New Age Islam News Bureau
14 May 2022
The night view of Louvre
Abhu Dhabi is seen in front of the city skyline in Abu Dhabi, UAE | AP
------
• Decades-Old Darul Islam Militant Group in Indonesia
Remains a Threat: Densus 88
• Israeli Police Attack Mourners Carrying Coffin of Al
Jazeera Journalist
• Gyanvapi Mosque Case: Amid Tight Security, 52-Member
Team Enters Masjid Complex
• No Quick Fix for Baloch Issue as Pak Army Rather
Than Govt Holds Power
Arab World
• UAE Elects Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed as
President
• UAE de facto ruler sees Iran, Islamists as threat to
ambitious Gulf safe haven
• Funeral prayer in absentia performed in Two Holy
Mosques for late UAE president
• UAE officials, Arab leaders mourn death of Sheikh
Khalifa
• Syria’s government criticizes US decision to allow
investment in country’s north
• Five killed in Israeli strike on Syria’s Hama
countryside
• Saudi Arabia’s embassy in UK helps student locked in
British cafe after-hours
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Southeast Asia
• Malaysia Suspends Slaughtering Approval for Aussie
Halal-Certified Firm
• Ex-Naza boss asks Shariah court to enhance Maria’s
jail term
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Mideast
• Leader: Arab States Should Take Explicit Political
Action against Israel's Crimes
• Iran: Nakba Day Reminiscent of Occupation, Massacre
of Palestinians
• Israeli officer killed, 13 Palestinians wounded in
Jenin standoff
--------
India
• Justice DY Chandrachud to Hear Plea against Varanasi
Mosque Survey in Supreme Court
• Chhota Shakeel sent money to incite terrorism and
target politicians: NIA
• Rahul Gandhi condoles death of UAE President Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed
• 2 LeT terrorists killed in encounter with security
forces in J&K's Bandipora
• UP: Three Muslims shot by police over alleged cattle
smuggling
• Kashmiri Pandits’ Killing – Acts of Terror With
Wider Ramifications
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Pakistan
• Federal Minister Says No EVM Will Be Used In
Pakistan Election
• Pakistan rupee slips to historic low, Imran blames
it on his ouster
• Defiant Imran vows Sialkot jalsa will go ahead after
police action
• Will not rest till perpetrators of KU suicide attack
given exemplary punishment: Bilawal
• PTI dissident MPAs seek refuge in technicalities
• Sindh's social media users spreading anti-state
material to face action
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South Asia
• Haqqani: About 50 Former Government Officials Have
Returned to the Country
• Fighting in Panjshir triggers fresh claims of
Taliban war crimes
• Afghan journalist sentenced to prison for
criticizing Taliban
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Africa
• Deborah Samuel: Muslims Have Red Lines That Must Not
Be Crossed – Imam Of National Mosque
• 10 ministers resign in Nigeria ahead of general
elections
• Somali journalists protest killing of Al Jazeera
reporter
• Somali parliament to choose next president on Sunday
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North America
• US Criticizes Israeli Attack on Mourners during Shireen
Abu Akleh’s Funeral
• US President Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah discuss
tensions in Jerusalem
• US says reviving Iran deal ‘far from certain’
despite EU mission
• Biden offers condolences to UAE on death of late president
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Europe
• Fifteen European Nations Urge Israel To Reverse
Plans For More Settler Homes
• German police: 5 stabbed and wounded on train in
suspected Islamic terror attack
• Released aid worker tells UK’s Johnson his error
worsened her Iran detention
• EU calls on Tehran to release Swedish-Iranian
sentenced to death
• French President Macron to visit UAE to mourn death
of Sheikh Khalifa
• EU condemns Israeli police attack at funeral of Al
Jazeera journalist
• Berlin court upholds ban on Palestinian 'Nakba Day'
demonstrations
• Irish foreign minister 'shocked' by images from
Palestinian journalist's funeral procession
• Dutch court rules to bring back 12 Daesh/ISIS women,
29 children from Syria
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamic-conference-abu-dhabi-caliphate-ummah/d/127008
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Islamic Conference in Abu Dhabi Rejects Idea of
Caliphate; Muslim Scholars Call For Diversity in Ummah
The night view of Louvre
Abhu Dhabi is seen in front of the city skyline in Abu Dhabi, UAE | AP
------
13th May 2022
ABU DHABI: Rejecting the idea of uniting Muslims under
one caliphate and one flag as propagated by the extremist elements like the
Islamic State (IS), Muslim scholars have called for encouraging diversity in
the Ummah (community).
The international conference organised by The World
Muslim Communities Council on May 8 and 9 strongly felt that the Muslim unity
is cultural and not political.
The concept paper prepared for the conference observed
that "the groups and movements that emerged in the recent decades have
twisted the concept of Islamic unity into a political dream." It added
that the idea to unite all Muslims in one state under the name of Islamic
caliphate in contrary to the historical facts.
The paper said that the single state (caliphate)
disappeared one hundred years after the migration of Prophet Muhammad and the
Ummah (the community) was divided and fragmented since then. But the divisions
did not affect the cultural unity of Muslims all over the world, it said.
The sentiment of the conference was powerfully
conveyed by Mohamed Mokthar Gomaa, Minister for Religious Endowments in Egypt,
who said "a Muslim must respect the country in which he lives, whether it
is a Muslim-majority or not."
The conference was held against the backdrop of the
continuing propaganda that it is mandatory for Muslims to live under caliphate
and not in modern nation-states. Extremist outfits like IS and Al Qaeda have
been pushing the agenda fervently, misquoting the verses from scriptures. UAE
has been fighting against the propaganda under the leadership of Islamic
scholar Sheikh Abdulla Bin Bayyah, chairman of the UAE Fatwa committee.
It may be recalled that the Students Islamic Movement
of India (SIMI) had called for the annihilation of nationalism and restoration
of the caliphate. Some Muslim youths from Kerala migrated to IS strongholds in
Syria and Afghanistan a few years ago with the intention of living 'under the
caliphate'. Without directly referring
to any of these developments, the conference unequivocally asserted that such
dangerous dreams have no place in contemporary Islam.
The conference also called upon Muslim communities all
over the world to draw up plans that are in consonance with the regional
aspirations and to protect the diversity existing in the community. Unity could
be achieved even while upholding the diverse cultures, the meeting felt.
UAE Minister of Tolerance and Co-existence Sheikh
Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan inaugurated the conference. Sheikh Bin Bayyah,
representatives from various countries including Russia, Turkey, Pakistan,
Syria, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, USA, China and Morocco participated in the
deliberations.
Source: New Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Decades-Old Darul Islam Militant Group in Indonesia
Remains a Threat: Densus 88
Members of Indonesian
counter-terrorism police unit Densus 88 conduct a raid in Tangerang, in Banten
province near Jakarta, following a spate of attacks, May 16, 2018.
----
2022.05.13
In March, Indonesia’s Counter-Terrorism Unit Densus 88
arrested more than 20 suspected members of Darul Islam, a decades-old
organization which aims to establish an Islamic state of Indonesia and has
historically been a stepping stone for members to join more violent groups.
DI, also known as Indonesia NII (Negara Islam
Indonesia), is unlikely to conduct terror attacks anytime soon, but still poses
a threat.
Those arrests – 16 in West Sumatra and another five in
Banten – quickly raised suspicions about Darul Islam’s possible revival. alleged
reported that DI West Sumatra had planned low-level terror attacks using
machetes and a larger campaign to overthrow the government by 2024.
However, the threat posed by DI is overhyped because
its cells are too small and uncoordinated to pose any significant attack to the
government, observers have noted.
Historically, DI’s main threat has come from its
ability to sustain its members’ caliphate dream through social programs. Some
of those members eventually split to establish and support groups including
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) or Jemaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) who are eager to take up
arms in support of this dream.
While DI is indeed less coordinated today, its ability
to build and sustain support for the caliphate dream remains.
History of DI’s rebellion
DI is a terrorist organization established by
Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosuwiryo in 1942 with the goal of establishing an
independent Islamic state of Indonesia. Because of a need to drive out colonial
forces, DI for a time played a supporting role to Indonesia’s nationalist
forces in their struggle for independence against the Dutch in West Java.
Because of different visions regarding the role of
Islam in Indonesia’s post-independence governance and the temporary secession
of West Java to the Dutch in the Renville Treaty of 1949, DI quickly became
hostile to Indonesian forces as well. Since then, DI has made several attempts
to establish a caliphate.
Between 1949 and 1962, DI mounted rebellions in West
Java, South Sulawesi, South Kalimantan and Aceh which displaced more than 1
million people in Java alone. Between 1968 and 1976, DI reorganized itself and
began a terror campaign in Sumatra under the name of Komando Jihad to sow chaos
and court Libya’s support for an armed conflict.
In 1982, DI attempted to emulate Iran’s 1979
revolution and rally Muslims for a popular revolt under the name of the
Indonesian Ulama Council. State forces’ intervention, however, caused these
attempts to ultimately fail.
DI’s mark on Indonesia’s history goes beyond efforts
to overthrow the government. Throughout its lifespan, DI has radicalized
members who would eventually splinter from the organization’s main structure to
spearhead successful rebel groups and terrorist organizations of their own.
In 1976, for example, DI’s chosen representative to
liaise with the Libyan embassy, Hasan Tiro, split with the organization to
establish the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). In 1993, DI’s head of foreign affairs
who managed the organization’s relations with al-Qaeda, Abdullah Sungkar, split
to establish JI.
Current state of DI
While DI’s notoriety has been overshadowed by JI and
JAD recently, police have reported that its activities continue. Today, DI has
cells across seven regions – Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Maluku
and West Sumatra – each of which operates a “structured and systematic”
four-step recruitment system to vet and indoctrinate sympathizers.
In West Sumatra alone, this system reportedly
recruited more than 1,125 DI members – 400 active members and the rest who are
members of its sleeper cells. In 2019, one of Kartosuwiryo’s sons stated that
DI has more than 2 million members and sympathizers across the nation.
It is also important to note that while individual DI
cells may remain active, crucially, it lacks a meaningful central command to
coordinate inter-cell activities. This has been the case since 1998 when
members failed to resolve disputes over the organization’s leadership.
While seniors agreed to appoint Tahmid Basuki, one of
Kartosuwiryo’s sons, younger members perceived him as weak and refused to
recognize his status. This ultimately ushered in the “time of many imams” with
various cells, while considering themselves DI, operating and strategizing
independently from one another.
While DI cells today operate independently, they are
bound by the same dream Kartosuwiryo had – to establish an Islamic state of
Indonesia. In this regard, they share the same ideological space as Indonesia’s
other salafi-jihadist groups.
Different from JAD, however, DI cells see Muslim
communities not as enemies but victims of an apostate anti-Islamic government
that they need to defend. And different from JI, DI is more lenient toward Sufi
beliefs that combine Islamic teachings with local mysticism. That said, some DI
cells do stray from these ideologies – such as DI Bandung that began adopting
JAD ideology in 2014.
The future
It is unlikely for DI to mount any serious threat of
attack to the Indonesian government in the short term. While recent accounts
estimate the national membership to be around 2 million, it is unclear how many
are skilled members and how many are sympathizers.
Additionally, based on evidence from DI West Sumatra,
it would appear DI does not yet have the logistics to mount serious attacks –
notably, during the March arrests, police found only machetes. Most
importantly, DI’s current fractured state likely will hinder any form of
collective mobilization necessary to a meaningful attack.
That said, DI is still a threat – largely because of
its ability to instill the dream of the Indonesian caliphate to individuals
through social programs. The DI cell in Bandung, for example, reportedly had
developed health clinics, orphanages and welfare programs that built a sense of
community and gave credential to DI’s ideology for many of its members.
