Bombay HC Rejects Love Jihad: Grants Pre-Arrest Bail, Says Interfaith Relations Can Not Have Religious Angle by Default
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 March 2023
• Pakistan is Home to at Least 12 Terrorist
Organizations, Nikki Haley Says
• All Elements of Doha Agreement Should be
implemented: Senior Taliban Member Annas Haqani
• Abu Dhabi's Stunning New Multi-Faith Complex
"Abrahamic Family House” Is A Mosque, Synagogue and Church
• UK's 'Prevent' Program Legitimizes Racist Attitudes towards
Muslims: Expert
India
• Kashmiri Pandit Killing: Valley-based Pandit
Organisation Seeks Removal of Governor and Action against Radical Elements
• Association of Muslim Professionals conference to be
held in Lucknow
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Pakistan
• Pakistan PM Appoints First Ambassador, Sardar Ramesh
Singh Arora, for Kartarpur Corridor To Woo More Sikh Pilgrims
• Pakistan SC rules polls for Punjab, Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa assemblies must be held by April
• Let's Hope Church Recognizes Pakistan’s Modern-Day
Martyr
• Apex court ruling on polls termed ‘constitutional
win’
• Cases filed against PTI leaders, activists for
forcibly entering IHC, Judicial Complex
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South Asia
• Taliban Announce Reopening of Universities, but Only
for Male Students
• Afghanistan Resumes Passport Distribution after
Five-Month Break
• Delawar: Islamic Emirate Wants Good Relations with
Intl Community
• Islamic Emirate officials take over Afghan embassy
in Iran
• Bangladesh struggles to meet Hajj quota as airfares,
inflation soar
• Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan
‘Mohammad Sadiq’ Resigns
• 700,000 people lost their jobs since regime change
in Afghanistan: UN envoy
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Arab World
• Smuggled Iranian weapons seized in Gulf of Oman,
British Royal Navy says
• Top Lebanese intel chief, mediator with Syria steps
down
• UN chief visits Iraq for first time in 6 years
• WHO chief visits opposition-held Syria for first
time after quake
• Saudi Arabia, UK sign defence agreement
• Egypt to use daylight saving time again in a bid to
save energy
--------
Europe
• British Navy says it has seized smuggled Iranian
weapons in Gulf
• Solidarity shown with Türkiye during quake disaster
can open new page in relations: EU
• Germany slams Iran decision to expel 2 diplomats in tit-for-tat
move
--------
North America
• US Slams Israeli Minister’s ‘Disgusting’ Comments
about Palestinian Village
• SpaceX launches UAE, US, Russian astronauts on
voyage to space station
• Why West Bank violence between Israelis and
Palestinians rages on despite US mediation
• UAE space mission launch is scheduled for March 2
after February scratch
• US funded ‘Iran war plan’ in support of Israel’s
anti-Iran saber-rattling: Report
--------
Southeast Asia
• Ipsos Poll: Over One In Two Malaysians Say ‘Live And
Let Live’ On Transgender Persons
• Malaysia vows to continue peace efforts in southern
Philippines
• Guan Eng: There are more Muslim MPs in unity govt
than PN
• TikTok Malaysia says political advertisements are
banned amid claims of biased platform moderator
• Asean can’t stay silent over developments affecting
region, says PM
--------
Mideast
• Houthis Pocket Millions of Dollars of Public Funds
Say UN Experts
• Israel cracks down on rampaging settlers but
Palestinians say it is ‘not enough’
• Palestinian man succumbs to wounds sustained in
Israeli raid on West Bank camp
• Israeli regime's death penalty bill incurs Hamas
outrage
• Palestinian children in Gaza explore world
• Top al-Qaeda figure killed in Yemen air strike:
Sources
• IDF official: 'Can’t promise there won’t be terror
escalation during Ramadan'
• Spokesman: Iran Expels 2 German Diplomats over
Berlin's Interventionist Attitude
• Erdogan says Turkey elections to be held on May 14
• Israeli protesters block highway as government presses
on with judicial overhaul
--------
Africa
• Nigerian President-Elect Tinubu Appeals for Unity
After Hotly Contested Elections
• Guinea to fly back citizens in Tunisia after outcry
• UN slams deployment of South Sudan troops in
disputed region
• Achraf Hakimi’s lawyer denies rape allegations, says
‘accusations are false’
• Tunisia president receives Arab interior ministers
• Nigeria’s new President-elect Bola Tinubu
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/love-jihad-interfaith-religious-bombay/d/129231
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Bombay HC Rejects Love Jihad: Grants Pre-Arrest Bail, Says Interfaith Relations Can Not Have Religious Angle by Default
01 MAR 2023
A relationship cannot be dubbed as a form of `love
Jihad' just because the boy and the girl belong to different religions, the
Bombay High Court has said while granting pre-arrest bail to a Muslim woman and
her family.
A division bench of Justices Vibha Kankanwadi and
Abhay Waghwase in an order of February 26 granted anticipatory bail to the
accused who were denied relief by the local court.
The woman's former lover had alleged that she and her
family forced him to convert to Islam and undergo circumcision.
His lawyer, while opposing the pre-arrest bail
applications of the woman and her family members, also argued that it was a
case of `love jihad'.
Love jihad is a term used by Hindu right-wing
organizations to claim, without evidence, that there is a widespread conspiracy
to lure Hindu women and convert them to Islam through marriage.
Here, though, the accuser was a man.
The High Court rejected the love jihad argument,
pointing out that the man, in the First Information Report, had admitted that
he was in a relationship with the woman and did not end the relationship
despite having several opportunities.
"Merely because the boy and girl are from
different religions, it cannot have a religions angle. It can be a case of pure
love for each other," the court said.
"It appears that now the colour has been tried to
be given of Love-Jihad, but when love is accepted then there is less
possibility of the person being trapped just for converting him into the
other's religion," it added.
As per the prosecution case, the man and woman were in
a relationship since March 2018. The man belonged to a Scheduled Caste
community, but did not disclose this to the woman.
Later, the woman began insisting that he should
convert to Islam and marry her, after which the man disclosed his caste
identity to her parents, he said. They did not object to his caste identity and
convinced their daughter to accept it.
But the relations later turned sour, following which
the man lodged a case against the woman and her family in December 2022.
The High Court, while granting pre-arrest bail to the
woman and her family, said the probe was almost over and hence their custody
would not be necessary.
Source: Outlook India
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original story:
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Pakistan is Home to at Least 12 Terrorist
Organizations, Nikki Haley Says
By Nizamuddin Rezahi
March 2, 2023
Nikki Haley the United States Presidential Candidate
on Wednesday said that Pakistan is home to at least a dozen militant groups,
adding that she will cut US foreign aid to Pakistan if she wins the
election.
During an interview with a TV channel, Haley said
America is not a money machine for bad people, referencing those who harbor,
and support insurgent groups in the region and beyond.
Haley wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that “Pakistan is
home to at least a dozen terrorist organizations”.
The republican candidate in an article in New York
described the government of Pakistan as a hostage to China. As the US
representative at the United Nations, she claims to have convinced former
President Donald Trump to cut annual $2 billion military aid to Pakistan,
because this country trained and supported insurgent groups to kill American
forces.
“Cutting off military aid to Pakistan was a major
success for our forces, taxpayers, and our interests, however, as a president,
I won’t pay a single rupee,” Nikki Haley said.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Haley
criticized the US aid to China, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and Cuba, and pointed out that
money can’t buy friends. She further added, the US sends money to Iraq,
however, this country has an affiliation with Iranian proxy forces.
Cutting US aid to those countries that are not playing
in America’s interest is one of the foreign policy issues Nikki Haley has
seriously addressed so far.
“America cannot be the world’s money machine.”, “As
the president, we are trying to reset foreign policy,” she said on Twitter on
Tuesday.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-is-home-to-at-least-12-terrorist-organizations-nikki-haley-says/
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All Elements of Doha Agreement Should be Implemented:
Senior Taliban Member Annas Haqqani
Annas Haqqani, a senior
Taliban member says that Doha Agreement paved the way to end a prolonged war in
Afghanistan, so other elements of the peace deal should be implemented as well.
------
By Nizamuddin Rezahi
March 1, 2023
Annas Haqqani, a senior Taliban member says that Doha Agreement
paved the way to end a prolonged war in Afghanistan, so other elements of the
peace deal should be implemented as well.
Shahabuddin Delawar, the Minister of Mines and
Petroleum of the Islamic Emirate has said that contrary to the Doha Agreement, the
United States acts against Afghanistan’s political sovereignty by violating the
country’s airspace.
Minister Delawar reiterated that the Taliban interim
government has implemented all elements of the peace agreement, and so should
America remain faithful to its commitments.
Furthermore, Mullah Abdul Ghani Bradar, Taliban’s
Deputy Prime Minister, who signed the agreement with the United States,
emphasized on engaging with the world, while addressing in a gathering which
commemorated the third anniversary of the Doha peace agreement.
Mullah Bradar stated that the Taliban group is fully
committed to engaging with the international community, and so should others
show their genuine intentions in this regard.
Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister criticized the United
States for illegally freezing the assets of Afghanistan Central Bank, and not
allowing the International Community to engage with the Taliban group.
Following nine rounds of discussions, negotiators
signed a peace agreement in February 2020 that addresses four main issues:
Cease-fire
Withdrawal of foreign forces
Intra-Afghan negotiations
Counterterrorism assurances
This comes as many Afghan politicians and political
analysts describe the Doha Agreement between the Taliban and the US, as the
main reason for the collapse of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Contrary to the Taliban members’ claims, the
humanitarian aid organizations and foreign governments accuse the group of
violating human rights – the rights of women and girls to work, learn, and
appear in public places. The de facto authorities of Afghanistan are also
accused of discriminating against religious minorities, political parties, and
ethnic groups.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.khaama.com/all-elements-of-doha-agreement-should-be-implemented-annas-haqani/
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Abu Dhabi's Stunning New Multi-Faith Complex "Abrahamic
Family House” Is A Mosque, Synagogue and Church
Adam Pourahmadi, CNN
-----
2nd March 2023
The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday inaugurated the
"Abrahamic Family House," an interfaith complex housing a mosque, a
church, and the Gulf Arab state's first ever purpose-built synagogue.
Designed by renowned Ghanaian-British architect David
Adjaye, the project incorporates several architectural styles traditionally
found in mosques, churches and synagogues around the world.
The structure draws inspiration from the three
Abrahamic faiths and is meant to encapsulate their similarities.
The Imam Al-Tayeb Mosque, which is named after the
Grand Imam of Al Azhar, the leading authority on Sunni Islam, is oriented
towards Mecca. Its windows are made of delicate latticework, called mashrabiya,
and are designed to allow for the circulation of air while regulating light and
maintaining privacy.
"What you're going to see in all the projects is
that it's always about a filtering of light, a splitting of light," Adjaye
told CNN's Becky Anderson.
"In the Mosque... the light surrounds you until
you get to the silence and the stoicness of facing Mecca," he said.
His Holiness Francis Church is dedicated to the 13th
century monk St. Francis of Assisi, after whom the current Catholic pope is
named. It is oriented towards the rising sun in the east. The ceiling is made
of timber and is meant to invoke the biblical and Quranic story of Noah's Ark.
In the church, "you hear the sound of rushing
water," said Adjaye. "For me, water is so important with
Christianity. The church is an ark in the world."
The Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue honors the 12th century
Jewish philosopher known as Rabbi Maimonides. The scholar was also a medical
doctor who led the Mediterranean Jewish world and whose patients included
Saladin, the Muslim ruler of Egypt and Syria.
The synagogue is the UAE's first purpose-built Jewish
place of worship and, like most synagogues around the world, is oriented
towards Jerusalem. It is inspired by the Jewish festival of the Sukkot, which
is celebrated by building temporary shelters. An oculus in the ceiling of the
space lets direct light come inside. "The light of the mid-day kisses the
rabbi in the center very directly," Adjaye said.
The Jewish community in the UAE had previously used
makeshift synagogues.
While entirely unique, each individual building is a
30-meter (98 feet) by 30-meter cube. The unifying design is meant to provide a
common base from which tolerance and understanding can be promoted, Adjaye
said.
Source: CNN
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
http://us.cnn.com/style/article/uae-abrahamic-family-house-david-adjaye-intl/index.html
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UK's 'Prevent' program legitimizes racist attitudes
towards Muslims: Expert
Schoolgirls across Iran
joined the protests triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death, with many videos on
social media showing them taking off headscarves and chanting anti-government
slogans, including on school premises. (Twitter)
------
Gulcin Kazan Doger
01.03.2023
UK's anti-radicalization strategy legitimizes racist
attitudes towards Muslims, while creating self-censorship in public, according
to an expert.
Speaking to Anadolu, Tarek Younis, a senior lecturer
at the University of Middlesex in London, said the government’s controversial
anti-radicalization program "Prevent" legitimizes racist attitudes,
especially towards Muslims.
"Prevent" is the government’s controversial
anti-radicalization program. There have long been calls for an independent
review by opponents of the program who claim it discriminates against Muslims.
"In 2015, it became a duty on public bodies to
identify and report individuals they suspect might be vulnerable to
radicalization, might be vulnerable to becoming terrorists in the future,"
he said, adding it prompted many ethical issues such as ethics of data sharing.
Younis said that if someone asks a random person on
the street whether he or she supports all programs to prevent violence, the
answer will be "yes," while the right question would be "do you
trust your doctor or psychiatrist to be able to distinguish whether Muslims are
extremists?"
"It (Prevent program) certainly legitimizes
racist attitudes, especially towards Muslims," noted Younis, who focuses
on psychology, culture, race, and religion issues.
He went on to say that the Prevent policy is
problematic from its inception -- it's problematic how it's been deployed, how
it legitimizes certain attitudes.
"The whole thing is a giant fiasco," he
stressed.
Younis also said "the idea of someone who might
become vulnerable to becoming a terrorist has very particular racialized
connotations," adding that this is an idea of self-censorship that
particularly affects Muslims.
"It gives this atmosphere that speaking out of
against Prevent or criticizing Prevent is almost akin to as if you're
supporting terrorism or you're closing your eyes toward terrorism."
He underlined many research have demonstrated that
self-censorship is reality among students who are afraid of sharing their
opinions when they know the Prevent policy is in place.
"Prevent is a national safeguarding programme
that supports people who are at risk of becoming involved with terrorism
through radicalisation," according to the British government.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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India
Kashmiri Pandit Killing: Valley-based Pandit Organisation Seeks Removal Of Governor And Action Against Radical Elements
02 MAR 2023
After the latest killing of a 42-year-old Kashmiri
Pandit bank guard Sanjay Sharma by militants in the Achan area of Pulwama, the
Valley-based Kashmiri Pandit organisation, Kashmir Pandit Sangrash Samithi
(KPSS) sought action against “radical Kashmiri population” and “removal of Lt
Governor Manoj Sinha” saying “killing of religious minorities and Kashmiryat go
hand in hand in Kashmir.”
Sharma was killed when he was outside his home on his
way to buy medicine for himself. Three months ago Sharma’s family was provided
police protection.
