New Age Islam News Bureau
15 December 2023
A file
picture of the Shahi Idgah mosque
-----
·
Shri
Krishna Janmabhoomi Dispute: HC Allows Plea Seeking Survey Of Mathura Shahi
Idgah Mosque Premises
·
Imam-e-Haram
From Mecca To Lay New Ayodhya Mosque Mohammad Bin Abdullah Foundation
·
Michigan
Islamic Scholar’s Praise For Jihad Latest Example Of Rising Danger Of
Extremism: MEMRI Expert
·
Britain's
Muslims Are Keeping Us On The Right Side Of History In Gaza
·
Israel
Suspends It’s Soldiers For Reading Out Jewish Prayers At Jenin Mosque During
West Bank Raid
-----
India
·
Assam Govt
Converts 1281 Madrasas Into General Schools
·
Assam CM
Himanta Biswa Sarma calls for caste census among Muslim community, says
‘crucial for them to be strong’
·
Shahi
Idgah Masjid Survey: Robbing Muslims’ Dignity Is Goal Now, Says Owaisi
-----
North America
·
New York
City's 'Ground Zero Mosque' Site Faces Foreclosure Amid Loan Default
·
Middle
School Teacher Arrested After Allegedly Threatening To Behead Muslim Student
Who Said Israeli Flag Offended Her
·
Shooting
of Palestinian college students came amid spike in gun violence in Vermont
·
US
denounces war crimes against civilians in Sudan; ignores questions about
Israel’s actions in Gaza
·
US has
'historic responsibility' to ensure cease-fire in Gaza: Turkish President
Erdogan
------
Europe
·
European
Union Has 'Lost Credibility' On Israel And Palestine, Says Ireland's PM
·
Mosque's
bid for boosted security after 'attacks' proves successful
·
Germany to
gradually end practice of importing imams from Turkey
·
Denmark
remands six in custody after foiled terror attack
·
UK, US
sanction Iranians linked to Quds Force, Palestinian militant groups
·
Spanish PM
calls on EU to take stand against Israel
------
Mideast
·
From Homes
To Lands, Zionist Colonization Of Everyday Life Of Palestinians
·
Mosque Hit
As Raids, Phosphorus Bombs Strike Southern Lebanon
·
Israel
‘Carpet-Bombs’ Gaza Amid Starvation, Epidemic, Coms Blackout
·
Communication
blackout in Gaza amid Israeli bombardment
·
Turkiye
strongly condemns Israeli raid on Jenin, calls for accountability
·
Iran
reiterates support for ‘legitimate’ Palestinian resistance
·
Hamas
announces killing '36 Israeli forces in 72 hours'
·
'Half of
the population starving in Gaza': UN official
·
Iran warns
UN refugee chief of 'dangerous' Israeli plan to forcibly relocate Gazans
·
Israel
bombs school housing displaced families in Khan Yunis
-----
Arab World
·
Jihad
Representative In Iran Hails Yemen's Support For Resistance
·
Yemen
conducts drone attack against ship headed for Israel
·
Saudi
Arabia commits over $18 billion for refugees within its borders, Al-Rabeeah
says
·
Saudi
initiative to plant 100,000 trees in Bahrain
·
26th Saudi
relief plane for Gaza arrives in Egypt
·
Saudi
Arabia, World Bank discuss stronger digital economy growth partnership
·
Saudi FM
and UK’s David Cameron discuss Gaza ceasefire, aid in London
·
KSrelief
Convoys Cross Rafah Border to Deliver Aid to Palestinians in Gaza
------
Pakistan
·
Islamabad
Again Asks Kabul To Take Action Against DI Khan Attack Perpetrators
·
PM
reaffirms Pakistan's support to Kashmiris; rejects Indian SC verdict as
politically-motivated
·
Toshakhana
case: Imran’s two-day physical remand approved
·
LHC larger
bench hears Imran’s pleas against ECP today
·
Cipher
trial coverage banned as hearings deemed in-camera
·
Timely
elections crucial for eradicating terrorism: JI chief
-----
South Asia
·
US Envoy
Meets Islamic Cooperation Officials To Discuss Afghanistan
·
Pakistan
Trying to Pressure Kabul With Refugees: Minister
·
Complaints
Persist of Afghan Refugees Mistreated by Pakistani Police
·
30 Indian
war veterans arrive in Dhaka to celebrate Victory Day
·
Deadline
extended for Afghan refugees in Pakistan; overstay fines set at $100 per month
·
Deputy PM
Abdul Kabir Returns to Work After 3 Months
-----
Southeast Asia
·
POS
Malaysia Launches Special Stamps In Solidarity With Palestinian Struggle
·
Islamic
Arts Museum Malaysia’s Silver Jubilee Celebration Showcases The Richness Of Islamic
Art
·
Local
Government Development Ministry: RM2.65m approved for maintenance of 20
non-Islamic houses of worship in KL
·
Over one
million free treatments given under Madani scheme
----
Africa
·
“Buhari
Miraculously Escaped Deadly Gas Poisoning As President” – Islamic Group Reveals
·
South
Africa security forces ramp up clampdown on illegal miners
·
Nigeria:
the State "must take additional measures" for the economy - World
Bank
·
Hamas
attack: Tanzania announces the death of its 2nd missing national
·
Senegal
court clears jailed opposition figure for presidential run
·
Kaduna
bombing: NGF demands probe, group warns troublemakers
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/krishna-janmabhoomi-mathura-shahi-idgah/d/131317
------
Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Dispute: HC
Allows Plea Seeking Survey Of Mathura Shahi Idgah Mosque Premises
A file
picture of the Shahi Idgah mosque
-----
14th December 2023
LUCKNOW: In a major development, the
Allahabad High Court on Thursday allowed an application seeking appointment of
a court-monitored advocate commissioner to survey the Shahi Idgah mosque
premises, adjoining the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.
The High Court said that it would hear
the application seeking appointment of the advocate commissioner on December 18
and then decide the maintainability issue later. A single-judge bench,
comprising Justice Mayank Kumar Jain, passed the order on an application filed
on behalf of Hindu deity Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman and seven other Hindu
plaintiffs.
Notably, the application seeking the
court monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque premises was filed as part of
an original suit pending before the High Court, in which the plaintiffs (Hindu
side) have claimed that the Mathura Shahi Idgah Masjid was built over Krishna
Janmabhoomi land and that the actual birthplace of Lord Krishna lies beneath
the mosque.
The applicants had claimed that evidence
existed to support the view that the Shahi Idgah mosque was, in fact, a Hindu
temple.
The application mentioned the presence
of a lotus shaped pillar, a classic characteristic of architecture of Hindu
temples. Moreover, the image of 'Sheshnaag', the deity who had protected Lord
Krishna when he was being shifted from Mathura to Vrindavan on the night of his
birth by father Vasudev, is also present there.
Therefore, the applicants had urged the
Court to appoint a commission to examine the site.
The application was filed through
advocates Hari Shankar Jain, Vishnu Shankar Jain, Prabhash Pandey and Devki
Nandan.
Meanwhile, in all the 18 original suits
pending in the High Court, the plaintiffs have mainly sought a declaration that
the land under dispute -- the area where the Shahi Idgah Mosque is situated –
belonged to the deity Lord Shri Krishna Virajman.
The main suit also seeks the removal of
the mosque on the ground that it was built over Krishna Janmabhoomi land.
According to advocate Vishnu Shankar
Jain, who appeared for the Hindu side, application no. 130 ‘Ga’ was allowed on
Thursday and on December 18, the court would hear the parties concerned. It
would decide the modalities of the constitution of the court commission like
how many advocates will be appointed commissioner, while the time frame of the
survey will be decided on the next date.
On November 16, the High Court had
reserved its order on the application moved by the Hindu side seeking the
appointment of a court-monitored advocate commissioner. It had also sought a
direction to the defendant to remove the mosque. It may be recalled that a
Mathura civil court had dismissed the suit over the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-
Shahi Eidgah Mosque dispute on September 30, 2020 citing the bar on admitting
the case under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. However,
the Mathura district court, in May 2022, overturned the civil court’s order
following an appeal against it.
The appellants had asserted that as
devotees of Lord Krishna, they had a right to move the suit in view of their
fundamental religious rights under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.
Later, the Allahabad High Court, on May
26 this year, transferred to itself all the suits pending before the Mathura
district court praying for various reliefs pertaining to the Shri Krishna
Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Mosque dispute. The case is presently pending before
the High Court.
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/dec/14/shri-krishna-janmabhoomi-dispute-hc-allows-plea-seeking-survey-of-shahi-idgah-mosque-premises-2641505.html
------
Imam-e-Haram From Mecca To Lay New
Ayodhya Mosque Mohammad Bin Abdullah Foundation
Ayodhya:
Security personnel stand guard outside a mosque on the anniversary of the Babri
Masjid demolition, in Ayodhya, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. (PTI)
-----
Dec 15, 2023
MUMBAI: The foundation stone for Masjid
Mohammad Bin Abdullah, the proposed mosque in Ayodhya replacing the Babri
Masjid but at a different spot, will be laid by Imam-e-Haram or the Imam who
leads Namaz at the holy mosque in the precincts that also house the Kaaba in
Mecca.
The mosque is being built at Dhannipur,
25km from Ayodhya, on a plot the Uttar Pradesh government gave to the Muslims
in accordance with the Supreme Court order in the Ayodhya dispute.
Mumbai-based BJP leader Haji Arafat
Shaikh, who has been made chairman of the Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah’s
Development Committee, said the new mosque in Ayodhya, set to be biggest in
India, will also have the biggest Quran of the world — 21 feet high and 36 feet
wide.
Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation, the
trust formed on July 29, 2020, had initially taken up the task of building the
Ayodhya mosque and a few more amenities. However, in October this year, at a
function attended by several senior clerics and the foundation chairman Zufar
Ahmed Farooqui in Mumbai, it was announced that the mosque would be named
Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah. Apart from consecration of the first brick, a new
design of the mosque was also released on the occasion. “The mosque will have
five minarets symbolising five pillars of Islam — namely kalima, namaz, roza,
Haj and zakat,” said Shaikh.
Shaikh added that he is a trustee of the
foundation and now has also been made head of the mosque’s development
committee. Apart from the mosque, the complex will also have a cancer hospital,
schools and colleges, a museum and a library and a completely vegetarian
kitchen where visitors will be offered food free.
A major attraction, said Shaikh, will be
the huge aquarium near the wazukhana or abulation space with separate sections
for men and women.
Its beauty, claimed Shaikh, will
outshine Taj Mahal’s. “When the evening falls, fountains at the mosque will
come alive coinciding with the call for evening namaz,” said Shaikh. “It will
be more beautiful than the Taj Mahal and people of all faiths will come to see
this monument to peace and harmony even if not all of them will pray here.”
(With inputs from Arshad Afzal Khan in
Ayodhya)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/imam-from-mecca-to-lay-new-ayodhya-mosque-foundation/articleshow/106002024.cms
------
Michigan Islamic Scholar’s Praise For
Jihad Latest Example Of Rising Danger Of Extremism: MEMRI Expert
Ahmad Musa
Jibril, an Islamic scholar from Michigan (Screenshot)
-----
December 15, 2023
A Michigan Islamic scholar posted a
video on social media calling on Muslims in the West and U.S. to embrace jihad,
continuing a trend that threatens to spread extremism in the United States.
"You have pretty radicalizing,
extreme content happening," Alberto Fernandez, vice president of the
Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), told Fox News Digital. "This
is stuff they uploaded on social media. It's there for everybody to see."
Fernandez's comments come after MEMRI
uploaded a video featuring Ahmad Musa Jibril, an Islamic scholar from Michigan
who encouraged Muslims in America to celebrate and aspire to jihad.
"Yes, there is holy war in Islam.
It is jihad," Jibril says in the video, which was uploaded to X.
"This may be a surprise to many who grew up in the West, especially those
who were born or grew up post 9/11, because of the growing number of hypocrites
who are spreading the American-Zionist Islam. And it has nothing to do with
Islam, that version of Islam is and Islam that suits the enemies."
Jibril took aim at many in the West who
he claims pushed a fake version of Islam since the 9/11 terrorist attacks,
shying away from the celebration of jihad while pushing a version of "slam
that suits the enemies."
"The Muslims in the West,
especially the youth in the West, especially the youth in America, need to wake
up," Jibril said. "The current events are a wake-up call for Muslims
to start normalizing mentioning jihad's proper meaning and putting it back into
their vocabulary. Jihad must be a common, normal term on your tongues, on your
social media and in the mosques and elsewhere."
The scholar also lashed out at the U.S.
and President Biden, calling him "a terrorist" while blaming the U.S.
for "the genocide in Palestine."
"It is about time that the Muslims
— especially the youth — in the West. It
is time for them to understand what should already be known, that the infidel
West, particularly the U.S., are the enemies of Muslims," Jibril said.
"If you can't raise your child telling him you want him to be Mujahid and
martyr, then you are the root of the problem."
Less than a week after Jibril's video
was published, MEMRI shared another video featuring a Delaware imam who warned
Muslims living in the West the day will come for Allah to turn "America
into Palestine," something Muslims enjoying first world luxury should be
prepared for.
"Allah hasn't turned America into
Palestine yet. That time is coming, we've enjoyed a lot," the imam,
Shadeed Muhammad, says in the video. "This is stolen land, make no mistake
about that. Every breath that we take on this land right here, this is blood
money. Blood money taken from the natives right here … and you think that we
want to just stay here, live here, enjoy all of our lives, and die, and the
time is not going to come?"
The IDF cares more for the lives of
Palestinians than Hamas itself: Shahar Azani Video
According to Fernandez, the two videos
are the latest in a growing trend of extremist content being posted to
mainstream social media, an indication dangerous ideas might become pervasive.
"If that's the stuff that they're
saying openly, what are they saying that is not open?" Fernandez said.
Such content, Fernandez warned, is
especially dangerous when seen by impressionable young people who may not be
fully knowledgeable on religion.
"This also happened after
9/11," Fernandez said, noting that reactions to the terrorist attacks
ranged from anger from some to curiosity about the "bad guys'" point
of view from others.
"In some cases, of course, it was
kind of just curiosity. In other cases, there was a conversion to Islam, and,
in other cases, people were actually radicalized and actually carried out acts
of terrorism," Fernandez said.
"The challenge now is, are we going
to have the same kind of series: People that are curious, some people who may
convert and that's the end of it and then some people who will maybe, instead
of politics or instead of antisemitic demonstrations, go into violent action.
That's the challenge, that's the concern."
Fernandez noted that Jibril in
particular became "notorious" during the rise of the Islamic State in
Iraq in Syria, becoming known for radicalizing Western Muslims and encouraging
them to join the terrorist group. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas
risks being a similar "accelerant" to push extremist ideas.
"It accelerates something which is
already happening, which is a kind of ideological war which is occurring. So,
it drives interest, and it drives people becoming more extreme," Fernandez
said. "They'll use whatever is happening to promote their message."
Source: foxnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.foxnews.com/us/michigan-imams-praise-jihad-latest-example-rising-danger-extremism
-----
Britain's Muslims Are Keeping Us On The
Right Side Of History In Gaza
British
Muslims have been at the forefront of organising efforts to call for a
ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 18,600 Palestinians have been killed by
Israel. [Getty]
------
14 Dec, 2023
One of the myths that Britain likes to
tell itself is of standing up for the underdog. Sure, some historical events
cast doubt on this track record, but most of us like to think that backing
David when faced with Goliath is in our DNA.
It is certainly a role-play beloved by
our politicians and media commentators. Only last year, they were conducting an
orchestra of outrage at Russia, and piling in on the side of plucky little
Ukraine.
For a conflict where, unusually, our
historic footprint was minimal, we brought out the bunting, we lit up the
football stadiums, we opened our homes and emptied our military reserves.
Explaining the economic costs involved,
the great and the good assured us that this was a moral imperative. It was
‘what Britain does’.
But what happens when these conductors
of our national conscience go missing in action?
When they see the world’s most advanced
weapons systems murdering 18,600 Palestinians at an unprecedented speed while
denying 2.3 million people the means of life, and just don’t react?
Judging by the millions who have now
marched for a ceasefire in Gaza, the answer is that Britain’s Muslim community
steps into the moral vacuum and the gatekeepers of the public square go
ballistic.
The protests were immediately dubbed
‘hate marches’, those taking part smeared as Hamas supporters, Nazism invoked
and slogans for peace twisted into calls for annihilation.
As each weekend drew greater numbers,
and still minimal arrests, the language became ever more unhinged. By Armistice
weekend, those opposing the marches were all but encouraging a far-right
counter-demonstration.
That was the weekend I drove to London
from the Midlands to show some physical solidarity with the people of Gaza and
judge the atmosphere for myself.
