Muslims in India Have To Come Out Of Ghazni, Ghauri, Khilji, Aurangzeb, other Mughals and Tipu Sultan Mindset: BJP Leader C.T. Ravi
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 January 2024
BJP MLA CT
Ravi addresses during his meet press conference at Press Club, in Bengaluru on
Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Photo: Dhananjay Yadav/IANS)
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·
Muslims in
India Have To Come Out Of Ghazni, Ghauri, Khilji, Aurangzeb, other Mughals and
Tipu Sultan Mindset: BJP Leader C.T. Ravi
·
Hamas
Leader Dr Naji Zaheer In Karachi Calls For More Anti-Israel Protests
·
Arab
Countries Do Not Want To Rebuild Gaza If It Is 'Levelled Again, Stressing The
Importance Of Resolving The Palestinian Question ': Blinken
·
Saudi
Arabia Could Recognise Israel If Palestinian Issue Resolved: Saudi Foreign
Minister
·
UK Muslims
Condemn Planned Hizb ut-Tahrir Terror Listing
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India
·
Writer-Lyricist
Javed Akhtar Shatters Myth That Urdu Is A Muslim Language, Says It Is 'Region' and
Not 'Religion' Specific
·
SC Allows
Cleaning Of Water Tank in Gyanvapi Mosque Complex in Varanasi
·
West Bengal
CM to Lead 'Rally for Harmony' On January 22 in Kolkata; To Visit Temples,
Mosques, Churches
·
Ministry
Of Home Affairs Notifies Tribunals to Examine Ban on Muslim League,
Tehreek-e-Hurriyat
·
Waqf Board
Only Showing Layout of Proposed Mosque, It Will Not Help: Iqbal Ansari, Former
Ayodhya Title Case Litigant
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Pakistan
·
Pakistan’s
Ex-PM Imran Khan Indicted On Charge Of Violating Islamic Marriage Law
·
Pakistan
says Iran violated airspace, killing two children; warns Tehran of 'serious
consequences'
·
Islamabad
accepts Riyadh-Doha term to allow international arbitration in case of dispute
·
Afghan
Taliban chief asks TTP to ‘revisit’ Pak strategy
·
Shehbaz
questions sincerity of Imran’s revolution
·
Disqualification
in Toshakhana reference: PTI urges SC to fix IK’s plea for early hearing
·
‘May 9’
case: Sh Rashid arrested as ATC dismisses his bail plea
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North America
·
Poll Finds
Association Between Younger Americans And 'Positive' View Of Osama Bin Laden
·
US Senate
Rejects Resolution Demanding Report On Israeli Rights Violations In Gaza
·
US To
Relist Yemen’s Houthis As Specially Designated Global Terrorists, AP Sources
Say
·
US attacks
Houthi anti-ship missiles, vessel hit in Red Sea
·
Protesters
demand Gaza cease-fire during sit-in at US Capitol
----
Arab World
·
Saudi
Arabia ‘Incredibly Concerned’ About Red Sea, Gaza Security, FM Tells WEF
·
Qatar,
France broker deal to get aid, medication to civilians, hostages in Gaza
·
Riyadh to
host forum on best use of digital technology for archiving
·
OIC chief
emphasizes Islamic universities’ role in shaping future
----
Europe
·
Palestinian
Envoy To UK Says There Is No Way ICJ Would Rule In Favour Of Israel
·
Michaela
Community School: London school facing High Court challenge from Muslim pupil
over ‘prayer
ban’
·
Churches
and mosques targeted in burglaries in Fulwood and Preston city centre
·
EU
announces sanctions on Hamas' Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar
·
NATO chief
condemns Iran’s missile strikes towards Iraq’s Erbil
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South Asia
·
Over 40,000
Afghan Citizens Obtain Turkish Residence Permits
·
DABS
officials meet with Turkmenistan counterparts over Noorul Jihad substation
·
EU
allocates €300,000 to gutted Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps
·
WHO
urgently appeals for $1.5 billion to address crises from Gaza to Afghanistan
·
Deportation
of Afghan Refugees Discussed in Cabinet Meeting
·
Islamic
Emirate Denies Intention to Access Nuclear Weapons
·
Talks
Underway to Reopen Torkham Crossing for Commercial Trucks: Mujahid
·
Afghanistan
Discussed By Foreign Ministers of India, Iran
·
Deputy PM
Meets with Baghlan Scholars, Discussed Public Services
·
Millions
of Afghans go hungry as winter cold bites
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Mideast
·
Islamist
Group Chants 'Long Live Sharia' Slogan At Istanbul Courthouse After The Release
Of Ahmet Bostancı
·
Palestinian
Used As Human Shield During Israeli Raid On West Bank Town: Report
·
Iran slams
US plots for post-war Gaza, asserts only Palestinians can decide their future
·
In letter
to UN, Iran defends anti-terror operations against Takfiri, Israel-linked
targets
·
Iran’s
IRGC reveals details of missile attacks on Mossad, Daesh targets
·
‘Israel
abducted almost 6,000 Palestinians from West Bank since Oct. 7’
·
Islamic
Jihad commander describes Iranian training to Israeli interrogators
·
Jihad
calls on Islamic nation to stand up for its legal duty towards children, people
of Palestine
·
Israel’s
Netanyahu ‘unfit’ to run Gaza war: Opposition leader
----
Southeast Asia
·
Two
Malaysian Detainees At Guantanamo Bay Plead Guilty To Conspiring In 2002 Bali Bombing
·
MentegaTerbang’s
producer, director plead not guilty to hurting religious feelings
·
Jokowi
officiates groundbreaking for State Mosque at IKN Nusantara
·
Minister:
Red Sea tensions not expected to impact country’s agriculture, food sectors
----
Africa
·
Sharia
Council Says Muslim-Muslim Ticket Has Failed Nigerians
·
Kidnappings:
“Please Embark On Special Prayers” – Tinubu Tells Islamic Movement
·
Nigerians
are suffering under your govt — Muslim Council tells Tinubu
·
Supreme
Court Judgment: It’s Too Late To Accept Allah’s Will, Sanusi Tells Gawuna
·
Kenyan
cult leader faces murder and terrorism charges for mass deaths
·
Educate
your followers; kidnapping, banditry ungodly, Tinubu tells Muslim clerics
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslims-india-bjp-ct-ravi-ghazni-mughals-khilji/d/131537
------
Muslims in India Have To Come Out Of
Ghazni, Ghauri, Khilji, Aurangzeb, other Mughals and Tipu Sultan Mindset: BJP
Leader C.T. Ravi
BJP MLA CT
Ravi addresses during his meet press conference at Press Club, in Bengaluru on
Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Photo: Dhananjay Yadav/IANS)
-----
16th January 2024
Neha Khan
Chikkamagaluru: Former national General
Secretary and senior BJP leader C.T. Ravi said on Tuesday that the mindset of
Ghazni, Ghori and Babar were dangerous and “Muslims here must come out of
that”.
Speaking to reporters, Ravi said,
“During the times of Ghazni, Ghori, Khilji, Aurangajeb, other Mughals and Tipu
Sultan 42,000 temples were razed to the ground. Indian Muslims do not identify
themselves with these invaders. We will not presume all Muslims on one premise.
Muslims should have ideals of Shishunala Sharif, ABJ Abdul Kalam. Then the
sense of fraternity will get strengthened.
“The Indian Muslims, who do not identify
themselves with the invaders, had stayed back in the country reposing their
trust in the Sanatana Dharma. Their thinking will also change.”
He further said, “Some might even feel
it is ‘haram’ to offer prayers in masjids built after destroying temples. When
they feel this, Muslim might show broadmindedness,” C.T. Ravi stated.
Ravi, while objecting to the derogatory
statement by BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde against CM Siddaramaiah, said, “Seniors
and the post have to be respected. MP Hegde has a different style of
functioning. But, it does not mean that one can inflict insult on others. I
don’t defend his statement. Lord Ram stands for inclusiveness. Using singulars
on CM Siddaramaiah amounts to disrespect,” he stated.
BJP Anantkumar Hegde had reacted
strongly to Siddaramaiah’s remarks that he wouldn’t attend the Ram Mandir
inauguration (‘Pran Pratishtha’) but visit Ayodhya afterwards.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://www.siasat.com/muslims-here-have-to-come-out-of-ghazni-ghori-babar-mindset-karnataka-bjp-leader-2957450/
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Hamas Leader Dr Naji Zaheer In Karachi
Calls For More Anti-Israel Protests
Hamas leader
Dr Naji Zaheer (centre) with Acting KPC President Abdul Rasheed Memon (left)
and KPC Secretary Shoaib Ahmed (right). — Photo by author
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January 17, 2024
Shazia Hasan
KARACHI: Some 160,000 innocent Palestinians
have been martyred of whom 12,000 were children in over 100 days of atrocities
unleashed by the Israeli forces in Gaza.
Israel had crossed all limits of
barbarism in Palestine, said Hamas leader Dr Naji Zaheer during a visit to the
Karachi Press Club on Tuesday to share with the media the latest situation in
Gaza.
On the occasion he said that he held
journalists in a very high esteem, especially Pakistani, be they from the print
or the electronic media, because they were responsible for educating people
about the facts.
“I particularly respect Pakistani
journalists because in the current situation in Gaza, they have been reporting
with such passion that they seem no different than their Palestinian
counterparts working for our cause,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we have lost too many of
our own newsmen in the line of duty in Gaza. Similarly, we have also lost many
of our doctors. Israel has crossed all limits of barbarism in Palestine and the
latest is what you have been seeing in the form of the atrocities of the 100 or
so days,” said Dr Naji.
“As of now, some 160,000 innocent
civilians have been martyred of whom 12,000 were children. Dozens of people
belonging to the same family have been killed. Our hospitals have been targeted
so that we are not even able to help our injured.
“The Gaza Strip is in complete ruins.
Israel is using white phosphorus in Gaza. The substance is banned
internationally, but it is being used against us because Israelis think that
they are above the law. They are completely unwilling to hear our just
demands,” he said, adding that even international humanitarian organisations,
including some Pakistani ones, were not allowed to help them.
He said that people questioned why Hamas
had attacked Israel. “We tell them that we stood up for our rights being denied
to us. We also need our freedom. There are thousands of Palestinians who are
being kept prisoners in Israel for over 45 years now,” he pointed out.
He also said: “Now Israel is eyeing the
Al-Aqsa Mosque. Palestinians are trying to save Al-Aqsa. They have been
protecting it with their lives. When one Palestinian is martyred while
protecting the mosque, more take his place to do the same,” he said, adding
that it was that kind of courage and valour that had also resulted in causing
damage to Israel, too. Their men have also been sent to hell by the brave
Palestinians.
“Another damage caused by this war is
the damage to Israel’s economy,” he said, adding that the proxy war against
Israel by the Muslims should continue in the form of the protests as those
things boost morale and were being noticed.
He particularly thanked the people of
Karachi for standing with the people of Gaza. “You can do more by also writing
letters to the United Nations,” he said.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://www.dawn.com/news/1806433/hamas-leader-in-karachi-calls-for-more-anti-israel-protests
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Arab Countries Do Not Want To Rebuild
Gaza If It Is 'Levelled Again, Stressing The Importance Of Resolving The
Palestinian Question ': Blinken
US Secretary
of State Antony Blinken
-----
IclalTuran
17.01.2024
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
said Tuesday that Arab countries do not want to get into the "business of
rebuilding Gaza" if the enclave is "levelled again" in a year,
stressing the importance of resolving the Palestinian question.
"Arab countries are saying this –
they’re saying: look, we’re not going to get into the business – for example –
of rebuilding Gaza only to have it leveled again — in a year or five years, and
then be asked to rebuild it again," Blinken said in an interview with CNBC
on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"We’ve got to also get to the
fundamentals. And in terms of Israel’s own security, the Arab piece of the
equation, and the Palestinian piece, that’s the way to true, lasting
security," he added.
"You’re in a place right now where,
again, Arab countries, including countries like Saudi Arabia, are prepared to
do things in their relationship with Israel they were never prepared to do
before," Blinken said. "That opens up an entirely different future, a
much more secure future. But you have to resolve the Palestinian
question."
Blinken said that unlike any time in the
past, Israel's Arab and Muslim neighbors are prepared to integrate Israel into
the region, but "they’re equally committed to a pathway to a Palestinian
state.”
Israel has launched relentless air and
ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian
group Hamas on Oct. 7 which Tel Aviv says killed 1,200 people.
At least 24,285 Palestinians have since
been killed, mostly women and children, and 61,154 injured, according to
Palestinian health authorities.
According to the UN, 85% of the
population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of
food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is
damaged or destroyed.
Source: aa.com.tr
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the full text of
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/arab-countries-do-not-want-to-rebuild-gaza-if-it-is-leveled-again-blinken/3110944
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Saudi Arabia Could Recognise Israel If
Palestinian Issue Resolved: Saudi Foreign Minister
Prince
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister,(Bloomberg)
------
January 16, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on
Tuesday the kingdom could recognise Israel if a comprehensive agreement were
reached that included statehood for the Palestinians.
“We agree that regional peace includes
peace for Israel, but that could only happen through peace for the Palestinians
through a Palestinian state,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a panel at the
World Economic Forum in Davos.
Asked if Saudi Arabia would then
recognise Israel as part of a wider political agreement, he said: “Certainly.”
Prince Faisal said securing regional
peace through the creation of a Palestinian state was “something we have been
indeed working on with the US administration, and it is more relevant in the
context of Gaza”.
Securing a normalisation deal with Saudi
Arabia would be the grand prize for Israel after it established diplomatic ties
with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, and could transform the
geopolitics of the Middle East.
The kingdom, the most powerful country
in the Arab world and home to the most sacred sites in Islam, wields
considerable religious clout across the globe.
After the eruption of conflict last
October between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas that rules Gaza, Saudi
Arabia put on ice US-backed plans for the kingdom to normalise ties with
Israel, two sources familiar with Riyadh’s thinking said, in a swift reordering
of its diplomatic priorities.
The two sources told Reuters there would
be some delay in the US-backed talks on normalisation of Saudi-Israel ties,
which is seen as a key step for the kingdom to secure what it considers the
real prize of a US defence pact in exchange.
Before Oct 7, when Hamas fighters
launched an attack on southern Israel, both Israeli and Saudi leaders had
signalled they were moving steadily towards establishing diplomatic relations
that could have reshaped the Middle East.
The Palestinians want a state in
territories captured by Israel in a 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as their
capital. US-sponsored negotiations with Israel on achieving that stalled more
than a decade ago.
Among the hurdles have been Israeli
settlement of occupied land and feuding between Western-backed Palestinian
authorities and Hamas who reject coexistence with Israel.
“There is a pathway towards a much
better future for the region, for the Palestinians, and for Israel, that is
peace, and we are fully committed to that,” said Prince Faisal.
“… a ceasefire on all sides should be a
starting point for permanent sustainable peace, which can only happen through
justice to the Palestinian people,” he added.
Israel’s hard-right government has
played down the prospect of making significant concessions to the Palestinians
as part of any potential normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia.
The conflict in Gaza has raised fears of
wider regional instability. Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah have frequently
clashed along the border with Israel, while pro-Iranian militias have attacked
US targets in Iraq.
Attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis
have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea and they say they will not stop until
Israel halts its bombardment of Gaza.
Source: dawn.com
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the full text of
https://www.dawn.com/news/1806333/saudi-arabia-could-recognise-israel-if-palestinian-issue-resolved-foreign-minister
----
UK Muslims Condemn Planned Hizb
ut-Tahrir Terror Listing
Hizb
ut-Tahrir demo, London 2023 | 5Pillars
-----
16th January 2024
As news hit that the British government
plans to outlaw Hizb ut-Tahrir, prominent Muslims took to social media to
criticise the move as an attack on the community’s free speech.
British Home Secretary, James Cleverly,
has laid the draft order before Parliament aimed at proscribing Hizb ut-Tahrir
under the Terrorism Act 2000.
If Parliament backs the plan, the order
will come into force on January 19, making it a criminal offence to belong to,
invite support for and display articles in a public place in a way that arouses
suspicion of membership or support for the group.
The announcement has sparked a tidal
wave of criticism from senior members of the British Muslim community.
The Managing Director of CAGE
International, Muhammad Rabbani, said: “The government today stands accused of
aiding and abetting Israeli genocide in Gaza. In the face of mounting pressure,
swelling public outrage and criticism over its latest military strike on the
people of famine-ravaged Yemen, it seems that reverting to the twice-failed
attempt of proscribing Hizb ut-Tahir is a convenient ‘culture wars’
distraction.
