New Age Islam News Bureau
21 October 2020
ISIS Magazine 'Voice of Hindi' cover.
-----
• All Terrorists Have Grown Up in Madrasas, says Madhya
Pradesh Culture Minister
• Gilgit Baltistan Not Part of Pakistan, Its Laws Do
Not Apply': Protesters Demand Release of Political Prisoners
• 'Demoralized, Shocked' Sindh Police In Open Revolt
Against Pak Army Over IGP 'Kidnaping', Jittery Bajwa Orders Inquiry
• Linking Terrorism To Islam Shows Ignorance: Imam of
Egypt’s Al-Azhar
• ‘Welcome To Israel’: First UAE Delegation Received
By Israeli PM Netanyahu At Airport
• French MP Warns Of Generalized Suspicion of Muslims
• Sadat Mansoor Naderi Ensures ‘People Involvement’ In
The Peace Process
India
• ISIS Terrorists Trying To Trick Indian Muslims to
Take Up Arms to Avenge Babri, In ‘Voice of Hind’ Magazine
• All Terrorists Have Grown Up in Madrasas, says Madhya
Pradesh Culture Minister
• National Commission for Women Chief Meets Maha Guv,
Highlighted The Distinction Between A Consensual Inter-Faith Marriage And ‘Love
Jihad’
• Uttarakhand MoS Rank for Triple Talaq Crusader
• NIA Names 10 in Hizbul Narco-Terror Chargesheet
• Muslim Youth Killed In Jharkhand for Preventing Cow
Slaughter
• Five terrorists killed in twin south Kashmir
encounter
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Pakistan
• Gilgit Baltistan Not Part of Pakistan, Its Laws Do
Not Apply': Protesters Demand Release of Political Prisoners
• 'Demoralized, Shocked' Sindh Police In Open Revolt
Against Pak Army Over IGP 'Kidnaping', Jittery Bajwa Orders Inquiry
• Kidnapping of Sindh's IGP, arrest of PML-N leader
may lead to Pak PM's Watergate scandal: PoK activist
• Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shehbaz Sharif
sent to jail
• National Assembly echoes with opposition whistles
• At least 15 dead in stampede near Pakistan consulate
in eastern Afghanistan
• Pakistan stands by Afghan brethren in hard times:
Alvi
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Arab world
• Linking Terrorism To Islam Shows Ignorance: Imam of
Egypt’s Al-Azhar
• Khashoggi's Fiancée, Human Rights Group Sue Saudi
Crown Prince In US For Murder
• Human Rights Watch calls on Saudi Arabia to halt
eight imminent executions
• Iraqi militias defy government, expand networks and
pressure
• Suspected ISIS gunmen kill three Kurds in disputed
Kirkuk, burn their bodies
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Mideast
• ‘Welcome To Israel’: First UAE Delegation Received
By Israeli PM Netanyahu At Airport
• 'Shameful' UAE visit will encourage more Israeli
aggression: Palestinians
• Report: Egypt Concerned about UAE's Likely Turn into
Haven for Mossad
• Iran Deplores Takfiri-Style Beheading in Karabakh
• Rocket fire from Gaza after Israel uncover
cross-border attack tunnel
• Turkey guilty of violating free speech right, finds
European court
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Europe
• French MP Warns Of Generalized Suspicion of Muslims
• Islamist Jihad Poses Biggest Terror Threat to
Britain
• UN Set To Hold Urgent Donor Conference for Rohingya
Muslim Refugees
• France shuts Paris mosque after teacher’s beheading
• After teacher beheading, France to dissolve
pro-Hamas Muslim group: Macron
• French police raid dozens of targets suspected of
extremism after teacher beheaded
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South Asia
• Sadat Mansoor Naderi Ensures ‘People Involvement’ In
The Peace Process
• 5 killed, 9 injured in blast in central Afghanistan
• Devotion to Mother Mary spans generations in
Bangladesh
• 'Rohingya crisis among worst modern tragedies'
• 50 Taliban Killed in Kandahar Battle
• Special Inspector General For Afghanistan
Reconstruction: $19 Billion Dollars Lost To Fraud
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Southeast Asia
• Political Reconciliation among Malay Parties Seen As
A Tall Order
• Ask And I Will Forgive, Otherwise Find Me in Padang
Mahsyar, Najib Tells Dr Mahathir
• Indonesia aims to be major ‘player’ in halal market
• Indonesia: Calls for rescue of Rohingya stranded at
sea
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Africa
• Al-Sunni Calls for Young People to Participate In
the Libyan Political Dialogue
• Removal from US list not linked to Israel ties:
Sudan
• Dialogue Possible With Certain Sahel Jihadists: UN
Chief
• Cameroon Chiefs Create Militias for Protection from
Separatists
• ICC prosecutor says Omar al-Bashir, other suspects
must face justice over Darfur
• Libyan warring sides agree to open air, land routes:
UN Envoy
• 2 killed in bomb blast in Somali capital
• Nigeria: 15 killed since start of police abuse
protests
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North America
• US Warns 'Distressingly High' Afghan Violence Could
Derail Deal with Taliban
• U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Qaeda Financier Who Trades
in Gems
• Israel has a stranglehold on US foreign policy
• Baltimore County man linked to extremist movement
arraigned on gun charge
--------
Australia
• Right-Wing Extremism on The Rise: Police
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/isis-terrorists-trying-trick-indian/d/123220
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ISIS Terrorists Trying To Trick Indian Muslims to Take Up Arms to Avenge Babri, In ‘Voice of Hind’ Magazine
Oct 20, 2020
ISIS Magazine 'Voice of Hindi' cover.
-----
New Delhi: In yet another shocker from the corridors
of terror, dreaded terrorist organisation Islamic State (ISIS) has released new
literature in the latest edition of its magazine where it has put out
insinuating content urging Muslims to take up arms to “avenge Babri Masjid”.
The content, accessed by Times Now, states that
Muslims should take up arms and wage ‘jihad’ to take revenge against the Indian
establishment for the Babri Masjid incident.
The sinister ISIS literature also cites Uttar Pradesh
doctor Kafeel Khan to paint false narrative of ‘Islamophobia’, and also
attempts to spread propaganda to instigate Muslims against the Citizenship
Amendment Act.
Earlier this month, a chargesheet filed by the
National Investigation Agency stated that the Indian module of the terrorist
organisation was planning to set up its units inside the jungles of South
India.
As per the chargesheet filed in July, an offshoot of
the Islamic State operating in southern India – the Al-Hind – had plotted to
establish ‘ISIS Daishwilayah’ (province) inside the dense forests of Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala in 2019.
The NIA subsequently filed a chargesheet against 17
conspirators for establishing a terror outfit conspired by two terrorists from
Bengaluru and Cuddalore in order to carry out terror attacks across the
country.
The two key conspirators – Mehboob Pasha from
Bengaluru and Khaja Moideen of Cuddalore – recruited youths, and procured arms
and ammunition in large quantities, along with a huge cache explosive material
to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Last week, a special NIA court sentenced 15 people
with rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years and fine in connection with the ISIS
Delhi conspiracy case for trying to establish its base in India by recruiting
Muslim youth.
https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/avenge-babri-isis-magazine-calls-for-jihad-instigates-muslims-to-take-up-arms-video/670025
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All Terrorists Have Grown Up in Madrasas, says Madhya
Pradesh Culture Minister
Edited by Poulomi Ghosh
Oct 21, 2020
Religion-based education is increasing fanaticism and
spreading hatred, the minister said. (Facebook/Usha Thakur)
-----
Madhya Pradesh Culture Minister Usha Thakur said all
terrorists have studied in madrasas, championing for the suspension of
government funds to madrasas. “All fundamentalists and terrorists of the
country have grown up in madrasas. Children are children and students are
students. So I believe students of all religions should be collectively given
the same education. See, Assam has done this. Religion-based education is
increasing fanaticism and spreading hatred,” the minister said.
All terrorists are raised in madrasas; they had turned
J&K into a terror factory. Madrasas which can't comply with nationalism,
they should be merged with existing education system to ensure complete
progress of the society: Madhya Pradesh Minister Usha Thakur in Indore. (20.10)
pic.twitter.com/1jQEgFBu2r
— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2020
“What culture are they (madrasas) teaching? If you are
a citizen of this country, then you see all fundamentalists and terrorists have
grown in madrasas. Jammu and Kashmir was made a factory of terrorists,” she
added.
Those who want religious education can obtain it at
their own expense, as the Constitution gives them this right, the minister
said.
“Government’s financial assistance to madrasas must
stop. The Wakf Board is economically the strongest organisation in the world
and it would take care of funding for madrasas,” she said.
Assam has recently decided to shut down state-run
Madrasad and sanskrit tols and convert them to regular schools to bring
uniformity in the education system.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/see-assam-has-done-this-says-madhya-pradesh-minister-on-shutting-down-madrasas/story-R6Q0IyDCjHS5rg8modYN9H.html
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Gilgit Baltistan Not Part of Pakistan, Its Laws Do Not
Apply': Protesters Demand Release Of Political Prisoners
Oct 21, 2020
Protests in Gilgit Baltistan demanding the release of political prisoners
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GILGIT BALTISTAN: Protests demanding the release of
political prisoners, including a prominent local activist Baba Jan, have
entered the third week in Gilgit Baltistan with protestors questioning the
draconian law under which the activists have been arrested, saying the region
is not a part of Pakistan and its laws do not apply here.
Even the remote villages and far-flung corners of the
region have joined in the movement that demands the release of political
prisoners, who are serving illegal sentences.
Carrying pictures of Baba Jan, a prominent local
activist-cum leader serving a ninety-year sentence on trumped-up charges,
demonstrators raised slogans against Pakistan government and demanded the
immediate release of the political prisoners.
Arrested in 2011, Baba Jan is an activist who
challenged the then Pakistani administration which was essentially working
against the people of Gilgit Baltistan.
The Pakistan establishment has used the draconian
schedule IV of the Anti-Terrorism Act in Gilgit Baltistan to muzzle the
reasonable voices that resist its repression.
It has framed dozens under the law not only to give
itself a free rein to rule the region but also to send a threatening message to
all sections of the society.
Protesters say that their protests have grown huge in
size but have generated a little ripple effect because of the biased coverage
by Pakistani media. They say their protests are indefinite in nature this time
and they will not give in to any administrative persuasion or coercion.
"If you (Pakistan establishment) think you can
muzzle our voice through forces, let me tell you, you can not. It is the 21st
century, we will not sit quietly. Pakistani media is doing selective reporting
and is not covering our issues," a protestor said.
Locals have also threatened the authorities with the
intensification of protests if their demands were not met immediately.
They called out Pakistani government for being
ghoulish in their attitude while dealing with the people of this illegally
occupied region.
A protestor said they are subject to atrocities on the
whims of Islamabad as lawfully the region is not even a part of them. Pakistan
has misgoverned the region for more than seven decades and has not granted
people with even fundamental rights.
"We are not part of Pakistan. Pakistan
constitution does not apply to us. There is no logic and law behind the arrest
of our people. They have been arrested from the last 10 years. If we are not
part of your country so how can your laws apply to us?" asked another
protestor.
Freedom of speech, Right to education, property rights
or even right of employment is foreign to the people of Gilgit Baltistan.
Pakistan has for decades been plundering the region of
its land and resources and been giving it nearly zero returns. Demanding rights
has seemingly become an unwritten crime in Gilgit Baltistan. Anybody who has
dared to raise his voice against this discrimination has been subject to
intimidation, arrest and imprisonment.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/gilgit-baltistan-not-part-of-pakistan-its-laws-do-not-apply-protestors-demand-release-of-political-prisoners/articleshow/78780878.cms
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'Demoralized, Shocked' Sindh Police In Open Revolt
Against Pak Army Over IGP 'Kidnaping', Jittery Bajwa Orders Inquiry
Oct 21, 2020
KARACHI: It is not just political parties in Pakistan
who are protesting against the 'deep state' in the country, police officers in
the Sindh province are also revolting against the atrocities of the powerful
army.
Recently, political parties under the banner joint
opposition alliance---Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-- protested against
the 'puppet' government of Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded his
resignation. Thousands of people participated in the rally in Karachi.
Following the rally, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
leader Maryam Nawaz's husband Safdar Awan was arrested from his hotel room.
Almost all police officers in Singh Police applied for
leave in protest against the humiliation meted out to the Sindh IGP Mushtaq
Mehr, during the PML-N leader Safdar Awan's arrest saga, The News International
reported.
PML-N leader and spokesman for Nawaz Sharif and Maryam
Nawaz's and former Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair that the IGP Sindh was
'kidnapped' by Rangers who forced him to file an FIR for Safdar's arrest.
The development caused extreme bitterness among the
police officers who retaliated by submitting leave of absence.
Almost the entire top brass of the police, including
three Additional IGs, 25 DIGs, 30 SSPs and dozens of SPs, DSPs and SHOs across
Sindh, tendered leave applications, as a protest against the "resentment
and heartache caused to all ranks of the force" by the unfortunate
incident of October 18/19. The incident sent shockwaves in top Army brass with
Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa himself stepped in and order an inquiry into the
'Karachi incident'.
In a tweet, the Sindh Police termed their reaction of
filing leave application "as a spontaneous and heartfelt reaction and made
on an individual basis rather than on a collective basis."
Following a low key letter of leave by the IGP Mushtaq
Mehr, Additional Inspector General of Police, Special Branch, Sindh, Yaqoob Minhas
submitted his. Minhas in his application submitted to the IGP that during the
recent episode of registration of FIR against the PML-N leader, "the high
command of the Sindh Police was ridiculed and mishandled, which has left the
entire provincial police force demoralized and shocked."
Asking to proceed on leave, Minhas said: "In such
a stressful situation, it is quite difficult for me to discharge my duty in a
professional manner. In order to come out of this shock and settle down, I may
kindly be granted 60 days earned leave."
The senior police officers were extremely annoyed and
upset with the way their IGP was treated.
They warned that they could tender resignations if it
is for their dignity.
They asserted that the police force was the first line
of defence and thousands of cops have sacrificed their lives in the line of
duty and how this force has been treated is unfortunate.
"Right now, we are going on leave but we can
tender our resignations too," warned a frustrated a senior police officer
who wished not to be named. "How can we work in this stressful environment
where there is no respect for us".
Later in the night on Tuesday, Pakistan People's Party
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, accompanied by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad
Ali Shah, visited the residence of the IGP Sindh Mushtaq Mehr where a large
number of PSP officers had also gathered, to defuse the situation and to
express solidarity with the police force and appreciate their role as a
frontline force against crimes and terrorism.
On the occasion, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari informed them
of his telephonic conversation with Bajwa in which General Qamar Javed Bajwa
had assured him of a transparent inquiry into the incident and hoped its
results would be announced soon.
Following the meeting with the PPP Chairman Bilawal
Bhutto at the IGP's residence, the IGP deferred his own leave and ordered his
officers to set aside their leave applications for 10 days in the larger
national interest, pending the conclusion of the inquiry.
Meanwhile, Sindh Police spokesperson issued a
statement via Twitter appreciating Bajwa for realising the sense of hurt that
prevailed within a uniformed force and instituting an impartial inquiry to
restore the prestige of the Sindh Police. He also expressed gratitude to the
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and CM Sindh for expressing solidarity with the
police leadership.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/demoralized-shocked-sindh-police-in-open-revolt-against-pak-army-over-igp-kidnaping-jittery-bajwa-orders-inquiry/articleshow/78782200.cms
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Linking terrorism to Islam shows ignorance: Imam of
Egypt’s Al-Azhar
21 October 2020
The grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar Islamic Center,
Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayyeb, has blasted individuals who link terrorism to Islam,
following Islamophobic remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron and the
recent murder of a French teacher.
According to AhlolBayt News Agency (ABNA) on
Wednesday, Tayyeb tweeted that linking terrorism to Islam was a sign of
ignorance.
Tayyeb ’s statement comes following the beheading of
French school teacher Samuel Paty on Friday after he showed his students
blasphemous cartoon images of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The grand imam of Al-Azhar also condemned the incident
in a joint statement read out to an interfaith gathering of Muslims,
Christians, and other religions in Rome’s Capitol Square attended by the leader
of the Catholic Christians, Pope Francis, on Tuesday.
In the statement, Tayyeb emphasized that the religion
of Islam was opposed to criminal activities and was innocent of terrorist
crimes. He also emphasized that insults against religions in the name of free
speech were not condoned, as they provoked hatred.
“I emphasize that insulting religions and attacking
their sacred symbols under the banner of freedom of expression is… an open
invitation to hatred,” the grand imam of Al-Azhar said.
Meanwhile,
President Macron was scheduled to attend a memorial in honor of the dead
teacher at Sorbonne University, posthumously presenting him France’s highest award,
the Legion d’Honneur.
Macron vowed on Tuesday to intensify a clampdown on
extremists. “Our fellow citizens expect actions,” he said during a visit to a
Paris suburb.
A number of people, including two underage minors,
have already been handed over to a court investigating the happenings leading
to the killing.