Mohammad Maqbool, Sharma’s colleague and an ATM guard
told Outlook that three months ago he was regular to the duty but after the
targeted killing of Pandits, he was not joining the duty.
“We were three people on bank guard duty. He was
regular in his shifts. But after target killings of the Pandits he was not
joining duty,” he said.
Sharma’s neighbours said that he was a graduate and
was teaching before joining the bank guard against meagre remuneration. “Long
ago when he was unmarried, he fell from a vehicle and sustained head injuries.
Since then he would complain of headaches and would take medicine to relieve
his pain,” said one of his Muslim neighbours.
Sharma is survived by his wife Sunita and three
children; two daughters and a son.
J&K L-G Manoj Sinha condemned the attack saying,
“My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. The administration has given
a free hand to security forces to deal with the terrorists and we will continue
to combat such acts of terrorism firmly and decisively."
Sharmas were four brothers and they were living
jointly. While the two elder brothers were priests, the younger one is in the
police service. Sharmas were the only family in the village, which didn’t
migrate.
“Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Sanjay
Pandit of Achan in Pulwama district of South Kashmir. Sanjay was working as a
bank security guard & was killed in a militant attack earlier today,”
former CM and NC leader Omar Abdullah tweeted.
Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone called the
killing a "dastardly and cowardly act"
"I wonder what these thugs will achieve. Killing
innocents who chose to stay back or come back suits only the worst enemies of
Kashmiris," Lone said.
Former CM and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday
visited the family to express solidarity with them. “The vicious cycle of
killings doesn’t seem to end. GOI has failed to protect minorities in J&K
& reduced them to sitting ducks,” Mufti said. She said everyone in the
Valley is paying a heavy price for this facade of normalcy.
On Tuesday the police said two local militants
involved in the killing of Sharma were killed in Padgampora, Awantipora in
Pulwama during an encounter.
Additional Director General of Kashmir Police, Vijay
Kumar identified the killed militants as Aqib Mushtaq Bhat and Aijaz. He said,
Bhat was associated with the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit earlier and for the past
few months he was working with the TRF and while Aijaz was associated with JeM
and was also working in coordination with the TRF.
KPSS, however, dismissed the widespread mourning over
the killing in Kashmir saying, “Two out of ten (in Kashmir) have turned Over
Ground Workers for the terror organisations responsible for the killing of
Kashmiri Pandits and other religious minorities in Kashmir Valley. After
executing the task, these people join the wailing crowd in stealth mode by
giving statements about “Kashmiriyat” and joining candlelight marches,” said
Sanjay Tickoo, president of KPSS, as
hundreds of Kashmiri Muslims are mourning the death of Sharma visiting his home
in Pulwama. Local villagers protested against the killing of Sharma calling it
an “act of terrorism.”
“KPSS, take strong note of the situation in Kashmir
Valley and remind the Prime Minister and the Home Minister to intervene on a
high level and accept the failure of the current Lt. Governor to address the
issue of security of the religious minorities in Kashmir Valley particularly
Non-Migrant Kashmiri Pandits, who have become fodder in between Government,
Terrorists and Migrant Kashmiri Pandits living luxurious lives outside Kashmir
Valley,” Tickoo said.
“Since 1990, the dark times for Kashmiri Pandits
continue in Kashmir and the world has turned deaf and blind on this issue which
involves the lives and security of the innocent religious minorities living in
Kashmir. Islamic countries and scholars repeatedly claim that terror doesn’t
have a religion, but they need to see in Kashmir that here it not only has a
religion but a face too,” Tickoo said.
“In a proxy war between India and Pakistan in which
Muslim Kashmir fighting against Hindu India, the innocent religious minorities
living in Kashmir are scapegoats for Pakistan and Muslim Kashmir and Hindu
India is concerned about elections and political strategies,” Tickoo said.
Tickoo urged PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to
issue necessary directions to initiate a “brutal operation against the
militants and their aides to safeguard the lives of the innocents Kashmiri
Pandits and other religious minorities living in Kashmir Valley as these
militants want war and the Government of India should consider this challenge
with an open heart and brutal strategies.”
Source: Outlook India
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of the original story:
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Association of Muslim Professionals conference to be
held in Lucknow
1st March 2023
The Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) is
organizing the North India NGO conference on March 4 and 5 in Lucknow.
The event brings together social leaders and NGOs from
North India to collaborate and lay out a roadmap to uplift the socio-economic
status of the community and nation.
Ulemas, Policy Makers, Academicians, Intellectuals and
Civil Society Activists of National Stature and representatives of more than
500 NGOs from Northern India, working at the ground level would participate to
share their experiences and interact with each other for future planning of the
direction that the community needs.
Social leaders and their organisations play a great
role in shaping an equitable World, lifting human beings from the depths of
despair into a realm of hope and joy.
This individual brilliance if brought together on one
platform of collaboration would yield results that can change the World.
AMP thus started its NGO connect project a few years ago
with the aim of harnessing the power of individual NGOs into a collaborative
movement of change.
“We are connected with 5000+ NGOs across India who we
help in capacity building and implementing AMP’s social welfare programmes,”
the representatives said in a press release.
“We now intend to take this initiative to the next
level by focusing on the 200 Backward Minority-dominated Districts of the
Country where a large segment of the Community is marginalised and needs to be
brought at par with other communities’ social indicators,” they added.
Conference objectives
Plan for the future of the Community
Help in the capacity-building of NGOs
Collaborate to bring about the Change we all desire
Network and share individual success stories
Share useful information on Minority-related issues
and Govt. schemes from all over India. –
Execute AMP Projects along with interested NGOs in
their respective Geographies
In order to take this mission forward, AMP will be
holding zonal conferences
Association of Muslim Professionals
AMP is a non-profit organization of professional
Muslims who have come together to perform their bit for the welfare of society.
AMP is a Section 8 company (Non-Profit) registered
under the Companies Act 2013, with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
The above objectives are achieved by providing
assistance to needy Individuals – Females & Males, irrespective of Caste,
Creed and Religion.
The Islamic Centre of India is a Religious, Cultural,
Social and Educational place.
An educational institute name of
Darool-Uloom-Farangimahal is situated inside the campus with a Hostel facility
and a Mosque.
Source: Siasat Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/association-of-muslim-professionals-conference-to-be-held-in-lucknow-2537549/
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Pakistan
Pakistan PM Appoints First Ambassador, Sardar Ramesh
Singh Arora, for Kartarpur Corridor To Woo More Sikh Pilgrims
02 MAR 2023
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed
Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora as the Ambassador-at-Large for Kartarpur Corridor as
part of efforts to attract Sikh pilgrims from across the world, a government
notification said on Wednesday.The leading Sikh leader will work in the
position in an honorary capacity, the notification said.Arora hailing from
Kartarpur in Narowal is also the central general secretary of the Pakistan
Muslim League (N) minorities wing. His family has been associated with the
protection and welfare of the Sikh holy sites at Kartarpur.
His appointment comes as Kartarpur failed to attract
the number of visitors Pakistan authorities had imagined after opening the
critical holy site for Sikhs, especially those in India.The Kartarpur corridor
links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism
founder Guru Nanak Dev, with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in the Gurdaspur
district in India’s Punjab state. The 4 km-long corridor provides visa-free
access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Darbar Sahib.
In November 2019, Prime Minister Khan formally
inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of the commemoration of the 550th
birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at a colourful ceremony, paving the way for
Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit one of their religion’s holiest sites in Pakistan
without needing a visa. Arora, 48, was elected as a member of the provincial
assembly of Punjab for the second consecutive term in 2020, according to his
profile on the website of the Punjab Assembly. In his first tenure during
2013-18, he was the first parliamentarian in Punjab Assembly who came from the
Sikh community since 1947
Source: Outlook India
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Pakistan SC rules polls for Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
assemblies must be held by April
Mar 2, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled
that elections for the provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(KP) must be held within 90 days of their dissolution. The five-member bench,
led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, gave a split 3-2 decision.
Both Punjab and KP have been under caretaker
governments since the provincial assemblies were dissolved last month after the
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan asked
his party’s CMs in the two provinces to do so, in an attempt to pave the way
for snap polls.
“Parliamentary democracy is a salient feature of the
constitution. There can be no parliamentary democracy without parliament or the
provincial assemblies,” the verdict said, adding: “And there can be neither
parliament nor provincial assemblies without the holding of general elections
as envisaged, required and mandated by and under the constitution and in
accordance therewith”. Pakistan routinely holds the provincial and national
elections together. The general polls are due by October this year but the
dissolution of Punjab and KP assemblies on January 14 and 18, respectively,
have paved the way for snap polls.
The top court, in its ruling, held that in situations
where a governor dissolved a provincial assembly, the constitutional
responsibility of appointing a date for the election was to be discharged by
the governor. “In situations where the assembly is not dissolved by the order
of the governor, the constitutional responsibility of appointing a date for the
general election that must follow is to be discharged by the president.”
The court stated that since elections after the
dissolution of a provincial assembly were to be held within a stipulated period
of time, the president or the governor “must discharge the constitutional
responsibility of appointing a date for the said election swiftly and without
any delay and within the shortest time possible”.
According to Pakistan’s constitution, elections must
be held within 90 days after the dissolution of a provincial assembly or the
National Assembly.
On February 21, president Arif Alvi had unilaterally
announced April 9 as the election date in the two provinces, saying that there
was “lack of clarity” on the matter. His move had triggered a constitutional
crisis, with experts debating on the issue whether he (president) had the right
to announce the date for polls in provinces.
Following Alvi’s call for polls, the SC took suo moto
cognizance to determine which government institution had the constitutional
responsibility of deciding the election dates.
The SC ruled that since the governor of Punjab,
Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, did not sign the order declaring the dissolution of
the assembly, the president had the constitutional responsibility to announce
the election date in the province. It further noted that KP governor Haji
Ghulam Ali, despite signing the dissolution order on January 18, failed to
declare a poll date, which was a “breach of his constitutional responsibility”.
Source: Times Of India
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Let's hope Church recognizes Pakistan’s modern-day
martyr
March 02, 2023
I remember March 2, 2011 — twelve years ago — as if it
was yesterday. That morning, I woke up and as usual switched on the radio and
my laptop to find out what the world’s news was that day. Within moments, the
main headline news hit me between the eyes, and in my heart. My friend Shahbaz
Bhatti, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Minorities, had been assassinated.
In many respects, it was not a surprise. All of us who
knew and worked with Shahbaz knew the risks he was facing. He received multiple
death threats every day. Almost exactly three months earlier, the governor of Punjab,
Salman Taseer, had been killed by his own bodyguard. Both men were targeted
because of their courageous stand against Pakistan’s unjust and draconian
blasphemy laws, and their support for a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who had
been sentenced to death under the law.
Shahbaz had requested a bullet-proof car and a more
secure house because he knew the danger was real. Despite appeals to the
Pakistani government by international politicians for better security for
Shahbaz, no such protection was provided. Indeed, on the day of his
assassination, his bodyguards did not show up for work.
In a sign of just how real the threats were, Shahbaz
even took the step of recording a message that he requested to be broadcast in
the event of his death.
In words that summed up the faith and courage that had
been so consistent throughout his life as a grassroots human rights activist
and politician, he said:
“These Taliban threaten me. But I want to share that I
believe in Jesus Christ, who has given his own life for us. I know what is the
meaning of the cross and I am following the cross. I am ready to die for a
cause. I am living for my community and suffering people and I will die to
defend their rights.”
Those words, broadcast by the BBC after his murder,
encapsulate the essence of Shahbaz and should stand as his epitaph.
But although we knew the danger Shahbaz was in, his
assassination was still of course a shock, particularly due to its horrific
manner. The killers drove to the street where he lived, blocked the route, and
fired their Kalashnikovs through the windscreen. They then dragged the driver
out and continued firing at Shahbaz through the side windows and doors.
It was reported that at least 25 bullets were fired,
eight of which struck Shahbaz. Pamphlets were then scattered, declaring Shahbaz
to be an “infidel Christian” who deserved death. According to doctors, he was
pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
Even 12 years on, it is not easy to write this without
my eyes welling up with tears. I had the immense privilege of working closely
with Shahbaz. Working for the international human rights organization Christian
Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), which specializes in religious freedom for all, I
focused on Pakistan for at least five years.
During that time Shahbaz was an activist, the founder
of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA), and was at the forefront of
campaigning for the rights of minorities of all religions and for women. We
spoke several times a week, were in almost daily e-mail contact and traveled
together in Pakistan.
Shahbaz with his mentor, the late Cecil Chaudhry, were
CSW’s closest partners. Chaudhry, a highly decorated national war hero and
former ace fighter pilot, had become a human rights campaigner after he had
been denied promotion in the Pakistani air force because he was a Christian.
Chaudhry, who died of cancer just over a year after
Shahbaz’s assassination, brought great wisdom that complemented Shahbaz’s
idealism, but the two, both devout Catholics, were extraordinarily courageous
leaders and Pakistan today is poorer without them.
Shahbaz and I shared several profound experiences
together. On one occasion we missed a bomb together by five minutes in
Islamabad. We had been meeting for dinner with others in the Marriot Hotel in
Pakistan’s capital and had left just five minutes before a bomb exploded in the
lobby.
On another occasion, Shahbaz took me to meet a little
seven-year-old girl who had been brutally raped and tortured, simply because
she came from a Christian family. Shahbaz was helping her and her family
because no one else would.
In 2007, a Christian community in Charsadda in
Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province received threats from extremists, with
an ultimatum: convert to Islam or face the consequences. I had been trying for
several days to mobilize the international community’s efforts, but on the
night the deadline was due to expire, I feared the worst. I telephoned Shahbaz
and to my surprise, he told me he was in Charsadda.
“Thank God you have called,” he told me. The community
was terrified, they expected an attack at any moment, and he had gone to be
with them. That was so typical of Shahbaz.
But he also told me that the community had been
praying. They felt alone, they felt that the rest of the world did not know or
did not care. Then he said words that have stayed with me ever since, and which
I remember every time I question for a second whether my efforts are
worthwhile:
“Ben, the fact that you have telephoned means I can
tell them that someone does know, someone does care, and someone is praying for
them and speaking for them.”
But Shahbaz was never just focused on his own
Christian community. He defended the rights of other religious minorities —
Hindus, Sikhs, Shia Muslims, and Ahmadiyya Muslims — and built bridges with
Sunni Muslims who opposed extremism and intolerance and wanted a Pakistan based
on the vision of its founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who famously said: “You are
free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places
of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste, or
creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”
In his final years, as a government minister, Shahbaz
was invited by senior Islamic religious leaders to speak at large mosques, and
he secured a ground-breaking statement from religious leaders denouncing
terrorism. He launched a network of ‘district inter-faith harmony committees’
to encourage dialogue and unite communities across religious divides.
In October 2009, almost 18 months before his
assassination, Shahbaz addressed CSW’s annual conference in London. As usual,
his first request was for prayer. And he summed up his life’s vocation with
these words:
“I live for religious freedom, and I am ready to die
for this cause. We have a commitment to bring a change in the lives of people.
