Israeli Flags Torn Down And Set On Fire In Several Cities Across Germany
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 October 2023
Photo: Tasnim News Agency
-----
Europe
·
Jewish
Groups Protest Against BBC For Refusing To Call Hamas ‘Terrorists’
·
Arabic-Speaking
Man Claims Responsibility For Deadly Attack In The Name Of Allah In Brussels
·
Suspect
arrested in Brussels after two Swedes killed in ‘terror attack’
·
EU to
establish humanitarian air corridor to Gaza
·
Israel
must ‘minimize impact’ on Palestinian civilians in ground offensive, UK PM
tells Benjamin Netanyahu
·
Germany’s
Scholz to visit Israel, Egypt this week amid Mideast conflict
·
Israel’s
Gaza offensive will be ‘horrific’: UK minister
·
UK
Government Pledges £10million Aid To Palestinians Amid Israel-Hamas War
--------
North America
·
Trump
Pledges To Expel Immigrants Who Support Hamas, Ban Muslims From US
·
CAIR-LA
Condemns Attack on Pro-Palestinian Protesters in Los Angeles
·
CAIR-SFBA:
More Than 50 California Elected Officials Speak Out in Support of Gaza
·
CAIR-Houston
to Denounce Increased Violence Toward Muslim, Arab and Palestinian Communities
·
American
Jews gather in solidarity with Palestinians in Washington DC
·
Biden to
Visit Israel as Gaza Sar Sparks Humanitarian Crisis
-------
Mideast
·
Israel-Hamas
War Triggers Spike In Islamophobia, Anti-Arab Sentiments In Latin America
·
Top Hamas
Official: Al-Aqsa Storm ‘Favourable Opportunity’ To Pull Plug On Israel
·
Australian
Muslim Leader Resigns Over Premier's Support Of Israel
·
Iran FM
Discusses Palestine Developments With South African And Irish Counterparts
·
Heads Of
Muslim States' Parliaments Call For 'United Front' Against Rights Violations In
Gaza
·
Hamas
broadcasts video of ‘prisoner’ in Gaza
·
Israel
strikes Hezbollah ‘terrorist’ targets in Lebanon: Army
·
Bodies
being ‘stored in ice cream trucks’
·
2,808
Palestinians killed, 10,859 injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza: Health
Ministry
--------
India
·
16 Opposition
Leaders Meet Palestinian Ambassador In Delhi, Express Solidarity, Urge The establishment
of an independent Palestine state along the 1967 borders in accordance with the
UN resolution
·
Indian
Defence minister slams those backing Hamas, says condemn terrorism
·
Biryani
wasn’t served to Ajmal Kasab in prison, says Former Pune police commissioner
Meeran Borwankar
-----
Africa
·
Tens Of
Thousands Of Moroccans March In Support Of Palestinians
·
Ethiopia's
prime minister holds talks with Chinese counterpart in Beijing
·
UN
peacekeepers begin sensitive pull out of camps in northern Mali
·
DRC: at
least 28 dead in a shipwreck on the Congo River
·
Red Cross
to raise N23 billion against hunger crisis in Nigeria
-------
Arab World
·
Saudi
Arabia At UN Rejects Calls For Deportation Of Palestinians From Gaza
·
Green
hotels, ecotourism: A rising trend in Saudi Arabia
·
Saudi
defence minister discusses Gaza situation with UK, Italian counterparts
·
Saudi FM
discusses latest developments in Gaza with German, Japanese counterparts
·
KSrelief
participates in triangular cooperation meeting in Lisbon
·
Minister
of Hajj and Umrah Starts Official Visit to Türkiye
------
South Asia
·
Protests
Held in Logar Over Israel's Attacks on Gaza Strip
·
Afghanistan’s
descent into poverty: The Economist Report
·
Okada-Hanafi
Meeting Focused on Expanding of Relations: Arg
·
Aid
Continues for Earthquake Affected Areas in Herat
·
Regional
meeting on Rohingyas today
·
Four cops
sued over ex-ACC official’s death in custody
·
Amid
tremor shocks, 1/3rd of Afghans face 'acute' food insecurity
-------
Southeast Asia
·
PM Anwar Urges
Israel To Call For Ceasefire In Gaza And Renounce 'Politics Of Dispossession'
·
Palestine:
Anwar Strongly Backs Creation Of Humanitarian Corridor In Rafah
·
IRB can
resume bankruptcy notice hearing against Najib and son
·
QuangNinh
targets more Muslim visitors to fuel tourism
-------
Pakistan
·
Pakistan’s
Foreign Minister Says Refugee Policy Applies to “All Illegal People” Not Just
Afghans
·
Special
Court Begins Hearing Cipher Case Against Imran, Qureshi As Indictment Expected
·
Bushra
Bibi, Wife Of Imran Khan, Granted Bail In Two Cases, Toshakhana And 190 Million
Pounds Scam Cases
·
One
killed, 6 injured in grenade attack in Karachi’s Lyari
·
Pakistan decides
to dispatch humanitarian relief assistance to Gaza
·
Pakistan,
Iranian, Egyptian FMs discuss Gaza situation
·
Palestine
exposes a vacuum in Pakistan
·
Two
soldiers martyred, as many terrorists killed
·
Zardari,
Fazl consult over polls
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/israeli-flags-torn-germany/d/130918
------
Israeli Flags Torn Down And Set On Fire
In Several Cities Across Germany
Photo: Tasnim News Agency
-----
17 Oct, 2023
Israeli flags have been torn down and
set on fire in several cities across Germany, local media reported, citing
police and officials. The flags were hung outside city halls and other public
buildings in solidarity with Israel, which suffered a deadly attack on October
7 by the Gaza-based militant group Hamas.
In the states of North Rhine-Westphalia
and Baden-Wurttemberg alone, flags were vandalized in at least 12 cities,
according to the news program Tagesschau. On Monday night, a man removed the
Israeli flag hoisted on a pole outside the city hall in Aachen and set it
ablaze. In Witten, the flag was taken down twice, most recently on Friday
night, while the flag hoisted outside a Protestant church in Bad Saeckingen was
pelted with eggs.
Police told Bild newspaper that a drunk
man in his 50s had attempted to tear down the flag in the city of Pirna
(Saxony), but was stopped by the officers. Israeli national symbols were taken
down, stolen or destroyed in Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Erfurt (Thuringia),
Stralsund (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), and Stade (Lower Saxony), among
other places.
“I strongly condemn the attack against
our city hall and hope that the police will investigate [the incident],” Stade
Mayor SoenkeHartlef said. He added that the city would “continue to show our
solidarity with Israel and let the flag fly at the historic city hall despite
and precisely because of this attack.”
In some cases, the officers managed to
identify the perpetrators. In Schwerin (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), the
suspect is a 17-year-old man of Iraqi origin, who acted in a group of people,
some of whom were “with migrant background,” police said.
Stealing and desecrating national flags
is a criminal offense in Germany, punishable by up to three years in prison. In
addition to the actions against Israeli flags, police said on Wednesday that
swastikas and the words “Kill the Jews” were written on fragments of the Berlin
Wall.
Germany has seen a wave of anti-Semitic
incidents since last week as politicians and officials are voicing support for
Israel in the wake of the deadly attack by the Hamas militant group, which killed
more than 1,300 Israelis. Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza, killing
2,750 people, according to Palestinian officials.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been
banned in several German cities out of fear of the expression of extremist
sentiment.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/585104-israeli-flags-torn-germany/
---------
Israel-Palestine War: Spate Of
Anti-Muslim Incidents In US Revives 9/11 Trauma
Residents of
Detroit and Arab community of Dearborn march in support of Palestinians in
Dearborn, Michigan, on 14 October 2023 (AFP)
------
16 October 2023
Zainab Iqbal
Last week, Aliyah was walking home from
a protest wearing an Abaya, a long black garment covering her body. She had a
Palestinian flag painted on each of her cheeks.
As she got closer to her house in
Queens, New York, a man looked at her and spat. “Get out of here,” he shouted.
Aliyah proceeded to walk the two-block
distance to her house as fast as she could, she then entered her home and
quickly locked the door. She had never been so terrified in all of her life. In
her 24 years of living in New York, she had never experienced such hatred.
“These are the stories I heard from my
parents. People calling them names. Cursing. Changing their seats on the train.
After 9/11, this is what my parents told me,” Aliyah, who didn’t want her full
name used, told Middle East Eye.
“My parents went through all that all
those years ago. They kept me safe and protected,” she said. “But now it’s
happening again.”
While there are no concrete numbers at
the moment, the number of anti-Muslim incidents in the US seems to be on the
rise, following the war that broke out between Palestinian armed groups based
in Gaza and Israel on 7 October.
On Saturday in Chicago, Illinois, a
six-year-old Palestinian Muslim boy was fatally stabbed and his mother
seriously injured when their landlord entered their home with a 12-inch
military knife.
On 11 October, an 18-year-old
Palestinian man was attacked in Brooklyn by a group of individuals brandishing
Israeli flags. Before exiting their vehicle, they yelled derogatory remarks
against Palestinians and then proceeded to physically assault him.
According to Chris Habiby, the national
government affairs and advocacy director at The American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the organisation has seen a high number of
anti-Muslim incidents since the war erupted.
He explained that one of the biggest
contributors to that is the “rhetoric we are seeing from politicians and the
media.”
“This is an issue that has, and will
continue to, impact Arab Americans broadly, regardless of their religion,” he
said.
“What we are seeing is at a maximum
similar to what we saw after 9/11, more likely worse because of the rhetoric
coming from all sides of the political spectrum.”
On 7 October, Palestinian armed groups,
led by Hamas, killed at least 1,400 Israelis in an unprecedented surprise
attack on Israel, took at least 150 Israelis hostage and brought them back to
Gaza. Israel responded with a bombing campaign that has taken thousands of
Palestinian lives and counting.
The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has
said that in just over a week, Israel has dropped the equivalent of a quarter
of a nuclear bomb on Gaza. At least 2,808 people have been killed, including
853 children and 936 women. At least 1,200, including 500 children, are missing
and believed to be under rubble.
'Just like it was post 9/11'
Given the threat posed by “Zionist
extremists in the US”, the ADC is advising community members to remain alert,
particularly regarding threats to religious institutions, including mosques and
churches, especially during prayer services. If someone believes that they were
targeted, they can reach out to ADC’s pro-bono legal department, Habiby
encouraged.
Ibrahim Bechrouri, an adjunct professor
at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, believes that these incidents will
continue to rise.
He said what worries him more in the US
context and beyond, is the deployment of violence by the state, whether it’s
deportations, criminalisation of First Amendment-protected activities, or FBI
harassment.
“The media and political class decided
that what happened on 10/7 was another 9/11,” he told Middle East Eye.” It
follows that we are starting to see a similar crackdown on those perceived to
be Muslims, both through criminalising narratives and concrete policy
measures.”
He explained that it’s important to
understand that it’s not just politicians and media who are to blame for the rise.
It is university administration, police officers, and social media influencers,
all of whom are influenced by the narrative and have the capacity to shape
those narratives.
According to Bechrouri, while there is
pushback in making sure things don’t end up as they did post-9/11, it could
also be worse than what happened after 9/11.
"One could argue that our societies
are even more polarised now, that the far-right is much stronger than it was
then and that the advancement of surveillance technologies could result in an
even harsher response from the state," he said.
“But we are willingly giving away our
data. We are still seeing the same warmongering discourse being spread by media
outlets and Washington seems ready to start yet another war in the Middle
East,” he said.
“It doesn't seem that the US learned
much from the utter failure and horrors of its more than 20 years-long global
war on terror.”
Evelyn Alsultany is a professor at the
University of Southern California Dornsife. She explained that while hate
crimes are committed by individuals, they are the result of messaging from
media and politicians, and are deeply connected and shaped by state policies.
In this case, she said, it's US support
for Israel at the expense of Palestinians, as well as media discourse that
Israel is defending itself against a terrorist group rather than Israel's
reality as a state occupying a people.
“Anti-Muslim racism is produced at the
convergence of state and media discourses that demonise and dehumanise Arabs,
Muslims, and Middle Eastern and North African people as threats to national
security,” Alsultany told Middle East Eye.
“Individuals internalise these messages
and then act upon them."
She added that the dominant discourse
promoted is that Palestinians are terrorists who deserve to die, are subhuman,
and undeserving of the same rights to safety and security as Jewish Israelis.
It’s something Abdullah Akl, an
organiser at Within Our Lifetime, a Palestinian-led advocacy organisation,
fears most.
According to Akl, the blame first goes
to elected officials who he says completely failed to represent their
constituencies. He believes it’s obvious that more hateful incidents will
continue to occur in the US, and it won’t change until the media and elected
officials change.
“The media has been playing a role in
spreading false news and information in regards to what’s happening in
Palestine. Thousands of children are killed and thousands are being displaced
from their land,” he said.
“People in the US and across the world are
being fed fake information, just like it was post 9/11. We may be getting
closer and closer to that. But we need elected officials to speak out. And we
need for there to be more truth around what is actually happening.”
Source: middleeasteye.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-spate-anti-muslim-incidents-us-revives-trauma-september-11
----------
Hamas Says Not Intimidated By Israel's
Ground Invasion Threat, Warns Gaza Will Become Invaders’ Graveyard
Photo: Press
TV
------
17 October 2023
Amid Israel's relentless bloody war
against the Gaza Strip, Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says it is
"not intimidated" by the regime's threat of launching a ground aggression
against the blockaded territory.
Abu Ubaida, the spokesman for the
movement's military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, made the remark in a televised
statement on Monday.
"Threatening us with ground
invasion does not intimidate us, and we are ready to deal with any brutal
force," Abu Ubaida said, warning, "Gaza will only be a graveyard for
its invaders and its sands will swallow you up."
"We tell the enemy that your entry
[into Gaza] will be a new opportunity [for us] to hold you accountable for the
crimes that you are committing against us," the spokesperson added.
"We call on all countries of the
world to warn their nationals against fighting in the enemy's army. We will
deal with any fighter in the occupation army who holds another nationality as a
direct enemy," Abu Ubaida warned.
A senior Hamas official warns Israeli
forces will be “buried” in the Gaza Strip if they press ahead with their brutal
aggression against Palestinians and dare set foot in the coastal area.
His warning came as the regime continues
its all-out bloody war, which started on Saturday, against the Gaza Strip. The
Israeli aggression has so far killed more than 2,800 Palestinians and wounded
close to 11,000 others.
The war began after an operation by the
Gaza-based resistance groups, which has so far left some 1,200 Israeli forces
and illegal settlers dead and hundreds of others captive. Palestinian
resistance groups launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm in response to the Israeli
regime's decades-long campaign of bloodshed and destruction against their
people.
The death toll from incessant Israeli
airstrikes and shelling on Gaza reaches 2,808.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the al-Qassam
Brigades spokesman said, "The enemy has deliberately launched a brutal
attack against our people instead of confronting the fighters in the
battlefield."
He added that the Israeli regime did not
expect "an Arab force besieged in Gaza would deal it the harshest blow in
its history."
Abu Ubaida also announced that al-Qassam
Brigades is currently holding nearly 200 Israeli captives, while other
resistance groups have captives of their own, whose number he put at about 50.
"We cannot currently reveal the
complete and accurate number of occupation [regime's] captives in the Gaza
Strip due to security ... considerations, but we estimate in principle that
their number is between 200 and 250, and may be slightly more than that,"
Abu Ubaida said.
‘Al-Aqsa Storm’ operation, launched by
the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, has irreversibly changed the power
equations and given the resistance a clear upper hand.
"Al-Qassam has about 200 captives,
and the rest [of them] are distributed among other [resistance] factions,"
he explained, adding that as many as 22 captives have been already killed as a
result of the Israeli regime's indiscriminate attacks on the besieged
territory.
According to the Hamas' official,
al-Qassam is holding a group of captives of different nationalities, who
"are our guests and we seek to protect them."
He added, "We will release foreign
captives when conditions in the field permit."
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/17/712865/Palestine-Hamas-Israel-threat-ground-invasion-war-Gaza
-------
Delhi Police Arrest Protesters Holding ‘Citizens’
Vigil’ Against Israel’s Attack On Gaza
Protestors
being taken away by the Delhi police from Jantar Mantar Road.
-----
17.10.23
Pheroze L. Vincent
Delhi police and the Rapid Action Force
detained two busloads of protesters who came for a “Citizens' Vigil” here on
Monday against Israel’s offensive on Gaza.