As part of a crackdown against Muslims, French
authorities have also ordered a six-month shutdown of the Grand Mosque of
Pantin in a low-income Paris suburb.
Macron prompted a backlash on October 2 — before the
latest incident — when he said Islam was “in crisis.” He made the remark during
a speech in which he unveiled a draft law that would boost secularism in
France, which is home to the largest population of Muslims in Western Europe.
According to the draft law, some NGOs or organizations that allegedly “act
against the law and values of the country” might be shut down or face tight
financial audits.
French Muslims widely criticized the remarks and the
planned law, voicing concern that the speech would trigger hate crimes against
them.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/21/636879/Linking-terrorism-to-Islam-shows-ignorance-Imam-of-Egypt-Al-Azhar
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‘Welcome to Israel’: First UAE delegation received by
Israeli PM Netanyahu at airport
Emily Judd
20 October 2020
The first official UAE delegation to Israel landed at
Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on Tuesday, accompied by top US officials
including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The UAE-US delegation was received by Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opened the trilateral ceremony, which included
the signing of four Israel-UAE agreements regarding the promotion and
protection of investments, science and innovation, aviation, and visa
exemptions.
Netanyahu announced that the UAE and Israel will allow
their citizens to travel between countries without visas.
In his speech, Netanyahu said that the officials are
“making history in a way that will stand for generations.”
“Jews and Arabs are the descendants of one common ancestor:
Abraham…in his spirit we wish to foster a Middle East of coexistence and
cooperation,” he added.
Abraham Fund announced
The US announced the “Abraham Fund,” a joint
American-Israeli-Emirati initiative based in Jerusalem focused on strengthening
regional economic resiliency across the Middle East and to North African
countries.
The Abraham Fund will start with a $3 billion
trilateral commitment, said US International Development Finance Corporation
CEO Adam Boehler.
The countries will “trilaterally open a development
office based in Israel to identify and initiate strategic projects with a high
developmental impact, including those that catalyze economic growth, improve
standards of living, and create high-value, quality jobs,” according to a joint
statement.
UAE Minister of State Ahmed Al Sayegh said that the
fund “reflects the desire of the three countries to put the wellbeing of people
first, regardless of their creed or identity.”
Participation from other countries to advance the
objectives of the fund - promoting regional economic cooperation and prosperity
in the Middle East and beyond - is welcomed, the statement said.
Boehler added that “we’ve already made progress…to
change and modernize the checkpoints for Palestinians throughout all of Israel
and Jordan.”
In his remarks, Mnuchin said that along with the
United States, “Israel and the UAE share a similar outlook regarding threats
and opportunities in the region.”
After the ceremony, Netanyahu, Mnuchin, US Assistant
to the President Avi Berkowitz, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs
Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, and UAE Minister of Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri
met in a closed door meeting, according to the prime minister's office.
The delegation visit is confined to the area of Ben
Gurion airport due to coronavirus precautions.
An Israeli delegation already visited the UAE’s
capital city Abu Dhabi on August 31, taking the first direct flight in history
from Israel to the UAE.
The Emirati delegation boarded an Etihad Airways
flight on Tuesday morning at the airport in Abu Dhabi.
On Monday the first ever passenger flight from the UAE
to Israel landed near Tel Aviv, one month after the countries signed an
agreement normalizing ties. Only flight crew were on board.
The flight was operated by Etihad Airways, which
became the first Gulf airline to operate a civilian flight to Israel.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/10/20/From-Abu-Dhabi-to-Tel-Aviv-First-UAE-delegation-leaves-for-Israel-to-meet-Netanyahu
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French MP warns of generalized suspicion of Muslims
Cindi Cook
20.10.2020
PARIS
French lawmaker Adrien Quatennens has warned against a
climate of generalized suspicion toward the country’s Muslims after the murder
of teacher Samuel Paty by an extremist last Friday in the suburbs of Paris.
Quatennens, an LFI Party member of the parliament
hailing from the Nord Department, appeared on franceinfo television Tuesday
morning and in his appearance called for unity in the fight against terrorism.
He said he believes that terrorists have a goal to divide the French society,
and that they aim "a cleavage between Muslims and the rest of the
population."
At the same time, Quatennens recognized the peril in
making sweeping conclusion on the matter.
"This cleavage must therefore be refused. We must
fight against Islamist terrorism, but not have a logic of generalized
suspicion," he added.
"When attacks like those in Conflans are
committed, millions of our fellow citizens suffer to see that this barbarism is
committed in the name of their god."
Samuel Paty, a 47-year-old father who taught history
and geography at Bois-d'Aulne College in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine in the
Yvelines north of the capital, was decapitated Friday by Abdoullakh Anzorov, an
18-year-old man of Chechen origin. The suspect was gunned down by police.
The teacher, during one of his classes on freedom of
expression, had shown controversial cartoons depicting Muslim Prophet Muhammad,
according to the reports.
Muslim leaders across France have condemned the
murder, stressing that extremists abuse religion for their goals and their
actions cannot be justified through Islam.
Community leaders expressed their concern that the
recent attack would again stigmatize French Muslims and increase Islamophobic
views.
The murder has given rise to a renewed police
crackdown with Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin on Sunday and Monday launching
34 police operations, 80 investigations, and taking dozens of people into
custody.
Critics said French President Emmanuel Macron's
government may exploit this murder to intensify its controversial, anti-Muslim
campaign.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/french-mp-warns-of-generalized-suspicion-of-muslims/2012923
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Sadat Mansoor Naderi Ensures ‘People Involvement’ In
The Peace Process
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
21 Oct 2020
State minister of peace, Sayed Sadat Mansoor Naderi,
including six members of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan conducted a virtual meeting with the residence of Badakhshan on
Tuesday.
Naderi wrote on his Facebook, that members of the
delegation informed the people about the cases and answered their questions.
He added, “People participation and their actual
participation” in the peace process is one of the prerequisites for the success
of the nation in this process, this series continues to ensure the ownership of
the people in the peace process.
The view of the Ministry of State on peace is to put
the people at the center of the peace process, for this reason, it establishes
a series of consultative meetings and exchange of views with various sections
of society.
According to Naderi, the ministry aims are to connect
people in the provinces with the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan.
Naderi said, “The background of other countries in
peace negotiations reflects the lengthy agreement on the framework, But the
Afghan peace process is well underway”
This comes as a meeting was held in Doha on Monday
night with members of the Afghan government and Taliban delegation and contact
groups, but as with previous meetings, it was inconclusive.
https://www.khaama.com/sadat-mansoor-naderi-ensures-people-involvement-in-the-peace-process-878787/
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India
National Commission for Women Chief Meets Maha Guv,
Highlighted The Distinction Between A Consensual Inter-Faith Marriage And ‘Love
Jihad’
Oct 21, 2020
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma on Tuesday met
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Mumbai and discussed the “rise”
in ‘love jihad’ cases in the state among other issues, an official statement
said. She highlighted the distinction between a consensual inter-faith marriage
and ‘love jihad’ and said that the latter required attention, the National
Commission for Women (NCW) said in a statement.
“Madam Chairperson raised the issue of rise in love
jihad cases in Maharashtra. She highlighted a distinction between consensual
inter-faith marriages and love jihad and said that the latter required
attention,” the statement said. As part of her visit to Mumbai, she also met a
number of government officials, the NCW said.
“Our Chairperson @sharmarekha met with Bhagat Singh
Koshyari, His Excellency, Governor of Maharashtra and discussed issues related
to #womensafety in the state including defunct One Stop Centres, molestation
and rape of women patients at #COVID centres and rise in love jihad cases,” the
NCW tweeted.
She also raised the issue of the Maharashtra State
Commission for Women not having a chairperson and stressed that the position be
filled at the earliest to ensure complaints are addressed in a timely manner.
She claimed that some 4,000 complaints received by the state commission have
not been attended to and redressed. “Till such time that the position is
filled, a member from NCW shall visit the state on a monthly basis to look into
the concerns raised by the women in the state,” the NCW said.
Sharma also enquired into the status of the defunct
One Stop Centres and sought their immediate reopening. “Some 188 cases filed
under POCSO are pending beyond the statutory three month period. This should be
looked into on priority,” Sharma was quoted as saying in the statement.
During her visit she met several women’s rights groups
and NGOs to get a sense of the severity of the issue and the on-ground reality
faced by women in Maharashtra.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/ncw-chief-meets-maha-guv-raises-issue-of-rising-love-jihad-cases-in-state/story-73eFkJhlqMF8csSjZsNPMJ.html
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Uttarakhand MoS rank for triple talaq crusader
Oct 21, 2020
DEHRADUN: Shayara Bano, the main petitioner in the
triple talaq case in the Supreme Court, was on Tuesday accorded the minister of
state (MoS) rank by the Uttarakhand government, just 10 days after she joined
the ruling BJP.
Apart from Bano, two more women were given the
MoS-rank posts. All three were made vice-presidents of the state women
commission. Soon after the appointments, CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said, “These
three posts will help us address the womenrelated issues more effectively. All
the pending matters will be resolved expeditiously.”
A resident of Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar
district, Bano had approached Supreme Court against the practice of instant
talaq way back in 2014, four months after she was divorced by her husband
through speed post. Her case was clubbed with some other petitions. In 2017,
the apex court had declared the practice as unconstitutional.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/uttarakhand-mos-rank-for-triple-talaq-crusader/articleshow/78778842.cms
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NIA names 10 in Hizbul narco-terror chargesheet
Oct 20, 2020
SRINAGAR/ NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency
(NIA) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet against 10 accused - including the slain
Hizbul top commander Riyaz Naikoo and drug peddlers based in Punjab - in the Hizbul
Mujahideen (HM) narco-terror case. The case involves smuggling of heroin into
India by Pakistan-based HM commanders, which would then be received and sold by
drug traffickers operating out of Punjab and the proceeds channelised back to
Pakistan through hawala or to HM terrorists based in Jammu and Kashmir.
The HM terror financing net was being run and
controlled by its top commanders across the border, particularly one Khurshid,
who NIA sources on Tuesday described as the financial head of HM in Pakistan.
Among those named in the 14,000-page chargesheet,
filed in an NIA special court at Mohali in Punjab, are three Kashmiri HM
terrorists – Riyaz Naikoo (who was killed in May), Hilal Ahmed Shergojri
(arrested) and Zafar Hussain Bhat (absconding) - and seven members who were
part of a Punjab-based drugs trafficking module, namely, Bikram Singh, Maninder
Singh, Ranjit Singh, Jaswant Singh, Ranjit Singh, Gagandeep Singh (all
arrested); and Iqbal Singh (absconding).
They have been charged under various sections of the
NDPS Act, UAPA Act and IPC, besides Section 12(1)(b) of the Indian Passport
Act.
The case was initially filed by Punjab police in April
following the arrest of Hilal Shergojri and recovery of Rs 29 lakh in cash from
his possession. NIA took up investigation of the case on May 8, 2020.
During investigation it emerged that Hilal, who had
come to Amritsar to collect Rs 29 lakh, was a member of HM and a close
associate of Riyaz Naikoo. “Investigation also unearthed the conspiracy hatched
by Pakistan-based HM commanders and their associates and terrorist gangs in
Punjab to support and augment the terror infrastructure of HM in India by
raising money through drug smuggling/drug pedalling,” NIA spokesperson Sonia
Narang said.
“Investigation revealed that the accused had received
at least six consignments of heroin through Attari border in the garb of
importing rock salt granules from Pakistan. Of these, money proceeds of five
consignments were partly sent back to Pakistan through hawala operators, while
a substantial portion was channelized to HM terrorists in Kashmir through a
network of overground workers and other associates,” she added.
NIA said a sixth consignment of around 532 kg of
heroin was seized in July 2019 at Attari border and a separate case was
registered, which was investigated by NIA and a chargesheet filed.
During investigation, NIA has carried out searches at
15 locations belonging to the suspects and accused in Punjab, Haryana and
J&K. “So far, Rs 98.5 lakh in cash, eight vehicles and three kg of heroin
have been seized from the accused and investments worth several crores have
been identified,” the spokesperson said. Many incriminating chats between the
accused were recovered from the seized devices.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nia-names-10-in-hizbul-narco-terror-chargesheet/articleshow/78775662.cms
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Five terrorists killed in twin south Kashmir encounter
Oct 20, 2020
SRINAGAR: Five terrorists were killed in two
anti-terror operations in south Kashmir since Monday night.
While three Lashkar-e-Taiba ultras were slain in
Pulwama’s Hakripora within 24 hours of attacking a CRPF party in Tral, two
unidentified terrorists were gunned down late Monday in Shopian’s Melhoora, IGP
(Kashmir Zone) Vijay Kumar said on Tuesday.
Soon after Monday’s terror attack in Tral in which a
CRPF jawan was injured, a joint team of J&K Police, Army’s 5RR and CRPF
launched a cordon-and-search operation in Hakripora. “The holed-up terrorists
opened fire at the search party, triggering an encounter in which the trio was
killed,” a police officer said, adding that the ultras were given a chance to
surrender but refused to yield.
Arms and ammunition including three AK-47 rifles
besides other incriminating items were seized from the spot, Army spokesperson
Col Rajesh Kalia confirmed. Soon after the gunfight broke out, authorities
temporarily snapped internet connectivity in the area to maintain law and
order.
Confirming the killing of two other ultras in
Shopian’s Melhoora, Col Kalia said their identities and affiliation were yet to
be ascertained.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/five-terrorists-killed-in-twin-south-kashmir-encounter/articleshow/78775629.cms
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Pakistan
Kidnapping of Sindh's IGP, arrest of PML-N leader may
lead to Pak PM's Watergate scandal: PoK activist
Oct 21, 2020
GLASGOW (Scotland): The kidnapping of Sindh inspector
general of police (IGP) and later arrest of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
(PML-N) leader Mohammad Safdar Awan in Karachi might lead to Prime Minister
Imran Khan's Watergate scandal as "IG police is under federal
government", said a Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) activist.
Taking to Twitter, Amjad Ayub Mirza said, "IG
sindh kidnapped @ 4am. Allegedly forced 2 take action against Nawaz Sharif's
soninlaw. Army chief Bajwa orders enquiry. Senior police officers in sindh
refuse 2 work. This single incident cud bcome Khan's Watergate since IG police
is under federal government."
On early Monday, the police had arrested Safdar Awan,
from the hotel they were staying in Karachi, hours after the PML-N
vice-president had lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI
government at second power show of 11-party opposition alliance People's
Democratic Movement (PDM), which was attended by thousands of people.
"Police broke my room door at the hotel I was
staying at in Karachi and arrested Capt. Safdar," Maryam tweeted early
Monday.
He was later released on bail.
Citing the statement issued by the Inter-Services
Public Relations (ISPR), Dawn reported that Bajwa on Tuesday has directed the
Karachi Corps Commander to "immediately inquire into the circumstances to
determine the facts and report back as soon as possible".
The statement came minutes after Pakistan People's
Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asked General Bajwa and Director
General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to probe into the
circumstances that led to the incident.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/kidnapping-of-sindhs-igp-arrest-of-pml-n-leader-may-lead-to-pak-pms-watergate-scandal-pok-activist/articleshow/78782260.cms
--------
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz chief Shehbaz Sharif sent to jail
OCTOBER
20, 2020
Shehbaz
is the younger brother of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief and Opposition Leader in the National
Assembly Shehbaz Sharif was sent to jail on Tuesday in a money laundering case.
Mr.
Shehbaz, the younger brother of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif,
was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on September 28 after
a court here rejected his bail application in the Rs 700 crore money laundering
case.
Next
day, the 69-year-old former Chief Minister of Punjab province was sent on a
physical remand by an accountability court.
On
Tuesday, an accountability court of Lahore rejected the NAB’s plea seeking
further extension to his physical remand.
‘No
questions asked’
Mr.
Shehbaz told the court that NAB didn’t ask any questions about money laundering
during his three weeks detention.
Talking
to reporters, Mr. Shehbaz criticised the Imran Khan government for arresting
Mohammad Safdar, son-in-law of Nawaz Sharif. Mr. Shehbaz also termed unholy
alliance of Imran Khan and NAB behind political victimisation of opposition
leaders. He has been shifted to Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-muslim-league-nawaz-chief-shehbaz-sharif-sent-to-jail/article32903652.ece
--------
National
Assembly echoes with opposition whistles
Amir
Wasim
21
Oct 2020
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Tuesday echoed with whistles for nearly two hours as
the opposition staged an unprecedented noisy protest following refusal of
Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri to allow them to speak on the current political situation
in the country.
The
opposition members kept on hurling papers, sometimes in the form of paper
airplanes, at the speaker’s dais, raised full-throated anti-government slogans
and surrounded Mr Suri momentarily, keeping the sergeants-at-arms standing
alert beside him almost throughout the proceedings.
Mr
Suri, however, remained undeterred and kept on conducting the private member’s
day proceedings and managed to take up over 100 agenda items in the process.
Holding
placards in their hands, the opposition members, mostly women, chanted various
anti-government slogans, like Aata Chor, Cheeni Chor and Go Niazi, Go Niazi. A
number of opposition members kept on blowing whistles making it difficult for
reporters sitting in the press gallery to hear treasury members who were
allowed to introduce their private member’s bills.