As one member of DI Bandung stated, “Why join a group
[like JI and JAD] that’s still dreaming when you can join a group that’s proven
itself capable of establishing an Islamic state and giving benefits to its
citizens?”
More worryingly, members rarely stay loyal to DI. As
noted above, throughout its lifespan, DI has constantly become a stepping stone
for members to join more violent groups.
More recently, DI cells have become stepping stones
for members to join pro-IS groups – DI Bandung members eventually joined JAD,
DI Makassar eventually became JAD Makassar, and a DI splinter in North Sumatra
eventually created the pro-IS Muslim Nasution group in Belawan.
Thus, while DI itself may not pose any threat of
violence, its ability to attract members that can and do become the base of
more violent groups indicate that it should not be taken lightly.
Source: Benar News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.benarnews.org/english/commentaries/militant-threat-05132022160103.html
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Israeli
Police Attack Mourners Carrying Coffin Of Al Jazeera Journalist
Israeli
police attacked the funeral procession - nearly forcing pallbearers to drop Abu
Akleh's coffin [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
------
May
13, 2022
Israeli
police officers charged at Palestinian mourners carrying the coffin of Al
Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh on Friday, before thousands led her casket
through Jerusalem's Old City in an outpouring of grief and anger over her killing.
Packed
around Abu Akleh's coffin, dozens of Palestinians, some waving Palestinian
flags and chanting “with our soul and blood we will redeem you Shireen,” began
walking toward the gates of St. Joseph's Hospital.
Israeli
police officers, in an apparent bid to stop them proceeding by foot rather than
taking the coffin by car, burst through the courtyard gates and charged at the
crowd, some beating pallbearers with batons and kicking them.
At
one point the group carrying her coffin backed against a wall and almost
dropped the casket, recovering it just before one end hit the ground as stun
grenades detonated.
The
violent scenes, which lasted only minutes, added to Palestinian outrage over
Abu Akleh's killing, which has threatened to fuel violence that has surged
since March.
Abu
Akleh, who had covered Palestinian affairs and the Middle East for more than
two decades, was shot while reporting on an Israeli raid in the occupied West
Bank on Wednesday.
Palestinian
authorities have described Abu Akleh's killing as an assassination by Israeli
forces. Al Jazeera in its news reports has also said she was shot by Israeli
forces.
Israel's
government initially suggested Palestinian fire might have been to blame, but
officials have also said they could not rule out it was Israeli gunfire that
killed her.
Qatar
and Al Jazeera condemned the Israeli police's conduct. Deputy UN spokesperson
Farhan Haq said the scenes were “very shocking” and US Ambassador to the United
Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she was “deeply distressed by the images”,
while the EU said it was appalled.
A
few minutes after police intervened, Abu Akleh's coffin was placed in a vehicle
that headed towards the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin in
Jerusalem's Walled Old City, where the funeral ceremony proceeded peacefully.
Crowds
of Palestinians lined the narrow alleyways of the Old City as the coffin was
carried to the Mount Zion Cemetery nearby.
Her
grave was covered in wreaths and the Palestinian flag draped over the grave
cross as mourners surrounded it solemnly, paying tribute to Abu Akleh.
“We're
here because we are screaming for justice. Justice for Shireen Abu Akleh and
justice for Palestine,” said one mourner, who did not want to be identified by
name.
Investigations
and raids
The
Israeli military said on Friday that its initial investigation “concluded that
it is not possible to unequivocally determine the source of the gunfire which
hit and killed Ms. Abu Akleh”.
She
may have been killed by shots fired by Palestinian militants shooting at
Israeli military vehicles or been hit inadvertently by an Israeli soldier
returning fire, it said.
Israeli
forces on Friday resumed raids on the outskirts of Jenin, where Abu Akleh was
killed, and the Palestinian Health Ministry said 13 Palestinians had been
wounded.
The
Palestinian Islamic Jihad group meanwhile claimed responsibility for the death
of an Israeli police officer in an exchange of gunfire in Jenin.
A
spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said
events in Jerusalem and Jenin could push the sides into serious escalation.
Abu
Akleh's death has drawn widespread condemnation. Video footage from the moments
after she was shot showed Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a blue vest marked “Press”.
At
least two of her colleagues who were with her said that they had come under
Israeli sniper fire and that they were not close to militants.
Israel,
which has voiced regret at Abu Akleh's death has proposed a joint investigation
with the Palestinians, asking them to provide the bullet for examination.
The
Palestinians have rejected the Israeli request and have called for an
international investigation.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Gyanvapi
Mosque Case: Amid Tight Security, 52-Member Team Enters Masjid Complex
At
present, the team is surveying the western wall area of the mosque
-----
May
14, 2022
The
videography survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex in Varanasi resumed today
with tight security arrangements amid objections over videography inside the
complex. However, the mosque management committee has indicated that it will
cooperate for now with the team assigned the task by a local court.
Currently,
the team is surveying the western wall area of the Mosque. As per News18, all
roads leading to Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Gyanvapi Mosque have been blocked
and tight security arrangements have been put in place. Pedestrians were also
not allowed on the road between Maidagin and Godowlia areas.
The
mosque is located next to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple. "There is a
robust arrangement to ensure that the people don't face any inconvenience, the
Darshan takes place well and everything goes on well," RS Gautam, deputy
commissioner of police, Kashi Zone, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"The
authorised persons — all parties, their advocates, court commissioners and
videographers — have reached the spot, and the survey has started,"
District Magistrate of Varanasi Kaushal Raj Sharma told PTI.
According
to the latest reports, all the three underground cellars have been surveyed. A
total of 52 people including survey team members from both sides, petitioners,
respondents and officers from administration have entered the site.
The
mosque is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple and the local
court is hearing a plea by a group of women seeking permission for daily
prayers before the idols on its outer walls.
An
important meeting was held with all parties concerned on Friday, Sharma had
said earlier, and added that an appeal was made to them to cooperate in the
commission's work and the maintenance of law and order.
In
his order on Thursday, District Civil Court (Senior Division) judge Ravi Kumar
Diwakar had turned down a plea by the mosque committee to replace Ajay Kumar
Mishra, who was appointed advocate commissioner by him to survey the
Gyanvapi-Gauri Shringar complex.
The
judge also appointed two more advocates to help the commissioner with the
survey and said it should be completed by Tuesday.
Lawyers
representing the Hindu and Muslim sides were present at the meeting held on
Friday by the district magistrate.
Also
on Friday, the Supreme Court refused to grant an interim order of status quo on
the survey. The top court, however, agreed to consider listing the plea of a
Muslim party against the survey.
The
survey was stalled last week amid objections by the mosque committee, which
claimed that the advocate commissioner did not have the mandate to film inside
the premises. The committee accused him of bias and filed a plea for his
replacement.
Advocate
Madan Mohan Yadav, who is appearing for the Hindu side, had said the three
court-appointed advocate commissioners, five lawyers each from the two sides
and an assistant besides a videography team will carry out the survey.
People
attended Friday prayers amid tight security outside the mosque.
In
its order on Thursday, the district court said locks should be broken if the
keys are not available to access certain areas of the complex for the survey.
It
also asked the district authorities to register FIRs if the survey was not
allowed.
Source:
Firstpost
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
No Quick
Fix For Baloch Issue As Pak Army Rather Than Govt Holds Power
Representative
Image (File Image)
-----
14
May, 2022
Balochistan
[Pakistan], May 14 (ANI): Even after the Islamabad High Court has asked to stop
ethnic profiling of Baloch students, atrocities against them are not ending
anytime soon as the powerful military will not allow this to happen and even
the government led by Shehbaz Sharif is also helpless on the issue.
Chief
Justice of Islamabad High Court in his order dated May 5 had asked the Interior
Secretary to develop a mechanism to stop atrocities against the people of
Balochistan. However, the Interior Secretary has virtually no power to decide
on that as everything is only and only in the hands of the Pakistani Army,
reported a Canada-based think tank, International Forum for Rights and Security
(IFFRAS).
The
Army has strong control over the lives of people in Balochistan. The Army has
imposed its own laws to control the area and people. The situation is similar
in almost all the districts in Balochistan province.
All
male members of the districts from the age of 12 appear once or twice in a week
in the local Military Camp for questioning. It is mandatory as per the rules
formulated by the army.
Let
alone this, the locals in many districts of Balochistan are not even allowed to
organize funerals without the approval of the Military. Even to visit a nearby
town to buy household items, one needs Army’s permission.
Baloch
people have been voicing their concerns and protesting against this but the
pleas have fallen on deaf ears. When Pakistanis were celebrating Eid, the
Baloch Educational Council, Bahawalpur, Punjab, staged a protest demonstration
against enforced disappearances, harassment, and profiling of Baloch students
and common people.
Harassment,
killing, enforced disappearance, and torture by Pakistan security forces have
put Baloch people in such a situation that even the educated women are
resorting to a unique form of protest including a suicide bombing which is
haram in Islam, as per the thinktank.
Pakistan
Army can kill the Balochs but is not in a position to heal their wounds. With
all this, one thing is clear the pain and suffering that Baloch people undergo
are not going to be alleviated in Pakistan keeping in mind the continued
pattern where many innocent Balochs are subjected to torture and harassment.
(ANI)
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
UAE
elects Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed as President
14
May ,2022
The
UAE’s Federal Supreme Council has elected Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed
Al Nahyan as the President of the UAE, the Emirates News Agency WAM reported on
Saturday.
Dubai
Ruler and Prime Minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
shared his congratulations, according to a WAM report.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
UAE
de facto ruler sees Iran, Islamists as threat to ambitious Gulf safe haven
MAY
13, 2022
United
Arab Emirates strongman Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who is expected to
become president, led a realignment of the Middle East that created a new
anti-Iran axis with Israel and fought a rising tide of political Islam in the
region.
Working
behind the scenes for years as de facto leader, Sheikh Mohammed, 61,
transformed the UAE military into a high-tech force, which coupled with its oil
wealth and business hub status, extended Emirati influence internationally.
Mohammed
began wielding power in a period when his half-brother President Sheikh Khalifa
bin Zayed, who died on Friday, suffered bouts of illness, including a stroke in
2014.
MbZ,
as he is known, was driven by a "certain fatalistic line of thinking"
that Gulf Arab rulers could no longer rely on their main supporter the United
States, according to former US envoy to the UAE Barbara Leaf, especially after
Washington abandoned Egypt's Hosni Mubarak during the 2011 Arab Spring.
From
his power base in the capital Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed issued a "calm
and cold" warning to then-President Barack Obama not to back uprisings
that could spread and endanger Gulf dynastic rule, according to Obama's memoir,
which described MbZ as the "savviest" Gulf leader.
A
US State Department official serving in the Biden administration, which has had
fraught ties with the UAE in recent months, described him as a strategist who
brings historical perspective to discussions.
"He
will talk not only about the present, but go back years, decades, in some
cases, speaking to trends over time," the official said.
MbZ
backed the 2013 military ousting of Egypt's elected Muslim Brotherhood
president Mohammed Mursi, and championed Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin
Salman as he rose to power in a 2017 palace coup, touting him as a man
Washington could deal with and the only one able to open up the kingdom.
Encouraged
by warm ties with the then US President Donald Trump, the two Gulf hawks
lobbied for Washington's maximum pressure campaign on Iran, boycotted
neighboring Qatar for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a costly
war to try to break the grip of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.
The
UAE also waded into conflicts from Somalia to Libya and Sudan before upending
decades of Arab consensus by forging ties with Israel in 2020, along with
Bahrain, in US-brokered deals known as the Abraham Accords that drew
Palestinian ire.
