Fifty Seven Percent Of Israeli Jews Believe Israel Was Using Too Little Firepower In Gaza, Thirty Six Percent Think Firepower Adequate
New Age Islam News Bureau
04 December 2023
·
What Israelis Think of the War With Hamas
·
J&K Court Grants Bail to Students Arrested
for 'Chanting Pro-Pak Slogans', Police Drop Terror Charges
·
EU’s foreign policy chief regrets resumption of
attack on Gaza, urges Israel to respect laws of war
·
Fazl vows to protect citizens’ rights after
coming to power
·
Islamic Emirate: Over 450,000 Afghans Expelled
From Pakistan
·
ISIS claims responsibility for deadly
Philippine bombing
·
Burkina, Niger to quit the anti-jihadist force G5
Sahel
·
Islamic Resistance targets US bases in Syria,
Iraq
·
Houthis claim responsibility for attacking 2
‘Israeli ships’ in Red Sea
-----
Mideast
·
Death toll in Gaza Strip from Israeli strikes
rises to 15,523
·
Israel’s aggression continues, says ground forces
operating across Gaza Strip
·
'70% of Gaza hospitals forced to close
following heavy Israeli attacks'
·
'Speaking with Fire': Benjamin Netanyahu
affirms ongoing talks with Hamas on hostage release
·
Iran foreign minister: US must bear
consequences of supporting Israel's crimes, genocide in Gaza
·
Hezbollah hits Israeli targets with guided
missile
·
Israeli security chief in recording vows to
hunt down Hamas abroad -Kan TV
·
Cuban president in Tehran on historic visit:
Raeisi officially welcomes Díaz-Cane
·
COP28 protesters call for Gaza ceasefire, in
first UAE pro-Palestine protest
·
Turkish president to visit Qatar for high-level
talks
-----
India
·
This hat-trick of victories a guarantee for
’24: Modi
·
Cong manages to get back support of Muslim
community in districts
·
PM Modi Says He Spoke to Qatar Emir But Silent
on Whether Fate of 8 Indians on Death Row Was Raised
·
Israel-Palestine takes centre stage in
discussion on conflicts around the world
------
Europe
·
Pope Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar call
for peace and climate action at Cop28
·
UK to start Gaza surveillance flights to help
find hostages
·
Pope deplores end to Gaza truce, urges new
ceasefire
·
Religious leaders, victims' relatives hold UK
vigil over Israel-Hamas conflict
·
EU’s mission in Cairo praises Egypt’s role in
supporting humanitarian aid to Palestinians
·
Netherlands accused of war crimes complicity
for Israeli military supplies
· Pig heads and cars on fire: How Britain’s Jewish and Muslim communities have both suffered
·
since Hamas massacre
-----
Pakistan
·
Ashrafi underscores need for greater interfaith
harmony
·
Pakistan Taliban running ‘shadow government’ in
North Waziristan
·
Three US officials arriving this week to
discuss Afghan issues
·
Cypher case hearing to resume today
----
South
Asia
·
Deputy PM Promises More Support for Traders and
Investors: Hanafi
·
International Day of Disabilities: Afghan
disabled face increasing challenges
·
Initiative underway to allocate land for
returning traders and investors
·
Stanikzai Criticizes Meetings on Afghanistan in
Neighboring Countries
·
Delivery of Aid to Afghanistan, Palestine is
Being Prevented: Ireland Rep in EU Parliament
·
PM receives Asia Climate Mobility Champion
Leader Award
·
Spread of HIV/Aids has decreased in
Afghanistan, says health ministry
-----
Southeast
Asia
·
Israel had never wanted a ceasefire: Analyst
·
Sarawak in the process of setting up overdue
state advisory council for non-Muslim religions
·
BNM: M’sian Islamic finance advancements
springboard to green financing
·
JAWI marks 50-year journey reaffirming its commitment
to the ummah
·
Magnitude 6.9 quake latest to rattle southern
Philippines
·
MAP condemns Israel's 'Evacuation Zone Map' for
Gaza residents
------
Africa
·
Hundreds join pro-Palestine march in South
Africa's Johannesburg
·
Burkina Faso: Civil society calls for release
of Daouda Diallo abducted human rights defender
·
Muslims and Christians Unite in Prayer for
Peace in the Middle East in Algeria
·
How I dislodged B’Haram founder, Shekau, others
– Ex-Niger gov
·
East Africa force starts withdrawal from Congo
·
Nigeria calls for Niger Junta to free ousted
president Mohamed Bazoum
·
Tinubu ‘ll Not Tolerate Destruction of
Farmlands by Herdsmen, Igboho Tells Miyetti Allah
·
FG didn’t sponsor 1,411 delegates to COP28 –
Presidency
-----
North
America
·
US top officials complicit in Israeli crimes on
Gaza
·
Palestinian student shot in US is paralysed,
says family
·
American Muslims vow to ditch Biden in 2024
over his support for Israel
·
Several Muslim leaders protesting Biden at
Michigan conference defended Hamas massacre
-----
Arab World
·
Qatar says continues efforts to resume truce in
Gaza
·
Saudi border guards thwart qat smuggling
operation
·
Saudi aid for Palestinians in Gaza continues
·
3rd edition of Saudi Green initiative Forum to
kick off on Monday in Dubai
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
-----------
Fifty Seven Percent Of Israeli Jews Believe Israel Was
Using Too Little Firepower In Gaza, Thirty Six Percent Think Firepower Adequate
NOVEMBER
10, 2023
ANNA
GORDON
New
opinion polls just released from Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv
University's Peace Index indicate that Israeli attitudes towards the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict are more hawkish than at any point in recent
memory.
Both
surveys were conducted in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre and the
resulting war with Hamas, and sampled approximately 600 people each. The polls
are part of a series conducted several times per year and attempt to be
representative of the various factions of Israeli society, including Israeli
citizens of Palestinian descent.
Despite
thousands of protesters gathering in Tel Aviv to demand the release of the
hostages held by Hamas, only 10% of Israeli Jews in the Israel Democracy
Institute poll said they would support a pause in fighting in order to exchange
hostages. Meanwhile, 44.3%, the plurality of Israeli Jews, said they want the
government to negotiate for the hostages immediately without pausing the
fighting.
Yossi
Mekelberg, an associate fellow at Chatham House who specializes in writing
about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, says that while many Israelis want the
hostages returned home, they are also worried that releasing Palestinian
prisoners will lead to more attacks like the one perpetrated on Oct. 7.
“There
is a view that in the past… Israel released more than a 1,000 prisoners for one
soldier, including the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and look what
happened,” says Mekelberg.
Of
Israelis who responded to the Israel Democracy Institute poll, 26.6% said that
Israel should not negotiate with Hamas for the release of the Israeli hostages
at all.
Nimrod
Rosler, the academic head of Tel Aviv University’s International Program in
Conflict Resolution and Mediation, which conducts the Peace Index survey, says
that the impact of recent events has significantly shaped public opinion on the
peace process. Support for peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority
among Israeli Jews fell from 47.6% in favor in September to just 24.5% in favor
in the survey conducted between Oct. 23 and Oct. 28.
More
From TIME
“Since
2001, this is the lowest percentage we've ever gotten. And that includes during
the second Palestinian intifada, during which there were large terrorist
attacks against Israel, and other wars that occurred with Gaza and with
Lebanon," he says.
Mekelberg
says that this is because many Israelis felt that the Palestinian Authority did
not condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks strongly enough, and attempts to explain
the context came across as justification to many Israelis. “There was a feeling
that even though they did offer a condemnation, there was too much ‘but’ and
trying to explain.”
Poll
results were also hawkish when it came to the use of force in Gaza: 57.5% of
Israeli Jews said that they believed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were using
too little firepower in Gaza, 36.6% said the IDF was using an appropriate
amount of firepower, while just 1.8% said they believed the IDF was using too
much fire power, while 4.2% said they weren’t sure whether it was using too
much or too little firepower.
On the
Israeli Voice Index conducted on Nov. 5 and Nov. 6, Israelis also expressed
dissatisfaction with the Netanyahu administration, with 61.4% of all Israelis
giving Netanyahu’s performance during the war a negative rating. On the Peace
Index poll, Netanyahu did even worse, with 75.8% of Israelis rating the prime
minister’s performance as “not so good” or “poor” in regards to the war.
Nevertheless, despite the distrust in Netanyahu, trust in the IDF remains high.
In Israeli Voice Index Polls conducted between Oct. 24-26, 49.5% of respondents
said that they trusted the IDF more than Prime Minister Netanyahu, while just
7.3% said they trusted Netanyahu more than the IDF.
“This is
very critical, the fact that Netanyahu’s electoral base is being eroded since
the beginning of the war,” says Tamar Hermann, a senior fellow at Israel
Democracy Institute. “A significant number of people who think of themselves as
on the right or say that they voted for the Likud [Netanyahu's party] are now
very critical of Netanyahu and his government functioning.”
Support
for a two-state solution also went down slightly among Jewish Israelis,
dropping from 37.5% in favor of a two-state solution in September to 28.6%
supporting the idea in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks, according to the
Peace Index polls. Among Arab citizens of Israel, support for a two-state
solution was roughly the same, going from 68.7% being in favor to 71.9% being
in favor after the attacks.
Mekelberg
says that Arab citizens of Israel are much more in favor of both two-state and
one-state solutions, since they are directly affected by inequalities baked
into the current system. The average Jewish Israeli household's income is
nearly double than that of the average Arab-Israeli household. “While they are
both citizens of the same country, they have a very different existence,” says
Mekelberg. “Both a one-state and a two-state solution give the possibility for
them to become equal.”
Perhaps
the most surprising finding from the surveys is that Israelis as a whole are
more hopeful about their future now than they were before Oct. 7. In response
to the Israel Democracy Institute poll, 64% of Israelis said they were
“optimistic” or “somewhat optimistic” about the future of the country. Hermann
says that the attack created a sense of unity among the Israeli public that was
absent during the democracy protests earlier this year. “In the first part of
2023, the national consensus was totally shattered. Now that the electoral
consensus is strengthened, it feels better for people to be part of a
collective that shares both a common destiny and the war effort.”
Nevertheless,
she warns that the feeling of consensus may be temporary. “Contrary to the gut
feeling of many Israelis now … the discrepancies between left and right were
very visible [in our data],” says Hermann. “When we ask them about preferences
during the war or for the future we still see a significant difference between
the political orientations, which means when the war is over, we are very
likely to see them coming up to the surface once again.”
Mekelberg
also warns not to over rely on polls taken during wartime. “The risk of running
these surveys during war is that emotions run very high,” he says. “When it’s
all settled, the answers might be different.”
Source: time.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://time.com/6333781/israel-hamas-poll-palestine/
-----
J&K
Court Grants Bail to Students Arrested for 'Chanting Pro-Pak Slogans', Police
Drop Terror Charges
03/DEC/2023
Representative
image of the crowd at the India-Australia cricket world cup final. Photo:
X/@cricketworldcup
----------
New
Delhi: A court in Jammu and Kashmir granted bail to the seven students who were
arrested for allegedly shouting pro-Pakistan slogans following India’s defeat
in the cricket world cup final last month. The police has also dropped its
terror charges against the students.
The
court in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Saturday, December 2, granted
interim bail to the seven students of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture
Science and Technology (SKUAST), who were accused of celebrating Australia’s
victory over India in the world cup final.
A
complaint filed by a SKUAST student from Punjab had alleged that pro-Pakistan
slogans were shouted by Kashmiri students staying at one of the hostel blocks
in the university, while non-local students were also warned against rooting
for India.
The FIR,
a copy of which is with The Wire, stated that the complainant student, Sachin
Bains, was allegedly abused and threatened by the Kashmiri students who shouted
pro-Pakistan slogans such as ‘JeeveJeeve Pakistan’ which created an atmosphere
of fear among the non-local students at the university.
After
receiving the complaint, the police had booked the students under Section 13
(advocating, abetting or inciting any unlawful activity) of Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act, 1967 (UAPA) and Sections 505 (inciting communal violence) and
506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.
The
terror FIR had prompted an uproar in Kashmir, with the families of the students
as well as political parties and common netizens demanding that the police
should drop the charges and give the students a second chance to continue their
studies.
However,
the J&K Police, while terming the incident as “terrorising” and “abnormal”,
had defended the anti-terror FIR, saying that such acts have been done in the
past “mostly on the back of separatist and terrorist networks” to project that
“everyone hates India” in Kashmir.
“The aim
is not airing personal preference of a particular sporting team. It is not
about dissent or freedom of expression. It is about terrorising others who may
be nourishing pro India feelings or anti Pakistan feelings or disagreeing,” the
statement on Wednesday, November 28, said.
When the
bail application came up for hearing on Saturday, the prosecution told the
court that the police prepared the site plan of scene of occurrence of the
incident which took place on November 19 at one of the two undergraduate
hostels of SKUAST in the Ganderbal district.
During
the investigations, the statements of witnesses were recorded under Section 161
of Code of Criminal Procedure and a mobile phone, which was used for filming
the incident, was also taken into its custody and later sent to FSL Srinagar
for analysis by J&K Police, the prosecution said.
“During
the course of investigation, CDR/SDR and bank details/property details being
collected in the instant case and the correspondence has been taken with
concerned units,” the prosecution told the court.
However,
the prosecution said that after initial investigation, it was found that
Section 13 of the anti-terror law didn’t apply to the case.
“Senior
prosecuting officer analyzed circumstances, evidences and statements on record
opined that at this stage as per the evidences on record does not connect the
accused persons to the commission of offences 13 UA(P) Act but the offence
under section 153-A IPC is attracted in the instant case while as section 13
UA(P) Act is dropped,” the prosecution told the court.
“As per
the statements of witnesses, other evidences and legal opinion so far section
153-A, 505, 506 IPC have been established against the accused persons in the
instant case and the investigation of the instant case is going on,” the
prosecution added.
Earlier,
the defence had told the court that the students were “law abiding citizens”
who “commanded the respect in the society and never involved in any antisocial
activities”, while alleging that they were being “implicated in a false and
frivolous case” by police.
After
hearing the two sides, the court granted interim bail to the students till
December 13 on personal bonds and surety bonds each of Rs 25,000 among other
conditions. The court asked the students to stay away from the witnesses in the
case and any “anti-national activity”.
The court
also ordered the students to remain available for questioning regarding the
case. “However, the investigating officer shall not call the accused persons
after sunset or before sunrise and if the applicants are called for any
investigation purpose proper record shall be maintained in the CD,” the court
observed.
Source: thewire.in
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://thewire.in/rights/jk-court-grants-bail-to-students-arrested-for-chanting-pro-pak-slogans-police-drop-terror-charges
-----
EU’s
foreign policy chief regrets resumption of attack on Gaza, urges Israel to
respect laws of war
Dec 3, 2023
Israeli
bombing destroyed 26 mosques across Gaza
------------
LONDON :
The EU’s foreign policy chief on Saturday expressed “regret” over the
resumption of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, emphasizing Tel Aviv’s
obligation to respect international humanitarian law and the laws of war, which
he described as “not only a moral obligation but also a legal one.”
“The way
Israel exercises its right to self-defence matters. It’s imperative that Israel
respects International Humanitarian Law and the laws of war,” Josep Borrell
wrote on X.
His
remarks came after the Israeli army resumed attacks on Gaza after declaring the
end of a week-long humanitarian pause on Friday morning, for which Borrell
expressed regret, fearing that the already high civilian death toll would rise
further.
Reiterating
his call for Israel to respect international law, he stressed that this is “not
only a moral obligation but a legal one as well.”
He also
mentioned the increasing violence in the occupied West Bank. Citing the UN
figures, Borrell said 271 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis since Oct.
7.
“It’s
not sufficient humanitarian pauses should be resumed, while simultaneously
working towards a comprehensive political solution for all the Palestinian
territories,” he added.
The
Israeli army resumed bombing the Gaza Strip early Friday after ending a
week-long humanitarian pause with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
At least
178 Palestinians have been killed and 589 injured on Friday in Israeli
airstrikes, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
The
humanitarian pause began on Nov. 24 as part of an agreement between Israel and
Hamas to temporarily halt fighting to allow hostage swaps and aid delivery.
More than
15,000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed in Israeli
attacks since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.
Around
1,200 Israelis have also been killed, according to official estimates. — AA
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/eus-foreign-policy-chief-regrets-resumption-of-attack-on-gaza-urges-israel-to-respect-laws-of-war/
------
Fazl
vows to protect citizens’ rights after coming to power
December
04, 2023
Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman speaks during a ceremony in Jhok
Wain in Multan in this still on December 3, 2023. — Facebook/Maulana Fazlur
Rehman
-----------
MULTAN:
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday said that they had
promoted moderation in differences while maintaining religious identity in
politics.
Addressing
a ceremony in Jhok Wains, the JUI chief said they have played a role in solving
public problems and overcoming all prejudices including communalism for the
future of the people. If any temptation arises against the Muslim Ummah, it is
among their duties to stand against it.
He said
ideology, belief and attitude are their political foundation. The poor people
should be treated with kindness and compassion. The protection of life, wealth,
honor and other matters of the poor is the duty of the chief and the landlord
of every area.
If the
power is given to his party, the rights of every citizen of the country must be
protected, the JUI chief added.
Meanwhile,
a JUI-F spokesperson on Sunday claimed party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will
become Pakistan’s next president no matter whether Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz
(PML-N) or Pakistan PakistanPeoples Party (PPP) secures a majority in
parliament following general elections scheduled for February next year.
In an
interview with a local TV channel, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah said if Fazl
can be made the head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a multiparty
alliance, then he can also be made the country’s president, Geo News reported.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1135003-fazl-vows-to-protect-citizens-rights-after-coming-to-power
-----
Islamic
Emirate: Over 450,000 Afghans Expelled From Pakistan
December
3, 2023
The
Islamic Emirate said that more than 450,000 Afghan migrants have been deported
from Pakistan since November 1.
Zabihullah
Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews that the
deportation of Afghan immigrants is still ongoing and they are trying to
address the challenges of the immigrants.
"In
general, we can say that more than 450,000 immigrants have returned to
Afghanistan so far, and the majority of them have been settled, some of them
are on their way, and now immigrants are coming from several parts of the
country and are being taken to their places of choice every day," the
spokesman of the Islamic Emirate told TOLOnews.
At the
same time, the foreign minister of the former government of Pakistan said that
deporting Afghan immigrants is a complicated issue and the interim government
of Pakistan should have consulted with the parties before doing this.
Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari added that the interim government of Pakistan does not have the
authority to deport illegal immigrants.
"It
would have been better if the interim government had consulted with the people,
the civil society, the victims and the host community and made a decision
accordingly and acted based on this decision. Maybe it would have been done in
a better way," said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
On the
other hand, a number of immigrants who have just returned to the country
criticize the misbehavior of the Pakistani police with the immigrants.
