Indonesian Human Rights Lawyer Sentenced To Three Years In Prison Over Islamic Radicalism
New Age Islam News Bureau
06 April 2022
FILE - General secretary of
the now-defunct Islam Defenders Front Munarman, left, who is also the lawyer of
firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, File)
----
• Ayman
Al-Zawahiri, The Head Of Al Qaeda: Hijab Controversy Exposes “The Reality Of
Hindu • India And The Deception Of
Its Pagan Democracy”
• Tower Of
London Hosts First Ramadan Iftar In An Interfaith Event In 900 Year History
• Where Are
National Security Committee Meeting's Minutes? Chief Justice Of Pakistan Asks
Babar Awan
• Teenage
Girls’ Schools Closure Might Create Friction Among Taliban: US Representative
For Afghan Women
Southeast Asia
• Indonesians
urged to keep wearing masks during Ramadan
• Latest
SOP for non-Muslim houses of worship in Sabah effective April 9, says state
minister
--------
India
• Bengaluru
Police Notice For 125 Mosques, 83 Temples, 22 Churches For Ban On Loudspeakers
During Banned Hours
• Communal
Amity: Thanks To Hindu Neighbour, Kozhikode Mosque Gets A Ramzan Facelift
• Indian
American Muslim Council Condemns Physical Assault On Muslim Journalists By
Hindu Extremists In Delhi
• UP Cleric
Held For 'Issuing' Death Fatwa Against Muslim Doctor
• After Halal,
Loudspeaker Ban, Karnataka Outfits Call For End Of 'Muslim Monopoly' In Fruit
Business
• Muslim
man thrashed in Karnataka for talking to Hindu girlfriend; two accused arrested
• After
opposition from BJP, Delhi Jal Board withdraws circular for short leave to
Muslim employees during Ramzan
--------
Europe
• Turkiye
calls for global action to eliminate discrimination against diasporas
• Turkey
calls for probe into civilian deaths in Bucha
• Turkiye's
Embassy in Ukraine returns to capital Kyiv
• Greece,
Israel, Cypriot Greek administration foreign ministers tripartite meeting held
in Athens
--------
Pakistan
• Imran
Khan's ‘foreign conspiracy’ charge: Shehbaz Sharif asks Pakistan army chief to
produce proof
• President
Alvi asks ECP to propose dates for general elections
• Envoy’s
transfer exposes ‘threat letter’ drama, claims Maryam
• Pakistan
Telecommunications Authority Urges YouTube To Unblock Dr Israr’s Channel
• Opposition
grows restless as SC hearing continues
• Bilawal
urges apex court to strike down Imran Khan’s ‘coup’
• 3 killed
in Dera Ismail Khan grenade blast
• Pakistan
PM Imran Khan’s Wife’s Friend Flees To Dubai For Fears Of Regime Change
• Pakistan
condemns burning, vandalisation of Muslims' houses by 'Hindu zealots' in
India's Rajasthan
--------
South Asia
• Taliban:
7 months of rule, 11 cases of violations
• UN:
Afghan women, Children bearing brunt of country’s humanitarian crisis
• Following
US, Iran welcomes Taliban’s ban on cultivation of poppies
• Taliban
sacks ex Afghan ambassador to Moscow, appointed their envoy
--------
Arab World
• Saudi
Authorities Warn Against Donating To Strangers Due To Terrorism Financing
• Pope
Francis To Visit Crisis-Hit Lebanon In June: Presidency
• Mines
killed, injured more than 500 children in Iraq: UN
• Lawyer
warns of drugs in chocolate bars in Egyptian markets
• Saudi
Arabia’s humanitarian body clears over 329,000 mines in Yemen
• Saudi
Authorities Arrested An Asian Woman For Begging After She Collected Over
$30,000
• Kuwait’s
government resigns in latest standoff with parliament
--------
Mideast
• Improving
Turkish-Israeli Ties To Strengthen Regional Stability: Top Israeli Diplomat
• Bennett’s
Government Loses Majority In Israel Parliament
• Volunteer’s
dream of Al-Aqsa Library comes true
• Israel's
Gantz speaks with Palestinian president for Ramadan
• Iranian
Legislators Urge Gov’t to Take Strong Guarantees from US
• Iran
Calls for Continued Ceasefire, Full Removal of Siege on Yemen
• Iranian
Parliament Condemns Saudi-Led Coalition for War Crimes in Yemen
• Iran
won’t stop seeking ‘punishment’ of those behind Soleimani killing: Official
• Iran
stabbing attack leaves one dead, two injured at holy shrine
--------
Africa
• Israeli Delegation
Secretly Meets Sudanese Military Official
• Nigerian
Atheist Jailed 24 Years For Blasphemy
• Tanzania’s
Islamic banks draw non-Muslim customers
• Tunisia
calls Erdogan comments on president’s decree unacceptable interference
• Sudan
militia chief ‘rampaged’ across Darfur, court told
--------
North America
• Iran Deal
Advisor Defends Russia, Says US President Biden ‘Racist Piece Of Garbage’
• UN hails
Turkiye's role in hosting direct Russia-Ukraine talks
• Russia
condemns US ‘attempt to punish Imran’
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Indonesian Human Rights Lawyer Sentenced To Three
Years In Prison Over Islamic Radicalism
FILE - General secretary of
the now-defunct Islam Defenders Front Munarman, left, who is also the lawyer of
firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, File)
----
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A former Indonesian human
rights lawyer who joined an Islamic hard-line group was sentenced to three
years in prison on Wednesday on charges of incitement with the aim to establish
a caliphate in a secular country.
The three-judge panel at East Jakarta District Court
found Munarman guilty of hiding information from authorities about militants
pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group in January 2015 in Makassar, the
capital of South Sulawesi province, and instead “giving a speech inciting
people to carry out terrorism acts.”
“The defendant does not support the government’s
program in eradicating terrorism,” the presiding judge said in the ruling.
Munarman, 53, who goes by a single name, was the
general secretary of the now-banned Islam Defenders Front, widely known by the
Indonesian acronym FPI, which has a long record of vandalizing nightspots,
hurling stones at Western embassies and attacking rival religious groups. It
wants Islamic Shariah law to apply to Indonesia’s 230 million Muslims.
The judges ordered the time he had already served to
be deducted from his sentence.
Munarman was a former activist and human rights lawyer
before joining FPI. He represented the group’s leader, Rizieq Shihab, an
influential cleric who was sentenced to four years in prison last year.
Munarman was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008
after his group attacked a religious event in Jakarta’s National Monument park
that left dozens of participants injured.
During the trial, which began in December, Munarman
denied any wrongdoing and said he was the victim of political persecution in an
attempt to silence his criticism of the government. He denied that FPI had
supported the Islamic State group.
Police said they obtained videos showing Munarman
pledging allegiance to the IS. He told the court he couldn’t avoid it because
he was an invited guest at an event.
Both Munarman and the prosecutors, who had sought an
eight-year prison term for him, said they would appeal Wednesday’s verdict.
The government banned FPI in December 2020, saying it
had no legal grounds to operate as a civil organization and that its activities
often violated the law and caused public disorder.
Indonesia has been battling militancy since the
al-Qaida-linked group Jemaah Islamiyah carried out bombings on the resort
island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Attacks
aimed at foreigners have been largely replaced in recent years by smaller, less
deadly strikes targeting the government, police, anti-terrorism forces and
people considered by militants to be infidels.
Source: AP News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Ayman Al-Zawahiri, The Head Of Al Qaeda: Hijab Controversy
Exposes “The Reality Of Hindu India And The Deception Of Its Pagan Democracy”
Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief of the terror group Al
Qaeda
-----
Praveen Swami
6 April, 2022
New Delhi: Ayman al-Zawahiri, the head of al Qaeda,
has released a new video message focussing on the Hijab controversy raging in
Karnataka, which he claims has exposed “the reality of Hindu India and the
deception of its pagan democracy”. The video, the first statement made by the
world’s most-wanted jihadist since September, was posted to al Qaeda online
groups late on Tuesday night.
In the eight-minute statement, al-Zawahiri hails
Muskan Khan — the Karnataka student who became famous for her pro-hijab protest
in February — for having “challenged a mob of Hindu polytheists with defiant
slogans of Takbeer [God is the Greatest]”.
“May Allah reward her for showing a moral lesson to
sisters plagued by an inferiority complex via-a-vis the decadent Western
world,” al-Zawahiri says.
Al-Zawahiri’s last video, released in September, 2021,
came on the back of rumours that he had died, and did not reference the fall of
Afghanistan to the Taliban, which had taken place the previous month. The
Taliban’s victory had been hailed by al Qaeda as the jihadist movement’s
“greatest victory”.
In Tuesday’s statement, al-Zawahiri tells Indians in
the subcontinent to “avoid being deceived by the pagan Hindu democracy of India
which, to begin with, was never more than a tool to oppress Muslims”. “It is
exactly the same tool of deception the true nature of which was exposed by
France Holland and Switzerland when they banned the Hijab while allowing
nudity,” he says.
“We must understand the way out is by holding on to
our Shariah (Muslim religious law),” al-Zawahiri goes on, “uniting as a single
Ummah (Arabic word for community) from China to the Islamic Maghreb, from the
caucuses to Somalia.”
He also lashes out at other South Asian states, saying
that “Governments imposed on us, specifically in Pakistan and Bangladesh, do
not defend us, rather they defend the very enemies they have empowered to fight
against us”.
India on his mind
Al-Zawahiri’s last India-focussed video had been
released in 2014, to announce the formation of the Jamaat qaidat al-jihad
fi’shibhi al-qarrat al-Hindiya, or Organisation of The Base of Jihad in the
Indian Sub-Continent. The organisation was led by Asim Umer, an Uttar
Pradesh-born, Deoband-educated seminarian, who had left for Pakistan in 1995.
Umer is believed to have been killed in a United States military raid in
Afghanistan’s Musa Qala in 2019.
In the 2014 video, al-Zawahiri had said the formation
of al-Qaeda’s South Asia wing was “a message that we did not forget you, our
Muslim brothers in India”. He vowed that the jihadist group will “break all
borders created by Britain in India”, and called on the region’s Muslims to
“unite under the credo of the one god”.
For many years before that, however, India had played
a larger role in al-Zawahiri’s statements, than in those by other al-Qaeda
leaders. In a 2001 book, for example, al-Zawahiri had called on Muslims to
discharge “a religious duty of which the nation had long been deprived, by
fighting in Afghanistan, Kashmir, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Chechnya”.
Again, in September, 2003, al-Zawahiri invoked India
to warn Pakistanis that their then-President, General Pervez Musharraf, was
plotting to “hand you over to the Hindus and flee to enjoy his secret
accounts”.
In spite of al-Zawahiri’s efforts, however, al Qaeda
had had little success in building operational capabilities in India. Last
summer, though, United Nations’ sanctions monitors reported that al-Qaeda’s
South Asia wing remained active in Afghanistan, under Taliban protection. The
organisation, it said, was made up mainly of “Afghan and Pakistani nationals,
but also individuals from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar”.
The surgeon-turned-jihadist
Born into an upper middle-class family from suburban
Cairo, al-Zawahiri is said to have excelled as a student, been drawn to poetry,
and hated organised sports, seeing them as “inhumane”.
Drawn to the teachings of the Islamist ideologue
Sayyid Qutb as a teenager, al-Zawahiri joined the Muslim Brotherhood — a
transnational Sunni Islamist organisation — when he was just 14. Qutb, whose
works Milestones and In the Shade of the Quran are foundational texts for the
global Islamist movement, was executed in 1966.
In the years that followed, al-Zawahiri trained as
doctor and surgeon. He married Cairo university philosophy student Azza Nowari
in 1978. Their wedding, held at the Continental Hotel there, attracted
attention in the liberal Cairo of the times — men were segregated from women,
photographers and musicians were kept away, and joking and banter was
discouraged.
Following the assassination of Egyptian president
Anwar Sadat in 1981, Zawahiri was among hundreds arrested and tortured.
Released after three years in prison, he fled the country, and began practising
medicine in Saudi Arabia. There, he came into contact with Osama bin Laden. He
first travelled to visit bin Laden-funded jihad facilities in Pakistan in 1985,
a relationship that would slowly mature until 2001, when the Egyptian Islamic
Jihad group formally merged with al Qaeda.
Azza, al-Zawahiri’s wife, and his youngest daughter
Aisha would both die in November 2001, pinned under the debris of an al Qaeda
guesthouse hit by American bombs in Afghanistan.
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Tower Of
London Hosts First Ramadan Iftar In An Interfaith Event In 900 Year History
This is the first Ramadan iftar ever to be held at
the Tower of London [Getty]
-----
05
April, 2022
Muslims
have for the first time in history broke their fast at the Tower of London on
Monday evening in an interfaith event.
The
Naz Legacy Foundation, a British Muslim organisation that supports ethnic
minority youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, teamed up with the Tower of
London to host the first iftar in the London landmark's 900-year-history.
Religious
leaders from different backgrounds, including Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and
Cardinal Vincent Nichols attended the interfaith iftar.
They
discussed issues relating to their own religious communities such as
anti-Semitism and the historic execution of Catholics at the Tower Bridge.
"I
was delighted to break my fast this evening at the first ever interfaith iftar
at the Tower of London", said London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is of Pakistani
Muslim heritage.
"It
was inspiring to see young people from different faiths united in this
incredible setting", he added.
Naz
Legacy Foundation's founder Harris Bokhari reflected upon the frightening
history of the Tower of London and said the interfaith iftar is a reset of what
the monument represents to London.
"The
Tower of London, once feared by religious minorities as a place of imprisonment
and torture, should host the first major in-person interfaith iftar since the
pandemic.
"The
iftar, the first held in the Tower’s more than 900-year history and during the
Platinum Jubilee, will highlight some of the Queen’s greatest values of public
service, faith in God and the protection of minority communities," he
wrote.
He
added that the iftar was a refreshing moment in the face of rising hate crimes
against Muslims and people of other faiths.
Muslims
who are able to fast during the Muslim month of Ramadan do so from sunrise to
sunset.
This
year, poverty has shadowed the community with 46 percent of the British Muslim
population living in the 10 percent most deprived areas of the UK.
Requests
for help from the National Zakat Foundation (NZF) have also skyrocketed by 70
percent over the last twelve months. NZF gives out emergency grants from Zakat
charity collected from British Muslims to those in need.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/tower-london-hosts-first-ever-ramadan-iftar
--------
Where
Are National Security Committee Meeting's Minutes? Chief Justice Of Pakistan
Asks Babar Awan
Supreme Court of Pakistan
----
Haseeb
Bhatti
Published
April 6, 2022
Chief
Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Wednesday asked the lawyer for
the PTI government, Babar Awan, about the minutes of the recent meeting of the
National Security Committee which had discussed a letter purportedly showing
evidence of a foreign conspiracy to oust the PTI-led government.
The
CJP made the inquiry as a five-member bench, comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan,
Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan
Mandokhail, took up a suo motu case on the events of April 3 when National
Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Shah Suri dismissed the no-confidence motion
against the prime minister and President Dr Alvi dissolved the NA on the
premier's advice.
During
the hearing, Justice Bandial questioned the basis on which the speaker issued
the ruling. He observed that, so far, the ruling consisted of accusations not
findings. "Can the speaker announce such a ruling without presenting the
facts," he asked, adding that this was the constitutional point on which
the court had to make a decision.
