Ex Gyanvapi Case Judge Hails 'Philosopher King' Adityanath in Order Indicting Muslim Cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 March 2024
Judge
Ravi Kumar Diwakar. Photo: X/@DiwakarJudge
------
·
Ex Gyanvapi Case Judge Hails 'Philosopher King'
Adityanath in Order Indicting Muslim Cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza
·
UP Quran Meet-2024: 'Quran Is Not For Muslims
Alone, It Is A Universal Guide For All Humanity'
·
British Media Describes Israelis As Victims Of
Attacks 11 Times More Than Palestinians: Report
·
Hezbollah Is Fire-Testing Israel's Iron Dome
'To Learn Its Weaknesses'
·
Islamophobia Means Genocide Against Muslims -
“Embracing Diversity “Panel Discussion in Baku
----
India
·
Delhi Cop Suspended After Video Of Kicking
Muslims Offering Namaz Went Viral
·
Senior Indian diplomat holds talks with
Taliban’s acting foreign minister Muttaqi
·
Islamic State's Ballari module behind Bengaluru
blast? New details emerge
·
Mirwaiz allowed to offer Friday prayers at
Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid
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Europe
·
UK Muslims Worried About Israeli Offensive Into
Rafah: London Mayor Khan
·
UK Chancellor Announces £1 Million Towards Memorial
For Muslim Soldiers
·
Russia Says It Thwarted Islamic State Plot To
Attack Moscow Synagogue
·
UK media chiefs defend coverage of Gaza war as
study exposes pro-Israel bias
·
French school system in danger ‘due to radical
Islam’, Senate report finds
·
Sweden police arrest suspected Islamists
believed to prepare attack
·
Top EU official visits Cyprus to inspect
preparation to supply to Gaza by sea
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Mideast
·
Iran Reserves Right To Respond Israeli Threat:
Envoy
·
Hamas Leaves Cairo Talks, Dimming Hopes For
Ramadan Cease-Fire In Gaza
·
Famine Warnings in Gaza Lead to Rising Child
Fatalities
·
Ship carrying over 2,700 tons of humanitarian
aid sails from Türkiye to Gaza
·
Israeli Settlements Expand By Record Amount, UN
Rights Chief Says
·
Jerusalem Palestinians prepare for Ramadan amid
holy month’s uneasy politics
----
Southeast
Asia
·
Lawyer Calls Kelantan’s Plan To Restore Nixed
Shariah Provisions Contempt Of Court
·
PM Anwar calls on the people to make changes to
raise the country’s dignity and status
·
VP invites Muslims to welcome Ramadhan, be
God-fearing
·
Ramadan momentum to strengthen national
togetherness: VP Amin
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South
Asia
·
Kabul Says Recent Report is 'Abuse of the UN
Name'
·
Pakistan UN Rep: Taliban Shouldn’t Threaten
Neighbouring Countries’ Territorial Integrity
·
IEA FM of Taliban: India Interested In
Expanding Political Relations
·
Our Youths Must Know About Nation's True
History: PMSheikh Hasina
·
Afghanistan Recognition, Role of Special Envoy
on UN Agenda: Otunbayeva
·
Corruption Ended in Government, Private in Institutions:
Anwar
·
I doubt whether those who don't observe March 7
really believe in independence: FM
·
China and Russia Call for Global Engagement
with Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan for Positive Change
-----
Africa
·
Drama As Boko Haram Chief Imam Defects To ISWAP
·
Gruesome Murder Of Sheikh Abubakar Hassan
Un-Islamic, Barbaric
·
Prioritise rescue of abducted Borno IDPs,
Kaduna pupils, ActionAid urges FG
·
UN chief urges Sudan’s warring parties to halt
hostilities during Muslim holy month of Ramadan
----
Pakistan
·
Pakistan Police Foil Suspected Afghan
Militants’ Prison Attack On Ex-PM Khan
·
IHC Wonders If Imran Was Asked Before His Home
Declared Sub-Jail
·
JI Senator Calls For Political Dialogue To
Ensure Civilian Supremacy
·
2 Terrorists Killed In Separate Operations In
Khyber, Dera Ismail Khan Districts: ISPR
·
IMF ready to send mission to Pakistan after
cabinet formation
·
Pakistan, EU reiterate joint commitment to
combat human trafficking, money laundering
·
ATC extends Imran’s bail in May 9 cases
·
Meezan, PMN ink MoU for promotion of Islamic
microfinance services
·
Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with
Kashmiris: PM
-----
North
America
·
Biden Says Gaza War Has Taken Greater Toll On
Civilians Than All Previous Conflicts There Combined
·
US says Hamas holding up 6-week ceasefire by
refusing to release vulnerable hostages
·
US officials: Biden administration does not
intend to impose military restrictions on Israel
·
US, partners to set up temporary port in Gaza
for aid deliveries
·
Biden Sleepwalks The U.S. Into A Military Crisis
To Placate Islamist Voters In Detroit
·
CAIR Condemns Destruction of Gaza Mosque
Minaret by ‘Bored’ Israeli Troops
·
CAIR Condemns Chinese Communist Party’s Forced
‘Sinicization’ of Islam in Uyghur Region
·
Canada PM Trudeau says no decision yet on
resuming UNRWA funding
·
Anti-Biden coalitions plan national convention
to find presidential alternatives
----
Arab
World
·
Jeddah Unveils World's First 3D-Printed Mosque
·
Revolution Leader Warns Israel, US, Britain
That What Is Coming Is Greater
·
Houthi leader boasts of targeting Red Sea ships
with over 400 missiles, drones
·
Expanded Meeting Of Scholars, Preachers And
Imams Of Mosques In Dhamar City
·
Saudi Arabia Launches New Combat Ship In Jeddah
Compiled by New Age
Islam News Bureau
-------
Ex Gyanvapi Case Judge Hails 'Philosopher King'
Adityanath in Order Indicting Muslim Cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza
Judge
Ravi Kumar Diwakar. Photo: X/@DiwakarJudge
------
Omar Rashid
Mar 8, 2024
New Delhi: In an unusual event even by the standards
of the lower judiciary in Uttar Pradesh, a judge – while invoking serious
criminal charges including attempt to murder against a prominent Muslim
cleric-politician for communal violence in Bareilly in 2010 – has hailed chief
minister Adityanath as a great example of a “religious person” holding a seat
of power.
In the same order, the judge makes a string of
controversial and debatable observations – from praising Adityanath for his
religious background to blaming alleged “appeasement” of a particular community
by political parties for riots in the country and referring to his own record
in the Gyanvapi Masjid legal battle and threats received by him from Muslim
groups.
The judge even said that a copy of his order should
be sent to Adityanath so that the chief minister could take action against
those senior police officers and officials who allegedly assisted the accused
Muslim cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan and did not act as per law at the
behest of the then government (UP was under the rule of the Bahujan Samaj Party
at the time).
Ravi Kumar Diwakar, additional district judge-fast
track court in Bareilly, who passed the order, while serving as a judge in Varanasi
in 2022 had passed controversial directions regarding the Gyanvapi Masjid.
Diwakar, as civil judge senior division, had ordered the sealing of a portion
of the Mughal-era mosque after Hindu plaintiffs claimed that a stone found in
the ablution tank there was a “shivling”. Judge Diwakar had given his nod to
videography inside the Gyanvapi Masjid by a court-appointed advocate
commissioner on a petition filed by five Hindu plaintiffs demanding daily
access to prayer to a ‘Maa Shringar Gauri’ they claimed was located outside the
western wall of the mosque.
Now posted in Bareilly, Judge Diwakar on March 5,
while hearing the 2010 Bareilly riots case, added Khan’s name in the
chargesheet and summoned him to appear before it on March 11. The judge dubbed
Khan, who is a prominent cleric of the Barelvi sect and president of the
political party Ittehad-e-Millat Council, as the “main mastermind” of the riots
that took place in Bareilly on March 2, 2010 after a dispute broke out over the
route of a Muslim religious procession. Several persons were injured and
property damaged in the incident. A curfew had been imposed in the city for
several days.
After recording the statements of witnesses, the
judge concluded that Khan’s speech to a gathering a Muslims had instigated the
violence.
Judge Diwakar, who was posted to his present court
in November 2023, started off by stating that if a religious person occupies a
seat of power, it leads to good results. He cited the concept of the
‘philosopher king’ propounded by ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his work
Republic. Plato had said that there would be no end to suffering in the Greek
city states until they had philosopher kings, said Diwakar in his order hearing
the Bareilly riots case.
“Justice is the lifeblood of a king,” said Diwakar,
quickly adding that though in the present times the word ‘justice’ was used in
the legal sense, during the time of Plato it was used in the context of
religion.
“Therefore, the head of power should be a religious
person, because the life of a religious person is not one of enjoyment but of
sacrifice and dedication. An example of this in today’s times is the
peethadeshwar of the great Siddhapeeth Gorakhnath Temple, mahant baba shri Yogi
Adityanath ji, who is the current chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and has
proven the above concept to be true,” said Judge Diwakar.
On the other hand, however, if any religious person
acts contrary to the aforementioned, such as provoking people of this
community, then law and order gets disrupted and riots occur, said the judge.
Diwakar said an example of this was Maulana Khan. The judge stressed that since
Khan is a religious leader and belonged to the Ala Hazrat, the main dargah of
Bareilly, which has great recognition in the Muslim society, and heads the IMC,
he has a lot of influence in Muslim society.
Judge Diwakar further remarked that the “main reason
for riots” in India was that “political parties here are engaged in appeasement
of a particular religion”. Due to this, the morale of prominent people of that
“particular religion” increases to the extent that they believe that even if
they cause riots, no harm will fall upon them due to protection provided by
power, said Diwakar.
The judge then recalled his time in Varanasi and
referred to the alleged threats he received following his orders in the
Gyanvapi Masjid matter. He said that even though he had filed an FIR after
receiving a 32-page threat from a Muslim outfit, nobody had been arrested till
date. This caused his mother, who lives in Lucknow, and his younger brother, a
civil judge in Shahjahanpur, to worry about his safety, said Diwakar, adding
that an atmosphere of fear prevailed in his family.
The judge then referred to the alleged remarks by
Khan against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and even claimed that had UP not been
ruled by Adityanath, Khan would have recently incited a riot in Bareilly. He
was referring to the incident of stone-pelting that took place in Bareilly last
month when people were returning home after participating in a jail-bharo protest
organised by Khan against the decision of a court in Varanasi to hand over the
basement of the Gyanvapi Masjid to Hindus for prayer.
Judge Diwakar then claimed that ever since he passed
the verdict in the Gyanvapi case, the attitude of people of a “particular
religion” and officials towards him had become strange. “It seemed that I had
committed some sin by giving the verdict in the Gyanvapi case,” said the judge,
stressing that he passed the order as per legal provisions.
Regarding the Bareilly rioting case, the judge,
while criticising the alleged inaction of the police and government officials
in failing to include Khan’s name in the chargesheet despite there being
sufficient evidence in the investigation, noted that in India, rarely has the
mastermind of a riot been punished.
Though Khan had been arrested he was not named in
the chargesheet of the case.
Diwakar is not the only judge linked to the Gyanvapi
Masjid-Kashi Vishwanath matter to stir a controversy. As first reported by The
Wire, retired district judge of Varanasi Ajaya Kumar Vishvesha who had on
January 31, his last working day, controversially handed over the basement of
the Gyanvapi mosque to Hindus for prayers, was recently appointed an ombudsman
of a public university in Lucknow. Adityanath, by virtue of being chief
minister, is the chairperson of the university.
Source: thewire.in
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://thewire.in/communalism/ex-gyanvapi-case-judge-hails-philosopher-king-adityanath-in-order-indicting-muslim-cleric
-----
UP Quran Meet-2024: 'Quran Is Not For Muslims Alone,
It Is A Universal Guide For All Humanity'
Photo: The Times of India
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Mar 7, 2024
NEW DELHI: There could not have been a better way to
encapsulate the universal message of Quran that the creator does not
discriminate against his subjects. That Quran was revealed not for Muslims
alone, but for entire humanity and a dispassionate study of the holy text will
lead to find solutions to many of our contemporary problems. If it can guide us
in the 21st century, it will be guide to all, both Muslims and non-Muslims. This
message was amply clear at recently at Quran Meet-2024 held by Al Quran
Academy, Kairana, in collaboration with India Islamic Cultural Centre, New
Delhi.
Featuring small plays, quizzes, comments and
dialogues put up by students of the Academy, the programme showcases the theme
whether Quran can be a guide to us in the 21st century. "The purpose of
this day-long function is to show how the holy book is not just to be kept at
home and revered but to read and understand the wisdom in its verses. The verses
are filled with divine commandments on how to live a stress-free, peaceful life
on this earth. The book is a guide for all human beings and for all times to
come," said Al-Quran Academy's founder-director Mufti Mohammed Athar
Shamsi. He added that the students, and teachers both boys and girls, had put
in hard work to prepare for the programme.
Some students showed through storytelling and real
life examples that a purposeful, peaceful life is possible.
Many of the guests, including noted Islamic scholar
Prof Akhtarul Wasey, President of Zakat Foundation of India Dr Zafar Mahmood
and senior functionary of Jamia Hamdard University Shaukat Mufti, were hugely
impressed with the presentations. While Mahmood announced cash prizes for the
participating students, Mufti said he would like to hold a similar meet at the
Jamia Hamdard campus.
An interesting aspect was unveiling of 'O Mankind:
Connecting Humanity', a methodology which tells us that Quran is not community-specific
but a is a universal guide for all humanity, promoting permanent values like
peace, brotherhood, justice and equality. It tells us how to "teach Quran
through storytelling, real life examples and interactive exercises,
distinguishing itself as a tool for personality development and character
growth."
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.co006D
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/quran-is-not-for-muslims-alone-it-is-a-universal-guide-for-all-humanity/articleshowprint/108308342.cms?val=3728
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British Media Describes Israelis As Victims Of
Attacks 11 Times More Than Palestinians: Report
A screen grab captured from a video shows the
release of Israeli hostages as part of the exchange agreement during the
four-day humanitarian pause in Gaza City, Gaza on November 26, 2023. Photo : (
Stringer )
------
BurakBir
07.03.2024
"Significant biases" have been evident in
the British media over its coverage of Gaza since Oct. 7, with "emotive
language" describing Israelis as victims of attacks 11 times more than
Palestinians, according to a report published Wednesday.
The report, Media Bias Gaza 2023-24, exposed
"significant biases in media coverage" in the UK concerning the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to the Centre for Media Monitoring
(CfMM), an arm of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB).
The lengthy study revealed that most British TV
channels overwhelmingly promote “Israel's right to defend itself,”
overshadowing Palestinian rights by a ratio of five to one.
"In broadcast TV, Israeli perspectives were
referenced almost three times more than Palestinian ones. In online news, it
was almost twice as much," it noted.
The report also said the media used “emotive
language” to describe Israelis as victims of attacks 11 times more than
Palestinians, while 76% of online articles framed the conflict as an
"Israel-Hamas war" and only 24% mentioned
"Palestine/Palestinian," indicating a lack of context.
"Pro-Palestinian voices face misrepresentation
and vilification by media outlets, perpetuating harmful stereotypes," the
report said, adding right-wing news channels and right-wing British publications
were "at the forefront of misrepresenting pro-Palestinian protestors as
antisemitic, violent, or pro-Hamas."
Also, there were 361 TV news clips where the terms
"beheaded" and "babies" were found and almost 50% of these
were on the right-wing British channels Talk TV (27%) and GB News (20%), with
Sky News accounting for 14%, said the report, which scrutinized a vast array of
data analyzing 176,627 television clips from over 13 broadcasters and 25,515
news articles from over 28 UK online media websites.
The study also found that TV reporting of Israeli
perspectives was referenced almost three times more (4,311) than Palestinian
ones (1,598).
In online news, it was almost twice as much (2,983
versus 1,737).
On language usage, the study showed that media coverage
highlighted a concerning trend where emotive language "disproportionately
highlighted Israeli suffering while downplaying Palestinian casualties."
It also examined the intersection between the crisis
and Islamophobia, especially as Islamophobic hate crime increased by 335% since
Oct. 7.
"In the main, Palestinians should be reported
on as human beings with full unalienable rights as enjoyed by all peoples. This
also necessitates how those rights have been curtailed in a forever war against
them that has its origins many decades before 7 October 2023,” said Faisal
Hanif, the lead author of the report.
Rizwana Hamid, the director of CfMM, said: "As
media organizations navigate the complexities of the conflict, it is imperative
to uphold principles of fairness, accuracy and inclusivity, ensuring that all
voices are heard and all perspectives are represented."
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the
Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel
Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.
More than 30,700 Palestinians have since been killed
and over 72,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of
necessities.
Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the
Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on
the verge of starvation.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population
into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and
medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed,
according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the
International Court of Justice (ICJ). An interim ruling in January ordered Tel
Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian
assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/british-media-describes-israelis-as-victims-of-attacks-11-times-more-than-palestinians-report/3157564
----
Hezbollah Is Fire-Testing Israel's Iron Dome 'To
Learn Its Weaknesses'
The Iron Dome became operational in 2011 and
had its first successful combat test in the same year [Getty]
------
07 March, 2024
Israeli intelligence sources report that Lebanese
militant group Hezbollah is conducting live fire tests on Israel's much vaunted
Iron Dome missile defence system. These tests aim to locate Iron Dome batteries
and saturate the system with missiles to overwhelm its defences and identify
its weaknesses.
According to an Israeli Channel 12 report quoting
these sources, Hezbollah is launching frequent barrages of low-cost missiles,
as seen by a recent attack involving 30 missiles.
The Iron Dome reportedly intercepted 12, with the
remainder falling in unpopulated areas, according to Israeli claims.
Hezbollah aims to bypass the Israeli Air Force's
detection systems and increase the number of missiles hitting targets and
circumventing the Iron Dome.
They achieve this by targeting Iron Dome locations
and launching more missiles simultaneously.
Similar tactics are employed with drones. Hezbollah
has launched unmanned aerial vehicles from various locations and altitudes,
probing for weaknesses in Israel's defences.
To counter these efforts, the Israeli military is
reportedly deploying helicopters and fighter jets equipped with countermeasure
radars, focusing on areas challenging for other interception systems.
The Iron Dome system has evolved significantly,
demonstrating improved capabilities against large barrages and complex terrain.
Israeli military analysts say intercepting missiles and drones in the north,
with its varied terrain, is more intricate compared to the flat southern region
near the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, fighting between Hezbollah and
Israel has killed close to 300 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah
fighters and around 50 civilians, including three journalists. Hezbollah says
it has launched a 'support front' in the south in solidarity with Gaza, aiming
to reduce Israeli capabilities available for the war on the besieged enclave.
Israeli says 10 of its soldiers and six civilians
have been killed, but Hezbollah says the number is higher.
Tens of thousands of people have been displaced on
both sides of the border, and many south Lebanese villages have been reduced to
rubble from Israeli airstrikes.
