Iran execution of child condemned by UN human rights office
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 November 2023
A police
officer in Tehran. The UN Human Rights Office said it ‘deplored’ the execution
of a child this month, plus the execution of a 22-year-old linked to the Mahsa
Amini protests. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images
-----------
·
Iran execution of child condemned by UN human
rights office
· Decide Plea For Permission To Hold 'Muslim Mahapanchayat' At Ramlila Maidan: Delhi HC To Police
· Pentagon admits US short of funding for involvement in Israeli war
· Malaysia’s first 'Islamic rehab centre' for those in same-sex relationships to open in Johor next July, says state exco
· Islamabad urges Kabul to take action against groups involved in terrorism against Pakistan
· UNICEF warns about the rise in Child Malnutrition cases in Afghanistan
· IVO VEGTER: SA’s stance on Islamist extremism is dangerously conflicted
· Muslims in Europe feel vulnerable to rising hostility over Israel-Gaza
------
Mideast
· Hamas and Israel exchange more hostages for prisoners on fifth day of temporary cease-fire
· People in Gaza ravaged by hunger, Israeli bombing & lack of clean water, 'deaths from disease could outstrip those from war', UN says
· Erdogan tells UN chief Guterres Israel must be tried for ‘war crimes’
· Turkey’s President Erdogan Calls for Trial of Israeli Officials in International Courts
· More captives to be freed as Israel-Hamas truce extended
· Leader: Hamas’ Al-Aqsa Storm, mainly anti-Israeli, upended US political agenda in region
· US, Israel ‘main losers’ of Gaza war, ‘incapable’ of eliminating Hamas: Iran
· ICRC appeals for urgent assistance to meet humanitarian needs in war-ravaged Gaza
· Islam in Gaza needs radical changes – Netanyahu
-----
India
· In Hindutva’s absence, class is deciding the Muslim vote in Telangana
· Gujarat HC Dismisses Bajrang Dal Petition Seeking Ban On Mosque Loudspeakers
· Maulana Azad VicharManch meets Maharashtra Governor, demands Muslim quota in education
· Pro-Khalistan slogans appear on walls near Chintpurni Temple in Himachal Pradesh; probe begins
· Hamas leader couldn't have addressed Kerala rally had India labelled it a terror group: Israeli envoy
· India's Stand On Israel-Hamas Conflict "Constructive": Union Minister
------
North America
· Hundreds of Islamist rebels dead after attempting to seize Burkina Faso border town
· Democrats versus Muslims: Liberal states back school district's ban on opt-outs for LGBTQ lessons
· Will Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war turn off young and Muslim voters in 2024?
· No attacks on US troops since Israel-Hamas truce began: Pentagon
· Biden must be reminded Hamas is a terrorist group as he panders to Muslims in secret, publicly backs Israel
· Hamas not using American hostages as ‘leverage’ – White House
-----
Southeast Asia
· Indonesia's keenness for forming global sharia economic committee: VP
· PM Anwar: Islam-Confucianism dialogue significant step towards dialogical community
· Sabah Islamic Religious Council demolishes 67 of 550 illegal structures on its land in Labuan
· Sarawak churches U-turn on Christmas event boycott
· Thailand welcomes release of two more Thai hostages held by Hamas
-----
Pakistan
· Imran, Bushra’s Nikah solemnised twice in 2018, claims Mufti Saeed
· Pakistan asks UN to investigate Israel’s atrocity crimes in Palestine
· Palestine solidarity march: These Karachi roads will be closed for traffic today
· Ashrafi attributes economic progress to efforts of Arab, other Islamic countries
· Afghan embassy representative told to hand over Hafiz Gul Bahadur
-----
South Asia
· Pakistan commits widespread abuses against Afghans to force their return: HRW
· EU provides 142 million Euros to support forced Afghan migrants
· Stanikzai affirms relations with Afghanistan Embassy and Consulates in India
· Kyrgyzstan’s 100-ton food aid delivery to Afghanistan earthquake victims
· Regional Engagement Called For at Herat Security Dialogue
· Act before it turns into a humanitarian crisis, urges PM
· 143 Bangladeshis return home from Libya
· Afghan embassy in India will soon resume operations: Stanikzai
----
Africa
· Burkina Faso: jihadist attack in the north, against the town of Djibo
· Somali refugee wins U.N. award for efforts to educate displaced children
· Inisa: Clerics condemn feud over Osun mosque’s Imam selection
· IG condemns soldiers ‘terror’ attack on Adamawa station
· B’Haram terrorists behead 11 Borno loggers
· ECOWAS ready “to deploy elements” in Sierra Leone “if need be”
· Police release photos and names of 34 Sierra Leone fugitives
· Togo: Over 30 dead in “terrorist attacks” in 2023
· Hundreds remember Tanzanian student killed in Israel-Hamas conflict
------
Europe
· Pope Strips Critic US Cardinal Of Apartment, Salary For "Working Against Church"
· Spanish politician slams international community for its silence over Israel's 'genocide'
· Ealing man, 61, arrested after month long 'Islamophobic' spree targeting mosques and charity
· Man arrested after red paint thrown at mosques and Palestinian Mission
· Two Brazilian brothers arrested in Spain for alleged Islamic State links
· Gov. Scott offers support to Muslim community after shooting of three Palestinian students
-----
Arab World
· Saudi Cabinet reiterates call for complete ceasefire in Gaza
· Another Yemeni prisoner dies in Houthi detention, fourth in month
· Saudi capital Riyadh to host World Expo 2030
· Amir congratulates Saudi Arabia for winning 2030 World Expo bid
· Bahraini Leadership Congratulates Custodian of Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince on Saudi Arabia’s Winning Bid to Host Expo 2030
· Crown Prince, Brazilian president hold talks in Riyadh
· Cabinet renews Kingdom's G20 commitment to continue efforts to address climate change
· Saudi Cabinet approves MoU of the principles of India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor
· Israeli, US spy chiefs meet Qatari PM to discuss ‘building on’ Gaza truce — source
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
-----------
Iran
execution of child condemned by UN human rights office
29 Nov
2023
A police
officer in Tehran. The UN Human Rights Office said it ‘deplored’ the execution
of a child this month, plus the execution of a 22-year-old linked to the Mahsa
Amini protests. Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images
-------------
The
United Nations said Tuesday it deplored the executions of a 17-year-old and a
22-year old in Iran and urged Tehran to immediately stop applying the death
penalty.
The UN
Human Rights Office said it was troubled by Friday’s executions. “The execution
of Hamidreza Azari, who was accused of murder, is the first reported execution
of an alleged child offender in Iran this year,” spokesperson Elizabeth
Throssell said in a statement.
She
reminded Tehran of its obligation under international conventions to prohibit
death sentences and their implementation for crimes committed by individuals
below the age of 18.
“We are
also troubled by the execution, on the same day, of 22-year-old Milad Zohrevand
– the eighth person to be executed in the context of the September 2022
protests,” said Throssell.
“Available
information indicates that his trial lacked the basic requirements for due
process under international human rights law. There are also troubling reports
that Zohrevand’s parents were arrested following his execution.
“We
deplore the executions.”
The
September 2022 protests were sparked by the death in custody of MahsaAmini, a
22-year-old Iranian Kurd, after her arrest in Tehran for an alleged breach of
the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women.
Iran
launched a sweeping crackdown to snuff out the protests that saw hundreds
killed and thousands arrested, according to rights groups.
Throssell
said Iran was among the countries with the highest death penalty figures,
particularly for drug-related offences, while minorities are disproportionately
sentenced to death.
She
urged Iran to halt the application of the death penalty immediately and
establish a moratorium on its use.
Until
then, the death penalty may only be imposed for the most serious crimes: those
of extreme gravity that result intentionally and directly in death, Throssell
said.
“We also
call on the government to stop using criminal procedures to punish political
activists and others for exercising their rights to freedom of speech and
peaceful assembly,” she added.
At least
582 people were executed in Iran last year, the highest number since 2015 and
well above the 333 recorded in 2021, IHR and the Paris-based group Together
Against the Death Penalty said in a joint report in April.
Source: theguardian.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/29/iran-child-hamidreza-azari-execution-un-human-rights-milad-zohrevand#:~:text=The%20UN%20Human%20Rights%20Office%20said%20it%20was%20troubled%20by,Throssell%20said%20in%20a%20statement.
------
Decide
Plea For Permission To Hold 'Muslim Mahapanchayat' At Ramlila Maidan: Delhi HC
To Police
28 NOV
2023
Delhi
High Court IANS
----------
The
Delhi High Court asked the police here on Tuesday to decide by tomorrow a plea
moved by Mission Save Constitution, an organisation, for permission to hold the
"All India Muslim Mahapanchayat" at the Ramlila grounds next month.
Justice
Subramonium Prasad asked the organisation to give the list of speakers at the
event to the Delhi Police and listed the case for further hearing on Thursday.
"He
is giving the list of speakers today. Please consider it and pass an order. Day
after tomorrow, I am hearing the writ petition," the judge told the police
counsel.
"Either
you say that you have already taken a decision to reject the application (for
permission), then I will proceed ahead based on the judgment of the Supreme
Court," the judge added.
On
November 25, the court had asked the authorities to consider the feasibility of
holding the mahapanchayat at the Ramlila grounds on December 18.
Mission
Save Constitution had earlier approached the court stating that it is aggrieved
by the pendency of a decision by the deputy commissioner of police, Central
district on its application seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) for
organising the "All India Muslim Mahapanchayat" on December 4 at the
Ramlila grounds.
The
court had said last month that once the festive season was over, the petitioner
was free to approach the authorities for permission to hold the event after
submitting the list of speakers and giving a proper assurance that the event
would not raise communal tension in the area.
The
counsel appearing for the Delhi Police, Arun Panwar, said the authorities are
not against the fundamental rights of the petitioner but there are
law-and-order concerns.
In a
status report filed in the case, the city police said a large religious
gathering as proposed by the petitioner in an area that has a mixed population
is alarming and in the interest of communal harmony and law and order, the
petitioner should change the venue of the event.
It also
said it has already given an NOC to Maha Tyagi SevaSansthan for organising the
"Mahayagya for Vishwa Jan Kalyan" at the Ramlila grounds from
December 3 to 15 and therefore, the venue is not available for the petitioner
on December 4.
The
report said being in the vicinity of the New Delhi railway station, commercial
hubs and hospitals, a 12-hour rally is deemed impractical in central Delhi as there
is a probability that it will disturb the general public.
Mission
Save Constitution has said in its plea that it wants to initiate a series of
events for strengthening the weaker sections of the society, beginning with
minority communities and followed by other communities like Scheduled Castes
(SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), and that the
voice of all the oppressed would be raised at its meetings.
The
organisation, headed by advocate Mehmood Pracha, has said it works to raise
awareness among the masses, especially the oppressed classes, about their
rights as enshrined in the Constitution and for utilising the constitutional
and legal provisions for the alleviation of their distress and suffering.
Source: outlookindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.outlookindia.com/national/decide-plea-for-permission-to-hold-muslim-mahapanchayat-at-ramlila-maidan-delhi-hc-to-police-news-333457
------
Pentagon
admits US short of funding for involvement in Israeli war
29
November 2023
This
picture taken in Arlington, Virginia on Oct. 9, 2020 shows an elevated view of
the Pentagon located on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly
across from Washington, DC, the US capital city. (File photo by Reuters
------------
The US
military is currently lacking the funds needed for its involvement in the
Israeli war on Gaza, the Pentagon has revealed, as the whole world is reacting
to US participation in the Israeli atrocities against Palestinians.
Politico
reported on Monday that the Pentagon has no money to pay for the US military
buildup in the Middle East to back the Israeli regime after the Zionist forces
launched a genocidal campaign on the people of the Gaza Strip last month.
“We’re taking
it out of hide,” said Chris Sherwood, a Pentagon spokesman, adding that
“Current events have revised some of the operational assumptions used to
develop the FY 2024 President’s Budget request. Specifically, neither the base
budget request nor the FY 2024 supplemental request included funding for US
operations related to Israel."
The US
federal government, the military included, is currently running under a stopgap
bill, which temporarily keeps the government open. The stopgap, which has
averted the looming government shutdown since June, freezes spending at Fiscal
Year 2023 funding levels.
Given
the fact that the Pentagon had not planned for the recent military buildup in
the Middle East, the US Department of Defense (DoD) has had to pull money from
existing operations and maintenance accounts to allocate elsewhere, the report
said.
The DoD
spokesperson said the Pentagon had to hunt for funds, which meant less money
for training, exercises, and the deployments that the military had already
planned for the year.
Sherwood
said some payments owed by the US military to private military contractors and
manufacturers could also be delayed.
Some
"delivery of defense articles, services, and/or military education"
could be paused, Sherwood said earlier in September when Pentagon was short of
funds for Kiev.
The US
is running out of money to pay for the Ukrainian troops salaries.
DoD said
it was still working to figure out the extent and costs of the US support
planned for Israel.
In the
meantime, the Pentagon continues to splurge US taxpayers’ money on its two main
warring allies, Ukraine and Israel.
However,
top Pentagon officials have warned that pursuing the ongoing US military
assignments under the current stopgap measure prevents the DoD from starting
any new programs or paying for anything above the previous year’s levels.
Deputy
Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said during a Nov. 21 event in Washington,
DC that limiting Pentagon's spending to
the current stopgap bill runs the risk of the military losing its trust in
Congress, which is responsible for passing a resolution for next year's fiscal
bill.
“We have
a responsibility to build trust with Congress — to get done what we want to get
done,” Hicks said. “But the truth of the matter is, trust is a two-way street,
and we are really being challenged to trust that our partners in Congress can
get done what they need to do for us to achieve those ends.”
The
United States is Israel's biggest and oldest military ally, providing the
Israeli regime with vast and varied weapons and ammunition consignments since
the initiation of its war on Palestinians. Congress has approved billions of
dollars worth of military aid for the Israeli regime.
Washington
has also backed the Israeli attacks on Gaza as a means of "self-defense".
Israel
launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement
Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity
in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and
devastation against Palestinians.
According
to the Gaza-based health ministry, so far over 15,000 Palestinians have been
killed in the Israeli war, most of them women and children.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/29/715487/US-pentagon-lacks-funding-Israel
-----
Malaysia’s
first 'Islamic rehab centre' for those in same-sex relationships to open in
Johor next July, says state exco
29 Nov
2023
Johor
Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said the
rehabilitation centre will be the first of its kind to be established in
Malaysia. — Bernama pic
----------
ISKANDAR
PUTERI, Nov 29 — The Johor government is in the process of creating a centre to
“rehabilitate” those who practise same-sex relationships for going against
established Islamic teachings.
Johor
Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said the
rehabilitation centre will be the first of its kind to be established in Malaysia.
“Currently,
the establishment of the centre is in the process of preparing assets in the
office, as well as its male and female trainee dormitories.
“The
centre is expected to be fully operational by July next year,” he said in the
Johor Legislative Assembly here today.
He was
replying to a question from Maharani assemblyman Abdul Aziz Talib from
Perikatan Nasional.
However,
no further details are currently available from a prepared text from
MohdFared’s response that was made available to the media.
Conversion
therapy, which consists of psychological treatment or spiritual counselling to
change a person’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to
heterosexual, is widely seen by the medical and scientific community as
potentially harmful and a form of pseudoscience.
The
practice is opposed and has been legally challenged, or even banned, in
countries such as Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Israel, Lebanon,
Malta, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Additionally,
Mohd Fared said the Johor Islamic Religious Council allocates RM15 million a
year to Pertubuhan Kebajikan Saudara Kita organisation for it to carry out
various missionary activities, including those for Muslim converts.
He said
a total of 2,845 people who previously were from other faiths, have been
registered as Muslims since 2020.
He gave
the yearly breakdown as 728 people in 2020, followed by 688 in 2021, 796 in
2022 and 633 from January this year so far.
He said
in Johor, the new converts were of diverse races and nationalities and broke
them down as ethnic Chinese, ethnic Indian, Iban, Bidayuh, Kadazan, Orang Asli
as well as foreigners from the Philippines and Vietnam.
Mohd
Fared, who is also the Semerah assemblyman, said that the Pertubuhan Kebajikan
Saudara Kita was established by the Johor Islamic Religious Department in 2020.
He said
the organisation also played a role in implementing the Islamic Studies Module
related to faith, worship, muamalat, sirah, morals and Quran recital.
“In addition,
it also functions to provide religious guidance to new converts in an effort to
improve the teachings of Islam and to also care for their welfare.
“Among
the courses conducted are Islam Pilihanku, SinarIbadah camp, Ramadan Iftar
ceremony, Leisure Pilgrimage programme and Maulidur Rasul celebration,"
said Mohd Fared.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/29/malaysias-first-islamic-rehab-centre-for-those-in-same-sex-relationships-to-open-in-johor-next-july-says-state-exco/104841
------
Islamabad
urges Kabul to take action against groups involved in terrorism against
Pakistan
November
28, 2023
Representative
of the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad was called in to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs today.
Pakistan's
strong condemnation was expressed on the suicide attack perpetrated on security
forces convoy in Bannu district on Sunday by an Afghan National.
Hafiz
Gul Bahadur Group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The
Afghan representative was conveyed to fully investigate and take action against
perpetrators, abettors of the Bannu attack.
He was
urged to take immediate verifiable actions against all terrorist groups and
their sanctuaries.
The
representative was also conveyed to apprehend Hafiz Gul Bahadar and hand over
to Pakistan and prevent use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/28-11-2023/islamabad-urges-kabul-to-take-action-against-all-groups-involved-in-terrorist-activities-against-pakistan-from-afghan-soil
-----
UNICEF
warns about the rise in Child Malnutrition cases in Afghanistan
Fidel
Rahmati
November
29, 2023
The United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that in October 2023, they
identified 838,637 children suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan.
This
alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for humanitarian assistance and
intervention in the country to address the critical issue of children’s
malnutrition.
On
Tuesday, the organization issued a warning about the rising number of children
suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan by releasing its monthly report.
UNICEF
has emphasized that the severe malnutrition rate among children under five
years old has decreased by 29%, and the number of individuals in treatment has
decreased by 18% compared to the previous month.
According
to the organization, seasonal changes and improved child nutrition practices
have reduced diarrhoea cases among children.
UNICEF’s
report reveals that nearly 50,000 children between 6 months and 5 years have
received treatment at health centres supported by the organization.
This
comes as many international organizations have warned of an increase in child
malnutrition in Afghanistan due to rising poverty.
Previously,
the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reported that 3.2 million children in Afghanistan are suffering from
malnutrition.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/unicef-warns-about-the-rise-in-child-malnutrition-cases-in-afghanistan/
------
IVO
VEGTER: SA’s stance on Islamist extremism is dangerously conflicted
29
NOVEMBER 2023
Sub-Saharan
Africa has become the “new epicentre” of violent Islamist terrorism, according
to a report released earlier in 2023 by the UN Development Programme.
This has
dragged a reluctant SA into the war against terror, especially with its
deployment of an SA National Defence Force combat team to the Southern African
Development Community (Sadc) Mission in Mozambique, where it is fighting an
insurgency by Islamic State Mozambique and the Islamic State-aligned Ahlu Sunna
Wal Jamaah.
This
intervention has reportedly met with some success, but also with allegations of
war crimes involving the unceremonious burning of what appeared to be enemy
bodies in a bonfire.
This all
appears rather ironic given SA’s historical hostility to foreign
interventionism in the global war on terror. Former president Nelson Mandela
rebuked US president George W Bush over the 2003 war in Iraq, saying, “They
just want the oil.”
At the
time the governing ANC downplayed the threat of jihadi terrorism in Africa,
saying “US efforts to indoctrinate Africa with fears of Islamic terrorism,
[are] to establish a US military mission in every African country, to control
media, finances, religions and politicians.”
It is
also ironic in the light of the government’s recent, implicitly partisan,
response to the violation of a two-year ceasefire by Hamas, which governs Gaza,
when it launched inhumane attacks against innocent civilians, including women
and children, in Israel on October 7.
The
department of international relations & co-operation did not condemn these
attacks, or even name Hamas, but merely expressed “grave concern” over the
“devastating escalation”, for which it blamed Israel. Only once, in passing,
did the government describe the original Hamas attacks as “abhorrent”, and then
only to draw an equivalence with the alleged Israeli “attack” on Al-Ahli
Hospital.
Rejected
right
The
department claimed 500 people were killed and 1,000 injured in this “attack”,
when in fact the death toll was greatly exaggerated by Hamas and the “attack”
turned out to involve a misdirected rocket fired by the Palestinian Islamic
Jihad, another extremist terror group in Gaza.
In
calling for the immediate cessation of violence, the department rejected the
right of Israel to use force to respond to a murderous invasion, or even to
free its hostages. It followed that up with a call to Hamas leader Ismail
Haniyeh, in which international relations & co-operation minister Naledi
Pandor expressed SA’s “solidarity and support for the people of Palestine”.