“It is high time that the British
government returned to independently governing this country and not according
to the whims and desires of genocidal apartheid regimes.”
The Islamic Human Rights Commission
published a statement expressing their “deep concern” that the anti-terrorism
laws are being used to “stifle legitimate political debate and participation.”
The IHRC statement said: “The government
decision to proscribe as ‘terrorist’ the political group, Hizb ut-Tahrir, is an
authoritarian and flagrantly Islamophobic act that seeks to stifle opposition
to the Israeli genocide in Gaza.
“By banning an organisation that the
government itself has acknowledged is non-violent, British authorities are
signalling their intent to continue with an established policy of using
anti-terrorism laws to try to muzzle opposition voices and crush dissent.”
Elsewhere, British journalist Mehdi
Hasan took to X to question the controversial move saying: “I spent my
teenage+college years arguing with, & against, Hizb ut-Tahrir. My first
ever published article in 2009 was a critique of their ideology. But that said,
are they terrorists? Has the UK government provided evidence that they’re
terrorists? What happened to free speech?”
The CEO and founder of The Cordoba
Foundation, Anas Altikriti, also expressed dismay at the terror listing.
Altikriti said via X: “This is a
disgraceful decision. Hizb ut-Tahrir are NOT a terrorist group! The government
is just throwing about accusations and devaluing the actual essence of what is
a very serious claim.”
Lawyer, writer and activist, Fahad
Ansari, posted on X claiming that Hizb ut-Tahrir have always promoted
“non-violent struggle.””
“Hizb ut-Tahrir is not a terrorist
group. It has a history of promoting non-violent struggle and has not been
connected with any terrorist plots or activities. It is for these reasons that
previous plans by both Blair and Cameron to ban the organisation had been
shelved.
In moving to proscribe the organisation,
the UK is demonstrating three things: 1. The lowering of the threshold for
proscription in order to silence free speech. 2. Its subservience to Israeli
policy. 3. It’s desire to join the great bastions of freedom that have also
banned the group – Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Jordan,
Uzbekistan, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Germany.”
The terror listing plan by the Home
Secretary has sent shock waves even outside of the British Muslim community.
U.S.-based Dr Omar Suleiman, President
of the Yaqeen Institute, also weighed into the controversy saying: “British
Muslims and rights orgs.: You must unite and challenge this no matter what your
opinion on Hizb ut Tahrir is. Once governments target non-violent movements, it
gives them a broad brush to violently crackdown with ideological litmus tests
and no accountability.”
Hizb ut-Tahrir has pledged to challenge
the proscription and has called the government move a “desperate measure to
censor debate about the genocide in Palestine and to stop Islam’s just political
alternative.”
In a statement the government added that
“certain proscription offences can be punishable by up to 14 years in prison,
which can be handed down by a court alongside or in place of a fine.”
Hizb ut-Tahrir created headlines across
the UK last year after conducting several protests outside Muslim-majority
nations Embassies urging “professional armies from the Muslim world” to
intervene militarily to rescue Gaza.
James Cleverly, the Home Secretary,
said: “Hizb ut-Tahrir is an antisemitic organisation that actively promotes and
encourages terrorism, including praising and celebrating the appalling 7
October attacks.
Proscribing this terrorist group will
ensure that anyone who belongs to and invites support for them will face
consequences. It will curb Hizb ut-Tahrir’s ability to operate as it currently
does.”
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair
vowed to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir as part of a counter-extremism plan after the 7
July 2005 bombings, but the proposals were dropped.
Blair’s failure was criticised by David
Cameron but by the time Cameron stepped down as Prime Minister eight years
later, no ban had been implemented place.
On both occasions, the plans were
dropped after protests that the group was non-violent and claims from lawyers
that a ban would be unenforceable.
With headquarters in Lebanon, the group
operates in at least 32 countries including the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Hizb ut-Tahrir was established in
Jerusalem in the 1950s with a vision of a return to a Caliphate across all
Muslim countries.
Source: 5pillarsuk.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://5pillarsuk.com/2024/01/16/uk-muslims-condemn-planned-hizb-ut-tahrir-terror-listing/
----
India
Writer-Lyricist Javed Akhtar Shatters
Myth That Urdu Is A Muslim Language, Says It Is 'Region' And Not 'Religion'
Specific
Jan 17, 2024
During an event, writer-lyricist Javed
Akhtar dispelled misconceptions about Hindi and Urdu, emphasizing that it's
incorrect to associate one with Hindus and the other with Muslims. He
highlighted that language is rooted in region, not religion, asserting that
Urdu is as much a Hindustani language as Hindi.
Akhtar also expressed that blaming
governments for the decline of the Urdu script over the years is unjust, as
those who consider themselves custodians of their culture, haven't adequately
imparted this knowledge to younger generations. The veteran lyricist and
screen-writer was part of a discussion about Hindi and Urdu being ‘ Siamese
Twins’ at India International Centre.
At the discussion, he mentioned that
Hindi and Urdu were equals until about 200 years ago, when, for political
reasons, they were separated by the Britishers to create cultural difference in
North India.He also raised the point that claimed that Urdu is a Muslim
language, to which he said then how do you look at the 10 crore Bengalis in
erstwhile East Pakistan or when Malayalam giants like Vaikom Muhammad Basheer,
was writing in Urdu?
He also added that it is equally
incorrect to say that Hindi is a language of Hindus. He asked the people who
claim this to go, and say it to the people in Tamil Nadu. He shared that
languages cannot belong to a religion. They belong to regions. To prove his
point, he wrapped up by asking if English can be called the language of
Chritians?
Javed Akhtar: We write Hindi dialogues
in English for most actors’
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/javed-akhtar-shatters-myth-that-urdu-is-a-muslim-language-says-it-is-region-and-not-religion-specific/articleshow/106919013.cms
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SC allows cleaning of water tank in
Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi
6th January 2024
Sameer Khan
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday
allowed a plea moved by Hindu women plaintiffs for cleaning the water tank in
the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi that is located in an area that has been
sealed.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud
and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra ordered the cleaning of the water
tank under the supervision of the Varanasi district magistrate.
The direction came after Additional
Solicitor General Madhavi Divan, appearing in the court on behalf of the Uttar
Pradesh government, sought permission for the cleaning of the tank, saying
there were dead fish in it.
The top court also noted in its order
that a similar plea has been filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee,
the management body of the mosque, before a trial court in Varanasi.
The Varanasi district court had, on July
21 last year, directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a
“detailed scientific survey” — including excavations, wherever necessary — to
determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple was built
upon a temple.
The mosque’s “wazukhana” (a small
reservoir where devotees perform ritual ablutions), where a structure claimed
by the Hindu litigants to be a “Shivling” exists, will not be part of the
survey, following an earlier Supreme Court order protecting that spot in the
mosque complex.
Hindu activists claim that a temple
existed earlier at the site and was demolished in the 17th century on the
orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Source: siasat.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://www.siasat.com/sc-allows-cleaning-of-water-tank-in-gyanvapi-mosque-complex-in-varanasi-2957560/
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West Bengal CM To Lead 'Rally For Harmony' On January 22
In Kolkata; To Visit Temples, Mosques, Churches
16 JAN 2024
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief
Mamata Banerjee, who earlier called the inauguration of the Ram Mandir at
Ayodhya on January 22 a “gimmick show” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
before the Lok Sabha polls, announced on Tuesday that she will lead a rally in
Kolkata on that day and visit places of worship associated with every religion.
Addressing the media at the state
secretariat, Banerjee said: “I am not doing this to counter anyone or protest
anything. I have already said religion belongs to individuals but festivals are
for all. On January 22, I will first offer prayers to Maa Kali and then lead
the rally. It will touch temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches along its
route before reaching Park Circus where a meeting will be held.”
“Our people will take out similar
processions at every community block in every district at 3pm on that day,” she
added.
Targeting the BJP, Banerjee alleged that
the Union railway ministry informed the state government in November last year
that the newly constructed pedestrian skywalk leading to the famous
Dakshineswar temple has to be dismantled for the East-West metro railway
project.
“I will not allow this as long as there
is a drop of blood in my body. They talk of religious places and they want to
demolish the skywalk. Dakshineswar is associated with Sri Ramakrishna and Swami
Vivekananda. Our government had to work very hard to relocate hawkers and
landowners to build the skywalk. We had to contest court cases,” said Banerjee.
“Consecration is the job of priests. Our
job is to develop infrastructure,” she quipped.
Although the issue of seat sharing among
INDIA coalition partners for the coming polls is still clouded the timing of
Banerjee’s statements almost coincided with the remarks Congress leader Rahul
Gandhi made in Manipur where he is leading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
Explaining why Congress leaders declined
to attend the Ayodhya event, Rahul Gandhi called it a “political function of
Narendra Modi.”
Even though Banerjee voiced her
criticisms ahead of the consecration ceremony, she somehow distanced herself
from the “gimmick show” remark she made on January 9.
“We are organising our rally because the
birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be observed on January
23,” Banerjee said, implying that the TMC wants to pay homage to the freedom
fighter who was revered for his secular values.
“I am making these statements not as
chief minister of West Bengal, but as chairperson of the Trinamool Congress,”
Banerjee clarified.
Kaushik Mitra, chief public relations
officer of Metro Railway in Kolkata said: “We wrote a letter to the state
government in November seeking some land for the project. Nobody said the
skywalk has to be demolished.”
The chief minister expressed her outrage
at a time when Bengal BJP leaders have gone all out to make the Ayodhya event a
success.
Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the
opposition in the state legislative assembly, distributed oil lamps among
people of Nandigram, his assembly constituency, and urged them to observe the
Ram Mandir inauguration at their homes. He also distributed invitation cards
among pedestrians at Kolkata’s Hazra intersection, not far from the chief
minister’s residence.
Amit Malviya, BJP national executive
member in charge of Bengal, targeted Banerjee on social media for organising
the rally.
“This is nothing but preparing ground
for communal confrontation(s) on a day when Hindus will be fasting, observing
rituals and visiting temples,” Malviya wrote.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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Ministry Of Home Affairs Notifies
Tribunals To Examine Ban On Muslim League, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat
Jan 16, 2024
The Delhi high court’s justice Sachin
Dutta will head the two tribunals that have been set up to examine if the
Centre had sufficient cause to ban the two organisations
NEW DELHI: The ministry of home affairs
(MHA) has constituted tribunals under the terror law, Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act or UAPA, to adjudicate whether the ban on two Kashmir-based
organisations, Muslim League and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, was justified.
Justice Sachin Dutta of the High Court
of Delhi will preside over the two tribunals.
The home ministry banned the Muslim
League, led by Masarat Alam Bhat, and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, founded by deceased
separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, under UAPA on December 27 and December
31, 2023, respectively.
The ministry’s order on the formation of
the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Tribunal headed by justice Sachin Datta
was issued on Tuesday. An identical notification to nominate the judge to head
the tribunal to decide if there were sufficient grounds to ban the Muslim
League was issued late on Monday.
Once the tribunal receives a reference
from the MHA, the tribunal issues a show-cause notice to the organisations
concerned to present their version on the government decision.
The proceedings before the tribunal
involve the recording of statements of investigating officers, and experts,
evidence against the activities of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and Muslim League by the
MHA as well as recording the arguments of the organisation concerned.
Source: hindustantimes.com
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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mha-notifies-tribunals-to-examine-ban-on-muslim-league-tehreekehurriyat-101705413187621.html
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Waqf Board Only Showing Layout Of
Proposed Mosque, It Will Not Help: Iqbal Ansari, Former Ayodhya Title Case
Litigant
January 16, 2024
MAYANK KUMAR
Iqbal Ansari, a former litigant in the
Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title case, on Tuesday targeted the Uttar Pradesh
Sunni Central Waqf Board for failing to build a mosque on the alternate
five-acre land that the Supreme Court awarded to it more than four years ago
and said that only showing a layout will not help.
“More than four years passed by, but
U.P. Sunni Central Waqf Board failed to do anything apart from only showing a
proposed mosque layout, which is against the religion. They should do what they
are mandated to do. Only showing the layout/design will not help,” he told The
Hindu.
‘Happy about temple construction’
Mr. Ansari added that the issue has been
put to rest with the Supreme Court judgment.“Our issue was only till Ayodhya
[Ayodhya title dispute case] was from the lower courts till the Supreme Court.
The matter is now over. We welcomed the top court’s verdict. There is no dispute
and we are happy here [Ayodhya] with the construction of the [Ram] temple,”
said Mr. Ansari.
The former litigant was seen showering
flowers as he stood in line to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his
visit to Ayodhya on December 30. His father Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigant
in the case, died at the age of 95 in 2016, after which Iqbal pursued the
matter.
In November 2019, the Supreme Court
permitted the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, at the site where the
16th century Babri Masjid once stood. In the same order, the top court asked
the government to allot a suitable five-acre plot in Ayodhya to the Sunni
Central Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque. The Sunni Central Waqf
Board later formed the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) for building a
new mosque in the five acres of land allotted by the government in Dhannipur
area of the district.
Last year, the proposed mosque got a new
name and design after objections from the community on its previous
“contemporary” style.
Source: thehindu.com
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https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/waqf-board-only-showing-layout-of-proposed-mosque-it-will-not-help-former-ayodhya-title-case-litigant/article67744884.ece
-----
Pakistan
Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan indicted on
charge of violating Islamic marriage law
January 16, 2024
A Pakistani court has indicted
imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife on a charge that their
2018 marriage violated the Islamic law requirement that a woman waits three
months before remarriage, his lawyer said.
Mr Khan has denied the charge and his
lawyer, Intisar Panjutha, called the case one of scores against the former PM
that he sees as a politically motivated bid to keep him out of Pakistan’s
general elections next month.
Mr Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, a spiritual
healer, was previously married to a man called Khawar Maneka who has claimed
they divorced in November 2017, less than three months before Mr Khan’s January
1 2018 marriage, which was announced in February of that year.
Mrs Bibi has said the divorce was in
August 2017.
Mr Khan, who has previously been married
to socialite Jemima Goldsmith and journalist Reham Khan, and his current wife
have denied violating the three-month waiting period.
Mr Khan pleaded not guilty on Tuesday
when charges were read out to him by a judge at Adiala prison in the garrison
city of Rawalpindi.
Mrs Bibi was not present at the time of
indictment, though she has previously denied the charge.
“Everyone knows he’s being charged and
incarcerated in bogus cases to keep him out of electoral race, however people
of Pakistan don’t seem to be giving up on him,” Mr Khan’s lawyer said.
Mr Khan, who was ousted from power in a
no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022, is currently serving a prison
term in a graft case.
Mr Khan has also been embroiled in more
than 150 cases, which include inciting people to violence after his arrest in
May 2023.
During nationwide riots in May, Mr
Khan’s supporters from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party attacked the
military’s headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, stormed an air base
in Mianwali in the eastern Punjab province and torched a building housing
state-run Radio Pakistan in the northwest.
The violence subsided only when Mr Khan
was released at the time by the supreme court.
On Tuesday, police arrested Mr Khan ally
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on charges of inciting people to violence in May in the
city of Rawalpindi.
Mr Ahmed served as interior minister in
Mr Khan’s government until he was ousted.
Source: irishnews.com
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-----
Pakistan says Iran violated airspace,
killing two children; warns Tehran of 'serious consequences'
17.01.24
Pakistan said neighbouring Iran has
violated its airspace resulting in the death of two children, hours after
Iranian state media said missiles targeted two bases of militant group Jaish al
Adl on Tuesday.
Islamabad warned that the incident could
have "serious consequences" and was "completely
unacceptable" in a statement released by Pakistan's foreign office
spokesperson in the early hours of Wednesday.
Iran’s foreign ministry was not
immediately available for comment.
On Monday, Iran's elite Revolutionary
Guards attacked targets in Iraq and Syria with missiles.
Jaish al Adl has previously mounted
attacks on Iranian security forces in the border area with Pakistan.
"These bases were hit and destroyed
by missiles and drones," Iranian state media reported earlier, without
elaborating.
Iran's Nournews, affiliated with the
country's top security body, said the attacked bases were in Pakistan's
Balochistan province.
Pakistan's statement did not mention the
location of the incident, nor the nature of the airspace violation, but said it
had lodged a protest with Tehran and the head of the Iranian mission in
Islamabad had been called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The responsibility for the
consequences will lie squarely with Iran," Pakistan's statement said,
adding that the incident had occurred despite the existence of several channels
of communication with Iran.
