Molotov Cocktails Hurled at Two Mosques in Haryana's Nuh by Motorcycle-Borne Assailants
New Age
Islam News Bureau
03 August 20123
A total of 45 FIRs have been
registered so far, and 139 people have been arrested in connection with the
violence. ( Image Source : PTI )
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India
• How Sikh Community Rushed to Rescue of
Sohna Mosque Residents
•’35-40 devotees were held hostage by
rioters at Ram Mandir in Nuh’: Horrifying details from • FIR on complaint of
Duty Magistrate Adib Hussain
• Allahabad HC allows ASI survey at
Gyanvapi mosque
• Haryana: Miscreants attempts to set
two mosques on fire in Nuh
• Maharashtra Dy. CM Mulls Law on Love
Jihad, says 'If Timely Action Taken, Tensions Within the Communities Can Be
Avoided
• Threatened and left homeless, Muslim
migrant workers flee Haryana amid communal violence
• ‘Are you Hindu or Muslim?’ Men
threaten journalist reporting on Gurugram violence
• Railways Denies RPF Man Who Killed
Boss, Three Muslims Was Mentally Unstable, Then Rescinds Denial
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Southeast Asia
• Do not politicise 'Allah' issue, PM
Anwar warns all parties
• Sultan Agung Islamic University
targets 100 professors by 2027: Rector
• Fahmi sends letters of demand to two
individuals on Rawang mosque allegation: Lawyer
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North America
• US urges direct India, Pakistan talks
• Jan. 6 police officer shocks CNN host
when he compares Trump to Osama bin Laden: 'Donald Trump is a terrorist'
• Muslim advocacy group urges Florida to
reject PragerU content in schools
• The Patagonia Summer Sale Is Basically
an Outdoor Gear Mecca
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Africa
• Niger's military ruler warns against
foreign meddling
• Nigeria cuts electricity to Niger
after coup
• Nigerian Stowayways who survived 14
days on Ship’s rudder rescued in Brazil
• Senegal: authorities suspend TikTok
app
• Nigerian labour unions march against
soaring cost of living under new president
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Mideast
• Al-Azhar Calls For “Islamic-Islamic”
Dialogue Following the Frequent Quran Burning Incidents
• Nasrallah attacks Muslim countries for
'weak' stance on Quran burnings
• Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque
Under IOF Protection
• IDF arrests Islamic Jihad senior
official near Jenin
• Extensive war crimes in Sudan’s
‘unimaginable horror’: Amnesty
• Egypt allocates $97m budget for
restoration of antiquities
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Europe
• UK Aid Cuts Risk Thousands of Lives in
Arab, Muslim Countries, NGOs Tell Arab News
• Clones crash victim Dlava Mohamed, 16,
to receive traditional Muslim funeral service today
• UK may kick out 100,000 Ukrainians
• Russia’s biggest automaker reports
soaring sales
• US soldier killed by armoured hatch
• Vladimir Kornilov: How today’s
Russia-Ukraine conflict has its roots in the policies of Lenin’s Bolsheviks 100
years ago
• France suspends military cooperation
with Niger until further notice
--------
Arab World
• Saudi Artist Takes Airport Travellers on
Jeddah Journey Through Time
• Saudi foreign ministry launches
electronic visa waiver for UK citizens
• Sleysla — a commitment to Saudi
heritage and women’s empowerment at its centre
• Saudi land-mine clearing project Masam
raises alarm over persistent Houthi threat
• Saudi Arabia Launches Portal for
Transfer Of Domestic Labourers
• Brussels hosts second high-end
dialogue between Saudi Arabia, EU
--------
Pakistan
• Death Toll From Islamic State Bombing
at A Pro-Taliban Cleric’s Rally in Pakistan Earlier This Week Rises To 63
• ‘Robust’ ties with China to help guard
collective interests: army chief
• Hold party polls or lose election
symbol, ECP warns PTI
• Zhob attackers were from Afghanistan:
FO
• FM Bilawal discusses desecration of
Holy Quran with Swedish counterpart
• PM Shehbaz reiterates invitation to Türkiye
to join CPEC
• SC asks Imran Khan to wait for IHC
verdict in Toshakhana case
• Around 400 Pakistani migrants freed in
Libya's anti-trafficking raid
---------
South Asia
• Muttaqi Urges Envoys of Several
Countries to Resume Activity in Afghanistan
• US special envoys meet Qatari Minister
of state for international cooperation
• Defence Ministry repairs over 2,000
damaged military vehicles
• US Special Envoys Meet Qatari Minister
of State Lolwah Alkhater
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/molotov-cocktails-mosques-haryana-nuh/d/130371
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Molotov Cocktails Hurled at Two Mosques
in Haryana's Nuh by Motorcycle-Borne Assailants
A total of 45 FIRs have been
registered so far, and 139 people have been arrested in connection with the
violence. ( Image Source : PTI )
------
03.08.23
Motorcycle-borne assailants hurled
Molotov cocktails at two mosques in Tauru in Haryana's Nuh district last night,
police said on Thursday.
No one was injured in the incidents that
took place around 11:30 pm on Wednesday night, they said.
While one of the mosques is located near
Vijay Chowk, the other is near a police station. Both mosques suffered some damage.
Soon after information was received
about the incidents, fire brigades were rushed to the two mosques and the fire
was doused, police said.
A bangle shop in Palwal district's Minar
Gate market was also set on fire by unidentified assailants, they said.
Prohibitory orders are in place in both
Nuh and Palwal districts, in view of the communal violence that erupted in Nuh
on Monday after a mob tried to stop a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession.
Mobs killed a cleric, torched an eatery
and vandalised shops as communal violence that began in Nuh spilled over into
neighbouring Gurugram on Tuesday.
Six people have died so far in the
violence, 116 people have been arrested and 90 detained, according to the
Haryana government.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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From Haryana to ‘Terror’ On Train, TV
News Is Shy to Identify Victims When They Are Muslim
Policemen
posted outside Anjuman Jama Masjid, which was set on fire, at Gurugram's Sector
57 | Suraj Singh Bisht | ThePrint
-----
Shailaja Bajpai
03 August, 2023
The headlines made unusually grim
reading, this week.
Consider Tuesday/Wednesday mornings’
Page 1 newspapers: ‘Communal clashes in 4 NCR dists…’ (Times of India), ‘4 shot
dead by RPF man in hate crime on moving train’ (Hindustan Times), ‘Manipur
status report on FIRs shows there is no law and order: SC’ (The Hindu),
‘Gyanvapi issue in court, Yogi says Muslim side should admit mistake of
history…’ (The Indian Express).
Is this our idea of India?
Well, it’s certainly the picture of
India we have seen since Monday – and it isn’t pretty. On television news
channels, policemen can be seen marching as if going to war in Haryana’s
Gurugram after the communal violence; there are the bodies of charred vehicles
piled up, the remains of buildings burnt to the cinders, videos of
stone-pelting. ‘Haryana on the boil,’states Republic TV, unnecessarily,
Wednesday.
Rewind to Monday and TV plays the video
of a man in police uniform, standing over the bloodied body at his feet in a train
compartment: ‘Deadly firing inside Mumbai-Jaipur train,’ said NDTV 24×7. It’s a
frightening sight — the claim that the Railway Police Force (RPF) constable is
‘mentally disturbed’ (India TV), the victim of “hallucinations’ (The Times of
India) is no comfort, either.
TV news spent Monday replaying this
story with minute details of the incident, creating CGI special effects of the
shootings (India Today/Aaj Tak) and dwelling on the briefcase of the forensic
team, which excited some reporters to no end — Times Now Navbharat, for
instance.
It took the Tuesday morning newspapers –
and social media Monday evening — to highlight one crucial fact that news
channels had missed or chosen to ignore: three of the four men Chetan Singh
killed were Muslim. While HT had the most detailed report on how the RPF jawan
went from compartment to compartment looking for his victims, TOI published
photographs of them.
Another (deliberate?) omission by TV
news was revealed in The Indian Express online report Monday—it told us what
the constable had “purportedly’’ said during the killing spree, recorded on a
video by a passenger. It quoted the part that is clearly audible, concerning
“Pakistan…” and an exhortation to vote for “Modi aur Yogi…”
The video, which first emerged on X (formerly
Twitter), has since been removed following a government demand.
Why news channels missed these aspects
is a question they ought to answer, considering that in the Nuh communal
clashes, it is now naming some of the victims – Republic TV shared the autopsy
report of Home Guards ‘Neeraj’ and ‘Gursewak’.
Initial calm, then the claims
The same shyness to identify victims
when they are Muslim prevented news channels from reporting on the death of a
23-year-old cleric of a mosque in Gurugram until late Tuesday – although there
was expansive coverage from Nuh.
The violence in Badshahpur occurred
Monday night/early Tuesday but surfaced late Tuesday on some channels. However,
the attack on the mosque and the killing of imam was not mentioned until
Wednesday.
Which is odd, given that in their
initial reporting, news channels were responsible — and fair. We learnt of the
trouble in Nuh first on Hindi news channels on Monday afternoon – even as the
clashes occurred.
By Tuesday morning, newspapers had
already headlined the story—it was the lead in TOI, which also reported that
“sources in the police” believed rumours that “gaurakshak” and Bajrang Dal’s
Monu Manesar, wanted by Rajasthan Police in the murder of two Muslim men, was
part of the Bajrang Dal-VHP procession that set off the clashes in Nuh. It also
reported his uploading a video on Sunday saying he would participate.
Manesar was the MIA star of the
story—India Today caught up with him on Wednesday and of course he flatly
denied any involvement while blaming Congress for the violence. Hindustan Times
asked what is probably the most logical question: “Why is Monu Manesar not in
custody?” Why indeed.
On television, a CNN News 18 reporter on
Tuesday put everything into perspective — why had the administration allowed
the rally to pass through a ‘Muslim area’, he asked.
India Today, too, reported the situation
on the ground without frills, and cited the Manesar “trigger” that was thought
to have set off the violence — “his communal videos could have been inciting,”
said one correspondent.
And for a welcome change, the reporting
was calm and collected on news channels like Aaj Tak, Zee News, and Republic
TV/Republic Bharat, which are, often, fairly hysterical over such incidents of
violence. There was no naming or shaming—“In the name of religion, who is
responsible?” (TV 9 Bharatvarsh) is about as far as the ‘communal’ reporting
went.
So far so good. But by afternoon, the
calmness gave way to “Who is the mastermind?” (ABP News) and videos to indicate
that the attack on the VHP-Bajrang Dal procession was “pre-planned”: India TV
had a series of video clips showing gas cylinders, bottles, etc lined up ready
for use.
Then came Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij
and Chief Minister ML Khattar to claim that the violence was pre-planed and a
“conspiracy”. “Who are the conspirators?” asked Republic TV immediately.
Even as this was happening, Deputy CM
Dushyant Chautala was telling The Indian Express that the official management
of the Shobha Yatra “was not at its best” with Nuh’s Superintendent of Police
being on leave. Piquant, to say the least.
Wednesday, TV news showed us Rapid
Action Force (RAF) boots on the ground, the VHP and Bajrang Dal protests, the
press conference by CM Khattar and what Hindi channels like to call, ‘siyasijung’.
In print, newspapers wrote editorials
questioning the administration: “Nuh clashes show gaps in governance,” said
Hindustan Times. While The Times of India’s “Killer on the Train” demanded
reforms on railway security, The Indian Express linked the RPF constable
killing four people and the Nuh communal violence; both, it said, “…point to
the same sordid cycle of hate and impunity”.
And the media? Well, it gave us an idea
of India…
The author tweets @shailajabajpai. Views
are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)
Source: theprint.in
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Cleric Arrested for Blasphemy in Indonesia
After Allowing Women to Preach and Pray Beside Men
Leader of
the Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School, Panji Gumilang, walks before examination
at the Indonesian Police Criminal Investigation Agency in Jakarta, Indonesia,
August 1, 2023.
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Thu August 3, 2023
A Muslim cleric has been arrested on
charges of blasphemy and hate speech in Indonesia after his decision to allow
women to preach and pray beside men sparked a backlash among religious
conservatives in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.
PanjiGumilang, 77, who runs the
Al-Zaytun boarding school in the district of Indramayu in West Java, was
arrested on Tuesday, Indonesian National Police official DjuhandhaniRahardjo
told reporters outside its Criminal Investigation Agency in Jakarta.
In the past, the school, home to roughly
5,000 students, has faced public backlash over its unorthodox practices like
allowing men and women to pray alongside each other and women to become imams.
Unlike other Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia, its prayer sessions do not
follow gender segregation, angering conservative groups.
“Investigators took legal action,”
Djuhandhani said on Tuesday. “(Panji will be) detained in the Criminal
Investigation Agency’s detention facility for 20 days,” he added.
Police did not specify what Panji had
said or done that constituted blasphemy but said they were acting on public
complaints.
In June, Indonesia’s Islamic Clerical Council
said it was investigating Al-Zaytun for “misguided religious practices,”
according to CNN affiliate CNN Indonesia. If found guilty of blasphemy and hate
speech, Panji faces a maximum 10 years in prison.
Panji’s lawyer Hendra Effendy called for
calm from his supporters.
“He is after all, a public figure with
millions of supporters… With all this happening, we don’t know what could
happen,” he told CNN Indonesia.
One of Panji’s supporters, who did not
wish to be named for fear of reprisals, told CNN his arrest was “unjust” and
reflective of the country’s turn towards the religious right.
“So he went against (the curve) – does
he deserve to be punished for his compassion,” the supporter asked.
Rise in blasphemy cases
Most mainstream schools of Islam around
the world segregate men and women during prayers and do not permit women to
lead mixed gendered prayers or deliver sermons.
Indonesia is the world’s largest
Muslim-majority nation, with 231 million Muslims.
Although it has an overwhelming Muslim
majority, it is constitutionally secular and officially recognizes six
religions – Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and
Confucianism.
Historically the country has practiced a
tolerant and pluralist form of Islam. However, it has seen a rise in religious
conservatism in recent years.
Strict Islamic laws are already enforced
in parts of the country, including the semi-autonomous Aceh province, where
alcohol and gambling are banned and public floggings take place for a range of
offenses including homosexuality and adultery.
Panji was “supportive” of Muslim women
becoming imams and leading others in prayer, something which “isn’t normal in
Indonesian society,” said Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher at Human Rights
Watch.
“He has been promoting gender equality
within Islam and this has angered the conservatives. There is nothing wrong
with him (a Muslim cleric) promoting women’s rights – something is terribly
wrong with blasphemy laws,” he added.
Rights groups say that religious freedom
and tolerance are “under threat” in Indonesia and blasphemy laws were being
“increasingly weaponized” against religious minorities and people deemed to
have criticized Islam.
