Iranian Foundation Offers Land to Salman Rushdie's Attacker, Hadi Matar, a Shi'ite Muslim American from New Jersey
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 February 2023
Photo: The Times of India
-----
• Calls for Change in Iran’s Ruling Theocracy Reach
Even Shiite Heartland of Qom
• Islamic Seminary Expels 4 Students for Shaving
Beard, Says No Admission for Freshers without Beard
• Egypt Issues Its First “Sharia-Compliant” Bond,
Islamic Sukuk
• Constitution and Laws of Pakistan Determines the
Rights of Non-Muslims: Pakistan Ulema Council
Europe
• Denmark to send over 40 mobile homes for Türkiye
quake victims
• Londoners hold gathering to show solidarity with
quake-hit victims in Türkiye, Syria
• Search and rescue operations were emotionally
painful in quake-hit Türkiye: Albanian team
--------
Mideast
• Islamic Jihad Leader Whose Arrest Sparked 2022 Gaza
Conflict Gets 22 Months in Jail
• Iran says ambiguities over nuclear enrichment are
being resolved by IAEA inspectors
• Iran Sentences Terror Group's Ringleader, Jamshid
Sharmahd, to Death
• Iran Impounds Vessel Smuggling US-Made Machetes,
Swords
• Iran Announces Readiness to Host 3+3 Caucasus
Platform Meeting
• 5.2 Magnitude Quake Jolts Southern Iran, No
Casualties Reported
• Spokesman: Iran Considers Prisoners Swap as
Humanitarian Issue
• Official: Iranian Police Seize 700 Tons of Narcotics
in 10 Months
--------
India
• Delhi Waqf Board Moves High Court, Says Ministry’s
Letter On 123 Properties ‘Spread Fear And Resentment Amongst Muslim Community’
• TDP Leader Lokesh Promises To Establish Islamic Bank
In Andhra
• BJP's Mega Convention on Hindu-Muslim Unity in UP's
Muzaffarnagar
• Mahapanchayat Warns Against Arrest of Man Linked To
Muslim Men's Killing
• Muslim Men's Killing: Case against Rajasthan Cops over
Violent Raid Claim
• Locals in quake-hit Turkey exchanged hugs and
mementos with NDRF rescuers
• Javed Akhtar in Pak: 26/11 Perpetrators Still Roam
Free
• For Pakistan to find way out, nobody reaches
difficult situation without cause: EAM Jaishankar
• Top Hizbul terrorist from J&K gunned down in
Pakistan's Rawalpindi
• Muslim Trust Urges Bombay HC to Vacate Status Quo on
Disputed Site
• Aligarh Muslim University students protest Bhiwani
killings
--------
Arab World
• Founding Day Exhibition Displays Saudi History
through Art
• Syria family takes in 'miracle baby' born under
quake rubble
• Saudi Arabia deposits $1 billion in Yemen’s
Aden-based central bank
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistani Intolerance on Full Display. Ahmadi Homeopath
Shot Dead, Second In 2 Years
• Notices issued in Pakistan Origin Card case
• Pakistan Senator blames former PTI govt for rise in
terror attacks
• PTI aims to counter ‘attack on fundamental rights’,
‘economic meltdown’ with Jail Bharo Tehreek
• PML-N to seek recusal of ‘biased’ SC judges in cases
against Nawaz, others: Sanaullah
• NAB asks Imran, Bushra to join probe in Toshakhana
reference
--------
North America
• US Judge Rules 9/11 Victims Cannot Seize Afghan
Central Bank Funds
• Blinken welcomes ‘time out’ on Greece-Turkey tension
• Blinken says ball in Iran court to engage, deal with
challenges of nuclear program
• US rescue team returns home after relief efforts in
Türkiye earthquakes
--------
South Asia
• Afghans and Advocates Speak Out After Taliban Bans
Women From Working With Aid Groups
• Over 80,000 Drug Addicts Collected After Islamic
Emirate Came to Power: Ministry of Interior
--------
Southeast Asia
• Al-Azhar Grand Imam Receives Kelantan Crown Prince Enhance
Cooperation In Fields Of Knowledge And Da’wah
• ‘I’ll sue those saying I am corrupt’, says former
Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin
• Malaysian minister warns against activities inciting
chaos after PAS parade with fake weapons
• Graft investigators won’t spare Parti Keadilan
Rakyat members: Malaysia PM Anwar
--------
Africa
• Muslim Scholars Supplicate, Endorse Tinubu for
President
• Tunisia’s press syndicate head says he faces
prosecution over protest
• Three peacekeepers killed, five injured in Mali: UN
• 10 killed, several injured in al-Shabaab terrorist
attack on residential building in Somalia's capital
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/iranian-foundation-rushdie-matar-shiite/d/129171
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Iranian Foundation Offers Land to Salman Rushdie's Attacker, Hadi Matar, a Shi'ite Muslim American from New Jersey
Photo: The Times of India
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Reuters | Feb 21, 2023
DUBAI: An Iranian foundation has praised a man accused
of severely injuring novelist Salman Rushdie in an attack last year and
promised him 1,000 sq metres of agricultural land, state TV reported on Tuesday
on its Telegram channel.
Rushdie, 75, lost an eye and the use of one hand
following the assault on the stage of a literary event held near Lake Erie in
western New York State in August.
Hadi Matar, a Shi'ite Muslim American from New Jersey,
has pleaded 'not guilty' to charges of second-degree attempted murder and
assault.
"We sincerely thank the brave action of the young
American who made Muslims happy by blinding one of Rushdie's eyes and disabling
one of his hands," said Mohammad Esmail Zarei, secretary of the Foundation
to Implement Imam Khomeini's Fatwas.
"Rushdie is now no more than living dead and, to
honour this brave action, about 1,000 square metres of agricultural land will
be donated to the person or any of his legal representatives."
The Indian-born novelist was set to deliver a lecture
on artistic freedom at the Chautauqua Institution when police say Matar rushed
the stage and stabbed him.
The attack came 33 years after Shi'ite Iran's late
supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa or religious edict
calling on Muslims to assassinate Rushdie following the release of his novel
"The Satanic Verses". Some Muslims saw passages about the Prophet
Muhammad in the novel as blasphemous.
Matar's family comes from the south Lebanon town of
Yaroun.
A law enforcement review of Matar's social media
accounts showed he was sympathetic to Shi'ite extremism and Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the NBC New York news outlet.
Streets in Yaroun bear posters of Khomeini, while the
logo of Lebanon's Iranian-armed Hezbollah group adorns monuments to its
fighters. Hezbollah said in August it did not know anything about the attack on
Rushdie.
Ali Tehfe, mayor of Yaroun, said Matar's parents had
emigrated to the United States, where Matar was born and raised, but that he
had no information on their political views.
Rushdie, who was born in India to a Muslim Kashmiri
family, spent nine years in hiding under British police protection.
While a pro-reform Iranian government under president
Mohammad Khatami distanced itself from the fatwa in the late 1990s, the
multimillion-dollar bounty hanging over him has kept growing and the fatwa has
never been lifted.
Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, was suspended from Twitter in 2019 for saying the fatwa against
Rushdie was "irrevocable".
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Calls for Change in Iran’s Ruling Theocracy Reach Even
Shiite Heartland of Qom
People walk on a pavement
in front of a mosque at the city at the city of Qom, some 80 miles (125 kilometres)
south of of the capital Tehran, Iran
----
Feb 21, 2023
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Iran’s city of Qom is one
of the country’s most important centres for Shiite Muslim clerics, packed with
religious schools and revered shrines. But even here, some are quietly calling
for Iran’s ruling theocracy to change its ways after months of protests shaking
the country.
To be clear: Many here still support the cleric-led
ruling system, which marked the 44th anniversary this month of Iran’s 1979
Islamic Revolution.
This includes support for many of the restrictions
that set off the protests, such as the mandatory hjjab, or headscarf, for women
in public. They believe the state’s claims that Iran’s foreign enemies are the
ones fomenting the unrest gripping the country.
But they say the government should change how it
approaches demonstrators and women’s demands to be able to choose whether to
wear an Islamic head covering or not.
“The harsh crackdown was a mistake from the
beginning,” said Abuzar Sahebnazaran, a cleric who described himself as an
ardent backer of the theocracy, as he visited a former residence of the late
revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. “And the youth should have
been treated softly and politely. They should have been enlightened and
guided.”
Qom, some 125 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of
Iran’s capital, Tehran, draws millions of pilgrims each year and is home to
half of the country’s Shiite clerics. Its religious institutions graduate the
country’s top clerical minds, making the city a power bastion in the country.
The faithful believe the city’s dazzling blue-domed Fatima Masumeh Shrine
represents a route to heaven or a place to have prayers answered for their
woes.
For Iran today, the woes are many.
Protests have rocked the country since September after
the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian-Kurdish woman who had been
detained by morality police over alleged improper dress. The demonstrations,
initially focused on the mandatory hijab, soon morphed into calls for a new
revolution in the country.
Activists outside the country say at least 528 people
have been killed and 19,600 people detained in a crackdown that followed. The
Iranian government has not provided any figures.
Meanwhile, Iran faces increasing pressure abroad over
enriching uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels following the
collapse of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Renewed sanctions
worsen longstanding financial problems, pushing its currency — the rial — to
historic lows against the dollar.
“Many protesters either had economic problems or were
influenced by the internet,” Sahebnazaran said from inside Khomeini’s former
home, which bore pictures of the ayatollah and Iranian flags.
Protesters have even vented their anger directly at
clerics, whom they see as the foundations of the system. Some videos circulated
online show young protesters running up behind clerics on the street and
knocking off their turbans, a sign of their status. Those wearing a black
turban claim descent directly from Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
The scattered videos are a sign of the alienation felt
by some toward the clergy in a nation where, 44 years ago, clerics helped lead
the revolution against Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
“This was part of enemy plans, they wanted to tell
people that the clerics are the reason behind all problems and high prices,”
Sahebnazaran said. “But the clergy are being impacted by the inflation like the
rest of the people. Many clerics live on tuition fees at the lowest economic
level of society. The majority of them face the same problems as the people
do.”
Seminary students receive some $50 a month, with many
working as laborers or taxi drivers. Fewer than 10% of Iran’s 200,000 clerics
have official posts in the government.
Sakineh Heidarifard, who voluntarily works with the
morality police in Qom and actively promotes the hijab, said arresting women
and forcefully taking them into police custody isn’t a good idea.
She said the morality patrols are necessary, but if
they find violators they should give them a warning. “Use of force and coercion
is not correct at all. We should talk to them with a soft and gentle tone, with
kindness and care,” she said.
Still, she sees the hijab as a central tenet of the
Islamic Republic. “We have sacrificed a lot of martyrs or blood to keep this
veil,” she said. “God willing, it will never be removed from our heads.”
Changes in approach, however, are not likely to
satisfy those calling for the wholesale rejection of the cleric-run government.
Politicians in the reform movement for years have been urging change within the
theocratic system to no avail, and many protesters have lost patience.
Also, the ever-growing economic pressure on Iran’s 80
million people may one day explode across all of society, said Alireza Fateh, a
carpet salesman standing next to his empty shop in Qom’s traditional bazaar.
“Economic collapse is usually followed by political
collapse ... and unfortunately this is what is happening here,” he said.
“The majority of the population ... still have a
little left in their bank accounts. But someday they will take to streets too,
someday soon. Soon the poor, those who can’t make ends meet, will take to
streets definitely.”
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Islamic Seminary Expels 4 Students for Shaving Beard,
Says No Admission for Freshers without Beard
The notice mentioned that
the institute expelled the four students two weeks ago for not following
Islamic norms regarding beard and that it would not be lenient with any student
who attempts to violate the norms. (File)
------
February 21, 2023
Prominent Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband in
Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur has expelled four students for either totally
shaving or trimming their beards.
The institute also pasted a notice at the reception
Monday warning the students of immediate expulsion if they experimented with
their beards. It said that freshers with no beard would not even be considered
for admission.
“In Islam, men are asked to keep their beard to one
fist length. It is unlawful to cut it below one fist and shaving it is haram
(Prohibited) and a major sin,” said Maulana Hussain Ahmed, the head of the
Education department in Darul Uloom, on whose behalf the notice was issued.
The notice mentioned that the institute expelled the
four students two weeks ago for not following Islamic norms regarding beard and
that it would not be lenient with any student who attempts to violate the
norms.
The ousted students submitted a written apology to the
governing body and vowed not to repeat the act in future but the institute
rejected their submission and is now unlikely to allow them to appear in the
forthcoming yearly exams.
Justifying the expulsion of four students, Maulana
Mufti Asad Kasmi of Jamia Shaikhul Hind in Deoband town said strict measures
should be taken so that no cane dare to defy the Sunnah (the way of the
Prophet).
“The Sunnah provides guidelines for the social
appearance of men and women, besides other important instructions about life.
All those belonging to the community should follow the way our Prophet taught
us and followed in his life,” he said.
Source: Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/darul-uloom-deoband-up-expels-four-students-8458550/
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Egypt Issues Its First “Sharia-Compliant” Bond,
Islamic Sukuk
Doaa A. Moneim
21 Feb 2023
The Islamic sukuk mainly targets investors from the
GCC market who prefer to invest in an Islamic compliant investment instrument.
According to the minister of finance after being
contacted by Ahram Online, all further details will be revealed later on
Tuesday.
According to Bloomberg, the initial yield set for this
issuance is above 11.6 percent.
Egypt has assigned HSBC, Crédit Agricole, Emirates
NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, and City Group to manage the
issuance process.