Adviser
to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan and other concerned
ministers did not oppose any bills moved by the members, allowing the deputy
speaker to refer them to committees.
Qureshi
criticises opposition’s behaviour, asking deputy speaker to reject its bills on
agenda
There
was complete silence in the house providing much relief to the treasury members
and those sitting in the galleries, though for a brief time, on two occasions
when the opposition members staged walkout leaving behind their colleagues to
point out quorum. When quorum was first pointed out by Abdul Qadir Patel of the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the deputy speaker declared the house in order
after the headcount and continued the proceedings.
However,
few minutes later, Javed Hasnain of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
again pointed out lack of quorum forcing Mr Suri to first suspend the
proceedings for 10 minutes and then adjourn the sitting till Friday morning.
Under the rules, presence of 86 members (one-fourth) of the 342-member house is
necessary to run the proceedings.
In
the absence of the opposition members, Mr Suri gave floor to Foreign Minister
Shah Mehmood Qureshi who lamented the opposition’s behaviour and asked the
chair to reject all the opposition’s bills on the agenda as they were not
serious in legislation work.
The
minister termed the opposition’s behaviour “childish” and “regrettable” and
declared that the government was not worried at all over their protest.
“These
people have been elected for blowing whistles and they will keep blowing
whistles for next three years,” Mr Qureshi said while pointing towards the
opposition members who were returning to the house when he was still on his
legs.
Public
meeting in Karachi
It
all started when parliamentary leader of the PML-N Khawaja Asif sought floor as
he wanted to speak on the latest developments that took place after the
opposition’s public meeting in Karachi on Oct 18.
The
opposition members, who had come well-prepared for the day, brought out
placards, banners and whistles and gathered in front of the dais of the
speaker, asking him to give an opportunity to the opposition to speak.
Some
of the opposition members even reached behind the officials of the National
Assembly Secretariat and used their microphones for raising slogans. The deputy
speaker was seen constantly receiving instructions from one of his senior staff
members who kept on telling him the names of the members for giving them the
floor.
There
was a 168-point agenda for the sitting which included introduction of 42
private member’s bills. The deputy speaker deferred 28 bills, including those
that had been submitted by the opposition members, and allowed introduction of
13 bills despite noisy opposition’s protest.
The
National Assembly hurriedly passed three bills as the deputy chairman sought
approval of all the clauses of the bills collectively instead of seeking their
approval one by one amid opposition’s accusation of bulldosing the legislative
business.
The
bills passed by the assembly were the Islamabad Rent Restriction (Amendment)
Bill, 2020, making the agreement between tenants and landlords mandatory with
10 per cent annual increase in rent, the Islamabad Capital Territory Food
Safety Bill, 2020, seeking to establish a food authority in the capital to
maintain safety and standards of food and the Islamabad Real Estate (Regulation
and Development) Bill, 2020, for regulation and promotion of the real estate
sector.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1586171/national-assembly-echoes-with-opposition-whistles
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At
least 15 dead in stampede near Pakistan consulate in eastern Afghanistan
21
Oct 2020
At
least 15 people were killed in stampede among thousands of Afghans gathered
outside Pakistan’s consulate on Tuesday as jostling broke out between people
applying for visas, officials in the eastern city of Jalalabad said.
An
estimated 3,000 Afghans had congregated on the open ground outside the
consulate, waiting to collect tokens needed to apply for a visa, two provincial
officials told Reuters a day after the tragedy.
Sohrab
Qaderi, a provincial council member in eastern Jalalabad city, where the
incident occurred said of the 15 people dead, 11 were women and several senior
citizens were wounded.
“The
visa applicants jostled to secure their token from the consulate officials
[...] the crowd got out of control, leading to a stampede,” said an official in
Jalalabad said.
Tens
of thousands of Afghans every year travel to neighbouring Pakistan to secure
medical treatment, education and jobs. The two countries share a nearly
2,600-kilometre border.
Pakistan
hosts about 3 million Afghan refugees and economic migrants, who have fled
violence, religious persecution and poverty in their war-torn country.
Officials
in the Pakistan embassy in Kabul were not immediately available for comment.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1586246/at-least-15-dead-in-stampede-near-pakistan-consulate-in-eastern-afghanistan
--------
Pakistan
stands by Afghan brethren in hard times: Alvi
21
Oct 2020
ISLAMABAD:
President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said Pakistan would continue to support the
Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for an inclusive, broad-based and
comprehensive political settlement in the neighbouring country.
He
was talking to Hizb-i-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who called on him here
at the Aiwan-i-Sadr. The Afghan dignitary also called on Prime Minister Imran
Khan and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser a day after meeting Foreign
Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad.
Welcoming
the visiting dignitary, President Alvi said Pakistan and Afghanistan shared a
similar history, culture and religion, and the two brotherly countries must
further strengthen bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of their
people.
He
said Pakistan would continue to stand by the Afghan nation in difficult times,
and contribute to the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, according
to a press release issued by the President’s Media Office.
Hekmatyar
calls on President and PM, appreciates Islamabad’s efforts for Afghan peace
President
Alvi underscored the need for peace and stability in Afghanistan, which would
benefit not only Afghanistan and Pakistan but also the entire region. He
expressed the hope that the intra-Afghan negotiations following the peace
agreement between the Taliban and the United States would help bring stability
to Afghanistan.
However,
he warned the Afghan leader of the spoilers who were bent upon derailing the
peace process once again. The Afghan leadership must save the peace-process
from being harmed and seize the historic opportunity to establish lasting peace
in their country, he added.
He
said the international community had acknowledged Pakistan’s positive
contribution to promotion of peace in Afghanistan.
Mr
Hekmatyar lauded Pakistan’s efforts for promotion of peace and reconciliation
process in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s
support for Afghanistan, particularly the assistance extended to the Afghan
refugees, opening of the border for transit and bilateral trade during the
Covid-19 pandemic and the revised visa policy for the Afghan nationals also
came under discussion.
Meanwhile,
the visiting Afghan dignitary called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and
appreciated his positive role in facilitating the Afghan peace process.
The
Afghan leader, who arrived here along with a delegation and also met Pakistan’s
foreign minister on Monday, thanked Islamabad for its longstanding contribution
to the socio-economic development of his country and for hosting millions of
Afghan refugees for more than four decades.
Welcoming
the dignitary, the prime minister underscored the historic bonds of friendship
and brotherhood between Islamabad and Kabul.
Mr
Khan highlighted the importance Pakistan attached to the fraternal Afghan
people and reaffirmed the country’s resolve to foster closer cooperation with
Afghanistan, said a press release issued by the PM Media Office.
Mentioning
that Pakistan has the highest stake in peace and stability in the region, PM Khan
expressed best wishes for successful outcome of the Afghan peace process. He
reiterated his longstanding position that there was no military solution to the
conflict in Afghanistan and that an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process
was the only way forward.
The
prime minister noted that intra-Afghan negotiations provided a historic
opportunity to the Afghan leadership to establish lasting peace in their
country. He expressed the hope that the Afghan parties would work to secure an
inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement.
However,
he warned against the damaging role that spoilers could play within and outside
Afghanistan. Besides undermining peace and stability, this could also undermine
the peace dividend to be accrued in terms of progress and prosperity of the
Afghan people, he underlined.
Referring
to the enormous potential in bilateral trade, transit and connectivity between
Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mr Khan reaffirmed his government’s full support for
Afghanistan on the path of reconstruction and economic development and
dignified return of Afghan refugees. He further said Pakistan would continue to
facilitate people-to-people exchanges, promote Afghan investments and enhance
programmes for human resource development and capacity building of Afghans,
especially in the sectors of health and education.
FO
statement
Meanwhile,
Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri expressed the hope that
the Hezb-i-Islami leader’s visit to Pakistan would further help [in peace
process] and open a new chapter in the relationship between two countries.
“Pakistan
has always supported a peaceful, stable, united, democratic, sovereign and
prosperous Afghanistan,” he said while speaking to Radio Pakistan’s current
affairs programme.
He
said Mr Hekmatyar’s visit was significant and came at a time when the Afghan
peace negotiation process was at a critical stage. He said Pakistan had always
supported an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process. Pakistan had been telling
the world that there was no military solution to the prevailing Afghan crisis,
he said.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1586178/pakistan-stands-by-afghan-brethren-in-hard-times-alvi
--------
Arab world
Khashoggi's
Fiancée, Human Rights Group Sue Saudi Crown Prince In US For Murder
21
October 2020
The
fiancée of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and a human rights group he founded
have filed a lawsuit at a US court against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman (MbS), accusing him of ordering the dissident’s murder at Riyadh’s
consulate in Turkey.
The
lawsuit was filed in Washington DC on Tuesday on behalf of Hatice Cengiz and
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) – the human rights organization that
Khashoggi founded shortly before his death.
It
singled out MbS, the de facto ruler of the conservative Persian Gulf kingdom,
and over 20 other officials, accusing them of a “brutal and brazen crime” that
was the result of “weeks of planning” and premeditation.
The
lawsuit said Khashoggi — who lived in the US in self-imposed exile — was
murdered “pursuant to a directive of defendant Mohammed bin Salman.”
The
lawsuit charged that the Saudi crown prince, his co-defendants and others
carried out a plot to “permanently silence Mr. Khashoggi” no later than the
summer of 2018 after discovering his “plans to utilize DAWN as a platform to
espouse democratic reform and promote human rights.”
“The
objective of the murder was clear — to halt Mr Khashoggi’s advocacy in the
United States... for democratic reform in the Arab world,” it added.
It
noted that Khashoggi was the victim of a ruse that first started at the Saudi
embassy in Washington DC when he went there to obtain documents to marry
Cengiz, a Turkish national.
The
lawsuit accused bin Salman and Saudi officials of having “manufactured an
opportunity to murder him,” which saw officials at Riyadh’s US embassy tell
Khashoggi he could not receive the documents in the States and would instead
have to travel to Turkey's metropolis Istanbul to get them at the Saudi
consulate there.
Khashoggi
disappeared on October 2, 2018 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul
to seek the documents that would allow him to marry Cengiz, who was waiting
outside the building. He never emerged.
Turkish
officials say Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside the consulate by a
Saudi hit team. His remains have not been found so far.
“The
suit seeks to hold accountable those responsible for the brutal premeditated
kidnapping, torture, assassination and dismemberment of a US resident, Mr.
Khashoggi,” said Keith M. Harper, a lawyer for Ms. Cengiz, at a news
conference. “This lawsuit is also a search for the entire truth.”
The
American CIA spy agency and intelligence services of other countries have said
the evidence altogether demonstrated bin Salman’s culpability.
Agnes
Callamard, the UN special rapporteur for extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions, who investigated Khashoggi’s murder, has also said “credible
evidence” links the Saudi crown prince to the killing of the Washington Post
journalist and said he should be investigated.
Another
lawsuit was also filed against bin Salman in August in a US court by a former
top Saudi intelligence official, Sa’ad al-Jabri, who accused the crown prince
of sending a hit team to kill him in Canada, where he lives in exile.
Ever
since bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler in 2017, the kingdom has
arrested dozens of activists, bloggers, intellectuals and others perceived as
political opponents, showing almost zero tolerance for dissent even in the face
of international condemnations.
Muslim
scholars have been executed, women’s rights campaigners – including Loujain
al-Hathloul – have been put behind bars and tortured, and freedom of
expression, association and belief continue to be denied in the kingdom.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/21/636875/Khashoggi-s-fianc%C3%A9e,-human-rights-group-sue-Saudi-crown-prince-for-murder
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Human
Rights Watch calls on Saudi Arabia to halt eight imminent executions
20
October 2020
Human
Rights Watch has called on Saudi Arabia to stop the imminent execution of eight
men charged with activities related to a wave of anti-government protests while
they were under the age of 18.
In
a statement on Tuesday, the New York-based group denounced Saudi Arabia’s death
penalties as the eight alleged child offenders are awaiting the death penalty.
The
group questioned the kingdom’s 2018 criminal justice reform, saying the ongoing
cases demonstrate critical gaps in the plan, which was expected to curb the
death penalty for child offenders.
The
HRW obtained and analyzed the charge sheets for two group trials that included
the eight men in 2019.
Some
of the crimes listed were allegedly committed while the men were between ages
14 and 17.
One
of the men, now 18, is charged with a nonviolent crime he allegedly committed
at age 9. All eight men have been in pretrial detention for up to two years.
“Saudi
spin doctors are marketing judicial reforms as progress while prosecutors
appear to blatantly ignore them and carry on as usual,” said Michael Page,
deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.
“If
Saudi Arabia is serious about reforming its criminal justice system, it should
start by banning the death penalty against alleged child offenders in all
cases," he said.
According
to the rights group, the Saudi Public Prosecution accused the detained men, all
from Shia-majority towns and villages in the Eastern Province, of several
charges that do not resemble recognizable crimes.
It
said that the men had been accused of “seeking to destabilize the social fabric
by participating in protests and funeral processions”, “chanting slogans
hostile to the regime,” and “seeking to incite discord and division.”
The
eight are named as: Ahmad al-Faraj, Ali al-Batti, Mohammed al-Nimr, Ali
al-Faraj, Mohammed al-Faraj, Ali al-Mabyook, Sajjad al-Yasin, and Yousef
al-Manasif.
Saudi
authorities arrested the men between April 2017 and January 2018.
Citing
Saudi activists in communication with sources close to al-Nimr and al-Faraj,
Human Rights Watch said that the men were subjected to torture during their
initial detention and interrogation and that both were denied access to legal
counsel.
It
said that the crimes listed in the men’s charge sheets, which for seven of the
eight men included attacking police officers or patrols with Molotov cocktails
or firearms, are almost entirely based on the men’s confessions, and give no
details of any injuries to police officers.
The
HRW has documented longstanding due process violations in Saudi Arabia’s
criminal justice system that makes it difficult for a defendant to get a fair
trial even in capital cases.
It
referred to a case in April 2019, when Saudi Arabia carried out a mass
execution of 37 men, 33 of them from the country’s Shia minority community.
Citing
local activists, the rights group earlier said that more than 200 people from
Shia-majority towns and villages in the Eastern Province have gone on trial for
similar offenses since 2011.
Mostly
Shia residents of Eastern Province towns such as Qatif, Awamiya, and Hufuf have
repeatedly held protests over discrimination by the government since 2011.
Ali
al-Nimr - who was sentenced to death over his alleged role in anti-regime
protests in 2012 when he was 17 years old, is the nephew of Sheikh Nimr
al-Nimr, a Saudi cleric who had called for reforms and was executed in January
2016.
Saudi
Arabia is one of the top executioners in the world, with more than 2,000 people
executed between 1985 and 2016. Suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide,
rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking face death penalty.
In
the most stunning case of executions, Saudi Arabia executed on January 2, 2016,
Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, along 46 other people in defiance of international
calls for the release of the prominent Shia cleric.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/20/636840/HRW-Saudi-Arabia-child-offenders-
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Iraqi
militias defy government, expand networks and pressure
Ali
Mamouri
Oct
19, 2020
A
group of pro-Iran militias in Iraq attacked the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic
Party (KDP) on Oct. 17, setting the building on fire and raising the flag of
the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU).
This
comes in reaction to an Oct. 2 statement by Hoshyar Zebari, a former finance
minister and foreign minister, who said that Baghdad's Green Zone where most
government buildings and foreign ministries are located “should be cleansed
from the militias and the PMU presence.”
The
social pressure on the outlawed militias within the PMU has been extensive
since the eruption of the protests in Iraq in October 2019. The militias have
since formed pressure groups to silence any critical voices against them.
Following
the protests, the militias have started several groups on social networks such
as Telegram and WhatsApp, recruiting supporters and promoting their agendas
against the United States and its allies in Iraq, and also against the current
government headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, as the militias view
him as an American and his government as a pro-US agent.
Supporters
of the militias have organized themselves in various groups, including Rab
Allah (God’s Fellows), Ahbab Allah (God’s Beloveds), Al-Zelm Al-Khashnah (Tough
Guys) and Abu Jeddaha (The People of Lighters) in reference to their actions of
burning their opponents' buildings.
These
thuggish pressure groups try to create social pressure in order to stop any
criticism of or action against the militias and their political agendas.
On
Aug. 31, for instance, the same groups had burnt the offices of Dijlah TV, in
reaction to Dijlah's music programming during the Shiite holiday of Ashura a
week earlier. However, this was only an excuse for putting pressure on the TV
channel that was supporting the anti-militias' protests in Iraq.
The
militias are building an extensive network of influence in Iraq. They are a
military force with a large presence in the military and security sectors. The
Fatah bloc represents them in the parliament and so they are part of different
ministries. In addition, they are building strong social networking and social
pressure groups.
Following
the attack on the KDP headquarters, the Iraqi security forces arrested some of
the attackers. However, Rab Allah has threatened Kadhimi with the burning of
the headquarters of the Iraqi Intelligence Service in Baghdad’s Mansour area if
their people are not released. The intelligence service is headed by the prime
minister directly.