What is the Iron Dome system?
The development of the Iron Dome missile defence
system by Israel began in the early 2000s, to counter the threat of short-range
rocket attacks from neighbouring territories with the increased use of rockets
by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The project gained momentum after the 2006 Lebanon
War, during which Hezbollah launched thousands of rockets into northern Israel.
Israel accelerated the development of a missile defence system that could
effectively intercept and neutralize short-range rockets. The Iron Dome was developed
by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, with significant funding and support from
the Israeli government and assistance from the United States.
The Iron Dome became operational in 2011 and had its
first successful combat test in the same year. Its effectiveness remains the
subject of debate, with some arguing its success rate is inflated for
propaganda purposes.
Source: newarab.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.newarab.com/news/hezbollah-fire-testing-israels-iron-dome-learn-weakness
-----
Islamophobia Means Genocide Against Muslims -
“Embracing Diversity”Panel Discussion in Baku
Badger Health Group's CEO
-----
8 March 2024
BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 8. Islamophobia is genocide
against Muslims as well as destruction of their property and falsification of
their history, Badger Health Group's CEO Waqar uz-Zaman Azmi during a panel
discussion at an international conference themed “Embracing Diversity: Tackling
Islamophobia in 2024” in Baku, Trend reports.
"There are more diverse aspects at the core of
Islamophobia. Azerbaijan is leading in this fight and taking very progressive
steps. The country holds such events with its funds, and fights this disease
that has taken root in society," he added.
To note, an international scientific conference
“Embracing Diversity: Tackling Islamophobia in 2024” dedicated to the 2nd
anniversary of the International Day Against Islamophobia is being held in Baku
under the joint organization of the Baku International Multiculturalism Center
(BIMC), the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), the G20
Interfaith Forum, and the Baku Initiative Group.
Source: trend.az
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://en.trend.az/azerbaijan/society/3871902.html
---
India
Delhi Cop Suspended After Video Of Kicking Muslims Offering
Namaz Went Viral
Mar 08, 2024
DCP North acknowledged the viral video of a cop
kicking Muslims offering namaz and said an inquiry has been initiated.
A Delhi Police officer was suspended on Friday after
he was caught on camera kicking Muslims offering namaz on the street near
Delhi's Inderlok on Friday. As the video went viral inviting criticism for the
Delhi Police, DCP North Manoj Meena said an inquiry into the matter has been
initiated and appropriate action will be taken. The video of the policeman
kicking people offering namaz has gone viral leading to a major protest in
Inderlok. Congress leader SupriyaShrinate shared the viral video and wrote,
"The motto of Amit Shah's Delhi Police is peace, service,
justice...working diligently."
Congress leader Imran Pratapgarhi condemned the
incident and said the Delhi Police must file a case against the police officer
who kicked the Muslims offering their namaz. "What is this hatred? This
person probably does not understand the basic tenets of humanity," Imran wrote.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/delhi-police-official-caught-on-camera-kicking-muslims-offering-namaz-101709894239558.html
----
Senior Indian Diplomat Holds Talks With Taliban’s Acting
Foreign Minister Muttaqi
8th March 2024
New Delhi: India’s point-person on Afghanistan J P
Singh held talks with Taliban’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and
discussed issues relating to security, trade and ways to counter narcotics, an
Afghan statement said on Thursday.
Singh said India is interested in expanding economic
cooperation with Afghanistan and enhancing trade through Chabahar port, it
added.
The readout did not mention the venue of the
meeting, but it is understood that the talks were held in Kabul.
Extending gratitude to India for its humanitarian
assistance, Muttaqi said that Kabul wants to strengthen political and economic
relations with India, the readout said.
Muttaqi called for facilitating issuance of visa by
India for Afghan businessmen, patients and students, it further said.
Singh is a senior diplomat helming the Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Iran division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
India has not yet recognised the Taliban regime in
Afghanistan and has been pitching for the formation of a truly inclusive
government in Kabul, besides insisting that Afghan soil must not be used for
any terrorist activities against any country.
India has been pitching for providing unimpeded
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in
the country.
In June 2022, India re-established its diplomatic
presence in Kabul by deploying a “technical team” in its embassy in the Afghan
capital.
India had withdrawn its officials from the embassy
after the Taliban seized power in August 2021 following concerns over their
security.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.siasat.com/senior-indian-diplomat-holds-talks-with-talibans-acting-foreign-minister-muttaqi-2988596/
--
Mirwaiz allowed to offer Friday prayers at
Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid
8th March 2024
Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq was on Friday allowed to offer congregational prayers at the Jamia
Masjid here after five months, officials said.
“Mirwaiz was allowed to move out of his residence in
Nigeen locality of the city here this afternoon,” an official said.
After leaving his residence, Mirwaiz reached the
Jamia Masjid in the Nowhatta area of the city and offered the congregational
Friday prayers there, officials said.
Mirwaiz was first kept under house arrest in August
2019 when the Centre abrogated Article 370. While he was released in September
last year — after four years — and allowed to pray at the Jamia Masjid for some
weeks, he was detained again in the wake of protests against the Israeli action
in the Gaza Strip.
Mirwaiz had moved the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh
High Court against curbs on his movement.
The court on February 21 gave the “last and final
opportunity” to the Union territory administration to file a reply on it.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.siasat.com/mirwaiz-allowed-to-offer-friday-prayers-at-srinagars-jamia-masjid-2988823/
-----
Europe
UK Muslims worried about Israeli offensive into
Rafah: London Mayor Khan
ZuhalDemirci
08.03.2024
The UK's Muslim community is worried what will
happen if Israeli troops enter the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, one of the
last refuges for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the besieged enclave,
the mayor of London has said.
"An emergency ceasefire must be declared,"
Sadiq Khan said late Thursday, telling how over 30,000 civilians, including
women and children, have so far been killed by Israel during its five-month
offensive.
Speaking to the press during the illumination of
Coventry Street with lights for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Khan said:
"I think the actions of the UK government have not been good enough.
(Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak says he is a close ally of (Israeli Prime
Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu. Where is the evidence of the influence over the
close ally?”
World leaders and humanitarian groups have warned of
a humanitarian catastrophe if Israel launches a full-scale offensive into
Rafah, a city Israel told Palestinians to go to in order to flee attacks
elsewhere.
On Palestinian group Hamas' surprise attack that killed
some 1,200 Israelis and spurred Israel’s month-long offensive, Khan said: “Yes,
it was wrong, and it is wrong, what happened on Oct. 7.”
"But it's also wrong, what we have seen with
regards to the actions of the Israeli government," he added. "More than
30,000 men, women, and children have lost their lives. There should be an
immediate cease-fire."
"All over the globe, Muslims will be fasting
and praying (during Ramadan). They will be giving money to charity. This is the
time for the cease-fire to finally happen."
Famed street adorned with Ramadan lights
Coventry Street, one of the busiest streets of the
capital, was decorated with lights for Ramadan this year, the second time this
has been done.
The lights spelled out "Happy Ramadan"
along the street, which is a magnet for tourists from around the world.
The lighting was prepared by Ramadan Lights UK, a
nonprofit group that aims to spread information about Ramadan, a holy month
when millions of Muslims worldwide fast from sunup to sundown.
The combination of Ramadan lights, made with
donations from Muslim organizations and the public, was prepared by Ayse Desai,
who was inspired by Christmas lights.
Foreign visitors as well as Londoners showed great
interest in the special lighting display.
The lights will stay on until April 12, when the
month draws to a close.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-muslims-worried-about-israeli-offensive-into-rafah-london-mayor-khan/3158734
----
UK Chancellor announces £1 million towards memorial
for Muslim soldiers
07 March, 2024
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced on Wednesday
that £1 million will be given towards a memorial for the Muslims who died
during World War I and II "in the service of freedom and democracy".
Hunt made the announcement as part of his Spring
Budget speech, vowing that past sacrifices, no matter their faith, colour, or
class, would not be forgotten.
Last month, MP Sajid Javid inquired about the
government's support for a proposal to establish a memorial at the National
Memorial Arboretum. The memorial would honour the estimated 750,000 Muslims who
fought for the British armed forces.
"As we
mourn the tragic loss of life in Israel and Gaza, the Prime Minister reminded
us last week of the need to fight extremism and heal divisions," Hunt told
the Commons.
"So, I start today by remembering the Muslims
who died in two world wars in the service of freedom and democracy.
"We need a memorial to honour them, so
following representations from the Right Honourable Member for Bromsgrove
(Sajid Javid) and others, I've decided to allocate £1 million towards building
one."
"Whatever your faith or colour or class, this
country will never forget the sacrifices made for our future."
At least 2.5 million Muslim soldiers and labourers
fought alongside the Allied forces during the First World War.
The British Indian Army included over 1.3 million
soldiers, of whom at least 400,000 were Muslims.
During World War II, of the 2.5 million soldiers in
the British Indian Army, approximately 1 million were Muslims.
Muslims, mainly from India and African countries
colonised by Britain, played a decisive role in Britain's first major land
victory against Nazi Germany in North Africa.
Source: newarab.com
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https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-allocates-ps1m-muslim-war-memorial
----
Russia says it thwarted Islamic State plot to attack
Moscow synagogue
7 March 2024
Russia’s FSB security service said Thursday it had
killed Islamic State militants who were planning a “terrorist attack” on a
Moscow synagogue, Russian state news agencies reported.
The FSB said an ISIS cell based in Kaluga, southwest
of Moscow, had been planning to shoot Jewish worshippers at a synagogue in the
capital.
“While being arrested, the terrorists put up armed
resistance to the Russian FSB officers, and as a result were neutralized by
return fire,” the state-owned TASS news agency quoted the security service as
saying in a statement.
“Firearms, ammunition, as well as components for the
manufacture of an improvised explosive device were found and seized,” it added.
The Zvezda news outlet, close to Russia’s army and
security apparatus, published an FSB video appearing to show two dead bodies
inside a house, alongside guns, ammunition, and knives found during a search.
The FSB did not say how many people were killed in
the operation.
It said the fighters were members of the Afghan
branch of Islamic State but did not state their citizenship.
Russian authorities frequently announce the
thwarting of planned attacks by suspected Islamist groups.
Earlier this month the FSB said it killed six
suspected ISIS fighters in the Muslim-majority southern region of Ingushetia.
Tensions between Russia’s Muslim and Jewish
communities have flared at times during the Israel-Hamas war, which was sparked
when Hamas-led terrorists rampaged through southern communities, slaughtering
some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 253 hostages to Gaza.
Last October, protestors stormed an airport in
Dagestan, another Muslim-majority region in the Caucasus, after a plane arrived
from Tel Aviv.
Source: timesofisrael.com
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original Story
https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-says-it-thwarted-islamic-state-plot-to-attack-moscow-synagogue/
----
UK media chiefs defend coverage of Gaza war as study
exposes pro-Israel bias
07 March 2024
UK news chiefs have defended their biased coverage
of Israel’s brutalities in Gaza even as a new report has exposed significant
distortions in the Western coverage of the war.
The report, Media Bias Gaza 2023-24, by Center for
Media Monitoring (CFMM) was launched on Wednesday and analyzed data from 28 UK
online media websites for a period of one month starting from October 7, 2023.
The study that examined more than 200,000 articles
and TV reports said the British media had failed to represent the conflict in
Gaza in a fair manner.
Speaking at the event hosted by CFMM in the House of
Parliament, Richard Burgess, director of news content at the BBC, said it was
unlikely that there would be no mistakes made by a 24-hour news channel.
“It’s impossible not to make mistakes, we will make
mistakes,” Burgess said while justifying their coverage.
The CFMM report, however, found that "many
prominent media personalities, senior editors and journalists regurgitated
Islamophobic tropes about Muslim belief and identity, with the aim of
undermining the Palestinian cause and/or Palestinian advocates.”
The study also found “how some media outlets and
commentators have framed the conflict as being between Muslims and Jews."
“Muslim opposition to Israel has been framed as
anti-Semitic by some publications and commentators,” the study said
Defending the distortion of facts while reporting
the war, Jonathan Levy, managing director and executive editor at Sky News,
disputed criticism of a number of points made in the report, including reducing
the conflict to “Israel-Hamas” war.
The study showed Israelis were 11 times more likely
to be referred to as “victims of attacks” compared to the Palestinians, while
76 percent of online articles framed the conflict as an “Israel-Hamas war.”
Only 24 percent mentioned “Palestine/Palestinian,” which they said indicated a
lack of context.
Marwan Yaghi, a Palestinian diplomat in the UK,
described the media coverage as “appallingly biased.”
Right wing news channels and right-wing British
publications were at the forefront of misrepresenting pro-Palestinian
protesters as anti-Semitic, the report said.
It also mentioned that pro-Palestinian voices faced
misrepresentation and vilification by media outlets, with allegations of
anti-Semitism and terrorism weaponized to discredit legitimate advocacy efforts.
It highlighted the lack of scrutiny around a number
of stories perpetuated in the press, noting 361 mentions of the false “beheaded
babies” story.
Source: presstv.ir
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original Story
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/03/07/721467/UK-media-chiefs-defend-coverage-of-Gaza-war-as-report-exposes-pro-Israel-bias
-----
French school system in danger ‘due to radical
Islam’, Senate report finds
8 March 2024
Carl Deconinck
A damning report by the French Senate paints a dire
picture of the situation in French schools.
The “terrible loneliness” of teachers in the face of
threats and attacks were among issues highlighted.
With the situation worsening, the Senatorial report
published on March 6 urged the State to initiate a “proactive approach” and the
French Ministry of National Education to “take back control” to restore safety
and defend against radical Islamism.
Senators François-Noël Buffet and Laurent Lafon,
co-rapporteurs of the report, said violence was on the rise in schools and
pointed to a “discrepancy between the figures of the Ministry of Education and
the reality on the ground”.
“Figures from the Ministry of Education tell us that
0.2 per cent of middle- and high-school teachers say they have been threatened
with a weapon [during the school year 2021-2022].
“It may seem very small but it’s close to 900
teachers. That’s four a day,” they said.
In the same year, the number of teacher resignations
increased by 36 per cent compared to the previous school year, both in primary
and secondary education.
“The most striking observation is the terrible
loneliness experienced by members of the educational staff in the face of a
daily life marked by tensions and conflicts,” said Buffet.
Lafon noted a growing “mistrust” between teachers
and their administrative hierarchy, which resulted in a “wall” having been
erected between them and the relevant authorities.
Buffet noted that the “educational community is
caught up in violence”. He cited multiple “forms of pressure and aggression” –
from “misogynistic insults” to physical assaults.
He also pointed to the fact that more than half of
all French teachers choose to self-censor when faced with angry parents and
students who do not agree with school curricula.
“They choose not to address certain works, certain
subjects,” the Senator said. Before scheduled cultural trips, for example,
“some parents call to find out [the subject], what will be on stage, if there
will be naked people”.
The same was true for principals, who are often
confronted by parents in their school offices, while so-called education
advisers see sanctions questioned by both parents and students, sometimes
accompanied by lawyers.
A major problem within the school population was
radical Islam, the Senators said. Islamism “is becoming commonplace”, they
stated.
They also noted a rise in “the use by some pupils of
the threat made to a teacher to ‘make a Paty’ of him”.
Samuel Paty was a teacher who was beheaded in Paris
2020 by a radicalised Muslim and his murder spurred the French Senate to
initiate its report at the request of the victim’s family.
The Senators said the current situation was the
product of the rise of ethnic communitarianism and identity politics, fostering
the manifestation of “radical Islam”, adding that “certain new forms of
spirituality should not be ignored”.
They also noted such issues were being amplified by
social media networks “where rumours are instrumentalised by pressure groups”.
The two Senators made 38 recommendations, including
expanding the prohibition on wearing ostentatious religious symbols to events
scheduled after school hours, as part of an effort to re-establish educators’
authority.
They also suggested the introduction of a new
charter, where parents would have to promise that the decisions of schools
“cannot be disputed and do not have to be justified”.
The two co-authors of the report further recommended
the installation of video-surveillance cameras outside schools “without the
agreement of [a school’s] board of directors” and suggested the establishment
of a direct communication link between schools and the police.
Furthermore, they suggested enhancing
education-staff training, highlighting a concern that “a number of young
teachers may be [negatively] swayed by the rise of terms like ‘open secularism’
or ‘plural secularism’, along with public discussions that muddle secularism
with tolerance”.
Source: brusselssignal.eu
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original Story
https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/03/french-school-system-in-danger-due-to-radical-islam-senate-report-finds/
---
Sweden police arrest suspected Islamists believed to
prepare attack
7 March 2024
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Swedish police on Thursday
apprehended four people on suspicion of preparing a terrorist crime tied to
violent Islamist extremism, the Sapo security service and prosecution agency
said.
"We see links to serious organised crime and
also international connections that we tie to the terrorist organisation
Islamic State," a Sapo spokesperson told Reuters.
The spokesperson gave no further details about the
suspected links to IS, the identity of the suspects or the nature of the
alleged planned attack.
The arrests followed an extensive investigation of
the case, police said in a statement. The arrests were made in the Stockholm
area, the national prosecution service said separately.
Swedish media earlier on Thursday reported that a
large number of police officers led by the security service had made the
arrests in Tyreso, a southern suburb of the Swedish capital.
(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, editing by
TerjeSolsvik)
Source: yahoo.com
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original Story
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/swedish-police-arrest-3-people-162226379.html
----
Top EU official visits Cyprus to inspect preparation
to supply to Gaza by sea
March 08, 2024
NICOSIA, Cyprus: A top European Union official is in
Cyprus on Friday to inspect preparations to send desperately needed aid to
war-ravaged Gaza by sea, just hours after President Joe Biden announced that
the US military will set up a temporary port off Gaza’s Mediterranean coast to
support deliveries.
Efforts to dramatically ramp up aid deliveries
signaled growing frustration with Israel’s conduct in the war in the United
States and Europe.
Biden’s announcement of the sea port plan
underscored how the United States is having to go around Israel, its main
Mideast ally and the top recipient of US military aid, to get aid into Gaza,
including through airdrops that started last week. Israel accuses Hamas of
commandeering some aid deliveries.
Efforts to set up a sea route for aid deliveries
come amid mounting alarm over the spread of hunger among Gaza’s 2.3 million
people. Hunger is most acute in northern Gaza, which has been isolated by
Israeli forces for months and suffered long cutoffs of food supply deliveries.
After months of warnings over the risk of famine in
Gaza under Israel’s bombardment, offensives and siege, hospital doctors have
reported 20 malnutrition-related deaths at two northern Gaza hospitals.
While reiterating his support for Israel, Biden used
his State of the Union speech to reiterate demands that Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu to allow in more aid to Gaza.
“To the leadership of Israel, I say this:
Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining
chip,” Biden declared before Congress. He also repeated calls for Israel to do
more to protect civilians in the fighting, and to work toward Palestinian
statehood as the only long-term solution to Israeli-Palestinian violence.
US officials said it will likely be weeks before the
Gaza pier is operational.