He
also asked Awan to inform the court whether the speaker could issue a ruling
that was not on the day's agenda by bypassing Article 95. He told the PTI
counsel to defend the ruling with "solid" evidence.
"Where
are the minutes of the NSC meeting?" he asked Awan, also asking the PTI
counsel about the basis on Suri exercised his authority.
'SC
can't review speaker's ruling'
After
Awan, President Arif Alvi's counsel, Ali Zafar, began his arguments, insisting
that any direction from the court on the matter of the deputy speaker's ruling
would exceed its jurisdiction.
Zafar
pointed out that the case under discussion concerned the interpretation of
Articles 95 and 69. "There are six rules for interpreting the provisions
of the Constitution. It should be understood in accordance with its true spirit
rather than just words."
He
said just like judicial proceedings could not be debated in the parliament,
courts, too, could not interfere in the proceedings of the parliament.
"Unfortunately,
the petitioners want the case to be heard as an appeal against the ruling of
the deputy speaker," he said, adding that the case was in fact an
interference in the prerogatives of the NA.
Zafar
explained that even if 10 MNAs were not allowed to vote and were expelled from
the house, such a move could not be challenged by anyone.
Here,
the CJP said: "But they [opposition] are saying that a new speaker should
come and voting should be held again."
"To
approach the court against the ruling of the deputy speaker is interference in
the parliament," Zafar said, adding that giving instructions to the
speaker was equivalent to giving instructions to the parliament, which was
unconstitutional.
To
this, CJP Bandial asked if interference was not possible even if the
Constitution was violated.
"I
will give my arguments on what is constitutional and what isn't later,"
Zafar replied.
The
lawyer recalled that Justice Maqbool Baqir, on his retirement, spoke of balance
in institutions.
"Only
mutual respect can create balance in institutions."
He
went on to say that if the house was not satisfied with the speaker, it could
opt for a no-trust motion.
"But
if the speaker's ruling is reviewed, every decision taken by him would be
brought to court," Zafar argued, reiterating that the court had no power
to review the speaker's ruling.
At
this point, Justice Ahsan asked if the court could review the prime minister's
advice to dissolve the NA.
'Opposition
wants court to issue order in its favour'
Taking
the rostrum during today's hearing, PTI's counsel Babar Awan pointed out how
the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP),
Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) and Jamaat-i-Islam (JI) were not made
respondents in the case.
"Balochistan
Awami Party and Rah-i-Haq are also members of parliament but haven't been made
respondents," he said.
"The
court was informed that the deputy speaker's ruling is malicious and
unconstitutional," he said, but also questioned whether what occurred at
Sindh House and Lahore's Avari Hotel could be ignored, referring to the stay of
party dissidents there amidst allegations of horse-trading. "No one said a
word about Article 63-A."
Awan
said that the opposition was claiming to "save parliamentary
democracy" while PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif had demanded the formation of a
judicial commission to probe the matter.
He
claimed that the opposition wanted the court to issue a short order in its
favour immediately, adding that they wanted to set aside the mention of the
National Security Committee in the deputy speaker's ruling.
At
one point, the CJP asked whether the speaker had the power to issue a ruling by
deviating from the order of the day. He also questioned whether it was possible
to set aside a constitutional process.
"Can
the speaker keep constitutional requirements aside," Justice Bandial
inquired, adding that the court would not take rumours and allegations into
account. He also told Awan to refrain from giving long-winded speeches,
directing him to inform the court about the basis on which the speaker gave the
ruling.
Continuing,
Awan said that a meeting took place between Pakistani officials and a diplomat
from another country, the "cipher" of which arrived on March 7. The
head of mission and the defence attache were also present, he said.
The
court inquired when the meeting had taken place, noting that the PTI counsel
was not aware of the date. "The ruling is based on accusations not
facts," the CJP observed. He repeated Awan's words and said that the
cipher came and was decoded by the Foreign Office, asking him to continue.
However,
Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan interjected and said that
such facts should come from the government and not a political party as they
concerned foreign affairs.
"We
don't want to interfere in foreign affairs," the CJP said as the AGP told
the PTI lawyer to read from the ruling.
Awan
said that four things were underlined in the letter, adding that more details
could not be given due to the Official Secrets Act.
After
seeing the letter, the FO met with the prime minister and the foreign minister,
he said. "In the cabinet meeting, the DG concerned gave a briefing on the
letter," Awan said, asking whether an in-camera hearing was possible.
"I
want to keep the FO's briefing in front of the court," he said. However,
the CJP replied that the court was currently not asking for the letter,
subsequently rejecting Awan's request.
The
PTI lawyer went on to say that Pakistan issued a demarche to the country who
allegedly sent the threat. He also noted that Inter-Services Public Relations
(ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, in a recent interview, had said
that the army's stance was the same as the NSC.
At
one point, Justice Mandokhail remarked that under the Constitution loyalty to
the state was compulsory. "But the question is what should be done with
MNAs who are not loyal with the state," he observed.
Awan
said that he belonged to a political party where 22 lawmakers had been
"bought". "Forty lawmakers from Punjab were holed up in a
hotel," he said, requesting the court to also hear the case of party
dissidents with this case.
"Parliament
teaches people honesty but this is what has happened in parliament," he
said.
Justice
Mandokhail observed that political parties should think for themselves in order
to prevent floor crossing. "Why don't political parties self-anaylse? The
same faces are sometimes seen at one place and then at another," he said.
He
added that the judges had taken an oath to protect the Constitution. "We will
take a decision that is in favour of the nation," he added, at which point
Awan concluded his arguments.
'Will
try to wrap up case today'
During
today's hearing, the government's lawyers presented their arguments in the
case.
The
courtroom was packed at the start of the hearing with politicians from both the
government and the opposition in attendance.
At
the outset of the hearing, the lawyer for the PML-N, Azam Nazir Tarar, noted
that the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker had summoned a session for today to
elect the province's new chief minister.
He
also pointed out that the assembly staff were not following the directives
issued by the deputy speaker and expressed concerns regarding the election for
the province's chief minister.
"We
are hearing a very important case," the chief justice said, adding that
the court would try to wrap up the case today. He also said that the court was
coming under fire for not deciding the matter.
He
told political parties to solve the issue concerning the Punjab Assembly on a
political basis, asking how the apex court could make a unilateral decision.
Opposition
completes arguments
During
yesterday's hearing, CJP Bandial had said that the apex court would not
interfere in matter of the state and foreign policy and would only determine
the legality of the deputy speaker's ruling.
His
remarks had come after PML-N lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan suggested that the court
hold an "in-camera briefing about the foreign conspiracy from the
intelligence chief". Khan's proposal was made in the backdrop of the
invocation of Article 5 by the deputy speaker while proroguing the house
without holding a vote on the no-confidence resolution.
"Right
now we are looking at the law and Constitution," the CJP had replied,
adding that all the respondents would be told to focus on this matter at the
moment and subsequently sought records of NA proceedings on the no-trust
motion.
Meanwhile,
PPP Senator Raza Rabbani described the abrupt prorogation and dissolution of
the national assembly as "civilian coup in hybrid system" during his
arguments. Subsequently, he had demanded the restoration of status quo as
before the April 3 NA session.
He
argued that on more than one occasion, when the house was in session, it was
shown that the prime minister had lost the majority, adding that it was a
matter of record that Imran Khan had said that he was given three options: face
the vote of no-confidence, resign or hold early elections.
Rabbani
had also requested the apex court to summon the original text of the purported ‘threatening’
cable and the minutes of the meeting of the National Security Committee that
condemned it.
He
said that independent proceedings should be initiated, which may include the
formation of a judicial commission, to examine the veracity of the allegations.
Makhdoom
Ali Khan, who was representing Shehbaz Sharif, claimed that the deputy
speaker’s April 3 ruling was “manifestly illegal and a constitutional violation
of gravest kind”, rather than a simple procedural lapse. Therefore, he
maintained that the Supreme Court had every right to intervene in the matter.
The
counsel argued that if the court came to the conclusion that the ruling of the
deputy speaker and the subsequent prorogation of the assembly was
unconstitutional and illegal, then all consequential actions, including the
advice to President Arif Alvi to dissolve the assembly and the continuation of
the incumbent Imran Khan as interim prime minister, as well as his nomination
for appointment of a care taker prime minister, would be equally unconstitutional.
The
bar under Article 69 that protects the speaker’s actions from being challenged
in court, the counsel for Shehbaz Sharif argued, relates to procedural
irregularities in parliamentary proceedings, adding that the apex court would
invoke Article 54, which deals with the power of the speaker to summon and
prorogue the assembly session, as a doctrine of condonation for procedural
irregularities and not as a doctrine for legitimising constitutional wrongs.
Citing
an example, the counsel argued that if a prime minister had no support left in
the house except for the speaker, then Article 95 would become unworkable if he
(the speaker) scuttles every move to remove the premier through a no-confidence
motion.
“One
can be the purest human being possible, but if he has no majority in the house,
he cannot remain the prime minister,” the counsel argued.
During
the hearing, Justice Munib Akhtar observed that if the argument of the counsel
was accepted, it would open the doors to the courts and there would be a writ
on minor illegalities of the house every other day, thus undermining the
dichotomy of power. Is this the intent of the Constitution, Justice Akhtar
wondered?
‘Suggesting
ex-CJP as caretaker attempt to influence SC’
At
Tuesday's hearing, former opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif’s lawyer argued that
the nomination of a former CJP for the post of caretaker prime minister was
“not only a blatant attempt to influence the court, but also smacks of mala
fide and is in very poor taste”.
To
this, the CJP replied: “Yes, you are right.”
On
Monday, interim Prime Minister Imran Khan had nominated ex-CJP Gulzar Ahmed for
the office of the caretaker PM.
The
former CJP's nomination followed a letter written by President Alvi to the
prime minister and Shehbaz to propose names of suitable persons for appointment
as caretaker premier under Article 224-A(1) of the Constitution.
Suo
motu notice
On
Sunday, CJP Bandial had taken suo motu notice of the situation after the deputy
speaker's dismissal of the no-confidence motion against the premier, clubbing
multiple petitions filed by various parties with it.
After
a brief hearing, a written order was issued which said the court would like to
"examine whether such an action (dismissal of the no-trust motion on the
basis of Article 5) is protected by the ouster (removal from the court's
jurisdiction) contained in Article 69 of the Constitution."
Article
69 of the Constitution essentially restricts the court's jurisdiction to
exercise authority on a member or officer of parliament with respect to the
functions of regulating parliamentary proceedings or conducting business.
"No
officer or member of Majlis-i-Shoora (parliament) in whom powers are vested by
or under the Constitution for regulating procedure or the conduct of business,
or for maintaining order in Majlis-i-Shoora, shall be subject to the
jurisdiction of any court in respect of the exercise by him of those
powers," clause two of the Article reads.
The
court had also ordered all state functionaries and authorities — as well as
political parties — to refrain from taking any advantage of the current
situation and stay strictly within the confines of the Constitution.
Dismissal
of no-trust motion
The
weeks-long political turmoil in the country reached its climax on April 3 after
the NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri prorogued a much-awaited session of the lower
house of parliament without allowing voting on a no-trust motion against PM
Imran.
Suri,
who was chairing the session, dismissed the motion in a shock move, terming it
against Article 5 of the Constitution.
At
the outset of the session, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI's) Fawad Chaudhry
took the floor and referred to the clause, reiterating the premier's earlier
claims that a foreign conspiracy was behind the move to oust the government.
"On
March 7, our official ambassador was invited to a meeting attended by the
representatives of other countries. The meeting was told that a motion against
PM Imran was being presented," he said, noting that this occurred a day
before the opposition formally filed the no-trust move.
"We
were told that relations with Pakistan were dependent on the success of the
no-confidence motion. We were told that if the motion fails, then Pakistan's
path would be very difficult. This is an operation for a regime change by a
foreign government," he alleged.
The
minister questioned how this could be allowed and called on the deputy speaker
to decide the constitutionality of the no-trust move.
At
that, Suri noted that the motion, which was presented on March 8, should be in
accordance with the law and the Constitution. "No foreign power shall be
allowed to topple an elected government through a conspiracy," he said,
adding that the points raised by the minister were "valid".
He
dismissed the motion, ruling that it was "contradictory" to the law,
the Constitution and the rules.
Dissolution
of NA
Within
minutes after the NA sitting, PM Imran, in an address to the nation, said he
had advised the president to "dissolve assemblies".
He
also congratulated the nation for the no-trust motion being dismissed, saying
the deputy speaker had "rejected the attempt of changing the regime [and]
the foreign conspiracy".
The
premier further said he had written to the president with advice to dissolve
the assemblies, adding that the democrats should go to the public and elections
should be held so the people could decide who they wanted in power.
"Prepare
for elections. No corrupt forces will decide what the future of the country
will be. When the assemblies will be dissolved, the procedure for the next
elections and the caretaker government will begin," he added.
Subsequently,
President Alvi dissolved the NA under Article 58 of the Constitution.
Later
in the evening, the Cabinet Division issued a notification, declaring that Imran
Khan ceased to hold the prime minister’s office with immediate effect.
“Consequent upon dissolution of the National Assembly by the president of
Pakistan, in terms of Article 58(1) read with Article 48(1) of the Constitution
of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan… Mr Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi ceases to hold
the office of prime minister of Pakistan, with immediate effect,” it read.
However,
later, the president issued a notification allowing him to continue as the
prime minister:
"Imran
Ahmad Khan Niazi, shall continue as Prime Minister till the appointment of
caretaker Prime Minister under Article 224 A (4) of the Constitution of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan."
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683715/where-are-nsc-meetings-minutes-cjp-asks-babar-awan
--------
Teenage
Girls’ Schools Closure Might Create Friction Among Taliban: US Representative
For Afghan Women
Photo:
Khama Press
----
06
Apr 2022
US
special representative for Afghan women Rina Amiri has said the reopening of
teenage girls’ schools in Afghanistan might lead to frictions among the Taliban
leadership.
Speaking
to Turkish TRT, Rina Amiri said that there are people among the Taliban who are
pro-freedom for people in particular the freedom of work and education for
women and the reopening of schools for girls.
Amiri
added that this group of the Taliban believes in the importance of reopening schools
for their political survival and interests in Afghanistan.
“While
there is another group of the Taliban that sees Afghanistan as it is in their
mind not as it really is. They see Afghanistan in line with their strict
understanding of Islam that is in opposition with other Islamic countries.”
Said Amiri.
The
special representative warned that Afghanistan might lead to disintegration if
the Taliban remain resistant to their strict position regarding girls’ schools
and if they do not embrace the will of the Afghan people.
This
is the first time that a US official talks about the consequences of the
closure of schools in Afghanistan.
The
ban has not only triggered the anger of the World Community but also the Afghan
people and a number of Taliban officials and pro-Taliban figures.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/school-closure-might-create-friction-among-taliban-rina-amiri-548755/
--------
Southeast Asia
Indonesians urged to keep wearing masks during Ramadan
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Government spokesperson for COVID-19 Handling Wiku Adisasmito
reminded Indonesians to continue to wear masks while conducting their
activities during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan as part of the efforts to
prevent COVID-19 transmission.
“Wearing
masks should be an indispensable habit during shopping, visiting relatives, or
attending worship activities at mosques,” Adisasmito noted during a press
conference for the development of COVID-19 handling in Indonesia accessed here
on Tuesday.
Adisasmito
lauded the community for continually complying with the health protocols, so
that the number of COVID-19 cases in the country can be decreased.
