Delhi HC Denies Permission for Muslims' 'Save Constitution Mission', Says Event May Spark Communal Tensions

New Age Islam News Bureau

26 October 2023

 

Delhi High Court. Photo: Ramesh Lalwani/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

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India

·         Delhi HC Denies Permission for Muslim Mahapanchayat To The Organisation Named ‘Mission Save Constitution’, Says Event May Spark Communal Tensions

·         Unregistered Madrasas In Uttar Pradesh To Be Penalised Rs 10,000 Per Day

·         Across India, People Face Charges for Participating in Protests in Support of Palestine

·         Satya Pal Malik Holds Government Liable For Pulwama Attack In Discussion With Rahul Gandhi

·         Two arrested after Muslim man lynched in Hapur

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Mideast

·         Child Casualties By Israeli War On Gaza A ‘Stain On Our Conscience’: UNICEF

·         Israel ground forces raid Hamas sites in Gaza, withdraw — military statement

·         Iran’s IRGC Trained 500 Islamist Militants Weeks Before Israel Attack

·         Muslim countries should prevent European consensus on Resistance at IPU: MP

·         Palestinians Living In The Vicinity Of Al-Aqsa Mosque Fear Raids By Police At Their Homes Aims At Displacing Them

·         Vigils By Red Sea Ports Corporation Denouncing Zionist Entity's Crimes

·         Al-Aqsa Support Committee Calls For Gathering & Performing Friday Prayers In Al-Sabeen Square

·         Erdogan says Hamas is not a terrorist outfit, cancels Tel Aviv visit

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Arab World

·         Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Stresses To US President Importance Of Ensuring Palestinian Rights

·         Kazakhstan supports Saudi Arabia’s bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh

·         Saudi, Romanian FMs Discuss Danger Of Continued Military Escalation In Gaza

·         Saudi ministry hosts cybersecurity exhibit in Riyadh

·         Family of Al Jazeera journalist killed in Gaza strike: network

·         Kuwaiti defence minister visits Riyadh counterterror coalition HQ

·         Saudi Arabia welcomes new Sudan peace talks in Jeddah

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North America

·         CAIR Calls On President Biden To Apologize For ‘Shocking And Dehumanizing’ Remarks On Palestinian Civilian Casualties

·         NYT Rejects Israeli Stance On Al-Ahli Hospital Massacre

·         Bias Is Always Part Of Being Muslim On Campus. Now Students Face Consequences For Speaking Up.

·         CAIR-OK to Join Oklahomans Against the Occupation Rally for Palestine

·         US asked Qatar to tone down Al Jazeera's coverage of Israel’s Gaza war: Report

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Europe

·         Huge Majority Of Brits Would Back Deportation Of Foreign Nationals Who Glorify Islamist Terror, GB News Poll Reveals

·         Deputy Commissioner Reflects On Visit To The London Central Mosque

·         Germany Arrests Islamist Planning Anti-Israel Terror AttackWith A Chat Partner In Syria

·         Macron: ‘Massive’ Israel ground op in Gaza would be ‘an error’

·         Putin: Russia watching tragic situation in Middle East with concern, pain

·         Germany opposes calls for UN chief to resign

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Africa

·         Congo Machete Attack: 26 Killed By Suspected Islamist Militants

·         Lagos Chief Imam dynasty, institution for stability – Sanwo-Olu

·         Bola Badmus

·         CAN decries unabated kidnapping of Christian clerics in Taraba

·         Libya parliament orders out envoys of countries that back Israel

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South Asia

·         Kabul Criticizes Silence of Islamic Countries on Palestine

·         Kabul Asks UN to Hand Over Seat to Islamic Emirate

·         Bangladesh: Hefazat-e-Islam Demands Release Of Its Men By November 30

·         EU Allocates €10 Million For Mental Health And Drug Services In Afghanistan

·         Narcotics Smuggling Has Stopped, Contrary Claims Are 'Propaganda': Mujahid

·         2,000 Afghan Refugees To Be Transferred To The UK Via Chartered Flights

·         Iran clarifies that expelling illegal migrants, not anti-Afghan

·         Kabul Once Again Calls For Release of Foreign Afghan Assets

·         ARCS Strives to Attract More for the Victims of Earthquake in Herat

·         Holding peaceful rally will be challenging: BNP leaders

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Pakistan

·         Taliban Govt Already Declared ‘Attack On Pakistan Not Jihad’: Afghan Diplomat

·         Not Only Afghans, Deadline To Leave Pakistan For All Illegal Foreigners: Bugti

·         New, more powerful task force formed to probe ‘passports for Afghans’ scandal

·         First special flight from Islamabad to United Kingdom to relocate 200 Afghan refugees today

·         Villagers in Islamabad’s Athal beat up police team, free ‘drug peddler’

·         Imran moves IHC against cipher case indictment

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Southeast Asia

·         Minister Religious Affairs: Muslim Persons with Disabilities Action Plan Developed To Enhance Understanding In Islam

·         NRD: Act 164 Allows Home Minister To Register Marriages Of Non-Muslim Couples

·         Foreign minister: Malaysia plans to join ICJ oral session in February 2024 to submit Palestine statement

·         Palestine: we have proof of TikTok’s systematic content removal, says Fahmi

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:  https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-mahapanchayat-constitution-communal/d/130979

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Delhi HC Denies Permission for Muslim Mahapanchayat To The Organisation Named ‘Mission Save Constitution’, Says Event May Spark Communal Tensions

 

Delhi High Court. Photo: Ramesh Lalwani/Flickr, CC BY 2.0

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October 26, 2023

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has refused to direct the Delhi Police to grant a no-objection certificate (NOC) for holding an ‘All India Muslim Mahapanchayat’ at Ramlila Maidan on October 29 in the national capital. The court said the event may spark communal tensions with several Hindu festivals around that time.

According to Bar and Bench, Justice Subramonium Prasad said permission cannot be granted saying that the poster for the event suggests it has communal overtones and that the gathering will take place in the Old Delhi area, which, he said, is a communally sensitive area.

A group called ‘Mission Save Constitution’ is behind the now-cancelled event. Although permission for the gathering was granted earlier by both the Delhi Police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi, it was later withdrawn.

The court also upheld the decision to withdraw permission. In its order, the court said, “Between Navratri and Diwali, there are several festivals like Karvachauth, Dhanteras, etc. The period from the end of Shraddh to Diwali is extremely auspicious for the Hindu community. Though the event has been styled as a purpose for educating the people about their rights, the tenor of the posters indicates that they can have communal overtones which can result in an increase in communal tensions in the Old Delhi area which is a sensitive area as people from different communities live there and the communal violence in the area is not unknown.”

The court said the petitioner organisation can hold its event after the festivals are over and can approach the authorities afresh for permission. It told the authorities that they could take a call regarding permission depending upon the merits.

Mission Save Constitution has advocate Mehmood Pracha as its national convener; Wajahat Habibullah, former chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities, as its principal advisor; Justice B.G. Kolse, former high court judge, as its advisor; and Islamic cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza is associated with the organisation.

Source: thewire.in

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https://thewire.in/law/delhi-hc-denies-permission-for-muslim-mahapanchayat-says-event-may-spark-communal-tensions

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Change In Law Allows Unmarried Non-Muslim Couples To Undergo IVF(In Vitro Fertilization) In UAE

 

The infertility rate in the Middle East is reported to be at least 15 per cent and is split equally across men and women. Courtesy: United Eastern Medical Services

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Oct 26, 2023

Shireena Al Nowais

Unmarried non-Muslim couples can undergo IVF treatment in the UAE, after a change to the law.

The new decree allows couples who are not married to apply for the procedure, providing they agree to register the child under both their names.

Muslim couples have to show proof of marriage before they undergo IVF.

“If there's no marriage certificate, non-Muslim individuals can seek permission from the health authority to utilise IVF techniques,” said article 8 of the ruling, which was published in the Official Gazette.

This change is part of a wider UAE effort to update laws in line with the needs of all those living in the country.

First, couples must "submit an acknowledgement confirming the child's lineage is attributed to either of them.”

This declaration would then be approved by the relevant authority from either spouse's home country, which would also be the nationality the child would adopt.

Once approved, the process can begin.

New rulings on medically assisted reproduction

The new ruling has also removed a clause that made it illegal for couples to use the help of another woman to carry their child.

Previously the law stated that it was forbidden to perform “external insemination between a sperm taken from the husband and an egg taken from the wife, then implanting the fertilised egg in the womb of another wife of the husband”.

That clause has now been removed, opening the door for each emirate to regulate the rules of surrogacy for itself.

Surrogacy is forbidden in much of the Middle East, although it is allowed in Iran – providing that both the surrogate and the parents-to-be are married.

The assisted reproduction amendments also regulate the use of both embryos and eggs.

Until recently, the freezing of embryos was banned in the UAE. This is no longer the case.

“It is permissible to fertilise a number of eggs sufficient for the transplantation more than once, in accordance with the conditions and controls specified by the executive regulations of this law,” the part of the new law on preserving and incubating eggs and embryos says.

“Fertilised eggs may be preserved so that the number required for transplantation can be extracted when needed, for a period of five years, which can be extended for similar periods based on a written request submitted by the spouses.

“When there is no need for the remaining eggs or a legal or medical impediment occurs that prevents their implantation, these fertilised eggs will be left without medical care until they deteriorate naturally, unless the spouses request otherwise.”

A 2021 report from market research company Colliers put the infertility rate in the UAE at 15 per cent, split evenly between men and women.

More than $200 million is spent in the Emirates each year on fertility treatment, compared with $300 million in Saudi Arabia – with more than three times the population – and $500 million in Egypt, according to the report.

How unmarried mothers can apply for a birth certificate for their newborns in the UAE

It remains illegal to have a sperm donor who is not the husband or an egg donor other than the wife.

“Fertilised eggs that have not been implanted must be destroyed in the following cases: The death of one of the spouses, the end of the marital relationship, submitting a destruction request from both spouses or expiration of the storage period without requesting an extension,” the law says.

“Unfertilised eggs and frozen sperm must be destroyed in the following cases: Death of the concerned, submitting a request for destruction from the concerned parties or expiry of the storage period without requesting an extension.”

In other recent changes, Abu Dhabi issued a law in October last year that recognised the right of single mothers to register their children without the need for a father or a marriage certificate.

Source: thenationalnews.com

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https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/2023/10/26/change-in-law-allows-unmarried-non-muslim-couples-to-undergo-ivf-in-uae/

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Saudi Islamic Affairs Minister: Palestine is Not Issue of Palestinians Alone, It Belongs to Islamic and Arab Nations

 

Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh affirmed that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been firmly standing with the Palestinian people.

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26 October 2023

Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al Al-Sheikh affirmed that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), since its establishment, has been firmly standing with the Palestinian people, SPA said on Thursday.

He said the GCC has been supporting the Palestinian cause, rejecting and denouncing hostile policies and actions against the Palestinians. He added that this is a central issue for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its policy in supporting the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights.

In his speech, while leading the Kingdom's delegation at the 9th meeting of GCC Ministers for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf held in Muscat, Oman, he emphasized that Palestine is not solely the concern of Palestinians, but a matter that affects all of us. It is a cause that unifies Islamic and Arab nations, as well as humanity as a whole.

He emphasized the importance of bringing this issue to the forefront of our collective consciousness and religious discussions. Additionally, he stressed the need to raise awareness among young people that their personal opinions should not stray from the official positions of their governments. Leaders, being better equipped to handle these matters, should guide their actions and decisions, he noted.

Al-Sheikh said that similar topics should be addressed under the protection of religious, moral and family values in GCC societies, especially in the age of technological advancements, where barriers between countries and societies have diminished.

He acknowledged that there are forces attempting to separate individuals and societies from their religious beliefs and values. These forces manifest through various methods, both explicit and implicit, that encourage rebellion against noble values.

He emphasized the significant responsibility of the ministries of Islamic and religious affairs and awqaf in instilling young people with strong values, morals, and a deep understanding of the Islamic faith.

This is essential in effectively countering this globalized trend with awareness and conviction. He emphasized that achieving this goal can only occur within the family unit, which is the cornerstone of shaping future generations.

Source: english.aawsat.com

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https://english.aawsat.com/gulf/4628836-saudi-islamic-affairs-minister-palestine-not-issue-palestinians-alone-it-belongs

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White House Increases Outreach To Muslim And Arab Americans In Face Of Criticism To Israel-Gaza War Response

 

Palestinian supporters at a protest near the Israel- Consulate General in New York on Oct. 9.Adam Gray / AFP - Getty Images

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Oct. 26, 2023

Peter Nicholas, Natasha Korecki, Alex Seitz-Wald and Megan Lebowitz

WASHINGTON — Hours before President Joe Biden gave a rare prime-time address last week, his head speechwriter sat down with a group of senior Arab and Muslim American officials to go over the draft and take suggestions.

Dissent was sprouting even inside the White House, where some aides worried that Biden hadn’t shown enough empathy for Palestinian civilians and a Muslim community facing a torrent of anger, said a person familiar with the discussions, who, like others, requested anonymity to talk freely.

The hourlong editing session reflects a vigorous outreach effort the White House is undertaking to reassure Arab Americans who feel they’re being scapegoated for the atrocities Hamas has committed half a world away. Senior advisers have been calling Muslim officials throughout the country and inviting community advocates onto the White House campus for frank conversations. Cabinet secretaries are sounding out federal workers to see how they're coping with the Israel-Hamas war, which has sparked angry protests in the U.S.

Shaken by reports of Hamas militants’ killing unsuspecting Israelis on Oct. 7, Biden gave remarks in the first days of the war that channeled Israel's anger and resolve to fight back. He met with Jewish leaders and said the Hamas attacks evoked the horrors of the Holocaust.

Some allies in Congress complained that he seemed indifferent to innocent victims of Israel's counterattack. Now Biden is calling more attention to Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire and the discriminatory backlash against Muslims back home.

In his West Wing office, speechwriter Vinay Reddy read aloud from the draft to make certain his Arab American colleagues were comfortable with language denouncing “Islamophobia” and name-checking the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian populations that felt vulnerable, a White House official said. The group listened and approved.

Said the official: “There will be things that the United States does in the Middle East that the Arab, Muslim and Palestinian populations don’t like. And there will be plenty of disagreements to come. But as an Arab American, I felt very seen and respected.”

A president's words carry outsize weight on any occasion, but they are even more magnified in wartime. Some Muslim advocates took note of Biden's address to Jewish leaders across the street from the White House on Oct. 11 and questioned why he hasn't spoken directly to their community. Within a week of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, by contrast, President George W. Bush visited a mosque and delivered a message that "the face of terror is not the true face of Islam."

“We had great concerns with what we saw at the beginning” of the war, said Hanna Hanania, former president of the Detroit-based American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine, who voted for Biden in 2020. “We thought the messages were as if we were totally left out. The messages were going totally for the other side, as if we never existed.”

In the past two weeks, Democratic members of Congress have phoned senior White House adviser Anita Dunn and other top officials and warned that Biden needed to address the isolation and fear their Muslim constituents were experiencing, according to White House and congressional officials.

Muslim advocates have told NBC News that women have been fearful of wearing the hijab and that parents have been afraid to take their children to school, worried they would be targeted because of their ethnicity.

“The Muslim community is very, very angry at him,” a Democratic lawmaker said, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk freely. “It could hurt him.”

The message is sinking in. Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff, led a Zoom meeting with Cabinet members last week in which he asked them to reach out to staffers of different faiths and make sure they feel they’re being heard, White House officials said.

