Islamic Preacher Zakir Naik’s state visit to Pakistan proves how the nation bankrolls radicalism
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 Oct 2024
Image: Dede Arip Rachman/ZUMA/imago/Zakir Naik’s trip comes at the invitation of the Pakistani government, alarming many activists and critics
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· Islamic Preacher Zakir Naik’s state visit to Pakistan proves how the nation bankrolls radicalism
· As US election heats up Harris targets women and Trump courts Muslim voters
· Waqf Amendment Bill: Opposition members walk out of parliamentary panel meeting, rejoin later
· Iraqi Islamic Resistance claims drone strike on Israeli military target
· More than 2,000 people take part in Riyadh walk for breast cancer awareness
· RSF militia accused of 'massacre' in Sudan's Gezira state
· Evaluation systems to include anti-corruption elements
· 32 injured get Tk 1 lakh each
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· Security forces kill four terrorists in two separate KP IBOs
· PTI activists in Karachi stage protest against 26th Amendment
· Lahore again tops most polluted cities' list amid thickening smog
· Gang involved in DHA robberies ‘escapes to Kohat’
· PM Shehbaz, Bilawal Bhutto 'weigh 27th amendment focusing on provincial rights'
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North America
· Why Muslims in Michigan are backing 'Islamophobic' Donald Trump
· Muslim leaders in Michigan rally behind Trump amid discontent with Biden's Gaza policy
· Trump promises not to fight foreign wars
· The Muslim vote
· Jewish heads sue Islamic preacher over 'racist' sermons
· Michigan Muslim leader voices support for Donald Trump
· Singer apologises after swearing on live TV during US anthem
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India
· India’s Hindu-Muslim Divide: Moderate Voices Needed
· Notices issued to farmers over Waqf land to be withdrawn, says Karnataka law minister
· Opinion: How performative outrage on social media is hampering Indian Muslims
· BJP MP calls 11 per cent of Muslims in Jharkhand ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ ahead of elections
· Maharashtra polls: Congress Muslim leader gives ‘Boycott UBT Sena’ call, shocks community
· Enemy trying to weaken tribals through love jihad and land jihad: CM Mohan Yadav
· Indian Union Muslim League hits back at CM Vijayan; rejects charges of links with Jamaat-e-Islami
· "Vote Jihad Factor In Lok Sabha Polls Won't Work This Time": D Fadnavis
· Recital of Urdu Ramayan heralds Bikaner’s Diwali
· Militants attack Army ambulance in Jammu; area cordoned off as search ops begin
· J&K Lieutenant Governor releases book written by former student leader Shehla Rashid
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Mideast
· Jihad Movement condemns Beit Lahia carnage as new Zionist crime
· Lebanon says at least 21 killed in Israeli strikes Sunday in south
· Iran kills four after deadly attack in southeast: report
· Hamas, Jihad: Glilot operation natural response to genocide crimes in Gaza
· Sunni Parl. Faction urges countries to condemn Israeli crimes
· Across the board buying lifts QSE 159 points, M-cap adds QR10.78bn; Islamic index outperforms
· Iraqi Sunni scholars reject proposed changes to Personal Status Law
· Iran’s imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate hospitalized with severe health issues
· UN Security Council expected to meet Monday over Israel’s strike on Iran, diplomats say
· Iran president says not seeking war with Israel, vows response to strikes
· War casts shadow over ancient Baalbek
· Yemeni riyal nears historic low in government-controlled areas
· Hezbollah says fired rockets at north Israel
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Arab World
· Saudi Arabia’s Global Harmony Initiative is a ‘unique opportunity’ say Pakistani expatriates
· Madinah greening project plants trees, vegetation
· Experts explore architecture’s societal impact in Saudi Arabia’s Baha
· Saudi international humanitarian law committee to take part in Geneva conference
· Saudi project clears 720 Houthi mines in Yemen
· Saudi FM receives Somali counterpart in Riyadh
· Frankly Speaking: What to expect from this year’s FII?
· ‘Music has no boundaries,’ says Hungarian ambassador to Saudi Arabia
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Africa
· Manpower Shortages Hit Nigeria Military As Army Begins Enlisting Ex-soldiers
· Gani Adams Demands ?5 Billion In Damages From Igboho For Alleged Defamation And Invasion Of Privacy
· Canadian Aviation Company Condemned, Revoked Registration Of 27-Year-Old Crashed P/Harcourt Helicopter
· 5 Miyetti Allah members, 2 others confirmed dead in Abuja building collapse
· Latest Petrol Price Hike News, Update On Fuel Scarcity For Oct. 28th, 2024
· Fuel Subsidy: You Are Behind Tinubu Govt Anti-people Economic Policies – NLC Fires IMF
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Southeast Asia
· Loke: Najib’s apology doesn’t stop 1MDB case from being crime
· Health Ministry inspects over 45,000 premises nationwide for new smoking law compliance
· Prabowo Said to Pay Military-Style Cabinet Retreat with His Own Money
· Digital Minister calls for media collaboration to embrace tech era
· DHL ups its Malaysian investment, sinks RM300m into KL Gateway facility
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South Asia
· AK Fazlul Haq new Bangla Academy president
· Russian, Bahraini companies seeking investment in Afghanistan’s mines, ministry
· Bid to remove president: BNP at odds with student movement
· 114 deaths and rising
· Navy, air force symbols of public trust: Prof Yunus
· Afghanistan agricultural products have special place in Chinese market, Osmani
· Deputy PM Mawlawi Kabir Highlights Investment Prospects in Meeting with Bahraini and Russian Investors
· Agriculture Ministry Pursues Stronger Export Pathway to China in Talks with Ambassador
· Kabul Municipality and MoIC Launch Initiative to Regulate Signage and Promote National Languages
· Canada honors troops with memorial for service in Afghanistan
· UN reports rising needs as Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund marks 10 years
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Europe
· Daughter pays tribute to Scots dad murdered by Islamic State a decade ago
· Germany invests $8.5m in Morocco ‘green mosques’
· Trap for the West: Why BRICS cannot be dismissed any longer
· Faisal Islam: Don't expect rabbits, this will be a Budget for boffins
· Russian troops stop Ukrainian cross-border raid – governor
· Georgia PM rejects vote-rigging claims as president calls mass rally
· Chief thought Skripal poisoning could be 'act of war'
· Good Reads: Acacia makes a space for Muslim creativity
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamic-preacher-zakir-naik-pakistan-nation/d/133568
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Islamic Preacher Zakir Naik’s state visit to Pakistan proves how the nation bankrolls radicalism
By Noman Hossain
October 27, 2024
Image: Dede Arip Rachman/ZUMA/imago/Zakir Naik’s trip comes at the invitation of the Pakistani government, alarming many activists and critics
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In recent developments, Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s state visit to Pakistan has drawn significant international attention and ignited debates on the country’s political endorsement of religious hardliners.
Naik, a controversial figure known for his radical and polarizing statements, was invited to Pakistan in what many perceive as a strategic political move to solidify domestic religious sentiments and project Pakistan’s ideological stance globally.
Pakistan’s decision to welcome controversial preacher Zakir Naik for a state visit did not go down well with several sections of the society.
A Christian Bishop, clearly miffed by his comments against his community, wrote a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari against the Muslim preacher who had to escape India in 2016 after the country accused him of money laundering and inciting extremism.
Zakir Naik is an Islamic televangelist and founder of the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) in India.
Over the past two decades, he has gained widespread attention and millions of followers worldwide for his public talks on comparative religion.
However, his preachings have not been without controversies.
His speeches, which have included derogatory comments on other religions and perceived justifications for acts of extremism, have led to numerous calls for investigations and bans.
Countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Canada, and the United Kingdom have taken a firm stance against Naik, imposing bans on his entry or prosecuting his activities on national security grounds.
Naik recently visited Pakistan for a month-long preaching tour.
His recent visit to Pakistan, marked by official meetings and public appearances, sends a powerful message about Pakistan’s political inclinations.
The invitation to a figure like Zakir Naik, whose rhetoric is often seen as divisive, is viewed by critics as a conscious effort by Pakistan to align itself with radical voices in the Islamic world.
It underscores an ongoing trend where Pakistan is perceived to be using religion as a tool for both internal political gain and external diplomatic signaling.
Naik’s visit was completed last week but as was expected he fuelled certain controversies during his stay in the Muslim-majority nation.
Distressed by his controversial comments, Church of Pakistan official Rev Azad Marshall wrote a letter to the President and said his remarks caused “religious offence” to Pakistani Christians.
He opined that the Indian preacher’s comments ‘disrespected’ the spirit of Quaid-i-Azam (Muhammad Ali Jinnah)’ s Aug 11, 1947 address to the Constituent Assembly for an inclusive and impartial government, religious freedom, rule of law ,and equality for all in Pakistan.
Despite all these controversies, it is still not clear what led the Pakistani government to select such a person as its state guest.
Even after knowing about his long-time practice of making strange comments that might not be accepted by all sections of society, Pakistan gave Zakir Naik a free run in the country to address people during his one-month stay.
He has not been convicted in neighbouring India so far but he was forced to leave the country and flee to Malaysia.
Pakistani authorities kept their eyes blindfolded to Naik’s past while honoring him as its state visitor.
Pakistan’s leading English daily the Dawn pointed to the risk the South Asian Islamist nation undertook by inviting such a man to the country.
“It should be asked why an individual with such antecedents was invited as a state guest to Pakistan. Dr Naik spoke to packed crowds and was given regal treatment, meeting the high and mighty of the land, including the prime minister,” the Editorial said.
“There is, of course, nothing wrong with scholars discussing theological issues, historical events tied to faith or comparative religion in an academic setting, within the bounds of mutual respect. But when these sensitive questions are debated in a populist and controversial fashion — as Dr Naik did in his rapid-fire style — they are bound to cause communal discord,” it said.
This was not the first time Zakir Naik was visiting Pakistan. In 1992, Naik had last visited the South Asian country.
Naik’s hardline religious views forced several nations, including India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the UK, to ban the religious preacher.
Zakir Naik even had an indirect link to a terror act in Bangladesh which forced the government to suspend Peace TV that promoted his preachings.
A section of the Bangladeshi media had reported that those who attacked the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016 were Naik’s devotees and followers.
The Islamic State terror group had taken responsibility for the attack which had shocked Bangladesh claiming 29 lives.
Naik had once apologised for making sensitive remarks.
Malaysian police even banned him from public speaking in 2019. He was also interrogated for several hours due to remarks that triggered a row.
Ahead of Naik’s Pakistan visit, Amit Ranjan, a research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, told DW: “Being Pakistan’s state guest, it will not benefit the social and religious fabric of the country.”
Pakistan’s state endorsement of Zakir Naik highlights the nation’s precarious balancing act between religious hardliners and moderate reformists.
It is reflective of a larger trend in which countries grapple with the competing pressures of religious conservatism and the demand for progressive reform.
In Pakistan, this balancing act often tips in favour of hardliners due to their significant influence on electoral outcomes and their street power.
The implications of Naik’s state visit to Pakistan extend beyond national politics, affecting international perceptions and diplomatic relations.
Pakistani journalist Lucman told India Today news channel that whenever he listens to Naik he feels he is spewing hatred.
“I am influenced by Muslim scholars and those scholars have only preached love, sharing and harmony. Every time I listen to Naik, I feel he is spewing hatred. Someone must have done something to him when he was very young and that is coming out now. He should not be allowed to give public sermons,” Lucman said.
The Indian government had also criticised Pakistan’s state invitation for Naik and the country’s Ministry of External Affairs called the move as highly condemnable.
However, Pakistan’s stance towards hardliners became clear when Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif not only met Naik but also lauded him for spreading the teachings of the Holy Quran and promoting Islamic values worldwide.
He said the Muslim world was proud of him for projecting the real image of Islam across the world.
Critics argue that by embracing figures like Naik, Pakistan risks isolating itself from progressive Muslim voices.
The move reflects a deeper political calculus that prioritizes hardliner appeasement over addressing concerns about extremism.
In the end, Naik’s visit is not just a matter of hospitality; it is a statement about Pakistan’s ideological leanings and the nation’s ongoing struggle to define its identity in an increasingly polarized world.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/islamic-preacher-zakir-naiks-state-visit-to-pakistan-proves-how-the-nation-bankrolls-radicalism/
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As US election heats up Harris targets women and Trump courts Muslim voters
27 Oct 2024
By Kiran Moodley
Just over a week before America’s election day, the country is split down the middle… according to polls, there’s nothing to separate Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
It’s become a battle to win over any remaining undecided voters in key swing states – like Michigan where both candidates have been campaigning hard this weekend.
Source:channel4.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.channel4.com/news/as-us-election-heats-up-harris-targets-women-and-trump-courts-muslim-voters
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Iraqi Islamic Resistance claims drone strike on Israeli military target
2024-10-28
Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) announced that it had launched a drone attack on an Israeli target.
In a statement, IRI confirmed that its fighters struck an Israeli military site, emphasizing that this action was "in support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against innocent civilians, including children, women, and the elderly."
The group reiterated its commitment to escalate operations against “enemy” strongholds, vowing that attacks would continue "at an increasing pace."
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has mounted near-daily rocket and drone attacks on Israeli targets amid the ongoing war involving Gaza and Lebanon.
Since April, Israel has reported multiple aerial incursions from its eastern border, although it has refrained from attributing responsibility to a specific group. Israel has also announced that it has intercepted drones outside its airspace on several occasions.
Additionally, factions affiliated with Iraqi Resistance groups have conducted dozens of attacks against US forces stationed in Iraq and Syria under the US-led coalition.
Source:shafaq.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq/Iraqi-Islamic-Resistance-claims-drone-strike-on-Israeli-military-target
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More than 2,000 people take part in Riyadh walk for breast cancer awareness
GHADI JOUDAH
REEM AL-HAKEEM
October 27, 2024
The goal of the Zahra awareness walk campaign is to provide support to women facing breast cancer, combat their sense of isolation, and promote early screening. (AN photo by Jafar Al-Saleh)
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RIYADH: A breast cancer survivor told Arab News about her journey during an event to raise awareness, and how she regained a “sense of control” by educating herself about treatment options.
Rania Turkasni, a breast cancer survivor and ambassador of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association, spoke to Arab News during the 2024 Zahra Walk for Breast Cancer Awareness, which was held at King Saud University on Oct. 26.
She said: “I believe knowledge is power, and by understanding the disease, its treatment, and the options available, I began to regain a sense of control.”
The goal of the Zahra awareness walk campaign, which is called One Step Ahead, is to provide support to women facing breast cancer, combat their sense of isolation, and promote early screening.
Turkasni said: “I researched every aspect of breast cancer, from the latest medications to emerging treatments. As I educated myself, I found that fear gradually gave way to confidence.”
She said that the shock was overwhelming when she received her diagnosis, and it felt as if the ground beneath her had been pulled away.
She added: “But in the midst of that initial fear, something inside me awakened — a determination to face this challenge head-on.”
Turkasni said that it was not merely knowledge that helped, but her unwavering faith in God.
“This faith kept me anchored, as I knew that no matter what happened I was not alone in this fight and that there was a higher purpose to my journey,” she added.
Organized by ZBCA, the event aims to increase understanding, encourage involvement, and assist individuals impacted by breast cancer.
Fatima Al-Sulami, vice president of marketing and financial resource development at ZBCA, told Arab News: “This walk is the largest we have organized, with 2,000 participants from the public.”
ZBCA is collaborating with the community to take proactive measures toward a future in which breast cancer is finally eradicated.
Al-Sulami added: “All proceeds from ticket sales will support Zahra’s fund, which aims to offer essential support and resources to individuals battling breast cancer.”
Breast cancer can be detected through various methods, including physical examination, mammogram, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, or a biopsy, a medical procedure which takes tissue or cell samples for testing.
Early detection of breast cancer contributes significantly to raising recovery rate to more than 95 percent, according to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health.
Turkasni said: “Throughout my treatment I also relied heavily on a variety of coping skills that I had to develop quickly. I maintained a positive outlook, focusing on what I could control rather than what I couldn’t.”
She would practice mindfulness and meditate, reminding herself daily to stay present and grounded.
She added: “Visualization also became a tool for me — imagining myself healthy, whole, and thriving helped me stay resilient during the hardest moments.”
Turkasni said that support from her friends and family provided another pillar of strength.
She said: “There were days when I felt weak, but knowing I had my loved ones by my side helped me push through the darkest times.”
She added that the community of survivors and friends she had connected with, both online and in person, became another source of strength and hope.
“They understood my struggles in ways no one else could,” Turkasni said.
She added that the environment she had created for herself played a significant role in her healing journey.
She said: “I surrounded myself with positivity, whether it was uplifting books, inspiring music, or the comforting presence of nature.
“Even on the hardest days I tried to find something to smile about, a moment of gratitude that kept my spirit alive.
“For anyone here today facing cancer, or for those supporting someone who is, I want to say that there is power in every step of this journey.”
Turkasni added that from fear and uncertainty to treatment and recovery, every moment is an opportunity to learn, grow, and strengthen spirit.
She said: “Cancer does not define us; it is our response to it that shapes our story.”
Turkasni said that survivors and patients should embrace every tool at their disposal: knowledge, faith, coping strategies, and the community.
The ROSHN Group has teamed up with ZBCA for the third consecutive year to raise awareness about breast cancer.
The partnership aims to support women in their fight against breast cancer, a collaboration supported by Princess Haifa bint Faisal Al-Saud and Ghada Al-Rumayan, chief marketing and communications officer from the ROSHN Group.
Source:arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2576989/saudi-arabia
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RSF militia accused of 'massacre' in Sudan's Gezira state
27 October 2024
Sudanese soldiers from the Rapid Support Forces unit, led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, in Sudan, June 22, 2019
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The attacks in the north and east of Gezira state have been called a massacre by the Gezira Conference, a local civil society organization.
It said fighters belonging to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stormed a town in the Al-Kamelin locality on Friday morning and began firing indiscriminately from high-rise buildings. At least 50 people were killed and hundreds more injured.
In the the city of Tamboul in Gezira's north, RSF fighters went on rampage, killing dozens of civilians and displacing thousands of others.
Local groups say the attacks appear to be motivated by rage after a top RSF commander defected to the army side. Abu Aqlah Keikel, the de facto ruler of Gezira province surrendered to the Sudanese military in early October. Keikel hails from Gezira state.
The Doctors' Union in Sudan has said that RSF attacks turned areas in eastern Gezira into “a brutal war zone.”
It accused the fighters of committing sexual crimes, attacks on health facilities and forced displacement.
'Forgotten crisis'
A senior United Nations official on Friday called for more international attention to “the forgotten crisis” in Sudan, where more than a year and a half of war pushed the African country to the brink of famine.
The appeal by Ted Chaiban, deputy head of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, came as the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces rampaged through villages and towns in east-central Gezira province, looting and vandalizing public and private properties, according to a doctors’ union and a youth group. Dozens of people were reported killed.
Chaiban said the war, which erupted in April 2023 between the military and the RSF, created “one of the most acute crises in living memory” with more than 14 million people forced to flee their homes, making Sudan the world’s largest displacement crisis.
“We’ve never in a generation seen these types of numbers,” he told The Associated Press in an interview, referring to the displaced people, as well as the 8.5 million people who are facing emergency levels of food insecurity, and 775,000 others who are facing famine-like conditions.
“The whole country has been dislocated,” he said. “And yet, despite that, the country and the crisis is forgotten.”
Source:africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.africanews.com/2024/10/27/rsf-militia-accused-of-massacre-in-sudans-gezira-state/
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Evaluation systems to include anti-corruption elements
Joshua Purushotman
28-10- 2024
Pix for representational purposes – BERNAMAPIX
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PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday welcomed the Housing and Local Government Ministry initiative to integrate anti-corruption elements into the evaluation system for local councils this year, said its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
He was commenting on media reports on Oct 26, in which 12 local councils experienced a downgrade in their Star Rating System after the inclusion of anti-corruption elements in the evaluation system.
“MACC is confident that the initiative would enhance the transparency and performance of local councils. The measure is essential to strengthen integrity, governance and accountability, and achieve an efficient, clean and effective public service system.“
He said MACC is prepared to offer support in terms of advisory services and training to facilitate the establishment of an integrity unit in each of the 156 local councils nationwide.
He said this is in line with the requirements of the Human Resource Services Circular Section 1.2.1: Establishment of Integrity Units in All Public Sectors, as recommended by the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS).
“Only 49 local councils have established integrity units. MACC wants priority to be given to establishing such units in each local council as it is crucial to curbing criminal misconduct and violations of disciplinary ethics at the agency level.
“Integrity units must implement their core functions, which are governance, integrity strengthening, detection and verification, complaint management, compliance, and discipline.”
He said the MACC Agency Integrity Management Division would assist in coordinating the implementation of these functions while also providing policies and management mechanisms for the units in public agencies.
The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy, which is an internationally recognised institution under MACC, would play a significant role in delivering training programmes related to corruption and integrity.
He said MACC welcomes the continued cooperation from public agencies to implement initiatives outlined in NACS.
“Through this effort, we could enhance the nation’s image and realise our shared aspiration to improve Malaysia’s standing in the Corruption Perceptions Index.”
Source:thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/evaluation-systems-to-include-anti-corruption-elements-KA13204178#google_vignette
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32 injured get Tk 1 lakh each
Oct 28, 2024
Photo: Collected
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Thirty-two individuals injured during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and currently receiving treatment at the Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar have been provided with financial assistance of Tk 1 lakh each.
This financial assistance was provided by the July Shaheed Smriti Foundation yesterday evening.
On this occasion, Mir Mahbubur Rahman Snigdha, executive officer of the Foundation, Nahida Bushra Ity, convener of the Health Affairs Sub-Committee of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, and Mohammad Sohrab Hossain, executive director of the Savar CRP, were present.
Snigdha said the Foundation has committed to providing a maximum of Tk 1 lakh to each injured individual and Tk 5 lakh to the families of the martyrs. "I came to the CRP to fulfill this promise," he added.
A total of Tk 32 lakh has been distributed, with 27 people receiving funds via bKash and 5 through cheques, he said.
In response to a question from journalists about whether the Foundation has taken or will take any initiatives for those injured and currently at home, he replied, "We have a form that needs to be filled out properly. If other injured individuals contact us using the hotline number and website, we will take the necessary action."
"This one-time financial assistance is not the end; we will take all necessary steps to rehabilitate the injured," he added.
Source:thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/32-injured-get-tk-1-lakh-each-3738181
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Pakistan
Security forces kill four terrorists in two separate KP IBOs
By Web Desk
October 27, 2024
RAWALPIDNI: Security forces have killed four terrorists in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan district, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted in North Waziristan district where, “after an intense exchange of fire, two khwarij including Kharji Insaf Ullah, were [killed].”
