Lollywood, Maulviwood, Hollywood—Pakistani actor attacked for Bushra Bibi Halloween costume
New
Age Islam News Bureau
03
November 2022
Yawar
Iqbal as Bushra Bibi for Halloween | Yawar Iqbal/Instagram
-----------
• Taliban-Carrying Bus
Explosion in Afghan Capital Injures 7 People
•
140 civilian homes demolished by YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria
•
Palestinians fear a Netanyahu win in Israeli election could lead to more
violence
•
Mumbai Police register FIR against 4 Muslim clerics for 'hurting religious
sentiments'
•
China, Pakistan express opposition to 'politicisation' of counter-terrorism
issue
•
Ethiopia warring parties agree to cease hostilities
•
Religious accommodations for Sikhs in Marine Corps backed by Muslim, Jewish
groups
•
Briton who petrol bombed migrant center ‘posted anti-Muslim rants online’:
Metro
Pakistan
•
Pakistan ambassador calls for deeper trade ties with US
•
Christian community wants Islamabad LG polls postponed due to Christmas
•
Taliban militants claim responsibility for 43 attacks in Pakistan
•
Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister visits Ahmed Al-Fateh Islamic Centre
•
Four years on, provinces failed to protect rights of transgenders: Federal
Sharia Court
•
Pak minister claims Imran Khan is inviting martial law
•
Pakistan seeks explanation on Russian lawmaker's nukes claim
•
Pakistanis named among 'The World's Most Influential 500 Muslims'
•
Award in Reko Diq case a ‘nuclear bomb’: SC judge
•
Islamabad police seek ‘armed units’ to protect anti-riot personnel during long
march
•
ATC acquits six MQM leaders in three cases of listening to Altaf’s speeches
•
Imran Khan wants appointment of new COAS on merit
--------
South Asia
•
UNAMA Records Over 200 Reporter Human Rights Abuses Since Taliban Took Control
•
Journalists Safety Committee Reacts to Afghan TV Channel Shut Down
•
'Afghanistan Is Hell': Supporters Of Late Afghan General Claim Taliban
Killings, Persecution
--------
Arab World
•
In Bahrain, pope's message may get caught in Shi'ite-Sunni Muslim divide
•
Iran says report about Iranian threats against Saudi Arabia a ‘baseless
accusation’
•
Arab summit supports Palestinians, calls for political solution in Syria
•
Arab League: Officials push for joint Arab action to tackle current challenges
•
Syria backs ally Iran amid ‘attack’: Foreign minister
•
Indonesian President Joko Widodo wins Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace Award
•
Forthcoming elections solely aimed at strengthening tyranny in Bahrain,
prominent Shia cleric says
•
Saudi Arabia intensifies targeting dissidents in US using Israeli spyware
•
Iraq's new PM hopes to continue hosting Iran-Saudi Arabia fence-mending talks
•
Saudi dissidents targeted in US, other Western countries amid crackdown: Report
•
Britain’s 1917 Balfour Declaration to blame for Israeli crimes in Palestine:
Syria
--------
Mideast
•
Iran sanctions several Canadian officials, entity over 'terror support'
•
Erdogan says he wants to maintain Israel ties regardless of election outcome
•
Russia tells Iran Western media trying to stir Gulf tensions
•
Khamenei accuses West of manipulating Amini protests
•
Iran's Leader: US Surly to Pay Price for Assassination of Gen. Soleimani
•
Israeli troops kill Palestinian man who drove van into solider
•
Iranian Speaker Underlines US Harms to International Community
•
Analysis: Arabs view revived Netanyahu with concern but as balance against Iran
•
Anger in Iran at ‘forced confession’ of jailed rapper
•
Iran to send team to Austria to discuss nuclear work with IAEA
•
Turkey says Russia concerned over security, exports in grain deal
•
Iran police to probe video of officers beating man: Reports
•
Yemen security forces bust Houthi cell in Shabwa
•
Palestinian prisoner’s wife says they aren’t allowed to meet; tactic to
'demoralize prisoners'
--------
India
•
Supreme Court affirms death penalty of LeT terrorist in 2000 Red Fort attack case
•
In First, Gujarat High Court Quashes FIR Under 'Anti-Love Jihad Law'
•
Muslims Face Terror Charges in India’s Assam for Setting up Museum
•
After Nov 15, UP govt to take a call on 8K ‘unauthorised’ madrasas
•
7 Kerala VCs move court against governor’s notice
•
Uttar Pradesh: Girl hangs self hours after kin 'beat' Muslim beau to death in
Saharanpur
•
Kodathi Vilakku and Muslim munsiff connection
•
Rishi Raj and after: Liberal fallacy of connecting India’s plurality with a
Muslim Prime Minister
•
China, Pakistan claim ‘politicisation’ of terror issue, rake up Kashmir
--------
Southeast Asia
•
'I am deeply concerned about security of Chinese people in Pakistan,' Xi tells
Sharif
•
Landmark book on Muslim family law launched
•
Indonesia, Muslim World League hold first-ever G20 religion forum
•
GE15: Candidates, party leaders, workers prohibited from taking over as imam
and khatib in Perak, says state Islamic Religious Dept
•
VP Amin, ADFP discuss collaboration in promoting moderate Islam
•
GTA fields Islamist hardliner and former Ummah, Isma leader Aminuddin Yahaya in
Temerloh
•
Malaysian Christians urged to vote responsibly
•
Dr Mahathir: GTA will free government from yoke of criminals
--------
Africa
•
Gunmen kidnap 21 children from farm in Nigeria
•
4, including paramedics, abducted by suspected al-Shabaab terrorists in Kenya
•
US targets weapons trafficking with sanctions on Islamic State in Somalia
•
Ethiopian government, Tigray rebels sign cease-fire deal ending 2-year war
•
Ohanaeze kicks as Miyetti Allah demands creation of ministry of nomadic affairs
•
Heat and tremors: Survivors of Somalia's deadly car bombings narrate harrowing
stories
--------
North America
•
US to act unilaterally against terrorist threats from Afghanistan
•
US moves to remove ‘unfit’ Iran from UN women's commission
--------
Europe
•
UK: Muslim students launch campaign to disaffiliate from NUS after Shaima
Dallali sacking
•
Is Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s elevation dividing British Muslims?
•
Czech Republic to close its embassy in Afghan capital
•
British Prime Minister Sunak pivots to attend UN Climate Change Conference in
Egypt
•
German chancellor praises Türkiye's efforts to keep Ukraine grain deal in force
•
British army veteran Shareef Amin nicknamed ‘Rambo’ after surviving Russian
attack in Ukraine
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
--------
Lollywood,
Maulviwood, Hollywood—Pakistani actor attacked for Bushra Bibi Halloween
costume
GAURVI
NARANG
2
November, 2022
Yawar
Iqbal as Bushra Bibi for Halloween | Yawar Iqbal/Instagram
-----------
New
Delhi: A Pakistani actor has caused a stir over his choice of costume for
Halloween. Yawar Iqbal has drawn flak for dressing up as Bushra Bibi—former
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s third and current wife. Criticism has been swift
and intense, bringing the hijab back into focus.
As
calls for apologies grow louder, the actor has now made his Instagram account
private and removed his profile photo.
But
‘damage’ has been done. Images of Iqbal in an all-white ensemble, channelling
the former First Lady of Pakistan, is now a meme of choice on social media.
His
costume has sparked massive outrage and angered various factions in the
country. Some have called him out for being ‘disrespectful’ to Bushra Bibi,
while others have accused him of mocking the hijab. Many have called his outfit
‘anti-feminist’ and accused him of “ridiculing” a woman’s personal style of
dressing.
Actor
Areeba Habib unwittingly stepped into the controversy by sharing a picture of
Iqbal in his Halloween get-up on social media.
Lollywood,
Maulviwood, Hollywood
Yawar
Iqbal’s costume was quite convincing. He wore a white hijab, abaya and niqab
and completed his look with a handbag and a pair of sunglasses.
In
the viral Instagram picture, he was seen posing with producer Asad ul-Haq and
his wife, Farah. He captioned it, “Lollywood, Maulviwood and Hollywood.”
Iqbal
soon posted another selfie with his stylist Tabesh Ali Khoja, captioned ‘Pinky
and me’. ‘Pinky’ is a nickname Pakistani media often uses for Bushra Bibi.
Pakistani
celebrities in soup
It
isn’t just Iqbal—all those responsible for helping the actor put his look
together, or resharing it on social media handles, have been caught in the
crossfire.
Nabila
salon, a high-end beauty parlour responsible for the actor’s makeup, is being
criticised for creating this look and for “making fun of the Hijab.” Some are
even urging people to boycott their business.
Areeba
Habib, a Pakistani model and television actor, was also criticised for sharing
Iqbal’s viral look on her Instagram story. She was condemned for supporting
“such a frivolous sense of humour”. Habib shared a brief public apology post
the backlash, attributing her misjudgment to ‘human error’ and ‘ignorance.’
While reiterating her respect for Islam and the hijab, Habib said she only
wanted to appreciate the designer and makeup artist.
Meanwhile,
some Twitter users are quoting Iqbal’s example to comment on how celebrities
and the country’s elite are “touching new lows.”
Source:ThePrint
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Taliban-Carrying
Bus Explosion in Afghan Capital Injures 7 People
By
Saqalain Eqbal
November
2, 2022
Seven
people were injured by a blast that struck a bus carrying Taliban
administration personnel in Kabul, the Afghan capital, on Wednesday morning,
according to Taliban security officials.
--------------
The
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development employees were traveling in a
transport vehicle when it was targeted in an explosion in Kabul city’s police
district 5, according to Taliban Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran.
The
Taliban security official, Zadran, stated that the explosion in Kabul injured
at least 7 people, who are said to be the administrative employees of the
Taliban.
Khalid
Zadran further stated that the explosion that injured at least 7 people on
Wednesday, November 2, was caused by the detonation of a roadside mine.
No
group or organization has so far claimed responsibility for the explosion in
Kabul. However, the Khorasan branch of the ISIS terrorist group has claimed
responsibility for other recent similar explosions.
Five
medical staff working for Taliban security forces were slain last month in a
shooting attack on a vehicle in western Afghanistan, which the Islamic State
claimed responsibility for.
The
recent incidents show that the Taliban’s assertions that they have maintained
security in the country are futile, as the group itself suffered losses in the
recent explosions and attacks.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-carrying-bus-explosion-in-afghan-capital-injures-7-people-38458/
--------
140
civilian homes demolished by YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria
Ethem
Emre Özcan
02.11.2022
The
YPG/PKK terrorist group has demolished 140 civilian homes in al-Hasakah city’s
East Ghweran and al-Zuhour neighborhoods in northeast Syria, according to Human
Rights Watch (HRW).
The
New York-based rights group said YPG/PKK terrorists, who rebranded themselves
as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), raided several neighborhoods in the
period between Jan. 21 and Feb. 11 while “trying to capture fleeing detainees
and Daesh/ISIS fighters who attacked a nearby prison.”
HRW
said Daesh/ISIS terrorists attacked al-Sina’a prison in Ghweran neighborhood on
Jan. 20, sparking a 10-day battle with YPG/PKK terrorists, who were supported
by US and UK ground and air forces as part of a US-led coalition against
Daesh/ISIS.
“The
US provides the SDF with hundreds of millions of dollars in technical and
financial support,” the rights group said.
The
UN said its analysis of satellite imagery relating to 40 affected buildings in
neighborhoods near the prison revealed that some had been destroyed by
“military grade bulldozers.”
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a
terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for
the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The
YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Palestinians
fear a Netanyahu win in Israeli election could lead to more violence
02
November, 2022
Palestinians
clash with Israeli forces during a protest demanding Israel reopen closed roads
leading to Nablus, in Deir Sharaf, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, October
20, 2022. (Reuters)
-------------
The
prospect of Benjamin Netanyahu returning to power at the head of one of the
most right-wing coalitions in Israeli history has prompted concern among
Palestinians who said they feared it was a prelude to further escalation of
conflict with Israel.
Netanyahu’s
comeback in Tuesday’s election is set against the backdrop of the deadliest
spell of violence in years between Israel and the Palestinians, whose hopes of
statehood appear as distant as ever with Middle East peacemaking in the
doldrums.
More
than 100 Palestinians from the Israeli-occupied West Bank have been killed by
Israeli forces this year while a string of fatal street attacks by Palestinians
has killed 20 people in Israel and Israeli settlements.
Palestinian
officials in the West Bank and Gaza Strip said the ultra-nationalist complexion
of Netanyahu's likely alliance, including the firebrand Itamar Ben-Gvir, who
once advocated expelling Palestinians, prompted concern over further tension.
“No
doubt the result of such a coalition will increase the hostile attitude towards
the Palestinian people and make occupation measures more extreme,” Bassam
Salhe, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation
Organization, told Reuters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The
Palestinian group Hamas, which has fought several wars with Israel over the
last decade, predicted the results meant more potential violence.
“It
is clear that the Israelis are leaning towards more extremism, which also means
aggression against our people would increase,” Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem
told Reuters.
“Netanyahu-led
governments that launched several wars against our Palestinian people, and the
presence of the most extreme figures in a coalition means that we are going to
face more of the Zionist terrorism,” Qassem told Reuters.
“No
peace”
A
spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority
exercises limited autonomy over Palestinian towns and cities in the West Bank,
declined to comment on the preliminary election results, saying they would
await the final outcome.
While
negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and Israel have been at a
standstill, the sides have had contacts this year, with Abbas meeting Defense
Minister Benny Gantz to calm tensions and coordinate security measures.
In
September, Abbas welcomed Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s call for a two-state
solution as a “positive development.”
Netanyahu,
by contrast, has long opposed a Palestinian state.
Reham
Owda, a Palestinian political analyst in Gaza, said the peace process and the
Palestinian Authority, in particular, may be the prime loser of a Netanyahu
comeback, given his “personal enmity with ... Abbas and his opposition to the
two-state solution.”
“With
Netanyahu, the slogan will be, no peace, no two-state solution, more settlement
and the focus will be on Iran,” she told Reuters. “His biggest challenge will
be how to regain calm in the West Bank, face Palestinian escalating resistance,
and protect settlements and settlers.”
In
the latest West Bank violence, Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian man on
Wednesday after a suspected car-ramming attack at a checkpoint that left a
soldier severely injured, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.
Violence
also escalated in August in Gaza. At least 49 people including 17 children were
killed in 56 hours of fighting that started with what Israel described as
preemptive air strikes against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which fired
hundreds of missiles into Israel during the flare-up.
“The
Palestinian people will get nothing from this government except war,
destruction, killing, bloodshed, house demolition, razing of land and the
building of more settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people,” said
Youssef Khattab, a TV director in Gaza.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Mumbai
Police register FIR against 4 Muslim clerics for 'hurting religious sentiments'
November
02, 2022
The
Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against four Muslim clerics for allegedly
hurting sentiments of the Shia community, an official said on Wednesday.
Based
on a complaint by a Mumbai-based man, the JJ Marg police on Tuesday registered
the case against the four accused hailing from Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai and
Kashmir, he said.
"We
have registered the FIR after receiving multiple applications. We have asked
the complainant to submit the audio/video evidence. No arrest has been made so
far. We are conducting a probe into the case," the official from the J J
Marg police station said.
The
complainant claimed that one of the accused had in September supported a
Pakistan-based cleric as well as hurt the Shia community sentiments, the
official said.
The
complainant also charged the other three accused with hurting the religious
sentiments and speaking against the nation, he said.
The
FIR has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code Sections
153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race,
place of birth, residence, language, etc), 153-B (imputations, assertions
prejudicial to national integration) and 295 (injuring or defiling place of
worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), the official said.
Source:
TheWeek
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
China,
Pakistan express opposition to 'politicisation' of counter-terrorism issue
Nov
2, 2022
BEIJING:
China and Pakistan on Wednesday expressed their opposition to the
"politicisation" of the issue of counter-terrorism, days after India
indirectly hit out at them for blocking its efforts to blacklist Pakistan-based
key conspirators of the terror attacks on its soil who continue to remain
"protected and unpunished" there.
A
joint statement issued after wide-ranging talks between President Xi Jinping
and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif here, mentioned the Kashmir issue, saying the
two sides "emphasised the importance of resolving all outstanding disputes
through sincere dialogue."
"The
two sides condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and
expressed opposition to the politicisation of the issue of
counter-terrorism," the joint statement said.
China
reiterated that it recognised Pakistan's contributions and sacrifices in the
fight against terrorism. “The two sides agreed to further enhance
counter-terrorism cooperation to promote international peace and
security," it said.
Last
week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that when it comes to
sanctioning terrorists, the United Nations Security Council has been
"regrettably" unable to act in some cases because of "political
considerations", in an apparent swipe at China which has blocked the UNSC
sanction of Pakistan-based terrorists on several occasions.
In
October, China put a hold on a proposal by India and the US at the United
Nations to blacklist Pakistan-based militant Hafiz Talah Saeed, the son of
Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who is
already on UN's most wanted list.
It
was the second time in less than two days that Beijing put a hold on the bid
submitted by India and the US to designate a Pakistan-based terrorist as a
global terrorist.
China
placed a hold on the proposal by India and the US to designate Pakistan-based
Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood, 42, as a global terrorist under the 1267
Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.
This
was the fifth occasion in four months that China put a hold on listing
proposals to designate Pakistan-based terrorists under the 1267 Al Qaeda
Sanctions Committee regime.
While
there was no reference to the Kashmir issue in the lengthy statement issued by
China on Xi's meeting with Sharif earlier, it figured in the joint statement.
"The
two sides reiterated that a peaceful and prosperous South Asia is in the common
interest of all parties. They emphasized the importance of resolving all
outstanding disputes through sincere dialogue," the joint statement said.
"The
Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in Jammu &
Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a dispute left
from history that should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN
Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral
agreements," it added.
India
has previously rejected third party intervention on the Kashmir issue, saying
that matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are entirely
its internal affairs.
"Other
countries including China have no locus standi to comment. They should note
that India refrains from the public judgment of their internal issues,"
the Ministry of External Affairs had said in March this year.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Ethiopia
warring parties agree to cease hostilities
November
3, 2022
The
warring sides in Ethiopia announced on Wednesday an agreement to silence their
guns after two years of devastating conflict that have claimed thousands of
lives and left millions needing aid in Africa’s second most populous country.
The
surprise deal between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and Tigrayan rebels
was unveiled after little over a week of negotiations led by the African Union
in South Africa and was hailed by the UN and the US among others.
“We
have agreed to permanently silence the guns and end the two years of conflict
in northern Ethiopia,” the government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front
(TPLF) said in a joint statement after marathon talks.
The
breakthrough was announced by the African Union’s mediator, former Nigerian
president Olusegun Obasanjo, almost exactly two years to the day since the war
erupted in November 2020.
Read:
Ethiopian disarray
“Today
is the beginning of a new dawn for Ethiopia, for the Horn of Africa and indeed
for Africa as a whole,” he said.
“The
two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of
hostilities as well as the systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated
disarmament,” Obasanjo said at a briefing in Pretoria.
They
also agreed on a “restoration of law and order, restoration of services,
unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, protection of civilians … among
other areas of agreement”, he added.
It
was not immediately clear how the deal would be monitored to ensure it was
implemented, and there was no mention by Obasanjo of international and rebel
calls for Eritrea’s feared army to withdraw from the battlefield.
‘Welcome
first step’
Diplomatic
efforts to bring Abiy’s government and the TPLF to the negotiating table had
taken on renewed urgency after combat resumed in late August, torpedoing a
five-month truce that had allowed limited amounts of aid into war-stricken
Tigray.
The
talks were launched on Tuesday last week and were initially scheduled to run
until Sunday but were extended.
They
were the first formal dialogue between the two sides since the start of the
conflict that had raised concerns about the stability of Ethiopia and the
volatile Horn of Africa region.
UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres hailed Obasanjo’s announcement as “a welcome
first step” that could “bring some solace” to millions of suffering civilians,
his spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
Editorial:
Ethiopia conflict
The
United States also described it as an “important step towards peace”, with
State Department spokesman Ned Price hoping it would lead to a “durable
cessation of hostilities to set the stage for an end to human rights abuses and
atrocities”.
The
delegations in Pretoria said it was now up to both sides to honour the
agreement, while Abiy himself vowed a “strong” commitment to its
implementation.
The
head of the government team, Abiy’s national security adviser Redwan Hussein,
praised the sides for their “constructive engagement to allow the country to
put this tragic period of conflict behind us”.
Tigrayan
delegation chief Getachew Reda said they were ready to “implement and expedite
this agreement”, adding: “In order to address the pains of our people, we have
made concessions because we have to build trust.”
Dire
shortages
The
war has forced well over two million people from their homes, and according to
US estimates killed as many as half a million.
Despite
the peace process in Pretoria, intense fighting had continued unabated in
Tigray, where government troops backed by the Eritrean army and regional forces
waged artillery bombardments and air strikes, capturing a string of towns from
the rebels.
The
international community had voiced increasing alarm over the combat and the
toll among civilians caught in the crossfire.
Asked
about Eritrea, South Africa’s former vice president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who
was facilitating the negotiations, said only: “These two parties (Ethiopia’s
government and Tigrayan authorities) are not the only two groups that are
relevant for peace to happen in Ethiopia.
“So
we are entrusting them with the responsibility of going back home to socialise
this agreement … to ensure that many more people embrace this agreement.”
Tigray,
a region of six million people, has been under a communications blackout for
much of the conflict, lacking basic services and facing dire shortages of food,
fuel and medicines.
The
conflict erupted on November 4, 2020, when Nobel peace laureate Abiy sent
troops into Tigray after accusing the TPLF, the regional ruling party, of
attacking federal army camps.
The
fighting followed months of seething tensions between Abiy and the TPLF, which
had dominated the ruling coalition in Ethiopia for almost three decades before
he came to power in 2018.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1718617/ethiopia-warring-parties-agree-to-cease-hostilities
--------
Religious
accommodations for Sikhs in Marine Corps backed by Muslim, Jewish groups
By
Mark A. Kellner
November
2, 2022
Members
of the Sikh religion asking for Marine Corps accommodations for long hair and
turbans have gained new allies, including a former secretary of the Army.
Attorneys
representing three Sikh Marine Corp recruits — Jaskirat Singh, Aekash Singh and
Milaap Singh Chahal — filed an appellate brief as they wait for a ruling on
whether the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals will grant an injunction allowing
them to be inducted without having to cut their hair and shave their beards.
Muslim
and Jewish groups, as well as a retired Jewish Army chaplain and an
organization of Sikh Army veterans have filed friend-of-the-court briefs
supporting the Sikhs.
Wearing
uncut hair and beards are two ritual requirements of Sikhism, a religion that
has approximately 30 million adherents globally and an estimated 700,000
followers in the United States. Most males contain their hair in turbans.
Sikhs
who enlist in the Army, Navy and Air Force are able to obtain religious
exemptions for beards, long hair and turbans
The
Marines told the three they could have beards and long hair after completing
training, but the Sikhs and their advocates say the requirement not only
impinges on their religious free exercise, but also would cause them to violate
deeply held religious tenets.
Eric
Fanning, Army secretary under President Obama, was joined by two retired Amy
officers, Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling and Brig. Gen. R. Patrick Huston and retired
Air Force Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Kendall in a brief supporting the appeal.
The
four Pentagon veterans wrote, “Every other branch of the military has offered
Sikhs religious accommodations, resulting in a track record of remarkable
success, not disaster,” later adding, “the government’s claims of disruption
defy credulity.”
They
added, “Requiring a recruit to violate the tenets of his faith as a condition
of participating in recruit training undermines recruits from within,
withdrawing an important source of resilience when soldiers need it most. And
telling adherents of one faith — but not others — that they cannot obtain
comparable religious accommodations is no way to foster diversity or recruit a
highly skilled fighting force.”
