France Orders Six-Month Closure of Al-Farouk Mosque Accused of "Spreading Salafist Ideology" And ' Inciting Hate' Against Israel
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 March 2022
France has ordered the
closure of several mosques over the last few months as part of a crackdown on
claims of "Islamist separatism" [Getty]
-----
• Afghan Taliban Unlikely To Take Actions to Constrain
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
• US Weighs Dropping Iran's IRGC from Terrorism List:
Reuters
• Islamic Centre of India: Alter the Juma Namaz
Timings, Visit Mosques and Graves after the Ritual of Playing Holi with Colours
Is Over
• Gazans Outraged Over Millions of Dollars Spent Building
Mosques
Europe
• Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to Focus on
Islamophobia at Upcoming Meeting: Diplomat
• Turkey’s FM in Moscow says ‘war must stop’ between
Russia and Ukraine
• Turkish defence chief attends extraordinary NATO
meeting
• UK minister defends PM Johnson's plan to visit
Riyadh for oil lobbying
--------
South
Asia
• 180 media outlets closed in past seven months in
Afghanistan
• Taliban establishes Commission to invite Afghan
figures in exile
• Afghanistan’s Central Bank to auction $12 Million
tomorrow
• UN to vote on its presence in Afghanistan, barring a
Russia veto
--------
North
America
• US pledges $585 mln in new aid for Yemen in 2022:
Blinken
• US says deal to return to Iran nuclear agreement
'close'
• US to sell Egypt advanced F-15 fighter jets despite
rights concerns
• US still engaging with Russia on Iran nuclear deal:
State Dept. official
--------
India
• Delhi High Court Allows Reopening Of Nizamuddin
Markaz Mosque for Shab-E-Barat Festival
• Muslim Man Offers Kidney to Save Hindu Ex-Colleague
in Bengal
• Muslim religious heads call for peaceful Karnataka
bandh; city police step up security
• Muslim graveyards spruced up ahead of Friday's Shab
E' Baraat in Mumbai
• Several hijab-clad Muslim students miss classes,
exam in Karnataka
• Muslims must ensure Assamese do not end up like
Kashmiri Pandits: CM Himanta
--------
Mideast
• Islamic Missionaries Allowed To Open Stand in Haifa
University, Students Outraged
• Iran Welcomes UN Resolution against Islamophobia
• Dozens of Palestinians hurt in confrontations with
Israeli forces in northern West Bank
• Yemeni security forces thwart Saudi-linked terrorist
cell's attempt to destabilize Sana’a
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Indonesian Govt Targets 'Blasphemous' Christian
Cleric
• In Malaysia, the Sultans Have the Authority
• More Ramadan features could return, depending on
Covid-19 situation: Singapore’s Mufti
• Farhash slams ‘rude’ Rafizi over presidency claim
• International Webinar Held in Indonesia to Raise
Awareness about China’s Human Rights Violations in Xinjiang
--------
Arab
World
• Hezbollah’s Presence in Lebanese Government and
Parliament Essential: Nasrallah
• UAE announces intent to begin bilateral trade talks
with Australia: Trade minister
• Saudi Arabia, UK sign MoU to establish strategic
partnership council
• Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, UK PM Johnson discuss
stability of global energy markets
• Dubai’s Emirates announces daily flights to Israel’s
Tel Aviv as ties bolster
• Fate of Syrian people remains priority, says EU
• UAE ship sinks 30 miles from Iran’s Asaluyeh port:
IRNA
--------
Pakistan
• Facebook Turns down Pakistan Govt’s Request to
Remove URLs Related to Ahmadiyyas for ‘Blasphemy’
• 'We will lock them like pigeons in a cage': Fawad blasts
Opp
--------
Africa
• Churches, Mosques, Clerics Lead Corruption Index in
Nigeria – BUK Research
• Ogun: Steer clear of Obas’ burial, installation –
Traditionalists warn Muslims, Christians
• UN warns of risks from Libya crisis
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/france-mosque-salafist-ideology-hate-israel/d/126591
--------
France Orders Six-Month Closure of Al-Farouk Mosque
Accused of "Spreading Salafist Ideology" And ' Inciting Hate' Against
Israel
France has ordered the
closure of several mosques over the last few months as part of a crackdown on
claims of "Islamist separatism" [Getty]
-----
16 March, 2022
The French government has ordered the closure of a
mosque in southwestern France for allegedly "promoting radical
Islam", the Turkish Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday.
The mosque will be shuttered for a period of six
months, according to the Turkish news agency.
Al-Farouk Mosque, located in Pessac, near the city of
Bordeaux was accused by the Gironde department council of "spreading
Salafist ideology", according to an official statement.
It also alleged that the Pessac Muslims Rally, the
organisation which runs the mosque, conducted sermons urging worshippers not to
conform with French laws and "justified terror attacks".
The mosque was also accused of "inciting
hate" against Israel, and "voicing support for terror
organisations".
Violations of the department’s order will result in a
six-month prison sentence and a fine of 7,500 euros ($8,242), according to the
statement.
The Pessac Muslims Rally denounced the Gironde
department's decision in a statement published on its Facebook page, labelling
it as "unfair" and a "collective punishment for Pessac's Muslims
as Ramadan is approaching".
The organisation also accused the Gironde department
of abuse of power and said it would appeal the decision at Bordeaux's
Administrative Court later this week.
A lawyer for the Pessac Muslims Rally, Sefen Guez Guez
said that the organisation had deleted any social media posts alluding to the
prefecture's accusations "without hesitation", and replaced its
social media page's managers.
"The Muslim community of Pessac feels that [the
mosque closure] is a punishment for words that were uttered by third parties
[anonymous Internet users] held a long time ago which have since been
withdrawn," the lawyer added.
France, which is home to Europe’s largest Muslim
community, has increased its targeting of the religious minority, by raiding
and closing down mosques and Islamic associations, as well as implementing a
controversial "anti-separatism" bill.
The proposed law aims to counter
"separatism" in French society but has been slammed by activists for
unfairly discriminating against France’s Muslims, which number at 3.35 million.
Source: The New Arab
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/france-closes-mosque-accused-promoting-radical-islam
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Afghan Taliban Unlikely To Take Actions to Constrain
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
Image: AP
---
17 March, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 17 (ANI): After the
takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban last August, it was believed that the
new regime would not allow the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use Afghan
soil to attack Pakistan, however, the cross-border terrorism increased in the
area.
The Taliban is unlikely to take actions to constrain
TTP and there is every possibility of escalation of violence and unrest in the
Af-Pak border area, reported International Forum for Right and Security
(IFFRAS).
The Afghan Taliban’s rise to power was considered a
“strategic win” for Pakistan but at the same time, provided an unmistakable
boost to the TTP.
According to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies
(PIPS), 207 terrorist attacks took place in Pakistan in 2021, an increase of 42
per cent compared to 2020. Around 335 lives were lost in these attacks.
PIPS notes that the TTP alone was responsible for 87
attacks, an increase of 84 per cent relative to 2020. The TTP claimed an
additional 42 attacks in the month of January 2022, reported IFFRAS.
As the events have evolved over a period of a few
months post-Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021 and escalation of
violence in the Durand Line area.
It is believed that some recent attacks by the TTP,
planned and launched from Afghanistan, had infuriated Pakistani authorities,
prompting them to approach the Afghan Taliban and remind them of their
commitments made during the Doha Accord.
Moreover, the gravity of the security situation of the
tribal areas in between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the massive presence of
TTP in the area were explained by the United Nation Security Council (UNSC)
29th Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team report, published in the
first week of February 2022.
It stated that TTP still has between 3,000 and 5,000
fighters in Afghanistan. The report claims family members of TTP fighters in
Afghanistan wished to resettle in Pakistan under assurances to reintegrate,
reported IFFRAS.
The TTP’s two key demands are the imposition of Sharia
in Pakistan and the release of the group’s prisoners.
In a way, Pakistan has brought down upon itself this
precarious situation, as in December 2021, TTP cadres who were in white and
grey lists of the Government of Pakistan were released, said IFFRAS.
Moreover, the TTP got furious as Pakistani Security
Forces conducted raids in Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Swat, Bajaur, Swabi,
and North Waziristan and killed and detained their cadres.
In Pakistan, there was a thinking after the Taliban’s
takeover that the new regime would not allow the TTP to use Afghan soil to
attack Pakistan, given the Afghan Taliban’s long-standing association with
Pakistan and in the manner of its promises to the US and other countries
regarding terrorist groups functioning from its soil.
But the truth is that the Taliban is unlikely to take
actions to constrain the TTP — its ideological twin, said IFFRAS. (ANI)
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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US Weighs Dropping Iran's IRGC From Terrorism List: Reuters
Members of Iran's
Revolutionary Guards march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the
Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran September 22, 2010. REUTERS/Morteza
Nikoubazl
-----
17 March, 2022
The US is considering removing Iran's Revolutionary
Guards from its foreign terrorist organization blacklist in return for Iranian
assurances about reining in the elite force, a source familiar with the matter
said on Wednesday.
The source said Washington had not decided what might
be an acceptable commitment from Tehran in exchange for such a step, which
would reverse former US President Donald Trump's 2019 blacklisting of the group
and draw sharp Republican criticism.
The move was the first time Washington had formally
labeled part of another sovereign government as a terrorist group.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is a
powerful faction in Iran that controls a business empire as well as elite armed
and intelligence forces that Washington accuses of carrying out a global
terrorist campaign.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
the Biden administration was weighing whether to drop the terrorist designation
“in return for some kind of commitment and/or steps by Iran, with respect to
regional or other IRGC activities.”
The Biden administration's consideration of such a
tradeoff was first reported by Axios, citing Israeli and US sources.
Multiple sources have said dropping the designation is
one of the last, and most vexing, issues in wider indirect talks on reviving
the 2015 deal under which Iran limited its nuclear program in return for relief
from economic sanctions.
Asked about the possibility of removing the IRGC from
the US terrorism list, US State Department spokesman Ned Price declined comment
beyond saying that sanctions relief is at the heart of negotiations to revive
the nuclear deal.
Last week an Iranian official said the IRGC's removal
from the blacklist had been under discussion as far back as June but that the
issue had become more complicated after last summer's election of hardliner Ebrahim
Raisi as Iran's president.
The Iranian official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, said the US had made clear “they cannot remove it without major
concessions from Iran,” a stance he said had been rejected by Iran's lead
nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani.
The IRGC's political influence in Iran's complex power
structure has increased since the election of Raisi, who took office in August
and whose government includes dozens of Revolutionary Guard commanders.
Raisi's election led to a five-month gap in the
indirect US-Iranian talks over reviving the nuclear deal, which Trump abandoned
in 2018 and reimposed US sanctions, prompting Iran to start violating its
nuclear limits about a year later.
Negotiations resumed in late November, with officials
from other parties to the deal - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia -
as well as European Union officials coordinating the talks shuttling between US
and Iranian representatives. An agreement would allow Iran to sell its oil
abroad.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Islamic Centre of India: Alter the Juma Namaz Timings,
Visit Mosques and Graves after the Ritual of Playing Holi with Colours Is Over
Women play with colour and
dance in celebration of the upcoming festival of Holi, in Lucknow, Wednesday,
March 16, 2022.
-----
Mar 17, 2022
LUCKNOW: At least 22 mosques in Lucknow have decided
to alter the timing for Juma (Friday prayer) in view of Holi celebrations.
Juma Namaz along with the Khutba (discourse) held on
the day, is offered after 12.30pm at most mosques.
