Jamaat-e-Islami and Muslim Brotherhood Divert Kashmiris from Sufi Path to Radical Approach towards Life
New
Age Islam News Bureau
27
October 2021
The concept of society and life as also the manner
of running the government as pursued by the JeI runs contrary to the Sufi
values associated with the people of Kashmir. Representational pic
----
•
Neither Jirga nor Court Can Alter Divine Islamic Inheritance Law: Pakistan Supreme
Court Judge
•
Global Powers and Aid Groups Criticised Over Men-Only Foreign Delegations to
Meet Taliban
•
Timeline for Potential Attacks by Islamic State, Al-Qaida against the United
States and the West Getting Shorter
•
Egypt’s Azhar Issues Fatwa Allowing Pigs' Kidneys to Be Transplanted to Humans
India
•
Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, A Consortium of Right-Wing Organisations Submit
Memo to Gurugram Admin, Threaten To Disrupt Friday Prayers
•
Tripura Mosque Vandalised, Shops Torched During VHP Rally in Protest against
Bangladesh Violence
•
Gujarat: Hindu mob protests opening of Muslim owned restaurant
•
Jamaat-e-Islami Terror Funding Case: NIA Raids Multiple Locations in J&K
--------
Pakistan
•
PM Imran Khan Notifies Appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as ISI Chief;
Pakistan Army Has Its Way
•
‘Always Been There’: Imran Khan Thanks Saudi Arabia on Receiving $3 Billion Aid
•
PM Imran, Xi seek world help to rebuild Afghanistan
•
Pakistan, Iran seek urgent steps to avert Afghan crisis
•
Three ‘TTP terrorists’ arrested in Islamabad
--------
South Asia
•
Taliban welcomes Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks on Shia-Sunni unity
•
Taliban approves plan to regulate academic ranks of religious scholars
•
Taliban should establish all-inclusive government: Iran
•
Taliban’s ministerial gathering, economic issues discussed
•
Afghanistan, China to create committees for strengthening bilateral relations
--------
North America
•
Teacher Suspended For Telling Muslim Student ‘We Don’t Negotiate With Terrorists’
•
US lawmakers urge Biden against F-16 sale to Turkey: Ankara behaves like an
adversary
•
US leaves door open to conditional talks with Sudan's military
--------
Arab World
•
Albanian Muslim leader commends Saudi efforts to serve Islam
•
Lebanon PM: Information minister’s comments on Saudi Arabia, UAE rejected
•
Iraq security officials: Eleven killed in ISIS attack northeast of Baghdad
•
Lebanon top politicians agree solution to political tensions, cleric says
•
Saudi air defences destroy Houthi drones targeting Abha airport, Najran
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Appeals Court Says High Court Judge Correct In Quashing Muslim Convert Mother’s
Unilateral Conversion Of Children To Islam
•
Malaysian Muslims mark resumption of international travel with Umrah pilgrimage
to Saudi Arabia
•
Indonesia Controls 23% of Global Sharia Bonds Issuance: Finance Minister
•
Resolve conflict between civil, Islamic law on property, govt told
--------
Europe
•
France to Close 7 More Mosques Associations Suspected Of Promoting “Radical
Islamism” By End Of 2021
•
France seeks clarification for Israel’s 'terrorist' tag on Palestine NGOs
--------
Mideast
•
Scores of Extremist Jewish Settlers Defile Aqsa Mosque under Police Guard
•
Hamas calls for confronting Israel over Muslim cemetery demolition
•
Iran Raps UN Human Rights Rapporteur for Using Info Provided by Terrorists
--------
Africa
•
Haftar, Gaddafi Hire Israeli Firm For Libya Elections: Report
•
Sudan’s Burhan says army ousted government to avoid civil war
•
White House in contact with Gulf countries about Sudan coup: Sullivan
•
Former Tunisian agriculture minister, ex-officials held over suspicion of
corruption
•
US secretary of state speaks with Sudan’s ousted premier
•
Bus blast in Uganda carried out by suicide bomber: Police
•
Sudanese Take to Streets In Defiance Of Military Coup
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Jamaat-e-Islami
and Muslim Brotherhood Divert Kashmiris from Sufi Path to Radical Approach
towards Life
OCTOBER
27, 2021
The concept of society and life as also the manner
of running the government as pursued by the JeI runs contrary to the Sufi
values associated with the people of Kashmir. Representational pic
----
The
influence of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in Jammu and Kashmir has been a
dominating factor in facilitating the terror narrative in the region. The
concept of society and life as also the manner of running the government as
pursued by the JeI runs contrary to the Sufi values associated with the people
of Kashmir.
The
inherent message of the JeI has been to ensure norms in society and politics on
the lines of the Sharia.
In
this respect, the Islamic organisation follows the practices of the Muslim
Brotherhood (MB) and takes direct inspiration from it.
JeI
experts regularly engage prominent members of the Turkey-based MB, seeking
their advice and guidance on various issues including the role of day-to-day
activities of the people and government.
Most
significantly, the aim of these organisations is to shift the mindset of the
people of Kashmir towards a hard, radical approach to life, intelligence
sources told CNN-News18.
For
instance, the Muslim Brotherhood has been propagating through the JeI the need
to totally reject the practice of shrine worship. This runs contrary to the
Sufi practice, which is more open and relies on mystical shrine-based worship.
The
JeI has, thus, been systematically introducing concepts and principles of the
MB within Kashmiri society.
The
Jamaat-e-Islami also operates in coordination with the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM),
which is its operational wing, and provides infrastructure and support to the
HM’s activities.
Interestingly,
as the JeI builds its wealth of Islamic knowledge based on support from the MB,
it also tends to use this knowledge base to effectively penetrate the educated
sections of society, including middle-level members of the bureaucracy in
Kashmir.
Books
from the MB translated in Kashmiri, shown under JeI publication, have been
distributed in the Valley on a regular basis to a certain targeted population
group.
In
the past, it has been found that the MB has systematically carried narratives
favouring an independent Kashmir on the lines of the briefing given to it by
the JeI operatives in Kashmir.
The
Sunni Islamist organisation Muslim Brotherhood’s serious interest in India,
especially in Kashmir and activities related to Muslims in India, has been
evident in the past.
The
MB had recently launched the “Boycott Indian products” campaign, which was created
based on fake news and artificially created graphics portraying the persecution
of Muslims in India.
It
has used this ploy with regard to Kashmir as well in the past. While calling
for a boycott of Indian products, it ran a series of Twitter handles pointedly
accusing India of indulging in the persecution of Indian minorities.
The
MB has been sharing its narrative on Kashmir with numerous other like-minded
organisations, such as those in the United States: the Islamic Society of North
America, Muslim Students Association, Council on American Islamic Relations
(CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), etc.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Neither
Jirga nor Court Can Alter Divine Islamic Inheritance Law: Pakistan Supreme
Court Judge
OCTOBER
27, 2021
Pakistan Supreme Court Judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa
-----
Supreme
Court Judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa Tuesday while hearing a case pertaining to a
property dispute in Swat said the decision of ‘Jirga’ in the said case was not
greater than the divine religion.
He
along with Justice Yahya Afridi heard the case, filed against a decision of the
Peshawar High Court (PHC) pertaining to distribution of the property among the
legal heirs of the deceased Habibullah.
The
heirs hailing from Swat had approached the apex court for equal distribution of
their property after a Jirga’s decision to distribute property among them.
During
the course of proceedings, Justice Isa said the Islamic law of inheritance
regarding the distribution of property among heirs could not be altered by the
judiciary or ‘Jirgas’. He said the matter of inheritance was settled 1,400
years ago. The law of inheritance given by the Islam was final and no one,
including courts, could change it, he added. He observed that a seven-year-old
kid was made witness to the Jirga’s decision and his thumbprint was stamped on
the property distribution documents. He said a seven-year-old child could not
be hanged in a murder case and such documents made a mockery of the law. The
counsel for the petitioner pleaded the court to consider the ground realities
of the area while hearing the case.
Upon
this Justice Isa responded that the counsel was treating women as the lesser
human beings.
Source:
Daily Times
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Global
Powers and Aid Groups Criticised Over Men-Only Foreign Delegations to Meet
Taliban
Oct
27, 2021
(Photo courtesy: News Logic)
-----
ISLAMABAD:
Global powers and aid groups that have loudly demanded an inclusive Afghanistan
under the Taliban are now facing criticism for sending all-male delegations to
Kabul to meet the hardline Islamists.
Since
seizing power in August, the Taliban have excluded women from their new
caretaker government and put restrictions on work and education, drawing
condemnation from the outside world.
But
female representation has been little better among some governments and aid
groups in their meetings in the capital with Afghanistan's new rulers, who are
seeking international recognition.
"Senior
women in your teams should be leading your interactions with the Taliban...
Don't exclude women," said Shaharzad Akbar, the exiled head of the
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
In
a tweet addressing "governments and aid agencies", she called on them
to "NOT NORMALISE Taliban's erasure of women".
Heather
Barr from Human Rights Watch created a list, under the hashtag
"sausageparty", of pictures posted by the Taliban of their meetings
with delegations in Kabul.
"Foreign
countries and especially aid organisations should be leading by example,"
Barr told AFP.
"No
one should let the Taliban think that this kind of men-only world that they are
creating... is normal."
The
Taliban have posted dozens of photos on social media of closed-door meetings
with groups of foreign representatives, showing not a single woman.
Among
the many meetings highlighted was one earlier this month between British envoy
Simon Gass and the Taliban's interim deputy prime ministers Abdul Ghani Baradar
and Abdul Salam Hanafi, seated on a sofa in a lavish room.
An
official told AFP it was a coincidence that the special envoy and head of
mission were both men.
Pakistan,
which has advised the Taliban on how to win international backing, also posted
pictures and video of an all-male group accompanying the foreign minister and
intelligence chief to Kabul.