Soon
after, Pandor embarked on a diplomatic visit to Iran, which is widely
considered a material supporter of jihadi terror groups worldwide, including
Hamas. After this visit SA called for “the international community to hold
Israel accountable for breaches of international law”, as it pertains to
civilian casualties in Gaza. In particular, the department called for Israel to
be “held accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity and … the crime of
genocide”.
The
department further scolded Israel, hauled the Israeli ambassador over the
coals, and condemned more Israeli military actions, before referring “the
situation in Palestine” to the International Criminal Court (ICC), with
“like-minded states” Bangladesh, Bolivia, Venezuela, Comoros and Djibouti.
It did
not indicate who exactly is to be accused of “war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide” in The Hague, but it has never accused Hamas of these
things.
From the
start, the best alternative to an Israeli military response to Hamas that the
SA government could muster was a set of naively idealistic bromides on “talks”
leading to a “lasting peace” and “two-state solution”, objectives Israel has
pursued but Palestinians have violently rejected for 75 years.
Took
sides
Hamas
shares many tenets in its charter, strategy, tactics, recruitment methods and
terror against civilians with other jihadi groups, including the Islamic State
groups that are proliferating throughout Africa. This exposes SA’s conflicted
stance towards Islamist extremism.
It is,
of course, perfectly legitimate to criticise Israel’s conduct of the war and
express grave concern about the humanitarian consequences, but by neglecting to
condemn the prima facie war crime that provoked it, SA took sides.
It also
exposed its own hypocrisy, since it has been largely silent on the humanitarian
consequences of Russia’s attack on, and invasion of, Ukraine, and bent over
backwards to avoid having to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin on an
actual ICC arrest warrant for war crimes.
The
department of international relations & co-operation has therefore
implicitly aligned the country with the jihadist government of Gaza in its war
against what Hamas and the SA government consider to be the illegitimate,
“settler colonialist”, “apartheid state” of Israel.
It is
simultaneously actively at war against jihadi insurgents in Mozambique. And it
has an Islamic extremism problem at home that goes back as far as the 1990s,
when People Against Gangsterism And Drugs morphed from a grassroots antigangsterorganisation
into a violent vigilante group, influenced by radical Islam. It carried out
bombings of government targets, synagogues, gay clubs and restaurants, which
the group associated with Western decadence.
Join
groups
According
to a 2021 report by the Hudson Institute, a report by the National Intelligence
Agency in 1998 identified the presence of Hamas delegates and affiliated
individuals in SA. It documented the fundraising efforts of these individuals,
and recorded their attendance at conferences near Pretoria that were also
attended by members of other Islamist militant organisations such as the
Taliban, al-Qaeda, the Algerian Islamic Salvation Front, Palestinian Islamic
Jihad and Hezbollah.
This was
just the start of numerous disclosures — some involving arrests — of Islamic
extremists operating in, or from SA, and SA citizens leaving to join jihadi
terror groups in Africa and the Middle East.
SA
continues to be a hotbed of terrorist activity. Analysts and counterterrorism
experts have described the country as a “nerve centre for jihadist financing in
Africa”, comprising an extensive network of “charity” and “religious”
nongovernmental organisations.
This has
led to US sanctions being levied against several South Africans, and the
greylisting of the country’s financial system by the Financial Action Task
Force, a Paris-based watchdog combating money laundering and terrorist
financing.
The
alarming extent of SA’s problem with Islamic extremism and jihadi financing has
been well documented and points to decades of complacency, the erosion of
intelligence and prosecuting capabilities, and a lack of understanding of the
nature of violent extremism and the threats it poses.
To even
begin to address these issues, the government must establish clarity on its
position vis-à-vis jihadism. It is fighting Islamic extremism with one hand,
while supporting it with the other when it suits its parochial ideological
prejudices.
Such
inconsistency cannot produce an effective antiterrorism strategy.
Source: businesslive.co.za
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2023-11-29-ivo-vegter-sas-stance-on-islamist-extremism-is-dangerously-conflicted/
-----
Muslims
in Europe feel vulnerable to rising hostility over Israel-Gaza
29 Nov
2023
PARIS,
Nov 29 — Jian Omar, a Berlin lawmaker of Kurdish-Syrian background, feels
unprotected by police after suffering hate-filled flyers mixed with glass and
faeces, a broken window and a hammer-wielding assailant since the deadly
October 7 Hamas attack in Israel.
The
three incidents at Omar’s constituency office form part of increased hostility
to Muslims in Europe fanned at times by politicians since the Hamas assault,
more than 30 community leaders and advocates consulted by Reuters said, adding
that incidents were under-reported because of low trust in police.
“I feel
really alone and if somebody with the status of an elected official can’t be
protected then how must others feel?” said Omar. He said police were
investigating but had told him they could not offer extra security at his
premises.
“Imagine
if a white German politician was attacked by a migrant or a refugee,” he said,
suggesting security forces would do more in such cases. Berlin police did not
reply to a request for comment.
Hate
crime has risen dramatically in Europe since the October 7 assault killed
around 1,200 Israelis and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza which has
killed around 14,800 Palestinians, with registered antisemitic incidents up
1,240 per cent in London and steep rises also seen in France and Germany.
Official
data shows a significant, smaller increase in anti-Muslim incidents in Britain
and is patchy for the other two countries. It does not fully capture the extent
of attacks and hostility against individuals and mosques, including children
targeted at school, according to the people Reuters consulted, some of whom
asked not to be named citing fear of retaliation.
Under-reporting
is also prevalent among victims of antisemitism, Jewish groups and leaders in
the three countries said.
Zara
Mohammed, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said government
language, such as calling pro-Palestinian protests “hate marches,” had made the
fight against antisemitism and for the rights of Muslims or Palestinians a
zero-sum game in many people’s minds.
“Ministers
have been really reckless, this peddling of the culture wars and pitting
communities off one another is really unhelpful and it is very divisive and
dangerous as well,” she said. The British government did not respond to a
question about official use of such language.
European
Muslims’ sense of vulnerability was further heightened with the electoral
victory last week of Dutch far-right populist Geert Wilders, who previously
called for mosques and the Koran to be banned in the Netherlands. In the United
States, there has been deadly anti-Palestinian violence since October 7.
At the
Ibn Ben Badis Mosque in Nanterre, Paris, elderly worshippers fear attending the
dawn prayer in the dark, two worshippers there said, after a written arson
threat against the mosque in late October apparently from a far-right
sympathiser.
Rachid
Abdouni, the mosque president, said a request for extra police protection was
not met. Local police said they were patrolling the area but were low on
resources, he said. The police did not immediately respond to a comment
request.
“Do I
want my daughter to grow up in this climate?” said Khalil Raboun, 42, a
French-Moroccan taxi driver, speaking after Friday prayers outside the mosque.
Under-reporting
Attempted
arson, verbal abuse, vandalism and a pig’s head left at a mosque site were
among more than 700 reports of Islamophobic incidents in Britain the month
after the Hamas attack, campaign group Tell Mama said, a sevenfold increase
over the previous month. Tell Mama only reports some incidents to the police,
with the consent of the complainant.
The
French Muslim Council received 42 letters containing threats or insults between
October 7 and November 1 but has not reported any of them, said council vice
president Abdallah Zekri, among a wave of hate mail and racist graffiti on
mosques.
“The
vast majority of Muslims do not file a complaint when they are victims of such
acts. Even the heads of mosques don’t want to. They don’t want to spend two
hours or more in a police station to file a complaint that in the end is often
going to be dismissed,” Zekri said.
In
Germany also, police often do not register Islamophobic crime as such due to a
lack of awareness, for example attacks on mosques are sometimes registered
simply as damage to property, said Rima Hanano of Claim, an NGO.
“People
affected by racism like Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim often fear to
go to authorities because they are afraid of secondary victimization, that they
will not be believed or made out to be the perpetrators,” she said.
A
British government spokesperson said “there must be zero tolerance for
antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, or any other forms of hatred,” adding that
police were expected to fully investigate such attacks.
Germany’s
interior ministry said it “confronts all kinds of hate, including Islamophobia
explicitly” and noted it conducted a survey this year it said gave greater
understanding of anti-Muslim racism.
In
France, interior minister Gerald Darmanin acknowledged additional anti-Muslim
acts since October 7, however French official figures for 2023 appeared on
track for a drop, with 130 incidents through November 14, compared to 188
incidents recorded all last year. The ministry did not respond to a request for
comment.
A
spokesperson for France’s national police acknowledged data on anti-Muslim
incidents was “incomplete”, and relied on victims filing a complaint. Security
services are actively monitoring for antisemitic incidents, the spokesperson
said.
History
Both
France and Germany developed institutional mechanisms to respond to antisemitic
acts in the aftermath of the Holocaust of World War Two and in response to
continued prejudice against Jews.
Western
Europe’s colonial and religious past has also cast Islam as regressive and
foreign, contributing to entrenched prejudice among parts of the population and
in institutions, said Reza Zia-Ebrahimi, historian at Kings College London and
author of ‘Antisemitism and Islamophobia: an entangled history’.
Attacks
by Islamist militants in Europe or abroad often bring repercussions for the
general Muslim population.
After
mosques were defaced and the spread of anti-Muslim commentary by pundits on TV,
French President Emmanuel Macron said last week that “to protect French people
of Jewish faith should not be to pillory French people of Muslim faith.”
However,
historian Zia-Ebrahimi said, the decision by France’s interior ministry to ban
pro-Palestinian protests as a risk to public order in the aftermath of the
Hamas attacks fomented a view that Arabs are aggressors and that supporters of
Palestinians are motivated by antisemitism.
Amnesty
International called the blanket ban disproportionate.
AimanMazyek
of the German Muslim Council said a federal government commissioner on
Islamophobia was needed to complement existing commissioners for antisemitism
and anti-Roma racism.
“The
fact that we have so many commissioners in Germany and no commissioner for
Islam in particular is discrimination in itself,” he said.
Germany’s
newly appointed commissioner on racism, Reem Alabali-Radovan, acknowledged a
need for better monitoring after the interior ministry survey showed one in two
Germans hold Islamophobic views.
For some
Muslims in Germany, which has welcomed about a million Syrians and just under
400,000 Afghans in recent years, rising hostility came as a surprise.
GhaliaZaghal
came to Germany from Syria in 2015 and said she never had major issues with
discrimination. But shortly after October 7, she was shoved twice in one day,
with one man shouting at her: “This is my street, not yours.”
“I was
too shocked to go to the police,” said Zaghal, who owns a Berlin beauty salon.
— Reuters
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------
Mideast
Hamas
and Israel exchange more hostages for prisoners on fifth day of temporary cease-fire
29.11.23
Hamas
released 12 hostages and Israel released 30 Palestinian prisoners on Tuesday,
the fifth day of a fragile cease-fire that has enabled humanitarian aid to flow
into Gaza and that mediators hope to extend even as Israel pledges to resume
the war.
Israel
said 10 of its citizens and two Thai nationals freed by Hamas returned to
Israel. Soon after, Israel released the Palestinian prisoners. The truce is due
to end after one more exchange Wednesday night.
CIA
director William Burns and David Barnea, who heads Israel's Mossad intelligence
agency, were in Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, to discuss extending the
cease-fire and releasing more hostages, a diplomat said on condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. A US official confirmed
Burns was in Qatar, speaking anonymously because the director's travel plans
are not publicised for security reasons.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit the region this week, also
with an eye to extending the truce.
Israel has
vowed to resume the war with "full force" to destroy Hamas once it's
clear that no more hostages will be freed under the deal.
The
Biden administration has told Israel it must avoid "significant further
displacement" and mass casualties among Palestinian civilians if it
resumes the offensive, and that it must operate with more precision in southern
Gaza than it has in the north, according to US officials. The officials spoke
on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
Hamas
and other militants are still holding about 160 hostages out of the 240 seized
in their October 7 assault into southern Israel that ignited the war. Israel
has said it is willing to extend the cease-fire by one day for every 10
additional hostages that Hamas releases, according to the deal brokered by
Qatar, Egypt and the US. But Hamas is expected to make much higher demands for
the release of captive soldiers.
Israel
has vowed to end Hamas' 16-year rule in Gaza and crush its military
capabilities. That would almost certainly require expanding the ground
offensive from northern Gaza to the south, where most of Gaza's population of
2.3 million is now crowded. It's unclear where they would go if Israel expands
its ground operation, as Egypt has refused to accept refugees and Israel has
sealed its border.
The
latest group of Israeli hostages freed from Gaza — nine women and a 17-year-old
— was flown to hospitals in Israel, the Israeli military said.
Tuesday's
hostage release brought to 60 the number of Israelis freed under the terms of
the truce between Israel and Hamas. An additional 21 hostages — 19 Thais, one
Filipino and one Russian-Israeli — have been released in separate negotiations
since the truce began.
Earlier
in the war, Hamas released four Israeli hostages, and the Israeli army rescued
one during its offensive in Gaza. Two other hostages were found dead in Gaza.
The
latest swap brought to 180 the number of Palestinian women and teenagers freed
from Israeli prisons. Most have been teenagers accused of throwing stones and
firebombs during confrontations with Israeli forces. Several released women
were convicted by Israeli military courts of attempting to carry out deadly
attacks. The prisoners are widely seen by Palestinians as heroes resisting
occupation.
The
freed hostages have mostly stayed out of the public eye, but details of their
captivity have started to emerge.
In one
of the first interviews with a freed hostage, 78-year-old RutiMunder told
Israel's Channel 13 television that she was initially fed well in captivity but
that conditions worsened as shortages took hold. She said she was kept in a
"suffocating" room and slept on plastic chairs with a sheet for
nearly 50 days.
Israel
imposed a siege on Gaza at the start of the war and only allowed a trickle of
food, water, medicine and fuel to enter prior to the cease-fire, leading to
widespread shortages and a territory-wide power blackout.
Tuesday
saw the first major exchange of fire between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters
in northern Gaza since the cease-fire began Friday. Each side blamed the other
for the outbreak, but no further violence followed and the swap went ahead.
Still, it underscored the fragility of the truce, with the warring sides
holding their positions in close proximity to each other.
The
cease-fire has allowed residents who remained in Gaza City and other parts of
the north to venture out to survey the destruction and try to locate and bury
relatives.
In
northern Gaza's Jabaliya refugee camp, which Israel bombarded heavily for weeks
and which troops surrounded in heavy fighting with militants, "you come
across whole city blocks that have been demolished, just a pancake of concrete
layered as buildings have collapsed", said Thomas White, the Gaza director
for the UN agency caring for Palestinian refugees.
More
than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly
two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in
Hamas-ruled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and
combatants. More than 1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly
civilians killed in the initial attack.
At least
77 soldiers have been killed in Israel's ground offensive. Israel says it has
killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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-----
People
in Gaza ravaged by hunger, Israeli bombing & lack of clean water, 'deaths
from disease could outstrip those from war', UN says
29th
November 2023
The UN
has warned that Gaza is not getting enough aid to meet even basic emergency
needs and the population is so ravaged by hunger, bombing and the lack of clean
water that deaths from disease could outstrip those from war.
“All
this aid is triage, and it’s not even enough for triage,” a Unicef
spokesperson, James Elder, told a press conference in Geneva, speaking by video
link from inside Gaza. “Everything here is emergency care.”
Elder’s
comments came as US and Israeli spy bosses flew to Qatar for talks on how to
extend the truce further in exchange for the release of more hostages by Hamas,
The Guardian reports.
“Eventually,
we will see more people dying from disease than we are even seeing from the
bombardment, if we are not able to put back this health system and provide the
basics of life. Food, water, medicines and of course fuel to operate
hospitals.”
Diarrhoea
increased by 45 times compared with the same period last year, and other
communicable diseases, from respiratory infections to hygiene issues such as
lice, have risen, she said, but people had little hope of getting treatment,
Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the WHO has been quoted as saying by The
Guardian.
Almost
three-quarters of hospitals in Gaza and two-thirds of primary health care
clinics have shut down because of damage from hostilities or lack of fuel, the
WHO says. The north of Gaza is even more critical, with hospitals “almost
entirely shut down”.
Even
with simple illnesses where parents understood how to protect their children,
such as providing hydration to those with diarrhoea, they were powerless
because of a lack of food or clean water, The Guardian said.
The
World Health Organization also said that only a “trickle” of aid was reaching
Gaza, even during the pause in fighting. “It’s barely registering,” said
Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the organisation. The scale of displacement
meant needs were growing daily, even when there were no new war injuries.
The UN
estimates 1.8 million people in Gaza have fled their homes, nearly four in five
residents, with children making up half of those crowded into shelters, given
shelter by relatives, or living in tents or cars.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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------
Erdogan
tells UN chief Guterres Israel must be tried for ‘war crimes’
November
29, 2023
ANKARA:
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday told United Nations Secretary
General Antonio Guterres that Israel must be held accountable in international
courts for what he called war crimes it committed in Gaza, the Turkish
presidency said.
In a
phone call ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza planned for
Wednesday, Erdogan and Guterres discussed the “expectations of the international
community regarding Israel’s unlawful attacks”, access of humanitarian aid into
the enclave, and efforts for a lasting peace, the Turkish presidency said.
“During
the call, President Erdogan said Israel continues to shamelessly trample on
international law, the laws of war, and international humanitarian law by
looking in the eyes of the international community, and it must be held
accountable for the crimes it committed in front of international law,” it said
in a statement.
In
addition, Jordan’s King Abdullah said Israeli aggression in Gaza and army
operations in the West Bank “negate human values and the right of life.”
In
remarks carried on state media, the monarch who again called for an end to the
crisis, said the Israeli siege on the enclave that prevented for weeks the
entry of medicine, food and fuel and cut electricity supplies, amounted to war
crimes.
Source: dawn.com
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-----
Turkey’s
President Erdogan Calls for Trial of Israeli Officials in International Courts
2023-11-29
KABUL
(BNA): In a phone conversation with Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of
the United Nations, Turkish President Rajab Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his call
for the trial of Israeli regime officials at the International Court of
Justice.
Erdogan
stated that these officials should be held accountable for war crimes in Gaza.
This
call comes ahead of a United Nations Security Council meeting scheduled for
today, Wednesday, November 29, in New York, which will address the situation in
Gaza.
The
Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that HakanFedan, the Foreign
Minister of Turkey, will be participating in the meeting.
It’s
worth noting that since the onset of Israel’s operations in Gaza, over 15,500
Palestinians, predominantly women and children, have been killed.
Erdogan
has previously condemned Israel’s attacks on Gaza as genocide and labeled the
Israeli government as terrorists.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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----
More
captives to be freed as Israel-Hamas truce extended
November
29, 2023
GAZA
STRIP: A new group of Israeli hostages are due to be freed in exchange for
Palestinian prisoners, as Israel and Hamas accused each other of violating an
extended truce in their devastating seven-week war.
The
temporary cessation of hostilities and releases of captives have been hailed as
a glimpse of hope in the conflict sparked by deadly Hamas attacks that prompted
an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
As a
two-day extension to the pause in hostilities began, US and Israeli
intelligence chiefs were in Doha, capital of truce mediator Qatar, to discuss
the “next phase” of the deal, fueling hopes for a prolonged halt to the
violence.
Israel
and Hamas are under international pressure not to return to all-out fighting
when the latest truce ends on Thursday, but instead to build on the prisoner
swaps to find a solution to the conflict.
A source
close to Hamas said that 10 hostages held in Gaza would be freed in return for
30 prisoners released from Israeli prisons on Tuesday.
In
addition to those releases, “some foreign workers held in Gaza” will also be
freed, the source said.
Israeli
leaders, however, have so far insisted that their campaign to crush Hamas will
resume once they have received as many hostages as possible in exchange for
Palestinian prisoners.
And on
Tuesday, each side accused the other of breaking the truce agreement.
Palestinian
movements denounced what they dubbed “truce violations by the occupier,” and a journalist
saw an Israeli tank fire three times in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza
City as Palestinians attempted to make use of the lull to return to their
homes.
The
Israeli military described the shelling as “warning shots,” saying a tank fired
as suspected militants approached army positions. At least one person was hurt,
the reporter saw.
The
Israeli military meanwhile alleged that three explosive devices were detonated
near its forces in the northern Gaza strip, “violating the framework of the operational
pause.”
The IDF
said: “In one of the locations, terrorists also opened fire at the troops, who
responded with fire. A number of soldiers were lightly injured during the
incidents.
“In both
incidents, the troops were located in positions as per the framework of the
operational pause.”
Israel’s
ground and air operation in the Gaza Strip has killed almost 15,000 people,
mostly civilians, according to the territory’s Hamas government.
TV
images show buildings several stories high flattened by the Israeli
bombardments in the central Gaza Strip and residents walking through the rubble
of ruined homes.
Israel
has vowed to stick to its war aim of destroying Hamas and rescuing all 240
hostages.
Qatar’s
Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said that his government would use
the extension to work for a “sustainable truce.”
The
heads of the US and Israeli intelligence agencies were in Qatar to discuss the
“next phase” of the Gaza deal, a source briefed on their visit said.
“The
director of the CIA and the director of the Israeli National Intelligence
Agency are in Doha to meet with the Qatari prime minister,” the source said,
requesting anonymity.