Officials from the US, Europe, Israel and the Middle
East were already deep in discussions and preparations for a maritime aid
route.
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European
Union’s powerful executive arm, arrived in Cyprus late Thursday to inspect
facilities at the port of Larnaca, where aid ships are expected to depart for
Gaza.
In November, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides
offered the use of the port, which is a 230-mile (370-kilometer) journey from
Gaza.
It’s unclear when the first ship will set sail, but
it’s believed it could happen as early as Sunday, the expected start of the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
A ship belonging to Spain’s Open Arms NGO is moored
at Larnaca waiting for permission to deliver food aid from World Central
Kitchen, a US charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés.
Aid groups have said their efforts to deliver
desperately needed supplies to Gaza have been hampered because of the
difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, the ongoing hostilities
and the breakdown of public order. It is even more difficult to get aid to the
isolated north.
Sigrid Kaag, the UN senior humanitarian and
reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, told reporters late Thursday that air and
sea deliveries cannot make up for a shortage of supply routes on land.
EU Commission spokesman BalazsUjvari said on
Wednesday the bloc would consider air drops, but this would be a last resort
and cannot replace ground access to the enclave.
Ujvari said the EU has so far carried out around 40
flights to deliver aid to Gaza, primarily through Egypt.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach a ceasefire before
Ramadan appeared stalled. Hamas said Thursday that its delegation had left
Cairo, where talks were being held, until next week.
International mediators had hoped to alleviate some
of the immediate crisis with a six-week ceasefire, which would have seen Hamas
release some of the Israeli hostages it is holding, Israel release some
Palestinian prisoners and aid groups be given access to to get a major influx
of assistance into Gaza.
Palestinian militants are believed to be holding
around 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others captured during Hamas’ Oct. 7
attack, in which militants killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took some
250 hostages. Several dozen hostages were freed in a weeklong November truce,
and about 30 are believed to be dead.
Egyptian officials said Hamas has agreed to the main
terms of such an agreement as a first stage but wants commitments that it will
lead to an eventual more permanent ceasefire, while Israel wants to confine the
negotiations to the more limited agreement.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity
because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations with media. Both
officials said mediators are still pressing the two parties to soften their
positions.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2473256/world
-----
Mideast
Iran reserves right to respond Israeli threat: Envoy
Mar 8, 2024
TEHRAN, Mar. 08 (MNA) – Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the United Nations says Iran reserves its legitimate and
inherent right to take all necessary measures to respond to any threat or
attack originating from the Israeli regime.
Saeed Iravani in a letter to President of the
Security Council of the United Nations Yamazaki Kazuyuki and Secretary-General
of the United Nations Antonio Guterres on Thursday has categorically rejected
the accusations against Iran raised by the representative of the Israeli regime
to the United Nations, noting that in the letter, the Foreign Minister of the
Israeli regime resorted to lies, spread misinformation, and leveled unfounded
allegations against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The full text of the letter by the Iranian envoy to
the UN Security Council president is as follows:
Excellency,
I am writing to you regarding the letter dated 22
February 2024 from the representative of the Israeli regime to the United
Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council transmitting a
letter from the Israeli Foreign Minister addressed to the President of the
Security Council. In the letter, the Foreign Minister of the Israeli regime
resorted to lies, spread misinformation, and leveled unfounded allegations
against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The accusations in the letter are entirely baseless
and are categorically rejected. This letter represents yet another cynical
attempt by the Israeli regime to deflect the attention of the international
community from the ongoing egregious atrocities and acts of genocide committed
by this apartheid regime against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. It is also a misleading effort aimed at
covering up and legitimizing Israel’s aggression against Lebanon and its
continual breaches of international law, the United Nations Charter, and UNSC
Resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1701 (2006) by leveling unfounded allegations
against Iran.
While strongly warning about any military
adventurism or malicious activities by the Israeli regime in the region, the
Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its legitimate and inherent right, in
accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter, to take all
necessary measures to respond to any threat or attack originating from the
Israeli regime against its national security and interest and its people. Iran
also reaffirms the inherent right of the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon under
international law to take all necessary measures in response to any threat or
attacks and acts of aggression by the Israeli regime against its sovereignty,
independence, and territorial integrity.
I should be grateful if you would circulate the
present letter as a document of the Security Council.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my
highest consideration.
Source: mehrnews.com
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original Story
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/212771/Iran-reserves-right-to-respond-Israeli-threat-Envoy
----
Hamas leaves Cairo talks, dimming hopes for Ramadan
cease-fire in Gaza
Mar 8, 2024
BEIRUT - The Hamas delegation has left talks in
Cairo aimed at a cease-fire with Israel to consult with leaders in Qatar, the
militant group said Thursday, dimming hopes that the sides will reach a deal
before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins next week.
The growing need to get more food, medicine and
supplies into Gaza has increased pressure on Hamas and Israel to stop
hostilities in the besieged enclave before the month of fasting begins on
Sunday or Monday.
At least 20 people in Gaza have died as a result of
malnutrition and dehydration, the Gaza health ministry said Thursday. But that
number, which included a 15-year-old and a 72-year-old overnight, reflects only
deaths in hospitals, the ministry said; the actual toll is likely far higher.
Starvation
“We believe that dozens of people die silently as a
result of starvation without reaching hospitals,” ministry spokesman Ashraf
al-Qudra said.
Hamas said unresolved issues the delegation will
discuss with its political bureau include humanitarian aid, the end of fighting
and the return of displaced Gazans. Egyptian state media reported talks would
resume next week. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters on
Wednesday that he was still optimistic a deal could be reached.
A Hamas official told The Washington Post that the
group has rejected Israel’s offer of a six-week truce while it keeps troops in
the strip and gets all remaining hostages back. “We want a permanent
cease-fire, and we want the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza
Strip,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he
was not authorized to discuss ongoing negotiations. A cease-fire that lasts
only through Ramadan and the release of the hostages, he said, would leave
Gazans without a guarantee for protection after it ended.
The need for more aid has become increasingly
urgent. Social media this week has been flooded with images of an emaciated
child, Yazan al-Kafarna, who journalists in Gaza say died of malnutrition.
Gazans say in videos that they paid money for aid airdropped by the United
States, now apparently available on a black market that has emerged in the
absence of a body to monitor distribution.
Gaza has long relied on aid. Before Hamas attacked
Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 253 hostage, Israeli
authorities say, an average of around 500 trucks entered the enclave daily.
Israel and Egypt tightened access after the attack, and the number fell to 170
in January and 98 in February.
Scarce deliveries
The increasingly scarce deliveries have come under
Israeli fire and been overrun by starving Gazans.
The U.N. World Food Program said this week it was seeking
new routes to deliver aid into northern Gaza. The agency deemed its most recent
attempt “largely unsuccessful.”
The WFP said a 14-truck convoy headed to the north
on Feb. 20 was stopped for three hours at an Israel Defense Forces checkpoint,
then rerouted to a different road where it was “stopped by a large crowd of
desperate people who looted the food” before its arrival to its destination.
Aid groups say convoys have been attacked and looted
in the north, and accused Israeli forces of stopping trucks and targeting
police officers who guard the convoys. More than 100 people were killed last
week when a crowd descended on a rare aid convoy in Gaza City, one of the
bloodiest incidents of a conflict that the health ministry says has killed more
than 30,000 Gaza residents. Doctors and eyewitnesses blamed Israeli gunfire;
Israeli officials blamed a stampede.
The United Nations has warned that famine in Gaza is
“almost inevitable.” Carl Skau, WFP’s deputy executive director, said airdrops
are “a last resort and will not avert famine.”
“We need entry points to northern Gaza that will
allow us to deliver enough food for half a million people in desperate need,”
he said.
Of the 20 people in Gaza known to have died of
malnutrition and dehydration, the health ministry reported, 17 were children.
Source: postguam.com
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----
Famine Warnings in Gaza Lead to Rising Child
Fatalities
March 8, 2024
After months of warnings over the risk of famine in
Gaza under Israel’s bombardment, offensives and siege, children are starting to
die.
Hunger is most acute in northern Gaza, which has
been isolated by Israeli forces and has suffered long cutoffs of food supply
deliveries. At least 20 people have died from malnutrition and dehydration at
the north’s Kamal Adwan and Shifa hospitals, according to the Health Ministry.
Most of the dead are children – including ones as old as 15 – as well as a
72-year-old man.
Particularly vulnerable children are also beginning
to succumb in the south, where access to aid is more regular.
At the Emirati Hospital in Rafah, 16 premature
babies have died of malnutrition-related causes over the past five weeks, one
of the senior doctors told The Associated Press.
“The child deaths we feared are here,” Adele Khodr,
UNICEF’s Middle East chief, said in a statement earlier this week.
Malnutrition is generally slow to bring death,
striking children and the elderly first. Other factors can play a role.
Underfed mothers have difficulty breastfeeding children. Diarrheal diseases,
rampant in Gaza due to lack of clean water and sanitation, leave many unable to
retain any of the calories they ingest, said Anuradha Narayan, a UNICEF child
nutrition expert. Malnutrition weakens immune systems, sometimes leading to
death from other diseases.
Israel largely shut off entry of food, water, medicine
and other supplies after launching its assault on Gaza following Hamas’ Oct. 7
attack on southern Israel — allowing only a trickle of aid trucks through two
crossings in the south.
Israel has blamed the burgeoning hunger in Gaza on
U.N. agencies, saying they fail to distribute supplies piling up at Gaza
crossings. UNRWA, the largest U.N. agency in Gaza, says Israel restricts some
goods and imposes cumbersome inspections that slow entry. Also, distribution
within Gaza has been crippled, U.N. officials say convoys are regularly turned
back by Israeli forces, the military often refuses safe passage amid fighting,
and aid is snatched off trucks by hungry Palestinians on route to drop-off
points.
With alarm growing, Israel bent to U.S. and
international pressure, saying this week it will open crossings for aid
directly into northern Gaza and allow sea shipments.
Source: tolonews.com
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original Story
https://tolonews.com/index.php/world-187741
---
Ship carrying over 2,700 tons of humanitarian aid
sails from Türkiye to Gaza
Mustafa UnalUysal
07.03.2024
In a collaborative effort led by the Turkish Red
Crescent, another ship carrying 2,737 tons of humanitarian aid departed from
Türkiye's southern Mersin province for war-torn Gaza strip on Thursday.
The supplies include food packages, water, flour,
clothing, hygiene products, tents, sleeping bags, blankets, shelter materials,
and medical supplies, among others.
In a ceremony before the goods left for Gaza,
Turkish Red Crescent President Fatma Meric Yilmaz Türkiye said the aid will
reach Egypt's Al-Arish port, from where it will be loaded onto trucks for its
intended destination.
Türkiye has been working to support Palestine, and
so far had sent supplies in 12 planes and six ships.
Israel launched a military offensive on the Gaza
Strip after the Oct. 7 Hamas offensive. It has killed more than 30,800 people
in response to the incursion that is said to have claimed 1,200 lives. The war
has also led to mass displacement, destruction and food shortages in the
besieged enclave.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the
International Court of Justice, which, in an interim ruling in January ordered
Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that
humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Source: aa.com.tr
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original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/ship-carrying-over-2-700-tons-of-humanitarian-aid-sails-from-turkiye-to-gaza/3158222
----
Israeli settlements expand by record amount, UN
rights chief says
March 08, 2024
GENEVA: Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian
territories have expanded by a record amount and risk eliminating any practical
possibly of a Palestinian state, the UN human rights chief said on Friday.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights Volker Turk said that the growth of Israeli settlements amounted to the
transfer by Israel of its own population, which he said was a war crime. The US
Biden administration said last month the settlements were “inconsistent” with
international law after Israel announced new housing plans in the occupied West
Bank.
“Settler violence and settlement-related violations
have reached shocking new levels, and risk eliminating any practical
possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian State,” Turk said in a
statement that accompanied the 16-page report.
The report, based on the UN’s own monitoring as well
as other sources, documented 24,300 new Israeli housing units in the occupied
West Bank during a one-year period through to end-October 2023, which it said
was the highest on record since monitoring began in 2017.
It also said there had been a dramatic increase in
the intensity, severity and regularity of both Israeli settler and state
violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, particularly since the
Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel claims a biblical birthright to the land
where settlers are expanding. Its military says it is conducting
counter-terrorism operations in the West Bank and is targeting suspected
militants.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2473261/middle-east
---
Jerusalem Palestinians prepare for Ramadan amid holy
month’s uneasy politics
March 7, 2024
Michele
Chabin
JERUSALEM (RNS) — The stores near the Damascus Gate
of the Old City of Jerusalem are filled with holiday sweets, and the butcher
shops are overflowing with lamb and beef. Ramadan lamps and extra-large bags of
charcoal for nightly iftar break fasts greet customers at the minimarkets.
Despite the bustle of holiday prep, “Ramadan feels
different this year, sadder because of the war,” said a shopper named Layla,
who, like many East Jerusalem Palestinians, preferred not to share her last
name due to caution about publicizing their views.
The Israel-Hamas war that began on Oct. 7, when
Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped 250 more, and Israel’s
subsequent military onslaught in Gaza, has gutted Muslims around the world, but
none more perhaps than those in the Palestinian neighborhoods of Jerusalem.
“How can we have big festive iftar meals when we
know that the people in Gaza don’t have enough food?” said Fadi, a young East
Jerusalem resident who works in a sporting goods store. Nearly all of the more
than 2 million Palestinians who live in Gaza are displaced, and many are on the
edge of starvation, according to relief agencies.
In East Jerusalem, the uncertainty in the days
before Ramadan, which begins Monday or Tuesday (March 11 or 12) depending on
the lunar calendar, is especially acute this year. Despite Israeli assurances,
people fear the government will limit the number of worshippers who can pray at
the city’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, out of
security concerns, or that Hamas and other Islamic terror groups will use
Ramadan as a pretext to escalate attacks against Jews and other non-Muslims.
The revered mosque is just a 10-minute walk from
Damascus Gate.
Ramadan, a time of fasting, intense prayer, internal
reflection and charity, has historically been a time when Middle East Muslims
have waged or fought war; the 1973 Yom Kippur war against Israel, which started
on the Jewish holy day, was launched during Ramadan.
There are reasons for concern, said Michael Barak, a
senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism and a
lecturer at Reichman University in Tel Aviv. “Terrorist organizations and state
actors like Iran exploit Ramadan because they view it as the month of
victories, when God will help Muslims fight against their enemies,” he said.
Examples of this go back to the Battle of Badr in 624.
Right now, Hamas “is trying to incite by calling on
Islamic nations to gather and fight together against Israel, and for
Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and within Israel to defend
Al-Aqsa against what it claims are Jewish attempts to destroy the mosque and
create a third Jewish Temple,” Barak said.
Hamas, in an attempt to rally support against Israel
from the world’s Muslims, dubbed the Oct. 7 massacre the Al-Aqsa Deluge.
Even as urgent negotiations conducted by Middle
Eastern leaders have faltered in recent days, the Biden administration is
pressuring Hamas and Israel to commit to a cease-fire before Ramadan begins.
“If we get into circumstances where this continues to Ramadan,” President Joe
Biden said this week, referring to unchecked violence in Gaza, the situation
“could be very, very dangerous.”
Al-Aqsa stands on the ruins of the first and second
Jewish temples atop the Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism. Muslims
remember the spot as Haram al-Sharif, where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to
heaven. A small number of Jewish extremists have called for the rebuilding of
the Jewish temple and are supported by Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right-wing
minister of national security and a key member of Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s Cabinet.
Palestinian Muslim worshippers pray during Laylat Al
Qadr, also known as the Night of Power, in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in
Jerusalem’s Old City, April 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Defying pressure from Ben-Gvir to severely limit the
number of Muslims who can pray at the mosque complex this Ramadan, Netanyahu
announced that his government “will do everything to maintain the freedom of
worship on the Temple Mount, while appropriately maintaining security and
safety needs, and we will allow the Muslim public to celebrate the holiday.
Ramadan is holy for Muslims, and the sanctity of the holiday will be preserved
this year, as it is every year.”
Netanyahu added, however, that his security forces
will reassess the security situation week by week.
Ben-Gvir countered that the decision to allow
hundreds of thousands of Muslims to pray at the Al-Aqsa compound this Ramadan
“shows that Netanyahu … thinks that nothing occurred on Oct. 7. The decision
endangers the citizens of Israel and may allow an image of victory for Hamas.”
A jeweler whose store stands across the street from
the Old City and who gave his name as Mohammed said his family’s Ramadan will
be much more modest this year, due to the war and the fact that money is
scarce.
“People aren’t buying jewelry, not even for weddings
or special occasions,” he said, noting that many East Jerusalem residents have
postponed their weddings until the security situation improves.
“Maybe things will be better by Eid al-Fitr,” the
festival that marks the end of Ramadan, Mohammed said hopefully.
“Traditionally, many people buy gifts for Eid.”
Switching between English, Arabic and Hebrew, the
55-year-old emphasized that the war is affecting everyone in the region, Arabs
and Jews alike.
“I have many Jewish friends. All of us, Jews and
Arabs, are exhausted. Inshallah there will be quiet. Peace.”
Source: religionnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://religionnews.com/2024/03/07/jerusalem-palestinians-pre
---
Southeast
Asia
Lawyer Calls Kelantan’s Plan To Restore Nixed
Shariah Provisions Contempt Of Court
08 Mar 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 — The Kelantan legislative
assembly’s plans to re-enact the same 16 shariah criminal offences in the
state’s laws will amount to “contempt” of the Federal Court, since Malaysia’s
highest court had already ruled that the state has no power to make such laws,
a lawyer said.
When contacted by Malay Mail, several lawyers said
Kelantan’s planned new provisions would still be unconstitutional even if the
state government modifies the language used, as the Federal Court decided that
only the federal government has the power under the Federal Constitution to
make laws on criminal offences.
Constitutional lawyer Surendra Ananth when contacted
said Kelantan “can’t reenact the same laws” found to be unconstitutional.
“The Federal Court has already determined that the
state has no power to make such laws. Under our Constitution, the judiciary is
tasked with determining whether laws are constitutional.
“The legislative assemblies are bound by the
decision. It is highly contemptuous as it directly undermines the Federal Court
decision,” said Surendra, who was one of the lawyers for two Muslim women who
successfully challenged the constitutionality of Kelantan’s 16 Shariah criminal
offences at the Federal Court.
In Malaysia, there are three organs or branches of
government, namely the judiciary, the legislature, and the executive.
“I don’t think in our history has any organ directly
challenged the judiciary and stepped over the Constitution in this manner,” he
said, noting that there may have been situations in the past when the executive
branch of government was unhappy with some court decisions but would then do
things differently or amend the law.
But if Kelantan seeks to reinstall the same laws
that were struck down as unconstitutional, Surendra said this would amount to a
different scenario: “If they reenact the same laws in substance, they are basically
saying that they are above the judiciary and Constitution.”