The
spokesperson also urged all relevant parties to continuously supervise the
implementation of health protocols in their surrounding areas.
The
role of volunteers, officers of the Indonesian Military (TNI), and the National
Police (Polri), as well as the ambassadors for behavior change, who are assets
in supervising the implementation of health protocols, should be maximized,
according to Adisasmito.
He
appealed to village governments to continue to report the level of compliance
of health protocols in their respective areas.
In
addition, Adisasmito pressed for again reactivating micro-level public activity
restrictions (PPKM) posts in villages ahead of the Eid homecoming exodus
period.
All
parties are expected to collaborate for supporting the revival of economic
activities and facilitating normalcy to be restored in people’s activities.
“For
the past two years, we have been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and currently,
we can revive and start to conduct our activities again like before. Of course,
this needs to be preserved with the spirit of mutual cooperation and full
responsibility," he remarked.
Source:
Antara News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.antaranews.com/news/223601/indonesians-urged-to-keep-wearing-masks-during-ramadan
--------
Latest
SOP for non-Muslim houses of worship in Sabah effective April 9, says state
minister
05
Apr 2022
KOTA
KINABALU, April 5 — The Sabah government has issued the latest standard
operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines for non-Muslim houses of worship
today effective this Saturday (April 9), in line with the country entering the
transition to endemic phase.
Sabah
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said new SOP and
guidelines were also issued for the management of funerals and paying of last
respects at non-Muslim houses of worship and funeral parlours.
He
said prayer ceremonies at non-Muslim houses of worship were allowed to operate
from 6am to 10pm, based on the premises’ capacity, taking into account the
one-metre physical distancing, where only fully vaccinated individuals were allowed
to enter.
Masidi
said members of the management committee (AJKP) were required to display
notices to remind devotees to bring their prayer equipment, and to perform
sanitation work 30 minutes after the completion of each prayer session.
“Children
under the age of 12 are only allowed to attend with their fully vaccinated
parents,” said Masidi who is also the state government’s Covid-19 spokesperson
in a statement tonight.
Masidi
said religious activities at non-Muslim houses of worship were also allowed in
compliance with the SOP including recording attendance via the MySejahtera app
and wearing a face mask to curb the spread of Covid-19 infection.
“AJKP
needs to clean the space and the surrounding area, including toilets, as soon
as the religious event is over,” he said, adding that social activities such as
feasts and gotong-royong are also allowed by observing the physical distancing
rule.
“Prayer
activities at home in the evening are allowed subject to the size of the
residence or funeral parlour for those who have been fully vaccinated.
“Paying
the last respect is allowed and visitors are required to line up to take their
turn,” he said, adding that social activities such as eating and drinking are
allowed except for social gambling and cockfighting activities.
Masidi
said the scattering of ashes ceremony was allowed to operate from 6am to 6pm
following the SOP set and family members had to disperse immediately in an
orderly manner after the ceremony was over.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Bengaluru
Police Notice For 125 Mosques, 83 Temples, 22 Churches For Ban On Loudspeakers
During Banned Hours
Apr
6, 2022
BENGALURU:
Police in Bengaluru issued notices to at least 310 entities including places of
worship, industries, and commercial establishments for using loudspeakers
during banned hours or crossing prescribed noise level of 60 decibels.
Rules
ban the use of loudspeakers between 10pm and 6am. In action taken, police
seized several loudspeakers and other devices in over 40 cases and registered
cases against violators. This comes in the wake of the high court, in April
2021, pulling up authorities for their failure to crack down on illegal use of
loudspeakers at places of worship. Data submitted by the city police to the HC
shows police had issued 301 notices till February 2, this year. Of them, 125
notices were issued to mosques, 83 to temples, 22 to churches, 59 to commercial
establishments including pubs and bars, and 12 to industries.
Kamal
Pant, Bengaluru city police commissioner, told reporters that they booked over
40 cases for violation of a Supreme Court order banning the use of loudspeakers
during certain hours. “We are strictly enforcing the SC order and regularly
monitor places of worship, factories, industries, pubs, bars and commercial
establishments,” Pant said.
Asked
about early morning prayers, Pant said, “Everyone should obey the court order.
”
A
senior officer told TOI that personnel on patrol duty have been directed to
monitor use of loudspeakers. “Seniors like deputy commissioners and joint
commissioners of police, who are on night rounds, visit places of worship which
are known to use loudspeakers,” the officer said. “Assistant commissioners and
inspectors also visit such places at least a couple of times a day. ”
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Communal
Amity: Thanks To Hindu Neighbour, Kozhikode Mosque Gets A Ramzan Facelift
Apr
6, 2022
KOZHIKODE:
In a heart-warming instance of communal amity, a Hindu expat has given a mosque
in his neighbourhood a fresh coat of paint just before the commencement of
Ramzan.
While
it is customary for mosques to get cleaned up and painted in the run-up to the
holy month, the authorities of Masjidul Ummarul Farook at Vattaloor in
Malappuram had not done that for the last few years due to constraints
following the pandemic.
P
V Soorya Narayanan (58), who had come on a one-month leave from Qatar, noticed
that the walls of the mosque were soiled and unpainted just two weeks before
Ramzan and enquired with the mosque authorities about it and arranged to get it
painted.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indian
American Muslim Council Condemns Physical Assault On Muslim Journalists By
Hindu Extremists In Delhi
6th
April 2022
Washington:
The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), an advocacy group dedicated to
safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos, today unequivocally
condemned the Hindu supremacist event Hindu Mahapanchayat in India’s capital
city of New Delhi, where at least seven journalists, mostly Muslims, were
physically assaulted and harassed by a mob of extremist attendees. Two Muslim
journalists reported that the Hindu mob nearly lynched them.
Hindustan
Gazette reporter Meer Faisal, photojournalist Md Meharban, and Newslaundry
journalists Shivangi Saxena and Ronak Bhat were all physically assaulted at the
event. Article 14 reporter Arbab Ali and The Quint reporter Meghnad Bose and a
fifth unnamed journalist were verbally abused.
Ali
and Faisal, both Muslim, were further attacked with Islamophobic slurs, called
“jihadis,” had their phones and cameras snatched, had their footage deleted,
and were pushed around. Ali reported that had the police not intervened and
removed them from the scene, they might have been lynched by the mob, which was
growing increasingly agitated with the presence of Muslim journalists.
Hindu
Mahapanchayat, which was held illegally without permission from the authorities
in Delhi, was similar to the Dharma Sansad (Hindu religious parliament)
genocidal meet held in Uttarakhand state’s Haridwar city last year in December.
On
Sunday, the inflammatory speeches made by Hindu militant leaders like Yati
Narsinghanand and Suresh Chavhanke, included calls for Hindus to “take up
weapons” against Muslims and other minorities in defense of the Bharatiya
Janata Party’s extremist Hindu nationalist ideology.
“As
horrific as this incident was, it is not surprising. The dangerous decline of democracy
and restriction on press freedom in India should be a cause of concern for
everyone,” said Rasheed Ahmed, Executive Director of IAMC.
“This
is the latest in a series of attacks against journalists in India, where the
state and non-state actors are actively using different methods including
violence to silence those critical of the BJP government and its hateful Hindu
nationalist ideology,” Ahmed added.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UP
Cleric Held For 'Issuing' Death Fatwa Against Muslim Doctor
Apr
6, 2022
MORADABAD:
A Muslim cleric was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly issuing a fatwa against a
doctor who had recently showered flower petals on RSS members at Mahmudpur
village, under Mainather police station of Moradabad district.
The
action came after Dr Nizam Bharti lodged an FIR, in which he claimed that
cleric Hafiz Imran Warsi announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh to anyone who killed
him or drove him out of the village. Dr Nizam claimed that the fatwa also
banned his entry into mosques.
Cleric
Warsi, however, refuted the allegations and said he has not issued any fatwa.
"I am not a mufti and I cannot issue a fatwa. This doctor has lodged a
false case against me, as I am opposed to his illegal activities," said
cleric Warsi when he was brought to district hospital for medical check-up
after his arrest on Tuesday afternoon.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
After
halal, loudspeaker ban, Karnataka outfits call for end of 'Muslim monopoly' in
fruit business
Nolan
Pinto Nagarjun Dwarakanath
April
6, 2022
Even
while the demand for a ban on halal meat and the use of loudspeakers in masjids
during azan is being criticised, some Hindu outfits in Karnataka have now
sought an end to the "monopoly of Muslims" in the fruit business.
Chandru
Moger, Coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti in Karnataka, took to Twitter
and urged Hindus to buy fruits from Hindu vendors, claiming that most fruit
businesses is done by Muslims.
“There
is a monopoly on the fruit business by Muslims. We are also seeing that they
are spitting on fruits and bread before selling it,” said Chandru Moger. He
said that these Muslim businesses are "spitting Jihad".
“I
am requesting all Hindus to help end the monopoly of Muslims in the fruit
business. I also urge them to only purchase fruits from Hindu vendors,” he
said.
Hindu
right-wing leader Prashanth Sambargi also shared his thoughts on boycotting
Muslim fruit vendors.
“The
hard work is done by the Hindu farmers and the benefits are taken by the
intermediate Muslim vendor. We’ve done research on this business cycle and
understood that the Hindu farmer is at mercy to the unorganised particular group.
To remove this intermediate in the business, we’ve created a campaign,” said
Prasanth Sambargi.
He
said that they are aiming to spread awareness among farmers that there’s a
larger market for business and that farmers would get fair prices for their yield
by removing the intermediates.
BJP
MINISTER REACTION
Ashwath
Narayan, Minister of Higher Education of Karnataka, said, “This is all some
fringe organisation trying to instigate issues. We don't take any
responsibility nor are we party to that. As a government, the leadership of our
Honourable Prime Minister and our party and our leaders, we are very clear we
are not against any of our Indians or our brothers who belong to different
communities.”
“There
is no question of hating the relationships that have been built over centuries
and decades. We have differences, we need to talk to each other and set it
right and not continue with hatredness,” he said.
“Our
government is completely against this. We are all here for the success of our
society and we want everybody to have communal harmony,” said the BJP leader.
FORMER
CM KUMARASWAMY REACTS
Former
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy also reacted to the demand by Hindu outfits to
end the "monopoly of Muslims" in the fruit business. He said that not
buying mangoes or fruits from Muslims is anti-national and anti-farmers.
“Muslims
buy mangoes grown by farmers and they help farmers grow economically. Muslims
buy mangoes grown by Hindus,” said the former CM.
He
said that the Hindu outfits’ call to boycott Muslims was a ‘droh’ (betrayal)
against the country and its farmers.
Source:
India Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
man thrashed in Karnataka for talking to Hindu girlfriend; two accused arrested
06th
April 2022
MANGALURU:
In a moral policing incident, a Muslim man was thrashed by a group of men
apparently belonging to a Hindutwa outfit in Uppinangady police station limits
of Dakshina Kannada district.
Police
gave the names of the accused as Surendra, Theertaprasad, Jithesh, Ranjit,
Balachandra and others.
According
to SP Rishikesh Sonawane, the incident took place at Derane of Siribagilu
village of Kadaba taluk, at 12.15 pm on Tuesday, when the complainant Nazir,
21, was travelling with his friend of another faith in his autorickshaw.
In
a complaint, Nazir said the autorickshaw was waylaid at Derane by a group of
men. After knowing their religious identity, they abused and beat him up
severely with bare hands. Then they picked up a stick found on the roadside and
thrashed him and also threatened to kill him if was seen moving around with
Hindu girls.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
After
opposition from BJP, Delhi Jal Board withdraws circular for short leave to
Muslim employees during Ramzan
Apr
5, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Tuesday withdrew its circular for short
leave to all its Muslim employees during the days of Ramzan after opposition
from BJP.
The
DJB on Monday had allowed its Muslim employees to avail a "short leave of
around two hours a day" during the ongoing Ramzan fasts till May 2.
Ramzan
is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar during which the followers of Islam
fast from dawn to dusk, pray for peace and guidance, and give back to the
community in the form of charity.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Turkiye
calls for global action to eliminate discrimination against diasporas
Fuat
Kabakcı
05.04.2022
Turkiye
called Monday for international action to eliminate discrimination against
diasporas.
"We
call on the international community to take concrete steps to eliminate all
forms of discrimination against diasporas," said Deputy Foreign Minister
Yavuz Selim Kıran during an address to the Global Diaspora Summit organized by
the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Dublin via video
conference.
Noting
that Turkiye is a strong partner of the IOM in the implementation of the Global
Compact for Migration, Kıran said: "We are actively involved in all
initiatives to protect the dignity, welfare and human rights of migrants."
He
underlined that diaspora communities are facing tougher challenges and that
Islamophobia, xenophobia, discrimination and racism are on the rise, especially
in Europe, and they pose a threat.
Diaspora
communities provide support for the sustainable development of both the host
countries and the countries they come from, he said.
Kıran
said more than 200 million migrant workers worldwide help their families with
their remittances, adding diaspora members act as social, economic and cultural
bridges as politicians, entrepreneurs, innovators and opinion leaders in the
societies they live in.
"Turkish
society is well integrated into the countries they live in and they have become
valuable members of the society they live in," he said, noting that
Turkiye is home to one of the largest diaspora communities of over 5 million.
Providing
examples of the achievements of Turkish society, Kıran said that more than
2,600 politicians of Turkish origin assumed political positions in Europe and
the US and that eight members of the European Parliament, three ministers and
91 deputies were of Turkish origin.
Also,
100,000 Turkish businesses generate an annual income of €50 billion ($54.8
billion) in Germany, he said.
"The
founders of BioNTech, Ozlem Tureci and Ugur Sahin, are an important example of
the diasporas being a strong driving force for sustainable development.
"We
make every effort to strengthen the well-being of the Turkish community
abroad," he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Turkey
calls for probe into civilian deaths in Bucha
06
April ,2022
Turkey
on Wednesday joined the global condemnation of the murder of civilians in the
town of Bucha and other cities in Ukraine, and called for an independent
investigation.
“The
images of the massacre, which have been published in the press from various regions
including Bucha and Irpin near Kyiv, are appalling and sad for humanity,” the
foreign ministry said in a statement.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Aside
from a tweeted message by the Turkish embassy in Ukraine on Monday, it was the
first official reaction from Turkey after dozens of bodies were found in mass
graves or littering the streets near the Ukrainian capital over the weekend.
The
Kremlin has rejected accusations that Russian forces were responsible for
killing civilians near Kyiv and suggested images of corpses were “fakes”.
The
Ukrainian army retook control of the key commuter town of Bucha outside Kyiv
just a few days ago and said it had found dozens of bodies after Russian forces
pulled out.
Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the killings “war crimes” and
“genocide” and Western countries have ramped up sanctions against Russia in
reaction to the deaths.
But
the Kremlin has denied the accusations and claimed the images emerging from
Bucha and other towns are fakes produced by Ukrainian forces, or that the
deaths occurred after Russian soldiers pulled out.
“Targeting
innocent civilians is unacceptable,” the Turkish foreign ministry said.
“It
is our main expectation that the matter will be subject to an independent
investigation and that those responsible will be identified and held
accountable.”
Turkey
will continue to work to stop “such shameful scenes in the name of humanity,”
it added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkiye's
Embassy in Ukraine returns to capital Kyiv
Merve
Aydogan
05.04.2022
Turkiye's
Embassy in Kyiv, which was temporarily moved to Ukraine's southwestern
Chernivtsi city due to the Russia-Ukraine war, returned to its location and is
set to become operational as of Wednesday, an official statement said Tuesday.
