Food Sellers On Kanwar Yatra Route Must Not Be Forced to Display Names, Supreme Court Says and Stays Uttarakhand, UP Govt Orders
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 July 2024
A Kanwar Yatra passing through Delhi on Friday. (Raj
K Raj/HT Photo)
-----------
·
Food Sellers On Kanwar Yatra Route Must Not Be
Forced to Display Names, Supreme Court Says and Stays Uttarakhand, UP Govt
Orders
·
Islamic Scholar and Sheikh-ul-Hadith Mufti Taqi
Usmani Calls for Public Action Amid Political, Economic Crises
·
Islam's Rise in the Middle Volga Major Defence
of Tatar Ethnic Identity, Kazan Scholars Say
·
Afghanistan University Entrance Exam Results
Announced, Excluding Girls
·
Over 263 Boko Haram Terrorists, Families
Surrender to Troopsaa
India
·
‘Economic Boycott of Muslims’: MP Mahua Moitra
Moves SC Against Kanwar Yatra Eateries Order
·
Artisans Showcase Hindu-Muslim Harmony in
Kanwar Yatra Amid Nameplate Controversy
·
Allegedly Ignored by Party, Bareilly BJP
Leader, Pradeep Aggarwal, Threatens To Embrace Islam
·
Unease over Khanqah-e-Moula Shrine In Srinagar,
Muslim Leaders Call For Shia-Sunni Unity
·
'Major terror attack' on Army post foiled in
J&K's Rajouri, soldier injured; search ops launched
·
Devise plan to crush terror, plug infiltration
routes: J&K LG to forces
·
Omar Abdullah sees 'negligence' on terror, says
govt partly to blame for militancy in Jammu
--------
Pakistan
·
Islamabad seeks action on Frankfurt ‘vandalism’
·
Bannu residents continue sit-in, vow opposition
to military operation
·
Bilawal to chair huddle on PTI’s fate via video
link from US
·
Balochistan sets up fund for women
entrepreneurship
·
Judges should not deliver political remarks in
court: Khawaja Asif
·
'Gang of extremists' attacks Pakistani
consulate in Germany
·
Leaked TTP call: Pakistan to pursue 'legal
action' against Noor Wali Mehsud
·
IT sector witnessing significant growth under
auspices of SIFC
·
Gwadar poises to become Int’l trade hub
--------
North America
·
Muslims Stand Up In Protest Against Gender
Ideology In Fairfax County’s Public Schools
·
Edison High School Assistant Principal Accused
of Making Threats to Muslim Students
·
Islamic State Member Detained in Bishkek During
Attempt to Sell Counterfeit US Dollars
·
Tougher tone on Israel, steady on NATO: how a
Harris foreign policy could look
·
Huge Protests Await Netanyahu Ahead of His
Address to US Congress
·
Biden’s legacy is ‘genocide’: Reactions pour in
as US pres. quits race
--------
South Asia
·
Pakistani police officer killed in Peshawar
attack amid rising violence
·
8 Executed in Iran, Including Afghan Citizen,
Amid Ongoing Human Rights Concerns
·
Iran and Pakistan deport nearly 6,000 Afghan
refugees
·
Turkish traders seeking investment in
Afghanistan’s gold and marble mines
·
Afghan refugees continue to be harassed and
deported
·
Entrepreneur in Kandahar launches vest factory
for returning Afghan refugees
--------
Africa
·
Notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji
Implicates Minister, Reveals Implication Of Failed Peace Deal
·
Focus On Ending Boko Haram Insurgency, Northern
Youth Group Urges Ndume
·
Borno Has Overcome Boko Haram Attacks –
Commissioner
·
Miyetti Allah backs Tinubu’s creation of
livestock development ministry
·
African Union addresses integration issues at
Ghana conference
--------
Arab World
·
Saudi Arabia Wins 6 Awards at 2024
International Mathematical Olympiad
·
King Salman issues royal order to change name
of Saudi housing ministry
·
56th International Chemistry Olympiad begins in
Riyadh
·
Ceremonial Washing of Kaaba In Saudi Arabia’s
Holy City Of Mecca
·
Hail’s ancient crafts breathe new life into
Saudi cultural festival
·
Partnership deal signed to support talents in
KSA
·
Deputy governor of Makkah washes the Holy Kaaba
on behalf of King Salman
·
Saudi designers win big at Tanween Challenge
·
Heritage meets urban arts at Asir’s Al-Asabila
Palaces
--------
Mideast
·
Israel Orders Evacuation of Part of Gaza
Humanitarian Zone
·
Israel’s Netanyahu walks political tightrope on
Washington trip following Biden’s exit from race
·
Iran condemns Israeli attack on Yemen’s
Hodeidah port
·
Turkiye calls Israeli claims Erdogan arming
Hamas ‘lies’
·
Afghanistan Islamic Emirate condemns Zionist
aggression on Yemen
·
Iran Leader: Gaza is still foremost issue of
Islamic world
·
The election clearly showed that the Islamic
Establishment deeply believes in people's turnout: Ghalibaf
·
Islamic Establishment deeply believes in
people's turnout
--------
Southeast Asia
·
RTM Says Auto-Translate System Behind Erroneous
Facebook ‘Condolence’ Message ForKing’s Installation; Meta Says Fixed Now
·
Gov’t to bring back Malaysians in Bangladesh -
Anwar
·
Malaysian foreign labour market not affected by
situation in Bangladesh - Deputy HR Minister
·
‘Malaysia MADANI: Jiwa Merdeka’ to ward off
globalisation challenges
·
Cyberbullying: Communications Ministry to take
action against social media platforms
·
Cabinet to determine Malaysia’s measures
following ICJ ruling on Israel - Anwar
--------
Europe
·
Russia Taking Wise Decision Toward Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan Recognition
·
Civilians Killed And Wounded As Russia And
Ukraine Trade Attacks, Russia Claims Gains In The East
·
Russian forces advancing in Ukraine and Donbass
– MOD
·
European state to use air raid warnings for bad
weather
·
Russia downs 75 Ukraine drones, some near
Tuapse oil refinery
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
Food
Sellers On Kanwar Yatra Route Must Not Be Forced to Display Names, Supreme
Court Says and Stays Uttarakhand, UP Govt Orders
By HT
News Desk
Jul 22,
2024
A Kanwar
Yatra passing through Delhi on Friday. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)
-------------
Supreme
Court stays enforcement of Kanwar Yatra directives on disclosing eatery owners'
names and staff details, sets hearing for July 26.
The
Supreme Court on Monday put an interim stay on the enforcement of the order
passed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments' directives requiring
eatery owners along the path of Kanwar Yatra to disclose the names of owners
and the staff employed by them.
Supreme
Court said that the food sellers must not be forced to serve names of owners,
or staff employed. The apex court posted the matter for hearing on July 26.
Food
sellers must not be forced to display names: Supreme Court
The
Supreme Court was hearing challenges to the directive from NGOs like the
Association of Protection of Civil Rights and TMC MP Mahua Moitra, among
others.
Moitra's
plea called for a halt on these orders, arguing that they escalate tensions
between communities.
The
petitioners’ counsel told the court that the directives are troubling, as they
create divisions by identifying minorities and subjecting them to economic
boycott.
Senior
advocate CU Singh, representing a petitioner, argued that many affected people
are poor vegetable and tea stall owners who face severe economic hardship due
to these directives. He also said that there may be instances of bulldozer
actions against those who fail to comply.
The
Supreme Court questioned whether Kanwariyas expect food to be prepared by
owners of a specific category. "We deem it appropriate to pass an interim
order prohibiting the enforcement of the above directives. In other words, food
sellers may be required to display kind of food, but must not be forced to
display names of owners, staff employed," the bench said.
Kanwar
Yatra row: What is the issue?
Muzaffarnagar
police had issued an order mandating it for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra
route to display their owners' names. Later, the Uttar Pradesh government
extended the order statewide on Friday.
The
Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Uttarakhand also issued similar directives.
Besides them, the BJP-led Ujjain Municipal Corporation had instructed shop
owners in the historic city to display their names and mobile numbers outside
their establishments.
Ujjain
Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday that violators will face a fine of ₹2,000
for the first offence
and ₹5,000 for subsequent violations. The mayor said that
the order is intended to ensure safety and transparency, not to target Muslim
shopkeepers.
However,
the Madhya Pradesh government clarified that it has not issued any instructions
requiring shop owners to display their names along the Kanwar Yatra route in
the state, and there is no such compulsion.
Also
Read: Drones, ATS units: Kanwar yatra begins today under security umbrella
Government
to provide its stand: BJP
BJP
spokesperson Jugal Kishore said:" It is just an interim order. The government
will present its viewpoint in court."
No one
appeared for the state governments in the matter at this hearing.
Mahua
Moitra on interim stay on Kanwar Yatra directives
TMC MP
Moitra lauded apex court decision. “Long live our Constitution. And may we always
protect it,” she said in an X post.
Source: hindustantimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/sc-stays-govt-orders-on-kanwar-yatra-eatries-to-disclose-staff-names-101721634112439.html
------
Islamic
Scholar and Sheikh-ul-Hadith Mufti Taqi Usmani Calls for Public Action Amid
Political, Economic Crises
July 20,
2024
In this
file photo, Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Left) is speaking at conference
organised by Pakistan Islamic Medical Association at a local hotel in Karachi
on Oct 21, 2018. —Jamia Dar-ul-uloom Karachi
------------
KARACHI:
Renowned Islamic Scholar and Sheikh-ul-Hadith Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has
said that “if the public stands up for themselves, they can bring the
government to its knees” as touched on the issue of vote fraud that emerges
after every election in Pakistan.
Addressing
an event in Karachi on Saturday, Mufti Usmani deplored that “the West has been
idealised in every facet of life”. Noting that Allah Almighty has blessed the
country with so many resources, he questioned “which natural wealth we do not
possess”.
"However,
we have yet not even been able to pave a metalled road to Lake Saif-ul-Muluk,
nor have we laid any railway lines since the ones constructed by the
British," he remarked.
Mufti
Usmani posed a critical question: "Where did we go wrong, and where does
the root of our mistakes lie?"
Lamenting
that the nation is now a "slave" to the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), the top Islamic scholar said, “This [dependency] has indebted every
child in the country.”
"We
cannot function without the IMF. In view of these circumstances, bringing about
an Islamic system through the political one seems tough to me. It is not the
governments, but the people who bring about revolutions," he stated.
The
esteemed religious scholar said the nation was currently a victim of both
political and economic crises, noting that “politically, we are in disarray,
and economically, we have hit rock bottom and given the circumstances despair
is gripping every person.”
Stressing
the pivotal role of the business community and dubbing it the lifeline of any
nation, Mufti Usmani urged traders to compel politicians to follow the right path.
He said
think tanks around the world focus on long-term policies, while here in
Pakistan, “slogans of fraud begin to blare after each election”.
"We
have idealised the West in every sector of life. If traders and the public once
make up their minds to stop using imported goods, the influx of such products
into the country will halt," Mufti Usmani argued.
“I
believe that only through the unity and consensus of the business community can
the issue of imported goods be addressed,” he said.
Highlighting
a plethora of problems looking the the country in the eye, the scholar said
that despite a serious dearth of foreign exchange there was no restriction on
imports.
He
questioned: Why does the IMF oppose such restrictions, what’s the interest of
the lender of the last resort in it? "As slaves, we are bound to toe the
lines of international financial institutions,” the scholar sounded off.
He said
it was the need of the hour to launch a movement to stop importing goods,
especially from those enemies [countries] who were "slitting the
throats" of Muslims.
In this
regard, the traders and the public must make a decision, as the government
cannot, he asserted.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1211623-mufti-taqi-usmani-calls-for-public-action-amid-political-economic-crises
--------
Islam's
Rise in the Middle Volga Major Defence of Tatar Ethnic Identity, Kazan Scholars
Say
July 21,
2024
Staunton,
July 19 – Over the last decade, surveys show, ever more Tatars and especially
those who are younger have become practicing Muslims; but the rest, who are
still in the majority among the Tatar community who have not become more Muslim
have been more subject to assimilation into a non-religious “neo-Soviet
people.”
What
that means, the Tatar-Bashkir service suggests in a survey of these polls
published so far only in Tatar, is that the survival of the Tatar nation likely
depends on whether more Tatars turn to Islam fast enough to counter the
assimilatory pressures that Moscow hopes will reduce the salience of
nationality for them (azatliq.org/a/33030820.html).
While
the article did not discuss whether this pattern holds in other non-Russian
nations that historically have professed Islam, the likelihood is high that it
does. And that helps to explain what Ruslan Aysin says is Moscow’s decision to
try to solve its ethnic problems by portraying Islam as extremist
(idelreal.org/a/vystroennaya-strategiya-borby-so-vsem-nerusskim-musulmanskim-ruslan-aysin-o-sobytiyah-poslednih-mesyatsev/33042598.html).
The
Tatar analyst describes how Moscow propagandists in recent weeks have played up
a statement by a Kazan Muslim leader saying that men have the right to beat
their wives. While that isn’t anathema to Putin and his traditional values, it
is something likely to alienate those on the fence in the Muslim republics.
If Aysin
is correct in his analysis, Russia is likely to see a new campaign against
Islam featuring any statements by Muslim leaders that Moscow propagandists and
other officials can present as extremist in the hope that many nominal Muslims
will decide not to become more Islamic and thus remove one of the chief props
that has been holding up their ethnic identities.
Source: windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2024/07/islams-rise-in-middle-volga-major.html
--------
Afghanistan
University entrance exam results announced, excluding girls
July 21,
2024
The
Afghanistan Examination Authority has announced that Atal Khan Rahimzai, son of
Mohammad Azim, achieved the highest score in the 1403 (2024) university
entrance exam.
According
to Radio Television Afghanistan, Atal Khan scored 359.61 points and has secured
a place at Kabul Medical University.
The
Taliban-controlled Examination Authority reported that Syed Hamid Hashimi from
Balkh scored 357.71 points, making him the second-highest scorer, while
Shafiullah Nazemi from Farah scored 357.25 points, coming in third. Ershad
Ahmad from Laghman and Safiullah Mohajer from Herat scored 357.15 and 355.92
points, respectively, placing fourth and fifth.
The
National Examination Authority’s announcement of the 2024 exam results notably
excludes female students for the third consecutive year.
This
ongoing restriction on education and the banning of university education for
girls exacerbate the dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. With educational
opportunities being systematically denied, the situation is worsening,
contributing to increased underage marriages as families seek alternative means
of security and stability for their daughters.
The lack
of access to education not only impacts the immediate prospects for young women
but also hinders long-term societal development.
The
international community’s concern over these restrictions underscores the
urgent need for intervention to address both the humanitarian crisis and the
broader implications for Afghanistan society.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-university-entrance-exam-results-announced-excluding-girls/
--------
Over 263 Boko Haram terrorists, families surrender to troopsaa
July 21, 2024
The Multinational Joint Task Force
(MNJTF) of the Operation Lake Sanity 2 has said that a total of number 263 Boko
Haram terrorists and their families have surrendered to Sector 1, Cameroon.
This was contained in a statement released to journalists in Maiduguri by Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, Chief Military Public Information Officer.
According to him, the surrender began on July 11 through to 17, 2024, with more terrorists surrendering to MNJTF troops in Wulgo, on the Nigeria-Cameroon border.
“The surrenders included 64 individuals on July 12; 27 on July 13; 102 on July 15, and 48 on July 17, including men, women, and children.
He added, “The surrendered individuals are from Nigerian communities and have been handed over to the troops of Operation Hadin Kai.
“The MNJTF confirmed that the surrendered terrorists and their families are being handled according to international laws and human rights standards.”
Source: businessday.ng
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://businessday.ng/news/article/over-263-boko-haram-terrorists-families-surrender-to-troopsaa/
--------
India
‘Economic Boycott Of Muslims’: MP Mahua Moitra Moves SC Against Kanwar Yatra Eateries Order
21 July 2024
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has moved the Supreme Court against the directives by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display the names of their owners.
In her plea before the top court, Moitra has sought a stay on the orders passed by the two state governments saying such directives aggravate discord between communities. The plea is yet to be listed for hearing.
The TMC leader said by forcing the disclosure of the names of proprietors and even those of their staff, on the stated ground of respecting pilgrims' dietary choices, "makes it clear that dietary choices is a pretext, or a proxy, for the compelled disclosure of personal -- and, in this case, religious -- identity", the plea said.
The plea alleged that this has been done to create a socially-enforced economic boycott on Muslim shop owners and workers, and the loss of their livelihoods.