In another operation in Khyber District, the ISPR said: "Own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location and resultantly two khwarij were killed, while three got injured.”
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed terrorists, who according to the statement, remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) as well as the innocent civilians.
Meanwhile, sanitisation of the area was being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area as “security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country.”
A day earlier, at least six people including four cops were martyred and several others were injured in a "suicide bombing" in North Waziristan.
The law enforcers said that the attack targeted a police post in the Eidak area of Mir Ali. Four of the slain individuals were police personnel, they added.
The injured were shifted to hospital after a rescue operation was launched. The area was cordoned off by the security forces.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since the Taliban government returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, mostly in the northwestern border province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but also in southwestern Balochistan, which abuts Afghanistan and Iran.
Islamabad accuses Kabul's interim rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1244593-security-forces-kill-four-terrorists-in-two-separate-kp-ibos
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PTI activists in Karachi stage protest against 26th Amendment
Imran Ayub
October 28, 2024
KARACHI: A large number of workers and supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, including women and children, gathered outside the Karachi Press Club on Sunday to demand release of party founder Imran Khan from prison.
They also denounced the 26th Amendment, which they claimed was passed in an “unconstitutional way”.
Those who gathered had come in rallies from different parts of the city. They converged outside the Karachi Press Club in the evening where they put up a solid power show.
Carrying PTI flags and placards and dancing to the tunes of party songs, the participants chanted slogans against the government “brutalities” and “illegal moves to suppress Imran Khan and his supporters”.
Former president Dr Arif Alvi, former MPA Khurram Sher Zaman,and several other leaders attended the protest.
In his address, PTI-Karachi president Raja Azhar warned the ruling parties to “stay cautious” while “opting for illegal moves against PTI workers”.
He also asked them to distance themselves from the policy of “political vendetta”.
“We reject these unconstitutional amendments. Our peaceful protests will continue until Imran Khan is released, and we will expand our efforts across Karachi,” he said, adding: “The recent departure of former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa has coincided with Nawaz Sharif’s own exit, raising questions about the extent of his influence.”
He said that the Sindh government was treating PTI workers unfairly, harassing them daily with police orders to arrest them from their homes.
“Today, even former MNA Alamgir Khan was unlawfully detained from the Karachi Press Club, which we condemn in the strongest terms.”
PTI leader Arsalan Khalid said that the party believed in politics of peace and during its government it respected the right of protest and freedom of expression.
“Today’s protest is for Imran Khan’s release and against unconstitutional amendments. It is just a beginning. We will continue until our leader, Imran Khan, is freed. With unwavering faith, we will persist until we achieve his release,” he added.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1868006/pti-activists-in-karachi-stage-protest-against-26th-amendment
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Lahore again tops most polluted cities' list amid thickening smog
By Web Desk
October 28, 2024
Punjab’s capital, Lahore, retained the top spot on the real-time list of the world’s most polluted cities on Monday, as pollution worsens in the metropolis with the arrival of winter.
Dense smog has engulfed Lahore once again with cooler temperatures taking hold as the city battles pollution each year in winter when mercury drops and cold air traps construction dust, vehicle emissions, and smoke.
The air quality dropped to an AQI of 532 this morning, according to IQAir, a Swiss company. The provincial capital remained on top of the world's most polluted cities' list for almost a week, indicating a worsening smog situation.
On Sunday, the city had extremely bad air quality, with an AQI of 700, prompting the Punjab Environment Protection Department to issue a smog alert.
IQAir's air quality classification defines the atmosphere as "hazardous" to health once the AQI surpasses 300.
An AQI of 0-50 is rated "good," 51-100 is "moderate," 101-150 is "unhealthy for sensitive groups," 151-200 is labeled "unhealthy," 201-300 is "very unhealthy," and any reading above 300 is deemed "hazardous."
The alert advised residents of Lahore to take precautionary measures to avoid the effects of air pollution. The citizens have been advised to keep air quality levels in check, keep their doors and windows closed, avoid going outside unnecessarily and wear masks in case they step out of their homes.
Meanwhile, all outdoor activities remain banned in schools across Punjab, with a change of school timings.
Traffic police has also warned commuters to practice caution while driving motorcycles as the visibility in the city is reduced due to rise in smog in Lahore.
Neighbouring India's capital New Delhi also retained the second slot on the pollution charts, with an AQI of 268 today.
The two cities are usually the most polluted in the world when winter season takes hold. Air quality deteriorates in cooler months, as temperature inversion traps pollution closer to the ground.
Meanwhile, Karachi also ranked among the top 10 most polluted cities today, with an AQI of 123. Here the air quality is "unhealthy" for sensitive groups and people with allergies.
According to an advisory issued by the Pakistan Meteorological Department on Tuesday (October 22), foggy and smoggy conditions are common from November to mid-December as the country enters winter season during these months.
Bad air quality is a major threat to the health as citizens in the polluted cities develop several medical issues, especially respiratory problems.
A report published last year flagging the growing burden of hazardous air on health, stated that rising air pollution can cut life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the world's most polluted regions.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1244809-lahore-again-tops-most-polluted-cities-list-amid-thickening-smog
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Gang involved in DHA robberies ‘escapes to Kohat’
Asif Chaudhry
October 28, 2024
LAHORE: The five-member robbers’ gang, which robbed several houses, including the one owned by a retired deputy commissioner (DC) in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), reportedly belongs to the Kalachi area of district Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and fled to their native place.
A team of the Lahore Organised Crime Unit (OCU), formerly CIA, is reportedly facing a hard time to reach the ‘inaccessible area’ of the KP.
The investigations into the robbery in Phase 4 of the DHA on Oct 23 committed by the robbers who used mobile phone jammers revealed that the gang had robbed 20 houses in the locality during the last two years.
Some victims have appealed to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to take notice of unprofessional behaviour and incompetence of police, claiming that the investigations had been abandoned. They claimed that the officers, including DIG Investigation Zeeshan Asghar, didn’t bother to show interest in their cases. Talking to Dawn, they suggested to the CM to launch a ‘third-party audit’ of the investigation police to assess its performance.
An official, privy to the development, said that in the recent house robbery, the same gang, which was active in the area, broke into the house of Mubhashar Ahmad and took away cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth over Rs15m. The investigation revealed that this particular gang had looted more than 20 houses in the DHA using almost the same technique of mobile phone jammers.
In May, he said, the criminals had looted the house of a retired DC in the Defence B police area. They had deprived his family of cash, gold ornaments and other valuables worth over Rs60m. It was the biggest house robbery in Lahore during recent years.
During the last 20 days, he said, four houses were robbed by the same gang of robbers in the Defence A and Defence B police areas.
The official revealed that the ex-DC himself took up the responsibility of ‘tracing’ the criminals when he found out that police had abandoned the probe. He called on Mubashar and obtained information from him for identification of the robbers.
“We both exchanged information and concluded that it was the same five-member gang, which deprived the both families of millions of rupees,” Mubashar told Dawn.
He said police visited his house the same day when he called 15 to report the robbery.
“After inspecting the crime scene, no one from the police contacted me,” he added.
Talking to Dawn by phone, the ex-DC also spoke about the non-professional behaviour of the investigators.
“I got just one call from the investigating officer who told me that he was probing the case after the transfer of his colleague to another police station. After that, no one visited or contacted me,” the ex-officer complained.
DIG Investigation Zeeshan Asghar was not available for comments.
OCU DIG Imran Kishwar said his team working on the recent house robbery case has taken an important lead.
“The OCU team was present in the Alachi area of Kohat, KP, the stronghold of the terrorists, where the police were in contact with the local authorities to help arrest the gangsters.”
Mr Kishwar said the robbers were wanted in the heinous crime cases in DHA.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1868068/gang-involved-in-dha-robberies-escapes-to-kohat
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PM Shehbaz, Bilawal Bhutto 'weigh 27th amendment focusing on provincial rights'
By Ayaz Akbar Yousafzai & Usman Bhatti
October 27, 2024
LAHORE: Just a week after passing the judiciary-centric 26th Amendment, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held deliberations on "27th constitutional amendment centering on provincial rights" in a meeting today, sources told Geo News Sunday.
Both sides hailed the successful passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment on October 21, giving credit to all the allies.
The premier expressed gratitude to the PPP for supporting the PML-N-led coalition government's efforts towards economic stability, doubling down on the commitment to serving the nation.
The coalition government's initiatives led to significant disinflation, with other economic indicators also showing positive signs, he noted.
Pledging to work alongside the ruling PML-N to strengthen democracy and parliament, the PPP chief asserted that the 26th Amendment would serve as an effective legislation, blocking the path of undemocratic forces.
The sources privy to the matter informed the Geo News that the ruling parties agreed on introducing the 27th constitutional amendment aimed at addressing the concerns raised by the provinces.
The meeting also decided to take the opposition party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), the government's ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), and other parties in confidence on the next major legislation, the sources added.
Speaking to Geo News programme "Naya Pakistan", Adviser to the PM on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah confirmed that the top leaders of the ruling coalition discussed the 27th constitutional amendment in the Lahore meeting today.
The coalition government would aim to incorporate legislation requested by various parties in the upcoming constitutional amendment, he said, adding that both sides had yet to reach a consensus on certain points discussed in today’s meeting.
He specifically pointed to the MQM-P's long-standing demand to amend Article 140A to empower local government, including a request to allocate funds to local government (LG) institutions similar to the financing provided to provincial administrations.
The adviser added that both parties had only agreed to the continuation of the Special Parliamentary Committee led by PPP leader Khursheed Shah to deliberate the constitution-related matters.
To a question related to flaws in the 26th Amendment, the PM's aide rubbished the claims and said that it was a "perfect" judiciary-centric legislation.
He also clarified that the PML-N government would not indulge in any unilateral initiative and would not bring any constitutional amendment to the parliament without evolving consensus.
To a question about a new set of constitutional tweaks, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said during the Geo News programme "Jirga", "I am unaware of any new changes to the constitution, and I don’t think the 27th amendment is coming."
He also stressed that, as the Speaker of the Lower House, he did not want to make a controversial statement.
After multiple rounds of talks between the treasury and the opposition lawmakers, the incumbent government passed the set of constitutional amendments, including provisioning a fixed three-year term for the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).
It also established a deadline of January 1, 2028, for the end of the practice of Riba (interest-based banking) in the country — a clause added to the draft amendments at the suggestion of the Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman-led JUI-F, which gave the government a tough time in presenting the draft of the amendment bill.
President Asif Ali Zardari signed the "26th Amendment Bill" into law on the advice of PM Shehbaz following the approval of the said legislation by the parliament.
However, the major opposition party — the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — strongly opposed the judicial reforms and termed it an attack on the "independence of the country's judiciary" besides announcing its plan to revoke the newly enacted legislation whenever it returned to power in the Centre.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1244602-pm-shehbaz-bilawal-deliberate-27th-amendment-focusing-provincial-rights
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North America
Why Muslims in Michigan are backing 'Islamophobic' Donald Trump
Oct 27, 2024,
In Michigan, a growing number of Muslim leaders are endorsing Donald Trump, a move many find surprising given his past rhetoric and policies targeting Muslim communities. This shift is largely driven by two key issues: disillusionment with the Biden administration’s foreign policy, especially regarding Gaza, and a perceived alignment between Trump’s promises and the values held by conservative Muslims.
Many Muslim voters in Michigan, particularly those of Arab and Palestinian descent, are deeply frustrated with Biden’s strong support for Israel in the Gaza conflict. They feel the administration has neglected the Palestinian humanitarian crisis and find Trump’s promises of peace in the Middle East appealing. Imam Belal Alzuhairi, speaking at a Trump rally, referred to the former president as the “peace candidate,” emphasising Trump’s commitment to ending U.S. involvement in “endless wars.” This position has struck a chord with voters tired of prolonged conflicts affecting their ancestral homes.
In addition to foreign policy concerns, Trump’s conservative stance on social issues has resonated with many Michigan Muslims who feel their values are no longer reflected in Democratic policies. Mayor Amer Ghalib of Hamtramck, for example, has voiced opposition to progressive social policies like the inclusion of LGBTQ content in public schools and public displays of Pride symbols, which he sees as at odds with his community’s values. For Ghalib and others, Trump’s alignment with traditional family values and his promises to protect conservative beliefs provide a strong alternative to the Democrats’ progressive agenda.
Furthermore, Trump’s previous diplomatic dealings with Muslim-majority nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, suggest to these voters that he is capable of fostering Middle Eastern stability, despite his past anti-Muslim rhetoric. Figures like Republican Congressman Darrell Issa, a Trump ally of Lebanese descent, have emphasised Trump’s relationships with Middle Eastern leaders as evidence of his ability to broker peace, lending credibility to his anti-war promises. This blend of social conservatism, foreign policy alignment, and a strong anti-war message is reshaping Michigan’s Muslim support, drawing them to Trump as a candidate who, in their view, better understands and advocates for their values and needs.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/why-muslims-in-michigan-are-backing-islamophobic-donald-trump/articleshow/114658905.cms
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Muslim leaders in Michigan rally behind Trump amid discontent with Biden's Gaza policy
Oct 27, 2024
Michigan (/topic/michigan) [US (/topic/us)], October 27 (ANI): A coalition of prominent Muslim leaders (/topic/muslim-leaders) in Michigan (/topic/michigan) has publicly endorsed former US (/topic/us) President and Republican candidate Donald Trump (/topic/donald-trump) at a rally in Novi, criticising US (/topic/us) President Biden's policies regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This announcement marks a significant shift in support from a community that has traditionally leaned toward the US (/topic/us) Democratic Party, The Nation reported. At the rally, Belal Alzuhairi emphasised their support for Trump, stating, "We, as Muslims, stand with President Trump because he promises peace, not war." He praised Trump's commitment to ending conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine, arguing for an end to the global bloodshed. Alzuhairi believes Trump is capable of facilitating peace. In response, Trump affirmed that Muslim and Arab voters (/topic/arabvoters) seek an end to ongoing wars and a return to peace in the Middle East. He remarked, "That's all they want," addressing the community's desire for stability and resolution in conflict areas. Trump also took the opportunity to criticise Vice President Kamala Harris (/topic/kamala-harris), pointing out her connection to Liz Cheney (/topic/liz-cheney), a former Republican congresswoman known for supporting the Iraq invasion in 2001. He noted the endorsement Harris received from the Cheneys, further highlighting perceived inconsistencies within the Democratic Party, reported The Nation.The discontent within Michigan (/topic/michigan)'s Muslim community has grown due to the Biden administration's unwavering support for Israel amid its military actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023. This shift was evident when over 100,000 Democratic voters chose "uncommitted" in the state's presidential primary, protesting Biden's Gaza policy during his re-election campaign. Tensions escalated when the Democratic Party declined the request from the Uncommitted movement to feature a Palestinian American speaker at the Democratic National Convention in August. This refusal further alienated Muslim voters, who felt underrepresented. Adding to the strain, Ahmed Ghanim, a former congressional candidate in Michigan (/topic/michigan), reported being removed from an invitation-only event hosted by Harris without explanation. The Harris campaign later expressed regret over the incident, assuring Ghanim that he would be welcome at future events, The Nation reported. With around 300,000 individuals of Middle Eastern and North African descent living in Michigan (/topic/michigan), accounting for 3.1 per cent of the state's population, their electoral influence is significant. In the 2020 Presidential Election, Biden narrowly defeated Trump in Michigan (/topic/michigan) by just over 150,000 votes, a stark contrast to Trump's slim victory in 2016 against Hillary Clinton by less than 11,000 votes. (ANI)
Source:aninews.in
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https://www.aninews.in/news/world/us/muslim-leaders-in-michigan-rally-behind-trump-amid-discontent-with-bidens-gaza-policy20241027224209/
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Trump promises not to fight foreign wars
27 Oct, 2024
Former US President Donald Trump promised not to send Americans to fight and die in countries they have never heard of while addressing a crowd in the battleground state of Pennsylvania this weekend.
Speaking at a campaign rally on Saturday, Trump once again claimed he is the only one capable of preventing an all-out global conflict, arguing that his Democratic rival Kamala Harris “would get us into World War III, guaranteed, because she is too grossly incompetent to do the job.”
“To make her president would be to gamble with the lives of millions of people. Sons and daughters will end up getting drafted to fight in a war in a country you’ve never heard of,” he said.
In his nomination acceptance speech earlier this year, Trump vowed to “end every single international crisis that the current administration has created,” particularly the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts. He never offered specific plans to bring about world peace, but repeatedly warned that by supporting and financing “other people’s wars” under the leadership of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the US is increasing the likelihood of sliding into WWIII.
Last week, Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that “if Kamala gets four more years, the Middle East will spend the next four decades going up in flames, and your kids will be going off to war.”
“But I will not send you to fight and die in a foolish, never-ending foreign war,” he told the crowd on Saturday.
Source:rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/news/606592-trump-us-foreign-wars/
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The Muslim vote
Huma Yusuf
October 28, 2024
AS the US election approaches, a question dominates the news cycle: how will Muslim Americans vote? Muslims comprise one per cent of the US population, but are a key constituency in hotly contested states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania. They are single-issue voters this year — Gaza.
American Muslims are dismayed by the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the horrific war in Gaza, and feel dehumanised by Democrats’ disdain for the plight of Palestinians. But they have not forgotten former US president Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ and the Republicans’ inherent post-9/11 Islamophobia. Will they choose the lesser of two evils, or walk away from the process?
Polling suggests around 29.4pc will vote for Kamala Harris. This is bad news for the Democrats — 65 to 80pc of American Muslims voted for Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in 2016 and 2020, while 80 to 92pc voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Muslim Americans who reject Harris may vote for Trump or a third candidate or abstain altogether.
Muslim Americans’ voting predicament may strike a chord for Pakistan’s liberal left, which is facing criticism for failing to push back against anti-democratic forces, most recently manifest in the passage of the 26th Amendment. The more captured our state institutions are, the less democratically minded people engage with them. Those who participate in the system are seen as complicit in its degradation. But opting out is tantamount to surrendering our democracy. What’s a liberal to do? Perhaps we can learn some lessons from Muslim Americans.
Don’t stop engaging: Muslim Americans respect the power of their votes. Their electoral handwringing is informed, grounded in a detailed understanding of both sides’ policies.
Don’t fear debate: The Muslim American constituency’s views are divided, as captured in a Wisdom of Crowds debate featuring Shadi Hamid and Haroon Moghul. Hamid is stifling the urge to punish the Democrats for supporting Israel’s atrocities in Gaza. He’s voting for Harris to minimise the overall harm to US democracy that would result from a Trump victory, and because he believes that pro-Palestine voices could find space in a Harris administration and continue to fight from within the system. Moghul, on the other hand, plans to abstain, because he cannot in conscience support a party that has facilitated war crimes.
The commentators disagree, but they’re still talking to each other, and remain focused on the shared goals of defending Palestinian rights and strengthening US democracy. Pakistanis who seek the withdrawal of the military from public life are polarised and critical of each other’s approaches. They would benefit from constructive debate and collaboration.
Think in terms of institutions rather than individuals: Moghul’s criticism of the Democratic Party is largely grounded in principle — the idea that the party is not obeying the rules of democracy. Americans have not voted for the US’s growing involvement in the Middle Eastern conflict and, in fact, oppose foreign interventions. The Democrat policy over the past year has even ignored its own members’ preferences (77pc oppose the US sending arms to Israel). Focusing on institutions and systems enables sub-groups to identify common goals, rather than fragment on the basis of individual preference.
Go local: Moghul won’t vote for either presidential candidate, but will support local and state-level candidates. He’s rejecting party leaders, not the democratic system. In Pakistan too, the best counter to elite state capture is to revitalise local government. This must be a key priority of democracy activists.
Think long-term movement not short-term victories: In their failure to influence the US’s Middle East policies, American Muslims are realising they have not, in Hamid’s words, created “countervailing incentives” to respond to “the structural incentives that reward pro-Israel positions”. This despite the recent political ascendancy of American Muslims: Keith Ellison became the first Muslim Congressman in 2006 — by 2016 US representatives included Somali refugee Ilhan Omar and second-generation Palestinian Rashida Tlaib.
In Pakistan, we rally around individuals elevated as democratic saviours. Ours is a politics of emotion, not organisation. The hard slog of building a political movement does not come easy.
This is because we are not trained on building democratic systems from the outset. As our state institutions are weakened we should go back to the basics: teach civics at school and empower student unions at university campuses. Systems are best changed from the bottom up, and from within. No matter who wins the US election, Muslim American political participation should endure.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1868133/the-muslim-vote
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Jewish heads sue Islamic preacher over 'racist' sermons
By Miklos Bolza
October 28 2024
Two Australian Jewish leaders say they have been forced to sue an Islamic cleric over his "hateful" sermons to deter others from promoting racism to further their political views.
Preacher Wissam Haddad, also known as Abu Ousayd, and the Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre have been accused of racial discrimination in Federal Court proceedings filed on Friday.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim and deputy president Robert Goot decided to sue over allegedly offensive behaviour based on racial hatred.
Mr Haddad's sermons were made at the Bankstown centre in Sydney's southwest and also published online.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Wertheim and Mr Goot claim the preacher's sermons used derogatory generalisations of Jewish people.
"We have commenced proceedings in the Federal Court to defend the honour of our community, and as a warning to deter others seeking to mobilise racism in order to promote their political views," Mr Wertheim said.
They are seeking court injunctions requiring the removal of the allegedly racist speeches and prohibiting Mr Haddad from making similar comments in the future.
They are not seeking compensation or damages.
Mr Wertheim said Australia's multicultural success story meant people were free to observe their faiths in harmony and respect.
"That should mean we do not bring the hatreds, prejudices and bigotry of overseas conflicts and societies into Australia," he said.
While maintaining social cohesion was the role of governments and their agencies, they had failed the Jewish community, Mr Wertheim said.
"It should not fall on our community, or any other community, to take private legal action to remedy a public wrong, and to stand up to those who sow hatred in our midst," he told AAP.
"However, in the circumstances we feel we have no alternative."
Source:northweststar.com.au
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https://www.northweststar.com.au/story/8804483/jewish-heads-sue-islamic-preacher-over-racist-sermons/
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Michigan Muslim leader voices support for Donald Trump
By Fidel Rahmati
October 28, 2024
Leaders of the Muslim community in the state of Michigan have declared their support for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is a Republican candidate in the upcoming presidential election.
Foreign media reported that Bilal Al-Zuhairi, the Imam of a Michigan mosque, expressed his support for Trump, stating, “We, as Muslims, support Trump because he promises peace. He pledges peace, not war. We support Trump because he promises to end the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.”