One of the highest profile blasphemy
cases was that of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Indonesian widely
known as Ahok and Jakarta’s first non-Muslim governor in 50 years.
He went on trial for blasphemy in 2017
after angering hard-line Muslims by referencing a verse from the Quran while
campaigning for re-election in 2016.
Despite making a public apology, he was
jailed for two years – a verdict met with scrutiny and condemnation by many
Indonesians and observers in the international community. The case was widely
seen as a test of religious tolerance and free speech in Indonesia.
“Blasphemy cases have been increasing
drastically over the years,” Andreas of Human Rights Watch said. “Officials in
Indonesia are using these laws more frequently against religious minorities in
the name of ‘religious harmony’ and it’s (grown) more and more toxic.”
“It is becoming an increasingly
Islamized state and there will be many more consequences… for people whose
views are considered to be against the Islamic establishment,” he said,
referencing controversial amendments to its criminal code set to be passed by
2025.
Source: edition.cnn.com
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https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/03/asia/indonesia-islamic-preacher-blasphemy-charges-intl-hnk/index.html
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Ex-Inmate, Mansoor Adayfi, Exposes
Torture, Discrimination Against Muslims at Guantanamo in Cuba
AP ARCHIVE
Guantanamo
Bay Naval Base, Cuba, August 29, 2021. / Photo: AP Archive
------
August 29, 2021
The physical and psychological torture
of inmates was a common practice at the US Guantanamo Bay detention facility in
Cuba, a former Yemeni detainee who spent 15 years there due to his name being
similar to that of a terrorist suspect has said.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Mansoor
Adayfi highlighted how the US spy agency CIA used unreliable information from
local informants to transport people from Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen as well
as other countries to Guantanamo.
Adayfi underscored that the US
deliberately designed Guantanamo prison to evade legal restrictions, saying the
US denies any wrongdoing concerning the facility.
“Guantanamo has a bigger goal. It turned
out to be a military lab for experimenting on prisoners. At the same time,
(then-US president) George W Bush and his administration invaded Afghanistan
and announced the war on terror.
"They needed to show some results,
so they brought people in orange jumpsuits and shipped them to Guantanamo as
the worst of the worst. The only prisoners who are there are Muslims,” he said.
Institutionalised form of anti-Muslim
sentiment
Emphasising that Guantanamo represents a
standardised form of anti-Muslim sentiment, Adayfi said guards provoked inmates
through insults and disrespect towards Islam and its sacred values.
He said that following the September 11,
2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the US attempted to cover up its
foreign policy failures by stoking anti-Muslim sentiment, adding that inmates
feared reporting the increased instances of discrimination against Muslims at
Guantanamo.
Following September 11, Western
countries and some Arab nations handed over dissidents and activists labelled
as terrorists to the US, he said. He said that during that time, the US
kidnapped and imprisoned people without trial.
Adayfi said discrimination and hate were
minor offences at Guantanamo. After being tortured, prisoners were dragged
through corridors covered in blood. During interrogations, he said dozens of
people died, and no one raised their voice.
Lab for experimenting on prisoners
Adayfi highlighted the increasing
intensity of torture inflicted on prisoners supervised by experts, consultants
and psychologists. The psychologists were present to observe prisoners’
reactions while being tortured and to suggest new methods, he said.
“As I told you, that place was created
for experimenting; a lab we as prisoners were just subjected to.” Adayfi
described how the mental and physical health of the detainees deteriorated due
to the guards systematically torturing prisoners all day, and not just in
interrogation rooms.
Soldiers would bang on cell doors and
guards disrespected the Quran by placing it under prisoners’ feet to provoke a
reaction.
The US extended its torture methods from
Guantanamo to other countries’ prisons like Abu Ghraib in Iraq.
Adayfi emphasised that the facility has
been functioning for nearly 22 years and that every US government has pledged
but failed to commit to close the prison, and that unless human rights
organisations and the international community apply pressure, Guantanamo will
remain open.
World’s worst prison
The prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba was
established due to the US “global war on terror” policy initiated after the
2001 attacks. Under the guise of the war on terror, American intelligence
agencies apprehended individuals, mainly from the Middle East and Africa,
alleging ties to terrorism.
To prevent detainees from benefiting
from US judicial rights, the administration of then-US president George W Bush
created interrogation cells and prisons beyond the jurisdiction of the American
legal system.
Source: trtworld.com
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https://www.trtworld.com/us-and-canada/ex-inmate-exposes-torture-discrimination-against-muslims-at-guantanamo-14312555
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Muslim Rights Concerto Nigerian President: Muslims Are Prohibited From Taking Interest Loans
President Bola Tinubu
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August 2, 2023
An Islamic human rights organization, Muslim
Rights Concern, MURIC, has solicited for interest-free loans for Nigerian
Muslims, as against interest loans offered by President Bola Tinubu during his
address to Nigerians.
But the MURIC Executive Director, Prof.
Ishaq Akintola, in a statement on Wednesday, explained that it is forbidden for
Muslims to receive or give interest on loans.
He said: “We appreciate the concern of
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Nigerians particular in these difficult times.
“The offer of loans to cushion the
effect of the withdrawal of oil subsidy shows that the president cares about
the citizenry.”
According to him, Nigerian Muslims
cannot take interest loans, saying that it is capable of constituting a wedge
between Nigerian Muslims and their Creator, Almighty Allah.
“We prefer the everlasting peace of
al-akhirah (the Hereafter) to the material gains of this world,” Mr Akintola
insisted.
The pro-Muslim organization added that
Nigerian Muslims could not and would not take interest loans, describing the
latter as capable of constituting a wedge between Nigerian Muslims and their
Creator.
“Interest is haram and Allah explicitly
forbids it when He said, “Oh you who believe, fear Allah and give up that
interest which is still due to you, if you are true believers.
“But if you do not desist, then you are
warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger….”
(Glorious Qur’an 2:278 – 279).
“The interest loan being offered by
President Tinubu cannot benefit Muslims in Nigeria. We therefore suggest that
the Federal Government should arrange soft loans for the Muslim population in
particular and any other citizens who may desire it,” the statement noted.
Mr Akintola advised the Federal
Government to prepare alternatives for Nigerian Muslims in the interest of fairness,
equity and justice.
“This is why FG needs to prepare
alternatives for Muslims who are more than 130 million in the country in the
name of fairness, equity and justice.
“We reiterate that interest loan is
haram and Muslims will not touch it with a long pole. FG should therefore
expedite action on introducing Islam-compliant palliatives such that it is made
available for Muslims at the same time that interest loans are accessible to
others because hunger is spreading fast among the populace as prices sky-rocket
daily.”
Source: dailynigerian.com
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://dailynigerian.com/muric-tinubu-muslims/
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India
How Sikh Community Rushed to Rescue of
Sohna Mosque Residents
Written by Jignasa Sinha , Arnabjit Sur
August 3, 2023
A day after communal clashes broke out
in Nuh, Gurgaon and other parts of Haryana, a mosque in Sohna was allegedly
vandalised by a mob of 70-100 men. However, the mosque’s Imam, his family and a
group of 10-12 children studying at the madarsa inside escaped unhurt as
members of Sikh community intervened and conducted a rescue operation amid the
clashes, locals said.
The mosque, known as Shahi Masjid,
houses rooms for a few families and classrooms for children.
A mob allegedly attacked the mosque on
Tuesday. Police said an FIR has been registered against unknown persons. Action
was taken when locals informed them about the incident, said the police.
Imam Kaleem, who lives in the mosque
with his four brothers and their families, recounted the horror faced by him
and 30 others.
“We were all scared but the police had
conducted a flag march and announced that there was no fresh violence in the
area. We were relieved for some time and resumed work. Around 2.45 pm, we heard
gunshots. When I came out of the mosque, a mob was running towards us with
sticks, lathis, weapons and guns in hand,” said the Imam.
As per the Imam and other locals, the
mob allegedly broke into the mosque and vandalised it.
On Wednesday, The Indian Express found
broken furniture, damaged cars, torn books and glass shards lying all around
the area. A group of policemen is now guarding the mosque. One of them, who
refused to be named, claimed the police and members of Sikh community came
within 10 minutes.
The Imam along with 30 others, including
children, managed to hide in the residential quarters of the premises. “We had
lost all hope. I told my brother to escort all the women and children behind
the mosque. They (the mob) were almost near our room when the locals came and
helped,” he added.
One of the locals who helped them was
Guddu Singh (25), a student in Palwal. “We had received panic calls from locals
around the Sohna masjid about the attack. There were children there. We decided
to intervene… There were only 10-12 policemen while the gathering outside the
mosque was in hundreds,” he said.
As the mob continued breaking things
inside the mosque, the locals went towards the residential quarters adjacent to
the mosque building; they first rescued women and children.
He said, “We don’t like to meddle in any
matter and cause harm to any community or the society. But we had to intervene
because the lives of many were at stake. Our men saved everyone in time. The
Imam and his brothers, who were hiding in a small room, were also rescued. The
room was near a parking space where the mob was breaking window panes of cars…”
Naveen Sindhu, ACP (Sohna) told The
Indian Express on Tuesday, “There were people inside the mosque, but no one got
hurt. The police were soon informed and rushed to the spot. The accused fled.”
Source: indianexpress.com
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https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/how-sikh-community-rushed-to-rescue-of-sohna-mosque-residents-8873913/
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’35-40 devotees were held hostage by
rioters at Ram Mandir in Nuh’: Horrifying details from FIR on complaint of Duty
Magistrate Adib Hussain
3 August, 2023
On 31st July, a Muslim mob in Nuh of
Mewat, Haryana, attacked thousands of Hindu devotees attending the Jalabhishek
Yatra on Shravan Somvar. OpIndia accessed several FIRs registered in the case.
One of the FIR that was registered on the complaint of Adib Hussain who is a
Sub Divisional Engineer PHES of Sub Division Tauru, it was revealed that
400-500 Islamist rioters held 35-40 devotees hostage at Ram Mandir in Ward No
9, Nuh. Hussain was stationed at Nuh Police Station as Duty Magistrate for
Mewat Religious Jalabhishek Yatra.
Details of the FIR
FIR was registered on the complaint of Duty
Magistrate Adib Hussain under Sections 148, 149, 186, 332, 307, 342 of the
Indian Penal Code and Section 25 of the Arms Act against 700-800 unknown
persons.
In his complaint, Hussain said he was
with managing officer Ombir Singh when 700-800 rioters from the Muslim
community started pelting stones and opened fire with illegal weapons on
devotees and police personnel. The rioters burnt down the government and
private vehicles.
At the time of the attack, Hussain and
Singh were at Nuh bus stand. They were informed that hundreds of rioters
attacked 35-40 devotees and held them hostage at Ram Mandir in Ward No 9.
Hussain mentioned that the rioters were not letting the devotees leave the Ram
Mandir premises. When they reached the location, 400-500 rioters with batons,
sticks, stones and illegal weapons started shooting at them to kill them.
Hussain instructed Singh and other
police officials to use appropriate force to disperse the rioters, which they
succeeded. They rescued the devotees who were held hostage in the temple.
OpIndia’s complete coverage of the Mewat
Shobha Yatra Attack can be checked here.
Source: opindia.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.opindia.com/2023/08/35-40-devotees-hostage-muslim-mob-ram-mandir-nuh-exclusive-details-fir-complaint-duty-magistrate-adib-hussain-nuh-haryana-violence/
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Allahabad HC allows ASI survey at
Gyanvapi mosque
03-08-23
The Allahabad High Court on Thursday
dismissed a petition filed by the Gyanvapi committee challenging a district
court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a
survey to determine if the mosque was built upon a temple.
The Varanasi district court order was
issued on July 21 and was challenged by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee.
Chief Justice PritinkerDiwakar had
reserved its order on the committee's petition on July 27 after hearing the
counsels for both parties.
Source: odishatv.in
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https://odishatv.in/news/national/allahabad-hc-allows-asi-survey-at-gyanvapi-mosque-211211
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Haryana: Miscreants attempts to set two
mosques on fire in Nuh
Unidentified miscreants attempted to set
two mosques on fire in Tauru town of Nuh on Wednesday night as tensions in the
Haryana district continued to simmer three days after communal clashes broke
out.
The attacks on the two mosques took
place around 11.30 pm even as Nuh was under curfew. Nobody was injured in the
attacks, the police told Scroll. Nuh has been on the boil since Monday when
after a group of Muslims stopped a Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was
stopped.
At least six persons have died in
Haryana as the violence spread to neighbouring districts. A mosque was burnt
down and its imam killed in Gurugram, several vehicles have been torched, and
shops and shanties of Muslim families set ablaze forcing hundreds of them to
flee their homes.
On Wednesday night, assailants on
motorcycles threw crude petrol bombs at two mosques in Nuh, causing minor
damage, PTI reported. Fire brigades were sent to douse the fire, the news
agency reported, citing the police.
However, the station house officer at
the Tauru police told Scroll on Thursday that they did not see anyone
attempting arson. No complaint has been filed in the matter either, the police
officer said. He said that there was not much damage and only a carpet kept in
a mosque got partially burnt.
Haryana seeks more paramilitary forces
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal
Khattar on Wednesday asked the central government to send four more teams of
security forces as arson and vandalism continued in Gurugram, reported PTI.
Twenty companies of central forces have
already been deployed in Haryana – 14 in Nuh, three in Palwal, two in Gurugram
and one in Faridabad.
Five godowns were set on fire and two
meat shops vandalised in Gurugram district on Tuesday night. The police said
the mobs committing the crime disperse before they arrive.
The police have so far arrested 116
people arrested and detained 90. Forty-one FIRs have been registered.
Source: scroll.in
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https://scroll.in/latest/1053723/haryana-miscreants-attempts-to-set-two-mosques-on-fire-in-nuh
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Maharashtra Dy. CMMulls Law On Love
Jihad, Says 'If Timely Action Taken, Tensions Within The Communities Can Be
Avoided
Aug 3, 2023
By Mustafa Shaikh: As the Maharashtra
government was studying love jihad laws in other states to implement possible
provisions in the state, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday
said he would ask the Director General of Police (DGP) to create a Standard Operating
Procedure (SOP) on love jihad.
Speaking in the Maharashtra Legislative
Assembly, Fadnavis said an SOP on love jihad would help deal with cases wherein
an inter-religious marriage or courtship under a false pretext is followed by
religious conversion.
"To sensitise police stations to
deal with such cases, an SOP needs to be formed," Fadnavis said.
"If timely action is taken,
tensions within the communities can be avoided. However, if timely action is
not taken, the concerned police officers would be caught up," he said.