Nabi
Khan is one of the deported immigrants who has just returned from Pakistan with
27 members of his family.
He said
that he was imprisoned in a Pakistani prison for almost 3 months without
committing any crime.
"We
were in prison for two months, we were coming from Chitral, they caught us in
the Dir area and from there they sent us to the Center Jail in Peshawar,"
Nabi Khan told TOLOnews.
"They
treated the immigrants in such a way that wherever they saw them, they took ten
to twenty thousand of them and tore up the cards they had given to the
immigrants," said Matiullah, another expelled refugee.
Meanwhile,
Balochistan’s caretaker minister for information, Jan Achakzai, has once again
said that no Afghan will be allowed to enter Pakistan without a visa.
Achakzai
also claimed that the caretaker government is playing a double game instead of
handing over "elements involved in terrorist attacks in Pakistan,"
and Pakistan has repeatedly asked the Afghan government to hand over the
terrorists on a list Islamabad has given to Kabul.
"In
the terrorist incident in Bannu, the terrorist holding an Afghan ID card proved
that the holders of Afghan ID cards and Tazkira have also become a security
threat. For this reason, Afghans with ID cards should also leave here. No
Afghan is allowed to enter Pakistan without a passport," said Jan
Achakzai.
Sirajuddin
Haqqani, acting Minister of Interior, met with Roza Otunbayeva, the special
representative of the United Nations Secretary General, and discussed the
situation of expelled migrants.
Abdul
MatinQani, the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, said that Sirajuddin
Haqqani said in this meeting that world peace is a necessity for the Islamic
Emirate and that the internal problems of other countries should not cause
problems for the Afghan immigrants living there.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186328
------
ISIS
claims responsibility for deadly Philippine bombing
04 Dec 2023
MANILA –
Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants claimed responsibility for a
deadly bombing at a Catholic Mass in the Philippines on Dec 3 that killed at
least four people and injured 50 others.
The
attack was carried out in a university gymnasium in Marawi, a city in the south
of the country besieged by Islamist militants for five months in 2017.
ISIS,
which wields influence in the country’s south, on Telegram said its members had
detonated the bomb.
Earlier
on Dec 3, before ISIS’ claim, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr
condemned “the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign
terrorists”.
The
police and the military strengthened security in the country’s south and around
the capital Manila.
In Rome,
Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims during his Sunday address, and, in
a separate written message, appealed to “Christ the prince of peace (to) grant
to all the strength to turn from violence and overcome every evil with good”.
Law
enforcement operations to bring to justice the perpetrators of the “terrorist
activity” will “continue unabated”, Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a
press conference.
There
were “strong indications of a foreign element” in the bombing, Mr Teodoro said,
refusing to elaborate so as not to compromise the ongoing investigation.
Fragments
of a 60mm mortar were recovered at the scene, senior police official Emmanuel
Peralta told the press conference.
High
alert
The
blast in Marawi, capital of Lanao del Sur province, followed a series of
military operations against local pro-ISIS groups in the southern Philippines,
the military chief said.
One on
Dec 3 in Lanao del Sur led to the killing of a leader of the Dawlah
Islamiyah-Maute group.
“It is
possible that what happened this morning was a retaliatory attack,” armed
forces chief Romeo Brawner told the press conference.
ISIS-linked
Maute seized Marawi in May 2017, seeking to make it a South-east Asian wilayat
– or governorate – for ISIS.
In the
ensuing five-month battle, Islamist fighters and Philippine forces killed more
than a thousand people, including civilians.
Images
shared by the Lanao del Sur government on Facebook showed military officials
surveying the gym at the Mindanao State University where the blast occurred,
which appeared intact except for burn marks in the centre.
Videos
posted by DZBB radio on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, showed
rescuers carrying injured people out of the gym on plastic chairs.
Police
offices in Mindanao and the capital region were placed on high alert and police
checkpoints tightened “to prevent possible follow-up incidents”, police
official Peralta said.
The
coast guard directed its districts to intensify pre-departure inspections at
ports.
Mindanao
State University said in a Facebook post that it was “deeply saddened and
appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering”.
“We
unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms this senseless and
horrific act.”
The
university said it was suspending classes until further notice. REUTERS
Source: straitstimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-deadly-philippine-bombing
-----
Burkina,
Niger to quit the anti-jihadist force G5 Sahel
04
December 2023
The
military leaders of Burkina Faso and Niger said Saturday they would quit the G5
anti-jihadist force in Africa's Sahel area, the latest blow to the fight
against insurgents in one of the world's most troubled regions.
The G5,
created in 2014, has secured only meagre results, with Mali also quitting the
original five-nation force last year, also in the wake of a military coup.
Leaders
of the five countries agreed to deploy a joint anti-terror task force backed by
France in 2017, but the military rulers of Burkina, Niger and Mali have all
accused Paris of having an outsize role after years of French deployments on
their territories.
Burkina
and Niger "have decided in full sovereignty to quit all instances of the
G5 Sahel, including the joint force" as of November 29, the two countries
said in a statement.
"The
organisation is failing to achieve its objectives. Worse, the legitimate
ambitions of our countries, of making the G5 Sahel a zone of security and
development, are hindered by institutional red tape from a previous era, which
convinces us that our process of independence and dignity is not compatible
with G5 participation in its current form," they said.
.In a
veiled reference to france, they added that "the g5 sahel cannot serve
foreign interests to the detriments of our people, and even less the dictates
of any power in the name of a partnership that treats them like children,
denying the sovereignty of our peoples."
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/03/burkina-niger-to-quit-the-anti-jihadist-force-g5-sahel/
-----
Islamic
Resistance targets US bases in Syria, Iraq
Dec 4,
2023
TEHRAN,
Dec. 04 (MNA) – The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, representing the nation's
anti-terror forces, declared new strikes on American occupation forces,
targeting two US bases in eastern Syria and western Iraq.
A late
Sunday statement from the Iraqi resistance reported a barrage of missiles
hitting the US military base near Syria’s al-Khazra village.
Additionally,
the resistance conducted a drone attack on American forces stationed at Ain
al-Asad Airbase in Iraq's al-Anbar province.
These
retaliatory actions followed an earlier announcement confirming the deaths of
five fighters in a US airstrike on their northern Iraqi base, emphasizing their
commitment to resisting US presence until the complete departure of American
forces from Iraq.
Confirming
the US airstrike against the Islamic Resistance positions, an unnamed US
military official mentioned targeting "a drone staging site" near
Kirkuk in northern Iraq.
Attacks
on US interests have surged over the past two months in Iraq, fueled by anti-US
sentiments over Washington's unwavering support for Israel's actions in Gaza.
The
Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for striking al-Harir Airbase
in the Kurdistan region, where US military forces and trainers are stationed,
using an explosive-laden drone to destroy the target.
In
recent weeks, similar attacks on the same base were reported by the resistance,
with strikes on November 19, 22, and earlier on November 15 at the Ain al-Asad
Airbase, housing US occupation forces.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/209143/Islamic-Resistance-targets-US-bases-in-Syria-Iraq
-----
Houthis
claim responsibility for attacking 2 ‘Israeli ships’ in Red Sea
4th
December 2023
Aden:
Yemen’s Houthi rebel group has claimed responsibility for attacking two
“Israeli ships” off Yemen’s Red Sea coast near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb
Strait.
According
to a statement released on Sunday by the group’s military spokesman Yahya
Sarea, the rebel forces carried out drone and naval missile attacks at two
“Israeli ships” after both ships ignored warning messages from
Houthi-controlled naval forces, Xinhua news agency reported.
He vowed
that the Houthi forces would continue hampering Israeli ships from sailing in
the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until Israeli military aggression against the
Gaza Strip ceases.
Earlier
on Sunday, a Yemeni coast guard official told Xinhua that a missile had struck
a Bahamian-flagged commercial ship 34 nautical miles off the coast of Mocha, a
Yemeni port city in the Red Sea while sailing in international waters near Bab
el-Mandeb Strait.
The
official confirmed the vessel sustained damage, but the extent was unknown.
The
Houthis have previously threatened to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea in
retaliation for the ongoing conflict in Gaza that erupted on October 7 between
Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas.
On
November 19, the Houthis seized a vessel they claimed was an “Israeli ship”
near Bab el-Mandeb, holding 52 sailors of different nationalities hostage.
The
strikes on the commercial ship near the strategic maritime route of Bab
el-Mandeb could potentially escalate tensions and threaten international
shipping in the region.
Since
the Yemeni civil war erupted in late 2014, the Houthi militia has taken control
of much of Yemen’s north, including the strategic Red Sea port city of
Hodeidah.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.siasat.com/houthis-claim-responsibility-for-attacking-2-israeli-ships-in-red-sea-2927222/
-----
Mideast
Death
toll in Gaza Strip from Israeli strikes rises to 15,523
4th December 2023
Gaza: The death toll of Palestinians from
Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has reached 15,523, the
Hamas-run health ministry has said.
Ministry
spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said during a press conference on Sunday that the
number of injured people in the Palestinian enclave had surpassed 41,000, amid
a collapse of healthcare services, Xinhua news agency reported.
Al-Qidra
said that hundreds of wounded people were being treated on the ground with
extremely limited medical resources, as hospitals in northern Gaza “have become
increasingly incapable of providing necessary healthcare”.
He added
that all hospitals in the Gaza Strip were overwhelmed beyond their medical and
bed capacities, lacking the necessary surgical resources to handle critical
cases.
Al-Qidra
slammed the slow mechanism for allowing the wounded to seek treatment abroad,
saying that only 403 people had been allowed to leave the Gaza Strip since the
start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
He
reiterated the demand for safe humanitarian corridors to ensure the flow of
medical supplies, medications, and fuel, and called for efforts to allow the
wounded and patients to travel abroad to receive treatment.
Hamas
commander killed in Gaza airstrike: Israeli military
The
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that a Hamas commander, who was
responsible for carrying out raids into Israeli territory in the October 7
attack, has been killed in an airstrike in Gaza.
In a
post on X late Sunday night, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said
that “guided by the intelligence of the Shin Bet and the IDF, eliminated
Haitham Khojari, the commander of the Shati Battalion of the terrorist
organisation Hamas, using an Air Force fighter jet, under his command, they
launched a raid into Israeli territory on October 7”.
According
to Hagari, Khawajiri commanded the security of the activities of the at the
Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza and also commanded the fighting against the IDF
forces at Camp Shatti.
“During
his position, Khawajri was responsible for a lot of terrorist activity against
the residents of the State of Israel,” the IDF spokesperson added.
The IDF
took control of the Al-Shati refugee camp located in the northern Gaza Strip in
November.
Earlier
on Sunday, the IDF had announced that it eliminated 500 of the more than 800
exposed shafts to Hamas’ underground tunnels located near or inside
kindergartens, schools, playgrounds and mosques.
“To be
clear, these places aren’t childproof, but rather teeming with terrorism. Every
tunnel shaft and weapon we find is further proof of how Hamas deliberately uses
the residents of Gaza for their terrorist agenda against Israelis,” it said in
a post on X.
Israel
resumed its attacks on Gaza since the collapse of the seven-day humanitarian
truce on December 1.
In the
last 24 hours, the military said that an IDF UAV targeted and eliminated five
Hamas terrorists.
It also
said that Israel Air Force fighter jets and helicopters struck Hamas terrorist
targets; tunnel shafts, command centres and weapons storage facilities.
Meanwhile,
IDF naval troops struck infrastructure, vessels belonging to the militant
group’s naval forces and weapons.
Israel
issues evacuation orders covering 25% of Gaza territory: UN
The
Israeli military issued evacuation orders to new areas covering approximately
25 per cent of the Gaza Strip following the collapse of truce talks, according
to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA).
The
Israel military has divided the territory into numerous small zones in an
attempt to ease evacuation orders before the potential bombardment, the OCHA
was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.
Among
the designated evacuation zones are towns in southern Gaza, including
Al-Qarara, Khuza’a, Abasan, and Bani Suhaila, said the OCHA, noting that
residents in these areas have been instructed to move southwards toward Rafah
near the Egyptian border.
According
to the OCHA, these areas subject to evacuation orders account for 19 per cent
of Gaza’s territory (69 square km) and were home to approximately 352,000
people before the onset of the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Furthermore,
the Israeli military has ordered evacuations in the eastern part of Gaza City,
including Shejaiya, Zeitoun, and the Old City, as well as Jabalia in northern
Gaza, which account for approximately 6 per cent of the Strip, and were
previously inhabited by around 415,000 people, with many already evacuated,
according to the OCHA.
Israeli
army Spokesperson AvichayAdraee reiterated on Sunday the evacuation orders on
his social media platform X, urging residents in Khan Yunis in the southern
enclave to leave their residences and head to alternative locations.
The OCHA
estimates that about 1.8 million people in Gaza, nearly 80 per cent of the
population, have become internally displaced, among whom about 1.1 million are
accommodated in 156 facilities across Gaza by the UN Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The UN
group also highlighted concerns about the vulnerable, including persons with
disabilities, pregnant, breastfeeding mothers, injuries and those with
compromised immune systems.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.siasat.com/death-toll-in-gaza-strip-from-israeli-strikes-rises-to-15523-2927188/
------
Israel’s
aggression continues, says ground forces operating across Gaza Strip
December
4, 2023
GAZA/CAIRO:
Israeli ground forces were confronting Hamas across the across the Gaza Strip,
the Israeli military said on Sunday in its clearest indication yet that a
planned ground offensive in the enclave’s refugee-crowded south had begun as
Israeli bombing killed and wounded dozens of Palestinians.
The
Hamas said its fighters clashed with Israeli troops about 2 km (1 mile) from
the southern city of Khan Younis.
Residents,
many of whom had moved there to flee earlier attacks, said they could hear tank
fire and feared a new Israeli ground offensive was building.
The
Israeli military earlier ordered people to evacuate some areas in and near the
city, but made no announcement of any new southern ground assault.
ICC
prosecutor says Israel must respect international law
“The IDF
(Israel Defence Forces) continues to extend its ground operation against Hamas
centres in all of the Gaza Strip,” spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told
reporters in Tel Aviv. “The forces are coming face-to-face with terrorists and
killing them.”
Early on
Monday, Hamas quoted emergency services as saying an Israeli strike killed
three civil emergency workers in Gaza City in the north of the coastal enclave.
Shipping
attacks
Attacks
on shipping in the southern Red Sea on Sunday heightened fears of the conflict
spreading.
The U.S.
Defense Department said three commercial ships were attacked by Yemen’s
Iran-allied Houthi movement in international Red Sea waters, and a U.S.
destroyer operating in the area shot down three drones as it responded to
distress calls.
Houthis
target two Israeli ships in Red Sea
A Houthi
spokesperson said its navy had attacked two Israeli ships in the Red Sea with
an armed drone and a missile on Sunday, though an Israeli military spokesman
said the two ships had no connection to Israel.
Refugee
camp strike
The
Jabalia refugee camp in the north of Hamas-ruled Gaza was among the sites
reported hit from the air. A Gazan health ministry spokesperson said several
people were killed by an Israeli air strike.
Footage
obtained by Reuters showed a boy covered in grey dust, sitting weeping amid
crumbled cement and rubble from collapsed buildings.
Israeli
bombing of Gaza intensifies
“My
father was martyred,” he cried in a hoarse voice. A girl in a pink sweatshirt,
also coated with dust, stood between piles of rubble.
Bombardments
from war planes and artillery were also concentrated on Khan Younis and Rafah,
another city in Gaza’s south, residents said, and hospitals were struggling to
cope with the flow of wounded.
Israel’s
government spokesperson, Eylon Levy, said the military had struck more than 400
targets over the weekend “including extensive aerial attacks in the Khan Younis
area” and had also killed Hamas and destroyed their infrastructure in Beit
Lahiya in the north.
There
was no immediate comment on the reports of specific attacks.
Israel’s
goal to destroy Hamas risks decade of war: Macron
The
renewed warfare followed the end on Friday of a seven-day pause in the fighting
between Israeli forces and Hamas which had allowed an exchange of 105 hostages
held by Hamas, most of them Israelis, for 240 Palestinian prisoners.
The
latest violence took place despite calls from the United States — Israel’s
closest ally — for Israel to limit harm to Palestinian civilians in the new
phase of its offensive, focused on the south.
U.S.
Vice President Kamala Harris made phone calls to both Israeli President Isaac
Herzog and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday, reiterating
Israel’s right to self-defense and U.S. support for a two-state solution that
gives Palestinian people the right to self-determination.
Harris
“reiterated our concerns with steps that could escalate tensions, including
extremist (Israeli) settler violence,” her office said.
More
than 15,523 people have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, in
nearly two months of warfare that broke out after a Hamas cross-border raid on
southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 240
taken hostage. Israel says Hamas continues to hold 136 hostages.
Israel
has vowed to annihilate Hamas. The Iranian-backed group is sworn to Israel’s
destruction. The initial Hamas attack and the ensuing war amount to the
bloodiest episode in the decades-old wider Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Osama
Hamdan, a Lebanon-based Hamas official, accused Israel of pursuing a deliberate
strategy of urging Gazan civilians south in order to trap and kill them there.
“It has
become clear that the occupation’s claim … of the existence of safe areas in
the south of the Gaza Strip, and its constant call for citizens to go there,
was a premeditated plan and trap to commit more massacres against unarmed
civilians and displaced people in the south,” he told reporters without citing
evidence. “There are no safe areas.”
Ground
offensive feared
Gaza
residents said earlier on Sunday they feared an Israeli ground offensive on the
southern areas was imminent. Tanks had cut off the road between Khan Younis and
Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, effectively dividing the Gaza Strip into three.
The
Israeli military ordered Palestinians to evacuate several areas in and around
Khan Younis. It posted a map highlighting shelters they should go to west of
Khan Younis and south toward Rafah, on the border with Egypt.
Many
residents started packing but said that areas they had been told to go to were
themselves coming under attack.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40276612/israels-aggression-continues-says-ground-forces-operating-across-gaza-strip
------
'70% of
Gaza hospitals forced to close following heavy Israeli attacks'
04
December 2023
Seventy
percent of hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip have ceased operations
following the Israeli regime's heavy bombardment of the Palestinian territory.
Hossam
Khalifa, who heads the assessment team at the Palestinian Central Bureau of
Statistics, made the announcement in an interview on Sunday.
He added
that Israel's indiscriminate strikes on Gaza have resulted in the partial or
total destruction of 250,000 of the territory's 400,000 housing units.
Khalifa
said the economic losses inflicted on the Gaza Strip due to Israel's genocidal
war reached USD700 million in October.
The
media office of the Hamas Islamic resistance movement announced on Sunday that
Israel's strikes against the Gaza Strip had killed over 700 civilians over the
past 24 hours.
