For The Second Time In The History Muslims Perform Taraweeh Prayers At New York Times Square
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 March 2023
Taraweeh being offered at Times Square in New York
city marking for the second time in History in 2023. (Photo: Twitter)
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• At ‘Great British Iftar’, UK Government Announces
New Working Group On Islamic Finance
• Members Of A Muslim Family Are Priests In This
Temple To Goddess Durga in Rajasthan
• Afghan Applying To Resettle In UK Asked To Provide
Taliban Approval
• Nearly 600 Former Boko Haram Militants Graduate From
Nigeria Rehab
North America
• Biden to nominate Mustafa Garg as next US ambassador
to Egypt
• Tanker tied to US-traded firm receiving Iran oil in
violation of US sanctions: Group
• US Senate votes to repeal Iraq war authorizations,
20 years after invasion
• UN spokesperson grilled after denying US military
presence in Syria
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Europe
• Lisbon Muslim centre stabbing not terror attack:
police
• Iran’s embassy in Greece denies anti-Semitic attack
plot in country
• UK military chiefs call for stop to deportation of
Afghan war hero to Rwanda
• Artist projects sculpture filled with human blood
onto cathedral to protest Prince Harry’s Afghanistan claims
• Turkish Cypriot president's car blocked by Greek
Cypriot protesters in London
--------
India
• Since 1993 Blasts, Muslim Family Keeps Alive
Tradition Of Welcoming Ram Shobha Yatra in Mumbai
• Rajasthan: Hindu Rally Disturbs Namaz Time, Stones
Pelted; 12 Held
• Communal Violence In Maharashtra’s Jalgaon District
After Row Over Music Being Played In Front Of Mosque
• In Jharkhand's Hazaribagh, 3 Generations Of Muslims
Stitch Ram Navami Flags
• Rising India Summit: Shah Hails K’taka Move to Scrap
4% Muslim Reservation, Says Cong Used Policy for Polarisation
• ‘I Have Court Papers’: Muslim Man Begs BMC Official
To Stop Demolition
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South Asia
• Human Rights Violations Increased Exponentially in
Afghanistan: Amnesty Intl
• UN Slams Afghan Govt Over Arrest of Women’s Rights
Activist
• US Defence Secretary Does not Regret American
Troops’ Withdrawal from Afghanistan
• UN Security Council Condemns Continued Terrorist
Attacks in Afghanistan
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Africa
• Al-Shabab Has Lost Third of its Territory, US
Ambassador Says
• 43 Al-Shabaab Members Killed in Somalia
• Troops neutralise 12 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno
• Burkina Faso to resume diplomatic relations with
North Korea
• Israeli settlers set up new outpost in Jordan Valley
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Arab World
• Al-Azhar Remains The Standard-Bearer Of Education,
Academia, And Moderate Values: Muslim Council Of Elders
• Iraq Preserves Traumatic Memories Of Daesh Reign
• Dubai police relaunches Ramadan campaign warning of
illegal firework use
• Saudi Arabia shares tips to prevent food waste
during Ramadan
• Saudi Arabia condemns Al-Aqsa Mosque storming by
Israeli settlers
• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman project puts
its focus on Al-Jubail Mosque
• Saudi Ministry of Culture’s Ramadan tent opens to
visitors
--------
Pakistan
• Twitter Blocks Pakistan Govt's Account For Viewing
In India
• Muslim World League launches food baskets project in
Pakistan
• Pakistan militants kill 4 police officers, hurt 6 in
attacks
• 'Wheat stampedes' have claimed 11 lives so far in
crisis-ridden Pakistan
• Pakistan court issues non-bailable arrest warrants
for Imran Khan in woman judge threat case
• Imran Khan Brought Terrorists to Pakistan from
Afghanistan, Says FM Bilawal
• Skyrocketing inflation challenges age-old charity
traditions
• Progress made on financing pledges from friendly
countries, Senate panel told
• Judiciary under attack amid growing fascism: Imran
• Census concerns not addressed, MQM complains to PM
--------
Mideast
• Palestinian Children Bear The Scars Of Israeli Raids
• FM: Iran-Russia Defence Cooperation Not Posing
Threat to Any Country
• Israel should be held accountable for Al-Aqsa
incursions: Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs
• Israel offers hope of airport link to 2m Gaza
residents
• Hundreds flee fighting in Yemen’s Marib province
• GCC secretary-general condemns Israeli settlers’
storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
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Southeast Asia
• PM Anwar Breaks Fast, Leads Prayers WithHainan’s
Muslim Representatives
• Muslim community groups relieved after rush to
prepare congregational prayers at void decks
• Two Tahfiz students share experience of becoming
imam in Orang Asli village
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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For The Second Time In The History Muslims Perform
Taraweeh Prayers At New York Times Square
Sakina Fatima
29th March 2023
Taraweeh being offered at Times Square in New York
city marking for the second time in History in 2023. (Photo: Twitter)
-------------
For the second time in the history of the United
States (US), hundreds of Muslims observing Ramzan broke their fast and offered
Taraweeh prayers in New York City’s Times Square.
Taraweeh is part of the holy Quran that is recited
every day during the month of Ramzan until its completion.
On Saturday night, March 25, the event was organised
by Muslim social media influencer SQ, in collaboration with Muslims Giving Back
and Droplets of Mercy.
At sunset, Quran reciters Faisal Latif and Faraj
Hassan led prayers and people started breaking their fast with free iftar
meals.
2,000 iftar meals were served to Muslims on the sidewalks
of Times Square, the city’s busiest artery, then followed by hundreds of
Muslims participating in Taraweeh prayers.
As per media reports, the aim of the event was to help
non-Muslim New Yorkers learn how to celebrate Ramzan.
A projector also displayed verses from the holy Quran
as they were recited, along with English translations.
One of the organizers of the gathering, SQ shared a
video on Instagram and wrote, “This Deen is HAQQ & I will never stops until
Islam enters every home.”
“Taraweeh in Time Square is just the beginnning In Sha
Allah, JazzahkumAllahkhyr to EVERYONE who pulled up in the POOREST of weather
conditions. Allah seen your hearts & chose you for this alhamdulillah. I
know you all had a blast,” SQ added.
One of the social media blogger name Faduma took to
Instagram and wrote, “Witnessed prayer in Time Square and to be frank many
non-Muslims were in awe. Just standing and listening to the eords of Allah.
Seen many smiles Alhamdulillah. Islam is a faith of unity and peace and proud
to be part of the billions that share the same faith.”
At the end of the night, two people took the shahada
and converted to Islam after hearing the recitation of the Quran.
For the first time in US history in 2022, Muslims
perform Taraweeh prayers at New York Times Square.
Times Square is one of the largest commercial
intersections, for tourists to enjoy their entertainment venues located in
Manhattan, New York.
Source:Siasat Daily
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original story:
https://www.siasat.com/video-muslims-perform-taraweeh-prayers-at-new-york-times-square-2557436/
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At ‘Great British Iftar’, UK Government Announces New
Working Group On Islamic Finance
Kimberly Rodrigues
29 March, 2023
Kemi Badenoch MP, the UK Secretary of State for
Business and Trade
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The launch of a new working group on Islamic finance
has been announced by Kemi Badenoch MP, the UK Secretary of State for Business
and Trade, and Lord Johnson, the Minister for Investment.
A press release informed that this announcement was
made during the Great British Iftar event held at Lancaster House in London on
Monday (27).
The main objective of this working group is to make
the UK the world’s leading investment destination by establishing it as a
global hub for Islamic finance. To achieve this goal, Minister Johnson will be
conducting a series of roundtables with prominent Islamic banks to chart a
course for the UK to become a major hotspot for Islamic finance on a global
scale.
The UK is currently the leading Western hub for
Islamic finance, with five fully Sharia-compliant banks and 68 Sukuk listed on
the London Stock Exchange, raising a total of $53.2 billion.
The UK also housed the EU’s first standalone Islamic
financial institution and ranks 18th out of 48 countries for its overall
Islamic finance offering.
Additionally, the Department for Business & Trade
is in the process of negotiating several trade deals worldwide, including one
with the GCC, and improving trade relations with other nations.
The inaugural Great British Iftar witnessed the
attendance of ambassadors from various Muslim-majority countries such as
Morocco and Malaysia.
Celebrity chef and Spice Village founder Suleman Raza
MBE, together with award-winning music producer DJ Naughty Boy (Shahid Khan),
prepared a unique ‘British Iftar Menu’ with a fusion of cuisines inspired by
Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Malaysia.
Also, the Al Azhar Mosque’s Imam, Shaykh Hani Saad
Mahmoud, travelled from Egypt to lead the sunset prayers.
Senior executives from investment firms, CEOs of major
British businesses, founders, and entrepreneurs from promising British firms
were also present at the occasion, alongside Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen,
MPs, and ministers from different government departments.
During the event, Badenoch delivered a speech
acknowledging the thriving trade and investment relationship between the UK and
the Muslim world.
She highlighted the vital role played by businesses of
all sizes in the UK economy and reiterated her department’s support in enabling
them to drive British exports to new markets.
Source:EastErneye
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Members Of A Muslim Family Are Priests In This Temple
To Goddess Durga in Rajasthan
Mar 29, 2023
Source: PTI
As per legend, many years ago, some Muslim families
from the Sindh province, now in Pakistan, were passing through this region to
escape a famine. The camels in their caravan fell sick, forcing them to halt
here. Goddess Durga, it is believed, appeared in their dream and advised them
to apply Bhabhoot, or holy ashes, from an idol kept in a nearby step-well.
Jamaluddin Khan's ancestor, Bagh Khan obeyed. Miraculously, the camels who were
on the verge of dying, regained their health. It was then, it is said, that the
Muslim families decided to not just make Bagoriya their home, but also become
devotees of Goddess Durga. Villagers say that the step-well from where the holy
ashes were taken to cure the camels, never dries up, even when the rest of the
region might be facing water scarcity.
Source:TimesOfIndia
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Afghan applying to resettle in UK asked to provide
Taliban approval
Rajeev Syal
Thu 30 Mar 2023
Taliban soldiers guard the Afghan ministry of foreign
affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photograph: Samiullah Popal/EPA
-------------
An Afghan who worked with the British Council and is
applying to come to the UK has been told to retrieve documents from the Taliban
or risk rejection, despite assurances earlier this month that such demands
would end.
The Ministry of Defence apologised on 18 March after
an investigation found that applicants to the Afghan relocations and assistance
policy (Arap) scheme were required to provide birth and marriage certificates
in English and bearing stamps from Afghan government departments.
But 10 days later, applicants to another government
scheme for Afghan people who had worked with the UK armed forces or authorities
are being asked by the government for documents signed by the Taliban-led
government.
An applicant who was forced to leave Afghanistan for
fear of reprisals was told that to qualify to come to the UK under the Afghan
citizens resettlement scheme (ACRS), claimants must retrieve passports, birth
certificates and marriage certificates signed by “local authorities”.
“The marriage certificate should clearly [be] stamped
by the local authorities,” a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
(FCDO) email to an applicant says.
The FCDO insists the email does not reflect its policy
and plans to contact the recipient to “clarify the process”.
It comes amid deepening concerns that Rishi Sunak’s
government has failed to uphold promises made by Boris Johnson to support
Afghans who worked and fought alongside the UK in Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, the government announced that from April,
Afghans who have been forced to live in cramped conditions in hotels could be
given three months’ notice and may face being registered as homeless.
The case emerged after it was raised with a Liberal
Democrat MP by an ACRS applicant who was a contractor for the British Council
in Afghanistan. They originally applied to come to the UK under the Arap scheme
but did not receive approval before August 2021 when western governments
withdrew from Afghanistan, leaving Kabul to fall to the Taliban.
After several months of waiting, they were informed
they must apply under the ACRS scheme and have since received initial approval.
As part of the verification process, they have been asked to provide a marriage
certificate stamped by local authorities, which are the Taliban.
The Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse said: “The Afghan
resettlement schemes have been a complete and utter shambles. These are truly
brave people who risked everything to help us. We are now abandoning them
through departmental incompetence and political ignorance.”
In April 2021, before the Taliban took control of
Afghanistan, the government launched the Arap scheme and opened ACRS in January
2022, which it says will allow up to 20,000 refugees to settle in the UK.
The government says more than 24,000 Afghans had
arrived in the UK as of December 2022. Of these, more than 21,000 have been
resettled under refugee schemes.
Operation Warm Welcome was launched in August 2021 to
aid the full integration of Afghans into British life after the UK followed the
US in withdrawing from Kabul. Johnson, prime minister at the time, said: “We
will never forget the brave sacrifice made by Afghans who chose to work with us
at great risk to themselves.”
A UK government spokesperson said: “This message does
not reflect departmental policy. We do not expect Afghans eligible for
resettlement under the ACRS to provide every document requested; we only ask
they provide the documentation which they are able to.”
Source:TheGuardian
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Nearly 600 Former Boko Haram Militants Graduate From Nigeria Rehab
March 27, 2023
FILE - People sit near a burned house after an attack
by suspected members of the Islamist Boko Haram militant group, in Bulabulin
village, Nigeria, Nov. 1, 2018.
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Nigerian authorities say a rehabilitation program for
former Boko Haram sect fighters is helping weaken the group's fighting power.
Nearly 600 fighters graduated from the program over the weekend and tendered a
public apology for their actions. Authorities say they will be reintegrated
into society, but experts are warning of possible relapse.
The former Boko Haram fighters dressed in white
simultaneously and echoed an oath of allegiance to Nigeria during a graduation
ceremony Saturday at the De-radicalization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration
(DRR) camp in northern Gombe state.
They're the latest batch of voluntary defectors from
the sect to undergo the six-month physical, mental and psychosocial
rehabilitation program tagged Operation Safe Corridor.
Nigerian authorities started the safe exit program in
July 2016 as a strategy to degrade the fighting power of terror groups like
Boko Haram.
Program coordinator Uche Nnabuihe spoke to Lagos-based
television during the ceremony.
"Based on the therapeutic interventions these
sets of clients have undergone, they're better citizens from when they
initially arrived at the DRR camp and accordingly are certified fit for
graduation and subsequent reintegration to their respective communities,”
Nnabuihe said.