The
embassy issued a notification on Twitter, saying it had to temporarily move its
activities to Chernivtsi, which acted as a logistics center for evacuations by Turkiye.
"As
of today, we have returned home, to Kyiv," it added.
It
further noted that as of Wednesday, the embassy will carry out its activities,
including consular services, from its building located at "Panasa Mirnoho
22."
A
number of countries, including the US, Israel, Netherlands, and Hungary, have
temporarily relocated their embassies from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv due
to the Russia-Ukraine war.
The
Russia-Ukraine war, which started on Feb. 24, has drawn international outrage,
with the EU, US, and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions
on Moscow.
At
least 1,480 civilians have been killed in Ukraine and 2,195 injured, according
to UN estimates, with the true figure feared to be far higher.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkiyes-embassy-in-ukraine-returns-to-capital-kyiv-/2556164
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Greece,
Israel, Cypriot Greek administration foreign ministers tripartite meeting held
in Athens
Ahmet
Gencturk
05.04.2022
A
tripartite meeting between Greece, Israel and Cypriot Greek administration
foreign ministers was held Tuesday in Athens.
The
meeting focused on the latest developments in the wider Eastern Mediterranean
region, including energy and security issues and the group discussed further
strengthening trilateral ties, according to Greek state broadcaster ERT.
Israeli
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said on Twitter that his meeting with Greek Foreign
Minister Nikos Dendias and Greek Cypriot counterpart Ioannis Kasoulides took
place during a complicated time.
“There
is a war in Europe. Once again, a large & powerful country has invaded a
smaller neighbor without any justification. Once again, the ground is soaked
with the blood of innocent civilians,” he said.
Maintaining
that the war stands to change European and Middle Eastern energy markets, Lapid
said the parties are examining further economic cooperation, with an emphasis
on the energy market.
Dendias
said Greece is worried about developments in the Christian Quarter of the Old
City of Jerusalem.
Asserting
that the Little Petra hotel, belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in
Jerusalem, was occupied by members of a settler group, he said the protecting
patriarchate's rights, Holy Shrines, foundations and property, as well as its
status quo is of top priority for Greece.
"We
fear that this issue, unless addressed, could deteriorate and lead to
escalation, ahead of Passover, Easter and Eid al Fitr," he added.
Before
the meeting, Lapid and Dendias held a separate meeting.
Lapid
detailed on Twitter that he discussed bilateral cooperation with an emphasis on
security, commerce, and energy, in that meeting.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Imran
Khan's ‘foreign conspiracy’ charge: Shehbaz Sharif asks Pakistan army chief to
produce proof
Apr
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday asked
army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence chief
General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum to bring evidence before the nation and the apex
court of a “foreign conspiracy” about a regime change in Pakistan and
involvement of the country’s opposition leaders in it. Prime minister Imran
Khan has repeatedly levelled the allegation that there is a nexus between opposition
leaders and a foreign state to bring about a change of government in Pakistan.
Speaking
to journalists outside Supreme Court of Pakistan, Sharif said: “I demand Gen
Bajwa and DG ISI to take notice of this issue and produce evidence in the SC if
we (the opposition) have committed treason…I’ve never spoken such clear words
before.”
Sharif,
who was leader of the opposition in the dissolved National Assembly, said he
will also present this request before the apex court. “We will forward this
demand through our lawyers and ask the SC to review this matter and create a
forum in which it is clarified,” the PML-N leader said.
Referring
to the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting on alleged “foreign
conspiracy”, which the joint opposition had refused to attend, Sharif said: “It
is now time for the army officials, who have made innumerable sacrifices, to
clarify whether the NSC passed a resolution in which the role of opposition in
the ‘foreign conspiracy’ is stated.”
“Did
they sign those minutes? See if it has the approval of the establishment (a
reference to the powerful military leadership)?” he said.
Sharif
said Imran’s government raised the issue of “foreign conspiracy” after the
joint opposition, practising its constitutional right, submitted a no-confidence
motion against him.
Replying
to a question about the formation of a caretaker government, the PML-N
president said that he has not received a letter from the president in this
regard. “We want the SC to resolve the issue of the unconstitutional step taken
by the president and prime minister and then we (combined opposition) will talk
about other matters,” Sharif said.
“Pakistan
will become a “banana republic” if these issues are not addressed,” Sharif
warned.
Earlier,
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also urged the
army spokesperson to clarify proceedings of the NSC meeting. Taking to Twitter
on Monday, Bilawal said: “Will DG ISPR (military spokesman) clarify if NSC
meeting declared the 197 NA members (lawmakers who were ready to support
no-trust motion against Imran) as traitors and part of a foreign plot… Can
foreign office or the defence ministry produce any official correspondence
between March 7 and 27 on foreign conspiracy?”
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
President
Alvi asks ECP to propose dates for general elections
Naveed
Siddiqui
April
6, 2022
President
Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday wrote a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan
to propose dates for holding general elections in the country under Article
224(2) of the Constitution.
The
development comes after the National Assembly deputy speaker threw out a
no-confidence motion against PM Imran and the president dissolved the lower
house of Parliament on the former's advice on April 3.
The
Supreme Court is currently hearing the matter to decide the legality of the deputy
speaker's ruling and the subsequent actions and orders of the prime minister
and the president.
The
president's letter to the ECP stated that under Article 48(5)(A) and Article
224(2) of the Constitution, the president had to appoint a date, not later than
90 days from the date of dissolution of the National Assembly, for holding
general elections.
"In
order to carry out the mandate of the Constitution of announcing the date of
general elections, consultation with the Election Commission is required under
Section 57(1) of the Elections Act, 2017," the letter added.
ECP
considering options
On
Tuesday, a Dawn report quoting ECP sources said that the electoral body could
not hold polls within three months citing various legal hitches and procedural
challenges.
However,
the election commission had to clarify that it had not issued any statement
about holding of elections, but at the same time did not say whether it was
ready to conduct the polls in three months.
Meanwhile,
sources told Dawn that the electoral body had started considering options to
carry out delimitation of constituencies in the minimum possible time.
Sources
in the ECP said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja was
chairing meetings to discuss the constitutional crisis arising out of the
assailed dissolution of the National Assembly and the ECP’s preparations in
case the Supreme Court refused to set aside Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling
on the no-trust motion and the subsequent dissolution of the assembly.
Section
17 (2) of the Elections Act 2017 directs the ECP to delimit constituencies
after every census is officially notified. The current delimitation had been
carried out on the basis of provisional results of the 2017 census under a
one-time waiver of the legal provision.
Even
after the publication of final results of the census in May last year, the
commission did not conduct delimitation, perhaps because of the declared
intention of the PTI to carry out fresh census in 2023.
A
source said the ECP was yet to reach a decision on how to manage early
delimitation, adding that one of the possible solutions could be squeezing
timelines for delimitation exercise through a presidential ordinance.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683718/president-alvi-asks-ecp-to-propose-dates-for-general-elections
--------
Envoy’s
transfer exposes ‘threat letter’ drama, claims Maryam
April
6, 2022
LAHORE:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz has said that
the main character behind the so-called ‘threat letter’, former ambassador to
the US Asad Majid, was transferred to Belgium just a day before Imran Khan came
up with the conspiracy drama to gain public sympathy.
“The
so-called ‘threat letter’ was drafted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Asad Majid was abruptly transferred to Brussels
a day before Imran Khan waved the letter at a public meeting. Why is this
letter not presented before the Supreme Court and the nation? In fact there is
no such [threat] letter,” Ms Nawaz said at a press conference here on Tuesday.
“The
letter was a drama that was why the ambassador [Majid] was transferred to
Brussels overnight. This drama has completely been exposed,” she said.
Ms
Nawaz urged the security establishment to take a clear position on the ‘threat
letter’ perceived as a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan.
PML-N
leader says Imran using NSC for political gain
“Imran
Khan used the National Security Committee forum for his political narrative. He
gave an impression that the NSC was with him on this issue but as a matter of
fact it isn’t. The security establishment should come forward and clear its
position on the matter,” she said.
Earlier,
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, former president Asif Ali Zaradri and
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had asked the military
authorities to clarify their position on the government’s claim that the NSC
had declared the opposition’s resolution a “part of foreign agenda.”
PML-N
president Shehbaz Sharif has also urged Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa
and ISI Director General Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum to present evidence of any alleged
treason committed by the joint opposition.
Opposition
parties have also drawn the attention of the judiciary and the military
establishment to the fact that Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had summarily declared
197 members of the National Assembly “traitors”.
Maryam
Nawaz said both National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim
Suri had abrogated the Constitution on the order of Imran Khan and the three
should be tried under Article 6.
“The
Constitution is not under the speaker or deputy speaker, but they must act
under the Constitution,” she said, adding that Mr Khan had also abrogated the
Constitution only to cling to power for a few more days as he was afraid that
his corruption stories would soon be exposed.
Meeting
with diplomats
She
rubbished the allegation by Mr Khan that a conspiracy against his government
was hatched during the opposition leaders’ meeting with diplomats.
“We
meet foreign diplomats for the betterment of Pakistan. Here are the pictures of
Imran’s meeting with diplomats before the 2018 polls…what we should infer from
this?” she asked.
Farah
‘Punjab CM’
Ms
Nawaz alleged that Farah Khan, a close friend of first lady Bushra Bibi, was in
fact the chief minister of Punjab, as Usman Buzdar was just a “dummy”.
Ms
Farah had on Sunday last left for Dubai amid serious allegations of taking
bribes in postings and transfers through former CM Buzdar.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683682/envoys-transfer-exposes-threat-letter-drama-claims-maryam
--------
Pakistan
Telecommunications Authority Urges YouTube To Unblock Dr Israr’s Channel
Kalbe
Ali
April
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) has called upon YouTube to
review its decision to block a TV channel run by the late Dr Israr Ahmed’s
foundation over charges of hate speech.
“This
unilateral shutdown of Dr Israr Ahmed’s channel, a prominent Muslim scholar,
raises questions about the arbitrary limits of online expression,” the PTA said
in its appeal to YouTube on Tuesday.
Sources
in the PTA said the channel concerned used to broadcast videos of Dr Israr
Ahmed that tried to shed light on the socio-economic order envisaged by the
Holy Quran.
The
PTA pleaded that such videos were only aimed at “educating the viewers”.
Pleads
videos on the channel are only aimed at ‘educating the viewers’
YouTube
suspended the channel after Jewish groups complained that its programmes
carried contents which incited hate against them.
Dr
Israr’s channel had almost three million subscribers and his lectures were
admired by a large number of people living in the West.
The
channel, operated by the son of Dr Israr Ahmed, shows recordings of the late
scholar’s old speeches.
These
contain his views about the end of the world in the light of Quranic verses and
the Jews’ place in history.
A
disciple of Dr Israr Ahmed decried the move as a violation of free speech by
the West.
Engineer
Muhammad Ali Mirza said on his own YouTube channel the move betrayed the West’s
double standard. “They acted upon complaints just by Jewish groups, without
hearing the other side,” he said.
The
complaints lodged with YouTube expressed fears that Dr Israr’s “preaching could
trigger violence against Jews in the West by Muslims”.
Indian
action
The
Indian ministry of information and broadcasting barred 22 YouTube channels,
including four based in Pakistan, on Tuesday over charges of spreading
disinformation that posed a threat to “national security and public order”.
The
Indian government had banned 35 YouTube channels and multiple social media
accounts in January on charges of spreading “fake news”. A similar action was
taken in December when 20 YouTube channels were blocked for airing “anti-India
content”.
Meanwhile,
the Reuters news agency reported that the blocked YouTube channels had a
combined following of 2.6 billion viewers.
According
to the agency, New Delhi invoked “emergency powers” under IT laws to block 18
Indian channels.
“Multiple
YouTube channels were used to post fake news on various subjects, especially
against India’s armed forces,” the information ministry said in a statement.
The
Indian government has been using IT rules introduced last year to crack down on
social media dissent.
India
has sought tough action by tech giants like Google and Facebook to root out
“fake news” from their platforms.
In
a meeting in February, officials told the firms their inaction had forced the
government to order content takedowns, which in turn drew global criticism that
authorities were suppressing free expression.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683684/pta-urges-youtube-to-unblock-dr-isrars-channel
--------
Opposition
grows restless as SC hearing continues
Amir
Wasim
April
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Opposition parties seem to be getting impatient with the prolonged Supreme
Court hearing of a case dealing with the current political situation, and this
was evident from the tone and tenor of the statements, press conferences and
tweets issued by a number of opposition leaders on Tuesday.
In
a series of press statements, opposition leaders not only urged the apex court
to decide the case at the earliest, they also expressed the hope that the judiciary
would not resurrect the “doctrine of necessity” again.
PML-N
leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail was so upset during a news
conference alongside Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that he stated there was a
possibility that interim Prime Minister Imran Khan would win the case.
It
is perhaps out of frustration and as a last resort that opposition parties on
Tuesday asked top military officials, including Army Chief General Qamar Javed
Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Lt-Gen Nadeem
Anjum, to appear before the court and verify the claim of the interim Prime
Minister Imran Khan that the National Security Committee (NSC) had also found a
nexus between foreign elements and opposition parties.
Wants
military leadership to appear before SC; hopes court will not resurrect
‘doctrine of necessity’
“If
we are traitors, I demand that Army Chief General Bajwa and [the] DG ISI, who
are members of the NSC, bring the evidence before the nation and the apex
court,” PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif told reporters outside the SC before the
start of the hearing.
“Have
they (the military leadership) seen, vetted and signed the minutes of the NSC
meeting?” asked Mr Sharif while referring to the March 31 meeting of the NSC,
presided by Imran Khan, which was mentioned in the detailed ruling of Deputy
Speaker Qasim Suri, through which he had disallowed a vote on the
opposition-moved no-confidence resolution against Imran Khan.
“We
have been protesting against him (Imran Khan) for more than three years now.
But the day we decided to take a constitutional path [to oust him], we were
called traitors,” he said.
Responding
to a question, Mr Sharif said he had not received any letter from President
Arif Alvi regarding suggestion of names for the appointment of caretaker prime
minister.
Similarly,
PML-N’s vice president and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said
there were seven military officials, including the army chief, the DG ISI and
the chairman of the Joint Staff Committee, present in the NSC meeting. He said
that he had himself presided over the NSC meetings as the prime minister and he
knew the format of the meeting. He said civilian leadership sat on one side and
the military on the other during the NSC meeting.
Mr
Abbasi said the viewpoint of the civilian leadership was in front of the
nation. Now, he said, it was the “responsibility” of the military leadership to
tell the SC if the allegations on the basis of which the National Assembly had
been dissolved were correct.
“The
biggest responsibility now lies with the military leadership as they have also
taken oath. Come to the SC and tell as to what was the decision (of the NSC)?
If it was decided that we are traitors then register a case and if not, then
try Imran Khan under Article 6,” said Mr Abbasi.
Mr
Abbssi said unfortunately in the past, the SC had made the decisions which were
directly in conflict with the Constitution. He said they had always respected
the court’s decision. He said if the court could take a decision on the basis
of an Iqama (work permit) then it should also play its role in defending the
Constitution, stating that the judges had also taken oath to uphold and protect
the Constitution.
Speaking
at a news conference, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) information secretary Shazia
Marri and former deputy speaker Faisal Karim Kundi also urged the SC to decide
the case at the earliest and in accordance with the law and Constitution of the
country.