Support
also came from the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the American Islamic
Congress, which also filed a brief supporting the Sikhs. The two organizations
asserted Marine Corps restrictions close off that avenue of military service
for Sikhs, Muslims, Jews and Native Americans.
“Forcing
religious minorities to make the impossible choice between duty to their
country and duty to their God causes immense — and irreparable — harm,” the
Muslim groups argued.
Other
briefs supporting the Sikh Marina recruits came from retired Army chaplain
Jacob Goldstein, who received a religious accommodation to keep his full-length
beard; the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty, the Anti-Defamation League
and the Interfaith Alliance; and the Sikh American Veterans Alliance and the
Women Veterans and Families Network.
•
Mark A. Kellner can be reached at mkellner@washingtontimes.com.
Source:
Washington Times
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2022/nov/2/religious-accommodations-sikhs-marine-corps-backed/
--------
Briton
who petrol bombed migrant center ‘posted anti-Muslim rants online’: Metro
November
02, 2022
LONDON:
The man police say petrol bombed an immigration facility in the UK on Sunday
appears to have been motivated by far-right causes based on his social media
posts, Metro reported.
Andrew
Leak threw homemade explosives over the wall of the Western Jet Foil center in
Dover. He was later found dead at a nearby petrol station.
Leak’s
Facebook posts may reveal his motives, though North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale
described the 66-year-old as suffering from “severe mental health
difficulties.”
An
investigation by counterterrorism police into the attack and Leak’s death has
been launched, but authorities have refused to comment on possible motives.
A
series of posts shared by Leak show a pattern of Islamophobia, racism and
invective against migrants in the UK.
On
Aug. 9, he posted: “The next time the job center sanctions your money for not
looking for enough work ask them about the thousands of people getting benefits
who cannot speak English and cannot write English. How are they looking for
work?
“Unemployment
benefits clearly state you cannot claim benefits if not looking for work. All
of these people should be excluded from benefits.
“You
can clearly not look for work if you cannot read English or speak English. They
are breaking the law, time to stand up.”
Another
post by Leak on July 24 said: “All Muslims are guilty of grooming, they never
spoke out because it wasn’t their daughters.
“They
only rape non-Muslims. That’s a religious hate crime.”
Leak
also appeared to dislike the royal family, with one post at the beginning of
the year criticizing the then Prince of Wales.
He
said: “Prince Charles says he’s going to house Ukrainian refugees in one of his
properties that belongs to the British people. What about soldiers and members
of the public sleeping in doorways?
“Disgrace.
End the royal family now.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2192466/world
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
ambassador calls for deeper trade ties with US
November
2, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Islamabad offered ideal conditions for American investors and entrepreneurs to
explore, invest and expand their businesses in Pakistan, Ambassador Masood Khan
told a delegation of young businessmen from Pakistan on a visit to the United
States.
In
this regard, the envoy cited factors such as a consumer market of 230 million,
a median age of 22, a fast-growing middle class, more than 110 million mobile
broadband subscribers, and a tech-savvy young human resource.
The
delegation is visiting the US on the Professional Fellows Programme
(Entrepreneurship) offered by the State Department in partnership with the
University of Oklahoma.
The
programme empowers, connects and supports the next generation of young
entrepreneurs from the four South Asian emerging economies — Pakistan, Bangladesh,
India and Sri Lanka — by providing them with the access and opportunity needed
to advance their careers.
The
fellows work with entrepreneurs in Oklahoma who focus on the same business
sectors as them and learn the best practices from each other. This year five
successful, creative, innovative youth entrepreneurs were selected from
Pakistan out of a total of 20 participants from four different countries.
In
his remarks to the delegation, Ambassador Khan described the entrepreneurs as
engines of growth, and with their talent
and expertise are the architects of the country’s bright future.”
He
congratulated young entrepreneurs on being selected for the programme and
getting an opportunity to represent the country on an international stage. He
also appreciated the utility of such exchange programmes and advised the
participants to use the opportunity as a platform to further strengthen their
networks and forge robust professional linkages.
While
highlighting the impressive performance of Pakistan’s exports to the US market,
he acknowledged that in the past 18 months, the Pakistan-based tech startups
alone have earned around $1.5 billion out of which 60 percent has been funded
by American venture capital firms.
Top
VC firms — such as Kleiner Perkins, Tiger Global Management and Sequoia Capital
— have started funding successful Pakistan startups at the pre-seed, seed and
incubation stages.
Khan
emphasised the need for a continued engagement between Pakistan and the United
States to further promote trade and investment as well as to enhance
cooperation in the health, agriculture and tech sectors.
Concerted
efforts were being made, he said, to create strong linkages at all levels
including government-to-government, business-to-business and most importantly people-to-people
contacts.
Responding
to the questions, the ambassador said that Pakistan is streamlining its tax
system to attract more tech startups, and also taking additional steps to build
tourism infrastructure sufficiently equipped to host foreign tourists.
He
also identified several business opportunities for entrepreneurs to link up
with their potential counterparts.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/11/02/pakistan-ambassador-calls-for-deeper-trade-ties-with-us/
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Christian
community wants Islamabad LG polls postponed due to Christmas
November
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Christian community of the federal capital has written a letter to the
chief election commissioner (CEC) to postpone local bodies elections in the
city as they will be coinciding with Christmas and will affect preparations for
the festival.
Manzoor
Masih, member minorities of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), in
the letter, stated that the NCHR’s vision was to see a progressive Pakistan
where human rights of all faiths, races and ethnicity were respected and
celebrated.
“Through
our dedicated team across Pakistan, NCHR is committed towards fulfilling its
mandate of promoting and protecting the human rights of all citizens. Being the
NCHR member minorities, I want to bring the concern of Christian residents of
Islamabad to your kind notice regarding the election of local government in
Islamabad Capital Territory being held on Dec 24. The day of polling is not
suitable for the Christian residents of Islamabad as majority of them will be
busy in preparation for Christmas,” he added.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Taliban
militants claim responsibility for 43 attacks in Pakistan
3
November, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], November 3 (ANI): The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
claimed responsibility for carrying out 43 attacks in 18 districts of Pakistan,
saying that most of the time it was either in retaliation or in defence,
according to the report published by TTP.
According
to the report, most of the attacks were carried out in Khyber Agency. In
Khyber, 9 attacks were taken out by militants, North Waziristan 6, Dera Ismail
Khan 4, Lakki Marwat: 4, Bajaur Agency: 3, South Waziristan: 2, Charsadda: 2,
Bannu: 2, and Peshawar: 2
In
addition to it one attack each was carried out in Karachi, Lahore, Kohat,
Chaman, Pishin, Tank, Nowshera, Karak, and Mardan.
Earlier,
the report issued by its media wing ” Umar Media”, claimed that overall 113
security personnel including 60 troops, 30 policemen, 19 FC, and 4 intelligence
agencies personnel were killed and injured. Five vehicles and 03 constructions
of security forces were destroyed. Militants got two AK 47 rifles, 1 G3 gun,
and 1 LMG as booty. Ten militants were also killed in clashes and raids.
Earlier,
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West raised concerns about
increasing attacks by TTP in Pakistan.
“The
[increase in] attacks led by banned TTP is a challenge that Pakistan has been
dealing with,” said US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan in a recent
interview, as quoted by The News International newspaper.
Over
US ties with the Afghan Taliban, West said: “I don’t believe that there will be
any practical partnership between the US and Taliban.”
He
pointed out that the Taliban’s harboring of slain Al Qaeda chief Ayman
al-Zawahiri was a clear violation of the Doha agreement.
The
warning on TTP-led violence was given amid a sharp rise in attacks in recent
months that has set alarm bells ringing in both Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Pakistan
media reports have flagged the growing presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
in the northwest part of the country, following the Taliban takeover of
Afghanistan in August last year.
Earlier
this month, Pakistan’s State Minister for Law Shahadat Hussain conceded that
terror activities had increased sharply.
The
highest number of terror incidents in Pakistan this year was recorded in
September. An Islamabad-based think tank pointed to the resumption of attacks
by the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.
The
number of terror attacks increased in September compared to August this year,
the Dawn said in an earlier report citing the Pakistan Institute for Conflict
and Security Studies (PICSS).
September
witnessed 42 militant attacks with an increase of 35 per cent compared to
August. The Pakistani think tank also observed an increase of 106 per cent in
violence in erstwhile Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Source:
ThePrint
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/taliban-militants-claim-responsibility-for-43-attacks-in-pakistan/1194290/
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Pakistan's
Religious Affairs Minister visits Ahmed Al-Fateh Islamic Centre
02
Nov 2022
Manama,
Nov. 2 (BNA): Pakistani Minister of Religious Affairs, Mufti Abdul Shakur
Sardar Khan, has paid a visit to the Ahmed Al-Fateh Islamic Centre, where he
was welcomed by the Head of Religious Guidance, Shaikh Farahat Al Kindy.
During
the visit, the Pakistani minister was briefed about the features and facilities
of Ahmed Al-Fateh Islamic Centre, which is the largest mosque in the Kingdom,
and is characterised by its splendid Islamic architectural style.
He
toured the historical monument, expressing his admiration for the urban style,
designs and Islamic inscriptions of the Al-Fateh Grand Mosque, which is a
cultural landmark that reflects one of the aspects of the kingdom's urban and
civilisational progress.
Source:BNA
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.bna.bh/en/news?cms=q8FmFJgiscL2fwIzON1%2bDo7dDIDPB537nh27oWBoRFM%3d
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Four
years on, provinces failed to protect rights of transgenders: Federal Sharia
Court
Nov
3, 2022
Four
years after the Transgender Persons (Protection of Riqhts) Act, 2O18, was
enacted, provincial governments have failed to satisfactorily implement it with
quotas to hire people who are transgender in different departments mostly lying
vacant.
This
was disclosed in a report submitted by the federal human rights ministry
submitted to the Federal Sharia Court. The report was subsequently taken up on
Wednesday by a two member bench of the court led by Justice Syed Muhammad Anwar
as it heard a case on the implementation of the 2018 law.
Reviewing
the report, the court expressed its dissatisfaction, noting that data from
Punjab was incomplete. The report added that Sindh had failed to hire any
person who is transgender
Moreover,
the ministry told the court that according to the data collected from different
ministries, none of them could fully implement the quota for employing people
who are transgender.
The
court directed the ministry to submit a report complete with all requisite data
on the implementation of transgender’s quota on employment.
The
ministry conceded that data in the report for Punjab was incomplete as the
provincial government failed to collect and provide it to the ministry.
Justice
Anwar remarked that the implementation of the law would have protected the
rights of people who are transgender.
He
further asked that the law was passed in 2018, why have the provinces failed to
implement it during the extended intervening period.
Senator
Mushtaq Ahmed, how has been opposed to recently introduced transgender law in
the upper house of parliament, said that after passing the law, some 28,000
people had approached the National Database and Regulatory Authority (Nadra)
for record correction while the federal government allocated a hefty amount for
the welfare of transgenders.
Moreover,
Senator Ahmed urged the court to ask the government to submit a report on the
funds it had received and one which it had spent from the transgender welfare
fund.
Meanwhile,
the court also directed ministry of human rights to submit a reply over
questions raised by Senator Ahmed.
Source:SamaaEnglish
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pak
minister claims Imran Khan is inviting martial law
Nov
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that PTI chairman Imran
Khan wanted martial law in the country which reflected his "fascist"
and "autocratic" mindset.
In
a statement on Wednesday, she said that innocent people were losing lives due
to the "bloody march" of the former Prime Minister, "who is bent
upon creating chaos and anarchy to satisfy his ego in achieving ulterior
motives", The Express Tribune reported.
She
said that the "foreign-funded fitna (mischief)" had admitted that he
was in pain for not getting an opportunity to appoint the new army chief but in
fact, it was Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's constitutional rights to make the
appointment.
The
"mark of disgrace" was clearly visible on his (Khan) face, she said,
adding: "The people are fully aware that Imran Khan is a thief, dacoit,
liar, incompetent and foreign-funded fitna... Imran's conspiracies will not
work."
Aurangzeb
asked why Khan had failed to produce a single piece of evidence against Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a court of law to prove the false cases filed by the
PTI government, The Express Tribune reported.
"If
Rana Sanaullah is a murderer then why did your government arrest him on the
fake charges of carrying drugs," she said, adding where were the proofs
and videos that his government claimed to have against the Interior Minister.
Aurangzeb
said it was Khan's government which allowed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
(PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif to go abroad.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
seeks explanation on Russian lawmaker's nukes claim
Nov
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has sought an explanation from Russia over a Russian lawmaker’s claim
that Pakistan and Ukraine had discussed technologies to develop nuclear
weapons.
Igor
Morozov, a Russian senator, claimed on Tuesday that Ukrainian specialists (of
nuclear technology) travelled to Pakistan and also received a delegation from
Islamabad to discuss technologies for making nuclear weapons.
“We
are surprised by such an unfounded and baseless statement. It is without any
rationale, and is entirely inconsistent with the spirit of Pakistan-Russia
relations,” the Pakistan foreign ministry said hours after the Russian
legislator’s claim was reported by RIA Novosti, Russia’s state-owned news
agency. “We are seeking clarification on this from Moscow,” Asim Iftikhar, the
foreign office spokesperson, said.
Mozorov,
who is also a member of Russia’s Federation Council defence committee, had
levelled the allegation against Pakistan at a press conference on “Nuclear
Provocations in Ukraine: Who needs It?” His comments surfaced as Moscow has
ramped up its rhetoric regarding Kyiv’s alleged preparations to use a
radioactive “dirty bomb”.
The
Russian lawmaker said Ukraine’s ability to produce a “dirty bomb” is not a
secret to anyone. However, he contended the fundamental issue was lack of
financing. “The threat is real,” Morozov said as he discussed Kyiv’s potential
to use a “dirty bomb” as a provocation.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistanis
named among 'The World's Most Influential 500 Muslims'
2
Nov, 2022
The
Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre (RISSC) has released its
latest list of World’s 500 most influential Muslim personalities.
A
number of Pakistani politicians, religious personalities and a social activist
have made it to the list, which consists of various categories.
In
Top 50 category, religious scholar Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani has been placed
at the sixth spot while the 32nd spot is reserved for scholar and preacher
Maulana Tariq Jameel.
Maulana
Nazur ur-Rehman, Amir of Tablighi Jamaat, is at the 42nd spot while Sheikh
Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri, Founder of Dawat-e-Islami Movement, is at the 50th
place.
Saudi
Arabia King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud has been placed at the top spot
followed by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei at the
second place.
Here
is the list of all Pakistanis named in the list of “The World’s 500 Most
Influential Muslims”.
Mufti
Muhammad Taqi Usmani
Justice
Sheikh Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani is a leading scholar of Hadith, Islamic
jurisprudence and Islamic finance. He is considered to be the intellectual head
of the Deobandi School of Islamic learning, as well as an authority outside of
the Deobandi School. He served as Judge of the Shari’at Appellate Bench of the
Supreme Court of Pakistan from 1982 to May 2002.
PTI
Chairman Imran Khan and former prime minister Imran Khan is the only from
PakistanIn “Rulers and Politicians”
Maulana
Tariq Jameel
Maulana
Tariq Jameel is a prominent Deobandi scholar who is also one of the most
popular preachers in Pakistan. He belongs to the Tablighi Jamaat group and his
lectures focus on the subject of self-purification, avoidance of violence, observance
of Allah’s orders and pursuing the way of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Maulana
Nazur ur-Rehman
Maulana
Nazur ur-Rehman is the fourth Amir of the Pakistani Tablighi Jamaat. He
succeeded Hajji Abdul-Wahhab who passed away in November 2018, aged 96.
Sheikh
Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qadiri
Sheikh
Qadiri is an Islamic scholar belonging to the Qadri Razawi order and is the
leader of Dawat-e-Islami, a global religious organization spread over 195
countries. Sheikh Muhammad Qadiri studied for 22 years under the former Grand
Mufti of Pakistan, Sheikh Mufti Waqar udDin Qadri Razavi. He has authored over
30 books, including Faizan-e-Sunnat on the merits of good deeds.
Imran
Khan
Imran
Khan became the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2018 amid huge expectations that he
could bring the country forward on issues of governance, accountability and
reduction of corruption. He endured a tough time before being ousted in April
2022 through a no-confidence motion. He has maintained that foreign
interference played a major role in his ousting and pointed fingers at various
institutions in the country. In August 2022, Khan himself was charged by the
Pakistani police under anti-terror laws and is currently on bail. Khan still
maintains massive popular support in the country as well as with the large and
powerful Pakistani diaspora. His challenges are seen as part of the inevitable
results of trying to change a system rife in corruption and of trying to reduce
the role of the military.
Professor
Akbar Ahmed
Professor
Akbar Ahmed is the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at the American
University in Washington, DC and the former Pakistani High Commissioner to the
UK and Ireland. In addition to his academic and public sector careers, Ahmed
has produced a number of noteworthy films and authored more than a dozen
award-winning books. He produced the Jinnah Quartet and feature film, Jinnah
(1998). He was awarded the 2017 Sir Syed Day Lifetime Achievement Award for
excellence in Poetry, Literature, Arts and the Sciences and declared the 2017
Scholar/Teacher of the Year of the American University School of International
Service. Ahmed was awarded the Diplomatic Leadership Award in 2019 from PakPac
USA for outstanding academic endeavour. He has produced two films: Journey into
America and Journey into Europe, which are both accompanied with books with the
same titles.
Malala
Yousufzai
Yousufzai’s
rise to prominence began tragically when the Taliban shot her in a school bus
for encouraging girls to go to school in Swat. After the assassination attempt,
Malala was flown to England, where she recovered and continued her schooling.
She received high-profile support for her campaign to ensure that all children
worldwide be schooled. In 2013, Yousafzai addressed the UN, received the prestigious
Sakharov Prize, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which she
co-received in 2014 at the age of 17, thereby becoming its youngest-ever
recipient. She has been granted audiences with royalty and world leaders, and
this along with her high-profile international exposure has led some in her
native Pakistan to question whether she has overreached. Now graduated from
Oxford University, books published and contracts from media companies, her
global profile continues to rise.
Dr
Farhat Hashmi
Dr
Farhat Hashmi is an influential Islamic teacher, public speaker, and scholar.
She is a prominent name in the burgeoning field of the role of women in Islam.
In addition to the academic aspects of Islamic teachings, Hashmi also focuses
on its relatable and practical aspects, thereby ensuring that her message
resonates with a multitude of women across the globe. She holds a PhD in Hadith
Sciences from the University of Glasgow, Scotland. She is the Founder of
Al-Huda International, a non-profit institute founded in 1994. Al-Huda promotes
Islamic learning and serves in the field of social welfare and has branches
across Pakistan as well as internationally
Grand
Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi
Grand
Ayatollah Muhammad Hussain Najafi is the only marja in South Asia. Based in the
Sargodha district of the Punjab province in Pakistan, he was the first scholar
from that country to be given the status of marji’iyya and is one of only two
Ayatollahs from Pakistan
Sheikh
Dr Tahir Al-Qadri
Sheikh
Tahir Al-Qadri is a Professor of law and the founder of Minhaj ul Qur’an
International Worldwide and the Minhaj Welfare Foundation. Al-Qadri has
authored some 450 published works and given more than 6,000 lectures on various
subjects which are aired on international satellite channels. In March 2010,
Qadri issued a 600-page fatwa declaring that terrorists and suicide bombers are
unbelievers. He has continued to be outspoken against terrorists. His attempts
to lead popular revolts against the Pakistani government has led to a fall in
his standing. He is based in Canada
General
Qamar Javed Bajwa
General
Qamar Javed Bajwa is the current Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Pakistan
Army having been appointed so in 2016, ahead of two more senior generals, by
then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. His tenure of the post was extended for
another three years by then prime minister, Imran Khan, in August.
He
is set to retire in the running month.
Shehbaz
Sharif
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif became the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan in April
2022 after a no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Sharif is the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and has himself had
a long political career, being the President of the Pakistan Muslim League and
serving as the Chief Minister of Punjab three times (1997, 2007, and 2013). He
was arrested in 2020 on charges of corruption and money laundering and spent a
few months in jail before being granted bail in April 2021. Although enjoying a
reputation as a competent administrator, he has much work to do to build
national and international trust in his government.
Nawaz
Sharif
Mian
Muhammad Nawaz Sharif served as Prime Minister of Pakistan on 3 occasions: from
1990- 1993, from 1997-1999 and from 2013-2017. On the last occasion he was forced
to resign over corruption charges and in 2018 was convicted of corruption.
He
received a 10-year sentence and spent 2 months in prison before the Pakistan
High Court suspended the sentence (the same happened to his daughter, Maryam).
Sharif was then found guilty of fresh corruption charges and an accountability
court sentenced him to 7 years in prison and fined him $25 million. He was
allowed to leave for London to receive medical treatment in November 2019 and
has yet to return to Pakistan. It is widely expected that this will happen now
that his brother has become Prime Minister.
Sayed
Sajid Ali Naqvi
Ayatollah
Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi leads the Shia Ulema Council (previously called
Tehrik-e-Jafaria (TJP) of Pakistan). He was chosen by the Supreme leader of
Iran, Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei, to lead Shia Muslims in Pakistan and is now
his religious representative.
Siraj
ul Haq
From
humble beginnings, Ul-Haq has worked his way up to senior leadership positions
in both religious and political parties. He is a former finance minister of the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in Pakistan, resigning in protest against US drone
strikes. In 2019, Ul-Haq was re-elected Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islaami, one of the
most influential Islamic movements in Pakistan. He became the Vice-President of
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal in March 2018. He served as Senator of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa to the Parliament of Pakistan from 2015-2021.
Khanum
Tayyaba Bukhari
Bukhari
is one of very few female religious scholars in Pakistan and has significant
influence. She is a sought-after speaker who excels in six languages: Urdu,
Arabic, Persian, English, Punjabi, and Siraiki. She also has a large following
in Europe, North America, and Australia. Ms Bukhari is the founder of Bukhari
Relief Foundation, a well-known, non-governmental charitable organisation that
helps people all over Pakistan who have been displaced by major natural
disasters.
Javed
Ahmad Ghamidi
Javed
Ahmad Ghamidi is a Pakistani public intellectual and Qur'an scholar. He is the
founder of Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences and its sister organisation,
Danish Sara. He was a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology and in 2009,
Ghamidi was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third highest civilian honour of
Pakistan. He appears regularly on TV shows and has a large middle-class
professional following.
Professor
Dr Adib Rizvi
Dr
Rizvi is one of Pakistan’s leading humanitarians, having established the
largest free health organisation in Pakistan. He works as a doctor and an
administrator at SIUT in Karachi, which was founded in 1971 as an eight-bed
unit but is now the largest health organisation in Pakistan. SIUT provides free
and comprehensive services in urology, nephrology, transplantation and
liver-related diseases. He is the recipient of many awards for his life’s work.
Bilquis
Edhi
The
wife of the late Abdul Sattar Edhi, Bilquis Edhi was a professional nurse and
philanthropist in her own right. She ran several non-profit organisations for
orphans, widows, and elderly people. Serving the nation for more than 50 years,
she was known by the honorific title “Mother of the Nation”. In 2015, she
received the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice.
Muniba
Mazari
Muniba
Mazari is an artist, motivational speaker, humanitarian, TV host, model and
Pakistan's First Goodwill Ambassador to UN Women Pakistan. She derives her
strength from the tragic car accident that took place when she was 21 which
left her wheelchair-bound. Since then, she has been a pioneering voice heard in
different countries around the world, being a motivational speaker through
TEDx, Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO),
VCon Malaysia, VCon Dubai, and several others. In June 2019, Muniba was
appointed by former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, to be a part of Pakistan’s
first-ever National Youth Council. She has over 5 million followers on
different social media platforms.