Fawzia
Koofi, one of the negotiators in failed peace talks between the then Afghan
government and the Taliban last year in Doha, voiced her anger.
"As
world leaders, when they talk about women's rights, they also need to act. They
need to show that they believe in it, that it is not just a political
statement," she told AFP.
Even
more concerning, Barr said, were the numerous pictures of meetings between the
Taliban and humanitarian organisations that seemed to follow the same pattern.
When
contacted by AFP, the organisations on her list highlighted their dedication to
women's rights and said they strived to include women in meetings with the
Taliban.
But
several acknowledged holding at least one meeting with the hardline Islamists
that included no women.
The
International Committee of the Red Cross, the UN children's agency, and Doctors
Without Borders explained that on the photographed occasion, they had only sent
small delegations of top leaders, who happened to be men.
The
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies meanwhile said
a last-minute scheduling change had meant a woman staff member due to take part
had been unable to attend, turning one meeting into an all-male event.
The
lack of women in such high-level positions shows that while Afghanistan might
be an extreme example, it is not the only place where women are being denied an
equal seat at the table.
"Raising
those concerns about women's rights in a room full of all men just seems very
strange," Barr added.
The
United Nations has since announced its first-ever all-woman mission to
Afghanistan, to discuss girls' education with the Taliban.
While
never including women in their teams, the group's leaders have met with a
number of women, including during the Doha negotiations with the then Afghan
government.
Koofi,
who has survived two assassination attempts, had first hesitated to join the
talks with the militants, who jailed her husband and threatened to stone her
for wearing nail polish during their 1990s rule.
But
sitting face to face with them had made her feel "powerful".
"For
me, it was important that I make myself visible and my message clear to
them," she told AFP in 2019.
Now
those with the power to ensure women have a seat at the table are often failing
to do so, she said.
"Everyone
is playing politics."
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Timeline
for Potential Attacks by Islamic State, Al-Qaida against the United States and
the West Getting Shorter
People view the damage inside of a mosque
following a bombing in the provincial capital of Kunduz, northern Afghanistan,
Oct. 8, 2021.
----
WASHINGTON
— October 26, 2021
Both
the Islamic State terror group's Afghan affiliate and al-Qaida could be ready
to launch strikes against the United States and the West sooner than previously
thought following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The
Pentagon's third-highest ranking official told lawmakers Tuesday that the
latest intelligence suggests Islamic State Khorasan, also known as ISIS-K, is
on a faster track to regenerate its external strike operations, though
al-Qaida's terror operatives are not far behind.
"Both
al-Qaida and ISIS-K have the intent to conduct external operations,"
Defense Department Undersecretary for Policy Colin Kahl said, testifying before
the Senate Armed Services Committee.
"We
could see ISIS-K generate that capability in somewhere between six and 12
months," Kahl said. "Al-Qaida would take a year or two to
reconstitute that capability."
Fears
that the terror groups could gain strength in Afghanistan following the departure
of U.S. and coalition troops are not new. U.S. and Western officials have
warned for months that both groups were poised to take advantage of the absence
of U.S. boots on the ground.
Officials
and analysts cautioned that IS Khorasan in particular had already bolstered its
clandestine networks in Afghanistan and surrounding countries in the months
leading up to the U.S. pullout.
Attacks
sooner rather than later
But
the intelligence shared with lawmakers Tuesday suggests both IS Khorasan and
al-Qaida may have made additional gains in recent months, allowing them to
speed up the time frame, which top Pentagon and intelligence officials
previously put at six months to three years.
"I
don't think they are nearly as well-resourced as ISIS in Iraq and Syria were
back in the heyday," Kahl told lawmakers of the threat from IS Khorasan,
though he warned the affiliate's links to the terror group's global network is
troubling.
"They
do have a cadre of a few thousand folks, some of which would love to conduct
external attacks," he said. "I think we have to be vigilant that a
subset of ISIS-K could develop the resources and the capability to strike
outward to the U.S. homeland."
Kahl's
warning echoes the concerns of other top U.S. officials, who likewise have
cautioned IS Khorasan has been steadily building momentum.
During
a congressional hearing last month, Washington's top counterterrorism official,
Christine Abizaid, told lawmakers that the group seemed to be taking advantage
of the notoriety it got for carrying out the deadly attack on Hamid Karzai
International Airport in Kabul in the waning days of the U.S. withdrawal.
"Will
it become more focused on the West? Will it become more focused on the homeland
than it was?" Abizaid asked at the time.
U.S.
officials have also said IS Khorasan has benefited from the way Taliban forces
took over Afghanistan, emptying prisons and releasing thousands of IS
supporters and fighters.
"What
we see is ISIS newly rejuvenated," General Kenneth "Frank"
McKenzie, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia, told
lawmakers last month about the Taliban's indiscriminate opening of
Afghanistan's Parwan prison in August.
Other
U.S. officials now estimate the IS group has at least 2,000
"hardcore" fighters in cells across Afghanistan, though some foreign
intelligence services think the number may be higher.
Growth
of groups a concern
And
there are concerns IS Khorasan's numbers, as well as those for al-Qaida, could
soon start to swell, with intelligence reports suggesting supporters of both
groups have started to head to Afghanistan.
Getting
a sense of how much both terror groups could grow, though, will be difficult.
Kahl
said the U.S. is conducting daily surveillance flights over Afghanistan while
also using technical capabilities to obtain information on each group's plans.
But
U.S. military and intelligence officials have consistently warned that getting
vital intelligence on the threat is more difficult without a U.S. presence on
the ground.
There
are also questions about what role the Taliban will play, if any, in limiting
the threat of terror plots emanating from Afghan soil against the U.S. and
other Western countries.
"We
have seen signs … that the Taliban is wary about Afghanistan being a
springboard for al-Qaida external attacks, not because the Taliban are good
guys but because they fear international retribution if that were to
occur," Kahl said.
U.S.
officials have likewise said there is an expectation the Taliban will crack
down on IS Khorasan, which already has launched attacks against Taliban targets
across Afghanistan.
Still,
there is concern that it won't be enough.
"The
Taliban certainly have a vested interest in quashing any Islamic State
elements," Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute,
told VOA.
"[But]
the gap between the will of the Taliban to eliminate the Islamic State and the
Taliban's capabilities to do so seems to be large enough that the Islamic State
threat will persist from Afghanistan," she said.
There
are also lingering questions about the ability of U.S. forces to successfully
limit terrorism threat from "over the horizon."
Despite
ongoing discussions, the U.S. has so far failed to acquire any basing options
that would allow it to establish drones and other assets in the region, instead
relying on flights from its bases in the Persian Gulf, some eight hours away.
"We've
not secured firm basing arrangements," Kahl told lawmakers, noting ongoing
talks with Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
"They
[Pakistani officials] continue to give us access to Pakistani airspace, and
we're in conversations about keeping that airspace open," he added.
"They don't want Afghanistan to be a safe haven for terrorist attacks, not
just against Pakistan but against others."
Biden
critics' worries
A
number of U.S. lawmakers have been highly critical of U.S. President Joe
Biden's decision to move ahead with the Afghanistan withdrawal, charging it has
laid the groundwork for a terrorist revival in Afghanistan.
"The
consequences of the president's disastrous decisions are impossible to
ignore," Senator Jim Inhofe, the top Republican on the Senate Armed
Services Committee, said Tuesday.
"The
danger is likely to grow across the world in our own backyard," he said,
adding that "instead of putting together a real counterterrorism plan for
the future, all we get is buzzwords."
Lieutenant
General James Mingus, the Joint Chiefs director for operations, on Tuesday
tried to allay those concerns.
"We
are actively setting the conditions to ensure we remain situationally aware and
are postured to mitigate and neutralize developing terrorist threats,"
Mingus told lawmakers.
He
also said intelligence estimates that IS Khorasan or al-Qaida could launch
terror attacks in six months to a year were, "based on no U.S. or
coalition intervention."
"Our
efforts in the months ahead, and as we continue to improve our over-the-horizon
architecture, is to ensure that that external capability never comes to
fruition," Mingus said.
Kahl
on Tuesday, also pushed back, while admitting the U.S. needs to "remain
vigilant."
"The
intelligence community assesses that the overall risk to the homeland across
the world is at its lowest point since 9/11," he told lawmakers, arguing
other hotspots are just as dangerous, if not more so.
"We're
focused on the counterterrorism front on Somalia, the growth of violent
extremism in places like the Sahel," Kahl said. "We continue to have
to vigilant in Iraq and in Syria and in Yemen."
Source:
VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Egypt’s
Azhar Issues Fatwa Allowing Pigs' Kidneys To Be Transplanted To Humans
26
October 2021
Cairo
– Egypt's top religious institution, Al-Azhar, ended an ongoing debate this
week by issuing a fatwa (or religious ruling) permitting pig's kidneys to be
transplanted into a human body, but only under certain conditions.
The
debate began after a group of American surgeons in New York successfully
managed to transplant a pig’s kidney to a human patient earlier this month,
tapping a renewable source of organs which are in short supply.
In
Islam, a pig is considered an unclean animal and the Quran prohibits Muslims
from consuming its meat.
Al-Azhar,
which was founded as an Islamic university more than a thousand years ago, is
considered Egypt's highest religious authority and Muslims around the world
look to it for guidance.
“[Islam]
forbids being medicated by whatever is harmful, filthy [or] prohibited,”
Al-Azhar said in the fatwa.
However,
the fatwa added that if the use of the organ is to save a life, it could be
permissible, only “if necessary.”
The
Quran places great emphasis on the saving of human life, saying in one verse,
"And whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the lives of all
mankind".
Exceptions
can usually be made to religious rules in order to save lives or for other
necessities.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/azhar-issues-fatwa-allowing-transplant-pigs-kidneys
--------
India
Sanyukt
Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, A Consortium of Right-Wing Organisations Submit Memo to
Gurugram Admin, Threaten To Disrupt Friday Prayers
By
Leena Dhankhar
Oct
27, 2021
Members
of Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, a consortium of 22 local units of rightwing
organisations, gave a memorandum to Gurugram’s deputy commissioner Yash Garg on
Tuesday, seeking that the offering of Namaz in open areas is stopped. The
members said they plan to disrupt prayers on Friday yet again if the issue is
not resolved by then.