Under their new $3 billion loan deal with Egypt, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated Egypt’s financing gap Egypt will
reach $17 billion over the four years of the deal’s programme.
Egypt is endeavouring to bridge this gap through
securing other loans from a number of international financial institutions
(IFIs), including the IMF and World Bank, along with selling a segment of
state-owned assets with an initial targeted collection ranges between exceeds
$8 billion through the end of the IMF-backed programme.
Egypt is set to initiate its initial public offering
(IPO) programme through which it will offer 34 state-owned companies in 18 economic
activities to be floated in the Egyptian stock exchange and to be offered to
strategic investors.
Since the onset of the war in Ukraine, Egypt has
depreciated its local currency by over 100 percent and hiked its key interest
rates by a total of eight percent, which both have contributed to the exodus of
about $25 billion in indirect investments and caused a shortage in the hard
currency in the local market, especially in the US dollar.
As the elevated inflation forced the central banks
globally to tighten their monetary policies, chiefly the US Federal Reserve and
the Central Bank of Europe, the capital market has been witnessing a
significant fluctuation.
Source: Ahram
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/488457.aspx
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Constitution and Laws of Pakistan Determines the
Rights of Non-Muslims: Pakistan Ulema Council
Demonstrators hold
placards during a protest in Islamabad as they demand the government to allow
the construction of a Hindu temple. (Photo| AFP)
-------
February 22, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Ulema Council said the
Constitution and laws of Pakistan have clearly determined the rights of Muslims
and non-Muslims and the killing of any non-Muslim cannot be justified under any
circumstances.
Without legal permission, it is not lawful to build or
demolish any worship place. Some incidents and instances are publicized to
defame Pakistan without the facts, Pakistan Ulema Council said in a statement
on Tuesday.
No individual, group, or organization should take any
step beyond the Constitution and law. Since it is the responsibility of Muslims
and the state in a Muslim-majority country to protect the holy places of the
non-Muslims, similarly, it is also the responsibility of non-Muslims to follow
the Constitution and laws, the statement added.
Killing a Christian, Hindu or any other minority
person is not right in any way, nor can any such action be supported or
endorsed in any circumstances, said the leaders of Pakistan Ulema Council.
The government should take immediate action against
such individuals or groups or organizations who violate the law and take the
state-writ into their hands, they added. The leadership of the Pakistan Ulema
Council also strongly condemned the killing of a minority person in Sarai
Alamgir (Jhelum) in recent days and stated that the Punjab government should
fulfil its responsibilities in this regard and bring out the facts regarding
the killing of a member of the minority community.
Source: The News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1043019-killing-of-non-muslims-not-justified-pakistan-ulema-council
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Europe
Denmark to send over 40 mobile homes for Türkiye quake
victims
Ebad Ahmed
21.02.2023
Denmark will send 42 mobile housing units for
earthquake victims in Türkiye, an official said.
The Danish Emergency Management Agency will arrange
their transport, the organization’s chief Jens Oddershede told local news
agency Ritzau on Monday.
“We have had good experiences with these housing
units. We have previously sent some to Ukraine, where we are very sure they
have been useful,” he said.
The housing units are visually similar to camping
huts, can accommodate at least four people, and have heating and
air-conditioning, the report said.
Denmark earlier called for closer cooperation between
the EU and Türkiye following the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes, which have now
claimed over 42,300 lives in 11 southern Turkish provinces.
“We, alongside many other European countries, have
decided to support Turkey with humanitarian aid. This is time you should prove
your friendship,” Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen told Anadolu at the
Munich Security Conference this past Saturday.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Londoners hold gathering to show solidarity with
quake-hit victims in Türkiye, Syria
Burak Bir
21.02.2023
LONDON
Concerned citizens and members of various communities
gathered in north London on Monday in a show of solidarity and support for
those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
Islington Council held a vigil for the earthquake
victims outside the town hall building which was attended by representatives of
the Turkish and Syrian communities and faith leaders as well as local
politicians.
"Tonight we stand with you through your grief and
pain, through the pain of losing loved ones, through the pain of seeing the
scale of the devastation in towns and cities across the region," said
Islington Mayor Marian Spall in the opening speech.
Also hailing the efforts of search and rescue teams on
the ground, Spall called on everyone to remember and pay respect to those who
lost their lives.
For her part, Islington Council leader Kaya
Comer-Schwartz started her speech by mentioning a report on the latest quakes
that hit southern Türkiye on Monday evening.
At least three people were killed and 213 wounded
after a magnitude 6.4 and magnitude 5.8 earthquake jolted Hatay province Monday
night.
"I promise you this evening that we won't stop
there. This is not a moment. This is a continued commitment to you as a
community that we are here for you," Comer-Schwartz noted, thanking
everyone making donations.
Will do everything we can to help
Jeremy Corbyn, a former Labor Party leader and member
of parliament for Islington North, joined those showing their strong support,
saying they will continue to do everything they can to help people.
"Islamic Relief and many others have raised a
great deal of money. My appeal is give everything you possibly can," he
said, mentioning that he had discussions with Muslim communities following the
quakes.
Corbyn went on to say that various campaigns such as
cake sales are also taking place at some schools to raise money.
"So our children understand when people go
through a disaster. We don't forget them, we don't ignore them, we do
everything we can in our borough, in our community, to help," he added.
At least 41,156 people were killed and 105,505 injured
by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, officials
said Monday in the latest figures from the natural disaster.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Search and rescue operations were emotionally painful
in quake-hit Türkiye: Albanian team
Mustafa Talha Öztürk
21.02.2023
BELGRADE, Serbia
An Albanian search and rescue team expressed how
emotionally painful it was as they took part in relief operations in Türkiye,
which was hit by twin earthquakes on Feb. 6.
The 10-member volunteer team arrived in Türkiye to
participate in search and rescue efforts in the city of Malatya until Feb. 15.
Nebi Mucay, the leader of the team, said they were
very emotional, especially when they found a dead father and son hugging each
other under the rubble.
“The most touching event -- not only for me, but for
all the team members -- was the eternal embrace of the father and son under the
rubble. It was very painful for everyone. First, we saw the child's hand, and
as we continued to dig slowly, the child's father's body was also discovered.
Just like daily care from a father towards his child with love in life. We
witnessed this endless embrace,'' said Mucay.
He added that they felt so connected and shared the
pain that the victims were like their family members.
"Honestly, it's like he's part of our family. It
was really painful,'' said Mucay.
Another moment when the team got emotional was when
they found a photo of a newly married couple, he said.
''When I saw a picture of the newly married couple, it
hit my heart, and at that moment, I thought that life was sacred and temporary.
Seeing that happiness, that smile mixed into the rubble, the stones in that
picture, that life is precious. It makes me think. That picture is etched in my
memory, I feel like it's in my heart,'' said Mucay.
Another volunteer, Skelzen Satri, said they were
deeply touched when they saw a father wrap his son with his hands to protect
him while he was being pulled from the rubble.
He added that they started their work by praying to
God to save lives.
"I was very excited to be able to reach the place
where we are going to carry out search and rescue operations as soon as
possible and to be able to extract the living from the rubble."
Bujar Rapo said they alluded to the famous phrase
"plant a tree, give life" in the earthquake zone, saying: "We
can save a life by removing a stone."
''I will never forget an earthquake survivor who
desperately called his brother under the rubble on the phone. Unfortunately,
his lifeless body was found later,'' said Rapo.
A team of 73 medical personnel and search and rescue
specialists affiliated with the Albanian Ministry of Defense and the National
Civil Protection Agency took part in the relief operations in southern Türkiye.
Türkiye issued a level 4 alert, calling for
international aid.
More than 249,000 search and rescue personnel are
currently working in the field, according to the Turkish Disaster and Emergency
Management Presidency (AFAD).
More than 9,000 international search and rescue teams
have participated in the post-quake operations.
Around 100 countries have offered assistance so far,
with many having sent rescue teams.
At least 41,156 people were killed and 105,505 injured
by the two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, officials
said Monday in the latest figures from the natural disaster.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the
Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11
provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis,
Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa and Elazig.
More than 13 million people have been affected by the
devastating quakes.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Mideast
Islamic Jihad leader whose arrest sparked 2022 Gaza
conflict gets 22 months in jail
By EMANUEL FABIAN
21 February 2023
A military court sentenced a senior Palestinian
Islamic Jihad member to 22 months in prison Tuesday over his activities in the terror
group.
Bassem Saadi’s arrest last year sparked a round of
fighting between Israel and the terror group in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces said Saadi was sentenced in
a plea deal that saw him confess to conducting activity on behalf of a banned
organization, incitement and assuming a false identity.
He will serve 22 months in jail (beginning at his
arrest on August 1, 2022). Saadi was additionally given a suspended sentence,
contingent on a financial commitment.
Saadi’s indictment in August 2022 included charges of
membership in a terror group — the PIJ — conducting operations on behalf of the
terror group, incitement to terrorism, assisting others to contact an enemy,
and assuming a false identity.
Saadi, the leader of the terror group in the West
Bank, was arrested last August by Israeli troops in the Palestinian city of
Jenin. His arrest followed intelligence information indicating that Saadi had
continued to be active in the PIJ, a military source said.
According to the indictment, Saadi worked to assist
two other Palestinians to “advance activities” of the PIJ’s student council,
which is considered by Israel to be a part of the outlawed group. The pair
received $5,000 from a terror operative in the Gaza Strip for the activities,
according to the indictment.
The charge of incitement was given over a May
interview in which Saadi said that if Israeli troops enter the Jenin refugee
camp “and went door to door, God forbid, then the resistance would rise like
‘phoenixes’ from the fire or the coals… the Jenin refugee camp is a part of the
Palestinian people who remain to fight until they are removed from our land,
sea, sky and holy places.”
During his arrest, Saadi identified himself to troops
as his brother Ghassan, and was therefore also charged with assuming a false
identity, according to the indictment.
In response to Saadi’s arrest, the PIJ announced at
the time that it was declaring a state of alert. The Israel Defense Forces,
saying it had concrete indications of an imminent attack on the Gaza border,
put the area on lockdown for four days amid concerns that PIJ would try to fire
anti-tank missiles at Israeli targets along the border.
Eventually, the IDF launched a series of airstrikes in
Gaza against a senior PIJ commander and several anti-tank guided missile squads
in an operation called Breaking Dawn, which prompted rocket fire from the
Strip.
After nearly three days of fighting, a ceasefire
agreement was signed, which reportedly included “Egypt’s commitment to work
toward the release of” Saadi and another Palestinian detainee, Khalil Awawdeh,
a terror group spokesperson said.
Israel has no intention of releasing the prisoners
early, officials said after the ceasefire. Awawdeh’s administrative detention
has been temporarily suspended, but Israel’s top court has denied him a full
release.
PIJ had threatened to resume fighting if Israel fails
to release Saadi and Awawdeh.
There was no immediate statement from the terror group
in response to the sentencing.
Saadi, 61, has been jailed and released by Israel
seven times over the years, according to the Shin Bet.
The security service said that in the months before
his arrest, Saadi “worked even harder to restore PIJ activities, in which he
was behind the creation of a significant military force of the organization in
Samaria in general and in Jenin in particular,” referring to the northern West
Bank.
“His presence was a significant factor in the
radicalization of the organization’s operatives in the field,” the Shin Bet
added.
Source: Times Of Israel
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Iran says ambiguities over nuclear enrichment are
being resolved by IAEA inspectors
22 February ,2023
Inspectors from the UN nuclear watchdog are in Tehran
for negotiations and verification, Iran’s nuclear chief Mohammad Eslami said on
Wednesday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
“Officials of the International Atomic Energy Agency
are in Tehran and have been starting negotiations, visits and check-ups since
yesterday. Ambiguities created by an inspector are being resolved,” the head of
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Iran Sentences Terror Group's Ringleader, Jamshid
Sharmahd, to Death
2023-February-21
The Justice Department of Tehran Province announced on
Tuesday that Jamshid Sharmahd has been convicted of “corruption on earth”
through directing terrorist activities and has been sentenced to death.
The Iranian court ruled that the 67 year-old Iranian
national has been involved in plots to carry out 23 terrorist attacks and had
managed to implement five cases.
Back in August 2020, the Iranian Intelligence Ministry
announced that the country's security agents have captured Sharmahd, the
ringleader of Tondar terrorist group.
The ministry said it has dealt a heavy blow to the
Tondar group that planned and carried out a deadly terrorist attack on Seyyed
Al-Shohada mosque in the Southern city of Shiraz, Fars Province, in 2008, which
killed 14 people and wounded 215 others.
Sharmahd, who holds German citizenship and used to
reside in the US, personally planned and directed the terror attack.
It added that the terrorist group had also planned to
carry out other large-scale operations, like blowing up several places,
including Sivand Dam in Shiraz, Mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic
Republic Imam Khomeini in Southern Tehran and Tehran International Book Fair,
which were all foiled.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011202000728/Iran-Senences-Terrr-Grp's-Ringleader-Deah
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Iran Impounds Vessel Smuggling US-Made Machetes,
Swords
2023-February-21
Goudarzi stated the confiscated vessel was smuggling
various types of machetes and swords.
"A vessel was impounded in Bushehr province
carrying more than 5,000 machetes and swords. These weapons are made in the
United States," he added.
"Over the past four months, some 3,000 firearms
have also been confiscated from thugs by border guards," the commander
continued.
Iranian security forces have identified and dismantled
several anti-security groups across the country in recent months. Hundreds of
weapons, including US-made arms, were seized in the operations.