However, in view of the advisory issued by Islamic
Centre of India (ICI), at least 22 mosques in the city have decided to shift
the time and hold Friday prayers after 1.30pm. These include some of the
renowned mosques like the Jama Masjid at Aishbagh Eidgah, Ek Minara Masjid at
Akbari Gate, Masjid Shahmina Shah and Masjid Chowk.
While a list of the old and new Juma Namaz timings was
shared by the ICI, most mosques decided to commence the prayer after 1.30pm. At
the Jama Masjid Eidgah the time has been shifted to 2pm from 12.45pm.
Similarly, Juma Namaz will be held at 1:30 pm at Masjid Shahmina Shah instead
of the regular 1 pm.
Earlier, head of ICI, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi
Mahali had issued an advisory asking mosques to alter the Juma Namaz timings so
as to maintain peace and amity by avoiding any untoward incident on Holi.
The advisory also asked Muslim men to offer Juma
prayers at their neighbourhood mosques on Holi day rather than venturing out to
a mosque farther away from home. With Shab-e-Barat also falling on the same
day, cleric have also advised Muslims to visit mosques and the graves of their
loved one only after the ritual of playing Holi with colours is over.
During a similar situation around four years back when
Holi and Shab-e-Barat were both celebrated on the same day, Muslims were asked
to exercise caution in celebration of the festival and peace was maintained.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Gazans Outraged Over Millions Of Dollars Spent
Building Mosques
Photo: Al-Monitor
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Hadeel Al Gherbawi
March 16, 2022
GAZA CITY — Despite the repeated Israeli military
operations on the besieged Gaza Strip and the destruction of dozens of homes,
the construction of prestigious and luxurious mosques worth millions dollars
seems to be on the rise.
In recent years, the construction of luxury mosques
has outraged the largely impoverished population of the enclave.
Imam al-Shafei Mosque in al-Zaitoun neighborhood was
built at a cost of $3.5 million, and Al-Hassayna Mosque in Gaza City at a cost
of more than $2 million. The construction cost of Al-Khalidi and Salim Abu
Muslim mosques exceeded $1 million each. The Great Mosque in Khan Yunis is
another lavishly luxurious mosque, in addition to Sheikh Ajlin’s Khalil
al-Wazir Mosque, which will be opened soon.
Mohammad al-Khalidi, a citizen from Gaza, poured out
his resentment of such luxury mosques. “The Ministry of Endowments claims that
the donors funding the construction of the mosques want to spend this much
money on them. But why would it [the ministry] not inform the donors that there
are other fields in Gaza where the donations could be more useful? Mosques can
be built at a reasonable cost and the remainder of the donations could be used
to build hospitals, schools or residences, for example. A Muslim can pray
anywhere that is pure and does not need expensive and lavish decorations,” he
told Al-Monitor.
He said, “Any person is free to use his money as he
pleases, but citizens have the right to ask how the state’s funds or donations
are being spent. We have the right to know why Khalil al-Wazir Mosque and other
luxurious mosques were built at such exorbitant costs."
Khalidi added, “The opening of the Khalil al-Wazir
Mosque in the coming months will stir an uproar among Gazans due to the large
number of mosques already present in Gaza, in the absence of development
projects, hospitals and sewage networks. For example, in the Beit Lahia area in
northern Gaza, the Salim Abu Muslim Mosque was built at a cost of $1 million,
while a nonregulated landfill in the area is endangering the health of the
locals and the environment.”
Poverty and unemployment rates in the Gaza Strip
skyrocketed to levels exceeding 89% last year, according to the Palestinian
Central Bureau of Statistics.
Mohammad Abu Samra, expert on Islamic and Arab
affairs, also condemned this phenomenon. “Lavishly decorated mosques are
undesirable and unacceptable in light of the difficult economic and living
conditions in Gaza, which has suffered many wars causing the destruction of
thousands of homes, schools, institutions, associations, factories, mosques,
infrastructure facilities and agricultural lands,” he told Al-Monitor.
“It is not logical for families to remain in the open
or pay rent because their homes have not been reconstructed yet. It is
unacceptable to have overcrowded schools or destroyed factories whose workers
have lost their jobs, while we are building luxurious mosques,” he noted.
Although Abu Samra recognized the importance of
mosques, he argued that the large number of mosques in Gaza is reprehensible.
“Every few meters you find a mosque, constructed at extremely high costs. This
goes against the basic purpose of mosques,” he said. “The aesthetic appearance
of mosques is important, but we must stay away from extravagance and luxury and
take into consideration the residents’ situation and living conditions.”
The dean of Palestine’s Al-Azhar Institute, Imad
Hamattu, had in a 2018 statement lashed out at the excessive decoration of
mosques as one of Islam’s forbidden acts. He urged the need for setting a
modest budget for the construction of mosques.
Hamattu argued that donors ought to focus on people
and not limit their donations to embellishing mosques. He urged them to channel
their funds for building schools and hospitals, which represent a good deed
rewarded by God. He further noted that attention should be paid to needy
families in Gaza and to building their destroyed homes.
The Ministry of Endowments provided Al-Monitor with
statistics for the year 2021, showing that during the wars from 2008 to 2021,
Israel destroyed 113 mosques, 99 of which were reconstructed mostly at high
costs.
According to statistics, more than 12,000 housing
units were destroyed in the 2014 war, many of which have yet to be rebuilt.
During the latest war in 2021, around 1,447 housing
units were completely demolished, and another 13,000 were partially damaged.
These were also not reconstructed due to the economic conditions and the lack
of funding and support, according to the Ministry of Endowments.
Al-Monitor spoke to Anwar Abu Shawish, director of
public relations and media at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs
in the Gaza Strip.
“Three mosques were demolished in the last war. One of
them is being reconstructed with the available funding. Mosques are being
reconstructed in conjunction with the provision of aid to poor families through
'zakat' committees,” he said.
Abu Shawish said the number of mosques in the Gaza
Strip has reached 1,230. “Khalil al-Wazir Mosque will be opened soon. It is
funded by the Malaysian nongovernmental organization Aman Palestin, which is
overseeing the construction works. Donors often require that their funds be allocated
for the construction of mosques and we must comply.”
He added, “During 2021, we provided aid worth $10
million to poor families whose homes were destroyed. The aid was in the form of
in-kind donations, cash, food parcels and payment of rental contracts.”
He explained that the ministry sets criteria for
building mosques. “For example, the distance between any two mosques should not
be less than 500 meters [1,640 feet],” he said. “The construction of some
mosques was financed by personal funds, such as Al-Hassayna and Al-Khalidi
mosques. In addition, the ministry oversees the restoration, maintenance and
reconstruction of ancient mosques such as the Great Omari Mosque.”
Abu Shawish wondered why the construction of mosques
at such costs would cause such a fuss. “How much does the construction of a
stadium or a cinema cost?” he asked. “When money comes to the ministry, we
consider spending on the needed projects. When the donations are not needed, we
direct them toward other aid-related projects. However, we are sometimes bound
by the financing parties’ request to build mosques. Some of them even require
mosques to be built over large surface areas.”
He noted that the construction of luxurious mosques is
an aspect of urban and civil planning that does not contradict Islam. Abu
Shawish invoked the rule that an endowment shall be used for the purpose it was
designated for. “It may not be replaced for any other purpose, such as relief
for the poor or other projects,” he concluded.
Source: Al Monitor
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Europe
Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation To Focus On Islamophobia At Upcoming Meeting: Diplomat
March 16, 2022
ANKARRA: Pakistan will be hosting the 48th session of
the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers
(CFM) on March 22-23 to further discuss topics on Islamophobia, Afghanistan,
Kashmir and Palestine, according to Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkey.
Muhammad Syrus Sajjad Qazi told Anadolu Agency in an
interview that this year’s session also coincides with the Pakistan Day parade,
where the OIC foreign ministers will be guests at the event as well.
“In 1940, the All-India Muslim League met in Lahore
and decided that the Muslims of South Asia deserved and wanted an independent homeland
of their own. Seven years later on Aug. 14, 1947, Pakistan came into being as a
result of the resolutions adopted in 1940 on March 23,” Qazi said.
Regarding the meeting’s agenda, Qazi said it will
encompass everything that is of interest to the Muslim world, with this year’s
theme “Partnership for unity, justice and development.”
“But specifically, Palestine will be discussed,
Kashmir, and other important issues for our various member states.
Islamophobia, the trend of hate speech against Muslims, negative stereotyping
of Muslims, and the situation in Afghanistan and its humanitarian dimension
will be discussed,” he said.
Qazi recalled the extraordinary session of the OIC
held in Pakistan in December 2021, which exclusively focused on the situation in
Afghanistan and helping its citizens with the economic and humanitarian
challenges they were confronting.
“The situation in Afghanistan will be discussed. In
fact, we will look at one of the conclusions of the December extraordinary
session to establish a trust fund. We hope to be able to operationalize this
trust fund at this coming meeting, so Afghanistan will be a very significant
part of the extensive agenda of the meeting. Our main focus is to help our
Afghan brothers and sisters overcome the humanitarian challenges,” he said.
“The event will highlight the unity of the Muslim
ummah in the face of very serious challenges facing the world. We will also be
looking at a productive session. We expect to be adopting about 100 or so
resolutions on various teams. It will be an important venue to give voice to
the Muslim countries and their causes.”
OIC criticised for its inability to resolve various
problems
“Imagine if the OIC was not speaking on the
Palestinian and Kashmiri issues. One would see that the picture immediately
changes. So sometimes unfortunately the OIC comes in for a bit of criticism on
account of its perceived inability to solve various problems,” Qazi said.
He said the problems of the OIC were very serious and
complicated and that the media does not reflect on the events in these regions.
“But most importantly, what the OIC does is to lend a
voice to these issues and to keep them alive, to highlight them, to inform the
world to look at these issues. So the OIC allows the individual voices of
Muslim countries to be heard in the collective,” he said.
Qazi emphasized that the OIC in these issues comes up
with solid resolutions but that there was a wider international community also
that needs to take up its responsibility and speak up like the OIC on these
issues.
Source: Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Turkey’s FM in Moscow says ‘war must stop’ between
Russia and Ukraine
16 March 2022
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says “the
war must stop” between Russia and Ukraine, stressing that Ankara will push
diplomatic efforts to broker a permanent ceasefire.
“The war must stop, people must not die. I came here
to Moscow with this understanding today,” Cavusoglu made the remark during a
joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow
on Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special
military operation” on February 24 aimed at the “demilitarization” of the
Donetsk and Lugansk regions, largely populated by ethnic Russians, in eastern
Ukraine. In 2014, the two regions – collectively known as the Donbass –
declared themselves new republics, refusing to recognize Ukraine’s
Western-backed government.
Since the beginning of the operation, the United States
and its European allies have labeled the offensive Putin’s imperial-style land
grab, saying it has so far been poorly executed because the Kremlin
underestimated Ukrainian resistance and Western resolve to punish Russia with
unprecedented waves of sanctions.
Ukraine has for years aspired to join NATO — one of
the reasons Russia launched the campaign against its neighbor. After three
weeks of war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that his country
would not be joining the alliance. Since 2019, joining NATO has been enshrined
in the Ukrainian constitution.
Cavusoglu also said NATO member Turkey hoped Putin
would meet President Zelensky as a step toward peace.