The
discussions, he said, aim “to build on the progress of the extended
humanitarian pause agreement and to initiate further discussions about the next
phase of a potential deal.”
The
latest round of exchanges on Monday night brought the total number of people
released under the truce to 50 Israeli hostages, and 150 Palestinian prisoners,
all women and minors.
Another
19 hostages have been freed under separate deals, including Thai workers and a
dual Russian-Israeli citizen.
Sharon
Calderon, the aunt of 16-year-old Sahar and 12-year-old Erez who were released
on Monday, called for their father Ofer to be freed also. Two other family
members were killed on Oct. 7.
“We’ve
got Erez and Sahar here and we’re very, very happy we got them home. We have to
get Ofer and the rest of the kidnapped and bring them here ... to be again a
big happy family.”
Shortly
after the arrival of the hostages was confirmed, Israel’s prison authority said
33 Palestinian inmates had been released.
In
annexed East Jerusalem, Palestinian prisoner Muhammad Abu Al-Humus called his
release “an indescribable joy” and kissed his mother’s hand as he entered his
home.
“I’m
very happy. I hope that others will soon be released — my friends, my cousins.”
Israel
views the truce as a temporary measure to secure hostage releases and says it
plans to continue its military offensive.
The
government has agreed a 30.3 billion shekel ($8.2 billion) war budget that will
now go to parliament.
But
Israel faces increasing pressure for a more lasting ceasefire and the ramp-up
of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where an estimated 1.7 million people have been
displaced, according to the UN.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to pay his third wartime visit
to the Middle East this week, meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.
US
officials said the United States was sending three military aircraft to Egypt
from Tuesday to bring medicine, food and “winter items” for Gaza via northern
Egypt.
In Gaza,
the Hamas-run Health Ministry said no fuel had arrived for generators at
hospitals in the territory’s north, despite the truce.
The
World Food Programme said it had delivered food to 121,161 people in Gaza since
Friday, when the truce began, but that a high risk of famine remained. “What we
see is catastrophic,” said WFP’s director for the Middle East, Corinne
Fleischer.
The UN
children’s agency UNICEF said aid flows into northern Gaza had increased since
the truce began, but spokesman James Elder warned that given the destruction
“all this aid is triage (minimum emergency care) ... It’s not even enough for
triage.”
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Leader:
Hamas’ Al-Aqsa Storm, mainly anti-Israeli, upended US political agenda in
region
29
November 2023
Leader
of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the historic
Hamas’ Al-Aqsa Storm was mainly against the Zionist regime, but was able to
disrupt the table of American policies in the region and will hopefully erase
the “agenda.”
Ayatollah
Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with hundreds of members of Iran's Basij
volunteer forces in Tehran on Wednesday on the occasion of the National Basij
Week“
The
historic event of al-Aqsa Storm is against the Zionist regime but it is aimed
at de-Americanization. This incident literally managed to disrupt the table of
American policies in the region, and God willing, if this Storm continues, it
will wipe out the whole table,” the Leader noted.
Ayatollah
Khamenei stressed that the Israeli atrocities in Gaza not only disgraced the
Israeli regime but the United States, certain European countries and Western
culture and civilization.
“The
barbaric and cruel actions that the Zionist regime committed in its crimes
against the people of Gaza, not only destroyed the reputation of the regime
itself, but also that of the United States. It took away the reputation of a
several renowned European countries, it also ruined the reputation of Western
civilization and culture,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
“The
culture and civilization of the West is the very civilization that when 5,000
children are killed with phosphorus bombs, the regime of a certain Western
country says Israel is defending itself. Is this self-defense? This is Western
culture, which has been discredited,” he added.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
US,
Israel ‘main losers’ of Gaza war, ‘incapable’ of eliminating Hamas: Iran
29
November 2023
Iran’s
foreign minister says the United States and Israel have failed to eradicate the
Palestinian Hamas resistance group and lost their war on the besieged Gaza
Strip.
Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian said the current humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas
was the result of the failure of Washington and Tel Aviv to eliminate Hamas
through the war.
“Today,
we see that the US and Israel are not capable of destroying Hamas in Gaza.
Hamas is a liberation and legitimate movement and will remain in Palestine,” he
said in an interview with Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV channel published on
Wednesday.
“The
winners of the war are the Palestinian nation and resistance. So far, the
United States and the Zionist regime have been the main losers of this war.”
Israel
waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas conducted Operation Al-Aqsa
Storm against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified
atrocities against the Palestinian people.
Since
the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed over 15,000
Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left vast swathes of the coastal
enclave in ruins.
An
additional 7,000 Palestinians are missing and believed to be under the rubble
in Gaza, home to more than two million Palestinians who are being subjected to
a “complete siege” imposed by Israel.
An
extended six-day truce in Gaza brought a halt to Israeli attacks and allowed
aid agencies to deliver humanitarian assistance to displaced Palestinians, who
are in urgent need of safe and sustained access to drinking water, food,
health, fuel, and medicine.
Amir-Abdollahian
emphasized that the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza has provided a political
opportunity for the region to stay away from the war.
“The US
must choose between the continuations of this situation as well as the region's
separation from the war, and the continuation of a worse situation,” he pointed
out.
Spy
chiefs of the US and Israel are discussing the ‘next phase’ of the current
ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Qatar, a source says.
US
messages
The top
Iranian diplomat also said that the US has sent several messages to Iran,
asking the country to exercise restraint.
Washington,
he added, also said that it does not seek an expansion of the war and asked
Tehran to recommend resistance groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen not to act
against American and Israeli bases.
“There
are groups today in Iraq and Syria that act against the US upon their own
decision. They do not get our permission. They are not under Iran’s command. We
have clearly said that Iran does not have any proxy group or organization in
the region,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
“We told
all actors and the US that if you want restraint on the part of Iran,
[Lebanon’s] Hezbollah, and other sides…, you should practically seek to stop
the war and not take sides with the Zionist occupation and participate in its
crimes.”
He
further stressed that the Islamic Republic does not seek an expansion of the
scope of the war, warning that such a case is likely if the Gaza conflict
escalates.
Meanwhile,
the Iranian foreign minister said new fronts in southern Lebanon, Yemen, Syria
and Iraq rushed to the help of Gaza, noting that some Arab-Muslim nations
showed that they cannot remain indifferent to the massacre of civilians in the
Palestinian enclave.
The
resistance, he asserted, produces and procures its necessary equipment and
weapons.
Amir-Abdollahian
reiterated Iran’s solution to the Palestine issue that involves a referendum
among all Palestinians, including Jews, Christians, and Muslims.
But
after 70 years of occupation, the Israeli regime showed in the last 76 days
that it is the same usurping genocidal criminal entity. Democratic gestures and
talk of democracy for the Israeli regime is a bitter irony of our history,
Amir-Abdollahian noted.
He also
urged the international community to focus on Israel’s nuclear disarmament and
the trial of Zionist war criminals.
The
“bitter reality” in today’s world is that the UN Security Council issued no
resolution, the Human Rights Council held no session and no fact-finding
committee was formed to investigate Israeli genocide and war crimes in Gaza, he
said.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
ICRC
appeals for urgent assistance to meet humanitarian needs in war-ravaged Gaza
29
November 2023
A
spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has appealed
for urgent humanitarian assistance for civilians affected by the devastating
Israeli military onslaught in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Sarah
Davies told Qatar-based Al Jazeera television network on Wednesday morning that
“Gaza needs help and urgent action should be taken immediately and promptly.”
She
added that members of the Geneva-based humanitarian organization could not
reach out to the northern sector of the Gaza Strip, assess the situation, and
provide the urgent support needed.
Davies
highlighted that ICRC is not a party to the ceasefire agreement between the
Israeli regime and the Hamas resistance movement, and must be able to perform
its activities without any restrictions.
The
remarks come as the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said the situation in Gaza is
catastrophic, highlighting the need to bring in food immediately.
“Thanks
to the pause, our teams have been in action on the ground, going into areas we
haven't reached for a long time. What we see is catastrophic. There’s a risk of
famine and starvation on our watch and to prevent it, we need to be able to
bring in food at scale and distribute it safely,” WFP’s Director for the Middle
East, North Africa and Eastern Europe Region, Corinne Fleischer, said.
Fleischer
highlighted that six days are simply not enough to provide all the assistance
needed, emphasizing that the people of Gaza have to eat every day, not just for
six days.
“Our
team recounted what they saw: hunger, desperation, and destruction. People who
have not received any relief in weeks. The team could see the suffering in their
eyes,” Samer Abdeljaber, WFP Palestine Representative and Country Director,
said for his part.
“Safe
and unimpeded humanitarian access cannot stop now,” Abdeljaber noted.
On
Tuesday, the Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), took to X and
wrote “UNICEF welcomes the extension in the pause in fighting in Gaza” for two
days.
“UNICEF
and partners have scaled up our humanitarian response but much more is needed,”
Catherine Russell wrote.
“We
continue to call for a humanitarian ceasefire and protection of aid workers and
the children and families they serve,” she added.
Turkey’s
Erdogan tells the UN chief that Israel must be tried in international courts
for war crimes in Gaza.
Israel
launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas waged the surprise Operation
Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's
decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
According
to the Gaza-based health ministry, over 15,000 Palestinians, including more
than 6,150 children and 4,000 women, were killed in Israeli strikes, during the
49 days of war. Many more dead are feared to be under the rubble.
Tel Aviv
has also imposed a “complete siege” on Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity,
food, and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/29/715482/ICRC-appeals-for-urgent-assistance-to-meet-humanitarian-needs-in-war-ravaged-Gaza
------
Islam in
Gaza needs radical changes – Netanyahu
28 Nov,
2023
Israel
will purge Gaza’s mosques and schools of their “poisonous” ideology once its
war with Hamas concludes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told X (aka
Twitter) owner Elon Musk in an interview on Monday.
The
Israeli premier pointed to the wealthy Gulf states as examples of Muslim
countries that had been “de-radicalized.”
Speaking
to Musk in an interview live-streamed on X, Netanyahu said that the destruction
of Hamas would be a “precursor” to more systemic changes in Gaza.
“We have
to demilitarize Gaza after the destruction of Hamas. We have to de-radicalize
Gaza, and that will take some time,” he stated. “Especially work on the mosques
and on the schools, that’s where children imbibe their values. And then we have
to rebuild Gaza.”
Throughout
Israel’s seven-week air and ground campaign in the Palestinian enclave,
Netanyahu has repeatedly declared that Hamas will cease to exist by the time
the operation ends. However, he has been less clear on the future of the
territory.
While
some in his government have called for the wholesale ethnic cleansing and
occupation of the strip, the prime minister said earlier this month that “there
has to be a civilian government there," without explaining whether that
government would be run by the Palestinian Authority or another political
group.
Expanding
on his vision of a “de-radicalized” Gaza, Netanyahu told Musk that “you first
have to get rid of the poisonous regime, as you did in Germany, as you did in
Japan in World War II.”
Netanyahu
pointed to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as examples of Arab states that
had undergone this process, likely referring to their recognition of Israel in
2020. With Riyadh on the cusp of a US-brokered recognition deal before the
current war began, Netanyahu added that the “same thing is happening to a
considerable extent in Saudi Arabia.”
The
Israeli leader suggested that his country’s “Arab friends” could help rebuild
Gaza, where the UN estimates that around half of all homes have been destroyed
since the war began. Earlier this month, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman
Safadi said that the Arab nations would not take part in any potential
post-conflict peacekeeping in Gaza, nor would they “clean the mess” left behind
by the Israeli military.
“How
could anybody talk about the future of Gaza when we do not know what kind of
Gaza will be left once this aggression ends?” Safadi asked at the time.
Musk
traveled to Israel on Monday to meet with Netanyahu and the families of
Israelis taken as hostages by Hamas. The trip came amid accusations from Jewish
groups that the billionaire was allowing anti-Semitic content on X, and ended
with Musk endorsing Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/588161-netanyahu-gaza-future-musk/
-----
India
In
Hindutva’s absence, class is deciding the Muslim vote in Telangana
November
29, 2023
Shoaib
Daniyal
“Hyderabad
does not have riots anymore,” Mohammad Ashraf reflected. “We live happily with
each other here.”It was not always like
this. “My childhood was characterised with the fear of communal violence,”
Ashraf said. “But now that age is gone. It has changed since TRS came to
power,” referring to the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, which was earlier known
as Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
Ashraf
is not alone. Most Muslims Scroll spoke to Telangana had only praise for the
state’s law and order when it came to communal violence. Riots, once common in
Hyderabad, were now confined to memory. Moreover, the Bharatiya Janata Party is
a bit player in the state and Hindutva has a minor footprint in the state.
As a
result, Telangana is a rare state in India where Muslim politics does not centre
around security. The outcome of this is that the community is mobilising around
a somewhat more banal faultline: class.
Muslims
who are poor tend to vote for the AsaduddinOwaisi-led All India
Majlis-i-Ittehadul Muslimeen in Hyderabad and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi in the
rest of the state. However, more well-off Muslims are now moving towards the
Congress, attracted in part by Rahul Gandhi’s popularity and his strong
communal amity pitch during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
The Old
City
Resentment
swirls in Hyderabad’s Old City. Built in the 16th century, these quarters have
been visibly left behind by Telangana’s remarkable development spree even since
the state was formed in 2014 after the partition of Andhra Pradesh. “There
hasn’t been enough development here,” says Mohammad Adil Amin, who runs a
sugarcane juice stall. “Look at other parts of Hyderabad.”
In spite
of this, however, support for the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen is significant
among Muslims, who make up a majority of the Old City. Syed Sohail, a mechanic,
will vote for the MIM. “We have always voted for the Majlis in the Old City,”
he said. “This time as well they will win.”
Ironically,
even Amin, critical of the lack of development in the Old City, thinks the same
way. “Majlis will win [in the Old City], there is no doubt about it,” he says.
However,
there is also significant anger against the MIM among Muslims in the city, who
blame it for lack of development in the Old City and attempts to deepen social
faultlines. “The MIM benefits from heightened communal tensions,” said Shahebaz
Khan, who teaches at a city college. “They have used strong arm tactics in the
Old City to remove rivals and keep the area backward.”
Khan is
not alone. A significant section of white-collar Muslims in the city are disenchanted
with the MIM. Instead, they are increasingly looking to the Congress. “Congress
believes in live and let live,” said Mohammad Ali Gulzar, the proprietor of the
Mayrose Irani cafe in Hyderabad. “They don’t believe in jhagra-fasad, trouble.”
The Rahul
factor
The
Congress is the ruling party’s principal challenger in these elections. With
the BRS spending a decade in power, there is a significant amount of
anti-incumbency against it. As a result, support for the Congress cuts across
communities and it is not surprising that many Muslims also back the party.
However,
Scroll found that Rahul Gandhi and, especially, his Bharat Jodo Yatra has
played a significant part in garnering Muslim support. In his march from across
the southernmost tip of India to Kashmir, Gandhi placed emphasis on communal
amity. This has, it seems, played a part in attracting the Muslims of
Telangana.
For Syed
Taruj, Rahul Gandhi is an “acchhabanda”, good man, whose image was tarnished on
purpose. “I saw him on his padyatra [Bharat Jodo Yatra],” he said. “Even BJP
supporters came to see him.”
Taruj,
who works with a private firm in Hyderabad, claims he will vote Congress in
this election. “Others talk of division,” he said. “But it is the Congress that
stands for development.”
Gandhi’s
goodwill in Telangana cuts across party lines. Amin, who had earlier predicted
the MIM’s win from the Old City, also admired the Congress leader and his
Bharat Jodo Yatra. “He is doing paidaldauras [Bharat Jodo Yatra], asking people
about their problems and trying to fix them,” he said.
The
rural welfare vote
Gandhi’s
popularity drops outside Hyderabad, where politics is still more local and the
Delhi-based leader has less visibility. However, even here economic factors –
class and contentment with welfare – decide voting choices among Muslims given
Hindutva is absent from most parts of the state.
Mansoorbi
is a backward caste, Telugu-speaking Muslim from the Suryapet constituency.
Landless, she sells coconuts in her village. However, her principal source of
income is actually the old age pension the state government provides her. “I am
happy with the TRS [BRS] for the money,” she says. “I will vote for them.”
In other
cases, however, poor Muslims in mofussil Telangana are also miffed at being
left out of the state government’s cash transfer net. Mohammad Iqbal runs a
small general store in Warangal and is angry with the BRS for poor welfare
delivery as well as inflation. “We applied for minority loans, but did not
get,” he claimed, even as he railed against the price of onions.
He even
blamed the state government for allocating the entire financial assistance for
marriages to the bride’s family. “Our samdhans, in-laws, got the entire Rs 1
lakh for Shadi Mubarak,” he said. “Nothing came to us.”
A more
local dynamic
Although
a strong Congress supporter, Iqbal knows little about Rahul Gandhi. He likes
the leader but only because of his grandmother, Indira Gandhi. Four decades
after her death, she is still surprisingly popular in rural Telangana. “His
grandmother did very good work,” was his terse comment when asked about Rahul.
Mohammed
Naseeruddin, who splits his time between his job in Hyderabad city and his 3.25
acres of farmland in Siddipet district, 90 kilometers away, however, closely
follows Gandhi. “We all saw his Bharat Jodo Yatra – some people from my village
went too”, he said. “He is popular among my village’s Muslims, and they will
mostly vote Congress.”
However,
some Muslims will still lean BRS even in his village, he contends, based on
class and economic need. “Old people who depend on pensions will still vote for
KCR,” he said. “And some houses where their boys work with BRS.”
Source: scroll.in
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://scroll.in/article/1059766/in-hindutvas-absence-class-is-deciding-the-muslim-vote-in-telangana
-----
Gujarat
HC Dismisses Bajrang Dal Petition Seeking Ban On Mosque Loudspeakers
28 NOV
2023
The
Gujarat High Court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation seeking a
ban on the use of loudspeakers for azaan or the Islamic call to prayer at
mosques, terming the plea as "wholly misconceived."
A
division bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha P Mayee
also asked, during the hearing, if it was the petitioner's case that the noise
of bells and gongs during `aarti' at a temple is not heard outside, PTI
reported.
The
petition, filed by Bajrang Dal leader ShaktisinhZala, claimed that "noise
pollution" caused by azan when played through loudspeakers affects
people's, especially children's health and causes inconvenience otherwise.
But the
high court noted that the claims in the petition had no scientific foundation.
Azan is
conducted for a maximum of ten minutes at a time at different hours of the day,
the court pointed out.
"We
fail to understand how the human voice making azan through loudspeaker in the
morning could achieve the decibel (level) to the extent of creating noise
pollution, causing health hazards for the public at large," it further
said.
"We
are not entertaining this kind of PIL. It is a faith and practice going for
years, and it is for 5-10 minutes. In your temple, the morning aarti with drums
and music also starts early at 3 am. So
it does not cause any kind of noise to anyone? Can you say the noise of ghanta
(bell) and ghadiyal (gong) remains in temple premises only, does not percolate
outside the temple?" the court asked the petitioner's lawyer.
There is
a scientific method for measuring noise pollution, but the petition does not
provide any data to show that a ten-minute azan causes noise pollution, the
court noted.
Source: outlookindia.com
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https://www.outlookindia.com/national/gujarat-hc-dismisses-bajrang-dal-petition-seeking-ban-on-mosque-loudspeakers-news-333472
-------
Maulana
Azad VicharManch meets Maharashtra Governor, demands Muslim quota in education
November
28, 2023
A
delegation led by Maulana Azad VicharManch president Husain Dalwai presented a
memorandum to Governor of Maharashtra, Ramesh Bais, demanding reservation for
Muslims in the field of education.
Former
Congress MP Husain Dalwai, during this meeting, alleged discrimination against
the Muslim community in granting justice and equality even though it has been
74 years since the Indian Constitution was formed.
While
highlighting poor education and lack of employment of Muslims in government
jobs, Dalwai said, “Reservation is a must to empower the community in the field
of education and jobs.” He also referred to recommendations of the Gopal Singh
Commission, Sachar Committee, Ranganath Mishra Commission, and Dr Mahmoodur
Rahman Committee, urging their implementation.
The
delegation discussed several demands including the effective implementation of
the 15-point programme, establishment of Maulana Azad Research and Training
Centers similar to BARTI-Mahajyoti for Muslims, provision of scholarships in
education, allocation of budget proportional to the population in the state
budget, establishment of hostels at district levels, utilisation of Waqf
properties for Muslim education, separate enumeration of Muslim OBC castes in
the caste-based census and inclusion of Muslims in surveys conducted by the
Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission.
Dalwai
also expressed concern and demanded immediate measures against growing
instances of mob lynching and riots against Muslims, as ell as rehabilitation
and financial assistance for victims, and employment opportunities for families
affected by such violence.