Dilawar Syed, a Small Business Administration official who is the highest-ranking Muslim in Biden’s government, attended the funeral of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy who was murdered in Chicago in what authorities say was a hate crime. Last Thursday, he spoke to administration officials about what he heard from people at the ceremony and shared his reflections on being Muslim American “in this environment,” said the White House official, who attended the meeting.

After the boy was murdered, Zients sent an email to the staff that read: "The events of the last week have been challenging for all of us — and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge how difficult it has been for our Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim American colleagues — in addition to our Jewish colleagues."

On a separate track, senior officials have been contacting scores of Muslim, Arab and Palestinian American elected officials at all levels across the country to hear their concerns.

“Not every message back is super positive,” the first White House official said. “It’s more like: ‘We care about the president, and we want to make sure you’re understanding what we’re hearing on the ground.”

When it comes to the ancient argument over who has a right to Middle East land, presidents have learned through bitter experience that it's impossible to accommodate all sides. The best they can do is appear to be fair brokers.

At a news conference Wednesday, Biden said Israel “has to do everything in its power, as difficult as it is, to protect innocent civilians.”

Hanania, for one, says Biden’s message has gotten more inclusive of late. But he’d like to hear him call for a cease-fire in Gaza — something Israel won’t accept at this point. The Israeli government is determined to wipe out Hamas and is preparing a ground incursion to root it out so assaults like the one on Oct. 7 don’t happen again.

Eliav Benjamin, the deputy chief of mission at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, said in an interview: “We are determined to win this war. I’m an infantry person myself for many years. I’m not aware of any real substitute to being on the ground. We tried this in the past multiple times in Gaza. It did not work. It just doesn’t.”

With the war set to enter a bloody new phase and the number of Palestinian civilian deaths likely to rise, Biden can expect more pressure from American Muslims he is working mightily to assuage. The White House points to steps it has taken over the years to make sure they feel embraced.

Last year, Biden revived the Eid al-Fitr celebration at the White House marking the end of Ramadan. In 2017, President Donald Trump broke a 20-year tradition by not hosting an Eid event.

Still, the conflict in the Middle East tends to overshadow such gestures. Biden and his top deputies have called upon Israel to minimize civilian casualties as it carries out its counterattack. But Muslim Americans want him to go further.

Asked whether he would attend the White House’s Eid celebration next year if he is invited, a Muslim advocate said, “Right now, I would go to drop off a letter and leave."

A former administration official, a Muslim who is trying to mobilize voters for Biden, said some Muslim and Arab American voters are going through “9/11 PTSD,” pointing to safety meetings underway in community centers.

“They said if women in headscarves are worried, we will maybe set a buddy system so you can have somebody who accompanies you so you won’t be outside alone by yourself,” the person said. “People were not sending their kids to our Sunday school, because they didn’t think there was enough of a police presence around it in case somebody attacked it.”

It's by no means certain that a different president would be a more restraining influence on the Israeli military. The Republican front-runner in the 2024 race is Trump. He said this month that if he's elected he would bar Gaza's refugees from entering the U.S., an extension of the travel ban he imposed after he took office in 2017.

The White House called Trump's new plan "revolting and dangerous" and will keep hammering that point, a second White House official said.

Bradley Tusk, a Democratic political strategist, said, "You can guarantee that Trump will say something offensive to Muslims every chance he gets, whether he wants to or not."

But voters will have other options than a binary choice between Biden or Trump. Hanania campaigned for Biden in 2020 but said he might leave the top of the ticket blank or support a third-party candidate next year.

Source: nbcnews.com

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France Sends Naval Aid To Gaza As Egypt Urges Ground Invasion Avoidance

  

October 26, 2023

President Emmanuel Macron of France announced on Wednesday that his country would dispatch a naval vessel to assist Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals in the face of Israel's ongoing bombardment and blockade.

Macron revealed that the ship would depart from Toulon within the next 48 hours, with the primary mission of providing vital support to Gaza's healthcare facilities. He shared this decision during a joint press conference in Cairo, held alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Moreover, France would also be sending a plane loaded with essential medical supplies to Egypt, which would then facilitate the transport of these crucial materials into the embattled Palestinian territory.

In an environment marked by escalating hostilities between Israel and Hamas, President al-Sisi, during the press conference, expressed the urgent need to prevent a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. He emphasized that such an incursion would inevitably result in a high number of civilian casualties. President al-Sisi underscored that over 6,000 civilian fatalities had already been reported in connection with the Israeli strikes, and alarmingly, nearly half of those casualties were children.

Macron's visit to Egypt followed his recent stop in Israel, where he expressed support for the Israeli military's retaliatory actions against Hamas. On October 7, Hamas militants carried out the deadliest attack in Israel's history, targeting southern areas of the country and resulting in the loss of more than 1,400 lives, the majority of whom were civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

In the weeks since this initial attack, a relentless campaign of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, under the control of Hamas, has led to the tragic deaths of over 6,500 individuals, the majority of whom were civilians, as reported by the Hamas-controlled health ministry in the Palestinian territory. Additionally, during his tour, Macron visited the occupied West Bank for discussions with Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority.

Source: africanews.com

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https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/26/france-sends-naval-aid-to-gaza-as-egypt-urges-ground-invasion-avoidance/

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India

Unregistered Madrasas In Uttar Pradesh To Be Penalised Rs 10,000 Per Day

 25th October 2023

LUCKNOW: After an elaborate survey of the madrasas running across the state to ascertain their legality, infrastructure and flow of funds, the Basic Education Department of Uttar Pradesh has started issuing notices to the unrecognised madrasas running without registration with UP Madrasa Education Board to fall in line or pay a penalty. Initiating the action, the Basic Education Department has issued notices to around a dozen unregistered madrasas operational in Muzaffarnagar district.

Through its notices, the department has levied a penalty of Rs 10,000 per day on unregistered madrasas if they fail to submit relevant documents within three working days of receiving the notice. The notices have been issued by the block education officer of Purkaji and also in the Morna block of the district to over a dozen madrasas operating without proper registration.

According to official statistics, there are over 24,000 madrasas in UP and only 16,000 are registered and recognised, while the rest are deemed to be illegal as they do not have registration with UP Madrasa Education Board.

According to Muzaffarnagar Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) Shubham Shukla, the district minority department informed his office that over 100 madrasas were being run across the district against the norms as they did not have registration or recognition.

Shukla said that there is a provision to slap a fine of Rs 1 lakh if a madrasa did not stop functioning within a month after failing to produce the required documents of registration/affiliation, and thereafter, a fine of Rs 10,000 per day would be slapped.

Taking strong exception to the notice served to madrasas, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, an organisation of Indian Muslims called the education department’s order "unlawful."

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Muslim body said the madrasas in the state were "harassed" by serving them illegal notices only to "target a particular community" as the madrasas were providing free-of-cost education to the students. The organisation also remarked that these madrasas would not be able to pay the fine of Rs 10,000 per day.

Meanwhile, the UP government has set up a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the fund flow and other attributes of around 4000 madrasas running along the Indo-Nepal border in around five districts bordering the Himalayan nation. As per the official sources, the state government had received inputs that these madrasas were receiving funds from foreign nations.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Across India, People Face Charges for Participating in Protests in Support of Palestine

SukanyaShantha

Oct 26, 2023

Mumbai: Over the past weeks, innumerable protests – some impromptu and a few by rights organisations – have been organised across many big and small cities in India. These protests, largely peaceful, and an organic coming together of those seeking an end to Israel’s siege and relentless bombing of Gaza, have, however, not gone well with the Indian state.

Irrespective of which government is in power and what the political party’s stand has been on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, protestors in many states are facing criminal action for acts of “unlawful assembly” to promote “enmity between two groups”.

India’s long-standing position – reiterated by the Narendra Modi government – on the Israel-Palestine conflict is that it supports a “negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, within secure and recognised borders, at peace beside Israel as endorsed in the relevant UNSC and UNGA Resolutions”.

But in a democracy where the right to protest peacefully is guaranteed and the government recognises the rights of Palestinians, here are a few instances when police cases were registered against protestors.

As one of the first responses to the Israel-Gaza war, several students of the Aligarh Muslim University took out a rally on October 9. This peaceful rally, organised as an expression of solidarity with Palestinians, landed at least four students in trouble as the police booked them under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language, etc), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), and 505(statements inducing public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The state chief minister Yogi Adityanath, soon after the AMU protest, directed the police to take “stern action” against actions or social media posts in support of Palestine. According to a report in the Deccan Herald, senior district police officials have been directed to speak to the Muslim clerics and make it clear that “any attempt to incite passion on social media or a similar call from the religious places will not be tolerated”.

A cop, belonging to the Muslim community, posted in Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, had merely shared a pro-Palestine post on social media. Within days, he was suspended from duty and an additional superintendent of police rank officer was appointed to carry out an inquiry about the constable and “his political inclination”.

In similar incidents, the police in Kanpur booked two young Muslim clerics, Suhail Ansari and AtifChowdhary, for posting content in support of Palestine on social media. While Ansari was arrested, the police raided Chowdhary’s residence.

Uttar Pradesh, however, is not the only one to crack down on protestors.

In Delhi, the state police, along with the Rapid Action Force had, on October 17, detained two busloads of protesters who came for a “Citizens’ Vigil” against Israel’s offensive on Gaza.

On the two Fridays since the war began, Muslims were barred from offering prayers at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar, Kashmir. Police closed down the iconic masjid, apprehending protests. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, who was recently allowed to offer Friday prayers and deliver the Friday sermon at Jama Masjid after four years of house detention, was once again put under house arrest on October 15 and is not being allowed to step out of his house.

Starting with the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the violence in West Asia has so far claimed the lives of 1,400 Israelis and over 5,100 Palestinians. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, about 40% of the Palestinians killed are children.

If the response to the protests in BJP-governed states was not surprising, surely the actions of the police in Congress states are. The Congress condemned the Hamas attack on Israel but also reiterated its long-standing support for the rights of Palestinian people. As the conflict escalated, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) – the party’s highest decision-making body – passed a resolution in support of the Palestinian people’s struggle. Party leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh spoke in support of Palestine.

But in Karnataka, the police’s actions were diametrically opposite.

The Cubbon Park police in Bengaluru booked 11 persons, including a member of the Bahutva Karnataka (a citizen’s group), and other unnamed people for holding a solidarity gathering in support of Palestine on MG Road. While the police haven’t booked them for “promoting enmity”, the sections applied are largely for gathering without permission and for “public nuisance”. The problem, however, was not gathering without permission but denial of one. Almost all groups planning protests across India have been denied requisite permissions. 

The Mumbai police in Maharashtra went a step ahead by not just detaining the protestors but also allegedly beat them up. Two young activists of the Revolutionary Workers Party of India (RWPI) – Ruchit Lad and Supreeth Ravish – were arrested on October 13. According to the Mumbai police, RWPI had planned to organise a protest in the Matunga-Dadar area regarding the Israel-Palestine clash. The police, as expected, denied permission. Supreeth and Ruchit then decided to hold placards in the Lallubhai compound area in Mankhurd and protested against the Israeli government. Soon, other youths joined them.

Ruchit and Supreeth were subsequently arrested under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (punishment for the offence of voluntarily causing harm in order to deter a public worker from doing his duties), along with other sections of rioting under the IPC. When the duo was produced before a Magistrate court, Ruchit alleged that he was brutally assaulted in police custody.

While they have secured bail in the case, the two are yet to be released from jail.

Source: thewire.in

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https://thewire.in/rights/india-palestine-protests-police-crackdown

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Satya Pal Malik holds Government liable for Pulwama attack in discussion with Rahul Gandhi

October 25, 2023

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday shared the interview of former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in which they discussed Pulwama terror attack, and the statehood of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir among others.

Malik in his conversation with Rahul Gandhi, on October 14, said that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir should be returned as the people are unhappy. He also said that the government’s lapses led to the February 14, 2019 Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF troopers were killed.

Rahul Gandhi while sharing the post on X, said, “Will this conversation create a stir amid ED-CBI?”

On Malik’s tenure as J&K LG, statehood

In his conversation with Malik, Rahul Gandhi asked him that during his tenure it was the most complicated time. He said while referring to the revocation of Article 370 and the state being bifurcated as union territory.

To this, Malik said, “In my opinion, you cannot keep Jammu and Kashmir by force and through armed forces. You can do anything by winning the trust of the people.”

To this Rahul Gandhi again asked him how Jammu and Kashmir would return to normalcy, to which Malik said that the government must restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Revocation of Article 370 and removal of the statehood of the state was most painful for the people. I felt that the government was thinking that the state police will revolt. They never shared it with me. But the fact was that the Jammu and Kashmir Police remained with the government and the police personnel did not even take leave on the occasion of Eid,” the former governor said, who is at loggerheads with the BJP.

He also said that the statehood must be returned to Jammu and Kashmir and it is also a promise by Amit Shah to the people in Parliament and hold the election immediately.

Rahul Gandhi said that even the people of Jammu are not happy with the government’s decision to take away the statehood of Kashmir.

Malik then said I don’t know why they are not doing it. Now the insurgency has again returned and the terrorist activities have increased.

When Rahul Gandhi asked him about the Pulwama terror attack, Malik blamed the government’s lapses for the February 14, 2019 attack.

On Pulwama attack

Speaking on Pulwama, the Congress leader said as soon as he learnt about the incident, he went to the airport to pay his respects to the martyrs. “I was locked inside a room. I felt like it was an event. PM Modi was there. I had to fight my way to get out of the room. It was quite distasteful,” Rahul Gandhi said.

The former governor said that the Prime Minister should have reached Srinagar.

He further said that on the day of the incident he was shooting in Jim Corbett. Then he called me up in evening and he asked me to not to speak on the issue.

“I told two channels that it was our fault but I was asked to not say this anywhere…I thought my statements might impact the investigation, but there was no investigation. It was used for the purpose of election. On the third day, Prime Minister Modi gave his speech where he used it politically,” Malik claimed.

Rahul Gandhi then asked why did the Pulwama incident happen. Malik replied that they (CRPF) had asked for five aircraft. Had he asked me, I would have given those right away as I provided aircraft to students stuck in the snow.

He also said that it is easy to get aircraft on rent in Delhi.

“But their application was lying for four months in the Home Ministry. And then it was rejected. The CRPF personnel then took the road which was known to be unsafe,” the former governor said.

He also said that the explosive-laden truck that attacked the CRPF vehicle was roaming in the area for around 10-12 days and our system was not good.

“The explosives were sent from Pakistan. The driver and the owner of the vehicle had terrorist records. They were arrested and then released several times. But they were not on the radar of the intelligence and on the day of the incident all the link roads were not sanitised and I was in tears after hearing the news,” Malik said.

Rahul Gandhi also talked about the caste-based census and mentioned about his speech in Parliament and asked for Malik’s opinion.

Malik said that we need to make it compulsory and make people aware to come into the system.

As the two leaders discussed the Manipur situation, Malik said the government has no control in Manipur. “But it is only for six months. I can give in writing. They will not come back to power,” Malik added.

The Congress leader also said that how the GST and the demonetisation has hurt the businesses in the country. –IANS

Source: muslimmirror.com

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Two arrested after Muslim man lynched in Hapur

October 26, 2023

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested two persons after a Muslim man was lynched in the Hapur district on Tuesday, reported The Hindu.

The man, Irshad Mohammad, was beaten to death after his motorbike hit a man who was part of a group attending Dussehra festivities near Luhari village. The accident led to a heated argument, after which the group assaulted the man with a stone.