“We have shared our concerns in a sincere way and done
our part to ease tensions and open the stage for diplomacy,” Turkey’s top
diplomat said. “We would like to host this (Putin-Zelensky) meeting when the
situation comes to that point...for a lasting ceasefire.”
Lavrov, for his part, said there were no obstacles to
a meeting between Putin and Zelensky but that it would only occur to sign a
specific agreement. "Today's talks confirmed that we need to meet often
and regularly exchange views on the key issues of our bilateral agenda, but
first of all about the international situation, which has been experiencing
deep changes.”
On March 10, Lavrov and his Ukrainian counterpart,
Dmytro Kuleba, held talks in Turkey in the first such meeting since Russia’s
operation began. At the time, Cavusoglu said the meeting was civil despite all
the difficulties. The minister said the most important outcome of the talks was
establishing contact.
Cavusoglu said Ankara’s priority was evacuating
citizens remaining in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, now besieged by Russian
forces. More than 15,000 Turks has already abandoned Ukraine.
Source: Press TV
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Turkish defence chief attends extraordinary NATO
meeting
Ahmet Gençtürk, Faruk Zorlu, Handan Kazancı
17.03.2022
BRUSSELS
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar attended an
extraordinary meeting of NATO defense ministers Wednesday at the alliance's
headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
He also held a series of bilateral meetings with
senior military and civilian defense officials from NATO countries.
Having earlier met with Canadian Defense Minister
Anita Anand, Akar also met with his Greek counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos.
The two ministers agreed that a fourth bilateral meeting on confidence building
measures should be held in the Turkish capital Ankara as soon as possible.
During the meeting, the importance of international
law and focusing on a positive agenda and its possible contributions to
bilateral relations and regional economic growth were also addressed.
Separately, Akar met with Latvian Defense Minister
Artis Pabriks to discuss bilateral and NATO-wide defense and security ties and
cooperation.
In addition, during his meeting with French Defense
Minister Florence Parly, Akar emphasized the importance of removing the
restrictions in the field of the defense industry and increasing military
training cooperation activities.
Views were also exchanged on bilateral, regional and
defense and security issues, especially on developments in Ukraine.
Moreover, Akar held talks with Dutch Defense Minister
Kajsa Ollongren at NATO headquarters.
He also met with British Defense Secretary Ben
Wallace. The two defense chiefs discussed developments in Ukraine as well as
bilateral, regional and defense and security issues.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkish-defense-chief-attends-extraordinary-nato-meeting/2537680
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UK minister defends PM Johnson's plan to visit Riyadh
for oil lobbying
15 March 2022
British Health Secretary Sajid Javid has defended
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to travel to Saudi Arabia to lobby for
action to keep oil prices in control amid a spiraling crisis in the global
energy market.
The British premier’s visit is reportedly aimed at
lobbying Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to increase the country’s oil
output as energy sanctions on Russia have begun to bite the West.
“It is important to recognize, whether we like it or
not, that Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest oil producers,” Javid was
quoted as saying on Monday.
“At a time of a major global energy crisis that has
been caused by this war in Europe, it is right for the prime minister and other
world leaders to engage with Saudi Arabia and try to work together where that
makes sense,” he added.
The visit comes in the backdrop of the execution of 81
Saudi nationals by the regime in Riyadh, which has sent ripples of shock, anger,
and outrage across the world.
The prisoners were executed in a single day over
so-called ‘terror-related offenses,’ in what rights groups have dubbed the
largest mass execution in recent memory.
Saudi Arabia has also been involved in a devastating
war in Yemen along with its Arab allies with arms and logistics support from
the US and other Western states.
In an attempt to downplay the gross human rights
violations perpetrated by Riyadh, the senior British official said the UK has
shared a “long-standing relationship with Saudi Arabia.”
“It’s always been a very frank relationship where we
have been very clear with Saudi Arabia that when it comes to human rights,
there’s a lot we disagree on,” he asserted. “The executions you just referred
to are clearly things that we would not support.”
Johnson wants to appeal to the Persian Gulf state to
increase its oil output to replace supplies from Russia, which has been hit
with Western sanctions over its military operation in Ukraine.
Rights group Amnesty International UK has criticized
Johnson’s proposed visit to the Arab country, saying he should instead
challenge the crown prince over mass executions and a 10-year travel ban
slapped on blogging rights activist Raif Badawi.
Amnesty UK rights adviser Polly Truscott stressed that
“Saudi Arabia mustn't be allowed a free pass over the civilians being killed by
Saudi coalition airstrikes in Yemen.”
“Whether or not the PM makes it to Riyadh this week,
the key point is that Saudi oil shouldn't be allowed to buy the world's silence
over Saudi Arabia's terrible human rights record,” she told AFP.
Source: Press TV
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South
Asia
180 media outlets closed in past seven months in
Afghanistan
17 March, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], March 17 (ANI): As many as 180
media outlets out of 475 have been closed in Afghanistan in the past seven
months following the takeover by the Taliban in August this year, local media
reported.
On Tuesday, Afghanistan’s National House of
Journalists in its latest survey said Afghan media outlets have been affected
the most after the Taliban takeover as a result only 290 media outlets are
active in the war-torn country, Khaama Press reported.
A recent survey released by Reporters Without Borders
(RSF) and the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) indicates that
about 43 percent of Afghan media outlets have shut down their operations,
leaving almost 60 percent of journalists unemployed.
Head of Afghanistan’s National House of Journalists
Sayed Yaseen Mateen said that reason behind the mass closure of media was
economic woes and migration of professional media workers in the country.
Apart from the economic woes and stoppage of foreign
support of the media in Afghanistan, the lack of access to information cited by
Afghan journalists is said to be another big issue for media in the country,
Khaama Press reported.
On the other hand, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
has always denied the claim.
They said that the closure of media outlets in
Afghanistan is owing to the stoppage of their donors. They denied having
restricted Afghan journalists and media, Khaama Press reported.
The situation of human rights in Afghanistan has
worsened since the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return
to power in August last year.
Although the fighting in the country has ended,
serious human rights violations continue unabated.
Source: The Print
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https://theprint.in/world/180-media-outlets-closed-in-past-seven-months-in-afghanistan/877286/
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Taliban establishes Commission to invite Afghan
figures in exile
16 Mar 2022
The interim government of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan has approved the establishment of an exclusive commission aimed at
inviting and getting Afghan figures in exile returned to Afghanistan.
The commission is named “Repatriation and Connection”
and was ratified at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
A press release made public by the Administration of
Affairs of the IEA reads, “Repatriation and Connection” commission will be led
by Shahabudin Delawar, the acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum.
Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting
Minister of Information and Culture Khairullah Khairkhwa, acting Minister of
Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of vice Muhammad Khalid Hanafi, acting Army
Chief of Staff Fasihudin, a key member of the leadership of the IEA Anas
Haqqani, and Abdulhaq Wasiq are other members of the commission.
It comes after Commissioner of United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees during his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of the
IEA Abdul Salaam Hanafi said that a trusted and secure ground needs to be paved
for Afghans in exile so that they come back to their country.
Another decision of the cabinet banned sticking photos
of the Taliban leaders on car windows and buildings.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-establishes-commission-to-invite-afghan-figures-in-exile-234534634/
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Afghanistan’s Central Bank to auction $12 Million
tomorrow
16 Mar 2022
In a bid to devalue the US dollar against Afghani
(local currency) and/or to stabilize Afghani, Afghanistan’s Central Bank-Da
Afghanistan Bank- intends to pump $12 million on Thursday, March 17, 2022.
Da Afghanistan Bank has asked eligible monetary firms
and money exchangers to take part in the auction.
The last time De Afghanistan Bank auctioned the US
dollar was March the 6th. It was an auction of $14 million.
The bank has recently increased its auction of dollars
into the monetary market of Afghanistan which has led to the devaluation of US
dollars against Afghani.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistans-central-bank-to-auction-12-million-tomorrow-546757/
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UN to vote on its presence in Afghanistan, barring a
Russia veto
17 March ,2022
The Security Council votes Thursday on a resolution to
secure the United Nations’ presence in war-torn Afghanistan into the future --
unless Russia, which has stymied negotiations this week, vetoes the measure.
The draft text introduced by Norway reshapes the
global body’s relations with Kabul to account for last year’s seizure of power
by the Taliban, whose rule is still not recognized by the international
community and who have yet to name new representatives to the United Nations.
According to a diplomatic source, Moscow on Wednesday
opposed the long-discussed draft of a new mandate for the UN Assistance Mission
in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on the grounds it lacked “the consent of the de facto
authorities,” namely the Taliban.
Moscow had filed an initial obstruction a day earlier,
complaining -- as did China -- that human rights were given too much prominence
in the text, a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity. India, Brazil and
France also sought changes.
Even after the measure was redrafted to account for
the concerns, Russia was the only one of 15 Security Council members to oppose
it.
The text “doesn’t reflect our position,” Russia's
deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told AFP, without saying whether Moscow
would go so far as to veto the resolution in Thursday's 10:00 am (1400 GMT)
vote.
The divisions that existed before have only been
“further ignited by the war in Ukraine” and have now affected UN issues across
the spectrum, the ambassador of a Security Council nation told AFP.
The “rift” between the West and Russia “is such that
any consensus is difficult to achieve” among Security Council members, the
envoy added.
Norway’s draft would extend UNAMA for another year,
until March 17, 2023.
It calls for the provision of humanitarian assistance
to the Afghan population against the backdrop of dire economic conditions and a
security situation that appears to be stabilizing.
The text also commits UNAMA to pursue dialogue with
the country’s political stakeholders, “with a focus on promoting inclusive,
representative, participatory and responsive governance at the national and
subnational levels, without any discrimination based on gender, religion or
ethnicity.”
Source: Al Arabiya
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North
America
US pledges $585 mln in new aid for Yemen in 2022:
Blinken
16 March ,2022
The United States on Wednesday pledged almost $585
million in new humanitarian aid for Yemen for 2022 as part of a United
Nations-led drive to increase assistance to millions of Yemenis suffering dire
shortages due to the 8-year-old conflict.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the new
US assistance in a video appearance before a conference in which the UN is
seeking nearly $4.3 billion in additional aid for the war-torn country.
The conflict pits the internationally recognized
Yemeni government, backed by the Arab coalition, against the Iran-backed Houthi
militia.
The European Union pledged $407.4 million, while the
United Kingdom pledged 88 million pounds.
Blinken noted that humanitarian funding began drying
up earlier this year - before attention was diverted by Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine - forcing the closure or reduction of two-thirds of UN programs and
cuts in food rations for 8 million Yemenis.
“The Russian government’s unprovoked aggression in
Ukraine threatens a significant source of Yemen’s imported wheat. Just in the
first week alone, many Yemenis saw the bread price shoot up 50 percent,” he
said.
Source: Al Arabiya
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US says deal to return to Iran nuclear agreement
'close'
Michael Hernandez
16.03.2022
WASHINGTON
A potential deal to return the US and Iran to full compliance
with an historic 2015 nuclear agreement is within reach even as some issues
remain unresolved, the State Department said Wednesday.
"We do think the remaining issues can be bridged.
We do think, and as we’ve said before, we’ve made significant progress,"
spokesman Ned Price told reporters. "We are close to a possible deal but
we’re not there yet.”
Indirect negotiations between the US and Iran have
been ongoing since April 2021. They have been facilitated by the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action's (JCPOA) other participants in protracted shuttle
diplomacy.
