New Age Islam News Bureau
25 November 2023
Police
patrol the Champs Elysees in Paris last month amid security concerns following
a deadly knife attack in northern France. | REUTERS
-------------
· Gaza war raises risk of Islamist extremism in Europe
· BJP delivered on Ram mandir & triple talaq abolition: Amit Shah in Hyderabad
· Malays, Islam not under threat, says PM
· Afghanistan Embassy in India “Permanently” Closed: Statement
· War in Gaza expected to result in a 1.4% reduction in Israel's economic growth in 2023
· Pakistan receives global condemnation over $830 'exit fee' for Afghan refugees
-----
Europe
· EU envoy says US sanctions in Cuba worsening human rights situation
· EU says violence by settlers against Palestinians in West Bank must stop
· France detains Nice footballer Atal over post on Israel-Hamas war
· Jewish, Islamic groups back up Catholic school in lawsuit challenging new Michigan law
· When Islam’s Ka’ba And Solomon’s Temple Unite – OpEd
· Spain denounces ‘indiscriminate’ Gaza deaths, angering Israel
· UK doubles humanitarian aid to Gaza
-----
India
· UP: Meat shops to remain shut as Yogi govt declares ‘No Non-Veg Day’
· Gujarat: Dalit man assaulted and forced to apologize with footwear in his mouth for
· demanding salary in Morbi
· Allahabad HC: UP curbs only on transporting cattle, not on carrying beef
· Why people are pretending to be Muslim in India
· In the shadow of Partition, state-sanctioned atrocities aimed to wipe out Meo Muslims in Mewat
· "4% Muslim Reservation Based On...": Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao
· Days after demolition drive, Nizamuddin slum dwellers trade house remains
------
Southeast Asia
· Anwar: I told the truth about massacre in Gaza as it was the right thing to do
· Thailand PM SretthaThavisin says 12 Thai hostages released by Hamas
· Johor ruler: TunkuLaksamana Johor mosque to be built at Jalan Kolam Air
· MOTAC to review eligibility of travel agencies managing umrah pilgrimage
-----
South Asia
· Wardak and Ibrahimkhil assume leadership at Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi
· CSTO Heads Discuss Regional Issues in Council Session
· Islamic Emirate Leader Orders Cabinet to Address Needs of Refugees
· 42 Bangladeshis return after 3 yrs in Indian prison
· Kabul to accept migrant deportations after verification by consulate general
------
Mideast
· Gaza ceasefire enters second day with more hostages to be exchanged and critical supplies delivered
· Israel only targets civilians, children in Gaza: Survivor
· Israel reviews list of hostages set to be freed by Hamas on Saturday
· Hamas releases 24 hostages, including Thai farm workers
· Families of hostages not slated for release from Gaza during current truce face enduring nightmare
· Arab states condemn Geert Wilders’ Palestine comments
· Without US support, Israel couldn't have continued Gaza war: Iran
· Yoni Ashner, whose family was freed from Hamas, won't celebrate till all hostages return
· Israeli-owned ship targeted in suspected Iranian attack in Indian Ocean
· Pro-Palestine rallies continue as truce takes hold in Gaza
-----
Pakistan
· PTI reacts to ‘Laadla’ comment on Imran
· WFP urgently needs $27m for families returning to Afghanistan
· Pakistani-Afghan couple’s son gets bail in illegal stay case
· Court dismisses plea against Imran’s nikah
· Imran moves SC against IHC’s rejection of pre-arrest bail
-----
Africa
· Islamic scholar urges Nigerians to demand good leadership
· Zamfara politics: Prominent Islamic cleric resigns
· Abdulrazaq, Sultan, Saraki, others for launch of Ansarul Islam’s varsity
· Death toll from floods in Kenya rises again
· UN-Supported Cultural Festival Unites South Sudanese Communities
· Morocco: normalization with Israel hampered by the war in Gaza
· African leaders give renewed push for permanent seats on UN Security Council
------
North America
· Biden suggests he was the reason for Hamas attack
· Biden says Gaza hostages release ‘only a start’
· Putting conditions on military aid to Israel 'worthwhile thought', says US President Biden
· Biden hopeful about Israel-Hamas truce extension, US hostages release
------
Arab World
· Minister of Hajj suggests best timing for performing Umrah
· First ship carrying aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt in KSrelief-coordinated operation
· 3rd Saudi Green Initiative Forum program unveiled
· KSrelief Distributes Winter Clothing Vouchers to 416 Refugee Families in Jordan
· 18th Saudi Relief Plane for Palestinian People in Gaza Arrives in Egypt
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
----------
Gaza war
raises risk of Islamist extremism in Europe
Nov 25,
2023
Police
patrol the Champs Elysees in Paris last month amid security concerns following
a deadly knife attack in northern France. | REUTERS
-----------
LONDON/BERLIN
– European security officials are seeing a growing risk of attacks by Islamists
radicalized by the Israel-Hamas war, with the biggest threat likely to come
from "lone wolf" assailants who are hard to track.
More
than 10 intelligence and police officials in five European countries including
Britain, Germany and France said they are increasing surveillance of Islamist
militants.
This
will put a further burden on resources already stretched by dealing with
perceived threats from Russia, China and Iran, in what London police Chief Mark
Rowley calls "one of the most challenging convergence of threats I have
ever seen."
A
British security official said the war in Gaza was likely to become the biggest
recruiter for Islamist militants since the start of the Iraq War in 2003, and
that calls for attacks on Jewish and Western targets had risen in Europe.
A German
source briefed by intelligence services said the threat to civilians was the
highest in Germany's recent history, with dangers coming from Islamist militants,
far-right groups and Russia.
Two
Islamist militant attacks in France and Belgium last month killed three people,
and these two countries, Austria, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have raised
their terrorism threat alert levels. Italy has reimposed border controls with
Slovenia, citing the risk of militants entering the country.
"There
is going to be a blowback that is going to be felt for years," the British
official said.
Deaths
from Islamist assaults in Europe surged between 2004 and 2006, when attacks
were fueled by al-Qaida, and peaked again in 2015 to 2018, when they were
inspired by the Islamic State group.
The
threat to Europe now is likely to look very different.
The
Islamic State group and al-Qaida recruited thousands of foreign fighters and had
the capability to plan orchestrated, synchronized assaults in Europe from the
relative safety of enclaves in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria.
Islamic
State group and al-Qaida are now in retreat, and Hamas' main target is Israel.
Lone
wolves
Security
officials say the main danger for Europe is probably from attacks by "lone
wolves" — assailants who are radicalized, often online, but have no formal
links to more established groups.
The
severity of the security threat could depend on how long Israel continues its
offensive against Hamas in Gaza, launched in response to the deadly Hamas
attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, and the extent of the damage to the Gaza
Strip.
Although
a truce has come into effect in Gaza, both sides have said the war is far from
over.
Jochen
Kopelke, a police officer who heads Germany's largest police union, said
officers were warning suspected militants they were under surveillance and
carrying out raids, but the main threat was people who are
"self-radicalized."
"It's
only a question of time until these people carry out crimes," he said.
"It's not always about them having a bomb. They can drive with a car into
a gathering or attack with a knife."
Kopelke
said Christmas markets that will soon be opening were potential targets. An
attack on a Berlin Christmas market in 2016 killed 12 people.
Many
Muslims have been angered by the ferocity of the Israeli offensive, and some
say European governments should have done more to restrain Israel.
Peter
Knoope, former deputy director of policy at the Dutch National Coordinator for
Counter-Terrorism, said European counterterrorism officials found after the
Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States that the best way to stop attacks
was a combination of military power with prevention work based on understanding
motives and grievances.
He said
visits by the British, French and German leaders to Israel last month had
angered some Muslims, as had some of the language used by European leaders.
"The
result is that it will create an 'us-and-them' feeling with the Muslim
community. It is like we have learnt nothing," Knoope said. "I am
very worried when I see the polarization and I see the language being
used."
Online
disinformation
Muslim
leaders in Europe say there has been an increase in attacks on Muslims and
mosques since the Oct. 7 Hamas raid, and describe a climate of fear as
disinformation spreads online.
"I
have never seen our society so polarized," said Iman Atta, director of
British Muslim group Tell Mama (Measuring anti-Muslim Attacks).
Germany's
Kopelke said a network of Salafists — ultraconservative Islamists — had
resurfaced, and a new group of pro-Hamas influencers had emerged on Instagram
and TikTok.
One
Salafist preacher has 55,000 followers after creating an account on video app
TikTok after the Hamas attack, and has shown videos questioning Israel's right
to exist.
A host
of militant groups such as Islamic State group and al-Qaida have called for
attacks in the West and violence against Jews, although intelligence officials
say the overall threat from the two groups has receded.
Only two
of 16 completed "terrorist attacks" in the EU last year were
"jihadist," according to Europol. Thirteen were attributed to
left-wing and anarchist groups, and one to a right-wing group.
"What
you have now is a threat that is more diffuse and more diverse," said
Thomas Renard, director of the International Centre for Counter-Terorrism think
tank, who said there is more radicalization occurring online than in places
such as mosques.
Source: japantimes.co.jp
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/11/25/world/terrorism-threat-europe/
------
BJP
delivered on Ram mandir & triple talaq abolition: Amit Shah in Hyderabad
25th November 2023
Hyderabad:
Targetting the BRS government in Telangana over its alleged failures, Union
Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said in the last 10 years, the Chief
Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led dispensation, barring engaging in corruption,
has done nothing concrete for the people.
Addressing
a press conference, he said the people of Telangana are ready to see off the
BRS government in the November 30 assembly polls.
“Today
youth, farmers, dalits and backward are totally disappointed. Telangana people
believe that BRS did nothing else, but corruption,” he claimed and said the
state which was revenue surplus is now reeling under debt of lakhs of crores of
rupees.
Appealing
to voters to vote for the BJP, Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
government has fulfilled all the promises it made, ranging from the
construction of the Ram Temple, abrogation of Article 370, or abolishing triple
talaq.
“Your
(people of Telangana) vote will not just decide the fate of an MLA or a
government, but the future of Telangana and the country. I appeal to you to
vote only after analysing the performance of each and every party. I am
confident that you will vote for PM Modi-led BJP once you do an analysis of all
parties,” he added.
The
senior BJP leader assured that after the BJP comes to power in Telangana,
corruption deeds will be investigated and those responsible will be sent to
jail.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.siasat.com/bjp-delivered-on-ram-mandir-triple-talaq-abolition-amit-shah-in-hyderabad-2919295/
-----
Malays,
Islam not under threat, says PM
November
25, 2023
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the five-day carnival held at Anjung
Floria. -NSTP/SAIFULLIZAN TAMADI
---------
PUTRAJAYA:
Malays and Islam in the country are not under pressure or being challenged,
said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today.
Anwar said
those were baseless political rhetorics played up by certain quarters.
He said
it was proven that the 80 per cent of activities conducted by the Rural and
Development Ministry have directly benefited the Malays and the Bumiputera,
including those in Sabah and Sarawak.
"This
year, the programmes held under the unity government are far way better. The
allocations set aside by the Finance Ministry for states such as Perlis, Kedah,
Kelantan and Terengganu are higher than previous years.
"But
what is being spread and slandered is that these states are sidelined. Islam is
being challenged, but by who? What programmes have we conducted that have
tainted Islam?
"I
asked the ministry if KarnivalUsahawanDesa breached Islam? But this is the
endless political narrative.
"That
is why I stress that we must answer firmly, we must not be derailed and boost
efforts to develop everyone, regardless of race and religion and ensure the
wellbeing and justice of all in the country," he said in his speech at the
five-day carnival held at AnjungFloria, today.
He also
asked the people to focus on the economy and the nation's growth.
Separately,
Anwar said the government will not change its subsidy policy stance, even if
there are potential price increases in items such as chicken.
He said
instead, those in need will be given direct fund injections like
SumbanganTunaiRahmah.
"2024
is the time for us to conduct a few programmes that had been delayed for
decades, including targeted subsidies.
"This
issue will be played up for sure. It was like when we lifted the subsidies for
chicken, there was an outburst, saying that the price will rise, but it turned
out that the price was more controlled than before.
"But
if one says that they have losses of RM30 or RM50 monthly to buy chicken, we will
take the approach to provide direct fund injections so that the price does not
escalate," he added.
Source: nst.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.nst.com.my/search?keywords=Malay
-------
Afghanistan
Embassy in India “Permanently” Closed: Statement
November
24, 2023
The
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi announced in a
statement the permanent closing of its diplomatic mission in New Delhi,
effective from Nov 23, owing to "persistent challenges from the Indian
government."
“The
decision follows the embassy’s earlier cessation of operations on 30 Sep, 2023,
a move made in the hope of the Indian government stance,” the statement reads.
According
to the statement, the diplomats of the “Afghan Republic have handed over the
mission solely to the Indian government.”
"India
has had good relations with various governments in Afghanistan. It does not
want to be involved in political and security issues of Afghanistan. But as an
industrial country, it cannot get away from the region. When it sent its
technical team to Kabul, the Taliban also created pressure to accept their
[Taliban’s] diplomats and hand over the charges of the embassy," said Aziz
Maarij, a former diplomat.
The
Afghan students in India called the closure of the embassy concerning.
“In
India, many students, traders and Afghan refugees are living, and their first
step was to the embassy, where their problems were addressed,” said Nazar Gul,
a student.
The
Islamic Emirate has yet to comment on it but some former Afghan diplomats said
the two sides should negotiate to reach a solution as the issue will affect the
Afghans based in India.
“The
Islamic Emirate and Indian government should take steps to reopen the embassy
as soon as possible,” said Ahmad Raghi, a former diplomat.
Earlier,
the Afghan embassy in New Delhi said that the embassy's activities would be
stopped from October 1 of this year due to the lack of support from the Indian
government, the failure to meet expectations in providing Afghanistan's
interests, and the reduction of employees and resources.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186182
-----
War in
Gaza expected to result in a 1.4% reduction in Israel's economic growth in 2023
25.11.2023
Anadolu
staff
Israel's
GDP growth could decline by 1.4%, settling at 2% in 2023 due to the ongoing war
on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, chief economist at the Israeli Ministry of
Finance, Shmuel Abramson, said in a statement.
In
reference to the next year, the statement noted that “given the high
uncertainty regarding the combat in the Gaza Strip, several scenarios have been
prepared.”
In the
basic scenario on which the forecasts are based, the Israeli economy is
projected to grow 1.6% in 2024. The scenario assumes the war will persist until
the first quarter of 2024.
But in
the "fast recovery scenario," the overall growth next year will be
2.2%, while in the "slow recovery scenario," it will be 0.2%, it
said.
“In the
'fast recovery scenario,' the overall growth for the next year will be 2.2%,
whereas in the 'slow recovery scenario,' it is expected to be 0.2%,” it said.
In the
2023 forecasts, Abramson said that ''the damage to financial security and the
decline in consumer morale are causing a reduction in private consumption,
which is further impacted by a decrease in household income.”
Israel
launched relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a
cross-border attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7.
The
Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has soared to
14,854, the government’s media office in the blockaded enclave said Thursday.
The
victims include 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, while more than 36,000
people have been injured, it said.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/economy/war-in-gaza-expected-to-result-in-a-14-reduction-in-israels-economic-growth-in-2023-/3064240
-------
Pakistan
receives global condemnation over $830 'exit fee' for Afghan refugees
Nov 25, 2023
Image
credit: ANI
----------
ISLAMABAD:
Several Western diplomats and the United Nations have strongly criticised
Pakistan over its decision to impose hundreds of dollars in exit fees for every
Afghan refugee who fled the persecution by the Taliban condemning the decision
as "shocking and frustrating", The Guardian reported.
The
"unprecedented" move targets refugees who are waiting to leave
Pakistan for Western countries under resettlement schemes, and charges about
$830 for each person
This
comes after Pakistan announced a crackdown on undocumented foreigners and set
November 1 as the deadline for about 2 million unregistered Afghans to leave
the country. It further started mass deportations of undocumented Afghans as
the deadline passed.
Thousands
of Afghans without the correct documents or with expired visas have been in
Pakistan since the fall of Kabul in August 2021 waiting to restart their lives
in countries in the west. Most of them worked with western governments and
organisations and are eligible to be resettled on humanitarian grounds,
according to The Guardian.
The US
government plans to resettle almost 25,000 Afghans in the country. The UK has
said it will resettle 20,000 people.
Five
senior western diplomats in Pakistan told the Guardian the exit permit fee in
Pakistan was unprecedented internationally and had come as a shock.
"I
know it is very tough economically for Pakistan but really, to try to make
money off refugees is really unattractive," The Guardian quoted a diplomat
as saying.
"The
issue has also been raised by the two UN agencies in the lead on this mess, the
[UN refugee agency] UNHCR and [International Organization of Migration]
IOM," the diplomat added. "It has also been raised in capitals and
headquarters. I suspect everyone has also passed the message to their
[Pakistcontacts]."
Another
diplomat said that western officials had been told of the move at a briefing by
the interior and foreign ministries. When concerns were raised about the fee,
officials were told the initial decision was to charge $10,000 for each person
but that had been lowered to $830.
"It
is very bizarre and I personally find it very frustrating. If Pakistan wants to
facilitate the process of the settlement of refugees in the west then they
should not make it more complicated with such absurd conditions," the
diplomat said. "What is the justification for this exit permit fee? To
make a lot of money?"
The exit
permit must be paid via credit card, which many Afghan refugees have no access
to.
"This
makes it worse as it should be paid by refugees and most of them don't have
credit cards. I think we need a cooperative approach of working together to
help the refugees and we expect Pakistan would help," another diplomat
said.
Mumtaz
Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign ministry, said there was
no plan to change the policy.
"These
individuals have been here for the last two years and they are not refugees but
immigrants with overstay in their visas and lack of documents. But we expect
the concerned countries would expedite the visa and approval process so that
they can leave for their destination as early as possible," The Guardian
quoted her as saying.
Baloch
said more information was needed to process the refugees' resettlement because
some western countries had been giving them names without further details. But
a western diplomat said: "We are trying to provide information the
Pakistani government is asking for, but we have legal restrictions as to how
much information we can provide as well."
Babar
Baloch, a spokesperson for the UNHCR, said, "The UNHCR is working with the
government of Pakistan to resolve the issue of exit fines and overstay visa
fees for refugees in the resettlement programme. The UNHCR advocates with the
authorities for the exemption of refugees from these requirements."
He said
the UN understood that the situation could cause anxiety among those who had
fled to Pakistan but were eager to leave the country and restart their lives.
"Resettlement
is part of a global solidarity and lifesaving mechanism for some of the most
vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers," The Guardian quoted him as
saying.