Kadhimi
is expected to release those arrested under the militias pressure, as happened
following the counterterrorism raid on the Kataib Hezbollah base in southern
Baghdad in June.
However,
the Iraqi political forces and international community have voiced serious
criticism. The Iraqi president, prime minister, parliament speaker, Sadrist
leader Muqtada al-Sadr, Iraqioun Movement leader Ammar al-Hakim and the
Kurdistan Regional Government, among many other Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish
groups and leaders, condemned the incident and called upon the government to
take action against the militias and affiliated groups.
The
United States and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq condemned the
incident in separate statements, too.
Following
the assassination in January of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds
Force Commander Qasem Soleimani and his right-hand man in Iraq Abu Mahdi
Muhandis, who had an extensive influence among the militias, the militias'
network in Iraq has been affected badly.
In
order to repair the damage, it seems that Kataib Hezbollah is taking the lead
among the militias, reorganizing them by forming several new groups and
connecting them through a number of social networking platforms.
The
new militias formed after the killing of Soleimani — such as Ashab al-Kahf and
Osba al-Thaerin — are affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah, and could even be new
names for the exact same group.
In
addition, the social pressure groups affiliated with the militias all appear
connected to Kataib Hezbollah.
At
the same time as these latest developments, the assassinations and abductions
of activists, journalists and others opposing the militias are continuing. Most
recently, on Oct. 17, eight members of a Sunni family near Balad, in Salahuddin
province to the north of Baghdad, were killed.
A
high-ranking official in the province told Al-Monitor that Asaib Ahl al-Haq was
responsible for the murders. “These people were abducted by Asaib Ahl al-Haq
members in the early morning and their bodies were found in the area a few
hours later,” the official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. A day
prior, a shooting had taken place in the area aimed at an Asaib Ahl al-Haq
patrol. So, it seems that the massacre is a retaliatory reaction.
A
day after the killings, on Oct. 18, Kadhimi visited the area promising to bring
justice to the victims.
With
the US elections approaching, it seems that the militias' activities are
increasing. Chaos in Iraq could provide a useful pressure tactic that Iran
could use in any upcoming negotiations with the United States, which would
certainly include Iran's activities in the region and in Iraq in particular.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/10/iraq-us-militias-kurdistan.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
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Suspected
ISIS gunmen kill three Kurds in disputed Kirkuk, burn their bodies
October
20-2020
ERBIL
(Kurdistan 24) – Unidentified gunmen shot dead three Kurdish youths on Sunday
in rural parts of Iraq’s disputed Kirkuk province. Two of the victims were
brothers, and the third was their cousin.
Local
sources told Kurdistan 24 that the incident occurred in an open field in
Kirkuk’s Shwan district, an area separating the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and
the Iraq army.
The
shooters opened fire on the three men—Hariz and Aram Mustafa, and their cousin
Peshawa—while inside their vehicle. The assailants later set the car on fire
with the dead victims still inside.
Haji
Mustafa, Hariz and Aram’s grieving father, told Kurdistan 24 that the family
suspects “ISIS and extremist groups” were behind the killings, and noted that
the young men “did not have any [personal] issues with anyone.”
He
also explained that the victims were searching for cattle of theirs that had
gone missing.
Colonel
Luqman Sartki, an officer in the 11th Brigade of the Peshmerga forces told
Kurdistan 24 that “it seems that ISIS terrorists are the perpetrators” of the
“brutal crime.”
Losing
all of its territorial claims in Iraq in late 2017, the Islamic State has seen
various periods of resurgence since.
Its
fighters have been particularly active in vulnerable tracts of inhospitable
land located land in or around territories contested between the federal Iraqi
government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
In
recent months, the terrorist organization appears to have taken advantage of
several current crises Iraq now faces, including the coronavirus pandemic. The
group also exploits the long-standing security gap between Peshmerga and Iraqi
forces in the disputed areas to carry out attacks against civilians and members
of the security forces.
On
Oct.13, the militaries of Iraq’s federal government and the autonomous
Kurdistan Region agreed to establish two joint coordination centers in Erbil
and Baghdad and is discussing similar agreements for Kirkuk and other of the
nation’s disputed territories.
https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/70be992b-e888-4333-9c85-7dd46126ec22?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
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Mideast
'Shameful'
UAE visit will encourage more Israeli aggression: Palestinians
20
October 2020
Palestinian
officials have blasted as ‘shameful’ the arrival of a United Arab Emirates
(UAE) delegation in the Israeli-occupied territories, saying such visits will
only embolden the regime to push ahead with its occupation agenda and
aggression against Palestinians.
The
UAE delegation, which arrived in Israel on Tuesday, was accompanied by US
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and other American officials on the flight
from Abu Dhabi to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv.
During
the five-hour visit, which was restricted to the airport due to coronavirus
concerns, the two sides signed four agreements in the field of investment,
scientific cooperation, civil aviation and visa exemptions, according to
Reuters.
Meanwhile,
Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs said the Emirati delegation had submitted
a formal request to open an embassy in Tel Aviv and said it expected Israel to
open an embassy in Abu Dhabi soon.
Wasel
Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO), said Tuesday’s UAE visit came amid Israel’s new plan to
expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and was “shameful.”
The
Palestinian official said that the visit would only validate Israeli forces’
crimes against the Palestinians.
“The
bilateral agreements that were announced today and the delegations that come
and go, all of that offers the occupation a strength to escalate its aggression
and its crimes against the Palestinian people and increases its intransigence
and arrogance,” said Youssef.
Hamas:
Such visit only encourages annexation
Hazem
Qassem, a spokesman for the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, also reacted
to the development and said, “Such a visit will only encourage the occupation
to pursue the gradual annexation of West Bank lands.”
The
visit came after Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv signed a US-mediated agreement at the
White House to normalize ties last month.
The
normalization deals have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who
seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, with East
Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. They say the deals ignore their rights and
are a betrayal of the Palestinian cause.
The
UAE and Bahrain justified their deals with Israel as a means to stop the
annexation plans in the West Bank and bring peace to the region. Nevertheless,
Israel is still going ahead with its expansion plans.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/20/636819/Israel-UAE-delegation-Palestine-
--------
Report:
Egypt Concerned about UAE's Likely Turn into Haven for Mossad
Oct
20, 2020
The
Arabic-language al-Arabi al-Jadid news website quoted Egyptian officials as
saying that Cairo believes the UAE can turn into a regional center for the
Israeli companies and Mossad and a danger to Egypt’s security because nearly
one million Egyptians are living in the UAE and hundreds of thousands of
Emiratis travel to Egypt for different reasons each year.
According
to the report, the Egyptian officials view the UAE as an environment for
intelligence operations, warning that this can lead to tensions between the two
countries.
It
added that Egypt is now mulling to set up a special department to monitor
Israel’s activities and assess the possibility to target the Arab country’s
interests.
The
UAE and Bahrain signed an agreement last month towards normalizing relations
with Israel, claiming that it was needed to stave off further annexation of
Palestinian land and save the so-called two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli
authorities, however, say annexation plans are not off the table.
Palestinian
officials have also denounced the Arab countries' normalization with the regime
in Te Aviv.
Palestinians
seek an independent state in the West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip with
East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. They view the normalization as betrayal
of the Palestinian cause.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990729000529
--------
Iran
Deplores Takfiri-Style Beheading in Karabakh
Oct
20, 2020
“Iran
will not accept beheading people like Takfiris or targeting cities and innocent
people,” Khatibzadeh wrote on his Twitter account on Monday in reference to the
images that have recently gone on viral, and urged both Yerevan and Baku to
come to be committed to the international rules and regulations.
In
relevant remarks earlier on Monday, he had said, “We are in constant contact
with both sides. We have told both sides and repeat again that they should not
allow the clashes in that region to go out of control.”
He
also called on Baku and Yerevan to respect the rights of captives and
civilians, not to attack the cities and try to remain committed to the
ceasefire.
Khatibzadeh
said that Iran has tried to help the two countries respect the international
laws as well as civilian and POWs rights, and added, “What we have observed is
much worrisome and we pursue the developments with concern.”
Renewed
clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia erupted on September 27, with intense
battles raging in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The area experienced
flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, in April 2016 and this past July.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have imposed martial law and launched mobilization
efforts. Both parties to the conflict have reported casualties, among them
civilians.
Following
Russia-initiated consultations in Moscow, Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed on a
humanitarian ceasefire from October 10 to exchange prisoners and the bodies of
those killed. However, the ceasefire has reportedly been violated.
The
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before
the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke
out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its
withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1992-1994,
tensions boiled over and exploded into large-scale military action for control
over the enclave and seven adjacent territories after Azerbaijan lost control
of them. Talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement have been ongoing since 1992
under the OSCE Minsk Group, led by its three co-chairs - Russia, France and the
United States.
Iran
has repeatedly asked for a peaceful settlement of the conflict and urged the
cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990729000174
-------
Rocket
fire from Gaza after Israel uncover cross-border attack tunnel
21
October 2020
The
Israeli army said a rocket was fired from Gaza toward Israel on Tuesday night,
soon after announcing the discovery of a tunnel infiltrating Israel from the
Palestinian territory.
One
rocket “was fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli territory and was
intercepted by the Iron Dome” aerial defense system, the army said in a
statement, without indicating if it had caused any casualties or damage.
Air
raid sirens sounded in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip, which is controlled
by Islamist group Hamas.
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Only
hours earlier, the Israeli army announced it had found on Tuesday a tunnel that
crossed “dozens of meters (yards) into Israel from Gaza”.
It
originated in “the southern Gaza Strip, from the Khan Yunis area,” the army
said.
Army
spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the tunnel was a violation of Israel’s
sovereignty.
He
said Israel did not know who had dug the tunnel, but said it held Hamas
responsible for all activity in the Palestinian enclave.
The
tunnel was discovered thanks to underground sensors near the border, the army
statement said, adding that “there was no threat to nearby Israeli
communities.”
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel would “continue to
take determined action... against any attempt to attack our sovereignty or our
citizens.”
Authorities
have discovered some 20 tunnels originating from Gaza since 2014, Conricus
said.
In
August, militants in the Gaza Strip launched a string of incendiary balloons
and rocket attacks toward Israel, which responded with air strikes on the enclave.
Hamas
and Israel reached an agreement at the end of the month to cease hostilities,
although attacks continued.
The
deal, mediated by Qatar, aimed to put back on track a fragile Egyptian-brokered
truce.
The
last reported rocket attack from Gaza was on October 16.
Israel
has fought three wars with Hamas since 2008 and there have been numerous
flare-ups.
The
impoverished and densely populated Gaza Strip has been under a crippling
Israeli blockade since 2007, after Hamas took over the coastal enclave.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/10/21/Rocket-fire-from-Gaza-after-Israel-uncover-cross-border-attack-tunnel-
--------
Turkey
guilty of violating free speech right, finds European court
20
October 2020
The
European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday found Turkey guilty of violating the
right to free speech of two academics by prosecuting them for publishing a
report on minorities.
Ibrahim
Kaboglu and Baskin Oran were charged in 2005 for “inciting hatred” and
“disparaging the state’s judiciary bodies” after releasing their report which
highlighted issues relating to the protection of minorities in Turkey, sparking
a lively debate in the country.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
They
were acquitted by a Turkish court in 2008, but the European court – to which
they brought their case in 2007 – ruled that even without a conviction their
right to free expression had been infringed upon.
The
years-long legal proceedings had “interfered” with their liberty of expression,
and “inevitably” created pressure on the researchers, leading to
self-censorship, the court’s seven judges ruled.
In
their guilty verdict, the judges ordered Turkey to pay 2,000 euros ($2,360) in
damages to both academics.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/10/20/Turkey-guilty-of-violating-free-speech-right-finds-European-court
--------
Europe
Islamist
jihad poses biggest terror threat to Britain
October
21, 2020
Salah
Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
According
to Ken McCallum, the new Director-General of British spy agency MI5, Islamist
jihadists remains as the biggest terror threat to the United Kingdom, while the
mainstream media has chosen to hype his remarks on the comparatively minor
threat from the far-right instead.
The
Glasgow born new spy boss in his first public address said, “It is still the
case that tens of thousands of individuals are committed to this ideology – and
we must continually scan for the smaller numbers within that large group who at
any given moment might be mobilizing towards attacks.”
“Having
someone ‘on our radar’ is not the same as having them under detailed real-time
scrutiny. Difficult judgements of prioritization and risk must be made,”
McCallum added — a warning which will come as little surprise to Britons
familiar with learning than a given terrorist was “previously known” to the
authorities, or in some cases even a convicted extremist out from prison on
license.
Despite
McCallum clear admission that Islamist terrorism remains by far the number one
threat to Britain, mainstream media outlets such as the BBC and CNN chose to
emphasize and often lead on his comments about the “sadly rising” — but
comparatively minor — threat of “right-wing extremism” instead.
Romance
between Britain and Muslim Brotherhood
In
Egypt, Britain donated £500 to the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood — Hassan
al-Banna — shortly after the founding of the group in 1928, along with six
members of the Suez Canal Company, which was created by and still controlled by
the British at the time. By 1941, the Muslim Brotherhood had become so powerful
that Britain began offering them financial aid in exchange for not attacking
its interests.
In
the same year, officials from the British Embassy in Cairo held a meeting with
Egyptian Prime Minister Amin Osman where it was agreed that the Egyptian
government would secretly provide financial support to the Muslim Brotherhood,
but government informers would be planted in the ranks of the group to monitor
its activities. The informants were tasked to monitor the group’s possible
links with Nazi Germany after the Muslim Brotherhood’s wing in Palestine
established contacts with Adolf Hitler.
Tarek
al-Beshri, in his book on Egypt’s national movement from 1945-1952, has
suggested that the relationship was deeper, and that it was Muslim Brotherhood
students who confronted anti-British demonstrations organized by the
liberal-nationalist Wafd Party. Al-Beshri claims that Brotherhood prisoners
were treated better than Communists and supporters of the fascist Young Egypt
Party, among whose members Nasser could be counted.
Al-Banna’s
assassination in 1949 is generally believed to be the work of agents of the
Egyptian government, which does not necessarily conflict with Curtis’
suggestion that Al-Banna was struck down by one of his own followers from
within the clandestine structure of the Brethren. Curtis then delves into the
relationship between Britain and Al-Banna’s successor Hassan al-Hudaybi.
In
December 1951, British officials held several meetings with one of Al-Hudaybi’s
advisers, despite the Brotherhood publicly criticizing the British “occupation”
of Egypt. In early 1953, British officials held a face-to-face meeting with
Al-Hudaybi to understand the group’s positions as London tried to forge a new
way forward with Egypt after the so-called Free Officers destroyed the
parliamentary monarchy with their coup in July 1952, establishing a military
despotism and pushing British troops out of the country. The documents indicate
that Britain wanted to use the Muslim Brotherhood as a lever to pressure the
Cairo regime in negotiations.
Curtis
cites a handwritten memo from 7 February 1953 that details a meeting held
between British officials and the Muslim Brotherhood, in which a person named
“Abu Rafiq” told the eastern advisor of the British Embassy, Trevor Evans, that
“if Egypt searched all over the world for a friend, it would only find
Britain”. The British concluded from this that there was a wing of the Muslim
Brotherhood willing to cooperate with London. The memo stated: “The willingness
to cooperate probably stems from the increasing middle-class influence in the
Brotherhood, compared with the predominantly popular leadership of the movement
in the days of Hassan al-Banna”.
Nasser
accused the Brotherhood of going “behind the back of the revolution” in having
contact with Britain’s representatives and slammed the British government for
“conspiring” with the Muslim Brotherhood. Such charges would be used by Nasser
to legitimate his all-out suppression of the Brothers in 1954, a process that
had begun earlier and almost certainly contributed to the Brotherhood’s
outreach to the British in search of a counter-balancing force.
It
was after this that a new phase began in relations between the Muslim Brotherhood
and Britain as they found common cause in undermining Arab nationalism. This
interest was also shared by the conservative Arab regimes allied to London and
Washington. These conservative governments granted diplomatic passports, money,
and safe haven to the Islamists after Nasser banished them following a failed
attempt on his life in March 1954.
In
a memo, Evans wrote that Britain would continue its cooperation with the Muslim
Brotherhood in order to achieve “Britain’s main objective: the disappearance of
the Nasser regime.” Cooperation was not confined only with the Muslim
Brotherhood in Egypt but also extended to the Levant and Iraq, in order to
counter the growing pan-Arabist trend.
Eventually,
after Nasser died and was replaced by Anwar Sadat, Egypt would change its
policy on the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists like the “Islamic Group”,
tacitly encouraging them in order to counter the Communist proxies of the
Soviet Union, which was at that time trying to recolonize Egypt.
Probably
the best-known case of Britain — and other Western countries — allying with
Islamists is Afghanistan after the Soviet conquest in 1979. The West supported
insurgent groups to push back against Soviet imperialism, and the most powerful
such groups descended from the local manifestation of the Muslim Brotherhood,
the Jamaat-e-Islami. These radical Islamic organizations were used to weaken
and ultimately defeat the Soviet Union’s grip on the country. The Muslim
Brotherhood also played a major role in Afghanistan through the relief
agencies.