The agreement placed unprecedented curbs on Iran's
nuclear program and subjected Tehran to an international inspections regime
verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew
from the JCPOA in 2018, in a now futile effort to bring Iran back to
negotiations for what his administration maintained would be a more
wide-ranging agreement.
Trump re-imposed US sanctions lifted under the 2015
pact and imposed new economic penalties.
Rather than pursue negotiations, Tehran chose to take
steps away from its nuclear-related commitments in retaliation for Trump's
actions.
A potential stumbling block for a mutual return to
compliance was removed Tuesday when Russia said it received written assurances
that the sweeping sanctions the West imposed on Moscow in retaliation for its
invasion of Ukraine will not affect its role in the JCPOA.
Under the original agreement, Russia took from Iran
enriched uranium that was in excess of caps the JCPOA imposed. It is likely to
resume that role under any revived deal.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-says-deal-to-return-to-iran-nuclear-agreement-close/2537652
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US to sell Egypt advanced F-15 fighter jets despite
rights concerns
16 March 2022
A top US general says the United States will sell
advanced F-15 fighter jets to Egypt in spite of concerns about Cairo's human
rights record.
Central Command head General Frank McKenzie told the
Senate Armed Services Committee that the deal for the jets came after a
drawn-out process.
“In the case of Egypt, I think we have good news in
that we’re going to provide them with F-15s, which was a long, hard slog,”
McKenzie told senators.
McKenzie, however, did not elaborate on the sale, and
the State Department, which has to sign off on it, has not officially notified
Congress of the sale, as it is required to do so.
"We don't speak to potential arms transfers or
arms sales until and unless they're notified to Congress," said State
Department spokesperson Ned Price.
The new announcement comes days after the Senate
tussled over a sale of cargo planes to Egypt worth $2.2 billion. Last week,
senators rejected in a push by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) to block the sale of a
dozen C-130J aircraft.
Meanwhile, some lawmakers are expected to work to
block the sale of the Boeing-built jets over Egypt’s human rights record.
“We should end military sales to Egypt’s criminal
masters,” Paul said on the Senate floor last week. “Partially taking away some
military aid while offering new sales that are 10 times what we’ve withheld
shows weakness in the face of oppression.”
In January, the Biden administration approved $2.5
billion in proposed arms sales to Egypt. That included 12 C-130 J Super
Hercules transports and accompanying equipment, worth $2.2 billion, and
ground-based air defense systems worth $355 million.
But the State Department last year blocked the $130
million worth of military aid to Egypt due to its human rights records.
Source: Press TV
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/03/16/678644/US-Egypt-advanced-F-15-fighter-jets
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US still engaging with Russia on Iran nuclear deal:
State Dept. official
15 March 2022
A senior US State Department official says the United
States continues to engage with Russia on reviving the Iran nuclear deal.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity said
on Tuesday, said Moscow may grasp that the sanctions imposed on Russia over its
ongoing military action in Ukraine have should not affect the nuclear
agreement’s implementation.
The official said the US would not sanction Russian
participation in nuclear projects that are part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA), when it is fully implemented, according to Reuters.
The US has accused Russia of undermining efforts to
revive the Iran nuclear deal. In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov said the US accusations were untrue.
Lavrov made the remarks following talks with his
Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Moscow on Tuesday.
The Russian foreign minister said Moscow had received
written American assurances that sanctions against Russia over Ukraine would
not hinder cooperation within the framework of the nuclear agreement.
"We continue to engage with Russia on a return to
full implementation of the JCPOA," the senior US State Department official
said when asked about Lavrov's comments. "We would of course not sanction
Russian participation in nuclear projects that are part of resuming full
implementation of the JCPOA."
"We cannot provide assurances beyond that to
Russia and have no comment on Lavrov’s publicly reported remarks," the
official added. "Perhaps it is now clear to Moscow that, as we have said
publicly, the new Russia-related sanctions are unrelated to the JCPOA and
should not have any impact on its implementation."
Iran’s foreign minister said in a joint press conference
with his Russian counterpart, in Moscow that Russia had been playing a “very
positive and constructive” role since the start of the latest round of
negotiations in Vienna.
Russia, Amir-Abdollahian added, would continue to
stand by Iran until the end of the Vienna process and throw its support behind
a final deal, which can be inked if an agreement is reached with the US side on
the remaining outstanding issues.
The United States under Donald trump left the
multilateral Iran deal in 2018 and began to implement what it called the
“maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions against the Islamic Republic,
depriving the country of the economic benefits of the agreement, including the
removal of sanctions, for which Iran had agreed to put certain caps on its nuclear
activities.
In the meantime, the other parties to the deal, in
particular France, Britain and Germany, only paid lip service to safeguard
Iran’s economic dividends as promised under the JCPOA, prompting Iran – after
an entire year of “strategic patience” – to reduce its nuclear obligations in a
legal move under the deal.
Source: Press TV
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India
Delhi High Court allows reopening of Nizamuddin Markaz
mosque for Shab-e-Barat festival
17th March 2022
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed the
reopening of the Nizamuddin Markaz mosque to allow Muslims to offer prayers for
the Shab-e-Barat festival, PTI reported. The court also removed the restriction
on the number of people allowed inside the three-storey building.
The Nizamuddin Markaz has been closed since March 31,
2020, after a Tablighi Jamaat congregation that took place at the venue was
blamed for thousands of coronavirus infections around the country.
The religious conference had taken place on March 9
and March 10 in 2020 in Delhi’s densely populated Nizamuddin area. The
countrywide lockdown was imposed in India on March 25 of the same year.
The Delhi Waqf Board had filed a petition in February
last year seeking permission to open the premises for the Shab-e-Barat and next
month’s Ramzan festival. In the last hearing on March 15, the Centre had told
the court that it can allow people to offer prayers in case an application
seeking permission is filed before the police.
The board had filed an application on the same day,
which was subsequently accepted by the Delhi Police. However, the police had
imposed several conditions, including limiting the number of devotees to 100
per floor.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri
said the mosque management will ensure that Covid-19 protocols are followed. He
also questioned the rationale behind limiting the number of devotees to 100
people by Delhi Police.
“Whose guesswork [the number] was it?” Justice Ohri
asked, according to the Hindustan Times. “Has there been a restriction on the
number of people? Where is the order of restrictions on the number? Once they
say that they will maintain Covid protocol, then it is fine. It should be left
to the wisdom of the devotees.”
While the police in its order mentioned no “Tablighi”
activities will be permitted, the court replaced the condition saying that the
reopening is only for holding namaz and other religious prayers.
Source: Scroll
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Muslim man offers kidney to save Hindu ex-colleague in
Bengal
17th March 2022
KOLKATA:
Setting up an example of brotherhood, a Muslim man in West Bengal’s
North Dinajpur has offered to donate one of his kidneys to save the life of his
former colleague, a Hindu.
Haslu Mohammad submitted an application to the state
health department recently, seeking approval for organ donation.
The health department forwarded the application to the
local police to investigate whether the applicant is donating his kidney or is
doing in exchange of money, which is illegal.
An investigation by police ruled out any monetary
deal. A police officer said a report would be sent to the health department
soon.
Haslu Mohammad and Achintya Biswas became friends six
years ago when they used to work as agents of a small finance company.
Two years ago, Haslu left the job and started his own
business.
“When I heard Achintya needed immediate transplant, I
decided to donate one of my kidneys. I will not die by doing that but Achintya
will get a new life,” he said.
When asked about religious deference, Haslu said human
life was the most precious.
“Our religion may be different but our blood group is
same.”
Haslu’s wife Manoara, a housewife, said her husband
did what a human being should do. The couple has two sons aged 5 and 7.
Achintya, 28, is admitted to a private hospital for
dialysis. He has an eight-year-old son.
“Haslu decided to make such a big sacrifice only to
save my life. I and my family will always be grateful to him. Had he not come
forward, my family would have been ruined after my death,’’ said Achintya.
Source: New Indian Express
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Muslim religious heads call for peaceful Karnataka
bandh; city police step up security
MARCH 17, 2022
The police have stepped up security in the city after
Muslims leaders and ulemas headed by the Ameer-E-Shariat of Karnataka (chief
priest), Maulana Sagir Ahmad Khan Rashadi, called for a peaceful State-wide
bandh on Thursday. Bengaluru Police Commissioner Kamal Pant, who met with
Muslim leaders, instructed police personnel to conduct route marches at
sensitive areas.
In a video message, Maulana Rashadi said, “Expressing
our anger against the sad order of the Karnataka High Court regarding hijab,
tomorrow on March 17 there will be a complete Bandh across the Karnataka State
for the entire day.” He added that youths should not forcibly close shops or
indulge in sloganeering or processions.
Source: The Hindu
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Muslim graveyards spruced up ahead of Friday's Shab E'
Baraat in Mumbai
Mar 16, 2022
MUMBAI: Muslim graveyards across Mumbai have been
spruced up ahead of Friday's festival of Shab E' Baraat, or Badi Raat as it is
called. Through the intervening night of March 18-19, the community will gather
in strength to pray for peace for their departed souls.
The Andheri Muslim Kabrastan Masjid at Four Bungalows
has acquired a new coat of paint in honour of its first full scale Shab E'
Baraat since the Covid lockdown.
At least 50,000 people will stream in to read Fateha
and dua'a for their dear departed through the night. Luminaries like Kaifi and
Shaukat Azmi, Khayyam, Farooque Shaikh and Ishan Arya are interred here.
On Wednesday, students of its affiliate Madarsa
Talimul Quran walked around admiring bunches of artificial flowers and
colourful drapes that were strung everywhere. Fairy lights will be hung
Thursday.
Trustee Atik Babar Kashmiri said, "Officials of
the local D N Nagar police met us to discuss arrangements. At their behest, we
will issue a special message to our youth at Friday namaz, urging them to avoid
riding motorbikes recklessly that night. No riding triple seat, no wheelies, no
speeding -- and no driving in the wrong lane since steep fines are now being
levied for this offence. Shab E' Baraat is a night of prayer. Our clerics will
explain the spiritual significance of the occasion at a special prayer Friday
night."
Arrangements are in place to distribute water, tea --
and 'Sehri' (dawn meal) for those who plan to observe the roza of Shab E'
Baraat on Saturday March 19. Seven water tankers have been requisitioned.
Like Andheri, the Bada Kabrastan at Marine Lines has
alerted visitors that parking will not be permitted outside.
Meanwhile the gate to Haji Ali Dargah, the tomb of the
veteran saint Haji Ali, will be closed from 11.00pm to 2.00am Friday-Saturday
on account of high tide, said Mohammed Ahmed Taher, administrative officer.
Thousands of devotees arrive to pay respects to the exalted saint during Badi
Raat.
Source: Times Of India
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Several hijab-clad Muslim students miss classes, exam
in Karnataka
MARCH 16, 2022
Only a section of Muslim girls attended classes and
appeared for internal examination without the hijab in government colleges in
Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts on Wednesday, a day after the High Court
of Karnataka held that wearing a hijab (headscarf) is not essential part of
religion and they have to stick to the prescribed uniform.
Sources said that of the 17 Muslim girl students at
the Government First Grade College in Kaup in Udupi district, four attended the
internal examination without wearing the hijab. Another nine students, who had
also turned up at the college, refused to remove the hijab to appear for the
examination. The remaining did not turn up at the college at all.
At the Government PU College in Kundapur, two
first-year students attended classes without the hijab while 11 Muslim students
did not turn up at the college.
