Fourth Round Of Revision And Updating Of Babri Masjid Demolition References, Ayodhya Dispute Section in NCERT’s Class XII Political Science Book

New Age Islam News Bureau

06 April 2024

  

This is the fourth round of revision and updating of NCERT textbooks since 2014. The first round, in 2017, was called a “review”, and not a revision, as the then NCERT director cited the need to update textbooks to reflect recent events, changes.

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·         Fourth Round Of Revision And Updating Of Babri Masjid Demolition References, Ayodhya Dispute Section in NCERT’s Class XII Political Science Book

·         Defence Minister’s 'Ghus Ke Maarenge' Assertion Underlines India's Transformed Approach to Terror from Pakistan

·         Beijing’s Nanxiapo Historical Mosque Hosts World’s Muslims In Ramadan

·         British Guardian Newspaper Reveals ID Of 8200Israeli Military Intelligence Unit Chief, Says He Accidentally Outed Himself

·         Former Agent: FBI Taught Agents Pro-Lifers Are More Dangerous Than Islamic Terrorists

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India

·         India's Mini-Yemen in Hyderabad Thrives With Arab Traditions During Ramadan

·         Allahabad high court to hear plea for Mathura mosque removal on April 18

·         Lok Sabha Election 2024 In Lakshadweep: Nighttime Campaigns Amid Ramadan

·         India Abstains From UNHRC Resolution Calling For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza

·         Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi says Congress's manifesto bears imprint of Muslim League

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Southeast Asia

·         No Adverse EffectOn Indonesia Following Loss Of Country With Most Muslims Status

·         IGP: Cops nab eight more individuals suspected of links with arrested Israeli

·         Muslims in Japan serve up curry for quake-hit Noto residents

·         Synergy, collaboration for Islamic finance literacy improvement: OJK

·         Anwar warns religious figures against abusing credentials

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Europe

·         Bradford's Muslim and Jewish communities come together for Iftar

·         University of Cologne disinvites US philosopher over her criticism of Israel

·         German lawyers urge government to cease arms to Israel

·         Poland summons Israeli envoy to protest aid worker’s death in Gaza strike

·         Scottish Labour leader joins calls for UK to halt arms sales to Israel

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North America

·         ‘End The Occupation’: US Air Force Member On White House Hunger Strike Against Israel’s Gaza War

·         CAIR: Take ‘Concrete Action’ on Israeli Soldiers Shooting Palestinians Trying to Collect Air-Dropped Aid

·         Mexico Warns Israel For 'Protecting' Suspect In Disappearance Of 43 Students

·         Pelosi joins call for Biden to stop weapon transfer to Israel

·         No separate US investigation of Israeli's killing of food aid workers in Gaza: White House

·         US on high alert for Iran threat in region after Israeli strike in Syria

·         No separate US investigation of Israeli's killing of food aid workers in Gaza: White House

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Africa

·         1994 Rwanda Genocide: UN Exhibit Shows How “Peace Is Our Choice”

·         Clashes Reported As Shi’ite Members Stage Pro-Palestine Protest In Abuja

·         NAN Chief, Baba Busu Concludes Ramadan Tafsir, Breaking Of Fast In Niger

·         After two months of blockage, food aid deliveries resume in Darfur- UN

·         Worshippers escape death as truck rams into mosque in Niger

·         Kogi: Abducted Chief Imam of Iyara regains freedom in Kogi

·         Hoodlums Attack Worshipers During Ramadan Prayer In Niger

·         UN body delivers food aid to Darfur amid warnings of impending Sudan famine

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Pakistan

·         Indian Network Of Extra-Territorial Killings ‘Global Phenomenon’, Needs Coordinated Response: Pakistan Foreign Office

·         ‘Hateful rhetoric’: Pakistan denounces Indian defence minister’s provocative remarks

·         More judges receive letters containing ‘toxic powder’

·         People express solidarity with Palestinians on Youm Al-Quds

·         PM to depart for Saudi Arabia tomorrow in first foreign trip since assuming office for 2nd time

·         On Al-Quds Day, PM Shehbaz calls for global pressure to halt Israeli oppression of Palestinians

·         IHC asks AG to explain ban on political discussion inside jail

·         Islamabad will take up matter with Kabul: Evidence shows TTP’s involvement in terror attacks

·         Lifting charges for illegal parking outside malls in Karachi abolished during Ramadan

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South Asia

·         Najibullah Haqqani: World Should Stop 'Hostile' Decisions Toward Country

·         Amnesty International Concerned Over Continued Afghan Migrant Expulsion From Pakistan

·         Afghan Taliban Leader Calls On Muslim Countries To Mobilize Resources In Support Of Palestinians

·         3 Killed In Shooting During Tarawih Prayers In Farah

·         Peaceful Afghanistan 'Imperative' for Region: Pakistan Officials

·         Show genuine political will on Rohingya issue

·         BNP uttering nonsense fearing political existence: law minister

·         Political parties are banned in Afghanistan: Justice Ministry

·         Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate Message of Eid-ul Fitr

·         President, PM greet Muslim Ummah on the occasion of holy Shab-e-Qadr

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Mideast

·         Iran Arrests Three Suspected Daesh Group Jihadists

·         World will certainly bear witness to Israeli regime’s annihilation: President Raeisi

·         World rallies in support of Palestine on 2024 Int'l Quds Day

·         Human rights expert urges immediate International Criminal Court action on Israel for crimes against Palestinians

·         Iranian Friday Imams Warn Against Hasty Retaliation Against Israel

·         200,000 worshippers perform Tarawih prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions

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Australia

·         Australia To Appoint 'Special Adviser' To Review Israel's Probe Into Deadly Airstrike That Killed Aid Workers In Gaza

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Arab World

·         Qatar not inclined to assist in post-war Gaza reconstruction due to Israeli treatment

·         Digital Platforms of Two Holy Mosques Convey Ramadan’s Last Friday Sermon to Half a Billion Muslims

·         Saudi navy chief meets with US naval delegation in Riyadh

·         Ithra’s Eid Celebration Promises To ‘Bloom With Joy’

·         Yemenis hold massive Quds Day rallies to support Palestine

·         Record 2.5 million Muslims gather in Makkah to observe Ramadan's sacred night prayer

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ncert-babri-masjid-ayodhya-demolition/d/132095

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Fourth Round Of Revision And Updating Of Babri Masjid Demolition References, Ayodhya Dispute Section in NCERT’s Class XII Political Science Book

 

This is the fourth round of revision and updating of NCERT textbooks since 2014. The first round, in 2017, was called a “review”, and not a revision, as the then NCERT director cited the need to update textbooks to reflect recent events, changes.

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By Ritika Chopra

New Delhi: April 6, 2024

The section on the Ayodhya dispute in a chapter in NCERT’s Class XII political science textbook is said to have been revised to give primacy to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, factor in the 2019 Supreme Court verdict allowing the temple — and, in at least three places, references to the December 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid have been deleted, The Indian Express has learnt.

The revised book is expected to be in classrooms in a month.

These changes are part of the revision of school textbooks undertaken by NCERT for the academic year 2024-25, which were recently communicated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

NCERT, which advises the Union government on school education, is the apex body tasked with drafting school textbooks used by more than 4 crore students annually.

The revisions pertain to Chapter 8 in the original book ‘Politics in India since Independence’ – this has been the text since 2006-07 – which lists Ayodhya movement as one of the five key “recent developments” in Indian politics.

Festive offer

The other four: decline of the Congress after its defeat in 1989; the Mandal Commission in 1990; economic reforms beginning 1991; and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

In the original chapter, there is a four-page section (pages 148-151) on the Ayodhya dispute which details the sequence of events: opening of the locks in 1986, the “mobilisation on both sides,” the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It also talks about the demolition’s aftermath, President’s rule in BJP-ruled states, communal violence and the “serious debate over secularism.”

The revised version of this section is not available but NCERT has made public the fact that it has been changed and its reasons behind the change.

“Content is updated as per latest development in politics. Text on Ayodhya issue has been thoroughly revised because of the latest changes brought by Supreme Court’s Constitutional bench verdict and its widespread welcoming reception,” it has said on its website.

It has made public four changes in the chapter in line with this justification:

Consider this paragraph in the old textbook (page 139): “…A number of events culminated in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya (known as Babri Masjid) in December 1992. This event symbolised and triggered various changes in the politics of the country and intensified debates about the nature of Indian nationalism and secularism. These developments are associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of ‘Hindutva’.”

In the new book, this has been replaced with: “… the centuries old legal and political dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya started influencing the politics of India which gave birth to various political changes. The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement, becoming the central issue, transformed the direction of the discourse on secularism and democracy. These changes culminated in the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya following the decision of the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court (which was announced on November 9, 2019).”

There are two more deletions of the Babri Masjid reference: in the summary at the beginning of the chapter and in an exercise at the end.

In the summary, the sentence in the old book, “What is the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the Ayodhya demolition for the nature of political mobilisation?” has been replaced with “What is the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement?”

In the old book’s exercise section, “the demolition of Babri Masjid” is one of six political events that have to be arranged in chronological order. This has been replaced with Supreme Court Judgement on the Ram Janmabhoomi.

Fourth round of revision

This is the fourth round of revision and updating of NCERT textbooks since 2014. The first round, in 2017, was called a “review”, and not a revision, as the then NCERT director cited the need to update textbooks to reflect recent events, changes.

When asked about these changes and the revisions in the three-page section, the office of NCERT director Dinesh Saklani said: “I am directed to inform that information regarding your query is available on NCERT website.”

This is the fourth round of revision and updating of NCERT textbooks since 2014. The first round, in 2017, was termed a “review” rather than a revision as the then NCERT director HrushikeshSenapaty cited the need to update the textbooks to reflect recent events and changes.

Just a year later, in 2018, at the request of then education minister Prakash Javadekar, the NCERT initiated a second round of revisions, known as “textbook rationalisation”, to reduce the “syllabus burden” on students.

Less than three years later, the NCERT announced a third round of textbook rationalisation.

The official reason for this latest exercise was to reduce the curriculum load further, and to help students recover from learning disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Source: indianexpress.com

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

https://indianexpress.com/article/education/3-babri-references-out-ayodhya-section-revised-in-class-xii-new-politics-book-9252309/

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Defence Minister’s 'Ghus Ke Maarenge' Assertion Underlines India's Transformed Approach to Terror from Pakistan

 

Rajnath Singh, asked about PM Modi’s statements on India’s tough approach to cross-border terror, said Pakistan also realises that India has the power to hit back now. (PTI)

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By: Aman Sharma

Edited By: Apoorva Misra

New Delhi, India, APRIL 06, 2024

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s assertion to News18 that cross-border terrorism from Pakistan will be met with asymmetric cross-border retaliation is being viewed as a signal of India’s unabashed public embrace of unorthodox tactics to eliminate security threats.

Singh, normally reticent in his public pronouncements, was unequivocal in his response to a question by Network18’s Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi about a report in The Guardian newspaper which claimed that Indian agencies had a hand in the assassination of 20 terrorists inside Pakistan.

“Whichever terrorist tries to disturb India from our neighbouring country or carries out terrorist attacks here, we will retaliate against them harshly,” Singh, 72, said in the interview on Friday. “If he flees to Pakistan, we will enter Pakistan and kill him.”

Although election-season language is normally stronger than usual, the context of the defence minister’s statement as well as the fact that it is Singh saying it, is being perceived as open signalling by India of its intention to employ a full range of tactics to beat back terror wherever it emanates from.

Singh, when asked about PM Modi’s statements on India’s tough approach to cross-border terror, said “whatever the prime minister had said is correct (Ghar main Ghuskemaarnevali Baat) as India has that power and now Pakistan also realises this”.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Lt General (retired) Sanjay Kulkarni said what Singh probably meant was the reference to the surgical series in Pakistan like Balakot.

“Those strikes by India have put Pakistan on the back foot and Pakistan dare not to do anything mischievous as it was planning to do earlier or use terrorism as an instrument of state policy as blatantly as they were doing earlier…because Pakistan now knows and understands that India will react if they do it again,” Kulkarni told News18.

Maj Gen Harsha Kakar, defence expert, said: “The defence minister’s comment shows the ability of the nation to strike at terror emanating from other countries, especially in the neighbourhood. It is in no way an admission that India has killed terrorists inside other countries, especially Pakistan, as The Guardian wants us to believe.”

PM Modi has also spoken twice about his government’s approach of ‘Ghar Mein Ghus Ke Maara’ in his election rallies in Bihar and Rajasthan in the last two days. This call from the Narendra Modi-led BJP worked wonders for the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, after people gave a resounding thumbs-up to India’s twin surgical strikes in Pakistan in 2016 and 2019.

The latest ‘The Guardian’ article, on how the Indian government ordered assassinations in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists on foreign soil, will only buttress and bolster that image of the BJP’s ‘no-nonsense’ approach against terror emanating from Pakistan soil, say political experts. The foreign ministry has denied the assertions in the article but the statements of the prime minister and the defence minister are leaving the matter open to interpretation.

INDIA TALKS TOUGH ON TERROR

The Narendra Modi government has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to terror, with India giving a befitting reply to Pakistan via not just military but also diplomatic channels.

Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking at the Pandit Hriday Nath Kunzru Memorial Lectures 2024 said, “On the western front, the long-standing challenge of cross border terrorism now elicits more befitting responses. Believe me, Uri and Balakot sent their own message.”

At another event, while discussing his book ‘Why Bharat Matters’, Jaishankar explained how India won’t talk to Pakistan if it means accepting terrorism. “What Pakistan was trying to do, not now but over multiple decades, was really to use cross-border terrorism to bring India to the table. That, in essence, was its core policy. We have made that irrelevant by not playing that game now,” he said.

The minister’s assertions underlined that while India could not choose its neighbours, interactions could no longer be dictated by tactics that the country does not stand by.

In 2022, India had declared its intention for normal relations with Pakistan, contingent on a terror-free environment. This was in response to the then Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s overture for dialogue. India’s Ministry of External Affairs had reiterated its desire for peaceful coexistence with all neighbours, including Pakistan, underpinning the necessity of a terror-free ambience. Since then, India has emphasised that while it is open to talks, it needs an atmosphere devoid of terror and hostility as a prerequisite for any dialogue.

The government’s tough stance also seems to have worked on the ground as recent reports indicate a significant decrease in terrorist activity stemming from Pakistani border outposts in the last six months.

According to top intelligence sources, Pakistani forces were earlier aiding terrorists with infiltration and tunnel construction apart from other activities. The change in behaviour seems to be a response to increased pressure and vigilance from Indian security forces.

A senior official told News18 that terror outfits have moved their launchpads, which are now away from the actual border. Due to India’s long-range surveillance system, terror outfits are trying to hide and are moving their launchpads kilometres away from the border as a safer option.

THE TRADE FACTOR

Since 2019, when Pakistan-linked terrorists carried out the Pulwama attack, trade between India and Pakistan has been at a near-complete standstill. Going a step further, India stripped Pakistan of its “most favoured nation” status, effectively placing a 200 per cent duty on Pakistani imports. As India revoked J&K’s special status in August 2019, an outraged Islamabad downgraded diplomatic ties and suspended bilateral trade. However, five years later, the cash-strapped neighbour is looking to revive trade ties.

Recently, Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ishaq Dar said the country will “seriously examine” the question of resuming trade with India. “Pakistani businessmen want trade to resume with India,” declared Dar in a sign of the heat on the government from traders and business owners in Punjab.

India’s ascendance as a global power means the country remains the fastest-growing economy in the world and is slated to become the country with the third-largest GDP in the world by 2027. As India climbs the diplomatic ladder, armed with its growing influence under the leadership of PM Modi, the neighbour has had a tough time keeping its house in order.

In Pakistan’s financial year that ended in June 2023, more than 12 million people fell into poverty, according to the World Bank. The debt burden, combined with inflation, ever-increasing prices of essential commodities and constant attacks by Baloch rebels and Pashto militants have pushed the country to the brink, explaining the interest in resuming trade ties with India.

India, however, is not keen to budge as its pre-condition of eliminating terror emanating from Pakistan’s soil remains unfulfilled. Also, Pakistan will have to bite the bullet and accept that the reality in Jammu and Kashmir has been permanently altered with the abrogation of Article 370 and it has no claim in the Valley.

Pakistan has been insisting that the onus of improving the ties was on India and urging it to undo its “unilateral” steps in Kashmir as a sort of pre-condition to start the talks.

India has dismissed the suggestion and made it clear to Pakistan that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were integral and inalienable parts of the country. New Delhi has also asserted that the constitutional measures taken by the Indian government to ensure socio-economic development and good governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are matters internal to India.

Lately, Prime Minister Modi in a post on X congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the head of Pakistan’s government, prompting hopes for a diplomatic thaw. Sharif responded days later with an equally curt post, thanking Modi for his felicitations. The Sharif-led coalition government came to power after the February 8 elections but it began its tenure with a dwindling economy which needs immediate improvement.

Source: news18.com

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

https://www.news18.com/india/rajnath-singhs-ghus-ke-maarenge-assertion-underlines-indias-transformed-approach-to-terror-from-pakistan-bjp-8841671.html

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Beijing’s Nanxiapo Historical Mosque Hosts World’s Muslims In Ramadan

 

BEIJING- Nanxiapo Mosque is located outside Chaoyangmen Gate closed to Yabao Road market in Beijing with a history of over 300 years.

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April 5, 2024

BEIJING- Nanxiapo Mosque is located outside Chaoyangmen Gate closed to Yabao Road market in Beijing with a history of over 300 years.

The building was built by the Hui people during the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The layout of Nanxiapo Mosque is east-west arrangement with the prayer hall located in the center. Covering 132 square meters, the prayer hall is typical of traditional Chinese architecture from outside but Arabic inside.

The south and the north side halls with side rooms occupy a total area of 68 square meters.

The building is structured in simplicity and elegance. The main hall, well carpeted and equipped with heating facilities, can hold 800 people for prayer.

The place has served as a place of prayer for the local Muslim people, and is the funeral management place for the Hui people in Beijing.