Alongside
the Afghan resistance there was a small contingent of “Arab-Afghans”, the most
infamous being Osama bin Laden, who set up an office in London called the
Advice and Reformation Committee, which recruited trainees, purchased
equipment, performed services, and received reports send by jihadist
organizations across the Muslim world.
Britain’s
role in helping the Afghan resistance makes it culpable in the subsequent
establishment of the Taliban regime, and under its protection the Global
Islamic Front to Fight Jews and Crusaders, i.e. Al-Qaeda. Britain played an
important role in establishing the Islamic Group — founded in British-ruled
India in 1941, which became a major political player in Pakistan following its
separation from India — and also secretly cooperated with the Dar al-Islam
movement in Indonesia, radical Shiite forces in Iran, Ismaili Shiites in Iraq,
and encouraged guerrilla groups in Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Libya.
The
British ambassador in Cairo wrote a memo in June 2005, noting that talking to
the Brotherhood might be useful in getting information and the group could be
used to pressure Mubarak into introducing political reform. The memo warned,
however, that while pressuring Mubarak to legitimize the group could damage the
London-Cairo relationship, “if the Brotherhood is suppressed aggressively, it
will necessitate a response from us”.
The
British Foreign Office approved this policy. It believed that accommodating
radical Islamist organizations would give Britain some regional and
international leverage to advance its interests. In Curtis’ view, London
considered the Muslim Brotherhood as a “reliable bulwark to any more popular
national change in Egypt and the region”.
Radical
Islam on rise in Britain
There
is no question that in the 1990s London became possibly the leading centre for
Islamist radicals in the world, combining a great concentration of extremists
with great freedom to operate. The Algerian Armed Islamic Group (GIA) found
London as a reserve base when it began losing its struggle with the Algerian
military and France started constricting the GIA’s freedom to operate. The
Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), the Egyptian Jihad Group, and Al-Qaeda
itself found London to be hospitable territory, with notorious figures like
Omar Othman (Abu Qatada al-Filistini) essentially unhindered as they
indoctrinated, recruited, and raised money. Al Qaeda considered London to be
the center of its operations in Europe and millions of pounds were raised to recruit
and finance terrorists from Afghanistan to Yemen.
This
amounted to Britain cooperating with radical Islamist groups and that this
brought advantages to London in achieving three main objectives:
First,
exerting influence and control of energy resources;
Second,
maintaining Britain’s place in a pro-Western international financial system. In
this respect, Britain cooperated with the U.S., which the author says “has a
similar history of collusion with radical Islam”, and given the diminishing of
British power, it became a junior partner, or the de facto covert arm of the
U.S. government, and even “doing the dirty work that Washington could not, or
did not want to do”.
Third,
preventing these groups perpetrating their evil in Britain. As explained by
Crispin Black, a former Cabinet Office intelligence analyst, there was a
covenant between extremists in Britain and security services: Britain would
provide refuge and welfare to the Islamist extremists, and in return they would
not launch any attacks inside Britain or against British interests abroad. A
Special Branch officer said: “There was a deal with these guys. We told them
that ‘if you don’t cause us any problems, then we won’t bother you’.”
According
to counterterrorism experts, Britain has benefited from cooperation with these
group in five specific ways:
Gaining
a global counterforce to Arab nationalist Left-wing ideologies and Soviet
Communism;
Added
a considerable conservative force within their own countries to counter
Leftists;
Gave
support to pro-Western regimes;
Offered
a violent confrontational force that could be used to destabilize or overthrow
governments which became hostile to the West; and
Offered
a potential military force to fight the war, if necessary, or to use them as
political tools to push governments for change.
On
November 29, 2019, five people were stabbed on London Bridge. The attacker,
Usman Khan, had been released from prison in 2018 “on license”. A known
extremist boasting ISIS and Al-Muhajiroun flags at the age of 15 didn’t alarm
the authorities enough then. Khan’s hatred was British-born, though, and
unrelated to Pakistan.
While
radicalized Pakistanis after being migrating to the UK continue their mission
of spreading the seeds of radical Islam amongst the fellow Muslims, their
immediate targets are, in most cases, Muslim migrants from India and
Bangladesh, as well as African nations. Due to the heavy influence of
Pakistanis within the mosques and Islamic community centers in Britain – mostly
London, the number of radicalized youth and children are on rise at an alarming
level while the majority of the Muslim females from Bangladesh, India, and
Pakistan in London are not only radicalized but they also are increasingly
becoming pro-jihad and supports the jihadist doctrine of transforming Britain
into a caliphate.
According
to experts, religious radicalism didn’t go from Pakistan to the UK, but
actually came to Pakistan from London. Al-Muhajiroun had come to Pakistan along
with its British-based sister terrorist organization, Hizb ut-Tahrir, in the
mid-2000s, and recruited a number of people inside the Pakistan army till the
Musharraf government banned them. Brigadier Ali Khan was arrested for his
alleged ties with Hizbut and, before that, Colonel Shahid Bashir, commanding
officer of the Shamsi air force base, was apprehended by the military police in
May 2009 for keeping links with this banned pan-Islamic political outfit.
French
scholar Gilles Kepel has studied the “reverse” phenomenon in his books on expat
Islam. In the UK, Islamization of the immigrant Muslim community was an early
postcolonial trend stemming from the British experience in India.
“Communalisation” rather than “integration” suited the UK because it could then
farm out the menial jobs to a community formed especially for them.
Workers’
mosques came up in the 1950s in the industrial areas of the UK. In the 1950s
and 1960s, the mosques were divided against each other on the basis of
Barelvi-Deobandi religions. There were even Pathan and Punjabi, Mirpuri,
Bengali and Gujarati mosques. Then came the individual charismatic figures like
Barelvi Pir Maroof Shah who built a number of mosques for his followers in
Bradford, founding the World Islamic Mission in 1973. Sufi Abdullah built
himself a similar Barelvi empire in the area in the early 1980s. The Bradford
Council of Mosques in the 1980s was already “separating” the community on such
questions as halal and girls’ education, and the Labour Party was the popular
party for the Muslims.
Next
came the Rushdie affair in 1988: The protest that was organized against Salman
Rushdie’s Satanic Verses united the fragmented Muslim community in the UK —
toppling its less educated leaders in favor of the anglophone radical ones.
The
Islamic Foundation of Leicester sent out the call against Rushdie’s blasphemy,
but the man who finally ran away with the collective Muslim response was
ex-journalist, Kalim Siddiqui, of Jamaat Islami background, who set up his
Muslim Parliament and issued what was termed the Muslim Manifesto in 1990,
actually challenging the British system. This caused Labour politician Roy
Jenkins, who had described the British policy of integration as equal
opportunities with cultural diversity in 1965, to say in 1989 that the policy
had failed to effect any integration of the Muslim culture and religion within
the British society.
Muslim
women preaching jihad and religious hatred
Hard-line
female Islamists have been attempting to radicalize fellow Muslim girls and
women through in most of the mosques and Islamic centers in London. In 2008,
one of Britain’s influential mosques in London was exposed by ‘Channel Four’ TV
program of being engaged into spreading jihad, radical Islam and religious
hatred.
The
‘Dispatches’ program found that some preachers at the Regents Park Mosque in
central London taught a Saudi interpretation of Sharia law that advocates the
stoning of homosexuals and the murder of apostates. In the feature program, an
undercover reporter spent two months attending sessions at the center, which
promised to crack down on extremism following an earlier investigation in early
2007.
A
female reporter secretly recorded lectures at the women’s section of the London
Central Mosque and Islamic Cultural Center (ICC). At one such session, a
teacher named Um Amira is shown instructing the group: “He is Muslim, and he
gets out of Islam, he doesn’t want any more. What are we going to do? We kill
him, kill, kill.” The same fate should befall an adulterer, the audience is
told. She then goes on to say that the punishment for homosexuals is death.
“Kill them, throw them from the highest place. We are not going to be like
animals, living like animals, or to be like homosexuals. God save us from
that.”
According
to my own study, London mosques and Islamic centers are playing the notorious
role of spreading radical Islam, while these establishments also are
responsible for turning the future Muslims in Britain into potential jihadists.
For the sake of national security, the British authorities, especially the
intelligence agencies should widen surveillance within the Muslim-dominated
areas as well as the mosques and Islamic centers.
Britain
accused of exporting Islamist terrorism to Bangladesh
On
September 19, 2019, British weekly news-magazine The Economist reported that
Britain has been exporting Islamist extremism to Bangladesh.
In
the article titled “Radicalisation in reverse: How Britain exports Islamist
extremism to Bangladesh”, The Economist portrayed the issue in detail.
The
article mentioned that top officials from Bangladesh has been blaming British
citizens for their involvement in the planning, funding and promotion of
terrorism in the country. It said that in 2015, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
complained to her then counterpart David Cameron, that British citizens were
promoting radicalism in her country.
“Since
the first wave of Bangladeshi migrants arrived in Britain in the 1970s,
foreign-born preachers have held sway in the community. For a while, the most
visible consequence to outsiders was when Bangladeshi restaurants stopped
selling alcohol after conservative clerics such as Delwar Hossain Sayeedi came
to preach temperance to the diaspora in the 1990s,” The article reads.
But
the current changed its direction suddenly, The Economist says, with the
emergence of Syed Golam Maula, the founder of the Bangladeshi chapter of
Hizb-ut-Tahrir, who was introduced to the organization while studying in London
in the early 1990s.
According
to the magazine, a series of incidents were found with the involvement of
several British citizens in the Islamist extremism scene of Bangladesh.
The
current of extremism touched its peak soon after 2013 when religious extremists
targeted gay activists, atheist bloggers and religious minorities.
The
Economist mentioned that Touhidur Rahman, a Briton of Bangladeshi origin, was
accused of planning the murder of two secular bloggers.
It
also mentioned Rizwan Haroon, who was arrested on suspicion of using a school
in Dhaka to recruit youngsters to the so-called Islamic State (IS). He was
previously lived in Britain and currently awaiting trial in Bangladesh.
According
to America’s Federal Bureau of Investigate (FBI) report, one of the leading
figures of IS to collect money from overseas countries for the terrorist sect
was Siful Haque Sujan, a Bangladeshi-born British citizen believed to have been
killed in Syria in 2015.
The
article reported that a now-defunct British charity Green Crescent “was
connected by Bangladeshi security services to the Holey Bakery attack. In 2009
Bangladeshi forces raided a madrassa funded by Green Crescent and found weapons
and extremist literature. They claim the charity’s British founder, Faisal
Mostafa, has links to Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, a terrorist outfit, which he
denies.”
The
article traced the new current of British-Bangladeshis involvement in extremism
with the rise of Islamic State. It says, “perhaps 100 of the 800 or so Britons
who have joined IS are of Bangladeshi origin.”
Salah
Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an internationally acclaimed multi-award-winning
anti-jihadist journalist, counter-terrorism specialist and editor of Blitz
https://www.weeklyblitz.net/news/islamist-jihad-poses-biggest-terror-threat-to-britain/
--------
UN
set to hold urgent donor conference for Rohingya Muslim refugees
20
October 2020
The
United Nations (UN) says it will hold a virtual international donor conference
to address a “dramatic shortfall” in aid funding for Myanmar’s persecuted
Rohingya Muslim refugees.
The
virtual conference, scheduled to run from 1200 GMT to 1430 GMT on Thursday, was
called “to meet urgent humanitarian needs of forcibly-displaced Rohingya both
inside and outside Myanmar.”
The
UN had already appealed for more than $1 billion to meet the humanitarian needs
of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The hundreds of thousands of the refugees
who fled Myanmarese state-sponsored violence to Bangladesh in 2017 joined many
others who had already fled Myanmar in previous years.
The
budgetary response to their needs is facing a “dramatic shortfall,” Andrej
Mahecic, a spokesman for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said.
“Less
than half of the requested funds have been received so far,” he told reporters
at the UN in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday.
Mahecic
said the situation needed “stronger international support and a redoubling of
efforts to find solutions for this stateless and displaced population.”
“The
spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has added layers of new challenges and needs to
an already complex and massive refugee emergency,” he said. “Across the entire
region, most Rohingya live on the margins of society and they need to be
assured access to basic healthcare, clean drinking water, a reliable food
supply, or meaningful work and educational opportunities.”
A
report from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said on Tuesday
that the 10-member organization had failed to respond effectively to the
Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.
The
report said the ASEAN had failed to acknowledge the gravity and scale of the
human rights crisis in the Rohingya’s home state in Myanmar, the western state
of Rakhine, and the Myanmarese authorities’ role in creating it.
ASEAN
was hampered by its own institutional structure, which allowed member state
Myanmar the space to “set the parameters of ASEAN’s engagement,” it said.
The
United Nations (UN) says it will hold a virtual international donor conference
to address a “dramatic shortfall” in aid funding for Myanmar’s persecuted
Rohingya Muslim refugees.
The
virtual conference, scheduled to run from 1200 GMT to 1430 GMT on Thursday, was
called “to meet urgent humanitarian needs of forcibly-displaced Rohingya both
inside and outside Myanmar.”
The
UN had already appealed for more than $1 billion to meet the humanitarian needs
of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. The hundreds of thousands of the refugees
who fled Myanmarese state-sponsored violence to Bangladesh in 2017 joined many
others who had already fled Myanmar in previous years.
The
budgetary response to their needs is facing a “dramatic shortfall,” Andrej
Mahecic, a spokesman for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said.
“Less
than half of the requested funds have been received so far,” he told reporters
at the UN in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday.
Mahecic
said the situation needed “stronger international support and a redoubling of
efforts to find solutions for this stateless and displaced population.”
“The
spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has added layers of new challenges and needs to
an already complex and massive refugee emergency,” he said. “Across the entire
region, most Rohingya live on the margins of society and they need to be
assured access to basic healthcare, clean drinking water, a reliable food
supply, or meaningful work and educational opportunities.”
A
report from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) said on Tuesday
that the 10-member organization had failed to respond effectively to the
Rohingya crisis in Myanmar.
The
report said the ASEAN had failed to acknowledge the gravity and scale of the
human rights crisis in the Rohingya’s home state in Myanmar, the western state
of Rakhine, and the Myanmarese authorities’ role in creating it.
ASEAN
was hampered by its own institutional structure, which allowed member state
Myanmar the space to “set the parameters of ASEAN’s engagement,” it said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/20/636826/UN-set-to-hold-urgent-donor-conference-for-Rohingya-Muslim-refugees
--------
France
shuts Paris mosque after teacher’s beheading
October
20, 2020
PARIS:
France ordered the temporary closure of a mosque outside Paris on Tuesday, part
of a crackdown on Muslims who incite hatred after the decapitation of a teacher
who showed his class caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad.
The
Grand Mosque of Pantin, a low-income suburb on the capital’s northeastern
outskirts, had shared a video on its Facebook page before the attack that
vented hatred against history teacher Samuel Paty.
Police
plastered notices of the closure order outside the mosque as the authorities
promised a tough response against the disseminators of hate messages, preachers
of radicalised sermons and foreigners believed to pose a security threat to
France.
The
six-month order was “for the sole purpose of preventing acts of terrorism”, the
notice issued by the head of the Seine-Saint-Denis department read.
The
beheading of a public servant by a suspected Islamist for his use of religious
satire to explore with students the debate surrounding freedom of expression, a
deeply cherished tenet of democracy in secular France, has convulsed the
country and shocked the world.
President
Emmanuel Macron is increasingly concerned by what he calls Islamist separatism:
the attempt by hostile elements within France’s large Muslim community to
impose conservative Islamic beliefs over the traditional values of the French
Republic in some communities.
‘Enemy
within’
Interior
Minister Gerald Darmain said this week France was confronted by an “enemy
within”.
The
rector of the Grand Mosque of Panin, M’hammed Henniche, this weekend expressed
regret over sharing the video on social media, after it emerged Paty had become
the victim of a vicious online campaign of intimidation even before he was
killed.
In
the video, the Muslim father of one of Paty’s students said the history teacher
had singled out Muslim students and asked them to leave his class before
showing the cartoons. He called Paty a thug and said he wanted the teacher
removed.
Henniche
told Agence France Presse he had shared the video, filmed by the father of a
student at Paty’s school, not to endorse the complaint but out of concern for
Muslim children.
The
student’s father is now in police custody.
Calls
by Reuters to the mosque on Tuesday went unanswered.
“There’s
no room for violence in our religion”, the mosque said in a statement published
on Facebook on Monday. “We strongly condemn this savagery.”
One
Pantin resident, who gave her name as Maya and said her husband prayed at the
mosque, called the closure “sad for our community”.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2020/10/20/france-shuts-paris-mosque-after-teachers-beheading/
--------
After
teacher beheading, France to dissolve pro-Hamas Muslim group: Macron
20
October 2020
President
Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that a pro-Hamas group active in France would
be dissolved for being "directly implicated" in the murder of a
history teacher.