The Pakistani military's public
relations wing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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-----
Islamabad accepts Riyadh-Doha term to
allow international arbitration incase of dispute
January 17, 2024
Mehtab Haider
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has accepted the
demands of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar for allowing to approach the
Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) or International Centre for Settlement of
Investment Disputes (ICSID) in case of any disputes on multibillion-dollar
investment projects in the country.
On the Reko-Diq project, the negotiation
on the exact valuation of the projects has been underway with Manara Minerals
to work on the finalisation of the term sheet and valuation. The Manara
Minerals Investment Company is a new venture between the Saudi Arabian Mining
Company (Ma’aden) and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) to invest in mining
assets globally and support the development of resilient global supply chains.
The RekoDiq Mining Company (RMDC) has been assigned to hire levies and payment
mechanisms defined for Balochistan.
On the Aramco Refinery Project, it has
been decided to follow up on the project to materialise it.
Top official sources confirmed to The
News on Tuesday that the investor-state dispute settlement has been agreed with
Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
“Pakistan has negotiated to include a
graduated approach for settlement of investment disputes between the state and
investors. Through this arrangement, there will be a mandatory period of eight months
to get the dispute resolved at the domestic forums,” said the sources.
An official said that in the case of
non-resolution of disputes, it was agreed that recourse could be made to the
PCA or ICSID as international forums of arbitration.
The investment chapter can be annexed
with Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to be signed with GCC (Gulf Cooperation
Council) countries, including the process of investor and state dispute
settlement through the ICSID as agreed with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which was
also shared with the GCC Secretariat.
The GCC side also informed that the
legally cleansed draft will be shared with Pakistani side in due course of
time. The Pakistan ambassador has been assigned to follow up with the GCC
Secretariat and update to be presented before the next Special Investment
Facilitation Council (SIFC) meeting.
In another significant development, the
SIFC also granted its approval in principle for the establishment of National
Industrial Development & Regulatory Authority (Nidra). The modalities of
Nidra will be finalised in consultation with the provinces.
The Board of Investment (BOI) has been
assigned to initiate the process of legislation for the proposed model under
Article 147 in consultation with the provincial governments and stakeholders,
including formulation of framework for unification of all existing economic and
industrial zones by March 2024. Till the time of legislation, the proposed
model would be initiated with the concurrence of provincial governments.
The SIFC has assigned Nadra to prepare a
digitisation platform subsequently for interface of Nadra as per requirements.
Source: thenews.com.pk
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-----
Afghan Taliban chief asks TTP to
‘revisit’ Pak strategy
January 16, 2024
Kamran Yousuf
ISLAMABAD:The Afghan Taliban chief has
asked the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates to revisit
their strategy towards Pakistan following his recent meeting with Maulana
Fazlur Rehman, the head of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl.
Sources told The Express Tribune here on
Tuesday that the JUI-F chief on his return from Kabul delivered a message from
Haibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban chief, to the Pakistani
authorities.
According to the sources, Fazl was told
by the Taliban supreme leader that he had directed the TTP leadership to review
its strategy towards Pakistan and reduce the violence.
Pakistani authorities are assessing the
Taliban chief’s message but initial reaction suggests that they are not
satisfied.
One source familiar with the development
said the message for the TTP to reduce the violence would not work.
“What we want is a permanent solution to
the problem,” the source added.
However, the Taliban chief’s direction
to the TTP did not offer a permanent solution.
Fazl also informed Pakistani authorities
that the Taliban government believed that talks were the only solution to
resolving the TTP problem.
Haibatullah Akhundzada, as per the
sources, stressed that both parties were “Muslims” and “all Muslims are
brethren”. “Therefore, both sides must seek a solution through dialogue,”
according to the Taliban chief.
For this purpose, the Taliban supreme
leader told Fazl that his country was ready to offer its “good offices” for the
revival of talks.
Following the return of Taliban to power
in Aug 2021, Pakistan did initiate talks with the banned TTP.
Talks were facilitated and brokered by
the Afghan Taliban. Negotiations did make progress at the start when the TTP
announced a ceasefire in return for Pakistan releasing a number of its members.
To further take the process forward,
Pakistan allowed hundreds of TTP militants to return to their homes. But their
resettlement plan soon backfired as they took up arms and started targeting the
security forces.
The talks eventually broke down and a
day before the change of army command in Nov 2022, the TTP called off the
unilateral truce.
Since then, the number of attacks has
only gone up while Pakistan has decided there would not be any talks with the
terrorist outfit.
The sources said despite the renewed
call for revival of talks by the Afghan Taliban chief, Pakistan is in no mood
to revisit its stance. However, some sources said the visit of Fazl did break
the ice as there was visible lowering of rhetoric from the Afghan Taliban side.
Observers, nevertheless, are sceptical
of any major breakthrough given the wide gulf between the two sides on the TTP
issue.
Any major development on the Afghan
front is expected after the upcoming elections when the new government takes
charge and may review the policy.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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-----
Shehbaz questions sincerity of Imran’s
revolution
January 17, 2024
LAHORE:Former prime minister and PML-N
President Shehbaz Sharif has said that had the PTI used the bat to play an
innings for the progress and prosperity of the country, today’s state of
national affairs and the condition of the people of Pakistan would have been
totally different.
In a recent interview with a private
news channel, he highlighted the missed opportunities by the PTI government,
emphasising that a different trajectory could have been set for the country's
progress and prosperity.
He pointed out that the Election
Commission had issued notices to the PTI in 2021 when it was in power, not the
PML-N. Therefore, the consequences of the notice are solely legal, and the PTI
has no one else to blame for this matter.
Discussing the serious cases leading to
Imran Khan's incarceration, Shehbaz stated, "Imran is behind bars as a
result of serious cases like the May 9 treason and £190 million, which was
deposited elsewhere instead of the national treasury. This is purely a matter
of law rather than anything else."
Highlighting the economic challenges,
Shehbaz criticised the PTI government's decisions, citing a ruined economy
marked by inflation reaching unprecedented levels.
He pointed out the damaged diplomatic
ties and torn treaties with the IMF as further consequences of the PTI reign.
Shehbaz expressed optimism about the
PML-N's performance in the upcoming elections, saying: "Recent polls show
the PML-N making significant gains, indicating that the party is peaking at the
right time. All surveys suggest that Nawaz Sharif will lead the country."
Speaking on the challenges faced by the
common man, he said: "The elite can seek the best treatment abroad, but
today, the common man is petrified even thinking about the cost of medical
treatment, medicines, education and employment."
He recalled the times in 2013 when Nawaz
provided free treatment, medicines, and education for the poor.
Addressing the ousting of Nawaz’s
government, Shehbaz acknowledged that the then chief justice of Pakistan Saqib
Nisar's role but emphasised Nawaz’s response, stating: "Nawaz Sharif is
not just a politician; he is a statesman."
Discussing the potential of Pakistan's
youth, Shehbaz urged the younger generation to prioritise education,
emphasising that the future lies in IT, and the youth are the country's biggest
asset.
Concluding the interview, he reiterated
the PML-N's commitment to public service, stating: "Punjab is the largest
province and the stronghold of the PML-N; the people of Punjab and Pakistan
trust the PML-N to deliver because of our public service."
Maryam vows to end inflation
PML-N Senior Vice President and Chief
Organiser Maryam Nawaz has vowed to end inflation and resume development work
if her party is voted to power during the general elections on Feb 8.
While addressing the party workers at
the beginning of the election campaign in the PP-159 constituency, Maryam said
that the infiltrators occupied Lahore for the last five years and did not carry
out a single development work, but the mark of service left by her party was
there.
“On Feb 8, the infiltrators have to be
thrown out of Lahore. The more seals are placed on the tiger, the faster the
development work will be and inflation will end,” Maryam said.
Parvez Rasheed, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Rana
Mubasher Iqbal and others were also present.
Maryam was warmly welcomed on her arrival
in the constituency.
Maryam said that she would serve the
people day and night if they made tiger victorious in the general elections.
“You can see that the metro bus is
passing somewhere and the speedo bus is passing somewhere. You will see the
signs of service of Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and the tiger.”
She said, “You made Rana Mubasher
successful by voting for him repeatedly. He is the silent mujahid of Nawaz
Sharif. He is standing in the constituency today because he has served you day
and night for five years.”
The PML-N SVP said in five years, the
wheel of development did not move forward, accusing the then chief justice of
Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar of stopping the Orange Line project for
one-and-a-half years.
She said after the departure of PML-N,
there was no development work here and Lahore became abandoned.
“There is no one to pick up the garbage
here. These infiltrators have to be thrown out of Lahore on Feb 8, as they have
only filled their pockets and did no work.”
The chief organiser said after Feb 8,
the journey of development would resume from where it had stopped and the
destiny of Punjab and Pakistan, including this constituency, would be changed.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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-----
Disqualification in Toshakhana
reference: PTI urges SC to fix IK’s plea for early hearing
2024-01-17
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) on Tuesday prayed before the Supreme Court to fix former prime minister
Imran Khan’s appeal regarding his disqualification in Toshakhana reference for
early hearing.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief
Justice Qazi Faez Isa was hearing a case related to employment. During the proceeding,
Latif Khosa requested the CJP fix another petition for hearing, filed on behalf
of former prime minister Imran Khan against his disqualification in the
Toshakhana case.
The chief justice told him that the
court could look into what possible relief could be given to the PTI founder in
connection to the request for an early hearing after the application is filed
in court. “You accuse us outside the court, do not trust the judiciary, and on
the other [hand], you ask for relief,” he remarked.
Justice Faez then asked him to file an
application for fixing the hearing soon, and it would be decided as per the
law.
A day ago (Monday), Latif Khosa in a
level-playing field case said: “We came to seek a level playing field in the
elections, but due to the decision of the court’s January 13 decision, the
party has practically disintegrated.” He further said that the party no longer
expects justice from the judiciary.
PTI founder Imran Khan on Tuesday moved
the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against his jail trial in the Toshakhana and Al
Qadir Trust case. The ex-PM filed the petitions against the jail trial
notification of both cases in the high court.
The petition stated that the
notifications of jail trials in the cases, issued on November 14 and 28
respectively, were “unlawful and malicious”. Imran prayed to the court that the
jail trial notifications be nullified and urged the court to issue a stay order
to halt the proceedings.
Imran remains behind bars in the Adiala
jail since August 5, 2023, in multiple cases including Toshakhana, Al-Qadir
Trust, and a dozen cases linked to the May 9 violence.
According to the charges in the Al-Qadir
Trust case, the former premier and others allegedly adjusted Rs50 billion (£190
million) at the time sent by Britain’s NCA to the Pakistani government.
They also face charges of receiving
undue benefits in the form of over 458 kanals of land at MouzaBakrala in Sohawa
to set up the Al-Qadir University. Later, the then-prime minister Imran
acquired approval of the settlement with Britain’s crime agency from his
cabinet on December 3, 2019, without disclosing the details of the confidential
agreement. It was decided that the money would be submitted to the Supreme
Court on behalf of a property tycoon.
The PTI founder, in his petition, took
the stance that on November 14 a notification regarding the jail trial of
Al-Qadir Trust case was issued, whereas, in Toshakhana case, the jail trial
notification was issued on November 28.
The former prime minister said that the
jail trial notifications were unlawful and based on mala fide intention.
Therefore, he prayed before the court to declare the notifications as null and
void, besides ordering the court to halt the trial till his appeals were
pending in the court.
Source: brecorder.com
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------
‘May 9’ case: Sh Rashid arrested as ATC
dismisses his bail plea
2024-01-17
RAWALPINDI: Police on Tuesday arrested
Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed after Anti-Terrorism Court
(ATC) dismissed his bail plea in a case regarding violence on May 9.
The former interior minister appeared
before ATC Judge Malik Asif Ejaz for confirmation of bail in 14 cases
registered against him in the May 9 riots.
The court granted him bail in 13 cases;
however, the ATC rejected his bail in one case registered in the New Town
police station.
The court had reserved its verdict on
January 15 after hearing the arguments of both parties.
Police took Rashid into their custody
after the court rejected his bail plea in one case from the court.
Rashid’s lawyer Sardar AburRaziq while
talking to the media said his client was arrested by police after the
cancellation of his bail.
The court would determine whether Rashid
would be placed under judicial or physical remand during tomorrow’s hearing, he
said.
Talking to the media on arrival at the
ATC court along with his legal team, Rashid said that after his “Chilla”
[40-day meditation] his health condition deteriorated and he faced difficulty
in speaking and walking but his morale is high and the losers are those who
lose morals.
During the previous hearing, the
prosecutor requested the court to reject the bail plea of accused Rashid and
Rashid Shafique.
Source: brecorder.com
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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40284134/may-9-case-sh-rashid-arrested-as-atc-dismisses-his-bail-plea
-----
North America
Poll finds association between younger
Americans and 'positive' view of Osama bin Laden
January 17th 2024
WASHINGTON (TND) — Tensions in the
Middle East have led to a disturbing poll that found some young Americans have
a positive view of the terrorist behind 9/11, Osama bin Laden.
The families of 9/11 victims told The
Daily Mail, who conducted the poll, the findings are "horrifying."
The survey found nearly one in five
Americans aged 18-29 has a completely "positive or somewhat positive
view" of bin Laden, the mastermind behind 9/11.
The Daily Mail poll also found three in
10 Gen-Z members believe he was a "force for good."
College watchdog group Campus Reform
said universities need to do better.
"Well, as a member of Gen Z myself,
I can say that I remember going through school and talking about 911, but never
really talking about who was Osama bin Laden and who was Al Qaeda. So I think
it is important that universities are held accountable to provide nuanced
education when it comes to 911 and providing a balanced education in
history," Emma Arms said.
The results of the poll came around the
same time bin Laden's "Letter to America" was posted on TikTok.
In “Letter to America,” written in 2002,
bin Laden justified the attacks of 9/11 through various anti-Israel statements,
including that "the creation and continuation" of the Jewish state
"is one of the greatest crimes." The letter was originally posted by
The Guardian, which removed it after the letter gained new online traction.
Some TikTok users said after reading the
letter it changed their perspective on the 9/11 attacks and U.S. Foreign
Policy.
The letter led to outrage directed at
the social media app.
In a statement, TikTok said it was
"proactively and aggressively removing this content and investigating how
it got onto our platform." The social media giant also claimed "the
number of videos on TikTok is small and reports of it trending on our platform
are inaccurate."
TikTok then announced it banned content
that promotes bin Laden's letter, but not before it received millions of views.
Overall, the poll said 81% of American
voters express negative views of bin Laden.
Source: cbsaustin.com
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https://cbsaustin.com/news/nation-world/poll-finds-association-between-younger-
americans-and-positive-view-of-osama-bin-laden-daily-mail-gen-z-911-teachings-education-campus-reform-tiktok-letters-to-america-content
----
US Senate rejects resolution demanding
report on Israeli rights violations in Gaza
ServetGunerigok
17.01.2024
The US Senate rejected a resolution late
Tuesday which demanded that the State Department report on Israeli human rights
violations in Gaza.
The resolution, introduced by Senator
Bernie Sanders, "directs the State Department to provide any credible
information it may have on potential violations of internationally recognized
human rights by Israel in its campaign in Gaza.”
The vote to table the resolution, or
kill a motion without debate, passed 72-11. The 11 Democrats who backed
Sanders’ resolution included Sen. Rand Paul, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen.
Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Peter Welch.
Speaking on the Senate floor, Sanders
said his resolution "focuses on the denial of right to life caused by
indiscriminate or disproportionate military operations, as well as by
restrictions on humanitarian access.”
The resolution "does not alter aid
to Israel in any way, it simply requests a report on how US aid is being
used," he said ahead of the vote.
If the Senate had passed the resolution,
it would have mandated the State Department to report allegations of Israeli
human rights violations to Congress within a month. The failure to submit the
report would have led to the freezing of US military aid to Israel.
Sanders cites 3 concerns
The Vermont senator said the report was
necessary, citing three reasons.
The first concern he conveyed was
"the scale of destruction in Gaza, the indiscriminate nature of the
military campaign, the humanitarian catastrophe and the limits on humanitarian
access -- food, water, medical supplies and fuel.”
"Second, because of the extensive
use of US weapons in attacks that have killed thousands of civilians. Much of
the destruction that has taken place in Gaza has been done with US
weapons," he said.
"Thirdly, I am concerned about the
implications of some of the very extreme statements and unclear intentions
coming out of the Netanyahu government."