Nanxiapo Mosque hosts Muslims every day during Ramadan.

Some Muslim ladies, as volunteers, cook delicious foods at their home or in the highly hygienic kitchen of the mosque during this holy month and together with the volunteer Muslim men, they serve the foods during Iftar (breaking the fasting) time.

Every day in Ramadan, Muslims, who are Chinese or from other countries, gather together in this place for Iftar, prayer, and accompanying in a very friendly and hospitable environment.

Source: tehrantimes.com

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

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/496722/Beijing-s-historical-mosque-hosts-world-s-Muslims-in-Ramadan

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British Guardian Newspaper Reveals ID Of 8200Israeli Military Intelligence Unit Chief, Says He Accidentally Outed Himself

 

Illustrative: A ceremony for the incoming head of Military Intelligence's Unit 8200 in the Gelilot base, north of Tel Aviv, on April 6, 2017. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

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5 April 2024

The British Guardian newspaper on Friday revealed the identity of the commander of the Israeli Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 8200, by following a digital trail linked to a book on warfare and artificial intelligence that the officer had published on Amazon.

The Guardian named the officer who heads the classified elite unit. However, following the revelation, his identity was not published by Israeli media due to military censorship guidelines.

The book at the centre of what The Guardian called an “embarrassing security lapse” was The Human Machine Team, a 2021 book whose author, identified only as Brig. Gen. YS, “offers a radical vision for how AI can transform the relationship between military personnel and machines.”

According to The Guardian, the book’s themes “closely resemble” AI-powered target identification systems alleged to have been employed by the Israeli Defence Forces, a claim that the military denies.

The Guardian said that an electronic version of The Human Machine Team “included an anonymous email address that can easily be traced” to the secretive commander’s name and Google account. Multiple sources confirmed The Guardian’s identification of the intelligence officer, the British newspaper said.

The IDF responded to the report by saying that the email address it had unearthed was not the officer’s personal account, but rather was devoted to the book.

“The book in question was published several years ago and the address mentioned in it is not used by the officer personally and has not been used in the past,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said in response to a query on the report.

“However, the reveal of the officer’s personal details is a mistake. The issue will be investigated to prevent the recurrence of similar cases in the future,” the IDF added.

The 8200 unit is the military’s main signals intelligence gathering unit. It is a highly regarded unit with a revolving door into Israel’s burgeoning tech industry.

The discovery that its commander allowed his identity to be discovered will add to accusations of hubris and damage to 8200’s reputation as reports surfaced that the unit’s top brass had largely dismissed warnings ahead of Hamas’s brutal October 7 onslaught.

In the shock assault, thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill nearly 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and take over 250 hostages.

Citing a report by Israeli daily Maariv on intelligence failures leading up to October 7, The Guardian quoted the officer whose identity it revealed as saying that the onslaught would “haunt him” until he died.

“I accept responsibility for what happened in the most profound sense of the word,” he was quoted as saying. “We were defeated. I was defeated.”

According to The Guardian, critics within the intelligence community have accused the commander of leading to disaster by favoring “addictive and exciting” technology at the expense of more old-fashioned intelligence methods. Nevertheless, the newspaper said, the IDF “appears to have fully embraced” the exposed officer’s vision in its war in Gaza.

The Guardian on Wednesday republished a report from twin leftwing activist Israeli news outlets, +972 and Local Call, according to which the IDF in Gaza has used a “previously undisclosed AI-powered database that at one stage identified 37,000 potential targets based on their apparent links to Hamas.”

The original report, by Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Avraham, was based on interviews with unnamed intelligence commanders. The IDF later issued a statement denying the existence of such a system.

“Contrary to claims, the IDF does not use an artificial intelligence system that identifies terrorist operatives or tries to predict whether a person is a terrorist. Information systems are merely tools for analysts in the target identification process,” the IDF said.

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 33,000 people in the Strip have been killed in the fighting so far, a figure that cannot be independently verified and includes some 13,000 Hamas terrorists Israel says it has killed in battle. Israel also says it killed some 1,000 gunmen inside Israel on October 7.

Source: timesofisrael.com

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

https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-paper-reveals-id-of-8200-intelligence-unit-chief-says-he-accidentally-outed-himself/

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Former Agent: FBI Taught Agents Pro-Lifers Are More Dangerous Than Islamic Terrorists

  

April 05, 2024

The FBI trained personnel on countering extremism with material from the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), according to former special agent turned whistle blower Steve Friend.

In an interview with the Tennessee Informer last month, Friend recalled his experience at the FBI Academy in 2014: “We were shown a video that was produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center.” The film, Friend said, “ranked people who oppose abortion, pro-life activists, as a greater threat than Islamists.”

“I don’t know if they still show that,” Friend added, “but that’s what we were shown.”

The FBI still relies on SPLC material a decade later, leading a pair of top Republican senators to demand the agency sever ties with the leftist hate group that routinely smears right-of-center associations as “hate groups.” SPLC’s false “hate group” designations led to a domestic terrorist attack in 2012 on the offices of a pro-family organization.

“The SPLC is known for disseminating its ‘hate group’ list, which contains at least 1,225 organizations, to Democrat allies in Congress, Big Tech, and woke corporations on a regular basis,” The Federalist’s Jordan Boyd reported last fall. “The activist hub recently aided the Biden regime’s quest to target concerned parents by sullying a dozen grassroots groups, including Moms For Liberty, as ‘anti-government extremist groups’ in its 2022 ‘hate and extremism’ report.”

The FBI also cited the SPLC to target traditional Catholics with counterterrorism resources, according to former agent Kyle Seraphin.

“The FBI should not lend credibility to an organization that labels traditional values as ‘hate,'” wrote Sens. Chuck Grassley and James Lankford last fall, adding “any use of SPLC data by the FBI” is “inappropriate and should be stopped immediately.”

More recently, the SPLC refused to answer Federalist inquiries about whether the SPLC would add Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Socialists of America to the list of “hate groups” following the far-left’s positive response to Hamas’s October terrorist attacks on Israel. The SPLC eventually responded to the attack, from which hostages are still being held and raped, by claiming Israel is deliberately targeting Palestinian children.

The SPLC also lists the first Amendment legal non-profit, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) as a “designated hate group.” ADF has won cases at the Supreme Court 15 times, setting significant precedents in favor of Americans’ constitutional rights.

Friend was asked on the Tennessee Informer whether students at the FBI Academy pushed back at the use of a leftist hate group to train agents that pro-lifers are a worse threat than Islamic terrorists.

“There was some eye rolling,” Friend said, because his peers at the time were a group that “leans more conservative, more libertarian. “It’s probably very different now,” Friend added.

“When you’re at the Academy for the FBI, a lot of people are a little bit older,” Friend said. “Now the FBI is actually recruiting young people so they can indoctrinate them further.”

Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan's email newsletter here.

Source: thefederalist.com

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

https://thefederalist.com/2024/04/05/former-agent-fbi-taught-agents-pro-lifers-are-more-dangerous-than-islamic-terrorists/

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 India

 India's Mini-Yemen in HyderabadThrives With Arab Traditions During Ramadan

Taniya Dutta

Apr 05, 2024

It is well past midnight as a long queue of customers dressed in traditional Yemeni clothes waits outside Abdulrab bin NaserAskari's cafe for a hot cup of gahwa – a spiced Arabic coffee particularly popular during Ramadan.

Men wearing a futah, the traditional flowing Yemeni dress, and kofia caps on their heads sit on plastic chairs in semi-circles, enjoying the tea and coffee as Islamic religious songs in Arabic and Urdu blare out from a music system.

Despite the late hour, the market around the cafe is abuzz with vendors selling haleem or harees and Mandi, to abayas, futahs, dates and perfumes from the Middle East. A pushcart proudly exhibiting bottles of Vimto– a popular drink during Ramadan – stands at one corner of the bustling market.

The scene could be one from any Arab country, but it is in fact Barkas, a little-known corner of the southern Indian city of Hyderabad in Telangana state.

Barkas is known as India's "mini-Yemen" and is home to a community of Indians of Yemeni origin, whose Arabic roots are clear to see during Ramadan.

“We sell gahwa throughout the year but during Ramadan we make special gahwa with dry fruits and saffron,” Mr Askari, a third-generation Yemeni Indian, told The National.

“People start gathering here after taraweeh prayers. There is a majmaah, a congregation until 3am. It feels like a fair every evening."

Barkas, in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, is home to a community of Indians of Yemeni origin. Taniya Dutta / The National

Barkas, in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, is home to a community of Indians of Yemeni origin. Taniya Dutta / The National

‘Mini Yemen’

Barkas, a corruption of the English word 'barracks', is one of the hubs of the Yemeni community in India.

Many Yemenis were brought to India in the 18th century by the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Osman Ali Khan, said Mabrook bin Muhammad AlSaari, a prominent social activist in Barkas.

The Nizam, meaning organiser in Persian, ruled over the largest and richest kingdom, the princely state of Hyderabad, under the British Raj, from 1911 to 1948.

He was once the richest man in the world and appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1937.

He was estimated to have a fortune of billions of dollars and was known to use the Jacob’s Diamond – a 185-carat gemstone that was larger that the Koh-i-Noor – as a paperweight.

The Nizam feared being surrounded by hostile enemies.

To safeguard his territory and his family, he formed a personal army of Arab warriors, mainly from Hadhramaut and Sanaa in Yemen but also from Saudi Arabia.

“The men worked as warriors, personal and treasury guards and were given military barracks in the old city of Hyderabad, the former seat of Nizam,” Mr AlSaari said.

Many came with their families and others married local women making Hyderabad their home.

After India’s independence from the British rulers in 1947 and the dissolution of the Nizam’s rule following the princely state’s invasion by the Indian military in 1948, the Arabs lost their jobs as military men.

Some decided to go back but a large number stayed and assimilated with the locals.

More than 200,000 Yemeni descendants now live in this enclave, exuding a perfect juxtaposition of Indian culture and Arabic traditions, said Talha Kaseri, a Yemeni Indian and local politician from the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen party based primarily in the old city of Hyderabad.

Mixed ancestry

Despite more than 100 years of living in India, people of Yemeni descent have held on to their customs, preserving their Arabic culture and traditions and passing these on to the next generations.

Many also speak Arabic and have relatives in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

“We are Indian nationals but culturally we are Arab and have made an Arab world for us here. You’ll find people from various clans – Wahlans, Kaseris, bin-Mahari,” said Khalid bin Hussain Wahlan, 44, who sells futahs and caps.

“The culture is the same, whether it is food or clothes. We also look like Arabs. We wear futah like the people in Yemen and Sudan and eat haleem and spend time in the mosque. We have relatives in Yemen and would like to meet them some day."

Bushra Bafa, 39, a mother of three teenagers, said she has infused Indian and Arabic traditions to raise her children.

“I have learnt everything about my culture from my mother and grandmother and I teach my children the same values, I want them to grow knowing their ancestry,” she said.

Reverse migration

While Indians are known to have historically migrated to the Middle East for work and better living opportunities, the Yemeni community in Barkas is a reverse of this dynamic.

In recent years, many people whose parents or grandparents had migrated to the Middle East, have also returned to Barkas.

One of them is Faisal Wahlan whose family had moved to Makkah three decades ago. He came to Barkas in 2018 where he runs a small eatery selling basboosa, hummus and gahwa.

“Barkas is the same as Makkah, whether it is the mannerisms or food habits, or culture and clothes of the people. It doesn’t feel different here," Mr Wahlan, 48, said.

“My great-grandfather was from Wadi Bin Ali in Hadhramaut region. My parents were born here but moved to Makkah. I chose to return. It feels good to be here. People are the same and work is good."

Source: thenationalnews.com

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https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/asia/2024/04/05/india-ramadan-barkas-arab-yemeni-hyderabad/

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Allahabad high court to hear plea for Mathura mosque removal on April 18

 Apr 5, 2024

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad high court on Thursday fixed Apr 18 for hearing a plea regarding maintainability of a suit seeking “removal” of the Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura that stands adjacent to the Krishna Janmasthan temple.

Though Muslim side (UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and management committee of Shahi-Eidgah Masjid) had concluded their arguments, on Thursday, counsel for the Muslim side, Tasneem Ahmadi, appearing through video conference, sought time to summarise her arguments and accordingly put her arguments before the court .

On other hand, appearing on behalf of Hindu side, Ajay Kumar Singh submitted that the dispute was beyond the ambit of Waqf Tribunal and only civil court had jurisdiction to decide on it. He also relied on the judgment of Supreme Court reported in 1999, which provides that religious disputes have to be decided by the civil court.

It was also submitted on behalf of Hindu side that nature and character of litigation was important. “The objections regarding maintainability of suit is only to delay proceedings,” he added. However, as court’s time was over, it fixed Apr 18 for further hearing.

Justice Mayank Kumar Jain is hearing applications filed by the Muslim side on the maintainability of 18 consolidated suits seeking removal of Shahi Eidgah mosque in Mathura. The suits filed by Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman at Katra Keshav Dev Khewat and 17 others claim that the mosque was built on 13.37-acre land of Katra Keshav Deo temple.

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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Lok Sabha Election 2024 In Lakshadweep: Nighttime Campaigns Amid Ramadan

April 6, 2024

In the serene tranquility of Agatti Island, nestled within the Lakshadweep Archipelago, the night had long fallen.

Yet, far from the silence one might expect, the air crackled with fervour as a group of enthusiastic workers from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar), staunch supporters of their candidate, sitting MP Mohammed Faisal PP, traversed the island's lanes.

Clutching a model Electronic Voting Machine (EVM), they embarked on a nocturnal campaign, knocking on doors, and spreading their message of support.

In the month of Ramadan, life starts to wake up on these sleepy islands of Lakshadweep only after the fast breaks. The activities peak after 10 pm, after the night prayers in the mosque.

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In the smallest parliamentary constituency in terms of electorate size, residents of Lakshadweep, dominated by Muslims, emerge for their daily activities on the streets and beaches after 10 pm during Ramadan.

This night time window becomes crucial for political parties, as it offers the only opportunity for campaigning ahead of the upcoming general election.

Despite the late hour, all workers of NCP(S) were brimming with energy as they cheered enthusiastically for their leader, 'Moothon', as Faisal is affectionately referred to here. They kept shouting "PirannaManninuVendi" (For the Motherland), while displaying his posters and notices.

"He only stood for the people of Lakshadweep when the present administration brought in several new rules to torment the people of Lakshadweep. We need him as an MP to continue his fight for us," Mysha, vice president of the NCP (S) Agatti unit, told PTI.

They believe that if the INDIA bloc fails to capture power at the Centre, they need Faisal to raise his voice for the people of the islands.

"The fight here is between Congress and the NCP (S), both members of the INDIA bloc. If the INDIA bloc wins, our MP is going to be part of the ruling front. But if NDA retains power, we need a strong leader like Faisal to stand up for us," Abdul Jabbar, president of the NCP (S) Agatti unit, said.

The voters on the island, who know each other well, were receptive to the party workers' messages. Some of them engaged in conversations with the Congress candidate, Hamdullah Sayeed, who arrived there on a two-wheeler.

As Sayeed passed through the lanes, one of Faisal's enthusiastic supporters booed at him, but Sayeed happily waved his hand in response. Immediately, a senior NCP(S) worker stopped the youth who booed, issuing a stern warning against behaving inappropriately.

"We should never drop our decency," the elderly warned him.

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The polls are scheduled in the Lakshadweep constituency in the first phase, which is on April 19.

There are 55 polling booths spread across 10 human inhabited islands in the archipelago and a total of 57,594 voters for the 2024 elections.

"Spanning several hundred kilometers, Lakshadweep presents a significant challenge for campaigning candidates," said Sayeed, who is also a former MP.

He is also the son of the late PM Sayeed, who held the record for being the longest-serving MP of Lakshadweep. "By the time we connect with these voters, exhaustion sets in," he told PTI.

The unique topography of the Lakshadweep Islands, along with its troubling connectivity issues, compounds the challenges faced by the candidates.

"Now we have hired a boat on our own to reach other islands. It is very expensive, but we have no other option, Sayeed said.

Considering all these difficulties, the two rival candidates had started their campaign much ahead of the election notification, as there was no confusion in naming the candidates.

Sayeed, sporting a greasing beard and modest-looking attire, alleged that the two-time MP of this constituency has failed miserably to fight for the cause of the people of Lakshadweep.

"With his support, the central government brought in a political appointee as the administrator of this island, for the first time in its history. Now the people of the islands are suffering," Sayeed said.

He said it was imperative for the INDIA bloc to come to power at the Centre, and his victory would strengthen that shift in government for the benefit of Lakshadweep.

"This is essential for the survival of people on these islands. We are now being pushed to a corner as our lands are being snatched away from us," the former Congress MP said.

He said the "anti-secular party" ruling the Centre might have problems with the islands having a 100 per cent Muslim population.

The islanders have been experiencing connectivity issues, particularly over the last few years. There are no regular vessels connecting the islands in Lakshadweep. Some islands have a ship connecting them to others only once a week or so.

"When UPA was in power, we had 10 vessels connecting the mainland with the islands. It means each island had at least one ship daily. Now we have only one ship from the mainland," Sayeed said.

Faisal, who is campaigning in Androth, is confident of retaining his seat. "This is not just an election but the fight for our existence. We are all supportive of development, but not at the cost of people's lives or the culture of the islanders. We need to throw the NDA out of power," Faisal said.

He said the voters have confidence in him to let him continue the good work that he has done for the last two terms as an MP.

Source: oneindia.com

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https://www.oneindia.com/india/lok-sabha-election-2024-in-lakshadweep-nighttime-campaigns-amid-ramadan-3793035.html

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India abstains from UNHRC resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

 5th April 2024

Marziya Sharif

United Nations: India on Friday abstained in the UN Human Rights Council on a resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and also demanded that Israel immediately lift its illegal blockade on the strip.

The draft resolution on the ‘Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice’ was adopted by the Geneva-based Council with a vote of 28 in favour, 6 against and 13 abstentions.