On Wednesday, two Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) MLCs, Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lad, demanded a law against 'love jihad'
in Maharashtra on the lines of Uttar Pradesh.
Raising the issue in Maharashtra
legislative council, Darekar alleged that Hindu girls are cheated in different
parts of the state through the use of fake names and then forced to convert.
Later, they are assaulted and deserted.
"Yogi Adityanath has taken a bold
decision. The Uttar Pradesh government has brought a law to ban illegal
conversions," he said.
"A law on love jihad should be
brought in Maharashtra on the lines of Uttar Pradesh," the BJP leader
added.
Lad also made a similar demand.
'Love jihad' is a term often used by
right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into
religious conversion through marriage.
Source: indiatoday.in
Please
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https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/devendra-fadnavis-demands-sop-love-jihad-maharashtra-religious-conversions-marriages-2415573-2023-08-03
--------
Threatened and left homeless, Muslim
migrant workers flee Haryana amid communal violence
Hundreds of Muslim migrants workers
living in Haryana have had to flee due to violence targeted at the community following
communal clashes in Nuh district earlier this week, The Times of India reported
on Wednesday.
The migrants have been threatened with
violence to make them go away by locals. As curfew in Nuh has limited the
options for the workers to leave, several of them were seen travelling with
small bags towards either Alwar or Sohna in an effort to flee the violence-hit
district, according to the newspaper.
At least six persons, including two home
guards and an imam, have died in the violence that erupted in Nuh after a
Vishva Hindu Parishad procession was stopped on Monday. As violence spread to
districts neighbouring Nuh, a mosque was burnt down in Gurugram and shanties of
Muslims migrant families were set ablaze after mobs gave them ultimatum to
vacate their homes.
“Some people came on motorcycles on
Tuesday night, threatening us that if we do not leave, they would set fire to
our slum,” Rehmat Ali, a migrant rickshaw driver, told PTI. “The police have
been present here since night but my family is scared and we are leaving the
city.”
Of the nearly 100 migrant families from
West Bengal living in Gurugram, only 15 continue to stay back, reported NDTV.
Even the families who are still there wish to leave but cannot as they do not
have money and vehicles, the channel reported.
In a video shared widely on social
media, one of the migrants in a Muslim-dominated slum in Gurugram said that a
man asked him his name to which he lied that he was a Hindu. Later, he said, a
mob of 40 people gathered, saw through his lie and started beating him.
In another video, a woman broke down
while saying that she just wanted to move to Delhi.
One of the migrants, 25-year-old Shamim
Hussain, told NDTV that on Tuesday, a group of men asked all Muslims to leave
the locality.
“We don’t have money to go back and even
have debts to pay to the local shopkeepers,” he said. “It’s okay if something
happens to me, but I have a one-year-old son. It is my sincere request to the
government, district administration and local residents to protect us. Help us,
please.”
Hussain told the news channel that he
had come to Gurugram only seven days ago and has not been paid for the job of a
delivery worker he landed a couple of days ago.
“My one-year-old boy is called Alishan,”
he said. “I am petrified that they will come and beat me and my wife, and my
son will cry seeing that. My wife is also scared and has been crying for the
past two nights. We can’t go back because we have no money in the village
either. How will we survive.”
Another migrant workers, Dharampal
Gujja, a resident of Neem Ka Thana district in Rajasthan, told The Times of
India that the owner of the shop, where he had been working for three months,
asked him to leave on Monday. Gujjar said that he and other migrant workers had
to spend the entire night on the streets.
The police have given assurances that
migrant families will be protected and have claimed that 2,500 of them have
been evacuated. But the assurances have failed to assuage fear among them. On
Tuesday, a mob of 60 men threatened a landlord to ask all his Muslim tenants to
leave within two days, reported NDTV.
The Muslims did not find the threat
empty as earlier on Tuesday, a housekeeper had been beaten up by a mob after
being asked his name.
Source: scroll.in
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https://scroll.in/latest/1053718/threatened-and-left-homeless-muslim-migrant-workers-flee-haryana-amid-communal-violence
--------
‘Are you Hindu or Muslim?’ Men threaten
journalist reporting on Gurugram violence
After Muslim families in parts of the
violence-affected areas of Haryana were asked to vacate their homes after their
shops and shanties were set ablaze in Sector 70 area of Gurugram, a journalist
interviewing the victims was threatened by men in an auto-rickshaw. As Anmol
Pritam, a journalist from News Laundry, tried to talk to some of those fleeing
homes, he was ordered go back and to turn off his camera (video above).
“Shut this down. Didn’t we tell you to
turn this [camera] off,” the men said. “Yes, I am leaving,” Pritam told them,
getting into a car. “How long does it take to leave?” one of the men said. Then
one of them asked, “Are you a Hindu or Muslim?”
“We asked you to [leave], didn’t
we...then why are you still interviewing them?” one of the men said. “These
people are deeply troubled,” Pritam said. “Do you know what was happening?” the
man replied.
Source: scroll.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://scroll.in/video/1053703/are-you-hindu-or-muslim-men-threaten-journalist-reporting-on-gurugram-violence
--------
Railways Denies RPF Man Who Killed Boss,
Three Muslims Was Mentally Unstable, Then Rescinds Denial
New Delhi: The Railways on August 2
(Wednesday) first said in a statement that no mental ailment was detected in
the last periodic medical examination of the RPF constable accused in the
Jaipur-Mumbai train hate-crime, only to withdraw it within hours.
Railway Protection Force Constable
Chetan Singh (33) is accused of gunning down and killing his senior colleague
Tika Ram Meena and three passengers, all visibly Muslim, aboard the moving
train near Palghar railway station on the outskirts of Mumbai in the early
hours of Monday with his automatic weapon, officials had said.
In a video purportedly of the incident,
Singh was heard invoking the names of ‘Modi-Yogi’ and ‘Thackeray’. Western
Railways sources had earlier told the media that the accused had got into “an
argument over communities”.
He was apprehended later and his
attempts to escape were thwarted.
The Wire had reported on how after
killing one passenger with a beard and in a Pathan suit – a visible Muslim
appearance – Singh in the video, can be seen addressing the passengers. “…Agar vote denahai, agar Hindustan me
rehnahai, tohmaikehtahoon, Modi aur Yogi, ye do hain, auraapke Thackeray” (…If
you want to vote, if you want to live in India, then I say, Modi and Yogi,
these are the two, and your Thackeray’),” he announced.
The three civilian victims have been
identified as Abdul Qadirbhai Mohammed Hussain Bhanpurwala, Akhtar Abbas Ali,
and Sadar Mohammed Hussain.
Unnamed Railways officials were quick to
term the incident as one driven by the mental instability of Singh even before
any checks and when the accused was produced before a magistrate in Mumbai’s
Borivali court, the remand copy didn’t make any mention of the video that
clearly showed his communally charged speech. Instead, it entirely focuses on
Singh’s “illness” and indicates his unstable mind which led him to take the
extreme step of killing four persons while on duty.
On Wednesday, presumably in order to
insulate itself from questions what Singh was doing on the shift if his
“illness” and “unstable mind” were
issues, the Railways issued a statement denying it knew he was ill. “In this regard,
it is stated that there is system of Periodical Medical Examination (PME) of
Railway Protection Force constables, and in the last PME, no such medical
ailment/ condition was detected.”
But a few hours later, the ministry
appears to have rethought its strategy. “The press release has been withdrawn,”
a Railways spokesperson said.
Source: thewire.in
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://thewire.in/communalism/railways-denies-rpf-man-who-killed-boss-three-muslims-was-mentally-unstable-then-rescinds-denial
---------
Southeast Asia
Do not politicise 'Allah' issue, PM
Anwar warns all parties
03 Aug 2023
SEREMBAN, Aug 3 ― Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated his firm stand for all parties not to politicise
the issue relating to the use of the word “Allah”.
He said the Sultan of Selangor Sultan
Sharafuddin Idris Shah, as the Chairman of the National Council for Islamic
Religious Affairs Malaysia (MKI), had also reminded him (Anwar) of this
recently.
“We will try to streamline this Allah
issue to be brought to the Conference of Rulers, and any decision must not be
exploited as a political issue, this is His Royal Highness’ order. So, do not
politicise the Allah issue because the Rulers will be streamlining the matter
based on proposals by the federal government.”
“What is Tan Sri Muhyiddin (Yassin)
saying?... still using the Allah issue... they are openly defying the Rulers,”
Anwar said at the Paroi constituency JelajahPerpaduanceramah in Taman
TuankuJaafar here last night.
Also present were caretaker Negeri
Sembilan menteribesar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and Pakatan Harapan (PH) Paroi
seat candidate, NorwaniAhmat.
Recently, the media quoted Muhyiddin,
who is PerikatanNasional (PN) chairman as saying in a ceramah in Kapar,
Selangor that the way the Allah issue was being handled by the government
showed that it is run by the non-Malays.
In response, Home Minister Datuk Seri
Saifuddin Nasution Ismail described Muhyiddin’s statement as one that was
disrespectful of the Malay Rulers’ advice, besides ignoring the government’s
warning for politicians not to play up 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues
during the state elections. ― Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
Please
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/08/03/do-not-politicise-allah-issue-pm-anwar-warns-all-parties/83241
--------
Sultan Agung Islamic University targets
100 professors by 2027: Rector
Semarang, C Java (ANTARA) - The rector
of Sultan Agung Islamic University (Unissula), Professor Gunarto, has expressed
optimism that the university in Semarang can achieve its target of having 100
professors by 2027.
"We currently have 48
professors," he told journalists after signing a memorandum of
understanding with Professor Habib Alwy bin Hamid bin Syihabuddin of Darul
Hadits, a leading educational institution in Yemen, on Wednesday.
He affirmed that Unissula will have more
than 100 professors in four years, in accordance with the timeline set by the
university's management, if it can get 20 new professors every year.
Gunarto highlighted the importance of a
professor's role in improving a university's reputation. Therefore, the
Unisulla rectorate is encouraging its teaching staff to obtain a professorship
in various fields.
At present, Unissula ranks 45th among
Indonesian universities, as ranked by the Webometrics Ranking of World
Universities.
"We hope Unissula will be among the
top 10 universities in Indonesia by 2027," he said.
Many public and private universities in
Indonesia use the Webometrics Ranking of World Universities as a benchmark for
their achievements.
According to its official website, the
Webometrics Ranking of World Universities is an initiative by Spain's
Cybermetrics Lab to measure scientific activities on the web.
The Cybermetrics Lab uses quantitative
methods to measure scientific activities.
Over the past years, the top 10
positions in Indonesia have tended to be dominated by the country's centers of
excellence, such as the University of Indonesia (UI) and GadjahMada University
(UGM).
Source: en.antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/290118/sultan-agung-islamic-university-targets-100-professors-by-2027-rector
--------
Fahmi sends letters of demand to two
individuals on Rawang mosque allegation: Lawyer
02-08- 2023
KUALA LUMPUR: Communications and Digital
Minister FahmiFadzil (pix) today sent a letter of demand to independent
preacher Ahmad Dusuki Abd Rani over slanderous claims that he had given a
political talk at a mosque in Rawang on July 30.
Lawyer Asheeq Ali SethiAlivi said a
similar notice was also sent to the owner and administrator of Facebook account
“N13 Kuang”.
Asheeq Ali said the slanderous statements
issued by both individuals through the Facebook and Instagram accounts were
maliciously intended to discredit Fahmi’s good name and further portray him as
someone who had disobeyed the order issued by Sultan of Selangor Sultan
Sharafuddin Idris Shah by supposedly holding a political talk in a mosque.
Fahmi, who is also Pakatan Harapan
communications director, demanded among others, for the slanderous statements
be withdrawn, and for an open apology from both individuals within 24 hours.
If these demands are not met within the
24-hour period given, Fahmi’s representatives have been instructed to file a
defamation suit against both individuals immediately, the lawyer said.
Yesterday, Fahmi had refuted and
expressed his disappointment with the slanderous claims that he had delivered a
political talk at the mosque, saying that he was ready to fully cooperate with
the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) if he is called in for
questioning.
Today, Selangor police chief Datuk
Hussein Omar Khan confirmed that there were no elements of a political campaign
in Fahmi’s speech at the mosque on Sunday. –Bernama
Source: thesundaily.my
Please
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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/fahmi-sends-letters-of-demand-to-two-individuals-on-rawang-mosque-allegation-lawyer-KC11318673
--------
North America
US urges direct India, Pakistan talks
August 3, 2023
WASHINGTON: The US urged Pakistan and
India on Wednesday to hold direct talks on issues of mutual concern.
US State Department Spokesman Matthew
Miller made this suggestion while commenting on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s
latest offer of talks between the two nuclear armed neighbors.
“As we have long said, we support direct
dialogue between India and Pakistan on issues of concern,” Mr. Miller said.
Addressing a summit in Islamabad on
Tuesday, the prime minister expressed his willingness to hold talks with India,
saying the two countries cannot be “normal neighbors” unless serious issues are
addressed through peaceful and meaningful discussions.
Source: dawn.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1768099/us-urges-direct-india-pakistan-talks
--------
Jan. 6 police officer shocks CNN host
when he compares Trump to Osama bin Laden: 'Donald Trump is a terrorist'
August 02, 2023
Former police officer Michael Fanone
celebrated the newest indictment against former President Donald Trump by
comparing the event to the U.S. military killing Osama bin Laden.
Fanone — a former Washington, D.C.,
police officer who was injured in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol and who
now works as a CNN analyst — expressed joy that Trump was indicted for alleged
conspiracies related to the 2020 presidential election.
"When I first learned about the
indictment, I had a long conversation with a friend of mine, Ryan Reilly, and I
told him how proud I felt to be an American at that moment, much in the way
that I did when I learned that our military had killed Osama bin Laden,"
Fanone said on CNN late Tuesday. "I just felt incredibly proud."
The comment appeared to catch CNN host
Laura Coates off guard.
"These two seem comparable to
you?" she pushed back.
When Fanone tried to dodge the question,
Coates interrupted him and forced him to respond.
"I believe they're
comparable," he said. "Osama bin Laden was a terrorist who committed
a horrific act against American people and against our republic. And I believe
that Donald Trump is a terrorist who committed horrific acts against the
American people."
The statement clearly made Coates
uncomfortable.
Unfortunately, she did not ask Fanone to
clarify the "horrific acts" that he alleged Trump has committed, but
the content of her follow up question — asking Fanone whether he believes his
rhetoric may help "cloud people's view of this indictment as a fair
process" — suggested she thought the statement was extreme.
"You can imagine that is a very
eyebrow-raising statement, to say the least, the notion of Osama bin Laden in
comparison to Donald Trump," she said.