Israel has launched relentless air and
ground attacks on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian
resistance group Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed 1,200 people.
At least 24,285 Palestinians have since
been killed, mostly women and children, and 61,154 injured, according to
Palestinian health authorities.
According to the UN, 85% of the
population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of
food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is
damaged or destroyed.
Source: aa.com.tr
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-----
US to relist Yemen’s Houthis as
specially designated global terrorists, AP sources say
January 17, 2024
WASHINGTON: The Biden administration is
expected to soon announce plans to redesignate Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in
Yemen as a specially designated global terrorists, according to two people
familiar with the White House decision and a US official.
The move comes as the Houthis have
launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The group says
it has attacked the ships in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza
in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
The three people familiar with the
decision were not authorized to comment and requested anonymity to discuss the
matter ahead of the expected formal announcement.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken
delisted the Houthis as both a foreign terrorist organizations and as specially
designated global terrorists in February 2021 as the administration sought to
make it easier to get humanitarian aid into Yemen.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s
earlier story follows below.
WASHINGTON: A senior White House
official said Tuesday that addressing the ongoing threat by Yemen’s Houthi
rebels on commercial vessels in the Red Sea is an “all hands on deck” problem
that the US and allies must address together to minimize impact on the global
economy.
“How long this goes on and how bad it
gets comes down not just to the decisions of the countries in the coalition
that took strikes last week,” White House national security adviser Jake
Sullivan said during an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland.
The Iran-backed Houthi group has
launched dozens of attacks since November on vessels in the Red Sea, a vital
corridor for the world’s shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to
support Palestinians in the war with Israel. US and British forces have
responded by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in
Yemen since Friday. The attacks by the Houthis have continued.
Linda Thomas Greenfield, the US
ambassador to the United Nations, said last week that 2,000 ships since
November have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea.
Houthi militants have threatened or taken hostage mariners from more than 20
countries.
The Red Sea attacks have already caused
significant disruptions to global trade. Oil prices have edged higher in recent
days, though Brent crude futures were down slightly in early trading Tuesday.
Tesla last week announced it would temporarily halt most production at its
German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea.
The US launched a new strike against the
Houthis on Tuesday, hitting anti-ship missiles in the third assault on the
Iranian-backed group in recent days. The strike came as the Iranian-backed
Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack against the Malta-flagged
bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea. No one was injured.
Sullivan said it was critical that
countries with influence on Tehran and other Middle East capitals make it clear
“that the entire world rejects wholesale the idea that a group like the Houthis
can basically hijack the world.”
President Joe Biden’s senior adviser
acknowledged that the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea as well as groups allied to
Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen pose concerns that
the Israel-Hamas war could escalate even as Israeli officials have indicated a
shift in intensity in their military campaign.
“We have to guard against and be
vigilant against the possibility that in fact, rather than heading toward
de-escalation, we are on a path of escalation that we have to manage,” Sullivan
said.
The comments from Sullivan came after
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said during
an appearance at the Davos forum that the situation in the Middle East is a
“recipe for escalation everywhere.” He said Qatar believes that ending the
conflict in Gaza will stop the Houthis and militant groups from launching
attacks elsewhere in the region.
Sullivan on Tuesday met with Al Thani as
well as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Iraqi Kurdish Prime
Minister MasrourBarzani, according to the White House.
Iran fired missiles late Monday at what
it said were Israeli “spy headquarters” in an upscale neighborhood near the
sprawling US Consulate compound in Irbil, the seat of Iraq’s northern
semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and at targets linked to the extremist Daesh
group in northern Syria.
Iraq on Tuesday called the attacks,
which killed several civilians, a “blatant violation” of Iraq’s sovereignty and
recalled its ambassador from Tehran.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
US attacks Houthi anti-ship missiles,
vessel hit in Red Sea
January 17, 2024
WASHINGTON/DAVOS: The US military
carried out new strikes in Yemen on Tuesday against anti-ship ballistic
missiles in a Houthi-controlled part of the country as a missile struck a
Greek-owned vessel in the Red Sea.
Disruptions to Red Sea shipping caused
by Houthi attacks will push up prices of consumer goods in Europe in
particular, an executive from port and freight operator DP World said as the
impact on commerce increased.
The Iran-allied Houthi militia has
threatened to expand its attacks to include US ships in response to American
and British strikes on its sites in Yemen.
Attacks by the Houthis on ships in the
region since November have affected companies and alarmed major powers — an
escalation of Israel’s more than three-month-old war with Palestinian Hamas
militants in Gaza. The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with
Palestinians.
The White House said additional US
strikes on Tuesday took out ballistic missiles Houthis were ready to launch,
confirming a Reuters story earlier, citing US officials, that a new strike was
launched at four anti-ship missiles. The strike had not been previously
reported.
“We’re not looking to expand this. The Houthis
have a choice to make and they still have time to make the right choice, which
is to stop these reckless attacks,” White House spokesperson John Kirby said.
France chose not take part in the US-led
strikes because it wants to avoid a regional escalation, President Emmanuel
Macron told a news conference. The country has a “defensive” approach in the
Red Sea and would stick to this stance, Macron said.
Two heads of international banking
groups attending the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos said privately that
they were worried the crisis might cause inflationary pressures that could
ultimately delay or reverse interest rate cuts and jeopardize hopes for a US
economic soft landing.
DP World CFO Yuvraj Narayan said he
expected disruptions to hit European imports.
“The cost of goods into Europe from Asia
will be significantly higher,” Narayan told Reuters at the annual WEF meeting
in Davos, the Swiss ski resort.
“European consumers will feel the pain
... It will hit developed economies more than it will hit developing
economies,” the Dubai-based logistics company’s finance chief added.
War risk insurance premiums for
shipments through the Red Sea are rising, insurance sources said on Tuesday.
In Spain, four factories owned by French
tire maker Michelin are planning to halt output again this weekend, a further
sign of the impact of delays in the delivery of raw materials.
SHIP HIT
A Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk
carrier was struck by a missile while northbound in the Red Sea 76 nautical
miles northwest of the Yemeni port of Saleef, a security firm and two Greek
shipping ministry sources said.
Yemen’s Houthis carried out the attack
on the ship, the Zografia, using naval missiles, resulting in a “direct hit,”
the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said.
The Zografia was sailing from Vietnam to
Israel with 24 crew on board and was empty of cargo when attacked, one of the
Greek sources said. “There were no injuries, only material damage,” the source
added. It was still sailing but would probably reroute for safety checks.
Underlining concerns, Japanese shipping
operator Nippon Yusen, also known as NYK Line, instructed its vessels
navigating near the Red Sea to wait in safe waters and is considering route
changes, a company spokesperson said.
Shipping giant Maersk, however, sent two
container ships through the Red Sea carrying goods for the US military and
government.
GAZA CEASEFIRE CALL
Container vessels have been pausing or
diverting from the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal, the fastest freight route
from Asia to Europe. Many ships have been forced to circumnavigate South
Africa’s Cape of Good Hope instead.
About 12 percent of world shipping
traffic accesses the Suez Canal via the Red Sea.
Egypt’s Suez Canal authority played down
any disruption, saying in a statement that the suspension of transit through
the canal by companies was “temporary” and that traffic through the canal was
“going as per normal.”
British oil major Shell has suspended
all shipments through the Red Sea indefinitely after the US and UK strikes
triggered fears of further escalation, the Wall Street Journal reported on
Tuesday. Shell declined to comment.
US oil major Chevron said it is
maintaining its shipping routes through the Red Sea. Exxon Mobil, which does
not own or operate shipping vessels, said it “continues to support ship owners
and operators in following guidance from the Combined Maritime Forces” — a
reference to a multi-national naval partnership aimed at keeping the seas safe.
Russian tanker group Sovcomflot is also considering
alternative routes in case the crisis escalates, TASS news agency reported.
Sovcomflot did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
European diplomats said member states of
the European Union had given initial backing to creation of a naval mission by
Feb. 19 at the latest to help protect ships.
The existing US-led coalition meant to
safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea is weak because regional
powerhouses Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have not taken part,
Yemen’s vice president said on Tuesday.
“This Bab Al-Mandab corridor is of
interest to the whole world and to the region, so regional intervention is
key,” Aidarous Al-Zubaidi told Reuters in an interview, referring to the narrow
strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
Zubaidi’s separatist Southern
Transitional Council is part of an alliance that opposes the Iran-backed
Houthis in Yemen.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
spoke with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Monday, Guterres’
spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.
“Regarding the situation in the Red Sea,
the secretary-general reiterated his call to all the parties to avoid any
further escalation,” Dujarric said.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister
underlined the link between Houthi attacks on commercial ships to the war in
Gaza. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the kingdom’s priority is finding a
path to de-escalation through a ceasefire in Gaza.
Source: arabnews.com
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----
Protesters demand Gaza cease-fire during
sit-in at US Capitol
ServetGunerigok
17.01.2024
More than 100 protesters held a sit-in
demonstration Tuesday inside the Cannon Rotunda on Capitol Hill calling for a
cease-fire in Gaza.
The demonstrators, affiliated with the
faith-based pro-Palestinian rights group Mennonite Action, engaged in singing
hymns and chanting slogans such as "Ceasefire" and "Let Gaza
live!"
Later, Capitol Police intervened, with
the group saying that 150 of their members were arrested during what they
described as "peaceful civil disobedience."
According to a police statement
circulated by the US media, police charged 130 demonstrators with
"crowding, obstructing, or incommoding.”
“Demonstrations are not allowed inside
Congressional Buildings, so when they started to protest and refused to stop,
we began arresting them,” said the statement.
The Cannon Rotunda was the scene of a
mass protest by a Jewish organization in October, followed by multiple arrests.
Israel has launched relentless air and
ground attacks on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian
group Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv says killed 1,200 people.
At least 24,285 Palestinians have since
been killed, mostly women and children, and 61,154 injured, said Palestinian
health authorities.
According to the UN, 85% of the
population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of
food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is
damaged or destroyed.
Source: aa.com.tr
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----
Arab World
Saudi Arabia ‘incredibly concerned’
about Red Sea, Gaza security, FM tells WEF
January 16, 2024
LONDON: Saudi Arabia is “incredibly
concerned” about regional security following Houthi attacks on international
shipping in the Red Sea and the situation in Gaza, the Kingdom’s foreign
minister said on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a panel
titled “Securing an Insecure World” that de-escalation in the Red Sea is
essential, and that Riyadh will continue to “engage with all stakeholders”
after US and UK airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen last week.
While “clearly connected with the war in
Gaza,” it is important that the conflict in the Palestinian enclave is
addressed separately, he said.
“We need to focus on the war in Gaza not
because of the Red Sea,” he told the panel. “We need to focus on the war in
Gaza because of its impact on the Palestinians, first, but on regional security
in general and on the risks it poses for further escalation.”
Prince Faisal said since Israel began
military operations in Gaza, nearly 30,000 Palestinians have died and
humanitarian aid is still being heavily restricted, but he has “not seen any
real sign” that Tel Aviv is achieving its strategic objectives.
He praised parts of the international
community for “moving more in the direction” of calling for a cease-fire,
adding that peace between the two sides “will resolve many of the challenges
that we have in the region.”
German Foreign Minister AnnalenaBaerbock
called the war “a total disaster” and reiterated that the “only way out” of the
ongoing situation is a two-state solution.
However, she said “a cease-fire,
unfortunately, doesn’t fall from the sky” and can only be achieved if both
sides “are ready.”
Baerbock said a “vicious circle” of
blame is preventing a cease-fire from happening, but insisted that first and
foremost, Hamas needs to lay down its weapons and release all remaining
hostages in Gaza.
“The answer is there on the table,” she
said. “But we can’t ignore that the majority of hostages are still (with)
Hamas.”
US Sen. Christopher Coons said he is
“optimistic” that peace can be achieved based on talks between American
senators and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh in 2023, as well
as meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv and
Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi in Cairo.
However, Coons added that conditions in
Gaza are worsening daily, and that Netanyahu has built a political career out
of opposing a two-state solution.
Prince Faisal said he is heartened by
the “concrete agreement” among major nations that the current situation is
untenable, adding: “We need to translate that into action.”
He said Riyadh will continue to work
with Washington “toward a much better future for the region,” and raised the
possibility of future Saudi recognition of Israel if peace with the
Palestinians could be reached.
Coons hinted that a series of elections
in Western countries in 2024 could potentially affect the shape of the current
set of Middle East crises.
He said Iran’s role in conflicts ranging
from Yemen to Ukraine needs to be recognized, but talked down any possibility
that a return to the White House for former President Donald Trump would lead
to a US withdrawal from NATO. “The US rarely ratifies defense treaties, but
when we do, we keep them,” Coons said.
Citing growing concerns about
inter-regional conflicts, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said: “What
happens in Asia matters for Europe.”
He also noted that Iran is aiding Russia
in Ukraine, selling Moscow military drones and helping it construct drone and
munitions facilities in Tatarstan.
But he said there is cause for optimism
for Ukrainians, noting Russia’s failure to make major progress following the
early days of the invasion, and highlighting Kyiv’s success in opening up
channels for the export of grain through the Black Sea.
Finnish Foreign Minister ElinaValtonen
said nobody wants to live in a world “where only the strongest survive,” adding
that her country had felt compelled to join NATO because of Russia’s
aggression, highlighting Moscow’s use of “hybrid strategies” to push
“third-party citizens” from other countries into Europe via Finland’s border.
Pointing to Finland’s right to security,
Nigerian Foreign Minister YussufTuggar said: “What the minister says could
apply just as much to Palestine — they have the right.”
He said the world needs to see concrete
changes in the makeup of global security institutions, bemoaning a decline in
international diplomacy, and adding that a country such as Nigeria should have
a place on the UN Security Council. The UNSC “needs to democratize,” Tuggar
said. “Clearly it isn’t fit for purpose.”
He added: “Nigeria is a large country.
It’s the most populous country on the continent of Africa. It has a population
of 220 million people — it’s going to be 400 million by the year 2050. It
belongs in the UN Security Council.”
Source: arabnews.com
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Qatar, France broker deal to get aid,
medication to civilians, hostages in Gaza
Jan 17, 2024
Qatar and France have brokered a deal
with Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas to deliver urgent medication
to some 45 Israeli hostages held by the group in Gaza in return for
humanitarian and medical aid for the most vulnerable civilians.
The two countries said the aid would
leave Qatar for Egypt on Wednesday before being taken across the Rafah border
crossing.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson
Majed al-Ansari said in a statement the deal would mean "medicine along
with other humanitarian aid is to be delivered to civilians in the Gaza Strip,
in the most affected and vulnerable areas, in exchange for delivering
medication needed for Israeli captives in Gaza."
He did not give details on how much aid
or what aid would be delivered to civilians.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu said two Qatari Air Force planes were to land on Wednesday
in Egypt with medicines purchased in France based on an Israeli list.
Earlier, Philippe Lalliot, head of
France's foreign ministry crisis centre which organises aid efforts, said
negotiations had been going on for weeks and the initial idea had come from the
families of some of the Israeli hostages.
Specific medical packages for several
months, which were put together in France, would be delivered to each of the 45
hostages. The International Committee of the Red Cross will coordinate on the
ground.
France still has three nationals held in
Gaza, but none of them are in urgent need of medication, Lalliot said.
Source: thedailystar.net
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Riyadh to host forum on best use of
digital technology for archiving
January 16, 2024
RIYADH: The efficient use of digital
technology for archiving and document storage will be the subject of a
three-day conference to be staged, next year, in Riyadh.
The Archives in the Digital Age forum
will be hosted by the Saudi National Center for Archives and Records from Feb.
16 to 18, 2025, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Delegates will discuss the opportunities
and challenges in working toward effective digital transformation in government
institutions and agencies.
The center’s director general, Faisal
Al-Tamimi, noted that the conference’s objectives included identifying global
best practices in digital archiving, exploring their use by relevant
institutions, and reviewing the experience of Saudi government agencies and
other countries.
He pointed out that attendees would also
be looking at the role of archives in building knowledge, showcasing digital
transformation initiatives, and securing access to information.
The conference, Al-Tamimi said, would
focus on topics such as archives, big data, cloud computing, cybersecurity, AI
apps, and archival practices, while targeting government archivists,
specialists in various sectors, computer experts, cybersecurity and data
management professionals, and faculty members and students from Saudi, Gulf,
and Arab universities.
Source: arabnews.com
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OIC chief emphasizes Islamic
universities’ role in shaping future
January 16, 2024
RIYADH: The first coordination meeting
for Islamic universities and affiliated institutions of the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation took place in Jeddah on Tuesday.