India abstained on the resolution, along with France, Japan, Netherlands, and Romania among others. Those voting against the resolution included Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany and the US.

Countries voting in favour of the resolution included Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Qatar, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

The resolution demanded that “Israel, the occupying Power, end its occupation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem,” and stressed that all efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be grounded in respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law and relevant United Nations resolutions.”

The resolution also called for an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for immediate emergency humanitarian access and assistance, in particular through crossings and land routes, and for the urgent restoration of basic necessities to the Palestinian population in Gaza.”

It demanded that Israel immediately lift its illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip and all other forms of collective punishment and siege. It condemned Israeli actions that may amount to ethnic cleansing, and called upon all States to take immediate action to prevent the continued forcible transfer of Palestinians within or from Gaza.

It further condemned the targeting of civilians, including on October 7, 2023 when Hamas carried out the terror attack against Israel and demanded the immediate release of all remaining hostages and detainees as well as ensuring immediate humanitarian access to the hostages and detainees in line with international law.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/india-abstains-on-unhrc-resolution-calling-for-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza-3004587/

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Lok Sabha polls: PM Modi says Congress's manifesto bears imprint of Muslim League

 Apr 6, 2024

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress party, saying that its manifesto reflects the imprint of the Muslim League, which advocated for Pakistan as a different country for Muslims during the freedom movement. Addressing a rally in Saharanpur on Saturday, PM Modi criticized the timing of the manifesto release and accused Congress of disconnecting from contemporary India.

"Yesterday's manifesto release by Congress completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League's thinking, with the remainder dominated by Leftists. This Congress is disconnected from the aspirations of today's India," said PM Modi.

'Congress cannot take India forward in the 21st century'

PM Modi questioned the relevance of the current Congress party, saying that its legacy of fighting for independence is long gone. He said that the manifesto proved that Congress is "completely cut off from the hopes and aspirations of today's India".

"Today's Congress has neither policies for the nation's interest nor a vision for the country's progress," PM Modi remarked.

"The kind of manifesto released by Congress yesterday proves that today's Congress is completely cut off from the hopes and aspirations of today's India. The same thinking is reflected in the Congress manifesto which was there in the Muslim League during the freedom movement," said PM Modi.

"The Congress manifesto completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League and whatever part of it is left is completely dominated by the leftists," the Prime Minister added.

Muslim League and Mohammed Ali Jinnah made the demand for the partition of British India into separate Hindu and Muslim states and after the formation of Pakistan in 1947, the League became Pakistan's dominant political party.

Highlighting the promises made in the Congress manifesto, including legal guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP) and repealing the Agnipath scheme, PM Modi criticized the opposition's lack of concrete plans for the nation's development.

PM attacks UPA rule

The PM also attacked the UPA rule saying that the country was going through a period of despair and crisis.

"Ten years ago, I came to Saharanpur for an election meeting. At that time, the country was going through a period of great despair and great crisis. I had guaranteed you at that time that I would not let the country bow down. I had resolved that with your blessings, I will turn despair into hope, hope into faith. You left no stone unturned in your blessings and Modi left no stone unturned in his hard work," he said.

'Difficult for Congress to find candidates'

PM Modi also took aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over their alliance, comparing it to a "flop film" that has been re-released.

Attacking Congress, he said the party is finding it difficult to find candidates even from its strongholds and said there were instances where party candidates did not turn up for filing nomination.

"This is the first election I am witnessing where the opposition is contesting not to win but to contain the BJP below 370 seats and NDA 400. Samajwadi Party is in such a condition that they have to change the candidates every hour and for Congress, it is even worse, they aren't finding candidates, even at their strongholds... 'Do ladkonki film jo pichalibaar flop hochukihai, un do ladkonki film ko in logon ne fir se release kiyahai,'" he said.

He also slammed the INDIA alliance and said while they are for "commission", his government is on a mission.

'BJP has won trust of people'

PM Modi also said the BJP has won the trust of the people through its work.

"Today is the foundation day of BJP. In just a few decades, record numbers of our countrymen have joined the BJP. BJP has won the trust of the people, BJP has won the hearts of the people. The biggest reason for this is that the BJP does not follow politics but follows national policy. For BJP, the nation comes first, this is not BJP's slogan but our article of faith," he said.

'BJP works without discrimination'

He recalled that the BJP government works without discrimination and said the government has also brought the bill to abrogate triple talaq.

"Abrogating article 370 has been our mission and this mission has also been completed. The stones thrown by stone-pelters in Kashmir, Modi took that stone and started building Vikasit Jammu and Kashmir... Today, every Indian says, 'Niyatsahi to natijesahi'. BJP government works without any discrimination, we want our policies to reach everyone and for this, we have worked for 10 years. Our mantra is 'saturation', which means people should benefit 100 per cent, that's the real secularism and social justice," he said.

Referring to allegations of the opposition parties over the misuse of probe agencies, PM Modi said the action "against corruption" will continue.

"INDI alliance is for Commission. Whereas NDA, Modi government is for the mission...," he said.

Congress manifesto was released at the party headquarters by party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Friday.

Saharanpur along with seven other seats in Uttar Pradesh will go to the polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on April 19.

Congress rebuts PM Modi's Muslim League remark, highlights Jan Sangh's history

The Congress hit back at PM Modi over his remarks that the party's manifesto bore a Muslim League imprint, saying the Prime Minister "does not know his history" as it was none other than Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee himself who was part of a coalition government in Bengal with the League in the early 1940s. The opposition party also accused the BJP of practising "politics of divisiveness".

Reacting to the PM's remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The PM does not know his history as it was, in fact, none other than Mookerjee, the president of the Hindu Mahasabha then, who was himself part of the coalition government in Bengal with the Muslim League."

Ramesh further highlighted the historical alliance between the Hindu Mahasabha and the Muslim League in Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province. "It is the BJP, not the Congress, that believes in and practices the politics of divisiveness," Ramesh said.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lok-sabha-polls-pm-modi-says-congress-manifesto-bears-imprint-of-muslim-league-saharanpur-bjp/articleshow/109084864.cms

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Southeast Asia

 

No Adverse EffectOn IndonesiaFollowing Loss Of Country With Most Muslims Status

 April 5, 2024

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Religious Affairs Minister YaqutCholilQoumas is convinced there will be no adverse effect on Indonesia following the loss of status of being the country with the largest Muslim population to Pakistan.

He also believed Indonesia's Hajj quota would not be reduced despite the status changes.

"I believe this situation will not affect our Hajj quota because (the quota) is calculated per one thousand Hajj pilgrims. Our quota will not be affected," he stated here on Thursday (April 4).

The minister's remarks were conveyed in response to the recent World Population Review data showing that Pakistan had surpassed Indonesia in terms of the Muslim population number.

The review showed that Pakistan replaced Indonesia as the country with the most Muslim population, at 240.8 million Muslims, or equal to 98.19 percent of its population.

Meanwhile, Indonesia's Muslim population currently stands at 236 million, or equal to 84.35 percent of the country's population.

Qoumas emphasized that Islam is not concerned about the number of people who profess the faith but rather about the quality of each Muslim instead.

"Islam is not about how much (the number of Muslims). Islam is about quality not quantity," Qoumas stated.

Meanwhile, the ministry's Director General of Islamic Community Guidance, Kamaruddin Amin, highlighted a report which concludes that Islam will become the dominant religion globally in upcoming years.

Amin said the projection showed that Islam has become more attractive to the world population since it plays an increasingly significant role in life.

"Islam has become more attractive not only in the Middle East but also in East Asia and Europe," the director general remarked.
Source: antaranews.com

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IGP: Cops nab eight more individuals suspected of links with arrested Israeli

06 Apr 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — The police have detained eight more individuals, including three foreigners, in separate operations conducted in both the city and Johor on Thursday and Friday (April 4 and 5) to facilitate the investigation into an Israeli national who was arrested with six firearms at a hotel in Ampang on March 27.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain stated that the detainees comprised five local men, two Turkish nationals, and one Georgian man, aged between 29 and 60, adding that they have been remanded for one week from the date of their arrest.

“The two men arrested in Johor are believed to have played a role in procuring firearms for the suspect,” he said when contacted.

As a result of this arrest, six others were detained, comprising two Turkish men aged 29 and 40, and a 39-year-old Georgian man, he said.

“One of the detained Turkish nationals possessed a Polish passport and an American passport. The arrests were as a result of investigations conducted by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) on cryptocurrency payments used to purchase firearms,” he said.

Razarudin announced that the recent arrests, including the Israeli man, have brought the total to 16 individuals, who have been apprehended in cooperation with the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Kuala Lumpur Contingent CID, CCID, and the Special Branch.

The 36-year-old Israeli man was caught trying to enter Malaysia via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 12 using a French passport.

The firearms seized from his hotel room included a Glock 19 Marine, Glock 17 Gen 4, Smith and Wesson, Sig Sauer, and Stoeger, along with 200 rounds of ammunition.

Subsequently, police apprehended four individuals, including two women in Skudai and GelangPatah, Johor, a married couple aged 42 and 40 in Kuala Selangor, and a local man aged 38 in Cameron Highlands, Pahang.

It is believed that the latter served as the driver for the Israeli man implicated in the case. — Bernama

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/04/06/igp-cops-nab-eight-more-individuals-suspected-of-links-with-arrested-israeli/127626

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Muslims in Japan serve up curry for quake-hit Noto residents

06 Apr 2024

SUZU, Ishikawa

A Muslim group in central Japan has been offering curry to victims of the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day, bringing smiles to the faces of those affected by the disaster.

Every week, Mazen Salim, 49, head of the Toyama Muslim Center, and fellow group members drive several hours from Toyama to Suzu in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture, one of the areas hardest hit by the January quake, to cook curry for local evacuees, many of whom lost their homes and loved ones, and provide other food items along with daily necessities.

"We live in Japan, we drink Japanese water, and we work in Japan. If something happens in Japan, it is only natural to help people who are suffering," said Salim, who refers to the center's volunteer work as a "jihad." Salim stresses he uses the word not to describe a fight against an enemy of his religion but as a call to help those in need. "It doesn't matter if they are Muslim or not."

Salim began visiting Suzu from Jan. 5, just days after the massive quake, which struck while he was visiting Tokyo with his family. As the severity of the damage became more evident, he quickly returned to his home in Toyama before making his way to Noto.

Parts of the roads had collapsed and there had been multiple mudslides. There was also almost no information about which roads were still open. The area was blanketed with snow, resulting in his tires getting caught in holes during the drive.

Gas was in short supply, too, with only a limited number of stations still open. Salim would shift his vehicle into neutral gear when driving down slopes to save fuel. He said it took him almost a day to get to Suzu, located on the tip of the Noto Peninsula, the first time he drove there.

Hot meals have been hard to come by in the quake-hit areas, while some have begun to tire of eating the same food offered at evacuation centers, much of which is canned. He said the specially made curry offers evacuees fresh flavors and variety that they have grown to enjoy.

The curry they make uses spices common in a variety of Muslim countries such as Pakistan and Malaysia, and is prepared by the group's members, who come from a range of different backgrounds, including children and those with experience working at curry restaurants.

In a questionnaire conducted on evacuees at Shoin elementary school in Suzu, one of the major evacuation centers in the area, the Muslim center's curry was voted the most popular among the food dishes offered there.

"Not everyone has to do this, but someone has to," said Salim, who is originally from war-torn Syria. "The Quran says we have to help others, but more than anything else, I find it extremely rewarding when I hear a heartfelt thank you."

The savory aroma of coffee wafted through the air at a temporary housing complex in Suzu on a recent Monday as Salim and his friends distributed salad, meat dishes and Syrian coffee they had brought from Toyama to give to those housed there.

"This is really helpful," a 64-year-old woman living in one of the makeshift houses said. "The nearest supermarket is 20 minutes away by car, and many stores are still closed."

Salim says the word "jihad" is often misunderstood. Non-Muslim people tend to think it has a negative connotation because they associate it with images of terrorists and violence, but the word in Arabic simply means to work toward fulfilling one's duty, he said.

"Jihad can be many things," Salim said. "Some people are working on the front line (to rebuild affected areas). We are serving food to evacuees. They are both jihad."

It is not the first time Salim and his team have traveled to disaster-hit areas to offer victims aid.

Since the Toyama Muslim Center was established about a decade ago, its members have traveled everywhere in Japan where major natural disasters have hit, including Kumamoto Prefecture in 2016 after an earthquake struck and western Japan in the wake of a severe rainstorm in 2018.

Everywhere they have gone, they have offered meals and other necessities to both Japanese and foreigners alike, he said.

He said there can be difficulties specific to Muslim people when evacuations occur in Japan. For example, they often find it difficult to eat food provided at evacuation centers as it may contain pork or other ingredients that are forbidden in Islam.

Due to the importance of washing one's hands and other parts of the body before daily prayers in Islam, water is also a basic requirement. Furthermore, often there are not many interpreters on hand to explain what is happening during a crisis.

"This quake has served as a lesson for everybody," Salim said, adding that there is room for improvement concerning how the country communicates important information to its foreign population and how it takes care of people from different cultural backgrounds in times of emergency.

"If Japan is going to become more globalized, it has to understand that there are different religions and cultures in the world and make preparations accordingly," so as to take better care of its foreign population in such situations, he said.

The number of evacuees has gradually decreased over time, but Salim said he will continue to help out, as he feels it is his obligation until everybody is able to return home.

"We will be there wherever we are needed," he said.

Source: japantoday.com

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https://japantoday.com/category/national/feature-muslims-in-japan-serve-up-curry-for-quake-hit-noto-residents

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Synergy, collaboration for Islamic finance literacy improvement: OJK

 April 5, 2024

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Financial Services Authority (OJK) is pushing for synergy and collaboration among all parties for improving Islamic finance literacy and inclusion to bolster Islamic finance and economy.

"The development of Islamic finance in Indonesia will not be able to progress if it is only carried out alone," Chief Executive of Financial Services Business Conduct, Education, and Consumer Protection Supervision at the OJK, FridericaWidyasariDewi, stated here on Friday.

Synergy and collaboration is encouraged among parties, such as the OJK, Bank Indonesia (BI), the National Sharia Council of the Indonesian Ulema Council (DSN MUI), financial services business players, and stakeholders, so that they can become a basic movement to advance Islamic economy and finance in Indonesia.

"I hope the cooperation that is established between OJK and relevant parties can continue not only during Ramadan but also carried out sustainably and consistently," she remarked.

Based on a survey conducted by Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the Islamic finance literacy index rose, from nine percent in 2022 to 39 percent in 2023.

Related news: Synergizing with ministries to boost Islamic economy literacy: KNEKS

Efforts to improve Islamic finance literacy and inclusion are made by the OJK along with stakeholders through the Islamic Finance Ramadan Celebration Program (GerakSyariah).

GerakSyariah is a national Islamic finance campaign held during the month of Ramadan, with the aim of accelerating the increase in Islamic finance literacy and inclusion index as well as sharing the benefits of Islamic finance through the use of social funds with the community.

Through the campaign, the OJK is committed to creating a community that is literate in the field of Islamic finance and building inclusive Islamic finance.

Head of the Literacy, Inclusion, and Communication Department at OJK Aman Santosa stated that under the GerakSyariah campaign in 2024, some 1,345 activities comprising 742 literacy activities, 265 inclusion activities, and 338 social activities have been carried out.

Those activities reached 3,057,194 participants for the education activities and pushed for inclusion for 1,175,019 people in various regions in Indonesia. In addition, Rp7.24 billion (around US$456,690) had been disbursed to 93,768 people participating in the social activities.

Source: thevibes.com

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https://en.antaranews.com/news/310164/synergy-collaboration-for-islamic-finance-literacy-improvement-ojk

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Anwar warns religious figures against abusing credentials

 06 Apr 2024

Ian McIntyre

WEARING religious garb does not give a person licence to spread lies and slander, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

"Having a turban, a jubah or a skullcap is not licence to slander or cause hatred among fellow Muslims. Being pious means upholding the truth while serving the community," said Anwar.

He urged for the spread of the right teachings so that people are not misled and harmed.

He cited the example of how some religious quarters had lied that the government was cancelling the customary Tilawah Al-Quran recital programme, which has been held for decades.

Anwar was speaking yesterday before breaking fast at the UniversitiTeknologi Mara campus in PermatangPauh, a former stronghold of the prime minister.

He announced that the government plans to increase the median salaries of the civil service before the year is out.

Anwar acknowledged receiving complaints about low wages in the public sector

"We gave RM2,000 to civil servants and it was supposed to be enough until Raya but I heard (complaints) and because of that we gave an additional of RM500."

The government is studying the various approaches to raise the salaries of civil servants in the face of rising living costs, he said.

"Why did salaries not go up in 2020 and 2021 (under the PerikatanNasional administration)? They did not go up in 2022 and they are waiting for us to raise them. We will announce it in the next few months, no later than (the announcement of) the budget," he said.

Cuepacs president Datuk Dr Adnan Mat was reported as saying that the salaries of rank and file civil servants could not cover their commitments following a rise in living costs.

Anwar also gave attention to Penang, his birth state, saying he has urged the state government to ease the plight of 150 families who are classed as destitute.

He said he wished to see these households reach low-middle income status by June.

If that happens, Penang will no longer have hardcore poverty.

Anwar, who is the Tambun MP, said the Prime Minister’s Department, has set this agenda as top priority.

“While we push for investments in Penang, we must also put an end to hardcore poverty,” he said.

Anwar said he wishes to help the hardcore poor in Penang to set up small businesses, like how he helped  rehabilitate 90% of small businesses and itinerant hawkers in Kuala Lumpur.

Anwar noted that as the country's population grows, more must be done to increase the supply of affordable homes.

The government has approved the building of 70,000 homes in the Klang Valley.

“If possible I would give billions (to the country)… but at the same time, we have inherited a bothersome debt from the past governments.” – The Vibes, April 6, 2024.