The Imam added, “The bloodshed around the world must end, and I believe this man is capable of doing it.” His remarks highlighted the community’s desire for a leader who would focus on resolving global conflicts.
Trump’s promises of peace in the Middle East come despite his strong support for Israel. During his presidency, Trump restricted entry to the U.S. for citizens from several Muslim-majority countries, raising questions about his stance toward the Muslim community.
Michigan is home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the United States. In the city of Dearborn, known as the birthplace of Henry Ford, Muslims make up about one-third of the population, making it the largest Muslim-majority community proportionate to population in the country.
Michigan, with around 8.4 million registered voters and 15 electoral votes out of the 270 needed to win, is one of seven swing states in the United States that play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the elections.
The endorsement of Trump by the Muslim community in Michigan could have significant implications in this key battleground state.
Source:northweststar.com.au
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https://www.khaama.com/michigan-muslim-leader-voices-support-for-donald-trump/
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Singer apologises after swearing on live TV during US anthem
Grace Dean
28 Oct, 2024
A singer has apologised after swearing on live TV and "messing up" a performance of the US national anthem.
Loomis prompted mockery on social media when she performed The Star-Spangled Banner at an independent candidate debate on Wednesday which was broadcast live on TV station C-SPAN, as well as on the radio and online.
In an Instagram video posted on Saturday, Loomis called the incident a “mishap” and apologised to the team at Free and Equal Elections, who organised the debate, saying: "I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to mess up the national anthem."
“This has been something I’ve been scared of since I was a little girl… I was scared I was gonna fail and then I did, and the world’s seen it,” she said.
Videos from the event show her getting flustered on stage as she appears to mess up a note.
After singing the line “and the rocket’s red glare”, she swore and said: “Can I go back, can I go back please?”
It was only then that the singer found out that the recording was live.
“I got too nervous,” she said later on in the performance.
The performance has drawn comparisons to previous mishaps during renditions of the US national anthem.
Some likened Loomis’ performance to Fergie’s infamous performance of the song at the NBA All-Star Game in 2018. Fergie said at the time that she’d ”wanted to try something special for the NBA” but that it “didn't strike the intended tone”.
“Fergie has officially earned her retirement,” one TikTok user wrote in the comments under Loomis’ performance.
Country singer Ingrid Andress was also mocked online for her performance of the national anthem at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby in July. She said the next day that she had been drunk during the song.
Source:bbc.com
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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy55ppejego
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India
India’s Hindu-Muslim Divide: Moderate Voices Needed
2024-10-27
by Mark S. Cogan
In the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, religious tensions boiled over this past September. In response to what Hindus claim was an attack on a local businessman by Muslims in the northern city of Shimla, protesters marched in the streets demanding the demolition of a mosque in the Sanjauli area of the city they claim was illegally constructed.
Calls for the destructions of mosques across India are increasingly a part of tactics employed by right-wing Hindu nationalists after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) proclaimed victory in the Lok Sabha national election earlier this year. Political polarization on the streets has seen BJP leaders take more aggressive positions. In September for example, Shimla’s former deputy mayor Rakesh Sharma raised the temperature by calling for the destruction of a mosque in the Kasumpti area of the city, claiming that the mosque was constructed without the permission of local authorities and on land that belonged to India’s central government.
Rising Religious Tensions
While the destruction of cultural and religious property is not a new tactic in religious conflicts, the old adage, “what’s past is prologue”, isn’t quite right. While the past can set the tone for present events, in India’s Hindu-Muslim conflict, the post-election rhetoric of the ruling BJP has exacerbated religious tensions with destructive consequences. To make matters even worse, the voices of moderation that tempered emotion in the past are almost completely absent in the present.
Incendiary language was reflected in the religious rhetoric of local officials who doubled down on tropes and slogans, such as “Jai Shri Ram” or “Hindu Ekta Zindabad” which are frequently deployed when religious tensions are high. BJP political figures like Sharma suggested the mosque was a part of several others in Shimla that right-wing groups have claimed create a “climate of fear”, as foreigners could “come here with some illegal plan.” Claims that Muslims are foreigners have been circulated by Hindu nationalists for decades, but they are now codified in the controversial Citizenship Law that was passed in December that put more than 200 million Muslims in India on the defensive. The controversial law gave citizenship to refugees from many South Asian faiths, with the sole exception of Islam.
The right wing in India, boosted by the Hindutva ideology, has claimed that both Muslims and Christians were foreign invaders, with many instances where the language not only resonated, but resulted in the needless slaughter of Muslims in the country. The destruction of the Babri Masji in 1991 fueled violence against Muslims and led to simultaneous acts of retaliation. Prior to that, when Muslims in Gujarat protested the arson that destroyed the al-Aqsa mosque, right-wing nationalists were quick to signal that their loyalties to India were suspect. Several years ago in Goa, Hindu nationalists also pushed anti-Muslim sentiments amid a declining Hindu population and an increase in the Muslim population. A 2006 report documented a number of desecrations of mosques and cemeteries by nationalist mobs in the state, which was otherwise known for religious tolerance.
In recent years, both in Goa and outside of it, that trend is reversing. In 2017, several Catholic churches were targeted as crosses were desecrated. Some residents claimed tensions increased after “inflammatory” speeches were made against religious minorities at the All India Hindu Convention that year. More recently, a Christian church in New Delhi was attacked by a right-wing Hindu group. But as tensions have increased nationwide, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained quiet, despite claiming in 2022 that there was “no space for discrimination” in his BJP government. The Prime Minister was silent for two weeks after two women were paraded around naked by a Hindu mob in July 2023.
This past February, two mosques were demolished in Uttarakhand state and Delhi, where in the aftermath, five people were killed. Just prior to that, Modi presided over the inauguration of the Ram Mandir temple, built on the foundations of Babri Masjid, a 16th century mosque that was demolished by Hindus in the 1990s. The claim was that it was built on an ancient Ram temple site. Even then, these claims were old news. Indian nationalists have suggested in the past that thousands of mosques in India were either built illegally or were constructed over Hindu temple ruins.
Cultural Nationalism Now Mainstream
Recent calls for the destruction of mosques across India are not just recycled political tactics. They are increasingly common while calls for restraint among BJP leadership are rare. It was local Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) religious leaders, former city councilors and village leaders that were among the 50 people that were arrested for participating in the violence surrounding the call for the destruction of the mosque in Himachal Pradesh. Missing from the national discourse are moderate voices like the Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, who in the past, spoke publicly about the promise of secularism and political pluralism in India as a cornerstone of Indian identity—even after the events surrounding the destruction of Babri Masjid.
The reality that India must confront in this era of violence is that the assertiveness of Hindu-aligned nationalism is akin to ‘saffron terrorism’ and a long-held belief that secularism in India is dangerous. This cultural nationalism, once limited to the fringes of Hindu society has now become mainstream through BJP dominance. And where there were once political parties and a more multicultural response to such brazen violence, these voices are now dimmed. There have been international voices urging calm, such as Gregory Stanton, the founder of the group, Genocide Watch in 2022. That call came amid related news that a Hindu religious leader actively called Hindus to “pick up weapons and conduct a cleanliness drive”, reminiscent of the 1994 Hutu call in Rwanda for cleansing of the minority Tutsi population. In India, only moderate voices can now balance out the pervasive voice of Hindu nationalism that dominates the body politic. The destruction of cultural and religious identity of minority populations will only repeat the many mistakes of the past, including the bloody Bombay riots of the 1990s, or the lesser known violence last year in Haryana in northern India where mobs burned shops owned by Muslims. Only moderate Hindu voices can restore calm among a population used to being provoked by age-old fears and historical anxieties about the fictitious ‘evil’ posed by foreign invaders.
Source : isdp.eu
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https://www.isdp.eu/hindu-muslim-divide-india/
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Notices issued to farmers over Waqf land to be withdrawn, says Karnataka law minister
28.10.24
Following allegations by a section of farmers from Vijayapura district that their lands were marked as Waqf properties, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Monday said the notices issued to them will be withdrawn, and the Deputy Commissioner is inquiring into the "mistake." He said the government has no intention to convert farmers' land into Waqf property and in case of any mistake, it will be rectified, and action taken against those responsible.
"Taking note of the mistake that has happened, the notices that were issued will be withdrawn. It needs to be inquired into as to why the mistake happened and then it will be decided (on action against those responsible)," Patil said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Deputy Commissioner of the district will inquire into it and a couple of days is required to initiate an action to withdraw the notices issued.
"The issue is sensitive, what I can say briefly is -- the allegation was that the farmers' land were being converted as Waqf property, the government has no such intention. In case anyone has committed such a mistake, it will be rectified and those responsible will be punished.....The land belongs to whoever it has to," he added.
Bangalore South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Friday met farmers from Vijayapura who found that their properties were marked as Waqf assets, and lashed out at the Congress government.
Seeking to clarify "confusion" over 1,200 acres in Honavada of Tikota taluk being marked as Waqf property, Industries Minister M B Patil, who is in charge of Vijayapura district, subsequently said it was due to an “error” in the gazette notification.
He said only 11 acres out of the 1,200 acres are Waqf properties. He also said that a task force headed by the Deputy Commissioner will be formed to resolve the issues Noting that M B Patil's statement has put an end to the controversy, the law Minister said, if BJP wants to continue it for political reasons, it is not right.
To a question on BJP demanding resignation of Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, he said, "why? if notices were issued wrongly there is Deputy Commissioner of the district to rectify it, there is government above it. For the mistake committed by Talati (village accountant) or Tahsildar, it is not right to ask for Zameer or anyone else's resignation."
Source:telegraphindia.com
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Opinion: How performative outrage on social media is hampering Indian Muslims
Istikhar Ali
Oct 28, 2024
Every time I log into my social media accounts, including WhatsApp, I am confronted with an endless stream of posts about the suffering of Muslims around the world. From the oppression of the Palestinians to the authorities in Indian states bulldozing homes, from protests against state brutality in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich to the systematic discrimination faced by Indian Muslims, my timeline is a relentless reminder of collective pain.
Amidst this flood of distressing content, I have been noticing a troubling trend within the Muslim community itself: an overreliance on performative outrage that rarely translates into tangible action.
Illusion of activism
Take, for example, a well-known influencer in the Indian Muslim community. Over the years, I have observed his social media presence grow significantly. He has amassed thousands of followers, many of whom look to him for guidance. He frequently shares posts about the rising tide of anti-Muslim sentiment in India, showcasing incidents of violence and systemic discrimination.
But despite his ability to amplify these issues, I often find myself frustrated by the absence of solutions. Instead of encouraging community organising or local activism, his posts, like many others, focus solely on Muslim victimhood.
I often ask myself whether any good will come from raising awareness if it does not lead to action. Scrolling past his latest viral video of communal violence, captioned, “When will the world wake up?”, I cannot help but feel that we are stuck in a loop – constantly highlighting suffering but offering no roadmap for alleviating it.
I do know a few people working on both problem-solving and community-building, but their efforts are overshadowed by the sheer volume of performative social media posts.
In this cycle, many well-meaning individuals have unintentionally become conduits for outrage.
Capitalist exploitation of activism
Social media, in its dual role as a platform for marginalised voices and a profit-driven ecosystem, has transformed activism into a commodity. It provides visibility for important causes but it also exploits these narratives for clicks, shares and likes. Many young Muslims have internalised the notion that sharing distressing content is equivalent to activism – that raising awareness alone is enough to bring about change. But real activism requires more than just raising awareness – it requires engagement, planning and action.
I have watched as my peers flood their feeds with outrage-laden posts, believing their online presence constitutes meaningful activism. Yet, as their followers grow and their perceived influence expands, it becomes clear that many are more focused on building personal brands than working towards solutions.
This commodification of outrage fuels the capitalist machinery of social media, where emotions – anger, grief, frustration – are turned into consumable content. The very platforms that profit from our pain are designed to keep us trapped in cycles of fear, outrage and helplessness.
Cycle of fear and hate
Many fail to realise that by constantly sharing videos of violence or discrimination, they are inadvertently reinforcing fear and victimhood. Rather than empowering the community, they perpetuate a sense of helplessness. They thrive on crises because crises generate content.
Instead of organising locally, joining protests or engaging in community-building, they curate online personas, share viral videos, and tweet their outrage, believing they are making a difference. But what do these heart-wrenching images and videos do for the community beyond stirring emotions?
The validation they receive – likes, shares, retweets – creates only the illusion of empowerment. The social media landscape has projected them as activists, yet there is a hollow core at the centre of this engagement. They are using the struggles of their community to boost their online visibility.
It is all about capitalising on the moment, often without recognising that their emotional expressions – anger, grief – are being exploited by algorithms designed to fuel the very cycle they are trying to escape.
Mental health, community confidence
This culture of performative outrage also has significant ramifications for mental health. The constant exposure to negative messages not only diminishes self-confidence but erodes overall mental well-being. Many of us spend countless hours on social media, often using it as a distraction from our real-life responsibilities and challenges. This cycle of outrage and helplessness leaves many feeling demoralised and disillusioned.
Many choose to limit their discussions of these issues to chat rooms or social media spaces, which often lack the nuance and care necessary to foster real dialogue.
It would make a world of difference if these influencers, who are assumed to be social media activists, actually visited marginalised communities and offered reassurance to those most affected by systemic discrimination. It would go a long way in providing emotional relief and fostering a sense of solidarity if they were to reach out with a simple message: “We are here for you. Let us know if you need anything.”
Beyond social media
Being socially and politically aware requires more than just WhatsApp messages, posting on social media, or retweeting outrage. The challenge lies not only in addressing the injustices faced by Muslims in India but in reshaping the narrative – from one of fear and victimhood to one of empowerment and agency.
While social media can amplify voices, it is the actions taken offline that truly matter. The time has come for a collective awakening, one that moves beyond sharing stories of horror and starts creating stories of hope and progress. Our community needs to reclaim its narrative, not as passive victims, but as active agents of change capable of forging a better future.
Source:scroll.in
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https://scroll.in/article/1074914/opinion-how-performative-outrage-on-social-media-is-hampering-indian-muslims
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BJP MP calls 11 per cent of Muslims in Jharkhand ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ ahead of elections
Oct 28, 2024
Nishikant Dubey, Bharatiya Janata Party's MP from Godda, Jharkhand, claimed on Sunday that 11 per cent of the Muslim population in the state consisted of “Bangladeshi infiltrators”.
In a video interview with news agency ANI, the Godda MP blamed the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress for turning a blind eye to the increasing Muslim population across the country.
He alleged that the Muslim population in Jharkhand and the Santhal Pargana is the result of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh getting citizenship in the country.
“In 1951, the population of Muslims was 9 per cent, today it is 24 per cent. Throughout the country, Muslims have increased by 4 per cent and in our Santhal Pargana, it has increased by 15 per cent, these 11 per cent are Bangladeshi infiltrators and the government of Jharkhand is accepting this,” he said.
Dubey expressed that this was a national issue and went beyond elections, which is why the BJP would be raising their voice about it. He claimed that due to vote bank politics, the JMM and Congress were neglecting this issue and thus ignoring the tribal population of the state.
In a post on X, he shared a document issued to police officials purportedly warning them of the presence of Bangladeshi immigrants in the Santhal Pargana.
He added to the post, “This is the proof of the decrease in the tribal population in Jharkhand and the looting of the honor and land of our sisters and daughters by making Bangladeshi infiltrators Indian citizens. This letter is from the Jharkhand government. For vote bank, Congress and JMM are conspiring to merge our Santhal Pargana with Bangladesh.”
Source:hindustantimes.com
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Maharashtra polls: Congress Muslim leader gives ‘Boycott UBT Sena’ call, shocks community
ByJyoti Punwani
Oct 28, 2024
MUMBAI: Angered by the paucity of tickets given to Muslims by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), former Congress MLA Yusuf Abrahani has called a meeting on Tuesday of all Muslim groups and religious leaders to discuss his proposal to boycott the party. “The entire Muslim community voted for the MVA in the Lok Sabha elections,” he said. “In some constituencies, especially in Mumbai, Sena candidates won because of Muslim votes.”
Congress Muslim leader gives ‘Boycott UBT Sena’ call, sends shock waves through community
Giving the example of Byculla, which has a 41% Muslim population, Abrahani pointed out that Arvind Sawant, the Sena (UBT) candidate for South Mumbai, got 86,883 votes from the Byculla segment while his nearest rival from the Shinde Sena, sitting Byculla MLA Yamini Jadhav, got only 40,817.
Jadhav will once again contest the assembly polls from Byculla against former corporator Manoj Jamsutkar, the Sena (UBT)’s candidate. Byculla was one of the seats over which the Congress fought with the Sena (UBT), and Abrahani was the front runner for it. Locals and community leaders say he would have easily won.
Since his own party ceded the seat to the Sena (UBT), why is Abrahani asking for a boycott?
“Uddhav should know that the Lok Sabha votes his party got belonged to the Congress, and we voted for him as part of the INDIA bloc,” he said. “We worked hard for his party. The least we expected was that where Muslims are in large numbers, they would be given tickets.”
“Isn’t Mr Abrahani aware that we have fielded Haroon Khan from Versova?”
said senior Sena (UBT) leader Subhash Desai. Desai claimed that Abrahani’s concern was not about his community and he was calling for a boycott only because he had not got a ticket from his own party. “Why Byculla, his party could have given him a ticket from anywhere,” he said. “Why didn’t it?”
Had Abrahani’s party approved of this proposal which would weaken the MVA? “I am proposing a boycott as a community leader, not a Congressman,” he said. “If the high command tells me to withdraw this proposal, I will,” he said. “But I also feel the Sena (UBT) is taking advantage of Rahul Gandhi’s wish to see a secular government in Maharashtra. We have to put pressure on them.”
However, while many Muslims are upset with the Sena, not everyone supported the boycott call. While some felt it would cause confusion in the community, a political worker pointed out that with the traditional Sena stronghold of Lalbaug being in the Byculla assembly constituency, it would have been impossible for Uddhav to nominate a Muslim.
“Let’s see what the opinion of the majority at the meeting is,” said Abrahani, adding that his proposal on Facebook had got 400,000 likes. “There’s still time till then for the UBT to take corrective steps.”
Desai scoffed at the idea. “I can give you a hundred bits of evidence to show how much Muslims love and support Uddhavji,” he said, adding that the party didn’t need to take note of Abrahani’s statement. “If he believes in the alliance, he should stop making such calls.”
Source:hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/congress-muslim-leader-gives-boycott-ubt-sena-call-sends-shock-waves-through-community-101730057128387.html
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Enemy trying to weaken tribals through love jihad and land jihad: CM Mohan Yadav
28 October 2024
Indore (MP): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday claimed some elements were trying to weaken tribals through religious conversions, "love jihad" and "land jihad". Addressing a congregation of the Bhilala ST community in Indore, Yadav claimed the "enemy" was taking undue advantage of innocent tribals by making them fight over trivial issues. "The enemy is deliberately playing such games of religious conversion, love jihad and land jihad. All these ploys are aimed to weaken you, but don't worry the government is by your side," Yadav saidmarriage by Muslim men through Islamic jihad. Yadav hailed tribal people for maintaining cultural sanctity and simultaneously running a campaign to eradicate ill practices. The chief minister said the laying of the Indore-Manmad railway line will lead to rapid development of tribal areas. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved nearly Rs 18,036 crore for the 309-km-long rail line project in September.
Source:deccanherald.com
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https://www.deccanherald.com/india/madhya-pradesh/enemy-trying-to-weaken-tribals-through-love-jihad-and-land-jihad-cm-mohan-yadav-3251199
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Indian Union Muslim League hits back at CM Vijayan; rejects charges of links with Jamaat-e-Islami
27.10.24
The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key partner in the Congress-led UDF, on Sunday came out against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's remarks linking it with communal outfits like Jamaat-e-Islami, and accused the Marxist veteran of trying to divide communities for political gain.
E T Mohammed, the party's national organising secretary, alleged that the ruling CPI(M) was engaging in "dirty politics" to create divisions in society.
On Saturday, Vijayan, after releasing a book -- 'Keralam: Muslim Rashtreeyam - Rashtreeya Islam' -- by CPI(M) state committee member P Jayarajan, said a great danger posed by the IUML is that in its eagerness to defeat the communists, it joins forces with the SDPI, Jamaat-e-Islami and any other communal terrorist organisation.
"These accusations are just attempts by the chief minister to deflect from his own failures," said Basheer, while speaking to reporters in Malappuram.
He outrightly rejected the CM allegations and termed them false.
"This is completely false. We have no alliance with the SDPI, and we firmly reject such claims. While it is true that in 2019, we previously engaged with Jamaat-e-Islami, it was not a secret," he said.
In fact, the CPI(M) itself has received support from Jamaat-e-Islami in several past elections, he further said.
"The Muslim League has never regarded Jamaat-e-Islami as a terrorist group, which is why the UDF accepted their support in the 2019 election. However, it is ironic that Vijayan's party, which once benefitted from their votes, now suddenly sees them as a terror threat," the Malappuram MP added.
"Let's not forget that it was the CPI(M) that helped and nurtured the PDP (a party founded by Abdul Nazer Mahdani) in Kerala," Basheer further said.
The IUML leader charged that Vijayan is often wrong, and his narratives are attempts to cover up his failures.
"Pinarayi Vijayan is attempting to divide minorities, but his latest efforts to gain political gains through this have failed in the last Lok Sabha elections. The IUML has no need for the CPI(M) or Vijayan's so-called 'soft line' approach," said Basheer.
Meanwhile, Jayarajan responded that the focus of the upcoming bypolls should be on secularism, not on his book.
"Secularism is the core aim of the LDF, and we will not compromise with those who support a religious state," he told reporters in Kalpetta on Sunday.
He admitted that the issue of Jamaat-e-Islami's support would be a topic of discussion, highlighting that while the RSS is working for Hindu unification, Jamaat-e-Islami seeks to unify Muslims.
"The LDF's stance is to oppose any form of religious statism, regardless of past alliances. The current political scenario in the country has shifted, and the party's stand has always adapted according to the political situation of the time," Jayarajan added.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/indian-union-muslim-league-hits-back-at-kerala-chief-minister-pinarayi-vijayan-rejects-charges-of-links-with-jamaat-e-islami/cid/2058787
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"Vote Jihad Factor In Lok Sabha Polls Won't Work This Time": D Fadnavis
October 27, 2024
Mumbai: 'Vote jihad' and fake narratives will not work in the upcoming Maharashtra election and the Mahayuti alliance will return to power after the November 20 polls, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.
Mr Fadnavis, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, spoke at NDTV Marathi's Jahirnama event which saw the biggest newsmakers in Maharashtra politics share their insights on the upcoming election.
"Vote jihad was the real (factor) in Lok Sabha election. People from a particular community voted against the BJP. The aim was to remove Modi. It will not work this time," Mr Fadnavis said.