Source: theblaze.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.theblaze.com/news/fanone-compares-trump-osama-bin-laden
--------
Muslim advocacy group urges Florida to
reject PragerU content in schools
Aug 2, 2023
An organization that advocates for
Florida’s Muslim community is calling on state education officials to reverse
course on a recent decision to approve conservative PragerU video content to be
shown in public schools.
Last week, a spokeswoman for the state
Department of Education said that videos from PragerU Kids had been reviewed by
the department and that their content “aligns” with state education standards
guiding civics and government instruction.
“PragerU Kids is no different than many
other resources, which can be used as supplemental materials in Florida schools
at district discretion,” department spokeswoman Cassandra Palelis said in an
email.
The PragerU Kids videos cover topics
such as America’s system of government, various historical events and religious
stories.
The Council on American-Islamic
Relations, or CAIR, and its Florida chapter on Tuesday asked the state
education department to “clarify and reject any relationship between the
Islamophobic Prager University and Florida schools.”
CAIR in a news release pointed to a
“factsheet” published by the Georgetown University Bridge Initiative, which is
described on its website as “a multi-year research project on Islamophobia”
housed at Georgetown.
“A number of PragerU’s videos spread
anti-Muslim rhetoric and conspiracy theories,” the document, published in 2020,
said.
The Bridge Initiative document cited
multiple PragerU videos. For example, the Bridge Initiative took issue with
videos titled “Is Islam a Religion of Peace?” and “Where are the Moderate
Muslims?”
The cited videos, however, were not part
of the PragerU Kids collection of videos.
“Florida can do better by its students
than serving them hate content from PragerU,” CAIR-Florida Executive Director
Imam Abdullah Jaber said in Tuesday's press release.
A description of the content for younger
audiences on the PragerU website maintains it is “the leading network with
educational, entertaining, pro-American kids shows for every grade.”
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/muslim-advocacy-group-urges-florida-to-reject-prageru-content-in-schools-34764396
END
Source: cair.com
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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-missouri-welcomes-191-month-sentence-for-mosque-arson/
--------
The Patagonia Summer Sale Is Basically
an Outdoor Gear Mecca
AUGUST 2, 2023
This summer has been straight heat in
more ways than one. Most of said fire is bad (literal fires, in some cases),
but, even among the brutal weather and general cultural maelstrom, we’ll admit
that this season has been hot hothot for sales. Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale,
with all its shoe and style deals. A blowout Huckberry event that left us considerably
less flushed with cash and considerably more stocked for fall. And now, you can
add the Patagonia Summer Sale to that list.
That’s right — the revered outdoor label
is throwing one of its once-in-a-blue-moon summer sales, with 30% off hundreds
of select items. What’s more, stock includes the unrivaled (well, kinda) 5″
Baggies, along with other fan favorites from YvonChouinard’s brand, like the
rugged Black Hole duffle — a carry-all we swear by — and tons of fall-ready
fleece, all discounted until August 22.
Given our intimate familiarity with
Patagonia products — oh, and the fact that this is literally our job — we’ve
done the hard work for you and curated a list of garb and gear from the
Patagonia Summer Sale that any outdoorsman (or tech bro) should be chopping at
the bit to buy. Not enough for your appetite? Shop the entirety of the sale
here. Below, the best deals from Patagonia’s Summer Sale.
Source: insidehook.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.insidehook.com/article/style/patagonia-summer-sale-basically-outdoor-gear-mecca
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Africa
Niger's military ruler warns against
foreign meddling
Niger's new military ruler lashed out at
neighbouring countries and the international community in a nationally
televised speech Wednesday night, and he called on the population to be ready
to defend the nation.
In one of few addresses to the West
African country since seizing power from Niger’s democratically elected
president a week ago, Gen. AbdourahmaneTchiani warned against foreign meddling
and military intervention against the coup.
Tchiani, who commands Niger's
presidential guard, also promised to create the conditions for a peaceful
transition to elections following his ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum.
His speech comes amid rising regional
tensions as the West African regional bloc ECOWAS threatens to use military
force if Bazoum isn't released from house arrest and reinstated by Aug. 6.
The bloc has imposed severe travel and
economic sanctions.
Tchiani said that Niger is facing
difficult times ahead and that the “hostile and radical” attitudes of those who
oppose his rule provide no added value.
He called the sanctions imposed by
ECOWAS illegal, unfair, inhuman and unprecedented.
A two-day meeting of defense chiefs of
the ECOWAS bloc opened Wednesday in Nigeria’s capital to confer on next steps.
Abdel-FatauMusah, the bloc's
commissioner for political affairs, peace and stability, said the meeting in
Abuja would deal with how to “negotiate with the officers in the hostage
situation that we find ourselves in the Republic of Niger.”
The sanctions announced by ECOWAS on
Sunday included halting energy transactions with Niger, which gets up to 90% of
its power from neighbouring Nigeria, according to the International Renewable
Energy Agency.
Source: africanews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/03/nigers-military-ruler-warns-against-foreign-meddling/
---------
Nigeria cuts electricity to Niger after
coup
Nigeria has cut its electricity supply
to Niger, AFP learned on Wednesday from a source close to the management of the
Nigerien Electricity Company (Nigelec), in line with the sanctions decided by
the West African neighbors of Niger destabilized by a coup.
"Nigeria disconnected since
yesterday (Tuesday) the high voltage line that carries electricity to
Niger," the source said. A Nigelec agent for his part indicated that the
capital, Niamey, was "supplied thanks to local production".
On Sunday, the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS), led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, decided on
sanctions against the putschists who toppled President-elect Mohamed Bazoum a
week ago.
In addition to a one-week ultimatum to
restore constitutional order and the suspension of financial transactions with
Niger, ECOWAS decreed the freezing of "all service transactions, including
energy transactions".
According to a report by Nigelec - the
country's sole supplier -, in 2022, 70% of Niger's share of electricity came
from purchases from the Nigerian company Mainstream. Electricity is produced by
the Kainji dam (western Nigeria).
Many neighborhoods in the city of Niamey
are normally subject to power cuts and Nigeria's decision will aggravate this
situation.
To free itself from its strong energy
dependence on neighboring Nigeria, Niger is working to complete its first dam
by 2025, on the river of the same name. Some 180 km upstream from Niamey, the
Kandadji dam should generate 629 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually.
Niger, one of the poorest countries in
the world, is dependent on its foreign partners in many areas. "The
sanctions will hurt our country very badly," Nigerian Prime Minister
OuhoumoudouMahamadou said on France 24 on Sunday, as sanctions are increasing
internationally.
Source: africanews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/02/nigeria-cuts-electricity-to-niger-after-coup/
---------
Nigerian Stowayways who survived 14 days
on Ship’s rudder rescued in Brazil
Four stowaways have endured a dangerous
ten-day journey across the vast Atlantic Ocean on a cargo ship, hanging to a
tiny space above the rudder.
The daring voyage covered a staggering
5,600 kilometers (3,500 miles) and unfolded under risky conditions that tested
their resilience.
Their ordeal began when the courageous
quartet embarked on the hazardous trip, seeking the prospect of a better life
far from their homeland.
However, their pursuit took an alarming
turn when they exhausted their limited supply of food and drink merely ten days
into their hazardous venture.
the courageous four resorted to
desperate measures, by sipping the seawater that crashed just meters below
them. Their resolve and sheer willpower allowed them to endure an additional
four days of agony on the open ocean.
The plight of the four caught the
attention of Brazilian federal police patrolling the southeastern port of
Vitoria saving the four from the clutches of the merciless ocean.
The risky journey of these four
underlines the risks some migrants are prepared to take for a shot at a better
life.
"It was a terrible experience for
me," said 38-year-old ThankgodOpemipo Matthew Yeye, one of the four
Nigerians, in an interview at a Sao Paulo church shelter. "On board, it is
not easy. I was shaking, so scared. But I'm here." The reuters quoted in a
report
Their relief at being rescued soon gave
way to surprise.
The four men said they had hoped to
reach Europe and were shocked to learn they had in fact landed on the other
side of the Atlantic, in Brazil.
Two of the men have since been returned
to Nigeria upon their request, while Yeye and Roman Ebimene Friday, a
35-year-old from Bayelsa state, have applied for asylum in Brazil.
Both men said economic hardship,
political instability and crime had left them with little option but to abandon
their native Nigeria. Africa's most populous country has longstanding issues of
violence and poverty, and kidnappings are endemic.
Source: africanews.com
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Senegal: authorities suspend TikTok app
Senegalese authorities suspended the
TikTok application on Wednesday until "further notice" due to the
dissemination of "hateful and subversive" messages following protests
against the imprisonment of opposition figure Ousmane Sonko on Monday.
They had already cut off internet access
on cell phones on Monday for the same reasons.
"It has been noted that the TikTok
application is the social network preferred by ill-intentioned people to
disseminate hateful and subversive messages threatening the stability of the
country," said Moussa Bocar Thiam, Minister of Communication and the
Digital Economy, in a statement.
Mr. Sonko's detention on Monday on
various charges, including calling for insurrection, provoked protests. Three
people were killed in the south of the country and in the suburbs of Dakar.
Two other people were killed on Tuesday
in Dakar in an incendiary device attack on the bus they were travelling in,
without any clear link being established between the bus attack and the protest
against Mr. Sonko's imprisonment.
On Monday, Amnesty International
denounced the restrictions on the Internet as "an attack on freedom of
information" and called on the authorities to "restore the
Internet".
With this third procedure, which comes
on top of two other convictions, Mr. Sonko, a declared candidate in the 2024
presidential elections, risks, according to legal experts, five to 20 years in
prison.
The politician, who came third in the
2019 presidential election, was sentenced on June 1 in another case to two
years in prison. His conviction sparked the most serious unrest in years in
Senegal, which left sixteen people dead according to the authorities, and
around thirty according to the opposition.
Source: africanews.com
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Nigerian labour unions march against
soaring cost of living under new president
Labour unions marched across Nigeria on
Wednesday to protest the soaring cost of living under the West African nation’s
new president, with calls for the government to improve social welfare
interventions to reduce hardship.
Usman Abdullahi Shagari, health ministry
worker:
"The removal of fuel subsidy has
increased (the cost of) almost everything in the country so far, but precisely
if we talk of transportation, for one to transport himself from his house to
his office , or those that are in the market, everyone is complaining."
In Abuja, hundreds , watched closely by
police, marched down a main thoroughfare chanting and singing against the
subsidy cuts that have led to the rising cost of petrol in the oil-rich nation.
The unions, made up of government
workers, said the economic incentives announced this week by Nigerian President
Bola Tinubu to ease hardship were not enough.
They also accused him of failing to act
quickly to cushion the effect of some of his policies, including the suspension
of decadeslong, costly subsidies that have more than doubled the price of gas,
causing a spike in prices of food and most other commodities.
Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigerian
Labour Congress, umbrella union body:
"The option of continuing this
protest for a longer period is open to us. It depends on the approach of the
Nigerian state that will determine the level that we will we do this action
today."
The demonstrations were organised by the
Nigerian Labour Congress, the umbrella body of the unions.
Large numbers of protestors were
reported in Lagos and the capital Abuja.
Source: africanews.com
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---------
Mideast
Al-Azhar calls for “Islamic-Islamic”
dialogue following the frequent Quran burning incidents
1 Aug 2023
In a recent statement, El-Tayeb
reiterated Al-Azhar’s condemnation of all forms of disrespect for the Quran and
Islam, and framed current events as an impetus to pan-Muslim unity.
“Al-Azhar expresses its hope that this
inhumane and uncivilized incident, and others like it, will be the greatest
incentive to heal rifts and unite Muslims around the globe to stand up to the
challenge of those who assail their security, and mock their sanctities,
without the least respect for their religious feelings,” said the sheikh.
El-Tayeb also confirmed in his statement
his determination to move forward in holding an "Islamic-Islamic"
dialogue between Islamic scholars of all countries and sects, united against
contempt for the faith.
The Grand Imam also noted that he had
recently received a letter from Ayatollah AlirezaArafi, head of Iran’s most
influential Shia seminary, thanking him for Al-Azhar’s condemnation of insults
against Islam’s holy book.
“The prominent position of noble Egypt
and its forums of religious knowledge, especially Al-Azhar University, is
prestigious, decisive, and inspiring,” said Arafi.
The Grand Imam replied to the Ayatollah
with his sincere appreciation for the gesture.
El-Tayeb, who heads the world’s most
influential Sunni institution, has been vocal since the beginning of the
Quran-burning incidents in Sweden and Denmark in recent weeks.
The sheikh has called for a broad
boycott of both countries’ products.
“Al-Azhar also renewed its call to all
Arab and Islamic peoples to continue boycotting all Swedish and Danish products
in support of Allah and His Holy Book.” Said El-Tayeb in his statement on
Tuesday.
Source: english.ahram.org.eg
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Nasrallah attacks Muslim countries for
'weak' stance on Quran burnings
August 2, 2023
The Secretary-General of Lebanon's
Hezbollah movement has called those who desecrate the Holy Quran to be punished.
Hassan Nasrallah described the position taken by Muslim countries in defending
the Holy Quran as "weak and disappointing," albeit not surprising.
"If the insult had been directed at
a king or a member of their family, they would have been furious, but for the
burning of the Quran, they did nothing," he added. "If the rulers in
our Islamic world do not have the courage and zeal to defend the Holy Quran,
how will they have the courage to defend our land, Lebanon, or Al-Aqsa
Mosque?"
Iraqi Christian SelwanMomika burned
pages from the Quran in front of the Swedish parliament building in Stockholm
recently after burning a copy of the Holy Book in front of a mosque on the
first day of Eid Al-Adha. A similar incident took place ten days ago in
Denmark.
"Yesterday I watched this cursed
individual [Momika] burning the Quran, and if we could hear the Holy Book
speaking it would be saying 'Is there no supporter who will help me?'"
said Nasrallah. "The Holy Qur'an being desecrated by a cursed person is an
insult to the one billion Muslims in the world."
Several Islamic countries protested
against the repeated Quran burnings and summoned Swedish ambassadors to express
their condemnation of these unacceptable acts. Iraq expelled the Swedish
ambassador, and the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad was damaged by protesters.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
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Israeli Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Mosque
Under IOF Protection
August 3, 2023
Israeli settlers stormed today Thursday,
August 3, 2023, the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa mosque under the
protection of the Israeli occupation forces IOF.
The settlers reportedly performed
provocative tours and Talmudic rituals in its courtyards.
As well, Israeli special forces have
been deployed in the courtyards of Al-Aqsa and at its gates to secure the
extremists’ incursions.