The OIC operates five affiliated and
subsidiary universities in member states: Islamic University of Technology in
Bangladesh, International Islamic University in Malaysia, Islamic University in
Uganda, Islamic University of Niger and King Faisal University in Chad. These
institutions are central to the organization’s higher education initiatives.
OIC Secretary-General HisseinBrahim Taha
highlighted the role universities have to play in shaping the future of
societies by influencing the development of young people.
He affirmed the organization’s support
for Islamic universities and stressed the importance of participation in their
events for fostering constructive interaction between the OIC and higher
education.
He also underscored the significance of
the Islamic world and emphasized the potential for fruitful cooperation to
generate innovative ideas and opportunities for young people.
Taha highlighted key challenges,
including poverty, climate change, adapting to technological advancements,
addressing labor-market conditions and prioritizing girls’ education.
The coordination meeting aims to foster
dialogue and the exchange of experiences in the academic and administrative
sectors. It provides a platform for coordination and cooperation between
Islamic universities and affiliated institutions.
Source: arabnews.com
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-----
Europe
Palestinian Envoy To UK Says There Is No
Way ICJ Would Rule In Favour Of Israel
BehlulCetinkaya
17.01.2024
The Palestinian ambassador to Britain
said Tuesday "there is no way" that the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) would rule in favour of Israel, and for the first time in
history, the "genocide" has been recorded and transmitted live by the
people who were executed.
HusamZomlot's remarks came during a news
conference in London on the ongoing Israeli attacks and genocide case filed by
South Africa against Israel before the ICJ in the Hague in the Netherlands.
Touching on the Israeli attacks, Zomlot
said the destruction of Gaza is a "deliberate genocide and ethnic
cleansing...deliberate in its intent and execution."
"Despite this unprecedented manmade
humanitarian disaster, we see no serious efforts by the most important
international actors to bring about an immediate, sustainable, comprehensive
and permanent cease-fire," he noted.
"Without that immediate cease-fire,
we see no hope of addressing the apocalyptic situation," he said,
asserting that all those who want to discuss other issues are missing the
point.
"This remains our top
priority," he stressed, adding that in addition, there also has to be
"massive international humanitarian efforts" to address Gaza's acute
needs.
He referred to the need for
reconstruction efforts to make the area "livable again."
"Unfortunately, countries like the
US and the UK have so far resisted calling for an immediate cease-fire,"
said Zomlot, adding: "Do these countries really want to support what I
have just described?”
Turning to the genocide case filed by
South Africa at the ICJ, Zomlot said it is the first serious international
effort at ending this "appalling situation" and "demanding
accountability" after 75 years of being denied basic rights.
He went on to say that this attempt came
because the international community "has failed" in its duty to
protect civilians according to their own commitments and responsibilities as
contracting parties to the rules-based international order.
He stressed that Israel chose to conduct
"a war of vengeance," adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is "not only conducting a war of vengeance, but a war for his
own political survival."
"Israel has refused to cooperate
with any international investigations for 75 years," he added.
Zomlot said that Israel wants to reserve
for itself judgment about who is violating international law and international
humanitarian law.
"Israel wants to be the only
referee of its own crimes, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide."
-'ICC has been dragging its feet since
2014'
Criticizing Western countries, the
Palestinian envoy highlighted that Israel can do this because "certain key
Western governments have let Israel do so."
"There must not be another mass
expulsion of Palestinians like the Nakba of 1948. Never again," he said,
reminding that 70% of the Palestinian population were "ethnically
cleansed" in 1948.
"We shall not see that experience
again and we will not."
Zomlot also recalled that Palestine
asked the ICC to investigate war crimes during and after Israel's 2014
aggression on Gaza, long before Oct. 7.
"We have given full mandate and
jurisdiction for the ICC to investigate all war crimes, all crimes committed in
the occupied land of Palestine, and the ICC has been dragging its feet since
2014," he said.
He stressed that the political solution
should come as "irreversible and credible steps."
Zomlot said that one of Israel's
"constant goals for decades" has been to separate Gaza from the rest
of Palestine, which he rejected, adding that Gaza is an integral part of the
state of Palestine.
"The state of Palestine is ready to
take charge of the whole territory of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza,
immediately."
On British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
asking a Muslim member of parliament on Monday "to call on Hamas and the
Houthis to de-escalate the situation” in the Middle East rather than the UK
government, Zomlot said this is not a Muslim or Jewish issue.
"It's a ridiculous proposition to
assume that we have an issue with Israel because of their identity...That's not
true. The issue is with the fact of our oppression."
He went on to say that it could be any
identity, warning any leaders of using such language.
Sunak has been accused of using an
"Islamophobic trope" against Zarah Sultana, a Muslim Labour party
member of parliament.
It came on Monday during a debate in the
House of Commons following Sunak's statement on last week's strikes against
Houthi targets in Yemen.
There is no way
On the case at the ICJ, Zomlot said
"there is no way" the court would rule in favor of Israel, no
possible legal way.
"This was the first time in history
that the genocide has been recorded by the people who were executed,
transmitted live all over the world," he said.
“There is no way Israel can hide its
intent of committing genocide."
"We want to see an immediate
injunction for Israel to stop now," said Zomlot, stressing that "we must
make sure" that what has taken place over the last 100 days will never
happen again.
"The normalization of mass killing
of children, the normalization of mass destruction of homes, schools, the
normalization of starvation, the normalization of the use of diseases as a
weapon is the most dangerous thing that happened in our history since World War
II and even before," he added.
Israel has launched relentless air and
ground attacks on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian
resistance group Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed 1,200 people.
At least 24,285 Palestinians have since
been killed, mostly women and children, and 61,154 injured, according to
Palestinian health authorities.
According to the UN, 85% of the
population of Gaza is already internally displaced amid acute shortages of
food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure is
damaged or destroyed.
Source: aa.com.tr
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----
Michaela Community School: London school
facing High Court challenge from Muslim pupil over ‘prayer ban’
16th Jan 2024
A high-achieving north London school,
previously dubbed Britain’s strictest, is facing a High Court challenge from a
Muslim pupil over a decision to impose a “prayer ban”. The student alleges that
the policy introduced by the Michaela Community School in Brent is
discriminatory and had “fundamentally changed” how she feels “about being a
Muslim in this country”, a judge heard.
The pupil, who cannot be named,
described the ban as “like somebody saying they don’t feel like I properly
belong here”, a hearing in London on Tuesday (January 16) was told. In the legal
action against the free school’s governing body, the Michaela Community Schools
Trust, the student claims the decision “banning prayer rituals” also breaches
her right to freedom of religion.
The hearing was told that the school’s
stance was first introduced in March last year by its founder and headteacher
Katharine Birbalsingh – a former government social mobility Tsar – and later
re-made by its governing body in May. Lawyers for the school, which is opposing
the legal challenge, had argued that proceedings should be held in private due
to concerns over past harassment, which saw it face threats and a “bomb hoax”.
But following arguments by the media, Mr
Justice Linden ruled that the hearing should be held in public and the school
and headteacher can be identified.
Sarah Hannett KC, representing the
student only to be referred to as TTT, told the court that the policy had the
“practical effect of only preventing Muslims from praying because their prayer
by nature has a ritualised nature rather than being internal”. The barrister
said it was “a ban uniquely on Muslim prayer”, stopping pupils praying “at a
time as required by Islam”, under which it is part of the “five pillars” of the
faith.
She said Muslim prayer requires
“prostration and for the worshipper to face a particular direction”, adding
that there was no evidence the ban affected other faiths in the school. Ms
Hannett said it “wouldn’t prevent a Christian child sitting quietly in the
corner of the playground from praying”.
The pupil was seeking a “compromise” to
the school’s position, her lawyer said, arguing they should be allowed to pray
for around five minutes at lunch time, on dates when faith rules required it,
but not during lessons. Ms Hannett said the ban at the school, where around
half of the roughly 700 students are Muslim, makes the pupil “feel guilty and
unhappy, in her words, it ‘messes up her day”.
Around 30 students began praying in the
school’s “wet” and “dirty” yard in March last year, using blazers to kneel as
they were not permitted to bring in prayer mats, the lawyer told the court.
Jason Coppel KC, for the school trust,
said pupils seen praying outside contributed to a “concerted campaign” on
social media over the school’s approach to religion, including a since-removed
online petition attracting thousands of signatures. He argued reporting of the
case could “give rise to a real and immediate risk of harm to the headmistress,
other members of the school staff (and) potentially pupils at the school”.
The court heard the school was targeted
with “threats of violence”, abuse and “false” allegations of Islamophobia.
Police were called to respond to claims of bombs being placed at the school,
prompting it to hire a security guard and close two days early at the end of
term.
Glass bottles were thrown over the
school railings and a brick thrown through one teacher’s window, leaving staff
“fearing for their lives”, Mr Coppel said, adding that the situation had since
“calmed”. He said Ms Birbalsingh was concerned coverage of the hearing would
cause “serious risk” of “physical danger to our school community”.
Mr Justice Linden noted the school had
received “disgraceful” abuse but concluded: “I do not accept that the evidence
in this case establishes a risk to the lives or safety of members of the school
staff or the school community that would justify holding the hearing in
private.”
The judge ruled there should be no
reports of the case featuring the identity of any school pupils and staff,
except for Ms Birbalsingh. Mr Coppel is due to set the school’s defence to the
case on Wednesday, when the hearing is due to conclude.
Source: nationalworld.com
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https://www.nationalworld.com/news/uk/london-school-prayer-ban-4480990
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Churches and mosques targeted in
burglaries in Fulwood and Preston city centre
16th January, 2024 -
Police have reported a rise in church
and mosque burglaries in and around Preston.
Releasing a statement on Facebook, the
police said that the crimes have included taking cash and other items from the
places of worship.
The police said they are “investigating
these crimes” and that they have stepped up patrols in the areas.
The statement said: “Over the last week,
we have seen an increase in burglaries at places of worship across Preston.
“During the incidents, which have
happened at Mosques and Churches in the Sharoe Green, Avenham and City Centre
areas, offenders have forced their way into the buildings before stealing cash
and other items.
“We appreciate that incidents like this
can cause a great deal of upset in the community and we want to reassure you
that we are investigating these crimes and have stepped up patrols in and around
the areas.”
The post comes after Anglican church St
George the Martyr just off Lune Street in George’s Road was damaged during a
break-in.
The donation box, which was located at
the back of the church, had money taken from it during the break-in which took
place overnight between Friday 12 January and Saturday (13 January).
A spokesperson for the church said at
the time: “It’s so discouraging to see a mindless act of vandalism such as
this. We’re not a rich church flush with people. We operate largely hand to
mouth through generous giving from the small and committed congregation. Our
parish is in a designated area of deprivation and we work hard to try and make
a difference in the city centre.
“We shan’t allow this to divert our
energies. We will continue our work to the most needy and disadvantaged in
Preston for that is what we’re called to do and it must continue.”
Source: blogpreston.co.uk
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https://www.blogpreston.co.uk/2024/01/churches-and-mosques-targeted-in-burglaries-in-fulwood-and-preston-city-centre/
-----
EU announces sanctions on Hamas' Gaza
chief Yahya Sinwar
Jan 16, 2024
TEHRAN, Jan. 16 (MNA) – The EU on
Tuesday sanctioned Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas in Gaza, for his
role in the Hamas successful al-Aqsa Storm operation.
The sanctions, effective immediately,
freezes Sinwar's alleged funds and other financial assets in EU member states,
and prohibits EU operators from making economic resources available to
him, Anadolu Agency reported.
Sinwar served 22 years in prison until
he was released along with more than 1,000 other Palestinian prisoners in
exchange for an Israeli soldier in 2011,.
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian
Resistance movement Hamas launched a successful operation against Zionist
Israeli regime in the occupied lands from the Gaza Strip, killing more than
14,00 Zionist soldiers and settlers taking more than 200 more to the besieged
enclave as prisoners of war. The Zionist regime launched full aggression on
Gaza soon after, martyring more than 24,000 civilians Gazans and injuring more
than 60,000 more in its brutal campaign over the past 100 days.
Source: mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/210894/EU-announces-sanctions-on-Hamas-Gaza-chief-Yahya-Sinwar
----
NATO chief condemns Iran’s missile
strikes towards Iraq’s Erbil
BurakBir
16.01.2024
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
condemned on Tuesday Iran’s attacks on the Iraqi city of Erbil and expressed
condolences to the families of the victims.
It came following his meeting with Iraqi
Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani on the sidelines of the World Economic
Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"We stand in support of Iraq’s
sovereignty & territorial integrity," he wrote on X where he said
"strong cooperation," was discussed.
Iraqi businessman PeshrawDizayee and his
daughter, Zhina, 1, were killed the overnight missile attack.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) said earlier it launched ballistic missiles against positions of
"anti-Iran terrorist groups" and their backers in Syria and Iraq.
The IRGC claimed to have
"destroyed" Israeli spy agency Mossad's headquarters in northern Iraq
in response to its role “in martyring IRGC and resistance commanders” and
planning terror attacks in Iran.
Source: aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/nato-chief-condemns-iran-s-missile-strikes-towards-iraq-s-erbil/3110840
----
South Asia
Over 40,000 Afghan citizens obtain
Turkish Residence Permits
Fidel Rahmati
January 16, 2024
According to data from the Turkish
Ministry of Interior’s Migration Authority, 41,978 Afghan citizens have
obtained residence permits in Turkey.
The authority announced on Tuesday that
over 30,000 more Afghan asylum seekers in Turkey have received short-term
residence documents.
According to the latest data from the
Turkish Migration Authority, the number of foreign nationals officially living
in the country in 2024 has reached 1,107,032 individuals.
The authority stated that Afghan
citizens, with 41,978 residence permits, rank ninth among the highest
applicants for residency in this country.
The authority also reported that
citizens of Turkmenistan, Russia, and Iraq are the top recipients of Turkish
residence permits, respectively.
The authority has also released
statistics on undocumented migrants who were detained in 2023 and during the
current year.
According to the provided statistics,
the highest number of detained undocumented migrants in 2024, with 2,480 cases,
were Afghan citizens.
The authority states that in 2023,
Afghan citizens also had the highest detention rate among undocumented
migrants, with 68,677 Afghan migrants detained in various regions, and some of
them were deported.
The authority mentioned on Tuesday that
in less than a month, nearly 3,000 Afghan nationals without residence permits
have been detained.
Turkey serves as one of the primary
migration routes for thousands of Afghan refugees who transit through the
country in hopes of reaching Europe.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/over-40000-afghan-citizens-obtain-turkish-residence-permits/
-----
DABS officials meet with Turkmenistan
counterparts over Noorul Jihad substation
January 17, 2024
A Da Afghanistan BreshnaSherkat (DABS)
delegation recently met with Murad Artikov, head of Turkmenistan’s
international technical projects department, and his accompanying technical
delegation, on progress around Herat’s Noorul Jihad substation project.
During the meeting, BreshnaSherkat’s
leadership requested the Turkmen side finalize proposals, corrections,
preparation of documents, and the final agreement on equipment needed so that
the project can be completed without delay.
In addition, the Turkmenistan delegation
expressed their gratitude to DABS’s leadership and technical officials for
their cooperation.
They emphasized the importance and
usefulness of joint meetings and discussions in finding solutions to problems
related to electricity purchase and technical projects.
With the development of the Noorul Jihad
substation in Herat and an increase in imported electricity from Turkmenistan,
electricity shortage problems in the North West Zone of Afghanistan will be
resolved, DABS has said.
According to DABS this will have a
positive impact on local industry, the economy, agriculture, and business
development.
Source: ariananews.af
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https://www.ariananews.af/dabs-officials-meet-with-turkmenistan-counterparts-over-noorul-jihad-substation/
------
EU allocates €300,000 to gutted Cox’s
Bazar Rohingya camps
Jan 16, 2024
In response to the recent fire in one of
the refugee camps, hosting nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar,
the European Union has released €300 000 to assist the affected population.
The incident left over 5,000 people
without shelter.
The funding will serve to provide
immediate emergency assistance to address the most urgent needs, notably in
terms of shelter, water and site development, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on
Tuesday.
It will be implemented by the UN Refugee
Agency (UNHCR) and complement the efforts of other humanitarian partners.
In the early hours of 7 January, a large
fire broke out in one of the most congested camps, Camp 5, where it quickly
spread. Close to 950 shelters burned down or were partially destroyed.