Israel
started the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian
resistance movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the
occupying entity in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign of
bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
According
to Gaza’s health ministry more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed and
over 41,300 others wounded since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on the
coastal territory.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/04/715767/Gaza-hospitals-Israeli-attacks-
-----
'Speaking
with Fire': Benjamin Netanyahu affirms ongoing talks with Hamas on hostage
release
Dec 3, 2023
TEL
AVIV: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed ongoing efforts to
secure the release of hostages in Gaza through military operations, The Times
of Israel reported.
Netanyahu
emphasised the need for strategic and careful decision-making by the war
cabinet. stating, "We are continuing now to speak with our enemy about
continuing to free hostages -- speaking with fire."
In a
recent address to members of the Likud party, Netanyahu urged caution among
Likud ministers and lawmakers during the wartime, advising them to "be
careful with your words, in particular during a time of war," and avoid
personal arguments, especially concerning criticism of security forces.
Netanyahu
underscored the importance of maintaining unity and focus on both the southern
and northern fronts.
Netanyahu
also called for a thorough inquiry into the fatal shooting of Yuval Doron
Castleman, a civilian who responded to a Jerusalem shooting attack last
Thursday, CNN reported.
Castleman
heroically intervened, saving lives, but tragically lost his own in the process.
Netanyahu expressed condolences and highlighted the need for a comprehensive
investigation into the incident.
"Yuval
Doron Castleman is a hero of Israel. In a supreme act of bravery, Yuval saved
many lives. However, unfortunately, a terrible tragedy occurred there - and the
man who had saved others was killed. There must be a thorough inquiry,"
CNN quoted Netanyahu as saying.
The
incident unfolded as Castleman responded to a shooting attack at a Jerusalem
bus stop. Videos circulating on social media depict Castleman firing his
handgun at the attackers before realising he could be mistaken for one of them.
He threw away his pistol, dropped to his knees, opened his jacket to show he
wasn't wearing a suicide vest, and raised his hands. A uniformed soldier on the
other side of the attackers' car reportedly shot Castleman after his hands were
raised.
Initially,
the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced they would not investigate the
incident. However, following widespread media coverage and public outcry, Israel
Police committed to investigating, prompting the IDF to join the inquiry due to
the involvement of a soldier in the shooting.
The
attack in Jerusalem was claimed by Hamas, leading Israel to cite it as a
violation of the pause in hostilities between Hamas and Israel. The situation
remains tense on both the southern and northern fronts as Israel continues its
efforts to address security concerns and secure the release of hostages through
military operations, CNN reported.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/speaking-with-fire-benjamin-netanyahu-affirms-ongoing-talks-with-hamas-on-hostage-release/articleshow/105707773.cms
------
Iran foreign
minister: US must bear consequences of supporting Israel's crimes, genocide in
Gaza
03
December 2023
Iran's
foreign minister says the United States must bear the consequences of its
unbridled support for the Israel regime’s crimes against Palestinians in the
besieged Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian made the comment in a joint presser with his Omani
counterpart, Sayyid BadrAlbusaidi, in Tehran on Sunday.
Iran's
top diplomat said the new round of the Zionist regime’s attacks on Gaza and the
West Bank started after the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attended the
Zionist regime’s war cabinet meeting.
“On the
one hand, the United States advises Israel through media to stop massacre of
women, children and civilians, but in practice it supports and greenlights
[Israel’s] genocide in Gaza. The United States must bear the consequences of
this hypocritical behavior in support of Israel,” Amir-Abdollahian warned.
He noted
that the Israeli regime has killed nearly 800 women and children in Gaza during
the last two days alone.
US has
sent bunker buster bombs and an array of other munitions to Israel, a report
says.
“We were
told by the resistance leaders a day before that if the current situation [in
Gaza] continues, the region will enter a new phase and further spread of the
war across the region is quite conceivable. [Therefore,] we warn all warmongers
to stop this massacre before it is too late,” Iran's foreign minister said.
Amir-Abdollahian
added that some of the documents obtained by resistance groups through
Operation al-Aqsa Storm prove that the Israeli regime seeks to expel all
inhabitants of Gaza to parts of Egypt and transfer the inhabitants of the West
Bank to Jordan.
He
expressed hope that Egyptian officials would take steps to prevent this Israeli
plot from being realized.
“Bringing
the Zionist regime’s officials to justice at an international tribunal is a
public demand [of the world] and lawsuits are being filed by some governments,
including Iran, in cooperation with a number of other countries. We hope we
would witness the trial of war criminals who have killed nearly 16,000 people
in the last two months,” Iran's top diplomat said.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Iran has never sought insecurity
and war in the region.
He once
again warned “those warmongers who seek to expand the scope of war in Gaza and
the West Bank" to stop their support for Israeli criminals before it is
too late.
The
spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry says the US administration is
complicit in Israeli crimes over its support for the occupying regime
The
Omani foreign minister, for his part, said he had discussed the latest
developments in Palestine and the Zionist regime’s continued attacks on
civilians with his Iranian counterpart.
He said
the two foreign ministers stressed the need for the continuation of political
efforts by the two countries with regard to Palestine.
Albusaidi
also urged the international community to fulfill its duties toward
Palestinians, so that security would be restored to the region along with an
end to the Israeli siege of Gaza.
Israel
started the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian
resistance movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the
occupying entity in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign of
bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
Israeli
attacks on the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours have led to the killing of over
700 people.
According
to Gaza’s health ministry more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed and
over 41,300 others wounded since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on the
coastal territory.
Since
the beginning of the war on Gaza, the US has been Israel's biggest ally,
providing it with thousands of arms consignments. Washington, which has backed
Tel Aviv's ferocious attacks as a means of "self-defense," has been
also casting its veto against the UN Security Council resolutions that called
on the occupying regime to cease its aggression.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/03/715760/Iran-warning-United-States-Israel-war-Gaza-West-Bank-Oman
------
Hezbollah
hits Israeli targets with guided missile
Dec 4,
2023
TEHRAN,
Dec. 04 (MNA) – Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah carried out several
operations against Israeli military targets and sites on Sunday, according to
local sources.
The most
prominent operations were against the "Beit Hillel" base. In this
operation, Hezbollah forces managed to hit an Israeli target inside the base
with a guided missile, despite it being over 3km away from the Lebanese border,
the Al-Mayadeen news channel reported.
On that
note, Israeli media admitted 11 were injured in the attack targeting a military
vehicle with a guided missile at "Beit Hillel" in Upper al-Jalil.
Hezbollah
had previously targeted the "Beit Hillel" military base with Katyusha
"Grad" rockets in response to the Israeli targeted killing of Al
Mayadeen's crew in South Lebanon last month.
The
Israeli strike resulted in the martyrdom of reporter Farah Omar and
photojournalist RabihMe'mari. Lebanese citizen Hussein Akil was collaborating with
the crew at the time of the strike, which resulted in his martyrdom as well.
Hezbollah
announced on Sunday in separate statements that the Resistance group carried
out 8 operations against Israeli bases and sites in support of the Palestinian
people and their steadfast Resistance.
The
renewed attacks, which have been ongoing for three days, come after the
Resistance halted operations against Israeli targets during the temporary truce
in Gaza that expired on Friday morning.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/209141/Hezbollah-hits-Israeli-targets-with-guided-missile
------
Israeli
security chief in recording vows to hunt down Hamas abroad -Kan TV
December
04, 2023
JERUSALEM:
Israel will hunt down Hamas in Lebanon, Turkiye and Qatar even if it takes
years, the head of Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet said in a
recording aired by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan on Sunday.
It was
unclear when Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar made the remarks or to whom.
The
agency itself declined to comment on the report.
“The
cabinet has set us a goal, in street talk, to eliminate Hamas. This is our
Munich. We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in
Turkiye, in Qatar. It will take a few years but we will be there to do it.”
By
Munich, Bar was referring to Israel’s response to the 1972 killing of 11
Israeli Olympic team members when gunmen from the Palestinian Black September
group launched an attack on the Munich games.
Israel
responded by carrying out a targeted assassination campaign against Black
September operatives and organizers over several years and in several
countries.
Israel
has vowed to annihilate Hamas after its gunmen on Oct. 7 burst through the
border with Gaza, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 240
hostage.
More
than 15,500 people have been killed so far during Israel’s offensive in Gaza
since, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Other
than in Gaza, Hamas leaders reside in or frequently visit Lebanon, Turkiye and
Qatar. Qatar helped to mediate a week-long truce that broke down on Friday.
Over the
years, various countries have offered some protection for Hamas, designated a
terrorist group by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan and the
United States.
In 1997,
Israeli Mossad agents botched the poisoning of then-Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal
in Jordan. Israel had to give Jordan an antidote to save Meshaal’s life.
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister at the time.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2419836/middle-east
-----
Cuban
president in Tehran on historic visit: Raeisi officially welcomes Díaz-Cane
04 December 2023
Iranian
President Ebrahim Raeisi officially welcomes his Cuban counterpart Miguel
Díaz-Canel, who is in Tehran on a historic visit.
During a
ceremony held at the Sa’adabad historical and cultural complex on Monday
morning, Raeisi welcomed Díaz-Canel, who arrived in Tehran Sunday night on the
first visit by a Cuban president after former leader, late Fidel Castro,
visited Iran 22 years ago.
The
Iranian and Cuban presidents started their meeting shortly following the
ceremony and are scheduled to attend a joint press conference afterward.
Senior
officials of the two countries will sign documents and memoranda of
understanding to develop relations of cooperation.
The
Cuban president, who is heading a high-ranking politico-economic delegation,
was welcomed by Iran’s Minister of Health and Medical Education Bahram
Einollahi at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport upon his arrival.
Senior
Iranian and Cuban officials sign six cooperation MoUs during Iran’s Raeisi’s
visit to Havana.
Díaz-Canel
will also hold separate meetings with a number of Iranian authorities and tour
an exhibition showcasing the latest joint achievements reached in cooperation
with Cuba in medical and pharmaceutical fields.
Back in
June, the Iranian president traveled to Havana and met with his Cuban
counterpart. In the presence of the two presidents, Iran and Cuba signed six
agreements to expand bilateral economic, political and judicial cooperation.
Source: presstv.ir
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full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/04/715776/Raeisi-officially-welcomes-Cuban-president-Tehran
-----
COP28
protesters call for Gaza ceasefire, in first UAE pro-Palestine protest
04
December 2023
Protesters
have gathered on the sidelines of the COP28 UN climate summit in the United
Arab Emirates to show solidarity with the people in the besieged Gaza Strip in
the first UAE pro-Palestine demonstration.
On
Sunday, more than 100 protesters and activists in the Dubai Expo City held
banners calling for a “ceasefire” and “climate decolonization” and chanted
“Free, Free Palestine.”
“We are
seeking an end to the siege, end to the occupation,” Palestinian-American Tariq
Luthun told Reuters after taking part in an earlier, smaller demonstration
calling for a ceasefire.
Jacob
Maurice Johns, an Indigenous activist from North America, said Palestinian
voices were being silenced and needed the world to stand in solidarity with
them.
Demonstrations
in the UAE, in general, are an unusual sight as political freedom of expression
is limited. However, as hosts of the annual climate conference, it allows
protests to take place at COP28.
According
to Reuters, so far, there have been no demonstrations outside the COP28 site.
Moreover,
UN restrictions prevent protesters from raising Palestinian flags or chanting
certain slogans. UN guidelines prohibit naming states, leaders, or companies in
activist actions within the COP venue.
Pro-Palestinian
activists hold protest at Dubai
While
delegates from nearly 200 countries are making efforts to limit global warming
at COP28, the Israeli war on Gaza, now in its eighth week, spilled over at the
UN COP28 climate talks.
On
Thursday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi announced he would not attend COP28
and that Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian would take part instead.
However,
later on Friday the Iranian delegate also walked out of UN climate talks in
protest over the presence of Israeli representatives, what Mehrabian said was
“contrary to the goals and guidelines of the conference.”
President
of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas also canceled his planned visit to
COP28.
Saudi
Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman did not attend the
meeting, despite being scheduled to give the first speech.
No
reason was given for the last-minute cancellation.
Several
other world leaders took the chance to lament the Israel war against Gaza that
has left thousands dead.
“It is
impossible not to touch on the humanitarian crisis taking place in Palestinian
territories close to us,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the
environmental meeting.
Erdogan
also described the incidents in Gaza as a “war crime,” while his Colombian and
Cuban counterparts both called the war a “genocide.”
Iraqi
President Abdel Latif Rashid also used his speech to “condemn the aggressive
assault against Gaza.”
“We call
upon the international community to stand firm against this assault,” he added.
Thousands
join a pro-Palestine march in Johannesburg to show solidarity with the people
of Gaza.
Israeli
regime forces launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s
Palestinian resistance movements began Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the
occupying entity in response to the occupant regime forces’ decades-long
campaign of intimidation and massacre of Palestinians and taking their land.
More
than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, in
Israeli regime forces relentless airstrikes, with many more still missing and
unaccounted for and feared to be dead under the rubble.
At least
40,000 Palestinians have been wounded since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal
war on the coastal territory.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/04/715772/PRO-PALESTINE-RALLY--HELD-IN-UAE-COP28
----
Turkish
president to visit Qatar for high-level talks
MuminAltas
04.12.2023
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leave for Qatar’s capital Doha on Monday on
a two-day visit for high-level talks, according to the Communications
Directorate.
Erdogan
and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will co-chair the ninth
meeting of the Türkiye-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee.
The
meeting will review Türkiye-Qatar relations in all aspects and the
possibilities for further deepening cooperation.
The
leaders are expected to exchange views on regional and global issues, including
Israeli attacks on Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Erdogan
will also attend the 44th Gulf Cooperation Council Summit on Tuesday.
Various
bilateral agreements are expected to be signed.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkish-president-to-visit-qatar-for-high-level-talks/3072275
-----
India
This
hat-trick of victories a guarantee for ’24: Modi
04th December 2023
NEW
DELHI: Delighted over BJP’s victory in the Hindi heartland, PM Narendra Modi on
Sunday asserted that the BJP-led NDA will do a hat-trick in 2024 too. “Today’s
hat-trick has given the guarantee for the hat-trick in 2024. The voters of
India know what works for the betterment of the nation,” said Modi.
Hailing
his party’s performances, he said the BJP does not make empty promises, rather
it ensures delivery and performance. The victory of BJP in three states has
come as a victory of an idea of ‘Sab ka saath, Sab ka vikas’. He termed the
party victory as the victory of the poor, farmers, women and the youth who are
determined to make Bharat a ‘viksit-rashtra’ (developed nation).
The PM
was addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters. He attacked the Congress
and its allies associated with INDIA by referring to them as a
“ghamandiagathbandhan) and accused the Congress of keeping the youth, farmers,
poor families and women deprived of their right to development.
In
apparent reference to the rising voices for a caste census and its backdrop,
Modi said, “Some people made all-out attempts recently during the elections to
divide the country into castes. But the people did not allow them. For me, only
four castes exist – the poor, Nari Shakti (women’s power), Yuva-Shakti (youth
power) and farmers. We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure their
development.”
Modi
said the results of the polls have started a flow of positive energy and its
power has further strengthened the foundation prepared for a developed India.
He asked the Congress and its allies in the Opposition not to spread negative
politics. “In the interest of democracy, I have one more advice to the Congress
and its allies: Please don’t do politics which is anti-national; which works to
divide and weaken the country. Otherwise, the people will oust you from
politics,” he said.
He said
Sunday’s results were a lesson for those created hurdles in the path of
development of the poor, who obstructed the welfare schemes. “Stop all this,
otherwise the people will remove you one by one,” the PM warned. Going hammer
and tongs against the INDIA bloc, Modi sought to place BJP’s victories before
the ‘ghamandia-gathbadhhan’ (egoistic alliance). “The lesson is that the
country’s trust cannot be won just by a few family members coming together on
stage,” he said, attacking dynastic politics.
The long
& short of it
Going
hammer and tongs against the INDIA bloc, PM Modi sought to place the victories
of BJP before the ‘ghamandia-gathbadhhan’ (egoistic alliance). He also took a
swipe at former Congress government in Rajasthan, Telangana and Chhattisgarh,
saying that dissatisfaction among the youth over paper leaks and recruitment
scams led to the ouster of governments in these states. He also said the voters
now know when India progresses, the state progresses and the life of every
family improves.
Nota
1.26% -
C’garh
0.98% -
Madhya Pradesh
0.96% -
Rajasthan
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/dec/04/this-hat-trick-of-victories-a-guarantee-for-24-modi-2638489.html
----
Cong
manages to get back support of Muslim community in districts
Dec 4,
2023
HYDERABAD:
A sizeable Muslim wave helped Congress win in many seats unlike in 2018 when
the community had backed BRS.
Among
the seats Congress won is Warangal West, which it had not won in last four
polls. There are over 60,000 voters from the community here.
Similarly,
their vote helped Congress beat sitting BRS MLAs in Mahbubnagar, Huzurnagar,
Warangal East, Khammam, Bodhan, Ibrahimpatnam, Shadnagar, Ramagundam, Nizamabad
Rural and Nalgonda.
But it
was a different story in Greater Hyderabad and surrounding areas, where they
backed BRS and its ally AIMIM. Hyderabad MP AsaduddinOwaisi-led AIMIM retained
all its seven seats of Nampally, Charminar, Yakutpura, Chandrayangutta, Karwan,
Bahadurpura and Malakpet.
Owaisi
had appealed to the community to back BRS in all seats except the nine it was
contesting. BRS won Muslim-concentrated seats of Sanathnagar and Secunderabad
with huge majority. The community vote also helped BRS win Khairatabad, Jubilee
Hills, Sangareddy, Secunderabad Cantonment and Musheerabad. The community,
which has a sizeable presence in 45 of 119 constituencies, had traditionally
backed the Congress but shifted to the BRS in 2014 and 2018.
Although
they had no major complaints against BRS, Congress' Karnataka victory over BJP
gave the community hope that a win in Telangana would put party on a stronger
wicket against BJP in the Lok Sabha polls next year.
Manuu
professor AfrozAlam said a sizeable section among the community was still with
the BRS as in their two terms there have been no communal riots in the state.
Karnataka
minorities minister Zameer Khan said the shift towards Congress was due to
party's massive outreach over the past few months.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/cong-manages-to-get-back-support-of-muslim-community-in-districts/articleshow/105711351.cms
----
PM Modi
Says He Spoke to Qatar Emir But Silent on Whether Fate of 8 Indians on Death
Row Was Raised
03/DEC/2023
New
Delhi: After returning home from his Dubai visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
spoke publicly about his short “conversation” with the Emir of Qatar at the COP
summit, their first interaction since a Qatari Court delivered the death
sentence to eight Indian nationals.
However,
Modi did not explicitly state whether he addressed the matter with the Qatari
ruler.