The
meeting saw the presence of Vice President of Maulana Azad VicharManch Haseeb
Nadaf; Vice President Ainul Attar; President of Muslim Reservation Sangharsh
Committee Ajiz Pathan; Divisional President Dr Danish Lambe; Mumbai President
Faizulla Khan; and members of Muslim Reservation Front Ajmal Khan, Muzzamil
Khan, Shakil Siddiqui, General Secretary Khalil Sayyad, Mohammad Ayyub Sheikh,
Rafik Sabir, Akhtar Sheikh and Saif Hashmi.
Source: indianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/maulana-azad-vichar-manch-maharashtra-governor-demands-muslim-quota-in-education-9046243/
------
Pro-Khalistan
slogans appear on walls near Chintpurni Temple in Himachal Pradesh; probe
begins
29th November 2023
SHIMLA:
Pro-Khalistan slogans were found scrawled on walls near Mata Chintpurni Temple
in Himachal Pradesh's Una district on Wednesday with police saying that it has
initiated a probe into the matter.
Also, a
video of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For
Justice, surfaced on the Internet in which he was seen showing the graffiti on
the walls and saying that Congress leaders allegedly involved in the 1984 Sikh
riots would not be spared.
Superintendent
of Police of Una Arjit Sen Thakur said that investigations are underway and the
miscreants would be nabbed soon.
The
police are also analysing the video clip, he said.
This is
not the first time that such an incident has been witnessed in the state.
On May 7
last year, pro-Khalistan banners and graffiti were hoisted on the outer
boundary of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly in Dharamshala.
A case
under sections 153-A and 153-B of IPC and section 3 of the HP Open Places
(Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985, has been registered in the matter.
Based on
the video clip, Pannun was named as a co-accused and main conspirator in this
case and booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/29/pro-khalistan-slogans-appear-on-walls-near-chintpurni-temple-in-himachal-pradesh-probe-begins-2637222.html
------
Hamas
leader couldn't have addressed Kerala rally had India labelled it a terror group:
Israeli envoy
28th November 2023
NEW
DELHI: Israel has recently declared Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) a terrorist
organisation as it was involved in the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai which also
targeted Jews. Israel is hopeful that India will also label Hamas a terror
organisation.
"We
have provided India with all details on Hamas and it is up to the government to
take a call and decide when to label it a terror organisation. Had India done
this in the past, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal could have been prevented from
addressing a pro-Palestinian rally in Kerala virtually," said Israel’s
envoy to India NaorGilon on Tuesday.
At
present, there is a ceasefire to facilitate the exchange of Israeli hostages
for Palestinian prisoners. For every Israeli hostage that Hamas releases, they
get three prisoners in a swap agreement. Meanwhile, Israel has nearly razed
Hamas’s infrastructure in northern Gaza and is gearing up to launch an
offensive in southern Gaza. Around 175 Israeli hostages continue to be in
Palestine. Some are feared to be held captive by the Palestinian group Islamic
Jihad.
"We
have destroyed the on-ground infrastructure of Hamas in northern Gaza and
nearly two million Palestinians have moved to southern Gaza. We will keep
giving a day’s extension to the ceasefire until the hostages are released,
following which we will begin our offensive in southern Gaza," said
Ambassador Gilon, adding that they fear that most of the hostages are inside
the underground tunnels.
Israel
is also expecting more Indians to work in their country as caregivers,
construction workers and agricultural workers.
"There
are nearly 18,000 Indians working in Israel and we have signed two protocols
(government to government) for getting workers in agriculture and construction
from India," said Ambassador Gilon.
Israel
has also expressed unhappiness with the UN’s biased attitude towards them. They
say that the UN has been expressing concern over the deaths of civilians
including children in Palestine but doesn’t share the same sentiment for Israeli
hostages – who were picked up from their houses including women who were raped.
Meanwhile,
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog will be making a short trip to the UAE to
attend the COP 28 Summit.
"PM
Modi too is going to be there for a short duration. If the schedules work, the
two leaders could end up meeting on the sidelines of the summit," said
Gilon.
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/28/hamas-leader-couldnt-have-addressed-kerala-rally-had-india-labelled-it-a-terror-group-israeli-envoy-2636969.html
-----
India's
Stand On Israel-Hamas Conflict "Constructive": Union Minister
November
28, 2023
New
Delhi: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said India has a
"constructive" stand on the Israel-Hamas conflict and stressed on the
two-state solution. The minister called Hamas a "terrorist group" and
said Israel has a "right to defend" itself against its advances.
MrPuri,
however, stressed that he was speaking in his personal capacity and his remarks
did not represent the views of the Indian government.
Asked if
India should take a stern stand and whether its stance on the Ukraine-Russia
and Israel-Hamas conflicts has been neutral, MrPuri asserted "India is not
neutral on Hamas' attack on Israel and has strongly condemned this act of
terrorism." "Hamas is a terrorist group and they have attacked
democracy ... We support Israel's action against Hamas in this regard. But we
don't support its action against Palestine where 2 million people live. One has
to distinguish between the two," Puri said.
"Our
stand on this has been constructive. We are against terrorism because it has
caused havoc in our country as well ... We suggest a two-state solution to the
problem wherein both Palestine and Israel should have the right to constitute
their (respective) state," he said.
Talking
about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the minister said that the war
had a major impact on the energy sector but India's purchase of crude oil from
Russia has increased over time.
"One
of the major impacts of the Russia and Ukraine war was on the energy sector
because Russia is a major producer of energy ... Due to the sanctions imposed
on Russia by the West ... We felt that the thing operated against the interest
of countries like India but we didn't get overwhelmed by that," he said.
The
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Housing and Urban Affairs was
answering questions by students at a special parliamentary House on the topic
'Current war in Europe and the Middle East and their global impact particularly
in India' at the Hindu College.
More
than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, roughly
two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in
Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Israel
has lost more than 1,200 of its people, mostly civilians killed in the October
7 attack which triggered the current war. At least 77 soldiers have been killed
in Israel's ground offensive, according to media reports.
A truce
between Israel and Hamas entered its fifth day on Tuesday.
Source: ndtv.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias-stand-on-israel-hamas-conflict-constructive-union-minister-hardeep-singh-puri-4615487
------
North America
Hundreds
of Islamist rebels dead after attempting to seize Burkina Faso border town
November
28, 2023
Hundreds
of rebels were killed as they tried to seize a town in northern Burkina Faso on
Sunday, the state broadcaster reported, in one of the largest clashes in recent
years in the West African nation under threat from fighters linked to al-Qaida
and the Islamic State.
More
than 3,000 fighters tried to take control of Djibo town near Mali’s border, the
broadcaster said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear how many civilians or
security forces were killed. The area has frequent internet cuts, and the
military government is known to crack down on civil society.
French
medical group Doctors Without Borders said it treated locals injured in the
attack.
Approximately
half of Burkina Faso is outside government control. The landlocked country has
been ravaged by jihadi attacks. Fighters have killed thousands and displaced
more than 2 million people, further threatening the stability of the country
that had two coups last year.
Located
130 miles from the capital of Ouagadougou, Djibo has been under blockade by
rebels for more than a year, often struggling to provide essential services.
The
government press agency Agenced’Information du Burkina reported that the rebels
"launched massive attacks" on the town from various fronts as they
tried to seize it during an hourslong assault which also targeted a military
camp. At least 400 fighters were killed by security forces, it said.
Footage
published by the state-run RTB Television showed large groups of people riding
motorcycles as they appeared to flee aerial bombardment. The Associated Press
could not confirm the authenticity of the videos.
"The
fighting was particularly violent at the military camp of the locality. The
combined action of ground troops and air vectors resulted in inflicting heavy
defeat on the criminals," the press agency reported.
Burkina
Faso’s junta has been struggling to restore peace. The junta had accused the
democratically elected government it overthrew of failing to do it.
Since
the first coup in January 2022, the number of people killed by jihadis has
nearly tripled compared with the 18 previous months, according to a report by
the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Source: foxnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.foxnews.com/world/hundreds-islamist-rebels-dead-attempting-seize-burkina-faso-border-town
-----
Democrats
versus Muslims: Liberal states back school district's ban on opt-outs for LGBTQ
lessons
November
28, 2023
Awealthy
suburb of Washington, D.C., doesn't inherently object to shielding even older
students from sexually mature material. It just doesn't want to give the choice
to parents.
Maryland's
Montgomery County Public Schools pulled a novel that celebrates a promiscuous
gay teen sex columnist from high school libraries even as the district was
arguing in court that parents cannot opt out their pre-kindergarten children
from LGBTQ "storybooks" that portray sex workers, kink, drag,
elementary-age romance and gender-identity transitions.
The
district, backed by the ACLU and 18 Democrat-run states led by Maryland and
Massachusetts, is fighting to uphold a federal judge's refusal to impose a
preliminary injunction on what MCPS calls its "blanket no-opt-out
policy."
The
Muslim, Christian and Jewish parents who challenged the policy as an
infringement of their parental rights and violation of state law, meanwhile,
are getting support from 23 Republican-run states led by Virginia and a group
of First Amendment scholars who argue the judge relied on "outdated,
out-of-circuit authority that is largely irrelevant" to deny the
injunction.
The
plaintiffs, defendants and third parties filed voluminous briefs over the past
several weeks in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which is weighing
whether to let the parents opt out their kids as the case moves forward.
Though
religious liberty law firm Becket is representing the parents, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has led protests against the policy, creating
awkward optics for the group's typical liberal allies.
The
district's high school library media specialists potentially made its legal
position more awkward when they removed the book "Jack of Hearts (And
Other Parts)" on Oct. 11, just before briefs started pouring into the 4th
Circuit.
While
acknowledging that library journals deemed the book "sex positive,"
the media specialists called it an "extreme outlier" of what district
libraries view as "appropriate" even for older students, according to
an MCPS evaluation obtained via public record request by local media outlet
MoCo360.
The
district and its backers portray the storybooks, incorporated into the English
Language Arts curriculum, as a matter of identity and representation and thus
irrelevant to the Family Life and Human Sexuality curriculum. Districts must
approve opt-outs for the latter under state law.
The
storybooks "impart critical reading skills through engaging,
age-appropriate stories" featuring "LGBTQ characters," MCPS said
in its brief. It denied the books "prompt children to explore romantic
feelings or question their sexual orientation or gender identity," as
portrayed by the parents' "prurient caricatures" – excerpts from the
books themselves.
Simply
exposing children to "ideas" does not burden free exercise of
religion, and no court has ruled otherwise, the school district claims.
The
district's argument "violates every relevant Supreme Court ruling,"
the parents shot back in Becket's reply brief: "Compulsion against faith,
pressure to abandon faith to access government benefits, differential treatment
of religion, and religious targeting."
They
urged the 4th Circuit to look at what MCPS isn't disputing: Its board said the
storybooks were intended to "disrupt" what it called
“heteronormativity” and "either/or thinking" on gender and sexuality,
and that teachers might instruct children that "gender is anyone’s guess
at birth."
The
Democrat-run states' friend-of-the-court brief warned that letting MCPS parents
opt out their own children could endanger "LGBTQ+ youth" throughout
the 4th Circuit, which is based in Richmond, Va.
"These
youth often experience discrimination, harassment, and stigma, causing tangible
mental and physical harm and restricting their ability to realize their
potential," the states argued. They will be "happier, healthier, and
more academically successful" if they "feel supported and included at
school" via the storybooks that represent their identities.
The
storybooks "explore themes of family, belonging, adventure, and
love—themes that are archetypal and familiar in children’s storybooks,"
according to the ACLU's friend-of-the-court brief, citing "Pride
Puppy" and "Uncle Bobby’s Wedding."
The
civil liberties group largely reiterated the district's argument that the
blanket policy is content-neutral because it also rejects secular exemptions
and was imposed based on a flood of opt-out requests, which made alternative
instruction for those children "infeasible."
MCPS has
consistently declined to specify how many requests it received, but the
district didn't express concern about the logistics of accommodating opt-outs
in internal records obtained by Becket and CAIR.
Because
the blanket policy was "not rooted in animus toward religion, but rather
in a desire to resolve the problems created by the previous opt-out
allowances," it should be subject to the lower legal standard of
"rational basis review," not the higher "strict scrutiny"
demanded by the parents, the ACLU said.
Regardless
of which curriculum the storybooks are featured in, the policy "requires
children to participate in sex education" over their parents' wishes in
explicit violation of Maryland law, the Republican-led states said in their
friend-of-the-court brief.
Maryland
and the Democrat-run states dismiss "hundreds of years" of
governments going back to English common law deferring to "parental
preferences" over their children's education, the brief says, arguing that
strict scrutiny is the only relevant legal standard.
Prominent
religious liberty legal scholars including the University of Virginia's Douglas
Laycock, George Mason University's Helen Alvare and Stanford's Michael
McConnell, a former 10th Circuit judge, blasted the district's understanding of
free exercise legal precedents, which they said the Supreme Court has
"substantially refined" in the past two decades.
The high
court has made unambiguous that "parents have a broad right to direct the
religious upbringing of their children; that religious claimants have the best
understanding of the importance of their own religious beliefs; that indirect
coercion is a burden on free exercise; and that the government cannot evade
constitutional limits by casting its benefit programs as a voluntary 'choice'
by the religious claimants," they wrote.
The key
to relevant precedent is whether the parents' objections are "rooted in
religious belief," not how substantially their free exercise is burdened,
and strict scrutiny applies "no matter the action's neutrality or general
applicability," the scholars argued.
They
mocked the district's claim that the storybooks involve no "per se"
instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity. This is "as
convincing as suggesting that reading The Boy Who Cried Wolf involves no lesson
on lying 'per se,'" the brief says.
Source: justthenews.com
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https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/democrats-versus-muslims-liberal-states-back-school-districts-ban-opt
------
Will
Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war turn off young and Muslim voters in
2024?
November
29, 2023
Gabriella
Abdul-Hakim and Libby Cathey
President
Joe Biden is struggling with younger voters and Muslim Americans who don't
approve of the way he's handled the Israel-Hamas war, recent polling by NBC
News and Quinnipiac University shows. And while some advocates suggest that
could be a key factor in next year's election, some foreign policy and
elections experts cautioned that it may not be so simple, still a year away
from voting.
"The
politics of this with younger Democrats are complicated right now," said
Brian Goldsmith, with the consulting firm Kona Media. "This is clearly a
dividing line, especially for Democrats under 35."
While
the president's solidarity with Israel is shared in these polls by a majority
of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, the polls also showed younger
voters are more likely to sympathize with Palestinians.
Some
younger voters who spoke with ABC News have warned they could defect to a third
party or stay home next year.
Even
with the news of a temporary humanitarian pause and prisoner exchange deal in
which Hamas has released some hostages from Gaza, these voters are saying Biden
is not doing enough in light of Israel's relentless bombardment of the
territory in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack.
"That's
a long, long ways from what Biden could do for Gaza if he wanted to and far
from what I would personally need to see to regain confidence in Biden as a
candidate," said 30-year-old Gabriela M., who voted for Biden in 2020.
Gabriela,
who asked not to be quoted by her full name because she worried about potential
professional repercussions discussing a divisive issue, said that if it comes
down to a Biden-versus-Trump repeat in 2024, she won't be voting for either
one.
"In
my local elections, I'll get in my ballot," she told ABC News. "But I
don't want [Biden] to take my vote for granted and just assume that because
he's the lesser of two evils that I'll just vote for him."
According
to a Quinnipiac University national poll released in mid-November, 54% of
registered voters said their sympathies lie more with the Israelis, while 24%
say their sympathies lie more with the Palestinians.
But
among younger voters, ages 18-34, 52% said their sympathies lie more with the
Palestinians while 29% said the Israelis.
A poll
published last week by NBC News painted a more dire picture for Biden on the
issue.
The
survey found that just 34% of registered voters approved of how he is handling
the Israel-Hamas war, while 56% disapproved -- and among Democrats, only half,
51%, approved. A staggering 70% of voters ages 18-34 disapproved of Biden's
handling.
By
contrast, voters ages 18-29 overwhelmingly picked Biden over Donald Trump in
2020, according to exit polls at the time: 60%-36%.
Broadly
speaking, Democrats have become more sympathetic to the Palestinians compared
with the Israelis in the last two decades, Gallup polling has found.
In
January, months before the Hamas attack, Democrats for the first time said
their sympathies were more with the Palestinians -- a change that Middle East
experts previously suggested to ABC News is driven in part by partisanship, as
Israeli politics have become increasingly conservative, and the influence of
domestic social movements like Black Lives Matter.
Frustrations
with the administration has sparked some public outcry this month, including a
tense protest on Nov. 15 in front of the Democratic National Committee headquarters
in Washington, D.C., while lawmakers were in the building, that led to police
clashing with demonstrators.
Another
protest forced state party officials to cancel events at the California
Democratic Convention in Sacramento on Nov. 18.
Gabriela
said the Israel-Hamas war is only one reason she won't be voting for the
president again. "It feels like he could have done more for student loan
relief, immigration and to enshrine abortion rights in federal law or queer
rights," she said. (Biden's push to cancel tens of millions of people's
federal student loan debt was blocked by the Supreme Court, which said it was
unconstitutional; his proposal to codify abortion access has not gained
traction in Congress.)
A
warning from Gen Z
Earlier
this month, several progressive groups, including March for Our Lives, Gen-Z
for Change and the Sunrise Movement, wrote an open letter to Biden warning his
handling of the war could depress turnout among millennial and Generation Z
voters in 2024.
"It's
still just hard for young people to justify to themselves, morally, voting for
someone after seeing these images, after seeing what's been going on in the
Middle East," 22-year-old Anish Mohanty, the communications director of
Gen-Z for Change, told ABC News.
Mohanty
said that Biden's stance on issues like climate change is "appreciated by
our generation," but "are we supposed to tell other young people,
especially if they are from marginalized communities, to vote for somebody
who's contributed to what's going on in the Middle East?"
The
Biden administration has repeatedly said it believes Israel has the right to
defend itself and seek to destroy Hamas in the wake of Oct. 7 attack, and the
White House has proposed billions more in military funding for the Israelis.
Hamas, designated
by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, is also deeply embedded in civilian
life in Gaza -- and the White House has tried to stress that Israel has an
obligation to try and limit civilian casualties amid the large death toll.
Biden
has also pushed for aid to get into Gaza during Israel's retaliatory
operations.
More
than 14,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza
Health Ministry, and tens of thousands more have been injured. More than 1,200
people have been killed in Israel, according to the Israeli prime minister's
office.
"Much
more needs to be done to protect civilians and to make sure that humanitarian
assistance reaches them," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in early
November. "Far too many Palestinians have been killed, far too many have
suffered these past weeks, and we want to do everything possible to prevent
harm to them and to maximize the assistance that gets to them."
Aaron
David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
said that "we don't live in an era where an administration can control the
messaging."
"The
pictures control the messaging, and they're not photoshopped," he said.
"I think the administration knows that."
Miller
said he sees signs of increasing concern within the Democratic Party and the
Biden administration that the Israelis are pursuing "far too aggressive a
strategy and the administration is far too acquiescent," he said.
"You've
got a very strong pro-Israeli frame, which in various constituencies in
Washington has resulted in a lot of unhappiness," Miller said. "In 25
years, working under half a dozen secretaries of state, I've never seen the
degree of dissent or opposition to a policy vocalized so prominently in
Congress, among White House staff ... [the] Department of State" and
beyond.
Israeli
officials have insisted that its military is taking steps to curb civilian
casualties, which is complicated because Hamas fighters don't abide by
international law in separating themselves from non-combatants.
However,
Biden's allies and outside analysts said that drawing 2024 predictions from the
current problems isn't so obvious. A rematch against Trump could have its own
galvanizing effect on Democratic voters, given how deeply unpopular Trump is
among them, some experts said.
"I
don't think young voters were super excited about Joe Biden four years
ago," said Goldsmith, the political consultant, who supports Biden.
"But ultimately they came out in record numbers because" of Trump.
Allison
Bailey/NurPhoto via Shutterstock
Younger
voters also don't vote as often as older demographics, who have been more
approving of Biden's handling of Israel and Hamas, a trend which risks
undercutting the argument that younger voters' views could be decisive next
year.
According
to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 54% of eligible voters between the ages of 18
and 29 voted in the 2020 election. That's compared to 67% of the population
overall.
Census
data shows that because America is an aging country, there are also simply more
older voters than younger ones. Combined with lower turnout, that weakens their
influence.
"Young
voters might be dissatisfied with Biden and so they won't turn out to vote for
him -- well, like half of them probably weren't going to do that anyway,"
said Nathaniel Rakich, a senior elections analyst at 538.
"I
think at the end of the day, most of them will realize that if they want to
stop Trump, Biden is their best choice," Rakich added.
Biden
campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz maintained that the president is not taking
younger voters for granted.
"Next
year's election is deeply consequential for young people, and we are working
hard to highlight how an extreme MAGA agenda would devastate the financial
security, safety, and freedom of young people, and how President Biden and Vice
President Harris are fighting for the future that America's young people
deserve," Munoz said in a statement to ABC News.
Abandon
Biden?
Some
Muslim and Arab Americans who supported Biden in 2020 and who live in swing
states like Michigan are also warning in interviews with ABC News they could
sit out next year. There's less reliable polling on the extent of their
feelings, but activists are speaking out.