Ms
Marri said the lawyers community, bar councils and human rights bodies of the
country had already declared that the ruling of the deputy speaker was illegal
and Mr Khan had abrogated the Constitution.
Mr
Kundi said when the court had taken the suo motu notice and started hearing of
the case on Sunday despite a public holiday, they were expecting that it would
issue a short order. However, he said, it did not happen and the hearing was
still continuing in the court. He said the PPP had requested the hearing of the
case by a full court, but its plea was turned down.
“We
hope the court will make decision on merit and not under the doctrine of
necessity,” said Mr Kundi.
The
PPP leader also appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan and the judges of the
SC to summon the minutes of the NSC meeting as declaring 197 members of the
assembly traitors was not a little thing.
Later,
speaking at a news conference after chairing a meeting of the PPP’s Central
Executive Committee alongside his father Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
urged the security establishment to come out with a clarification on the
charges of foreign conspiracy.
The
PPP chairman predicted ‘violent elections’ in the country if state institutions
did not act in accordance with democratic and constitutional norms.
Mr
Bhutto Zardari alleged that Imran Khan had made the security institution
controversial for the sake of politics alone.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683675/opposition-grows-restless-as-sc-hearing-continues
--------
Bilawal
urges apex court to strike down Imran Khan’s ‘coup’
April
6, 2022
LARKANA:
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, has requested apex
court to set a new precedent by striking down what he called Imran Khan’s coup
and restore parliament to allow it go through no-confidence process.
“We
respect judiciary and whatever verdict the court gives we will form an awami
government,” Bilawal said while speaking to a gathering at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh
Bhutto which had been organised to observe the 43rd death anniversary of
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto late on Monday night.
He
said: “The selected raj is over and awami raj will herald soon” and asked
workers to gear up for all circumstance and elections.
Criticising
Imran Khan’s foreign policy, he said that he [Imran Khan] had not only slowed
to a stop progress on CPEC but also sabotaged and made it controversial.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto made Pakistan nuclear, Benazir Bhutto armed it with missile
technology while Asif Ali Zardari inked Pak-Iran gas pipeline project to buy
gas at cheaper rate and also brought in CPEC, he said.
He
congratulated the crowd and said that real face of Imran Khan had been brought
before world. He was not peoples’ representative, he was imposed on people
through rigged elections and he worked against 18th Amendment to rob away
rights of the provinces, he said.
He
said referring to Imran Khan that: “Either we will oust him through democratic
process or accept the ‘undemocratic’ suicide. We must capture the moment, pull
out of present crisis and let both the judiciary and establishment to wipe
stains. All institutions and political parties should respect the constitution
and parliament should be given chance to carry out electoral reforms,” he said.
Bilawal
said that PPP had suffered in elections in the shape of PNA and IJI in past and
now the ‘selected’. “If parliament is undermined we are ready to go into
elections,” he said and expressed optimistic to win and sort out economic problems.
He
said that ‘puppet’ was trying to copy Zulfikar Ali Bhutto but “you cannot be
Bhutto by just waving a fake letter. The ‘hypocrite’ would take a U-turn again
but the real leaders were not those who compromised on democracy, he said.
He
demanded Imran Khan produce proof of foreign conspiracy. “We have struggled
continuously for three years and brought no-trust move for electoral reforms
and elections,” he said.
He
said that Imran Khan had backed out of his commitments and his policies had
given birth to unemployment, losses to pensioners, rise in drug prices and
ruined the country’s economy.
He
alleged that Imran Khan had broken ‘corruption’ records and neither the PPP nor
the PML-N but it was the Transparency International which pointed out corruption.
“This is just a ‘trailer’ and more will come to the surface,” said Bilawal.
He
said that Imran Khan had been treating the long march and no-trust move as a
joke.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683587/bilawal-urges-apex-court-to-strike-down-imran-khans-coup
--------
3
killed in Dera Ismail Khan grenade blast
April
6, 2022
DERA
ISMAIL KHAN: Three people were killed in a grenade attack in Kulachi tehsil of
Dera Ismail Khan district here on Tuesday.
Police
officials said that three persons were killed when unidentified assailants
threw a hand grenade on them in Kot Kundian area.
The
victims were identified as 25-year-old Rozi Khan and his relative, 40-year-old
Mohammad Ayub of Mohalla Sheikhanwala of Tank, while the third victim, Abdul
Sattar, belonged to Tiarza area of South Waziristan tribal district.
The
police officials said that the suspects managed to flee the scene after the
attack.
The
police registered a case on the report of Raees Khan, a brother of slain Rozi
Khan. He told the police that his family had no enmity with anyone.
In
a separate incident, a young man was killed and his cousin was seriously
injured when their motorcycle collided with a truck in the limits of the
University police station.
The
police identified the deceased as 18-year-old Amirullah.
The
police have registered a case against the driver of the truck.
Meanwhile,
unidentified robbers snatched cash, a motorcycle and other documents from a
citizen at gunpoint in the limits of the Cantonment police station, police said
on Tuesday.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683621/3-killed-in-dera-ismail-khan-grenade-blast
--------
Pakistan
PM Imran Khan’s Wife’s Friend Flees To Dubai For Fears Of Regime Change
05
APR 2022
Farah
Khan, a close friend of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s third wife Bushra Bibi, has
fled the country following reports that she could be arrested if a new
government is installed in Pakistan.
Her
husband Ahsan Jamil Gujjar has already left for the US.
Farah
left for Dubai on Sunday, The Express Tribune newspaper reported on Sunday.
The
Opposition alleges that Farah received a huge sum of money for getting officers
transferred and posted according to their choices, calling the scam the “mother
of all scandals” amounting to 6 billion Pakistani rupees (USD 32 million).
Maryam
Nawaz, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) Vice President and deposed premier Nawaz
Sharif's daughter, claimed that Farah has done this corruption at the behest of
Imran and his wife.
According
to Maryam, Prime Minister Khan fears that once he is out of power, his “thefts”
will be exposed.
Recently-sacked
Punjab governor Chaudhry Sarwar and Khan's old friend and the party financer
Aleem Khan also alleged that Farah had made billions of rupees in transfers and
postings done in Punjab through chief minister Usman Buzdar.
There
are reports that more close aides of Khan have planned to leave the country
after he loses the top office.
On
Sunday, Khan dissolved Parliament after the deputy speaker dismissed a no-trust
motion against him.
The
joint Opposition had presented the support of 197 lawmakers, 25 more than the
required number, in Parliament on Sunday to oust the premier.
The
Opposition moved the Supreme Court challenging the deputy speaker's act as
“illegal and unconstitutional”.
Source: Outlook
India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
condemns burning, vandalisation of Muslims' houses by 'Hindu zealots' in
India's Rajasthan
Naveed
Siddiqui
April
5, 2022
Pakistan
strongly condemned on Tuesday the "senseless vandalisation and burning of
more than 40 houses of" the Muslim community in the Karauli area of India's
Rajasthan state by "Hindu zealots" during recent communal clashes, a
statement issued by the Foreign Office said.
According
to Indian publication The Wire, the clashes broke out on April 2 "after
stones were pelted at a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate the Hindu new
year, prompting authorities to clamp a curfew, suspend the internet and deploy
600 police personnel".
Around
35 people were injured in the violence and 46 people were initially taken into
custody by police for interrogation, a report by NDTV said, adding that a case
was registered against 13 people. Later, the report said, police arrested
another 33 people for violating the curfew order.
The
reports said houses and shops were set on fire during the episode but did not
confirm the number of properties that were damaged.
However,
in its condemnation, Pakistan said over 40 properties belonging to the Muslim
community were set ablaze and vandalised by "radical Hindu zealots
belonging to the BJP-RSS (Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)
dispensation with the connivance of local security authorities" during the
clashes.
"Equally
alarming is the apathy of state machinery which wantonly looked the other way
and failed in its basic duty of protecting the lives and properties of its citizens,"
the statement said, adding that regretfully, minorities in India, especially
Muslims continued to live under fear and intimidation.
"The
BJP-RSS combine has enabled [the] perpetration of senseless violence against
minorities as part of its ‘Hindutva’ agenda marked by hate and
majoritarianism," the statement read.
It
added that recent history was replete with traumatic instances that reflected
the current Indian regime’s deep-seated animosity against Muslims in the
country.
"Deafening
silence of the BJP leadership and absence of discernible action against
‘Hindutva’ proponents must ring alarm bells across the international community.
Rather than relenting in their hostilities against Muslims, the BJP-RSS
activists have intensified the atrocities" the statement said.
In
this connection, the FO cited the example of Yati Narsinghan, an infamous
Haridwar priest, once again "brazenly" calling upon Hindus on April 3
to take up arms against Muslims.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Taliban:
7 months of rule, 11 cases of violations
April
6, 2022
Following
the developments in Afghanistan last year and the President Ashraf Ghani's
fleeing from the country and the fall of the Kabul government and Taliban
takeover of the power and the announcement of the Islamic Emirate foundation in
this country, there have been different approaches among Afghan and foreign
experts about the discourse and policy the group would apply in its governance,
with some arguing that the Taliban leaders after 20 years in exile and
experience they built would no longer turn to violent and authoritarian
approaches and rather would seek cohesion and unity among various sectarian
groups and pave the way for an inclusive government.
Others,
however, believe that, given the ruling ideology of the group, the Taliban
would take the same path as before by seizing power and consolidating it, and
would not allow other groups in the governance.
These
two groups of experts are monitoring the behavior and discourse of the Taliban
concerning people to see if the group would continue the violent way of the
past rule or in order to attract people and gain internal, regional, and
international legitimacy it would entertain reforms and build trust. Not long
before the Taliban seized the power and its government is yet to gain domestic
and international legitimacy, it resorted to abusive and violent ways like in
the past 20 years, triggering public reactions. Contrary to its commitments at
Doha meetings, the group recently issued a set of restrictive laws and
regulations in various fields. These restrictions affect all social, political,
cultural, educational and economic areas of public life. Needless to say, the
difference between the past and present rule of the Taliban is that this time,
contrary to the past, the Taliban is applying its rules slowly and systemically
and pushes the people under the obligation of respecting them.
In
general, the Taliban's restrictions can be divided into different categories,
and in each category the restrictions have been gradually imposed and the
voices of dissent have been stifled. Restrictive laws were enacted as the
Taliban rulers upon their arrival in Kabul declared support for free media and
a general amnesty, stressing that women wound no longer be under restrictions
of the past. However, a few days after their rule started, they introduced a
limiting regime outlawing all kinds of gatherings, protests, and rallies, while
giving green light to rallies organized by their supports.
This
field research brings in spotlight the restrictive laws issued by the Taliban
over the past 7 months of their rule. Here are some of them:
1.
Contradictory instructions to the media
On
September 20, last year, the Taliban, in its first action in the field of
media, approved a nine-point instruction list and obliged the media to observe
the following:
-
Material that is in conflict with Islam should not be published.
-
Do not insult national figures in media publishing.
-
Do not insult national and personal privacy.
-
Media and journalists should not distort reality in news content.
-
Journalists should consider the professional principles of journalism in their
writing.
-
The media should be balanced in their publications.
-
Matters that are not known for accuracy and unconfirmed by the authorities
should be published with conservation.
-
The media should be neutral and publish what is true in the news.
-
The government's press center would be formed in a specific form for media
outlets and journalists to work with.
Following
these instructions, the group issued an 8-point instruction list, showing that
it violated the earlier instructions and introduced new limitations. According
to the new regulations, foreign shows, series, and movies are banned on
internal televisions. Moreover, women are banned from acting in the films and
full hejab codes are obligatory for the female presenters on media. Also, the
media were asked to act within Islamic frameworks and Zabihullah Mujahed, the
spokesmam to the group, said that the "Islamic codes and Afghan
values" should be considered in media program productions.
According
to a report by Reporters without Borders, because of the Taliban restrictions,
out of 543 media outlets registered in the country, just 312 have been active
by February, meaning that in 3 months, 43 percent of Afghanistan media halted
activity. The report also informed that 80 percent of female journalists lost
their jobs after Taliban takeover and in many provinces there is not even a
single female journalist.
Media
restrictions were not limited to this, and the Taliban beat journalists,
detained them, and even killed them. In August, reporter of Etilaatroz
newspaper in Dasht-e-Barchi of Kabul was detained and, then reportedly
tortured, while reporting from women's protests.
In
its latest stance on the Taliban's social crackdown, Amnesty International has
expressed concern over the continued arbitrary detention of journalists and
rights advocates in Afghanistan and called for an end to the violence against
journalists. The organization says, in the first two months of 2022, 60 people,
including children, were detained and then disappeared by the Taliban.
2.
Cracking down on civil activists
Upon
its seizure of Kabul, the Taliban began mass detentions targeting journalists,
civil activists, women rights activists, political experts, and university
professors. Here are some examples:
Faizullah
Jalal, a professor at Kabul University who criticized the Taliban in a TV
interview, was arrested after the interview and released under international
community and internal pressures after a few days of detention.
Tamana
Zaryab and Parvaneh Ibrahim Kheyl, two female activists, were also arrested and
disappeared. Their offenses, according to the Taliban, were participation in
women's protests against Taliban rule
and arrangement of rallies.
Seyyed
Baqer Mohseni, a university professor and political analyst, was also detained
and tortured for three days for criticism
against the Taliban in the media. He has not spoken to media since his
release.
The
managing director of Tolo News Network and Bahram Aman, the political presenter
of this TV station, were also arrested by the Taliban. Since their release,
they have not disclosed the treatment of them during the detention or what the
group demanded from them.
The
head of Noorin TV was also arrested without being charged and transferred to an
unknown location. The fate of this individual is yet to be known.
3.
Anti-women restrictions
Under
the Taliban rule, women are banned from working in government offices and
schools closed their doors to female students, while the Taliban had earlier
vowed that girls would be allowed to continue their education in the new school
year. However, on March 24 and after vacations, the girls above sixth degree
were told to stay at home "until further notice." The ministry of
education said the ban was because their hijab codes was not designed to
"suit Afghan morale."
Restrictions
on women in universities have increased, too, and boys and girls were separated
in public university classes. Girls whose hijab is not meeting Taliban
standards are expelled in an apparant act of official retribution.
In
addition, the ministry for the propagatioen of virtue and the prevention of
vice issued a five-article instruction on women and urban taxis. According to
the directive, drivers are not allowed to provide services to women who do not
wear the hijab properly and are not accompanied by a legal chaperone. Also, the
ministry told drivers they should not admit women without male family member
seeking to travel beyond 72 kilometres. The women were also banned from flights
without a male family member company. According to the reports, so far Kabul
and Mazar-i-Sharif airports have not allowed women to fly out of the county.
4.
Restrictive social instructions
With
the start of new rule of the Taliban, its leadership announced a public amnesty
and asked people, especially the political, scientific, university, and religious
communities, to return to their normal life. Their empty promises only sought
to calm the turbulence the country witnessed upon their takeover. Very shortly
later, however, not only these promises proved empty but also the Taliban
issued restrictive laws, returning the country to the black rule of
pre-occupation in the 1990s by creating an atmosphere of terror, detention,
threats, and even killing. The behavior motivated massive migration out of the
country legally and illegally, with those remaining inside having no choice but
accepting the plight of living under the Taliban rule.
More
than 6 million people have applied for passports and visas in addition to the
large number of people who have left Afghanistan in the past seven months,
according to reports. These behaviors lead to the notion that the Taliban have
no belief in human rights, women rights, civil freedoms, and public amnesty.