We will bring a change in the lives of those who are living in darkness, we
will bring a change in the lives of those who don’t have hope, and we will
bring a smile on the faces of those living under severe harassment and
victimization…”
He continued: “This is the key objective of my life —
to live for those who are voiceless, who are suffering. We need to change the
plight of those who are living in the darkness of persecution, victimization,
and that is the commitment we made, to bring justice for those who are denied
justice.”
Shahbaz challenged head-on the “forces of
intolerance,” promising that in unity with others, “we will not allow you to
capture our country.” He called on his audience to join him in this struggle:
“Let’s pledge that we will work together to promote harmony and tolerance. We
will bridge the gaps among different faiths. We will strengthen this world with
the message of peace and tolerance.”
If only the world today would heed his message.
Almost every day I remember Shahbaz — not only his
inspiring faith and courage, but also his remarkable humility and humor. He is
an inspiration to me, and yes, he is a hero — and will hopefully be recognized
by the Church one day as a saint and martyr.
The day after his murder, I wrote an article in which
I described him as “Pakistan’s Martin Luther King,” and I still believe that.
Yet in my mind, he is not so much on a pedestal as alongside me as a companion.
A cause for his canonization has been started and he should be recognized as a
saint, but for me, he was my friend — and a constant awakener of my conscience.
Whenever I am in Rome, without fail I make it a
priority to go to the Basilica di San Bartolomeo all’Isola, where Shahbaz’s
personal Bible is on display in commemoration of modern-day martyrs. I try
always to go to spend a few moments in front of his Bible, to say a prayer,
light a candle and rededicate my life to the cause for which my friend gave
his: the cause of human freedom, human rights and human life.
Ten years ago this year, I was received into the
Catholic Church by another friend, spiritual mentor and hero of mine, Myanmar’s
Cardinal Charles Bo, in Yangon’s St. Mary’s Cathedral on Palm Sunday 2013 — two
years after Shahbaz’s murder.
There were many Catholics, living and in the past, who
inspired and shaped my journey into the Church, but Shahbaz played a pivotal
role and, through his example of extraordinary self-sacrifice, humility,
service, courage and faith, moved me onwards in my own relationship with the
Divine.
As we journey along the path of Lent, moving towards
our Lord’s Passion, I know Shahbaz’s overriding message would be this: endure
the suffering, in the hope and knowledge of the Resurrection.
We may not all be called to die to defend the rights
of others, but we are for sure all called to live to do so.
The best way to honor my friend and brother Shahbaz
today is to resolve to redouble our efforts to fight for basic liberty, freedom
of conscience, human rights, dignity and life — for people of every faith and
none.
Source: UCA News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/lets-hope-church-recognizes-pakistans-modern-day-martyr/100526
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Apex
court ruling on polls termed ‘constitutional win’
Zaki
Abbas
March
2, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leadership was over the moon after a
five-member Supreme Court bench directed elections to the provincial assemblies
should be held within 90 days — a decision described by the legal community as
a victory for the Constitution.
In
a 3-2 ruling, the top court held that in situations where a governor dissolved
a provincial assembly, the constitutional responsibility of appointing a date
for the election was to be discharged by the governor.
“In
situations where the assembly is not dissolved by order of the governor, the
constitutional responsibility of appointing a date for the general election
that must follow is to be discharged by the president.”
PTI
Senator Ali Zafar, who is also a lawyer, tweeted, “Justice prevails. The
Supreme Court has ordered elections in Punjab and KP to be held within 90 days
of dissolution.
Sherry
asks president to resign; Mazari seeks KP governor’s resignation for
‘breaching’ the Constitution
Similarly,
former human rights minister Shireen Mazari stated the decision was a victory
for the PTI and the Constitution. She also asked the KP governor, Ghulam Ali,
to resign for having been “found in breach of the Constitution”. “The man
should have some shame and resign,” she added.
Meanwhile,
the PML-N did not appear happy with the verdict. Its leader Ahsan Iqbal in a
thinly-veiled tweet after the order said, “History will prove that the
characters who have brought Pakistan to this stage by removing the successful
PML-N government by rigging and imposing…Imran Niazi in the 2018 elections will
be written with the criminals of 1971.”
On
the other hand, PPP leader Sherry Rehman demanded an apology from President
Arif Alvi, who unilaterally announced the date for elections last week, for
purportedly violating the constitutional authority.
“By
withdrawing the ‘announcement’ of election dates in Punjab and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, the president proved that he had issued an unconstitutional
order,” Senator Rehman claimed.
“Just
withdrawing the decision is not enough, the president should apologise for his
unconstitutional action,” she said and also referred to Mr Alvi’s decision to
disband the National Assembly in April last year on the advice of Imran Khan.
Pildat
President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said the only question to be answered by the
ruling was ‘who would fix the date for polls’. “SC order not clear whether
president & governor KP are bound by advice of PM and CM respectively
regarding the poll date,” he said in a tweet.
‘Clear
command of Constitution’
Meanwhile,
lawyer Abdul Moiz Jaferii told Geo News that the Constitution was clear about
elections within 90 days after the dissolution of assemblies and that there was
no ambiguity in this regard. He said a democratic deficit was prevalent, adding
that the government was afraid to go to polls because it was afraid of defeat.
Salaar
Khan, another lawyer, tweeted: “To the extent that the ECP is to confer with
the governor for a date in Punjab, that is clear. But to the extent that, in
Punjab, it has to confer with the President, the reasoning should be
interesting (the LHC had earlier asked the ECP to confer with the governor).”
He,
however, added that the ruling “affirms the clear command of the Constitution”
that elections must be held in 90 days.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1739891/apex-court-ruling-on-polls-termed-constitutional-win
--------
Cases
filed against PTI leaders, activists for forcibly entering IHC, Judicial
Complex
Munawer
Azeem
March
2, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Separate cases were registered against the leaders and activists of the PTI,
including former prime minister Imran Khan and 28 other people, police said on
Wednesday.
Among
those arrested were officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police as well as private
guards.
One
of the cases was registered with Ramna police station on a complaint lodged by
Station House Officer (SHO) Rasheed Ahmed.
According
to the first information report (FIR), a mob under the leadership of PTI
Chairman Imran Khan came to the Judicial Complex in G-11/1 and chanted
provocative slogans. The charged mob of leaders and activists holding batons,
stones, weapons and party flags reached the main gate of the complex and tried
to enter it forcefully, the FIR said, adding that assistant commissioner
Potohar and other officers asked them to stop at the gate, but they ignored and
scuffled with the officers and officials on duty.
FIR
states mob threatened officials on duty, damaged official property; ATC grants
pre-arrest interim bail to Senator Shahzad Waseem, Raja Khurram Nawaz
The
mob also broke the main gate and other hurdles and entered the complex’s
premises, the FIR said, adding that it threatened people who had come for the
hearing and officers deployed on security duty.
The
charged activists broke the CCTV cameras installed there and damaged official
property, it said, adding that they also tore the cause list and broke furniture.
The
former prime minister, Raja Khurram Nawaz, Murad Saeed, Ali Nawaz, Jamshaid
Mughal, Hassan Niazi, Ahmad Khan Niazi, Abdul Qudoos Khan Swati, Amir Kiani,
Farrukh Habib, Dr Shahzad Wasim, Raja Basharat, Tahir Sadiq, Wasiq Qayyum,
Shibli Faraz, Mian Aslam, retired Col Asim, Chaudhry Mudasir Riaz, Omer Sultan,
Ghulam Sarwar and Hammad Azhar were nominated along with 250 activists.
Ramna
police registered another case against 20 PTI leaders along with 150 activists.
The content of the FIR is almost identical to the previous one, except that
Islamabad High Court (IHC) has replaced Judicial Complex, G-11/1. The sequence
of the names nominated in the FIR has also slightly been changed.
According
to the FIR, a mob under the leadership of Imran came to the IHC and tried to
enter the court’s premises. They broke the main gate and other hurdles put in
place, damaged official property and threatened officials on duty, it said.
As
many as 29 people were arrested, police said, adding that most of them were officials
of KP police who were performing security duties with former MPAs as well as
their private security guards.
Meanwhile,
a case has yet to be registered on the complaint lodged against the police for
manhandling journalists.
There
were some reports that the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad and the
chief commissioner had been called to the IHC and were asked to meet with the
journalists and resolve the issue, the police officials said.
Meanwhile,
the public relations officer (PRO) for the police said there was only one KP
police official and one private security guard among the arrested people. He
confirmed that the case in response to the journalists’ manhandling incident
was yet to be registered as an inquiry had been ordered.
Senior
Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operation Malik Jamil Zaffar is conducting the
inquiry and the journalists were asked to appear before them, but so far they
have not, he added.
Meanwhile,
the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad on Wednesday granted pre-arrest interim
bail to PTI leaders Senator Shahzad Waseem and Raja Khurram Nawaz in a case
related to vandalism in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) during the
appearance of former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
ATC
Judge Raja Jawad Abbas Hassan granted them pre-arrest interim bail against
Rs100,000 surety bonds each. They had sought pre-arrest bail in the case
registered with Ramna police. Further hearing in this matter has been adjourned
till March 13.
A
case was registered against suspects on various charges, including 7-ATA
(Anti-Terrorism Act) and Section 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). The
police statement said leaders of a political party incited the mob to create a
law and order situation.
The
PTI chairman appeared before the ATC and Special Court on Offences in Banks in
connection with two different cases.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Taliban
Announce Reopening of Universities, but Only for Male Students
Akmal
Dawi
March
01, 2023
De
facto Taliban authorities have announced the reopening of state-run
universities in the Afghan capital, Kabul, and several other cities, but say
only male students will be allowed to attend.
“According
to a decision by the Supreme Council for Higher Education,” reads a short
statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Higher Education, “studies of the male
students at governmental higher education institutions in the colder provinces
will officially start from [March 6] of the current year.”
Schools
and universities go on annual winter break in about 24 of Afghanistan’s 34
provinces.
The
Islamist government banned higher education for female students last year,
saying women had not appropriately observed gender-based religious restrictions
under the prior government, which was backed by the United States.
Since
seizing power in August 2021, the Taliban have also shut down secondary schools
for female students, saying the ban is temporary.
“Taliban
are running out of time to make a decision on reopening girls’ secondary, high
school and universities,” said Orzala Nemat, an Afghan activist and researcher
at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
“This is the demand of the general public, community elders, religious scholars
and even some of their own members feel embarrassed to support this un-Islamic
and unjustified act.”
Afghanistan
is the only country where women and girls are officially barred from education
and work, according to human rights groups.
The
gender-based discriminatory policy has been maintained even while it costs
hundreds of millions of dollars for Afghanistan’s beleaguered economy, the
United Nations has reported.
Possible
internal divisions
Facing
domestic and global condemnation, some Taliban officials have reportedly shown
disapproval of the government's misogynistic policies.
“The
Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, appears to insist upon these measures
out of personal conviction and to assert his authority over the movement and
the country,” the International Crisis Group said in a report last month.
Not
seen in public, Akhundzada is nevertheless revered as a god among the Taliban.
He has no term limit and has unchecked powers over everything within the
Taliban government.
“The
Taliban are in an internal power struggle,” said Pashtana Durrani, director of
Learn Afghanistan, a nongovernment organization supporting education for girls
and women.
“Right
now, the Taliban are in a stalemate where they can't remove or impeach the
amir, and the amir is a man who thinks women in schools and universities are
haram,” Durrani told VOA, using the Islamic term for forbidden.
For
Farahnaz Forotan, a prominent female journalist who fled Afghanistan after the
Taliban captured Kabul, the denial of education for girls and women is a
sadistic power play by the Taliban leader with catastrophic consequences for
millions of Afghans.
“How
can a poor country compensate for two years of no education for girls? The
losses are catastrophic and irreparable,” said Forotan, who spoke to VOA from
her home in the U.S. state of Maryland.
Cracking
down on internal dissent, the Taliban have defied international calls,
including from renowned Islamic institutions, to lift the bans on women’s work
and education, saying the world should not interfere in Afghanistan’s internal
affairs.
Source:
VOA News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Afghanistan
Resumes Passport Distribution After Five-Month Break
By
Fidel Rahmati
March
1, 2023
After
over five months of hiatus in passport distribution services due to ‘technical
issues’, the process resumed on Wednesday.
According
to Mawlavi Abdul Haseeb Karim, General Director of the passport Department, the
technical problems have been resolved, and the distribution of passports will
resume.
Mr
Karim stated earlier last week that everyone should have access to a passport
and that the Central Passport Department is dedicated to offering all of the
necessary services for citizens.
He
said that the relevant department is making every effort to resolve the
existing issues and increase the number of passports that can be granted to
individuals all throughout the country.
Additionally,
he stated that all provinces including Kabul would offer online passport
registration.
Moreover,
an official said that efforts had been doubled to increase the distribution of
passports to 10,000 copies daily.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-resumes-passport-distribution-after-five-month-break/
--------
Delawar:
Islamic Emirate Wants Good Relations with Intl Community
By
Fatema Adeeb
The
acting minister of Mines and Petroleum in a special interview with TOLOnews
said that the current government is bound by all its commitments to the world.
Shahabuddin
Delawar said that the Islamic Emirate, according to the Doha Agreement, wants
good relations with the world, and the international community must have good
interactions with them. He added that Islamic Emirate diplomatic missions are
active in some countries.
"The
world also needs good interaction with Afghanistan and the world cannot ignore
Afghanistan's geographical location and the people of Afghanistan," said
Shahabuddin Delawar, acting minister of Mines and Petroleum.
Delawar
also added that Islamic Emirate is committed to the rights of all citizens of
the country.
"If
they want to govern based on Islam the rights of every person will not be
violated, if they really govern based on Islam," said Ramazan Bashardost,
a former member of the parliament.
Meanwhile,
the former US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said the observance of human
rights, especially for women, is important for the international community and
for the US and attention should be paid to the rights of women in Afghanistan.
"Regarding
the Islamic Emirate orders for women's education and work, the position of the
US is clear and I am also against these orders," said Zalmay Khalilzad,
the former US special envoy for Afghanistan.
Source:
Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-182294
--------
Islamic
Emirate officials take over Afghan embassy in Iran
1st
March 2023
Officials
from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have taken over official duties in the
Afghan Embassy in Tehran – making Iran the latest country to accept
IEA-appointed diplomats while still not officially recognising their
18-month-old government.
The
Afghan Foreign Ministry said that it had dispatched a seven-member team of
“experienced diplomats, led by a newly appointed chargé d’affaires” to the
Iranian capital to formally assume responsibility for Afghanistan’s diplomatic
mission there.
The
statement described the development as an “important and cooperative step” in
bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Iran.
“We
believe that with the new appointments, we would witness transparency in the
affairs of the embassy as well as expanded relations in various fields between
the two Muslim and brotherly countries,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar
Balkhi said.
Iran
described the development as an internal issue.
“The
issue of handing over and transformation of the Afghan embassy in Tehran is an
internal matter (related to Afghanistan) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Iran has not entered into the matter by any means,” an official statement said.