Hassan
Abdel Salam is an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota who says
he has grown frustrated with how the Biden administration is handling the
Israel-Hamas war. He's part of group calling themselves "Abandon
Biden." Not only do they say they won't vote for the president -- they've
also promised to actively campaign against him.
Salam
told ABC News the group is "committed" to voting in the 2024
presidential election but who they will vote for in Biden's stead remains up in
the air.
"It
may have to be an independent candidate. We don't know who that is ... right
now we're really focused on just making sure that our signal to the White House
is clear," he said.
Jim Lo
Scalzo/EPA via Shutterstock
Michigan,
which has one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States, has some
206,000 registered Muslim voters, a 22% jump from 2016, according to Emgage, a
Muslim American political advocacy group. Biden won the state in 2020 by only
about 155,000 votes.
"Biden
would be persona non grata if he entered Dearborn right now," Amer Zahr, a
Palestinian American comedian and progressive Democratic activist, previously
told ABC News, referring to a city in Michigan where half of the 110,000
residents are of Middle Eastern or North African Descent.
'An
eternity in American politics'
Still,
the election is many months away, polling experts and strategists said. Biden's
dire approval ratings are an issue for him, but not necessarily predictive,
they said.
"Probably,
dissatisfaction with him among certain core Democratic groups like young voters
is contributing to a bit of a polling slump these days for Biden. The real
question, though, is whether this is actually going to linger for a year -- and
that's the totally unknowable thing," said Rakich with 538.
"I
don't think anybody can say with any kind of authority or precision that that's
what's happening now," said Miller, a former deputy special Middle East
coordinator at the State Department. "If this were happening next
November, that might make for a plausible case."
"We're
a year away," Miller said, "an eternity in American politics."
Source: abcnews.go.com
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------
No
attacks on US troops since Israel-Hamas truce began: Pentagon
November
28, 2023
WASHINGTON:
The near-daily attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria have stopped since a
truce between Israel and Hamas went into effect last week, the Pentagon said
Tuesday.
American
forces in the two countries have been targeted with rockets and drones more
than 70 times since mid-October — a surge in violence the United States has
blamed on Iran-backed forces.
“There
have been no attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since November 23, since
the operational pause began,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told
journalists.
The
attacks have caused injuries to dozens of American personnel — who are in Iraq
and Syria as part of efforts to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State
jihadist group — but all have since returned to duty.
The
spike in attacks on US forces is linked to the war between Israel and Hamas,
triggered on October 7 when the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock
cross-border attack from Gaza that Israeli officials say killed about 1,200
people.
Israel
responded with a relentless land and air on Hamas-controlled Gaza that the
territory’s health ministry says has killed almost 15,000 people.
Those
deaths have provoked widespread anger in the Middle East and provided an
impetus for attacks against American troops in the region by armed groups
opposed to their presence and to Washington’s backing for Israel.
A
four-day truce mediated by Qatar went into effect on November 24 under which
Hamas released hostages and Israel freed Palestinian prisoners.
The truce
has since been extended and mediators are working for a lasting halt to the
seven-week Israel-Hamas war.
The
United States was flying drones over Gaza as part of efforts to locate hostages
seized by Hamas, but those activities have been paused as part of the truce,
Ryder said.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2416931/middle-east
-----
Biden
must be reminded Hamas is a terrorist group as he panders to Muslims in secret,
publicly backs Israel
Nov. 28,
2023
Michael
Goodwin
No
American should need to be reminded that our government has designated Hamas a
terrorist organization. But apparently one very important American does need to
be reminded.
That
would be Joe Biden.
The news
that the president apologized for casting doubt on Hamas’ casualty reports in
Gaza is stunning. All the more so because Biden made his apology in secret.
He
backed down in a meeting with five Muslim Americans, a fact that suggests Hamas
has garnered sympathy if not outright support among some Americans and
immigrants from Muslim lands.
That’s
troubling in its own right, but Biden’s apology signals he’s willing to pander
to them privately while publicly supporting Israel.
Truth
emerges slowly
The incident
began on Oct. 25 when the president, in a rare news conference, addressed the
issue of civilian casualties from Israel’s attacks. This was about a week after
Hamas and its servile Gaza Health Ministry insisted Israel had bombed a
hospital and killed 500 Palestinians.
It was a
big story, thanks to sensationalizing play by The New York Times and other
media outlets primed to condemn Israel.
The
truth, as usual, emerged slowly and showed the hospital was not bombed and that
an explosion in an adjacent parking lot was almost certainly caused by a Hamas
rocket aimed at Israel that blew up prematurely and crashed.
The
dramatic 500-dead angle should have set off alarms that Hamas was using its old
playbook of inflating civilian death claims to drum up sympathy for itself and
provoke international outrage at Israel, leading, the terrorists hoped, to a
quick cease-fire that would protect them. To this day, it remains uncertain if
there were any fatalities at the hospital that night.
It was
against that backdrop that Biden scoffed at Hamas casualty figures, declaring
“I have no notion that the Palestinians are telling the truth about how many
people are killed.”
He was
right, and at the time I thought that was a bold thing for the president to do
and showed he understood the war was not a battle between moral equals.
Hamas
had savagely broken the cease-fire on Oct. 7 with its slaughter of 1,200
Israelis and carried away nearly 250 hostages, and Biden’s comment was part of
his then-ardent defense of the Jewish nation’s right to respond.
Yet it
turns out that 24 hours later, Biden flip-flopped in a meeting with the Muslim
American activists who got an hour to say they were furious at him for casting
doubt on the numbers.
He told
them, “I’m sorry. I’m disappointed in myself. I will do better,” according to
The Washington Post, which first reported on the meeting.
The
paper said one visitor told the president, “Palestinians are dying. We’re not
OK with the numbers of their dead being disputed.”
Benefiting
terrorists
But
accepting the numbers benefits Hamas, which has a long track record of lying.
That’s what Biden should have said instead of apologizing.
Minnesota
Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat who was the first Muslim elected to
Congress, was one of those invited to air grievances.
Subsequent
reports say Biden met with other Muslims in recent weeks, though there is no
word on whether he repeated his apology or made other statements at odds with
what he says publicly.
What is
certain is the president fears his support of Israel could cost him votes,
especially in states that have large numbers of Arab-American and Muslim
voters.
Nationally,
there are an estimated 1.1 million registered voters who identify as Muslim,
and two-thirds are Democrats, according to advocates.
They
argue that Muslims could be the deciding factor in battleground states where
recent contests were decided by margins smaller than the number of Muslim
voters.
The
implication seems to be that Biden’s support of Israel could turn all Muslim voters
against him.
The
developments underscore my warning that the president’s early support for
Israel was at risk of being undercut by his political desperation.
Polls
show young voters mostly disapprove of Biden’s job performance. The fact that
many young Americans, especially on elite college campuses, are participating
in protests against Israel surely heightened the campaign’s fears.
Although
antisemitism is an obvious and odious factor in the protest movement, Biden’s
team can’t afford to lose many voters under the age of 30, one of the party’s
core constituencies.
It’s
likely the White House’s current push for a longer and perhaps permanent Gaza
cease-fire grows out of election fears.
Of
course, minimizing civilian casualties and getting the Israeli hostages back
are important, but stopping the war before Hamas is eliminated would leave the
terrorists in power.
Boost
for Iran
That
would maintain Iran’s outpost, and along with Hezbollah in the north, leave
Israel facing danger on two borders. None of that is in America’s interest.
And
having Hamas retain control of Gaza would stunt postwar plans for rebuilding
the strip and creating an international governing authority, which are part of
Biden’s fantasy plan of a two-state solution.
His
political worries are especially focused on the upper Midwest, where so many
Muslim Americans live and vote.
Minnesota
first elected Ellison in 2006 and he was a rising star in the party despite his
support for the Nation of Islam and Louis Farrakhan, a notorious antisemite.
When
Ellison left Congress after winning the state AG race, his seat was won by
Ilhan Omar, a refugee from Somalia who makes little effort to hide her hatred
of America and Israel.
Michigan,
of course, is home to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who has stuck
with the lie that Israel bombed the hospital. She also falsely insists the
chant of “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” isn’t a plan to
eliminate Israel and Jews.
She
recently tweeted that “Joe Biden supported the genocide of the Palestinian
people,” and her incendiary lies finally earned her a House censure, with 22
Dems voting with Republicans.
The fact
that so many other Dems were afraid to denounce an antisemite in their midst is
a cousin of the pandering that led Biden to apologize for insulting Hamas. Up
and down the party, too many elected officials are calibrating their statements
about the war to avoid alienating anti-Israel voters.
They’re
cowards who are practicing a form of appeasement that will only encourage the
beast. And it’s not just Israel that’s endangered.
As its
prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, recently warned Americans on Fox News, “If
we don’t win now, then Europe is next and you’re next.”
Source: nypost.com
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https://nypost.com/2023/11/28/opinion/biden-caves-to-left-on-hamas/
------
Hamas
not using American hostages as ‘leverage’ – White House
29 Nov,
2023
Hamas is
not using kidnapped Americans for “leverage” in hostage negotiations with
Israel, a top White House spokesman has said, noting there is no sign the
Palestinian militant faction intends to “play some sort of game” with its US
captives.
Asked
about the status of Hamas’ American prisoners at a press briefing on Tuesday,
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the number of US nationals
currently held in Gaza is “pretty small,” adding that hostage talks have so far
focused on women and children.
“There’s
no indication at all that Hamas is trying to use leverage or something to keep
Americans from getting out,” Kirby said. “So, there’s no indication that Hamas
is trying to play some sort of game here in terms of the Americans.”
The
spokesman went on to state that Hamas may not have “ready access to everybody
in a moment’s notice,” adding that it is unlikely all US nationals are being
held in the same location in Gaza.
Israel
launched weeks of heavy airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave and escalated a
ground incursion in response to Hamas’ deadly October 7 terrorist attack, which
killed around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. Gaza’s Health Ministry has
placed the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli operations at over 15,000.
However,
the fighting has seen several brief pauses over the last week thanks to hostage
negotiations between the warring parties, with Hamas agreeing to exchange
Israeli and foreign citizens for Palestinians prisoners held in Israel.
Israeli
officials have vowed to halt military operations in Gaza to allow the trade to
take place, as well as for aid to enter the besieged enclave.
The
latest swap took place on Tuesday evening, when Hamas released ten additional
Israeli captives in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners. The halt in the
fighting has been extended to Wednesday, raising the prospect for further
negotiations. To date, Hamas has freed a total of 81 hostages, while Israel has
released 180 Palestinians in its custody.
The
original deal to suspend hostilities was struck as the UN and human rights
groups have increasingly accused Israel of indiscriminate strikes on Gaza.
Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, said on Monday that the pause in the
fighting “should be extended to make it sustainable and long-lasting while
working for a political solution.” However, Israel and its top ally, the US,
insist that a longer ceasefire would only help Hamas, instead favoring shorter
‘pauses’.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/588177-hamas-american-prisoners-leverage/
------
Southeast Asia
Indonesia's
keenness for forming global sharia economic committee: VP
29 Nov 2023
Kuching,
Malaysia (ANTARA) - Vice President of Indonesia Ma'ruf Amin expressed that
Indonesia is keen to have a special committee in place to deal with sharia
economics and finance at the global level.
"Hence,
the meaning is very big (the potential for global sharia economic cooperation),
if it is developed. I think that is and we want there to be some kind of global
committee," Vice President Amin noted in Kuching, Malaysia, Wednesday.
The vice
president expressed optimism in response to questions regarding the results of
the 2023 Global Muslim Business Forum in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, Tuesday
(Nov 28) evening.
Amin is
upbeat that holding the 2023 Global Muslim Business Forum will help to
strengthen cooperation between various countries in sharia economics and
finance.
According
to the vice president, Indonesia can continue to play a role in developing a
sharia economics committee at the global level, considering the huge potential
of sharia economics in the country.
Currently,
Indonesia already has a National Sharia Economic and Financial Committee
(KNEKS) at the national level that is led directly by President Joko Widodo. At
the regional level, Indonesia also has a Regional Sharia Economic and Financial
Committee (KDEKS) led by the regional head.
"Our
KNEKS in Indonesia is national, but the international committee, that is where
we can develop it," he stated.
He
expressed hope that the 2023 Global Muslim Business Forum would also strengthen
support for sharia economic development, especially the halal industry between
countries, such as by reducing barriers to trade in halal products across
countries.
"Both
in the sense of regulations relating to exports and imports as well as halal
standardization, where there may be differences, it could become a
barricade," he stated.
Source: antaranews.com
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------
PM
Anwar: Islam-Confucianism dialogue significant step towards dialogical
community
29 Nov
2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 29 ― The idea of dialogical community is important when societies
are becoming more culturally complex and intercultural relations more
problematic, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
As such
he said the Islam-Confucianism dialogue on enlightened leadership held today
was a significant step in the right direction of advancing the idea of a
dialogical community at both national and international levels.
Anwar
said in an era increasingly characterised by growing intolerance and
divisiveness, the very act of engaging in civilisational dialogue represents a
bold act of defiance.
“This
stands as a resolute affirmation of our steadfast dedication to nurturing
mutual understanding, a culture of inclusivity in diversity and the active
pursuit of peace and harmony.
“We
delve into discussions that are crucial not just for our times but for the
future of our planet. In our pursuit of solutions for the contemporary
challenges facing humanity, we are reminded of the rules of pragmatic wisdom
inherent in Islam and Confucianism,” said Anwar in his keynote address at the
Islam-Confucianism Leadership Dialogue today.
The
prime minister said Confucianism and Islam shared similar emphasis on the idea
of moral empowerment and the way to its realisation and the idea was integral
to enlightened leadership in both traditions.
In
Confucianism, he said the way was referred to as “inner cultivation” which was
hardly different from the Quran’s “tazkiatunnafs” (purification of the soul).
“As we
grapple with issues such as climate change, inequality, cyber security, and the
ethical implications of artificial intelligence, we find that these challenges
are deeply ethical in nature.
“Resolving
them demands a re-evaluation of our values and the principles that guide our
actions,” he said.
Anwar
said those ancient philosophies had taught people about balance, ethical
conduct, and the importance of considering the collective good, as well as
reminding them in their actions and innovations that must be grounded in moral
and ethical principles.
Malaysia,
he said, as a nation where major civilisations interact in the mainstream of
social and political development, stood uniquely positioned to be a beacon in
this discourse.
“As we
reflect on the myriad challenges before us, it becomes clear that they all
converge on the most fundamental issue of ethics.
“By
embracing the wisdom of Islam and Confucianism, we can work towards a future
that is not only technologically advanced but also morally enlightened,” said
Anwar.
Thus,
the prime minister said at the inflection point of civilisation, Malaysia must
lead the way in setting the example of a more inclusive world where harmony
thrives seamlessly amidst the multiplicity of races, religions, nationalities
and genders. ― Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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-------
Sabah
Islamic Religious Council demolishes 67 of 550 illegal structures on its land
in Labuan
28 Nov
2023
LABUAN,
Nov 28 — The Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis) has taken decisive action,
demolishing 67 illegal structures on its 13.9721-hectare land in Kampung
Gersik/Saguking that had been vacated by occupants.
Muis,
acting as the landlord, issued a six-month notice starting from May 22,
compelling occupants to vacate the premises for a mixed development project.
Muis
principal assistant secretary (Investment) PuteraAliifAl’ainJasni said the
extensive demolition commenced yesterday with a specific focus on houses without
occupants.
Responding
to the request of MP Labuan Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, who sought a
three-month postponement for the demolition of houses still occupied,
PuteraAliifemphasised the importance of respecting such requests.
“Residents
granted this extra three-month opportunity by Muis should seize the chance to
secure a new placement before the impending deadline on February 28, 2024,” he
told Bernama today.
He
clarified that Muis had not issued a new directive to evict occupants still
residing on the land.
PuteraAliif
outlined the demolition plan, noting that it would be carried out in three
zones, primarily focusing on zones two and three.
“We have
to use an excavator to tear down illegal structures and perform manual
demolition on houses that cannot be accessed by the excavator,” he said.
He said
through a comprehensive census, Muis identified a total of 550 illegal
structures, and of the number, there are 479 houses occupied by 2,656 people
that would be affected by the demolition.
“According
to our census, 54 per cent are non-Malaysian citizens, while the remaining 46
per cent are Malaysian citizens,” PuteraAliif said.
He said
the demolition of unoccupied houses would persist today.
In
response to the concerns of the affected populace, the Labuan MP engaged with
nearly 1,000 affected individuals on November 25, advocating for a more
favourable solution.
Following
negotiations with the landlord, Suhaili secured an extension until February 28,
2024, allowing affected residents more time to find alternative housing
solutions. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/28/sabah-islamic-religious-council-demolishes-67-of-550-illegal-structures-on-its-land-in-labuan/104673
------
Sarawak
churches U-turn on Christmas event boycott
29 Nov 2023
THE
Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) today made a U-turn from its decision
to boycott the December 3 “A Christmas Carol, Sarawak in Diversity” show at Padang
Merdeka in Kuching.
ACS
chairman Datuk Danald Jute issued a press statement today saying ACS will be
taking part in the event.
“ACS
will take part following a call from Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg for the
event to go on,” he said.
On
November 24, ACS had withdrawn from the event being organised by TV Sarawak and
Unit for Other Religions in Premier’s Department.
Jute had
then said ACS was unhappy that the organisers wanted to play the theme song of
“Jingle Bell Rock”, which it felt has nothing to do with the birthday of Jesus
Christ.
“We
wanted ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ replaced with ‘O Holy Night’, which is more
appropriate” to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
“‘Jingle
Bell Rock’ has nothing to do with Jesus Christ,” he said.
Jute
said the organisers insisted on “Jingle Bell Rock”, and asserted it could not
play “O Holy Night”, in accordance with instructions by the Film Censorship
Board and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.
“With
this ACS will not take part in the event,” he had said then.
That
evening, TV Sarawak issued a public response and said it will include the “O
Holy Night” song as requested by ACS.
Jute
today said ACS will support the call by Abang Johari to take part in the
December 3 show. – The Vibes, November 29, 2023
Source: thevibes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/100169/sarawak-churches-u-turn-on-christmas-event-boycott
----
Thailand
welcomes release of two more Thai hostages held by Hamas
November
29, 2023
BANGKOK:
Thai Foreign Minister ParnpreeBahiddha-Nukara welcomed on Wednesday the release
of two more Thai hostages who had been held by Hamas in Gaza, the latest to be
freed under a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas.
“Happy to
personally welcome 2 additional Thai hostages just released and arrived at the
hospital in Tel Aviv,” Parnpree, who is also deputy prime minister, posted on
social media platform X.
“A
totally warm feeling to see how the former 17 were lining up to welcome and
give moral support to the two newcomers,” he said.
Nineteen
Thai hostages have so far been released, while the foreign ministry says 13
more remain in captivity. There were 39 Thai nationals killed in the Oct. 7
attack by Hamas.
A Thai
Muslim group that spoke directly with Hamas said on Monday its efforts were key
to ensuring Thai hostages were among the first to be released. A Thai foreign
ministry spokesperson said multiple actors were consulted.
Before
the Israel-Hamas war, about 30,000 Thai laborers worked in Israel’s agriculture
sector, comprising one of the largest migrant worker groups in the country.
Nearly
9,000 have been repatriated, according to the government.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
The Thai
citizens released are slated to return home this week as Parnpree visits
Israel.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417041/world
-----
Pakistan
Imran,
Bushra’s Nikah solemnised twice in 2018, claims Mufti Saeed
November
29, 2023
Malik Asad
ISLAMABAD:
Mufti Saeed, who officiated PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s Nikah with Bushra Bibi,
has testified that the nuptials were solemnised twice, in January and February
2018.
In his
testimony before senior civil judge Qudratullah on Tuesday, Mr Saeed said this
was done as the first Nikah was performed during the former first lady’s Iddat
period.
He added
that on January 1, 2018, Mr Khan asked him to solemnise the Nikah in Lahore and
he visited a residence in Lahore’s Defence area before solemnising the Nikah
and inquired from her sister about Islamic formalities.
According
to Mr Saeed, he was assured that all formalities had been met.
When the
judge asked him why these questions weren’t put to Bushra Bibi, he replied it
goes against traditions to ask such questions of the bride.
Tells
court nuptials were first performed on Jan 1 after ‘spiritual prophecy’
The
couple started living in Banigala — Mr Khan’s home — after the Nikah, Mr Saeed
said, adding that in February, he was informed that the Nikah was solemnised
during Iddat as the divorce was finalised in Nov 2017.
As per
the cleric, he was informed that the Nikah took place on Jan 1 because of “a
spiritual prophecy”.
The
Nikah was “un-Islamic and against the principles of Shariah” as Iddat must be
completed at the ex-husband’s residence since it provides an opportunity for
reconciliation.
The
Nikah was again solemnised in February at Bani Gala, but “I didn’t sign the
papers,” Mr Saeed added.