Semi-daily, Israeli settlers storm Al-Aqsa
and provocatively perform Talmudic rituals under the protection of Israeli
occupation forces, aiming to impose a temporal and spatial division in the holy
site, which the Muslim Palestinians reject and decry.
Earlier in June, media sources revealed
a new Israeli proposed plan aiming at dividing Al-Aqsa Mosque between Jews and
Muslims.
In June 2023, around 4000 Israeli
settlers stormed the mosque and performed Talmudic provocative rituals in its
squares, according to Palestinian figures.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=46365
Source: daysofpalestine.ps
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IDF arrests Islamic Jihad senior
official near Jenin
AUGUST 3, 2023
The IDF, Shin Bet, and Border Police
arrested six suspects in the village of Burqin near Jenin on Wednesday night,
including a senior official in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist
movement.
Six additional suspects were arrested in
Beit Ummar near Hebron and, in the villages of Qilqis and Yatta, Israeli forces
seized weapons, ammunition, and military equipment. An additional suspect was
arrested in the town of Qabalan.
Source: jpost.com
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Extensive war crimes in Sudan’s
‘unimaginable horror’: Amnesty
August 03, 2023
PARIS: Extensive war crimes are being
committed by both sides in the conflict that has been raging in Sudan since
April, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
The Britain-based human rights group
said in a report that the crimes committed by the warring parties, led by two feuding
generals, included sexual violence against girls as young as 12 and the
indiscriminate targeting of civilians.
Since April 15, regular army chief Abdel
Fattah Al-Burhan has been locked in a war with his former deputy, the
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed HamdanDaglo.
“Civilians throughout Sudan are
suffering unimaginable horror every single day as the Rapid Support Forces and
Sudanese Armed Forces recklessly vie for control of territory,” said Amnesty
secretary general Agnes Callamard.
“The RSF and SAF, as well as their
affiliated armed groups, must end their targeting of civilians and guarantee
safe passage for those seeking safety,” she added.
Burhan came to power, with Daglo as his
number two, in an October 2021 coup that derailed a fragile transition to
civilian rule after the military’s ouster of long-ruling autocrat Omar
Al-Bashir in April 2019 following a popular uprising.
But the two men then fell out in a
bitter feud.
The fighting — concentrated in Khartoum
and the western region of Darfur — has killed more than 3,900 people, according
to the NGO ACLED and displaced more than 3.3 million, according to the UN.
“Extensive war crimes are being
committed in Sudan as the conflict... ravages the country,” Amnesty said, adding
there were “mass civilian casualties in both deliberate and indiscriminate
attacks by the warring parties.”
It said men, women and children have
been caught in the crossfire as both sides launch frequent attacks in densely
populated residential neighborhoods, often using explosive weapons with wide
area effects.
Amnesty said scores of women and girls,
some as young as 12, have been subjected to sexual violence, including rape,
with some held for days in conditions of sexual slavery.
In most of the cases documented by
Amnesty International, survivors said the perpetrators were fighters of the RSF
or its Arab militia allies.
For its report, Amnesty said it had
interviewed more than 180 people, primarily in eastern Chad where refugees from
Darfur have fled, or remotely via secure calls.
The group said it had put its
allegations to the army and the RSF, who had both responded “claiming adherence
to international law and accusing the other side of violations.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Egypt allocates $97m budget for
restoration of antiquities
August 02, 2023
CAIRO: Authorities in Egypt have set a
budget of about 3 billion Egyptian pounds ($97 million) for the maintenance and
restoration of antiquities during the financial year 2023-2024, according to
Ahmed Issa, the country’s minister of tourism.
Most of this cost will be
self-financing, he added, funded by income generated from entry fees for the
attractions.
Issa emphasized the work his ministry is
doing to enhance the tourism sector in Egypt and the visitor experience,
including the development of archaeological sites and museums, and improvements
to the quality of services that are provided.
He noted that more than 4,000 hotel
rooms are now available in the country, and added that authorities are working
to streamline procedures for investment in tourism-related projects, especially
the building of hotels, to help keep pace with the increasing numbers of
visitors to Egypt and as part of the country’s plan to attract 30 million
tourists a year within the next five years.
About 7 million tourists came to Egypt
in the first half of this year, Issa said, and his ministry is aiming for a
total of 15 million by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, Mostafa Waziri, the
secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said that
artifacts and exhibits are in place at the Graeco-Roman Museum in Alexandria,
in preparation for its reopening soon. It closed for renovations in 2005.
Some of the pieces will be on public
display for the first time, he added, and others were recovered during
underwater archaeological excavations.
Waziri also highlighted the country’s
ongoing efforts to recover Egyptian antiquities taken from the country
illegally, and said that more than 30,000 artifacts have been recovered in the
past four years.
Source: arabnews.com
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Europe
UK aid cuts risk thousands of lives in
Arab, Muslim countries, NGOs tell Arab News
August 02, 2023
LONDON: Thousands of women in Arab and
Muslim countries will risk dying during childbirth and from preventable
conditions due to recent UK aid cuts, NGO officials have told Arab News.
A similar verdict was issued as part of
an internal review into cuts to the UK’s Overseas Development Assistance budget
for 2023-2024, warning ministers of the consequences of budget slashing.
The assessment, published by the
International Development Committee, warned that a reduction in aid to
Afghanistan would mean that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
“will not be able to support critical services for women and girls.”
It added: “Since returning to power, the
Taliban has imposed restrictions on women and girls; preventing them from
enjoying their human rights and systematically erasing them from public spaces.
“Therefore, reducing funding will potentially
leave some of the most vulnerable women and girls in the world without critical
services.”
A further 500,000 women and children in
Yemen will also lack access to critical health care as a result of the cuts,
the assessment warned.
Oxfam’s head of policy and advocacy,
Katy Chakrabortty, told Arab News: “The FCDO’s impact assessment form makes for
difficult reading. It was clear that any reduction in UK aid over recent years
would have an impact on the most vulnerable, but this assessment paints a devastating
picture.”
She described the aid cut to Yemen as “a
terrible blow for a country that has been affected by eight years of conflict.”
Sudan and Somalia will also face
significant budgetary constraints, with the internal review warning that a
program to end female genital mutilation in the latter may be shut down as a
result of the aid losses.
Campaigns against famine will also be
affected across East Africa, Chakrabortty said, adding: “UK aid cuts have left
millions of people in East Africa vulnerable to famine, with one person dying
across Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan every 28 seconds as result of
severe hunger.
“The UK must step up its support for
communities and countries now, before millions more people are forced to face
the consequences.”
The budget cuts follow the UK
government’s 2020 commitment to reduce overseas development aid from 0.7
percent to 0.5 percent as a proportion of gross national income.
Though the latest two-year budget
signals a marginal increase in funding and commits to a 12 percent rise for
2024-2025, aid figures are still proportionally lower than pre-2020 levels.
Programs to combat violence against
women and girls in Somalia and South Sudan will also lack “adequate attention
and response” as a result of the cuts, the internal assessment warned.
Foreign Office Minister Andrew Mitchell
said the report had served as a “key component of allocation decision-making.”
He added that the FCDO had made
adjustments to the budget to account for the review’s considerations, ensuring
that “support reached the most vulnerable.”
Save the Children UK CEO Gwen Hines told
Arab News: “The UK’s aid cuts are a death sentence for children already living
in some of the most dangerous parts of the world, today’s impact assessment
confirms.
“It’s reprehensible that ministers
decided to reduce the aid budget — and hollow it out by spending vast amounts
of Official Development Assistance in the UK — even though they knew it would
cost children’s lives.
“These cuts fly in the face of the government’s
commitments to ‘leave no one behind.’ We urge them to restore the UK’s aid
budget to 0.7 percent of GNI.”
The publication of the internal
assessment is a rare breach of precedent for the FCDO, with reviews carried out
by previous governments having been kept private.
The reallocation of one-quarter of the
aid budget to the UK Home Office for spending on refugee housing has also
played a role in the budgetary changes.
Across Africa, the number of unsafe
abortions is set to rise three-fold due to the cuts, with the number of
maternal deaths prevented dropping “from 2,531 to just over 1,000,” the review
said, adding that Yemen’s health sector may suffer “lasting damage if other
donors are unable to fund” it.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “UK aid spending
is due to increase to £8.3 billion ($10.5 billion) next year, and will be
focused on programs addressing humanitarian crises, protecting women and girls
and supporting the world’s most vulnerable, while delivering value for money
for taxpayers.
“While the budget for low-income
countries has had to be reduced in the short term to achieve our savings
target, it is due to nearly double for these countries the year after,
including in Africa, where aid will rise from £646 million to £1.36 billion.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Clones crash victim Dlava Mohamed, 16,
to receive traditional Muslim funeral service today
THU, 03 AUG, 2023
The 16-year-old girl who died in the
road crash in Monaghan on Monday will receive a traditional Muslim funeral
service in Ireland’s largest mosque in Clonskeagh in south Dublin today.
The Muslim community has been asked to
attend Dlava Mohamed's prayer service at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland
(ICCI) and to support her heartbroken family.
The teenager, who died alongside her
best friend in Clones, Co Monaghan, will then be laid to rest in the Muslim
cemetery in Newcastle this afternoon.
Keia McCann, 17, will be buried
following her funeral Mass at 2pm at the Sacred Heart Chapel in Clones.
Dlava’s remains will be driven from her
home in Clones at 6.45am to arrive at the Clonskeagh Mosque at 10am.
Lorraine O’Connor from the Muslim
Sisters of Eire — a charity that empowers the Muslim and homeless communities —
said they will be there to support the child’s family.
“This family has come from Syria, a
country of devastation, to make Ireland their new land and we will be here for
them. It is absolutely horrendous, and my heart goes out to them. You’re
encouraged in the Islamic community to make sure you attend and support the
family."
Ms O’Connor said the teenager will
receive a “short and respectful” funeral service in line with Muslim tradition.
“When a Muslim person dies, they are
usually buried quickly, unless of course there is a post-mortem,” she said.
“Her remains will then be brought to
prayer. For Dlava, this is afternoon prayer in the mosque. This particular
funeral has been arranged for after the midday prayer.
"That is called Janazah for Dlava,
which will be held at the ICCI following dhuhr prayer. People are being asked
to arrive at 1.30pm.
“We offer our sincere condolences to her
family and friends. The family are not known to us here because they live in
Clones so that is why we are not involved directly but we will support
them."
Ms O'Connor said the young teenager’s
death has left the Muslim community “deeply upset”.
She continued: “I can’t even imagine how
they are feeling. It really is heartbreaking but the service is very beautiful
and very respectful. The dhuhr prayer takes a short time, maybe five to ten
minutes.
“After that the people will give their
condolences to the family and the body leaves and goes to the Muslim cemetery
in Newcastle."
'Beautiful best friends'
Tributes have poured in for the two
Largy College students who were on their way to celebrate their debs.
Their school principal Sharon Magennis
said Dlava and Keia were “beautiful best friends” and Dlava had just completed
her Junior Cert and was going into transition year.
Local priest Fr Peter Corrigan said he
had spent time with both families on Monday evening following the road crash
and they were “shocked and devastated”.
On Tuesday and Wednesday night, the
people of Clones formed a guard of honour as the girls' remains were driven
back to their homes ahead of their funerals.
On Wednesday morning, the Bishop of
Clogher Larry Duffy, said he visited the home of the McCann family, and prayed
with them in memory of their daughter.
The McCann family and the parish have
requested that people refrain from recording on video, or from taking
photographs, inside of the church during the Mass in order to respect the
solemnity of the liturgy.
Source: irishexaminer.com
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UK may kick out 100,000 Ukrainians
3 Aug, 2023
More than half of the Ukrainians who
went to Britain on a refugee resettlement scheme will have to leave by
September 2025 unless the government acts now to give them long-term “clarity,”
several Conservative members of Parliament and NGOs said on Wednesday.
An estimated 182,100 Ukrainians have
arrived in the UK since February 2022, using the Ukraine Family Scheme and
Homes for Ukraine, set up to allow them a three-year stay. With no end in sight
to the conflict and most of those displaced unwilling to return,
parliamentarians are urging Rishi Sunak’s government to do something, the Daily
Telegraph reported.
“With some having kids in school, we
need to be able to allow them to plan,” said Bob Seely, a Tory MP who co-chairs
the all-party parliamentary group on Ukraine, urging 10 Downing Street to give
the Ukrainians “important clarity.”
Sir Robert Buckland, who was justice
secretary in Boris Johnson’s cabinet, urged granting Ukrainians a more
permanent status. He said the “bespoke” schemes created for a “particularly
urgent and unprecedented situation” required a “further bespoke response.”
Buckland said there could be some kind
of arrangement with a “higher degree of certainty” that stops short of full
citizenship.
A survey by the Office for National
Statistics in July showed that about half of Ukrainian adults intended to
remain UK residents even if it becomes safe to go back, matching the sentiments
of their compatriots currently in Germany.
Kate Brown, head of the charity Reset,
pointed out that the displaced Ukrainians have “started to rebuild their lives
here,” learning English and getting jobs. Reset has worked with the government
on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
“The infrastructure in Ukraine has
completely been destroyed,” said Stan Benesh, managing director of Opora, a
UK-based charity supporting Ukrainian immigration. Even if Ukraine wins, he said,
“there wouldn’t be enough resources to go around” if everyone returns.
“So in a way, it’s almost a better thing
if it’s a slower or more targeted return of those that, once it is safe, do
want to go back,” he said.
A Home Office spokesperson told The
Telegraph that the government will keep the schemes “under review” should they
need to be extended “in line with developments of the situation in Ukraine.”
Around 8.6 million Ukrainians who left
the country due to the conflict do not intend to return, a Kiev nonprofit
called the Ukrainian Institute for the Future (UIF) said in June. The UIF’s
latest report noted that Ukraine had been on a downward demographic spiral by
the time of the 2014 Maidan coup, having lost almost 7 million residents since
declaring independence in 1991.
Source: rt.com
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Russia’s biggest automaker reports
soaring sales
3 Aug, 2023
Major Russian automobile producer
AvtoVAZ has doubled its sales so far this year, the business daily RBK reported
on Wednesday, citing a report by the company.
Between January and July, AvtoVAZ sold
172,996 cars of its top-selling brand LADA, which is twice the amount it sold
over the same period in 2022, RBK wrote.
AvtoVAZ’sGranta, the best-selling model
from the LADA range in the domestic market, showed a 162.5% jump in sales last
month compared to July 2022, the report adds.
The company reported that total
manufacturing increased by 59% in the first seven months of this year compared
to 2022.
AvtoVAZ is the largest car manufacturer
in Russia and Eastern Europe, producing over one million vehicles per year.