Experts
as well as international aid organisations have raised concerns about the lack
of transparency highlighting the risk of foreigners entering Afghanistan under
the guise of nationals and raised alarm over the harsh conditions faced by
Afghan returnees in the country, especially during the severe winter, according
to Khaama Press.
There
has been a significant influx of Afghan migrants with over 320,000 individuals
entering the country through the Spinboldak and Turkham border crossings since
November 1, Khaama Press reported.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-receives-global-condemnation-over-830-exit-fee-for-afghan-refugees/articleshow/105488299.cms
------
Europe
EU envoy
says US sanctions in Cuba worsening human rights situation
Nov 25, 2023
HAVANA:
A special European Union envoy said on Friday that US sanctions are worsening
the human rights situation in Cuba while reiterating the EU's call on the
communist-run government to release prisoners detained during mass protests in
July of 2021.
EU human
rights envoy Eamon Gilmore said bilateral talks with top officials in Havana
over two days had broached social and economic rights, but also, civil and
political rights such as freedom of expression and the right to assembly, or
protest.
Gilmore
told reporters the US sanctions on Cuba, which sharply curtail financial
transactions, tourism and trade, had clear impacts on Cuba's economy and
society.
"It's
hurting the human rights situation because it hurts people on the ground. The
people who are impacted are ordinary Cuban citizens who have difficulty
accessing food, medicines," Gilmore told reporters before departing Havana
late on Friday following a packed agenda of meetings.
"That's
why the European Union, when we do impose sanctions, we target the sanctions at
individuals and entities that abuse human rights, rather than at general
populations."
The US
says sanctions are necessary to hold the Cuban government accountable for
rights violations and that it makes exceptions for humanitarian purposes and
programs to support the Cuban people and private sector.
Gilmore
said Cuba had made some progress on women's rights and gender equality, but
doubled down on the bloc's previous criticisms of Cuba's handling of protests
in 2021, the largest since former leader Fidel Castro's 1959 Revolution.
The
United States and the European Union have both critiqued Cuba's response to
those protests as repressive and heavy-handed. Rights groups say around 1,000 Cubans
were jailed for their political beliefs following the demonstrations and
several subsequent protests.
Gilmore,
who said he met Cubans ranging from President Miguel Diaz-Canel to relatives of
jailed protesters, declined to comment on whether he had discussed a potential
prisoner amnesty with Cuban officials.
"I
don't want to get into the detail of what we talked about in terms of the
prisoners, other than to say the European Union has a long-standing call for
the release of prisoners," he told reporters.
Cuba
denies it holds political prisoners and says those detained are guilty of
assault, vandalism and sedition, among other crimes.
Tensions
around the issue flared just days before Gilmore's arrival after a prisoner
died this week in Cuba, prompting a rebuke from the US embassy, which said it
was "outraged" by the detainee's death.
Gilmore
said Cuban officials had provided some details to the EU delegation about the
case, adding that there is "an investigation underway and we will know the
results in due course."
Gilmore's
visit to Cuba, which concluded with a formal dialogue on Friday with top Cuban
officials on human rights, is a stipulation of a 2016 political and cooperation
agreement between the bloc and the Caribbean island nation.
Gilmore
described the European Union's relationship with Cuba as "constructive but
critical."
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/eu-envoy-says-us-sanctions-in-cuba-worsening-human-rights-situation/articleshow/105487830.cms
------
EU says
violence by settlers against Palestinians in West Bank must stop
November
25, 2023
BRUSSELS:
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that rising
violence by extremists in the Israeli-occupied West Bank had to stop.
Violence
by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has increased since
the Oct 7 Hamas raid on Israel.
“We must
prevent violence from spreading, and therefore a peaceful co-existence is only
possible with the two-state solution,” Von der Leyen told a news conference in
Canada alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Council
President Charles Michel.
“The
Palestinian people and the Arab neighbours need the reassurance that there will
be no forced displacement but a viable perspective, with an independent
Palestinian state Gaza and West Bank reunited and governed by a reformed
Palestinian authority. And to this end, unacceptable violence by extremists in
the West Bank has to stop,” she added.
Earlier
this week, US President Joe Biden also said that the United States is prepared
to issue visa bans against “extremists” attacking civilians in the West Bank.
Britain’s
Foreign Secretary David Cameron also urged Israel to crack down on what he
called “completely unacceptable” violence by West Bank settlers.
“People
are actually targeting and on occasion killing Palestinian civilians, it’s
completely unacceptable and those people responsible for that, it’s not good
enough just to arrest them, they need to be arrested, prosecuted and
imprisoned. These are crimes,” he told the BBC.
Earlier,
French foreign ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre said, “Concerning the
West Bank, I’d like to express the strongest condemnation by France of the
violence carried out by the settlers against the Palestinians”.
“Violence
which has the clear objective of forced displacement of the Palestinians and a
policy of terror.” She said the Israeli authorities needed to take the
necessary measures to protect the Palestinian population and warned that the
settlement policy harmed the two-state solution.
In 235
attacks by settlers against Palestinians recorded by OCHA, more than a third
involved “using firearms to threaten Palestinians, including by opening fire”.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1792335/eu-says-violence-by-settlers-against-palestinians-in-west-bank-must-stop
------
France
detains Nice footballer Atal over post on Israel-Hamas war
November
25, 2023
NICE:
French police on Friday detained Algerian international Youcef Atal, who plays
for Ligue 1 football side Nice, in a probe into suspected “justification of
terrorism” after he published a social media post on the Israel-Hamas war,
prosecutors said.
Last
month the 27-year-old defender was banned for seven matches over the post,
which he quickly deleted and for which he subsequently issued an apology.
The
public prosecutor in Nice opened a probe following a request from the local
prefect and mayor of Nice.
The
arrest means Atal can now be questioned by police in detention and could be
charged, or released with no further immediate action taken, once the detention
period expires.
Atal had
already been suspended by his club “until further notice”.
Despite
the player’s apology, OGC Nice said that it decided to “take immediate” action,
“prior” to any sanctions that might be taken by sporting or judicial bodies,
“given the nature of the publication shared and its seriousness”.
In
mid-October, the Nice public prosecutor announced the opening of an
investigation into “justification of terrorism.”
Atal has
been criticised for sharing a video from a Palestinian preacher on Instagram,
purportedly
calling for violence against Jewish people.France, which has large Jewish and
Muslim populations, ramped up security after Hamas launched massive attacks on
Israel on October 7.
Israeli
officials say the attacks killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and about 240
people were taken hostage.
Israel
has vowed to destroy Hamas and its retaliatory air and ground offensive in the
Gaza Strip has killed nearly 15,000 people, thousands of them children,
according to the Hamas government of the Palestinian territory.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1792285/france-detains-nice-footballer-atal-over-post-on-israel-hamas-war
------
Jewish,
Islamic groups back up Catholic school in lawsuit challenging new Michigan law
November 25, 2023
A
Catholic school in Michigan that is challenging a new state law in federal
court on religious freedom grounds is finding support from organizations of
other religious faiths.
The
Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish of Grand Rapids, and its school, Sacred Heart
Academy, filed a lawsuit against last year against the state of Michigan after
the enactment of new civil rights legislation that left out religious
exemptions to its sexual orientation and gender identity policies.
According
to the lawsuit, without a religious exemption, the school would be forced to
hire faculty and staff who lead lives that don’t line up with Catholic
teachings.
Since
the case was appealed to the Sixth Circuit, Sacred Heart earned support from
the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty and the Religious Freedom
Institute’s Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team. The groups say that the
new state law would have "an especially deleterious effect" on
minority faiths.
"Though
the facts underlying this appeal do not involve Islamic or Jewish expression or
beliefs, the issue of religious entities’ right to hire coreligionists is of
great concern to all faith groups and to minority faiths especially," the
brief filed in support of Sacred Heart states.
"In
particular, amici fear that the misapplication or retrenchment of the
coreligionist exemption would have an especially deleterious effect on
adherents of minority religious faiths who often organize collectively to
learn, teach, act, and serve as an expression and exercise of their
faith," the brief says.
Polish
immigrants founded Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish over a century ago. The
parish-run academy says that it exists to support parents by providing their
children with a classical Catholic education and serves nearly 400 children
from pre-K through 12th grade.
The
Michigan Legislature last year amended the Michigan Civil Rights Act to cover
sexual orientation and gender identity but "provided no protection for
religious organizations that believe marriage between one man and one woman and
the immutability of sex support human flourishing," according to Alliance
Defending Freedom (ADF), the civil rights firm representing parents of Sacred
Heart students in the lawsuit.
"The
missing protections mean that the change to the law requires Sacred Heart of
Jesus Parish and its school, Sacred Heart Academy, to hire faculty and staff
who lead lives in direct opposition to the Catholic faith, speak messages that
violate Church doctrine, and decline to articulate Catholic beliefs in teaching
students and when advertising the school to prospective students or job
applicants," ADF said.
The
Jewish Coalition and Islam Religious Freedom Action amicus brief argues that a
"coreligionist" exemption "serves significant constitutional
interests by deferring to religious organizations’ own determination of which
roles and responsibilities are so tied to the group’s religious mission that
they may be filled only by fellow believers."
Properly
applied, the exemption preserves the autonomy of religious groups; recognizes
and respects their unique knowledge of and expertise in their religious
beliefs, missions, motivations, and practices; preserves the free exercise
rights of religious groups; and prevents state entanglement with religious
groups and doctrines," the groups state in the court document.
Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel is fighting the parents' lawsuit in court. The groups said in their amicus brief the "alternative" being a "discretionary exemption scheme that starts with a burdensome application process and ends by hoping that a bureaucrat will deign to dole out an exemption" proffered by Nessel doesn’t alleviate their concerns.
Source: foxnews.com
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/jewish-islamic-groups-back-up-catholic-school-lawsuit-challenging-new-michigan-law
------
When
Islam’s Ka’ba And Solomon’s Temple Unite – OpEd
November
25, 2023
Rabbi
Allen S. Maller
Prophet
Jesus told his disciples not to be alarmed: “You will hear of wars and rumors
of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is
not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and
there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the
beginning of the birth pains.” (Matthew 24:6-8)
The
Scrolls of Abraham (Arabic: صحف إبراهيم, Ṣuḥuf Ibrāhīm are referred to by the
Qur’an as the oldest of the monotheistic revelations still available: “This is
in the Books of the earliest (Revelations) The Books of Abraham and Moses.
(Qur’an 87:19) and “Nay, is he not acquainted with what is in the Books of
Moses and of Abraham who fulfilled his (duties
of) engagements?” (Qur’an 53:36)
The Book
of Moses clearly refers to the Torah, and the Book of Abraham might logically
refer to the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis 1:1-11:9. If the reference
in Qur’an 53:36 to ‘Abraham, who fulfilled his (duties of) engagements,’ refers
to the famous double test of Prophet Abraham and his two sons, then The Scrolls
of Abraham would logically be Genesis 1:1-22:19.
Miriam,
the Prophetess (Exodus 15:20), the older sister of Prophet Moses, who helped
save his life in Egypt, must have told Prophet Moses to include in his Torah,
the Ṣuḥuf Ibrāhīm that are referred to by
the Qur’an as the oldest of the monotheistic revelations. The Qur’an also
refers to Prophet Abraham as a community or a nation: “Abraham was a
nation/community [Ummah]; dutiful to God, a monotheist [hanif], not one of the
polytheists.” (16:120)
But
shamefully, politicalized religious leaders on both sides have turned sacred
sites and texts into battlegrounds for their brand of religious exclusivity.
Yet an ancient Jewish and Muslim legend predicts that when the Messiah comes
and resurrection day occurs; the Kaab’a in holy Mecca, will go to join the
Temple Mount’s Foundation Stone in holy Jerusalem, bringing with it the
inhabitants of Mecca, and they shall be joined together. When the Foundation
Stone sees the Kaab’a approaching, it shall cry out, “Peace be to the great
guest”. ( ZevVilnay, Legends of Jerusalem)
There is
another wonderful legend in both Arabic and Hebrew that explains what made
these two sacred sites holy to the descendants of the two sons of Prophet
Abraham. The fable transmitted orally in both Arabic and Hebrew for many
centuries; and finally written down in the mid 19th century, in both languages
and in several different versions; reveals a truth about the religious
importance of true brotherly love.
Two
brothers who inherited a valley to hilltop farm from their father, divided the
land in half so each one could farm his own section. Over time, the older
brother married and had four children, while the younger brother was still not
married.
One year
there was very little rain, and the crop was very meager. The younger brother
lay awake one night praying and thought.
“My brother has a wife and four children to feed and I have no children. He
needs more grain than I do; especially now when grain is scarce.”
So that
night the younger brother went to his barn, gathered a large sack of wheat, and
left his wheat in his brother’s barn. Then he returned home, feeling pleased
with himself.
Earlier
that very same night, the older brother was also lying awake praying for rain when he thought: “In my old age
my wife and I will have our grown children to take care of us, as well as grandchildren to enjoy, while my brother may have no
children. He should at least sell more grain from his fields now, so he can
provide for himself in his old age.”
So that night, the older brother
also gathered a large sack of wheat, and left it in his brother’s barn, and
returned home, feeling pleased with himself.
The next morning, the younger brother, surprised to see the amount of grain
in his barn seemed unchanged said “
I did
not take as much wheat as I thought. Tonight I’ll take more.” That same
morning, the older brother standing in his barn, was thinking the same
thoughts.
After night
fell, each brother
gathered a greater amount of wheat from his barn and in the dark, secretly
delivered it to his brother’s barn.
The next
morning, the brothers were again puzzled and perplexed. “How can I be
mistaken?” each one thought. “There’s the same amount of grain here as there
was before. This is impossible! Tonight I’ll make no mistake – I’ll take two
large sacks.”
The third
night, more determined than ever, each brother gathered two large sacks of
wheat from his barn, loaded them onto a cart, and slowly pulled his cart toward his brother’s
barn.
In the
moonlight, each brother noticed a figure in the distance. When the two brothers
got closer, each recognized the form of the other and the load he was pulling,
and they both realized what had happened.
Without
a word, they dropped the ropes of their carts, ran to each other and embraced.
God
looked down at the two brothers and said: “Their love and concern for each
other sets a holy example; so I will
make these two places into a holy sanctuary. Someday their descendants will
each build and rebuild a holy House in this valley and on this hill.
When all
those, both near and far, who revere this place as a standard, share it in love
with everyone else who reveres it, then I will do as Abraham requested, and
“Make this a land of Peace, and provide its people with the produce of the
land”. (Qur’an 2:126). Then will all the children of Adam and Abraham live in
Holiness, Peace and Prosperity.
This
narration, transmitted orally in both Arabic and Hebrew for many centuries, was
finally written down in several versions in the 19th century. Jews believe the
hill is Jerusalem. Muslims believe the valley is Mecca. I believe, God willing, someday we all will
see both beliefs as correct.
The
Qur’an refers to Prophet Abraham as a community or a nation: “Abraham was a
nation/community [Ummah]; dutiful to God, a monotheist [hanif], not one of the
polytheists.” (16:120) If Prophet Abraham is an Ummah then fighting between the
descendants of Prophets Ishmael and Isaac is a civil war and should always be
avoided.
Christians
and Jews say the hilltop is Jerusalem. Muslims say the valley is Makka. I say
that both views are correct.
God gave
humans one heart to love God as individuals, and a pair of lungs to enable
religious communities to continually
recycle the holy spirit of God within human beings, among human communities,
and between all humans and God.
When all
those, both near and far, who revere these two sacred places as a standard,
share it in love with everyone else who reveres it, then Abraham’s request for
Allah to “make this a land of peace, and provide its people with the produce of
the land” (Qur’an 2:126) will be extended throughout the world; and all the
children of Adam, Noah and Abraham will live in Holiness, Peace and Prosperity.
But the
real lesson from all this is that humans should not look forward to a Judgement
Day when all our enemies, and all evil, will suddenly disappear in a
cataclysmic purge. Instead, we should have faith and trust in the ability of
religiously inspired human stewardship to expand and transform our world into a
Messianic Age of political and ecological justice and peace. As Prophet Jacob
says: “O my sons! go you and enquire about Joseph and his brother, and never
give up hope of Allah’s Mercy: truly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except
those who have no faith.” (Qur’an 12:87)
In the
words of a 15 year old Jewish girl who was soon to die: “It’s really a wonder
that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and
impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I
still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my
hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death.
“I see
the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching
thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and
yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that
this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again. In
the meantime, I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the day will come when I
shall be able to carry them out.” From the Diary of Anne Frank” whose words
have been read by tens of millions of people throughout the world.
If all
Arabs and Jews can live up to the ideal that ‘the descendants of Abraham’s sons
should never make war against each other’ is the will of God; we will help
fulfill the 2700 year old vision of Prophet Isaiah: “In that day there will be
a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the
Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. On
that day Israel will join a three-party
alliance with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing upon the heart. The LORD of Hosts
will bless them saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and
Israel My inheritance.”…(Isaiah 19:23-5)
Source: eurasiareview.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.eurasiareview.com/25112023-when-islams-kaba-and-solomons-temple-unite-oped/
------
Spain
denounces ‘indiscriminate’ Gaza deaths, angering Israel
Nov 25,
2023
Spanish
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday denounced what he called the
indiscriminate killing of Palestinians in Gaza, drawing an angry response from
Israel which said the remarks gave terrorism a boost.
Speaking
on a visit to Gaza’s Rafah border with his Belgian counterpart Alexander De
Croo, Sanchez also called for a lasting humanitarian ceasefire “to reverse the
catastrophic situation that the people of the (Gaza) Strip are going through.”
“The
indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians, including thousands of boys and
girls, are completely unacceptable,” he said.
Israel’s
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen later issued a statement accusing Sanchez and De
Croo of “false claims” that “give terrorism a boost” and said he had summoned
the Spanish and Belgian ambassadors to explain the comments.
UK says
Gaza’s Rafah crossing likely to open for foreign nationals
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in, saying the two European
leaders had failed to spotlight what he called Hamas’ crimes against humanity.
“Prime
Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu strongly condemns the remarks made by the Belgian
and Spanish prime ministers for not placing the full responsibility of the
crimes against humanity committed by Hamas, who massacred our citizens and who
use the Palestinians as human shields,” a statement by Netanyahu’s office said.
The
incident unfolded shortly before Hamas on Friday freed 24 hostages during the
first day of the Gaza war’s first truce, including Israeli women and children
and Thai farm workers. The truce was the first halt to fighting in seven weeks
of combat.
A day
earlier, Sanchez visited Israel and met Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac
Herzog as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, and floated
the idea of an international peace conference on the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict to forge a viable Palestinian state.
