Group Of Muslim Villagers Perform Last Rites of Nonagenarian Hindu Man in Giridih, Set an Example of Communal Harmony
New Age Islam News Bureau
09 December 2023
Muslim
neighbours take part in the funeral of Jago Ravidas at Giridih in Jharkhand on
Wednesday.
Shabbir
Hussain
------
·
CAIR Condemns Israeli ‘Tactic
of Humiliation’ After Images Show Palestinian Civilians Stripped and Paraded in
Public
·
Palestinian Authority Working
with US On Plan to Run Gaza After War Ends: Report
·
Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan’s Chief of Army to Opponents: You Cannot Achieve Results Through
War
·
EU Adds Two Top Hamas
Commanders, Mohammed Deif and His Dy. Marwan Issa, To ‘Terrorist List’
-----
India
·
Allahabad High Court Reserves
Judgment on Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute Over Temple Restoration
·
Kashmiri Pandits Fume at
Centre’s Decision to Reserve Two Seats in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for
Nominated Representatives
·
National Investigating Agency
Raids 40 Locations in Maharashtra, Arrests 13 In ISIS Conspiracy Case
·
Assam Cabinet approves census
of native Muslims
·
Week-Long Rituals from Jan 17
to Mark Ayodhya Ceremony
-----
North America
·
American Jews want Biden to
press Israel for ceasefire in Gaza
·
Muslim state ministers in US
seek end to fighting in Gaza
·
CAIR Condemns ‘Unconscionable’
U.S. Veto of U.N. Gaza Ceasefire Resolution
·
US is now left alone on Gaza
issue: Turkish foreign minister
·
Biden: US Ready to Respond to
'Possible Threats' from Afghanistan
------
Mideast
·
Hamas: Over 100 Mosques, Three
Churches Destroyed in Gaza in Israel’s Strikes
·
Hamas Says US Veto Blocking
Gaza Cease-Fire ‘Unethical And Inhumane’
·
Lebanon’s Hezbollah Says Staged
Fresh Anti-Israel Attacks in Support of Gaza
·
US Vetoes UN Security Council
Resolution Calling for Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza
·
Hamas recounts gains: Rocket
barrage on Tel Aviv, killing Israeli minister's son
·
Gaza death toll rises to
17,487: health ministry
·
Hamas decries Israeli bombing
of Great Omari Mosque in Gaza as 'heinous crime'
------
South Asia
·
Mobilise Collective Strength to
Prevent Genocide: PMSheikh Hasina Urges World
·
Pakistani FM and US special
representative discuss Afghanistan
·
Red Cross Warns of Rising
Poverty and Unemployment In Afghanistan
·
23 bags of cash collected from
Kishoreganj's Pagla Mosque's donation boxes
·
Police disperse Mayer Dak’s
rally marking Human Rights Day
-----
Europe
·
East London Mosque: More Than
700 Evacuated After 'Credible' Bomb Threat
·
Macron Urges Netanyahu to Open
Gaza Crossing
·
Six French teens convicted over
their roles in an extremist’s killing of a teacher
·
Around 40 more Ukrainians
evacuated from Gaza – Zelenskyy
-----
Pakistan
·
Pakistan's Jailed PM Imran Khan:
Treatment Meted Out to Afghan Refugees Against Islamic Values
·
Afghans residing legally to be
deported if found involved in political activities, says Bugti
·
Pakistan says nearly half a
million Afghans have left in just over two months
·
Five-member LHC bench to hear
Imran’s plea against disqualification
·
Toshakhana case: NAB issues
final call-up notice to Bushra
·
Court adjourns hearing of Imran
Khan’s Nikah case
·
Pakistan issues visa to Indian
Hindu pilgrims for visit to Sindh’s Shadani Darbar
------
Southeast Asia
·
Malaysian MPs, Activists, NGOs
Hand Protest Notes To US, UK And EU Over Gaza Violence
·
Indonesia president suspects
human trafficking behind increased Rohingya arrivals
·
Amanah Deputy President Seeks
to Revive 2018 Committee on Shariah and Civil Laws to Prevent Future Conflicts
·
PM Anwar condemns the US for
vetoing UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire
·
MPs, activists demand Israel
backers cease military aid
·
Married couple pleads guilty to
committing sexual offences against child
------
Africa
·
Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan
'Worsening' As It Faces 'World’s Largest Displacement Crisis': WHO
·
Kaduna Bombing Error: Imam Weeps as Gov Uba Sani Assists Victims
·
Kano: Islamic leaders warn
against subverting peoples will
·
South Sudan's troops in
regional force follow Kenya out of eastern DRC
·
Food Insecurity Intensifies in
Eastern Africa, a Consequence of Climate Shocks
·
Imo Catholic Church Priest,
Driver Regain Freedom from Kidnappers After Payment of Ransom
------
Arab World
·
Saudi FM Stresses Kingdom’s Public
and Private Positions Identical on Gaza
·
Saudi foreign minister, EU
foreign affairs chief discuss Gaza during call
·
Arab-Islamic Ministerial
Committee objects to US veto during Blinken meeting
·
KSrelief inks $8 million pact
to mitigate Safer oil tanker threat in Yemen
·
Qatar hails Danish law banning
Holy Qur'an burning
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-rites-hindu-communal-harmony/d/131283
-----
Group Of Muslim Villagers Perform Last
Rites of Nonagenarian Hindu Man in GiridihSet an Example of Communal Harmony
Muslim
neighbours take part in the funeral of Jago Ravidas at Giridih in Jharkhand on
Wednesday.
Shabbir
Hussain
------
09.12.23
Animesh Bisoee
A group of Muslim villagers in the
Giridih district of Jharkhand set an example of communal harmony in the face of
growing intolerance and communal polarisation.
Around 20 villagers residing in a
predominantly Muslim village in Kazimagha of Magha Kala panchayat in Jamua
block, which is located nearly 30km away from Giridih district headquarters,
performed the last rites of a nonagenarian Hindu man named Jago Ravidas,
following his religious customs. Not only did they chant “Ram naam satyahai”,
but they also conducted the rituals according to his Hindu traditions.
“Jago Ravidas ji was very old and
belonged to the only Hindu family in our village. He used to stay with his wife
Radhiya Devi, who is nearly 85 years old. We had seen him since childhood and
he was close to our parents. They were childless and we used to look after
them. When Jago Ravidas ji passed away on Wednesday because of age-related
illness, we informed his relatives staying in nearby villages and carried out
the last rites according to Hindu customs with their permission. It came
naturally to us. We did not think twice about this,” said Mahshar Imam, who
runs a poultry unit in the same village and is associated with the Congress
party.
Abuzar Nomani said that all the youths
came on their own to set up the bamboo biers and follow other customs.
“We even invited a Hindu priest from the
nearby village. We had to do it for him as he was among the oldest people in
the village and we used to respect him a lot,” said Nomani.
“We collected funds for performing the
last rites which cost us nearly Rs 6,000. Everyone contributed voluntarily. The
cremation was done at the Jharo rivulet ghat according to Hindu rituals,” said
Imam.
He also informed that women of their
families were taking care of the deceased’s wife.
“We are looking after the elderly woman
and have asked the relatives that the shraddha ceremony would also be held in
the village according to the rituals on the specified date in consultation with
them. We have already started a collection for it,” said Imam.
Imam mentioned that nearly 30-35 Muslims
stayed in the village while Jago Ravidas’s family was the only Hindu family.
“Few Hindu villagers have shifted to the
neighbouring villages. But they do come and attend our functions and we too
visit their houses during their festivals. There is no communal feeling at
least in our panchayat and we hope it remains that way,” said Imam.
He also said that they would ensure that
the widow got linked with government benefits such as pension and health
facilities., “We will check if they are getting pension and ration facilities.
If not we will get them linked to government welfare schemes, especially health
schemes,” said Imam.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/group-of-muslim-villagers-perform-last-rites-of-nonagenarian-hindu-man-in-giridih/cid/1985583
-----
CAIR Condemns Israeli ‘Tactic of
Humiliation’ After Images Show Palestinian Civilians Stripped and Paraded in
Public
The New Arab
says one of the men seen in the photos is its Gaza correspondent Diaa al
Kahlout, and that he was rounded up with other civilians and some of his family
members [Israeli and Palestinian media]
------
Ibrahim Hooper
December 8, 2023
(WASHINGTON, DC – 12/8/2023) – The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today condemned Israel’s “tactic of
humiliation” after images were posted online of Palestinian civilians in Gaza –
including a journalist – stripped, blindfolded and paraded in public.
Israeli forces stripped the men,
reportedly rounded up from homes and schools sheltering displaced families,
before detaining them and taking them to an undisclosed location. A journalist
working for Al Araby Al Jadeed, was reportedly among those stripped and
detained. Others have been identified as shopkeepers or other civilians who had
sought refuge in UN schools.
In a statement, CAIR said:
“This tactic of humiliation used by the
forces of the far-right, Israeli apartheid government against a civilian
population should cause universal revulsion. Despite the mass killing, ethnic
cleansing, and starvation caused by the far-right Israeli government, our own
national leaders insist on prolonging the suffering by refusing to call for a
mutual ceasefire and the pursuit of a long-term peace based on justice.”
Other Israeli violation of laws of war
CAIR condemned previously:
Video posted online shows the man,
reportedly with special needs, being detained by Israeli soldiers and then shot
at point-blank range.
CAIR condemned an Israeli attack on
another hospital in Gaza and said the Biden administration is actively
participating in Israel’s “ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian
people.”
The Washington Post confirms that
premature babies were left to die in a Gaza hospital after Israeli forces
ordered the building evacuated. CAIR previously called for UN and U.S. probes
of Israel’s actions after horrifying video showed the babies’ decaying corpses,
partially eaten by stray dogs.]
Israel has killed more than 17,000
Palestinians, mostly women and children in Gaza in recent weeks. Many more have
been killed by Israeli occupation forces and illegal settlers in the West
Bank.
CAIR condemned another “war crime of the
day” – the slaughter of at least 50 civilians in airstrikes on two UN-run
schools sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza.
The Israeli government’s extremist
leaders have declared that there are no innocent civilians in Gaza, justified
cutting off water, electricity and other basic necessities because Palestinians
are ‘human animals,’ embraced an ancient biblical verse about the mass
slaughter of an entire city from animals to infants, demanded a million
residents of northern Gaza leave their homes or face death, and announced that
the aim of the bombing in Gaza was destruction rather than accuracy.
CAIR said a new report by Heritage for
Peace detailing Israel’s ongoing destruction of Palestinian cultural sites
shows its desire to entirely “eliminate Palestinian existence.”
Washington, D.C., based CAIR also
questioned whether Western leaders even regard Palestinians as “human” after
more than 700 women, children and men were massacred by Israel within just 24
hours.
CAIR condemned the latest “Israeli war
crime of the day” after more than 100 men, women and children were killed in
the bombing of residential buildings hosting displaced families in Gaza’s
Jabalia refugee camp.
CAIR also condemned the Biden
administration for giving the Israeli government the “green light” to resume
bombing Gaza and called on the United States to join other governments in
demanding the resumption of the ceasefire and negotiations to secure a just,
lasting peace.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-israeli-tactic-of-humiliation-after-images-show-palestinian-civilians-stripped-and-paraded-in-public/
-----
Palestinian Authority Working With US On
Plan To Run Gaza After War Ends: Report
Israel has
vowed to wipe out Iran-backed Hamas (File)
------
December 08, 2023
Gaza: The Palestinian Authority is
working with U.S. officials on a plan to run Gaza after the war is over,
Bloomberg News reported, citing Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh.
The preferred outcome of the conflict
would be for the Hamas group which controls Gaza to become a junior partner
under the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), helping to build a new
independent state that includes the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem,
Ramallah-based Shtayyeh said in an interview with Bloomberg News on Thursday.
"If they (Hamas) are ready to come
to an agreement and accept the political platform of the PLO, then there will
be room for talk. Palestinians should not be divided," Shtayyeh said,
adding that Israel's aim to fully defeat Hamas is unrealistic.
Israel has vowed to wipe out Iran-backed
Hamas after the Islamist militants attacked Israeli towns and villages on Oct.
7, killing 1,200 people and dragging about 240 hostages back into Gaza,
according to Israel's count.
"The fact that this is what the
Palestinian Authority is suggesting only reinforces my policy: the Palestinian
Authority is not the solution," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said in a social media post in response to Shtayyeh's remarks.
More than 17,170 Palestinians have been
killed and 46,000 wounded since Israel began bombarding Gaza in response to the
cross-border rampage, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Source: ndtv.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/palestine-authority-working-with-us-on-plan-to-run-gaza-after-war-ends-report-4646825#pfrom=home-ndtvworld_us
------
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Chief
of Army to Opponents: You Cannot Achieve Results Through War
Chief of
Staff to the opponents of the Islamic Emirate
------
December 8, 2023
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s
Chief of Army Staff, Fasihudin Fitrat, says war in the country is not the
solution and those who are against the current ruling government should stop
fighting and raise their problems through dialogue and negotiation.
On a trip to Badakhshan province, Fitrat
said: “They [armed opponents] in Afghanistan cannot achieve a result through
war, if their goal is that they can achieve a result through war, this has no
result.”