Kulbhushan
Bhardwaj, a Samiti member who has been a part of the protests, said, “This
time, if we find anyone offering prayers in the open and not in mosques then we
will be forced to disrupt the law and order situation and things can take an
ugly turn,” he said.
Bhardwaj
said they had a problem with outsiders gathering in residential areas to offer
prayers in the open. Members of the Muslim community, meanwhile, said there
weren’t enough mosques in the city, leading to them having to gather in the
open at certain sites to pray on Fridays.
Garg
said he had received the memorandum and the administration was trying to
resolve the issue at the earliest. He said the administration was on high
alert. “We are coordinating with the police to ensure that Friday is peaceful.
We have deployed duty magistrates at all locations where a protest can take
place and we shall ensure that communal harmony is maintained,” he said.
Senior
officials said that protesters were likely to gather at multiple sites and
police deployment would be planned after discussions with the commissioner of
police on Wednesday.
KK
Rao, the commissioner of police, said that heavy police deployment is planned
for Friday. “The prayers will be held under police protection and we will
ensure law and order situation is under control. Police have been instructed
accordingly and an assistant commissioner of police will be deployed to take
action at each spot if required. No one will be allowed to raise religious
slogans at prayer sites,” he said.
Protests
against namaz in open areas started in September in Sector 47. On October 8,
the sector residents and members of some Hindu groups protested for the fourth
consecutive week by raising slogans and singing bhajans even as members of the
Muslim community offered prayers amid heavy police presence. Though police
shifted the site of the Friday prayers around 100 metres from the originally
designated spot to avoid confrontation, local residents demanded they wanted
prayers to be stopped completely in their area.
After
a joint meeting of both communities with the deputy commissioner that week, it
was decided that residents of Sector 47 would not protest until Diwali (which
will be celebrated this year on November 4); however, protesters gathered at
Sector 12A last Friday.
Members
of the Muslim community said that they were being harassed by the protesters.
“Police and the administration should take action against those who are
conducting these protests at the sites. Designated land should be given to us
so we can set up mosques so that members of our community do not have to offer
prayers in open,” said Altaf Ahmad, founder member, Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tripura
Mosque Vandalised, Shops Torched During VHP Rally in Protest against Bangladesh
Violence
October
26, 2021
A
mosque was vandalised and two shops were set ablaze at Chamtilla area in North
Tripura district on Tuesday evening during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally
taken out to protest against recent violence against Hindus in neighbouring
Bangladesh, district Superintendent of police Bhanupada Chakraborty said. Three
houses and a few shops, reportedly owned by members of the minority community,
were also ransacked in nearby Rowa Bazar, Chakraborty said.
Vishwa
Hindu Parishad activists took out a rally to protest against the recent
violence in Bangladesh. A group of people threw stones and damaged a door of a
mosque in Chamtilla area during the rally. Security forces rushed to the spot
and brought the situation under control, the SP said. A complaint was lodged in
this connection, another police officer said.
The
opposition CPI(M) condemned the incident. A group of miscreants were active to
disrupt communal harmony in the state, the Left party said and appealed to all
sections of the people to maintain peace.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Gujarat:
Hindu mob protests opening of Muslim owned restaurant
26th
October 2021
Hyderabad:
A Hindu extremist mob opposing the opening of a restaurant owned by a Muslim
and a video of the same has been doing rounds on the internet. In the video,
posted by MuslimMirror.com on Twitter, the mob can be seen shouting the slogan
“If you want to stay in India, you will have to say Hail Lord Ram.”(Hindustan
mei rehna hoga, Jai Shri Ram kehna hoga)
In
a video reportedly from Anand, Gujarat, the crowd can be heard saying “Vande
Mataram. Desh ke ghaddaron ko, joote maaro saalo ko” (Long live India. Beat the
traitors with shoes) as the women in the protest spill what seems to be water
on the road.
Source: Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/gujarat-hindu-mob-protests-opening-of-muslim-owned-restaurant-2214837/
--------
Jamaat-e-Islami
terror funding case: NIA raids multiple locations in J&K
Oct
27, 2021
NEW
DELHI: In its ongoing investigation against the outlawed Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI)
group in a terror funding case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on
Wednesday carried out searches at the residential premises against its cadres
in Jammu and Kashmir.
The
NIA sleuths, along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF), started conducting the search operation at 6am. The fresh set of
searches is conducted on the premises of JeI cadres and their supporters across
Jammu and Kashmir.
These
raids are in continuation to the anti-terror agency's 61 raids conducted by its
sleuths on August 8 and 9 in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Kupwara,
Bandipora, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and
Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
According
to sources, the searches were carried out after an investigator found 'some
more leads' in connection with the case during the questioning of over a dozen
JeI suspects linked to the banned organisation in September.
The
NIA examined over a dozen JeI suspects for over a week at the agency
headquarters in New Delhi last month.
Those
JeI suspects examined by the NIA sleuths belonged to Ganderbal, Srinagar,
Kupwara, Bandipora, Rajouri and Doda districts, the sources said.
"We
are looking for some more people linked to the JeI case and they will be
summoned very soon as the examination is an ongoing process," said the
officials.
The
NIA is now engaged in "building up" the case as the suspects being
questioned are among those JeI cadres whose residential premises were raided by
the NIA sleuths during its August 8 and 9 raids at the 61 locations in 14
districts in Jammu and Kashmir in the terror funding case.
The
NIA along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF had conducted searches at 56
locations on August 8 at 14 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA sleuths
further conducted searches at five more locations on August 9.
The
searches included the premises of office bearers of the JeI, its members and
also offices of trusts purportedly run by the proscribed organisation. Various
incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized from the premises of
the suspects.
JeI
is an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) banned the organisation on February 28, 2019.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
PM
Imran Khan Notifies Appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as ISI Chief;
Pakistan Army Has Its Way
Omer
Farooq Khan
Oct
27, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan PM Imran Khan notified on Tuesday the appointment of Lt General Nadeem
Ahmed Anjum as the new chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), paving the
way for the implementation of the early decision taken by the country's army
chief regarding the nomination of the new spymaster. He will replace Lt General
Faiz Hameed from next month. The appointment comes after nearly three weeks of
an alleged standoff between the military and the government over the
appointment of Pakistan's new ISI director-general. On October 6, the army
chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, had reshuffled the top military hierarchy,
transferring ISI's outgoing chief, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, to Peshawar as corps
commander and appointing the Karachi corps commander, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, as
the ISI chief. Khan's reluctance to notify Anjum's appointment had strained the
relationship between Pakistan's civilian and military leaderships and prompted
the ministry of defence to send a fresh summary to the PM regarding the
appointment of the spymaster.
"The
PM has seen and approved the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum as
director-general, Inter-Services Intelligence, with effect from November 20,
2021, from the panel of officers at para 6 of the summary," a notification
issued by the PM's office said. According to the notification, the incumbent
ISI chief will continue to hold charge as ISI D-G till November 19, 2021.
Source:
Times of India
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‘Always
been there’: Imran Khan thanks Saudi Arabia on receiving $3 billion aid
Oct
27, 2021
After
Saudi Arabia sent $3 billion in financial aid to cash-strapped Pakistan for
tiding over the ongoing economic crisis, Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan on
Wednesday thanked Saudi Prince Mohammad bin Salman for extending the helpful
gesture in these “difficult times”.
Noting
that Saudi Arabia “has always been there” for Pakistan during its difficult
phase, Khan expressed his gratitude and noted that at a time when the world
confronts rising commodity prices, Saudi generosity did not fail its fellow
Muslim ally as the country deposited $3 billion in Pakistan's central bank and
financed refined petroleum products with $1.2 billion.
Taking
to his official handle on Twitter, Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan wrote,
“I want to thank HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman for supporting Pak with $3 bn
as deposit in Pak's central bank & financing refined petroleum product with
$1.2 bn. KSA has always been there for Pak in our difficult times incl now when
the world confronts rising commodity prices.”
I
want to thank HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman for supporting Pak with $3 bn as
deposit in Pak's central bank & financing refined petroleum product with
$1.2 bn. KSA has always been there for Pak in our difficult times incl now when
world confronts rising commodity prices.
—
Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 27, 2021
Imran
Khan had on Monday met Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud on the sidelines of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI)
summit in Riyadh, which he was invited to attend at the royalty's invitation.
Later on Tuesday, the Saudi prince announced that it was depositing $3 billion
in Pakistan's central bank to help the cash-strapped country with the foreign
reserves. According to Geo News, the announcement was made by the Saudi Fund
for Development, which said that not only was it depositing $3 billion in the
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) but also had issued an official directive to
supply $1.2 billion to finance Pakistan's oil products trade during the year.
The news was later confirmed by Pakistan's information and energy minister
Hammad Azhar.
“This
will help ease pressures on our trade and forex accounts as a result of global
commodities price surge,” Azhar said as he shared the news.
It
was reported by the Hindustan Times earlier this month that Pakistan is facing
a deep economic crisis, its biggest one in history. According to The News
International, one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan, the
Imran Khan-led regime ideally requires gross external financing of $51.6
billion within a two-year period (2021-2023) in order to fulfill its needs.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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PM
Imran, Xi seek world help to rebuild Afghanistan
Syed
Irfan Raza
October
27, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
In a joint appeal, Pakistan and China on Tuesday urged the international
community to help the Afghan people as well as the new Kabul administration to
rebuild the war-torn country.
The
world attention was drawn by the two countries towards the humanitarian crisis
in Afghanistan after Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to Chinese President Xi
Jinping on telephone to wish him on the centenary of the Communist Party of
China.