Prospects
for reviving peace talks have been frozen since the last U.S.-brokered round
collapsed in 2014.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40275039/spain-denounces-indiscriminate-gaza-deaths-angering-israel
-----
UK
doubles humanitarian aid to Gaza
November
25, 2023
LONDON:
The UK will double its humanitarian aid to Gaza with a further £30 million
($37.8 million) for Palestinian civilians affected by the conflict between
Israel and Hamas, foreign minister David Cameron said Friday.
Cameron
met Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday and planned discussions with
Palestinian officials on Friday, for talks on how UK efforts can help alleviate
the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, his office said.
“I can
announce new £30 million of funding which will be spent on vital aid such as
shelter and medical provisions,” Cameron said in a statement.
“It is
vital to protect civilians from harm, and we are urgently looking at all
avenues to get aid into Gaza, including land, maritime and air routes.”
London
has already released two tranches of aid: £10 million and £20 million last
month.
Cameron
will also discuss supporting the Palestinian Authority, “including through
training and capacity building” and look toward a long-term political solution
to the crisis.
His
meetings come after the start of a four-day truce in the Israel-Hamas war, with
hostages set to be released in exchange for prisoners in the first major
reprieve in seven weeks of war that have claimed thousands of lives.
The two
sides had agreed to silence guns and stop bombings from 7:00 am (0500 GMT) in a
conflict that erupted after Hamas’s murderous raids into Israel on October 7,
which Israel says killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around
240 people hostage.
Israel’s
retaliatory air, artillery and naval strikes alongside a ground offensive have
killed about 15,000 people, according to the Hamas government in Gaza.
As part
of the truce agreement, 13 women and children held hostage in Gaza are due to
be freed at 4:00 p.m. (1400 GMT), followed by a number of Palestinian prisoners
from Israeli jails, according to Qatari mediators.
Over the
four days, at least 50 hostages are expected to be released, and in exchange,
150 Palestinians prisoners are expected to be released.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2414731/world
----
India
UP: Meat
shops to remain shut as Yogi govt declares ‘No Non-Veg Day’
25th
November 2023
Lucknow:
On the birth anniversary of Sadhu ThanwardasLilaram Vaswani, the Uttar Pradesh
government has declared a ‘no non-veg day’ on Saturday.
The
Uttar Pradesh government ordered all slaughterhouses and meat shops to remain
closed on Saturday, on the birth anniversary of Sadhu ThanwardasLilaram
Vaswani, who advocated for a vegetarian lifestyle.
A
circular issued by the Uttar Pradesh government mentioned, “Instructions have
been issued from time to time to keep the slaughterhouses and meat shops
located in all the local bodies of the state closed on the great festivals of
Jayanti, Gandhi Jayanti, Sadhu TL Vaswani, and Shivratri. Likewise, the
decision to declare November 25, 2023, the birthday of Sadhu T.L. Vaswani, as a
meat-free day and to keep the slaughterhouses and meat shops located in all the
urban local bodies of the state closed, has been taken”.
“Please
ensure strict compliance of the orders in all the urban local bodies,” the
circular added.
The
recent announcement comes amid the controversy over “banning halal”. Recently,
the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government took a decisive step against
the illegal issuance of ‘Halal Certificates’, and issued an order that forbade
the production, storage, distribution, and sale of food products with the halal
certification.
The BJP
was caught in a controversy, with opposition leaders criticising the move.
Samajwadi
Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for banning Halal
products and accused them of creating a rift between communities.
Akhilesh
Yadav said, “The BJP is always doing such activities of spreading hate and
creating differences. The basic questions are unemployment and price rises.
They are discussing another topic. This is their strategy to create a rift
between communities. The people understand that all of this is happening under
a conspiracy.”
Meanwhile,
BJP leader Giriraj Singh thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
for the investigation on ‘Halal Products’.
Source: siasat.com
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https://www.siasat.com/up-meat-shops-to-remain-shut-as-yogi-govt-declares-no-non-veg-day-2919287/
------
Gujarat:
Dalit man assaulted and forced to apologize with footwear in his mouth for
demanding salary in Morbi
November
24, 2023
In Morbi
city, Gujarat, a 21-year-old Dalit man, Nilesh Dalsaniya, was allegedly
assaulted and humiliated by a businesswoman and at least six others for seeking
his due salary. The incident occurred on Wednesday, and a case has been
registered against the accused, including the businesswoman, identified as
Vibhuti Patel aka Raniba, her brother Om Patel, and manager Parikshit, among
others.
According
to PratipalsinhZala, Deputy Superintendent of Police (SC/ST Cell), Dalsaniya
had worked for Patel’s company, Raniba Industries Pvt Ltd, for a fortnight
before being abruptly dismissed on October 18. Despite working for 16 days,
when Dalsaniya requested his salary of Rs 12,000, Patel avoided providing a
clear answer and subsequently stopped responding to his calls.
“When
Dalsaniya, his brother Mehul, and neighbour Bhavesh went to Patel’s office on
Wednesday evening, the businesswoman’s brother Om Patel reached the place with
his accomplices and started assaulting the trio,” explained Zala.
The FIR
outlines that Vibhuti Patel, along with her brother and other accomplices,
physically assaulted Dalsaniya, dragging him to the terrace of the commercial
complex. The victim was reportedly beaten with belts, kicked, and punched by
the accused.
Dalsaniya
further alleged that Vibhuti Patel forced him to apologize by putting her
footwear in his mouth, threatening harm if he was seen in the area again. The
perpetrators recorded a video in which the victim was coerced into falsely
claiming he had come to extort money from Patel.
After
the incident, Dalsaniya was taken to Morbi civil hospital, where he is
currently undergoing treatment. The accused, including Vibhuti Patel, her
brother Om Patel, and others, have been booked on charges of assault, criminal
intimidation, rioting, and under relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act.
Zala
stated, “Investigation into the case is underway,” emphasizing that no arrests
have been made as of now.
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/dalit-man-assaulted-and-forced-to-apologize-with-footwear-in-his-mouth-for-demanding-salary/
------
Allahabad
HC: UP curbs only on transporting cattle, not on carrying beef
Nov 25,
2023
PRAYAGRAJ:
Allahabad HC has said that there is no restriction on transportation of beef
from any place outside Uttar Pradesh to any location within the state as per
the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. The court said in a judgment
earlier this week that the restriction under the Act is only in respect of
transportation of cows, bulls and bullocks.
Allowing
a criminal revision petition filed by one Vaseem Ahmad who had challenged
Fatehpur district magistrate’s order confiscating his motorcycle following
allegation that it was used for transportation of beef, Justice Pankaj Bhatia
observed on Monday, “The restriction on transportation in terms of the Act and
rules framed under it are applicable in respect of transportation of cow, bull
or bullock, that too in any place in Uttar Pradesh from any place outside the
state. In the entire Act or rules, there exists no provision barring
transportation of beef.”
Ahmad
was booked in the case in 2021 under section 8/5/3 of the Act. Hearing the
petition, the court observed that transportation of beef in the state is
neither prohibited nor regulated. “Thus, the foundation for confiscation on
charge of transportation in violation of the provision of this Act is prima
facie not established,” Justice Bhatia said.
Ordering
the DM to release the seized mobile, the HC said that the confiscation was made
“on a misreading of section 5A(7) of the Cow Slaughter Act”.
The
court was hearing a plea challenging the order of a district magistrate
confiscating a motorcycle over allegations that it was used for beef
transportation.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the
full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/allahabad-hc-up-curbs-only-on-transporting-cattle-not-on-carrying-beef/articleshow/105485016.cms
----
Why
people are pretending to be Muslim in India
Abhik
Deb
Nov 25,
2023
Between
October 27 and October 31, Reliance Industries Chairperson Mukesh Ambani
received three death threats, all sent via email to his office from the address
shadabkhan@mailfence.com. However, the investigation by the Mumbai Police soon
found that a 21-year-old student, RajveerKhant, had sent the emails.
Khant
used a virtual private network, or VPN, to send the threat mails to show off to
his friends, the police said. He told the police that he got the idea to use
the name Shadab Khan while watching a cricket match featuring a Pakistani
player by the same name.
Khant is
not the only one to adopt a false Muslim identity while committing a crime.
From men angry at being turned down by women to content creators seeking to
make their inflammatory videos go viral, this modus operandi of pretending to
be Muslim has found increased use over the last couple of years.
Experts
say that in a communally polarised environment, the identity of an accused or
suspect in such cases gets more amplified than the crime itself, thus
intensifying Islamophobia in India.
Feeding
into the bias against Muslims
Journalist
Alishan Jafri, who covers hate crimes against Muslims in India, told Scroll
that the Muslim identity of a suspect or accused is deliberately emphasised
with the intention of increasing the animosity against the community.
“Even in
cases where an accused person is actually a Muslim, you would see news outlets
mentioning the name of the criminal in headlines or social media posts, as
opposed to other cases, where the culprits are only identified by their sex or
age,” Jafri said.
Fact-checkers
and media watchdogs have also highlighted Jafri’s observation.
This
trend takes a step further in cases when a person falsely identifies as a
Muslim, said Jafri. He cited the example of Vikas Kumar, a resident of Uttar
Pradesh, who identified himself as Rashid Khan in a YouTube video, while making
objectionable remarks about the murder of Shraddha Walkar by her live-in
partner, a Muslim man. In the video that went viral on social media in November
last year, Kumar, while posing as Khan, said that it was normal to murder
someone and chop their body up if the killer was in a fit of rage.
After he
was arrested for his comments, Kumar told journalists that while shooting the
video, he had initially identified himself by his original name. But those
making the video had mocked him, saying that he was lying and must be a Muslim.
After
Kumar’s arrest, social media users pointed out that the YouTube channel in
question was run by a person named Ankur Arya, who regularly posts videos with
inflammatory content.
“If you
look at YouTube channels like Arya’s, you will find several vox pop videos,
where a Muslim has been asked to comment on sensitive matters because such
content gets popular on social media,” Jafri said. “Many of these videos are
even shared by leaders and official handles of the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
In an
article that Jafri co-authored for The Caravan, he had explained how such
videos by YouTube channels spread hate and “feed into the biases that many
Hindus might hold against Muslims”.
In
another instance, a video that went viral in October showed a person
identifying himself as Javed Hussain making objectionable remarks about
Hinduism. After the man was arrested in Haridwar, the police found out that his
real name was DilipBaghel and that a YouTuber had paid him to make the remarks.
Academician
Ram Puniyani, who writes on communal politics in India, likened such instances
to deliberately placing prohibited meat in religious places with the intention
of sparking communal unrest.
“This
also highlights the plight of the poor in this country who are ready to do such
things for money,” Puniyani told Scroll. “If you recall Govind Nihalani’s movie
Tamas, there a Dalit man gets framed for placing the carcass of a pig in a
mosque.”
Puniyani
said that such incidents of impersonation confirm and intensify hatred against
Muslims.
“When a
Muslim name comes up in connection to a crime, there is already a fertile
ground to believe that the person must have done something wrong,” he said. “In
some cases, even the police could be communally biased, so there is a
possibility that the investigation gets adversely impacted.”
For
instance, in October, the male partner of a tuition teacher killed a 17-year-old
boy in Kanpur suspecting that the teenager was in a relationship with the
teacher. In an attempt to make the boy’s disappearance look like a case of
kidnapping, the accused, a man named Prabhat Shukla, sent a ransom letter with
“Allah hu Akbar” written on it. The police said that the religious slogan was
to divert the course of the investigation.
In
another case in September, an Indian Army soldier was arrested in Kerala after
he gave a false statement to the police saying that he had been attacked by a
group of six people who painted the letters “PFI” on his back.
The
Popular Front of India is a Muslim organisation that was banned for five years
under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the Centre in September 2022
for allegedly being involved in “violent terrorist activities”.
Lack of
regulation on impersonation on social media
The
spreading of misinformation on social media by impersonation extends beyond
communal hatred. On November 22, former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s daughter
Sara Tendulkar issued a statement saying that a parody account on X, formerly
Twitter, was using morphed photos of her.
Kritika
Goel, the India head of fact-checking website Logically Facts, told Scroll that
the change in X’s policy to provide a blue tick to any user willing to pay a
subscription fee has made impersonation easier on the micro-blogging platform.
“Not
everyone is aware that the blue tick is no longer a marker of a verified
account,” Goel said. “Moreover, the problem with impersonation is that by the time
fact checks are carried out, a lot of people might already have shared a piece
of misinformation, so the damage is already done.”
Goel
cited the example of an X user, falsely claiming to be an Al Jazeera
journalist, who posted a tweet saying that the militant group Hamas was
responsible for an airstrike at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the Gaza strip
that killed thousands. The post was shared by thousands of users.
After Al
Jazeera clarified that the owner of the now-deleted X account @_Faridakhan was
not affiliated with the news organisation, it came to light that the user was
an Indian and had earlier posted tweets in support of the BJP.
Goel
also said that she had noticed incidents of social media abusers impersonating
Muslims in India. She recalled an incident from two years ago when a Twitter
user had issued issued rape threats to the nine-month-old daughter of cricketer
Virat Kohli. “Several people claimed that the handle was a bot account operated
from Pakistan,” said Goel. “But the police found out that the culprit was a
software engineer from Hyderabad.”
Claims
about the account being a Pakistani bot gained traction as the profile name of
the account was “Amena” – a Muslim name. But the accused turned out to be a
23-year-old Hindu man called RamnageshAlibathini.
Another
such example is of DivinDevaiah, a resident of Kodagu in Karnataka, who was
arrested in July 2022 after he posted defamatory comments about a local deity
on social media under a Muslim name.
Goel
told Scroll that hate, in general, is played up a lot on social media. “There
already exists a society that is polarised against the minorities,” said Goel.
“Hateful posts from a user with a Muslim name makes it easier for people to
further alienate them.”
Source: scroll.in
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://scroll.in/article/1059500/why-people-are-pretending-to-be-muslim-in-india
-----
In the
shadow of Partition, state-sanctioned atrocities aimed to wipe out Meo Muslims
in Mewat
Nov 25,
2023
Sajjad Hassan
The
violence of Partition in 1947 has been estimated to have left between one
million and two million people dead. While most of the violence took place
outside the approximately 600 princely states that had yet to join either India
or Pakistan, recent scholarship has drawn attention to large-scale killings in
Jammu and Kashmir, Alwar and Bharatpur in present-day Rajasthan, Patiala and
Faridkot in east Punjab and Bahawalpur in west Punjab.
In all
these cases, scholars have drawn attention to the complicity of state forces in
the violence.
The
first part of this series focussed on massacres in Jammu, which changed the
demographic balance of the region. But records show that the extent and the
intensity of the atrocities in Alwar and Bharatpur states, were equal, if not
worse, to those in Jammu.
The most
authoritative account of the anti-Muslim violence in the two princely states
has been written by ShailMayaram, a historian and political anthropologist who
has studied the Meo Muslim community. Meos live in Mewat – which was part of
the erstwhile states of Alwar and Bharatpur, in present-day northern Rajasthan
and southern part of current Haryana, all adjoining Delhi.
Mayaram’s
1997 monograph, Resisting Regimes: Myth, Memory and the Shaping of Muslim Identity,
is based on archival research and interviews with survivors and some
perpetrators of the violence.
The
targeting of Meos began first in Bharatpur, in May 1947, spilling over to
adjoining Alwar in June, as refugees from Bharatpur poured into that state. The
violence reached a peak in August, before ending by the end of the month.
Mayaram
cites an inspection report by the British Chief Commissioner based in Ajmer,
who said that Bharatpur state had run completely amok. He noted, “They have got
rid of all the Muslims, and consider all those in traffic as legitimate prey.”
He added, “I saw corpses all around. Thirty thousand were killed. A thousand
converted and the rest driven out. The property of Muslims was taken by the
state and auctioned, the sale proceeds being credited to the state treasury.
The Maharaja is reported to have expressed delight that no Muslim was left in
the state.”
The
prime minister of Alwar state, Narayan Bhaskar Khare, confirmed to the
government-instituted inquiry commission that as many as “15,000 Muslims may
have been slaughtered just in Alwar”. According to records, he played a
determining role in the violence.
The
picture that emerges from the records cited by Mayaram and other historians is
of intense and systematic violence in the Mewat region, sanctioned by state
administrations, often carried out by state force acting under military
direction. Mostly, it was carried out by private formations of vigilantes
sanctioned and supplied by senior state officials, including Hindu militias in
Alwar and Bharatpur, which were 10,000-20,000 strong.
Mayaram’s
interview testimonies provide chilling details of the killings.
A former
military assistant to the Alwar ruler, who Mayaram interviewed in Alwar in
1993, admitted that “it had been decided to clear the state of Muslims. All the
Meos from Firozpur Jhirka down, were to be cleared and sent to Pakistan, their
lands taken away.” He went on to detail the “clearing up” and “cleaning up”
operations (the officer called it “safaaya” or cleansing).
“Alwar
was divided into four sectors under different army officers, to clear the state
of Muslims.” he said.
In
Tijara, a Muslim-concentrated tehsil, the Alwar army located itself on a hill,
with the Meos down below in the valley. “We killed every man,” the military
assistant told Mayaram. “All of them. The next four days we had to do the
clearing up operation. My men and the villagers dug men’s graves, threw their
bodies in.”
The
culmination of the operation was the massacre at Kalapahar, north of Alwar. A
second Alwar army veteran recounted to Mayaram, “Naugaowa was a large Meo
stronghold. We butchered them. That was the last battle of Mewat.” The Meos had
fled to Kalapahar to try to protect themselves.
“To
finish them off”, the veteran noted, “we made a three-pronged attack from all
sides, using the police and army. It took us more than two months, July and
August during the rains to clear the whole bloody area.”
He
added: “Not a single Muslim was left in Alawar. In Tej Singh Singh’s rule not a
single mosque remained. Alwar was the first state to clear all the Muslims.
Bharatpur followed”. According to the veteran, “the two rulers used to consult
each other”.
The
account of the clearing and cleaning up operations was echoed by several
military officers who Mayaram interviewed.
Killings
were accompanied by forced conversions, and the abduction of women and girls.
According to an officer Mayaram interviewed in Kaman, armed columns, on
reaching Meo villages, would announce “either be killed or show a white flag
and convert, become Hindus”. The ShuddhiSangathans (literally, cleansing
squads) of the Arya Samaj would shave the men’s heads, leaving a top knot and
making them eat a piece of pork. They were made to recite the Hindu gayatri
mantra and take an oath on sacred water drawn from the Ganga. “The Quran had to
be put into the flames,” he said.
Alwar’s
Prime Minister Khare claimed that shuddisanghathans, converted about 10,000 to
12,000 Muslims to Hinduism.