"Since June 2023, the Respondent No. 1 (State of UP) continued to empower and embolden the anti-social elements by actively targeting Muslim owned businesses based on fabricated and malicious information circulated by the anti-social elements.
"The Respondent No. 1, through acts of commission and omission, created conditions for the complete economic boycott of Muslim minorities on the pretext of their 'impure' dietary choices," the petition said.
On Monday, the apex court is scheduled to hear a plea against the Uttar Pradesh government's controversial order. A bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and S V N Bhatti is likely to hear the plea filed by NGO Association of Protection of Civil Rights.
Meanwhile, extensive arrangements have been made across several states for the Kanwar Yatra that starts on Monday with the beginning of the Sawan month of the Hindu calendar during which lakhs of Shiva devotees carry holy water from the Ganges in Haridwar to their homes while offering it at Shiva temples on their way.
Days after the Muzaffarnagar police asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the controversial order across the state.
The order issued by the Muzaffarnagar police earlier this week has been slammed by opposition parties and some members of the ruling NDA at the Centre, who say it targets Muslim traders.
Authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Sunday said they have made special arrangements to ensure a smooth yatra and extensive security measures are in place.
Spanning from July 22 to August 19, this special period for the worship of Lord Shiva will include five Mondays.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Outlook)
Source: outlookindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.outlookindia.com/national/economic-boycott-of-muslims-mp-mahua-moitra-moves-sc-against-kanwar-yatra-eateries-order
--------
Artisans Showcase Hindu-Muslim Harmony in Kanwar Yatra Amid Nameplate Controversy
July 21, 2024
Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the “nameplate” order on Kanwar routes, a heartwarming display of brotherhood and unity emerges from the work of Kanwar artisans in Haridwar.
The Kanwar Yatra, originating from Kumbhnagari Haridwar, stands as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim harmony. Each year, during the month of Sawan, millions of Shiva devotees flock to Haridwar to collect the sacred waters of the Ganga. Remarkably, the Kanwars they carry are crafted with meticulous care by Muslim families in the Haridwar district, who dedicate many months to this labour of love.
Months before the Kanwar fair begins, the Muslim community immerses itself in the preparation of Kanwars. This craft involves entire families, from the eldest members to women and children, who work tirelessly day and night.
“We have been doing this since childhood. It brings me joy to be deeply involved in serving Bhole Baba. We craft all types of Kanwars and Dolis, feeling a great sense of fulfilment both while creating and sharing them. Our hearts connect and we are all one,” said Istkar, a Kanwad artisan.
“I have been doing this for 15 years, and it brings me great joy. We also create Ravana effigies. It’s all about love and brotherhood; the entire Hindu community is like family to us,” said Abrar, another Kanwad artisan.
This noble initiative by Muslim families has garnered widespread appreciation from the Hindu community. Many Hindus believe that the Kanwars made by Muslim families are a testament to brotherhood and unity.
“We’ve been doing this for 8-9 years. There’s no distinction between Hindus and Muslims here. It doesn’t bother me at all; we’re all brothers. We never question why we should work for Hindus. I’ve been doing this since childhood. In two or three days, all our Kanwads will be sold out,” said Imran, another Kanwad craftmaker.
A row over the Kanwar Yatra “nameplate” order broke out after the Uttar Pradesh government directed food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names. The order gained widespread attention from various political figures and the opposition, criticising the Yogi government for its “divisive agenda.”
Earlier, Muzaffarnagar Police said that the police have urged all the eateries to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees, adding that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of “religious discrimination” but only to facilitate the devotees.
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said that it reflects the hatred towards Muslims in India. “Fear on UP’s Kanwar routes: This is the reality of hatred for Indian Muslims, credit for this visceral hatred goes to political parties, leaders of Hindutva and so-called lip servicing Secular parties,” Owaisi said in a post on ‘X’, sharing a photo of an egg stall displaying the name of its owner.
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also took a dig at this move, asking whether the Kanwar Yatra route is the same as the journey towards ‘Viksit Bharat’. “Kanwar Yatra Route UP directs eateries including roadside carts to display the names of owners! Is this the route to a ‘Viksit Bharat’? Divisive agendas will only divide the country!” Sibal said in a post on ‘X’.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government over this move, likening it to Nazi Germany. “The Uttar Pradesh government is destroying the Constitution of India by issuing such orders…A whole community is being humiliated. They are trying to divide society. This type of targeting was done by Nazis in Germany. I condemn it,” Karat said, speaking to ANI on Saturday.
TV actor Sonu Sood was also trolled online after he took to X to express his views on the matter, stating, “There should be only one nameplate on every shop: ‘HUMANITY.'”
Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the move and urged the court to take suo-motto cognizance of the matter.
Source: newsx.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.newsx.com/national/artisans-showcase-hindu-muslim-harmony-in-kanwar-yatra-amid-nameplate-controversy/
--------
Allegedly Ignored By Party, Bareilly BJP Leader, Pradeep Aggarwal, Threatens To Embrace Islam
July 21, 2024
The District BJP leadership here is in a fix in the wake of the party’s city vice-president Pradeep Aggarwal threatening to convert to Islam over being allegedly ignored by the party.
Several district BJP leaders tried to call the disgruntled BJP leader to request him to remove the post but to no avail as he remained incommunicado, not picking up any of their calls. Some leaders visited him at his residence to persuade him to withdraw the post.
Aggarwal’s arms license was canceled three days ago in view of a one-and-a-half-year-old case of a murderous attack. In April 2022, after an altercation with a constable’s son Himesh in the Subhash Nagar area, he fired him from the licensed pistol. The victim was injured in the incident.
A case was registered against the BJP’s city vice-president in the case.
DM Ravindra Kumar cancelled both his arms license on the basis of the police report.
Source: thestatesman.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.thestatesman.com/india/allegedly-ignored-by-party-bareilly-bjp-leader-threatens-to-embrace-islam-1503322996.html
--------
Unease over Khanqah-e-Moula shrine in Srinagar, Muslim leaders call for Shia-Sunni unity
22.07.24
Kashmir’s latest expression of sectarian unity has come under a strain after some young men performed a Muharram mourning ritual inside the famed Khanqah-e-Moula shrine in Srinagar, prompting leaders from both sides to call for calm.
The controversy started after a group of Shia youths recited the Nouha (mourning) for Imam Hussain inside the shrine this week.
Kashmir had witnessed big Muharram gatherings this year during which Sunnis offered soft drinks to Shia mourners at many places.
The Khanqah is a premier Sufi shrine in Kashmir, attributed to Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, the founder of Islam in Kashmir. The shrine is widely revered by Sunnis and Shias, although it is seen as a Sunni place of worship.
Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu flagged the Nouha incident on X, seeking action from the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board, responsible for the management of the shrine.
“I’m the most vociferous supporter of Shia-Sunni unity and we are all proud Muhibaan-e-Ahle-Bayat (lovers of the Prophet’s family) but Azadaari inside Khanqah-e-Moula is unprecedented and could potentially disturb sectarian harmony,” he wrote.
Matters took an ugly turn after the Mutahida Majlis Amal, Kashmir’s top body of Islamic scholars headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was alleged to have said the shrine needed a Ghusl (a washing ritual) to purify it.
Several Shia scholars were offended and asked how an act of mourning for Imam Hussain could have polluted the shrine.
“Tourists can enter the shrine, Hindus can click pictures there, but a mourner of Imam Hussain cannot do it? Now you have to purify the Khanqah?” Agha Syed Hadi, a Shia scholar, said.
Mirwaiz Manzil, a handle run by the Mirwaiz’s Awami Action Committee, on Sunday denied that the Mutahida Majlis Amal had made any remarks about performing the washing ritual.
“Kindly refrain from posting/ attributing unfound(ed) information. We unequivocally condemn any of such statements (Ghusul & Anti Shia Slogans) which aim to stoke sectarian tensions here. We are united & will continue to remain so!” it said in a post on X.
Srinagar’s newly elected MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, a Shia voted to Parliament with massive support from Sunnis, hit out at offenders from both sides.
Ruhullah said the controversy had been “manipulated and exploited by certain hypocrites for their political purposes — the way they would post videos and photos of themselves being part of these mourning ceremonies only till last year when they thought it would benefit them politically”.
This seemed an allusion to Mattu, a Sunni who participated in Muharram processions in a big way to pander to Shia voters.
His opponents claim he has been nursing a grudge after Shias rejected his party (the Apni Party, dubbed the BJP’s B-team) in this summer’s general election and voted for Ruhullah.
Following the defeat, Mattu had recently announced an “interim cessation” from politics.
“The general reaction to this video (of mourning in the Khanqah) was unfortunate and (was) pushed beyond limits,” Ruhullah said.
“From the calls (for the) washing of the Khanqah (giving Ghusl) to what not. Why these calls? Why this hate and othering? What sin did they commit there that calls for such extreme reactions?”
Ruhullah also questioned the mourners for conducting the ceremony inside the Khanqah.
“What was the need? What urged you to do that? Was it for your own satisfaction or was it for Imam Hussain?” he said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the text of the original Story
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/unease-over-khanqah-e-moula-shrine-in-srinagar-muslim-leaders-call-for-shia-sunni-unity/cid/2035322
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'Major terror attack' on Army post foiled in J&K's Rajouri, soldier injured; search ops launched
Jul 22, 2024
JAMMU: Alert Army troops on Monday successfully foiled a "major terrorist attack" in the Khawas area of Budhal, Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to sources, one soldier was injured and hospitalized, but there has been no official confirmation on the same.
This attack follows two high-level meetings chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Army Chief Gen. Upendra Dwivedi in Jammu on Saturday, where they reviewed the security situation in response to the recent surge in terror attacks in the region.
According to sources, security forces initiated a cordon and search operation (CASO) in a village in the Budhal area of Rajouri district after suspected terrorists opened fire at a security picket/post early in the morning.
"2-3 terrorists attempted to assault an Army post near the house of a VDG member Parshotam Kumar, a Village Defence Guard (VDG) member in Gundha -a remote village of Rajouri district at around 0310 hrs and the fire was promptly retaliated by security personnel," sources said.
Kumar was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his bravery several months ago when he killed one terrorist and injured another during a previous encounter.
On July 5, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Shaurya Chakra upon SgCt Saifullah Qadri (posthumously), DySP (now SP) Mohan Lal, SI Amit Raina, SI Feroz Ahmad, Constable Varun Singh of J&K Police, and Purshotum Kumar, a Village Defence Guard member, at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Sources added that additional reinforcements were quickly dispatched to the area, and a search operation has been initiated to locate the hiding terrorists.
This incident follows another attempted terror attack on a Territorial Army (TA) battalion post in Galuti Patrara village of Manjakote, Rajouri district, on July 7. An Army sentry deployed at the post sustained injuries during the initial exchange of gunfire, which lasted for half an hour on Sunday morning.
The attack also occurred in the early hours, around 0340 hours, when suspected terrorists fired at the sentry post of the TA base.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Devise plan to crush terror, plug infiltration routes: J&K LG to forces
Jul 22, 2024
JAMMU: Amid a spike in terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a meeting on Saturday with the chiefs of Army, BSF, CRPF, RAW, Intelligence Bureau, and police, asking them to devise a strategy to crush terrorism.
“We must launch meticulous and well-planned counter-terrorist operations with greater synergy among all agencies to wipe out terrorists and those aiding and abetting them," LG said.
He directed forces to ensure zero cross-border infiltration, as per a Raj Bhawan source.
Later, Sinha held a separate meeting with Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, who had earlier discussed with the top brass of Northern and Western Commands and police the mechanism to seal infiltration routes in hilly areas and dismantle the terror network.
BSF DG Nitin Agrawal reviewed the operational preparedness of troops along International Border in Jammu sector on Sunday.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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Omar Abdullah sees 'negligence' on terror, says govt partly to blame for militancy in Jammu
22.07.24
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday suggested the government was partly to blame for the spurt in militancy in Jammu, while asserting that the insurgency should not be a reason to further delay Assembly polls in the Union Territory.
“Some powers in the neighbouring country do not want friendship between the two countries. They will not give up such actions,” the National Conference leader told reporters in Samba, Jammu, when asked about the increase in attacks. He was
in the district to address a public gathering.
“But somewhere there is negligence from our side. We have lost 55 soldiers, but after one year the LG sahab (lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha) has remembered to hold a meeting (on security). He should have held the meeting on Day One. Why did he wait for us to say such things and only after that he arranged the meeting to try to bring the situation under control?” Omar said.
Sinha on Saturday chaired a high-level security meeting to review security in Jammu. Two top army commanders, including army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, were present.
Jammu has since 2021 witnessed a spurt in militancy, with more than 50 security force personnel and several civilians killed. The attacks increased sharply after the June 9 swearing-in of Narendra Modi as a third-term Prime Minister.
There is speculation that the Centre might further delay the Assembly elections, due since 2018, using the attacks as a pretext.
“This election is taking place on the orders of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has set a September 30 deadline for holding these polls. You stand before the Supreme Court and say the situation is not conducive for polls in Jammu and Kashmir. We will say nothing,” Omar said.
“You say you want to bow before powers (militants), those who killed our 55 brave soldiers in Jammu in the last one year (since 2021). If you are ready to waste their sacrifice, then we will have no objection. We will sit quiet. What else can we do?”
The former chief minister said some people were saying the situation had deteriorated and there should be no elections.
“What happened to you? Are we so weak or has the situation worsened so much that there are no chances of holding elections? We held elections in 1996 and you have to agree that there is a difference of heaven and earth between the situation at that time and today,” Omar said.
“Those who do not want to hold elections should tell us that we are bowing before the gun-toting forces and are accepting defeat, besides ignoring the sacrifices of our forces. You tell our enemies that we will surrender without fighting.”
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Omar said that when the BJP-PDP government took over from the NC in 2015, the situation was different.
“We had cleared all areas of Jammu of the scourge of terrorism. Despite their claims post-2019 (August) — when J&K’s special status was revoked — there is no place which is not facing the looming threat of terror attacks,” he said.
“Not only did they fail to ensure the development of J&K, but our security has also been compromised, which is evident from the attacks resulting in the loss of precious lives of our brave personnel. They are least bothered about all this.”
Omar said there is “not a day when you don’t see an attack in one or the other part of Jammu”.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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Pakistan
Islamabad seeks action on Frankfurt ‘vandalism’
July 22, 2024
ISLAMABAD: After several individuals, said to be Afghan nationals, vandalised the Pakistani consulate in Frankfurt, Islamabad urged Germany to take immediate measures to prosecute those involved and hold to account those responsible for the security lapse.
According to the Pakistani mission, the incident occurred on July 20, when a “gang of extremists” attacked the consulate and “endangered” the lives of the consular staff on the premises.
In a video of the incident which went viral online, scores of protesters carrying placards could be seen gathered outside the consulate.
The videos show three men — one of whom is seen clutching an Afghan flag — climbing a flagpole to remove the Pakistani flag. Some reports also indicated that the protesters pelted the consulate building with rocks.
In light of the incident, Islamabad called out the German authorities for their failure to protect the “sanctity and security of the premises of its consular mission”.
“Under the Vienna Conventions on Consular Relations, 1963 it is the responsibility of the host government to protect the sanctity of the consular premises and ensure the security of diplomats,” a statement issued by the Foreign Office said.
“We are conveying our strong protest to the German government,” said the statement, urging Berlin to take immediate measures to fulfil its responsibilities under the Vienna Conventions and ensure the security of the diplomatic missions and staff in Germany.
“We also urge the German authorities to take immediate measures to arrest and prosecute those involved in yesterday’s incident and hold to account those responsible for the lapses in security,” the statement added.
The Pakistani embassy in Germany also condemned the reprehensible act at the Pakistan Consulate General in Frankfurt by miscreants on July 20, 2024.
“We are in contact with the German authorities to ensure such a situation doesn’t arise again and the miscreants face legal consequences,” the embassy said on its official X handle.
In a similar statement, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that the Pakistani government had lodged a strong protest with the German government.
“We have urged the German government to fulfill its responsibilities under the Vienna Conventions and ensure the security of the diplomatic missions and staff of Pakistan in Germany. We have also pressed them for taking immediate measures to arrest and prosecute those involved in yesterday’s incident and hold to account those responsible for the lapses in the security,” the statement added.
In a presser on Sunday, Information Minister Atta Tarar also revealed that Nadra had been asked to analyse the footage of the incident in Frankfurt to ascertain whether any Pakistanis were involved.
Though the Foreign Office did not point to the nationality of the miscreants, some of them were draped in the tri-colour Afghanistan flag. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, lashed out at the Afghan nationals, saying Islamabad needed to rethink its hospitality towards the Afghan citizens in the wake of this incident.