Previously on February 9, the Federal Court in a 8-1
ruling decided that 16 provisions in a Kelantan state law — Kelantan Syariah
Criminal Code (I) Enactment 2019 — were unconstitutional and invalid, as the
state government had no powers under the Federal Constitution to make such
laws.
On Wednesday, all those present — including
opposition lawmakers — at the Kelantan state assembly’s sitting were reported
to have unanimously voted in approval of a motion for the state to re-enact the
16 provisions that were struck down.
In Malaysia, Surendra said that when the courts
strike down any provisions in state laws or federal laws, the expectation is
that state legislative assemblies or Parliament would repeal such laws in
response.
“In reality, the repeal part never happens. But the
government will respect the decision and not enforce the law. But it remains in
the books,” he said, noting that there would usually be “no issue” arising as
the government would typically not enforce the struck down law despite the law
remaining on the books.
In the current situation based on news reports,
Surendra said Kelantan’s move to re-enact the provisions could arguably amount
to being in contempt of the Federal Court’s February ruling, if the state
legislative assembly makes the same laws “in substance”. He was of the view
that there would be no need to file a new court challenge in such a case, but
that contempt proceedings could cover this situation.
“I would think if the provisions are in substance
the same, it would be in contempt of court and there is no need for separate
proceedings.
“Of course, there has to be contempt proceedings
initiated against the relevant people. It’s just that we haven’t had a
situation like this. The AG has to do something about this,” he said, referring
to the attorney general.
If the AG does not act, Surendra suggested that the
litigant in the Federal Court case could also file for contempt proceedings
against the Kelantan state legislative assemblyman who proposed the motion to
re-enact the provisions and possibly the Kelantan state legislative assembly’s
speaker for allowing such a motion.
“I think can be done now as based on reports, it is
clear that the Federal Court’s decision is being undermined. Federal Court has
decided only Parliament can make laws on the subject matters of the laws that
were struck down,” he said, noting that the re-enacted provisions will still be
unconstitutional if Kelantan changes the wording but it is still on the same
subject matter that the state has no power to make laws on. He pointed out that
states can only make laws on “pure religious offences”.
“If they are in substance the same laws they are
still undermining the decision. The Federal Court decided they can’t make laws
on those subjects. So, the question is, are they making the new laws on the same
subject?” he said.
“When the court strikes down the law, the law is
gone. But you also have to look at why the court struck it down. You can’t
simply make a new law when it still goes against the reasoning of the court,”
he later added.
If contempt proceedings are initiated and the
Federal Court finds that there is contempt, the court could also “make
consequential order to say any law passed on the same subject will be invalid”,
he said.
He also said a fresh court challenge to strike down
Kelantan’s planned new law can only be initiated after the law is enacted by
the Kelantan state legislative assembly, and confirmed that contempt of court
proceedings could also be initiated at that point.
Playing around with the form won’t change the
substance
Lawyer Andrew Khoo noted that “it would appear that
what the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly is attempting to do is to re-draft
the provisions so as to avoid any issue of unconstitutionality”.
But Khoo said even rewording Kelantan’s 16 invalid
provisions would not work, as it will still result in the state government
trying to make laws that should fall under the federal government’s
jurisdiction.
“The issue before the Federal Court was one of
jurisdiction. They held that the 16 provisions of the Kelantan Syariah
enactment had strayed into the criminal jurisdiction of the federal government
as set out in the Federal Constitution.
“It is difficult to see how the provisions could be
redrafted so as not to violate the Federal Constitution. We are dealing here
with broad areas of jurisdiction, and not simply the parsing of specific words.
“You can play around either the words, but
ultimately, the state enactment will need to say that the violation of the
enactment will result in a criminal prosecution. By doing that, the division of
jurisdiction between the federal and state governments could already have been
breached,” he explained.
When commenting on the possible argument that
altering the language of the proposed new provisions would mean they would
technically be different than those found to be unconstitutional, Khoo said the
courts would not necessarily be looking at the letter of the enactments alone
but also their purpose.
“If the state legislative intent is clearly to
criminalise an act that falls within the jurisdiction of federal criminal law,
then no amount of wordsmithing or linguistic gymnastics can save those revised
enactments from being unconstitutional.
“The courts will be bound by the principle of stare
decisis (doctrine of precedent) and the outcome should be the same. People need
certainty in the law, and re-litigating the matter will not be helpful nor
productive,” he said, when responding to the question of whether there would
need to be a fresh court challenge to have the new provisions (if enacted) be
invalidated due to the Federal Court’s February ruling.
When asked about the possibility that the Kelantan
government could still seek to enforce the re-enacted provisions, Khoo said:
“If it is wrong (because based on legal principle it violates the Federal
Constitution), it will remain wrong no matter how often it is re-legislated.”
Asked whether it would be contempt of court for the
Kelantan state legislative assembly to re-enact the provisions that were struck
down, Khoo said: “I don’t think the issue of contempt of court comes into play
here.”
“But I think if the state of Kelantan attempts
repeatedly to revise the enactments and re-litigate the matter, this would
clearly be one of those times where the Attorney General must step in and put
an end to this matter. It would be an abuse of judicial time, a waste of legal
resources and a violation of common sense,” he said.
Risk of civil lawsuits if Kelantan re-enacts and
seeks to enforce those laws
Constitutional lawyer K. Shanmuga said it would be
“unconstitutional” for the Kelantan state legislative assembly (DUN) to
re-enact the 16 provisions that were struck down.
“The DUN will be wasting taxpayer resources by making
a law when they have no power to make such laws under the Constitution. The
Kelantan state government will knowingly be acting unconstitutionally if they
choose to enforce those laws, opening themselves up to civil suits and damages
claims if they actually try and arrest anyone,” he said.
Asked if the Kelantan state government would be able
to argue that the new provisions can be enforced as they were not the exact
same provisions struck down by the Federal Court, Shanmuga said: “The Federal
Court held that those laws were under the Federal List, and for Parliament to
enact. No amount of wordplay can change that.”
Shanmuga was referring to the Federal Constitution’s
Ninth Schedule, which contains two separate lists of what the federal
government and the state governments can make laws on.
List I or the Federal List says what Parliament has
powers to make laws on, while List II or the State List is a shorter list of
what state legislative assemblies have powers to legislate on.
Asked if there is a need for a fresh court challenge
to be filed against the Kelantan state legislative assembly’s new provisions if
enacted to invalidate them, Shanmuga said this may not be necessary.
“To my mind, probably no. But it would be open to
anyone to challenge it, and this time the Federal Court may not be so generous
on the question of costs.”
“I think that in any such challenge, the Court
should take the appropriate steps to ensure all the individual DUN members who
vote in favour of re-enacting these unconstitutional provisions should have to
pay costs personally if they insist on proceeding in this manner,” he said.
(In the two women’s challenge, the Federal Court did
not give any order as to costs, which means all those in the court challenge
would bear their own legal cost instead of the one who lost the challenge being
required to pay for the other party’s costs.)
And when asked if it is contempt of court for the
Kelantan state legislative assembly to re-enact the provisions that were struck
down, Shanmuga said: “I am not aware of the exact details of what was said, and
what is proposed, so I would not like to comment as to whether it is contempt
in the true legal sense.”
Constitutional lawyer Datuk Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, who
also represented the two women including Kelantan-born lawyer Nik Elin Zurina
Nik Abdul Rashid in the Federal Court case, said it is unclear how the annulled
provisions could be re-enacted without going against the Federal Court’s
ruling.
“The Kelantan legislative assembly is free to enact
any Islamic criminal law as long as it conforms to the Federal Constitution. It
must however give due regard to the decision of the Federal Court in Iki Putra
and Nik Elin. The Federal Constitution is, after all, the supreme law and binds
legislative bodies.
“It is not clear how the Kelantan Legislative
Assembly intends to reenact the provisions struck down by the Federal Court
without defying the decision of the Federal Court in Nik Elin’s case. The court
had definitively determined the invalidity of those provisions,” he told Malay
Mail.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/03/08/lawyer-calls-kelantans-plan-to-restore-nixed-shariah-provisions-contempt-of-court-others-say-wordplay-linguistic-gymnastics-cant-fix-unconstitutionality/122117
-----
PM Anwar calls on the people to make changes to
raise the country’s dignity and status
08-03- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs to be bold in making
changes not only at the level of ministers and politicians, but also the people
as a whole, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said all Malaysians have a role and
responsibility to put this country on a higher level of development from now
on.
“No matter what language is spoken, wherever we are
while respecting the diversity of races, cultures and religions, let’s never
forget our role in lifting the dignity and status of Malaysia.
“To those who are on duty, fighting and working to
carve the country’s name on the world stage, continue this noble effort,“ he
said in a post on his Facebook page.
He also called for Malaysians to make this country
even greater which is proud to be inherited by the nation’s next
generations.-Bernama
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://thesun.my/local_news/pm-anwar-calls-on-the-people-to-make-changes-to-raise-the-country-s-dignity-and-status-OL12192963
----
VP invites Muslims to welcome Ramadhan, be
God-fearing
March 7, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin
invited Muslims across the country to welcome Ramadhan 1445 Hijriyah/2024 AD by
committing themselves to achieving the three main benefits of fasting to become
God-fearing.
"Mental preparation is carried out by purifying
our intentions, that our worship is solely to make us God-fearing people,"
he said while delivering his remarks in Jakarta on Thursday.
The first benefit of fasting during Ramadan is
psychological or spiritual, wherein Muslims get used to being patient and
restraining their desires, he highlighted.
"This is important because all humans have
lust, and lust will lead humans to commit bad actions," he explained.
The Vice President said that piety and goodness
depend on humans' ability to control their desires, and fasting is one
effective way to control them.
The second benefit of fasting is the social benefit,
wherein Muslims accustom themselves to be orderly, disciplined, and equal with
other people regardless of social status.
"The third is the health benefits, where we
make it a habit to cleanse the organs. In a hadith, it is said that you fast
and you will be healthy," he said.
Ramadhan is also a school for Muslims to carry out
self-education to achieve self-purification, he added.Related news: Seeking to
support orphans in the Holy Month of Ramadan 1444 H
Source: antaranews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://en.antaranews.com/news/307944/vp-invites-muslims-to-welcome-ramadhan-be-god-fearing?utm_source=antaranews&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=top_news
---
Ramadan momentum to strengthen national
togetherness: VP Amin
March 7, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin stated
that Ramadan Month is the right momentum to strengthen the spirit of national
togetherness after the dynamics that occurred during the 2024 elections.
"Ramadan is the right momentum to strengthen
our friendship, the brotherhood between Muslims, between nations, and between
people," Amin remarked while delivering a speech at an event to welcome
Ramadan, as monitored from Jakarta on Thursday.
He affirmed that Indonesia is a plural nation. He
believes that this situation should be taken into account and taken care of, so
it can become a matter of pride.
"The Indonesian people have just passed the
2024 elections. Thank God, it was carried out safely and peacefully," Amin
stated.
He remarked that elections can result in differences
in choices and views, but people must not let elections affect the ties between
fellow Muslims and fellow citizens.
According to Amin, Indonesia needs strong ties of
brotherhood to continue to move forward and face various challenges and
problems amid the uncertainties.
"Humans do not know the future, but we must
continue to strive and be kind to all of God's creations," he stated.
Amin invited the event participants to make the most
of the momentum of Ramadan as a means of self-reflection and evaluate all the
good and bad that had occurred.
"Moreover, humans are created by God, so we
need to depend on and take refuge in God," he added.
The event was held at the Al Jauhari Islamic
Boarding School in Garut, West Java.
Source: antaranews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://en.antaranews.com/news/307923/ramadan-momentum-to-strengthen-national-togetherness-vp-amin
---
South
Asia
Kabul Says Recent Report is 'Abuse of the UN Name'
HadiaZiaei
March 7, 2024
The Islamic Emirate commented on a recent UN report,
saying such reports are an abuse of the UN name.
The Islamic Emirate, in response to the quarterly
report of the United Nations on Afghanistan, stated that such reports are
orchestrated by certain specific circles to exert pressure on the Islamic
Emirate.
The deputy spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate,
HamdullahFetrat, told TOLOnews that publishing such reports is an abuse of the
UN name.
“These actions are carried out at the behest of
certain specific intelligence circles and nefarious people who are trying
unsuccessfully to exert pressure on the Islamic Emirate. The Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan views this report with suspicion and considers it an abuse of the
name and title of the United Nations,” he said.
Several political analysts said that some issues
need to be resolved through dialogue.
"They provide a report and we reject it.
Instead of rejecting, let's go towards talking. The United Nations and the
international community have oppressed the Afghans, despite this, the ruling
system needs to find the language of the world to find solutions to these
problems and pressures,” said Amanullah Hotaki, a political analyst.
“The UN Secretary-General has presented a list of
problems that the people of Afghanistan are grappling with, especially
regarding women. The caretaker government must take these seriously and work
towards reforming them," Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst, told
TOLOnews.
On Wednesday, the report of António Guterres, the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, was published, which addressed the
humanitarian, economic, security crises, and the fight against drugs in
Afghanistan.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187732
----
Pakistan UN Rep: Taliban Shouldn’t Threaten
Neighbouring Countries’ Territorial Integrity
Fidel Rahmati
March 7, 2024
Pakistan’s ambassador to the United Nations urged
the Taliban on Wednesday to refrain from threatening the national sovereignty
and territorial integrity of neighbouring countries.
Munir Akram emphasized that jeopardizing the
territorial integrity of these nations is not in Afghanistan’s short-term or
long-term interests.
This marks the first instance of Pakistan, a
longstanding supporter of the Taliban, accusing the group of threatening the
territorial integrity of other countries in an international forum.
Previously, Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas
Stanekzai stated that the Taliban does not recognize the border between
Afghanistan and Pakistan, known as the “Durand Line”. He reiterated claims
against Pakistan made by previous Afghan governments regarding territorial
disputes.
Contrary to past support for the Taliban, Pakistan’s
UN ambassador refrained from endorsing them during the Security Council
meeting, reflecting Pakistan’s discontent with the Taliban’s failure to curb
attacks by Pakistani militants from Afghan soil against Pakistani security
forces.
Mr. Akram aligned with countries critical of the
Taliban in the Security Council, asserting that the Taliban must adhere to all
of Afghanistan’s international commitments and respect international law.
He described the humanitarian situation in
Afghanistan as dire, noting that the United Nations lacks the necessary budget
for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. Therefore, he urged countries to assist in
reviving Afghanistan’s economy and releasing its frozen assets in Western
nations.
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, the
security landscape in the region has become increasingly complex and
concerning. The lack of recognition of border agreements and the potential for
cross-border tensions between Afghanistan and its neighbors, particularly
Pakistan, adds a new layer of instability.
The presence of groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) further complicates the security situation, posing threats not
only to Afghanistan but also to regional stability. Efforts to address these
security challenges require coordinated international cooperation and
diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation and mitigate the risks of
conflict.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-un-rep-taliban-shouldnt-threaten-neighboring-countries-territorial-integrity/
-----
IEA FM of Taliban: India Interested In Expanding
Political Relations
Fidel Rahmati
March 8, 2024
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Foreign Minister of
the Taliban, met with J.P. Singh, the head of the Afghanistan and Pakistan
Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, in Kabul.
The ministry wrote in a statement on Thursday that
India is interested in expanding political and economic relations with the
Taliban government.
According to the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry, Amir
Khan Muttaqi discussed bilateral relations between Afghanistan and India, as
well as economic and transit issues, with J.P. Singh. In this meeting, India
has supported “the development of trade between the two countries through the
Chabahar Port.”
The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry wrote that this
Indian Foreign Ministry official has appreciated the Taliban’s fight against
ISIS, corruption, and drug trafficking.
Muttaqi stated that the Taliban seeks to strengthen
political and economic relations with India with a “balanced policy.” He urged
India to ease visa issuance for Afghan traders, patients, and students.
J.P. Singh also met today with Hamid Karzai, the
former President of the country, and Nooriddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry
and Commerce of the Taliban.
India does not recognize the Taliban government
officially, but it initiated unofficial relations with the Taliban a few months
after the fall of the previous government.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.khaama.com/muttaqi-india-interested-in-expanding-political-relations/
----
Our Youths Must Know About Nation's True History:
PMSheikh Hasina
Mar 7, 2024
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today asked everyone to
teach the young generation about the historical dates of the country and its
journey towards independence.
"Our youths must know about these dates,"
she said while addressing a discussion marking the historic March 7 speech of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1971.
Awami League organised the programme at its Dhaka
District unit office in Tejgaon.
Hasina said that February 21 is the Language Martyrs
Day and International Mother Language day, March 17 is the birthday of the
Father of the Nation, March 26 is the Independence Day and December 16 is our
victory day.
"We have to take lessons from the history,
otherwise it would not be possible to advance forward," she said.
Hasina, also the ruling Awami League chief, reminded
all that being in power is not just enjoying the facilities.
"The history of the struggle and sacrifices
made to reach this place have to be known. Through this process everyone will
acquire actual knowledge about the history of the country," she said.
She requested everyone to ensure that people must
not forget the history of the country because history teaches how to move
forward and be successful.
The prime minister said the March 7 speech
encouraged each and every freedom fighter and the people of the country during
the nine months of the Liberation War.
"The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman gave a total outline of the liberation war by the March 7
speech. That speech helped us attain our independence," she said.
She put emphasis on materialising the dream of
Bangabandhu that he outlined through his iconic speech.
"He (the father of the nation) was not allowed
to fulfil his work as he was brutally killed on August 15, 1975 and foul play
was done with the fate of the people of this country," she said.
She also mentioned that no one could play ducks and
drakes with the fate of the people of this country any more.
"Those who do not believe in Joy Bangla, do not
accept March 7 speech that means they did not want the independent
Bangladesh," she said without mentioning any names.
Hasina said that this section of people do not want
the development of Bangladesh.
"They do not want the socioeconomic advancement
of Bangladesh. Why people will cast their votes for them?" she said.
She mentioned that in the 2008 election, BNP and its
allies got 30 seats only and after that, they started to play games by
boycotting the election or efforts to foil it.
Senior Awami League leaders also spoke at the
programme.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/our-youths-must-know-about-nations-true-history-pm-3561361
-----
I doubt whether those who don't observe March 7
really believe in independence: FM
Mar 7, 2024
Foreign Minister and Awami League Joint General
Secretary Hasan Mahmud today said he wonders whether those denying March 7
actually believe in the independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.
He said these individuals and entities, including
BNP, do not observe March 7.
"History of Bangladesh and independence cannot
be complete without March 7. So those who do not believe or practice it, I
doubt whether they really believe in independence."
The minister made the remarks while exchanging views
with journalists after AL paid floral tributes to the portrait of Father of the
Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Dhanmondi 32.
The foreign minister said the March 7 speech is not
just a speech, it is an epic poem written with the aim of liberating a nation.
The father of the nation announced, "This struggle
is a struggle for liberation, this struggle is a struggle for
independence."