Professor
Atta-Ur Rahman
Atta-Ur
Rahman is the Coordinator-General of the OIC’s COMSTECH, the Standing Committee
on Scientific and Technological Cooperation for the promotion and cooperation
of science and tech nology activities among the OIC member states. In 1999, he
became the first Muslim scientist to win the UNESCO Science Prize. In 2013, in
recognition of his work in the field of science, the largest Malaysian
university, Universiti Teknologi Mara, named its Research Institute of Natural
Products after Professor Atta-ur-Rahman. In 2014 he was awarded the
International Cooperation Award, the highest award of the Chinese Academy of
Sciences. In 2016, he was elected as Emeritus Academician of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, thereby becoming the first scientist from the Islamic
world to be granted this honour. The same year, Professor Rahman was appointed
Co-Chairman of a United Nations Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation
covering the member countries of UNESCAP.
Umar
Saif
An
award-winning scientist, entrepreneur, innovator, and a tech tycoon, Dr Saif
studied at Cambridge University and was a core member of the $50 million
Project Oxygen at MIT. He created the first start-up incubators in Pakistan:
the Saif Center of Innovation. He is also the founding Vice-Chancellor of the
Information Technology University in Punjab and is one of the main forces
behind the IT ecosystem in Pakistan. The MIT Technology Review named Saif in
its list of the “World’s Top Young Innovators for the year 2011”, and he was
named “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum in 2010. In recognition
of his services to the country, in 2014 the Government of Pakistan conferred on
him the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence), one of the highest civilian
awards in Pakistan. In 2017, he received the British Council Alumni Award for
Professional Achievement. In 2019 he received an investment directly from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop innovative Artificial
Intelligence models for data collection
Irfan
Siddiqi
Irfan
Siddiqi is an award-winning pioneering scientist who is best-known for the
development of the Josephson bifurcation amplifier. He was born in Karachi and
moved to the USA where he studied at Columbia, Harvard and Yale universities.
He is Director of the Advanced Quantum Testbed and Professor of Physics at the
Quantum Nanoscience Laboratory (established by him) and the Department of
Physics at the University of California, Berkeley. In 2021, he received the
Joseph F. Keithley Award.
Al-Hajj
Siddiq Ismail
Al-Hajj
Siddiq Ismail is a world-renowned naat and hamd reciter, philanthropist, and
spiritual leader. He has been reciting for the past 50 years in over 10
languages. Ismail has performed in the presence of presidents, prime ministers,
governors, chief ministers, and foreign dignitaries. He was presented with
Pakistan’s national award, the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, and the prestigious Pride of
Performance Award, which he donated to the victims of Swat and Malakand.
Sharmeen
Obaid-Chinoy
Obaid-Chinoy
is an internationally acclaimed journalist, filmmaker and activist. Initially
known for her filmwork highlighting women's rights, she has gone on to win two
Oscars, six Emmy awards for her films (three personally), and become the first
artist to co-chair the World Economic Forum. The Government of Pakistan has
honoured her with the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, the second highest civilian honour in the
country, and Canada has awarded her a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
In 2020, it was announced that Sharmeen will be co-directing the “Ms. Marvel”
series for Disney+, bringing a Muslim super-hero to the big screen.
Abida
Parveen
Abida
Parveen is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, often referred to as “the
Queen of Sufi mystic singing”. She is the only woman to reach this level of
influence in devotional music. She specialises in traditional ghazals, and
often performs before stadium-sized audiences across South Asia and globally.
In 2017, she was designated a Peace Ambassador by SAARC. In 2020, Parveen
received the PISA Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2021 was awarded the
highest civilian award, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, by the President of Pakistan.
Muhammad
Owais Raza Qadri
With
millions of followers, Qadri is considered a legend in the field of naat
recitation. He is known for his passionate performances as well as his
beautiful voice. A devout Muslim, he is particularly vocal on the subject of
his love for the Prophet Muhammad. He has over 4 million followers on social
media and his Youtube videos have over 235 million views.
Zaid
Hamid
One
of the most influential television and social media personalities in Pakistan,
Zaid Hamid is a security consultant and strategic defence analyst by
profession. He is also a popular political commentator, former host of a highly
popular TV series on geo-politics and Islamic history, and is the founder of
Brass Tacks, a Pakistani think tank on global politics. He maintains a huge
audience within Pakistani society, with millions of followers on social media,
especially among the youth and Armed Forces. In 2015, he was arrested by Saudi
authorities while on Umrah because of his opposition to the proposed Pakistani
participation in the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. He was released
shortly afterwards after intervention by the Pakistani army
Salman
Iqbal
Salman
Iqbal owns ARY Digital Network, the largest media network in Pakistan. The
network’s reach covers Pakistan, the Middle East, Europe, North America, and
many other regions of the world. He is recognised as an independent media voice
in Pakistan and one of the most powerful and influential media personalities in
the Muslim World.
Source:
DailyPakistan
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Award
in Reko Diq case a ‘nuclear bomb’: SC judge
Nasir
Iqbal
November
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Justice Munib Akhtar of the Supreme Court on Wednesday described the
International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes’ (ICSID) $6.5
billion award against Pakistan as a “nuclear bomb” since it could be taken up
anywhere in the world for implementation.
The
observation came when a five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan
Justice Umar Ata Bandial, was hearing the presidential reference on the Reko
Diq case.
Justice
Akhtar’s observation followed the argument made by Amanullah Kanrani, who
represented the Balochistan Bar Council, that the jurisdiction of Balochistan
High Court had to be invoked for implementing the ICSID’s award.
CJP
Bandial responded that such international penalties always addressed the
country and not a province. He said when certain sovereign guarantees were
given on behalf of the country, its violation entails attachment of the
country’s assets in any part of the world.
On
July 12, 2019, the World Bank tribunal slapped a cumulative $6.5bn penalty on
Pakistan while deciding a dispute between the government and Tethyan Copper
Company Pty (TCCP). The award came after the Mining Authority of Balochistan
turned down a TCCP’s application seeking the multimillion-dollar mining lease
in the province following the SC’s 2013 judgement.
Threat
of an additional $2-3bn award in an arbitration pending before the International
Chamber of Commerce looms large in case Pakistan failed to strike a deal by Dec
15, 2022.
The
presidential reference has been filed to seek the SC’s opinion whether its 2013
judgement prevents the federal and provincial governments from entering into
the implementation agreement afresh as well as the constitutionality of the
proposed Foreign Investment (Protection and Promotion) Bill, 2022.
In
2013, the SC had annulled the Chagai Hills Exploration Joint Venture Agreement
for exploring gold and copper in the Reko Diq area.
During
the hearing, Mr Kanrani urged the court to direct the government to seek
timeline from the international investor. He alleged that Barrack Gold
Corporation (BGC), with which the government has entered into the agreement, enjoyed
monopoly over gold and they wanted to cap it rather than exploring the precious
mineral.
‘No
corruption found’
Justice
Bandial explained that he had gone through the 2013 judgement but could not
find any instance of corruption on part of the international investors in the
earlier agreement. Had there been a direct allegation of corruption against the
investors, the arbitration at ICSID could have been stalled.
He
further said that there should be a direct allegation of corruption against the
investor to disengage from the international arbitration.
The
CJP observed that the only reference in the 2013 judgement is that the
“investors took advantage by exerting their influence” since the Balochistan
government at that time lacked capacity to enter into an agreement of such huge
size. He compared a similar agreement of Afghanistan, noting how Kabul had made
the deal with zero investment and yet got 75 per cent royalty in return though
there was unrest in the country at the time.
Additional
Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Aamir Rehman explained that BGC would get 50
per cent share for $4.5bn whereas the federal and provincial governments would
get 25pc royalty each for $900 million.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1718526/award-in-reko-diq-case-a-nuclear-bomb-sc-judge
--------
Islamabad
police seek ‘armed units’ to protect anti-riot personnel during long march
Munawer
Azeem | Malik Asad
November
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Amid reports that the participants of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) long
march will be carrying weapons, capital police on Wednesday approached the
district administration seeking deployment of armed police units to protect the
lives of anti-riot force and other ‘unarmed’ personnel deployed to counter the
protest.
“In
light of the information, deployment of a suitable number of armed police and
other units to protect the precious lives of Anti-Riot Force of Police,
Frontier Constabulary and Punjab Rangers is utmost necessary in order to ensure
right of self-defence by LEAs and for protection of people of Islamabad,
including participants of forthcoming long march/dharna,” the letter written by
the Central Police Office said.
Deputy
Inspector General of Police Sohail Zafar Chattha submitted that there was
“credible information from open sources…regard to unlawful use of lethal
weapons, lethal pointed batons, catapults and other weapons etc by some PTI
workers and protesters during the upcoming long march against law enforcement
agencies deployed at the moment for protection of law and order…in the capital.
The
letter claimed that the PTI supporters were “amassing unlawful paraphernalia on
the boundaries of capital in the limits of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab”.
“Some
of the potential miscreants of the plan have also reached the capital and are
working to materialise the designs to disrupt the harmony and peace,” it added.
“It
is therefore, requested that the interior ministry may kindly be approached on
priority basis with the request to accord necessary guidance, if they believe
otherwise, for deployment of these armed units during the upcoming PTI long
march/dharna exercising the right of self-defense as per the laws,” the letter
said, calling the deployment of armed units “utmost necessary”.
IHC
issues notice
The
Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued notice to the district administration on the
PTI petition seeking permission to stage a sit-in in the federal capital.
IHC
Justice Aamer Farooq resumed hearing on PTI’s petition.
The
petition filed by PTI leader Ali Nawaz Awan came amid a “deliberate delay” in
the issuance of a no-objection certificate (NOC) by the Islamabad administration
to the former ruling party for its long march.
During
the course of hearing, Justice Farooq inquired as if the district
administration has rejected the application.
PTI’s
counsel informed the court that the matter was pending as the administration
was using “delaying tactics” instead of responding to the application submitted
by the former ruling party.
Justice
Farooq then directed the district administration to depute a senior officer to
assist the court and apprise the court on the matter.
The
petition further stated that the PTI approached the deputy commissioner for the
NOC, but the DC office did not pay any heed to its request in spite of a letter
by the PTI on Oct 26, deeming the delay “mala fide”.
The
deputy commissioner was contacted on Oct 28 again, but to no avail, the plea
claimed, saying the refusal to grant permission to the former ruling party for
a jalsa in Islamabad was a “sheer attempt to usurp, hamper and infringe the
fundamental rights of freedom of assembly, association, and speech”.
In
a related development, interior minister Rana Sanaullah linked the permission
for the sit-in with the judicial nod.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
ATC
acquits six MQM leaders in three cases of listening to Altaf’s speeches
Naeem
Sahoutara
November
3, 2022
KARACHI:
An antiterrorism court on Wednesday acquitted six senior leaders of the
Muttahida Qaumi Movement and some others in three cases pertaining to
organising and listening to the controversial speeches of London-based party
found Altaf Hussain in 2016.
Senior
leaders Dr Farooq Sattar, Amir Khan, former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar, Rauf
Siddiqui, Khawaja Izharul Hasan, Mehfooz Yar Khan and some others were
exonerated from the charges due to lack of evidence.
Earlier
in June 2021, the same set of accused persons along with several others were
acquitted in 21 identical cases by an ATC. At least three cases against the
central leadership are still pending trial.
On
Wednesday, the ATC-I judge, who conducted the trial in the judicial complex
inside the central prison, pronounced the verdict reserved after recording
evidence and final arguments on acquittal applications filed by the accused
persons.
Concluding
six-year-long trials, the judge allowed the applications filed under Section
265-K of the criminal procedure code and acquitted them.
Earlier,
defence counsel Shaukat Hayat moved the acquittal applications on behalf of the
MQM leaders including Salman Baloch, Mehmood Abdul Razzaq, Muhammad Javed,
stating that they had no role in the speeches, which were delivered by their
party leader from London over the phone.
He
argued that there was no sufficient evidence to connect his clients with the
commissioning of the alleged offence. Therefore, he pleaded the judge to acquit
them.
On
the other hand, the state prosecutors insisted that there was sufficient
material as well as ocular and forensic evidence available to corroborate the
prosecution’s case and establish the role of the accused persons in the
commissioning of the offences. They pleaded the court to punish them in
accordance with the law.
According
to the prosecution, a citizen, Nasreen Ali, had reported to the Malir City
police station on Feb 26, 2016 that she was surfing the internet when she came
across a video about the gathering of MQM leaders and workers, where its
London-based chief Altaf Hussain was seen making remarks about the natural
reproduction process of human beings in the presence of a large number of the
women and used inappropriate words openly.
It
further mentioned that after listening to such remarks of their leader, the
female party workers felt embarrassed while their leaders continued to endorse
such remarks of Altaf Hussain, who seemed to be under the influence of some
intoxicant and spoke uncontrolled.
Similarly,
another citizen, Dilawar Khan, had lodged a case at the Sachal police station
on March 4, 2016. He also came across a video while surging the internet.
The
third case was lodged by Inspector Ghulam Nabi Afridi of the Brigade police
station on May 12, 2016. He stated that the MQM leaders without seeking prior
permission from local administration had held a gathering for by blocking
Shahrah-i-Quaideen in front of a gate of the Quaid’s mausoleum.
The
prosecution alleged that Mr Hussain addressed the gathering from London in
violation of the ban imposed by the Supreme Court on his telephonic speeches by
using loudspeakers, wherein he hurled threats to the army, Rangers and other
law enforcement agencies’ chiefs and officers by taking their names.
It
further alleged that Mr Hussain by levelling baseless allegations incited his
workers against the state to prompt their clash with the state institutions and
spread terrorism in an attempt to sabotage the army’s Zarb-i-Azb operation.
The
MQM founder and senior leaders were booked in three separate cases registered
against them at the Brigade and Sachal police stations.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Imran
Khan wants appointment of new COAS on merit
November
2, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan
has said he had no ‘favorites’ but wants the appointment of the new COAS on
merit.
Chairman
PTI Imran Khan in his interview said “I do not have any favorite, the
appointment of the Chief of Army Staff should be based on merit.”
Imran
Khan said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif
Zardari should not appoint COAS because both are ‘criminals’ of the nation.
The
former prime minister ruled out the possibility of PTI long march failure and
said they are going to Islamabad and his ‘whole plan’ is ready.
“My
whole plan is ready, what will I do after Islamabad March is a secret.”
Regarding
negotiations with the incumbent federal government, the Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf chief said that there can be no more negotiations with thieves,
who have looted the country’s resources while being in power.
Replying
to a question regarding the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
governments, Imran Khan replied he can do ‘anything.’
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/11/02/imran-khan-wants-appointment-of-new-coas-on-merit/
--------
South Asia
UNAMA
Records Over 200 Reporter Human Rights Abuses Since Taliban Took Control
By
Saqalain Eqbal
November
2, 2022
The
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on the International
Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists reported that since August
2021, it has recorded over 200 human rights breaches of reporters.
On
the occasion of the International Day to End of Impunity for Crimes against
Journalists, Wednesday, November 2, UNAMA wrote in a tweet that this
unprecedented number includes arbitrary arrests, maltreatment, threats, and
intimidation.
The
UNAMA office further stated that the Afghan media is in “peril” and called for
the media in Afghanistan to be protected and that impunity to be ended.
In
addition, Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, stated that more than 70
journalists have died this year as a result of their job.
Additionally,
according to Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, over 70 journalists
have passed away this year as a direct result of their work because they were
merely performing their vital role as journalists in society.
This
morning, he stated that the vast majority of journalist murder cases have not
been looked into, remaining unsolved.
“We
must end the common culture of impunity and enable journalists to do their essential
work,” Guterres wrote on his Twitter handle.
Even
though there have been fewer documented murders of journalists and media
workers since the Taliban assumed power, the Taliban have nonetheless put
severe limitations on the press, while also threatening and detaining
journalists.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Journalists
Safety Committee Reacts to Afghan TV Channel Shut Down
By
Saqalain Eqbal
November
2, 2022
The
Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) expressed profound regret that the
Kabul News TV channel has ceased broadcasting saying that the closure of media
outlets will leave a void in the country’s reporting and information
transmission.
This
committee announced on Tuesday, the 1st of November, that the Kabul News news
media has ceased operations after ten years of operation, creating a gap in the
country’s information and news.
The
director of the news department of Kabul News, a private TV channel, confirmed
the permanent closure of the channel’s media activity on Tuesday, November 1,
but did not provide any other details.
“Kabul
News is dealing with a number of challenges with its broadcasts,” Nikmal said,
“and there is optimism that the closure will be temporary.”
He
said that this private media outlet will continue its social media activities,
despite the fact that, according to AJSC, a number of other media outlets,
particularly provincial stations, have recently shut down owing to
difficulties, often financial.
Abdul
Karim Khorram, a close relative of Hamid Karzai, the former president of
Afghanistan, founded the Kabul News private television 10 years ago, and it
started broadcasting in Dari and Pashto Afghan languages.
Kable
News was shut down because of “many pressures,” according to a source close to
the channel’s management who declined to be identified in the report. The
source did not provide any other details about the situation.
Reporters
Without Borders recently reported that 219 print, aural, and visual media
outlets in Afghanistan have been closed for the past 12 months.
This
organization stated that there were 547 media outlets in Afghanistan prior to
the Taliban taking control, but only 328 are operational today.
Additionally,
organizations in Afghanistan that support journalists and the media have
expressed concern over the ongoing suspension of media activities in
Afghanistan, citing a number of reasons why private media broadcasts have been
stopped.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/journalists-safety-committee-reacts-to-afghan-tv-channel-shut-down-37457/
--------
'Afghanistan
Is Hell': Supporters Of Late Afghan General Claim Taliban Killings, Persecution
November
02, 2022
By
Abubakar Siddique
Afghanistan’s
Taliban rulers declared a general amnesty for their former foes who fought them
for two decades as part of the Western-backed Afghan government.
But
supporters of a late Afghan general say they have been under relentless Taliban
persecution for the more than 14 months since the Taliban seized power.
Senior
figures close to General Abdul Raziq, the former police chief of southern
Kandahar Province, say his supporters, primarily members of his Pashtun
Achakzai tribe, have faced killings, forced disappearances, torture, detention,
displacement, and property seizures.
The
Taliban denies any revenge targeting of Raziq’s supporters or members of the
Achakzai tribe.
Ongoing
Persecution
But
tribal members say Taliban persecution has continued since the seizure of Spin
Boldak, a border town and Achakzai stronghold in Kandahar, a month before the
Taliban seizure of Kabul on August 15, 2021.
“Afghanistan
is hell for the supporters of the late General Abdul Raziq,” Akhtar Mohammad
Khan Badezai told RFE/RL. The exiled former Afghan presidential adviser speaks
to the media on behalf of Raziq’s family.
“People
are being killed merely for carrying a photo of General Raziq,” he says.
Badezai
claims some 4,000 of Raziq's supporters, including women and children, have
been killed in Taliban reprisals. He adds that thousands more have forcefully
disappeared or remain in Taliban captivity.
“Those
killed and persecuted were not only members of the Achakzai tribe but members
of other Pashtun tribes and even ethnic Tajiks and Uzbeks,” he says.
When
pressed about the evidence of the persecution and killings, he cited the names
of a few prominent Achakzai figures who were killed after the Taliban takeover
and claimed that the Taliban has killed some 50 former members of the Afghan
security forces in eastern Nangarhar Province because they had served under
Raziq.
He
says a list is now being compiled of all the alleged victims killed, tortured,
and forcefully disappeared by the Taliban.
“The
Taliban amnesty is a lie,” he says. “There is no province in Afghanistan where
our people have not been martyred.”
Badezai's
claims cannot be independently confirmed. But reports by leading human rights
organizations have accused the Taliban of extensive abuses, including
extrajudicial killings, disappearances, arbitrary detentions, torture, and denying
Afghans -- women and girls in particular -- their fundamental human rights.
Achakzai
Targeted
Mohammad
Naeem Lalai Hamidzai, a former Kandahar lawmaker, also claimed extensive
persecution by the Taliban. He told RFE/RL that the Taliban systematically
targeted the estimated 18,000 members of the Spin Boldak border force and
Kandahar police that Raziq led until he was killed in 2018.
Hamidzai
alleged that more than 300 members of the two forces were killed during the
first days of the Taliban takeover.
“These
people are well known. They were all members of our tribe,” he said, referring
to the Achakzais. An estimated 500,000 members straddle Kandahar and the
southwestern Pakistani province of Balochistan. Most Achakzais are traders
benefiting from vital trade and smuggling routes crisscrossing their homeland.
In
a report released in November 2021, the global rights watchdog Human Rights
Watch (HRW) documented some killings and disappearances of former members of
security forces in Kandahar.
“The
Taliban summarily executed some former security force members in front of their
families,” the report said. “Others who were well known for fighting against
the Taliban are among those forcibly disappeared.”
Hamidzai
said that the Taliban also detained up to 1,800 alleged supporters of Raziq,
many of whom remain missing, even after the Taliban released more than 700 of
them.
“This
persecution that began during the Taliban takeover 14 months ago still
continues,” he said, claiming that targeted assassinations extend into
Balochistan, where the Achakzai live near a strategic pass connecting Spin
Boldak to the provincial capital, Quetta.
On
October 11, the Pakistani English-language daily Dawn reported the
assassination of Abdul Samad Achakzai in Quetta. He was a former police
commander in Kandahar’s Panjwai district and reportedly a close confidant and
relative of Raziq.
For
many years, Quetta and other Balochistan districts were the scenes of
tit-for-tat killings in which Raziq targeted fugitive Taliban figures who retaliated
by targeting members of his Adozai clan. Adozai are one of the several Achakzai
clans straddling the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
'Torturer
In Chief'
Raziq’s
influence grew because of his reputation as a formidable Taliban foe. He joined
the anti-Taliban forces in late 2001. In subsequent years, he became the
powerful commander of a border force.
In
2011, Raziq was made Kandahar police chief. His influence in Kabul and his
Western allies made him the most powerful Afghan military figure in southern
Afghanistan.
In
2017, HRW called him “Kandahar’s torturer in chief." After multiple failed
assassination attempts against him, he was killed in an insider attack in
October 2018.
Tribal
Feud
Hamidzai
alleges that the Taliban have seized his house, the properties of Raziq, and
other assets of Achakzai members.
He
says the Achakzais now want to avoid reigniting a tribal feud with Nurzai, a
rival Pashtun tribe. Some Nurzai members are now senior Taliban leaders in
Kandahar. Achakzai leaders and others in Kandahar accuse them of turning the
crackdown on Raziq’s supporters into a tribal vendetta. The two tribes have
engaged in a century-old tribal feud that has claimed hundreds of lives.
“There
is an effort to light a fire that will keep on burning for a long time,” he
says, alluding to disputes among Pashtun tribes that go on for generations.
Hamidzai
says that delegations of Achakzai tribal leaders have repeatedly petitioned
Taliban leaders in Kandahar and Kabul to seek an end to their persecution. But
these efforts, he adds, have failed.
Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the charges that the Taliban is engaged
in widespread, ongoing atrocities against Raziq’s supporters or the Achakzai
tribe.
But
he did acknowledge that in the days following the Taliban's seizure of Kandahar
in July and August 2021, a few of Raziq’s supporters were killed in retaliation
for his alleged atrocities.
“The
atrocities Raziq had committed had prompted personal feuds and rivalries, which
resulted in the killing of six or seven of his supporters,” he told RFE/RL’s
Radio Azadi. “But the Islamic emirate acted swiftly and arrested the culprits
while warning others that violators of our general amnesty will face severe
consequences.”
In
September, the Taliban said it was investigating a mass grave in Spin Boldak
where the remains of 12 people were discovered. Taliban officials claimed the
victims were killed in 2012 when Raziq was Kandahar’s police chief. Raziq’s
supporters deny the mass grave is filled with his alleged victims. They claimed
that the mass graves are from the time of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan
in the 1980s.
Patricia
Gossman, an associate Asia director for HRW, said the organization is unable to
probe all of the alleged abuses by the Taliban in Kandahar. But she says the
militant group is determined to crush any sources of resistance and has also
let its forces carry out vendettas.