“There’s a limit to hospitality. They swore at us; they swore at Pakistan. They talk against the integrity of Pakistan. They carry out proper rallies [against Pakistan]. They burn our flags,” he told Geo News, claiming that Pakistan fought wars for Kabul. “I think Pakistan needs to rethink their hospitality,” he said.
Pakistan hosts over 3 million Afghan refugees and recently launched a deportation drive to expel those who were residing in the country without documents. Earlier this month, Islamabad, however, extended the stay of registered Afghan refugees by one year.
Protest outside consulate
German media outlet DW reported that Saturday’s demonstration was arranged to “highlight complaints against Pakistan’s military and intelligence services, which organisers accused of killing critics and political opponents”.
The outlet quoted police as saying that about 400 people carrying Afghanistan flags took part in the demonstration outside the consulate and the State Security division was investigating the vandalism by some of them.
About 10 days before this episode, predominantly Afghan protesters reportedly linked to a Pakistani political movement staged a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in London’s Belgravia area.
Dozens of activists had gathered outside the mission, demanding justice for slain Afghan poet Gilaman Wazir, who was stabbed to death in Islamabad.
A scuffle even broke out between protesters and passersby at the mission, who chanted pro-Pakistan slogans. Met Police officers were at the scene trying to defuse the situation. Protesters waving Afghanistan flags threw shoes at the building and chanted slogans.
Atika Rehman in London also contributed to this report
Source: dawn.com
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Bannu residents continue sit-in, vow opposition to military operation
July 22, 2024
LAKKI MARWAT: The protest sit-in staged by the residents of Bannu entered the second day on Sunday as people took to the streets in Mardan, Lakki Marwat and Swabi against the firing on a peace rally in the southern district on Friday, which left one participant dead and several others injured.
The sit-in is staged on the call of Bannu Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Leaders of political, nationalist and religious parties visited the protesters, who are camped at the Maulana Abdul Sattar Shah Chowk commonly known as Police Lines Chowk.
People from Lakki and other parts of the province also participated in the protest camp to express solidarity with the residents of Bannu.
The police and administration have made stringent security measures, closing some urban roads to traffic by placing containers on them to avert any untoward incident.
Demonstrations also held in Mardan, Lakki and Swabi against firing on peace rally
Along with deploying additional policemen, security has been beefed up in the district after Friday’s violence during the peace rally.
Mobile phone and internet services remained suspended on the third consecutive day, troubling locals and badly impacting online business activities.
Political leaders, religious scholars, public representatives and members of traders’ bodies addressed the protesters and demanded of the government to establish peace in Bannu and its adjoining areas.
Speaking on the occasion, ANP provincial president Mian Iftikhar Hussain and provincial general secretary Hussain Shah Yousafzai, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, PTI MNA Shehryar Afridi and other leaders said that Pakhtuns would not allow any military operation on their soil as they had reservations on such operations previously launched to eliminate terrorism.
They condemned the firing on the peace rally and declared it a barbarism, asking the state institutions to realise their responsibility and provide protection of life and property to citizens.
They said Pakhtuns had faced killings, disappearances and other distresses during the war on terror, and now they wanted peace on their soil. They said no one could forget the sacrifices of Janikhel, Bakkakhel and other tribes as they faced displacements and became IDPs in the past.
They said peace could not be restored by using force against innocent citizens, asking the government to formulate a strategy in that regard after taking the parliament into confidence.
Mehmood Achakzai, who is also president of Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Aieen-i-Pakistan, strongly condemned what he claimed security forces’ firing on peaceful protesters in Bannu.
He said the protesters, part of a public peace march, were voicing their concerns over the recent wave of terrorism in the region. “Tragically, a participant was martyred and several others were injured due to the direct firing by security forces, leading to the Bannu city being disconnected from rest of the country and the world,” he said.
Mr Achakzai stated that the Constitution of Pakistan was suspended in spirit, with widespread disregard for its principles.
He said the Constitution guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly and protest, and any violation of these rights was unacceptable.
Achakzai called on the government to respect and protect the constitutional rights of all citizens.
Mr Achakzai also met with the family of the martyred participant of the peace rally. He expressed his deep condolences and assured his unwavering support.
Bannu Bachao Movement head Pir Qaisar Abbas Shah said the residents of the district would not allow any military operation on their soil nor would they vacate their houses at any cost.
Mardan mayor Himatullah Mayar, National Democratic Movement chairman Mohsin Dawar, former MPA Qari Gul Azeem, Maulana Asad Mehmood of JUI-F, MNAs Shandana Gulzar, Shahid Khattak and Maulana Syed Naseem Ali Shah and provincial minister Malik Pakhtoonyar also attended the protest camp.
The divisional and district administrations continued their efforts for a breakthrough in negotiations with elders on the second consecutive day.
A video clip circulating on a social media platform showed an elder telling the protesters that the peace jirga had presented a charter of demands to the government authorities, and that it would end the agitation once their demands were accepted. The demands include opposition to any military operation, forceful action against all militant and criminal groups and empowering police to take on militants.
Meanwhile, a rally was held outside the press club building in Mardan district with the participants raising slogans to demand peace on the Pakhtuns’ soil.
Prominent among those who addressed the rally included PTI lawmakers Mohammad Atif Khan, Ali Mohammad Khan, provincial minister for food Zahir Shah Khan Toru, Abdus Salam Afridi, Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Ihtisham Khan, former federal minister Khawaja Mohammad Khan Hoti, former MNA Maulana Shujaul Mulk, Mardan Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Zahir Shah Khan, Markaz-i-Tanzeem-i-Tajiran president Ihsan Bachs and others.
The participants were carrying white flags, placards and banners inscribed with slogans advocating peace.
On the occasion, former senior provincial minister Atif Khan asked the federal government and military establishment not to start any operation without the consent of people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He lamented that the quarters concerned had been launching new military operations with intervals of every one or two years followed by an announcement that they had broken back of terrorists, but again the terrorists started their activities on Pakhtuns’ and Balochs’ soils.
He urged the military generals to stop their interference in political affairs and keep themselves limited to security of country.
Addressing the rally, Khawaja Hoti urged Pakhtuns to forge unity among their ranks with the purpose to maintain peace and prosperity across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Ali Mohammad Khan said they wanted to give respect to institutions, but they must also give respect to political leaders.
Ihsan Bacha said the relevant stakeholders should take effective steps to maintain law and order in the country.
Zahir Shah Toru urged leaders of all political parties, trading unions, and people belonging to all schools of thought to set aside their differences and unitedly come out to oppose the planned Azm-i-Istehkam military operation.
Meanwhile, the residents closed the Peshawar-Karachi Highway at Lt Adnan Shaheed Chowk in Tajazai area of Lakki Marwat to protest the firing incident.
The protesters, mostly youths, were holding banners and raised slogans in favour of their demands.
Later, they opened the busy highway keeping in view the troubles faced by the transporters and commuters in hot weather.
On the occasion, a youth leader condemned the growing lawlessness in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said that the residents of Lakki Marwat district stood by the Bannu people in this difficult time and supported their demand for peace.
Meanwhile, people belonging to different walks of life staged a protest demonstration at the Karnal Sher Khan Chowk in Swabi against the firing on the Bannu rally.
The call for the protest was given by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s local chapter and Swabi Action Committee (SAC).
The participants holding white flags chanted slogans in favour of peace and opposed any military operation on their soil.
Addressing the protesters, SAC president Nadeem Shah Bacha said peace was a prerequisite for progress and prosperity. He said firing on peaceful protesters was condemnable.
On the occasion, Faisal Khan Tarakai, provincial minister for education, said they stood with the people of terrorism-hit regions. He said war was not a solution to any problem.
Irrigation minister Aqibullah Khan said that people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opposed any new military operation against terrorism.
Abdul Karim, an aide to the chief minister, said that people of Swabi stood by the people of Bannu in their demand for peace.
Separately, a jirga ended its four-day-long agitation following successful negotiations with a government team in Tank district on Sunday.
The jirga members sat outside the deputy commissioner’s office on July 18 in protest against the deteriorating law and order situation in the district.
On the fourth day, the participants also placed the body of slain schoolteacher on the road. The teacher was kidnapped and then killed by unknown men.
A 12-member team of the jirga held talks with the government officials.
The jirga ended after the government representatives promised to improve the law-and-order situation in the district within 15 days.
Chief of jirga Maulana Naqibullah Bittani threatened that if serious steps were taken to improve law and order then the jirga would be held again.
MPA Usman Khan Bittani, Pashtun nationalist leaders Malik Akbar Ali, Patu Lala, Sheikh Naseer, Dastagir Bittani, Nadeem, Khalid Marwat and others spoke on the occasion.
All business centres and bazaars remained closed for four days during the course of the jirga.
Speaking at the jirga, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader and former federal minister for communications Asad Mahmood said it was very disheartening that a peaceful area like Tank had become a victim of disturbed law and order situation due to the government ‘apathy’.
Source: dawn.com
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Bilawal to chair huddle on PTI’s fate via video link from US
July 22, 2024
WASHINGTON: While PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is visiting the United States this week on a private trip, he will preside over a key meeting via video link to discuss a potential move to ban the opposition PTI.
The former foreign minister subsequently plans to return to the US in February for more meetings in Washington.
Addressing speculations that he was in the States this weekend to discuss Pakistan’s current political and economic situation with senior US officials, Mr Bhutto-Zardari clarified: “No Washington for me. Hopefully in February.”
The PPP leader, who landed in New York late last week, reportedly asked party leaders and workers not to come to the airport to receive him, emphasising the private nature of his visit.
Pakistani political circles in Washington noted that Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s visit comes amidst a major political controversy in Pakistan, where the PML-N-led government is seeking the PPP support for a ban on PTI.
According to sources privy to the development, the party is preparing for a crucial consultative meeting to address the potential ban on PTI. This pivotal session will bring together the central and provincial leadership of the PPP, with party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari presiding via video link from abroad.
The agenda includes gathering opinions from party leaders on the PML-N’s proposal.
The consensus reached will significantly influence the PPP’s stance on the issue.
Source: dawn.com
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Balochistan sets up fund for women entrepreneurship
July 22, 2024
QUETTA: The Balochistan government has announced the establishment of a Women Empowerment Fund with a seed money of Rs53,700,000 to promote women-owned businesses.
Under the programme, interest-free loans of Rs500,000 will be given to each woman running a business, Women Development Department Secretary Sardar Ahmed Bugti said, while addressing an event organised by the Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP) in collaboration with UN Women at Millennium Shopping Mall, Quetta.
The secretary also announced that the establishment of women economic markets in seven divisional headquarters of Balochistan was in its final stages.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Tahir Rashid and Naimatullah of BRSP briefed the guests about the programme.
They said the event is aimed at highlighting the importance of business among women, providing them with opportunities to progress, and helping them face challenges.
Women from 11 districts of the province participated in the event where they set up 15 stalls showcasing embroidered clothes, jewellery, and other items.
Additionally, products such as frames, diaries, purses and clothes, prepared by women trained under various BRSP and UN programmes, were also displayed.
Source: dawn.com
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Judges should not deliver political remarks in court: Khawaja Asif
July 22, 2024
Expressing reservations on the Supreme Court's verdict on reserved seats, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Sunday that the court's decisions "should not be political but they should be given in line with the Constitution and the law".
"Judiciary is only responsible for the interpretation of law, not legislation," the defence minister told Geo News while commenting on the top court's verdict on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) reserved seats case.
Asif slammed the apex court's July 12 verdict, once again, which declared the embattled former ruling party eligible for reserved seats for women and minorities in the assemblies.
In a major legal victory for the Imran Khan-founded party and a setback for the rulers, the apex court had ruled that PTI was and is a political party that won general seats in the national and provincial assemblies in the February 8 elections, thus, is entitled to reserved seats.
The court, by a majority of 8-5, set aside the Peshawar High Court's judgement of March 25 and declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order of March 1 to be ultra vires the Constitution, without lawful authority and of no legal effect.
The politico said that the judges shouldn't blend "political remarks" while hearing different cases in their courts and "we cannot even count the number of the judiciary's political verdicts".
Pointing towards the reserved seats case, he claimed that the "verdict can result in a constitutional crisis". Not only politicians, judiciary, media and bureaucracy also bore responsibility to play their roles for the country’s stability, Asif emphasised.
Asif urged the judiciary to "restore its image" as "its conflicting decisions are being discussed everywhere now".
He also demanded that contempt of court under Article 209 should also be imposed on giving wrong verdicts.
'Afghans are ungrateful'
When questioned about an attack on the Pakistani consulate in Germany's Frankfurt by a group of Afghan nationals, Asif condemned the incident and said: "Afghans are ungrateful."
"Pakistan is currently hosting nearly 5 million Afghan nationals. We fought a war for them against the Soviet Union. Should we continue to host them after the recent incident in Germany?"
He censured that Pakistan should review its decision to host Afghan nationals after an increasing trend of "abuses, statements against Pakistan's integrity and protests" from the neighbouring country.
The defence czar made the statement after a group of Afghan citizens vandalised and attacked the consulate in Frankfurt a day ago which was strongly condemned by the Pakistani government.
The video of the incident went viral on the internet in which the Afghan nationals could be seen storming the Pakistani consulate, pelting stones at the building and removing the country's flag. Some reports suggested that they also tried burning the Pakistani flag.
The Foreign Office (FO), in a statement today, also condemned the failure of the German authorities to protect the sanctity and security of the premises of its consular mission.
Pakistan also sought the German authorities to take immediate measures to arrest and prosecute those involved in yesterday's incident and hold to account those responsible for the lapses in security.
The federal government has also announced earlier in the day to take strict actions if any Pakistani national was found involved in the incident which may face blockage of ID card and passport.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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'Gang of extremists' attacks Pakistani consulate in Germany
July 21, 2024
Pakistan on Sunday asked the German government to take action against the "gang of extremists" which attacked its consulate in Frankfurt, endangering the lives of its consular staff.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan strongly condemned the incident and the failure of the German authorities to protect the sanctity and security of the premises of its consular mission.
The Foreign Office's statement comes a day after a group of Afghan nationals vandalised and attacked the Pakistani consulate, pelting stones at the building and removing the country's flag.
The statement said that the responsibility to protect the premises and ensure the security of diplomats falls under the host government under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963.
"We are conveying our strong protest to the German government and urge to take immediate measures to fulfil its responsibilities under the Vienna Conventions," the Foreign Office said.
Pakistan also sought the German authorities to take immediate measures to arrest and prosecute those involved in the incident and hold to account those responsible for the lapses in security.
The video of the incident went viral on the internet in which the Afghan nationals could be seen storming the Pakistani consulate. There are reports that they also tried burning the Pakistani flag.
According to media reports, the situation has drawn significant attention among the international communities, raising concerns about the diplomatic security of the installations.
However, the officials have been assured of a thorough investigation by the German authorities in Frankfurt.
They have also arrested several people who are being investigated after the video went viral.
It is, however, unclear as to what was the cause of the incident.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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Leaked TTP call: Pakistan to pursue 'legal action' against Noor Wali Mehsud
July 20, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to conduct forensics analysis of leaked telephone call of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants and pursue legal action against the banned organisation's chief Noor Wali Mehsud and terrorist Ghat Haji, sources told Geo News on Saturday.
Apart from seeking the extradition of terrorists from Afghanistan, Islamabad will also file a strong protest with the Afghan Taliban-led interim administration over the TTP chief's presence in the country and his direct involvement in terrorist attacks against Pakistan.
On Friday, a disturbing phone call came to the surface which exposed the terror plots being planned by the banned organisation wherein Noor could be heard giving instructions to his henchmen for attacks in Pakistan.
The other voices in the audio call were identified as local commanders Ahmad Hussain Mehsud alias Ghat Haji, and Saqib Gandapur.
The conversation revolves around the TTP chief's orders on how to inflame the security situation in the country. In that conversation, he can be heard outlining two main methods for disrupting peace and order in Pakistan.
Suggesting that one method is to target government schools or hospitals with bombings, the TTP leader orders his men to carry out attacks on one or two schools or hospitals without claiming responsibility for them.
Noor could also be heard hashing out a second method, which involves destroying the homes of police officers and soldiers.
He was also heard instructing his lieutenants to keep the conversation confidential and ensure that no one else is aware of the plan and stresses that if questioned, he should not be linked to the operations and nothing should be traced back to TTP.
Ahmad Hussain, while affirming the TTP chief’s deadly plans, can be heard telling Gandapur to target the homes of high-ranking police, army, and FC officials with bombs and to either close down or blow up schools secretly — without taking credit for the attacks.