My friend, a man in his late fifties,
half-jokingly suggested we bring armbands in case fitter, stronger GB News fans
decided to dunk us both in the Thames.
The reality was that we felt incredibly
safe.
At the Cenotaph, it was the far-right
protesters who had resorted to violence, attacking Met Police officers, drunk
and frustrated that all they’d read about ‘Hamas supporters’ hijacking the
Armistice was nothing more than propaganda.
At the Palestine protest, we felt safe
because of the sheer numbers, alongside almost one million marching peacefully.
And for that, the biggest praise should go to Britain’s Muslim community, who
came out en masse to call for a ceasefire. Men, women, and little children all
marched together.
The Muslim community may have been the
vanguard but every faith, every class and every colour was represented.
And it makes the arguments put forward
by po-faced commentators that these marches show the ‘failure of
multiculturalism’ even more offensive.
What our media can’t bear is large
numbers of British Muslims doing things which, if anyone else did it, would be
considered praiseworthy and in the best tradition of British protest.
You see, it has been a rule in this
country, at least since 9/11, that anything the Muslim community does must be
criticised, their motives questioned, and terrorism invoked.
Never mind that Muslim communities are
over-represented among the caring professions, never mind that their charitable
instincts make them invaluable during times of crisis as we saw during Covid.
Only negative framing is permissible.
Last year, I sat among a small pack of
reporters in Derby waiting for a grisly alleged murderer to make his first
appearance.
As we waited, three white English men
appeared before the court on child grooming offences. It was a brief appearance
and soon they were gone.
I discussed this with a reporter from
ITV and we both agreed that if it had been three young men from Muslim
backgrounds, the press benches would have been filled to record it.
This is not to pretend that Muslim
communities are perfect or should be beyond criticism but it does reflect that
they are held to a higher standard, their worst traits exaggerated and
portrayed as the norm.
It is a perverse way of bringing about
better community relations. In fact it looks like the opposite.
What makes this deluge of negativity
especially grotesque is that it comes from the very same people who bang on
constantly about their fears for community relations whenever Israel faces
criticism and its supporters invoke antisemitism.
The very same people whose sudden
interest in ‘racism’ came when they discovered ‘white victims’ and ‘brown
perpetrators’ of this phenomena.
But you only have to look at the world’s
reaction to the slaughter in Gaza – be it on the streets or in the votes of the
United Nations - to see how out of step they are.
Imagine for a moment that we stuck to
the script set out for us by our politicians and their media courtiers.
Imagine if we, Britain, the country that
played such a unique role in enabling Israel’s colonisation of what was then
Mandatory Palestine, had no marches for a ceasefire.
How would that look when across the
globe people in cities with no such connections or responsibilities are
marching in unprecedented numbers for peace and justice?
It would be a diplomatic disaster, and
right now the Muslim community is helping to keep us on the right side of
history.
They are acting as our national
conscience, and they deserve praise not condemnation for that.
Source: newarab.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.newarab.com/opinion/uk-muslims-deserve-praise-not-hate-standing-gaza
-----
Israel Suspends It’s Soldiers For
Reading Out Jewish Prayers At Jenin Mosque During West Bank Raid
Israeli
soldiers have been disciplined after video surfaced of them singing Hannukah
songs and reciting Jewish prayers inside a mosque.
-----
15 December 2023
Israel has suspended a group of its
soldiers after video emerged of Israeli troops reading out Jewish prayers at a
mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
In video circulating on social media on
Thursday, soldiers are seen inside the mosque, with one using a microphone to
read a Jewish prayer in the style of an Islamic call to prayer.
A song about banishing darkness,
associated with the current Jewish festival of Hanukkah, is heard sung in
Hebrew through a loudspeaker in a minaret.
Israel-Hamas war latest: Body of hostage
recovered
The person filming laughs and joins in
with the song.
In another, a soldier declares: "In
the name of God, the merciful. Here is the spokesperson of the IDF.
"For the residents of the camp, the
story is over, we will not allow the presence of armed men inside the camp.
"The future will be clean, we want
you to live with dignity in the camp, there is no power beyond the power of
Allah," the soldier adds.
Both videos show soldiers in the mosque
with their boots on, where footwear is forbidden.
The Palestinian foreign ministry
condemned what it said was a mockery of the religious sanctum, warning it would
increase religious tension.
The soldiers were immediately removed
from operational activity, the IDF said.
Israeli military vehicles pass by during
a raid, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist
group Hamas, in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank December
The IDF's international spokesperson,
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that
the troops "acted against IDF codes of conduct within a religious establishment"
and "were immediately removed from operational activity".
Their behaviour, he said, "stands
in complete opposition to the values of the IDF, the soldiers will be
disciplined accordingly".
The videos were filmed during Israeli
raids on Jenin on Thursday.
At least a dozen people were killed in
the raids, Palestinian authorities said, calling the attacks a "dangerous
escalation".
Israel said it captured dozens of
militants.
At least 18,400 Palestinians have died
since Hamas launched its attack on 7 October, the Hamas-run Gaza Health
Ministry has said.
At least 1,300 Israelis have died, while
at least 117 Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Source: sky.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://news.sky.com/story/israel-hamas-war-israeli-soldiers-suspended-for-reading-out-jewish-prayers-at-jenin-mosque-during-west-bank-raid-13030762
----
India
Assam Govt Converts 1281 Madrasas Into
General Schools
Dec 14 2023
The Assam government has renamed at
least 1281 Madrasas across 31 districts in the state and turned them into
general schools, officials said on Thursday.
Taking to his X handle, state education
minister Ranoj Pegu shared the information.
He wrote, “Consequent to conversion of
all Govt and Provincialised Madrasas into general schools under Board of
Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA). Department of School Education, Assam has
changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into Middle English (ME) School by a
notification today.”
The order shared by Pegu read as, “As
per approval of the state government, the nomenclature of the 1281 Upper
Primary Schools ME Madrassa under Directorate of Elementary Education, Assam
shall be known as ME School with immediate effect.”
A legislation was passed by the Assam
government in January 2021, opening the door for all government-run Madrasas in
the state to become general schools.
With the exception of private Madrasas,
it had an impact on 731 Madrasas and Arabic colleges that were part of the
State Madrasa Education Board, Assam Higher Secondary Education Council, and
Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA).
At a rally in Karnataka in March this
year, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared that his government had
closed 600 Madrasas and that he intended to close all Madrasas because he
preferred educational institutions over Islamic religious centers. –IANS
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/assam-govt-converts-1281-madrasas-into-general-schools/
------
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma calls for
caste census among Muslim community, says ‘crucial for them to be strong’
15 Dec 2023
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
during a media event said that there is a need to conduct caste census among
Muslims community in India. The Assam CM's statement came at the ‘Agenda Aaj
Tak event’ on 14 December. While speaking at the event Sarma said that the
Muslim community in India can be empowered by caste census.
"Hindus are our brothers, but
Muslims are elder brothers. It is crucial for them to be strong," the CM
said during Agenda Aaj Tak event as quoted by India Today report.
“The opposition misleads the country.
Now the Hindus of the country have woken up, now Hindus will not be divided. We
are one, two brothers - Hindu and Muslim," he added.
Criticising Rahul Gandhi, Samra said
that Gandhi's move backfired in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan elections, and
questioned why OBC census issues only arise during elections. During the event,
he also spoke how PM Modi has long been emphasizing the need for justice for
Pasmanda Muslims and a caste census within the Muslim community.
Earlier in October, the Assam government
had said that it will conduct a socio-economic survey of the state's five
indigenous Muslim communities so that measures can be taken for their
upliftment. CM Sarma had held a meeting with senior officials at the state
secretariat regarding it. In a post on X, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO)
said, “In a meeting held at Janata Bhawan, HCM Dr @himantabiswa directed the
officials concerned to carry out a socio-economic assessment of Assam's
Indigenous Muslim communities (Goria, Moria, Deshi, Syed &Jolha)."
The findings of the assessment will
guide the state government to take suitable measures, aimed at comprehensive
socio-political and educational upliftment of the indigenous minorities, it had
said.
The development came a day after the
Nitish Kumar government in Bihar released findings of its much-awaited caste
survey, months ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which revealed that OBCs
and EBCs constitute 63 percent of the state's total population. Congress also
asked the centre to conduct caste-based census at all-India level.
Meanwhile, the election results in four
states, especially the losses in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,
came as a huge blow to the Congress's hopes for 2024, as it is now out of power
across a vast swathe of the Hindi heartland. Recently, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan
Chowdhury recently took a dig at BJP and claimed that PM Modi is
"following in the footsteps" of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
"After Rahul ji spoke about caste
census, now CMs (in Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh ) are appointed keeping in
mind the caste equation. Modi ji is now following in the footsteps of Rahul ji.
This is an effect of demand for caste census," Chowdhury said.
"Whenever Rahul ji talks about something, Modi ji also adopts it and works
towards implementing it," he added. Earlier on Sunday, Vishnu Deo Sai, a
tribal leader, was declared the Chhattisgarh CM, later, the party Mohan Yadav's
name as the Madhya Pradesh CM, who is also an OBC leader.
Source: livemint.com
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census-among-muslim-community-says-crucial-for-them-to-be-strong-11702614443774.html
-----
Shahi Idgah masjid survey: Robbing
Muslims’ diginity is goal now, says Owaisi
14th December 2023
Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi
on Thursday, December 14, made strong remarks on the Allahabad High Court’s
verdict to survey the Shahi Idgah masjid in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
In a post on X, the Hyderabad MP said
that the verdict will “embolden Sangh Parivar’s mischiefs after the Babri
Masjid judgement, adding that “this is despite the Places of Worship Act
prohibiting such litigation”.
He said that the dispute in Mathura was
settled decades ago by mutual consent between the masjid committee and the
temple’s trust.
“A new group has been raking these
disputes. Whether it is Kashi, Mathura, or Lucknow’s Tiley Wali Masjid, it’s
the same group. One can read the agreement here, which was settled before a
court of law,” he added.
He also asked reasons behind the high
court’s ‘hurry’ to issue the verdict when the matter is to be heard by the
Supreme Court on January 9.
“The Places of Worship Act is still the
law in force. But this group has made a mockery of the law and the judicial
process. The SC was supposed to hear this matter on January 9, so what was the
hurry that a survey had to be ordered?” he asked.
He remarked that robbing the dignity of
Muslims is the only goal now.
“Please don’t preach give and take when
one side is interested in constantly targeting Muslims. But law doesn’t matter
anymore,” he said.
The Allahabad High Court’s decision to
allow the inspection of the Mosque is a significant development in the
longstanding dispute.
On December 18, the court will decide
the constitution of the panel to carry out the survey.
It has also transferred also transferred
two new suits concerning the dispute to itself and directed the District Judge
in Mathura to provide notice to the relevant parties about the transfer.
The decision, made by Justice Mayank
Kumar Jain, comes in response to an application filed by the deity Bhagwan Shri
Krishna Virajman and seven others.
This application is part of an original
suit pending in the court and claims that Lord Sri Krishna’s birthplace lies
beneath the mosque.
The application also notes that there
are visible signs of the Mosque being a Hindu temple, including a lotus-shaped
pillar and an image of Sheshnaag, a Hindu deity associated with Lord Krishna.
As a result, the appointment of a
commission was deemed essential.
The suit also seeks a declaration that
the land in dispute, including the area where the Shahi Idgah Mosque is
located, belongs to the deity Lord Shree Krishna Virajman.
It further requests a direction to the
defendants, including the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, to remove the
mosque.
Source: siasat.com
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----
North America
New York City's 'Ground Zero Mosque'
Site Faces Foreclosure Amid Loan Default
Dec 15, 2023
NEW DELHI: The property in New York City,
infamously known as the 'Ground Zero Mosque' due to its close proximity to the
World Trade Centre site, is facing foreclosure. This development follows the
defaulting on a $7.5 million loan by developer Sharif El-Gamal. The site,
located at 49-51 Park Place, along with an adjacent unfinished luxury condo
tower at 45 Park Place, is at risk of repossession.
The site first gained national attention
when El-Gamal proposed the construction of an Islamic center there, just a
short distance from where the Twin Towers once stood. The proposal, made in
2010, met with significant backlash, leading to the abandonment of the Islamic
center plans in favor of constructing high-end condominiums. However, court
documents reveal that El-Gamal's company has consistently failed to meet
mortgage payments, prompting lender Blueberry Funding to seek foreclosure.
Jeremy Doberman, representing the
lender, expressed that legal action became necessary after multiple failed
negotiations with El-Gamal.
"There comes a time when people's
assurances are no longer good enough and in order to get paid back, you have to
take things to the next step. This is what the legal filing represents,"
Doberman said. The lawsuit seeks repayment of the $7.5 million debt plus
interest and at least $10,000 in legal fees.
El-Gamal acquired the then-dilapidated
building, which had previously housed a Burlington Coat Factory store damaged
during the 9/11 attacks, in 2009. His initial proposal for the site included a
13-story Muslim community center with various amenities. However, the project
faced intense opposition, with some 9/11 victims' families calling it
insensitive, while others defended it as a matter of religious freedom.
Despite the controversy and the shift in
development plans, the site remains largely vacant, save for a construction
crane. El-Gamal, however, remains optimistic about the project's future,
hinting at 'big announcements' to come. This optimism persists even as he faces
ongoing foreclosure battles, including with his Times Square hotel,
Margaritaville.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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-----
Middle School Teacher Arrested After
Allegedly Threatening To Behead Muslim Student Who Said Israeli Flag Offended
Her
December 14, 2023
(CNN) — A Georgia middle school teacher
was arrested last week after multiple witnesses told authorities he threatened
to behead a 13-year-old Muslim student who said the Israeli flag hanging in his
classroom offended her.
Benjamin Reese, a 51-year-old seventh
grade teacher at Warner Robins Middle School, was arrested on charges of making
terroristic threats and cruelty to children in the third degree, according to
an incident report from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, which lists more
than 20 witnesses.
Reese was arrested on December 8 and
records show he has since bonded out of jail. CNN has been unable to determine
if he has an attorney who would comment on his behalf.
In a statement, the Houston County
School District said all employees are required to adhere to an educator’s code
of ethics, and a violation or accusation of one would prompt an investigation.
“While we are not able to discuss
specific personnel matters, we can share that Mr. Reese has not been on the
campus of Warner Robins Middle School since December 7, 2023,” the statement
said. “Safety and the well-being of our students and staff is our number one
priority.”
The incident report – written by a
sheriff’s deputy who was on duty at the school when the incident occurred –
cites several witnesses who said they heard Reese shouting profane threats at
three female students in the seventh-grade hallway on December 7, including,
“You motherf****ing piece of s**t! I’ll kick your a**! I should cut your
motherf****ing head off!”
Another teacher, who was tutoring
students in the next classroom, reported hearing Reese call one of the three
students “my anti-Semitic friend.” The teacher said the students began walking
down the hall and Reese started yelling that they disrespected “his flag” and
were ignorant, according to the incident report.
Reese began walking back to his
classroom, the teacher added, when she says she heard him yelling, “She is a
stupid motherf***er, and I will drag her by the back of my car and cut her
f***ing head off for disrespecting my Jewish flag,” the report stated.
A separate adult witness reported to the
deputy she heard Reese yell at the student, “You don’t make an anti-Semitic
comment like that to a Jew,” and later shouting in the hallway that he would
“slit her f***ing throat” when talking about the students. That teacher said
Reese was yelling loudly and cursing down the hallway back into his classroom.
School surveillance video showed Reese
following the three students in the hallway, according to the incident report.
The video did not include audio.
When confronted by the school’s
principal and the sheriff’s deputy, Reese initially “got defensive,” questioned
why the deputy was present and denied speaking to anyone, the report stated.
Eventually, however, Reese told the principal a student came into his classroom
to tell him she found the Israeli flag offensive, the report says. Reese
claimed he told the student she was being anti-Semitic but denied saying
“anything racist.”
Reese became angry and “kicked the door
stopper in an aggressive manner” when asked to discuss the incident further,
the report says. He then asked in what capacity the deputy was present –
whether as a school resource officer or a member of the Houston County
Sheriff’s Office, to which the deputy responded, “Both.” Reese then told the
deputy he had “nothing further” to say and “invoked his civil rights,”
according to the report.
The deputy interviewed all three of the
students about what led up to allegedly being threatened by Reese, the report
says. One told the deputy she decided to speak with Reese about the flag
because she found it offensive, according to the report.
The student said she entered Reese’s
classroom, pointed to the flag and asked him why he had it hanging there.
According to the student, Reese responded he was Jewish and had family members
who still live there, the report stated.
The student told him she found the flag
offensive due to “Israelis killing (Palestinians),” and then claimed Reese
became angry, she told the deputy. She said he began to yell and asked if she
denied the right of Israel to exist and called her anti-Semitic, according to
the report.