The raid on the weapons smuggling groups comes as
terrorist groups have in recent weeks ramped up their activities to undermine
the security of the country by hijacking rallies over the death of a
22-year-old Iranian woman to foment unrest and chaos.
Protests erupted in several cities across Iran over
the death of Mahsa Amini who fainted at a police station in mid-September and
days later was pronounced dead at a hospital. The demonstrations soon turned
violent.
An official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine
Organization announced that Amini’s controversial death was caused by an
illness rather than alleged blows to the head or other vital body organs.
Iranian officials blame Western countries for
orchestrating the riots to destabilize the country.
The unrest has claimed the lives of dozens of people
and security forces, while also allowing acts of terror and sabotage across the
country. Iran's Interior Ministry has confirmed the enemy waged a hybrid war
against the country to weaken national solidarity and hinder the country's
progress, stressing that some 200 people lost their lives in the riots sparked
by separatist and terrorist groups.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011202000753/Iran-Impnds-Vessel-Smggling-US-Made-Machees-Swrds
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Iran Announces Readiness to Host 3+3 Caucasus Platform
Meeting
2023-February-21
Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Viktorovich Grushko in Tehran.
Iran's diplomat stressed the importance of promoting
cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.
He underscored the importance of regional cooperation
and announced Iran’s readiness to host a meeting of foreign ministers of
countries of the 3+3 format, namely Russia, Iran, Turkey plus three Southern
Caucasus nations.
The Russian official, for his part, noted that the
promotion of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow is of importance.
Grushko also held talks with Iran’s Deputy Foreign
Minister Ali Baqeri Kani in Tehran on Monday.
The two diplomats discussed a range of regional and
international issues including the war in Ukraine, the situation in
Afghanistan, Syria as well as Central Asia and the Caucasus.
They also discussed Tehran-Moscow relations and their
cooperation within regional and international bodies.
Baqeri Kani described Iran-Moscow cooperation on
issues of mutual interest as of great importance, and deemed it necessary for
both sides to enhance interaction to protect regional peace and stability and
promote multilateralism.
He also stressed that Iran and Russia need to continue
cooperation with other independent countries in order to protect national
interests and confront unilateral and discriminatory approaches.
The Russian official emphasized the importance of
multilateralism in the world as well as boosting cooperation among independent
nations.
He also criticized Western states for misusing issues
such as freedom, democracy and human rights, stressing the need for the rule of
law in interaction between all countries.
Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed Tehran’s
opposition to geopolitical changes in the region, and reaffirmed the country is
ready to use all its capacities to establish peace and stability in the
Caucasus region and its growth and development.
Tehran believes that peace and stability in the region
is enhanced through cooperation among the regional countries, voicing hope that
the ongoing negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan over their long-running
territorial dispute results in lasting peace.
Back in September, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed
Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to solve
their territorial disputes through dialogue, warning that Tehran will not
tolerate any change to the borders of the countries in the region.
Delivering a stern warning against any attempt aimed
at changing the regional borders in the vicinity of Iran, the top military
commander called on neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia to resolve their border
issues peacefully.
“We have repeatedly declared that we do not tolerate
any changes to the region’s borders,” Major General Baqeri said.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011202000398/Iran-Annnces-Readiness-Hs-3-3-Cacass-Plafrm-Meeing
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5.2 Magnitude Quake Jolts Southern Iran, No Casualties
Reported
2023-February-21
According to the director general of the crisis
management office of the province, the quake occurred at 09:35 hours local time
(0605 GMT).
"The rescue and investigation teams had been
dispatched to the region," Khalil Abdollahi stated.
He further announced that the depth of the tremor was
10 km.
Presently, the teams of the Red Crescent Society are
on alert to deal with any possible occurrence after the quake.
Hossein Darvishi, Managing Director of the Fars Red
Crescent Provincial branch, noted that the earthquake did not cause any loss of
life or damage.
In late January, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook Khoy
in West Azerbaijan province in Northwestern Iran. Three were killed, more than
1,500 were injured and thousands of people saw their homes and properties
damaged in the quake.
Iran sits astride several major faults in the earth's
crust, and is prone to frequent earthquakes, many of which have been
devastating.
The worst in recent times hit Bam in Southeastern
Kerman province in December 2003, killing 31,000 people – about a quarter of
its population – and destroying the city's ancient mud-built citadel.
Source: Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011202000363/52-Magnide-Qake-Jls-Shern-Iran-N-Casalies-Repred
--------
Spokesman: Iran Considers Prisoners Swap as
Humanitarian Issue
2023-February-21
The spokesperson stated on Tuesday that Iran sees
exchanging prisoners between Tehran and Washington from a humanitarian point of
view.
He also appreciated the special efforts made by the
Sultanate of Oman in this regard.
On Monday, Kana’ani confirmed indirect
Tehran-Washington talks, with Qatar playing an intermediary role, to exchange
prisoners.
The prisoners swap “was in progress, but it was not
carried out due to the United States’ bad faith. Most of the prisoners were
arrested for circumventing sanctions. We thank the Qatari government for its
role and it is being done by resolving the technical issues”, the diplomat told
reporters during a presser.
Some Iranians are in US jails just because of ignoring
Washington's illegal sanctions on Tehran.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Official: Iranian Police Seize 700 Tons of Narcotics
in 10 Months
2023-February-21
"Over the past 10 months, 700 tons of narcotics
have been seized" in the country, Momeni told reporters.
He stated that 12 Iranian anti-narcotics forces were
martyred during the operations carried out to fight against the smuggling of
narcotics in the same period.
For decades, Iran has been fighting a relentless
battle against international drug networks, but the war has cost it the loss of
many lives and finances. Iranian security forces confiscate tons of narcotics
every year in ambush operations against drugs traffickers.
The war on drug trade originating from Afghanistan -
the major supplier of the vast majority of the world’s opium and heroin even
during the 20-year occupation of the county by US-led forces - has claimed the
lives of nearly 4,000 Iranian police officers over the past four decades.
Back in late June, the head of the Iranian
anti-narcotics police said European countries owe Tehran a lot for blocking the
transit of drugs destined for Europe, adding that the country confiscated over
1,200 tons of illicit narcotics last year.
Majid Karimi, however, slammed Europe for depriving
the Islamic Republic of the latest technology to fight drug trafficking in line
with sanctions spearheaded by the US, while they directly benefit from Iran’s
anti-drugs measures.
“If the Islamic Republic of Iran stops the fight (against
drugs) for only a month, the European countries will have to gather every gram
of the huge hauls of drugs from their streets,” he warned.
Iran’s Interior Minister has also criticized the
Western governments for their “poor performance” in the fight against
narcotrafficking.
Ahmad Vahidi stated in late June the main culprits
behind the promotion of drug use are some Western intelligence agencies and
Western politicians.
He noted that the production of industrial drugs is a
lucrative business for the Western countries.
He demanded that Western banks control the financial
operations of narcotrrafickers, saying it’s questionable that financial
institutions in the West turn a blind eye to the issue.
Vahidi underlined Iran is now going it alone in the
fight against narcotics but instead of being thanked, it’s getting accused by
its adversaries under various pretexts.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
India
Delhi Waqf Board moves high court, says ministry’s
letter on 123 properties ‘spread fear and resentment amongst Muslim Community’
by Malavika Prasad
February 22, 2023
The Delhi Waqf Board has moved Delhi High Court
seeking a stay on a letter issued by the Land and Development Office, Minister
of Housing and Urban Affairs, which “absolves” the board from all matters
pertaining to 123 properties in the national capital.
The matter was listed before Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri
Wednesday, wherein the board in its stay application alleged that the
ministry’s decision “is also whimsical, capricious, fundamentally erroneous,
against facts and law”.
The board has moved the stay application in an already
pending plea filed in 2022. The petition claimed that the said 123 properties
are religious in nature and the board is a stakeholder in the matter, and hence
sought a copy of the 2017 report of one-person committee appointed by the
Centre, quashing of the decisions taken by the Centre based on that report, and
thereafter taking of a new decision after affording it a reasonable opportunity
of hearing.
Subsequently, the board moved another application in
the plea seeking a stay on the proceedings of the two-member committee
appointed by the Centre in February 2021. However, the high court asked the
board to amend its plea instead of moving an application, pursuant to which the
board moved an amendment application. The high court issued notice to the
Centre on this amendment application and the matter is now fixed in August.
The present stay application claims that while the
plea was pending, the board on February 13 received a letter from the Land
& Development Office, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs which said
that the two-member committee. consisting of Justice (Retd.) Sat Pal. Garg and
Shri Radha Charan SDM (Retd.), had submitted its report, though the date of
submission of the said report was not mentioned in the said letter.
The letter, dated February 8, reads that the board was
the main stakeholder party to whom the opportunity was given by the committee,
however, it did not appear or file any representation with respect to the 123
properties. The letter states that another opportunity was also granted to the
board after it moved an application on December 2, 2021. However, again no
objections or submissions were made by it to the committee.
“It is evident from the above facts that Delhi Waqf
Board does not have any stake in the listed properties, neither have they shown
any interest in the properties nor filed any objections/ claims. It is
therefore, decided to absolve Delhi Waqf Board from all matters pertaining to
123 Waqf Properties,” the letter reads.
The stay application states that the board on April
12, 2022, served a copy of the present plea before the high court to the
two-member committee requesting them to defer the proceedings until the final
adjudication of this plea. The application claims that the board again wrote to
the committee on May 13, 2022 ,with the same request.
The application further states that there was no
reason for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to appoint a two-member
committee to conduct the same exercise de-novo. The board claims that neither
the “one Member Committee nor the subsequently appointed two Members Committee
had any Statutory basis”, as they were nothing but arms of the ministry, which
is already represented before the high court.
The application states that Waqf Boards are Statutory
Authorities constituted under the Waqf Act and the properties are Waqf
properties by their very nature and as per the act the “the general
superintendence, management and control” rests with the board.
The application also claims that the ministry’ letter
which has been affixed outside each of the 123 waqf properties, has “spread
grave anxiety, fear and resentment amongst the Muslim community” and “people
with vested interest” have used the letter to “besmirch” the Delhi Waqf Board,
“particularly its chairman”.
“They have taken to social media viz., Twitter,
YouTube, Facebook, news-portals etc. to create an atmosphere against the Delhi
Waqf Board and its Chairman,” the application states.
Source: Indian Express
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--------
TDP leader Lokesh promises to establish Islamic bank
in Andhra
21st February 2023
Tirupati: TDP national General Secretary Nara Lokesh
on Tuesday promised to establish an Islamic bank once the party forms the
government in Andhra Pradesh again.
After a two-day pause, Lokesh began his pada yatra
‘Yuva Galam’ and interacted with the representatives of the Muslim community at
Sri Kalahasthi of Tirupati district.
“I am promising you that once the TDP forms the
government again this Islamic bank will be established,” he said, noting how
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, during his padyatra, had promised to set
up Islamic bank but he did not keep his word.
Lokesh recalled the formation of the Minorities
Corporation by N. T. Rama Rao, the founder of the TDP. “Despite the change in
the government for the past several years, the corporation continued but after
Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy became the Chief Minister, he discontinued it,” he said.
He assured the minority community that the corporation
would be revived once his TDP is back in power.
He alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy discontinued all the
welfare schemes launched by Chandrababu Naidu during the TDP regime and
promised to revive all the schemes.
As the ‘Yuva Galam’ completed 300 km at
Thondamanupuram panchayat in Srikalahasti Assembly segment, Lokesh assured the
villagers to provide safe drinking water within 100 days of coming back to
power.
Later, at Thindamanadu village, he said that the cheap
liquor is now working as pesticide and the farmers instead of the pesticides
can use the cheap liquor. He also interacted with women who came to collect
their gas cylinders. He said that the subsidy on gas cylinders is not being
paid to the consumers.
He also promised to do justice to communities like
Gandla, Telikula and Deva Telikula once the TDP is back into the government.
During his padyatra, Lokesh met the groundnut farmers
who narrated their problems to him. Farmer, Venkat Reddy, said that for the
past three years they have been incurring heavy losses in agriculture and the
state government is not coming to their rescue.
Source: Siasat Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/tdp-leader-lokesh-promises-to-establish-islamic-bank-in-andhra-2532053/
--------
BJP's mega convention on Hindu-Muslim unity in UP's
Muzaffarnagar
Feb 22, 2023
LUCKNOW: Nearly a decade after it was hit by communal
riots in 2013, the west UP district of Muzaffarnagar is all set to hold a
BJP-backed mega-convention on "Hindu-Muslim unity". The convention,
titled 'Sneh Milan: Ek Desh Ek DNA' is likely to be organised between March 15
and March 20, according to a proposal moved by UP BJP Minority Morcha, which
has also invited CM Yogi as the chief guest.
The morcha chief, Basit Ali, maintained that
Muzaffarnagar has been chosen for the event because it is the land where former
PM Chaudhary Charan Singh experimented with the idea of Jat-Muslim unity which
was later "hijacked" by the Congress and Samajwadi Party in their bid
"to attain power". "The idea is to bring together the leaders of
Muslim and Hindu communities on one stage and project their unity," Ali told
TOI.
Sources said that the party plans to invite regional
leaders of various communities including Jat, Gujjar and Thakur from nearby
west UP districts, including Meerut, Bijnor, Shamli and Saharanpur, to the
event. Ali insisted that every community needs to understand that their ancestors
were the “same”. “All they need to acknowledge it publicly...this would
strengthen the social and political fabric of the region and elsewhere,” he
said.