The Russian car industry, which was
heavily reliant on foreign investment and equipment, suffered a crisis last
year due to the exodus of foreign manufacturers in light of Western sanctions
imposed over the Ukraine conflict.
In 2023, however, AvtoVAZ says it is
seeing steady growth in demand for domestically produced cars. In June, it
launched assembly operations at a plant in St. Petersburg that formerly
belonged to the Japanese automaker Nissan.
Source: rt.com
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US soldier killed by armored hatch
3 Aug, 2023
A US Army soldier stationed in Germany
was killed after the armored vehicle she was traveling in was struck by a
civilian semi-truck on Tuesday, according to the Pentagon and local
authorities.
US Army Europe and Africa announced the
fatal crash in a statement on Wednesday, noting that it took place on a freeway
in Germany’s Bavaria region the day prior. US officials have declined to name the
service member pending notification of her next of kin, though German police
confirmed she was a 24-year-old female.
“The soldier was traveling in a Stryker
when a civilian semi-truck struck the military vehicle as it merged onto
Autobahn 93,” the military said in a press release, referring to a type of
armored fighting vehicle. “Civilian medical personnel treated and transported
the soldier to a local hospital, where the medical staff pronounced the service
member dead.”
Assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment,
the victim was peering out of the Stryker’s roof hatch at the time of the
collision, with its heavy door hitting her in the head and inflicting such
serious injuries that “she died a short time later in a nearby hospital,”
according to JuergenHarwardt, chief superintendent of the Weiden police.
Local law enforcement added that the
crash occurred after the armored vehicle merged onto the highway as part of a
convoy, saying a German truck driver was unable to switch lanes in time. It is
unclear whether the soldier was wearing a helmet during the wreck.
No other injuries among US troops were
reported following the smash-up.
The US military is currently conducting
a round of drills in Germany, with the southeastern town of Weiden located not
far from the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the largest Army training site in
Europe.
Last week saw another crash involving US
Army personnel stationed in the area, after a driver lost control of a light
medium tactical vehicle while on the way to a range near the Grafenwoehr
complex. Though the vehicle overturned, the eight soldiers inside sustained
only minor injuries.
Tuesday’s accident also follows an
incident earlier this year which saw two Army trucks carrying “tons of missiles
and munitions” collide on a German freeway, as reported by Stars and Stripes.
One American soldier was seriously injured in the crash and required an airlift
to a hospital, while three others were wounded less severely.
Source: rt.com
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Vladimir Kornilov: How today’s
Russia-Ukraine conflict has its roots in the policies of Lenin’s Bolsheviks 100
years ago
2 Aug, 2023
One hundred years ago, on August 1,
1923, the All-Ukrainian Executive Committee and the Council of People’s
Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR (Soviet Socialist Republic) adopted a joint
resolution on the beginning of the process of Ukrainianization. It sounded
quite positive: ‘On Measures to Ensure the Equality of Languages and Assistance
to the Development of the Ukrainian Language’.
At first glance it seemed like there was
nothing to fear – after all, it was about ‘equality’. But literally in the very
first paragraphs of this decree, discrimination was established against
Russian, which was the main – and even only – language for a significant part
of the territories of the southern Russian Empire.
The decree stated: “The Ukrainian
language shall be chosen as the predominant language for official relations.”
It prohibited the employment in state and Soviet institutions of people who did
not speak the language. This was a disaster for the Russian-speaking Donbass,
where Ukrainian-speaking people were hard to find. And so this is how it all
began.
Some will say: ‘It is understandable, it
was called Ukraine, that’s why these orders were adopted.’ But the point is
that these native Russian lands were declared to be part of Ukraine only a few
years before this decree.
It is no coincidence that Russian President
Vladimir Putin, commenting recently on the nature of the conflict in Donbass,
has repeatedly noted how the region came to be part of the Ukrainian SSR: “We
had to look at what is happening in the south-east, in Donbass, which
originally, even when the Soviet Union was organized in 1922-1924, did not
think of itself as anything other than as part of Russia? But [Vladimir] Lenin
and his comrades-in-arms pushed it there by force... They created a country
that had never existed before… They shoved there historical territories with a
people from whom no one asked how and where they wanted to live.”
As a historian of the period who has
studied this process in detail, I would add: Donbass, when it was forced to
become part of Soviet Ukraine, was solemnly promised that the language issue
would not be touched. I have unearthed in the archives the originals (including
handwritten) of documents in which the Kiev National Bolsheviks, who persuaded
the Donbass people not to create a Donetsk Republic in 1918, swore that Soviet
Ukraine would not be formed on the basis of nationality. But then, after this
region was ‘forcibly’ incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR, all these promises
were quickly forgotten.
This turned into a tragedy for the
Russian lands of Donbass and Novorossiya. People were dismissed en masse for
refusing to switch to the Ukrainian language, and were even subjected to
criminal reprisals. In just ten years, schools and universities in Donbass were
forcibly Ukrainianized. In Russian-speaking Makeyevka, there was not a single
Russian class left in primary schools in the 1932-33 academic year. By 1933,
all Russian pedagogical technical schools in Donbass were closed – there was
nowhere to train Russian-speaking teachers.
Although in the mid-1930s, the process
of total, savage Ukrainianization was slowed down and even reversed a little,
it is not true to say that it was stopped. As early as January 1941, the
Donbass party organs reported on the “insufficient pace of Ukrainianization.”
And with the arrival of the German Nazis, the wagons brought in ideological
servants from the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (a radical nationalist
group which collaborated with Adolf Hitler’s fascists, and helped carry out the
Holocaust), who first rushed to ban the Russian language.
So there followed wave after wave of
campaigns to ban everything Russian in Russian neighborhoods. In the end, in
2014, the inhabitants of Donbass had to take up arms to defend a natural right
– the right to teach their children in their mother tongue. Think about it – it
took an entire century to correct a historical mistake, to give a vast region
back its homeland and the opportunity to speak its mother tongue freely.
This is why it is important to remember
how it all began. In order to never step on the same rake again, so that
short-term tactical tasks, like those of Lenin, do not take precedence over
defining the principles of the state structure and the future of our country.
Source: rt.com
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https://www.rt.com/russia/580730-todays-conflict-bolshevik-roots/
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France suspends military cooperation
with Niger until further notice
A spokesman for the French military on
Wednesday said that any cooperation with Niger in the fields of development and
financial aid and military partnerships had been suspended until further
notice.
His comments came as nations across the
world respond to the military coup in the country which saw soldiers detain
democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and seized power.
Col. Pierre Gaudilliere said that all
military agreements had been made with the democratically elected authorities
in Niger and had been suspended while these authorities were not in power.
Gaudilliere described the partnerships
as particularly successful in combating terrorism and enabling farmers harassed
by terrorist groups to resume their activities, the primary mission of France’s
deployment.
He added they also supported the local
population, helping with projects such as well digging for water access,
building schools and providing food or water distribution.
The West African regional bloc ECOWAS
has threatened to use force to restore Bazoum to power, but the military-ruled
governments of two of Niger's neighbours have sided with the coup leaders and
warned that they would consider any intervention an act of war.
A two-day meeting of defence chiefs of
the 15-member bloc opened on Wednesday in Nigeria's capital to discuss next
steps.
Gaudilliere said French officials would
be following the talks "very closely".
Source: africanews.com
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https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/03/france-suspends-military-cooperation-with-niger-until-further-notice/
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Arab World
Saudi artist takes airport travellers on
Jeddah journey through time
August 02, 2023
JEDDAH: Ibrahim Bugis is a prolific
Saudi artist whose most recent exhibition took place in March at the Abstract
Art Gallery, in Riyadh.
Many of his paintings include
traditional cultural motifs and Arabic calligraphy in abstract forms.
He told Arab News: “I naturally find
myself in manual arts more so than in digital ones. My artistic practice began
with manual works that touched the thoughts in my mind from which I produced
creative images that I then translated, so that the artistic income was
believable and original.
“I use a visual and intellectual
inventory of what I do in order to use and retrieve the experience I have
accumulated over the course of my artistic career and to crystallize it into a
creative work of art distinctive in my own style."
Passengers traveling through Jeddah
airport are taken on a cultural journey through his artwork.
Bugis' 36-meter-long mural covers the
wall of a pedestrian walkway inside King Abdulaziz International Airport.
The colorful artwork has been designed
to provide trippers with a vibrant visual insight into the historic Red Sea
port city.
Bugis explained: “I was chosen out of a
bunch of talented artists representing various styles. They wanted to add
artistic and aesthetic touches that are appropriate for the airport’s role as a
gateway that welcomes pilgrims, tourists, and visitors.
“The mural’s purpose is to give visitors
an aesthetic, cultural, progressive image that represents and emphasizes the
artistic and cultural value of the Kingdom,” he added.
The collage, Bugis noted, was his own
interpretation of Jeddah and its identity, with shades of blue and red
symbolizing the Red Sea, and recurring Islamic and arabesque motifs and
elements blended in among distinctive buildings, mosques, and palm trees.
He has participated in more than 50
exhibitions inside and outside the Kingdom, including the Association of Space
Explorers’ exhibition in Riyadh in 1991, the 1998 Saudi Cultural Week in Spain,
and the Saudi Fine Art and Heritage exhibition in the Czech Republic in 1999.
In 1992, he was awarded a Jeddah City
Medal, and won the Coca-Cola logo award accompanying the Saudi national team
matches in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, hosted by South Korea and Japan.
Born in Makkah in 1953, he enjoyed art
as a child.
He said: “In my childhood, as I
remember, I used to scribble and draw on any available space such as a white
page or a wall.
“I enjoyed drawing, and even at school I
saw admiration from my colleagues and teachers, especially the art teacher who
directed me and gave me the opportunity to participate in school exhibitions.”
In 1979, Bugis was encouraged to enter a
competition run by the Culture and Arts Association, and although he did not
study art at university, he continued to develop his talent, following the art
scene around the world. During his travels, he visited international art
galleries and museums to gain knowledge and inspiration.
Bugis said: “The current period presents
a good opportunity for artists to showcase their skills in light of the
Kingdom’s support through the Saudi Society for Fine Arts, and Misk cultural
and arts foundation.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2348661/saudi-arabia
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Saudi foreign ministry launches
electronic visa waiver for UK citizens
August 03, 2023
RIYADH: British nationals can enter
Saudi Arabia for up to six months on a single entry under the new Electronic
Visa Waiver (EVW), the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday.
The new scheme allows UK citizens to
enter the Kingdom for tourism, business, study or medical treatment and stay
for up to 6 months on a single entry.
UK travelers can apply through the
ministry’s visas portal at visa.mofa.gov.sa from 90 days to 48 hours prior to
their trip.
Approvals will be emailed back within 24
hours of the application.
The UK’s electronic visa waiver scheme
was made available to Saudi citizens last year.RIYADH:
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2348731/saudi-arabia
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Sleysla — a commitment to Saudi heritage
and women’s empowerment at its center
August 03, 2023
RIYADH: Sleysla’s handmade products are
made with eco-friendly and sustainable materials, reviving Saudi cultural
heritage while making a fashion statement with bold colors and designs.
More than just a brand for cultural
goods, the SleyslaCenter for Developing Saudi Heritage is one of the most
prominent cultural initiatives, founded in 2008 under Saudi Arabia’s
Al-Faisalya Women Welfare Society. The center’s chairman of the board and
president is Princess Fahda bint Saud bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.
Sleysla was opened with the aim of
training and empowering women from families with limited income, or those with
special needs, and teaching them new skills to support themselves. It is also
focused on the development of traditional handicrafts, including ones made
using palm-tree fronds and wool-based Sadu patterns, to encourage the use of
local products representing Saudi culture and heritage.
RedaGazawy, a member of the board of
directors of the Craft Cooperative Society and spokesperson for Sleysla, told
Arab News that Princess Fahda’s goal through Sleysla was to provide products
and handicrafts by Saudi craftswomen inspired by Saudi heritage. Sleysla’s
trained artisans use raw materials and elements taken from Saudi heritage from
different regions of the Kingdom.
Gazawy said: “Sleysla was keen to make
its products a continuation of the traditional crafts and develop them to keep
their products in line with every era. For example, we are very famous for our
bags that are made of palm-tree fronds.
“We are training a large number of Saudi
craftswomen, and these products are all made by them.”
Sustainability is at the heart of
Sleysla, which emphasizes recycling Saudi raw materials to design traditional
and contemporary accessories.
Sleysla aims to expand its training
center to accommodate more craftswomen, enabling them to increase the
availability of the items inspired by Saudi heritage around the Kingdom, and
also expand their showcase at international exhibitions.
Within the Kingdom, the center has
participated in the Ministry of Culture’s Fashion Commission’s 100 Saudi Brands
exhibition in Riyadh, which highlighted a variety of fashion and culture brands
from all over the Kingdom. (Note: will update the year when reporter provides
the information).
The center has participated in
international exhibitions affiliated with the commission, including in New York
and in Milan, which coincided with Milan Fashion Week last year.
Sleysla offers a range of products
including handbags, abayas, decor items and clothing.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2348686/saudi-arabia
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Saudi land-mine clearing project Masam
raises alarm over persistent Houthi threat
August 02, 2023
RIYADH: Masam, a Saudi project to clear
land mines in Yemen, has cleared more than 400,000 mines, explosive devices and
unexploded ordnance since it was launched in 2018, the project’s director said.
However, the threat still looms large,
with no clear end in sight, Osama Al-Gosaibi added.
“Yemen is facing a major crisis
regarding the issue of mines, which requires more serious and rigorous action
to be taken by the international community. There are no promising prospects
when it comes to putting an end to this tragedy,” he said.
Al-Gosaibi highlighted the scale of the
threat, saying the Houthi’s insistence on targeting Yemenis by planting
different types of mines in several regions ignored international humanitarian
law.
Explosive devices cleared by Masam
included a large number of camouflage mines, he said.
“They make explosive devices that look
like rocks, and they also created mines that were actually traps. Therefore, it
can be said that they are not only targeting civilians, but also the people who
will come and try to clear these mines. They are targeting the teams working on
the ground.
“Today, we can say that the
anti-personnel mines made by Houthis in Yemen have become deadly, as they do
not only aim to cause injuries, but also death.”
Al-Gosaibi said that Yemeni teams have
been reorganized and equipped to take part in the National Mine Action Program.
“We are mainly working on guiding and
supervising these teams because the Yemenis themselves will remain in Yemen to
carry on with the mission in the long run,” he said.
Referring to the likely end of the mine
crisis in Yemen, Al-Gosaibi said that “if enough funding, teams and information
are made available to us, I believe that it will require another 10 years.”