Talking
about Mr Khan’s second marriage, Aun Chaudhry — once a close confidant of the
PTI chief — stated before the court that the marriage had ended in Nov 2015.
Mr Khan
divorced Reham Khan “on the advice of Bushra Bibi” while she was abroad, and
the divorce deed was sent via email, Mr Chaudhry testified.
He added
that Mr Khan was quite upset following the divorce and frequently visited
Bushra Bibi’s residence while she was still married to Khawar Farid Maneka —
the complainant in this case.
As per
Mr Chaudhry, he was ordered by the PTI chief in December 2017 to make arrangements
for his Nikah.
He
claimed that he attended the Nikah ceremony along with Zulfi Bukhari, a close
friend of Mr Khan.
When
news of the Nikah during the Iddat appeared in the media, Mr Khan “asked me to
keep quiet as he will solemnise it again after the Iddat completes,” Mr
Chaudhry said.
Later,
the case was adjourned till Dec 2, when a member of MrManeka’s domestic staff
will record his statement.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1793404/imran-bushras-nikah-solemnised-twice-in-2018-claims-mufti-saeed
------
Pakistan
asks UN to investigate Israel’s atrocity crimes in Palestine
November
29, 2023
Acting
Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Ambassador Usman
Iqbal Jadoon has asked the General Assembly and UN Security Council to consider
the establishment of a special tribunal and accountability mechanism to
investigate Israel’s atrocity crimes in Palestine.
Taking
part in the UN General Assembly Debate on the "Question of
Palestine", Ambassador Usman Iqbal Jadoon asked that deployment of an
international protection force or mechanism to protect Palestinian civilians,
especially women and children in Gaza and West Bank and play its role in the
restoration of the peace process.
The
Ambassador regretted that the General Assembly’s call was not heeded by Israel,
which continued its indiscriminate and criminal attacks against the Palestinian
people. Israel also ignored the call from the Security Council to comply with
its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian
law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians, especially children;
and to refrain from depriving the civilian population in the Gaza Strip of
basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to their survival.
He
strongly condemned the indiscriminate use of force by Israel. He said Israel’s
attacks on civilians, civilian objects and infrastructure, blockading of water,
food and fuel, as well as the forced displacement of people within the occupied
territory, are flagrant violations of international humanitarian law and amount
to war crimes and crimes against humanity, and may amount to the crime of
genocide.
The
Ambassador appreciated the efforts undertaken by Qatar and Egypt to save
precious lives. Pakistan’s position, however, remains in favour of a complete
and immediate cessation of hostilities. He said the Israeli killing machine
operating with complete impunity needs to be stopped and Israel must be held
accountable for its defiance and criminal actions.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/29-11-2023/pakistan-asks-un-to-investigate-israels-atrocity-crimes-in-palestine
----
Palestine
solidarity march: These Karachi roads will be closed for traffic today
November
29, 2023
The
people of Karachi are set to hold a march in the city's Tariq Road area to
observe the UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Wednesday
(today).
The
event is organised by the Palestine Solidarity Committee. The rally is taking
place during a crucial time of Israel's illegal invasion of Gaza which has
martyred over 15,000 people and injured more than 30,000.
Here is
the traffic plan released for today's march which will be held at 3:30pm today.
Once the
march starts, the road from Shahrah-e-Quaideen to Tariq Road and Sindhi Muslim
Cooperative Housing Society (SMCHS) will be blocked.
Moreover,
Khalid bin Waleed Road and the road leading to PECHS Block 3 will also be
blocked. As the march moves forward, the road leading to Kashmir Road from
Khudadad signal will also be closed, said the traffic police.
All the
roads will be opened again when the march moves forward, added the police.
Pakistanis
continue to express solidarity with the Palestinian brethren. Last month,
thousands of people from all walks of life took to the streets in several parts
of the country and staged protest demonstrations against the Israeli brutality
against the oppressed Palestinians.
Last
week, Israel and Hamas agreed to a four-day truce with the deal including the
Palestinian resistance group to free Israeli hostages while Israel releases
Palestinian prisoners.
The
truce was extended yesterday for another two days as Israel continues to arrest
civilians in the West Bank and raid Jenin.
Meanwhile,
regional forces and the US have been discussing further extending the truce
between Israel and Hamas.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1133586-palestine-solidarity-march-these-karachi-roads-will-be-closed-for-traffic-today
----
Ashrafi
attributes economic progress to efforts of Arab, other Islamic countries
November
29, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Religious Harmony and Pakistani
Diaspora in the Middle East and Islamic Countries Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi
on Tuesday attributed improvement in economic situation in Pakistan to the
collaborative efforts of Arab and Islamic nations, along with the positive
impact of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
“The
encouraging developments were emerging from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and
other amicable nations, following the substantial financial agreements with the
UAE,” he said while talking to the media on Tuesday.
Ashrafi
acknowledged that foreign investment in Pakistan was made feasible through the
trust of friendly countries and the dedicated efforts of Chief of Army Staff
General Syed Asim Munir.
He
emphasised that Pakistan could not afford to repeat past mistakes and
animosities, stating, “Islamic brother countries desire a resilient Pakistan.”
He
highlighted that the SIFC played a pivotal role in attracting investments to
Pakistan, with significant participation from important businessmen and groups
of friendly nations.
He
assured that overseas Pakistanis could now invest confidently, underscoring the
government’s responsibility to facilitate and support them.
In
response to a question, Ashrafi affirmed that Pakistan, as a core member of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), maintained an unequivocal stance on
the Palestine issue.
He
emphasised that any solution acceptable to Palestine would find acceptance in
Pakistan.
He praised
the current leadership of the OIC under Saudi Arabia. He also acknowledged the
contributions of Turkiye, Iran, and Qatar, highlighting that the collective
pressure from OIC members played a crucial role of Europe, America, and Britain
in influencing Israel to cease hostilities.
At this
time, he asserted that all Islamic nations were unanimous on extension of the
ceasefire and advocated for the establishment of a sovereign and autonomous
Palestinian state, designating Al-Quds as its capital.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1133566-ashrafi-attributes-economic-progress-to-efforts-of-arab-other-islamic-countries
-----
Afghan
embassy representative told to hand over Hafiz Gul Bahadur
November
29, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday summoned a representative of the
Afghan Embassy in Islamabad where Pakistan strongly condemned the suicide
attack perpetrated on a security forces convoy in the Bannu district on
November 26 by an Afghan national.
The
foreign office demanded the Afghan interim government to take swift “verifiable
actions” against all terrorist groups and their sanctuaries. The envoy was also
asked to arrest Hafiz Gul Bahadar and hand him over to Pakistan. He was also
asked to prevent Afghan soil from terrorism against Pakistan.
Earlier
ISPR on November 27 after the Bannu attack said that an Afghan national carried
out a suicide attack a day earlier on a security forces convoy that killed two
civilians and injured several others. “A motorcycle-borne suicide bomber,
affiliated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur and later identified as an Afghan national
carried out the attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in northwestern Pakistan.
Seven civilians and three soldiers were injured in the attack”, said the ISPR.
Hafiz Gul Bahadur is the leader of a Pakistani Taliban faction based in North
Waziristan. Law enforcement agencies claimed that a document recovered from the
scene of the attack identified the perpetrator as an Afghan citizen. The
attacker was carrying ‘Tazkira’, the identity document for Afghan citizens, as
per official sources.
The
Foreign Ministry also in its meeting with Afghan representative, emphasised
that Afghanistan take immediate verifiable actions against all terrorist groups
and their sanctuaries. “Pakistan also demanded that Hafiz Gul Bahadar should be
handed over to Pakistan, and prevent Afghan soil from terrorism against
Pakistan,“ maintain our sources. The summoning of the Afghan representative
comes as Pakistan continues to deport illegal Afghan citizens from Pakistan.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1133537-afghan-embassy-representative-told-to-hand-over-hafiz-gul-bahadur
-----
South Asia
Pakistan
commits widespread abuses against Afghans to force their return: HRW
November 29, 2023
Pakistani
authorities have committed widespread abuses against Afghans to compel their
return to Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.
Police
and other officials have carried out mass detentions, seized property and
livestock, and destroyed identity documents to expel thousands of Afghan
refugees and asylum seekers. Since mid-September 2023, Pakistani authorities
have forced out more than 375,000 people to Afghanistan, deporting 20,000 of
them, HRW said in a statement.
“Pakistani
officials have created a coercive environment for Afghans to force them to
return to life-threatening conditions in Afghanistan,” said Elaine Pearson,
Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities should immediately end
the abuses and give Afghans facing expulsion the opportunity to seek protection
in Pakistan.”
HRW said
the mistreatment is part of a campaign to compel Afghans to leave the country.
It includes night raids during which police have beaten, threatened and
detained Afghans. Police have also demanded bribes and confiscated jewelry,
livestock, and other property, and bulldozed homes.
Pakistani
authorities have also reportedly required Afghans awaiting resettlement in the
United States, United Kingdom, and other countries who have not been able to
obtain or, in many cases, renew visas, to pay an exit fee of US$830, HRW said.
“Governments
that promised to resettle at-risk Afghans should expedite these processes,
while pressing Pakistan to live up to its human rights obligations,” Pearson
said. “Countries should also step up their response to the humanitarian crisis
in Afghanistan, now compounded by the influx of hundreds of thousands of people
in need at the onset of winter.”
Source: ariananews.af
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.ariananews.af/pakistan-commits-widespread-abuses-against-afghans-to-force-their-return-hrw/
-----
EU
provides 142 million Euros to support forced Afghan migrants
Fidel
Rahmati
November
29, 2023
Amid
ongoing humanitarian concerns in Afghanistan, the Afghan Ministry of Refugees
and Repatriation has revealed that the European Union has pledged 142 million
euros to assist migrants.
On
Tuesday, the ministry issued a report stating that Raffaella Ludovica, the head
of the European Union’s office in Afghanistan, along with her delegation, had a
meeting and discussions at the ministry’s headquarters.
The
Ministry has added that concurrently with this meeting, the European Union has
allocated 142 million euros to newly expelled migrants from Iran and Pakistan.
Khalil
Rahman Haqqani, the head of this ministry, provided clarification on the forced
return of migrants from Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran, including their numbers. He
emphasized that host countries of migrants, especially Iran, Pakistan, and
Turkey, should refrain from any mistreatment and illegal confiscation of the
assets and properties of their migrants.
Furthermore,
on the sidelines of this meeting, the Ministry called on the European Union for
cooperation and assistance in providing shelter, tents, and food to returnees
while ensuring accountability and transparency.
Earlier,
the European Union had allocated 61 million euros to meet the needs of Afghan
refugees and other Afghans expelled from Pakistan.
Recently,
as Afghanistan witnessed the daily expulsion of thousands of Afghans from
Pakistan, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan has intensified even further
with the onset of the winter season.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.khaama.com/eu-provides-142-million-euros-to-support-forced-afghan-migrants/
------
Stanikzai
affirms relations with Afghanistan Embassy and Consulates in India
Fidel
Rahmati
November
29, 2023
Abbas
Stanikzai, the Deputy Political Minister of the Foreign Affairs of Taliban
administration has claimed that the Afghan embassy and consulates in India are
in contact with the ministry.
In an
interview with the national television affiliated with the Taliban
administration, he said that the cessation of Afghanistan’s embassy activities
in India is not a reality.
The
Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi declared its permanent closure in a formal
statement. The announcement marks the end of diplomatic relations between the
two countries, reflecting the recent profound changes and challenges that
Afghanistan has faced.
According
to the Afghanistan embassy, “Effective from November 23, 2023, owing to
persistent challenges from the Indian government. The decision follows the
embassy’s earlier cessation of operations on September 30, a move made in the
hope that the Indian government stance will favourably change to let the
mission operate normally.”
Meanwhile,
Stanikzai said, “The claim made by someone named Naemi, who was a diplomat and
stated that the embassy is closed and services are not provided, is false.”
He
continues asserting, “Our consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad are operational. I
have spoken to them, and they have reopened the embassy.”
This
comes in contrast to an announcement by the Afghanistan embassy in Delhi on the
23rd of November, stating the cessation of embassy operations due to ongoing
issues with the Indian government.
The
Afghanistan embassy in India had previously faced irregular activities and had
rejected the ambassador appointed by the Taliban administration.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.khaama.com/stanikzai-affirms-relations-with-afghanistan-embassy-and-consulates-in-india/
-----
Kyrgyzstan’s
100-ton food aid delivery to Afghanistan earthquake victims
Fidel
Rahmati
November
28, 2023
Kyrgyzstan
authorities have stepped forward to extend a helping hand to earthquake victims
in Afghanistan. According to local media reports, they pledged to deliver 100
tons of food aid.
The
Ministry of Emergency Situations in Kyrgyzstan is leading this humanitarian
effort. Their plan includes sending 75 tons of flour, 20 tons of sugar, 5 tons
of sunflower oil, 500 beds and an equal number of warm blankets and mattresses.
The
assistance goes beyond necessities, as women and children in Afghanistan will
also benefit from winter clothes, shoes, toys, and essential personal hygiene
products. This support is valued at 1 million soms, approximately USD 11,200.
Kyrgyzstan’s
gesture of solidarity highlights its commitment to aiding neighbouring
Afghanistan during times of crisis. The collaboration underscores the
importance of international cooperation in addressing humanitarian emergencies.
The
earthquake victims in Afghanistan will find relief in the provisions sent by
Kyrgyzstan, which will address their immediate food and shelter needs and help
them stay warm during the harsh winter months.
This
initiative is made possible through the allocation of funds by the
International Civil Defense Organization, demonstrating the global community’s
collective effort to provide aid and support to those in need.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/kyrgyzstans-100-ton-food-aid-delivery-to-afghanistan-earthquake-victims/
------
Regional
Engagement Called For at Herat Security Dialogue
November
28, 2023
The
participants of the Herat Security Dialogue (HSD) in their second day of
meeting stressed the importance of a regional agreement and the role of the
regional countries to solve the issue of Afghanistan.
The 11th
session of the Herat Security Dialogue was held on Monday and Tuesday in
Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan.
The
session was attended by Afghan opposition figures and envoys of more than 20
countries and organizations.
“Russia
cannot solve the Afghan crisis [itself] unrealistic… Russia tried to use
regional countries for solving these problems, not destabilization of
Afghanistan because for us, destabilization of Afghanistan is a very huge
problem,” said Vladimir Evseev, Head of CIS Institute.
“[In]
most countries, in the United Kingdom for example, there is no united
opposition. It is unrealistic to expect complete unity, but I think it is
realistic for Afghans to have a common enough vision for the future,” said
Nicholas Kay, former UK Ambassador to Afghanistan.
“Practically,
what is likely to, what is my recommendation, coming from my background; if
today any of our country, India, Pakistan or Iran were to offer some help with
the Taliban to fight Daesh, it is a common enemy of all of us. All three of us.
It is quite possible that we can work together,” said Mohammad AsadDurrani,
former head of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. “Do not underestimate
the capacity of the intelligence agencies to work together.”
However,
the Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on the meeting.
Wahid Faqiri,
a political analyst, urged the Taliban to bring reforms to their policies.
“The
Taliban should accept reforms, otherwise, they will face opposition in the
future,” he said.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186244
------
Act
before it turns into a humanitarian crisis, urges PM
Nov 29,
2023
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called for international support for the
worst-affected countries by climate displacement, to prevent the situation from
turning into a humanitarian crisis.
The
prime minister said this in a video statement that was played at the high-level
segment on "Climate Impact on Human Mobility: A Global Call for
Solutions" during the 114th Session of the International Organisation for
Migration (IOM) Council held virtually.
She said
it is estimated that climate change could displace 216 million people by 2050.
Among these, 40 million alone would be in South Asia.
In
Bangladesh, 20 percent of its population lives along the coastal belt.
"Sea-level
rise, salinity intrusion, frequent floods, and severe cyclones make them
vulnerable to forced displacement. Such displacements are happening at a faster
pace than we think," she warned.
She said
those displaced or trapped due to climate change need to have access to basic
services, social protection, and livelihood options.
"The
adverse impacts on their host communities also need to be addressed in an
inclusive manner," she said.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/act-it-turns-humanitarian-crisis-urges-pm-3481531
-----
143
Bangladeshis return home from Libya
Nov 28,
2023
A total
of 143 illegal Bangladeshi migrants have returned home from Libya's capital
Tripoli.
A Burak
Air flight carrying them landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in
Dhaka in the early hours of yesterday, according to a foreign ministry press
release.
Foreign
ministry officials and officials of International Organisation for Migration
(IOM) received them at the airport.
Upon
their arrival at the airport, the IOM provided Tk 5,896 and some food to each
of the returnees.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the financial support of IOM, is facilitating
the return of illegal Bangladeshi migrants stranded in Libya.
As part
of this initiative, another 373 undocumented Bangladeshi nationals will be
repatriated from Libya to Bangladesh on November 29 and December 5, according
to the foreign ministry press release.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/police-ready-prevent-subversive-activities-dmp-3481091
-----
Afghan
embassy in India will soon resume operations: Stanikzai
November 29, 2023
Sher
Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Political Deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
has said that the Afghan consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad are in contact with
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, and the Afghan embassy in New Delhi
will soon resume operations.
“Our
consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad are functioning and are in contact with the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They provide consular services on a daily basis.
Currently, our consuls in Mumbai and Hyderabad are present at the embassy in
Delhi. I talked to them. They have reopened the embassy,” Stanikzai said in an
interview with RTA that was broadcast on Tuesday night.
Stanikzai
said that the Afghan embassy in India will resume its operations in the next
two or three days.
Recently,
the Afghan embassy in India announced its permanent closure, citing challenges
from the Indian government.
Stanikzai
in the interview also said that in his opinion, the Islamic Emirate has been
recognized because it still has diplomatic relations with the countries it had
in the past.
He said
that there are currently about 20 embassies operating in Afghanistan.
Source: ariananews.af
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.ariananews.af/afghan-embassy-in-india-will-soon-resume-operations-stanikzai/
-----
Africa
Burkina
Faso: jihadist attack in the north, against the town of Djibo
29
NOVEMBER 2023
Aerial
images reportedly depict a significant jihadist assault on the northern Burkina
Faso town of Djibo.
The
national armed forces of the west African nation released these images, which
were broadcasted on national television, purportedly showing jihadists
launching an attack on an army detachment in Djibo, with the army responding to
the assault.
Security
sources indicate that both sides suffered losses.
Burkina
Faso is currently grappling with a jihadist insurgency that originated from
neighboring Mali in 2015, resulting in the death of over 17,000 civilians and
soldiers and the displacement of two million people.
The west
African nation is ruled by a transitional government put in place after a
September 2022 coup.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/28/burkina-faso-jihadist-attack-in-the-north-against-the-town-of-djibo/
------
Somali
refugee wins U.N. award for efforts to educate displaced children
November
29, 2023
A former
Somali refugee intent on bringing books and education to his compatriots
languishing in sprawling camps in Kenya was on Tuesday named the winner of the
UN refugee agency’s prestigious Nansen Award.
Abdullahi
Mire was hailed for championing the right to education by putting 1,00,000
books in the hands of children in Kenya’s crowded Dadaab refugee camps.
“A book
can change someone’s future,” Mr. Mire said in an interview.
“I want
every child who is displaced to get the opportunity of education.”
‘Transformative
ideas’
Announcing
the prize, United Nations refugee chief Filippo Grandi described Mr. Mire in a
statement as “living proof that transformative ideas can spring from within
displaced communities”.
Mr. Mire
was born in Somalia, but amid unrest there his family fled to Kenya when he was
a young child.
He spent
23 years in Dadaab — a sprawling complex of three camps that were initially
built in the 1990s to host some 90,000 refugees, but which today are home to
around 3,70,000, according to UN figures.
Against
what the UNHCR described as “monumental odds”, Mr. Mire not only completed his
primary and secondary education in the camp, but managed to go on to complete a
degree in journalism and public relations.
“My case
is rare, and that inspires me to give back,” he said.
Mr.
Mire, who on occasion has worked for Agence France Presse , was resettled to
Norway around a decade ago, but while he liked living there, he soon decided to
return to Kenya.
“Europe
is nice and safe, but it depends what you want in life,” he said from Nairobi.
“There
was something telling me that I could have an impact here, more than in Oslo.”
Back in
Kenya, he was working as a journalist and reporting a story in Dadaab one day
when a girl named Hodan Bashir Ali approached him and asked if he could help
find her a biology book.
She
wanted to be a doctor, she said, but at her school 15 students had to share a
single text book.
‘Start
of the calling’
“That
was the start of my calling,” Mr. Mire said, adding that he bought the book for
young Hodan, who is now a registered nurse and still aspiring to become a
doctor.
“That
book opened a door for Hodan,” he said. “She is inspiring.”
Mr. Mire
decided to set up the Refugee Youth Education Hub, raising awareness about
refugees’ educational needs and seeking book donations.
To date,
the refugee-led organisation has brought 1,00,000 books into the camps, and has
opened three libraries.
“When
you read a book, it is like you are travelling the world,” Mr. Mire said.