After
the “cleaning up” operations, entire Meo villages were auctioned and the land
allotted to Hindu and Sikh refugees coming in from West Pakistan. Those Meos
who did not go to Pakistan or who returned were unable to regain the land that
they had lost. The Indian government decided that Meos hailing from areas in
Alwar identified for the resettlement of refugees should not be restored to
their original holdings but allotted land in the adjoining Tijara tehsil.
Before
the massacres, the 1941 census showed that Muslims had made up 26% of the
population in Alwar and 19% in Bharatpur 1941. After the killings, conversions
and flight, the 1951 census showed that this dropped to 6% in both states.
Method
in the madness
Ian
Copland, an authority on South Asia and the colonial transfer of power, has
studied princely states closely. He estimates that the toll in
Partition-related violence was in the vicinity of 50,000 in Alwar and
Bharatpur, and 80,000 in Jammu.
Opportunistic
violence accounted for only a fraction of the Muslims killings, Copland argues
in his State, Community and Neighbourhood in Princely North India, c.
1900-1950. Instead, most of it was done “with icy premeditation and ruthless
calculation by large, well organised, military style formations”. A large part
of the motivation for the violence, it would appear, was ideological. The Hindu
Mahasabha and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which had significant influence in
the princely states, viewed Muslims as enemies and as foreigners, fit to be
driven out. Capturing land was a factor too.
For the
rest, it was reactive – rumours, often fanned by Hindu nationalist networks,
amplified by a communal press, fed fears that Hindus themselves were the
target.
By the
spring of 1947, leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
had formed the view that Muslims had to be driven out of India by force,
Copland writes. Not having the wherewithal to do so themselves, they turned to
friendly Hindu princes and to their extensive network of supporters in the
northern states, to operationalise the plan.
Only “a
handful of the northern [princely] states embraced the ethnic cleansing plans
of the Mahasabha”, he says, with “a watertight case of complicity” available
with respect to Alwar, Bharatpur and Jammu & Kashmir, and possibly Patiala
and Faridpur.
The
rulers of Alwar and Bharatpur were members of the Hindu Mahasabha and
patronised Hindu organisations, such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the
Arya Samaj. Rajputs and members of the upper castes provided the mainstay of
the support. Support also came from educated classes who had sympathisers in
the police and military.
According
to Copland, the smoking gun, as it were, pointing to the ethnic cleansing plan
in the two states, was a circular sent out on July 8, 1947, by Prime Minister
Narayan Bhaskar Khare, under Alwar ruler Tej Singh’s name, to Hindu leaders and
rulers and officials of other princely Hindu states. It related to a convention
in Delhi, the purpose of which was to “restore Hindu Rashtra” after the
transfer of power.
Khare,
formerly the Congress premier of Central Provinces, had, after his expulsion
from the party, joined the Hindu Mahasabha. In April 1947 he took over as Alwar
state’s prime minister, also as advisor to Bharatpur state. He would write
later in his autobiography, My Political Memoirs, “Today there is not a single
Muslim in the whole of the Alwar state…In this way the Meo problem in the
state, which was troubling the state for several centuries has been solved…”
Historians
also point to systematic preparations. Bharatpur state secretly set up
factories for weapons and munitions, much of which would end up in the hands of
rogue militias linked to the Mahasabha and the Sangh. Most of the national
press turned a blind eye to these developments. An exception was People’s Age,
a left-leaning newspaper, that reported the discovery of an armaments factory
at the Bharatpur Police headquarter and the fort. An arsenal with rifles, sten,
tommy and bren guns, hand grenades and cases of revolvers was intended for
further deployment to the Jats of Alwar, Bharatpur, Mathura and Gurgaon,
organised by senior officers of the state and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Dramatis
Personae
Most
vigilante groups were able to carry out the attacks due to the protection and
support of the princely states. Hari Singh of Kashmir was allegedly seen with
truck loads of arms and fired the first shot at the Jammu refugee camp. Copland
says that Brijendra Singh of Bharatpur was observed witnessing massacres of
Meos at Kumbar and Deeg.
Following
Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in January 1948 and reports that Alwar state was
involved in it, the government of India dissolved the Alwar cabinet and
instituted an inquiry against its ruler. The inquiry cleared Tej Singh of
complicity with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the assassination of
Gandhi. Instead, it put the blame on the Meos for playing “an aggressive and
militant role”. The inquiry report concluded that Meos “fomented serious
communal disturbances in the latter part of 1946 and 47. Retaliation followed,
and the conflict took on the form of a communal feud.”
In this
cover up, the princes seem to have had strong backers. Copland says that in the
Alwar state inquiry, Deputy Prime Minister Vallabhbhai Patel, who held the
states portfolio, persuaded the national cabinet to pass over the issue of
genocide of Muslims in the state and “to focus on the maharaja’s RSS
connection, leaving the issue of their complicity in the murder of Muslims to
emerge incidentally”.
Patel
characterised the Meos as “communalistic Muslim Leaguers who had forfeited the
government’s consideration by engaging in a rebellion against lawful
authority”. The Alwar state army officer that Mayaram interviewed, claimed that
the orders for clearing Meos came from Patel, who “spoke to HH [His Highness]
on the hot line. The killings of Hindus in Noakhali and Punjab had to be
avenged.”
In March
1948, the national government in Delhi prevailed on the rulers of Alwar and
Bharatpur, along with neighbouringJat states of Dholpur and Karauli, to form
the Matsya Union. In May 1949, after the rulers had acceded to Indian Union,
they, along with other princely states in Rajputana, and Ajmer province, were
gathered into the state of Rajasthan. As with the rest of the princely states,
the deposed rulers were allowed to continue to use their royal titles and
awarded generous lifelong, tax-free pension, for themselves and their
successors. These privileges would only be abolished in 1971, after much
contestation.
In
independent India, none of the actors faced any consequences. Brijendra Singh,
ruler of Bharatpur, and his brother, Giriraj Singh – commander of the state’s
army and police, often recorded himself leading militia attacks against Meos –
successfully contested parliamentary elections, as did their children later on.
The Alwar ruling family too followed suit, reinventing themselves as
politicians, to continue to retain their ancestral interests.
Khare,
the prime minister of Alwar, also went on to be elected to the Parliament in
1952, before becoming president of the Hindu Mahasabha. In Jammu and Kashmir,
rather than being investigated, Hari Singh continued to remain the titular
ruler of the state until 1952. Today he has acquired the status of an icon
among Hindus in Jammu.
Truth,
justice, reconciliation?
In the
meantime, the world forgot about the massacres.
But
forgetting does not remove the problem. There is anti-minority mobilisation in
constant play in areas surrounding Mewat today, in Haryana and Rajasthan,
resulting often in spectacular violence, including public lynchings, deaths by
burning, and other incidents of mass violence episodes.
These
point to the strength in the region of “institutionalised riot systems”, in
Paul Brass’s words, of Hindu nationalist organisations and actors and a
repertoire for the production of violence on a regular basis. Long-lasting
impunity nourishes and sustains them.
As with
the Partition violence more broadly – where many communities were victims as
they were perpetrators – suppressing an honest reckoning with questions of
truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence has condemned us
to repeat the cycles of violence.
Horrors were repeated soon enough in Hyderabad in 1949, during the Police Action. They have become the norm since. In the meantime, the silence has been filled by the manufactured narratives of victimhood by the very actors that have been complicit in so much of the violence.
Source: scroll.in
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-----
"4%
Muslim Reservation Based On...": Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao
November
25, 2023
Hyderabad:
Telangana Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA KT Rama Rao has said
the 4 per cent Muslim reservation in the state is not on the basis of religion
but on the basis of socio-economic status in the community.
Rao said
this while reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's "promise" that
the BJP government would end Muslim reservations in the state after coming into
power in Telangana.
"4%
Muslim reservation is not on the basis of religion. That is on the basis of
socio-economic status. Amit Shah should think before speaking. Secondly, we
know what the BJP does and what it is attempting to do. It is trying to
polarise...But they will fail this time," Mr Rao told ANI while reacting
to Shah's statement on Friday.
Earlier,
while participating in the BJP's roadshow along with the party's candidate
Thokala Srinivas Reddy in Rajendra Nagar Assembly Constituency in Telangana, Mr
Shah said," We have made a lot of promises. One of them is that the CM
will be made from the backward class. We will end the Muslim reservation &
give reservations to SC, ST & OBC. We have also promised vertical
reservation to the Madiga community."
When
asked about Congress leader Jairam Ramesh's remark on the per capita income of
the state, KTR said, "He should read the socio-economic survey. If we look
at Telangana today, there are 33 districts. All of these districts have per
capita more than the national average. So, he should read it once again."
Telangana
is set to undergo assembly elections on November 30, and the ruling BRS,
Congress and BJP are the main contestants in the state. The counting of votes
will take place on December 3.
In the
previous Assembly election in the state in 2018, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi
(BRS), previously known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), won 88 of the 119
seats, hogging 47.4 per cent of the total vote share. The Congress came in a
distant second with just 19 seats.
Source: ndtv.com
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-----
Days after
demolition drive, Nizamuddin slum dwellers trade house remains
November
24, 2023
New
Delhi : Two days after it was demolished, the slum near Hazrat Nizamuddin area
was a scene of chaos with grief-stricken families trying to dispose of whatever
they could salvage from the wreck to scrap dealers.
The slum
cluster between the Sundar Nursery and the Delhi Public School inhabited by
about 1,000 to 1,500 people, most of whom engaged as rag pickers, street
hawkers, maids, labourers and small scale traders, was demolished in a drive
following a court’s order on Tuesday.
“They
should have allotted us some place to stay before bulldozing our homes. We are
now homeless and we don’t know where to go. My little sister’s exams are going
and her books, school dress are below the debris that we are standing on,” said
Kanchan Chautala, 28, a resident of the demolished settlement.
The
place looked like a huge junkyard of household articles, furniture, and
everything else that made the razed shanties home.
“They
didn’t even give us time to get our things out, all night our children have
been sitting without blankets. The only source of warmth left was a flickering
fire that too was removed by the authorities. Even a dog is allowed to sleep on
the roads, but we are not,” said 37-year-old Geeta.
Irfan
Ahmad, 35, said he had only heard stories of people losing their homes, and
now, he is one of them.
“The
streets here looked cheerful two days ago. Where children used to laugh,
there’s only cries left,” he said.
An
11-year-old Mohammad Rishad, told PTI that he would sell anything which could
help him get his first bread of the day.
“My
father is disabled, my mother works as a housemaid in nearby houses. They have
gone to sell the scrap materials that we collected,” said Rishad, as he tried
to remove the metal from a broken wooden door.
Jameela,
a rag-picker, said that it took them 15 years to build a house, which was razed
within minutes on Tuesday.
“We are
all alone in this and no one is coming to save us. We are left with nothing.
So, we are staying on the roads,” she said. ( With PTI inputs )
Source: muslimmirror.com
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-----
Southeast Asia
Anwar: I
told the truth about massacre in Gaza as it was the right thing to do
25 Nov 2023
ARFA YUNUS
PUTRAJAYA:
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he found the courage to speak out
about Palestinians massacred by Israel in front of US President Joe Biden
recently because it is the right thing to do.
Calling
the massacre a “great disaster”, Anwar said he also found the courage to do so
because the Palestinian issue was close to the hearts of all Malaysians.
“Aside
from discussing economic matters, I went to the Apec conference in San
Francisco to explain the stand of Malaysians regarding the great disaster
befalling the people of Palestine, especially those in Gaza.
“Some
people asked where did I find the courage to say all that in front of Biden and
I said, I must tell the truth. I must tell the facts.
“They
(Palestinians) are murdered, their properties seized, their lands seized.
Meaning that their entire lives are being dispossessed, including their
dignity, all because of the crimes committed by the Zionist Israel,” he said
when launching the 2023 KarnivalUsahawanDesa @Putrajaya at AnjungFloria, here
on Saturday (Nov 25).
Anwar
said it was important for all to understand that the atrocities being committed
by Israel is not only affecting the Muslims but also Christian Palestinians who
have lost their lives, aside from their churches being bombed.
He said
due to Malaysia’s strategic diplomatic relations with countries near Palestine
such as Egypt, Putrajaya was able to expedite humanitarian aid to those
affected.
“The
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi fulfilled his promise to prioritise
humanitarian aid from Malaysia such as food and medicine. This is the result of
our diplomatic relations.
“What’s
happening to the Muslim and Christian Palestinians is a great disaster and we
must sympathise with all of the victims because all of them there are
experiencing the same calamity,” Anwar added.
During
the Apec Economic Leaders’ Informal Dialogue and Working Lunch in the presence
of US President Joe Biden and the rest of the leaders from member economies,
Anwar voiced out about the bloodbath that is happening in the Gaza Strip amid
Israel’s relentless air and ground attack.
Anwar
said what’s happening in Gaza was a clear abandonment of moral responsibility
which allowed massive destruction to happen and resulted in climate calamity.
He said the humanitarian crisis in Palestine is not only affecting Palestine or the broader Middle East, but it will also leave an imprint on global relations for many years to come. Source: thestar.com.my
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-----
Thailand
PM SretthaThavisin says 12 Thai hostages released by Hamas
24th
November 2023
BANGKOK:
Thai Prime Minister SretthaThavisin said 12 Thai hostages kidnapped by
Palestinian militants during Hamas's October 7 raids into Israel were released
on Friday, hours after a truce in the Israel-Hamas war began.
"It
has been confirmed by the security side and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
that 12 Thai hostages are already released," he posted on X.
"Embassy
officials are on their way to pick them up in another hour. Their names and
details should be known. Please stay tuned."
A total
of 25 Thai nationals were among the estimated 240 people taken hostage by
gunmen during last month's wave of cross-border raids into Israel.
In the
worst attack in Israel's history, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed,
according to Israeli authorities.
Israel
has retaliated with a massive campaign of air, artillery and naval strikes
alongside a ground offensive into Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas.
The
Hamas government says the war has killed around 15,000 people, thousands of
them children.
On
Friday, a truce began following weeks of negotiations brokered by Qatar, Egypt
and the United States.
Under
the agreement, a four-day pause in the fighting should see at least 50 hostages
released from Gaza in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli
jails.
Two
Hamas sources told AFP on Friday that some of the hostages seized in the raids
were on Friday handed over to the Red Cross for return to Israel, via Egypt.
Shortly
after the Thai prime minister posted on X, a source close to Hamas confirmed to
AFP that some Thai hostages had been freed, in addition to hostages released
under the deal with Israel.
"Hamas
made a gesture to also release some Thai foreigners," the source close to
the Islamist movement said.
Last
week, a member of Thailand's hostage release negotiation team said his
government had been given assurances by Hamas that the kingdom's nationals held
hostage by the armed group were "safe".
Earlier
this month, the Thai foreign minister travelled to Qatar to hold talks with his
Iranian counterpart over the Thai nationals' release.
About
30,000 Thais were working in Israel, mostly in the agriculture sector, at the
time of the October 7 attacks, according to the kingdom's labour ministry.
Thirty-nine
citizens have been killed and 19 wounded in the war, with the kingdom
evacuating more than 8,500 of its people, according to the Thai foreign
ministry.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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------
Johor
ruler: TunkuLaksamana Johor mosque to be built at Jalan Kolam Air
24 Nov
2023
JOHOR
BARU, Nov 24 — A new mosque named Masjid TunkuLaksamana Johor is set to be
constructed at Jalan Kolam Air, near Istana Bukit Serene, Johor Bahru.
According
to a post uploaded on the official Facebook account of Johor Ruler, Sultan
Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, the costs of building the mosque are from the
inheritance left by his late son, the TunkuLaksamana of Johor, Tunku Abdul
Jalil.
Sultan
Ibrahim said the mosque would be able to accommodate about 1,000 worshippers
when completed.
“Raja
Zarith (Johor Permaisuri) and I, as the rightful beneficiaries according to
faraid, want nothing from our late son’s estate. Instead, our family members
have collectively decided to donate his inheritance to the state government for
the construction of this mosque,” Sultan Ibrahim said in the post.
Earlier,
TunkuMahkota of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, represented his father at
the groundbreaking ceremony for Masjid TunkuLaksamana Johor here.
Also
present were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, Johor Royal Court
Council President Datuk Abdul Rahim Ramli, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Azmi
Rohani, and Johor Mufti Datuk Yahya Ahmad. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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-----
MOTAC to
review eligibility of travel agencies managing umrah pilgrimage
25-11-
2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) will review the
eligibility of travel agencies involved in organising umrah travels.
Minister
Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing this is due to complaints lodged by umrah pilgrims
who have been duped by travel agencies despite the implementation of strict
action against these errant companies such as revoking their licence.
According
to him, his deputy, Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan will lead the review committee
and present the complete report within a month.
“This
includes identifying companies that conduct their business well and those who
do not in addition to detailed reports of the records of these companies in
handling umrah pilgrims.
“This is
to ensure travel companies to be more responsible in conducting business and
not neglect their clients,” he said in a statement yesterday (Nov 24).
Tiong
said the ministry would also resolve other issues about prices and application
procedures, which could be done through MOTAC, before handing the matter over
to the relevant travel agencies as part of the efforts to reduce costs.
“Travel
agencies, old and new, must report every activity involving their clients
throughout their umrah journey to MOTAC for close monitoring and to ensure that
they fulfil the promises they have made to the clients,” he said.
MOTAC will
pay a courtesy visit to Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Malaysia and its Minister
of Haj and Umrah to discuss the quota.
“If
MOTAC is given this responsibility, a committee will be set up, led by the
deputy minister to manage this matter (umrah quota) rather than giving it
directly to travel companies to ensure that our country’s umrah pilgrimage
process can run more smoothly, transparently and responsibly,” he said, adding
that this is also to prevent incidents of fraud from recurring.
He
reminded umrah travel agencies to give the best service to their clients and
warned them against marketing and offering services that they cannot provide. –
Bernama’
Source: thesun.my
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------
South Asia
Wardak
and Ibrahimkhil assume leadership at Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi
Fidel
Rahmati
November
24, 2023
Following
the closure of the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, the Consul General of
Afghanistan in Mumbai issued a press statement on her social media platform X.
Ms. ZakiaWardak and Mr. Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil have assumed leadership
roles at the Embassy of Afghanistan, New Delhi.
On Thursday,
the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi formally announced its permanent closure,
signifying the evolving diplomatic landscape amidst Afghanistan’s recent
challenges.
In
response to the closure of the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, Consul General
Ms. Zakia Wardak and Acting Consul General Mr. Sayed Mohammad IbrahimKhil
issued the following statement:
Urging
everyone to disregard unprofessional messages from former Afghan diplomats
abroad regarding the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. Their baseless statements
create panic and don’t represent all Afghans. Please refrain from confusing.
