Israel Looks to Hire Up To 1 Lakh Indian Construction Workers to Replace Palestinians
New Age Islam News Bureau
07 November 2023
Palestinian
children mop outside their home after an Israeli bombardment in the Maghazi
refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
AP/PTI
------
India
·
Ahead Of 2024 General
Elections, Minorities, known as 'Modi Mitras', to Get an Audience with PM Modi
Next Month
·
Iran Asks India to "Use
All Its Capacities" To End Israel's Assault on Gaza
·
Two ISIS associates arrested in
Aligarh: UP Police
·
We’ll Oppose Sanatana Dharma Forever,
Despite Face Legal Action: U Stalin
·
Mobile Internet Suspended In
Parts Of J-K's Pulwama District Due To 'Security Reasons'
-------
Pakistan
·
Imran seeks contempt
proceedings against jail official
·
Pakistan ‘appalled’ by Israeli
minister’s Gaza nuclear ‘option’ comment
·
Munir Akram calls for halting
of aerial bombardment resulting in Palestinian deaths
·
Repatriation of illegal
foreigners including Afghans continue
-------
North America
·
Left-wing activist 'shocked' in
viral video after failing to recruit pro-Palestinian Muslim support for LGBTQ
·
US calls to avoid ‘hateful
rhetoric’ after Israeli suggests nuclear ‘option’
·
CAIR Welcomes Hopkins Faculty
Letter Calling for Ceasefire in Gaza, Encourages Faculty at Other Institutions
to Call for Ceasefire
·
Blinken wraps up frantic
Mideast tour with tepid, if any, support for pauses in Gaza fighting
·
US bases in Syria, Iraq
targeted by drones; Pentagon says 45 US troops injured in recent attacks
------
Mideast
·
Israel Cuts Off North Gaza as
Palestinian Death Toll from Month-Long War Passes 10,000
·
Netanyahu considering fighting
pauses for Gaza aid and hostage release
·
“Imam Hussein” militia: Limited
options for Iran on the Syrian front
·
56 mosques destroyed in Israeli
airstrikes on Gaza since Oct. 7: Media Office
·
Palestine Red Crescent says
Al-Quds Hospital to run out of fuel in 48 hours
·
118 aid trucks enter Gaza
through Rafah crossing
--------
Europe
·
‘Wondering Why Airplanes Are
Not Falling’: Collective Muslim Prayer At Paris Airport Sparks Controversy
·
Vatican’s Natural Affinity with
Iran, Shia Islam May Be Key to Gaza Drama
·
Organizers asked to postpone
pro-Palestine rallies this weekend in London
·
Germany Voices Concern Over
Rising Anti-Muslim Racism Amid Gaza War
·
Oxford Islamic Society raises
around £26,000 for relief in Gaza
·
Russia calls for ‘collective
action’ on Gaza crisis
·
France calls for humanitarian
truce in Gaza
·
Number Of UK Umrah Pilgrims
Increases As Saudi Arabia Expands Religious Experiences
-----
Africa
·
Libya's Fatwa House Issues
Fatwa to Boycott Pro-Israel Companies
·
Gunmen kill at least 20 in
pre-dawn attack in Cameroon – local official
·
Sudan’s military conflict is
getting closer to South Sudan and Abyei, UN envoy warns
·
Tunisia arrests the five
Islamists who escaped from prison last week
·
Nigeria: Villagers attend
funeral of victims of suspected Boko Haram attack
-----
Arab World
·
Yemeni Army’s Drones Hit
‘Sensitive’ Israeli Targets in Show of Support for Gaza
·
Saudi foreign minister sheds
light on Muslim women's challenges amidst Islamophobia
·
French architects keen to
partner in ‘ambitious’ Saudi projects: industry chief
·
HR minister launches Jadeer
program to encourage a skilled workforce in Saudi Arabia
-------
Southeast Asia
·
PM Anwar Says Malaysia Will Not
Recognise Unilateral Sanctions, In Response to US Sanctions Bill Against Hamas
·
Take action on M’sian media
that call Hamas ‘militant’ or ‘terrorist’: Bersatu youth chief
·
PM criticises 'biadap' PAS
ulama chief for claiming govt following Israeli narrative
·
Malaysians not united in
Palestinian cause, says Mahathir
·
Anwar condemns PAS-owned daily
linking him to Israel as ‘rude’, says will take action if repeated
·
Indonesia Says Gaza Hospital
for Palestinians After Israel Accusations
·
Malaysian man allegedly
arrested in Saudi Arabia after criticising the Islamic nation
·
Fahmi: Islamic, halal and
Muslim-friendly-related sectors expected to worth RM35.7t by 2025
·
Singapore Parliament passes
motion on Israel-Hamas war; MPs call for longer-term aid for Palestinians,
schools to facilitate conversations
------
Australia
·
Islamophobic threats in
Australia have increased tenfold since Oct. 7 Hamas action in Israel, says
Muslim group
------
South Asia
·
IEA Deputy Minister Warns
Pakistan Not to 'Force Afghans to React'
·
Returned Refugees from Pakistan
Find Comfort and Hope in the Islamic Emirate’s Reception
·
Ulema Council of Kyrgyzstan:
Travel to Palestine for jihad does not comply with Shariah
·
The Chines Ambassador Called on
IEA Minister of Foreign Affairs
·
Taliban aims to appoint
diplomat to Afghanistan Embassy in Tajikistan
·
Over 15,000 Afghan families
expelled from Pakistan in 6 days
·
4 Bangladeshis killed in Qatar
fire
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/israel-indian-workers-palestinians/d/131063
-----
Israel
Looks to Hire Up To 1 Lakh Indian Construction Workers to Replace Palestinians
Palestinian
children mop outside their home after an Israeli bombardment in the Maghazi
refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.
AP/PTI
------
07.11.23
Anita Joshua
The Israeli construction industry has
asked the government in Tel Aviv to allow companies to hire up to 1 lakh Indian
workers to replace the 90,000 Palestinians whose work permits have been
cancelled since the Hamas attack of October 7.
A Voice of America report from the West
Bank quoted the vice-president of the Israel Builders Association, Haim
Feiglin, as saying: “Right now we are negotiating with India. We are waiting
for decision of the Israeli government to approve that. And, we hope to engage
50,000 to 100,000 workers from India to be able to run the whole sector and
bring it back to normal.”
India’s external affairs ministry did
not respond to queries relating to this report or say whether the government
would allow Indians to move to a conflict zone for work at a time when
Operation Ajay (the evacuation exercise from Israel) is still to be wrapped up.
With Palestinians making up roughly 25
per cent of the workforce employed by the Israeli construction industry, work
has been disrupted since October 7, Feiglin said.
“We are at war and the Palestinian
workers, which are about 25 per cent of our human resources in the sector, are
not coming, are not permitted to work in Israel,” Feiglin said.
About 10 per cent of the Palestinian
workers are from Gaza — which is at the centre of the conflict —and the rest
are from the West Bank.
While the war is being cited as the
reason for seeking workers from India, Tel Aviv has been on this course for the
past few months. It inked an agreement with India in May that will allow 42,000
Indians to work in Israel – particularly in a construction sector faced with a
labour shortage, besides nursing.
The Framework Agreement on Facilitation
of Temporary Employment of Workers in Specific Labour Market Sectors in Israel
was initialled on May 9 during Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen’s India
visit.
This was the first time that the Israeli
construction sector had opened up for Indians, who had till then mostly
provided caregivers. The agreement also extends to nursing staff.
This framework agreement had been in the
making for over a year before it was inked. A multi-ministerial Israeli team
had visited India in March and toured training centres across the country.
The Middle East Monitor quoted the
Population and Immigration Authority in Israel as saying that the incoming
workers from India were diligent, experienced and fluent in English.
Foreign workers are increasingly being
preferred to Palestinians because they are an insurance against frequent
disruptions in work, as movement in and out of Gaza and the West Bank gets
stopped frequently.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Suicide Attacks Violate Sharia, Decrees
Pakistan Ulema Council and Central Majlis-e-Shura
Chairman
Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi. — APP File
-----
November 07, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Ulema Council
(PUC) Monday fully supported a fatwa issued by the scholars that suicide
attacks were prohibited (Haram) under the title of unjust killing and justified
the state security institutions action against them.
The PUC’s support to the fatwa came
during a meeting of its Central Majlis-e-Shura and Ameela held under the
chairmanship of Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi here. Over 200 members of
Majlis-e-Shura and Ameela from across the country participated in the meeting.
According to the Council, the armed
groups engaged in actions against the state in the name of linguistics,
regional, religious and sectarian identities were disobeying the injunctions of
Sharia and tearing apart the national unity and justified the state
institutions’ action against all of them.
The Council announced to organize
countrywide ‘Paigham-e-Pakistan, Ulema-Mashaykh conventions’ and to carry out a
vigorous campaign for implementation of Paigham-e-Pakistan National Action
Plan.
Keeping in view the current situation of
the country, the Central Majlis-e-Shura decided that Paigham-e-Pakistan
Ulema-Mashaykh Convention will be held across the country and also urged the
government to ensure full implementation of the National Action Plan to
annihilate terrorism and extremism.
The meeting pointed out that national
unity against extremism and terrorism was the need of the hour, as
anti-Pakistan elements were once again mobilizing against the improving
economic situation and stability in Pakistan and the terrorist incidents in Pakistan
during the last few days were evident of these conspiracies.
Amidst this situation, the PUC has
decided to carry out a vigorous campaign at the national level for the
implementation of Paigham-e-Pakistan narrative. Similarly, the Council also
demands the government that the National Action Plan should be fully implemented.
A PUC declaration after the meeting
stated that leading Ulema and Mashaykh from all the religious schools of
thought in Pakistan, and the most influential personalities of the Islamic
world had signed the Paigham-e-Pakistan draft, in which it had been categorically
stated that all the sections of life, including the Ulema, and Mashaykh, will
stand united with the state and the security forces and the whole nation
declared full and unconditional cooperation with the armed forces and other
security agencies of Pakistan in this war of national survival.
It stated that armed sectarian conflict
and the method of imposing one’s ideas on others on the basis of force was
contrary to the laws of Shariat and amounted to fanning chaos in the land.
“It is a national crime according to the
constitution and laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” the declaration
said. It said Pakistan was an Islamic state and the government and security
forces were bound by the constitution of Pakistan and take oath according to
it; therefore, armed actions against the government or security forces of
Pakistan fell under the category of rebellion, which was prohibited by law.
It further stated that it was
undoubtedly the first responsibility of the government to fully implement the
Islamic provisions of the constitution and a peaceful and constitutional
struggle to fulfill this responsibility was certainly the important duty of
Muslims, but for this purpose, taking up arms was a mischief in the land and it
was strictly prohibited in Hadiths of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and those
involved in this armed rebellion or who helped or supported it in any way were
in violation of the words of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
It said the action taken by the security
forces and agencies against such miscreants had the full support of the nation.
The joint declaration called for the government to file an appeal against the
decision of the Supreme Court to abolish the military courts and said the
Pakistan Ulema Council had reservations about this decision.
“There are ambiguities in this very
judgment and there is no guidance regarding punishments and expeditious trial
of May 9 perpetrators,” it stated.
It said the judgment of the apex court
against the military courts could possibly motivate the elements engaged in
activities against the security forces and security agencies in future and in
the current situation, so the Pakistan Ulema Council rejected it.
The Council endorsed the decision of the
government to evict the illegal foreigners and made it clear that ‘Afghanistan
is our neighbor and dear brother, we have served the Afghan brothers for forty
years, and we will continue to serve them, but the Afghan brethren are also
requested to take legal cover to live in Pakistan and those foreigners and
Afghan residents who are legally residing in Pakistan would be provided with
protection and facilities in every way.’
The joint declaration said if there were
any problems for the illegal Afghan brothers leaving Pakistan, the Ministry of
Interior should try to resolve the issues in this regard and the delegation of
Pakistan Ulema Council will meet with the minister of interior in next two to
three days and keep the reservations in front of them in this regard.
The PUC strongly condemned the
atrocities committed by Israel in Palestine and expected the Arab leaders from
the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on November 11 to come
up with a plan of action against this oppression.
The Council also regretted the silence
of the United States, United Kingdom, and European countries on Israeli
aggression and brutality and strongly condemned them.
It also thanked Russia and China for
their stance on the Palestine issue and also demanded immediate severance of
diplomatic relations with the Muslim countries that had relations with Israel.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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Jewish New Yorkers Occupy Statue of Liberty
to Demand Gaza Ceasefire
Activists
from Jewish Voice for Peace occupy the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.
[Stephanie Keith/Getty Images via AFP]
------
07 Nov 2023
NEW YORK, Nov 7, 2023 (BSS/AFP) -
Hundreds of US Jewish activists peacefully occupied New York's Statue of
Liberty on Monday to demand a ceasefire by Israel and an end to the
"genocidal bombardment" of civilians in Gaza.
Dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned
with the slogans "Jews demand ceasefire now" or "Not in our
name," the protestors unfurled banners reading "The whole world is
watching" and "Palestinians should be free" at the base of New
York's iconic landmark.
The huge copper statue sits on Liberty
Island at the entrance to New York Harbor.
"The famous words of our Jewish
ancestor Emma Lazarus etched into this very monument compel us to take action
supporting the Palestinians of Gaza yearning to breathe free," Jay Saper
of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), the gathering's organizer, said in a
statement, referring to the 19th-century activist who helped Jewish refugees
fleeing to New York from Europe.
The statement quotes Lazarus's poem
"New Colossus," which is engraved on the statue's base as an ode to
US immigrants.
Participants from the Institute for
Middle East Understanding demanded "an end to Israel's genocidal
bombardment of Palestinian civilians in Gaza."
"As long as the people of Gaza are
screaming, we need to yell louder, no matter who attempts to silence us,"
said photographer Nan Goldin, standing alongside several local elected
officials, some with strong roots in the political left.
New York City, a famed melting pot of
migrants, has been rocked for the past month by dueling pro-Israel and
pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The city is home to some two million
Jews and hundreds of thousands of Muslims, and has so far avoided any violence
related to the conflict, though tensions are palpable in certain spots such as
university campuses.
But opinions are not monolithic in
either community.
A liberal segment of American Jewish
youth -- Jews vote overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party -- has unleashed
harsh criticism of Israel, which it accuses of perpetrating
"genocide" on Palestinians in Gaza.
They also denounce President Joe Biden's
military and diplomatic support for Israel, which has engaged in a month-long
bombardment of the Palestinian territory since Hamas's October 7 attack that
Israeli officials said left 1,400 people.
The death toll in Gaza surpassed 10,000
people Monday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of
demonstrators, some brought by JVP, gathered in Washington to call for an
immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and to denounce US policy of support for
Israel.
In late October, thousands of
protesters, many gathered by JVP, occupied the huge Grand Central station in
Manhattan with the same demands.
Separately, thousands of pro-Palestinian
protesters, including some from US Jewish organizations, shut down the Brooklyn
Bridge, leading from Manhattan to the multicultural and fashionable borough
across the East River.
Source: bssnews.net
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https://www.bssnews.net/news/156909
-------
“Al-Aqsa Flood” Continues Heavy Losses on
Zionist Enemy in All FieldsDespite Unconditional American-European
Support to Israel
Al-Aqsa Flood
-----
[07/November/2023]
SANA'A November 07. 2023 (Saba) -
Despite the endless and unconditional American-European support for the
occupying Zionist enemy entity, the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle continues to exhaust
and inflict heavy economic losses on the enemy in all fields.
In this context, recent economic reports
published on Sunday revealed a three percent decline on the first day of
trading, as the value of the shekel against the dollar reached 3.95, reaching
its lowest levels in eight years.
Last Monday, the Zionist Central Bank
announced the sale of $30 billion in the foreign exchange market to support and
protect the collapsed shekel, while the occupying entity's stock market fell by
eight percent on the first day of trading.
The daily losses of the Zionist enemy
entity since the beginning of the battle are estimated at about one billion
dollars per day, while the damage affected all economic sectors, especially the
industrial, tourism and agricultural sectors.
The battle caused the closure of all
settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip, disrupting air navigation and stopping
industrial facilities from working, which constituted a challenge to the
enemy’s economic situation and exacerbated the crisis in this false entity.
Experts' expectations indicated that the
cost of the war waged by the usurping entity against the Hamas movement in the
Gaza Strip would rise to about 200 billion shekels, equivalent to 51 billion
dollars.
The Zionist economic newspaper
"Calcalist" reported, quoting preliminary figures from the enemy's
Ministry of Finance, that the estimate of the costs, which is equivalent to ten
percent of the gross domestic product is based on the possibility of the war
continuing from eight to 12 months, with the matter being limited to Gaza
without full participation.