The
accords were driven by shared concerns over Iran but also perceived benefits to
the UAE economy and fatigue with a Palestinian leadership "that doesn't
listen," said one diplomat.
TACTICAL
THINKER
While
diplomats and analysts see the alliance with Riyadh and Washington as a pillar
of UAE strategy, MbZ has not hesitated to move independently when interests or
economic reasons dictate.
The
Ukraine crisis exposed strains with Washington when the UAE abstained from a
U.N. Security Council vote condemning Russia's invasion. As an OPEC producer,
along with oil titan Riyadh, the UAE also rebuffed Western calls to pump more.
Abu
Dhabi has ignored other US concerns by arming and backing Libya's Khalifa Hafter
against the internationally recognized government and engaging with Syria's
Bashar al-Assad.
With
Riyadh, the biggest divergence came when the UAE largely withdrew from Yemen as
the unpopular war, in which more than 100 Emiratis died, got mired in military
stalemate.
When
Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir reneged on a promise to abandon
Islamist allies, Abu Dhabi orchestrated the 2019 coup against him.
STABILITY
FOREMOST
Although
he says he was attracted to their Islamist ideology in his youth, MbZ has
framed the Muslim Brotherhood as one of the gravest threats to stability in the
Middle East.
Like
Saudi Arabia, the UAE accuses the Brotherhood of betrayal after it sheltered
members persecuted in Egypt in the 1960s, only to see them work for change in
their host countries.
"I
am an Arab, I am a Muslim, and I pray. And in the 1970s and early 1980s I was
one of them. I believe these guys have an agenda," MbZ said in a 2007
meeting with US officials, according to Wikileaks.
Educated
in the UAE and the military officer's college at Sandhurst in Britain, Sheikh
Mohammed's mistrust of Islamists heightened after 2001, when two of his
countrymen were among the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks on the United
States.
"He
looked around and saw that many of the younger generations in the region were
very attracted to Osama bin Laden's anti-Western mantra," another diplomat
said. "As he once said to me: 'If they can do it to you, they can do it to
us.'"
Despite
years of enmity, MbZ chose to engage with Iran and Turkey as COVID-19 and
rising economic competition with Saudi Arabia turned focus to development,
pushing the UAE towards further liberalization while keeping a lid on political
dissent.
Seen
as a modernizer at home and a charismatic people's man by many diplomats, MbZ
doggedly promoted the previously low-profile Abu Dhabi, which holds the UAE's
oil wealth, by spurring development in energy, infrastructure and technology.
Source:
J Post
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-706647
--------
Funeral
prayer in absentia performed in Two Holy Mosques for late UAE president
May
13, 2022
Worshipers
prayed to Allah Almighty to have His mercy on his soul and to grant patience
and consolation to his family.
Earlier,
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman directed to perform the absentee
funeral prayer for the late UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan at
the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah following the
evening prayer.
Funeral
prayers were performed in mosques across the UAE on Friday after the demise of
Sheikh Khalifa. Citizens and residents came together to perform the prayers
held after the Maghrib (sunset) prayer.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syria’s
government criticizes US decision to allow investment in country’s north
13
May ,2022
Syria’s
foreign ministry on Friday criticized a US decision to allow some foreign
investment in areas of northern Syria that are outside of government control,
vowing to “defeat” the move.
On
Thursday, the US Treasury Department approved activities in 12 sectors
including agriculture, construction and finance, in what it said was a strategy
designed to defeat ISIS terrorist group through economic stabilization.
The
decision does not permit any transactions with the government of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad or others blacklisted by the US during the
11-year-long Syrian war.
In
a statement on Friday, the foreign ministry in Damascus said Syria was
“determined to defeat this new conspiracy,” encouraging people in the country’s
north to “bring it down.”
It
described the decision as part of Washington’s “destructive approach” to Syria.
Damascus blames Western sanctions for widespread civilian hardship in the
country, where a collapse of the currency has led to soaring prices and people
struggling to afford food and basic supplies.
Government
troops and allied forces have recaptured most of the territory they had lost
after demonstrations against al-Assad in 2011 devolved into a brutal conflict.
Swathes
of territory in the northwest are held by Turkish-backed forces, while the
northeast is mostly controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The
northeast holds much of Syria’s oil reserves and wheat production, while the
northwest was once an agricultural and industrial zone.
The
license authorizes purchases of oil products such as gasoline in the area, but
does not permit transactions with the government or sanctioned individuals or
the import of Syrian petroleum products to the United States.
In
a call with reporters, US officials rejected assertions that the move could be
seen as helpful to efforts by some Arab allies to bring back Assad in from the
cold, and repeated that Washington had no intention of lifting sanctions on
him.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Five
killed in Israeli strike on Syria’s Hama countryside
13
May ,2022
Israeli
missiles targeted central Syria on Friday, killing five people, including a
civilian, and ignited fires in farmlands in the area, Syrian state media
reported.
The
official news agency SANA said the missiles were fired at the town of Masyaf in
the Hama countryside, adding that several of them were shot down by Syrian air
defenses.
An
unnamed military official was quoted as saying that five people were killed,
including a civilian, and seven were wounded.
The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Syria war monitor, said
Israeli aircraft fired at least eight missiles that struck weapons depots and
sites belonging to Iranian militias in the Masyaf area, which led to several
fires.
Ambulances
were seen rushing to the area, it added.
There
was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the attack, which the
Observatory said was the 12th Israeli attack on Syrian territory since the
beginning of the year.
The
Observatory has a network of activists on the ground in Syria.
Israel
has staged hundreds of strikes on targets in Syria over the years but rarely
acknowledges or discusses such operations.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Saudi
Arabia’s embassy in UK helps student locked in British cafe after-hours
13
May ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s embassy in the United Kingdom is in talks with the British police
after a student from the Kingdom was left behind unnoticed in a cafe after
waitressing staff closed the shop, according to a Saudi news report on
Thursday.
The
student, who is on a scholarship, was reportedly tuned in to an online lecture
on the second floor of the establishment with headphones on when the incident
transpired, Saudi Okaz newspaper reported.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
As
the lecture ended, the student realized that he was alone in the now-empty
coffee shop.
They
had stopped operations and closed for the day.
The
student then promptly contacted the local Saudi embassy who informed the police
force.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Southeast Asia
Malaysia
suspends slaughtering approval for Aussie halal-certified firm
May
14, 2022
PUTRAJAYA:
The slaughtering approval granted by Malaysia to a halal-certified company in
Australia, Thomas Foods International Lobethal, has been suspended with
immediate effect until a thorough investigation is done.
Islamic
development department of Malaysia (Jakim) director-general Hakimah Mohd Yusoff
said the decision was taken following a special meeting between the veterinary
services department (JPV), Jakim and Australia’s department of agriculture,
water and the environment (DAWE) yesterday.
“Jakim
has conducted an investigation into the slaughterhouse and held a series of
discussions with the Australian authorities.
“Jakim
has also arranged a meeting with Pertubuhan Kemasyarakatan Rakyat Malaysia
(Pekemas) to get more information,” she said in a joint statement by Jakim and
JPV here today regarding alleged violations of halal slaughtering procedures by
a company given halal status by Malaysia in Australia.
Recently,
the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM), together with Pekemas and
Sahabat 99, had revealed alleged violations of SOPs for halal slaughter by a
company in Australia, which had received approval from Jakim, based on video
evidence and photos which were attested to by slaughter workers at the company.
Hakimah
said the halal certification body responsible for halal supervision of
slaughterhouses in Australia, the Supreme Islamic Council of Halal Meat in Australia
Inc (Sichma), would be given a show-cause letter.
She
said Sichma would also likely face revocation of its status as a halal
certification body recognised by Jakim if it was found not complying with the
requirements of Malaysian halal standards and procedures.
She
stressed that Jakim and JPV viewed seriously the allegation, adding that the
procedure for the recognition of foreign processing plants by the Malaysian government
had to go through strict and detailed audits before going through the process
of presentation and evaluation four times to be approved.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Ex-Naza
boss asks shariah court to enhance Maria’s jail term
Predeep
Nambiar
May
13, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Former Naza group chairman SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin has asked the
shariah court to enhance a seven-day jail sentence on Petaling Jaya MP Maria
Chin Abdullah over her criticism of a jail term on his former wife.
Faisal
filed a cross-appeal to the shariah court, saying Maria’s appeal against her
sentence should not be considered because of the “blatant disrespect” she had
shown to the shariah judiciary.
Maria
had been found guilty of contempt of court for a statement she made criticising
an earlier shariah court decision to sentence Faisal’s former wife Emilia
Hanafi to seven days’ jail, also for contempt of court.
Faisal
said in his appeal that Maria’s challenge to the seven-day jail sentence
indicated that she had no sense of remorse or regret over her actions.
He
said the shariah high court had rejected Maria’s earlier appeal as she was
found to have no respect for the court order by issuing baseless remarks that
have sullied the shariah court’s image and integrity.
The
shariah high court sentenced Maria to seven days’ in jail for contempt of court
over a blog post in September 2019 which said “Muslim women are still being discriminated
(against) under Malaysia’s shariah legal system.”
The
posting was about the shariah court’s decision to sentence Emilia Hanafi to
seven days in prison for rescheduling his visitation dates for her children.
Maria said the jail term was a grave injustice and a “total disgrace to the
judicial system”.
The
shariah high court said Emilia had failed several times to produce her three
children aged eight to 13 despite a consent judgement allowing Faisal visiting
rights.
Shariah
high court judge Fouzi Mokhtar said Maria’s description of the contempt
proceedings against Emilia as being a form of “discrimination” against Muslim
women by the shariah court system was false, and made without much research
into the proceedings.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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--------
Mideast
Leader:
Arab States Should Take Explicit Political Action against Israel's Crimes
2022-May-13
Ayatollah
Khamenei receive Sheikh Tamin and his accompanying delegation on Thursday
evening.
During
the meeting, the Supreme Leader emphasized increasing political and economic
cooperation between Iran and Qatar.
Referring
to the fact that the solution to the regional issues is holding dialogues
without foreign intervention, the Supreme Leader said "the Arab World was
expected to enter the political action field against the obvious crimes
committed by the Zionist Regime against the Palestinian people".
He
said that the strength and sustainability of relations between Iran and Qatar
is in the interest of both countries, adding that the current level of economic
relationship was low and should be multiplied.
Ayatollah
Khamenei expressed the hope that the Qatari Emir’s visit of Tehran would be a
new starting point for expansion of cooperation between the two states.
He
lauded Sheikh Tamim’s condemnation of the crimes committed by the Israeli Regime, and underlined that "the
decades-long oppression by the devil Zionists against the Palestinian people
was a bitter reality and a blow to the Muslims and the Arab world".
The
support from some Arab states for the Palestinian people in the last year
incident in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Holy Quds didn’t even match the
Europeans’ support.
The
region didn’t need foreign intervention for management, the Supreme Leader
underscored, adding that "the Zionists cause corruption everywhere they go
and they cannot provide power or advantage for countries".
He
also urged the implementation of the agreements made between Iran and Qatar
with a specific timing.
The
Qatari Emir, for his part, highlighted the Supreme Leader’s status in the
Muslim World, and said that the crime committed by the Israeli regime in
Palestine were tragic and everyone should stand against them.
He
expressed regret over the killing of a female journalist in Jenin by the
Israeli military forces.
Sheikh
Tamim said that the solution to the issues of the countries in the region,
including Syria, Iraq and Yemen, was through dialogue.