“Urge
everyone to kindly ignore and disregard the unprofessional and irresponsible
communications issued by the former Afghan diplomats who are based abroad and,
therefore, from now onwards, have no locus standi in the internal affairs of
the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi. Such random, fraudulent, baseless and factual
incorrect communications are creating panic, distrust and negativity in the
overall functioning of the Embassy, as well as amongst the Afghan nationals.
The statement said that such communications do not represent the wishes of all
Afghans.
“Request
everyone, including the former Afghan diplomats/officials, to kindly abstain
from any act/statement/ propaganda, which may create panic among Afghan
nationals in India and can create confusion amongst media, diplomatic circles
and political analysts,” it added.
Meanwhile,
the statement emphasized that given the historical and civilizational ties and
friendly relations between India and Afghanistan, we again reiterate that we
have decided to ensure the continued functioning of the Embassy of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi, which is the symbol of aspirations and
hopes of Afghan people.
Assure
Afghan nationals based in India that the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, New Delhi, continues to function as usual and that there will be
no disruption in providing consular services.
The
statement also reiterated that we kindly request former Afghan ambassadors and
diplomats to refrain from using the Embassy of Afghanistan’s social media for
unwarranted statements. Amidst staff shortages due to asylum grants, we’re
contacting the Indian Ministry of External Affairs to address this challenging
situation.
It also
assured that “As mentioned above, the Consul Generals of the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan in Mumbai, MsZakia Wardak and acting Consul General of the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Hyderabad, Mr Sayed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil,
have assumed the leadership of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan, New Delhi.”
Source: khaama.com
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CSTO
Heads Discuss Regional Issues in Council Session
FatemaAdeeb
November
24, 2023
Heads of
states at a session of the member states of the Collective Security Council of
the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), discussed a range of
regional issues, including narcotics and counterterrorism.
The
situation of Afghanistan was also highlighted during the meeting.
Speaking
at the session, the president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-JomartTokayev, said that
the continuation of humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan is
important.
He also
said that his country has provided emergency assistance to the victims of
recent earthquakes in western Afghanistan.
The
President of Kyrgyzstan, SadyrJaparov, told the session that his country is
interested in peace and stability in Afghanistan.
He also
stressed the need for inclusive negotiations to solve the current issues in
Afghanistan and said that his country supports the continuation of humanitarian
assistance to Afghanistan.
The
CSTO’s members also in a joint statement expressed their concerns over
trafficking of narcotics from Afghanistan.
“Expressing
concern about the challenges posed by trafficking in opiates and
methamphetamine from Afghanistan, as well as cocaine, cannabis, synthetic
drugs…,” the statement reads.
"The
interim government of Afghanistan should take practical steps regarding its
commitment towards the international community and neighbors regarding the
cultivation of narcotics and production of narcotics," said Naijb Rahman
Shamal, political analyst.
However,
the Islamic Emirate’s officials have not commented about the statement but
earlier said that narcotics production has dropped to zero.
The
meeting was attended by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander
Lukashenko, the President of the Kyrgyz Republic SadyrJaparov, the President of
the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the President of the Republic of
Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, as well as the CSTO Secretary General
ImangaliTasmagambetov, according to the office of the president of Kazakhstan.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-186184
------
Islamic
Emirate Leader Orders Cabinet to Address Needs of Refugees
November
24, 2023
Najibullah
Haqqani, the acting Minister of Communication and Information Technology, said
that the leader of the Islamic Emirate in a cabinet meeting ordered all the
ministries to deal with the challenges faced by the immigrants.
Officials
of the Islamic Emirate in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar said that from the
October 23, more than 100,000 Afghans who were forcibly deported from Pakistan
have returned to the country through the Spin Boldak crossing.
"All
of us have patience and are working to solve these problems together. Amir
al-Momineen also advised all officials to provide ease for your brothers as
much as you can," Haqqani told TOLOnews.
"In
the past month, that is, from October 23, 17,700 families have returned to the
country, totaling around 104,000 people," said Abdul Latif Hakimi, head
of refugee registration and information
in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar.
A number
of expelled Afghans also said the inappropriate behavior of the Pakistani
military is against all human principles and said that they have returned to
the country empty-handed.
They
asked the government to help them.
"I
was working in a hotel in Karachi, they detained me, I spent three to four
nights in detention and then they deported me," said Ahmad Jan, an
expelled refugee from Pakistan.
"They
used to come to our houses at night, they informed us a month ago. They were
bothering us a lot and finally we got tired and moved," said Said Jan, an
expelled refugee.
From
November 1, 2023 onwards, the process of forced deportation of Afghan
immigrants from Pakistan has neen ongoing, and so far, thousands of families
have returned to the country.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-186188
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42
Bangladeshis return after 3 yrs in Indian prison
Nov 25,
2023
Forty-two
Bangladeshi women and children returned home yesterday after serving three
years in an Indian prison.
Indian
police handed over them to the immigration police of Bangladesh through the
Benapole check-post.
Benapole's
Immigration Officer-in-Charge Md Kamruzzaman said the returnees went to West
Bengal three and a half years ago, but they were arrested by Kolkata police
while working at various houses, shops, and restaurants.
They
were produced before a local court and sentenced to three years in prison, and
later they landed in Kolkata Central Jail.
After
all immigration formalities, they were handed over to Benapole Port Police
Station with the intervention of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the two
countries.
Benapole
Port Police Station OC Kamal Hossain Bhuian said the returnees were trafficked
through brokers to West Bengal.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/42-bangladeshis-return-after-3-yrs-indian-prison-3477986
-----
Kabul to
accept migrant deportations after verification by consulate general
November
25, 2023
Umer
Farooq
PESHAWAR:
For the first time since the start of the repatriation of undocumented Afghans
early this month, not a single “illegal alien” was sent home via Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa on Friday as Afghan authorities linked the acceptance of
deportations with the verification of their status by the Afghan
consulate-general here.
Official
sources in the Afghan consulate general told Dawn that the deportation
condition was introduced for multiple reasons, especially the arrival of
Pakistani nationals in Afghanistan as “Afghan deportees.”
“Multiple
cases of Pakistanis being sent to Afghanistan as illegal migrants have been
reported,” an official source in the Afghan Consulate told Dawn.
He added
that whenever Afghan authorities took such Pakistanis to the border, Pakistani
officials refused to receive them.
No
illegal alien was sent home via KP on Friday
The
source also insisted that hundreds of Afghan nationals were arrested in
Pakistan before being repatriated without their belongings.
Official
sources revealed the detention of documented Afghan migrants along with those
voluntarily returning to their home.
“Many
illegal aliens are leaving Pakistan voluntarily but they’re stopped and taken
into custody on their way before their repartition. They’re not given time to
carry their belongings,” an official told Dawn on condition of anonymity.
He added
that though authorities had promised not to bother returning Afghans,
harassment was reported by such undocumented migrants.
Officials
also said that there were also multiple complaints about members of Afghan
families being separated from each other.
They
said in “many” cases, men from undocumented families were deported leaving
behind their female members.
Pakistani
officials told Dawn that Afghan authorities had never informed them about the
deportation condition.
They
insisted that not even a single person could leave the country without being
documented by the National Database and Registration Authority.
The
officials rejected the claim of Pakistanis being repatriated to Afghanistan as
“baseless” and insisted that the pictures and fingerprints of all deportees
were kept by the Nadra for “future use.”
They
said the verification condition by Afghan authorities would further delay the
deportation of illegal migrants as those involved in the process had to wait
for the verification letter from the Afghan consulate-general forcing such
foreigners to spend more days in detention.
“Only
deportation is linked with the verification letter. The voluntary repatriation
is still continuing without any hurdle,” an official told Dawn on condition of
anonymity.
Meanwhile,
around 119 illegal migrants were deported from Punjab to Afghanistan via the
Torkham border crossing on Thursday, according to officials.
They
said 52 undocumented Afghans were sent home from Attock, 12 from Rawalpindi, 47
from Chakwal, two from Pakpattan, one from Hafizabad and five from Gujrat.
The
officials said 16 illegal aliens were deported from Islamabad, 188 from
Peshawar and 22 from Khyber tribal district.
They
said over 238,519 illegal migrants, including 66,294 men, 52,199 women and
116,209 children, had left for Afghanistan via Torkham border point in Khyber
district and via Kharlachi border point in Parachinar district since Sept 17.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1792256/kabul-to-accept-migrant-deportations-after-verification-by-consulate-general
-------
Mideast
Gaza
ceasefire enters second day with more hostages to be exchanged and critical
supplies delivered
November
25, 2023
KHAN
YOUNIS: Hamas was expected to swap more of its hostages Saturday for prisoners
held by Israel on the second day of a ceasefire that has allowed critical
humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and given civilians their first respite
after seven weeks of war.
On the
first day of the four-day ceasefire, Hamas released 24 of the about 240
hostages taken during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and
Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison. Those freed from captivity in Gaza
were 13 Israelis, 10 Thai nationals and citizen of the Philippines.
During
the four days, Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150
Palestinian prisoners.
Israel
has said the truce can be extended an extra day for every additional 10
hostages freed — something United States President Joe Biden said he hoped
would come to pass.
The
start of the truce Friday morning brought the first quiet for 2.3 million
Palestinians reeling and desperate from relentless Israeli bombardment that has
killed thousands, driven three-quarters of the population from their homes and
leveled residential areas. Rocketfire from Gaza militants into Israel went
silent as well.
The
United Nations said the pause enabled it to scale up the delivery of food,
water, and medicine to the largest volume since the resumption of humanitarian
aid convoys on Oct. 21. It was also able to deliver 129,000 liters (34,078
gallons) of fuel — just over 10 percent of the daily pre-war volume — as well
as cooking gas, a first time since the war began.
In the
southern city of Khan Yunis on Saturday, a long line of people with gas cans
and other containers waited outside a filling station hoping to get some of the
newly delivered fuel.
For the
first time in over a month, aid reached northern Gaza, the focus of Israel’s
ground offensive. A UN convoy delivered flour to two facilities sheltering
people displaced by fighting.
The UN
said it and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society were also able to evacuate 40
patients and family members from a hospital in Gaza City, where much of the
fighting has taken place, to a hospital in Khan Yunis.
The
relief brought by the ceasefire has been tempered, however, for both sides —
among Israelis by the fact that not all hostages will be freed and among
Palestinians by the brevity of the pause. The short truce leaves Gaza mired in
humanitarian crisis and under the threat that fighting could soon resume.
Israel
has vowed to resume its massive offensive once the truce ends. That has clouded
hopes that the deal could eventually help wind down the conflict, which has
fueled a surge of violence in the occupied West Bank and stirred fears of a
wider conflagration across the Middle East.
First
hostages freed
After
nightfall Friday, a line of ambulances emerged from Gaza through the Rafah
Crossing into Egypt carrying the freed hostages. The freed Israelis included
nine women and four children 9 and under.
The
released hostages were taken to three Israeli hospitals for observation. The
Schneider Children’s Medical Center said it was treating eight Israelis — four
children and four women — and that all appeared to be in good physical
condition. The center said they were also receiving psychological treatment,
adding that “these are sensitive moments” for the families.
At a
plaza dubbed “Hostages Square” in Tel Aviv, a crowd of Israelis celebrated at
the news.
Yael
Adar spotted her mother, 85-year-old Yaffa Adar, in a TV newscast of the
release and was cheered to see her walking. “That was a huge concern, what
would happen to her health during these almost two months,” she told Israel’s
Channel 12.
But
Yael’s 38-year-old son, Tamir Adar, remained in captivity. Both were kidnapped
on Oct. 7 from Kibbutz Nir Oz. “Everyone needs to come back. It’s happiness
locked up in grief.”
The
hostages included multiple generations. Nine-year-old OhadMunder-Zichri was
freed along with his mother, Keren Munder, and grandmother, RutiMunder. The
fourth-grader was abducted during a holiday visit to his grandparents at the
kibbutz where about 80 people — nearly a quarter of all residents of the small
community — are believed to have been taken from.
The
plight of the hostages has raised anger among some families that the government
of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not doing enough to bring them home.
Hours
later, 24 Palestinian women and 15 teenage boys held in Israeli prisons in the
occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem were freed. In the West Bank town of
Beitunia, hundreds of Palestinians poured out of their homes to celebrate,
honking horns and setting off fireworks that lit up the night sky.
The
teenagers had been jailed for minor offenses like throwing stones. The women
included several convicted of trying to stab Israeli soldiers, and others who
had been arrested at checkpoints in the West Bank.
“As a
Palestinian, my heart is broken for my brothers in Gaza, so I can’t really
celebrate,” said Abdulqader Khatib, a UN worker whose 17-year-old son, Iyas,
was freed. “But I am a father. And deep inside, I am very happy.”
Iyas had
been taken into “administrative detention” in 2022 without charges or trial and
based on secret evidence. Israel often holds detainees for months without
charges. Most of those who are tried are put before military courts that almost
never acquit defendants and often don’t follow due process, human rights groups
say.
According
to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club, an advocacy group, Israel is currently
holding 7,200 Palestinians, including about 2,000 arrested since the start of
the war.
A longer
peace?
The war
erupted when several thousand Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel,
killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking scores of hostages,
including babies, women and older adults, as well as soldiers.
Majed
Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, said the hope is
that momentum from the deal will lead to an end to the violence. Qatar served
as a mediator along with the US and Egypt.
But
hours before it came into effect, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told
troops that their respite would be short and that the war would resume with
intensity for at least two more months.
Netanyahu
has also vowed to continue the war to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, end
its 16-year rule in Gaza and return all the hostages.
The
Israeli offensive has killed more than 13,300 Palestinians, according to the
Health Ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza government. Women and minors have
consistently made up around two-thirds of the dead, though the latest number
was not broken down. The figure does not include updated numbers from hospitals
in the north, where communications have broken down.
The
ministry says some 6,000 people have been reported missing, feared buried under
rubble. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in
its death tolls.
Israel
says it has killed thousands of Hamas fighters, without presenting evidence for
its count.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2414881/middle-east
------
Israel
only targets civilians, children in Gaza: Survivor
November
24, 2023
ZENICA,
Bosnia Herzegovina : Nowhere in Gaza is safe and Israel only targets civilians
and children, said a 55-year-old Palestinian man who was recently evacuated
from the enclave.
Nabil
El-Tanany is a dual citizen of Palestine and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He
arrived in Bosnia during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war and started a family.
After 23
years of building a family with his Bosnian wife, he decided to visit his
family in Gaza on Sept. 15.
”I
planned to stay for one month, but the attacks started just before I returned
back to Bosnia,” said El-Tanany.
He
recounted what he witnessed in Gaza since Israel launched relentless air and
ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the
Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
”Nowhere
in Gaza is safe. Every night, only the sound of bombs gets louder. Children cry
because of the sound of bombs. There is not a single peaceful moment,” he said.
El-Tanany
said that people in Gaza live in constant fear of death and try to survive
without water, electricity and food.
“I was
in the north of Gaza, in our family home. There were bombardment sounds every
day. We saw the planes passing over us. There were so many bombs being dropped
that…we couldn’t breathe easily.”
El-Tanany’s
father, two brothers and two sisters and their families live in Gaza.
“When we
went out, we saw that many places around our house had been destroyed. We
ventured further out to understand what had happened. There was dust and smoke
everywhere. Suddenly, we started to see pieces of people. One hundred and
twelve people lost their lives in the massacre that took place there that day.
Among them were my acquaintances and friends,” he said.
El-Tanany
said Israel targets only civilians and children.
“Everywhere
was in ruins. They told us to go to Jabalia. However, they attacked there too.
My relatives’ house was also bombed. They were all destroyed.”
El-Tanany
said he felt very bad when leaving Gaza and his family.
“I
constantly think about what will happen to those I left behind. My father is 92
years old. I try to be in constant communication with my family, but it is very
difficult. When we hear their voices, even a single second is enough.”
El-Tanany
arrived home on Monday and was welcomed back by his wife Fata and two daughters
with tears on their faces.
He
constantly worries for the people of Gaza and his family. — AA
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/israel-only-targets-civilians-children-in-gaza-survivor/
-----
Israel
reviews list of hostages set to be freed by Hamas on Saturday
November
25, 2023
GAZA/JERUSALEM:
Israel has received a list of hostages to be freed from Gaza on Saturday by
Hamas, officials said, following the release of 24 hostages the previous day,
the first of a planned four-day truce.
Israeli
security officials were reviewing the list, the office of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, after his government’s vow to work for
the release of all hostages taken by Hamas in an attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
The
pause in the fighting was the first such break, with both sides saying
hostilities would resume as soon as the truce ends. U.S. President Joe Biden
expressed hope the pause could be extended, however.
The
released hostages, including Israeli women and children and Thai farm workers,
were transferred from Gaza and handed to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah
border crossing, along with eight staff of the International Committee of the
Red Cross in a four-car convoy, the organisation said.
They
were then taken to Israel for medical checks and re-unions with relatives.
Qatar,
which acted as mediator for the truce deal, said 13 Israelis had been released,
some with dual nationality, as well as 10 Thais and a Philippine national -
farm workers employed in southern Israel when they were seized.
Thirty-nine
Palestinian women and children detainees were released from Israeli jails. The
freed Israeli hostages included four children accompanied by four family
members, and five elderly women.
Biden
said there was a real chance of extending the truce, adding that the pause was
a critical opportunity to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
He
declined to speculate how long the Israel-Hamas war would last. Asked at a
press conference what his expectations were, he said Israel’s goal of
eliminating Hamas was legitimate but difficult.
The
Palestine Red Crescent Society said 196 trucks of humanitarian aid carried
food, water and medical supplies through the Rafah crossing on Friday, the
biggest such convoy into Gaza since Hamas’ assault on Israel and Israel’s
subsequent bombardment of the territory.
About
1,759 trucks have entered the narrow enclave since Oct. 21, it added.
Mixed
emotions in Israel
The
families of the hostages expressed mixed emotions, fearing for those left
behind.
“I’m
excited for the families who today are going to hug their loved ones,” Shelly
Shem Tov, the mother of Omer Shem Tov, 21, said in an interview with Israel’s
Channel 12, although he was not among those released on Friday.
“I am
jealous. And I am sad. Mostly sad that Omer is still not coming home.”
Israeli
tallies show Hamas killed 1,200 people in the October attack and took about 240
hostages. Since then, Israel has rained bombs on the Gaza enclave, killing
about 14,000 Gazans, roughly 40% of them children, Palestinian health
authorities say.
Hundreds
of thousands of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have fled their homes, including most
of those in its northern half.
After
initial medical checks, the released hostages were taken to be re-united with
their families. Medical authorities said they appeared to be in good physical
condition and were facing more evaluations.
Roni
Haviv, a relative of OhadMunder, said she was looking forward to giving the
nine-year-old his favourite toy.