The fire also damaged communal
facilities, including one health centre, 15 learning centres, as well as
numerous latrines and washrooms.
Despite the extensive damage, no
casualties have been reported so far, thanks to the rapid intervention of the
fire brigade with the essential help of Rohingya community volunteers.
Since fires are frequent in congested
camps, EU-funded disaster preparedness programmes have helped humanitarian
partners strengthen camp structures and better prepare for such risks.
This new funding comes in addition to
the over €38 million provided by the EU last year in humanitarian aid to
Bangladesh, notably in response to the Rohingya refugee crisis, but also to
reduce the impact of natural hazards.
Last March, when another devastating
fire caused substantial damage in Cox's Bazar camps, the EU released €1 million
to assist the affected refugees.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/eu-allocates-eu300000-gutted-coxs-bazar-rohingya-camps-3520781
-----
WHO urgently appeals for $1.5 billion to
address crises from Gaza to Afghanistan
Fidel Rahmati
January 17, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) has
made an urgent appeal for $1.5 billion in funding to provide essential health
assistance to millions of people affected by humanitarian crises worldwide.
This includes regions like Ukraine, Gaza, and Afghanistan.
WHO’s Director-General,
TedrosAdhanomGhebreyesus, stated their goal is to reach approximately 87
million people with life-saving humanitarian aid in the current year. However,
they require $1.5 billion in funding to achieve this goal.
“We aim to reach some 87 million people
with life-saving humanitarian assistance this year,” said WHO Director-General.
Tedros emphasized the need for this
funding to arrive promptly and with flexibility to effectively address these
crises and a proactive approach is essential to save lives.
The global health emergencies requiring
significant funding include the occupied Palestinian Territories, specifically
Gaza, which faces a critical health situation due to ongoing conflict.
WHO has identified other pressing health
crises, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the situation in
Afghanistan, where 23.7 million people urgently need access to clean water and
sanitation.
The resurgence of cholera worldwide is a
concerning issue that requires approximately $50 million in funding for WHO’s
response.
Ukraine is also on the list, with WHO
seeking $77 million to support health needs in the country.
Tedros stressed that the cost of
inaction is too high, emphasizing the importance of immediate and substantial
support to address these global health emergencies.
Source: khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/who-urgently-appeals-for-1-5-billion-to-address-crises-from-gaza-to-afghanistan/
----
Deportation of Afghan Refugees Discussed
in Cabinet Meeting
January 17, 2024
The issue of the Afghan refugees was
discussed in the 13th meeting of the Islamic Emirate’s cabinet, according to a
statement released by the Arg.
In the meeting, it was agreed that the
commission of refugees’ affairs was instructed to take serious steps to address
the challenges ahead of the refugees.
“The first issue discussed was the
refugees, in a bid to address their challenges and provide them with work
opportunities,” said the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman.
Meanwhile, in a meeting chaired by the
political commission of the Islamic Emirate chaired by Deputy Prime Minister
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, also the issue of Afghan refugees was discussed, a
statement from Kabir’s office said.
The statement said that the participants
stressed the improvement of relations between all countries.
“In the political commission also a
similar discussion about the challenges of the refugees was discussed,” said
Hassan Haqyar, a political analyst.
“Such meetings can discuss the weakness
and strength of a government. But the important issue is that Afghanistan is
still in economic isolation. Was there any discussion about how to overcome this
challenge,” said ZalmayAfghanyar, a political analyst.
However, the Afghan refugees deported by
Pakistan complained that they don’t have access to basic needs.
“We call on the Islamic Emirate to
provide us with a house to live in. We lived all our life in Pakistan and lost
everything,” a deportee said.
Based on the statement of tgeArg, the
Ministry of Public Works was instructed seriously to address the challenges the
transit trucks face alongside the Salang highway.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-187001
-----
Islamic Emirate Denies Intention to
Access Nuclear Weapons
SodabaNazhand
January 16, 2024
The political office of the Islamic
Emirate has denied allegations about Kabul’s intention to "access nuclear
weapons."
The head of the office, Suhail Shaheen,
said that the Islamic Emirate plans to repair the weapons left behind by
foreign forces in Afghanistan.
Earlier, a congressman asked Thomas
West, the US representative for Afghanistan, about the Islamic Emirate envoy’s
visit to North Korea to "access nuclear weapons."
“I totally deny such claims, they are
not true. The Islamic Emirate is busy repairing the weapons left behind during
the past two decades of war, not competing with nuclear weapons. These are
baseless allegations,” Suhail Shaheen, head of the political office of the
Islamic Emirate, told TOLOnews.
International relations experts
expressed various views about the issue.
“Making nuclear weapons or accessing them
is propaganda, merely a lie. Many countries like Iran tried to access nuclear
weapons but failed,” said Muhammad Hashim Danish, an international relations
expert.
“Afghanistan is affected by the
economies of other countries. How can the Islamic Emirate think of accessing
nuclear weapons,” said NajiburahmanShamal, a political analyst.
Earlier, Zabiullah Mujahid, the
spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said that Kabul has never had
negotiations about accessing weapons with any country, adding that the Islamic
Emirate’s forces possess sufficient munitions.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186998
-----
Talks Underway to Reopen Torkham
Crossing for Commercial Trucks: Mujahid
January 17, 2024
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman,
Zabiullah Mujahid, said that negotiations are underway with Pakistani officials
to facilitate the reopening of Torkham crossing for transit trucks.
The Torkham crossing was closed on
Tuesday for the 3rd consecutive day.
Mujahid said that the Torkham crossing
was first blocked by the Pakistani military for commercial trucks.
"The traders and patients are
facing problems. Negotiations are underway and we will see when it will be
solved,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan, Pakistan
Joint Chamber of Commerce said that in addition to Torkham, Ghulam Khan and
Dand-e-Patan crossings have also been closed for commercial trucks.
"On both sides of the Torkham
crossing many trucks are stranded. Some of the products are spoiled and there
are many transit goods which face fines," said NaqibullahSapai, head of
the Afghanistan, Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce.
Some Afghan traders expressed criticism
toward Pakistan, saying that Islamabad always seeks to put political pressure
on Afghanistan by creating hurdles ahead of the Afghan private sector.
They said that the problems created by
Pakistan are in contrast with all international norms.
“"Pakistan has so far has acted in
contrast with international laws. We call on the Islamic Emirate’s leadership
to solve the issue through diplomatic paths,” said ZalmaiAzimi, a trader.
Over recent months, the political
tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have intensified as Pakistan forced
thousands of undocumented Afghan refugees to leave its soil.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/business-187003
----
Afghanistan Discussed By Foreign
Ministers of India, Iran
MitraMajeedy
January 16, 2024
The Minister of External Affairs of
India, S Jaishankar, said at a press conference that he talked over the latest
changes in Afghanistan with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's foreign minister.
Jaishankar arrived in Iran on Monday for
a two-day visit.
Meanwhile, according to Iranian media,
the Indian foreign minister who is on a trip to Iran, also discussed important
regional and international issues with Iranian officials.
“Dr. Abdollahian and I will be reviewing
development in Afghanistan. We spoke about it briefly and continued our
longstanding dialogue about its stability and security,” Jaishankar said.
The Indian foreign minister also
highlighted the importance of the geographic location of Iran, as it joins
India with Afghanistan and Central Asia.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate’s
spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, stressed that the world should have a united view
towards Afghanistan and that cooperation must increase in diplomatic and
economic fields.
“We have good diplomatic and economic
cooperation with all regional countries and we want to improve it,” he said.
Political analyst Mohammad Matin
Mohammad Khail said that such meetings will not have any result for
Afghanistan.
“Meetings happened a lot recently, but
Afghanistan cannot rely on the Western or Eastern [powers] due to its neutral
policy which is an active and positive policy. Because of this issue, even
though the meetings are good, they will not bring any result for Afghanistan,”
he said.
“The provision of sincere relations will
not only benefit the people of the two countries but will also increase peace
and stability as well as security,” said Najib Rahman Shamal, a political
analyst.
This comes as the Pakistan Foreign
Minister Jalil Abbas Jelani on Monday met with Iran's Special Representative
for Afghanistan, Hassan KazemiQomi, where Jelani
"underscored Pakistan’s commitment
to a peaceful & stable Afghanistan and emphasized the need for enhanced
coordination for regional stability,” Pakistan’s MoFA said in a statement.
Source: tolonews.com
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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186997
-----
Deputy PM Meets with Baghlan Scholars,
Discussed Public Services
2024-01-16
KABUL (BNA): During a discussion with
Baghlan scholars, Mawlavi Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for
Administrative Affairs, underlined the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to serving
the people.
According to a statement from the Deputy
Prime Minister’s Office, during the meeting, Sheikh Abdul Qadir Baghlani, who
represented these scholars, informed the Deputy Prime Minister about social,
cultural, and security issues in Baghlan province.
He stated that the residents of that
province are satisfied with the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to ensure security
and provide social services.
The scholars also advised the Islamic
Emirate’s leadership to prioritize educational facilities in Baghlan province
and address problems on this regard.
Deputy Prime Minister stated that the
Islamic Emirate regards delivering services to the public as one of its primary
responsibilities and would spare no efforts to serve the people across various
fields.
Source: bakhtarnews.af
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-----
Millions of Afghans go hungry as winter
cold bites
Jan 17, 2024
Khurma had to borrow her neighbour's
shoes to walk to Pul-e Alam city to collect a cash handout being given to the
growing number of vulnerable Afghans who are struggling to survive the winter.
The 45-year-old widow waited in her
threadbare blue burqa to receive 3,200 Afghanis ($45) from the UN World Food
Programme (WFP) in the eastern Afghan city, where temperatures can drop well
below freezing.
"We are desperate," the
mother-of-six told AFP. "When we can't find any bread, we go to bed on an
empty stomach."
She is one of millions facing months of
hunger and cold, with natural disasters and displacement putting more Afghans
at risk even as funding to one of the world's poorest countries -- wracked by
decades of war -- has plummeted.
"Things were already quite
catastrophic" in Afghanistan, said Caroline Gluck, spokesperson for the UN
refugee agency, UNHCR. "But as winter starts we have two massive
emergencies."
Thousands of people are still sleeping
in tents in Herat province after successive earthquakes in October destroyed or
rendered uninhabitable 31,000 homes.
And around half a million Afghans
fleeing deportation from Pakistan have returned in recent months to a country
where unemployment is rife, "at the worst possible time of the year",
Gluck said.
Rabbani, 32, is one of them.
As a refugee, he is entitled to WFP aid:
50 kilograms (110 pounds) of flour, six kilograms of red beans, five litres of
oil and 450 grams of salt.
But, "there is no work here",
he said.
When freezing temperatures set in, his
family of seven abandoned the tent they had occupied since crossing from
Pakistan for a shack.
"When there is nothing left to eat,
death is better than begging."
Food emergency
Shakar Gul, 67, had just received the
first of six monthly payments of 3,200 Afghanis from the WFP.
"If we adults don't have enough to
eat for several days, that's okay... but we don't let our children die of
hunger," she said.
With the money she will be able to buy
household essentials -- but only enough for 15 days.
This year, there is less assistance, due
in part to a spike in humanitarian emergencies around the world and donor
fatigue.
"Excluded people still come here
and wait, especially women," said BaryalaiHakimi, director of the WFP's
Pul-e Alam centre. "They are upset. We explain to them that the people who
get help are more vulnerable than they are."
Such is the case for Bibi Raihana. Aged
40, she has eight children, a husband in prison, health problems and "not
a single Afghani".
Her eyes were wet with tears behind the
mesh of her burqa.
"My name wasn't on the lists. They
didn't give me anything," she said.
This winter, 15.8 million Afghans need
assistance, with 2.8 million at an emergency level of food insecurity, said
Philippe Kropf, spokesperson for WFP, which provides 90 percent of food aid in
Afghanistan.
Funding shortages have forced WFP to
tighten the criteria for aid handouts, with just six million people eligible
for emergency assistance in food, cash or vouchers, Kropf added.
"It leaves a gap of 10 million
people."
Once flush with humanitarian aid
following the US-led invasion of the country, funding to Afghanistan has
plummeted since the Taliban returned to power in mid-2021, in part over the
many restrictions imposed on women.
Today, approximately 85 percent of
Afghans live on less than $1 a day, according to the UN, with extreme poverty
found in both rural and urban areas.
The poorest are left with distressing
choices: fall into debt, take their kids out of school to work in the streets,
or marry off young daughters to lessen household expenses.
'Only God'
In a desert an hour's drive from Pul-e
Alam, WFP distributed essentials in the Baraki Barak district.
Hunched in the back of a three-wheeled
flatbed, 77-year-old Zulfiqar said his family sometimes goes hungry for days.
"When we have nothing left to eat,
we just wrap ourselves in our shawls and sleep," he said.
In the poverty-stricken Kabul suburbs,
thousands of returnees from Pakistan have sought aid.
The Taliban authorities provided
assistance at the border to the returnees, but government welfare programs are
very limited.
Depending on eligibility, UNHCR
distributes a maximum of $375 per person, sometimes much less.
Najiba arrived in Afghanistan two months
ago with her husband and three children.
All five sleep on the floor in a room in
her brother's house.
"We fill cans with hot water to
keep warm, we don't have any wood," she said, rocking her youngest child
in the courtyard. Her other children were barefoot nearby, despite the cold.
Benazira's fate is just as uncertain: at
34, she has eight daughters, a son and a sick husband.
Clutching the money she had just
received from UNHCR, she asked for help counting the crisp, unfamiliar US
dollars -- $340, enough to survive three weeks.
"Only God is with us," she
said, before setting off on the hours-long journey to Nangarhar province, where
her family sleeps in a brickyard.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/world/news/millions-afghans-go-hungry-winter-cold-bites-3521326
-----
Mideast
Islamist Group Chants 'Long Live Sharia'
Slogan At Istanbul Courthouse After The Release Of Ahmet Bostancı
January 16 2024
A Turkish court on Jan. 16 ordered the
release of Ahmet Bostancı, who was previously arrested for "insulting
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk" after leaving a mosque in protest against prayers
for Atatürk on his death anniversary and "making insulting social media
posts."
Following his release, a crowd of
Islamist supporters inside the courthouse chanted slogans of “long live
Sharia,” in support of the Islamic law.
Turkish riot police has been deployed
for any protests inside or outside the courthouses by the opposition groups for
years, yet there has not been any police intervention to the particular group.
Bostancı reacted to the prayer for
Atatürk at the Friday prayer on Nov. 10, 2023, and shared a social media post
saying, "One cannot pray behind them. May Allah damn the infidels and
polytheists. May Allah save us from these infidels.”
Bostancı was arrested after it was
revealed that he had shared similar posts on social media in the past.
20-year-old was on trial for
"publicly insulting the memory of Atatürk" with a prison sentence of
one year and six months to four years and six months.
In his previous statement, Bostancı
admitted that he had posted anti-Semitic expressions against Atatürk. Islamist
groups have been often using Jewish identity as a “derogatory term to insult”
others.
Source: duvarenglish.com
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https://www.duvarenglish.com/islamist-group-chants-long-live-sharia-slogan-at-istanbul-courthouse-news-63664
---
Palestinian used as human shield during
Israeli raid on West Bank town: Report
16 January 2024
Amid escalated Israeli attacks across
the West Bank, a Palestinian shop owner says Israeli forces used him as a human
shield during a raid on a town in the southern part of the occupied territory.
Mobile phone shop owner Baha Abu Ras
provided the information to Reuters on Monday.
He provided the agency with video
footage of three Israeli troopers forcing him to walk in front of them at
gunpoint during a raid on the town of Dura near the city of al-Khalil (Hebron).
"He (the first trooper) told me
that he will use me as a human shield...," Abu Ras said, adding that the
trooper then told him, "'You will walk in front of me.'"
"That's what happened and he took
me toward the center of the town," the Palestinian noted.
Abu Ras said he had been taken from his
shop earlier in the day after Israeli forces searched the premises during the
attack on the town, in which two Palestinians were shot dead.
The Israeli military said the forces
used live fire during the attack to disperse around 100 Palestinians, who had
allegedly pelted them with rocks and firebombs.
The occupying regime has escalated its
violent swoops across the West Bank since October 7 when it started a brutal
military onslaught against the besieged Gaza Strip following Operation al-Aqsa
Storm by the coastal sliver's resistance movements.
Israeli forces kill at least five
Palestinians, including three teenagers, in violent raids across the occupied
West Bank.
Including Monday's fatalities, around
350 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied territory as a result of
the escalation.