“Iran’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received any document or equipment or any
other object belonging to the Afghan Embassy in Tehran,” it added.
Iran
joins several neighbouring and regional countries to have allowed the IEA to
appoint staff and manage Afghan diplomatic missions. These include Pakistan,
China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Turkey, Qatar, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan,
and Kazakhstan.
Dozens
of Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions around the world are open for business but
in most cases the host nations have either refused to hand them over to the
IEA, or Afghan diplomats working there are reportedly unwilling to work with
the new Kabul administration.
Iran
and Afghanistan share many cultural ties. For example, many Afghans speak
Persian, as Dari (an eastern dialect of Persian) is one of the official
languages of Afghanistan, and many also celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year.
There are also millions of Afghan refugees in Iran.
However,
relations between Iran and Afghanistan were strained during the first Islamic
Emirate in the 90s. But since the second Islamic Emirate was formed in 2021
Iran and Kabul have opened trade and other commercial relations.
No
nation has yet recognised the IAE since they overthrew the U.S.-led NATO
occupation after almost 20 years of war.
Source:
5pillars UK
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://5pillarsuk.com/2023/03/01/islamic-emirate-officials-take-over-afghan-embassy-in-iran/
--------
Bangladesh
struggles to meet Hajj quota as airfares, inflation soar
SHEHAB
SUMON
March
01, 2023
DHAKA:
Bangladesh is struggling to meet its Hajj quota as the local currency continues
to lose its value and skyrocketing airfares this season are making the journey
impossible for many hopeful pilgrims.
This
year, 127,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims can participate in the Hajj, a spiritual
journey and one of the five pillars of Islam. The quota was agreed upon by the
governments of Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh earlier this year.
The
Hajj registration opened on Feb. 8, but so far only 32,000 people have applied
as of Wednesday.
Authorities
say the situation is unprecedented.
“I
haven’t heard of such a situation ever happening in our country,” Saiful Islam,
director of the Hajj Office Dhaka, told Arab News.
This
year, the Hajj will start on June 26 and end on July 1. Registration for the
pilgrimage in Bangladesh runs through March 7.
“I
believe the number of registered pilgrims will increase on March 7. We are
hopeful,” Islam said, adding, however, that the government is not planning any
subsidies to address the situation.
Hajj
tour operators attribute the problem to high inflation in Bangladesh and pricey
airfares to the Middle East, which have significantly increased since last
year.
“It
happens here due to the devaluation of the taka against the dollar,” said
Maulana Eyaqub Sharafati, senior vice president of the Hajj Agencies
Association of Bangladesh.
“Airfares
for Hajj pilgrims have increased by around $580 this year compared to last
year. It was $1,400 last year, but this year it is fixed at around $2,000.”
But
he has not lost hope, as the number of pilgrims this year is the country’s
highest Hajj quota since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260476/world
--------
Pakistan’s
Special Representative for Afghanistan ‘Mohammad Sadiq’ Resigns
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
March
1, 2023
Senior
diplomat Mohammad Sadiq Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan resigned on Wednesday,
thanking colleagues for helping him serve in the crucial position.
Mohammad
Sadiq said in a series of Tweets on Wednesday that after serving nearly three
years as Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan, the time had come for him to
move on and focus on personal stuff – family, books and agriculture, and
more.
The
prominent diplomat wholeheartedly thanked the prime minister and all his
colleagues for supporting him during his mission as their special
representative for Afghanistan.
Mr.
Sadiq’s resignation was accepted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who
appreciated his efforts in the capacity of Pakistan’s envoy to make
Pakistan-Afghanistan relation work.
Pakistan’s
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed Mohmmad Sadiq in the crucial position
in June 2020.
Between
December 2008 and April 2014, Mr. Sadiq served as Pakistan’s ambassador to
Kabul, and in 2016, he was appointed as the secretary of the national security
division. Mr. Sadiq has also served as the ambassador of Pakistan to Washington
DC, Beijing, and Brussels.
Many
Pakistani politicians and political experts took on Twitter and appreciated Mr.
Sadiq for all the services he has done for his country, and wished him success
in his future endeavors.
Mr.
Sadiq was part of the Pakistan delegation that traveled to Kabul headed by
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on February 25, aimed at discussing security
concerns with the Afghan Taliban authorities.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/pakistans-special-representative-for-afghanistan-mohammad-sadiq-resigns/
--------
700,000
people lost their jobs since regime change in Afghanistan: UN envoy
1
March, 2023
Kabul
[Afghanistan], March 1 (ANI): Ramiz Alakbarov, the Deputy Special
Representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
said that Afghanistan’s gross income has declined by 35 per cent, and nearly
700,000 people have lost their jobs over the past 18 months, the Khaama Press
reported.
Alakbarov,
in a press conference on Tuesday, said that 65 per cent of the people need
humanitarian aid, and millions are on the verge of catastrophic starvation in
Afghanistan.
According
to the Khaama Press, a high-ranking UN official in Afghanistan has said that
the price of essential food items has increased by 30 per cent, and
three-fourths of the ordinary people’s income goes to food only.
Furthermore,
he highlighted that currently, 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in
desperate need of humanitarian assistance, and six million people are on the
verge of starvation.
Besides
the devastating earthquakes which hit Turkiye and Syria the worst in decades,
the situation in Afghanistan is considered the biggest humanitarian crisis in
the world in 2023, and natural disasters have added to the problem of the
people as well.
As
per the report by the Khaama Press, Alakbarov described the natural disasters
including floods and earthquakes in 2022 as quite unprecedented in Afghanistan
and said that natural disasters might also adversely affect people in 2023.
The
United Nations has repeatedly called on rich countries to donate generously and
help this organization in offering life-saving services for needy people across
the world.
“Budget
request for Afghanistan make only 9 per cent of the total fund for global
humanitarian aid, and it is requested that special attention should be paid to
the Afghan people due to the existing humanitarian crisis in the war-torn
country,” Alakbarov said.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Arab World
Smuggled
Iranian weapons seized in Gulf of Oman, British Royal Navy says
02
March ,2023
Britain’s
Royal Navy said on Thursday it had seized Iranian weapons, including anti-tank
guided missiles, last month from a smugglers’ vessel in international waters in
the Gulf of Oman.
Britain
said the vessel was detected traveling south from Iran at high speed during the
hours of darkness by an unmanned US intelligence surveillance and
reconnaissance plane and was also tracked by a British helicopter.
When
hailed by the Royal Navy, the vessel initially attempted to navigate to Iranian
territorial waters but was stopped by a team of Royal Marines, who then boarded
the small boat and recovered the suspicious packages, Britain’s Ministry of
Defense said.
“This
seizure by HMS Lancaster and the permanent presence of the Royal Navy in the
Gulf region supports our commitment to uphold international law and tackle
activity that threatens peace and security around the world,” British Defense
Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Top
Lebanese intel chief, mediator with Syria steps down
01
March ,2023
A
Lebanese intelligence chief who has mediated the release of Westerners held in
Syria and also acted as a mediator within Lebanon stepped down Wednesday after
attempts to extend his term failed.
Maj.
Gen. Abbas Ibrahim’s term as a head of the General Security Directorate ends
Thursday, when he reaches retirement age of 64 in Lebanon. On Wednesday
afternoon, he left his office and was replaced by Brig. Gen. Elias Baisary as
acting head of the agency.
“We
will continue the march in different fields to serve Lebanon,” Ibrahim said
before leaving.
Ibrahim,
who headed General Security Directorate since 2011, is known for wide
connections with different local, regional and international figures, including
the Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Syrian government and Western nations.
A
Shia Muslim, he was tipped to eventually replace longtime Parliament Speaker
Nabih Berri who turned 85 in January. When asked by local media whether he
intended to replace the speaker, Ibrahim said: “May God grant Speaker Berri a
long life.”
Under
Lebanon’s power-sharing agreement, the country’s president has to be a Maronite
Christian, the prime minister a Sunni and the parliament speaker a Shia.
Ibrahim said if offered a ministerial job, he would like to become foreign
minister.
Ibrahim’s
term ends at a time when Lebanon has no president since Michel Aoun’s term
ended in late October, with a deeply divided parliament unable to elect a
successor. The country is also without a fully-functional government, with
Prime Minister Najib Mikati heading a caretaker Cabinet.
Mikati
indicated last week that Ibrahim’s term may be extended but no parliament
session was held to do this nor has Berri scheduled one.
A
rarity in Lebanon, Ibrahim had good ties with Hezbollah, the United States and
the international community, making him a key political mediator. At times, he
also acted as a diplomatic representative for Lebanon abroad, roles usually
outside a top security official’s mandate.
One
of his biggest cases was that of American journalist Austin Tice, missing in
Syria since August 2012. The US says Tice is being held by the Syrian
government while Damascus denies holding him. Last year, Ibrahim met with US
officials in Washington as part of his mediation efforts for Tice’s release and
later went to the Syrian capital of Damascus but did not reach a breakthrough.
In
2019, Ibrahim’s mediation led to the release of American Samuel Goodwin, who
was held for two months in Syria. That same year, Ibrahim mediated the release
of Kristian Lee Baxter, a Canadian citizen held in Syrian prisons for almost a
year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UN
chief visits Iraq for first time in 6 years
01
March ,2023
UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres was in Iraq Wednesday for talks with senior officials in a
show of “solidarity” after a drawn-out political crisis.
The
UN chief’s visit, his first to Iraq in six years, comes as the war-torn country
prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the toppling of longtime dictator
Saddam Hussein in a US-led invasion.
Guterres
said he wanted to demonstrate “solidarity with the people and the democratic
institutions of Iraq and a solidarity that means that the United Nations is totally
committed to support the consolidation of the institutions in this country.”
He
said he also wanted to express his “confidence that Iraqis will be able to
overcome the difficulties and challenges they still face through an open and
inclusive dialog.”
Guterres,
who arrived late Tuesday, is due to hold talks with Foreign Minister Fuad
Hussein, before meeting Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, President Abdel
Latif Rashid and parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi, the foreign ministry
said.
The
three leaders are respectively Iraq’s top Shia, Kurdish, and Sunni Arab
officials under the sectarian power-sharing system established after the US-led
invasion toppled Saddam’s Sunni Arab-dominated regime.
Guterres
will also meet representatives of women’s and youth rights groups.
On
Thursday, he will visit a camp for displaced people in the north of the
country, before heading to Kurdistan regional capital Arbil for talks with
Kurdish officials.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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WHO
chief visits opposition-held Syria for first time after quake
01
March ,2023
World
Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited opposition-held
northwestern Syria on Wednesday, his first trip to areas outside Damascus’s
control since a devastating quake last month, an AFP correspondent reported.
Tedros
was the highest-ranking United Nations official to visit the opposition-held
zones since the February 6 quake.
He
entered from neighboring Turkey via the Bab al-Hawa crossing and visited
several hospitals and a shelter for those displaced, the correspondent said.
The
Bab al-Hawa crossing is located in the Idlib region, which UN officials rarely
visit and is controlled by the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
In
the aftermath of the quake, activists and emergency teams in the
opposition-held northwest decried the UN’s slow response, contrasting it with
the planeloads of humanitarian aid that have been delivered to
government-controlled airports.
UN
relief chief Martin Griffiths admitted on February 12 that the body had “so far
failed the people in northwest Syria.”
A
total of 420 trucks loaded with UN aid have crossed into the opposition-held
pocket since the tragedy.
More
than four million people live in areas outside government control in Syria’s
north and northwest, 90 percent of whom depend on aid to survive.
Tedros’s
trip comes after he met President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on February 12.
The
7.8-magnitude quake that struck war-torn Syria and Turkey killed more than 50,000
people across the two countries.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia, UK sign defence agreement
01
March ,2023
Saudi
Arabia’s Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman has met with Britain’s
Defense Minister Ben Wallace on Wednesday in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
During
the meeting a declaration of intent regarding the Kingdom's participation in
the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program has been signed, according to the
Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Egypt
to use daylight saving time again in a bid to save energy
March
01, 2023
CAIRO:
Egypt will again use daylight saving time this summer after a seven-year gap,
the cabinet said on Wednesday, the latest in a series of government efforts to
save energy.
Last
year the Egyptian government announced a raft of rules to reduce government and
commercial energy use so that the country could export more natural gas, a key
foreign currency earner.
Changing
the clocks “comes in light of global circumstances and economic shifts, as the
government strives to rationalize energy usage,” the cabinet said while
announcing the draft law that is expected to be approved by the country’s
parliament.
The
practice, which has been introduced and abolished at varying points in Egypt’s
history, was last used in 2014, and is seen by some as a relic of the country’s
previous regimes.
Clocks
will be brought forward one hour beginning on the last Friday of April, with
the change ending on the last Thursday in October every year, according to the
cabinet.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260506/middle-east
--------
Europe
British
Navy says it has seized smuggled Iranian weapons in Gulf
March
02, 2023
Dubai:
The British navy seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile
assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran likely to Yemen,
authorities said Thursday, the latest such seizure in the Gulf of Oman.
The
seizure by the Royal Navy comes after other seizures by French and US forces in
the region as Western powers increase their pressure on Iran, as it now
enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels. It also comes as
regional and international powers try to find an end to the yearslong war
gripping Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, and as Iran arms Russia in
its war on Ukraine.
The
raid took place Feb. 23 after an American aircraft detected a small boat
heading from Iran, with a helicopter from the Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster
giving chase to the vessel, the British Defense Ministry said. The boat tried
to reenter Iranian territorial water, but was stopped before it could.
Inside
the boat, British troops found Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles,
known in Iran as “Dehlavieh,” the US Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet and the
British navy said. Those weapons have been seen in other seizures suspected to
be from Iran and bound for Yemen.
Also
on board were small fins that the US Navy identified as jet vanes for
medium-range ballistic missiles. Iranian components have helped build a missile
arsenal for Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who have held the country’s capital, Sanaa,
since 2014.
A United
Nations resolution bans arms transfers to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
Tehran long has denied arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous
seizures and experts tying the weapons back to Iran.
“This
seizure by HMS Lancaster and the permanent presence of the Royal Navy in the
Gulf region supports our commitment to uphold international law and tackle
activity that threatens peace and security around the world,” British Defense
Secretary Ben Wallace said.
Vice
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of the American 5th Fleet, said in a statement
that this was the “seventh illegal weapon or drug interdiction in the last
three months and yet another example of Iran’s increasing malign maritime
activity across the region.”
Iranian
state media did not immediately acknowledge the seizure. Iran’s mission to the
United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The
war in Yemen has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned one of the
world’s worst humanitarian crises. However, Saudi-led airstrikes haven’t been
recorded in Yemen since the kingdom began a cease-fire at the end of March
2022, according to the Yemen Data Project.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260826/world
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Solidarity
shown with Türkiye during quake disaster can open new page in relations: EU
Selen
Temizer
01.03.2023
BRUSSELS
The
solidarity the EU showed after earthquakes struck Türkiye last month could open
a new page in relations, according to the bloc’s commissioner for humanitarian
aid and crisis management.
Janez
Lenarcic emphasized at the European parliament's Development Committee that the
EU will continue to support Türkiye with all its means.