The leaked telephone call effectively reaffirmed Islamabad's stance wherein it had time again called on Kabul to prevent its land from being used by TTP and other terrorist organisations against Pakistan.
The legal action against the terrorists, the sources added, will be taken in light of the report of the phone call's forensic analysis.
Earlier this week, at least eight Pakistan Army soldiers had embraced martyrdom as security forces effectively thwarted a terrorist attack at Bannu Cantonment killing all 10 militants.
The terrorists attacked the Bannu Cantonment in the early hours of July 15 but their attempt to enter the facility was effectively thwarted by the security forces personnel, resultantly the militants rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the perimeter wall of the cantonment, the military’s media wing had said.
Following the incident, Pakistan summoned the deputy head of mission of the embassy of Afghanistan in Islamabad to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver a strong demarche.
In a statement, the FO said the terrorist attack was carried out by the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group based in Afghanistan and urged Kabul to fully investigate and take immediate, robust and effective action against the perpetrators of the Bannu attack and to prevent the recurrence of such attacks using the territory of Afghanistan.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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IT sector witnessing significant growth under auspices of SIFC
July 22, 2024
The Information Technology sector is witnessing significant growth under the auspices of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
Keeping in view the potential of IT, the government has earmarked seventy-nine billion rupees this year for this sector.
Nineteen billion rupees will be spent on the construction of IT parks in Islamabad and Karachi while twenty two billion rupees have been allocated for Pakistan Software Export Board.
The IT sector is growing rapidly due to the facilitation of SIFC and many start-ups have emerged which are introducing themselves globally.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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Gwadar poises to become Int’l trade hub
July 22, 2024
Gwadar is poised to become an international trade hub as CPEC enters its second phase.
The mega CPEC related projects in Gwadar, among others, include construction of New Gwadar International Airport at a cost of 230 million dollars, East Bay expressway costing 179 million dollars, Gwadar Port with an investment of 300 million dollars and China Pakistan Friendship hospital at a cost 100 million dollars.
Free Zones One and Two are spread over an area of 2281 acres.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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North America
Muslims stand up in protest against gender ideology in Fairfax County’s public schools
July 21, 2024
This week, at Fairfax County, Virginia’s school board meeting, the Muslim community made a stand against gender ideology and sexually explicit materials in public schools.
Thoraia Hussein, a mother of six children who attend the district’s public schools, spoke at the dais to school board members in front of an unusually packed auditorium. Among the crowd were about 75 Muslims who came to support Hussein in her testimony. She said, “I am here on the behalf of my community, Muslim and interfaith, as a concerned parent.”
Hussein objects to gender ideology instruction in public schools and the controversial pilot program that Michelle Reid, the district’s superintendent, is implementing in 14 elementary schools next year. During her testimony, Hussein cited the survey data that was completely ignored by the district’s leadership, which showed community members’ objections to the sex-combined pilot program and gender identity instruction in schools.
Hussein reminded the school board members of our constitutional rights. “According to the First Amendment,” she explained, “you may have personal beliefs, but you may not impose them on others.”
And without a doubt, the district’s leaders are imposing their views on our children in violation of the First Amendment. Aside from their obsession with teaching elementary school children about so-called gender identities, they are mandating the use of preferred pronouns under the penalty of suspension.
Like most of us, Hussein also takes issue with the sexually explicit books available to our children in Fairfax County school libraries. She specifically cited This Book Is Gay, Gender Queer, and All Boys Aren’t Blue, which are readily available in the school district’s libraries. Karl Frisch, the board’s childless chairman, notably swore his oath of office on the latter two books in lieu of a religious text, symbolizing what we all know to be true: the LGBT indoctrination of our children is Frisch’s true religion.
But Frisch’s religion is not for everyone and shouldn’t be taught in public schools. In This Book Is Gay, for example, the white male author, Juno Dawson, pens a section titled, “How to Argue with Muslims.” Dawson also shares directions with readers on how to register for Grindr, a hook-up app for gay men.
During her testimony, Hussein explained, “Those books are not just sexually exploiting children, but also offensive and touches our core values as Muslims.”
In a district where the leadership incessantly discusses inclusivity, Fairfax County’s school board members and administrators spend a great deal of resources implementing exclusionary policies.
Hussein, on the other hand, expressed a genuine desire for the inclusion of all children in public schools. She said, “Parents want school to be educational and nurturing children from all walks of life while respecting all beliefs.”
If only Fairfax County would listen.
Stephanie Lundquist-Arora is a contributor for the Washington Examiner, a mother in Fairfax County, Virginia, an author, and the Fairfax chapter leader of the Independent Women’s Network.
Source: washingtonexaminer.com
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Edison High School assistant principal accused of making threats to Muslim students
Jul 21, 2024
News 12 has learned an assistant principal at Edison High School is under fire.
The Council of Americana-Islamic Relations is accusing Nicole Himmelstein of making threats against members of the school’s Muslim Student Association.
An audio recording was made during a meeting with the administrator and students.
The accusations come after the group requested to host an Iftar event at the high school and invite students from nearby schools.
According to the group, they were told by Himmelstein they were barred from hosting the event with outside students citing security concerns.
In the recording, Himmelstein is allegedly heard telling students she would take action against them if they seek outside help advocating for the joint event that the group has held in previous years.
Edison Superintendent Edward Aldarelli released the following statement:
“The district is immediately reviewing the allegation raised by CAIR-NJ, and we are committed to conducting a thorough investigation."
Source: newjersey.news12.com
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Islamic State member detained in Bishkek during attempt to sell counterfeit US dollars
JULY 22, 2024
AKIPRESS.COM - A member of the outlawed international terrorist organization Islamic State was detained in Bishkek, the State National Security Committee reported.
This is a citizen of Kyrgyzstan previously convicted in Russia for robbery.
According to investigation, counterfeit dollars were brought to Kyrgyzstan for Turkiye for further sale. The revenues from sale were supposed to be used for financing of terrorists. The suspect tried to sell the counterfeit dollars. The suspect spread and justified Islamic State on internet.
He was taken into custody.
Source: akipress.com
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Tougher tone on Israel, steady on NATO: how a Harris foreign policy could look
July 22, 2024
WASHINGTON: Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to stick largely to Joe Biden’s foreign policy playbook on key issues such as Ukraine, China and Iran but could strike a tougher tone with Israel over the Gaza war if she replaces the president at the top of the Democratic ticket and wins the US November election.
As the apparent frontrunner for the nomination after Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed her on Sunday, Harris would bring on-the-job experience, personal ties forged with world leaders, and a sense of global affairs gained during a Senate term and as Biden’s second-in-command.
But running against Republican candidate Donald Trump she would also have a major vulnerability — a troubled situation at the US-Mexico border that has bedeviled Biden and become a top campaign issue. Harris was tasked at the start of his term with addressing the root causes of high irregular migration, and Republicans have sought to make her the face of the problem.
On a range of global priorities, said analysts, a Harris presidency would resemble a second Biden administration.
“She may be a more energetic player but one thing you shouldn’t expect – any immediate big shifts in the substance of Biden’s foreign policy,” said Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for Democratic and Republican administrations.
Harris has signaled, for instance, that she would not deviate from Biden’s staunch support for NATO and would continue backing Ukraine in its fight against Russia. That stands in sharp contrast to a pledge by former president Trump to fundamentally alter the US relationship with the alliance and the doubts he has raised about future weapons supplies to Kyiv.
STAYING THE COURSE ON CHINA?
A lawyer by training and a former California attorney general, Harris struggled in the first half of Biden’s term to find her footing, not helped by being saddled early on with a major part of the intractable immigration portfolio amid record crossings at the US-Mexico border.
That followed a failed 2020 presidential campaign that was widely considered lackluster.
If she becomes the nominee, Democrats will be hoping Harris will be more effective at communicating her foreign policy goals.
In the second half of Biden’s presidency, Harris — the country’s first Black and Asian American vice president — has elevated her profile on issues ranging from China and Russia to Gaza and become a known quantity to many world leaders.
At this year’s Munich Security Conference she delivered a tough speech slamming Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and pledging “ironclad” US respect for NATO’s Article 5 requirement for mutual self-defense.
On China, Harris has long positioned herself within Washington’s bipartisan mainstream on the need for the US to counter China’s influence, especially in Asia. She would likely maintain Biden’s stance of confronting Beijing when necessary while also seeking areas of cooperation, analysts say.
Harris has made several trips aimed at boosting relations in the economically dynamic region, including one to Jakarta in September to fill in for Biden at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During the visit, Harris accused China of trying to coerce smaller neighbors with its territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea.
Biden also dispatched Harris on travels to shore up alliances with Japan and South Korea, key allies who have had reason to worry about Trump’s commitment to their security.
“She demonstrated to the region that she was enthusiastic to promote the Biden focus on the Indo-Pacific,” said Murray Hiebert, a senior associate of the Southeast Asia Program at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies.
While she could not match the “diplomatic chops” Biden had developed over decades, “she did fine,” he added.
However, like her boss, Harris has been prone to the occasional verbal gaffe. On a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea in September 2022 to reassert Washington’s support for Seoul, she mistakenly touted a US “alliance with the Republic of North Korea,” which aides later corrected.
If Harris becomes her party’s standard-bearer and can overcome Trump’s lead in pre-election opinion polls to win the White House, the Israel-Palestinian conflict would rank high on her agenda, especially if the Gaza war is still raging.
Although as vice president she has mostly echoed Biden in firmly backing Israel’s right to defend itself after Hamas militants carried out a deadly cross-border raid on Oct. 7, she has at times stepped out slightly ahead of the president in criticizing Israel’s military approach.
In March, she bluntly criticized Israel, saying it was not doing enough to ease a “humanitarian catastrophe” during its ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave. Later that month, she did not rule out “consequences” for Israel if it launched a full-scale invasion of refugee-packed Rafah in southern Gaza.
Such language has raised the possibility that Harris, as president, might take at least a stronger rhetorical line with Israel than Biden, analysts say.
While her 81-year-old boss has a long history with a succession of Israeli leaders and has even called himself a “Zionist,” Harris, 59, lacks his visceral personal connection to the country.
She maintains closer ties to Democratic progressives, some of whom have pressed Biden to attach conditions to US weapons shipments to Israel out of concern for high Palestinian civilian casualties in the Gaza conflict.
But analysts do not expect there would be a big shift in US policy toward Israel, Washington’s closest ally in the Middle East.
Halie Soifer, who served as national security adviser to Harris during the then-senator’s first two years in Congress, from 2017 to 2018, said Harris’ support of Israel has been just as strong as Biden’s. “There really has been no daylight to be found” between the two, she said.
IRAN NUCLEAR THREAT
Harris could also be expected to hold firm against Israel’s regional arch-foe, Iran, whose recent nuclear advances have drawn increased US condemnation.
Jonathan Panikoff, formerly the US government’s deputy national intelligence officer for the Middle East, said the growing threat of “weaponization” of Iran’s nuclear program could be an early major challenge for a Harris administration, especially if Tehran decides to test the new US leader.
After a series of failed attempts, Biden has shown little interest in returning to negotiations with Tehran over resuming the 2015 international nuclear agreement, which Trump abandoned during his presidency.
Harris, as president, would be unlikely to make any major overtures without serious signs that Iran is ready to make concessions.
Even so, Panikoff, now at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington, said: “There’s every reason to believe the next president will have to deal with Iran. It’s bound to be one of the biggest problems.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Huge protests await Netanyahu ahead of his address to US Congress
21 July 2024
Thousands of protesters plan to take to the streets in Washington and across the United States as the head of the Israeli regime Benjamin Netanyahu is set to address Congress on July 24.
Netanyahu will be in Washington on Wednesday for an address to a joint meeting of Congress. He is also scheduled to meet President Joe Biden on Monday.
His arrival in Washington is expected to spark massive protests as people in the US are outraged that Netanyahu has been invited to speak to Congress, the Washington Post reported citing a protest organizer.
“We consider it a disgrace that Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to speak to both houses of Congress,” said Brian Becker, the executive director of the ANSWER Coalition.
About 5,000 people are estimated to attend only one gathering in Washington on the day of Netanyahu’s address, according to a permit application submitted to the National Park Service.
People, Becker said, will take part in several demonstrations with varying demands, including a cease-fire in Gaza, an end to Washington's military aid to Israel.
US Capitol Police have “been working around-the-clock with our federal, state and local partners” to prepare for Netanyahu’s visit, according to a statement.
Capitol Police said it plans to add more officers as they expect huge crowds upon the arrival of Netanyahu in Washington.
“We anticipate a large number of demonstrators to show up,” Capitol Police said in the statement.
The agency said it is working with federal law enforcement partners to monitor the demonstrations, but it refused to reveal specific measures they are taking.
Netanyahu’s visit to Washington and his speech before Congress was not even met with a unanimous approval among Democrats, some of whom have vowed to boycott the speech, over the regime’s hostiles in the Gaza Strip. Many in the party say Netanyahu has become an obstacle to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Observers say Netanyahu’s upcoming speech will likely be contentious if he fails to close a deal with the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas to end the war in Gaza before he travels to Washington.
Nearly 60 members of the Democratic Party skipped Netanyahu’s address to Congress back in 2015.
Many believe now that the tally of them skipping his speech on Wednesdays could be even higher.
Source: presstv.ir
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Biden’s legacy is ‘genocide’: Reactions pour in as US pres. quits race
22 July 2024
Rights groups and social media frequenters react to US President Joe Biden’s decision to cancel his re-election bid, saying he will be remembered by how he facilitated the Israeli regime’s ongoing war of genocide against Palestinians.
The reactions began pouring in on Monday, immediately after Biden announced in a letter on social media that he was stepping aside as a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
The decision came following a disastrous performance at a debate also featuring arch-rival Donald Trump that raised questions concerning Biden’s capability to run another term.
Commenting on the decision, however, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR), a rights group, said, “It was not Biden’s failed debate that showed he is unfit to lead. It was the tens of thousands of bombs he sent to kill Palestinian families.”
Biden had “repeatedly funded, armed, and backed Israel’s mass slaughter of the Palestinian people,” the USCPR said, adding, “Nothing will erase the fact that” Biden’s “legacy is – and always will be – GENOCIDE.”
Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of Drop Site, an independent news website, and a former journalist at The Intercept, an online American news organization, chimed in.
“When I read the lionizing of Biden, emphasizing his decency and heroism, all I can think of is that little girl in Gaza whose jaw was blown off and all the other Palestinian children who were dismembered, burned alive, murdered with US weapons in a war Joe Biden facilitated,” he wrote on X.
The group was referring to the United States’ sustaining and even invigorating its already unfaltering arms support for the Israeli regime during the war, which has so far killed nearly 39,000 people and wounded some 90,000 others.
Owen Jones, author and activist, likewise underlined that Biden had the blood of tens of thousands of Palestinians on his hand, calling him “A monster, who belongs in jail.”
“Israel would never have been able to raze Gaza to the ground without him,” Jones noted, adding, “…if hell exists, that man would have a first class ticket there.”
Human rights campaigner Sophie McNeill echoed the criticism, saying, “The next Democratic nominee must end their support for this criminal war.”
Source: presstv.ir
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South Asia
Pakistani police officer killed in Peshawar attack amid rising violence
July 22, 2024
Pakistani media report that a police officer was killed in Peshawar following an attack by armed individuals.
According to Pakistani media, the attack occurred on Sunday, July 21, at the “Armored” checkpoint in central Peshawar.
Pakistani officials have confirmed that the victim was named Saeedullah and was targeted by a sniper.
As of now, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Previously, following an increase in attacks and insecurity in various regions of Pakistan, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Peshawar, two soldiers were killed in a roadside mine explosion in North Waziristan.
In recent days, thousands of people have protested against the rising insecurity in several areas of Pakistan and the country’s military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, demanding improved security. According to reports, four protesters were killed, and 21 others were injured when the protests turned violent.
The targeted killing of the police officer reflects the broader instability that has plagued the country, raising concerns about the effectiveness of ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
Furthermore, the violent protests against the increasing insecurity and military operations underscore the public’s growing frustration and demand for a more robust security response.
The continued unrest and casualties indicate the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to address both the immediate threats and the underlying causes of violence in Pakistan.
Source: khaama.com
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8 executed in Iran, including Afghan citizen, amid ongoing human rights concerns
July 22, 2024
An Iranian human rights organization, Hengaw, has reported the execution of eight individuals, including an Afghan citizen, for drug-related offences.
According to the organization, the executions took place on Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21, at the Qezel Hesar prison in Karaj and the Adelabad prison in Shiraz.