On the other hand, the regime's
genocidal war on Gaza has so far killed more than 24,280 Palestinians, most of
them women and children, and left over 60,000 others injured.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/16/718365/Palestine-Israel-West-Bank-raid-human-shield
----
Iran slams US plots for post-war Gaza,
asserts only Palestinians can decide their future
17 January 2024
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian has met and conferred with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib
Mikati on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss city of Davos.
The meeting took place late on Tuesday,
with the two officials exchanging their views on bilateral, regional and
international issues as well the latest developments on Israel’s genocidal war
against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Amir-Abdollahian underlined that the
Islamic Republic places a premium on the development of relations and joint
cooperation with Lebanon in various bilateral, regional and international
fields.
Stressing that Lebanon plays an
important role in regional issues, the top Iranian diplomat said the Arab
country’s stability and security affects the stability and security of the
entire region, and that the Islamic Republic always supports the aforementioned
issues in Lebanon.
Amir-Abdollahian praised the role of
Lebanon’s government, nation and resistance movement in supporting the
Palestinians in Gaza, saying, “Regretfully, under the US support for the
Zionist regime, the war against Gaza lingers on and we witness the continuation
of the killing of Palestinian citizens, women and children, and the genocide of
Palestinians by the Zionist regime.”
The Iranian foreign minister also
underlined that no one has the right to impose anything on the Palestinian
people and only the Palestinians themselves should decide on how to manage the
affairs of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Pro-Palestine protesters march in NYC
urging an end to US military aid to Israel and the total siege that could
result in the health system’s “total collapse” in the Gaza Strip.
Mikati, for his part, underscored the
necessity of ending the Israeli regime's war on Gaza as he described the
situation in Palestine and the region as "worrying."
The two sides also discussed the latest
developments in Palestine, Lebanon and the situation in the Red Sea, stressing
the continuation of joint consultations in order to put an end to the crimes of
the Israeli regime against the Palestinians, opening humanitarian aid corridors
to Gaza and helping to establish peace and stability in the region.
Israel launched the war on Gaza on
October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched the surprise
Operation Al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories in response to the
Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against
Palestinians.
Since the start of the offensive, the
Tel Aviv regime has killed more than 24,100 Palestinians, per data provided by
the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The US and its Western allies have
expressed their support for Israel’s war, with Washington going further vetoing
UN Security Council resolutions demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/17/718379/Iranian-Foreign-Minister-Hossein-Amir-Abdolahian-meet-Lebanese-Prime-Minister-Najib-Mikati-World-Economic-Forum-Davos
----
In letter to UN, Iran defends
anti-terror operations against Takfiri, Israel-linked targets
17 January 2024
Iran's UN envoy has defended the
country's recent anti-terror operations targeting the facilities belonging to
Takfiri terrorists in Syria and Israel-linked anti-Iranian terror groups in
Iraq.
Amir SaeidIravani, Iran’s permanent
representative to the United Nations, made the remarks in a letter addressed to
the world body's Security Council on Tuesday.
The diplomat said the operations had
been conducted in line with the Islamic Republic's "inherent right of
self-defense under international law and the Charter of the United
Nations."
"The operations were necessary and
proportionate, precisely targeting bases of terrorist groups and fully
respecting Iran's international obligations, especially international
humanitarian law," he added.
"Iran reiterates its inherent
rights, as recognized by international law, to safeguard its sovereignty,
national security, and its citizens against any threats or attacks."
The letter, meanwhile, underscored
Iran's "unwavering commitment" to fully respecting the national
sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria.
A day earlier, Iran's Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) had fired barrages of ballistic missiles against facilities
belonging to the Daesh and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Takfiri terrorist groups in
Syria.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
fires a barrage of ballistic missiles at Syrian bases of anti-Iran terrorists,
Mossad espionage center in Iraq
Daesh had claimed responsibility for two
explosions that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores of others at a
memorial for Iran’s top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem
Soleimani in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman on January 3.
Two terrorist blasts in Iran’s southeastern
city of Kerman leave at least 103 people dead and 188 more injured.
In a simultaneous operation on Monday,
the IRGC had struck an intelligence unit used by anti-Iranian terrorist groups
associated with the Israeli regime in Erbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi
Kurdistan Region.
Separately on Tuesday, the Iranian
Foreign Ministry said the IRGC strikes were part of "just punishment"
against violators of Iran’s security after the deadly terrorist attacks in
Kerman.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman
says the attacks recently conducted by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
(IRGC) against terrorists’ positions in Syria and an Israeli espionage center
in Iraq were part of the “just punishment” against violators of Iran’s security
after a terrorist attack hit the city of Kerman.
"The Islamic Republic has always
supported peace, stability, and security in the region and respected other
countries' sovereignty. Nonetheless, Tehran will not hesitate to exercise its
legitimate and legal right to deter all sources of threats against its national
security, defend its citizens, and punish the criminals,” said ministry
spokesman Nasser Kan’ani.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/17/718366/Iran-letter-United-Nations-anti-terror-operations-Syria-Iraq
Iran’s IRGC reveals details of missile
attacks on Mossad, Daesh targets
16 January 2024
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
(IRGC) has revealed further details on its recent missile attacks on anti-Iran
terrorist bases and espionage centers in Syria and the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
In a new statement issued on Tuesday,
the IRGC said the force “successfully” managed to launch missile attacks on an
espionage center of the Israeli regime’s Mossad spy agency in the Iraqi
Kurdistan Region and a gathering place of commanders and main elements linked
to anti-Iran terrorist activities, especially the Daesh Takfiri terrorist
group, in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib.
The statement said a total of 24
ballistic missiles were fired during the operation, all of which precisely hit
and destroyed the designated targets.
The IRGC said the force fired four
KheibarShekan (fortress buster) missiles from Iran’s southwestern province of
Khuzestan to Idlib, adding that four missiles were launched from the west, and
seven more from the northwest of the country to the Mossad spy headquarters in
Erbil in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
KheibarShekan, a third-generation
long-range missile developed by the IRGC, enjoys high maneuverability and is
propelled by solid fuel with the capability of penetrating anti-missile
shields.
The statement also said nine missiles
were fired at locations of other terrorist groups in various areas of Syria.
“We once again assure the mighty and
proud nation of the Islamic Iran that the IRGC’s offensive operations will
continue until revenge is taken for the last drop of the blood of our ...
martyrs,” the statement noted.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
fires a barrage of ballistic missiles at Syrian bases of anti-Iran terrorists,
Mossad espionage center in Iraq
The missile operations by the IRGC were
carried out on the early hours of Tuesday, targeting a base in Idlib that was
used as a training center for foreign members of Daesh and the terrorist
group’s affiliated outfit, Daesh-Khorasan.
Daesh claimed responsibility for two
explosions that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores of others at a
memorial for Iran's top anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem
Soleimani in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman on January 3.
Last month, another terrorist attack hit
a police station in the southeastern Iranian city of Rask, killing 11 police
officers and injuring at least six others.
The missiles on Tuesday also rained on
key target Azhi Amin, a high-ranking Kurdish official linked to Mossad, who was
involved in planning terrorist acts by the Israeli regime’s spy agency across
Iran, including the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen
Fakhrizadeh.
Fakhrizadeh, the head of the Iranian
Defense Ministry’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, was
targeted in a multi-pronged terrorist attack in Absard city of Tehran
Province’s Damavand County on November 27, 2020.
Iran has, on countless occasions, warned
Iraqi Kurdistan’s local authorities that it will not tolerate the presence and
activity of terrorist groups along its northwestern borders, saying the country
will give a decisive response should those areas become a haven for anti-Tehran
terrorists.
Since September 2022, the IRGC has
launched several rounds of strikes against terrorist positions in Iraq's
Kurdistan, vowing to continue the attacks until the groups are disarmed.
Source: presstv.ir
Please click the following URL to read
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----
‘Israel abducted almost 6,000
Palestinians from West Bank since Oct. 7’
17 January 2024
A Palestinian rights group says the
Israeli military has abducted at least 5,980 Palestinians from the West Bank
since early October, when the occupying regime launched its genocidal war on
the Gaza Strip.
In a report released on Tuesday, the
Palestinian Prisoners Club said that Israel’s mass abduction campaign targeted
all Palestinians, including women, children, the elderly, the wounded, and the
sick.
Former prisoners who had endured years
in the occupation’s jails were also among the detainees along with mothers who
were held as hostages to pressure their wanted sons, it added.
The Palestinian group also noted that
al-Khalil Governorate in the southern West Bank had the highest number of
abductions with 1,300.
It further said that many of the
abductees in al-Khalil were incarcerated under the so-called administrative
detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
A total of 30 families were targeted by
Israel’s mass arrest campaign in al-Khalil, the latest of which was the Abu
Jahisha family from the town of Idna, according to the report.
The occupying regime has also kidnapped
the bodies of 18 al-Khalil martyrs.
Palestinian shop owner says Israeli
forces used him as a human shield during a raid on a town in the southern part
of the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces have escalated raids on
Palestinian towns as part of a sweeping campaign of arrests in the occupied
West Bank, where Palestinians have held protests in solidarity with Gaza.
At least 355 Palestinians have been
killed and nearly 4,000 injured by Israeli troops in the West Bank since the
Gaza war erupted on October 7, according to the latest figures by the
Palestinian Health Ministry.
Israel waged the brutal aggression
against Gaza after the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement carried out a historic
operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified
atrocities against the Palestinian people.
So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed
at least 24,285 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 61,154
others in Gaza.
Thousands more are also missing and
presumed dead under the rubble in the besieged Palestinian territory, which is
under “complete siege” by Israel.
Source: presstv.ir
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---
Islamic Jihad commander describes
Iranian training to Israeli interrogators
16 January, 2024
Tel Aviv [Israel], January 16 (ANI/TPS):
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander arrested in Gaza described to Israeli
interrogators how terror operatives were trained in Iran in video footage
released by the Israel Defence Forces on Tuesday.
Bassel Mahdi described himself as the
commander of Specialised Professions with a platoon of nine men under him. The
nine members under his command specialised in 82 mm mortars, 107 mm rockets,
engineering, anti-tank rockets, and sniper fire.
Mahdi, who was arrested on December 20.,
told his interrogator that he was sent to Iran at the suggestion of his
commander.
“You need to go to Iran for a sniper’s
course,” Mahdi recalled the commander telling him. “Get much benefit from the
course and your salary will go up when you come back.”
He was given USD 1,000, some of which he
gave to his wife. A few weeks later, “I went from the Gaza Strip to Egypt where
I stayed for about two weeks, from there I went to Syria for a few days and
then to Lebanon. After two weeks we went from Syria to Iran again,” Mahdi said.
The course was 15 days at a military
base in Iran whose name and location Mahdi did not know. He said the training
was done by soldiers wearing Iranian uniforms.
The first four days were spent learning
how to use a Kalashnikov. Afterwards, they were trained in the use of other
types of sniper rifles.
“Four days training on a Kalashnikov at
a distance of 100 meters, five days at a distance of 100-150 meters, six days
on a Dragunov (sniper rifle). We practiced shooting stones, targets, balloons
at a distance of 300 metres,” Mahdi said.
Mahdi added that there were 15-20 other
people from Gaza, Lebanon and Syria taking the course along with him, all of
whom were “military activists of the Islamic Jihad.” Some of them took an
additional brigade course or received rocket or artillery training.
At least 1,200 people were killed in
Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. The
number of men, women, children, soldiers, and foreigners held captive in Gaza
by Hamas is now believed to be 136. Other people remain unaccounted for as
Israeli authorities continue to identify bodies and search for human remains.
(ANI/TPS)
Source: theprint.in
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https://theprint.in/world/islamic-jihad-commander-describes-iranian-training-to-israeli-
interrogators/1926830/#:~:text=The%20course%20was%2015%20days,other%20types%20of%20sniper%20rifles.
-----
Jihad calls on Islamic nation to stand
up for its legal duty towards children, people of Palestine
[16/January/2024]
GAZA January 16. 2024 (Saba) - Islamic
Jihad Movement spokesman in Palestine Musab al-Buraim on Tuesday called on the
Islamic nation to stand by the people of Gaza, stressing that what is required
is to strengthen the steadfastness and resistance of the Palestinian people and
introduce what is necessary to preserve life, including medicine, food, and
basic requirements.
In an interview with the Iranian Fars
News Agency, al-Barim called on the Islamic nation to stand up to the
legitimate duty towards the children and the Palestinian people, saying in
conjunction with the continuation of resistance in all arenas, "we call on
the nation to stand up to the legitimate duty towards the children and the
Palestinian people, who are subjected to a true war of extermination."
He added what is required is to
strengthen the steadfastness and resistance of the Palestinian people and
provide the necessary supplies to preserve life, including medicine, food, and
basic requirements.
A panel of experts affiliated with the
United Nations has warned that the population of the Gaza Strip is at imminent
risk of famine, with more than 90 percent of its 2.2 million population facing
“severe food insecurity” and a quarter of the population suffering from
“catastrophic levels of hunger.” .
It is worth noting that chief economist
at the World Food Programme Arif Hussein confirmed that the humanitarian
catastrophe in Gaza is “among the worst disasters the Strip has ever
witnessed,” noting that 20 percent of the population faces severe food
shortages.
Hussein said “I have been doing this for
about 20 years. I have visited almost all conflict areas, Yemen, South Sudan,
northeastern Nigeria, Ethiopia. I have never seen anything like this before,
both in terms of its size and magnitude, and also in terms of the pace at which
It happened to it.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3296774.htm
-----
Israel’s Netanyahu ‘unfit’ to run Gaza
war: Opposition leader
[16/January/2024]
JERUSALEM : The Israeli government of
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unfit to run the Gaza war, opposition
leader YairLapid said Monday.
“The State of Israel needs change now,
and there is no possibility of waiting any longer,” Lapid said on X.
“This government does not know how to
manage a war, and it is pushing us into a deep economic crisis that hurts every
citizen’s pocket, and has landed us in The Hague,” he added.
South Africa has filed a lawsuit before
the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of perpetrating genocide
against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during its deadly military offensive. It
also requested provisional measures from the court to protect the Palestinian
people, including by calling upon Israel to immediately halt its military
attacks.
“This government is not fit to manage
the war, and Netanyahu is not fit to run the country,” Lapid said.
The opposition leader said that his
party is ready to vote in favor of an alternative government to be led by
another prime minister.
Calls have grown for holding fresh
elections in Israel amid criticism of Netanyahu over his failure to acknowledge
responsibility for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
Opinion polls conducted by Israeli media
in the past few days suggested that if early elections were held now, Netanyahu
would be unable to form a government, while former Defense Minister and war
cabinet member Benny Gantz is considered the most likely to succeed.
Israel has launched a deadly offensive
on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, killing at least 24,100 people and injuring
60,834 others, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.
The deadly onslaught has left 85% of
Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean
water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or
destroyed, according to the UN. — AA
Source: muslimmirror.com
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https://muslimmirror.com/eng/israels-netanyahu-unfit-to-run-gaza-war-opposition-leader/
-----
Southeast Asia
Two Malaysian detainees at Guantanamo
Bay plead guilty to conspiring in 2002 Bali bombing
17 Jan 2024
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Two Malaysian
terror suspects pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring in the 2002 Bali bombing
after being incarcerated at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba since 2006.
The New York Times (NYT) reported that
Mohammed Farik Amin, 48, and Mohammed Nazir Lep, 47, were charged in 2021, 18
years after they were caught in Thailand. The sentencing is set for next week.
Both defendants were held for years in
the US Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) secret overseas prison network. In
2006, they were subsequently relocated to Guantanamo Bay to face trial at the
special national-security court that President George W. Bush set up after the
September 11 attacks.
They have been charged alongside
Indonesian terror suspect EncepNurjaman, also known as Hambali.
However, last October, NYT reported
Mohammed Farik and Mohammed Nazir had reached agreements with prosecutors at
Guantanamo Bay to charges of being accessories to the terrorists attacks in
Bali, and hence were separated from Hambali’s case.
Hambali now faces charges of murder,
terrorism and conspiracy in the 2002 and 2003 incidents where the maximum
punishment is life in prison.
In pleading guilty, Mohammed Farik and
Mohammed Nazir agreed to testify against Hambali, the former leader of the
Jemaah Islamiyah movement, according to the report.