Permission for the meeting had been
denied to the organisers — CPIML Liberation’s All India Students’ Association —
on security grounds.
Around 100 members of Leftist student
groups, trade unions, and human rights forums turned up on Monday afternoon
despite the denial of permission. The police attempted to herd them into buses
in the lane behind the Patel Chowk Metro parking, but protesters refused to get
in and started sloganeering. They were then pushed into buses.
The police chased students who tried to
slip away towards the Metro station. One woman began a heated exchange with TV
reporters who asked her about supporting Palestine despite the Prime Minister’s
support for Israel.
Seeing this, the police rushed into the
parking lot and began to drag her away until she fell and refused to get up.
Then Delhi University assistant professor Saroj Giri stepped in.
“You have prevented the protest and
taken away the protesters. Why chase her to the Metro station?” he asked the
officers present. Giri continued to argue despite being asked to step away.
“She is my student and she has done nothing wrong,” he said. Finally, both the
woman and Giri were taken away by the police.
“The way they have cracked down is
unprecedented,” Giri told The Telegraph over the phone from the police bus. “It
is obvious that (PM) Modi is trying hard to please Israel. There is a lot of
support for Palestine in India but no platform to express it. No one is trying to
condone Hamas killing civilians. We need more such protests to raise awareness
about what is happening in Palestine.”
All the detainees were released from
Jafarpur police station in southwest Delhi on Monday evening.
The demands of the protesters were to stop
the war, and for the independence of Palestine — in line with India’s stated
position of supporting talks for a viable solution towards two sovereign states
of Palestine and Israel. However, the police have cracked down on solidarity
with Palestine after the Prime Minister expressed support for Israel in the
aftermath of incursions into the country by Hamas that claimed the lives of
several people including non-combatants.
While Uttar Pradesh police have arrested
people even for expressing solidarity with Palestine on social media, Delhi
police have prevented protests — like the one on Monday and another one by
Jamia Millia Islamia students last week. On Saturday, the police did not
prevent a demonstration by the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation
although they warned the participants to leave soon.
Educationist Rohit Kumar, who protested
on Saturday, told this newspaper: “It is a natural progression of what has
happened in the last decade. The word “secularism” was demonised. There are
Jewish rabbis putting out videos from Israel saying they are appalled at the
way Israel is conducting this war. But in India, people get hot under the
collar if you question Israel. This is because of ignorance, propaganda and
misinformation.”
He added: “Some of us grew up seeing our
Prime Ministers, right from Nehru’s time, as leaders of the Non-Aligned
Movement and opposing apartheid in South Africa and Israel with leaders such as
Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Tutu, and Fidel Castro.”
Several Opposition leaders and activists
met Palestinian ambassador Adnan Abu Alhaija on Monday. The leaders included
RJD MP Manoj K. Jha, CPI general secretary D. Raja, CPIML Liberation general
secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, the CPM’s Subhashini Ali and NilotpalBasu,
Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan, the JDU's K.C. Tyagi, BSP MP Danish Ali and
Nadeem Khan, secretary, the Association for Protection of Civil Rights.
The leaders, including Congress’s Mani
Shankar Aiyar who was not present, issued a statement: “We call for intensified
diplomatic efforts and multilateral initiatives to ensure a lasting peace in
the region. We express our deep concern regarding the ongoing crisis in Gaza
and the suffering of the Palestinian people. We strongly condemn the
indiscriminate bombing of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel, which we believe
amounts to an attempt (at) genocide. We urge an immediate cessation of all
hostilities to prevent further loss of innocent lives and the destruction of
homes and infrastructure.”
They called for the immediate passage of
humanitarian aid.
In the statement, they also referred to
Mahatma Gandhi, who had said: "Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same
sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French."
"This reflects Gandhi's belief in
the importance of recognising the sovereignty and territorial rights of the
Palestinian people, just as any other nation's right to their homeland,” the
statement said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/delhi-police-detain-pro-palestine-supporters-for-holding-protests-without-permission/cid/1973817
------
Tens Of Thousands Of Moroccans March In
Support Of Palestinians
Photo: Africa News
-----
October 16, 2023
Tens of thousands of Moroccans took to
the streets of Rabat over the weekend in support of the Palestinians amid the
Gaza war.
Crowds stretching for two kilometres
marched through the capital in the rally called for by an alliance of Islamist
parties and a left-wing coalition.
It was the biggest demonstration in the
North African kingdom since it normalised ties with Israel in 2020 in a
US-sponsored deal.
"This march firmly expresses our
support for the people of Palestine and their courageous resistance,” said
Moroccan activist AbderrahimChikhi.
“It also represents the Moroccan voice
refusing normalisation of ties with Israel and rejecting the Zionist regime,
thus reaffirming commitment to the Palestinian cause," he said.
The march came as Israel continued its
intense reprisals against the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militant group,
Hamas, launched an attack on southern Israel from the enclave 10 days ago.
Thousands of people have been killed on
both sides.
"These are crimes against humanity
and we’re here to express our solidarity. We want peace, we want international
organisations to ensure that the Palestinian people regain their rights,” said
Moroccan politician, Nabila Mounib, who took part in the march.
She added that they were also demanding
of the Moroccan state “that no relations should be established with the Zionist
state".
Until now, Morocco's anti-normalisation
movement has only been able to mobilise, at most, a few hundred people.
The treaty with Israel has been of great
importance to Rabat as it came in exchange for Washington recognising Morocco's
sovereignty over the disputed region of Western Sahara.
Morocco maintains that the territory, a
former Spanish colony under its control, is an integral part of the kingdom.
The Polisario Front, which campaigns for
Western Sahara’s independence with the support of Algeria, demands a referendum
on self-determination.
Israel and Morocco have strengthened
their economic and security cooperation following the deal.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/16/tens-of-thousands-of-moroccans-march-in-support-of-palestinians/
---------
Europe
Jewish Groups Protest Against BBC For
Refusing To Call Hamas ‘Terrorists’
17 Oct 2023
LONDON, Oct 17 — Around 250 protesters
gathered outside the BBC’s main headquarters in London on Monday over the
British broadcaster’s “continued refusal to call Hamas terrorists”.
Demonstrators at the event, organised by
Jewish groups, chanted “Hamas, terrorists” and “Shame on You” at the
broadcaster for making the editorial decision to refer to Hamas as militants,
or a militant group.
Many waved Israeli flags and others held
posters carrying pictures of Israeli children kidnapped by Hamas.
Organisers, the National Jewish
Assembly, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that “this is no time the BBC to call
Hamas anything but terrorists”.
UK defence minister Grant Shapps also
said last week that the BBC should follow the “law” and call Hamas a terrorist
organisation, with the government having proscribed it as such in 2021.
But veteran reporter John Simpson, the
BBC’s world affairs editor, said that the corporation would be “taking sides”
if it called Hamas terrorists.
The BBC said in a statement on Monday
that it had given “careful consideration” to its coverage of conflict.
“Careful consideration has been given to
all aspects of our coverage to ensure that we report on developments accurately
and with due impartiality in line with the BBC editorial guidelines, which are
publicly available.
“The BBC, along with many other UK and
global news organisations, does use the word ‘terrorist’, but attributes it. We
have made clear to our audiences that Hamas is proscribed as a terrorist
organisation by the UK and other governments,” it added.
Pro-Palestinian groups have also
targeted the BBC, covering Broadcasting House headquarters in red paint last
week and accusing it of having “blood on its hands”. — AFP
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/world/2023/10/17/jewish-groups-protest-against-bbc-for-refusing-to-call-hamas-terrorists/96724
--------
Arabic-Speaking Man Claims
Responsibility For Deadly Attack In The Name Of AllahIn Brussels
October 17, 2023
Maria Rybachuk
Two Swedes were shot dead in Brussels on
Monday evening, with the suspect still at large, reported Belgian public
broadcaster VRT. The perpetrator fled the scene and is still on the loose.
However, a video of an Arabic-speaking man claiming responsibility for the
attack in the name of Allah (God) has gone viral on social media.
A third victim of the shooting was
injured and is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital, Swedish media
report. The motive for the shooting remains unclear and the incident occurred
as Belgium hosted Sweden in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
The city’s mayor, Philip Close, made a
statement, confirming the deployment of police officers on the streets to
ensure the safety of the public. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo
expressed his condolences, condemning the attack as a cowardly act. He called
on Brussels residents to be vigilant.
According to reports, two of the victims
were Swedish citizens. The Euro 2024 qualifying football match between Belgium
and Sweden, taking place in the city, was immediately stopped, as confirmed by
UEFA.
Attacker’s Identity and Situation in
Brussels
The attacker, who fled the crime scene,
is now at large and Brussels has raised its terror alert to its highest level.
A video has gone viral on social media showing an Arabic-speaking man claiming
responsibility for the attack in the name of Allah (God). However, authorities
have yet to verify the authenticity of the video and the identity of the
perpetrator.
The Flemish newspaper Het
LaatsteNieuwsayed the shooter wore a fluorescent orange jacket. Several media
outlets broadcast amateur videos displaying a man firing multiple shots near a
station using a large firearm.
Following the shooting on the Boulevard
d’Ypres, Belgian federal prosecutors opened a terrorism investigation.
Emergency services have cordoned off the area and are examining evidences.
French President Emmanuel Macron
expressed solidarity during a speech in Albania. He recognized the incident as
yet another “Islamist terrorist attack.”
Suspect on the run after killing at
least two people in Brussels shooting • FRANCE 24 English
Terrorist Attack in Ankara, Turkey
Leaves Two Injured
Turkey was recently rocked by yet
another terrorist attack. A terrorist attack in Ankara left two policemen
injured. Two terrorists detonated a device in Kizilay, a business area of
Ankara. One of the offenders blew himself up, while the other was neutralized,
according to Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
The two terrorists planted a bomb in
front of the General Directorate of Security in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Source: greekreporter.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://greekreporter.com/2023/10/17/brussels-attack-shooting-dead/
---------
Suspect arrested in Brussels after two
Swedes killed in ‘terror attack’
October 17, 2023
BRUSSELS: Belgian police on Tuesday
arrested a suspected gunman who shot dead two Swedish football fans in what
authorities said was a “terrorist attack.”
The arrest, in the Brussels neighbourhood
of Schaerbeek, followed an intensive manhunt in the capital for the assailant
armed with an automatic rifle.
Police opened fire during the arrest, a
spokesman for the Belgian prosecutors’ service, Eric Van Duyse, said, without
confirming a report by broadcaster RTBF that the suspect was wounded.
Prime Minister Alexander de Croo earlier
said the suspect was a man of Tunisian origin who had been living in the
country illegally.
“The terrorist attack that happened
yesterday was committed with total cowardice, the attacker chose as a target
two Swedish football fans,” de Croo told a news conference, adding that a third
person was seriously wounded.
Sweden expressed its devastation over
the shooting — which occurred just before a Belgium-Sweden football match
Monday evening — and European leaders were quick to offer their solidarity.
Sweden has been at the center of a
bitter row this year with Muslim countries after multiple burnings of the
Qur’an, Islam’s holy book.
In a video posted in Arabic on social media,
a man identifying himself as the attacker said “he was inspired by the Islamic
State” extremist group, prosecutors said.
The gunman wearing a hi-visibility
orange jacket fled on a scooter and Belgian authorities raised the terror alert
for Brussels to level four or “very serious” — the highest — and level three
nationally.
Several Belgian media named the suspect
as Abdesalem L, aged 45.
Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborn
said the asylum seeker was convicted in Tunisia “for common law offenses,” but
was not reported for a terrorist risk.
Prosecutors said the attacker in his
video had indicated the Swedish nationality of his victims was a motivation,
but there appeared to be no links with the conflict between Israel and Hamas in
the Middle East.
“Devastated by the news of two Swedish
football supporters murdered in Brussels tonight and a third person being
seriously wounded. All my thoughts are with their families and loved ones,”
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said.
“Swedish authorities work closely with
their Belgian partners to find the murderer,” he added on social media.
As news spread of the killings, the
Group F European qualifier match was abandoned at half-time and some 35,000
fans were evacuated from the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels.
Officers provided extra protection for
Swedish nationals at the game, escorting Sweden’s national players directly to
the airport to leave safely, Belgium’s football association CEO told the RTBF
channel.
“I am terribly sad. We agreed 100
percent not to play the second half because of the conditions and out of
respect for the victims and their families,” said Sweden coach Janne Andersson,
quoted by the Swedish news agency TT.
The shooting took place in the city
center’s northern districts. Police had been alerted to the incident after 7:00
p.m. local time (1700 GMT).
In a video shared online by Flemish
newspaper Het LaatsteNieuws, the shooter is seen with an automatic weapon on
his shoulder, fleeing on a scooter.
Four gunshots can be heard in the video.
A witness who spoke to LN24 channel
described his shock during the incident.
“I stood there frozen, I didn’t move. I
was shocked by what happened, even now I am still in shock. It was a man who
came, pushed me, told me to stop running if I wanted to stay alive,” said the
witness, who gave his name as Sulayman.
The Belgian royal palace said it was
“shocked” by the shooting.
The president of the European
Commission, which is based in Brussels, was quick to condemn the attack.
“My thoughts are with the families of
the two victims of the despicable attack in Brussels,” Ursula von der Leyen
posted on social media.
“Together, we stand united against
terror,” she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said
Europe was “shaken” by an “Islamist” attack in Brussels, while France’s
interior minister had earlier given instructions to strengthen border controls
with Belgium.
Belgium had already been the target of
an attack claimed by Daesh extremists in March 2016, at Brussels’ main airport
and on the metro system, which killed 32 people.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392476/world
--------
EU to establish humanitarian air
corridor to Gaza
16 Oct, 2023
The European Union (EU) will launch a
humanitarian air corridor to Gaza through Egypt, European Commission president
Ursula von der Leyen announced on Monday, with the first flights expected to
depart in the coming days.
“Palestinians in Gaza are in need of
humanitarian help and aid,” von der Leyen said to reporters in Albania on
Monday, where she was attending a summit of Balkan nations. “That is why we are
launching an EU humanitarian air bridge to Gaza through Egypt.”
The EU chief added that the first two
flights will happen “this week” and reiterated that the European bloc is
tripling its humanitarian aid to Gaza to $79 million, saying that innocent
Palestinians “cannot pay the price of Hamas’ barbarism.”
Von der Leyen’s comments follow
statements from the foreign ministers of Egypt and France earlier on Monday in
which they called for the uninhibited supply of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as
well as the safe passage of foreign nationals from the under-siege enclave.
Several prominent European lawmakers had
been critical of Von der Leyen’s response to the crisis, after she had
expressed the EU’s unconditional support for Israel. European foreign policy
chief JosepBorrell said last week that EU policy on such matters is determined
by its member states, rather than the European Commission president.
“We certainly defend the right of Israel
to defend itself against the attack that [it] has been suffering, but as any
right, it has a limit – and this limit is international law and international
humanitarian law,” Borrell said to reporters in Beijing last week.
He also warned that Israel’s retaliatory
actions could provoke a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Israel dropped some 6,000 bombs on Gaza
in the first six days of its bombardment of the densely-populated enclave,
according to the country’s air force.
At least 2,750 people have been killed,
with another 9,700 injured in the unprecedented military operation conducted by
the Israeli armed forces in retaliation for Hamas’ surprise attack on October
7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The Hamas attack has seen
about 1,400 people in Israel killed, with thousands more injured.
A United Nations estimate has suggested
that as many as one million people have been displaced in Gaza amid missile
attacks that have leveled much of the enclave’s infrastructure.
Source: rt.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.rt.com/news/585095-eu-humanitarian-corridor-gaza/
--------
Israel must ‘minimize impact’ on
Palestinian civilians in ground offensive, UK PM tells Benjamin Netanyahu
October 16, 2023
LONDON: British Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak has spoken with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu about the need
for Israel to minimize impact on civilians during its expected ground invasion
of Gaza.
During a visit to a Jewish school in
north London on Monday, Sunak also reiterated that Israel has “every right to
defend itself” in retaliation to Hamas’ attacks on its territory, adding: “If
something like this happened here, it’s what people would expect from this
government.”
Sunak raised the question of the
humanitarian situation in Gaza where more than 2,700 Palestinians have been
killed and 9,700 wounded in airstrikes by the Israeli military.
The prime minister said he stressed to
Netanyahu the need for military operations to target Hamas and not innocent
civilians.
Sunak said: “Israel has been very clear
that Hamas is the entity that’s responsible for this and what they want to do
is ensure that their people are safe and that this doesn’t happen again, and
that the focus of the attention of self-defense is on Hamas.