The newspaper added: “Half of the cost
will be in defense expenditures, which amount to about one billion shekels per
day, and the cost of revenue losses will range between another 40 and 60
billion shekels, in addition to between 17 and 20 billion shekels that Israel
will incur in the form of compensation to companies and ten to 20 billion
shekels for rehabilitation.
In turn, the Zionist enemy’s tax
authority confirmed that the destruction resulting from the war is
unprecedented in the history of the entity’s wars, indicating that the size of
the material losses on the first day alone of the battle is estimated at at
least three billion shekels, as 20 settlements were severely damaged and homes,
infrastructure, and roads were destroyed.
These official data come amid a state of
recession that is ravaging the Zionist economy, the labor market, workers, and
transactions in various commercial interests.
Last Thursday, the Zionist Central
Bureau of Statistics revealed that the surveys it conducted showed that the war
on Gaza affected commercial activity, which was almost completely paralyzed.
As well as the labor market and
movement, where 764,000 workers are still unemployed, equivalent to 18 percent
of the total workforce, pointing out that this number is the minimum and could
reach about one million workers.
According to what the Zionist economic
newspaper "Globus" reported from data published by the Zionist
Ministry of Labor this week, hundreds of thousands of workers have been laid
off from their jobs due to the damage to various industries and because of
call-up of army reserve forces to the war.
The occupying Zionist entity is
considered the largest recipient of American foreign aid since World War II, as
official American indicators reported that the total aid provided by the United
States to the usurping entity between 1946 and 2023 amounted to about 158.6
billion dollars.
According to data from the United States
Agency for International Development, the volume of aid is much greater than
what was stated in official estimates, as the total American aid committed to
the usurping entity in the same period reached about 260 billion dollars.
It is noteworthy that most of this
American aid to the usurping Zionist entity goes to the military sector, as the
volume of American military aid to the entity between 1946 and 2023, according
to official American estimates, amounted to about 114.4 billion dollars, in
addition to about 9.9 billion dollars for missile defense.
Despite the keenness of a number of
European countries to show absolute support for the Zionist enemy entity in its
war on the Gaza Strip, the European Union countries are still unable to come up
with a unified position on this crisis.
This is clearly evident in the
divergence of views between countries that show great enthusiasm in supporting
the Zionist entity, as is the case with Germany, and others that direct harsh
criticism of the enemy entity and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu as is
the case with Spain.
As for the European Union itself, a
clear discrepancy has emerged between the President of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen, who strongly supports the occupying entity, and the High
Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, who is
known for his critical tone of the occupying entity before the recent events,
to the point that the newspaper “Politico” described him as He is considered an
"undesirable person" in Tel Aviv.
The Zionist-American aggression against
Gaza continues for the 30th day since the start of the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood
on October 7th, resulting in the death toll rising to 9,770 martyrs, including
4,800 children, 2,550 women, and more than 24,000 wounded.
It is worth mentioning that despite the
open and unconditional American and European support for the Zionist enemy
entity, the battle of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” continues to exhaust the enemy
humanly, materially, morally, economically and in all fields.
Source: saba.ye
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--------
Jewish And Muslim Communities Unite In London
Amid Rise In UK Hate Crimes
06-Nov-2023
There have been a record number of
anti-Semitic hate crimes in the UK since October 7, when Hamas fighters killed
more than 1,400 people in Israel and captured 200 hostages – most of whom they
have so far refused to return.
Muslim communities are also feeling
vulnerable after their mass demonstrations in support of Palestinians, who have
been killed and blockaded inside Gaza by Israeli forces, were called hate
marches by UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
CGTN visited an area in north London
with large Jewish and Muslim communities, who are trying hard not to let the
Israel-Hamas conflict drive a wedge between them.
Grodzinski bakery claims to be the
oldest kosher bakery in London. Its Stamford Hill shop is a busy hub for the
local Jewish community but it also prides itself on its multiethnic staff, with
Muslims and Christians and others all working alongside their Jewish
colleagues.
According to both the manager and his
customers, the horrific events in Israel and Gaza haven't changed that.
"We still get on, we still get on
with people in the street," said customer Martin, who would only give his
anglicized first name. "Black people, Muslim people, Jewish – it hasn't
changed around here that much, but we are a bit more checking behind us, a
little bit more scared."
Fellow customer Joel felt the same.
"I don't see any changes here," he said. "We live together all
the time. The taxi drivers are all Muslim and we go every day with them and
there are no problems with them."
Islamophobic and anti-Semitic hate
crimes have recently risen sharply, but not here in Stamford Hill. This north
London neighborhood is home to thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews but it also has
a large and well-established Muslim community. On one street alone there is a
mosque and Muslim community center facing a Jewish primary school on the other
side of the road.
Tariq Mahmoud regularly comes to pray at
the mosque here. "It's OK here, it's 15 years since I've been in this
country, I've never had a problem with any community, he said. "Jews,
Hindu, Christian, atheists – we don't have any problem, we are living in
peace."
There are frustrations and anger in the
Muslim community over the conflict, and resentment that pro-Palestinian rallies
were dubbed hate marches by the Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
Munaf Zeena, Chairman of the North
London Community Centre," said: "We are very angry, very frustrated.
We do feel that we are not being heard, that we are being side-lined."
But Zeena says that hasn't stopped the
two communities from cooperating.
"We have a fantastic record of
working together for the last 40 to 50 years. We recognize that the issues of
the Middle East which are going on, we are all angry about it in different ways
but we live together as one community."
Zeena works closely with Rabbi Herschel
Gluck, they co-chair the Muslim Jewish Forum in Stamford Hill. Rabbi Gluck says
the strength of the relationship between Jews and Muslims has ensured there is
no divide between them.
"The community is still interacting
in exactly the same way as prior to the terrible acts on the 7th of
October," he said. "We trust each other, we know each other. We see
each other not as the other but as members of a community of communities. So
therefore the trust and friendship is so deep that even something as horrific
as what we have seen over the past few weeks couldn't dent that inherent
friendship."
This area has been spared most of the
anti-Semitic hate crimes, unlike other predominantly Jewish neighbourhoods like
Golders Green.
Rabbi Gluck is also President of the
Stamford Hill Shomrim, a group of Jewish volunteers who have formed a
Neighborhood Watch-type group. They came together to help police to reduce
crime and citizens to feel safe within Jewish communities in north west London.
"These hate crimes are not coming
from the Muslim community here," said Gluck, who has access to all of
Shomrim's incident reports. "Most of it is coming from non-Muslims and
there has been no case of any Muslim who is living here being involved in an
anti-Semitic incident."
As the conflict in Israel and Gaza goes
on, the strength of these community ties will continue be tested. But as things
stand, local people are refusing to break bonds strengthened by decades of
friendship and cooperation.
Source: newseu.cgtn.com
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------
India
Ahead Of 2024 General Elections,
Minorities, known as 'Modi Mitras', to Get an Audience with PM ModiNext Month
07th November 2023
By Rajesh Thakur Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Ahead of the 2024 general
election, over tens of thousands of people, belonging to various minority
communities will get a direct audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The meeting of the minorities, known as
'Modi Mitras' from across the country, is expected to take place in Delhi in
December this year.
The minorities would have a wider
interaction and direct audience with the PM on various welfare schemes,
launched in the country for them in the last 9 years.
'Modi Mitras' are not primary members of
the saffron party. They were allegedly impressed by the welfare schemes
launched by Modi in the last 9 years.
Heading this outreach will be BJP's
Minority Morcha.
The morcha claims to have mobilized
around 2.5 lakh ‘Modi Mitras’ so far.
Speaking to The New Indian Express,
Jamal Siddiqui-national president of BJP Minority Morcha, said: “Around 10,000 people as ‘Modi Mitras’
belonging to various minority communities, including Muslim, will have a meeting
with Narendra Modi."
“As soon as the date is finalized, all
preparations for holding "first of its kind" meeting will
start," he said.
"At this meeting, the participants
will share their suggestions and grievances and also they will ideate with the
PM on the round development of poor people among the minority communities”, he
said.
The 'Modi Mitras' hail from states
including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Madhya
Pradesh and Telangana.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/07/modi-mitras-2630903.html
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Iran Asks India To "Use All Its
Capacities" To End Israel's Assault On Gaza
November 07, 2023
New Delhi: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a call
with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, urged India to use "all its
capacities" to end the Israeli actions in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict.
According to the Iranian readout of the
call between the two leaders, Raisi recalled India's struggles against Western
colonialism and the country's position as one of the founders of the
Non-Aligned Movement in the world
"Today, India is expected to use
all its capacities to end the Zionist crimes against the oppressed people of
Gaza," the statement read.
The Iranian President further stated
that Tehran supports any global joint effort for an immediate ceasefire,
lifting the blockade and providing aid to the oppressed people of Gaza.
"The continuation of the killing of
the Palestinian people has infuriated of all the free nations of the world and
this killing will have extra-regional consequences," he stated.
He further said that the killing of
oppressed and innocent women and children, attacks on hospitals, schools,
mosques, churches and residential areas are "condemned and
unacceptable" from the point of view of any human being,
"Palestinian resistance groups have
a legitimate right to confront the occupation of the usurping Zionist regime
and all countries must support the Palestinian people's struggle for freedom
from oppression," the Iranian readout quoted Raisi as saying.
He added, "How come that the
struggle of European countries against Nazi Germany is an admirable and heroic
act, but the resistance of the Palestinian people against the child-killing and
criminal Zionist regime is condemned?!"
Meanwhile, in another part of this
conversation, Raisi described the Tehran's view of relations with India as
'strategic' and emphasised the necessity of planning for the development of
cooperation and compensating the delays in this field.
Emphasising the importance of the
North-South Corridor and its benefits for all countries in the region,
President Raisi emphasised that India is expected to make "serious
investments" to strengthen sustainable economic cooperation, including in
Chabahar Port.
During the conversation, Prime Minister
Modi, stressed the importance of preventing escalation, ensuring the continued
provision of humanitarian aid, and early restoration of peace and stability in
the region.
The two leaders also welcomed the
progress in India and Iran's progress in bilateral cooperation, including on
the Chabahar port.
Since Israel declared a war on Hamas
after the terror group unleashed mayhem in southern Israel on October 7, PM
Modi has had regular telephone conversations with world leaders.
Earlier, on Friday, PM Modi spoke with
the UAE President, Mohammaed Bin Zayed, sharing his concerns over the
escalating situation and loss of civilian lives amid the Israel-Hamas war. Both
leaders agreed on "the need for early resolution of the security and
humanitarian situation" in the region after Hamas launched an attack on
Israel on October 7.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S
Jaishankar spoke with his Iranian counterpart Amirabdollahian to discuss the
raging Israel-Hamas war.
The two leaders underscored the
importance of preventing further escalation in the region and providing crucial
humanitarian support.
They also agreed to maintain
communication to address the evolving situation in West Asia.
Source: ndtv.com
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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-must-use-all-its-capacities-to-end-war-in-gaza-iran-president-to-pm-modi-4552156
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Two ISIS associates arrested in Aligarh:
UP Police
November 7, 2023
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad
has arrested “two suspected ISIS terrorists”, Abdullah Arsalan, 26, and Maaz
Bin Tariq, 25, from Aligarh, and has brought them to the ATS headquarters in
Lucknow for questioning.
The duo was allegedly “planning terror
activities” across the state.
Arsalan is a B.Tech in petroleum
chemical engineering from a private university, while Tariq is pursuing a B.Com
degree through distance learning.
Special Director General (Law and
Order), Prashant Kumar, said that both the accused were inspired by ISIS
ideology and were taking instructions from their ISIS handlers to carry out
terror activities in the state.
“They were collecting material and
planning some strike,” Kumar added.
The ATS said it recovered propaganda
material related to ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) from
the duo’s pen drives.
The ATS said that Arsalan and Tariq’s
names came to light after the arrest of Shahnawaz Alam and Rizwan Ashraf by the
Special Cell of Delhi Police. They were associated with the Students of Aligarh
Muslim University.
“Some members of this students’ body are
sympathisers of ISIS,” the ATS added.
Alam and Ashraf were “self- radicalised
and had disclosed that they were planning attacks in Ayodhya, Delhi’s
Akshardham and Chabad House in Mumbai on October 2”.
Based on their confession, another
member of the team, Rizwan Ashraf, an engineer was held. Ashraf was allegedly
in communication with a foreign-based handler and remaining members of the
module and had taken a pledge to join ISIS.
“From the memory of the electronic
devices recovered from the accused, anti-national ideology and literature of
banned ISIS and AQIS were found,” the ATS said.
The ATS added that both Arsalan and
Tariq were arrested and presented before the local court, where they were sent
to 14-days judicial custody.
“We have asked the court for a custody
remand of the accused so that more information can be obtained regarding the
network of the accused through detailed interrogation and their associates can
be arrested,” a senior ATS officer said.
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/two-isis-associates-arrested-in-aligarh-up-police/
------
We’ll Oppose Sanatana Dharma Forever,
Despite Face Legal Action: U Stalin
November 7, 2023
Stirring a huge controversy yet again,
Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday reiterated his stand that the
Sanatana Dharma should be opposed forever.
Youth Welfare and Sports Minister
Udhayanidhi Stalin, the son of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, was talking to
reporters following the Madras High Court’s rap for the state police over its
inaction over his comments against Sanatana Dharma. “No individual has the
right to promote divisive ideas or the abolition of any ideology,” the court
observed.
Udhayanidhi Stalin had compared Sanatana
dharma to dengue and malaria, sparking off a row.
“We have been speaking about Sanatana
for several years. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is a recent
issue. Sanatana Dharma issue dates back to hundreds of years. We shall oppose
it forever,” he said.
He maintained that he didn’t say
anything wrong. “What I said was right and will face legal consequences. I will
not change my statement,” he underlined.
Stalin had held rather than opposing
Sanatana, it should be eradicated.
The Sanatana name is derived from
Sanskrit, which is against social justice and equality, he said. “We can’t
oppose corona, dengue, and mosquitoes. We have to eradicate them and likewise
Sanatana has to be eradicated,” he stated. –IANS
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/well-oppose-sanatana-dharma-forever-despite-face-legal-action-u-stalin/
--------
Mobile Internet Suspended In Parts Of
J-K's Pulwama District Due To 'Security Reasons'
07th November 2023
SRINAGAR: Mobile internet has been
suspended in parts of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir for security
reasons, officials said on Tuesday.
Directions to the Telecom Service
Providers to suspend mobile data services in Wampora and Hunipora areas of the
south Kashmir district were issued by Vijay Kumar, Additional Director General
of Police (ADGP), Kashmir Zone, the officials said.
The ADGP's order mentions the
possibility of mobile data services being misused by anti-national elements,
which may cause deterioration in public order, the officials added.
The Telecom Service Providers were
directed to suspend mobile data within a three km radius of these areas from 7
pm on November 5 till 7 pm on November 8, the officials said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/07/mobile-internet-suspended-in-parts-of-j-ks-pulwama-districtdue-to-security-reasons-2630906.html
-----
Pakistan
Imran seeks contempt proceedings against
jail official
Mohammad Asghar
November 7, 2023
RAWALPINDI: Special Court (Official
Secrets Act Court) Judge Abul Hasnat Zulqarnain issued a notice to the
superintendent of Adiala Jail for failing to arrange a phone call between
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s imprisoned chairman Imran Khan and his sons, Suleman
Khan and Qasim Khan.
Last week, the special court had allowed
Mr Khan to call his sons every Saturday.
However, in a petition filed on Monday,
PTI lawyer Shiraz Ahmad Ranjha alleged that the PTI chairman had not been
allowed to talk to his sons.
Mr Ranjha claimed that the
superintendent of Adiala Jail did not implement the court orders.
Contempt of court proceedings should be
initiated against the Adiala Jail superintendent for not following the court
orders, the petition sought, adding that the jail superintendent be instructed
to arrange a phone call between Mr Khan and his sons immediately.
Taking up the petition, Judge Zulqarnain
issued notices to the Adiala Jail superintendent. After issuing the notice, the
hearing was adjourned till Nov 8 (Wednesday).
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1787079/imran-seeks-contempt-proceedings-against-jail-official
------
Pakistan ‘appalled’ by Israeli
minister’s Gaza nuclear ‘option’ comment
November 6, 2023
The Foreign Office (FO) said on Monday
that Pakistan was “appalled” at the remarks made by an Israeli minister wherein
he suggested dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza.