He also called the concerns of the
Central Asian countries about the presence of foreign forces in the country
baseless and said that there are no foreign forces in Afghanistan. He assures
the countries of Central Asia that the soil of Afghanistan will not be used
against them.
“Concerns in this regard are baseless,”
he stressed.
The Chief of Army Staff also said that
the activity of Daesh in Afghanistan has been curbed.
The leaders of this group have been
suppressed and killed and they are not able to operate and confront the forces
of the Islamic Emirate, he said.
“Most Daesh leaders were suppressed and
killed in Afghanistan, and of course, they could not achieve their goals and
were beaten by the forces of the Islamic Emirate,” he stressed.
In addition, Fitrat stated that the
reason for the non-recognition of the Islamic Emirate is the non-acceptance of
the unjustified demands of the international community and emphasized that
demands that are against national and Islamic values will not be accepted.
Earlier, reports were published on
social media platforms about the ban on the visit of Fitrat to the north of the
country, and he stated during his trip to Badakhshan that the publication of
such news was the work of the enemies of the Islamic Emirate.
He stated that there is no difference in
the ranks of the IEA.
Source: ariananews.af
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ariananews.af/ieas-chief-of-army-to-opponents-you-cannot-achieve-results-through-war/
-----
EU Adds Two Top Hamas Commanders,
Mohammed Deif and His Dy. Marwan Issa, To ‘Terrorist List’
Photo:
aa.com
----
December 8, 2023
BRUSSELS: The European Union on Friday
added two of Hamas’s top military commanders to its terrorist blacklist,
linking them directly to the October 7 attacks on Israel.
Brussels said Mohammed Deif, 58-year-old
commander general of the Hamas, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, and his deputy
Marwan Issa had been added to its sanctions list.
“The two individuals are subject to the
freezing of their funds and other financial assets in EU member states,” it
said. “It is also prohibited for EU operators to make funds and economic
resources available to them.”
The statement, issued by the European
Council, said the listing came in “response to the threat posed by Hamas and
its brutal and indiscriminate attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023.”
Israel sharply ramps up Gaza strikes, US
alarmed
On October 7, Hamas broke out of the
Palestinian territory of Gaza and launched unprecedented attacks on Israeli
troops and civilians, including revellers at a music festival and a kibbutz
community.
Around 1,200 Israelis were killed and
scores taken hostage.
Israel responded by launching air and
artillery strikes against Gaza and a military ground operation hunting for
Hamas militants.
Weeks of fighting have left 17,177
people dead in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll
from the health ministry in Gaza.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40277548/eu-adds-two-top-hamas-commanders-to-terrorist-list
------
India
Allahabad High Court Reserves Judgment
On Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute Over Temple Restoration
08 DEC 2023
The Allahabad High Court has deferred
its decision on a petition challenging the legitimacy of a lawsuit seeking the
"restoration" of a temple at the Gyanvapi mosque site in Varanasi.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agrawal reserved judgment after hearing arguments from
both sides, with the court yet to announce a future date for the case,
according to media reports. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee of Varanasi
and the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board are disputing the original suit
filed in 1991, which calls for the reinstatement of an ancient temple at the
mosque's current location, asserting that the mosque was originally part of the
templ.
In a noteworthy development, an order
dated August 28, issued by the former Chief Justice Pritinkar Diwakar,
transferred the case from Justice Prakash Padia to himself. The reasoning
behind the transfer was explained as the single judge's extended tenure,
exceeding two years, despite lacking jurisdiction as per the roster. Justice
Diwakar emphasized the decision's administrative nature, citing the importance
of judicial propriety, discipline, and transparency in case listings. Following
Justice Diwakar's retirement on November 22, Justice Agrawal inherited the
case.
S F A Naqvi, representing the Anjuman
Intezamia Masjid Committee, highlighted that the petition also challenges a
Varanasi court's directive to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to
conduct a comprehensive survey of the Gyanvapi mosque, issued on April 8, 2021.
Source: outlookindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.outlookindia.com/national/allahabad-high-court-reserves-judgment-on-gyanvapi-mosque-dispute-over-temple-restoration-news-335365
----
Kashmiri Pandits fume at Centre’s
decision to reserve two seats in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for nominated
representatives
09.12.23
Muzaffar Raina
The Centre's decision to reserve two
seats in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for nominated representatives of
displaced Kashmiri Pandits has left sections of the community fuming at what
they see as an admission that the government cannot bring them back to their
homeland.
The Lok Sabha this week passed the Jammu
and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to nominate to the
Assembly two members from the migrant Kashmiri Pandit community and one
representing displaced Hindus from PoK. These three seats will be added to the
90 seats for which elections will be held.
Migrant Kashmiri Pandits living anywhere
in India are eligible to be nominated.
Valley-based political parties have
opposed the decision, stressing that it gives an unelected lieutenant governor,
and not an elected government, the power to nominate these members.
Pandit leader Satish Mahaldar, who heads
the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Forum, accused the BJP of "not keeping its
promises to the Hindu majority nation as well as the Pandit community"
despite being in power for nearly a decade.
"In its 2014 election manifesto,
the BJP called for the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits… to the land of their
ancestors with full dignity, security, and assured livelihood," Mahaldar
said in a statement.
"It appears the govt of India - the
BJP has given up/ bombed its all commitments by proposing such a defective
demonstration in the shadow (guise) of political strengthening to the Kashmir
Pandits."
Mahaldar told The Telegraph that
reserving seats for the displaced Pandits amounts to making their
"displacement" permanent.
"Does it mean they will never come
back, or, if they do, they will lose their political representation? The bill
clearly shows the Centre is not interested in bringing the community
back," he said.
The BJP has always claimed that the
return of the Pandits to Kashmir is high on its agenda. But the party has so
far failed to convince the community to do so. Pandits claim the situation is
not conducive to their return.
Pandit employees posted in Kashmir under
the government’s return and rehabilitation policy had, after a spate of
targeted killings, held massive demonstrations last year demanding relocation
to Jammu. The government rebuffed their demand and stopped the salaries of
those who had fled to Jammu, forcing them to return to the Valley.
Mahaldar was also unhappy at the
lieutenant governor being given the power to nominate the members, saying this
meant the Pandits cannot elect their representatives. He said the government
should have instead reserved three elected seats for Pandits in Kashmir.
The Kashmir Pandit Sangarsh Samiti, a
group representing non-migrant Kashmiri Pandits, too criticised the bill
because it excludes those Pandits who have not migrated.
"Resident KPs (Kashmiri Pandits)
are non-entity for BJP. They have (are) keeping us with Muslim majority in
Kashmir. No value for Resident Kashmiri pandits. Rest r enjoying," the
group posted on X.
People's Democratic Party leader Naeem
Akhtar criticised what he called a "deeply flawed reservation",
saying it takes the migrants farther away from their roots.
"Any reintegration looks like a
distant dream with such legislation negating Kashmir's history of electing
minority leaders," he posted on X.
Some Pandits, however, welcomed the
move. Pandit leader Tej Krishan Bhat lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for
taking an initiative that "no other party took in the past".
Hindu refugees from PoK have, however,
expressed anguish at only one seat being reserved for "a 12-lakh-strong
population of PoK refugees living in J&K".
"It's an insult to us," their
leader Rajiv Chunni said.
Source: telegraphindia.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/kashmiri-pandits-fume-at-centres-decision-to-reserve-two-seats-in-jammu-and-kashmir-assembly-for-nominated-representatives/cid/1985584
------
National Investigating Agency Raids 40
Locations InMaharashtra, Arrests 13 In ISIS Conspiracy Case
09.12.23
The National Investigating Agency (NIA)
said that it conducted raids at 40 locations in Maharashtra, including Thane,
Pune, and Mira Bhayandar, leading to the arrest of 13 individuals in connection
with an ISIS conspiracy case. Another location in Karnataka was also raided in
connection with the same case.
The targeted areas in Maharashtra were
predominantly in Thane Rural (31) and Thane city (9), with additional raids in
Pune and Mira Bhayandar. The early morning crackdown follows the revelation
that two individuals initially arrested in a theft case were linked to ISIS.
“The operation was a result of
meticulous investigation and intelligence gathering. We have taken swift action
to neutralize the threat posed by these individuals associated with the ISIS
conspiracy,” stated an NIA spokesperson.
The initial trail leading to the
anti-terror raids emerged when two individuals arrested in a routine theft case
were found to have connections with the terrorist organization ISIS.
Subsequently, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad took charge of the investigation.
In a related development, a suspect
identified as Aakif Ateeque Nachan, allegedly involved in the production of
explosives, was apprehended in August. He became the sixth person to be
arrested in connection with the ongoing ISIS terror module case.
“Today’s operation is part of our
ongoing efforts to dismantle terror networks and ensure the safety and security
of our nation. The arrests made and evidence collected will be crucial in
building a strong case against those involved in these sinister activities,”
said the NIA spokesperson.
Earlier arrests in the same case
included individuals like Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai, Zubair Noor
Mohammed Shaikh alias Abu Nusaiba, Adnan Sarkar from Pune, and Sharjeel Shaikh
and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Thane.
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/nia-raids-40-locations-in-maharashtra-arrests-13-in-isis-conspiracy-case/
----
Assam Cabinet approves census of native
Muslims
Dec 9, 2023
UWAHATI: The Assam cabinet Friday
approved a socio-economic survey of the state's indigenous Muslim population.
The decision comes a year-and-a-half after the Himanta Biswa Sarma government
recognised five communities as "indigenous Assamese Muslims".The
Directorate of Char Areas Development, which will be renamed as Directorate of
Minority Affairs and Char Areas, will carry out the socio-economic assessment
of "indigenous" Muslims, a cabinet note stated.
According to the 2011 Census, Muslims
comprise more than 34% of Assam's population, the third highest among all
states and Union Territories after Lakshadweep and J&K. Of the state's
total population of 3.1 crore, over 1 crore are Muslims. However, only about 40
lakh are native, Assamese-speaking Muslims, and the rest are
Bangladeshi-origin, Bengali-speaking immigrants.
In October, the Himanta government had
announced plans to carry out the socio-economic assessment of the indigenous
Muslim communities. "These findings will guide the government to take
suitable measures aimed at the comprehensive socio-political and educational
upliftment (sic) of the state's indigenous minorities," the CM had said in
a post on X.
The state government had categorised
Goria, Moria, Jolah (only the ones living in tea gardens), Desi and Syed (only
the Assamese-speaking) communities as native Assamese Muslims, who do not have
any history of migration from erstwhile East Pakistan and now Bangladesh, in
July last year.
The decision to identify five sub-groups
as indigenous was based on the recommendations of seven sub- committees formed
by the state government earlier. Such classification had been a long-standing
demand of these communities that often complained of being marginalised and
sidelined by Bengali-speaking Muslims and not getting any benefits, despite
being original inhabitants of Assam.
These communities converted to Islam
between the 13th and the 17th centuries. Unlike the Bengali-speaking migrants,
their mother tongue is Assamese and their cultural practices and traditions are
similar to native Hindus.
The Gorias and Morias worked for the
Ahom kings and the Desis were originally Koch-Rajbongshis, who converted to
Islam.
Muslims brought by the British from the
Chottanagpur plateau to work in the tea gardens comprise the Jolha tribe, while
the Syeds are descendants of the followers of Sufi saints.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/assam-cabinet-approves-census-of-native-muslims/articleshow/105849216.cms
-----
Week-Long Rituals from Jan 17 to Mark
Ayodhya Ceremony
09th December 202
LUCKNOW: A host of Vedic rituals will
mark the consecration ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram in ‘sanctum sanctorum’
of the upcoming temple on Ram Janmabhoomi premises in Ayodhya. The city is
poised to witness a historical spiritual convergence comprising luminaries from
all walks of life, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on January 22.
As per Maniji, the manager of Shree
Kanchi KamakotiPeetham, Kanchipuram, based in Kashi and Ayodhya, the week-long
celebrations related to the consecration ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram in
his child form will commence from January 17.
As per the sources close to main priest
Acharya Pt Laxmikant Mathuranath Dixit, 86-year-old Vedic Karmkand (ritualism)
scholar from Kashi, who would lead the rituals related to the consecration
ceremony, the performance of the basic rituals, including Sarvaprayashchita
Homam (ritual to seek atonement), Dashvidsnan (bathing in the Saryu river),
assuming his place by yajman (person who perform yajna) and others will take
place on the afternoon of January 16.
During the ceremony, Acharya Dixit would
be accompanied by Pt Ganeshwar Shastri Dravida and 121 other Vedic acharyas in
the performance of all the pujas. On January 17, a series of rituals will begin
with Jalyatra, Tirth and Kalash Pujan followed by a Kalash Yatra which will be
taken out in the temple town. Main Vedic rituals of the consecration will begin
with ‘Pradhan Sankalpa’ and Ganeshambika Pujan (worship of Lord Ganesh and
Goddess Ambika) on January 18 afternoon. ‘Mandap Pravesh’ and ‘Pujan’ along with
‘Yajnabhumi Pujan’ will also take place the same day.
The rituals to be performed on January
19 will commence with ‘Devta Pujan’, recital of all branches of four Vedas,
Adhivasan, Kunddpujan (invoking Agni Devta ahead of havan), Jaladhivas (keeping
idol of Ram Lalla immersed in water), Annadhivas (keeping idol in foodgrain) and Ghritadhivas (idol will be
kept in ghee/butter oil) along with other pre-consecration rituals.
