused by the war in Ukraine.”
They
also pointed out that “the conditionality at a time when the Palestinian
Authority is already engaged in an ambitious program of educational reform
risks undermining, or even reversing, progress achieved to date.”
The
letter warns that the delay “could damage our ongoing dialogue with the
Palestinians on this and other issues.”
It
also recalls that the European Commission’s recent proposal on linking the
assistance to conditionality in the educational sector “does not enjoy broad
support” between EU countries.
By
the initiative of Oliver Varhelyi, EU commissioner for enlargement and
neighborhood, the European Commission proposed a conditionality mechanism for
disbursing financial aid for Palestine.
The
move followed a controversy on some school textbooks that allegedly contain
anti-Semitic texts and incitement to violence according to critics.
The
letter has been signed by the foreign ministers of Ireland, Belgium, Estonia,
Finland, France, Greece, the Greek Cypriot administration, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Syria
rescuers film tutorial to aid Ukraine’s first responders
April
10, 2022
ARIHA,
Syria: In a bombed-out building in northwest Syria, rescue workers who for
years have braved Russia’s war strategies film a tutorial video for Ukrainian
volunteers crammed with tips gained from firsthand experience of treating
casualties.
Using
a dummy, members of Syria’s “White Helmets” civil defense force demonstrate how
to apply bandages and tourniquets in a clip shot in the rebel-held town of
Ariha in Idlib province where Russian airstrikes are relatively routine.
The
video which offers a range of other rescue initiatives is the latest example of
how Syrians are mobilizing to share with Ukrainians bitter knowledge gleaned
from more than a decade of war involving Russian forces.
“As
first responders, we believe that we can share our experiences in Syria with
humanitarian aid workers in Ukraine,” volunteer rescuer Ismail Al-Abdullah
tells the camera in English, battered buildings dotting the street behind him.
Al-Abdullah
said that the alleged targeting of schools, hospitals and humanitarian workers
by Russia in Ukraine is “sadly too familiar to us,” after years of similar
horrors.
In
the video, Al-Abdullah warns Ukrainian rescuers against “double strikes” in
which an initial raid is followed by a second attack that hits after rescuers
have gathered at the scene.
Speaking
to AFP, Al-Abdullah said the aim of the initiative is to produce tutorials that
will be translated into Ukrainian and uploaded on the White Helmets’ website.
The
content is intended to help rescuers and civilians in Ukraine deal with
Russia’s bombardment strategy which it developed during Syria’s war.
“We
are offering this advice so that Ukrainian rescuers avoid ... casualties,”
whether among civilians or first responders during rescue missions, he said.
Russia
entered Syria’s civil war in 2015 on the side of President Bashar Assad’s
regime, allowing Damascus to clock up turnaround victories in the decade-long
conflict.
From
besieging cities to shelling civilian infrastructure and arranging so-called
“humanitarian corridors,” the strategies Moscow has fine-tuned in Syria are now
being deployed in Ukraine.
Al-Abdullah
advised Ukraine’s rescue workers to document their work using GoPro cameras “to
safeguard credibility” and shield themselves from smear campaigns that have
previously been used to undermine Syria’s first responders.
Syrian
medical student Mohamed Hajj Musa, who also appears in the tutorial video, said
he hopes the advice will help Ukraine’s people “deal with injuries they could
see at any moment.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2060631/middle-east
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Arab World
Israel
strikes government positions in Syria: State media
09
April ,2022
Israel
carried out air strikes on government-held positions in Syria on Saturday, the
state news agency SANA said, without reporting any casualties.
“The
Israeli enemy launched an aerial assault from the direction of northern Lebanon
targeting a number of positions in the central region,” SANA reported, citing a
military source.
The
news agency said air defenses were activated and intercepted a number of
missiles over Hama province.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that explosions were heard in the town
of Masyaf and nearby areas in the west of government-controlled Hama province.
The
Britain-based war monitor said that both Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement had a presence in the area.
It
said the strikes were the eighth by Israel in Syria this year and targeted
weapons depots and research centers for the development of missiles and drones.