Source: Times Of India
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Mahapanchayat Warns Against Arrest Of Man Linked To
Muslim Men's Killing
February 21, 2023
Gurugram: A mahapanchayat organised at Manesar in
support of Monu Manesar, an accused in the alleged abduction and killing of two
men, on Monday threatened to foil any attempt by the Rajasthan Police to arrest
him without "solid proof".
In the meantime, villagers claimed, two
"policemen" on a motorcycle had reached the house of Mohit Yadav
alias Monu Manesar but were chased away by them.
Angry protesters also blocked traffic briefly on the
Delhi-Jaipur highway before police reached the spot and persuaded the villagers
to withdraw.
After the mahapanchayat at Baba Bhishma Temple, a
memorandum addressed to President Droupadi Murmu was submitted to the assistant
commissioner of police of Pataudi, demanding the cancellation of the FIR
against Monu Manesar registered by the Rajasthan Police and a CBI probe into
the matter.
"The Gurugram police should assure that Monu
Manesar's family will not be touched. No cop will visit their home without
prior information, otherwise they will not go back alive," said advocate
Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, a leader of a Hindu outfit.
In case of any loss of life or property of Monu
Manesar and his family, the government and the district administration will be
responsible, the memorandum stated.
A 10-member committee was also formed for the safety
and security of the family of Manu Manesar.
Speakers at the mahapanchayat claimed that a false
case has been registered against Manesar, a Bajrang Dal leader and member of a
self-proclaimed cow protection team, and that the Rajasthan Police does not
have any concrete evidence.
They alleged the FIR was part of a conspiracy and
demanded its cancellation within 24 hours. They also demanded a fair
investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
They said Monu Manesar was not on the run and would
appear whenever the administration called.
The mapanchayat, attended by more than 200 people from
different villages and Hindu outfits, lasted around three hours.
"If the Rajasthan Police arrests Monu Manesar
without solid evidence, a big movement will be organised. Also the Rajasthan
Police should stop harassing Monu Manesar, other colleagues and his family
without any evidence. The inhuman behaviour of Rajasthan Police which forcibly
entered Srikant Pandit's house in Maroda village in Nuh will not be
tolerated," said Devinder Singh, the district general secretary of the
Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Monu Manesar and Srikant Pandit are among the five
people initially booked in the abduction-and-murder case. Four more accused
were later named in the FIR. Only one of the nine accused has been arrested so
far.
Nasir (25) and Junaid alias Juna (35), both residents
of Ghatmeeka village in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, were allegedly
abducted by cow vigilantes on Wednesday and their bodies were found inside a
burnt car in Loharu in Bhiwani in Haryana on Thursday morning.
The Haryana Police on Tuesday registered a case
against 30 to 40 unnamed Rajasthan Police personnel on a complaint by a woman
that her pregnant daughter-in-law lost her child after she was allegedly
assaulted by them during a raid to nab her son Srikant Pandit.
Following the complaint of Dulari Devi, an FIR has
been registered under sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 149
(unlawful assembly), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to
outrage her modesty), 452 (house-trespass) and 312 (causing miscarriage) of the
Indian Penal Code at Nagina police station here, the police said.
"We had exhumed the body of the stillborn baby
whose postmortem was conducted by a board of doctors on Monday and the final
report is awaited. Following the complaint of Dulari Devi, an FIR has been
registered against unnamed cops of Rajasthan police," Varun Singla,
Superintendent of Police of Nuh, told PTI.
The Rajasthan Police has denied Devi's allegation.
Four of the five men initially named in the FIR
registered after the alleged abduction and murder of two Muslim men from
Rajasthan have turned out to be either informers or complainants in cases filed
by the Haryana Police in the past few weeks against suspected cow smugglers.
In its FIR lodged on February 16, the Rajasthan Police
named five accused -- Anil, Shrikant, Rinku Saini, Lokesh Singla and Monu
Manesar -- on the basis of the complaint lodged by the victims' family. Later,
four more suspects' names were added to the FIR registered at Gopalgarh police
station in Bharatpur.
Source: ND TV
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Muslim Men's Killing: Case Against Rajasthan Cops Over
Violent Raid Claim
February 21, 2023
The Haryana Police has filed a case against around 30
to 40 unnamed cops of Rajasthan Police on a complaint by a woman that her
pregnant daughter-in-law was assaulted during a raid linked to the killing of
two Muslim men.
The woman's son, Srikant Pandit, is an accused in the
kidnapping and murder of 25-year-old Nasir and 35-year-old Junaid alias Juna.
Pandit is a member of a cow protection group led by Bajrang Dal member Monu
Manesar, who is among the five accused evading arrest.
Dulari Devi, Pandit's mother, in her complaint alleged
that a team of Rajasthan Police assaulted her family members, and kicked her
pregnant daughter-in-law in the stomach, which caused her to have a
miscarriage.
A case has been registered under sections 148
(rioting, armed with deadly weapons), 149 (unlawful assembly), 354 (assault or
criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 452
(house-trespass) and 312 (causing miscarriage) of the Indian Penal Code, the
police said.
The Rajasthan Police has denied Devi's allegation.
The cause of death of the child is yet to be known as
the viscera examination report from the forensic science laboratory is awaited,
the official said.
The woman had also accused around "40 personnel
of the Rajasthan Police of forcibly entering" her house, "abusing"
them and taking away her other two sons.
Source: ND TV
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Locals in quake-hit Turkey exchanged hugs and mementos
with NDRF rescuers
Feb 22, 2023
NEW DELHI: After working in quake-ravaged Turkiye for
10 days, the 152 rescuers of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were
looking forward to not just reuniting with their families that were
understandably concerned after news of multiple aftershocks, but also to a bath
in running water. For 10 days in a row, the NDRF rescuers, including the women
personnel, had had a quick “drywash” with a moist towel before heading for an
18-hour workday amid dust and rubble, locating live victims and extracting
bodies from heaps of fallen concrete.
NDRF Commandant Gurminder Singh who led the
international rescue mission told TOI that bathing is a “luxury” in any
quake-ravaged zone where water becomes a scarce drinking resource. “Even
toilets were deep trench latrines made with a piece of cut ply-board, covered
by a tent. A separate toilet was set up for women personnel. Wet wipes were
used in place of water,” he told TOI.
NDRF Sub Inspector Shivani Agarwal, one of the five
lady personnel who had volunteered for Turkiye mission, told TOI that ‘drywash’
and ‘makeshift toilets’ were not alien to her as she had served in Ladakh while
in ITBP and also underwent jungle survival training. ITBP being a parent
organisation had also prepared Sushma Yadav, mother to 18-month-old twins left
under the care of her father in law, and Rakhi, whose mother-in-law looked
after her 8-year-old son while she helped bring succour to quake victims in
Turkiye.
The five women personnel helped one another get
through any personal challenges while working long hours at par with their male
counterparts.
Women personnel, NDRF DG Atul Karwal told TOI, were
able to communicate better with the locals, particularly women and children.
According to Shivani, “Women survivors approached us, insisting that we find
the bodies of their kin. And when NDRF found the bodies, the women, though
grief-stricken, hugged us out of gratitude,” Shivani told TOI.
Karwal said even though NDRF acted promptly in Turkey
— facilitated by MEA that worked overnight to provide official passports to all
152 rescuers; ITBP which arranged winter gear to work in sub-zero temperatures;
and MoD that deployed three C-17 Globemaster planes that took in 11 vehicles,
enabling teams to head to the site soon after landing — there is scope to
further cut the mobilisation time in future. “Like we can identify designated
teams for international rescue missions and have them issued official
passports. NDRF equipment boxes can be kept pre-packed for immediate
deployment. We can focus on providing ready-to-eat meals (MREs) rather than setting
up a kitchen at the disaster site, as finding cooking fuel is difficult,” he
said.
Karwal added that NDRF was looking to induct more
women, taking their strength from the current 250 to over 1,700, and deploy
them not only for rescue duties but also make use of their soft skills and
better communication with victims.
By the end of Mission ‘Operation Dost’ — during which
NDRF personnel saved lives of two young girls and retrieved 85 bodies — the
rescuers had earned enough goodwill and appreciation for the locals to seek
their badges, combat patches and even military decorations as mementos. The
NDRF personnel happily obliged and received in exchange uniform badges from
other rescue personnel and small gifts like keychains from civilians. NDRF
rescuer Vipin Pratap Singh said that NDRF teams also left behind all their
items — rations, clothing, blankets, provisions etc — for the victims.
The warmth shown by locals transcended barriers like
language, religion and even food choices. Ahmed, a local who lost his family in
the quake, turned up day-after-day to hand over vegetarian items to NDRF deputy
commandant Deepak, a vegetarian. Presidential pilot Ali Altiok gave standing
orders to the airport cafeteria staff to ensure that nobody from “Hindistan”
goes hungry.
Source: Times Of India
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Javed Akhtar in Pak: 26/11 perpetrators still roam
free
Feb 22, 2023
LAHORE: The perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror
attacks are still roaming freely in Pakistan, so Pakistanis should not feel
offended when India talks about the 2008 carnage, poet and lyricist Javed
Akhtar said at a festival organised in memory of poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz in
Lahore.
In a video that has gone viral, Akhtar is seen making
these comments in response to an audience member who told him to take with him
a message of peace and tell Indians that Pakistan is “a positive, friendly and
loving country.” “We should not blame each other. It will solve nothing. The
atmosphere is tense, that should be doused,” the 78-year-old lyricist said.
Source: Times Of India
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For Pakistan to find way out, nobody reaches difficult
situation without cause: EAM Jaishankar
Feb 21, 2023
NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has
said that Pakistan's future will be largely determined by its own actions and
choices and it is for the neighbouring country to find a way out of its
economic troubles.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, the minister
referred to India's assistance to Sri Lanka during the economic crisis faced by
the island country and said it is a very different relationship.
"I think Pakistan's future is largely determined
by Pakistan's actions and by Pakistan's choices. Nobody reaches a difficult
situation suddenly and without cause. It is for them to find a way out. Our
relationship today is not one where we can be relevant directly to that
process," Jaishankar said in response to queries on Pakistan.
Pakistan is grappling with economic difficulties
including dwindling forex reserves, high inflation and sharp depreciation of
its currency. It is rolling out higher taxes to get the IMF bailout package.
Jaishankar referred to the goodwill for Sri Lanka and
sentiments among people in relation to Pakistan. Islamabad has been sponsoring
cross-border terrorism in India which has severely impacted bilateral ties. The
minister said India is willing to provide assistance to its neighbours in case
of difficulty.
"If I were, for example, to compare it to Sri
Lanka, it is a very different relationship. With Sri Lanka still, there is a
lot of goodwill in this country. There is naturally neighbours' concerns and
worry but there is also a feeling look we have to help them to get through
this. Tomorrow if something happens to some other neighbours that would be the
case as well. But you know what the sentiment is there in the country for Pakistan,"
Jaishankar said.
Source: Times Of India
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Top Hizbul terrorist from J&K gunned down in
Pakistan's Rawalpindi
Feb 22, 2023
NEW DELHI: Less than five months after the central
government termed him a designated terrorist, unidentified gunmen on a bike
shot dead Hizbul Mujahideen’s top launching commander — ‘Peer’ alias Imtiyaz
Alam — in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi on Monday evening. He was returning home after
offering Maghrib prayers at a local mosque.
Peer was considered a close confidant of Hizbul chief
Syed Salahuddin, who led his funeral prayer on Tuesday along with a few ISI and
Pakistan army officials.
Initial probe suggested it was a “targeted killing” as
the killer reportedly confirmed his identity before shooting him, media reports
said. There are also reports of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) being
involved.
Last October, the Centre had designated Peer as
terrorist under the UAPA for his role in terror activities including providing
logistics to the banned outfit’s members. He was known to be a specialist in
infiltrations in Kupwara district.
Peer originally belonged to Babarpora area in Kupwara
but had relocated to Pakistan several years ago. Since then, he had been living
and operating under the aegis of ISI at Rawalpindi.
Indian intelligence agencies had found that he carried
Pakistan’s official computerised national identity card. Peer was actively
involved in “raising and routing of funds for terrorism in J&K”, the
dossier on him states. “Peer was actively involved in running dozens of online
propaganda groups to unite ex-militants and other cadres for furtherance of
activities of terrorist organisations Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and
others,” it says.
Shortly after he shifted base to Pakistan, Peer came
under fire from Pakistan Army’s military intelligence directorate after he sent
a ‘hit team’ to back his protege, Shafi Dar, in 2007. He was even detained but
was later released on ISI’s intervention.
Source: Times Of India
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Muslim trust urges Bombay HC to vacate status quo on
disputed site
Feb 22, 2023
MUMBAI: A Sunni Muslim trust has urged the Bombay high
court to vacate an October 2020 order of a status quo on a disputed site at
Prajapur village, Marol, Andheri (east) so that it can be used for burials.
The Anjuman Taleem Ul-Quran Sunni Taha Masjid filed an
interim application in a petition by Shri Leva Patidar Bajrang Satsang Mandal
that claimed possession since 1925 of the land on which there are two temples
and a welfare center. It had urged the HC to restrain the BMC from passing any
plan on the 2,500sqm adjacent land to be used as a burial ground.
The Masjid's application said since August 2014, it
has managed the burial ground as caretaker under an annual agreement with the
BMC. The last agreement in August 2020, was renewed till January 2021.
Thereafter, due to the October 27, 2020 status quo order, the agreement was not
renewed and no permission was given to bury bodies. It informed that two
kabrastans in K/east ward, which has 50,000 Muslims, are operating to near full
capacity and there is an urgent need to make another burial ground operational.