On January 20, the temple courtyard
would be washed and purified with medicated water filled in 81 urns.
Subsequently, ‘Vastupujan’ of the temple would be performed.
January 21 will mark the bathing of the
idol of Ram Lalla to be consecrated on January 22. Water from different
pilgrimage sites and holy rivers, filled in 114 urns, would be used to bathe
the idol which would then be worshipped through Mahapuja and would be taken for
‘Nagarbhraman’ (city tour) to facilitate the devotees to have its darshan
before its consecration in ‘garbhgriha’ (sanctum sanctorum) the next day.
During Nagarabhraman, Ram Lala will ride
a special chariot and take a round of Ayodhya in a massive procession. After
rituals, the idol of Ram Lala would be brought to ‘Yajna Mandap’ where the
rituals of Shaiyyadhivas, Tatvanyas and Mahanyas will be performed.
January 22 will witness the
Devpranpratishtha (main consecration of deity) rituals comprising Ganesh puja,
Ambika puja, Varun puja, Matrika puja, Brahmin puja and Vastu puja.
The day will take off with routine
morning puja followed by a grand Mahapuja of Pran Pratishtha in the afternoon.
Then ‘Shodashopachara puja’ under which ‘16 sanskars’ of the deity as per Vedic
rituals would be conducted. It will be followed by the first ‘Maha Aarti’, in
which Ram Lala will be presented before the devotees before finally being
enthroned inside the ‘Garbha Griha’ under the auspicious Mrigashira Nakshatra
(asterism) .
As per sources, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is expected to take part in Mahapuja, Mahaarti and Purnaahuti offered to
the deity. Sources said that the consecration
would be followed 48-day of ‘Mandala Puja’ and ‘Mandala Abhishekam’.
VEDIC RITUALS ON JAN 18
The week-long celebrations related to
the consecration ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram in his child form will start
from January 17. Vedic rituals will
begin on January 18
Source: newindianexpress.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/dec/09/save-the-dates-week-long-rituals-from-jan-17-to-mark-ayodhya-ceremony-2639942.html
-----
North America
American Jews want Biden to press Israel
for ceasefire in Gaza
December 9, 2023
Anwar Iqbal
WASHINGTON: In an evolving shift within
the American Jewish community, over 500 employees from more than 140 synagogues
and Jewish organisations have signed an open letter, urging President Joe Biden
to broker a cease-fire in the Gaza crisis.
The signatories, many of whom fear job
repercussions and thus chose to remain anonymous, represent a diverse spectrum
of American Jewish groups, including synagogues, local Jewish community
centers, social services agencies, philanthropic organizations, and Jewish
cultural institutions.
“Many of us have devoted our life’s work
to building thriving Jewish communities,” reads the letter, which follows
similar anonymous open letters from various groups of US government employees.
“We know there is no military solution
to this crisis. We know that Israelis and Palestinians are here to stay —
neither Jewish safety nor Palestinian liberation can be achieved if they are
pitted against one another,” they wrote.
This letter, distinct from left-wing
Jewish pro-ceasefire protests, reflects a mainstream perspective. It emphasises
the need for a lasting peace that considers the well-being of both Israelis and
Palestinians. Some of the signatories, who have dedicated their lives to
building thriving Jewish communities, express the belief that there is no
military solution to the crisis.
While major American Jewish
organizations typically support Israel in its conflict with Hamas, dissent is
quietly growing, especially among younger employees. The letter underscores a
nuanced view within the community, challenging the narrative that all Jews
unequivocally endorse current military actions.
One of the signatories, aware of
potential professional consequences, stated, ‘If I lose my job over this, well,
I honestly don’t want to work at an institution that wants to fire me over my
views of Israel.’ This sentiment captures the courage of those within the
Jewish community who are taking a stand, emphasising the gravity of their
decision.
Congresswoman Becca Balint, whose father
survived the Holocaust while a grandfather was killed in it, offered a
statement in support of the letter, saying Israel’s bombing of Gaza “risks
future security” for Israel.
Opinion surveys suggest a growing
disillusionment among young American Jews with the war policies of both the
Israeli and US governments. The letter raises questions about the potential
impact on the future generation of Jewish leaders, donors, and members if a
significant segment feels isolated.
Beyond organisational employees, even
White House interns have voiced their concerns. Over 40 Fall 2023 White House
interns sent a separate letter to President Biden, calling for the
administration’s support for a permanent cease-fire.
“We, the undersigned Fall 2023 White
House and Executive Office of the President interns, will no longer remain
silent on the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people,” the interns wrote.
“We heed the voices of the American
people and call on the Administration to demand a permanent ceasefire,” the
interns wrote. “We are not the decision makers of today, but we aspire to be
the leaders of tomorrow, and we will never forget how the pleas of the American
people have been heard and thus far, ignored.”
In Boston, a gathering of more than 300
Jews and allies at the Boston Public Library highlighted the broader sentiment.
While observing Chanukah, they mourned the devastating violence in Gaza,
Israel, and the West Bank.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1796393/american-jews-want-biden-to-press-israel-for-ceasefire-in-gaza
------
Muslim state ministers in US seek end to
fighting in Gaza
December 9, 2023
WASHINGTON: There must be an immediate
end to the fighting in Gaza but governments worldwide do not seem to see it as
a priority, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Friday in Washington,
adding that there must also be a credible roadmap to establish a Palestinian
state.
At a joint press conference before
meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a group of foreign ministers
refused to discuss in detail the future of Gaza, saying the focus should remain
on stopping the fighting immediately in the Palestinian enclave.
“Our message is consistent and clear
that we believe that it is absolutely necessary to end the fighting
immediately,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said.
For the world, he said that one of the
disturbing facts of this crisis is that ending the unrest and the fighting
doesn’t seem to be the main priority.
Humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza
needed to be significantly increased, he said, adding that it is “unacceptable”
that aid “is being restricted and has been restricted” because of “bureaucratic
obstacles.” The Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee comprises ministers of Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Palestinian Authority and Turkiye.
In an interview on Friday, Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas called for an immediate end to the Israeli aggression
in Gaza and said an international peace conference should be called to work out
a lasting political solution leading to the establishment of a Palestinian
state.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1796395/muslim-state-ministers-in-us-seek-end-to-fighting-in-gaza
------
CAIR Condemns ‘Unconscionable’ U.S. Veto
of U.N. Gaza Ceasefire Resolution
Ismail Allison
December 8, 2023
(WASHINGTON, DC – 12/8/2023) – The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today condemned an “unconscionable” United
States veto of a United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate
humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Thirteen Security Council members voted in
favor of a draft resolution, while Britain abstained.
In a statement, CAIR National Executive
Director Nihad Awad said:
“It is unconscionable that the Biden
administration would stand alone in voting to continue the ethnic cleansing,
starvation and genocide being carried out by Israel’s far-right government in
Gaza. It is not clear what level of suffering by the Palestinian people would
prompt our nation’s leaders to act in their defense.”
Earlier this week, CAIR welcomed the
invocation of a rare clause ordering the UN Security Council to meet to discuss
an urgent ceasefire in Israel’s ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza.
Israel has killed more than 17,000
Palestinians, mostly women and children in Gaza in recent weeks. Many more have
been killed by Israeli occupation forces and illegal settlers in the West
Bank.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-unconscionable-u-s-veto-of-u-n-gaza-ceasefire-resolution/
-----
US is now left alone on Gaza issue:
Turkish foreign minister
Diyar Güldoğan
09.12.2023
The US is now left alone on the Gaza
issue after it blocked the passage of a UN Security Council resolution
demanding a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Türkiye’s foreign minister said
Friday.
"Our friends once again expressed
that America is now alone on this issue, especially in the voting held at the
United Nations today," Fidan told Anadolu and Turkish national broadcaster
TRT in an exclusive interview in the US.
Fidan was in the capital Washington,
D.C. along with his counterparts after they were assigned by a joint
Arab-Islamic extraordinary summit last month to press for a cease-fire in Gaza,
which has been under Israeli attacks for over two months.
The summit mandated the foreign
ministers of Türkiye, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar
and Nigeria to take international action to stop the war in Gaza and achieve
lasting peace.
The committee separately met with US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with think tanks, media organizations and
politicians.
During their meeting with Blinken, Fidan
said the group, which has become "almost the spokesperson and
interpreter" of world public opinion, "frankly" expressed the
tragedy in Gaza and its effects.
'American political system is now
helpless on issues related to Israel'
Turning to the US veto of the UN
Security Council resolution on Gaza, Fidan said: "As we expressed in our
meetings today, the American political system is now helpless on issues related
to Israel. Therefore, Israel acts recklessly on this issue and continues its
oppression."
The US on Friday vetoed the resolution,
which was put forward by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and backed by over 90
member states. There were 13 votes in favor and the UK abstained.
Noting that the contact group will
continue its work on Gaza "without interruption," Fidan said it will
continue to be the spokesperson of the world public opinion's feelings on this
issue.
He added that the contact group will
hold meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canadian Foreign
Minister Melanie Joly on Saturday.
After Canada, he said the contact group
will have meetings in Norway next week and later in Geneva.
Bilateral talks with Blinken
Speaking about his bilateral meeting
with Blinken, Fidan said Türkiye brings up its position regarding the situation
in Gaza "very clearly" with the US.
"We express to them very clearly
the seriousness of the situation here, that there is no more tolerance, and our
stance on what steps need to be taken in this regard," he added.
Fidan said he also discussed Sweden's
NATO membership with Blinken, adding: "Of course, our position on this
issue is clear."
Finland and Sweden applied for NATO
membership shortly after Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022.
Although Türkiye approved Finland's NATO
membership, it is waiting for Sweden to fulfill its commitments not to provide
shelter to terrorists or supporters of terrorists and not to facilitate their
actions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
signed Sweden's NATO accession protocol and submitted it to parliament in
October for a ratification vote.
"From now on, it is at the
discretion of the parliament, and we have conveyed this to our
counterparts," Fidan said.
Fidan said the normalization process
between Azerbaijan and Armenia was also on the agenda during his meeting with
Blinken.
"We, as Türkiye, said that we
support the peace agreement between the two countries and that we are doing our
best to make it happen
"They also agree on this issue. We
think that normalization in the region will be in the interest of the
region," he added.
On Thursday, Azerbaijan and Armenia
issued a joint statement announcing their agreement to mutually release
detainees in a step toward peace.
Türkiye believes that a lasting peace in
the South Caucasus can only be achieved through a comprehensive and permanent
peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/us-is-now-left-alone-on-gaza-issue-turkish-foreign-minister/3077760
-----
Biden: US Ready to Respond to 'Possible
Threats' from Afghanistan
December 8, 2023
In a letter to the US Congress,
President Joe Biden said that US forces stationed in the region are ready to
respond to "possible threats" arising from Afghanistan.
He said that the US military personnel
remain postured outside Afghanistan to address threats to the United States
“homeland and United States interests that may arise from inside Afghanistan.”
However, Biden did not give details
about where the American forces are stationed.
So far, the Islamic Emirate has not
reacted to this comment, but has previously said that Afghanistan's soil is not
a threat to any country.
“The Islamic Emirate has taken serious
steps against every element causing insecurity in Afghanistan. It has taken an
effective stance. So Afghanistan is not insecure,”
Zabiullah Mujahid, Islamic Emirate’s
spokesman, previously said.
Asadullah Nadim, military analyst, said
that the networks which are active in Afghanistan don’t have the capacity to
attack the US.
“The networks that are active in
Afghanistan including the Taliban don’t have the ability to attack the US and
its allies and even the neighboring countries,” he said.
“The US is concerned that Daesh or
al-Qaeda will come under Russia’s control and get access to the modern weapons
that can cause problems for the US,” said Sarwar Niazai, political analyst.
On November 30, the US State Department
released a report dated April 2023 that focused on terrorism in 2022 and which
claimed that Al-Qaeda, Daesh and other regional terrorist groups remained
active in Afghanistan.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-186401
-----
Mideast
Hamas: Over 100 Mosques, Three Churches
Destroyed in Gaza in Israel’s Strikes
2023-December-9
TEHRAN (FNA)- More than 100 mosques and
three Christian churches have been destroyed as a result of Israeli attacks on
the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian movement Hamas said.
"In the course of the ongoing
aggression in Gaza, Israeli forces have struck most of the historical monuments
in the Palestinian enclave," it said in a statement. According to Hamas,
as many as 104 mosques and three churches have been destroyed in bombardments
as of today, TASS reported.
It condemned the strike on the Great
Omari Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the Gaza Strip, which led to its
partial destruction. It slammed this attack as a "barbaric crime against a
religious and historic monument".
Nevertheless, "such methods cannot
break the will of the Palestinian people and its resistance to the
aggression", Hamas stressed.
Tensions flared up again in the Middle
East on October 7 after fighters from the Gaza Strip-based Palestinian group
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory, killing many Israeli
kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 200
Israelis, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack
as a response to Israeli authorities’ aggressive actions against the Al-Aqsa
Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.
Israel declared a total blockade of the
Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon
and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.