“I’m
waiting to see Ohad and can’t wait to give him his Rubik’s Cube, which I know
he really loved and he probably missed it so much, and that’s the first thing
he takes everywhere he goes,” she said.
Those
released on Friday were exchanged for 24 jailed Palestinian women and 15
teenagers. In at least three cases, before the prisoners were released, Israeli
police raided their families’ homes in Jerusalem, witnesses said.
Police
declined to comment.
“There
is no real joy, even this little joy we feel as we wait,” said Sawsan Bkeer,
the mother of 24-year-old Palestinian prisoner Marah Bkeer, jailed for eight
years on knife and assault charges in 2015.
Israeli
police were seen raiding her Jerusalem home before her daughter was released.
“We are
still afraid to feel happy and at the same time, we do not have it in us to be
happy due to what is happening in Gaza,” she added.
A source
briefed on the talks said the release of the Thai workers was unrelated to the
truce talks and followed a separate track mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
Thailand’s government said 20 of its nationals remained captive.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read the
full text of the original
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40275113/israel-reviews-list-of-hostages-set-to-be-freed-by-hamas-on-saturday
------
Hamas
releases 24 hostages, including Thai farm workers
November
25, 2023
GAZA
STRIP: Hamas said a group of hostages seized in the deadliest attack in
Israel’s history were handed over on Friday as a temporary truce took hold in
Gaza following weeks of fighting.
“Half an
hour ago, the prisoners were handed to the Red Cross who will take them to the
Egyptians” at the Rafah crossing, a source close to Hamas told AFP.
A source
in the military of Hamas confirmed the handover, adding: “This is the first
group under the agreement.”
A first
tranche of 13 women and child hostages were expected to go back to Israel on Friday
under a deal that followed weeks of talks involving Israel, Palestinian groups,
Qatar, Egypt and the United States.
Israel
is set to release three times as many Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails
— women and teenage boys.
A dozen
Thai hostages kidnapped during Hamas’s October 7 raids into Israel were also
released on Friday, Thailand’s Prime Minister SretthaThavisin announced.
Pictures
released by the Israeli army showed bright pink and blue headphones sitting on
the seats of a helicopter ready for the released hostages to use, along with
toys and teddy bears waiting at a reception centre where they were being taken
to.
During a
four-day truce, at least 50 hostages are expected to be freed, leaving an
estimated 190 in the hands of Palestinian.
In exchange,
150 Palestinians prisoners are expected to be released.
Hamas
broke through Gaza’s militarised border with Israel on October 7 to kill,
according to Israeli officials, about 1,200 people and seize around 240 Israeli
and foreign hostages.
The pause
in fighting triggered a mass movement of thousands of Gazans who had sought
refuge in schools and hospitals from relentless Israeli bombardment begun after
the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
“I’m
going home,” Omar Jibrin, 16, told AFP after he emerged from a hospital in the
south of the Gaza Strip where he and eight family members had sought refuge.
In Khan
Yunis, in southern Gaza where many Palestinians fled, a cacophony of car horns
and ambulance sirens has replaced the sound of war.
For
Khaled al-Halabi, the truce is “a chance to breathe” after nearly seven weeks
of war.
Halabi
had taken refuge in Rafah but is from Gaza City in the north, much of which has
been reduced to rubble.
Israel’s
retaliatory air, artillery and naval strikes alongside a ground offensive have
killed about 15,000 people, the Hamas government in Gaza said.
Gazans
have struggled to survive with shortages of water and other essentials. Trucks
carrying more aid, including fuel, gas, and food, began moving into Gaza from
the Rafah crossing with Egypt shortly after the truce began at 7:00 am.
Jens
Laerke, spokesman for the United Nations humanitarian agency, OCHA, expressed
hope in Geneva that the pause “leads to a longer-term humanitarian ceasefire
for the benefit of the people of Gaza, Israel and beyond.”
He
repeated the need for access across Gaza, especially in the north “where the
damage and the humanitarian needs are the greatest”.
According
to the UN, 1.7 million of Gaza’s 2.4 million people are estimated to have been
displaced by the fighting.
Now,
thousands of them are trying to get home.
In Khan
Yunis, they loaded belongings onto carts, strapped them to car roofs, or slung
bags over their shoulders, crowding streets to return to their homes from
temporary shelters.
Israeli
warplanes dropped leaflets warning people that the war is not over and it is
“very dangerous” to return north, the focus of Israel’s military campaign.
The
truce was also a chance for some Palestinians to return to Gaza through the
Rafah crossing.
In the
morning, a few apparent gunshots could be heard and dark plumes of smoke rose
periodically over northern Gaza, an AFPTV livecam showed, but the truce
appeared to be holding in the afternoon.
Further
north, on the Lebanon-Israel border, calm also returned after regular deadly
exchanges of fire, primarily between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. The
Lebanese movement, like Hamas, is backed by Iran.
ZivAgmon,
legal adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, told
reporters that the hostages would be received individually or in groups by the
International Committee of the Red Cross, taken across the border and handed to
the Israeli army.
From
El-Arish, in the Sinai, they would be flown to Israel, an Egyptian security
source said.
The
Israeli soldiers had been carefully prepared to receive potentially deeply
traumatised women and children.
After
medical examinations, the former captives will be able to telephone family
members before reunions later at Israeli medical facilities, Agmon added. AFP
has confirmed the identities of 210 of the roughly 240 hostages.
At least
35 of those seized were children, with 18 of them aged 10 or under at the time.
Hamas
earlier released four women and Israeli forces rescued another. Two other
captives, including a woman soldier, were found dead by Israeli troops in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s
office said it had received “a first list of names” of those due to be released
and been in contact with the families.
Maayan
Zin, whose eight- and 15-year-old daughters Ela and Dafna are among the
hostages, posted on social media platform X that she had been informed their
names were not included.
“This is
incredibly difficult for me; I long for their return,” she wrote.
Palestinian
prisoners held in Israeli jails will also be freed on Friday, Qatari foreign
ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said.
The
Palestinian Authority’s prisoner commission published a list of named
Palestinian inmates — 24 women and 15 children — who could be released in
exchange for the initial hostages. Palestinian prisoners will be freed from
three jails in Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, then taken to the
Ofer military camp on buses, an Israeli official told AFP on condition of
anonymity.
Source: brecorder.com
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------
Families
of hostages not slated for release from Gaza during current truce face enduring
nightmare
Nov 25, 2023
TEL
AVIV: OfriBibas Levy has been haunted by nightmares since Oct. 7, when her
brother, sister-in-law and their two young children were snatched by Hamas
militants from their homes and dragged into the Gaza Strip.
In those
dreams she sees her captive relatives, all except for her brother Yarden. That
subconscious omission may reflect her ordeal: Out of the Israeli hostages, only
women and children are expected to be among the 50 people released during a
four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas that started Friday.
All of the
Israeli men, and many women, will remain captive in Gaza for now. It was not
clear if all children were expected to be freed. Hamas freed 24 people Friday,
including 13 Israeli women and children, 10 people from Thailand and one
Filipino.
"It's
a deal that puts the families in a situation that is inhuman. Who will come out
and who won't?" Bibas Levy asked. "The children come out, but my
brother and many other people stay?" Her relatives were not among those
freed in the first release.
The deal
will bring relief to dozens whose relatives are captive - as well as to
Palestinians in Gaza who have endured weeks of bombardment and dire conditions.
But with
some 240 hostages in militant hands, only a fraction of families will be
reunited under the current arrangement. There is some hope that the agreement
could be expanded: Israel has said it will extend the truce one day for every
10 hostages freed.
Many
families are expected to be left to endure the torment of not knowing the fate
of their loved ones.
The plight
of the hostages - who range from babies to older adults - has gripped Israelis.
The captives' families have embarked on a campaign to free their loved ones
that has tugged at the heartstrings of many and ratcheted up pressure on the
Israeli government to make concessions and secure deals for their release.
That
pressure and the families' widespread public support could force the government
into extending the cease-fire even though it has pledged to keep fighting once
the current truce expires.
Securing
the freedom of all hostages, especially the soldiers among them, could prove
difficult. Militants in Gaza see the captives as a critical bargaining chip in
their war with Israel.
The
leader of Islamic Jihad, a militant group allied with Hamas, said Friday that
Israeli soldiers who were taken wouldn't be freed until all Palestinian
prisoners held by Israel are released.
Bibas
Levy has put her life on pause to devote herself to fighting for her family's
release - her nephews age 10 months and 4 years were some of the youngest taken
captive. The occupational therapist who moved out of a targeted southern
Israeli community two months before Hamas' attack, said she will keep battling
until all her relatives return.
Dani
Miran - whose son Omri was taken hostage - has been distraught over his son's
well-being. With the unbearable uncertainty and without a sign of life for
seven weeks, he is plagued by difficult thoughts.
"My
son is not on the list. He's 46 years old. and I hope that he is in a health
condition where he can cope with all the hardship that there is there, that
they didn't wound him, didn't torture him and didn't do things that are
inhuman," Miran said.
For many
families, the news of a deal has sparked a mix of emotions - grief in cases
where they don't expect their loved ones to be freed and hope that it may lead
to further releases.
"I
wish that all of them would come back, and I believe that all of them will come
back. But we must have patience, and just be strong," said Yaakov
Argamani, whose daughter Noa, 26, was taken captive, along with dozens of other
young adults from a music festival that came under attack.
Many
families have said they cannot endure listening to the news because all the
twists and turns of the negotiations are incapacitating. The current deal,
brought about after weeks of fitful negotiations, appeared definite until a
last-minute snag prompted a one-day delay.
"It's
like a rollercoaster," said Eyal Nouri, whose aunt Adina Moshe, 72, was
among those released Friday. Earlier, Nouri had said that he did not expect her
to be among those freed. Moshe's husband, Said, was killed on Oct. 7.
The
nightmare for many won't end even if their relatives are released, Nouri said.
After
the joy of the reunion, those freed will need to reckon with the trauma of
their captivity, their dead loved ones, their destroyed communities and their
country at war.
"She
has nothing. No clothes, no house, no husband, no town. Nothing," said
Nouri. Once she's released "she'll need to build her life from scratch, at
72 years old. Our lives are completely different."
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/families-of-hostages-not-slated-for-release-from-gaza-during-current-truce-face-enduring-nightmare/articleshow/105489071.cms
----
Arab
states condemn Geert Wilders’ Palestine comments
November
25, 2023
DUBAI:
Several Arab states condemned a statement by Dutch parliamentarian Geert
Wilders calling for the displacement of the Palestinian people to Jordan.
The UAE,
Bahrain and Yemen issued a condemnation, as well as the Arab League.
In a
statement, the UAE Embassy in the Netherlands said: “The UAE stands in full
solidarity with brotherly Jordan, and stresses the importance of respecting its
sovereignty. It also rejects any denial of the rights of the brotherly
Palestinian people and their right to an independent state.”
Bahrain’s
Foreign Ministry called for combating such ideas, expressing its full solidarity
with Jordan.
The
statement by Geert Wilders, the far-right Party for Freedom leader, came after
he won a major victory in the Dutch elections.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2414921/middle-east
-----
Without
US support, Israel couldn't have continued Gaza war: Iran
24
November 2023
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Israel would not have been able
to continue its war on the besieged Gaza Strip if it were not for the United
States’ support.
In an
interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera television network, Amir-Abdollahian said
Iran has received messages from the US that Washington is not looking to expand
the scope of the war.
“Our
response to the Americans was that by supporting Israel and supplying it with
weapons, they are widening the scope of the war.”
Israel
ignited its bloody war machine after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas
launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm inside the occupied territories on October 7.
The regime has killed at least 14,854 people, including more than 6,150
children and 4,000 women, in Gaza.
In a
statement on Wednesday, Hamas announced a four-day truce with Israel in the
Gaza Strip that will see the cessation of hostilities in Gaza.
Hamas
said the deal, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, will allow the entry of hundreds of
trucks with humanitarian aid, medicine and fuel to Gaza.
Islamic
Jihad Secretary General Ziyad Nakhalah has said that Israel failed to achieve
its stated goals in the Gaza war as a four-day truce took effect in the
besieged territory after seven weeks of massacres.
After
seven weeks of massacre, the truce took effect at 7:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) on
Friday following a night of intense Israeli bombardment. It stipulates the
release of Israelis held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
In his
interview, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran hopes the truce in Gaza would be the
beginning of an end to the crimes of Israel.
The
Iranian foreign minister said the US believes it can decide who will assume
power in Gaza without the return of the Palestinians to their homeland.
However, the minister underscored, Washington is wrong. The future of Gaza is
determined only by the Palestinian people, he said.
Iranian
President Ebrahim Raeisi proposed an initiative with the leaders of Muslim and
member states of the BRICS group of emerging economies to put an end to Israeli
war crimes in Gaza, the minister said.
Addressing
an emergency virtual meeting of the BRICS leaders on Tuesday, Raeisi said the
members should unite their efforts to break the Israeli siege.
Raeisi
tells BRICS members that they should move to designate the Israeli regime as a
terrorist entity.
On
Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian met with Head of Hamas political bureau Ismail
Haniyeh in the Qatari capital of Doha.
The
senior Hamas chief appreciated Iran for its strong support for the Palestinian
people and resistance, commending the latest ceasefire as a “political and
military” victory for the resistance front.
Source: presstv.ir
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-----
Yoni
Ashner, whose family was freed from Hamas, won't celebrate till all hostages
return
Nov 25,
2023
TEL
AVIV: Yoni Ashner, an Israeli national whose wife and two daughters returned to
him after being held hostage by Hamas for 49 days, has said that he won't be
celebrating the release unless all the hostages under captivity return to their
loved ones, Times of Israel reported.
Asher's
wife, Doron, and their two young daughters Raz (5) and Aviv (2) were taken on
October 7 from the sealed room in Kibbutz Nir Oz, near Gaza.
Doron's
mother, Efrat Katz, was killed in the October 7 assault, when Hamas terrorists
invaded Israel and rampaged through communities and an outdoor music festival
for hours, killing over 1400 people, Times of Israel reported.Ashner thanked
the Israeli government and IDF and those working to get the hostages back. But,
he emphasised that there are still many whose hearts are broken and he won't
celebrate until the "last of the hostages" return.
"My
family Doron Raz and Aviv returned home to me...I am determined to help my
family recover from the terrible trauma and loss we went through, for the
future of the girls and Doron," he said.
"Complex
days are still ahead of me. I must express thanks and appreciation to our brave
sons risking their lives protecting the nation, to the IDF, the Israeli
government, and the war cabinet and all those who are engaged in the work.
Thanks to the wonderful people of Israel, for the thousands of messages and
reinforcements. A big thank you to the families of the hostages who are working
to get everyone back," he added.
Asher
also gave a special thanks to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, made up
of "private people who left everything -- families, careers -- and gave
all their time, energy, blood, and soul for the goal of rescuing my
family."
"I
am happy that I got my family back...But I don't celebrate, I won't celebrate
until the last of the hostages returns. I want to emphasize -- our children,
our fathers, our mothers, our sisters -- are at this time in captivity, there
are people whose hearts are broken at this time and I want to make sure that
every last hostage person will return home," he added.
Asher
became a prominent figure in the organization that represents the families of
the hostages.
His
family was released on Friday afternoon as part of part of the hostage deal between
Israel and Hamas that includes the release of at least 50 Israeli hostages
overall.
The
first group of 13 hostages included the mother and daughters, as well as two
other mothers and their young children, and elderly women. A separate deal
between Thailand and Iran also saw the release of 11 Thai nationals and one
Philippines national, Times of Israel reported.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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-----
Israeli-owned
ship targeted in suspected Iranian attack in Indian Ocean
November
25, 2023
DUBAI: A
container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack by a suspected
Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean as Israel wages war on Hamas in the Gaza
Strip, an American defense official said Saturday.
The
attack Friday on the CMA CGM Symi comes as global shipping increasingly finds
itself targeted in the weekslong war that threatens to become a wider regional
conflict — even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for
Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The
defense official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity
to discuss intelligence matters, said the Malta-flagged vessel was suspected to
have been targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while
in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not
injuring any of its crew.
“We
continue to monitor the situation closely,” the official said. The official
declined to explain why the US military believed Iran was behind the attack.
Al-Mayadeen,
a pan-Arab satellite channel that is politically allied with the Iranian-backed
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, reported that an Israeli ship had been
targeted in the Indian Ocean. The channel cited anonymous sources for the
report, which Iranian media later cited.
CMA CGM,
a major shipper based in Marseille, France, did not immediately respond to a
request for comment. However, the vessel’s crew had been behaving as though
they believed the ship faced a threat.
The ship
had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off since Tuesday when
it left Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com
analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety
reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. It
had done the same earlier when traveling through the Red Sea past Yemen, home
to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
“The
attack is likely to have been targeted, due to the vessel’s Israeli affiliation
through Eastern Pacific Shipping,” the private intelligence firm Ambrey told
the AP. “The vessel’s AIS transmissions were off days prior to the event,
indicating this alone does not prevent an attack.”
The Symi
is owned by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping, which is a company
ultimately controlled by Israeli billionaire IdanOfer. A phone number for
Eastern Pacific Shipping in Singapore rang unanswered Saturday, while no one
responded to a request for comment sent by email. The Israeli military also did
not respond to a request for comment.
In
November 2022, the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Pacific Zircon, also associated
with Eastern Pacific, sustained damage in a suspected Iranian attack off Oman.
Iran’s
mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment.
However, Tehran and Israel have been engaged in a yearslong shadow war in the
wider Middle East, with some drone attacks targeting Israeli-associated vessels
traveling around the region.
In this
Israel-Hamas war, which began with the militants’ Oct. 7 attack, the Houthis
seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. Iranian-backed
militias in Iraq also have launched attacks on American troops in both Iraq and
Syria during the war, though Iran itself has yet to be linked directly to an
attack.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2414896/middle-east
-----
Pro-Palestine
rallies continue as truce takes hold in Gaza
25 November 2023
Hundreds
of Australian students skipped class in Sydney on Friday to protest for the freedom
of Palestinians.
Students
of all ages, from primary school to university students, gathered outside
Sydney's Town Hall with banners and Palestinian flags before marching through
the city chanting.
The
protest came a day after thousands of school students in Melbourne gathered for
a "Free Palestine" protest. Australian state and federal leaders have
urged students to stay in school and not attend the protests.
Elsewhere
in New York, Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Washington Square to
protest against what they consider the illegal occupation of Palestinian
territory.