The student claimed she left the
classroom due to the situation becoming “heated and uncomfortable,” but Reese
tried to prevent her from leaving and demanded her name and homeroom teacher,
which she gave him. She said he continued to yell at her and her friends as
they walked away down the hallway, the report says.
Source: cnn.com
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------
Shooting of Palestinian college students
came amid spike in gun violence in Vermont
December 15, 2023
BURLINGTON: The recent shootings of
three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont’s largest city come as
the small rural state, often ranked as one of the nation’s safest, is grappling
with a spike in gun violence.
Two days after the students were shot
and seriously wounded during their Thanksgiving break, Burlington Mayor Miro
Weinberger said it “was one of the most shocking and disturbing events in this
city’s history.”
Statewide, Vermont has had 10 homicides
and one suspicious death since October, including a double homicide in
Burlington, Weinberger said. Burlington has seen 16 gunfire incidents so far
this year, he said, adding that Vermont’s largest city is not alone.
“Many communities are experiencing an
alarming rise in gun violence with recent shootings happening in Newport,
Danville, St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro, Castleton, Leicester, Brookfield,”
Weinberger said at the time.
Overall the country had a 6 percent
decrease in national firearms homicides between 2021 and 2022, but Vermont saw
a 185 percent jump, according to Vermont State Police Capt. Shawn Loan.
“So we went from seven firearms deaths
in 2021 to 20 in 2022,” he said, adding that he did not yet have the current
total for this year.
About half of the homicides in Vermont
involved a firearm between 2017 and 2021, he said. Last year that rose to 86
percent, Loan said.
While authorities are investigating the
shooting of the students as a possible hate crime, many of the homicides around
Vermont this fall are likely drug-related and all are isolated from each other,
Vermont State Police Director Col. Matthew Birmingham said.
“Vermont is experiencing many
drug-related issues. Fentanyl is a huge problem for this state and the country,
for that matter,” said Birmingham. “Our overdose death rate is climbing every
year, which is a problem and something that should be on everybody’s radar.”
The shooting deaths this fall have taxed
the short-staffed Vermont State Police, which has made arrests in two of them.
The agency has a 15 percent vacancy rate — with 51 positions unfilled — and
about a 25 percent functional vacancy rate meaning there are a certain number
of people on family, military or other leave that are not available, Birmingham
said.
“So that puts us in a challenging
position. We’re doing more work — our calls for service go up every year — with
less people,” he said.
Statewide, Vermont’s homicide rate last
year was about 3.9 per 100,000, compared to Los Angeles at 3.1 and New York
City at 2.3 per 100,000, Loan said. Burlington’s rate was 11.2 per 100,000,
exceeding the rates in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Springfield, Mass., according
to Loan.
“We don’t have enough ambulances to run,
we don’t have enough homicide investigators because we’re not designed to have
that high rate of violent crime. So it has a bigger effect,” he said.
In Burlington, the drug problem is
spiraling out of control and it’s routine to see people injecting drugs
downtown, in city hall park and in other places, said Andrew Vota, who has
lived in the city for 25 years.
“It’s a citywide issue and people
experience it in the downtown but they’re also experiencing it in their
neighborhoods and it’s everywhere across the city and it’s scary,” he said of
the drug activity.
Retail theft and other crime has
increased and some businesses have left downtown.
Vota and Jane Knodell, a former chair of
the Burlington City Council, drafted a letter this fall that now has been signed
by about 1,500 residents in the city of about 45,000, that outlines concerns
and makes recommendations.
“The increasing levels of violence,
burglary, retail, automobile, and bike theft, unlawful public drug and alcohol
consumption, drug dealing, graffiti, and other illegal activity are
unacceptable,” the letter states.
The crimes come as the city’s police
department tries to rebuild its staffing levels. In 2020, the City Council
passed a resolution directing the department to reduce its maximum number of
officers through attrition from 105 to 74, amid calls in Burlington and
nationwide for racial justice and to defund police.
More than a year later, the City Council
authorized the department to increase its staffing level to an effective number
of 87, but then-Acting Police Chief Jon Murad said at the time that it would
take years to rebuild the department. As of Nov. 15, Burlington had 69 sworn
officers.
“I think the fundamental problem is the
reduction in the police force because that’s kind of the back bone. Because
they are a deterrent,” said Knodell, who did not support the cap.
The city has added security guards to
the Church Street Marketplace, a pedestrian outdoor mall downtown, to help
shoppers feel safe during the holiday season. Other businesses are planning to
fill some of the vacancies, Weinberger said. The city also planned to hold a
community public safety forum Thursday and has another one planned next week to
discuss drug trafficking, gun crime, substance use and property crime.
After the shooting of the Palestinian
students, suspect Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested the next day at his
Burlington apartment. He has pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted
murder and is currently being held without bail. The shooting came as threats against
Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities have increased across the US since the the
Israel-Hamas war erupted in early October.
Meanwhile, Vermont State Police are
making progress on the investigations into other shooting deaths around the
state this fall, Birmingham said, including that of a 77-year-old retired
college dean who was shot while walking on a recreational trail in the small
town of Castleton in October.
Castleton residents are still rattled.
They don’t think police are doing enough and don’t feel safe walking on the
trail, said Mark Brown, a business owner in town, who has organized a daily
group walk Monday through Friday on the trail. A fundraising effort led by
Brown has raised more than $25,000 for a reward leading to an arrest.
Some investigations will take longer
than others, Birmingham said last month. “But I am confident that we are going
to make progress on all of them that will end in resolutions for victims,” he
said.
Source: arabnews.com
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----
US denounces war crimes against
civilians in Sudan; ignores questions about Israel’s actions in Gaza
December 15, 2023
CHICAGO: Biden administration officials
on Thursday ramped up their calls for the prosecution of warring Sudanese
factions for war crimes against civilians but brushed aside questions about
alleged Israeli war crimes against civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Beth Van Schaack, the US Department of
State’s ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice, described the
situation in Sudan, caused by the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces
and rival militia the Rapid Support Forces, as “dire.” She said “at least
10,000” people have been killed and more than 6.8 million displaced.
Van Schaack highlighted the continuing
efforts by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to “track and document” the
“myriad” crimes in Sudan, in particular denounced the violence against
civilians, women and children.
However, she declined to respond to
numerous questions about similar allegations of war crimes against civilians in
Gaza.
“We have all seen chilling media reports
that reflect that thousands of people have been swept into detention sites in
and around Khartoum, where we know that some have been tortured and some have
been killed,” Van Schaack said during an online briefing attended by Arab News.
“The war has also been waged on the
bodies of women and girls who have been terrorized by deliberate, systemic
sexual violence inflicted by the RSF and its allied militia forces. They are
attacked in their homes. They are kidnapped from the streets. Women and girls
have been subjected to conflict-related sexual violence including rape, gang
rape and sexual slavery. Survivors are often unable to access any kinds of
medical care or psychological support, thus leaving lasting trauma.
“In Darfur in particular we have
witnessed an explosion of violence against civilians along ethnic lines. People
are not safe in their homes, in mosques or in schools. We have read numerous,
credible reports of RSF and affiliated Arab militias seeking out, in
particular, Masalit people and members of other African communities, hunting
for men and boys, shooting people desperately fleeing for their lives, stealing
everything of value, and burning the rest.”
Van Schaack continued: “We’re also
really looking for ways to use some of our many sanctions authorities to put
pressure on individuals and entities that are undermining peace in the region.
So back in May we announced a new executive order, President Biden announced,
that will allow for the designation of those responsible for targeting
civilians and other serious human rights abuses."
She said the US was encouraged to hear
that allegations of “war crimes and crimes against humanity” in Sudan “may be
subject to investigation and prosecution” by the International Criminal Court.
“The laws of war demand that civilians
and civilian objects, the civilian infrastructure, are immune from deliberate
attack,” Van Schaack said. “And so warring parties are only supposed to engage
with military objectives — so with troops or with military materiel, weapons,
caches, etc.
“Unfortunately, we do see that some of
these military objectives are within civilian areas. And so the message is
always that the parties need to be extremely precise and deliberate in engaging
with those military objectives so that they don’t inadvertently harm civilians
that are in the immediate vicinity.”
Governments have a responsibility to
protect civilians when targeting militant or armed groups, she added.
“There is a principle of proportionality
that is in play here, where you’re allowed to target military objectives but
you must do so with a level and degree of force that is proportionate to the
value of that
military objective,” she said. “And when
you have military objectives collocated with civilians, that proportionality
analysis becomes extremely important.
“So, part of our messaging with the
parties has been to adhere to their responsibilities and take all measures
possible to protect civilian life but also to protect the civilian
infrastructure.”
Van Schaak said she is also concerned by
the targeting of journalists in Sudan and praised representatives of the media
for their role in documenting the conflict.
“It’s a dangerous situation and I know
that many of you are putting yourselves at personal risk to travel to these
regions in order to be able to cover them firsthand, and to hear from survivors
themselves so that those of us outside the region are able to learn more about
what’s going on, so that we can inform and strengthen our own efforts to try
and bring about a cessation of hostilities, bring the parties together, and
chart a path forward for a civilian-led democratic future for the Sudanese
people,” she said.
“So we’re really very grateful for all
of your hard work and want to acknowledge that.”
Numerous questions were submitted asking
Van Schaack to explain the differing stances of the Biden administration on the
conflict in Sudan compared with the violence in the Gaza Strip, but those
questions were ignored.
At the start of the briefing, the Department
of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub moderator, Tiffany Jackson-Zunker, made it
clear that no questions about issues outside of the Sudan conflict would be
answered.
“We ask that you limit yourself to one
question related to the topic of today’s briefing, the determination that
members of the SAF and the RSF have committed war crimes, crimes against
humanity and ethnic cleansing in Sudan,” she said.
Van Schaack said Blinken is determined
“to bear witness to and to shine a light on the abuses suffered by the Sudanese
people at the hands of the very forces who are meant to protect them.”
The Biden administration hopes “to rally
the international community to help us end the violence, address the
humanitarian crisis, and promote justice for survivors and victims,” she added
Source: arabnews.com
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------
US has 'historic responsibility' to
ensure cease-fire in Gaza: Turkish President Erdogan
DiyarGuldogan
14.12.2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on Thursday told his US counterpart that it is America's "historical
responsibility" to ensure a permanent cease-fire in Gaza as soon as
possible.
Erdogan and Joe Biden held a phone call
to discuss Israel's attacks on Palestinian territories, especially Gaza,
bilateral relations, as well as Sweden's NATO bid, Türkiye's Communications
Directorate said.
The president said a cease-fire could be
achieved quickly if the US withdrew its "unconditional support" for
Israel.
Erdogan told Biden that the human
tragedy in Gaza should be stopped, and warned that deepening and prolongation
of Israel's attacks could have "negative regional and global
consequences."
He underlined the need for the establishment
of a guarantor mechanism, as suggested by Türkiye, to resolve the
Israel-Palestine conflict.
Erdogan stressed that the establishment
of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital
based on the 1967 borders is "the most reasonable and permanent
solution."
The leaders also discussed Ankara's bid
to purchase F-16 fighter jets from the US.
Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from
the air and land, imposed a siege and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation
for a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 18,787 Palestinians have since
been killed and 50,897 others injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to
Gaza’s health authorities.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas
attack stands at nearly 1,200, according to official figures.
Source: aa.com.tr
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-----
Europe
European Union has 'lost credibility' on
Israel and Palestine, says Ireland's PM
December 15, 2023
BRUSSELS — Ireland's Prime Minister Leo
Varadkar says the European Union has "lost credibility" because of
its "inability to take a stronger and more united position on Israel and
Palestine."
Speaking at the start of a EU summit in
Brussels focusing more on Ukraine, Varadkar said the EU should condemn
“terrorism perpetrated by Hamas,” but also call for justice for the Palestinian
people.
The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza,
with close to 20,000 civilian deaths after a months-long Israeli military
offensive, is prompting more European Union countries to support the idea of a
humanitarian cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
Varadkar urged other EU leaders to call
for a halt in the fighting, rather than a limited pause to allow the delivery
of humanitarian aid.
“We’ve lost credibility at the global
South, which actually is most of the world, because what is perceived to be double
standards. And there’s some truth in that, quite frankly,” said Varadkar.
The 27 EU countries have long been
divided in their approach to Israel and the Palestinians. At their previous
meeting in October, EU leaders called “for continued, rapid, safe and
unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all
necessary measures, including humanitarian corridors and pauses for
humanitarian needs.”
Varadkar said he hopes they will achieve
“stronger wording” this time.
Before the summit, Varadkar and the
prime ministers of Spain, Belgium, and Malta wrote to European Council
President Charles Michel asking him to host a “serious debate” about the
Israel-Hamas war and the “humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.”
“We must call urgently for all the
parties to declare a lasting humanitarian cease-fire that can lead to an end of
hostilities,” the four leaders wrote.
Israel has drawn international outrage
and rare criticism from the United States over the killing of civilians. More
than 18,400 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Health Ministry in
the Hamas-controlled territory, which does not differentiate between civilian
and combatant deaths.
Israel says 113 of its soldiers have
died in the Gaza ground offensive it launched after Hamas raided southern
Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking
about 240 hostages, some of whom were freed in a short-lived ceasefire.
On Tuesday, 17 out of 27 EU countries
backed a resolution at the UN General Assembly calling for an immediate
humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. In October, only eight EU member states voted
in favor of an earlier resolution which advocated for a truce instead of a
cease-fire.
Varadkar insisted that a cease-fire
could lead “to a new peace process and Palestinian statehood, which is the only
way to secure justice and security for everyone living in the region.”
Spanish Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez,
whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU,
backed his Irish colleague.
“Europe has to speak out ... in a clear,
strong, firm and unified voice,” he said.
Despite its limited political leverage,
the EU is the world’s top aid supplier to the Palestinians. The EU has little
influence over Israel -- the United States is its staunchest ally -- but
remains the country’s biggest trade partner. — Euronews
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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-----
Mosque's bid for boosted security after
'attacks' proves successful
Matt Simpson
15 December 2023
SECURITY at a town centre mosque is due
to be ramped up.
A second planning application for a new
taller fence and alarm around the Bournemouth Islamic Centre & Central
Mosque has been approved.
The mosque on St Stephen’s Road has been
targeted in a “spate of targeted attacks” in recent years.
Imam Majid Yasin told the Echo in the
autumn there have been “a number of incidents” where people have attacked the
place of worship by “throwing paint and liquid” at it.
But now, BCP Council has given the
mosque the green light to improve its safety..
The plans include a 1.8m fence, taller
than an existing structure, as well as new security lights.
A case officer report by BCP Council
said: “In terms of the undesirable height of the proposed railings, it is
recognised railings of this height are needed in this case to provide the
sought level of security to the centre.
“It is commendable that to help mitigate
the negative impact of the height of the railings, interest has been added to
their design.
“The railings would have a curved top
and according to the revised fence drawing, would also have two rails as well
as ball tops softening the appearance of the proposed boundary treatment.”
The documents state that the lights
would be low-wattage and would not be permanently on in the evenings, except in
the case of trespassers being detected by the sensors.
As reported, Mr Yasin had wanted the
planning application to be successful as a “matter of urgency” following safety
concerns for women and children who attend the mosque.
He said there have been incidents when
pig meat was thrown at the door, windows smashed and red paint daubed on the
building.
The last application was rejected
because the applicant “failed to provide details that are sufficient to
understand the potential impact of the proposal on the asset’s significance”,
according to the council.
Source: yahoo.com
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-----
Germany to gradually end practice of
importing imams from Turkey
December 14, 2023
The German Interior Ministry, Turkey’s
Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) and the Turkish-Islamic Union for
Religious Affairs (DİTİB) have reached an agreement to gradually end the
posting of state-employed imams from Turkey to Germany and to train the imams
domestically, according to a press release from the ministry.
As part of a joint training initiative,
100 imams are to be trained in Germany every year and will replace the
Turkey-appointed imams in the country, according to the Thursday press release.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser
called the agreement “an important milestone for the integration and
participation of Muslim communities in Germany.”
“We need preachers who speak our
language, know our country and stand up for our values,” Faeser said. “We want
imams to get involved in the dialogue between religions and discuss questions
of faith in our society.”
Feaser said the agreement with Turkey
was reached after “lengthy negotiations.”
Germany has been seeking for years to
increase the number of imams educated domestically to decrease the influence of
foreign countries on its Muslim communities.
About 5.5 million of Germany’s 83.2
million residents are Muslim, and almost 3 million people in the country are
Turkish or have Turkish roots.
According to the agreement DİTİB will be
in charge of training the 100 imams in Germany every year.