The
support will need to continue beyond the EU for the foreseeable future and the
wider international community will need to assist in reconstruction and
rehabilitation, he said.
Lenarcic
said an international donor conference in Brussels later this month, organized
by the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, should not
only be generous but ensure the reconstruction process is better.
He
said the EU has allocated more than €8 million (48.5 million) in humanitarian
aid to meet the most urgent needs in affected provinces and is looking for
additional funding from other parts of the Commission to help after the Feb. 6
tremors.
Syria
Regarding
Syria, Lenarcic emphasized that sanctions against the Bashar al-Assad regime do
not prevent the entry of humanitarian aid to the country but act sensitively so
that the help does not fall into the hands of the regime.
Lenarcic
said within 48 hours of the earthquakes, an additional €3.5 million in emergency
humanitarian aid was dispatched and delivered through the EU's humanitarian
center in Beirut, through partner international organizations.
The
co-chairman of the European Union-Türkiye Joint Parliamentary Committee, Sergey
Lagodinsky, also pointed out that Europe is facing the second-biggest
humanitarian and reconstruction crisis after the war in Ukraine.
He
said he visited the earthquake zone last week and noted the crisis could cover
months or years.
"Despite
the tragedy, we also see a chance. This is a chance to renew our relations with
our Turkish partners. We have difficulties that will remain in the political
arena. But this human dimension and humanitarian action can bring us closer
together. The EU is still a European family, regardless of its membership. It
can show that we are.”
On
the donors' conference in Brussels, Lagodinsky said: "I think we should be
ready to provide assistance in a way that leaves no room for ambiguity, doubt
or political accusation."
The
death toll from the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye rose to 45,089,
the country’s disaster management agency, AFAD, said early Wednesday.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Germany
slams Iran decision to expel 2 diplomats in tit-for-tat move
01.03.2023
BERLIN
Germany's
Foreign Ministry on Wednesday lambasted Iran's decision to expel two German
diplomats from Iran in a tit-for-tat move.
"Today's
step was to be expected after the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats on
February 22, but from the German government's point of view it is in no way
justified," according to a Foreign Ministry press statement.
Germany
expelled two employees of the Iranian Embassy in Berlin last week in response
to Tehran sentencing a German national to death.
The
German expulsion of two Iranian diplomats came in protest to Tehran’s
sentencing German national Jamshid Sharmahd to death.
Iranian
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said Wednesday that Germany was
interfering in Iran’s “internal and judicial affairs.”
Tehran
accused Sharmahd of leading the armed wing of a pro-monarchist group, which his
family denied.
In
other related news, the German Foreign Ministry condemned Iran's reported
development of long-range cruise missiles.
"We
have noted the Iranian media reports on the development of a new long-range
missile. We are watching the ongoing Iranian armament with concern, not least
because Iran is currently escalating in many areas," a press statement said.
"This
includes nuclear-political steps such as the uranium enrichment in Fordow, the
brutal repression against its own population as well as Iran's destabilizing
activities in the region and with the drone deliveries to Russia also beyond.
We are in close contact with our partners in the Gulf, in the USA and within
Europe on this development," the ministry added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
North America
US
Slams Israeli Minister’s ‘Disgusting’ Comments about Palestinian Village
01
March, 2023
The
US on Wednesday lambasted Israel’s finance minister for “repugnant,
irresponsible, and disgusting” comments after he called for wiping out the
Palestinian village of Huwara.
During
a press briefing, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said the remarks by
Bezalel Smotrich amounted to an “incitement to violence.”
Smotrich
said the village of Huwara needed to be wiped out. “I think the state of Israel
should do it,” he said in televised remarks.
Price
called on PM Benjamin Netanyahu and other government members to publicly
condemn the comments. “Just as we condemn Palestinian incitement to violence,
we condemn these provocative remarks that also amount to incitement to
violence,” he added.
Smotrich
and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have been at odds with the Biden
administration over their far-right policies, including a pledge to expand
illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
Washington
has publicly and privately urged the Netanyahu government, considered one of
the most extreme in the country’s history, against moving ahead with this move.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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SpaceX
launches UAE, US, Russian astronauts on voyage to space station
March
02, 2023
CAPE
CANAVERAL: SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station
for NASA on Thursday, including the first person from the Arab world going up for
an extended monthslong stay.
The
Falcon rocket bolted from Kennedy Space Center shortly after midnight,
illuminating the night sky as it headed up the East Coast..
Nearly
80 spectators from the United Arab Emirates watched from the launch site as
astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi — only the second Emirati to fly to space — blasted
off on his six-month mission.
Half
a world away in Dubai and elsewhere across the UAE, schools and offices planned
to broadcast the launch live.
Also
riding the Dragon capsule that’s due at the space station on Friday: NASA’s
Stephen Bowen, a retired Navy submariner who logged three space shuttle
flights, and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, a former research scientist at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and space newbie, and Andrei Fedyaev, a
space rookie who’s retired from the Russian Air Force.
The
first attempt to launch them was called off Monday at the last minute because
of a clogged filter in the engine ignition system.
They
will replace a US-Russian-Japanese crew that has been up there since October.
The other station residents are two Russians and an American whose six-month
stay was doubled, until September, after their Soyuz capsule sprang a leak. A
replacement Soyuz arrived last weekend.
Al-Neyadi,
a communications engineer, served as backup for the first Emirati astronaut,
Hazzaa Al-Mansoori, who rode a Russian rocket to the space station in 2019 for
a weeklong visit. The oil-rich federation paid for Al-Neyadi’s seat on the
SpaceX flight.
The
UAE’s minister for public education and advanced technology, Sarah Al-Amiri,
said the long mission “provides us a new venue for science and scientific
discovery for the country.”
“We
don’t want to just go to space and then not have much to do there or not have
impact,” said the director general of the UAE’s space center in Dubai, Salem
Al-Marri.
The
Emirates already have a spacecraft orbiting Mars, and a mini rover is hitching
a ride to the moon on a Japanese lander. Two new UAE astronauts are training
with NASA’s latest astronaut picks in Houston.
Saudi
Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Arab in space, launching aboard shuttle
Discovery in 1985. He was followed two years later by Syrian astronaut Muhammed
Faris, launched by Russia. Both were in space for about a week.
Al-Neyadi
will be joined this spring by two Saudi astronauts going to the space station
on a short private SpaceX flight paid by their government.
“It’s
going to be really exciting, really interesting” to have three Arabs in space
at once, he said last week. “Our region is also thirsty to learn more.”
He’s
taking up lots of dates to share with his crewmates, especially during Ramadan,
the Muslim holy month which begins this month. As for observing Ramadan in
orbit, he said fasting isn’t compulsory since it could make him weak and
jeopardize his mission.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260816/world
--------
Why
West Bank violence between Israelis and Palestinians rages on despite US
mediation
DAOUD
KUTTAB
March
01, 2023
AMMAN:
Persistent clashes in the West Bank between Palestinians and Israeli settlers
have forced the international community to intervene. But talks in Jordan
between senior Israeli and Palestinian security officials appear to have done
little to ease tensions or halt hostilities.
During
a summit in Jordan’s resort town of Aqaba on Sunday, Israeli and the
Palestinian officials pledged in a joint statement to work together to prevent
further outbreaks. Both sides “reaffirmed the need to commit to de-escalation
on the ground and to prevent further violence.”
However,
a fresh wave of clashes appears to have shattered any slim hope of progress
almost immediately.
Two
Israelis who lived in a West Bank settlement near Nablus were killed on Sunday,
sparking revenge attacks in which a Palestinian man was killed, dozens of
vehicles and buildings were torched, and more than 300 people were injured.
The
rampage by settlers in the Palestinian town of Huwara came just days after
Israeli forces launched their deadliest West Bank raid in nearly 20 years,
which left 11 Palestinians dead in Nablus. On Monday, an Israeli, who was also
a US citizen, was killed in the West Bank city of Jericho.
Many
analysts believe Brett McGurk, the US National Security Council’s Middle East
and North Africa coordinator, who is tasked with trying to prevent any further
escalation of hostilities and facilitating wider engagement with the talks in Aqaba,
has been handed an impossible mission.
Khalil
Jahshan, executive director of the Arab Center Washington D.C., believes the
summit stood little chance of success from the outset.
“It
was rushed by the US administration, essentially to rescue Israel from its own
foolish policies, without adequate preparation or groundwork,” he told Arab
News.
“Indeed,
I considered the conference as both ill-conceived and ill-timed, considering
recent political and military decisions by the Benjamin Netanyahu government,
particularly its violent raids in Jenin, Nablus, and other occupied Palestinian
towns.
“Once
the joint (Israeli-Palestinian) communique was issued on Feb. 26, I thought its
fanciful words would not last till the upcoming follow-up session in mid-March.
Aqaba was another wasted diplomatic effort, as long as the 55-year-old Israeli
occupation of Palestine continues unimpeded, with direct or indirect US
support.”
Jahshan
believes McGurk was presented with an insurmountable task.
“How
could he defuse the tensions between Israel and Palestine that his colleagues
(National Security Adviser Jake) Sullivan, (CIA Director Bill) Burns, and
(Secretary of State Antony) Blinken failed to secure from the Netanyahu
government?” he said.
McGurk
came to the talks armed with a security plan. But experts said the region needs
more than just security.
Oraib
Rantawi, director of Al-Quds Center for Political Studies in Amman, said a
conditional, short-term ceasefire might be possible if Israeli authorities
agree to put settlement building on hold, halt raids on Palestinian towns, and
hold settlers to account for their actions.
“But
in terms of middle and long-term solutions, such de-escalation will fail unless
there is a serious political process that can provide a political horizon for
Palestinians,” he told Arab News.
Rantawi
believes only the US can orchestrate a conditional ceasefire and push ahead
with efforts to establish such a political path.
“Otherwise,
the efforts of McGurk and any other US official are futile,” he said.
Ori
Nir, vice president of the Americans for Peace Now organization in Washington,
told Arab News that three things are necessary to reduce the violence: “An
Israeli government willing to confront the settlers and restrain its military
actions in the West Bank; a capable, credible Palestinian government and
security forces; and a US government willing to proactively enforce the Aqaba
understandings.
“None
of these seem to be present. Therefore the prospects of success for McGurk’s
mission are grim.”
The
West Bank is home to about 2.9 million Palestinians, along with an estimated
475,000 Jewish settlers who live in state-approved settlements considered
illegal under international law. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the
1967 war.
The
settlers have been emboldened by Netanyahu’s return to power at the head of a
coalition that includes ultra-Orthodox and extreme-right-wing parties.
Botrus
Mansour, a lawyer and expert in Israeli politics from Nazareth, believes the
worsening security situation is a result of inexperienced radicals who have
suddenly found themselves in power.
“Before
the swearing-in of this government, things were relatively quiet,” he said.
“The current radical ministers were in opposition, always attacking the
government for not doing enough.
“And
now that they are in government, now that they are in power, they have proven
to be failures and their inexperience has been exposed.”
Johnny
Mansour, a political science professor in Haifa, told Arab News a lot of work
is needed to restore a state of relative stability.
“What
is needed for quiet to return is a decision for a total cessation of both
Israelis’ aggressive actions on the ground, and the verbal violence spoken by
radical Israeli ministers,” he said.
“What
is needed is to give people hope but this is far away now. Palestinians are not
only under occupation, they are being humiliated so they have little to lose by
revolting.”
Hani
Masri, director of the Masarat think tank in Ramallah, believes the key to
reducing violence lies in halting all settlement-expansion activity, changing
the status quo in Al-Aqsa, stopping punitive demolitions of Palestinian houses,
and preventing the creeping annexation of Palestinian land.
“We
know that this will be rejected by Israel, and therefore there is no escaping a
confrontation with this Kahanist (Zionist extremist) government that is seeking
to annex, Judaize, and force people out,” he told Arab News.
Zaha
Hassan, a human rights lawyer and a fellow of the Middle East Program at the
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Arab News that much of the
violence is driven by Israeli authorities and their raids on Palestinian towns
and refugee camps.
“For
the current violence to decrease, the Israelis need to believe that there are
costly repercussions,” she said.
“The
US has many policy tools it could deploy. It has to make Israel believe it will
use them. Instead, the Biden administration has done the opposite. Even a UN
Security Council resolution condemning settlements is fought by the US, tooth
and nail.”
The
endless cycle of violence has also undermined the Palestinian Authority. The
activities of armed Palestinian groups have increased in recent months due, in
part, to the security vacuum left by the government in Ramallah, which has
chosen not to crack down on the revolt and, lately, refuses to coordinate on
security issues with Israeli authorities.
Johnny
Mansour believes the security summit in Aqaba was an attempt to put pressure on
the Palestinian Authority to rein in militant factions.
“The
Americans and the Israelis have tried, with Arab cover, to restrict the popular
protests during the upcoming month of Ramadan, and what is even more important
for Israel is the need for calm during the Passover holidays, which happen at
the end of the holy month of Ramadan,” he said.
Some
analysts point out that there are many tools other than violent resistance that
the Palestinians could utilize to strengthen their position, especially in
terms of engagement with the international community.
Mohammad
Zahaika, a political activist in the Sawahreh neighborhood of East Jerusalem,
supports a nonviolent response.
“What
is needed is a popular, nonviolent protest that can lead up to civil
disobedience,” he told Arab News. “People here in East Jerusalem realize that
they need to find ways to neutralize the powerful Israeli war machine and widen
the gulf that is already going on in Israel.”
He
believes Ramadan, which will begin toward the end of March, could be the
perfect time for popular protests that might challenge right-wing Israelis who,
he says, have no interest in a peaceful resolution. He concedes, however, that
much of the Palestinian public supports a strategy of armed resistance.
“What
we need is for external forces to be involved and even to provide protection
and intervention to the Palestinian population. Only this way can the
extremists be deterred,” Zahaika added.
Rifaat
Kassis, an elected member of the city council in Beit Sahour, agrees that
Ramadan would be a good opportunity to promote unity.
“The
Palestinian Authority is in a difficult situation, whether things escalate or
calm down,” he told Arab News. “What is needed is for a popular movement to be
launched that attempts to unify Palestinians. This is a golden opportunity to
unite all groups of Palestinians.”
Jamal
Dajani, a former head of communications in the Palestinian prime minister’s
office, believes outside help could guarantee security.
“Palestinians
in the West Bank need international protection against attacks by Israeli
colonial settlers, aided and abetted by the Israeli occupation army,” he told
Arab News.
He
said the Palestinian Authority has failed to protect its people and so the only
solution is to deploy UN forces, or other external troops, to provide that
protection.
“If
not, more pogroms will be committed and Palestinians will be forced to defend
themselves, regardless of their affiliation, or no affiliation,” Dajani added.
The
actions of Israeli authorities show they are intent on reshaping the West Bank
and destroying the possibility of a viable Palestinian state, and with it any
hope of lasting peace through a two-state solution, he said.
“Security
discussions are about providing security to Israeli settlers and not to
Palestinians,” he added.