Israeli Heritage Minister Amichay
Eliyahu, an ultranationalist politician part of Netnayahu’s ruling coalition,
had told Israel’s Kol Barama radio that he was not entirely satisfied with the
scale of Israel’s retaliation in the Palestinian territory.
When the interviewer had asked whether
the Israeli minister advocated dropping “some kind of atomic bomb” on the Gaza
Strip “to kill everyone”, Eliyahu had replied: “That’s one option”.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office had said that Eliyahu was suspended from government
meetings “until further notice”.
His office had described Eliyahu’s
remarks as “disconnected from reality” and added that Israel was trying to
spare “non-combatants” in Gaza.
“Eliyahu’s statements are not based in
reality. Israel and the IDF (military) are operating in accordance with the
highest standards of international law to avoid harming innocents. We will
continue to do so until our victory,” Netanyahu’s office had said.
Despite the immediate reprimand, the
junior minister’s inflammatory comments drew wide condemnation from within
Israel and across the Middle East.
Israel has never admitted to having a
nuclear bomb.
In a post on social media platform X
today, FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said, “We are appalled by statement
of an Israeli minister threatening nuclear force against Palestinians”.
She said the remarks reflected an
“intention for ethnic cleansing and genocide”.
“This is a wake-up call for the
international community to the threat posed by Israeli aggression to regional
peace, security and stability,” she said.
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit had
said Eliyahu’s remarks revealed that “Israel possesses nuclear weapons, which
is an open secret”.
“But it confirms the truth of the racist
view Israelis hold against Palestinians. This is the true face of the
occupation government.”
Saudi Arabia had criticised the
Netanyahu government for not dismissing the minister.
“Failing to immediately dismiss the
minister from the government and simply freezing his membership reflects the
height of disdain for all human, moral, religious and legal standards and
values of the Israeli government,” the Saudi foreign ministry had said in a
statement.
Jordan said the minister’s remarks were
a “call for genocide and a hate crime” against the Palestinians.
Following the outcry over his remarks,
Eliyahu had said in a post on X that his statement about the atomic bomb was
“metaphorical”.
He had also said that Israel was
“committed to doing everything possible to return the hostages safe and sound”.
Source: dawn.com
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Munir Akram calls for halting of aerial
bombardment resulting in Palestinian deaths
November 07, 2023
Pakistan's Permanent Representative to
the United Nations Munir Akram has urged the international community to rectify
imbalance at the heart of the world body and in the application of
international law.
In an interview with Arab News, he said
Israel has been emboldened by the international order's double and triple
standards which are the root cause of its weakness.
Pakistan envoy emphasized the need for a
ceasefire and halting of hostilities and aerial bombardment resulting in
killing of Palestinians.
Munir Akram said the claim made by
Israel and its friends that it has the right to defend itself does not apply in
this situation.
He said it is quite obvious to anybody
with any sense of fairness that the problem has arisen because of Israel's 50
years of occupation of Palestine, the murder and killing of Palestinians with
impunity over these decades and, especially in recent years.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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-------
Repatriation of illegal foreigners
including Afghans continue
2023-11-07
ISLAMABAD: Repatriation of illegal
foreigners including Afghans is continuing.
A large number of illegal Afghans are
returning to Afghanistan via Torkham border after a crackdown following the
expiry of government's deadline, according to a Radio Pakistan’s report.
In this regard, a transit camp has been
set up in Landi Kotal, where the illegal residents are being sent back to their
countries upon completion of necessary legal procedures.
All essential facilities have been
provided in the camp in order to ensure dignified return of the illegal
foreigners. According to details, illegal Afghans are also moving their
household goods in trucks and containers to Afghanistan.
These goods are also checked by a
special scanner at the terminal established at the Torkham border. All the
relevant government departments are active for the dignified return of illegal
foreigners and will remain engaged till the completion of the process.
During the last 24 hours, a total of
6584 Afghan citizens had been repatriated to Afghanistan through Chaman and
Torkham borders points.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40271966/repatriation-of-illegal-foreigners-including-afghans-continue
-----
North America
Left-wing activist 'shocked' in viral
video after failing to recruit pro-Palestinian Muslim support for LGBTQ
November 6, 2023
An activist in the United Kingdom was
left "shocked" after he attempted to garner support from
pro-Palestinian Muslims, only to be mocked by some of them, according to a
video that went viral on X.
The incident began when a male activist
named "Billboard Chris" brought a sign that said, "Children
cannot consent to puberty blockers."
"He's trying to propagate
anti-LGBTQ propaganda. He's trying to tell children that they're not allowed to
be transgender," the activist said.
"Yeah, they're not," a woman
responded. She proceeded to mock the activist for wearing Black nail polish.
"Stop talking bro. You have Black
nail polish on and you're a man, bro. Stop talking," she said.
"In our religion, you can't do
that," another woman said. "We don't agree."
The group proceeded to demand the
activist identify what religion he belonged to. "What do you identify
as?"
When the activist refused to answer, and
began walking away, a woman shouted "You identify as s--t, my bro."
JUSTIN TRUDEAU BLAMES 'AMERICAN
RIGHT-WING' FOR MUSLIMS OPPOSING LGBTQ CURRICULUM: 'LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE!'
A popular news aggregator on Twitter,
Visegrád 24, described the incident as follows: "A far-left activist is
shocked when he finds out that the young Muslim women… do not share his views
on LGBTQ+ issues."
"Masked Antifa man calls me a
f---ing fascist and appeals to Muslim women for support. Intersectional comedy
ensues. They destroy him," Billboard Chris said in reaction to the
incident.
Some on the left believe in an
oppression matrix, that individuals can be oppressed by multiple systems
simultaneously. The descriptive term is called intersectionality and holds, for
example, that a person of color who is also transgender is oppressed by racism
and transphobia simultaneously.
"Intersectionality is a lens
through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks
and intersects. It’s not simply that there’s a race problem here, a gender
problem here, and a class or LBGTQ problem there. Many times that framework
erases what happens to people who are subject to all of these things,"
Kemberle Crenshaw, a critical race theorist who coined the term, said.
In response to this point of view,
academics on the left postulate that with this theory oppressed groups should
band together to fight against the oppression matrix, the root of which they
believe is White supremacy.
Critics believe the prescriptive measure
to cure the supposed intersectional ideology is a form of cultural Marxism.
CRT critic Mike Gonzalez from the
Heritage Foundation said, "The strategy to achieve the new cultural
Marxism was also no longer predicated on Marx’s original prescription, the
violent overthrow of the system by the working class…. [Now] ideologues must
infiltrate institutions and all of society and ‘raise the consciousness of’ the
'oppressed' with a new cultural worldview, or narrative."
Source: foxnews.com
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https://www.foxnews.com/media/left-wing-activist-shocked-viral-video-failing-recruit-propalestinian-muslim-support-lgbtq-getting-mocked
---------
US calls to avoid ‘hateful rhetoric’
after Israeli suggests nuclear ‘option’
November 07, 2023
WASHINGTON: The United States on Monday
called a suggestion by an Israeli junior minister of dropping an atomic bomb on
Gaza “unacceptable” and urged all sides to avoid “hateful rhetoric.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
office on Sunday suspended Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu from government
meetings until further notice, saying that Israel wanted to spare
non-combatants in its bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamas attacks.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu and the
Israeli government have repudiated those comments which we also found as wholly
unacceptable,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
The MV Cape Orlando is seen circled by
U.S. Coast Guard and Tacoma police boats as protesters block the Port of Tacoma
entrances to delay the loading of the vessel Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in Tacoma,
Wash. Hundreds of protesters calling for a cease-fire in Gaza are blocking
traffic at the Port of Tacoma, where a military supply ship had recently
arrived. (AP)
“We continue to believe that it is
important for all sides of this conflict to refrain from hateful rhetoric that
is going to further incite tensions,” he said.
Eliyahu in an interview with Israel’s
Kol Barama radio had said he was not entirely satisfied with the scale of
Israel’s retaliation.
When the interviewer asked whether he
advocated dropping “some kind of atomic bomb” on Gaza “to kill everyone,”
Eliyahu replied: “That’s one option.”
Eliyahu later said his statement was
“metaphorical.” Israel is widely known to have nuclear weapons but has never
admitted so.
The remarks prompted outrage in the Arab
world with Saudi Arabia — which before the crisis had been in preliminary talks
to recognize Israel — criticizing the Netanyahu government for not dismissing
Eliyahu.
Militants from Palestinian group Hamas
stormed into Israel on October 7, killing some 1,400 people, mostly civilians,
including through targeting homes and revelers at a music festival.
The Hamas-run health ministry says that
more than 10,000 people have died since Israel launched retaliatory strikes,
with more than 4,000 of them children.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2404476/world
-------
CAIR Welcomes Hopkins Faculty Letter
Calling for Ceasefire in Gaza, Encourages Faculty at Other Institutions to Call
for Ceasefire
Ismail Allison
November 6, 2023
(BALTIMORE, MD, 11/6/20230) – The
Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations today welcomed a
letter signed by over two dozen faculty members at Johns Hopkins University
(JHU) expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza and demanding an immediate
ceasefire. CAIR also encouraged faculty members at other institutions of higher
education nationwide to follow suit and call for an immediate ceasefire.
JHU Anthropology Department Professor
and Graduate Studies Director Clara Han and Anthropology Department Associate
Professor and Chair Naveeda Khan wrote the “Open Letter from JHU Faculty in
Solidarity with Gaza.” As of Friday, Nov. 3, 29 professors have signed the
letter. The letter condemns the violence inflicted on the Palestinian people by
Israel, expresses solidarity with the Palestinian people and calls for an
immediate ceasefire.
In a statement, CAIR Maryland Director
Zainab Chaudry said:
“We applaud the faculty members at Johns
Hopkins who took a stand against the Israeli government’s openly genocidal
campaign against the people of Gaza and demanded an immediate ceasefire. We
encourage faculty at institutions of higher education in Maryland and
nationwide to follow their example and do the same. We cannot remain silent
while our government provides full moral and material support for a genocide.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
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-------
Blinken wraps up frantic Mideast tour
with tepid, if any, support for pauses in Gaza fighting
November 06, 2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
wrapped up a gruelling Middle East diplomatic tour on Monday in Turkey after
only limited success in efforts to forge a regional consensus on how best to
ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.
In the Turkish capital of Ankara, Mr.
Blinken met with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan following a frantic weekend of
travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the occupied West Bank, Cyprus and
Iraq, to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for
“humanitarian pauses” to Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza.
“All of this is a work in
progress," Mr. Blinken said before leaving Turkey. "We don’t
obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the
imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”
Mr. Blinken's shuttle diplomacy came as
Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the
besieged Hamas-ruled territory. Troops are expected to enter the city Monday or
Tuesday, and are likely to face militants fighting street by street using a
vast network of tunnels. Casualties will likely rise on both sides in the
month-old war, which has already killed more than 9,700 Palestinians.
The top U.S. diplomat hopes that pauses
in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release
of hostages captured by Hamas during the militants' deadly Oct. 7 incursion
into southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians —
while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.
“We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps
that they can take to minimise civilian casualties,” Mr. Blinken said before
leaving Ankara. “We’re working, as I said, very aggressively on getting more
humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
“We are very focused on the hostages
held by Hamas, including the Americans, and we are doing everything possible to
bring them home,” he added.
Mr. Blinken did not meet with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has been highly critical of Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an outlier among NATO allies in not expressing
full support for Israel’s right to defend itself.
As the Blinken-Fidan meeting got
underway, dozens of protesters from an Islamist group waved Turkish and
Palestinian flags and held up anti-U.S. and anti-Israel placards outside the
Foreign Ministry. Police earlier in the day dispersed a group of students
marching toward the ministry chanting “murderer Blinken, get out of Turkey!”
Also Monday, about 150 people rallied
outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, carrying a large banner that read: “No to
genocide!”
It was the second day of protests
denouncing Blinken’s visit. On Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with
Turkish riot police outside the U.S.-Turkish Incirlik military air base in the
southern city of Adana. Police fired tear gas and water cannon as the
demonstrators tried to cross fields to enter the base.
Mr. Blinken's mission, his second to the
region since the war began, has found only tepid, if any, support for his
efforts to contain the fallout from the conflict. Israel has rejected the idea
of pauses while Arab and Muslim nations are instead demanding an immediate
cease-fire as the casualty toll soars among Palestinian civilians under Israeli
bombardments of Gaza.
U.S. officials are seeking to convince
Israel of the strategic importance of respecting the laws of war by protecting
non-combatants and significantly boosting deliveries of humanitarian aid to
Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population.
It remained unclear, however, if
Netanyahu would agree to temporary, rolling pauses in the massive operation to
eradicate Hamas — or whether outrage among Palestinians and their supporters
could be assuaged if he did.
Already Jordan and Turkey have recalled
their ambassadors to Israel to protest its tactics and the tide of
international opinion appears to be turning from sympathy toward Israel in the
aftermath of Oct. 7 to revulsion as images of death and destruction in Gaza
spread around the world.
On Saturday in the Jordanian capital of
Amman, both the Egyptian and Jordanian Foreign Ministers appeared at a joint
news conference with Mr. Blinken. The two said Israel’s war had gone beyond
self-defence and could no longer be justified as it now amounted to collective
punishment of the Palestinian people.
That sentiment was echoed by tens of
thousands of demonstrators who marched in the streets of world capitals over
the weekend to protest Israel and condemn U.S. support for Israel.
From Turkey, Mr. Blinken headed to Asia
where the Gaza conflict will likely share top billing with other international
crises at a series of events in Japan, South Korea and India — including
Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
On Sunday, Mr. Blinken flew from the
occupied West Bank, where he held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas, to Baghdad for talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
When word spread of Mr. Blinken’s
arrival in the West Bank city of Ramallah, dozens of Palestinians turned out to
protest, holding signs showing dripping blood and with messages that included,
“Blinken blood is on your hands.” The meeting with Abbas ended without any
public comment.
The Palestinian Authority administers
semiautonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It has not been a
factor in the Gaza Strip since 2007, when Hamas seized control after winning in
elections there a year earlier. Mr. Abbas himself is unpopular among
Palestinians.
American forces in the region face a
surge of attacks by Iranian-allied militias in Iraq and elsewhere. U.S. forces
shot down another one-way attack drone Sunday that was targeting American and
coalition troops near their base in neighbouring Syria, a U.S. official said.
From Baghdad, Mr. Blinken travelled to Turkey.
The Biden administration, while
remaining the strongest backer of Israel's military response to Hamas' attacks
on Oct. 7, is increasingly seeking to use its influence with Israel to try to
temper the effect of Israel's weeks of complete siege and near round-the-clock
air, ground and sea assaults in Gaza, home to 2.3 million civilians.
Arab states are resisting American
suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving the crisis, expressing
outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations and believing
Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.
Source: thehindu.com
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US bases in Syria, Iraq targeted by
drones; Pentagon says 45 US troops injured in recent attacks
07 November 2023
Two major US-run military bases in
Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah and Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan
region have been once again targeted by drones, amid smoldering anti-US
sentiments in the region over its unconditional support for Israel’s onslaught
on the Gaza Strip.
Citing local sources speaking on
condition of anonymity, Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news
network reported that several unmanned aerial vehicles struck targets inside
the US military installation near al-Khadra village in Hasakah province early
on Tuesday morning.
There were no immediate reports about
the extent of damage at the military facility, and possible casualties.
Earlier, a drone attack targeted US
forces based near the Erbil International Airport.
Armed unmanned aerial vehicles have
separately targeted four military bases housing US occupation troops in Iraq
and neighboring Syria.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an
umbrella group of anti-terror fighters, has claimed responsibility for most of
the dozens of recent attacks against US occupation forces in Iraq and Syria,
saying they were carried out in retaliation for US support of Israel’s bloody
military campaign against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The Iraqi anti-terror group said, for
the first time they launched Al-Aqsa 1 medium-range missile against the US
occupation's bases in Iraq and Syria.
The group said in a statement that, “In
the context of responding to the Israeli occupation's crimes in its aggression
on Gaza under US diktats and administration, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq
reveals Monday, and for the first time, the putting into the medium range Aqsa
1 into service, wherein it was launched at US occupation bases in Iraq and
Syria in some of its operations.”
The latest attacks came two days after
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Baghdad amid
stern warnings from the Iraqi resistance.
Pentagon officials said on Monday that
more than twice as many US troops may have been injured in recent attacks in
Iraq and Syria than the Pentagon previously disclosed.
They said at least 45 Americans are
reporting injuries or potential traumatic brain injuries.
The Pentagon previously said 21 soldiers
received minor injuries in attacks on US forces at al-Tanf base in southern
Syria and on al-Asad air base in western Iraq late last month.