Last
month, Qatar’s Court of First Instance the Court of First Instance in Qatar
issued a death sentence to eight former Indian naval officers employed by an
Omani company tasked with training Qatari defence personnel. While the order or
the charges have not been made public, it is understood that the they were
accused of espionage. The appeal process against the order has started, with at
least one hearing held so far.
On
Saturday, Modi was in Dubai to attend the COP summit, where he met with a
series of leaders. The PM’s official social media accounts posted photos of
discussions with the leaders of France, Israel, Maldives, Sweden, Switzerland
and Uzbekistan, while the MEA issued readouts.
A video
clip showing Modi strolling alongside Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and
gesticulating at a COP event had been circulated across social media, but there
was no official acknowledgement of the encounter. Modi left Dubai on Friday
night.
Unusually,
the Indian PM posted about their talks nearly 24 hours later.
On
Saturday, he tweeted that their conversation on the sidelines of the COP summit
was “on the potential of bilateral partnership and the well-being of the Indian
community in Qatar”.
There is
no confirmation whether Modi did raise the issue of the eight Indians with the
Emir.
Source: thewire.in
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https://thewire.in/diplomacy/prime-minister-narendra-modi-qatar-death-row
------
Israel-Palestine
takes centre stage in discussion on conflicts around the world
December
03, 2023
From the
complex genesis of the state of Israel to what India’s stand should be, the
Israel-Palestine conflict was thoroughly dissected and closely examined by the
experts in a session titled Fields of Fire: Conflicts Around the World at the
Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday (December 3).
In
conversation with former diplomats Navtej Sarna and Talmiz Ahmad, along with
Nitin Pai, the co-founder of the Takshashila Institution, journalist Neena
Gopal began by asking Mr. Ahmad, the former Indian ambassador to Saudi Arabia,
Oman and the UAE, about Doha and its significance to the current Gaza-Israel
conflict.
“Qatar
was the proponent of the Muslim Brotherhood and political Islam in general,” he
says, going on to explain the evolution of the politics in that region. “It is
possibly the only major country in the region that has close ties with Hamas.
Therefore, it is not surprising that people should turn to Qatar and seek a
substantial role for them in promoting a sort of ceasefire, truce, swap of
hostages and ultimately, possibly, a peace process, “he said.
He also
went on to delve into the disproportionate losses suffered by the Palestinians
in this decades-long conflict.
Comparing
the way in which the Israel-Gaza is framed when compared to the conflict in
Ukraine, Mr. Pai pointed to a certain hypocrisy in the western world.
“Why
should we now think that the Americans and the West and the liberal side of the
world are any better than the Chinese and the Russians? Because each side seems
to be just taking the position that is in their interest,“ he pointed out,
adding, “The most influential actor is still the United States. And the United
States has been seen as a very, very partisan, very hypocritical actor.”
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/israel-palestine-takes-centre-stage-in-discussion-on-conflicts-around-the-world/article67601995.ece
-----
Europe
Pope
Francis and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar call for peace and climate action at Cop28
Ramola
Talwar Badam
Dec 04,
2023
Faith
added a powerful voice to efforts to save the planet on day four of Cop28 when
Pope Francis and Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar, signed a
declaration of support for climate action.
Both
Pope Francis and Dr Al Tayeb signed the Call of Conscience declaration on
Sunday which intends to draw in interfaith dialogue to introduce measures to
combat climate change.
The Pope
said the document reflected the intention of religious leaders to stand
together in the interest of peace and to protect the planet.
“Today
the world needs alliances that are not against someone but for the benefit of
everyone,” he said in a video message.
He spoke
of the urgency for the world’s religions to set a good example by working
together “not for own interests of those of particular groups but for the
interests of our world”.
“Among
these the most important right now are peace and climate,” he added.
The Pope
deeply regretted not being at Cop28 due to ill health and called on religious
representatives to show that change is possible by demonstrating respectful and
sustainable lifestyles.
Calling
for peace, he urged world leaders to “safeguard creation and protect our common
home.”
The
Grand Imam also joined in the plea for peace and urged an end to the violence
in Gaza.
He
appealed for a halt to “atrocious, criminal wars,” and warned that if these
persisted the world would be left with “neither a viable environment nor a
liveable climate for our children or future generations.”
Respect
the environment
Dr Al
Tayeb also cautioned that climate change was one of the most serious challenges
facing humanity with a growing number of natural disasters.
“This
threat is embodied in natural disasters including an unprecedented rise in
temperature, sweeping floods, devastating wildfires, severe drought and
extinction of numerous living species and the spread of epidemics and
diseases,” he said.
Dr Tayeb
said the teaching of the Quran embodied being mindful of the environment.
“The
noble Quran abounds with verses that urge respect for the environment and its
elements,” he said adding that “humans are responsible for the environment,
just as they are responsible for themselves and for their fellow human beings.”
The
document has been signed by several religious leaders during Cop28 and
reaffirms their support to communities impacted by climate change.
The
leaders have pledged to change their consumption patterns, promote sustainable
choices and join their voices in the fight to conserve wildlife and protect
biodiversity, support equality and the rights of indigenous people and
vulnerable communities.
In an
earlier message to Cop28 leaders, he compared the destruction of the
environment to “an offence against God” while cautioning countries from putting
self-interest before the needs of the planet.
“The
destruction of the environment is an offence against God, a sin that is not
only personal but structural, one that greatly endangers all human beings,
especially the most vulnerable,” he said.
Source: thenationalnews.com
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https://www.thenationalnews.com/climate/cop28/2023/12/04/pope-francis-and-grand-imam-of-al-azhar-call-for-peace-and-climate-action-at-cop28/
-----
UK to
start Gaza surveillance flights to help find hostages
03rd
December 2023
GAZA,
PALESTINE: The UK's military will conduct surveillance flights over Gaza to
help locate hostages held by Hamas since its October 7 attack on Israel,
Britain's defence ministry confirmed at the weekend.
Hamas
fighters seized around 240 Israelis and foreign hostages, according to Israeli
authorities. Around 110 have since been freed, mainly during a recent week-long
truce.
Israel's
military said on Friday it had resumed fighting in the besieged Palestinian
territory, blaming Hamas. The resumption of combat has frustrated hopes for the
swift release of the more than 130 captives the Israeli army has said are still
being held in Gaza.
The UK
has said at least 12 British nationals were killed in the October 7 attacks --
in which Israeli officials say about 1,200 people died, mostly civilians -- and
that a further five are still missing.
However,
it has not been confirmed how many are being held by Hamas.
Israel
responded to the October 7 attack by vowing to eliminate the militant group and
its subsequent relentless air and ground campaign has killed more than 15,000
people, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas authorities who run Gaza.
London
did not reveal when its military surveillance flights over the territory would
start but stressed they would be unarmed and focused only on hostage recovery
efforts.
"In
support of the ongoing hostage rescue activity, the UK Ministry of Defence will
conduct surveillance flights over the Eastern Mediterranean, including
operating in air space over Israel and Gaza," it said in a statement.
"Surveillance
aircraft will be unarmed, do not have a combat role, and will be tasked solely
to locate hostages," the ministry added.
"Only
information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant
authorities responsible for hostage rescue."
UK government
minister Victoria Atkins told the BBC on Sunday that the aircraft to be
utilised were "unarmed and unmanned drones".
Alongside
the United States, the UK in October deployed various military assets to the
eastern Mediterranean to deter "any malign interference in the
conflict".
That
included maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft as well as a Royal Navy task
group moving to the region, the defence ministry said at the time.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2023/dec/03/uk-to-start-gaza-surveillance-flights-to-help-find-hostages-2638377.html
------
Pope
deplores end to Gaza truce, urges new ceasefire
2023-12-04
VATICAN
CITY: Pope Francis said Sunday that he was saddened the truce in the Gaza Strip
had been broken and urged those involved in the conflict to reach a new
ceasefire deal as soon as possible.
“There
is so much suffering in Gaza,” the pontiff said in comments from his private
residence, which were read by an aide and broadcast on giant screens in Saint
Peter’s Square. The 86-year-old is suffering from a lung infection that has
caused breathing difficulties, and forced him to cancel a trip to Dubai to
attend the international COP28 climate summit.
“Still
today, I cannot read this all. I’m doing better, but my voice...,” Francis
said, before the aide took over.
In the
comments, Francis said the end of the ceasefire meant “death, destruction,
misery”, stressing that the besieged Palestinian territory lacked even
essential supplies.
He said
the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories was “serious”.
“Many hostages have been freed but so many others are still in Gaza,” he said.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40276513/pope-deplores-end-to-gaza-truce-urges-new-ceasefire
------
Religious
leaders, victims' relatives hold UK vigil over Israel-Hamas conflict
December
3, 2023
LONDON:
A UK interfaith coalition comprising religious, political and civic leaders, as
well as grieving relatives of some of those killed in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, held a vigil Sunday in London.
Hundreds
gathered mid-afternoon in frigid conditions opposite Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak's Downing Street office and residence to "give a voice to the
majority of the public who stand against hate", organisers said.
The
grouping, Together for Humanity, aimed to highlight its nascent movement
against rising anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate with the event, dubbed
"Building Bridges".
China
calls for immediate ‘sustained humanitarian truce’ in Israel-Hamas conflict
It was
spearheaded by Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered British lawmaker Jo Cox,
and supported by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as well as a leading
British rabbi, imam and peace activists.
British-Israeli
Magen Inon, whose parents were killed in Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel,
was among the speakers.
Others
included Palestinian peace activist HamzeAwawde, who lives in Ramallah in the
Palestinian Territories and has had relatives injured recently in the conflict.
Together
for Humanity has emerged since Israel began bombing Gaza in response to the
October 7 attack, which has prompted a spike in anti-Semitism in Britain.
At least
1,747 incidents were recorded between October 7 and November 29 by the
Community Security Trust, whose role is to protect the UK's Jewish community.
Meanwhile,
London and other UK cities have seen large-scale protests on recent weekends in
support of Palestinians in Gaza, which have polarised public opinion and been
blamed for stoking social divisions.
Ahead of
the vigil, Cox, a father of two, said the "loudest and most extreme voices
have drowned out the vast majority of the public" when it came to the
conflict.
His wife
was killed by a Nazi sympathiser days before Britain's contentious 2016 Brexit
referendum, and he subsequently co-founded the Together Coalition charity.
It is
supporting the vigils initiative, which began last month to honour
"Palestinians and Israelis, Muslims and Jews, everyone suffering from this
war".
Organisers
have said they are intended to be a "sombre moment of reflection and
togetherness -- without flags or placards".
"We're
working to turn a moment into a movement -- one that holds hope for peace,
stands against prejudice, and reminds us all of the importance of placing our
common humanity above all else," they added.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40276500/religious-leaders-victims-relatives-hold-uk-vigil-over-israel-hamas-conflict
-----
EU’s
mission in Cairo praises Egypt’s role in supporting humanitarian aid to
Palestinians
December
03, 2023
CAIRO:
Annie Choi, the head of the EU’s delegation to Egypt, has praised Cairo’s role
in facilitating the arrival of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
She has
also welcomed Egypt’s role in peace negotiations.
Choi
made the remarks during the opening of the “Youth for Reviving Humanity”
initiative in Sharm El-Sheikh.
The
initiative falls within the activities of the fifth edition of the World Youth
Forum, which is taking place from Dec. 3-5.
She
described the forum as “wonderful” and praised Egypt as a firm pillar in the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
She
stressed that the mission of the Egyptian side was not easy at all, but that it
was accomplishing results.
She
called on young people to look more broadly at what was happening in the world,
noting that the global system was facing a complex situation.
She
observed that wars now involve terrorists, minorities, and rebels, who may be
within a state’s borders. That made peace negotiations with all parties
complex.
She
noted that once war breaks out, it is difficult to end. Therefore, the most
important action was to help in avoiding conflict.
Choi
pointed out that she had spent nearly 10 years negotiating for peace.
Meanwhile,
participants in the sessions at Sharm El-Sheikh stressed the importance of
achieving comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace in all parts of the world.
They
called for the need to deal with and remove the roots of obstacles that stand
in the way of peace, while stressing the importance of the media and cultural
awareness in achieving this end.
The
World Youth Forum initiated “Youth for Reviving Humanity” to advocate for
global peace, while emphasizing youth’s role in reviving humane values.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2419716/middle-east
-----
Netherlands
accused of war crimes complicity for Israeli military supplies
4 Dec
2023
A Dutch
court is set to hear a case accusing the state of complicity in war crimes in
Gaza due to its supply of components for Israeli bombers.
Launched
by human rights organisations against The Netherlands, the case, which opens on
Monday, says that the Dutch state is complicit in the alleged war crimes due to
the export of F-35 fighter jet parts.
The
Dutch branches of Amnesty International and Oxfam, argue that “the Netherlands
is contributing to wide scale and serious violations of humanitarian law by
Israel in Gaza” by allowing shipments of reserve parts for Israeli fighter jets
while the war continues.
The
court case will start at 10am CET (09:00 GMT) and will hear the claimants’ case
and a response by lawyers for the Dutch state. A ruling is expected in two
weeks.
The
Netherlands is home to a regional warehouse which stores US-owned F-35 parts,
which can be sent on to other F-35 partner countries, such as Israel.
Several
weeks after the deadly October 7 Hamas attacks, the Dutch government allowed a
shipment of reserve parts for Israeli F-35s, government documents show.
Last
week, the country’s Defence Minister KajsaOllongren told Dutch news agency ANP
that she would not comment on the allegations prior to the legal proceedings at
the court in The Hague.
But
later, in a letter to parliament, the Dutch Ministry of Defence said that based
on the current information, “it cannot be established that the F-35s are
involved in grave violations of the humanitarian laws of war”.
Israel
has denied committing war crimes in Gaza.
More
than 15,000 Palestinian people including women and children, have been killed
in the besieged Gaza Strip as the war continues to rage. Israel says Hamas
fighters have killed 1,200 Israelis and taken 240 captive.
Like the
rest of the European Union, since the onset of the war between Israel and Gaza,
the Netherlands has maintained that Israel has the right to self-defence, in
line with humanitarian and international law.
The
Dutch government has not joined calls for a ceasefire that have been heard from
some EU peers, such as Belgium and Spain.
Source: aljazeera.com
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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/4/court-to-hear-case-against-the-netherlands-over-israeli-jet-parts-shipments
-----
Pig
heads and cars on fire: How Britain’s Jewish and Muslim communities have both
suffered since Hamas massacre
December
03, 2023
Cars set
on fire, attacks in the street, and mosques and Jewish schools vandalised with
red paint.
These
are just some of the incidents Britain’s Jewish and Muslim communities have
faced during a surge in hate crime since the deadly Hamas attacks in Israel on
7 October.
Last
month, the Metropolitan Police said antisemitic attacks in London had increased
by a staggering 1,353 per cent. Jewish children have been told to disguise their
uniforms over fear of reprisals, and there have been multiple instances of
posters of Israeli hostages being torn down.
Last
weekend, tens of thousands of people took part in a march against antisemitism
in London in a show of solidarity.
Over the
same period, there has also been a sevenfold increase in Islamophobic
incidents, according to reports by Tell Mama (a group that logs anti-Muslim
activity). In a shocking incident in October, a man was arrested after a Muslim
mother was struck with a concrete slab in an attack in broad daylight in
Dewsbury.
From
abuse in the street and vandalism to accusations of being “terrorists”, the
similarities in the abuse being perpetrated against these two communities are
striking.
Since
the Nova music festival killings, volunteer security force Shomrim Stamford
Hill has reported 84 hate crimes against people of all religions in one Jewish
quarter of north London alone. Stamford Hill has seen cars set on fire, and
visibly Jewish people threatened with being stabbed as they visit their local
shopping precinct.
In one
incident, a hooded figure in a black face covering was caught on CCTV splashing
the walls of a local school in red paint.
A school
security guard, who did not wish to be named, told The Independent: “It is
because of the situation on the news, but these children have nothing to do
with it, of course. What did they do? It’s not nice for them as they come in,
but it’s not only here it is happening.”
In a
separate incident, a man was arrested after CCTV showed a flaming box left
underneath a family saloon car shortly before it caught alight outside a
woman’s home.
Shomrim
chief executive Chaim Hochhauser says: “We are Charedi Orthodox Jewish people,
we are an easy target and we are vulnerable. Our greatest fear is that it
starts with shouting but it doesn’t end there. Someone will get hurt.”
But
Shomrim doesn’t just investigate antisemitic crimes. Hochhauser points to an
attack on a Muslim mother walking alongside her three children, aged 16, five
and three, in Stoke Newington when she was verbally and physically assaulted.
The
female attacker made Islamophobic remarks, called the victim a “monkey”, and
told her: “Go back home, go back to your country.” She then assaulted her, scratching
her under her eye and drawing blood, and hitting her on the head, shoulders and
arms, Hochhauser says.
“We
collected all the CCTV evidence and reported it to the police,” he continues.
“She didn’t have the words to thank us and the Jewish community who helped her
take the case forward. We get on so well with our local Muslims that we have
great relations. We are an example that we can work together.”
Hochhauser
says there should be more police visibility in Stamford Hill, adding that hate
crime victims are always shocked at being targeted for their religion.
“We are
talking about families of young girls coming home from school and being pushed
into the road and shouted at,” he says. “They are not Muslims, these people who
are shouting at the Jewish community. They are from different ethnic minority
communities, but they now shout ‘Free, free Palestine’ and commit hate crimes
targeting the Jewish community.
“It’s happening
all over. At supermarkets and clothes stores, they say: ‘We are not serving you
Jewish people.’ We are seeing it all over London, and it’s unfair. Why should
we suffer like this? Our children don’t know what is happening in the Middle
East – it’s not their fault.”
Labour
MP Diane Abbott, whose Hackney North and Stoke Newington constituency takes in
Stamford Hill, told The Independent she had twice raised the need for police to
be alert to hate crimes with the Met’s borough commander.
She
said: “We know that there are heightened tensions because of the terrible
scenes people are witnessing on their TV screens. But this provides no excuse
to anyone to engage in either antisemitic or Islamophobic attacks, which are
both despicable. There can be no place for any form of racism in our shared
community.”
Britain’s
Muslim community is also facing a rise in hate, with reports of verbal and
physical abuse as well as vandalism, and even the dumping of a pig’s head at a
proposed mosque in the market town of Barnoldswick, Lancashire.
AbdulMaalik
Tailor, a convert to the Islamic faith, is Britain’s first professionally
qualified Muslim tour guide. He says he regularly gets online abuse, such as
being called a “Muslim dog”.
He says
he was also asked by a member of a synagogue at a hate crime meeting in London
whether he “knew anyone over there [in Palestine] that could release the
hostages”.
“I was
shocked and horrified,” he tells The Independent. “I thought, what have I done
to deserve this? The insinuation was that I was linked with Hamas.”
He says
children have been affected as their local mosques have been vandalised with
red paint. “Red paint is essentially saying ‘Blood on your hands,’” he says.