Another man named Wasim, who tried to save Mohammed, was also injured, the police said.

Mohammed was later taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The police registered a first information report against six persons based on a complaint by Irshad Mohammad’s father Imamuddin Mohammed, Superintendent of Police (Hapur) Abhishek Verma told The Indian Express.

The case has been registered under Section 302 (murder) and 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons) of the Indian Penal Code.

Following the incident, personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary have been deployed in the village to prevent violence, Additional Superintendent of Police Raj Kumar told The Hindu. The police are on the lookout for four more accused persons.

Source: scroll.in

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Mideast

Child casualties by Israeli war on Gaza a ‘stain on our conscience’: UNICEF

25 October 2023

The United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) has decried the “staggering” number of children casualties in the Gaza Strip due to incessant Israeli bombardment of the besieged Palestinian enclave.

Adele Khodr, the UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa that the killing and maiming of children, attacks on hospitals and schools, and the denial of humanitarian access "constitute grave violations of children’s rights.”

“The situation in the Gaza Strip is a growing stain on our collective conscience. The rate of death and injuries of children is simply staggering,” Khodr said.

“Even more frightening is the fact that unless tensions are eased, and unless humanitarian aid is allowed, including food, water, medical supplies and fuel, the daily death toll will continue to rise.”

Reporting that 2,360 children had been killed in less than three weeks, UNICEF on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance.

A further 5,364 children in Gaza have been injured in the “unrelenting attacks” by Israel, UNICEF added. More than 400 children are reportedly either killed or injured daily in the blockaded region, it said.

The occupied West Bank has also seen an “alarming surge in casualties”, the agency said. Twenty-eight children have been killed and at least 160 have reportedly sustained injuries.

A new campaign recently launched to shut down weapons companies in the US and UK over providing arms to the Israeli regime has gained further momentum, expanding across northern America, Europe and Australia.

Almost every child in the Gaza Strip has been exposed to deeply distressing events and trauma, marked by widespread destruction, relentless attacks, displacement, and severe shortages of daily necessities such as food, water, and medicine, UNICEF said.

The dire and pressing lack of water also poses grave consequences for children, UNICEF said, noting that most water systems have been severely affected or are nonoperational due to fuel shortages and damage to vital infrastructure.

UNICEF said fuel, which Israel has not allowed into Gaza, is of paramount importance for the operation of essential facilities such as hospitals, desalination plants, and water pumping stations.

It also said neonatal intensive care units, some housing newborns in incubators, rely on mechanical ventilation, making an uninterrupted power supply a matter of life and death.

“Without humanitarian access, the deaths from attacks could be the tip of the iceberg,” said Khodr. “The death toll will increase exponentially if incubators start to fail, if hospitals go dark, if children continue to drink unsafe water and have no access to medicine when they get sick.”

According to a 2022 report by Save the Children, with the constant trauma of war and occupation, four out of five children in Gaza live with depression, grief and fear.  More than half of them struggle with suicidal thoughts and the trauma of witnessing the deaths of other children.

Iran says the child-killing Israeli regime poured lethal bombs and missiles on Palestinian kids as gifts on Children’s Day.

Last week, a Palestinian NGO said one child in Gaza is killed every 15 minutes in Israel’s ongoing bombardment. “We are witnessing a genocide in real time,” a spokesperson for the Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) said.

Amid the war, education has been put on hold and schools are being used to shelter displaced people. Schools, like hospitals, have also suffered damage from the ongoing aerial attacks.

UN chief Antonio Guterres also renewed calls for a ceasefire on Tuesday and said international law was being violated in the ongoing Israeli war on the besieged strip. He said Palestinians “have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.”

The Israeli blockade of Gaza is preventing food, fuel and regular aid from getting through. In the last week, a few dozen trucks carrying aid have been allowed in through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, but NGOs say the supplies are not near enough.

Israel waged war on Gaza on October 7 after Palestinian resistance groups launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, a surprise attack into the occupied territories in response to the occupying regime’s intensified crimes against the Palestinian people.

Since the latest spate of violence between Israel and Palestinian resistance fighters in the Gaza Strip began, western countries, most notably the USA, have voiced their unequivocal support for Israel and ignored the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

The Israeli attacks on Gaza have targeted places of gathering, including hospitals, schools, mosques and churches, displacing more than one million in the densely-populated region, which is home to more than 2 million people.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip has so far killed at least 6,546, people and left over 18,000 others wounded.

Israel has also blocked water, food and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal sliver into a humanitarian crisis.

Source: presstv.ir

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Israel ground forces raid Hamas sites in Gaza, withdraw — military statement

October 26, 2023

JERUSALEM: Israeli ground forces operated within the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, attacking multiple Hamas targets before withdrawing, the military said in a statement on what Israel’s Army Radio described as the biggest incursion of the current war.

Video of the overnight action issued by the military showed armored vehicles proceeding through a sandy border zone. A bulldozer is seen levelling part of a raised bank, tanks fire shells, and explosions are seen near or amid a row of damaged buildings.

The military statement posted online said the incursion was carried out “in preparation for the next stages of combat,” a possible reference to the large-scale invasion that Israeli leaders have threatened as part of the war to destroy Hamas.

“The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory,” the military statement added.

Israel began localized ground incursions on Sunday as the war, triggered by an Oct 7 cross-border rampage by Hamas gunmen, entered its third week. Israel’s Army Radio described Thursday’s incursion as the biggest yet.

There was no immediate comment from Hamas in Gaza.

Source: arabnews.com

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Iran’s IRGC Trained 500 Islamist Militants Weeks Before Israel Attack

Oct 26, 2023

Iran has trained hundreds of Islamist fighters for combat in the weeks leading up to the attack on Israel, the Wall Street Journal cited intelligence sources as saying.

The WSJ said Wednesday that about 500 members of the militant groups Hamas as well as Palestinian Islamic Jihad received specialized combat training in Iran in September, the people familiar with intelligence related to the assault.

The training was led by officers of the Quds Force, the Revolutionary Guards’ extraterritorial wing, while senior Palestinian officials and Quds Force Commander Brig. Gen. EsmailQaani also attended the training.

More than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed October 7 by Hamas fighters who poured across the border from the Gaza Strip. Scores of others were kidnapped and taken back to Gaza, where they are being held hostage. Nearly 6,000 Palestinian have died in Israel's retaliatory air campaign.

Iran is not shy about its financial and logistical support for its proxy militias across the region, including Hamas. US officials said Iran has regularly trained militants in Iran and elsewhere, but Washington said it had found no indications of a mass training specifically to prepare for the attack.

“Before the war, Iran directly assisted Hamas with money, training and weapons and technological know-how,” said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military’s chief spokesman, on Wednesday. “Even now, Iran is helping Hamas with intelligence.”

Earlier in the month, the Journal cited senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials as saying that the Quds Force helped plan the attack and agreed that it could go ahead at a meeting in Beirut on October 2 with leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. An adviser to the Syrian government and a European official gave the same account of Iran’s involvement.

Source: iranintl.com

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Muslim countries should prevent European consensus on Resistance at IPU: MP

October 25, 2023

TEHRAN – A senior Iranian lawmaker has underlined the need for Islamic countries to prevent European countries from creating consensus against the Resistance Front at the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

The Lawmaker, VahidJalalzadeh, who is the head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, made the remarks in a meeting with the head of Qatar’s Parliament, Hassan bin Abdullah al-Ghanem.

Heading a parliamentary delegation, Jalazadeh paid a visit to the tiny Persian Gulf nation.

In the meeting, Jalalzadeh appreciated the efforts and support of the government, parliament and people of Qatar for the Palestinian people, according to Iran’s state news agency, IRNA.

He stressed the good relations between Iran and Qatar and underlined its continuation. “The parliaments of the two countries should also be active and make their voices heard in other countries,” Jalalzadeh added.

He stated, “Islamic countries should appear actively in the 147th meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and not allow the consensus of European countries against the Resistance Front to create an extraordinary clause in this meeting.”

At the meeting, the deliberations of the meeting of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee with the ambassadors of Islamic countries, secretaries and heads of international organizations based in Tehran were also discussed.

Jalalzadeh appreciated the cooperation of the Qatari government in the direction of freeing Iranian prisoners in the United States and unblocking Iran's blocked funds in South Korea.

Al-Ghanem, in turn, stressed Qatar’s support of the oppressed Palestinian people and stated, “We should not allow the people of Gaza to be held hostage without providing basic needs such as water and food.”

At the end of this meeting, a written message from Mohammad BagherQalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, regarding the recent developments in the region, was submitted to the Speaker of the Qatari Parliament.

The inaugural speech at the 147th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Luanda, Angola, drew an angry reaction from several Muslim delegations who deemed President Duarte Pacheco’s remarks in favor of the Israeli regime unjust and misleading.

On Monday the president, who is wrapping up his three-year term, kicked off his speech by commenting on “Israel’s right to defend itself”, referring to the regime’s heavy and relentless bombardment of Gaza in recent days. The attacks have so far resulted in the death of more than 5,000 people, with children making up have of the casualties. Israel has also begun a “full siege” of the territory not allowing any food, water, fuel, and medicine inside Gaza.

Delegations from South Africa, Iran, Kuwait, Palestine, Algeria, and some other Muslim countries reportedly walked out of the opening ceremony after a member of the Iranian delegation shouted “Israel is a terrorist entity” to protest the president’s remarks.

Source: tehrantimes.com

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Palestinians living in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque fear raids by police at their homes aims at displacing them

25/October/2023

JERUSALEM, Wednesday, October 25, 2023 (WAFA) – Palestinians living in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City today expressed fear that police raids of their homes aim at displacing them.

Nasser Qous, an activist in the Old City, said police raided several Palestinian homes in different neighborhoods of the Old City, expressing fear that the Israeli state wants to impose taxes on them retroactively in order to force them to leave their homes, specifically because they are located near Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Israeli occupation authorities seize Palestinian homes in the Old City under different pretexts and then turn them over to colonist settlers.

Source: english.wafa.ps

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Vigils by Red Sea Ports Corporation denouncing Zionist entity's crimes

[25/October/2023]

HODEIDA October 25.2023 (Saba)- Employees of the Red Sea Ports Corporation and the sectors operating in Hodeida Port organized a protest to denounce the massacres committed by the Zionist enemy against the Palestinians, including the massacre at the Baptist Hospital in Gaza Strip.

The participants in the protest, which was led by Governor Muhammad AyyashQahim, the governor’s deputies Muhammad Al-Nahari and Muhammad Halisi, and the head of the institution, Engineer Yasser Muhammad Ahmed, raised Palestinian flags, chanting slogans denouncing the genocidal massacres committed by the Israeli entity against civilians in light of international silence and bias, which encourages the enemy. To continue targeting civilian objects in Gaza.

The statement issued by the vigil, delivered by the Director of Planning and Statistics at the Foundation, WadahMujmal, saluted the victories of the Palestinian Mujahideen through the military operation “Al-Aqsa Flood,” which disturbed the nation’s people’s historical enemy and shook its entity with broad qualitative military strikes that struck strategic targets deep inside Israel.

It sent messages to the leaders of these regimes about the importance of submitting to the demands of their peoples who call for jihad and support for the Palestinian people, stressing that it is one of God’s great blessings that the Yemeni people have a wise leadership that urges support for the Palestinians and supports the jihad project to eradicate the Zionist cancerous gland from the land of Palestine.

The statement stressed the necessity of boycotting American-Israeli products and all countries supporting and aligned with the Zionist occupation and forming a unified Arab-Islamic position to take a number of measures towards the crimes of genocide and massacres committed by the usurping entity in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The vigils, in which the Director of Port Customs, Abdullah Habib, the Standards Authority, Khalil Al-Jawfi, and a number of Coast Guard leaders and general directors of the Red Sea Ports Corporation’s departments and the sectors operating in Hodeidah Port participated, included a poem by the poet Younis Abu Al-Hayya.

Source: saba.ye

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Al-Aqsa Support Committee calls for gathering & performing Friday prayers in Al-Sabeen Square

[25/October/2023]

SANA'A October 25.2023 (Saba)-The Central Committee of the National Campaign to Support Al-Aqsa held a meeting today,Wednesday, headed by the advisor to the President of the Supreme Political Council, Allama Muhammad Muftah.

The committee reviewed the institutional and field mechanisms to support Al-Quds, the Palestinians, their free and proud resistance in the face of the Zionist enemy, which has been waging a comprehensive war of extermination against defenseless civilians in Gaza Strip since October 7, and is committing daily massacres that have led to the martyrdom of thousands, most of them children and women.

It salutes the heroic military operations of Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and all the resistance factions that are waging the purest and most honorable battles against the usurping Zionist entity... stressing that freedom has heavy prices that only free, generous and solid-willed peoples can afford.

The committee approved the topics on its agenda and called on citizens to gather next Friday in Al-Sabeen Square to perform Friday prayers and show solidarity with the people of Gaza , condemn the continuing barbaric and brutal aggression they are being subjected to by the Zionist enemy, as an extension of the broad marches of advocacy and support for Al-Quds, the Palestinian cause ,standing with Valiant resistance and its heroic operations against the Zionists as a minimum duty.

Source: saba.ye

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Erdogan says Hamas is not a terrorist outfit, cancels Tel Aviv visit

October 26, 2023

ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, in his strongest comments yet on the Gaza crisis, said on Wednesday the Hamas was not a terrorist organisation but a liberation group fighting to protect Palestinian lands.

“Hamas is not a terrorist organisation, it is a liberation group, ‘mujahideen’ waging a battle to protect its lands and people,” he told lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, using an Arabic word denoting those who fight for their faith.

Erdogan also slammed Western powers for supporting Israel’s bombing of Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire, the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and for Muslim countries to work together to stop the violence.

Erdogan accused Israel of taking advantage of Turkiye’s “good intentions” and said he had cancelled a previously planned visit to Israel. “I shook the hand of this man named Netanyahu one time in my life,” Erdogan said, referring to his meeting with Israeli prime minister at the UN General Assembly last month.

Meanwhile, in Cairo, French President Emmanuel Macron met his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday called for a de-escalation, ceasefire and return to diplomacy, stressing that “the lack of a political horizon” had led to the current unrest. Macron echoed Sisi’s support for a “two-state solution”.

“It is difficult at the moment to talk about the resumption of a peace process,” Macron said at the joint news conference, adding however that “it is more necessary than ever”.

Regarding a ground intervention by Israeli forces in Gaza, Macron said “If it is entirely targeted against terrorist groups, that is a choice that it has, but if it is a massive operation that would endanger civilian populations, in that case I think it would be an error for Israel,” Macron told reporters in Egypt.

Earlier, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, who hosted Macron on Tuesday, warned against “the continuation of the war on the Gaza Strip, which might lead to an explosion in the situation in the region”. He also visited the occupied West Bank for talks with Mahmud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority.

‘Double standard’

Jordanian Queen Rania accused Western leaders of a “glaring double standard” for not condemning Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians in its bombardment of Gaza, in an interview aired on Wednesday.

“The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the world’s reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world,” she told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.

“But what we’re seeing in the last couple of weeks, we’re seeing silence in the world”, she said. “Are we being told that it is wrong to kill a family, an entire family, at gunpoint, but it’s OK to shell them to death?” Queen Rania asked.