The
two leaders also felicitated each other on the important milestone of the 70th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their two
countries, reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral strategic cooperative
partnership and discussed the regional and international situation.
Prime
Minister Khan also telephoned President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and
congratulated him on winning the presidential elections for the second term.
During
their conversation, President Xi and PM Khan called on the international
community to extend immediate humanitarian and economic assistance to the
people of Afghanistan in order to alleviate their suffering, prevent
instability and flight of people. They also asked the world to continue
engagement with Kabul to rebuild Afghanistan.
The
prime minister appreciated China’s successful containment of the Covid-19
pandemic as well as its relief and assistance measures for the developing
countries, including vaccine cooperation with Pakistan.
Taking
stock of the negative impact of coronavirus on global economy, the two leaders
agreed on further strengthening bilateral economic and commercial ties,
including full realisation of the potential offered by Phase-II of the
China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, to overcome economic headwinds.
Mr
Khan lauded the successful, timely and high-quality implementation of the CPEC
projects and welcomed Chinese investments in the CPEC special economic zones.
He
said early start of work on the ML-1 railway project would complement
Pakistan’s geo-economic vision for national and regional development. He also
appreciated China’s leading role in combating climate change and briefed
President Xi on Pakistan’s wide ranging measures for climate change mitigation
and adaptation, including the ‘Ten Billion Tree Tsunami’ initiative.
Both
leaders agreed to strengthen Pakistan-China cooperation in relevant areas and
promote CPEC’s green development as a high quality demonstration of the Belt
and Road Initiative.
The
prime minister highlighted the need to continue with the momentum of high-level
exchanges to further diversify ‘All Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership’
between the two countries.
He
also renewed his invitation to President Xi to visit Pakistan at his earliest
convenience.
Pakistan
and China are longtime allies and have sent humanitarian aid to Kabul over the
past two months.
According
to media reports, the Taliban government does not have access to the
Afghanistan Central Bank’s $9 billion in reserves, most of which are held by
the New York Federal Reserve.
Uzbek
president felicitated
PM
Khan called Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and congratulated him on winning
the presidential elections for the second term.
He
said this impressive victory once again reflected the trust and confidence of
the people of Uzbekistan in President Mirziyoyev’s leadership.
The
prime minister underlined the importance of enhanced trade and economic
linkages and reiterated Islamabad’s support to the Trans-Afghan railway project
to advance the agenda of regional connectivity.
The
two leaders agreed to continue high-level interaction to further strengthen
bilateral cooperation in all areas, including economic, trade, investment,
energy, security and education sectors.
In
the regional context, Prime Minister Khan underscored the importance of a
peaceful and stable Afghanistan and timely completion of regional
infrastructure projects.
He
reiterated his invitation to the Uzbek president to visit Pakistan.
PM
telephones Prince Charles
Prime
Minister Khan also held a telephonic conversation with HRH Prince Charles on
Tuesday.
They
exchanged views on the forthcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference
(COP-26), scheduled to be held from Oct 31 to Nov 12 in Glasgow, the United
Kingdom.
The
prime minister appreciated the leading role being played by the UK as the
president of COP-26 and expressed the hope that the conference would help
translate political commitments into tangible actions and put in place
ambitious, practical and effective climate action. He said every nation must
play its due role in combating climate change in accordance with the principles
of equity and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1654271/pm-imran-xi-seek-world-help-to-rebuild-afghanistan
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Pakistan,
Iran seek urgent steps to avert Afghan crisis
October
27, 2021
TEHRAN:
Foreign ministers of Pakistan and Iran on Tuesday called for an active response
from the world to the situation in Afghanistan following the exit of foreign
troops and urged the international community to avert the humanitarian crisis
by providing immediate financial assistance to the war-torn country.
Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Iranian counterpart Hossein
Amirabdollahian expressed unanimity of views on extending humanitarian
assistance to the people of Afghanistan at a joint press conference.
Mr
Qureshi urged the United Nations, the European Union and aid agencies to pace
up their humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan.
He
said the Afghans deserved peace as their generations had suffered conflicts for
the past four decades. “We as a neighbour will continue to stand by Afghanistan
in difficult times,” the foreign minister said.
In
a joint call, foreign ministers demand active response from the world to
provide humanitarian assistance to war-torn country
About
his meeting with FM Amirabdollahian, Mr Qureshi said the discussions focused on
bilateral relations and regional matters. Both sides expressed satisfaction
over the recent collaboration in trade and defence, he said. He added that
Pakistan would “keep moving ahead because we understand the importance of our
relationship [with Iran]”.
The
Iranian foreign minister told the presser that his country would continue its
contacts with all parties in Afghanistan, explaining that Iran’s security
consultations with the interim government of Afghanistan were under way.
IRNA,
the official news agency of Iran, quoted Mr Amirabdollahian as saying: “We are
closely monitoring the developments in Afghanistan and believe that formation
of an inclusive government with the participation of all the ethnicities in
Afghanistan is the most significant political solution before us.”
He
also told the media that Iran would make use of the capacity of all its border
crossings with Afghanistan to send and facilitate humanitarian supplies into
the country.
He
was of the opinion that accelerating the dispatch of humanitarian aids from
other countries into Afghanistan during the cold snap would lower the peak of
refugees flowing into the neighbouring countries.
Earlier,
the two foreign ministers held extensive discussions on matters of mutual
interest over a working luncheon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran,
the Foreign Office said.
Referring
to Pakistan’s initiative to evolve the regional approach to Afghanistan, FM
Qureshi recalled his visits to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Iran
led to the first meeting of the neighbours of Afghanistan, which was held
virtually on September 8.
Acknowledging
the importance of close coordination between Pakistan and Iran, the foreign
minister said joint efforts would achieve the shared objective of a peaceful
and stable Afghanistan.
Sharing
his perspective on Afghanistan after his last week visit to Kabul, the foreign
minister underscored urgent need to provide humanitarian assistance to
Afghanistan to prevent an economic collapse.
On
the occasion, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to Afghan brethren by
facilitating trade and movement across borders.
In
the bilateral context, the foreign minister reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to
enhance relations with Iran in all areas, adding that Islamabad considered
Tehran a close and important neighbour.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1654282/pakistan-iran-seek-urgent-steps-to-avert-afghan-crisis
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Three
‘TTP terrorists’ arrested in Islamabad
October
27, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Islamabad police has arrested three persons
allegedly associated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Speaking
at a press conference, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jamil Zafar Malik
said the suspects used to write letters to businessmen and owners of
educational institutions demanding extortion money.
The
terrorists demanded Rs300 million through 10 letters sent to different people,
he said, adding that they also wrote to the CTD threatening its officials with
dire consequences.
One
of the arrested suspects is a former TTP commander from Swat, he said, adding
that they were supported by their accomplices in Afghanistan.
The
SSP said it was claimed in one of the letters that they had kidnapped son of
former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. Following directions of Inspector
General of Police (IGP) Qazi Jameelur Rehman, he constituted teams to ensure
arrest of the suspects.
The
police teams while using scientific methods of investigation and modern
technology in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies traced the
suspects.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1654230/three-ttp-terrorists-arrested-in-islamabad
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South Asia
Taliban
welcomes Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks on Shia-Sunni unity
October
26, 2021
Taliban
spokesman Mohammad Naeem tweeted that the group welcomed Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei's remarks on the unity of Sunnis and Shias.
"The
Islamic Emirate welcomes the words of the Leader of the Islamic Republic of
Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, who called for more unity of Shias and Sunnis in
Afghanistan," Naeem wrote on his Twitter:
Naeem
also wrote that the Afghans would stand together against the conspiracies as
much as possible and thwart them.
Earlier,
in a meeting with the guests of the Islamic unity conference, Ayatollah
Khamenei called the reason for repeated emphasis on the issue of unity the
division between religions and the serious efforts of the enemies to increase
this division. The Leader also told the participants at the unity conference
that today the terms Shia and Sunni have entered the American political
literature while they are basically opposed to the principle of Islam.
The
Leader added: "The recent unfortunate and tearful explosions in the
mosques of Afghanistan against the Muslim and worshipers are among the same
incidents that were carried out by Daesh, and the Americans had explicitly
stated that we created Daesh."
Source:
Tehran Times
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Taliban
approves plan to regulate academic ranks of religious scholars
Oct
27, 2021
KABUL:
The Taliban cabinet ministers held a meeting on Tuesday where a plan to
regulate the academic ranks of religious scholars was approved, reported Ariana
News.
According
to the news channel, acting Prime Minister of Afghanistan Mullah Mohammad
Hassan Akhund approved the plan to evaluate the academic credentials of the
religious scholars besides regulating their religious ranks.
Mullah
Akhund emphasised on the determination and evaluation of the academic ranks of
the scholars, reported Ariana News citing the statement by Taliban.
Source:
Times of India
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Taliban
should establish all-inclusive government: Iran
27
Oct 2021
Iran’s
foreign minister Hosain Amir Abdulahian in his talks with Pakistani foreign
minister Mahmood Qureshi said that the Taliban should include all ethnic groups
in their cabinet.
Hosain
Amir Abdulahian said that they are in contact with all stakeholders in
Afghanistan and added that they are following affairs in the country.
The
Iranian foreign minister acknowledged that his country will continue providing
humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan as it prevents mass displacement
and immigration.
The
statements come as Iran is hosting a regional gathering on Afghanistan to which
the Taliban have not been invited.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-should-establish-all-inclusive-government-iran-457457/
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Taliban’s
ministerial gathering, economic issues discussed
27
Oct 2021
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan held a ministerial gathering led by the acting Prime
Minister Muhammad Hassan Akhund on Tuesday, October 26, IEA spokesperson
Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement.
The
statement released by IEA reads that the gathering was concentrated on economic
issues and a high-level delegation was assigned to investigate and solve the
problems of the firms who have troubles withdrawing their money.