Source: thevibes.com

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Europe

 

Bradford's Muslim and Jewish communities come together for Iftar

Natasha Meek

06.04.2024

LEADERS from different religions gathered together for an interfaith iftar amid the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.

Strengthening Faith Institutions welcomed those from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist faiths to the historic Manningham Mills.

It was not only a night of solidarity and humanity, but a way to explore each other’s traditions and cultures.

Guests of different faiths, races, and ages took a seat at the tables.

What is iftar and Ramadan?

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Muslim calendar, refers to a sacred time when the Holy Quran was sent down from Heaven. Those who observe Ramadan often fast from sunrise to sunset, an opportunity for deepening faith and seeking repentance for past sins.

Before fasting, Muslims may wake up before dawn for the meal, Suhoor. Iftar is the meal eaten at sundown upon breaking one’s fast.

Safina Aziz, chair of the Professional Muslim Institute, said: “We are all deeply pained by what is happening in Palestine and Israel. We are here to express our shared commitment to protecting the relationship between our communities.

“British Muslims and Jews have much in common and there are many personal ties between us.  We have celebrated happy times together and stood together in solidarity during challenging times.”

Dr Javed Bashir, of Strengthening Faith Institutions, said: “Regardless of religion, race, or station in life, we all share common aspirations: to live in peace, security, and dignity; to help build a better world for our families and communities; and, to reach out and lift the less fortunate in communities around the world.

"Ramadan, a time of devotion, charity, and reflection, is about that shared commitment. By joining together, we can overcome conflict and injustice, ignorance, and prejudice – not just with words, but with deeds.

“We pray for an end to this war and all wars, we pray for the innocent caught up in the carnage, and we pray for the safety of everyone, wherever they are.”

As sunset approached, Imam Hafiz Mohammed Azad, Chief Imam at Al-Hira Mosque in Bradford, performed prayers for opening the fast, signalling the time to break the fast.

Guests were served with dates to open their fast and proceeded with their meal, prayers, and conversations over a shared meal.

This was followed by prayer by the Imam and Rabbi for the peace in the world, with the attendees joining in solidarity.

Richard Stroud MBE, a trustee at Bradford Synagogue, added: “There’s so much that we have in common between Muslim and Jewish faiths.

"It is through events like this one that Muslim and Jewish communities not only overcome challenges but also develop a strong sense of solidarity and cooperation which can prevail over the hatred that we may find worldwide.”

Laurence Saffer, the president of the Leeds Jewish representative council, described the similarities between practising Islam and Judaism and said the event showed “what we do” in Bradford.

Addressing the 80-strong audience at the community centre, he said: “I talk about the elephant in the room, which is Israel and the Palestinians.

"We have to talk about what we believe. Because when the Jewish community talks and somebody asks me, ‘does the Jewish community believe that the Palestinians have the right to self-determination?’, the answer is a resounding yes. We do. We fully support that.

“When members continue to ask, ‘do you believe that the Jewish people are entitled to self-determination?’, the answer invariably is yes, we do. We respect your rights.

“Then we say: actually, what do we disagree about as people living here in the United Kingdom? It’s often things like borders or the status of Jerusalem – which, in reality, I don’t have any influence over and neither do our Muslim friends. So when we break it down and say the things that we don’t agree on, surely there’s very little.”

Source: thetelegraphandargus.co.uk

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University of Cologne disinvites US philosopher over her criticism of Israel

Oliver Towfigh Nia 

05.04.2024

Germany’s University of Cologne announced on Friday that it has disinvited US philosopher Nancy Fraser from a professorship due to her stance critical of Israel’s actions in the Gaza conflict.

In a statement, the university justified the step by citing Fraser’s decision to co-sign the "Philosophy for Palestine" open letter last fall.

“It is with great regret that the University of Cologne has canceled the events of this year’s Albertus Magnus Professorship 2024. The reason for this is the public letter ‘Philosophy for Palestine’ of November 2023, signed by the philosopher Professor Nancy Fraser, who was invited to take up the Albertus Magnus professorship,” the university said.

“In this letter, Israel's right to exist as an ‘ethno-supremacist state’ since its foundation in 1948 is called into question. The terror attacks by Hamas on Israel of 7 October 2023 is elevated to an act of legitimate resistance. The signatories call for the academic and cultural boycott of Israeli institutions,” it added.

Well-known German academics such as sociologists Stephan Lessenich and Hartmut Rosa and philosopher Axel Honneth condemned the decision as being incompatible with academic freedom.

In a statement, they said the move appears to be a further attempt to restrict the public and academic discussion on Israel and Palestine, with reference to supposedly clear red lines defined by the German government.

Germany has been the scene of mass cancellations of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and political events over the past six months as a result of pressure by the Israel lobby.

Source: aa.com.tr

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German lawyers urge government to cease arms to Israel

06 April, 2024

A team of lawyers has initiated an urgent legal action against the German government to halt arms sales to Israel on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza.

The case, brought by organisations including the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Law for Palestine and The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD), aims to halt arms sales, based on the belief that Israeli forces are using them to commit genocide in Gaza.

"Germany has an international obligation to fulfil, following the International Court of Justice's findings and the forensic report, to stop its arms export to Israel now more than ever. A demand Palestinians have been calling for in the past six months of the genocide," PIPD said.

In a statement, the lawyers said the arms deliveries and support Germany has provided to Israel violated the country's obligations under the War Weapons Control Act.

They cited a January order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Israel to take action to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, which has been subjected to siege and invasion since 7 October. Israel denies genocide allegations.

"Just the assumption that the weapons are used to commit acts that violate international law is sufficient to revoke arms exports under the Act," lawyer Ahmed Abed told a press conference on Friday in Berlin.

He said he expected a ruling within two to three weeks.

'Political Pressure'

German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann said she could not comment on the Berlin court case and whether Germany would suspend arms exports to Israel pending a ruling.

"The federal government generally examines each arms export individually and takes several factors into account, including human rights and humanitarian law," she said when reporters asked about the matter.

International law experts said the litigation was unlikely to force a halt to such arms exports under administrative law but could push Berlin to review its stance if evidence were provided.

"It could build up political pressure on the German government ... to be more transparent and declare which arms it is planning to transfer or which arms it actually has transferred to Israel," said Max Mutschler, a senior researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies.

Rights groups would have a better chance of success if they took the case to the ICJ in The Hague, said lawyer Holger Rothbauer, who successfully sued arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch over arms deliveries to Mexico in 2010.

"It seems to me that a (German) law to cover the case is missing", Rothbauer told Reuters, adding that only a party directly affected by an administrative decision could sue to stop it. The rights lawyers said they were acting on behalf of Gazans.

More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and 75,750 injured in Israel's military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry said in an update on Friday.

With Gaza in ruins and most of its 2.3 million population forced from their homes and relying on aid for survival, Israel faces rising calls from allies to halt the war and allow unfettered aid into the enclave. Critics argue that governments should threaten to withhold military aid if it does not do so.

Germany has been one of Israel's staunchest allies alongside the United States before and after Israel launched its war on Gaza.

Last year, Germany approved arms exports to Israel worth 326.5 million euros ($353.70 million), including military equipment and war weapons, a 10-fold increase compared with 2022, according to Economy Ministry data.

Source: newarab.com

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Poland summons Israeli envoy to protest aid worker’s death in Gaza strike

VANESSA GERA

06.04.2024

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s deputy foreign minister handed a diplomatic note on Friday to Israel’s ambassador protesting the killing of a Polish aid worker in an attack earlier this week on a convoy of aid workers in Gaza.

After the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Szejna told reporters in Warsaw that he handed the protest note to Ambassador YacovLivne after he was summoned because of the deaths of the World Central Kitchen workers.

Szejna described the Polish stance during the meeting as “firm.”

“At the beginning, the ambassador apologized for this unprecedented event in the history of the civilized world, that is the bombing of a car in a humanitarian convoy heading with humanitarian aid to the famine-affected Gaza Strip,” Szejna said.

Livne said on social media that during the meeting he expressed his “personal deep sorrow and sincere apologies” for the deaths of the World Central Kitchen workers, including Polish citizen Damian Soból.

“We share in the grief of the families from the bottom of our hearts. I assured the deputy minister that Israel is fully committed to a transparent and thorough investigation of this grave tragedy,” Livne said.

He said findings from the Israeli military published Friday “show our ongoing commitment to investigate what had happened in Gaza and take all appropriate measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.”

The Israeli military said Friday that it dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles in drone strikes in Gaza that killed seven aid workers on a food-delivery mission, saying they had mishandled critical information and violated the army’s rules of engagement.

Szejna, who spoke to reporters before the dismissals were reported, said Poland expected a transparent investigation and compensation for the victim’s family if it wants it.

He also said Poland wants the district prosecutor’s office in Przemyśl, where the Polish aid worker was from, to be allowed to participate in the investigation “and in the entire criminal and disciplinary procedure against the soldiers responsible for this murder.”

Source: timesofisrael.com

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Scottish Labour leader joins calls for UK to halt arms sales to Israel

April 05, 2024

LONDON: The leader of the Labour Party in Scotland has joined the mayor of London in calling for the UK to halt arms sales to Israel, The Guardian newspaper reported on Friday.

Anas Sarwar is the latest senior member of the party to call for an immediate ban on weapon sales to Israel after Sadiq Khan urged the same on Thursday.

Ministers in the Conservative government are under pressure to reveal legal advice they have received regarding the sales to Israel during its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which could mean the UK is found to be breaking international law.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said last month that the advice would be revealed in a matter of days, but the government in Westminster has since refused to confirm when it will be released.

Speaking to BBC Scotland on Friday, Sarwar said Israel had “clearly” breached international law during its campaign in Gaza and that the UK should immediately halt the sale of weapons.

Government sources have said the release of the legal advice is a complicated issue because it is based on an “evolving situation,” and could be impacted by events such as the death of seven aid workers in an Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen convoy earlier this week.

“This advice has been batted around for a while but it’s a complex, moving thing,” a Whitehall source said. “As well as the legal implications, they also need to balance diplomatic considerations and what other allies might do.”

Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who is also chair of the UK’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told the BBC on Friday that Israeli attacks on humanitarian workers were “happening on a daily basis and we are not seeing this outcry when it is about Palestinian volunteers.”

She also added her voice to calls for the UK to halt arms sales to Israel while it is breaching international humanitarian law.

“I believe we have no choice but to suspend arms sales and it is important that the public understands this is not a political decision as some people want to present it as,” she told BBC Radio 4’s “Today” program.

“Legal advice is advisory so the government can choose to reject it, but UK arms export licenses require a recipient to comply with international humanitarian law. That is why emergency hand brakes exist in terms of change of circumstances.”

Source: arabnews.com

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North America

 

‘End the occupation’: US Air Force member on White House hunger strike against Israel’s Gaza war

ServetGünerigök

05.04.2024

Larry Hebert, an active duty Air Force member currently stationed at Naval Station Rota, Spain, has been on hunger strike outside of the White House since Easter — six days now — for the civilians of Gaza, who he said are starving, being bombed, and shot dead.

Hebert, 26, was inspired by the resilience of the people in Gaza, as well as by Aaron Bushnell, the US airman who in February set himself alight in front of an Israeli Embassy in protest of the war.

Hailing from the state of New Hampshire and a member of Veterans For Peace, Hebert took authorized leave from his assignment to participate in demonstrations demanding a cease-fire in Gaza and to visit Congressional offices to press for stopping weapons shipments to Israel.

"I completely feel empathy towards what's going on in Gaza because I've been keeping up since a little after Oct. 7, and there's no humanity in this, no justification for it. It's something that has been weighing on me for a while because the military is directly responsible for aiding Israel, the weapons, and at the discretion of our government. And, it's taken a really massive toll on me personally, and a lot of other people as well," he told Anadolu in an interview.

Hebert will be around Lafayette Park close to the White House this week and as of Monday, when Congress returns from recess, he will be outside Congress to continue his strike.

"I don't have a cut-off for it. I just want a positive change within Gaza ... whether that's through a cease-fire and an increase to humanitarian aid.

"I think allowing aid to enter through Rafah is a major step," said Herbert, who hopes for an end to the blockade surrounding Gaza and ultimately an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

The aim of his action is not convince US President Joe Biden to change course from his strong "unconditional support" for Israel.

According to Herbert, unconditional support should not be a position afforded to anything "besides humanity."

"What I'm here for is to support the people in Palestine, but also to really give people a voice within the military or whether that be the State Department or the government and not be afraid to speak out.

"Because, I'm taking a big risk doing this. I could face serious repercussions. But I'm willing to do that because those repercussions don't surmount to anything that the people in Gaza are going through," he said.

When asked about what his colleagues think of the war in the Palestinian enclave, Hebert said there has not been little, if any, public support for Gaza.

"And I think part of that is due to the ignorance of not knowing what's going on in Gaza, although there shouldn't be any ignorance," said Hebert. "It's been going on for six months and 76 years. So, people should know by now."

"But I think there's also a level of fear that active duty members have for speaking out because of the possible repercussions, and being in support of Gaza could, in their own view, be considered publicly against the mission which is what our foreign policy is," he said.  

Killings of World Central Kitchen members

Hebert also commented on the Israeli killing of seven World Central Kitchen members in Gaza this week, saying "it's not unlike anything else we've seen from the side of Israel.

"I think it falls in line with what they've been doing in Gaza. You know, they've been lobbying very hard to defund UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees). They've been trying very hard to target journalists so that the Palestinians can't document their own genocide," he said.

"They've been attacking hospitals — hospital after hospital — to just create this massive humanitarian crisis. And, it's shocking that those aid workers died from a general sense, but I think it falls in line with how Israel's been conducting their war on civilians," Hebert added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack in early October by the Palestinian group Hamas killed around 1,200 people.

More than 33,000 Palestinians have since been killed and 75,577 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which last week asked it to do more to prevent famine in Gaza.

Source: aa.com.tr

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CAIR: Take ‘Concrete Action’ on Israeli Soldiers Shooting Palestinians Trying to Collect Air-Dropped Aid

Ismail Allison

April 5, 2024

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the Biden administration to take “concrete action” after video surfaced showing Israeli soldiers deliberately shooting Palestinians desperately trying to collect air-dropped humanitarian aid in Gaza.

In exclusive footage obtained by Al Jazeera, Israeli soldiers appear to shoot at a number of people collecting aid in Northern Gaza, killing at least one of those people. Soldiers continued to shoot at the individual while he lay on the ground dead or dying. The video ends with the body being attacked by stray dogs.

Video: Israeli fire kills man while collecting aid

In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:

“While the world is justifiably outraged at Israel’s targeted killing of Western humanitarian aid workers, there is silence when Palestinian men, women and children are slaughtered on a daily basis, with no accountability or investigations.

“Israel killed the Western aid workers in the same way that it has been killing Palestinian civilians. The world has rightfully demanded accountability and an independent investigation. Palestinian deaths deserve a similar response and pressure on Israel to stop the genocide.

“This monstrous targeting of people who simply wanted to feed their families, and whose starvation is being intentionally imposed by the far-right Israeli government – with our nation’s support – must lead to concrete action by the Biden administration. Mere rhetoric is not enough.

“This genocide must end, and the Palestinian people must have an unalterable path to freedom and dignity.”

Israel has already slaughtered more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Last night, CAIR said that President Biden needs to change his policy, not just his rhetoric, after a reported ultimatum to Israel’s far-right leader Netanyahu that U.S. support in the ongoing Gaza genocide depends on “immediate” steps to protect civilians and aid workers.

Also yesterday, CAIR said President Biden must act after a group of officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) warned that the Israeli-imposed and U.S.-backed starvation in Gaza is “unprecedented in modern history” and that the pace of hunger-related deaths will “accelerate in the weeks ahead.”

CAIR also condemned the torture that is reportedly resulting in the amputation of limbs of Palestinians held in Israeli detention centers and Israel’s reported use of AI software to carry out its mass slaughter in Gaza.

CAIR recently joined 80 advocacy Muslim, Palestinian, and allied organizations representing communities across the United States to send a letter to President Biden that objects to his recent decisions to both transfer more deadly weapons to the Israeli government and falsely certify that the Israeli government’s war on Gaza complies with U.S. law.

Source: cair.com

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Mexico warns Israel for 'protecting' suspect in disappearance of 43 students

 06 April 2024

Mexico has warned that if Israel continues with its refusal to extradite a fugitive security official wanted in connection with the disappearance of 43 Mexican college students a decade ago, their bilateral ties may be damaged.

Back in September 2014, 43 male students disappeared from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College after being abducted in Iguala, in the southwestern state of Guerrero. The students were traveling to a demonstration in Mexico City amid a drug war.

The official narrative by the government said at the time that corrupt police handed the ill-fated students over to drug gang henchmen, who then incinerated the students at a garbage dump and threw the ashes in the San Juan River.

Questioning the official narrative by some experts as well as growing anger in Mexico at federal inaction prompted the current administration, led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, to pledge to re-open the case.

Tomas Zeron, who headed the Criminal Investigation Agency that led the inquiry into the case – dubbed one of Mexico’s worst human rights tragedies – is wanted by the Mexican justice system for the crimes of torture, violation of human rights and forced disappearance of the 43 students.

“The lack of progress in resolving this case is interpreted as de facto protection by Israel of Tomas Zeron and threatens to become an irritating and disruptive factor with” Tel Aviv, the Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The former official, who fled to Israel in 2020, has also been charged with the abuse of power and authority, embezzlement, fraud and criminal association. He has consistently denied all allegations.

Although Mexico and Israel do not have an extradition treaty, Mexico City has repeatedly asked Tel Aviv to hand over Zeron over allegations of serious irregularities in the probe into the said case, but all to no avail.

Zeron is one of the architects of the 2015 official narrative or the so-called “historical truth” regarding the fate of the disappeared students, whose exact circumstances of their disappearance are still unknown.