Due to the lack of Islamic theological
schools in Germany, Muslim congregations have for years imported religious
leaders. Yet many believe that imams trained in Islamic theology programs in
Germany would be better able to serve the needs of a younger generation of
Muslims growing up in the country.
The training of the 100 imams in Germany
each year is to take place as part of the existing DİTİB training program in
Dahlem in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate and through an additional
program.
For the training of the imams,
cooperation will also be sought from the Islamic College Germany, or
Islamkolleg Deutschland, based in Osnabrueck in northern Germany. The college
was founded by Muslim community associations, theologians and academics in 2019
to provide practical and theological training for German-speaking religious
staff and imams for local communities.
The supervision of the state-employed
imams will be transferred to DİTİB from the Diyanet during the transition
process in 2024.
Until now, the Turkish imams have been
sent to serve at more than 900 mosques across Germany run by DİTİB, which
operates under Turkey’s Diyanet. They stay four or five years, are paid by
Turkey and have been criticized for having little to no knowledge of the German
language or culture.
DİTİB is an association registered under
German law that will then take direct responsibility for training the imams.
DİTİB was founded by the Diyanet in
Germany in 1984 at a time when more fundamentalist Islamic movements that were
banned in Turkey had become increasingly popular among the Turkish population
in Germany.
DİTİB has been accused of acting as the
long arm of the Turkish government following a 2016 coup attempt against
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Some imams are alleged to have acted on
the orders of Turkish diplomatic posts to spy on followers of the Gülen movement,
which Ankara blames for the failed coup.
Source: turkishminute.com
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-----
Denmark remands six in custody after
foiled terror attack
December 15, 2023
COPENHAGEN: Danish prosecution
authorities said Friday that six people had been remanded in custody overnight
after a police swoop they said prevented a terror attack.
Police have not given any details about
the target of the alleged plot but said late Thursday that there was no direct
link to the arrest the same day of four suspected Hamas members in Germany
accused of preparing an attack against Jewish targets in Europe.
Israel had said on Thursday that the
suspects in Denmark were acting “on behalf of Hamas,” which has not been
confirmed by Danish authorities.
“Six people were remanded in custody
overnight until January 9 — four of them in absentia. One person has been
released,” the Danish prosecution service wrote on X, without providing further
details.
Suspects can be remanded in custody in
absentia in order to obtain an international arrest warrant, which suggests the
four may be abroad.
The proceedings were held behind closed
doors and no details of the case have been made public.
Danish police said Thursday that they
had arrested three people in Denmark.
“It was a group that was planning an act
of terror,” FlemmingDrejer, head of operations at the PET intelligence service,
told a news conference.
Danish news agency Ritzau and public
broadcaster DR said the arrests were linked to the organized crime gang Loyal
to Familia, which is banned in Denmark.
Ritzau and DR said the three arrested
were two men and a young woman. One of the two men was released, they said.
Three men arrested in Germany and a
fourth in the Netherlands on Thursday were said to have begun preparing a
weapons cache in the German capital where arms would be “kept in a state of
readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in
Europe,” German federal prosecutors said in a statement.
Source: arabnews.com
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UK, US sanction Iranians linked to Quds
Force, Palestinian militant groups
December 14, 2023
LONDON: Britain said it had adopted a
new sanctions regime against Iran on Thursday as it announced measures against
seven individuals, including the head of Tehran’s Quds Force, for threatening
or planning the destabilization of Israel.
The British government said the new
regime, which it said gave it greater powers to act against Iran and its
decision makers, had been brought in response to “unprecedented threats” from
Tehran to peace in the Middle East and to plots to kill individuals in Britain.
“The behavior of the Iranian regime
poses an unacceptable threat to the UK and our partners,” foreign minister
David Cameron said in a statement.
“It continues to threaten people on UK
soil and uses its influence to destabilize the Middle East through its support
to armed groups, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).”
Those subject to travel bans and asset
freezes under the new sanctions included EsmailQaani, the head of the Quds
Force, which is the arm of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)
that controls its allied militia from Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen to Syria.
Also sanctioned were Mohammed Saeed
Izadi, the head of IRGC-QF Palestine branch, and three other members from that
branch: Ali Marshad Shirazi, Majid Zaree and Mostafa Majid Khani.
The entire branch itself is subject to
asset freezes, the government said, while Hamas and PIJ representatives to
Iran, Khaled Qaddoumi and Nasser Abu Sharif, respectively, also face travel
bans and asset freezes.
London has accused Iran of supporting
Houthi militant attacks on shipping in the Red Sea but the British Chief of the
Defense Staff, Tony Radakin, said Britain did not think Tehran wanted a war in
the Middle East.
“We assess Iran doesn’t want a direct
war ... But Iran is comfortable with the way events have unfolded, the dilemmas
for Israel, the threat posed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis,
militia groups exploiting this crisis to challenge America’s role in the
region,” Radakin said in a speech on Wednesday.
The United States on Thursday also
imposed sanctions on a Quds Force official, the Treasury Department said in a
statement, accusing Majid Zaree of being involved in support to groups such as
Hamas and Hezbollah.
The action freezes any of the official’s
US assets and generally bars Americans from dealing with him. Those that engage
in certain transactions with him also risk being hit with sanctions.
“The United States continues to
coordinate with our partners, including the United Kingdom, to tackle terrorist
financing and threats from Iran,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said
in the statement.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Spanish PM calls on EU to take stand
against Israel
Dec 14, 2023
TEHRAN, Dec. 14 (MNA) – Spain's prime
minister urged the EU on Wednesday to speak out against Zionists as it
continues to pursue its relentless attacks on the Gaza Strip.
"It is time to speak openly about
what is happening in Israel and Palestine," Pedro Sanchez said at the
General Assembly of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Anadolu reports.
Sanchez called on European lawmakers to
"stop the silence and speak with the same clarity and unity about what is
happening in Israel and Palestine."
"If we want the world to respect us
as a coherent and relevant geopolitical actor, if we want our citizens to be
proud of our actions and to see that European values are not just words, we
must speak loudly, clearly and with one voice," he continued.
"We must say enough of the killing
of innocent civilians in Gaza, including thousands of children. The bombings
must stop immediately. Humanitarian aid must arrive urgently and in sufficient
quantities," he added.
In the shadow of global inaction and the
support of Washington and the West, the Zionist regime continues its crimes
against the people of Gaza and bombards different areas of Gaza from the north
to the center and south of this strip.
The UN estimates that 1.9 million of
Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced and are receiving goods from only
around 100 aid trucks per day.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health,
18,608 Palestinians have been killed and more than 50,594 injured in Israel’s
ongoing aggression in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international
estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and
children.
Source: mehrnews.com
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-----
Mideast
From homes to lands, Zionist
colonization of everyday life of Palestinians
15 December 2023
Xavier Villar
One aspect that often goes unnoticed
when analyzing the situation in Palestine is what can be described as the
'occupation of everyday life.'
This refers to how the Zionist colonial
regime and its settler-colonial project are present even in the smallest
details and in the most intimate spaces of Palestinian lives.
A political analysis of 'intimacy,'
particularly within Palestinian homes, will help illustrate how colonialism
infiltrates even the most private corners, typically thought to be secluded or,
at the very least, less exposed to the colonial entity.
The intimate focus on politics also
enables an observation of how the daily and routine presence of occupation
affects the lives and interpersonal relationships of the colonized.
For instance, through this intimate
perspective, it's possible to analyze how receiving a home demolition notice
impacts people psychologically, or how rebuilding a home each time it is
demolished can ultimately affect the mental health of those involved in that
process.
This type of analysis should not be
interpreted as a departure from studying colonialism but rather as a means to
highlight how invasive colonialism is, penetrating households.
In other words, a perspective on the
micropolitics of intimate spaces complements the macropolitical analysis of
colonialism.
Palestinian homes are regularly
evacuated, demolished, and raided. This violation of intimate space is neither
recent nor solely provoked by the supposed reaction to the events of October 7.
For instance, in 2016, data published by
Israeli media itself indicated an average weekly demolition of 20 structures.
Another example of this home destruction
was documented by the Palestinian journalist and author RamzyBaroud, who
recorded in 2017 how the Palestinian Bedouin village of Al-Araqeeb was
demolished more than 116 times.
In addition to house demolitions, there
are other ways in which the Zionist occupation manifests in everyday spaces,
such as state harassment aimed at forcing residents to abandon their homes or
eviction orders, which in the Palestinian colonial context could be defined as
the legitimization of that harassment.
It's quite common for Palestinian
families to be expelled from their homes where they've lived for decades. In
the occupied East Jerusalem, there are areas where settler movements, supported
and protected by the regime military and legal structure of the colonial state,
attack and intimidate Palestinian residents in order to evict them from their
homes.
Geographer SabrienAmrov highlights how
violence and the occupation of daily life manifest in the military perception
applied to Palestinian homes.
In an infographic published in 2014 by
the Israeli army titled 'When is a House a Home?', a typical Palestinian home
was portrayed from a militarized perspective.
The bedroom was identified as an
'operations room,' while the living room was considered an 'arms depot.'
Through this discursive exercise, the Israeli army justified its attacks on
infrastructures that are typically conceived as civilian spaces, places of
refuge, and protection.
This discursive process connects the two
aspects of Zionist colonial occupation: the microcosm represented by homes and
intimacy, and the macrocosm represented by Palestinian territory as a whole.
In both realms, the objective is to
dispossess Palestinians of their homes and lands.
Both colonial records highlight the
entirety of the occupation, its presence in the daily lives of Palestinians,
and the impossibility of finding spaces of refuge, both physically and
politically.
From the perspective of homes, it's
crucial to note how they have ceased to be simple familial spaces isolated from
the colonial exterior and have transformed into what are considered 'battlefields.'
This unexpected intrusion of war into
the private sphere of the home has represented, for civilians in Palestine as
well as in Iraq or Afghanistan, the deepest form of trauma and humiliation.
In this sense, Palestinian homes are no
longer just spaces of increasingly restricted intimacy, but places of
occupation, control, and dispossession.
From a theoretical standpoint, a city in
a normal context might be delineated by two types of walls: outer walls
defining its perimeter and shaping the public space, and inner walls separating
intimate or private spaces.
However, in colonial contexts like
Palestine, the separation between the public and the intimate disappears. The
entire space is delineated by colonial occupation, from open areas to
individual rooms.
The image evoked in the case of
Palestine, where the boundaries blur between the exterior and the interior of
the home, is that of a concentration camp. In such a setting, there are no
intimate spaces to seek refuge from violence.
In Palestine, families aren't safe even
within their rooms, in their most private and intimate spaces.
The colonization of everyday life and
intimacy is another consequence of the Zionist colonial system, serving as yet
another reason for resistance.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
Mosque hit as raids, phosphorus bombs
strike southern Lebanon
December 14, 2023
BEIRUT: Israeli artillery shelling
intensified on Thursday at various Lebanese border towns where Hezbollah is
active.
War correspondents reported “the use of
phosphorus bombs by the Israeli army in shelling the outskirts of the town of Khiam.”
Israeli Channel 14 reported that the
Iron Dome intercepted 20 missiles fired from southern Lebanon towards the
Galilee Panhandle.
The Israeli military launched a drone
strike on a house located in the town center of Aita Al-Shaab.
The property belongs to Lebanese citizen
Haidar Srour, who evacuated with his family at the start of escalations on the
border. Israel targeted the house in a previous raid as well.
An Israeli drone bombed a mosque in the
town of Jebbayn with a missile, causing damage to it, and the region between
Alma Al-Shaab and Naqoura came under artillery shelling from the Israel Defense
Forces.
Israeli warplanes conducted airstrikes
in the forested and plain areas near Aitaroun and Maroun Al-Ras, and the area
between Chihine and Marwahin was subjected to Israeli shelling. Wadi Saluki and
Mays Al-Jabal were also subjected to artillery fire.
In the morning, Israeli artillery
targeted the Awaidah and Aaziyyeh hills on the outskirts of the town of Taybeh,
which experienced a power outage due to a targeted attack on the high-voltage
transmission network supplying the area.
Lebanon’s southern border is split into
three sectors known as the Blue Line — west, central, and east. The east sector
is the most important strategically as it includes disputed mountain villages
of the Arqoub area between Lebanon, Syria, and Israel.
Reports of unknown callers asking
homeowners to evacuate before shelling have increased in the southern region.
Political analyst Ali Al-Amin told Arab
News several people had reported being contacted by people who speak Arabic,
and they had experienced similar situations.
“This does not mean that the Israeli
army is showing mercy to civilians because we can see its massacres in the Gaza
Strip, but it seems that its current plan in Lebanon is not to target
civilians,” he said.
“The Israelis have access to the
communication data of people in southern Lebanon and perhaps in other regions.
“It is concerning that some people who
received calls from unknown people were unaware that the caller was from
Israel.
“Men and women answered normally,
thinking the caller wanted to ensure they were safe.”
Al-Amin added: “The technological
advancement possessed by the Israeli army during these confrontations may have
surprised Hezbollah as it accurately hits targets. In return, Hezbollah may
have achieved field gains through its tactics to mitigate its losses.”
Hezbollah announced Thursday that it
targeted the Yiftah outpost and a gathering of Israeli soldiers and vehicles in
its surroundings.
The group also targeted the Israeli
forces in the vicinity of the Shomera outpost.
Army spokesperson AvichayAdraee said
that Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah’s infrastructure and military
buildings inside Lebanon.
Adraee said that the Israeli side “detected
the launching of a rocket from Lebanon toward the Shomera region on the
Lebanese border.”
Hezbollah announced the death of one of
its fighters, Ahmad Hassan Moukahal, from Jouaya village in southern Lebanon.
The militant group announced the death
of two of its fighters on Wednesday, bringing the total toll of Hezbollah
fighters killed since the violence broke out along the Lebanese border on Oct.
8 to 101 as of Thursday afternoon.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Israel ‘carpet-bombs’ Gaza amid
starvation, epidemic, coms blackout
14 December 2023
At least 27 people have been killed in
Israeli strikes on two residential buildings in Rafah in southern Gaza, with
victims still being reported to be under the rubble.
Footage from the scene shared online on
Thursday showed local residents trying to extinguish a fire and rescue
survivors as black smoke rose from one of the buildings.
Two adjacent homes belonging to the Abu
Dhbaa and Ashour families were obliterated in the attack on the city, where
tens of thousands of displaced people have sought shelter since a weeklong
truce collapsed in early December.
Displaced people have been sleeping in
makeshift shelters and in the streets after evacuating from the north and from
other areas of southern Gaza that had previously been deemed safe by the
Israeli military.
The new bout of killings came as a new
US intelligence assessment revealed that nearly half of the air-to-ground
munitions that Israel has used in Gaza in its war on Gaza since October 7 have
been unguided, otherwise known as “dumb bombs”.
Israel carried out 18 strikes in the
latest attack, in which 179 Palestinians were killed and 303 others wounded
over the past day, Palestinian Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra
said.
Israeli warplanes on Thursday carried
out a series of intense raids on large areas in the northern and southern Gaza
Strip, specifically on the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.
In northern Gaza, bodies of 10
Palestinians were retrieved after Israeli warplanes struck the Jabalia refugee
camp.
The ministry said the death toll in Gaza
since the start of the war has now reached 18,787. It said 50,897 Palestinians
have also been wounded.
Josh Paul, the former State Department
official who resigned in October over arms transfers to Israel as it bombarded
Gaza, said the use of unguided bombs on the enclave is “unconscionable” and
“must end now”.
According to a CNN report on Wednesday,
a US intelligence report says that 40 to 45 percent of the 29,000 air-to-ground
munitions Israel has used in Gaza are bombs without guidance systems.
"The use of thousands of unguided
bombs against such a small and densely populated area as Gaza puts the lie to
any comparison between Israel's current operation and previous US military
operations in the global war on terror,” Paul said on Thursday.
Paul said the idea that the US would
continue to provide “munitions of any type to a regime that our own
intelligence community assesses is using weapons in this way - effectively
carpet-bombing urban areas - should be as horrifying to the American public as
I hope it is to my former colleagues in government”.
“American lethal military assistance to
Israel for use in Gaza, and in any of the occupied territories, makes us
complicit in these war crimes. It must end - and it must end now,” he said.
The humanitarian situation in the
besieged territory continued to deteriorate, with nearly 85 percent of Gaza’s
residents or 1.9 million Palestinians having been displaced, according to the
UN which said almost half of Gaza's population now live in Rafah.
Strong winds and heavy rain are bringing
even more misery to displaced Palestinians. The rain is tearing and flooding
flimsy tents, drenching clothes and blankets, and leaving people exposed to the
cold.