Since October 17, there have been at
least 38 separate attacks on bases housing US forces in Syria and Iraq, mainly
by drones, mortars or rockets.
The two attacks that caused the injuries
were both on October 18 and targeted al-Tanf and al-Asad bases.
The US is planning transfer of $320
million worth of precision bombs to Israel amid the regime
Anti-US sentiment has been running high
in the region since Israel launched the war on Gaza with Washington's
untrammeled support.
On Monday, the Palestinian Health
Ministry in Gaza announced that the death toll from indiscriminate Israeli
bombardments has reached 10,022 people, including 4,104 children and 2,641
women. It added that the number of those who have been wounded over the past 31
days has risen to 25,408.
The United States, Israel’s biggest
ally, has provided the regime with thousands of arms consignments since the
initiation of the war.
The US House of Representatives on
November 2 passed a standalone $14.3-billion military assistance package for
Israel. The legislation, however, is yet to clear the Senate.
Washington has also vetoed United
Nations Security Council resolutions that called on the occupying regime to
cease its aggression.
Source: presstv.ir
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Mideast
Israel cuts off north Gaza as
Palestinian death toll from month-long war passes 10,000
07.11.23
Israeli forces severed northern Gaza
from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with intense airstrikes
overnight into Monday, setting the stage for an expected push into the dense
confines of Gaza City and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.
Already, the Palestinian death toll has
passed 10,000, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday.
The ministry does not distinguish
between fighters and civilians. Some 1,400 Israelis have died, mostly civilians
killed in the October 7 incursion by Hamas that started the war.
The figures mark a grim milestone in
what has quickly become the deadliest
round of Israeli-Palestinian violence
since Israel’s establishment 75 years ago, with no end in sight as Israel vows
to remove Hamas from power and crush its military capabilities.
Casualties are only likely to rise as
the war turns to close urban combat. Troops are expected to enter Gaza City
soon, Israeli media reported, and Palestinian militants who have had years to
prepare are likely to fight street by street, launching ambushes from a vast
network of tunnels.
“We’re closing in on them,” said Lt Col
Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman. “We’ve completed our
encirclement, separating Hamas strongholds in the north from the south.”
The military said it struck 450 targets
overnight and ground troops took over a Hamas compound. A one-way corridor for
residents to flee south remains available for the hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians who remain in Gaza City and other parts of the north, according to
the military.
Some 1.5 million Palestinians, or around
70 per cent of Gaza’s population, have fled their homes since the war began.
Food, medicine, fuel and water are running low, and UN-run
schools-turned-shelters are beyond capacity. Many people are sleeping on the streets
outside.
Mobile phone and Internet services went
down overnight, the third territory-wide outage since the start of the war, but
were gradually restored on Monday. Aid workers say the outages make it even
harder for civilians to seek safety or call ambulances.
Israel has so far rejected US
suggestions for a pause in fighting to facilitate humanitarian aid deliveries
and the release of some of the estimated 240 hostages seized by Hamas in its
raid. Israel has also dismissed calls for a broader cease-fire from increasingly
alarmed Arab countries — including Jordan and Egypt, which made peace with it
decades ago.
After days of intense diplomacy around
West Asia, US secretary of state Antony Blinken wrapped up his tour of the
region on Monday, saying efforts to secure a humanitarian pause, negotiate the
release of hostages and plan for a post-Hamas Gaza were still “a work in
progress” and without pointing to any concrete achievements.
The war has also stoked wider tensions,
with Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group trading fire along the
border. In another sign of growing unrest, a Palestinian man stabbed and
wounded two members of Israel’s paramilitary border police in east Jerusalem
before being shot dead, according to police and an Associated Press reporter at
the scene.
Israel captured east Jerusalem, along
with Gaza and the West Bank, in the 1967 war. The Palestinians want all three
territories for a future state. Israel annexed east Jerusalem in a move not
recognised by most of the international community and considers the entire city
its capital.
In northern Gaza, a Jordanian military
cargo plane air-dropped medical aid to a field hospital, King Abdullah II said
early on Monday. It appeared to be the first such airdrop of the war, raising
the possibility of another avenue for aid delivery besides Egypt’s Rafah
crossing, which has so far been the only entry point.
Over 450 trucks carrying aid have been
allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt since October 21. But humanitarian workers say
the aid that has come through the Rafah crossing is insufficient to meet the
mounting needs in the territory, which is home to some 2.3 million
Palestinians.
The crossing was closed on Saturday and
Sunday because of a dispute between Israel, Egypt and Hamas. But it reopened on
Monday for the evacuation of patients and foreign passport holders, according
to Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority.
Northern Gaza is facing a severe water
shortage, as there is no fuel to pump from municipal wells and Israel has shut
off the region’s main line. The UN office for humanitarian affairs said seven
water facilities across Gaza were struck over the last two days and sustained
“major damage”, raising the risk of sewage flooding. Israel has restored two
water pipelines in central and southern Gaza, the UN said.
Some 800,000 people have heeded Israeli
military orders to flee to southern Gaza. Some 2,000 people, many carrying only
what they could hold in their arms, walked down Gaza’s main north-south highway
on Sunday.
“The children saw tanks for the first
time. Oh world, have mercy on us,” said one Palestinian man, who declined to
give his name.
But Israeli bombardments have continued
across the territory, and strikes in central and southern Gaza — the purported
safe zone — killed dozens of people on Sunday. Israel blames civilian
casualties on Hamas, accusing the militants of operating in residential
neighbourhoods.
After another strike on Monday, in the
southern town of Khan Younis, men dug through the rubble with sledgehammers and
their bare hands. A young boy caked in dust screamed as he was rolled onto a
stretcher and carried away. At least two people were killed, according to an AP
reporter at the scene.
Earlier on Monday, Palestinians held a
mass funeral for 66 people outside a hospital in the central town of Deir
al-Balah. The bodies were wrapped in white sheets on the ground outside the
hospital morgue. A man with bandages wrapped around his head placed his hand on
a child’s body and wept.
The health ministry said that 10,022
people had been killed in Gaza, including more than 4,100 children and 2,600
women. Four civilians, including three children, were killed by an Israeli
airstrike on a vehicle in south Lebanon late on Sunday, a local civil defence
official reported.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Netanyahu considering fighting pauses
for Gaza aid and hostage release
Fidel Rahmati
November 7, 2023
The Israeli Prime Minister has rejected
the call for a complete ceasefire, stating that they are examining fighting
pauses as a tactical measure to facilitate the release of hostages and the
entry of aid into Gaza.
On Tuesday, while the Gaza conflict
entered its second month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an
interview with ABC News, stated that he was rejecting a complete ceasefire and
instead examining “tactical humanitarian pauses” in the Gaza war.
Netanyahu has stated that a general
ceasefire would undermine Israel’s military efforts, adding that his country is
considering “small tactical pauses” in the conflict to facilitate the release
of hostages and the delivery of aid to Gaza.
This comes as the United Nations
Security Council once again failed to reach a consensus on approving a
resolution regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict during a session on Monday
night.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
has remarked that Gaza is becoming a “graveyard for children,” echoing the
previous call by 18 UN agencies for an immediate and humanitarian ceasefire,
stating that “enough is enough.”
The war began with Hamas’ attack on
Israel on October 7th and has now entered its second month as of November 7th.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, over 10,000 people, including 4,104
children, have been killed in Gaza so far.
Source: khaama.com
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“Imam Hussein” militia: Limited options
for Iran on the Syrian front
07/11/2023
Enab Baladi – Yamen Moghrabi
Members of the Iranian “Imam Hussein”
militia entered into clashes in southern Lebanon against Israeli forces after
they came from Syria, Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media division of the
Israeli army Spokesperson’s Unit, posted on the X platform on November 2.
The militia, which was established by
Iran in Syria, consists of Shiite forces from Syria and Sudan, the Afghan
Fatemiyoun Brigade forces, and the Pakistani Zainabiyoun, in addition to the
Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces and the Yemeni Ansar Allah militias.
This militia (also known as Syrian
Hezbollah) has great combat capabilities, and with the threats of Iran, as well
as the Lebanese Hezbollah and its Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, of the
possibility of widening the front of clashes and the joining of forces from the
border between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights, and Adraee’s latest
announcement, it seems that there are already possible preparations to ignite a
new front, especially with the increasing violence of the Israeli attacks on
the Gaza Strip.
The Occupied Golan front has witnessed a
long calm since the disengagement agreement signed with the Israeli occupation
in 1974, and with the exception of isolated incidents over 50 years, the Syrian
border with the Golan did not pose any significant dangers.
But the current situation is capable of
transforming from an Israeli military operation against the Gaza Strip,
skirmishes and mutual bombardment within the “rules of engagement” on the
Lebanese front, to a wide regional war, including the Syrian front via Iranian
militias.
“Simple skirmishes”
Newsweek published a report last July
saying that Iran had assembled a heavily armed unit in Syria that included
thousands of fighters from across the region, capable of launching attacks on
neighboring American and Israeli forces, according to a document that the
magazine said it had seen through a member of the intelligence agency of a
country allied with Iran.
According to the American magazine, the
division, which bore the name “Imam Hussein Division,” is the “most elite”
fighting force of the Iranian Quds Corps in Syria and has high combat
capabilities.
The faction was armed with
precision-guided ammunition, attack, and spy drones, in addition to a wide
range of light weapons. The division had previously carried out an intense
barrage of drone and missile attacks that struck the American military garrison
in the al-Tanf border region with Iraq in southeastern Syria in 2021, according
to the magazine.
Despite these capabilities possessed by
the Imam Hussein militia and the war escalation on land and in the air in the
Gaza Strip, the Lebanese front has not witnessed, until the moment of writing
this report, a violation of the rules of engagement.
On the other hand, despite the limited
clashes, the expansion of the front according to military and political changes
in the region is possible, which means the possibility of Iran using the Syrian
front, albeit in a limited way.
Syrian writer and researcher Marwan
Farzat told Enab Baladi that Iran has complete control over the border area
between Syria and occupied Palestine, and the main goal of the presence of the
Imam Hussein militia is to seize control of the military decision to start the
battle or not to engage.
Israeli occupation army artillery
targeted various sites in southern Syria between the Daraa and Quneitra
governorates against the backdrop of shells launched from Syrian territory
towards the occupied Golan on October 11.
On October 28, it also bombed an area
adjacent to the military al-Jomou’ hill base, which is the source of the
missile strikes launched towards the occupied territories during the recent
period.
According to Farzat, the bombing from
Syrian territory is a simple skirmish, with the possibility of opening the
Syrian front.
War decision rests with Iran, not the
regime
In a report published by the “Iran
International” website, which opposes the regime in Tehran, it said that the
“Imam Hussein Division” is known as “Syrian Hezbollah,” and it is the largest
executive arm of the Iranian regime in Syria.
This faction is considered one of the
largest multinational military units in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC), which was established by the former commander of the Quds Corps, Qassem
Soleimani, in 2016, claiming to fight the Islamic State organization in Syria,
but these militias worked as an umbrella to implement Iran’s activities in
Syria.
The military capabilities of the “Imam
Hussein” militia and the areas of its presence open the possibility for Iran to
benefit from the current circumstances by expanding the fronts of clashes with
Israel through two points, the first of which is its control of the southern
region of Syria, and the military capabilities that exist there.
According to Farzat, Iran informed the
Syrian regime not to interfere in the battle, and leaders from the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard have already arrived in southern Syria.
Military analyst Colonel Ahmed Hamada
told Enab Baladi that Iran is using the militia not to attack Israel as much as
it seeks to achieve long-term gains in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq under the
slogan “Jerusalem Road,” a road that has not been activated nearly a month
after the Gaza battles, according to his opinion.
Since the “Tishreen War” in 1973 and
then the Separation of Forces Agreement signed in 1974, the border areas
between Syria and occupied Palestine have witnessed calm for many decades,
punctuated only by sporadic incidents in recent years following the security
unrest in the region following the Syrian revolution in 2011.
Researcher Marwan Farzat pointed out, in
his interview with Enab Baladi, that the Syrian regime does not oppose Iran’s
current control over the border region and the deployment of its militias
there, but its loss of the border card means that the decision on war and peace
is no longer in its hands, which is a very important point on the strategic,
political and military levels in the long term.
The number of Iranian military sites is
44 in Daraa, 33 in Quneitra, and 15 in As-Suwayda, according to a research
analysis conducted by the Jusoor for Studies Center in cooperation with the
InformaGENE Data Analysis Foundation.
Since the beginning of the Syrian
revolution in 2011, Iran has sought to form local military entities, to form
groups auxiliary to the regime forces, and has been able to recruit young men.
One of the most prominent formations in southern Syria is the “Golan Regiment”
linked to Hezbollah. These groups have spread in areas near the border strip
with the occupied Syrian Golan.
Moscow between opposition and acceptance
On November 1, Enab Baladi’s
correspondent in Quneitra reported the return of Russian patrols to southern
Syria after an absence of more than a year. The patrols roamed south of
Quneitra, between the town of al-Mu’allaqa and Ghadeer al-Bustan, near the al-Safra
company of the regime’s “90th Brigade” in the governorate.
Russian patrols have been effectively
absent from the area for more than a year, as the Russian military police
evacuated the “Red Hills” point in the north of the governorate in mid-2021 and
have not returned to the area since then, while they returned and conducted two
tours in the same area.
The return of patrols indicates a
Russian effort to have a presence in the southern Syrian region, in parallel
with the escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip, the possibility of the
expansion of the Lebanese front, and the opening of the Syrian front at a later
time.
Both Russia and Israel have military and
security understandings regarding southern Syria, but Russia’s abandonment of
its positions in the region left a security vacuum that Iran later exploited.
Russia has taken a position contrary to
the positions of Western countries regarding the military campaign launched by
Israel against the Gaza Strip, but these positions do not mean that it allows
the opening of an expanded front from southern Syria, even with the large
presence of the “Imam Hussein” militia.
According to the military analyst
Hamada, the strong relations between Moscow and Tel Aviv will push Russia not
to allow the “Imam Hussein” militia to attack Israeli sites.
While researcher Farzat believes that
any front opened means reducing pressure on Moscow in its war against Ukraine,
these moves can also be used in the future to improve its political conditions
and conclude deals with Western countries.
Source: enabbaladi.net
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56 mosques destroyed in Israeli
airstrikes on Gaza since Oct. 7: Media Office
Ahmed Gouda
07.11.2023
Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip has
damaged 192 mosques, including 56 that were completely destroyed by occupation
forces, the Media Office in Gaza announced late Monday.
“Due to the Israeli aggression, 192
mosques have been damaged, including 56 mosques completely destroyed, in
addition to targeting three churches,” spokesman Salama Marouf said at a press
conference in Gaza City.
He added that 192 medical and healthcare
facilities were damaged and 32 ambulances were destroyed while 113 healthcare
institutions suffered significant damage and 16 hospitals and 32 health centers
have been taken out of service.
Some 222,000 residential units have also
been affected, with 10,000 buildings completely demolished and 40,000
residential units destroyed by the occupation, Marouf noted.
He added that the Israeli occupation
destroyed 222 schools, inflicting various types of damage due to continuous
shelling, and 60 schools have been taken out of service, while since the
beginning of the aggression, 88 government buildings have been destroyed.
Source: aa.com.tr
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Palestine Red Crescent says Al-Quds
Hospital to run out of fuel in 48 hours
Fayez Abdulsalam
07.11.2023
The Palestine Red Crescent Society
warned Monday that fuel reserves at Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City will run out
in 48 hours as Israel has been barring the entry of fuel into Gaza since Oct.
7.
In a statement, it said that once the
fuel runs out, vital equipment at the hospital will shut down including
resuscitation equipment, baby incubators and intensive care units.
It added that the hospital is already
suffering from a severe lack of medicines and food and water for its medical
staff, patients and displaced people.
The statement noted that over 14,000
displaced Palestinians have been sheltering at the hospital for more than three
weeks.
It said the Israeli army is still
denying the entry of basic materials including fuel for the hospital and its
ambulance service.
After the Palestinian group Hamas
launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7 against Israeli locations surrounding
Gaza, Israel put the Palestinian enclave under a complete siege, with no entry
or exit, water, electricity or fuel allowed.
Israel has launched air and ground
attacks on the Gaza Strip following the cross-border attack by Hamas.
At least 10,022 Palestinians, including
4,104 children and 2,641 women, have been killed in Israeli bombardments in the
Gaza Strip.
Another 159 Palestinians have been
killed and 2,250 injured by Israeli forces across the West Bank in the same
period.
The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,600,
according to official figures.