BMC's February 2023 reply said that the Masjid's
application was rejected in view of HC's November 10, 2020, order that the
"land shall not be used as a burial ground/cemetery." As the disputed
land is excluded from the development plan 2034, it "can be put to use as
a cemetery only after sanction of the state government." It informed that
the State Urban Development Department had transferred the land to the BMC to
develop a Muslim cemetery as the land is reserved for burial ground.
On Friday, before Justices Atul Chandekar and M W
Chandwani, senior advocate Yusuf Muchhala for the Masjid said the status quo
order was passed without hearing his clients. He referred to a recent
procession by a Hindu group "creating a riotous situation and disturbing
public peace."
Source: Times Of India
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Aligarh Muslim University students protest Bhiwani
killings
Feb 22, 2023
AGRA: Days after Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and other groups
condemned the gruesome murder of two members of a minority community, scores of
students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) launched a protest and demanded
"capital punishment for the culprits" on Tuesday.
AMU students gathered and marched across the
university campus. Some of them held banners and raised slogans. A memorandum
has also been prepared in which students demanded strong action against the
accused and financial support for the victims' families.
MTech final-year student, Tateem Raza, said,
"Minorities are being targeted frequently these days. We demand the
accused should be given severe punishment."
Source: Times Of India
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Arab World
Founding Day exhibition displays Saudi history through
art
NADA ALTURKI
February 21, 2023
RIYADH: Founding Day celebrations kicked off early
this year for Riyadh’s art scene with the “Estihlal” exhibition held by the art
initiative Piece of Feel at Line Furniture from Feb. 19-21.
“Estihlal,” an Arabic word for prologue or beginning,
was a fitting title for the three-day exhibition, which featured patriotic
artworks by 15 Saudi artists from all corners of the Kingdom honoring the
region’s history, heroes and heritage that lay the groundwork for the country
today.
Piece of Feel is an initiative by Princess Roqayaih
bint Saud to create a platform for an art society offering workshops,
exhibitions and community engagement opportunities.
Princess Roqayaih, who also curated the exhibition,
told Arab News: “The initiative aims to allow each artist to express their
feelings about Founding Day, their love for their nation, and the unification
of the Kingdom.
“I selected each artwork that truly carries the
artist’s emotions within the piece, not merely a piece that contributes to the
exhibition because that also aligns with the mission of Piece of Feel,” she
said.
The exhibition showcases artworks by Princess
Roqayaih, as well as fine artists Mohammed Al-Ajlan, Ibrahim Alalmai, Modhi
Muslih, Wedad Alahmadi, Mohammed Rayes, photographer Hadeel Al-Jmaan, sculpture
artist Mohammed Althaqafi and calligrapher Bader Aljafen.
At the far end of the exhibition hall, a video
installation invited viewers to become its focus. As they stood in the center
facing the immersive content, they experienced the events that took place
before the establishment of the First Saudi State, the amalgamation of the
region, to King Abdulaziz’s reign.
“This is to give off the perception that ‘This is for
you, as a Saudi. You’re the focal point,’” she said, describing the artwork.
Princess Roqayaih’s own exclusive artwork, “Fath Al
Riyadh (Unification of Riyadh),” offers a slice of history about the Kingdom we
know today. In the dark of night, the moon following behind, the heroes of the
past emerge to the forefront of the canvas, perched on their steeds and cast in
hues of patriotic green.
King Abdulaziz is accompanied by his men, including
Princess Roqayaih’s grandfather Prince Nasser bin Saud and his son Prince Saud
bin Nasser, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Prince Fahad bin Jiluwi and his
brother Abdullah bin Jiluwi.
“Not many people know this story and the heroes who
accompanied King Abdulaziz, and they all have their own story and contribution
to acquiring Riyadh. So I wanted to join them all in one frame. It’s night-time
because their plan took place during the night,” she said.
The national holiday holds a special place in Princess
Roqayaih’s heart, not only for its ability to bring people together but also
for its potential to educate the Saudi public on its relevant history.
“Founding Day means a lot to me, aside from the fact
that it’s my family and one of these heroes is my grandfather. It’s the foundation
of who we are today. It’s because of their initial efforts.
“If you read the history, so many things were never
mentioned to us, which is why I wanted to highlight the smaller details like
King Abdulaziz’s saying before he made any decisions (by calligrapher Bader
Aljafen), so people understand the meaning behind Founding Day and what the
difference is between it and National Day, as well.”
Digital artist Shams Alsehli has updated her usual
surrealist style to recreate a portrait of King Abdulaziz.
“I don’t have any school of art that I stick to, just
my mind and my feelings, and sometimes dreams that come to me. This piece was
challenging but in a good way. It was a beautiful pain,” she told Arab News.
While Alsehli does not usually create realistic artworks,
she put the style into practice specifically to achieve the digital piece
showcased in the exhibition.
Not far off, artworks by renowned artist Tagreed
Albagshi tell a story of their own. “Women Driving and Social Life” bursts with
color as it depicts the freedom women have gained since being granted the right
to drive. The work frames three vehicles, all operated by women, in the
artist’s signature style.
The other is an exclusive artwork curated specifically
for the exhibition.
Mixed media artist Mai Hamdan merges traditional
aspects and techniques with contemporary versions in her artwork “Mader,” a
mashup Arabic term for “past” and “present.” The artwork overlays rough and
uncut gemstones fabricated using resin, making up the outer layer of the
artwork, with detailed traditional Sadu embroidery underlying the exterior.
“I’m very interested in consolidating our identity and
heritage, so I started to create modern but timeless paintings that stray away
from traditional methods,” Hamdan told Arab News.
For Hamdan, the exhibition stands for the unification
of not just the state but the artists as well. They all have integrated to
showcase a solid identity and greater purpose, regardless of the sway of their
paint brushes or nature of their medium.
Source: Arab News
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Syria family takes in 'miracle baby' born under quake
rubble
Feb 22, 2023
JINDAYRIS: Born an orphan under the rubble in north
Syria after a devastating earthquake, Afraa al-Suwadi has been given a new
lease on life when relatives took her in.
Since footage of her rescue in the town of Jindayris
went viral on social media, Suwadi's story has captivated a grieving nation and
made international headlines as Syria's "miracle baby".
The sole survivor in her immediate family of the
February 6 quake, relatives had pulled her from the wreckage still tied to her
deceased mother by the umbilical cord.
"She is my soul, my life, and my whole
world," her uncle Khalil al-Suwadi told AFP from his tent in the town,
cradling the newborn.
The baby, wrapped in a blanket and wearing a red hat
with a little bow, was given her mother's name, Afraa -- one of more than
45,000 people killed across war-ravaged Syria and neighbouring Turkey in the
7.8-magnitude quake.
Khalil al-Suwadi took in the baby about a week and a
half after she had been admitted to hospital in rebel-held Jindayris, near the
Turkish border.
Medical staff performed a DNA test to ensure they were
indeed relatives.
"The day they told us we could have her I was
overjoyed, it was indescribable," said the uncle, who had helped rescue
her.
Khalil al-Suwadi is married to a sister of the baby's
late father, who was also his cousin.
"This child is a living memory of her father,
mother and siblings" who perished, he said.
One day, when baby Afraa is older, he said he would
tell her the family's story.
When he laid her on one of the mattresses strewn
across the flimsy tent the family had moved into after the quake, his daughters
gathered around the baby, embracing and kissing her.
Source: Times Of India
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Saudi Arabia deposits $1 billion in Yemen’s Aden-based
central bank
21 February ,2023
Saudi Arabia deposited $1 billion into the central
bank of Yemen’s internationally recognized government Tuesday in a bid to
bolster the country’s ailing economy, state media said.
In a brief statement, the state-run Saudi Press Agency
said the $1 billion deposited into the Aden-based central bank will help the
administration implement economic reforms.
Yemen’s ruinous civil war, now entering its ninth
year, has wrecked the country’s economy and pushed half of the population to
the brink of famine. Over 150,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
The war began in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi
militants seized Yemen’s capital Sanaa, along with much of the north of the
country, forcing the government into exile. The country’s central bank has
since been divided between the warring sides, with the Houthis operating its
monetary authority from Sanaa.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of the internationally
recognized presidential council, thanked the Saudi government for Tuesday’s
economic aid in a series of posts on Twitter. Al-Alimi said the money would go
toward funding new projects and stabilizing the currency. No further details
were given.
Yemen has been hit hard by the fallout of the Ukraine
war, with the country having imported 40 percent of its grain from Ukraine
until supply channels were cut following Russia’s invasion. Food prices in
Yemen have since surged.
Over past years, the Aden branch of Yemen’s central
bank has driven inflation by printing new banknotes to finance debts and cover
the cost of public sector salaries. Houthi-controlled areas do not accept notes
printed by Aden’s central bank.
Two officials from the internationally recognized
government told The Associated Press that the $1 billion aid package will help
compensate for the sharp decline in oil revenues in recent months. Oil exports
have slowed drastically following several Houthi drone attacks on tankers and
other facilities late last year. Both spoke on condition of anonymity as they
were not briefed to speak with the media.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Pakistan
Pakistani intolerance on full display. Ahmadi
homeopath shot dead, second in 2 years
THEPRINT TEAM
21 February, 2023
New Delhi: The murder of a 75-year-old Ahmadi
homoeopath, in Gutriala in Pakistan’s Gujrat district, has yet again brought to
the fore Pakistan’s supposed intolerance of the Ahmadiyya sect — they believe
that the sect’s founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad is a messiah.
Rasheed Ahmed was shot dead while attending to
patients in his home clinic Sunday evening. The alleged killer, Hafiz Inam, was
also found dead in the fields close to the crime scene. Inam allegedly died by
suicide. His accomplice, Babar, has reportedly been arrested.
Reports claim that Inam disliked Ahmadis.
Ahmed was a Norwegian citizen, reports said, his
family resides in the Scandinavian country.
Oddly enough, this is not the first Ahmadi homoeopath
who has been shot dead. In February 2021, 65-year-old Abdul Qadir was murdered,
also in his home clinic.
The events of Sunday have given a boost to the vitriol
against the community online. A journalist tweeted that the homoeopath had
probably been killed because of his faith. A user warned him in the replies —
“Be careful, you are raising your voice for the Ahmadis which is considered
treason in Pakistan. Watch out before a TLP mujahid send you on your way to
your creator”.
Another user, too, claimed Ahmed was killed because of
his faith. In response, a user whose bio reads ‘navigating the world as an
ex-Ahmadi’ asked him to “stop lying”.
Who are the Ahmadis?
Mistrust towards the Ahmadis — allegedly stems from
their claim that the sect’s founder is believed to be the second coming of the
Mahdi (guided one) foretold by Prophet Muhammad. A UNHRC press release states
that the persecution stems from them not being considered ‘real Muslims’.
According to Al Islam,
the Ahmadiyya community believes that God sent Ahmad to end “religious
wars, condemn bloodshed and restore morality, justice, and peace”.
The website goes on to say that he turned Muslims away
from fanaticism by championing “Islam’s true teachings”.
The site adds that the community “is the leading
Islamic organisation to categorically reject terrorism” and that over a century
ago Ahmad instead asked Muslims to defend Islam with the ‘jihad of the pen’.
Legally restricted
The current Khalifa, the community’s spiritual and
administrative head, Mirza Masroor
Ahmad, resides in Tilford, England. The town also serves as the headquarters of
the community.
He was forced into exile when he was elected as the
head in 2003 as Pakistani laws do not allow Ahmadis to practise their faith or
identify as Muslims. The punishment for violating these provisions is three
years in prison.
A fact-finding mission by Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission
(HRCP) has flagged an alarming rise in atrocities against community members in
Gujranwala and the surrounding area.
The report, published on 15 February, goes on to state that Ahmadiyya graves have
been desecrated and minarets of mosques destroyed. It also points out the
alleged complicity of the civil administration in Gujranwala and Wazirabad in
the destruction of minarets.
Source: The Print
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Notices issued in Pakistan Origin Card case
February 22, 2023
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday issued
notices to the attorney general and National Database and Registration
Authority’s chairman seeking their response to plea of a Pakistani woman
requesting for issuance of Pakistan Origin Card (POC) to her Afghan husband.
A bench consisting of Justice Roohul Amin Khan and
Justice Ijaz Anwar issued the order after preliminary hearing of a petition
filed by the woman, Zara Iqbal, seeking directives of the court for Nadra to
issue the POC to her husband, Attiqur Rehman, under section 11 of the Nadra Act
2007 and Rule 4(5) of the Nadra Pakistan Origin Card Rules 2002.
She also requested the court to declare as illegal the
non-issuance of the POC to her husband.
Advocate Ziaur Rehman Tajik appeared for the
petitioner and stated that his client was a permanent resident of Mardan
district and she married Attiqur Rehman in 2016.
He stated that the petitioner’s husband was a
pharmacist by profession and had been working in a private pharmaceutical firm
in Peshawar. He said the couple had been living together since 2016.
Mr Tajik stated that after marriage the petitioner
applied to Nadra for grant of POC to her husband, but the respondents including
Nadra delayed the matter on one pretext or another and finally in 2022 it
declined to issue the POC.
He argued that it was the basic human right of every
woman to marry a person of her choice and such right was recognised by Islam as
well as constitution of Pakistan.
He argued that section 10(2) of the Pakistan
Citizenship Act, 1951, was a discriminatory provision of law as under it the
wife of a Pakistani national was entitled to country’s citizenship, but the
same was denied to the foreign husband of a Pakistani woman.