Source: farsnews.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020918000234/Hamas-Over-00-Mses-Three-Chrches-Desryed-in-Gaza-in-Israel%E2%80%99s-Srikes
-----
Hamas says US veto blocking Gaza
cease-fire ‘unethical and inhumane’
December 09, 2023
CAIRO: Hamas strongly condemns the US
veto that blocked a proposed United Nations Security Council demand for an
immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, a senior Hamas official said late on
Friday in an official statement, saying that the group considers Washington’s
move “unethical and inhumane.”
“The US obstruction of the issuance of a
cease-fire resolution is a direct participation with the occupation in killing
our people and committing more massacres and ethnic cleansing,” Ezzat
El-Reshiq, a member of the group’s political bureau, said.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2422691/middle-east
-----
Lebanon’s Hezbollah says staged fresh
anti-Israel attacks in support of Gaza
08 December 2023
Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah
said it continued anti-Israel operations in support of Gaza on Friday,
launching missiles and other weapons at eight Israeli military positions.
The movement said in separate statements
it attacked the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms two
times, as well as the Metat barracks and several other sites, using unspecified
weapons. It said it also hit the Al-Raheb position using Burkan rockets.
According to the movement, the
operations were carried out "in support of the steadfast Palestinian
people in the Gaza Strip and solidarity with their courageous and honorable
resistance.”
The Israeli regime bombarded towns in
southern Lebanon and flew helicopters and drones in the skies in the border
areas.
In one of the latest attacks, Israeli
artillery struck a medical facility belonging to the Lebanese Army. The strike
hit the Ain Ebel Army Hospital causing material damage but no casualties, the
Army said.
Another Israeli strike hit a Lebanese
Army center in Ras Naqoura causing light injuries.
Earlier this week, a Lebanese soldier
was killed by Israeli shelling near the border, the first such casualty of the
war.
Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah
and Israel have been exchanging fire since early October, shortly after the
regime launched its war on the besieged Gaza Strip following a surprise Hamas
operation into the Israeli-occupied territories.
Since the exchanges began, more than 110
people have been killed on the Lebanese side, including more than a dozen
civilians, according to an AFP tally.
Hezbollah has said that over 80 of its
members have been killed since the war’s outbreak in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon says it will file a complaint at
the UN Security Council over the killing of one of its soldiers in an Israeli
attack in southern Lebanon.
On Friday, Hezbollah said three more of
its members had been killed during anti-Israel operations.
The movement has vowed to keep up its
retaliatory operations as long as the regime sustains its warfare against the
besieged Palestinian territory.
The fighting has forced the evacuation
of tens of thousands from the northern part of the Israeli-occupied
territories, which have been pummeled by rocket fire and shelling carried out
by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian groups.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/08/716032/Lebanon-Hezbollah-says-staged-fresh-anti-Israel-attacks-in-support-of-Gaza
------
US vetoes UN Security Council resolution
calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
December 9, 2023
UNITED NATIONS: The United States on
Friday vetoed the UAE resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in
Gaza, although 13 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council voted in its
favour. Britain abstained.
The US veto ended a desperate effort by
the UN Secretary General António Guterres who warned that if not stopped now,
the fighting in Gaza would endanger the world peace and destabilise the Middle
East.
The resolution, moved by the UAE, the
only Arab state in the 15-member Council, was voted in the early hours of
Saturday morning (Pakistan time).
Earlier, US Ambassador to the United
Nations, Robert A. Wood, had made it clear that Washington did not support an
immediate ceasefire.
In his address to the emergency session,
called by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Ambassador Wood criticised the
Security Council’s failure to condemn Hamas’ Oct 7 raid and emphasised a
“fundamental disconnect” between discussions and realities on the ground. The
United States, he said, opposed an immediate ceasefire, as this “would only
plant the seeds” for the next crisis because Hamas has “no desire to see a
lasting peace, to see a two-State solution.”
But the US envoy also warned Israel that
“there must be no enduring displacement or reduction in Gaza’s territory. Under
no circumstances would the US support forced relocation of Palestinians from
Gaza or the West Bank.”
Secretary-General Guterres, who used
his emergency powers to call the meeting, expressed concern over the potential
collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza. Emphasising the risk of
devastating consequences for public order, mass displacement into Egypt, and
regional security, he reiterated his call for “an immediate humanitarian
ceasefire” and urged the Council to “act now.”
British Ambassador Barbara Woodward said
the “shocking scale of civilian casualties” was alarming. While supporting
Israel’s right to self-defense, she called for targeted and precise actions,
protection of civilians, and increased humanitarian aid to prevent a
catastrophe.
France’s Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière
reiterated the call for “an immediate humanitarian truce leading to a permanent
ceasefire.” Condemning Hamas’ actions, France deplored the decision not to
renew the UN Resident Coordinator’s visa. France also expressed concern over
Jewish settlements, calling for a two-state solution.
Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun supported
the UAE’s draft resolution for an immediate ceasefire, stating that “it is
crucial to save lives and pave the way for a two-State solution.” Zhang Jun
warned of an imminent larger crisis, urging Member States to act promptly.
“A larger crisis is imminent, and
regional peace and security are on the precipice. The world is watching. Member
States must act,” he warned.
Russia’s Deputy Representative Dmitriy
Polyanskiy urged the Council to “save Palestinians from extermination” and
demanded an end to hostilities. “We hope that all colleagues will find the
strength and courage to adopt the draft resolution prepared by the United Arab
Emirates,” Mr Polyanskiy said. He also said that flooding Gaza with seawater by
the Israeli military as a tactic of war would amount to a war crime.
UAE Ambassador Mohamed Issa Abushahab
stressed the need for urgent Council action as little aid was reaching Gaza,
creating increased danger for civilians. Mr. Abushahab highlighted the new and
dangerous phase of the unrest, particularly the siege of Khan Yunis and other
parts of southern Gaza.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1796392/us-vetoes-un-security-council-resolution-calling-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza
-----
Hamas recounts gains: Rocket barrage on
Tel Aviv, killing Israeli minister's son
08 December 2023
Hamas has recounted its most recent
battleground gains against the Israeli military, which has brought the Gaza
Strip, where the Palestinian resistance movement is headquartered, under a
ferocious war.
Speaking on Friday, Abu Ubaida,
spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, which is Hamas' military wing, said the
movement had unleashed "intensive rocket barrages" towards Tel Aviv
and other targets across the occupied territories.
"They (resistance's fighters) also
targeted Zionist forces and vehicles entrenched in their positions with
anti-armor shells and anti-personnel explosives, clashed with them at
point-blank range," the official said.
The confrontation, he added, had
resulted in "inflicting confirmed deaths and injuries" among the
enemy's ranks.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Abu Ubaida
confirmed the complete or partial destruction of as many as 21 Israeli military
vehicles across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours.
The occupying regime launched the war on
October 7 in response to an operation staged by Gaza's resistance groups,
during which hundreds were taken captive from across the occupied territories.
Hamas says Operation al-Aqsa Storm is
the continuation of a heroic Intifada (uprising) that was initiated more than
three decades ago and will result in the full liberation of Palestine and the
end of Israeli occupation.
Abu Ubaida went on to say that the
resistance had managed to thwart an attempt by the Israeli military to rescue a
captive soldier, which he named Saar Baruch. The enemy operation resulted in
Baruch's death as well as the death and injury of several other captives
"due to the barbaric bombing of Gaza areas," he added.
A day earlier, al-Qassam Brigades
claimed responsibility for killing Master Sergeant Gal Meer Eizenkot, son of
Gadi Eizenkot, who is a current Israeli war cabinet minister and former chief
of staff of the occupying regime.
Hamas has hailed that the Israeli regime
has failed dismally to attain any of its declared battleground objectives,
including the destruction of the resistance movement, the release of Israeli
captives, and the permanent displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
A senior Hamas official says the
Gaza-based resistance group has worked out a grandiose defensive plan in the
face of the ongoing Israeli air and ground strikes against the Gaza Strip.
The movement has also vowed to keep up
resistance until the end of the Israeli war and has asserted that it can
withstand the regime's aggression for months.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/12/08/716040/Palestine-Israel-Hamas-rocket-barrage-Tel-Aviv-killing-Israeli-minister-son-Gaza-war
-------
Gaza death toll rises to 17,487: health
ministry
Dec 9, 2023
TEHRAN, Dec. 09 (MNA) – Gaza Health
Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra has announced that the number of Palestinian
martyrs in Gaza has risen to 17,487 since the beginning of the Zionist regime's
invasion of the enclave on October 7.
Al-Qudra said on Friday that the Israeli
occupying regime is committing genocide and killing all families in Gaza
schools and residential neighborhoods.
Some 46,480 people have been injured in
the Zionist regime's invasion of the Gaza Strip over the past two months, he
noted.
He added, “Every day we are losing
dozens of wounded due to a lack of care and delay in getting them out of Gaza.”
The ministry underlined that 70 percent
of the victims are innocent children and women.
The aggressions in Gaza followed an
October 7 Al-Aqsa Operation against the Zionist regime by the Palestinian
forces.
Analysts believe that the Palestinian
operation in the occupied lands was a natural response to 75 years of
oppression against the Palestinian people.
Source: mehrnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/209317/Gaza-death-toll-rises-to-17-487-health-ministry
------
Hamas decries Israeli bombing of Great
Omari Mosque in Gaza as 'heinous crime'
Ahmed Asmar
08.12.2023
The Palestinian group Hamas on Friday
strongly condemned the Israeli bombing of the Great Omari Mosque in the Gaza
City, calling it a "heinous barbaric crime."
"The Israeli army bombing of the
Great Omari Mosque in the Gaza City, and its destruction is a heinous barbaric
crime that targeted a historical site and a religious monument of the Gaza
City," Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas also said the Israeli army
targeted most of Gaza's historical and archeological sites including historical
mosques and churches.
The statement said these monuments and
sites were "witnesses to the nobility of the great (Palestinian)
people" over history.
It noted that the Israeli army has so
far destroyed completely 104 mosques and three churches across the Gaza Strip
including many historical ones.
According to the Palestinian news agency
Safa, the Israeli army left immense damage in the Great Omari Mosque, and
published photos that showed the massive damage to the mosque's walls and
roofs, as well as huge cracks to the bottom of its stone minaret.
The Great Omari Mosque, located in the
Daraj neighborhood in the Gaza City, is considered one of the most important
and oldest mosques in Palestine and the first mosque in the Gaza Strip.
Israel resumed its military offensive on
the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a week-long humanitarian pause with
the Palestinian group Hamas.
At least 17,487 Palestinians have been
killed and more than 46,480 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks
on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas
attack stands at 1,200, according to official figures.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/hamas-decries-israeli-bombing-of-great-omari-mosque-in-gaza-as-heinous-crime/3077648
------
South Asia
Mobilise Collective Strength to Prevent
Genocide: PMSheikh HasinaUrges World
Dec 8, 2023
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called
upon the international community to mobilise collective its strength in
preventing genocides.
Reiterating Bangladesh's steadfast
commitment to preventing genocide and similar crimes, she said, "I call
upon the international community to mobilise our collective strength in
preventing such crimes and instead promote a culture of peace and non-violence."
The prime minister said this in a
message on the eve of the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the
Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime.
"Bangladesh joins the international
community in paying its solemn tribute to the victims of genocide throughout
the history of the world and reiterates its firm commitment to prevent all acts
of genocide and end impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators," she said.
"Our commitment to the prevention
and punishment of the crime of genocide stems from our own painful
history," she added.
"On 25 March 1971, the Pakistan
occupation forces unleashed a genocidal campaign against the innocent civilians
of erstwhile East Pakistan to suppress our aspiration for freedom. Three
million innocent people were brutally murdered by the occupation forces and
their local collaborators during our 9-month-long Liberation War. Over 200,000
women were subjected to sexual violence and severe torture, and 10 million
people were forcibly displaced across the border," the premier said.
"The pain and trauma in 1971
motivated us to seek an end to genocide everywhere and demand justice for the
victims of this heinous crime," she said.
"We have redeemed our promise by
holding some of the key perpetrators of the 1971 genocide accountable. As a
manifestation of our deep respect for the victims and to uphold our commitment
to preventing this scourge, we observe 25 March as "Genocide Day' in Bangladesh.
We call upon the international community to support our efforts and recognise
the 1971 genocide," she continued.
"As we observe the 75th anniversary
of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, we
are deeply concerned by the continuation of acts of genocide in many parts of
the world. The scale and gravity of Israeli aggression in Gaza and the killing
of Palestinian civilians remind us of similar painful histories that we must
not allow to repeat," she said.
"In our own neighbourhood, we were
appalled to see how the Rohingyas had been subjected to systematic persecution
and atrocities. As a host country to over a million Rohingya victims, we call
upon the international community to redouble their efforts in creating a safe
and conducive environment in Myanmar where the Rohingyas can return and live
with other communities in peace and dignity," she said.
"We are also concerned by the surge
of xenophobia, racism, and hate speech against ethnic and religious minorities
in various parts of the world that are posing vulnerable people at severe risks
of genocide," she added.
The premier urged the states, the United
Nations, and other stakeholders to continue to raise awareness of those risks,
prevent the occurrence of genocide and condemn them unequivocally when those
risks become visible.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/mobilise-collective-strength-prevent-genocide-pm-urges-world-3489346
----
Pakistani FM and US special
representative discuss Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
December 8, 2023
Thomas West, the U.S. Special
Representative for Afghanistan, met with Pakistan’s acting Foreign Minister,
Jalil Jilani, during his trip to Pakistan.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
issued a statement on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of collective
efforts to improve the well-being and development of the Afghan people in their
discussions.