At a tent camp in Rafah, located on
sandy terrain strewn with rubbish, people were trying to recover from a
horrible night, carrying buckets of sand to cover puddles inside or just
outside their tents, and hanging up soggy clothes, Reuters reported Thursday.
UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said UN trucks are being
stopped in Gaza as Palestinians starved by the Israeli siege crowd around
shelters and trucks in large numbers.
"People are stopping aid trucks,
taking the food and eating it straight away," he said. "Hunger has
now emerged over the last few weeks and we meet more and more people who
haven't eaten for one, two or three days."
A spokesperson for Medical Aid for
Palestinians (MAP) said it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain life
in Gaza due to Israeli bombing and siege.
“Staff on the ground say that every day
that passes makes it more and more difficult to sustain human life in Gaza,
that’s because of the systematic denial of food, water, medicine and fuel to
the civilian population in Gaza,” Melanie Ward, the CEO of MAP said.
Ward added that Israeli indiscriminate
bombing will soon result in the killing of 10,000 children. “The situation
couldn’t be more grim,” she added.
Paltel, one of the main
telecommunications providers in Gaza, announced on Thursday that due to Israeli
aggression all its services have been cut.
“Dear people in our beloved homeland, we
regret to announce a complete cessation of all communications and Internet
services with the Gaza Strip, due to the ongoing aggression. May God protect
you and protect our country,” Paltel said in a post on X.
Doctors and aid workers also said that
with a health system on its knees, and no food, water or shelter, people in
Gaza face an inevitable epidemic.
"The perfect storm for disease has
begun. Now it's about, 'How bad will it get?'" James Elder, chief
spokesperson for the UN children's fund (UNICEF), told Reuters.
Between November 29 and December 10,
cases of diarrhea in children under five in Gaza jumped 66 percent to 59,895
cases, and climbed 55 percent in the rest of the population, according to data
from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The UN agency said the numbers were
inevitably incomplete due to the meltdown of all systems and services in Gaza
because of Israeli bombing.
The head of the pediatric ward at Nasser
Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Dr Ahmed Al-Farra, said his ward was
overrun with children suffering extreme dehydration, causing kidney failure in
some cases, while the rate of severe diarrhea was four times higher than
normal.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
Communication blackout in Gaza amid
Israeli bombardment
December 15, 2023
JEDDAH: Internet and telephone services
were cut across the war-torn Gaza Strip on Thursday as Israel’s bombardment
took more Palestinian lives.
“We regret to announce that all telecom
services in the Gaza Strip have been lost due to the ongoing offensive ... Gaza
is blacked out again,” the Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel said.
Israel kept up its barrage of Gaza as a
surge in deadly diseases sweeps through displaced residents.
Israel’s defense minister warned the war
with Hamas would last “more than several months” as he met US National Security
Adviser Jake Sullivan in Tel Aviv.
US President Joe Biden said this week
Israel’s “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza was eroding international support.
The war, now in its third month, began
after the Palestinian group’s unprecedented Oct. 7 attacks on Israel that
Israeli officials say killed about 1,200 people.
In response, Israel vowed to destroy
Hamas and launched an unrelenting military offensive that has left swathes of
Gaza in ruins.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said 18,787
people have been killed, mostly women and children.
In Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis,
smoke rose from a grey landscape of rubble which people combed with shovels and
their bare hands after a strike. One man sat on the broken concrete, wiping his
eyes.
“Around four people are still stuck under
the rubble” after an airplane hit the building “without a warning,” said Hassan
Bayyout, 70.
Israeli troops have killed 12
Palestinians in three days of raids in Jenin in the occupied West Bank,
including one youth shot dead at a hospital.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed
Shtayyeh said the Biden administration must now “walk the walk” and take
specific steps toward what has been an elusive two-state solution, including by
applying pressure on Israel.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has
rejected statements by Israel’s ambassador in London that her country does not
want a two-state solution to the conflict with the Palestinians.
Sunak said: “Our long-standing position
remains that a two-state solution is the right outcome,” adding that he is
“incredibly concerned” by the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Israeli artillery shelling
intensified at various Lebanese border towns where Hezbollah is active. War
correspondents reported “the use of phosphorus bombs by the Israeli army in
shelling the outskirts of the town of Khiam.”
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Turkiye strongly condemns Israeli raid
on Jenin, calls for accountability
December 15, 2023
ANKARA: Turkiye strongly condemns
“provocations” by Israeli forces during raids on a refugee camp in the occupied
West Bank city of Jenin and the desecration of a mosque there, Turkiye’s
foreign ministry said, calling for those responsible to be punished.
Israeli troops killed a youth at a
hospital and read out Jewish prayers at a mosque in Jenin during the raids that
Palestinian authorities said killed 12 and that Israel said helped capture
dozens of militants.
“We strongly condemn the provocations of
Israeli soldiers who stormed the Jenin Refugee Camp, and disrespected sanctity
of a place of worship by entering the mosque,” Spokesman OncuKeceli said on
social messaging platform X late on Thursday.
“In East Jerusalem and the West Bank, where
tensions are running extremely high due to settler terror and heavy pressure
and attacks by Israeli security forces against Palestinians, we expect attacks
on Muslim holy places to be ended immediately and those who perpetrate these
provocations to be punished in the most severe way,” he added.
The Palestinian government criticized
the operation inside Jenin as a “dangerous escalation” and in a statement said
the desecration of the mosque by some Israeli troops fanned religious tension.
Israel’s army said it would discipline the soldiers.
Turkiye, which supports a two-state
solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has harshly
criticized Israel for its attacks on Gaza and in the West Bank, saying the
Israeli settlers in the region were “terrorists.” It has called for an
immediate ceasefire and slammed Western support for Israel.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Iran reiterates support for ‘legitimate’
Palestinian resistance
14 December 2023
Foreign Minister Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian has reiterated Iran’s backing for the “legitimate” resistance
of the Palestinian people, calling on all countries to step up their efforts to
stop the “war crimes of the Zionist regime”.
“It has been many years that the
Palestinian people have been trying to free their country from occupation. This
is a legitimate resistance from the standpoint of international law and the
United Nations Charter,” he told Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba
in Geneva on Thursday.
“It is necessary for all countries to
try to stop the war crimes of the Israeli regime against the Palestinian people
in Gaza and the West Bank, while supporting the liberation struggles of the
Palestinian people,” he added.
Amir-Abdollahian, in Geneva on the final
day of the Global Refugee Forum, explained the Islamic Republic’s course of
action for a democratic solution of the crisis in Palestine.
His talks with Rouamba, he said, were a
very good opportunity to discuss cooperation between Tehran and Ouagadougou
following the recent meeting of their joint economic commission.
Amir-Abdullahian expressed hope that the
implementation of the agreements signed between the two countries would go
well. He also announced Iran’s readiness to provide educational services to
Burkina Faso in various specialized fields, including medicine and medical
equipment.
Rouamba thanked the Islamic Republic for
supporting her country, calling it a relief to the sufferings of two million
displaced persons in her country.
More than 2 million people are
internally displaced in the West African nation, the majority of them women and
children, amid violence linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh terrorist groups.
The violence has pushed people from
their homes, off their farms and into congested urban areas or makeshift camps,
fueling a dire humanitarian crisis.
Rouamba, who visited Tehran in
September, welcomed Iran's scientific, technical and educational activities in
Burkina Faso, calling it a basis for strengthening Iran's cooperation with her
country and the African continent.
In a phone conversation, Amir-Abdollhian
and his Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira also stressed the importance of
continued consultations to help stop the Israeli killings and protect civilians
in Gaza.
Source: presstv.ir
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----
Hamas announces killing '36 Israeli
forces in 72 hours'
15 December 2023
The Palestinian resistance movement of
Hamas' military wing has announced killing at least 36 Israeli forces in the
course of the past 72 hours.
Al-Qassam Brigades made the announcement
through a statement released by its spokesman Abu Ubaida on the Telegram
messaging app on Thursday.
"Our fighters confirmed the killing
of 36 soldiers and the injury or death of dozens of other Zionist
soldiers," the spokesman said.
He noted that the battleground gains had
come about following complicated maneuvers, during which al-Qassam's fighters
"engaged them (the Israeli troops) at point-blank range" and
"carried out successful sniper operations against them."
Abu Ubaida also confirmed that
throughout the past 72 hours, the fighters had managed to either
"completely or partially" destroy as many Israeli military vehicles.
"They (the fighters) also targeted
headquarters and field command rooms, shelled military gatherings with mortar
shells and short-range rockets on all fronts of the battle," he noted.
Penetrating into the occupied
territories, al-Qassam fighters, meanwhile, "directed rocket barrages
towards various targets at different ranges inside the Zionist entity,"
Abu Ubaida concluded.
The Hamas military wing says it has
targeted southern Tel Aviv with missiles in response to the Israeli regime’s
bombardment of the besiege Gaza Strip.
The Israeli regime has, itself,
confirmed that as many as 116 of its forces have been killed in the Gaza Strip,
where Hamas is headquartered, since October 7, when the regime began bringing
the Palestinian territory under a genocidal war.
Also on Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry
said nearly 18,800 people, mostly women and children, had been killed in the
war that the regime started following an operation staged by the territory's
resistance movements.
Speaking to Press TV on Wednesday, a
senior Hamas official reaffirmed the movement's determination to continue
standing up to the Israeli regime's unbridled aggression.
Osama Hamdan, Hamas' senior
representative in Lebanon, said the movement was ready for "a long
war" against the Israeli regime, and would not give up resistance.
Source: presstv.ir
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'Half of the population starving in
Gaza': UN official
15 December 2023
A senior United Nations official said on
Thursday during a press briefing at UN headquarters in New York City that
"half of the population are starving" in Gaza.
"The grim reality is also that nine
out of ten people are not eating enough, are not eating every day, and don't
know where their next meal is going to come from," said Carl Skau, deputy
executive director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), who visited Gaza over
the weekend.
Skau said the WFP was able to deliver
food during the seven-day pause, but "that has not been possible since the
fighting resumed."
He called for a humanitarian ceasefire
and said the WFP was "ready to deliver to another million people within a
couple of weeks should the conditions allow."
The Gaza health ministry said on
Thursday that Israel's genocide in the blockaded territory, which started on
October 7, has so far killed over 18,787people and wounded 51,000 others.
Source: presstv.ir
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-----
Iran warns UN refugee chief of
'dangerous' Israeli plan to forcibly relocate Gazans
14 December 2023
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian has warned the United Nations refugee chief of the Israeli
regime's plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which is
subject to an unrelenting Israeli war.
The top diplomat made the remarks to
FilipoGrandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on Thursday in
Geneva, where he attended the Global Refugee Forum 2023 earlier during his
stay.
Speaking to Grandi, Amir-Abdollahian
expressed concern about the Israeli regime's "dangerous" measures
aimed at bringing about an exodus of Palestinians from the northern part of
Gaza to the southern parts of the coastal sliver and from there to neighboring
countries.
The Israeli regime has been waging a
genocidal war against Gaza since October 7 following an operation staged by the
territory's resistance groups, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm.
Also on Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry
said nearly 18,800 people, mostly women and children, had been killed in the
Israeli strikes so far.
Palestinian and other regional officials
have warned that through its unbridled aggression, the Israeli regime pursues a
policy of resettling the people of Gaza in Egypt.
UNRWA chief has warned that the besieged
Gaza Strip remains akin to “hell on earth”.
Amir-Abdollahian urged that the UNHCR
and other responsible international organizations refrain from adopting
discriminatory approaches towards refugees from various countries and the
countries that host them.
He, meanwhile, pointed to the Islamic
Republic's hosting of millions of foreign refugees, and the extensive services
that the country renders to them, despite suffering from oppressive and
unilateral United States-imposed sanctions.
The foreign minister emphasized Tehran's
demands for support from the United Nations in light of the situation.
Source: presstv.ir
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-----
Israel bombs school housing displaced
families in Khan Yunis
Dec 15, 2023
TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) – Local
Palestinian reported Friday that five civilians were killed and dozens were
wounded when a Zionist Israeli regime's airstrike targeted a school sheltering
displaced people in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
According WAFA News Agency, a few hours
earlier, at least four civilians, including children, were killed, and others
injured when Zionist forces bombarded the Abu Nasr family home in the western
camp west of Khan Yunis. The casualties were swiftly transported to Nasser
Hospital in the city.
The artillery shelling by Israeli
occupation forces overnight and into the morning in various neighborhoods of
Khan Yunis resulted in numerous casualties and injuries. Additionally, an
Zionist airstrike hit a residential block near Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah,
southern Gaza, leading to scores of casualties and injuries. The victims were
rushed to the Abu Yusuf al-Najjar Hospital in the city.
Zionist airstrikes also targeted
residential areas and homes in Deir al-Balah, Gaza City, Nusairat, and Jabalia,
causing several injuries among the civilian population.
The ongoing Israeli aggression on the
Gaza Strip since October 7 has tragically claimed the lives of 18,787
individuals, including over 7,000 children, and left approximately 50,900
injured, according to a non-final tally.
Source: mehrnews.com
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-----
Arab World
Jihad representative in Iran hails
Yemen's support for resistance
[15/December/2023]
TEHRAN December 15. 2023 (Saba) -
Representative of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Tehran Nasser Abu Sharif
praised Yemen's support for the Palestinian resistance, stressing that it
stands on the side of truth.
Al-Mayadeen TV quoted Abu Sharif on
Thursday as saying that “Ansarullah” chose to stand with the truth, pointing
out that the movement is strangling the main artery of the Zionist entity,
which has a major impact in this battle.
He added "Every party that is
silent about what is happening against the people of Gaza is participating in
this aggression," noting that the participation of the resistance axis in
Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq in this war has an impact on the enemy.
Abu Sharif held the American
administration responsible for the crimes committed against the Palestinian
people, through its unlimited support for the Zionist entity enemy.
He said that the Zionist enemy is waging
a war of extermination in Gaza, with full support of the United States of
America, which considers the resistance its first enemy.
Abu Sharif said that the United States
will be “in great trouble and will face a major strategic defeat” if it does
not stop this war, holding the American administration responsible for all
these crimes against the Palestinian people, through its unlimited support for
the Zionist entity.
Referring to Egypt, he said Egypt is
“too big to be a mediator,” stressing that “it could have been a superpower if
it had taken a greater position in this conflict.”
He called on Egypt to develop its
position and regain its position in the Islamic world, adding, "This is
what we aspire to."
Abu Sharif also called for broader Arab
public participation to force governments to change their policies, pointing
out that there must be a strong voice from the world to stop the war and the
criminality of the occupation.
He stressed that it is not possible to
accept any form of negotiations in which the rights of the Palestinian people
are violated, adding that a truce is not currently on the table, and any
permanent ceasefire is in exchange for the release of all Palestinian
prisoners.
Nasser Abu Sharif affirmed that the
resistance continues and the occupation will not be able to subjugate or weaken
it, indicating that victory is the ally of the peoples confronting the
occupation.
Source: saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3288483.htm
------
Yemen conducts drone attack against ship
headed for Israel
Dec 15, 2023
TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (MNA) – Yemen's Armed
Forces have said they have conducted a successful operation against a container
ship headed for the occupied territories, calling the attack a move taken in
support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The forces' spokesman Brigadier General
Yahya Saree announced the development on Thursday, identifying the targeted
vessel as Maersk Gibraltar.
"The naval forces of the Yemeni
Armed Forces, with the help of God Almighty, carried out a military operation against
the Maersk Gibraltar container ship, which was heading to the Israeli entity.
It was targeted by a drone and the hit was direct," the official said.
Saree said the operation came after the
ship's crew refused to respond to warnings that had been issued by the Yemeni
naval forces.
The Armed Forces have vowed to target
any vessel that may use the country's territorial waters to head towards the
occupied territories until the Israeli regime relieves its siege of Gaza.
"The Yemeni armed forces confirm that
they continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from navigating in
the Arab and Red Seas until they bring in the food and medicine that our
steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip need," Saree likewise said.
The siege is taking a heavy toll on the
Palestinians in Gaza, who have been enduring the war since October 7.
Also on Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry
said nearly 18,800 people, mostly women and children, had been killed in the
war that the regime started following an operation staged by the Palestinian
territory's resistance movements.
The Yemeni official described the drone
attack as "a victory for the oppressed Palestinian people, who are
currently being subjected to killing, destruction, and siege in the Gaza Strip,
and a response to the calls of the free Yemeni people."
He also noted that the Yemeni forces had
succeeded in preventing the passage of several ships bound for the occupied
territories during the past 48 hours.
Source: mehrnews.com
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-----
Saudi Arabia commits over $18 billion
for refugees within its borders, Al-Rabeeah says
December 14, 2023
GENEVA — Saudi Arabia has allocated over
$18 billion to support refugees residing within its borders, according to
statements made by Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and
Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center
(KSrelief).