He referred to a judgment of the Lahore High Court
arguing that the court had declared the said provision of Citizenship Act
discriminatory and violative of Article 25 of the Constitution.
Source: Dawn
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Pakistan Senator blames former PTI govt for rise in
terror attacks
22 February, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], February 22 (ANI): Pakistan
Senator Waqar Mehdi, the General Secretary of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
in his speech in the House criticised former Pakistan prime minister Imran
Khan, saying that terrorists were supported and encouraged by the PTI
government, Pakistan-based Dawn newspaper reported.
He said that terrorists cannot be good in any form, as
a terrorist is a terrorist. According to him, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) named Khan a member of its negotiating team for peace talks with the
government in 2014.
Senator Mehdi said that after the recent terrorist
incident in Peshawar, the government had decided to summon a multi-party
conference, but Khan refused to participate in it. This clearly shows that he
preferred his political interests over issues linked with national security,
Dawn reported.
As per the PPP senator, National Action Plan (NAP)
chalked out to fight terrorism and extremism was not implemented in its true
spirit by the previous government.
Mehdi also condemned the terrorist attack on the
Karachi Police Office and paid tribute to those killed.
Shahzad Waseem, Opposition Leader in the Senate,
criticised the government for its irresponsible attitude amid pressing issues
and serious crises due to resurgence of terrorism and economic meltdown.
According to a recent Policy Research Group (POREG)
report, terrorism in Pakistan is a self-inflicted wound. Pakistan has been
nurturing terrorists in its backyard as a part of its security and foreign
policies. The country now has to pay the price for this misadventure.
According to POREG, the problem is the powers that
matter in Pakistan have made terrorism a time bomb, initially appeasing the
terrorist elements, in the name of preserving Islam and afterwards unleashing a
reign of counter-attacks against them.
The challenge before the country’s leadership is
two-fold. It must crush militancy in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border belt, and
bring a sense of security and peace to the region. Simultaneously, Pakistani
forces must check the re-grouping and growth of various Islamist militant
factions within mainland Pakistan.
Thousands of locals protested in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on
February 5 under the slogan of Ulasi Pasoon (public uprising) against the
suicide attack on Peshawar Police Lines Mosque and the increasing lawlessness
in the region.
Unrest has also been witnessed in the districts of
Lakki Marwat, Mohmand and Malakand over the return of terrorist menace. The law
and order situation in the country has worsened in the past five months. People
are unable to step out of their homes after nightfall, particularly in Lakki
Marwat.
Source: The Print
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PTI aims to counter ‘attack on fundamental rights’,
‘economic meltdown’ with Jail Bharo Tehreek
February 22, 2023
The PTI is all set to begin its Jail Bharo Tehreek
(court arrest drive) today (Wednesday) from Lahore which former prime minister
Imran Khan says is aimed to counter the “attack” on the party’s fundamental
rights and the economic “meltdown”.
In a series of tweets on Wednesday, the PTI chief
said: “Today we start our Jail Bharo campaign for Haqeeqi Azadi for two main
reasons.
“One, it is a peaceful, non-violent protest against
the attack on our constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights. We are facing
sham FIRs and NAB cases, custodial torture, attacks on journalists and social
media people.”
Second, Imran went on, the drive was against economic
meltdown “brought on by cabal of crooks who have money laundered billions in
looted wealth and gotten NROs for themselves while crushing the people,
especially the poor and middle class, under the burden of spiralling inflation
and rising unemployment”.
Separately, in a video message shared on PTI’s
official Twitter account, the ex-premier urged people to take to the streets
for “true freedom”.
“Actually, this campaign will take you to a free and
happy Pakistan. And this will only happen when the state protects your fundamental
rights,” he said, adding that the Jail Bharo Tehreek “is the name of jihad”.
Imran also said that the more people participated in
the drive, the faster Pakistan would achieve “true freedom”.
The drive will begin from Lahore’s Mall Road at 2pm today.
Hundreds aim for jail
Earlier, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the party
and its top brass were ready for the court arrest movement. “Shah Mahmood
Qureshi and Asad Umar insisted that they would give themselves for arrest on
the first day of the movement.”
According to ARY News, the opening day of the movement
would start with a meeting to honour party members. After the meeting, the
party supporters would march towards The Mall — where Section 144 is imposed —
via Jail Road to give themselves up for arrests. In case, the government
refused to detain the PTI activists, the rally will morph into a sit-in at
Charing Cross in front of the Punjab Assembly.
After Lahore, Peshawar will witness the launch of the
court arrest drive on Feb 23. Rawalpindi will follow on Feb 24, Multan on Feb
25, Gujranwala on Feb 26, Sargodha on Feb 27, and Sahiwal on Feb 28. Faisalabad
will join the movement on the first day of March.
Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, who is the focal person of the
Jail Bharo Tehreek, has said the party had sought 200 volunteers for the first
day of the drive but more than 2,000 have signed up for the drive. He said
those party leaders, who would contest the upcoming by-polls on the PTI
platform, would not become part of the drive.
Section 144 imposed in Lahore
Meanwhile, the Punjab government has imposed Section
144 on The Mall, Gulberg Main Boulevard as well as outside the Punjab Civil
Secretariat and its adjoining roads to prohibit all kinds of assemblies,
sit-ins and processions.
Earlier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that
the PTI’s arrest drive was aimed at creating political instability and a law
and order situation in the country. The PTI is seeking media attention by
creating a drama through the ‘court arrest drive’, APP quoted him as saying.
The meeting decided that the miscreants would be
arrested and the law and order would be ensured in the country at all costs.
“The arrest of women and poor workers would be
avoided,” the participants agreed. The minister said the record of miscreants
would be maintained and their activities would be mentioned in their character
certificates issued by the police.
If it were up to me, there would be no arrests:
Khawaja Saad
On Wednesday, PML-N leader and Minister for Railways Khawaja
Saad Rafique said that if it were up to him, he would not arrest even a single
PTI supporter.
“I never support political workers going to jail but
if someone is pressing on it, then morally the leader should be the first one
to surrender,” he told media persons in Lahore.
Saad said that party supremo Nawaz Sharif spent a long
time behind bars during the dictatorship of retired General Pervez Musharraf.
“And even in this unannounced martial law this time, Nawaz and his family spent
time in jail.”
However, he contended that Imran was himself seeking
bail but was encouraging his supporters to go to jail.
“This is the prerogative of the provincial government
on the treatment [of the protesters], but if it were up to me […] the police
wouldn’t be there when people turned up for arrests.
“They would have then just roamed around and gone home
eventually,” he added.
The PML-N leader further said that Imran had faced
nothing compared to what Nawaz and his family went through.
Source: Dawn
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PML-N to seek recusal of ‘biased’ SC judges in cases
against Nawaz, others: Sanaullah
February 22, 2023
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday
that PML-N’s legal team will be approaching two judges of the Supreme Court to
recuse themselves from hearing the cases against the party leadership.
In a series of tweets, Sanaullah named the judges and
alleged that they “have a biased attitude towards the PML-N”.
Sanaullah recalled that one of the judges had been the
supervising judge in cases against party supremo Nawaz Sharif and “we have no
expectations of justice from him”.
He also mentioned a purported audio leak related to
the second judge, saying that it had “raised questions on his impartiality”.
The minister went on to say that both judges had
passed “opposing” verdicts in dozens of cases against Nawaz and Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif, including Panama, Ramzan Sugar Mills, and Pakpattan Land
Allotment (against the Sharifs’ family members).
He said it was a legal and judicial tradition that
“controversial” judges voluntarily recused themselves from the bench at the
request of the aggrieved party.
“The legal team of PML-N will ask the two judges to
recuse themselves from the benches hearing the cases of Nawaz Sharif and other
leaders of the party,” Sanaullah stated, adding that the two judges will be
asked not to hear cases of the PML-N.
The development comes a day after PM Shehbaz completed
consultation with the legal brains of the government during a meeting on
Tuesday.
‘Bold move to pave way for Nawaz’s return’
A party insider told Dawn that the “bold move” would
pay off in case both the judges in question recuse themselves from the cases
against the PML-N leaders especially Nawaz Sharif which might pave the way for
his return from London.
“Nawaz Sharif wants relief in the Al-Azizia corruption
case (in which he was serving a seven-year imprisonment) before returning to
his homeland,” the insider said.
Defence Minister Khwaja Asif also told a private
channel that the PML-N direly needed Nawaz Sharif back home to lead the party
to match with Imran Khan’s PTI.
The PML-N leadership has already started taking on the
apex court judges in public rallies and press conferences.
Moreover, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz recently
asked for accountability in the judiciary and said “Pakistan needed honest
judges instead of the ones who allegedly favoured Imran Khan.”
Source: Dawn
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NAB asks Imran, Bushra to join probe in Toshakhana
reference
February 22, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau has
summoned Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra
Bibi on March 9 to record their statements in a reference regarding Toshakhana
gifts.
The bureau also summoned some other PTI leaders,
including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, former defence minister Pervez
Khattak and ex-information minister Fawad Chaudhry, in separate cases.
Interestingly, the NAB call-up notice, signed by its
additional director Mohammad Faisal Qureshi and sent to the former prime
minister’s Banigala residence, was issued on Feb 17 — five days before NAB
chairman Aftab Sultan resigned claiming that he was being pressurised to file
cases against some and favour some accused.
The NAB letter addressed to Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi
and other accused in the Toshakhana case said: “The competent authority has
taken cognisance of an offence allegedly committed by the accused persons under
the provisions of NAO, 1999. In this regard, the inquiry proceedings have
revealed that during your tenure in office you retained some state gifts
presented to you by various foreign dignitaries including the following luxury
items — five Rolex wristwatches; one iPhone presented by Chief of Staff, Qatar
Armed Forces, dated 14.11.2018; (No. E67574V3), a pair of cufflinks, one ring;
unstitched cloth of pant coat from Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia dated
18.09.2020; Graff gift set containing one Graff wristwatch Master Graff Special
Edition Mecca timepiece, one 18K gold and diamond Graff pen and a ring and pair
of cufflinks with micro-painting of Mecca.”
The letter further said: “You are therefore requested
to join the inquiry proceedings before the Combined Investigation Team (CIT),
NAB (Rawalpindi/Islamabad), Civic Centre, G-6, Islamabad, at 1430hrs on
09.03.2023 for recording of your statement.”
In the Toshakhana case, the former prime minister was
accused of purchasing foreign gifts at throwaway prices and then selling them
for millions of rupees.
NAB had already summoned Bushra Bibi’s close friend
Farhat Shahzadi alias Farah Gogi, along with her husband and 19 others, in an
assets-beyond-means case, but she escaped abroad. The inquiry against the
former first lady’s friend was launched in April last year over allegations of
amassing assets beyond known sources of income, money laundering and
maintaining various accounts.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1738484/nab-asks-imran-bushra-to-join-probe-in-toshakhana-reference
--------
North America
US judge rules 9/11 victims cannot seize Afghan
central bank funds
February 22, 2023
The families of victims of the Sept 11, 2001 terror
attacks cannot seize $3.5 billion in funds belonging to Afghanistan’s central bank,
a New York federal judge ruled on Tuesday.
The assets, held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New
York, were frozen on August 15, 2021 — the day the Taliban entered Kabul and
toppled the US-backed Afghan government. US President Joe Biden later said the
money could be made available to the families of 9/11 victims.
A group of families — who years earlier sued the
Taliban for their losses and won — has since moved to seize the funds to pay
off the judgment debt.
But Judge George Daniels of the Southern District of
New York said Tuesday that the federal courts lack the jurisdiction to seize
the funds from Afghanistan’s central bank.
“The Judgment Creditors are entitled to collect on
their default judgments and be made whole for the worst terrorist attack in our
nation’s history, but they cannot do so with the funds of the central bank of
Afghanistan,” Daniels explained in a 30-page opinion.
“The Taliban — not the former Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan or the Afghan people — must pay for the Taliban’s liability in the
9/11 Attacks.”
Daniels also said he was “constitutionally restrained”
from awarding the assets to the families because it would effectively mean
recognising the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
Since the group’s takeover in 2021, no nation has
recognised the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government — including the United
States.
“The fundamental conclusion… is that neither the
Taliban nor the Judgment Creditors are entitled to raid the coffers of the
state of Afghanistan to pay the Taliban’s debts.”
Daniels’ ruling, which aligns with a recommendation by
another judge last year, deals a blow to the families of the victims of 9/11 as
well as insurance companies that made payments because of the attacks.
More than 2,900 people died when four hijacked planes
crashed into the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, DC and a
field in Pennsylvania.
Then-president George W Bush launched an invasion of
Afghanistan in response, resulting in two decades of war between the US-backed
government and the Taliban.
With the withdrawal of US and Nato troops in August
2021, the Taliban retook power and reimposed their hardline version of Islamic
law.
The country was almost entirely dependent on aid and
has seen its economy teetering on the brink of collapse when Washington froze
$7bn in Afghan assets.
Biden revealed a plan in February 2022 to split the
cash with half directed as aid to Afghanistan and half going to families of
victims of the 9/11 attacks.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1738523/us-judge-rules-911-victims-cannot-seize-afghan-central-bank-funds
--------
Blinken welcomes ‘time out’ on Greece-Turkey tension
21 February ,2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged
NATO allies Greece and Turkey to calm rhetoric as both countries head to
national elections, in an effort to bolster unity in the trans-Atlantic
alliance as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears its anniversary.
Blinken met with officials in Athens after a stop in
Turkey, where he also visited regions hardest hit by devastating recent
earthquakes.