The statement also highlighted
Pakistan’s commitment to collaborate with international partners in this regard
during the meeting with Pakistani senior diplomat.
West, the U.S. Special Representative
for Afghanistan, began his visit to Pakistan and met with Asif Durrani,
Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, in Islamabad yesterday.
Asif Durrani mentioned that they
discussed various issues related to Afghanistan during their meeting and
emphasized the need to increase cooperation and coordination between the United
States and Pakistan.
West announced two days ago that during
this ten-day trip from December 5th to December 15th, he would visit Pakistan,
the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. Special Representative for
Afghanistan stated that he will discuss matters of mutual security interests,
the protection and resettlement of refugees, humanitarian needs, human rights,
and economic issues during his visits to these countries.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/pakistani-fm-and-us-special-representative-discuss-afghanistan/
------
Red Cross warns of rising poverty and
unemployment in Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
December 8, 2023
The International Red Cross Committee
states that the spread of poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan has greatly
affected the lives of many people.
This committee stated this issue in its
recent report, updated on Thursday. Natural incidents such as droughts, floods,
and earthquakes, along with the suspension of international aid and sanctions
on Afghanistan’s banking system, have been cited as reasons for the expansion
of poverty in the country.
The Red Cross added that half of
Afghanistan’s population is in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
The Afghanistan section of this
committee, referring to a recent Save the Children report, stated that
one-fifth of families in Afghanistan have been forced to burden their children
with heavy labor due to a decrease in income resources.
According to Save the Children’s
estimate, approximately one million children work in Afghanistan, and many of
these families are led by women.
The organization acknowledges that
Afghanistan’s economic problems are understandable. In the committee’s report,
a 43-year-old man is quoted as earning between 100 to 150 Afghanis daily, an
amount insufficient to meet a family’s needs. Despite this, the Red Cross
emphasizes that many people in Afghanistan are unemployed and struggle to
obtain essential food and other necessities.
The committee is trying to help with the
rising poverty and joblessness in Afghanistan, especially as winter is coming.
During this season, people not only need basic necessities but also fuel to
stay warm in the cold weather.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/red-cross-warns-of-rising-poverty-and-unemployment-in-afghanistan/
-----
23 bags of cash collected from
Kishoreganj's Pagla Mosque's donation boxes
Dec 9, 2023
At least 23 bags of money and jwellery
were collected from nine donation boxes of Pagla Mosque in Kishoreganj this
morning.
How much money was in the bags could not
be known yet as the money was still being counted till the filing of this
report, reports our Mymensingh correspondent.
The donation boxes were opened around
7:30am, after 3 months and 20 days, in the presence of Deputy Commissioner of
Kishoreganj Abul Kalam Azad and Superintendent of Kishoreganj Police Mohammad
Russel Sheikh.
Abul Kalam Azad said that there were
eight donation boxes in Pagla Mosque. A new box was added recently due to the
increase in the amount of donations.
Foreign currencies and gold ornaments
were also recovered from the boxes, he added.
Earlier, Pagla Mosque collected a record
amount of Tk 5,78,09,325 from the 8 boxes on August 19.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/police-disperse-mayer-daks-rally-marking-human-rights-day-3489846
-----
Police disperse Mayer Dak’s rally
marking Human Rights Day
Dec 9, 2023
Police today dispersed a rally of Mayer
Dak, a platform for family members of the victims of enforced disappearance.
The platform was holding the rally in
front of the Jatiya Press Club on the eve of Human Rights Day.
According to our reporter on the spot,
the programme was interrupted around 11:00pm by law enforcers.
Shortly after that, a scuffle broke out.
The law enforcers, who took position at the venue even before the organisers of
the event came there, then dispersed the members of the platform.
Police also snatched away the microphone
from Anisa Islam Insha, daughter of a victim of enforced disappearance, while
she was speaking at the programme.
However, the members again regrouped in
front of the press club and were continuing the programme when the report was
filed.
Despite the interruption, the members of
the platform regrouped in front of the press club and continued their
programme.
Source: thedailystar.net
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/police-disperse-mayer-daks-rally-marking-human-rights-day-3489846
------
Europe
East London Mosque: More than 700
evacuated after 'credible' bomb threat
8
December 2023
More than 700 people were evacuated from
East London Mosque following a "credible" bomb threat, amid a rise in
Islamophobia in the UK.
The mosque - one of the largest in the
country - in Whitechapel was sent an anonymous email that claimed a bomb had
been placed in the mosque minutes earlier. It immediately sounded the alarm,
prompting an estimated 700 people, including three nearby schools, had to be
evacuated.
Police attended at 3:02 pm and carried
out a sweep. In a statement, the mosque said: “The East London Mosque received
a credible threat this afternoon, leading to a swift and safe evacuation under
the instruction of local police officers.”
The mosque has doubled its security
since the threat and reassured the community. A spokesperson for the mosque
told Yahoo News the community was ‘resilient’. Fridays are a religious day for
Muslims, and the mosque expects thousands to attend, while a sermon has been
read to worshippers today about rising islamophobia and how to be vigilant.
Since the recent escalation in the
conflict between Gaza and Israel, there has been an increase in incidents of
Islamophobia, and the mosque has had a heightened police presence. Following
the incident, the Maghreb call to prayer was missed for the first time in its
37-year history.
Within an hour of the threat to East
London Mosque, an Islamic primary school miles away received a handwritten
letter addressed to ‘paedophiles’ and signed by ‘your terrorist friend’. Apex
Primary School, in Ilford, received the letter at 3 pm on Thursday.
In the letter, the author said they
wished 'Israel bombed more of those filthy rascals'. They wrote: “You deserve
to die. But don’t worry your surprise will come to you on Friday 8th of
December.” The letter went on to say that a bomb would explode at 9 am.
The primary school said they said it was
grateful for the response from authorities, but added in a lengthy statement
that it was concerned about ‘the future and long term solution to address these
issues’. The headteacher said this isn’t the first time the school has received
a threat of this nature.
Apex Primary School said: “Regrettably,
this is not the first instance of such threats targeting our school, and it is
disheartening to acknowledge that it may not be the last unless decisive
measures are taken.”
The police are investigating the threat
in hopes of identifying the sender. The Metropolitan police said: “We are aware
of social media posts about a threatening letter that was sent to a school in
Ilford. Officers have been in touch with staff at the school to ensure
appropriate security measures are in place.”
The Muslim Association of Britain said
it is ‘deeply disturbed’ by both threats, adding that there has been a 600%
rise in Islamophobia in recent months.
In a statement, the association said:
"Every politician enabling this climate of dehumanisation and
securitisation of Muslims is accountable for the rise in recent attacks against
our children and places of worship.”
Source: yahoo.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/east-london-mosque-bomb-threat-evacuation-163032474.html
----
Macron urges Netanyahu to open Gaza
crossing
December 8, 2023
PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron
on Friday urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to open a major
crossing to deliver much-needed aid into Gaza.
The Kerem Shalom checkpoint was
responsible for 60 percent of goods getting into the besieged Palestinian
territory before October 7 and the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths
on Thursday said he saw promising signs that the Kerem Shalom crossing from
Israel into the Gaza Strip might be opened soon to allow in aid.
Macron tells Netanyahu ‘too many
civilian losses’ in Gaza
In a telephone conversation between the
two leaders, Macron also spoke of “the need to protect civilians in Gaza and
stressed the importance of achieving a lasting ceasefire”, said the Elysee.
He added that “Israel must take the
necessary measures to put an end to the violence committed by settlers against
Palestinian civilians in the West Bank”.
The Palestinian Authority says Israeli
fire and settler attacks in the West Bank have killed at least 263 Palestinians
since the Israel-Hamas war began.
On Saturday, Macron called for
“redoubled efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire”, following the end of an
initial week-long truce.
He also urged Israel to clarify its
objective to destroy Hamas, warning it could take “10 years” of war to achieve.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40277552/macron-urges-netanyahu-to-open-gaza-crossing
------
Six French teens convicted over their
roles in an extremist’s killing of a teacher
December 08, 2023
PARIS: A French juvenile court on Friday
convicted six teenagers for their roles in the beheading of a teacher by an
extremist that shocked the country.
Teacher Samuel Paty was killed outside
his school in 2020 after showing his class cartoons of the prophet of Islam
during a debate on free expression. The attacker, a young Chechen who had
radicalized, was killed by police.
The court found five of the defendants,
who were 14 and 15 at the time of the attack, guilty of staking out the teacher
and identifying him for the attacker. Another defendant, 13 at the time, was
found guilty of lying about the classroom debate in a comment that aggravated
online anger against the teacher.
The teenagers — all students at Paty’s
school — testified that they didn’t know the teacher would be killed. All were
handed brief or suspended prison terms, and required to stay in school or jobs
during the duration of their suspended terms with regular medical checkups.
They left the courtroom without
speaking. Some had their heads down as they listened to the verdicts. One
appeared to wipe tears.
Paty’s name was disclosed on social
media after a class debate on free expression during which he showed prophet
caricatures published by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The publication
had triggered a deadly extremist massacre in the Charlie Hebdo newsroom in
2015.
Paty, a history and geography teacher,
was killed on Oct. 16, 2020, near his school in a Paris suburb by attacker
Abdoullakh Anzorov.
The five who identified Paty to the
attacker were convicted of involvement in a group preparing aggravated
violence.
The sixth defendant wrongly claimed that
Paty had asked Muslim students to raise their hands and leave the classroom
before he showed the class the prophet cartoons. She was not in the classroom
that day, and later told investigators she had lied. She was convicted of
making false allegations.
Her father shared the lie in an online
video that called for mobilization against the teacher. He and a radical
activist who helped disseminate virulent messages against Paty are among eight
adults who will face a separate trial for adults suspected of involvement in
the killing, expected late next year.
The trial was held behind closed doors,
and the media are not allowed to disclose the defendants’ identities according
to French law regarding minors.
The proceedings come weeks after a
teacher was fatally stabbed and three other people injured in northern France
in October in a school attack by a former student suspected of radicalization.
That killing occurred in a context of global tensions over the Israel-Hamas war
and led French authorities to deploy 7,000 additional soldiers across the
country to bolster security and vigilance.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2422591/world
------
Around 40 more Ukrainians evacuated from
Gaza – Zelenskyy
8 DECEMBER 2023
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has
announced that nearly 40 more Ukrainian citizens have been evacuated from the
Gaza Strip.
Source: Zelenskyy in his evening video
address
Quote: "Our intelligence and
diplomats continue the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from the Gaza Strip.
The entire day today has been dedicated to bringing our people to safe
territory. Almost 40 Ukrainian citizens are now safe."
Details: The President thanked Ukraine's
Defence Intelligence, Ukrainian diplomats, and Ukraine’s allies in the region.
Background: Yevhen Korniichuk,
Ambassador of Ukraine to Israel, had previously reported during the temporary
truce that the Embassy of Ukraine in Israel had received another 146
applications from Ukrainian citizens wishing to evacuate from the Gaza Strip.
According to Korniichuk, the Ukrainian
authorities have received 329 permits for the evacuation of citizens from the
Gaza Strip from Israel and Egypt over the entire period. It has been possible
to evacuate 259 people, 172 of whom are now in Ukraine. The rest decided to
stay in Egypt or go to Europe on their own.
There are still about 500 people with
Ukrainian passports in the Gaza Strip.
Source: pravda.com.ua
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/12/8/7432315/
----
Pakistan
Pakistan's Jailed PM Imran
Khan:Treatment Meted Out ToAfghan Refugees Against Islamic Values
Dec 9, 2023
LAHORE: Pakistan's jailed former prime
minister Imran Khan has said the treatment being meted out to Afghan refugees
in the country is contrary to the core values of Islam and its social values.
In a message from jail which his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party issued
here on Friday said 71-year-old Khan has made it clear that the treatment being
given to Afghan refugees was contrary to the teachings of Islam, the Holy
Quran, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet and our social and moral traditions.
Pakistan has started deporting illegal
Afghan nationals since early last month citing the rise of terrorism because of
them. The government has listed some 1.7 million Afghan nationals as illegal.
Khan said that Afghan nationals should
be treated with dignity and respect because both countries had a centuries-long
relationship based on brotherhood and mutual respect.
"Talking of the maltreatment of
Afghan refugees, Khan reminded that hijra had a special place in Islam as
Hazrat Musa, Hazrat Ibrahim, and Prophet Muhammad as also other Prophets had
experienced this in their lives. He stressed that it is obligatory upon us as a
nation to take special care of the refugees seeking asylum in our country who
had been deprived of their homes and lands as a result of wars and disasters
and treat them with kindness and respect," the PTI statement said.
It said Khan emphasised that Afghanistan
is our brotherly neighbouring Islamic country and people of both countries are
bound together in relations of brotherhood spread over centuries.
Khan further said that nations can't
change their neighbours and they need each other's support from time to time.
He underlined that trust-based relations
with neighbours will guarantee the future security of Pakistan.
Khan pointed out that Pakistan served
Afghan refugees for 40 years and the positive impact of decades-long warm
hospitality was being nullified by pursuing poor strategy.