Dr. Al-Rabeeah made these significant
remarks during his participation in the Global Refugee Forum 2023, held in
Geneva, Switzerland. In his address, he acknowledged the challenging global
circumstances marked by escalating humanitarian crises and stressed the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia's unwavering commitment to the humanitarian cause, both on
political and humanitarian fronts.
Highlighting the Kingdom's collaborative
efforts with the international community to mitigate conflicts and crises
globally, Dr. Al-Rabeeah emphasized Saudi Arabia's dedication to alleviating
the suffering of refugees and their host countries by providing essential
requirements for a decent life.
Over the years, Saudi Arabia has
extended its humanitarian aid to refugees worldwide, amounting to $1.15
billion, thus significantly alleviating the burden on host countries. Dr.
Al-Rabeeah noted that, thanks to the leadership's directives and support,
refugees make up 5.5% of the total Saudi population, with the Kingdom hosting
approximately 1.07 million refugees. These refugees receive free healthcare and
educational opportunities, with Saudi Arabia's total expenditure amounting to
$18.57 billion.
In response to the current crises and
the rising numbers of refugees and displaced persons, the Kingdom, through
KSrelief and in collaboration with international, regional, and local
organizations, is executing a range of humanitarian projects across various
sectors. The allocated budget for these initiatives totals $170 million,
including $40 million specifically for displaced persons in Gaza. Moreover,
Saudi Arabia is contributing $10 million to the Global Islamic Fund for
Refugees.
Dr. Al-Rabeeah also revealed that
approximately 7% of upcoming humanitarian projects over the next two years will
be dedicated to refugees and displaced persons.
In conclusion, Dr. Al-Rabeeah emphasized
the importance of uniting efforts to address refugee challenges and reduce
their suffering. He called for partnerships and innovative initiatives, along
with support for host countries, to create a better environment that upholds
human dignity and fosters humanitarian stability. This approach aims to counter
inhumane acts that have contributed to the growing numbers and deteriorating
conditions of refugees.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
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----
Saudi initiative to plant 100,000 trees
in Bahrain
December 15, 2023
RIYADH: The Saudi National Center for
Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has initiated the
planting of 100,000 trees as part of the initiative to plant 1 million trees in
several proposed locations in the Bahraini capital, Manama.
The initiative titled “Planted in Saudi
Arabia to be Grown in Bahrain” aims to increase green areas in Bahrain,
preserve biodiversity, improve citizens’ quality of life, reduce the effects of
climate change, and combat desertification.
In the initiative’s first phase, 30,000
camphor and sidr trees were transferred to the designated locations in Manama,
and work is currently underway to transfer another 70,000 acacia and sidr trees
to complete the planting process.
On this occasion, the Bahraini minister
of municipal affairs and agriculture said that this initiative comes in line
with the national strategy for afforestation of Bahrain and in implementation
of the regional initiative for a green Middle East led by Saudi Arabia.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
26th Saudi relief plane for Gaza arrives
in Egypt
December 15, 2023
EL-ARISH: The 26th Saudi relief plane,
operated by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, arrived at
El-Arish International Airport in Egypt on Thursday.
The plane carried various relief
supplies, including 24 tons of medical and shelter materials, to be transported
to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The assistance comes as part of the
fundraising campaign to aid the Palestinian people in the enclave. It reflects
Saudi Arabia’s longstanding commitment to standing with the Palestinian people
during times of crisis.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi Arabia, World Bank discuss
stronger digital economy growth partnership
December 14, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of
Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha met with a
delegation from the Executive Board of the World Bank Group in Riyadh, the
Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The minister discussed strengthening
partnership and cooperation with the World Bank in developing digital economy
policies and digital government, promoting innovation, and adopting artificial
intelligences.
He said that progress achieved under
Vision 2030 was reflected in the World Bank’s Digital Government Index, which
placed the Kingdom third in the world.
Saudi Arabia has also seen a rise in the
number of skilled digital workers in the sector from 150,000 to 354,000 men and
women, along with an increase in women’s participation from 7 percent to 35
percent, which is higher than the average of the G20, the EU, and Silicon
Valley, he added.
Al-Swaha highlighted the Kingdom’s
efforts to digitize and transform government business and services to the
cloud, a move that has attracted $4.4 billion in investment from major
international companies to establish cloud service areas in 2023 alone.
Saudi Arabia has also stimulated
innovation and enabled digital entrepreneurship to become the first destination
for venture capital in the region, with funding of almost $1 billion.
The visiting World Bank delegation also
met with a team from the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen
to review the joint transport development projects being implemented in the
country.
The Saudi team outlined the program’s
development projects and initiatives aimed at improving education, health care,
water, energy, transportation, agriculture and fisheries, and capacity building
of government institutions across Yemen.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi FM and UK’s David Cameron discuss
Gaza ceasefire, aid in London
December 14, 2023
LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister
Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David
Cameron during his visit to London, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on
Thursday.
The two sides discussed developments in
the Gaza Strip and surrounding areas, and the need to take the necessary steps
for a ceasefire and to ensure the violence does not spread, the ministry said
in a statement.
Prince Faisal stressed the importance of
the international community, especially the permanent members of the UN
Security Council, including the UK, intensifying efforts aimed at a ceasefire,
as well as providing secure relief corridors to deliver humanitarian, food and
medical aid to the Gaza Strip.
The meeting, which was held in the
presence of the Saudi Ambassador to the UK, Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin
Sultan, also reviewed relations between the two countries.
Cameron then held a working lunch in
honor of the Saudi minister and his accompanying delegation.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
KSrelief Convoys Cross Rafah Border to
Deliver Aid to Palestinians in Gaza
14 Dec, 2023
A new batch of Saudi relief convoys
provided by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) today
crossed the Rafah border crossing carrying food, shelter, and medical
assistance to be delivered to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
This aid comes as a part of the fundraising
aid campaign provided to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and within
the framework of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's historic role in standing with
the brotherly Palestinian people in times of crisis.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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----
Pakistan
Islamabad again asks Kabul to take
action against DI Khan attack perpetrators
December 15, 2023
Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan once again on
Thursday called upon the Afghan Interim government to take strong action
against the perpetrators of the heinous attack in Dera Ismail Khan on December
12 and hand them over to Pakistan along with the TTP leadership in Afghanistan.
This comes after a strong demarche was
made to Kabul by Pakistan’s foreign secretary.
Pakistan also demanded strongly worded
statements from the top leadership of Afghanistan (to condemn the attack) as it
would reflect their seriousness in combating this menace of terrorism and to
signal to these terrorist groups that they were not welcome in Afghanistan.
The spokesperson at the Foreign Office
said that Islamabad had noted the statement from Kabul that it will investigate
this terrorist attack. It is a fact that Pakistan expects the Afghan
authorities to take effective action against these terrorist sanctuaries and
hideouts and the results on the ground will speak for themselves of the
effectiveness of the action taken inside Afghanistan.
“We also expect Afghanistan to take
concrete and verifiable steps to prevent the use of Afghan soil by terrorist
entities against Pakistan,” she said at a time when Kabul has chosen to use the
media to interact with Islamabad.
When asked to comment on Afghan interim
government Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid who had washed his hands off the
terrorist attack, she responded, “Pakistan has been a victim of terrorism for
the last several decades. And our reaction, our public reaction and our bilateral
dialogue on these matters are based on facts which have been determined by our
security and law enforcement authorities. And our law enforcement authorities
have determined that terrorist incidents in recent months have their links with
individuals belonging to the TTP or its affiliates who have hideouts and
sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.” Pakistan, said the FO spokesperson,
appreciated the messages of sympathy and condolences from the international
community over Tuesday’s terrorist attack on Pakistan security forces in Dera
Ismail Khan.
“The members of the UN Security Council
have condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack
and expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences. They have also recalled
that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to which Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan is
affiliated, is listed by the Security Council ISIL/ Daesh and Al Qaeda
Sanctions Committee,” she said. In this context, the members of the Security
Council have underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers
and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring
them to justice. They have urged all the States to cooperate actively with the
Government of Pakistan as well as all other relevant authorities in this regard.
When asked about a Tweet from the caretaker Balochistan information minister
suggesting Pakistan should give the US some drone bases particularly to target
Al Qaeda and TTP, the spokesperson appeared to have little patience with the
Tweet which has since been deleted. “I would not like to comment on the
personal remarks of a public official of a province who does not have a foreign
policy portfolio or has a defence portfolio.” Commenting on those that were
directly responsible for the terrorist attack, the FO spokesperson said that
this would be best responded to by law enforcement authorities.
“What I would like to do is invite your
attention to the press release that we issued a couple of days ago, in which we
underlined the involvement of a terrorist group affiliated with the TTP, which
has claimed responsibility for this terrorist incident and Pakistan has called
on Afghanistan to take action against its leadership and those responsible for
this attack,” she pointed out.
When it was pointed out that Kabul has
still not condemned this heinous terrorist attack, she responded, “The first
thing that we expect from any country when such a heinous attack takes place is
an expression of condemnation and sympathy. Pakistan has received such messages
of sympathy from a large number of countries. Afghanistan as it would reflect
their seriousness in combating this menace of terrorism and to signal to these
terrorist groups that they are not welcome in Afghanistan.”
On the visit of the Army Chief to the
United States, the FO spokesperson explained that when any senior official or
public official, government official, visits a foreign country, there is a
process of consultations and preparation.
“And in this case as well before the
visit of the Chief of Army Staff to the United States, a consultation process
was undertaken and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was involved, and we
provided our input in the preparation of this visit. He has been invited by the
relevant US authorities. As explained by ISPR, he is expected to meet with the
relevant defence officials. He is also expected to have engagements with
officials in the State Department and defence related engagements. Further
details you may seek from the ISPR, which I believe will be sharing information
based on the various meetings as they take place,” she said. To suggestions
that Pakistan had an option for a plan for hot pursuit inside Afghanistan to
defend itself, she said, “This question is based on a speculation and a
hypothetical situation. We have made some concrete demands on Afghanistan and
we have made them public with respect to the Tuesday’s terrorist attack. We
expect Afghanistan to take those actions. Afghanistan has said it would
investigate the terror incident; we expect them to do more than investigate but
to take effective concrete action against these terrorist groups and to hand
over the culprits and the TTP leadership to Pakistan.” Pakistan, she said,
strongly denies such reports or speculation of any talks, which are claimed to
be taking place between Pakistan and TTP. “There is absolutely no dialogue
taking place,” she said.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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-----
PM reaffirms Pakistan's support to
Kashmiris; rejects Indian SC verdict as politically-motivated
December 14, 2023
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq
Kakar has reiterated Pakistan's steadfast commitment to supporting the people
of Kashmir in their rightful struggle against Indian subjugation.
Speaking at the Azad Jammu and Kashmir
Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad this evening, he expressed all-out solidarity
with people of Occupied Kashmir facing significant injustices.
The Prime Minister criticized the Indian
Supreme Court's politically-motivated decision, affirming the Indian
Government's unlawful measures of August 5, 2019. He emphasized that India, instead
of being labeled the world's largest democracy, should be recognized as the
world's largest hypocrisy.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar underscored that the
Indian Government's unilateral actions on August 5, 2019, endorsed by the
Indian Supreme Court, blatantly violate international provisions. He asserted
that domestic legislation and judicial decisions cannot absolve India of its
international obligations under UN Security Council resolutions, emphasizing
that any process subject to the Indian Constitution cannot determine Jammu and
Kashmir's final status under international law.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Jammu
and Kashmir is an international dispute, and neither the Indian government nor
its judiciary has the right to take unilateral actions against the will of
other involved parties namely, the Kashmiri people and Pakistan. He stressed
that no Indian court verdict can suppress the aspirations of the Kashmiri
people.
Highlighting the actions of the
Hindutva-driven leadership of India, the Prime Minister condemned the targeting
of defenseless Kashmiri men, women, and children. He lamented the loss of over
96,000 lives, with thousands of women facing molestation and harassment in the
past 34 years. Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar called for an end to these brutalities.
The Prime Minister reminded Indian
leaders that unilateral steps in Jammu and Kashmir cannot legitimize their
occupation or suppress the genuine sentiments of the Kashmiri people. He
rejected illegal and unilateral measures, including gerrymandering of electoral
constituencies, issuance of domicile certificates to outsiders, and additions
to the voters' list, as strategies to alter Kashmir's demography and political
landscape.
Affirming that Kashmir is Pakistan's
jugular vein, the Prime Minister stressed the intrinsic connection between
Pakistan and Kashmir based on geographical proximity, shared history, and
commonality of faith. He asserted that the entire Pakistani leadership, despite
political differences, stands united in supporting the Kashmiri people's just
struggle for self-determination.
Discussing Pakistan-India relations, the
Prime Minister expressed Pakistan's desire for good neighborly relations with
New Delhi. However, he emphasized that durable peace in South Asia hinges on
resolving the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Pakistan advocates constructive
engagement and result-oriented dialogue but notes that India's unabated
hostility has hindered progress. He called on India to create an enabling
environment for meaningful dialogue.
Responding to Indian leaders'
belligerent statements about Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan, Anwaar-ul-Haq
Kakar asserted that Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint. He warned against
misconceptions, emphasizing Pakistan's resilience in the face of challenges
while safeguarding its sovereignty and interests.
The Prime Minister appealed to people of
conscience to urge India to refrain from unilateral actions, revoke measures of
August 5, 2019, and assure that demographic composition and property ownership
in Jammu and Kashmir remain unchanged. He demanded that India cease human
rights violations, repeal emergency laws, and withdraw heavy military presence
from Kashmiri areas.
Moreover, the Prime Minister said that
India grant unrestricted access to UN, OIC, human rights organizations, and
international media for investigating and reporting on the IIOJK situation. He
called for full implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions,
allowing Kashmiris to exercise their right to self-determination through a
UN-supervised plebiscite, as promised by India, Pakistan, and the international
community.
Paying tribute to Kashmiri martyrs, the
Prime Minister affirmed Pakistan's unwavering resolve to stand with Kashmiri
brothers and sisters in their just struggle.
Source: radio.gov.pk
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-----
Toshakhana case: Imran’s two-day
physical remand approved
December 15, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The Accountability Court,
Islamabad Judge, Muhammad Bashir, approved a two-day physical remand of Imran
Khan in the Toshakhana case here on Thursday.
The Deputy Prosecutor General of NAB,
Sardar Mazhar Abbasi, and the investigation team appeared before the court
after the NAB sought a seven-day physical remand of the former prime minister.
The NAB team argued that thorough
investigation was needed in the Toshakhana case, requiring the physical remand
of the accused.
Despite objections from the defence
counsel, the court granted a two-day physical remand. Subsequently, the court
adjourned the hearing till December 16.
A day earlier, the court dismissed
Khan’s interim bail in the case after Judge Muhammad Bashir announced the
verdict on the former premier’s plea, which was reserved earlier. The court
said that Khan will remain and be interrogated in prison.
Following the order, NAB also arrested
the former prime minister, who is already imprisoned in the cipher case.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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-----
LHC larger bench hears Imran’s pleas
against ECP today
December 15, 2023
LAHORE: A Lahore High Court larger bench
would hear on Friday (today) petitions by jailed former prime minister Imran
Khan against multiple actions of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
including his five-year disqualification in Toshakhana case and cancellation of
PTI`s party polls held last year.
The bench is headed by Justice Shahid
Bilal Hassan and comprises Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza, Justice Shahid Karim,
Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry and Justice Jawad Hassan.
Last week, a senior judge of the high
court had referred the petitions of Imran Khan to the larger bench as it
already seized an identical matter relating to the ECP proceedings against the
former chairman of the PTI.
In the petitions, filed through
Barrister Senator Syed Ali Zafar, Mr Khan said the ECP, despite his clear
explanations for Toshakhana gifts, illegally de-seated him as an MNA from
Mianwali’s NA-95 constituency and directed that a complaint be filed against
him under the Elections Act 2017.
Ex-PM challenges disqualification in
Toshakhana, party poll cancellation cases
He said the ECP also started proceedings
to remove him as PTI chairman, though he secured a stay order from the high
court.
Alleging malice and ulterior motives, Mr
Khan criticised the ECP for instigating baseless legal actions against him
under sections 167 and 173 of the Elections Act 2017 before a session court in
Islamabad.
Mr Khan said that general elections are
slated to be held on Feb 8, but the ECP denied his fundamental right to contest
polls.
He also accused the ECP of issuing
another illegal order on Oct 23, directing the PTI to hold party elections in
20 days.
The former premier said he had the right
to contest the general and intra-party elections but an attempt was made to
stop him from being the PTI chairman through an ‘illegal’ notification.
Mr Khan asked the court to set aside his
disqualification so that he could contest the upcoming general elections.