In
the meantime, the economic delegation was directed to assess the completion of
the Sha Wa Aros power dam and report to the ministerial gathering.
“The
gathering emphasized the continuation of issuing e-IDs and asked for a scheme
to be drafted for census of Afghanistan’s population” reads the statement.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/talibans-ministerial-gathering-economic-issues-discussed-4747457/
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Afghanistan,
China to create committees for strengthening bilateral relations
26
Oct 2021
Spokesperson
of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid in a voice clip on
Tuesday, October 26 said that Afghanistan and China will create three separate
joint committees to facilitate strengthening bilateral relations.
Zabiullah
Mujahid said that the committees were mutually agreed upon during Afghanistan’s
acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi’s meeting with Chinese foreign
minister Wang Yi in Doha on Tuesday, October 26.
As
per Mujahid, the first meeting will be dealing with political and diplomatic
relations and issues, the second committee will be assigned to follow up with
bilateral cooperation and making agreements, and the third committee will be
addressing economics among them excavation of mines in Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-china-to-create-committees-for-strengthening-bilateral-relations/
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North America
Teacher
suspended for telling Muslim student ‘we don’t negotiate with terrorists’
By
Emily Crane
October
26, 2021
A
New Jersey assistant teacher has been suspended for allegedly telling an Arab
American high school student “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” when he asked
for more time to complete an assignment.
Mohammed
Zubi, 17, claims the incident happened at Ridgefield Memorial High School last
Wednesday when he raised his hand during his math class to ask for additional
time.
The
senior student, who is Muslim, told CNN the unnamed teaching assistant
immediately hit back with the terrorist remark.
“I’m
looking around, at a loss for words, completely shocked,” Zubi said, adding the
remark was loud enough for the entire class to hear.
Zubi
said he turned to the girl sitting behind him to confirm he’d heard the
assistant teacher correctly.
The
staffer then approached him a few minutes later saying he hadn’t meant it like
that, according to Zubi.
“In
my head I’m just like, what other way could he have meant that?” Zubi said.
The
student, who only returned to school Monday in the wake of the alleged
incident, is demanding a public apology.
The
Ridgefield School District hasn’t revealed the exact nature of the incident but
did confirm the staff member had been suspended pending a full investigation.
Source:
New York Post
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US
lawmakers urge Biden against F-16 sale to Turkey: Ankara behaves like an
adversary
27
October ,2021
US
lawmakers, Democratic and Republican, urged President Joe Biden’s
administration against selling F-16 fighter jets to Turkey.
Eleven
members of the House of Representatives, led by Republican Representative
Nicole Malliotakis and Democratic Representative Carolyn Maloney, wrote a
letter to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing their concern
over reports of the F-16 sale to Turkey and said they are confident Congress
would block any such purchase.
“Following
President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan’s September announcement that Turkey will
purchase an additional tranche of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, we
cannot afford to compromise our national security by sending US-manufactured
aircraft to a treaty ally which continues to behave like an adversary,” the
lawmakers wrote.
“As
long as President Erdogan advances his expansionist project in the Eastern
Mediterranean, Turkey will continue to threaten our national security and the
security of our closest allies in the region—Greece, Israel and Cyprus.”
“We
urge you to act in our national interest and for the sake of stability in the
Eastern Mediterranean by refusing to reinforce Turkey’s aging arsenal of
fighter jets, and we look forward to receiving your response,” they added.
The
US removed Turkey from the F-35 joint strike fighter program in 2019 over its
concerns because of Ankara’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile defense system.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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US
leaves door open to conditional talks with Sudan's military
Michael
Hernandez
26.10.2021
WASHINGTON
The
US left the door open on Tuesday to talks with Sudan's military, but emphasized
that any such discussions must be geared towards the restoration of the deposed
transitional government.
State
Department spokesman Ned Price said he is unaware of any conversations between
US officials and the Sudanese military following its ouster of the government
on Monday, but said Washington is receptive to dialogue if "we feel that
it be would constructive."
"If
it would be useful to help achieve the objective that we and our partners have
set out – that is, a restoration of the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese
people, a restoration of the civilian-led transitional government – if we feel
that direct engagement with a military leader would be useful, we wouldn’t shy
away from doing that," said Price.
"But
at this point we haven’t done that yet," he added.
Sudanese
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and a number of ministers in his civilian
government were detained by the military on Monday amid tension in the country.
Abdel
Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudan's military council, announced a state of
emergency on Monday, dissolved the transitional sovereign council and the
government, and suspended some provisions of the constitutional document
outlining the political transition in Sudan.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Arab World
Albanian
Muslim leader commends Saudi efforts to serve Islam
October
26, 2021
TIRANA
— Chairman of the Muslim Community of Albania Bujar Spahiu held in Tirana on
Monday a ceremony to honor Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and
Guidance, Sheikh Dr. Abdullatif Al Al-Sheikh, who is currently heading a
delegation for a visit to Albania.
In
a speech on the occasion, Spahiu commended the efforts of Saudi Arabia, under
the leadership of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, to
serve Muslims and Islam across the world.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
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Lebanon
PM: Information minister’s comments on Saudi Arabia, UAE rejected
26
October ,2021
Lebanon’s
prime minister rejected controversial comments made by his information minister
against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during an interview that
surfaced late Tuesday in which he defended the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
“George
Kordahi’s recent comments do not express the government's position on the
Yemeni issue. Lebanon is committed to its ties with Arab countries and my
government is keen to have the best relations with Saudi Arabia,” PM Najib
Mikati said in statements released shortly after the video was circulated.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Kordahi
appeared on an Al Jazeera-affiliated youth show when he was asked the difference
between the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group and the Yemeni Houthis.
Kordahi
said that the Houthi militia’s actions were in “self-defense” and that they
were not the aggressors.
This
is second time a Lebanese official has made controversial comments toward Saudi
Arabia and other Gulf nations.
In
May, then-foreign minister Charbel Wehbe stoked tensions with televised remarks
that suggested Gulf states had supported the rise of ISIS and blamed them for
the war in Syria. Wehbe quickly stepped down from his role.
On
Tuesday, Lebanon's interior minister took to Twitter to try to mitigate the
seemingly inevitable backlash from Kordahi's comments.
“We
are keen on the best ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabi and all countries of
the [GCC], and we reject attacks against them. We affirm our commitment to its
stability and security…,” Bassam Mawlawi tweeted.
Kordahi
took to Twitter to defend his comments, which he said were made during the
interview on Aug. 5, before he was appointed a minister. “I did not mean, in
any way, to offend the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or the [UAE], for which I have
the utmost loyalty and love,” Kordahi said in a series of tweets.
The
Lebanese minister also claimed that the sides behind this “campaign” were known
and that they were targeting him from the beginning of his tenure as a
minister.
But
Kordahi doubled down on his comments that the war in Yemen was an “absurd war.”
He
added: “I hope my comments and the [uproar] caused by them will be a reason to
stop this war, harming Yemen and both Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iraq
security officials: Eleven killed in ISIS attack northeast of Baghdad
27
October ,2021
Gunmen
from the ISIS extremist group attacked a village northeast of Baghdad on
Tuesday, killing at least 11 civilians and wounding six others, Iraqi security
officials said.
The
officials said the attack occurred in the predominantly Shia village of
al-Rashad northeast of Baqouba in Diyala province. The circumstances of the
attack were not immediately clear, but two officials who spoke to The
Associated Press said ISIS group militants had kidnapped two villagers earlier
and then raided the village when their demands for ransom were not met.
Machine
guns were used in the attack, they added, speaking on condition of anonymity in
line with regulations. They said all the dead and wounded were civilians.
Attacks
targeting civilians have become rare in Iraq since the ISIS group was largely
defeated in the country in 2017, although it remains active through sleeper
cells in many areas. Militants from the extremist group still conduct
operations, often targeting security forces, power stations and other
infrastructure.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Lebanon
top politicians agree solution to political tensions, cleric says
26
October ,2021
Lebanon’s
top Christian cleric on Tuesday said the country’s three leading politicians
agreed to a “solution” to political tensions and government paralysis tied to
high-profile judicial investigations.
“There
is a constitutional and legal solution to the current crisis,” Maronite
Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai said during a news conference after a day
spent shuttling between the prime minister, the parliament speaker and
president.
An
official source said the solution involved prosecuting former ministers charged
over the August 2020 Beirut port explosion at a special court made up of MPs
and judges while allowing blast investigator Tarek Bitar to continue with the
cases of lower-level officials.
The
special court, formed by a parliamentary vote, has never held an official to
account for the blast, which killed more than 200 people and destroyed parts of
Beirut.
Bitar
has sought to question top officials including former ministers affiliated with
the Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal movement and the Marada Movement,
both allies of Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has responded with a smear campaign
accusing Bitar of politicizing the probe.
Rai
had earlier said after a meeting with Berri that issues had to be resolved
“because Lebanon is dying, the people are dying and the state is disintegrating.”
Lebanese
Prime Minister Najib Mikati has not convened a Cabinet meeting since Oct. 12,
pending a solution to the standoff that has paralyzed government for over two
weeks.
The
dispute spilt over into the Cabinet when ministers allied to those parties
called for Bitar’s removal in a heated discussion during the last session.
Rai
also said he was “slightly upset” about the summoning of Lebanese Forces party
leader Samir Geagea by army intelligence for a hearing over fatal clashes in
Beirut this month.
On
Oct. 14, seven people, all followers of Hezbollah and Amal, were shot dead
during a Beirut protest the parties organized against Bitar, the worst street
violence in more than a decade.
The
parties said the seven were killed by supporters of the Christian Lebanese
Forces party headed by Samir Geagea, who has backed the blast investigation.
Geagea has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Geagea
was summoned for a hearing on Wednesday by army intelligence. No other top
politician has received such a summons.
On
Tuesday, Geagea’s lawyers filed a motion claiming the summons was unlawful,
while attorneys representing a number of detainees submitted a motion
requesting that Judge Fadi Akiki recuse himself from the case.