"Bangabandhu also said, 'Be prepared with
whatever you have, we need to face the enemies.' He called upon the unarmed
nation to transform into an armed nation and took time till March 26 after
which he declared final independence," Hasan said.
In fact, Bangabandhu called for independence on
March 7 and he made the announcement, he said.
"On that day, the Pakistan Intelligence Agency
sent a report to Rawalpindi from Dhaka -- 'The clever Sheikh Mujib has
practically declared the independence of East Pakistan. But we had nothing to
do but watch.'
"Bangabandhu called for independence in such a
way that there was no chance to accuse him," Hasan said.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/accidents-fires/news/3-killed-bus-overturns-faridpur-3561961
---
China and Russia Call for Global Engagement with
Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan for Positive Change
2024-03-07
KABUL (BNA) the United Nations, representatives from
China and Russia have urged the global community to engage constructively with
the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan to bring about a positive change in the
country’s situation.
Anna Ustigneva, the deputy permanent envoy of Russia
to the UN, emphasized that addressing the challenges in Afghanistan requires
the international community’s constructive interaction with the Islamic
Emirate.
Contrary to the predictions of Western countries,
Ustigneva highlighted that Afghanistan has not experienced internal conflict
under the existence of the Islamic Emirate.
GengShuang, China’s envoy to the United Nations
Security Council, echoed this sentiment and called on the international community
to enhance trust between the Islamic Emirate and the world through increased
communication.
To facilitate confidence-building measures, both
representatives requested the United Nations Security Council to take necessary
steps regarding the Islamic Emirate.
The statements from China and Russia come at a
crucial juncture as the world grapples with the evolving situation in
Afghanistan.
The international community’s engagement with the
Islamic Emirate could prove instrumental in achieving stability, peace, and
progress in the war-torn nation.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/china-and-russia-call-for-global-engagement-with-islamic-emirate-in-afghanistan-for-positive-change/
-----
Africa
Drama As Boko Haram Chief Imam Defects To ISWAP
7 March 2024
OladipoAbiola
A prominent leader and commander of the Boko Haram
terrorist group, Mustapha Ari, has dumped the group and pitched his tent with
the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters.
Naija News understands Ari holds the position of
Chief Imam within the Boko Haram faction located in Mandara Mountain.
However, the terrorist leader has now dumped the
Boko Haram group and joined the ISWAP forces, bringing along with him a host of
fighters, according to a post on Thursday by counter-insurgency expert,
ZagazolaMakama via his account on the X platform.
According to reports, Ari proficiently organized
numerous assaults in Gwoza, Banki, and Bama.
The Borno State government has asserted that over
95% of individuals with Boko Haram ideology, particularly the founding members,
have either been killed or turned themselves in.
The Special Adviser to the Borno State Government on
Security Affairs, Brig. Gen. Ishaq Abdullahi (Rtd), made this assertion during
an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri.
According to Abdullahi, the group’s leadership is in
disarray, with only a handful of the founding members possibly still alive.
The government official further explained that
numerous Boko Haram senior commanders lost their lives due to power struggles
between Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters and the sect who
remained loyal to the late AbubakarShekau following his demise in 2021.
Source: naijanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.naijanews.com/2024/03/07/drama-as-boko-haram-chief-imam-defects-to-iswap/
---
Gruesome murder of Sheikh Abubakar Hassan
un-Islamic, barbaric
YariMarch 8, 2024
IfeanyiNwannah
Former Zamfara State Governor and Senator
representing Zamfara West, Alhaji Abdulaziz YariAbubakar has described as
un-Islamic and barbaric, the recent killing of the Chairman, Gusau Local
Government, Ulama Council of JIBWIS, Abubakar Hassan Mada.
Abubakar said the ugly development has drawn the
State back to the old days whereby human blood wasn’t sacred.
This was contained in a statement issued by the
chairman, publicity committee, A AYari political organization, Hon. Ibrahim
Muhammad DanmadamiBirininMagaji.
According to the statement, the action of the
perpetrators yet to be identified shouldn’t be condoned by the Zamfara State
Government.
“The death of Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Mada has
created a vacuum especially in the area of Islamic education as the deceased
had dedicated his life to the cause of Islam,” he said.
Senator Yari condoled the deceased family, JIBWIS,
Gusau Local Government branch, Its National Headquarters and Muslim Ummah for
the great loss and Prayed Allah SWT to grant him Janattil Firdausi.
In another development, a member representing
KauraNamoda / BirininMagaji federal constituency in the House of
Representatives, Aminu Sani Jaji has equally condemned the brutal killing.
According to a statement he issued, he received the
news with shock, saying that Nigeria should have gone beyond such a barbaric
way of living.
Source: dailypost.ng
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://dailypost.ng/2024/03/08/gruesome-murder-of-sheikh-abubakar-hassan-un-islamic-barbaric-yari/
---
Prioritise rescue of abducted Borno IDPs, Kaduna
pupils, ActionAid urges FG
8th March 2024
Nathaniel Shaibu
ActionAid Nigeria has condemned the abductions of
Internally Displaced Persons in the Gambarou-Ngala area of Borno State and
pupils and teachers of LEA Primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The PUNCH earlier reported that over 280 pupils and
teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School at Kuriga,
Kaduna State, were abducted by bandits on Thursday.
The bandits were reported to have invaded the Kuriga
area of the Chikun Local Government Area of the state on Thursday, shooting at
their victims before taking away at least 280 of the pupils and teachers from
both schools.
The incident occurred barely 24 hours after
insurgents abducted 200 internally displaced women while fetching firewood in
the bush in Ngala, the headquarters of Gambarou-Ngala in Borno State.
Punch Celebrates Golden Jubilee In Style, Hosts
Black Tie Dinner0:01 / 1:01
In a statement by its Country Director, Andrew
Mamedu, AAN said the abductions mirrored the previous abductions of the Chibok
and Dapchi girls, adding that every passing moment without actions drew the
country closer to a repeat of tragic outcomes of previous abduction cases.
He called on the Borno and Kaduna state governments,
as well as the Federal Government, to prioritise the immediate rescue of the
abductees and reunite them with their families.
“We vehemently condemn these brazen acts of terror
on innocent civilians, which tragically mirror past atrocities such as the
abductions of the Chibok and Dapchi girls. We call on the Kaduna and Borno
State Governments and the Federal Government of Nigeria to prioritise the
urgent rescue of the abducted IDPs and ensure their safe return to their
families.
“Every passing moment without action brings us
closer to a repeat of the tragic outcomes witnessed in previous abductions. It
is absurd and unacceptable that over 200 Nigerians in Borno State have been
kidnapped since February 29 without any decisive action being taken to rescue
them and that scores of children were abducted in Kaduna State just a few days
later. We refuse to tolerate the same failures and slow progress in rescuing
our abducted compatriots,” he said.
The group also demanded accountability and justice
for all the victims of the abductions while urging security agencies to learn
from past mistakes and take decisive action to prevent further harm to the
abductees.
It further highlighted the urgent need for
government to prioritise the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative
agreed upon by federal and state schools, noting that insecurity “has
contributed to the current 20 million children who are out of school, and the
Safe Schools Initiative aims to address these challenges and ensure a safe
learning environment for all children in Nigeria”.
The Country Director emphasised that the government
must ensure that security agencies did not delay in rescuing the abductees.
“Their lives and well-being must be the top priority
of the states and federal government at this time. ActionAid Nigeria also calls
upon the international community, civil society organisations, and all
stakeholders to join us in advocating for the immediate and safe rescue of the
abducted IDPs and kidnapped pupils,” he stated.
Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://punchng.com/prioritise-rescue-of-abducted-borno-idps-kaduna-pupils-actionaid-urges-fg/
----
UN chief urges Sudan’s warring parties to halt
hostilities during Muslim holy month of Ramadan
March 07, 2024
UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General António
Guterres urged Sudan’s warring parties on Thursday to halt hostilities during
the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, warning that the nearly year-long conflict
threatens the country’s unity and “could ignite regional instability of
dramatic proportions.”
Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of Sudan’s
military which has been fighting for control of Sudan with the rival commander
of the country’s paramilitary force, welcomed the Ramadan ceasefire appeal,
Sudan’s UN envoy said. But there was no immediate word from the commander of
the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ appeal came
ahead of an expected UN Security Council vote Friday on a British-drafted
resolution calling for “an immediate cessation of hostilities ahead of the
month of Ramadan.”
The draft resolution expresses “grave concern over
the spreading violence and the catastrophic and deteriorating humanitarian
situation, including crisis levels of acute food insecurity, particularly in
Darfur.”
Sudan plunged into chaos last April when
long-simmering tensions between the military and paramilitary leaders broke out
into street battles in the capital, Khartoum.
Fighting spread to other parts of the country, but in
Sudan’s western Darfur region, it took on a different form, with brutal attacks
by the Arab-dominated Rapid Support Forces on ethnic African civilians.
Thousands of people have been killed.
Two decades ago, Sudan’s vast western Darfur region
became synonymous with genocide and war crimes, particularly by the notorious
Janjaweed Arab militias against populations that identify as Central or East
African.
The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Karim
Khan, said in late January there are grounds to believe both sides in the
current conflict are committing possible war crimes, crimes against humanity or
genocide in Darfur.
At a Security Council meeting on Sudan, Guterres
pointed to renewed military offensives and growing fears of a further expansion
of hostilities in the east, calls for arming civilians in various states, and
armed groups entering the fighting in western Darfur and South Kordofan.
“All these dangerous developments are pouring fuel
on the fire for an even more serious fragmentation of the country, a deepening
of intra-and inter-communal tensions, and more ethnic violence,” Guterres said.
“A Ramadan cessation of hostilities can help stem the suffering and usher the
way to sustainable peace.”
Sudan’s UN Ambassador Al-Harith Mohamed said the government
was “very pleased” with what the UN chief said and told the Security Council
that he just heard from General Burhan. “He commends the secretary-general on
his appeal for a cessation of hostilities during the month of Ramadan,” the
ambassador said.
“However, he’s wondering about how to do this,”
Mohamed said, stressing that the Rapid Support Forces are continuing their
attacks. “All those who would like to see that appeal transformed into action …
if they would like to present a mechanism for implementation of it, we would
welcome it.”
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, asked whether there
was a UN mechanism, replied: “First and foremost, it is within the capacity of
both parties to stop fighting.”
“I think everyone is willing and ready to help,”
Dujarric told reporters. “The most important thing is that those who have their
fingers on the trigger silence their weapons.”
As the conflict continues with no end in sight,
Guterres warned that the humanitarian consequences of the conflict are reaching
“colossal proportions.”
Half of Sudan’s population — 25 million people —
need life-saving assistance, some 18 million are “acutely food insecure,” and
the UN is receiving reports of children dying from malnutrition, Guterres said.
Sudan also has the world’s worst internal
displacement crisis, with 6.3 million people who fled their homes and remain in
the country seeking safety, he said. Civilian infrastructure has been destroyed
and 70 percent of health facilities in conflict areas aren’t functioning. And
millions of children aren’t going to school.
He said the UN is also receiving reports of
systematic sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, as well as abduction
and trafficking “for the purpose of sexual exploitation.”
With Ramadan expected to begin around Sunday,
depending on the sighting of the new moon, Britain’s deputy UN ambassador James
Kariuki said he hopes for a Security Council vote on a Ramadan ceasefire on
Friday.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces
bear responsibility for the horrendous situation in Sudan,” he told the
council. “Shelling and attacks from both sides in heavily populated urban areas
and across the entire western region of Sudan continue to kill and terrorize
civilians.”
Kariuki echoed the secretary-general’s call for an
immediate ceasefire for Ramadan and urged the government to allow humanitarian
aid deliveries from neighboring Chad to conflict-torn Darfur, and both sides to
allow deliveries across conflict lines.
“It should not be for the military leadership of
both the SAF (Sudan Armed Forces) or RSF to determine the political future of
Sudan,” Kariuki said. “We call on them to give way to a civilian transitional
government that will fully respect the basic human rights of the Sudanese
people.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2473071/middle-east
---
Pakistan
Pakistan police foil suspected Afghan Militants’
prison attack on ex-PM Khan
Fidel Rahmati
March 7, 2024
Police in the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan, have
stated that they thwarted an attack by militants on the Adiala Jail, where
former Prime Minister Imran Khan is held.
According to Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism
Department, three Afghan citizens have been arrested with a large quantity of
weapons and ammunition.
Rawalpindi police released footage of the arrest operation,
showing the individuals, their faces covered, being apprehended by security
forces from a house.
Police authorities stated that this operation was
conducted jointly with other security agencies in the vicinity of the Adiala
Jail.
According to police, maps of Adiala Jail, hand
grenades, and explosives were found among the belongings of the “terrorists.”
Authorities claimed that the three individuals were
Afghan nationals and that a significant amount of weapons and ammunition was
recovered from them.
Earlier, some Pakistani security officials had
claimed that Afghan citizens were involved in some attacks on the security
forces of this country.
The incident raises concerns about the security
situation in Pakistan and it underscores the ongoing challenges faced by
Pakistan in combating terrorism and maintaining internal security.
The accusations against Afghan nationals and the
attempted attack on the jail have intensified tensions between Pakistan and
Afghanistan, further complicating the already strained relations between the
two neighboring countries.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-police-foil-suspected-afghan-militants-prison-attack-on-ex-pm-khan/
----
IHC wonders if Imran was asked before his home
declared sub-jail
March 8, 2024
Malik Asad
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has asked if
the authorities sought permission from former prime minister Imran Khan before
converting his Bani Gala residence into a sub-jail.
IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb made the
remarks on Thursday while hearing the petition of Mr Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi,
to transfer her from the Bani Gala residence to Adiala Jail.
She is currently serving a 14- and seven-year term
in the Toshakhana reference and the iddat case, respectively.
The petition stated that Ms Bibi was shifted to the
Bani Gala residence despite not making any request to designate her house as a
sub-jail and that the action was implemented by the Islamabad chief
commissioner exercising his discretion.
The former first lady stated that she doesn’t feel
secure at the house where she claimed to have been confined alone as
unidentified persons roamed around the place.
Court seeks report on Bushra Bibi’s living
conditions
During the hearing on Thursday, Justice Aurangzeb
asked if the district administration sought the owner’s permission, which was
a precondition, before declaring private premises a sub-jail.
Ms Bibi’s counsel, Usman Gill, informed the judge
that the former prime minister owned the house and it was converted into a
sub-jail without his permission.
The judge further inquired whether the convict was
allowed to walk outside of her room, to which her counsel replied in negative.
She has been confined to a room and not allowed to
move outside, the counsel claimed.
Later, the court directed a senior official of
Adiala Jail to visit the sub-jail and sought a report on Ms Bibi’s living
condition and her meetings with her spouse after their arrest.
The former prime minister and his wife were
sentenced by a special court in the case of illegal sale of state gifts on Jan
31.
With Mr Khan already imprisoned, Ms Bibi surrendered
to jail authorities on the same day at 10am.
However, she was moved to Mr Khan’s Bani Gala home
after it was declared sub-jail in a late-night notification.
The shifting of Ms Bibi to the Bani Gala residence
has been under discussion for weeks as she and her husband denied submitting
any application to declare the residence as a sub-jail.
In an earlier hearing, the Adiala Jail
administration opposed moving her back to the prison, claiming that
overcrowding posed security threats for the former first lady.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1819873/ihc-wonders-if-imran-was-asked-before-his-home-declared-sub-jail
---
JI senator calls for political dialogue to ensure
civilian supremacy
March 8, 2024
Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD: Amid calls for civilian supremacy in the
Senate, a lawmaker on Thursday proposed a dialogue among political parties to
achieve this goal.
In his farewell speech days before his retirement on
completion of six-year term, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) said
that political parties should hold a dialogue and give way to each other to
ensure civilian supremacy and push back non-elected forces.
He said they must unite on a single point that the
country belongs to the people who have the right to rule it through their chosen
representatives.
The JI leader added the civilian supremacy in line
with the Constitution was sine qua non to bring Pakistan back on the track and
resolve the economic and political problems the country was facing.
Referring to the army’s claim that it had nothing to
do with the electoral process, made through a press release issued by the ISPR
after the corps commanders conference, Mr Ahmed said it was the biggest joke of
the 21st century.
PTI welcomes offer, says talks only after parties
disavow ‘SIC’s reserved seats’
He said instead of giving explanations through press
releases, the army should prove by practical actions that it has nothing to do
with politics and elections of the country.
The solutions to the issues confronting the country
lied in true democracy and not in its hybrid version, Mr Ahmed added.
Terming civilian supremacy the basis of the
country’s salvation, he said armed forces and intelligence agencies were
essential for the country’s sovereignty, security and defence, adding that “we
love them in this context”.
The JI leader said that political parties should
give importance to ideological workers and avoid distribution of offices on the
basis of DNA.
He also called for release of all political prisoners,
including PTI founding Chairman Imran Khan.
Senator Saifullah Abro of PTI welcomed the proposal
for political dialogue floated by Mr Ahmed and said political parties should
not close their doors for talks.
He said his party would be ready for a dialogue, but
asked three political parties to first disown the reserved seats of Sunni
Ittehad Council (SIC) distributed among them. He asked as to how a political
party getting just seven general seats can get nine reserved seats.
He termed the ECP like an orphan child unable to
take a decision and said it was making mistake after mistake.
Mr Abro said that under the law, the ECP was
supposed to upload Form 45 on its website within 14 days after the polling day.
He said that manipulated Forms 45 have been placed on the ECP’s website where
overwriting can clearly be seen.
Senator BahramandTangi, who recently withdrew a
motion seeking a ban on social media platforms after getting a flak, claimed he
never supported the resolution seeking postponement of general elections.
Mr Tangi said he had delivered a speech before
Senator Dilawar Khan moved a resolution and said his speech had no mention of
the resolution, its support or postponement of elections.
He said his leadership had been misguided and his
basic membership was revoked as a result of conspiracy hatched against him.
PkMAP Senator Abida Azeem said the mandate of the
people has been stolen in the recently held general elections.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1819872/ji-senator-calls-for-political-dialogue-to-ensure-civilian-supremacy
----
2 terrorists killed in separate operations in
Khyber, Dera Ismail Khan districts: ISPR
March 7, 2024
Iftikhar Shirazi
Two terrorists were killed in separate operations
last night in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the military’s media affairs wing said on
Thursday.
A press release from the Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR) said that an IBO (intelligence-based operation) was conducted
in Khyber district, during which terrorist ring leader ShmroozSheenay was “sent
to hell” by the security forces.
“In another operation conducted by the security
forces in Dera Ismail Khan district, terrorist Mansoor was also successfully
neutralised,” ISPR said.
It said that weapons, ammunition and explosives were
also recovered from the slain terrorists, who remained “actively involved in
numerous terrorist activities against security forces”.
It said that the terrorists were also involved in
extortion and target killings of innocent civilians and were highly wanted by
the law enforcement agencies.