The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance won just 17 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, while the Maha Vikas Aghadi of Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharad Pawar) put up a stellar show.
In a separate interaction with NDTV's editor-in-chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Fadnavis said the Maharashtra voter does not give fragmented verdicts. "During the Lok Sabha election, Maha Vikas Aghadi created a fake narrative. We have countered it with a straight narrative. Now people know they lied. They said (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji would come and change the Constitution and end reservation. So, people voted for Rahul Gandhi and MVA. And Rahul Gandhi went abroad and said the need for reservation is declining and they will end it. Their lies have died and our truth is out. So we will be elected," he said.
The BJP leader was referring to Mr Gandhi's remark during his recent visit to the US during which he said, "We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place and India is not a fair place." The remark sparked a massive row back home, with the BJP slamming the Congress leader and saying it would not allow reservations to be scrapped.
On the Dalit vote factor in Maharashtra polls, Mr Fadnavis said, "Dalit voter is important. But, in a large state like Maharashtra, no single community can decide the election. The Dalit voter had gone away from us due to fake narratives in the Lok Sabha election, but they have returned."
He also made a Mahabharata reference, and said the Pandavas are in the Mahayuti camp and the Kauravas in Maha Vikas Aghadi. "The Pandava camp is here and the Kauravas' there. The Kauravas will stay with the Kauravas and the Pandavas with the Pandavas," he said.
A 'Roko' Barb At Rivals
Taking a swipe at Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, Mr Fadnavis said they were just interested in roko -- meaning stop. "If there is discussion on development, I bet our rivals won't be able to participate. Because they always worked to stop (projects) -- bullet train roko, Metro roko, Mahamarg, Atal Setu roko, airport roko. Our work is thoko - finish work and progress," he said.
Mr Fadnavis also criticised a section of the media, saying that they are more interested in focusing on political leaders' barbs against each other instead of development initiatives.
On the Eknath Shinde government's development agenda, Mr Fadnavis said a river-linking project aimed at making Maharashtra drought-free is in the works. "We will have Vadhavan Port in the next few years. It will put India on the global maritime map. It will not only help Maharashtra in its economic growth but also become a growth engine for India."
Sanjay Raut's 'Vote Jihad' Swipe
Earlier in the day, Mr Raut responded to the BJP's Vote Jihad offensive. "Fadnavis should explain what is vote jihad. Wasn't it a vote jihad when Muslim votes went to Modi in 2019? When you get Muslim votes, it is not vote jihad and when the same votes come to the Congress or us, it is vote jihad?" Mr Raut said at the NDTV event.
The term 'vote jihad' became a talking point during the Lok Sabha polls when Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam asked Muslim voters to wage "vote jihad" against the BJP.
Prime Minister Modi had targeted the INDIA Opposition bloc over the remark and said, "Terrorists in Pakistan are threatening jihad against India. And here, those in Congress have also announced vote jihad against Modi, which means people of a particular religion are being asked to vote unitedly against Modi. Imagine what level the Congress has stooped to. Do you agree with Vote Jihad? In a democracy, can it be done? Does our constitution allow this kind of Jihad?" he had said.
Targeting the Mahayuti alliance, Mr Raut said, "These people have mortgaged the pride of Maharashtra in Delhi. These people have disrespected the Marathi manoos."
Source:ndtv.com
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Recital of Urdu Ramayan heralds Bikaner’s Diwali
Oct 28, 2024
JAIPUR: Diwali in Rajasthan’s desert city of Bikaner is a spectacle of light illuminated by an epic tradition of heralding the festival with a recital of the Urdu Ramayan, a Muslim professor’s labour of love and scholarship dating back to 1935.
Over the past 12 years, this event centred on Maulvi Badshah Shah Hussain Rana Lakhnavi’s presentation of the story of Lord Ram in Urdu has become an indispensable part of Bikaner’s annual celebration of the triumph of good over evil in more ways than one. Urdu Ramayan, seen as a testament to the spirit of Ram’s legend transcending faith, was born out of a nationwide competition organised by Banaras Hindu University (BHU) 89 years ago to commemorate Tulsidas Jayanti.
Rana Lakhnavi, a professor of Urdu in Bikaner at the time, participated in the competition and won a gold medal from the university. The erstwhile Maharaja Ganga Singh arranged a ceremony at Nagari Bhandar to listen to Rana Lakhnavi’s version. Urdu litterateur Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru presented gold medal to him on BHU’s behalf at the same event.
Rana Lakhnavi used to be an employee of the royal family of Bikaner between 1913 and 1919, during which time he was entrusted with the responsibility of translating orders issued by the Mughal rulers from Persian to Urdu.
The erstwhile ruler of Bikaner, Ganga Singh, later appointed him as an Urdu teacher at Dungar College. He also wrote poetry and continued to be involved in literary activities until his death in 1943 in his native village of Sandli near Lucknow.
Dr Zia-Ul-Hasan Qadri, an Urdu teacher and organiser of the Bikaner event, said Rana Lakhnavi’s Urdu Ramayan was the only available complete version of the epic in Urdu. Its beauty lies in the couplets that vividly describe scenes from Ramayan, including the battle against Ravan.
At this year’s recitation days before Diwali, Qadri recited couplets from Rana Lakhnavi’s translation that captivated the audience.
“Thode din mein jang ke bhi saaz o saman ho gaye, khoon se rangeen biyaban ho gaye/Ye bhi kuch zakhmi ho gaye, kuch woh bhi zakhmi ho gaye, katl-e-Ravan ke sab aasaar numayan ho gaye,” reads one of the couplets.
Bikaner Paryatan Lekhak Sangh’s “Mehfil-e-Adab” is as much a call for amity as it is a homage to the legend of Ram and Rana Lakhnavi’s craft.
Mukul Chaturvedi, a professor at Delhi’s Zakir Hussain College, has reproduced the text of Rana Lakhnavi’s book in English. It was published in Sahitya Akademi’s bimonthly journal in March-April 2022.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/recital-of-urdu-ramayan-heralds-bikaners-diwali/articleshow/114665730.cms
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Militants attack Army ambulance in Jammu; area cordoned off as search ops begin
by Arun Sharma
October 28, 2024
Militants attacked an Army ambulance in the Khour area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Jammu district on Monday morning, leading to an exchange of fire, officials said. The area has been cordoned off and a joint search operation has been launched for the militants, a police spokesperson said.
The incident took place in the Jogwan area of Khour sector. While Army officials confirmed that some shots had been fired at the ambulance, they said that further details are awaited.
Sources said that the militants, believed to be two or three in number, crossed Manawar Tawi from the Pakistan side and entered Battal in the Khour area. A police spokesperson said that around three militants have been spotted near Assan Mandir under the jurisdiction of Khour police station.
The Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police have cordoned off villages in the area and launched a search operation. Reinforcements have also been rushed to the site.
“They fired some rounds at an Army ambulance. Area cordoned off and joint search operation has been launched by police and security forces,” the spokesperson added.
The incident comes amid a spate of terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir over the last few days.
Two soldiers and two civilian porters working with the Army were killed and three soldiers were injured in a terror attack near the Line of Control in Gulmarg sector last week. This incident followed an attack on a campsite at Gagangir in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district where seven employees, including a local doctor, of APCO Infratech were killed.
Source:indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jammu-kashmir-army-ambulance-attack-khour-9642306/
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J&K Lieutenant Governor releases book written by former student leader Shehla Rashid
27.10.24
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday released former student leader Shehla Rashid's book, titled "Role models -- Inspiring stories of Indian Muslim Achievers".
"Released a book 'Role Models-Inspiring Stories of Indian Muslim Achievers'. The book has been penned by J&K's daughter @Shehla_Rashid," Sinha said in a post on X.
Rashid, who hails from Srinagar, shot to fame during an agitation at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as she, along with Umar Khalid and Kanhaiya Kumar, led the protests.
"She has done a great job of bringing together high achievers from the community to inspire today's youth and generations to come," Sinha said.
"She is a much-admired scholar among youth in Valley with her deep commitment to democratic values and conviction to nation-building. Shehla also earned a hallowed name for herself by engaging women and youth to bring change in society. Congratulations and best wishes for her efforts," the LG added.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/jammu-and-kashmir-lieutenant-governor-releases-book-written-by-former-student-leader-shehla-rashid/cid/2058780
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Mideast
Jihad Movement condemns Beit Lahia carnage as new Zionist crime
27 Oct 2024
The heinous massacre committed by the Zionist army in Beit Lahia late on Saturday left tens of children, women and other civilians martyred or injured, the Islamic Jihad Movement said on Saturday, dubbing the attack as a "new Nazi crime to be added to the entity's history full of genocide and ethnic cleansing crimes."
The crime comes after the blatant assault on Kamal Odwan Hospital that was "turned by the enemy into a human butchery to practice its blind hatred," the Movement added in a statement.
Source:saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3388992.htm
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Lebanon says at least 21 killed in Israeli strikes Sunday in south
October 28, 2024
BEIRUT: The Lebanese health ministry said that Israeli strikes on Sunday killed at least 21 people across southern Lebanon.
Nine people were killed and 38 wounded in a strike on Haret Saida, near the port city of Sidon, the ministry said. At least seven others including a nurse and three rescuers were killed in the southern village of Ain Baal and five in Burj Al-Shemali.
A strike on Haret Saida, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the Israeli border, completely destroyed the top floor of a three-story building, according to an AFP correspondent.
Nearby buildings were also damaged. The Lebanese army blocked access to the sector, which has become crowded with people fleeing other areas of south Lebanon since Israel launched its offensive against Hezbollah in September.
AFP’s correspondent said that no warning to evacuate the zone was given before Israel’s strike.
In Ain Baal, the dead included three emergency workers working at a center run by the Al-Riossala Association, a charity linked to the Shiite political party Amal, which is an ally of Hezbollah.
A nurse and three other people who happened to be nearby were also killed, the health ministry said.
Israel’s deadly drone attack at Burj Al-Shemali struck near a school run by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, according to the municipal chief, quoted by the ANI news agency.
An UNRWA spokesperson said the school was not directly hit in the strike and suffered no casualties.
At least 1,620 people have been killed in the conflict since September 23, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2577034/middle-east
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Iran kills four after deadly attack in southeast: report
October 27, 2024
TEHRAN: Iranian armed forces on Sunday killed at least four “terrorists” behind a deadly attack on police the day before in the country’s southeast, Tasnim news agency reported.
Ten police officers were killed in Sistan-Baluchistan province on Saturday in an attack claimed by the Pakistani-based Sunni jihadist group Jaish Al-Adl — Arabic for Army of Justice.
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards backed by intelligence forces and police on Sunday killed at least four “terrorists” suspected of involvement in a drone strike, Tasnim said, citing the Guards.
“During this operation, four terrorists were killed, some were wounded and escaped and four others were arrested,” it said.
“The operation to arrest and destroy the remaining terrorists is still ongoing.”
The official IRNA news agency, citing a police statement, reported the death of “10 personnel in two patrol units” in what it called an ambush.
Sistan-Baluchistan borders Pakistan and Afghanistan and is one of the most impoverished provinces in the Islamic republic.
Saturday’s attack was one of the deadliest in the area in recent months.
In early October, at least six people, including police officers, were killed in the province in two separate attacks.
Jaish Al-Adl claimed responsibility for the two attacks in a message on Telegram.
Formed in 2012 by Baluch separatists, the group is considered a “terrorist organization” by both Iran and the United States.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2577030/middle-east\
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Hamas, Jihad: Glilot operation natural response to genocide crimes in Gaza
27 Oct 2024
The Islamic Resistance Movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine confirmed today, Sunday, that the Tel Aviv operation that targeted Zionist soldiers is a natural response to the enemy’s massacres and genocide crimes in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Palestinian Information Center, Hamas considered in a press statement that the operation is “a natural response to the crimes of the Zionist occupation against the Palestinian people, and its ongoing brutal massacres, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, where the most heinous acts of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of innocent civilians are being committed.”
Hamas said that “the valiant Palestinian people continue to challenge the Zionist killing and terror machine, and that they are committed to continuing the path of resistance and sacrifice until the will of the fascist enemy is broken and defeated.”
For its part, the Islamic Jihad Movement said: "The steadfastness and will of the Palestinian people is most clearly demonstrated through the heroic Tel Aviv operation, and the continued resistance in the West Bank, Gaza, southern Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq by causing pain to the enemy."
It pointed out that Tel Aviv operation proves that the resistance still holds the initiative, and is always ready to deliver painful blows to the enemy, stressing that it will confront the enemy's plans throughout the Palestinian territories.
Six Zionist soldiers were killed and 50 others were injured, including ten in serious condition, in a run-over operation that took place near a bus station at Glilot military base junction north of Tel Aviv, which includes military headquarters.
Source:saba.ye
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Sunni Parl. Faction urges countries to condemn Israeli crimes
Oct 27, 2024,
The faction called on all countries in the world and the international bodies to condemn the criminal acts of the Zionist regime.
Denouncing the aggressive operations of the Zionist regime, the Sunni Faction of the Iranian Parliament emphasized that this blatant aggression is contrary to the international law and that all countries of the world and the international institutions must condemn it.
The Sunni Faction of the Iranian Parliament, in addition to condemning the criminal acts of the Zionist regime, which is completely contrary to international law, praised the determination of the Armed Forces, steadfastness and perseverance of the noble nation of the Islamic Iran, the statement added.
Following the aggression of criminal Zionist regime, four Iranian soldiers in air defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army were martyred in defending the country's territorial integrity and confronting the aggression of the criminal Zionist regime, the statement added.
Despite the previous warnings of the officials of the Islamic Republic to the illegal Zionist regime to avoid any adventurous actions, the Tel Aviv regime attacked several military sites in the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, and Ilam on Saturday morning in a tension-causing action, Iran Air Defense Force said.
Source:mehrnews.com
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Across the board buying lifts QSE 159 points, M-cap adds QR10.78bn; Islamic index outperforms
OCTOBER 27, 2024
SANTHOSH V. PERUMAL
The Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) on Sunday opened the week on a stronger note with its key index gaining more than 159 points and capitalisation adding about QR11bn on an across the board buying interests.
The real estate, telecom and industrials counters witnessed higher than average demand as the 20-stock Qatar Index shot up 1.53% to 10,559.95 points, although the index touched an intraday high of 10,575 points.
The foreign funds were seen net buyers in the main market, whose year-to-date losses truncated to 2.5%.
As much as 90% of the traded constituents extended gains to investors in the main bourse, whose capitalisation added QR10.78bn or 1.76% to QR622.31bn on the back of large cap segments.
The Arab individuals were seen bullish in the main market, which saw as many as 0.16mn exchange traded funds (sponsored by Masraf Al Rayan and Doha Bank) valued at QR0.36mn trade across 13 deals.
The Islamic index was seen outperforming the other indices in the main bourse, whose trade turnover and volumes were on the increase.
The Gulf institutions turned net buyers in the main market, which saw no trading of treasury bills.
The foreign individuals were seen increasingly net buyers in the main bourse, which saw no trading of sovereign bonds.
The Total Return Index rose 1.53%, the All Islamic Index by 1.8% and the All Share Index by 1.45% in the main market.
The realty sector index shot up 2.29%, telecom (2.23%), industrials (1.69%), transport (1.41%), banks and financial services (1.35%), insurance (1.28%) and consumer goods and services (0.59%).
Major gainers in the main market included Ezdan, Alijarah Holding, Qatari Investors Group, Al Khaleej Takaful, Salam International Investment, QIIB, Masraf Al Rayan, Lesha Bank, Baladna, Meeza, Qatar Investors Group, Aamal Company, Qamco, Mazaya Qatar and Ooredoo. In the juniour bourse, Techno Q saw its shares appreciate in value.
Nevertheless, Qatar General Insurance and Reinsurance, Zad Holding, Al Meera and Qatar National Cement were the losers in the main bourse. In the venture market, Al Mahhar Holding saw its shares depreciate in value.
The foreign institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR25.18mn compared with net sellers of QR49.8mn on October 24.
The foreign individual investors’ net buying increased perceptibly to QR5.11mn against QR3.06mn last Thursday.
The Arab individuals were net buyers to the extent of QR3.84mn compared with net sellers of QR17.92mn the previous trading day.
The Gulf institutions turned net buyers to the tune of QR3.67mn against net profit takers of QR6.14mn on October 24.
However, the Qatari individuals’ net selling expanded substantially to QR25.45mn compared to QR12.83mn last Thursday.
The domestic funds turned net sellers to the tune of QR8.42mn against net buyers of QR81.64mn the previous trading day.
The Gulf retail investors were net sellers to the extent of QR3.94mn compared with net buyers of QR2.49mn on October 24.
The Arab institutions had no major net exposure against net profit takers to the extent of QR0.5mn last Thursday.
Trade volumes in the main market soared 80% to 233.09mn shares and value by 22% to QR451.29mn, while transactions were down 5% to 12,630.
In the venture market, trade volumes more than doubled to 3.81mn equities and value also more than doubled to QR8.83mn on 10% jump in deals to 120.
Source:gulf-times.com
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Iraqi Sunni scholars reject proposed changes to Personal Status Law
2024-10-27
Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Fiqh Council and the Sunni Endowment Office formally rejected proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law (PSL,) stressing that "there is no legitimate basis for replacing the law with separate Shiite and Sunni codes."
In a statement from a joint committee of the Iraqi Fiqh Council—the highest Sunni religious authority in Iraq—and the Sunni Endowment Office, the gathering, led by prominent scholar Ahmad Hasan al-Taha, and tasked with reviewing the proposed changes to the Personal Status Law, considered the existing Personal Status as “a critical foundation for the Iraqi family structure, covering 94 articles related to family jurisprudence such as marriage, divorce, spousal rights, waiting periods, lineage, custody, alimony, wills, and inheritance.” The law permits reference to Islamic jurisprudence for issues not explicitly addressed within its framework and recognizes sectarian-specific elements in marital contracts through provisions like deferred dowry.
The law, according to the statement, was crafted by selecting jurisprudential views suitable for Iraq’s diverse social landscape and conditions.
The committee specifically criticized sections (b) and (c) of Article I of the proposed amendments, which would allow decisions based on the Shiite Endowment's Scientific Council's opinions when Jaafari Shiite jurisprudence cannot be applied, while for Sunni cases, it only references the Sunni Endowment's Scientific and Fatwa Council, overlooking the authority of the Iraqi Fiqh Council of Senior Scholars.
“This approach,” the statement noted, “represents an unjustified exclusion of the Sunni Endowment’s authority, which is legally recognized.” This exclusion was described as a "double standard in handling laws related to the rights of Iraqi community components."
In addressing changes to Article 2 and the potential removal of Article 10, Paragraph 5, regarding marriage contracts, the statement warned that “expanding authorization for contract officiation through both the Shiite and Sunni Endowments could destabilize family structures, jeopardize the rights of wives and children, and put vulnerable groups at risk of exploitation.”
The committee further advocated for "adding legal provisions to address the use of modern communication means in contracting marriages or issuing divorces."
Should the parliament persist with these amendments, the statement recommended retaining the current Personal Status Law while introducing optional separate codes, allowing contracting parties to choose between the existing law or one of the sectarian-specific codes, “with no retroactive impact on previous contracts."
The statement concluded by affirming that the Iraqi Fiqh Council, with collaboration from the Scientific and Fatwa Council of the Sunni Endowment and legal experts, can draft a Sunni jurisprudential code that “reflects Islamic heritage while updating certain articles to ensure a balance in spousal rights, children’s welfare, and detailed provisions for inheritance and custody, which could aid judges in resolving family-related cases.”
Notably, the Iraqi Parliament was set to vote today on the amendments to the Personal Status Law (PSL), which are a key demand of the Shiite Coordination Framework. In Iraq, it is customary for laws to be passed in conjunction with others to ensure balance among different components. Today’s session was expected to include votes on several significant pieces of legislation: the Kurdish bloc’s Property Restitution Law, the Coordination Framework's Personal Status Law, and the Sunni blocs’ amendments to the Amnesty Law.
A source told Shafaq News Agency that parliament planned to vote on these laws as a package deal. “This means that if any law is rejected, all the proposed laws will be postponed to a later session.”
PSL Amendments Background
The Personal Status Law, enacted in 1959 is applied to all Iraqis without sectarian distinction. However, the proposed amendments include a provision allowing Iraqis to choose whether Shia or Sunni laws will govern their personal status matters at the time of marriage. Those who have not previously selected a specific sect's laws can request a personal status court to apply their chosen sect's religious laws, with the court required to comply.
The draft law also stipulates that if parties in a family case disagree on the applicable legal source, the religious opinion will prevail.
It further mandates that the Shia and Sunni Endowment Councils, in coordination with the State Council, draft a code of religious rulings on personal status issues and submit it to the Parliament for approval within six months of the Law's enactment.
Additionally, the amendment requires personal status courts to validate marriage contracts performed by Muslims before individuals authorized by religious or legal authorities, ensuring all contract elements and conditions are met.
Source:shafaq.com
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Iran’s imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate hospitalized with severe health issues
October 28, 2024
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates: Iranian authorities have allowed imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to be hospitalized after almost nine weeks of feeling sick, a group campaigning for the activist said Sunday.
The Free Narges Coalition said in a statement that Mohammadi must be granted a medical furlough to receive comprehensive treatment for multiple conditions. It said that just transferring her to the hospital will not address the severe health issues caused by months of neglect and deprivation.
Mohammadi is being held at Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, which houses political prisoners and those with Western ties. She already had been serving a 30-month sentence, to which 15 more months were added in January.
On Saturday, Iranian authorities issued an additional six-month sentence against her after she protested the execution of another political prisoner in the women’s ward of Evin Prison on Aug. 6.
Mohammadi suffers from heart disease, and according to her medical report issued in September, the main artery of her heart has again developed a serious complication.
The coalition said that they continue to demand the unconditional release of Mohammadi and her full access to medical care.
Mohammadi is the 19th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the second Iranian woman after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi in 2003.
Mohammadi, 52, has kept up her activism despite numerous arrests by Iranian authorities and years behind bars.
Source:arabnews.com
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UN Security Council expected to meet Monday over Israel’s strike on Iran, diplomats say
October 27, 2024
NEW YORK: The United Nations Security Council is expected to meet on Monday to discuss Israel’s attack on Iran, diplomats said on Sunday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called on the Security Council to meet over the attack and diplomats said the council was likely to discuss the situation on Monday.
“Israeli regime’s actions constitute a grave threat to international peace and security and further destabilize an already fragile region,” Araqchi said in a letter to the 15-member council on Saturday.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, in alignment with the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and under international law, reserves its inherent right to legal and legitimate response to these criminal attacks at the appropriate time,” he wrote.