President
Michel Aoun, a Hezbollah ally who has said Bitar’s probe should continue, on
Tuesday urged the government to resume Cabinet meetings in order to reach a
funding agreement with the International Monetary Fund, widely seen as the only
way for Lebanon to access desperately needed international aid.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
air defences destroy Houthi drones targeting Abha airport, Najran
October
27, 2021
RIYADH:
Saudi air defenses destroyed explosive drones by Yemen’s Houthi militia
targeting Abha airport and Najran, both located in southern Saudi Arabia.
The
militia has continued to target the Kingdom on a near daily basis, often
selecting civilian targets in the south of the country.
Houthi
attempts to target civilians has been labeled as war crimes by the Kingdom.
The
militia has attacked civilian infrastructure in the past including the
international airports in Abha and Jazan.
The
Arab coalition has been supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni
government regain full control of the country after the Houthis seized the
capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
In
March, Saudi Arabia announced a roadmap called the Riyadh Initiative to halt
fighting in Yemen and reopen Sanaa airport, as well as continuing talks to find
a solution to the conflict. The proposal was seen as a welcome step
internationally, but has been rejected by Houthi leadership.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1956036/saudi-arabia
--------
Southeast Asia
Appeals
Court says High Court judge correct in quashing Muslim convert mother’s
unilateral conversion of children to Islam
27
Oct 2021
BY
IDA LIM
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 27 — A three-judge panel at the Court of Appeal today decided that
the High Court was correct to rule in favour of a Buddhist father by quashing
his two children’s unilateral conversion to Islam by the Buddhist-turned-Muslim
mother.
Court
of Appeal judge Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, who chaired the panel,
delivered the unanimous decision after hearing the case this morning.
“We
have come to our decision. Our decision is unanimous, and we are of the view
that the High Court judge as well as we — the appeal court — are bound by the
Federal Court’s decision in Indira Gandhi.
“As
such, we find no appealable error made by the learned High Court judge,
therefore we find no merits in this appeal. Both the appeals are hereby
dismissed. The decision of the High Court judge is affirmed.
“And
in this case we think the proper order is no order as to costs,” he said in
delivering the panel’s brief decision.
The
two other judges on the Court of Appeal panel today were Datuk S. Nantha Balan
and Datuk Nordin Hassan.
In
giving the decision, the Court of Appeal was dismissing an appeal by the Muslim
convert mother and an appeal by the Federal Territories Registrar of Muslim
Converts.
Both
the mother and the Federal Territories Registrar of Muslim Converts were
appealing against the Buddhist ex-husband’s successful bid at the High Court in
2018 to quash their two young children’s unilateral conversion to Islam.
High
Court judge Datuk Azizah Nawawi had in her October 16, 2018 decision said it
was not disputed that the two children were converted without the consent of
both parents and with the children’s certificates of conversion to Islam issued
without the father’s consent, further noting that the court is then bound by
the Federal Court’s January 29, 2018 decision in Ipoh mother M. Indira Gandhi’s
case.
In
Indira’s case, the Federal Court had quashed her Muslim convert ex-husband’s
unilateral conversion of their three children to Islam from Hinduism without
her knowledge and consent.
The
High Court judge had noted that the Federal Court had in interpreting the
Federal Constitution decided in Indira’s case that the consent of both parents
— if both are still alive — is required before a certificate of conversion to
Islam can be issued to a child who is from a civil marriage, before citing the
need to follow the precedent set by the Federal Court.
The
High Court had noted that the couple had married in 2006, and that the mother
in December 2015 converted to Islam and with the Muslim convert mother then
having both children registered as Muslims about five months later when they
were aged eight and three.
The
High Court had also in the same October 2018 decision granted two orders sought
by the non-Muslim father.
The
first court order granted by the High Court then was to quash the conversion of
religion of the two children and to quash the decision of the Federal
Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) director-general and the
Federal Territories Registrar of Muslim Converts to issue the “Kad Akuan Agama
Islam” or certificates of conversion dated May 11, 2016 to the two children.
The
second order granted by the High Court then was to compel both Federal
Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) director-general and the
Federal Territories Registrar of Muslim Converts to cancel the two children’s
registration as Muslim converts in their records or the Muslim converts’
register.
With
the Court of Appeal’s decision today, the High Court decision still stands.
Both
the mother and the Federal Territories Registrar of Muslim Converts could
however still appeal further to the Federal Court, if they wish to do so. When
contacted, lawyer Nizam Bashir said he would seek instructions from his client
Federal Territories Registrar of Muslim Converts on whether it would appeal.
When
contacted, the mother’s lawyer Rohani Ibrahim told Malay Mail that they will
pursue an appeal: “Yes, we are going to file an application to obtain Leave to
Appeal to Federal Court soon”.
The
High Court had on May 21, 2018 ordered for the names and images of the mother
who had converted from Buddhism to Islam, and the Buddhist father, as well as
their two children to not be published.
The
Court of Appeal today reminded reporters of the court order for all four names
to not be published.
Background
to today’s case
The
couple, initially both Buddhists, had married in a civil marriage in 2006 and
were living in Selangor with their two children.
The
wife converted to Islam on December 29, 2015 while the couple was going through
a divorce initiated jointly on December 17, 2015. As part of the initial
divorce process, both parents had agreed that the children would not be
influenced into embracing any new religion until they became adults and there
was a March 2016 interim court order to prevent the children from being
converted.
Due
to the change in the wife’s religious status, the couple set aside the initial
divorce process on May 10, 2016 as the divorce proceedings had to be made under
a different legal provision. On the same day, the March 2016 order was also set
aside along with the setting aside of the initial divorce process.
On
May 11, 2016, the mother was said to have secretly converted the two children —
aged eight and three — to Islam in Kuala Lumpur without informing the father
and without the father’s consent, which then resulted in the current court
case.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Malaysian
Muslims mark resumption of international travel with Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi
Arabia
Amir
Yusof
27
Oct 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR: Halimah Norhan’s planned trip to the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and
Madinah has been long overdue.
The
47-year-old booked with a travel agency to perform Umrah, the minor pilgrimage
which can be performed all year round, in June 2020.
However,
due to the COVID-19 pandemic halting overseas travel in many countries across
the world, she was forced to postpone her trip after having paid a deposit of
around RM2,000 (US$481.85).
Earlier
this month, Putrajaya announced that Malaysians who are fully vaccinated are
allowed to perform Umrah from Oct 18.
The
announcement came after Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that Malaysian
citizens will be permitted to travel overseas without having to apply for
permission from immigration authorities via the MyTravelPass scheme.
This
has been music to the ears for Halimah and some Muslims across the country.
“It
has been a huge relief and finally, after a long wait, we can now make the
journey (to perform Umrah),” said Halimah, who will be travelling with her
husband.
“God
willing, we will head there in November,” she added.
The
MyTravelPass scheme was introduced to restrict outbound travel for
non-essential reasons such as tourism during the pandemic.
Now,
with this curb being lifted on the back of Malaysia’s vaccination rate crossing
the 90 per cent mark for adults, Malaysian citizens are free to travel overseas
for leisure.
Yet,
this is also subject to various factors, such as whether foreign countries are
willing to accept visitors from Malaysia on a tourist visa.
As
the Malaysia government has not established any travel bubble or vaccinated
travel lane, those who are keen to travel for leisure are limited to countries
that are willing to let visitors in without quarantine, such as Canada, the
United Kingdom, France, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
Travel
industry players interviewed by CNA said that the highest demand for overseas
travel presently seems to be for packages to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia.
Abu
Fadzil, head of operations and customer service at travel agency Asian Trails,
told CNA: “Many Malaysians are Muslims, so an important factor that would
encourage them most to travel is religion. Generally, that’s one of the key
priorities for Malaysians when deciding to travel.”
Tourism
expert, Professor Kashif Hussain of Taylor’s University in Malaysia, concurred.
He
said that more than 60 per cent of Malaysians are Muslims, and that performing
Umrah would be a key priority for them now that leisure travel is permitted.
“People
are mentally tired from the endless lockdowns, and are keen to go to Mecca and
Madinah for relaxation (and for the sake) of their mental health and spiritual
health,” said Kashif, who was based in Saudi Arabia for 25 years.
“They
want to thank God that they are alive and well, and countries like Saudi Arabia
have garnered confidence that they are able to accommodate visitors safely,” he
added.
Halimah,
who will be making her long-awaited trip in mid-November, said that other
leisure travel will have to wait for now.
“Amid
the pandemic and these tough times, I think it’s actually more important to
perform Umrah, to thank God for giving me and my family health, and to pray
that mankind overcomes this pandemic soon,” she said.
ENCOURAGING
RECEPTION FOR UMRAH PACKAGES
Since
the Malaysian government’s announcement that travel for Umrah has been
permitted, some Muslims have left for their pilgrimage with the travel
agencies.
According
to its Facebook page, Emraz Travel and Tours has brought two groups of
travellers to Saudi Arabia so far. The first trip comprised 11 travellers,
including actor Ashraf Muslim, while another group comprising 25 travellers
departed on Monday (Oct 25) morning.
The
Association for Travel Agencies for Umrah and Haji Malaysia (PAPUH) has also
noted an increase in enquiries and bookings, which is welcome news after months
of stagnation in the travel industry.
PAPUH’s
vice president (industry) Helmi Daud told CNA that early signs were good, but
he acknowledged that travel agencies would only be able to resume the same
volume of operations pre-COVID-19 in December.
Source:
Channel News Asia
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indonesia
Controls 23% of Global Sharia Bonds Issuance: Finance Minister
BY
:TRIYAN PANGASTUTI
OCTOBER
26, 2021
Jakarta.
The Indonesian government claimed on Tuesday it has controlled 23.11 percent of
global sharia bonds market by issuing a total of $23.65 billion worth of the
Islamic bonds.