“Kids are asking us why it’s happening. People in the Muslim community don’t
report things either – there is a sense that police won’t do anything anyway.”
Acton
Central Mosque was attacked on four separate occasions since 7 October, each
time being sprayed with red paint.
“We’ve
not seen anything like this for over 13 years,” the Imam of the mosque says.
“People were scared, they were worried. We couldn’t open everything back up at
once. The last time [the attacker] did it, it was in broad daylight and we
thought he could do anything. We have classes here for children, and parents
wanted to know what was going on.”
Taj Ali
was on his way home with his friends from a pro-Palestinian protest when, he
says, they were attacked by a woman calling them “terrorists”. She pointed at
the Palestinian flag and said it was the flag of “Pakistan”.
“It just
feels like people are so brainwashed,” the journalist and co-editor of Tribune
magazine tells The Independent. “The thing that was so heartwarming is that two
Jewish women intervened and told the woman Palestine is not Hamas. We sat
together on the Tube on the way back and one of the Jewish women was in tears.
She was saying, ‘I just want all of this to stop.’”
Ali, who
has been vocal about antisemitism, says he sees both struggles as part of the
same fight against racism. “There is no difference between a Jewish man wearing
a kippah and being attacked, and a Muslim woman wearing a hijab being
attacked.”
In
response to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza and its impact on London,
the Metropolitan Police have launched Operation Brocks, with a dedicated
website appealing for help to identify people suspected of hate crimes at
protest marches.
In a
statement last month, the force said: “The Met is determined to bring those
suspected of hate crime in London to justice.
“We know
some of our communities continue to feel extremely vulnerable as violence in
the Middle East continues.
“Hundreds
of officers are undertaking extra patrols at places of worship, schools and
other premises.
“They
are also listening to the concerns of community leaders and representatives of
different faiths.
“There
is no place for hate or division in our city and we will take robust and
positive action wherever we can.”
Source: independent.co.uk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/palestine-israel-hate-crime-antisemitism-b2456827.html
----
Pakistan
Ashrafi
underscores need for greater interfaith harmony
2023-12-04
LAHORE:
Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and the
Pakistani Diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries Hafiz Tahir Mehmood
Ashrafi has stressed the need for collective efforts from all stakeholders to
promote interfaith harmony in the country, as it is the key pillar of
development.
He was
addressing the Interfaith Harmony Council conference, hosted by International
Interfaith Harmony Council here at a local hotel on Sunday.
The
conference was arranged with an aimed to bringing together a diverse array of
religious scholars and leaders from various faiths, all united under the common
goal of promoting harmony and thwarting divisive agendas.
Ashrafi,
who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, said the most important
thing for interfaith harmony was mutual respect between religious denominations
and the acceptance of others, adding that nobody should abandon their religion
and beliefs, nor should they attack the religion and beliefs of others.
The
Pakistan’s Constitution guaranteed the rights of every citizen living in the
country, he remarked and mentioned that minority communities should come
together for development of the country. He said that every religion teaches
peace and love and discourages hatred, adding that the government and security
forces had always stood shoulder to shoulder with the minority communities.
Ashrafi
said that Pakistan always desires peaceful and productive relations with all
neighboring countries, adding that peace is the only message of Pakistan as it
is curtail for any country’s development. He said that state-of-the-art
facilities were being provided to religious tourists as per direction of
Caretaker Prime Minister and Army Chief.
He said
Pakistan always whole-heartedly welcomed all religious tourists coming from
across the world. Kartarpur Corridor was made operational as a gesture of peace
and the Sikh pilgrims were invited to visits their holy places in Pakistan.
He
mentioned that Muslim religious leaderships were also playing their effective
role for promotion of interfaith harmony in the country, adding that Islam
always advocates peace as forced marriages and forced conversions of religion
was prohibited in Islam.
He said
that Gaza was not an issue of Palestine or Arab nations, but of entire
humanity. He asked the world what was fault of innocent children of Gaza as
more than 3,500 children had been martyred in Israeli aggression since October
7.
Israeli
brutalities had taken the lives of more than 20,000 people in which 70 to 80
per cent were women and juveniles. Ashrafi said peace should be established by
ending war in Gaza, while establishing an independent Palestinian state with
Al-Quds as its capital was the only solution to the issue.
Source: brecorder.com
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the full text of the original
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40276569/ashrafi-underscores-need-for-greater-interfaith-harmony
------
Pakistan
Taliban running ‘shadow government’ in North Waziristan
Dec 4, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Taliban have established a shadow rule in parts of the volatile
northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, directing local officials and
contractors to “consult and cooperate” with the outfit’s clandestine
administrative apparatus.
Such is
the situation that KP governor Ghulam Ali expressed concern over the region’s
security in a TV interview on Saturday, saying it was “unfavourable for
political parties to hold rallies in the province” ahead of the general
elections slated for February 8. He also mentioned restive Balochistan in the
southwest. “A similar situation persists (there).”
The
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) — the Pakistani Taliban’s formal appellation —
recently issued directives to contractors affiliated with government’s water,
power and oil departments in North Waziristan informing them about the
establishment of a “ministry of economic affairs” by the group. The statement
directed contractors to consult the new ministry and reach an understanding on
projects within five days, failing which it warned of armed action. The new
ministry, according to TTP, has been established to raise funds for its “pious
jihad” and to improve the administrative setup in the areas under its
influence.
Sources
claim the TTP has established covert departments in every tribal district along
the Afghan border as well as KP’s southern districts of Tank, Dera Ismail Khan,
LakkiMarwat and Bannu. These clandestine units not only blackmail businessmen
and wealthy individuals, but also deal with resolution of disputes among locals.
Given the perceived shortcomings of both the legal system and the local
government, individuals increasingly turn to the TTP’s “justice ministry” to
address their grievances.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-taliban-running-shadow-government-in-north-waziristan/articleshow/105711152.cms
----
Three US
officials arriving this week to discuss Afghan issues
December
04, 2023
Kamran
Yousaf
ISLAMABAD:A
senior Biden Administration official dealing with refugee issues will begin a
four-day trip to Islamabad from Monday (today) in the first of a series of
visits by American officials amid deteriorating ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Julieta
Valls Noyes, the US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population,
Refugees, and Migration, will reach Islamabad today. She will stay in the
federal capital until Thursday.
On
conclusion of her visit on December 7, US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Tom
West will kick off his trip to Islamabad. After his visit, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Horst, who is responsible for Pakistan, will
arrive here on December 9.
The
flurry of visits by American officials come against the backdrop of Pakistan’s
move to evict all illegal Afghans, rising tensions with the Afghan Taliban over
the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the upcoming generals elections
due in February.
“Pakistan
and the United States continue to hold consultations on a range of issues. To
advance these consultations, exchange of visits also takes place,” Foreign
Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement while giving
context of the visits.
“These
visits are part of ongoing dialogue with the US on a range of issues,
including, but not limited to, the situation in Afghanistan,” she added.
A
statement issued by the US State Department said that Assistant Secretary of
State Noyes will travel to Islamabad for a December 4-7 visit during which he
would meet “senior government officials, as well as non-governmental and
international organisation partners”.
“In
Islamabad, Assistant Secretary Noyes will … discuss shared efforts to protect
vulnerable individuals and accelerate safe, efficient relocation and
resettlement of Afghan refugees in the US immigration pipeline,” according to
the State Department readout.
Pakistan
has launched a crackdown against the Afghans living in the country illegally,
following the expiry of the October 31 deadline. Since then, the US has been in
touch with Pakistan to ensure that Afghans, who were illegible for immigration
to the US were spared.
There
are about 25, 000 Afghans, who according to Washington, are in Pakistan and
waiting for their immigration to the US. Those Afghans worked with the US
during its military campaign in Afghanistan. But after the US withdrawal, they
are stuck in Pakistan, awaiting completion of immigration process.
The US
has been working with Pakistan to find a workable solution to avoid such
Afghans being deported to Afghans. There are also concerned that other than
such Afghans, there are individuals such as musicians, artists, journalists and
others who may be evicted.
The US
is keen that such vulnerable Afghans are not touched either. Pakistani
officials have said that their cases will be scrutinised accordingly and made
it clear that in the first phase those Afghans are being sent back who don’t
have any legal status.
Sources
said while the visit of Assistant Secretary Noyes would focus on the refugee
issue, Tom West’s agenda would be the overall Afghan situation particularly the
current state of relationship between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban.
Tension
between Pakistan and Taliban government has been running high as Kabul refused
to take decisive action against the TTP. The US is believed to have been
worried that any escalation in tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban
government would destabilise Afghanistan.
The US
officials are likely to get the first-hand account of Pakistani officials about
the ties with Afghanistan. Officials said that despite repeated demands, the
Taliban are reluctant to neutralise the TTP threat.
After
recent terrorist attack in Bannu, Pakistan made a fresh demand of the Afghan
Taliban to take verifiable actions against the TTP and its affiliates. The
Taliban are still pushing for alternative options, something Pakistan has
refused to accept.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448846/three-us-officials-arriving-this-week-to-discuss-afghan-issues
-----
Cypher
case hearing to resume today
December
04, 2023
ISLAMABAD:A
special court is set to resume hearings on the diplomatic cipher case today
(Monday) at a courtroom inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. The accused in the
case—former prime minister Imran Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood
Qureshi—are likely to receive copies of the challan report.
The
special court on Saturday, December 2, turned down Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s
request to summon President Dr ArifAlvi to testify in the cypher case.
As the
court, presided over by Judge AbualHasnat Muhammad Zulqarnain, resumed hearing
on that day, Qureshi told the judge that the president had not given his assent
to the amendments made to the Official Secrets Act, 1923 by the PML-N led
government at the tail-end of its term.
The
judge told Qureshi that there was no need to summon the president as the cypher
case would be heard under Sections 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923
and the amendments made to the law would not apply to him or former PTI
chairman Imran Khan.
He added
that the proceedings of the case would be carried out on merit. The court later
adjourned till December 4 (today).
Read
Qureshi urges special court to summon president in cypher trial
In its
written order for the December 2 hearing, the court stated that public and the
media were present during the judicial proceedings held at a courtroom in
Adiala Jail and Section 352 of the Criminal Procedure Code was enacted in full
force.
It said
adequate time was given to Imran and Qureshi in the presence of the media and
the public to express their views.
On March
27, 2022, ahead of a vote of no-confidence that resulted in his ouster, former
premier Imran had pulled out a piece of paper – allegedly the cypher – from his
pocket and waved it at a public gathering in Islamabad, claiming it was
evidence of an “international conspiracy” being hatched to topple his
government.
The
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) initiated its probe into the so-called
“cypher-gate” on July 19, 2023, after the last PML-N-led coalition government
announced an official inquiry against the former PM and his close associates
for violating the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
PTI Vice
Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who had served as the country’s foreign minister
during the PTI’s rule, was arrested by the FIA on August 19. The agency arrested
Imran on August 29.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2448869/cypher-case-hearing-to-resume-today
------
South
Asia
Deputy
PM Promises More Support for Traders and Investors: Hanafi
2023-12-03
KABUL
(BNA): Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan, met
with the leader and members of the Committee for Creating Repatriating for
Returning Traders and Industrialists and said that the Islamic Emirate is
working to provide more facilities and incentives for the business sector.
According
to a statement from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Acting
Minister of Industry and Commerce and the chairman of the committee, Haji
Nuruddin Azizi, briefed the Deputy PM on the committee’s activities and plans.
He said
the committee is facilitating the establishment of industrial parks and the
allocation of land for returning traders and investors. He also mentioned the
financial exemptions and benefits that the committee is offering to attract
them.
The
Deputy PM appreciated the committee’s efforts and urged them to solve the
problems of the returning compatriots, especially the traders and
industrialists.
He said
the Islamic Emirate is committed to creating a favorable environment for the
business community and called on all Afghan traders and investors abroad to
invest in their homeland and contribute to its development and prosperity.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/deputy-pm-promises-more-support-for-traders-and-investors-hanafi/
------
International
Day of Disabilities: Afghan disabled face increasing challenges
Fidel
Rahmati
December
3, 2023
December
3rd marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities, but many disabled
individuals in Afghanistan are still facing more difficulties in the past two
years.
Abdul
Rauf, a person with disabilities, told Khaama Press that in the past, they
received less attention. According to him, the majority of people with
disabilities need essential facilities in areas such as healthcare, employment,
and education.
He adds,
“I lost my leg in a car accident, and since then, my health deteriorated. We
hope that the government pays attention to us. We need medicine and must find a
way to make a living. We need education as well.”
The
Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs of the Taliban administration reports
that they have registered 180,000 disabled individuals across the country, with
130,000 of them being non-combatants.
Faisal
Khamoosh, the Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of
Martyrs and Disabled Affairs, states that the ministry has provided half a
billion Afghanis in assistance to orphans, disabled individuals, and widowed
women in the first six months of the solar year 1402.
Officials
from this ministry have also emphasized that, to achieve economic
self-sufficiency, they have provided vocational training to some orphans and
disabled individuals in tailoring, computer programming, mobile and electronic
device repair, generator repair, refrigerator repair, and motorcycle repair.
This
comes as the Afghan Red Crescent Committee has announced that approximately 4.4
million people in Afghanistan currently suffer from various physical
disabilities.
It’s
worth mentioning that the United Nations General Assembly has declared December
3rd as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities every year since
1992.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.khaama.com/international-day-of-disabilities-afghan-disabled-face-increasing-challenges/
-----
Initiative
underway to allocate land for returning traders and investors
Fidel
Rahmati
December
4, 2023
Acting
Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, along with the head of the
committee for facilitating the return of businessmen, met with Abdul Salam
Hanafi, the administrative deputy to the acting prime minister.
The
committee’s primary objective is establishing industrial parks and allocating
land for returning businessmen and investors.
The
committee is contemplating tax exemptions as part of its strategy to entice
them.
Abdulsalam
Jawad Akhundzada, a Ministry of Industry and Commerce spokesperson, reiterated
the committee’s goals.
Abdul
Salam Hanafi emphasized the administration will provide facilities for
entrepreneurs and investors, encouraging Afghan businesspeople abroad to invest
in the country.
Afghanistan
Chamber of Industries and Mines’ deputy head, Sakhi Ahmad Payman, highlighted
the potential for investments to thrive in Afghanistan, given its consumer
market and capacity.
Efforts
by the joint chamber of commerce of Afghanistan and Pakistan are focused on
relocating Afghan investments from Pakistan to Afghanistan, with hopes for
facilitation by the Taliban administration of Afghanistan.
The
current investment climate in the country remains unfavourable, primarily
attributed to issues such as the absence of legitimacy, political isolation,
and an unrecognized administration.
Experts
assert that to attract local and foreign investors, the Taliban must prioritize
respecting human and women’s rights, promoting education and employment
opportunities, and establishing an inclusive government that can inspire trust.
Only
once these critical conditions are met will the interest of both local and
foreign investors be piqued, potentially leading to increased investment in the
country.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/initiative-underway-to-allocate-land-for-returning-traders-and-investors/
------
Stanikzai
Criticizes Meetings on Afghanistan in Neighboring Countries
Mitra
Majeedy
December
3, 2023
Sher
Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, criticized the
meetings on Afghanistan in neighboring countries, saying that the "Illegal
meetings held outside the country are launched with the aim of weakening the
country and the system."
Speaking
at the Ministry of Defense's special forces graduation ceremony, Stanikzai
urged the Islamic Emirate’s forces to be ready for the battlefield.
“We were
doing guerrilla wars but now we have to be prepared for the wars in the
battlefield. We have to prepare ourselves for battlefield wars against the
enemy,” he said.
He also
emphasized the role of the Islamic Emirate’s forces, saying that the world
Muslims have expectations of the Islamic Emirate’s forces.
Meanwhile,
political analysts urged the Islamic Emirate and its opposition to solve the
issues through negotiations.
“The
Islamic Emirate should bring professional reforms in its administration.
It
should respect the rights of women, minorities and human rights of Afghans and
it should accept the international norms, so the opposition doesn’t find any
reason against it,” said Wahid Faqiri, a political analyst.
“The
path to solutions is engagement and acceptance of each other. The patients are
important for the destiny of the country,” said Sayed HashamBalkhabi, political
analyst.
Stanikzai
also called on the Afghan political leaders to return to the country.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186323
------
Delivery
of Aid to Afghanistan, Palestine is Being Prevented: Ireland Rep in EU
Parliament
2023-12-03
KABUL
(BNA): The Irish representative in the European Parliament questioned the
European Union’s rules on foreign assistance delivery, claiming that the
findings indicate hindrance to providing relief to the people of Palestine and
Afghanistan.
Even the
World Food Program’s $400 million budget has barely reached Afghanistan, the
envoy said.
The
representative emphasized the need for increased humanitarian aid from the EU and
expressed concern about the dire conditions in Afghanistan, where recent
earthquakes claimed around three thousand lives, with little media coverage.
Additionally,
he highlighted the plight of over a million Afghan migrants facing expulsion
from Pakistan and the insufficient international response to the crisis,
especially due to sanctions and global challenges.
A report
from Islamic Relief organization revealed that only about 15% of aid programs
for Afghan refugees in neighboring countries, including Iran and Pakistan, were
covered by the United Nations in the recent refugee crisis.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/delivery-of-aid-to-afghanistan-palestine-is-being-prevented-ireland-rep-in-eu-parliament/
-----
PM
receives Asia Climate Mobility Champion Leader Award
Dec 3,
2023
Information
and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud today handed over the Asia Climate
Mobility Champion Leader Award to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official
residence Gono Bhaban this morning.
Prime
Minister's Press Secretary Ihsansul Karim confirmed the matter to BSS.
Earlier,
Hasan Mahmud received the award on behalf of Hasina.
The
award was conferred to the PM acknowledging her voice of leadership in
championing the climate actions and a lead global advocate for vulnerable
communities.
The
Global Centre for Climate Mobility, supported by IOM and the UN system
conferred the Award during a high-level panel on the sidelines of the COP28 in
Dubai on December 1.
During
COP27, the award was given to five African Heads of State and Government as
Climate Mobility Champion Leaders.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/environment/climate-change/news/pm-conferred-asia-climate-mobility-champion-leader-award-3483476
------
Spread
of HIV/Aids has decreased in Afghanistan, says health ministry
December 3, 2023
The
Ministry of Public Health says over the last two years, due to the efforts of
the ministry and the cooperation of international institutions, the spread of
many diseases, including HIV/Aids, have been eradicated or decreased.
Marking
World Aids Day in Kabul on Sunday, health officials said however that the lack
of facilities and diagnostic equipment is one of the ministry’s major problems.
“Unfortunately,
we do not have diagnostic services in all provinces, and if they are available
in some provinces, the services are not suitable for patients,” said Sharif
Ahmad Ahmadzai, head of the national control program of the health ministry.