Anees
Sweidan, director of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s public relations
department, said the escalation of violence represents the beginning of a new
intifada, heralding a repeat of the violent uprisings of 1987 to 1993 and 2000
to 2005.
“The
crimes of the Israeli army and the settlers are increasing at a high speed and
this cannot be stopped by a security understanding,” he told Arab News.
“What
is needed is a serious political process based on the two-state solution.
Otherwise everything taking place is nothing more than sedation needles. I do
not expect that to happen and therefore I do not see any major changes taking
place.”
Aaron
David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace, and an adviser to Republican and Democratic administrations in the US,
would like to see a political process established to resolve the conflict but
is similarly doubtful there is much chance of that happening.
“Without
a political horizon, there is no long-term pathway to end the violence,” he
told Arab News. “Short of a major effort to define a political horizon, with
mutually reinforcing actions taken by each side to set the stage for
negotiations on an end state, there is no way to end the violence.
“There
is no way, right now, that the current Israeli government and the Palestinian
Authority could agree on this package — and it is almost certain Hamas would
not.”
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260631/middle-east
--------
UAE
space mission launch is scheduled for March 2 after February scratch
Darren
Lyn
02.03.2023
HOUSTON,
United States
NASA
and SpaceX are planning to launch the Arab world's first long-term space
mission Thursday after it was scratched last month.
The
new launch was announced Wednesday for a March 2 takeoff shortly after midnight
at 12:34 EST at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Crew-6 mission will blast off using the SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
The
crew includes Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and Russian Andrey Fedyaev in
addition to NASA's Warren Hoburg and Stephen Bowen and they will conduct 19
experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for six months.
The
Feb. 27 launch was scratched "to review an unusual data signature related
to the ignition fluid," according to NASA officials.
"After
a thorough review of the data and ground system, both NASA and SpaceX teams
identified a clogged filter on the ground as the cause," NASA said in a
statement.
"SpaceX
teams replaced the filter ... and verified the lines are clean and ready for
the next launch attempt early Thursday morning."
This
is the sixth crew rotation mission using the SpaceX Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket
to travel to the ISS as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
US
funded ‘Iran war plan’ in support of Israel’s anti-Iran saber-rattling: Report
01
March 2023
The
US military allocated funds for secret contingency operations related to a plan
for war against Iran, according to a damning new report citing classified
Pentagon documents.
An
investigative report published by the Intercept on Wednesday noted that the
plan - codenamed "Support Sentry" - was exposed after The Intercept,
an American non-profit news organization, reviewed a classified Pentagon budget
manual listing emergency and special programs.
According
to the manual, which was produced for the 2019 fiscal year, the so-called
Support Sentry plan was funded in 2018 and 2019, the report further read.
The
document further classified Support Sentry as an Iran “CONPLAN,” or concept
plan, a broad contingency plan for a war that the US Department of Defense
develops in anticipation of a potential crisis.
“As
a matter of policy, we do not comment on numbered plans. Iran remains the
leading source of instability in the region and is a threat to the United
States and our partners. We are constantly monitoring threat streams in
coordination with our regional partners and will not hesitate to defend US
national interests in the region,” said Maj. John Moore, a spokesperson for US
Central Command, or CENTCOM, when asked about Support Sentry and whether it is
still in place.
Such
a program, the report noted, is just one example of the Pentagon's increasing
comfort with, and support for Israel's aggressive stance toward Iran.
Last
month, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides encouragingly said that “Israel can
and should do whatever they need to deal with [Iran] and we’ve got their back.”
The
report went on to say that due to the collapse of diplomacy with Iran despite
Washington's attempts under former American president Donald Trump, the
Pentagon quietly moved Israel into its Central Command area of responsibility,
officially grouping it with the main Arab countries of the Middle East, adding
that the reshuffling has remained under President Joe Biden.
What
Trump did through the so-called Abraham Accords - normalizing ties between
Israel and the two Persian Gulf Arab states of Bahrain and the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) - was in fact aimed at aligning these countries against a common
enemy: Iran, rather than peace deals, as they are touted, it said.
Furthermore,
the report added, the US and Israel have embarked upon conducting a growing
number of joint military drills in recent months that Israeli leaders say are
designed to test potential attack plans with Iran.
Dakota
Wood, a senior research fellow for defense programs at the Heritage Foundation
and retired US military planner who served as a strategist for the Marine Corps
Special Operations Command, told The Intercept that contingency plans, such as
Support Sentry, provide “the general outline - the overarching ‘concept’- of a
plan to take some major action against an enemy.”
In
other words, the mere existence of contingency plans like Support Sentry
suggests that the US military takes the possibility of a war with Iran
seriously enough to prepare a strategic framework for it. Moreover, CONPLANs
also lead to consequences short of war, like military exercises.
“CONPLANs
serve as the intellectual framework or context when developing military exercises
because it makes sense for units that are honing their skills to have that work
be relevant to likely tasks,” Wood further noted.
In
2018, Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of Iran's nuclear deal - technically
known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - and launched his plan of "maximum
pressure" on Tehran by reinstating previous sanctions and imposing fresh
ones.
On
January 16, 2021, just four days before Biden’s inauguration, Trump ordered the
military to reassign Israel to CENTCOM, its Middle East combatant command,
aiming to force the Biden administration to abandon diplomacy and adopt the
framework of his so-called “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.
This
is while the US military, historically, has rather counter-intuitively kept
Israel under its European Command, or EUCOM, in order to avoid tensions with
Persian Gulf Arab allies like Saudi Arabia, the report said.
“Tasking
CENTCOM to serve as the primary U.S. defense coordinator with Israel instead of
EUCOM would acknowledge the new political reality of the Middle East under the
Abraham Accords. Our bill requires a study of the potential transition, which
could increase US-Israel military cooperation with regional partners and help
better secure the Middle East against threats like Iran,” Sen. Tom Cotton said
in a press release in December 2020, days before Trump ordered the military to
reassign Israel to CENTCOM.
Since
Biden came to power, US-Israel military cooperation rapidly expanded to
encompass unprecedented joint naval exercises, so much so that Secretary of
Defense Lloyd Austin also remarked in April last year that “those exercises
would have been unimaginable, unthinkable, just a few years ago.”
Back
in January, the US and Israel conducted their largest joint military exercise
in history, codenamed Juniper Oak. Some 6,400 American and 1,500 Israeli troops
participated in the training exercise, involving more than 140 aircraft, an
aircraft carrier, and live fire exercises with over 180,000 pounds of live
munitions.
"Notably,
Juniper Oak involved exercises in which American aircraft provided mid-air
refueling services to Israeli fighter aircraft - a key capability Israel lacks
and without which its aircraft cannot reach Iranian targets - and drills
involving American B-52 bombers dropping bunker-buster bombs on targets
designed to resemble Iranian nuclear sites," the report added.
In
its most recent National Security Strategy, the high-level planning document
detailing nuclear threats and how to respond to them, dated October 2022, the White
House also hinted at the military option.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/01/699132/US-Israel-war-Iran-Pentagon
--------
Southeast Asia
Ipsos poll: Over one in two Malaysians say ‘live and let live’ on transgender
persons
By
Zarrah Morden
02
Mar 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 2 — Over half of Malaysian respondents agreed that transgender
individuals should be able to live their lives as they wished and without
interference, according to a study by market research firm Ipsos.
In
the report of the 2023 edition of its Global Trends survey released this week,
Ipsos said 54 per cent of Malaysian respondents agreed with the statement
versus 40 per cent who were against it.
“While
it is tempting to think that it is the youngest members of society who care the
most about people being able to define their own identity, these beliefs are
actually fairly consistent across the age groups,” it noted.
In
Muslim-majority Malaysia, conservatives view the rights of transgender persons
along with others in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
community to be part of liberalism, an ideology they treat as immoral or
incompatible with the country’s norms.
Regardless
of the coalition in power, Malaysian authorities typically take a harsh stance
against LGBT elements that attract attention within their spheres of power.
Under
state shariah laws, Muslim trans women are usually targeted using offences
outlawing “men dressing or acting like women”.
Earlier
this month, national news agency Bernama reported that the Ministry of Home
Affairs banned three publications deemed harmful to Malaysian morals including
two that contained LGBT elements.
Last
month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s
government to step up legal reforms to protect minority communities better,
including LGBT persons.
At
the local launch of HRW’s World Report 2023, which records country-specific
human rights abuses from last year, the international watchdog’s deputy Asia
director Phil Robertson said the Malaysian government should stop abuses
against the LGBT community.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Malaysia
vows to continue peace efforts in southern Philippines
Mara
Cepeda
MAR
1, 2023
MANILA
– Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vowed on Wednesday in Manila to
continue efforts to help facilitate the peace process in the Muslim-dominated
Philippine island of Mindanao.
The
Malaysian leader, who arrived on Wednesday morning, is the first head of
government to visit the Philippines since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took
office in June 2022.
Datuk
Seri Anwar said Mr Marcos has made “great strides” in advancing the peace
process in Mindanao in southern Philippines – an area that has long been
plagued by poverty and separatist violence.
He
said its success would provide “enormous potential” to benefit Filipinos and
Malaysians alike.
“I
think it’s only our duty as a good neighbour to support and facilitate the
peace process, and I stand by whatever things need to be done at the bilateral,
multilateral level to support this endeavour,” Mr Anwar said.
From
2001 to 2012, Malaysia served as a mediator in the negotiations between the
Philippine government and Muslim rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The talks eventually culminated in the formation of the Bangsamoro autonomous
region in 2019.
Mr
Anwar, who became prime minister in November 2022, said Malaysia will continue
aiding the people of the self-ruled Bangsamoro region through various
capacity-building projects. These include the Malaysia Technical Cooperation
Programme, which allows the country to share its development experiences and
expertise with developing nations like the Philippines.
Mr
Marcos thanked Malaysia for its “great contribution” in the peace process in
southern Philippines.
“We
hope that this support that they have shown over the past few years will
continue to contribute to the success of the peace process and establishment of
the Bangsamoro autonomous region,” he added.
During
their bilateral meeting, both leaders agreed to pursue joint initiatives to
combat transnational crime and terrorism.
“Our
defence and security ties are also strong and growing. We share common borders
that are, to an extent, quite porous. Therefore, the collaboration needs to be
further enhanced,” Mr Anwar said.
The
two leaders also plan to revive trade and investment cooperation, particularly
in the areas of the halal industry, agriculture and food security, and the
digital economy.
They
also discussed regional security issues, including Myanmar’s military
leadership and South China Sea disputes.
Mr
Anwar said he appreciated Mr Marcos’ support for Asean’s five-point peace plan
that Myanmar’s junta had agreed to, but added that alternative ways must be
forged to persuade the military leadership to work with Asean in achieving
peace.
On
the issue of the South China Sea, both Mr Anwar and Mr Marcos agreed that all
claimant territories in Asean must take a multilateral approach to achieve a
peaceful resolution to the maritime dispute.
Malaysia
and the Philippines are among the South-east Asian nations that are contesting
Beijing’s claim over territories in the South China Sea.
Before
flying home on Thursday, Mr Anwar will receive an honorary law degree from the
state-run University of the Philippines, where he is scheduled to deliver a
public lecture on Asean geopolitics.
Source:
Straits Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Guan
Eng: There are more Muslim MPs in unity govt than PN
By
R. Loheswar
01
Mar 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 1 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng has chastised PAS President Datuk Seri
Abdul Hadi Awang for saying there are fewer Muslims in the unity government
than previous governments.
The
MP for Bagan questioned Hadi's statement when he said that 98 per cent of the
turnout during the 15th general elections were non-Muslims while only 68 per
cent of voters were Muslims.
“This
is false. The actual overall turnout for the election was 74 per cent.
Researcher Bridget Welsh had contradicted Hadi by stating that Malays had the
best voter turnout amongst all races at 79 per cent.
“Out
of the 148 MPs supporting the unity government, more than half or 77 are Muslim
MPs, dispelling the false narrative that the unity government is dominated by
non-Muslim MPs,” Lim said.
Two
weeks ago, Hadi decried that the unity government consisted of more non-Muslims
than Muslims. In a Facebook post, he said there are 50 non-Muslims and 31
Muslims MPs.
He
said calling it a unity government was misleading.
Hadi
said the unity government does not have an opposition or the opposition is too
small like a mosquito.
Lim,
however, rebuked this statement by stating that the 77 Muslim MPs in the unity
government contrast with the 72 out of 74 Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs who are
Muslims.
“In
other words, there are more Muslim MPs in the unity government than the
opposition PN. And yet, Hadi continues with falsehoods to project extremist
sentiments to corral the Muslim votes without any regard whatsoever for
non-Muslims in Malaysia.
“Malaysia
belongs to all citizens, including non-Muslims. For Hadi to continue to exclude
non-Muslims is not only wrong but also opposed to the royal command of the King
to respect diversity and tolerance in our multi-racial society,” he added.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
TikTok
Malaysia says political advertisements are banned amid claims of biased
platform moderator
01
Mar 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: TikTok Malaysia clarified on Wednesday (Mar 1) that political
advertisements are banned on the popular video-sharing platform.
In
a statement, TikTok Malaysia’s head of public policy Hafizin Tajudin said: “At
TikTok, we aim to provide community members with a diverse range of relevant
and entertaining content.
“To
achieve this, we do promote a small fraction of videos to help diversify the
content experience and introduce celebrities and emerging creators to the
TikTok community.
“However,
we do not allow political ads on the platform, which is further strengthened
through the changes in the policies for government, politician and political
party accounts (GPPPA) that was made last year.”
He
reiterated that TikTok does not allow paid advertisements that “promote or
oppose a candidate, government, current leader, political party or group, or
issue at the federal, state, or local level”.
The
statement was issued after a viral video claimed that a Parti Islam Se-Malaysia
(PAS) member was also part of the TikTok moderation team. The video noted that
moderators could determine what content would go viral.
Malaysian
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil reportedly said at the
sidelines of an event on Tuesday that he has been in touch with TikTok
regarding the allegations in the video.
He
noted that people have made assumptions that “the 4,000 TikTok moderators are
biased towards one political party”.
"I've
been in touch with TikTok as these are serious allegations and if true, this
means some people have managed to infiltrate the company.
"We'll
need to do some due diligence and also we don't want people to think they've
been oppressed and spreading this misinformation is wrong too," he was
quoted as saying by MalayMail.
Opposition
Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition’s strong showing in the 15th general election
when they won 74 seats has been attributed to its astute TikTok campaign
strategy. PAS is a component party of PN.
Mr
Hafizin of TikTok said that while the former employee mentioned in the video
served as a content moderator, such moderators do not have any authority or
access to any forms of promotional tools for content.
“We
have a robust quality assurance system in place to ensure that the political or
personal opinions of our employees do not affect their work quality and ethics,
including when performing content moderation tasks.
“TikTok's
content moderation decisions are based on a set of clearly defined Community
Guidelines and have layers of checks and balances including quality assurance
and third-party fact-checkers, to uphold safety and ensure fairness in
moderation,” he said.
On
Tuesday, it was reported that the European Parliament banned TikTok from being
installed on staff phones, amid unease over how the app owned by Chinese firm
ByteDance was harvesting user data.