“And I think that’s right. Nobody wants
to see regional escalation, and certainly the Israeli prime minister does not,
when I’ve spoken to him.”
Hamas militants killed more than 1,400 people
during the attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and took dozens more hostage, prompting
Israel to declare war on the Islamic group — which rules the Gaza Strip — the
following day, unleashing a relentless bombing campaign on the enclave.
At least 199 people are being held
hostage in Gaza, according to the Israeli military. The UK’s Foreign Secretary
James Cleverly said an estimated 10 British citizens are included in that
number.
Sunak has condemned some incidents at
pro-Palestinian marches across the UK over the weekend as “simply not
acceptable,” after police made more than a dozen arrests.
He said: “There is no place in our
society for antisemitism and we will do everything we can to stamp it out. And
where it happens, it will be met with the full force of the law.”
London’s Metropolitan Police said it
arrested 15 people at Saturday’s pro-Palestinian protest in the center of the
British capital, during which tens of thousands of people demonstrated in
support of those in Gaza.
Three men were charged with offenses,
with a 68-year-old man suspected of making racist comments, and another two
held on suspicion of illegal knife possession and failing to remove a face
covering.
Sunak added: “They’ve made several
arrests but they’re also now reviewing footage of some of the things that many
people would have seen that are just simply not acceptable, and where they can
they will be able to make further arrests.”
Sunak said praising Hamas, which is a
banned terrorist organization under UK law, could result in a lengthy prison
sentence.
He told British media: “It’s very clear
under the law: The support and glorification of Hamas is illegal and those
offenses are punishable with up to almost 14 years in jail.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392536/world
--------
Germany’s Scholz to visit Israel, Egypt
this week amid Mideast conflict
October 16, 2023
BERLIN: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
will travel to Israel on Tuesday, the German dpa news agency and other media
reported, as Western nations step up their efforts to forestall a dangerous
spread of the Middle East conflict.
Scholz is scheduled to depart for Israel
following his meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah in Berlin on Tuesday, dpa
reported, and would then travel onwards to Egypt.
A government spokesperson declined to
comment on the reported travel plans.
“This is really a sign of solidarity,”
Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, told German TV channel Welt. “He is
the first prime minister to visit Israel (since the Hamas-Israel war erupted)
and we see that as incredibly important.”
The German government has rallied around
Israel since at least 1,300 people were killed and dozens taken hostage in an
unprecedented, mass cross-border infiltration by Hamas militants into Israeli
towns and villages near Gaza on Oct. 7.
Israel has responded with its heaviest
ever bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which Hamas authorities say have killed at
least 2,750 people, in preparation for an expected ground invasion.
Israel’s relentless air strikes have
complicated diplomatic efforts to allow foreign passport holders to leave the
besieged, densely populated enclave while allowing in aid for Gaza via the
Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Heightening international fears of the
conflict expanding, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has been exchanging fire
with Israel across the border for days in the deadliest escalation since they
fought a major war in 2006.
Last week, German Foreign Minister
AnnalenaBaerbock held talks in Israel and Egypt on how to defuse the current
crisis.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly
also visited Israel last week, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed
in Tel Aviv again on Monday as part of an extended Middle East trip, according
to a Reuters witness.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392336/world
--------
Israel’s Gaza offensive will be
‘horrific’: UK minister
October 16, 2023
LONDON: Israel’s expected ground, air
and naval offensive on Gaza will be “horrific” and will involve “seeing some
awful things,” the UK’s armed forces minister has said.
James Heappey’s comments come as Israel
prepares a massive assault on the Palestinian enclave, warning residents in
northern Gaza to move south, The Independent reported on Monday.
He claimed that the Israel Defense
Forces are “doing everything they can” to avoid civilian casualties by telling
populations to move, but the “use of human shields” by Hamas would make
protecting civilians “incredibly difficult.”
Heappey said: “I have every confidence
that Israel will be precise in its targeting and they’ll have good intelligence
about where it needs to target.
“But nobody should pretend that this is
going to be anything other than horrific. I’m afraid we’re going to see some
awful things over the next few days.”
He said it is “entirely understandable”
that Israel is aiming to “destroy” Hamas, “but it is going after an adversary
that deliberately hides in amongst the civilian population … that hides its
materiel in and amongst the civilian population.”
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392241/world
--------
UK Government Pledges £10million Aid To
Palestinians Amid Israel-Hamas War
October 16, 2023
The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak,
has announced the United Kingdom’s £10 million aid in humanitarian funding for
civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in response to the
escalating Israel-Hamas war.
He made the announcement in a statement
to the House of Commons, in which he also reiterated the UK’s condemnation of
Hamas’ actions in both Israel and Gaza, and called for immediate access for
humanitarian organisations to be allowed to deliver life-saving aid.
This funding will allow key UN agencies
to provide essential relief items and services.
“These could include food, water and
emergency shelter, depending on the needs on the ground,” a statement on the UK
government website read.
Speaking in Parliament, Sunak said, “I’m
proud that we are a longstanding and significant provider of humanitarian aid
to the Palestinian people. And I can announce today that we are increasing our
aid by a third, with an additional £10 million of support.
“An acute humanitarian crisis is
unfolding, to which we must respond. We must support the Palestinian people –
because they’re victims of Hamas too.”
According to the statement, the Prime
Minister and Foreign Secretary, ames Cleverly, have spoken to Israel, Egypt and
other international partners about opening the Rafah crossing to allow urgent
humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“All UK aid funding to the OPTs
undergoes rigorous oversight, and no funding goes to Hamas,” the statement
clarified.
Source: saharareporters.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://saharareporters.com/2023/10/16/uk-government-pledges-ps10million-aid-palestinians-amid-israel-hamas-war
--------
North America
Trump pledges to expel immigrants who
support Hamas, ban Muslims from US
Oct 17, 2023
Donald Trump promised on Monday that if
elected president again he will bar immigrants who support Hamas from entering
the US and send officers to pro-Hamas protests to arrest and deport immigrants
who publicly support the Palestinian militant group.
On a campaign stop in Iowa, Trump was
responding to the Hamas killing of at least 1,300 Israelis that triggered a war
in which Palestinian health officials say Israel has killed more than 2,800
Palestinians in Gaza.
Trump, president from 2017-2021, said
that if elected to a second White House term he will ban entry to the US of
anybody who does not believe in Israel's right to exist, and revoke the visas
of foreign students who are "antisemitic."
He also vowed to step up travel bans
from "terror-plagued countries." He did not explain how he would
enforce his demands, including the one requiring immigrants to support Israel's
right to exist under what he called "strong ideological screening."
Many of Trump's immigration policies
were challenged in court during his presidency and his newest pledges could
also face challenges.
A ban he imposed on immigrants from some
Muslim-majority nations was struck down in lower courts but ultimately upheld
by the US Supreme Court. Biden ended that ban when he took office.
Trump said on Monday he would ban
immigrants from Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen "or anywhere else that
threatens our security". Trump also read a poem that he used to liken
immigrants to deadly snakes.
Jaime Harrison, chair of the Democratic
National Committee, described Trump's pledges as Islamophobic, extreme and
designed to exploit "fear and anxiety."
Iowa is one of the earliest states to
hold a Republican presidential nominating contest. A tough approach to
immigrants was a cornerstone of Trump's first term as president.
He is the frontrunner to win his party's
White House nomination and take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the
November 2024 election.
Promising to drastically tighten US
immigration laws, Trump said: "If you want to abolish the state of Israel,
you're disqualified, if you support Hamas or the ideology behind Hamas, you're
disqualified, and if you're a communist, Marxist, or fascist, you are
disqualified."
Most of Trump's Republican rivals have
condemned Hamas and offered full-throated support for an expected Israeli
invasion of Gaza, but none has laid out such a tough series of proposals to
keep people out of and expel Hamas sympathizers from the US.
The United States along with several
other countries have designated Hamas a terrorist organization.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, one of
Trump's Republican rivals for the presidential nomination, said on Monday he
favored the deportation of foreign students who support Hamas and would bar
Gaza refugees from the US if elected president.
Trump last week accused Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being unprepared for the Hamas attacks and
called Hezbollah - the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group - "very smart."
His Iowa remarks appeared to be an
effort in part to blunt that criticism.
"We will aggressively deport
resident aliens with jihadist sympathies," Trump said.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/usa/news/trump-pledges-expel-immigrants-who-support-hamas-ban-muslims-us-3445671
--------
CAIR-LA Condemns Attack on
Pro-Palestinian Protesters in Los Angeles
Ibrahim Hooper
October 16, 2023
(LOS ANGELES, CA – 10/16/2023) – The
Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR-LA) today condemned an attack targeting pro-Palestinian protesters during
a demonstration in West Los Angeles, Calif., this weekend.
On Saturday, Oct. 14, thousands of
protesters marched from the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles to the FBI’s local
office to show solidarity with Gaza and Palestine. During the protest, a group
of pro-Israeli counter-protesters began attacking some of the pro-Palestinian
demonstrators, and even a photographer with the LA Times, with pepper
spray.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
had a sizeable presence for the duration of the protest, but there were no
reports of arrests.
“Protesting, and being able to do so
safely, is a right to which every human is entitled. The use of pepper spray by
the counter-protesters against the pro-Palestinian demonstrators was an act of
blatant and unjustified aggression.
“We unequivocally condemn acts of
violence against anyone, for any reason, including this inexcusable attack
against largely peaceful protesters, and are disappointed in the LAPD’s lack of
response during this incident.”
To report any bias incidents, contact
CAIR-LA’s Civil Rights Department at (714) 776-1177 or click here to file a
report.
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest
Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the
understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower
American Muslims.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-la-condemns-attack-on-pro-palestinian-protesters-in-los-angeles/
---------
CAIR-SFBA: More Than 50 California
Elected Officials Speak Out in Support of Gaza
Ismail Allison
October 16, 2023
(SANTA CLARA, CA 10/16/23) – The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American Islamic Relations
(CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy
organization, today announced that more than fifty California elected officials
have signed a Stand with Children in Gaza statement that expresses concern
about the grave consequences of Israel’s ongoing bombardment and siege of Gaza.
The statement, written by Santa Clara
County Board of Education (SCC BOE) members* RaeenaLari and Maimona Afzal
Berta, and signed by 55 assembly, city council, delegate, and board of
education members, plus more than 600 community members, reads:
“Every innocent life taken is a
travesty, but the continued loss of children is a failure of humanity. At this
moment, we stand with the children of Gaza. One million children make up half
the population of Gaza. We call for peace and demand that US taxpayer funds be
used to immediately de-escalate and stop any additional loss of life. We call
for the immediate restoration of basic services, water, electricity, fuel, and
health to protect the health and wellbeing of children and families.”
In a statement, SCC BOE MaimonaAzfal
Berta said, “Countless elected leaders have issued irresponsible statements
that contribute to the dehumanization of the Palestinian people and incite
Islamophobia. We teach students and youth to value and respect our diverse
communities but then see leaders hand-pick which children they stand with. We
must have the moral and political courage to stand with the children of Gaza.
When so-called ‘justice and equity-oriented’ leaders remain silent, the cost is
condoning hate and violence.”
In a statement, SCC BOE RaeenaLari said,
“As I watch this devastating humanitarian catastrophe, where an entire
population including innocent children is at risk of decimation, silence is not
an option. The consequences of failing to counteract otherization and
dehumanization are already emerging with increased hate crimes and horrific
violence in our midst as well.”
Regarding his decision to endorse the
statement, California State Assemblymember Alex Lee said, “The only moral
choice is an end to the massive, brutal military action against Palestinian
families. The children of Gaza need our voices to call for peace and
ceasefire.”
Zahra Billoo, CAIR-SFBA Executive
Director, added, “The one-sided narrative driven by elected officials,
including President Biden, has fomented a hate-charged atmosphere that
tragically culminated in the senseless murder of a six-year-old
Palestinian-American child and a violent attack on his mother over the weekend.
Public representatives have a responsibility to foster balanced dialogue. No
single life is more valuable than another. The violence and loss of life must
end.
CAIR-SFBA encourages people of
conscience to sign the statement at
bit.ly/standwithchildreningaza.
*titles used for identification purposes
only
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR,
America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission
is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice,
and empower American Muslims.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-sfba-more-than-50-california-elected-officials-speak-out-in-support-of-gaza/
--------
CAIR-Houston to Denounce Increased Violence
Toward Muslim, Arab and Palestinian Communities
Ismail Allison
October 16, 2023
(HOUSTON, TX, 10/16/23) – The Houston
chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Houston) plans to
hold a press conference on Tuesday, October 17, at 12 p.m. with Muslim, Arab,
and Palestinian community leaders to denounce the increased violence and
hateful rhetoric towards their communities in the wake of the Israeli
bombardment of Gaza since last week.
Nationwide, the Council on
American-Islamic Relations has noticed an increase in anti-Muslim, anti-Arab
hate, contributing to the murder of a 6-year-old boy in Chicago, allegedly by
his landlord, because his family is Palestinian and Muslim.
What: Press Conference with Muslim,
Arab, and Palestinian Leaders
When: Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 12 pm
Where: 7211 Regency Square Blvd Suite
201, Houston, TX
Who: Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian
community leadership
SEE: CAIR-Chicago Calls for Hate Crime
Charge for ‘You Muslims Must Die’ Killing of Palestinian-American Child
Locally, in Texas, students at the
University of Texas were subjected to reported harassment and verbal taunts by
men who did not attend the university during a scheduled teach-in on Palestine
and Palestinian history.
SEE: CAIR-Texas Calls for Campus Ban of
Men who Harassed Students at U. Texas Palestinian Solidarity Meeting
“What’s clear is that the dehumanization
that is portrayed in the media towards Palestinians in Gaza is now taking its
own hateful face here in America.” said William White, Director of CAIR-Houston
“We call on the media, politicians, and local leaders to condemn the violence
in Gaza and end the use of hateful rhetoric toward the Muslim, Arab, and
Palestinian communities.”
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR esproteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-houston-to-denounce-increased-violence-toward-muslim-arab-and-palestinian-communities/
---------
American Jews gather in solidarity with
Palestinians in Washington DC
17 October 2023
Hundreds of American Jews have held a
gathering outside the White House in the United States' capital city of
Washington DC to show their solidarity with the Palestinian people.
"This moment is crystal clear, we
are seeing unbelievable human suffering and loss of life.... My heart breaks, I
cannot bear what is happening to the people in Gaza right now," Meghan, a
therapist from Michigan, told AFP.
Rabbi Miriam Grossman said she believes
"the way out is not more death" as she joined other people at the
rally hosted by the Jewish organization, IfNotNow, to demand that President Joe
Biden call for a ceasefire.
"It is an atrocity what is
happening, and we refuse to let our grief be used as a weapon," she
explained.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/17/712867/American-Jews-in-solisarity-with-Palestinians
--------
Biden to Visit Israel as Gaza Sar Sparks
Humanitarian Crisis
Oct 17, 2023
(Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden
will make a high-stakes visit to Israel on Wednesday as it prepares to escalate
an offensive against Hamas militants that has set off a humanitarian crisis in
Gaza and raised fears of a broader conflict with Iran.
Biden's visit will mark a significant
show of U.S. support for its top Middle East ally after Hamas gunmen killed
1,300 people during a rampage through southern Israeli towns on Oct. 7, the
deadliest single day in Israel's 75-year history.
Israel has responded by tightening its
blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, including by restricting the entry of fuel, and
bombarding the area with air strikes that have killed thousands of Palestinians
and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken
concluded hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel
Aviv early on Tuesday by saying that Biden would visit Israel.
"The president will hear from
Israel what it needs to defend its people as we continue to work with Congress
to meet those needs," Blinken told reporters.
Biden would meet with Netanyahu,
reaffirm Washington's commitment to Israel's security, and receive a
comprehensive brief on its war aims and strategy, Blinken said.
"(The) president will hear from
Israel how it will conduct its operations in a way that minimizes civilian
casualties and enables humanitarian assistance to flow to civilians in Gaza in
a way that does not benefit Hamas," Blinken added.
Blinken also said he and Netanyahu had
agreed to develop a plan to get humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians. He did not
provide details.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/world-185579
---------
Mideast
Israel-Hamas war triggers spike in
Islamophobia, anti-Arab sentiments in Latin America
October 16, 2023
EDUARDO CAMPOS LIMA
SAO PAULO: Since the war between Israel
and Hamas broke out, reports of acts of Islamophobia and attacks on
pro-Palestine activists have been growing in some Latin American countries.