It added that a sanitisation operation was underway
to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area.
“Locals of the area appreciated the operations and
expressed their full support to eliminate the menace of terrorism,” it said.
Two soldiers were martyred in an exchange of fire
with terrorists in KP’s LakkiMarwat district on Wednesday. Two militants were
also killed in the engagement.
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in terror
activities in the past year, especially in KP and Balochistan after the banned
militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in
November 2022.
According to an annual security report issued by the
Centre for Research and Security Studies, Pakistan witnessed 1,524
violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and
counter-terror operations in 2023 — marking a record six-year high.
KP and Balochistan were the primary centres of
violence, accounting for over 90 per cent of all fatalities and 84pc of
attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1819839/2-terrorists-killed-in-separate-operations-in-khyber-dera-ismail-khan-districts-ispr
-----
IMF ready to send mission to Pakistan after cabinet
formation
March 08, 2024
Mehtab Haider & Wajid Ali Syed
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: The IMF stands ready to send
its mission to Pakistan after the formation of a new cabinet under the $3
billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) programme.
In a press briefing held at the IMF headquarters in
Washington, DC, on Thursday, Fund’s Communications Director Julie Kozak was
asked about IMF’s assessment of Pakistan’s external financial needs for 2024
fiscal year, calendar year and what would be the size of the next IMF programme
for the country and what kind of risks the Fund was assessing while dealing with
Pakistan at this point in time.
In reply, the official said that on January 11, the
IMF Executive Board approved the first review of the Stand-by Arrangement with
Pakistan, bringing total disbursements under the Stand-by Arrangement to about
$1.9 billion and the SBA supported programme underpins the authority’s efforts
to stabilise the economy with a strong emphasis on protecting the most
vulnerable segments of the population.
During the period of the caretaker government, the
authorities maintained economic stability through strict adherence to the
fiscal targets while protecting the social safety net, maintaining a tight
monetary policy stance to control inflation and continuing to build foreign
exchange reserves. And this has been done at the same time as implementing
timely adjustments in tariffs to shore up the viability of the energy sector.
The IMF stands ready to hold a mission for the
second review of the Stand-by shortly after a new cabinet is formed. The focus,
therefore, is currently on completion of the current Stand-by programme, which
ends in April 2024.
“We look forward to working with the new government
on policies to ensure macroeconomic stability,” added the spokesperson.
To another question related to political
instability, Spokesperson Ms. Kozak said she was not going to comment on
politics. “Only to say that the IMF stands ready, as I said, to send a mission
after a new cabinet is formed, and we look forward to working with the
government to ensure stability, macroeconomic stability, for the good of the
people of Pakistan,” she added.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1165661-imf-ready-to-send-mission-to-pakistan-after-cabinet-formation
----
Pakistan, EU reiterate joint commitment to combat
human trafficking, money laundering
March 08, 2024
Shakeel Anjum
ISLAMABAD: European Union and Pakistan on Thursday
reiterated their joint commitment to combat human smuggling and money
laundering.
A European Union delegation, led by International
Affairs Unit head BusiakiewiczPawel, visited the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) Headquarters in the federal capital.
The delegation held a meeting with the FIA director
general and other key officials related to immigration, anti-human trafficking,
counter-terrorism and National Central Bureau-Interpol.
The EU delegation commended FIA’s partnerships with
international organisations and diplomatic missions, highlighting collaborative
efforts with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development, US
Consulate, International Organisation for Migration, British High Commission,
UNODC, the Australian High Commission, Interpol and EU, which have strengthened
FIA’s capacity in countering migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons.
Additionally, the delegation acknowledged Pakistan’s
legislative efforts, including the enactment of the Trafficking in Persons
(TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) Acts in 2018, as well as the ratification
of the UN protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in persons,
especially women and children, in November 2022. The placement of FIA liaison
officers in five link offices further enhances efforts to combat human
trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The delegation also commended the efforts of FIA’s
Counter-Terrorism Wing in collaborating with international partners to combat
cyber terrorism and extremist narratives. The delegation noted joint research
initiatives, cybersecurity enhancement efforts, training programmes on digital
forensics, and mutual assistance in investigating terrorism financing by the
FIA. The Pak-EU Joint Working Group on Combating International Terrorism was
highlighted as a significant contributor to global efforts in this regard.
Moreover, both sides reiterated on organising the
capacity building training on the transnational organised crimes, including
money laundering and terror financing.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1165772-pakistan-eu-reiterate-joint-commitment-to-combat-human-trafficking-money-laundering
----
ATC extends Imran’s bail in May 9 cases
March 08, 2024
LAHORE:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday extended
the interim bail of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder till March 15 in
three cases related to attacks on the Jinnah House, Askari Tower and torching
of Shadman police station on May 9, 2023.
ATC Judge Muhammad Naveed Iqbal conducted the
proceedings on the bail petitions of the PTI founder. The court sought
arguments from parties, on the next date of hearing.
Last week, another ATC confirmed the interim bail of
the PTI founder in four cases pertaining to an attack on police outside Zaman
Park, murder of PTI activist Zille Shah, torching of Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz office in Model Town and a container at Kalma Chowk.
On August 11, 2023, an ATC judge dismissed the
pre-arrest bails of PTI founder in seven cases over his non-appearance as he
was jailed after conviction in Toshakhana case. However, the Lahore High Court
set aside the decision and restored his bail petitions while allowing a
petition of the PTI founder.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2458736/atc-extends-imrans-bail-in-may-9-cases
----
Meezan, PMN ink MoU for promotion of Islamic
microfinance services
March 08, 2024
KARACHI
- Meezan Bank, Pakistan’s leading
Islamic Bank, recently formalised a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the
Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) - the national association for retail
players in the microfinance industry. Under this agreement, the bank will
provide financial and Shariah technical support to PMN member institutions for
delivering Islamic finance to the under-privileged segments of the society.
The MoU was signed by Ahmed Ali Siddiqui - Group
Head, Shariah Compliance at Meezan Bank, and Syed Mohsin Ahmed – CEO of PMN,
at a signing ceremony held at Avari Hotel, Lahore. Notable figures present at
the event included Dr Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani – Vice Chairman Shariah
Board, Meezan Bank, Syed Tanveer Hussain – Group Executive Corporate, Commercial
& Investment Banking Group, Meezan Bank, Murtaza Khokhar - Vice Chairman,
PMN and Ali Basharat – Head of Operations, PMN along with their respective
teams.
Expressing his thoughts on the collaboration, Dr
Muhammad Imran Ashraf Usmani said, “This collaboration will make a significant
contribution towards expanding financial inclusion and facilitating access to
finance as per the precepts of Shariah to the underserved sector of society,
meeting their essential needs.” He further emphasized the significance of
leveraging technology to efficiently serve microfinance customers, outlining
his vision to contribute to the sector’s growth and wealth circulation within
the economy.
Speaking at the occasion, Syed Mohsin Ahmed said,
“The financial industry in Pakistan is at a crossroads as it transforms from
conventional to Islamic finance. This partnership between Meezan Bank and PMN
will be a catalyst in promoting Shariah-compliant financial services and will
promote financial inclusion in the country.”
Source: nation.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.nation.com.pk/08-Mar-2024/meezan-pmn-ink-mou-for-promotion-of-islamic-microfinance-services
---
Pakistan stands shoulder to shoulder with Kashmiris:
PM
March 08, 2024
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that
Pakistan will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Kashmiris in
their just struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination.
He expressed the resolve during his meeting with
Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq during his visit
to Muzaffarabad today.
The Prime Minister also assured Pakistan's
unconditional support to the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for the
Kashmir cause.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister of Azad
Kashmir congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on assuming the office of the Prime
Minister of Pakistan and expressed his best wishes.
He also thanked Shehbaz Sharif for undertaking the
visit of Azad Kashmir immediately after assuming the office of the Prime
Minister.
He said the visit of Shehbaz Sharif to express
solidarity with the Kashmiris, affected by torrential rains, reflects that
hearts of Pakistani people always throb with their Kashmiri brethren.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in
the presence of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister distributed compensation
cheques among people affected by rains and snowfall in Muzaffarabad.
Source: nation.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original
Story
https://www.nation.com.pk/08-Mar-2024/pakistan-stands-shoulder-to-shoulder-with-kashmiris-pm
----
North
America
Biden says Gaza war has taken greater toll on
civilians than all previous conflicts there combined
Michael Hernandez
08.03.2024
US President Joe Biden acknowledged the
unprecedented nature of Israel's ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip during
his State of the Union address Thursday evening.
Biden accepted that the conflict has led to over
30,000 Palestinian deaths in the coastal enclave, saying the war has
"taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza
combined."
He said "most" of the dead "are not
Hamas" and that "thousands and thousands" of those who have been
killed are "innocents, women and children, girls and boys."
"Nearly 2 million Palestinians are under
bombardment or displacement. Homes destroyed, neighborhoods in rubble, cities
in ruin. Families without food, water, medicine. It's heartbreaking,"
Biden told a joint session of Congress.
The president formally announced that he is
directing the US military to erect a temporary pier along Gaza's coastline,
which he said will be capable of receiving "large shipments" of food,
water, medicine and temporary shelters for Gaza's beleaguered population.
He maintained that no US troops will be on the
ground in Gaza to carry out the short-term project.
"A temporary pier will enable a massive
increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza every
day," he said. "Israel must do its part. Israel must allow more aid
into Gaza, ensure humanitarian workers aren't caught in the cross-fire."
Biden issued a direct message to the Israeli
government, telling officials there that aid "cannot be a secondary
consideration or a bargaining chip."
"Protecting and saving innocent lives has to be
a priority," he said.
Israel has continued a military offensive on the
Gaza Strip, now in its 153rd day, in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by the
Palestinian group Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed nearly 1,200 people.
At least 30,800 Palestinians have since been killed
in Gaza and nearly 73,000 others injured amid widespread devastation in the
coastal enclave. Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza
Strip, leaving much of its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza,
on the verge of starvation.
In an interim ruling in January, the International
Court of Justice ordered Israel to stop genocidal acts and take measures to
guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and
aid deliveries remain woefully inadequate to meet the humanitarian catastrophe
in Gaza.
Biden said that "the only real solution"
to the underlying Israel-Palestine conflict remains a two-state solution,
bucking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly ruled out
any sovereignty for the Palestinian people as long as he remains in power.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/biden-says-gaza-war-has-taken-greater-toll-on-civilians-than-all-previous-conflicts-there-combined/3158638
----
US says Hamas holding up 6-week ceasefire by
refusing to release vulnerable hostages
JACOB MAGID
7 March 2024
Senior Biden administration officials on Thursday
accused Hamas of holding up a six-week ceasefire deal with Israel by refusing
to release the sick, elderly and female hostages that it’s holding in Gaza.
“There could be at least a six-week ceasefire today if
Hamas would agree to release a defined category of vulnerable hostages,
including women, the elderly, the sick and the wounded,” said one of the
officials, who all briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. “The onus right
now is on Hamas.”
“The fundamental element on [Hamas’s] side is
releasing the sick, the elderly and the woman. That is right now the holdup,” a
second official added.
While there have been reports that Hamas has walked
away from the talks in Cairo after they apparently hit a wall, the US officials
insisted that a deal is still possible and that they’re still working to reach
one. “We see this as the path to get the hostages home,” one of them said.
Offering new details on the deal being negotiated,
the senior Biden administration officials briefing reporters said the ceasefire
would start with a six-week-long first stage and be structured in a manner in
which two more stages could be subsequently added.
The deal would also see the “repositioning of
Israeli forces” during that first stage and also allow for Palestinians to
return to northern Gaza.
This has been a sticking point for Israel, which has
publicly rejected this demand to date, claiming it would allow for a resurgence
of Hamas in that half of the Strip.
“We’re returning people to the north. That is part
of the arrangement that has been worked out,” the official asserted.
The plan to allow Palestinians to return to northern
Gaza expedites the need to improve the mechanisms for delivering humanitarian
aid throughout the Strip, which is why the Biden administration is advancing a
maritime corridor and other delivery mechanisms, one of the senior officials
said.
One of the senior US officials acknowledged the
Biden administration is working to secure a temporary ceasefire deal before
Ramadan, which starts around March 10. However, they clarified that “there’s no
hard and fast deadline on this negotiation.”
“We recognize that extremists could try to use
Ramadan to spark something that would be deeply unfortunate in that holy month,
and we want to make sure that we have a peaceful period so people can worship,”
the senior official said. “We’re working that through with the Israelis, with
the Palestinian Authority, with the Jordanians and others.”
“[Ismail] Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, has called for
violence over Ramadan. We recognize that this is something that they might very
well try to do. It’s always a volatile period… We fully recognize what
[Hamas’s] intentions might be,” the official said, referring to the Hamas
chief’s recent call for Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to
march to the Temple Mount on the first day of the Islamic holy month.
Turning to the State of the Union speech on Thursday
night, the senior US official said US President Joe Biden will address Hamas’s
“horrific attacks” on October 7 and “Israel’s right to go after Hamas and those
responsible.”
Biden will also stress “Israel’s fundamental
responsibility to protect innocent civilians in Gaza and also to address the
humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” the official said, noting the added burden faced
by the IDF, given that Hamas hides and operates among civilians.
The president will also “speak to the plight of the
hostages,” highlighting his efforts to broker a truce deal in November that
allowed for the release of over 100 hostages. At least one of those freed
hostages will be in the gallery for Biden’s speech, along with over a dozen
relatives of hostages still in Gaza or of those who have been released.
“This is something we are working on constantly, not
just to save the lives of the hostages and get them out, but also because this
is a path to a ceasefire,” the official said.
“A ceasefire… will facilitate and enable the
humanitarian surge that we’re working on. That is why [it] is first and
foremost on our minds, on the President’s mind. He’ll obviously speak to that
tonight,” the official added.
The sentiment was echoed earlier Thursday in remarks
US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew made at a security conference in Tel Aviv.
“It’s a mistake” to think hostage negotiations have
ended. “There are still conversations going on, there is still back and forth,
the differences are being narrowed,” he said.
“A pause would increase the likelihood of a
diplomatic solution in the north. A pause would increase the likelihood of
Saudi normalization going forward,” Lew maintained.
In order for normalization to happen, however, there
must be an “over the horizon” conversation about a Palestinian state, he
clarified.
If the hostage issue is not resolved, he said, “I
don’t know how to put the other pieces in a place where I can get them
resolved,” referring to normalization with Arab countries in the region and a
diplomatic solution to fighting against Hezbollah.
Turning to the “day after” the war, Lew said that
the future administration of Gaza is “at the heart of every plan” for the
future.
“The workforce is going to have to come from the
people from the area, many of whom have worked for the Palestinian Authority,”
he said. “It’s going to have to be a vetted group of people.”
He acknowledged Israelis’ discomfort in talking
about a two-state solution, but indicated that the alternative would be
unending violence.
Later Thursday, US Central Intelligence Agency
Director Bill Burns reportedly arrived in Qatar after quietly spending the past
day in Egypt, as the Biden administration made what may be a last-ditch attempt
to secure a hostage agreement before Ramadan begins at the beginning of next
week.
The talks appeared to reach an impasse earlier
Thursday as a Hamas delegation left Cairo without any breakthrough reported in
the talks being brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the US.
Burns was not planning to make a stop in Israel
during his regional tour, a US official told CNN, adding that there was also
not slated to be another four-way meeting in Doha with the intelligence chiefs
from the US, Egypt and Israel along with Qatar’s prime minister.
CNN said hopes were fading for a deal to be reached
before Ramadan but the Walla news site said US National Security Adviser Jake
Sullivan told visiting hostage families in Washington on Wednesday that the US
would continue working to secure a deal even after the holy month begins around
Monday.
Sullivan told the families that the deal on the
table was reasonable and that the US would continue to try and put pressure on
Hamas via Egypt and Qatar over the weekend, Walla said.
An Israeli official told the Ynet news site, though,
that Jerusalem’s assessment is that Hamas has made a decision to stonewall and
allow the war to continue into Ramadan.
Earlier Thursday, Hamas issued a statement saying
its delegation had left Cairo, but would continue with Gaza truce talks until
an agreement is reached with Israel, blaming Jerusalem for the lack of
progress.
An official Egyptian source told the country’s
Al-Qahera News state-affiliated TV channel that negotiations over a ceasefire
in Gaza reached an impasse over Hamas’s demand for a phased process culminating
in an end to the war, but said talks will resume next week.
Egyptian officials had earlier said that despite the
impasse, they did not rule out a deal being reached before the Muslim fasting
month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin on Sunday and has emerged as an
informal deadline.
The Egyptian officials said Hamas has agreed on the
main terms of such an agreement as a first stage, but wants commitments that it
will lead to an eventual, more permanent ceasefire.
There was no immediate comment from Israel.
Negotiators from Hamas, Qatar and Egypt — but not
Israel — have tried this week to secure a six-week ceasefire in time for
Ramadan.
The deal presented to Hamas for Gaza would free at
least some of the hostages the terror group still holds following the October 7
massacre in the first stage. Palestinian prisoners held in Israel would also be
released.
A source had earlier said Israel was staying away
from the Cairo talks because Hamas refused to provide a list of hostages who
are still alive. Hamas claims this is impossible without a ceasefire as
hostages are scattered across the war zone.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said Thursday that
the death toll in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 30,800 since October 7, when
thousands of Hamas-led terrorists launched a murderous rampage across southern
Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. Hamas’s figures cannot
be verified, do not differentiate between combatants and civilians, and include
some 13,000 Hamas terrorists Israel says it has killed in battle since October.
Israel also says it killed some 1,000 gunmen inside
Israel on October 7.
Hamas officials also said Israel had on Thursday
returned 47 bodies of Palestinians it killed earlier during the military
offensive, through its crossing with the enclave in the southern Gaza Strip.
Source: timesofisrael.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-says-hamas-holding-up-6-week-ceasefire-by-refusing-to-release-vulnerable-hostages/
----
US officials: Biden administration does not intend
to impose military restrictions on Israel
[07/March/2024]
WASHINGTON March 07. 2024 (Saba) - Four US officials
revealed that the Biden administration does not intend, at this stage, to
impose restrictions on military aid to the Zionist enemy, and that the White
House is concerned with obtaining a “complete and accurate picture” of the
American weapons that will be transferred to Israel.
On Thursday, the Zionist Walla website quoted
officials as saying that the White House recently asked the Ministries of State
and Defense to provide it with a list that includes all the weapons it plans to
transfer to Israel and is expected to approve it in the coming weeks.
The officials themselves claimed that the White
House's request came against the backdrop of mounting pressure on the Biden
administration from Democratic members of Congress, as well as from public
opinion, regarding everything related to the supply of American weapons to
Israel for the latter to use in its war on Gaza.
They added that the White House request does not
indicate that the Biden administration will delay or suspend the transfer of
weapons to Israel in the near future.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3311239.htm
----
US, partners to set up temporary port in Gaza for aid
deliveries
08-03- 2024
WASHINGTON: The US army and its partners plan to set
up a temporary harbour on the coast of the embattled Gaza Strip to provide
additional aid to civilians, according to a senior government representative in
Washington.