Source: aa.com.tr
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118 aid trucks enter Gaza through Rafah
crossing
Awad Rjoob
07.11.2023
The Palestine Red Crescent Society
announced that it had received 118 aid trucks on Sunday and Monday through the
Rafah border crossing, bringing the total number of trucks that entered the
Gaza Strip since Oct. 21 to 569.
The society said in a statement viewed
by Anadolu that “Palestine Red Crescent teams received on Sunday 25 trucks from
the Egyptian Red Crescent loaded with humanitarian aid through the Rafah
crossing.”
In a later statement, they confirmed
that they received 93 aid trucks from the Egyptian Red Crescent on Monday via
the Rafah crossing.
They said the trucks contained “food,
water, relief assistance, medical supplies and medications, while fuel has not
been allowed to enter as of now.”
“The number of trucks received since
Oct. 21 amounts to 569, roughly equivalent to about 33 trucks per day,” it
noted.
On Oct. 21, the first relief convoy
entered Gaza consisting of 20 trucks that were mostly carrying medical and food
supplies following 13 days of a strict Israeli blockade on the Strip and the
shelling of the Rafah crossing.
Source: aa.com.tr
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-------
Europe
‘Wondering why airplanes are not
falling’: Collective Muslim prayer at Paris airport sparks controversy
06 Nov 2023
Amid the stark division of the world on
the Israel-Hamas war, an incident of collective Muslim prayer at a French
airport has sparked controversy on social media.
Images of dozens of travelers performing
collective Muslim prayer at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris have gone viral
on social media. The incident also received sharp reactions from France's
transport minister Clement Beaune. In his latest post on X, formerly Twitter,
Beaune said that airport authorities were fully committed to implementing rules
and vowed "firmness".
The collective prayer took place at
terminal 2B of France's largest airport in which around 30 travellers took
place. It lasted for around 10 minutes, according to AFP. Notably, special
closed areas are set aside at the airport for people of all faiths to pray in
private. The country prefers to limit displays of religious belief in public
spaces like schools, and public buildings including airports.
The chief executive of operator
Aeroports de Paris (ADP) called the incident as “regrettable" on X.
“Dedicated places of worship exist. The
border police have been instructed to prohibit this and will increase their
vigilance," he added. He also warned people of not exaggerating giving
reference to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The photo was also shared by a former
minister, Neolle Lenoir. In his post, he sarcastically said, “What does the CEO
of Aeroports de Paris do when his airport is transformed into a mosque? Is the
change in status official?"
Expressing his displeasure at the
incident, French MP Astrid Panosyan Bouvet said, “There are specially dedicated
places of worship at the airport," adding that the authorities had to
implement "the rules that prevail in France, including at the
airports".
The incidents sparked a social media
controversy with many calling it an "attack on the West". On the
other hand, many people accused the critics of spreading ‘Islamophobia’
The mayor of Alfortville outside Paris
accused fellow politicians and leaders of “clumsy comments that could be
compared to Islamophobia".
Several social media users also
commented on the issue.
“Paris airport: If you were wondering
why airplanes are not falling from the sky, it's thanks to them," wrote an
X user.
“This is Paris airport, not a
mosque," wrote another user.
Source: livemint.com
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Vatican’s natural affinity with Iran,
Shia Islam may be key to Gaza drama
By John L. Allen Jr.
Nov 7, 2023
ROME – As the war between Israel and
Hamas intensifies on the Gaza Strip, so too does diplomatic activity intended
to prevent a wider regional conflict. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken,
for instance, currently is setting new records for frequent flyer miles in a
single week, visiting virtually every Middle Eastern capital of note.
Amid this diplomatic frenzy, one
interesting bit of subtext is the growing exchange between the Vatican and
Iran, most recently expressed Sunday afternoon in a phone call between Iranian
President Ebrahim Raisi and Pope Francis. That conversation followed another a
week before between Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for
Relations with States, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Notably, both conversations were
initiated at the Iranians’ request, according to statements afterwards from
both sides.
While it might be tempting to see these
largely as symbolic courtesy calls, in fact there are good reasons to believe
the Vatican may be positioned to play a key role in persuading Iran to exercise
restraint and to avoid escalating the conflict beyond a point of no return.
As is well known, Iran has warned both
Israel and the U.S. that the war could expand if Tel Aviv presses the fight
beyond the Gaza Strip. Israel already has bombed positions in Lebanon and
Syria, both places Iran regards as key allies, and there’s growing concern
about the role of Iranian-backed militias in accelerating attacks on Israeli
targets.
One principal agenda item for Blinken
over the weekend was to send clear signals to Iran to back off, but there’s no
a priori reason to believe that Tehran will be inclined to take its cues from
the American government. The Vatican under Pope Francis, on the other hand,
might stand a decent shot at getting through.
To begin with, the Vatican and Iran have
had diplomatic relations since 1954, 30 years longer than the Vatican and the
United States. The relationship not only survived the 1979 Iranian revolution,
but in some ways became even stronger as the Shiite Islamic identity of Iran
became a stronger element of its foreign policy.
There are three basic reasons for the
affinity between Rome and Tehran.
First, Iran’s leadership class isn’t
motivated solely by Realpolitik, but also by theological convictions. Raisi,
for instance, occasionally refers to himself as “ayatollah,” and although his
claim to that title is disputed, there’s no question that he’s a Shia cleric
and jurist who studied at the holy city of Qom.
According to a read-out of the call with
Pope Francis provided by Raisi’s office, the Iranian leader at one point argued
the supporting the Palestinians is in accord with the tenets of all three
Abrahamic religions, including Christianity.
Iranian leaders operate in a
psychological and cultural matrix in which such religious convictions matter,
but most Western leaders simply can’t engage them on that level. Joe Biden, for
instance, or Rishi Sunak, or Emmanuel Macron, aren’t going to trade insights
with Raisi about comparative treatments of the Holy Land in the Quran and the
Bible – they’d be out of their depth, and anyway, Western concepts of
church/state separation would make doing so inappropriate.
The pope and his diplomatic team,
however, can meet the Iranians on their own turf, so to speak, from within a
shared universe of spiritual and theological convictions.
Second, there are several striking
parallels between Catholicism and Shia Islam, which make the two traditions
natural conversation partners. Iranian writer Vali Nasr, author of the 2006
book The Shia Revival, argues that the divide between Sunni and Shia bears
comparison to that between Protestants and Catholics, with Shia being the
branch closer to Catholicism.
When a Shia Muslim talks about the great
feast of Ashura, for example, which in their tradition commemorates the
martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, a Catholic immediately will flash on Good Friday
and their shared theology of sacrificial death and atonement, as well as shared
devotions such as fasting, mourning and even reenactments of the passion.
That’s context which, frankly, only the
Vatican among today’s major diplomatic players can bring.
Third, strictly at a policy level, Iran
and the Vatican under Pope Francis in many respects have a shared agenda.
Both aspire to a more multilateral world
order, no longer dominated exclusively by the Western powers and especially the
United States. Francis is a key backer of the BRICS alliance, of which Iran is
one of six newly minted members, and the pope can be counted upon to continue
top encourage the emergence of BRICS into a genuine economic and strategic
counterweight in global affairs.
Iran is also key to Francis’s broader
project of détente between the West and the Islamic world. Across what’s known
as the “Shia Crescent,” including Lebanon, Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran,
Azerbaijan, Yemen and western Afghanistan, the population is either majority
Shia or at least there’s a strong Shia minority, and Iran has had no higher
foreign policy objective in recent decades than to expand its influence across
the region.
For the pope’s inter-faith project,
therefore, Iran is indispensable to relations with the roughly twenty percent
of the Muslim world that’s Shia, making it a strong perceived priority for
Francis and his team to keep the relationship with Tehran strong.
One sign of the pontiff’s solicitude
came in March 2021, when Francis travelled to the holy city of Najaf during his
visit to Iraq to meet Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a meeting that left a
deep impression across the Shia world. Iraq swiftly declared March 6, the date
of the encounter, a national holiday as the “Day of Tolerance and Coexistence.”
The Iranians, meanwhile, are seeking
moral legitimacy as a firebreak against the impact of US sanctions, and see
their bonhomie with the pope as an important “soft power” asset.
For these reasons, the Vatican arguably
is better positioned to engage Iran, keeping lines of conversation open and
avoiding potential misunderstandings, than any other diplomatic actor located
within the historical boundaries of the Western world.
The entire global community has a
rooting interest, therefore, in hoping that the Vatican spends this unique
spiritual and diplomatic capital wisely as the Gaza crisis continues to unfold.
Source: cruxnow.com
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Organizers asked to postpone
pro-Palestine rallies this weekend in London
07.11.2023
Organizers of Pro-Palestine rallies
chose to ignore advice from the Metropolitan Police to postpone any
demonstrations taking place on Saturday.
"Senior officers are concerned at
criminal acts by breakaway groups intent on fueling disorder who are attracted
by these regular events," the police said Monday on X, citing the weekend,
when Armistice Day will be marked.
It added that the organizers declined to
postpone any demonstrations during a meeting with senior Met officers.
"Our message to organizers is
clear: Please, we ask you to urgently reconsider. It is not appropriate to hold
any protests in London this weekend," said Deputy Assistant Commissioner
Ade Adelekan, noting the risk of violence and disorder "linked to
breakaway groups is growing."
Home Secretary Suella Braverman welcomed
the police statement, again defining pro-Palestinian rallies as "hate
marches."
"I welcome this statement from the
Met Police. The hate marchers need to understand that decent British people
have had enough of these displays of thuggish intimidation and extremism,"
she said.
Meanwhile, organizers of the
pro-Palestine rallies issued a joint statement expressing "deep
concern" over the police statement.
The groups said these protests have so
far brought more than 1 million people to the streets of London marching
peacefully, calling for a cease-fire.
Mentioning the meeting with police and
advice to postpone the rallies, the statement said the police did not explain
why it could be risky.
"They raised concern about the
possibility of breakaway groups leaving the marches but were not able to
provide any evidence as to why this risk would be increased on Saturday."
Thousands of people are expected to
attend a planned march on Saturday from Hyde Park to the US Embassy in London,
a route which the organizers said is "well away" from the center of
London and Whitehall.
On Friday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
called the planned Nov. 11 pro-Palestinian demonstrations in London on
Armistice Day "provocative and disrespectful."
Braverman said it is "entirely
unacceptable to desecrate Armistice Day" with what she defined as "a
hate march" through London, as she quoted the prime minister.
Following the remarks by officials,
organizers of the pro-Palestine rallies warned that "such statements are
encouraging the calls from far-rights activists and commentators who appear to
be inciting action on the streets to stop the protests taking place and are
deeply irresponsible.”
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/organizers-asked-to-postpone-pro-palestine-rallies-this-weekend-in-london/3045970
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Germany voices concern over rising
anti-Muslim racism amid Gaza war
06.11.2023
Germany on Monday expressed concern over
mounting anti-Muslim racism in the country since the start of the Gaza war on
Oct. 7.
Any attacks on Muslims in Germany, for
religious or other reasons, are “absolutely unacceptable,” government spokesman
Steffen Hebestreit said at a news conference in Berlin.
“The nearly 5 million Muslims in Germany
have every right to be protected …,” he added.
The Berlin-based Alliance Against
Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hate (CLAIM) warned last week of growing
anti-Muslim racism amid the escalating Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza.
“We are witnessing an intensification of
anti-Muslim racism in Germany. This is something we should all be concerned
about and needs to be taken seriously,” said Rima Hanano, head of the
nongovernmental organization.
“We must not allow inhumane positions to
be further normalized and thereby jeopardize social cohesion. All people must
be protected from racist, antisemitic and other inhumane violence and threats,”
she added.
CLAIM has documented 53 cases of
anti-Muslim threats, violence and discrimination in the last two-and-a-half
weeks alone, including 10 attacks on mosques.
It can be assumed that there are a
serious number of unreported anti-Muslim incidents that have not yet been
reported or recorded, for example, this applies also to anti-Muslim hate speech
on social networks.
CLAIM called for far-reaching measures
to combat anti-Muslim racism and to protect those affected.
“Combating anti-Muslim racism,
antisemitism and other misanthropic ideologies is more crucial than ever for
our democracy and the cohesion of society. The need for action is acute,”
according to the NGO.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-voices-concern-over-rising-anti-muslim-racism-amid-gaza-war/3045718
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Oxford Islamic Society raises around
£26,000 for relief in Gaza
6th November 2023
Daniel ThomasThe Oxford University
Islamic Society (OUIS) held a charity auction for relief efforts in the Gaza
Strip last week, raising an estimated £26,000 for humanitarian efforts amid the
latest intensification of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Held as part of a broader annual charity
drive with a national pledge of one million, the campaign was organised in
concert with other student Islamic societies throughout the United Kingdom. The
OUIS auctioned off artwork, calligraphy, heirlooms, and other items donated by
Muslim businesses in Oxford, to an audience of 100 donors.
The auction was the culmination of a
weeklong fundraising effort organised by the society. Sponsored kickboxing
events, FIFA tournaments, and an OUIS Quiz Night were held across the
University, with 100% of the entrance fees going to charity.
OUIS president, Riaz Rahman, told
Cherwell that a previous bake sale had raised “a couple of thousand” pounds,
while a sponsored hike up Mount Snowden garnered sizable donations through
their JustGiving page. A balloon taken by the OUIS to the summit of Snowden and
back was sold off at the auction, for £800.
The funds raised by the initiative were
predominantly directed to the Islamic Relief UK charity’s emergency Palestine
fund. Some monies were earmarked for alternative causes, such as humanitarian
assistance in Afghanistan, emergency relief for survivors of the September 2023
Moroccan earthquake, and the education of orphans worldwide.
Altogether, Rahman estimates that the
Islamic Soc raised between £40,000 and £50,000 pounds for charitable causes
throughout the week, though he notes that the society does not yet have exact
figures for all events held during the charity week.
Other fundraising activities for causes
relating to the war in Gaza have been organised by students, including JCR bake
sales and other donation drives, amid frequent Palestinian solidarity
demonstrations in Oxford city centre.
The current round of conflict, which
began on the 7 October, has seen a heavy human toll. The United Nations has
reported 9,061 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis killed, and many thousands more
injured or displaced.
Source: cherwell.org
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Russia calls for ‘collective action’ on
Gaza crisis
November 7, 2023
MOSCOW: Russia on Monday called for
“collective action” to end ongoing crisis in the Middle East, including an
international conference, almost a month into the unrest that has left
thousands dead.
Russia has also repeatedly criticised
Western policies in the Middle East. Moscow maintains ties with both Hamas and
Israel and has said it can mediate the unrest.
“Against the backdrop of the
unprecedented escalation of violence in the zone of the Palestinian-Israel
conflict there are more and more calls for collective action to de-escalate the
situation in the Middle East.
It said Moscow “actively supports” such
calls and that it was in favour of a “multilateral approach” in regulating the
ongoing crisis.
President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow
can play a mediating role in the ongoing unrest, but officials have so far
reached no breakthrough on freeing prisoners or ending Israeli aggression.
Moscow launched efforts to try to free
more than 200 prisoners held by Hamas. Eight Russian citizens are believed to
be among them.
Source: dawn.com
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France calls for humanitarian truce in
Gaza
November 07, 2023
The French Ambassador to the United
Nations has called for a humanitarian truce in Gaza.
Following a closed door meeting of the
UN Security Council in New York, Ambassador Nicolas De Rivière said such a
truce should be durable and lead to a ceasefire.
De Rivière said that France would host a
humanitarian conference in Paris on Thursday in an effort to get additional aid
for Gaza.
This position of France seems to differ
from other Western allies such as the US and the UK, who say a ceasefire would
only benefit Hamas.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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Number of UK Umrah pilgrims increases as
Saudi Arabia expands religious experiences
November 06, 2023
LONDON: The number of British Muslims
performing Umrah continues to increase as the Kingdom expands the variety of
religious experiences on offer, the CEO of the Saudi Tourism Authority said on
Sunday.
Speaking at an event that brought
together British travel agents and global industry experts in London, Fahd
Hamidaddin said that apart from visiting the two holy mosques, Umrah pilgrims
from the UK are keen to retrace the life of Prophet Muhammad and his companions
by visiting historic sites and museums.
Hamidaddin added that UK businesses will
now be able to sell their customers tickets to visit these museums,
streamlining the planning process for pilgrims ahead of their journey and
enhancing their experience once they arrive in the Kingdom.
“So today, we have many museums that are
available and can be ticketed and sold by you to your travelers. We are
committed to offering a lot more every year as we open and create systems and
tickets for every site,” he said.