Intellectuals who identify with the
Palestinian cause say they have been silenced by the actions of pro-Israel
groups, and Muslims — especially women wearing a hijab — have been insulted and
attacked on the streets.
In Brazil, clashes on social media between
supporters of Israel and pro-Palestine advocates have been further intensified
by the political polarization that the Latin American country has experienced
over the past few years between the left and right wing.
Public opinion in Brazil has been influenced
by pro-Israel media coverage, said Salem Nasser, professor of international
relations at FundacaoGetulio Vargas, a higher-education institution and think
tank in the city of Sao Paulo.
“Besides the bombs in Gaza, there’s a
media war going on. The aim is to justify the attacks against the Palestinian
people,” Hammadeh said.
“We’ve been continually incentivized to
blame Hamas and the Palestinians for all that’s happening now, and to authorize
Israeli violence in Gaza,” he told Arab News, adding that the wrongful
association of Palestinians with terrorism by the media enables Israel to act
as it wishes.
Anti-Muslim activists in Brazil “have
been saying that Palestinians are terrorists and that every Muslim is a
terrorist,” Nasser said.
Last week, a campaign was launched on X
urging people to denounce university professors who express “pro-Hamas” views
during class.
Felipe Freitas de Souza, a doctoral
student and member of the Anthropology in Islamic and Arab Contexts Group — a
research organization that produced Brazil’s first study on Islamophobia last
year — said the campaign is actually “an attempt to blacklist professors who
have expressed pro-Palestinian opinions.”
He added: “As far as I know, most of the
Palestinian community in Brazil don’t support Hamas, except for a handful of
people, so it doesn’t make any sense.”
Brazil’s government announced that it is
monitoring hate speech on the internet, including Islamophobia and
antisemitism.
“Muslims are seen in a country like
Brazil as foreigners, people who don’t belong here,” said de Souza. “An event
like the current conflict in the Middle East functions as a trigger, and is
able to impact the lives of Muslims here — especially women, who are easily
identifiable on the streets.”
Sheikh Jihad Hammadeh, a prominent
Muslim leader in Brazil, told Arab News that his 18-year-old daughter was
called a terrorist on two occasions on Oct. 12.
“We were at the airport in Sao Paulo and
someone passed by her and called her a ‘Hamas terrorist.’ She was wearing her
hijab. We had no time to react. When we arrived in Florianopolis the same thing
happened again, but we couldn’t identify the aggressor,” he said, adding that
this was the first time his daughter had faced any prejudice for being Muslim.
“The enormous volume of propaganda
against Palestine is generating that hatred. The press isn’t covering the
conflict in a balanced way. Political leaders have been stimulating hatred
against us,” Hammadeh said.
Right-wing political leaders connected
to Zionist Evangelical churches in Brazil have been continually defending
Israel’s attacks on Gaza and spreading fake news against the Palestinians on
social media.
“Besides the bombs in Gaza, there’s a
media war going on. The aim is to justify the attacks against the Palestinian people,”
Hammadeh said.
In Argentina there is a very similar
scenario, said Melody Amal Khalil Kabalan, who heads Islam para la Paz (Islam
for Peace), an organization that combats Islamophobia.
“When a conflict erupts in the Middle
East or in Muslim nations, Muslim women always end up suffering here,” she
said. “That happened in 2021 when the Taliban took over Kabul, and is happening
again now.”
Her organization has been receiving
reports of Muslim women being abused on the streets in recent days.
“The most common commentary has been,
‘Go back to your country.’ But most of those women were born here,” Khalil
said.
Demonstrations were organized in Buenos
Aires by pro-Israel and pro-Palestine groups last week. The pro-Israel protest
garnered vast media attention.
The pro-Palestine demonstration” was
very moving and included a collective hug around the Palestinian Embassy, but
the media totally ignored it,” Khalil said.
She added that news shows and debates
about the situation in the Middle East usually do not include members of the
Palestinian or Muslim communities, so the dominant views are those aligned with
Israel.
“We hear everywhere that Muslims don’t
want peace. That isn’t true. This atmosphere increases hatred against Muslims,”
she said.
In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro’s
numerous pro-Palestinian comments on social media have angered Israel, which
announced on Sunday that it will suspend the export of defense equipment to the
country.
Despite that, Muslims in Colombia have
been reporting cases of verbal and physical abuse on the streets.
Lina Acuna, a 33-year-old Muslim lawyer
who lives in the city of Medellin, told Arab News that she was insulted on two
occasions over the past few days.
In a grocery shop, a group of nuns
“pulled my niqab and asked me, ‘Who is sponsoring you?’ I told them that nobody
‘sponsors’ me, that I’ve been a proud Muslim for several years and that I stand
for the Palestinian people, including Palestinian Christians who are also being
massacred,” she said.
In another incident, Acuna was at a shop
while she recorded a TikTok video. A woman stared at her and shouted that she
is a terrorist and should go back to her country.
“There’s a significant Muslim community
here in Medellin. Many of our sisters have told me that they faced similar acts
of violence lately. Many people try to pull off our scarves,” she said.
“Unfortunately, we have no protection in
Colombia against such hatred. Anybody can attack us.”
Nasser said the current circumstances
are caused by Israel’s reaction to Hamas’s attack. “The impact of the attack
was strong, given that it demonstrated Israel’s fragility,” he added.
“The Israeli reaction is to say to the
whole world, ‘Either you’re with me or against me.’ And the answer has to be
immediate.”
In a world in which people can be easily
“canceled” due to their stances on any topic, nobody wants to be associated
with terrorists, Nasser said.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392551/world
---------
Top Hamas official: Al-Aqsa Storm
‘favorable opportunity’ to pull plug on Israel
17 October 2023
A former head of the Palestinian Hamas
resistance movement has praised the ongoing anti-Israeli Operation al-Aqsa
Storm as a ‘favorable opportunity’ to pull the plug on Israel.
“Operation Al-Aqsa storm is our
favorable opportunity to end the existence of Israel. The Zionist regime has
destroyed the [so-called] two-state solution, and we have no choice but to
resist,” Khaled Meshaal said on Monday evening.
He added that the belligerent policies
and criminal activities of the occupying Tel Aviv regime will leave the
Palestinian nation with no option other than resistance, emphasizing that
Palestinians have a deep yearning for freedom, liberation, and an end to the
occupation.
“Palestinians have no choice other than
resistance. Currently, there are no talks about ceasefire. We will defeat
occupiers in case of a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip,” Meshaal noted.
The IRGC chief commander says the
ongoing anti-Israel operation by the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups
is the first step towards the occupying regime’s early collapse.
He went on to say that the Israeli
military suffered an ignominious defeat in the wake of the Palestinian
operation, adding that the regime is seeking to burnish its public image and
eke out a bogus victory.
The Israeli army is taking revenge on
civilians and ordinary people in Gaza, the senior Hamas leader said.
“The resistance front has developed
various ground, naval and aerial scenarios. The Zionist regime’s army has been
thrown into a state of total confusion,” Meshaal said.
He described Israel as a paper regime,
saying, “Is it the same entity that used to scare the entire region?! The
primary goal of the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip has always been defined
as the destruction of Hamas.”
“Our people in Gaza will not leave their
homeland as they have deep roots in the area. Palestinians’ refusal of the
Israeli army order to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip is an irreversible
decision, and also in the best interest of Egypt,” Meshaal said.
The top Hamas leader also extended
gratitude to fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement for
launching a series of attacks on Israeli military posts on the border between
the Arab country and the occupied territories.
“Hezbollah has carried out several
attacks that deserve praise and acclaim. It is in our interest to fight
together on the same front,” Meshaal said.
On October 7, Hamas launched Operation
Al-Aqsa Storm deep into the territories occupied by the Israeli regime. The
operation involved large-scale air, land, and sea strikes.
The group said the operation was a
reaction to the recurring desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds
as well as intensified Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the occupied
West Bank.
Israel responded with intensive air
strikes on civilian targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 2,866
Palestinians in Gaza and wounding some 12,000 others, according to the
territory’s health ministry.
The regime has also intensified the
siege of Gaza, leaving the city, home to more than 2 million Palestinians,
without water, electricity, fuel and internet.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/17/712876/Ex-Hamas-leader-Al-Aqsa-Storm-favorable-opportunity-pull-plug-Israel
-------
Australian Muslim Leader Resigns Over
Premier's Support Of Israel
Oct 17, 2023
A Muslim community leader has resigned
from the state’s peak multicultural board and refuses to answer calls from
Premier Peter Malinauskas, saying the state government has chosen one community
over another around the bloody conflict in Gaza.
Ahmed Zreika said a recent rally in
support of Palestine that was held in Adelaide sent sympathy to the Jewish
community in a peaceful protest but he felt “disappointed, very upset, very
sad” about the state government’s actions.
After the militant Hamas group attacked
Israel over a week ago killing more than 1000 civilians and taking hostages,
the state government illuminated key Adelaide landmarks in solidarity with
Israel.
Since then, Israel has launched
retaliatory attacks on Palestinian people in the Gaza strip, dropping thousands
of bombs.
Zreika, who is president of the Islamic
Society of South Australia, is currently trying to find a South Australian
family that had reportedly lost four family members in the violence.
This morning, Malinauskas introduced a
motion to Parliament that “acknowledges the devastating loss of Israeli and
Palestinian life and that innocent civilians on all sides are suffering as a
result of the attacks by Hamas and the subsequent conflict” and showing that
“this Parliament stands for peace”.
Zreika said another Adelaide family was
trapped in Gaza and he hoped they would be among those able to escape the
region after the border between Egypt and Gaza was opened today.
“We condemn all kinds of violence for
any civilians regardless of their background or race, but the government has not
condemned this on both sides,” he said.
“I sent the Premier a letter and I
phoned him to ask him to light up the buildings in the same way… I gave him a
chance to light up the flag of Palestine.
“He is the Premier and he has a lot of
advisers. If he is brave enough to fix this he can condemn the Israelis in the
same way he condemned Hamas and to light up the Palestinian flag to condemn
Israelis for killing the children in Gaza.
“Almost 20 years we have been working
with the government and the wider community to bridge the gap between both
communities but unfortunately the government is breaking those bridges.”
A first Adelaide rally to support
Palestine has been held, with another planned for this Sunday, but Zreika said
his community group has not yet decided if it will support the event.
Zreika said the South Australian
government “reacted very rapidly without thinking about the community here and
now they don’t know how to fix the problem”.
He said the local Islamic community was
expecting a statement from the Premier but until then “there is no reason for
us to talk”.
Zreika was one of 15 members of the
South Australian Multicultural Commission that the state government describes
as playing “an important role in raising awareness and understanding of multiculturalism
and interculturalism in our South Australian community”.
“It draws on the cultural diversity,
skills and experience of its members to provide independent advice to the South
Australian government about the advancement of multiculturalism,” its website
said.
Among its key roles is to “promote
unity, understanding and harmony among all communities”.
Zreika also served on the former South
Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission.
The motion introduced by Malinauskas
today “unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas, which are the
heinous acts of terrorists, and have encompassed the targeting and murder of
civilians, including women and children, the taking of hostages, and
indiscriminate rocket fire”.
It said the parliament stood with
“Israel and recognises its inherent right to defend itself” and also “condemns
antisemitism and recognises that generations of Jewish people have been
subjected to this hateful prejudice”.
While the motion called for the
immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, it also recognised that
Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people, nor their legitimate needs and
aspirations.
It “acknowledges the devastating loss of
Israeli and Palestinian life and that innocent civilians on all sides are
suffering as a result of the attacks by Hamas and the subsequent conflict” and
“supports justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike”.
The motion also acknowledged “what has
unfolded is deeply distressing for many in the South Australian community,
close to the heart of many, and it is important that we maintain respect for
each other here at home as people express their views”.
It condemned all forms of hate speech
and violent extremist activity, including Antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Opposition Leader David Speirs supported
the motion saying “we must turn our minds to the innocent people who are caught
up in this” but condemned the act of terrorism on Israel by Hamas.
A short time ago, Malinauskas responded
to Zreika’s concerns, telling InDaily that he “had a good working relationship
with Ahmed over many years”.
“He’s a good person and represents his
community effectively and with integrity,” Malinauskas said.
“I respect his position, but we made a
decision to light up buildings and monuments, as other states did, because
we’re opposed to terrorism.
“But we also recognise that Hamas does
not represent the Palestinian people, and that civilians on both sides of this
conflict are suffering.”
Source: indaily.com.au
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://indaily.com.au/news/2023/10/17/sa-muslim-leader-resigns-over-govt-gaza-call/
--------
Iran FM Discusses Palestine Developments
With South African And Irish Counterparts
Oct 17, 2023
TEHRAN, Oct. 17 (MNA) – Iranian Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a phone conversation with his South
African and Irish counterparts discussed the latest developments in Palestine.
In a phone talk with his Irish
counterpart Micheál Martin on Monday night, Amir-Abdollahian condemned the
crimes committed by the Israeli regime in the siege of the Gaza Strip with the
aim of preventing the dispatch of humanitarian aid such as food, water, and
medicine.
Iran FM discusses Palestine developments with counterparts
Saying that the possible spread of the
war on other fronts is approaching the inevitable stage, the top Iranian
diplomat stressed the need for establishing suitable corridors as soon as
possible to send aid to the people of Gaza.
Referring to the daily killing of
hundreds of civilians in the Gaza Strip by Zionist forces, Amir-Abdollahian
emphasized that the Zionist regime must immediately stop its terrorist actions
against Palestine.
Martin, for his part, expressed concern
over the spread of tensions in the occupied territories and said that it is
necessary to observe international humanitarian rights in the war.
He went on to say that Ireland calls for
creating a humanitarian corridor to send humanitarian aid to the Gazan people.
The top Irish diplomat also expressed
hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran, by playing its unique role in the
region, can provide a useful initiative to reduce the scope of the crisis in
the region.
Iran FM discusses Palestine developments with counterparts
The Iranian foreign minister and his
South African counterpart NalediPandor, in a separate phone call, discussed the
latest developments in Palestine and the bilateral relations between Iran and
South Africa.
During the phone call, Pandor said that
her country is in contact with the United Nations over the situation in
Palestine, expressing hope that the tensions would end as soon as possible.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/207211/Iran-FM-discusses-Palestine-developments-with-counterparts
---------
Heads of Muslim states' parliaments call
for 'united front' against rights violations in Gaza
17.10.2023
The heads of parliaments from several
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries on Monday called for
a "united front" against rising civilian casualties and human rights
violations in Gaza, and urged the UN to intervene and put an end to Israel's
ongoing violations of international law.
The speakers/presidents of parliaments
from Türkiye, Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, Malaysia, Iran, Kuwait, Syria, United
Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Mauritania, and Guyana attended a virtual emergency
meeting of the Parliamentary Union of OIC Member States (PUIC) to discuss the
escalating crisis, said a statement from the Senate of Pakistan.
Expressing "profound" concern
over the ongoing violence, the participants collectively appealed to the UN to
intervene and halt the continuous violations of international law by Israeli
forces.
In an urgent plea to avert an impending
humanitarian crisis, they called for "unrestricted" entry of aid and
much-needed relief goods into the Gaza Strip.
"The participants, with great
emphasis, called for an immediate end to the illegal occupation of Palestinian
lands," the statement added.
They urged the international community
to play a "decisive" role in resolving the Palestinian issue, in
accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Malaysian representatives specifically
urged that this issue be included as an emergency agenda item in the upcoming
147th IPU General Assembly Meeting, emphasizing that immediate action is
required to save the residents of Gaza.
"Furthermore, participants
unequivocally denounced the Israeli bombardment as a war crime and emphasized
the need for accountability," the statement said.
The lawmakers urged the international
community to hold those responsible for these actions accountable in accordance
with international law.
Ten days into the conflict with
Palestinian group Hamas, Israeli bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip has
continued, with over 1 million people – almost half the total population of
Gaza – having been displaced, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian
crisis with no electricity, while water, food, fuel, and medical supplies are
running out, as civilians flee to the south following Israeli warning to
evacuate northern areas.
The fighting began when Hamas on Oct. 7
initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a
barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and
air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa
Mosque and increased settler violence.
The Israeli military then launched
Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.
The number of Palestinians killed in
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza has risen to 2,750, including 750 children.