Scores of Israeli jets completed three waves of strikes before dawn on Saturday against missile factories and other sites near Tehran and in western Iran, Israel’s military said.
It was retaliation for Iran’s Oct. 1 attack on Israel with about 200 ballistic missiles, and Israel warned its heavily armed arch-foe not to hit back after the latest strike.
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon rejected Iran’s complaint at the United Nations, saying in a statement on Sunday that Iran was “trying to act against us in the diplomatic arena with the ridiculous claim that Israel has violated international law.”
“As we have stated time and time again, we have the right and duty to defend ourselves and will use all the means at our disposal to protect the citizens of Israel,” Danon said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed “to all parties to cease all military actions, including in Gaza and Lebanon, exert maximum efforts to prevent an all-out regional war and return to the path of diplomacy,” his spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.
Source:arabnews.com
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Iran president says not seeking war with Israel, vows response to strikes
October 27, 2024
TEHRAN: President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that Iran did not seek war with Israel but was ready to deliver “an appropriate response” to strikes this week on Iranian military sites.
“We do not seek war but we will defend the rights of our nation and country,” Pezeshkian told a cabinet meeting, adding that Iran “will give an appropriate response to the aggression of the Zionist regime.”
On Saturday, Israel conducted air strikes on military sites in Iran in response to Tehran’s October 1 attack on Israel, itself retaliation for the killing of Iran-backed militant leaders and a Revolutionary Guards commander.
Israel has warned Tehran against responding.
Pezeshkian blamed the soaring regional tensions on Israel’s “aggression” and US support for the country, which Tehran does not recognize.
“If the aggressions of the Zionist regime and its crimes continue, the tensions will spread,” said the Iranian president.
Pezeshkian added that the United States had “promised to end the war in return for our restraint, but they did not keep their promise,” Pezeshkian added.
Iran has called for an end to the Gaza war, triggered by the October 7 attack on Israel last year, carried out by the Tehran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Iran also backs other armed groups in the region, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah which has been fighting an all-out war with Israeli forces for the past month after a year of largely low-intensity exchanges.
Source:arabnews.com
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War casts shadow over ancient Baalbek
October 27, 2024
BAALBEK: Since war erupted between Israel and Hezbollah, the famed Palmyra Hotel in east Lebanon’s Baalbek has been without visitors, but long-time employee Rabih Salika refuses to leave — even as bombs drop nearby.
The hotel, which was built in 1874, once welcomed renowned guests including former French President Charles de Gaulle and American singer Nina Simone.
Overlooking a large archeological complex encompassing the ruins of an ancient Roman town, the Palmyra has kept its doors open through several conflicts and years of economic collapse.
“This hotel hasn’t closed its doors for 150 years,” Salika said, explaining that it welcomed guests at the height of Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war and during Israel’s last war with Hezbollah in 2006. The 45-year-old has worked there for more than half his life and says he will not abandon it now.
“I’m very attached to this place,” he said, adding that the hotel’s vast, desolate halls leave “a huge pang in my heart.”
He spends his days dusting decaying furniture and antique mirrors. He clears glass shards from windows shattered by strikes.
Baalbek, known as the “City of the Sun” in ancient times, is home to one of the world’s largest complex of Roman temples — designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
But the latest Israel-Hezbollah war has cast a pall over the eastern city, home to an estimated 250,000 people before the war.
After a year of cross-border clashes with Hezbollah, Israel last month ramped-up strikes on the group’s strongholds, including parts of Baalbek.
Only about 40 percent of Baalbek’s residents remain in the city, local officials say, mainly crammed into the city’s few Sunni-majority districts.
On Oct. 6, Israeli strikes fell hundreds of meters (yards) away from the Roman columns that bring tourists to the city and the Palmyra hotel.
UNESCO told AFP it was “closely following the impact of the ongoing crisis in Lebanon on the cultural heritage sites.”
More than a month into the war, a handful of Baalbek’s shops remain open, albeit for short periods of time.
“The market is almost always closed. It opens for one hour a day, and sometimes not at all,” said Baalbek Mayor Mustafa Al-Shall.
Residents shop for groceries quickly in the morning, rarely venturing out after sundown.
They try “not to linger on the streets fearing an airstrike could hit at any moment,” he said.
Last year, nearly 70,000 tourists and 100,000 Lebanese visited Baalbek. But the city has only attracted five percent of those figures so far this year, the mayor said.
Even before the war, local authorities in Baalbek were struggling to provide public services due to a five-year economic crisis.
Now municipality employees are mainly working to clear the rubble from the streets and provide assistance to shelters housing the displaced.
A Baalbek hospital was put out of service by a recent Israeli strike, leaving only five other facilities still fully functioning, Shall said.
Baalbek resident Hussein Al-Jammal said the war has turned his life upside down.
“The streets were full of life, the citadel was welcoming visitors, restaurants were open, and the markets were crowded,” the 37-year-old social worker said. “Now, there is no one.”
His young children and his wife have fled the fighting, but he said he had a duty to stay behind and help those in need.
“I work in the humanitarian field, I cannot leave, even if everyone leaves,” he said.
Only four homes in his neighborhood are still inhabited, he said, mostly by vulnerable elderly people.
“I pay them a visit every morning to see what they need,” he said, but “it’s hard to be away from your family.”
Rasha Al-Rifai, 45, provides psychological support to women facing gender-based violence.
But in the month since the war began, she has lost contact with many.
“Before the war ... we didn’t worry about anything,” said Rifai, who lives with her elderly parents.
“Now everything has changed, we work remotely, we don’t see anyone, most of the people I know have left.”
“In the 2006 war we were displaced several times, it was a very difficult experience, we don’t want this to happen again,” she said. “We will stay here as long as it is bearable.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Yemeni riyal nears historic low in government-controlled areas
SAEED AL-BATATI
October 27, 2024
AL-MUKALLA: The Yemeni riyal fell to 2,045 against the dollar in government-controlled areas on Sunday, just days after an all-time low of 2,000.
As the Yemeni government and its financial institutions called for an international bailout, money traders and local media said the riyal was on track to break another record of 2,100 against the dollar.
The riyal traded at 215 against the dollar during the early months of the war, which began after the Houthi militia forcibly took power a decade ago.
Violent protests have erupted in Aden, the interim capital, and other cities in recent years, as the riyal’s depreciation has raised food, fuel and transportation prices.
The Aden-based central bank has shut down unlicensed exchange firms and ships, as well as those not following its monetary rules. It has ordered the relocation of banks from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to Aden, and sold dollars from its dwindling foreign currency reserves in public auctions to help local traders obtain enough to import food and other essentials.
But the measures have failed to support the riyal, which fell from around 1,200 per dollar in April 2022, following the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council, to 2,000 a week ago.
The government has blamed the Yemeni riyal’s devaluation on Houthi attacks on oil terminals in the southern provinces of Hadramout and Shabwa, which resulted in a halt in oil exports, as well as currency speculation by local money traders and exchange firms.
It comes as Ahmed Ghaleb, governor of Aden’s central bank, reiterated a governmental appeal to the international community to help contain the riyal’s depreciation and ensure it can continue meeting financial obligations such as paying salaries.
According to official Yemen news agency SABA, Ghaleb, currently in Washington DC, said during a meeting with US Yemen envoy Tim Lenderking that the Houthis’ strikes on oil facilities in late 2022, as well as their attacks on international shipping, had deprived the Yemeni government of its main source of revenue. They had also increased shipping and insurance costs, exacerbating the country’s humanitarian crisis.
Speaking last week to a gathering of central bank governors and financial ministers from the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region, Ghaleb said Yemen had lost over $6 billion in revenue in the 30 months since its oil exports stopped. He also said Houthi attacks on ships had disrupted the flow of supplies and escalated poverty and food insecurity.
The Yemeni government has repeatedly said it cannot pay employees in areas under its control without financial aid.
Teachers, security and military personnel, and other government employees in Aden, Al-Mukalla and other government-controlled cities have complained their salaries are paid weeks late and have lost value due to the riyal’s depreciation.
“Salaries are paid late, losing value. The teacher, who previously received $320, is now paid $53. We went on strike to protest the collapse of salaries, but no one paid attention,” Abu Mohammed, a teacher from Hadramout province, told Arab News on Sunday.
Source:arabnews.com
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Hezbollah says fired rockets at north Israel
October 27, 2024
BEIRUT: Hezbollah said it fired rockets at northern Israel on Sunday, a day after it declared several areas in the region a “legitimate target” due to the presence of Israeli troops.
The Iran-backed Lebanese group, at war with Israel since last month, said it targeted a “military industries base north of Haifa... with a large rocket salvo.”
Since late September Hezbollah has announced similar strikes against defense industry facilities and military bases near Haifa, a major northern Israeli city.
The group also claimed rocket fire on Nahariya and drone strikes near Acre, both of which are north of Haifa.
Hezbollah issued an evacuation warning for more than 20 areas in northern Israel on Saturday.
It called on residents to “evacuate immediately,” saying the mentioned zones have “become legitimate military targets” for its forces.
Israel also pressed on with its aerial campaign on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon on Sunday.
At least eight people were killed and 25 wounded in an Israeli raid near the city of Sidon in southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The Israeli military on Sunday told residents of several villages in south Lebanon to leave immediately, warning that it would strike Hezbollah targets there.
But it did not mention the Sidon suburb of Haret Saida.
In the southern city of Nabatiyeh, “a house was completely destroyed, and residential buildings, shops and dozens of cars were severely damaged” after an Israeli strike on a neighborhood, Lebanon’s official National News Agency said.
Hezbollah and Israel have been trading cross-border fire since October last year.
Last month, Israel escalated air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds and sent in ground forces, after killing several top commanders in the group.
Israel dealt Hezbollah a seismic blow when it assassinated it’s leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27 in an air strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Source:arabnews.com
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia’s Global Harmony Initiative is a ‘unique opportunity’ say Pakistani expatriates
SAIMA SHABBIR
October 27, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat in Saudi Arabia and expatriates welcomed and expressed support for the Saudi “Global Harmony Initiative,” saying that it would play a key role in fostering understanding and unity between the diverse communities living in the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia last week unveiled the Global Harmony Initiative, which is aimed at celebrating the diverse nationalities and cultures of residents through exploring their lives, contributions and cultural integration.
The initiative, a collaboration between the Quality of Life government program, Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority and the Ministry of Media, will feature events during Riyadh Season showing the cuisines, cultures and heritage of countries such as Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and others.
Pakistanis are the second-largest expatriate community in the Kingdom, with more than 2.5 million reportedly living and working in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is the top source of remittances for the South Asian country.
“The Global Harmony Initiative will play an important role in fostering understanding and unity among the diverse expatriate communities in Saudi Arabia,” Ahmad Farooq, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told Arab News.
Farooq said the initiative provides a valuable platform, especially for the Pakistani community, to share its rich cultural heritage and highlight its significant contributions to the Kingdom.
“The Global Harmony Initiative is a significant step toward acknowledging the vital role expatriates play in Saudi society,” he added.
He said Pakistanis have a “unique opportunity” to highlight their professional achievements, family values and cultural integration.
Farooq added that the Global Harmony Initiative not only promotes inclusivity but also strengthens the bonds between communities to enhance the overall fabric of Saudi society.
He encouraged Pakistani expatriates to actively participate in the initiative, tell their stories and underline their contributions for a brighter, more harmonious future.
Pakistani expatriates from all walks of life welcomed the initiative, saying it will provide them opportunities to engage with diverse cultures while also promoting their own.
“It is indeed a great initiative, as we will not only experience the diverse cultures of various expatriate communities but also have the chance to introduce the richness of Pakistani culture to others,” Muhammad Naveed, a Pakistani engineer in Riyadh, told Arab News.
He said the initiative would foster stronger ties between expatriates and the Saudi community.
“It is an excellent step forward and we are excited to become part of this during this Riyadh Season,” he said.
Zainab Zahoor, a Pakistani expatriate who lives in Riyadh with her family, described the initiative as a wonderful opportunity for the community to connect and integrate with others.
“As a Pakistani expatriate living in Riyadh, I believe the Global Harmony Initiative allows us to showcase the richness of Pakistani culture while building stronger connections with other expatriate groups and Saudi society,” she told Arab News.
Zahoor said the initiative creates a sense of unity and appreciation among diverse communities.
“It is now up to the Pakistani mission and community to fully utilize this opportunity to showcase our culture and highlight our contributions to Saudi society,” she said.
Muhammad Ahmed, a Pakistani who works for a multinational company in Jeddah, described the initiative as a “vital step” toward fostering mutual understanding.
“Saudi Arabia is home to millions of expatriates from various countries, with significant populations from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh,” Ahmed said.
“These communities can foster deeper connections as they share a common regional background and cultural ties from their home countries.”
He said the platform offers Pakistanis a chance to engage with other communities in the Kingdom so that they can build lasting relationships and promote a spirit of unity.
Source:arabnews.com
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Madinah greening project plants trees, vegetation
October 28, 2024
RIYADH: A massive greening project was undertaken in the King Abdulaziz Protected Pasture of Madinah’s Al-Hanakiyah governorate over the weekend, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Representatives of government entities and associations joined hands with locals to scatter seeds and plant wild trees.
The activity is a part of the Saudi Green Initiative to revive vegetation cover in the Kingdom, raise awareness about the importance of afforestation, and create green spaces that combat desertification and soil erosion.
The SGI initiative aims “to preserve a pristine and healthy environment, mitigate environmental pollution, rehabilitate desert lands, and enhance vegetation cover in the region,” according to the report.
The weekend’s activity was spearheaded by the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, in collaboration with Madinah region’s officials.
Seeds of the Rimth saltbush, Arfaj, lemongrass, and Fourwing saltbush plants were scattered. In addition, seedlings of wild trees including the Acacia tortilis, the Acacia seyal, and the Acacia salam, were planted.
The Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched the Saudi Green Initiative in March 2021.
This is an extension of the umbrella Saudi Vision 2030 plan, which aims to diversify the economy, empower citizens, and create a conducive environment for local and international investors.
The SGI seeks to protect 30 percent of the Kingdom’s land and sea by 2030, and the NCVC was created to spearhead the program.
Source:arabnews.com
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Experts explore architecture’s societal impact in Saudi Arabia’s Baha
October 27, 2024
RIYADH: The Architecture and Design Commission recently hosted a meeting in its Architecture and Design Cafe series which focused on the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism and its societal impact.
The event gathered experts to discuss architecture’s role in shaping communities and promoting well-being, reported the Saudi Press Agency.
Held at Al-Zitona Farm in Baha, the event aimed to enrich the community by sharing knowledge, exchanging experiences, and supporting national talents in architecture and design.
Discussions centered on the charter’s societal impact, emphasizing six core values: authenticity, continuity, human-centricity, livability, innovation, and sustainability.
Each value was explored for its relevance to design principles that architects and urban planners should uphold, the SPA added.
The series serves as a platform for knowledge-sharing among academics, specialists, practitioners and students in architecture and design.
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Saudi international humanitarian law committee to take part in Geneva conference
October 27, 2024
RIYADH: A delegation from Saudi Arabia’s committee on international humanitarian law will take part in the 34th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Geneva from Oct. 28 to 31.
The conference will host representatives from 194 international organizations, associations and other bodies.
Leading the Saudi delegation will be Jalal Al-Owaisi, chairman of the committee, accompanied by Abdullah Al-Ruwaili, the committee’s secretary-general.
They will present an exhibition highlighting Saudi Arabia’s efforts and accomplishments in the implementation of international humanitarian law.
In addition to the exhibition, the committee will organize a symposium in collaboration with the national committees of Egypt and Qatar.
This event will focus on Arab initiatives aimed at promoting, implementing and disseminating international humanitarian law.
Through this engagement, the standing committee seeks to enhance international partnerships that promote the principles of international humanitarian law.
They aim to show Saudi Arabia’s contributions on global platforms and foster collaboration with various countries and humanitarian organizations involved in research in this field.
These initiatives have been instrumental in elevating awareness of international humanitarian law in both civil and military sectors in the Kingdom and among diverse segments of society.
The participation of the standing committee underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to international humanitarian principles and its role in addressing contemporary challenges through dialogue and cooperation.
By actively engaging in this conference, the committee aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on humanitarian law while reinforcing its dedication to global humanitarian efforts.
The committee was established by a cabinet decision in 2007 and includes representatives from more than 12 government agencies headed by the Red Crescent Authority, including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of National Guard, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy and Planning, Ministry of Media, the General Intelligence Presidency, and the Human Rights Commission.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi project clears 720 Houthi mines in Yemen
October 27, 2024
RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 720 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.
The total included 29 anti-personnel mines, 21 anti-tank mines and 670 unexploded ordnances, according to a recent report.
Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 467,431 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.
The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.
Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.
The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.
The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.
Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.
About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi FM receives Somali counterpart in Riyadh
October 27, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received his Somali counterpart Ahmed Moalim Fiqi in Riyadh on Sunday.
During the meeting, the ministers reviewed Saudi-Somali relations and discussed ways to enhance them in various fields.
Regional and international developments and topics of common interest were also discussed.
Source:arabnews.com
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Frankly Speaking: What to expect from this year’s FII?
October 27, 2024
DUBAI: Artificial intelligence and new technologies will top the agenda when the Future Investment Initiative (FII) holds its eighth conference in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from Oct. 29 to 31, CEO of the FII Institute Richard Attias has said.
Dubbed “Davos in the Desert,” FII is a platform where global leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and policymakers gather to shape the future of industries, governance, and humanity.
While the annual conference has historically drawn participants from the financial sector, Attias told the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking” this week that this year’s gathering marks a significant shift toward tech-driven industries.
“At the beginning of FII, the majority of our participants and delegates were coming from the financial sector, from sovereign wealth funds, private equities, and I would say the key ‘old economy’ industries,” said Attias.
“This year, we are extremely happy to see that we have more and more people coming from the tech industries, including AI, because AI is everywhere, and AI is now. And AI is disrupting almost all industries and all sectors.”
This focus on AI reflects broader global trends. With industries from healthcare to entertainment being transformed by new technologies, Attias says FII seeks to bring together tech innovators and established global players to explore the potential of these innovations.
“If you ask me what I want the legacy of the FI Institute to be, it is to be really an inclusive platform, a bridge between global CEOs from the traditional economies and young entrepreneurs,” he said.
Attias has developed and produced more than 2,000 events over a career spanning 30 years, including the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, the Clinton Global Initiative, Nobel Laureates Conferences, the New York Forum, and the UNESCO NGO Forum.
When FII first got off the ground in 2017, it was met with skepticism in some quarters. Many questioned whether the world needed another forum for business and political leaders, and there were doubts about Saudi Arabia’s ability to pull off such an ambitious event.
However, FII has not only survived but thrived. In the past seven yers, the conference has facilitated deals worth $128 billion — an indication, perhaps, that FII is far more than just a networking opportunity.
“I don’t want to be too pretentious, but I think we don’t see any more skeptical people,” said Attias. “When people come back and come back every year, this is the answer. Because global CEOs don’t have time to lose. Time is money for them.”
He added: “People are coming back because they find great content, they are inspired, they realize that these platforms, such as FII, are calls to action. They also make deals. It’s not just about networking. It’s really making deals.”
Another indicator of its success is how it bounced back from the lockdowns and travel restrictions imposed on such events during the coronavirus pandemic.
“COVID-19 has proven that in-person meetings are absolutely crucial,” said Attias. “And despite the virtue of the hybrid formulas of conferences, people are coming back again and in even bigger numbers.”
Attias believes the choice of Saudi Arabia as the host country for FII has been integral to its success, with the Kingdom’s strategic location making it a natural meeting point for the world’s economic centers of gravity.
“Saudi Arabia is definitely a global hub today, and it is, I would say, a catalyst between north and south and west and east,” he said. “It is extremely well located if you look at the world map.”
Attias highlighted the forum’s role in fostering discussions between key global powers. “We see great conversations between Chinese and Americans,” which is significant given the complex geopolitical dynamics at play.
More than that, Attias views Saudi Arabia as a prime example of a nation that is investing and adopting innovation to power its economic transformation.
“Beyond FII, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is definitely now a place where global conversations are happening on multiple industries, on mining, on the future of aviation, on the future of logistics, on the future of technology, and so forth,” he said.
“You have an amazing program, a vision called Vision 2030. And if people read Vision 2030 very well, they understand that this country is in full transformation, creating amazing sectors, which are contributing to the diversification of the economy.
“And the Kingdom is moving from being an oil-producer economy to a very diverse economy. So all these platforms are becoming the global conversations on all these sectors which are supporting the diversification of the economy. And this is how Saudi leads.
“And people are very happy to come here. It reminds me of what happened in China 20-plus years ago when China moved from almost a country which was one single economy to an open global economy.”
With attendees flying into Riyadh from across the globe, FII appears to have emerged as a truly international platform.
“This year, despite the fact that for many people you need to become a member of the organization, of the FI Institute, we are approaching a number of 8,000 global CEOs, C-suites, entrepreneurs, and public figures,” said Attias.
This diverse representation ensures that the discussions at FII are rich with insights from various perspectives, industries, and regions. “It’s a real global conversation,” said Attias, with 30 percent of attendees coming from the US, 20 percent from Europe, and 20 percent from Asia.
One of FII’s most critical contributions to global development is its emphasis on sustainable investment. From renewable energy to healthcare and affordable housing, FII aims to encourage investments that have a lasting impact on humanity.
“The way you measure a long-term impact is how investment, for example, in sustainable developments are happening, in renewable energy, in sustainable agriculture, in green infrastructure,” said Attias.
The forum has pioneered a new ESG (environmental, social, and governance) framework, which Attias refers to as his ESG 2.0 framework. The new model is necessary because “the current one was not fair and was excluding emerging countries,” he said.
Attias believes the adoption of this new framework could unlock trillions in new investment for regions like Asia and Africa, helping to combat challenges like climate change and social inequality. “This has a direct impact on quality of life, which means impact on humanity,” he added.
FII’s influence is not confined to Riyadh. The initiative has expanded globally with satellite events in major cities like Miami, London, and Rio. Attias sees these events as essential to expanding FII’s global relevance.
“We decided to go also to our members’ regions, continents, and countries. This is why we will have an FII satellite event, what we call a FII priority summit, on each continent,” he said.
Attias believes FII is uniquely positioned to address some of the world’s most pressing issues. From inflation and climate change to digital transformation, the forum brings together “visionary thinkers, game changers, and innovators to discuss solutions,” he said.
Business leaders are particularly concerned about economic uncertainty, rising interest rates, and supply chain disruptions — issues that are top of mind for many attendees, said Attias.