Source:
Gandhara
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
In
Bahrain, pope's message may get caught in Shi'ite-Sunni Muslim divide
By
Philip Pullella
November
3, 2022
VATICAN
CITY, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Pope Francis leaves on Thursday for Bahrain, a trip
aimed at improving ties with the Islamic world but which could thrust him into
a human rights conflict between the Sunni-led monarchy and its Shi'ite Muslim
opposition.
It
is only the second visit by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula, following his 2019
visit to the United Arab Emirates, when he became the first pontiff to visit
and say a Mass in the peninsula.
"The
pope is moving forward with a certain logic to open new paths to the different
realities of the Muslim world," said Bishop Paul Hinder, who has worked in
the region for nearly two decades and is the Vatican's apostolic vicar for
Southern Arabia.
During
the Nov. 3-6 trip, Francis is due to address the "Bahrain Forum for
Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence," have talks with King Hamad
bin Isa al-Khalifa, and meet with the Muslim Council of Elders in a mosque in
the royal palace compound.
Bahrain
is about 70% Muslim and, unlike Saudi Arabia, allows its small community of
about 160,000 Catholics - made up mostly of foreign workers - to practice their
faith publicly in two churches.
It
is home to the first Catholic church to be built in the Gulf area in modern
times, which opened in 1939, as well as the cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia,
the largest Catholic church on the Arabian Peninsula.
While
the pope's visit is a dream come true for the island state's Catholics, it has
drawn attention to tensions between the Sunni-led government and the Shi'ite
community that led a sizeable pro-democracy uprising in the 2011 "Arab
Spring", which Bahrain quashed with Saudi and UAE help.
Bahrain
has imprisoned thousands of protesters, journalists and activists - some in
mass trials - since the uprising and cracked down on later sporadic unrest and
dissent.
Families
of death row inmates in Bahrain have appealed to the Argentine-born pope to
speak out against capital punishment and defend political prisoners during his
trip.
The
London-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and other human
rights groups have urged the pope to speak out on what they say are rights
abuses, including the imprisonment of pro-democracy dissidents.
Bahrain
rejects criticism from the United Nations and others over its conduct of trials
and detention conditions. It says it prosecutes in accordance with
international law and that its legal and judicial system continues to be
reformed.
A
Bahrain government spokesperson, in response to a Reuters request for comment,
said in a statement that "no individual in the Kingdom is arrested or in
custody because of their beliefs" and that the constitution protects
freedom of expression.
Hinder
said he believed that while the pope may discuss human rights broadly in
public, any Vatican mention of the appeals by the Shi'ite Muslims or their
advocates would be made in private.
Bahrain
has said the interfaith forum it is hosting during the pope's visit aims to
"further cement the values of peace and tolerance," including
dialogue to promote coexistence.
Source:Reuters
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
says report about Iranian threats against Saudi Arabia a ‘baseless accusation’
02
November, 2022
Iran
rejected the Wall Street Journal report citing intelligence shared by Saudi
Arabia with the US warning of an imminent Iranian attack on the Kingdom and
said it contains “baseless accusations,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman
said on Wednesday.
“Such
biased news production by some Western and Zionist parties aims to create a
negative atmosphere against Iran and destroy the current positive trends with
the countries of the region,” IRNA cited Nasser Kanani as saying.
He
added: “Iran continues the policy of good neighbourliness with its neighbors
based on mutual respect and within the framework of international principles
and accords, and considers the establishment and promotion of stability and
security in the region inherent to constructive interaction with its
neighbors.”
The
WSJ reported on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia shared intelligence with the US
warning of an “imminent attack” from Iran on targets in the Kingdom. The report
added that Saudi Arabia, the US and other neighboring countries in the region
have raised the level of alert for their military forces.
Washington
expressed concern on Tuesday about the Iranian threat against Saudi Arabia and
said it would not hesitate to respond if necessary.
“We
are concerned about the threat picture, and we remain in constant contact
through military and intelligence channels with the Saudis,” said the
spokesperson from the National Security Council.
“We
will not hesitate to act in the defense of our interests and partners in the
region.”
Iran
had issued a veiled threat and a warning to Saudi Arabia, when top commander of
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami said last month that Saudi leaders
should not rely on Israel, adding that Saudi leaders lived in “glass palaces”.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab
summit supports Palestinians, calls for political solution in Syria
Hassan
Jibril
02.11.2022
The
Algeria-hosted Arab summit on Wednesday reiterated support to the Palestinian
people and called for a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
In
a final communique issued at the end of their two-day summit, Arab leaders
emphasized on the centrality of the Palestinian cause and their absolute
support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
The
leaders underscored that they stick to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which
offers Israel full diplomatic recognition from the Arab states in return for an
Israeli withdrawal from Arab land occupied in 1967 and the establishment of a
Palestinian state.
They
also stressed the need to protect the city of Jerusalem and its holy sites
against Israeli violations.
The
final statement, dubbed the “Algeria Declaration”, also reiterated support to
Palestine’s efforts to seek to obtain full UN membership.
The
Arab leaders also voiced full solidarity with the Libyan people and efforts
aimed at ending the Libyan crisis.
The
statement also emphasized support to the legitimate Yemeni government and
called for Arab collective efforts to reach a political solution to the
conflict in Syria.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab
League: Officials push for joint Arab action to tackle current challenges
02
November, 2022
Arab
presidents and officials voiced the importance of consolidating joint Arab
action to confront current challenges and crises and reaffirmed their rejection
of foreign interference in other member states’ internal affairs.
During
the second and last day of the Arab League Summit which was held in Algeria,
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan warned that
geopolitical conflicts risk undermining the world’s ability to confront
challenges, adding that it’s important to unify stances to achieve the aims of
joint Arab action.
The
Arab League held its first annual summit for three years in Algeria after the
COVID-19 pandemic forced the meetings’ suspension.
Prince
Faisal also said that foreign interference requires unified efforts, and strongly
rejected the approach of imposing domination at the expense of others.
He
reiterated the Kingdom’s support to establish an independent Palestinian state
with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Commenting
on the situation in Yemen, the FM said the international community must persist
with efforts to push for peace in the embattled country.
Egyptian
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that Arab national security is indivisible,
noting that current challenges require adopting “a comprehensive and joint
approach” that contributes to maintaining stability and security and
solidifying the pillars of good governance.
“[It’s
also important] to eliminate terrorist organizations and armed militias and
thwart any attempts… by international and regional powers to establish zones of
influence in the Arab world,” al-Sisi added.
He
also said that threats against Arab countries are mainly due to the
interference of “foreign regional powers” which have fueled conflicts and have
gone as far as launching “direct military attacks” on some Arab states.
Kuwait’s
Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah and Jordan’s Crown Prince
Al Hussein bin Abdullah II also echoed al-Sisi and Prince Faisal’s sentiments,
by highlighting the importance of solidifying joint Arab action.
“We
must [strengthen] joint Arab action through further coordination and
cooperation to face the serious threats our Arab world faces,” Sheikh Mishal
said.
He
also rejected foreign interference in Arab countries’ internal affairs, adding
that friendly ties must be based on respecting the sovereignty of countries.
In
addition, Jordan’s Crown Prince also noted that current crises which the world
is currently facing, such as the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
war in Ukraine, require integrated Arab work.
“Given
that the challenges we face are similar… we must make use of the promising
potential in the sectors of trade, investment, industry, tourism and
agriculture,” he said.
Addressing
the situation in Palestine, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel
of undermining a two-state solution, and called for establishing an Arab legal
committee to look into crimes committed against his people.
“Israel’s
insistence to undermine a two-state solution and its violations of
international law… have left us no choice but to reconsider the relation with
it,” Abbas said.
Meanwhile,
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) President Rashad al-Alimi said the
internationally-recognized government is committed to a truce in Yemen even
though the Iran-backed Houthis has refused to extend it after it expired in
October.
He
also said that the Houthis have recently targeted the ports of Hadramawt and
Shabwa, adding that they continue to pose a threat to economic facilities on a
daily basis in Yemen, as well as in neighboring countries.
Last
month, Yemen’s government said that its forces intercepted armed drones
launched against al-Dhabba oil terminal in Hadramawt, as an oil tanker was
preparing to dock.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Syria
backs ally Iran amid ‘attack’: Foreign minister
02
November, 2022
Syria's
top diplomat on Wednesday reaffirmed his country's support for Iran as he
visited the Islamic Republic, which has been rocked by weeks of protests
sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
The
22-year-old died in custody on September 16, three days after her arrest in
Tehran for an alleged breach of Iran's strict dress rules for women.
Dozens
of people, mainly demonstrators but also members of the security forces, have
been killed in nationwide protests. Hundreds more, including women, have been
arrested.
“We
reaffirm Syria's support for the brotherly and friendly people of Iran,”
Foreign Minister Faisal al-Meqdad said.
Damascus
welcomes “the failure of those who have supported the attack against this
country financially, in the media, politically and internationally,” he told a
press conference, standing alongside his Iranian counterpart Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian.
Iranian
authorities have accused the West of stirring unrest in the country.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indonesian
President Joko Widodo wins Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace Award
03
November, 2022
President
Joko Widodo of the Republic of Indonesia on Wednesday won the 2022 Imam Hasan
bin Ali International Peace Prize presented by the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace,
under the patronage of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation.
Sheikh
Abdullah bin Bayyah, President of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace, presented the
award to the Indonesian Vice President Dr. Marouf Amin, who accepted it on
behalf of the President of Indonesia at a reception held at the Emirates Palace
in Abu Dhabi, according to a report by Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Speaking
on the occasion, Bin Bayyah said, “It is my pleasure, on behalf of the Abu
Dhabi Forum for Peace, to offer the 2022 Imam Hasan bin Ali International Peace
Prize to President Widodo in recognition of his commitment and contribution
towards the remarkable efforts Indonesia has demonstrated in spreading peace
and tolerance both regionally and internationally. The great nation of
Indonesia is a paradigm for coexistence, enriched through its diverse
ethnicities and faiths living in conviviality side by side.”
For
his part, the Indonesian Vice President expressed his gratitude for receiving
this award on behalf of President Widodo and the people of Indonesia and
remarked that this is a sign of honour for both the Indonesian President’s
efforts and the significant position that Indonesia enjoys in the promotion of
tolerance and coexistence.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Forthcoming
elections solely aimed at strengthening tyranny in Bahrain, prominent Shia
cleric says
03
November 2022
Bahrain’s
most prominent Shia cleric has dismissed the country’s upcoming parliamentary
polls, saying the ruling Al Khalifah regime wants to maintain its grip on power
and strengthen tyranny in the Persian Gulf kingdom by means of the ballots cast
in the elections.
“Elections
in Bahrain are more only meant to reinforce tyranny, and people play into the
hands of the ruling regime and are treated as playthings,” Grand Ayatollah
Sheikh Isa Qassim wrote in a post published on his Twitter page.
“Does
common sense dictate participation in such elections?” he questioned.
Earlier,
Bahrain’s main opposition group, the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, had
called for a boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections in the country,
amid an escalation of political repression and absence of meaningful reforms.
In
a statement released on September 14, al-Wefaq described the boycott of
November 12 polls as a national duty, emphasizing that the ruling Manama regime
maintains absolute control over the electoral process and seeks to install a
weak legislature, whose main task would be to burnish the image of the corrupt
Al Khalifah dynasty and cover up its human rights abuses.
It
added that the constitutional and political rift between the Bahraini regime
and the nation is deepening day by day, the main reason for which, it said, is
the lack of any social agreement between the two sides.
In
the absence of a real administration, the Al Khalifah regime continues its
authoritarian rule by imposing its political, economic, security and social
wills on the Bahraini nation, al-Wefaq said.
Demonstrations
have been held in Bahrain on a regular basis ever since a popular uprising
began in mid-February 2011.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
Arabia intensifies targeting dissidents in US using Israeli spyware
02
November 2022
An
investigative report says Saudi Arabia has stepped up its crackdown on
dissidents on the United States' soil, using an Israeli spyware.
The
report compiled by the Associated Press and published on Wednesday found out that
the Saudi kingdom had been monitoring dissidents' communications using the
"military-grade" Israeli software.
Upon
spotting instances of dissent, the kingdom would then resort to handing out
heavy sentences and imprisoning the targeted individuals if they return home.
"Over
the last five years, Saudi surveillance, intimidation, and pursuit of Saudis on
US soil have intensified as the kingdom steps up repression under Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, according to the FBI, rights groups, and two years of
interviews with Saudis living abroad," the report said.
This
is by far not the first time that the kingdom has been found culpable of
practicing the procedure, which is known as "transnational
repression".
The
AP report cited the instance of Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud, a Saudi Prince,
who is a graduate student at Boston's Northeastern University.
The
royal was arrested and jailed on a trip back home after Saudi officials found
out that he had been discussing Riyadh's imprisonment of his cousin -- a fellow
prince -- with his relatives while in the US.
"Abdullah
was imprisoned because of those calls. An initial 20-year sentence was hiked to
30 years in August," the report said.
In
the same month that Prince Abdullah's sentence was lengthened, Saudi Arabia gave
a 72-year-old Saudi-American, Sa'ad al Madi, a virtual life sentence for tweets
that he had posted from his home in Florida. Al Madi was also imprisoned on a
visit home.
Freedom
House, a research and advocacy group, says Saudi Arabia has targeted critics in
14 countries. "The aim is to spy on Saudis and intimidate them, or compel
them to return to the kingdom," AP reported, citing the group.
"It’s
disturbing, it’s terrifying, and it’s a major violation of protected speech,”
Freedom House's Nate Schenkkan said of the recent imprisonments of
Western-based Saudis.
Ever
since bin Salman became Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler in 2017, the kingdom has
been implicated in a litany of human rights abuses. They include Riyadh's
arresting of hundreds of activists, bloggers, intellectuals, and other people
for their political activism, showing almost zero tolerance for dissent even in
the face of international condemnation of the crackdown.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/11/02/692050/Saudi-Arabia-targeting-dissidents-United-States
--------
Iraq's
new PM hopes to continue hosting Iran-Saudi Arabia fence-mending talks
02
November 2022
Iraq’s
new Prime Minister Mohammed says he hopes to continue hosting tension-easing
talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia since the two sides have already held
several rounds of negotiations in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad since last
April.
Addressing
his first press conference since the new government won the Iraqi parliament’s
vote of confidence on Thursday, Shia al-Sudani said his administration has
received signals for Iraq to continue hosting the dialogue between the two
Persian Gulf countries.
“We
were asked to continue,” he said, without providing further information.
Back
on September 24, the Iraqi foreign minister highlighted his country’s efforts
to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia and said Baghdad is ready to host the
fresh round of negotiations between Tehran and Riyadh.
In
a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the
sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York, Fuad Hussein pointed to
the positive trend of long-running talks between the two countries.
Iraq
will continue to do its best to this end and invites Iran and Saudi Arabia to
normalize their ties and reopen embassies in their capital cities, he stated.
The
country has hosted several rounds of talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran at the
level of intelligence and security heads since last April.
In
July, Amir-Abdollahian appreciated the “constructive” role played by Iraq in
advancing the regional dialogue and said there has been “progress” in the last
five rounds of talks with Saudi Arabia.
Saudi
Arabia’s foreign minister has also said his country intends to establish a
close and friendly relationship with Iran.
“We
certainly have the intent to build a positive relationship with our neighbors
in Iran,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud told English-language France 24
television news network in an interview on the sidelines of the 77th UN General
Assembly in New York.
He,
however, added that there were still differences with Tehran that prevented a
possible meeting with his Iranian counterpart.
Saudi
Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016 after Iranian
protesters, enraged by the Saudi execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr
Baqir al-Nimr, stormed its embassy in Tehran.
The
kingdom then pursued a confrontational foreign policy toward the Islamic
Republic, especially during the administration of former US president Donald
Trump, with whom the Saudi rulers shared close ties.
Saudi
Arabia appears to have recently changed course, showing willingness through
diplomatic channels and third parties to mend fences with Tehran and resume
bilateral relations.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
dissidents targeted in US, other Western countries amid crackdown: Report
02
November 2022
Saudi
Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman is scaling up his vicious crackdown
against dissidents, exiles, and members of the extended royal family in the
United States and other Western countries, according to rights groups.
The
Associated Press, citing global human rights groups and interviews with the
Saudi diaspora, reported that surveillance, intimidation and pursuit of Saudi
nationals on American soil have intensified under bin Salman over the past five
years.
Prince
Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud, who was attending graduate school in Boston, is
the latest person targeted as part of the overseas crackdown.
Prince
Abdullah seldom mentioned he was a member of the royal family and avoided
talking about Saudi politics. But after a fellow prince was imprisoned back
home, he discussed it with relatives in calls made from the United States.
On
a trip back to Saudi Arabia, the prince was imprisoned for those calls. An
initial 20-year sentence was hiked to 30 years in August.
Prince
Abdullah’s case, detailed in Saudi court documents obtained by AP, has not been
previously reported. But it is not an isolated case.
In
August, Saudi Arabia gave a 72-year-old Saudi American, Saad al- Madi, a
virtual life sentence for tweets he had posted from his home in Florida.
Madi
was unexpectedly accused and imprisoned on a visit home to the kingdom. In
sentencing Madi, the kingdom split from a longstanding practice of sparing US
citizens, its longtime military protector, from the worst of punishments.
In
the same month, Riyadh announced a 34-year prison sentence – over tweets – to a
34-year-old Saudi student in Britain, Salma al-Shehab, when she, too, visited
the kingdom.
All
three sentences were handed down weeks after President Joe Biden of the United
States set aside his past condemnation of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record to
travel to the kingdom, despite criticism from rights groups and Saudi exiles.
It
was a moment when the US urgently needed the kingdom to keep up oil production.
But the Biden administration has ended up with no more oil or any improvement
in human rights.
Saudi
rights advocates say Biden’s attempts to soothe the crown prince have only
emboldened him.
Saudi
authoritarian authorities illicitly monitor and strike out against their
citizens in the US and other Western countries.
Freedom
House, a research and advocacy group, says Saudi Arabia has targeted critics in
more than a dozen countries. The group says the aim is to spy on Saudis and
intimidate them or compel them to return to the kingdom.
Since
the gruesome murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi
consulate in Istanbul, the Saudi crown prince has been emboldened to commit
more crimes against dissidents. Khashoggi was killed and dismembered at the
mission in October 2018.
A
report back then in the Washington Post said the Israeli regime had been
directly involved in the sale of sophisticated spyware to Saudi Arabia to help
the kingdom purge and assassinate dissidents.
Since
bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader in 2017, the kingdom has
arrested hundreds of activists, bloggers, intellectuals and others for their
political activism, showing almost zero tolerance for dissent even in the face
of international condemnation of the crackdown.
Muslim
scholars have been executed and women’s rights campaigners have been put behind
bars and tortured as freedom of expression, association, and belief continue to
be denied by the kingdom's authorities.
Over
the past years, Riyadh has also redefined its anti-terrorism laws to target
activism.
Saudi
courts recently convicted and sentenced more than a dozen anti-regime activists
to death following unfair trials and based on confessions coerced through
torture and ill-treatment.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/11/02/692030/bin-Salman-saudi-arabia
--------
Britain’s
1917 Balfour Declaration to blame for Israeli crimes in Palestine: Syria
02
November 2022
Syria's
top legislative body says the 1917 Balfour Declaration, through which Britain
executed its plan of establishing a Jewish national home in Palestine, is
primarily responsible for war crimes and unrelenting aggression by the Israeli
regime against Palestinians.
“What
is currently taking place in Palestine is the upshot of the entitlement then-UK
Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour gave to the global Zionist movement on
November 2, 1917,” said a statement by the People's Assembly of Syria on
Wednesday.
The
statement coincided with the 115th anniversary of the infamous treaty, Syria's
official news agency SANA reported.
The
parliament rejected the declaration as a "flagrant violation of the most
basic principles of the international law", reaffirming that the Syrian
government and the Syrian nation will continue to support Palestinians until
their legitimate rights are fully restored.
It
termed the declaration "null and void" and in clear contravention of
the most fundamental standards of international law, added that it symbolizes a
brazen attack on all human rights principles and international humanitarian law
standards.
The
Balfour Declaration came in the form of a letter from Britain’s then-foreign
secretary, Arthur Balfour, addressed to Lionel Walter Rothschild, a figurehead
of the British Jewish community. It was published on November 2, 1917.
The
declaration was made during World War I (1914-1918) and was included in the
terms of the British Mandate for Palestine after the dissolution of the Ottoman
Empire.
It
is widely seen as the precursor to the 1948 Palestinian Nakba, when Zionist
armed paramilitary groups, who were trained and created to fight side by side
with the British in World War II, forcibly expelled more than 750,000
Palestinians from their homeland.
The
Jewish population of Palestine at the time of the Balfour Declaration,
according to reports, varied from 60 to 80 thousand within the existing
indigenous Palestinian population of 700,000.
As
the Balfour Declaration clearly asserted, the British Empire sought to
"facilitate" the growth of Jewish people in the land of Palestine.
"In
Palestine, we do not propose even to go through the form of consulting the
wishes of the present inhabitants of the country…” because Zionism, “be it
right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age-long tradition, in present needs,
in future hopes, of far more profound import than the desires and prejudices of
the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land," Balfour was quoted
at the time.
The
Syrian legislature highlighted that “the Palestinian cause has always been the
main and central issue in Syria".
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Iran
sanctions several Canadian officials, entity over 'terror support'
03
November 2022
Iran's
Foreign Ministry has imposed sanctions on eight Canadian officials and one
institution over their support for anti-Iran terrorists and acts of terror
among other things.
The
ministry announced the sanctions in a statement, saying it has adopted the
measures over, inter alia, the targeted individuals' support for the anti-Iran
terrorist cult of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO).
The
MKO is responsible for causing the largest part of the 17,000-plus-strong
Iranian fatalities that have been resulted by acts of terror since the 1979
victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution.
The
ministry named the sanctioned individuals as Canada's Minister of Public
Safety, Marco Mendicino; Minister of National Defense, Anita Anand; Chief
Justice, Richard Wagner; Chief of the Defense Staff, Wayne Eyre; Commander of the
Royal Air Force, Eric Kenny; Navy Commander, Angus Topshee; Commissioner of the
Royal Mounted Police, Brenda Lucki; and Judge David Brown, who has ordered
seizure of Iranian assets in Canada.
The
sanctioned entity has been named as Canada's National Post, which has been
found liable for backing anti-Iran sanctions as part of an Iranophobic agenda.
The
targeted individuals and body have also been found responsible for encouraging
terrorist and violent activities against the Iranian people, disseminating misinformation
about the Islamic Republic, and contributing to enforcement of oppressive
sanctions on the Iranian nation.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/11/03/692053/Iran-sanctions-Canada-terror-support
--------
Erdogan
says he wants to maintain Israel ties regardless of election outcome
02
November, 2022
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he wanted to maintain Turkey's relations
with Israel based on mutual understanding, no matter the election outcome, as
former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looked set to return to power.
Erdogan's
comment, in an interview with Turkish broadcaster ATV, came amid a thaw in
long-strained ties between Turkey and Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog
visited Ankara this year in the first visit to Turkey by an Israeli leader
since 2008.
“Whatever
the election result, we want to maintain relations with Israel on a sustainable
basis, based on mutual respect for sensitivities and common interests,” Erdogan
said.
Netanyahu
was set to gain power in one of the most right-wing coalitions in Israel's
history, causing jitters among Palestinians and Arab neighbors who fear it
could ratchet up tensions across the Middle East.
Relations
between Israel and Turkey have been strained for more than a decade, with
Ankara having expelled Israel's ambassador following a 2010 Israeli raid on an
aid ship to Gaza, which killed ten Turkish citizens.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Russia
tells Iran Western media trying to stir Gulf tensions
02
November, 2022
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday that
Western media had launched a campaign that could trigger escalation in the
Gulf, his ministry said.
In
a telephone call with Hossein Amirabdollahian, Lavrov commented on “the
harmfulness of the information campaign that has been launched by Western
media”, the ministry said in a statement summarizing his remarks.