"Some 1.5 million refugees are not
an unbearable burden on a nation of 250 million people. A sizable majority of
refugees who came to Pakistan seeking asylum belonged to the poorest segments
of the society," Khan said, warning that negative sentiments would instil
in the entire Afghan nation due to the failure to handle the refugee issue with
civility, courtesy, and wisdom.
He warned that the ill feelings and
bitterness caused by the poor strategy would become a part of their psyche,
which would remain a permanent huddle in building durable bilateral relations
between the two countries.
Khan said the current approach of
herding Afghan refugees like sheep should be abandoned instantly. He advised
them to deliberate on the whole issue wisely and adopt a dignified way by
safeguarding the self-respect of the refugees.
Khan has been in jail since this August
in different cases.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistans-jailed-former-pm-imran-khan-says-treatment-meted-out-to-afghan-refugees-against-islamic-values/articleshow/105846815.cms
------
Afghans residing legally to be deported
if found involved in political activities, says Bugti
December 8, 2023
Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz
Bugti on Friday said that any Afghan residing legally in the country if found
engaging in political activities would be deported.
In November, the caretaker government
had initiated a nationwide campaign to deport illegal foreign nationals, the
majority of whom are Afghans. While the decision had prompted criticism from
Afghanistan and several other quarters, the government has refused to budge,
insisting the move is not aimed at any particular ethnic group.
Of the more than four million Afghans
living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7m are undocumented. So far,
thousands of Afghans have returned home from the Torkham and Chaman border
crossings.
Providing an update on the deportation
drive in an Islamabad press conference today, Bugti announced that the
government had devised a new policy for legal Afghan residents, refugees with
Afghan Citizen Cards or other relevant identification.
“They cannot participate in any
political activity in Pakistan, they have nothing to do with Pakistan’s
politics. Around 10 people have been identified initially, and the number is
growing [of those] involved in political activities and they are being deported.”
Bugti said the policy would be
implemented across the board against all categories of Afghans with legal
documentation, including those with business or tourist visas.
He added that “visa holders from other
countries or those on a business visa or any other visa or with any other
status” would also be expelled if they participated in political activities.
The interior minister said that with the
February 8 general elections inching closer, such individuals would be deported
as soon as possible. He said the government was searching for such individuals,
adding that he would provide an updated count within a week.
“Pakistanis have to engage in politics,
we have the right to politics and we will carry it out while remaining within
the Constitution.”
The interior minister said 482,845
people had left the country through various borders under the government’s
deportation drive, with 90 per cent or slightly more returning voluntarily.
Bugti said the first phase of the
deportation drive was still under way, adding that “ultimately everyone has to
go back in the second stage […] Finally, the time is coming when only
Pakistanis will live in Pakistan.”
The minister said that whoever wanted to
come to Pakistan would have to do so legally. He claimed the figures showed
there was no substance to the perception being perpetuated in the media about
the “manhandling” of refugees or their harassment.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1796239/afghans-residing-legally-to-be-deported-if-found-involved-in-political-activities-says-bugti
------
Pakistan says nearly half a million
Afghans have left in just over two months
December 9, 2023
Nearly half a million Afghans who were
living in Pakistan without valid documents have returned home in just over two
months as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal migrants in the country, the
caretaker interior minister said Friday.
At a news conference in Islamabad on
Friday, caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said more than 482,000
Afghans have returned home in the past more than two months, 90% going
voluntarily. He said Pakistan has also decided to deport 10 Afghans who were in
the country legally but who were taking part in political activities, the
Associated Press reported.
“Only Pakistani citizens are allowed to
engage in political activities in the country. Any foreigner who is found
involved in any political activity will be deported immediately,” he said.
Bugti did not identify the 10 Afghans who are being deported, nor did he give
any details about their activities in Pakistan’s politics.
Bugti said in the ongoing first phase,
only undocumented Afghans were being deported but at some point every Afghan
refugee would have to go back because Pakistan had already hosted them for up
to 40 years.
His comments coincide with US Special
Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West’s visit to Islamabad where he met
with Pakistani officials including foreign minister and army chief.
West said on X on Saturday that they
talked about “grave security challenges posed by TTP as well as imperative to
protect Afghan refugees.”
Source: ariananews.af
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ariananews.af/pakistan-says-nearly-half-a-million-afghans-have-left-in-just-over-two-months/
-----
Five-member LHC bench to hear Imran’s
plea against disqualification
December 09, 2023
LAHORE: Justice Shujaat Ali Khan of the
Lahore High Court on Friday referred a petition, filed by former Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan against his five-year
disqualification in Toshakhana case, to a five-member bench for hearing.
Justice Khan heard the petition in
chamber, and referred it to a five-member bench after initial arguments of
Senator Ali Zafar and Barrister Sameer Khosa, who represented Imran Khan.
The former PTI chairman had challenged
his disqualification, stating that the Election Commission of Pakistan’’s (ECP)
step of disqualifying him was against the principles of natural justice and due
process of law.
Meanwhile, Justice Khan also referred a
petition, filed by the PTI challenging the ECP order instructing the party to
hold fresh intra-party polls, to the five-member bench, after its initial
hearing in chamber. The PTI had requested the court to set aside the ECP orders
of holding fresh party elections and declare that the intra-party elections
conducted on June 10, 2022, were valid by the party’s constitution.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1136586-five-member-lhc-bench-to-hear-imran-s-plea-against-disqualification
------
Toshakhana case: NAB issues final
call-up notice to Bushra
December 09, 2023
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: The Combined Investigation
Team (CIT) of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) probing Toshakhana case has
summoned Bushra Bibi on Monday (December 11).
The CIT NAB is investigating a case
pertaining to misuse of authority and misappropriation in sale of gifted state
assets etc against Imran khan and others.
The NAB stated that Bushra Bibi was
summoned multiple times to produce the state gifts but she failed to comply,
therefore, she was being given the last opportunity to appear along with a male
family member before CIT, IW-I, NAB (Rawalpindi/Islamabad), Civic Centre, G-6,
Islamabad at 1000hrs on 11/12/2023.
The notice stated, “Whereas the
competent authority has taken cognizance of commission of offences of
corruption and corrupt practices as defined under section 9(a) (iii), (iv),
& (xii) and offences defined in the schedule attached with NAO, 1999 and in
this regard the investigation proceedings have revealed that during her
husband’s tenure in office as Prime Minister of Pakistan, she, being wife of
ex-PM, received following gifts from foreign dignitaries amounting to millions
of rupees and retained these gifts against meager retention cost based on
undervalued assessment/appraisement.”
According to NAB notice, the gifts
included one locket with chain, pair of ear tops, two rings & pair of
bracelet on 26.06.2019, One necklace (gold & diamond), one bracelet (gold
& diamond), one ring (gold & diamond) & pair of earrings (gold
& diamond). One necklace, 1x pair of earrings, ring & bracelet watch.
The call up notice stated, “And whereas,
gifted state assets received by you were not deposited in Toshakhana for fair
price assessment in contravention of Toshakhana procedures. And whereas, said
gifted state assets were retained without fair price assessment, hence, you in
connivance with your co-accused Imran Khan, ex-PM misappropriated gifted state
assets and gained pecuniary benefits,” the notice stated.
Through the final call notice the NAB
warned that in case of non-compliance of directions contained in this notice,
the authority may adopt coercive measures against her as provided under the
provisions of NAO, 1999.
Meanwhile, the National Accountability
Bureau (NAB) is preparing another reference against former prime minister Imran
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi as co-accused in the Toshakhana case. According
to sources, the preparation of reference against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra
Bibi is at the final stage as the process of investigation in Toshakhana case
against founder PTI has been completed. Sources said the NAB has collected
evidence related to Toshakhana reference.
Earlier, she was asked multiple times to
produce the state gifts but she failed to comply and now the final notice
served on her.
Sources said the NAB is likely to file a
Toshakhana reference against former prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife
Bushra BIbi as a co-accused within this month in Accountability Court.
Source: thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1136553-toshakhana-case-nab-issues-final-call-up-notice-to-bushra
------
Court adjourns hearing of Imran Khan’s
Nikah case
2023-12-09
ISLAMABAD: A local court, on Friday,
adjourned the hearing of the case regarding the Nikah of former premier Imran
Khan with his wife Bushra Bibi, following the request of the prosecution, till
December 11.
The civil judge, Qudratullah, while
hearing the case, adjourned the hearing of Nikah’s case without proceedings
till December 11.
At the start of the hearing, prosecutor
Rizwan Abbasi requested the court to adjourn the hearing of the case till
Monday. The court approved Abbasi’s request.
The court has so far recorded the
statements of Bushra Bibi’s former husband Khawar Maneka, his servant Muhammad
Latif, Mufti Muhammad Saeed who had solemnized the Nikah, and former Advisor to
Prime Minister on Sports and Tourism Awn Chaudhry.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40277612/court-adjourns-hearing-of-iks-Nikah-case
------
Pakistan issues visa to Indian Hindu
pilgrims for visit to Sindh’s Shadani Darbar
December 8, 2023
Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi
has issued 104 visas to the Indian Hindu pilgrims for their visit to Pakistan
to participate in the 315th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Shiv
AvtariSatguru Sant Shadaram Sahib, at Shadani Darbar Hayat Pitafi, Sindh from
12-23 December, APP reported.
Expressing his views on the occasion,
Charge d’ Affairs, Aizaz Khan, extended his heartfelt felicitations to the
pilgrims and wished them a safe journey, a press release issued by the Pakistan
High Commission in New Delhi said on Friday.
Under the Pakistan-India Protocol on
visits to religious shrines of 1974, thousands of Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from
India visit Pakistan to attend various religious festivals/occasions every
year.
The issuance of pilgrimage visas to them
is in line with the Government of Pakistan’s efforts to facilitate visits to
religious shrines and promote interfaith harmony, the press release added.
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40277551/pakistan-issues-visa-to-indian-hindu-pilgrims-for-visit-to-sindhs-shadani-darbar
------
Southeast Asia
Malaysian MPs, Activists, NGOs Hand
Protest Notes To US, UK And EU Over Gaza Violence
09 Dec 2023
SHAH ALAM: A group of 38 MPs and 36
activists and non-governmental organisations handed over diplomatic protest
notes to the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and European
Union over the escalating bloodshed in Gaza.
Sinar Harian reported that the notes
were handed over on Friday (Dec 8) to the respective missions in Kuala Lumpur.
The note to the US government was
addressed to its Kuala Lumpur deputy chief of mission Manu Bhalla and was
handed over by Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh and PKR vice-president Nurul
Izzah Anwar.
Syed Ibrahim also represented the group
in handing over the note addressed to the UK's High Commissioner to Malaysia
Ailsa Terry CMG.
He was accompanied by Balik Pulau MP
Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik to submit the note addressed to the EU's head of
delegation to Malaysia Michalis Rokas.
All three notes expressed deep concern
over Israel’s continued bombardments in Gaza which have displaced 1.9 million
Palestinians or about 80 per cent of Gaza’s entire population.
The signatories were also dismayed that
over 16,000 Palestinians, including more than 7,000 children, have died from
the war.
These exclude an estimated 6,500 women
and children missing, feared dead from the brutal conflict while over 40,000
people in Gaza were injured.
These numbers stand in stark contrast to
the estimated 1,500 Israelis who have died, with 5,600 injured.
The protest note to the US expressed
concern over Washington's plan to provide USD14.5 billion in military aid for
Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Palestine.
This is on top of the USD3.8 billion in
foreign military aid that Israel receives yearly from 2019, from the United
States, accounting for 16 per cent of Israel’s total military budget in 2022.
"As such, we demand that the
American government support an immediate and permanent humanitarian ceasefire.
"We ask that the American
government stop all direct and indirect military aid to Israel," the
protest note to the US government read.
In the protest note to the UK, the group
described as "abhorrent" the British government's continued direct
and indirect military support to Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Palestine.
The note also expressed deep concerns
over reports that British nationals may be present as combatants alongside
Israeli forces in Gaza.
It condemned the sales of arms, the
provision of military advisors and logistical support, including military
surveillance flights over Israel and Gaza to provide intelligence to Israel.
These activities may be equivalent to
supporting the ongoing war crime attacks against the people of Gaza.
The group demanded that the British
government stop all direct and indirect military aid to Israel while applauding
the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee for investigating the
British government's support for Israel.
In the protest note to the EU, the group
singled out European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, especially her
unilateral declaration of "Europe stands with Israel" immediately
following the Oct 7 attacks.
It also chastised Von der Leyen’s
decision to hastily suspend funds to Palestine after Oct 7 only to reinstate
them later after facing severe public backlash.
"We demand that EU states
immediately suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and
ammunition to Israel.
"Taken together, EU nations are one
of Israel’s main suppliers of military systems and equipment, behind only the
US.
"EU countries have licensed around
€2 billion of military contracts to Israel, including over €600 million in 2012
alone.
"This includes ammunition, weapon
firing equipment and components for military aircraft and vehicles. European
countries have not sent arms or military systems to Palestine since 2002,"
the note read.
All three notes demanded that the US, UK
and EU support an immediate and lasting humanitarian ceasefire, especially in
light of the United Nations Secretary-General's invocation of Article 99 of the
UN Charter.
For the first time in a quarter of a
century, Article 99 has been invoked in alarm at the global security threat
posed by Israel's destruction of Gaza.