And for
people traumatised by the conflict and wars they have fled, “books are the best
way to heal”.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/somali-refugee-wins-un-award-for-efforts-to-educate-displaced-children/article67583308.ece
-----
Inisa:
Clerics condemn feud over Osun mosque’s Imam selection
29th
November 2023
Adekunle
Sulaimon
Islamic
clerics have condemned the recent squabble among a group of Imams in Inisa
town, in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State, leading to the death of
two of the five contenders for the community’s Central Mosque Imam.
In a
live video done on Facebook by the Grand Mufti of Yorubaland, Sheik Dawood
Molaasan, on the controversy on Tuesday, he narrated how the Imam selection
crisis began in 2020, leading to the shutdown of the mosque.
The
revered Islamic cleric stated that the squabble divided the community’s Islamic
groups (sects), adding that it got really escalated because the king, Olunisa
of Inisa, Oba Joseph OladunjoyeOyedele (JP) Fasikun II, allegedly had a
favourite for the position despite being a Christian.
“Islamic
philanthropists and Aare Musulumi (Muslim head) in Inisa all agreed to select
someone with relevant Islamic knowledge, but the king wanted a different person
who was not versatile and had a pending case in court.
“The
league of Inisa’s Islamic clerics chose someone who had his Arabic education in
Saudi Arabia and had been Imam in Canada and Osogbo for over 20 years. Although
the person did not seek to be the Imam of the Central Mosque, the clerics
visited him and beckoned him to be the overseer of the mosque.
“The
king’s favourite is lower in rank to become Imam. And it is not done that way
anywhere in the world,” he said.
Molaasan
further called out the king to agitate for an examination between the two
contenders to see who was more capable of being the imam of the said mosque.
“This is
not something the League of Imams will be voting for. It is the practice laid
down by Prophet Mohammad (SAW), which entails appointing someone with a good
knowledge of Islam.
“The two
contenders should be invited and asked to sit for a competence exam.
He also
appealed to the Osun State Government to appoint someone who would be leading
the community in prayer tentatively while the selection of the new Imam is done.
Reacting,
another Imam from Ilorin, Sheikh Hamad Labeeb, in a video shared on X (formerly
Twitter) by one Hakeem, vehemently disapproved of the locking of the mosque
over the feud, noting that the matter should have been handled diplomatically.
“How can
a personal interest supersede the worship of Allah that two people out of the
five? On Friday, I will be leading the Jumat prayer to oppose the ‘pray and
die’ written on the wall of the mosque,” he added.
In his
reaction, the President of the League of Imams and Alfas in Yorubaland, Edo and
Delta states, Sheikh Jamiu Bello, represented by Sheikh Iskeel Lawal, said that
the mosque was locked on the order of the court and not by Muslim elders in the
community.
He noted
that the state’s governor, Ademola Adeleke, is the only one who can solve the
lingering Imam crisis in the community, adding, “The Islamic scholars should
continue to push for an end to the issue so that the community can begin
praying there.”
Recall
that in 2021, the Osun State Government shut the mosque following a report of
loss of lives over a disagreement on who emerged as the new Chief Imam of the
town.
However,
a statement signed by the then Deputy Chief of Staff to the state Governor, Mr
Abdullahi Binuyo, disclosed that the state government decided to reopen the
mosque after a peaceful resolution of the crisis that bedeviled the community.
The
statement reads, “The Government of the State of Osun wishes to announce its
decision to reopen the Inisha Town Central Mosque, following the ongoing
peaceful resolution of the crisis that plagued the community.
“The
government had ordered an indefinite closure of the Mosque to prevent the
possibilities of an intra-religious or communal crisis trailing the inability
to choose its substantive Imam.
“But
with this new directive, worshippers can now congregate at the Mosque for their
Juma’at and Eid prayers.
“The
government hopes that the community will justify the confidence reposed in it,
to allow peace to continue to reign,” he said.
Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/inisa-clerics-condemn-feud-over-osun-mosques-imam-selection/
------
IG
condemns soldiers ‘terror’ attack on Adamawa station
29th
November 2023
Hindi
Livinus
The
Inspector General of Police, OlukayodeEgbetokun, on Tuesday, visited the
headquarters of the Adamawa State Police Command, where soldiers invaded and
killed an inspector, Daniel Jacob, on November 21.
The IG,
while condemning the invasion in strong terms, said the soldiers acted like
Boko Haram terrorists, vowing that the matter would be addressed and such would
never happen again.
Egbetokun
said, “It was an unfortunate incident which should never have happened. I
believe this is going to be the last time it will happen in Nigeria.
“These
people came like bandits and carried out the attacks on our facility in a
manner similar to an invasion by Boko Haram terrorists.
“Inspector Jacob Daniel was an officer on duty
at the quarter guard on Wednesday last week when he was murdered, following an invasion on this headquarters by
some recalcitrant soldiers, in an attack that was unwarranted, carried out in a
manner reflecting the activities of Boko Haram by their invasion on this
facility.
“I am in your midst this afternoon to share
the grief that you have. I learnt that he was an officer who was committed to
his duty. He always demonstrated the highest level of dedication to duty. But
unfortunately, we lost him to the attacks that were unwarranted and barbaric.”
After
observing a minute silence in honour of the slain cop, Egbetokun admonished
officers of the force not to allow the incident to dampen their morale.
In his
remarks, the Commissioner of Police in Adamawa State, Afolabi Babatola,
said, “The command, in particular, and
the state in general, would have been in a state of total calmness if not for
the unfortunate incident that happened on Tuesday, 21st November 2023.
“I would
like to use this opportunity to request Armoured Personnel Carriers, gun trucks
and Hilux vehicles to maintain the tempo.”
Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/ig-condemns-soldiers-terror-attack-on-adamawa-station/
-----
B’Haram
terrorists behead 11 Borno loggers
29th
November 2023
Suspected
Boko Haram terrorists have ambushed and beheaded no fewer than 11 loggers in
the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.
It was
gathered that the terrorists rode on camels and carried out the attack on
Sunday evening.
A vigilante
in the area, who to a correspondent on the telephone on Tuesday, said, “We
found six bodies of the loggers who were butchered by the Boko Haram terrorists
from the location on Monday evening.
“We do
not think any of them survived the attack. Their bodies were badly dismembered,
and we found them in a pool of blood as all parts of their bodies were cut into
pieces.
“We
immediately organised ourselves to bury what remained of them in the evening,
according to Islamic rites. Although
five people are still missing, we are praying that those five should
escape, and maybe when tension calms
down, they will return to us to narrate what really happened. But for now, we
don’t know if they escaped or were abducted too.
A
resident of Damboa, Abdu Abubakar, who also spoke to The PUNCH said, “They
ambushed the loggers who burn logs to charcoal at about 6:30 pm on Sunday,
November 25, on their way from the bush around Bali, a village near Damboa, and
killed 18 people. Some of the loggers fled into the bush and in different
directions.”
Another
vigilante, who corroborated Abubakar’s claim, told the PUNCH, “The loggers were
working at their charcoal site when they were suddenly rounded up by the
terrorists who refused all pleas for mercy from their victims but went ahead to
kill the six persons instantly.
“We
learnt that they came on camels and surrounded the victims. We saw the
footprints of the caramels. We counted about 15 camel footprints.
“Although
we learnt that some of the lucky loggers ran as fast as they could, even though
they were pursued by the heartless Boko Haram terrorists.
“Why we
also believe the others escaped is because camels don’t run as fast as horses,
and more importantly, the victims are familiar with the terrain; that’s why
we’re praying that they escape.
“It was
later we were informed about the situation of things there that we mobilised
and went to the scene only to find the six bodies dismembered and abandoned at
the site. This morning, an additional five bodies were recovered, so we have a
total of 11 corpses so far. But the soldiers, alongside the vigilantes, are
currently in the area and also combing the woods.”
Efforts
to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Kenneth failed, as he
neither picked up calls to his mobile line nor responded to a text message.
Source: punchng.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://punchng.com/bharam-terrorists-behead-11-borno-loggers/
------
ECOWAS
ready “to deploy elements” in Sierra Leone “if need be”
28 Nov
2023
A
delegation from the ECOWAS Commission and the Government of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, was Monday (Nov. 27), by Sierra Leone's president.
The head
of the Ecowas Commission Omar AlieuTouray, conveyed to President Julius Maada
Bio the message of the chair of the 15-regional bloc Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
"ECOWAS
is ready and committed to supporting the people of Sierra Leone, including to
strengthen their national security and the deployment, if need be, of regional
elements,"” Touray said.
The
national security advisor to the Ecowas' chair hailed the leadership of Bio and
his government in stopping what he called a "very unfortunate
incident."
The
envoys' visit, in an apparent show of solidarity for Sierra Leone's government,
follows a deadly attack that shook the capital Freetown on Sunday.
The
gunmen exchanged fire for several hours with security forces.
The
government attributed the attack on a military armory to "renegade
soldiers".
The
police promised a "reward" to anyone providing information leading to
the capture of 34 fugitives.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/28/ecowas-ready-to-deploy-elements-in-sierra-leone-if-need-be/
------
Police
release photos and names of 34 Sierra Leone fugitives
29
NOVEMBER 2023
Sierra
Leone police on Tuesday published the photos and identities of 34 men and women
wanted in connection with the clashes that left around 20 people dead in the
capital Freetown on Sunday.
The 32
men and two women listed as "fugitives" include serving and retired
soldiers, police officers and civilians.
The
police statement posted on social networks promised a "handsome
reward" to anyone providing information leading to their capture.
On Sunday,
Freetown witnessed several hours of armed confrontation between the security
forces and unknown assailants who tried to break into a military armoury. The
central prison and other correctional facilities were stormed and dozens of
inmates appear to have escaped.
The
clashes left around twenty people dead, according to military and forensic
sources. They were orchestrated by serving or retired soldiers, said the army
spokesman.
The
authorities have not specified their motives or objectives.
The
events have raised the spectre of another coup d'état in West Africa, which
since 2020 has seen coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea, all members
of ECOWAS.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/28/police-release-photos-and-names-of-34-sierra-leone-fugitives/
------
Togo:
Over 30 dead in “terrorist attacks” in 2023
29
NOVEMBER 2023
Rarely,
the Togolese government took stock of the "terrorist" attacks in the
country, in a press release read Monday evening on state television.
In 2023,
Togo reported “31 deaths, 29 injured and 3 missing” in “terrorist” incidents,
YawaKouigan, Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, told TVT.
“Our
country experienced an ambush attack, 11 clashes with armed terrorist groups, 9
explosions of improvised explosive devices and 20 discoveries and
neutralization of improvised explosive devices,” she said.
According
to the minister, "the first terrorist attack" took place in Sanloaga
in the Kpendjal prefecture in November 2021, and "was followed by several
incursions and incidents in the savannah region", in the north of the
country, near the border with Burkina Faso.
The
northern regions of Benin, Togo and Ghana are suffering attacks and incursions
from jihadist groups who thrive in the Sahel and seek to move south.
Until
now, the Togolese government communicated sparsely on the subject.
In
April, the President of Togo, Faure Gnassingbé, indicated that the jihadists
had killed around 140 people, including some 100 civilians, since their first
attacks at the end of 2021 in this country.
The
security issue will be at the heart of the organization of the next legislative
and regional elections which should be held "at the latest at the end of
the first quarter of 2024", as YawaKouigan announced in the same press
release.
The
government assured that it would “take into account the persistence of security
challenges to guarantee everyone – candidates, voters and citizens – the
necessary security throughout the national territory”.
Faure
Gnassingbé has been in power since 2005 after succeeding his father, General
Eyadéma Gnassingbé who ruled the country with an iron fist for 38 years.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/28/togo-over-30-dead-in-terrorist-attacks-in-2023/
------
Hundreds
remember Tanzanian student killed in Israel-Hamas conflict
November
28, 2023
DAR ES
SALAAM: Hundreds of Tanzanians bid a tearful farewell on Tuesday to a young
agriculture student who was killed in the Hamas-Israel conflict several
thousand kilometers away.
Clemence
Felix Mtenga, 22, was reported missing after Hamas gunmen stormed across the
border from Gaza into Israel on October 7, killing a reported 1,200 people and
taking scores more hostage, according to Israeli officials.
Family
members — wearing black shirts bearing Mtenga’s picture — broke down as they
filed past the closed coffin at a ceremony in his home village of Kirwa in the
Mount Kilimanjaro region.
Mtenga
and another Tanzanian student, Joshua Mollel, 21, went to Israel in September
for an agricultural internship program but both went missing after the October
7 attack.
Tanzania’s
foreign ministry confirmed his death in a statement last week, without
elaborating on how he was killed, and said Mollel was still missing.
Friends
who studied with Mtenga before he moved to Israel described him as being
“lovely and friendly.”
“It was
sad and difficult to accept news of his death because we used to communicate
with him almost every evening,” said Anthony Kanyanza.
“He was
a leader of one of the class groups and we all enjoyed his company.”
A member
of the local choir, Mtenga had been due to graduate from his university in
Tanzania last week.
“Clemence
died innocent. Let’s keep Israel and Palestine in our prayers every day to end
this kind of innocent deaths,” said priest Alfred Minja who led the burial
service attended by government officials.
The head
of Israel’s international development agency EynatShlein had said on X,
formerly Twitter, that Mtenga “was murdered by Hamas terrorists on Oct 7.”
The two
students were among about 260 Tanzanian youths who went to Israel for an
internship in modern farming under a partnership program between the two
countries.
Many of
the places worst affected by the Hamas attacks were Israeli agricultural
communes lining the region bordering the Gaza Strip.
Mtenga’s
sister Christina Mtenga told AFP by phone that they had paid their “final respects.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2416851/world
-----
Europe
Pope
Strips Critic US Cardinal Of Apartment, Salary For "Working Against
Church"
November
29, 2023
Vatican
City: Pope Francis has removed some of the Vatican privileges of conservative
American Cardinal Raymond Burke, including a large subsidized apartment and his
salary, a senior Vatican official said on Tuesday.
The
official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, participated in a regular
Vatican meeting when the pope made the announcement to senior aides last week.
He
quoted the pope as saying that Burke, one of his fiercest critics, was
"working against the Church and against the papacy" and that he had
sown "disunity" in the Church.
Burke
has had no senior Vatican job for years. His is a consultant to one of its
tribunals, as are numerous cardinals who live outside Rome, and spends most of
his time in his native state of Wisconsin.
The
official who was at the meeting denied media reports that Francis had called
the 75-year-old Burke "an enemy".
Burke is
a hero to traditionalists in the Church, particularly in the United States,
where he is often a guest on conservative Catholic media outlets that have made
criticism of the pope a mainstay of their operations.
The move
by Francis was his second involving a conservative American prelate this month.
On Nov.
11, the pope dismissed another conservative critic, Bishop Joseph Strickland of
Tyler, Texas, after Strickland refused to step down following a Vatican
investigation.
While
conservatives are a minority in the Church, they have significant clout in
advanced countries such as the United States, in part because of their link to
conservative politics.
Burke
has been opposing the pope's reforms almost from the start.
In 2014,
a year after Francis was chosen, the pope removed Burke as head of a Vatican
tribunal and moved him to a largely ceremonial post several days after Burke
said the Church under Francis was "like a ship without a rudder".
Most
recently, in October, Burke was one of five cardinals who openly challenged a
global month-long Vatican meeting, known as a synod.
Before
the meeting began, Burke was the star quest of a gathering of conservative in a
theatre just a few blocks from the Vatican.
There,
he called for a defence against the "the poison of confusion, error and
division" in the Church.
A person
close to Burke said the cardinal had not yet been formerly informed of the
pope's decision, which was first reported by the conservative Italian outlet,
La Nuova BussolaQuotidiana.
Source: ndtv.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pope-strips-critic-us-cardinal-of-apartment-salary-for-working-against-church-4615911#pfrom=home-ndtvworld_us
------
Spanish
politician slams international community for its silence over Israel's
'genocide'
SenhanBolelli
29.11.2023
The
general secretary of Spain’s left-wing Podemos party criticized the international
community on Tuesday for its silence in the face of Israel’s "attempt to
exterminate" the Palestinian people.
Speaking
at an event for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
organized by Podemos in the capital Madrid, Ione Belarra, who previously served
as minister of social rights, said a Europe that does not exert social,
political, economic, diplomatic and legal pressure against Israel cannot
lecture anyone about human rights.
She
rejected Israel's "colonial" policy towards Palestinians.
"Why
does Israel continue to commit genocide against Palestine with impunity?"
she said.
Saying
that Israel's systematic "genocide" of Palestinians started way
earlier than Oct. 7, she stressed that "this must end."
Belarra
called on European governments to be fair, adding they should impose sanctions
on Israel as Russia has faced over its war against Ukraine.
European
governments must not be complicit in this "genocide," she added.
Underlining
that Israel "committed an inhumane massacre and the international
community remained silent about it," Belarra accused large media outlets
of acting as if Palestinians have no names or families while reporting all the
details on the deaths of Israelis.
She
reiterated her call for completely cutting diplomatic ties with Israel.
Israel
launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border
attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
It has
since killed over 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women,
according to health authorities in the enclave.
The
official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/spanish-politician-slams-international-community-for-its-silence-over-israels-genocide/3067447
------
Ealing
man, 61, arrested after month long 'Islamophobic' spree targeting mosques and
charity
29 NOV 2023
Olivia
Beeson
A man
has been arrested for a string of Islamophobic incidents across London. He was
arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated criminal damage after red paint
was thrown or sprayed at the Palestinian Mission in Hammersmith, as well as
mosques and businesses across west London.
The
61-year-old was seized on Monday, November 27 in Ealing for 12 offences that
took place over a months duration. The first incident occurred on Monday,
October 16 and the last offence on Saturday, November 18.
The
arrest comes as there has been an increase in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic
hate crimes over the past month. Between 1 and 18 October according to police
Islamophobic offences have risen 140 per cent.
Police
officers in attendance as people take part in a march against antisemitism
One
hundred and one offences targeting Muslims have been recorded by the force,
compared to 42 in the same period last year. While offences targeting Jews have
risen from 15 to 218.
It comes
amid increasing tensions in the UK sparked by the Israel-Hamas war with large
protests being held last weekend. On Saturday (November 25) hundreds of
thousands of people matched through central London in a pro-Palestinian march.
More
than 1,500 Met officers were on duty on the day and 18 arrests were made for
varying offences. On Sunday (November 26) an estimated 100,000 people took part
in the first march against antisemitic due to the rise in hate crime against
the capital's Jewish community.
Detective
Superintendent Figo Forouzan, leading the investigation, said: “Hate crime has
no place in London. Its effects run far deeper than property damage, and the
impact on victims can linger beyond the removal of the paint.
"Officers
have been working incredibly hard to identify the individual responsible for
these offences and provide the relevant support and reassurance to those
affected. The victims are being supported by dedicated faith officers, and
neighbourhood teams have changed their patrol times and routes to provide
additional reassurance.”
Source: mylondon.news
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/ealing-man-mosques-red-paint-28193447
-----
Man
arrested after red paint thrown at mosques and Palestinian Mission
28 Nov
2023
Brooke
Davies
A man
has been arrested over a series of Islamophobic incidents at mosques and
businesses across west London and the Palestinian Mission in Hammersmith.
The
61-year-old was arrested on Monday in Ealing, west London, on suspicion of
racially aggravated criminal damage after red paint was thrown or sprayed at
the locations.
He remains
in custody.
The
offences took place in the boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, and Ealing, on
12 separate occasions between October 16 and November 18.
Detective
Superintendent Figo Forouzan, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘Hate
crime has no place in London. Its effects run far deeper than property damage,
and the impact on victims can linger beyond the removal of the paint.
‘Officers
have been working incredibly hard to identify the individual responsible for
these offences and provide the relevant support and reassurance to those
affected.’
Source: metro.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://metro.co.uk/2023/11/28/man-arrested-red-paint-thrown-mosques-palestinian-mission-19896181/
-----
Two Brazilian
brothers arrested in Spain for alleged Islamic State links
28
November 2023
Emma
Pinedo and Ricardo Brito
MADRID/BRASILIA
(Reuters) -Spanish police have arrested two Brazilian brothers in the southern
city of Estepona over alleged links to the Islamic State militant Islamist
group, the Civil Guard police force said.
The
police said the siblings had been radicalised and had distributed IS propaganda
over the internet.
The
Civil Guard's statement on Monday said it had identified "significant
international links" between the brothers and individuals arrested or
under investigation in European countries related to what it described as
"the jihadist threat".
The
arrest comes days after Brazil's Federal Police, in cooperation with Israel's
Mossad spy agency, took down an alleged cell of Lebanese militant group
Hezbollah seeking to establish itself in Latin America's largest country.
Mossad's unusual trumpeting of its involvement in the operation has strained
Brazil-Israel ties.
A
Brazilian Federal Police source identified the brothers arrested in Spain as
ThaylanPadilhaPalomanes and ThauannPadilhaPalomanes, requesting anonymity to
discuss an ongoing investigation.