The
Qatari Emir arrived in Tehran on at the head of a high-profile political and
economic delegation. He has also met with Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim
Rayeesi.
Sheikh
Tamim was welcomed by Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber upon his
arrival in Tehran.
The
visit follows a trip by President Rayeesi to Doha in February, where he met
senior Qatari officials and attended the sixth summit of the Gas Exporting
Countries Forum (GECF).
Rayeesi's
visit was the first to Qatar by an Iranian president in 11 years. During the
trip, Tehran and Doha signed 14 memoranda of understanding in the fields of
aviation, trade, shipping, media, cancellation of visa requirements,
electricity, standards, education and culture.
Qatar
has good ties with Iran, with which it shares a giant gas field.
Tehran
stood by Doha after Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies imposed a boycott on Qatar
in mid-2017.
Recently,
Iran has voiced its preparedness to provide Qatar with whatever assistance it
needs to better and more magnificently host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is
scheduled to take place from November 21 to December 18 this year in the
Persian Gulf kingdom.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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--------
Iran:
Nakba Day Reminiscent of Occupation, Massacre of Palestinians
2022-May-13
"The
criminal Zionists, with the support of some Western powers, usurped the Holy
Land of Palestine by force through murder and looting and laid their permanent
insecurity and instability in West Asian region in a way that their atrocities
have continued ever after," the Iranian foreign ministry said in its
statement on Friday.
Anniversary
of 'Nakba Day' once again reminds the need for the human and legal duty of all
governments and nations of the world in defense of the rights of oppressed
Palestinian people and failure of international organizations and institutions
to resolve one of the world's oldest humanitarian and political crises, the
statement added.
It
emphasized that the issue of Palestine is the first and fundamental issue of
the Islamic world and considers the attempt of Zionist regime to cover up its
atrocities in global arena as ‘doomed to failure’.
The
statement said that the Iranian foreign ministry believes that any compromise
with the sworn enemies of the Islamic Ummah would lay the ground for inhumane
acts and human rights violations of the apartheid regime of Israel and Muslim
nations and leaders must know that the only way to achieve rights of
Palestinian people is the unity and amity of Islamic governments against
oppressors and occupiers.
The
Islamic Republic of Iran believes that the establishment of stable and lasting
peace in the Middle East will be achieved only through roots of the this crisis
including end of the organized occupation of Palestine, return of refugees,
determination of future of Palestine based on holding a national referendum
with the participation of main residents of the land and finally, formation of
an integrated and unified Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital, the
statement concluded.
In
relevant remarks on May 7, 2021, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a speech on the International Quds Day stressed
that Israel is not a country but a terrorist base against the people of
Palestine and other Muslim nations.
"Since
the first day, the Zionists turned the usurped Palestine into a terrorist base.
Israel is not a country, but a terrorist camp against the Palestinian nation and
other Muslim nations," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
"Fighting
against this despotic regime is fighting against oppression and terrorism. And
this is a collective responsibility," the Supreme Leader added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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--------
Israeli
officer killed, 13 Palestinians wounded in Jenin standoff
13
May ,2022
An
Israeli officer was shot dead Friday during raids around Jenin on Friday,
Israel’s premier said, in the latest unrest to hit the flashpoint camp in the
occupied West Bank.
The
Palestinian health ministry said 13 Palestinians were also injured during the
raids.
“Today
we lost a real hero, Noam Raz – a brave (army) fighter ... (during a) complex
and sensitive operation against terrorists,” Bennett said in a statement.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Police
said he was injured in Burqin, near Jenin, during a “shootout with terrorists”
and later died from his wounds.
The
army said it carried out several raids in the West Bank early Friday jointly
with police units.
The
raids included one in the restive refugee camp of Jenin to investigate the site
where veteran Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on Wednesday.
During
the Jenin operation, an AFP photographer saw Israeli forces surround the home
of a suspect, besieging two men inside and then firing anti-tank grenades at
the building in an effort to flush them out.
A
near four-hour seige ensued, before the men eventually turned themselves in.
The
army said that it used the raid to investigate the spot where Al Jazeera
journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on Wednesday.
The
army “reconstructed the events at the scene,” according to a military
statement.
One
of the 13 Palestinians injured was named as Daoud al-Zubaidi, a brother of
Zakaria al-Zubaidi, who headed the armed wing of the Fatah movement of
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and briefly escaped from Israeli prison last
year.
The
raids came hours before violence erupted at Abu Akleh’s funeral, after Israeli
police stormed the grounds of a Jerusalem hospital as the body of the slain
journalist was being transported for burial.
Israel
and the Palestinians have traded blame over the fatal shooting of Abu Akleh.
Tensions
are high with a wave of anti-Israeli attacks that have killed at least 18
people since March 22, including an Arab-Israeli police officer and two
Ukrainians.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
India
Justice
DY Chandrachud to Hear Plea against Varanasi Mosque Survey in Supreme Court
May
14, 2022
New
Delhi: A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud in the Supreme Court will hear
the plea seeking a stay on the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex, adjacent
to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.
The
order directing the registry to list the matter before Justice Chandrachud was
uploaded on the Supreme Court website on Friday night, where Chief Justice of
India NV Ramana directed that matter be listed before Justice Chandrachud.
"Upon
being mentioned by Huzefa Ahmadi, senior counsel appearing on behalf of the
petitioner, we deem it appropriate to direct the Registry to list the matter
before the Bench presided over by Dr Justice DY Chandrachud," the order
stated.
Yesterday
senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi mentioned the matter before a bench headed by CJI
Ramana asking to order status quo in the case pending before the Varanasi civil
court.
The
bench, however, had refused to grant status quo in the case, saying that it was
not aware of the issue, as it had not seen the papers then.
"We
have not seen the papers. We don't even know what is the matter. I don't know
anything... how can I pass an order. I will read and then pass orders... let me
see," said the CJI.
Mr
Ahmadi appearing for the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee that manages the
Gyanvapi Mosque sought an order of the status quo, saying "survey has been
directed in relation to Varanasi property". This is covered by the Places
of Worship Act. Now the Court has ordered the Commissioner to conduct a survey.
On
Friday, the appeal was filed by the Committee, challenging an order of
Allahabad High Court permitting a court-appointed commissioner to inspect, and
conduct a survey and videography of the Gyanvapi mosque to which Hindus and
Muslims have laid claim for their right to worship.
It
sought direction to stay the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex.
The
Varanasi civil court had directed a survey to inspect, conduct videography and
collect evidence regarding the alleged existence of Hindu deities inside the
Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
On
May 12, the court said that the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque will continue
despite objections from mosque authorities.
The
local court had earlier directed the authorities to submit a report by Tuesday
(May 10), however, the survey could not take place as the mosque committee had
opposed the videography inside the mosque.
The
civil court had appointed a court commissioner to conduct the survey and
videography of the site and the same was challenged before Allahabad High
Court, which dismissed the appeal on April 21. Now April 21 order of the High
Court has been challenged in the top court.
Five
women had filed a petition in the court seeking permission for daily worship at
the Shringar Gauri temple, which was allegedly situated inside the Kashi
Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Mosque premises.
The
order of the civil court for undertaking survey and videography at the premises
came on the petition of the aforesaid.
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Another
petition, which was filed by one Vijay Shankar Rastogi, had contended that the
entire premises belonged to the Kashi Vishwanath and that the Gyanvapi Mosque
was only a part of the Temple, is also pending in the court since 1991.
Source:
ND TV
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--------
Chhota
Shakeel sent money to incite terrorism and target politicians: NIA
May
14, 2022
MUMBAI:
Fugitive gangster Chhota Shakeel sent huge money to incite terrorism and target
prominent politicians in India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in
a court while seeking custody of his two aides who were arrested on Friday.
The
court remanded the two, Arif Abubakar Shaikh alias Arif Bhaijan (59) and his
brother Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh (51) in NIA custody till May 20. The court
found that the NIA's submission about involvement of the accused on the
backdrop of available material on record was sustainable.
The
NIA is investigating a terror funding case against gangster Dawood Ibrahim and
his close aides, including Shakeel. The NIA alleged Arif and Shabbir were
involved in handling of Dawood gang's illegal activities and terrorist
financing in the western suburbs of Mumbai. On Friday, NIA also questioned a
Borivli-based bookie-turned-builder.
The
arrested accused are alleged to be close associates and relatives of Shakeel,
who operates an international criminal syndicate from Pakistan and is involved
in extortion, narcotics smuggling and violent terrorist activities in India.
The
accused were provided legal aid as they did not have lawyers present in court.
Arif told the court that "Humein is desh se bahut pyaar hai (We love this
country). Saare jahaan se accha Hindustan hamara."
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
Rahul
Gandhi condoles death of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
May
13, 2022
UDAIPUR:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday condoled the death of UAE President and
ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and said he will be
fondly remembered as a visionary leader who brought rapid development to the
UAE.
Sheikh
Khalifa bin Zayed passed away on Friday. He was 73.
"The
Ministry of Presidential Affairs condoles the people of the UAE, the Arab and
Islamic nation and the world over the demise of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE,” the official WAM news agency said
in a statement.
Condoling
his death, Gandhi said in a tweet, “My heartfelt condolences to the family of
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and to the people of United Arab Emirates.”
My
heartfelt condolences to the family of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and
to the people of United Arab Emira… https://t.co/euG3HZLSQ6
—
Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 1652441952000
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
2
LeT terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in J&K's Bandipora
May
13, 2022
Srinagar:
Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists who had recently infiltrated into Kashmir
were killed in an encounter with security forces in Bandipora district on
Friday, police said.
Security
forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Brar in the Aragam area of
Bandipora in north Kashmir following inputs about the presence of terrorists
there, a police official said.
He
said the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists
fired upon security forces personnel, who retaliated.
In
the ensuing exchange of fire, two terrorists were killed, he said.
The
official said the identity of the slain terrorists was being ascertained.
Earlier
in the day, Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Kashmir Vijay Kumar said the
two terrorists trapped in Brar were Pakistani and belonged to the LeT. They had
infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir recently. They had managed to escape during
an encounter in the Salinder forest area on Wednesday, he said.
Source:
Times Of India
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UP:
Three Muslims shot by police over alleged cattle smuggling
13th
May 2022
The
Ghaziabad police on Thursday killed three Muslim cattle herders for allegedly
smuggling cows. The three accused were reportedly gunned down after being
chased by the police.
The
deceased were identified as Zeeshan, Saddam and Qasim. According to the police,
they asked the accused to surrender, but instead the trio allegedly open fire
on the police, injuring a constable. The incident is said to have occurred at
4:30 AM, when the police were checking vehicles at the Jal Nigam Police Outpost
area of Vijayanagar police station.
When
the police tried to stop the Scorpio, the trio did not adhere to the orders and
drove away. Superintendent of Police Nipu Agarwal said, “When Police asked the
accused to surrender, they started firing.”
MS
Education Academy
“Constable
Deepak Kumar of Vijaynagar Police Station sustained injury due to a bullet. The
police opened fire in retaliation. All three smugglers were shot during the
encounter,” he further added. The three accused were arrested by the police,
who recovered three pistols, cartridges, the car and a cow.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
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https://www.siasat.com/up-three-muslims-shot-by-police-over-alleged-cattle-smuggling-2326198/
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Kashmiri
Pandits’ killing – acts of terror with wider ramifications
14th
May 2022
Arun
Joshi
The
killing of a Kashmiri Pandit employee Rahul Bhat in the central Kashmir
district of Budgam on Thursday has been condemned and condoled like all other
such killings in the past, but there is something more to this gruesome
murder – it brings a bad name to
Kashmir, as it triggers a parochial narrative that Kashmiri Hindus were the
only targets in the Muslim majority Valley. There always is an extra concern
when a minority community member is shot dead by the terrorists. In the case
of Kashmiri Pandits’ killing in the Valley, it is
immediately traced to their mass exodus in 1990 when they had to flee their
homes amidst the fear of bullets killing them and a hostile ecosystem that came
into being in the initial days of the eruption of militancy in Kashmir. The
past is relived every time a Kashmiri Pandit is killed in the Valley, the
echoes of 1990 reverberate.