The victims’ families have so far strongly rejected that narrative.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/04/06/723157/Mexico-Israel-extradition-students-Tomas-Zeron

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Pelosi joins call for Biden to stop weapon transfer to Israel

Apr 6, 2024

TEHRAN, Apr. 06 (MNA) – Representative Nancy Pelosi, former House speaker, signed a letter on Friday from dozens of congressional Democrats to the president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging a halt to weapons transfers to Israel.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed onto a call by progressive members of Congress for the US to stop transferring weapons to Israel over a strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza.

The letter, led by Reps. Mark Pocan, Jim McGovern, and Jan Schakowsky was released on Friday with 37 signatures from 37 other Democrats, including Pelosi, Axios reported.

"In light of the recent strike against aid workers and the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis, we believe it is unjustifiable to approve these weapons transfers," the lawmakers wrote to President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Asked about her signing the letter, Pelosi's office pointed to a statement she released in the aftermath of the World Central Kitchen attack calling for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

It's a significant break with Israel by a long-standing supporter that underscores growing fissures between Democrats and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet.
Source: mehrnews.com

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No separate US investigation of Israeli's killing of food aid workers in Gaza: White House

ServetGünerigök

05.04.2024

The US is not planning to carry out an independent probe into Israel’s killing this week of seven food aid workers in Gaza, the White House said.

"There are no plans for the US to conduct an independent investigation or a separate investigation into this event," National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said during a webinar of the killing, which has drawn widespread international outrage.

He said that in a phone call, President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the findings of Tel Aviv's investigation in the attack on Monday that killed seven members of the aid group World Central Kitchen.

Kirby also said White House is reviewing Israel's report and "we're going to take our time we're going to review it carefully.” He added: "We'll certainly be discussing the conclusions of it and our conclusions of it with Israeli officials and humanitarian aid organizations in coming days.”

Earlier, World Central Kitchen demanded the creation of an independent commission to investigate the killings of its aid workers, saying the Israeli army "cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza.”

The April 1 attack killed seven aid workers – three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, a US-Canadian dual citizen, and a Palestinian.

According to the UN, 196 humanitarian aid workers, including over 175 UN staff members, have been killed in Gaza since last Oct. 7.

Israel has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian group Hamas which claimed 1,200 lives.

A crippling blockade by Israel has also left Gaza desperately short of basic supplies, leaving most of the population of over 2 million facing famine conditions while making the delivery of aid supplies more and more difficult.

Source: aa.com.tr

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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/no-separate-us-investigation-of-israelis-killing-of-food-aid-workers-in-gaza-white-house/3184786

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US on high alert for Iran threat in region after Israeli strike in Syria

06.04.2024

The United States is on high alert and preparing for a possible attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region in response to Israel's strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria, a US official said on Friday.

"We're definitely at a high state of vigilance," the official said in confirming a CNN report that said an attack could come in the next week.

Suspected Israeli warplanes bombed Iran's embassy in Damascus on Monday in a strike that killed an Iranian military commander and marked a major escalation in Israel's war with its regional adversaries.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said that seven Iranian military advisers died in the strike, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in its Quds Force, which is an elite foreign espionage and paramilitary arm.

Iran has said it reserves the right "to take a decisive response."

US President Joe Biden discussed the threat from Iran in a phone call on Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Our teams have been in regular and continuous contact since then. The United States fully supports the defence of Israel against threats from Iran," a senior Biden administration official said.

Source: gulftoday.ae

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https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/04/06/us-on-high-alert-for-iran-threat-in-region-after-israeli-strike-in-syria

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No separate US investigation of Israeli's killing of food aid workers in Gaza: White House

ServetGünerigök

05.04.2024

The US is not planning to carry out an independent probe into Israel’s killing this week of seven food aid workers in Gaza, the White House said.

"There are no plans for the US to conduct an independent investigation or a separate investigation into this event," National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said during a webinar of the killing, which has drawn widespread international outrage.

He said that in a phone call, President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the findings of Tel Aviv's investigation in the attack on Monday that killed seven members of the aid group World Central Kitchen.

Kirby also said White House is reviewing Israel's report and "we're going to take our time we're going to review it carefully.” He added: "We'll certainly be discussing the conclusions of it and our conclusions of it with Israeli officials and humanitarian aid organizations in coming days.”

Earlier, World Central Kitchen demanded the creation of an independent commission to investigate the killings of its aid workers, saying the Israeli army "cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza.”

The April 1 attack killed seven aid workers – three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, a US-Canadian dual citizen, and a Palestinian.

According to the UN, 196 humanitarian aid workers, including over 175 UN staff members, have been killed in Gaza since last Oct. 7.

Israel has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian group Hamas which claimed 1,200 lives.

A crippling blockade by Israel has also left Gaza desperately short of basic supplies, leaving most of the population of over 2 million facing famine conditions while making the delivery of aid supplies more and more difficult.

Source: aa.com.tr

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

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/no-separate-us-investigation-of-israelis-killing-of-food-aid-workers-in-gaza-white-house/3184786

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Africa

 

1994 Rwanda genocide: UN exhibit shows how “peace is our choice”

April 5, 2024

The United Nations Headquarters in New York has opened an exhibit about the power of post-genocide reconciliation and the deadly impact of hate speech.

The exhibit “Remember. Unite. Renew.” is the result of international collaboration and is organized by the Department of Global Communications with the United Nations system in Rwanda; the Office of the Special Adviser on Genocide Prevention; the Government of Rwanda; Prison Fellowship Rwanda; and Aegis Trust.

Rwanda marks on April 7 this year, the 30th commemoration of the 1994 genocide which saw 800,000 Rwandans mainly Tutsis, slaughtered.

The story of Laurence Niyonangira, who survived the massacre and that of Xavier, her family’s killer, is at the heart of the exhibit.

The pair now live as friends.

Through testimonies and imagery, the exhibit explores the enduring impact of the genocide and the challenges of forgiveness.

Visitors are notably confronted to the collective and individual responsibility in fostering a culture of peace. The exhibit runs until 1 May.

Source: africanews.com

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Clashes Reported As Shi’ite Members Stage Pro-Palestine Protest In Abuja

Jerry Wright-Ukwu

April 5, 2024

Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, have taken to the streets of Abuja to mark the International Qudus in solidarity with Palestine.

According to reports, the protesters defied heavy security presence, which resulted in clashes with security forces.

Following the Juma’at prayer at the National Mosque, Shi’ite members assembled in large numbers, brandishing placards with slogans such as “Freedom For Palestine” and “Death to Israel.”

The protesters, undeterred by the surrounding armed security agents, expressed their support for Palestinians who have been facing conflict with Israel.

Yahaya Suleiman, a member of the group, emphasized that the rally aimed to condemn Israel’s occupation of Palestine and show solidarity with the Palestinian people in their struggle for justice.

However, tensions escalated as clashes erupted between the protesters and Nigerian Police.

Abdullahi Musa, Spokesperson of the Academic Forum of the Movement, condemned the police’s use of force, asserting the group’s right to practice their religious beliefs without hindrance.

Despite the violence, the protesters continued their march towards the Wuse Market area, waving Palestinian national flags and chanting anti-government slogans.

Source: politicsnigeria.com

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NAN chief, Baba Busu concludes Ramadan tafsir, breaking of fast in Niger

 Favour Lashem

April 5, 2024

 The annual 30-day Ramadan tafsir (sermon) and breaking of fast organised and sponsored by  a Minna-based journalist, Alhaji Mohammed Baba Busu, has ended in the Better Life Mosque, CAB-Busu road in Bida.

Baba Busu, the Minna Zonal Manager of the News Agency of Nigeria  (NAN), a traditional title holder (WakiliLabarinNupe), also sponsored similar programmes in Busu, Niger, billed to wind up on Saturday.

During the closing of the tafsir in Bida on Thursday, another traditional title holder in Nupe land, (GafakaNupe)  AlhajiAbdullahiUmaru-BabanNachi, urged Muslims to sustain their good acts and behaviour beyond the one-month period of the Ramadan fast.

BabanNachi, a member of Niger Emirate Council, said: “We should strive to maintain our God-fearing acts exhibited during the fasting period.

National growth LS

“As Muslims, we must strive to maintain all the good deeds we showed during the fasting period and shun the evil and devilish acts we abstained from during the holy month.

Umaru-BabanNachi noted that such good behaviours included abstaining from adultery, cheating, stealing, alcoholism, drug abuse and other secret sins.

The GafakaNupe also called on Muslim Ummah to always unite, tolerate one another and continue to be their brothers’ keepers.

In his sermon, UstazAbdullahi Idris, “AlifaFogun”, urged Muslims to always pray for national peace and progress and

tolerate one another for sustained unity in the country.

He noted that the two major religions in the country preached peace, unity and love, stressing that without peace and unity, socio-economic development would continue to elude any society devoid of it.

AlifaFogun also called on leaders at all levels to lead the people with the fear of God, saying “leaders should always remember that they would all account for their deeds on the day of reckoning”.

An Islamic preacher in the Mosque, during the Ramadan sermon, MallamAbdulrahman Muhammad-Manbe, urged Muslims to use the period to help the less-privileged in the society.

“As Muslims, we should use this Ramadan period to rededicate ourselves to Islam and strive to help the less-privileged in the society.

“You must not wait for them to come and beg you, you should look for them and help them in whatever way you can,’’ he said.

Muhammad-Manbe stressed the need for government at all levels and the wealthy in the society to do more to help the poor, to reduce poverty and crime.

He described Ramadan as a period of forgiveness and blessing and urged Muslims to take advantage of the holy month to supplicate to Allah

Responding, the organiser and sponsor of the sermon, Alhaji Mohammed Baba Busu, (JakadaLabarinNupe), who is the Minna Zonal Manager of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed gratitude to the Almighty Allah for bestowing the wherewithal and will on him to organise the one-month long event.

Baba Busu explained that the Ramadan fast was the most auspicious period for him to spend the litle wealth in the growth of Islam.

He beseeched the Almighty Allah to accept all the acts of Ibadah and prayers offered during the period with a view to restoring permanent peace, unity and prosperity to Bida Emirate, Niger State and Nigeria in general.(NAN)
Source: newsdiaryonline.com

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After two months of blockage, food aid deliveries resume in Darfur- UN

Apr 6, 2024

The United Nations said on Friday it has begun distributing food in Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur province for the first time in months, following two successful cross-border operations, but the population still faces widespread starvation unless more help arrives.

The U.N.’s World Food Program said two aid convoys crossed the border from Chad in late March, but it had been unable to schedule further deliveries.

On Friday, a convoy with 1,300 tonnes of supplies was able to arrive via the Adre border crossing with Chad into West and Central Darfur.

Speaking in March, Pierre Honnorat, the WFP's Chad country director, said a cross-border operation was "critical; humanitarian corridors are a must. Many people are suffering in Darfur today and we don’t want more people to come to Chad so we really need to assist them where they are today.”

The year long war between military and paramilitary forces in Sudan is causing one of the world's worst hunger crises.

About a third of the population, or 18 million people, face acute hunger, U.N. aid agencies say. In Darfur province, where some of the worst fighting is underway, the situation is particularly severe.

The U.N. warned in March that some 222,000 children could die from malnutrition in the coming months unless aid needs are urgently met. The U.N. appeal for $2.7 billion for Sudan was less than 5% funded as of last month.

The fighting has been particularly vicious in Darfur, with brutal attacks from the Arab-dominated Rapid Support Forces on ethnic African civilians reviving fears of another genocide.

In 2003, as many as 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes, many by government-backed Arab militias.

The International Criminal Court has said both sides are committing war crimes.

The Sudan war is also spilling into neighbouring countries. More than half a million new refugees from Sudan have arrived in Chad, bringing the total population of refugees there to 1.1 million, the U.N. said in March.

The arrivals have strained resources among the existing refugee population there.

A U.N. spokesperson told The Associated Press on Friday that aid for all refugees in Chad is set to run out soon.

Source: africanews.com

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Worshippers escape death as truck rams into mosque in Niger

April 5, 2024

A truck carrying mangoes rammed into a mosque in Barade House, opposite the Old Licencing Office in Kontagora, Niger State, in the early hours of Friday.

The driver of the truck was said to have taken off from Bida, Niger State, and was heading to Sokoto with four passengers when he dozed off and veered off the road.

DAILY POST gathered that the worshipers had just dispersed after Tahajjud prayers when the incident happened.

The mosque was filled during the prayers which fell into the last ten days of Ramadan.

The affected section of the mosque is said to be where women and children stayed for the Tahajjud prayers.

According to one of the residents, Yahaya Suleiman, the incident happened less than six minutes after worshipers departed.

“We thank God. The side where the truck rammed into was the female and children section of the Mosque.

“People had just finished the Tahajjud prayers and left when the incident happened.

“No life was lost but damages were done to the Mosque,” he said.
Source: dailypost.ng

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Kogi: Abducted Chief Imam of Iyara regains freedom in Kogi

April 6, 2024

The Chief Imam of Iyara in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Sheikh Quasim Musa, has regained his freedom from the hands of his abductors.

Musa was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Monday, March 25, 2024 at his house in Ilukpa, Iyara headquarters of Ijumu Local Government Area.

The gunmen were said to have come in a commando style, shooting sporadically into the air before taking their victim to an unknown destination.

Confirming the release in a short message sent to our correspondent on Saturday morning, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya, said, “This is to inform you that, the Chief Imam of Iyara Central Mosque, AlhajiQosim, who was earlier kidnapped, regained his freedom yesterday night”.

Source: dailypost.ng

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Hoodlums Attack Worshipers During Ramadan Prayer In Niger

 5 April 2024

 Rachel OkporuFadoju

Residents of Minna, the Niger State capital, have been facing hoodlums attack in the past five days, as the attackers armed with dangerous weapons are openly holding the residents hostage.

Naija News learnt that the latest attack happened in the wee hours of Friday, as the hoodlums blocked Kuta Road in Minna,  attacking people going for Tahajud prayers.

A resident who spoke with Daily Trust about the incessant attack said the hoodlums’ main operations are in Kpakungu, Soje, AnguwanDaji, Limawa, and Ogbomosho, among other places.

Confirming the incident, the Niger State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP WasiuAbiodun, said police were on top of the situation.

He said, “Police patrol teams have always been responding to the issue, and arrests were being made at every location of the scene.”

Police Clash With Protesting Shiite Members In Kaduna

Meanwhile, members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), commonly referred to as Shiites, reportedly trooped out in a multitude on Friday for a procession in Kaduna State.

However, the supposed peaceful protest in the capital city of Kaduna State became chaotic as law enforcement operatives, particularly the Nigeria Police officers, moved to stop them.

According to Channels Television, the Shiites had assembled near the Katsina roundabout along Ahmadu Bello Way prior to the arrival of the police, who attempted to disperse them.

This situation has caused alarm and unease among the locals, especially those with businesses situated along Ahmadu Bello Way. Numerous individuals reportedly shut down their shops out of concern for getting caught in the commotion.

Source: naijanews.com

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UN body delivers food aid to Darfur amid warnings of impending Sudan famine

April 06, 2024

CAIRO: The World Food Programme said on Friday it had negotiated the delivery of the first two convoys of food aid into Sudan’s Darfur region in months, amid warnings of impending famine caused by a one-year war and lack of access to food aid.

The war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has sparked widespread hunger in the country, after destroying infrastructure and markets and displacing more than 8 million people.

Catastrophic hunger, the term used on the household level for famine conditions, is expected in Khartoum and West Darfur, which have seen the fiercest attacks, according to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, as well as in many other areas of Darfur that house millions of displaced people.

One convoy with 1,300 tonnes of supplies arrived via the Adre border crossing with Chad into West and Central Darfur, two areas already seeing emergency levels of hunger after being overrun by the Rapid Support Forces.

The Sudanese army in February blocked deliveries through Adre.  WFP, a UN organization, said it was not sure whether it would be able to negotiate use of the route again.

In early March, the army said it would allow deliveries by air as well as through the Tina border crossing into North Darfur, the only one of Darfur’s five states that has not fallen under RSF control.

The second convoy used that route, WFP said, and together the convoys contained food for 250,000 people. More than 18 million people facing acute hunger need assistance, the WFP says.

“I fear that we will see unprecedented levels of starvation and malnutrition sweep across Sudan this lean season,” said WFP Sudan country director, Eddie Rowe, said, referring to the upcoming planting months.

The previous cereal harvest is half of previous levels according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, while prices of some goods have doubled.

Source: arabnews.com

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Pakistan

 

Indian Network Of Extra-Territorial Killings ‘Global Phenomenon’, Needs Coordinated Response: Pakistan Foreign Office

 April 5, 2024

Abdullah Momand

The Foreign Office (FO) on Friday said that the Indian network of extra-judicial and extra-territorial killings was now a “global phenomenon” that required a coordinated international response.

The statement was issued after The Guardian, in a report published on Thursday, said that the Indian government assassinated individuals in Pakistan as part of a wider strategy to eliminate terrorists living on foreign soil.

The report cited intelligence officials from both countries, as well as documents shared by Pakistani investigators, saying they “shed new light on how India’s foreign intelligence agency allegedly began to carry out assassinations abroad as part of an emboldened approach to national security after 2019”.

India has denied the claims made in the report.

In a statement, the FO said that India’s assassination of Pakistani nationals on Pakistani soil was a clear violation of the country’s sovereignty and a breach of the UN Charter.

It also highlighted a press conference by Foreign Secretary Syrus Sajjad Qazi in January, wherein he had said there was “credible evidence” of links between Indian agents and the assassination of two Pakistani nationals in Sialkot and Rawalakot.

“These cases exposed the increasing sophistication and brazenness of Indian-sponsored terrorist acts inside Pakistan, with striking similarities to the pattern observed in other countries, including Canada and the United States,” the FO said.

In October 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had cited what he said was credible evidence of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder of a Sikh separatist leader.

The next month, the US Department of Justice had said an Indian government official directed an unsuccessful plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on US soil.

“It is critical to bring to justice the perpetrators, facilitators, financiers and sponsors of these extra-judicial and extra-territorial killings. India must be held accountable internationally for its blatant violation of international law,” the FO said.