Here are some of their social decrees:
1-
Ordering barbers not to shave or trim beards or cut the hair Western-style.
2.
Male university students were recommended to "replace Western cloths with
national ones".
3.
Banning music and its publishing and its airing on media
5.
Taliban and constitution
After
establishing itself in Kabul, the Taliban leadership said the constitution
approved under King Mohammed Zahir Shah, who ruled Afghanistan from 1933 to
1973, would make the basis of administration of the country. However, their
comments showed that they have no belief in this issue and they adopt the laws
announced by their leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. When they are asked
about the constitutional basis of their rule, they refer to Quranic laws
without elaboration.
6.
Taliban and music
This
group does not approve of any kind of music and with assumption of the power by
the group, the music industry went off in the country and the musicians and
singers fled the country or forced to isolation internally. People across the
country, mainly the drivers, were warned not to play music. TV stations in the
country were told not to air music material. Molawi Naeem al-Haq Haqqani, the
head of Information and Culture Office in Herat province, said in an interview
with the private media "Asr" that Hanafi jurisprudence has been fully
defined, and that "we still have a duty to have our point of view within
that framework."
"In
our religion, music is forbidden and any kind of music is forbidden. Music has
no place in the religion of Islam," he told the outlet.
7.
Taliban and congregational prayer
In
the past rule and presently, the Taliban insist that all should attend
congregational prayer and those absent from the religious event are fined.
Reports from around the country hold that "propagation of virtue and
prevention of vice teams", using car-mounted loudspeakers in the streets,
encourage people to attend prayers.
8.
Taliban and photography and painting
According
to Taliban instructions, people are asked to abandon all kinds of photography
and paintings. There are even reports that the it barred photography and
filming. The Taliban's draconian rules on this art have caused concern for
those interested.
9.
Taliban and Nowruz
Molawi
Mohammad Sadegh Akef Mohajer, spokesman for the ministry of information and
guidance, said that Nowruz, a Persian celebration of new year and spring, is
not in Islam.
"There
is no other holiday called Nowruz in Islam," he said. "Nowruz is for
the Majuses and I do not see the need to celebrate it," he continued
referring to the ancient Persians with Zoroastrian faith.
Asked
if the three-day Nowruz vacation would remain in place under the Taliban rule,
he left the decision to the ministry of labor and social affairs. "But
very likely there would not be vacations in these three days," he
continued.
Concerning
the measures of the ministry of information and guidance, Mohajer said that the
ministry has played a big role in the new administration and during the past
six months "we restored many Islamic laws including ban on alcoholic
drinks, public use of drugs, and dance of women in Public. "The ministry
has much to do and would report to the people."
10.
Home-to-home search
Following
clashes in Kabul and some other cities, the Taliban launched home searches of
political, religious, and cultural leaders under the pretext of crackdown on
armed groups, with its media reports suggesting discovery of massive amounts of
arms and ammunition. Some reports held that the process went so inappropriate
and violence affected even those figures announcing readiness to work with the
group. Other reports also talked about looting of the assets of people during
the searches. The search program in addition to bringing a sense of insecurity
to non-Pashtun communities prompted the take that the group seeks to disarm the
past opposition groups and figures under the ruse of fight against armed
groups. Another action was seizure of houses and offices of political figures
and parties, justifying its action by arguing that they were indebted to the
electricity company.
11.
Purges in state offices
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//taliban-7-months-of-rule-11-cases-of-violations_1245232.html
--------
UN:
Afghan women, Children bearing brunt of country’s humanitarian crisis
06
Apr 2022
United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Asia Pacific has expressed concern over
the ongoing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and added that women and
children are bearing the brunt of the crisis.
UNHCR
Asia Pacific in a Twitter post said that millions of Afghans have fled the
country while others struggling to find enough food and shelter.
The
Twitter post reads that women and children must have access to lifesaving
assistance that needs a large amount of donor support.
“Robust
donor support is vital; women, girls, and their communities must have access to
life-saving aid.” Reads the Twitter post.
It
comes as the UN stats denote that nearly six million people are still
internally displaced in Afghanistan who need support.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Following
US, Iran welcomes Taliban’s ban on cultivation of poppies
06
Apr 2022
The
secretary-general of Iran’s Drug Control Headquarters Eskandar Momeni embraced
the Taliban’s announcement banning the cultivation and use of narcotics and
added that they will wait for the implementation of the decree.
Eskandar
Momeni vowed to be supporting a reduction in poppies cultivation in
Afghanistan.
On
Monday, US charge d’Affairs Ian McCay welcomed the ban on narcotics in
Afghanistan adding that implementation of the decree will be key.
In
the meantime, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also welcomed the ban
announced by the Taliban’s supreme leader Mullah Hebtullah Akhundzada.
Iran
has accused the US to be behind the 50 fold increase in narcotics cultivation
in Afghanistan in the past less than two decades.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/following-us-iran-welcomes-talibans-ban-on-cultivation-of-poppies-7548756/
--------
Taliban
sacks ex Afghan ambassador to Moscow, appointed their envoy
06
Apr 2022
Sources
have told Tass News Agency that the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan has laid off the Afghan ambassador to Moscow appointed by the
former Afghan government, Sayed Taib Jawad replacing him with Jamal Gharwal.
Jamal
Gharwal who was appointed by the IEA as Charge d’Affairs will soon take the
office as Charge d’Affairs.
On
March 31, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that they have accepted the
credentials of the first diplomat introduced by the Taliban to the country.
Russia
becomes the first powerful country that accepts the credential of a diplomat
introduced by the Taliban and now their ambassador.
Meanwhile,
Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amri Khan Muttaqi on Sunday said that
China has also agreed to accept diplomats introduced by them (the Taliban).
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-sacks-ex-afghan-ambassador-to-moscow-appointed-their-envoy-5485776/
--------
Arab World
Saudi
authorities warn against donating to strangers due to terrorism financing
05
April ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Presidency of State Security warned citizens and residents in the
Kingdom against donating to strangers, noting that such practices increase the
probability of financing terrorism.
“[Random
strangers] may be more dangerous than you think,” the Presidency of State
Security said in a statement on Twitter, urging people to only make donations
via authorized channels.
The
Presidency of State Security also posted a video that illustrates how some
beggars scam people.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
In
one instance, a man was disguised as a woman wearing niqab and accompanied by
children whom he exploited “for the purpose of illegal activity.”
Meanwhile,
the Kingdom’s General Security said in a statement that security forces will
continue to arrest beggars and take legal measures against them.
It
also urged citizens and residents to donate via authorized channels, particularly
through the Ehsan platform which the Kingdom launched last year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pope
Francis to visit crisis-hit Lebanon in June: Presidency
05
April ,2022
Pope
Francis will visit Lebanon in June, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement
on Tuesday.
The
Vatican’s ambassador to Lebanon informed President Michel Aoun, according to
the statement.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
An
exact date will be set in the coming weeks. “The Lebanese people await Pope
Francis’s visit to express their gratitude for [the Pope’s] interest in Lebanon
and to thank him for the initiatives and prayers he has carried out for peace
and stability in the country,” Aoun said.
The
Lebanese president was in Rome last month, where he met with the pope.
The
pope has repeatedly expressed a desire to visit Lebanon, which is facing one of
the worst economic crashes in history.
He
also made a historic visit to Iraq last year.
The
visit comes as more than 70 percent of Lebanon’s 6 million people, including 1
million Syrian refugees, now live in poverty because of the crisis rooted in
decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling class.
The
Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value and tens of thousands
of people have lost their jobs during the crisis that the World Bank described
as one of the worst the world has witnessed since the 1850s.
The
country, meanwhile, continues to struggle to overcome the fallout from a
massive blast at Beirut’s port on Aug. 4, 2020 that killed more than 216
people, injured over 6,000 and damaged parts of the capital. The explosion of
hundreds of tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate was one the largest
non-nuclear blasts in history. Twenty months later, the stalled judicial
investigation has failed to provide answers.
Francis
insisted last year that Lebanon must remain a “land of tolerance and pluralism”
as he welcomed the country’s Christian patriarchs to the Vatican to pray for an
end to the economic and political crisis that has thrown the country into chaos
and threatened its Christian community.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mines
killed, injured more than 500 children in Iraq: UN
05
April ,2022
At
least 519 children have been killed or injured by landmines and unexploded
ordnance in Iraq in the past five years, UN agencies have warned.
“More
than 80 percent of children affected are boys,” the rights groups UNICEF, the
world body’s children’s agency, and the United Nations Mine Action Service
(UNMAS) said in a joint statement on Monday night.
They
added that boys were “disproportionately impacted due to incidents of child
labor, such as grazing animals or collecting scrap metal to sell.”
The
statement said although Iraq has not “suffered from open conflicts” over past
years, “the effects of explosive weapons will reverberate for years to come.”
A
report by the charity Humanity & Inclusion said: “Iraq is considered one of
the countries most contaminated by explosive devices in the world,” with more
than 3,225 square kilometers (1,245 square miles) of land contaminated with
unexploded ordnance.
The
material is particularly present near the borders with Iran, Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia, all areas where Iraq has been involved in armed conflicts over the past
four decades.
Baghdad
fought a war with Iran between 1980-1988, as well as the first Gulf War
triggered by the invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
The
Iraqi military between 2014 and 2017 backed by an international coalition
fought a war against ISIS.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lawyer
warns of drugs in chocolate bars in Egyptian markets
05
April ,2022
An
Egyptian barrister claimed on Monday that some chocolate bars being sold in the
country contain the narcotic opium poppy, triggering the interior ministry to
investigate the allegation.
Jaber
Jad Nassar, the former president of Cairo University, said in a Facebook post
that several people, including some who occupy high-ranking positions which
require testing for drugs by the authorities, have been testing positive for
opiates even though they do not consume them.
Nassar
then “coincidentally came across chocolate bars which contain a high percentage
of opium poppy” being sold in markets, malls and gas stations across the
country.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
A
photo he posted of a label of one chocolate bar shows that it contains 2.3
percent of opium poppy.
He
noted that while using opium poppy and consuming it is legal in several western
countries, it’s illegal in Egypt, adding that these chocolate bars could be the
reason people are testing positive for drugs in Egypt.
Nassar’s
post stirred controversy in the country, pushing the interior ministry to
intervene to investigate the matter.
The
ministry acknowledged that poppy seeds are in fact among the ingredients of
some foodstuffs, adding, however, that they are processed before usage to make
sure they do not contain any narcotics.
It
added that it has taken samples of the chocolate bars which Nassar warned of to
analyze them.
Drug
users in Egypt can be subject to several penalties that include suspension from
work.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia’s humanitarian body clears over 329,000 mines in Yemen
06
April ,2022
Over
329,000 land mines in Yemen have been cleared by the Saudi Arabia-based King
Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) since the project first
launched in 2018, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Tuesday.
Project
Masan has reportedly saved “hundreds of thousands of people” in Yemen by
removing mines that were placed in residential areas, roads, schools, and
farms, SPA reported.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Yemen’s
Iran-backed Houthis are reportedly behind the use of the
contraption.Anti-personnel land mines are prohibited under the UN-backed
Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer
of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (or Mine Ban Convention),
adopted in 1997 by over 150 countries.
At
least 450 experts, part of 32 teams, are said to be behind the mine removal
program with KSrelief.
The
humanitarian body has extended the project for a fourth consecutive year to
“enhance security across all the country,” SPA reported.
So
far, KSrelief has spent over $4 billion on aid to Yemen, of which $1.3 billion
has gone towards food security, according to data shared on the organization’s
website.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Authorities Arrested An Asian Woman For Begging After She Collected Over
$30,000
05
April ,2022
An
Asian woman who has managed to collect around 117,000 SAR ($31,200) from
begging in Saudi Arabia was arrested by the Kingdom’s security forces, the
Ministry of Interior said on Monday.
Other
foreign currency and gold jewellery were also found in the woman’s possession.
The
ministry reiterated its call on all residents to report any beggars they see to
the authorities.
Brigadier
General Sami al-Shuwirakh said penalties will be imposed against those arrested
for practicing, facilitating or organizing begging.
The
anti-begging law, which Saudi Arabia adopted in January 2021, imposes penalties
that vary from a one-year prison sentence or a fine worth up to 100,000 SAR
($26,658) or both for anyone begging or cooperating with beggars or inciting
someone to beg.
Shuwirakh
added that in addition to the penalties, non-Saudis will be deported after
serving their sentence and will be banned from re-entering the Kingdom.
Security
forces across the Kingdom have arrested 3,719 beggars between March 22, 2022,
and March 30, 2022, according to the ministry.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kuwait’s
government resigns in latest standoff with parliament
05
April ,2022
Kuwait’s
government submitted its resignation on Tuesday, state news agency KUNA
reported, ahead of a no-confidence vote against the prime minister in
parliament, amid a lengthy political feud that has hindered fiscal reform in
the Gulf oil producer.
KUNA
reported that Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who took over most
of the ruling emir’s duties late last year, received the government’s letter of
resignation from Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Sheikh
Sabah, a member of the ruling al-Sabah family and premier since late 2019, has
faced a combative legislature as the head of successive cabinets, with
opposition MPs bent on questioning him over issues including perceived
corruption.
The
no-confidence vote was scheduled for Wednesday. The current government was
appointed in December, the third in 2021 as the standoff with the elected
parliament dragged on.
Kuwait
has given its assembly influence over the power to pass and block laws,
question ministers and submit no-confidence motions against senior government
officials.
Fitch
Ratings downgraded Kuwait in January to ‘AA-’ from ‘AA’, citing “ongoing
political constraints” hindering its ability to pass a debt law and address a
heavy reliance on oil, a lavish welfare system and a bloated public sector.
Since
the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has taken palliative measures to
temporarily boost finances while more structural reforms remain deadlocked,
including the debt law.
While
higher oil prices have offered some relief, Kuwait has been unable to issue
international debt since 2017.
Perennial
political feuding in Kuwait has led to frequent cabinet reshuffles or
dissolution of parliament holding up investment and fiscal and economic reform.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Improving
Turkish-Israeli ties to strengthen regional stability: Top Israeli diplomat
Ahmet
Gencturk
05.04.2022
Improving
Turkish-Israeli relations will strengthen regional stability, the Israeli
foreign minister said on Tuesday.
Yair
Lapid’s remarks came during his visit to the Greek capital Athens, where he
arrived on Tuesday for a tripartite meeting among foreign ministers of Israel,
Greece, and the Greek Cypriot administration.
Referring
to the "warming of relations" between Turkiye and Israel, Lapid said
"it is a blessed chance whose time has come," according to a
statement by Israel's Foreign Ministry.
“It
also produces a great opportunity to deepen our ties and strengthen regional
stability,” he also noted.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier called the March 9 visit of his Israeli
counterpart Isaac Herzog to the Turkish capital Ankara “a new turning point.”
Expressing
his appreciation for Herzog's visit to Turkiye, Erdogan said strengthening the
ties with Israel is of great importance for regional stability and peace as
well as for the two countries.
He
also underlined that Turkiye has the experience and capacity to implement big
energy projects in the region, adding: “I expressed to Mr. President (Herzog)
that we are ready to cooperate in projects to be carried out in the fields of
energy and energy security. Recent developments in our region have once again
demonstrated the importance of energy security.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bennett’s
government loses majority in Israel parliament
Abdelraouf
Arna'out
06.04.2022
JERUSALEM
The
Israeli government on Wednesday lost its parliamentary majority after the
withdrawal of lawmaker Idit Silman from the fragile coalition.