Meanwhile,
the representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) also
attended the meeting and said based on statistics, 12,000 people in the country
are HIV positive.
“In
Afghanistan, this disease currently exists at a very low level. Based on the
statistics of the United Nations Development Program, more than 12,000 people
in Afghanistan are infected with HIV, of which 1,162 adults and children are
receiving treatment, and we will cooperate with our Afghan partners,” said a
UNDP representative.
Currently,
9.2 million people in the world do not have access to HIV or AIDS treatment,
and according to reports, 1,700 people die of this disease every day.
Source: ariananews.af
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https://www.ariananews.af/spread-of-hiv-aids-has-decreased-in-afghanistan-says-health-ministry/
------
Southeast
Asia
Israel
had never wanted a ceasefire: Analyst
04-12-
2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: The invading Israeli army that started a barrage of attacks on the Gaza
Strip right after the end of the humanitarian pause last Friday clearly proved
that the Zionist regime has no desire to make peace.
National
Defence University of Malaysia’s security and international relations expert
Professor Dr MohdMizan Mohammad Aslam said the humanitarian pause was just part
of Israel’s tactics to reorganise its military strategy to attack Gaza more
aggressively.
“During
the seven-day humanitarian pause, Israel did not only conduct airstrikes, but
continued to attack the people of Gaza from the ground, causing dozens to die.
“Israel
never wanted a ceasefire or reconciliation, even the release of the hostages
was not the original plan. It was just filling in the gaps of time and playing
out the narrative of the people,“ he told Bernama.
Mizan
believes the real motive behind Israel’s increasingly aggressive attacks is to
force the entire population of Gaza to move to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
“Israel
wants to break up Gaza and seize the territory because of its strategic
position for trade routes. It (Israel) plans to build new canals under its
control,“ he said.
The
analyst hoped that the United Nations (UN) would deploy peacekeepers to the area
immediately.
“A UN
peacekeeping force is an urgent need. If such a force was to be deployed to
Gaza, especially in the refugee camp area, it would be able to reduce Israeli
rocket fire or they (Israel) would face serious international legal action,“ he
said.
He also
suggested that Muslim countries who are the main global producers of oil and
gas slow down their production as a sign of protest against Israel’s
atrocities.
“Maybe
Israel does not use much oil and gas, but other countries will be affected if
the production slows down. These countries will then push harder for Israel to
stop the attacks.”
Meanwhile,
geostrategist Professor Dr Azmi Hassan is of the view that efforts need to be
stepped up to ensure that the massacre of the people in Gaza is stopped and the
seven-decade-old conflict is ended.
He said
despite receiving strong criticism from the global community, Israel remained
brave and arrogant in committing their crime against humanity. He believed the
Zionist actions are supported by certain Western powers.
“What is
important is to ensure that the brutal acts of the Israeli occupation forces
against the people of Gaza are completely stopped, not just a temporary
ceasefire.
“I
believe that Qatar and Egypt are capable of being good mediators since both
countries have direct relations with Israel and Hamas,“ said the senior fellow
at the Archipelago Strategic Research Academy.
Israel
resumed its assault by land, sea and air at 7am on Friday, just minutes after a
seven-day humanitarian pause sponsored by Egypt, Qatar and the US ended.
At least
15,207 Palestinians, including more than 6,500 children and 3,000 women, have
been killed since the start of the Israeli regime’s military offensive on Oct
7.
The
number of those reported missing, either trapped under rubble or their fate
unknown, has risen to more than 7,500 while the number of those injured has
reached 40,650.
The
relentless Israeli offensive also caused severe damage to critical
infrastructure in Gaza, including hospitals, schools, mosques and residential
buildings.–Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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https://thesun.my/local_news/israel-had-never-wanted-a-ceasefire-analyst-LK11825835
------
Sarawak
in the process of setting up overdue state advisory council for non-Muslim
religions
Sulok
Tawie
04 Dec 2023
KUCHING,
Dec 4 — Deputy Sarawak Premier Datuk Douglas Uggah today said he is in the
process of forming a long anticipated council to advise the state on non-Muslim
religious matters of interest or concern.
He said
it will be a forum where issues, including controversial ones, can be discussed
amicably.
“We need
to guide each other along the way. We are living in a very challenging world of
technological advancement including the generative Artificial Intelligence,” he
said at the opening of the House of Epiphany of St Thomas’ Cathedral here.
Uggah,
who is also the minister in-charge of Sarawak’s Unit For Other Religions
(Unifor), said he will call for a meeting to be held on December 7 to propose
the formation of the advisory council.
“This
council, being consultative in nature, will comprise senior leaders of various
religions,” he said, adding that they will come up with guidelines to address
issues judiciously.
“We need
to preserve the existing racial and religious harmony, unity and understanding
which have always been our beacon in a multiracial and multireligious Sarawak,”
he said.
Uggah,
who is also state minister of infrastructure and port development, said the
Sarawak government has always been very supportive and mindful of the needs and
welfare of the non-Islamic religions.
He said
since its establishment in 2017, Unifor has given financial assistance to the
non-Muslim houses of worship[ and mission schools.
He said
Sarawak has registered a total of 2,453 non-Muslim houses of worship with a
total of 1,694,142 members throughout Sarawak.
He said the
state government has allocated RM333,118,000 since 2017, including RM100
million this year, to Unifor to help the non-Muslim houses of worship and
mission schools.
“Out of
the total allocation, 24.50 per cent or RM81,558,000 were allocated to the
Roman Catholic Church supporting 643,503 members and 509 houses of worship.
He said
this is followed by the Anglican Church 21.20 per cent or RM70,519,000
supporting a total of 300 houses of worship. He said the Borneo Evangelical
Mission Church received a total of RM59,700,000 (17.9 per cent), supporting a
total of 635 houses of worship.
He said
Buddhist temples received a total of RM37,060,000 (11.1 per cent) supporting a
total of 152 houses of worship.
He added
this was followed by the Methodist Church (RM27,977,000) and Seventh Day
Adventist Church (RM12,026,000).
“Other
houses of worship including Confucianism, Taoism and Traditional Religion had
received a total of RM10,198,000; Sikh temples RM9,860,000; Hindu RM4,260,000;
and many more.
“There
is no issue of Unifor not being fair. Before it approves any application, its
officers will come to the ground to inspect the project site,” he said, adding
that the officers will do their studies based on plans and cost estimates made.
On the
opening of the House of Epiphany, he said Unifor had given a grant of RM11.5
million for its construction and refurbishment.
He said
it replaces the dilapidated wood and brickwork building constructed in 1953.
He said
it will be used, among others,as a theological training college for
priests-in-training and to train youth leaders and women ministries.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/12/04/sarawak-in-the-process-of-setting-up-overdue-state-advisory-council-for-non-muslim-religions/105712
------
BNM:
M’sian Islamic finance advancements springboard to green financing
03-12-
2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: Malaysia’s advancements in Islamic finance have provided an important
springboard to grow and expand transition and green finance, Bank Negara
Malaysia (BNM) governor Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said.
With a
mature Islamic finance ecosystem, dynamic and resilient players, diverse
products, and comprehensive enabling infrastructure, he said Malaysia is
well-poised to play an important role in addressing the financing needs of
climate challenge.
“We see
the climate agenda not only as a pressing challenge but as an opportunity for
growth. Through the National Energy Transition Roadmap, the Hydrogen Economy
and Technology Roadmap, and the New Industrial Master Plan, Malaysia is taking
concrete steps that will enable us to advance sustainable practices across the
economy.
“This is
consistent with a just and orderly climate transition,” he said in his opening
address at Malaysia’s Climate Finance Day at the 28th Conference of Parties
(COP28) in the United Arab Emirates today.
To fully
harness the Islamic finance proposition, Abdul Rasheed said, value-based
intermediation (VBI) was introduced in 2018 to reinforce efforts to embed
sustainability elements in finance.
Since
then, he said, the industry, in collaboration with BNM, has issued detailed
sectoral guides to conduct environmental, social and governance assessments at
a granular level.
Today,
he said, VBI is closely integrated with and complements broader efforts to
elevate banking and financial practices of all financial institutions – Islamic
or otherwise – to address contemporary challenges in the world, including the
climate emergency.
“For
BNM, preparing the economy and financial system to become more
climate-resilient is not only consistent with, but integral to discharging our
mandate to promote monetary and financial stability that is conducive for the
sustainable growth of the Malaysian economy.
“Effective
and coordinated implementation of national and sector-level transition plans by
the government is crucial. It addresses a key condition for Malaysia to benefit
from the opportunities offered by the green transition,” he said.
This, he
said, can be achieved by reducing strategic and policy risks for investments in
the green transition and effecting partnerships between the public and private
sectors, which would mean better higher skilled jobs, more sustainable and
higher income, as well as overall shared prosperity.
“The
Malaysian financial sector is working closely with the government as part of a
whole-of-nation approach to turn these plans into reality. Significant efforts
have been invested in strengthening our collective capacity, institutional
frameworks and coordination arrangements that will drive financial flows
towards Malaysia’s climate transition efforts,” he said. – Bernama
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://thesun.my/business/bnm-m-sian-islamic-finance-advancements-springboard-to-green-financing-JK11824296
------
JAWI
marks 50-year journey reaffirming its commitment to the ummah
04-12-
2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: The Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) is set to
celebrate its landmark 50th anniversary early next year marking a significant
milestone in its history.
As part
of its five-decade journey, JAWI has reaffirmed its commitment to Khaira Ummah
or the wellbeing of the ummah as it reminds Muslims to stay true to the Islamic
way of life.
Albeit
the challenging environment, JAWI, which is the policy implementation agency
for the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) says it remains
steadfast in its commitment to the concept, a slogan which serves as its
official slogan in conjunction with its Golden Jubilee celebration on Feb 1,
2024.
Khaira
Ummah, which reflects JAWI’s key milestones over 50 years of its establishment
in empowering the ummah, is aligned to Malaysia Madani, which is not only
focused on problem-solving but also on values to build good morals.
Formerly
known as Urusetia Majlis (Council Secretariat), JAWI was incorporated on Feb 1,
1974 with the objective of strengthening the operations of MAIWP. It currently
has three branches under its administration starting with Federal Territory
Kuala Lumpur, followed by Labuan branch (April 16, 1984) and Putrajaya branch
(Aug 1, 2001).
At
present, Islam is facing numerous challenges on various forefronts in the
contemporary world. The borderless nature of the digital world is open to
exploitation by irresponsible quarters who take advantage of the platform by
expanding their influence and to propagate teachings that deviate from the
Islamic faith (akidah) and syariah, hence posing a plethora of challenges to
the religious institutions in the country including JAWI.
Cognisant
of the new threats, JAWI has also embraced technological change by fully
leveraging the social media to counter the teachings that deviate from the
Sunnah Wal Jamaahpractised in the country and to spread the message of Islam
effectively.
“JAWI as
an agency in managing Islamic affairs is also actively engaged in the social
media through creative content such as posters, infographics and short videos
on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, including setting up Radio JAWI
and Jamek FM.
“JAWI
also taps on the TikTok platform by adopting a relaxed stance in spreading the
message of Islam amid the information explosion on the internet,” JAWI Director
Datuk MohdAjib Ismail told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently.
Despite
the various initiatives undertaken, he said JAWI would not let its guard down
by continuously monitoring these negative elements that deviate from the
syariah and akidah principles by formulating an action plan in dealing with
akidah issues and challenges in the social media.
The plan
serves as a platform for JAWI to provide a better understanding of Islamic
values among the community, hence curbing the spread of deviant teachings that
go against the true teachings of Islam.
Reviewing
its operations since inception, MohdAjib said the department has made great
strides in strengthening unity of the ummah, including stamping out
deviationist teachings such as the Millah Abraham that could potentially lead
Muslims away from the principles of Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
He said
JAWI believes that the social media platform should be fully utilised and all
its initiatives and improvements would factor in the government’s
digitalisation policy and good governance in terms of service delivery to
ensure that it does not lag behind other agencies.
JAWI’s
key milestones
As an
agency under the Prime Minister’s Department, JAWI has to address the various
issues at hand head-on as it performs its lead role in administering and
managing religious affairs in three federal territories.
In this
respect, the management wisdom and maturity of the religious institutions play
a key role, especially when faced with unprecedented challenges, including the
onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is considered as among the major
challenges faced by JAWI in its 50-year history.
MohdAjib
who brings with him over 30 years of experience in managing Islamic affairs in
the country said among the difficulties faced then (pandemic) included the
decision related to Friday prayers.
“The
decision taken was that no Friday prayers were allowed for a certain period due
to two factors, namely the general wellness of congregants and the number of
worshippers should be less than 40.
“Besides
that, we also managed the deceased due to COVID-19 in addition to handing over
several food packs to the people,” he added.
MohdAjib
said the JAWI Food Bank (JFB) is among the latest initiatives introduced by the
agency in addition to ‘Street Raya’ programme which saw the participation of
several Islamic religious institutions which took the opportunity to highlight
the inclusiveness of Islam (Islam is for all times and places).
“The
reality is, JAWI’s responsibility has become more challenging than ever and is
always regarded as a source of reference on a plethora of issues related to
Islam,” he said.
These
include matters related to several major tragedies that shocked the nation such
as the fire incident at MaahadTahfizIttifaqiyah at KeramatHujung, Kampung Datuk
Keramat, Kuala Lumpur on Sept 14, 2017 which killed 21 students and two
teachers.
JAWI led
the group in managing the 23 victims who perished in the fire within 15
minutes. The average time taken to manage each victim took only about eight
minutes and all of them were buried before 10 pm at several locations in the
Klang Valley and Negeri Sembilan.
Over the
years since its inception, JAWI has made significant milestones and progress
including setting up the DarulHidayah Complex as a temporary shelter as well as
a mualaf guidance and education centre which became operational in 2017.
To
preserve the sanctity of Al-Quran, JAWI has set up the Darul Kalam, a centre
that provides services for proper disposal of damaged texts or Quran materials
according to the syarak (Islamic law).
JAWI’s
plans
He said
JAWI has also developed seven RaudhatulSakinah Muslim Cemeteries (TPIRS) based
on the concept of having a graveyard in the park equipped with various
visitor-friendly facilities including e-pusara, an online system to manage the
location of grave lots in the cemetery and also information on remains.
“In line
with JAWI’s motto, ‘SentiasaDicontohi’, our employees must always initiate in
order to bring about positive change by embracing the principles of
‘rejuvenate, speed, quality and integrity’ to ensure the community’s wellbeing
is preserved,” he added.
Hoping
that the services provided by the department can be at par with the private
sector, he said the JAWI Strategic Plan 2021-2025 has been formulated,
anchoring on five key thrusts namely mosques, education, administration of
mosques and surau, enforcement of Syariah laws, Islamic family affairs,
research as well as organisational management and physical development.
Periodic
reviews are carried out in line with current policies and agenda of the
government such as the Malaysia Madani concept and the Al-Falah Religious
Affairs Transformation Plan towards Malaysia Madani, he added.
MohdAjib
said it is JAWI’s priority to continue strengthening the functions and values
of the mosque institution as the centre of knowledge, distribution of
charitable funds and strengthening Muslim unity in line with its vision as a
leader in managing Islamic religious affairs comprehensively for the ummah’s
wellbeing.
The
institutions involved are 62 mosques, 610 suraus and 138 Friday suraus in the
Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan including five JAWI
Integrated Islamic Primary Schools (SIRAJ), 71 Religious Primary Schools (SRA)
and 125 Al-Quran and Fardu Ain classes.
“As part
of its engagement activities with the community including vulnerable or
marginalised groups such as People with Disabilities (OKU), homeless and
communities that are involved in social issues, JAWI has undertaken the
initiative by providing the ‘Ilaj Home’ in Seputeh which is expected to be
operational soon as a centre for the protection and welfare of people living
with HIV/AIDS (ODHA), based on Islamic treatment.
“Plans
are also underway to develop Darul Kalam 2 as well as an Islamic information
centre in the heart of the city besides empowering SIRAJ as a centre for
producing more students with excellence both in this world and the hereafter,”
he said.
JAWI
yesterday and today
JAWI’s
commitment in empowering Islamic religious affairs in an efficient manner which
includes adopting a new approach to providing its services and information to
the Muslim community in the federal territory, has caught the attention of its
staff alumni.
Among
others, Datuk Abd Aziz Che Yacob, who has served the organisation for 18 years
from December 1984 to November 1998 and later returned to JAWI in 2000 to 2005.
Reflecting
on JAWI’s growth, he said the department has undergone a major transformation
with new initiatives that reflect the evolving landscape, a far cry from the
situation when he was working with the department then.
Despite
the paradigm shift, he said JAWI remains true to its original aspiration in
encouraging Muslims to be guided by the Quran and sunnah - balanced and
coherent intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically – albeit the
challenges.
“While
serving JAWI in the 80s, all tasks were carried out manually and face-to-face
with the people who visited the department, going to the ground for various
programmes and activities such as educational classes, courses, seminars,
community engagements such as gotong-royong, and other activities.
“JAWI
has also embraced technology so that it is not left out from the mainstream of
development and I hope that the department will continue to be at the forefront
in efforts toward engaging, guiding and addressing the issue of the ummah
through technology by maximising all social media channels,” he added.
Abd Aziz
whose last post was as registrar of marriage, divorce and reconciliation, said
the shortage of officers and limited financial allocations to JAWI in the early
years of his service were among the main challenges faced by the department.
However,
the issue was resolved through the restructuring of the organisation with large
allocations provided to consolidate its operation and strengthening its role in
managing Islamic affairs in the federal territory.
The last
post Abd Aziz held was as Religious Officer at Istana Negara from 2009 to 2020,
serving four Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-PertuanAgong (YDPA) including the 16th
YDPA, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, before his
retirement on July 22, 2020.
He said
the YDPA is the head of the Islamic religion for the entire country including
the states without Sultans including the federal territory and JAWI is one of
the implementation agencies to manage Islamic affairs in the federal territory.
“Therefore,
it is important for JAWI to establish good ties with the palace authority as
part of efforts in fostering ‘syiar Islam’ (principles and teachings of Islam)
through direct involvement in managing religious programmes, appointments and
presentation of credentials of officers as well as departure of the YDPA for
Friday prayers, Aidilfitri prayers, Aidiladha prayers and officiating mosques
in the federal territory.
Targeting
younger generation
When
asked on the most significant contribution JAWI has made in empowering Islam
for the wellbeing of the ummah, he cited JAWI’s effectiveness in strengthening
the family institution by producing a generation who are resilient in facing
life’s challenges in the city.
This, he
added, can be carried out through an integrated collaboration network with
various agencies and other departments as strategic partners in promoting moral
norms and values in Islam by turning to the religion for guidance in their daily
life.