Authorities said three of the graduates are from Niger
and one from Chad, while the rest are Nigerians mostly from Borneo, Adamawa,
Yobe, Zamfara, Niger and Nassarawa states.
The former fighters offered a public apology and
promised to embrace peace in their respective communities.
Security analyst Senator Iroegbu said in theory the
program could help but warns there could be relapses.
"Repentance is a thing of the mind,” Iroegbu
said. “Someone can pretend to have repented because the conditions to express
himself otherwise are not there. This is a controversial program in many
facets. There'll always be resistance to it. What has been the impact? Has it
been able to stop more recruitment?"
Authorities say thousands of repentant Boko Haram
members have been freed since 2019 and that they have become productive members
of society.
But in 2021, Borno State Governor BabaganaZulum called
for a review of the program, saying ex-Boko Haram members spy on communities
and then rejoin the group.
Local communities in Borno, which is the epicenter of
the Boko Haram insurgency, have also questioned the program.
Vivian Bellonwu, founder of Social Action Nigeria,
explained why.
"It appears rehabilitation attention has mostly
been focused on the rebels themselves, whereas the communities also suffered
very far-reaching trauma,” Bellonwu said. “And they are actually supposed to
undergo psychological, psychosocial rehabilitation. And I have not seen this
sufficiently being done for them."
Bellonwu said it will not be easy for the former
fighters to be accepted back into the communities they once harmed.
"These are communities that have been abducted en
masse, Bellonwu said. “Their women have been raped. Some of the children have
watched their parents being slaughtered by these elements. These kinds of
things have a way of having a lasting impact in the minds of the victims. How
do you expect them to forget?"
Boko Haram has been fighting to create an Islamic
caliphate in northern Nigeria since 2009. The violence has led to tens of
thousands of deaths and spilled over into neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
On Sunday, Nigerian defense authorities said some
51,000 Boko Haram militants and their families surrendered to Nigerian forces
between July 2021 and May 2022.
Source:VOANews
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North America
Biden to nominate Mustafa Garg as next US ambassador
to Egypt
30 March ,2023
US President Joe Biden intends to nominate Herro
Mustafa Garg as the next ambassador to Egypt, the White House announced on
Wednesday.
Mustafa Garg, a career diplomat, served as the US ambassador
to Bulgaria from October 2019 to this month.
She has previous experience in Portugal, India, Iraq,
Lebanon and Greece. Mustafa Garg speaks Kurdish, Arabic, Farsi, Greek, Hindi,
Bulgarian, and Portuguese.
Egypt, Kuwait and the UAE are vital ambassadorial
posts that remain vacant. The latter two have seen Biden nominate candidates
but are awaiting Senate confirmation.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Tanker tied to US-traded firm receiving Iran oil in
violation of US sanctions: Group
29 March ,2023
An oil tanker owned by a major US-traded
transportation company appears to be taking on Iranian crude oil in a key Asian
maritime strait in violation of American sanctions, an advocacy group has
alleged.
The firm allegedly involved, Euronav, said Wednesday
it will “take appropriate action when necessary.”
Satellite photos and maritime tracking data analyzed
by The Associated Press put the Belgian-flagged crude oil tanker Oceania just
next to the Vietnamese-flagged tanker Abyss for a possible ship-to-ship
transfer. The group United Against Nuclear Iran has warned the Oceania’s owner,
the Antwerp-based Euronav, that it believes the Abyss took on Iranian crude oil
in late February.
The suspicion comes as Iran remains able to trade its
crude oil at sea despite American sanctions snapping back into place after
then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from Tehran’s nuclear
deal with world powers in 2018.
Now nearly five years later, Iran enriches uranium
closer than ever to weapons-grade levels while continuing to sell its oil and
supplying bomb-carrying drones to Russia to fuel Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
Brian Gallagher, a spokesman for Euronav, told the AP
in a statement that the company “has and always has taken all the appropriate
measures and protocols to ensure we are in compliance with all regulations.”
“All cargoes within our system have passed these
requirements,” Gallagher wrote. “Euronav will continue to monitor any specific
shipments and take appropriate action where necessary.”
Gallagher said the Oceania was a storage vessel and
the cargo from the Abyss was for “a third party NOT directly with Euronav.” He
added if the allegation the oil is Iranian is proven, “the cargo will be
returned to the third party who delivered it.”
Euronav trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Abyss’ manager did not immediately respond to
requests for comment Wednesday.
Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC and data from
the ships’ Automatic Identification System trackers put the vessels Tuesday and
Wednesday in the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest waterways between
Indonesia and Malaysia. In an image Tuesday, tug boats were pushing the Abyss
toward the Oceania.
Tracking data from MarineTraffic.com showed the
vessels alongside each other Wednesday. At sea, oil tankers can funnel crude
between each other in a ship-to-ship transfer that typically sees boats in a
similar position.
In a letter dated Tuesday to Euronav, United Against
Nuclear Iran said it believed the Abyss took on crude oil at the Iranian port
of Bandar Mahshahr, some 600 kilometer (370 miles) southwest of the capital,
Tehran, on the Gulf. The Abyss had turned off its AIS tracker on February 18 as
it was pointed toward Bandar Mahshahr.
Ships are supposed to keep their AIS trackers on for
safety reason, but vessels believed to be carrying Iranian crude oil routinely
turn theirs off to mask their movements over the international sanctions Tehran
faces.
A ship corresponding to the Abyss’ size and features
could be seen docked at Bandar Mahshahr on February 22 in a satellite photo
analyzed by the AP. United Against Nuclear Iran said it found a satellite image
it believed showed the Abyss at the port in the same position the day before.
“Any other signs of manipulating AIS transponders
should be considered red flags for potential illicit activity,” the New
York-based group said in its letter signed by Mark Wallace, a former US
ambassador to the United Nations.
The Abyss is managed by Ho Chi Minh City-based
PetroVietnam Transportation. Vietnamese vessels have been suspected of
smuggling Iranian crude oil in the past. Smugglers typically misidentify where
the crude oil they carry came from in order to skirt suspicions.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations and the US
Treasury did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This isn’t the first time a US-linked firm has been
associated with an Iranian oil transfer at sea. In February 2022, United Against
Nuclear Iran warned Los Angeles-based private equity firm Oaktree Capital
Management that it believed a tanker the firm owned took on Iranian crude oil.
Source: Al Arabiya
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US Senate votes to repeal Iraq war authorizations, 20
years after invasion
Michael Hernandez
29.03.2023 -
WASHINGTON
The US Senate voted Wednesday to repeal Authorizations
for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq, two decades after America
invaded the country and overthrew its longtime leader.
The 66-30 vote saw 18 Republican cross the aisle to
join the vast majority of Democrats in support of ending the 2002 and 1991
authorizations. The matter now heads to the Republican-held House of
Representatives where its fate remains unclear.
Introduced by Tim Kaine and Todd Young, the barely
two-page legislation cleared the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on March 8.
The bill seeks to reassert Congress'
constitutionally-mandated authority to declare and end wars and bolster the
US-Iraq relationship by closing open-ended authorizations used to carry out US
military activities in the Middle Eastern nation.
Kaine said the authorizations are "outdated and
unnecessary," calling the Senate's vote an "important step to prevent
any president from abusing these AUMFs."
"I've long believed that Congress should reassert
our constitutional role in decisions as solemn as whether and when to repeal to
send our nation's service members into harm's way, which is why I've pushed to
repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force,"
Kaine said in a statement.
"I urge the House to pass our bill and get it to
the President's desk to be signed into law," he added.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Young, the Republican
co-sponsor of the bill, said 20 years ago Iraq was a US enemy but has since
transformed into a "strategic partner, an ally in advancing stability
across the Middle East."
"A lot has changed in the last 20 years, and yet
according to our laws, according to our laws, today we are still are at war
with Iraq. This isn't just the result of an oversight. It's an intentional
abdication of this body, of its constitutional role in America's national security,"
he said. "Allowing it to continue is a strategic mistake."
Kaine and Young's legislation does not touch a 2001
AUMF authorizing the US to continue operations against terror groups worldwide,
which was passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the country.
March 19 marked 20 years since US warplanes began a
campaign of overwhelming bombing in Iraq known as "shock and awe"
that set the stage for American forces to invade, ultimately toppling the Iraqi
military, and with it, Saddam Hussein's government.
The war marked Washington's second in the aftermath of
the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and led to the ouster of Hussein -- Iraq's
longtime ruler who was hanged after being found guilty of crimes against
humanity by an Iraqi court.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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UN spokesperson grilled after denying US military
presence in Syria
29 March 2023
A United Nations spokesperson has raised eyebrows by
denying the US military presence in Syria and obfuscating facts about
Washington's war crimes in the Arab country after he was grilled by a Chinese
journalist.
Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, made the inflammatory remarks on Tuesday
after a Chinese reporter tossed a question about the legality of the US
military presence in Syria.
Haq first tried to dodge the question, saying it was
not an issue the world body is “dealing with at this stage.”
But the reporter, China Global Television Network’s Xu
Dezhi, prodded him about the American military presence in Syria and drew a
stark comparison between the situation in Syria and Ukraine.
That prompted the UN spokesperson to deny the US
military presence in Syria, only to be left with an embarrassing look when
called out by the reporter.
“There are no US armed forces inside of Syria. And so
I don't have a… It's not a parallel situation to some of the others,” he said.
When asked by the journalist if he’s sure there’s no
military personnel in Syria, Haq replies, “I believe there's military
activity. But, in terms of a ground
presence in Syria, I'm not aware of that.”
A video of the exchange has gone viral on social
media, with users expressing anger and outrage at the UN spokesperson's denial
about the US military presence in the war-ravaged Arab country.
Haq has been serving as a deputy spokesperson for the
UN secretary general for almost a decade.
One of the Twitter users took a jab at Haq, saying
there’s military activity in Syria but no US armed forces.
Independent Australian journalist Caitlin Johnstone
said it would be great if all officials were interrogated by reporters like
Dezhi.
One user called it another evidence of the UN being
just an extension of the Western powers, abandoning its independent mandate.
Another Twitter user said the Chinese journalist
should have asked questions about the US stealing Syria’s oil, which has been
the hallmark of its military occupation of Syria, denounced widely by human
rights advocates.
The US currently has hundreds of troops stationed in
Syria. Washington claims its forces are there to fight remnants of the Daesh
terrorist group and protect Syria’s energy resources, but the Syrian government
says they loot the country's rich oil and other resources.
Last week, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser
Kana'ani condemned the latest “terrorist” military attacks by the US army
against civilian targets in Syria’s Deir ez-Zur province, saying its claim to
fight Daesh is merely a pretext to continue occupying Syria and plundering its
wealth.
Source: Press TV
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Europe
Lisbon
Muslim centre stabbing not terror attack: police
Mar
29, 2023
Lisbon-Investigators
said Wednesday they had uncovered no indication a knife attack that left two
women dead at a Lisbon Islamic centre was terror-related.
The
alleged assailant, identified as an Afghan refugee, may have suffered a mental
health crisis before the violence on Tuesday that ended with officers shooting
and wounding him, police said.
"There
is no indication that this is a terrorist attack" or involved the
radicalisation of the suspect, said judicial police chief Luis Neves.
"What
may be involved here, but only a psychiatric evaluation can determine it, is
that it was a mental crisis", Neves said, adding the inquiry was ongoing.
According
to witnesses, the suspect was taking a language class at the Ismaili Muslim
centre on Tuesday when his behavior changed suddenly after taking a phone call.
A
teacher was attacked and then two women who worked at the centre were fatally
wounded before the assailant was shot by police. The suspect was in the
hospital on Wednesday.
Investigators
have managed to trace the suspect's route from his home nation to his arrival
in Greece, where his wife died in a fire.
The
alleged perpetrator, a father of three young children, arrived in Portugal in
2021 and planned to travel to Germany in the coming days with them, said Neves.
The
Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, generally known as the Ismailis, belong to the Shia
branch of Islam, according to their website.
Source:
Times Of India
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Iran’s
embassy in Greece denies anti-Semitic attack plot in country
29
March ,2023
Iran’s
embassy in Greece on Wednesday denied any connection to an alleged plot for
anti-Semitic attacks in Athens using Pakistanis of Iranian origin.
“The
embassy of the Republic of Iran strongly denies the rumors spread by Zionist
sources and their baseless accusations against Iran. It is obvious that their
fabricated scenarios are intended to divert the public's attention from their
internal crisis,” it said on Twitter.
Greek
police on Tuesday said they had arrested two young Pakistanis of Iranian origin
who were planning attacks on areas frequented by Israelis in central Athens.
The
source said that the men had targeted a building which houses a Jewish
restaurant and a prayer center.
Police
spokeswoman Constantia Dimoglidou told AFP the “mastermind” of the cell is “a
Pakistani who lives outside Europe.”
A
police source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the person lived in
Iran.
Israel
accused Tehran of being behind the plot and said its national intelligence
agency Mossad had helped avert an attack.
“After
the investigation of the suspects in Greece, the Mossad helped untangle the
intelligence of the network, its operational methods and ties to Iran,” Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
“As
part of the investigation, it emerged that the infrastructure in Greece was
part of a broad Iranian network, operated from Iran toward many countries,” a
statement said.
The
announcement came as Greece's under-fire prime minister announced elections
would be held on May 21, as popular anger seethes over government failures
blamed in last month's train tragedy that killed 57 people.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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UK
military chiefs call for stop to deportation of Afghan war hero to Rwanda
March
29, 2023
LONDON:
Senior military chiefs, politicians and diplomats in the UK have urged Prime
Minister Rishi Sunak to prevent the deportation of an Afghan veteran to Rwanda,
The Independent reported on Wednesday.
The
war pilot flew 30 combat missions against the Taliban and was forced to flee to
Britain. Because he could find no safe and legal route, he traveled on a small
boat to reach the country. He was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as
a “patriot to his nation.”
However,
the Home Office said because he traveled through Italy, Switzerland and France
in order to enter England, his claim for asylum in the UK may be denied.