In
early March, Israeli strikes near Damascus killed two officers from Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards.
The
Guards vowed to avenge the killings and subsequently launched strikes on what
they described as an Israeli “strategic center” in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan
region.
Since
civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air
strikes inside the country, targeting government positions as well as allied
Iran-backed forces and fighters of Lebanon’s Shia militant group Hezbollah.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Iraq
official warns of extremist threat from Syria camp
09
April ,2022
The
al-Hol camp for displaced people in Syria is an extremist threat and should be
dismantled, a senior Iraqi security official said on Saturday.
Al-Hol,
in the Kurdish-controlled northeast, is Syria’s largest camp for displaced
people. It houses about 56,000 including displaced Syrians and Iraqi refugees,
some of whom maintain links with ISIS.
About
10,000 are foreigners, including relatives of extremists.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“Each
day that passes with the camp still there, hate grows and terrorism thrives,”
Iraq’s national security adviser, Qassem al-Araji, told an international
conference about the camp.
ISIS
“continues to represent a real threat at al-Hol,” Araji told delegates who
included ambassadors from the United States and France.
The
overcrowded camp is controlled by the autonomous Kurdish administration and
lies less than 10 kilometers (six miles) from the Iraqi border.
Araji
called on foreign governments to repatriate their citizens from al-Hol, and
urged rapid dismantlement of the camp.
Most
of al-Hol’s residents are people who fled or surrendered in Syria during the
dying days of ISIS in March 2019.
Since
then, Syria’s Kurds and the United Nations have repeatedly urged foreign
governments to repatriate their nationals, but this has only been done in dribs
and drabs, out of fear that they might pose a security threat back home and
trigger a domestic backlash.
Baghdad
proclaimed victory against ISIS at the end of 2017 but remnants of the group
have continued to mount hit-and-run attacks.
In
January, ISIS fighters carried out their biggest assault in Syria in years,
attacking a prison in the Kurdish-controlled northeastern city of Hasaka,
aiming to free fellow extremists.
Almost
a week of intense fighting left more than 370 people dead, according to the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.
Prisons
run by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces hold an estimated 12,000 ISIS
members, and the group aims to mount further operations similar to the January
attack in a bid to free them, Araji said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Kuwait
vows support to cash-strapped Lebanon
Stephanie
Radi
10.04.2022
BEIRUT
Kuwait
has vowed support to cash-strapped Lebanon, the Lebanese government said on
Sunday.
Lebanese
Prime Minister Najib Mikati received a phone call from Kuwaiti Foreign Minister
Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah.
A
statement issued by Mikati’s office said Sheikh Ahmed said Kuwait “will spare
no efforts to support Lebanon and help it to bounce back.”
"The
Gulf countries are looking forward to the stability, security, and recovery of
our beloved brotherly Lebanon,” he said. “The ties that unite Kuwait and
Lebanon in particular are very solid, and are becoming more and more solid with
the days.”
The
chief Kuwaiti diplomat also hailed Mikati's efforts to restore Lebanese-Gulf
relations.
Lebanon’s
relations with the Gulf nations nosedived in recent months after Saudi Arabia
and its Gulf allies withdrew their ambassadors from Beirut in protest of
criticism of the Yemen war by former Information Minister George Kordahi.
Saudi
Arabia, Kuwait and Yemen, however, returned their envoys to the Lebanese
capital in recent days amid a diplomatic thaw between the two sides.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/kuwait-vows-support-to-cash-strapped-lebanon/2560103
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Iraqi
president urges consensus to form gov’t
Ali
Jawad
09.04.2022
BAGHDAD
Iraqi
President Barham Salih on Saturday called on the country’s political forces to
reach consensus to end the crisis of government formation.
In
a statement, Salih said Iraq is going through a “sensitive situation amid
political impasse” casting the country into a “dangerous maze.”
Iraq
has been unable to form a government since the Oct. 10 parliamentary elections
last year amid differences between political parties. The Iraqi Parliament has
also failed to elect a new president.