Queen Rania said of the West’s refusal to back a ceasefire that “the silence is deafening and, to many in our region, it makes the Western world complicit through their support and through the cover that they give Israel”.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told parliament on Wednesday he supported a humanitarian pause in Gaza to allow the safe delivery of aid to civilians, but he rejected calls for a full ceasefire.

“We recognise for all of that to happen, there has to be a safer environment, which of course necessitates specific pauses as distinct from a ceasefire,” Sunak said to lawmakers at a weekly parliamentary question and answer session. Later on Wednesday a plane landed in Egypt to deliver humanitarian supplies to people in Gaza.

However, Sunak’s spokesman said “full ceasefire would only benefit Hamas”.

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said “The United States is in some way directing the crime that is being committed in Gaza”, adding that the hands of Americans “were tainted with the blood of the oppressed, children, patients, women and others”. “America is a definite accomplice of criminals,” said Khamenei during a speech in Tehran.

“Let everyone know that in this matter and future matters, the Palestinian nation is victorious and the future world is the world of Palestine, not the world of the Zionist regime,” Khamenei said, referring to Israel.

Source: dawn.com

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Arab World

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Stresses To US President Importance Of Ensuring Palestinian Rights

October 25, 2023

RIYADH — Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Salman engaged in a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden, highlighting the imperative for de-escalation in Gaza and a commitment to international humanitarian law in light of the current regional tensions.

The Crown Prince, expressing deep concern over the situation, underscored the necessity to halt the current escalation, preventing any further deterioration that could adversely affect the security and stability of the entire region.

He emphasized the importance of upholding the principles of international law, particularly in protecting civilians and vital infrastructure.

President Biden, in turn, extended his appreciation to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for his efforts to in reducing and containing escalation in the region.

Furthermore, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman affirmed Saudi Arabia's rejection of all forms of targeting civilians and infrastructure, emphasizing the need for a swift resolution to the crisis. He stressed the urgency of restoring peace and ensuring the Palestinian people's legitimate rights.

The diplomatic conversation also touched upon the vital need to lift the blockade on Gaza, a move seen as essential for addressing the humanitarian crisis in the region.

The Crown Prince asserted that such measures are crucial for fostering a just and comprehensive peace, echoing a sentiment of peace and stability for the entire Middle East.

Source: saudigazette.com.sa

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Kazakhstan supports Saudi Arabia’s bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh

October 25, 2023

RIYADH: Kazakhstan has affirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host World Expo 2030 in Riyadh.

Speaking at the Republic Day reception hosted by the Kazakhstan embassy in Riyadh, ambassador BerikAryn said: “Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia are reliable partners in the international arena and provide each other with every possible support. Kazakhstan supports the Kingdom’s initiative to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh. We are confident that this event will be the culmination of the large-scale socio-economic transformations being carried out in the Kingdom as part of the Saudi Vision-2030.”

The reception was attended by Dr. Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudairy, undersecretary of Riyadh region’s principality, Abdulmajeed Al-Samary, undersecretary of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Protocol Affairs, and diplomatic corps.

Kazakhstan celebrates Republic Day on Oct. 25 every year. On that day in 1991, Kazakhstan proclaimed its sovereignty.

“Today, the world knows Kazakhstan as a peaceful and dynamically developing country in the Central Asian region that advocates for cooperation and integration. Peace and harmony have become the main principles of the development of a modern Kazakhstani society,” Aryn said.

Kazakhstan’s commitment to progress was evident in the country’s economic story, one that had earned international acclaim. It had become one of the 30 leading countries with a digital economy in a short period, he said.

“Today, under the leadership of President Kassym-JomartTokayev, Kazakhstan is implementing step-by-step reforms to improve the living conditions of its citizens. We have launched the modernization process of the country’s political life and the construction of ‘New Fair Kazakhstan’,” the envoy said.

“On the international stage, Kazakhstan has reached a unique identity through its great diplomatic endeavors. By championing nuclear disarmament — evidenced by the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site and the relinquishing of its nuclear arsenal after the country gained independence — the nation positioned itself as a global advocate for peace. It initiated the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in 1992, a multilateral forum aimed at promoting peace, stability and cooperation in the Asian region.”

Kazakhstan also initiated the establishment of the Islamic Organization for Food Security, which now includes 41 countries with a combined population of about 1.6 billion people.

The IOFS acts as an effective mechanism in the OIC structure that aims to address food security issues in Muslim countries.

This year Astana successfully hosted important international events such as the International Forum Astana, Digital Bridge Astana-2023, and Human Capital Forum-2023.

The success of Kazakhstan was only possible with the support and cooperation of countries including Saudi Arabia, Aryn said.

“The historical and cultural relations between our people have deep roots dating back to the times of the Great Silk Road, thanks to the support and strong political will of our leaders, today relations between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia are developing at a gradual pace.”

Last year, Kazakhstan President Kassym-JomartTokayev visited the Kingdom at the invitation of King Salman, which had opened a new stage in bilateral relations, the envoy said.

This year Tokayev participated in the first Central Asia-GCC summit held in Jeddah. For the first time the leaders of Central Asia and GCC countries discussed at one table the issues of interregional cooperation, including the strengthening of interaction in trade and economy, investment, tourism, transportation and logistics, environmental, scientific and educational areas, Aryn said.

With the launch of direct flights between the two countries this month and the simplification of the visa regime last year, the number of Kazakh pilgrims visiting the holy sites had increased significantly, and the number of Saudi tourists visiting Kazakhstan has reached an all-time high, he said.

“It is gratifying to note that Saudi Arabia provides broad support to Kazakhstan’s initiatives in promoting interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance. This year, delegations from the Saudi government and the Muslim World League took an active part in the anniversary meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held in early October in Astana.

“We are confident that our fruitful cooperation within the framework of developing and strengthening trustful, friendly and fraternal relations between Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia will continue developing for the benefit of the two brotherly people, and we will make every effort to achieve this,” he said.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi, Romanian FMs discuss danger of continued military escalation in Gaza

October 25, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with his Romanian counterpart LuminitaOdobescu on Wednesday about the dangers of Israel’s intensifying military operations in Gaza, Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the phone call, the ministers reaffirmed the need to prevent the violence from escalating to a wider regional conflict.

The two also reviewed ways to bolster communication amongst the international community in order to find a just and comprehensive peace plan that guarantees the rights of the Palestinian people and alleviates the humanitarian crisis in Gaza by ensuring a steady flow of relief aid and medical equipment into the territory.

In addition, Prince Faisal and Odobescu discussed relations between their countries and ways to strengthen them.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi ministry hosts cybersecurity exhibit in Riyadh

October 25, 2023

RIYADH: The Ministry of Information recently hosted a traveling cybersecurity awareness exhibit organized by the National Cybersecurity Authority at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.

The event aimed to enhance the values of preserving national security, raising awareness about cybersecurity and building a strong cyber culture.

The exhibit, organized by the authority in cooperation with several government agencies, is part of the activities for International Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which takes place in October each year.

The event reflects the importance of cybersecurity at the national level, highlights behaviors that contribute to protection against cyber risks, and provides a live simulation of cyberattacks on individuals and organizations.

It aims to evaluate the level of cybersecurity awareness and explain safe practices using interactive methods. Additionally, it offers consultations and general recommendations in line with best practices in the workplace to mitigate the risks associated with the digital environment.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2397501/saudi-arabia

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Family of Al Jazeera journalist killed in Gaza strike: network

October 25, 2023

DOHA: The family of an Al Jazeera journalist have been killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza, the Qatar-based network said in a statement on Wednesday as war rages between Israel and Hamas.

Al Jazeera said the wife and two children of its Arabic-language channel’s Gaza correspondent Wael Al-Dahdouh were killed in a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza strip.

“The Al Jazeera Media Network extends its sincere condolences and sympathy to our colleague Wael Al-Dahdouh on the loss of his family in an Israeli airstrike,” it said.

“The indiscriminate assault by the Israeli occupation forces resulted in the tragic loss of his wife, son and daughter, while the rest of his family is buried under the rubble.”

Israel launched withering strikes on the narrow Palestinian territory in response to a massive cross-border attacks by Hamas militants on October 7 that Israeli officials say have killed more than 1,400 people.

More than 220 people were taken hostage and are currently held in Gaza, Israel says.

Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 people in Gaza, a rise of more than 700 since Tuesday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

In images and footage run by Al Jazeera and shared on social media, Al-Dahdouh was shown mourning over the bodies of his wife and children at a hospital in Deir el-Balah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Al Jazeera said the family were staying in a temporary home after evacuating Gaza City following Israel’s warning for residents to move south as its forces intensified strikes targeting Hamas.

“This is the safe zone the occupation (Israeli) army was talking about,” Al-Dahdouh said on Al Jazeera.

The media organization said “their home was targeted in the Nuseirat camp in the center of Gaza, where they had sought refuge after being displaced by the initial bombardment in their neighborhood.”

“Al Jazeera is deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our colleagues in Gaza and hold the Israeli authorities responsible for their security,” it added.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2397596/media

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Kuwaiti defense minister visits Riyadh counterterror coalition HQ

October 25, 2023

RIYADH: Kuwaiti Defense Minister Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on Wednesday visited the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition’s headquarters in Riyadh, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Sheikh Ahmad and his accompanying delegation were welcomed by Saudi Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Fayyad bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, IMCTC Secretary General Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi and other member state representatives.

The minister was briefed on the coalition’s key operations, initiatives and mechanisms for coordinating the member states in eradicating terrorism. He also examined the IMCTC’s recent reports and monitoring of terrorist organizations around the world.

Sheikh Ahmad praised the IMCTC’s approach to countering terrorism, which is the result of a strong and unified stance among member states.

Al-Moghedi congratulated Sheikh Ahmad for his visit and emphasized the critical role Kuwait has played in combating extremism.

He also emphasized the Saudi leadership’s support for IMCTC and its initiatives.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2397581/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia welcomes new Sudan peace talks in Jeddah

October 26, 2023

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia welcomed the resumption of peace talks between Sudan’s warring factions in Jeddah on Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said.

The talks between Sudan’s regular army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were sponsored by the Kingdom and the US, in partnership with a joint representative of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development.

In a statement released by the Saudi Foreign Ministry, the Kingdom urged both sides to build on their commitments under the May 11 Jeddah Declaration of Principles to Protect the Civilians of Sudan and the short-term ceasefire agreement signed on May 20.

Saudi Arabia and the US had suspended talks in June after numerous ceasefire violations.

Fighting broke out in mid-April over plans for the RSF to be integrated into the army and over the future chain of command under an internationally backed deal to shift Sudan toward democracy after decades of conflict-ridden autocracy.

Since then, fighting has caused what UN aid chief Martin Griffiths has called “one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history,” displacing almost 6 million people and killing thousands.

The Kingdom reiterated its support for efforts to reach a political agreement that would put an end to the violence, which has plunged Sudan into chaos.

Through sponsoring talks, Saudi Arabia aims to foster an agreement that would “bring security, stability and prosperity to the people of Sudan,” read the Foreign ministry’s statement.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2397761/middle-east

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North America

 

CAIR Calls On President Biden To Apologize For ‘Shocking And Dehumanizing’ Remarks On Palestinian Civilian Casualties

Ibrahim Hooper

October 25, 2023

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/25/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned “shocking and dehumanizing” remarks made by President Joe Biden on Palestinian civilian casualties during a press conference.

CAIR also called on the President to both apologize and condemn the Israeli government’s ongoing targeting of civilians.

At the White House today, President Biden commented on the civilian casualties of the Israeli government’s assault on Gaza, saying “I’m sure innocents have been killed and it is the price of waging war.” “I have no confidence in the number [of civilian casualties] that the Palestinians are using,” he continued.

SEE: Biden doesn’t have confidence in the Gaza death toll

In a statement, CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

“We are deeply disturbed and shocked by the dehumanizing comments that President Biden made about the almost 7,000 Palestinians slaughtered by the Israeli government over the past two weeks.

“The Israeli government has openly admitted that it is targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. Journalists have confirmed the high number of casualties, and countless videos coming out of Gaza every day show mangled bodies of Palestinian women and children – and entire city blocks leveled to the ground. President Biden should watch some of these videos and ask himself if the crushed children being dragged out of the ruins of their family homes are a fabrication or an acceptable price of war. They are neither.

“President Biden should apologize for his comments, condemn the Israeli government for deliberately targeting civilians, and demand a ceasefire before more innocent people die.”

He noted that today, CAIR reported that it has received 774 complaints, including reported bias incidents, since the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine on Oct. 7. Washington, D.C., based CAIR says this spike in incidents is driven at least in part by irresponsible rhetoric from government officials.

SEE: CAIR Reports Sharp Increase in Complaints, Reported Bias Incidents Since 10/7

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.            

La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.   

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original       

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/breaking-cair-calls-on-president-biden-to-apologize-for-shocking-and-dehumanizing-remarks-on-palestinian-civilian-casualties/

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NYT rejects Israeli stance on Al-Ahli hospital massacre

October 26, 2023

Anwar Iqbal

WASHINGTON: The New York Times, which reviewed evidence around the Oct 17 explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza, has rejected the Israeli assertion that a rocket fired by a Palestinian group caused the deaths of more than 400 people, mostly children.

But experts were also unable to confirm the counterclaim that an Israeli airstrike had indeed caused the blast.

Israeli and American officials have based their case on an errant Palestinian rocket, which malfunctioned in the sky, fell to the ground and hit the hospital.

NYT conducted an independent investigation of the incident, quoting experts as telling its investigators that “a widely cited missile video (that pinned the blame on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group) does not shed light on what happened.”

The video that shows a projectile streaking through the darkened skies over Gaza and exploding in the air was taken from an Al Jazeera television camera live streaming on the night of October 17. It also shows another explosion on the ground seconds later. The footage has become a widely cited piece of evidence but a detailed visual analysis by NYT concludes that the video clip shows something else.

“The missile seen in the video is most likely not what caused the explosion at the hospital. It actually detonated in the sky roughly two miles away,” NYT found.

It added that its “analysis does cast doubt on one of the most-publicised pieces of evidence that Israeli officials have used to make their case and complicates the straightforward narrative they have put forth.”

The footage “also suggests that Israeli bombardment was taking place and that two explosions near the hospital can be seen within two minutes of it being struck,” NYT added.

While casting doubts on Israel’s claims, NYT also noted that “Hamas has not produced a remnant of an Israeli munition or any physical evidence to back up its claim that Israel is responsible.”

NYT synchronised the Al Jazeera footage with five other videos filmed at the same time, including footage from an Israeli television station, Channel 12, and a CCTV camera in Tel Aviv. Using satellite imagery to triangulate the launch point in those videos, NYT determined that the projectile was fired towards Gaza from near the Israeli town of Nahal Oz shortly before the deadly hospital blast.

In addition, the videos show that the projectile in the Al Jazeera footage was launched after the barrage of Palestinian rockets Israeli officials assessed was responsible for the hospital explosion.

The videos show that from 6:59pm on October 17, barrages of Palestinian rockets are fired from two positions southwest and northwest of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital. Flames from the Palestinian rockets are visible in the nighttime sky as their engines propel them northeast towards Israel. NYT also noted that “more than 25 seconds elapse between the final Palestinian rocket and the hospital explosion.”

An earlier report by BBC News also came to a similar conclusion. BBC concluded that “it’s not possible to independently verify (a) recording” that Israel presented to support its claim that the Islamic Jihad fired the rocket that hit the hospital.

Both the BBC and NYT have faced substantial criticism for their pro-Israel reporting in the past.

Experts interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) also concluded that the visual evidence doesn’t support a standard Israeli airstrike. “But the Israeli account that it was a failed rocket also has problems,” they added.