The
Home Office informed the pilot that he “may also be removable to Rwanda,” and
that his personal information could be shared with Rwandan authorities, The
Independent reported.
Former
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart called the pilot’s story
“profoundly shocking” because it contradicts the government’s promises made to
those in Afghanistan.
“We
are shirking our responsibilities towards Afghans who risked their lives to
fight alongside us and who are now at risk of their lives,” he told The
Independent.
Sir
Laurie Bristow, who was British ambassador to Afghanistan during the fall of
Kabul, said the lives of Afghans who fought for the UK “are at risk as a
result.”
He
told The Independent: “Many of our own service people owe their lives to
Afghans who worked and fought alongside them in Afghanistan.”
Sir
Richard Barrons, a former chief of joint operations who served in Afghanistan,
said the pilot’s route to Britain should not impact his asylum claim
“considering the mess the government made with the evacuation process.”
When
confronted on Wednesday about the Afghan veteran’s threatened deportation to
Rwanda during the “Today” program, British Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab
said the government is determined to crack down on “criminal gangs who feed the
illegal asylum trade” by bringing people to the UK on small boats.
But
Col. Simon Diggins, who served as a defense attache in Afghanistan, told The
Independent: “We shouldn’t accept the terminology that he got here ‘illegally’;
that is not the right language for people like him who have no other means of
getting here safely. It is appalling that this man who was in our allied forces
is being treated in this way.”
Maj.
Gen. Tim Cross, who served in Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland, said: “If
this man was a member of Afghan forces fighting alongside the coalition then
the risks to him are obvious.
“The
whole Afghanistan withdrawal was terribly done, and cases like these are the
human consequences of mistakes we made in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Former
Defense Minister Kevan Jones told The Independent: “We have a huge debt to
these people. This is no way to treat them. It’s a stain on Britain’s great
reputation of supporting its friends.
“We
always stick by our friends. We should continue to do that. This government is
clearly not doing that in this case and many others.”
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277931/world
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Artist
projects sculpture filled with human blood onto cathedral to protest Prince
Harry’s Afghanistan claims
Mehmet
Solmaz
30.03.2023
BIRMINGHAM,
England
Russian
artist Andrei Molodkin projected a sculpture featuring blood donated by Afghans
along with footage of Prince Harry onto London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on
Wednesday.
Molodkin’s
projection was in protest against Prince Harry's controversial remarks about
the number of people he killed in Afghanistan. The Duke of Sussex received
criticism after claiming to have killed 25 Taliban fighters while serving in
Afghanistan, writing in his new memoir “Spare” that it was "not a number
that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me."
“While
in the heat and fog of combat, I didn't think of those twenty-five as people.
You can't kill people if you think of them as people. You can't really harm
people if you think of them as people. They were chess pieces removed from the
board, Bads taken away before they could kill Goods,” Prince Harry wrote in his
book.
The
artist said he collaborated with Afghan donors in the French coastal town of
Calais and the UK for the sculpture. The human blood was pumped into the
sculpture of the royal coat of arms and then projected onto the cathedral.
The
Duke of Sussex, who has stepped down from his royal duties and left the UK with
his wife Meghan Markle, served as an Apache helicopter pilot during the war in
Afghanistan and his missions resulted in “the taking of human lives.”
Prince
Harry served in the British army for 10 years, rising to the rank of captain
and undertaking two tours of Afghanistan.
In
February 2008, Britain’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that Prince Harry had
been serving with the army in Helmand, Afghanistan “for more than two months.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Turkish
Cypriot president's car blocked by Greek Cypriot protesters in London
BeyzaBinnurDonmez
29.03.2023
Greek
Cypriot protesters in London blocked the vehicle of Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin Tatar on Wednesday.
A
group of about 50 protesters tried to prevent his entry into King's College,
where he was going to attend a conference on the Cyprus issue, according to the
TRNC Presidency.
The
protesters were carrying Greek flags and banners against Tatar and Turkish
Cypriots.
British
and Turkish security guards in front of the university building dispersed the
crowd, enabling Tatar's passage. The president later left the university after
the event.
In
a television appearance on Turkish media after the incident, Tatar said the
protesters would have attacked him had no police been present at the
university's entryway.
'Death
to Tatar,' Greek Cypriot protesters chanted as they tried to block Tatar's
entry into King's College, the Turkish Cypriot leader said.
"They
can't tolerate it," he said, underlining that the reason behind the
protest was the media coverage of his contacts with journalists and lawmakers
in the UK, as well as his speeches.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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India
Since
1993 Blasts, Muslim Family Keeps Alive Tradition Of Welcoming Ram Shobha Yatra
in Mumbai
Mar
30, 2023
NAGPUR:
It was in March 1993 when the country was rocked by Mumbai blasts that followed
demolition of Babri masjid, late Abdul Hamid Karnal took a small step to foster
communal harmony. For 30 years down the line, it has been an unbroken tradition
during the Ram Navami Shobha Yatra that a group of Muslims, led by the Karnal
family, welcomes the procession near the entrance of Mominpura.
As
they offer flowers to the idol mounted on a chariot-shaped vehicle, Karnal’s
son Asif also walks along for a distance when the procession takes off from the
Poddareshwar temple.
On
the eve of the shobhayatra, Asif and his four brothers are making preparations
with a greater zeal as the procession would be taken out after a gap of three
years due to Covid pandemic.
“I
would be releasing tricoloured balloons and 21 pigeons as a gesture of peace,
Around 60 to 70 people, including my late father’s friends, will be part of the
organizing team. Others from the locality also join,” says Asif.
Asif
says he also takes parts in the meetings which are held on the temple premises
and also donates for the celebrations. A stage is erected near Mominpura to
welcome the procession,” he says.
“Babri
masjid was demolished in December 1992, and there was an episode of riots in
the locality. I still remember how our shop was filled with smoke after the
cops fired teargas shells. They also fired bullets leading to casualties. Those
days, there used to be lot of friction among the two communities. My father,
who was a social worker, thought of creating harmony and started the tradition
of welcoming the shobhayatra,” he says.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
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Rajasthan:
Hindu rally disturbs namaz time, stones pelted; 12 held
29th
March 2023
Communal
tensions erupted after Hindus and Muslims clashed in Rajasthan’s Tala village
of Jamwa Ramgarh district on March 26.
Stones
were pelted from both sides and communal and inciting slogans were raised by
the Hindutva group.
In
the case, twelve Muslim men were arrested and four minors were detained by the
Jaipur Rural police.
The
incident took place on Sunday and the arrest was made two days later, said a
statement from the official Twitter page of Jaipur Rural Police.
On
Sunday, Hindu right-wing Bajrang Dal workers raised derogatory slogans against
Muslims while passing through a madrasa and mosque in Tala village.
According
to a video that has gone viral on social media platforms, a large number of
Bajrang Dal men can be seen passing the area carrying saffron flags and
creating chaos.
Muslim
men, who were offering namaz at that time objected and asked them to keep it
low. At this point, stone pelting started. It is reported that the pelting
happened from both sides.
Reports
suggest that the Hindu rally started raising abusive slogans against Muslims.
The
Jaipur Rural police, on its official Twitter page, replied that they are
currently investigating the matter and appealed to maintain peace and harmony.
“Anyone
caught spreading communal hate will be punished,” read the police statement.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/rajasthan-hindu-rally-disturbs-namaz-time-stones-pelted-12-held-2557263/
--------
Communal
violence in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district after row over music being played in
front of mosque
by
Zeeshan Shaikh
March
30, 2023
Communal
violence broke out in Paldhi in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, 400 km north of
Mumbai, on Tuesday night after a religious procession accompanied by DJ music
was taken out in front of a mosque.
The
incident occurred when a ‘dindi’, a religious procession, en route from Jalgaon
to Vani in Nashik district passed Paldhi village. An argument over the music
being played in front of the mosque led to a scuffle which escalated into stone
pelting, the police said. While locals alleged that the houses of Muslims were
looted and the property was damaged, the police denied the charges.
“There
was a dindi that was being taken out from Jalgaon to Vani in Nashik district.
There was music being played in the procession. The music was, however, shut
down when the procession crossed the mosque. However, when the music was
restarted after the procession crossed the mosque, there was stone pelting on
the procession,” Jalgaon SP M Rajkumar said.
Incidentally,
the SP as well as other senior district police officials were in the town,
which is located 14 km from Jalgaon, when the incident took place.
The
police said that there was stone pelting between two sides but order was
quickly restored. Two cases have been filed so far on charges of rioting and
assault on government officials, respectively, in which nine Hindus and 63
Muslims have been named, the police said in a press release.
“The
mosque is located very close to a police outpost. However, despite that, many
Muslim houses in the vicinity were attacked and looted,” a local resident, who
did not wish to be named, said.
Source:
Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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In
Jharkhand's Hazaribagh, 3 Generations Of Muslims Stitch Ram Navami Flags
Mar
30, 2023
HAZARIBAUG:
In Hazaribag, Devendra Kumar Jain with the help of his tailor Gulam Jilani has
proved to be a symbol of communal harmony, particularly during Ram Navami.
Jain
has sold more than one lakh Ram Navami flags of various sizes for the festival
this year and all these flags with portrait of Hanumanji have been stitched by
Gulam Jilani, son of late Abdul Shakur hailing from Mandai village on the
outskirts of Hazaribag town. Jain said despite the Ramzan fasting, Jilani works
from 7 in the morning to 11 at night to complete his job.
"For
the last three generations, the Jilani family has been manufacturing Ram Navami
jhandas since 1945. "They learnt it from my octogenarian father Kamal
Kumar Jain who is still guiding him," Jain said.
The
flags cost from Rs 5 to Rs 20,000 as per the size. There are two factories for
manufacturing flags - one at Mandai where Gulam Jilani resides and the other in
Hazaribag town. He claimed that they are the largest sellers of Ram Navami
jhandas.
Flags
are also sent to Bokaro Thermal, Bokaro Steel City, Jamshedpur, Ramgarh, Barhi,
Koderma and many other places. The cloth for manufacturing the jhandas are
brought from Surat, Ahmedabad and Baroda in Gujarat. The zari for the flags'
border is procured from Jaipur and New Delhi.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Rising
India Summit: Shah Hails K’taka Move to Scrap 4% Muslim Reservation, Says Cong
Used Policy for Polarisation
MARCH
29, 2023
Union
Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday lauded the Karnataka government’s decision
of scrapping the four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2B Other Backward
Classes (OBCs) category and said that Congress implemented the policy for
polarisation.
Speaking
at India Rising Summit, the BJP leader exuded confidence that the party will
emerge victorious with a majority.
“I
agree, we got a bit late doing it (scrapping reservation for Muslims).
Reservation on the basis of religion is illegal and it is not in the
constitution. There cannot be any reservation based on religion. Congress did
it for polarisation and we corrected it,” Shah said while commenting on CM
Basavaraj Bommai government’s latest decision.
The
BJP government last week decided to move Muslims out of the OBC list and put
them under the 10 per cent EWS quota. The 4 per cent reservation that Muslims
had (under OBC list) will be distributed among Vokkaligas and Lingayats
equally.
Shah
also said the BJP will return to power in Karnataka with an absolute majority
and the elected MLAs will choose the chief minister.
“The
party has not decided on this yet, it will be decided by the party. Bommai is
our CM and he is doing good work,” the BJP leader said when asked to comment on
the party’s CM face for polls.
He
highlighted that former chief minister BS Yediyurappa will be a star
campaigner.
The
Election Commission announced earlier on Wednesday that Karnataka Assembly
elections will be held in a single phase on May 10 and the votes will be
counted on May 13, setting the stage for a key BJP versus Congress electoral fight
ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha showdown.
“The
BJP will definitely cross the halfway mark and form the government with an
absolute majority in Karnataka. We will win record mandate,” Shah said. “The
BJP has never questioned the seniority of Yediyurappa. He will be the star
campaigner. Elected MLAs will decide their leader,” he added.
Shah
also ruled out the possibility of any electoral alliance in Karnataka.
The
BJP emerged as the largest party in the 2018 Karnataka elections but was short
of the majority, following which the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress
joined hands to form the government with JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy becoming
CM.
Source:News18
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‘I
have court papers’: Muslim man begs BMC official to stop demolition
29th
March 2023
A
senior Muslim citizen in Mumbai’s Santa Cruz area was ill-treated by a BMC
officer when the latter came to bulldoze the former’s property.
In
the video, the Muslim man, identified as Haji Rafat Hussain is seen trying to
convince the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) officer that he has
obtained orders from the court against the demolition. He lies done in front of
the bulldozer in an attempt to stop the demolition.
However,
the BMC officer is in no mood to listen to the senior citizen. She says, “Court
orders are not valid. I will not accept it.”
Haji
Rafat Hussain in the past has reportedly been associated with the AIMIM.
The
Muslim man tries his best to convince the BMC officer to at least have a look
at the papers. But the officer refuses to listen or bother to look at it once.
She
claims that she has not received the order in the case.
Source:Siasat
Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/i-have-court-papers-muslim-man-begs-bmc-official-to-stop-demolition-2557031/
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South Asia
Human
Rights Violations Increased Exponentially in Afghanistan: Amnesty Intl
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
30, 2023
Amnesty
International expressed concerns in its annual report about restrictions on
women’s rights, media freedom and freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
“Restrictions
on women’s rights, freedom of the media and freedom of expression increased
exponentially,” the report said. “Institutions designed to support human rights
were severely limited or shut down completely. Peaceful protesters faced
arbitrary arrests, torture and enforced disappearance,” the report highlighted.
The
report added that women’s rights were severely limited during the interim
government in Afghanistan.
“Women’s
rights continued to be attacked, and women’s participation in public life was
severely limited. Afghanistan was the only country where girls were banned from
attending secondary school. Almost all institutions set up to address
gender-based violence under the former government were shut down by the
Taliban.”
Moreover,
the de facto government has banned women’s work with Non-Governmental
Organizations, which has affected the humanitarian aid in the country since
most of their staff were female.
According
to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 97% of Afghans
lived in poverty, up from 47% in 2020. The report added that the lack of social
protections led families to resort to measures including child marriage and
selling organs.