Following
the ban, Mr Fahmi, the minister, was quoted as saying by Malay Mail that
Cybersecurity Malaysia has been asked to investigate the matter.
"They've
been tasked with checking the allegations made by the EU as well as what they
were suspicious of. If there is any matter that arises that we need to consider
since this involves personal and sensitive data, we will take the necessary
steps," he added.
Source:
Channel News Asia
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Asean
can’t stay silent over developments affecting region, says PM
02
Mar 2023
MANILA:
Decision-making by consensus continues to be the central tenet of Asean, but it
does not mean the regional grouping should remain silent over developments in
member states that affect the wider region, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
He
said criticisms against Asean particularly focus on two of its principles –
decision-making by consensus and non-interference.
“Today,
decision-making by consensus continues to be a central tenet of Asean. This,
however, does not mean that Asean should remain silent over developments in
member states that affect the wider region, or particularly egregious
violations of the Asean Charter by its own members.
“In
all honesty, I believe that non-interference is not a licence for
indifference,” he said in a talk titled “30 Years After The Asian Renaissance:
Strategic Takeaways for Asean” at the University of the Philippines today.
Earlier,
Anwar was conferred an honorary doctorate by the university.
According
to a statement by the university, Anwar was awarded the doctorate for being a
scholar and an internationally acclaimed expert on economics, democracy,
freedom, governance, Islam and the need for accountability.
Anwar
arrived in the Philippines yesterday for a two-day official visit, the fifth
Asean country he has been to since being appointed as the 10th prime minister
in November.
On
the need to temporarily carve out Myanmar on account of its human rights
violations, Anwar stressed that it was imperative to stay true to one of the
key ideals of Asean – standing for the cause of justice and the rule of law.
During
his bilateral meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr at Malacanang Palace
yesterday, Anwar had expressed concern about the unresolved Myanmar issue,
which was adversely affecting Malaysia because of the huge number of its
refugees, which had exceeded 200,000.
“The
(Philippine) president, in his wisdom, has reiterated the need for the
five-point consensus, but I would suggest exploring new areas on how the junta
can be persuaded to work and collaborate as a team within Asean and resolve the
outstanding issue, which cannot be considered as purely internal because it is
affecting the security and welfare of the region,” he said at a joint press
briefing with Marcos Jr.
Anwar
also called on Asean member countries to stand as cooperative partners working
towards the betterment of its people in a just and peaceful world.
He
congratulated the Philippines and the Filipino people for the courage of their
convictions in the cause of democracy.
“You
have demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are able to confront
arrogant powers and show to us, in Asean and beyond, that defeat in times of
trouble is not an option.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Houthis
pocket millions of dollars of public funds say UN experts
SAEED
AL-BATATI
March
01, 2023
AL-MUKALLA:
Houthi leaders’ families have amassed vast fortunes by diverting billions of
Yemeni riyals from oil, taxes, and other levies into their own wallets and also
profiting from the creation of oil black markets, the UN Panel of Experts has
said.
This
finding by UN experts has validated Yemeni activists’ and authorities’
long-held suspicions that militia members are using the conflict their own
benefit.
Covering
the period from early December 2021 to Nov. 30, 2022, the UN experts stated in
their annual report to the UN Security Council that from the start of the
UN-brokered truce on April 2 to Nov. 30, 69 tankers delivered 1,810,498 tons of
oil derivatives to the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah port, generating 271.935
billion Yemeni rials (approximately $271 million) for the Houthis.
Instead
of utilizing the earnings to pay public workers in regions under their control,
as the UN-brokered Stockholm Agreement requires, the Houthis used the money to
line their own pockets and finance military activities.
“Under
the Stockholm Agreement, the Houthis were to collect customs duties on the
import of oil through the port of Hodeidah on the condition that they would pay
public service salaries. However, the panel was informed that no salaries had
been paid at the time of writing,” the panel said.
In
addition to other sources of revenue such as taxes on mobile and landline
services, oil, banks, hospitals, pharmacies, and zakat, which is estimated at
45 billion Yemeni riyals per year, the Houthis have imposed a new levy known as
a khums (one-fifth) tax on mineral, water, and fishing industries and other
economic activities, with all proceeds going to Houthi families and other
allied leaders, the 194-page report said.
“Real
estate is another sector that generates significant revenues for the Houthis,
who forcibly confiscated large swathes of land and buildings during the
reporting period. The Houthis are also using various telecommunications
companies to send millions of messages soliciting support and financial
contributions for their war efforts,” it added.
The
UN experts discovered that the Houthis engaged in drug smuggling and trade in
order to fund their military activities, and the Saudi authorities told them
that they had intercepted several shipments of narcotic substances originating
from the Houthis in Yemen.
“During
its visit to Riyadh, the panel was informed of several seizures by the Saudi
authorities, especially at Wadi’ah, Khadra’, Ulab, Tuwal and Jazan Port. The
Saudi authorities stated that the trafficking and smuggling of the consignments
were being aided and abetted by the Houthis to generate funds for their war
activities.”
UN
experts have identified the Iran-backed Houthis as the primary abusers of human
rights in Yemen due to their indiscriminate attacks on civilian gatherings and
infrastructure, arbitrary abductions, torture, and forced disappearances.
For
a second year in a row, UN experts have accused the Houthis of breaking their
pledge to the UN to stop recruiting children into their military, adding that
Houthi community services coerced children, mostly those aged 13 to 17, to join
their summer camps and recruitment and training facilities through financial
inducements or intimidation.
“The
Houthis continued their campaign of indoctrinating children and of recruiting
and using them in their forces, including as combatants, contrary to their
legal obligations and the action plan signed with the UN in April 2022 to
prevent and end recruitment and other grave violations against children.”
The
UN found evidence that Iran continued to ship weapons, including ballistic
missile components, to the Houthis after examining seized weapons shipments on
land or at sea in Yemen.
UN
experts also identified Mohammed Halas Mohammed Bishara as the leader of the
Houthi maritime smuggling organization.
They
were granted access to components of Quds ballistic missiles and drones
captured by the UK navy in the Gulf of Oman in January 2023 aboard two
stateless vessels moving from Iranian beaches into Oman.
“The
seizure of Quds components by the British Royal Navy supports the panel’s
assessment that the missiles continue to be smuggled in parts from abroad and
that final assembly takes place in Houthi-controlled areas,” said the report.
Yemeni
authorities also permitted UN experts to inspect a shipment of 52 launch
containers containing 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles that had been
concealed inside four huge power generators and confiscated at the country’s
Shahn border crossing with Oman.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260541/middle-east
--------
Israel
cracks down on rampaging settlers but Palestinians say it is ‘not enough’
MOHAMMED
NAJIB
March
01, 2023
RAMALLAH:
Israeli police finally arrested 10 people on Wednesday in connection with a
deadly rampage by settlers through a Palestinian town in the occupied West
Bank.
The
arrests came after three days of inaction following Monday’s incident in
Hawara, when one Palestinian died as hundreds of settlers torched cars and
homes, and amid unprecedented criticism by the senior Israeli military chief in
the area.
Maj.
Gen. Yehuda Fuchs, head of the Israeli army’s Central Command, said his forces
had prepared for the possibility of a settler attack but had been surprised by
the intensity of the violence.
Fuchs
said the rampage was a “shameful” incident carried out by lawbreakers who
“acted not according to the values I grew up with or the values of the state of
Israel, and not according to the values of Judaism.”
“The
incident in Hawara was a pogrom carried out by outlaws,” he said. “We were not
prepared for a pogrom of this magnitude, with many dozens of people.”
Pogrom
is a word that describes an organized act of mass violence targeting a
particular ethnic or religious group. The term had been used to refer to ethnic
mob attacks against Jews in eastern Europe in the 19th and early 20th
centuries.
Fuchs
said: “We are currently in a period without security coordination with the
Palestinian Authority. We will see what happens in the coming days.”
Shops
in Hawara remained closed on Wednesday, by order of the army, amid a heavy
Israeli military presence.
On
a visit to the town, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said the
arrests were not enough. “We see an organized crime perpetrated by the Israeli
government and carried out by the settlers,” he said.
Hawara’s
mayor, Mueen Al-Dumaidi, told Arab News that Shtayyeh had visited to take stock
of the situation and assess the damage. People who lost property in the settler
attacks are demanding compensation from the Palestinian Authority, including
new homes. Shtayyeh has formed a committee to assess the losses and promised
the government would help people to the full extent of its capabilities.
“There
are 52 families whose homes were completely burned down, 40 cars were torched,
in addition to the destruction of the municipality’s property, two trucks and a
bulldozer,” Al-Dumaidi said.
He
said the Israeli army had divided the town into five security zones and banned
residents from moving between them. Troops were deployed on rooftops along the
main street to prevent clashes between Palestinians and settlers.
People
were gripped by fear and panic, Al-Dumaidi said, and settlers had tried to
attack a house on Wednesday. “Now, after the world has condemned the Israeli
army’s failure to prevent settlers from attacking the Palestinians, the
Israelis admit their mistake,” he said.
He
described the situation in Huwara as “terrible,” saying the Israeli army has
divided it into five security zones and forbidden residents from moving between
them. Troops are deployed on rooftops along the main street through the town to
prevent any friction or clashes between residents and settlers.
Palestinians
have formed protection committees in Huwara who stay awake all night to protect
homes and town property from further attacks. Al-Dumaidi said the job of
committee members is to warn residents of any attack, not to engage in a fight.
Meanwhile,
Palestinian and Israeli sources have expressed fears that violence will again
flare in the West Bank before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, which
begins in about three weeks.
Amer
Hamdan, a human rights activist from Nablus, told Arab News that he has noticed
an apparent change in the behavior of the Israeli army toward Palestinians
since the new right-wing Israeli government came to power in late December. The
soldiers, he said, tolerate attacks by settlers against the Palestinians.
“If
the army had the intention to act, it would move quickly and deal firmly with
the settlers before they could carry out their arson attacks,” he added.
Hamdan
said he has avoided traveling to Ramallah since the latest settler attacks for
fear of being targeted by settlers, or soldiers at the military checkpoints
that are dotted along the road.
“I
do not want to be the next martyr,” he added.
In
another development, Israeli forces raided the Humsa Bedouin community in Tubas
Governorate in the northern Jordan Valley and demolished homes, according to
Moataz Bisharat, who is in charge of the area.
Hussein
Al-Shaikh, the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee chief,
said draft legislation on the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners found guilty
of terrorism, which is passing through the Israeli Knesset, reflects an
approach steeped in “racism and colonial thought.” The government-backed law
passed its preliminary reading in the Israeli parliament on Wednesday.
Al-Shaikh
said the party that should be tried for its crimes is the occupation, not the
people suffering under the occupiers and their oppression.
Public
Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s ultranationalist Jewish Power faction has
promoted the death sentence bill as a means of deterring would-be Palestinian
attackers after a more than year-long surge in violence that shows no signs of
abating.
Critics
say the death penalty is immoral, antithetical to Jewish principles, and will
not serve as a deterrent.
The
proposed law would allow the death penalty for a person who killed an Israeli
“as an act motivated by racism or hostility toward the public” and “with the
aim of harming the state of Israel and the revival of the Jewish people in its
land.”
Limor
Son Har-Melech, the ultranationalist settler lawmaker proposing the bill, told
Kan public radio that “it is just and most moral that someone who murders Jews,
and just because they’re Jews” is sentenced to death.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260561/middle-east
--------
Palestinian
man succumbs to wounds sustained in Israeli raid on West Bank camp
02
March 2023
A
young Palestinian man has succumbed to the wounds he suffered during a raid by
Israeli forces on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry said that 22-year-old Mahmoud Jamal Hamdan died of
his serious injuries on Wednesday night after being shot by Israeli troops
during a raid on Aqabat Jabr camp, located southwest of Jericho in the Jordan
valley, Palestine’s official Wafa news agency reported.
On
Wednesday, Israeli troops stormed the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp, following a
shooting attack on a highway outside Jericho that left one Israeli soldier
dead.
During
the raid, the regime’s forces sealed off the camp and prevented ambulances and
journalists from entering it. They also fatally wounded Hamdan, whom they
accused of being involved in the attack.
Hamdan
was arrested along with five others from one family including four brothers in
their 50s and 40s and the son of one of them.
Hamdan’s
death took the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers
since the beginning of the year to 67.
Israeli
forces occasionally break into Jericho, mainly the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp,
and conduct searches.
Last
month, they raided the camp and injured at least 13 Palestinians. The occupying
regime’s forces also arrested three Palestinian young men during the attack,
which took place on February 4.
The
raid came almost a week after Israeli forces imposed a tight siege on Jericho
after a resistance fighter opened fire at a nearby settler restaurant.
Israeli
forces launch raids on various cities of the occupied West Bank almost on a
daily basis under the pretext of detaining what the regime calls “wanted”
Palestinians. The raids usually lead to violent confrontations with residents.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Israeli
regime's death penalty bill incurs Hamas outrage
02
March 2023
Hamas
expresses outrage over the Israeli regime's approval of a draft bill that, if
signed into law, would authorize the execution of the Palestinian detainees,
who perform anti-occupation operations.
The
Palestinian resistance movement issued the reaction in a statement on Wednesday
after Knesset (the Israeli regime's parliament) approved the draft -- which has
been proposed by far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir -- in a preliminary
reading.
The
group denounced attempts at the legislation of the executions as the Israeli
regime's bid to legalize its systematic killings of the Palestinian people, the
Palestinian Information Center news agency reported, citing a Hamas statement.
"Such
racist and criminal move reflects the Israeli occupation government's fascist
tendencies," the group said, according to the agency.
"It
represents an extension of the summary executions [that are] carried out by the
Israeli occupation army in cold blood under the nose of the whole world,"
it said, reminding that the international law criminalizes killing on
discriminatory and racist bases.
Hamas
vowed that such policies would not deter the Palestinian people from exercising
their right to resistance against the occupying regime and its illegal
settlers.
The
Israeli regime's forces and settlers have escalated their deadly acts of aggression
against the Palestinians since late December 2022, when Benjamin Netanyahu
staged a comeback as the regime's prime minister at the head of a cabinet of
hard-right and extremist parties.
Also
on Wednesday, Israeli forces attacked the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp near the
city of Jericho in the eastern part of the Tel Aviv-occupied West Bank, fatally
wounding a man, whom the regime has accused of killing an Israeli-American
motorist earlier.
Mahmoud
Jamal Hassan Hamdan, 22, died from "serious wounds inflicted by bullets of
the occupation" during the raid, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency
reported, citing a statement by the Palestinian health ministry.
Hamdan's
death took the number of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers
since the beginning of the year to 67, including four who were killed by
Israeli settlers' gunfire, 13 children, four elderly people, and one prisoner.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/01/699145/Palestine-Israel-Hamas-death-penalty-bill
--------
Palestinian
children in Gaza explore world
01
March 2023
For
most people in Gaza, it's just a dream to travel and explore the world outside
the Israeli cruel blockade. The new generation has lived almost its whole life
under the Israeli siege, learning about the world only through screens. The
longstanding Israeli restriction on the movement of people and goods to and
from Gaza has undermined the living conditions of over 2 million Palestinian
residents.