The duo were initially charged in 2018
with nine offences linked to the 2002 bombings of Bali nightclubs that killed
202 people, and the 2003 bombing at the Jakarta Marriott hotel which claimed 11
lives. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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MentegaTerbang’s producer, director
plead not guilty to hurting religious feelings
17 Jan 2024
THE producer and director of the Malaysian
movie MentegaTerbang, which has courted some controversy, pleaded not guilty in
the Kuala Lumpur magistrates’ court today to one charge of hurting the
religious feelings of others.
MohdKhairianwarJailani and Tan MengKheng
made the plea after the charge was read to each of them before the magistrates,
NoorelynnaHanim Abd Halim and AinaAzahraArifin.
According to the charge, the two men,
who acted as the film’s scriptwriter (Khairianwar) and producer (Tan)
respectively, had allegedly intended to hurt the religious feelings of others.
The offence was allegedly committed at
JalanSemarakApi 2 in Kuala Lumpur at 12.34pm, on February 26, 2023.
The defendants appeared in court wearing
black coats.
The charge was framed according to
Section 298 of the Penal Code which provides for a prison sentence of one year,
or a fine, or both, if convicted.
Deputy public prosecutors Abd Malik Ayob
and Nor Azizah Aling asked for bail to be set at RM10,000 with one surety for
each accused with an additional condition that they be bound by a gag order on
the case until it is completed.
They also asked that the duo report to
the nearest police station once a month and hand over their passports to the
court.
Lawyer N Surendran, who represented the
two accused, objected, describing the bail sought as too high.
He said that the amount was too high. He
also objected to the imposition of a “gag order”, arguing that the application
has no basis in the jurisdiction of the court.
After hearing the arguments of both
parties, Khairianwar was granted bail of RM6,000 while Tan was granted bail of
RM6,500 with one surety each.
They were additionally told to report to
a nearby police station once every month.
At the same time, the two accused are
also prohibited from giving any statements related to the case until it is
disposed of.
Last month, Khairianwar and Tan had
filed an application in the high court to challenge the government’s move to
ban the film.
The 2021 film, first released at the
Jogja-Netpac Film Festival in Indonesia, had several police reports lodged
against it for containing scenes “disturbing to Muslims”.
It was originally streamed on the Viu
platform, but has since been taken down.
The Malaysian Communications and
Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that Viu was contacted over the indie movie
even though the agency does not have authority to censor movies and TV shows.
The movie became a focal point of
controversy after some quarters lodged police reports against it for containing
scenes allegedly disturbing to Muslims.
It also garnered brickbats from Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk MohdNa’im Mokhtar,
who said the movie goes against the theology and way of life of Muslims from
the Syafie school of thought in Malaysia.
The Film Censorship Board (LPF) said
seeing that the movie is only available for viewing online, it was outside its
purview. – The Vibes, January 17, 2024
Source: thevibes.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/100703/mentega-terbangs-producer-director-plead-not-guilty-to-hurting-religious-feelings
----
Jokowi officiates groundbreaking for
State Mosque at IKN Nusantara
January 17, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo
(Jokowi) officiated an infrastructure groundbreaking for the State Mosque in
the new capital city (IKN) Nusantara, East Kalimantan, on Wednesday.
"The religious affairs minister
conveyed that the capacity of this State Mosque is amounting to 61 thousand
people," he stated at the groundbreaking event as followed virtually.
The State Mosque is planned to be
surrounded by an artificial reservoir to beautify its exterior and interior
appearance.
In addition, the president remarked that
churches, cathedrals, monasteries, temples, and pagodas would be built to
showcase Indonesia's religious diversity.
"This will show how diverse we are.
We will continue to maintain harmony to build unity in our country," he
emphasized.
At a budget of Rp940 billion (around
US$60.1 million), the State Mosque will also be equipped with infrastructure,
such as roads and bridges, with completion targeted in 400 days, Jokowi stated.
"It is targeted to be completed by
the end of this year," he said.
The president expressed hope that the
State Mosque would present the diversity of the Indonesian nation and be a
means of increasing faith in God.
The government officially recognizes six
religions, namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and
Confucianism.
Around 87% of the Indonesian population,
or 241 million people, identify as Muslim, according to the Ministry of
Religious Affairs in 2022.
The mosque is also expected to
accommodate Muslims in carrying out various religious and other social
activities as well as serve as a symbol of strengthening religious tolerance
and moderation at IKN, he stated.
"I want the mosque to serve as an
example for other mosques in the world and showcase the uniqueness of Indonesia
and IKN," Jokowi remarked.
Religious Affairs Minister
YaqutCholilQoumas, State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, Public
Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Minister BasukiHadimuljono, Head of the IKN
Authority BambangSusantono, TNI Commander General AgusSubiyanto, and National
Police Chief General ListyoSigitPrabowo also accompanied President Jokowi at
the State Mosque groundbreaking event.
Source: antaranews.com
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https://en.antaranews.com/news/303234/jokowi-officiates-groundbreaking-for-state-mosque-at-ikn-nusantara
----
Minister: Red Sea tensions not expected
to impact country’s agriculture, food sectors
16-01- 2024
PUTRAJAYA: Tensions in the Red Sea are
not expected to impact the country’s agriculture and food sectors, said
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (pix).
He said this is because the Red Sea
route is commonly used for oil trade.
“...we don’t import a lot of agriculture
stuff from that area (Red Sea), unlike the Ukraine and Russia conflict (that
affected the import of) grain or corn,” he told reporters after delivering the
New Year’s message to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security personnel,
here, today.
Mohamad said the ministry would continue
to monitor the impacts of the tensions, which are expected to be observed in
the coming weeks.
The United States military is reported
to have claimed that they had thwarted dozens of drone and missile attacks
fired by the Houthi militia group in Yemen targeting vessels plying the Red
Sea.
According to a statement from the
Pentagon’s Central Command on social media, there is no report of damage or
injuries following the attacks.
The Houthis have been reported to have
claimed responsibility for launching missiles targeting shipping in the Red
Sea, including firing drones towards Israel as a sign of solidarity with Gaza. –Bernama
Source: thesun.my
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-----
Africa
Sharia Council says Muslim-Muslim ticket
has failed Nigerians
SodiqOmolaoye, Abuja
17 January 2024
President , Supreme Council for Sharia
in Nigeria (SCSN), AbdurRasheedHadiyyatullah, has said the same faith ticket
that brought President Bola Tinubu to power in the last General Elections has
not made any positive change in the lives of Nigerians.
Hadiyyatullah, in an interview with
journalists, yesterday, on the sidelines of a national conference organised by
the council, said despite the enormous support received by the President during
the poll, Nigerians have not enjoyed dividends of democracy since he came to
power.
The event had the theme, “Matters
Arising from 2023 Election and Associated Socio-Economic Challenges.”Recall
that Tinubu, who was the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC), adopted the Muslim-Muslim ticket when he picked KashimShettima
as his running mate.
Hadiyyatullah, who said the reason many
Nigerians supported the same faith ticket was to see how it could engender
development in the country, maintained that nothing has been achieved for the
past seven months.
He said: “Nigeria today is too bad. What
we were buying at N200 before is N2000 now. We have scarcity of naira and
unemployment is escalating. Nigerians are not enjoying the new government. I
don’t want to go personal but the Sharia council helped the Muslim-Muslim
ticket to be successful. We campaigned and supported this government until it
came to being, but we are suffering.
“We are not making any progress. The
reason for the Muslim-Muslim ticket was to progress, triumph, succeed and to
have a good government, but we didn’t have anything.”
The cleric advised ministers, who are
not ready to work for the good of the nation to resign and allow honest Nigerians
take their place.
BUT in his remarks, former Governor of
Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani Yerima, urged Nigerians to support the present
administration, saying last week’s Supreme Court judgment was a testament to
the character of the President.
According to him, the President refused
to interfere in the judgment because he is a democrat.Yerima said: “Mr.
President has said that he is going to undertake a reform of the electoral
system. He is going to present a bill on that to the National Assembly because
it is the work of the National Assembly to review the happenings in elections
from time to time. They are from various constituencies and they know what has
transpired.”
Source: guardian.ng
Please click the following URL to read
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https://guardian.ng/news/sharia-council-says-muslim-muslim-ticket-has-failed-nigerians/
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Kidnappings: “Please embark on special
prayers” – Tinubu tells Islamic Movement
Jerry Wright-Ukwu
January 16, 2024
President Bola Tinubu has called on the
Islamic Movement to undertake special prayers for peace in Nigeria amidst the
recent surge in kidnappings and bandit attacks.
During a meeting with a delegation from
Jam’iyyatuAnsaridden, an Islamic Movement, President Tinubu expressed deep
concern over the ”disturbing and ungodly incidents.”
While acknowledging the swift actions of
security agencies to address the challenges, President Tinubu emphasized the
crucial role of education in resolving national issues.
He pledged to deploy necessary
resources, policies, and plans for the extensive education of Nigerian youths,
highlighting education as a potent weapon against poverty.
The President assured that the
government is dedicated to changing the lives of the people and promoting
peace, stability, and economic prosperity.
He urged the Islamic Movement to engage
in special prayers and emphasized the importance of comprehensive education for
children, involving teachers and educational institutions in shaping the
country’s future.
President Tinubu also stressed the
significance of promoting updated knowledge through existing Islamic learning
institutions, particularly in Northern Nigeria, to accelerate development.
“There is no weapon against poverty that
is as potent as learning.
“I can assure you that we are here to
change the lives of our people. We are here to promote peace, stability, and
economic prosperity.
“We are dedicated to building a lasting
peace with a focus on the comprehensive education of our children. We will get
our teachers and their owners involved in an education process that will be
relevant to the future of this country.
“It is important. Knowledge brought me
here with your prayers and your support. Without knowledge, there is nothing to
generate hope for mankind,” President Tinubu said.
He condemned kidnapping and banditry,
describing them as contrary to the ways of God and emphasizing that peace is
essential for economic growth.
In response, the leader of
Jam’iyyatuAnsaridden, Sheikh Muhammad LamineNiass, commended President Tinubu’s
reform initiatives and pledged continued prayers for Nigeria’s peaceful
development.
Source: politicsnigeria.com
Please click the following URL to read
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https://politicsnigeria.com/kidnappings-please-embark-on-special-prayers-tinubu-tells-islamic-movement/
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Nigerians are suffering under your govt
— Muslim Council tells Tinubu
January 16, 2024
Muslim organisations in the country,
under the aegis of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria, SCSN, on
Tuesday told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Nigerians have been suffering in
the past months of his administration.
The President of the Council, Sheikh
Abdur Rasheed Hadiyatullah, stated this at the SCSN’s National Conference in
Abuja, with the theme: “Matters Arising from the 2023 Election and Associated
Socio-Economic Challenges.”
Hadiyatullah expressed concerns about
the plight of Nigerians, especially the masses and lamented over the drastic
increase in the price of various items in the country.
He said, ”The suffering of Nigerians has
escalated since President Tinubu assumed office.
“What used to cost 200 naira is now
being sold at 2,000 naira. Nigeria’s current state is marked by cash scarcity,
unemployment, and economic challenges.”
However, the SCSN president urged
Nigerians to repent and turn to God for guidance.
In his address, a former Governor of
Zamfara State, Senator Ahmad Yerima, speaking on the conference’s purpose,
addressed issues such as the review of the 2023 elections and the role of
Islamic scholars in society.
Yerima emphasized the dangers posed by
individuals falsely claiming to be Islamic scholars on social media, urging
Nigerians to be cautious.
He highlighted the conference’s aim to
address these challenges and draw attention to the perils of following
unqualified individuals who misrepresent Islam on digital platforms.’
Source: vanguardngr.com
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the full text of
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/01/nigerians-are-suffering-under-your-govt-muslim-council-tells-tinubu/
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Supreme CourtJudgment: It’s Too Late To
Accept Allah’s Will, SanusiTells Gawuna
MurtalaAdewale, Kano
17 January 2024
The 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi
II, has mocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate,
NasiruGawuna, for accepting the Supreme Court verdict.
Sanusi, the former Governor of Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN), told Gawuna that accepting the judgment as the will of
God when he (Gawuna) could not do otherwise is not a sincere commitment to the
will of God.
Sanusi said: “A faithful Muslim is
expected to accept the fate of whatever befalls him or her at the first
instance and not when there is no way out of his condition.”
Gawuna, who lost the legal battle to
unseat Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the Supreme Court, after he had secured a
concurrent victory at the tribunal and Appeal Court, subsequently declared the
verdict as the will of God.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Gawuna
said, among others: “This judgment is God’s decision, and we accept it.”
But Sanusi said it was funny for the APC
candidate to claim to have accepted Allah’s will “after doing all he could to
snatch the victory of the poll from the right winners.”
In a four-minute video released on social
media, Sanusi, who expressed happiness with the Supreme Court ruling, said he
had earlier called on the apex court to do what is justice for the people of
Kano.
He said: “We thank Allah and we also
congratulate the people of Kano and with the help of Allah, the people of Kano
have gotten who they elected. We have always been saying that since we are
practising democracy and not dictatorship, it is the right of the people to
elect their leaders and representatives.”
Source: guardian.ng
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://guardian.ng/news/scourt-judgment-its-too-late-to-accept-allahs-will-sanusi-tells-gawuna/
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Kenyan cult leader faces murder and
terrorism charges for mass deaths
January 16, 2024
Kenyan authorities are set to charge
cult leader Paul Mackenzie with murder and terrorism following the discovery of
over 400 bodies in mass graves.
Mackenzie, who was arrested in April,
denies any responsibility for the deaths.
The arrest came after the unsettling
revelation of hundreds of bodies, some of whom were reported to have succumbed
to starvation. Kenyan prosecutors are gearing up to bring charges against
Mackenzie and 94 others in a Malindi court on Wednesday.
The self-proclaimed pastor is accused of
influencing his Good News International Church members to relocate to
Shakahola, a remote forest about two hours west of Malindi, where the grisly
discoveries were made.
According to witnesses, Mackenzie
instructed followers in January last year to embark on a fasting regimen to
"get to heaven." However, Mackenzie argues that he cannot be held
responsible for the deaths as he closed his church in 2019.
The investigation, marked by repeated
requests for extending Mackenzie's custody, has now accumulated enough evidence
to charge him and others with offences ranging from murder to assault and
"facilitating the commission of a terrorist act."
Out of the 95 suspects, 64 were
initially treated as victims and relocated to a rescue centre. Yet,
investigators later discovered that many of them had lost children in the forest.
Some had provided false names and identities, failing to account for their
deceased children.
Adding a twist to the narrative,
Mackenzie was convicted last November for operating a film studio associated
with his preaching without a valid filming license. The court proceedings in
Malindi are poised to shed light on the alleged atrocities committed by
Mackenzie and his associates.
Source: africanews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://www.africanews.com/2024/01/16/kenyan-cult-leader-faces-murder-and-terrorism-charges-for-mass-deaths/
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Educate your followers; kidnapping,
banditry ungodly, Tinubu tells Muslim clerics
AHMED OLUWASANJO
JANUARY 16, 2024
President Bola Tinubu has condemned
kidnapping and banditry as ungodly, urging Muslim clerics to organise special
prayers for Nigeria and educate their followers.
“Please embark on special prayers;
embark on proper education for our youths,” Mr Tinubu told a delegation of
Jam’iyyatuAnsarudden at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday. “Kidnapping and
banditry are not the way of God. Shedding each other’s blood is bad.”
The president added, “There can be no
development without peace. It is only in the area of peace that we can
eliminate poverty. We must work for peace in order for our economy to grow
better.”
Mr Tinubu said his government was
committed to “building a lasting peace with a focus on the comprehensive
education of our children.”
“We will get our teachers and their
owners involved in an education process that will be relevant to the future of
this country; It is important,” he added.
Mr Tinubu’s call for special prayers and
proper education of youth against kidnapping and banditry comes amid rising
cases of kidnapping for ransom by bandits.
The killing of Najeebah, a girl
kidnapped alongside her five sisters and father in Bwari, Abuja, has sparked
widespread criticisms of Mr Tinubu’s government.
Amnesty International on Monday lamented
the spate of widespread kidnap for ransom in Nigeria, saying kidnapping is now
part of daily life and citizens are living on a knife edge.
AtikuAbubakar of the Peoples Democratic
Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party have both blamed increased kidnappings
and insecurity in Nigeria on “worsening hunger and poverty” under Mr Tinubu’s watch.
Source: gazettengr.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of
https://gazettengr.com/educate-your-followers-kidnapping-banditry-ungodly-tinubu-tells-muslim-clerics/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslims-india-bjp-ct-ravi-ghazni-mughals-khilji/d/131537