Lavrov
told Amirabdollahian that such actions could result in a dangerous escalation
of tension in the strategically important region, the ministry added.
Washington
expressed concern on Tuesday about unspecified threats from Iran against Saudi
Arabia and said it would not hesitate to respond if necessary.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Khamenei
accuses West of manipulating Amini protests
November
3, 2022
TEHRAN:
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday accused the US of
seeking to manipulate the people by supporting protests sparked by Mahsa
Amini’s death, as authorities ordered an investigation into a video showing
officers savagely beating a protester that rights groups said exposed the sheer
brutality of the police repression against protests sparked by the death of
Mahsa Amini.
The
Islamic republic has been rocked by six weeks of protests that flared over
Amini’s death after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of the country’s
dress code for women.
In
a joint statement last week, Iran’s intelligence ministry and its Revolutionary
Guards’ intelligence services accused Washington of conspiring with its allies
to “spark riots” in the country.
“The
reports of intelligence agencies show that the enemy had established a plan for
Tehran and the country’s large and small cities,” Khamenei said, referring to
the US.
Probe
ordered into shocking video of police brutality
He
was speaking to a group of schoolchildren, invited to mark the anniversary of
the start of the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.
“Their
plan, their objective is to get the Iranian people to follow them, and the
opinion of the Iranian people to become identical to the opinion of the
British and American leaders,” Khamenei said.
The
protest movement that erupted over Amini’s death has spread to schools where,
according to online videos, girls have removed their headscarves and chanted
anti-government slogans.
Shocking
video
Separately,
a shocking video that surfaced late on Tuesday on social media, shot at night
on a mobile phone purportedly in a district of Tehran, showed a squad of around
a dozen policemen in an alley kicking and beating a man with their batons, as
other officers on motorbikes looked on.
The
man initially tried to cover his head with his hands, before the sound of a
gunshot is heard and he is run over by a police motorbike. His motionless body
is then abandoned.
“This
shocking video sent from Tehran is another horrific reminder that the cruelty
of Iran’s security forces knows no bounds,” Amnesty International said.
“Amid
a crisis of impunity, they’re given free rein to brutally beat and shoot
protesters,” it added, calling on the UN Human Rights Council to “urgently
investigate these crimes”.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1718539/khamenei-accuses-west-of-manipulating-amini-protests
--------
Iran's
Leader: US Surly to Pay Price for Assassination of Gen. Soleimani
2022-November-2
Ayatollah
Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with students from across Iran on
Wednesday ahead of the national Student Day and the National Day of Fight
against Global Arrogance.
Iran
will “never forget” the US assassination of General Soleimani, the Supreme
Leader said, assuring that the revenge for the blood of the anti-terror
commander will be taken from the masterminds and perpetrators of his
assassination in the proper time.
“We
will never forget the martyrdom of Lieut. Gen. Soleimani … We have said
something about (avenging Gen. Soleimani), and we stand by that word. It will
be done in its own time, in its own place, God willing,” Iran's Leader
stressed.
Making
a reference to the takeover of the Washington Embassy in Tehran, also known in
Iran as the “Den of Espionage” in 1979, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that
"this day is the embodiment of the evil of the United States and its
defeat".
"So,
for those who think that the US is an unwavering power, it becomes evident that
it is not the case when we look at the events that took place on this
day," he stated.
"The
US is completely vulnerable," he affirmed.
"In
its propaganda, the US says the overtaking of the Spy Den was the start of the
conflict between the Iranian nation and the US. They lie. The conflicts between
Iran and the US started with the 1953 coup. Why did you overthrow a national
government elected by popular vote?" the Leader added.
He
recounted atrocities committed by the Americans against the Iranian nation over
the last 70 years, saying that the nation, to the Americans’ chagrin, has
thwarted all their enmities.
"The
US today is the same US of August 1953, but with 2 key differences. First, the
ways it shows its hostility have become more complicated. Second, the US was the
dominant power at the time of the 1953 coup. It is not today. The US's power is
diminishing little by little," the Supreme Leader added.
"One
can see a trace of the US in most of the events that take place against Iran.
Then they claim they care about the Iranian nation! You have imposed the most
severe sanctions - the like of which they admit have never been imposed on any
nation in history - against Iran," Ayatollah Khamenei declared.
"The
world is approaching a new order in which the US will be isolated and Asia will
rise to power," he stressed.
"The
signs of the US decline are obvious. They have economic, social, and moral
problems inside the US. There are discords and bloody divisions. These are
their domestic problems. And there are their miscalculations in global
affairs," the Leader noted.
"A
sign of the US decline is the election of people like the current and the
former presidents. One was a man like [Donald] Trump whom the world considered
to be crazy. After he was defeated, a man like this current one [Joe Biden]
comes into power, and you know about him!" he continued.
Ayatollah
Khamenei then pointed to recent unrest that erupted in mid-September, and said
the joint statement of Iran’s top intelligence bodies contained important
information about the unrest and showed that the enemy had orchestrated
detailed plots for Tehran and other cities.
"Those
who were linked to foreign powers and committed crimes across the country,
unlike the provoked youth, must be dealt with," he added.
He
called the unrest part of the enemy’s “hybrid war” against Iran rather than
mere street riots.
“The
enemy, namely the United States, the Zionist regime, some insidious and
malicious European powers and some groups, came to the field with all of their
capabilities,” Iran's Leader said, adding that they used their intelligence
agencies, media capacity and the internet as well as their experiences in Iran
and other countries to harm the Iranian nation.
On
the Shiraz terrorist attack last week, for which Daesh (also known as ISIL or
ISIS) claimed responsibility, the Supreme Leader called for tough punishment
for the masterminds and perpetrators of the crime.
He
also censured the so-called supporters of human rights for their silence after
the terrorist attack, noting, “Why have they not condemned the Shiraz incident
and why do they repeat a false claim thousands of times on their platforms on
the internet?”
READ
MORE: Iran Calls on US to Surrender Trump to Justice over Assassination of Gen.
Soleimani
Tehran
stresses Americans and Zionists rest assured that it is serious about revenge
for the assassination of Martyr Soleimani, and they continue to live under the
shadow of Iran's reprisal since they don't know when and where they come under
attack.
Lieutenant
General Soleimani, his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, the
second-in-command of Iraq’s PMU, and ten of their deputies were martyred by an
armed drone strike that was directly ordered by the White House as their convoy
left Baghdad International Airport in January 2020.
Both
commanders were highly revered across the Middle East because of their key role
in fighting the Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) Takfiri terrorist group in the region,
particularly in Iraq and Syria.
Days
later, the the IRGC targeted the US-run Ein Al-Assad in Iraq’s Western province
of Al-Anbar by launching a volley of missiles in retaliation. According to the
Pentagon, at least 110 American forces suffered “traumatic brain injuries”
during the counterstrike on the base. Iran has described the missile attack as
a “first slap".
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
troops kill Palestinian man who drove van into solider
02
November, 2022
Israeli
troops killed a Palestinian on Wednesday after he seriously injured a soldier
with a van, authorities said, as votes were counted in an Israeli general
election.
The
army said the man was “neutralized” in the shooting at the Maccabim checkpoint,
near the Israeli town of Modiin. The Palestinian health ministry later
confirmed he had been killed.
“The
assailant got out of his vehicle with an axe to attack the officer, who fired
at the attacker and neutralized him,” the army said. “The officer was seriously
injured and taken to hospital.”
The
Palestinian health ministry identified the dead man as Habas Rayan, 54.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
Speaker Underlines US Harms to International Community
2022-November-2
Speaking
at the session of the parliament on Wednesday, Qalibaf stressed that "the
world is a more beautiful place without the US."
About
the National Day of Fight Against the Global Arrogance and the Seizure of the
Den of Espionage (the US Embassy in Iran), the speaker noted that the United
States as "the emblem of global arrogance" has attempted to harm
nations by resorting to different methods such as "coups, civil wars,
equipping extremist groups, occupation and preplanned revolutions".
"The
Iranian nation decided to stand against the global arrogance four decades ago
and seized the den of spies in order to impose its own will on the
hegemon," the official continued.
The
senior lawmaker added that the Iranians reached the point that the highest
official of their country "should not be a pawn of the US", so the
will of no imperialist should not be able to disintegrate a part of the
country.
"Therefore,
the Iranian people seized the US Embassy in November 1979 to show that the era
of coup d'etats has come to an end," Qalibaf stressed.
"In
the recent incidents, the US and a spy network and their saboteurs projected a
sophisticated plan, but they made another mistake this time as well," the
Iranian speaker argued.
He
noted that the US knows that people around the world are on the verge of
acquiring the same historical know-how against the global arrogance; thus, the
Americans made all-out efforts to propagate that there is a kind of deadlock in
Iran.
Protests
erupted in several cities across Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, a
22-year-old Iranian woman who fainted at a police station in mid-September and
days later was pronounced dead at a hospital. The demonstrations soon turned
violent.
An
official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization announced that Amini’s
controversial death was caused by an illness rather than alleged blows to the
head or other vital body organs.
Iranian
officials blame Western countries for orchestrating the riots to destabilize
the country.
Supreme
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei severely censured
the deadly riots, saying they were orchestrated in advance by the United States
and the Israeli regime.
“I
state it clearly that these developments were planned by America, the Zionist
regime and their acolytes. Their main problem is with a strong and independent
Iran and the country’s progress. The Iranian nation proved to be fairly strong
during recent events and will bravely come onto the scene wherever necessary in
the future,” he added.
In
recent days, Iranian officials have blamed the United States, the European
Unions, and several Western states for meddling in Iran's internal affairs over
the death of Mahsa. They advised the US and its allies against
"opportunism and instrumentalization of the issue of human rights" by
misusing the incident.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010811000324/Iranian-Speaker-Underlines-US-Harms-Inernainal-Cmmniy
--------
Analysis:
Arabs view revived Netanyahu with concern but as balance against Iran
03
November, 2022
Benjamin
Netanyahu’s likely return to power will fuel concern about deepening tensions
with Arab neighbors, but Gulf states which forged ties with Israel under his
leadership will see him as a regional balance against Iranian power.
Arab
leaders were largely silent on Wednesday over Netanyahu’s triumph in Israel’s election.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister predicted a new maritime border deal would
hold, while Palestinians and Jordanian experts forecast new strains.
In
the Gulf, where Arab concern over Iran’s regional power dominates security
strategy, Netanyahu’s record of hardline opposition to the Shia
Muslim-dominated Islamic Republic has helped forge ties with Sunni Muslim Arab
leaders.
It
was under Netanyahu’s government that Israel normalized relations in 2020 with
the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and Morocco a few months later.
Abdulkhaleq
Abdulla, a prominent Emirati political analyst, said for Gulf states like the
UAE, Iran is a main concern and Israel, no matter which government, has always
taken a strong line against Iran and its nuclear deal with global powers.
“Netanyahu
was part of the Abraham Accords and signed it so there is no change in the
course of normalization,” he said.
“People
here (in the Gulf) will consider this as Israeli politics and Israeli internal
issues that we have nothing to do with and we are happy to deal with whomever
the Israeli people choose as their leader.”
Abdulla
said the victory of what he described as the “worst of the worst in Israeli
politics” would have an impact mainly on Palestinians and kill any talk of a
two-state solution.
Regional
power Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, has yet to normalize
relations although it has taken some steps towards rapprochement.
Saudi
academic Aziz Alghashian said further moves by Riyadh should not be expected.
“In
order for there to be any significant changes ...a process of peace between
Palestinians and Israelis should be present - this is now unlikely with the new
government,” Alghashian said.
Lebanon
deal
With
Lebanon, Netanyahu has threatened to “neutralize” the maritime deal brokered by
the United States while Lebanon still considers itself at war with Israel,
although Beirut says it was assured by Washington that the deal would not be
torpedoed.
“We’re
not afraid of a change in the authorities in Israel. Whether Netanyahu wins or
someone else, no one can stand in the way of this (deal),” Lebanon’s caretaker
prime minister Najib Mikati told Reuters by phone.
He
said US guarantees would protect a maritime border deal with Israel despite
opposition from Netanyahu, who has said it could benefit the militant group
Hezbollah which has fought Israel.
“Israel
cannot go too far against US wishes because it needs US protection, and
therefore it is unlikely that a Netanyahu-led government will tear up the
US-brokered maritime border agreement... despite Netanyahu’s strong rhetoric,”
said Lina Khatib at London’s Chatham House.
Palestinians,
Jordan
Leaders
at a summit in Algiers glossed over their own divisions over relations with
Israel and repeated their support for a Palestinian state - something Netanyahu
has steadfastly opposed - but made no reference to the election.
Netanyahu,
whose policies towards Palestinians have angered many in the Arab world since
he first came to power 26 years ago, pledged that a government under his leadership
would act responsibly, avoid “unnecessary adventures” and “expand the circle of
peace.”
But
in Jordan, home to millions of Palestinian refugees and their families, his
expected triumph was met with concern.
Relations
between the two countries deteriorated under Netanyahu’s last premiership to
the extent that King Abdullah terminated part of their 1994 peace deal which
allowed Israel the use of two areas of land along their border.
“Israeli
policy under Netanyahu was confrontational with Jordan’s official policy,” said
Hamad Faraneh, a former deputy in Jordan’s parliament - where a majority of
deputies called on the government in April to revoke the peace treaty.
“Jordan
is worried more tensions and violence in Palestine would push more displacement
and immigration of Palestinians to the kingdom,” Faraneh said.
Jordan’s
Islamist opposition urged Arab countries to take a robust stance.
“Today
the Israeli right is talking about expelling Palestinians, they are saying
there is no (Palestinian) state… so what is left for Arabs?” said Murad
Adailah, secretary-general of Jordan’s Islamic Action Front.
“What’s
required of these Arab countries is to depend on their people... and support
the resistance of the Palestinians.”
Egypt,
the first Arab country to sign a peace deal with Israel and a mediator during
Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, was likely to find a way to work with Netanyahu
again, said HA Hellyer, non-resident fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Anger
in Iran at ‘forced confession’ of jailed rapper
02
November, 2022
Activists
on Wednesday condemned a video, published by Iran’s state-run media and purporting
to show a dissident rapper, as a forced confession extracted under duress amid
ongoing anti-regime protests.
Toomaj
Salehi, well known in Iran’s rap scene, disappeared at the weekend after
bitterly denouncing the regime and supporting protests that have erupted over
the last six weeks following the death of Mahsa Amini, rights groups said.
US-based
campaigner Omid Memarian said there was “clear evidence of the use of torture
and mistreatment of protesters” in the video.
“The
regime is addicted to inhuman practice of forced confessions,” he said,
expressing anger that Twitter had allowed the video to be posted there.
The
video, posted on the social media channels of the state-run IRNA news agency,
claimed to show the “first pictures” of Salehi after his arrest.
It
depicts a tattooed man in a sleeveless black T-shirt sitting on the ground,
wearing a blindfold and looking bloodied and bruised.
The
man says: “I am Toomaj Salehi. I said I made a mistake. I said... that you
should run. I didn't mean you.”
In
an attempt to provide context, IRNA also showed pictures of a previous video
Salehi had posted, in which he addresses security forces by saying: “You must
run. This is not friendly advice.”
Rights
groups have repeatedly accused Iran of extracting confessions from political
prisoners by force, which are then broadcast for propaganda purposes. AFP could
not immediately confirm the identity of the man in the video.
“Extremely
disturbed Iran state media are sharing forced confessions of rapper Toomaj
Salehi under clear duress,” freedom of expression group Article 19 wrote on
Twitter.
“Salehi
has done nothing but practice his freedom of expression. He must be freed. The
perpetrators of his torture must be accountable.”
Salehi
is the latest prominent figure to be arrested in a mass crackdown that has seen
dozens of journalists, lawyers, civil society and cultural figures arrested.
His
detention came shortly after giving an interview highly critical of the regime
to the Canadian Broadcasting Cooperation.
“You
are dealing with a mafia that is ready to kill the entire nation... in order to
keep its power, money and weapons,” Salehi said in the interview.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
to send team to Austria to discuss nuclear work with IAEA
02
November, 2022
An
Iranian delegation will visit Vienna in the coming days to try to narrow
differences with the UN nuclear watchdog, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein
Amirabdollahian said.
“We
will send a delegation from Iran to Vienna in the coming days to start talks
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and we hope to resolve
remaining issues based on what we have agreed in the past days,” he told a news
conference.
Amirabdollahian
also said he would speak to the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, to discuss
efforts to revive Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkey
says Russia concerned over security, exports in grain deal
02
November, 2022
Russia
is concerned about its security and the obstacles it faces exporting fertiliser
and grains, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlu Cavusoglu said on Wednesday, days
after Moscow suspended its participation in a UN-brokered export deal.
Ankara,
in talks with Kyiv and Moscow to fully resume the agreement that it helped
broker in the summer, has sounded optimistic that a solution can be found after
Russia announced its suspension on Saturday.
Speaking
at a panel in Ankara, Cavusoglu cited two reasons for Moscow’s move.
“Russia
has some security demands after the recent attack on its ships,” he said of an
attack on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet over the weekend.
Moscow
is also concerned about its fertiliser and grain exports, “which are not on the
list of sanctions but the ships that are carrying these still cannot dock,”
Cavusoglu said, echoing comments by Russian officials.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
police to probe video of officers beating man: Reports
02
November, 2022
Iran’s
police force has opened an investigation after a video posted online showed
officers beating a man amid protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa
Amini, media reported.
The
footage appeared Tuesday on social media, and it comes with Iran rocked by more
than six weeks of protests that flared over Amini’s death after her arrest for
an alleged breach of the country’s strict dress code for women.
Shot
at night on a mobile phone, it shows a squad of around a dozen policemen in an
alley kicking and beating a man with their batons, as other officers on
motorbikes watch on.
The
man initially tries to cover his head with his hands, before the sound of a
gunshot is heard and he is run over by a police motorbike. His motionless body
is then abandoned.
“A
special order was immediately issued to investigate the exact time and place of
the incident and identify the offenders,” the police announced in a statement
published by state news agency IRNA.
“The
police absolutely do not approve of violent and unconventional behaviour and
will deal with the offenders according to the rules,” the statement added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Yemen
security forces bust Houthi cell in Shabwa
SAEED
AL-BATATI
November
02, 2022
AL-MUKALLA:
Yemen’s security forces in the southern province of Shabwa have busted an
Iran-backed Houthi cell responsible for deadly attacks on security and military
personnel in the area.
The
country’s official news agency SABA reported that the security forces
discovered a “terrorist” operation that had planted several roadside bombs and
other explosive devices in the province’s capital.
Also
uncovered, was a plot to assassinate Shabwa’s governor, officers of the
Coalition for the Restoration of Legitimacy in Yemen, and other security and
military officers.
In
October, members of the cell detonated an improvised explosive device that
ripped through a military vehicle staffed by Giants Brigades personnel, as well
as a roadside bomb that exploded by a car belonging to a former Shabwa security
commander, killing his son, and injuring three others.
Yemini
authorities have so far not disclosed the number of members of the cell or how
it was discovered.
The
energy-rich province of Shabwa, which is controlled by the Yemeni government,
has seen a series of drive-by shootings and explosions that have killed
numerous government personnel and generated fear in the province’s capital,
Attaq.
Shabwa
Gov. Awadh Al-Wazer has escaped several murder attempts since taking over the
province in December last year.
The
Houthis suffered a huge blow earlier this year when the Giants Bridges evicted
them from the Bayhan, Ouselan, and Ain areas of Shabwa, which led to the
province becoming Houthi-free.
Security
officials said that the Houthis had surreptitiously dispatched agents to Shabwa
and other freed areas to destabilize security and assassinate government
leaders.
Meanwhile,
Yemeni army officials in the southern city of Taiz said the Houthis had
continued their shelling and attacks on government-controlled areas of the
heavily populated city on Tuesday night, sparking combat that lasted until
Wednesday morning.
Government
troops exchanged heavy machine-gun and artillery fire with the Houthis
stationed on the city’s eastern, western, and northern edges.
A
UN-brokered truce, which went into force on April 2, resulted in a dramatic
reduction in hostilities throughout the country, as well as the departure of
commercial aircraft from Sanaa airport and the docking of fuel ships at
Hodeidah port.
However,
people in Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, which has been under a Houthi siege
since early 2015, say that the militias have neither ceased their deadly and
arbitrary shelling of civilian areas nor reduced their blockade.
Also,
in Taiz, the international organization Save the Children said on Tuesday that
a three-year-old boy and his father had died, and four other people were injured
on Sunday after a shell burst in a residential neighborhood, bringing the
number of child deaths in October to 11.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2192676/middle-east
--------
Palestinian
prisoner’s wife says they aren’t allowed to meet; tactic to 'demoralize
prisoners'
02
November 2022
Fatima,
the wife of Palestinian prisoner Mohammed Mortaja, says she was prevented from
meeting him at an Israeli prison, calling it a tactic used by the Israeli
regime to demoralize prisoners.
The
Israeli regime’s policies with regard to Palestinian prisoners have led to
economic and emotional pressures on the families of detainees.
Mortaja’s
family members recently spoke to WANN (We Are Not Numbers), a youth-led
Palestinian nonprofit project in the Gaza Strip, on the situation around the
arrest and the behavior of the apartheid regime.
Explaining
the circumstances behind Mortaja’s arrest and Israeli accusations against him,
his wife said that the occupation forces arrested Mortaja in early February
2017 while he was seeking to pass the Erez Crossing as part of his plan to
attend various conferences related to his work at TIKA, a Turkish charity.
“Their
accusation was based on the fact that, since the 2014 war on Gaza left huge
losses and destruction, TIKA had received additional aid to support those who
lost their homes,” she said, adding that the regime accused her husband of
supporting terrorism by using this aid to develop weapons and tunnels.
He
was handed a 9-year sentence after two months of interrogation.
Referring
to the economical hardships that her family is facing in the absence of
Mortaja, she said they live in financial hardship, "but thanks to God and
my neighbors in the building who support me and spare me from paying the water
and electricity bills, we are getting along.”
Israeli
tactic to demoralize prisoners
The
immediate family of a prisoner has the right to hold ten 45-minute visits
before the sentence is issued, she said.
"Unfortunately,
we were barely allowed two visits, and were denied access to him after
that," the wife lamented.
She
noted that Israeli authorities did not allow her to visit her husband during
the two visits, calling it an "Israeli tactic to discourage the
prisoners".
As
children below the age of eight are allowed to touch and hug their fathers in
prison, Mortaja had asked his wife to bring one of their sons, Farouk, who
later managed to see his father accompanied by his grandmother.
Remembering
the day when he visited the prison, Farouk said, “They made me wait for more
than five hours without any reason, then searched me brutally and started
interrogating me in a horrific way, as if I had committed a crime when visiting
my dad.”
While
desperately searching for his dad, Farouk later saw him behind a thick glass
partition that separates prisoners from families. The phone that was installed
for communication between the sides had much noise that they could hardly hear
each other, according to the son.
“Actually,
this is one of Israel’s malicious policies to harass the prisoners and
demoralize them,” Farouk added.
After
pleading with the guards, Farouk was allowed to feel his father’s “warm
embrace”, wishing “for time to freeze at that moment.”
On
the second and final visit, the older son Abd El-Rahman accompanied the
grandmother for visiting Mortaja.
“The
hardest part of that 45-minute visit was when I desperately pleaded with the
jailer to let me in so that I could touch and hug my dad, but I couldn’t change
his mind,” said Abd El-Rahman.
The
harder point, he maintained, was to “stay strong despite the pain of seeing my
father behind bars” so as to “not let him down.”
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
India
Supreme
Court affirms death penalty of LeT terrorist in 2000 Red Fort attack case
Nov
3, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the plea of Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT) terrorist Mohammad Arif alias Ashfaq seeking review of its judgement
awarding death penalty to him in the 2000 Red Fort attack case that left three
people, including two Army jawans, dead.
A
bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice Bela M Trivedi said
that it has accepted the prayers that electronic records be considered.