However,
the organization expressed concern over the lack of funds to cover the
humanitarian crisis in the country. “The level of humanitarian assistance did
not meet the population’s needs.”
The
increasing humanitarian crisis was worsened by Drought, flash flooding,
earthquakes, and other natural catastrophes, some of which were exacerbated by
climate change.
However,
since the Taliban regime returned to power in the country, the group has
intensified its repression of women’s rights and freedom.
Recently,
the Taliban authorities arrested MatiullahWesa, an education and human rights
activist and dispersed the women and girls peaceful demonstration in Kabul.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/human-rights-violations-increased-exponentially-in-afghanistan-amnesty-intl/
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UN
Slams Afghan Govt Over Arrest of Women’s Rights Activist
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
March
30, 2023
The
UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR, on Wednesday expressed deep concerns over the
ongoing arbitrary arrests including the recent detention of girls’ education
activist, journalists and media workers by the Taliban.
Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCRR) called on the
de facto authorities of Afghanistan to immediately release the activists
detained for advocating for women’s rights.
OHCHR
Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said in a statement, “No one should be detained
for speaking out in defense of their fundamental rights and the rights of
others.”
Since
the start of 2023, the Taliban authorities have arrested several civil society
activists, journalists and women’s rights advocates for speaking up about their
fundamental rights and the rights of others.
On
March 27, unidentified men arrested MatiullahWesa, head of PenPath, a civil
society organization campaigning to reopen girls’ education, whose whereabouts
remain unknown.
Following
Wesa’s detention, the UN Human Rights Office, and other rights groups have
repeatedly called on the ruling regime to release the education activist,
however, no progress has been seen in this regard so far.
“Other
activists and journalists have also been detained with no clear information as
to their whereabouts, well-being, or any charges against them. Among those held
are Nargis Sadat, Zakaria Osuli, Sultan Ali Ziaee, KhairullahParhar and
MortazaBehboudi,” according to the OHCHR website.
Since
the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, the group has deepened
restrictions on journalists, media and social activists, according to which
individuals or groups are not allowed to criticize the ruling regime or speak
against the Taliban members.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/un-slams-afghan-govt-over-arrest-of-womens-rights-activist/
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US
Defense Secretary Does not Regret American Troops’ Withdrawal from Afghanistan
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
March
30, 2023
Despite
the return of the Taliban to power and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in
Afghanistan, Lloyd Austin the US Defense Secretary, on Wednesday said he does
not regret the American troops’ withdrawal from the country.
Defense
Minister Austin added that none of the Pentagon officials have been questioned
or reprimanded regarding the chaotic withdrawal of the troops from Afghanistan.
Lloyd
Austin and Mark Milley, the United States Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, were called to the US Congress on Wednesday to elaborate on the defense
budget for next year.
Jim
Edward Banks, a Republican representative emphasized the chaotic and shameful
withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan. Banks pointed to the death of 13
American soldiers at Kabul International Airport on the last day of withdrawal,
caused due to a terror attack by ISIS (Daesh), and asked the Defense Minister
whether he felt regretful for what had happened.
In
response, Austin said he supported President Biden’s decision about the full
exit of the American forces from Afghanistan, and he absolutely does not regret
it.
Lloyd
Austin defended the 20-year occupation of Afghanistan as a ‘necessary war of
self-defense’ and countering terrorism, the presence of which in Afghanistan
still remains a major concern for the US.
Jim
Banks called on the US House Speaker to hold Biden Administration accountable
for what had happened in Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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UN
Security Council Condemns Continued Terrorist Attacks in Afghanistan
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
29, 2023
The
UN Security Council has strongly denounced the “continued heinous terrorist
attacks” against civilians in Afghanistan, including a Monday attack close to
the Afghan Foreign Ministry that left at least six people dead and several
others injured.
The
Council members emphasized that terrorism, in all its forms and incarnations,
poses one of the gravest threats to world peace and security and to peace and
security in Afghanistan, said a statement.
They
stressed the importance of holding those responsible for these heinous acts of
terrorism accountable and bringing them to justice.
They
also reiterated that it is a necessity for all member nations to use every tool
at their disposal to battle “threats to international peace and security caused
by terrorist acts.”
The
statement by the UN Security Council came after a deadly attack on Monday in
front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which killed six people and wounded
several others.
The
Islamic State or Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack in Kabul.
This
is the second attack within three months; the first happened in January, in
which more than 20 people were killed and injured. The group also took
responsibility for the attack.
Daesh
is the main rival of the current Taliban authorities and aims to target Taliban
officials, ordinary people and foreign nationals.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/un-security-council-condemns-continued-terrorist-attacks-in-afghanistan/
--------
Africa
Al-Shabab
Has Lost Third of its Territory, US Ambassador Says
March
28, 2023
The
U.S. ambassador to Somalia said the Somali government's military operations against
al-Shabab have cost the militants one third of their territory.
"Somali-led
offensives have restored Somalia's sovereignty to 1/3 of the territory formerly
misruled by al-Shabaab," Larry André told VOA Somali in an email.
"Ending al-Shabab's oppression is one step further toward Somalia's full
revival."
Since
January, the United States donated weapons to the Somali national forces to
support operations against al-Shabab. The U.S. also trains an elite Somali army
unit known as Danab, which means "lightning" and has been leading the
offensive against al-Shabab.
The
Somali government this week reported that the military operations have
inflicted heavy losses on the militant group during the past six months.
In
a statement on March 25, Ministry of Information said that 3,000 al-Shabab
militants were killed and 3,700 more were injured in the first phase of
military operations between August of last year and January. The government
also said 70 towns and villages have been liberated from al-Shabab.
Meanwhile,
the militant group has claimed that the first phase of military operations by
the Somali government and local fighters has failed.
In
an interview with al-Shabab-affiliated radio, the militant group's spokesman,
Ali Mohamoud Rage, who is also known as Ali Dhere, accused the U.S. of
mobilizing forces against the group.
He
said the original plan was to eliminate al-Shabab within six months.
"The
first phase of the operation concocted by the infidels has turned futile,"
he said.
Contacted
by VOA about the remarks by the al-Shabab spokesman, a senior Somali security
official dismissed Ali Dhere's claims.
The
"definition of failure has to be revisited if liberating Middle Shabelle,
Hiran, South Mudug and parts of Galgadud is a failure," said Kamal Dahir
Hassan Gutale, national security adviser to Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.
The
"Somali people and their government made possible all those successes
reached by our security forces in a very short time," he said.
Gutale
said Ali Dhere's claim that the U.S. mobilized the Somali military offensive is
baseless.
"He
is facing young Somali soldiers who are well-trained, battle-hardened, who took
the battle towards the front lines," he said. "Let him face them —
they have liberated over 500 KMs from al-Shabab, and still they are after
him."
Criticism
Government
officials said the second phase of military operations will start during
Ramadan. But preparations for the second phase have faced criticism before it
officially launches.
Abdullahi
Mohamed Ali Sanbalolshe, the former director of the National Intelligence and
Security Agency, says preparations for the second offensive focus more on the
role of the government and less on the participation of local fighters who have
been integral to the relative success of the first phase.
Sanbalolshe
told VOA the local fighters have a low awareness about the new offensive. He
alleges that the government is lowering the importance of the clans, locals and
states.
"All
Somalis were interested and were part of the first one [offensive] – the
members of the parliament, clan elders, business community, the civil society,
the diaspora," he said.
"The
participation of the clans [in the 2nd offensive] is low; it appears it's
confined to the government," he said.
Defense
Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur has rejected the criticism that the government
is not valuing the role of the locals.
"This
fight belongs to the Somali people, and it is true that the successes were
achieved with the collaboration of the people," he said.
"Every
area that is going to be liberated, its people will be consulted with and
informed."
Source:
VOANews
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.voanews.com/a/al-shabab-has-lost-third-of-its-territory-us-ambassador-says/7026624.html
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43
Al-Shabaab Members Killed in Somalia
27
March, 2023
Somalia’s
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called Monday on the Army to be prepared for
the second phase of the offensive operation against terrorist militants
remaining in the country.
Meanwhile
the Somali News Agency, Sonna, quoted official sources as saying that more than
40 members of al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab militants were killed in battles in the
northeast of Somalia.
The
agency said 43 members of the Kharijite (the term the Somali government uses to
refer to the Islamist group) were killed during bloody battles that took place
last Monday among terrorist groups in the Golis Mountains, northeast Somalia.
The
sources added that during the attack, three Al-Shabaab leaders were killed.
“ISIS militias defeated the Khawarij and controlled the area where the two
extremist groups were fighting,” the sources affirmed.
Meanwhile,
the Military Court of Somalia’s Puntland State sentenced ten Al-Shabaab members
to death by firing squad on Sunday for committing terrorist operations in
several regions.
Two
of the accused, Adde Abdullahi Mohamed Elmi and Abdiqani Suleyman Jama Saylor,
were convicted of the murder of freelance radio journalist Jamal Farah Adan in
Galkaayo. Both men received the death sentence after exhausting all appeal
options.
Early
this month, 13 people from al-Shabaab and ISIS were executed by firing squad in
Somalia’s northeastern state of Puntland.
Separately,
the Somali President praised on Sunday the Army for gaining success in the
fight against Al-Shabaab militants and ordered them to be prepared for the
second phase of the offensive operation against the terrorists who still remain
in western parts of Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan region under Hirshabelle State
in Somalia.
Mohamud,
together with a Government delegation, and Hir-Shabelle State President, Ali
Gudlawe Hussein visited the Aden Yabal district in the Middle Shabelle region
where he met with community members and listened to a report on the living
conditions.
Aden
Yabal was Al-Shabaab’s major stronghold in the past 15 years.
“The
withdrawal of Al-Shabaab movement from the strategic city of Aden Yibal means
that it was militarily and economically defeated,” the President said,
explaining that the region was the most important economic stronghold for the
terrorist group.
Source:Aawsat
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4236056/43-al-shabaab-members-killed-somalia
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Troops
neutralise 12 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno
27
March 2023
Troops
of 222 Battalion, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have neutralised seven Boko Haram
terrorists in Konduga Council of Borno State.
The
insurgents were killed, while attempting to attack a military formation near
Konduga trenches, 40 kilometres East of Maiduguri, the state capital.
A
counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, ZagazolaMakama, disclosed,
yesterday, in Maiduguri, that the terrorists launched an attack with heavy gun
fire on soldiers guarding the trenches at 06:45 p.m. on Friday.
According
to him, the troops swiftly engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle,
forcing them to withdraw in disarray.
On
how the terrorists were neutralised, he said: “In a show of gallantry, the
troops, led by their Commander, chased the insurgents, who attempted to escape
into the Sambisa Forest axis, and neutralised seven of them.”
A
military source in Maiduguri, also said: “Our troops recovered a truck, an
anti-aircraft gun and other weapons.
“No
casualty was recorded on the side of our troops during the Konduga evening
attack.”
Makama
noted that there were wild celebrations by residents of Konduga, who came out
to express their happiness over the successful operation.
Meanwhile,
in a separate encounter, the troops also ambushed and eliminated five Boko
Haram terrorists and recovered their weapons.
ALSO,
Terrorists have killed a pastor, abducted his wife and several others in a
Kaduna community.
The
minister, who was in charge of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Buda Two,
KasuwaMagani, in Kajuru Council of Kaduna State, Rev. Musa Mairimi, was shot
dead by bandits when they invaded the community.
The
state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph
Hayab, who confirmed the incident, at the weekend, explained that the attackers
stormed the community and killed the clergy in his residence.
Hayab
lamented that the bandits also abducted the pastor’s wife.
According
to him, over 100 people, who were abducted by the terrorists for over six
months from council areas of Kauru, Jaba, Kachia, Kagarko and Kajuru, have regained
their freedom.
Source:Guardian
Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/troops-neutralise-12-boko-haram-terrorists-in-borno/
--------
Burkina
Faso to resume diplomatic relations with North Korea
Aurore
Bonny
30.03.2023
DOUALA,
Cameroon
Burkina
Faso plans to resume diplomatic relations with North Korea, the country’s
Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday.
The
decision will allow the two countries "to maintain exemplary bilateral
cooperation in several areas," Foreign Affairs Minister Olivia Rouamba
said at the end of a Council of Ministers meeting.
The
West African nation suspended relations with North Korea in 2017 to conform to
UN Security Council sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.
Rouamba
said the governments of Burkina Faso and North Korea will reportedly be
focusing on military equipment, mining, healthcare, agriculture and research
The
Burkinabe government has also approved the appointment of a North Korean
ambassador to Burkina Faso.
Chae
Hui Chol, has been approved as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Burkina Faso, with
residence in Dakar, Senegal, according to a statement from the Ministerial
Council.
In
the past, Burkina Faso has maintained "very good relations with this
country, which was a privileged partner during the period of the August 1983 Revolution,"
said Rouamba.
The
government officially cut off relations in 2017 using a provision recommended
by the United Nations to all its member states in its sanctions resolution
against Pyongyang.
Faced
with a security crisis fueled since 2015 by terrorist attacks, Burkina Faso,
under the leadership of Capt. Ibrahim Traore, the leader of the ruling junta,
decided to diversify its partnerships to strengthen the fight against
terrorism. In January, the transitional authorities broke a military agreement
with France, its former colonist.
This
is "a way of asserting its authority by contracting diplomatic relations
with countries unconsidered by France," Regis Hounkpe, a pan-African
expert in geostrategy, told Anadolu.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/burkina-faso-to-resume-diplomatic-relations-with-north-korea/2859013
--------
Israeli
settlers set up new outpost in Jordan Valley
29
March 2023
In
a new violation in occupied Palestine, illegal Israeli settlers set up a new
outpost in the northern Jordan Valley, a prelude usually to building a new illegal
settlement.
MotazBisharat,
an official in the Tubas Governorate, said on Tuesday that a group of illegal
settlers set up an animal barn and brought cows. On Monday, they set up three
more shacks turning the spot into a settlement outpost.