Source: thestar.com.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2023/12/09/mps-activists-ngos-hand-protest-notes-to-us-uk-and-eu-over-gaza-violence
------
Indonesia president suspects human
trafficking behind increased Rohingya arrivals
DEC 8, 2023
JAKARTA - Indonesia strongly suspects
human trafficking is behind a recent increase in arrivals of Rohingya Muslims
on its territory, its president said on Dec 8, promising to work with
international groups to deal with the issue.
More than 1,200 Rohingya people, a
persecuted minority from Myanmar, have landed ashore in Indonesia since
November, according to the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) in Indonesia,
prompting concern among local communities about the scale of the exodus this
year.
For years many Rohingya have embarked on
perilous journeys on rickety boats, hoping to reach neighbouring Thailand and
Bangladesh or further afield Malaysia and Indonesia, both Muslim majority
countries. They take to the sea mostly between November and April when seas are
calmer.
Indonesia has long been a safe haven for
Rohingya, but the high volume of arrivals in recent weeks has seen an increase
in negative sentiment on social media and some pushback from people in Aceh,
the westernmost region where most landings take place.
“There is a strong suspicion that human
trafficking networks are involved ... Indonesia will take firm action against
them,” President Joko Widodo said in a livestreamed video, without elaborating.
Indonesia will also give temporary
humanitarian aid to the Rohingya but keep prioritising local residents, he
said.
A demonstration took place at a Rohingya
shelter in Sabang in Aceh on Dec 7, with local people seeking their relocation
elsewhere soon, according to local media, which showed video footage of the
protest.
Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951
United Nations Convention on Refugees but has a history of taking in refugees
when they arrive, earning praise from the UNHCR. REUTERS
Source: straitstimes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-president-suspects-human-trafficking-behind-increased-rohingya-arrivals
-----
Amanah deputy president seeks to revive
2018 committee on Shariah and civil laws to prevent future conflicts
09 Dec 2023
Opalyn Mok
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Former minister
Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa today urged the Anwar administration to bring
back a committee formed six years ago that aimed to address the overlaps and
contradictions between Shariah and civil laws.
The Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) deputy
president said the committee, initiated in 2018, will be able to formulate a
standard law that can become the reference for states to amend their respective
Shariah enactments so it does not contradict federal laws, Sinar Harian
reported today.
“I look at the issue of the Shariah law
not only from the Shariah law perspective but it should also be viewed widely,
in that the state legislative assemblies and Parliament must take the
initiative to ensure contradictions do not arise,” he was quoted as saying.
He said the gaps between the sets of
laws should be closed so no one will question them again.
He said that the Islamic affairs
minister should take the initiative in this respect.
“As far as I remember, there is a
timeline between 2018 and 2023 for us to come up with standard laws, in which
the states will follow this standard and there will no longer be an issue of
contradictions with the federal laws, and this includes streamlining criminal
laws but with different punishments,” he was quoted as saying.
He said the process was taken to
Parliament and each state was to bring it to their respective legislative
assemblies to be amended, but added that this was not done due to the political
instability at that time.
Mujahid had been appointed minister in
the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs when Pakatan
Harapan (PH) came to power in Election 2018 under the leadership of Tun Dr
Mahathir Mohamad, until it was ousted in February 2020.
The Amanah poltician said contradictions
between both laws needed to be studied closely by legal experts in both civil
and Shariah laws.
Mujahid, who is also Perak PH chairman,
said the combination of experiences in both aspects of the laws in the
committee will ensure that any gaps can be identified and resolved.
“However, we cannot avoid the political
perception on this. Unfortunately, issues like this will be used by politicians
to gain sympathy and to gain political mileage,” he was quoted as saying.
He said this was how the narrative that
Islamic laws are being challenged and the Shariah courts are being challenged
came to be when there was no such thing.
“This narrative is often played as it is
easy to instigate anger among the people and ultimately condemn the leadership
of PH,” he was quoted as saying.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/12/09/amanah-deputy-president-seeks-to-revive-2018-committee-on-shariah-and-civil-laws-to-prevent-future-conflicts/106660
----
PM Anwar condemns the US for vetoing UN
resolution for Gaza ceasefire
Soo Wern Jun
09 Dec 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today condemned the US government for opposing the
United Nations’ call to end the ongoing bombardment by Israeli forces in the
Gaza Strip that has killed tens of thousands of non-combatants, including
Palestinian children, medical and humanitarian aid workers and displaced tens
of thousands more since October.
Anwar said he was deeply saddened by the
US decision to veto the resolution by the UN Security Council amid growing
global outrage at the at the Israeli attacks that have been described by some
world leaders as a genocide against Palestine.
“On behalf of the Malaysian government,
I strongly condemn, protest the decision of the United States to oppose the
ceasefire of the United Nations Security Council.
“Notwithstanding all other arguments, we
must stop the killings of civilians, babies and women. There is no reason or no
basis to deny this and to frustrate the process and therefore it is
unfortunate.
“I’m deeply saddened by this outrageous
decision to ignore the clamour and appeal by the international community,”
Anwar told reporters after visiting the Madani government one-year anniversary
exhibitions at the Bukit Jalil Stadium here.
International news wire Reuters reported
the US government yesterday vetoed the UN Security Council’s proposal for an
immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza war, claiming the action would
only benefit Hamas, which holds current authority in Palestine.
Thirteen other members of the UN council
voted in favour of a brief draft resolution submitted by the United Arab
Emirates, while Britain abstained.
Source: malaymail.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/12/09/pm-anwar-condemns-the-us-for-vetoing-un-resolution-for-gaza-ceasefire/106682
-----
MPs, activists demand Israel backers
cease military aid
09 Dec 2023
A GROUP of 38 MPs and 36 activists and
civil society groups yesterday handed over diplomatic protest notes to the
United States and the United Kingdom governments as well as the European Union
over the escalating war in Gaza.
The notes were sent to the respective
missions in Kuala Lumpur.
Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh and PKR
vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar presented the note to the US government,
addressed to its KL deputy chief of mission Manu Bhalla.
Syed Ibrahim also handed over the note
addressed to UK High Commissioner to Malaysia Ailsa Terry.
He was accompanied by Balik Pulau MP
Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik to submit the note addressed to EU head of
delegation to Malaysia Michalis Rokas.
The protest note to the US expressed
concern over Washington’s plan to provide US$14.5 billion (RM67.6 billion) in
military aid for Israel’s war crimes in Palestine. This is on top of the US$3.8
billion in foreign military aid Israel has received yearly since 2019 from the
US, which accounted for 16% of Israel’s total military budget in 2022.
“We demand that the American government
support an immediate and permanent humanitarian ceasefire. We ask that the
American government stop all direct and indirect military aid to Israel,” the
protest note to the US government said.
In the protest note to the UK, the group
described as “abhorrent” the British government’s continued direct and indirect
military support of Israel’s war crimes in Palestine.
The note expressed deep concern over
reports that British nationals might be present as combatants alongside Israeli
forces in Gaza.
It condemned the sales of arms, the
provision of military advisers, and logistical support, including military
surveillance flights over Israel and Gaza to provide intelligence to Israel.
The group demanded the British
government halt all direct and indirect military aid to Israel while applauding
the UK parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee for investigating the
British government’s support for Israel.
In the protest note to the EU, the group
singled out European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen over her
immediate unilateral declaration of “Europe stands with Israel” following the
October 7 Hamas attacks.
It chastised von der Leyen’s decision to
hastily suspend funds to Palestine after October 7, only to reinstate them
after facing severe public backlash.
“We demand that EU states immediately
suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and ammunition to
Israel. Together, EU nations are Israel’s main suppliers of military systems
and equipment, behind only the US,” the note said.
All three notes demanded the US, UK and
EU support an immediate and lasting humanitarian ceasefire, especially in light
of the United Nations secretary-general’s invocation of article 99 of the UN
Charter.
For the first time in 25 years, article
99 has been invoked in alarm at the global security threat posed by Israel’s
destruction of Gaza. – The Vibes, December 9, 2023
Source: thevibes.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/100309/mps-activists-demand-israel-backers-cease-military-aid
------
Married couple pleads guilty to
committing sexual offences against child
08-12- 2023
KLANG: A married couple pleaded guilty
in the Sessions Court here today to committing sexual offences against a
15-year-old girl last month.
Khairul Hizwan Kamarudin, 32 and Norehan
Abu Kasim, 35, made the plea before Judge Noridah Adam.
Khairul Hizwan, who does odd jobs in the
village, and Norehan, a housewife, were charged with committing physical sexual
assault on the teenager by touching the girl’s body parts for sexual purposes.
For the offence, they were charged under
Section 14 (a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which provides
imprisonment for up to 20 years and shall also be liable to whipping, upon
conviction.
They were also jointly charged under
Section 15 (d) of the same law, read together with Section 34 of the Penal
Code, for committing non-physical sexual assault on the girl by causing the
child to watch them engage in sexual activity.
They face imprisonment for up to 10
years or a maximum fine of RM20,000 or both if found guilty of the offence.
Khairul Hizwan also pleaded guilty to
storing several pornographic videos on his mobile phone, which is an offence
under Section 292 (a) of the Penal Code which provides imprisonment for up to
three years or a fine or both, upon conviction.
The couple was alleged to have committed
all the offences in a house in Kampung Bukit Changgang, Kuala Langat on Nov 12
and Dec 1 this year.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Suriantiazila
Muhamad prosecuted, while the couple, who was not allowed bail, was
unrepresented.
The court set Jan 5 next year to hear
the facts of the case before sentencing.
In the same court, 71-year-old Maskuri
Suharto pleaded not guilty to committing physical sexual assault on a
13-year-old girl while on the way to a petrol station in Bandar Bukit Tinggi,
here at 10.30 pm last Dec 1.
The charge was framed under Section 14
(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Suriantiazila, who also prosecuted in
the case, did not request bail because the victim’s family had been close
acquaintances of the accused for the past 25 years.
Maskuri, who was unrepresented, appealed
for low bail on the grounds that he was old and was living alone.
The court did not allow him bail and
fixed Jan 5 for mention. – Bernama
Source: thesun.my
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://thesun.my/local_news/married-couple-pleads-guilty-to-committing-sexual-offences-against-child-FM11847543
-----
Africa
Humanitarian crisis in Sudan 'worsening'
as it faces 'world’s largest displacement crisis': WHO
Beyza Binnur Donmez
08.12.2023
The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is
“worsening” as it faces the “world’s largest displacement crisis,” the World
Health Organization (WHO) representative in the country said on Friday.
In the past eight months, the fighting
has spread from Khartoum to several states across the country, Mohammad Taufiq
Mashal told a UN press briefing in Geneva via video link.
Mashal, citing data from the Armed
Conflict Location and Event Data Project, and Health Ministry, said that at
least 12,260 people have been killed since April and over 33,000 people injured
in the conflict in Sudan.
"But many more people lost their
lives due to the disruption of the health system and the lack of access to
urgent surgery, medicines for heart diseases, hypertension, cancer, diabetes
and dialysis services, lack of access to maternal and child health care, lack
of treatment for severe acute malnutrition or due to disease outbreaks,"
he stressed.
Regarding the number of displacements
caused by the fighting, he said: "Sudan is facing the world’s largest
displacement crisis."
One in every 15 Sudanese is now
displaced, he underscored, bringing the total number of people who have fled
their homes seeking safety within Sudan or in neighboring countries to nearly
6.8 million.
These displacements are "increasing
their vulnerability to diseases, malnutrition, gender-based violence and acute
mental health distress," he warned and said that disease outbreaks are
"worsening and spreading."
According to the representative, cholera
has spread from three to nine states within a month and 5,400 suspected and
confirmed cases and 170 deaths have been reported.
Also, 11 states reported over 4,500
cases of suspected measles cases and 104 deaths, he said and added that 6,000
cases of dengue and 56 related-deaths occurred in 14 states.
Insecurity and bureaucratic hurdles
continue to limit humanitarian access and movement of supplies in many places
in Sudan, while many hospitals are reportedly inaccessible, and insecurity
prevents humanitarian aid from being safely delivered, he said.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/humanitarian-crisis-in-sudan-worsening-as-it-faces-world-s-largest-displacement-crisis-who/3077359
------
Kaduna Bombing Error: Imam Weeps As Gov Uba Sani Assists Victims
December 9, 2023
After a long sermon and prayers in
Arabic at a Friday congregation in Kawo District of Kaduna North Local
Government Area, the Chief Imam popularly called Malam betrayed emotion and
wept on the pulpit over the killing of
innocent civilians by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) propelled by the
Nigerian Army.
The Army mistook the civilians for
bandits and mistakenly bombed them. About 85 were killed.
Malam who harped on the need to seek
justice and compensation for the victims of last Sunday’s multiple drone
attacks on the Tudun Biri community in
Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, said many were now turned into
widows, orphans or widowers without
offending anybody.
He called on the congregation which
was estimated to be over 3000, to desist
from acts that would cause harm, injury or even death to fellow human beings,
pointing out that the consequences are grave for anyone who caused death or
injury to any innocent person.
He said no one should be killed unless the person deliberately kills,
and admonished the Muslim faithful to love their fellow brethren the way they
loved themselves.
Gov Uba Sani offers comprehensive
support to victims.
Meanwhile,Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna
State has offered comprehensive support to victims, orphans and widows of the
Tudun Biri community.