In Israel, 1,300 have been killed.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/heads-of-muslim-states-parliaments-call-for-united-front-against-rights-violations-in-gaza/3022280
----------
Hamas broadcasts video of ‘prisoner’ in
Gaza
October 16, 2023
GAZA STRIP: Palestinian militant group
Hamas released Monday on its official Telegram channel a video of “one of the
prisoners in Gaza,” showing a young woman speaking Hebrew.
The video, which could not immediately
be verified by AFP, includes footage purportedly of the same woman receiving
treatment for an arm injury.
According to the caption, she had been
abducted on October 7, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel,
triggering a war that has killed thousands of people in both Israel and the
blockaded Gaza Strip, which Israel is bombing in retalitation.
The Israeli army has confirmed at least
199 hostages were taken to Gaza, while while Hamas claimed earlier Monday that
it and other factions are holding around 250 captives.
In the video, the first released by
Hamas of a hostage purportedly speaking from captivity, the woman says she is
from central Israel and appeals for her release.
Abu Obeideh, spokesman for Hamas’s
military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a televised statement
earlier Monday that some foreign hostages would be released by the group “when
conditions are ripe.”
Officials in both Israel and Gaza have
denied any prisoner swap talks.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392661/middle-east
--------
Israel strikes Hezbollah ‘terrorist’
targets in Lebanon: Army
October 17, 2023
JERUSALEM: Israel launched strikes
overnight on Hezbollah “terrorist” targets in Lebanon, the Israeli army said in
a statement early Tuesday.
“The Israeli army is striking military
targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah on Lebanese territory,” it
said.
Since the start of the war triggered by
the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, clashes on the
Israel-Lebanon border have left around 10 people dead on the Lebanese side,
mostly combatants but also a Reuters journalist and two civilians.
On the Israeli side, at least two people
have been killed.
The international community fears an
escalation of the conflict between the pro-Iran Lebanese Hezbollah, an ally of
Hamas, and the Israeli army.
Israel began evacuating thousands of
residents in 28 locations in the north of the country after these border
clashes.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392596/middle-east
--------
Bodies being ‘stored in ice cream
trucks’
October 17, 2023
GAZA: Health officials in Gaza Strip
have resorted to storing the bodies of Palestinians killed by Israeli air
strikes in ice cream freezer trucks because moving them to hospitals is too
risky and cemeteries are short of space.
The hospital morgue can only take 10
bodies, so we have brought in ice cream freezers from the ice cream factories
in order to store the huge numbers of martyrs, said Dr Yasser Ali of the
Shuhada Al Aqsa hospital in Deir Al-Balah.
The freezer trucks, whose sides still
show advertising images of smiling children enjoying ice cream cones, are normally
used to make deliveries to supermarkets. Now they are makeshift morgues for
victims of Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Even with these freezers, the number (of
the dead) exceeds the capacity of this main morgue of the hospital, and
alternative ones, and between 20 and 30 bodies are being kept in tents too,
said Ali, as he opened the doors of the freezers to show the white-shrouded
bodies inside.
“The Gaza Strip is in crisis and if the
unrest continues in this way we will not be able to bury the dead. The cemeteries
are already full and we need new ones to bury the dead,” Ali said.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1781491
-------
2,808 Palestinians killed, 10,859
injured in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza: Health Ministry
October 17, 2023
GAZA CITY, Palestine : The Palestinian
death toll from ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip has risen to
2,808, the Health Ministry said early Tuesday.
A ministry statement said at least
10,859 Palestinians were injured in the Israeli bombardment in the seaside
enclave.
A previous statement by the ministry
said that over 750 children were among those killed.
Ten days into the conflict with the
Palestinian group Hamas, an Israeli bombardment and blockade of the Gaza Strip
has continued, with over 1 million people – almost half the population of Gaza
– having been displaced, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian
crisis with no electricity while water, food, fuel and medical supplies are
running out as civilians flee to its south following an Israeli warning to
evacuate northern areas.
The fighting began when Hamas on Oct. 7
initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a
barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea and air.
It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque and
increased settler violence against Palestinians.
The Israeli military then launched
Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.
More than 1,400 Israelis have been
killed. — AA
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/2808-palestinians-killed-10859-injured-in-israeli-airstrikes-in-gaza-health-ministry/
--------
India
16 Opposition leaders meet Palestinian
Ambassador in Delhi, express solidarity, urge the establishment of an
independent Palestine state along the 1967 borders in accordance with the UN
resolution
16th October 2023
By ANI
NEW DELHI: Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish
Ali who came to meet Palestine ambassador Adnan Abu al Haija in the national
capital on Monday said that the group of opposition MPs and other politicians
want to express their solidarity with the people of Palestine.
"We have come to express our
solidarity for the Palestinian people. We want to tell them through their
Ambassador that we are with them. We want to convey that the Parliamentarians
from India are in opposition to the violence that is ongoing in
Palestine," Danish Ali said while speaking to ANI.
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar,
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation general secretary
Dipankar Bhattacharya, Janata Dal (United) leader KC Tyagi, Rashtriya Lok Dal
leader Shahid Siddiqui, Samajwadi Party leader Javed Ali Khan and other
political leaders paid a visit to the Palestine ambassador to show their
support for the Palestinian cause.
Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan said that
India has been sharing good ties with Palestinians traditionally.
"We have come to meet Palestine
ambassador to express solidarity with the Palestinians. India has been sharing
good ties with Palestinians traditionally. We are friends with Palestine. In
this time of difficulty when imperialist forces and Israel are oppressing them,
we are standing with them," Javed Ali Khan said speaking to ANI.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Shahid
Siddiqui said that the traditional position on Israel was that of Mahatma
Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia, Jayprakash Narayan and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"The policy of India, which was
that of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Lohia, Jayprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
that we believe in the rights of Palestine. We recognise Israel but Palestine
should get right to its own nation. The attack on them in Gaza is against the
rules of the United Nations and international law," Siddiqui said.
CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar
Bhattacharya said that the ongoing violence in Gaza is nothing short of an
"openly declared genocide".
"We came here to express our
solidarity on behalf of Indian people. Right now, we all know whatever happened
on the 7th of October but it has not stopped there. Right now what is happening
in Gaza is nothing short of a very openly declared genocide. We cannot allow
this to go on like this," Bhattacharya said.
Following the meeting, Adnan Abu al
Haija, the Ambassador of Palestine in India expressed hope that India will play
a role in stopping the siege on Palestinians in Gaza.
"We discussed the situation in Gaza
and in Palestine in general and they presented their solidarity with the
Palestinian people... We hope India will play a good role in stopping the siege
on our people of Gaza and putting pressure on the Israeli government for
humanitarian aid to our people in Gaza," he said.
The Hamas-run health ministry said on
Monday that some 2,329 Palestinians have been killed and another 9,042 have
been wounded in Israeli retaliatory airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. The Israel
Defense Forces has said it has killed some 1,500 Palestinian terrorists in
Israeli territory after they breached the border fence and rampaged murderously
in southern Israel, killing over 1,300 people, mostly civilians.
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/16/bsp-mp-danish-ali-other-opposition-leaders-express-solidarity-with-people-of-palestine-2624489.html
-----
Indian Defence minister slams those
backing Hamas, says condemn terrorism
Oct 17, 2023
HUZURABAD: Defence minister Rajnath
Singh referred to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict as he hit the campaign
trail in Telangana on Monday, and slammed those supporting the militia group,
saying "supporting terrorism is a very bad game".
"Everyone should avoid this
(supporting terror). Everyone should be careful about those who have supported
terrorism," he said addressing a rally in this seat where EatalaRajender
had won as a BJP nominee after quitting BRS in 2021.
Referring to Balakot strike, India's
retaliatory action after the Pulawama attack, Singh said, "We have taken
effective action against terrorism under the leadership of PM Modi."
Singh accused Telangana CM K
Chandrashekhar Rao of corruption and nepotism, saying the state had suffered
the most in the past 10 years and it was denied to prosper despite having
enormous growth potential after getting statehood.
"There is no smoke without fire...
Even KCR knows that the allegations of corruption against his family are
true," he said.
Singh alluded to the excise scam in
which KCR's daughter Kavitha had been summoned by ED. "The echoes of graft
of KCR family are not confined to Hyderabad. It's heard even in
Delhi...corruption here is not limited but private limited," he said.
The BJP veteran said the KCR family in
Telangana is known for abuse of power as well as corruption. "People of
Telangana want State First, Nation First but BRS says Family First. Having a
family in politics is not a bad thing, but when the entire state is written in
the name of 'family only' then BJP will never accept it," he said.
Taking a swipe at BRS and Congress by
citing the party symbols, he said, "BRS' 'car' is useless. As for the
'hand' (Congress' symbol), it has left you a long time ago. Adopt the 'lotus'
because Lakshmiji is a symbol of prosperity. She will neither come sitting in a
car nor will come holding hands. If Lakshmiji comes, she will come on a lotus
flower."
He also attacked Asaduddin Owaisi and
his alliance with BRS, saying, "BRS and AIMIM are doing politics of caste
and religion. Whereas BJP does politics of justice and humanity."
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/rajnath-singh-slams-those-backing-hamas-says-condemn-terrorism/articleshow/104478434.cms
-----
Biryani wasn’t served to Ajmal Kasab in
prison, says Former Pune police commissioner MeeranBorwankar
17th October 2023
By Sudhir SuryawanshiExpress News
Service
MUMBAI:
Former Pune police commissioner MeeranBorwankar in her book, ‘Madam
Commissioner’ has said that no birayani was served to 26/11 terrorist Ajmal
Kasab when he was lodged in Yervada jail.
Shedding further light, she said top
secrecy about Kasab’s hanging was maintained. Borwankar, however, said she
upset when the news of moving Kasab from Mumbai to Pune was leaked to
journalists. In her book ‘Madam Commissioner – The Extraordinary Life of Indian
Police Chief’ she noted Kasab used to do exercise every day and he looked
boyish and slim.
“Erstwhile home minister RR Patil once
called me at Circuit House to understand the entire procedure of hanging the
convict in any case. Patil told me that some of the country may interfere in the
hanging of Kasab and therefore he warned to keep the secrecy of everything that
is related to Kasab. I was one who prepared the plan for the hanging of Kasab
with my teammate in Pune,” she said.
Noting that the previous hanging took
place 3o years ago, she said they were careful with each decision and
development. “Most of these hanging places in prison were covered with dust and
unwanted stuff,” Borwankar added. When Kasab was brought from Byculla Jail in
Arthur road in Pune, they had collected mobile phone of the police who were
accompanying Kasab’s vehicle. “One of the reporters from Mumbai got the hint
that Kasab has been shifted to Pune. The reporter even called both Byculla and
Yerwada prison in Mumbai and Pune and spoke with home minister RR Patil. Mr
Patil denied such a development and when the same reporter called me, I also
denied it. I was very upset with information getting leaked that reduced
confidence,” Borwakar said.
When Kasab was taken to Pune all
protocol and safety measures were followed. “I did not wear the uniform but
wore the blazer. On the hanging, Kasab looked like a boy. He was such a big
terrorist but his body structure was like a boy only. He had reduced his weight
by doing daily exercise in jail. I personally called RR Patil and informed
about the hanging of Kasab,” she added.
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/17/biryani-wasnt-served-to-ajmal-kasabin-prison-says-madam-commissioner-2624696.html
-----
Africa
Ethiopia's prime minister holds talks
with Chinese counterpart in Beijing
October 17, 2023
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed,
who is in Beijing to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International
Cooperation, held talks on Monday with China’s Premier Li Qiang.
Li said China was willing to work with
Ethiopia to support each other in maintaining domestic stability and achieving
development and revitalization.
He said Beijing was willing to further
expand cooperation with Addis Ababa in economy, trade, and other fields, so as
to bring the two countries' interests closer together.
Ahmed, meanwhile, described China as
Ethiopia’s most trustworthy partner and friend, saying he appreciated Beijing's
long-time strong support for his country's economic and social development.
He said Ethiopia was willing to take
part actively in building China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and deepen
cooperation in several fields, including industry and agriculture.
After the talks, Li and Ahmed witnessed
the signing of bilateral cooperation documents including those under the Belt
and Road Initiative.
The conference marks the 10th
anniversary of the BRI, a plan for global infrastructure and energy networks
launched by China purportedly to boost global trade.
But some see it as a tool for Beijing to
spread its geopolitical and economic influence.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/16/ethiopias-prime-minister-holds-talks-with-chinese-counterpart-in-beijing/
--------
UN peacekeepers begin sensitive pull out
of camps in northern Mali
October 17, 2023
The UN stabilisation mission in Mali
known as MINUSMA announced Monday (Oct. 16) their pullout has started from two
camps in the tense Kidal region.
The peacekeeping mission kicked off its
withdrawal from Mali's northern region with the Tessalit and Aguelhok camps.
Anticipating the UN disengagement, the
Malian army landed two aircrafts at one of the camps at Tessalit.
The army said the aircrafts came under
fire from rebels during the landing.
It posted on social media that a single
plane came under fire but managed to land and leave without too much difficulty
after enemy positions were "neutralised" by the air force.
The UN peacekeepers cited the shooting
as illustrating "the rapid deterioration in security conditions for the
lives of hundreds of" its soldiers.
The MINUSMA has transferred 4 camps to
Malian authorities since August. However, it is the withdrawal from camps in
the region of Kidal and in the eponymous city, which is the fief of
separatists’ fighters, that could be the most sensitive.
Northern Mali is the theatre of fighting
between the Malian authorities, an alliance of groups seeking independence
known as CMA and Al-Qaeda-linked group GSIM.
The UN withdrawal from northern Mali is
supposed to end by December 31after 10 years of presence.
Camp departures have however exacerbated
rivalries between armed actors in the region.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/17/un-peacekeepers-begin-sensitive-pull-out-of-camps-in-northern-mali/
--------
DRC: at least 28 dead in a shipwreck on
the Congo River
October 16, 2023
At least 28 bodies were recovered and
dozens of people were missing after a whaleboat sank Friday on the Congo River,
in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, we learned on Sunday from
a provincial official.
A whaleboat which was leaving Mbandaka
for the territory of Bolomba , in the province of Équateur (north-west), was
shipwreck during the night from Friday to Saturday.
“The provisional toll is 28 bodies
recovered, dozens of people are still missing and the search continues ,”
declared ChrispinMputu, Minister of the Interior of the province of Équateur,
interviewed by AFP.
The total number of passengers who took
place on board the boat was not yet established in the absence of the
"manifesto (the document containing the list of passengers) which has
disappeared" , explained Minister Mputu, contacted by telephone from
Kinshasa.
A civil society organization puts
forward a much heavier toll.
“Our teams counted up to 49 bodies
yesterday and this morning, another was recovered from the water, bringing the
death toll to 50,” Joseph BoyokoLokondo, one of the leaders of the “Génération”
organization, told AFP. conscious" of the province of Équateur, a pressure
group.
“So far, around a hundred people are
missing, they are missing,” he explained, adding that “between 20 and 30
survivors (were) still at the port, they lost everything” . The whaleboat
"was carrying more than 200 passengers, cargo and construction
equipment" for a government program, Boyoko added.
According to UN radio Okapi , "the
whaleboat had difficulty moving forward because of the overload" .
Congolese opponent MoïseKatumbi ,
declared candidate for the presidential elections scheduled for December 20 in
the DRC, said he was "saddened" by "this drama" which he
presents as "the direct consequence of the resignation of the government
which tolerates night navigation of dilapidated and overloaded boats .
A large country in Central Africa, the
DRC has very few passable roads and travel is often made on lakes as well as on
the Congo River and its tributaries, where shipwrecks are frequent. The results
are often heavy.
In 2019, a shipwreck on Lake Kivu left
around a hundred dead in the Kalehe territory, in the east of the country.
President Félix Tshisekedi, who visited the site, then decreed "the
compulsory wearing of life jackets" for each passenger, a measure rarely
respected, and promised new boats, which are still awaited.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/16/drc-at-least-28-dead-in-a-shipwreck-on-the-congo-river//#:~:text=At%20least%2028%20bodies%20were,Sunday%20from%20a%20provincial%20official.
--------
Red Cross to raise N23 billion against
hunger crisis in Nigeria
Nike Adebowale-Tambe
October 16, 2023
As part of efforts to end the hunger
crisis in Nigeria, the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) has
launched an emergency appeal to raise N23 billion to support the Nigerian Red
Cross Society.
The head of the delegation for the
humanitarian network, Bhupinder Tomar, made this known at a media chat in Abuja
on Monday.