“Tonight in the speech, the president will announce
that he’s directing the US military to lead an emergency mission to establish a
port in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast that can receive large ships
carrying food, water, medicine, and temporary shelters,“ the senior official
said, referring to US President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address
scheduled for Thursday evening.
The plans come amid Washington’s concerns that the
aid flowing into Gaza is “nowhere near enough and nowhere near fast enough”, a
second official said.
The port will mainly consist of a temporary pier
that is to allow for hundreds of additional truckloads of assistance each day.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with
hunger growing among the population ever since fighting broke out between
Israel and the Hamas movement on Oct 7.
So far more than 30,000 Palestinians have been
killed in Gaza in the fighting, according to the Hamas-run authorities
there.-Bernama
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://thesun.my/world/us-partners-to-set-up-temporary-port-in-gaza-for-aid-deliveries-CL12192707
---
Biden Sleepwalks The U.S. Into A Military Crisis To
Placate Islamist Voters In Detroit
BRIANNA LYMAN
MARCH 07, 2024
President Joe Biden is about to drag the United
States closer toward a military conflict to appease Islamists and other
Democrats whose antagonism toward Israel threatens the president’s chance of
reelection.
In order to reward Palestinians — who overwhelmingly
supported the Oct. 7 terrorist attack according to a poll released by the
Palestinian Center for Policy Survey and Research — the Biden administration
will build a port to help ships dock to deliver food, water and medical
supplies, which Hamas will surely steal.
“Israel also has a fundamental responsibility to
protect innocent civilians in Gaza,” Biden said Thursday night during his State
of the Union address. “This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians
than all previous wars in Gaza combined.”
“Tonight, I am directing the U.S. military to lead
an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the
Gaza coast that can receive large ships carrying food, water, medicine, and
temporary shelters,” Biden continued before promising not to put American boots
on the ground.
A senior administration official said ahead of
Biden’s announcement they don’t currently “plan” on putting boots on the ground
to build the port.
But even if the Biden administration keeps that
promise, what American interest does it serve to collaborate with terrorists
(who are still holding hostages) and terrorist sympathizers?
The answer is none. But it might serve the interests
of a president with abysmal poll numbers desperately seeking to placate
Islamist voters in a battleground state like Michigan. In Michigan and
elsewhere, Biden lost tens of thousands of votes in the Democrat primary to
“uncommitted” voters who refused to support the president due to his
insufficient hostility toward Israel.
But building a port in Gaza isn’t just a gross
political move; it also, if history tells us anything, could result in the
slaughter of Americans.
The United States sent 800 Marines to Beirut in 1982
to help protect Muslims and Palestinians as part of a peacekeeping mission
after Israel entered Lebanon to create a buffer between radical Palestinians
and Syrian forces. The U.S. approved the operation known as “Peace for
Galilee.”
One year later a suicide bomber attacked the
barracks in Beirut, murdering 241 U.S. service members. The blame was placed on
Hezbollah, the same group currently firing rockets into Israel daily alongside
Hamas. The barrack bombing was preceded by an April 1983 attack on the embassy
which also killed U.S. soldiers and CIA staff.
A Hezbollah supporter just recently mocked the
United States after it announced it would send warships to the region following
the Oct. 7 massacre.
“It seems that Uncle Joe did not tell the commanders
of these warships and aircraft carriers about what happened on October 23,
1983,” the man said, according to The Associated Press.
But Biden seems to be buckling under pressure from
Islamist Democrats who believe, after Hamas terrorists violently raped,
slaughtered, and pillaged Israeli communities, that Biden isn’t catering enough
to the same Palestinian people who largely supported the terrorist attack.
And what happens when U.S. forces withdraw?
Presumably, Iran gets gifted a brand new port of access to import weapons,
reminiscent of how the Biden administration left weapons technology in
Afghanistan for the Taliban to acquire.
Infrastructure is not the central issue in Gaza —
it’s Hamas and its sympathizers who lead the state. Any attempt to curry favor
with terrorists will undoubtedly result in dangerous escalation and perhaps the
death of Americans.
Source: thefederalist.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://thefederalist.com/2024/03/07/biden-sleepwalks-the-u-s-into-a-military-crisis-to-placate-islamist-voters-in-detroit/
---
CAIR Condemns Destruction of Gaza Mosque Minaret by
‘Bored’ Israeli Troops
Ismail Allison
March 7, 2024
War crime committed as U.N. official warns of
Israel’s ‘starvation campaign’ in Gaza
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),
the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today
condemned the reported deliberate destruction of a mosque minaret in Gaza by
“bored” Israeli soldiers.
An Israeli soldier reportedly posted video online of
the mosque minaret’s destruction in Gaza, calling it, “Things to do when the
tank crew is bored in Gaza.”
That war crime comes as a U.N. expert said that
Israel was destroying Gaza’s food system as part of a “starvation campaign.”
“The intentional destruction of a religious
structure, with no possible claim of military necessity, is just another of the
countless Israeli war crimes we have witnessed in recent months,” said CAIR
National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “International law and human
rights norms are being delegitimized daily by the Biden administration’s
complicity in the genocide, forced starvation and ethnic cleansing being
carried out by Israel’s far-right government.”
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-destruction-of-gaza-mosque-minaret-by-bored-israeli-troops/
----
CAIR Condemns Chinese Communist Party’s Forced
‘Sinicization’ of Islam in Uyghur Region
Ismail Allison
March 7, 2024
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),
the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today
condemned comments by a Chinese Communist Party official who stated that the
“sinicization” of Islam in Xinjiang Province is “inevitable.” Xinjiang is the
province in which the Chinese government has been carrying out a program of
genocide and mass interment of Uyghur Muslims.
“Everyone knows that Islam in Xinjiang needs to be
Sinicised, this is an inevitable trend,” regional party chief Ma Xingrui told
reporters at a largely scripted briefing on the sidelines of China’s annual
parliamentary sessions in Beijing. The Chinese government has been conducting a
campaign of mass internment and genocide against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang
region.
In a statement, CAIR Research and Advocacy Director
Corey Saylor said:
“The Chinese Communist Party’s war on Islam and
Muslims will end the same way similar efforts by prior tyrannies ended – in
failure. Despite the mass internment, torture, killing, and destruction of
cultural heritage, the Chinese government cannot defeat the spirit of the
Uyghur people and other Muslims in Xinjiang.”
He noted that in January, CAIR condemned new
regulations issued by the Chinese Communist Party restricting Islamic practice
in the Uyghur region of Xinjiang.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-chinese-communist-partys-forced-sinicization-of-islam-in-uyghur-region/
---
Canada PM Trudeau says no decision yet on resuming
UNRWA funding
08 March, 2024
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday
said Ottawa had not decided whether it would resume funding to the UN
Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA after Israel claimed some staff had been
involved in the 7 October Hamas attack.
Earlier this week the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation and Associated Press cited unnamed government sources as saying
Canada would reverse its 26 January decision to pause any additional funding to
UNRWA.
But Trudeau, asked directly whether this was the
case, said Ottawa was waiting for the results of an internal United Nations
probe into the Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff had been involved in the
attack in which around 1,160 people died, according to an AFP tally of official
figures.
"We're not making any announcements today… we
will continue to look at this situation. We will continue to watch the UN as it
looks into what's happening within this organisation," he told reporters
in Toronto.
A total of 16 donors, including the US and UK, have
controversially paused their funding to UNRWA amid widespread hunger in Gaza.
"The ongoing humanitarian crisis and disaster
in Gaza is heart wrenching for everyone. We know how important it is to get aid
into Gaza," said Trudeau, saying people in the enclave faced starvation.
Israel's war on Gaza has so far killed 30,800
people, according to the strip's health ministry.
Israeli forces have attacked hospitals, ambulances,
and people looking for food aid.
Trudeau said no one could remain indifferent to the
suffering in Gaza and noted "Canadians have very strong feelings about the
conflict".
Police in Toronto, Canada's largest city, say the
number of antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes has spiked significantly since
the start of the conflict.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters on Saturday
blocked entrances to a Toronto building where Trudeau was due to host a
reception for visiting Italian Prime Minister GiorgiaMeloni. The event was
canceled.
Source: newarab.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.newarab.com/news/canada-pm-trudeau-says-no-decision-yet-unrwa-funding
----
Anti-Biden coalitions plan national convention to
find presidential alternatives
March 08, 2024
CHICAGO: Leaders of the #AbandonBiden movement said
Thursday they are planning their own convention — in August or September — to
find candidates who would run against Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 presidential
election.
Launched on Oct. 31, 2023, the #AbandonBiden
campaign has grown and partnered with coalitions in several states including
“Listen to Georgia” and “Listen to Minnesota,” said Farah Khan a co-leader of
the #AbandonBiden movement.
Khan said a date for the anti-Biden convention has
not yet been set but will be held sometime in August or September after the
Democratic and Republican parties conclude their conventions.
She said the #AbandonBiden movement will partner
with the other anti-Biden coalitions to consider “all of the candidates” before
making a final endorsement for the November elections.
Khan said the movement’s voters will not accept
Biden’s “repeated gratuitous promises,” calling them a “desperate effort” to
“save his presidency.”
“Biden won Michigan and several other states on the
back of Arab and Muslim votes and he turned his back on us. He was deaf to our
cries and our concerns. We gave him a deadline of October 31 to stop the
genocide and he did not.
“He crossed that red line. Killing our brothers and
sisters in Gaza is a red line. He is beyond redemption. He is not coming back.
We are not supporting him now and we are not going to support him in November,”
Khan told Arab News Thursday evening as Biden delivered his annual State of the
Union speech.
“We are done choosing the lesser of the two evils.
Why do they, the Democrats, have to bring in bad candidates? Why can’t the
Democratic Party be the Democratic Party for all of the people? You take our
votes and then you turn a deaf ear to us? And there is no concern for us? They
are not listening to us. How can they continue to support the killing of
civilians? How does killing civilians align with anyone’s principles?”
Khan rejected Biden’s promises of support for
Palestinians in Gaza calling them “empty words” and “desperate efforts” intended
to derail the #AbandonBiden movement and shore up his reelection chances.
During his State of the Union speech, Biden
condemned the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 and accused the militant organization of
hiding behind civilians. Biden said Israel has a “fundamental responsibility to
protect civilians in Gaza,” and reaffirmed his commitment to the two-state
solution. Biden said the US will build a “temporary pier in the Mediterranean”
to facilitate the delivery of “large shipments of aid to Palestinians in the
Gaza Strip.”
Khan said that Arab and Muslim voters, and their
supporters, will not be moved by “belated promises” to assist Gaza’s displaced
civilian population.
“We are very happy with the turnout so far and it
keeps growing. More than 100,000 voters voted uncommitted in Michigan. That
speaks volumes. And not every voter comes out to vote in the primary elections
as they do in the general election. Just imagine that almost 1.5 million
Muslims and over 300,000 Muslims with lineage from the Middle East will vote.
That is significant,” Khan said of the #AbandonBiden voter turnout over the
past two weeks in more than 20 state primary elections.
“We’re not just talking about Arab and Muslim
voters. We are also talking about a movement that is growing with support from
others who share our opposition to the violence in Gaza. It is not just Arab
and Muslim concerns. We’re working with Christian leaders and activists, Jewish
leaders and activists.”
Khan added: “If Biden thinks it is just Muslims, he
is gravely mistaken. People have woken up. They know what our president is
doing. It is shameful for us. We feel he has made us complicit in the genocide
because our tax dollars are being used.”
Leaders of the “Listen to Georgia” coalition
released voter data from Tuesday’s elections that showed at least 253,000
people voted “uncommitted” or “no preference” in the eight states with an
option to do so.
Republican and Democratic voters went to the polls
in 16 US states Tuesday to nominate their respective candidates for the Nov. 5
presidential election.
Trump swept 15 of the 16 states in the Republican
primaries forcing his last remaining major challenger, Nikki Haley, who edged
him out in Vermont, to formally withdraw as a candidate. Biden faced no major
rival and won easily in all 16 states.
Although Biden is seen as winning the Democratic
Party nomination, Khan and #AbandonBiden leaders said their movement will
undermine Biden if he faces-off with Trump “or any other candidate” in the
presidential election.
In the Minnesota Democratic presidential primary,
over 45,000 voters (20 percent) chose the “uncommitted” option, seen as the
results of a last-minute organizing campaign. In North Carolina, over 88,000
people voted “no preference” (13 percent) and over 54,000 (Massachusetts) also
selected “no preference,” according to the #AbandonBiden coalition. More than
19 percent of voters in Minnesota cast “uncommitted” votes, they said.
Only some states allow voters to cast an
“uncommitted” or “no preference” vote in their election primaries. In other
states, the only option is to cast a vote for other minor alternative
candidates to Biden or Trump.
But those “uncommitted,” “no preference” or
alternative candidate votes will have a direct impact on the expected
Biden-Trump contest and could deny Biden the edge he held in 2020, activists
argue.
Hassan Abdel Salam, a co-leader with Khan of the
#AbandonBiden campaign, called growing opposition to Biden’s Gaza policies “a
pivotal moment for the campaign, which has been advocating for voters to remain
uncommitted in response to President Biden’s handling of the ongoing crisis in
Gaza. The campaign emphasizes the need for leadership that prioritizes a
permanent ceasefire and the safeguarding of innocent lives.”
The election nomination process, called primary
elections, will continue with Trump and Biden leading the Republican and
Democrat primary contests on March 12 in Georgia, Hawaii, Mississippi and
Washington state, March 19 in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio, and
in 21 remaining states through June 4.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties will hold
their conventions this summer in Chicago and Milwaukee to formalize their
likely nominations of Trump and Biden for the November elections.
Activists of the #AbandonBiden movement have been
buoyed by the results of a telephone exit polling of 568 Muslim voters
conducted in a March 5 survey by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The CAIR survey found that 37 percent of Muslim
voters prefer a third-party candidate over incumbent Biden (36 percent) or
Republican presidential nominee frontrunner Donald Trump (27 percent).
The CAIR survey also showed 72 percent of Muslim
Super Tuesday voters reported “disapproving” of Biden’s handling of the Israeli
government’s war in Gaza.
Robert S. McCaw, the CAIR’s government affairs
director, cited a “notable surge” in the number of registered Muslim-American
voters, totaling 2.5 million people.
“This primary season marks the continued rise of
American-Muslim voters, who have asserted their presence in our nation’s
democratic process and ensured their voices are being heard,” said McCaw.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2473266/world
----
Arab
World
Jeddah Unveils World's First 3D-Printed Mosque
07 Mar, 2024
A groundbreaking ceremony recently marked the
opening of the world's first mosque constructed with 3D printing technology in
Jeddah. Named in honor of the late Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly, the mosque
stands within the prestigious Al-Jawhara suburb project in Jeddah. This
innovative edifice is part of the National Housing Company's portfolio,
unveiled amidst a gathering of senior government officials and business
leaders.
The innovative construction of the new mosque was
spearheaded by Saudi businesswoman WajnatAbdulwahed, dedicated in memory of her
late husband. Under her leadership at Forsan Real Estate, the mosque, sprawling
over 5,600 square meters, was brought to completion in just six months using
four advanced printers from Guanli, the Chinese company renowned globally for
its 3D printing technology.
In her press statement, Mrs. Abdulwahed emphasized,
"As a Saudi businesswoman, I wanted to contribute to introducing this
modern technology to the Kingdom, positioning it among the first countries to
utilize it. The idea materialized into constructing a mosque dedicated to the
memory of my late husband, subsequently becoming the world’s first mosque built
with 3D printing technology."
She further commented, "This marks a
significant milestone in the fields of technology and contemporary
construction, signaling a move towards architectural innovation and sustainable
building practices within Saudi Arabia and across the region. This development
aligns with the modern construction initiative, overseen by the Housing Program
and the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program, and is supported
by the private sector stimulation plan. This initiative champions the shift
from traditional construction methods to modern techniques, fostering the
adoption of advanced technologies and supporting the pace of industrial
evolution."
She elaborated, "On this occasion, I express my
deep gratitude towards our Leadership and the visionary behind Saudi Vision
2030, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, who have empowered
us, the Saudi citizens, to fulfill our aspirations by promoting a culture of
work, innovation, and sustainability. My thanks also go to the Ministry of
Municipal, Rural Affairs and Housing, and the National Housing Company, for
their diligent oversight and management of the project from its inception to
its fruition."
Wajnat stands out as the pioneer in employing 3D
printing technology for mosque construction in Saudi Arabia, pushing the
boundaries of innovation and progress. She has not only succeeded in creating
building prototypes using this groundbreaking technology but also rigorously
tested the printer's outputs to ensure they meet the stringent municipal and
regulatory standards of the Saudi environment, marking a significant milestone
in the field.
The deployment of 3D printing technology in the
creation of the world's inaugural mosque of its kind heralds a new era of
innovation in the construction and architectural sectors. This pioneering
project showcases the vast potential of cutting-edge technology in reshaping
architectural practices, contributing positively to diversifying the national
economy and enhancing the non-oil local content, in line with the ambitious objectives
of Saudi Vision 2030.
3D printing technology stands out for its ability to
transform a three-dimensional digital model into a tangible object. This object
can be crafted using a 3D scanner or designed with specialized Computer Aided
Design (CAD) software. The creation process, known as Additive Manufacturing,
methodically prints successive layers one atop the other to form the final
shape. This innovative approach contrasts sharply with traditional molding and
sculpting, which typically squander over 90% of the raw materials used in their
manufacturing processes.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/d186c01b2da8493c876e7a5796cc5bec
----
Revolution leader warns Israel, US, Britain that
what is coming is greater
[07/March/2024]
SANA'A March 07. 2024 (Saba) - Revolution leader
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi on Thursday revealed important and
amazing changes in the path of developing the Yemeni Armed Forces' capabilities
allowing implementing qualitative and shocking operations against the enemy.
In a speech he delivered over the latest
developments and updates on the Yemeni, Palestinian and regional arena, Sayyed
al-Houthi warned the Israeli, American, British and all enemies that what is
coming is greater in every sense of the word, adding all they must do is end
their aggression, lift their siege, and stop the crimes of genocide against
Gaza.
Al-Houthi said "What is coming is greater and
there are great signs. We suit the action to the word. The enemy, the friend,
and our dear people will see the level of achievements of strategic importance
that place our country in its capabilities among the limited and numbered
countries in this world."
The revolution leader called on the Yemeni people to
take to al-Sabeen Square and other squares across Yemen tomorrow.
The leadersaid “I call on our people by the call of
Allah , the call of the Qur’an and al-Aqsa, and by call on the Palestinian
people to go out in the millions tomorrow in al-Sabeen Square and the rest of
the squares, in solidarity with Palestine and its cause.”