At the Government PU College for Girls in Udupi, where
the hijab row originated, six students, including five who took the issue to
the High Court, did not turn up for classes. College principal Rudre Gowda said
that physical classes will be held till March 18. The preparatory examination
for II PU students will commence on March 21, he said.
In Mangaluru, two of the three Muslim post-graduate
girl students turned up for physical classes at the P. Dayanand Pai and P.
Satish Pai Government First Grade College without the hijab. The college
resumed physical classes only for PG students on March 16 after remaining
closed since March 5 following the row over hijab.
Principal Rajeshekar Hebbar said the college will
resume internal examination for UG students on Thursday. The examinations had
been postponed on March 5 following the controversy over the dress code. The
college has 2,382 students of which 33 are Muslim girls. Mr. Hebbar said
students have been told to comply with the High Court order and enter the
classroom as per the dress code prescribed by the College Development
Committee. A separate room has been earmarked for students to remove the hijab
before entering classrooms.
At Shivamogga, 19 students of Kamala Nehru First Grade
College returned home without taking the internal test on Wednesday. The
students, who had reached the college wearing the hijab, were not allowed to
enter the premises. The students also refused to remove the hijab. Speaking to
the media, the girls said that they too had taken admission to the college by
paying fees and should be allowed to take the test.
A couple of students of the Government First Grade
College for Women in Hassan attended classes on the day, as it was a Wednesday,
no uniform day. “Except for Wednesdays, we are not allowed to attend classes,
unless we remove the hijab. All these years, we attended the classes with
hijab. All of a sudden, it would be difficult to change,” said a girl student.
Her classmate said that her parents would not allow her to go to college if she
had to remove the hijab before entering the classroom.
Source: The Hindu
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Muslims must ensure Assamese do not end up like
Kashmiri Pandits: CM Himanta
MARCH 16, 2022
Himanta Sarma refers to The Kashmir Files to
underscore the fear of indigenous communities of losing their land
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said the
Muslims, as the ‘majority’ community in the State, have the responsibility of
ensuring that the Assamese do not end up like Kashmiri Pandits.
Responding to a debate in the 126-member Assembly on
Tuesday, he alluded to the recently-released Hindi film, The Kashmir Files to
drive home his point.
“I am asked if the Assamese people will face the same
fate as Kashmiri Pandits in 10 years, whether Assam will be like what has been
shown in The Kashmir Files. It is the duty of the Muslims to behave like a
majority and assure us that there will be no repeat of Kashmir here,” Mr. Sarma
said.
He tried to justify the ‘majority’ tag for Muslims.
“Today, Muslims are leaders in opposition, have equal
opportunity and wield power. So, it is their duty to ensure that the lands of
the tribal people are not encroached upon,” he said.
Stating that with power comes responsibility, the
Chief Minister said Muslims are 35% of Assam’s population, more than any other
community.
“What responsibility do we have? We are a minority,
and minorities fear losing land, everything. We are living in fear. It is your
duty to allay our fear,” Mr. Sarma said, advising Muslims to stop thinking of
themselves as outsiders and focus on integration and communal harmony.
The fear, he said, was such that even the
Assamese-speaking indigenous Muslims were concerned about losing their
identity. The Assamese Muslims are about 4% of the State’s total Muslim
population, the majority of whom speak Bengali.
Drive against criminals
Mr. Sarma also advised some MLAs not to find a
religious angle in police crackdown on criminals. “The police are taking action
against Hindus and tribals apart from Muslims for their involvement in crime,
not targeting any particular community,” he told the Assembly.
“When the police shoot a drug seller from the minority
community and say they shoot when they try to escape, we have to trust them.
But the police should act within the limits of the law,” he said, referring to
a shooting case in which action was taken against the police for going wrong.
Source: The Hindu
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Mideast
Islamic missionaries allowed to open stand in Haifa
university, students outraged
Yehonatan Gottleib
16.03.22
Students at the University of Haifa are furious after
religious activists set up a stand in the middle of the campus that presents
the teachings of Islam.
This is an exhibition of Islamic books operated by
members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community based in the city of Haifa. Activists
operated the stand last week for five days.
According to one of the students who spoke to Israel
National News, the Islamic activists did not display their views and books in
an innocent way, but chose to emphasize the parts of Islam that supposedly
prove Judaism is wrong.
In the internal WhatsApp groups of students at the
university, there was great anger over the fact that the university
administration allowed this to happen.
"I have no problem with a stand that displays a
different religion, but when signs start circulating around the university, and
when books talk about 'where the Jews are wrong', this is not a display, it is
preaching, and yet everything is well received by the university... I doubt
they would be as accepting if there were a similar stand from the Jewish
side," one of the students wrote to his friends.
Another student wrote: "The bottom line is that
this is missionary work for all intents and purposes: Islamic clerics, the
Koran translated to Hebrew, and translated books of the Ahmadis (even to
Yiddish). It is inconceivable that a large academic institution in the State of
Israel would open a missionary branch of any religious sect."
According to the same student, "It would have
infuriated me just as much if there was a stand of a Christian mission, a
different Muslim sect, or even of Jewish [proselytizing]. Signs like 'Islam
saved Judaism,' in an academic institution where Jews study, is horrible in my
opinion.
“Whoever claims that Jews proselytize (for example
Chabad on campus) is wrong. I have never seen a sign in the university that
tells Arabs to come and convert to Judaism."
Another student wrote: "I do not know if this is
a passage from a certain book they published or a title, but in my opinion,
there is a religious message here that did not come out ok at all; certainly
not in a Jewish state and not in a state-run university. This is very
problematic."
Source: Israel National News
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of the original story:
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/324090
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Iran Welcomes UN Resolution against Islamophobia
2022-March-16
Takht Ravanchi made the remarks, addressing the UN
General Assembly after the body voted in favor of a resolution naming March 15
as International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
“By marking this occasion, we can generate a better
understanding of Islam and Islamic principles,” the envoy said.
“The resolution proves our determination to
effectively and constructively confront Islamophobia as one of the main
challenges facing the international community,” he added.
Takht Ravanchi urged all UN members to act on their
responsibilities and legal commitments in this regard, thus contributing to the
promotion of common values, peaceful coexistence, tolerance, and mutual
understanding throughout the whole world.
‘”Over the past decades, anti-Islam and anti-Muslim
agitation have been chronically reinforced by some media outlets, politicians,
influencers, and also across the academic discourses,” he noted.
It is highly important for the UN members to adopt a
unified stance in the face of instances of Islamophobia, such as travel ban
against Muslims, hijab bans, bans on Muslim symbols, and “application of such
despicable and ignorant terms such as ‘Islamic terrorism”, the ambassador said.
“It is our conviction that terrorism, in all its forms
and representations, cannot and should not be attributed to any religion,
nationality, civilization or ethnic group,” he added.
Takht Ravanchi also said that the country backs the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)’s endeavors towards fighting
Islamophobia.
Reports said in October that Some 67.5% of the Muslims
living in the US has experienced Islamophobia at least once in their life,
according to a study by the University of California, Berkeley.
Women reported more Islamophobic experience than men
as the rates stood at 76.7% for Muslim women compared to 58.6% Muslim men, the
Othering & Belonging Institute said in a press release.
According to the survey, two out of three Muslims were
exposed to Islamophobic acts, while 33% of respondents said they had hidden
their religious identities at some moments to in fear of Islamophobic acts and
88.2% stated that they avoided certain speeches and actions for fear of facing
backlash.
An overwhelming 93.7% of the respondents stated that
Islamophobia affects their emotional and mental health.
Nearly 45% of those aged between 18-29 were more
likely than any other group to have hidden their religious identity.
“The survey, conducted two decades after the 9/11
attacks which led to a surge of hate crimes and prompted government policies
targeting Muslims, provides insight into the experiences, lived realities, and
psychological impacts of Islamophobia on millions of US residents,” the press
release read.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001225000313/Iran-Welcmes-UN-Reslin-agains-Islamphbia
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Dozens of Palestinians hurt in confrontations with
Israeli forces in northern West Bank
16 March 2022
Dozens of Palestinians have been injured after Israeli
police stormed the northern part of West Bank, amid renewed tensions over the
Israeli military's killing of three young Palestinians across the occupied
territories.
Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity,
said clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli troops after settlers
stormed Joseph’s Tomb on the outskirts of the occupied West Bank city of
Nablus, desecrating the site venerated by Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Hundreds of settlers arrived at the site on board a
number of buses on Tuesday evening, and broke into the tomb amid protection by
Israeli troopers.
Violence erupted when Palestinians engaged in clashes
with Israeli troopers, who fired rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades and
tear gas canisters to disperse the protesting crowd.
A number of Palestinians were struck with rubber
bullets. Several others suffered chest tightness, coughing and a choking
sensation, as they had been exposed to tear gas fired by Israeli forces.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces shot three Palestinians
dead, including a teenager, in separate incidents in the occupied West Bank and
in the Naqab (Negev) desert.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said 17-year-old Nader
Rayan died after being shot in the head, chest and hand in an Israeli raid on
Balata refugee camp in Nablus.
The second death came in the Qalandiya refugee camp on
the northern outskirts of al-Quds.
Alaa Shaham, in his twenties, was killed by a bullet
to the head, the ministry said. Six other Palestinians were wounded by live
fire.
In the town of Rahat inside the Naqab desert, an
undercover Israeli unit posing as Palestinians killed 27-year-old and father of
three Sanad Salem al-Harbed.
The Arab League has called on international bodies,
especially the UN Security Council, to assume their responsibilities and
implement resolutions concerning protection of Palestinian people.
It stressed that the Israeli regime continues to
commit extrajudicial executions and premeditated killings of Palestinians, and
completely disregards their most basic human, legal and international rights,
as some 20 Palestinian youths and children have been killed since the beginning
of the current year.
Source: Press TV
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of the original story:
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Yemeni security forces thwart Saudi-linked terrorist
cell's attempt to destabilize Sana’a
16 March 2022
Yemeni security forces have managed to thwart a terror
plot orchestrated by Saudi Arabia’s spy services to target security and
stability in the capital Sana’a, as Riyadh and its allies keep a deadly war and
siege against the country.
According to Yemen’s official Saba news agency, the
Saudi General Intelligence Presidency (GIP) established a network of several
operatives, equipped it with various types of munitions and explosive devices,
and dispatched its members to regions recently liberated by Yemeni army troops
and fighters from their allied Popular Committees to kill ordinary people and
undermine peace.
It noted that Yemeni security forces had received
information that the Saudi-affiliated terror cell was provided with three car
bombs in the central province of Ma’rib and tasked with striking vital
facilities in Sana’a and elsewhere in Yemen.
The report went on to say that Yemeni forces intensified
security measures in the vicinity of the designated sites, increased their
alertness levels, set up checkpoints, and thoroughly searched cars both at
entry and exit points.
Yemeni security forces were, therefore, granted
permission from the Public Prosecution to arrest those suspected of involvement
in the terrorist plot.
Initial investigations revealed that the Saudi-linked
terrorist cell was led by Naji Ali Saeed Munif, who was commander of the
military police in Ma’rib, and Adnan Ahmed Mohammed al-Dhiai, an officer in the
Special Security Forces.
Moreover, the Saudi intelligence service sought to
implement its terrorist plot with the help of its mercenaries, who hired a
number of transport truck drivers as a cover in order to carry explosive laden
vehicles to designated sites.
The Saudi mercenaries exploited locals' harsh
conditions of living in order to lure them into engagement in criminal acts and
attempts affecting national security.