Mr Tomar said Nigeria is currently
facing an unprecedented hunger crisis this year, hence the need to support
those unsure of where their next meal will come from.
He said about 1,092,300 people would
benefit from the aid.
“We are trying to raise CHF 27 million
to support the hunger crisis in the country,” he said.
“About 1,092,300 people will receive the
aid in the form of cash assistance, food and nutrition, water, sanitation, and
hygiene.”
In his remarks, the President of the
Nigerian Red Cross Society, OluyemisiAdeaga, said the rising number of people
experiencing food insecurity is a threat to the country’s peace and stability.
Mr Adeaga said Nigeria, like every other
great nation, must prioritise the food needs of its citizens.
He said addressing hunger in the nation
is not just a matter of dignity, but a matter of urgent national security.
“We call on all well-meaning people and
organisations to join the efforts of the Nigerian Red Cross Society to bring
relief to some of the most vulnerable members of our society who now face the
human indignity of not knowing where their next meal will come from,” he said.
Food insecurity
In 2022, Nigeria was ranked 103 out of
121 countries in the 2022 Global Hunger Index.
This makes it the second consecutive
year in which Nigeria’s ranking on the scale remains the same. Nigeria,
Africa’s most populous nation, ranked 103 out of 116 countries in 2021 and 98
among 107 countries in 2020.
According to the report, some 828
million people were affected by hunger globally in 2021, an increase of about
46 million people since 2020 and 150 million people since the outbreak of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The index indicates that the highest
levels of hunger were in “Africa South of the Sahara” and South Asia – with
progress against hunger in these regions having stagnated in recent years.
Mr Adeaga said an estimated 828 million
people, about 10 per cent of the global population, go to bed hungry every day.
He said in Nigeria, about 25 million are
at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition, many of them women and children.
“Indeed, the urgency of the situation is
not lost on President Bola Tinubu who declared a state of emergency on food
insecurity and ordered the immediate release of fertilisers and grains to
farmers,” he said.
“President Tinubu also approved that all
matters pertaining to food and water availability as well as affordability, as
essential livelihood items, be included within the purview of the National
Security Council.”
Source: premiumtimesng.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/634348-red-cross-to-raise-n23-billion-against-hunger-crisis-in-nigeria.html
----------
Arab World
Saudi Arabia at UN rejects calls for
deportation of Palestinians from Gaza
October 17, 2023
NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia on Monday called
for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, condemned the targeting of civilians,
rejected calls for “the deportation of Palestinians from Gaza,” and said the
ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestine, and its “repetitive and systematic”
provocations against holy sites, have perpetuated the conflict.
Prince Faisal bin Khalid, second
secretary at the Saudi UN mission in New York, also called for the lifting of
sanctions and the blockade on Gaza, as well as the provision of essential
humanitarian aid, emphasizing that depriving Palestinians of these basic human
needs is a violation of international humanitarian law.
He was speaking at a plenary meeting in
the General Assembly of the Economic and Financial Committee to discuss the
“Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied
Syrian Golan over their natural resources.”
Prince Faisal began by aligning Saudi
Arabia with the statements made by Jordan on behalf of the Arab group, and Oman
representing the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as Cuba speaking
for the Group of 77 and China.
He expressed the Kingdom’s concerns
regarding the Israeli occupation and its economic impact on the lives of
Palestinians and of Syrians in the Golan Heights.
“The Palestinian cause was, and still
is, the central cause for the Arabs and Muslims, and it is on top of the
priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when it comes to its external
policy,” Prince Faisal said.
He added that the Kingdom has
consistently stood by the Palestinian people in their pursuit of their land,
legitimate rights, and the establishment of an independent sovereign state
along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with
international decisions, the Arab Peace Initiative and globally recognized
resolutions.
He strongly condemned unilateral
measures that undermine the two-state solution, calling for an immediate halt
to such actions.
Prince Faisal stressed that achieving
sustainable development in the Occupied Territories is intrinsically linked to
the pursuit of justice, peace and security.
A just and comprehensive solution to the
Palestinian issue is essential to fulfilling the legitimate demands of the
Palestinian people and Syrians in the Golan, including full sovereignty over
their lands and resources, in line with international decisions, he said.
Prince Faisal highlighted Saudi Arabia’s
substantial support for the Palestinian people through humanitarian aid and
development programs.
The Kingdom recently donated $1.2
billion to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near
East, and $27 million last year.
Moreover, the Kingdom backs
developmental projects in Palestine through the Saudi Fund for Development,
providing close to $109 million for infrastructure projects, electricity,
sanitation, communication and road construction.
Prince Faisal again called on the
international community to uphold its responsibility to achieve peace and
sustainable development in the region.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392581/middle-east
---------
Green hotels, ecotourism: A rising trend
in Saudi Arabia
October 16, 2023
RIYADH: In great news for
environmentalists in Saudi Arabia, green hotels are growing in popularity among
the country’s hospitality and tourism entrepreneurs. Several investors are
currently shifting their attention toward projects that promote sustainability
in order to attract customers and boost revenues.
The Kingdom is the latest region to
boost its green sector, adopting an eco-friendly approach to hospitality and
funding green megaprojects.
Green hotels are certified
environmentally friendly properties. To receive a certificate, a hotel must
operate according to the Sustainable Development Goals and employ
environmentally friendly practices, such as using biodegradable materials and
offering energy-efficient accommodations.
“Saudi Arabia has made significant
achievements toward its commitment to obtaining and actioning the 17
Sustainable Development Goals, which are an urgent call to action by the UN to
all countries,” said Abdulaziz Al-Mizani, head of sustainability in renewable
energy and circular economy at the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.
The Kingdom’s sustainability goals are
part of a plan to develop tourism in the country, he said, adding that this is
evident in its adoption of international sustainability standards in travel and
tourism, which are set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
The establishment of the Sustainable
Tourism Global Center, which aims to elevate the tourism industry while
aligning it with the Kingdom’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2060, is
another step in the right direction.
The center brings together governments,
international organizations, academic bodies, financing institutions and
industry associations, with the goal of reducing the tourism sector’s estimated
8 percent contribution to total global greenhouse gases and moving toward
net-zero emissions.
“The largest investor in tourism and
hospitality in the Kingdom is the government since green hotels are part of
Saudi Arabia’s sustainability DNA,” added Al-Mizani.
Some of the Public Investment Fund’s
projects, including Red Sea Global, NEOM, the Diriyah Gate Development
Authority, and other semi-government initiatives, align with the green hotel
concept.
If hotels want to become eco-friendly
properties, Al-Mizani said, they should avoid using plastic products, provide
green transportation facilities, encourage a paperless policy or reduce the
usage of paper to a minimum, enhance energy efficiency and clean energy
solutions, and apply a food waste reduction policy.
Finally, Al-Mizani believes that
business owners should support, advance, and motivate tourists and guests to
take part in the overall sustainable efforts in Saudi Arabia.
“If we think about the developer’s
commitment to building green hotels, it is a long-term commitment toward clean
energy and a better environment for us and our children to live in,” he added.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392431/saudi-arabia
-------
Saudi defense minister discusses Gaza
situation with UK, Italian counterparts
October 17, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's defense minister
Prince Khalid bin Salman received a call from his UK counterpart Grant Shapps
on Monday.
During the call, the two ministers
reviewed strategic relations and defense cooperation, Prince Khalid posted on
X, formerly Twitter.
“We also discussed the situation in Gaza
and I stressed the need to de-escalate, cease military operations, and uphold
international law to protect innocent lives,” Prince Khalid added.
Prince Khalid later received Italian
defense minister Guido Crosetto.
The pair reviewed Saudi-Italian
relations and explored opportunities to enhance defense cooperation.
“We also discussed recent developments
in Gaza, and I emphasized the importance of de-escalating the situation,” Prince Khalid added.
In a different meeting, Prince Khalid
and Turkmen counterpart BegenchGundogdyyev discussed recent events in Gaza and
the importance of protecting innocent civilian lives.
On Monday, more than one million people
had fled their homes in Gaza as Israel bombarded the Hamas-ruled territory and
continued massing troops in preparation for a full-blown ground invasion.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392571/saudi-arabia
---------
Saudi FM discusses latest developments
in Gaza with German, Japanese counterparts
October 16, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister
Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed developments in Gaza during separate phone
calls with his German and Japanese counterparts on Monday.
During a phone call with
AnnalenaBaerbock, Prince Faisal said it was important that all parties to the
conflict adhered to international humanitarian law and ensured that civilians
are not targeted in any way.
Prince Faisal and Baerbock highlighted
the importance of the international community fulfilling its responsibilities
toward arriving at an immediate ceasefire, reaching a just and comprehensive
solution to the Palestinian issue, and adhering to UN and Security Council
resolutions in this regard.
They also said developing urgent
solutions to bring medical and relief materials to the residents of the Gaza
Strip was necessary.
During the call with Kamikawa Yoko,
Prince Faisal urged Japan, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council,
to work to ensure that the council fulfils its responsibility to maintain
international peace and security by pushing for an immediate cessation of
military operations and lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip.
Prince Faisal also said it was important
that the Security Council worked to implement resolutions regarding the Palestine
in order to establish a just, comprehensive, and sustainable solution to the
Palestinian issue in a way that achieves the aspirations of the Palestinian
people.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392376/saudi-arabia
---------
KSrelief participates in triangular
cooperation meeting in Lisbon
October 16, 2023
RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency, KSrelief,
recently participated in the seventh International Meeting on Triangular
Cooperation titled “Expanding Partnerships” in Lisbon, Portugal.
KSrelief Assistant Supervisor General of
Planning and Development Aqeel Al-Ghamdi attended the meeting, the Saudi Press
Agency reported on Monday.
The meeting was organized by the Portuguese
Foreign Ministry and the Development Cooperation Directorate of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Speakers stressed the importance of
having strong partnerships between governments, development agencies,
international organizations, civil society organizations and the private
sector.
During the meeting, participants
exchanged ideas and expertise and identified new opportunities in the field of
triangular cooperation.
More than 200 participants from
governments, development agencies, international organizations, civil society
organizations, and the private sector attended the event to discuss recent
trends and look for ways to strengthen cooperation for global development.
On the sidelines of the meeting,
Al-Ghamdi met with the OECD director for development cooperation, Maria
Gonzalo.
Al-Ghamdi recalled the support provided
by the Kingdom for three decades to the countries of the south, by implementing
more than 5,170 development projects at a cost exceeding $99 billion.
He also stressed the importance of
discussing the affairs of the refugees in the region, as the Kingdom hosts
nearly one million refugees, provides them with basic services, education and
healthcare, and exempts them from taxes at a cost of approximately $24 billion,
in addition to allowing them to work inside the Kingdom.
Al-Ghamdi clarified the importance of
enhancing the participation of the private sector in the next Arab Dialogue
meetings.
Both parties also discussed topics of
mutual interest, including topics covered by the Arab-DAC Dialogue on
Development, which is organized by the committee in collaboration with the Arab
Coordination Group.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2392296/saudi-arabia
--------
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Starts
Official Visit to Türkiye
16 Oct, 2023
Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Tawfiq
bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah began an official visit today to the Republic of Türkiye
designed to raise awareness among Turkish pilgrims of the procedures taken to
facilitate their arrival in Makkah and Madinah and to explain other services
provided for pilgrims and visitors inside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
During the two-day visit, Dr. Al-Rabiah, who
is accompanied by a high-level governmental and private-sector delegation, is
scheduled to meet with leaders and officials of Türkiye to discuss the
facilities provided to Turkish pilgrims, as part of achieving the goals of the
Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which seeks to enable the arrival of more guests of
Allah to perform Umrah and visit the Two Holy Mosques, achieving the purposes
of Islamic Sharia.
The visit comes within the framework of the
Ministry’s efforts to build bridges of communication and cooperation with
pilgrim-origin countries, and to introduce the exceptional services provided by
the Kingdom’s government to pilgrims and visitors.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/d1bd8bc08e624362b611e6054bb9f826
-------
South Asia
Protests Held in Logar Over Israel's
Attacks on Gaza Strip
October 16, 2023
Residents of Kharwar district of Logar
province held protests in response to Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and
they want the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop its
attacks on the Gaza Strip.
“With the oppression of the Palestinian
people, God willing, our Mujahideen will go and save them,” said Khan Mohammad,
a protester.
“Stop killing Muslims, stop your cruelty,
terror, and barbarism against Muslims, we are ready to cooperate with them in
any way,” said Subhanullah, a protester.
Some protestors said that if Israel
continues these attacks, they are ready to unite with Hamas and stand against
Israel.
“We ask the superpower countries of the
world to try to stop the bombing and the war that is going on in Gaza right
now,” said Sahil, a protestor.
“Where are human rights and those who
claim to defend Muslim rights now?” said Ahmad Jan, a protestor.
The second Deputy Prime Minister condemned
Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip and called on Islamic countries and the
international community to stop these attacks.
“In the 21st century, making 1.2 million
people mass immigrants from their country has no place in any law. All the
countries of the world should raise their voices,” said Abdul Salam Hanafi.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan/provincial-185562
-------
Afghanistan’s descent into poverty: The
Economist Report
Fidel Rahmati
October 16, 2023
According to The Economist,
Afghanistan’s return to Taliban rule, devastating natural disasters, and
cessation of Western aid have pushed the country into poverty, prompting
Afghans to view their nation as a “curse.”
The Economist has reported that in the
latest incident, a devastating earthquake in western Herat claimed the lives of
over 2,000 people and destroyed dozens of villages.
Mohammad Amin, one of the relatives of
the victims of this incident, has informed The Economist that “the roofs of the
houses of six relatives collapsed nearby, and all of them lost their lives.”
Mohammad Amin added that he was outside
the house during the earthquake and could only watch helplessly.
The spokesperson for the Taliban
administration’s Natural Disaster Management has announced a death toll 4,000
and numerous injuries.
One of the district elders told The
Economist, “The authorities of the Taliban administration sent bulldozers with
inexperienced drivers who ended up crashing and killing several people while
demolishing.”
The magazine continues to emphasize that
earthquakes, landslides, and floods that occurred last year, resulting in the
loss of thousands of lives, highlight the fragile state of the Taliban
government.
According to a recent World Bank study,
60% of last year’s budget for the caretaker government (Taliban administration)
was allocated to the Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Intelligence.
However, relief organizations are
working to address this shortfall, while the United Nations has collected
one-third of the requested $3.2 billion for Afghanistan this year.
Perhaps the recent earthquake has
worsened the situation in these areas.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistans-descent-into-poverty-the-economist-report/
-------
Okada-Hanafi Meeting Focused on
Expanding of Relations: Arg
October 16, 2023
The outgoing ambassador of Japan in
Kabul, Takashi Okada, in his farewell meeting with the deputy Prime Minister
for Administrative Affairs, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, discussed Japan’s
efforts to expand Islamic Emirate’s relations with the international community
and the provision of humanitarian assistance, the Arg said in a statement.
“The Deputy Prime Minister thanked Okada
for his mission and assistance to the government and people of Afghanistan,”
the Arg wrote.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman,
Zabiullah Mujahid, said that the two sides also discussed security issues.
“The relations of the Islamic Emirate
and Japan are very good, and these relations will pave the way for the
development of the two countries. We will not allow anyone to use the Afghan
soil against others,” he said.
The analysts said that the interim
government should try to increase its relations with the international
community to overcome the current challenges.
“Japan is a country which can bring good
changes in all areas as it has good relations with all world,” said Imal Dost,
political analyst.
“Japan is a productive, industrial and a
country close to Afghanistan and it can also provide welfare assistance,” said
Aziz Maarij, a former diplomat.
This comes as on Saturday Okada met with
acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to bid him goodbye, Abdul Qahar
Balkhi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X.
Okada said that his mission in
Afghanistan has ended and now TakayushiKormaya will be the Japanese ambassador
to Afghanistan, according to Balkhi.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185569
--------
Aid Continues for Earthquake Affected
Areas in Herat
October 16, 2023
The distribution of aid from global
institutions and domestic and foreign charities to all villages affected by the
earthquake is continuing.
The assistance includes food, tents,
blankets, clothing and hygiene materials.
Earthquake victims whose houses were
destroyed in Herat demand shelter from government and global aid agencies.
Nasir Ahmad Salehi reports that the
process of distributing aid from global institutions and domestic and foreign
charities in all villages affected by the earthquake is continuing.
A Germany-based charity has provided
food and non-food aid for hundreds of families in the village of Nayeb Rafi in
Herat's Zenda Jan district.