Groups
like the Palestinian Youth Movement, al-Awda NY, and Peoples Forum participated
in the demonstration.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
Pakistan
PTI
reacts to ‘Laadla’ comment on Imran
November
25, 2023
LAHORE:
PTI central Punjab senior vice president Akmal Khan Bari on Friday strongly
reacted to interior minister Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti’s statement, calling PTI
Chairman Imran Khan as the ‘Laadla’ of the judiciary while the caretaker
government had instituted around 300 fake cases against him.
In a
video message, Mr Bari said the caretaker governments in the centre, Punjab and
Khyber were only supposed to hold free and fair elections but they were busy in
crackdown on PTI leaders and workers.
Stating
that the caretakers wanted to impose the most corrupt person on Pakistan while
relaxing all laws, Mr Bari said the caretakers should formally join politics
and give their manifestos to people instead of meddling with the political
affairs of the country.
Referring
to PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz’ statements that she had got videos, Mr
Bari said this was the reason that different people, including KhawarManeka,
had given statements against Imran. After a book by Reham Khan, he said,
another woman’s book had been relaunched.
“Don’t
hit below the belt but contest in the political arena with your manifesto and
let people decide,” he told the caretakers. He regretted that the caretaker
government also instituted a case against PTI secretary general Omar Ayub Khan
for attending his father Gohar Ayub Khan’s funeral.
Akmal
Bari said the caretaker governments were also instituting cases against the PTI
leaders and workers if they protest in favour of Palestine. He said the police
were also out to harass people.
“The caretakers should perform their original duty of making arrangements and holding free and fair elections and let people decide who was their Laadla,” Mr Bari asserted.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1792273/pti-reacts-to-laadla-comment-on-imran
-----
WFP
urgently needs $27m for families returning to Afghanistan
November
25, 2023
Amin
Ahmed
ISLAMABAD:
As winter sets in, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan has warned
that it is critically underfunded and won’t be able to continue its support for
families arriving from Pakistan with nothing but a few basic morsels.
WFP
Afghanistan Country Director Hsiao-Wei Lee said in a statement that WFP was
forced to cut 10 million people from its emergency food assistance and can now
only support one in five of those in need of support to survive.
“The
situation is particularly dire as the harsh winter is only weeks away and the
country is still reeling from devastating earthquakes, a battered economy and a
worsening climate crisis,” Lee said.
Most
families crossing the border are arriving hungry, desperate and in need of
immediate support. The WFP continues to supply all arriving families with
fortified biscuits and cash to buy food or other basic necessities, adding that
it has assisted 250,000 people in November.
“We
urgently need $27.5 million to support one million returnees from Pakistan
arriving in Afghanistan and help them get through the winter.”
“These
families arrive at the worst of times and face a bleak future in a country
where one third of the people do not know where their next meal will come
from,” he said.
The UN
agency says 1.3 million undocumented Afghans live in Pakistan. Around
720,000 undocumented individuals and 50,000 opting for voluntary repatriation
are expected to require support at border points till July 2024. The surge in
return in recent weeks, the WFP says, is putting pressure on its strained
resources.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1792325/wfp-urgently-needs-27m-for-families-returning-to-afghanistan
-----
Pakistani-Afghan
couple’s son gets bail in illegal stay case
November 25, 2023
PESHAWAR:
A local court on Friday granted bail to the teenage son of a Pakistani woman
and an Afghan man over his recent arrest due to “illegal stay” in the country
during a crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Judicial
magistrate Hassan Ali Khan accepted the bail petition of Kamran on condition of
furnishing two surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.
The petitioner’s
name was mentioned along with five other people in an FIR registered at Shahpur
police station on Nov 15.
The
police claimed that those people were Afghan nationals and didn’t have any
legal documents to stayin Pakistan.
Peshawar
court asks him to furnish two surety bonds of Rs100,000 each
Advocate
Nauman MuhibKakakhel appeared for the petitioner and said the teenage boy was
arrested as a ’witch hunt“ was launched against illegal Afghan migrants during
which even legally staying Afghans had also been arrested.
He
saidthat he was charged under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, 1946.
The
counsel argued that the petitioner was born to a Pakistani woman and an Afghan
man, so he was a Pakistani citizen by descent under Section 5 of the
Citizenship Act, 1951.
He
argued that the petitioner’s mother was a Pakistan national, who had also moved
the Peshawar High Court to seek orders for the grant of the Pakistan Origin
Card to her husband and citizenship to her children.
MrKakakhel
said that though the law was clear on the matter, authorities were refusing to
register those people or issue identity documents to them to enable them to
have a livelihood in Pakistan.
He
argued that the teenager was not covered under the definition of a foreigner as
mentioned in the Foreigners Act, 1946.
The
counsel argued that though the Foreigners Act, 1946, didn’t allow the grant of
bail, the petitioner was entitled to it as a Pakistani citizen and that he
couldn’t be charged with violating the Foreigners Act.
He
claimed that Pakistanis were also being harassed and arrested on the excuse
that they’re Afghan nationals but the Nadra didn’t help protect them.
CONTEMPT
PLEA: A Pakistani national has filed a contempt petition in Peshawar High Court
against the federal government for not issuing citizenship certificate to his
Afghan wife in accordance with an earlier order of the court.
Petitioner
Tariq Shah, a resident of Peshawar, has requested the court to initiate
contempt proceedings against the respondents, including the interior minister,
the National Database and Registration Authority chairman and its
director-general in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The
petition was filed through advocates Irfan Ali Yousafzai and Abdul Rehman.
The
petitioner said that he earlier filed a petition in the high court but that was
disposed of on Dec 20, 2022, by a bench headed by then chief justice Qaiser
Rashid Khan.
He said
that the bench had directed the government to grant citizenship certificates to
the petitioner’s wife after he applied to the ministry of interior through the
prescribed Form “F” along with necessary documents.
He added
that the court had directed that the said documents would be processed and
after due clearance from the security agencies and fulfilling all the codal
formalities, the citizenship certificate would be issued in favour of his wife
in accordance with law and thereafter, she would be eligible for the grant of
the computerised national identity cards.
The
petitioner contended that he had fulfilled all the codal formalities and had
approached the respondents with certified copies of the required documents, but
in vain.
He
claimed that he had time and again approached respondents for the
implementation of the court’s verdict but they had willfully been committing contempt
of the court by not following its orders.
Source: dawn.com
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------
Court
dismisses plea against Imran’s nikah
November
25, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
The Civil Judge, Islamabad Qudrat Ullah dismissed a petition challenging the
nikah between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Bushra
Bibi on Friday after it was withdrawn by the petitioner.
The
court disposed of a petition filed against former Prime Minister Imran Khan
over alleged un-Islamic Nikkah with Bushra Bibi during her “Iddat” days. The
petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, said he wanted to withdraw the case due to some
technical reasons. The judge approved the plea and disposed of the case. Hanif
had moved the court seeking legal action against the 71-year-old PTI chief for
marrying Bushra during her ‘Iddat’ period. The three-month Iddat period is
mandatory for a Muslim woman following the death of her husband or the
dissolution of the marriage.
In his
application to the court, the petitioner said, “For the time being, the
applicant wants to withdraw the complaint due to technical reasons.” “If
permission to withdraw the complaint is not accorded, the applicant shall
suffer irreparable loss,” the report said, citing the application. Judicial
Magistrate (East) Qudrat Ullah granted permission for the complaint’s
withdrawal and wrapped up the case.
Hanif
had claimed that Bushra Bibi was divorced by her former husband in November
2017 and she married Khan on January 1, 2018, even though her Iddat period had
not ended, “which is against Sharia and Muslim norms,” the report said. He had
submitted the statements of Mufti Saeed, the cleric who solemnized the couple’s
marriage in 2018.
Bushra,
49, hails from a family of landowners in Punjab. Her first marriage, which
lasted about 30 years, was to Khawar Farid Maneka, who belongs to a politically
influential Punjab family. Khan has been incarcerated in the Adiala Jail in
Rawalpindi since September 26 in several cases since he was ousted from power
in April last year.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1132333-court-dismisses-plea-against-imran-s-nikah
-----
Imran
moves SC against IHC’s rejection of pre-arrest bail
November
25, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan, has appealed to the Supreme Court
to set aside the Islamabad High Court’s order rejecting his pre-arrest bail in
the Al-Qadir Trust case.
The PTI
chairman has filed a request in the apex court for leave to appeal under
Article 185(3) against the IHC’s order dated November 14, 2023.
Submitted
through Advocate Sardar Latif Khosa, the petition names the state through the
chairman and DG of the National Accountability Bureau as respondents.
Imran
Khan has urged the Supreme Court to grant leave to appeal regarding the
Division Bench’s order of November 14, 2023, in Crl.Rev.148/2023. He seeks to
set aside the order dated August 10, 2023, of Accountability Court No. I,
Islamabad, and be released on bail in the interest of justice.
He
further requests the suspension/stay of the operation of the impugned order
dated November 14, 2023, passed by the Islamabad High Court in Crl. Rev.
No.148/2023. He also seeks to restrain the respondents from initiating any
proceedings or taking any action detrimental to his legitimate rights in the
interest of justice.
Imran
Khan, in his submission, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the
Accountability Court on August 10, 2023, dismissing his pre-arrest bail
petition, which led to the filing of Crl.Rev.148/2023 before the Islamabad High
Court. He argues that the subsequent dismissal on November 14, 2023,
contradicts the order allowing Crl.Rev. No.149/2023 on the same date, inter se
the same parties.
He
highlights that both petitions were ongoing simultaneously, with the NAB
consistently asserting that he had not been arrested based on a fake document.
The division bench ultimately sought the opinion of the Law Ministry, and on
November 14, 2023, it was confirmed that there was no statutory limitation on
filing a revision application.
Imran
Khan contends that, on November 13, 2023, a day before the clarification from
the Law Ministry, he was placed under arrest to overreach the division bench’s
adjudication. He criticises the Islamabad High Court for disposing of the
revision petition as infructuous, giving preference to the NAB’s misstatement.
He explains
that his arrest was part of political victimisation and persecution by state
authorities at the behest of his political rivals. Despite being granted
interim bail during the pendency of a bail application, he was arrested in
another case, leading to the dismissal of his bail application on August 10,
2023.
Imran
Khan recalls the incident of his arrest on May 9, 2023, from the biometric room
of the Islamabad High Court premises in the Al-Qadir Trust Case. Despite the
strong reaction from the chief justice to the illegal intrusion, he was
released on May 11, 2023. However, he points out that the NAB had deceived the
division bench during the proceedings on November 14, 2023, leading to the
dismissal of Crl.Rev.148/2023. Imran Khan argues against allowing the NAB to
benefit from its own fraud and emphasises that he has been twice subjected to
injustice by the Islamabad High Court in the same case. He concludes that a
grave miscarriage of justice has occurred, as access to justice has been
repeatedly denied, despite the categorical judgment of the Supreme Court.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1132331-imran-moves-sc-against-ihc-s-rejection-of-pre-arrest-bail
-----
Africa
Islamic
scholar urges Nigerians to demand good leadership
25th
November 2023
Stephen
Angbulu
Islamic
scholar, Mufti Menk, on Friday, said Nigeria could further excel in its current
status as the giant of Africa if its citizens would support and demand good
leadership at all levels.
He said
this shortly after emerging with his delegation from a closed-door meeting held
with President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
Menkemphasised
the need for Nigerians to be united, respect and appreciate their leaders in
order to propel the nation to great success.
“If you
look at the countries that have failed, it’s because they don’t respect their
leadership. But if we are going to rally behind the leadership and ensure that
every one of us contributes positively, Nigeria can be the best nation in
Africa.
“We need
to be a united people. We need to respect each other, and the leadership that
we have, we should appreciate it; we should acknowledge it.
“We
should understand that if we are going to respect our leadership, we will be
able to achieve much as a nation,” he said.
Drawing
on lessons from other nations, Menk pointed out a critical factor for national
success, saying, “If you look at the countries that have failed, it’s because
they don’t respect their leadership.”
He urged
Nigerians to support their leaders, be upright and honest in their service to
the nation stressing that such an attitude can make Nigeria the best African
nation and a shining example for the rest of Africa.
Speaking
on the purpose of his visit to Nigeria, Menk said, “I am here for the peace and
unity convention that is going to be taking place in Abuja this weekend.”
Concluding
his briefing with a call to action and a prayer for the nation, Menk said, “I
believe it is the right time to be upright and honest and to serve the nation
and, in this way, we will be able to be a shining example for the rest of
Africa.
“I
always pray that we can be upright citizens and that we will achieve more than
we’ve actually dreamt of.”
Kindly
share this story:
Source: punchng.com
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https://punchng.com/islamic-scholar-urges-nigerians-to-demand-good-leadership/
-----
Zamfara
politics: Prominent Islamic cleric resigns
November
25, 2023
Sheikh
Sani Mohammed Jangebe, a renowned Islamic cleric, has resigned from his
position as the Chief Imam.
He
stated this in a letter sent to the mosque’s management committee and made
available to newsmen in Gusau, the state capital, on Friday.
He also
assured his support and contribution to the development and success of the
mosque and Islamic religion in the state and the country at large.
In an
interview with newsmen, Jangebe disclosed that his resignation was connected to
a video clip in which he was seen praying for the Minister of State for Defence
and immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle.
He said
he did similar prayers to the incumbent Governor Dauda Lawal when he was
campaigning for the position.
He said
the video clip had gone viral on social media and generated mixed reactions
among political elites and religious communities in the state.
Recall
that Jangebe served as the Commissioner for Religious Affairs for three terms
in Zamfara State.
Source: dailypost.ng
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------
Abdulrazaq,
Sultan, Saraki, others for launch of Ansarul Islam’s varsity
Adekunle
Jimoh, Ilorin
November
25, 2023
Kwara
state Governor AbdulRamanAbdulrazaq, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar,
former Senate President Bukola Saraki will today grace the launch of Muhammad
Kamalu-deen University (MKU), Ilorin.
Other
personalities expected at the event include Emirs of Kano and Ilorin Alhaji
Aminu Ado Bayero and Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
Ansarul
Islam Society of Nigeria is the proprietor of the about-to-debut-university
Saraki
is the Baba Adini of the society.
AlhajaSinatuOjikutu,
who is also.t heIyaAdini of society is billed to attend.
Muhammad
Kamalud-deen University received accreditation from the National University
Commision (NUC) on 9th June, 2023.
The
pro-chancellor of MKU, Prof Shuaib AbdulRaheem told reporters in Ilorin ahead
of the preparations for the official commissioning of the institution.
He
described the institution as a university with a difference as it will combine
spirituality with sociality so that its products could benefit from this World
and in the hereafter.
Extolling
the virtues of the founder of Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria, the late Sheikh
Muhammed Kamalud- deen Al- Adabiyy, the pro- chancellor said: “As a visionary
leader, Muhammad Kamalud-deen spearheaded the integration of Western education
into his Arabic and Islamic schools, thus modernizing and standardizing Arabic education in Nigeria.
“Despite
opposition, he championed the teaching of English and introduced innovative
tools like blackboards, tables and chairs. His steadfast pursuit of his social
reforms, spiced by combining Arabic and Western education, has had a lasting
impact,producing highly educated Muslims
significant social standing.”
AbdulRaheem,
who was flanked by the vice chancellor of MK recalled that seven decades after
the establishment of Ansarul Islam Society of Nigeria, and four decades
following the establishment of Al-Azhar Institute, Sheikh Kamalud-deen
envisioned the need for a university. In honour of his legacy, his disciples
and Ansarul Islam members decided to establish Muhammad Kamalud-deen
University.
“This
endeavour marks the culmination of the Sheikh’s contributions to over 200
primary schools across West Africa, approximately 70 government- aided
secondary schools, and numerous traditional Islamic schools. In support of the
Al- university, Al- Azhar authorities in Cairo have pledged to send qualified
lecturers to the Faculty of of Arts, Social Sciences, and Education,
specifically, to the Arabic and Islamic Studies’ department.”
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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-----
Death
toll from floods in Kenya rises again
25th
November 2023
The
death toll from devastating floods continues to rise in Kenya reaching at least
20.
Late on
Thursday (Nov. 23), at least eight people were reported to have drowned in
southern Kenya as they tried to cross the flooded Muuoni river in Makueni
county.
Parts of
essential infrastructures have been washed away and villages are swamped by
flood waters.
The
Coast, Northern and Central Kenya regions are the worst hit by the El Nino
phenomenon.
The
Kenyan government has set aside 2.4 billion Kenyan Shillings (some 19 million
$) to support those affected, news outlet Nation reported.
Nation
cited PeninahMalonza, the cabinet secretary for East African Community, the
Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALs) & Regional Development.
Since
October 1, flooding has killed over 100 people in the Horn of Africa and
displaced more than 700,000, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs.
It added
that the floods had displaced more than 700,000 in the region.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/25/death-toll-from-floods-in-kenya-rises-again/
------
UN-Supported
Cultural Festival Unites South Sudanese Communities
November
24, 2023
A
multicultural gathering in Yambio, South Sudan, brought together several
hundreds of local communities featuring representatives from nine ethic groups
residing in the area. Demonstrating that culture can be trusted to be the
cradle for peace and unity in diversity, was very much the objective when
UNMISS and local partners, including the state’s Ministry of Culture, Youth and
Sports, decided to organize the festival.
According
to Mama Hellen Mading, one of the dancers, this is a symbol of unity and peace.
“[Whenever
there is conflict] we are the one suffering as mothers and children. We really
need peace. Let us dwell in peace with ourselves daily. We want our children to
grow in good environment so that they can get education and take over from us
as our future leaders.”
For
James Amabele, resident, this is an event that young people had been eagerly
waiting for.
“Such
events will bring peace among communities and [in] South Sudan at large. This
is what we had been eager for – we must be united, and if all goes well, then
peace will prevail. This is peace by itself. We had been crying for peace and here
we are in unity and peace; all tribes are united.”
For
UNMISS, this is one step towards building durable and sustainable peace among
communities who have experienced one crisis after the other.
According
to Emmanuel Dukundane, Civil Affairs Officer, UNMISS:
“This
function is to show our differences, our variety, our diversity in terms of
culture, and the purpose is to be happy. And through that happiness we can
promote social cohesion; we can know each other more, we can appreciate each
other more, and forget about the past challenges.”
Whistles,
vuvuzelas, drums, and xylophones were just some of the items used to create a
mixed soundtrack of robust and dance-inducing rhythms that brought revelers
together as one.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/24/un-supported-cultural-festival-unites-south-sudanese-communities/
-----
Morocco:
normalization with Israel hampered by the war in Gaza
November
24, 2023
Trade
between Morocco and Israel flourished thanks to the normalization of their
relations three years ago, but the war in Gaza and the support of the Moroccan
population for the Palestinian cause have cut this momentum, analysts believe.