These include the Hira Cultural
District, Dar Al-Madinah Museum, Prophet’s Mosque Expansion Project Museum, and
the soon-to-reopen Clock Tower Museum in Makkah.
Umrah pilgrims are also interested in
exploring the “Arab culture and nature around Makkah and Madinah,” he added.
The CEO said that the UK is the largest
source market for pilgrims from Western Europe and that improved accessibility
to the Kingdom has increased Umrah visits.
“Today, we have 44 weekly flights
offering a capacity of more than 681 passengers. So, I thank our airlines … for
making this growth possible. Accessibility is a cornerstone to our offering and
our growth together,” he said.
CEO of Umrah+ Connect Rashid Mogradia
told Arab News that the event was very successful in “connecting more partners
with buyers and sellers in both the UK and Saudi Arabia.”
He added: “It is heartwarming to see
that the number of British Umrah pilgrims is increasing year on year and we
hope that the event will be a catalyst for even more growth for companies on
either side.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2404306/world
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Africa
Libya's Fatwa House issues Fatwa to
boycott pro-Israel companies
06/11/2023
SAFAALHARATHY
Libya's Fatwa House has issued a fatwa
(a religious edict) against Western companies supporting the Israeli occupation
of Palestine.
The Fatwa released on Sunday demanded
that Muslim states and nations extend support to their brothers in Gaza by all
means, including the economic front.
Supporting the people of Gaza and
Palestine is a legal duty for all Muslims, rulers, and those ruled, the Sharia
Research and Studies Council of the Fatwa House underscored.
Boycotting pro-Israel companies,
providing money and arms, using economic and diplomatic cards, staging
protests, and other "modern-day weapons" are all sources of leverage
that can be used to support the Palestinians, according to the Fatwa House.
The Council said that it is following
closely the acts of genocide committed by the Zionists and their allies - led
by the US against the children and civilians in the besieged strip.
The consequences of ignoring the cries
of those oppressed people will be harsh on everyone, the statement cautioned.
Libya's Presidential Council, the Prime
Minister, the Central Bank, the state-run oil corporation, and all government
institutions have a legal duty to halt all export and import activities with
Western companies and governments that are openly supplying the Israeli
occupation authority with weapons, money, and equipment, the Council
underscored.
The Fatwa House also directed merchants
and consumers to boycott Western-produced products, which companies support the
"enemy," especially nonessential and luxury goods.
Source: libyaobserver.ly
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Gunmen kill at least 20 in pre-dawn
attack in Cameroon – local official
November 7, 2023
Gunmen opened fire on people as they
slept in a town in western Cameroon in the early hours of Monday, leaving at
least 20 dead, Reuters quoted a local government official said.
Residents said they suspected the attack
was meant to disrupt celebrations marking the 41st anniversary of Paul Biya
becoming Cameroon’s president that were due to take place in Mamfe and other
centres on Monday.
Separatists in minority English-speaking
parts of Cameroon have been fighting to carve out an independent state called
Ambazonia since 2017, read the report.
Armed groups have carried out attacks,
kidnappings and killings in the North West and South West regions of the
predominantly French-speaking African country.
No group immediately claimed
responsibility for Monday’s attack.
The gunmen struck before dawn and set
houses ablaze, Viang Mekala, the administrative head of the surrounding Manyu
division in South West region, said.
Seven people were in hospital and
security forces were searching the area, Mekala told Reuters. “The situation is
under control and the population should not panic,” he said.
Residents said several senior
politicians had come to celebrate the anniversary in the town which is less
than 50 km (30 miles) from the border with Nigeria, Reuters reported.
Source: ariananews.af
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Sudan’s military conflict is getting
closer to South Sudan and Abyei, UN envoy warns
November 07, 2023
UNITED NATIONS: The “unprecedented”
conflict between Sudan’s army and rival paramilitary force now in its seventh
month is getting closer to South Sudan and the disputed Abyei region, the UN
special envoy for the Horn of Africa warned Monday.
Hanna Serwaa Tetteh pointed to the
paramilitary Rapid Support Force’s recent seizures of the airport and oil field
in Belila, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) southwest of the capital of Sudan’s
West Kordofan State.
She told the UN Security Council that
the conflict “is profoundly affecting bilateral relations between Sudan and
South Sudan, with significant humanitarian, security, economic and political
consequences that are a matter of deep concern among the South Sudanese
political leadership.”
Sudan was plunged into chaos in
mid-April when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded
into open warfare in the capital, Khartoum, and other areas across the East
African nation.
More than 9,000 people have been killed,
according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project, which tracks
Sudan’s war. And the fighting has driven over 4.5 million people to flee their
homes to other places inside Sudan and more than 1.2 million to seek refuge in
neighboring countries, the UN says.
Sudan plunged into turmoil after its
leading military figure, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, led a coup in October 2021
that upended a short-run democratic transition following three decades of
autocratic rule by Omar Al-Bashir. Since mid-April, his troops have been
fighting the RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Both sides have been taking part in
talks aimed at ending the conflict in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah,
brokered by Saudi Arabia and the United States, since late October. But
fighting has continued.
The Security Council meeting focused on
the UN peacekeeping force in the oil-rich Abyei region, whose status was
unresolved after South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011. The
region’s majority Ngok Dinka people favor South Sudan, while the Misseriya
nomads who come to Abyei to find pasture for their cattle favor Sudan.
With the RSF’s seizures in Belila,
Tetteh said, the military confrontation between Sudan’s two sides “is getting
closer to the border with Abyei and South Sudan.”
“These military developments are likely
to have adverse consequences on Abyei’s social fabric and the already fragile
coexistence between the Misseriya and the Ngok Dinka,” she said.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre
Lacroix told the council that the outbreak of the Sudan conflict “interrupted
the encouraging signs of dialogue between the Sudan and South Sudan witnessed
earlier in 2023.” He said it had put on hold “the political process with regard
to the final status of Abyei and border issues.”
Tetteh echoed Lacroix, saying that
“there is no appetite from key Sudanese and South Sudanese leaders to raise the
status of Abyei.”
She said representatives of the
communities in Abyei are very aware of the conflict’s “adverse consequences” on
the resumption of talks on the region and expressed the need to keep the Abyei
dispute on the UN and African Union agendas.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2404526/middle-east
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Tunisia arrests the five Islamists who
escaped from prison last week
07 November 2023
Tunisian security and military forces
caught five Islamists who escaped from a prison last week, where they were
serving time for killing two secular politicians and policemen.
The interior ministry said four of the
escapees were captured on a mountain near Tunis early on Tuesday, while another
was arrested, with the help of citizens, two days ago in the Ettadamen
neighbourhood of the capital.
Security sources described the five men
as “very dangerous terrorists”. The government sacked top intelligence
officials after their escape, which was seen as a rare security breach.
Ahmed Malki, known as “the Somali”, was
among the five. Malki had been serving a 24-year sentence for the assassination
of secular politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi in 2013.
Jihadist groups have killed dozens of
policemen, foreign tourists and others in Tunisia since the advent of democracy
in 2011, though authorities have notched some successes, catching or killing
prominent militants in recent years.
Remnants of Islamic state and Al-Qaeda
remain active in the mountains near the border with Algeria, security sources
say.
Source: timeslive.co.za
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Nigeria: Villagers attend funeral of
victims of suspected Boko Haram attack
07 November 2023
**Suspected jihadists killed at least 11
farmers in Nigeria's northeast Borno State. Funerals were held on Monday (Nov.
06) at the central mosque in Zabarmari, outside the regional capital Maiduguri.
Farmers are often targeted by Islamist militants
waging a 14-year conflict in Nigeria's northeast, where 40,000 people have been
killed and more than two million displaced since 2009.
Suspected Boko Haram jihadists stormed
rice fields in Zabarmari district outside the regional capital Maiduguri late
on Sunday, seizing farmers and slitting their throats while abducting others,
the sources told AFP.
The farmers were staying in their fields
overnight in Karkut village to guard their harvested paddy against theft before
transporting it home the following morning.
"We have so far recovered 11
bodies... all of them slaughtered by the Boko Haram attackers,"
anti-jihadist militia leader Babakura Kolo said.
"The insurgents threw the bodies
into a ditch and took away an undetermined number of people," said Kolo.
Many still missing
Four more farmers survived the attack
with slashes on their throats and were taken to hospital in Maiduguri, said
Umar Ari, a second militia leader.
"We are still searching other rice
fields in neighbouring communities for more bodies because many people are
still missing," said Ari, who gave the same toll.
"The terrorists abducted several
farmers and there is apprehension as to their fate," Ari said.
The bodies of the 11 farmers were taken
to the central mosque in Zabarmari for a funeral, resident Bello Muhammad said.
Boko Haram and rival IS-linked Islamic
State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have increasingly targeted farmers, loggers,
herders and fishermen, accusing them of spying and passing information to the
military and militia fighting them.
In 2020, Boko Haram killed 76 farmers
from Zabarmari in nearby Koshobe village -- a massacre that set a new standard
of brutality.
Attacks from militants in Nigeria's
northeast have eased since the height of the conflict when fighters held towns
and large swathes of territory, but they still raid rural areas, hit military
bases and ambush convoys.
We just need peace and security,"
said the brother of a farmer killed in the Karkut attack. "We are still
calling on the government to come to our aid -- we farmers are still not
secure."
Source: africanews.com
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Arab World
Yemeni army’s drones hit ‘sensitive’
Israeli targets in show of support for Gaza
07 November 2023
Yemeni Armed Forces say they have
launched a large-scale drone strike against ‘sensitive’ targets in the occupied
territories in a show of support for Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza
Strip.
“A barrage of drones was launched during
the past hours at various sensitive targets of the Israeli enemy in the
occupied territories,” Yemen’s official al-Masirah television network quoted
the country’s Armed Forces as saying in a Monday statement.
The Yemeni forces added that the drone
attack led to the cessation of operations at the targeted Israeli bases and
airports for several hours.
"The Yemeni Armed Forces … will
continue to carry out more military operations in support of … the oppressed
Palestinian people, and in response to the calls of our great Yemeni people …
until the brutal Israeli aggression against our brothers in Gaza stops."
Yemeni drones and ballistic missiles
will continue to target Israel, the Yemeni army says.
Israel launched the war on Gaza on
October 7 after the territory's Palestinian resistance movements waged the
surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to
the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation
against Palestinians.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza
announced on Monday that the death toll from the incessant Israeli bombardment
of the coastal territory stood at 10,022 people, including 4,104 children and
2,641 women. It added that the number of those wounded over the past 31 days
had risen to 25,408.
The regime has also cut off one of the
most densely-populated places in the world from basic supplies such as water,
electricity, medicines, and fuel. Shortage of medical supplies and food has
left 2.3 million Palestinians at risk of starvation.
Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis have
hit the streets of the capital, Sana’a to condemn what they call Israel’s
genocide of Palestinians.
On October 31, Yemeni Armed Forces
announced large-scale military strikes against Israeli targets in the occupied
territories in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the
forces' spokesman, said in a statement back then that the Yemeni army had
launched a “large batch of ballistic and winged missiles, and a large number of
drones” at various targets in the occupied territories.
He added that it was “the third
operation in support of our oppressed brothers in Palestine.”
“We affirm that the position of our
Yemeni people towards the Palestinian issue is firm and principled, and that
the Palestinian people have the full right to self-defense and to restore their
full legitimate rights, and that what destabilizes the region and expands the
circle of conflict is the persistence of the Zionist entity,” Saree said.
Source: presstv.ir
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Saudi foreign minister sheds light on
Muslim women's challenges amidst Islamophobia
November 07, 2023
JEDDAH — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince
Faisal Bin Farhan highlighted that Muslim women face numerous challenges,
harassment, and discrimination in some countries due to restrictive legislation
affecting their rights, particularly in wearing the hijab, stemming from
Islamophobia.
This contradicts the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women adopted by the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1979.
Under the auspices of Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Saudi Arabia hosted the “International Conference
on Women in Islam: Status and Empowerment” on Monday in Jeddah, organized by
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Prince Faisal expressed gratitude to the
participating delegations for responding to the Kingdom's invitation to hold
this important conference on women in Islam.
During the opening ceremony, Prince
Faisal addressed the various and compounded challenges faced by women in
war-torn areas, including violence, poverty, fear, marginalization, and a lack
of healthcare and education for their children.
He emphasized the need for concerted
efforts to protect and support the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.
The minister condemned in the strongest
terms the continuous Israeli violations of international laws and humanitarian
principles against Palestinian women in Gaza, expressing concern over the
international community's silence and reluctance to fulfill its duties and
responsibilities to halt escalation, preserve lives, and ensure immediate
access to urgent humanitarian aid.
Prince Faisal expressed the Kingdom's
condemnation of the violations and illegal practices committed by the Israeli
war machine against Palestinian women and the entire Palestinian people. He
praised the significant role and sacrifices of Palestinian women in their
pursuit of justice.
Highlighting Saudi Arabia's strides
towards empowering women in line with the ambitious Vision 2030, Prince Faisal
mentioned the significant increase in women's participation in the workforce
from 19.3% to 37% since 2016, their ownership of 45% of small and medium-sized
enterprises, and the rise in their representation in leadership positions from
17% to 39%.
He commended the efforts of the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation in empowering women and placing them at the
forefront of its priorities. Notably, he mentioned the establishment of a
specialized organization dedicated to women's development, led by Saudi female
expertise.
In conclusion, the foreign minister
announced the official document of the conference titled "Jeddah Document
for Women in Islam," covering the rights of women in Islam
comprehensively. This document is intended to be a legal, legislative, and ideological
reference contributing to the realization of empowerment as a lived reality in
our Islamic societies.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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French architects keen to partner in
‘ambitious’ Saudi projects: industry chief
November 06, 2023
RIYADH: French architects want to play a
key part in Saudi Arabia’s “ambitious” building development program, the head
of a major trade organization has revealed.
Members of French Architects for Export
(AFEX) recently met with representatives of the Saudi French Business Council
(CAFS) and other interested parties from the Kingdom, at an event organized by
Business France.
Madeleine Houbart, secretary-general of
AFEX, said: “We come to Saudi Arabia because we understand the scale and
ambition of its projects and we want to be part of it.”
The meeting in Riyadh highlighted
projects planned for the city, in line with Vision 2030 targets, and the
potential for partnership deals.
We came to Saudi Arabia because we
understand the scale and ambition of its projects and we want to be part of it.
Madeleine Houbart, French Architects for
Export secretary-general
The 200-member CAFS was established 20
years ago to develop relations between the two countries and their business
communities, promote companies, and improve cooperation.
The council’s vice president, Faiz
Al-Elweet, said: “CAFS is committed to cover different sectors including
healthcare, pharmaceuticals, defense and security, agriculture and food
industry, energy, water, and the environment, mobility and logistics, and others.”
French architects offer expertise in the
construction and design of technology driven retail 2.0 shopping experiences,
residential units and office spaces, entertainment, hospitality, and healthcare
with projects around the globe.
Heritage preservation has emerged as one
of the main themes from meetings with the Diriyah Gate Development Authority,
Ministry of Culture, Red Sea Global, and other Saudi bodies.
Talks have centered around how to
reconcile tradition and modernity and maintain Salmani and Najdi architectural
styles while giving them a modern twist in relation to urban planning schemes.
Al-Elweet urged event participants to
join the CAFS and pointed out opportunities for international firms to locate
their regional headquarters to Riyadh, secure government contracts in the
country, and be part of Vision 2030 projects.
French government agency Business France
promotes the country’s firms abroad, helps them with international expansion,
access to markets, and network building, while working to establish their
presence in Riyadh.
Among French companies taking part in
the latest edition of the architecture event were Rougerie+Tanagram, Richez
Associes, PCA Stream, Maison Edouard Francois, Unanime, Setec batiment,
Terrell, and AW2.
The French delegation took part in a
series of discussions and networking events showcasing French know-how, and
urban and architectural projects.
Topics dealt with included
sustainability as a practice instead of an add-on, the creation of a space
conducive for best practices facilitating an engineering-based society,
creating a community of innovation based on research and knowledge sharing,
streamlining regulation, ensuring continuous industry education, reinforcing
ideation to implementation or commercialization, and community engagement.
As well as building Franco Saudi
partnerships in the field, business leaders aim to strengthen vocational
training with Saudi architect interns working in French agencies, and
ultimately set up an AFEX presence in the Kingdom.
Source: arabnews.com
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HR minister launches Jadeer program to
encourage a skilled workforce in Saudi Arabia
November 06, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Human
Resources and Social Development Ahmad Al-Rajhi on Monday launched the Jadeer
program to prepare and train graduates for their nominated ministry positions,
equipping them with the required knowledge and experience for the workplace.