The report indicates that those executed were convicted of drug-related crimes, murder, and assault, with one of the individuals being a woman. The identity of the Afghan citizen has not yet been disclosed.
Hengaw has identified the executed individuals as Dawood Barahui, Saeed Mohammadpour, Mehdi Ali Akbari, Mansour Toukali, Hamed Shekasteh, Mohsen Astoorai, and a female individual with the surname Mahmoodinia.
Previously, the organization reported the execution of two Afghan citizens for similar charges.
This report highlights ongoing concerns regarding the execution of prisoners in Iran without access to legal representation, a practice that has faced international condemnation from human rights organizations.
In 2023 alone, at least 471 individuals, including Afghan citizens, were executed in Iran on drug-related charges, according to Iranian human rights groups.
The situation for Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan remains dire. Both countries have faced criticism for their handling of refugees and human rights violations.
The lack of legal protections and the frequent executions reflect a broader issue of systemic abuse and disregard for international human rights standards.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, the international community is urged to address these violations and support the protection of refugees’ rights.
Source: khaama.com
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Iran and Pakistan deport nearly 6,000 Afghan refugees
July 21, 2024
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has reported the deportation of nearly 6,000 Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan.
The ministry announced on Sunday, July 21, that a total of 5,855 Afghan migrants were expelled from Iran and Pakistan. The expelled individuals entered Afghanistan between July 19 and 20 through the Torkham, Spin Boldak, Islam Qala, and Silk border crossings.
Recently, both Pakistan and Iran have accelerated the deportation of Afghan migrants who lack legal residency documents. Despite criticism and calls for reconsideration, the Pakistani government has continued its deportation efforts.
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai has recently urged her country to halt the deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, reflecting growing international concern over the treatment of these refugees.
The forced deportation of Afghan migrants amid the ongoing crisis in their home country exacerbates the dire conditions they face.
With both Pakistan and Iran ramping up deportations, these returnees confront severe hardships as Afghanistan continues to grapple with instability and economic challenges.
The international community’s response remains critical in addressing the plight of these vulnerable returnees.
Source: khaama.com
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Turkish traders seeking investment in Afghanistan’s gold and marble mines
July 22, 2024
KABUL: A number of Turkish investors in a meeting, with the Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Mawlavi He dayatullah Badri, have said that they are ready to invest in Afghanistan’s mines, especially gold and marble, according to a statement from the ministry the other day. Hossein Akcha, the head of the Turkish investors expressed his satisfaction with the current situation and overall security in Afghanistan and added they are interested in investment in the country’s gold and marble mines and asked for necessary cooperation and facilities of the ministry in the ground, the statement said. Meanwhile, Mawlavi Badri assured them that they would be provided with necessary cooperation by the ministry per the policy of the Islamic Emirate. The Kabul Times
Source: thekabultimes.com
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Afghan refugees continue to be harassed and deported
July 22, 2024
Afghan refugees living in neighboring countries Iran and Pakistan are still facing increasing challenges such as harassment, forced deportation and arrest. As the deportation process of Afghans has been expedited by Pakistani and Iranian authorities, reports say that police in neighboring countries have started to harass Afghans by raiding their homes and shops. In the most recent move, Pakistani police have raided the houses of Afghan refugees in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, and arrested many. Based on media reports, the Pakistani police have forcibly entered the homes of Afghan refugees, harassed them and taken away some with them in Islamabad. In the meantime, Iranian police have recently raided the shops belonging to Afghan refugees in various Iranian cities. Some Afghan refugees who recently returned from Iran have complained about the maltreatment of Iranian police and said Afghan immigrants in Iran were beaten, detained and forcibly deported to Afghanistan. The deportation process of Afghans has been expedited by Pakistani and Iranian authorities in recent weeks as over 2,000 Afghans have been deported to Afghanistan from the respective countries. This comes amid of concerns of the increasing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. In its most recent report, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that over 850,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan in the past three months. According to IOM, as many as 858,170 Afghans returned to Afghanistan and 532,854 others left the country in the past three months. In its latest quarterly report, IOM said: “From April to the end of June 2024, DTM counted 858,170 individuals entering Afghanistan, 532,854 leaving Afghanistan and interviewed 81,292 regarding their reasons for movement and intentions.” IOM Afghanistan relaunched its DTM flow monitoring (FM) activity at the beginning of 2024 to provide critical insights into current mobility dynamics at Afghanistan’s borders. DTM was able to expand flow monitoring to five more crossing points in this quarter, compared to the last quarter. Operations at new crossing points were started at various times throughout the reporting period, which includes Abu Nasr Farahi, Dak, Bahramcha, Angor Adda and Pathan. As a result, the total flow figures in this report do not necessarily represent the total flows at these crossing points for the entirety of the reporting period. Additionally, all assessed border points fall into two categories: those connected to the National Highway, or “main” crossing points, which include Islam Qala, Milak, Spin Boldak, and Torkham, and those not connected to the National Highway, which includes the five new border points and Ghulam Khan. This comes as in the last 24 hours, 4,233 Afghan migrants have returned to the country through the Silk Bridge (Pul-e-Abrishim) in Nimroz, Islam Qala in Herat, and Torkham in Nangarhar, both voluntarily and forcibly. According to reports from the provincial border authorities, the returnees include 927 individuals from Pakistan and 3,405 from Iran. The returnees were directed to the offices of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the World Food Programme (WFP) for necessary assistance and support. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that since September 15, 2023, it has provided cash assistance to 98,900 Afghan refugees who have returned from Pakistan. In a report released on 19th July, the organization stated that it distributed $700 in cash assistance to returning families and $350 to single individuals in the provinces of Kabul, Kandahar, and Jalalabad. According to the organization’s statistics, the return and expulsion of Afghan refugees have been steadily increasing since March of this year, with nearly 651,000 Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan between September 15, 2023, and June 30, 2024. The ongoing return and expulsion of Afghan refugees highlight the continuing challenges faced by these individuals and the significant efforts required to support their reintegration. Mashal Noori
Source: thekabultimes.com
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Entrepreneur in Kandahar launches vest factory for returning Afghan refugees
July 22, 2024
The factory officials stated that all the workers are Afghan refugees who have returned
from Pakistan under the Pakistani government’s order. The factory owner, Zarghai Sarsal,
mentioned that they have invested up to one million Afghanis for these craftsmen so far
In Kandahar city, an entrepreneur has opened a factory dedicated to producing men’s vests for Afghan refugees who have returned from Pakistan. These Afghan refugees, who had previously faced tough times as exiles in Pakistan, are now happy to find work opportunities upon their return. Ahmad Zahir, a vest maker at the factory, shared that he has been working there for the past seven months, providing a legitimate income for his family. Ahmad Zahir hopes that people will buy locally-made vests instead of foreign ones to support their work. He said, “We hope that returning refugees who have skills are given job opportunities in their fields. Currently, we are engaged in this small business, but we aim to grow further, and Afghanistan will continue to progress.” Similarly, another vest maker, Mohammad Karim, mentioned that he used to work abroad for low wages and with limited resources. In exile, he worked as a laborer for others, but now, upon returning home, he works for himself. Mohammad Karim added that if job opportunities are available within the country, they prefer to stay here rather than anywhere else. He said, “We had our work and skills, but we couldn’t progress independently there. We were laborers for others, and whatever we earned, we paid in rent. Life was tough there.” The factory officials stated that all the workers are Afghan refugees who have returned from Pakistan under the Pakistani government’s order. The factory owner, Zarghai Sarsal, mentioned that they have invested up to one million Afghanis for these craftsmen so far. He hopes that as their business expands, they will provide various facilities for the returning Afghan refugees in other areas as well. Sarsal said, “Currently, we have fifteen people working with us, including ten skilled craftsmen. All our staff are Afghan migrants from Pakistan. We hope to gradually progress. If the government supports us by providing contracts for items like government uniforms and police attire that they usually import, it would help employ more refugees and unemployed people.” Meanwhile, the head of the Kandahar Chamber of Industry and Mines, Sayed Sarwar Agha Amani, stated that they will utilize the skills of all returning Afghan refugees in their respective fields. Mr. Amani mentioned that they have formed a committee for the returning Afghan refugees, considering all aspects. He said, “This committee was formed to determine what the government should do to provide job opportunities for the returning Afghan refugees, what the industrialists should do, and what the traders should do. Everything has been specified, a complete plan has been made, and a final decision will be taken soon.” Previously, the Pakistani government ordered all Afghan refugees to leave the country, resulting in nearly 500,000 people returning to their homeland. Waheed Rahman Afghanmal
Source: thekabultimes.com
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Africa
Notorious terrorist leader, Bello TurjiImplicates Minister, Reveals Implication Of Failed Peace Deal
21 July 2024
Notorious terrorist leader, Bello Turji has accused the former Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, of empowering terrorists during his tenure.
Turji, who has been a central figure in the region’s violence, stated that Matawalle’s amnesty scheme, which provided financial rewards to bandits who surrendered, ultimately backfired and escalated insecurity in the state.
According to Premium Times, Turji claimed that many bandits used financial incentives to bolster their operations instead of surrendering their arms as agreed.
He pointed out that some of his colleagues, now living comfortably in urban areas, continue to orchestrate attacks from a distance, further complicating the security situation in Zamfara and neighbouring states.
The platform disclosed that these allegations were made in a video released on July 18, where Turji can be seen standing with an accomplice, both armed.
In the video, Turji also discussed his efforts to bring peace to his area by killing a rival bandit leader, a move he claims was undermined by Matawalle’s actions.
He said, “Any person living in Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Isa (Sokoto State) cannot deny this claim. There is a particular group of bandits whom the former governor pampered. I chased the group from Shinkafi, I killed their leader, Dudu, for peace to reign in Shinkafi. The group had 200 arms, but the governor later hosted them (Dudu’s boys) at the Government House.
“But the government failed to ask the group to surrender their weapons. Another group led by Bashari Maniya has over 300 guns. I seized 30 from them. Where are the remaining? And they never surrendered their weapons to the government.”
He alleged that some of the bandit leaders involved in the peace truce moved to the Sokoto metropolis after giving their arms to their boys kidnapping for ransom. He said the boys were making returns to their leaders living in Sokoto town.
He named some of them as Bashari Maniya, Kabiru, and Buhari
“Dan Maigari is the junior brother to Bashari Maniya; he has 150 guns, his hideout is in the Maradun riverine area, and he is responsible for attacks in the Maradun axis.
“Ali is a boy to Kabiru Maniya, and he is responsible for attacks in Tangaza axis. Both Bashiri and Kabiru are residing in the Sokoto metropolis, enjoying their lives. One other person, Buhari, is also in Sokoto town enjoying himself.
“Three weeks ago, a younger brother of Buhari was apprehended with guns in the Sokoto metropolis. Let anyone come out and deny this. I can come forward with video evidence where Kabiru is seen firing machine guns.
“The question now is, where are the machine guns after they claimed that they have embraced peace and settled in Sokoto town? Who did he give the machine guns? Let the government explain this to Nigerians, who are killing the people. Let them stop blaming Bello Turji for the killings and kidnapping.
“People that are being kidnapped in Sokoto metropolis and taken to the back of Achida and Goronyo, who is responsible for the kidnapping? Is that also Bello Turji? Who is living in peace in Shinkafi?” Mr Turji queried.
Source: naijanews.com
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Focus on ending Boko Haram insurgency, Northern Youth Group urges Ndume
July 21, 2024
A group under the aegis of Northern Ethnic Youth Group , Assembly, NEYGA has asked the immediate past Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South to focus on addressing the ongoing issue of Boko Haram insurgency in his constituency and good governance in the country.
Acccording to the group, rather than distract President Bola Tinubu’s administration that is making frantic efforts to fix the nation and make It to function against, he should look forward to nipping in the bud, the insecurity challenge in his Senatorial zone.
In a statement made available to Journalists on Sunday in Abuja by the Spokesperson of the Group, Mallam Ibrahim Dan-Musa, NEYGA, Senator Ndume has been in the National Assembly for over two decades, yet the insurgency continues to ravage his district, with significant resources being expended to fight the terrorists and with no success.
According to the group, despite his long tenure in office, Senator Ndume has not done enough to alleviate the suffering of his constituents.
NEYGA urged Senator Ndume to work with his people to find a lasting solution to the insurgency, rather than engaging in political grandstanding in his bid and cohorts to distracting the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being focused on fixing Nigeria.
The group reminded Ndume of his past experiences in the Senate, including his earlier suspension and removal as Senate Leader, and encouraged him to use his influence to bring peace to his constituency and the country in general as a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic.
The statement, added that the security and welfare of the people should be utmost important to Ndume Instead of embarking on politicizing that will not be if benefit to his people and the nation at large
Source: vanguardngr.com
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Borno Has Overcome Boko Haram Attacks – Commissioner
Mon, 22 Jul 2024
The Borno State government has said that it has successfully overcome the negative impact of the Boko Haram attacks and that this should be acknowledged and celebrated.
The state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, said this in Abuja at a two-day workshop on ‘Addressing Patterns of Violence, Injustice and Criminality in Nigeria’ organised by International Alert Nigeria and the Borno State Government.
He lamented that journalists and media organisations still made wrong reports about the development and must refrain from projecting the state based on past events but begin to report the true position of things.
“The media is still trapped in the old narrative of Borno being the home of insurgence, but all this has changed; our 27 local governments are fully controlled by the federal forces. There is freedom of movement, our transportation is booming, our agriculture is booming and everything is working.
“This narrative needs to be carried by the media and that is what I mean by journalists not projecting the state in its true positions,” Tar said.
He said that Maiduguri, the state capital, was safe for habitation and every other business activity including journalism and that the state governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum’s assurance that journalists and media organisations have the freedom to enter any organisation for information without fear of being blocked or censored, should be explored.
Speaking earlier, the Country Director of International Alert Nigeria, Dr. Paul Nyulaku-Bemshima, said the event was to brainstorm and identify the major issues that Nigeria was grappling with about security and to find lasting solutions.
“The overriding objective of this meeting is that we identify key resolutions of what is going on in different regions of Nigeria. This is because working in silos is always very counterproductive, so it is always good to establish peer learning opportunities like this. Where we all together access the drivers of injustice insecurity, violence and injustice across the country,” Nyulaku-Bemshima said.
He said it was important to address these three factors that cut across the country and were bedevilling every region in order to provide solutions and achieve growth and development.
He recommended exit pathways such as amnesties, increase in access to justice in communities where rights have been violated; and other kinetic and non-kinetic actions and solutions.
Source: dailytrust.com
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Miyetti Allah backs Tinubu’s creation of livestock development ministry
July 21, 2024
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), on Sunday, July 21, applauded President Bola Tinubu for creating the ministry of livestock development.
President of MACBAN, Alhaji Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, who gave the commendation while briefing reporters in Abuja said the creation of the ministry would unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy.
He also said that the ministry would create qualitative and productive jobs across the livestock value chain to improve the Nigerian economy.
Othman-Ngelzarma said: “With this development, MACBAN believes, the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renew Hope Agenda.
“The promise made by President Tinubu, to raise the productive capacity of Nigerian agriculture to ensure food security is being fulfilled.
“We as an association had for years been agitating tooth and nail to actualize the creation of a stand-alone ministry to modernize livestock production system in line with global best practices,” he said.
He pledged support to the Federal Government to turn livestock production into a foreign exchange earner and reduce the farmer/ herder conflicts and its related security challenges.
MACBAN expressed displeasure that it is mischievous and petty for educated and enlightened people to peddle falsehood by saying that the government created a Ministry where veterinary doctors, drug manufacturers, feed producers’ butcheries, transporters and a whopping over 20 million People earn a living across this spectrum of professions to reduce it to a single ethnic group affair.
According to him, Nigerian pastoralists appreciate this historic development, adding that they would reciprocate the gesture.
He said: “We welcome the creation of this very important ministry that contributes 10 percent of GDP to Nigeria’s non-oil sector and 30 percent of Agricultural GDP.
“We salute the president for creating a ministry for an industry that currently employs over 20 million Nigerians and which has the potential of unlocking millions of additional quality jobs at a time when Nigeria is beset by high levels of graduate and youth unemployment.
“The livestock sector is currently valued at over N33 trillion and with the envisaged new investments, it’s estimated to grow to over 75 trillion in a few years to come.
“Like the newly created Blue economy, a renewed livestock production system will save Nigeria billions of dollars in foreign exchange from the importation of powdered milk and other livestock products as the country will also be positioned to earn Billions of dollars in the export of leather, beef and other livestock-related value chain products. As it is today, it’s a sector that employs Nigerians cutting across tribes and religions, some as butchers, transporters, tax collectors, dairy/beef producers etc.