Al-Amal
Institute for orphans in Gaza is an independent non-governmental organization
that pursues to bring about positive change in the culture of the community and
raise awareness about orphans and their needs in order to ensure a better life
for them and their families.
In
its current form, the Israeli blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip has been in
place since June 2007, when Israel imposed a full-scale land, sea, and air
blockade on the area. The siege contravenes Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva
Convention, which prohibits collective punishment that prevents the realization
of a broad range of human rights. Families have been split, youths have been
denied the opportunity to study and work outside Gaza, and many have been
denied their right to receive basic healthcare. Three Gaza Children died in
2022 as a result of the Israeli occupation authorities' delays or refusal to
grant them permits to exit Gaza for medical treatment.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/01/699140/Palestinian-children-in-Gaza-explore-world
--------
Top
al-Qaeda figure killed in Yemen air strike: Sources
01
March ,2023
A
senior al-Qaeda figure was killed in a suspected US air strike in war-torn
Yemen, security and local government sources told AFP on Wednesday.
Hamad
bin Hamoud al-Tamimi, a top leader of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP),
which Washington regards as among the global extremist network’s most dangerous
branches, died in the strike along with a bodyguard, a security official said,
requesting anonymity.
The
air strike, targeting a house in the northern province of Marib that al-Tamimi
had recently rented, was “apparently American,” the official said.
A
Marib government official, also speaking anonymously, confirmed the deaths.
Tamimi,
also known as Abdel Aziz al-Adnani, headed up AQAP’s leadership council and
acted as the militant group’s “judge,” the sources said.
The
“president of the consultative council and judge, known as Abdel Aziz
al-Adnani, was killed with a Yemeni bodyguard,” the Marib official said.
AQAP,
and rival militants loyal to ISIS, have thrived in the chaos of Yemen’s civil
war, which pits the Arab coalition-backed government against the Iran-backed
Houthi militia.
AQAP
has carried out operations against both the Houthis and government forces as
well as sporadic attacks abroad.
Its
leaders have been targeted by a US drone war for more than two decades,
although the number of strikes has dropped off in recent years.
The
attack comes a month after three alleged AQAP militants were killed in a
suspected US drone strike on a car in Marib province.
Yemen
has been wracked by conflict since 2015, when an Arab coalition intervened to
back the government after the Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
IDF
official: 'Can’t promise there won’t be terror escalation during Ramadan'
By
YONAH JEREMY BOB
MARCH
1, 2023
IDF
Operations Commander Maj. Gen. Oded Bassiuk on Wednesday said that he cannot
promise that Palestinian terrorism will not escalate leading into the Muslim
month of Ramadan just over the horizon.
Speaking
from the INSS conference, he said, “We are seeing murderous terrorism,” from
Palestinians in the West Bank, with the IDF leading a “huge intelligence
revolution to combat this and defend the area and on the border with actions to
thwart” terrorism.
“This
is our mission at all times. Most of what is happening with the Palestinians
now are internal issues. There is a struggle about what will happen the day
after,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas dies.
He
said that “our actions continue, sometimes we need to go to harsh places, but
we do our work on this. Whatever the political echelon decides, we need to
carry it out.”
Further,
he stated, “we need to try to prevent greater escalations [of terror] during
Ramadan, but I cannot promise this.”
On
the positive side, he said, “look at what didn’t happen. There are no Tanzim
forces there or other organized forces” from Hamas or other terror groups
operating in any strength in the West Bank.
IDF's
job is to protect Israel from all threats
Bassiuk
also said that the IDF’s job is to protect Israel from all threats as diverse
as “knives from Judea and Samaria to the [Iranian] nuclear threat.”
He
added that “we are looking at a much shorter timeframe than in the past”
regarding the potential of an Iranian nuclear threat.
In
addition, the IDF operations chief said that there had been not one, as
reported, but two recent Iranian attack incidents at sea, without specifying
more details.
Source:
J POST
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-733051
--------
Spokesman:
Iran Expels 2 German Diplomats Over Berlin's Interventionist Attitude
2023-March-1
"The
German diplomats were expelled following the interventionist and irresponsible
moves of the German government regarding the internal and judicial affairs of
the Islamic Republic of Iran," the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman
said.
Kana'ani
pointed out that the German envoy to Tehran has also been summoned to Iran's
foreign ministry and has been informed of the decision.
He
reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran will decisively respond to the
excessive demands, and stressed that the priority of the Islamic Republic of
Iran is always to maintain interaction in an atmosphere of respect, but if some
parties want to ignore the fundamental standards and national sovereignty of
Iran, defining alternative options are inevitable.
Following
Tehran's measure of sentencing the ring leader of the Tondar terrorist group to
death, Germany recently summoned two employees of the Iranian embassy and
ordered them to leave the country.
The
Justice Department of Tehran Province recently announced that Jamshid Sharmahd
had been convicted of “corruption on earth” through directing terrorist activities
and has been sentenced to death.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Erdogan
says Turkey elections to be held on May 14
01
March ,2023
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated on Wednesday that elections will be held on May
14, sticking to his previous plan for the vote with a date just over three
months after a devastating earthquake killed more than 45,000 people in Turkey.
“This
nation will do what is necessary on May 14, God willing,” Erdogan said in a
speech to lawmakers from his ruling AK Party in parliament.
There
had been conflicting signals over the likely timing of the presidential and
parliamentary elections since last month’s earthquake, with some suggesting
they could be postponed until later in the year or could be held as scheduled
on June 18.
Before
the disaster, Erdogan’s popularity had been eroded by the soaring cost of
living and a slump in the lira.
He
has since faced a wave of criticism over his government’s response to the
deadliest quake in the nation’s modern history.
Erdogan,
aiming to extend his rule into a third decade, previously said he was bringing
the votes forward to May to avoid holidays in June. Polls suggest they would
present his biggest electoral challenge yet.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Israeli
protesters block highway as government presses on with judicial overhaul
01
March ,2023
Israeli
protesters blocked the main highway from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Wednesday, as
lawmakers were set to plough ahead with a contentious judicial overhaul that
opponents see as a threat to democracy.
“Israel
is not a dictatorship, Israel is not Hungary,” the protesters called, waving
blue and white Israeli flags.
Demonstrations
were expected to intensify nationwide in what protest organizers have dubbed a
“day of disruption.” Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar
Ben-Gvir said he would not allow a “mutiny”, or “anarchists” to block roads.
The
reform was proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
nationalist-religious coalition government in January. It includes giving the
government decisive sway in picking judges and limits the scope of the Supreme
Court to strike down legislation or rule against the executive.
Critics
say that this would greatly weaken judicial independence, given Israel has no
constitution and only one house of parliament that is controlled by the
coalition.
In
parliament on Wednesday, the Knesset’s Constitution, Justice and Law Committee
was set to give initial approval to more proposals in the plan.
Warning
the country was on the brink of “constitutional and social collapse,” President
Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, is trying to formulate a
compromise on the changes.
The
plan has yet to be written into law, but it has already affected the Israeli
shekel and drawn concern from some Western allies who have signaled concern
about the democratic health of the country if the government goes through with
the overhaul.
“Slow
down a little a bit, maybe bring people together, try and build some
consensus,” US Ambassador Tom Nides said at Tel Aviv University’s conference of
the Institute for National Security Studies late on Tuesday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Africa
Nigerian
President-elect Tinubu appeals for unity after hotly contested elections
Olanrewaju
Kola and Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu
01.03.2023
MAIDUGURI,
Nigeria
Nigeria's
President-elect Bola Tinubu appealed for unity in the country on Wednesday
after hotly contested elections that have been disputed by opposition parties.
In
his acceptance speech after being declared the winner of the weekend election,
Tinubu said the divisions that characterized the poll should not linger into
the post-election period.
"There
are divisions amongst us that should not exist. Many people are uncertain,
angry and hurt. I reach out to every one of you. Let the better aspects of our
humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring
calm to our nation," he urged.
Analysts
have warned that the elections fueled religious and ethnic divisions in
Nigeria.
Tinubu,
however, struck a conciliatory tone after his victory, stressing that it would
serve every person in the West African country and vowing to work together
opposition parties, some of which have disputed the election results.
A
candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC), Tinubu garnered
8.7 million votes in the race held on Feb. 25-26, according to Mahmood Yakubu,
chairman of the country's electoral commission.
The
main opposition People's Democratic Party's (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar,
received 6.9 million votes, while Labor Party (LP) candidate Peter Obi got 6.1
million, according to the official count.
Eighteen
candidates ran for presidential office in Africa's largest democracy and
economy, which is also its most populous nation with around 206 million people.
Tinubu
will succeed outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration has been
marked by security threats and economic crunches.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Guinea
to fly back citizens in Tunisia after outcry
01
March ,2023
The
West African state of Guinea is repatriating dozens of its citizens from
Tunisia, a senior official said Wednesday, after Tunisian President Kais Saied
triggered a storm by accusing sub-Saharan migrants of crime.
The
foreign ministry official told AFP that the ruling junta had leased an aircraft
to bring about 50 Guineans in Tunisia who said they wanted to return home.
The
information was confirmed by a senior official at the Conakry airport.
Hours
earlier, the president’s office issued a statement saying that Foreign Minister
Morissanda Kouyate was heading to Tunisia aboard a government aircraft “to
provide urgent support for Guineans” there.
This
is Guinea’s first repatriation flight since Saied ordered security forces to
take “urgent measures” against “hordes” of sub-Saharan African migrants,
accusing them without evidence of causing a wave of crime and plotting to
change the country’s demographic make-up.
Many
of the estimated 21,000 sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia -- most of whom
are irregular -- have lost their jobs and housing overnight.
Others
have been stopped by police, and some have reported physical attacks.
Dozens
of migrants have flocked to their embassies, particularly those of Ivory Coast
and Mali, asking to return home.
Several
countries have announced repatriation flights for volunteer returnees.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
UN
slams deployment of South Sudan troops in disputed region
01
March ,2023
The
United Nations on Wednesday condemned the deployment of South Sudanese troops
in an area of the disputed region of Abyei, which both Sudan and South Sudan
claim.
The
UN peacekeeping mission in the contested region warned that the deployment of
troops in the southern part of Abyei would create “untold suffering and
humanitarian concerns” for civilians in the area.
There
was no immediate comment from South Sudanese authorities, and a spokesman for
the ruling military in Sudan did not answer a request for comment.
The
deployment followed renewed fighting within and around Abyei, said the mission,
known as UNISFA. It urged both parties to stop fighting and “allow the
political process to resolve the lingering crisis.”
“UNISFA
is against any form of unauthorized deployment” in Abyei, the mission said.
The
mission statement did not elaborate on the fighting. Local media, however,
reported that the latest clashes between Nuer and Dinka Ngok tribes in the
region grew out of cattle rustling late last month.
Citing
local authorities, Sudan Tribune news website said at least 18 people were
killed and nine were wounded.
UNISFA
said it has reinforced peacekeepers in the area and “is closely monitoring the
situation.”
The
dispute between Sudan and South Sudan over oil-rich Abyei began when South
Sudan gained independence from Sudan following a 2005 peace deal, after decades
of civil war between Sudan’s north and south.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Achraf
Hakimi’s lawyer denies rape allegations, says ‘accusations are false’
01
March ,2023
A
lawyer representing Moroccan football player Achraf Hakimi denied rape
allegations made against the Paris Saint-Germain defender, news website GOAL
reported on Wednesday.
Hakimi
is being investigated for the alleged rape of a 23-year-old woman whom he
reportedly invited to his home in France while his wife and children were away
on vacation, French news outlet Le Parisien reported earlier this week.
The
footballer’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, said in a statement to Le Parisien on Tuesday
that Hakimi was innocent.
“The
accusations are false… and he is at the disposal of justice,” Colin said.
Colin’s
statements represent the first public reaction as PSG has not yet commented on
the accusations.
The
alleged victim went to the police this weekend and accused Hakimi of raping her
despite her not consenting to intercourse.
Police
opened an investigation into the matter even though she told them that she only
wanted to “make a statement of rape,” without filing an official complaint.
Hakimi
is a well-known footballer who played a crucial role in his national team’s
historic run to the semifinals of the Qatar World Cup last year.
The
24-year-old player is married to Spanish actress Hiba Abouk whom he met in
2018.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Tunisia
president receives Arab interior ministers
March
01, 2023
RIYADH:
Tunisian President Kais Saied on Wednesday met Saudi Interior Minister Prince
Abdulaziz bin Saud, who is also honorary chairman of the Council of Arab
Interior Ministers, at Carthage Palace in Tunis.
Various
other Arab interior ministers who took part in the 40th session of Arab
Interior Ministers Council were also in attendance.
During
the reception, Saied highlighted the important role of the Council of Arab
Interior Ministers in coordinating security cooperation among Arab countries.
He expressed hope that the meeting, which was held in Tunis on Wednesday, would
achieve the aspirations of the leaders and peoples of Arab countries.
During
his opening speech, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League,
said the session is being held at a time in which the Arab region suffers from
serious conflicts and civil unrest.
Aboul
Gheit said that the disintegration of some Arab countries carry cross-border
ramifications, including an influx of refugees, the spread of terrorist groups,
drug trafficking, and criminal organizations.
The
secretary-general called for an integrated security vision that considers the
social conditions created by recent global developments.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2260486/middle-east
--------
Nigeria’s
new President-elect Bola Tinubu
01.03.2023
LAGOS,
Nigeria
Bola
Tinubu, 70, a candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC), on
Wednesday was declared the winner of Nigeria’s presidential election by Mahmood
Yakubu, head of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Tinubu
served two terms as governor of Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos. He is often
referred to as the "godfather" of Lagos, a state he governed between
1999 and 2007.
Prior
to becoming governor, he was a senator from 1991 to 1993, before the military
suspended the National Assembly and all democratic structures.
Together
with other Nigerians, Tinubu formed a coalition to end the military rule that
the country saw in various forms between 1985 and 1998.
He
later fled the country into exile following a crackdown on pro-democracy
campaigners by the military junta.
Tinubu
returned in 1998 when political activities began for the return to civilian
rule.
Education
Tinubu
started his elementary education in Lagos, southwestern Nigeria, and completed
his secondary education at a government college, in Ibadan. He later traveled
to the US for undergraduate studies, obtaining a BS in accounting from Chicago
State University.
He
worked in the Nigerian office of Mobil Oil before resigning to join politics.
The
president-elect is married to Oluremi Tinubu, a senator. Tinubu is wealthy and
owns many businesses, including a television station and a newspaper.
He
will now succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, who served two terms as president.
Buhari’s administration witnessed security woes, economic crunches, and
corruption.
The
Buhari administration continues its battle with Boko Haram terrorists, who
kidnap for ransom as well as economic gain.
Buhari’s
decision to replace the country's existing currency notes triggered a serious
public outcry.
The
incoming president is expected to address some of these challenges.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-s-new-president-elect-bola-tinubu/2834633
--------
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