With
Silman’s withdrawal, the ruling coalition is left in a position of
neck-and-neck with the opposition headed by former Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu at 60 parliamentary seats for both camps.
The
current coalition government is formed by several Israeli right-wing, centrist
and left-wing parties with 61 members backing the government of the 120-member
parliament.
According
to the Jerusalem Post newspaper, Silman, a member of Israeli Prime Minister
Naftali Bennett's Yamina Party, said she "could not continue undermining
the Jewish identity of the State of Israel" -- in reference to her
disagreement with Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz on allowing the distribution
of Chametz - bread - in hospitals, which is prohibited during the Jewish
Passover holiday.
According
to the KAN news channel, Silman agreed with Netanyahu's bloc to have the tenth
seat in Netanyahu's election list in case there are polls.
KAN
said another lawmaker from Bennett's Yamina Party, Nir Orbach, may also
withdraw from the coalition.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Volunteer’s
dream of Al-Aqsa Library comes true
Salam
AbuSharar
06.04.2022
JERUSALEM
His
passion for the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem has always led the
life of Palestinian Marwan Nashashibi.
Born
in Jerusalem in 1934, Nashashibi studied engineering at Haifa University. After
graduation, he joined the Jordanian army’s engineering corps until Israeli
forces occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war.
After
the war, Nashashibi left the army to work as a mechanical engineer until 1988
when he quit his job and volunteered at Al-Aqsa Mosque, the world’s
third-holiest site for Muslims.
Nashashibi
used his engineering experience to do repair works at the mosque, fixing
electric lights and cleaning machines.
The
Palestinian engineer continued to do these maintenance works for some time
until he came up with the idea of founding a library at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Nashashibi
and his wife began to promote the idea of establishing a library in 1998 in the
southern corner of the mosque compound and called it Al-Khataniah Library.
Their
efforts coincided with attempts by Palestinian resistance icon Raed Salah to
use the southern spaces of the Al-Aqsa complex to save the area from Israeli
confiscation plans.
“We
first built the library with 14 shelves that included tens of books,” his wife,
who gave her name as Um Adnan, told Anadolu Agency.
“Step
by step, we moved to buy more books and engaged in several partnerships to get
other publications from outside the Palestinian territories,” she added.
They
relied on donations from the Palestinians at the time to turn their dream of
building a library inside Al-Aqsa Mosque into a reality.
Um
Adnan said many of her husband's friends joined them in designing and building
the library at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.
"My
husband was a highly organized person, and our work with him resulted in
establishing the Al-Aqsa Library,” she said.
With
the passage of time, Nashashibi and his team began to improve many departments
inside the library and bought computers and connected them with internet to make
the experience of the library’s visitors more enjoyable.
As
for Um Adnan, she began to give Holy Quran lessons to students at the library
twice a week.
Today,
the library contains more than 500,000 books covering different fields. It also
includes copies of newspapers that date back to the period before the creation
of Israel in 1948.
The
library also contains several books that were printed in the 16th century such
as the Turkish History Book, which was printed in London in 1701.
A
couple of years later, the Al-Khataniah Library was attached to the main
library in the mosque, which was established in 1923 in the southwestern corner
of the compound. Both libraries are now affiliated with the Jordanian Ministry
of Endowments and Religious Affairs to manage them.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/volunteer-s-dream-of-al-aqsa-library-comes-true/2556477
--------
Israel's
Gantz speaks with Palestinian president for Ramadan
05
April, 2022
Israeli
Defence Minister Benny Gantz spoke with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas over
the phone on Tuesday on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan,
Gantz's office said.
"Minister
Gantz wished (Palestinian Authority) Chairman Abbas and the Palestinian people
a blessed month of Ramadan," the statement said.
"Ramadan
must be a month of peace and quiet and not a period marked by terror,"
Gantz told Abbas, according to the statement, pointing to recent deadly attacks
in Israel.
Last
year during Ramadan, Israeli forces attacked Palestinian worshippers visiting
the occupied East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
The
violence led to 11 days of Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which killed
over 250 Palestinians, including dozens of children.
"Israel
is prepared to expand civilian measures during and after the month of Ramadan,
in accordance with the security situation," Gantz added. The statement did
not elaborate on the measures that would affect Palestinians.
He
also expressed "appreciation" for Abbas's comments on an attack in
the town of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv late last month.
The
Palestinian president had issued a rare condemnation of the March 29 attack in
which five people were killed after a Palestinian opened fire at passers-by,
saying that the killings "will only lead to further deterioration of the
situation, while we are all striving for stability".
A
total of 11 people have been killed in attacks in Israel since March 22,
including some carried out by assailants linked to or inspired by the Islamic
State group.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/israels-gantz-speaks-palestinian-president-ramadan
--------
Iranian
Legislators Urge Gov’t to Take Strong Guarantees from US
2022-April-5
The
letter, so far signed by over 190 legislators, demands the government to get “stronger
guarantees” from the US in the Vienna talks on the removal of sanctions.
It
also calls for respect for Iran’s previously-announced redlines and securing
the national interests in the Vienna talks.
The
Iranian lawmakers in a statement in February had called on the administration
of President Rayeesi to adhere to Iran’s red lines as the talks inched forward
in Vienna.
They
said the US government and its European allies had shown that they were not
bound by any agreement over the past few years, so Iran was obliged to learn
from the experience and set clear red lines.
The
red lines, according to the lawmakers, include guarantees by the United States
and the three European signatories of the JCPOA that they would not abandon a
potential agreement again and seek recourse to “the snapback mechanism”, which
would reinstate the UN Security Council’s sanctions against Iran. They also
asserted that all sanctions imposed under “false excuses” had to be removed.
Iranian
officials have repeatedly said the US should remove all illegal sanctions
against the Islamic Republic in a verifiable manner and guarantee that a new US
administration would not breach the JCPOA once again.
Former
US president Donald Trump unilaterally left the JCPOA in May 2018 and
re-imposed the anti-Iran sanctions that the deal had lifted. He also placed
additional sanctions on Iran under other pretexts not related to the nuclear
case as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign.
In
May 2019, following a year of strategic patience, Iran decided to let go of
some of the restrictions on its nuclear energy program, resorting to its legal
rights under the JCPOA, which grants a party the right to suspend its
contractual commitments in case of non-compliance by the other side.
The
Biden administration says it is willing to compensate for Trump’s mistake and
rejoin the deal, but it has retained the sanctions as leverage.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Calls for Continued Ceasefire, Full Removal of Siege on Yemen
2022-April-5
“Tehran
seeks to make the voice of the Yemeni nation heard across the world through the
United Nations and its partners in the region,” Iranian Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in an interview with Yemen’s Arabic-language
al-Masirah tv on Monday.
“We
welcome the ceasefire in Yemen and creation of the atmosphere for the complete
lifting of the siege and the realization of a political settlement,” he added.
The
Iranian lawmakers on Monday condemned the Saudi-led devastating war on Yemen,
expressing their support for brave resistance of Yemenis in the face of the
aggression.
They
said in a statement that as the atrocious war in Yemen enters its eighth year,
"we condemn this blatant aggression and call for an end to military
strikes, the killing of the oppressed Yemeni people, and the lifting of the
blockade on the country".
The
Iranian lawmakers also expressed their support for the "brave
resistance" of Ansarullah movement and the resilient Yemeni nation.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies — particularly the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) — launched the brutal war against Yemen in March 2015. The war
was meant to eliminate Yemen’s popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstall
a former regime.
The
conflict, accompanied by the tight siege, has failed to reach its goals,
killing hundreds of thousands of Yemeni people. Under the siege, the Saudi-led
coalition has been preventing much-needed fuel shipments from reaching Yemen.
According
to the UN Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA), more than 23 million,
out of 31.9 million people in Yemen, face hunger, disease, and other
life-threatening risks as the country’s basic services and economy are
collapsing.
In
recent months, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have escalated their airstrikes across
Yemen, and in response, have been targeted by the Yemeni forces in several
retaliatory drone and missile attacks.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
Parliament Condemns Saudi-Led Coalition for War Crimes in Yemen
2022-April-5
After
seven years into the destructive war against an independent country, the
double-standard behavior of the so-called supporters of human rights and the
United Nations and other international organizations, which claim to support
peace, freedom and rights of nations, is now clear to everyone, the statement
said on Monday.
The
legislators said that such organizations are dominated by the US and other
“arrogant and evil” powers, leaving no hope for them to defend the “trampled
rights” of subjugated nations.
“Over
the past 7 years, the government of Saudi Arabia, backed by arrogant
superpowers, has committed different war crimes by continued bombing of Yemeni
cities and villages,” the statement added.
They
have committed bloodshed against thousands of children, women and men and have
blocked entry of drugs, food and humanitarian aid to Yemen by an unjust
blockade, exposing millions of subjugated women, men and children to hunger,
diseases, poverty and annihilation, it said.
“At
the outset of the eighth year of the destructive war on Yemen, we as lawmakers
of the Iranian paliament condemn this evident aggression and call for an end to
the military attacks and killing of the subjugated people of Yemen and removal
of the blockade on the country, and voice our support for the brave resistance
of Ansarullah and the resilient Yemeni nation,” the Iranian MPs underlined in
their statement.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies — particularly the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) — launched the brutal war against Yemen in March 2015. The war
was meant to eliminate Yemen’s popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstall
a former regime.
The
conflict, accompanied by the tight siege, has failed to reach its goals,
killing hundreds of thousands of Yemeni people. Under the siege, the Saudi-led
coalition has been preventing much-needed fuel shipments from reaching Yemen.
According
to the UN Office for Humanitarian Coordination (OCHA), more than 23 million,
out of 31.9 million people in Yemen, face hunger, disease, and other
life-threatening risks as the country’s basic services and economy are
collapsing.
In
recent months, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have escalated their airstrikes across
Yemen, and in response, have been targeted by the Yemeni forces in several
retaliatory drone and missile attacks.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
won’t stop seeking ‘punishment’ of those behind Soleimani killing: Official
05
April ,2022
Iran
will not “abandon” the case of the killing of its top commander Qassem
Soleimani by the US until those responsible for his death are “punished,” a top
judicial official said earlier this week.
Iran’s
Prosecutor-General Mohammad-Jafar Montazeri said that Tehran will not “abandon”
the case even if it takes “years.”
“I
assure you that we will not abandon the investigation and finalization of this
case, and even if it takes years, we will bring it to fruition so that the
perpetrators of the assassination of our dear martyr will be punished for their
actions,” the semi-official ILNA news agency quoted Montazeri as saying on
Sunday.
Soleimani
headed the Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC). He was widely considered to be the most powerful figure in Iran
after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Soleimani
was killed in a US airstrike in Iraq on January 3, 2020, ordered by then
President Donald Trump.
Iran
responded to his killing days later, launching ballistic missiles at US forces
stationed in Iraq. No American troops were killed in the attack.
Iran
has since continued to threaten retaliation for Soleimani’s killing.
Speaking
on the second anniversary of Soleimani’s killing, Iranian President Ebrahim
Raisi said in January that Trump must face trial for the killing or Tehran
would take revenge.
“If
Trump and (former secretary of state Mike) Pompeo are not tried in a fair court
for the criminal act of assassinating General Soleimani, Muslims will take our
martyr’s revenge,” Raisi said.
“The
aggressor, murderer and main culprit - the then president of the United States
- must be tried and judged under the (Islamic) law of retribution, and God’s
ruling must be carried out against him,” he added.
Last
month, the Associated Press reported the US State Department as saying that it
is paying more than $2 million per month to provide 24-hour security to Pompeo
and former Iran envoy Brian Hook.
The
two officials face “serious and credible” threats from Iran, the AP reported,
citing a report from the State Department to Congress.
Soleimani
in Vienna
The
US and Iran have engaged in indirect talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015
nuclear deal for a year.
The
removal of the IRGC from the US’ foreign terrorist organization blacklist is
reportedly one of the few remaining unresolved issues in the talks. Iran has
said lifting US sanctions against the IRGC is one of its top priorities in the
talks.
“One
of the main” US conditions for the removal of the IRGC from the FTO list is for
Iran to drop its pursuit of revenge for Soleimani, Radio Farda, the
Persian-language broadcaster at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reported last
week, citing a source close to the talks.
The
US designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organisation under Trump in 2019.
Trump
withdrew Washington from the nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sweeping
sanctions on Tehran, saying the deal failed to address Iran’s ballistic missile
program and regional activities and did not block Iran’s path to a nuclear
weapon.
Iran,
which insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, responded by
expanding its nuclear program, breaching most of the deal’s restrictions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
stabbing attack leaves one dead, two injured at holy shrine
05
April ,2022
An
assailant stabbed three clerics at the most revered Shia site in Iran on
Tuesday, according to Iranian state-run media, killing one and injuring two
before he was arrested. The motive for the attack remained unclear.
One
cleric died almost instantly after being stabbed at the Imam Reza shrine, a
major pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims in Iran’s holy northeast city of
Mashhad. Two others were hospitalized, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency
reported.
State
media identified the cleric who was killed as Mohammad Aslani. It did not
provide information about the conditions of the other victims or identify the
suspect.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
In
a video from the scene that was shared on social media, two men could be seen
splayed on the shrine’s gray marbled floor covered with blood. IRNA news agency
posted a video of police arresting the assailant.
The
attack happened on the third day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan that
draws Muslim worshippers to communal prayers at mosques across the country.
The
Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, some 900 kilometers (560 miles) northeast of the
capital Tehran, is the largest complex housing a tomb in Iran and its most
visited. The shrine draws about 20 million people a year, mostly Iranians and
pilgrims from neighboring nations like Iraq and Pakistan.
Such
violent acts at the holy shrine are rare. However, one of the biggest terrorist
attacks in Iranian history occurred at the shrine in 1994. At the time, the
government held an armed opposition group, Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, responsible for
the bombing that killed over two dozen people.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Africa
Israeli
delegation secretly meets Sudanese military official
April
6, 2022
The
Israeli public broadcaster Kan, citing Sudanese sources, reported that Israeli
officials landed in Sudan earlier this week, and held meetings there. There
were no further details given.
Back
in early February, reports emerged that a top Sudanese official was paying a
visit to the Israeli-occupied territories to promote bilateral ties with the
Tel Aviv regime, despite strong anti-Israel sentiment among the Sudanese
nation.
Israeli
media outlets reported at the time that a representative of Sudan’s ruling
council was on the visit. The reports did not identify the representative or
provide further details about the visit.
According
to the Saudi-owned al-Arabiya television news network, a Sudanese source said
that the official was accompanied by "senior military and intelligence
leaders."
The
visit came a few weeks after an Israeli delegation visited Sudan to meet with
Sudan's military chief and de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The
Sudanese military, led by coup leader Gen. Burhan, seized power last October,
after detaining Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other civilian leaders and
dissolving the year-old transitional government as well as the joint ruling
military-civilian sovereign council.
He
also declared a state of emergency and vowed to form what he called a competent
government.
The
move drew anger and outrage across the North African country and sparked
international outcry, including from the UN Security Council. The country has
been rocked by protests since then.