Over
the past few years, the government has been aggressively issuing the Islamic
financial certificate, known also as Sukuk, which was relatively resilient to
the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Indonesia
has become a major issuer of Sukuk in the international markets. The total
value of our Sukuk is $23.65 billion with a 23.11percent share of the global
Sukuk issuance,” Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said in seminar in
Jakarta.
Since
2018, the government has issued $3.5 billion worth of Sukuk with competitive
returns to investors, she said.
The
minister added that shariah-compliant financial businesses remain strong during
the pandemic as shown by a persistent growth in sharia bank financing with a
low level of non-performing loans.
The
rapidly growing Muslim population across the globe has become the main driving
force behind the increasing demand for sharia-compliant financial products, now
emerge as new attraction to global investors, she said.
An
increasingly digitized world and rapid development of the halal industry also
spur growth in Islamic financial businesses, she added.
Source:
Jakarta Globe
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Resolve
conflict between civil, Islamic law on property, govt told
Sean
Augustin
October
27, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: Putrajaya must address the thorny issue of movable property belonging to
those who embrace Islam prior to their deaths, a former deputy law minister
said.
Movable
property refers to tangible assets, such as jewellery, vehicles, money in bank
accounts or computers, but does not include land or buildings.
Hanipa
Maidin said in some cases involving money from the Employees’ Provident Fund,
the contributor did not change the nominees after their conversion.
This,
he said, created a conflict between Islamic law and civil law when it came to
the execution of the estate of the deceased.
Islamic
law bars a non-Muslim from being an administrator of an estate belonging to a
Muslim, Hanipa said, adding that when one converts to Islam, their estate
becomes a “Muslim estate”.
“The
recent amendment seems oblivious to this. This is going to create problems in
the future,” he told FMT, referring to amendments made to the Small Estates (Distribution)
Act 1955 or Act 98, which was passed last night.
Hanipa
had raised the matter when debating the amendments yesterday.
The
Sepang MP went on to compare the matter with that of an interfaith custody
battle which presented a similar complication, in terms of the set of laws that
should be applicable to such a case.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
France
to Close 7 More Mosques Associations Suspected Of Promoting “Radical Islamism”
By End Of 2021
Yusuf
Özcan
27.10.2021
PARIS
France
will close seven more mosques and associations by the end of this year
suspected of promoting “radical Islamism,” the country’s interior minister
announced Tuesday.
Gerald
Darmanin welcomed the decision to close a mosque in the city of Allonnes for
six months on the grounds that it defends "radical Islam.”
Darmanin
said that the bank accounts of the mosque's administrators were also seized,
adding that 13 associations have been closed in the country since President Emmanuel
Macron took office.
Noting
that 92 of the 2,500 mosques in the country were closed as a result of
inspections, Darmanin said that since September 2020, the residence permits of
36,000 foreigners have been canceled on the grounds that these individuals
threaten public order.
Anti-separatism
law
In
August, France’s highest constitutional authority approved a controversial
“anti-separatism” law that has been criticized for singling out Muslims,
striking down just two of its articles.
The
bill was passed by the National Assembly in July, despite strong opposition
from both rightist and leftist lawmakers.
The
government claims that the legislation is intended to strengthen France's
secular system, but critics believe that it restricts religious freedom and
marginalizes Muslims.
The
bill has been criticized for targeting France's Muslim community – the largest
in Europe, with 3.35 million members – and imposing restrictions on many
aspects of their lives.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-to-close-7-more-mosques-associations-by-end-of-2021/2404010
--------
France
seeks clarification for Israel’s 'terrorist' tag on Palestine NGOs
26.10.2021
PARIS
The
French Foreign Ministry asked Israel on Tuesday to clarify its reasons for
designating several Palestinian NGOs "terrorist" organizations.
The
ministry expressed concern for designating six groups involved in human rights
and developmental work.
“We
would like clarifications to be provided by the Israeli authorities,” it said
in a statement.
France,
which is participating in a major military exercise in Israel alongside the US,
UK, Germany, Greece, Italy and India, avoided condemning Israel.
Underlining
the essential role of civil society in a democracy, the statement said it is
the “responsibility of the states to create and maintain an environment conducive
to their work.”
On
Oct. 19, Israel classified the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights
Association; Al Haq; Defense for Children International – Palestine; Union of
Agricultural Work Committees; Bisan Center for Research and Development and the
Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees as "terrorist" organizations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Scores
of extremist Jewish settlers defile Aqsa Mosque under police guard
October
27, 2021
Dozens
of Jewish settlers on Tuesday desecrated the Aqsa Mosque in Occupied al-Quds
(Jerusalem) on Tuesday morning.
According
to local sources, at least 80 settlers entered the Mosque through al-Maghariba
Gate and toured its courtyards under police escort.
The
Aqsa Mosque is exposed to daily desecration by Jewish settlers and police
forces in the morning and the afternoon except on Fridays and Saturdays.
In
a related context, Sheikh Mohamed Hussein, Grand Mufti of al-Quds and
Palestine, has warned of an Israeli plan to change the Islamic landscape of the
Old City of Jerusalem.
In
a statement, Sheikh Hussein explained that the Israeli occupation authority
started recently to make major renovations at a Jewish synagogue, which is
located 250 meter to the west of the Aqsa Mosque in ash-Sharaf neighborhood in
the Old City, in a serious attempt to hide the Aqsa Mosque landmarks and change
the Islamic landscape of the holy city.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hamas
calls for confronting Israel over Muslim cemetery demolition
October
26, 2021
The
Israeli demolition of Al-Yusufiya cemetery in the occupied city of Jerusalem is
a "heinous crime," Hamas said yesterday.
"What
is happening in Al-Yusufiya cemetery is a heinous crime that is part of a series
of crimes against Jerusalem's cemeteries," Hamas spokesman Mohammed
Hamadeh said in a statement, describing the move as "blatant proof of the
brutality of the occupation which has extended its attacks on Palestinians who
are alive and dead."
Hamadeh
called on the residents of Jerusalem to "rise up in the face of the
occupation's increasing incursion against Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque."
"You should all gather at the cemetery to confront the bulldozing, and to
deter the occupation from continuing its crime," he stressed.
The
occupation authorities yesterday restarted bulldozing works in Al-Yusufiya
Cemetery, adjacent to the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem despite protests
by Palestinian residents.
Source:
Middle East Monitor
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Raps UN Human Rights Rapporteur for Using Info Provided by Terrorists
2021-October-26
Ershadi
made the remarks on Monday in response to a new report prepared by Rehman,
noting that such reports only aim to use human rights as an instrument against
other countries.
She
expressed regret that the special rapporteur has used as his source reports
given to him by terrorist groups that are still being backed by their sponsors
and erroneously introduced as human rights defenders.
Iran’s
deputy envoy then condemned as reprehensible the UN special rapporteur's
glorification of those terrorists whose hands are covered by the blood of
innocent Iranians.
She
noted that other weaknesses in the special rapporteur’s report include taking
advantage of ambiguous and unofficial sources that are sworn enemies of the
Islamic Republic and taking a selective approach to Iran’s human rights
achievements.
Iran’s
deputy envoy, however, emphasized that despite such reports, Tehran will continue
its constructive cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
Rights as well as UN human rights mechanisms.
She
said the Islamic Republic believes that dialogue based on mutual respect is the
sole tool to guarantee and support human rights at international level, noting
that the goal of such reports is to use human rights as an instrument against
other countries.
Iran’s
deputy envoy said abuse of human rights mechanisms to harass countries that
work toward promotion of human rights will endanger international solidarity
among countries and damage lofty goals of human rights.
She
added that appointment of a special rapporteur for Iran, which was spearheaded
by the West, especially Canada, was done on the basis of political motivations
and against the interests of the Iranian nation.
Iran
has on numerous occasions called on the UN not to use unofficial and
unsubstantiated sources to compile its human rights reports, urging the world
body to refrain from resorting to selective approaches that would undermine its
credibility.
Back
in June, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations office in Geneva
said that a new report by the world body on the situation of human rights in
the Islamic Republic is the product of a political mandate devised by certain
Western states to mount pressure on the country.
Also,
Iran's Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeyee had in September blasted
the western countries allegations about violation of human rights by the
Islamic Republic, saying that such claims are disgraceful lies.
Mohseni
Ejeyee categorically dismissed the human rights accusations leveled against
Iran by some western states and described such a move as disgraceful at a time
when the West does not show any respect for human rights.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Africa
Haftar,
Gaddafi hire Israeli firm for Libya elections: Report
26.10.2021
Two
Libyan rivals have hired an Israeli firm registered in the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) to run their election campaigns in the war-torn country, according to
Israeli media on Tuesday.
Israel
Hayom newspaper said warlord Khalifa Haftar and Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of
former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, contracted via agents "an Israeli
consulting firm to advise both candidates."
The
newspaper, citing senior Gulf figures, said Haftar's son signed the contract
with the consulting firm which run successful campaigns in Israel and the
world.
The
firm “later got a request from the other candidate, through a female model
living in Dubai,” the daily said.
According
to the newspaper, the Israeli firm registered a new company in the UAE to run
and administer both election campaigns via the "two separate
entities."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/haftar-gaddafi-hire-israeli-firm-for-libya-elections-report/2403231
--------
Sudan’s
Burhan says army ousted government to avoid civil war
27
October ,2021
Sudan's
armed forces chief defended the military's seizure of power, saying he had
ousted the government to avoid civil war, while protesters took to the streets
on Tuesday to demonstrate against the takeover after a day of deadly clashes.
The
military takeover on Monday brought a halt to Sudan's transition to democracy,
two years after a popular uprising toppled long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
On
Tuesday evening, the Sudanese Professionals Association group of trade unions
said it had “reports of retaliatory attacks by coup forces on protesters'
gathering sites” in the capital Khartoum and other cities, “using bullets, and
attempts to break through barricades”.