Greek and Turkish officials said they are willing to
take a time out from longstanding disputes over sea boundaries in the eastern
Mediterranean in the aftermath of the earthquakes that have killed about 45,000
people in Turkey and Syria.
Blinken said he hoped the pause would provide an
opportunity to return to diplomacy.
“It’s profoundly in our interest and I believe in the
interest of both Greece and Turkey to find ways to resolve longstanding
differences,” Blinken told reporters in Athens on Tuesday.
“And to do it through dialogue through diplomacy to do
it peacefully and in the meantime to not take any unilateral actions or use any
charged rhetoric that would only make things more difficult.”
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Blinken says ball in Iran court to engage, deal with
challenges of nuclear program
21 February ,2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday
it was up to Iran to engage to resolve a deadlock over its nuclear program, and
accused it of enabling Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Blinken, who was visiting Athens, said the United
States was committed, together with Israel, to ensuring that Tehran “never
acquire a nuclear weapon.”
“That’s not exactly news. The president (Joe Biden)
has been very clear that every option is on the table to do that,” Blinken told
a news conference alongside his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias.
A 2015 agreement limited Iran’s uranium enrichment
program to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms, in return for
international sanctions being lifted. Iran consistently denies harboring any
nuclear weapon ambitions.
Biden’s administration had been trying to resurrect
the 2015 agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was
abandoned by Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump in 2018, but talks deadlocked in
September. Blinken accused Tehran of failing to engage and said the JCPOA was
not on the table now.
“We continue to believe that, with regard to the
nuclear program, the most effective, sustainable way to deal with the challenge
it poses is through diplomacy. But in this moment, those efforts are on the
backburner because Iran is simply not engaged in a meaningful way,” Blinken
said.
“A lot depends on what Iran says and does and whether
or not it engages.”
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
US rescue team returns home after relief efforts in
Türkiye earthquakes
Servet Gunerigok
21.02.2023
WASHINGTON
A group of American rescuers who joined in relief
efforts in earthquakes that hit Türkiye early February arrived in the US on
Monday night.
Nearly 90 members of the Fairfax County Urban Search
and Rescue team were welcomed by family members, Turkish Ambassador in
Washington DC Hasan Murat Mercan, and Administrator of US Agency for
International Development (USAID) Samantha Power with a ceremony in Virginia.
Mercan thanked the team members for rushing to aid the
Turkish people affected by the quakes in southern Türkiye.
"From the bottom of our hearts: Thank you, thank
you, thank you," Mercan said in his opening remarks. "We are
grateful, for all that you have done in the aftermath of the quakes in
Türkiye".
"We are indebted for you have risked your lives,
had to pause your lives here at home and leave your families behind for this
humanitarian cause," said the ambassador.
"We are thankful for you have been among the
first to come to rescue of victims under the rubble, within hours of the first
quake.
Power, for her part, praised the team for their works
in Türkiye during "impossibly difficult conditions."
"By being there first, by being there early, you
showed the truth of our commitment to our friends in Turkey and Syria,"
she said.
"You served our country well," she added.
The team arrived in Türkiye on Feb. 8, two days after
two powerful earthquakes hit Kahramanmaras province as well as 10 other
provinces.
Power and Mercan shook hands with each member while
welcoming them inside the center in Chantilly. Outside, family members
including children welcomed the team members who arrived in two buses.
More than 41,000 people were killed and over 105,000
injured by the two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6,
officials said Monday in the latest figures from the natural disaster.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the
Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11
provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis,
Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa and Elazig.
The members joined rescue efforts in Adiyaman.
Mercan also stressed that since the first hours of the
disaster, American people stood side-by-side with Turkish people.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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South Asia
Afghans and Advocates Speak Out After Taliban Bans
Women from Working With Aid Groups
By Sarah Beth Guevara
February 21, 2023
Like many teachers, Salma cares for children that
aren't biologically hers.
As co-director of the Salam Cafe in Kabul, Salma was
able to provide a refuge for some of Afghanistan's poorest children -- tens of
thousands of whom have been forced onto the streets, according to UNICEF
estimates, where they often have to beg for money to help pay for food for
their families.
Salam Cafe, a nonprofit that focuses on children in
poverty, has been a safe place just for kids, where they can rest during the
day, get a hot meal and have access to books.
The organization has also helped educate children as
well as give their families tools to farm and provide for themselves.
And then the Taliban tore Salma away from her work.
(ABC News agreed not to use Salma's last name because of safety concerns.)
The Taliban, which took over Afghanistan's national
government after a major offensive in 2021, announced in late December that
women can no longer work with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which
encompass many key aid groups. Without their support, women and children are
left hungry, cut off from employment and education.
Taliban officials cited "serious complaints"
that some of the women working with the NGOs weren't wearing the proper head
coverings, according to the Associated Press.
The Taliban has also forbidden formal education for
all girls after sixth grade, reversing a previous promise after seizing the
national government.
Together, those restrictions effectively keep women
and girls away from Salam Cafe. It is now run only by male staff.
"That day, when we closed the cafe for girl kids,
all of them cried a lot. All the girls [were] so sad," Salma said.
NGOs in Afghanistan provide most of the employment
opportunities for women, according to Save the Children. Large organizations
like the International Committee of the Red Cross provide medical care while
other organizations like Salam Cafe focus on the needs of specific children and
families.
Without women working for NGOs, aid groups can't help
those who may be intimidated by male workers, advocates say.
The president and CEO of Save the Children, Janti
Soeripto, said that when she's visited Afghanistan, she focused on severe
malnutrition in children and saw hospitals where Afghan women would only let
other women examine them.
"It's simply not possible to do our work
effectively and safely if we can't do that with women," Soeripto said. She
has said that about 16,000 Afghan women were working for NGOs. While there are
some exceptions for the women to keep working, related to health care and
education, according to the U.N., other concerns remain.
Soeripto said she recently spoke to Taliban leaders to
push for more access to women for NGOs. Salam Cafe's sponsor, Canadian-American
Jasmin Mouflatd, said that this combination of restrictions on women is forcing
them into poverty because there are hardly any kinds of jobs the Taliban will
approve.
Salma no longer being able to educate girls with the
cafe has been difficult, too, Mouflatd said.
"Salma is the glue that holds everything
together. She is the one that will send invoices at 2 to 1 a.m. her time,"
Mouflatd said, adding, "If she was somewhere like in America ... she would
be an asset to any company."
Afghanistan is the largest humanitarian crisis in the
world, with 28 million people in need of aid out of a population of around 40
million, according to Save the Children. But Soeripto said her organization can
now do less than half of all of their work in the country, compared to before
Christmas, in light of the Taliban's ban.
More broadly, Soeripto also pointed to concerning
signs that even when exemptions are granted for women, "they don't always
get followed through at a local provincial level."
The same appears to be true of girls who want to keep
pursuing schooling, the U.N. found, with about 200,000 still in secondary
classes around the country despite restrictions handed down from the central
government.
Salma remembered one incident in which a member of the
Taliban harassed her for leaving her house without a man. She said he
threatened her, telling her to wear a burqa, which is a full body covering.
"They take all our rights," Salma said.
Afghan women, she said, are being erased -- from tinfoil and bags covering
female mannequins' faces to the removal or banning of female teachers and role
models.
Still, Salma described the resilience of women who are
opening bakeries in their kitchens and hiring other women to help them make
money.
"There are some women which fight against the
Taliban and their behavior. They will not stop. Never they will. They will not
stop their works," she said.
Mouflatd said that widows or female head of households
are struggling to make rent. Her organization, Instant Aid, is helping these
women by giving them chickens so they can sell eggs or teaching them crafts
like embroidery to sell internationally.
Around a quarter of households in Afghanistan are
women-led, according to the U.N.
"Decades of conflict resulted in a significant
amount of women being widowed," Soeripto said.
She believes the Taliban will continue to try to push
women out of public life.
"For us to just stand by and just pretend that
that doesn't happen, I think [is] unconscionable," she said.
In a statement, the International Committee of the Red
Cross said it has also been meeting with "relevant authorities, to ensure
that we will be able to continue carrying on our life-saving humanitarian
operations, to the benefit of the Afghan population."
"The international community needs sustained and
increased engagement with the de facto authorities of Afghanistan, because
there has to be a dialogue going as to how we can understand what the
challenges are, what the issues are, and then how we can respond to that,"
Soeripto said.
"I'm worried that edicts ... make it easy for
people to say, 'We cannot work in an environment like this so let's put it to
work somewhere else,' and that will be incredibly short-sighted," Soeripto
said.
For Salma, her biggest hope is for the return of
peaceful stability to Afghanistan's government while women get their
"human being rights, our women rights." She asked for the
international community to "help us."
Source: ABC News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Over 80,000 Drug Addicts Collected After Islamic Emirate
Came to Power: Ministry of Interior
By Nazir Shinwari
The Ministry of Interior said that more than 80,000
drug addicts were collected from across the country after the Islamic Emirate
swept into power.
Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday,
the Interior Ministry’s spokesman, Abdul Nafay Takor, said that the over 5,000
people have been arrested on charges of being involved in drug dealing.
He said that more than 200 drug factories have been
destroyed.
“After the (Islamic Emirate took power), the drug
addicts were collected. They are 82,000, of whom 26,850 have been collected
from Kabul,” Takor said.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health,
Sharafat Zaman Amerkhail said there are a total of 60 rehabilitation centers
with 10 of them dedicated to women and children in the country.
He said that more than 28,000 drug addicts have been
treated'.
“The Ministry of Public Health based on its plan and
commitment over the past one and a half years in 34 provinces of the country,
has activated the rehabilitation centers for drug addicts. It has a public
awareness conference about addiction. It has held meetings at local levels for
countering narcotics and it also released public awareness in printed pieces,”
Amerkhail said.
“We are thankful to these people for all the services
they provided. We hope they would be cooperative in the maintenance of the
city,” said Nematullah Barakzai, an official at the Kabul Municipality.
Source: Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-182173
--------
Southeast Asia
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Receives Kelantan Crown Prince
Enhance Cooperation In Fields Of Knowledge And Da’wah
21 Feb 2023
Mohamed Mandour
His Eminence, Al-Azhar Grand Imam, Prof. Ahmad
At-Tayyeb, received today, Tuesday, at Al-Azhar Headquarters, a high-ranking
Malaysian delegation headed by Mr. Tengku Tan Sri, Crown Prince of the Malaysian
state of Kelantan, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of
knowledge and da’wah between the two parties.
The Grand Imam welcomed the Malaysian delegation to
Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif, their second country, Egypt, expressing his appreciation
for the strong historical relations that link the Malaysian people with
Al-Azhar. His Eminence added that Al-Azhar is pleased to receive Malaysians to
study in its prestigious institutes and university, explaining that more than
6,500 Malaysian students study at the various educational institutes of
Al-Azhar. These students are characterized by their hard work and eagerness to
acquire knowledge. They adhere to Islamic values and morals, and they represent
their country in the best way in the classes of Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif.
His Eminence also indicated that Al-Azhar seeks to
increase the number of Al-Azhar envoys to Malaysia since the Malaysian
community needs their help in the fields of education, da’wah and scientific
research. The Grand Imam noted that Al-Azhar has an Azhari institute in
Malaysia, which witnesses a great turnout from the people of Malaysia studying
at it. Al-Azhar is considering the establishment of more institutes to serve
the people of Malaysia. His Eminence affirmed that Al-Azhar welcomes the
enrollment of Malaysian imams to study at the Al-Azhar International Academy
for Training Imams and Preachers to provide them with various skills they need
to refute extremist ideas.
The two sides discussed ways to enhance Islamic
cooperation and confront the phenomenon of Islamophobia, especially in light of
the repeated incidents in the West, which involved extremist groups who
provoked Muslims and violated their sanctity. Al-Azhar Grand Imam stressed that
the solution lies in taking a unified and influential Islamic position towards
these countries that allow crimes of hate and extremism against Muslims, under
the so-called banner of freedom of expression, which they do not raise unless
these crimes are directed against the sanctities of Muslims and their religious
symbols.
For his part, Mr. Tengku Tan Sri and his accompanying
delegation expressed their pleasure at visiting Al-Azhar Ash-Sharif and meeting
with His Eminence the Grand Imam . They also expressed their thanks and
appreciation for the great efforts Al-Azhar is making to support the Muslim
countries. They stressed that Al-Azhar graduates in Malaysia enjoy a good
reputation, assume the highest positions and set an example for their peers.
The delegation also welcomed the continued cooperation with Al-Azhar and lauded
opening new horizons to absorb the historical relationship between the two
sides and investing in it to the fullest.
Source: See News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://see.news/al-azhar-grand-imam-receives-crown-prince-of-malaysian
--------
‘I’ll sue those saying I am corrupt’, says former
Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin
FEB 18, 2023
KUALA LUMPUR - Former Malaysian prime minister
Muhyiddin Yassin on Sunday vowed legal action against those who insinuate that
he is corrupt.
He said he did not take a single cent from the
procurement of Covid-19 vaccines during his tenure as prime minister from March
2020 to August 2021.
“I have informed the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission) that I am not guilty and they seemed satisfied. I hope these
matters are not raised again,” said the chairman of the Perikatan Nasional (PN)
opposition bloc, adding that those who want to tarnish his name should prove
their claims.
“My lawyer is looking at taking legal action and we
will not stop at that alone.
“The Public Accounts Committee has looked into the
procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, but there are some who intend to go further
and connect my name to bribery,” he told reporters after launching a blood
donation drive at a mall in Kuala Lumpur.
The president of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia added
that he was clueless as to why he had become the target of such accusations.