The
decision to shut down the "Cheikh Yassine Collective", which supports
the Palestinian cause and is named after the Hamas founder, will be taken at a
Wednesday's cabinet meeting, he told an audience in a Paris suburb.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
He
also said that "actions will be stepped up" against Islamist
extremism, four days after the beheading of a history teacher that sparked
police raids on people and institutions with alleged links to
"Islamist" militants.
"This
is not about making more statements," Macron said during a visit to a
Paris suburb. "Our fellow citizens expect actions. These actions will be
stepped up."
Macron
had said on Friday that the killing of a teacher who had shown cartoons of the
Prophet Mohammed in class bore the hallmarks of "an Islamist terrorist
attack".
"A
citizen has been murdered today because he was a teacher and because he taught
freedom of expression," Macron said near the school where the teacher was
killed in a suburb northwest of Paris.
"Our
compatriot was flagrantly attacked, was the victim of an Islamist terrorist
attack," he added.
"The
whole country stands behind its teachers. Terrorists will not divide France,
obscurantism will not win.”
The
assailant had decapitated the teacher before being shot dead by police.
French
broadcaster BFMTV reported that the suspected attacker was 18 years old and
born in Moscow.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/10/20/After-teacher-beheading-France-to-dissolve-pro-Hamas-Muslim-group-Macron
--------
French
police raid dozens of targets suspected of extremism after teacher beheaded
19/10/2020
Days
after a suspected Islamist beheaded a French school teacher, police on Monday
raided Islamic associations and individuals suspected of extremist religious
beliefs, arresting dozens of people, said France’s interior minister, in a
sweep expected to last a few more days.
History
teacher Samuel Paty, 47, was murdered on Friday in broad daylight outside his
school in a middle-class Paris suburb by an 18-year-old of Chechen origin.
Police shot and killed the attacker.
Paty
was attacked on his way home from the junior high school where he taught in
Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of Paris.
The
teenage assassin allegedly sought to avenge his victim's use of caricatures of
the Prophet Mohammed in a class on freedom of expression to 13-year-olds.
Muslims believe that any depiction of the Prophet is blasphemous.
Public
figures called the killing an attack on the Republic and on French values.
Fifteen
people, including four students, were arrested Monday for questioning,
according to a judicial source. The detainees included a man who was in contact
with the perpetrator before the attack, the source added.
Interior
Minister Gérald Darmanin said there were some 80 investigations being conducted
into hate speech online and that he was looking into whether to disband some 51
associations within the Muslim community. The associations included the
Collective against Islamophobia in France (known by the French acronym CCIF)
and the humanitarian association BarakaCity.
In
a statement on the group’s Facebook page, BarakaCity slammed the move:
"Madness has seized the interior minister who, because he cannot find
anything against our NGO, has taken advantage of the emotion caused by this
tragedy."
France
was also preparing to deport 213 foreigners who were on a government watchlist
and suspected of holding extreme religious beliefs, among whom about 150 are
serving jail sentences, according to sources.
“They
are quite unusual because normally, after such a tragedy, the investigation
focuses on what happened, who was behind the attack. This is of course taking
place. But the wave of arrests announced by the interior minister that will
continue for the next few days is essentially focusing on those who have
expressed support for the attacker or against the teacher online,” said Marc
Perelman, FRANCE 24’s French politics editor. “So, it’s really a wide net that
is being cast by the authorities.”
‘A
fatwa against the teacher’
Police
detained 11 people in connection with the attack in the 24 hours that followed
Paty's killing. They included four members of the attacker’s family, who are
being held for questioning.
A
photo of the teacher and a message confessing to his murder was found on the
mobile phone of his killer, identified as Abdullakh Anzorov, who arrived in
France with his family to seek asylum when he was 6 years old.
Police
also detained the father of a pupil in Paty’s class who had railed against the
teacher online and called for his dismissal.
French
teachers speak out about religious tensions in their classrooms
A
judicial source told Reuters that another detained man was known to the
intelligence agencies. Born in Morocco, he had used social media to fight
against what he called "Islamophobia" and to put pressure on the
government over its treatment of Muslims. In 2011, he agitated against a high
school in Saint-Ouen, a working-class city with a large Muslim community near
Paris, because it wanted to ban clothing used by Muslim girls to circumvent a
ban on veils.
Abdelhakim
Sefriuoi: At the centre of French beheading investigation
Darmanin
accused the two men of issuing a "fatwa" against Paty, using the term
for an Islamic edict that was famously used to describe the 1989 death sentence
handed down against writer Salman Rushdie by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.
"They
apparently launched a fatwa against the teacher," the minister told Europe
1 radio.
Paty,
who was praised by pupils and parents as a dedicated teacher, had shown one of
the Mohammed cartoons to his civics class.
According
to the school, he had given Muslim children the option to leave the classroom
before he showed the cartoons, saying he did not want their feelings to be
hurt.
The
lesson sparked a furore nonetheless and Paty and the school received threats.
French
teachers have long complained of tensions around religion and identity spilling
over into the classroom.
One
education expert warned Monday that the murder might deter teachers from
tackling touchy topics in future.
"There's
a huge amount of self-censorship," said Jean-Pierre Obin, a former
inspector for the French education system. "We must fear that there will
now be more."
But
Jonathan Renoir, a 26-year-old history teacher at a junior high school in Cergy
near Paris, said: "We can't give in to fear; we must continue to talk
about controversial things in class."
Another
young history teacher in Nice said he, too, was "determined" to carry
on.
"I
will never stop teaching secularism and the freedom of expression –
never," said the teacher, who asked to remain anonymous.
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20201019-additional-police-operations-under-way-over-beheading-of-french-teacher?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
--------
South Asia
5
killed, 9 injured in blast in central Afghanistan
Oct
20, 2020
KABUL:
At least five people were killed and nine more were injured in two roadside
bomb blasts in the Jalrez district of Afghanistan's Maidan Wardak province on
Tuesday, said the provincial governor's office.
Tolo
News, quoting the governor's office statement, said those wounded include five
women and four children. The blast had hit two vehicles- a bus and a car
carrying civilians.
"The
victims of the incident were sent to the provincial health center for
treatment," said Mohammad Salim Asgharkhil, head of the provincial
hospital as reported by Tolo News.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the blast.
This
comes in wake of a sharp increase in violence in the country. At least 15
civilians were killed in a car bomb explosion in Ghor province in the west of
Afghanistan earlier this week.
Tolo
News further called the Jalrez district's Kota Ashro village "has been
volatile" in the last one week adding that nearly seven days ago a car
bomb explosion, targetting a security forces outpost in the area, left four
personnel wounded.
Abdul
Jabar, a soldier in the outpost, made remarks in a recorded video stating that
the security forces in the outpost were under siege for almost five days.
According
to a statement by the ADefense Ministry, the commando forces "conducted an
operation in Kota Ashro area, Jalrez district, on Monday and rescued the
besieged forces."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/5-killed-9-injured-in-blast-in-central-afghanistan/articleshow/78771681.cms
--------
Devotion
to Mother Mary spans generations in Bangladesh
October
21, 2020
For
Francisca Palma, devotion to Mother Mary and praying the rosary every evening
are both a family tradition and part of daily life.
During
October, the month dedicated to Mary and rosary in the Catholic calendar, Palma
has been joining hundreds of women, men, and children in villages in her parish
in northern Bangladesh attend special rosary prayers with door-to-door
processions.
"With
my son and daughter, I have joined various rosary prayers in villages. People
come to pray voluntarily and attend actively," Palma said.
The
55-year Catholic woman, a retired primary school teacher, lives in Maria Virgo
Potens parish under Rajshahi diocese.
Her
family holds "Mother Mary in high regard and pray the rosary every
evening. We inherited this tradition from our forefathers, and we are happy to
continue it," Palma told UCA News.
She
said this October they have been praying the rosary "with special
intentions — for the end of violence against women, for peace in the world and
welfare of humanity."
The
prayer intention refers to the alarming rise in rapes in the country, she
noted.
Father
Suresh Purification, the rosary ministry coordinator in Rajshahi diocese, said
various Marian devotion activities are carried out throughout the year.
"Not
only in October but all the year round we organize programs and prayer
meetings. People love Mary, and they believe Mary fulfills their prayers. We
help people realize how they can be blessed by praying to Mary," Father
Purification told UCA News.
Rosary
continues to be the common form of evening prayer in Catholic families. As a
tradition, such prayers are pushed by mothers.
Shyamoli
Halder, a 42-year-old Catholic mother from St. Patrick's Cathedral Church
Barishal diocese, asserts that praying rosary "is a part of daily family
routine."
During
October, they join community rosary prayers at a shrine or family or in the
parish church. It encourages families to pray rosary if they do not do it
already, she said.
Rosary
movement
Catholic
tradition holds that rosary prayer began after Mary appeared to Saint Dominic
in 1206. Mary gave a rosary to the Spanish Catholic priest, founder of the
Dominican Order. She also wanted him to propagate the efficacious prayer,
according to the tradition.
Historically,
Pope Pius V established the standard 15 Mysteries of Rosary beads, divided into
three groups of Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries in Mary's life. Pope
John Paul II approved a new set of five and termed them Luminous Mysteries.
In
Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Christians, the majority of them Catholics, are a
tiny minority accounting for less than half a percent of the population of more
than 160 million.
The
family rosary movement began to spread in Bangladesh in the 1950s thanks to
Irish Holy Cross priest, Father Patrick Peyton (1902-1992). He is widely known
as "the rosary priest" for his lifelong efforts in popularizing
rosary prayers around the world.
Father
Peyton popularized the phrase, "The family that prays together stays
together."
The
priest visited East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1955 and preached in two
parishes of Dhaka archdiocese on the importance of rosary prayers. Since then,
Catholic dioceses made significant efforts to popularize rosary prayer.
All
eight Catholic dioceses in Bangladesh have Marian shrines, where people flock
regularly to pray and pay respects to Mary.
Holy
Cross Congregation, the largest religious order in Bangladesh, has been
continuing Father Peyton's mission through Holy Cross Family Ministries (HCFM).
The ministry has diocesan wings, called Rosary Ministries, for parish level
activities.
In
each diocese, a team works "with various age groups. And, we can have
religious vocations also from them," Holy Cross Father Elias Palma,
national director of the HCFM, told UCA News.
During
each program rosary beads, prayer books, calendars, portraits, and statues of
Mary are distributed to people in order to encourage them to keep praying the
rosary, the priest noted.
Interest
wanes
The
interest in rosary prayer is declining these days for various reasons, rues
Francisca Palma.
"Not
all are interested in rosary prayer. Sometimes, we see people leaving the place
in the middle of the prayer. Parents don't pray and offer moral education to
children, and sometimes they dislike religious leaders and don't listen to
their call for prayers," she said.
But
the crisis can be managed "if families, communities, and parishes play
their role properly," she said.
Father
Palma (not related) said the drop in interest is caused by modern media
aggression.
"It
is true family prayers have dropped due to modernity, media, and busy life of
people. We have continued our movement to keep up prayerfulness in our
families," the priest added.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/devotion-to-mother-mary-spans-generations-in-bangladesh/89959#
--------
'Rohingya
crisis among worst modern tragedies'
Muhammet
Tarhan
21.10.2020
The
Rohingya crisis is among the gravest tragedies in modern times, a senior
Turkish diplomat said Tuesday.
In
a ministerial committee meeting on the persecuted Muslim group held by the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim
Kiran underlined that the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on
the matter had recorded incidents in Myanmar involving "genocidal
intentions."
Noting
that Turkey has been maintaining efforts to keep up awareness of the issue in
the international community, Kiran said via video link that Ankara would never
abandon the Rohingya
He
asserted that the group should be allowed to their return to their homeland,
adding that if this is not possible, they should at least be allowed to go somewhere
they prefer.
Stressing
the importance of the OIC's role, he said the body should continue its
international efforts to keep Myanmar under pressure for a peaceful solution to
the problem.
Kiran
added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had given a special
importance to the matter, calling on OIC members to stand for the search for
justice and prove to the world that Rohingya Muslims are not alone.
He
also called member states to increase their financial contributions for the
case on the Rohingya genocide, which is currently being heard at the
International Court of Justice (ICT) while maintaining relations with Myanmar
to sustain relief efforts for the Muslim group.
Persecuted
people
The
Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced
heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in
2012.
According
to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and
children, fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces
launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017, pushing
the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/rohingya-crisis-among-worst-modern-tragedies/2013370
--------
50
Taliban Killed in Kandahar Battle
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
20
Oct 2020
KANDAHAR,
Afghanistan – At least 50 Taliban insurgents, including a Pakistani adviser,
killed during an operation carried by Afghan Security Forces in Maiwan and Zeri
districts of Kandahar province, local authorities confirmed Tuesday.
Jamal
Naser Barekzai, spokesman for local police, told Khaama Press in a phone
interview that the in operation by Unit 01 of National Defense was carried for
the past 24 hours in Maiwan and Zeri district of the province.
Some
87 Taliban injured during the battle, he added.
Taliban
did not immediately commented on the claim.
https://www.khaama.com/50-taliban-killed-in-kandahar-battle-34353/
--------
Special
Inspector General For Afghanistan Reconstruction: $19 Billion Dollars Lost To
Fraud
By
Mohammad Haroon Alim
21
Oct 2020
SIGAR
in their most recent report said, as of December 2019, US Congress appropriated
nearly $134 billion since the 2002 fiscal year for Afghanistan reconstruction,
of which $19 billion of the amount reviewed was lost to waste.
SIGAR
says it has so far investigated more than $63 billion and found that 5 percent,
$19 billion dollars were lost to waste and fraud.
“Of
that $134 billion amount, SIGAR reviewed approximately $63 billion and found
that nearly $19 billion of the amount reviewed was lost to waste, fraud, and
abuse,” SIGAR stated in the recent report.
SIGAR
also noted that the United States provided $15.5 billion in reconstruction
assistance to Afghanistan during 2018, of which $3.4 million was wasted to
fraud and abuse.
John
F. Sopko Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said in the
statement, That “As promised in our July 2018 response to your request, we have
updated the report to provide information on the total amount of waste, fraud,
and abuse identified in SIGAR’s 111 published products and 55 closed
investigations between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019”.
He
further indicated, “$3.4 billion of waste, fraud, and abuse to the previously
reported amount based on our review of SIGAR’s published products and closed
investigations. Of this total, we specifically identified approximately $1.5
billion in taxpayer funds that we believe were wasted, $300 million that were
lost to fraud, and $34 million that we believe were lost due to abuse. The
remaining $1.6 billion was allocated to counternarcotics efforts that we
believe were wasted”.
On
the other hand, SIGAR reported, that work through December 31, 2019, resulted
in about $3.2 billion in savings for US taxpayers.
SIGAR
reported that from the outset, corruption in Afghanistan has been a major
concern in reconstruction efforts, and is still rampant in the country.
https://www.khaama.com/special-inspector-general-for-afghanistan-reconstruction-19-billion-dollars-lost-to-fraud-878766/
--------
Southeast Asia
Political
reconciliation among Malay parties seen as a tall order
Robin
Augustin
October
21, 2020
PETALING
JAYA: A political analyst sees the strained ties between Umno and PPBM as an
obstacle to the kind of national reconciliation that Umno Youth chief Asyraf
Wajdi Dusuki has called for.
Speaking
to FMT, Bridget Welsh of the University of Nottingham Malaysia said the
challenge in reconciliation, particularly between Umno and PPBM, lay in
concessions rather than respect.
Asyraf
recently urged political parties to put aside their differences and focus on a
“national reconciliation agenda”.
“If
you look at what Umno is saying about setting new conditions, it is not looking
for reconciliation,” Welsh said. “What it wants is for PPBM to concede in
seats, positions and power. It doesn’t want PPBM to challenge it as it did in
Sabah.”
She
said this had put Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in a tough position with not
much room in which to manoeuvre.
However,
she also said Muhyiddin was “quite savvy” and had shown in the past six months
that he could negotiate his way out of problems.
“The
main question now is whether Umno is willing to accept less than what it
wants,” she said. “And if it is willing to accept today, what about tomorrow?
How long will it be before it is not satisfied again?”
Syed
Arabi Idid of the International Islamic University of Malaysia said Malay
parties could work together if they perceived a common enemy and if they
believed that cooperating would earn them the votes of the Malays.
But
they would likely clash when there was no strong common enemy, he added.
“In
the near future there will not be a dominant Malay political party,” he said.
“The number of Malay majority seats are fixed. Now you are talking about
distributing the Malay seats between three parties.”
He
noted that Umno, PAS and PPBM contested against one another in the last general
election.
“If
they are to stick together, then a lot of sacrifices have to be made and this
makes reconciliation problematic. That is why I don’t foresee there being any
dominant Malay political party.”
These
sacrifices, he said, included the three Malay parties’ willingness to lose
their individual identity to come together as one big entity.
James
Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute said he did not see any
reconciliation happening, noting that even when Umno was at its strongest, the
Malay vote was split with PAS.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/10/21/political-reconciliation-among-malay-parties-seen-as-a-tall-order/
--------
Ask
and I will forgive, otherwise find me in Padang Mahsyar, Najib tells Dr
Mahathir
17
Oct 2020
BY
YISWAREE PALANSAMY
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 17 ― Despite feeling wronged by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Datuk Seri
Najib Razak said he will forgive his mentor-turned-nemesis because Islam
teaches its followers to be merciful.