Defense,
agriculture, new technologies, tourism: bilateral cooperation accelerated in
the wake of the normalization agreement , signed in December 2020 and in return
for which Morocco received American and then Israeli recognition of its
sovereignty over the disputed territory. of Western Sahara .
But
since October 7 and the bloody attack by Hamas on Israeli soil, a prelude to a
new war in the Gaza Strip controlled by the Islamist movement, air links
between Israel and Morocco have been suspended, Israeli tourists have vanished
like investors.
"From
one day to the next, there was no one there. The Israelis who were there ran
away, they were very afraid" , relates Michel Cohen, Franco-Israeli
investor, owner of a kosher restaurant in Marrakech which closed, like 11
others out of the 14 which opened in the wake of normalization.
At the
same time, pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which had always been a vector of
mobilization but had run out of steam over the last three years, have regained
momentum, giving rise to calls for a break in relations between Morocco and
Israel.
Faced
with images of Gaza being relentlessly bombed, "(Moroccan) civil society
expresses its discontent and Rabat had to take this popular demand into
account" , notes Zakaria Abouddahab, professor of international relations
at Mohammed V University.
Since
October 7, Rabat's tone has evolved: first expressing its "deep
concern" and condemning any attack against civilians, the kingdom ended up
denouncing, on November 11 during an Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh,
"Israel's persistence in its blatant aggression against unarmed
civilians". Without ever condemning the Hamas attack itself.
In Gaza,
more than 14,500 people were killed in Israeli strikes in retaliation for the
Hamas attack, the deadliest in Israel since the creation of the state in 1948,
leaving 1,200 dead, according to the local authorities.
"Morocco
today is in a very delicate situation" , with on the one hand "a deep
desire to maintain a win-win relationship" and "pressure from the
street" on the other, analyzes MrAbouddahab.
In
October, the evacuation of the Israeli liaison office in Rabat for security
reasons, reported by Moroccan media, recalled the breakdown in relations in
2000, against the backdrop of the second Intifada (Palestinian uprising ).
Rabat
then denounced “Israeli violence”, causing the closure of the Israeli office.
However, according to analysts, this scenario is unlikely today. “We will
maintain the relationship but slow down the pace of meetings and visits,” said
Mr. Abouddahab to AFP.
It is
difficult in this context to imagine the kingdom welcoming high-level Israeli
officials and even less so Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself,
whose visit was anticipated by the end of the year.
According
to Jamal Amiar, author of "Morocco, Israel and Moroccan Jews" , the
military, security and economic ties established since 2020 are too strong to
be broken even if support for normalization - which was already than 31% last
year according to a survey by the Arab Barometer network - has fallen further.
A break
would also create "diplomatic disorder", particularly with the
American administration, he said, recalling that support on the question of
Western Sahara was in the eyes of Rabat a "huge counterpart" to
normalization.
Mr.
Amiar recommends that the kingdom make its delicate position "an
asset" to "play a more dynamic role" in mediation efforts,
banking on its links with Israel, Arab countries but also the large Jewish
community in Morocco, which makes it a unique country in the Arab world.
Estimated
at 3,000 people, Moroccan Jews remain the main Jewish community in North
Africa, while some 700,000 Israelis are of Moroccan ancestry and have
maintained strong ties to their country of origin.
“The
fundamentals of the Moroccan-Israeli relationship are strong, they have roots,”
Mr. Amiar told AFP.
In
Morocco, there is a "real" coexistence between Muslims and Jews,
assures Jacky Kadoch, representative of the Jewish community of Marrakech, who
wants to believe in a return to normal, because despite the repetitive crises,
" the umbilical cord does not heal. "is never cut between the two
countries".
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/24/morocco-normalization-with-israel-hampered-by-the-war-in-gaza/
------
African
leaders give renewed push for permanent seats on UN Security Council
James
Tasamba
25.11.2023
African
countries must sustain a common position in their demand for permanent seats on
the UN Security Council, the president of Equatorial Guinea said Friday.
Obiang
Nguema Mbasogo said the continent has been pushing for the position since 2005
without significant progress toward achieving its legitimate aspirations.
There is
a need for a “renewed and revitalized action on the part of the African
continent, in its demand to correct the historical injustice it has been
suffering, as it is the only continent that does not have representation in the
UN Security Council,” Nguema said while addressing a summit of the African
Union Committee of Ten (C-10) in Equatorial Guinea.
The
meeting in La Paz brought together heads of state and government as well as
representatives of the UN and African Union agencies, seeking to cement a
common position on UN Security Council reforms.
“It is
essential that all African states remain vigilant, speaking with one voice so
as not to let other countries and regions take advantage of Africa by forming
alliances to achieve their own interests in becoming permanent members of the
United Nations Security Council,” said Nguema.
He
emphasized the need to accelerate reforms of the Security Council to ensure
“equitable representation of Africa through expanded membership.”
The
African Union C-10 was set up in 2005, with the core mandate of presenting,
advocating and canvassing support for the common African position on reform of
the Security Council.
The UN
General Assembly began Intergovernmental Negotiations on reforms of the
Security Council during the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly in 2009.
The
Security Council has five permanent members: the US, UK, France, China and
Russia.
It also
has non-permanent member positions, which are held on a rotational basis.
Currently,
Africa is represented by Mozambique, Gabon and Ghana.
Nguema
encouraged his counterparts to sustain a push until the continent's aspirations
in the Security Council are achieved.
"I
want to stress once again the importance of adopting at this summit a new
strategy that will allow us to move forward with this process, to achieve
Africa's goal of obtaining equitable representation in both permanent and
non-permanent seats,” he said.
The
summit was expected to come up with the African common position in the quest
for two permanent seats on the Security Council, with the right of veto and two
additional seats in the non-permanent category.
Source: aa.com.tr
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------
North America
Biden
suggests he was the reason for Hamas attack
24 Nov,
2023
US
President Joe Biden has offered a theory on what might have triggered the
surprise Hamas attacks that ignited the Palestinian militant group’s latest war
with Israel: himself.
Speaking
to reporters in Nantucket, Massachusetts on Friday, Biden speculated that Hamas
was motivated to launch its October 7 assault on villages in southern Israel by
US progress in negotiating a peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The president claimed that the talks were heating up after a massive railway
project, including a link between Riyadh and Israel, was announced at the G20
summit in September – a deal for which he took credit.
“I
cannot prove what I’m about to say,” Biden said. “But I believe one of the
reasons why Hamas struck when they did was they knew that I was working very
closely with the Saudis and others in the region to bring peace to the region
by having recognition of Israel and Israel’s right to exist.”
Biden
made his comments after a four-day ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict began
on Friday morning. He credited “extensive US diplomacy,” including telephone
calls that he placed from the Oval Office, with bringing about the temporary
halt to fighting in Gaza. Hamas agreed to release 50 hostages in exchange for
150 Palestinian civilians held in Israeli jails.
“Today
has been a product of a lot of hard work and weeks of personal engagement,”
Biden said. “From the moment Hamas kidnapped these people, I along with my team
have worked around the clock to secure their release.”
The
October 7 raids killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel, and the Islamist
militants took around 240 hostages back to Gaza. The attacks triggered a war
that has left more than 14,000 people dead in the Palestinian enclave,
according to local health officials.
Saudi
Arabia, which was reportedly nearing an agreement to normalize relations with
Israel, put the deal on ice after the latest conflict in Gaza began.
Biden’s
predecessor Donald Trump had brokered the Abraham Accords, under which Bahrain
and the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic ties with Israel. Sudan and
Morocco later signed the accords.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/587950-biden-hamas-saudi-israel/
------
Biden
says Gaza hostages release ‘only a start’
November
25, 2023
NANTUCKET,
United States: US President Joe Biden said Friday’s release of a first group of
hostages taken by Hamas was just a “start” and that there were “real” chances
to extend a temporary truce in Gaza.
Speaking
to reporters in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he was spending the
Thanksgiving holiday with his family, Biden also said it was time to “renew”
work on creating a two-state solution to achieve peace between Israel and the
Palestinians.
A total
of 24 hostages — 13 Israelis, 10 Thais and a Filipino — were turned over Friday
to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza by Hamas, while Israel
freed 39 women and minors held in its prisons, the Qatari foreign ministry
said.
Biden,
who led US efforts to secure the pause in the brutal fighting between Israel
and Hamas militants controlling Gaza, said “I think the chances are real” for
extending the truce.
He
welcomed the way the start of the process had gone as the four-day truce to
facilitate the hostage and prisoner releases held.
“This
morning I’ve been engaged with my team as we began the first couple days of
implementing this deal. It’s only a start, but so far it’s gone well,” he said.
Asked
about the American women and children hostages who could be released as part of
the deal, Biden said he did not know when they would be set free but “we expect
it to occur.”
He also
urged a broader effort to emerge from the crisis toward creating a viable
Palestinian state to exist alongside Israel, citing the “need to renew our
resolve to pursue this two-state solution.”
Protesters
across the United States have called for Biden to push for a permanent cease-fire,
with a demonstration on Thursday even interrupting the country’s largest
Thanksgiving Day parade in New York.
As the
president attended the Nantucket Christmas tree lighting ceremony on Friday, a
group of about 10 protesters chanted “Biden, Biden you can’t hide, we charge
you with genocide,” while holding a banner that read “Free Palestine.”
Earlier
in the day, as the president walked about, a handful of people shouted “free
Palestine” and “cease-fire now.”
Hamas’s
October 7 attack sparked an air and ground offensive by Israel, which has vowed
to destroy the Palestinian militants.
In Gaza,
nearly 15,000 people, 6,150 of them children, have been killed in the war,
officials in the Hamas-run territory said.
About
1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Israel during the October 7
attack and around 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2414831/world
-----
Putting
conditions on military aid to Israel 'worthwhile thought', says US President
Biden
25.11.23
President
Joe Biden said Friday that he believes putting conditions on military aid to
Israel is a "worthwhile thought", and he hopes the Gaza ceasefire
will last longer than four days.
Speaking
to reporters from Nantucket, Massachusetts, Biden said he was encouraged by the
release of some of the hostages and hopes for more.
"We
expect more hostages to be released tomorrow, and more the day after, and more
the day after that," he said.
The
freed hostages included 13 Israelis, 10 people from Thailand and one from the
Philippines, according to Qatar, which was instrumental in brokering the deal
to stop fighting. In return, Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison.
Biden
said that conditioning military aid to Israel was a "worthwhile thought,
but I don't think if I started off with that we would have ever gotten where we
are today".
He
didn't give any examples of possible conditions.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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----
Biden
hopeful about Israel-Hamas truce extension, US hostages release
25 Nov
2023
NANTUCKET,
Nov 25 ― US President Joe Biden said yesterday that the chances were “real” of
a truce between Israel and Hamas being extended and he expressed hope that US
citizens taken hostage by the Palestinian group would be freed soon.
Biden
also praised US diplomacy behind the truce and yesterday's release of 24
hostages who were taken by Hamas to Gaza in its October 7 attack on Israel,
saying it was the start of what he expected would be further releases in coming
days.
“Beginning
this morning, under a deal reached by extensive US diplomacy, including
numerous calls I've made from the Oval Office to leaders across the region,
fighting in Gaza will halt for four days,” Biden told a press conference.
Asked
whether the truce could be extended, Biden said: “I think the chances are
real.”
Biden
declined to speculate about how long the Israel-Hamas war would last. Asked by
a reporter what his expectations were, Biden said Israel's goal of eliminating
Hamas was a legitimate but difficult mission.
“I don't
know how long it will take,” Biden told reporters.
“My
expectation and hope is that as we move forward, the rest of the Arab world and
the region is also putting pressure on all sides to slow this down, to bring
this to an end as quickly as we can.”
Under
the terms of the truce, 50 women and children hostages are to be released over
four days, in return for 150 Palestinian women and children among thousands of
detainees in Israeli jails. Israel says the truce could be extended if more
hostages are released at a rate of 10 per day.
Both
sides have promised a return to fighting.
Abu
Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, said in a video message that this
was a “temporary truce” and called for an “escalation of the confrontation ...
on all resistance fronts”, including the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israeli
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant spoke similarly, calling the pause “short” and
saying that at its conclusion “the war (and) fighting will continue with great
might.”
Israel
has retaliated against Hamas for the October 7 attack in which the government
says Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seized about 240
hostages.
The
Israeli military has bombarded the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, killing about 14,000
Gazans, around 40 per cent of them children, according to Palestinian health
authorities.
The
civilian death toll has generated international outcry and protests even in the
United States, a staunch ally of Israel.
Biden
spoke to reporters yesterday while vacationing with his family on the
Massachusetts island of Nantucket.
As Biden
and his wife, Jill, walked around Nantucket after his remarks, some in the
gathered crowd loudly shouted: “Free Palestine!”
Biden
said earlier that he had raised civilian casualties with Israel's Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“I've
encouraged the prime minister to focus on trying to reduce the number of
casualties while he is attempting to eliminate Hamas, which is a legitimate
objective,” Biden told reporters. ― Reuters
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2023/11/25/biden-hopeful-about-israel-hamas-truce-extension-us-hostages-release/104108
-------
Arab World
Minister
of Hajj suggests best timing for performing Umrah
November
24, 2023
MAKKAH —
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah advised Umrah pilgrims that the
best timing to perform Umrah in the morning is from 7:30 until 10:30 and in the
evening from 11:00 pm until 2:00 am.
The
minister said in a statement on his X account that the least crowded weekly
days for the performance of the Umrah ritual is Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday. The
minister’s advisory came at a time when the Grand Mosque in Makkah is
witnessing a huge influx of Umrah performers coming from all over the world.
Dr.
Al-Rabiah said that Makkah has been witnessing very pleasant weather these days
and this enables the pilgrims to perform their rituals in ease and comfort in
an air of spirituality.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/638065/SAUDI-ARABIA/Minister-of-Hajj-suggests-best-timing-for-performing-Umrah
-----
First
ship carrying aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt in KSrelief-coordinated operation
November
24, 2023
RIYADH:
The first aid ship for Gaza, carrying 1,050 tons of food, shelter, and medical
supplies, reached Port Said in Egypt, reported SPA.
The Gaza
relief operation is being coordinated by the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, with
Egypt acting as the transit point.
The aid
is being delivered into Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
Rafah,
overseen by Egypt, is the only crossing into Gaza not controlled by Israel.
KSrelief
on Thursday finalized four cooperation agreements with international
organizations to provide relief worth $40 million for Palestinians in the Gaza
Strip.
Abdullah
bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, adviser at the Royal Court and KSrelief
supervisor-general, concluded the agreements with the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees UNRWA, the World Health Organization, the International Committee of
the Red Cross, and the World Food Programme.
The
Saudi aid campaign for the Palestinian people was launched following a
directive from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2414486/saudi-arabia#:~:text=RIYADH%3A%20The%20first%20aid%20ship,acting%20as%20the%20transit%20point.
-----
3rd
Saudi Green Initiative Forum program unveiled
November
24, 2023
RIYADH —
The third edition of the Saudi Green Initiative (SGI) Forum will present a
unique opportunity for diverse stakeholders to engage in dialogue, share
insights, and showcase innovative approaches to addressing climate challenges,
and supporting global action.
The
forum, under the theme “From ambition to action” will be held on the sidelines
of the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the
Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28) at Expo City, Dubai on Dec. 4.
The
forum is set to accelerate global efforts to address climate challenges. The
event will convene an elite lineup of influential figures, climate experts,
senior government officials, and CEOs to share their insights and discuss what
more can be done to address climate challenges.
Speakers
who are confirmed to take part include CEO of Standard Chartered William Thomas
Winters, Secretary General and CEO of World Energy Council Dr. Angela
Wilkinson, CEO of Schlumberger Olivier Le Peuch, and CEO of Air Liquide
François Jackow, and a number of Saudi government officials.
The
forum’s program will focus on multiple key themes, including innovating and
scaling up clean energy solutions, the Red Sea’s ecosystem, financing climate
action, and protecting terrestrial and marine areas in the Kingdom.
The
forum will feature a series of panel discussions that will explore the key
themes under four event pillars: "Industrial Plays," "The
Financial Architecture of Tomorrow,” "Innovative Transitions," and
"Coherence for Impact.”
The
sessions will examine critical topics, including clean energy scaling,
desertification mitigation, climate technology innovation, safeguarding the Red
Sea, sustainable urban planning, CCUS and hydrogen technology, and ESG
investments. In the year of the global stocktake, the SGI Forum 2023 will be an
important platform to accelerate global efforts to address climate challenges.
In
addition to the forum, the Saudi Green Initiative Gallery will be open daily
from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm throughout the COP28 conference, except for the day of
the SGI Forum on Dec.4. The Gallery will showcase Saudi Arabia’s range of
initiatives and projects working to deliver a greener, more sustainable future,
underscoring the Kingdom’s enduring commitment to climate action.
This
year, the Saudi Green Initiative is premiering an interactive speaker series
called SGI Talks, to offer a wider audience access to different aspects of the
climate action conversation and encourage dialogue. The series will engage with
the major sustainability trends of the future, complementing the wider COP28
agenda. Talks will include a range of topics, including new technologies
transforming energy efficiency.
The SGI
Gallery will display the breadth and depth of climate action initiatives taking
place across Saudi Arabia and the range of entities, projects and individuals
behind these efforts. Visitors to the SGI Gallery will discover how the Kingdom
is progressing towards its targets and learn more about the multitude of
sustainable initiatives already delivering impact across the country.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/638066/SAUDI-ARABIA/3rd-Saudi-Green-Initiative-Forum-program-unveiled
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KSrelief
Distributes Winter Clothing Vouchers to 416 Refugee Families in Jordan
24 Nov,
2023
The King
Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) distributed on Wednesday
vouchers to 2,742 individuals, enabling them to purchase winter clothing from
authorized stores.
The vouchers support 416 Syrian refugee
families and the neediest in the host community in the governorates of Zarqa
and Mafraq in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
This assistance is part of the second phase of
the winter clothing distribution project (Kanaf) in Jordan, in cooperation with
the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO).
This initiative is consistent with the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia's relief and humanitarian efforts provided through its
humanitarian body, the KSrelief, to help the needy and affected people around
the world.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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the full text of the original
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/ebfa45191df7481e943ce1d2eed91e0d
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18th
Saudi Relief Plane for Palestinian People in Gaza Arrives in Egypt
The 18th
Saudi relief plane, operated by the King Salman Center for Relief and
Humanitarian Aid (KSrelief) in coordination with the Ministry of Defense,
arrived at El-Arish International Airport in Egypt today. The plane carried two
out of 20 scheduled ambulances, which will be transported successively to the
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
This aid is part of Saudi Arabia's
long-standing commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in various
crises.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/6f95015bad1e43bca2c0cccde22e6a07
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/gaza-war-islamist-extremism-europe/d/131182