“I do not know why all these accusations are being
thrown at me now. Perhaps because we will be facing six state elections so I
can be painted as the bad guy and they (political rivals) can win,” he said.
Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and
Terengganu are set to hold state elections this year.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s PN is the governing coalition for
Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, while Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Penang come
under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan.
“I have been with the government for 50 years – I
never had cases of misuse of power or bribery,” Mr Muhyiddin said.
“I follow the rules. I hold on to the law and I have
principles.
“I was also once the prime minister. Such insinuations
should not have been made.
“I am also the Perikatan Nasional chairman and I know
this is a political ploy so that the people are angered and think of me as a
thief, a liar and that I had abused my authority,” he added.
“Those who donated to party funds were those who supported
our struggle and those who believed what Perikatan stands for.
“It had nothing to do with Jana Wibawa,” said Mr
Muhyiddin.
Jana Wibawa was a programme designed to help
bumiputera, or Malay-Muslim, contractors during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was conceived by Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who
was then finance minister in Mr Muhyiddin’s Cabinet. He is now the
International Trade and Industry Minister in Datuk Seri Anwar’s Cabinet.
“The proposal was brought to the Cabinet and approved.
We implemented it by getting the Bumiputera Wholesale Association to submit the
names of contractors approved by the Construction Industry Development Board,“
Mr Muhyiddin said.
He stressed that he was neither involved in setting
the eligibility criteria nor awarding contracts under the programme.
“I don’t even know the names of the companies that
were chosen for Jana Wibawa,” he said.
MACC had frozen the accounts of Bersatu in the course
of investigating allegations that the party had received funds from contractors
chosen under the Jana Wibawa programme during Mr Muhyiddin’s tenure.
On Thursday, Mr Muhyiddin was called in by MACC for
questioning over the Jana Wibawa case. But he said on Sunday that he was there
as a witness, not a suspect.
“The MACC officer informed me that I was not a suspect
but was called in merely to give explanations in the process of
investigations,” he said.
“It is not fair that the government of the day put the
focus on me when it was the finance minister then who made the decisions,” he
added.
Source: Straits Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Malaysian minister warns against activities inciting
chaos after PAS parade with fake weapons
Eileen Ng
FEB 20, 2023
Malaysia’s home minister on Monday issued a warning to
all quarters to stop any activities that could incite chaos, following a
controversial parade by Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) members with fake weapons.
Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said strict
action will be taken against any elements that could threaten public order and
harmony.
“The parade, which went viral on social media, has
caused public unease,” he said in a statement, pointing out that with the
upcoming election in several states, the political temperature is currently
raised.
“I request everyone to take into account sensitivities
and remain responsible to avoid actions that could result in an even more
heated situation.
“Any activity accompanied by symbols in the form of
weapons or military (elements) is inappropriate and will certainly invite
public unrest,” he said.
He also noted that the parade was shown on a video
clip, with background “nasyid” music in Arabic that clearly emphasised a war
theme, and questioned whether the parade was meant to “inject the spirit of
war”.
For the parade, Terengganu PAS Youth members were clad
in mediaeval Islamic war costumes and armed with fake swords, spears and
shields.
Several pictures on social media showed a pickup truck
carrying a giant fake sword on its cargo-bed.
Young people, clad in green-themed mediaeval militant
costumes, were also seen standing on the back of the cargo-bed of a moving
pickup truck.
It is understood that the march was part of a two-day
PAS Youth gathering, Himpunan Pemuda Islam Terengganu.
The Terengganu police said they are investigating the
march.
Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu said on
Monday he is worried that enemies of the country could exploit the parade for
their own gain, adding that he will raise the matter at Wednesday’s Cabinet
meeting.
“We must not take this lightly. The PM is concerned.
The Home Ministry must take swift action. This is dangerous (as) youngsters can
be influenced,” he said.
Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na’im Mokhtar has said
the march was inappropriate, as it would give a bad perception of the teachings
of Islam.
However, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man
said the matter should not be blown out of proportion, adding that it was
similar to a Chinese opera where the actors also carry fake swords and spears.
Source: Straits Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Graft investigators won’t spare Parti Keadilan Rakyat
members: Malaysia PM Anwar
Aqil Haziq Mahmud
21 Feb 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
told parliament on Tuesday (Feb 21) that members of his own Parti Keadilan
Rakyat (PKR) will not be spared in his agenda to rid the country of corruption.
“My instruction, including at a meeting this morning
with investigative bodies, is: Take action, I don’t care which party, including
from my own Parti Keadilan,” he said.
“I cannot guarantee that my own party is 100 per cent
clean, like how Members on the other side say they are all clean. It’s clear
that’s not true.”
Mr Anwar was responding to a question by opposition
Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who asked if appointing Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as
deputy prime minister would taint his Malaysia Madani agenda, which covers
effective governance.
United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president
Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 corruption charges, including alleged criminal breach
of trust of RM31 million (US$7 million) belonging to a charitable foundation he
leads. He is also MP for Bagan Datuk.
“No offence to Bagan Datuk, but my question is … Won’t
it be logical that this appointment will influence judicial proceedings?” asked
Mr Ahmad Fadhli, who is a member of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).
Mr Anwar responded that action cannot be taken against
MPs before conviction, a point he emphasised has been made clear by PAS
president Abdul Hadi Awang in the past.
“What I have done is to tell the attorney-general and
the chief judge that this country has to stand firm with principles of law. I
don’t want to pass judgment before judicial proceedings that are transparent
and independent,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the rural and regional
development minister has carried out his duties in line with his instructions,
Mr Anwar said.
He said this includes a recent case where Ahmad Zahid
instructed government-linked companies under him to follow the tender process,
after they raised several “immediate actions” without a tender.
“I want to reassure the Member for Pasir Mas that I
have no intention of interfering in the (judicial) process, but the perception
that he suggested might be correct,” Mr Anwar said.
“I can only guarantee that it won’t affect the Madani
principle. If I appear to go hard on corruption or misuse of funds that takes
place with proof, then I make no apologies. It is not a personal issue, even
though I know I have been criticised by some people for apparently finding
faults.”
Following an investigation by Malaysia’s anti-graft
agency, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) information chief Wan Saiful
Wan Jan on Tuesday claimed trial against charges of accepting and soliciting
bribes of almost RM7 million in relation to the government’s Jana Wibawa aid
programme.
According to local media, the Tasek Gelugor MP was
also charged on Tuesday with soliciting an unspecified amount for a road
project worth RM232 million.
The Jana Wibawa aid programme was an economic
generation project during Malaysia’s COVID-19 movement control order. It was a
stimulus aid package that was meant to help Bumiputera contractors.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had
also frozen Bersatu’s bank accounts as part of graft investigations, a move
that opposition leaders criticise as efforts by the government to “kill” the
credibility of Bersatu and the Perikatan Nasional coalition it leads.
Commenting on the charges against Wan Saiful, Bersatu
president Muhyiddin Yassin claimed on Tuesday that his party is the victim of
“selective prosecution”.
“We actually expected that this would be done by the
PH (Pakatan Harapan)-BN (Barisan Nasional) government to weaken Bersatu after
seeing growing support for Perikatan Nasional,” he was quoted by local media as
saying at a press conference.
The MACC has questioned Mr Muhyiddin as well as
current international trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz as part of
its probe into the Jana Wibawa programme.
On Tuesday, Mr Tengku Zafrul announced in an Instagram
post that he gave his statement to the anti-graft agency on Monday evening. “I
will continue to cooperate with the authorities if needed, thank you,” he said.
Mr Anwar said in parliament on Tuesday that he wanted
to get rid of corruption to show that Malaysia Madani was not “just an empty
slogan”.
“I want to let the people understand that the country
cannot be safe without values, manners and character. We can succeed in the
economy, but fail in governance that involves corruption and abuse of power,
which has become the norm,” he said.
“When I say this has become systemic, some say I am
criticising Malaysia from overseas. But this is clear, no matter if we are in
Jakarta or Bangkok, I will say it.
Source: Channel News Asia
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Africa
Muslim scholars supplicate, endorse Tinubu for
president
By Waliat Musa
22 February 2023
Concerned Yoruba Muslim Scholars in Nigeria (CYMSN)
has prayed for peaceful general elections and endorsed All Progressives
Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, for this weekend’s contest.
During a prayer session at the National Mosque, Abuja,
the group’s Secretary General, Prof. Abideen Olaiya, advised politicians
against heating up the polity through unguarded utterances.
He deplored the calls in certain quarters for interim
government and election postponement, warning that such could jeopardise the
electoral process.
CYMSN observed that Tinubu possesses the competence,
capacity and ability to bring good governance to Nigerians if elected
president.
Olaiya continued: “We are an organisation working for
the peaceful transition of electoral process. We organised this prayer as an
intercessional prayer for divine favour from Almighty Allah to make transition
that is ongoing peaceful and successful.
“The fuel scarcity and naira redesign policy crises,
among others are giving us a serious concern. And we have gathered to pray to
Almighty God to give us intervention so that we can have a smooth and peaceful
conduct of the electoral process.
“We are equally praying for the victory of Asiwaju and
Shettima presidential project. The Ummah have sat severally and we have taken
our decision to endorse the presidential project of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
and Kashim Shettima. We are equally praying that Almighty Allah will give them
victory in the upcoming elections. And we are equally praying that Almighty
Allah should make them to be able to deliver good governance to Nigerians
because Nigerians are seriously yearning for capable and competent leader to
take over from President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The scribe pleaded: “We are advising the political
leaders to take it easy for themselves. This situation with the electorate is
not as rosy as it were. We want the politicians not to unnecessarily heat up
the polity by making statements that could destabilise the country.
“This election has been planned over the last two
years. We hope that the politicians would not make any mistake that can make
anybody to come and say ‘Fellow Nigerians’ again. The politicians should not make
any mistake that can truncate the electoral process.”
Source: Guardian Nigeria
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https://guardian.ng/news/muslim-scholars-supplicate-endorse-tinubu-for-president/
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Tunisia’s press syndicate head says he faces
prosecution over protest
21 February ,2023
The head of Tunisia’s press syndicate said on Tuesday
he faced a police complaint over a protest last year, calling it an attempt to
intimidate his organization and silence criticism of the president.
Mehdi Jlassi said he learned of the accusations after
police showed his lawyer the formal complaint while she was defending other activists
in the same case.
She told him that his name was one of several listed
alongside those activists, he said.
The complaint accuses Jlassi of inciting disobedience
against the police and assaulting police officers during a small protest in
July last year, Mehdi told Reuters by phone.
However, “there was no attack or clash with the
police” during that protest, he added.
The police and Interior Ministry declined to comment
on the complaint.
Police have this month carried out a wave of arrests
of critics of President Kais Saied, who shut down the elected parliament in
2021 and assumed broad powers, moves his critics have called a coup.
Saied has said his actions were legal and necessary to
save Tunisia from chaos. The police and Interior Ministry have declined comment
on those arrests too but Saied has accused some of those detained of being
behind price rises and shortages of goods.
Jlassi and the press syndicate have been vocal
champions of freedom of speech in Tunisia, which blossomed after the 2011 revolution
that brought democracy, and has largely persisted since Saied’s seizure of
powers.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Three peacekeepers killed, five injured in Mali: UN
21 February ,2023
Three United Nations peacekeepers were killed and five
were seriously injured after their convoy hit an improvised explosive device in
central Mali, the UN peacekeeping mission in the West African country said on
Tuesday on Twitter.
Mali is struggling to stem extremism that took root
after a 2012 coup and has since spread from the West African country’s arid
north.
Thousands have died and millions have been displaced
across the Sahel region.
Some of the groups have links to al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Source: Al Arabiya
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10 killed, several injured in al-Shabaab terrorist
attack on residential building in Somalia's capital
22.02.2023
MOGADISHU, Somalia
At least 10 people were killed and several others were
injured when al-Shabaab terrorists stormed a residential building in the Somali
capital of Mogadishu, sprayed indiscriminate bullets with automatic weapons on
civilians, and one of them blew himself up.
Five terrorists from the al-Shabaab group, which is
linked to the al-Qaeda terror network, attacked the residential building near
Mogadishu's main Liido beach on Tuesday evening, where a senior Somali military
official also lives, according to local media.
The Information Ministry said in a statement that the
attack began with a suicide bombing, followed by gunfire that killed 10 people.
The security forces completed the operation and killed
four terrorist attackers, the ministry said.
Four security personnel were injured during the
operation that ended the al-Shabaab militants' siege of the building, it added.
Local media reported that some injured fighters from
the government-backed armed militia known as Macwisley were staying at the
residential building when al-Shabaab militants attacked it.
Macwisley is a clan-based militia fighting al-Shabaab
terrorists in the country's central provinces.
Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack
in a statement posted on its propaganda website, claiming that it had attacked
a Macwisley base and killed more than 70 people.
Meanwhile, the Somali government announced on Tuesday
that the army, backed by international partners, carried out a 30-hour
operation against terrorists in the Middle Shabelle region, killing 42
al-Shabaab militants.
The ministry said in a separate statement that the
military, backed by the central state of Galmudug regional forces, killed over
80 al-Shabaab terrorists in Shabeelow, Mudug region.
Since military operations against al-Shabaab have
intensified, the terrorist group has increased its attacks.
In October of last year, two car bombs exploded at the
Education Ministry, killing at least 121 people and injuring more than 300
others in the deadliest bombing in Somalia in years.
The Somali National Army has been fighting al-Shabaab
terrorists since President Mohamud declared an "all-out war" on them
after his re-election for a second term last May.
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with
al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS being the main threats.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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