While
all this was there, the spin doctors were ready with all their toxic formula of
playing the Muslim- versus Hindu card, Kashmiri Muslims came out in open, took
out processions condemning the gruesome murder, and made it plain that they
won’t allow 1990 to be repeated. This should have been a more assuring message
to the Kashmiri Pandit community in the
Valley, whether they are serving in government offices under PM’s
Rehabilitation and Employment Package, or those who stayed back in the land
defying all the calls to migrate – than the official pledges that the culprits
would be brought to justice.
An
act of terror is an act of terror. There have been numerous instances where
local Muslims- employees, policemen, social activists, shopkeepers, and daily
wage earners- have been killed by militants. That is condemned as an act of
terror but no other motives are attributed as it is believed that terrorists
have to kill, so they kill. But when it comes to the minorities, especially
Hindus and Sikhs, the narrative shifts from acts of terror to communal
overtones.
Indeed,
the killing of a member of the minority community has its own tragedy and
ramifications, but the larger issue that the Muslim majority Kashmir should be
aware of, such killings have wider pitfalls.
At
this point in time, when the tourists are in the Valley in thousands, enjoying
its enchanting beauty and cool climes, these killings don’t do any good to the
image of the place. The killings and fear go together and this can cast a
shadow over the overall atmosphere in the Valley that is expecting not only
more tourists but also an investment for its economic development. The fear
leads to a rethink.
Of
course, there are ripple-effects. Twists are given to make it look like the
whole thing is communal. This widens gaps. This way, they are falling into the
trap of the killers, and also their backers whether within or from across the
border-Pakistan Ridicule is no solution to such situations.
The
acts of terror and the hands behind such obnoxious and inhuman acts should be
separated from the polity. Defaming the Valley will have its own consequences.
The country’s leadership hails Kashmir
as “crown jewel of India” that honour
should be respected in letter and spirit. But the defamation of the Valley
because acts of terror take place there is one thing, but to link these acts of
terror to the majority community is quite dangerous. It is a deliberate attempt
to draw wedges between the communities, not only within Jammu and Kashmir but
also at the national level.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/kashmiri-pandits-killing-acts-of-terror-with-wider-ramifications-2326711/
--------
Pakistan
Federal
minister says no EVM will be used in Pakistan election
May
13, 2022
LONDON:
Electronic voting machines will not be used in the next general election in
Pakistan, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said.
The
remarks came after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers' meeting
with the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif at his son Hussain Nawaz's residence in
London.
The
meeting was the second meeting since the prime minister and his delegation flew
to London to meet Nawaz.
Addressing
media on Thursday, the minister said that the incumbent government will
"abolish" the idea of EVMs.
The
first session of the crucial Pakistan Muslim League (N) huddle in London
decided that there will be no early elections in Islamabad and the primary
focus of the Shehbaz Sharif-led government should be on providing economic
relief to the citizens and taking long-term economic decisions.
The
six-hour-long meeting was held among Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,
his brother and the party supremo Nawaz Sharif and other leaders, including
Khwaja Asif, Miftah Ismail, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Atta Tarar, Rana Sanaullah,
Ishaq Dar, Ayaz Sadiq, at an undisclosed location in London, The News
International citing sources.
Notably,
the former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan
has been continuously calling for early general elections in the country since
he lost the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.
Shehbaz
Sharif arrived in London to meet his brother Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday. Nawaz,
who is convicted in a corruption case, has been living in London on the pretext
of ill health since 2019. The former Pakistan PM sought extensions to prolong
his stay in London on medical grounds.
According
to Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had left Pakistan in a deep
economic crisis.
Last
month, Nawaz had also conducted meetings with PPP Chairman Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari, who was later appointed Pakistan's federal minister.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
rupee slips to historic low, Imran blames it on his ouster
May
14, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
As the Pakistani rupee continues to sink against the US dollar, declining to
all time low on Friday, ousted PM Imran Khan claimed that he and his finance
minister had warned the "neutrals" - a reference to the country's
powerful security establishment - that the "fragile economic recovery
would go into a tailspin" if the conspiracy against his government
succeeded. The conspiracy, according to Imran and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf,
was hatched by the US in collaboration with his political opponents to remove
him from office for pursuing an "independent foreign policy". Taking
to Twitter, Imran said: "Rupee at all-time low (of) Rs193/$ (from Rs178 on
March 8); interest rates at 15 per cent, highest since 1998; stock market down
3,000 points or 6.4pc; stock market lost Rs604 billion capitalisation;
inflation 13.4pc, highest since Jan 2020."
Imran's
tweets surfaced with the Pakistan Stock Exchange and the Pakistani rupee coming
under pressure over past few days as the new government has failed to take
decisive decisions. The latest depreciation recorded in rupee's value was
followed by the central bank's report on Thursday that the foreign exchange
reserves had depleted to a 22-month low, at $10.3 billion. The greenback
reached 193 in the interbank market on Friday, breaking all previous records.
The domestic currency had closed at Rs191.77 against the dollar on Thursday.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Defiant
Imran vows Sialkot jalsa will go ahead after police action
Imran
Sadiq
May
14, 2022
A
defiant Imran Khan on Saturday vowed his planned rally in Sialkot would go
ahead hours after police cracked down on arrangements on a premises it said
belonged to the Christian community.
Earlier
today, authorities stopped PTI members from erecting structures in preparation
for the rally in Sialkot's CTI ground, DawnNewsTV reporting that police fired
tear gas and baton-charged party activists who were resisting the move.
The
rally — in which the PTI chairman was to deliver a speech as part of his series
of jalsas culminating in the party's "Azadi March" on Islamabad — was
set to be held later in the day.
Television
footage showed police personnel at the venue, as people, some with PTI flags
around their necks, stood atop a crane in what appeared to be an attempt to
prevent it from dismantling the structures being set up for the rally.
Clouds
of tear gas could also be seen in the footage, while another scene showed
police rounding up some individuals.
Taking
to Twitter, Imran said "let there be no doubt" he would be going to
Sialkot today.
"What
imported govt did in Sialkot against our leadership & workers is outrageous,
but not unexpected. This bunch of criminals out on bail and their convict mafia
boss in London have always used fascist tactics against opponents when they are
in power."
He
said they "use and abuse" democracy when in opposition and
"totally destroy all democratic norms when in power", but the people
had now risen against them.
He
concluded his thread by saying his government "never stopped any of their
jalsas, sit-ins and rallies "because we are committed to democracy".
He added: "I will be in Sialkot today and I am calling on all our people
to come out and protest in their areas/cities after Isha prayers against this
fascist imported government."
'Ground
belongs to Christian community'
Sialkot
District Police Officer (DPO) Hasan Iqbal, who was present at the site, told
reporters that the local Christian community had objected to holding a rally at
the ground, saying that it was their property.
"As
you know we are right now standing on a ground that belongs to the Christian
community. They had filed a writ [petition] in the high court, asking that no
political rally be held on the grounds," Iqbal said, adding that the high
court then directed the Sialkot deputy commissioner to listen to both parties
and decide accordingly.
"Leaders
of the political party and representatives of the Christian community came
yesterday and the former acknowledged that the ground belonged to the Christian
community," the DPO said, without naming the PTI.
He
added that the "political party's leaders" sought permission to hold
the rally but the Christian community had refused.
He
said the deputy commissioner had also provided alternatives for holding the
rally.
"We
made it clear that we are not against any political activity. Holding a rally
is a legal and constitutional right. But forcibly holding a rally on a property
belonging to a minority community without any due process would be
inappropriate," DPO Iqbal said.
"Then
we came here and told them that we can help you with regard to an alternative
venue. What has happened after that is there for you to see."
He
said it was "not our mandate to make arrests or stop the rally".
"Our mandate is to implement the deputy commissioner's directives, which
was made according to the law, after the high court's order."
To
a question about containers being placed to block roads, the DPO said it was
the "political party" had requested for space for parking. "We
have not blocked any roads," he maintained.
Meanwhile,
there were also reports of the arrest of PTI members but no immediate official
confirmation.
When
asked about the matter, the DPO did not give a definite answer saying that
information about this would be given in an official version.
He
went on to say that "police had not done anything on the ground" but
it was the "vendors" who were clearing it, without elaborating
further.
But
the PTI said in a tweet that multiple party members, including leader Usman
Dar, had been taken into custody.
In
a video statement, Dar said that he was speaking from a "prison van"
after his arrest from the ground. Others could also be seen with him.
"They
believe that our love ... for the captain can be contained by putting us in
this prison van or jail. Hear me: throw us in jail, we will come out and again
continue the movement for freedom, will again hold a rally. This storm is not
going to stop. This passion will not die down," he said, adding that
"we are standing with Imran Khan".
Dar
added: "We will bear imprisonment but remain loyal to our leader Imran
Khan. And listen closely, we will come out of the jails and again hold a rally
in Sialkot. Our leader will again come to Sialkot. And under the leadership of
Imran Khan, we will bury this imported government, these puppets of America
forever," Dar said.
PTI
leaders defiant
PTI
leaders remained defiant and vowed the rally would go ahead. Former planning
minister Asad Umar said the "nation is no longer afraid", calling on
supporters in Sialkot to "get ready, as Kaptaan will be arriving this
evening".
Former
state minister Farrukh Habib said the "fascist" government had
"stooped to cowardly acts". He also condemned Usman Dar's arrest.
PTI
chairman Imran Khan's chief of staff Shahbaz Gill, too, upbraided the
"imported government" for its "hooliganism". "Holding
a rally is our fundamental right and no one can stop us," he said, adding
the move was evidence that the ruling coalition's "legs were
quivering".
'Won't
allow a religious divide'
Meanwhile,
PML-N's Ataullah Tarar warned the PTI that if it wanted to "make it a
religious issue" in the name of protest and "attempt to spread
chaos", there would be arrests.
"The
church does not want you to use the land they use for religious purposes,"
Tarar told reporters in Lahore. "It is the same as PML-N saying they want
to hold a rally at Bani Gala. Would you give your land? Traditionally, all
rallies have taken place in cricket stadiums."
He
added: "If you do not desist from your actions and try to create divisions
on religious lines and forcibly try to hold a rally on the church's ground,
then the bars of the jail are present. Our Christian brothers and sisters are
as much Pakistanis as you are."
He
said the white in the Pakistani flag is the guarantor of their rights.
"The chief minister (Hamza Shehbaz) has issued instructions to the
administration and law enforcement agencies that there is no permission to
create religious divide," Tarar added.
'Govt
told us last night rally was not permitted'
Farrukh
Habib later held a news conference in Faisalabad, in which he claimed the PTI
had applied 10 days in advance to hold the rally in that ground, but the
government had not responded until last night.
"On
the eve of the rally, they are telling us 'we will not allow you to proceed
with the jalsa'," he added.
"We
are aware who the master planner is. The government whose members are on bail,
whose 24 members are on the ECL (Exit Control List), has ignored governance and
the runaway dollar," Habib said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1689618/defiant-imran-vows-sialkot-jalsa-will-go-ahead-after-police-action
--------
Will
not rest till perpetrators of KU suicide attack given exemplary punishment:
Bilawal
May
14, 2022
Foreign
Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari vowed on Saturday that the government would not
rest till it had given "exemplary punishment" to the perpetrators of
the suicide attack inside Karachi University last month, in which four people,
including three Chinese nationals were killed.