“JAWI at
that time had introduced a programme on the Islamic way to a happy family as
well as towards improving the wellbeing of the community in addition to
mobilising efforts at managing the ummah’s economy through a more effective
zakat practices,” he said.
While
significant progress has been made over its 50-year history, there should be no
grounds for complacency, he said, noting that JAWI should forge ahead in
intensifying efforts and initiatives to uphold the principles of Islam and
strengthening unity of the ummah.
As such,
he said the best approach for JAWI is to target youths as the next generation
of leaders who will continue to uphold the status of Islam and to have more
Islamic programmes involving the group.
He also
suggested that JAWI’s dakwah (missionary) programmes be intensified with wider
participation from all levels of the community, covering various professional
groups as ‘pendakwah’ (Islamic preachers) and not confined to the asatizah
(Islamic religious teachers).
“JAWI
should also continue to forge strategic cooperation with various agencies,
departments, organisations and the media as a team to realise its vision and
mission for a wider impact on the community,” he added.
As JAWI
celebrates its golden jubilee, he hoped that the department would continue to
take bold and courageous steps in addressing the increasingly complex issues
facing the Muslim ummah.–Bernama
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
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https://thesun.my/local_news/jawi-marks-50-year-journey-reaffirming-its-commitment-to-the-ummah-DK11825402
----
Magnitude
6.9 quake latest to rattle southern Philippines
December 4, 2023
MANILA:
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of the southern Philippines
early Monday, the United States Geological Survey said, the latest in a slew of
strong quakes all concentrated in the same area.
Monday’s
quake hit just before 4:00 am local time, (2000 GMT Sunday), at a depth of 30
kilometres (18 miles), about 72 kilometres northeast of Hinatuan municipality
on Mindanao island.
That
followed a magnitude 6.6 earthquake on Sunday and a deadly magnitude 7.6 quake
Saturday in the same region, which had briefly triggered a tsunami alert.
At least
two people were killed and several were injured after Saturday’s quake,
authorities said. It was followed by a series of aftershocks of magnitudes
exceeding 6.0 through Sunday, according to the USGS.
“The
quake was brief, it lasted around six seconds, but the shaking was quite
strong,” said Allan Luna, a disaster officer in Cagwait municipality, about 35
kilometres from the epicentre of Monday’s tremor.
Residents
begin to return home after Philippine quake kills one
“The
other night people panicked. But this morning, since they’ve experienced a
similar quake already, they calmly went out of their houses and stayed outdoors
for around an hour.”
Hinatuan
police Staff Sergeant Joseph Lambo said Sunday evening’s quake sent people
rushing out of their homes again.
“They
were panicking due to the memory of the previous night’s quake,” Lambo told
AFP.
Saturday’s
quake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific region and sent residents
along the east coast of Mindanao fleeing buildings, evacuating a hospital and
seeking higher ground.
Collapsed
wall kills man
Some
walls and roads cracked while a number of flimsy homes crumpled and the roof of
an outdoor court collapsed, but there have been no reports of major damage so
far, disaster officials in the quake-affected region have told AFP.
A
30-year-old man died in Bislig City, in Surigao del Sur province, when a wall
inside his house fell on top of him, said local disaster official Pacifica
Pedraverde.
A
pregnant woman was killed in Tagum city in Davao del Norte province, the
national disaster agency said, without providing details.
Two
people suffered minor injuries from falling debris in Tandag City, about 100
kilometres north of Bislig, an official said.
The
Philippine seismology institute initially warned of a “destructive tsunami”
after the first quake Saturday, expecting “life threatening” waves, though none
occurred and the warning later ended.
Small
swells were reported as far away as Japan’s eastern Pacific coast, where a
tsunami warning was also briefly in effect. Palau, a western Pacific
archipelago located about 900 kilometres off Mindanao, reported no impact.
The
recent earthquakes came about two weeks after a 6.7 magnitude tremor hit
Mindanao, killing at least nine people, shaking buildings and causing part of a
shopping mall ceiling to collapse.
Earthquakes
are a daily occurrence in the Philippines, which sits along the Pacific “Ring
of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic and volcanic activity that stretches from
Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.
Most are
too weak to be felt by humans.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40276606/magnitude-69-quake-latest-to-rattle-southern-philippines
------
MAP
condemns Israel's 'Evacuation Zone Map' for Gaza residents
Daniel
Ahmad
December
4, 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: Humanitarian organisation Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), has
denounced Israel's recently introduced "Evacuation Zone Map" for Gaza
residents.
Its
chief executive Melanie Ward, expressed deep concern that the map is causing
widespread distress among civilians, including her own staff.
"I
cannot overstate the fear, panic and confusion that these Israeli maps are
causing civilians in #Gaza, including my own staff.
"People
cannot run from place to place to try to escape Israel's bombs, nor does
international law expect them to. What is being done is unconscionable,"
she said in a post on X on Dec 3.
Ward's
statement challenges the effectiveness and humanitarian implications of the
map.
She
contends that the civilian population is facing undue stress and hardship, as
they grapple with the complexities of the evacuation zones amid ongoing
conflict.
A
British daily newspaper, The Guardian reported that Israel has initiated the
implementation of a new grid system for issuing evacuation alerts in Gaza,
dividing the area into more than 600 blocks.
The
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have designed this to manoeuvre civilians within a
confined battle space, directing them to vacate specific areas, some covering
only a few blocks, as they target Hamas fighters.
"Reportedly,
the map is intended to facilitate orders to evacuate specific areas ahead of
their targeting. The publication does not specify where people should evacuate
to.
"It
is unclear how those residing in Gaza would access the map without electricity
and amid recurrent telecommunications cuts," said the United Nations
agency to The Guardian.
Source: nst.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/12/986383/map-condemns-israels-evacuation-zone-map-gaza-residents
------
Africa
Hundreds
join pro-Palestine march in South Africa's Johannesburg
04
December 2023
Thousands
of demonstrators joined a pro-Palestine march in South Africa's Johannesburg on
Sunday in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza
Strip.
Footage
shows protesters walking in procession with a large Palestinian flag while
others are chanting through megaphones.
"I
stand here today to express my outrage and horror at the 247 healthcare workers
that have been killed and the indiscriminate bombing of hospitals, clinics, and
all the civilians and the vulnerable people in Gaza," said a psychiatrist
who attended the rally alongside other healthcare workers.
“Our
colleagues and healthcare workers have suffered tremendously and that trauma is
ongoing. We need the world to stand up for them and to be the voice that is
able to rise up and to say enough is enough. We stand with Gaza," added a
second protester.
Israel
started the war on Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian resistance
movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying
entity in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and
devastation against Palestinians.
According
to Gaza’s health ministry more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed and
over 41,300 others wounded since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on the
coastal territory.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/03/715762/Johannesburg-Palestine-march
------
Burkina
Faso: Civil society calls for release of Daouda Diallo abducted human rights
defender
04
December 2023
A major
coalition of West African NGOs on Sunday demanded the "immediate
release" of Daouda Diallo, the Burkina Faso human rights defender abducted
on Friday in Ouagadougou by men in plain clothes.
"Daouda
Diallo was abducted by at least four unidentified men on Friday, December 1,
2023 at around 3:00 pm, in front of the passport department in Ouagadougou,
where he had gone to renew his travel documents," said the Coalition
citoyenne pour le Sahel in a statement, adding that it has had "no news"
of him since, nor "any information on the reasons for the abduction".
The
organization "demands the immediate and unconditional release of Dr Daouda
Diallo, as well as guarantees of his physical and psychological
integrity".
"The
abduction of a leading activist in broad daylight outside the premises of a
public service calls for an immediate response from the government", the
coalition continues.
On
Friday evening, the Collectifcontrel'impunité et la stigmatisation des
communautés (CISC), of which Mr. Diallo is Secretary General, had
"strongly condemned" an "umpteenth arbitrary kidnapping"
and demanded his "immediate and unconditional release".
Winner
of the 2022 Martin Ennals Award - also known as the Nobel Prize for Human
Rights Defenders - Daouda Diallo was one of a number of voices critical of
Burkina Faso's ruling regime who had recently been "requisitioned" to
take part in the fight against jihadism, according to Human Rights Watch.
Captain
Ibrahim Traoré, who came to power in a coup in September 2022, signed a one-year
"general mobilization" decree in April, allowing "young people
aged 18 and over" to be requisitioned if necessary to fight the jihadists
whose attacks regularly plunge the country into mourning.
On
Sunday, the Coalition citoyenne pour le Sahel said the decree "must not be
used as a pretext to arbitrarily target and silence independent voices".
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/04/burkina-faso-civil-society-calls-for-release-of-daouda-diallo-abducted-human-rights-defend/
-----
Muslims
and Christians Unite in Prayer for Peace in the Middle East in Algeria
03
December 2023
**In a
powerful display of interfaith solidarity, Muslims and Christians gathered on
Saturday evening at the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers to pray for
peace in the Middle East, particularly focusing on the ongoing conflict in
Gaza.**
Archbishop
Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers expressed the collective intention behind the
gathering, stating, "Today we wanted to organize a day of fasting and
prayer for peace and for an end to the fighting, but with justice in Gaza. It's
a day of prayer in solidarity with all the people of Gaza."
Around
200 individuals, including foreign diplomats and representatives of various
associations, responded to the call by the Catholic Church in Algeria to come
together and pray for peace in the Gaza Strip, where residents are enduring
what the Archdiocese of Algiers describes as an "insupportable tributary"
to conflict.
Among
the attendees were French Ambassador Stephane Romatet, Palestinian Ambassador
Fayez Mohamed Mahoum Abu Aita, Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco, and the president of
the Algerian association "Passerelles de la paix," YoucefMecheria.
Ambassador
Romatet emphasized the significance of the diverse community present,
encompassing Muslims and Christians, particularly in a time when global peace
is under threat, especially in the Middle East.
"We
responded to this call to pray for the end of the conflict in the Middle East,
in Palestine, and in Gaza," stated Mr. Mecheria.
The
ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, initiated on October 7, has resulted in
intense violence. Israel, vowing to "annihilate" Hamas, has subjected
the densely populated Gaza Strip to relentless bombardment in response to the
Hamas attack.
As a
seven-day ceasefire concluded on Friday morning, the conflict resumed with
renewed intensity.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/03/muslims-and-christians-unite-in-prayer-for-peace-in-the-middle-east-in-algeria/
------
How I
dislodged B’Haram founder, Shekau, others – Ex-Niger gov
4th
December 2023
Godwin
Isenyo
A former
Niger State governor, Dr Muazu Aliyu, has broken his silence on how his
administration practically chased out leaders of the dreaded Boko Haram
insurgents from the state during his first term in office.
Aliyu
noted that if not that he chased the late Abubakar Shekau, the dreaded leader
of Boko Haram, and his lieutenant, Abu Qaka, Niger State would have been the
foundation of the sect.
The
ex-governor spoke at the weekend at the 2023 Annual Public Lecture/Awards and
Election of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Kaduna Branch, where he
was guest speaker.
He
explained that when he took over as governor of Niger State he discovered the
camp of the insurgents and got the support of then President, the late Umar
Yar’Adua, to disperse them.
Aliyu
said, “The primary purpose of government is the security of lives and property
of the citizens, which some governors don’t take seriously. As chief security
officer of your state, you cannot claim inability to secure your citizens. Yes,
the officers of the security agencies might not have come from your state, they
are federal officers posted to assist you in your state.
“Being
proactive as a leader and follower also helps so much. When I arrived in Niger
State, I found a security challenge. Nine people. who went to a village in the
Mokwa Local Government Area, had multiplied in 2007 to 7,000 people, and were
involved in armed robbery and abducting women in the area. They constituted
themselves into a republic.
“I also
discovered that many governors had tried to do something but were probably
frustrated by Abuja. In fact, two immigration officers sent to investigate the
activities of the group became members.
“When I
took a census, I discovered that more than 60 per cent of the members were not
Nigerians. The original Shekau and Abu Qaga were the leaders. I got the support
of the late President Musa Yar’Adua to disperse them after compensating them
and providing them fare to their destination in Nigeria and the foreigners were
taken to their borders.
“That
action probably saved Niger State from being the foundation for Boko Haram as
we come to know; they were regularly visiting the River Niger bridge. That the
Federal Government would support any governor who has done his homework is not
in doubt.”
Speaking
further, Aliyu said part of the solution to the security challenges bedeviling
the country was proper planning and budgeting.
“Our
planning must be people-centred and our budget must be treated as the law that
it is.
“If the
planning is proper, we cannot be talking of 20 million children out of school,
we cannot be described as the poverty capital of the world, we also cannot be
facing the insecurity of banditry, Boko Haram, and armed robbery. With proper
planning we cannot have the level of corruption we have today.”
Earlier
in his remarks, the state Chairman of the NIPR, Haroun Malami, noted the theme
of the lecture: ‘Demographic Transition, Ethical Resource, Sustainable
Development: Reflections on Northern Nigeria,’ was chosen in view of the rising
unemployment among the youth, particularly in the northern part of the country.
Source: punchng.com
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------
East
Africa force starts withdrawal from Congo
2023-12-04
GOMA
(Congo): Scores of Kenyan troops flew out of eastern Democratic Republic of
Congo on Sunday, marking the start of the withdrawal of a regional force after
Kinshasa did not renew its mandate to help fight M23 rebels.
Congolese
President Felix Tshisekedi has repeatedly criticised the East African Community
force since its deployment in Nov. 2022 for failing to enforce the withdrawal
of the M23, a rebel group claiming to represent the interests of ethnic Tutsis.
The presidency
announced it would not be renewing its mandate after an EAC summit in late
November.
With the
mandate due to expire on Dec. 8, Kenyan soldiers were seen lining up on Sunday
to board two planes on the tarmac of the airport in the eastern Congolese city
of Goma, a Reuters reporter said. A different force from the Southern African
Development Community is due to replace the EAC troops, but the date of its
arrival and the length of its mandate have not been announced.
The
strategic reshuffling highlights the difficulty of stabilising the eastern
provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, where Congo declared a state of siege two
years ago to address worsening militia violence.
Source: brecorder.com
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------
Nigeria
calls for Niger Junta to free ousted president Mohamed Bazoum
03
December 2023
Nigeria
is calling for the release of ousted Niger president Mohamed Bazoum and for the
military junta to allow him to leave for a third country, its foreign minister
said.
Nigeria
is current chair of the regional group Economic Community of West African
States or ECOWAS which has imposed sanctions on Niger following the July coup
that ousted Bazoum.
ECOWAS
had been demanding Bazoum's immediate return to the presidency, but the
military junta has kept him in detention and says it may need up to three years
for a return to civilian rule.
"We
are asking them to release President Bazoum so that he will be allowed to leave
Niger," Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar told local Channels TV news
in an interview published on its website at the weekend.
"He
will no longer be in custody. He will go to a third country that is mutually
agreed. And then we start talking about the removal of sanctions."
He said
ECOWAS was still open to talks with Niger's junta.
"You
know, the opportunity is there. We are always ready, willing, and able to
listen to them and the ball is in their court."
ECOWAS
leaders will meet in Nigeria's capital Abuja on December 10 to discuss the
region, where since 2020 coups have put military juntas in power in Mali,
Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger.
Last
month, a failed coup attempt left 21 dead in Sierra Leone, another member of
ECOWAS, according to senior officials in the country.
ECOWAS
member Guinea-Bissau's President UmaroSissocoEmbalo on Saturday said violence
this week involving members of his country's National Guard was an
"attempted coup".
Source: africanews.com
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----
Tinubu
‘ll Not Tolerate Destruction of Farmlands by Herdsmen, Igboho Tells Miyetti
Allah
04
December 2023
Kemi
Olaitan
Yoruba
nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, yesterday,
took on the National President of Miyetti Allah, KautalHore, Abdullahi Bello
Bodejo, for dismissing his recent quit notice to Fulani herders to vacate the
South-west.
He said
the nation’s constitution does not support mindless killings of farmers,
vicious rape of their wives and destruction of farmlands, which were rampant
during the immediate past administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari,
stre-ssing that President Bola Tinubu would not tolerate such unwholesome acts.
Adeyemo
while apparently reacting to a report credited to Bodejo in the media,
contended that “some alleged killer Fulani herders must be stopped from
re-igniting tension and atmosphere of insecurity in any part of Nigeria, most
especially in the agrarian communities and settlements in Yorubaland by the
security agencies.”
He
described Bodejo, as a “mere attention seeker,” emphasising that though Nigeria’s Constitution allows
citizens to reside in any part of the country, it does not support herders
under whatever guise to graze his cattle on the farmlands, kill farmers
struggling to eke their living and rape their wives and daughters.”
The
Yoruba nation activist in a personally signed statement made available in
Ibadan, said: “It is glaring that Bodejo is merely seeking undue recognition
through his unjustifiable position on the carnage by his fellow Fulani herders
which had caused untold hardship for small and large scale farmers, even in the
North and more prominently in the South, where they often move their cattle to
graze farms and destroy cash crops.”
The
statement read: “It is imperative for the Miyetti Allah group to be conscious
of the fact that the acts of lawlessness permeated by former President
Muhammadu Buhari will not hold sway under the President Bola Tinubu.
“It will
do them a lot of good to perish the thought of unprovoked attacks on farmers,
particularly in the South-west, where we have lost many innocent farmers.
Relevant security agencies and the people will not allow them to further
compound the woes of the common man.
“We are
again charging the heads of security agencies to redouble their efforts and
strategies in ensuring that the sustenance of peace and tranquility in all
parts of the country, including all the states in the South West so that
farmers and agrarian communities will not be subjected to terror and violent
attacks by rogue Fulani herders and cattle rustlers.
“While
we believe in the efficiency of the Police, the Department of State Security
(DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other paramilitary
agencies to ensure security of lives and properties, we want to charge our
people to be vigilant and quickly report any act capable of breaching the peace
in their respective communities and locations.”
Source: thisdaylive.com
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https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/12/04/tinubu-ll-not-tolerate-destruction-of-farmlands-by-herdsmen-igboho-tells-miyetti-allah
-----
FG
didn’t sponsor 1,411 delegates to COP28 – Presidency
4th
December 2023
Stephen
Angbulu
The
Presidency, on Sunday, said only a handful of the 1,411 Nigerian delegates who
registered to attend the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirates, were sponsored by the Federal Government.
The
Presidency explained that a bulk of the contingents comprised private sector
players, such as businesspeople, civil society organisations and delegates from
Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta region.
It also
argued that the delegates were at the summit to promote their respective causes
and not for jamboree.
“It is
important to state here that delegates from all countries, whether from
government, private sector, media and civil society groups, attend COP summits
and conferences as parties and the number of attendees are registered against
their countries of origin. This does not mean they are sponsored or funded by
the government,” a statement signed by President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special
Adviser on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, read Sunday.
Sunday’s
response follows social media uproar over the significant presence of Nigerian
delegates at the ongoing United Nations Climate Conference in Dubai.