“Israel says the rockets came from the west,” but an NGO called Earshot, which conducts sonic investigations, “found that whatever fell very likely came from the east, not the west,” NPR reported.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1783793/nyt-rejects-israeli-stance-on-al-ahli-hospital-massacre

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Bias is always part of being Muslim on campus. Now students face consequences for speaking up.

October 25, 2023

Dilshad Ali

(RNS) — At Columbia University in New York, a student who is also employed by the university received phone calls from her dean threatening to fire her and rescind her much-needed stipend for vocally supporting Palestinians the past two weeks.

In California, a Palestinian American student shared with me stories of Muslim students being harassed at the University Town Center in San Diego, particularly women wearing hijab or those wearing the patterned headscarf known as a kaffiyeh. The student, who is in her fourth year at the University of California, Irvine, said classmates who publicly support Palestine were physically attacked at UCLA.

At the University of Michigan, which has a sizable Arab, Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) and Muslim student population, some faculty say their Arab and Muslim students are fearful of a backlash. Charlotte Karem Albrecht, an associate professor of American culture and women’s studies at the school and core faculty member for Arab and Muslim American studies, told me that Arab, Palestinian, MENA and Muslim student leaders are also receiving reports of harassment, threats and ethnic intimidation and experiencing it themselves.

“Students wearing kaffiyehs (are) yelled at, surrounded in public spaces when they’re alone. Muslim women students who wear hijab (are) worried about walking alone in public spaces,” Karem Albrecht told me. “Some of these come from actual experiences these students are having, and some are (fears) coming from the discourses being had and the things they are hearing, like the young boy (6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume) who was killed (near Chicago).

“It’s a real fear born of consequences,” she said.

Meanwhile, at George Mason University in Virginia, a female student shared that police officers were being “super aggressive” with Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students at campus protests. “I was just standing, watching the protest happening, but (I got) arrested … for being a part of the group.” She was later let go but reported being stopped at a traffic stop and having her vehicle checked because she looked suspicious.

As I put out a call out for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students at American colleges and universities to share their fears and reports of harassment, intimidation and targeted hate, the stories came pouring in. Jewish students also report feeling afraid and isolated on college campuses across the country, according to this Washington Post article.

All these students (and more) who shared their stories with me did so under the promise of anonymity, fearing further harassment and hate and possible targeting.

In the days after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, many universities and colleges issued statements denouncing the militant Palestinian group, reaching out to Jewish students and standing in support of Israel. Most often there was no mention of Palestinian or Muslim students. As Gaza became a humanitarian crisis, with more than 6,000 killed to date, more than 2,000 of them children, the lukewarm, or complete lack of, acknowledgment of Palestinian pain or what Muslim, Palestinian and Arab students are enduring created an atmosphere of fear, hurt, grief and anger.

On Oct. 7, a statement went out to the University of Michigan community from President Santa J. Ono condemning the attack by “Hamas terrorists on Israeli citizens and the immense loss of civilian lives” and affirming partnerships with a number of universities in Israel. Only a few days later did Ono issue a second statement, in which he stood by his earlier statement but added language mourning the loss of life in Israel and Gaza.

For the university’s Students Allied for Freedom and Equality, that wasn’t enough. The group issued a statement saying it and its campus allies would be joining a nationwide campus walk-out strike on Oct. 25 to bring awareness to what is happening in Gaza, as well as iterating that the “events of last week cannot be isolated from Israel’s decades-long denial of Palestinian human rights and forbiddance of Palestinian resistance.”

Discrimination and harassment are a common part of being Palestinian, Arab or Muslim on campus at any time. Anyone who supports the Palestinian fight for freedom or who is critical of the Israeli government knows the price of showing it. (The same can be said for Jewish students advocating for Israel: On Oct. 12, a 19-year-old was arrested on charges of beating a Jewish Columbia student who had posted information on the school’s campus about casualties in the Hamas attack.)

But the repercussions for Palestinian and other Muslim and Arab students denouncing the atrocities in Gaza have arguably reached more alarming proportions. They are afraid, just like Jewish students, and many fear what the price of condemning 75 years of Israeli occupation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will be. Should they self-censor? Will they lose scholarships? Future job opportunities? Academic standing in some of their classes? Their lives?

“On a minor scale, it creates social awkwardness and tension when I wear a ‘Free Palestine’ shirt or my kaffiyeh, as others conflate these expressions with supporting terrorism,” said the UC Irvine student. “Attending pro-Palestine rallies means you wear all black and a mask to protect your identity.”

On a major scale it means doxxing and threats to student lives.

In the first week after Israel began to retaliate against Hamas, Nimrah Riaz, the chair of the Muslim Students Association’s national board of directors, said she received a Google doc named “Hamas Terrorist-Supporting Student Organizations,” which amassed the names of student groups across the country and of students who may have signed off on statements condemning Israel’s history of occupation and oppression of Palestinians. The list included their schools, campus organizations and social media profiles and noted if they had a job lined up after graduation.

It was “a real-time Canary Mission-type website,” Riaz said, referring to a website that appeared in 2015 with blacklists of pro-Palestinian student activists as well as academics. “That definitely got students scared.”

Immediately after receiving the document and screenshots of what was in it, MSA National brought in the Council on American-Islamic Relations to conduct webinars for students to help them understand their rights. “Our chat box filled up with stories about how ‘This happened to me on my campus,’” said Riaz.

At the University of Michigan, a third-year Muslim student told me the fear of doxxing or being blacklisted is real. “We’ve had students in the past two weeks talk about being spat on (and) cursed at, and we’ve had students express they don’t want to come out to protest or even to vigils, to express anything slightly related to the human rights situation in Palestine. A lot of students are very, very afraid even to be near students who are protesting or maybe attending a vigil for fear of retribution.”

He said that a lot of students have their parents telling them to “wait to get into a better spot in life” before saying something. Admittedly, with a child in college myself, I’ve found myself advising the same course.

But every Palestinian student has to make up their own mind about how to make their voice heard in times like these. “Everyone has got to figure out their balance of things on their own sense of ethics and consciousness and safety, of what they’re going to feel right doing,” Karem Albrecht told me.

“If you’re making the decision not to protest, not to be visible in those ways, what are other ways you can take action?” she continued. “If you’re a voter, it’s not going to cause harm to contact your elected officials. It’s not going to necessarily cause you harm to talk to people you trust and spread awareness. Think expansively about what it means to exercise speech in this moment and to act in consciousness.”

Source: religionnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://religionnews.com/2023/10/25/bias-is-always-part-of-being-muslim-on-campus-now-students-face-consequences-for-speaking-up/

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CAIR-OK to Join Oklahomans Against the Occupation Rally for Palestine

Ismail Allison

October 25, 2023

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 10/25/2023) – On Saturday, Oct. 28, the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-OK) will join Oklahomans Against the Occupation in a peaceful rally for Palestine. This rally will take place at Scissortail Park in downtown Oklahoma City.

WHAT: Rally for Peace in Palestine

WHEN: Saturday, October 28, 2023, 12 – 3 PM

WHERE: Scissortail Park, Downtown Oklahoma City

CONTACT: Adam Soltani, CAIR-OK Executive Director, 405-248-5853; Tasneem Al-Michael, Oklahomans Against the Occupation Organizer, 405-887-4685

This rally is the second event to take place in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area to uplift and empower Palestinian voices and educate the broader. The organizers behind this event consist of young Muslim professionals and interfaith social justice advocates who are concerned about the ongoing violence and oppression targeting the Palestinian people in Gaza.

SEE: Oklahoma City Muslims Speak Out Against Treatment of Palestinians in War-Torn Gaza

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2023/10/21/okc-muslims-and-allies-focus-on-gaza-crisis-palestinians-plight/71217341007/

“The entire Muslim community of Oklahoma has felt the negative impact of the violent attacks on the people of Gaza,” said CAIR-OK Executive Director Adam Soltani. “A gathering like this is one of the many ways we can show our solidarity and support for the Palestinian people and hope that our lawmakers will hear our cries for a ceasefire and an end to the war.”

“Oklahomans Against Occupation is dedicated to seeing an end to violence and freedom for the Palestinian people,” said Tasneem Al-Michael, lead organizer for Oklahomans Against the Occupation. “We ask that those who join us this weekend support an open dialogue and come with the intention of peace. This is a moment for incredible moral courage, and we ask those who believe in the core values of humanity, decency, and beloved peace to stand with us on Saturday.”

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.

La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.

Source: cair.com

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https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-ok-to-join-oklahomans-against-the-occupation-rally-for-palestine/

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US asked Qatar to tone down Al Jazeera's coverage of Israel’s Gaza war: Report

 26 October 2023

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reportedly called on Qatar to tone down the state-owned Al Jazeera TV channel’s coverage of the Israeli bombing campaign on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Blinken told a group of American Jewish community leaders during a Monday meeting that he had made the request during recent talks with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, the Axios news site reported.

Citing three people who attended Monday’s meeting, the report said the plea was one of several Blinken made for Qatar to change its public posture toward the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.

One of the sources quoted Blinken as saying that he had asked the Qataris to "turn down the volume on Al Jazeera's coverage because it is full of anti-Israel incitement.”

Blinken seemed to be talking about Al Jazeera Arabic, not Al Jazeera English, according to the report.

Back on October 13, Blinken, speaking alongside Sheikh Mohammed in Doha, had said “there can be no more business as usual with Hamas.”

Qatar, home to some Hamas leaders, is currently engaged in mediating efforts between Israel and the resistance group.

Earlier this week, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani urged the international community not to grant Israel “an unconditional green light and unrestricted authorization to kill” Palestinians.

The Qatari emir urges the international community not to grant Israel “unrestricted authorization” to kill Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Israel waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas launched the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity.

The Tel Aviv regime has killed over 7,165 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 18,000 others in its relentless airstrikes.

It has also blocked water, food and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal territory into a humanitarian crisis.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/26/713433/US-Qatar-Aljazeera-Israel-Gaza

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Europe

 

Huge majority of Brits would back deportation of foreign nationals who glorify Islamist terror, GB News poll reveals

Oliver Trapnell

 25/10/2023

Nearly three-quarters of people think foreign nationals who glorify Islamist terrorism should be deported from the UK, an opinion poll has found.

The poll by People Polling and commissioned by GB News found 74 per cent of people agreed foreign terror supporters should be removed from the UK - 4 per cent disagreed and 11 per cent said they did not know.

Among males surveyed, 82 per cent agreed with expulsions, while 65 per cent of females were in favour.

The figure rose to 92 per cent overall among Conservative voters and 70 per cent of Labour supporters agreed.

Among Leave voters, 89 per cent wanted to see deportations, as did 73 per cent of Remainers.

Asked how well they thought immigrants were integrating into society, 30 per cent of respondents nationally said “well” or “fairly well”, while 46 per cent said not well or not very well.

Some 25 per cent of people overall said they did not know, though that rose to 55 per cent among the 18-24 age group, with 29 per cent saying they were integrating well.

The poll, carried out by People Polling, surveyed 1,906 adults across the UK on 23 October.

Professor Matt Goodwin, director and co-founder of People Polling, said: “What these results show, in the aftermath of the attacks on Israel, the unfolding conflict in Israel and Gaza, and the debate about the London Metropolitan Police’s handling of protests in London, is that the British public are overwhelmingly supportive of deporting foreign nationals in Britain who glorify terrorism.

“In fact, only a handful, just 4 per cent, would oppose this.

“Almost three-quarters of all British people and more than nine in ten Tories would support the deportation of such people.”

Source: gbnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.gbnews.com/news/gb-news-poll-brits-back-deportation-of-those-who-glorify-islamist-terror

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Deputy Commissioner reflects on visit to the London Central Mosque

25 OCTOBER 2023

Deputy Commissioner Dame Lynne Owens has visited the London Central Mosque in Regent's Park as part of the Met's ongoing efforts to engage with and reassure those communities most impacted by the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

Writing to Dr Ahmad Al-Dubayan, Director General of the mosque, Dame Lynne reflected on her visit, the impact of recent events on Muslim and Jewish Londoners and how policing can respond.

We are grateful to Dr Al-Dubayan for agreeing that the letter can be published online.

Dear Dr Al-Dubayan,

It was my pleasure to join you earlier today at the London Central Mosque. I was grateful for the warm welcome and for the informative discussion we had on how these times are impacting your congregation and the wider Muslim community.

I heard about the grief and anxiety being felt by many as we see civilians killed, injured or displaced during the conflict in Gaza. My heart goes out to anyone personally affected. The reflections you shared with me echo those I have heard from my own colleagues who are either personally impacted or who feel the wider effect on their respective communities.

We were all horrified to learn of the appalling terrorist attacks in southern Israel on October 7. Of course, in the weeks since those attacks we have all seen the sustained campaign of military action that has taken place in Gaza. I have found it deeply upsetting to watch the images of innocent civilians caught up in the conflict.

The attacks on Israel had an enormous personal impact on Jewish communities here in London and I know that the plight of civilians in Gaza is very distressing for Muslim communities and on non-Muslim Arab communities here too. I welcome your rejection of anyone who would seek to use this moment to incite hatred or to fuel extremism.

London’s diversity is one of its strengths, but sadly we know that having so many nationalities, ethnicities and faiths represented in our city means when tensions rise and conflicts erupt elsewhere in the world, we will see bonds between communities and individuals strained here at home too.

The ability of community and faith leaders to reach across those boundaries, to maintain relationships and to call for calm in these difficult days is much needed. You and your counterparts across London have an important role to play in championing compassion and cooperation at times like this and I was heartened to hear that vital work is taking place.

I know that some of your congregation will have participated in the Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstrations that have taken place over the past two weekends. My colleagues who policed those demonstrations found the majority of participants to be well natured, responsible and focused on expressing their feelings in a lawful and respectful way. We will continue to work with the organisers, policing events without fear of favour, respecting the right of everyone to protest providing it is done in a lawful way.

That includes working ahead of events with representatives of the Muslim and Jewish communities, inviting them to join us in our operations room on the day to see how decisions are being made. I would be happy to facilitate such a visit should it be something that you wished to take up.

Regrettably, despite this cooperation and careful planning, we have seen some examples in recent weeks of behaviour during protests that was reprehensible, either because it was racially or religiously discriminative or disorderly. Just as we will continue to protect the right to free speech and protest, we will also continue to crack down decisively and without delay on anyone who uses hate speech, who is verbally or physically abusive or who uses this moment to endorse or support a proscribed organisation such as Hamas or Hezbollah.

Beyond protest, you will know that since the start of this conflict, we have seen a significant increase in offences targeted at Muslims in London. We are determined to do all we can to bring those responsible to justice and to be present in a visible way to act as an effective deterrent.

In the last two weeks we have stepped up our deployment of officers and PCSOs in the heart of communities, particularly in those places where we know the risk of hate crime is higher and where we know there is a need for greater reassurance. I was pleased to hear your positive feedback about the efforts of local officers who help to make sure your congregation can be safe and secure at the mosque. I will make sure it is passed on to them.

I would urge anyone who has concerns to speak to those officers or to call the police on 101. Of course, they should call 999 in an emergency. Where anyone has been the victim of a hate crime, we want to help. That starts with knowing something has happened at the earliest opportunity. Sadly we know hate crime reporting is often lower than we would all like. If, for whatever reason, a victim doesn’t want to speak to us I would urge them to contact Crimestoppers or one of the many great independent organisations, such as Tell Mama, who are set up to help.