Mohammad Aalem Shahab, responsible for a
charity organization, said: "We have brought aid to the sisters and
brothers affected by the earthquake, including tents, blanket, tea, sugar, oil
and flour."
MenhajudinHashemi, Afghan Red Crescent
Representative, said “for 78 families food and non-food items distributed. From
now on،
we want to bring tents to some families whose tents
have been destroyed and help them.“
The victims who have lost their homes
and everything in this earthquake called the aid vital.
They say that global aid agencies have
saved their lives.
Mohammad Hashem, earthquake victim:
“Every day help comes to us, but we lost all our possessions and our lives are
ruined.”
Abdul Basir, earthquake victim: “Now we
survive with this aid and if it continues، it is good، but if the aid is cut off، we need a lot of things including
winter clothes.“
Earthquake victims in Herat are calling
for permanent shelter from government and global aid agencies.
They say that life is hard because of
the cold weather, and their children are sick.
Habibullah, earthquake victim: “It's too
cold and if the cold increases, we'll have more problems.“
Mohammad Naeim, earthquake victim: “We
can't live here and we want to be sheltered everywhere، in every village
and every province، because there are children and women
who can't come here.“
Tents were distributed to all villages
affected by the earthquake, including Zenda Jan, Anjil and Kashk of Herat.
In addition to the United Nations,
Turkiye, Iran, China, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates and some other
global institutions have helped by giving food and tents to the victims of the
Herat earthquake.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185577
--------
Regional meeting on Rohingyas today
Oct 17, 2023
The high-level regional meeting on
Rohingyas will be held in Bangkok today.
UN High Commissioner for the Refugee
Filippo Grandi, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, UK Minister of
State for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan and US Deputy Assistant Secretary
for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration JulietaValls Noyes are
among the key delegates.
The purpose of the event includes
mobilising international community to recommit to a comprehensive approach that
prioritises durable solutions, particularly supporting efforts to create
conditions conducive to voluntary repatriation, the UN Refugee Agency said in a
statement yesterday.
"The meeting will reinforce efforts
to sustain support for the Rohingya refugee response, both for the humanitarian
response, as well as to build the resilience of refugees which will help
engender solutions," it said.
The Rohingya response remains critically
underfunded, with a significant impact on refugee protection and security,
UNHCR said.
The meeting will bring together key
stakeholders, including governmental counterparts, humanitarian and development
partners, refugee-led organisations, academia, and civil society, from the
region and beyond, it added.
The outcomes and discussions at the
meeting will contribute and feed into the ministerial-level GRF scheduled for
December 13-15 in Geneva.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/regional-meeting-rohingyas-today-3445621
---------
Four cops sued over ex-ACC official’s
death in custody
Oct 17, 2023
The wife of a former Anti-Corruption
Commission official, who died in police custody, filed a case against four
police officials and five individuals accusing them of negligence and torture.
Foujia Anwar, wife of deceased Sayed
Mohammad Shahidulla, yesterday filed the case with Chattogram Metropolitan
Session Judge's Court.
The four police personnel are
Officer-in-Charge Khairul Islam of Chandgaon Police Station, Inspector
(investigation) Mominur Rahman, and assistant sub-inspectors MdYounus and Sohel
Rana.
The other five accused are SM
Asaduzzaman, Jasim Uddin, MdLiton, Rony Akhter Tania, and Koli Akhter.
Judge Jebunnesa asked the Police Bureau
of Investigation to investigate the incident, said plaintiff's lawyer Rezaul
Karim Reza.
According to the case statement, family
members accused police of negligence and torturing Shahidulla in police custody
after his arrest despite knowing that he had heart issues. They alleged that
police did not allow them to provide medicine inside the police station. They
also alleged that the case in which Shahidulla was arrested was false and that
some people, including Jasim, Asad, and Liton, influenced Tania to file the
case to grab his land in Chandgaon area.
On October 3, police held Shahidulla, of
Bahaddarhat Ek Kilometre area, after an arrest warrant was issued.
He died in police custody at night after
police allegedly did not let his family members give the 65-year-old man
medicine.
Police refuted the allegation and said
officers hospitalised Shahidulla after he fell ill.
Following the incident, Chattogram
Metropolitan Police closed ASIs Younus and Sohel, who detained him, and
attached them to the CMP Dampara Police Lines.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/tk-105-lakh-worth-biriyani-sweets-shayestaganj-oc-suspended-3445281
--------
Amid tremor shocks, 1/3rd of Afghans
face 'acute' food insecurity
October 16, 2023
KARACHI:
About one-third of the Afghanistan
population is facing acute food insecurity, which has been further aggravated
by a recent series of earthquakes that struck the war-torn country's
north-western region.
According to the figures released by the
World Food Program (WPF) on World Food Day, over 15 million people face acute
food insecurity, with 2.8 million in emergency levels (one step away from
famine).
“We remind the world that in
Afghanistan, 15 million people don't know where their next meal comes from,”
the global body said in a statement on X on Monday.
"That is 1/3 of the
population," it added.
Even before the powerful deadly earthquakes
that jolted north-western Herat province which borders neighbouring Iran,
nearly 29 million people — two-thirds of the Afghan population — needed
humanitarian aid and protection in 2023.
The number is up from 24.4 million in
2022 and 18.4 million in 2021.
Since the Taliban returned to power over
two years ago, Afghanistan has been facing grave economic challenges.
It comes amid a blockade of around $7
billion Afghan foreign reserves by the US since the Taliban returned to power
in August 2021.
"The Herat earthquake(s) is yet
another disaster on top of an already dire humanitarian crisis. Afghans need
urgent support," the WFP added.
Humanitarian aid continues to pour in
As the country is struggling to cope
with the post-earthquake situation, humanitarian assistance continues to pour
in.
A Chinese plane carrying humanitarian
aid for earthquake victims worth 30 million yuan (approximately $4.1 million)
landed in Kabul on Monday, state-run Bakhtar News reported.
Read also: Magnitude 6.3 earthquake jolts
western Afghanistan
The Afghan government has revised the
death toll to over 1,000.
The UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Afghanistan, however, put the death toll at 1,384,
with 853 injured. Over 2,500 houses have been completely destroyed.
Some 3,067 houses were also affected by
the tremors, including 2,499 completely destroyed.
According to the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees, the deadly earthquakes have affected over 43,000 people.
“318,000 people need humanitarian assistance
following the Herat earthquake of whom 76,000+ are women and girls of
reproductive age while 7,400+ are currently pregnant," United Nations
Population Fund in Afghanistan said on X.
Afghanistan is frequently struck by
tremors, mainly in the Hindukush mountain range, which sits near the confluence
of Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2441385/amid-tremor-shocks-13rd-of-afghans-face-acute-food-insecurity
----------
Southeast Asia
PM Anwar urges Israel to call for
ceasefire in Gaza and renounce 'politics of dispossession'
By John Bunyan
17 Oct 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stressed today that Israel must immediately call
for a ceasefire in Gaza, amid the bloody retaliation against the surprise
attack by the Islamist militant group Hamas.
Anwar also said that he had extended
Malaysia's “unwavering” support for the Palestinians in a phone call to Hamas'
head of political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh.
“Given the dire situation in Gaza, I
strongly advocate for the immediate cessation of bombardment and the
establishment of a humanitarian corridor in Rafah,” he said in a statement
here.
“It is also imperative for Israel to
abandon their adherence to the politics of dispossession, immediately ceasefire
with Hamas and genuinely pursue a peaceful resolution to end the ongoing
conflict."
“Politics of dispossession” is a term
popularised by Palestinian-American academic and political activist Edward
Said, which refers to how groups of people are systematically deprived of their
land, resources, rights, and identities, which in this case means the forced
displacement of Palestinians started by the creation of the state of Israel in
1948.
Anwar said that it is crucial and
paramount to prioritise the well-being and safety of all individuals affected
by this crisis.
“In this spirit, we are committed to
delivering humanitarian aid, particularly in the form of food and medicine to
alleviate the suffering of those in need,” he added.
It was reported that the Israeli
bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 2,750 people, including hundreds of
children, and Israel now plans to invade North Gaza in an attempt to rout
Hamas' presence there.
Earlier, the World Health Organisation
said that water, fuel and electricity would run out within 24 hours after
Israel had intensified the blockade in the Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Yesterday, Anwar said he would discuss
the need for additional meetings with the leaders of other countries with the
leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye regarding the
Israel-Palestine conflict.
Anwar said that due to Malaysia's
policies and ties with Hamas, it would continue its backing despite the West
insisting that the country denounce the group.
Last week, Anwar accused the
international community of continuing to take one-sided actions regarding all
forms of cruelty and oppression against the Palestinians.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/10/17/pm-anwar-urges-israel-to-call-for-ceasefire-in-gaza-and-renounce-politics-of-dispossession/96720
---------
Palestine: Anwar strongly backs creation
of humanitarian corridor in Rafah
17 Oct 2023
KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim strongly advocates for the immediate cessation of bombardment and
the establishment of a humanitarian corridor in Rafah.
Anwar, in his Facebook post, said it is
also imperative for Israel to abandon its adherence to the politics of
dispossession, immediately implement a ceasefire with Hamas, and genuinely
pursue a peaceful resolution to end the ongoing conflict.
“I had a phone conversation with Hamas
head of political bureau Ismail Haniyeh yesterday to express Malaysia’s
unwavering support for the Palestinian people.
“It is crucial and paramount to
prioritise the well-being and safety of all individuals affected by this
crisis,” he said.
The prime minister also said Malaysia is
committed to delivering humanitarian aid, particularly in the form of food and
medicine, to alleviate the suffering of those in need.
Last Friday, Anwar said that the
government would provide RM10 million in aid to the Palestinians and expressed
the hope that government-linked companies, government-linked investment
companies, and the private sector would contribute to raising the aid amount to
RM100 million. – Bernama, October 17, 2023
Source: thevibes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/99448/palestine-anwar-strongly-backs-creation-of-humanitarian-corridor-in-rafah
--------
IRB can resume bankruptcy notice hearing
against Najib and son
Rahmat Khairulrija
October 17, 2023
PUTRAJAYA: The Inland Revenue Board
(IRB) can now resume its bankruptcy notice hearing against incarcerated former
prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his son Datuk Nazifuddin to recoup
billions of ringgit in unpaid tax from the duo.
A source from the Attorney-General's
Chambers (AGC) said the duo had exhausted their final avenue to overturn the
High Court's decision compelling them to settle RM1.69 billion and RM37.6
million in unpaid taxes and penalties respectively.
"This is following the Federal
Court's ruling yesterday that affirmed IRB's summary judgement compelling them
to settle the amounts for the period between 2011 and 2017.
"Now we can proceed with the
(bankruptcy) notice," the source said.
The top court, in an unanimous decision,
ruled Section 103(1) of the Income Tax Act (ITA) provides that tax payable
under an assessment shall be due and payable on the due date, regardless of
whether the person appeals against the assessment.
The court said the present incarnation
of the ITA was enacted by the legislature to facilitate the expeditious
collection of government revenue and to deter tactical attempts from would-be
tax evaders to delay the payment of outstanding taxes.
Najib and Nazifuddin were served with a
bankruptcy notice two years ago following their failure to pay the disputed
monies to the IRB.
According to the notice sighted by the
New Straits Times, the former prime minister has to pay RM1.69 billion with
interest at five per cent, for the period between July 22, 2020 and Feb 4, 2021
amounting to RM45.9 million from the date of the order of the summary judgement
as well as costs of RM15,000.
This brings the accumulated sum to
RM1.73 billion.
Meanwhile, Nazifuddin has to pay RM37.6
million with interest at five per cent for the period between July 6, 2020 and
Feb 4, 2021, amounting to RM1.1 million from the date of the order of a summary
judgement as well as costs of RM10,000.
This brings the accumulated sum to
RM38.7 million.
On Sept 21, last year, Chief Justice
TunTengkuMaimun Tuan Mat, who chaired the Federal Court's three-member bench,
allowed the duo's application for a stay of the High Court's ruling pending
their appeal at the Apex court.
On July 22, 2020, the High Court allowed
the IRB's application for a summary judgement to be entered against Najib in
its suit to recover RM1.69 billion in taxes from the latter for the period
between 2011 and 2017.
Meanwhile, on July 6 the same year,
another High Court also ordered Nazifuddin, 39, to pay RM37,644,810.73 in
unpaid taxes to the IRB.
Source: nst.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/10/968022/irb-can-resume-bankruptcy-notice-hearing-against-najib-and-son
--------
QuangNinh targets more Muslim visitors
to fuel tourism
October 17, 2023
Hanoi (VNA) – Aside from resuming
tourism promotion in traditional markets, the northern province of QuangNinh is
also exploring new markets, including Muslim ones, to boost the recovery of
international visitors.
QuangNinh welcomed 12.06 million tourist
arrivals, including 825,000 international ones, during the first eight months
of 2023, reported the provincial Tourism Department.
It is nearing this year’s tourist number
target but still far behind the international arrival target of 2 million.
The Muslim tourist sources such as the
Middle East, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India are believed to hold huge
potential, and if the province manages to capitalise on these markets, it will
be able to considerably raise the number of foreign visitors, heard a recent
conference.
Halal tourism is one of the largest and
fastest growing tourism subcategory in the world. However, QuangNinh has
attracted just over 450,000 Muslim tourists using accommodation services here
over the last five years.
At a recent conference discussing
measures for attracting Muslim tourists, experts have pointed out several
reasons why QuangNinh, boasting favourable transport infrastructure and famous
destinations, has yet to become a magnet for this type of holidaymakers.
Nguyen Son Linh, Director of the NhaLinh
Travel Service Co. Ltd, which has served Muslim tourists for many years,
regretted that the province, home to the world natural heritage site of Ha Long
Bay, hasn’t been able to attract Muslim visitors staying overnight.
He noted many of them wish to stay in Ha
Long city longer to experience the heritage, but it is hard to find restaurants
serving Halal food or accommodation facilities suitable for their religious
practices and habits. Besides, QuangNinh is still relatively new among Muslim
travellers.
Experts and businesses added many local
travel companies have just recently come to know that Muslim tourists have
their own stringent standards.
Tran Van Tan Cuong, Director of the
Vietnam National Halal Co. Ltd, recommended that to attract Muslim tourists,
QuangNinh should develop accommodation establishments suitable for their
religious demand.
Talking about the conversion of a
five-star hotel’s rooms and floors into Muslim-friendly ones, Le Thanh Tam,
Managing Director of Delasea Hotel in Ha Long city, said changes need to be
made from room and kitchen designs to staff training in order to quickly cater
for Muslim visitors.
Most businesses expressed their interest
in big opportunities from Halal tourism, but some also voiced their concern
that whether the number of visitors to QuangNinh is large enough for local
restaurants, hotels, and tourist vessels to make such big changes.
Highlighting the province’s
determination to capitalise on Halal tourism, Deputy Director of the Tourism
Department Nguyen HuyenAnh said that in the coming time, QuangNinh will
implement all-round measures, including introducing the Muslim culture to
business insiders, providing more certified Halal products, and inviting experts
to train manpower for serving Muslim visitors.
The number of tourists from Muslim
countries to Vietnam has increased remarkably in recent years, especially
travellers from India (up 240% in September this year), according to the
Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) under the Ministry of Culture,
Sports and Tourism.
Muslim tourist arrivals from Southeast
Asian nations such as Singapore and Indonesia have also risen sharply.
VNAT Deputy General Director Ha Van Sieu
said the Muslim markets offers promising opportunities for Vietnam's tourism
industry and can be a "gold mine" that could provide a significant
boost to the sector./.
Source: vietnamplus.vn
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.vietnamplus.vn/quang-ninh-targets-more-muslim-visitors-to-fuel-tourism/269732.vnp
---------
Pakistan
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Says Refugee
Policy Applies to “All Illegal People” Not Just Afghans
October 16, 2023
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas
Jilani has once again stressed that the new policy for refugees applies to “all
illegal people” not only Afghan refugees.
Speaking at a press conference, Jilani
said: “this is certainly not an Afghanistan-specific decision that the
government has taken, this decision applies to all illegal people residing in
Pakistan and I think this is a firm decision that has been made by Pakistan,
all those people who are legally residing in Pakistan, they will not be
disturbed, all those people who are holding the registration cards they can
continue to live in Pakistan whether they belong to Afghanistan or other
countries.”
The consul of the Islamic Emirate in
Karachi, Abdul JabarTakhari, said that the Pakistani military has ramped up
mistreatment of Afghan refugees in the last month.