Al-Rajhi said that the Jadeer program
aligns with the ministry’s strategy to enhance job performance, elevate
employee skills, and foster global competitiveness, all in line with the goals
of Vision 2030.
He added that the ministry had
implemented more than 80 training programs this year which had focused on
enhancing employee efficiency and capabilities through five key performance
indicators.
Al-Rajhi outlined the ministry’s current
efforts, which center on four key strategic directives for human capital
development and management, including investment in employee training,
enhancing skills, utilizing in-house expertise, and relying on external
recruitment only for specialized roles.
Al-Rajhi outlined the ministry’s current
efforts, which center on four key strategic directives for human capital
development and management, including investment in employee training,
enhancing skills, utilizing in-house expertise, and relying on external
recruitment only for specialized roles.
He added that the ministry sought to
boost positive competition among government and semi-government entities,
foster a more cohesive work environment, and enhance maturity targets in all HR
domains, while serving as a model for other government organizations.
Al-Rajhi commended Jadeer program
trainees, paying tribute to the role of national talent in advancing
comprehensive national development.
Ahmad Al-Yamani, the CEO of Takamol
Holding, spoke of the significance of the Jadeer initiative in enhancing the
skills of graduates, and highlighted the company’s partnership with the
ministry to implement the program.
Andrea Salvemini, representing the
University of California, Berkeley, one of the program’s partners, commended
the ministry’s initiatives in preparing and training graduates.
She spoke of the university’s commitment
to the Jadeer program, pledging to contribute in various fields through a
comprehensive training plan.
The launch event was attended by Ismail
Al-Ghamdi, the assistant minister of human resources and social development for
shared services; Mohammed Al-Maghlouth, the deputy minister for human
resources; and several officials from the ministry.
Source: arabnews.com
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Southeast Asia
PM Anwar says Malaysia will not
recognise unilateral sanctions, in response to US sanctions Bill against Hamas
07 Nov 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — Malaysia said
today it will not recognise unilateral sanctions in response to a proposed US
law to level sanctions against foreign supporters of Hamas and other militant
groups operating in Palestine.
The Hamas International Financing
Prevention Act, aimed at cutting off international financing to the groups, was
passed by the US House of Representatives last week and is awaiting voting by
the Senate.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim said his government was closely monitoring developments on the
Bill’s passage, adding that it could affect Malaysia only if it is proven to
provide material support to Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
“Any sanctions against Malaysia can also
affect the assessment of the US government and US companies towards Malaysia,
as well as affect US companies’ investment opportunities in Malaysia,” Anwar
said in a written reply to Parliament today.
Muslim-majority Malaysia has long been a
vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has advocated for a two-state
solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It does not have
diplomatic relations with Israel.
Top Hamas leaders in the past have often
visited Malaysia and met with its premiers.
Anwar previously rejected Western
pressure to condemn Hamas and said the US had raised concerns with Malaysia
regarding its stance on Palestine. — Reuters
Source: malaymail.com
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Take action on M’sian media that call
Hamas ‘militant’ or ‘terrorist’: Bersatu youth chief
07 Nov 2023
KUALA LUMPUR – A Perikatan Nasional (PN)
backbencher today called on the government to reprimand and take action against
media organisations in Malaysia that refer to the Hamas group in the Middle
East as “militant” or “terrorist”.
Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal
(Machang-PN) asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to take action
against media bodies that report in such a manner.
He said Mandarin and English media
outlets were among those which describe Hamas as being militant or terrorist.
However, the Bersatu youth wing chief
did not specifically name any press outlet or individual in particular.
“Hamas is not a terrorist (group), but
rather a liberation group. I ask the honourable prime minister to reprimand the
editorial team (concerned) for this wrong reporting,” he said in the Dewan
Rakyat today.
Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan’s MP for
Tambun, responded that that every media should be aware of the Palestinian
issue, which concerns extreme attacks by Israel, as well as genocide and
violation of human rights.
He said that Hamas is a group of
fighters defending their homeland.
“So, in Malaysia, I agree that there
needs to be awareness so that all media should understand the anxiety and
sensitivities of people who are backing the Palestinians people in their right
to protest and act.
“I have always emphasised that the
taking away of land, property, and dignity continues (in Palestine) as (the
Palestinians) are raped and insulted. So, they have the right to rise up,” he
said.
Anwar added that he had earlier
deliberately touched on the situation of Christians who were victims of Jewish
violence.
He said that he did so to make
Malaysians, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims, aware that the Palestinian
issue relates to humanity in light of the cruelty committed by Israel.
He stressed that he agrees that the
media should be reminded about this matter.
He cited the example of the African
National Congress (ANC), which struggled against apartheid in South Africa over
thirty years ago.
He said that ANC’s then leader Nelson
Mandela, who would later become South Africa’s president, was referred to as
the head of a terrorist group.
Since the unprecedented October 7 attack
on southern Israel by Hamas, which reportedly killed 1,400 people and claimed
over 200 hostages, Israel has ramped up its assault on the Palestinian
territory of Gaza.
According to reports, the death toll in
Gaza has exceeded 10,000 with many more left homeless or injured. – The Vibes,
November 7, 2023
Source: thevibes.com
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------
PM criticises 'biadap' PAS ulama chief
for claiming govt following Israeli narrative
7 Nov 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim has told off PAS Ulama Chief Datuk Ahmad Yahya for claiming the
government is following the Western and Israeli narrative in the ongoing
Palestinian conflict.
Anwar sternly said that action will be
taken against those who continue to make such statements, which he described as
rude.
“Listen, so that the PAS Ulama Chief
will stop using its party mouthpiece Harakah Daily in linking me with Israel.
“This is a ‘biadap’ (rude) statement
that is immoral by someone wearing ‘serban’ (Islamic headgear). I strongly deny
such claims and if it is repeated, I will take stern action,” said Anwar during
Prime Minister’s Question Time in Parliament on Tuesday (Nov 7).
Anwar was referring to an article by
Ahmad published by Harakah Daily on Nov 6 which was accompanied by a photo of
Anwar with an image of the Israel flag behind him.
He then said that the government is
working relentlessly on the issue as the Palestinian death toll continues to
rise.
“We asked the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) to hold a summit.
“We also lobbied China, Russia, Brazil,
Ireland, Bolivia and there were discussions with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and
the Netherlands ambassador, as well as (a meeting) next week with Chinese Vice
President Han Zheng,” said Anwar.
Anwar reiterated that Malaysia has
strongly supported the Palestinian cause and all political parties should set
aside their differences to unite for the cause.
“Regardless of parties, we should
support this so that Malaysia and the world knows that Malaysia supports
Palestine in one voice. This is a clear stance from us,” added Anwar.
In the article by Ahmad, he also claimed
that Anwar’s leadership was apologetic towards the Palestinian cause and it is
crucial to show strong support towards Hamas
The death toll of Palestinians stands at
over 10,000 as of Nov 7.
Source: thestar.com.my
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Malaysians not united in Palestinian
cause, says Mahathir
AMALIA AZMI
November 7, 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister, Tun
Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed Malaysians are not 'united' over the conflict
between Israel and Palestine.
In a post on X today, he said that some
individuals believe that the ongoing conflict is caused by the differences
between Palestinians and Jews, which has led to the war.
He urged Malaysians to reject Israel's
actions in depriving the Palestinian people of their rights.
"It is wrong for Muslims only to
demand the end of the genocidal acts of the Israelis. Everyone in Malaysia
should be concerned and should demand the end of Israeli attacks against the
Palestinians," he said.
Dr Mahathir emphasised that the
situation has evolved into a violation of the human rights of the people in
Gaza.
"As much as every human being has a
right, the Gazans also should enjoy human rights. But they are deprived of
their rights by the Israelis," he said.
He was commenting on the heightened
tensions between Israel and Palestine following the Oct 7 conflicts, where
Hamas military wing, Al Qassam Brigades, carried out a complex attack targeting
Israeli settlements near Gaza, where its army faced more than 5,000 rockets,
catching the Israeli Defence Force off-guard.
The Israeli Defence Force in retaliation
then launched 'Operation Iron Swords' against Hamas in the Gaza Strip which had
displaced and killed Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said what is
happening now is similar to the Holocaust in the 1930s, when the rights of the
Jews in Germany were taken away.
"The Holocaust resulted in the
death of six million Jews, with many more subjected to torture and oppression.
"Now we are seeing the Jews of
Israel indulging in the same deprivation of the rights of the Palestinians. It
is a human tragedy. The power of the Israelis over the Palestinians is the same
as the Nazis against the Jews. It is manifestly unfair and inhuman.
"The world sympathised with the
Jews of Germany. And part of the rejection of the Nazis was the bestiality of
the German Nazis. Many millions died so as to end the sufferings of the
Jews," he added.
Source: nst.com.my
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Anwar condemns PAS-owned daily linking
him to Israel as ‘rude’, says will take action if repeated
07 Nov 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today called out PAS leaders in Parliament for using
its newspaper to spread defamatory statements against his administration.
He accused the federal Opposition
party’s clerical Ulama Wing of using HarakahDaily to make false claims linking
him to Israel.
“Don’t use Harakah to link me with
Israel. That’s a rude statement and goes against the moral code,” he said in
the Dewan Rakyat during the Prime Minister’s Question Time.
He said remarks by those wearing the
“serban” – Malay for turban – were not valid.
“I strongly condemn this act. If it is
repeated, I will take strict action against whoever does it,” he added.
He said that his government is working
hard to build an international case against Israel to help Palestine, which is
facing daily bombardment from the Zionist military.
He said his government has called on the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) – of which Malaysia is a member – to
hold meetings and rope in support from other global powers like China, Russia,
Brazil, Ireland, and Bolivia for discussions.
“Yet there are people who are
arbitrarily giving rude and impudent accusations,” Anwar said while raising his
voice, expressing anger and frustration in the Lower House.
He was referring to a HarakahDaily
report titled "Malaysia di bawah Anwar ragu-ragu sokong Palestine?" —
which is Malay for "Malaysia under Anwar not sure of its support for
Palestine?" — with a photo of the Israel flag published last Monday.
Anwar added that the avenue of working
with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is still ongoing and this is also
being done during his time as the prime minister.
“The issue of the [Palestinians], the
issue of the Palestinian rights, and us in Malaysia, although we don’t support
what Palestine has taken, we made a statement to prove.. when? July 2023,
please understand this.
“Don’t use this as a political tool,
because today regardless of party, we must band together to offer our support
so that Malaysians and the world will know that Malaysia has a united voice in
supporting the struggle of the Palestinians,” he said.
When quizzed further on the matter,
Anwar explained why he lost his cool in his earlier explanation, asking PAS to
correct the statement on their publication.
“Why am I angry? There is the flag of
Israel in the background of my photo. Yang Berhormat, you must understand, you
are angry with Israel, I am angry too. So when that was done, even though there
is no caption, Harakah can correct it.
“If you scold me, criticise me, I can
accept it, but please don’t do this, and since there is an explanation I say
thank you, let’s move on,” he said following an explanation given by PAS Pokok
Sena MP Datuk Ahmad Saad who said the report by HarakahDaily was not an
allegation but merely a question posed to the government.
Source: malaymail.com
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Indonesia says Gaza hospital for
Palestinians after Israel accusations
Nov 7, 2023
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s foreign ministry
said on Tuesday that the purpose of the Indonesia Hospital in Gaza was to
“fully” serve Palestinians in response to an accusation by the Israeli military
that it has been used by Hamas to launch attacks.
Israeli military’s has said that Hamas
“systematically exploits hospitals as part of its war machine” as it exposed a
network of tunnels, command centres and rocket launchers beneath and adjacent
to hospitals in northern Gaza.
Hamas denies doing so and has accused
Israel of spreading lies. “Indonesia Hospital in Gaza is a facility built by
Indonesians fully for humanitarian purposes and to serve the medical needs of
Palestinians in Gaza,” said the ministry said in a statement, adding the
hospital is run by Palestinian authorities, helped by a few Indonesian
volunteers.
The hospital “is currently treating
patients in the amount that far exceeds its capacity”, the ministry added.
Sarbini Abdul Murad, the chairman of
MER-C, a voluntary group which funded the Indonesia hospital, told Reuters on
Tuesday the hospital had run out of fuel, and had “collapsed”.
On Monday, Sarbini denied Israel’s
accusations, adding that it was a “precondition so that they can attack the
Indonesian hospital in Gaza”.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous
Muslim country, has called for an immediate ceasefire and has sent humanitarian
aid to Gaza. Health officials in Hamas-controlled Gaza said more than 9,770
Palestinians have been killed in the war since Hamas launched a cross-border
assault on Oct.7, killing 1,400 people and seizing more than 240 hostages.
Source: brecorder.com
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Malaysian man allegedly arrested in
Saudi Arabia after criticising the islamic nation
Nov 7, 2023
Coconuts KL
Saudi Arabia has once again made
headlines for its strict stance against government criticism, as a Malaysian
man, Saifuddin Amri, finds himself in trouble after expressing his views on
social media.
Saifuddin’s arrest has prompted a plea
for assistance from the Malaysian government and stirred a debate on free
speech in the kingdom.
The ordeal came to light when a Twitter
user, known as “Ustaz Addien,” shared the distressing news on the platform,
claiming to have received information from Saifuddin’s family. Ustaz Addien
passionately appealed to the Malaysian government, including Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim and Foreign Affairs Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir, to intervene on
Saifuddin’s behalf.
Saifuddin, who allegedly resided alone
in Saudi Arabia while his wife and children remained in Malaysia, found himself
in hot water due to a now-deactivated tweet that criticized various aspects of
life in the kingdom. The controversial tweet was captured by vigilant netizens
before his account was taken down.
In the tweet, Saifuddin reportedly took
issue with the vice activities he claimed to have witnessed in the country,
such as the prevalence of entertainment, prostitution, and illicit alcohol on
the black market. He also made allegations against many preachers in Saudi
Arabia, suggesting they were affiliated with the “Madkhalis” gang, which is
believed to be loyal to the country’s rulers or monarchs. It is speculated that
his outspoken views may have cost him his job.
As of the time of writing, the Foreign
Affairs Minister has not issued a statement verifying the claims surrounding
Saifuddin’s arrest. The situation has put them under pressure to respond to the
calls for intervention on behalf of the detained Malaysian national.
It is no secret that Saudi Arabia has a
reputation for its strict and unyielding laws when it comes to criticizing the
government and its leaders. Detractors face severe consequences, including
imprisonment.
Source: coconuts.co
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Fahmi: Islamic, halal and
Muslim-friendly-related sectors expected to worth RM35.7t by 2025
06 Nov 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — Islamic finance,
halal food-pharmaceutical-cosmetic industries, Muslim-friendly tourism, media
and recreational sectors are expected to reach a global value of US$7.7
trillion (RM35.7 trillion) by 2025, Minister of Communication and Digital Fahmi
Fadzil said.
He said Malaysia has maintained its
global leadership status in those sectors for nine consecutive years as
recognised by the Global Islamic Economy Indicator (GIEI).
“The achievements of Malaysia on the
digital economy front are most definitely not by accident but designed with
great care and passion.
“But most of all, they are made possible
with your collaboration and cooperation and tonight, we celebrate and pay
homage to your hard work and dedication,” he said at the MDX 2023 Awards Night
at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) tonight.
He also said that Malaysia aspired to
become a global leader in innovation and technology.
“We must continually strive to embrace
and adopt new technologies that drive economic growth, create jobs and enhance
the quality of life for all Malaysians,” he said.
He said the digital revolution has
reshaped the way people live, work and interact with one another.
“It has the power to transform
industries, create new opportunities and bridge the digital divide,” he said.
He added that it is in this spirit that
Malaysia recognises and celebrates the outstanding individuals and
organisations that have played a pivotal role in Malaysia’s digital
transformation journey. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Singapore Parliament passes motion on
Israel-Hamas war; MPs call for longer-term aid for Palestinians, schools to
facilitate conversations
07 Nov 2023
SINGAPORE, Nov 7 — Several members of
parliament (MP) spoke yesterday (November 6) about the importance of
facilitating a deeper understanding of the Israel-Hamas war in schools here, as
Parliament unanimously passed a motion on the conflict.
Having such conversations in classrooms
— including teaching students about Israeli-Palestinian history, and providing
a platform for students to engage in discussions with their teachers’ guidance
— could help to tackle the proliferation of misinformation regarding the
conflict, said members of the House.
In a debate on Monday which spanned
around six hours, MPs also said that humanitarian aid and assistance rendered
to Gaza residents must go on for a longer term, beyond alleviating their
current suffering.