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2348666/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia launches portal for
transfer of domestic laborers
August 02, 2023
RIYADH: A service that allows the
transfer of domestic laborers between employers via a government portal has
been launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social
Development.
The service is available through the
Musaned platform, and is part of the ministry’s efforts to develop the domestic
labor sector in the Kingdom, improve recruitment, safeguard workers’ rights,
regulate contractual relationships, and ensure effective oversight.
The employer will be responsible for the
cost of the transfer, the ministry said.
Individual citizens will be able to transfer
domestic laborers from one employer to another through the portal, using simple
and convenient electronic steps. The process follows the regulations, rules and
conditions set for recruitment.
All parties involved in the contractual
relationship, the initial employer, the domestic worker and the new employer,
must agree with the transfer in order to finalize it.
Payment will be made through secure
electronic channels on the platform, in accordance with prices set by the
ministry.
The rights of both the employer and the
domestic worker will be protected in the process of transfer, the ministry
said.
A contract specifying the duration of
employment will be issued, with clauses safeguarding the rights of both
parties.
The contract will have to be approved by
both parties.
Osama Ghanem Al-Obaidy, adviser and
professor of law at the Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, welcomed
the initiative, saying it will improve recruitment of domestic workers in the
Kingdom, and help to resolve complaints and grievances.
The Musaned platform is one of the
ministry’s initiatives to improve recruitment of domestic help in the Kingdom.
In November 2022, the platform launched
the second phase of a service documenting contracts of domestic workers in the
Kingdom.
The first phase of the service was
launched outside Saudi Arabia and was aimed at domestic workers coming to work
in the Kingdom.
The second phase of the service included
private employment contracts for domestic workers who do not have valid and
documented employment contracts through the Musaned platform.
Source: arabnews.com
Please
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2348606/saudi-arabia
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Brussels hosts second high-end dialogue
between Saudi Arabia, EU
August 02, 2023
RIYADH: The second high-end political
dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the EU took place in Brussels on Tuesday.
The dialogue was chaired by Director of
the Policy Planning Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador
Raed Karmali, and Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action
Service Enrique Mora.
The parties reviewed ways to strengthen
bilateral relations between the Kingdom and the EU, and discussed several
common challenges, in addition to regional and international developments.
The dialogue was attended by Haifa
Al-Jedea, ambassador and head of the Saudi mission to the EU.
Source: arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2348491/saudi-arabia
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Pakistan
Death toll from Islamic State bombing at
a pro-Taliban cleric’s rally in Pakistan earlier this week rises to 63
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — The death toll
from an Islamic State group’s suicide bombing at a campaign rally over the
weekend of a pro-Taliban Pakistani cleric’s party rose to 63 on Wednesday,
after eight people died in hospital.
Sunday’s massive attack — one of the
country’s worst attacks in recent years — left nearly 200 wounded, several
critically. The bomber struck an election campaign rally of supporters of
pro-Taliban cleric Fazlur Rehman in the northwestern district of Bajur, near
the border with Afghanistan and a region where the Pakistani military spent
years fighting the Pakistani Taliban before declaring the district clear of
militants in 2016.
Rehman’s Jamiat Ulema Islam party —
which is part of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government — has
remained a potent political force in the region, closely linked to the Afghan
Taliban.
Medical officials said 123 people remain
in hospital while those with lighter wounds were treated and discharged.
Liaquat Ali, a spokesman for the state-run hospital in Bajur, confirmed the
latest deaths on Wednesday. He said some of the wounded were still in serious
condition.
The attack has drawn international
condemnation and Sharif has urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to do more to
prevent militants from finding sanctuary there and crossing into Pakistan to
stage.
An Afghan-based branch of the Islamic
State group claimed responsibility for the bombing. IS militants are Taliban
rivals and have stepped up attacks since the Taliban seized power in
Afghanistan in August 2021.
Sharif, after visiting some of the
wounded people at a hospital in Peshawar on Tuesday, said IS militants find
sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, regroup and rearm there, and subsequently
infiltrat Pakistan to carry out anti-government attacks. He demanded the Afghan
Taliban “undertake concrete measures toward denying their soil be used for
transnational terrorism.”
The Pakistani Taliban, known as
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, is a separate militant group but allied with
the Afghan Taliban. It has carried out several deadly attacks in Pakistan since
last year when it ended a cease-fire with the government. The TTP denounced the
Bajur bombing.
Pakistan’s volatile northwest has been
the scene of large attacks over the years.
A Taliban attack on an army-run school
in the city of Peshawar in 2014 killed 147 people, mostly schoolchildren. In
January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in
February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a mosque bombing
inside Pesharwar police headquarters.
In other developments Wednesday, Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arrived in Pakistan on a three-day
visit to discuss a range of issues, including how to prevent cross-border
attacks, officials said.
Meanwhile, police in the southwestern
city of Quetta said a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest, apparently
prematurely, at a residential compound there on Wednesday, creating panic among
residents but causing no civilian casualties. No one immediately claimed
responsibility for the attack.
Officer Noor Hassan said police are
investigating. Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, which has been
the scene of a low-level insurgency by separatists demanding more autonomy and
a greater share in the region’s natural resources such as gas and oil.
Militants are also active in the province.
Source: thestar.com
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https://www.thestar.com/news/world/asia/death-toll-from-islamic-state-bombing-at-a-pro-taliban-cleric-s-rally-in-pakistan/article_bf0f54ee-3e04-59e4-8f1d-dbcb535bfba7.html
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‘Robust’ ties with China to help guard
collective interests: army chief
August 3, 2023
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan and China on
Wednesday vowed to cement their “all-weather” and “robust” ties with Chief of
the Army Staff Gen Asim Munir noting the bilateral relationship has proven its
resilience in the face of all challenges and President Xi Jinping reiterating
that Beijing would always stand firm with Islamabad regardless of any change in
the international landscape.
Speaking as chief guest at the 96th
anniversary of the founding of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China
commemorated at GHQ, the army chief felicitated the PLA and lauded its role in
China’s defence, security and nation building.
While highlighting various facets of the
deep-rooted ties between the two states, militaries and peoples, he said,
“Pakistan-China relationship is unique & robust that has proven its
resilience in the face of all challenges.”
Gen Munir stated that PLA and Pakistan
Army were brothers in arms and “our relationship will continue to contribute to-wards
safeguarding our collective interests”.
Chinese president assures Pakistan of
‘unwavering support’
Pang Chunxue, Chargé d’Affaires of the
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Defence Attaché Maj Gen Wang Zhong,
Chinese Embassy officials and officers from tri-services of Pakistan attended
the event, said an ISPR release.
The Chinese chargé d’affaires while
thanking the army chief for hosting the event remarked, “This all-weather
strategic cooperative partnership between China & Pakistan has stood the
test of the time and change of international landscapes”.
She noted that China and Pakistan have
just jointly celebrated the 10th anniversary of the launch of CPEC. In the past
months, the COAS and other military leaders paid successful visits to China,
which have strongly promoted the relationship between the two militaries, she
endorsed.
Meanwhile, President Xi said China would
always stand firm with Pakistan regardless of any change in the international
landscape and emphasised that both countries would continue to improve overall
planning and deepen cooperation, adds APP.
In his congratulatory message on Decade
of CPEC, he said the two countries would continue to work jointly to carry
forward the ironclad friendship, coordinate development and security, besides
pursuing cooperation of higher standards.
He said Beijing and Islamabad would also
keep working to take their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to new
heights to make even greater contribution to peace and prosperity in the two countries
and the region.
In the message — that was also read out
by Vice Premier He Lifeng at a ceremony held in Islamabad to commemorate the
Decade of CPEC recently — President Xi said China would work with Pakistan to
achieve high-standard and sustainable outcomes, and further build CPEC into an
exemplary project of the Belt and Road Initiative.
He said that China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor was a flagship project of BRI and since its launch in 2013, both
countries had been advancing it under the principle of extensive consultation,
joint contribution and shared benefits.
The Chinese leader said CPEC had added
new impetus to the economic and social development of Pakistan, and laid a
foundation for regional connectivity and integration.
He said CPEC served as “a vivid
testament to the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan”, and
stressed the need for both nations to continue to improve overall planning and
scale up bilateral cooperation under it.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1768125/robust-ties-with-china-to-help-guard-collective-interests-army-chief
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Hold party polls or lose election
symbol, ECP warns PTI
August 3, 2023
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP) has given a final warning to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to hold
intra-party elections, otherwise it could be declared ineligible to obtain an
election symbol.
In a notice sent to PTI Chairman Imran
Khan, the ECP directed him to appear before the commission on Aug 4 (Friday);
otherwise, action will be taken against the party.
“Under section 215 of the Act, if any
political party fails to comply with the provisions of the said section 209,
this commission is empowered to declare the said political party ineligible to
obtain an election symbol. You are required in terms of section 215(4) of the
Elections Act, 2017, to appear before the election commission on 4 Aug, 2023 at
10am at the ECP Secretariat, G-5/2, lslamabad, failing which the commission
under section 215(5) of the Elections Act, 2017, may declare your political
party ineligible to obtain election symbol for future election(s),” the ECP’s
notice, whose copy is available with Dawn, said.
The ECP mentioned in the notice that it
had already served two notices to the PTI, asking the party to conduct
intra-party polls but it remained failed to do so.
The notice referred to the ECP’s earlier
notice dated May 24, 2021, followed by a show-cause notice dated July 27, 2021,
regarding the conduct of intra-party elections of the party, which were due on
June 13, 2021 under the party’s constitution.
“Through the above referred notice, your
party was intimated/reminded to conduct intra-party elections within time frame
provided under sections 208, 209 and 215 of the Elections Act, 2017 and your
party failed to provide the requisite certificate to this effect to the
election commission that the said elections have been conducted in accordance
with the provisions of the Elections Act, 2017, and the party’s constitution as
provided in section 209 of the Act,” the notice said.
The commission also explained that the
ECP’s show-cause notice was replied by the PTI and extension of one year w.e.f.
June 13, 2021 to June 13, 2022, in conducting intra-party election was also
granted.
Later, the ECP issued reminders on March
7, 2022, April 16, 2022 and final notice on May 21, 2022, for ensuring conduct
of intra-party elections on or before June 13, 2022 (extended date), with
observation that no further extension shall be allowed.
Meanwhile, Jamal Akbar Ansari, Chief
Election Commissioner of the PTI, had submitted a new constitution with amended
articles, along with a certificate of intra-party elections and relevant
documents with the ECP, which were scrutinised and found deficient and sent
back to the party for removal of deficiencies in the new constitution on June
22, 2022.
In response, the party again submitted
intra-party documents including Form-65, notification of elected office
bearers, resolution of National Council on July 7, 2022 on the basis of the
amended constitution, which were again scrutinised and found deficient and were
sent back to PTI for removal of deficiencies on Aug 4, 2022.
The notice said during a hearing of the
case on March 28, 2023 the amendments in constitution and intra-party elections
documents came under discussion and adjudication.
However, Mr Ansari, along with Barrister
Gohar Ali, gave a statement at the bar conveying the PTI’s decision to withdraw
the amendment in the party constitution and its consequential effects on
intra-party elections held under the amended constitution.
The notice said section 208 of the
Elections Act, 2017, mandatorily required that office-bearers of a political
party at the federal, provincial, and local levels, wherever applicable, shall
be elected periodically in accordance with its constitution, and any
change/addition in the constitution of a political party was also mandatorily
required to be communicated to the ECP within 15 days of such incorporation.
“Similarly, in terms of section 209(1)
of the Act, the registered political party was bound to provide the commission
a certificate regarding conduct of the said intra-party elections as provided
by law,” it added.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1768094/hold-party-polls-or-lose-election-symbol-ecp-warns-pti
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Zhob attackers were from Afghanistan: FO
August 3, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday
confirmed the involvement of Afghan terrorists in the last month’s Zhob
cantonment attack.
The Foreign Office spokesperson said
three terrorists involved in the July 12 attack, had been identified as Afghan
nationals. “Three terrorists who attacked the Zhob cantonment belonged to
Afghanistan’s Kandahar province,” the FO said.
In a statement, the spokesperson said
the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad has been asked to receive the bodies of Afghan
terrorists.
The FO said that continued involvement
of Afghans in terrorist activities in Pakistan and the use of Afghan soil for
terrorism in Pakistan was a matter of concern and condemnable.
On July 12, five security officials were
martyred, and five terrorists killed in an encounter in the Zhob area of
Balochistan.
The fighting took place when terrorists
attacked a check-post in Zhob cantonment. Five terrorists were sent to hell
during the operation. However, four soldiers who while fighting gallantly got
critically injured earlier, succumbed to injuries and embraced shahadat taking
the death toll to 9.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1768129
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FM Bilawal discusses desecration of Holy
Quran with Swedish counterpart
August 02, 2023
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari
on Wednesday discussed the recent incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran in
Sweden and other Nordic countries with his Swedish counterpart and expressed
concern regarding the issue.
Taking to Twitter, Bilawal said that he
raised the issue with Foreign Minister of Sweden Tobias Billstrom in a
telephone conversation.
“He apprised me that all Islamophobic
acts in any form are strongly rejected by the Swedish government. I emphasised
that such abhorrent acts shouldn’t be permitted under the guise of freedom of
expression,” tweeted Bilawal.
Sweden and Denmark have seen a string of
protests in recent weeks, in which copies of the holy book were desecrated,
prompting outrage in Muslim countries and demands that the Nordic governments
put a stop to the burnings.
Both countries have said they deplore
the burning of the Muslim sacred book but cannot prevent it under rules
protecting free speech.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister
Bilawal had taken up the issue with his Danish counterpart as well when he
called him.
“I received a call from Danish Foreign
Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and raised our deep concern on the recent
incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran in Denmark and other European
countries,” Billawal had tweeted back then as well.
“While acknowledging the Danish
government's outreach to the Muslim world and condemnation of these abhorrent
acts, I stressed the need for stopping Islamophobic acts that hurt the
sentiments of Muslims across the world. Also emphasised the need to promote
interfaith harmony and religious tolerance,” Bilawal had told Foreign Minister
Rasmussen.
Bilawal also participated in the 18th
Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) where the issue of Quran burning was
taken up.
In the meeting, the OIC expressed grave
concern over an increase in Islamophobia after a spike in incidents of Holy
Quran burning in Nordic nations.
The meeting adopted a comprehensive
resolution expressing grave concern over increasing incidents of intolerance,
discrimination, and rising Islamophobia, a statement from the Foreign Office
said.
It reaffirmed the importance of the
8-point action plan unanimously agreed upon by the UN Human Rights Council to
counter incitement to hatred, discrimination, stigmatisation, and violence
based on religion and belief.