Sayyed al-Houthi added that taking to the streets is
part of Jihad and expresses loyalty, values, morals, and humanity with the
people of Palestine.
He explained that taking to the streets will deeply
express true solidarity with the Palestinian people and reflect steadfastness
and continuity against the enemy's bet, claiming that it will be affected by
the passage of time and forgetting the pivotal Palestinian issue.
The Yemeni Front:
The revolution leader said "The largest
movement of the Yemeni people towards any issue they have faced is their
movement to support the Palestinian people against the Israeli aggression on
Gaza. Our Yemeni people have never moved with such a level of movement in
demonstrations, rallies and various activities."
He stated that the Yemeni people did not go out in
al-Sabeen Square at the height of the US-Saudi aggression every week, but
rather once or twice a year, but they moved in an unprecedented manner and with
a sense of responsibility towards the oppression of the Palestinian people.
The revolution leader described the movement of the
Yemeni people at the level of rehabilitation and mobilization as unprecedented
compared to the previous stages in confronting the US-Saudi-Emirati aggression.
He stated that the number of missiles that were
launchedin naval operations and into occupied Palestine in the past 5 months is
more than what was launched into Saudi Arabia and the UAE in eight years of
aggression against Yemen.
Al-Houthi stressedthat the momentum of the armed
forces in their operations with drones, missiles, and naval forces is not
comparable to any period during the years of aggression against the country.
He went on to say, "We seek to do more with
Palestine than we did for ourselves, our country, and our people, and our
people moved to support the Palestinian cause more than they moved for their
cause, themselves, and their oppression, including the armed forces moving with
more effectiveness and momentum than before during the past stages."
The revolution leader reiterated that the events that
the Yemeni people went through made them rise in their awareness, their sense
of responsibility, their capabilities, and their practical activity.
The leader stressed that the enemies sought during
the last stage to destroy everything that builds and develops the people, but
they failed in their strategy.
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi stated that
the number of support operations for Gaza carried out from the beginning of the
Battle of “al-Aqsa Flood” until today amounted to 96 operations and 403
ballistic and winged missiles and drones were launched in the support
operations for al-Aqsa Flood.
He said that 61 ships were targeted in complex and
puzzling operations for the enemies, as the ships move in the sea and far from
the Yemeni coast, although there are occupied provinces that separate the
missile force from the coast there, and operations are carried out in the Gulf
of Aden.
Al-Houthi added the remoteness of the ships, their
technical and technical camouflage, and the deception in information have been
overcome," considering that discovering the ships and hitting them
accurately and with ballistic missiles for the first time is an achievement in
every sense of the word.
The revolution leader stated that there was a
technical and tactical achievement and a major breakthrough that the Americans
recognized, and the American military personnel expressed their astonishment.
Al-Houthi pointed out that the number of operations
carried out in the Red and Arab seas amounted to 64 operations, and the operations
carried out in occupied Palestine amounted to 32 operations, indicating that
the support operations carried out this week amounted to eight operations,
during which seven ships were targeted with 19 missiles and a drone.
He added "One of our most prominent operations
from Friday to Thursday was targeting the American and Israeli ships and
setting them on fire. New weapons were used in the recent operations, and the
Americans and the British were surprised by the attacks."
The revolution leader also confirmed that the
enemies are unable to limit the operations despite their attempts, but they
have failed in every sense of the word, and they are trying to distort the
operations of the Yemeni armed forces.
He considered the activities, rallies and demonstrations,
which amounted to 2,539 and 26,770 activities, an essential part of the
situation and integrated with the military operations, and a back and support
for them, pointing out that the popular and community vigils amounted to 76,051
vigils, 148,299 student vigils in universities and schools, and 40,969 evening
vigils.
The leader stated that the number of women's
activities and endowments amounted to 2,422, the central women's endowments
amounted to 232, the seminars reached 11,838, and 42 giving and spending
convoys, including the movement and interaction of the Yemeni people, which is
rarely matched by any people or any country in the world.
Al-Houthi added "We applaud, motivate, and
encourage everyone to take the necessary action that befits the level of
responsibility and the extent of the oppression of the Palestinian people. In
just two weeks, 358 marches and demonstrations took place, 3,032 events were
held, and 5,372 popular vigils were held."
He continued "Within two weeks, 6,939 student
vigils were held in universities and schools, and 10,398 evenings,"
pointing out that the advantage of the Yemeni people's interaction is
consistency and continuity, because the Arab situation is momentary
interaction, then coldness and lack of a sense of responsibility.
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi stated that
boredom, apathy, and lack of interaction are a very unfortunate state that
expresses a great weakness in the level of faith and awareness that a person
carries, and a great responsibility towards the terrible crimes and
unparalleled oppression of the Palestinian people.
He stressed that continuity, steadfastness, and
progressive work is what indicates faith, awareness, maturity, and wisdom, and
expresses a sense of responsibility.
He stressed the great importance of combat training
and military qualification, and the courses continue and the outputs are many,
as the combat courses reached more than 282,000 trainees during the period of
the aggression on Gaza, the military parades reached 350,000, the maneuvers
reached 719, and the military march reached 652 rallies.
The leader explained that the American is continuing
its aggression against Yemen to support the Israeli enemy and to protect the
Israeli crime in Gaza.
He pointed out that the American-British bombing
during this week amounted to 18 raids and naval bombardments, all of which were
failures and had no effect.
The leader said that a citizen was martyred and six
others were injured in the American-British aggression during this stage.
The revolution leader indicated that there have been
344 raids and naval bombardments since the beginning of the American-British
aggression against Yemen, all of which have failed and will not limit Yemeni
capabilities.
He stressed that there is a successful, rapidly
increasing path in developing military capabilities of Yemen.
He said "There are important and amazing
results, thank Allah, in developing military capabilities and the speed of
achievement. At the beginning of the American-Saudi aggression against our
country, the missile range was approximately 40-45 kilometers, then it reached
a level of more than a thousand kilometers."
Al-Houthi added "... at the level of range,
superior accuracy in hitting, and destructive capacity, there is American
astonishment, especially in yesterday's strike that hit an American ship. There
is astonishment at the accuracy of the hit and the power of destruction."
He also confirmed that there is a speedy progress
than the American techniques through which it is trying to limit or confront
the Yemeni military capabilities.
The leader pointed out that the American failed in
its aggression and will never reach a result, neither in limiting the
capabilities, nor in stopping operations of Yemen.
He stressed the only way to stop the Yemeni navy
operations is to stop the aggression and lift the siege on Gaza.
"Escalation will not benefit the enemies, but
will have effects on them, and they will lose on the economic level. The heavy
loss involves not only the Israeli enemy, but also the Americans and the
British." , and the impact on their economic situation is increasing day
by day.," he continued.
Al-Houthi stated that the military cost for the
enemies is high and the more they mobilize in the Red and Arab seas, the more
it will cost them, stressing that the Yemeni people will continue to develop
military capabilities under the care of the Almighty God.
The continuation of the Zionist-American aggression:
The revolution leader explained that the
Israeli-American aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza continues
for the 22nd week, relying on its brutal behavior with all means of
extermination, and committing mass murder massacres with American bombs, mass
starvation, and epidemics.
The leader considered the Israeli-American crime in
Gaza is a witnessed crime committed by the European-American Zionist enemy in
full view of the peoples of the entire world.
Al-Houthi pointed out that genocide crimes are being
committed in Gaza in an era when Western countries present themselves as being
at the peak of interest in values and morals.
He pointed out that the crime of genocide that
occurs daily in Gaza harms human society, and it is shameful to watch it and
not take action to stop it, indicating that the enemy invents crimes in new
forms in Gaza, targeting women and children and everyone who goes out to search
for food.
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi confirmed
that the Zionist enemy uses starvation as a direct means of extermination, and
this happens daily, and it intends to kill hundreds of Palestinians when they
gather to obtain limited food and humanitarian relief aid.
Al-Houthi said "When Palestinians gather to get
the meager meals dropped by planes, the enemy begins targeting and killing
them, in front of hospitals, in schools, camps, and on the roads."
Continuation of daily massacres:
The revolution leader stated that the enemy
increased the number of genocide crimes in Gaza during this week, with an
average of at least seven massacres every 24 hours, including killing, famine,
and disease, there is severe suffering for the Palestinian people for the
continued stifling siege on the Gaza Strip.
Al-Houthi stated that the Israeli enemy targets even
the hungry people who go out to fish in the sea in the Gaza Strip, and it is
shameful for human society to remain silent about the oppression of Gaza and
suffice with condemnation and sympathy without practical steps to stop it.
He held America fully responsible for the war crimes
of genocide and starvation in Gaza, and the Israelis would not have been able
to do what they did in Gaza without American support and its participation.
Al-Houthi pointed out that the total amount of food
supplies the American dropped did not amount to three or four truck loads, and
with operational coordination with the enemy to kill anyone who gathered to
obtain them. The Americans behave in an aggressive manner with the Palestinian
people.
He added "The American generously provided tens
of thousands of bombs and tons of explosives to be dropped on the heads of Gaza
residents. He, the American, comes to deliver a few meals to the Palestinians
in Gaza, and is trying to provide the method of dropping food from the air as
an alternative to the legitimate entitlement to entry of medicine and
food."
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi pointed out
that there are land and sea corridors through which aid can enter to satisfy
the hunger of the people of Gaza, but the Americans prevent that, explaining
that the meals dropped from the air, many of them reach the sea, and a little
reaches the people, and they are not worth anything in front of the suffering
faced by the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Al-Houthi also confirmed that the American provided
100 free arms deals to the Israeli enemy while obstructing any serious move to
bring food and medicine into Gaza as a means of torturing the Palestinian
people, and there are more than seventy thousand tons of bombs and explosives
that were thrown at the Palestinian people in their cities and homes.
Health status:
The revolution leader touched on the health
situation in Gaza and its state of complete collapse, and the remaining
hospitals suffering from a lack of fuel and medicine, indicating that there are
some reports that speak of a million cases of infectious diseases among the
people of Gaza without the availability of medicine.
The leader stressed the failure of the American
Zionist enemy to achieve its declared goals despite the great level of
destruction, killing and starvation, pointing out that the resistance in the
Gaza Strip is fighting on behalf of the entire nation.
Enemy economic losses:
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi touched on
the enemy’s continuing and escalating economic losses, saying “There is a very
large depletion as a result of the costs of the war.”
He pointed out that the Yemeni naval operations
inflicted great economic losses on the Israeli enemy, and there is a common
Israeli-American disappointment for not breaking the will of the Palestinian
people and their fighters.
Al-Houthi pointed out that the Zionists have no hope
of achieving a decisive victory in Gaza, but rather they are arrogant and use
the method of genocide and committing massacres.
He mentioned that Zionist leaders talk about their
goals of eliminating the resistance movements in Gaza as unrealistic and
impossible to implement, indicating that the huge amount of Zionist crime,
brutality, disgrace and dishonor expresses failure and disappointment.
Global position:
The revolution leader reminded everyone of the
unanimous global position on the criminality and brutality of what is happening
in Gaza and the demands for a ceasefire, with the exception of America and
Britain, stressing that the protest denouncing the direct American role in Gaza
is escalating.
Al-Houthi addressed the protests that Biden is
facing in electoral forums among the masses over the American role in the
aggression against Gaza, praising Brazil’s position and the position of its
president, which is clearer and bolder than the position of some Arab leaders.
He appreciated the advanced positions of Colombia,
its president, Venezuela, and South Africa and the practical measures they took
in severing relations with the enemy, noting the positions of some non-Islamic
countries that some regimes and rulers in the Arab and Islamic world did not
reach.
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi pointed out
that as a result of the failure and scandal, the Americans are moving under the
title of a temporary truce in Ramadan instead of deserving of stopping the
aggression and siege, indicating that the enemies want to continue their
occupation of Gaza, and are seeking to use the title of truce to achieve
military goals.
Al-Houthi criticized the condemnatory positions of
some Islamic countries regarding what is happening in Gaza through statements
that are not sufficient and that pressing practical steps must be taken.
Arab responsibility:
The revolution leader highlighted the double
responsibility that falls on the Arabs to support the Palestinian people,
humanely and religiously, stressing that the Americans and the Israelis are a
danger to the nation through the criminality, aggression, and brutality they
practice, which was evident today in Gaza.
He said "There is no friendly approach or real
peace with any Arab country in the American and Israeli approaches, nor in
their strategies," pointing out that one of the effects of oppression in
Gaza is supposed to be an understanding of the enemy, its criminality, its
aggression, and its tyranny.
Al-Houthi stated that the program with normalizing
countries is not for peace, but rather for interest, destruction and control of
countries, indicating that enemies do not want to obtain interests in a
legitimate way that takes into account the rights of peoples.
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi pointed out
that the Americans are adopting an aggressive colonial outlook to take care of
the interests of the Israeli enemy in a way that enables it to control it as
its exclusive agent, while the stupidly normalized countries have opened the
way for the Israeli enemy to penetrate everything.
He explained that through naturalization, the enemy
can infiltrate the official apparatus, and there is a broad program to control
the normalized countries, and seeks to influence the ideological structure,
identity, and belonging in the normalized countries with distorted morals and
values. It also seeks demographic change in some normalized countries, within
broad programs of control and acquisition.
The revolution leader reiterated that the nation has
no choice and no escape except through serious action and support of the Palestinian
people, and to deal with what builds the nation to confront the danger of
enemies, pointing out that the official positions in the Islamic and Arab world
are still very weak and do not go beyond statements.
Al-Houthi stated that Islamic statements on the
Palestinian issue are formulated in a way that the Israeli desires.
The position at the popular level:
SayyedAbdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi explained
that at the popular level, the oppression of the Palestinian people is supposed
to have an impact on awareness, awakening conscience, and practical action, and
the oppressed peoples are required to take action, even if at the level of
boycotting American and Israeli goods and products.
He said “The companies supporting the enemy were
supposed to declare bankruptcy due to their reliance on Arab and Islamic
markets, and had it not been for the jihad in Palestine and Hezbollah in
Lebanon, the enemy would have caused great damage to the nation.”
He indicated that the peoples have greater
opportunities to act and the blame and responsibility are greater for them.
He added, "In the context of great
disappointment and negligence, there are fronts of support with the actual
position, foremost of which is the Hezbollah front, which continues with
quantitative and qualitative momentum, effectiveness, influence, and direct
engagement, as a strong support front for the Palestinian people, and directly
confronting the Israeli enemy."
The revolution leader confirmed that the Iraqi front
continues to target the Israeli enemy, and the hope is that its operations will
escalate more and more.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3311194.htm
----
Houthi leader boasts of targeting Red Sea ships with
over 400 missiles, drones
March 07, 2024
SAEED AL-BATATI
AL-MUKALLA: The leader of Yemen’s Houthi militia
said on Thursday his forces had launched 403 drones and missiles against 61
ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden since the
beginning of their offensive, boasting that retaliatory strikes by US and UK
military forces had strengthened his group.
In a televised speech, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi said 19
missiles and drones against seven ships had been launched since Friday and that
modern weaponry was employed that went undetected by the US and UK navies.
“In yesterday’s strike there was amazement at the
precision of the attack and the power of damage,” he said, referring to an
assault on Wednesday.
A missile fired by the Houthis struck the M/V True
Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier, in the Gulf of
Aden. Three sailors were killed and four injured, three of whom remain in a
critical condition according to a statement by the US Central Command on
Thursday. Significant damage was also caused to the ship.
This comes as Houthi media reports that the US and
UK conducted two airstrikes on Ras Isa in the western Hodeidah province on
Thursday, less than a day after another round of US and UK airstrikes hit the
city’s airport.
The US military is said to have carried out
preemptive attacks on ballistic missiles, drones, and remotely operated and
explosive-laden boats which the Houthis planned to fire at international and
commercial ships in the Red Sea from areas under their control in Yemen.
At the same time, the Houthis said they had attacked
the M/V True Confidence and other ships after its warnings against entering the
Red Sea were disregarded. The group also accused the US of pressuring ships to
challenge its blockade against vessels bound for Israel.
In a post on X, Mohammed Abdulsalam, a chief
negotiator for the Houthis, said: “The Yemeni military does not strike any ship
until it is instructed not to cross, and some comply and depart, while others
that refuse are attacked. We hold America responsible for the repercussions of
any events in the Red Sea.”
The head of the Houthi Supreme Revolutionary
Committee, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, said the group did not intend to kill
civilian sailors on the M/V True Confidence. He added that if the US shared the
cost, the Houthis would compensate the families of those killed and injured.
“We feel that America should compensate these victims for a purposeful act. We
are also willing to compensate them for an unintended act,” Mohammed Al-Houthi
wrote on X.
Since November, the Houthis have seized one
commercial ship and launched hundreds of drones, ballistic missiles and drone
boats against commercial and navy vessels in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab and the
Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis say their actions are in support of the
Palestinian people and to push Israel to allow food, water and medicine into
the besieged Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development, a group of eight East African countries based in Djibouti,
expressed concern on Thursday about an impending environmental disaster on the
M/V Rubymar, which sank after being struck by a Houthi missile in February. The
group said if the cargo of 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate fertilizer and
200 tonnes of oil leaked into the sea, it would take more than 30 years to
clean up.
A statement by the group said: “IGAD calls upon all
the stakeholders to invest in peaceful options to address the looming
environmental disaster in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The attacks on the ship
must cease forthwith.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2472951/middle-east
----
Expanded meeting of scholars, preachers and imams of
mosques in Dhamar city
[07/March/2024]
DHAMAR March 07. 2024 (Saba) - The Office of the
General Authority of Endowments in Dhamar Governorate organized on Thursday an
extensive meeting for scholars, preachers and imams of mosques in Dhamar city
to discuss the activities of the Ramadan program.
In the meeting, the Director of the Authority's
Office, Abdullah Al-Jarmouzi, pointed out the importance of using the holy
month to promote the values of solidarity and cooperation among the members of
society, and to commemorate its nights in remembrance and benefit from the
Ramadan program.
He pointed out that Ramadan is the month of
victories, purification of money and souls, and getting closer to God through
obedience and good deeds.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3311201.htm
---
Saudi Arabia launches new combat ship in Jeddah
March 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Chief of the General Staff
Lt. Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili launched on Tuesday His Majesty’s Ship
Onaiza, the fifth vessel in the Sarawat project, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Sarawat project ships are equipped with cutting-edge
combat systems designed to address air, surface, and subsurface threats,
including electronic warfare capabilities. The ships serve as a vital addition
to the Royal Saudi Navy’s arsenal, aimed at safeguarding the nation’s maritime
interests and capabilities.
On arriving at the King Faisal Naval Base in Jeddah,
Al-Ruwaili was received by Commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces Vice
Admiral Fahad Bin Abdullah Al-Ghofaily.
In his address during the launch ceremony,
Al-Ghofaily emphasized the significance of Onaiza, an Avante 2200 corvette, in
bolstering maritime security in the region and safeguarding the Kingdom’s
strategic interests.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2473096/saudi-arabia
----