Addressing
a condolence reference in Islamabad, he said the country was shocked and
saddened at the terrible loss.
"We
fully condemn this cowardly act and we will never forgive the enemies of Pakistan-China
all-weather strategic partnership. We will also not allow anyone to harm our
iron-clad friendship. The sacrifice of both Chinese and Pakistanis in nurturing
our bonds of brotherhood will not be in vain."
Bilawal
pledged that authorities would do everything in their capacity to provide
maximum security and ensure the safety of the Chinese in Pakistan. "You
are our guests and we are determined to ensure your safety and comfort in our
country.
"To
the families of those who perished, our entire nation grieves with you. While
we cannot bring back the departed, we will not rest until we have given
exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of this heinous act," he vowed.
The
foreign minister said that Pakistan-China ties were time-tested and the
countries would face every challenge together and emerge stronger.
The
suicide attack at Karachi University had been carried out using the rights of
the Baloch as an "excuse", he said.
"I
know that every Pakistani is proud of our hospitality and gives importance to caring
for friends. Not only do we know this [but] we're also known for this
internationally. Neither a Sindhi Pakistani nor a Baloch Pakistani can ever
tolerate the terrorism that is directed at our guests."
In
the last decade, Pakistanis saw that citizens were targeted using religion, he
said, iterating that Baloch rights were used as an "excuse" for
carrying out the terror attack at the university.
"These
people left their homes to come here and educate our people. This attack
happened not only on those individuals but on Pakistan-China friendship as
well. Now, it is the responsibility of every Pakistani to proceed on this issue
as if it was an attack on our own brothers and sisters.
"Together,
we have to ensure that we do not tolerate such terror attacks. We will ensure
that the families of these people and our public get justice."
The
country would succeed in its fight against terrorism and show the world that
those who believed that they could attack Pakistan-China friendship would not
succeed, he pledged.
On
April 26, a woman, later identified as Shari Baloch, detonated herself as a van
carrying staff members was about to enter the Confucius Institute at the
Karachi University.
A
spokesperson for the university had identified three of the deceased as Chinese
nationals — Confucius Institute Director Huang Guiping, Ding Mupeng and Chen
Sai. The fourth victim was the van's driver, Khalid.
Another
four people were injured in the attack.
The
banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) had claimed responsibility.
The
Karachi University attack was the third terrorist attack on Chinese citizens on
Pakistani soil in a year.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PTI
dissident MPAs seek refuge in technicalities
Iftikhar
A. Khan
May
14, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
As 25 PTI dissident members of the Punjab Assembly tried to seek refuge in
technicalities, their lawyers pleaded before a bench of the ECP on Friday that
the spirit behind Article 63-A of the Constitution must not be allowed to be
defeated.
Most
of the 25 dissident MPAs tried to justify their action of voting in favour of
PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz Sharif by claiming that they had received no directives
from the party. They raised procedural objections and claimed they never
received any show-cause notices — a mandatory requirement.
Barrister
Ali Zafar, representing the PTI before a three-member bench of the ECP, argued
that the objective behind Article 63-A was to eradicate defection from the
body-politic. “If the defectors are not deseated, it will amount to encouraging
defection,” Senator Ali Zafar argued.
Faisal
Farid, a PTI counsel, said the 25 MPAs were issued show-cause notices on April
7 for taking part in a “mock election of the chief minister” at a hotel.
“They
have not denied voting for the opposition’s candidate and deliberately damaged
their party’s standing,” he said. Further hearing was adjourned to Monday.
The
PTI dissidents in their replies raised questions about the validity of the
declaration of defection and the procedure adopted to seek their
disqualification.
Abdul
Aleem Khan said in his reply the declaration of defection made by the party
head was “without lawful authority” and void in the eyes of the law.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1689560/pti-dissident-mpas-seek-refuge-in-technicalities
--------
Sindh's
social media users spreading anti-state material to face action
Tahir
Siddiqui
May
14, 2022
KARACHI:
The provincial government on Friday assigned premier security agencies the task
to comb out those who are spreading ‘venomous material’ on social media and
‘brainwashing’ youngsters against the state and its institutions.
Chief
Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took the decision while presiding over the 27th
Apex Committee meeting which was attended among others by Corps Commander
Karachi Lt-Gen Muhammad Saeed, DG Rangers Major General Iftikhar Chaudhry as
well as provincial ministers, police chief, heads of intelligence agencies and
other officials.
The
participants were given a briefing on the social media being used by terrorist
outfits and criminal groups.
The
names and identification of terrorist outfits and their social media accounts
and handles were identified with number of followers and traffic on their
accounts.
Apex
Committee told to control such elements through agencies
The
premier agencies were assigned the task to examine those who were spreading
venomous material on social media, brainwashing youngsters against the state
and its institutions and instigating them to kill innocent people as had been
witnessed at Karachi University.
The
chief minister said the authorities would have to control the anti-state and
anti-social elements by using latest technology.
It
was pointed out that during different protests, slogans were raised against the
state and its institutions. The chief minister said that such an attitude was
not acceptable and directed police and Rangers to monitor such elements and
take action against them.
The
Apex Committee, at the outset of the meeting, condemned killing of three
Chinese teachers at Karachi University and vowed to bring the culprits to book.
The meeting was told that teams had been constituted to unearth the mastermind.
The
chief minister in consultation with the participants decided to further
strengthen intelligence network and intelligence sharing so that operation
could be conducted against terrorists.
The
meeting also condemned the recent blast in the Saddar area and ordered its
investigation.
787
street criminals listed
The
meeting was informed that through an extensive exercise conducted in the
criminal records of the criminals operating in the city, 787 persons had been
identified as habitual offenders, 540 drug dealers and 244 land grabbers.
The
lists of the criminals prepared by the agencies were shared with each other
[police, Rangers and Corps headquarters] so that action as decided by the chief
minister could be accelerated.
In
the list names of criminals, their addresses, CNICs, mobile numbers, photos or
exposure, age have been mentioned. It was pointed out that most of the street
criminals, drug dealers or land grabbers might be used by the terrorists in
their anti-state activities.
The
meeting was told that in 2013, street crime cases were recorded at 1,506 per
month, but the number increased to 3,939 per month in 2022.
The
task of installation of trackers in motorcycles was assigned to Transport
Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
The
meeting was told that around 400,000 unregistered Afghan nationals were living
in Karachi, while 71,429 Afghans were holders of registration card. Illegal
immigrants of other nationalities were in addition to them.
The
federal government was asked to strengthen control along the border with
Afghanistan.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Haqqani:
About 50 Former Government Officials Have Returned to the Country
By
Saqalain Eqbal
14
May 2022
Anas
Haqqani, a prominent Taliban figure who also serves on the Return and
Communications with Former Afghan Officials and Political Figures Commission,
recently stated that almost 50 former government officials and political
figures have returned to the country.
Although
the commission’s approach has not been determined, the senior Taliban member
informed TOLOnews that all options for the return of former government
officials have been considered.
“We
have facilitated the grounds. Many officials who worked as ministers and deputy
ministers during the former government, they returned,” he said.
Dialogue
with the Taliban, according to some former government political figures, is
impossible unless the Taliban respect the people’s will for the regime’s
legitimacy and the general election.
Said
Ishaq Gailani, the head of National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan, said
“Those who have a mind of a politician, they first of all want legitimacy for
the government, and then an election …”.
The
commission for the Return of Former Afghan Officials and Political Figures,
which has not long passed since its establishment, has continuously held
meetings and actions in keeping with the commission’s goals.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Fighting
in Panjshir triggers fresh claims of Taliban war crimes
May
14 2022
Kabul,
May 14 (IANS): Resistance to the Taliban is flaring up in northeastern
Afghanistan, and as reports of deadly fighting increase, so are claims of war
crimes against civilians.
The
fighting is centred in Panjshir province, a traditional hotbed of ethnic Tajik
resistance to the Pashtun-dominated Taliban and the last province to fall to
the extremist group after it seized control of the rest of the country in
August 2021, RFE/RL reported.
Residents
of the southern Dara district's Abdullah Khel Valley said that an influx of
Taliban fighters to counter growing unrest had led to extrajudicial killings,
torture and beatings.
The
violence has been attributed by some to defiance of the Taliban's declaration
that Eid al-Fitr be celebrated on May 1.
Locals
marked the Islamic holiday on May 2 after a prominent imam criticized the
Taliban's decision as politicized, and issued a fatwa calling for it to be
celebrated in keeping with the date set by Mecca, the RFE/RL report said.
They
also report high casualties among Taliban fighters deployed from other
provinces to quell fighting led by the resurgent anti-Taliban National
Resistance Front (NRF) and to round up local religious figures and other
potential insurrection leaders.
"As
they (the Taliban) searched for the resistance, they encountered difficulties
but took a number of young men hostage," said one resident of Abdullah
Khel Valley.
"There
are dead bodies in every corner," said Mullah Mahad, 41, another resident.
"But they (locals) don't have the right to bury their dead."
Another
resident, Gul Aqa, said that clashes with the NRF resulted in heavy losses for
the Taliban.
"The
Taliban sent more troops and military weapons to suppress the gunmen, but this
time the National Resistance Front forces based in the Abdullah Khel Valley
attacked the Taliban convoy," he said.
The
reported fighting has led to a war of words between the NRF and the Taliban, with
the resistance group claiming in recent days that it had killed scores of
Taliban fighters and taken control of large parts of the Abshar and Dara
districts, including the Abdullah Khel Valley, RFE/RL reported.
The
reports of renewed fighting have been accompanied by multiple videos on social
media of apparent war crimes being carried out by Taliban fighters.
The
videos, which RFE/RL was not able to independently verify, purportedly show
Taliban fighters beating civilians and firing at civilian homes.
Other
videos show alleged Taliban fighters shooting men one by one in a trench and
allegedly executing a resistance fighter.
The
reports of the mistreatment and killings of civilians led the European Union's
envoy to Afghanistan, Andreas von Brandt, to express his concerns about the
situation in Panjshir.
"We
mourn the innocent loss of life," von Brandt wrote on Twitter on May 10.
Source:
Daiji World
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=958185
--------
Afghan
journalist sentenced to prison for criticizing Taliban
13
May, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], May 13 (ANI): The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
has condemned the arbitrary sentencing of an Afghan journalist from Herat, and
urged the Taliban to cease its persecution of journalists for their independent
reportage.
Afghan
journalist Khaled Qaderi has been tried and sentenced to one year in prison by
a Taliban military court for social media posts criticizing the Taliban regime.
Qaderi,
a poet and reporter for independent broadcaster Radio Nawruz, has been in
custody since his arrest on March 17 in Herat, and was tried in mid-April. He
was notified of the military court’s verdict 10 days from the date of the
trial.
Istikhbarat,
the Taliban Intelligence Service, accused the journalist of conducting
‘espionage for foreign media’ and criticizing the Taliban regime through
propaganda posted to the social media platform Facebook.
Qaderi
told the court, “I realized my errors and I deleted the posts from my Facebook
page.” He did not have a defence lawyer and was forced to agree not to appeal
the verdict.
According
to IFJ, this is the first reported case of a journalist tried by the military
court since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Qaderi’s
prison sentence is the latest example of human rights violations concerning
journalists and restrictions on media freedoms in Afghanistan. In April 2022, a
presenter for 1 TV, Moheb Jalili, and a reporter for Rah-e-Farda, Reza Shahir,
were arrested and tortured by the Taliban Intelligence Service.