Among other points made during the
debate, members of the House also reiterated the need for a two-state solution,
and collectively upheld the stance that the conflict is of a political,
historical and territorial nature, rather than a religious one.
MPs also acknowledged Israel’s right of
self-defence, while denouncing its disproportionate attacks on Gaza.
The motion — titled “Solidarity,
Security and Peace — The Israel-Hamas Conflict” — was jointly filed by MP for
Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) Vikram Nair, Alex Yam (MP for
Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC) and Zhulkharnain Abdul Rahim (MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC).
Twenty-one members of the House rose to
speak in support of the motion. This included 17 MPs, nominated MPs and
non-constituency MPs, and four political office holders: Minister for Foreign
Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman,
Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Minister of State for National
Development Faishal Ibrahim.
DPM Wong said in his speech that
extremist and terrorist groups in the region are using the Israel-Hamas war to
rile up sentiments and radicalise more individuals.
Dr Balakrishnan, meanwhile, said that
the war is a reminder for Singapore that it has national interests at stake, as
he spelt out the principles underpinning the Government's position on what he
described as an "unfolding tragedy".
Schools, IHLS could facilitate
conversations to fight disinformation
Members of the House spoke of how
schools can play a role in helping students deepen their understanding of the
conflict, which would be key to fighting disinformation and helping
Singaporeans understand viewpoints that differ from theirs.
In his speech, Yam said that since the
October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, “online traffic and misinformation
targeting Singapore has been on the rise”.
Given the risk Singapore faces as a
nation, he added: “We must engage in an open and honest conversation about the
situation.
“Misguided beliefs and distorted
narratives can further escalate tensions and lead to divisions within our
community. We must redouble our efforts to ensure that Singaporeans have access
to reliable sources of information and are equipped to discern fact from
fiction.”
Joan Pereira, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC,
noted that social media plays a “pivotal role” in shaping the world’s
perception of the conflict, given the nature of today’s modern welfare being
“globally televised”.
“Therefore, our psychological defence is
the most important,” she said.
“Just like how all of us are learning
how to deal with scammers, we must also learn how to resist being influenced
and blindly led along by social media in this conflict. We must not play into
their hands, and we must not let ourselves get dragged into the conflict
virtually.”
Recounting anecdotal feedback from
residents, MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC Saktiandi Supaat told Parliament that
youths had also raised their concerns around the influence of media ? both
traditional and social media.
“I know that different media channels
seem to report different aspects of the conflict, and sometimes with a
subjective spin,” he said.
Moving beyond the conflict, the
authorities should also be concerned about how different segments of society
receive their news, and to educate them on differentiating between facts and
subjective views, he added.
Noting also the complexity and long
history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Leong Mun Wai, a non-constituency
MP and secretary-general of the Progress Singapore Party, urged the Government
to enhance education on the matter, so that Singaporeans could have “more
accurate and complete information” on the conflict.
This would reduce the risk of
Singaporeans being swayed by biased, inaccurate, or one-sided emotional
discourse, Leong added.
MP for Aljunied GRC Gerald Giam said
that political debates ? occurring within Parliament, in classrooms or at the
Speakers’ Corner ? could provide Singaporeans with a “safe avenue” to air their
views and engage in discussions about international conflicts.
Such debates would also provide citizens
with a “crucial pressure release valve for discontent”, which could aid in
preventing individuals from falling prey to overt influence by extreme rhetoric
from foreign sources, said Giam.
To counter this, Giam proposed that
schools and higher education institutions also more actively promote classroom
discussions on the topic.
“This will not only provide young people
with a platform to voice their perspectives and express their frustrations with
the situation, but also encourage them to respect different viewpoints,” he
said.
“With teachers or facilitators guiding
these discussions, the conversations will be kept balanced and will avoid
becoming overly contentious.”
Dr Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah of Jalan Besar
GRC spoke about how the phenomenon of doom scrolling, where individuals
continuously scroll through distressing news on social media, has risen.
“This not only reflects our global
interconnectedness but also brings to the fore mental health challenges that
such crises and their digital portrayal can precipitate,” he said.
“Thus, it’s imperative that we take
steps to address the mental health impact by accelerating digital literacy,
encouraging balanced media consumption, and providing mental health support
through safe spaces for discourse.”
Nominated MP Syed Harun expressed his
disappointment at the authorities’ decision not to allow the conflict to be
discussed more openly at the Speakers’ Corner, or as part of events or public
assemblies.
“I can appreciate the initial concerns
over public order, the sensitivity of the topic, as well as the volatility of
the situation overseas, but I do hope that the government will reconsider this
position in good time, and I would suggest for this to be allowed sooner rather
than later,” he said.
“There should be means for Singapore
citizens to discuss and express their thoughts in a safe space about such
delicate issues and raise their own awareness of such devastation and
atrocities happening around the world.”
Dr Syed suggested that engagements could
be conducted with security restrictions or in limited numbers.
Responding to this, Associate Professor
Faishal said the National Parks Board (NParks) had rejected only seven of more
than 400 applications received to use the Speakers’ Corner for events in the
last few years.
Of these seven rejections, five were
applications to hold events related to the Israel-Hamas conflict in October.
“(Such events) can spark off dissidence
on the ground. They also have the potential to divide us as Singaporeans. Once
we allow one event, we will have to allow others,” said Assoc Prof Faishal.
As such, he added that NParks would
continue to reject applications to use the Speakers’ Corner for similar events,
as long as there is a public safety and security risk posed.
Long-term aid must go ‘beyond
alleviating immediate suffering’
MPs also spoke of the importance of
long-term aid for Gaza, and why it should go beyond alleviating immediate
suffering.
On what Singapore is already doing, Dr
Balakrishnan said that the Government has contributed seed funding of S$300,000
to the Singapore Red Cross, which is working with its partners to support the
relief effort in Gaza.
Dr Balakrishnan also noted that
Singaporeans have donated nearly S$5 million to the fundraising drives by the
Singapore Red Cross and the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation.
Beyond this, the authorities would
continue to engage the Palestinian Authority and support its capacity-building
efforts through the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package, he said.
While lauding existing efforts, Nadia
Samdin, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, pointed out that humanitarian aid alone would
not be enough to rehabilitate and rebuild a community.
Giam of Aljunied GRC said that
Singapore’s assistance has to “go beyond alleviating the immediate suffering of
the Palestinians”.
Some ways Singapore could offer
long-term aid include contributing to post-conflict reconstruction and
development by offering more technical assistance to the Palestinians ? such as
in education, public housing, urban planning, water management and tackling
corruption ? he added.
Zhulkarnain expressed his hopes that the
government would also consider providing critical vaccinations and other
medication for the Palestinian population, who are “facing a health crisis”. ?
TODAY
Source: malaymail.com
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Australia
Islamophobic threats in Australia have
increased tenfold since Oct. 7 Hamas action in Israel, says Muslim group
November 06, 2023
ONDON: There has been a massive increase
in cases of Islamophobia and threats to the Muslim community living in
Australia since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, according to an organization
that tracks anti-Islam sentiment in the country.
The Islamophobia Register Australia said
reports of anti-Muslim hate had increased tenfold since Hamas’ offensive and
subsequent Israeli military retaliation, The New York Times reported on Monday.
Sharara Attai, the executive director of
the group, told Australian media that the trend was “deeply troubling” and that
it was “even more concerning” that many incidents had probably gone unreported.
Pro-Palestinian marches, which have
drawn tens of thousands of Australians, have been held across the country in
cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.
Protesters have demanded a ceasefire in
the Gaza Strip and have denounced Israeli strikes on civilians in the enclave
as “genocide.”
Jessica Morrison, executive officer at
the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, last month said there had been “lots
of stories from lots of young people” being targeted, particularly at schools,
and that the Palestinian community had been “distressed” by the discourse
surrounding the violence in Gaza.
She added: “Younger Palestinian people
at the moment are feeling very uncomfortable because of what’s going on.”
Mike Burgess, a senior figure in the
Australian Security Intelligence Organization, said in a statement last month
that all parties had to consider the “implications for social cohesion when
making public statements.”
He added: “As I have said previously,
words matter. ASIO has seen direct connections between inflamed language and
inflamed community tensions.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2404336/world
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South Asia
Stanikzai Warns Pakistan Not to 'Force
Afghans to React'
Bibi Amina Hakimi
November 6, 2023
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the meeting on the “Future Economic Development
of Afghanistan” warned Islamabad to treat Afghan immigrants appropriately and
not to force Afghans to react against their actions.
Stanikzai said that the reaction of
Afghans has been recorded in history and now Afghanistan has a strong defense
force and plenty of weapons.
Stanikzai also criticized the
deportation process of Afghan immigrants and considered it a unilateral
decision by the interim government of Pakistan.
According to the Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Pakistani soldiers are looting the property and assets of
Afghan immigrants during their deportation from the country.
The official of the Islamic Emirate
emphasized that Pakistan has ignored the demands of the United Nations and the
world for the departure of Afghan immigrants, while for years it has earned
money and high privileges from the presence of immigrants in its soil.
Referring to the construction of the
Qosh Tepa Canal, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs assured the neighbors
of Afghanistan that their water rights to the Amu River are being respected.
He clarified that the Islamic Emirate is
determined to control the country's water, but it has no plan to destroy or
harm the country's neighbors.
According to the information of the
Refugees and Repatriation Department of Kandahar province, in the last five
days, 4,533 families, which reached 31,547 people, have returned from Pakistan.
The Pakistani government gave a deadline
for undocumented Afghan immigrants to
leave the country by November 1.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185907
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Returned Refugees from Pakistan Find
Comfort and Hope in the Islamic Emirate’s Reception
2023-11-06
TERINKOT (BAN): Afghan refugees who were
expelled from Pakistan have expressed their happiness and comfort upon
returning to their home country, thanks to the acceptance and assistance
provided by the Islamic Emirate. Some of these returnees, now back in their
hometown of Uruzgan, have expressed their faith in the Islamic Emirate’s
ability to address their challenges.
Mawlavi Mohammad Ali Jan Ahmed, the
governor of Uruzgan, told Bakhtar News Agency that the local administration has
set up a camp for those refugees who do not have their own homes.
This initiative aims to provide them
with temporary accommodation until they can find permanent shelter.
The governor assured that these prepared
places can accommodate 50 families at a time and that all basic services will
be provided to them.
The governor further reassured all
returned refugees that the Islamic Emirate would assist them in all aspects,
reflecting the administration’s commitment to supporting its citizens and
ensuring their wellbeing.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/returned-refugees-from-pakistan-find-comfort-and-hope-in-the-islamic-emirates-reception/
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Ulema Council of Kyrgyzstan: Travel to
Palestine for jihad does not comply with Shariah
NOVEMBER 7, 2023
AKIPRESS.COM - Travel to Palestine with
the intention of committing jihad on an emotional basis or with any organized
groups is incompatible with Shariah rules, the Ulema Council of the Central
Administration of Muslims of Kyrgyzstan said.
The Ulema Council studied the calls that
are now spread across social networks in connection with the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict and came to the conclusion that assistance to
brothers and sisters in faith should be spiritual and material.
The Ulema Council condemned Israel's
military actions against the civilian population of Palestine as a crime
against humanity.
"May Allah Almighty bless and greet
the entire Muslim world. This is not only the sadness of Palestinians, but also
of Muslims around the world. The international community condemns the cruelty
of the current war and demands its speedy end," the Central Administration
said.
The Mufti's Office called on people of
Kyrgyzstan to pray for the Palestinian people.
Source: akipress.com
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https://akipress.com/news:741467:Ulema_Council_of_Kyrgyzstan__Travel_to_Palestine_for_jihad_does_not_comply_with_Shariah/
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The Chines Ambassador, Mr. Zhao Xing
called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi.
November 7, 2023
During meeting, talks were held
regarding increasing the level of bilateral diplomatic relations, recent
regional developments and several other issues pertaining to bilateral security
and economic domains.
At the outset, expressing happiness with
the hospitality of China and the positive outcomes of the discussions held
during his last visit to China, FM Muttaqi hoped that China will extend its
cooperation with IEA regarding enhanced bilateral relations.
Calling the relations of the two
countries positive, Mr. Xing illustrated China’s interest in further developing
diplomatic relations.
Underscoring the issue of the forced
deportation of Afghan refugees,and welcoming Afghan refugees, FM Muttaqi
highlighted the measures taken by the Afghan government to accommodate them in
the country and elaborated on forcibly deporting Afghan refugees at the
beginning of the cold winter, usurping their property and other rights, and
several other problems.
Showing readiness to provide assistance,
Mr. Xing expressed hope that the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan will
be able to resolve this issue in a good way.
Source: mfa.gov.af
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Taliban aims to appoint diplomat to
Afghanistan Embassy in Tajikistan
November 7, 2023
Fidel Rahmati
The Foreign Ministry of Afghanistan has
appointed a diplomat for the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan.
The Ministry has recently issued a
letter, and Afghanistan International has reported that it designates Faizullah
as the First Secretary of the embassy.
Based on this written communication, the
Taliban has promised to also pay the unpaid salaries of Afghan embassy staff in
Tajikistan for the past six months.
Tajikistan has strong ties with groups
opposing the Taliban, and the previous Afghan government’s ambassador to
Tajikistan consistently voiced opposition to the Taliban’s policies.
However, the Taliban, even though not
officially recognized by Tajikistan, is making efforts to establish legitimacy
in the country by appointing a diplomat to the embassy.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs has requested the Afghan embassy to inform the Tajikistan government
about the appointment of the new diplomat.
However, it is still unclear whether, in
the event of cooperation by the Afghan embassy, the Tajikistan government will
accept Taliban diplomats or not, similar to countries like Turkey and
Uzbekistan.
Over the last two years, no country has
extended official recognition to the Taliban, and the majority of embassies are
currently staffed by ambassadors and personnel from the previous government.
Nevertheless, the Taliban is actively
working to alter this situation by appointing its diplomats to these embassies,
aiming to gain international recognition and influence.
Source: khaama.com
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Over 15,000 Afghan families expelled
from Pakistan in 6 days
Fidel Rahmati
November 6, 2023
The de facto administration has
announced that in the past six days, from the first of November until the 6th,
approximately 15,270 families have returned to the country via the Torkham
border crossing.
According to the media report Monday,
approximately 15,270 families have returned to Afghanistan from the beginning
of November this year until today.
According to this report, from September
17, 2023, to today, only 35,000 families, consisting of approximately 200,000
individuals, have returned to their country solely via the Torkham crossing.
The Pakistani Ministry of Interior
issued a warning to undocumented migrants, stating that if they do not leave
Pakistan by the specified date, they would face deportation, and their
properties and businesses would be confiscated.
The Pakistani government claims that
Afghan nationals have been involved in terrorist attacks, while the Taliban
administration rejects the allegations. Pakistani authorities have stated that
over 1.7 million undocumented Afghan migrants will be deported.
Pakistani media reports the
establishment of temporary transit camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
provinces as part of a widespread expulsion of “illegal” Afghan migrants.
Meanwhile, Pakistan officially launched
a search operation to locate Afghan migrants without proper documents across
the country.
Statistics reveal that Pakistan is home
to over four million Afghan migrants, with approximately 1.7 million lacking
residency documents.
The Ministry of Refugees and
Repatriations in Afghanistan reports the presence of over 120,000 Afghan
migrants at border points, all forcibly expelled from Pakistan.
The situation underscores the magnitude
of the Afghan migrant crisis and the actions being taken by both countries in
response.
The issue remains a significant
challenge for both Pakistan and Afghanistan, with implications for regional
stability and humanitarian concerns.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/over-15000-afghan-families-expelled-from-pakistan-in-6-days/
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4 Bangladeshis killed in Qatar fire
Nov 7, 2023
Four Bangladeshis were killed in a fire
at a garage in Doha on Sunday night.
The fire broke out in Doha's Feroz Abdul
Aziz area on Sunday night (local time) and later spread to a nearby building.
Of the four Bangladeshis, two were from
Feni while the identities of the two more are yet to be confirmed. Two
Pakistanis were also killed.
Two of the victims were identified as
Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, a resident of Dis Mohammad Bhuiyan house, and Mir
Hossain Farhad, of Sonapur village of Daganbhuiyan upazila in Feni.
Mamunur Bashir Milon, chairman of
Jayalskar union, confirmed the death of Farhad and Bahar Mia Mohammad Mahfuzur
Rahman, counsellor of Ward-7 of Feni Municipality, confirmed the death of
Mahfuzur.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/nrb/away-home/expat-death/news/mediterranean-shipwreck-families-4-faridpur-youths-worried-sick-3272171
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URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/israel-indian-workers-palestinians/d/131063