The
Federal Police had been tracking them for a while, the source said, adding that
Thauann had lived in the Netherlands before joining his brother Thaylan in
Estepona. They were arrested on Monday "for activities related to
terrorism," the source said.
The
brothers' legal representatives could not immediately be reached for comment.
The
Civil Guard were assisted by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and
Brazilian police, the Spanish force said.
The
brothers have appeared before a judge and are being held in jail while the
investigation continues.
Since
2004 train bombings in Madrid carried out by Islamists that killed 191 people,
Spanish police have arrested more than 1,000 alleged jihadists, 56 of them in
2023, according to data from the interior ministry.
(Reporting
by Emma Pinedo in Madrid and Ricardo Brito in Brasilia; Editing by David Latona
and Rosalba O'Brien)
Source: yahoo.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/two-brazilian-brothers-arrested-spain-160644089.html
-------
Gov.
Scott offers support to Muslim community after shooting of three Palestinian
students
November
28, 2023
At a
press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott offered his sympathy to the
families of three young Palestinian men who were shot in Burlington over the
weekend.
Scott
called the shootings a sad and baffling act of hate. And he called on
Vermonters to not let the incident escalate tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.
“I urge
Vermonters to unite to help the community heal, and not let this incident
insight more hate or divisiveness," Scott says.
More
from Vermont Edition: Vermont communities respond to shooting of three college
students of Palestinian descent
Scott
says he reached out to the president of the Islamic Society of Vermont to offer
whatever support his administration can provide.
“And I
just wanted to be sure that he knew that he had our support in any way needed,
and that he was able to reassure the followers of the Islamic faith that we
stood behind them as well," Scott says.
The
three men wounded in the attack are receiving treatment at the University of
Vermont Medical Center.
Source: vermontpublic.org
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Arab World
Saudi
Cabinet reiterates call for complete ceasefire in Gaza
November
28, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom’s call for a complete
ceasefire in Gaza and the protection of civilians in the territory.
A
temporary truce between Israel and Hamas entered a fifth day on Tuesday after
the deal was extended to allow further releases of Israeli hostages and
Palestinian prisoners.
The
Cabinet also stressed the need to provide civilians with aid and emphasised the
Kingdom’s view that security and stability can only be achieved in the region
through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East
Jerusalem as its capital.
The
Cabinet also confirmed its commitment to combating climate change and
prioritising the G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment which it said reflects
the Kingdom’s interest in enhancing international cooperation and finding
concrete solutions to support the global economy.
The
Cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the Fifth Arab Water Conference which was
recently held in Riyadh, and highlighted the Kingdom’s active role in
addressing regional and international water challenges. This includes the
establishment of the Global Water Organization and the provision of technical
solutions that support achieving sustainable water security.
The
Cabinet also discussed the Kingdom’s participation in a number of recent
international meetings as part of its efforts to strengthen solidarity and
cooperation with international partners, and contribute to efforts to achieve
justice and peace in the world.
Source: arabnews.com
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Another
Yemeni prisoner dies in Houthi detention, fourth in month
November
28, 2023
AL-MUKALLA:
A Yemeni government soldier has died of torture inside a Houthi detention
facility in Sanaa, the fourth confirmed prisoner dying as a result of torture
in less than a month, Yemeni government officials and activists said.
The
Houthis recently requested that the family of Yanouf Hassan Ali Al-Batenah
collect his remains without providing details regarding the cause of death.
Al-Batenah,
a soldier of the Yemeni army’s 7th Military Region, was seized by the Houthis
in November 2020 while fighting with Yemeni government troops in the Mas area
in the province of Marib.
For
three years, the Houthis had forcefully disappeared the Yemeni soldier and
refused his family’s repeated requests to see him or learn his location.
Yemeni
human rights advocates and authorities reported that the 26-year-old soldier
was mercilessly tortured to death in a notorious Houthi intelligence jail in
Sanaa.
Al-Batenah’s
death occurred only days after the Houthis said that Yemeni government soldier
Mohammed Ahmed Wahban, who was captured by the Houthis during the same fight in
Mas, committed suicide inside the military prison in Sanaa by hanging himself.
Yemeni
activists, citing a Houthi death sentence against him, contradicted the Houthis’
assertions, saying that the Houthis brutally tortured and murdered Wahban.
Two more
inmates have died within Houthi detentions since late last month, including a
Yemeni citizen working for the international organization Save the Children.
The Houthis
repeatedly rejected pleas from Save the Children, local and international
rights organizations, and foreign envoys in Yemen to provide explanations for
the deaths of captives in their hands.
Yemeni
Information Minister Muammar Al-Eryani said on Monday that 350 inmates died of
abuse within Houthi detention facilities out of 1,635 recorded cases of torture
since 2015 and that the Houthis maintain 237 official jails and another 128
hidden prisons throughout territories under their control.
“We
reaffirm our request to the International Committee of the Red Cross and
international and local human rights groups to launch an open inquiry into the
crimes of murder and torture committed by Houthi militia in detention
facilities,” the Yemeni minister said on X.
Meanwhile,
a delegation of EU ambassadors to Yemen completed their visit to Yemen’s
temporary capital, Aden, on Tuesday by expressing their support for the
Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government’s efforts to improve
revenues and combat corruption.
“They
praised the government’s work aimed at raising revenue and stabilizing the
economy, continuing implementing reforms and improving service delivery under
extremely challenging circumstances in a very complex regional context,” the EU
ambassadors to Yemen said in a joint statement.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi
capital Riyadh to host World Expo 2030
November
28, 2023
PARIS:
Riyadh will host the World Expo 2030 after defeating challenges from South
Korea and Italy for the prestigious event.
The
Saudi capital was picked by a majority of 119 out of 165 votes by the member
states of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions.
The
secret ballot was carried out using electronic voting, and Riyadh was confirmed
as the successor host to Osaka in 2025.
During
the BIE event in the French capital, candidates presented their final Expo
progress reports to member states and government-appointed delegates in an
11th-hour attempt to win votes.
The
event is expected to represent the culmination of Vision 2030 and showcase the
Kingdom’s achievements, with a particular focus on hospitality, tourism, and
culture.
Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman used a visit to Paris in June to showcase the
Kingdom’s bid for the Expo, attending an exhibition held by the Royal
Commission for the City of Riyadh that showcased Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage
and cultural depth.
The bid
began to draw support from high-profile French backers, with influential French
senator Natalie Goulet saying that holding the expo in the Saudi capital would
be “the culmination of Vision 2030.”
Saudi
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “I would like to thank the 130
countries that have already announced their support for the Kingdom’s bid.
Distinguished dignitaries, you have all acted as indispensable partners
providing insight, feedback, and support throughout the Kingdom’s campaign.”
He
reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s “unwavering commitment to collaborate with all
nations to deliver an Expo built by the world for the world and to find new
pathways for collective action and collaboration.”
The
foreign minister said the Kingdom will “provide facilities packages of $348
million to a pool of 100 eligible countries.”
Arab
News backed the Expo bid through a #WhyRiyadh campaign launched on Sept. 23 –
the Saudi National Day.
Public
figures from across various industries backed the campaign, including Saudi
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubair, Riyadh Mayor Prince
Faisal bin Abdulaziz bin Ayyaf, and Frédéric Bedin, president of public
relations agency Hopscotch.
Other
high-profile supporters included the secretary-general of Alwaleed Philanthropy
and UN Human Settlements Program’s Goodwill Ambassador, Princess Lamia bint
Majed, the vice president of the Saudi Arabia Boxing Federation Rasha
Al-Khamism, and Rob Sobhani, adjunct professor at Georgetown University.
Nonetheless,
the campaign had started earlier, with the announcement of Paris’s support of
Riyadh Expo 2030, reiterated during the crown prince’s visit to the French
capital in June 2023, and his participation in the first Summit for Financial
pact.
Commenting
on the achievement, Princess Haifa Al-Mogrin, the Kingdom’s ambassador to
UNESCO, said: “Riyadh Expo 2030 will be a global platform that accelerates
progress, toward the most urgent challenges, health and education, climate and
the environment, trade and investment, peace and prosperity for all.”
Why
Riyadh? The city’s vibrant energy, with several megaprojects in progress, is
placing sustainability and quality of life at the heart of every discussion.
The Expo
2030 location addresses these themes and is set to offer sustainable solutions
for the cities of tomorrow, including clean mobility and renewable energy.
Creating
green neighborhoods, with the key enablers being water and trees while
reinstating the red sands desert that Riyadh is famous for, is an important
example of how to build the “city of the future” while preserving heritage.
Saudi
Arabia is raising the sustainability bar through its Green Riyadh Program, but
it also aims to create connections, encourage people to use public transport,
and increase the percentage of green space to improve air quality.
The
program also seeks to increase green coverage from 1.5 percent to 9.1 percent,
enhancing quality of life by creating open areas to improve public health,
reduce energy consumption, and ultimately make Riyadh one of the 100 best
livable cities in the world.
Seventy
percent of the Saudi population is under the age of 30, and with a qualified
labor force across industries fueling the race to 2030, there is excitement,
energy, and enthusiasm in the first Arab capital to host the world event.
“Diriyah
will be very famous by 2030, the city of Riyadh will be unrecognizable,” Jerry
Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Group, told Arab News during an event leading up
to the Expo 2030 announcement.
“What
Singapore did in 60 years, what the Emiratis did just in tourism in 30 years,
the crown prince wants to accomplish that in 15 years,” he added.
In a
symposium held in Paris earlier in November, the Royal Commission’s directors
of landscape architecture, Lamia Al-Muhanna, and Nouf Al-Moneef, unveiled a
color-coded map with planned pavilions, performance venues, support facilities,
and an exhibition village.
Princess
Haifa bint Mohammed Al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s deputy minister of tourism, used
the event to say: “Choosing Saudi, choosing Riyadh, is choosing the world.”
Delivering
Expo 2030 will mean massive infrastructure developments in the Saudi capital,
including an increase in hotel capacity by 70,000 new rooms.
The
venue will be accessible via a newly developed metro linking Expo City to a
reconstructed King Salman Airport, set to be one of the largest aviation hubs
in the world at 57 million sq. meters.
The
Kingdom’s new airline, Riyadh Air, will further increase the capital’s
accessibility, with flights to 100 countries by 2025.
“As
host, we will create a world-class site expo to enable you to build pavilions
and experiences in a way that matches your national priorities and
aspirations,” said Ghida Al-Shibl, a member of the Riyadh Expo 2030 team.
She
said: “By Feb 2028, participant parcel and expo village will be open. We will
fast-track all necessary requirements including imports, visas, and
regulations.”
Al-Shibl
said the Kingdom will launch a participant lab in 2025 that will run through
2030 as a 24/7 concierge service to support “your move, and a variety of
housing options for teams and families, in addition to access to excellent
healthcare and education and banking services.”
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Amir
congratulates Saudi Arabia for winning 2030 World Expo bid
28 Nov
2023
Doha,
Qatar: The Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani sent a cable of
congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on the occasion of the
Kingdom’s victory to host the World Expo 2030 in Riyadh.
Deputy
Amir H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister and Minister of
Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani also
sent similar cables of congratulations to the King of Saudi Arabia.
“I
congratulate our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on winning the right
to host #RiyadhExpo2030 and I wish them every success in organizing a distinguished
edition of Expo 2030. We are all confident that this edition will be a unique
experience for everyone and will represent a milestone in the history of this
important event,” Prime Minister on X platform.
Saudi
Arabia was awarded another global event yesterday with its selection to host
the 2030 World Expo as the kingdom looks to boost tourism.
The
international fair, held every five years, will run in Saudi Arabia from
October 2030 to March 2031.
The
Saudi government has said it planned to spend $7.8bn to stage the Expo.
Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com
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Bahraini
Leadership Congratulates Custodian of Two Holy Mosques and HRH the Crown Prince
on Saudi Arabia’s Winning Bid to Host Expo 2030
28 Nov,
2023
King
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, congratulated the
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on the
occasion of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s winning its bid to organize and host
Expo 2030.
In a cable sent to the Custodian of the Two
Holy Mosques, Bahraini King expressed his sincere congratulations on this major
global achievement, which he described as embodying the Kingdom’s prestigious
international posture and adding to the continuous achievements and successes
it has scored in all fields as well as its ability to host more global events
and make them successful.
On this occasion, King Hamad praised the close
historical and fraternal relations between the two countries and their
brotherly peoples and the high level they have reached in all fields, wishing
the Kingdom and its people continued progress and prosperity under the wise
leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown
Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, also congratulated, in two
cables, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al
Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud,
the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, on the announcement of Saudi Arabia as
organizer and host of Expo 2030.
In his two cables, the Crown Prince of Bahrain
expressed his sincere congratulations on this major global achievement, which
he described as embodying the prestigious international standing enjoyed by
Saudi Arabia that comes as a culmination of the continuous process of
achievements and successes it has achieved in all fields, and which reflects
its ability to successfully host and organize more global events.
On this occasion, he praised the firm
fraternal and historical relations that bring together the two brotherly
countries and their peoples and the continuous progress and development
witnessed by the joint coordination at all levels, wishing the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and its brotherly people continued progress and prosperity under the
wise leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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Crown
Prince, Brazilian president hold talks in Riyadh
November
28, 2023
RIYADH —
Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman and Brazilian President
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held an official session of talks in Riyadh on
Tuesday.
They
reviewed aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries and joint
coordination to enhance cooperation in various fields.
The
Saudi Crown Prince received the Brazilian President at Al Yamamah Palace in
Riyadh, and they discussed promising investment opportunities in both countries
in order to achieve common interests.
The also
discusses developments in regional and international situations, issues of
common interest, and the efforts made towards them.
The two
leaders also witnessed the signing ceremony of a bilateral memorandum of
understanding in the field of energy between the two countries.
The MoU
was signed on the Saudi side by Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman
and on the Brazilian side Minister of Mines and Energy Alexandre Silveira.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Cabinet
renews Kingdom's G20 commitment to continue efforts to address climate change
November
28, 2023
RIYADH —
The Cabinet, chaired by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman held
Tuesday in Riyadh, renewed the Kingdom's commitment, made during the G20
virtual meeting under India's presidency, to continuing its comprehensive
efforts to address climate change.
It
agreed to give priority to implementing the joint framework for addressing
debts, in a way that highlights interest in enhancing international cooperation
in various fields and reaching tangible solutions to support the global
economy.
The
Cabinet stressed the contents of the Crown Prince and and Prime Minister's
remarks in the Extraordinary Joint Meeting of BRICS Leaders and leaders of
invited BRICS members on the situation in the Middle East, with particular
focus on Gaza.
It
stressed his call to completely halt military operations and protecting
civilians, where he also reiterated the Kingdom's unaltered stance that there
is no means to realize security and stability but through the establishment of
an independent Palestinian state with East Al-Quds as its capital.
The
Cabinet was briefed on the content of the phone call that the Crown Prince
received from the Ukrainian president over relations between the two countries,
where the Crown Prince stressed Saudi Arabia's support to international efforts
aimed at reaching a political solution to the Ukrainian-Russian crisis.
The
Cabinet also addressed the outcomes of the Kingdom's participation in several
international meetings over the past few days as part of its endeavors to
promote solidarity with other countries to contribute to every effort that
serves justice and peace and achieves stability and prosperity for the people
of the region and the world.
In a
statement to the Saudi Press Agency following the session, Minister of Media
Salman Bin Yousef Al-Dosari said that the Cabinet deliberated on the outcomes
of the Fifth Arab Water Conference held in Riyadh, highlighting the Kingdom's
proactive role in addressing water challenges at both the regional and
international levels.
This
includes the initiative to establish the Global Water Organization and the
development of technological solutions to achieve sustainable water security.
The
Cabinet approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for energy cooperation
between the Ministry of Energy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry
of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
It
authorized the minister of energy and the chairman of the Board of Directors of
the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC) to discuss and sign
an MoU for cooperation with the State of Kuwait in the field of nuclear safety
and radiation protection.
This MoU
encompasses collaboration between the NRRC and the Radiation Protection
Department of the Ministry of Health of the State of Kuwait.
The
Cabinet authorized the minister of foreign affairs to discuss and sign a draft
Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of support and technical assistance
between the ministry and the Arab Gulf Program for Development (AGFUND).
It
approved an MoU outlining the principles of the India–Middle East–Europe
Economic Corridor (IMEC).
The
Cabinet authorized the minister of industry and mineral resources to hold
discussions regarding a draft MoU for cooperation in mineral resources with the
Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
It
authorized the minister of health to discuss and sign with the Belarusian side
a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the health sector between the
Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Health of Belarus.
The
Cabinet approved a framework agreement between the Royal Commission for AlUla
of Saudi Arabia and the Georges Pompidou National Centre for Art and Culture of
the French Republic for cooperation on contemporary art exhibitions in AlUla.
It authorized
the minister of commerce, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Small and
Medium Enterprises General Authority to discuss and sign with the Pakistani
side a draft memorandum of understanding between the Small and Medium
Enterprises General Authority of Saudi Arabia and the Small and Medium
Enterprises Development Authority affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and
Production of Pakistan for cooperation in the field of small and medium
enterprises.
The
Cabinet approved Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Protocol Relating to the
Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks.
It
authorized the minister of tourism, chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Saudi Tourism Authority to discuss with the Swiss side a draft memorandum of
understanding for cooperation in the field of tourism between the Saudi Tourism
Authority of Saudi Arabia and the Swiss Tourism Foundation in the Swiss
Confederation.
The
Cabinet authorized the chairman of the Capital Market Authority to discuss and
sign with the Bahraini side a draft memorandum of understanding between the
Capital Market Authority of Saudi Arabia and the Central Bank of Bahrain.
It
approved the second additional protocol to the Universal Postal Convention
included in the decisions of the Universal Postal Union Third Extraordinary
Congress.
It
approved a memorandum of understanding for cooperation and news exchange
between the Saudi Press Agency and the Bulgarian News Agency. — SPA
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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Saudi
Cabinet approves MoU of the principles of India–Middle East–Europe Economic
Corridor
29th
November 2023
Riyadh:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers has approved the memorandum
of understanding (MoU) regarding the principles of the India-Middle East-Europe
Economic Corridor (IMEC).
Subhan
Bakery Instagram
The
decision was announced during a meeting in Riyadh, headed by the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Tuesday, November 28,
the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
During
the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September this year, India, United States (US),
United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy and the
European Union signed an MoU to establish the IMEC.
MS
Education Academy
The
corridor aims to boost economic development by enhancing connectivity and
integration between Asia, West Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
The
corridor will consist of two distinct sections: the East corridor connecting
India to West Asia/Middle East and the Northern corridor connecting West
Asia/Middle East to Europe.
The rail
line will enhance cross-border ship-to-rail transit networks, providing a
reliable and cost-effective solution for goods and services transhipment
between South East Asia, India, and West Asia/Middle East Europe.
Source: siasat.com
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------
Israeli,
US spy chiefs meet Qatari PM to discuss ‘building on’ Gaza truce — source
November
29, 2023
DOHA/WASHINGTON:
The leaders of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Israel’s Mossad met
Qatar’s prime minister in Doha on Tuesday to build on the two-day extension of
a truce between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, a source briefed on the
visit said.
The
meeting was “to build on the progress of the extended humanitarian pause
agreement and to initiate further discussions about the next phase of a
potential deal,” the source told Reuters.
The
outcome of the talks, which were also attended by Egyptian officials, was
unclear, the source added.
CIA
Director William Burns was in Doha “for meetings on the Israel-Hamas conflict
including discussions on hostages,” a US official said on condition of
anonymity. The official did not elaborate.
Burns,
David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service and Qatari Prime
Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met one day after Qatar
announced the two-day extension of an original four-day truce deal in Gaza that
had been due to expire overnight.
Qatar,
where several political leaders of Hamas are based, has been leading
negotiations between the Palestinian militant group and Israel.
Officials
in Tuesday’s meeting discussed possible parameters of a new phase of the truce
deal including Hamas releasing hostages who are men or military personnel, not
just women and children, the source said. They also considered what might be
needed to reach a cease-fire lasting more than a handful of days.
Qatar
spoke to Hamas before the meeting to get a sense of what the group might agree
to. The Israelis and Hamas are now internally discussing the ideas explored at
the meeting, the source added.
The
truce has brought the first respite to the Gaza Strip in seven weeks during
which Israel bombed the territory heavily in response to a violent rampage on
Oct. 7 by Hamas gunmen who killed around 1,200 people and took 240 captives.
Israel
has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza. Health authorities in Gaza say
Israel’s bombardment of the tiny, densely populated territory has so far killed
more than 15,000 people, around 40 percent of them children.
Barnea
and Burns were previously in Qatar to meet Sheikh Mohammed on Nov 9.
During
the first four days of the truce, Hamas fighters released 50 Israeli women and
children who had been taken hostage. In return, Israel released 150 security
detainees from its jails, all women and teenagers.
As part
of the two-day truce extension Hamas has agreed to release an additional 10
Israeli women and children each day.
So far,
there is no indication that Hamas is willing to release any Israeli men or
military personnel among those taken captive.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2417051/middle-east
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/iran-un-human-rights-office/d/131215