“We
have accepted the prayers that electronic records must be placed in
consideration. His guilt is proved. We affirm the view taken by this court and
reject the review petition,” the bench said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
In
First, Gujarat High Court Quashes FIR Under 'Anti-Love Jihad Law'
2
NOV 2022
In
a first, the Gujarat High Court quashed an FIR filed by Gujarat Police against
a Muslim man, his parents and a priest under the state's ‘anti-love jihad’ law
after the husband and wife settled the matter "amicably" among
themselves.
Justice
Justice Niral R. Mehta observed, "...this Court is of the considered view
that further continuation of the criminal proceedings in relation to the
impugned FIR would be nothing but unnecessary harassment to the parties and
trial thereon would be futile and further continuation of the proceedings would
amount to an abuse of process of law," reports Live Law.
According
to the FIR, the woman alleged that her husband and his parents, and the priests
who performed the matrimonial ceremony had forcibly converted her religion
through marriage.
They
were all booked under Sections 498A, 376(2) (n), 377, 312, 313, 504, 506(2),
323, 419, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 4, 4(A), 4(2)(A),
4(2)(B) and 5 of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021 and
Sections 3(1)(r)(s), 3(2)(5), 3(2)(5-a), 3(1)(w)(1)(2) of the Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities).
The
woman and the accused further moved the High Court seeking to quash the FIR
filed by the Gujarat Police and alleged that they had brought the Love-Jihad
angle on its own and that it contained grossly incorrect and untrue facts,
particularly regarding the all.
Importantly,
the woman alleged that she had approached a local police station in Vadodara to
report petty matrimonial discord, however, the cops, on their own, brought in
the “love jihad” angle.
Source:
OutlookIndia
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslims
Face Terror Charges in India’s Assam for Setting up Museum
By
Snigdhendu Bhattacharya
November
02, 2022
In
late October, the police in the northeast Indian state of Assam, which shares
borders with Bengali-speaking Bangladesh and the West Bengal state of eastern
India, sealed a humble museum depicting Miya culture, or the culture of
Bengal-origin Muslims, and arrested three persons associated with the event.
The arrested were booked under India’s anti-terror law, the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act.
This
episode emerged as a new entry in a long list of alleged persecution of
Muslims, a religious minority in India who comprise 14.23 percent of India’s
population according to the last census in 2011. Persecution of religious
minorities has surged since 2014 when the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) came to power in India. Assam, where ethnic conflict between
Assamese-speaking and Bengali-speaking populations is not new, is at present
ruled by the BJP.
Authorities
shut down the Miya museum soon after it was inaugurated on October 23 in the
Muslim-majority Goalpara district. The museum had on display some agricultural
and fishing equipment, hand towels, and the lungi, a men’s skirt generally
associated with Bengali-speaking Muslims, even though some Bengali Hindus also
wear it. Mohor Ali, who created the museum at his home, said these were the
items that the Miya community identified with.
Police
sealed the museum, citing it was housed in a home built under the Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), a government housing scheme for the poor. They said
that the premises were being used for the wrong purposes – PMAY houses are to
be used for residential purposes only.
Soon,
the top brass in the Assam government and BJP leaders challenged the very idea
of highlighting Miya identity. At a press conference, Assam Chief Minister
Himanta Biswa Sarma asked, “Is there any community in the name of Miya?” He
said that the organizers would have to face police action if they failed to
prove that items displayed at the museum belonged exclusively to the Miyas.
Except for the lungi, everything else is used by the Assamese people, he said.
Assam
police, however, claimed that the arrest and slapping of terror charges
happened in connection with a separate case. Organizers of the museum were
accused of receiving funds from banned terror organizations such as al-Qaida
and the Bangladesh-based Ansarullah Bangla Team.
Speaking
to this writer over phone, Nasir Uddin, a resident of Goalpara district who was
formerly with the Asom Miya Parishad, a forum of the Miya people, said that the
charge of terror funding was “ridiculous.”
“The
museum displayed bamboo and cane-made, hand-crafted items of daily use,
collected mostly from local people. It wouldn’t have cost more than a few
thousand rupees. Who would approach terror organizations for such small funds?
The charge is unbelievable,” he said.
For
the BJP, and the state’s chief minister, however, the very assertion of Miya
identity is dangerous.
The
cultural assertion of Miya identity came to the limelight in 2016 onwards. The
main trigger was the Indian Supreme Court’s 2013 direction to Assam to update
the National Register of Citizens (NRC) for the state. People who would fail to
prove the existence of their family names in Assam’s electoral roll before
midnight of March 24, 1971 — just before Bangladesh’s Liberation War began —
would be deemed infiltrators and deported.
Ethnic
conflict between the Assamese and migrants, especially of Bengali identity, has
been a dominating force in Assam’s politics for many decades, often leading to
clashes, bloodshed, and destruction of property. It has been alleged that
migration from Bangladesh has changed the demography of the state.
The
old ethnic conflict took a new turn with the rise of the BJP in the state in
2016. After the NRC excluded 1.9 million Bengali-speaking residents of Assam
from the citizenship list in 2019, Hindu nationalist forces sought to protect
Bengali-speaking non-Muslims through the controversial Citizenship Amendment
Act (CAA).
People
excluded from the NRC included both Hindus and Muslims, predominantly of
Bengali ethnicity. However, the implementation of the CAA, when it happens,
would leave only Muslims to bear the brunt.
Miya
poetry became a talking point in Assam in 2019, with the NRC list coming close
to completion, and hundreds having already landed in detention centers. In
2019, Miya poets were targeted in police cases. In 2020, an Indian National
Congress legislator from the state had mooted the idea of building a Miya
museum, a proposal that triggered strong reactions from Biswa Sarma, who was
then the state’s finance minister. He became the chief minister last year.
Sarma,
who has often been branded “communal,” has been targeting the assertion of Miya
identity since 2020, when he said: “It is a fight between two cultures. The
so-called migrants — Bangladeshi Muslims — have started a new concept in Assam.
They call it Miya culture, Miya poetry… Miya language… We have to protect the
composite Indian culture and more particularly Assamese culture… And Assamese
Muslims are firmly by our side.”
In
2021, he said that “Miyas are a threat to Assam’s culture and identity” and
that he did not want “Miya votes.”
After
the recent incident, Biswa Sarma cited his past comments against the Miya
community to say that he had been right all along. “We have now witnessed Miya
poetry, Miya school, and Miya Museum. I have been talking about these
challenges all the time.”
Source:TheDiplomat
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thediplomat.com/2022/11/muslims-face-terror-charges-in-indias-assam-for-setting-up-museum/
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After
Nov 15, UP govt to take a call on 8K ‘unauthorised’ madrasas
Nov
02, 2022
LUCKNOW
The Yogi 2.0 government would take a call on the nearly 8,000 odd
‘unauthorised’ madrasas that have been found across the state, after November
15, the time when district magistrates are expected to send a combined report
to the state government.
“The
report would be studied in detail. A final decision would be taken in
consultation with chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Our resolve is to ensure that
all children, across all castes and communities, get such education that helps
them keep pace with the times,” said minority affairs minister Dharampal Singh.
Around
8,000 ‘unauthorised’ madrasas have so far been detected in the madrasa survey,
government officials said.
However,
it is still not clear if the list of ‘unauthorised’ madrasas also includes
globally renowned Islamic seminaries like Darul-Uloom, Deoband in Saharanpur,
set up over 100 years back.
The
seminary has already cleared it has no plans to seek affiliation with the
state’s madrasa board and that it would continue to impart largely theological
teaching to students who enrol with it.
While
Darul Uloom was set up in 1866, Lucknow-based Islamic seminary, Nadwatul Ulama,
was set up in 1898. These are registered under the Society Act and considered
to be among the few Islamic seminaries across South Asia imparting teaching in
Arabic.
Mohammad
Rabey Hasani Nadwi, president of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB),
is also the chancellor of Nadwatul Ulama and the AIMPLB has already raised a
question mark over the madrasa survey.
“There
hasn’t been any (government) communication (since the survey exercise),” said a
Nadwa official, when asked if they have learnt anything from the government
about the survey.
Minority
affairs minister Dharampal, had categorically told HT in an interview that
while in a secular, democratic set-up, all are free to pursue the religion of
their choice, he had also stated that mere ‘deeni taleem (religious education)’
won’t help madrasa students.
“Mere
religious education can’t make the students, who study here, become successful
as doctors, engineers, bureaucrats and managers. They should also learn Hindi,
English, mathematics and other relevant subjects,” he had said.
With
Darul Uloom making it clear that they won’t allow any change in teaching
methodology and would continue with the theology-based teaching, the response
of the government on the issue is still not clear.
Ashraf
Usmani, spokesperson of Darul Uloom said, “We are registered under the
Societies Registration Act and already impart both types of teaching –
religious as well as modern. There is no need for seeking affiliation.”
Madrasa
owners say they impart “deeni taleem” (religious education) to students who,
after becoming well-versed in theology, go on to become teachers, qazis, imams,
and muezzins of mosques. “We impart ‘deeni taleem’, but we also impart English
teaching to our students. We have produced scholars who are doing well across
the globe,” said a senior official at Nadwatul Ulama.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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7
Kerala VCs move court against governor’s notice
K.M.
Rakesh | Bangalore
03.11.22
Vice-chancellors
of seven Kerala universities have moved the high court on Wednesday seeking
direction to cancel the chancellor’s show cause notice against their
continuance in office.
Governor
Arif Mohammed Khan, who is the chancellor of state universities, had on October
24 served show cause notices to nine vice-chancellors for not following his
orders to submit their resignations by 11.30am that day. The pleas came with
just a day to go for sending their responses to the notice.
The
single bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran on Wednesday sought
counter-petitions, if any, from the counsel for the chancellor and posted the
matter for Thursday before the deadline to respond to the show cause notice
expires.
The
governor had cited non-compliance of UGC norms in the appointments of the
vice-chancellors, in an open battle with the Left Democratic Front government.
His
orders were based on the Supreme Court judgment on October 21 that set aside
the appointment of M.S. Rajasree, vice-chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological
University, for not complying with UGC regulations.
Kerala
High Court had on October 24 given temporary relief to eight of the
vice-chancellors, who had moved the court against the chancellor’s diktat
seeking their resignation, by asking them to remain in office until they are
removed in keeping with law.
In
a special hearing in spite of Diwali holiday, the court had observed that the
governor’s order seeking their resignations had lost relevance on account of
the show cause notice.
While
the state government has not yet appointed an interim vice-chancellor for the
university, Mohanan Kunnummel, vice-chancellor of Kerala University of Health
Sciences has since been given additional charge of Kerala University until a
fresh appointment is made. Kerala University vice-chancellor V.P. Mahadevan
Pillai had recently retired, but is among the seven petitioners since he too
was served a show cause notice.
In
another case related to the Kerala University, the court extended the stay on
the removal of 15 senate committee members. The governor had removed the senate
committee members on October 15 as they refused to send in their nomination for
the search and selection committee for a new vice-chancellor. The high court
that had then given them interim relief, will hear the matter again on Tuesday.
Sources
said the governor had sought legal opinion on recovering the salaries paid to
the vice-chancellors who were allegedly appointed by flouting UGC norms.
Although some of the appointments were made by him, Khan had recently accused
the state government of providing just one name instead of the three mandated
by the UGC.
The
governor has been engaged in an open battle with the Left Democratic Front
government ever since he assumed charge in 2019. The tussle had intensified
with the state government putting its foot down and questioning the powers and
duties of the governor.
Source:TelegraphIndia
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/7-kerala-vcs-move-court-against-governors-notice/cid/1895806
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Uttar
Pradesh: Girl hangs self hours after kin 'beat' Muslim beau to death in
Saharanpur
Nov
3, 2022
MEERUT:
An inter-faith love affair ended in tragedy on Wednesday when a 19-year-old
college-going girl hanged herself to death hours after her family called her
boyfriend, 20, who was also her classmate, to their house, allegedly thrashed
him mercilessly following which he died in a hospital in Dehradun.
The
incident happened at Islampur locality of Rampur Maniharan region in UP's
Saharanpur district. The teenager, Tannu Saini, was a BSc student as was the
youth, Zia-Ur-Rehman.
Police
said they are "yet to receive any complaint from either families",
adding that appropriate action would be taken after the postmortem report of
the dead man arrives.
The
girl's autopsy report mentions death due to hanging. No FIR has been filed,
said police.
Soon
after news of the deaths spread, local markets remained shut fearing communal
unrest as the couple belonged to different faiths. "Police force has been
deployed. Probe is on and action will be taken accordingly," said
Saharanpur SSP Vipin Tada.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Kodathi
Vilakku and Muslim munsiff connection
03rd
November 2022
By
Gopika Varrier
THRISSUR:
Kodathi Vilakku, held as part of the Ekadasi festival at the Lord Krishna
Temple in Guruvayur, got its name perhaps due to the fact that it was started
by a Muslim munsiff named Keyi at the Chavakkad court more than a century ago.
A trust formed by advocates at the court continued the practice.
Earlier,
Guruvayur temple used to have just one week of ‘vilakku’ offerings for Ekadasi,
with temple workers and privileged members of society offering it. Later, as
the vilakku gained popularity, local merchants, police officials and others too
joined. The ritual became a group offering, with its members staging cultural
performances on that evening of the vilakku day.
“Over
years, many judges have been joining Kodathi Vilakku voluntarily. They did it
not in their official capacities as it is the Guruvayur Ekadasi Kodathi Vilakku
committee which books the offering. However, instead of mentioning the trust’s
name, the devaswom continued to use Kodathi Vilakku. Just because the term
Police Vilakku is being used by the devaswom, it doesn’t mean that the state
police department is making the offering,” said a source on condition of
anonymity.
Chavakkad
Bar Association president Siju Muttath said the association was not part of the
offering and it has been managed exclusively by the trust. However, the
official document provided by the devaswom clearly mentions Munsif, Chavakkad
Munsif Court, as the person who offers the vilakku.
Source:
NewIndianExpress
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Rishi
Raj and after: Liberal fallacy of connecting India’s plurality with a Muslim
Prime Minister
November
02, 2022
In
an ironic twist to the fulfilment of the Macaulayian wish of having a class of
people, “Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in
morals and in intellect”, Rishi Sunak has been called upon to rule the United
Kingdom.
For
a people, denigrated by their colonial masters as incapable of self-rule, this
is a moment of poetic justice. The euphoria it has generated among Indians has
an interesting side show — the taunts are being hurled at India for not yet
having a prime minister of foreign origin, or, more specifically, a Muslim.
The
fact, however, is that for about a thousand years, till a mere 75 years ago
when we became independent, our rulers had been foreigners — not merely of
foreign origin, but self-avowed foreigners.
One
may ask, does Sunak represent the Indian desis, and has he acquired power on
their behalf, or is he so integrated in the British society and culture, so
steeped in its ethos, and so committed to its interests that his skin colour
doesn’t matter for the British?
Would
they still be so accepting of him, if the Indians had ruled over the British
Isles for centuries, and when the time came for them relinquish power, they
partitioned it into three; keeping two parts for their exclusive
ethno-religious rule, while having equal rights in the remaining third part,
where they continued with the old separatist politics with an ever sharpening
Hindutva ideology?
Would
Sunak be acceptable if he were an identitarian, and not an integrationist; if
he wore identity politics on his sleeve and foregrounded his ethnic and
religious identity before his British one?
If
the identity politics is shunned, Islam is depoliticised, and the Muslim
community ceases to be a political group, in the fullness of time, India might
have its own Obama and Sunak — someone who is Muslim in religion, but Indian in
taste, opinions, morals and intellect.
Kalam’s
case
Actually,
we did have one such in APJ Abdul Kalam. True, he wasn’t an executive
president. But seeing his enduring popularity among the masses, there is little
doubt that if he were made the prime minister, in the manner of Manmohan Singh,
he would be as popular as he was as president.
Fifteen
years after he demitted office, his pictures are ubiquitous in public places
and private spaces; they are painted in the rear of buses and printed on the
covers of students’ notebooks; his inspirational quotes circulate in social
media and his books remain best sellers.
His
mausoleum at Rameshwaram has become a pilgrimage place. His religion — he was
regular with his namaz and roza — never came in the way of his popularity. However,
the Indian Muslims and the official liberals remained cold towards him. He
wasn’t Muslim enough for them. He didn’t belong to the elite Muslim class of
Ashrāf which has a monopoly on high offices; he didn’t speak Urdu, and didn’t
wear sherwani. He played Veena and quoted from Bhagwad Gita.
As
Missile Man he added muscles to India’s military might. He neither wasted money
on Iftar party in Rashtrapati Bhavan nor, after retirement, ever felt insecure
for being a Muslim. Naturally, he couldn’t be a darling of the identitarian
Muslims and official liberals.
Analysis
of Owaisi’s dream
The
AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, has a dream of seeing a Hijabi woman as prime
minister of India. Why does he specifically want a Hijabi woman, and not a
Muslim woman irrespective of her dress?
Could
such a strident communal identity represent the whole country?
Does
identity politics facilitate the modus vivendi of acceptance and mainstreaming
or it leads to social secession and self-inflicted marginalisation?
Even
if Owaisi’s wish were to be granted, shouldn’t charity begin from home, and
AIMIM, in order to set an example, have a hijabi woman chief for itself, and
propose another for All India Muslim Personal Law Board?
But,
would it be possible till the time Muslim women continue to be half a person
with half a right under the Muslim Personal Law, instead of a full person with
full rights as envisaged by the Constitution?
Moreover,
since a hijabi woman is foregrounding her religious identity, what about her
right to equality in the mosque, and opportunity to lead her fellow Muslims in
prayer? Shouldn’t she first have an equal access to the mosque — to the main
hall, and not some sequestered section in the rear? Would she have the
confidence to lead the country if she couldn’t lead her own faith mates in the
mosque?
Opposite
historical trajectories
India
might have overtaken the UK as the fifth largest economy of the world, but the
historical trajectories of the two have been the exact opposite of each other.
The UK has been a colonising, not a colonised country. It has ruled the world,
and not been ruled by any. India, on the other hand has been a colonised
country, and been subject to the rule of foreign invaders for many centuries.
The
British didn’t settle here. The ruled; drained the wealth, and left at the end
of their tenure. The Muslim invaders, however, settled here, colonised the
country, and lived here to rule.
If
the British system was like a sponge, “drawing up all the good things from the
banks of the Ganges and squeezing them down on the banks of the Thames”, the
Muslim ruling class’ extravagant consumption poured the country’s wealth down
the drain.
Broadly
speaking, the rulers and the subjects were divided by race and religion. The
rulers came as foreigners and remained here as foreigners. By choice,
expediency and ideology.
They
predicted the legitimacy of their rule on racial superiority as foreign
conquerors. Till the mid-18th century, the Muslim ruling class replenished
itself with new arrivals from Arabia, Iran and Central Asia. So much so that
the founders of some of the succession states in the 18th century had freshly
arrived from abroad.
Islam’s
religious claim to rule the world was the ideological justification for their
racial superiority. Till the end of the Muslim rule, 70-80 percent of the
ruling class were foreigners.
They
proudly claimed foreignness. Bernier very perceptively notes, “The Great Mogol
is a foreigner in Hindustan…he finds himself in a hostile country…he is under
the necessity of keeping up numerous armies, even in the time of peace.”
Their
descendants, the upper class Muslims — the Ashrāf — continue to base their
social superiority and political entitlement not only on their foreign origin
but on their perpetual foreignness.
Assimilation
in the broad Indian society has been an anathema to them since it would end the
distinction between them and their former subjects.
Such
an attitude wouldn’t let them forge any relation with the land of their
domicile except the political. They regarded India merely as their Rajbhoomi.
The idea of Matribhoomi, Motherland or India as Mother, was considered
idolatrous.
Idol
worship, being the Hindu way, was an abomination. The idea of Punya Bhumi,
sacred land, became the extreme form of apostasy, even though, Muslims all over
the world adore their respective countries as sacred.
The
concept of Punyabhoomi is different from Teerth Sthal or place of pilgrimage.
Christians from all over the world have their holiest shrines in
Israel-Palestine, and Buddhists in India. Their reverence for these places has
nothing to do with their love and adoration for their respective motherlands.
Likewise,
for Indian Muslims, reverence for the holy sites of Islam in Arabia, shouldn’t
interfere with their sense of nationalism. If it does, it’s a case of bad
theology which has less to do with religion and more with politics.
This
practice of separateness led to the ideology of separatism in politics, and
theology of puritanism in religion. The process culminated in the partition of
India. Now, the same current has resurfaced in the avatar of identity politics.
After
the partitioned independence, this process gathered even more momentum. Besides
being a religion, Islam has also been the political ideology of the Muslim
ruling class, the Ashrāf.
But
with the rise in literacy level, and exposure to Islamic literature, the
indigenous Muslims — about 80 percent of the Muslim population, those who had
converted to Islam during the Muslim rule — became more indoctrinated with the
ideological claim of Islam to rule the world.
Thus,
while the Ashrāf created a culture industry out of the so called Ganga-Jamni
Tahzeeb, the indigenous Muslims, with the characteristic zealotry of the
convert, fanatically seceded from their past, history and culture in order to
climb the mobility ladder customised by their converters, the Ashrāf.
The
official liberals cheered this process as they needed the Muslim mercenaries on
their side in the fight against the cultural nationalists.
Source:Firstpost
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
China,
Pakistan claim ‘politicisation’ of terror issue, rake up Kashmir
Nov
3, 2022
NEW
DELHI: China and Pakistan on Wednesday expressed their opposition to the
“politicisation” of the issue of counter-terrorism, days after India indirectly
hit out at them for blocking its efforts to blacklist Pakistan-based key
conspirators of terror attacks who continue to remain “protected and
unpunished” there.
Ajoint
statement issued after wide-ranging talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping
and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing mentioned the Kashmir issue, saying
the two sides “emphasised the importance of resolving all outstanding disputes
through sincere dialogue”. While there was no official response from India,
government sources said J&K has always been and will always remain an integral
part of India and that China and Pakistan must not do anything to change status
quo in areas under illegal occupation of latter.
“The
Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in J&K. The
Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a dispute left from history
that should bepeacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, UN Security Council
resolutions and bilateral agreements,” it said. “The two sides condemned
terrorism in all its forms and expressed opposition to the politicisation of the
issue of counter-terrorism,” it added.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
'I
am deeply concerned about security of Chinese people in Pakistan,' Xi tells
Sharif
Nov
2, 2022
BEIJING:
President Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed "deep concern" over the
security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on the CPEC projects and
sought "reliable and safe environment" for them during his talks with
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is here on his maiden visit to bolster the
all-weather friendship.
Sharif,
who arrived here on Tuesday night on a two-day visit, held wide-ranging talks
with Xi during which they agreed to strengthen the all-weather friendship and
the $60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
"I
am deeply concerned about the security of Chinese people in Pakistan and hope
that Pakistan will provide a reliable and safe environment for Chinese
institutions and personnel going to Pakistan for cooperation," Xi told
Sharif in their meeting at the ornate Great Hall of People here, according to
an official statement here.
Sharif
is the first Head of the State to felicitate Xi on his recent record victory as
General Secretary of the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the ruling Communist
Party of China (CPC), a privilege accorded only to party founder Mao Zedong.
This
is the second time in about two months Xi expressed concern over the recurring
attacks on Chinese nationals working in Pakistan by the Baloch Nationalist Army
and other militant groups that oppose the Chinese investments in the troubled
province under the CPEC.
India
has objected to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through the
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sharif
met Xi last month on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
summit at Samarkand in Uzbekistan.
In
the Samarkand meeting, Xi had called for providing solid protection for
hundreds of Chinese working on the CPEC projects.
With
recurring attacks on its workers, China is reportedly pressing Pakistan to
permit the Chinese security agencies to provide security for their personnel
which, according to press reports, Islamabad is resisting as it meant boots on
the ground for Chinese armed forces.