Israeli
settlers carried out attacks on the shepherds two days earlier, injuring one in
the head after hitting him with sticks, Bisharat explained.
According
to the Palestinian Wafa news agency, the total area of the lands in the
al-Baqai’a Plain area that the outpost is expected to seize is estimated at
nearly 1,800 dunums.
The
Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea area contain the largest land reserves
in the West Bank. The area covers 1.6 million dunams of land, which constitute
28.8 percent of the West Bank. Sixty-five thousand Palestinians live in 29
communities, and an estimated additional 15,000 Palestinians reside in dozens
of small Beduin communities.
The
ongoing illegal settlers’ action demonstrates a clear Israeli intention, which
is a de facto annexation of the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea area to
the Israeli regime.
Israel,
which keeps full military and civilian control over the Jordan Valley and Area
C of the West Bank, seeks to uproot all Palestinians living there while it
builds new illegal settlements for its settlers.
According
to the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, Israel has used various
means to take control of most of the land in the area. It has confiscated
thousands of dunams from Palestinians since 1968 to build its first settlements
and move further with its confiscation of lands.
By
legal manipulation, Israel claimed that 53.4 percent of the area belongs to the
Israeli regime, while 45.7 percent of the area as military firing zones, closed
some 20 percent as natural reserves, and seized lands in the northern Jordan
Valley for the Separation Barrier and has placed 64 landmine fields near the
route of the Jordan River.
Using
these means, Israel has taken control of 77.5 percent of the land and has
prevented Palestinians from building on or using their own land or from staying
or living there.
Israeli
authorities usually demolish Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank,
claiming that the structures have been built without permits, which are nearly
impossible to obtain. They also sometimes order Palestinian owners to demolish
their own homes or pay the demolition costs to the municipality if they do not.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Al-Azhar
remains the standard-bearer of education, academia, and moderate values: Muslim
Council of Elders
29-03-2023
ABU
DHABI, 29th March, 2023 (WAM) – The Muslim Council of Elders extended its
congratulations to His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar
and Chairman of the Council for the anniversary of the founding of Al-Azhar
Mosque 1083 years ago.
The
Council affirmed that Al-Azhar continues to be the standard-bearer of
education, academia, and moderate values in the Islamic World. Likewise,
Al-Azhar has throughout its history produced millions of scholars and academics
who have gone on to teach religion, Arabic language and values of coexistence
around the world.
Source:
WAM
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395303143516
--------
Iraq
preserves traumatic memories of Daesh reign
March
30, 2023
MOSUL:
The horrors they endured under the Daesh group may be in the past for the
people of Iraq, but the traumatic memories remain.
Now
a research project is recording their witness testimonies for posterity. Omar
Mohammed, founder of the Mosul Eye project, rose to prominence during the Daesh
reign by bravely sharing news via Twitter from inside the city under jihadist
rule.
Years
later, he wants to make sure nothing is forgotten.
“When
I was in Mosul recording everything myself, I felt the need to include all the
people, to record our history in their own voice,” he said.
Bereaved
mother Umm Mohammed, 55, is among those who have shared their memories of
terror, suffering and loss with the non-governmental group.
The
extremists came for her family one night in 2015 and took away her son Ahmed,
then a 27-year-old construction worker. His brother Mohammed, 10 years younger,
then made a fateful choice: he decided to join the ranks of Daesh, with a
daring plan to find and liberate Ahmed.
“I
told him: ‘My son, don’t join them’,” recounted Umm Mohammed, her hair under a
dark scarf.
“He
said: ‘It’s none of your business. I’m going to get my brother. I’ll go into
the prisons.’“
The
elderly woman said, with sadness in her voice, that Mohammed left “and never
came back.”
And
neither did Ahmed.
Both
are presumed to be among the many killed under the group’s self-declared
“caliphate” that cut across swathes of Iraq and Syria.
Umm
Mohammed said she suspects the jihadists felt that Mohammed “was not one of
them. They must have thought he was a spy.”
Speaking
about those dark days years later for the Mosul Eye project has brought up a
storm of emotions, but ultimately had a cathartic effect for Umm Mohammed.
Mosul
Eye, with funding from the US Agency for International Development, has trained
10 students to conduct and film interviews, mostly in Mosul but testimonies
have also been collected from people hailing from elsewhere in Iraq.
The
youngest of the 70 witnesses are barely 10 years old. Others are in their 80s.
The oldest is 104.
The
footage will be kept at the group’s archives at Mosul University, and George
Washington University in the US capital, for use by researchers and for future
generations.
“We
wanted to show the world how the people of Mosul overcame this experience,”
said a spokesman for Mosul Eye, Mohannad Ammar.
Another
witness is Muslim Hmeid, a 27-year-old law student whose Sunni Arab family
endured five months of Daesh rule in Sinjar in 2014 before fleeing.
Seared
in his mind especially is the “bloody first week, impossible to erase from
memory.”
He
relived with pain how Daesh targeted the local Yazidi minority, whose
non-Muslim faith the extremists considered heretical.
Hmeid
remembered watching helplessly as the jihadists came and loaded Yazidi girls
and women into lorries.
“Once
I saw two or three trucks full of women,” he said. “And a few men, but mostly young
women, aged 17 to 30, maybe.”
Entire
Yazidi villages were emptied and many fell victim to crimes since recognized as
genocide by the United Nations and courts in several countries.
Women
were forced into sexual slavery and the men were killed, while “those who could
fled into the mountains,” Hmeid said.
“Witnessing
such a catastrophe happen to your neighbors and not being able to help ... We
were heartbroken,” said Hmeid. “Psychologically, we were devastated.”
With
three of his brothers in the military and on the Daesh kill list, the family
fled to Turkiye but later returned to Iraq.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277966/middle-east
--------
Dubai
police relaunches Ramadan campaign warning of illegal firework use
30
March ,2023:
Dubai
police have relaunched its annual Ramadan campaign on the dangers of illegal
fireworks – warning illicit firecrackers can be potentially deadly and
offenders can face a hefty fine and potential jail time if caught.
Under
the slogan ‘Remember... Fireworks are more dangerous than you think’, the
campaign aims to educate the community about the dangers of fireworks
especially during celebrations in the holy month.
The
campaign particularly emphasizes the importance of not allowing children and
individuals to handle fireworks directly due to their danger.
Butti
Ahmad bin Darwish al-Falasi, Director of the Security Awareness Department,
said the campaign will spread awareness through social media platforms, outdoor
advertisements, and direct email messages to reach as many community members as
possible.
Al-Falasi
noted the dangers of fireworks, which can cause permanent disabilities,
including loss, amputation, and burns of body parts. Scientific studies have
shown that fireworks cause injuries in 15 percent of eye-related cases, 16
percent in the face and ears, 6 percent in the chest area, 10 percent in the
forearms, 30 percent in the hands, and 23 percent in the legs.
Federal
Decree-Law No. 17 of 2019 concerning weapons, ammunition, explosives, military
equipment, and hazardous materials defines explosives in its first article as a
chemical compound or a mixture of various chemical compounds that react with
each other when exposed to suitable conditions, producing pressure, heat, and a
specific speed, resulting in an impact or damage to the surrounding area,
including fireworks.
Al-Falasi
said Article 3 of the Decree states that it is not permitted to acquire,
possess, import, export, re-export, transit, ship in stages, trade,
manufacture, repair, transport, or dispose of explosives in any form without
obtaining a license or permit from the licensing authority or the concerned
entity.
Al-Falasi
warned offenders face a penalty of imprisonment for a period not less than one
year and a fine not less than Dh27,000 or one of these two penalties for anyone
who, without a license, trades in fireworks, imports, exports, manufactures, or
introduces them into and from the country.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia shares tips to prevent food waste during Ramadan
29
March ,2023
To
prevent food waste during the holy month of Ramadan, Saudi Arabia’s General
Food Security Authority (GFSA) has issued several tips that can help those
fasting prepare more sustainable meals and Iftars.
The
tips, shared on social media, are part of a campaign launched last week by
GFSA’s National Program for Reducing Food Loss and Waste in the Kingdom.
The
campaign which aims to raise awareness about food security and preventing food
waste also encourages people to maintain good and healthy consumption practices.
In
a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), GFSA noted that the rate
of food loss and waste in the Kingdom is about 33 percent and the value of food
waste is estimated at $10.66 billion (40 billion riyals) annually.
To
help prevent this, the campaign urges people to first set what meals they want
on their Iftar tables, to diversify the food choices but in lesser quantities
and to preserve the remaining food in tight containers to be consumed later.
It
also called on people to maintain a middle ground when making food and not to
make unnecessary large quantities particularly when it comes to rice.
“Rice
is a main meal and it’s wasted in large quantities,” the campaign said in a
post on its Twitter account, adding that the percentage of food waste of rice
is 31 percent.
The
same goes for dates.
Dates
are an essential element in Ramadan and are usually eaten to break the fast.
However, the campaign notes that the amount of dates wasted is estimated at
more than 36 thousand tons annually.
Additionally,
the campaign notes that preparing a grocery list before heading to the
supermarket is a good strategy that allows people to reduce buying products
they don’t need.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia condemns Al-Aqsa Mosque storming by Israeli settlers
MOHAMMED
NAJIB
March
29, 2023
RAMALLAH:
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned a Ramadan incursion by dozens of militant
Jewish settlers at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem.
More
than 100 settlers guarded by Israeli security forces visited the mosque
compound early on Wednesday and performed prayer rituals, in breach of access
agreements between Israel and mosque authorities.
“Such
actions undermine peace efforts and violate international principles and norms
regarding respect for religious sanctities,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said.
Saudi
Arabia supported all efforts aimed at ending the Israeli occupation of
Palestinian territory and “reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the
Palestinian cause that enables the Palestinian people to establish their
independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem) as its
capital,” the ministry said.
Sheikh
Omar Al-Kiswani, director of Al-Aqsa Mosque, told Arab News that incursions by
extremist Israeli elements were “a deliberate provocation of Muslims who come
the mosque to pray and worship.”
The
latest incursion came amid a growing rift between Israel and the US over plans
by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for judicial reforms that critics describe
as a power grab. A new law would give Netanyahu’s far-right extremist
government control over the appointment of Supreme Court judges and the power
to overrule the court’s rulings.
After
hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in protest, Netanyahu
suspended the reforms to allow for compromise talks with the opposition — but
US President Joe Biden has urged him to abandon the legislation completely.
“They
cannot continue down this road, and I’ve sort of made that clear,” Biden said.
“Hopefully the prime minister will act in a way that he will try to work out
some genuine compromise, but that remains to be seen. I hope they walk away
from it.”
Biden
also said he would not consider inviting the Israeli leader to the White House,
at least “not in the near term.”
Netanyahu’s
response to the criticism was defiant. “Israel is a sovereign country which
makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from
abroad,” he said.
In
a further US snub, hours after Netanyahu said he expected his country to join
the US Visa Waiver Program soon, the State Department said on Wednesday that
Israel had not met eligibility requirementsbecause it did not allow free
passage for Palestinian-Americans at its airports and into the occupied West
Bank.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277366/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman project puts its focus on Al-Jubail Mosque
March
30, 2023
RIYADH:
Al-Jubail Mosque, which is three centuries old and is located in the center of
Thaqif in Taif governorate in Makkah, is to be the focus of the Prince Mohammed
bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques.
The
initiative aims at reviving the architecture of Al-Jubail Mosque and increasing
public awareness about the importance of preserving historical mosques.
The
area of the site will reach 310 sq. meters after renovation, while it will
maintain its capacity for 45 worshippers.
The
reconstruction of the mosque will utilize methods that maintain its main
component, stones from the Sarawat Mountains, in addition to local wood which
is to be used in ceilings, pillars, windows, and doors.
Following
its refurbishment, the mosque will maintain its narrow openings, for which its
unique architectural style is famous.
Originally
built with juniper wood, which is known for its durability, Al-Jubail Mosque
will be reconstructed using granite stones instead of cement to revive the old
Sarat architectural style.
The
second phase of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman project focuses on 30 mosques
across the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia.
The
renovation project strikes a balance between integrating modern and ancient
building standards to achieve sustainability and development, while preserving
the historical characteristics of the mosques.
Saudi
companies specializing in old structures, along with engineers from the
Kingdom, are involved in helping to preserve each mosque’s authentic
architectural identity.
The
project’s first phase involved the restoration of 30 mosques in 10 regions.
The
project has four strategic objectives: restoring the buildings for worship and
prayer; giving an urban authenticity to historical mosques; highlighting the
cultural dimension of Saudi Arabia; and enhancing the religious and cultural
status of the locations.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278006/saudi-arabia
--------
Saudi
Ministry of Culture’s Ramadan tent opens to visitors
HAIFA
ALSHAMMARI
March
29, 2023
RIYADH:
Visitors are flocking to the Ramadan tent in Riyadh, one of the star
attractions of the Ministry of Culture’s holy month season.
The
main tent, which is located east of King Abdullah Financial District, is open
for visitors until April 19 and acts as a cultural introduction to Ramadan.
BasmahAlqahtani,
a visitor to the attraction, told Arab News: “Ramadan Season was nothing less
than amazing: the decorations and general theme, the shops, and the Ramadan
tent are fantastic for both iftar and sahoor.”
Alqahtani
added that the Ramadan Season felt like a continuation of the Riyadh Season.
The
tent offers a unique experience for guests, with diverse activities for all
ages including dining, sports, arts, and games.
It
offers catered iftar by the Four Seasons Hotel for SR250 ($66) per person and
opens every day at 5 p.m. for the feast, which is served until 8 p.m. Sahoor is
served from 12 until the tent closes at 3 a.m.
Both
the meals feature a variety of cuisine and international dishes from around the
world.
Ramadan
lights and decorations illuminate some of the symbols of Saudi culture close to
the dining area, including dates, a prayer mat, a misbah, and an incense
burner.
The
souq sells incense and roasted coffee beans, along with traditional crafts.
Um
Waleed has turned her passion into a small business by producing baskets,
dining table mats, and sieves, all made from wicker which is taken from palm
trees.