The
Facebook page for the office of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, apparently still
under the control of Hamdok loyalists, said a number of ministers and civilian
politicians were still detained in unknown locations. Witnesses said
unidentified people arrested Faiz al-Salik, a former media adviser to Hamdok.
Speaking
at his first news conference since announcing the takeover, General Abdel
Fattah al-Burhan said the army had no choice but to sideline politicians who
were inciting against the armed forces.
“The
dangers we witnessed last week could have led the country into civil war,” he
said, an apparent reference to demonstrations against the prospect of a coup.
Hamdok,
who was arrested on Monday along with other members of his Cabinet, had not
been harmed and had been brought to Burhan's own home, the general said. “The
prime minister was in his house. However, we were afraid that he’d be in danger
so he has been placed with me in my home.”
Later
on Tuesday, a source close to Hamdok said he and his wife were at their home
and under tight security. Family sources said they were unable to reach Hamdok
or his wife by phone.
Burhan
had appeared on TV on Monday to announce the dissolution of the Sovereign
Council, a body set up after Bashir's overthrow to share power between the
military and civilians and lead Sudan to free elections.
Siddig
Alsadig Almahdi of the Umma Party, which had a representative on the Sovereign
Council, was arrested at his home, and activist Ismail Al-Tag, a lawyer who was
active in the 2019 anti-Bashir protests, was also arrested, Foreign Minister
Mariam Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi said.
Hamdok
remains “the executive authority recognized by the Sudanese people and the
world”, the Facebook post said, adding that there was no alternative other than
protests, strikes and civil disobedience.
Sudanese
ambassadors to 12 countries, including the US, UAE, China, and France, have
rejected the military takeover, a diplomatic source said on Tuesday.
Ambassadors
to Belgium and the European Union, Geneva and UN agencies, China, South Africa,
Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey, Sweden and Canada also signed on to the statement, which
said the envoys backed popular resistance to the coup.
US
President Joe Biden's administration is looking at a full range of economic
tools to respond to the military takeover and has been in close contact with
Gulf countries, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Western
countries have denounced the coup, called for the detained Cabinet ministers to
be freed and said they will cut off vital aid if the military does not restore
power-sharing with civilians. The German mission to the United Nations said on
Twitter that it was suspending aid until further notice.
The
UN Security Council met on Sudan but there was no immediate statement,
diplomats said. UN chief Antonio Guterres on Tuesday decried “an epidemic of
coup d'états” as Sudan is the latest in a series of military takeovers in
Myanmar, Mali and Guinea and attempted coups in several other countries.
Shops
shut, protests flare in capital
A
health ministry official said seven people had been killed in clashes between
protesters and the security forces on Monday.
Khartoum
and its twin city Omdurman across the Nile River were partly locked down on
Tuesday with shops shut and plumes of smoke rising from where protesters burned
tyres. Calls for a general strike were played over mosque loudspeakers. Streets
and bridges were blocked by soldiers or protester barricades.
The
only people in the streets apart from protesters were security forces heavily
deployed around the presidential palace and ministry of defense.
Banks
and cash machines were also closed. Mobile phone apps widely used for money
transfers could not be used.
“We
are paying the price for this crisis,” a man in his 50s looking for medicine at
one of the pharmacies where stocks have been running low said angrily. “We
can't work, we can't find bread, there are no services, no money.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
White
House in contact with Gulf countries about Sudan coup: Sullivan
26
October ,2021
The
Biden administration is looking at a full range of economic tools to respond to
the military takeover in Sudan and has been in close contact with Gulf
countries, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday.
Sudan’s
military dissolved a power-sharing government and deposed a civilian prime
minister on Monday. The State Department responded by suspending $700 million
in US aid designed to support Sudan’s democratic transition.
Together
with the governments of Britain and Norway, the United States condemned the
military takeover. The countries, major donors, said they were deeply concerned
about the situation and called on security forces to release those who were
detained unlawfully.
Sullivan
told a White House briefing the actions of the Sudanese military were “utterly
unacceptable” and a “significant and alarming setback” for Sudan.
He
said Washington had been in close contact with regional leaders, including in
the Gulf, “to make sure that we’re closely coordinating and sending a clear
message to the military in Sudan that they should ... cease any violence
against innocent civilians, that they should release those who have been
detained, and they should get back on a democratic path.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Former
Tunisian agriculture minister, ex-officials held over suspicion of corruption
26
October ,2021
A
former Tunisian agriculture minister and seven other ex-officials have been
detained on suspicion of corruption, judicial authorities said, the latest move
against graft that has hampered economic reform efforts.
Since
President Kais Saied dismissed parliament and seized near total control of the
country in July, in a move critics called a coup, he has vowed to root out
systemic corruption.
Last
week, lawmaker Mehdi Ben Gharbia was detained over suspected tax fraud and
money laundering – the fourth parliamentarian to be taken into custody since
Saied’s move.
A
statement from the Tunis court said the arrest of the eight former officials
was related to suspected graft in the purchase of equipment for the agriculture
ministry. The name of the former agriculture minister was not immediately
released.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
secretary of state speaks with Sudan’s ousted premier
Servet
Günerigök
27.10.2021
WASHINGTON
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke late Tuesday with Sudanese Prime
Minister Abdalla Hamdok after he was released from army custody, said the State
Department.
In
a statement, spokesman Ned Price said Blinken welcomed Hamdok's release and
reiterated his call on Sudanese military forces to free all civilian leaders in
detention and to ensure their safety.
"He
also expressed his deep concern about the ongoing military takeover and
repeated the imperative for military forces to use restraint and avoid violence
in responding to demonstrators," said Price.
Deposed
by the military, Hamdok was taken back to his home in the capital Khartoum’s
Kafouri neighborhood, with his residence under heavy military security,
according to the Alsudani news portal.
Hamdok
was reportedly earlier held at the home of the head of Sudan’s ruling military
council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
"The
secretary emphasized U.S. support for the civilian-led transition to democracy
and for a return to the principles of Sudan’s transitional framework, as laid
out in the 2019 Constitutional Declaration and the 2020 Juba Peace
Agreement," said Price.
"He
noted the growing chorus of international voices condemning the military
takeover and supporting the calls by the Sudanese people for civilian
leadership, democracy and peace," he added.
Hamdok
and a number of ministers in his civilian government were detained by the
Sudanese military on Monday.
Al-Burhan
on Monday announced a state of emergency, dissolved the transitional sovereign
council and the government and suspended some provisions of the constitutional
document outlining the political transition in Sudan.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/us-secretary-of-state-speaks-with-sudan-s-ousted-premier/2404013
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Bus
blast in Uganda carried out by suicide bomber: Police
Godfrey
Olukya
26.10.2021
KAMPALA,
Uganda
An
explosion that hit a moving bus in Uganda yesterday killing one person and
injuring others was carried out by a suicide bomber, police said Tuesday.
Addressing
a news conference at police headquarters in Kampala, Uganda police spokesman
Fred Enanga said: “Our experts have established that the explosion was set off
by a suicide bomber called Isac Matovu. He is the only one who died. Police
also found a detonator, a suicide vest, and other bomb-related materials at the
seat where the bomber was seated.”
He
said the bomber was an Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) collaborator and wanted
by police.
The
passenger sitting behind the bomber was seriously injured, but the rest of the
50 passengers did not get serious injuries, he added.
The
bus was traveling from Uganda's capital Kampala to Bushenyi town, about 300
kilometers (186 miles) west of the capital.
According
to police officer Thomas Kiguli, who was among the passengers, the explosion
happened on Monday evening in a bus traveling from Uganda's capital Kampala to
Bushenyi.
“When
we reached a place called Lungala in the Mpigi district, an explosion occurred
in the middle of the bus. We all struggled to get out. Most of us got out
through the windows,” Kiguli told reporters.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/bus-blast-in-uganda-carried-out-by-suicide-bomber-police/2403586
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Sudanese
take to streets in defiance of military coup
October
27, 2021
KHARTOUM:
Calls mounted on Tuesday for the release of Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla
Hamdok, the day after a coup led by the country’s top general who insisted the
premier was in “good health”.
UN
Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded Hamdok “be released immediately”,
as the Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sudan, adding to a chorus
of condemnation by the US and European powers of the military’s power grab.
The
coup comes just over two years into a delicate power-sharing arrangement
between the military and civilians after the army’s ouster amid enormous street
protests in April 2019 of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir.
Angry
citizens stood their ground on barricaded streets where tyres burned, chanting
“No to military rule”, the day after four people were reportedly shot dead by
security forces.
The
coup has raised fears for Hamdok’s fate, but top General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan
said on Tuesday the premier was “at my home... in good health” and would be
able to return to his own home “when the crisis is over”.
His
comments, in which he acknowledged some politicians had been arrested,
suggested Hamdok was not among those in custody but, shortly after, the
Information Ministry relayed a statement from the prime minister’s office
demanding his immediate release.
The
statement appealed for the “liberation of everyone” arrested on Monday,
including Hamdok’s wife, several ministers and civilian members of the
country’s power-sharing council.
Burhan’s
declaration of a state of emergency and dissolution of the government provoked
an immediate international backlash.
The
United States, a key backer of Sudan’s transition, strongly condemned the
military’s actions and suspended hundreds of millions of dollars in aid.
Sudan
risks “going back into a period of being shunned by the rest of the world” and
losing badly needed financial aid, said Alex de Waal, a veteran expert on Sudan
who is executive director of the World Peace Foundation.
Hamdok’s
government earlier this year unlocked international financial assistance, after
it was frozen for years under Bashir.
Sudan’s
ambassadors to Belgium, France and Switzerland on Tuesday declared their
diplomatic missions as “embassies of the Sudanese people and their revolution”,
according to the Information Ministry.
Despite
the previous day’s deadly violence, protesters remained on the streets of
Khartoum overnight and into Tuesday. Shops around the capital were shuttered
following calls for a campaign of civil disobedience.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1654304/sudanese-take-to-streets-in-defiance-of-military-coup
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