A
joint statement issued later said both sides "expressed satisfaction with
the close cooperation, trust and communication between the armed forces of the
two countries".
"Underscoring
that stronger strategic defence and security cooperation between China and
Pakistan is an important factor of peace and stability in the region, the two
sides agreed to maintain high-level mil-to-mil visits and exchanges and deepen
cooperation in areas of training, joint exercises and military
technology," it said.
While
there was no reference to the Kashmir issue in the lengthy statement issued by
China on Xi's meeting with Sharif, it figured in the joint statement.
"The
two sides reiterated that a peaceful and prosperous South Asia is in the common
interest of all parties. They emphasized the importance of resolving all
outstanding disputes through sincere dialogue," the joint statement said.
"The
Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in Jammu &
Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a dispute left
from history that should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN
Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral
agreements," it added.
India
has previously rejected third party intervention on the Kashmir issue, saying
that matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir are entirely
its internal affairs.
The
joint statement said that China and Pakistan expressed their opposition to the
"politicisation" of the issue of counter-terrorism, days after India
indirectly hit out at them for blocking its efforts to blacklist Pakistan-based
key conspirators of the terror attacks on its soil who continue to remain
"protected and unpunished" there.
In
his meeting with Sharif, Xi, who is expected to be in power for his life like
Mao and accorded priority to China's ties Pakistan in his last 10 years with
the CPEC, said China and Pakistan are "good friends, good partners and
good brothers” and they demonstrated "iron-clad friendship” by supporting
each other in a “chaotic world”.
"China
has always viewed China-Pakistan relations from a strategic height and
long-term perspective, and has always placed Pakistan in priority in our
neighbouring diplomacy," he said.
China
is willing to work with Pakistan to enhance all-round strategic cooperation,
accelerate the construction of a closer China-Pakistan community of shared
future in the new era, and inject new impetus into the all-weather strategic
cooperation partnership between China and Pakistan, he said.
He
said both sides should make good use of the mechanism of the Joint Cooperation
Committee of the CPEC to promote the construction of the projects more
efficiently and build it into a high-quality development demonstration project
of the BRI.
Recent
reports said China is deeply unhappy over the inordinate delays of the CPEC
projects which Sharif says will be accorded priority to complete with new
deadlines.
"We
should accelerate the construction of supporting infrastructure of Gwadar Port,
and give play to the role of the port in radiating and driving the development
of regional connectivity," Xi said.
The
CPEC connects Xinjiang with Pakistan's strategic Gwadar port in Balochistan.
"Both
sides should make joint efforts to create conditions for the early
implementation of the upgrading and reconstruction project of Mainline No. 1
railway line and the Karachi ring railway project," Xi said.
The
Mainline No. 1 railway line refers to the Karachi-Peshawar rail line, which the
previous Imran Khan government was not keen on as it was estimated to cost
about $10 billion, increasing Pakistan's debt burden.
According
to reports from Pakistan, Sharif is expected to make a case for Beijing to
provide more help for his government to shore up the balance of payments
position to avert a crisis similar to Sri Lanka.
The
International Monetary Fund said Pakistan's total non-Paris Club bilateral debt
currently stands at about $27 billion, of which Chinese debt is about $23
billion.
Pakistan's
state-run APP news agency reported that in his meeting with Sharif, Xi
announced 500 million yuan ($70 million) as relief for the victims of recent
floods in Pakistan. China earlier announced $70 million in aid for flood
relief.
On
his part, Sharif told Xi that the world cannot live without China.
"The
world cannot live without China, and no force can contain China's development
in isolation. It is believed that President Xi Jinping's foresight will not
only continue to lead China to create more brilliant achievements, but also
lead the world to a brighter future," the Chinese statement quoted Sharif
as saying.
"I
am very honoured to be one of the first foreign leaders invited to visit China
after the successful convening of the landmark 20th National Congress of the
Communist Party of China, which fully demonstrates the deep 'iron-clad'
friendship between Pakistan and China," Sharif said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Landmark
book on Muslim family law launched
K.C.
Vijayan
02
Nov 2022
SINGAPORE
- When veteran lawyer Ahmad Nizam Abbas and two others completed a book on
Muslim family law, he hoped to dispel the misconception that legal practice in
the Syariah Court is the exclusive domain of Muslim lawyers.
The
Syariah Court settles disputes and related matters in relation to divorcing
parties under the Administration of Muslim Law Act. All such parties are either
Muslims or married under Muslim law. The court also may issue inheritance
certificates to facilitate estate distribution under Muslim law.
“(Unlike
elsewhere), the lawyer in Singapore can be of any religion. What matters is the
knowledge and the capacity to represent clients in the Syariah Court,” said Mr
Ahmad in a recent interview with the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL). The
55-year-old runs his own law firm, Crescent Law.
The
book – Muslim Family Law In Singapore – is the first targeted textbook on the
practice of Muslim family law here, and is co-written with Ms Istyana Putri
Ibrahim from the Legal Aid Bureau and Ms Maryam Hasanah Rozlan from Kaplan
Singapore.
Launching
the book on Oct 18, Justice Valerie Thean noted that there “has been no
equivalent textbook touching on this area of practice in Singapore since Ahmad
Ibrahim’s textbook on Islamic Law in Malaya in 1965”, referring to Singapore’s
first attorney-general, who was also a prolific legal expert and law professor.
“Now,
we have a useful and practical guide to the many questions we have on
substantive Muslim family law and procedure.”
She
added: “Reading the draft the authors sent me, I wish I had had the benefit of
the last chapter when I dealt with an inheritance case just two months ago. I
congratulate our authors and SAL on its publication.”
Published
by SAL’s Academy Publishing, the 664-page book provides a comprehensive survey
of topics, analyses reported cases and relevant developments, and carries
insights as well as commentary on various issues.
One
case concerns a woman based in India who made a deed of gift (hibah) of her
Housing Board flat to her daughter in 2011.
The
daughter argued that the unit was a gift and did not form part of her late
mother’s estate, relying on a fatwa (Islamic ruling) she obtained from the
Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) in December 2016 that the hibah
was valid under Muslim law.
The
son objected when the case went to court, pointing out that the HDB’s consent
was not obtained for the transfer, as required under the Housing and
Development Act.
Justice
Choo Han Teck held that the Act made it clear that no HDB flat shall be
disposed of without the prior written consent of the board. As consent was not
sought, the transfer was void.
The
judge added that Muis’ fatwa considered the validity of the hibah only in
accordance with Muslim law governing formal requirements.
The
authors noted that the case is the only reported decision so far on a hibah
ruqba, which is a unique instrument under Muslim law.
Source: StraitsTimes
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/landmark-book-on-muslim-family-law-launched
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Indonesia,
Muslim World League hold first-ever G20 religion forum
SHEANY
YASUKO LAI
November
02, 2022
JAKARTA:
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, kicked off on Wednesday
the Group of 20’s first-ever Religion Forum ahead of the upcoming G20 summit in
Bali.
The
forum, R20, organized by Indonesia’s biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul
Ulama and the Muslim World League, is part of a series of events initiated
under Indonesia’s presidency of the group of the world’s 20 leading economies.
More
than 300 religious leaders and scholars from around the globe attended the
opening of the two-day meeting.
Indonesian
President Joko Widodo, who inaugurated the forum, called on participants to
work together to help resolve global challenges and put an end to wars for the
future generation to inherit a peaceful, united world.
“I
hope you succeed in building understanding and agreement and will concur on
concrete steps so that religion will have a bigger contribution for
civilization and humanity, and for a happier world for everyone,” he said,
addressing on a large screen the audience in Nusa Dua, Bali — the venue of the
G20 Summit, which Indonesia will host on Nov. 15 to 16.
MWL
Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa announced in his opening
speech the launching of the Building Bridges Between the East and West
initiative under the R20 forum’s platform.
“I
am pleased to launch the initiative of Building Bridges Between the East and
West for a better world understanding, peace, and mutually accepting
societies,” the league’s chief said.
“We
discussed in this platform many initiatives comprising human diversity,
religious diversity, and civilizational diversity on the platform of human
brotherhood. This diversity is important. God has wanted it from us in his
wisdom.”
Yahya
Cholil Staquf, head of Nahdlatul Ulama, said the R20 initiative came from a
“sincere concern of all believers” about the future of humanity.
“On
behalf of the Nahdlatul Ulama, I want to express our utmost gratitude to the
MWL and especially to Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa for the willingness
to have a collaboration with NU to co-host this forum for all of you.
“May
God’s blessings, guidance, and help always be with us during this event and
afterwards, and our joint endeavor contribute in a positive and constructive
way for all humanity,” he added.
Ulil
Abshar-Abdalla, head of NU think tank Lakpesdam, told Arab News from the summit’s
venue that the very fact the forum had been initiated by the organization —
which with a membership of 90 million was also the largest Muslim body in the
world — highlighted its importance.
“The
purpose of this forum is, among others, to promote an honest conversation among
religious leaders from diverse faith traditions through rethinking religious
doctrines and traditions that hamper dialogue and peaceful coexistence,” he
said.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2192451/world
--------
GE15:
Candidates, party leaders, workers prohibited from taking over as imam and
khatib in Perak, says state Islamic Religious Dept
02
Nov 2022
IPOH,
Nov 2 — Candidates, political party leaders and political party workers are
prohibited from taking over the role of imam and khatib from mosque officials
in Perak throughout the 15th general election (GE15) campaign period.
That
is among the rules and guidelines regarding programmes and activities in
mosques, suraus, maahad tahfiz and religious schools issued by the Perak
Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) effective this Friday (from Maghrib
prayers) until the dawn prayers on November 20.
JAIPk
director Harith Fadzilah Abdul Halim in a circular today said that this was
based on the decree issued by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, in order
to protect the sanctity of Islam and to ensure that Islamic institutions are
protected from being contaminated by political activities.
“Friday
sermons that are not issued by the Perak Islamic Religious Department as well
as holding talks, speeches, announcements and visits that have elements of
campaigning are prohibited.
“Also
prohibited are announcing aid, handing over donations, sponsoring a feast as
well as organising groundbreaking events or launching mosques, suraus, maahad
tahfiz and religious schools,” he said.
Apart
from that, he said the installation of party symbols and flags as well as
candidate posters at the compound of mosques, suraus, maahad tahfiz and
religious schools as well as distributing campaign leaflets and manifestos are
also prohibited.
Source:
MalayMail
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
VP
Amin, ADFP discuss collaboration in promoting moderate Islam
03
Nov 2022
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin discussed the importance of
cooperation in promoting moderate Islam to achieve world peace with the
president of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace (ADFP), Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah,
on Wednesday.
"The
current global situation, which is full of challenges, requires commitment from
all countries to jointly maintain peace and promote peaceful solutions (to
those various challenges),” Amin said during the meeting in Abu Dhabi, the
United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to a statement issued on Wednesday.
There
have been a number of areas of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and the
UAE for promoting moderate Islam, for instance, the sending of Indonesian
mosque imams to the UAE.
Furthermore,
Amin said that Indonesia and the UAE are also working together to construct a
replica of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque as well as an Islamic Center in Solo city,
Central Java province.
The
mosque will be inaugurated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his UAE
counterpart Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in mid-November 2022, he informed.
Further
cooperation between the countries includes a plan to establish a School of
Future Studies in Indonesia under a collaboration between Nahdlatul Ulama
University (UNU) and Mohammed bin Zayed University for Humanities (MBZUH).
"I
expect the plan to establish this educational institution to be realized
soon," the Indonesian Vice President said.
Indonesia
and the UAE have the same vision and mission of building a spirit of
brotherhood and realizing world peace, he noted.
"We,
in Indonesia, build three ukhuwah (brotherhood) principles, namely ukhuwah
islamiyah (brotherhood among Muslims), ukhuwah wathoniyah (brotherhood of
nation), and ukhuwah insaniyah (brotherhood of mankind). Indonesia also has a
mission according to our (1945) Constitution to realize world peace," he
added.
Amin
said he expects the 9th Abu Dhabi Peace Forum, which will be organized by ADFP
on November 8–10, 2022, to further solidify cooperation between Indonesia and
the UAE.
"I
hope that through this forum, we can realize peace and prosperity in the region
and the world together," he added.
Meanwhile,
the ADFP president said that his party has assessed that Indonesia has an
important role in disseminating the values of tolerance and harmony by
promoting moderate Islam.
ADFP
is ready to improve cooperation with Indonesia in promoting moderate Islam for
world peace, he added.
Source:
AntaraNews
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.antaranews.com/news/258241/vp-amin-adfp-discuss-collaboration-in-promoting-moderate-islam
--------
GTA
fields Islamist hardliner and former Ummah, Isma leader Aminuddin Yahaya in
Temerloh
By
Shahrin Aizat Noorshahrizam
Wednesday,
02 Nov 2022
BANGI,
Nov 2 — Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) announced today that the former chairman of
Islamist coalition Gerakan Pembela Ummah, Aminuddin Yahaya, will contest under
its banner in Temerloh for the 15th general election (GE15).
Aminuddin
joined GTA as part of the civil societies coalition called Gagasan Bangsa.
He
was most recently the president of Malay-Islamist lobby group Pembela, and was
the deputy president of the controversial Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin
Malaysia (Isma) before leading Ummah.
As
Ummah chairman, Aminuddin was part of the leaders of the December 2018 rally
opposing the Pakatan Harapan administration’s ratification of the Pakatan
Harapan (PH) government’s decision not to ratify the United Nations’
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination (ICERD).
Ummah
later held another rally in May 2019 opposing ICERD, the Rome Statute, PH’s
stance on the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) and Teaching and Learning
of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI), and the untimely death of
fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim during riots at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple
in Seafield.
At
least five more former Isma members and leaders were also fielded by GTA, all
of them members of PAS splinter party Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia or
Berjasa.
This
includes Berjasa president Zamani Ibrahim, a former Seremban Isma chief,
contesting in Tampin, and its Youth chief Fahmi Bazlan Muda — formerly Subang
Jaya Isma Youth chief — in Kota Raja.
Others
were Hamidi Abu Hassan (ex-Seberang Perai Isma chief) in Kepala Batas, Anuar
Salleh (ex-Hulu Langat Isma chief) in Bangi, and Nazriq Abdul Rahman (Melaka
Tengah Isma member) in Alor Gajah.
GTA
named eight candidates from Berjasa out of the 121 it announced today,
including its deputy president Datuk Rosli Ramli in Putrajaya.
Source:
MalayMail
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Malaysian
Christians urged to vote responsibly
November
02, 2022
An
ecumenical forum in Malaysia has asked Christians to take an informed decision
while casting their votes to choose their leaders in the upcoming general
election.
“To
vote means to stand up and be counted. God has entrusted to us this stewardship
to work for the common good of everyone,” reads a pastoral letter from
Archbishop Simon Poh, chairman of the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS)
issued on Oct. 31.
The
ACS covers Sarawak, the largest state in Malaysia in the northern part of
Borneo Island and the only Christian-majority state of the Muslim-majority
country.
Archbishop
Poh, head of Kuching Catholic Archdiocese, said that the 15th general election
on Nov. 19 is a time to properly exercise their voting rights as responsible
citizens of the country.
“This
is to ask Christians to vote as responsible citizens of our country… as part of
our moral responsibility in society and nation building,” Archbishop Poh told
the Borneo Post while explaining the letter.
The
prelate said the ACS does not endorse any politicians or party.
The
letter urged Christians to not cast their votes for popular candidates blindly
but look for qualities that make them good leaders.
“ACS
exhorts church members to seek and elect godly leaders who will ensure the
common good of all people of all races, religions, and social standing in our
nation,” the letter read.
A
candidate being “capable and competent, accountable and transparent, trustworthy,
having integrity, as well as a God-fearing person who seeks to do what is right
before God,” were the values Christians were urged to look for.
The
letter also added concern for the poor, honesty, not taking advantage of their
position to exploit the poor and unprotected, sense of justice and equality,
“rejecting religious fundamentalism and bigotry, and protecting harmony” among
other desirable traits for the candidates.
The
letter also reminded the Christian community that they must also cultivate the
traits that they demand from their leaders.
“Christians
are called to strive for these qualities as part of our stewardship and
leadership in respective families, workplace, and position of leadership that
have been entrusted to us,” the letter further read.
The
ACS has been cautious in its stand to maintain communal harmony and peace
across the multi-cultural and inter-denominational socio-political landscape in
Malaysia.
Muslims
make up more than 60 percent of Malaysia’s estimated 32 million people.
Buddhists are the largest minority with 20 percent, Christians are 10 percent
and about 6.3 percent are Hindus, according to 2018 government estimates.
Among
Malaysia’s 13 states, Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo account for
about two-thirds of the country’s Christians where they make up one-third of
the population, making them a major voting bloc to register an election win.
Sarawak
is the largest state in terms of area where Christians make up the majority
with 1.2 million (50.1 percent) in a population of 2.4 million. Muslims make up
800,000 (34.2 percent) and Buddhists account for about 300,000 (12.8 percent).
Protestants,
mostly Anglicans, are the majority among Christian denominations.
The
Catholic Church has also a sizable following with more than 441,300 members
spread in the Archdiocese of Kuching and Miri and Sibu dioceses.
Sarawak
is the only state in Malaysia that holds state elections separately from
federal elections. Under the Malaysian constitution, Sarawak enjoys a higher
degree of autonomy than other states.
Political
analysts say Malaysia’s long-ruling United Malays National Organization (UNMO)
is expected to win the general election as the opposition alliance remains in
disarray due to power struggles and infighting.
The
UNMO, a Malay nationalist party, has been in power uninterrupted since
independence in 1957. However, it got embroiled in corruption, especially in
1MDB graft, and was defeated in the 2018 general election.
The
multi-billion-dollar 1MDB corruption scandal has landed UNMO leader and former
Prime Minister Najib Razak in jail.
The
party has nominated current PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the Prime Minister
candidate again. Yaakob dissolved the parliament on Oct. 10 and called snap
elections, saying this would end years of political uncertainty in the country.
Source:
UCANews
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/malaysian-christians-urged-to-vote-responsibly/99285
--------
Dr
Mahathir: GTA will free government from yoke of criminals
By
Kenneth Tee
03
Nov 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 3 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) has the
ultimate aim of changing a “criminal-led government” to a clean and trustworthy
administration.
In
yet another attempt to shore up support for the unregistered coalition that was
formed recently, Dr Mahathir said GTA is a movement founded by Malays capable
of replacing another mainstream but tainted Malay-centric party, Umno.
“Umno
has been hijacked by Malay criminals and are fighting for cash, to save their
leaders from being charged in court and imprisoned.
“The
fate of the Malays no longer depends on Umno,” he said in a statement on
Facebook.
Dr
Mahathir, who is also Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) chairman, said GTA has
the capability to replace Umno since the informal coalition he founded
comprises capable Malays who are passionate about nationalism and their love
for the country.
He
later further claimed that Malaysia will return as an Asian Tiger country,
where Malays will be respected and admired.
“That
is our promise to Malaysia and its people.
“Leaders
and independent candidates from GTA are free from criminal acts and do not face
charges in court.
“GTA
will fight with Umno so Malaysia will not be ruled by criminals who have
spoiled their party and the country,” he said, insisting that GTA has what it
takes to restore political stability and social harmony.
Last
month, Dr Mahathir made a similar plea by attempting to downplay the heavy
Malay representation in GTA, saying such representation does not mean those
within GTA were racist or hostile to non-Malays in multiracial Malaysia.
Source:
MalayMail
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Gunmen
kidnap 21 children from farm in Nigeria
Olanrewaju
Kola
02.11.2022
MAIDUGURI,
Nigeria
Gunmen
have kidnapped at least 21 children, most of them girls, working on a farm in northwestern
Nigeria, police and local officials said on Wednesday.
Gambo
Isah, a police spokesperson, told Anadolu Agency that “18 young women and three
young men” were taken away from a farm in Faskari, an area in Katsina State, on
Sunday.
He
said the victims are daily wage workers, but refused to confirm their ages.
However,
the head of a local vigilance group, who requested anonymity, said all the
victims are between 10 and 14 years old.
According
to Isah, the incident is likely linked to recent extortion threats faced by the
farm owners.
He
said authorities have warned the farm owners and community leaders against
negotiating with the kidnappers.
According
to local media reports, the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of 30 million
naira (around $68,500).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/gunmen-kidnap-21-children-from-farm-in-nigeria/2727881
--------
4,
including paramedics, abducted by suspected al-Shabaab terrorists in Kenya
Andrew
Wasike
02.11.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Suspected
al-Shabaab terrorists have abducted four people in northeastern Kenya, near the
border with Somalia, police said on Wednesday.
The
suspects crossed over from Somalia late on Tuesday night and ambushed an
ambulance in Mandera county, according to a police statement.
The
people abducted include two paramedics from the Lafey Sub-County Hospital,
identified by police as Abdirashid Billow Hussein and Aden Dai.
The
other two are a patient named Moulid Abdi and Hassan Shaaban, the driver.
They
were “driven towards Somalia,” the police report said.
The
incident comes after a significant decline in al-Shabaab attacks in Kenya.
The
terror group, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, has a history of abductions in
the Horn of Africa.
In
Kenya, the group kidnapped an Italian aid worker in 2018, followed by two Cuban
doctors a year later.
Al-Shabaab
has also targeted security officials, teachers, and medics in past attacks,
most of which were in Mandera and Kenya’s coastal regions.
In
2011, Kenya sent its troops to fight al-Shabaab in Somalia.
The
terrorist group has carried out two particularly deadly attacks in Kenya in the
past decade.
In
2013, al-Shabaab terrorists killed at least 67 people during a four-day siege
of a mall in the capital Nairobi.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
targets weapons trafficking with sanctions on Islamic State in Somalia
02
November, 2022
The
United States on Tuesday issued sanctions targeting Islamic State in Somalia,
designating members of the group and others it accused of being involved in a
"terrorist weapons trafficking network" in Eastern Africa.
The
US Treasury Department in a statement said several of the people designated in
Tuesday's action have sold weapons to or were active al-Shabaab members.
The
al Qaeda-linked Islamist group claimed responsibility for two car bombs that
exploded outside the education ministry in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on
Saturday, killing at least 120 people in the deadliest blasts since a truck
bomb killed more than 500 people at the same location five years ago.
Tuesday's
action comes as Washington seeks to increase focus on exposing and disrupting
terrorist financing networks in Africa, a senior Treasury official told
reporters.
While
Tuesday's move is the first from the Treasury targeting the Islamic State in
Somalia, the official said additional action is expected in the coming weeks
and months as the United States seeks to expose and disrupt terrorist financing
in Africa.
The
US State Department in 2018 designated the Islamic State in Somalia a Specially
Designated Global Terrorist.
The
Treasury said the Islamic State in Somalia "commonly works with other
terrorist organizations" such as al-Shabaab and Somali pirates and
smuggling groups.
"Many
of the relevant individuals are also involved in other illegal activities,
including piracy and environmental crimes, demonstrating their integration with
illicit networks operating in the region," State Department spokesperson
Ned Price said in a separate statement.
Those
designated on Tuesday include Abdirahman Mohamed Omar, whom the Treasury
accused of being an ISIS-Somalia member and, as of 2020, considered the most
active illicit arms importer in Puntland state in Somalia.
Also
designated was Isse Mohamoud Yusuf, who Treasury said is an ISIS-Somalia
weapons and logistics facilitator in Bari in Puntland and an arms smuggler;
Abdirahman Fahiye Isse Mohamud, who it said is an ISIS-Somalia emir; and
Mohamed Ahmed Qahiye, who the Treasury said is the head of the Amniyat, al
Shabaab's intelligence wing, among others.
The
move freezes any of their US assets and generally bars Americans from dealing
with them. Those that engage in certain transactions with those designated on
Tuesday also risk being hit with sanctions.
Source:
The New Arab
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/us-targets-weapons-trafficking-sanctions-islamic-state-somalia
--------
Ethiopian
government, Tigray rebels sign cease-fire deal ending 2-year war
Andrew
Wasike
02.11.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Peace
talks between Ethiopia's government and Tigray rebels on Wednesday bore fruits
as the two warring sides agreed to a new cease-fire deal, a diplomatic
breakthrough two years into a war that has killed thousands of people.