While
noting that the large contingent from Nigeria was not solely government-funded,
Ajayi said, “It is important to state here that delegates from all countries
whether from government, private sector, media and civil society groups attend
COP summits and conferences as parties and the number of attendees is
registered against their countries of origin.
“This
does not mean that they are sponsored or funded by the government. It must be
said also that the fact that people registered to attend a conference does not
mean everyone who registered is physically present.
“As the
biggest country in Africa, the biggest economy and one with a bigger stake in
climate action as a country with a huge extractive economy, it is a no-brainer
that delegates from Nigeria will be more than any other country in Africa.”
He
pointed out that because of the significance of the climate conference,
stakeholders from Nigeria beyond the government are also involved.
They
include UBA Chairman, Tony Elumelu; Chairman of BUA group, AbdulSamadRabiu and other billionaires “whose businesses are
promoting sustainability and climate actions through their philanthropies.”
“These
businessmen and women and their staff who came with them to promote their own
business interests are part of the 1,411 delegates from Nigeria. Their trip to
Dubai is not funded by the Federal Government.
“United
Nations Climate summit, by its very nature, commands attendance of big names
from across the world – statesmen and women, politicians, lawmakers, corporate
titans, journalists and activists, etc. who promote big global agenda. So,
people attend the summit for many reasons,” the Presidency clarified.
Ajayi
also explained that when the world comes together to take action on achieving a
common goal and proffer collective solutions to a nagging global concern, there
are parties involved from government, private sector, civil society, media and
multilateral institutions.
He
noted, “In Nigeria, like so many other countries, interested parties comprising
government officials from both the Federal and sub-national governments,
business leaders, environmentalists, climate activists and journalists are
present in Dubai.”
Also
participating are agencies of government such as the Nigerian National
Petroleum Company Limited and its subsidiaries, the Ministry of Niger Delta
Affairs, the Niger Delta Development Commission and many youth organisations
from Nigeria, he explained.
“The
President of Ijaw Youth Council, Jonathan Lokpobiri, leads a pan-Ijaw
delegation of more than 15 people who registered as parties from Nigeria.
“Among
delegates from Nigeria are also over 20 journalists from various media houses.
“Their
participation is very important. It is not for jamboree as it is being
mischievously represented on social media,” he noted.
Source: punchng.com
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-----
North
America
US top
officials complicit in Israeli crimes on Gaza
Dec 4,
2023
TEHRAN,
Dec. 04 (MNA) – A senior official of the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas
says the US administration and its top officials are complicit in Israel’s war
crimes against Palestinians, including its genocidal war on the besieged Gaza
Strip.
Osama
Hamdan, the representative of Hamas in Lebanon and also a member of the
movement’s Politburo, made the comments in a Sunday press conference in Beirut,
as Israel pressed ahead with a new round of its indiscriminate strikes on Gaza.
"The
American administration, its president [Joe Biden], and his Secretary of State
[Antony] Blinken are complicit in [shedding of] Palestinian blood [as well as
Israel’s] massacres, [and] crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide, and they
will pay the price for their crimes," he said.
The
Hamas official called for the prosecution of senior Biden administration
officials in international courts as war criminals, while praising “the free
American people who have raised their voices loudly in rejecting the [Israeli]
aggression."
"We
call on every free person in the United States, who rejects the crimes of the
occupation, to withhold their votes from Biden and his party’s candidates in
all states, and every candidate who supports the Zionist massacres against the
Palestinian people,” Hamdan said.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the Hamas official reiterated that despite Israel’s brutal
aggression and genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza, the regime will not
achieve any of its goals.
"What
the occupation failed to achieve in more than 50 days before the truce, it will
not achieve afterward [either] no matter how long this war continues,” Hamdan
said, referring to an Egyptian- and Qatari-mediated truce deal that marked a
lull in the unabated Israeli aggression against Gaza.
He
stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his military will
only reap failure and severe defeat, more bodies of his soldiers, [and] destruction
of their tanks and vehicles.
Israel
started the war against Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s Palestinian
Resistance movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the
occupying entity in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign of
bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
According
to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed and
over 41,300 others wounded since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on the
coastal territory.
Since
the beginning of the war on Gaza, the US has been Israel's biggest ally,
providing it with thousands of arms consignments. Washington, which has backed
Tel Aviv's ferocious attacks as a means of alleged "self-defense,"
has also been casting its veto against the UN Security Council resolutions that
called on the occupying regime to cease its aggression.
Source: mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/209135/US-top-officials-complicit-in-Israeli-crimes-on-Gaza
-----
Palestinian
student shot in US is paralysed, says family
December 4, 2023
WASHINGTON:
One of the three college students of Palestinian descent who were shot in
Vermont last month is paralysed from the chest down after a bullet lodged in
his spine, the student’s family said.
Hisham
Awartani, a 20-year-old student at Brown University who grew up in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, was walking with two friends near the University of
Vermont campus in Burlington on Nov 25 when police say 48-year-old Jason Eaton
shot them with a handgun in a suspected hate crime. Eaton has pleaded not guilty.
Tahseen
Ali Ahmad, who attends Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and KinnanAbdalhamid,
who attends Trinity College in Connecticut, were expected to make a full
recovery. But Awartani — whose grandmother the three 20-year-olds had been
visiting over Thanksgiving break from school — received a much graver
prognosis, according to a statement his family wrote for a fundraiser to offset
his medical expenses.
“He has
demonstrated remarkable courage, resilience and fortitude — even a sense of
humor — even as the reality of his paralysis sets in,” Awartani’s family wrote
on their GoFundMe page, which had raised over $200,000 as of Sunday morning.
Source: dawn.com
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-----
American
Muslims vow to ditch Biden in 2024 over his support for Israel
03
December 2023
Muslim
American leaders in swing states have pledged to rally their communities
against US President Joe Biden’s bid for re-election due to his steadfast
backing of Israel and his refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Muslim
community leaders gathered on Saturday in Dearborn, Michigan, to protest
Biden’s refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, reiterating that the
president’s stance could affect his support in crucial swing states next year.
“This
#AbandonBiden 2024 conference is set against the backdrop of the upcoming 2024
presidential election and the decision to withdraw support for President Biden
due to his unwillingness to call for a ceasefire and protect innocents in
Palestine and Israel,” the group said in a statement.
Democrats
in Michigan have warned the White House that Biden's handling of the Israeli
war on Gaza could cost him enough support within the Arab American community to
sway the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.
The
#AbandonBiden campaign began when Minnesota Muslim Americans demanded Biden
call for a ceasefire by October 31, and has spread to Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin,
Pennsylvania and Florida.
Israeli
attacks on the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours have led to the killing of over
700 people.
Jaylani
Hussein, director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, said that Biden’s unwillingness to call for a ceasefire had damaged
his relationship with the American-Muslim community beyond repair.
Tens of
thousands of people across the UK held protests against the resumption of
Israel’s renewed attack on Gaza following the seven-day truce.
“We are
not powerless as American Muslims. We are powerful. We don’t only have the
money, but we have the actual votes. And we will use that vote to save this
nation from itself,” Hussein said. “Families and children are being wiped out
with our tax dollars,” he added. “What we are witnessing today is the tragedy
upon tragedy.”
Opposition
from their sizable Muslim and Arab American populations could pose a challenge
to the president’s Electoral College prospects in the upcoming election.
Observers
say the president could not afford to lose the support of the Arab-American
community in states critical to his chances for re-election.
A recent
survey revealed a significant decline in Biden’s backing among Arab Americans,
dropping from a substantial majority in 2020 to just 17 percent.
Russian
intelligence shows Biden is trying to prevent a prolongation of Gaza war to
avoid election setbacks.
It
remains to be seen whether Muslim voters would turn against Biden en masse, but
small shifts in support could make a difference in states Biden won by narrow
margins in 2020.
This
shift could have a crucial effect in states like Michigan, where Biden secured
victory by 2.8 percentage points, and Arab Americans constitute 5 percent of
the vote.
Among
the general public, opinion polls show most Americans back an end to Israel’s
war in the besieged enclave.
Muslim
Americans said they did not expect former President Donald Trump to treat their
community any better if re-elected, but saw denying Biden votes as their only
means to shape US policy.
In
recent weeks, senior officials in Washington have said they wouldn’t be drawing
any red lines for Israel, which has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians
during a yet-ongoing war against the Gaza Strip.
On
Saturday, US vice-president Kamala Harris said that the US supports Israel’s
“legitimate military objectives” in Gaza.
So far
this year, the report says that the US has provided Israel with at least 16
types of weapons. However, the type and number of weapons are not publicly
known due to the US secrecy about the shipments.
Experts
have said these American weapons are likely being used extensively by Israeli
forces against Palestinians in Gaza.
Israel is the single largest recipient of US
foreign aid since World War II.
Meanwhile,
the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that the United States
is “undoubtedly” complicit in Israel’s “war crimes” and “genocide” against the
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The
spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry says the US administration is
complicit in Israeli crimes over its support for the occupying regime
In a
post published on X late on Saturday, Nasser Kan’ani condemned Israel’s
“gruesome” crimes, as the regime resumed its bombardment campaign and ground
offensive against the besieged enclave after the talks for extending the 7-day
temporary truce broke down on Friday.
Israel
launched the war on Gaza on October 7. The Israeli aggression has so far killed
around 16,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/03/715756/US-Biden-2024-Election-Palestine-Israel-Gaza-
-----
Several
Muslim leaders protesting Biden at Michigan conference defended Hamas massacre
Gabby
Deutch
December 3, 2023
A group
of Islamic leaders who gathered on Saturday in Michigan to urge Muslim
Americans to vote against President Joe Biden in 2024 because of his handling
of the Israel-Hamas war included a coterie of controversial figures, including
several who praised the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, one of whom
was ousted from the leadership of a nonprofit due to accusations of harassment
and abuse and one who has been sanctioned by Israel for supporting terrorism.
The
small group of activists, who met at a conference titled “Abandon Biden,”
introduced themselves as leaders of Muslim communities in swing states
including Florida, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia. They
professed that their greatest aim in 2024 will be to convince Muslims Americans
to vote against Biden, arguing that his “complicity” in “genocide” in Gaza will
stain his legacy. (Biden has supported Israel’s right to defend itself against
Hamas, while cautioning it to try and limit civilian deaths.)
But many
of the anti-Biden speakers have their own checkered pasts.
“We are
ready to mobilize the entire Florida Muslim community to abandon Joe,” said
Hassan Shibly, who for a decade led the Florida chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations until he was forced to step down in 2021, after his
estranged wife accused him of domestic abuse. After he offered his resignation,
several former employees of his accused him of bullying and sexual misconduct.
Since
Oct. 7, Shibly has taken to social media to offer extreme opinions about
Israel, calling the country “Zionist ISIS” and comparing Israel to Hitler.
“Palestinian children in Gaza do not fear Israelis [sic] bombs any less than
Jewish children feared Nazi gas chambers,” he posted on X. An image
accompanying the post featured a swastika within a Jewish star, covered in
blood, and the quote, “the irony of becoming what you once hated.”
Khalid
Turaani, an activist from Michigan, was sanctioned by Israel in 2020 for
sitting on the board of IPALESTINE, a British organization that is affiliated
with Hamas and is designated as a terror organization in Israel.
Speaking
to the media on Oct. 11, Turaani said the Oct. 7 Hamas attack “must be seen in
the context of 75 years of ethnic cleansing,” noting that “history did not
start on Oct. 7.”
“It
would be misguided to think of these events as if somebody woke up on the
morning of Oct. 7 and decided to do an incursion here or an attack there,” he
said.
Others
at the conference also offered justifications for the Oct. 7 attacks. Arizona
activist HazimNasaredden, who spoke at Saturday’s event, has called Hamas the
Palestinian “resistance movement” in a May 2021 tweet.
“Al-Aqsa
storm is the inevitable consequence of continued Israeli oppression of the free
men and women of Gaza,” Nasaredden wrote on Facebook on Oct. 8, using Hamas’
official name for the Oct. 7 attack. “I stand with my fellow brothers and
sisters who continue to fight for the freedom of all Palestinians and more
importantly the freeing of Masjid Al-Aqsa for every Muslim around the world.”
Tom
Facchine, an imam from upstate New York, said in a video posted on the TikTok
channel of Utica Masjid, a mosque in Utica, N.Y., where he is the resident
scholar, that he would offer “no equivocations, no apologies, no
condemnations.”
He then
suggested that criticizing Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack is not necessary.
“You
don’t criticize the table manners of a starving person, you let them eat,
right? You want to talk about, ‘Well, they shouldn’t be doing things this way
or they should be doing things that way.’ All right, get your boot off my neck,
and then we’ll talk, right?” Facchine said. “It’s like, this occupation has
been going on for however many years, stop the occupation and then we’ll talk.
Then we can talk about table manners.”
The
speakers at Saturday’s event spoke about polling that showed strong Muslim
support for Biden in the 2020 election. But some of the leaders have broken
with Biden and Democrats at times, particularly on LGBTQ issues. Facchine has
advocated against the Equality Act, a key Democratic legislative priority — the
bill would expand federal civil rights protections to LGBTQ people. “Everything
that Muslims have worked for in this country,” he said in a June 2023 video,
“is under threat” if the bill passes.
Shibly,
from Florida, wrote on Facebook in 2009 that “all Abrahamic faiths clearly and
unequivocally prohibit homosexuality.”
None of
the activists at the conference said they would instead urge Muslims to vote
for former President Donald Trump or other Republicans.
“We’re
going to teach the rest of this country that you do not have to have two
options. You can have more than two options,” said Jaylani Hussein, who is from
Minneapolis. “We haven’t made that decision.”
Exit
polling conducted by CAIR found that 69% of Muslim voters voted for Biden in
2020. A recent poll commissioned by a Detroit progressive group found that just
16% of Arab and Muslim Democrats who voted for Biden in 2020 would support him
if an election were held today.
A
spokesperson for the Biden campaign declined to comment.
Source: jewishinsider.com
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https://jewishinsider.com/2023/12/several-muslim-leaders-protesting-biden-at-conference-defended-oct-7-hamas-massacre/
-----
Arab
World
Qatar
says continues efforts to resume truce in Gaza
Dec 4,
2023
TEHRAN,
Dec. 04 (MNA) – Qatar continues its mediatory efforts to resume the
humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman
Majed bin Muhammad al-Ansari said.
"Undoubtedly,
these were the most difficult talks Qatar has ever conducted as a mediator. But
these efforts will continue," he said in an interview with the Al Jazeera
television channel. "Contacts are maintained nonstop. Groups continue
working via the headquarters in Doha, via mediators to guarantee that channels
of communication remain open."
"Doha
is holding consultations with international and regional partners to see to it
that the parties get back to the negotiating table," TASS quoted him as
saying.
The
Israeli regime started the war against Gaza on October 7 after the territory’s
Palestinian Resistance movements launched the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Storm
against the occupying entity in response to the regime’s decades-long campaign
of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
According
to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 15,500 Palestinians have been killed and
over 41,300 others wounded since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal war on the
coastal territory.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/209131/Qatar-says-continues-efforts-to-resume-truce-in-Gaza
----
Saudi
border guards thwart qat smuggling operation
December
04, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi border guards in the Jazan region have thwarted an attempt to smuggle 180
kg of qat.
The
illegal substance was confiscated, and several people arrested.
Qat is a
flowering shrub native to the Arabian Peninsula, the leaves of which act as a
stimulant when chewed.
Saudi
security agencies have urged the public to report any information about drug
smuggling or trafficking by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and the eastern
regions, and 999 in the rest of the Kingdom.
They can
also contact the General Directorate of Narcotics Control by calling 995 or
emailing 995@gdnc.gov.sa. All reports are treated with confidentiality.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2419901/saudi-arabia
------
Saudi
aid for Palestinians in Gaza continues
December
04, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip affected by the Israel-Hamas war
continues to be dispatched.
So far,
the Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered 573 tons of supplies via El-Arish
International Airport in Egypt.
The help
has included 24 planes carrying food baskets, shelter bags, tents, blankets,
mattresses, winter clothing bags, dried baby food, dates, and medical
materials.
The
center has also sent ambulances, with 14 out of 20 having already arrived in
the Strip.
KSrelief
also sent three ships from Jeddah Islamic Port to Port Said in Egypt carrying
401 containers, 258 containing medical supplies for hospitals there, and 143
stocked with food and shelter, to be transported to Gaza.
Meanwhile,
KSrelief official Ahmed bin Ali Al-Baiz on Sunday met for talks in Riyadh with
UN resident coordinator in Yemen, David Gressly. During the meeting, they
discussed issues related to relief and humanitarian affairs in Yemen.
Also on
Sunday, officials from KSrelief and the Norwegian Refugee Council in Somalia
signed a cooperation agreement to provide support worth $1.5 million for the
Burao Technical Institute in Somalia.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2419896/saudi-arabia
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3rd
edition of Saudi Green initiative Forum to kick off on Monday in Dubai
December
03, 2023
RIYADH —
The third edition of the Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2023 activities is set to
kick off on Monday in Dubai, coinciding with the 28th Conference of the Parties
to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).
The
Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2023, which is being held under the theme of “From
Ambition to Action”, aims to shed light on various initiatives and projects
currently under way in several parts of Saudi Arabia.
The
activities of the forum provide an annual platform for a group from the most
prominent policy makers, opinion leaders, and climate experts around the world.
The
annual platform brings together those expertise in order to exchange ideas and
vision, in addition to having deep discussions regarding the best available
ways to efficiently address climate challenges and reach a more sustainable
future locally and globally.
As for
the agenda for the 2023 edition, it will focus on a group of topics, including
financing climate action activities, innovating clean energy solutions,
activating the role of various groups of society in climate action, in addition
to protecting land and marine areas in Saudi Arabia.
The
Saudi Green Initiative Forum 2023 will also discuss topics related to
sustainability, activating the role of financing to enable climate action, in
addition to tree planting and environmental rehabilitation.
The
forum’s activities provide the opportunity for visitors to listen to an elite
group of climate experts from Saudi Arabia and the world, in addition to
interacting with them about the most important trends in the field of
sustainability.
It is
noteworthy that the Saudi Green Initiative is an ambitious initiative launched
by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman in 2021 with the aim
of combating climate change and raising the quality of life, in addition to
protecting the earth for future generations.
The
initiative seeks to mobilize the efforts of all effective agencies in societies
to achieve 3 main goals, which are: reducing emissions, afforestation, and
protecting land and nature.
More
than 80 initiatives are also being carried out, with the aim of contributing to
achieving the goals of the Saudi Green Initiative, all of which represent huge
investments in the fields of the green economy.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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the full text of the original
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/638320/SAUDI-ARABIA/3rd-edition-of-Saudi-Green-initiative-Forum-to-kick-off-on-Monday-in-Dubai
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