“After all, when we talk of livestock, it goes beyond cows. We are talking of pigs, goats, sheep, fish, donkeys, camels etc and therefore we are highly disappointed by the comments of some very educated people in several interviews granted in the media equating the creation of the ministry to the Ruga project of the last administration and insinuating that it is a Fulani thing and also as an attempt to take other people’s land by force to resettle pastoralist.
“These myopic commentators are so entrenched in anti- Fulani sentiment that they fail to see the bigger picture and the opportunities open to veterinarians, animal scientists, beef and dairy processors, range managers, investment bankers.”
The association went further: “For instance, the Sokoto red skin goat leather is the most valuable and most expensive leather in the world, the Gucci and Armani bags are a good testament to this. Nigeria earns about $1.2 billion annually for the export of hide and skin.
“It’s therefore projected that Nigeria will earn more than ten times what it earns now in foreign exchange. By 2050 when the Nigerian population will be about 402 million the nutritional needs must also increase alongside the population growth. In line with this, enhancing livestock production can substantially increase the protein requirements which can best be achieved under a dedicated Ministry.
“We believe the creation of a ministry like this, issues of tagging of animals, profiling the pastoralists by creating databases, transportation, management of migration routes and peacebuilding aspects will be better handled.”
MACBAN said Nigeria must learn from global best practices adding that countries like Brazil, Australia, and New Zealand had successfully leveraged dedicated agricultural and livestock Ministries to transform their economies.
Othman-Ngelzarma said: “We must learn from them and tailor it to suit our unique context ensuring sustainable growth and development. At this juncture, we want to appeal to the media to create awareness at all levels that will promote cohesiveness and opportunities that are prevalent in this sector.
“I wish to reiterate and commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this laudable initiative. To the critics, I urge them to lay down arms and stop being narrow and parochial in their thinking. They should widen up their good sense of reasoning to look at the larger picture of what the establishment of this wonderful Ministry can do as a strategic move by President Tinubu’s Administration to realise the potential involved in the Livestock sub-sector for economic diversification and growth, creating employment, addressing food security and adaptation of global best practices for enhanced GDP.
It will be recalled that President Tinubu weeks ago announced the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The president made the declaration during the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Livestock Reform Implementation Committee at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja.
Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the committee, announced Prof. Attahiru Jega as the deputy or Co-chair of the committee.
Present at the inauguration were Vice-President Kashim Shettima; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, among others.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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African Union addresses integration issues at Ghana conference
22-07-24
The African Union convened in Ghana on Sunday to address issues related to African integration and to establish a unified stance before engaging with the G20 and UN.
Mauritania's President and current African Union Chair, Mohamed Cheikh Ghazouani, urged for the acceleration of the African integration process.
He stressed the importance of expediting economic integration to support the continent and fulfill the aspirations of African citizens.
Discussions during the meeting centered on financing mechanisms for African Union projects, particularly the funding of the organization itself, which heavily relies on contributions from non-African partners.
African Union Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, highlighted the necessity for member countries to present a united front in upcoming engagements with international partners.
He emphasized the importance of speaking with one voice at major global forums, including the G20, where the African Union now holds membership.
With ongoing regional instability in West Africa, ECOWAS nations Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso risk losing their memberships due to military coups that ousted democratically elected leaders in these countries.
These nations have been under threat from terrorist organizations affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for years.
Source: africanews.com
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia wins 6 awards at 2024 International Mathematical Olympiad
July 22, 2024
RIYADH: The Kingdom won six medals at the 65th International Mathematical Olympiad 2024 held from July 15 to 21 at the University of Bath in the UK, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
The annual competition had teams of up to six contestants attempting to solve three complex problems in two exams of 4.5 hours each, over two consecutive days.
Hadi Al-Aithan from the Al-Ahsa education department won a silver medal. Bronze medals were won by Youssef Bakheet (Yanbu), Mohammed Rabie (Madinah), Muath Al-Qahtani (Eastern Province) and Ahmed Al-Shehri (Riyadh).
Mohammad Al-Ghamdi from the Eastern Province received a certificate of appreciation.
The Saudi Arabia team participated under the auspices of the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, and the Ministry of Education.
Saudi Arabia’s participation is a part of the Mawhiba International Olympiad program, one of 20 initiatives offered annually based on advanced curricula and other development programs.
These initiatives offer gifted students an opportunity to develop their skills in collaboration with local and international partners, the SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia has now won 77 awards at the annual competition including 12 silver and 46 bronze medals, and 19 certificates of appreciation.
Source: arabnews.com
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King Salman issues royal order to change name of Saudi housing ministry
July 21, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issued an order on Sunday to change the name of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing to the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saudi Housing Minister Majid Al-Hogail expressed his gratitude to King Salman, and stressed that the name change was a progressive step reflecting the nation’s commitment to fostering an advanced urban environment in alignment with Vision 2030 objectives.
The change aims to enhance the overall performance of the ministry and its affiliated bodies, including secretariats and municipalities, to achieve sustainable urban development plans, the SPA added.
It also seeks to empower municipalities to improve the quality of life in cities and advance the housing sector by offering innovative services to beneficiaries.
Al-Hogail highlighted that the municipalities and housing sector were crucial components of the state, directly impacting the lives of citizens.
Source: arabnews.com
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56th International Chemistry Olympiad begins in Riyadh
July 21, 2024
RIYADH: The 56th edition of the International Chemistry Olympiad got underway in Riyadh on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The annual event is renowned as one of the largest international chemistry competitions for students in general education.
The IChO 2024 will bring together 333 students from 90 countries, who will be judged by 260 chemistry experts.
The event has been organized by King Abdulaziz and his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, known as Mawhiba, in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education, and King Saud University. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation is the exclusive sponsor.
Competitors will challenge for 35 gold medals, 70 silvers and 110 bronzes, along with 10 honorary certificates. The final results will be announced on July 28.
Established in Prague in 1968, the event is hosted by a different country each year.
Saudi Arabia first attended as an observer in 2004 and 2005, and subsequently entered students in 2006 and 2007.
After observing again from 2008 to 2010, the Kingdom has been actively participating with students from 2011 to the present day.
Source: arabnews.com
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Ceremonial Washing OfKaaba In Saudi Arabia’s Holy City Of Mecca
July 21, 2024
Cairo: An annual ceremonial washing of the Kaaba in the Grand Mosque, Islam’s most sacred site in Mecca, was performed on Sunday.
On behalf of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Governor of Mecca Prince Saud bin Meshal led the washing ceremony that included perfuming the interior of the Kaaba with incense, oud oils and the finest fragrances. The official entered the Kaaba using a special stairway.
The ceremony usually includes washing the floor and walls of the revered place with Zamzam water mixed with musk and rose water perfumes.
The mixture was prepared a while ago by the Presidency for Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, the Saudi TV Al Ekhbariya reported.
Scenting and washing the Kaaba and the Grand Mosque follows a Sunna tradition of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him), the presidency said.
Muslim foreign diplomats and heads of Umrah or minor pilgrimage missions attended the ceremony.
Muslims across the world directs the Kaaba while performing prayers and flock to the sacred shrine around the year.
Earlier this month, an annual ritual was performed to change the kisawa or the covering cloth of the Kaaba on the first day of the New Islamic lunar Hijri Year.
Some 159 technicians and professional artisans participated in the process traditionally taking place on the 1st of Muharram.
The old kisawa is traditionally replaced with a new one composed of four pieces covering sides of the sacred cube-shaped structure and a curtain on its door.
The kisawa is manufactured at the King Abdul Aziz Complex for the Holy Kaaba Kiswa manned by more than 200 artisans and administrative staff. The complex comprises departments for dyeing, automatic and hand-made textiles, printing, belts, gold embroideries, sewing and assembling where the world’s tallest computerised sawing machine is installed.
Source: gulfnews.com
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Hail’s ancient crafts breathe new life into Saudi cultural festival
July 21, 2024
RIYADH: The third Beit Hail heritage festival, themed “Your Home Away from Home,” is a vibrant display of Saudi Arabia’s rich cultural heritage, with traditional craftsmanship taking center stage.
At the heart of the festival is the “Hail Wooden Door Making and Plaster Engraving” exhibit, which has drawn crowds to the Aja Park Entertainment Center where the techniques and tools used in crafting intricate designs are on show.
Abdullah Al-Khazzam, a Hail native and registered artisan with the Saudi National Handicrafts Program “Bari,” began his journey into the world of intricate woodworking with a childhood fascination for mud construction, which evolved into a passionate pursuit of mastering the art of wooden door-making and engraving, Saudi Press Agency recently reported.
At the festival, Al-Khazzam showed his expertise, demonstrating the nuanced differences between regional door styles. His specialty lies in crafting the distinctive old Hail house door, traditionally made from tamarisk wood and other local timber varieties.
He highlighted the distinctive features of the Najdi door, which typically incorporates three crossbars, in contrast with the traditional Hail door’s four-crossbar design.
Festivalgoers seemed captivated by Al-Khazzam’s craftsmanship, marveling at the intricacy of his work, SPA reported.
Beyond door-making, the booth displays a range of related crafts. Islamic plaster engravings, integral to Najdi architecture, adorn mock-ups of building entrances and the majlis (reception rooms).
Visitors were drawn to the elaborate engravings, patterns and motifs that offer a glimpse into the social fabric of bygone eras. The festival has reported a surge in demand for these traditional designs, with many visitors expressing interest in buying replica doors and decorative pieces for their homes.
Al-Khazzam’s repertoire extends to other traditional items, such as replicas of historical water-raising devices, an ornate camel saddle that was once a common sight in the region, and recreations of the decorative elements that once adorned traditional mud houses.
Some of these designs incorporate Qur’anic verses, proverbs, and ornamental patterns while others incorporate motifs based on local flora.
Source: arabnews.com
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Partnership deal signed to support talents in KSA
July 21, 2024
RIYADH: The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, and the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity on Sunday signed a partnership agreement to support talented individuals.
The ceremony, which was held in Riyadh, honored 18 talented men and women from several scientific fields.
Dr. Aws Al-Shamsan, the secretary-general of the commission, spoke of the body’s pride in supporting talent and creativity, as well as partnering with Mawhiba in exchanging expertise and knowledge in science and research, implementing innovative projects, and raising students’ awareness about the importance of health-related sciences.
Dr. Amal Al-Hazzaa, secretary-general of Mawhiba, said that the agreement enhanced bilateral cooperation while benefiting the students of Mawhiba, adding that the field of health was of the utmost importance for students at the foundation.
Source: arabnews.com
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Deputy governor of Makkah washes the Holy Kaaba on behalf of King Salman
July 21, 2024
Makkah: The washing ceremony of the Holy Kaaba was carried out on Sunday by Deputy Gov. of Makkah Prince Saud bin Mishal bin Abdulaziz on behalf of King Salman, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Upon his arrival at the Grand Mosque, he was received by Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, minister of Hajj and Umrah and chairman of the board of directors of the General Authority for the Care of the Two Holy Mosques, along with Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of religious affairs at the Grand Mosque and Prophet’s Mosque.
Upon his arrival, the deputy governor washed the interior of the Holy Kaaba with Zamzam water mixed with rose water. Afterward, he performed two rak’ahs of Tawaf.
Al-Sudais said that washing the Holy Kaaba is an Islamic tradition, a prophetic Sunnah, and a reflection of Saudi leadership on the global stage.
He added: “God has blessed this country with the honor of serving and caring for the Two Holy Mosques and their visitors, establishing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the leader in this noble duty.
“This occasion is cherished by Muslims and the people of our country, as God has honored the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its leadership, and its citizens with this privilege.”
He expressed his gratitude to the king and crown prince on the occasion and commended their provision of comprehensive services to worshipers and Umrah pilgrims.
Dr. Fawaz Al-Dahas, history professor at Umm Al-Qura University, told Arab News that “washing the Kaaba is a great honor that the Kingdom’s government performs every year. This exceptional event is an unparalleled honor, showcasing the Kingdom’s dedication and reverence for the holiest site on Earth.”
He explained that during this event, the outer covering, or kiswa, of the Kaaba is removed, and the inner walls are cleaned using Zamzam water mixed with rose water from Taif, along with the finest perfumes. Pieces of white cloth moistened with this mixture are used to wipe the inner walls and floor. After the cleaning process is completed, the Kaaba is covered again.
Dr. Ayed Al-Zahrani, professor of Islamic history, told Arab News that washing the Kaaba is a sacred Islamic tradition carried out annually in the month of Muharram.
He noted that the event is attended by senior state officials, including the governor of Makkah or his representative, along with prominent Islamic figures from around the world.
“The ceremony holds symbolic significance, representing moral and spiritual cleansing in preparation for the Umrah season, ensuring that pilgrims are received in a clean and purified environment,” he said.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi designers win big at Tanween Challenge
July 21, 2024
DHAHRAN: Three projects from Saudi Arabia and one from Bahrain were selected recently as recipients of the annual Tanween Challenge, hosted by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra).
At the six-day creative competition last week competitors displayed their final group projects at the Dhahran headquarters before a judging panel. Each project tried to solve a nature-related problem, in four categories: pavilion design; graphic design; furniture design; and fashion design. The four award-winning projects will be developed for commercial production.
Winners were selected from 80 participants who answered an open call for designers from the Middle East and North Africa. Tanween, Ithra’s flagship program since 2019, has become an integral part of fostering the thriving creative community in the region.
Sultan Al-Badran, creative programs developer at Ithra’s Ideas Lab said: “The winning projects today will receive support for the next couple of months by Tanween Challenges’ production partners to further develop the winners’ innovative ideas into real solutions.
“The winning projects are a reflection of the individual capabilities and talent of each of the winners, who will now take their projects to market,” Al-Badran said. “Guided by knowledge partners Vanina, NYXO, LEAD, and Data is Beautiful, who provided support throughout the six-day event, all participants are creatives with immense potential who can continue their path of learning and challenge themselves to further develop their projects.”
Winning projects
Graphic Design Challenge: The project “Eyes Wide Open” won in this category. The team collected air pollution-related death figures between 1990 and 2021, and used two digital eyes to demonstrate the data — one representing the past and the other representing the present.
“The eyes were assembled to be facing each other, emphasizing the continuous influence of generational knowledge, values, and actions for future generations. The project aims to show that everyone’s contribution has effects on the environment,” Zahra Mansour, Deema Albuolayan and Fatima Bukhamseen said of their award-winning project.
Pavilion Design Challenge: “The project ‘The Determinal’ uses a steel structure in an artistic way to represent a deconstructed airport, applying the architectural school of deconstructionism,” said project winners Mohamed Alghoneimy, Turki Aljandal, Muzun bin Rubayan and Mahmood Alkawi, said.
The winning participants gathered different movement paths that take place simultaneously at airports — including the movements of people and aircraft — for the purpose of displaying the experience of movement that occurs in airports.
Centered around the concept of air as a communal lifeline, the “City Breathe” challenge asks: How can we repurpose industrial waste to construct a pavilion that purifies urban air to revitalize local communities and ecologies?
“This pavilion is envisioned as a nomadic structure, designed to be easily mounted and dismounted in various urban areas. Beyond its primary function as an air purifier, the pavilion aims to activate public space and foster interaction between city dwellers — both human and non-human. Constructed from industrial waste, it challenges us to rethink our relationship with materials and the environment,” they said in a statement.
Furniture Design Challenge: The bench design “Bloom” was created with nature in mind — and as its muse. The design uses an organic shape and includes a shaded seating area and a space in which birds and cats can drink and feed. Abdullah Nasser Al-Battat, Ahmed Al-Arqan, Nader Al-Metairi, Nawaf Al-Ghamdi and Mohammed Al-Bayyabi were the winners of the challenge.
“Using additive manufacturing technology and locally sourced waste-based materials, participants are asked to craft provocative solutions that activate public spaces, while fostering co-habitation between human and non-human urban inhabitants. Through the power of design and innovation, we aim to create public interventions that enrich the lives of all species that call our cities home,” is how Ithra described the challenge criteria.
Fashion Design Challenge: Inspired by the Arabian Gulf coast, the project “MRG” won this category, using sea salt and fish scales as their materials. The biodegradable bag “reflects the clarity of the sea, which is cherished not only for its beauty, but also for the stories it carries, reminding us of the deep connection we have to the sea and the importance of protecting it,” said winners Ghayda Al-Nasser, Ebaa Al-Taweel and Rawan Al-Salem of their project.
“Our goal is to turn them (the projects) into solutions that may have a positive impact on our relationship with nature, with the opportunity to display them in Ithra’s Tanween Conference in November,” Al-Badran concluded.