Report says Indian involvement in up to 20 killings in Pakistan

The Guardian report said that the accounts appeared to “give further weight to allegations that Delhi has implemented a policy of targeting those it considers hostile to India”. It noted that India has been publicly accused by Washington and Canada of involvement in the murders of dissident activists.

“The fresh claims relate to almost 20 killings since 2020, carried out by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan. While India has previously been unofficially linked to the deaths, this is the first time Indian intelligence personnel have discussed the alleged operations in Pakistan, and detailed documentation has alleged Research Analysis Wing’s (RAW) direct involvement in the assassinations,” it said.

It further said claims suggested that Sikh separatists in the Khalistan movement were targeted as part of these Indian foreign operations, both in Pakistan and the West.

The report, quoting Pakistani investigators, said, these killings were orchestrated by Indian intelligence sleeper cells “mostly operating out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE)”.

It quoted two Indian intelligence officers as saying that RAW’s shift to “focusing on dissidents abroad” was triggered by the 2019 Pulwama attack which killed scores of security personnel in held Kashmir in February 2019 and which India blamed on Pakistan.

“After Pulwama, the approach changed to target the elements outside the country before they are able to launch an attack or create any disturbance. We could not stop the attacks because ultimately their safe havens were in Pakistan, so we had to get to the source,” The Guardian quoted one Indian intelligence operative as saying.

Conducting such operations “needed approval from the highest level of government”, he said, adding that India “drew inspiration” from intelligence agencies such as Israel’s Mossad and Russia’s KGB.

The report cited unnamed senior officials from two separate intelligence agencies in Pakistan as saying that Islamabad suspected India’s involvement in up to 20 killings since 2020.

It said that the officials pointed to evidence relating to previously undisclosed inquiries into seven of the cases — including witness testimonies, arrest records, financial statements, WhatsApp messages and passports — which investigators said showcased in detail the operations conducted by Indian spies to assassinate targets on Pakistani soil. The Guardian said it had seen the documents, but they could not be independently verified.

The intelligence sources alleged that targeted assassinations increased significantly in 2023, accusing India of involvement in the suspected deaths of about 15 people, most of whom were shot at close range by unknown gunmen.

Investigators alleged that millions of rupees would often be paid to criminals or impoverished locals to carry out the murders, with documents claiming that payments were mostly done via Dubai. Meetings of RAW handlers overseeing the killings are also said to have taken also place in Nepal, the Maldives and Mauritius, the report said.

“This policy of Indian agents organising killings in Pakistan hasn’t been developed overnight. We believe they have worked for around two years to establish these sleeper cells in the UAE who are mostly organising the executions. After that, we began witnessing many killings,” a Pakistani official was quoted as saying.

The Guardian said that the figures it was given matched up with those collected by analysts tracking unclaimed militant killings in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, India categorically denied the report by The Guardian. India’s Ministry of External Affairs denied the claims, reiterating an earlier statement that they were “false and malicious anti-India propaganda”.

The ministry emphasised a previous denial made by Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar that targeted killings in other countries were “not the government of India’s policy”.

Source: dawn.com

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‘Hateful rhetoric’: Pakistan denounces Indian defence minister’s provocative remarks

April 06, 2024

ISLAMABAD: A day after the Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh admitted to New Delhi's policy of orchestrating killings in Pakistan in a televised interview, the Foreign Office Saturday denounced his provocative remarks, terming them “hyper-nationalistic sentiments” aimed for “electoral gains”.

Rajnath Singh has said that India will enter Pakistan to kill anyone who escapes over the border after trying to carry out terrorist activities in the country.

The minister’s comments came a day after the British publication, The Guardian, revealed in a report that the Indian government had killed about 20 people in Pakistan since 2020 as part of a broader plan to eliminate terrorists residing on foreign soil.

The report in the UK paper came months after Canada and the United States accused India of killing or attempting to kill people in their countries.

"India always wants to maintain good relations with its neighbouring countries ... But if anyone shows India the angry eyes again and again, comes to India and tries to promote terrorist activities, we will not spare them," Singh said.

Reacting to his remark, the FO said: "India's ruling dispensation habitually resorts to hateful rhetoric to fuel hyper-nationalistic sentiments, unapologetically exploiting such discourse for electoral gains."

It added that such myopic and irresponsible behaviour not only undermines regional peace but also impedes the prospects of constructive engagement in the long term.

"Pakistan has always demonstrated its commitment to peace in the region. However, our desire for peace should not be misconstrued. History attests to Pakistan's firm resolve and ability to protect and defend itself," the FO statement read.

According to FO, Pakistan, on 25 January 2024, provided irrefutable evidence, elucidating India's campaign of extrajudicial and transnational assassinations on Pakistani soil.

"India's assertion of its preparedness to extra-judicially execute more civilians, arbitrarily pronounced as ‘terrorists’, inside Pakistan constitutes a clear admission of culpability. It is imperative for the international community to hold India accountable for its heinous and illegal actions," the statement added.

The FO reiterated Pakistan's resolution in its "intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any act of aggression, as demonstrated by its robust response to India's reckless incursion in February 2019, which laid bare India's hollow claims of military superiority."

Source: thenews.com.pk

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More judges receive letters containing ‘toxic powder’

April 06, 2024

Mumtaz Alvi & News Desk & Salman Aslam & Sohail Khan

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Authorities concerned have failed to stop letters laced with ‘toxic powder’ as five more Supreme Court (SC) judges received such letters on Friday, bringing the total count to 10 jurists of the apex court.

Justice Ayesha Malik, Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, and Justice Muneeb Akhtar are the latest recipients of the intimidating letters, according to sources. However, sources added, that all letters were received on the same date, but some justices were handed over those on Friday.

Meanwhile, eight judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and six of the Lahore High Court (LHC) have so far received letters containing ‘toxic power’. The latest LHC judge to receive the threatening letter was Justice Baqar Najafi.

The letters have been handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials for further investigation, the sources added.

The CTD also lodged two FIRs against unknown people and launched an inquiry into the matter. Three teams of the CTD have been formed to trace the culprits, according to official sources.

Two teams are from Islamabad CTD and the third is from Lahore CTD. Each team of Islamabad CTD consists of eight members, headed by a DSP. However, the Lahore CTD team consists of 17 members. A team of Islamabad CTD is investigating people in markets around the post office. Another team of Islamabad CTD is working on CCTV footages. The Lahore CTD team is working on CCTV of post offices in Rawalpindi and Sector I-12. All teams are informing the Supreme Court and high court registrars about the progress on a daily basis.

Apart from this, the CTD has also contacted NADRA. Sources said that data would be taken from NADRA on the basis of name and parentage.

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court (LHC) administration devised new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for receiving letters in the names of jurists, in the wake of receipt of threatening letters by the judges.

“New SOPs have been devised for handling the letters being received for the jurists,” the LHC administration said in a statement on Friday. All courier companies, post offices and postmen have been issued alert and they have been restricted to mandatory clearance of all kinds of letters and posts from the security room. A deputy superintendent police (DSP) ranked officers would conduct security check of letters before they would be handed over to the relevant judges’ staff.

A postman namely Atif — who delivered the letters containing suspicious powdery substance to the judges’ offices — told Geo News that it was his routine work to deliver letters and he did not know what was inside envelopes.

After delivery of suspected powder-laced letters, the Pakistan Post also took special measures for security of staffers and thorough inspection of postal letters, and other mails. It has been directed to provide masks and gloves to the staffers for their safety and security.

Subsequently, the Pakistan Post ordered entire staffers to carefully check letters and other mails, especially the mails in the names of judges, diplomats and other high-profile personalities, a notification read. The postal staffers have also been directed to stay vigilant while booking and delivery of mails, it added.

Also, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Friday demanded formation of a judicial commission comprising sitting judges of the Supreme Court for an impartial investigation into the allegations of Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges about alleged interference by the intelligence agencies in the judicial affairs.

A PBC meeting was held here at the Supreme Court with Council Vice Chairman Riazat Ali Sahar in the chair. The meeting considered the letter, written on March 25, 2024 by six IHC judges to chairman and members of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), alleging interference of intelligence agencies in the judicial affairs, and seeking to determine the course of action.

The PBC, through a resolution, resolved that an impartial investigation, devoid of any external interference, was crucial to reveal the truth, for which a judicial commission comprising sitting SC judges should be formed to settle the issues raised by the six judges. The meeting requested the SC to decide expeditiously, the suomotu case, taken on the letter of six IHC judges regarding alleged interference by the intelligence agencies.

It Council resolved that the demand for resignation of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) and chief justice (CJ) of the IHC and the campaign on social media against them was uncalled for. It said the demand was tantamount to strengthening the hands of those who wanted division in the judiciary of Pakistan. “Thus it is strongly condemned, calling for their resignation would not only undermine the judiciary but also fail to resolve the existing issues and worsen the situation, leaving the country without a guiding figure to navigate through these critical challenges,” the resolution added.

Separately, former president Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Abid S. Zubairi and members of Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) Muneer Ahmed Kakar, Shahab Sarki and others Friday demanded full court for hearing suomotu, taken on the letter of IHC six judges about interference of intelligence agencies in judicial affairs.

They, along with other lawyers including Shafqat Chohan, Chaudhry Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan and Tahir Faraz Abbasi, filed a civil miscellaneous application (CMA) in the Supreme Court for becoming party to the suomotu case.

They submitted that the allegations levelled by six IHC judges were of serious nature, which needed an independent and impartial investigation to bring out the real facts.

They submitted that earlier Justice (retd) Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui had also levelled such allegations; therefore, it was necessary to investigate the matter thoroughly and restrain the government and secret agencies from interfering in judiciary. Separately, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) core committee vehemently denounced the harassment of judges of the higher judiciary through dubious letters, calling for exemplary action against those responsible for harassment of judges.

The committee reiterated the demand for setting up of a full court on the letter of six judges of the Islamabad High Court, live telecast of court proceedings and holding of judicial convention.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1176184-more-judges-receive-letters-containing-toxic-powder

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People express solidarity with Palestinians on Youm Al-Quds

April 6, 2024

Imran Ayub

KARACHI: Rallies and demonstrations were held across Sindh on Friday to mark Youm Al-Quds in solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemn the atrocities of Israel against the oppressed Arab nation, demanding strong reaction from the Muslim world for immediate help to the people in Gaza.

A large number of people, who attended the events across the province, also rejected the “so-called normalisation of terms with Israel” from the Islamic countries and warned the rulers of those states that their move could lead to devastating consequences.

In Karachi, the major rally was staged by the Imamia Students Organisation (ISO) from Numaish to Tibet Centre on M.A. Jinnah Road, attended by a large number of people, including women and children, vowing to continue their support for an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds as its capital.

The key speakers at the rally included Hasan Arif of the ISO, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqi of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Shamim Naqvi of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and senior leaders of other political parties.

Muslim states urged to break ‘criminal silence’ over Israeli atrocities

Condemning the Israeli brutalities against the humanity, they also questioned the “criminal silence” of the world in general and Muslim countries in particular which has disappointed the faithful as an Ummah.

The Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) also staged demonstrations in different parts of the city in connection with Youm Al-Quds. The main protest by the party was held outside Jamia Masjid Noor Iman where Allama Baqir Abbas Zaidi, Allama Mubasher Hassan and Allama Hayat Abbas Najafi addressed the demonstrators.

“The history of Pakistan suggests that the countrymen and respective governments from those of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto agrees on this ideological point that Pakistan will never accept or recognise the illegitimate existence of Israel,” said Allama Zaidi in his address.

He lauded the freedom fighters of Palestine fighting against the Israeli occupation and asked the government of Pakistan to take a step forward and become party in the International Court of Justice against the war crimes of the Zionist state.

The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) also expressed solidarity with Palestinians against the Israeli brutalities. A statement issued by the party said that dozens of protest demonstrations were held outside mosques in several areas after Friday prayers against Israel and its supporters across the world.

The participants, it said, carrying placards and banners, chanted slogans against the Zionist regime and its supporters. The party also collected “Gaza Fund” where people “donated generously for their brothers in Gaza”.

The speakers at the JI protests lambasted the Muslim world leaders for their “cowardice and dual face”, it said.

In Nawabshah and NaushahroFeroze, members of Shia Ulema Council, Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen, Imamia Students Organisation and Jafria Students Organisation took out processions to mark Yaum al-Quds on Friday.

Maulana Kifayat Hussain Karimi, Zawar Mohammad Hussain Chandio and others addressed participants in the processions and strongly condemned brutal Israeli attack on innocent Palestinians. Thousands of unarmed humans, including children and women, had been killed so far with complicity of United States, they said.

They slammed leaders of Muslim countries for maintaining criminal silence on the brutal onslaught and continuing genocide. If all Muslim countries boycotted Israeli products, the country would be completely destroyed, they said.

They urged all Muslims to get united and raise a strong voice for the hapless people of Palestine. The International Court of Justice should also take tangible action against Israel, they said.

The protesters raised vociferous slogans against the US and Israel and condemned unabated ongoing onslaught on poor and innocent people of Palestine.

In Khangarh, Ghotki district, members of Shia Ulema Council took out a procession to mark the Yaum al-Quds.

Maulvi Ahmed Khan Indhar, Dr Shahnawaz Samoo and others who led the march from central imambargah at PanjGali Chowk to local press club demanded an end to genocide of innocent Palestinian Muslims.

They said that America was openly complicit in all crimes against humanity perpetrated day in and day out by Israel in Gaza. All Muslims countries should stand by their oppressed Palestinians brethren in their time of trial, they said.

In Khairpur, members of Jafria Council took out a procession to express solidarity with Muslims of Palestine and mark Yaum al-Quds.

Syed Hassan Abbas Kazmi, Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah Mousavi and others said that innocent men, women and children were being butchered by Israel to grab their land for expansion of illegal Jewish settlements.

They said that it was need of the hour that Muslim umma should get united on global level and raise a strong voice against Israeli crimes in Palestine. The world Jewish lobby was worried about recent restoration of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, they said.

They said that time had come for Muslim umma to end hatred that had kept divided it in sects. Towards the end of the protest, the participants burned an Israel flag in protest against the country’s war crimes.

Source: dawn.com

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PM to depart for Saudi Arabia tomorrow in first foreign trip since assuming office for 2nd time

April 5, 2024

Abdullah Momand

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will depart for Saudi Arabia tomorrow (Saturday) on a three-day trip, his first foreign visit since assuming office for a second time.

The ministry said that the premier will be accompanied by the ministers for foreign affairs, defence, information and economic affairs, adding that the visit would take place from April 6 to 8.

During his trip, PM Shehbaz is expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss issues of mutual interest. “The leaders will also exchange views on regional and global developments.,” the statement said.

The statement added that both countries were committed to advancing fraternal ties and mutually rewarding economic and investment relations. It emphasised the longstanding fraternal relations between both countries which are “rooted in religious and cultural affinity.”

The ministry added that the premier would also perform Umrah and offer prayers at Masjid-i-Nabwi.

On March 16, PM Shehbaz had said that Pakistan was working closely with Saudi Arabia to “transform the deep-rooted, historic fraternal Pakistan-Saudi Arabia ties into a comprehensive strategic partnership”.

He had made the remarks as Crown Prince Salman called to congratulate PM Shehbaz on assuming office. During the conversation, the premier told the crown prince that “Pakistan was proud of its historic, deep-rooted and fraternal ties with Saudi Arabia and the two countries had always stood together through thick and thin”.

Subsequently, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir had met with the Saudi crown prince during his second official trip to the country. According to a press release issued by the military’s media wing, during his visit, the crown prince had stated the kingdom wanted to strengthen bilateral ties with Pakistan.

Source: dawn.com

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On Al-Quds Day, PM Shehbaz calls for global pressure to halt Israeli oppression of Palestinians

April 5, 2024

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called upon the international community to pressure Israel to halt its “oppression of Palestinians”, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

In his message on the International Al-Quds Day — observed on the last Friday of Ramazan to express solidarity with the people of Palestine struggling against Israeli occupation — the premier strongly denounced Israeli atrocities in Gaza.

The premier noted that more than 32,000 Palestinians, including 17,000 children, had been killed and 70,000 others injured since Israel launched its offensive in the Palestinian enclave in retaliation to the Oct 7 surprise Hamas attacks. Hospitals, refugee camps and children’s schools have deliberately been targeted and access to humanitarian aid has been blocked, he added.

PM Shehbaz regretted that despite the ceasefire resolution passed by the UN Security Council, the unprovoked bombing of innocent civilians in Gaza was still continuing, the report stated.

The prime minister asserted that Pakistan would continue to provide “moral and diplomatic support to armless Palestinian brothers and sisters until the liberation of the Palestinians from the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the pre-1967 borders”.

The premier appealed to Muslims across the world to remember their Palestinian and Kashmiri brothers and sisters on the occasion of JummatulWida (the last Friday of Ramazan).

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said Israel would not be able to subjugate Palestinians through violence and oppression.

In a statement posted on the PML-N’s X account, she condemned the “Zionist state atrocities on the Palestinian brothers and sisters”.

CM Maryam called upon the international community and the United Nations Security Council to play their role in bringing an end to the ongoing “Israeli brutality”. “Peace across the world would remain a dream unless the Palestine and Kashmir issues are not solved,” she added.

Rallies planned

The Pakistan Ulema Council declared Friday (today) as “Peace for Palestine Day”, as various religious scholars were set to discuss and highlight the Palestine issue in their Friday sermons.

Various rallies were scheduled across the country to observe Al-Quds Day — including by the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI). The JI will hold a rally at Islamabad’s Aabpara Chowk at 2pm, which will be led by leader Liaquat Ali Baloch, the party said in a post on X.

Keeping in view the planned demonstrations, the Islamabad police said it had made strict security arrangements citywide.

“More than 2,500 officers and jawaans would perform their duties across the district. The checking process has been accelerated citywide,” the police quoted Deputy Inspector General (DIG) operations Syed Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari as saying.

The DIG directed the staff on patrol around mosques and imambargahs, including Faisal Mosque, to remain alert. Asserting that “full arrangements” had been made for Al-Quds Day rallies, he said that security on the entry and exit routes was heightened as well.