Saba highlighted that Yemeni security forces are still
following up on the case in order to capture all those involved in the
terrorist plot and bring them to justice.
Saudi Arabia launched the devastating war against
Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its allies and with arms
and logistics support from the US and several Western states.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Southeast
Asia
Indonesian govt targets 'blasphemous' Christian cleric
By Konradus Epa
March 17, 2022
Indonesia’s government and top Muslim clerical body
have demanded police take action against a Protestant pastor for insulting
Islam after he allegedly urged the religious affairs minister to remove 300
verses from the Quran.
Reverend Abraham Ben Moses, 57, who has previously
served a prison term for blasphemy, was also critical of what was being taught
in Islamic schools and calls to prayer over mosque loudspeakers.
The preacher made the controversial calls in a video
clip that went viral on social media this week, saying the Quran verses made
Muslims intolerant and stoked extremism.
In the video, Rev. Moses lent his voice to calls for
mosques to make calls to prayer quieter but went on to suggest that Religious
Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Quomas remove 300 Quran verses to foster
tolerance and peace with religious minority groups. However, he did not specify
which verses should be removed.
The call prompted an angry response from Mahfud MD,
the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, and the
Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
“Police need to investigate this and block or remove
his [social media] account because he is damaging interreligious relations as
well as committing blasphemy,” Mahfud said on March 16.
“We can have different opinions but we don’t insult
religions. We must respect them.”
The MUI issued a similar statement and called for
Muslims to remain calm and allow police to handle the matter.
"We urge that police take action against the
reverend, who must be punished severely," said general secretary Amirsyah
Tambunan.
In his video, Rev. Moses, a former Muslim from Bima in
West Nusa Tenggara province, also urged minister Quomas to revise curriculums
and change teachers in madrasas (Islamic schools) and Islamic boarding schools
(pesantrens) because they were producing extremists and terrorists.
“I was radicalized because I studied in a pesantren,”
he said, adding that was what eventually led him to be baptized a Christian in
2006.
Jesuit Father Johannes Hariyanto, general secretary of
the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), said that since the
religious affairs minister doesn’t have the authority to remove the verses, it
might be more prudent not to comment on the pastor's call.
“The religious minister doesn’t need to respond,”
Father Hariyanto told UCA News on March 16.
Source: UCA News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-govt-targets-blasphemous-christian-cleric/96534
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In Malaysia, the sultans have the authority
March 16, 2022
Nothing is straightforward in Malaysia. Last Saturday,
Barisan Nasional (BN), led by Umno won a resounding state elections victory in
Johor, only to find that their chosen menteri besar candidate, Hasni Mohammad,
was overlooked by the Johor palace and instead Onn Hafiz Ghazi took office.
This is not the first time political party nominees
for the position of chief minister have been knocked back by their respective
state palaces. Back in Terengganu, in 2008, there was a political impasse when
the Sultan insisted Ahmad Said be chief minister over Umno’s choice, Idris
Jusoh.
In 2009, the Raja of Perlis refused to swear in
Shahidan Kassim as chief minister and swore in Md Isa Sabu instead.
In Selangor, in 2014, in what was called the Kajang
Move, the Sultan refused to appoint then opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s wife
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as chief minister, picking Azmin Ali, even though he
didn’t have apparent support from the majority of assembly members.
In 2018, the Raja of Perlis swore in Azlan Man as
chief minister, even though the ceremony was boycotted by assembly members who
supported their candidate, Ismail Kassim, brother of Shahidan Kassim.
There is a degree of absolute power in the hands of
the monarchs that doesn’t devolve to other constitutional monarchies. According
to state constitutions, the Sultan or Raja in the case of Perlis, and Yang
Di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) federally, can appoint “who they believe to have the
support of the majority of members” of the assembly.
Many implications
There are a number of implications on what happened
over the last few days in Johor.
The first issue is sovereignty, over who has the power
to select any chief minister. As historical precedent has shown on a number of
occasions, it’s not a mandate by the people, or a nominee by the largest
political party or coalition occupying the largest number of seats in the lower
house that counts. It’s the selection made by the Sultan, Raja or YDPA.
This has been in all constitutions. Law and convention
have supported this. This is one of the aspects of the Malaysian democratic
system that makes it unique and, historically, this connects the sultans with
the absolute power they once had to make any selection of their chief minister.
Just because the sultans, raja or the YDPA don’t
always utilise this privilege doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
However, the use of this privilege in selecting the
chief minister early this week by Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has deep
implications on the contemporary political scene. The Sultan’s decision
effectively checked the power of Umno, and its formal leadership, making what
would have been an ecstatic celebration of victory on the floor of the Umno
General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) this week, to something
much more subdued.
This checks the current Umno leadership, controlled by
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as president and his convicted cohort, Najib Razak. At least
from Johor, there is a message of displeasure with the resurgence of this group
openly within the public domain. This is a counter to the growing phenomena of
“Bossku” from the south of the peninsula, at least.
The Umno leadership’s choice for chief minister,
Hasni, with a track record of experience, was discarded in favour of Onn Hafiz,
who has a deep Johor pedigree.
Onn Hafiz is the great-great-grandson of the first
chief minister of Johor, Jaafar Muhammad, and great-grandson of the founder of
Umno, Onn Jaafar and grandson of former prime minister of Malaysia, Hussein
Onn.
Maybe, more importantly, Onn Hafiz is a nephew of
current defence minister and supporter of current prime minister Ismail Sabri
Yaakob, Hishammuddin Hussein, who regularly carries counsel within the palace.
This is as much support you would overtly see for the
current prime minister over the so-called court cluster within Umno by a royal
household.
Nobody, except for those with close council knows the
exact reasons for his choice. We can only surmise some of the palace sentiments
from past public statements over the years.
This hints that the Johor monarchy are very concerned
about the agenda politicians have mapped out for Johor. It’s no secret the
Johor sultan has strong views about governance, economic development, education,
health and religious extremism.
The action also signals concern over the political
instability within the country at present, and corresponding agendas behind
this. There is a strong sentiment against control from Putrajaya and national
Umno, as there is a belief this is not always in Johor’s best interests as a
state.
The Conference of Rulers have also managed to wrest
control of the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), at a time when the
federal government is weak. Jakim has for years encroached upon state powers
over Islam, which has irked the royal households.
The Keeper of the Royal Seal also announced the Sultan
of Selangor, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, would take the position of chairman of the
National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia (MKI) on a two-year
rotational basis with other monarchs.
On more than one occasion, the King, Sultan Abdullah
Ahmad Shah, has formally requested politicians publicly to stop bickering and
focus on governance. This has gone unheeded.
So, it can be expected that the Conference of Rulers
will use their position to the maximum in future to try and steer the nation’s
governance in a direction they see as best for the nation.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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More Ramadan features could return, depending on
Covid-19 situation: Singapore’s Mufti
3/17/2022
SINGAPORE - Muslims here can expect some features of
the holy month of Ramadan to return, such as nightly congregational prayers
with larger capacities, but this is contingent on the local Covid-19 situation
and national health guidelines.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) will
ensure the activities are conducted safely but it will not mean a return to the
pre-pandemic setting, said Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir in an exclusive interview
with The Straits Times on March 7.
The fasting month of Ramadan begins on April 2, 2022.
It is considered by Muslims to be the holiest month of the year.
Typically, Muslims would gather in mosques at night
for congregational prayers called Terawih, recite the Quran and perform other
rites. But over the past two years, these had to be stopped or adjusted to
comply with the need for social distancing due to the pandemic.
“Muis is studying very carefully the latest
guidelines, and as guidelines change, what activities can be allowed in the
mosque for Ramadan.
“Based on what we already have, many features of
Ramadan will remain, which are the prayers, the night prayers, even the Quran
recitations,” said Dr Nazirudin, Singapore’s top Islamic leader.
“So, a number of the features of Ramadan will come
back, and we will monitor the guidelines to see what other activities can be
conducted safely come Ramadan.”
He added that he and Muis are looking at how they can
adopt best practices from safe management measures currently in place.
The resumption of more religious activities will not
mean a return to the pre-Covid-19 way of life, the Mufti said, adding that the
“new norms” will also not change the fundamental nature and identity of
mosques.
Instead, the “new norms” will ensure congregants are
protected and benefit Muslims here, said Dr Nazirudin, who has been serving as
Singapore's mufti for two years since he took up the job in March 2020.
He cited as an example how congregational Friday
prayers are now conducted with safe management measures. Muslims currently have
to book a prayer slot online and verify their booking with mosque staff and
volunteers before they enter the mosque.
The congregants must be fully vaccinated or eligible
unvaccinated individuals.
As the local Covid-19 situation improved, Dr Nazirudin
said more slots have been opened up. But bookings remain necessary.
“The Friday prayers are now conducted in an orderly
manner. People come to the mosque according to the designated sessions. The
prayers and prayer spaces are also organised very well,” he said.
“In a post-Covid-19 environment, certain things will
change… But does that mean we compromise on the orderliness, for example, or we
simply discard the lessons and the best practices in organising and using our
places of worship which we learnt during Covid-19?
“I hope the community will continue to learn from the
experience and adapt further to improve where relevant.”
Dr Nazirudin became mufti in the midst of the pandemic
but he said how Muslims here, and Singaporeans in general, have adapted and
shown resilience to overcome difficult challenges has been a highlight.
“What I feel from the two years is really a lot of
pride in our Singapore Muslim community and society - in terms of the values
and principles that the community and society hold dear, especially when they
face such an unprecedented crisis of a global scale,” he said.
Dr Nazirudin is also proud of the local Islamic
religious teachers, or asatizah.
He said they have been “outstanding” in carrying out
their duties and leading the community – from finding technological solutions
to conduct lessons, to picking up new skills to respond to Covid-19-related
disruptions, to quickly getting on board with Muis’ efforts to keep the
community engaged.
Challenges faced
The asatizah have also played an important role in
helping the community understand some of the difficult decisions Muis had to
make amid the pandemic, said Dr Nazirudin.
These include the closure of mosques at the start of
the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore in 2020, as well as the suspension of the
Haj pilgrimage.
These decisions were not without anxiety on his part,
but the Mufti said he drew a lot of comfort from how his peers, the asatizah, as
well as the community appreciated the reasons.
There was criticism from some members of the
community. But he said this was not unexpected given the number of adjustments
that had to be made in a short time.
Dr Nazirudin added: “Of course, there are others who
disagree with some of the measures and initiatives, as well as have their
preferences of how things should be done.
“But our responsibility is to look at the information
that is available to us, study the projections, and work with the experts, partners
and stakeholders… to find the right solutions.”
He said that all feedback is important, and added that
the concerns and aspirations of the community are heard in shaping religious
guidance here.
He cited the wearing of the tudung, or headscarf,
among nurses as an example of when the Muslim community was consulted. From Nov
1 last year, Muslim nurses were allowed to wear the tudung to work.
Dr Nazirudin said not all religious guidelines can
continue to be provided in a binary way, where something is strictly allowed or
disallowed.
While some things, like alcohol consumption, are
clearly prohibited in Islam, there are other activities where people’s
circumstances and the context have to be considered.
He gave the example of cryptocurrencies and complex financial
derivatives. Some Muslim bodies abroad have prohibited the community from using
them because they have elements of uncertainty.
Source: The World News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Farhash
slams ‘rude’ Rafizi over presidency claim
March
17, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: A former political aide to Anwar Ibrahim has hit out at Rafizi Ramli
after Rafizi claimed that he did not want to “spark chaos” by going for the top
post in PKR.