He also challenged the ECP order
instructing the PTI to hold fresh intra-party polls.
He asked the LHC to declare that the
intra-party elections conducted on June 10, 2022, were valid by the party`s
constitution.
The larger bench would also hear a
petition of Khan against the ECP proceedings to debar him from heading his
party.
In this case, the court had restrained
the ECP from taking adverse action against Khan.
The ECP started the proceedings against
Khan after disqualifying him from his Mianwali seat in the Toshakhana
reference.
PCB: The Lahore High Court on Thursday
suspended the termination of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director media &
communications Sami Burney.
Advocate Taffazul Haider Rizvi filed a
petition on behalf of Burney and argued before the court that the present
management committee of the PCB was appointed for an interim period with
limited powers.
He alleged that Zaka Ashraf, the
chairman of the committee, had been acting in a dictatorial manner by
appointing its favourites and removing or pressurising the board’s employees to
resign.
He pointed out that the respondent despite
being not qualified to contest election for the office of the PCB chairman
hired over 60 new employees on hefty salaries.
He said the petitioner also became a
target of the respondent chairman’s arbitrariness and was asked to resign
‘voluntarily’.
The counsel said the respondent
terminated the petitioner on Dec 5 after he refused to bow before the
respondent chairman’s pressure.
He argued that the interim management
committee of the PCB was completely bereft of any power to appoint or terminate
any employee. He asked the court to set aside the impugned termination of the
petitioner for being unlawful.
Justice Abid Hussain Chattha suspended
the impugned notification of the petitioner’s termination and sought a reply
from the PCB by second week of January 2024.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1797920/lhc-larger-bench-hears-imrans-pleas-against-ecp-today
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Cipher trial coverage banned as hearings
deemed in-camera
December 15, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The Special Court (Official
Secrets Act) conducting the trial of former prime minister Imran Khan and
ex-foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has barred coverage of its proceedings
on all mainstream media outlets, as well as the social media.
On Thursday, Judge AbualHasnat Mohammad
Zulqarnain accepted the prosecution’s plea — moved under Section 14 of the
Official Secrets Act — to exclude the general public from the hearing of the
cipher case.
As per this section, the prosecution may
move an application to exclude the public from the hearing of a case registered
under the Official Secrets Act, but the passing of the sentence will, in any
case, take place in public.
In his written order, Judge Zulqarnain
barred print, electronic and social media from reporting the proceedings and
evidence presented in the cipher case, and declared that its proceedings would
be held in-camera.
Aleema says Imran’s sons may move UK
court to ensure fair trial
After the hearing, Special Prosecutor
Raja Rizwan Abbasi told journalists that the trial would be conducted in-camera
from now on. He said that since the case was registered under sections 5 and 9
of the Official Secrets Act, the trial should be conducted behind closed doors.
He said the court had framed charges
against the accused and the process of their indictment has been completed,
even though they did not sign the charge sheet. The court would now start
recording statements of witnesses, he said.
Similar orders have also been issued in
the past on cases pertaining to national security, such as the Mumbai attacks
case. However, in that matter, reporters were able to pose questions to lawyers
after they emerged from the courtroom, who would share details about the day’s
proceedings, which would then be reported by the press.
Incidentally, the Mumbai attacks case is
also currently pending before the same judge.
But while Thursday’s order in the cipher
case restrained the family members of the accused from sharing any details of
the proceedings with the media, or on social, it did not mention whether
lawyers would be able to share updates on proceedings or not.
Talking to reporters, Mr Qureshi’s
counsel Barrister Taimur Malik said that the judge had read out the charges,
but the court did not ask the accused to sign the charge sheet.
Mr Khan’s sister Aleema Khan told
journalists that her nephews would file a lawsuit in UK courts as they believed
the ex-PM has been denied a fair trial. Meanwhile, an accountability court in
Islamabad handed over custody of Mr Khan to NAB in the Toshakhana case.
NAB’s prosecutor sought a seven-day
physical remand but the judge granted only a two-day remand and adjourned the
case until Saturday.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1797972
-----
Timely elections crucial for eradicating
terrorism: JI chief
2023-12-15
LAHORE. Chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Sirajul
Haq has emphasized the necessity of a government with the mandate of the people
for establishing peace and prosperity in the country.
According to media cell of JI at
Mansoora, speaking at a public meeting on Thursday, he asserted that timely
elections are crucial for eradicating terrorism.
During the event, local leaders Saeed
Ahmed Khan and Muhammad Alam, along with hundreds of people from their tribe,
announced their decision to join JI. He expressed condolence to the families of
the martyrs of Pakistan Army in D.I. Khan terrorist incident and prayed for the
quick recovery of the injured. He said the nation and the army are on the same
page for the defence of the country.
Haq attributed economic damage to bad
governance and corruption, holding the former ruling parties accountable for
the people's plight. He criticized these parties for prioritizing personal
gain, securing their self-interests, and exploiting the country's resources,
while the common man suffered without opportunities to make ends meet.
Haq highlighted the stark reality that a
majority of the population in the country lacks basic facilities, with millions
suffering from drinking contaminated water and over 25 million children out of
school due to poverty.
The JI leader contended that the former
ruling parties were lacking a coherent narrative in the ongoing election
campaign, accusing them of repeating old slogans and deceiving the public. He
said the tested parties should present before the public their past
performances in power rather than resorting to falsehoods. He asserted that the
track record of the former ruling parties was dismal and emphasized that the
people's only viable option in the upcoming election is the JI. He urged voters
to choose the JI to bring about genuine change, asserting that even if given
another opportunity, the tested parties would be incapable of putting the
country on the right track.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40278760/timely-elections-crucial-for-eradicating-terrorism-ji-chief
------
South Asia
US envoy meets Islamic Cooperation
Officials to discuss Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
December 14, 2023
Thomas West, the United States special
envoy to Afghanistan, has announced that in his meeting with the Organization
of Islamic Cooperation officials, he discussed issues such as the humanitarian
and economic challenges in Afghanistan, refugees, and the rights of women and
girls.
Mr West stated on Wednesday on his
social media platform X that he met with Tariq Ali Bakheet, the special
representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for Afghanistan, as
part of his regional trip.
According to Mr. West, he had an
extensive discussion with the special representative of the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation and his colleagues about addressing the humanitarian and
economic challenges in Afghanistan, Afghan refugees, the rights of women and
girls, and other issues related to Afghanistan.
The United States special envoy for Afghanistan
expressed gratitude for the support of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
for Afghanistan and announced the continuation of their assistance in food
security, access to clean water, and immediate humanitarian needs in the
country.
Earlier, Mr West had reported on Tuesday
about the conclusion of his meetings with Pakistani and Qatari officials,
United Nations personnel, and several Afghan citizens in Qatar.
The United States’ special envoy for
Afghanistan announced last week the start of his ten-day trip to several
countries, including Pakistan, emphasizing that these travels would continue
until Friday, 15 December.
On the other hand, he stated that his
trip and meetings with officials from four countries aimed to discuss the
situation in Afghanistan, including political, security, economic,
humanitarian, and refugee issues.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/us-envoy-meets-islamic-cooperation-officials-to-discuss-afghanistan/
-----
Pakistan Trying to Pressure Kabul With
Refugees: Minister
NaweedSamad
Dec 15, 2023
The acting Minister of Borders and
Tribal Affairs, Noorullah Noori, criticized the deportation of refugees by
Pakistan, saying that Islamabad is seeking to put pressure on the Islamic
Emirate through the deportation of Afghan refugees.
Speaking at a gathering in Kabul held in
the Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs, Noori called Pakistan’s decision to
deport Afghan refugees “cruel”.
"The neighboring country has made a
very cruel and unkind decision which is in contrast with all international law
and manners. One of the reasons it made such a decision is that they thought
Afghanistan has a new administration with low capacity and that it may be
unable to control it," he said.
Noori also stressed the need for an
improvement of education across Afghanistan and for all citizens to have equal
rights without discrimination.
“We need knowledge. I accept it that
knowledge is a need, and a human without knowledge is blind,” he said.
Meanwhile, some participants of the
gathering called on the Islamic Emirate to treat the people with fair behavior
based on Islamic Sharia.
"The people in Afghanistan are
suffering from lack of a united law ... ," said Mohammad Khanjani, a
participant.
The acting Minister of Borders and
Tribal Affairs referred to the meetings of the Islamic Emirate abroad, saying
that the people who attended the meetings have been tested in Afghanistan over
the past 20 years.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186491
------
Complaints Persist of Afghan Refugees
Mistreated by Pakistani Police
December 14, 2023
Several legal Afghan refugees in
Pakistan complained about the continued misbehavior of the Pakistani police.
According to their accounts, even though
they have legal documents for staying in the country, the police harass them.
They want the Islamic Emirate to pay
serious attention to their issue.
“They are harassed a lot when they go out or
want to do their work, some of them are harassed by the police, and ask for
documents,” said Farhad, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan.
“The UNHCR, in general, pays no
attention to the refugees, we can’t appeal to them, because this is a symbolic
organization and pays no attention to refugees,” said Samiullah Azizi, a human
rights activist.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani media reported
that the cabinet of the caretaker government of Pakistan on Wednesday decided
to extend the deadline for those who have been residing in the country without
proper documentation, but are waiting on their cases for immigration to Western
countries.
“The caretaker cabinet of the federal
government on Wednesday extended the deadline for those illegal Afghans who are
waiting for the evacuation in the Western countries,” said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch,
the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan.
At the same time, the General Consulate
of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi said that about 430 documented Afghan
refugees have been released from Pakistani prisons.
Takhari told TOLOnews that the detention
of Afghans in Pakistan has decreased now.
“A large number of Afghans who had documents
were arrested, now by the efforts of the Islamic Emirate, 427 documented prisoners were released and
returned to their families. There are also 459 Afghan [detainees] without documents,”
Said Abdul JabarTakhari, the General Consulate of Afghanistan in Karachi.
In a meeting between the Italian Chargé
d'Affaires for Afghanistan Natalia Quintavalle with the acting minister of
foreign affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi, they discussed the forced deportation of
Afghan refugees from Pakistan among other issues.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186492
----
30 Indian war veterans arrive in Dhaka
to celebrate Victory Day
Dec 15, 2023
On the 52nd anniversary of the
Liberation War, 30 Indian war veterans and six serving officers of Indian Armed
Forces have reached Dhaka to participate in Victory Day celebrations.
"These visits provide a platform to
celebrate our friendship and to renew the memories of the Liberation War,"
according to Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
To commemorate the Liberation War of
1971, India and Bangladesh invite each other's war veterans and serving
officers to participate annually in their Victory Day celebrations.
On the 52nd anniversary of the
Liberation War, 30 valiant Muktijoddhas and six serving officers of Bangladesh
Armed Forces departed for India on Thursday to participate in "Vijay
Diwas" celebrations at Kolkata.
Similarly, 30 Indian war veterans and
six serving officers of Indian Armed Forces reached Dhaka to participate in
Bangladesh's Victory Day celebration.
These bilateral visits provide a
platform for Bangladeshi Muktijoddhas and Indian War Veterans to celebrate the
unique friendship of the two countries and to renew memories of the Liberation
War, which epitomises the shared sacrifices of the armed forces of India and
Bangladesh for the cause of Bangladesh's freedom from occupation, oppression,
and mass atrocities, said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/30-indian-war-veterans-arrive-dhaka-celebrate-victory-day-3495071
-----
Deadline extended for Afghan refugees in
Pakistan; overstay fines set at $100 per month
Fidel Rahmati
December 14, 2023
The caretaker federal cabinet of
Pakistan extended the deadline for the repatriation of Afghan nationals without
proper documentation to February 29, 2024, on Wednesday. This extension aims to
aid those waiting to relocate to Western countries under their respective
resettlement plans.
Caretaker Information Minister Murtaza
Solangi, at a press conference in Islamabad, announced the deadline extension
from the initial date of December 31, according to Dawn.
The decision aims to encourage Afghan
nationals to either obtain legal documents or finalize evacuation arrangements
to a third country as soon as possible.
New regulations state that Afghan
nationals lacking legal documents or processing fees and planning to leave for
a third country will be fined $400 for overstaying, reduced from the previous
$800.
Post-deadline, overstaying Afghan
nationals will incur a fine of $100 per month, with a maximum limit of $800.
The Pakistani federal cabinet was
briefed that approximately 450,000 Afghan nationals have returned to
Afghanistan, with the majority doing so voluntarily. This return to their
native country marks a significant movement of people in the region.
However, Following the October 2023
deadline set by the Pakistani government for Afghan refugees to leave, nearly
half a million Afghans were deported from Pakistan. This large-scale
deportation occurred amidst substantial criticism from both national and
international human rights organizations.
The United Nations has highlighted that
most of the repatriated Afghans are in a vulnerable state. These individuals
now face the challenge of rebuilding their lives without adequate shelter.
The situation is further exacerbated by
the harsh winter conditions in Afghanistan, posing additional hardships for the
recently returned Afghan population struggling to find suitable living
conditions in their homeland.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/deadline-extended-for-afghan-refugees-in-pakistan-overstay-fines-set-at-100-per-month/
-----
Deputy PM Abdul Kabir Returns to Work
After 3 Months
December 14, 2023
The Deputy Prime Minister for Political
Affairs, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, has returned to work after a three-month absence
due to health issues, according to the Arg.
Earlier, TOLOnews reported on the
absence of Mawlawi Abdul Kabir in official meetings.
However, on Wednesday, the Arg said on X
that the deputy political prime minister has returned to his office and is in
good health.
“My health worsened and the doctor
recommended that I rest. I was resting at home for one month and I was under
treatment. Some made propaganda that I had traveled to a neighboring country
for treatment but that was untrue and I was at home,” Abdul Kabir said.
The political analysts said that the
senior officials of the Islamic Emirate need to be present at meetings.
“At the current situation, his (Kabir’s
presence) is important because he is a member of the leadership and also a
political deputy. He might be able to find solutions for many problems with
meeting people and the international community,” said Amanullah Hotaki, a
political analyst.
“I hope the cabinet of the Prime
Minister makes good progress in governance regarding the political and economic
situation of the country,” said Janat Fahim Chakari, political analyst.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir met with the former
Japanese ambassador Takashi Okada on September 4.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186488
-----
Southeast Asia
POS Malaysia Launches Special Stamps In
Solidarity With Palestinian Struggle
14 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: In a show of solidarity
with the Palestinian people's struggle, Pos Malaysia launched a special
"Palestin Merdeka" stamp set that will be available from Jan 18 next
year.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil
said the launch of the special stamps was not merely symbolic but signifies the
solidarity and full support of the Malaysian people for the Palestinian
struggle for independence and peace.
"We will consider, perhaps after
the launch of the stamps or after they are available in the market, discussing
with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to organise a campaign to send
letters urging a ceasefire,” he Said after officiating the launch of the
special stamps on Thursday (Dec 14), which would be sold online at
www.pos.com.my/shop and all post offices and Pos Malaysia Philately Bureau at RM32.50
per set.
Other than the complete set, the stamps
can also be purchased separately in a sheet of 20 stamps at a price of RM26, a
First Day Cover at RM0.50 and a folder at RM6.
Fahmi said that this was the third time
stamps related to Palestine were issued, with the first in 1978 and the second
in 1982, demonstrating the steadfast commitment of the Malaysian Government and
people in supporting the Palestinian struggle over the years.
A portion of the proceeds from the sales
of the stamps will be directed to the Humanitarian Trust Fund for the People of
Palestine (AAKRP) under the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
These funds will be distributed through
the Ops Ihsan initiative, a collaboration between the Malaysian Government and
53 non-governmental humanitarian organisations (NGOs) to provide humanitarian
aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.
Also present at the launch were Pos
Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Syed Faisal Albar and Pos Malaysia Group chief
executive officer Charles Brewer.- Bernama
Source: thestar.com.my
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-----
Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia’s silver
jubilee celebration showcases the richness of Islamic art
14 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — The public can
delve into Islamic art and culture, encompassing a history and cultural journey
of over 1,000 years from East Asia to West Africa, through two exhibitions held
in conjunction with the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) silver anniversary
celebration.
The exhibitions, “A Journey Through
Islamic Art” and “Alif Lam Ra: Contemporary Muslim Calligraphy”, taking place
at IAMM until June next year, showcase a variety of historical artefacts and
Islamic art for visitors to appreciate.
IAMM curator Hariz Ahmad Kamal said that
each artefact displayed in the “A Journey Through Islamic Art” exhibition is
part of the museum’s collection gathered over the years and produced from
various materials.
“The exhibition showcases the diversity
of aesthetic elements in Islamic art. This is because each artefact has its own
story,” he told Bernama.