While the Karachi police did not specify any scheduled rally, it also said orders were issued to take “every possible step” for the security of those offering Friday prayers.

In a post on X, the police said Karachi Additional Inspector General (IG) Imran Yaqoob Minhas ordered the deployment of police officials in uniforms and plain clothes on the city’s main routes.

He directed the sub-divisional officers and station house officers (SHOs) to oversee the security arrangments themselves till the Friday prayers had concluded. The additional IG further issued orders to ensure that vehicles and motorcycles were parked at a distance from places of worship.

In view of a planned rally by a “religious party” from NumaishChowrangi to Tibet Centre, the Karachi Traffic Police issued a traffic plan.

In a press release, it suggested alternative routes for the public to take instead of the M.A. Jinnah Road. It said that traffic coming from Teen Hatti or Lasbela would be diverted to Soldier Bazaar from Gurumandir and towards Jail Chowrangi from the Banori signal.

Vehicles heading to Tibet Centre from Preedi Street/Regal would be diverted to PP Chowrangi from Preedi Chowk, the traffic police said. It added that traffic going towards Tibet Centre from Eidgah Chowk would be diverted to Gul Plaza and Jubilee.

Earlier today, containers had been placed at all turns at M.A. Jinnah Road near NumaishChowrangi ahead of the Al-Quds Day rally. Therefore, traffic at the location was congested, the traffic police said.

The Punjab Police also said its “diligent officials” had been deployed across the province to protect mosques at Friday prayers.

Source: dawn.com

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IHC asks AG to explain ban on political discussion inside jail

April 06, 2024

Awais Yousafzai

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the advocate general of Islamabad to assist it on the point that if a person outside the jail is not barred from political discussion, then why there a such a restriction inside the jail.

The court inquired the advocate general to explain why these rights will be denied to prisoners.

Amicus curiae Zainab Janjua Advocate said it cannot be said that the prisoner does not have political rights because he can vote in elections.

Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan heard a petition against Section 265 of the Prison Rules regarding the ban on political speech and discussion by prisoners.

Petitioner Sher Afzal Marwat Advocate, Advocate General of Islamabad Ayaz Shaukat and Amicus Curiae Zainab Janjua appeared before the court.

Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan inquired the law officer when there was no restriction on persons outside the prison, why there was a restriction inside the prison on political discussion. The law officer directed to furnish relevant superior court rulings in this regard.

Amicus Curiae Zainab Janjua said that we cannot say that a prisoner does not have political rights because he can vote. The next hearing of the case will be held on April 26.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Islamabad will take up matter with Kabul: Evidence shows TTP’s involvement in terror attacks

2024-04-06

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani investigators probing the recent incidents of terrorism, including Besham suicide attack, are claiming to have collected evidence of Afghanistan-based Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) involvement in these attacks and will take it up with Kabul in coming days.

Informed sources told Business Recorder that the investigation into the recent incidents of terrorism, notably in Gwadar, Turbat, and Besham, revealed that the terrorists involved in these attacks had active support from across the border in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been urging the Taliban regime in Kabul to take action against the TTP sanctuaries based in Afghanistan and instead the Taliban authorities have repeatedly called for a two-way dialogue with the militant outfit.

Pakistan rules out talks with TTP

“Pakistan’s stated policy has thus far been that it would not hold any talks with the TTP and that the Afghan interim government is bound under Doha agreement to take action against all militant organizations, including TTP that have taken refuge in Afghanistan,” said a senior government official.

On Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch ruled out holding of talks with the TTP and reiterated the government of Pakistan’s demand that the Afghan interim government must take action against the TTP and its sanctuaries.

“We have no plans to hold talks with TTP and we expect the Afghan authorities to take action against these terror groups and their leadership for the crimes they are committing and the terrorist attacks for which they are responsible in Pakistan,” she said commenting on the statement by deputy interior minister of the interim Taliban government Muhammad Nabi Omari who recently advised both Pakistan and the TTP to resolve the issue through talks.

Sources, however, maintained that the statement by the senior Taliban leader could be an attempt to ease pressure that the Taliban regime is facing for sheltering the TTP which has actively been involved in terrorism in Pakistan.

As per the government estimates, around 5,000 to 6,000 militants in its cadres are taking shelter in Afghanistan. The sources further maintained that the total number of the TTP members and their family members in Afghanistan has reached 70,000.

“We have evidence that TTP is getting money from India through Afghan proxies,” a security source further maintained.

The incidents of terrorism in Pakistan witnessed a sharp increase in recent months with around 245 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations during the first quarter of 2024 recorded.

In these attacks, a total of 432 fatalities mostly security forces personnel and civilians were also recorded during the period, according to a recent report issued by Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, both bordering Afghanistan, accounted for over 92 percent of all fatalities and 86 percent of attacks, including incidents of terrorism and security forces operations during this period.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered 51 percent and Balochistan 41 percent of all fatalities in the first quarter of 2024.

The data indicates that the remaining regions were relatively peaceful, suffering less than 8 percent of all fatalities.

Militant organisations claimed responsibility for less than 20 percent of the total casualties attributed to terrorism in the first quarter of 2024 with the emergence of a new militant group named JabhatAnsar al-Mahdi Khorasan (JAMK), affiliated with the Gul Bahadur group.

Pakistan, on March 18, carried out air strikes against the hideouts of Gul Bahadur group inside Afghanistan in Paktika and Khost provinces which was followed by Afghanistan security forces shelling on bordering villages in Kurram tribal district.

Source: brecorder.com

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Lifting charges for illegal parking outside malls in Karachi abolished during Ramadan

April 06, 2024

Syed Daniyal Hussain

KARACHI: The lifting charges for illegal parking outside shopping malls between Iftar and Sehar timings have been abolished, a senior police official told Geo News.

Ahmed Nawaz, the deputy inspector general of police for traffic, announced on Friday as citizens flock to shopping centres ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

He, however, warned the citizens against parking their vehicles in zones that affect traffic flow.

According to DIG Traffic, the vehicles and motorcycles lifted after iftar will be returned without penalty.

"In the last 10 days of the fasting month, additional personnel have been deployed in markets and highways," the official said.

He added that traffic police officers have been stopped from issuing unnecessary challans.

Nawaz said that officials have only been instructed to issue challan for violation of one way and wrong way.

As the holy month of Ramadan approaches its end, crowds in shopping malls and markets have intensified with Eid-ul-Fitr just a few days away.

The government, earlier this week, announced holidays for the festive occasion with offices operating five working days a week to observe three public holidays from April 10 to 12 and those working for six days to get four public holidays from April 10 to 13.

The Met Office on Monday predicted that the first day of Eid-ul-Fitr would fall on April 10 as the Shawwal moon was expected to be sighted on April 9.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the crescent would be born on April 8 at 11:21pm and it would be aged between 19 and 20 hours the next day around Maghrib prayer.

The crescent could be spotted for over 50 minutes around the sundown, it said.

Source: geo.tv

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South Asia

 

Najibullah Haqqani: World Should Stop 'Hostile' Decisions Toward Country

NaweedSamadi

April 5, 2024

Najibullah Haqqani, the acting Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology, urged the world to abandon 'hostile' decisions and engage with the Islamic Emirate.

Haqqani, in a special interview with TOLOnews, asserted that the Islamic Emirate will never succumb to non-Islamic and non-Shariah compliant demands for the sake of interaction with the world.

He stated, “Abandon hostile decisions, grasp the realities, and start your interactions with the Islamic Emirate. Never entertain the thought that the Islamic Emirate would accept demands that contradict Shariah and are against the national interests of the Afghan people.”

In another part of his address, Haqqani provided statistics showing that 61% of the country's citizens have access to telecommunications services; however, he described this number as an initial figure.

Haqqani said that currently more than 18,000 telecommunications sites are operational across the country, and 22.7 million SIM cards have been registered with the ministry.

The acting Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology said: “Currently, there are 22.7 million active SIM cards in the sector, and we define an active SIM card as one that has been used within the past six months. If no calls have been made in six months, that SIM card gets blocked.”

According to Najibullah Haqqani, significant sections of the Ministry of Telecommunications were dispersed and under the influence of other ministries and administrations before the Islamic Emirate's return to power.

He also mentioned that a serious effort has been made to combat corruption, and corruption will be eradicated in the future.

Najibullah Haqqani stated: “The companies Afghan Telecom and Afghan Post have come back under the Ministry of Telecommunications, and the ATRA (Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) came under the Ministry of Telecommunications. Now, the Ministry of Telecommunications that we currently oversee differs significantly from the ministry that existed before the Islamic Emirate.”

The acting Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology further said that the 10% tax from credit cards is transparently transferred to the state's treasury, revealing that so far, five billion afghani in revenue has been generated from this tax.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-188171

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Amnesty International concerned over continued Afghan migrant expulsion from Pakistan

Fidel Rahmati

April 5, 2024

The International Amnesty Organization has expressed concern over the initiation of the second phase of forced expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, stating that the continuation of this process particularly endangers women, girls, journalists, and human rights defenders.

The organization demanded the cessation of the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan in a statement released on Wednesday, April 3rd.

According to an official of the International Amnesty Organization, “The repatriation of foreign nationals from Pakistan violates refugee rights and international human rights law, especially the principle of non-refoulement, endangering the lives of all Afghan refugees, especially women, girls, journalists, and human rights defenders.”

The statement further asserts, “Pakistan authorities’ ruthless disregard for expelling migrants, harassment, and violations constitute a serious breach of human rights and a looming humanitarian disaster awaiting Afghan refugees upon expulsion to Afghanistan under Taliban control.”

The organization also continues to add that Pakistani authorities “instead of heeding repeated global calls to halt expulsion, the newly elected Pakistani government has further entrenched itself in this issue.”

Previously, the International Amnesty Organization and human rights organizations have expressed concerns about the expulsion of illegal Afghan migrants, stating that this scheme affects women and civil society activists.

Additionally, Amnesty International stated last week in a statement that the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan places women and girls at “imminent risk.”

According to the United Nations Office for Women’s Affairs in Afghanistan, 80% of the expelled migrants from Pakistan are women and children, most of whom are highly vulnerable.

Source: khaama.com

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Afghan Taliban leader calls on Muslim countries to mobilize resources in support of Palestinians

 6/04/2024

The Afghan Taliban's supreme leader on Saturday called on Muslim countries to mobilize their resources in support of the Palestinian people.

"We stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza against Israeli aggression and occupation. It is incumbent upon the Islamic Ummah to address the plight of the oppressed Palestinians and to collectively condemn any form of injustice or aggression perpetrated by Israeli invaders," MawlawiHibatullah Akhundzada said in his annual message on the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.

"We must mobilize our resources and support Palestine in every possible way to alleviate their suffering and work towards a just resolution of the conflict," he added.Akhundzada criticized the Western countries' role on the issue and said the international community often falls short of effectively addressing the injustices faced by the people of Palestine.

"Despite claims of upholding human rights, there is a lack of meaningful action to curb the ongoing oppression and to hold perpetrators of these injustices accountable. This is indeed a source of profound sorrow, and it underscores the urgent need for all responsible parties to fulfill their obligations in addressing this grievous situation," he added.

Flouting an International Court of Justice provisional ruling, Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 76,000 injured over the last six months, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas which killed some 1,200 people.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Source: yenisafak.com

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3 Killed In Shooting During Tarawih Prayers In Farah

Fidel Rahmati

April 5, 2024

Local sources in Farah province say that last night, three worshipers lost their lives due to gunfire by unidentified individuals during Tarawih prayers in Farah.

Sources speaking to the media have stated that this incident occurred on Thursday night, April 4th,  attack in the village of Tokali, Pusht Koh district.

Abdul Zaher Khadem, the security commander of Farah, also confirmed the occurrence of this incident and stated that investigations are underway in this regard.

According to sources, one of the fatalities in this attack was an influential local figure associated with the Hizb-e-Islami named Haji Akbar.

Earlier, a suicide bombing occurred in Kandahar resulting in the killing of a dozen people and injuring several others that which ISIS took responsibility.

Amidst rising tensions, targeted killings continue to plague Kandahar, with recent victims including community leaders and government officials.

These incidents in Farah and Kandahar underscore the escalating security challenges facing Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country.

The surge in violence raises concerns about the ability of Taliban security forces to maintain stability across the country.

Moreover, civilians bear the brunt of the conflict, enduring both direct attacks and the broader impact of heightened insecurity on their daily lives.

Source: khaama.com

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Peaceful Afghanistan 'Imperative' for Region: Pakistan Officials

April 5, 2024

The secretary of the National Security Division of Pakistan, at the end of the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting, stated that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is a strategic necessity for the prosperity of the region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, quoting Waqar Ahmed, the security of the National Security Division, wrote that he has asked the SCO members to support a comprehensive and broad policy to address multifaceted challenges confronting Afghanistan.

“He termed peaceful and stable Afghanistan a strategic imperative for regional prosperity and called upon all SCO member States to follow a holistic policy and build on broad convergences with the SCO region to address multifaceted challenges confronting Afghanistan,” said Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In the final statement of the 19th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, concern was again expressed about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.

The statement requested the Islamic Emirate to fulfill its commitments in combating terrorism, especially in suppressing other groups that threaten the members of this organization.

"It is necessary to engage with countries based on mutual interests and in upholding the rights of the Afghan people from various factions and classes, the Islamic Emirate must commit itself in this regard," said Abdul Naser, a military analyst.

“Some of our neighboring countries are malicious and do not want a strong central government in Afghanistan and always criticize, among them Pakistan and Tajikistan, no other country has criticized," said Kamran Aman, another military analyst.

China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Iran, and Uzbekistan are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Source: tolonews.com

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Show genuine political will on Rohingya issue

Apr 6, 2024

Bangladesh's Ambassador to the United Nations, Muhammad A Muhith, has called upon Myanmar to show genuine political will and cooperate with Bangladesh to ensure the implementation of bilateral agreements for Rohingya repatriation, signed in 2017 and 2018.

He highlighted that the recent escalation in Rakhine has affected the pace of the repatriation process, which is the ultimate solution to the Rohingya crisis.

"While the 2017 crisis still remains unresolved, Rohingyas in Rakhine are faced with renewed risks, as the armed conflict between Myanmar military and Arakan Army resumes," the ambassador said before the Security Council in New York on Thursday.

He was speaking at the open briefing on Myanmar convened by the Maltese Presidency to discuss the recent escalation in the Rakhine State and its implications on civilians, especially the Rohingya minorities.

Ambassador Muhith expressed hope that the process could commence again as soon as the conditions improve, according to a message received here on Friday from New York.

"We also solicit meaningful and effective engagements of the international community, especially the regional organisations and regional and neighbouring countries, in restoring peace and stability in Rakhine and supporting the reintegration of the future returnees," he added.

Referring to UN Security Council Resolution 2669, Muhith underscored the need for creating a conducive environment in Rakhine.

We also solicit meaningful and effective engagements of the international community in restoring peace and stability in Rakhine and supporting the reintegration of future returnees.

He also stressed the need to address the underlying root causes of vulnerability among Rohingya minorities, which are entrenched mostly in Myanmar's discriminatory legal and political framework.

"Unless those underlying causes are addressed, the bilateral and regional efforts are unlikely to succeed," he said.

Muhith laid out a number of expectations for dealing with the crisis. These included the need for the UN to increase its presence in Myanmar, for regular updates on how Security Council resolution 2669 is being implemented, for those responsible for crimes against Rohingya Muslims and ongoing violations of international humanitarian law to be held accountable, and for the key agreements and recommendations to be carried out on time.

Additionally, he emphasised the importance of international partners' support in creating a sustainable environment for Rohingya reintegration into society in Myanmar.

Referring to the negative social, economic, environmental, and security problems faced by Bangladesh due to protracted presence of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh, Ambassador Muhith called for the Council's attention to the situation in Rakhine and meaningful action to attain, among others, a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.

Apart from Muhith, the Council heard from Khalid Khiari, assistant secretary general at the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Lisa Doughten, director at UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Apart from Bangladesh and members of the Security Council, Malaysia and Indonesia also spoke.

The other speakers also called upon the authorities to take all measures to address root causes of conflict in Rakhine and create conditions for the voluntary, safe, sustainable, and dignified return of all displaced Rohingyas and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The speakers applauded Bangladesh for its continued humanitarian leadership in sheltering over a million Rohingyas and urged others to support the humanitarian response in Cox's Bazar until the displaced Rohingyas are able to return.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/show-genuine-political-will-rohingya-issue-3583211

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BNP uttering nonsense fearing political existence: law minister

Apr 5, 2024

Law Minister AnisulHuq today said that BNP is talking nonsense due to its fear of political existence.

He said this in response to questions from journalists about the BNP's stance on India at Kasba Upazila Parishad in Brahmanbaria.

He stated that when any political party fears about its existence, they tend to say things that make no sense. Whatever the BNP is saying is not to be taken seriously.

Later, he joined as the chief guest at a laptop distribution event among 80 female entrepreneurs at the Kasba Upazila Auditorium.

Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Habibur Rahman presided over the programme.

Source: thedailystar.net

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Political parties are banned in Afghanistan: Justice Ministry

April 5, 2024

The Ministry of Justice has once again emphasized the ban on the activities of political parties in the country and says that the directorate of political parties has been revoked and removed from the ministry’s structures.

The ministry stressed that only charity organizations and unions can operate according to the principles and with an official license.

“This ministry has suspended the activities of social institutions that were active in the previous administration, and only charitable foundations and unions can operate with official permission,” said Barkatullah Rasooli, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice.

The ministry officials added that despite the prohibition, some officials of political parties who were registered in this ministry in the previous government have taken positions.

“Lately, some officials of political parties who were registered in the previous administration of the Justice Ministry, have taken positions and made movements from the addresses of their revoked parties,” said Rasooli added.

This ministry has considered any activities under the name of the party illegal in Afghanistan and has warned that if such activities are repeated, they will deal with the violators legally.

The ministry has also warned the social institutions whose activities are suspended to refrain from illegal activities.