I wish you, the London Central Mosque team and the wider Muslim community all the very best in the coming days and weeks. You have my absolute commitment that the Met will be here to protect you and to keep you safe.

I am grateful for your agreement that this letter can be shared on our website so that it can be read by the wider Muslim community among others.

Source: met.police.uk

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://news.met.police.uk/news/deputy-commissioner-reflects-on-visit-to-the-london-central-mosque-474326

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Germany Arrests Islamist Planning Anti-Israel Terror AttackWith A Chat Partner In Syria

25 OCTOBER 2023

Germany's public prosecutor has launched an investigation into a suspected plan to carry out an Islamist attack, its office in Düsseldorf said on Wednesday.

An arrest warrant has been issued for a 29-year-old man, who prosecutors say allegedly agreed with a chat partner in Syria to carry out an Islamist-motivated attack on a pro-Israel demonstration.

The man was detained on Tuesday after police showed up to his apartment in the western German city of Duisburg.

He was believed to have "made a sufficiently concrete statement to a chat partner in Syria" that he was "ready to commit an Islamist-motivated attack", the prosecutors' office in Düsseldorf said.

Pro-Israel rallies 'possible target'

"A possible target of the attack was a pro-Israeli demonstration," the prosecutors said, without giving further details.

German media outlets Der Spiegel and Bild had both reported that the suspect may have intended to carry out an attack on a pro-Israel demonstration using a truck.

Public broadcaster WestdeutscherRundfunk (WDR) said that the man had been searching for pro-Israeli events online.

Numerous protests in support of Israel after the Hamas terror attacks on October 7 have taken place in Germany in the weeks since.

The prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf added that the suspect had been sentenced to five years of detention under juvenile law for membership to the so-called "Islamic State" group (IS) in 2017, as well as other offenses.

Source: dw.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-arrests-islamist-planning-anti-israel-terror-attack/a-67209721

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Macron: ‘Massive’ Israel ground op in Gaza would be ‘an error’

26 Oct 2023

CAIRO, Oct 26 — A “massive” Israeli ground incursion into Gaza would be “an error”, French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday, warning it would harm civilians without ensuring Israel’s long-term security.

The warning came as Macron held talks in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who also urged efforts “to avoid a ground invasion” in Gaza, where Israel is locked in a deadly confrontation with Hamas militants.

Israel has been relentlessly bombing the tiny Palestinian territory since October 7 when Hamas gunmen poured across its border, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and seizing more than 220 others, officials say, in the worst attack in Israel’s history.

Hamas officials say that so far, Israeli strikes have killed more than 6,500 Palestinians, mostly civilians. There are fears the toll could further soar if Israel pushes ahead with a widely expected ground invasion in a bid to destroy Hamas and rescue the hostages.

“A massive intervention that would put civilian lives at risk would be an error,” said Macron after meeting Sisi, who also warned a ground operation would cause “many, many civilian casualties”.

The French leader said “it would also be a mistake for Israel because it would be unlikely to offer long-term protection and because it is incompatible with protecting the civilian population or respecting international humanitarian law and the rules of war”.

Egypt and Jordan were the first two Arab states to forge relations with Israel, in 1979 and 1994 respectively, and have since played key mediator roles.

Cairo has been one of the main brokers in efforts to secure the release of more than 200 hostages now held in Gaza.

After more than two weeks of relentless bombardment and siege by Israel, Gaza’s already-fragile healthcare system is at risk of collapsing, with hospitals running out of essential supplies and fuel to power generators.

No ‘political horizon’

Macron said on Wednesday that France would be sending a navy ship to support Gaza’s hospitals within the next 48 hours.

France would also send a planeload of medical equipment to Egypt to be transported into Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Sisi called for a de-escalation, ceasefire and return to diplomacy, saying “the lack of a political horizon” had fuelled the current war.

Macron echoed Sisi’s support for a “two-state solution” — the cornerstone of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians that have been stalled for years.

“It is difficult at the moment to talk about the resumption of a peace process,” Macron said, describing it as “more necessary than ever”.

Worried that the Gaza bloodshed could exacerbate tensions across the wider Middle East, Arab leaders have repeatedly pushed for a return to a political process, with Jordan’s King Abdullah II saying the war “might lead to an explosion” in the region.

Before meeting Macron, Sisi inspected Egyptian troops and told them to “always be ready” three days after an Egyptian border watchtower was hit by an accidental Israeli shelling that wounded several guards.

Egypt was doing all it could for a de-escalation and ceasefire, as well as to “support civilians in Gaza” by sending aid through the Rafah border crossing, he said. — AFP

Source: malaymail.com

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Putin: Russia watching tragic situation in Middle East with concern, pain

[26/October/2023]

MOSCOW October 26. 2023 (Saba) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that Russia is following with concern and pain the events taking place in the Holy Land, which has a sacred status for Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

The Russia Today website quoted Putin as saying “I wanted to talk to you about the events in the Middle East, and in some other regions of the world, but above all, of course, about the Middle East... because this concerns us.”

Putin added, "We are all following with concern and pain in our hearts the tragic situation in the Holy Land, which has sacred importance for Christians, Muslims, Jews and followers of the world's major traditional religions... where a new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of people."

On October 7, Hamas launched Operation “al-Aqsa Flood,” during which thousands of rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip, and specific operations were carried out, including storming several settlements around the Gaza Strip.

The Zionist enemy responded by launching Operation Iron Swords and launching violent air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3275264.htm

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Germany opposes calls for UN chief to resign

25 Oct, 2023

Berlin has voiced its support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres amid an ongoing row between the international body and Israel. Calls for Guterres to resign are out of place German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told journalists on Wednesday.

“The UN Secretary General naturally has the trust of the federal government,” the official said, commenting on the situation. He also described the situation around Guterres’ comments on the current escalation around the Gaza Strip “very charged.”

Guterres sparked an angry response from West Jerusalem earlier this week when he said that the attack launched by Gaza-based Hamas militants on Israel on October 7 did not occur “in a vacuum.” The Palestinian people had been “subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation,” he added at that time.

The UN secretary-general also stated that Israel’s response to the attack that claimed the lives of around 1,400 people, mostly civilians, effectively amounts to “collective punishment” of the Palestinian people, which is a war crime under the Geneva Convention.

Israeli officials then called on him to resign. The nation’s envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, accused Guterres of justifying “terrorism and murder.” He also announced West Jerusalem’s decision to stop issuing visas to UN officials in response to the secretary-general’s remarks.

Hebestreit said on Wednesday that he would not provide “any assessment at all” of the statements made by the UN chief. The official still maintained that he “does not feel like the calls for [Guterres’] resignation are appropriate.” At the same time, the German government spokesman reaffirmed Berlin’s solidarity with Israel.

“We stand closely and unwaveringly by Israel's side,” Hebestreit said.

The head of the German-Israeli Society, Volker Beck, branded Guterres’ words “infamous” and called on Berlin to side with West Jerusalem in its row with the UN. He also dismissed the UN chief’s statement about the collective punishment of Palestinians. “There is no collective punishment of the Palestinians by Israel,” he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Guterres posted a passage from his speech to social media, arguing that his words were taken out of context. “I am shocked by misrepresentations by some of my statement yesterday in the Security Council – as if I was justifying acts of terror by Hamas,” he said.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/585805-germany-oppose-un-chief-resign/

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Africa

 

Congo machete attack: 26 killed by suspected Islamist militants

26 October 2023

Suspected Islamist militants killed 26 people with machetes in an overnight attack in the town of Oicha in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, its mayor and the army said on Tuesday.

They attributed the killings to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group originally from Uganda, now based in eastern Congo, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State militant group and mounts frequent attacks.

Local army spokesperson Antony Mwalushayi said the attack against civilians in Oicha was believed to be retaliation for recent army strikes against the ADF.

The attackers carried out the slaughter with machetes instead of guns, so as not to alert nearby troops, he told reporters.

"The enemy was divided into three groups. The first group was there to prevent the intervention of the military, the second group was there to loot the stores of the civilian population and the third group was there to silently slaughter our population with machetes," Mwalushayi said.

The army had received information ahead of the attack that the insurgents they had bombed in the Tingwe forest would be coming to Oicha to seek revenge, Mwalushayi said during a press briefing in the town.

Army commanders were in Oicha to discuss this threat with local troops just hours before the attack took place, he said.

The attack occurred around 11pm on Monday, said Nicolas Kikuku, the mayor of Oicha, which is in North Kivu province. Four people were wounded and taken to hospital in addition to the 26 killed, he told Reuters.

Local civil society activist JanvierKaserekaKasayirio said that local youths were angry on Tuesday after police took the bodies away to the morgue, and that young protesters burned several vehicles at an aid distribution site.

The UN World Food Programme said three trucks used by its contractors had been torched, and that it was investigating the incident. Food distributions have been suspended and will resume once the security situation has been assessed, it added.

Uganda and Congo launched a joint military operation two years ago to try to root out the ADF. Uganda's army said last month it had killed more than 560 fighters and destroyed some camps.

"As I speak, our troops are in physical contact with the enemy," said Congo's Mwalushayi.\

Source: timeslive.co.za

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https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2023-10-26-congo-machete-attack-26-killed-by-suspected-islamist-militants/

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Lagos Chief Imam dynasty, institution for stability – Sanwo-Olu

Bola Badmus

 October 25, 2023

Lagos State Governor, Mr BabajideSanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, said the unbroken service by the House of Chief Imam of Lagos towards strengthening the peace and tolerance in the state over the centuries has elevated Lagos Central Mosque (MoshalashiJimoh) as a critical faith institution promoting the stability in the state.

Governor Sanwo-Olu made the remark at the ceremony organised by the Lagos Central Mosque to mark 100 Years of Remembrance of the late Chief Imam Ibrahim Ankuri and 170 Years of the Turbaning of the late Chief Imam NafiuGana.

The Governor, his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, and members of the State cabinet physically graced the event held in the mosque hall at NnamdiAzikiwe Street, Lagos Island.

Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos Muslim community had built a centuries-old legacy of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, noting that the role played by the Muslim community in shaping the socio-religious values of Lagos dated back to the period of introduction of Islam to Yoruba land.

He stressed that the community’s deployment of Islamic and conventional teachings to strengthen the moral ethos fundamentally transformed the State’s moral values.

The governor urged the community to continue to emulate the values bequeathed by the late Imam Ibrahim and further urged the Muslims to devote themselves to activities that would protect the legacy laid down by the House of Imam.

“The centenary anniversary prayer of the former Chief Imam of Ibrahim Ankuri presents a unique occasion that brings together all Muslims in Lagos to reflect on the historic legacy bequeathed by the spiritual leader of this great Islamic institution in our State. This centenary event is a significant moment in the calendar of the Lagos Islamic community, which has become a critical institution that laid a good foundation that we are all enjoying today in our State.

“For me, there is no better show of appreciation and love to the Muslim community than to physically come to the Lagos Central Mosque and join them in reflecting on the good legacy passed down to us. The essence of this event is woven into the history of Lagos because the Chief Imam’s dynasty has endured for centuries, shaping socio-religious values and strengthening the peaceful coexistence. I enjoin our Muslim family in Lagos to protect this good legacy and pass it on to the next generations,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu described religious institutions as stakeholders in the governance process, noting that religious leaders played critical roles towards enhancing social order and justice.

He pledged that his Government would continue to engage with the faith organisations and draw from their teachings to foster understanding and unity in the state.

He directed the immediate restoration of the water supply in the Lagos Central Mosque in response to the request by the Muslim community.

The late Chief Imam Ibrahim Ankuri, born in 1825 in lgaIduganran, was a distinguished Islamic figure who hailed from the family of Chief Imam NofiuGana of IsaleEko.

Ibrahim’s exposure to Islamic teachings ignited his passion for the faith, fostering a deep and profound understanding of Islam.

In 1891, the late Ibrahim was appointed the Chief Imam of Lagos Central Mosque based on his devotion to promoting Islamic faith within the IsaleEko community and beyond.

Imam Ibrahim’s influence played a key role in exposing Muslim children to Western education. Under his guidance, the first Muslim school – Government Muslim School – was officially inaugurated in 1896, after which Islamiyah Grammar School was founded on Bamgbose Street, Lagos Island.

Source: tribuneonlineng.com

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https://tribuneonlineng.com/lagos-chief-imam-dynasty-institution-for-stability-sanwo-olu/

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CAN decries unabated kidnapping of Christian clerics in Taraba

26 October 2023

Charles Akpeji, Jalingo

The Taraba State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged the state government to make security of life and property of Christian clerics in the state a top priority.

The association, in a statement made available to journalists in Jalingo, through its state Chairman, Rev. (Dr.) Isaiah Jirapye, expressed sadness that Christian clerics and their family members are now soft targets of the kidnappers.

He said: “Taraba State CAN chapter is saddened with the nefarious activities of kidnappers, which is targeted at Christian clergymen and their family members.

“CAN is also worried that local communities and villages are no longer safe as they are being attacked frequently by these bad elements without caution and regard to humanity. This must not be allowed to continue.”

The CAN state chairman, therefore, urged believers to raise family altars and cry to God for a permanent solution to banditry and kidnapping in the state.

Source: guardian.ng

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https://guardian.ng/news/can-decries-unabated-kidnapping-of-christian-clerics-in-taraba/

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Libya parliament orders out envoys of countries that back Israel

26 October 2023

Libya's eastern-based parliament has ordered departure of the ambassadors of the countries that support the Israeli regime, which has brought the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip under a hugely-deadly war.

"We demand that the ambassadors of the states which support the Zionist entity in its crimes leave the territory [of Libya] immediately," the parliament said in a statement on Wednesday.

The legislature also threatened to cut energy supplies to the countries in question.

"If the massacres committed by the Zionist enemy do not stop, we demand that the Libyan government suspend the export of oil and gas to the states that support it," the statement added.

Israel launched the devastating war on October 7 after the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian resistance groups staged Operation al-Aqsa Storm, a surprise attack on the occupied territories, in response to the Israeli regime’s intensified crimes against the Palestinian people. The war has killed at least 6,546 Palestinians, including 2,704 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) has decried the “staggering” number of children casualties in Gaza.

The Libyan parliament also singled out the United States, the UK, France, and Italy for criticism over their support for the Israeli regime amid the war.

It said those states "support the Zionist entity in its crimes" in the Gaza Strip, while their leaders "lecture on human rights and the right of peoples to self-determination."

Since 2015, Libya has been divided between the lawmakers, who are allied to military commander Khalifa Haftar and are based in the northeastern port city of Tobruk, and the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

Back in August, top Libyan politicians called for the ouster of the GNA that is run by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, after it was revealed that his foreign minister and her Israeli counterpart had held a secret meeting.

Top Libyan politicians have called for the ouster of the government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh after a secret meeting between the country’s foreign minister and her Israeli counterpart was revealed.

Dbeibah, however, vehemently rejected any form of normalization with Tel Aviv in his first public remarks after Tripoli received the massive backlash over the meeting.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/10/26/713428/Libya-orders-departure-ambassadors-Israel-war-Gaza

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South Asia

 

Kabul Criticizes Silence of Islamic Countries on Palestine

October 25, 2023

Mohammad Amin Pacha

The acting minister of information and culture, KhairullahKhairkhah, criticized Islamic nations for their silence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a gathering in Panjshir.

Khairkhah said that the Islamic nations, especially the 22 Arab countries, are seeing the conflict and the killings of innocent people in Palestine because they are afraid of America.