Announcing
the development, Olusegun Obasanjo, the high representative of the chairperson
of the African Union Commission, said: “Today is the beginning of a new dawn
for Ethiopia, for the Horn of Africa and indeed for Africa as a whole. Let me
hasten to thank God for this new dawn.”
He
added that “we are seeing in practice and actualization what we have tried to
achieve for ourselves over the years – African solutions for African problems.
We also see in today’s peace agreement signing exercise the implementation of
Agenda 2063 which embodies silencing the guns in Africa.”
Obasanjo,
who is a former Nigerian president, added that the two parties in the Ethiopian
conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as to
systematic, orderly, smooth, and coordinated disarmament, restoration of law
and order, restoration of services, unhindered access to humanitarian supplies
and protection of civilians especially women, children, and other vulnerable
groups.
The
agreement also takes care of assurance of security for all concerned within and
outside Ethiopia.
In
a statement, Kenyan President William Ruto commended the parties to the
Ethiopia peace process for signing the peace agreement.
"The
commitment demonstrated by the two parties to the African Union-led peace
process aligns with our collective desire for peace and security within our
region," Ruto said.
In
a report released on Oct. 29, the UN said that 2.75 million people in Ethiopia
are internally displaced and 12.5 million children are in need of humanitarian
assistance.
There
has been intense fighting in the northern Ethiopian region since a months-long
truce was shattered in late August, with reports of mass casualties and other
rights violations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Ohanaeze
kicks as Miyetti Allah demands creation of ministry of nomadic affairs
By
Nnamdi Akpa, Abakaliki and Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka
03
November 2022
The
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, kicked against demand by Myetti Allah for creation
of grazing reserves and nomadic ministry, describing the demand as ridiculous
and illusive.
In
a statement in Abakaliki, the Secretary General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural
group, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, noted that creation of ministry of nomadic affairs
would amount to duplicating duties of the Ministry of Education, as well as
that of Humanitarian Affairs, insisting there is no need for such.
He
maintained that the use of threats of violence by Myetti Allah to give
conditions for peace shows that the Fulani organisation indirectly indicted
itself for being responsible for the crisis associated with farmers and herders
across the country.
The
statement reads: “Ohanaeze has faulted resolutions of Myeitti Allah for
creation of grazing reserves and nomadic ministry as unreasonable, unrealistic,
and hallucinations of daydreamers, because cattle businesses all over the world
remain an individual enterprise like other people who are in businesses of
garments, mechanics and food v endors.
“Ndigbo
has responded that the perceived demands for 415 grazing reserves across the
country have sinister and wicked motives aimed at fuelling disintegration of
the country, and land grabbing against indigenous people is a threat to
national security and peace.”
IN
another development, the South East Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle
Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Allahaji Gidado Siddiki, has alleged
continued attacks on the group by hoodlums across the country.
Siddiki
appealed to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar, and other
stakeholders across the six geo-political zones, to engage government at all
levels to ensure adequate protection of their cattle and people.
In
a congratulatory message to the newly elected National Executives of MACBAN,
led by Alhaji Baba Ngelzarma, signed and made available to newsmen, yesterday,
in Awka, Siddiki alleged that members of the group had suffered greatly in the
hands of criminal gangs, as well as malicious ethnic loyalists in the course of
doing their legitimate businesses.
While
appreciating those who have worked closely with him in the South East, he
lamented that challenges of the moment is a clarion call for members of MACBAN
to close ranks and genuinely seek collective good.
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Heat
and tremors: Survivors of Somalia's deadly car bombings narrate harrowing
stories
Mohammed
Dhaysane
02.11.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
It
was a Saturday afternoon, with many people busy in the hustle and bustle of the
Somali capital when one of its central road junctions shook with the force of
twin car bombings that left dozens dead.
The
al Qaeda-linked terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the
attack in Mogadishu that killed 120 people and injured over 300 others.
Authorities fear the toll could rise as many have been reported missing.
Survivors
who spoke to Anadolu Agency said the dual bombings were one of the most severe
to befall the city.
Safiyo
Abdullahi, 26, was traveling in a rickshaw at the time of the blast. She
survived unscathed, but her driver was not so lucky.
"I
was traveling from Dharkinley district and was going to Kulan hospital to visit
a friend. The intersection was very busy. There were cars, motorcycles,
rickshaws, and people everywhere and suddenly I was hit by the heatwaves and
the ground was shaken and then I heard the blasts. Miraculously, I
survived," Abdullahi told Anadolu Agency.
The
attack took place at the Zoobe intersection -- one of the busiest in Mogadishu.
It
was at this same junction that five years ago on Oct. 14, a truck laden with
bombs exploded, killing more than 600 people. More than 1,000 others, mostly
civilians, were wounded.
Ali
Abdi Bulle, 37, a businessman in Mogadishu recounted that he was near a bank
and was about to deposit money when the explosion erupted.
After
the first attack, dozens of people rushed to the scene, Bulle said.
"The
situation was chaotic, there was blood and debris everywhere. Then, security
forces arrived and told us to go back," he said, adding that shortly after
that, a second bomb exploded in a massive blast.
"By
the grace of Allah, I survived. But, seven of my close friends died on the
spot," Bulle said as tears welled up in his eyes.
-
Hospitals under pressure
Journalists,
students, traders, and security officials were among those killed in the
attack, with Mogadishu's already-fragile health facilities strained as they
tended to the wounded.
Hospitals
are overcrowded due to the high number of injured people and families taking
care of them. While many others have flocked to them in search of their loved
ones.
Somali
authorities have formed a committee, led by Health Minister Ali Haji, to
coordinate the emergency response after President Hassan Sheikh Mahamud called
for international help following the terror strike.
Somalia
has asked Türkiye, Egypt, neighboring Kenya, and Saudi Arabia to send doctors
to treat the injured.
The
Somali presidency said Mohamud had spoken to Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, who conveyed a message of condolence to the government and people of
Somalia following the terrorist attack in Mogadishu. Both leaders reiterated
the urgent need to root out international terrorism.
Due
to years of conflict, Somalia has been rebuilding its health sector, though it
remains weak as it struggles with hundreds of complicated emergencies.
Ayub
Mohamed, a nurse at the Daarushifa hospital in Mogadishu, told Anadolu Agency
that despite the country having a "very fragile" health sector,
people united to help their brothers in need.
"After
the attack, we saw young people uniting, organizing themselves, and going to
hospitals to donate their blood but this isn't enough," Mohamed said.
The
government also launched a blood donorship campaign to help hospitals deal with
the wounded from Saturday's attack.
The
Health Ministry said it was a difficult job to provide air evacuation for the
hundreds of injured.
Somalia
lacks a national blood bank and private hospitals charge victims for
transfusions.
-
Türkiye condemns terror attack
Türkiye's
President Erdogan on Monday strongly condemned the "heinous"
terrorist attack in Somalia.
"No
reason can be an excuse for killing innocent civilians, children going to
school, people praying in mosques," he said.
"We
condemn this vile and treacherous attack and wish our Somali brothers and
sisters to get well soon," Erdogan said, adding that Türkiye would
continue to stand with Somalia in difficult times.
Somalia
has been grappling with security threats for years, with al-Shabaab being one
of its main concerns.
Since
2007, the al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group has waged a deadly campaign against
the Somali government and international forces that have claimed thousands of
lives.
The
UN has warned of growing instability in the Horn of Africa nation, with its
periodic reports on Somalia this year detailing attacks by al-Shabaab and
groups aligned with the Daesh/ISIS terror group.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
US
to act unilaterally against terrorist threats from Afghanistan
Anwar
Iqbal
November
2, 2022
WASHINGTON:
The United States will continue to act unilaterally to address emergent
terrorist threats from Afghanistan, the US State Department has warned.
The
warning followed news reports that Al Qaeda, the Islamic State militant group —
which the US refers to as ISIS — and other terrorist groups have been
reactivated in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and were gradually
becoming a major threat to the US and its allies.
“We’ve
been very clear that the United States and our partners around the world won’t
allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven for international terrorists who pose
a threat to the United States, to our partners around the world,” State
Department spokesperson Ned Price said when asked what Washington was doing to
deal with these threats.
On
Aug 15, 2021, Kabul fell to the Taliban following a hasty US withdrawal from
Afghanistan. President Joe Biden justified pulling all American troops by
saying that Al Qaeda was no longer in Afghanistan.
But
a US Senate Foreign Relations Committee minority report claimed in August that
Afghanistan had once again become a hotbed of terrorists and the Biden
administration’s mishandling of the situation had contributed to a humanitarian
disaster in Afghanistan as well.
Mr
Price did not reject the suggestion that Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers were
again sheltering terrorist leaders, including its chief Ayman al Zawahiri, who
was killed in a recent US drone strike at his refuge in Kabul.
He
noted that al Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul “flies in the face of the Doha
Agreement and the Taliban’s repeated assurances to the world that they would
not allow Afghan territory to be used by terrorists to threaten the security of
other countries”.
“Of
course, we know how that story ended,” said the US official while reminding the
Taliban how a US drone eliminated al Zawahiri in his compound.
President
Biden, he said, “has been very clear that we will maintain the capacity to act
unilaterally if necessary to address any emergent terrorist threats or concerns
when it comes to Afghanistan”.
US
special representative for Afghanistan Tom West recently met the Taliban in
Doha and discussed a number of US interests, including counterterrorism, with
them, Mr Price said.
“We’ll
continue to engage with the Taliban pragmatically. And following the sheltering
of al Zawahiri, I think it’s fair to say that the Taliban will have to earn the
trust of the world, and they’ll only earn that through their own actions.”
Poppy
cultivation spikes
Separately,
the UN’s drugs agency said on Tuesday that Afghanistan’s opium poppy
cultivation this year is up by a third, in its first report on the issue since
the Taliban took power in 2021, according to AFP.
The
country is the world’s biggest producer of poppies, the source of sap that is
refined into heroin, and in recent years production and exports have boomed.
The
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said prices have soared after
the Taliban’s ban in April on poppy cultivation.
This
year’s harvest was largely exempted from the decree, UNODC said.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1718368
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US
moves to remove ‘unfit’ Iran from UN women's commission
02
November, 2022
Vice
President Kamala Harris vowed Wednesday that the United States would work to
remove Iran from a UN body on women's rights as she saluted the “bravery” of
women-led protests against the clerical state.
Harris
said that the United States would work with other nations to oust Iran from the
UN Commission on the Status of Women, whose members are elected to four-year
terms.
“Iran
has demonstrated through its denial of women's rights and brutal crackdown on
its own people that it is unfit to serve on this Commission,” Harris said in a
statement.
“Iran's
very presence discredits the integrity of its membership and the work to
advance its mandate,” she said.
Iran
is witnessing some of the most significant protests since the 1979 Islamic
Revolution in the wake of the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old
who had been detained by the notorious “morality police” that enforces strict
codes on women's dress.
“To
all of those protesting I say again, we see you and we hear you. I am inspired
by your bravery, as are people around the world,” Harris said.
The
United States and European allies have imposed a series of sanctions on Iran
over the protests and worked to help restore internet access disrupted by
authorities.
Nations
on the women's commission are elected by the UN Economic and Social Council,
whose members in turn are voted on by the General Assembly.
Iran,
ruled by Shia Muslim clerics, was elected to a term that ends in 2026. The
United States is serving through next year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Europe
UK:
Muslim students launch campaign to disaffiliate from NUS after Shaima Dallali
sacking
By
Areeb Ullah
2
November 2022
Muslim
students doubled down on calls to disaffiliate from the UK's National Union of
Students after the national body dismissed its elected president Shaima
Dallali, following an investigation into allegations of antisemitism.
Dallali,
a Black Muslim woman of Tunisian and Sudanese descent, was elected in March to
lead the national student body, although she had not taken up the post after
being suspended, pending the investigation.
She
is the first president to be dismissed in the NUS's 100-year history.
The
NUS announced its decision on Tuesday night after reports began to emerge that
Dallali was dismissed by the national body.
The
NUS said the decision could be subject to an appeal but defended the process,
which had led to Dallali's dismissal. The decision was based on a disciplinary
panel hearing on 27 October 2022.
A
statement by her lawyers, Carter-Ruck, on Wednesday announced that Dallali is
considering legal action against the decision.
"Remarkably
– and in keeping with her treatment throughout her brief tenure since being
elected in March 2022 – the news of Ms Dallali’s dismissal had already been
briefed to and published on at least two national news websites before Ms
Dallali had even been informed of the decision, let alone been provided with
the written reasons for it," the statement read.
"The
position was further aggravated by the publication of follow-up articles,
citing an unnamed NUS source and falsely denying that this briefing or leak had
occurred."
The
statement added that Dallali rejects the findings of the disciplinary panel as
well as the allegations about her that were investigated in the context of
those investigations.
"She
considers the process to have constituted – and that it continues to constitute
– discriminatory treatment of her as a black Muslim woman and her beliefs
concerning the plight of the Palestinian people," the statement said.
Disaffiliation
campaign
Meanwhile,
the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS), representing Muslim
students across the UK and Ireland, said the NUS had undermined its
democratically elected leadership by dismissing Dallali as president.
Describing
the NUS as "no longer fit for purpose", FOSIS said it would launch
disaffiliation campaigns against the national body in response to Dallali's
dismissal.
"Following
numerous attempts to engage NUS and its leadership, no satisfactory outcome has
been reached," FOSIS said in a statement.
"The
investigation into Shaima has been deeply politicised from the outset, and due
process has not been followed, opening Shaima up to the court of public opinion
and denying her the opportunity to fairly represent herself.
"NUS'
failings with regards to Shaima reflect its failings towards Muslim students at
large - and these reflect its dereliction of duty towards its membership at
large."
Following
her election, Dallali told the Guardian that she feared for her safety after
receiving a torrent of online abuse and threats.
Before
she was elected NUS president, Dallali served as president at City University
in London.
Dallali
was then elected to serve as NUS president at the body's last national
conference, which saw hundreds of delegates from across the UK vote for her.
She
was due to start her new role in July and serve in that position for a two-year
term.
After
her election, Dallali was placed under investigation following complaints of
antisemitism and homophobia relating to several tweets dating back to 2012.
Dallali
apologised for the tweets and welcomed the investigation into her actions.
'Torrent
of Islamophobic' abuse
More
than a dozen organisations signed a joint letter condemning the NUS on Tuesday
night for failing to protect Dallali from death threats and a "torrent of
Islamophobic" abuse after being elected president of the national body.
The
open letter's signatories include the Muslim Association of Britain and the
Finsbury Park Mosque, which supported FOSIS's calls for students to
disaffiliate from the NUS.
The
Muslim Council of Britain echoed FOSIS's concerns and found Dallali's dismissal
as "deeply troubling and raises questions on proper due process."
The
umbrella body, which represents hundreds of Muslim organisations, said it had
written to the NUS in July with concerns about Islamophobia, but had not
received a response.
It
said Dallali had been subjected to a "deluge of Islamophobic abuse".
Source:
MiddleEastEye
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-shaima-dallali-sacking-muslim-student-disaffiliate-nus
--------
Is
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s elevation dividing British Muslims?
2nd
November 2022
New
Delhi: Rishi Sunak’s rise to the top in British politics has come with its
share of ‘shock and awe’.
Sunak
became the prime minister of the UK within a month of serious unrest in
Leicester — a city of three lakh people known for its inter-community harmony,
well, until now.
The
Muslim-Hindu unrest in a tranquil city ruffled Royal feathers besides creating
news across the world. A number of independent inquiries are in the offing over
the communal clashes.
Jubilant
reactions among Hindus have been documented in detail by the media not just in
the UK and India but across the world. Among British Muslims, while some
notable personalities have voiced their support for Sunak, influential sections
— some with connections with the Left and the Labour Party — have focused on
the Prime Minister’s riches, his so-called pronounced Hinduism, his Tory
thought as well as foreign policy disposition towards Palestine and India.
A
past interview by Sunak on “grooming gangs” — wherein predominantly Pakistani
men have been charged, has been dug out. Sunak is seen promising action on a
sensitive race issue which has been buried in the UK due to ‘political
correctness’ despite its acute criminality.
Even
as Sunak remains under microscopic scrutiny, a Muslim organisation has been
running a campaign against him. The Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPACUK)
posted a series of tweets between October 24 to 26 — all criticising Sunak.
It
began on October 24 by saying: “Sunak doesn’t have the support of his own
Party’s membership, nor most of his colleagues in Parliament, and definitely
not of the country. MPACUK demands a General Election NOW!”
By
October 25 MPACUK said: “Here’s our reasons for why the Muslim community should
be dissatisfied with Sunak as PM and released a video on why Rishi Sunak is bad
news for Muslims.”
The
committee is also rallying the Muslims to be prepared for elections as it feels
general elections in the UK are round the corner.
A
day later the MPACUK released another video saying why Rishi Sunak is “bad
news” as Prime Minister of the UK.
Among
the issues it lists, which it thinks makes Sunak ‘bad news for Muslims’ are his
Conservative Party thinking, support to Israel, his wife’s ownership of Infosys
and that “Rishi Sunak is not the best for Britain let alone for the Muslims
here�”
Despite
the MPACUK’s strident anti-Sunak campaign, some constituents have voiced
support for Sunak.
Foremost
among them is writer and commentator Wasiq Wasiq who has been battling the
anti-Sunak sentiment on social media.
He
was among the few to have clapped his approval for Sunak even before the
Indian-origin leader took on the mantle as the Prime Minister.
Another
Muslim figure, researcher and culture writer, Dr Rakib Ehsan has come to
Sunak’s defence many a times.
Ehsan
has taken a swipe at the powerful Left-Liberal combine for vilifying Sunak’s
elitism and wealthy background. He has also stood his ground over communal
attacks on Sunak and defended his policies.
That
Sunak is a practicing Hindu and has been photographed with cows also led to a
social media kerfuffle.
Well
known Pakistani writer-in-exile, Ayesha Siddiqa alluded to his Hindu roots
while making a confusing comment on his ties with India. Siddiqa said: “He
recently went to a cow temple and other signs of support. But there will be
pressure on him so not easy to deal with India�”
Siddiqa’s
comment obviously drew sharp comments over the term “cow temple” after which
she tried to decry Sunak as not only rich but Hindutva.
“We
are generally weary of owning our own Hindus unless it is to showcase
liberalism so what to speak of Richie Sunak who is not just Tory but Hindutva.”
Sunak’s
elevation has caused more than a flutter among the Muslims in Britain.
Large
sections are keeping quiet over the UK’s youngest and first Hindu Prime
Minister. Many others are watching his policies from an Islamic point of view
while some have already announced that a Hindu Prime Minister is just not going
to be right for the Muslims.
Source:Siasat
Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/is-prime-minister-rishi-sunaks-elevation-dividing-british-muslims-2447675/
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Czech
Republic to close its embassy in Afghan capital
Askin
Kiyagan
03.11.2022
PRAGUE
The
Czech Republic will close its embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul on Jan. 1,
2023 as no improvement in the country’s security situation is expected anytime
soon, local media reported Wednesday.
Czech
Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky has decided to close the Czech embassy in Kabul,
said the Czech News Agency (CTK).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/czech-republic-to-close-its-embassy-in-afghan-capital/2728214
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British
Prime Minister Sunak pivots to attend UN Climate Change Conference in Egypt
Karim
El-Bar
02.11.2022
LONDON
British
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday that he will go to Egypt to
attend the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP 27, reversing
his previous decision to skip it.
"There
is no long-term prosperity without action on climate change,” Sunak said in a
statement posted to Twitter.
"There
is no energy security without investing in renewables. That is why I will
attend COP27 next week: to deliver on Glasgow's legacy of building a secure and
sustainable future," he added, referring to the last conference in the
series, COP26, hosted in the Scottish capital in fall 2021.
Initially,
Sunak said he would not go in order to focus on “other pressing domestic
commitments,” a nod to the difficult economic situation at home. A critical
financial statement will be made by the government on Nov. 17.
This
decision was widely condemned, however, and he was urged to go to the UN
climate conference.
Ed
Miliband, the opposition Labour Party’s shadow climate secretary, said on
Twitter: "The prime minister has been shamed into going to COP27 by the
torrent of disbelief that he would fail to turn up. He is going to avoid
embarrassment not to provide leadership."
Green
Party MP Caroline Lucas also said on Twitter: "Glad to see Sunak's
screeching U-turn on COP27, but what an embarrassing mis-step on the world
stage. Let this be a lesson to him – climate leadership matters.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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German
chancellor praises Türkiye's efforts to keep Ukraine grain deal in force
Erbil
Basay
02.11.2022
BERLIN
Germany’s
chancellor appreciates Türkiye's efforts to maintain grain exports from Ukraine
through the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a government spokesman said Tuesday.
Steffen
Hebestreit said Olaf Scholz exchanged views with Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan on the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war.
He
said the two leaders criticized “Russia's nuclear rhetoric” and Scholz flatly
rejected Moscow’s accusation that Ukraine is preparing to use a "dirty
bomb," saying it was unfounded.
He
also noted that Scholz and Erdogan agreed to stay in close contact over the
current security situation.
Russia
announced Saturday that it would suspend its participation in the UN-brokered
Black Sea grain export deal due to Ukrainian attacks on its Black Sea Fleet’s
ships.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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British
army veteran Shareef Amin nicknamed ‘Rambo’ after surviving Russian attack in
Ukraine
November
02, 2022
LONDON:
A British Army veteran fighting for Ukraine has been nicknamed “Rambo” by his
comrades after surviving being shot several times, and dragging himself out of
a trench to safety, the Metro reported.
Shareef
Amin, an Afghanistan veteran who served nine years in the 1st Battalion, The
Rifles, said he went to Ukraine almost immediately after the war began in
February and initially provided humanitarian aid.
However,
as the fighting intensified, he began using the skills and experience in the
British military to train Ukrainians before eventually enlisting as a soldier.
In
October, Amin and his unit were targeted by intense artillery fire after being
spotted by the Russians, the Metro reported.
The
attack left him with bullet wounds, lung punctures, and shrapnel nested in all
four limbs.
“I
shouldn’t be alive. I was in a shallow trench with my friend, a Ukrainian we
called Professor, as the rounds just kept coming,” Amin told the Metro.
“Next
thing I hear this almighty thud. It felt like someone had dragged me
underground. I just saw red.”
“Professor’s
body just went limp. He landed on top of me. At that point I knew I’d been hit.
I thought, ‘I’m dead here. This is where I die.’ So I accepted it.”
Trapped,
Amin recalled shouting to another comrade, Oleh Shumov, to see if he was still
alive and told him that he could not get out.
He
told the Metro how, despite the fact that he was still under fire, Shumov
jumped out of his trench, grabbed Professor by the helmet, and dragged his body
away.
It
was then that Amin realized the extent of his own injuries.
“I
pushed myself up and felt almighty agony through my lungs, through my arm. I
looked down and my hand was hanging off,” he told the Metro.
“I
don’t know how I got the strength to pull myself out of that ditch but I did.
As I did, I sort of rolled into a front crawl and saw this huge piece of
shrapnel sticking out of my leg. It was like a tin can.”
Amin
and Shumov were soon rescued by Kozak Warrior armored personnel vehicles and
driven to waiting ambulances before being taken to the hospital.
With
both lungs punctured and limbs broken, surgeons removed three pieces of
shrapnel, which now lie beside his hospital bed in a jar.
Despite
his extensive injuries, Amin has defied medical odds and is already walking
again. However, he has lost most of the feeling in his right hand and foot.
His
nickname is a reference to Sylvester Stallone’s film character John Rambo, who
survives overwhelming odds in battle on numerous occasions.
Friends
are crowdfunding to return Amin, who is originally from Bristol, to the UK with
his Ukrainian fiancée Helen Vitvickaja and her 10-year-old son.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2192621/world
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