"The
continuation of the political crisis may drag the country into a dangerous maze
in which everyone will lose, and therefore all political forces today have a
historic, national and moral responsibility to maintain national unity,"
he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraqi-president-urges-consensus-to-form-gov-t/2559470
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2
soldiers killed in Daesh/ISIS attack in Iraq’s Anbar
Ali
Jawad
09.04.2022
BAGHDAD
Two
Iraqi soldiers were killed and two others wounded on Saturday in an attack by
Daesh/ISIS militants in the western Anbar province, according to an Iraqi
military officer.
The
officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Daesh/ISIS terrorists
attacked a military checkpoint in the city of Heet with machine guns.
He
said the attackers took advantage of poor vision in the area following a heavy sandstorm,
in which four people died and dozens were injured.
Iraqi
authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the attack.
In
2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories the
terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014 which was estimated to be
about a third of the country’s territory.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/2-soldiers-killed-in-daesh-isis-attack-in-iraq-s-anbar/2559413
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Africa
Bandits
Kill Miyetti Allah Chairman, Four Others In Abuja
Apr
11, 2022
Bandits
attacked and killed Adamu Aliyu, Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’
Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), in the Gwagwalada Area Council of Abuja.
Aliyu
was said to be killed alongside four other people near Daku village in Dobi
ward of the council on Thursday.
Mohammed
Usman, Secretary of MACBAN, while confirming the killing of the chairman, on
Sunday said three persons were also abducted.
According
to Usman, three others were injured and taken to the hospital. He said the late
MACBAN chairman and six others were retuning from Izom Market in Niger State,
when he was attacked.
“They
were returning from Izom Market in Niger State where they went to sell cows,
until just one kilometer to Daku village when the bandits suddenly emerged from
the bush and opened fire on the truck, killing the MACBAN chairman and four
others,” he said.
He
gave the names of those killed as Saleh, Aliyu, Muhammadu and Saidu, saying
they have been buried according to Islamic rites.
He
said security operatives were at the community before the deceased were laid to
rest.
Chairman
of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Adamu Mustapha, also confirmed the incident.
Scores Kidnapped, Houses Burnt As Bandits Attack Plateau Community Similarly,
bandits attacked villages in Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State on
Sunday, abducting residents and setting houses on fire.
According
to residents of the affected areas, the bandits attacked Kukawa, Gyanbahu,
Dungur and Keram villages where people were killed.
Adam
Musa, a resident of Kukawa village, who confirmed the incident, said that many
people were injured, while hundreds of people fled their homes, adding that
security personnel are yet to reach the villages.
Source:
Independent
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://independent.ng/bandits-kill-miyetti-allah-chairman-four-others-in-abuja/
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Turkish
aid agency distributes Ramadan food aid in Uganda
10.04.2022
KAMPALA,
Uganda
Turkiye's
state-run aid agency on Sunday donated 1,000 packages of foodstuffs to
disadvantaged people in Kampala, Uganda, its coordinator said.
"We
have had the opportunity to help 1,000 families today in Kampala, we helped
1,000 families yesterday in Luwero and we'll help more people in Bulambuli in
the coming days," said Omer Aykon, coordinator of the Turkish Cooperation
and Coordination Agency (TIKA), in Uganda.
Turkish
envoy in Uganda Fikret Kerem Alp also attended the distribution ceremony, and
delivered a speech in Luganda, the local dialect.
"The
Turkish people will continue supporting those facing difficulties through (the
Muslim holy month of) Ramadan. The packages today contain flour, rice, oil and
soap, items that are a critical lifeline for many families," he said.
The
event was also attended by representatives from Diyanet, Turkiye's directorate
of religious affairs, and officials of the Turkish Embassy in Kampala.
In
a statement, the embassy said the packages were distributed in Katwe, a slum in
the Ugandan capital.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkish-aid-agency-distributes-ramadan-food-aid-in-uganda/2560145
--------
Tunisian
protesters accuse President Kais Saied of ‘failed dictatorship’
10
April ,2022
Tunisians
on Sunday protested against President Kais Saied, accusing him of imposing
one-man rule in the North African country after he dissolved parliament last
month.