In
the latest South Asia Press Freedom report, the IFJ documented 75 media rights
violations, including 12 killings and 30 arrests, in Afghanistan from May 2021
to April 2022. An estimated 1,000 journalists have fled the country since the
Taliban takeover, with threats, harsh restrictions, and economic collapse
leading to mass closures of media outlets.
A
survey conducted by the IFJ’s Afghan affiliate, Afghanistan’s National
Journalists Union (ANJU), in February 2022, found that 318 media outlets across
33 provinces have closed since 15 August 2021.
On
May 7, Hibatullah Akhundzada, Afghanistan’s supreme leader and Taliban chief,
announced a strict new dress code for Afghan women, mandating the use of the
chadori or head-to-toe-burqa.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/afghan-journalist-sentenced-to-prison-for-criticizing-taliban/954584/
--------
Africa
Deborah
Samuel: Muslims have red lines that must not be crossed – Imam of National
Mosque
May
13, 2022
By
Fikayo Olowolagba
The
Imam of National Mosque Abuja, Ibrahim Maqari, says Muslims have some red lines
which must not be crossed especially as regards the dignity of the Prophet.
The
Imam said this at a time when a Christian female student Deborah Samuel was
burnt to death by a mob for blasphemy in Sokoto state.
Imam
Maqari hinted consequences awaited those who crossed the religion’s red lines.
He
noted that if grievances are not properly addressed no one should be criticised
for addressing them individually.
A
statement posted on the Imam’s Twitter account. read: “It should be known to
everyone that we the Muslims have some red lines beyond which MUST NOT be
crossed. The dignity of the Prophet (PBUH) is at the forefront of the red
lines.
“If
our grievances are not properly addressed, then you should not be criticized
for addressing them ourselves.”
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
10
ministers resign in Nigeria ahead of general elections
Olanrewaju
Kola
13.05.2022
MAIDUGURI,
Nigeria
Ten
of the 43 ministers in Nigeria's Federal Cabinet on Friday resigned from office
ahead of this month's pre-election exercise by political parties before next
year's general elections.
Nigerian
Information Minister Lai Mohammed said President Muhammadu Buhari held a
valedictory session with the outgoing ministers at the Presidential Villa on
Friday.
"There
was a valedictory service for 10 members of the Federal Council who have
indicated their desire to aspire for higher offices," he said.
The
president assured that the 10 vacant positions will soon be filled, the
minister added.
Buhari
last Wednesday asked Cabinet members seeking elective posts to resign by May
16.
Nigeria's
electoral law mandates public officers competing in the general elections to
resign at least 30 days before the election.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/10-ministers-resign-in-nigeria-ahead-of-general-elections/2587549
--------
Somali
journalists protest killing of Al Jazeera reporter
Mohammed
Dhaysane
13.05.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somali
journalists on Friday held a protest to condemn the killing of Al Jazeera
reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot dead while covering an Israeli raid at
Jenin refugee camp in occupied West Bank.
While
Palestinian officials and the Doha-based network say Israeli forces killed the
veteran correspondent, there have been international calls for a probe.
Journalists
including representatives from the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) and
Somali Media Association (SOMA) demonstrated at the Maka al-Mukarama street in
the capital Mogadishu.
"We
are in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of the Al Jazeera network as
they mourn the loss of their colleague Shireen Abu Akleh," said Abdalle
Ahmed Mumin, the SJS secretary-general. "We call for an independent
investigation to bring the killers to book," he added. "Journalism is
not a crime."
“We
are in shock that even journalists clearly wearing a press jacket are targeted
and shot dead," said Mohamed Osman Makaran, secretary-general of SOMA.
"We condemn this attack as an attack against all journalists in the
world."
Abshir
Nur Mohamed Faransa, a radio and TV journalist in Mogadishu, said journalists
must be allowed to do their job, without fear of favor, wherever they are.
Hussein
Mohamed, a stringer for The New York Times in Somalia, said Abu Akleh was a
household name in Arab journalism, and a role model and mentor for many in
Palestine and beyond. "I was shocked when I heard the news of her
killing," he told Anadolu Agency.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somali-journalists-protest-killing-of-al-jazeera-reporter/2587182
--------
Somali
parliament to choose next president on Sunday
Mohammed
Dhaysane
13.05.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somalia’s
presidential election is way behind schedule, but after nearly a
year-and-a-half of political wrangling, Somalis will finally have a new leader
on Sunday.
The
presidential election committee, which comprises members from both houses of
parliament, is organizing the election, and the venue and stage have already
been set up at Afasiyoni, the country's former air force base inside the
heavily fortified Mogadishu International Airport.
Forces
of the African Union Transition Mission will maintain the security of the venue
and have imposed a total lockdown in the area ahead of the vote.
Abdurahman
Sheikh Azhari, an independent analyst based in the capital Mogadishu, said the
election is key to international support for Somalia on many fronts.
"Political stability and security is uncertain due to the prolonged
election process, which took longer than anticipated," he told Anadolu
Agency.
But,
he added, things are changing thanks to the end of the process of electing
members of both the upper and lower house of parliament, who will jointly elect
the president.
The
head of state – who must receive at least two-thirds of the votes, or 184
votes, to be elected – will then appoint a prime minister, and a new Cabinet
will be formed.
Besides
political instability, the East African country faces an insurgency by
al-Shabaab, a terrorist group linked to al-Qaeda.
Presidential
race
Incumbent
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmaajo, who has remained
in office more than a year after his constitutional mandate expired due to a
delay in the holding of parliamentary elections, is hoping to be re-elected.
But
he faces stiff competition from several candidates including two former
presidents, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and former Prime
Minister Hassan Ali Khaire Hassan.
No
sitting president has ever been re-elected in Somalia's history.
After
their registration, the candidates were given 15 minutes each to present their
manifesto in parliament, which mainly focused on security, economy, and foreign
policy.
Azhari
said Somalis are hoping to see a change in the Somali leadership, adding that
youth engagement should be significant in the new setup. "It's important
to mention that half of the parliament members are under the age of 40, and
there is a possibility of them joining the new Cabinet."
Somalia
needs a healer
Abdinur
Sheikh Mohamed, a candidate for Somalia’s presidency who identifies himself as
a nationalist, told Anadolu Agency that Somalia needs a leader who can unite
and reconcile Somalis, and have a clear political, economic, security, and
foreign policy agenda.
Mohamed,
who previously served as a federal minister of education, said he is glad to
run against Farmaajo, offering the country an alternative leadership.
He
believes the opposition candidates are better choices for Somalia, who could
help bring "real change."
"Farmaajo
didn't keep his promises to lead the country to a one-man, one-vote election
(universal suffrage), and delayed the polls for over a year. Somalia needs
change," he said.
Turkiye-Somali
relations
Somalia
and Turkiye enjoy special relations that have been growing since Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the country in 2011, a time when it
was facing severe famine that killed over 20,000 people and displaced millions.
Turkish
humanitarian organizations are also active in providing humanitarian and
education assistance.
Mohamed
said relations between Somalia and Turkiye are historical, and Turks have
helped Somalia in state-building, as well as security. He added that the new
era could take bilateral relations to an even higher level.
Elite
capture
Omar
Abdi Jimale, a lecturer at the SIMAD and Mogadishu universities, told Anadolu
Agency that parliamentary elections in Somalia were neither free nor fair, and
were characterized by political squabbles, horse-trading, intimidation, as well
as armed clashes.
A
few individuals, or the elite, control the vote, he said of the complex,
indirect, and clan-based parliamentary election.
"Although
I cannot call the 2017 election free and fair, there was autonomy in terms of
who the clans elected as MPs, government intimidation was limited and women
quotas were generally honored. But not so much this time," he said.
He
said Somalis have been further divided in the last five years due to bitter
political rivalries.
"The
country requires a reconciliatory leader who can bring citizens together and
work with [the five] federal states," Jimale said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somali-parliament-to-choose-next-president-on-sunday/2586798
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North America
US
criticizes Israeli attack on mourners during Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral
13
May ,2022
The
US criticized Friday’s Israeli attacks on mourners and pallbearers during
Palestinian-American Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral procession in Jerusalem as
“deeply disturbing.”
“We
regret the intrusion of what should have been a peaceful procession. We’ve
urged respect for the funeral procession, the mourners and the family at this
sensitive time,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
As
her casket was being carried, hundreds of Palestinians were seen hoisting the
Palestinian flag and chanting.
Shortly
after, Israeli forces rushed at the mourners, attacking them with batons,
including the pallbearers and leading to the coffin dropping.
“This
is a day where we should all be marking, including everyone there, the memory
of a remarkable journalist who lost her life,” Psaki said during her final
briefing as press secretary.
Pressed
further as to whether the Biden administration condemned the Israeli violence,
she said: “I think when we said they were disturbing, we obviously were not
justifying them. But I think I will leave my comments at what I said.”
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken released a statement saying that the US was “deeply
troubled to see the images of Israeli police intruding into her funeral
procession today.”
Blinken
added: “Every family deserves to be able to lay their loved ones to rest in a
dignified and unimpeded manner.”
The
top US diplomat also called on all sides to avoid actions that could further
escalate the already tense situation in the area.
Abu
Akleh, a reporter for Al Jazeera, was shot and killed this week while reporting
on an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank’s Jenin. Palestine and
her outlet have accused the Israeli military of killing her.
Video
footage showed Abu Akleh, 51, wearing a flak jacket with “Press” clearly
visible.
Israel
said it was Palestinian gunmen who were responsible for her death before later
backtracking and saying an investigation was going to be carried out.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
President Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah discuss tensions in Jerusalem
13
May ,2022
US
President Joe Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah II met Friday and discussed ways
to reduce tensions in Palestine and Israel, the White House said.
“The
leaders consulted on recent events in the region and discussed urgent
mechanisms to stem violence, calm rhetoric and reduce tensions in Israel and
the West Bank,” the White House said.
Abdullah
was in Washington for his second trip to the White House since Biden was
elected in 2020.
It
is worth noting that members of the press were not allowed in the Oval Office
as is customary when the US president meets with foreign leaders. White House
Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the meeting was on a private level when asked
about the reasons.
The
visit also comes amid heightened tensions between Palestinians and Israelis.
Most recently, Israeli forces reportedly shot and killed Palestinian-American
journalist Shireen Abu Akleh and attacked mourners and pallbearers at her
funeral procession on Friday.
Jordan
has played a role in mediation efforts alongside Egypt, coordinating with the
US.
“The
President affirmed his strong support for a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and cited the need to preserve the historic status
quo at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount,” the White House said. “The President
also recognized the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s crucial role as the custodian
of Muslim holy places in Jerusalem.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
says reviving Iran deal ‘far from certain’ despite EU mission
13
May ,2022
The
United States said Friday it remained uncertain if a nuclear deal with Iran can
be revived after the European Union gave an upbeat assessment of a trip to
Tehran.
A
State Department spokesperson voiced appreciation for envoy Enrique Mora’s
visit but added: “That said, at this point a deal remains far from certain.”
“Iran
needs to decide whether it insists on extraneous conditions and whether it
wants to conclude a deal quickly, which we believe would serve all sides’
interests,” the spokesperson said.
“We
and our partners are ready, and have been for some time. It’s now up to Iran.”
EU
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell earlier told reporters in Germany that
stalled negotiations with Iran have been “reopened” after Mora’s trip.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Europe
Fifteen
European nations urge Israel to reverse plans for more settler homes
13
May ,2022
Fifteen
European nations on Friday urged Israel to drop plans for thousands more
settler homes in the West Bank, warning that they “stand in the way” of lasting
peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
“The
new housing units would constitute an additional obstacle to the two-state
solution,” said the countries in a statement issued by their foreign
ministries.