Takhari said that at least 500 Afghans
who were detained despite having legal documents were released recently.
“Police have been detaining them and
asking them for bribes. When they [Afghan refugees] don’t pay them [Pakistani
police] money, they are being detained,” Takhari said.
A refugee’s rights analyst, Mohammad
Khan Talibi, said the mistreatment of Afghan refugees by Pakistani police is a
violation of international law.
“If the refugees are not treated based
on international laws, this issue will affect other areas including political
and economic relations,” he said.
According to Takhari, 120,000 Afghans
have returned to Afghanistan within the last year.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185571
---------
Special court begins hearing cipher case
against Imran, Qureshi as indictment expected
October 17, 2023
Umer Burney
The special court is currently hearing
the cipher case against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood
Qureshi.
As per the court’s orders of October 9,
both PTI leaders are expected to be indicted in the case during the hearing
today.
The cipher case pertains to a diplomatic
document that reportedly went missing from Imran’s possession. The PTI alleges
that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran from
office.
The PTI chief was convicted and
sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana graft case on August 5,
2023. He was subsequently shifted to Attock jail, but the IHC later suspended
his sentence. However, Imran remained in jail because he was on judicial remand
in the cipher case.
On September 25, the IHC accepted
Imran’s petition to be shifted to Adiala jail in Rawalpindi from Attock
district jail.
On September 30, the Federal
Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted a challan —a charge sheet — in the Special
Court established under the Official Secrets Act, naming the former prime
minister and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi as the principal
accused in the cipher case.
Imran has filed several petitions in the
IHC, including two seeking to stay his jail trial and bail in the cipher case,
another seeking to suspend the Toshakhana verdict, and one against his
indictment in the cipher case.
Today, Special Court Judge
AbualHasnatZulqarnain began the in-camera hearing of the cipher case at
Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
State prosecutor Zulfikar Abbas Naqvi
was present while the FIA’s team, along with the investigation officer, also
appeared before the court. Barrister Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousuf Chaudhry
were present as Imran’s counsels.
Qureshi’s wife and daughter, Mehreen and
Mehr Bano, respectively, also reached the court. However, it was not confirmed
whether they were allowed to attend the hearing or not.
Speaking to reporters before the hearing
began, lawyer Shah Khawar noted that the court had fixed today for indictment.
However, he recalled that even at the
previous hearing, Imran had refused to accept the indictment challans,
adjourning the matter to today. He added, “Let’s see what the situation is
right now.”
The FIR
According to the FIR, a case under
sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 r/w 34 PPC has been
registered against the former premier and former foreign minister.
They have been accused of wrongful
communication/ use of official secret information and illegal retention of
cipher telegram (official secret document) with mala fide intention, whereas
role of the former PM’s aide Muhammad Azam Khan, former federal minister Asad
Umar and other associates involved will be ascertained during the course of
investigations.
It said Imran, Qureshi and their other
associates are involved in the communication of information contained in secret
classified document (cipher telegram received from Parep Washington dated March
7, 2022 to Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to the unauthorised persons
(i.e. public at large) by twisting facts to achieve their ulterior motives and
personal gains in a manner prejudicial to the interests of state security.
They held a clandestine meeting at
Banigala on March 28, 2022 to conspire to misuse the contents of cipher in
order to accomplish their nefarious designs.
The accused, Imran, with mala fide
directed the former principal secretary Azam Khan to prepare the minutes of
said clandestine meeting by manipulating the contents of cipher message to use
it for his vested interest at the cost of national safety.
Moreover, the numbered and accountable
copy of cipher telegram sent to PM Office was deliberately kept in his custody
by the former PM with mala fide intention, and was never returned to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The said cipher telegram (official
secret document classified as such) is still in the illegal
possession/retention of the accused Imran.
The unauthorised retention and misuse of
the cipher telegram by the accused persons compromised the entire cipher
security system of the state and secret communication method of Pakistani
missions abroad.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1781567/special-court-begins-hearing-cipher-case-against-imran-qureshi-as-indictment-expected
---------
Bushra Bibi, Wife Of Imran Khan, Granted
Bail In Two Cases, Toshakhana And 190 Million Pounds Scam Cases
October 17, 2023
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on
Monday granted bail to PTI Chairman’s wife Bushra Bibi in Toshakhana and 190
million pounds scam cases.
The hearing was held in the
accountability court on bail applications filed against Bushra Bibi in the
Tosha Khana and 190 million pounds scam case.
Due to the leave of Judge Muhammad
Bashir, Duty Judge Raja Jawad Abbas heard the bail application.
Bushra Bibi appeared in the court along
with her lawyer Latif Khosa. The judge granted bail to Bushra Bibi till October
31 on a bond of Rs550,000.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2441543/bushra-bibi-granted-bail-in-two-cases
-------
One killed, 6 injured in grenade attack
in Karachi’s Lyari
October 16, 2023
Imtiaz Ali
At least one person was killed and six
others injured in a grenade attack in Lyari’s Bihar Colony on Monday night,
according to police.
South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn.com
that unidentified individuals on a motorcycle threw a hand grenade outside a
shop that had been closed for months before fleeing the scene.
The authorities are investigating the
motive behind the attack, the police official said before adding that it
appeared to be a random act without a specific target.
The DIG said that seven people sustained
injuries, while one of them — a 35-year-old named Razia Mohammed Ali — was in
critical condition before succumbing to her wounds.
He said all of the injured were bystanders
and had been transported to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital in Karachi.
They were identified as Zohaib Javed,
Khairullah, WanshDileep Kumar, Ateeqa Adam, Adil Adam and Ahsan Nabi.
Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector General of
Police Dr Raffat Mukhtar Raja sought details from the SSP Old City area
regarding the attack.
Separately, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan
Tessori also took notice of the incident and directed the Karachi Commissioner
to brief him.
He also emphasised the need to ensure
the provision of the best medical treatment for those injured in the incident.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1781422/one-killed-6-injured-in-grenade-attack-in-karachis-lyari
---------
Pakistan decides to dispatch
humanitarian relief assistance to Gaza
October 17, 2023
In view of the human tragedy unfolding
in Gaza, Pakistan has decided to immediately dispatch humanitarian relief
assistance to Gaza, to alleviate the sufferings of Palestinian brothers and sisters.
In a statement Foreign Office
spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in the wake of indiscriminate Israeli
aggression and siege of Gaza Strip, the already oppressed people of
densely-populated Gaza are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
She said the government is coordinating
with Palestinian Red Crescent Society, relevant UN agencies, the government of
Egypt and Pakistan missions abroad to finalize modalities of delivery.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/16-10-2023/pakistan-decides-to-immediately-dispatch-humanitarian-relief-assistance-to-gaza
-------
Pakistan, Iranian, Egyptian FMs discuss
Gaza situation
October 16, 2023
Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani has separately
spoken to his Iranian and Egyptian counterparts to discuss the situation in
Gaza, sufferings of Palestinians and urgent need of the humanitarian
assistance.
In his talk with Iranian Foreign
Minister Hossien Amir Abdollahian, Jalil Abbas Jilani said they discussed
crises in Gaza, including killing of civilians and large-scale displacement of
Palestinians from their homes. He said we agreed that urgent steps are needed
to prevent conflict from escalating and provision of humanitarian assistance.
Talking to his Egyptian counterpart
SamehShukri, the Pakistan Foreign Minister discussed preventing conflict from
escalating, protecting civilians from collective punishment, starvation and
displacement. He assured of all possible humanitarian assistance from Pakistan.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.radio.gov.pk/16-10-2023/pakistan-iranian-egyptian-fms-discuss-gaza-situation
-------
Palestine exposes a vacuum in Pakistan
October 17, 2023
Mosharraf Zaidi
The crisis in the Middle East is going
to further expose the helpless, rudderless, and purposeless nature of Pakistani
leadership. Today’s Pakistani social contract is defined, more than anything
else, by the absence of a compact between the country’s elites about how to
make sure order is maintained and power is exercised.
A country’s elite must have a raison
d’etre that excites and engages a large enough swathe of a country’s populace
for that populace to assent to being governed by the same elite. All of these
key ingredients of a stable economic, social and political order have been
rendered ineffectual and untenable in the past seven years. Since the country
is based on aspirations and ideals that are – by every stretch of the imagination
– international in character, any kind of contact between global events and
Pakistan’s economy, its society or its polity represents both enormous
opportunity and huge risk.
Pakistan has been in the throes of a
multi-layered polycrisis for nearly two full years. The root cause of this
crisis is largely the same as the root cause of all sustained national crises
of the past: an informal and unaccountable veto power enjoyed by the military
overall civilian decision-making authority.
Any time there is a touchpoint between
an international or global event and Pakistan, the country is at grave risk of
being rendered even more dysfunctional than usual. This is exactly what
happened in February 2022 when then-Prime Minister Imran Khan engaged with
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at a time when the domestic gap between the
civilian leadership and the military command had grown to the widest Khan had
known. The economic and political crisis today is a product of many
micro-errors, poor decisions and institutional obduracy across the spectrum of
important national structures. But at the heart of the now two-year-long
Pakistani polycrisis is the flammability of the Pakistani system when it comes
to large, shape-shifting global events. What this means is simple, but also
quite scary.
Whether it was Memogate in 2011, or Dawn
Leaks in 2016, or the Cipher case in 2021, the Pakistani elite tends to be at
its absolute worst behaviour when the stakes involve Pakistan’s global standing
and its relationships, as a sovereign country, with the rest of the world.
The global disquiet around violence in
Palestine and Israel since the Hamas invasion of Israeli targets on October 7
this year is a new chapter in a book that is as old as Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif
and Asif Ali Zardari and older than the Chief Justice and the chief of army
staff. No one among the elite is in any way disloyal to the Palestinian people
and the long-standing Pakistani position of the need for a two-state solution
based on the 1967 borders. But because so much of regional and global politics
is now going to hinge on reactions and responses of key actors in the region to
the systematic genocide that Israel has begun in Gaza, the likelihood of a
metastasizing humanitarian crisis for Palestinians becoming a noose for the
Pakistani leadership to hang the system on is going to increase.
It is what happens every time there is a
moment of reckoning and the Pakistani elite needs to engage the people of
Pakistan in a serious conversation. Every time, this country’s elite do the
same thing. They choose to deal with international challenges by turning on one
another. Every second, every minute, every hour and every day that the
country’s elite continue to operate without an ‘elite compact’ the risks of yet
another cataclysm continues to lurk.
The cataclysms from the last decade or
so have taken a very serious toll and the systemic risks in the Pakistani
governance ecosystem have grown dramatically. The Cipher case is a good example
of a stage 4 version of the same cancer that has previously perhaps only
manifested itself as a stage 2 or 3 progression.
In the Cipher case, three conversations
converged into one – the role and tone of US officials in how they speak of
elected leaders in Pakistan, the choice of engaging with Vladimir Putin at a
time when the benefits of such an engagement were likely overwhelmed by the
costs, and the deteriorating trust of Beijing in the consistency and sincerity
of Pakistani leaders. Remember also how far and wide the shrapnel has flown
because of the divorce between Imran Khan and the military leadership: many PTI
supporters may now be permanently disabused of the importance of the Pakistani
national security apparatus.
Three developments have made Pakistan
even more vulnerable to international events and how those events are reported
on, through the tickers and moods on X, CNN, Fox, BBC, Al Jazeera and RT. The
first is the 2021 withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan. Suddenly,
with dramatically lower stakes in that country, American attention and
understanding for the Pakistani state’s unique challenges shrunk rapidly.
The second is China-US competition and
the way it has substantially increased the autonomy and space for countries to
assert their own narratives and interests – absent the need for wholesale,
all-in commitment to one or the other (China or the US). This is what we might
call the middle-power opportunity for countries like Indonesia, Turkey,
Bangladesh, and especially Saudi Arabia – but one that is so far only manifest
as a middle-power dilemma for Islamabad and Pindi (shorter: Pakistan has
conceded strategic autonomy at a time when other more capably governed middle
powers are dramatically increasing their strategic autonomy).
Finally, the third is the singular rise
of India as a global power. India’s ability to project dominance in the
international arena is not uncontested, but it is the most dramatic rise of any
country in the past quarter century in terms of the elements of national power
that India has at its disposal. No country can simultaneously court the
lustfulness of American, European and Japanese Indo Pacific ambitions, whilst
dramatically enhancing the quantum of goods and services it imports from China,
whilst also becoming the global refinery for otherwise sanctioned Russian oil.
India’s strategic power is, by design, a net deflator for Pakistani interests.
These three factors may be unique to
Pakistan and its vulnerabilities, but there are also wider, more universal
factors that make an already weak governance equation in the country
dramatically weaker. Climate change, populism, and most of all, the slow and
steady corrosion of state capacity are universal challenges. Combined they have
helped choke the ability of countries to navigate their way out of jams.
When we put all this together, the
current scenario in Pakistan is hardly surprising. Gagging and jailing someone
who is supposed to be the most popular leader in the country can buy some time,
but it hasn’t and cannot solve structural problems. Temporary relief caused by
the dollar dropping 10 per cent of its value against the rupee is fantastic –
but is it sustainable? Every bit of good news may only represent tenuous calm
before many storms.
The most potent of these storms is
likely to be another Memogate, another Dawn Leaks, or another Cipher case. The
stresses from the escalating slaughter of Palestinians are already showing. A
week after the hostilities began, Pakistan’s caretaker foreign minister and
prime minister both spoke out strongly against Israel’s excesses in Gaza. But
the Israelis have barely gotten started. There is a lot more bloodletting to
come. The plan is clear and unmistakable: Gaza is to be depopulated and
Palestinians are to be settled in camps in the Sinai. None of the key powers in
the Middle East are invested in allowing malign actors to ramp up and widen the
conflict. A regional war that sucks in Iran would be catastrophic for Turkey,
Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC. It will be avoided at all costs.
Sooner or later, the rhetoric of Pakistani
officialdom will need to be coordinated with the response of key regional
Middle Eastern allies – and ideally not aligned with the unceasing
trouble-generating regime in Iran. This will likely be at odds with the
dominant narratives on Main Street in Pakistan. Every time this disparity
appears, Pakistan’s already emaciated governance takes another body blow. The
only way to avoid the next cataclysm therefore is for the elite to begin to
establish a compact – starting with a coherent and sustainable position on
Palestine that balances the demands of the people of Pakistan with the
country’s immediate and short-term compulsions.
Threading this needle is the price of
not taxing the rich, not educating the young and not empowering Pakistani
women. A longer-term freedom for Pakistanis and Pakistani elites thus hinges on
tackling those more foundational challenges.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1119876-palestine-exposes-a-vacuum-in-pakistan
--------
Two soldiers martyred, as many
terrorists killed
October 17, 2023
RAWALPINDI:Two soldiers embraced
martyrdom while as many terrorists were killed in two fierce encounters in
North and South Waziristan districts, the military’s media wing said on Monday.
According to a statement issued by the
Inter-Services Public Relations, the first engagement occurred in the general
area of AsmanMunza, South Waziristan, where “own troops effectively engaged the
terrorists’ location as a result of which one terrorist was sent to hell, while
1x terrorist got injured”.
However, the ISPR said, “during intense
exchange of fire, Sepoy Sajid Azam (age 31 years, resident of Kotli, Azad
Kashmir) having fought gallantly, embraced shahadat”.
The statement added that in another
intense fire exchange between own troops and terrorists in the general area of
Miran Shah, North Waziristan; “one terrorist was sent to hell, whereas a brave
son of soil, Sepoy Waris Khan (age 27 years, resident of District Karak) paid
the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat”.
“Sanitisation is being carried out to
eliminate any terrorists found in the area. Security forces of Pakistan are
determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such
sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve.”
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2441406/two-soldiers-martyred-as-many-terrorists-killed
--------
Zardari, Fazl consult over polls
October 17, 2023
ISLAMABAD:Former president Asif Ali
Zardari held a meeting with his former ally and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur
Rehman at the latter's residence on Monday.
The purpose of the meeting was to
express condolences for the recent demise of the Maulana’s mother-in-law,
according to a statement released by the JUI-F emir.
The two leaders also consulted over the
prevailing political situation.
However, sources said that the meeting
between the two political heavyweights lasted for approximately 50 minutes and
the leaders also engaged in detailed discussions on the current political
climate and the forthcoming general elections.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2441549/zardari-fazl-consult-over-polls
---------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/israeli-flags-torn-germany/d/130918