But FII does not just focus on the challenges — it aims to inspire optimism. “People need to talk, people need to be inspired, people want to exchange ideas, and people want to be optimistic,” Attias said.
Indeed, he said the forum is committed to fostering collaboration and developing actionable solutions that can be implemented on a global scale.
“By having unexpected conversations, in total transparency, where people who are sometimes having separate visions, separate approaches, is helping to solve the problem,” said Attias. “And when people come with solutions and actions, definitely the question after is implementation.
“But we see more and more leaders now who are changing their mindset. They don’t want just to be visionary leaders or dreamers, to quote His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince (Mohammed bin Salman), he said this place is a place for dreamers and doers, talking about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
“And I think this is what FII is about. FII is a global conversation where you see many dreamers who are doers.”
Despite the backdrop of ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and beyond, Attias says FII attendees remain focused on the positive role that investment and collaboration can play in creating stability.
“We saw that even last year, our conference was happening just after the dramatic Oct. 7, I would say, catastrophe,” he said. “I was expecting people to maybe pull out, not attend. It was the opposite, everybody came. And they wanted to have this conversation.”
He added: “They want to continue to be optimistic because they know that it’s only by building prosperity that you will bring peace. It’s only by investing in these regions that you will fight against terrorism. And it’s only by sending a message of optimism that you will show that our world is extremely resilient.
“And it’s also a message to politicians (that the) private sector will continue to do what we have to do for the benefit of our employees, for the benefit of our citizens, for the benefit of our countries.”
Attias remains confident the world will overcome its present challenges — as long as conversations like the annual FII event continue.
“Humanity is extremely resilient. Trust me,” he said. “We saw that after COVID-19, and this is why this global conversation is happening. I think ultimately, we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am convinced of that. And we will build and continue to build a sustainable world.”
Source:arabnews.com
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‘Music has no boundaries,’ says Hungarian ambassador to Saudi Arabia
LAMA ALHAMAWI
October 27, 2024
RIYADH: Balazs Selmeci, Hungary’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, believes music is a key aspect of cultural collaboration to bridge barriers between nations.
“I am convinced that culture, and the music within it, is one of the most important complementary tools in the toolkit of diplomacy as the music is understood without words by people with different traditions and languages,” Selmeci told Arab News.
“Music, melody, and harmony are loved by everyone from early childhood, the music is a bridge between people and nations, connecting us,” he said.
As part of his dedicated mission to strengthening Saudi-Hungarian ties across sectors, the ambassador brought Hungarian musician and composer Josef Terek to the Kingdom to perform and conduct a masterclass at the Saudi Music Hub.
It was during this masterclass that Terek and the ambassador surprised attendees with a cross-culture performance with Saudi musicians.
“It was an immense and moving experience for me when a Hungarian musician performed a traditional Hungarian piece, the ‘verbunk dance,’ accompanied by two Saudi musicians — one a violinist and the other a piano artist-teacher,” he said.
The ambassador added that melody conveys the same feelings to everyone, regardless of the nationality of the musician, the audience, or the origin of the instrument being played.
“Music is a key building element of the relationships between our countries, and it has been a great pleasure for me that, after 2017 and 2022, we have had the opportunity for a third time to introduce a Hungarian musician (and) a Hungarian musical tradition in Saudi Arabia,” he noted. “I was especially pleased that this time an artist playing a unique, Middle Eastern-origin wind instrument could showcase their talent at the Saudi Music Hub.”
Speaking about the significance of the Saudi Music Hub, the ambassador added: “The fact that the performance took place at the Saudi Music Hub, a young institution with great potential, gives the event special significance.
“It is where young Saudis can learn the art of music and later bring not only international but also traditional Saudi musical art to other parts of the world, becoming ambassadors of wordless diplomacy for Saudi Arabia.”
The ambassador pointed out that it was the very first performance where Hungarian and Saudi artists performed together.
He said he could see people thoroughly enjoyed the it and were pleasantly surprised to discover that such a “lesser-known instrument could be used not only for folk music or classical compositions but also for internationally renowned hits like ‘Besame Mucho,’” which, he added, was welcomed with an ovation from the audience.
“All of this convinced me once again that music has no boundaries, and we must organize more such joint performances and shows in the future, featuring Hungarian artists in Saudi Arabia and Saudi artists in Hungary, perhaps even involving music students from both countries,” he said.
During his masterclass, Terek showcased the special instrument of Hungary, the tarogato, to the students and musicians in the Saudi Music Hub.
“I want to show this 100-year-old instrument, it’s a new possibility between the two countries because when we are playing together, a pianist from Saudi Arabia and me from Hungary it’s a very strong cultural cooperation … I think it’s a new way between the two countries,” Terek said.
The masterclass offered a detailed and immersive workshop on the tarogato and showcased its deep-rooted history.
“The first taragato was (made) 700 years ago in Hungary … it’s similar to the Turkish pipe or the Mizmar … Our old instrument and your old instrument were brothers,” he told Arab News.
Speaking about his visit to the Kingdom, he said: “This is the first time in my life in Saudi Arabia and it’s a very wonderful country. Here all of the people are really friendly. I hope that we can do more programs maybe here or maybe in Hungary.”
Source:arabnews.com
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Africa
Manpower Shortages Hit Nigeria Military As Army Begins Enlisting Ex-soldiers
28 October 2024
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
The Nigerian Army is reportedly facing a significant manpower shortage due to a high number of voluntary retirements, with the Mechanical Engineering Corps particularly affected.
Recent data shows over 1,008 soldiers have resigned in the past four years, including 196 in August 2024 alone.
In a memo dated October 16, 2024, the Mechanical Engineering Corps expressed concern over the exodus, instructing commanding officers to contact discharged soldiers interested in returning.
Lt Col A. Muhammed, who signed the memo sighted by The PUNCH, emphasized the importance of experienced technical manpower for effective equipment support.
It partly read: “The deployment of technical manpower is essential for effective and efficient equipment support in the field which is based on trades/expertise of technicians. NAEME is currently experiencing an acute shortage of manpower.
“The dearth of manpower in the Corps is further compounded by the large number of voluntarily discharged soldiers in recent years. Consequently, I am directed to request Comds/COs to reach out to discharged skilled soldiers in their AOR who are willing to be re-engaged to the NA on a contract basis.
“I am to add that names of discharged personnel willing to be re-engaged should be forwarded to this Headquarters NLT 19 Oct 24 using the attached proforma. Grateful to treat and acknowledge.”
Retired Brig Gen Bashir Adewinbi supported the initiative, stating that retired officers returning to service is common in many nations, though he highlighted the importance of recruiting individuals genuinely committed to military service.
He noted that while the military offers numerous benefits, commitment is essential to retaining personnel.
He told The PUNCH, “It is not unusual for retired Army officers to come back and participate in the security architecture of a nation. This practice is common in other advanced countries.
“If there is a plan to implement this here, I believe it is a good idea.”
Asked what could be done to discourage soldiers from resigning from the service, Adewinbi said the military must ensure those enlisted were genuinely interested in the service.
He said, “As of today, the military is well-organised and well-structured. The welfare system is adequate, and the training we received was never a source of complaint. If, as you said, they are leaving in their numbers, it suggests that something might be wrong with recruitment.
“The focus should be on recruiting people who are genuinely interested in serving, rather than those simply looking for employment because they have no other options.
“Those truly dedicated to the military will remain regardless of the challenges or conditions. They won’t abandon their duty. Unfortunately, some people in this country are merely searching for jobs.”
Brig Gen Peter Aro (retd) pointed out that many soldiers leave early to secure a better future, citing concerns over inadequate post-service support and systemic injustices.
He mentioned that soldiers face uncertain futures after retirement, with few resources or support structures available.
Aro expressed frustration that highly qualified personnel are often forced into early retirement, stressing the need for systemic change to prioritize soldiers’ welfare and dignity.
He said, “Retirement in the army comes in many forms — whether it’s reaching the mandatory service age, being deemed medically unfit, or voluntary retirement. But for those choosing to retire voluntarily, it’s often not just about leaving on their terms; it’s about survival, about securing a better future before they end up like so many forgotten veterans before them.
“These men and women dedicated their youth, their strength, and in some cases, their lives to safeguard this nation. And what do they have to show for it? Only a privileged few, those who were fortunate enough to interact with civilians learned the ropes of life beyond the barracks.
“They gained the wisdom and exposure needed to find alternative ways to make a living, but most weren’t so lucky.”
He also alluded to the injustice in the system as being responsible for why soldiers were resigning.
Aro said, “We’ve seen this injustice play out time and again in our country. Remember when a former Chief of Army Staff, without strictly following the Terms and Conditions of Service, forced officers into retirement long before they were due?
“These men and women were left adrift, unprepared for life after service, and today, many of them are struggling to survive. It’s clear from the indifference of our political leaders that the welfare of military personnel is not a priority.
“This is especially true for soldiers — those whose daily lives are bound by the discipline and sacrifices of service, leaving little room for the kinds of civilian interactions that might prepare them for life after the Army.
“While police and paramilitary officers often have the chance to mingle, invest, and build civilian connections, our soldiers —the ones who stand on the front lines defending the sovereignty of our nation — return from years of service without the same opportunities.
“Many veterans who risked their lives for this country don’t even have basic life insurance. The poor conditions of service in the Nigerian Army, coupled with the unchecked power of leadership to “hire and fire” at will, have driven many to seek early retirement simply to protect their futures.”
Source:naijanews.com
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Gani Adams Demands ?5 Billion In Damages From Igboho For Alleged Defamation And Invasion Of Privacy
27 October 2024
By Justina Otio
The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has filed a lawsuit against Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
Naija News reports that Gani Adams is suing Igboho over the alleged unconstitutional publication of a private telephone conversation between him and another person, without his consent.
In a suit marked M/1006/2024, Adams filed for enforcement of his fundamental rights and stated that the respondents injured him and his highly exalted office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland with the publication.
In his Originating Motion on Notice dated October 15, 2024, Adams sought a court order for a declaration that as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has a constitutionally guaranteed right to the privacy of his home, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphy communications by virtue of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended).
His fundamental rights procedures and rules were brought pursuant to sections 27, 37, and 46 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999 as amended, and Enforcement Act, Cap, A9, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
Also, Sections 37 and 46 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The applicant is also praying the court to declare that “it is unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional for anyone to secretly record the private telephone conversation between other persons without the consent and authority of the parties to the conversation.
“A declaration that it is unlawful, illegal and unconstitutional for the respondent to covertly record and publicly release or publish the private telephone conversation between the applicant and another person, without the consent and authority of the Applicant.”
The monarch stated that the act of the respondent (Igboho) in publishing or broadcasting the private telephone conversation between him and another person in general public through social media without his knowledge is mischievous, egregious, reckless and gross to his fundamental right to privacy guaranteed under Section Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and injured him severely in his highly exalted office of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland.
He is therefore demanding the sum of ?5 billion being general and exemplary damages against Igboho.
The case has not been assigned as the respondent is yet to file a response to the suit.
Source:naijanews.com
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Canadian Aviation Company Condemned, Revoked Registration Of 27-Year-Old Crashed P/Harcourt Helicopter
28 October 2024
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
A recent investigation has uncovered that a Sikorsky SK76c helicopter, which tragically crashed near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was presumed scrapped in 2018.
The helicopter, with registration number 5N-BQG and serial number 760486, was manufactured in 1997 and had a long and varied service history across multiple operators before its ill-fated flight in Nigeria.
Operated by EastWind Aviation, the aircraft was transporting contract staff to the FPSO—NUIMS ANTAN facility when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Bonny Finima on Thursday.
Originally delivered to Helikopter Service in 1997 as SE-JFB, the helicopter changed hands several times over the years. It was registered under different identifiers in locations including Hong Kong, Nigeria, and Canada, with notable operators such as Aero Contractors, CHC Global Ops, and Premiair.
According to SaharaReporters, in September 2018, its registration was canceled, and the aircraft was deemed “presumably scrapped,” as documented by Flickr.
Scrapping typically implies a permanent retirement, where an aircraft is considered unusable and is often sold for salvage or dismantling due to high maintenance costs, lack of parts, or damage.
However, how this scrapped helicopter was brought back into operation, re-registered as 5N-BQG in Nigeria, and used until its recent accident remains unverified.
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) is now undertaking recovery efforts, deploying a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) capable of deep-sea operations to locate the black box and other crucial components from the wreckage.
According to NSIB spokesperson Mrs. Bimbo Olawumi Oladeji, the bureau continues to search for critical flight data recorders to ascertain the crash’s cause.
According to Wikipedia, six Sikorsky S-76 choppers crashed between 2002 and 2020.
On 17 July 2002, S-76A G-BJVX, operated by Bristow Helicopters, crashed into the North Sea due to the failure of a main rotor blade.
On 10 August 2005, a Sikorsky S-76C+ flying Copterline Flight 103 crashed into Tallinn Bay in the Gulf of Finland. The cause was a failure of the hydraulic flight control system.
On 31 May 2013, an S-76A air ambulance, operated by Ornge, crashed near Moosonee Airport, Canada. The cause was inadequate training of pilots for night-time operations.
On 10 March 2017, S-76C++ TC-HEZ, operated by Swan Aviation, crashed during a private charter flight in Istanbul, Turkey. The cause is unknown, but poor visibility conditions were present at the time.
On 26 January 2020, S-76B N72EX crashed in Calabasas, California, killing all nine occupants, including the retired professional basketball player Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna.
The cause was determined to be the pilot Ara Zobayan experiencing spatial disorientation due to heavy fog, as well as pilot error.
On 16 September 2020, an S-76A air ambulance of the Philippine Air Force crashed in Basilan Province in Southern Philippines during bad weather conditions, killing all four military crew members onboard.
Source:naijanews.com
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5 Miyetti Allah members, 2 others confirmed dead in Abuja building collapse
October 28, 2024
Jerry Wright-Ukwu
Seven people have been confirmed dead in Vidaz Estate, Sabon Lugbe, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where an uncompleted storey building collapsed on Saturday.
The Federal Capital Territory FCT Emergency Management Department, (FEMD), yesterday disclosed the information.
The agency, however, dismissed media reports claiming that 40 persons were trapped in the rubble.
The building, reportedly under construction, prompting calls for immediate intervention from government agencies and emergency response teams.
A statement issued on Sunday by FEMD Head Public Affairs, Nkechi Isa said: “FEMD wishes to clarify that the said structure located at Gidash Estate was one of the buildings earmarked for removal by the Department of Development Control.
“In a statement at the incident site, the Ag. Director General of FEMD, Abdulrahman Mohammed said seven persons who were scavenging for iron rods and other building materials lost their lives in the process.
“What happened is that the structure was marked for removal by development control. So these boys taking advantage of the fact that there would be no demolition exercise at the weekend, moved in to strip the iron rods in the pillar holding up the building leading to the unfortunate incident”.
Abdulrahman said Chairman Miyetti Allah, FCT chapter, Mohammed Hussein confirmed that the remains of five members of the association were removed from the rubble.
Source:politicsnigeria.com
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Latest Petrol Price Hike News, Update On Fuel Scarcity For Oct. 28th, 2024
28 October 2024
By George Oshogwe Ogbolu
As Nigerians continue to groan over the recent increase in fuel prices by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Naija News brings you the latest update on petrol scarcity, fuel price increase and Govt/citizens’ reactions.
Oil Marketers Write Tinubu, Mull Shutting Down As Nigerians Reduce Fuel Consumption
Amid a steep decline in fuel consumption due to surging fuel prices, oil marketers in Nigeria are facing unprecedented challenges, with around 10,000 dealers on the brink of shutting down.
Recent data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) reveals that fuel consumption fell sharply to 4.5 million litres per day in August 2024, down from 60 million litres per day in May 2023—a staggering 92 percent drop.
Additionally, only 16 out of the nation’s 36 states received fuel from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in August, exacerbating shortages across the country.
The crisis follows the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu in May 2023, which has led to a 488 percent surge in petrol prices, skyrocketing from N175 to over N1,000 by October 2024.
The resulting economic strain has driven up transport costs, intensified inflation, and forced many Nigerians to abandon personal vehicles for public transportation.
Dr. Joseph Obele, National Public Relations Officer of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), confirmed that the steep decline in fuel consumption has led to substantial financial losses for their members, placing approximately 10,000 retail outlets at risk of closure.
Obele highlighted the financial pressure, noting that the cost of a truckload of petrol (PMS) has jumped from N7 million to N47 million in the past 16 months.
Fuel Subsidy: You Are Behind Tinubu Govt Anti-people Economic Policies – NLC Fires IMF
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has slammed the International Monetary Fund (IMF), blaming the organisation for the removal of fuel subsidy and other anti-people economic policies by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.
In a statement to journalists, the President of NLC, Joel Ajaero, has insisted that the IMF played a role in Nigeria’s economic woes.
The labour union stated that the IMF and its cousin in economic mischief – the World Bank remain the twin forces that have a longstanding pattern of recommending harsh and unworkable economic policies to developing nations.
According to the NLC, the World Bank and IMF must remove their knees from our necks so that we can breathe as a nation.
The union stated that it is too late to begin to deny complicity because they warned the government about the consequences of implementing IMF and World Bank-driven policies.
Source:naijanews.com
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Fuel Subsidy: You Are Behind Tinubu Govt Anti-people Economic Policies – NLC Fires IMF
27 October 2024
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has slammed the International Monetary Fund (IMF), blaming the organisation for the removal of fuel subsidy and other anti-people economic policies by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.
In a statement to journalists, the President of NLC, Joel Ajaero, has insisted that the IMF played a role in Nigeria’s economic woes.
The labour union stated that the IMF and its cousin in economic mischief – the World Bank remain the twin forces that have a longstanding pattern of recommending harsh and unworkable economic policies to developing nations.
According to the NLC, the World Bank and IMF must remove their knees from our necks so that we can breathe as a nation.
The union stated that it is too late to begin to deny complicity because they warned the government about the consequences of implementing IMF and World Bank-driven policies.
The statement reads: “Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) believes that it is cynical and indeed typical of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) to recently deny responsibility for the Nigerian government’s removal of petroleum subsidy.
“IMF and its cousin in economic mischief – the World Bank remains the twin forces that have longstanding pattern of recommending harsh and unworkable Economic policies to developing nations. In their usual subterfuge, they have continued to present these advisories as growth strategies but which have unfortunately often led to increased socioeconomic hardship and stagnation in Nigeria and other nations that have had the misfortune of drinking their poisoned chalice.
“At a press conference during the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, United States, Abebe Selassie, IMF’s African Region Director, described the decision to remove fuel subsidy by Nigeria’s government as a domestic one.
“IMF’s recent statement is a display of subterfuge and evasion. This denial of involvement in Nigeria’s subsidy removal, coupled with the assertion that it was a “domestic decision,” disregards the extensive influence that the IMF wields in policy formation within many developing countries. Despite this assertion, the IMF’s policy dialogues often suggest subsidy cuts as necessary steps toward fiscal sustainability.
“For Nigeria, where successive governments have frequently yielded to these recommendations, the IMF’s disavowal rings hollow, as it underplays the fund’s direct impact on the nation’s economic policies.
“The NLC has become more worried over this denial at this time which is another signpost of the already disturbing policies by the Nigerian government at the behest of the IMF and World Bank and which IMF is now trying to distance itself.
“It shows that the institution is working very hard to stay away from the blame or the backlash that its policy directions will bring in the future. IMF must know that Nigerians are not fools and we are always aware of the destructive influences its awful policy paths for Nigeria and indeed Africa has been.
“It is pretentious and truly too late to begin to deny complicity because we warned the government about the consequences of implementing IMF and World Bank-driven policies.
“As IMF and World Bank continue to pretend not to know the apparent obviousness of the social costs of its policy recommendations another layer of concern is added to the entire denial.
“While the IMF acknowledges the “significant social costs involved,” it casually suggests that governments can mitigate these hardships through its idea of expanded social protections which is a system that beggars the people forcing them to dwell on handouts in this case RICE that never gets to the people. The reality in Nigeria has continued to reveal a profound disconnect – subsidy removal and price hikes have pushed essential goods beyond the reach of many, with government-provided social safety nets remaining woefully inadequate.
“This gap between IMF recommendations and the lived experiences of Nigerians highlights a fundamental and deliberate oversight in the fund’s approach to economic policy.
“In distancing itself from Nigeria’s subsidy removal, the IMF also demonstrates an unsettling inconsistency in its advice to developing nations. It has repeatedly pressured Nigeria to undertake austerity measures, only to distance itself from the results when these recommendations bring hardship to the populace.
“This shifting narrative not only undermines the IMF’s credibility but also raises questions about the sincerity and reliability of its economic prescriptions for third-world nations. The IMF’s insistence that Nigeria is in full control of its economic policies stands in stark contrast to its historical and continued influence, which has often been accompanied by economic turmoil and hardship.
“NLC emphasizes the need for Nigeria and other developing countries to reclaim their economic sovereignty, resisting externally imposed policies that fail to consider local contexts and the needs of the masses.
“The NLC’s stance reflects a broader frustration with the World Bank and IMF’s recurring interventions, which prioritize fiscal metrics over social welfare. By advocating for policies that genuinely benefit Nigerians, we challenge the IMF’s influence and underscore the importance of economic autonomy in building a just, sustainable future.
“This once again is a powerful reminder to our leaders of the impact of international financial institutions on our people and the need to be circumspect in walking their path.
“The IMF’s denial of involvement in Nigeria’s subsidy removal rings hollow, considering its decades-long history of recommending similar austerity measures.
“We hope that our Economic handlers have learnt or are learning the appropriate lessons to sufficiently know that when “shit hits the fan”, IMF and World Bank will wash its hands off and leave the Government carrying the burden and holding the wrong end of the stick.
“Nigeria must pursue policies that reflect the real needs of our citizens prioritize economic policies that drive growth, social welfare, and equity, not austerity measures that lead to further economic quagmire and social unrest.
“Once again, we call on the World Bank and IMF to remove their knees from our necks so that we can breathe as a nation. They have become the major problem we have as a nation and we may be forced to soon demand that they leave Nigeria entirely as their policies have continued to undermine our Economy and sabotage the people and the nation.
“IMF should not worry for we know that the Petrol price hike and the Electricity tariff hikes were domestic decisions but we also know that it is a case of “Esau’s Hands but Jacob’s voice”. IMF should not present itself cowardly but should stand up and own up! That is what is called honesty and transparency which is the bedrock of IMF’s much-vaunted institutional integrity!”
Source:naijanews.com
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Southeast Asia
AK Fazlul Haq new Bangla Academy president
Oct 28, 2024
Prominent intellectual and writer Abul Kashem Fazlul Haq has been appointed as the president of Bangla Academy.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs issued a notification announcing his appointment yesterday.