The Tanween Conference is at Ithra headquarters from Nov. 1-4, 2024.
Source: arabnews.com
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Heritage meets urban arts at Asir’s Al-Asabila Palaces
July 20, 2024
RIYADH: The famous heritage palaces in the Asir region have become tourist destinations, offering a rich blend of history and culture.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that these sites also boost economic activity by creating job opportunities during the summer season.
The Al-Asabila Palaces, which are situated in Al-Namas Governorate some 150 km south of Abha, have become a major attraction. Situated in the heart of Al-Namas, these palaces now draw hundreds of visitors daily, both tourists and locals, according to the SPA. Their popularity has surged following their inauguration by Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the Asir Development Authority.
Visitors begin their tour of the palaces by shopping in areas dedicated to traditional fashions, antiques, and gifts that showcase the heritage and arts of the Asir region.
They can then relax with coffee and hot drinks before exploring the Abs Palace, which has been restored to welcome guests.
Tourist guide Saleh Al-Shehri told the SPA: “At the beginning of the Saudi era the palaces served as the headquarters for various government agencies, including the court, and as venues for national events.”
He added that the initiative to restore the palaces was taken by their owners and helped transform them into a tourist and cultural attraction. This effort aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, which aims to revitalize the area and boost domestic tourism.
Historian Amr bin Gharamah Al-Amrawi says that Al-Namas was established in 1363-1364. However, it only received the name Al-Namas about 150 years ago, being previously known as Al-Waad village.
It was later named after the trees in the surrounding areas and the adjacent valley, while the presence of a well called Al-Namasa also contributed to the village being renamed Al-Namas.
The heritage site features several palaces, including Abs, Mishref, Turban, and Kharif. These structures, which range from two to three floors in height, are examples of the traditional construction style of the Asir region.
The palaces contain 60 rooms and span a total area of about 5,000 sq. meters. The exteriors are of white limestone, extracted from white quartz stone, while the roofs feature wood, leaves, and juniper. The interiors are finished with plaster mixed with clay.
According to the SPA, the area is home to numerous archaeological sites from various periods, the most famous location being Al-Jahwah village, mentioned by the traveler Al-Hamdani, which is located east of the present-day Al-Namas Governorate.
Al-Amrawi added that the governorate contains Islamic inscriptions in mountains known as Al-Sijin, Al-Gharamah, Dhul-Ain, Ajama, and Qarn Al-Ghala.
Source: arabnews.com
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Mideast
Israel orders evacuation of part of Gaza humanitarian zone
July 22, 2024
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: The Israeli military on Monday ordered the evacuation of part of an area in the Gaza Strip it has designated a humanitarian zone.
The military said it is planning to begin an operation against Hamas militants who have embedded themselves in the area and used it to launch rockets toward Israel. The area includes the eastern part of the Muwasi humanitarian zone, which is located in the southern Gaza Strip.
Many Palestinians have been uprooted multiple times in search of safety during Israeli’s punishing air and ground campaign.
Earlier this month, Israel said it estimates at least 1.8 million Palestinians are now in the humanitarian zone it declared covering a stretch of about 14 kilometers (8.6 miles) along the Mediterranean. Much of that area is now blanketed with tent camps that lack sanitation and medical facilities and have limited access to aid, UN and humanitarian groups say. Families live in the midst of mountains of trash and streams contaminated by sewage.
The announcement came during delicate negotiations seeking a ceasefire in Gaza, with US and Israeli officials expressing hope that an agreement is closer than ever, and as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to make a much-anticipated trip to the United States to meet with President Joe Biden and address Congress.
A negotiating team will be sent to continue talks on Thursday, Netanyahu’s office said. Egypt, Qatar and the United States continue to push Israel and Hamas toward a phased ceasefire deal that would stop the fighting and free the hostages.
The war in Gaza has killed more than 38,900 people, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The war began with an assault by Hamas militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took about 250 hostages. About 120 remain held, about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.
The Israeli military said on Monday that it is continuing to operate in central and southern Gaza. On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 15 people, including women and children, in Gaza, according to hospital officials and a body count by an Associated Press journalist.
The already precarious humanitarian conditions inside besieged Gaza have worsened with the discovery of the polio virus as water and sanitation services have deteriorated for the territory’s 2.3 million people, most of them displaced. Traces of the virus were found in sewage samples in Gaza. The World Health Organization has said no one has been treated for symptoms caused by the disease.
Israel’s military said soldiers would be vaccinated and it would work with organizations to bring in vaccines for Palestinians.
Netanyahu has vowed to wipe out Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and secure the return of the remaining hostages. Families of hostages and thousands of other Israelis have held weekly demonstrations to urge the prime minister to reach a ceasefire deal that would bring their loved ones home.
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Israel’s Netanyahu walks political tightrope on Washington trip following Biden’s exit from race
July 22, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington on Monday, leaving behind a brutal war to make a politically precarious speech before Congress at a time of great uncertainty following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race.
With efforts ongoing to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, rising concerns about the war spreading to Lebanon and Yemen, and the US in the midst of a dizzying election campaign, Netanyahu’s speech has the potential to cause disarray on both sides of the ocean.
The risks only increased with Biden’s decision Sunday to drop out of the race for president, especially since the choice of a replacement Democratic nominee — and the potential next American leader — are still up in the air.
A person familiar with Biden’s schedule confirmed Sunday that the president will host Netanyahu at the White House. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the exact timing of the meeting has not been established because Biden is recovering from COVID-19.
Netanyahu is scheduled to address Congress on Wednesday. He is also expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.
An official in Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli leader was set to travel to Washington on Monday. The official also spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.
Netanyahu will deliver his congressional address with an eye on several audiences: his ultranationalist governing partners, the key to his political survival; the Biden administration, which Netanyahu counts on for diplomatic and military support; and Donald Trump’s Republican Party, which could offer Netanyahu a reset in relations if he is reelected in November.
His words risk angering any one of those constituencies, which the Israeli leader cannot afford if he hopes to hold on to his tenuous grip on power.
“There are a few land mines and pitfalls on this trip,” Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israel relations at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University, said before Biden’s withdrawal. “He is thought of as a political wizard who knows how to escape from traps. I am not sure he still knows how to do that.”
It is Netanyahu’s fourth speech to Congress — more than any other world leader. During his address, his far-right governing partners will want to hear his resolve to continue the war and topple Hamas.
The Biden administration will look for progress toward the latest US-backed ceasefire proposal and details on a postwar vision. Republicans hope Netanyahu besmirches Biden and bolsters the GOP’s hoped-for perception as Israel’s stalwart supporter.
Upon receiving the invitation, Netanyahu said he would “present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us.”
The war, which was sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has tested Israel’s ties with its top ally as never before.
The Biden administration has stood staunchly beside Israel. But it has grown increasingly alarmed about the conduct of the Israeli military, the continued difficulties of getting humanitarian aid into Gaza, especially after the short-lived US military pier off Gaza coast, as well as Israel’s lack of postwar plans and the harm to civilians in Gaza. Similar concerns will likely persist if Americans elect a new Democratic president.
Biden earlier this year froze the delivery of certain bombs over fears they would be used in Israel’s incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which at the time sheltered more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million.
The US abstained from a United Nations Security Council vote in March that called for a ceasefire and the release of hostages but did not link the two. Netanyahu called the decision a “retreat” from a “principled position” by Israel’s ally.
Biden has had to walk a fine line of his own. He has faced harsh criticism from progressive Democrats and many Arab Americans. Even Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking elected US Jewish official, lambasted Netanyahu in March for his handling of the war.
Some Democrats will likely demonstrate their anger toward Biden and Netanyahu by skipping Wednesday’s speech. Netanyahu is also likely to be hounded by pro-Palestinian activists during his trip.
The last time Netanyahu spoke to Congress in 2015 was at the invitation of the Republican Party. The trip drove Israeli-American politics deep into the partisan divide as Netanyahu railed against then-President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal.
Netanyahu has not shied away from making Israel a partisan issue. With his nationalist conservative ideology, he has been perceived as throwing his support behind Republican candidates in the past, rankling Democrats and Israelis who want to keep the US-Israel relationship bipartisan.
It’s unclear if he will meet Trump. If there is a meeting, it could expose Netanyahu to accusations that he is once again taking sides. But if he doesn’t meet with Trump, the former president could feel slighted.
The speech also offers Netanyahu opportunity. He will be able to show Israelis that despite the tensions with the Biden administration, US support for him remains ironclad.
“He wants the Israeli public to believe that he is very much still very welcome in the United States. And this shows that the American people are with him,” said David Makovsky, director of the program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
For critics of Netanyahu, that embrace is unacceptable and grants legitimacy to a deeply polarizing leader whose public support has plummeted. Netanyahu faces widespread protests and calls to resign over the failures of Oct. 7 and his handling of the war.
In a letter to Congress, 500 Israeli writers, scholars and public figures expressed their dismay over the invitation to Netanyahu, saying he will use the platform to advance misguided policies that align with his far-right governing partners.
“His only interest is preserving his own power,” they wrote. “Does the United States Congress wish to support such a model of cynical and manipulative leadership in these times?”
Israeli media reported that Netanyahu will be joined by rescued hostage Noa Argamani and her father. But for many of the families of hostages held in Gaza, the trip is an affront.
“This is not the time for trips,” Ayelet Levy Shachar, whose daughter Naama was kidnapped on Oct. 7, told reporters.
“Netanyahu: First a deal, then you can travel.”
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Iran condemns Israeli attack on Yemen’s Hodeidah port
July 22, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran has condemned Israel’s deadly retaliatory strike on the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah in Yemen that the rebels say killed six people and wounded dozens more.
Late on Saturday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani “strongly condemned” the attack saying it was “an expression of the aggressive behavior of the child-killing Israeli regime“
Israeli warplanes on Saturday struck the vital port of Hodeidah in response to a deadly drone attack by the Iran-backed Houthis on Tel Aviv, which killed one civilian.
The Houthi rebels have since threatened a “huge” retaliation against Israel.
Kanani added that Israel and its supporters, including the United States, were “directly responsible for the dangerous and unpredictable consequences of the continued crimes in Gaza, as well as the attacks on Yemen.”
Regional tensions have soared since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, drawing in Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels, along with the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, and Hamas in Gaza are part of a Tehran-aligned “axis of resistance” against Israel and its allies.
The Islamic republic has reiterated support for the groups but insisted they were independent in their decision-making and actions.
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Turkiye calls Israeli claims Erdogan arming Hamas ‘lies’
July 21, 2024
ISTANBUL: Turkiye on Sunday slammed Israeli claims Ankara was arming and funding Palestinian militant group Hamas as “lies,” accusing Israel of trying to direct attention away from the war in Gaza.
The angry rebuttal came after Israel’s Foreign Minister Katz accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of “supplying arms and money to Hamas to kill Israelis.”
In a post on X in Turkish, Katz claimed that the Israeli security services had dismantled “terrorist cells” that were “under directions from Hamas headquarters in Turkiye.”
In response, Turkiye’s Foreign Ministry said that Israel’s top diplomat was “trying to conceal the crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians behind a series of lies, slander and disrespect.”
“But Israel’s dirty propaganda and psychological pressure aimed at our country and our president will remain ineffective,” the ministry’s statement added.
Israel’s offensive against Hamas has killed at least 38,983 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Ankara has been a fervent critic of Israel’s conduct of the war, which was sparked by a bloody Hamas assault on October 7, with Erdogan repeatedly trading barbs with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu.
Dubbing him the “butcher of Gaza,” Erdogan has accused Netanyahu of seeking to “spread the war” across the wider Middle East, a point repeated in the foreign ministry’s statement.
It accused “the members of Netanyahu’s government” of “wanting to provoke a regional war to stay in power,” calling for them to be tried in international courts.
“Turkiye will continue to defend the right of the Palestinian people to live in justice and peace,” the foreign ministry added.
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Afghanistan Islamic Emirate condemns Zionist aggression on Yemen
22 Jul 2024
KABUL July 22. 2024 (Saba) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemned on Sunday, in the strongest terms the airstrikes launched by the Zionist enemy on the port of Hodeidah in the Republic of Yemen, which led to civilian casualties.
In a statement, the ministry called on international organizations and influential countries to stop the crimes of the Zionist enemy entity in Gaza and the region, so that such atrocities and crimes do not lead to further destruction and losses in the region.
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Iran Leader: Gaza is still foremost issue of Islamic world
July 21, 2024
The Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the issue of Gaza, nine months into the Israeli regime’s incessant aggression, continues to remain the number one issue of the Muslim world.
The Leader made the remarks in a meeting with Iran’s new parliament members and President-Elect Massoud Pezeshkian on Sunday.
On Gaza, he said, “It is true that many people don’t have that initial passion after months, but the truth is that the same significance of the first days, even more, exists today.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also praised the resistance movements for “showing their power more day by day.”
“A massive military, political and economic establishment like the US is fighting with a resistance group behind the usurping Zionist regime, but they have failed to bring them down to their knees,” He said and further explained, “Since they cannot bring Hamas to its knees and they cannot bring the resistance to its knees, they take it out on people and drop bombs on them.”
The Leader added the issue is not over as people in the world are judging the Israeli regime. He advised the lawmakers not to remain silent in the face of the Israeli atrocities.
On domestic front, Ayatollah Khamenei called on the lawmakers to forge constructive interaction between the parliament and the newly elected president and his administration.
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The election clearly showed that the Islamic Establishment deeply believes in people's turnout: Ghalibaf
Speaking at an open session of Iran's Parliament on Sunday, Ghalibaf said that the presidential election which was held following the constitution under time limits, clearly showed that the Islamic Establishment deeply believes in people's turnout as it met all the requirements of a competitive environment by prioritizing their participation.
He stated that the Establishment made the people's vote the basis of the country's administration.
He emphasized that the voters' hope for the winning candidate is a good opportunity that can be used to progress the country.
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Islamic Establishment deeply believes in people's turnout
Jul 21, 2024,
TEHRAN, Jul. 21 (MNA) – Referring to holding the Presidential election, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that the election clearly showed that the Islamic Establishment deeply believes in people's turnout.
Speaking at an open session of Iran's Parliament on Sunday, Ghalibaf said that the presidential election which was held following the constitution under time limits, clearly showed that the Islamic Establishment deeply believes in people's turnout as it met all the requirements of a competitive environment by prioritizing their participation.
He stated that the Establishment made the people's vote the basis of the country's administration.
He emphasized that the voters' hope for the winning candidate is a good opportunity that can be used to progress the country.
Pezeshkian won the election race by securing 16.384.403 of the votes while Saeed Jalili, his rival, managed to secure 13.538.179 of the votes, according to an announcement made by Mohsen Eslami, spokesperson for Iran's election headquarters.
Masoud Pezeshkian and Saeed Jalili were the two candidates who secured the most votes in the snap presidential election on June 28.
The gap between the two candidates was more than two million votes in the end.
Pezeshkian would replace Ebrahim Raeisi, who embraced martyrdom during a helicopter crash in Iran’s northwestern mountainous region on May 19.
Source: en.mehrnews.com
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Southeast Asia
RTM says auto-translate system behind erroneous Facebook ‘condolence’ message for King’s installation; Meta says fixed now
21 Jul 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) clarified today that it did not upload any official information in English as viralled on Facebook regarding the installation of Sultan Ibrahim of Johor as the 17th King of Malaysia at Istana Negara yesterday.
The Malaysian Broadcasting Department Public Relations Division, in a statement, informed that what appeared on RTM’s official Facebook site was an automatic translation by Facebook’s system.
“If users activated automatic translation, the English translation will appear.
“The English translation by Facebook's system was incorrect. RTM did not upload any condolence message content in conjunction with the Installation Ceremony of the 17th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King),” the statement explained.
It said that RTM had lodged a police report and that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had contacted Meta regarding the erroneous translation by the Meta system.
“Meta also confirmed that they had rectified the issue," the statement added.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, on his official Facebook, also expressed regret over some parties accusing RTM of making inappropriate posts in English.
“Some people accuse RTM of making inappropriate Facebook posts in English. In fact, the original post was in BM (in Bahasa Malaysia). Then slander spreads, even to the point where some ask me to ‘hang himself’ .
“Don’t do this. Be fair to RTM. Don’t slander,” he said in his post. — Bernama
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Gov’t to bring back Malaysians in Bangladesh - Anwar
22-07- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has decided to bring back all Malaysians in Bangladesh due to security concerns following escalating tensions in that country, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said the government prioritised the safety of Malaysians and decided on the evacuation after monitoring the latest developments in Bangladesh.