Farhash
Wafa Salvador also labelled the former Pandan MP, who recently announced his
return to active politics, as “rude”.
“More
importantly, does he think he is qualified to go against Anwar Ibrahim for the
presidency?” he said in a statement tonight, referring to the party polls next
month.
“If
Rafizi feels he can take on Anwar, he should do so and let members see for
themselves the power-crazed individuals who are prepared to betray the party’s
leadership.
“Rafizi
should just be honest with himself and stop pulling such cheap political
stunts.”
Earlier
today, Malaysiakini reported Rafizi as saying he did not want to contest for
the presidency to ensure that the public was not distracted from the message
the party wanted to convey.
Rafizi
was reported to have said that if he were to challenge for the number one post,
the focus will be on the contest instead of issues affecting the people.
Farhash,
who has been critical of Rafizi, said that as a PKR member, Rafizi should be
“more civilised” upon his return to politics, and should “mind his language”.
In
a statement yesterday, Rafizi announced his return to active politics, saying
he would be vying for the post of deputy president again. He challenged then
PKR deputy president Azmin Ali in 2018 but lost narrowly.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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International
webinar held in Indonesia to raise awareness about China’s human rights
violations in Xinjiang
16
March, 2022
Jakarta
[Indonesia], March 16 (ANI): In an effort to raise awareness in Indonesia about
China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang and expose why some developing
countries indebted to China turn a blind eye towards it, the Center for
South-East Asian Studies (CSEAS) organized an international webinar titled
“China’s Atrocities On Uyghur Muslims: Why Do Many Countries Remain Silent?” in
Jakarta on Tuesday.
Prominent
leaders at the webinar noted that China is trying to eliminate the Uyghur’s
culture from the country. The webinar was moderated by Dr Asep Setiawan from
Muhammdiyah University Jakarta. It featured very prominent speakers, including
Omer Kanat (executive director of Uyghur Human Rights Project, Washington),
Professor James Leibold (from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia),
Dinna Prapto Raharjo (from Binus University, Jakarta) and Dr Ayjaz Wani
(Research Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, Mumbai, India).
Omer
Kanat while addressing the webinar said, “Lack of response from the Muslim
world has been demoralizing for the Uyghurs. The leadership of many
Muslim-majority countries have been silent, while others vocally approved the
Chinese government’s actions”.
“Economically,
indebted to China and toeing China’s strategy of political Islam, some Muslim
countries in South Asia like Pakistan and Bangladesh have turned a blind eye to
the atrocities on Muslims in Xinjiang,” noted Dr. Ayjaz Wani during the
webinar.
Moreover,
Prof. James Leibold pointed out that people are not aware of the human rights
situation in Xinjiang as less information is present. “There is a general, a
genuine knowledge gap. There is simply less information available about what is
happening in Xinjiang and to the Uyghur people in the media and social media
landscape of the Muslim world,” he said.
Dr
Dinna Prapto Rharjo hoped that solidarity sentiment could be generated for the
repressed Uyghurs. “Hopefully, we can build the feeling of solidarity (for
Uyghurs) again all of us,” said Rharjo.
Notably,
the US State Department and parliaments of Canada and the Netherlands have
determined that China’s conduct constitutes genocide under international law.
Many countries have imposed sanctions on Chinese officials and companies as a
result.
But
many countries from Asia, Africa and Latin American countries remained silent
about atrocities in Xinjiang. Many Muslim-majority countries strongly supported
China’s repressive actions on Uyghurs.
Communist
leaders generally do not like religion. Likewise, communist China does not like
its largest province-level division, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
(XUAR), and its people, who are mostly Uyghur Muslims.
Xinjiang,
which has vast natural resources, is a landlocked autonomous region with some
25 million people. In area-wise, Xinjiang is four times bigger than Germany.
Locals call Xinjiang East Turkistan and it was an independent country, which
was occupied by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 1949.
The
people of East Turkistan are called Uyghurs, or Uighurs, and are ethnically and
culturally Turkic people. They practice a moderate form of Islam. The Xinjiang
region has been under China’s repressive rule for many years, with deliberate
policies opposing centuries-old traditions, culture, and religion. Since
President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013, Chinese atrocities on Uyghur
Muslims have increased sharply.
China
has imposed a ban on growing a long beard and wearing an Islamic dress. Owning
a holy Quran or a prayer mat will land you in jail in Xinjiang. Even parents
cannot give Islamic names to their own children. There is a strict surveillance
system everywhere.
According
to the Human Rights Watch 2021 report, total arrests in the Xinjiang region
accounted for about 21 per cent of all arrests in China in 2017. But the fact
is the population of the Xinjiang region constitute only 1.5 per cent of
China’s 1.44 billion people.
Two-thirds
of mosques were destroyed by authorities. Since 2017, around 16,000 mosques
were either partially or fully demolished in Xinjiang. More than one million
Uyghurs were put in internment camps in Xinjiang. It is an open jail.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Arab
World
Hezbollah’s
Presence in Lebanese Government and Parliament Essential: Nasrallah
16
March 2022
Hezbollah
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has underlined the need for the
presence of the resistance movement in the Lebanese government and parliament.
In
a meeting with some Hezbollah members on Wednesday, he explained the reasons
why Hezbollah ran in the 1992 and 2005 general elections, saying the
participation was aimed at supporting the resistance.
Referring
to the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for May 15, Nasrallah
stressed that Hezbollah’s “battle in the polls is the that of its allies” and
that the resistance group will work for the success of its allies’ candidates
just as it does for its own candidates, according to the news website
Al-Nashra.
"Experience
has shown us that we cannot be absent in any government… Therefore, our
presence in the government and parliament is essential to supporting the
resistance, even if we may be in a government whose head is an opponent and
even if we are accused of accompanying the corrupt," he added.
The
Hezbollah chief also described the May elections as one of the most important
and dangerous political battles, whose outcome would determine the fate of
other battles, calling for vigilance until the announcement of the results.
"The
goal is not the victory of Hezbollah candidates, but to achieve results to
strengthen the position of our allies,” he said. “We want all our allies to
succeed along with us."
Since
late 2019, Lebanon has been mired in a deep financial crisis that has caused
the Lebanese pound to lose around 90 percent of its value to the US dollar and
led its banking system to collapse, plunging the bulk of Lebanese into poverty.
The
economic and financial crisis is mostly linked to the sanctions that the United
States and its allies have imposed on Lebanon as well as foreign intervention
in the Arab nation’s domestic affairs.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/03/16/678651/Nasrallah-Hezbollah-role-Lebanon-government
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UAE
announces intent to begin bilateral trade talks with Australia: Trade minister
17
March ,2022
The
UAE has announced on Thursday an intent to begin Comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (CEPA) talks with Australia, according to a social media
post from Dr Thani al-Zeyoudi, the Emirates’ Minister of Foreign Trade.
The
move is expected to “grow the trade relationship between both countries,
creating new jobs and opportunities for exporters,” according to a statement
shared by Dan Tehan, Australia’s minister for trade, tourism, and investment.
Following
the trade deal’s progression, it would mark the first time that Australia signs
such an agreement in the Middle East.
As
part of the process, proceedings to realize the agreement would include
“stakeholder consultations” and follow the terms set by the World Trade
Organization, according to a joint statement shared by the Australian minister.
“Australia
has more than 300 key businesses operating in the UAE,” said Tehan in the
statement, “including in building, construction, financial services,
agricultural supplies and training services and a CEPA would create more
opportunities for Australian businesses and workers.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Saudi
Arabia, UK sign MoU to establish strategic partnership council
16
March ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson in Riyadh where they signed a memorandum of understanding to establish
a strategic partnership council, state news agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
Johnson
arrived in the Kingdom earlier on Wednesday after visiting the UAE. According
to reports, Johnson’s official visits to the Gulf countries aim to strengthen
ties with Arab oil exporters after sanctions have been placed on Russian
hydrocarbons in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine.
The
Saudi Crown Prince and Johnson discussed regional and international
developments, including the situation in Ukraine where the conflict enters its
fourth week.
They
also disccused bilateral cooperation and means to strengthen it, SPA added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Abu
Dhabi Crown Prince, UK PM Johnson discuss stability of global energy markets
16
March ,2022
Abu
Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson discussed on Wednesday the stability of global energy markets as the
conflict in Ukraine enters its fourth week, state news agency (WAM) reported.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Johnson arrived in the UAE on an official visit amid soaring oil
prices. Reports said that he aimed to strengthen ties with Arab oil exporters
after sanctions have been placed on Russian hydrocarbons in the wake of its
invasion of Ukraine.
Later
the same day, he landed in Saudi Arabia.
During
the meeting held in Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed and Johnson discussed regional
and international developments, specifically the Ukrainian crisis and its
humanitarian consequences, and voiced the importance of intensifying
international efforts to mitigate the effects of the humanitarian situation on
civilians.
Sheikh
Mohammed reiterated the UAE’s support to diplomatic and peaceful efforts to
resolve conflicts and disputes among countries toward what serves regional and
international security and stability.
“The
British prime minister affirmed that the [UK] is keen on developing cooperation
and coordination with the UAE toward what serves mutual interests and
contributes to solidifying the pillars of peace and stability in the region and
the world,” the report said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Dubai’s
Emirates announces daily flights to Israel’s Tel Aviv as ties bolster
16
March ,2022
Dubai’s
Emirates airline has announced daily flights to Israel’s Ben Gurion airport
from June 23, according to a report by the Emirates news agency WAM.
The
route will see Emirates fly the Boeing 777-300ER with a seating capacity of
more than 350 passengers.
Adnan
Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates said that there was “tremendous
pent-up demand” according to the WAM report.
“Emirates
is committed to creating new opportunities for business and tourism, and
strengthening the bilateral ties between the UAE and Israel,” added Kazim.
The
new service to Tel Aviv will also set aside 20 tons of cargo capacity on each
flight to facilitate exports for Israeli businesses reported WAM.
Bahrain
and the UAE normalized relations with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham
Accords agreements in September 2020.
Israel’s
president Isaac Herzog visited the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on January 31 marking
the first presidential visit to the UAE. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited
the UAE in December.
“Already
our trade has exceeded over $1 billion, more than 120 agreements were signed
and a $100 million (research and development) fund was established recently,”
Herzog said in a speech at the six-month long world fair in Dubai emirate.
He
said 250,000 Israelis had so far visited the UAE and he hoped Emiratis would
reciprocate once COVID-19 restrictions eased.
Meanwhile,
Israel and Egypt have agreed to expand flights between the countries, Israeli
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Wednesday, launching a new direct route
between Tel Aviv and Sharm El-Sheikh that is expected to launch in April.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Fate
of Syrian people remains priority, says EU
Agnes
Szucs
17.03.2022
BRUSSELS
The
EU's foreign policy chief made a statement on Wednesday reassuring that Syrians
remain a "priority for the European Union."
In
a statement issued on the 11th anniversary of the beginning of the "tragic
and bloody conflict in Syria," Josep Borrell said the EU was "fully
committed" to finding "a durable and comprehensible political
solution in Syria."
Underlining
that Syrians were in serious need of humanitarian assistance, he said that
Syrian refugees "constitute the largest displacement crisis in the world
with 5.7 registered refugees," while another 6.9 million internally
displaced people live in the war-torn country.
He
stressed that the EU would not normalize relations with the Syrian Bashar
al-Assad regime, nor contribute to the country's reconstruction or lift
sanctions until an agreement is reached for a political solution to the
conflict in line with the UN's demands.