It also called on all governments to
fully implement the existing legal and administrative framework or adopt new
legislation to protect all individuals against hatred and violence based on
religion and belief.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1096625-fm-bilawal-discusses-desecration-of-holy-quran-with-swedish-counterpart
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PM Shehbaz reiterates invitation to
Turkiye to join CPEC
August 02, 2023
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday
reiterated his invitation to Turkiye to join the flagship China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, stressing that it would lead to progress.
Calling the CPEC a “roaring success”,
the prime minister said Pakistan and China had agreed to launch the second
phase that would comprise a green corridor, business corridor, special economic
zones, and IT corridors.
He said the second phase was bound to
increase the quantum of business transactions and Turkiye was a “natural
partner” and reiterated his invitation for the country to join the wonderful
opportunity of prosperity.
The prime minister's comments came as he
launched the fourth MILGEM Class Corvette Ship PNS Tariq into the sea during a
ceremony held at the Karachi Shipyard.
Signed in 2018, the MILGEM project
envisages the construction of four Corvettes for the Pakistan Navy – two in
Pakistan and two in Turkiye.
PM Shehbaz lauded the leadership role of
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying that it was high time for
Pakistan and Turkiye to enhance their bilateral strategic cooperation for the
prosperity of the two nations.
The prime minister said Erdogan was a
great leader which was reflected by his “wonderful” victory in the recent poll.
Therefore, the prime minister said it
was high time for both countries to enhance their strategic cooperation ad add
more joint ventures in other fields.
The MILGEM project represents an enduring
symbol of Pakistan-Turkiye collaboration in the maritime domain. It is a
tangible step towards self-reliance and indigenisation and would fulfil the
critical security needs of the Pakistan Navy.
The prime minister said that Pakistan
and Turkiye were tied by the commonality of faith, heritage, and civilisation
with both sharing perspectives on regional and global issues.
Referring to the tremendous support by
the people of the subcontinent during the Khilafat Movement, the prime minister
said the bilateral ties predated the establishment of Pakistan.
"We celebrate each others’ success
stories and also stand together in the face of challenges […] This is the level
of our relations as we share each others’ bounties and sorrows," he
remarked.
The prime minister recalled Turkish
President Erdogan and the Turkish first lady's visit to Pakistan after the
floods as well as the generous contribution by the Turkish people to the flood
victims of 2010 as well as last year.
Attacking India
n a veiled attack on India, PM Shehbaz
said certain elements were in the race to establish their hegemony in the
region.
"Certain actors in the region
trying to establish their hegemony and create a sphere of influence. It is all
the more important that we strengthen our navy and our maritime
activities," the premier said, a day after offering New Dehli to hold
talks with Islamabad.
Pakistan and India's ties have mostly
remained strained since their independence in 1947 and have fought three wars —
in 1948, 1965, and 1971.
But the bilateral relations have come to
a virtual halt after India revoked the special status of occupied Jammu and
Kashmir in August 2019.
The prime minister, however, had a day
earlier said he was ready to talk to India if the nuclear-armed neighbour was
"serious to talk serious matters on the table because war is no more an
option".
To ensure that the enemy does not think
about attacking Pakistan, the premier told the naval officials present on the
occasion that the government is fully ready to provide "all resources at
your disposal so that [...] security is augmented and becomes ironclad for all
times to come".
Vice President of Turkiye Cevdet Yilmaz
was also present in the ceremony as guest of honour.
Federal ministers Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari, Ahsan Iqbal, Syed Naveed Qamar, and Israr Tareen, Sindh Governor
Kamran Tessori, and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah also attended the
ceremony.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1096526-pm-shehbaz-reiterates-invitation-to-turkiye-to-join-cpec
---------
SC asks Imran Khan to wait for IHC
verdict in Toshakhana case
August 02, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) Chairman Imran Khan struggles to get immediate relief in the Toshakhana
case as the Supreme Court Wednesday asked the ex-premier to wait for the
Islamabad High Court's verdict, as he sought a stay on the trial in the matter.
The PTI chief made the request until a
decision by the SC and the high court was issued.
The top court's remarks came during a
hearing of PTI Chairman Khan's petition against the aforementioned case by a
three-member bench — led by Justice Yahya Afridi and comprising Justice Mazahar
Ali Naqvi and Justice Musarat Hilali.
"We believe that the high court can
issue a better order than us. It is possible that it will give the order to
stop the trial tomorrow," Justice Yahya Afridi said, addressing PTI
chief's counsel Khawaja Haris.
The judge said the SC will take up the
case once the high court has issued an order.
It should be noted that the Islamabad
High Court (IHC) has fixed Imran Khan’s appeal for a hearing on August 3,
challenging the maintainability of the Toshakhana case.
Justice Afridi told PTI's lawyers that
the plea was ineffective, yet the court heard and gave an order. "First,
let the high court decide, then the case will be filed in the Supreme
Court."
Meanwhile, the apex court issued a
notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan officials pertaining to the case,
while adjourning the hearing of the PTI chief’s petition till August 4.
The SC judge said that the supervisory
jurisdiction of the trial courts is that of the high court and the SC will
schedule the case for hearing after receiving the order from the high court.
Justice Yahya, asking the PTI lawyer,
said what more does he want, as the court had already given relief to Khan.
"It is surprising that you still approached the Supreme Court," he
remarked.
Haris, on the other hand, questioned the
jurisdiction of the case. "The statement of Section 342 has been recorded
in the trial court. The trial court has ordered to present the list of
witnesses today," he said.
He added that the trial court will
consider the trial completed if the list of witnesses is not provided today.
"The court should order to stop the trial until the decision of the cases
in the SC and the IHC."
Responding to his request, Justice
Afridi said that no request for an injunction has been made.
"It would be better if you think
now and file an application for injunction," he told the counsel,
informing him about the possibility of relief from the IHC rather than the apex
court.
"We cannot interfere in the
proceedings of the trial court at this time. How can we hear the case when the
Islamabad High Court has not given any order?" Justice Afridi questioned
Haris.
"You approached the Supreme Court
without an order... let the high court decide first," he reiterated.
Responding to the judge, Harris said
Khan has approached the SC because the high court has not issued a stay in the
case.
Last week, too, the SC rejected Khan's
plea seeking a stay on the trial court's proceedings in the Toshakhana case.
During today's hearing, Justice Yahya
Afridi of the two-member SC bench remarked that the apex court will not
interfere in the trial court's matters in the Toshakhana case.
PTI chief's lawyer Haris informed the
court that there are multiple petitions — related to the jurisdiction of the
trial court and transfer of the Toshakhana case — pending in the high court.
The former prime minister, the first to
be voted out of office through a no-trust vote last year in April, had
approached the top court after being denied relief from the Islamabad High
Court (IHC).
The Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP) had, on October 21 last year, disqualified the former prime minister in
the Toshakhana reference under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution for making
"false statements and incorrect declaration".
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1096498-sc-asks-imran-khan-to-wait-for-ihc-verdict-in-toshakhana-case
---------
Around 400 Pakistani migrants freed in
Libya's anti-trafficking raid
August 02, 2023
Libyan security authorities conducted a
rescue operation during an overnight raid freeing up to 385 migrants from
Pakistan held in trafficking warehouses.
The migrants, including children, were
rescued from the al-Khueir area, located about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of
an eastern Libyan city, Tobruk, the Associated Press reported.
According to Al-Abreen, a migrant rights
group assisting migrants in Libya, people held in the warehouses were freed
from the clutches of smugglers and transferred to a nearby police headquarters.
Esreiwa Salah, an Al-Abreen activist,
informed AP that the Pakistani migrants arrived in Libya with the intention to
move towards their ultimate destination, Europe.
But the smugglers detained them and
demanded ransom for release. The rights group did not, however, disclose any
further details regarding the ransom.
For migrants, particularly those from
Africa and the Middle East, aiming to reach Europe for greener pastures, Libya
has become a key transit point. The country has, however, fallen into turmoil
following the NATO-backed uprising, which resulted in the end of its former
autocratic ruler Moammar Gadhafi's regime in 2011.
Libya has been struggling with
instability for most of the last decade with rival governments in its eastern
and western regions backed by various militias and foreign powers.
The deteriorating situation of chaos in
the African nation has benefitted human traffickers who continue to smuggle
desperate migrants — seeking better opportunities in Europe — across its
borders from different countries, leaving their lives and well-being at risk,
as they are smuggled using ill-equipped rubber boats and other vessels, through
dangerous journeys on the Central Mediterranean Sea route.
In June this year, a marine vessel
carrying around 700 migrants, including roughly 350 Pakistanis, capsized off
the Greek coast. Only 104 people were rescued during an operation by local
authorities, and 12 among them were survivors from Pakistan.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1096488-around-400-pakistani-migrants-freed-in-libyas-anti-trafficking-raid
---------
South Asia
Muttaqi Urges Envoys of Several
Countries to Resume Activity in Afghanistan
According to Hafiz Zia Ahmad Takal,
deputy spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, Muttaqi briefed the participants in
the meeting about the political, economic, security and governance developments
in Afghanistan.
“Muttaqi and his delegation provided a
detailed response and said that these delegations should be present in
Afghanistan and see the realities of Afghanistan from close instead of
continuing their work from abroad,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the Islamic
Emirate’s Qatar- based Political Office in Doha, Suhail Shaheen, said that the
ground realities in Afghanistan and media reports abroad are contrary to each
other.
“The world needs to have fact-based
assessment and judgment about the country for a realistic approach,” he said.
To this end, Shaheen said, the meetings between Islamic Emirate delegations and
the world are "necessary and productive.”
Political analyst Najib Rahman Shamal
said that the international community may seek to help the people of
Afghanistan by strengthening relations with the current government of
Afghanistan.
“Considering the positive results of
these negotiations, the world countries might have been ready to help the
people of Afghanistan through strengthening relations and engagement with the
interim government,” he said.
“The world, particularly the regional
countries, have always stressed that there should be an inclusive and
legitimate country in Afghanistan but there is yet to be such a thing to
happen,” said Sadeq Shinwari, a military analyst.
Meanwhile, in his meeting with Mutlaq
Al-Qahtani, special representative of Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Muttaqi discussed various political, economic, and trade issues, according to a
Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Source: tolonews.com
Please
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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-184465
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US special envoys meet Qatari Minister
of state for international cooperation
August 2, 2023
US Special Representative Thomas West
and US special envoy for Afghanistan’s women, Girls, and Human Rights met with
Lolwah Rashid Al Khater, Minister of State for International Cooperation at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday.
During the meeting, both sides discussed
cooperation relations between the two countries, the outcome of the two days of
Washington-Kabul talks hosted by Doha and the ways to support Afghanistan’s
health, education, and economic sectors.
US Special Representative Thomas West
tweeted that in the meeting with Alkhater, they discussed Qatar’s efforts to
support the education and entrepreneurship of Afghan women and girls.
Meanwhile, in a tweet, Amiri said they
discussed “concrete support for Afghan women & girls in areas of education
& economic empowerment.”
At a press conference, US Ambassador to
the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield said, “We do not recognize the Taliban.”
“We believe Afghan girls should be
allowed to return to school and Afghan women back to work. Moreover, we have
continued to put pressure on the Taliban. We do not recognize the Taliban,”
said Linda Thomas Greenfield.
Linda Thomas Greenfield added that the
US has not given “any support to the Taliban due to their decision not to allow
girls to return to school, as we address these human rights issues in the
Council during our presidency. Certainly, Afghanistan will be at the top of that
list.”
Since the return of the Taliban to power
in August 2021, the group has increased their suppressive policies, which have
vanished women from public space, including education and employment.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/us-special-envoys-meet-qatari-minister-of-state-for-international-cooperation/
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Defense Ministry repairs over 2,000
damaged military vehicles
August 2, 2023
The technical team of the Afghan Ministry
of National Defense has repaired over 2,000 damaged military vehicles and light
and heavy weaponry, according to a statement issued by the Ministry on Tuesday.
Following the efforts of the 209th Army
Corps of Al-Fath in Balkh province, which had been damaged during the
withdrawal of foreign soldiers two years ago, these vehicles and weaponry had
been repaired.
In addition to 475 different types of
light and heavy weapons, the repaired vehicles returned to service included
1,919 Ranger pickups, 186 Humvees, 71 foreign trucks, 17 tankers, and other
vehicles.
According to the Army Corps
spokesperson, these vehicles would be given to the defence brigades to protect
the country’s territorial integrity.
“We repaired and reactivated about 2,432
different vehicles with the few facilities and personnel we have,” The 209th
Army Corps of Al-Fath’s technical manager, Abdulaziz Kalimullah, said.
“There is no war in Afghanistan now, but
due to the needs of different brigades, a number of these vehicles are distributed
to defend the territorial integrity of the country, and the rest of these
vehicles, which are our national capital, will be protected and maintained,”
Sediqullah Nusrat, a spokesman for the 209th Army Corps of Al-Fath, said.
The 209 Al-Fath Army Corps officials
said these restored vehicles have been kept and are now ready for operation.
Source: khaama.com
Please
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https://www.khaama.com/defense-ministry-repairs-over-2000-damaged-military-vehicles/
--------
US Special Envoys Meet Qatari Minister
of State LolwahAlkhater
Support for Afghan women was the focus
of a discussion between US special representatives for Afghanistan with Qatari
LolwahAlkhater, Minister of State for International Cooperation, in MoFA.
On Tuesday, Rina Amiri, the US special
envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, and US special representative
Thomas West met with Alkhater.
Amiri tweeted that in the meeting with
LolwahAlkhater they discussed “concrete support for Afghan women & girls in
areas of education & economic empowerment.”
US Special Representative Thomas West
tweeted that in the meeting with Alkhater they discussed Qatar’s efforts to
support the education and entrepreneurship of Afghan women and girls.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry of Qatar
wrote in a statement that in the meeting of the US special representatives for
Afghanistan with LolwahAlkhater included discussions on cooperative relations
between the two countries, the outcomes of the US-Afghanistan meeting hosted by
Doha, and ways to support the health, education, and economy sectors in
Afghanistan."
Linda Thomas Greenfield, United States
Ambassador to the United Nations, said in a press conference that “we do not
recognize the Taliban."
“We believe Afghan girls should be
allowed to return to school and Afghan women back to work. And we have
continued to put pressure on the Taliban. We do not recognize the
Taliban," said Linda Thomas Greenfield.
Linda Thomas Greenfield added that the
US has not given “any support to the Taliban as a result of their decision not
to allow girls to return to school, as we address these human rights issues in
the Council during our presidency, certainly, Afghanistan will be at the top of
that list.”
Source: tolonews.com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184461
--------
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/molotov-cocktails-mosques-haryana-nuh/d/130371