Meanwhile,
Najla Abdulrahman has transformed her love for Sadu crafts, an authentic
Bedouin practice, into a small business.
The
tent also caters for children in a zone where youngsters from 5 to 12 take part
in craft and art sessions, storytelling, and workshops.
Abdulaziz,
a visitor to the Ramadan tent, said: “Our first visit here was amazing.
“I
hope I can make another visit. It was honestly a beautiful experience for me
and my family, especially with [the] Ramadan vibes.”
Abdulaziz,
who attended with his wife and daughter, added: “I recommend this place for
families in particular because it is well designed for families, and for people
in general, of course.”
Visitors
can try their hand at Ramadan riddles, cultural memory sessions, and poetry
readings on the main stage of the tent.
The
riddles are competitive affairs, with prizes for the winners such as coupons
for the market or free meals.
Fun
games are also on hand, including tennis, dominoes, pool, and chess.
Those
interested in visiting can book their tickets through the Ministry of Culture
website. There is free admission for those with special needs and those
accompanying them.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277881/saudi-arabia
--------
Pakistan
Twitter
blocks Pakistan govt's account for viewing in India
Mar
30, 2023
Twitter
has blocked the Pakistan government's account from being viewed in India in
response to a legal demand, according to a notice on the social media platform
on Thursday.
The
company's guidelines compel it to withhold entire accounts in response to a
valid legal demand, such as a court order.
The
account, @GovtofPakistan, remained available for viewing and interaction from
countries such as the United States and Canada, Reuters checks showed.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Muslim
World League launches food baskets project in Pakistan
March
30, 2023
RIYADH:
The Muslim World League has launched a program for distributing Ramadan food
baskets in Pakistan as part of its humanitarian efforts, and to complement the
role of Saudi relief institutions around the world.
A
celebration at the MWL office in Islamabad marked the event, with Nawaf bin
Saeed Al-Malki, the Saudi ambassador to Pakistan, and Dr. Jamal Nasir, caretaker minister of health
in Pakistan’s Punjab province, in attendance, along with a number of officials.
Saad
bin Masoud Al-Harthy, the MWL’s regional director in Pakistan, said that the
program would distribute 3,500 food baskets, each weighing 33 kg, covering a
family’s needs for a month.
Al-Harthy
added that the program was part of humanitarian efforts the MWL provides in all
fields across Pakistan to meet the needs of its people.
He
said that the program would benefit thousands of poor and impoverished people
and widows in the country.
Nasir
expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Pakistani government and the nation to
King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He also thanked MWL’s members
for their support of Pakistan.
Meanwhile,
the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has delivered 100 tons of
dates as a gift from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. It was handed over by Al-Malki
in the presence of a number of senior Pakistani officials.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277961/saudi-arabia
--------
Pakistan
militants kill 4 police officers, hurt 6 in attacks
March
30, 2023
PESHAWAR,
Pakistan: Taliban militants killed four police officers by targeting a police
vehicle with a roadside bomb and wounded six in an attack on a police station
in northwest Pakistan early Thursday, police and the insurgents said.
The
bomb killed four officers in a police vehicle carrying reinforcements sent to
respond to the attack on a police station in LakkiMarwat, a town in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Six officers were wounded in the
attack at the police station.
Local
police officer Ashfaq Khan said a search was underway for the militant suspects
who attacked the police station in LakkiMarwat and later targeted the police
vehicle with a bomb.
The
Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks. The group known as
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP is separate but allied with Afghanistan’s
Taliban. There has been an uptick in attacks in Pakistan after the Pakistani
Taliban ended a cease-fire with the government of Pakistan.
TTP
has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in
2021 when US and NATO troops were leaving the country after 20 years of war.
Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the
Taliban takeover.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2278046/world
--------
'Wheat
stampedes' have claimed 11 lives so far in crisis-ridden Pakistan
Mar
29, 2023
NEW
DELHI: At least 11 people, including women, have been crushed to death in
recent days while trying to get free flour from government distribution outlets
in Pakistan's Punjab province.
The
cash-strapped nation is on the verge of crumbling as crises continue to pile up
with foreign exchange reserves quickly depleting and an IMF bailout still
eluding the Shehbaz Sharif government.
The
lack of funds has forced the country to implement several austerity measures
that have taken a toll on the common man as inflation has skyrocketed. Petrol
and electricity prices have been hiked and millions of people now rely on
government handouts for their meals.
At
least two people were killed and 56 others injured in a stamped during free
flour distribution in Pakistan's Sahiwal on Wednesday. The incident took place
owing to mismanagement and flawed arrangements for free wheat flour
distribution, said officials.
Two
elderly women and a man died on Tuesday, while 60 others suffered injuries in
stampedes at free flour centres in four districts -- Sahiwal, Bahawalpur,
Muzaffargarh and Okara -- of south Punjab.
The
other districts where deaths were reported are Fasailabad, Jehanian and Multan.
Police
have been blamed for causing mayhem at the centres by manhandling and
baton-charging the citizens waiting in long queues to get free flour.
Security
forces also resorted to a heavy-handed approach following the looting of free
flour trucks in the Muzaffarghar and Rahim Yar Khan cities.
Armed
guards escort wheat-laden trucks
Pakistan
is facing the worst food crisis in its history, with flour becoming
increasingly scarce.
Wheat
and flour-loaded trucks are moved in Pakistan escorted by armed guards.
A
battered economy due to low forex reserves and with consequences of a massive
flood to deal with, authorities in Pakistan are finding it difficult to fulfill
the basic food requirements of the citizenry.
Local
media reports indicate that flour prices have gone up to PKR3,000 a packet and
fights and brawls over flour are common on the streets of Pakistan.
Several
videos of people fighting over wheat have been posted on social media, though
most are not verified.
Authorities
in Pakistan say the food crisis may grow worse in the coming days as much of
the wheat in stock has been exhausted.
Imran
Khan slams govt.
Former
prime minister Khan has condemned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government
for its mismanagement at the free flour centres and held Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif and Punjab caretaker chief minister Naqvi responsible for the deaths of
innocent people.
Khan
said that the "government of thieves" has made people's lives so
miserable that they are dying to collect a bag of flour.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
court issues non-bailable arrest warrants for Imran Khan in woman judge threat
case
Mar
29, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
A court in Pakistan on Wednesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for former
prime minister Imran Khan in a case related to alleged threats made to a woman
judge.
Islamabad-based
judicial magistrate Malik Aman presiding over the hearing rejected a plea by
Khan's counsel to grant him exemption from in-person appearance.
He
also rejected a plea by Khan's lawyer to allow the former prime minister to
appear on March 30 when the prosecution lawyer opposed the move by saying that
he should have appeared by the deadline of the arrest warrants.
The
judge issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
chief and directed the authorities to present him before the court on April 18.
At
the last hearing on March 24, the court converted the non-bailable arrest
warrant issued for Khan into a bailable warrant. He was supposed to appear by
March 29 but failed to come to the court.
Earlier,
Senior Civil Judge Rana Mujahid Rahim had on March 13 issued the non-bailable
arrest warrants against him in the case.
The
case is based on a speech by Khan in August last year, using threatening
language against Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and the
Islamabad police officials.
Khan
was booked under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and
Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). Besides, Islamabad High Court (IHC) also initiated
contempt of court proceedings against him. Later the terrorism charges were
dropped.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Imran
Khan Brought Terrorists to Pakistan from Afghanistan, Says FM Bilawal
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
29, 2023
Foreign
Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Wednesday, slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
chairman Imran Khan for his policies and said he was responsible for the
current wave of terrorism and economic crises in the country.
“Imran
Khan brought terrorists back to Pakistan from Afghanistan,” Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari said while speaking in the National Assembly.
“A
prime minister was brought upon us who automatically pardoned terrorists whose
hands were stained with the blood of the People of Pakistan. If today Pakistan
is facing terrorism, it is all because of selected prime ministers,” Bilawal
said.
“This
incompetent prime minister picked up terrorists from Afghanistan and resettled
them in Pakistan,” Referring to Imran Khan, Bilawal added.
Foreign
Minister said that the people of the merged areas of erstwhile Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) regions had made immeasurable sacrifices for
the country’s overall peace and for eradicating terrorism.
“Unfortunately,
the terrorism eliminated due to sacrifices of the Pakistan army, police and the
common people has been haunting back due to poor policies of by Imran Khan
during his three and half years in rule”, he said.
He
asked the Prime Minister to take action and bring legal charges against the
individual responsible for the constitutional and statutory violations.
Moreover,
former Prime Minster Imran Khan has been slapped with dozens of charges,
including some in which he faces arrest since his removal from power last year.
The
cases against Imran Khan include charges of corruption, terrorism, contempt of
courts, rioting and even blasphemy.
Khan
also faces “terrorism” charges over a speech against his political opponents
and police and judicial officials. In his speech, he named a female judge who
had ordered the arrest of one of his close aides.
The
statement against the judge led to a “terrorism” charge against Khan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/imran-khan-brought-terrorists-to-pakistan-from-afghanistan-says-fm-bilawal/
--------
Skyrocketing
inflation challenges age-old charity traditions
Aamir
Shafaat Khan
March
30, 2023
KARACHI:
Commodity traders claim sale of various food items used for preparing ration
packs has remained highly subdued this Ramazan as compared to the last year due
to skyrocketing prices and shrinking purchasing power of the people.
There
is a tradition that people prepare ration packets and distribute them among the
needy especially during Ramazan.
However,
inflated electricity bills, gas tariff and rising petroleum prices are not
allowing a large number of people to take the good step in helping out the poor
this year.
A
commodity trader at Jodia Bazaar, Shakeel Ahmed, said the sale of various items
like pulses, rice, sugar, etc, was now 60 per cent lower than last year.
Similarly, the sale of other items like ghee and cooking oil, tea, flour, etc,
also remained below expectations.
Distribution
of ration bags among the needy severely affected by increased cost of
commodities this year
“When
a person himself is facing a problem in arranging food for his own family due
to the meteoric rise in commodity prices, then how could he arrange ration bags
for the others,” he asked.
Mr
Shakeel said people were worried about rising political and economic crises in
the country due to unpredictable situation. “As a result, they are cautiously
spending. Those who had arranged food items for preparing 100 bags last year
have procured commodities to make only 30-40 bags,” the trader said.
The
price range of ration bags usually hovers between Rs4,000-8,000 but this year
people prefer a Rs4,000-5,000 bag due to rising cost of living, he said.
Mr
Shakeel said the wholesale rates were almost double this year from the last
year which was making it difficult for the people to distribute handouts.
Commodity
rates
Giving
some wholesale rates, he said super quality basmati rice carried the price tag
of Rs370-380 per kg followed by flour Rs140-160 per kg, sugar at Rs110 per kg,
moong dal at Rs245-260 per kg, masoor Rs240-245 per kg, mash Rs400 per kg,
black gram Rs180-185 per kg, white gram Rs295-370 per kg, medium range basmati
cost Rs350-300 per kg while good quality rice cost Rs 350per kg or more.
The
price of good quality ghee and cooking oil ranges between Rs550-680 per
kg/litre from Rs400-490 last year. Sugar sells at Rs110-120 per kg as compared
to Rs83-95 per kg last year.
A
good quality tea pack (less than 250 grams) now sells at Rs413-558 as compared
to Rs250-260.
One
kilo wheat flour now sells at Rs140-160 as compared to Rs65-75 per kg last
year.
“Purchasing
of various items usually kicks off from 15th of Shaban till the first week of
Ramazan, but this year the market lacked the hustle and bustle of buyers
compared to the last year,” Mr Shakeel said, adding that there was hardly any
item whose price had fallen from last year.
Commodity
trader/exporter Faisal Anis Majeed said the price of a ration pack of Rs2,500
last year had now surged to Rs5,000.
In
case a buyer has kept a fixed amount of Rs50,000 for making ration bags, then
he has to compromise on preparing a less number of bags this year or reduce the
quantity of items, he said, adding that “the sale of commodities to the
consumers have dropped by at least 50 per cent than last year”.
General
Secretary of the Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG) Farid Qureishi said his
permanent customers had reduced the number of ration bags to 30-40 from 50 bags
last year, while some buyers, who used to make 100 bags, had ordered just 50
bags.
For
charity distribution in the holy month, the total price of one bag is Rs4,000
(containing flour, sugar, rice, pulses, tea, salt, oil and ghee, gram pulse and
vermicelli) while another bag carries a price of Rs6,000 with some additional
items, he said.
Mr
Farid said the hefty jump in gold rates over the last one year had also
increased the zakat amount, which is given each year to the deserving as per
religious obligation.
Public
Relations Director of the Alamgir Welfare Trust International Shakeel Dehalvi
said that this year the funding graph from the people was down by 50pc than
last year due to a record high prices of various food items.
A
ration bag supplier said: “I cannot give you a specific percentage but the volume
of ration bags supply has drastically declined this year.”
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1744883/skyrocketing-inflation-challenges-age-old-charity-traditions
--------
Progress
made on financing pledges from friendly countries, Senate panel told
KhaleeqKiani
March
30, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
The government on Wednesday said to have achieved ‘progress’ in external
financing from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates direly needed to reach
a staff-level agreement (SLA) with International Monetary Fund (IMF) that has
been in limbo since Feb 9.
The
statement came from Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Dr Aisha Ghaus
Pasha before a parliamentary panel on a day UAE’s ambassador in Islamabad Hamad
Obaid Ibrahim Salim Al-Zaabi met Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and expressed UAE’s
interest “in augmenting and furthering investment in various sectors of the
economy of Pakistan”.
Simultaneously,
the foreign exchange association of Pakistan said billions of dollars could be
diverted to the system provided unnecessary controls and documentation were
eased and unofficial outflows to Afghanistan were contained.
Testifying
before the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and later talking to
journalists, Dr Pasha said “there has been some progress from Saudi Arabia and
UAE on external financing” — the only pending thing after the completion of
technical negotiations.
Deal
with IMF will be signed shortly after verification, says state minister
Pakistan
and the IMF Staff Mission had completed physical talks on Feb 9 for the
conclusion of the 9th review of the $7bn extended fund facility that had gone
off track since September last year.