"There are 22 Arab countries, apart from the Islamic ones. They have been divided, they separated them into smaller and bigger. Why can't they unite as they see their brothers from their families are being burned and killed today?” Khairkhah asked.

The chief of staff of the Islamic Emirate, Qari FasihuddinFitrat, also said he considers the US to be the biggest violator of human rights in the world.

"They use 80-ton, half-atomic bombs on Palestinian Muslims, and this is welcomed by Biden,” Fitrat noted.

The Chief of Army Staff responded to the establishment of new fronts outside of the nation by saying that these fronts are backed by foreign nations in an effort to create division among the Afghan people.

"Their puppets and slaves are working very hard in this field and our scholars and scientists should be aware of this intellectual occupation,” said Mohammad Agha Hakim, the governor of Panjshir.

Speaking at the gathering, the acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, said that after more than two years of the rule of the Islamic Emirate, the illegal extraction of mines and its smuggling has been stopped.

"God willing, we've brought down to zero illegal extraction of mines, smuggling of mines and arbitrariness mining,” Delawar noted.

The acting minister of information and culture also stated that he sent to the Islamic Emirate's leader the proposal to establish museums in each province of the nation to preserve the war's accomplishments over the last forty years. The request would be put into action after approval.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185722

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Kabul Asks UN to Hand Over Seat to Islamic Emirate

October 25, 2023

The Islamic Emirate's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, asked that Afghanistan's seat in the organization be given to the current Afghan government on the occasion of the United Nations' International Day.

Mujahid said that not handing over this seat to the Islamic Emirate will be an affront to the people of Afghanistan.

"This organization has separate goals. And we pursue a different path, which is independence, freedom and the Islamic system. It is natural that their path is different from ours, but great injustice has been and will be done to the people of Afghanistan if the chair is not handed over to the people of Afghanistan and the government,” the spokesman noted.

Following the collapse of the previous government, and the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate, the seat of Afghanistan's representative in the United Nations faces an unclear fate.

Meanwhile, the permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, said that the role of the UN in the Afghan issue is important and fundamental.

"The UN’s role is pivotal and fundamental in the case of Afghanistan. The only important office that is currently active in Afghanistan is the UN. Although its activities are limited in providing humanitarian aid, it will play a very important role as the largest international organization,” Andisha noted.

According to some analysts, the role of the United Nations is important in solving Afghanistan's challenges.

"The UN came into existence over seventy years ago after the Second World War, the powers that are in the Security Council had won the war at that time,” said Tariq Farhadi, a political analyst.

The United Nations was formed on October 24, 1945, after 29 nations had ratified the Charter, and Afghanistan became a member of this organization in 1946.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185719

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Bangladesh: Hefazat-e-IslamDemands Release Of Its Men By November 30

Oct 26, 2023

Hefazat-e-Islam yesterday placed a fresh 13-point demand, including the release of all its arrested leaders and activists and the withdrawal of the cases against them by November 30.

"If the demands are not met, we will go for a tougher movement," said Sajidur Rahman, secretary general of the Qawmi madrasa-based Islamist organisation at its "National Ulama-Masayek" convention held in the capital's Engineers Institute.

Speaking at the event, Hefazat Amir MohibullahBabunagari said the government must release their leaders if it wants to stay in power.

"If the government does not release our arrested leaders immediately, we do not know where it would end up. If it wants to stay in power, [it must] release my leaders right away."

Azizul Haque, the organisation's joint secretary general, said, "Our leaders Mamunul Haque, Monir Hossain, Fakhruzzaman, and many others have been in jail under false cases for nearly three years.

"Despite getting bails from the courts, our leaders were not released. Fresh cases are being filed to keep them behind bars. It [release of their leaders] has now become a public demand."

At the convention, Hefazat leaders announced the formation of committees at the district, upazila, and metropolitan levels within the next three months.

The organisation is supposed to hold conventions in Chattogram, Sylhet, Brahmanbaria, Narayanganj, and Gazipur by December 31.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/al-ready-counter-bnp-streets-3452801

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EU allocates €10 million for mental health and drug services in Afghanistan

Fidel Rahmati

October 26, 2023

The European Union has given 10 million euros to help with mental health issues among the Afghan people as part of their ongoing humanitarian aid efforts.

On Thursday, the European Union announced they will allocate 10 million euros. This funding is intended to be used through the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Afghanistan, as stated in their official declaration.

The statement outlines that this additional financial aid ensures broader access to mental health and substance abuse treatment services by the World Health Organization in Afghanistan and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The European Union also emphasizes that the 10 million euros, equivalent to 800 million Afghanis, will be directed towards vulnerable segments of Afghan society, particularly women and girls.

“The EU feels very strongly about improving the health and well-being of the people in Afghanistan”, affirmed RaffaellaIodice, EU Chargéed’Affairesa.i. to Afghanistan. “It is important that those who struggle with mental health and drug use disorder have access to comprehensive health services and are helped to re-integrate into society. That is why the EU has decided to increase our funding to our partners, WHO and UNODC. With this additional funding, more people in need will be reached,” the statement said.

The 10 million euros allocated by the European Union explicitly targets mental health rehabilitation and substance abuse in Afghanistan, where the European Union reports nearly 4 million drug users, accounting for 10% of the population.

This crisis has strained most of the country’s drug treatment centres, leaving drug users with limited access to treatment.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/eu-allocates-e10-million-for-mental-health-and-drug-services-in-afghanistan/

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2,000 Afghan refugees to be transferred to the UK via chartered flights

Fidel Rahmati

October 25, 2023

British authorities have revealed plans to relocate 2,000 Afghan refugees from Pakistan to London using 12 flights.

Pakistan’s media outlets reported that officials from the UK’s Home Office engaged in discussions with Pakistani aviation authorities in Karachi concerning this initiative.

The plan involves relocating Afghans who had migrated to Pakistan following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces and were accommodated in Pakistan’s hotels at the expense of the US and NATO. They will be transported to London via special flights.

The transfer of Afghan refugees to London will commence on Thursday, October 26th, starting with the relocation of 200 refugees and will continue through 12 flights until the end of December.

American and NATO intelligence agencies have prepared the list of Afghans scheduled for transfer to London. This list includes the names of Afghans who collaborated with the United States and NATO forces during the war.

Earlier, British diplomats have warned that thousands of eligible Afghans face the risk of detention and deportation in Iran and Pakistan. As reported earlier, the UK ministers emphasized that qualified Afghans do not need to wait for residence approvals before coming to Britain.

Around 3,000 individuals are awaiting transfer to the UK in Islamabad, with hundreds facing a similar situation in Iran. Recently, Pakistani police raided a hotel where Afghan residents stayed under a UK-arranged lease, resulting in several detentions primarily due to visa expirations.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has given a deadline of November 1st for approximately 1.7 million Afghan immigrants to leave the country voluntarily or face forced eviction. This decision by the Pakistani government has raised concerns among human rights organizations.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/2000-afghan-refugees-to-be-transferred-to-the-uk-via-chartered-flights/

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Iran clarifies that expelling illegal migrants, not anti-Afghan

Fidel Rahmati

October 25, 2023

While Afghan citizens are being expelled from Iran, the Iranian Minister of Interior Affairs has clarified in a recent statement that addressing illegal immigrants entering the country doesn’t imply being against Afghans.

Ahmad Vahidi, the Iranian Minister of Interior Affairs, has stated in a press briefing that Afghan immigrants who have entered Iran without proper legal documentation should promptly depart from the country.

He has stated that in the past month alone, approximately 200,000 Afghan migrants who had entered the Islamic Republic of Iran illegally have been returned to Afghanistan.

Mr. Vahidi emphasized the need for a more robust judicial mechanism to deal with individuals who are repatriated and return.

On the other hand, the Iranian Minister of Interior Affairs stressed that the expulsion of Afghan citizens from Iran is unrelated to the water issue between Iran and Afghanistan.

These remarks come as Afghanistan has witnessed a recent surge in the forced return of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan.

The Pakistani Ministry of Interior has given migrants without legal documentation until November 1st to leave the country. Pakistan has warned that if these migrants do not depart by the specified date, they will be forcibly deported, and their properties and businesses will be seized.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced that over 8,000 Afghan migrants have been forcibly repatriated from Iran and Pakistan in recent days.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/iran-clarifies-that-expelling-illegal-migrants-not-anti-afghan/

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Kabul Once Again Calls For Release of Foreign Afghan Assets

 Bibi Amina Hakimi

October 25, 2023

HidayatullahBadri, the acting head of the Afghan Central Bank, in a meeting with FeridunSinirlioğlu, special coordinator of the UN's assessment of the Afghanistan situation, called for the release of Afghan assets.

During the meeting, Badri called for the removal of the restrictions imposed on the banking sector in Afghanistan.

The acting head of the Afghan Central Bank said in the meeting that the bank wants to have better relations with all the financial and banking institutions of the world based on international agreements.

"The special coordinator of the UN should present a real report of the developments in Afghanistan to the international community so that the international community can get real information about the developments in Afghanistan,” Badri said.

"It is obvious that banking restrictions will remain as long as the changes and flexibility that the world expects are not introduced in Afghanistan's governance style and the nature of policy implementation," said Shaker Yaqoobi, an economist.

The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), said that in order to increase the level of Afghanistan’s trade with the countries of the region, it is necessary to remove the restrictions on the country's banks.

"The private sector of Afghanistan wants the sanctions on Afghanistan to be lifted. The restrictions on the private sector are the restrictions on the people. We want to have good communication,” said Mohammad Yunus Momand, the first deputy of the ACCI.

According to the Chamber of Industry and Mines, the banking restrictions, especially in the transfer of money in the last two years, have prevented large investments in the country.

"The challenges that Afghanistan’s private sector is facing currently are banking sanctions, and with the removal of these sanctions, the process of business, trade development and investment will definitely improve,” said Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, deputy of the chamber.

This comes as, after the Islamic Emirate swept into power, $9.5 billion of Afghanistan’s Central Bank reserves were frozen.

Source:

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https://tolonews.com/business-185724

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ARCS Strives to Attract More for the Victims of Earthquake in Herat

2023-10-26

KABUL (BNA) The president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, MawlaviMutiul Haq Khalis, in a meeting with Jamal Noori, the head of the Union of Charity Organizations of Kuwait, talked about providing more aid to victims of the Herat earthquake.

The Afghan Red Crescent Society in a statement said on Wednesday that the damage caused by the recent earthquakes in Herat and assistance to the victims were discussed in this meeting.

In this meeting, the Kuwaiti charitable union agreed to the amount of 300,000 US dollars to assist earthquake victims.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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Holding peaceful rally will be challenging: BNP leaders

Mohammad Al-MasumMolla

 Oct 26, 2023

Amid "provocations" by the Awami League and police "obstruction" of BNP activists, it will be challenging to hold a peaceful rally on October 28, said party leaders.

They said BNP leaders and activists have started arriving in Dhaka for the rally that they are determined to hold in front of the party's Nayapaltan headquarters.

BNP senior leaders have been holding a series of meetings with leaders of its front, associate, and district units about the rally, they said.

AL General Secretary ObaidulQuader on Tuesday said AL leaders and activists should be present on every street of Dhaka and if anyone attempts to create unrest on that day, they would be dealt with.

Sources in the AL said instructions have been given to its leaders and activists to carry sticks so that they could defend themselves if attacked.

"Ruling party leaders are provoking our leaders and activists continuously. But we have sent a clear message to our party leaders and activists that we will not be provoked by the aggressive behaviour of the ruling party leaders and activists," Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, standing committee member of the BNP, told The Daily Star yesterday.

Sources said the BNP has taken a number of steps to hold a peaceful rally, including the formation of a volunteer team that will work on that day at the rally venue.

Letters were sent to all district units of the party asking the activists to join the event spontaneously and be in their localities the day after the rally.

The BNP asked its activists to travel in small groups and avoid hotels near the BNP office. It advised carrying their work ID cards and not to wear anything with images of BNP leaders or the electoral symbol by which they could be identified as BNP activists.

It also asked the activists to be cautious in using mobile phones as those could be checked at checkpoints and on public transport.

The activists have also been requested not to roam around the Nayapaltan office and party chairperson's office in Gulshan after arriving in Dhaka.

BNP leaders alleged that police have started arresting opposition men so that they could not join the rally and that they might also dilly-dally in granting permission for the rally.

The BNP sought the Dhaka Metropolitan Police permission for the event on October 21. It is yet to get permission even though the rally is two days away.

"We are taking full preparation to hold the rally at Nayapaltan, but if we are denied permission for the rally there, we will have an alternative plan," said a senior leader of Dhaka city unit BNP.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the BNP, said preparations for the rally are almost complete.

Sources said district leaders were coordinating the accommodations for their activists in Dhaka.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/holding-peaceful-rally-will-be-challenging-bnp-leaders-3452796

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Pakistan

 

Taliban govt already declared ‘attack on Pakistan not jihad’: Afghan diplomat

October 26, 2023

PESHAWAR: A top Afghanistan diplomat said Wednesday that the Islamic Emirate — or the Taliban administration — had already issued a fatwa (decree) that launching attacks in “Pakistan is not jihad”.

Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir, the acting consul general at the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar, told Geo News that the neighbouring country’s defence ministry had also made it clear that attacking Pakistan did not fall under jihad. The Pakistani government has time and again stressed that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists have safe havens in Afghanistan and that the neighbouring nation’s soil was being used for attacks on Pakistan.

Since the Afghan Taliban took over the reins of government in 2021, Pakistan has witnessed a rise in terror incidents with the present year 2023 being the deadliest in eight years. Officials are also saying that Afghan nationals were involved in attacks on security forces. Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s special representative on Afghanistan, said that the banned TTP’s attacks on Pakistan along the borders have increased and that they were “taking shelter on the Afghan soil”.

In response to Pakistan’s repeated insistence on taking action, the interim Afghan rulers arrested 200 suspected militants involved in attacks against Pakistan, the Voice of America reported last month, citing Pakistani officials privy to the development.

Interim Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani and his Taliban counterpart, Amir Khan Muttaqi, met on the sidelines of a China-hosted international conference earlier this month. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said Jilani “underscored that challenges confronting regional peace and stability be addressed in collaborative spirit through collective strategies”.

In his conversation with Geo News, Shakir said the TTP militants had migrated to Afghanistan during former US-backed Afghan president Ashraf Ghani’s tenure — 2014-2021. He was overthrown by the Taliban. “I want to make it clear: No attacks will be launched from Afghanistan on Pakistan,” the envoy added.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1122906-taliban-govt-already-declared-attack-on-pakistan-not-jihad-afghan-diplomat

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Not only Afghans, deadline to leave Pakistan for all illegal foreigners: Bugti

October 26, 2023

By Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti Wednesday clarified that the November 1 deadline was not limited to the Afghans only but also applied to all foreigners illegally residing in Pakistan.

Speaking to the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, the security czar clarified the government had addressed the issue of expulsion of “all” illegal foreigners living in the country. However, the message was wrongly received as if the state wanted to repatriate the Afghan citizens only.

The caretaker government, earlier this month, had directed all aliens — including 1.73 million Afghan nationals — to leave the country following a series of terrorist attacks. Afghan nationals were found to be responsible for 14 of the 24 suicide bombings.

“Government’s message [to leave the country] is not limited to Afghans, [it is applicable] on all illegal foreigners living in the country,” Bugti said. The government is also deporting Baloch coming into the country from Iran, Bugti said while reassuring that those with refugee cards and visas are “our guests”.