Kashem, a former professor of Bangla language and literature at Dhaka University, will serve in this position for the next three years, it added.
Speaking to this newspaper, Kashem said, "Bangla Academy is the national institution of intellectual thinking. But for a long time, it has not been utilised properly. Now, we will aim to revitalise this institution and restore it to its former glory through a collective initiative."
For his outstanding contributions to Bangla literature, Kashem was awarded the Bangla Academy Literary Award in 1981.
Novelist Selina Hossain was the last president of Bangla Academy. She had been the president of the academy since February 3, 2022, before resigning on October 17, this year.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/ak-fazlul-haq-new-bangla-academy-president-3737711
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Russian, Bahraini companies seeking investment in Afghanistan’s mines, ministry
October 28, 2024
KABUL: A number of Russian and Bahraini investors, in a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, said that they are ready to invest in Afghanistan’s mining sector, air aviation sector, professional training, healthcare, and other fields. According to a statement from Arg, the investors highlighted favorable investment conditions and the support offered by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which they said has attracted interest from foreign-based companies to operate within the country. Meanwhile, Mawlavi Kabir emphasized the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to strengthen Afghanistan’s economy over the past three years, especially post-takeover. He assured the investors of comprehensive support and added that key projects in oil extraction, mineral resources, pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure development are actively underway, creating significant economic opportunities in Afghanistan. The Kabul Times
Source:thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/russian-bahraini-companies-seeking-investment-in-afghanistans-mines-ministry/
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Bid to remove president: BNP at odds with student movement
Oct 28, 2024
The interim government's decision on whether to remove President Mohammed Shahabuddin from office is still awaiting a "political consensus", because the BNP believes removing him would unnecessarily stir things up in post-Hasina Bangladesh.
The party's position is in stark contrast to the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
Both sides have been cordial and agreeable, and have gone out of their way to point out that they do not want any confrontation, but they have been in talks with other parties to drum up support for their stances.
The students consider the president a relic of the 15 years of Hasina-led regime and believe that he must be deposed to complete their victory.
They have met Jamaat-e-Islami and the Islami Andolan Bangladesh leaders who agreed with the demand that the president has to be removed.
The BNP, on the other hand, has been opposing that, saying it did not desire a constitutional vacuum, which could be dangerous, potentially leading to a crisis.
Party leaders said they would not make any comment that could hurt the sentiments of the movement but would come up with an explanation as to how such a move could bring about a chaotic situation that might hamper the democratic process.
BNP Vice-Chairman Mohammad Shahjahan told The Daily Star yesterday, "Our position is not rigid."
Through talks with other parties, the BNP wants to reach a consensus that "there shouldn't be any crisis that hampers the election process," he said.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday reiterated his plea to the interim government that it should not make any rash decisions regarding the matter.
"At this moment, it would be inappropriate to take any hasty step that could create a constitutional vacuum," he said at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
A delegation of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and its aligned civic platform, the Jatiya Nagorik Committee, held a meeting with the BNP leaders on the removal of the president on Saturday evening.
Regarding that meeting, Fakhrul said the matter would be discussed at the party forum, after which the party would clarify its position.
"We have previously said that to consolidate the revolution in Bangladesh and secure the fruits of the people's uprising, national unity is essential. Any decision should align with the constitutional process. Towards that end, immediate reforms towards holding elections are necessary," Fakhrul added.
BNP leaders held a meeting with the 12-party alliance at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office on Thursday, where they emphasised on national unity, discussed the issue, and conveyed the message that they are against removing the president for the time being, sources said.
"We don't want any new complications centring the president's removal, as we are passing a critical time. Any new complication will only hamper the electoral process. So, what the BNP said is also very much our view," Shahadat Hossain Selim, spokesperson of the 12-party alliance, told The Daily Star yesterday.
BNP standing committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman, vice chairmen Abdul Awal Mintoo and Mohammad Shahjahan were present at the 12-party meeting.
The BNP also held a meeting with the Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote and conveyed the same message.
Fariduzzaman Farhad, coordinator of Jatiyatabadi Samamona Jote, said that they also did not want any move that would create a constitutional vacuum.
"We are very much aligned with BNP's stance. We want a clear election roadmap," he said.
Andaleeve Rahman Partha, chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party, said, "We are also of the view that creating a constitutional vacuum will not be wise. We are of the same opinion as that of the BNP."
He, however, said the parties were yet to talk about this issue formally.
Saiful Huq, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party, and also a leader of Ganatantra Mancha, said if the president did not resign voluntarily, any initiative to remove him would complicate the already volatile political situation and that might hamper the election process.
"So, we don't want any such complications right now."
He, however, said the Ganatantra Mancha's official stance was yet to be decided.
On October 23, three top BNP leaders met Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and warned of a potential constitutional crisis as a consequence of the president's removal.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/bid-remove-president-bnp-odds-student-movement-3738221
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114 deaths and rising
Oct 28, 2024
With three days left in October, the total number of dengue deaths has reached 114, marking the highest monthly toll this year.
This October also records the second-highest death count in a month since Bangladesh's first dengue outbreak in 2000; the highest was 359 deaths in October 2023, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
This year, September saw 80 deaths, August 27, July 12, and June 8.
Till yesterday, the total dengue death toll this year stood at 277, with cases climbing to an all-time high. Experts predict that both deaths and cases will rise further, with dengue likely persisting year-round.
Experts attribute this year's high fatality rate to inadequate mosquito control, delayed hospitalisation, the high prevalence of Den-2 virus strain, multiple infections, and diagnostic errors.
Entomologist Manzur A Chowdhury warned that cases may peak in November but will not drop significantly afterward, suggesting dengue infections could continue until February.
GM Saifur Rahman, an entomologist from National University, criticised the lack of effective action by the Dhaka city corporations in identifying and eliminating Aedes mosquito clusters, pointing to insufficient surveillance in district towns as a key factor in the outbreak.
He recommended that the government implement robust surveillance to identify hotspots, enabling coordinated intervention by local authorities, community groups, and schools.
Dr Tahmina Shirin, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), advised that anyone with a fever should consult a doctor immediately and stay hydrated with fluids like coconut water, saline, and fruit juices.
She also stressed keeping surroundings clean by removing stagnant water, which prevents mosquito breeding.
Dr HM Nazmul Ahsan, associate professor at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital highlighted that high-risk groups -- elderly individuals, pregnant women, infants, obese individuals, and those with comorbidities -- are more vulnerable to severe outcomes.
He emphasised immediate hospitalisation for symptoms like severe stomach pain, breathing difficulties, extreme weakness, gum or nose bleeding, and vomiting, warning that failure to hospitalise at this stage could lead to shock syndrome.
Dr Ahsan recommended consulting a doctor at the onset of fever and getting a Complete Blood Count (CBC) test on the third or fourth day, even if the initial NS1 dengue test is negative.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/114-deaths-and-rising-3738211
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Navy, air force symbols of public trust: Prof Yunus
Oct 28, 2024
Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus yesterday said Bangladesh Navy and Air Force have once again been recognised as symbols of trust by the country's people.
The two forces have stood by the people at this critical juncture, he said.
He made the remarks while inaugurating the "Bangladesh Navy and Air Force Selection Board-2024" at the Air Force Headquarters in Dhaka.
The Selection Board will evaluate officers for promotion, including captains, commanders, and lieutenant commanders from the Navy, and group captains, wing commanders, and squadron leaders from the Air Force.
Yunus emphasised the need to select officers who exemplify honesty, leadership, and integrity in military service.
The chief adviser called for the promotion of officers demonstrating professional skills, discipline, trustworthiness, and loyalty.
He highlighted the role of principled leadership and directed the board to ensure promotions are awarded based on these merits.
During his speech, Yunus paid tribute to the martyrs of the 1971 Liberation War and the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement of July-August, acknowledging their sacrifices as fundamental to the nation's history.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/navy-air-force-symbols-public-trust-prof-yunus-3738236
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Afghanistan agricultural products have special place in Chinese market, Osmani
October 28, 2024
KABUL: The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Mawlavi Sadr Azam Osmani, in a meeting with Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, said that Afghanistan’s agricultural products will have a special place in the Chinese market. Speaking about bolstering bilateral agriculture relations between the two countries, he said that Chinese agricultural products will also have a special place in Afghanistan’s market, according to a statement from the ministry Sunday. Osmani described his scheduled visit to China as a significant opportunity in the strengthening of the countries’ cooperation in the agriculture sector. Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador said that Afghanistan and China have had friendly relations in the course of history and Beijing will support the Islamic Emirate at the international level. Pointing to China’s economic cooperation in Afghanistan, he added that his country welcomes the export of fresh and dry fruits from Afghanistan, especially pomegranates and pine nuts. The Kabul Times
Source:thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/afghanistan-agricultural-products-have-special-place-in-chinese-market-osmani/
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Deputy PM Mawlawi Kabir Highlights Investment Prospects in Meeting with Bahraini and Russian Investors
2024-10-28
KABUL(BNA): Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, underscored Afghanistan’s promising economic opportunities in a meeting with Bahraini and Russian investors. During discussions at the Sepidar Palace, these investors expressed their readiness to invest in Afghanistan’s mining sector, aviation security, professional training, healthcare, and other fields.
The investors highlighted favorable investment conditions and the support offered by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which they said has attracted interest from foreign-based companies eager to operate within the country.
In response, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir emphasized the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to strengthen Afghanistan’s economy over the past three years, especially post-takeover.
He assured the investors of comprehensive support and added that key projects in oil extraction, mineral resources, pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure development are actively underway, creating significant economic opportunities in Afghanistan.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/deputy-pm-mawlawi-kabir-highlights-investment-prospects-in-meeting-with-bahraini-and-russian-investors-2/
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Agriculture Ministry Pursues Stronger Export Pathway to China in Talks with Ambassador
2024-10-28
KABUL(BNA): The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock recently expressed optimism for Afghanistan’s agricultural exports to China, emphasizing the potential of Afghan products to secure a special place in the Chinese market.
The Ministry’s Press Office reported that Mullah Sadr Azam Osmani, Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, met with Zhao Xing, the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Afghanistan, at his office.
In the meeting, Deputy Minister Osmani highlighted the longstanding positive relationship between Afghanistan and China. He underscored the unique appeal of Afghan agricultural products in the Chinese market and noted that Chinese industrial products could similarly find a favorable market in Afghanistan. Osmani also mentioned his upcoming official visit to China, which he described as an invaluable opportunity to deepen agricultural cooperation.
Ambassador Zhao Xing, in response, expressed gratitude for the continued cooperation and engagement of the Ministry. He highlighted the historical relationship between China and Afghanistan and reaffirmed China’s support for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on the international stage.
Furthermore, Ambassador Zhao noted China’s active economic partnerships in Afghanistan and indicated that China is keen on importing Afghan dried and fresh fruits, particularly pomegranates and pine nuts. He emphasized that to facilitate this trade, China imposes no customs tariffs on Afghan export products, and Afghan exports to China have been on the rise as a result.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/agriculture-ministry-pursues-stronger-export-pathway-to-china-in-talks-with-ambassador-2/
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Kabul Municipality and MoIC Launch Initiative to Regulate Signage and Promote National Languages
2024-10-28
KABUL(BNA): An initiative by the Ministry of Information and Culture’s Deputy Directorate for Publications led to a meeting aimed at enhancing cooperation between Kabul Municipality and the Chambers of Artisans and Merchants, focusing on the management of signage and advertising boards.
Acting Deputy Minister for Publications and Director of Bakhtar News Agency at the Ministry, Mawlawi Zia-ul-Haq Haqmal, stressed the importance of organizing urban signage to curb visual pollution in the city. He called on media outlets to uphold their responsibility in promoting national languages and the authentic Islamic-Afghan culture, discouraging the use of foreign terminology.
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, highlighted the importance of preserving Afghanistan’s unique cultural heritage, languages, and traditions. He remarked, “All nations strive to preserve their cultural integrity; thus, Afghan institutions must actively safeguard our Islamic heritage for future generations.”
Stanikzai commended the efforts of the Signage and Advertising Boards Reform Commission, encouraging that signs be written in national languages—Pashto and Dari—with international languages such as Arabic and English included as needed. He also dismissed recent reports suggesting discord among leaders of the Islamic Emirate, labeling these claims as unfounded propaganda.
Qari Wali Gul Jawad, Head of Cultural Affairs at Kabul Municipality, emphasized that reforming urban signage is a national responsibility, acknowledging the Commission’s significant efforts. He remarked that nations that lose their languages and cultures face decline, affirming the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to safeguarding Afghan identity.
In closing, the Head of the Kabul Artisans and Merchants Chamber, Haji Sakhi, praised the Commission’s work in regulating city signage and pledged ongoing collaboration with the Commission to further expand these initiatives.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/kabul-municipality-and-moic-launch-initiative-to-regulate-signage-and-promote-national-languages/
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Canada honors troops with memorial for service in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
October 28, 2024
Canadian media reported that the government has unveiled a memorial to honor its military personnel who fought in Afghanistan.
CTV reported that the memorial was unveiled on Sunday, October 27th, during a ceremony held to commemorate the contributions of Canadian troops.
The memorial features a light armored vehicle (LAV 3), which was widely used by Canadian Armed Forces during the Afghanistan war.
One of the event organizers remarked on the importance of the LAV 3, stating, “The LAV 3 was extensively used by our soldiers in Afghanistan to carry out missions and often became their home away from home. They were always supported by the LAV vehicle.”
According to CTV, 40,000 Canadian troops served as part of the coalition forces in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2014. Of these, more than 150 lost their lives during the mission.
The unveiling of this memorial signifies Canada’s recognition of the sacrifices and dedication of its military personnel. It serves as a symbol of gratitude towards the soldiers who faced difficult circumstances far from home to fulfill their duties.
The LAV 3 memorial not only honors those who served but also serves as a reminder of the shared responsibility of nations to support and protect their military personnel during and after their missions.
This act of commemoration reinforces Canada’s commitment to recognizing and addressing the needs of veterans and their families.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/canada-honors-troops-with-memorial-for-service-in-afghanistan/
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UN reports rising needs as Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund marks 10 years
By Fidel Rahmati
October 27, 2024
The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) marks its 10th anniversary, while the UN Humanitarian Aid Coordinator reports an increasing number of people in need over this period.
The Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF) was established in 2014 to support rapid and strategic humanitarian actions in the country.
On Sunday, October 27, the UN Humanitarian Aid Coordinator released a report marking the fund’s 10-year anniversary, emphasizing the importance of continued humanitarian aid in Afghanistan.
The report highlighted that over the past decade, Afghanistan has faced ongoing challenges, including conflict, political instability, droughts, earthquakes, food insecurity, the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, and increasing vulnerability among women and girls.
According to OCHA, 10 years after the establishment of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund, more than 23 million people in Afghanistan still require humanitarian assistance.
Joyce Msuya, the UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, urged the international community to continue supporting the fund to address urgent needs in Afghanistan.
The challenges facing Afghanistan remain persistent, with millions still struggling for basic needs amid ongoing instability. Continued international support is vital to ensure that humanitarian efforts reach those most vulnerable in this crisis-stricken country.
The situation is particularly dire for Afghan women and girls, who face heightened vulnerability due to both societal restrictions and limited access to essential services.
The humanitarian crisis calls for targeted efforts to address their specific needs and safeguard their fundamental rights.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/un-reports-rising-needs-as-afghanistan-humanitarian-fund-marks-10-years/
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Europe
Daughter pays tribute to Scots dad murdered by Islamic State a decade ago
October 28, 2024
The daughter of Scottish aid worker murdered by so-called Islamic State terrorists has remembered him as a caring man who “loved life” at a memorial service to mark ten years since his death.
Bethany Haines said her father David Haines would not want to be remembered as “the man in the orange jumpsuit” but as someone who loved his family.
Friends and family gathered in Perth in Scotland for the service, which Ms Haines organised to celebrate the life of her father and to remember all other hostages.
Mr Haines, from Perth, was captured by militants in Syria in March 2013 while delivering aid to the war-torn country.
The father of two was beheaded in 2014 after being held by a terrorist cell dubbed “The Beatles” because of their English accents.
Footage of Mr Haines’ murder was posted online. His remains have never been discovered.
Speaking at the service on Sunday Ms Haines said: “It’s hard to believe it is ten years since my world was shattered and I had to accept that I was never going to see my dad again.
“It has been a long and hard ten years with many ups and downs. The pain has never gone away and probably never will but I learned to cope with it and channel my energies into positive things.”
Ms Haines said she was inspired by a brother and sister she met on a trip to Syria in 2019 who had witnessed the massacre of several members of their family in their home but had created something positive by turning their living room into a library and community hub.
She said: “This inspired me to keep living my life to the best and enjoying myself, that’s exactly what my dad would want me to do.
“He would not want to be remembered as the man in the orange jumpsuit, he would want to be remembered as the man who loved his family, who was generous, who wanted to help in any way he could and who loved life.”
She described her father as “strong, kind and caring” and said he would have loved becoming a grandfather and spending time with her son.
Ms Haines also stressed that her father’s death was not about religion but was due to “bad men doing bad things”.
The service also paid tribute to six other hostages who suffered similar fates to Mr Haines: aid workers Alan Henning, Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig and journalists James Foley, Steven Sotloff and John Cantlie.
A slide show featuring photographs of them and Mr Haines was played during the service at Perth Congregational Church.
Minister Gordon Campbell, who led the service, said: “We are here to remember David and all the other hostages and it’s important that we do so.”
He referred to testimonies from other former hostages who spent time in captivity with Mr Haines and spoke highly of him.
Mr Campbell said: “In the most difficult of circumstances David was supporting others, mediating in disputes, keeping spirits up and being strong for others.”
Two British nationals, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, are serving life in US jails for their involvement in the plot to kill hostages.
A third man, Mohammed Emwazi, dubbed Jihadi John, who was believed to have featured in shocking videos of IS beheadings of a number of captives, was killed in a drone strike in 2015.
Ms Haines thanked those who have supported her over the past decade, including the families of other hostages, the US government and the charity Hostage International.
She hopes the service will help raise money for Hostage International and donations can be made through JustGiving at justgiving.com/page/david-haines-1726993802158.
Source:stv.tv
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https://news.stv.tv/north/daughter-pays-tribute-to-scots-dad-murdered-by-islamic-state-a-decade-ago
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Germany invests $8.5m in Morocco ‘green mosques’
October 27, 2024
The German government has invested $8.5 million (€8.09 million) in a project to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy in mosques across Morocco. The initiative, titled “Promoting Employment through Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Mosques,” was run by the Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) from 2015 to 2021, funded by Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
According to Morocco World News, of the total budget, $6.3 million (€5.99 million) went towards expert deployment for advisory, planning, and implementation measures. A further $424,000 (€404,000) was spent on materials such as LED lights, solar water heaters, and photovoltaic panels, while administrative expenses and taxes accounted for $1.11 million (€1.06 million).
The project involved training for local companies, skilled workers, and mosque teachers, including imams, to highlight the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The BMZ noted that models for installing and maintaining these energy systems were also developed.
The German government emphasised the project’s gender equality efforts, noting that by August 2019, six of the nine employees were women. “The project has achieved its goals of promoting business and employment opportunities in the areas of energy efficiency and renewable energy,” the government said, adding that it had been “well received” by the local population.
The North African country has approximately 52,000 mosques, with the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs covering expenses for around 15,000 of them. The ministry, which constructs about 150 new mosques annually, aims to significantly lower costs with plans to generate 52 per cent of Morocco’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Source:middleeastmonitor.com
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https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20241027-germany-invests-8-5m-in-morocco-green-mosques/
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Trap for the West: Why BRICS cannot be dismissed any longer
27 Oct, 2024
The BRICS summit in Kazan was nothing short of a geopolitical firestorm. The assembling of the world’s prominent emerging economies in a country declared as a ‘pariah’ and under comprehensive sanctions is at best a denunciation and, at worst a harsh rebuke to Western policymakers who, according to Foreign Policy, tend to dismiss the grouping as an “incoherent grab bag.” This is undoubtedly Russia’s finest moment.
The Kazan summit is effectively turning out to be the death knell of the Western-led international order. Rejecting “unilateral trade-restrictive measures” or sanctions as being detrimental to the sustainable development goals, such measures were clearly labelled as “undermining the UN Charter,” being “inconsistent with WTO rules” and “contrary to international law.”
Although differences still persist regarding whether BRICS should develop towards a neutral ‘non-Western’ or a radical ‘anti-Western’ stance, there is nonetheless agreement amongst the member states that given the democratizing geostrategic landscape, Western institutions and projects needn’t be the only game in town. For instance, regarding the Ukraine conflict, while the BRICS Declaration called for all states to act “consistently with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter,” Moscow achieved a diplomatic victory with the grouping’s acknowledgement of the need to combat the “glorification of Nazism, [and] neo-Nazism…”
In rather crisp and certain terms, the Declaration took a hard line that it strictly “denounced” Israeli attacks against humanitarian operations, facilities and personnel and expressed “grave concern” over the “unprecedented escalation of violence.”
Such well-articulated messaging points to a rising non-Western platform which is confident enough to come out of the shadows with a unified voice of its own. It went further by invoking the ICJ’s legal proceedings against Israel and denounced in uncompromising terms the “premeditated terrorist attack” involving communication devices in Beirut as a “grave violation of international law.”
As heads of state congregated for one of the “largest-scale foreign policy events ever” in Kazan, Russia, this is the first summit of the expanded BRICS membership where seven new states were invited to join the flagship non-Western platform.
At first glance, it may seem that there cannot exist a common thread of agreement between member states placed along the entire spectrum, with their diverse foreign policy stances and national political systems. New members include both states under the American security umbrella and those under American sanctions. While some countries, like India for instance, may be accustomed to such intimidating diversity, most aren’t.
Yet the consistent resolve towards establishing a grouping that isn’t dominated by the industrialized North highlights the pent-up frustration with historical Western double standards (one case in point being the demise of the concept of Responsibility to Protect due to shortsighted Western chauvinism).
The lack of say in a dollar-dominated world economy where the US holds special privileged veto power in the Bretton Woods system and institutions that hardly represent the contemporary multipolar realities will invariably push unrepresented yet globally significant powers to mold a separate architecture. The “call for reform of the Bretton Woods institutions” with greater representation of Economically More Developed Countries (EMDCs) in leadership positions combined with increased geographical representation was in the Kazan summit is a case in point.
However, with diversity comes challenges. Although there is unanimous agreement that we’re in a post-Unipolar order, there are still competing viewpoints on the evolving world order. While the Kremlin and New Delhi view the change as more towards multipolarity, Chinese academics believe the coming age will be largely bipolar. Nevertheless, reflecting the shifting currents, the Kazan Declaration squarely mentions the “G20 as the premier global forum” for deliberation on contentious global issues – “a platform for dialogue of both developed and emerging economies on an equal and mutually beneficial footing.”