“There
are some indications that something is coming very shortly and the matters with
IMF are close to settlement as the Fund had been looking for commitments from
the brotherly countries. There has been some progress on that,” she reiterated
without elaborating but added that a trust deficit had been delaying the SLA
with IMF.
Responding
to a question, she said Pakistan’s external financing needs were higher but
support from friendly countries followed by the IMF tranche would unblock flows
from other multilateral agencies and the matters would move forward towards
normalcy.
The
meeting presided over by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla was told by Exchange
Companies Association of Pakistan Chairman Malik Bostan that unnecessary
controls were the key reason for exchange rate instability. He said that if
policies are revised and restrictions are relaxed keeping in view the current
economic situation, rate stability could be achieved.
He
said the central bank should allow deposits of up to $10,000 without
verification as people diverted their resources to the black market. He said
the exchange companies brought $4bn last year and can bring $1bn every month.
Dr
Pasha told the committee that all the prerequisite actions have been taken for
the release of the $1.1bn tranche, the only touch point is external financing
which is being verified by the IMF from China, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
She
said all three friendly countries had extended full support in this regard.
However, the verification is still pending which will be done shortly after the
IMF deal will be finalised.
Petrol
subsidy
Answering
a query about the petrol subsidy scheme, she said it had not yet been put into
practice and a plan was being worked out. She said the IMF opposed indirect
subsidies but the petrol subsidy had not been discussed with the fund.
She
said the government would not provide any subsidy but once the scheme is
finalised and it meets the IMF parameters through cross-subsidisation, the fund
may not have any objections.
Senator
Farooq Naek suggested that there should be a proper regular programme on food
subsidies for the lower middle class to absorb inflationary impacts instead of
providing free food that encouraged behaviours of beggary.
Banking
scam
On
the question of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) investigations into a banking scam
alleging extra US dollar rates charged by banks from customers for the opening
of letters of credit (LCs). Officials of SBP informed the committee that the
investigation has been concluded and SBP was in deliberations with Finance
Division to determine whether the action should be on the fiscal end or
regulatory. The SBP representatives assured the committee that action will be
taken soon. The committee directed the SBP to submit its report on the matter
within two weeks.
The
chairman of the committee inquired about the current situation of LCs being
opened by banks and claimed that plenty of complaints had been received in
which banks had refused to make payments even after the opening of LCs.
Officials of SBP claimed the central bank was monitoring the situation and
banks were being pushed to open LCs for all the necessary items.
Fake
pensioners
On
the matter of fake pensioners and further strategy to resolve the issue
briefing was taken by the Ministry of Finance. The committee was informed that
for transparency and to facilitate pensioners, the federal government has
introduced the Direct Credit System (DCS) scheme for resolving the issue of
fake pensioners.
In
this system, the amount is deposited directly in pensioners’ bank accounts
opened in any scheduled bank, including National Savings Centres for this
purpose. The committee was told that the total number of pensioners stood at
3.328 million. Out of which 71pc is on DCS while the remaining 29pc is being
operated manually.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Judiciary
under attack amid growing fascism: Imran
Mansoor
Malik
March
30, 2023
LAHORE:
PTI chief Imran Khan on Wednesday lashed out at the coalition government for
allegedly attempting to attack the Supreme Court, undermining its powers and
taking the country towards fascism by breaking into the homes of party workers
and social media activists.
“Cabal
of crooks attempts to attack the Supreme Court of Pakistan as well as undermine
its powers is being and will continue to be resisted by the people of
Pakistan,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
In
an earlier tweet, the former prime minister shared a screenshot of a passage
describing how Hitler’s Third Reich “was a police state characterised by
arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of political and ideological opponents in
concentration camps”.
Mr
Khan commented: “We seem to be heading towards a similar state of fascism the
way things are happening in Pakistan since last 10 months.”
He
said “unknown” people were breaking into homes of PTI workers and social media
teams, and “terrorising and even abducting” their family members if the person
being sought was not present at the time of the raid.
“Abductions,
custodial torture, multiple fake cases, total clampdown on media plus
harassment of journalists — this is the State of Pakistan today with no Rule of
Law & complete violation of Constitution,” he tweeted.
Later,
speaking to a delegation of retired session judges at his Zaman Park residence,
the PTI chairman predicted that his party would form the next government with a
full mandate and serve the country “without the need of any crutches”.
Insisting
that the PTI had never shied away from dialogue, he asserted that the
announcement of general elections should be the only agenda of a dialogue.
Judiciary
is ‘red line’
Meanwhile,
speaking to a delegation of former federal and provincial ministers and MPAs,
PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was
trying to limit the powers of the chief justice through constitutional
amendments, creating a clash between the judiciary and the parliament.
He
said a piece of legislation made without consulting the opposition “has no
status”.
Mr
Sharif also openly expressed anti-judiciary sentiments, Mr Elahi said, adding
that all this was happening at the behest of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.
“The
judicial reforms are actually a failed attempt to put pressure on the Supreme
Court. The ongoing session was called to bulldoze democracy,” he said.
The
former Punjab chief minister said the chief justice of Pakistan was the red
line of not only lawyers but the entire nation, which he said would not
tolerate any restrictions on the independence of the judiciary.
The
government could not impose its unconstitutional rules and regulations on the
Supreme Court, he said.
‘Nation
stands with SC’
Separately,
senior PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet on Wednesday that the entire
nation stood with the SC. “We will not be concerned with the affairs of the
judges, we will not allow the Supreme Court to be weakened and we will not
tolerate any attempt to influence their decisions,” he said.
He
asked the judiciary to leave the responsibility of implementing its decisions
to the people and they would do it accordingly.
Meanwhile,
PTI’s central Punjab president, Dr Yasmin Rashid, said in a statement that the
Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) “cruel face” had been exposed. She
alleged that the Nawaz and Zardari groups had always pressurised judges and got
decisions at will.
She
accused PDM leaders of blackmailing and operating through the “law of the
jungle”, violating basic human rights and abducting citizens. She said the
nation was standing behind the country’s judiciary.
She
said the current government had made the National Accountability Bureau
toothless and was now after the Supreme Court.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1744941/judiciary-under-attack-amid-growing-fascism-imran
--------
Census
concerns not addressed, MQM complains to PM
Syed
Irfan Raza
March
30, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
A delegation of the MuttahidaQaumi Movement on Wednesday called on Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif and complained that their concerns regarding the
ongoing census were not addressed.
According
a press release issued by the Prime Minister Office, MQM convener Khalid
Maqbool Siddiqui and Minister for Information Technology Syed Aminul Haque
recalled their demands regarding some ratifications in the census and expressed
displeasures that despite frequent complaints in the past, their concerns have
so far not been addressed.
The
prime minister again assured them that their demands would be met soon.
The
MQM delegation met the prime minister for a second time during the current
month on the same issue as Mr Sharif had on March 1 reportedly agreed to
address the party’s concerns regarding current digital census and decided to
extend the facility of self-enumeration till the completion of door-to-door population
census.
“Prime
Minister Sahib agreed to our demands that high-rise building in Karachi should
not be considered as one unit and the date of digital census should be
extended,” Mr Siddiqui had told Dawn after that meeting.
According
to the MQM, hundreds of thousands of housing units remained uncounted in
Karachi as the census symbol [Sheen-Meem] was written on the main gates of
high-rise buildings but not on the doors of each and every apartment in them.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1744937/census-concerns-not-addressed-mqm-complains-to-pm
--------
Mideast
Palestinian
children bear the scars of Israeli raids
MOHAMMED
NAJIB
March
30, 2023
RAMALLAH:
The excessive force used by the Israeli forces against civilians during
incursions into Palestinian territories has resulted in children living in
constant fear and anxiety, a report has said.
The
Defense for Children International Palestine movement has documented the
testimonies of youngsters in Jenin who have been traumatized by military
action.
The
movement said in its report that, in addition to violating the right to life of
17 children since the beginning of the year, the practices of the Israeli
forces had resulted in significant effects on other children.
This
had manifested itself in their behavior, thinking, and academic performance.
The violence they had witnessed had violated their rights guaranteed by
international law and threatened their psychological and social security, it
said.
Among
the 17 children killed since the beginning of this year, six were from Jenin.
Children
had been used as human shields. They were detained for long hours in their
homes which were used as military barracks and sniper and observation points
during the storming of the city and its camp. All of this greatly affected the
children, the report said.
A
17-year-old said: “While my colleague Mahmoud Al-Saadi, 17, and I were heading
to school in the morning, the Israeli army stormed the camp and started
shooting from all directions. He was killed.
“We
were planning together to graduate from school, go to university, and study
together, but all of that was shattered.”
A
16-year-old said: “The occupation’s raids into the camp have become routine.
“The
army enters at any time, so I can no longer leave the house. I am afraid of the
army’s raids while I am outside the home.”
Khaled
Quzmar, DCIP director, told Arab News that the Israeli army’s use of excessive
force had left Palestinian children with no sense of security and no confidence
in the future.
He
said: “Children live in the situation of hopelessness. For example, a child was
found in Dheisheh camp moving around with his will written on a piece of paper
in his pocket, because he was afraid that he would be in the wrong place at the
wrong time and might be killed.”
Quzmar
said that the 17 children killed by the Israeli army did not pose any security
threat to the soldiers. They were killed while carrying out daily tasks.
He
added that when a child returns to his classroom and finds a bouquet in the
place of a classmate killed by the Israeli army, it leaves a deep psychological
mark on them.
He
said that Palestinian children in the areas of repeated military action, such
as Jenin camp and Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem, needed psychological
support sessions because life had become worthless for them.
The
testimony of another 17-year-old read: “In every raid there are martyrs,
shootings, destroyed homes and property.
“Bullets
penetrated the walls of our house. Danger pursues me while I am in bed. When I
want to move inside the house, I must crawl on my stomach for fear of a sniper or
stray bullets.
“Death
is more merciful than this fear and anxiety. For more than a year, I have been
unable to sleep normally. Sometimes I wake up to the sound of bullets and
explosions, and other times I wake up due to nightmares. I no longer distinguish
between dreams and reality.”
A
15-year-old said: “[The camp] has become full of pictures of martyrs, and there
is a story and memories behind every martyr. From the window of the house, I
saw young men wounded by the occupation’s bullets left to bleed until they
died, and I also saw completely burned bodies of martyrs.
“The
occupation forces killed our teacher, Jawad Bawakna. He was the teacher closest
to us. He sent us energy and hope through his activities and constant movement,
full of vitality.
“He
had a great ability to support us psychologically in light of these conditions
in the camp.
“We
lost one of the most important sources of psychological support. The school has
become a painful memory for our loved ones, and we are trying to stay away from
it as much as possible.”
Israeli
armed forces surrounded a house during one of their incursions into the Jenin
camp. They took the man residing there away from his wife and two children,
Tolin, 2, and Misk, 1.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277936/middle-east
--------
FM:
Iran-Russia Defence Cooperation Not Posing Threat to Any Country
2023-March-29
The
Iranian foreign minister made the remarks upon his arrival at the Moscow
International Airport on Tuesday night and in a brief interview with reporters.
Referring
to the Iran-Russia ties, the top Iranian diplomat stated that Tehran assesses
the relations with Moscow as positive, adding that the volume of trade exchange
between the two countries has increased more than 3.5 times during the past 1.5
years.
Amir
Abdollahian went on to say that various cases of relations between the two
countries in the economic, commercial, political, cultural and tourism,
security and defense fields have been fully activated and both sides express
their satisfaction with the progress of relations in all these sectors in line
with the interests of the two nations.
"The
main focus of our discussions is the pursuit of bilateral issues. There are
many topics on our agenda that should be activated more than before. We will
also discuss regional and international issues, among the topics that can be
included in our common agenda is to focus on the crises that exist in the
region," Amir Abdollahian said while speaking about his upcoming meeting
with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
The
Iranian foreign minister also added that the window to the JCPOA negotiations
is still open and the talks on removing anti-Iran sanctions is another topic
that he is going to discuss with Lavrov.
"In
the new round of negotiations between Iran and the 4+1 that lasted for months
by my colleagues in Vienna, Russia played an important role, and our colleagues
in Russia continue their efforts to return all parties to their commitments,
and of course, one of the natural topics to discuss will be the JCPOA," he
stressed.
Answering
a question regarding the US concern over Iran-Russia defense cooperation, Amir
Abdollahian noted, "Of course, defense cooperation is one of the issues on
the joint agenda of Iran and Russia," adding, "Our cooperation will
not be against any side."
The
top Iranian diplomat also said that he is scheduled to hold a meeting with the members
of The Committee on International Affairs of the State Duma during his Moscow
visit.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Amir Abdollahian touched upon the US illegal sanctions, saying,
"US sanctions are considered a failed policy. This confession was also made
earlier by a senior American official."
Stating
that although the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that sanctions are economic
terrorist tools against nations, Tehran used the opportunity and managed the
situation for the benefit of the country's progress.
"We
believe that today's sanctions policy is ineffective, incorrect, and a
terrorist war against nations," he underlined.
In
relevant remarks last month, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kana'ani
said that the military cooperation between Iran and Russia is not directed
against any other party, adding that the West should look in the mirror before
hurling accusations at Tehran.
"Defense
ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation sit in the
framework of mutual interests of the two states and are not against any third
country," Kana'ani told Sputnik Persian.
The
senior diplomat stressed that the Western states should look in the mirror
before leveling allegations against Tehran.
Iran
and Russia have a long history of military cooperation which did not start
since the eruption of conflict in Ukraine, the spokesperson added.
Those
who are regularly waging propaganda against Iran and wrongly accuse it of
supporting Russia during the Ukraine conflict should "take a look at the
volume of their arms shipments" to the one side of the conflict, Kana'ani
highlighted.
Measures
of the countries that are exporting arms worth tens of billions of dollars to
the one side of the conflict are not helping to end the war, he said, adding,
these states do not seek a "political approach" to put an end to the
war.
Iran
put efforts since the start of the conflict to find a political solution to end
the war, the top diplomat continued.
Iran
and Ukraine have a history of friendly relations, he noted, adding that the
level of ties has decreased since last year due to the situation in Ukraine and
Western countries' political pressures on Kiev.