The
Pekan MP who was portrayed as Malaysia’s number one villain in the wake of the
1MDB global financial scandal was recently cast again as the main antagonist by
Dr Mahathir for destroying “his” Umno — resulting in the country’s present
messy political state.
“Indeed
I felt angry. That I cannot avoid, because his words are too harsh, crosses the
limit and are baseless, it is difficult to be accepted by any human.
“Truthfully,
I cannot deny that in my heart, I was too angry. But like I said, as a person
who practises his faith, if he asks for forgiveness, I will forgive him,” Najib
said of Dr Mahathir in an interview with Malaysia Gazette on its Owh! MG
programme aired on Facebook last night.
Explaining
his reason, Najib said Islam requires its adherents forgive each other, adding
that this is also the character of Allah, who is defined as being the most
merciful.
“According
to my religious practices, forgiving someone is a must in our faith. Firstly,
the nature of Allah Himself. Allah, the most merciful.
“There
are also verses in the Quran that says we must forgive. So if say, he has made
a mistake or has committed sins towards me, if he asks for forgiveness, I would
use my religion as a guide. I will forgive him, but if he does not ask for
forgiveness, then he has to find me in Padang Mahsyar,” Najib said.
Padang
Mahsyar refers to the Islamic justice system in the afterlife where people are
judged based on their good and bad deeds.
However,
Najib was not above making his own assertions about Dr Mahathir, even as he
chose to take the religious high ground with his older political enemy.
In
the interview, Najib said cronyism and the culture of money politics was rife
during the 95-year-old Dr Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister from 1981
to 2003.
Najib
insinuated that a certain tycoon whom he did not name had reaped huge profits
from gambling, construction and telecommunications contracts during the first
Mahathir administration.
“And
this person, we know is close to him. If he takes photos, it is always with
him, if it's his birthday, he hosts his birthday parties. And there are few
people like this whom other people know about, many people know about. I don't
have to mention names, but people know. So this cronyism policy was rife during
Dr Mahathir's era,” he said.
Najib
said that when he took federal power, he tried to rid the country of money
politics.
“During
my time, I didn't practise cronyism,” he said.
He
added that his “cronies” were the “rakyat”, insisting that the contracts for
public projects awarded by his administration were to government-linked
companies or statutory bodies like Permodalan Nasional Berhad, Khazanah
Nasional, Lembaga Tabung Haji and the Armed Forces Fund Board instead of to
private companies
The
67-year-old further asserted that he tried to amend Umno’s constitution and
make the party more democratic, contrary to Dr Mahathir’s portrayal of him as
its destroyer.
Najib
was Malaysia’s sixth prime minister from 2009 to 2018. He was convicted of all
seven charges of money laundering RM42 million, power abuse and criminal breach
of trust in connection with SRC International Sdn Bhd last July and is
currently appealing the verdict even as he is on trial for 1MDB.
Just
two weeks ago, Dr Mahathir was interviewed by Malaysia Gazette on the same
programme and was asked if he would ever forgive Najib, the son of his mentor,
Malaysia’s esteemed second prime minister Tun Razak Hussein.
The
95-year-old Langkawi MP who replaced Najib after ousting his Barisan Nasional
government said he would not, indicating that their differences were
irreconcilable.
“I
cannot forgive someone who destroyed my party,” Dr Mahathir said in the
September 30 interview, adding: “That’s what he really did, until people came
to really hate Umno”.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/10/17/ask-and-i-will-forgive-otherwise-find-me-in-padang-mahsyar-najib-tells-dr-m/1913501
--------
Indonesia
aims to be major ‘player’ in halal market
Iqbal
Musyaffa
20.10.2020
JAKARTA,
Indonesia
The
Indonesian vice president said on Tuesday that his country’s halal industry has
to expand its role in the global trade of halal products, in addition to
meeting huge domestic needs.
Speaking
in a virtual discussion, Ma'ruf Amin said Indonesia remains a consumer of
global halal products as total spending on halal food and beverage products
reached $214 billion or 10% share of the world's halal products in 2018.
"We
are the biggest consumer compared to other Muslim majority countries,"
said Amin.
Indonesia
should be able to utilize the potential of global halal market which in 2018
had reached $2.2 trillion and is projected to grow to $3 trillion in 2023, said
Amin.
"We
have to be able to utilize the potential of the world halal market by boosting
exports, which are currently around 3.8% of the total market," he added.
The
government is working to boost the growth of Indonesian halal industry by
easing access and cutting the cost of halal certification for micro and small
businesses, Amin noted.
‘Food
industry has yet to compete’
Several
sectors of the Indonesian halal industry have been able to compete in the
global market, Teten Masduki, the minister of cooperatives and SMEs (small- and
medium-size enterprises), said, also speaking in the discussion.
The
country’s halal tourism industry ranked fourth in the world, while the Muslim
fashion industry the 3rd, and Islamic finance industry the 5th, Masduki added.
"However,
for the halal food and beverage industry, Indonesia has not entered the top 10
globally according to the data from the State of the Global Islamic Economic
Report 2019-2020," he said.
Masduki
said that Indonesian micro and small businesses had difficulty applying for
halal certification due to limited access and high cost.
"Now,
under the new Job Creation Law, halal certification for SMEs is free of
charge," he said.
The
minister said the breakthrough was welcomed by micro and small businesses as
60% of SMEs are in the food and beverage sector.
Masduki
said that based on the ministry's records in 2014-2019, the sales of SMEs rose
by 8.53% on average after obtaining a halal certificate.
"The
government not only facilitates the processing of halal certification, but also
assists with education of halal product management," he added.
Gov't
guarantees availability of halal products
Meanwhile,
Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi said that under Law No. 33 of 2014, the
country is obligated to ensure the availability of halal products and raising
the added value for business operators in producing and selling halal goods.
Razi
said the ministry, through the Halal Product Guarantee Agency, allocated a
budget to facilitate 3,283 micro and small businesses in obtaining halal
certification.
"This
facility helps financing micro and small businesses in applying for halal
certificates and the realization of government policy to make halal
certification free of charge for them," he said.
Razi
said Indonesia has halal infrastructure capital for the development of halal
industry, adding that the country is facing high public expectations on
guaranteed halal products.
He
said the experience of Indonesian Ulema Council for 30 years in issuing halal
certification, which is now being continued by Halal Product Assurance
Organizing Agency, is sufficient capital for the country to compete in the
global halal market.
"Many
people pay attention to halal products, both nationally and globally, so the opportunities
for the halal industry are very promising and it could become a global boom in
the future," he added.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/indonesia-aims-to-be-major-player-in-halal-market/2012865
--------
Indonesia:
Calls for rescue of Rohingya stranded at sea
Pizaro
Gozali Idrus
20.10.2020
JAKARTA,
Indonesia
Indonesian
fishermen on Tuesday spotted a boat carrying Rohingya refugees off the
country’s northwestern coast, sparking calls for urgent rescue efforts.
The
boat was seen in the Malacca Strait, some 80 to 100 miles near the Aceh
province’s waters, according to Miftach Cut Adek, deputy secretary general of
Aceh Sea Commander.
He
told Anadolu Agency that the refugees were on their way to Malaysia.
“We
cannot confirm how many of them aboard, but they are on a large boat,” he said,
adding that the fishermen were too far away from the refugee boat to approach
it.
“Fishermen
usually help them [refugees] when they get nearer to land.”
Usman
Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, urged Indonesian
authorities to urgently rescue the Rohingya refugees adrift off the coast of
Aceh.
“We’ve
received reports that border patrols have instructions to turn these refugees
away. This is unconscionable,” he said, adding that pushing the boat back would
violate the country’s international obligations.
Now
that they have been alerted to boats in distress, he said, the authorities must
immediately rescue, disembark the passengers, provide them with shelter, and
ensure their safety.
Hamid
said that ASEAN – Association of Southeast Asian Nations – countries are
failing to help Rohingya who have fled persecution in Myanmar and the hardships
of refugee camps in Bangladesh.
“The
Rohingya community’s suffering is a regional issue in need of a humane regional
response in line with international law,” he added.
Hamid
said Indonesia set an example for regional counterparts when it allowed
Rohingya ships onto its shores twice this year.
In
September, Indonesia took in 297 Rohingya refugees who landed in Lhokseumawe
city in Aceh province, after allowing 99 Rohingya disembark in North Aceh
earlier in June.
There
are currently some 383 Rohingya at the Lhokseumawe Vocational Center, after at
least three refugees died of COVID-19, according to Amnesty International.
“There
is no reason Indonesia should lead this refugee crisis alone. There must be
shared responsibility among regional countries in order to organize urgent
search and rescue and prevent others from facing the same dangers,” Hamid
stressed.
-
'World's most persecuted people'
The
Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced
heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in
2012.
According
to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and
children, fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces
launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017, pushing
the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.
Since
Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar's
state forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development
Agency (OIDA).
More
than 34,000 Rohingya were thrown into fires, over 114,000 more beaten, and as
many as 18,000 Rohingya women and girls were raped by Myanmar's army and
police, said the OIDA report, titled Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold
Experience.
Over
115,000 Rohingya homes were burned down and some 113,000 others vandalized, it
added.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/indonesia-calls-for-rescue-of-rohingya-stranded-at-sea/2013330
--------
Africa
Al-Sunni
calls for young people to participate in the Libyan political dialogue
October
20, 2020
Libya’s
Representative to the United Nations (UN), Taher Al-Sunni, has called for the
active participation of the young people of Libya in the political dialogue.
Al-Sunni
said in a tweet on his Twitter account, that the time has come for young men
and women to take a prominent stand in the political dialogue presently taking
place, adding, “It is no longer acceptable for young people’s participation to
be a symbolic formality.”
He
continued by saying that in times of conflict and war, young people are
exploited and their participation is compulsory, and indeed essential, however,
he added that the opportunity is now available for all of the young people of
Libya to organize themselves and not wait for a hand-out, but partake in their
right to rebuild the nation.
https://www.libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/al-sunni-calls-young-people-participate-libyan-political-dialogue
--------
Removal
from US list not linked to Israel ties: Sudan
Mohammed
Alamin
20.10.2020
KHARTOUM
Sudan
on Tuesday denied any link between the country’s removal from the US list of
state sponsors of terrorism and normalization with Israel.
“I
can confirm that there is no link between the issue of normalization with
Israel and the lifting of Sudan from the terror list,” Foreign Minister Omer
Qamar Aldin told a press conference in Khartoum.
He
said Sudan’s removal from the US blacklist was be “the first step for Sudan’s
return to the international community”.
On
Monday, US President Donald Trump announced the removal of Sudan from the list
of state sponsors of terrorism after Khartoum agreed to pay $335 million as a
settlement to the victims of 1998 twin bombings of the US Embassies in Tanzania
and Kenya.
For
his part, the governor of Sudan’s Central Bank, Mohamed Alfatih Zain Alabdin,
confirmed that Sudan has transferred $335 million to the families of the 1998
bombings.
The
US placed Sudan on the terror list in 1993 on accusations of supporting terror
groups. In 1997, Washington imposed economic sanctions on Khartoum and
tightened them a year later after the embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania.
Sudanese
political forces announced categorical rejection of normalization with Israel
amid talks of a possible Sudanese deal after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and
Bahrain signed US-sponsored deals in Washington in last month.
The
two Gulf states ignored Arab popular rejection of the deal, which Palestinians
say ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/removal-from-us-list-not-linked-to-israel-ties-sudan/2013012
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Dialogue
Possible With Certain Sahel Jihadists: UN Chief
OCTOBER
19, 2020
Dialogue
may be possible with certain jihadist groups active in Africa’s Sahel region,
but not “radical” ones such as the Islamic State (IS) group, UN chief Antonio
Guterres said Monday.
“There
will be groups with which we can talk, and which will have an interest in
engaging in this dialogue to become political actors in the future,” Guterres
said in an interview with French daily Le Monde.
“But
there are still those whose terrorist radicalism is such that there will be
nothing to be done with them,” he added, citing IS.
Much
of the vast Sahel region is prey to insecurity and jihadist violence, which
erupted after a rebellion in northern Mali in 2012.
The
conflict has since spread to the center of the country, as well as neighboring
Burkina Faso and Niger, claiming thousands of lives.
Last
week, African Union Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui urged
dialogue with extremists in the conflict-ridden region.
He
pointed to Afghanistan, where the United States and the Taliban agreed a truce
in late February, as a possible template.
Chergui’s
appeal came after Mali’s government this month swapped some 200 prisoners for
four hostages held by an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group.
The
last French citizen held hostage in the world, Sophie Petronin, was released
alongside Mali opposition figure Soumaila Cisse, along with two Italians.
‘Stronger
International Response Needed’
“In
Afghanistan, there is a terrorist group with which dialogue is impossible, it
is the Islamic State,” said Guterres. “Its vision is so radical that there is
no prospect of discussion.”
He
underlined there was “insufficient” security deployment in the Sahel, and
called for “more international solidarity” with the region.
A
high-level donor conference will be held Tuesday for the Sahel region, where
the years-long fighting, climate change, and COVID-19 have plunged millions of
people into hunger.
The
UN has said it hopes the ministerial-level videoconference will mobilize $2.4
billion.
Guterres
said the UN’s MINUSMA force in Mali had too limited a mandate to allow “an
effective fight against the terrorist threat.”
Similarly,
France’s Barkhane force of some 5,000 soldiers was “limited given the extent of
the territory to be controlled,” he said.
As
for the combined G5 Sahel regional force, it “lacks the means and capacity to
respond to this gigantic security challenge,” said the UN secretary-general.
“The international response must be stronger,” he told the newspaper.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/10/19/dialogue-sahel-jihadists/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
--------
Cameroon
Chiefs Create Militias for Protection from Separatists
By
Moki Edwin Kindzeka
October
19, 2020
YAOUNDÉ
- Traditional village chiefs in Cameroon's restive western regions are for the
first time creating armed militias for protection against separatists.
Cameroon's government has been asking traditional rulers who fled the
separatist conflict to return to their palaces and take part in December's
regional elections. But a majority of the chiefs has been reluctant to return
due to threats from the rebels.
The
Nso people of Cameroon’s Northwest region shout and applaud in the town of
Kumbo. They came out to listen to a plea from their elders and palace notables
to give a memorable welcome to their traditional leader, Sehm Mbinglo, whenever
he returns.
Mbinglo
fled the area three years ago after separatists abducted him three times and
killed two of his children for unknown reasons.
Among
the nearly 1,000 people who came to listen to the notables was Dorothy Yekong,
who said she is longing to see her Fon, or traditional ruler.
“When
the peace makers said the Fon will be coming back, we just felt some peace in
Kumbo because when we were there without the Fon it was just as if to say the
child is there surrounded by lions. So, if he finally comes, we are sure that
peace will return in Kumbo. He is the father of everybody in Kumbo," she
said.
Yekong
said she was pleading with separatists fighting to create an English-speaking
state in Cameroon not to attack palaces and notables who are only there to
promote African cultures and traditions.
But
shortly after the Nso elders and notable made the plea on people to welcome
their village chiefs, separatist groups on social media warned against the
chiefs returning.
Donatus
Kewa, who said he is a spokesperson for separatist fighters in the North West
region, says the chiefs act as informants for the military.
He
said the village chiefs and their notables who escaped from the
English-speaking regions to the French-speaking zones, especially Cameroon's
capital, Yaounde, will be killed if they return. He said the chiefs received
help in escaping from the Cameroon military, which he said is an enemy that all English speakers should
fight against.
John
Ewome Eko, traditional chief of the southwestern village of Boassa, said he is
ready to face the separatists. He said he has armed a militia to protect his
palace, notables and all traditional artifacts.
“I
have put in place a strong vigilante group of more than 100 youths ready to
stand and face the Amba guys. They came and burned down parts of my own palace.
They left with two girls and they stayed with them in the bushes for two weeks.
They were raped, they tortured them, they came back with wounds all over their
bodies. They came again, they seized goods from my villagers," he said.
Deben
Tchoffo, governor of the Northwest region, said militias created by chiefs
should collaborate with government troops. He said no one should fear the
separatists, whom he says are only intimidating chiefs and civilians.
"The
traditional rulers are committed. The municipal counselors are committed.
Elections Cameroon is ready. The security services are securing the region to
allow us come the sixth of December to organize those elections in a peaceful
environment," he said.
Tchoffo
said they were giving fighters another opportunity to drop their weapons and be
pardoned or to be crushed by the military.
The
separatist crisis that is in its fourth year has killed at least 3,000 people
and displaced 550,000, according to the United Nations.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/cameroon-chiefs-create-militias-protection-separatists?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
--------
ICC
prosecutor says Omar al-Bashir, other suspects must face justice over Darfur
20
October 2020
Ousted
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and other suspects wanted by the
International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and genocide in Darfur must
face justice without further delay, the court’s chief prosecutor said on
Tuesday.
Options
for prosecuting them, including a trial in Sudan and a hybrid tribunal, were
being discussed with Sudanese authorities, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told
reporters during a visit to Khartoum.