However, the truth is that while the West is in decline, it isn’t by definition not significant or influential by any means. The US dollar is still the global reserve currency, major trade and transactions are done in USD, Washington’s military budget is still unrivalled, and the global sea lanes are de facto controlled and patrolled by the US Navy.
In such times, it is natural that states hedge their bets and insure themselves against future geostrategic turbulence by currying favor with the emerging as well as the established powers. The membership queue of states to join the BRICS grouping can partly be viewed in this light, and partly due to the exclusivity of Western-led institutions, which fail to accommodate the majority of global interests.
A more 'democratic' era?
Democratic societies proudly lay claim to the smooth and peaceful transition of power following elections as one of the signature elements of democracy. Yet the US, one of the oldest modern democracies, has shown a surprising lack of flexibility when it comes to promoting the greater representation of emerging market economies in the IMF and the World Bank.
A separate, more dangerous outcome is the inevitable emergence of what American political scientist Graham T. Allison calls the Thucydides Trap, wherein the propensity of war increases when a rising power threatens to displace an established power from its hegemonic position. According to Allison’s calculations, historically 12 out of 16 such cases in the past 500 years have ended in conflict.
Thus, instead of dismissing the BRICS grouping as a disparate bunch of hotshot rebels, the US (and the West by extension) would benefit immensely more by proactively engaging with the grouping and charting a blueprint for closer cooperation between the G7 and BRICS, and between the Bretton Woods system and the New Development Bank (NDB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Pursuing commonalities rather than highlighting differences by prematurely proclaiming Cold War 2.0 should be the drift of states proclaiming to be flagbearers of democracy and human rights.
After all, the areas of convergence amongst the BRICS member states as well as the states of the global south aren’t different from the European notions establishing the Peace of Westphalia. In fact, Southern states are proving to be more Westphalian than their European counterparts by enshrining the notion of sovereignty and territoriality in, for instance, the Kazan Declaration.
Support for Palestine’s full membership in the UN along with the “unwavering commitment” towards a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders was clearly mentioned. Notably, the Declaration boldly “condemn[ed]” the “illegal foreign military presence” within Syrian territory, referring to the unlawful US military base at Al-Tanf and American control of Syrian oil fields, and called for preservation of the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Lebanon.
In an increasingly fractured world with multiple, divergent power centers, the recently concluded border de-escalation by India and China should serve as an inspiration for influential states to pursue an agenda of mutual respect and cooperation.
The BRICS grouping took an important, pioneering step in endorsing PAROS or prevention of an arms race in outer space. As Indian Prime Minister Modi has repeatedly proclaimed, today’s era is not an era of war. At a time when technology and AI are challenging the boundaries of human consciousness and imagination, it rests upon the world’s leaders, old and new, to prove better than to succumb to past mistakes and instead forge a precedence rooted in peace for future generations to follow.
Source:rt.com
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Faisal Islam: Don't expect rabbits, this will be a Budget for boffins
October 28, 2024
Faisal Islam
There is no special Budget red box commissioned for Rachel Reeves when, mid-morning on Wednesday, she becomes the first woman to brandish one outside Number 11.
There will be no such frills, few jokes and don’t expect a big rabbit out of the hat.
The number crunchers, bean counters, and abacus economists, so derided by Liz Truss, have taken back control. In that reused Red Box will be a boffin’s Budget.
Indeed, it could be defined by being the polar opposite of everything in Truss and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s infamous mini-Budget two years ago.
They notoriously declined the offer of an Office of Budget Responsibility forecast, with Truss later deciding the forecaster was part of a “deep state” conspiracy against her premiership.
This time the OBR has carried out its full 10-week, back-and-forth audit of both the public finances and all the tax and spend policy measures, Reeves is planning, adding to what has felt like a drawn-out timetable of pre-Budget preparation.
The long three-month post-election wait has cast a cloud over consumer and business confidence, and so the economy too. Business leaders tell me they can cope with tax rises, but prolonged uncertainty is an economic mood-killer. Some think and opportunity was missed, after three years of rolling crises, to jump on a significant summer turning point, with a new stable government and with interest rates finally falling.
Still, the turning point could come now. This Budget forms part of a significant global economic pivot. The years of higher government spending and borrowing, alongside higher interest rates to dampen down rampant inflation, have given way to the opposite. Looser monetary policy, that is falling interest rates, and tighter fiscal policy, or higher taxes plus limits on borrowing, are the new normal.
In that Budget box are a wide range of tax rises. It might have been easier to list the ones that will not be going up. The most prominent, as I reported, will be the rise in employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs).
I understand that Reeves was advised internally in July simply to reverse the “unfunded” 2% cut to employees’ National Insurance that was introduced by the Conservatives. But she was adamant she could not breach the election promise not to raise this form of NICs.
Of course there will be a fierce row over whether raising the employer NICs amounts to the same thing. Labour insiders point to a footnote on their election material that clarified the manifesto commitment only applied to employee NICs, and say they were attacked on this point in Conservative ads and speeches. That implies the words of the Labour manifesto were carefully crafted to allow for a rise in employer NICs.
Last week, at the International Monetary Fund meeting in Washington, I challenged the chancellor directly over why she had not been clearer with the electorate about potentially widespread tax rises, including National Insurance.
She told me there were three factors behind this tough Budget. She repeated her calculation of an inherited “£22bn black hole” – that she says she inherited from her predecessor but had not foreseen. She now says that deficit will continue “in future years”.
She said the OBR would be publishing its review of how the overspend was “allowed to happen”, alongside the Budget. The Treasury sees this as an important sub-plot to Wednesday’s main Budget narrative.
Reeves also pointed to compensation payments for the infected blood and Horizon Post Office scandals which she said “the previous government did not put money in place for”.
Thirdly, the UK cannot continue on the path it is currently on when it comes to public spending, she told me, given the state of public services, such as prisons and the health service, and the new government’s promise that there “would not be a return to austerity”.
What we have heard so far about the Budget sounds rather austere, but the chancellor is defining austerity as real-terms cuts in government departments. It appears departments will get top-ups to cope with the rising cost of services.
The trade-offs in her Budget are driven by her new fiscal rules. A new rule governing borrowing to invest, the “investment rule” will replace the previous debt rule, allowing the reversal of a planned £20bn cut to spending on major capital projects.
The new, broader measure of debt will have to fall in five years’ time. But it is the new “stability rule” that will be the binding constraint for Wednesday. All day-to-say spending in departments, on welfare and on debt interest, will have to be funded by tax revenue over a certain, as yet unspecified, timeframe. This could be a really quite fierce rule, far tougher than the Conservatives’ rule. Borrowing will only be for investment.
These two rules together will frame not just this Budget, but the next half decade, affecting every penny that the government spends. Labour has calculated that its landslide majority is rooted in a public desire to sort out underperforming public services, such as the NHS, and a decline in the quality of the public realm, from transport to town centres to housing. The real “black hole” in this view is in public services. The “fiscal fiction” of unrealistic spending plans will become fiscal fact.
By mandating that the spending gaps will be filled by significant tax rises, the strategy here is to communicate overwhelming political pain tolerance to markets that lend money to the exchequer. Essentially a massive majority will be used to credibly guarantee surpluses on “current” spending. Some taxes will go up, but the return is that it should help keep interest rates down for households, businesses and government itself.
As one prominent central banker told the margins of the IMF meeting, what is important in terms of market credibility is not just the amount of borrowing, but the coherence of the story and the strategy around that borrowing.
A new chancellor needs to establish their financial credibility, after all, credibility is famously hard to gain and much easier to lose. That is the purpose of these self-imposed rules. But in recent years chancellors have also struggled with political credibility. More than one were in the job for too short a time to even have an official Budget.
It has not been an absolute given that all Budget measures will actually be enacted by a rebellious and unruly governing party. Over the Channel that is precisely the problem in France, where Reeves’ counterpart Antoine Armand has to convince he can actually pass tough measures as a minority government. Rachel Reeves has no such problems.
Indeed, at an event in Washington addressing bankers, congressmen and senators at the British ambassador’s residence, the chancellor had a moment for reflection. Exactly two years before, Kwarteng had made this same address, amid widespread mini-Budget turmoil, including jokes about his shared role with Isaac Newton, who had solved a historic sterling crisis. As a result of the aftermath of Kwarteng’s “fiscal event”, board members of British clearing banks were having to reassure their counterparties that Britain was “ok”. Developing country finance ministers were making the same half-joke about Britain, the old master, now being the crisis economy.
For a chancellor who, two decades ago, was seconded to the British embassy as an economist, during one of Argentina’s debt crises, it was an anathema.
It is why on Thursday morning she and her team are expecting some anger from wealthier taxpayers and bad headlines in certain newspapers. But the flip-side will be relief for hard-pressed users of many public services, and especially what the Treasury hopes will be tranquil financial markets as she embarks on a long-term programme of long-delayed investments in Britain’s economic future.
It is a Budget that will be unpacked and unpicked for months, perhaps years to come.
Source:bbc.com
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Russian troops stop Ukrainian cross-border raid – governor
27 Oct, 2024
The Russian military, together with border guards and National Guard units, have repelled an attempted incursion into Bryansk Region, its governor, Aleksandr Bogomaz, said in a statement on Telegram on Sunday.
According to the governor, an “armed group” had sought to cross into Russia from Ukraine near the village of Manev. Located right on the border, the small settlement has been abandoned for years.
The border guards, together with the military and security forces, opened fire on the invaders and forced them to retreat, according to the statement. The size of the would-be incursion force as well as its potential losses remain unclear. Bogomaz has not reported any casualties on the Russian side.
The situation in the region remains stable and the border area is now controlled by the regional operations HQ, the governor said. Neither the Russian Defense Ministry nor the Ukrainian military have commented on the incident so far.
Bryansk Region, which borders Belarus to the west and Ukraine’s Chernigov and Sumy regions to the south, has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone attacks since the start of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
Last week, Russian air defenses destroyed more than 100 of the Ukrainian UAVs over the region as well as neighboring Kursk, Oryol and Belgorod Region, and Lipetsk Region, located further to the east.
Ukraine routinely launches drone attacks deep into Russia, with raids targeting energy facilities and other civilian structures.
In early August, Kiev’s force also staged a major incursion into neighboring Kursk Region, which also borders Ukraine’s Sumy Region.
The Ukrainian forces made some initial progress in the early days of the operation but were quickly contained by their opponents. Russian troops have been gradually pushing the invading force away from the region ever since.
Over the nearly two months since the start of the incursion, the Russian military has managed to win back more than a dozen settlements close to the border. The total number of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the operation has surpassed 20,000, according to the Russian Defense Ministry’s estimates.
Source:.rt.com
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Georgia PM rejects vote-rigging claims as president calls mass rally
28 Oct, 2024
Paul Kirby
Georgia's prime minister has hailed a "landslide" election result, rejecting allegations of vote-rigging and violence.
"Irregularities happen everywhere, in every country," Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream party told the BBC's Steve Rosenberg in an exclusive interview.
Official preliminary results from Georgia's election commission gave the ruling Georgian Dream an outright majority of 54%, despite exit polls for opposition TV channels suggesting four opposition parties had won.
Georgia's pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili, has condemned the "total falsification" of the vote and called for opposition supporters to rally outside parliament on Monday.
Election observers in this South Caucasus state bordering Russia have complained of an "uneven playing field" in the election, suggesting the number of vote violations may have affected the result.
The US and European Union have backed the monitors' calls for an independent investigation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Georgia's leaders to "respect the rule of law, repeal legislation that undermines fundamental freedoms, and address deficiencies in the electoral process together".
However, the prime minister insisted that out of 3,111 polling stations, there had been incidents in "just a couple of precincts" but that in all the others "the environment was completely peaceful".
Georgian Dream, known as GD, has become increasingly authoritarian, recently passing Russian-style laws targeting media and non-government groups who receive foreign funding, and the LGBT community.
The European Union has responded by freezing Georgia's bid to join the EU, accusing it of "democratic backsliding". Tbilisi was awarded candidate status only last December and an estimated 80% of Georgians want to be part of the 27-country union.
Even before the results came out, one EU leader, Hungary's Viktor Orban, congratulated Georgian Dream on securing a fourth term and is due to travel to Georgia on Monday.
The ruling party says it is keen to kickstart talks on reviving its EU bid, but the sight of Orban arriving in Tbilisi two days after a contested election is unlikely to go down well in Brussels. Orban is seen as Russia's closest ally in the EU, and the European Parliament sees his government as a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy".
GD sees itself as closely aligned to Orban's style of social conservatism. The party's EU integration committee head, Maka Bochorishvili, has told the BBC: "Being conservative is not forbidden, family values are part of European values as well."
Responding to widespread reports of vote fraud in the election, the head of the member states' European Council, Charles Michel, said "alleged irregularities must be seriously clarified and addressed".
"Of course we have to address these irregularities happening on the day of the election or before," the Georgian prime minister told the BBC. "But the general content of the elections was in line with legal principles and the principle of democratic elections."
The four opposition groups have refused to recognise the election result, condemning it as falsified, and they have accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of stealing the vote.
Surrounded by leaders of the opposition, Salome Zourabichvili said the vote could not be recognised and called on the people to gather in Rustaveli Street, the big avenue that runs past parliament, to "defend our constitutional right".
Two of the four opposition groups, Coalition for Change and United National Movement, have said they will boycott parliament.
The opposition will now hold 61 seats in the 150-seat parliament, while Georgian Dream will have 89 - a majority but not big enough to enact the kind of constitutional change it wanted, to carry out its threat to ban opposition parties.
Two exit polls carried by Western pollsters for opposition TV channels suggested that the opposition had won, and that GD had secured a maximum of 42%, not 54%.
In his BBC interview, Kobakhidze accused the opposition of lying, arguing that they had also said the vote had been falsified in 2016, 2020 and 2021.
"Of course they have now no other way, so they have to tell their supporters that either they were lying or the government rigged the elections."
An electronic vote-counting system was used for the first time on Saturday, and the prime minister said that made the election impossible to rig: "There is zero space for manipulation."
The chairman of Georgia's election commission who oversaw the new system hailed the vote as largely peaceful and free, but a very different picture has emerged from monitoring groups that have presented their initial findings.
Georgia's Isfed group reported a litany of violations, including bribery, intimidation and ballot-stuffing, and said the result "cannot be seen as truly reflecting the preferences of Georgian voters".
Per Eklund, a former EU ambassador who was part of the National Democratic Institute delegation, said it was clear the pre-election period in particular had failed to meet democratic standards.
"Voter intimidation... up to and on election day severely undermined the process," he said.
Georgian Dream's billionaire founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has in recent months stoked up anti-Western rhetoric, accusing an unidentified "global war party" of aiming to drag his country into the war in Ukraine.
His unfounded claims have led to fears that his party is adopting Russian-style laws but that it is also returning to Russia's sphere of influence, 16 years after a five-day war in which Russian troops invaded Georgia.
Russian commentators have widely welcomed Georgian Dream's victory as an indication that Georgia will begin to pivot back to Moscow.
However, Irakli Kobakhidze used his BBC interview to deny the opposition's accusation that the government was pro-Russian and "pro-Putinist". He said they had been trying to damage the government's reputation with Georgia's 3.7 million population.
The prime minister said that Georgia was the only country in its region with no diplomatic relations with Russia, because of Russia's occupation of 20% of Georgian territory since the 2008 war.
Source:bbc.com
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Chief thought Skripal poisoning could be 'act of war'
Bea Swallow
28 Oct, 2024
A former counter terrorism chief has described how he initially wondered if the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter could have been "an act of war".
Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were exposed to the deadly nerve agent Novichok in Salisbury in March 2018.
Neil Basu, who led the counter-terrorism investigation, said the "true horror" of the "colourless and odourless" poison was not knowing how to warn people or what to look for.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Salisbury Poisonings podcast, he said: "To leave that lying around anywhere on foreign soil is the most unbelievably reckless disregard for human life I've ever witnessed."
Just four months later Dawn Sturgess, 44, died after being inadvertently exposed to Novichok eight miles away in Amesbury, Wiltshire. It was concealed inside a perfume bottle which had been gifted to her and contained enough poison to kill thousands of people.
Traces of the chemical weapon were later discovered on the doorknob of Mr Skripal's home, where police believe it had been planted in a "targeted" attack.
Two men, believed to be part of Russia's military intelligence service, were named as suspects for their attempted murders in September 2018, with a third suspect added in 2021.
The Russian government and the suspects themselves have always denied any involvement with the attack.
'Weapon of mass destruction'
Mr Basu said that following the Skripals falling ill, the entire counter-terrorism team were on high alert.
"One of the things I was thinking was, is this war. You know, is this an act of war?
"You think of a 'weapon of mass destruction' as being an intercontinental ballistic missile with a nuclear tipped warhead.
"You don't think of it being in a perfume tester bottle. We didn't know what we were looking for."
He recalled not knowing how to describe Novichok to the people searching for it and worrying that half the diners at the restaurant would be admitted to hospital and not be able to be treated.
When the news broke of Ms Sturgess' death, Mr Basu recalled that it "became infinitely more serious because it was now the murder of a British citizen".
He said the weight of the responsibility was "incredibly hard to bear".
"I had to go to the community meeting and explain to Amesbury citizens whether they could feel confident that they wouldn't be the next victim, and there was no way of giving them 100% reassurance.
"I could tell from the look on their faces that they were utterly terrified.
"One of my responsibilities in charge of counter-terrorism was trying to reduce the fear of it, not just the effect of it.
"But how do we give reassurance without causing mass panic?"
Public Health England (PHE) released precautionary advice following Ms Sturgess' death, that "if you didn't drop it, then don't pick it up."
Mr Basu said he wishes the guidance had been given sooner to prevent the death of an innocent civilian.
"The reality of spending any time in national security at any level is that people will die on your watch," he said.
"What you've got to do is try and get justice for the people who died, and to stop it from ever happening again.
"By the time I retired, 42 innocent people were killed on my watch. I'd rather it hadn't been a single one.
"If you asked me to rate my performance, I would say zero, which I've spent a long time trying to come to terms with."
No one has ever been charged for the murder of Dawn Sturgess but in September 2021, an arrest warrant was issued for the suspects in the Skripals' poisonings.
However, as the Russian constitution does not permit extradition of its own nationals, they cannot be formally charged unless they try to leave the country.
"If you ask for my professional hunch, I think we have the murder weapon and we have the murderers," Mr Basu added.
"If they need anyone to arrest them as they take one foot off the aircraft, I'll be there to do it."
He added that one of the things that weighs heavily on his mind is if there is still more Novichok out there.
In the first week of the Novichok inquiry Ms Sturgess' partner Charlie Rowley said he had to cut in to packaging with a knife to retrieve the bottle of perfume he later gave as a gift to her.
Mr Basu said: "But the reality is, is because we didn't know what it was contained in originally, we didn't know whether it was the only one.
"We didn't know how they got it into the country. And we don't know how they disposed of it because we don't know how Charlie Rowley picked it up. And he doesn't. And, you know, poor man. I mean, I don't think he ever will."
Source:bbc.com
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Good Reads: Acacia makes a space for Muslim creativity
By Megan Williams
28/10/2024
Creative director Arsh Raziuddin cut her teeth in the media space with senior roles in the creative departments of both Bon Appétit and the New York Times Opinion section, and she also worked on the Atlantic’s 2019 redesign.
Though she now runs her own design practice that tends to deal with the art world, Raziuddin is still involved in print media thanks to her work with Acacia, a magazine that is “crafted by Muslims, yet is intended for all”.
The first issue launched at the beginning of 2024 with poignant artwork by Cassi Namoda on the cover, and pieces exploring everything from interfaith upbringings to homophobia inside its pages.
Now on its second issue, the US-based publication explores the intersections between Muslim experiences and the political left through a mixture of cultural criticism, poetry, fiction, and reportage.
The magazine’s name stems from the tree referenced in Surah al-Fath, a chapter in the Qur’an, which is said to provide refuge. “There are stories of the Prophet Muhammad gathering his early followers beneath the shade of the Vachellia Seyal, or red acacia, to seek rest, build community, and pause for reflection,” explains Raziuddin. “This tree, familiar to us in its many shapes and forms, mirrors the communities and connections we nurture now.”
This is evoked in the handpainted circle that overlaps with the masthead on the magazine cover. “Each circle symbolises the varied forms of trees, communities, and regions, and their distinctiveness in a shared experience,” explains Raziuddin.
The Acacia tree is a fitting emblem given that, like the tree, the magazine provides a form of refuge for voices on the Muslim left. “Given the current political climate and the pervasiveness of American Islamophobia, this effort feels both urgent and necessary. But Acacia inherits a legacy that far predates modern conflicts, even the sharp rise in anti-Muslim sentiment that has coloured many US-based Muslims’ lives since 2001,” Raziuddin says.
“For millennia, Muslims around the world have been artisans and artists – painters, calligraphers and architects – creating beautifully detailed works and weaving intricate textiles,” Raziuddin says.
“Yet, the richness of their craftsmanship and artistry often goes unrecognised in Western media. We must strive to preserve, amplify, and actively hire Muslim artists, not only to share stories of pain and genocide, but also to celebrate narratives of our life with people in proximity to our community.” This is emblematised by Raziuddin’s thoughtful approach to the presentation of each piece in the issue, both in the sense of her own work but also the work she features by other creatives.
The second issue explores liberation movements around the world, from Puerto Rico to Palestine, where cover artist Taysir Batniji was born. Raziuddin says that the cover required “a delicate balance between the striking, the beautiful, and the sombre – capturing the weight of a context that is both difficult and harrowing, while avoiding any hint of superficiality.”
She has long admired Batniji’s work, and this particular image by the Gazan artist – a “haunting” photograph set in a dilapidated kitchen, taken from his 2006 series Fathers – “speaks volumes with its silence”, she says. The image has been tilted subtly on the cover to amplify the scale of recent destruction of buildings and lives.
“It’s important to me that Acacia reflects the rich cultures of those who are being marginalised, honouring their craft while also being respected by our Western colleagues. As one of the few Muslim art directors in the media, I’ve noticed that much of our design is often labelled as ‘exotic’ or ‘vibrant,’ only being used for our own stories, while European aesthetics are seen as chic, sophisticated, and the universal standard of beauty.”
In this sense, her involvement with Acacia has been eye-opening, but it has ultimately been enriching, too. “The art direction for Acacia has been both the most challenging and the most rewarding work of my career. Creating something alongside other Muslims – people who share similar values and ideas – feels uniquely comforting and collaborative.”
Source:creativereview.co.uk
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamic-preacher-zakir-naik-pakistan-nation/d/133568