"Relations
between Iran and Russia are based on the political will of the leaders of the
two countries," Kana'ani said.
Iran
and Russian enjoy great, joint, and complementary economic capacities, the
spokesman said, adding that the bilateral cooperation is expanding in various
areas such as economy, industry, energy, and transportation, for the benefit of
the two nations.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020109000302/FM-Iran-Rssia-Defense-Cperain-N-Psing-Threa-Any-Cnry
--------
Israel
should be held accountable for Al-Aqsa incursions: Royal Committee for
Jerusalem Affairs
March
29, 2023
AMMAN:
Israel should be held accountable for its “criminal incursions” into Al-Aqsa
Mosque, according to Royal Committee for Jerusalem Affairs Secretary-General
Abdullah Kanaan.
In
an interview with the Jordan News Agency on Wednesday, Kanaan said that daily
incursions into the mosque are part of Israel’s growing attacks in Jerusalem
and occupied Palestine.
Israeli
policy reveals the “true face of its extreme right-wing government,” he said,
adding that Tel Aviv’s leadership, programs and alliances are aimed at dividing
Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Kanaan
called for urgent international intervention to protect Palestinian people, and
their rights to worship and self-determination.
“If
Israel wants peace, it must urgently stop all its violations, abide by all
international resolutions related to Palestine, and avoid tampering with
Jerusalem’s existing historical situation,” he said.
The
Jordan-run Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem is the only body with
exclusive authority to manage Al-Aqsa Mosque affairs, Kanaan said.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277871/middle-east
--------
Israel
offers hope of airport link to 2m Gaza residents
MOHAMMED
NAJIB
March
29, 2023
RAMALLAH:
Israel is considering allowing 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip to use
Ramon Airport in the Negev desert, which is due to be officially opened to
Palestinians from the West Bank from Saturday.
Israeli
sources told Arab News that the US pressured Israel during the last Sharm
El-Sheikh summit on March 19 to permit Palestinians to use the airport, located
near the Red Sea resort city of Eilat.
Twice-weekly
flights from the airport on Mondays and Thursdays will operate to destinations
in Turkiye and will be limited to West Bank families. Men above 40 who hold a
Palestinian passport will be allowed to pass through the airport.
If
agreed, it will be a significant boon for Gazans who currently have to cross
the Rafah land border and drive four hours through the Sinai desert to Cairo
airport, their only connection with the outside world.
An
official request has been submitted to Shin Bet to enable Gazans to pass
through Ramon, and a senior Israeli source who asked not to be named told Arab
News that the security agency is almost certain to agree.
Israel
bombed and destroyed Gaza International Airport in December 2001.
A
Palestinian politician from Gaza, who declined to be named, told Arab News that
residents “need any solution” to the travel problem.
“According
to the Oslo agreement, Palestinians should be able to travel through any
Israeli airport and crossing they wish,” he said.
Jamal
Zaqout, a political analyst from Gaza, told Arab News that “the time has come
to lift the blockade completely on the Gaza Strip, and to establish a single
authority that defends the interests of its residents in their movement through
crossings and airports, their livelihood, and the rest of their lives.”
Israel
opened Ramon Airport to Palestinian travelers from the West Bank in August last
year, but backtracked following pressure from Jordan shortly before the Israeli
elections three months later.
Officials
described the two flights taking West Bank Palestinians to Istanbul and Antalya
as “historic, unprecedented and a dream come true.”
Jordan
opposed Ramon’s operation because it feared Palestinians from the West Bank
would stop using Queen Alia International Airport, near Amman, resulting in a
substantial financial loss.
According
to Palestinian sources, Turkiye’s Pegasus Airlines suspended flights from Ramon
after being told by Jordanian authorities that its fleet would not be welcome in
Jordan if it continued to operate flights from the airport.
Other
airlines are believed to have been invited to fill the vacuum left by Pegasus’
departure.
At
the last Sharm El-Sheikh summit, the US called for travel facilities, including
Ramon Airport and the Allenby bridge crossing spanning the Jordan River, to be
made available to Palestinians from April.
Jordanian
authorities collect up to $14 million annually from Palestinians entering the
country and stand to lose a substantial portion of that money if large numbers
begin to use Ramon Airport.
Jordan
earlier said the airport’s establishment violated its airspace and
international law. In 2019, Jordan submitted an official complaint to the
International Civil Aviation Organization.
Israel
opened the airport, which is 340 km from Jerusalem and the second largest in
the country after Ben Gurion, in 2019 at a cost of $500 million.
With
no airport in the West Bank, Queen Alia airport in Jordan remains the main
gateway to the world for Palestinians, including President Mahmoud Abbas.
However,
the Palestinian Authority has rejected the idea of Palestinians traveling
through Ramon Airport, saying it is a sovereign matter and that no
consultations have taken place.
Meanwhile,
on Wednesday, Israel allowed dozens of residents from the Gaza Strip to pray at
Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during Ramadan — a first since 2016 when the
program was suspended.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277866/middle-east
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Hundreds
flee fighting in Yemen’s Marib province
SAEED
AL-BATATI
March
29, 2023
AL-MUKALLA:
Hundreds of Yemenis have been forced from their homes in the central province
of Marib as the Houthis continued to attack government troops, according to the
UN International Organization for Migration.
Fighting
has raged between Yemeni forces and the Houthis over the last 10 days in the
Harib district, south of Marib, and Merkhah Al-Ulya area, in the southern
province of Shabwa, leaving scores of fighters dead or injured.
Between
March 19 and 25, the IOM reported that 235 families (1,410 people) had been
displaced in Marib, Hodeidah, and Taiz, while 2,030 families (12,180 people)
had been relocated to different Yemeni provinces since January.
A
UN-brokered truce that came into force in April last year resulted in a major
decrease in hostilities in battlefields around the country, particularly in
Marib, as well as a significant fall in internal displacements and civilian
deaths.
But
recent Houthi strikes against government troops in Harib, and for the first
time in a year attacks on loyalists, in Merkhah Al-Ulya, have shattered hopes
of a peace pact to end the conflict.
The
government’s Shabwa Defense Forces said on Tuesday that they had repulsed a
Houthi assault in Merkhah Al-Ulya and shot down a militia drone.
Meanwhile,
Yemeni government officials and the Houthis have said that they would begin
exchanging hundreds of captives on April 11 in a three-day operation that would
be carried out by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Both
sides agreed during the last round of prisoner-swap talks, that ended on March
20 in Switzerland, to exchange 887 detainees during the holy month of Ramadan.
Under
the deal, the Yemeni government would hand over 706 Houthi prisoners for 181
government ones, including a former defense minister and four journalists
condemned to death by the Houthis, and 19 coalition prisoners.
Majed
Fadhail, deputy minister of human rights and a member of the government’s
delegation, told Arab News that on the first day, an ICRC aircraft would
transport Yemeni government prisoners, including Defense Minister Mahmoud
Al-Subaihi and the former president’s brother Nasser Mansour Hadi, from the
Houthi-held Sanaa airport to Aden, before returning to Sanaa with Houthi
prisoners.
On
the second day, a plane would take captives of the Arab coalition from Sanaa to
Saudi Arabia.
And
on the final day, an aircraft would transport further government captives,
including the four journalists, to Marib city before returning to Sanaa with
Houthi inmates.
Abdulkader
Al-Murtada, head of the Houthis’ prisoner exchange committee, said this week
that they and the Yemeni government delegation had agreed to create committees
that would visit prisons in Sanaa and Marib and that a fresh round of
prisoner-swap talks would begin in May.
Al-Murtada
added that the process would last three days, and that the ICRC would charter
prisoners from Sanaa airport to airports in Aden, Riyadh, and Marib.
Separately,
Yemeni officials and rights groups said the Houthis had increased their assault
on inhabitants of the old city of Ibb who had participated in a rare
anti-militia rally.
Activists
on social media shared images of at least seven individuals recently kidnapped
by the Houthis for attending the burial of a famous internet activist in Ibb
and said that the Houthis were continuing to deploy military personnel and
search properties in and around Ibb.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277856/middle-east
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GCC
secretary-general condemns Israeli settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
RASHID
HASSAN
March
29, 2023
RIYADH:
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi has
condemned in the strongest terms Israeli settlers’ storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque,
under the protection of the Israel Defense Forces.
Albudaiwi
underlined that the Israeli aggression during Ramadan constitutes a dangerous
escalation, flagrant violation of international law and relevant resolutions,
and the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, as
well as a provocation to Muslims worldwide.
The
GCC secretary-general called on the international community to immediately
intervene to stop the violations and intensify efforts to push the peace
process forward, stressing the GCC’s unaltered position, which places the
Palestinian cause on top of its priorities and calls for the establishment of
an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967 border lines, with East
Jerusalem as its capital.
Saudi
Arabia also condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers.
The
Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement, saying: “The Ministry
of Foreign Affairs expresses Saudi Arabia’s condemnation and rejection of the
blatant storming carried out by Israeli settlers into the courtyards of Al-Aqsa
Mosque, amid the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, stressing that
these practices undermine peace efforts and violate international principles
and norms regarding respect for religious sanctities.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2277791/middle-east
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Southeast Asia
PM
Anwar breaks fast, leads prayers with Hainan’s Muslim representatives
29
Mar 2023
HAINAN,
March 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today spent time mingling
and breaking fast with the local Muslim community representatives as well as
the Malaysian delegation that participated in the ‘Boao Forum for Asia’ annual
conference (BFA 2023), here.
At
the event, Anwar also led the Maghrib prayers and performed the Tarawih prayers
at the Boao Golden Coast Hotel.
A
representative of the local Muslim community, Chen Yijiang, said he had lived
in Malaysia for 10 years and was happy to meet and break fast with the prime
minister.
Chen
who is the imam of the Nankai Mosque in Tianya district hoped Anwar’s visit
will further strengthen the relationship between Malaysia and China.
The
prime minister arrived on a special plane this evening to attend the BFA 2023
which also marked the beginning of his four-day official visit to China.
Source:
MalayMail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Muslim
community groups relieved after rush to prepare congregational prayers at void
decks
Jean
Iau
MAR
29, 2023
SINGAPORE
- More than a month before Ramadan, residents of Marine Drive messaged the
chairman of their qaryah, or community group, to ask if they had obtained the
green light to hold their congregational tarawih prayers at void decks.
Owing
to the Covid-19 pandemic, these community prayers had been put on hold since
2019, and Mr Mohamed Fawzi Mohamed Nasir, chairman of Qaryah Marine Drive, had
no answers for them till just days before Ramadan. Tarawih prayers are special
prayers which Muslims perform only during the fasting month.
“(There
were) lots of questions, lots of worries. The residents kept asking me what was
happening,” he told the media during a break fast event at Masjid Khalid in Joo
Chiat on Wednesday.
But
following a discussion with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis),
a decision was made to allow his qaryah’s prayers to go ahead.
Then
came the scramble to prepare the venues located at Block 15A Marine Terrace and
Block 60 Marine Drive. But it was worth it, said Mr Fawzi, who added: “I felt
peace looking at everyone’s faces. They were happy, and for me, I felt peace
that (I) have done (my) part.”
It
was a similar situation for the tarawih prayers at Link House Block 732
Woodlands Circle.
Qaryah
19 (Woodlands Circle) member Muhd Shafiq Arifin An-Nur said it was all hands on
deck after the group, which sees about 800 to 900 congregants turn up for
prayers each night, was given three days to set up before Ramadan.
“It
was very rushed, and most of (the qaryah members) took urgent leave from work
because they had to set up the location, (and) put up fans and tables,” he
said.
Both
men’s qaryahs and others were praised by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K.
Shanmugam on Wednesday at Masjid Khalid for the work they do in the community.
“Coming together today, breaking fast with them, with all the qaryah groups,
and discussing the issues, is a way of us telling them that we support them,
and showing our support for them,” he said.
During
a question-and-answer session with the 120 guests, which included Minister for
Social and Family Development MasagosZulkifli, Minister of State for Home
Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and other MPs from
the Muslim community, Mr Shanmugam reaffirmed the Government’s support for
qaryahs.
Asked
what the plans were for these community groups in 2024, and if they would be
allowed to hold their tarawih prayers as they did before the pandemic, Mr
Shanmugam said Muis must be consulted for religious matters.
Source:StraitsTimes
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Two
Tahfiz students share experience of becoming imam in Orang Asli village
29-03-
2023
KAMPAR:
Two Tahfiz students regarded their experience becoming an imam (prayer leader)
as challenging and gainful.
The
two students, Muhammad Adzfar Zikri Mastor, 17, and Amirul Haziq Faizul, 19,
from MaahadTahfiz Al Quran Addin, were selected to serve as the imam at the
Al-Hasanah Mosque in the Orang Asli Sungai village of Sungai Gapes, Sahom, for
the Ramadan month.
According
to Muhammad Adzfar, who is from Lumut, he was the imam for only a few days, but
the experience was astonishing as it was the first time he was in an Orang Asli
village.
“When
I arrived at the village on the first day of Ramadan, I felt that the
atmosphere is different from other villages. The place is peaceful and the
scenery is beautiful,“ said the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia candidate when met by
Bernama at the surau.
The
youngest of six siblings said he was happy to be given the opportunity to take
turns with Amirul Haziq to lead the congregational and tarawih prayers in an
Orang Asli village.
“I
used to be an imam too during Ramadan, but in previous years it was at
residential parks and in the big towns,” he added.
Amirul
Haziq, who is from Batu Gajah, said he was a bit nervous and hesitant when he
was told that he would be an imam in an Orang Asli village, but his perception
of the village changed when he arrived there a few days ago.
“When
I arrived in the village and met the people, I found that the situation in this
village is calm and serene. The people here are also nice and friendly. After a
while I can get used to it,“ he said.
The
eldest of three siblings said this was the fourth time he was chosen to be Imam
during Ramadan and described being placed in an Orang Asli settlement as quite
challenging.
Source:TheSunDaily
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of the original story:
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/history-muslims-taraweeh-prayers-new-york-square/d/129447
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