Sudan
agreed to normalize ties with the Israeli regime in October 2020 as part of the
US-led so-called Abraham Accords, a month after the United Arab Emirates and
Bahrain signed similar détente deals with Tel Aviv brokered by the US.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Nigerian
Atheist Jailed 24 Years For Blasphemy
April
06, 2022
KANO,
Nigeria: A Nigerian atheist and outspoken critic of religion was sentenced to
24 years in jail on Tuesday after pleading guilty to blasphemy charges in the
largely Muslim northern state of Kano, in a ruling that puts a spotlight on
religious freedoms in the country.
Charges
against Mubarak Bala are linked to comments he posted on Facebook in April 2020
that were critical of Islam and which Authorities in Kano considered
blasphemous and an insult to the religion, his lawyer said.
When
asked by Kano High Court Judge Farouk Lawan whether he had been coerced to
enter a guilty plea to the 18 charges, Bala said he did so of his own free
will.
Bala’s
lawyer, James Ibor, said Tuesday’s sentencing was “very outrageous” and could
be challenged.
“The
sentence infringes his right as an atheist,” Ibor told Reuters.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2057611/world
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Tanzania’s
Islamic banks draw non-Muslim customers
Kizito
Makoye
06.04.2022
DAR
ES SALAAM, Tanzania
High-interest
rates and poor banking facilities are luring non-Muslims in the East African
country of Tanzania to interest-free or Islamic banking to manage personal
finances.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Lilian Lupogo, a customer at the Amana Bank counter, said
the undue interests changed by the commercial banks drove her to do business
with Islamic banks. She said that commercial banking was causing social
inequalities.
“For
me, it is not about religion, it is about personal ethics and human values,”
said Lupogo.
The
Muslims make up 35% of Tanzania’s 59.05 million population. Besides Amana Bank,
which is a full-fledged interest-free bank established in 2011, other
commercial banks have also opened Sharia-compliance windows.
According
to experts the Shariah (Islamic law) compliance finances rest on two
fundamental principles -- sharing of profit and loss and the prohibition of the
collection and payment of interest by lenders and investors.
Tanzania,
which attained the status of a middle-income country in 2020—reflecting
sustained macroeconomic stability has one full-fledged Islamic bank. A dozen
more conventional banks have opened a window for customers to bank the Islamic
way.
Miraji
Athumani, head of the Islamic Banking unit at Tanzania Commercial Bank, formerly
known as Tanzania Postal Bank or TPB, told Anadolu Agency the Sharia-compliant
window has helped his bank lure a flock of new customers, who otherwise prefer
to keep money at home.
He
said that the bank uses money through this window to make a profit by engaging
in trade and sharing profits rather than interest.
“It
has appealed to non-Muslim customers who wish to manage their finances
ethically. We don’t ask our customers about their religious affiliation. But I
know we have very many Christian customers for the Islamic banking window” he
said.
He
said the interest-free banking practice provides a sustainable alternative to
conventional banking practices.
Managing
finances and religious obligations
“Our
customers are happy to know that their money is in safe hands and is not being
invested in a manner contrary to their wishes,” said Athumani.
Residents
said that for years many Muslims, who wanted to do business and manage their
finances as per their religious obligations, were keeping the money at home to
avoid interest.
Local
banks are now eyeing a potentially growing Muslim market, promising
non-interest-bearing services that comply with Islamic laws by opening
Sharia-compliant windows.
“Islamic
banking is the only way of financing that is more ethical, equitable, and
adheres to the law of Allah,” said Alhaj Mussa Salum, Tanzania’s chief cleric
based in the port city of Dar es Salaam.
With
$2.7 trillion in assets stashed in the Islamic banking system across the world,
the system is making great strides. Economists believe that the assets will
grow to $4 trillion by 2023. In Africa, Kenya, a predominantly Christian
nation, is taking up the lead in offering Sharia-compliant banking services.
Many
people like Zubeda Fuime, who had an account in a commercial bank, are now
shifting to Amana Bank.
“I
wanted to lift the burden off my shoulders. I have the peace of mind now for I
know I am in safe hands,” she said.
While
Islamic banking still represents a tiny portion of banking activities in the
country, its fast-growing appeal to both Muslims and non-Muslims makes it a
potential competitor to conventional banking.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/tanzania-s-islamic-banks-draw-non-muslim-customers/2556368
--------
Tunisia
calls Erdogan comments on president’s decree unacceptable interference
April
06, 2022
TUNIS:
Tunisia’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that comments by Turkish President
Tayyip Erdogan on Tunisia’s leader dissolving parliament was “an unacceptable
interference” in internal affairs.
On
Monday, Erdogan criticized President Kais Saied’s decree dissolving parliament
last week as a “smearing of democracy” and a blow to the will of the Tunisian
people.
“Tunisia
expresses its astonishment at the Turkish President’s statement ... these
comments are unacceptable,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a
statement.
“Tunisia
affirms its keenness on close relations with friendly countries but adheres to
the independence of its decision and rejects interference in its sovereignty,”
it said.
Tunisia’s
political crisis intensified last week when more than half the members of
parliament held an online session to revoke Saied’s decrees. Saied responded by
dissolving parliament and imposing one-man rule.
Anti-terrorism
police summoned the main opposition figure, Rached Ghannouchi, who is also
Parliament Speaker, and other lawmakers for questioning last week.
Saied’s
move was criticized at home and abroad. The US State Department expressed its
deep concern while the opposition called for a protest next Sunday in Tunis.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2057626/middle-east
--------
Sudan
militia chief ‘rampaged’ across Darfur, court told
April
05, 2022
THE
HAGUE: A former Sudanese militia chief oversaw murder, rape and torture across
Darfur, the International Criminal Court heard on Tuesday, as the first trial
for war crimes in the region got underway.
Ali
Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman, an ally of deposed Sudanese strongman Omar
Al-Bashir, faces 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his
role in the conflict almost 20 years ago.
His
trial is the first before the Hague-based ICC for crimes in Darfur, in which
300,000 people were killed and two and a half million fled their homes,
according to UN figures.
It
comes as the world’s eyes turn to possible war crimes committed in Ukraine.
“You
will hear evidence that he (Abd-Al-Rahman) and his forces rampaged across
different parts of Darfur,” the ICC’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan told judges.
He
“inflicted severe pain and suffering on women, children and men in the villages
that he left in his wake,” Khan said.
Abd-Al-Rahman,
72, a senior commander of the Janjaweed militia — a notorious armed group created
by the Sudanese government — pleaded not guilty after the historic trial
opened.
“I
reject all these charges. I am innocent of all these charges,” Abd-Al-Rahman
told judges at the ICC, a court set up in 2002 to try the world’s worst crimes.
Wearing
a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and fiddling with his maroon tie,
Abd-Al-Rahman sat motionless as the 31 counts of war crimes, crimes against
humanity allegedly committed in 2003-04 were read.
The
long charge sheet describes acts of murder, rape, torture and pillaging.
Fighting
broke out in Darfur when black African rebels, complaining of systematic
discrimination, took up arms against Bashir’s Arab-dominated regime.
Khartoum
responded by unleashing the Janjaweed, a force drawn from among the region’s nomadic
tribes.
Rights
groups described it as a deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing targeting the
Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups.
In
April 2007, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Abd-Al-Rahman, also known by
the nom de guerre of Ali Kushayb.
He
fled to the Central African Republic in February 2020 when the new Sudanese
government announced its intention to cooperate with the ICC investigation.
Four
months later, he surrendered voluntarily.
Abd-Al-Rahman’s
trial is the first-ever stemming from a UN Security Council referral.
Former
president Omar Al-Bashir and three others are still being sought by the ICC for
crimes in Darfur.
Following
his ouster in 2019, Bashir remains in Sudan despite calls for him and two other
associates to be handed over to the ICC for prosecution.
Asked
about efforts to get Bashir to The Hague to stand trial, Khan said negotiations
with Khartoum’s military government continued, but “cooperation is
challenging.”
“The
situation has improved, but I would really like to close this situation,” Khan
said.
“But
I can’t do that unless we move forward... and it will be made much easier with
an ever... deeper cooperation with the government of Sudan.”
Prosecutors
said Abd-Al-Rahman, who carried the title of “colonel of colonels” in the
Janjaweed, played a central role in a series of attacks on at least four
villages in West Darfur.
He
is charged with both directing attacks, as well as mobilizing, recruiting,
arming and supplying to Janjaweed militia under his command.
Abd-Al-Rahman
“took pride in the power that he thought he exerted... and a strange glee in
his feared reputation,” Khan told the judges.
During
these attacks, at least 100 villagers were murdered, women and girls were raped
and the members of the predominantly Fur ethnic group subjected to forcible
transfer and persecution.
After
one such an attack in late February and early March 2002 on a village, 100 Fur
men including community leaders, doctors and teachers were taken to a police
station in the town of Mukjar, where they were interrogated and tortured.
Fifty
detainees were driven out into the countryside, told to lie face down and were
then executed, prosecutors said.
Still
languishing in refugee camps today, victims of the Darfur conflict said they
were relieved that justice was finally being done.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2057456/world
--------
North America
Iran
deal advisor defends Russia, says US President Biden ‘racist piece of garbage’
05
April ,2022
A
top advisor to Iran’s nuclear negotiating team jumped to the defense of Russia
on Tuesday, saying US President Joe Biden was a “racist piece of garbage” because
he called Vladimir Putin a war criminal.
“This
racist piece of garbage was vice-president when Obama and Saudi Arabia
destroyed Yemen. Biden also supported the invasion and occupation of Iraq. He
was involved in the decimation of Libya & he supported ISIS/Al-Qaeda in
Syria... Don’t racist western elites have any shame?” Mohammad Marandi tweeted.
Marandi,
an adviser to the Iranian negotiating delegation in Vienna, made his remarks in
a tweet above a video of Biden calling the Russian president a war criminal.
“You
may remember I got criticized for calling Putin a war criminal. Well, the truth
of the matter is, we saw what happened in Bucha; this warrants he is a war
criminal,” Biden told reporters on Monday.
The
US president was speaking about the atrocities in Bucha after images shared
over the weekend showed corpses of civilians thrown around the streets of the
Ukrainian town.
Russia
has denied these accusations, which were shown following their withdrawal from
the town after controlling it since first invading Ukraine last month.
On
Sunday, the Iranian advisor Marandi also denied the Bucha massacre in defense
of Moscow.
This
is not the first time Marandi has made rash comments.
On
April 1, he threatened Saudi Arabia and said they were “playing with fate.”
“[Saudi
Arabia] knows Patriot air defenses can’t block the missiles and drones of
#Yemen and #ansarallah. Successful repeat attacks on key oil instillations make
this quite clear,” he tweeted.
Marandi
has been a key advisor in the indirect talks between Washington and Tehran,
which have been taking part for over a year.
The
Iranians refuse to meet directly with the American delegation in Vienna. In
December, Marandi said he refused to meet with anyone associated with US
Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley.
He
has also accused Biden of acting “in bad faith,” and slammed US sanctions as
exposing “the stupidity of the Biden regime.”
Nevertheless,
Marandi continues to be a member of the team US officials are negotiating with
in Vienna.
Marandi
was born in the US, and he has boasted about his participation in “fighting the
US backed invasion of Iran.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
hails Turkiye's role in hosting direct Russia-Ukraine talks
Servet
Gunerigok
05.04.2022
WASHINGTON
The
UN on Tuesday praised Turkiye for hosting diplomatic efforts to end the war in
Ukraine.
Speaking
at a UN Security Council meeting, Under-Secretary-General for Political and
Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said that direct talks between Ukrainian
and Russian representatives have continued.
"We
commend the government of Turkey for hosting these discussions, as well as the
efforts of many others engaging with Russia and Ukraine to help bring about
peace," said DiCarlo. "We welcome the willingness of the sides to
continue engaging to reach a mutual understanding. This requires good faith and
earnest efforts, and progress in the negotiations should be translated quickly
into action on the ground.”
On
March 10, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ukrainian Foreign Minister
Dmytro Kuleba met in the Turkish resort city of Antalya for the first time since
the beginning of the war, which did not result in any fruitful outcome.
On
March 29, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met for peace talks in Istanbul as
the war entered a second month with casualties piling up on both sides.
Ukraine
wants to see countries, including Turkiye, as guarantors in a possible deal
with Russia, a Ukrainian negotiator said after the talks.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Russia
condemns US ‘attempt to punish Imran’
Anwar
Iqbal
April
6, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Wading into the political battle raging in Islamabad over the alleged threat
made against Imran Khan’s government by an American official, Moscow on Tuesday
accused the United States of committing “another attempt of shameless
interference” in the internal affairs of Pakistan to punish a “disobedient”
Imran Khan for not supporting the US position on Ukraine.
But
rejecting the Russian allegation of interference in Pakistan’s domestic
politics, the US State Department said on Tuesday that it “does not support one
political party over another”.
In
a statement issued in Moscow, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Maria Zakharova, noted that President Arif Alvi had dissolved the National
Assembly on April 3 on Imran Khan’s advice, which was based on a claim that the
US orchestrated a plan to topple his government.
“Immediately
after the announcement of the working visit of Imran Khan to Moscow on February
23-24 this year, the Americans and their Western associates began to exert rude
pressure on the prime minister, demanding an ultimatum to cancel the trip,” Ms
Zakharova said.
Slams
‘shameless US interference’ in Pakistan’s internal affairs; State Dept says it
‘doesn’t support one political party over another’
“When
he nevertheless came to us, [US diplomat Donald Lu] called the Pakistani
ambassador in Washington and demanded that the visit be immediately
interrupted, which was also rejected,” she stated.
“According
to the Pakistani media, on March 7 this year, in a conversation with Pakistani
Ambassador Asad Majid, a high-ranking American official (presumably Mr Lu)
sharply condemned the balanced reaction of the Pakistani leadership to the
events in Ukraine and made it clear that partnerships with the United States
are possible only if Imran Khan is removed from power,” the spokesperson added.
The
Russian official claimed that further development of the situation left no
doubt that the US “decided to punish the ‘disobedient’ Imran Khan”, noting how
lawmakers from within the PTI switched sides to the opposition while the
no-confidence vote was submitted to parliament.
“This
is another attempt of shameless US interference in the internal affairs of an
independent state for its own selfish purposes. The above facts eloquently
testify to this,” she said.
“The
[Pakistan] prime minister himself has repeatedly stated that the conspiracy
against him was inspired and financed from abroad. We hope that Pakistani
voters will be informed about these circumstances when they come to the
elections, which should be held within 90 days after the dissolution of the
National Assembly.”
The
Russian foreign ministry’s statement came a couple of days after Imran Khan
named US Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Donald Lu as
the official who made “threatening remarks” about his regime in a letter, which
the premier had brandished during a public rally in Islamabad last month.
Last
month, the National Security Committee, which includes all services chiefs, had
decided to issue a “strong demarche” over the letter, terming it “blatant
interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan”.
The
prime minister has alleged that the no-confidence motion against him is part of
the “foreign conspiracy” to oust him from power.
When
Dawn approached the US State Department for comment on the Russian statement,
one of their spokespersons said that “there’s no truth to these allegations”.
The
US official also explained the US position on the current political turmoil in
Pakistan, pointing out that it had no favourites in this dispute.
The
official said Washington “supports the peaceful upholding of constitutional and
democratic principles”, indicating that the US does not want tensions between
the ruling and opposition parties to lead to violence and it would support any
solution that’s based on the Pakistani Constitution.
Further
underlining Washington’s neutrality on this issue, the spokesperson said: “We
do not support one political party over another. We support principles of rule
of law and equal justice under law.”
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1683678/russia-condemns-us-attempt-to-punish-imran
--------