At
the same time, he said the EU "cannot and will not look away as the future
of Syria and its people are held hostage to the conflict."
On
May 10, the EU will co-host with the UN the sixth Brussels Conference on
Supporting the Future of Syria to raise funds for the Syrian people and the
region.
Since
2011, the EU and its member states mobilized over €25 billion ($27.5 billion)
in support of the Syrian people.
Syria
has been in civil war since early 2011 when the regime cracked down on
pro-democracy protests.
According
to the official numbers of the UN, over 350,000 people lost their lives to the
conflict but human rights groups estimate the death toll to be between
500,000-600,000.
Over
14 million had to flee their homes, becoming refugees or internally displaced,
according to the EU.
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/fate-of-syrian-people-remains-priority-says-eu/2537705
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UAE
ship sinks 30 miles from Iran’s Asaluyeh port: IRNA
17
March ,2022
A
United Arab Emirates ship sank 30 miles away from Iran’s Asaluyeh port, Iran’s
official IRNA news agency said on Thursday.
The
news agency added there were 30 cabin crew aboard the ship awaiting rescue.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Pakistan
Facebook
turns down Pakistan govt’s request to remove URLs related to Ahmadiyyas for
‘blasphemy’
16
March, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], March 16 (ANI): Pakistan Telecast Authority (PTA) has reportedly
requested Facebook to remove over 700 URLs related to the Ahmadiyya community
for “blasphemy”.
The
PTA’s request was made on the grounds that Ahmadiyyas propagate their faith
under the guise of Islam by portraying themselves as Muslims and deliberately
outraging the Muslim community sentiments.
However,
the request was turned down by Facebook for its violation of Pakistan’s
commitments to the international community.
The
social media platform apparently informed that in view of its commitments to
the international community and as Islamabad is also a signatory to
‘Conventions on International Human Rights’, removal of URLs would be
contradictory to the country’s commitment to the international community.
Notably,
the Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan are not only treated like pariahs in their
life but also desecrated, dug up, and humiliated after their death.
Source:
The Print
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of the original story:
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'We
will lock them like pigeons in a cage': Fawad blasts Opp
March
16, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
As
government and opposition leaders continue to trade blows in the volatile days
leading to the no-confidence vote, the ruling party ministers reiterated on
Wednesday thay efforts to topple Prime Minister Imran Khan would not only serve
as a "self-defeating" move but would also provide the government an
opportunity to "lock them up in a cage like pigeons".
Talking
to the media along with federal ministers and senior party leaders here after a
high-level meeting of the PTI, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the government "will lock
them [opposition] like pigeons are locked in a cage".
The
statement comes as the as the mercurial mood of the political climate and
uncertain stance of allies prolongs tensions, fuelling speculations.
Fawad
said the no-trust motion would prove to be a fatal blow for the opposition and
draw curtains on its politics once and for all.
“These
are the last days of opposition in the politics and once this politics
[no-trust bid] is over, Pakistan will move ahead further,” he said and dared
the leaders of both Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema
Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) to hold even a single public meeting like the ones
addressed by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Show
some courage and do a jalsa like Imran Khan,” he added.
'ECP
should take notice of horse-trading'
Fawad
also lashed out at the opposition for what he termed "the scourge of
horse-trading", saying the latter had revived the “meena bazar of mules
and horses” at the Sindh House.
The
“open sale and purchase of the loyalties of legislators” was underway and the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should come into action to stop the
practice, he added.
The
ECP, he said, should also issue a notice to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as
its leader Javed Latif had confessed of the party’s indulgence in the
horse-trading.Separately, in a tweet, Fawad Chaudhry said the ECP should issue
a notice to PML-N MP Javed Latif for admitting horse-trading for the success of
the no-trust move.
The
minister shared a video of Latif admitting PML-N’s role in horse-trading for
the success of the motion.
“Principally,
the ECP should issue a show-cause notice to PML-N and seek clarification,” he
said.
Chaudhry,
however, observed the ECP is only after the ruling PTI and is unable to see the
acts committed by the PML-N.
During
the presser, Fawad also welcomed a recent statement of Punjab Assembly Speaker
Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in which he acknowledged that the prime minister was an
honest person and brushed aside the notion about his party’s support for the
opposition’s no-trust move.
Read
Voting on no-trust motion to take place after March 27: Faisal Javed
'Allies
haven't forgotten Opp's ill-treatment'
Meanwhile,
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi disputed the opposition’s claim that it
had managed to gain the required numerical backing to pull off the task of
toppling the ruling party was absurd.
In
a statement, Qureshi stressed that the premature victory claimed by the
opposition parties was false, saying the coalition partners had not forgotten
the ‘ill-treatment’ meted out to them by the opposition, which was now seeking
their support.
“Does
the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) not take into consideration what Pakistan
Peoples Party (PPP) did to it in Sindh?” he pointed out, saying the decision of
the allied parties could not be gauged from ongoing “temporary meetings”.
“If
such was the case then the opposition would not have to work this hard to peel
off government’s allies,” he asserted and added that the opposition was trying
to throw the ruling party’s three-and-a-half-year-old relation with the allies
in jeopardy, thereby obstructing the joint efforts taken for the betterment of
the country.
Regarding
the talks that the joint opposition was ready to hand over the slot of CM
Punjab following to Pervaiz Elahi in the prospective political settlement after
the no-trust motion, Qureshi said that if the PML-N was making an offer to Pakistan
Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) in return for its backing against the PTI, then “do
the friends of the PML-Q not know how many thorns were planted in the path of
the PML-Q in the 2018 elections?”
A
day earlier, during interactions with media, Qureshi had claimed that the
opposition did not have enough numbers to succeed in its no-confidence move
against the prime minister, and questioned why the opposition alliance had
announced holding a rally in Islamabad if their numbers were sufficient.
Source:
Tribune Pakistan
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2348270/we-will-lock-them-like-pigeons-in-a-cage-fawad-blasts-opp
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Africa
Churches,
Mosques, clerics lead corruption index in Nigeria – BUK Research
March
16, 2022
By
Muhammad Bukar
An
Independent Research carried out by the Bayero University BUK, has revealed
that high profile corrupt practices are mostly condoned at churches and mosques
across the federation.
The
research, conducted by the Mumbayya House Anti Corruption Project of BUK in
collaboration with the Macarthur Foundation, found that 70 percent of Nigerians
pointed accusing fingers at the nation’s legislature, judiciary and executive
arms of government as the most corrupt entities.
Speaking
while presenting their second-quarter corruption indices, the Mambayya House
Anti Corruption Project Coordinators said citizens believe that corruption is
endemic today in the country.
Professor
Ismaila M. Zango Project Director Mumbayya House, alongside Professor Moses T.
Aluaigba, said the findings showed that Pastors and Imams are amongst the
highly placed corrupt persons in the country.
The
Anti Corruption office of the Mumbayya House said they engaged clerics at both
Churches and Mosques during the research.
He
said 70 percent of Nigerians accused the churches and mosques of alleged
misappropriation of public funds, while another survey showed that Pastors and
Imams were at the centre of these acts.
“In
order to achieve reductions and create awareness against Endemic Corrupt
Practices in Nigeria, we engaged Civil Society Organizations, Faith-Based
Organizations, the Media, Community Based Organizations, Students Associations
and Government Agencies as the Voice Actors of Behavioral Change for Citizens”.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Ogun:
Steer clear of Obas’ burial, installation – Traditionalists warn Muslims,
Christians
March
16, 2022
By
Ishola Oludare
Traditional
Worshippers in Ogun State have warned Muslims, Christians and those they termed
“recalcitrant Obas” to steer clear of the burial and installation rites of the monarchs
in the State.
DAILY
POST recalls that the new Chieftaincy Law in Ogun has stopped the imposition of
rituals or fetish practices during the installation or burial of Obas.
DAILY
POST reports Part 8 of the new law as stating inter-alia that: “No Oba or a
Chief shall be compelled to join any secret cult, secret society or any
association or organisation against his wish or religious beliefs.
“Any
person who contravenes the provision of subsection (1), is guilty of an offence
and liable to imprisonment for two (2) years without option of fine.”
The
law also states that, “any person(s) who disturbs the burial of Traditional
Rulers by the family is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to Twelve
(12) months imprisonment.”
It
states further that, even if a traditional ruler is to be buried in accordance
with the customs and traditions of the land, “his body shall not be subjected
to any mutilation or cannibalization.”
But,
traditionalists in the state said they are not happy with the new law because
Christians and Muslims were misinterpreting the law to suit their interests.
Addressing
newsmen in Sagamu, the traditionalists, under the aegis of Traditional
Worshippers Association of Nigeria (Egbe Onisese Parapo), argued that the new
law allows a deceased monarch to be buried in accordance with the customs and
traditions of the land, citing section 55 (i-v) of the law.
By
this, they submitted that, the law does not state that a traditional ruler
“shall be installed or buried by either Muslim or Christian clerics or in
accordance with their religion and beliefs.”
Speaking
on behalf of the association, High Chief Ifasola Opeodu, however, admitted that
the particular section of the law which allows family in the burial process of
a traditional ruler appears controversial and will create vital lacuna between
both the family and those that are entitled to observe the traditional rites
together on a lifeless body of a demise traditional ruler.
Opeodu,
flanked by other leaders of the association, said “Section 55 (i-v) of new Obas
and Chiefs Law of Ogun State, 2021, is to preserve the necessary rites as
attached to the post of traditional rulers in a given community and the section
provides thus: ‘(ii) a traditional ruler shall be entitled to be buried in
accordance with the customs and traditions of the land, save however, that his
body shall not be subjected to any mutilation or cannibalization.”
Opeodu
declared that the era of cannibalization had been abolished, saying traditional
worshippers of Ogun State “are not practicing cannibalism and up till this
moment, we have not seen any testimony or reliable evidence from Obas or
individual to the effect that the Osugbo and the traditional worshippers in
Ogun State are eating human flesh.”
He,
therefore, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, governors and all security
operatives to refrain from being used as “agents of destruction” by the
“religious cabals and recalcitrant Obas” in the course of implementing the new
law as it affects the installation and burial rites of the deceased monarchs.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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UN
warns of risks from Libya crisis
16
March ,2022
The
crisis over control of executive power in Libya could lead to instability and
parallel governments, the UN political affairs chief told the Security Council
on Wednesday.
“Libya
is now facing a new phase of political polarization, which risks dividing its
institutions once again and reversing the gains achieved over the past two
years,” Rosemary DiCarlo said.
Libya’s
political crisis has escalated since the collapse of a scheduled election in December
that was planned as part of a peace process to reunify the country after years
of chaos and war following a 2011 NATO-backed uprising.
The
parliament declared the interim unity government that was meant to oversee the
run-up to elections as expired, and appointed Fathi Bashagha as the new prime
minister this month.
The
unity government’s prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has refused to cede
power, however, and armed factions supporting each side have mobilized in and
around the capital.
The
UN is seeking to resolve the crisis by pushing for new elections soon and has
asked political bodies to join a committee to resolve constitutional and legal
disputes that helped torpedo December’s planned vote.
“We
have observed increasingly threatening rhetoric, growing political tensions and
divided loyalties among the armed groups in western Libya,” DiCarlo said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/north-africa/2022/03/16/UN-warns-of-risks-from-Libya-crisis
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/france-mosque-salafist-ideology-hate-israel/d/126591