A
political crisis in the country intensified last month when more than half of
the members of parliament held an online session to revoke Saied’s decrees.
“We
are facing a failed dictatorship that is leading the country to an economic
disaster… We will continue to protest in the streets until a coup is forced to
reverse its decisions,” Chaima Issa, an activist, said.
Many
members of parliament participated in the protest on Sunday, which took place
with a heavy presence of anti-riot police. Protesters chanted: “The people want
to overthrow the coup.”
“We
will continue to resist the coup and we will not retreat. We will not accept
this dictatorship,” Samira Chaouchi, one of two deputy speakers of parliament,
said.
After
last month’s online session, which Saied dissolved, anti-terrorism police summoned
the main opposition figure Rached Ghannouchi and other lawmakers for
questioning, prompting criticism from abroad as well as at home.
Ghannouchi,
who is the parliament’s speaker and head of Islamist Ennahda party, said other
virtual sessions would be convened.
A
delegation from the European Parliament will visit Tunisia on Monday to urge
the return of the democracy established after the 2011 revolution that ended
the autocratic rule of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Saied,
took control of executive power in the middle of last year and has ruled by
decree, which his opponents describe as a coup.
He
has rejected his opponents’ accusations and said he would hold talks on
political reforms, but that “traitors and thieves” would not participate.
Saied
has previously said he would form a committee to rewrite the constitution, put
it to a referendum in July and then hold parliamentary elections in December.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Tunisia
to compensate revolution’s dead and wounded: President
10
April ,2022
Tunisian
President Kais Saied announced compensation on Sunday for the families of those
killed and wounded in the 2011 revolution that brought democracy to the
country.
Saied
last month dissolved parliament, imposing one-man rule after governing by
decree since the summer. He has said he was trying to save the north African
country from collapse.
The
Tunisian dinar has fallen to three-year lows and a delegation is to go to
Washington this month to seek a deal with the International Monetary Fund
Saied’s
decree on Saturday approves compensation for the families of “martyrs” and
police and army killed and wounded defending the country from what he called
“terrorist attacks” in the years after the revolution that sparked the Arab
uprisings around the region.
Dozens
of youths were killed and hundreds injured during an uprising against the rule
of then-president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Six
children among 13 migrants found dead off Tunisia
09
April ,2022
Tunisian
authorities recovered the bodies of 13 migrants, including six women and six
children, after their boats capsized trying to make the dangerous sea crossing
to Italy, a court official said Saturday.
The
migrants were all from sub-Saharan Africa and had set off in two boats, said
Mourad Turki, spokesman for the court in the Mediterranean port city of Sfax.
Rescuers
pulled 37 migrants from the water on Friday and Saturday but a dozen more
remained unaccounted for, he told AFP.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the apps.
Tunisia
and neighboring Libya are key departure points for migrants seeking to reach
European shores, often in vessels that are barely seaworthy.
The
United Nations’ refugee agency UNHCR has said that around 1,300 migrants
drowned or went missing in the central Mediterranean in 2021, making it the
world’s deadliest migration route.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Libya
exhumes 11 bodies from mass grave in Sirte
Walid
Abdullah
09.04.2022
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libyan
authorities have exhumed 11 bodies from a mass grave in the coastal city of
Sirte.
In
a statement, the General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing
Persons said the mass grave was discovered on Friday in Sirte's Al-Giza
Al-Bahriya District, adding that the corpses will be taken to laboratories for
forensic investigation.
On
December 17, 2016, the Libyan Government of National Accord announced the complete
liberation of Sirte from the Daesh/ISIS terrorist group.
Discoveries
of mass graves are common in war-torn Libya, especially in Tarhuna city, a
former stronghold for warlord Khalifa Haftar.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/libya-exhumes-11-bodies-from-mass-grave-in-sirte/2559406
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/fat-scientific-humanistic-malay/d/126773