“Israeli
settlements are in clear violation of international law and stand in the way of
a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians,”
they added.
Israel
advanced plans on Thursday for 4,427 housing units for Jewish settlers in the
occupied West Bank, an Israeli non-governmental organization said.
The
Civil Administration’s high planning committee gave final approval to 2,791
units and initial endorsement for another 1,636 units, said Peace Now, an
organization that closely monitors Israeli settlement building.
Israel
seized the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967.
Since
then, nearly 700,000 Israelis have moved into settlements that most of the
international community regard as illegal.
The
housing plans are scattered throughout a large swathe of the West Bank known as
Area C, where Israel exercises military and planning control.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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German
police: 5 stabbed and wounded on train in suspected Islamic terror attack
13
May 2022
VIENNA
— Police have arrested an Iraqi-born man and are investigating a possible
Islamic extremist motive after five passengers received knife wounds on a
regional train in western Germany, authorities said Friday.
The
train was traveling near the western city of Aachen Friday morning when a man
began attacking fellow passengers “randomly and arbitrarily,” state interior
minister Herbert Reul said, according to the news agency dpa.
There
were approximately 270 passengers on the train, Reul said. A police officer who
happened to be among the passengers overpowered the 31-year-old suspect with
the help of two other passengers, state police confirmed.
Reul
described the incident as “a gruesome crime that was stopped in an enormous act
of courage.”
In
total, five people were wounded, Reul said. Police confirmed the casualties
were being treated at local hospitals and that none of them was in critical
condition.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Released
aid worker tells UK’s Johnson his error worsened her Iran detention
13
May ,2022
British-Iranian
aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on Friday told Prime Minister Boris
Johnson that an incorrect comment he made as foreign secretary had a big impact
on her six-year detention in Iran, saying she lived in the shadow of his error.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe
returned to London in March when she was released along with another dual
national after Britain repaid a historic debt.
It
was the first time she had met Johnson, who was foreign secretary in 2017 when
he erroneously said she had been teaching people journalism before her arrest
in April 2016.
His
comment contradicted statements made by Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her employer, who
said she had been on holiday visiting family.
She
was subsequently convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment.
Johnson
later apologized and retracted any suggestion that Zaghari-Ratcliffe was there
in a professional capacity.
Her
local member of parliament, who attended the meeting, said Zaghari-Ratcliffe
had told Johnson to his face about the problems his mistake had caused.
“She
told him very clearly and categorically that his words had a big impact on her
and that she lived in the shadow of his words for the best part of
four-and-a-half years,” Tulip Siddiq told reporters after meeting Johnson with
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family.
“I
had to say the prime minister looked quite shocked.”
The
aid worker’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, said Johnson’s comments were even
brought up by interrogators during Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s last days in Iran as she
waited to come home.
He
said Johnson did not explicitly apologize for his error but the encounter had
not been “abrasive.”
Zaghari-Ratcliffe
did not speak to reporters herself, instead playing with the couple’s daughter
Gabriella outside Johnson’s Downing Street office while her husband and Siddiq
addressed the media.
“It
was an honor to welcome Nazanin, Richard and Gabriella to Downing Street
today,” Johnson wrote on Twitter, but he did not address his mistaken comment
in 2017.
“We
discussed the UK’s work to secure the release of unfairly detained nationals in
Iran and I commended Nazanin for her incredible bravery during her ordeal.”
Zaghari-Ratcliffe
was arrested by Revolutionary Guards at Tehran airport on April 3, 2016, while
trying to return to Britain with her then 22-month-old daughter from an Iranian
New Year’s trip to see her parents.
Her
family and her employer, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, denied the charges
against her.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU
calls on Tehran to release Swedish-Iranian sentenced to death
13
May ,2022
EU
envoy Enrique Mora said Friday he called for the release on “humanitarian
grounds” of an Iranian-Swedish academic on death row, during a mission to Tehran
to help revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear pact.
Mora,
the European Union’s coordinator for talks between Iran and major world powers
to restore the deal, met Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who is
also deputy foreign minister, on Wednesday and Thursday, state media said.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Mora
tweeted after his departure that he had raised the case of the academic, Ahmed
Reza Jalali.
“I
want to underline that in Tehran I raised the need to stop execution of
#AhmadrezaDjalali and asked for his release on humanitarian grounds,” the EU
deputy foreign policy chief wrote.
Jalali,
who was based in Stockholm and worked at Karolinska Medical Institute, was
arrested during a visit to Iran in April 2016.
He
was sentenced to death in 2017 after being found guilty of passing information
about two Iranian nuclear scientists to Israel’s Mossad spy agency that had led
to their assassinations.
Sweden
granted Jalali citizenship while in detention in February 2018.
In
March 2021, UN human rights experts called for his release, saying that he was
“near death.”
Early
this month, Iran’s ISNA news agency reported that the death sentence would be
carried out by May 21.
The
announcement coincided with the end of the trial in Sweden of Hamid Noury, a
former official in Iran’s judiciary, accused of war crimes for his role in the
killing of prisoners in Iran during the 1980s.
Prosecutors
have requested life imprisonment for Noury, and he is set to be sentenced in July.
Iran’s
foreign ministry has condemned the “illegal” arrest and trial of Noury, and
called for his release.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
French
President Macron to visit UAE to mourn death of Sheikh Khalifa
14
May ,2022
French
President Emmanuel Macron has announced a trip to the United Arab Emirates to
mourn the death of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and display his support
for the ruling family, with whom France holds business and military ties.
Macron
will travel to the UAE on Sunday, his administration said in a statement, to
pay tribute to Sheikh Khalifa, who died on Friday, and “express his support to
his brother Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and the rest of the family,
and the entire Emirian people.”
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Sheikh
Khalifa, UAE president since 2004, aligned the Gulf state more closely with the
West. He was buried and funeral prayers were held on Friday.
Major
oil producer UAE is seen by France as a strategic partner in the region, and
business ties, which include the delivery of military equipment and energy
infrastructure, have been reinforced under Macron’s first presidential term.
During
a high-profile visit to Dubai in November, Macron displayed a good relationship
with Crown Prince Mohammed, and business delegations from both states signed a
series of major deals.
The
UAE ordered 80 of Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter jets and 12 military
helicopters through an arms contract worth 17 billion euros ($19.20 billion),
which the French say will secure thousands of local jobs.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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EU
condemns Israeli police attack at funeral of Al Jazeera journalist
Agnes
Szucs
13.05.2022
BRUSSELS
The
European Union condemned on Friday the Israeli police’s “the disproportionate
use of force” during the funeral ceremony of slain Al Jazeera journalist
Shireen Abu Akleh.
“The
European Union is appalled by the scenes unfolding” at the funeral procession
of Abu Akleh in the occupied East Jerusalem, EU foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell said in a statement.
He
asserted that the bloc condemns “the disproportionate use of force and the
disrespectful behavior” of the Israeli police against the participants.
Borrell
also pointed out that it is “the minimal human respect” to allow a peaceful
farewell “without harassment and humiliation.”
He
reiterated the EU’s call for a “thorough and independent investigation” into
the death of Abu Akleh.
Thousands
of Palestinians participated in the funeral of the Palestinian-American
journalist.
The
Israeli police used stun grenades, tear gas and batons against the mourners,
which left dozens injured, according to a statement by the Palestine Red
Crescent Society.
The
senior journalist was covering an Israeli military raid near the Jenin refugee
camp in the occupied West Bank when she was shot dead on Wednesday.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Berlin
court upholds ban on Palestinian 'Nakba Day' demonstrations
Oliver
Towfigh Nia
13.05.2022
BERLIN
A
Berlin court on Friday upheld a ban on all Palestinian "Nakba Day"
demonstrations which were scheduled to take place in the German capital this
weekend, the Berlin-based Tagesspiegel newspaper reported.
The
administrative court outlawed five Palestinian demonstrations because for what
it said was a risk of inflammatory or anti-Semitic calls and violence.
Reacting
to the prohibition, the Palestinian civic group "Palestine Speaks"
strongly criticized the ban on their demonstrations as an attack on the basic
rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.
"The
ban on the commemorative events by the Berlin police restricts Palestinians in
Germany in their fundamental rights and is worrying on several levels according
to the standards of a democratic constitutional state,” the group said in a
statement.
"The
Nakba commemorative events are an important way for us Palestinians in Germany
to remember the injustice perpetrated against our ancestors and to take a stand
for the human rights of Palestinians everywhere," according to an unnamed
spokesperson for "Palestine Speaks."
Palestinian
groups had announced that they would protest against Israel's policies on the
day of expulsion, Nakba (catastrophe), especially on Saturday and Sunday.
The
demonstrations were planned because of the so-called Nakba Memorial Day which
the Palestinians observe on May 15 every year to commemorate the displacement
of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the first Middle East war in 1948.
Palestinian
civic leaders in Berlin have repeatedly made clear they do not condone
anti-Semitic slurs in their demonstrations, saying their only objective is to
highlight the ongoing Israeli repression in the occupied Palestinian
territories.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Irish
foreign minister 'shocked' by images from Palestinian journalist's funeral
procession
Alyssa
McMurtry
13.05.2022
OVIEDO,
Spain
A
top Irish Cabinet minister on Friday declared himself “shocked” Friday by
images of violence emerging from the funeral procession of slain Palestinian
journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Video
clips from her funeral procession showed Israeli riot police clashing with
mourners and firing tear gas as people carried her coffin outside a Jeruselum
hospital.
“We
were all shocked after seeing the images of the funeral, which seemed
extraordinary in terms of the policing of the funeral today,” Irish Defense and
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told a press conference in Madrid.
“Every
country has the obligation to protect journalists, particularly in conflict
zones,” he added.
Both
the Spanish and Irish foreign ministers firmly condemned the death of the Al
Jazeera journalist and called for an in-depth investigation into the cause of
her death.
During
the bilateral meeting, the two also said they discussed the need for “new ideas
to avoid a new cycle of violence” in Israel, with Coveney insisting that the
“international community should be more proactive” in the region.
Abu
Akleh died from a shot to the head while she was covering an Israeli raid in
the West Bank’s Jenin refugee camp.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Dutch
court rules to bring back 12 Daesh/ISIS women, 29 children from Syria
Abdullah
Aşıran
13.05.2022
ROTTERDAM,
Netherlands
The
Rotterdam Court in the Netherlands ruled Thursday that the government should
bring back 12 Daesh/ISIS women and their 29 children from Syria.
The
court ruled that the women and children should be brought back to the country
within four months if the Dutch Prosecutor's Office does not want to lose the
right to prosecute them, according to a report by public broadcaster NOS.
The
Netherlands wants to prosecute women who have gone to Syria to join the
terrorist group.
The
decision, which was leaked to the media, was made in a closed session and later
confirmed by the court spokesperson speaking to NOS, according to the report.
It
was also reported that the court in previous cases had never decided to bring
such a large group of suspected Daesh/ISIS members back to the country in such
a period.
In
previous cases, a six-month period was given by the court to bring Daesh/ISIS
women back to the Netherlands, while a decision on the four-month period was
made for the first time.
Earlier
this year, it was announced that the Dutch government brought back five women
and 11 children who were suspected of being members of the terrorist
organization or planning a terrorist attack from a camp in northern Syria.
It
was reported that the government, which is not in favor of bringing back
Daesh/ISIS women, decided on doing so to avoid losing the investigation right.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamic-conference-abu-dhabi-caliphate-ummah/d/127008