“The issue is being given an ethnic angle but it’s not like that at all as we intend to expel all illegal foreigners,” he stressed. In a bid to tighten the noose around illegal foreigners, the caretaker government has set November 1 as deadline for the immigrants residing in the country unlawfully, warning that action will be taken against them after the time limit.

The decision was taken in an apex committee meeting on the National Action Plan (NAP) on October 3 after a deadly suicide blast in Balochistan’s Mastung, in which over 60 people lost their lives. In most of the recent terror incidents in Pakistan, Afghan nationals or soil was reportedly used.

According to a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), at least 271 militant attacks took place during the first half of 2023, resulting in the loss of 389 lives and injuries to 656 individuals. Terror activities in the country soared by 79% during the period.

Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since the Soviet Union’s invasion in 1979.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, approximately 1.33 million registered refugees hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, and 840,000 possess Afghan citizenship cards.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1122907-not-only-afghans-deadline-to-leave-pakistan-for-all-illegal-foreigners-bugti

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New, more powerful task force formed to probe ‘passports for Afghans’ scandal

October 26, 2023

Iftikhar A. Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior formed a nine-member joint task force on Wednesday to investigate the issuance of over 12,000 passports to Afghan immigrants.

The joint director general of the Intelligence Bureau is the convener of the task force, which also includes Grade-20 officers of Military Intelligence, Inter-Services Intelligence and Federal Investigation Agency, a notification seen by Dawn showed.

Other members include the director general of the interior ministry’s immigration and passports department and Grade-20 officers of Nadra, PTA, FBR and the Ministry of Interior (law). This new team replaces an earlier four-member committee.

The task force will investigate data breaches in the national database, scrutinise unauthorised access, determine the connivance of officials of various institutions and identify potential internal and external connections.

Nine-member team includes members from IB, MI, ISI

It will also fix responsibility and recommend punitive actions, besides proposing a mechanism with a futuristic outlook to safeguard the integrity of the national database for subsequent implementation.

The team’s convener has been authorised to co-opt members from any other organisation required and include any other related aspect he deems appropriate to fulfil the committee’s mandate. The task force is expected to submit a report within 15 days.

No deadline extension for aliens

Meanwhile, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti on Wednesday confirmed that the deadline for illegal immigrants, including Afghans, to leave Pakistan would not be extended beyond Nov 1.

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Interior on the government’s drive against illegal immigrants, the minister said the government’s message about action against illegal residents was misconstrued, as the directive targets all illegal immigrants and not just Afghan nationals.

His remarks came amid criticism suggesting a targeted expulsion of Afghan immigrants due to strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul.

During the discussion, former MNA Syed Agha Rafiullah told the lawmakers that thousands of Biharis living in Karachi’s Malir neighbourhood had no legal status in Pakistan. Mr Bugti said he didn’t know about this and invited Mr Rafiullah for consultations to resolve the matter.

Two bills passed

The committee also unanimously passed the bill titled “The Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, aimed at curbing the rising trend of false accusations and malicious criminal prosecution by increasing the duration of punishment. It also unanimously passed “The Anti-Rape (Investi­gation and Trial) (Amendment) Bill, 2023”, which proposes to make DNA tests mandatory for rape victims.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1783792/new-more-powerful-task-force-formed-to-probe-passports-for-afghans-scandal

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First special flight from Islamabad to United Kingdom to relocate 200 Afghan refugees today

Mohammad Asghar

October 26, 2023

RAWALPINDI: The first chartered flight will depart from Islamabad International Airport to the United Kingdom (UK) to relocate about 200 Afghan refugees on Thursday (today).

According to the British newspaper, The Independent, around 3,000 Afghans, many of whom worked for the British army, were evacuated to be provided residence in the UK following the Afghan Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021.

They have been stuck in Pakistan since last year when the UK authorities made accommodation arrangements a prerequisite for repatriation. Hundreds are also trapped in Iran waiting for the relocation.

The UK government had pledged to move all Afghans eligible for resettlement even without a confirmed accommodation before coming to Britain, as per the British newspaper.

The decision came after Pakistan issued an ultimatum to all undocumented foreign nationals to leave by Nov 1 or risk deportation.

A delegation from the British High Commission, led by Political Consul Zoe Ware, visited Islamabad International Airport and held a meeting with senior officials from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by senior civil aviation officials, led by Director Security, retired Air Commodore Shahid Qadir, including COO/Airport Manager IIAP Syed Aftab Gilani and his security team. A spokesman for the CAA said that the British High Commission and Civil Aviation officials discussed measures regarding special flights for the transfer of Afghan refugees to the UK.

The spokesman said that representatives from the Anti-Narcotics Force, Federal Investigation Agency, Customs, Airport Security Force, and PIA were also present on this occasion.

A senior CAA official mentioned that the repatriation of around 2,000 Afghan refugees will be completed in mid-December, with one or two weekly chartered flights from Islamabad to the UK. The lists of Afghan refugees who had cooperated with NATO forces were prepared by the UK and NATO authorities.

Mock emergency exercise

Separately, a full-scale mock emergency exercise was carried out at Peshawar Airport to assess the effectiveness of the airport’s disaster plan and emergency response. The spokesperson stated that the exercise provided an opportunity for all internal and external stakeholders to practice dealing with a real-time emergency situation that could occur at the airport.

The exercise included a firefighting operation to control a kerosene oil fire at a fire pit. The crash fire tenders from the CAA, Pakistan Air Force, Rescue 1122, and Army Aviation participated in the firefighting operation.

The CAA crash fire tenders responded to the emergency call within two minutes and successfully extinguished the fuel fire within one minute using a foam water solution.

The event was attended by Ahmed Rasool Bangash, Provincial Minister for Revenue Finance, Excise and Taxation, and Narcotics Control, as well as Air Cdr Inam Ullah Khan, Base Commander of PAF base Peshawar.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1783743/first-special-flight-from-islamabad-to-united-kingdom-to-relocate-200-afghan-refugees-today

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Villagers in Islamabad’s Athal beat up police team, free ‘drug peddler’

October 26, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Residents of a village looted cash from a police team, besides beating them in Phulgran area and also got freed their relative allegedly involved in drug peddling, police said on Wednesday.

Police said a four-member police team was patrolling the area of Sri Chowk where they got information that a grocery store in Athal Village was selling drugs. The police team reached the shop and arrested the shop owner over his alleged involvement in drug selling.

However, the peddler put up resistance and started shouting for help, the police said, adding that shortly over 20 residents of the area, including women, armed with pistols and batons reached the shop and attacked the police team to free the peddler from their custody.

During the attack they allegedly beat the policemen with batons, while some other women pelted police with stone from the rooftop of houses, the police said, adding that those who attacked also snatched wallets from two constables carrying cash Rs39,300, service card, ATM.

ASI Mohammad Faqir and constable Shahzad were injured, they said, adding that the attackers also tore uniform of a police official and later set the peddler free from the police custody and escaped along with the cash.

Over the incident a case was registered at Phulgran police station against the attackers and the peddlers under section 353, 186, 337Hii, 506ii, 427, 382, 148 and 149 in response to a complaint lodged by ASI Mohammad Faqir.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1783740/villagers-in-islamabads-athal-beat-up-police-team-free-drug-peddler

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Imran moves IHC against cipher case indictment

October 26, 2023

Awais Yousafzai

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Wednesday moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his indictment in the cipher case by a special court formed under the Official Secrets Act.

Earlier this week, the special court indicted Khan and his deputy Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case that included charges of violating the secret law by misusing and misplacing the diplomatic cable based on conversations between Pakistan’s envoy to Washington and the US diplomat during the tenure of Khan-led government last year.

Special court judge AbualHasnatZulqarnain read out the charges, which said that Imran Khan “illegally retained and wrongly communicated” the cipher.

“The said information/cipher related to top secret information, which were inter-se two states i.e., United States and Pakistan,” said the charge-sheet, adding that the PTI chief used the cipher in a “prohibited place (jalsa)” and “wilfuly communicated” the secret information to the participants, in violation of “interests of the State of Pakistan”.

In a petition filed through his counsels Salman Safdar and Khalid Yousaf, the incarcerated former prime minister implored the IHC to declare his indictment null and void citing procedural lapses. Complainant Yousuf Naseem Khokhar and the state have been made parties in the petition. The petition said the charges could be framed after seven days of distribution of challan copies but the trial court did not fulfill legal requirement in this regard.

It contended that the special court indicted the PTI chief in haste and also wanted to hold hasty trial proceedings.

The petitioner said the IHC had not issued any direction to the special court to hear the case on a daily basis and conclude the trial early.

“Proceedings with a hasty trial will affect fundamental constitutional rights,” the petitioner said.

It said the trial proceedings cannot move forward in the absence of main evidence (cipher) and prayed the IHC to annul the Oct 23 decision of the special court. Khan and Qureshi are currently in the Adiala jail on judicial remand in the cipher case.

In August, the FIA arrested the PTI chief and the party’s vice chairman under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly misplacing and misusing the classified document for vested political interests.

Khan was taken into custody after being sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case on August 5, 2023. Initially, he was kept in the Attock jail but later he was moved to Adiala jail.

It is pertinent to mention here that the IHC on August 29 had suspended the sentence handed down to the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case but he remains behind bars due to his arrest in the cipher case.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1122904-imran-moves-ihc-against-cipher-case-indictment

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Southeast Asia

 

Minister Religious Affairs: Muslim Persons with Disabilities Action Plan Developed To Enhance Understanding In Islam

25-10- 2023

CYBERJAYA: The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has developed the Muslim Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Action Plan to enhance their understanding and appreciation of Islam.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr MohdNa’im Mokhtar (pix) said the plan was developed to support the National PwD Action Plan and the existing National PwD Policy under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.

He said Jakim has collaborated with state Islamic councils and departments, ministries, and related agencies to gather ideas and perspectives to ensure a comprehensive and integrated implementation of the plan.

“The support system for PWDs must be enhanced, and efforts to raise awareness about this group among the public need the support of various parties, especially Islamic agencies and institutions,“ he said in his speech during the ‘PenerapanSejarah 25 Rasul Melalui Digital Kreatif’ programme, here today.

On the programme, MohdNa’im said presenting the history of prophets and messengers through visual graphics can offer valuable learning experiences for both children with and without autism. –Bernama

Source: thesundaily.my

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https://www.thesundaily.my/local/mohd-naim-muslim-pwd-action-plan-developed-to-enhance-understanding-in-islam-NA11668498

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NRD: Act 164 allows home minister to register marriages of non-Muslim couples

 25 Oct 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — The National Registration Department (NRD) said that the home minister as the minister responsible for the registration of civil marriages can register the marriage of non-Muslim couples in accordance with the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 (Act 164).

NRD said in a statement today that it is the agency responsible for registering civil marriages and recording information on marriages and divorces of non-Muslims.

“Based on Act 164, the home minister is the minister responsible for the registration of civil marriages which allows him to register marriages of non-Muslim couples.

“The director-general and the deputy director-general of NRD, director of Marriage and Divorce Division, state NRD directors as well as officers and staff of the division also have the authority (to do so),” it said.

The statement was following a viral video showing Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail registering a civil wedding of a non-Muslim couple at the Putrajaya NRD office this morning.

The department said that the registration of marriage was based on civil law under Act 164, and it did not involve or resemble, and was not influenced by any religious or cultural rituals.

It said the pledge by the registrar were words contained under Section 23 of the act explaining the nature of a civil marriage and also the expression of agreement and willingness of a couple to be in the marriage without coercion from any party.

The NRD also called on the public to stop spreading false information and check every news to ensure that public order in the country is maintained. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/10/25/nrd-act-164-allows-home-minister-to-register-marriages-of-non-muslim-couples/98360

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Foreign minister: Malaysia plans to join ICJ oral session in February 2024 to submit Palestine statement

26 Oct 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — Malaysia plans to participate in an oral session of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in February next year to submit a statement on obtaining an advisory opinion on the Palestinian issue.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said the country’s participation in the process of obtaining an advisory opinion at the ICJ symbolises the country’s commitment in helping to find a solution to the conflict in Palestine.

“Previously Malaysia has participated in submitting a written statement to obtain an advisory opinion on the Palestinian issue which was submitted to the ICJ registrar on July 25 and the statement focused on the violation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination by Israel.

“In addition to submitting a written statement, Malaysia plans to participate in an oral session which is expected to take place on February 19, 2024.

“The participation of Malaysia and several other like-minded countries in the process of obtaining an advisory opinion at the ICJ regarding the Palestinian issue symbolises the country’s precise and continuous commitment in helping to find a concrete solution to the issue and conflict in Palestine,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was replying to a question by Ahmad FadhliShaari (PN-Pasir Mas) who wanted to know why the government has not expressed a firmer stance and action on the conflict in Palestine such as insisting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be brought before the International Criminal Court.

In reply to Ahmad Fadhli’s supplementary question on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s efforts in going round the world to seek a solution to the Palestinian issue, Zamry said that this is a first-time approach because previously the country had only issued protest statements.

“In a serious situation like this, we cannot just sit back and criticise or simply express our objections, but there must be a more robust, decisive step and bring the whole Muslim world at least in the context of the OIC to jointly express our position.

“Therefore, in the last Asean-GCC Leaders’ summit, the prime minister took the opportunity to interact with the Asean and GCC leaders and conveyed Malaysia’s position and he also took the opportunity to travel to Riyadh, Turkiye and Cairo because these are very important countries in determining the next struggle.

“Every leader has a role and in the context of the prime minister, he took a step further to be with the world’s Muslim leaders well as non-Muslim leaders,” he said.

When Ahmad Fadhli asked which country threatened Malaysia for being outspoken on the Palestinian issue, Zambry said the matter was better not revealed and insisted that Malaysia was not intimidated by the threats. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/10/26/foreign-minister-malaysia-plans-to-join-icj-oral-session-in-february-2024-to-submit-palestine-statement/98469

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Palestine: we have proof of TikTok’s systematic content removal, says Fahmi

26 Oct 2023

KUALA LUMPUR – Fahmi Fadzil today revealed that there is evidence that social media platform TikTok has systematically taken down or removed content related to the Palestine-Israel issue originating from Malaysia.

The communications and digital minister said that this was proven after numerous users of the platform complained to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) that their content and live broadcasts had been taken down or restricted.

These included those related to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s speech during the Malaysia Stands with Palestine Rally on Tuesday.

“For example, there was content on the prime minister’s speech and several pictures from Gaza...and TikTok, in their feedback, said there were violent images.

“When I looked at the content, the pictures were of a father carrying his lifeless child shrouded in cloth. No blood, nothing gory.

“To me, this doesn’t make sense...I am aghast at TikTok now, and we have sent a message to make them understand,” he said after launching the ministry’s Palestinian Humanitarian Fund at Angkasapuri Media City here today.

The fund was initiated in line with the call from the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri MohdZuki Ali, for each ministry to raise funds as a sign of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Elaborating, Fahmi said he had also asked the MCMC to issue a strong warning to TikTok and organise a meeting to discuss the issue, which was also conveyed to ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok).

“If they want to play around with us, we will take a very, very firm stand.

“We don’t want our right to freedom of expression, especially in issues relating to Palestine, to be restricted by irresponsible parties for certain reasons,” he said.

Fahmi added that a meeting with TikTok to convey the government’s position on the matter was held yesterday, and it will be followed by another meeting next week. – Bernama, October 26, 2023

Source: thevibes.com

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https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/99630/palestine-we-have-proof-of-tiktoks-systematic-content-removal-says-fahmi

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