“We
are seeing what is possible,” Bensouda said. “They must all face justice
without further delay.”
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
ICC has outstanding arrest warrants against al-Bashir and three other Sudanese
suspects on charges of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The
conflict in Darfur, in the west of Sudan, escalated from 2003 when mainly
non-Arab rebels took up arms against al-Bashir’s government, triggering a
campaign of repression by the army and mostly-Arab militias. More than 300,000
people are estimated to have been killed and 2.5 million displaced.
Al-Bashir
has been in jail in Khartoum since he was forced from office in April 2019
following months of protests.
Bensouda
said she was encouraged by meetings with senior officials from the transitional
authorities who assumed power after hos overthrow
“I
particularly welcomed the assurances of support and cooperation expressed to me
by the authorities during this visit,” she said.
Al-Bashir
appeared in a trial on Tuesday over the 1989 coup that brought him to power.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/10/20/ICC-prosecutor-says-Omar-al-Bashir-other-suspects-must-face-justice-over-Darfur
--------
Libyan
warring sides agree to open air, land routes: UN Envoy
21
October 2020
Libya's
warring parties have agreed to open air and land routes in the country,
according to the UN's acting envoy to the country Stephanie Williams.
Williams
said on Wednesday she was "quite optimistic" that talks between the
warring sides would lead to a lasting ceasefire after they agreed to reopen
land and air routes between them.
Speaking
at a news conference, she said the two sides meeting in Geneva this week had
also agreed to maintain "the current state of calm on the front lines and
to avoid any military escalation."
The
meetings make up the security aspect of three-track talks, also involving
political and economic tracks, that are aimed to lift Libya out of its grueling
conflict that has ground on nearly ever since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in
2011.
Control
of the country is currently split between the Turkish-backed Government of
National Accord (GNA) and the rival Libyan National Army (LNA).
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/10/21/Libya-conflict-Libyan-warring-sides-agree-to-open-air-land-routes-UN-Envoy
--------
2
killed in bomb blast in Somali capital
Mohammed
Dhaysane
20.10.2020
GAROWE,
Somalia
At
least two people were killed Tuesday, and three others were wounded, when a
bomb blast targeted the nation’s immigration and naturalization chief in
Mogadishu, according to officials.
Police
captain Abdifatah Hassan confirmed the deaths to Anadolu Agency.
The
attack occurred near the busy KM4 intersection in the capital.
Government
spokesman Ismail Mukhtar Oronjo told the Turkish news agency the attack
targeted Mohamed Aden Kofi, head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
"A
roadside bomb blast targeted the immigration chief. He survived the attack but
three security guards were wounded,” he said.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the attack but Somali-based al-Qaeda
affiliated terrorist group, al-Shabaab, have carried out attacks in Somalia.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/2-killed-in-bomb-blast-in-somali-capital/2013301
--------
Nigeria:
15 killed since start of police abuse protests
Adam
Abu-bashal
20.10.2020
ABUJA
At
least 15 people have been killed since protests erupted this month in Nigeria
against police brutality, Amnesty International said Monday.
The
rights organization said two police officers were among the victims while
hundreds of people have been injured.
Nationwide
protests have continued since Oct. 7 despite the disbanding of the controversial
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit.
Protests
against SARS had been going on for several days and demonstrators besieged its
headquarters.
They
chanted “End SARS” and poured red paint on the street in front of the building
– a symbolic reference to the alleged killings by SARS officers.
Despite
the dissolution of SARS, the protesters continued their demonstrations calling
for comprehensive police reforms including punishments for erring officers, the
unconditional release of all detained protesters and compensation for families
of the victims of police brutality.
"The
disbanding of SARS is only the first step in our commitment to extensive police
reforms in order to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law
enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and the livelihood of our
people," President Muhammadu Buhari said last week on Twitter.
In
an earlier report, Amnesty International said authorities failed to tackle the
impunity enjoyed by SARS, whose brutality and corruption were "becoming
increasingly brazen."
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-15-killed-since-start-of-police-abuse-protests/2012138
--------
North America
US
Warns 'Distressingly High' Afghan Violence Could Derail Deal with Taliban
By
Ayaz Gul
October
19, 2020
ISLAMABAD
- The United States has warned that “distressingly” high levels of violence in
Afghanistan threaten to derail Washington’s peace-building deal with Taliban
insurgents and the ongoing intra-Afghan peace negotiations.
Zalmay
Khalilzad, the U.S. special envoy to the turmoil-hit nation, issued the warning
Monday as the Taliban intensified battlefield attacks against Afghan security
forces, including large-scale offensives last week in the southern Helmand
province.
“Our
expectation has been and remains that violence comes down and stays down,”
Khalilzad said in a series of tweets.
The
violence was supposed to be “substantially’ reduced following the historic deal
the U.S. signed with the Taliban in February to promote a negotiated end to the
19-year-old Afghan conflict, America’s longest.
On
Sunday, the insurgent group said the U.S. military was violating the terms of
the agreement. A U.S military spokesman swiftly rejected the accusations and
blamed the Taliban instead for taking steps that were detrimental to the peace
process.
Khalilzad
also dismissed the insurgent accusations as unfounded and “inflammatory
rhetoric,” saying they would not help advance the peace process. He stressed
the need for strictly adhering to all articles of the U.S.-Taliban pact and
Washington’s understanding with Kabul to gradually reduce Afghan hostilities.
“Continued
high levels of violence can threaten the peace process and the agreement and
the core understanding that there is no military solution,” Khalilzad
said.
“The
belief that says violence must escalate to win concessions at the negotiating
table is very risky. Such an approach can undermine the peace process and
repeats past miscalculations by Afghan leaders,” cautioned the U.S. envoy.
Khalilzad
noted his delegation in recent meetings with the Taliban agreed to take
measures toward decreasing violence and casualties in Afghanistan in line with
the agreement. The deal has resulted in reduction in hostilities in Helmand,
but violence overall in the country remains high, said the Afghan-born U.S.
diplomat.
In
its latest assessment, the United Nations noted that days of fighting in
Helmand has caused the security situation in several locations to deteriorate,
blocking access to the provincial capital, Lashkargah.
The
U.N. humanitarian agency said the fighting had triggered the flight of
residents, with local authorities initially estimating that 35,000 people fled
to Lashkargah. It noted that U.N. assessment teams were still verifying these
numbers.
On
Sunday, a suicide car bombing in the central Afghan province of Ghor killed at
least 15 people and wounded around 150 others. While no group has claimed
responsibility, Afghan officials directly blamed the Taliban.
“Violence
has stalked Afghans for far too long. It has robbed far too many Afghans of
their loved ones,” Khalilzad said while responding to the Ghor attack.
The
Taliban did not immediately respond to Khalilzad’s comments.
The
insurgent group, while accusing the U.S. of violating the deal, warned that
“all responsibility and consequences from continuation of such actions shall
fall squarely on the shoulders of the American side.”
The
U.S.-Taliban deal requires that all American and coalition forces leave
Afghanistan by May 2021 in return for the insurgents cutting ties with terror
groups, and reaching a political arrangement with rival Afghan groups to
permanently end the conflict through ongoing talks with representatives of the
Kabul government.
The
intra-Afghan dialogue, which started more than a month ago in Qatar, has not
achieved any significant breakthroughs because of disputes over procedural
matters related to moving the process forward.
https://www.voanews.com/south-central-asia/us-warns-distressingly-high-afghan-violence-could-derail-deal-taliban?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
--------
U.S.
Imposes Sanctions on Qaeda Financier Who Trades in Gems
By
Pranshu Verma
Oct.
19, 2020
WASHINGTON
— The Trump administration on Monday imposed sanctions on an Australian-based
businessman and his gemstone company for helping Al Qaeda move money across the
globe to sustain its operations.
Treasury
officials said Ahmed Luqman Talib traded in precious stones, allowing him to
“move funds internationally” for Al Qaeda. Mr. Talib’s business is based in
Melbourne, but he works around the world, including in Brazil, Colombia, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania, Turkey and the Persian Gulf region, the Treasury Department
said in a statement.
Terrorist
groups continue to use financial facilitators to help carry out their
activities, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. The
department remained committed to disrupting those financial activities and
networks, he added, expressing appreciation for “the collaboration with our
Australian partners.”
The
effects of the sanctions on Mr. Talib are unclear. The measure freezes assets
he holds in the United States and prohibits American companies or individuals
from doing business with him.
Treasury
officials did not disclose whether Mr. Talib held assets or property in the
United States. In 2010, he was a student activist in Australia who was shot
when Israeli naval commandos killed nine activists on a ship that was carrying
aid to Gaza.
The
American action against Mr. Talib was notable, experts said, because it showed
that the government was still concerned about how extremist groups like Al
Qaeda and the Islamic State continue to creatively raise and distribute money
for their operations, despite military, intelligence and legal pressures that
have dealt significant blows to their activity.
“It
goes to show that Al Qaeda still retains these kind of networks,” said Charles
Lister, the director of the Countering Terrorism and Extremism Program at the
Middle East Institute, a think tank. “Even though the U.S. has done a very good
job in pressuring the networks to such an extent that they are kind of a
miniature version of 10 or 15 years ago.”
Mr.
Talib’s use of gemstones to move finances for Al Qaeda was a departure from what
had become a norm in terrorist financing, experts said, which was to stray from
transnational funding toward developing income streams in countries where they
maintained a presence. But terrorism experts noted the development with
interest.
“Governments
and private sector have made it harder to move funds via formal and informal
financial systems,” said Matthew Levitt, the director of counterterrorism and
intelligence at The Washington Institute. “It is interesting to see terrorists
relying on gemstones, which are easy to move and hold value.”
Since
the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Al Qaeda’s influence across the world has
diminished. Key leaders, including Osama bin Laden, have been killed. The
group’s lone ideological leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, is aging, and U.S.
intelligence experts do not see him as a potent threat.
Despite
that, the group continues to find inventive ways to finance its operations.
In
August, the United States government seized about $2 million in Bitcoin and
other types of cryptocurrency from accounts that had sent or received funds in
alleged financing schemes for three foreign terrorist organizations, including
Al Qaeda.
Other
groups, like the Islamic State, have also found ways to rely on methods such as
kidnapping for ransom, private donations and crowdsourced online fund-raising,
according to a United Nations report. ISIS currently has financial reserves
estimated at nearly $100 million, the U.N. found.
“ISIS
taught us in recent years that international financing of terrorist activities
isn’t the most sustainable way to go,” Mr. Lister said. “That was a big lesson,
and it definitely transformed the way Al Qaeda operates.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/us/politics/treasury-sanctions-qaeda-gems.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
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Israel
has a stranglehold on US foreign policy
20
October 2020
By
Mark Dankof
Donald
Trump's escalation and rhetoric on Iran is reflective of both of the Zionist
advisors that he has in foreign policy. It's really an intensification of a
really bad foreign policy that the United States has found itself getting into
since 1948.
Kennedy
was the only President of the United States in my lifetime that exhibited any
degree of independence from the Israeli lobby. We know what happened there. And
the truly bad thing about this election is that the alternative to Donald Trump
is a ravenously Pro-Zionist Biden-Harris ticket.
So
I would have to say that I would be in total agreement with what has been said
by a number of commentators on this whole subject of the stranglehold that
Israel has in the foreign policy of the United States through both of the major
parties.
And
in my particular case, I admit that I voted for Donald Trump this week in early
voting in Texas, primarily because I don't care for the Marxist character of
the Black Lives Matter movement. I happen to be pro-life on the issue of the
unborn. I also happen to be a member of the National Rifle Association and I
very firmly believe in the Second Amendment of the United States. So it's on
that basis that I voted for Donald Trump, but I did so without any illusions
whatsoever that in this key area of foreign policy, and the dangerous risks
that this kind of foreign policy poses for world peace that Trump is any good
at all in that department, but then neither are his opponents. And this is the
sad state of affairs in the American political scene.
Israel
will be well served to the detriment of everyone else regardless of who wins
this American presidential election. So for me, it boiled down to some domestic
issues before I made a final choice in the voting, knowing full well that I was
voting for someone who has already demonstrated some very very serious
deficiencies in judgment. That's a terrible thing to admit about my vote. It's
a terrible thing to admit about the state of this country, but that's the way
it is and I want to assure the Iranian people, that if there had been a decent
anti-Zionist pro-peace candidate running, who had been at all conversant with
some of my ideas on other issues, I would have voted for that person even had
been a member of the other party.
But
Israel has an absolute stranglehold in this process. That's why you have a
Biden-Harris ticket on the Democratic side of the aisle. And at the end of the
day, we will be going into 2021 with a very very dangerous situation regardless
of what happens on the first Tuesday of November.
I
think Trump is playing to his constituency. And sadly enough when you look at
this whole issue of Jewish voters it is noteworthy to me that the Jewish News
Service reported either yesterday or two days ago that in terms of Israelis,
63% of Israelis believe that Donald Trump will be better for Israel than Joe
Biden.
Now
whether or not that's true in fact is something that remains to be seen. But
the fact that that perception is there really undercuts Trump's appeal to an
America first constituency at home that wants to stay out of these foreign
conflicts. So this is where we are. And we're involved in a situation where in
terms of Jewish money and Jewish political support both of the major party
candidates are trying to outdo the other one, in terms of appealing to that
basic element that has controlled American foreign policy, and American
elections at least since 1948.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/20/636833/Israel-has-a-stranglehold-on-US-foreign-policy
--------
Baltimore
County man linked to extremist movement arraigned on gun charge
OCT
19, 2020
GREENBELT
— A Maryland man described by the FBI as a member of the anti-government
“boogaloo” movement pleaded not guilty to a gun charge on Monday, court records
show.
Frank
William Robertson Perry, 39, remained jailed after his arraignment on a charge
that he illegally possessed a rifle. He is prohibited from possessing a firearm
or ammunition due to a 2002 burglary conviction, the FBI said.
A
grand jury indicted Perry on the charge after his Oct. 7 arrest.
The
FBI identified Perry as a member of the boogaloo movement in September, an
agent wrote in seeking a warrant to search the Dundalk home he shares with his
girlfriend. Boogaloo adherents are part of a loose, anti-government, pro-gun
extremist movement. The name is a reference to a slang term for a sequel — in
this case, a second U.S. civil war.
Court
records don’t specify why the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force opened its
investigation of Perry, who posted images associated with the boogaloo on a
Facebook account that the FBI says belongs to him. The content on Perry’s
Pinterest account “reflects a substantial interest in firearms and militia
extremist activities,” the agent wrote.
“The
profile also contained numerous saved or pinned pictures of firearms and
ammunition, information on how to manufacture gun powder, and various
statements regarding one’s obligation to fight against a tyrannical
government,” the agent’s affidavit says.
The
FBI says Perry’s girlfriend purchased the lower receiver of a rifle at a gun
store in Baltimore County in April. She stated on a government form that she
bought it for herself, but the FBI said investigators reviewed the girlfriend’s
social media accounts and didn’t find any evidence that she is interested in
firearms or capable of assembling her own rifle.
https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/crime/bs-md-co-cr-boogaloo-20201019-yvlh4fl4hfc5tlrlultqxxvqmy-story.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
--------
Australia
Right-wing
extremism on the rise: police
OCTOBER
20 2020
Right-wing
extremism has increased in Australia, with federal police seeing a rise in
young people being aggressively radicalised online.
Australian
Federal Police deputy commissioner Ian McCartney confirmed there had been a
higher number of investigations in the area.
"We're
dealing with people that are either radicalised in the real world or radicalised
online," he told a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Tuesday.
"We're
finding now that in terms of right-wing extremism, that the concern for us is
younger persons being radicalised very aggressively."
Mr
McCartney said Islamic-inspired terrorism continued to be the biggest threat,
with Sydney and Melbourne the centres of that activity.
He
did not reveal exact numbers around the rise in AFP investigations of
right-wing groups, arguing it could jeopardise active matters.
"We
see it as a real and ongoing threat," he said.
ASIO
director-general Mike Burgess said 30 to 40 per of its counter-terrorism
workload was related to right-wing extremism, up from 10 to 15 per cent before
2016.
Mr
Burgess noted right-wing extremists were more organised, sophisticated,
ideological and active than in previous years.
He
said coronavirus had reinforced conspiracy theories at the core of their
ideologies.
"They
see the pandemic as proof of the failure of globalisation, multiculturalism and
democracy, and confirmation that societal collapse and a 'race war' are
inevitable," he told the committee.
ASIO
remains concerned that Islamic-linked terror is the nation's greatest threat.
"We
know groups such as ISIL and al-Qaeda continue to call on their supporters to
conduct terrorist attacks, in some instances with Australia specifically
identified as a target," Mr Burgess said.
The
director-general said about 80 Australians who travelled to Iraq and Syria to
fight or support Islamic State remained in the region.
"Some
may bring back extremist ideology and enhanced battlefield capability back to
Australia," he said.
He
said multiple jailed terrorists in Australia were due for release over the next
five years.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6976691/right-wing-extremism-on-the-rise-police/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1634313_
--------
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