“Whether they are government-sponsored or private students, we will help them. The Foreign Minister will hold a meeting if it is necessary to charter a plane to bring them back.
“The safety of Malaysians is our priority. In the first few days, the situation seemed to be under control, but now, based on information from the embassy, it seems more appropriate to bring them back,“ he told reporters after opening the National Tax Conference 2024 here today.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, in his press conference today, said the government would bring back all Malaysians in Bangladesh after the immediate evacuation plan received the ‘green light’ from the Prime Minister.
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Malaysian foreign labour market not affected by situation in Bangladesh - Deputy HR Minister
22-07- 2024
SHAH ALAM: The current situation in Bangladesh has neither disrupted nor affected the foreign labour market in Malaysia so far, according to Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Ahmad.
He said this was because the current number of foreign workers in the country is sufficient and that there was no need for the government to open entry to more foreign workers, including from Bangladesh.
“For the time being, we are not taking any more foreign workers...because we have enough.
“...the ones needed are only in a few sectors, like cooks and tailors...and we have no problem in those areas,” he said when met after launching and flagging off the participants for MADANI Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Convoy 2024 here today.
It was reported that thousands of students in Bangladesh held demonstrations since July 1 after the country’s top court reinstated quotas for public jobs that had been abolished in 2018.
Meanwhile, Abdul Rahman said the MADANI TVET Convoy began at the Centre for Instructor and Advanced Skill Training (CIAST) here, and that the 170 participants on motorcycles would travel to several educational institutions in Pahang and Terengganu to promote TVET to teenagers and youths in the two states.
The deputy minister also expressed confidence that the initiative can enhance public trust in TVET in line with the government’s aspiration to make TVET an option among school leavers.
“We hope that through this convoy we can lure them to venture into TVET which can be an advantage for them to earn a higher income when entering the job market,” he said.
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‘Malaysia MADANI: Jiwa Merdeka’ to ward off globalisation challenges
22-07- 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: ‘Malaysia MADANI: Jiwa Merdeka’, the theme for this year’s National Day and Malaysia Day (HKHM), is seen as capable of instilling MADANI values in the people to serve as a bulwark against the challenges of globalisation.
Describing the HKHM theme as being aligned with the Unity Government’s policies and appealing for all citizens to embrace it, constitutional expert Associate Prof Datuk Dr Shamrahayu Ab Aziz said it also reflects the government’s determination to ensure that the MADANI aspirations can be practised by every leader and layer of society.
Elaborating on the meaning of ‘Malaysia MADANI,’ Shamrahayu said it prioritises the principles of living based on noble, inclusive and progressive values closely related to the essence of a free spirit.
“MADANI also emphasises the principles of social and economic justice by sharing wealth and prosperity, ensuring fair access to education, health and economic opportunities for all strata of society.
“Integrity and good governance are also MADANI principles to liberate Malaysia from corruption and instil integrity in society. All these are values or elements of a free spirit,“ she told Bernama recently.
Shamrahayu said MADANI also focuses on the development of quality human capital through continuous education and training, embracing noble and religious values, and subsequently forming a personality with high moral standards as an important element of a liberated spirit.
She said ‘Jiwa Merdeka’ refers to the state of every Malaysian, whether leaders or other citizens, being free in all dimensions such as freedom of thought, expression and action, including in the context of religion and ideology without external restrictions or pressure, in accordance with the law.
“It is a state where people are free to be themselves and pursue their goals in line with the bigger picture of living as a nation with confidence and without hindrance,“ she said.
However, she noted that the level of awareness and appreciation of a free spirit in the community varies and still requires more serious and effective efforts for strengthening. Therefore, traditional and national heritage values such as noble values and religion must always be upheld.
“This certainly will open the door to foreign influences that can tarnish our own values or the free spirit of our society. If we are not bound by perfect heritage and religious values, we will be like a ship without a captain, tossed around in the storm until we become citizens without direction.
“Indeed, noble values and religious appreciation, as well as heritage practices such as customs and morals, are the compass to guide Malaysians in living as one nation,“ she said, adding that continuous efforts are required to nurture unity although the issue is not severe.
She said among other things that need strengthening is the effort to raise awareness and appreciation of the dangers of corruption, requiring a higher integrity index in every layer of society.
“The importance of formal education is also not fully appreciated ... some prioritise monetary returns or asset accumulation over education, to the extent of not going through the whole works of the school environment,“ she added.
Therefore, to embody the awareness and appreciation of the free spirit in line with the theme ‘Malaysia MADANI: Jiwa Merdeka’, Shamrahayu suggested organising programmes that ignite patriotism, such as raising and flying the Jalur Gemilang at homes, workplaces or on vehicles as a symbol of respect and patriotic spirit.
“Intellectual programmes or art programmes about the history and sacrifices of independence fighters, as well as campaigns or exhibitions on independence that include the country’s achievements after gaining independence should be held.
“Certain tragedies in history should also be highlighted to serve as lessons or moral guidance, such as showing these programmes on mainstream media, traditional or new media, to instil a unified history for the nation,“ she said.
She said programmes to remember the deeds of independence fighters, such as ceremonies or prayers at the Warrior’s Mausoleum, should be held as a mark of appreciation for those who have sacrificed for the country’s freedom.
“Through these methods, National Day and Malaysia Day can be celebrated more meaningfully, imbuing the spirit of freedom in every individual, ensuring the spirit of independence and love for the country continues to live and grow, making it a day that prepares Malaysia for a more prosperous future,“ she said.
Previously, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who announced the theme on June 5, said ‘Malaysia MADANI: Jiwa Merdeka’ symbolises a holistic unity of an advanced and progressive nation sheltering a diverse people, united and strong in identity.
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Cyberbullying: Communications Ministry to take action against social media platforms
21-07- 2024
CYBERJAYA: The Ministry of Communications will take action against several social media platforms over past incidents of cyberbullying, Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.
Fahmi expressed his dissatisfaction with how these platforms have addressed the issue.
“I don’t think they particularly care...so, I have had enough. We will send a loud and clear message to these platforms. Stay tuned,“ he told the media at the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang 2024 launch ceremony here today.
Fahmi said the decision to take action comes after discussions with three other ministries, namely, the Digital Ministry, the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform).
He also said the ministry is currently collaborating with these ministries to examine three to four specific issues related to the matter.
Fahmi said the collaborative effort aims to update existing laws and ensure their effective implementation.
“We are examining the technology available today, whether it is artificial intelligence (AI) or various social media platforms. We may need to focus on the technical aspects to facilitate investigations and the prosecution process.
“This includes framing the charges. For example, in the case of the late Rajeswary Appahu, also known as Esha, who committed suicide due to alleged cyberbullying from a TikTok live session.” he said.
Fahmi added that he had seen a live TikTok session where some comments were excessively harsh, seemingly encouraging other viewers to behave inappropriately.
“These instances involve not only the perpetrators but also those who propagate such behavior. It’s about those who engage in the bullying and those who allow and incite others to participate,“ he said.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said following the retreat with about 2,000 MADANI community members this morning, he will convey several proposals to the Finance Ministry regarding the implementation of BUDI MADANI.
“Some members said they need assistance, especially those in Felda or remote areas for expired vehicle road tax.
They require some support. In addition, some gave their views regarding the provisions for BUDI MADANI, which we have taken note of. We will forward these proposals to the Finance Ministry,“ Fahmi said.
BUDI MADANI is the government’s initiative to ensure that subsidy allocations are targeted towards deserving groups.
The 2024 National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang Launch Ceremony, designed as a people’s carnival, took place from 9 am to 4.30 pm today with various activities prepared to strengthen the spirit of patriotism among the people in anticipation of the 2024 National Day and Malaysia Day (HKHM) celebrations.
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Cabinet to determine Malaysia’s measures following ICJ ruling on Israel - Anwar
21-07- 2024
CYBERJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Cabinet on Wednesday will determine measures taken by Malaysia in condemning Israel, in line with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) recent ruling.
He said the ICJ has ruled that Israel’s settlement activities in Palestinian territories violate international laws.
“Malaysia fully supports the ICJ’s decision, which is based on clear evidence of Israel’s ongoing aggression and brutality.
“We will therefore review the proposals and implications stemming from the ICJ’s ruling,” he told reporters after officiating the launch of the National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang 2024 campaign here today.
On July 19, ICJ president Nawaf Salam said the UN court had confirmed its jurisdiction to issue an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories, noting that it possessed sufficient information on the matter.
Israel’s settlement policy does not comply with its obligations under international law, Salam had told the court, and noted that Israel’s settlement activities in violation of international law continued to expand.
“Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is de facto annexation, which violates Palestinians’ rights to self-determination,” Salam added.
The ICJ in The Hague held hearings from February 19-26 on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
During the meetings, more than 50 states and three international organisations — the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union — discussed the issue.
The Palestinian delegation called on the court to declare Israel’s occupation of its territories illegal as it could be the last hope for a two-state solution.
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Europe
Russia Taking Wise Decision Toward Islamic Emirate of AfghanistanRecognition
July 22, 2024
Russia once again said that it was working on a plan to remove the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) from its banned organizations, as the country is heavily focusing on its interests, besides seeking close relations with Afghanistan and willing to further tighten relations with the country. The Russian ambassador to Afghanistan has said that Moscow is going to act based on its interests when deciding to recognize the Islamic Emirate, after removing it from the list of banned organizations. In an interview with Russian official TASS news agency, he reiterated that Moscow’s interaction with representatives of the Islamic Emirate that has now been banned in Russia, has become closer and that work on the visits of Afghan delegations is very active. The agency quoted him as saying relation between the two countries and the issue of the Islamic Emirate’s recognition by Russia has long been at the focal point of Kabul and Moscow discussion as the country’s Minister of Higher Education, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Chairman of the National Olympic Committee have earlier visited Russia. This is to be noted that economic relations between the two countries are also expanding and most importantly, as one of the world superpowers, Russia is stepping up independently in its decision to recognize the Islamic Emirate. Unlike other countries, Russia has no dependence on the U.S. or its European allies either to blame a group as terrorists or approve the legitimacy of a system (for instance; the ruling Islamic Emirate) as well as to further move up towards its recognition. In fact, those countries who are denying the recognition of the Islamic Emirate are acting maliciously against the incumbent system, merely for being an Islamic system. Under different pretexts, they blame the current Islamic system for violating human rights and the rights of women and girls, while in many other countries, women’s rights are completely ignored, they are being tortured and their basic rights are not given to them, but none of them voiced their concern about them, and none of them spoke about their fate. A wise and helpful decision is that countries should make their own decision about Afghanistan, under the Islamic system and take the lesson of independency in decision-making from Russia. They should not be dependent on the U.S. and other of its European allies and understand the realities in Afghanistan on their own not in the glass of the West and Americans. On the other hand, all countries need to recognize the Islamic Emirate, based on their national interests and in this way, they don’t need to have the support of the U.S. or other world powers. They will do nothing wrong against if they soften relations with Afghanistan and further strengthen interaction with the Islamic system.
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Civilians killed and wounded as Russia and Ukraine trade attacks, Russia claims gains in the east
July 21, 2024
KYIV: Russia and Ukraine exchanged drone, missile and shelling attacks on Sunday. At least two people were killed in Ukrainian strikes on the partly Russian-occupied Donetsk region, Russian state media said, while Ukrainian officials said Russian strikes wounded at least five people.
Along the front line in the east, Russia said it had taken control of two villages, one in the Kharkiv region and one in the Luhansk region.
Ukrainian shelling of Russia-held areas of the Donetsk region killed two people in the village of Horlivka, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti said.
Three people were wounded by Russian drone strikes in southern Ukraine’s partly occupied Kherson region, local officials said Sunday morning. In the country’s northeast, officials in the Kharkiv region said two people were wounded when a village was hit by Russian shells.
Overnight into Sunday, Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 35 of the 39 drones launched by Russia, according to air force commander Mykola Oleschuk. In addition, Russia launched three ballistic missiles and two guided air missiles, which did not reach their targets, he said.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday that its troops had taken control of two villages: Pishchane Nizhne in the Kharkiv region and Andriivka, sometimes referred to as Rozivka, in the Luhansk region. Kyiv did not immediately comment.
Officials in the northern Sumy region said Sunday that Russia launched a missile strike on “critical infrastructure facilities” in the city of Shostka. City mayor Mykola Noha specified that “two heating facilities” had been destroyed and called on residents to use electricity sparingly and stock up on water.
With few changes reported along the 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line, where a recent push by the Kremlin’s forces in eastern and northeastern Ukraine has made only incremental gains, both sides in the war have taken aim at infrastructure targets — seeking to curb each other’s ability to fight in a war that is now in its third year.
Russian air defense systems overnight destroyed eight drones over the country’s Belgorod region and over the Black Sea, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
Russian air defense also shot down two long-range ballistic ATACMS missiles in the sky over the Kherson region heading for Russia-annexed Crimea, Russia-installed Kherson governor Vladimir Saldo said.
Nine people were wounded over the previous day in shelling in the town of Shebekino in Russia’s Belgorod region, bordering Ukraine, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Sunday morning.
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Russian forces advancing in Ukraine and Donbass – MOD
21 Jul, 2024
Russian forces have liberated the town of Rozovka in the Lugansk People’s Republic and captured Pestchanoye Nizhneye in Ukraine’s Kharkov Region, the defense ministry in Moscow reported on Sunday.
Over the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian military has suffered more than 1,500 casualties in various hotspots along the frontline, losing multiple artillery guns, including US-made М777 howitzers, Russian military officials asserted.
On top of that, seven Ukrainian ammunition depots have been struck in various areas, according to the ministry’s statement.
On top of that, seven Ukrainian ammunition depots have been struck in various areas, according to the ministry’s statement.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said its troops have improved their positions in a number of areas in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
According to the statement, several Ukrainian self-propelled artillery guns, both Western- and Soviet-made, have been hit. The Ukrainian losses include a US-made radar and a Soviet-made radio warfare system, the Russian military reports.
Russian strikes are also said to have taken out a US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket system as well as several industrial plants used by the Ukrainian military.
Russian air defenses have brought down one Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter as well over the past 24 hours, the defense ministry in Moscow claims.
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European state to use air raid warnings for bad weather
21 Jul, 2024
Belarusian authorities are working on a new emergency warning system after a devastating hurricane swept through the country last week, claiming the lives of six people and injuring dozens, the head of the presidential administration, Dmitry Krutoi, has said.
According to the official, the SMS alert system currently being used in the country is inefficient.
“That’s why together with the Emergencies Ministry, we are thinking about [introducing] a wartime format - including the use of alarms and loud sirens that will instantly turn on in the event of hurricane winds and potentially visible terrible phenomena. People will understand that they need to run for cover,” he told journalists on Saturday, local media reported.
The main point of such measures is to save lives, Krutoi emphasized, adding that the hurricane that raged over Belarus last Sunday resulted in deaths and that “lessons should be learnt” from the tragic events.
On Friday, during a meeting with his administration, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko criticized local authorities for “awful work” and the lack of an adequate, “quick, clear, military” response to the natural disaster.
He vowed that all the issues related to overcoming the consequences of the hurricane will be resolved and “appropriate conclusions” will be drawn.
According to Belarusian Emergencies Minister Vadim Sinyavsky, the heavy storms that took place last weekend wreaked havoc in 74 areas of Belarus, causing extensive damage to nearly 950 communities. Some six people, including two children, were killed by falling trees and roofing elements, while 72 people were injured.
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Russia downs 75 Ukraine drones, some near Tuapse oil refinery
July 22, 2024
Russia’s air defense systems destroyed 75 drones launched by Ukraine overnight, including eight near the town of Tuapse on the Black Sea where Russia’s oil major Rosneft has a refinery, the Russian defense ministry said on Monday.
Forty-seven drones were downed over the Rostov region in Russia’s southwest, 17 over the waters of the Black and Azov seas, eight over the Krasnodar region, where Tuapse is located, and single drones over the Belgorod, Voronezh and Smolensk region, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
The ministry did not say whether its defense systems destroyed the drones, or whether the attack had caused any damage.
Sergei Boiko, head of the Tuapse district in the Krasnodar region, said on Telegram infrastructure and residential buildings had not been damaged.
Russian officials rarely disclose the full extent of damage inflicted by Ukrainian attacks. The Tuapse refinery has been a target of several Ukrainian air attacks since the start of the war that Russia launched against its smaller neighbor in 2022.
Russia’s SHOT and Mash Telegram news channels reported that a series of blasts were heard near the refinery early Monday.
Reuters could not independently verify the Russian reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv has often said that the attacks on Russia’s military, energy and transport infrastructure are in response to Russia’s continuous attacks on Ukraine’s territory.
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