Four royal swords from the Mughal Empire
in India, dating from the 15th to the early 18th century, belonging
respectively to Emperor Akbar, who reigned from 1556 to 1605, Emperor Jahangir
(1605-1627), Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1666), and Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1707),
are displayed in the exhibition.
Also on display is the golden finial
that once adorned the throne of Tipu Sultan, famously known as the Tiger of
Mysore, from the Mysore Sultanate in Seringapatam, South India, during the 18th
century. It is believed to have been seized by the British forces after Tipu
Sultan’s defeat to the East India Company in the Anglo-Mysore War.
Among the initial collections of IAMM
showcased is a set of 30 volumes of the Hui Quran from the Qing Dynasty in the
17th century. They are adorned with Chinese motifs such as cloud patterns or
peony flower buds and are written with only three to five lines on each page
for each juz (part).
Additionally, a 10-metre-long red carpet
with palm motifs, crafted using sheep’s wool and silk during the Safavid era in
the mid-17th century, is expected to captivate visitors’ attention as one of
the finest carpets from the Persian heyday.
Meanwhile, the “Alif Lam Ra:
Contemporary Muslim Calligraphy” exhibition showcases the evolution of
calligraphy as the highest form of expression in Islam.
The exhibition features the works of 42
contemporary Islamic calligraphers from various countries, including notable
calligraphers such as FuadKouichi Honda from Japan, AzraAghighi (Iran), Charles
Hossein Zenderoudi (Iran), Ahmad Moustafa (Mesir), Nasser Al-Aswadi (Yaman),
NjaMahdoui (Tunisia) dan Khaled Al Saai (Syria).
Hariz added that both exhibitions
highlight IAMM’s role as a preserver, conservator and educator in driving the
direction of Islamic art and culture branches in Malaysia since its opening on
December 12, 1998. Overall, IAMM has over 13,000 collections of Islamic art
artefacts, but only 2,500 are on display in its 12 permanent galleries during
its 25-year existence.
A student from a local college, Gan Joe
Ren, 18, said the exhibitions allowed him to witness the grandeur of Islam worldwide.
“I’m fond of Islamic art. It’s not messy
but rather highly organised, almost like geometry. Through this art, I can
observe the history and cultural aspects of the community’s way of life,” he
said.
As for Ong Wei En, 18, she admires
Islamic art and hopes to explore it more in the future.
“I find the culture very fascinating,
and I like how symmetric and satisfying everything is. I like how they put
Arabic words and the Quran into art, and I find it very interesting... I would
like to explore more about it,” she said.
Both exhibitions, featuring nearly 150
historical artefacts from the eighth century to modern calligraphic paintings,
were officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last Tuesday.
More information on both exhibitions is
available on IAMM’s Instagram pages @Islamicartsmuseummalaysia and
@Islamicartsmuseumeevents. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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------
Local Government Development Ministry:
RM2.65m approved for maintenance of 20 non-Islamic houses of worship in KL
14 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — The Ministry of
Local Government Development (KPKT) has approved financial assistance worth
RM2.65 million for the maintenance of 20 non-Islamic houses of worship (RIBI)
here.
The KPKT, in a statement today, said six
of the 20 RIBI had received financial aid of RM294,029 while the rest will be
distributed next year.
The KPKT also said that it is
responsible for implementing the RIBI maintenance initiative involving
financial assistance of RM50 million for 370 applications nationwide through
Budget 2023, which is for the maintenance and repair work of the premises to
provide comfort to worshippers.
The statement also said the assistance
was handed over to its minister Ng Kor Ming during a ceremony at St Mary’s
Cathedral here today.
“The KPKT is committed to implementing this
initiative professionally, efficiently and transparently to ensure the
allocation under this initiative can be distributed fairly and equally to the
eligible RIBI organisations,” it added. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Over one million free treatments given under
Madani scheme
15 Dec 2023
THE Madani Medical Scheme has provided
over one million free treatments for minor ailments at private clinics since it
was introduced on June 15, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said.
He said 1,005,645 minor treatments were
given to 785,623 patients at 2,506 private clinics at a cost of RM62.5 million.
“The government has shown continuous
commitment to this scheme by providing an allocation of RM100 million under
Budget 2024 so the scheme can continue next year.
“The Health Ministry and ProtectHealth
will continue to shore up the work process to raise the involvement of private
clinics to allow lower-income groups greater access to quality healthcare
services,” he said in a statement today.
The Madani Medical Scheme is a
government initiative to cover the medical needs of the B40 group, and is
offered automatically to Rahmah Cash Aid recipients for the treatment of minor
ailments at private clinics.
Eligibility checks for the scheme can be
made at the ProtectHealth website and on the Madani Medical Scheme and
MySejahtera apps. – Bernama, December 15, 2023.
Source: thevibes.com
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https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/100373/over-one-million-free-treatments-given-under-madani-scheme
-----
Africa
”Buhari miraculously escaped deadly gas
poisoning as president” – Islamic group reveals
Jerry Wright-Ukwu
December 14, 2023
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has
revealed that former President Muhammadu Buhari survived a deadly gas poisoning
while in office.
Prof. Ishaq Akintola, the Executive
Director of MURIC, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
“This was a president who miraculously
escaped the most deadly assassination attempt in history. He was exposed to the
most perfect gas poisoning plot of all time and was pronounced dead by his
adversaries on different occasions.
”But like the cat with nine lives,
Buhari lived on. Of course, this attempt on his life took its toll on him as he
laid incommunicado for five months,” Akintola said.
Addressing critics of the former
president, Akintola said:
“We as a group always find it amusing
when some people try to rubbish the achievements of ex-President Muhammadu
Buhari. He stands tall among all past leaders of Nigeria.
“Apart from the first prime minister of
Nigeria, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, the former Sardauna of Sokoto, AlhajiAhmadu
Bello and former military head of state, Muritala Muhammed, no other Nigerian
leader stands to be counted for altruism, patriotism, transparency, credibility
and integrity like Muhammadu Buhari.
“Those who describe Buhari as a failure
are either being deliberately mischievous for the purpose of scoring cheap
political points or suffering from collective amnesia. Judged from the
standpoint of the circumstances of the time, Buhari achieved a lot for
Nigeria.”
He added: “Seventeen out of Nigeria’s
774 Local Government Areas were under the full control of Boko Haram when
Buhari took over in 2015. It was so bad that the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC) said Boko Haram was controlling the size of Belgium.
”But Buhari pushed them back and
recovered all territories. Nigerian troops who used to flee to Niger or Chad
during fierce clashes with insurgents due to lack of better weapons became
emboldened under the Daura-born president.
“This was made possible because instead
of diverting funds meant for weapons and military hardware, Buhari made
Nigeria’s money count. He strengthened the military by purchasing the most
sophisticated weaponry from everywhere in the world, including American Tucano
fighting jets and attack helicopters.”
“His list of achievements includes, but
not limited to, the Mambilla Hydropower project of 3050 megawatts, which he
started 40 years after it was abandoned.
”Buhari reduced out-of-school pupils
from 10.5 million to 8.6 million in two years according to statistics from both
UNICEF and UNESCO and introduced the feeding of over five million pupils every
school day in 19 states.
“Buhari also increased savings in the
Excess Crude Account and increased foreign reserves to 40 billion dollars from
29 billion dollars, which he inherited. He constantly bailed out states with
trillions of naira to be able to pay workers and run their governments.
”He reduced monthly import bills from 5
billion dollars to 1.5 billion dollars. The N-Power Volunteer Scheme created
jobs for hundreds of thousands of unemployed graduates in all 36 states, and
the FCT.” he added.
Source: politicsnigeria.com
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https://politicsnigeria.com/buhari-miraculously-escaped-deadly-gas-poisoning-as-president-islamic-group-reveals/
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South Africa security forces ramp up
clampdown on illegal miners
15-12- 2023
Security forces in South Africa have
ramped up a clampdown on illegal miners.
On Thursday (Dec. 14), dozens of army
and police searched shacks, seizing mining equipment in the Soul City
settlement near Kagiso, west of Johannesburg, AFP reporters saw.
More than 70 people, mostly undocumented
migrants, were held over two days in the area, which lies near disused gold
mines, the provincial police commissioner told the media.
Some were arrested for drug dealing and
possession of illegal firearms, he added.
Along with high unemployment and illegal
immigration, rampant crime has become a key political issue ahead of general
elections next year.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told a passing
out ceremony for 1,400 new police recruits in the central city of Kimberly on
Thursday that the country was "tired of crime".
He revealed that over 250,000 arrests
were made and 3,200 firearms seized since authorities launched a crackdown on
criminality in May.
Commonly known as "zamazamas"
("those who try" in the Zulu language), thousands of informal miners
operate in mineral-rich South Africa.
The Johannesburg region in particular is
dotted with slag heaps, shafts and deep trenches left by generations of miners,
whose arrival in a gold rush in the 1880s led to the birth of the city.
Many informal miners are from other
countries, living and working in arduous conditions in the clandestine pits.
Their activities are seen as a source of
criminality by locals.
Access to the old mines is often
controlled by gangs that sometimes fight for territorial control.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/15/south-africa-security-forces-ramp-up-clampdown-on-illegal-miners/
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Nigeria: the State "must take
additional measures" for the economy - World Bank
14-12- 2023
The World Bank recognises the efforts
made by the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to improve Nigeria's
economic situation, but insists on the need for further reforms, in a
half-yearly report published on Wednesday.
It is "time to turn the corner by
implementing fiscal and monetary measures in the short and medium term",
recommended Shubham Chaudhuri, the Bank's Director in Nigeria, in a press
release.
The institution is expecting
"results" in the continent's largest economy, which is also one of
the countries with the highest poverty levels.
As soon as he took office in May,
Nigeria's new president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, launched two major reforms designed
to restore public finances and attract foreign investment: the end of fuel
subsidies and the liberalisation of the naira, the national currency.
These measures had an immediate impact
on the country's economy, with fuel prices tripling and inflation rising to
more than 27% in October over the previous twelve months.
Since May, the naira has lost 41% of its
value against the dollar on the official currency market and 30% on the
parallel market, and food prices have risen by more than 31%.
Poverty in Africa's most populous
country has risen from 40% in 2018 to 46% in 2023, according to the World Bank,
affecting 104 million people in 2023 compared with 79 million five years
earlier.
These reforms were "essential"
and "going in the right direction", according to the World Bank, but
"additional measures need to be taken", starting with remedying the
"lack of transparency on oil revenues" and the gains made to public
finances by the end of fuel subsidies.
The objective is to achieve "annual
growth of 3.5% over the period 2023-2026", i.e. "0.5 points higher
than if the reforms had not been launched", according to the Bretton Woods
institution.
When presenting his budget to parliament
at the end of November, President Tinubu appealed to the population's patience
and assured them that the negative effects of his measures would be temporary.
He expects inflation to fall to 21.4% and growth to reach at least 3.76% in
2024.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/14/nigeria-the-state-must-take-additional-measures-for-the-economy-world-bank/
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Hamas attack: Tanzania announces the
death of its 2nd missing national
14-12- 2023
Tanzania announced on Thursday the death
of its second and latest national missing since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7
October, a 21-year-old student.
"We have been informed by the
Israeli government that Joshua Mollel, a young Tanzanian studying in Israel
with whom we have lost contact since 7 October 2023 (...) was killed
immediately after being captured by Hamas", Tanzanian Foreign Minister
January Makamba said on X (ex-Twitter).
The government is arranging for Joshua
Mollel's relatives, including his father, to travel to Israel to meet the
authorities and "obtain more details", Mr Makamba continued.
Two Tanzanian students taking part in
the same programme went missing after the attack on 7 October.
In November, the Tanzanian authorities
announced the death of the first, 22-year-old Clémence Félix Mtenga, without
specifying the circumstances of his death.
Of the 250 or so hostages and bodies
taken on 7 October in the Gaza Strip on the day of the Hamas attack, 135 are
still being held by Hamas and its allies, according to the latest figures
released on Tuesday by the Israeli authorities, before Tanzania announced the death
of its second national.
To date, 110 hostages have been released
(105 during the seven-day truce at the end of November and five before the
truce): 33 minors, 49 adult women and 28 adult men, mainly Thai farm workers.
Since the war began more than two months
ago, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has now exceeded 18,600, mainly women,
children and people under the age of 18, according to the Hamas Ministry of
Health.
Israel promised to destroy Hamas after
the massive attack on 7 October by commandos from the Islamist movement who
infiltrated southern Israel from Gaza, which left around 1,200 people dead,
most of them civilians, according to the authorities.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/14/hamas-attack-tanzania-announces-the-death-of-its-2nd-missing-national/
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Senegal court clears jailed opposition
figure for presidential run
14-12- 2023
A Senegalese judge in Dakar has ordered
the reinstatement of OusmaneSonko on the electoral rolls, reviving the
imprisoned opponent's bid for the February 2024 presidential election. One of
Sonko's lawyers, BambaCisse, said that "above all, it was a question of
respecting the right to vote. The Senegalese people want to vote for a
candidate of their choice and freely choose their president".
OusmaneSonko was struck off the
electoral roll after being sentenced in June to two years' imprisonment for
morally corrupting a young person.
He has been at the centre of a stand-off
with the state that has lasted more than two years and sparked several episodes
of deadly unrest.
In ordering Sonko's reinstatement, the
judge in the capital Dakar confirmed a ruling in October by a court in
Ziguinchor, the southern city where Sonko is mayor.
Last month, the West African nation's
top court had disagreed with that regional court ruling.
But it nevertheless decided that Sonko's
case should go back to the Dakar court.
Sonko now has until December 26 to
present his candidacy for the February poll and obtain the necessary
sponsorships.
Jubilant supporters of Sonko -- who is
particularly popular among the under-20s that make up half the population --
were in court on Thursday and shouted his name after the ruling.
One of his lawyers, CireCledor Ly, said
the state could lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court but that would not stop
Thursday's decision being implemented immediately.
"The electoral code is very clear.
When the judge gives his decision, this decision must be immediately carried out,"
he said.
Sonko, 49, was convicted in absentia on
June 1 of morally corrupting a young person and sentenced to two years in
prison. He condemned the trial as a plot to exclude him from the presidential
election.
In late July, he was arrested on other charges
including fomenting insurrection, criminally associating with a terrorist body
and endangering state security.
He has periodically been on hunger
strikes since then.
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/14/senegal-court-clears-jailed-opposition-figure-for-presidential-run/
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Kaduna bombing: NGF demands probe, group
warns troublemakers
15th December 2023
Godwin Isenyo
The Nigeria Governors Forum has called
for thorough investigations into the accidental drone attacks at TudunBiri,
Igabi Local Government, Kaduna State, which killed over 100 persons.
The Chairman of the NGF and Kwara State
Governor, AbdulRahmanAbdulRazak, made the call during a condolence visit to
Kaduna on Thursday.
AbdulRazak said he visited on behalf of
the 36 governors of the federation,
adding that the incident must be probed and anyone culpable brought to book.
The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani,
thanked the NGF Chairman for the show of support and solidarity in the state’s
moment of grief.
He also expressed appreciation to his
colleague for visiting Kaduna to condole with the government and people.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that
the December 3 accidental air strikes killed over 100 and left many others
injured.
Meanwhile, a group, Kaduna State Patriot
and Good Governance Forum, has warned against the exploitation of the Kaduna
tragedy for parochial gains.
The President of the group, Awwal Aliyu,
spoke at a press conference in Kaduna on
Thursday against the backdrop of a N33bn lawsuit said to have been
instituted by one DalhatuSalihu against the Federal Government over the
incident.
Aliyu urged the TudunBiri community to
be wary of those he described as “conflict entrepreneurs” cashing in on the
incident for the sake of benefiting from it.
He said, “We are aware of a lawsuit
filed by one Mukhtar Usman Esq, counsel for one AlhajiDalhatuSalihu, who is
claiming to have done so on behalf of the villagers. They are demanding an apology
in three national dailies and N33bn compensation.
“While it is the villagers’ right to
seek legal redress, we wish to caution them to be wary so as not to fall into
the trap of idle lawyers who don’t genuinely care about their predicament but
rather are more concerned about dispossessing them of the little assistance
they have got from good-spirited individuals.
“While acknowledging the strides made in
addressing this unfortunate incident by different groups and stakeholders, we
want to urge lawyers and politicians to refrain from politicising the
situation.
“It is crucial that we maintain a united
front and work towards resolving these challenges collectively, rather than
exploiting them for personal or political gain. They should also be wary of
taking briefs from urban jobbers who don’t have a direct connection with the
victims they claim to be fighting for.”
Source: punchng.com
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https://punchng.com/kaduna-bombing-ngf-demands-probe-group-warns-troublemakers/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/krishna-janmabhoomi-mathura-shahi-idgah/d/131317