In a statement by Muhammad Lawal Shehu;
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kaduna State, it was stated that,
“Governor Uba Sani has offered comprehensive assistance for the victims
and families of the tragic event.
Governor Sani also expressed heartfelt concern for the individuals currently
undergoing medical treatment at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital and has committed
to covering all their medical expenses.”
Source: vanguardngr.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/12/kaduna-bombing-error-imam-weeps-as-gov-uba-sani-assists-victims/
-----
Kano: Islamic leaders warn against
subverting peoples will
09 December 2023
Group of Islamic leaders from
Tijjaniyya, Kadiriyya, and Izala Islamic sects have called on Nigerian and
democracy stakeholders not to subvert the will of the people of Kano State who
came out massively to vote for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf (Abba Gida Gida) in
March 2023.
The leaders said doing so may cause
unnecessary anger among the general populace of the state who have shown so
much love for the governor. And this anger can generate crisis in the state.
The leaders along with other scholars of
the holy Quran at a press conference in Kano said Governor Abba Yusuf should be
allowed to continue the good works he has started since he was sworn in on May
29.
Speaking further, Sheikh Nasiru Jibrin
said: “We have all our children in the state and we will not want anything that
will generate violence.
“Changing the will of the people who
came out to vote massively for the governor could result to anarchy in the
state. The judiciary must not allow itself to be used to put Kano on a bad
spotlight”
Another speaker at the press conference,
Sheikh Sani Maharazu called on President Bola Tinubu to be fair and act
honestly ahead of the state Supreme Court judgement.
The Islamic leaders also commended the
role of the state governor in addressing insecurity and making amnesty
achievable for repentant thugs in the state.
They said, “the governor has really work
together with the police to safeguard the state making it free from phone
snatchers and other crimes.
The leaders also appreciate the kind
gesture of the governor in paying tuition fees for some students of Bayero
University Kano.
Source: guardian.ng
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://guardian.ng/news/kano-islamic-leaders-warn-against-subverting-peoples-will/
-----
South Sudan's troops in regional force
follow Kenya out of eastern DRC
09 December 2023
Over 250 South Sudanese soldiers left on
Friday the Democratic Republic of Congo's east.
The contingent left in three rotations
throughout the day, according to a military source.
The soldiers took off from Goma, bound
for Juba.
After the Kenyans, the South Sudanese
are the latest group from an East African Community (EAC) regional force to
withdraw fromeastern DRC.
The regional force includes Uganda, and
Burundi who are set to leavein the coming weeks.
The seven-nation EAC first deployed
troops in the violence-plagued eastern DRC in November 2022. They deployed at
the invitation of the DRC authorities and were tasked with overseeing the
withdrawal of M23 fighters from eastern DRC.
But the DRC's President and local
residents accused the force of cohabiting with the rebels rather than forcing
them to lay down arms. Kinshasa then refused to renew the force's mandate.
Analysts believe the DRC looks to
replace the EAC soldiers with tropp from the Southern African Development
Community (SADC).
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/08/south-sudans-troops-in-regional-force-follow-kenya-out-of-eastern-drc/
-----
Food Insecurity Intensifies in Eastern
Africa, a Consequence of Climate Shocks
DEC 8, 2023
A recent report from the World Food
Programme (WFP) highlights the escalating food insecurity crisis in eastern
Africa, exacerbated by a combination of drought and devastating floods linked
to the El Niño phenomenon.
The grim situation is particularly
evident in Somalia, where levels of hunger are reported to be among the worst
in a decade, as shared by Petroc Wilson, Head of Communications at WFP Somalia.
The challenges faced by communities in
the region are vividly captured in footage provided by the organization,
showcasing extensive flooding in central Somalia. The scenes depict some
communities submerged chest-high in water, illustrating the severity of the
crisis. These alarming developments coincide with the gathering of world
leaders in Dubai for the COP28 climate talks.
Petroc Wilson emphasizes that climate
shocks, including El Niño and the broader climate crisis, have inflicted severe
hardships on families already living in dire conditions. The impact is
especially pronounced in Somalia, where deadly floods have compounded the
struggles of those already grappling with food insecurity, following the
longest recorded drought in the country's history.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) has projected that up to 80 million people could face hunger by
mid-century, predominantly in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central
America. The effects of climate change are evident in Ethiopia, Somalia, and
Kenya, where consecutive below-average rainy seasons have left 23.4 million
people acutely food insecure, according to a July report from the World Food
Programme.
In addition to decimating livestock
herds, the prolonged drought has significantly reduced local food supplies,
leading to a surge in food prices. The situation is further complicated by
heavy flooding that struck parts of Somalia and Kenya in November, threatening
to exacerbate the existing food crisis.
The impact of extreme weather events on
global agriculture is not limited to eastern Africa. From the most severe
drought in forty years in the Horn of Africa to record-breaking heatwaves in
Argentina, climate change is proving to be a significant disruptor. The World
Weather Attribution (WWA) group reported that Argentina experienced its least
healthy crops in 40 years due to drought and record-breaking temperatures,
affecting wheat and soybean harvests.
While attributing specific weather
events directly to climate change can be challenging, there is a clear pattern
of increased severity and frequency of extreme weather events. Warmer
temperatures contribute to prolonged droughts, while extreme precipitation
events, also exacerbated by climate change, pose a threat to harvests.
The consequences of climate change on
agriculture are far-reaching. Lack of water during critical growth stages,
extreme temperatures, and erratic precipitation patterns impact crop yields and
quality. Livestock, a crucial source of livelihood for many communities, suffer
from dried-up watering holes and a scarcity of grazing land. Even in more
temperate regions like Europe, unusual climate-induced events, such as cold
spells, can have severe consequences for agricultural production.
The IPCC emphasizes the need for
adaptive measures in agriculture to mitigate the impact of rising temperatures.
Shifting to less water-intensive crops, utilizing drought-resistant seeds,
reducing soil erosion, and adopting efficient irrigation systems are among the
suggested strategies. However, the effectiveness of these measures diminishes
with the projected increase in global temperatures.
As the UN Environment Programme warns of
a potential temperature increase of 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2100, urgent
global action is needed to address the root causes of climate change and
implement sustainable solutions to safeguard food security for vulnerable
populations worldwide.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.africanews.com/2023/12/08/food-insecurity-intensifies-in-eastern-africa-a-consequence-of-climate-shocks/
-----
Imo Catholic Church Priest, Driver
Regain Freedom From Kidnappers After Payment Of Ransom
December 9, 2023
Reverend Father Kingsley Eze, who was
kidnapped with his driver in Imo State has been freed by his captors.
SaharaReporters had reported that Father
Eze, a parish priest of Saint Michael’s Catholic Church in the Umuekebi
community in the Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State and his driver
Uchenna Newman were abducted on November 30, 2023 when they alighted from a
Volvo jeep to make some purchase at Orieama junction around 8 pm.
The Catholic priest, who is fondly
called Father Ichie and his driver were reportedly freed on Friday nearly eight
days they were kidnapped.
SaharaReporters cannot immediately
ascertain whether ransom was paid for their freedom.
It had been reported that the kidnappers
contacted the wife of the driver on Sunday and Monday demanding a N50 million
ransom for the release of the duo. They later called and reduced the price tag
to N10 million.
While the state police command has yet
to react to the kidnap of the priest, there was report of jubilation in his
parish as the faithful are trooping to the parish house to see him.
Some sources meanwhile have claimed that
the victims paid N500,000 as ransom.
“I can now confirm that the Reverend
Father and the driver have been released after a ransom of N500,000 was paid
yesterday around UmuchekeOkwe in the Onuimo LGA,” a source told PUNCH.
Another source, an indigene of the
Umuekebi community added, “It is true, the priest and Mr Uchenna have been
released. They are back home. The vehicle they were kidnapped in was tolled
from the Okigwe area. We thank God that they are home.”
Source: saharareporters.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://saharareporters.com/2023/12/09/imo-catholic-church-priest-driver-regain-freedom-kidnappers-after-payment-ransom
------
Arab World
Saudi FM stresses Kingdom’s public and
private positions identical on Gaza
December 09, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince
Faisal bin Farhan, during an interview with PBS NewsHour, confirmed that the
Kingdom’s stance on Gaza is the same in public and private.
Prince Faisal was refuting claims from
PBS Presenter Nick Schifrin that “[Saudi Arabia’s] public calls do not match
your private calls to destroy Hamas. Why the dual message?”
The Saudi foreign minister said, “There
is no dual message. What we say in private and what we say in public is exactly
the same, not just for the kingdom but for all the Arabs.”
He added, “I am very proud that what we
are saying in public and private are the same. I can’t say the same for some of
our Western interlocutors.”
Prince Faisal, who is currently leading
the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee’s visit in Washington to call for a Gaza
ceasefire, disagreed with the US veto on the UN Security Council resolution on
Saturday.
He also voiced disappointment at the Security
Council’s inability to “take a firm position” on Gaza.
“We have now seen a level of carnage in
Gaza that is unprecedented, that is unjustifiable under any pretext of
self-defense,” noted Prince Faisal.
The Arab-Islamic Committee also objected
to the US veto that blocked the UN Security Council resolution during a meeting
with the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Prince Faisal said the
committee would push for a ceasefire to prevent more civilian deaths.
“This continuing level of civilian
casualties does not serve anybody's interests, including the interests of
Israel or its security.”
The Saudi foreign minister warned
against the risk of the war’s expansion from Gaza to the rest of the region, as
well as the rising threat of extremism. “People are losing their trust in the
argument for peace in our region, but they're also losing their trust in the
international systems of security and legitimacy,” he said.
On Saturday, Prince Farhan met
separately with Blinken in Washington to discuss the Israel-Hamas war.
The officials discussed “all possible
efforts to reduce the pace of escalation and ensure that the violence does not
expand to avoid its dangerous repercussions on international peace and
security,” reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The meeting was attended by Princess
Reema bint Bandar, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2422761/saudi-arabia
-----
Saudi foreign minister, EU foreign
affairs chief discuss Gaza during call
December 08, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister of
Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan received a phone call from EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, the
Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Friday.
The two officials discussed developments
in the Gaza Strip and its surrounding areas, and the efforts exerted to reach
an immediate cease-fire in the besieged Palestinian enclave.
They also discussed the repercussions of
the current crisis, especially at the humanitarian level.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2422511/saudi-arabia
-----
Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee
objects to US veto during Blinken meeting
December 09, 2023
RIYADH: Foreign ministers of Arab and
Islamic nations voiced their objection to the US veto that blocked
international calls for the UN Security Council to demand ceasefire in Gaza,
Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
During a meeting with the US Secretary
of State Anthony Blinken, the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee reiterated
calls for the US to assume its responsibilities and take the necessary measures
to push Israel towards an immediate ceasefire.
The foreign ministers also renewed their
unified rejection of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinians in Gaza,
reiterating the necessity to end the hostilities, protect civilians and lift
the siege hindering the access of humanitarian aid to the war-stricken enclave.
They voiced their rejection against
attempts to displace Palestinians from Gaza, emphasizing on “creating a real
political climate that leads to a two-state solution,” according to SPA
statement.
Several minsters participated in the
meeting, including Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Al-Safadi, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign
Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates
Riyad Al-Maliki, and Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2422776/middle-east
------
KSrelief inks $8 million pact to
mitigate Safer oil tanker threat in Yemen
December 08, 2023
RIYADH — Saudi Arabia and the United
Nations signed a memorandum of additional financial contribution totaling $8
million to mitigate the threat to environment from the Safer oil tanker in
Yemen.
The Assistant General Supervisor of the
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) for Operations and
Programs, Eng. Ahmed Al-Baiz, and the Assistant Secretary-General and Regional
Director for Arab Countries at the United Nations Development Program, Dr.
Abdullah Al-Dardari, signed the memorandum in Riyadh. This contribution aims to
address the ongoing threat posed by the "Safer" oil tanker anchored
in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.
The signing ceremony, which occurred on
Thursday, is an extension of KSrelief's ongoing efforts to tackle the
environmental and economic risks associated with the Safer reservoir on the
Yemeni coast. The funds will be utilized to neutralize potential dangers and
mitigate the impact of this looming threat.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/638513/SAUDI-ARABIA/KSrelief-inks-$8-million-pact-to-mitigate-Safer-oil-tanker-threat-in-Yemen
-----
Qatar hails Danish law banning Holy
Qur'an burning
DECEMBER 08, 2023
Qatar has welcomed the Danish
parliament's adoption of a law prohibiting the inappropriate treatment of
religious texts, expressing its hope that this legislation will constitute a
deterrent to reduce hate speech against religions, especially when it comes to
Islamophobia.
In a statement Friday, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs expressed Qatar's appreciation for the parliament's response to
calls to prevent the burning of the Holy Qur'an, and at the same time looks
forward to similar legislation from the parliaments of countries that witnessed
the burning of copies of the Holy Qur'an, which would contribute to stopping
crimes that fuel hatred and incite terrorism. Violence threatens peaceful
coexistence among peoples.
The ministry renewed Qatar's support for
the values of tolerance and its keenness to establish the principles of
international peace and security through dialogue and understanding.
Source: gulf-times.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.gulf-times.com/article/673203/qatar/qatar-hails-danish-law-banning-holy-quran-burning
-----
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-rites-hindu-communal-harmony/d/131283