“I wish that the Taliban (Islamic Emirate) do not ban the activities of political parties for accepting positive criticism, for listening to the voices of the people in the framework of political parties,” said a political expert.

Earlier, Acting Minister of Justice Abdul Hakim Sharai said that parties have no place in the Islamic Emirate and that taking the name of a party is a crime.

Source: ariananews.af

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Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate Message of Eid-ul Fitr

2024-04-06

To the Faithful and Mujahid Nation of Afghanistan and All the Muslims around the World!

I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on the arrival of the auspicious Eid-ul Fitr, may Allah Almighty accept your fasting, worship, prayers and sacrifices.

Dear Brothers!

First of all, we should thank Allah Almighty for bestowing upon us the Islamic Sharia system, through which life is guided by righteousness and sacred principles. By the grace of Allah, the month of Ramadan passed in a peaceful atmosphere, we will perform the Eid-ul Fitr prayer, and we will spend these auspicious days with joy and in a peaceful environment.

For every blessing for which gratitude is expressed, Allah Almighty increases it, if someone is ungrateful for the blessings, then Allah Almighty warns of the possibility of punishment, as ingratitude holds dire consequences, therefore, I urge my Muslim brothers that we should not overlook expressing gratitude to Allah Almighty, and let us all strive to be grateful servants of Allah.

Allah Almighty has granted us the Islamic Sharia System, peace, brotherhood and unity, all of these are blessings from which we were deprived of for decades, now, that Allah has reminded us these blessings, it is incumbent upon us to express gratitude, to acknowledge them, to support them, to reform them accordingly, and to strive for goodness.

Scholars bear a great responsibility to guide all people and officials of the Islamic Emirate to the worship of Allah, they must keep them reformed, provide good counsel, offer advice, encourage goodness, and continuously invite them to worship.

It is the responsibility of mosque imams (scholars) to constantly guide their followers, their children and community towards improving and nurturing of their beliefs, actions and morals. They should remain vigilant every day, unceasingly work towards reform, especially amidst contemporary tribulations.

Enforcement of Islamic Sharia

In Islam, the sacred pillar of Jihad in the path of Allah is a crucial means to implement Islamic Sharia Law. Additionally, safeguarding the sacrifices made by Mujahedeen and ensuring the protection of the community are fundamental goals. Various strategies were employed to achieve these objectives, including ensuring justice, implementing Sharia -based legal boundaries and punishments, and ensuring adherence to the principles of Sharia. Furthermore, it is imperative to resist oppression and defend the oppressed.

In line with Sharia law, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue carries out its duty to enforce the promotion of good deeds, prevention of evil, and handling complaints against wrongdoing, the councils of scholars in the provinces are a means of implementing Sharia rules, providing good counsel, fostering unity among scholars, and strengthening trust between the Islamic Emirate and the Afghan nation, furthermore, officials are also obligated to obey and the establishment of such councils at the district and village level is underway.

It is the responsibility of every Muslim to adhere the courts and be satisfied with their judgements, as well as to implement the directives and recommendations of the functionaries of the ministry of vice and virtue and extend necessary cooperation in carrying out the duties properly.

Education

For the religious and modern education of the new generation, the Ministry of Education has broad structures in all provinces and districts and it has operationalized hundreds of religious and scientific centers. In addition, orphanages are also established in various provinces and a number of districts aimed at providing daily care, education and sponsorship for all orphans, which are being managed by an independent administration.

It is the responsibility of every Muslim to provide good upbringing, education, and opportunities for their children, so that they should attain religious knowledge.

Security

Over the past decades, Afghanistan has faced numerous challenges in terms of insecurity, lawlessness, and adversities. After many struggles and sacrifices, Allah Almighty has given us a great reward to ensure security throughout the country as well as, ensuring both visible security and internal peace.

Visible security refers to the safety and protection of lives, property, and dignity of the people within a society, and internal peace means freedom is preserved, and it is indeed a great blessing from Allah Almighty. Now, let us all strive and collaborate with security officials in every way possible, this is a responsibility upon all of us, mandated by Allah Almighty, to cooperate with each other for the betterment of society and to not engage in any actions that may cause harm to others.

Let us combat the mischief-makers, as you bear responsibility for ensuring security, if someone is causing harm unlawfully, it is the responsibility of every Muslim to refrain from supporting them. If you do not cooperate with security officials, you might be complicit in their wrongdoing. Pay attention to security in your city, village, and home, and provide full cooperation wherever needed.

Economy

In the Islamic system, it is a Sharia responsibility to improve the economy of the people, the Islamic Emirate strives to meet the needs of its people within the limits of possibility, encouraging the establishment of businesses and public welfare activities, in order to provide employment and economic opportunities.

In addition, do not sit still! Try to provide opportunities for work individually and collectively, establish new businesses, promote agri-business, create opportunities for industrial work, collaborate with the government, and strengthen the economy of the country, the Islamic Emirate will also create a conducive environment, enabling a fair ground for farmers, craftsmen, and factory owners to establish and grow their businesses, and as a result of joint efforts our economy will grow, have faith in Allah, and pursue all lawful means to earn your sustenance, avoid unlawful transactions, earn halal income, and do not be greedy for others!

Deal Within the Framework of Sharia

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, in line with Islamic principles, seeks good relations with others based on mutual respect and understanding, and urges everyone not to entertain any doubts regarding the good intentions and sincerity of the Islamic Emirate. Our commitment and dedication are firm, and we expect and demand respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, integrity, and dignity, ensuring that any disagreements are addressed through dialogue and with mutual respect.

In the realm of international relations among all countries, we aim to pursue a balanced and economically-focused policy in the light of the holy religion of Islam. We seek diplomatic and economic relations with all nations, ensuring that Afghanistan’s security, stability, and prosperity serve as a favorable opportunity for others, we urge international community to maintain good relations with the Islamic Emirate, and adopt strategies in the spirit of mutual benefits.

The ministry of foreign affairs of the Islamic Emirate is tasked to foster an atmosphere of confidence and peace among all, especially within the Islamic countries.

The Islamic Emirate’s foundation lies on the principles of Islam and the well-being of the Muslim community. We share common faith, beliefs, and convictions, binding us together. In times of joy and sorrow, we stand united, supporting each other with equal participation and collaboration, leveraging our abilities to the best of our capabilities.

Indeed, creating a common ground and resolving our shared challenges is essential. The Islamic Emirate aims to foster an environment conducive to achieving this goal.

Palestine

The issue of Palestine is indeed a concern for the entire Islamic Ummah. We stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza against Israeli aggression and occupation. It is incumbent upon the Islamic Ummah to address the plight of the oppressed Palestinians and to collectively condemn any form of injustice or aggression perpetrated by Israeli invaders. We must mobilize our resources and support Palestine in every possible way to alleviate their suffering and work towards a just resolution of the conflict.

It is regrettable that the international community often falls short in effectively addressing the injustices faced by the people of Palestine. Despite claims of upholding human rights, there is a lack of meaningful action to curb the ongoing oppression and to hold perpetrators of these injustices accountable. This is indeed a source of profound sorrow, and it underscores the urgent need for all responsible parties to fulfill their obligations in addressing this grievous situation.

Prohibition of Drug

The Islamic Emirate is committed to fulfilling its Islamic and Sharia obligations in the country by strictly enforcing the prohibition of narcotics and by taking effective measures to eradicate the cultivation, production, and trafficking of illicit use of drugs. The Islamic Emirate is determined to carry out this important task with firm resolve and decisiveness, seeking support and cooperation from its own communities, emphasizing the need for a drug-free Afghanistan.

Furthermore, in Kabul and provinces, efforts are underway to rehabilitate drug addicts and ensure their safe return to society. The Islamic Emirate takes this responsibility seriously and recognizes the pain and suffering caused by addiction to both individuals and families.

The people of Afghanistan are obligated to cooperate with the Mujahedeen in the implementation of the decree, tackling this issue.

To the Mujahedeen and Officials of the Islamic Emirate

I issue the following instructions and ask everyone to follow them, I also ask you to share them with your subordinates, so that we can serve and treat our nation properly and give them their Sharia rights:

All officials must ensure that their duties are carried out effectively to uphold the rights of the people of Afghanistan in every ministry, province, region, and department. If any official neglects their responsibilities, their negligence is not excused under Sharia law.

Officials should live a brotherly life among themselves, avoid disagreements and selfishness, with this the outcome of Jihad, which is the strengthening of the Islamic system, will be preserved. The Jihad against Soviet invasion and Communism in Afghanistan was not succeeded due to disagreement among officials, as a result, the Islamic system was not established and Afghanistan remained in turmoil with various problems.

Security does not come from being tough and killing more; rather, security is aligned with Sharia and justice. Injustice and being opposed to Sharia leads to insecurity. Therefore, self-correction is necessary, as every official and individual’s wrongdoing adversely affects the entire system.

If oppression is allowed to prevail, it will eventually corrupt the entire system. Therefore, when one person suffers from oppression, it affects the integrity of the entire system, as there is no veil between the oppressed and Allah.

Our enemies hope that after the success of Jihad against communism, the differences that they created among the Mujahedeen will also arise among the officials of the Islamic Emirate. But we tell them that this wish will not come true and your evil goal will not be achieved, Insha Allah.

The Afghan people are very resilient; they have endured a lot of injustices and suffered many sacrifices. This success has come at the cost of many sacrifices made by our people. Therefore, our people are highly valued, and we should serve them and listen to their grievances. It is imperative that we remain faithful to our promises and not betray the trust of those who have sacrificed for the cause of Jihad.

No one should be unjustly harassed, and if someone is detained, they should be asked appropriate questions to determine whether they have any complaints or if they are not being charged with a serious crime. Care should be taken to ensure that no one is unjustly harassed.

There is no division or discrimination in the Islamic Emirate, those from the south will serve in the north and those from the north will serve in the south, and they should provide their services accordingly.

Rewards should be based on merit, eligibility and trustworthiness, ethnicity, language, position, and relationship should not influence the officials, and if there is any inclination towards this, it should be eliminated completely from the outset.

It does not matter who is in need and who is providing assistance; what matters is that those in need receive help, regardless of their status or identity, reach out to the needy promptly.

In this era, we must ensure that we pass on a positive legacy to future generations, with good history, sound laws, and strong principles. We should pay extra attention to the hereafter and seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty.

The protector is indeed Allah Almighty. Allah alone determines your sustenance, no one increases it beyond, nor decreases it, nor will your life be prolonged except by will of Allah, therefore, have faith and seek the pleasure of Allah Almighty.

Encourage and motivate people towards Islamic values and ethics, inspire them and use gentle persuasion rather than force. Hatred is instilled through force, while encouragement fosters sincerity and dedication.

Try not to forget the religious practices and good habits obtained during Jihad.

Stay connected with the Holy Quran, at least recite and contemplate upon it during a specific time of the day.

Strive to excel in your duties and responsibilities, but do not become complacent or arrogant due to your position and do not be upset while losing a position.

Take lessons from the mistakes and misdeeds of others, especially from those who have a bad reputation. Let their actions serve as a reminder for you to adhere to good deeds and morals.

Assist the Needy

I urge the wealthy and affluent people of Afghanistan to remember the poor and needy Afghans during these auspicious days, extend your cooperation and utilize all your resources to support and assist the less fortunate among our fellow citizens.

At the end, I once again congratulate you for the arrival of Eid-ul Fitr, may Allah protect you from all kinds of harm and disaster, and may you be successful by the grace of Allah.

Sheikh-ul Quran and Hadith, Mawlawi Hebatullah Akhundzada,

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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President, PM greet Muslim Ummah on the occasion of holy Shab-e-Qadr

 05 Apr 2024

DHAKA, April 5, 2024 (BSS) - President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted the countrymen and the Muslim Ummah across the world on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Qadr or Lailatul Qadr to be observed at night tomorrow (Saturday).

In separate messages, they prayed for continuous peace, progress and prosperity of the country, the whole world and the Muslim Ummah.

Muslims across the country are set to observe the holy Shab-e-Qadr or Lailatul Qadr tomorrow night when the first verses of the holy Quran were revealed to Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).

Nightlong special prayers will be held at homes and mosques across the country throughout the holy night.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin, in his message, said Lailatul Qadr is a holy night for the entire mankind, which is better than thousands of nights.

"The importance and significance of Lailatul Qadr is huge as Almighty Allah revealed the holy Quran on this night. This night brings us the opportunity to gain the 'Neki' of more than thousands of months of worship in our temporary life," he said.

The President said thousands of people across the world have been passing days amid miseries due to corona pandemic, conflicts and wars and urged all to pray to Almighty Allah for the forgiveness, blessings, prosperity and welfare to all on this glorious night.

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on this night of the month of fasting, The Almighty Allah sent down the holy Qur'an to the world as a guide for mankind.

She said Almighty Allah has given a unique status to the night, while infinite mercy and blessings of Allah pour in mankind on the night.

"Through worship on this holy night, we can gain nearness to Almighty Allah. We can achieve his infinite mercy, salvation, blessing and forgiveness," the premier added.

"On the occasion of the holy Lailatul Qadr, we pray to Almighty Allah to give us the grace to devote ourselves to the work of human welfare and nation-building by avoiding all kinds of injustice, conflict, violence and superstition," she said.

"On this holy day, I pray to Almighty Allah RabbulAlamin for the future progress, peace, prosperity and welfare of the beloved motherland Bangladesh and the entire Muslim Ummah. May Allah help us. Ameen," Sheikh Hasina added.

Source: bssnews.net

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Mideast

 

Iran arrests three suspected Daesh group jihadists

April 06, 2024

Tehran: Iranian police have arrested three suspected members of the Daesh group who were plotting attacks at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, state media reported Saturday.

Those arrested in the city of Karaj in the northwestern province of Alborz included Mohammed Zaker who was identified as “a senior member” of the group, according to the official IRNA news agency.

“The police in Alborz province arrested three members of the Daesh group who were planning a suicide attack during the end of Ramadan celebrations,” IRNA said.

It was not immediately clear when the arrests took place or whether they included foreign nationals.

IRNA also reported the arrest of eight other “accomplices,” but without elaborating.

Local media on Tuesday reported the arrest of two alleged Daesh members in the holy city of Qom.

In January, Daesh claimed responsibility for twin bombings in the southern Iranian city of Kerman that killed more than 90 people.

The attacks took place at a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the death of Qasem Soleimani, a top Revolutionary Guards general killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020.

Iran has been battling jihadists and other militant groups for years.

State media reported on Thursday that in jihadist attacks near the border with Pakistan 10 Iranian security personnel and 18 members of a jihadist group were killed.

The attacks were claimed by the Sunni Muslim rebel group Jaish Al-Adl, which was formed in 2012 and is listed by both Iran and the United States as a “terrorist” organization.

Source: arabnews.com

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World will certainly bear witness to Israeli regime’s annihilation: President Raeisi

05 April 2024

President Ebrahim Raeisi thanks the Iranian nation for their maximal presence in International Quds Day rallies across the country, saying worldwide momentum against the Israeli regime’s atrocities is sure to culminate in the regime’s annihilation.

The pro-Palestinian event is held on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan every year based on a call by the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini.

On Friday, millions of people in Iran and across the world rallied to mark the occasion amid the regime’s October-present genocidal war against the Gaza Strip that has so far claimed the lives of more than 33,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Millions of people in Iran and across the world rally in support of Palestinians on the International Quds Day, marked on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

The demonstrators hailing from different walks of life and various social strata, waved the national flags of Iran and Palestine as well as banners that read, “Free Palestine,” and “Al-Quds must be liberated.”

In a message issued later in the day, Raeisi expressed gratitude towards the Iranian people for their honoring their share of responsibility concerning the occasion.

This year’s Quds Day rallies, the message read, saw the Iranian people staging a “glorious and inspirational” presence that “created lasting scenes of integrity and solidarity in support of and empathy with the oppressed and strong Palestinian nation and Gaza in this sensitive juncture.”

“This epic and commendable presence relayed a loud message to the global arrogance that oppression, fury, and homicide is doomed to failure,” the president said.

“The global and universal movement will definitely yield result, and the people of the world will bear witness to realization of the veritable divine promise and annihilation of the Zionist regime.”

Source: presstv.ir

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World rallies in support of Palestine on 2024 Int'l Quds Day

 05 April 2024

The world countries on the International Quds Day, marked on the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan, have been the scene of mass rallies in support of Palestinians and their decades-long resistance against the Israeli occupation regime.

The largest demonstrations were held in Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and the occupied West Bank, as well as in India, Bahrain and South Africa.

Thousands of people marched across Pakistan on Friday to mark Quds Day and express solidarity with Palestinians, while condemning Israel's ongoing atrocities against people in the besieged Gaza Strip and other parts of Palestine.

Carrying Pakistani and Palestinian flags, the marchers in the cities of Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar chanted anti-Israel slogans and urged the Muslim world to join hands against Tel Aviv.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a message on the occasion of Quds Day that his entire nation condemns the Israeli oppression, expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Sharif called on the international community to play its role in pressuring Israel to stop its brutal aggression against the Palestinians.

Demonstrations were also held in support of Palestine in several areas of Indian-administered Kashmir, where public rallies have become a rarity after New Delhi abrogated the region's autonomy in August 2019.

The biggest rally was held in Budgam district, where people carried pro-Palestine and anti-Israel placards.

Indian Muslims, ranging from infants to aged senior civilians, staged a rally in Mumbai to condemn the Israeli occupying regime’s ongoing massacre in Gaza.

Huge crowds of people are marking the International Quds Day around the world #QudsDay2024 pic.twitter.com/HUqSCkQqw0

Thousands of Iraqi people flocked to the streets in the capital Baghdad and across the country’s major cities on Friday in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis also held a demonstration in Sana’a in solidarity with Palestinians in the besieged territory as Israel presses on with its months-long aggression.

The protesters voiced anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiments through their chants.

“We are here today to support the Palestinian people on Quds Day; we are also condemning the genocidal crimes committed by the Israeli enemy against the Palestinians and our message to our leader is that we are with you, we will not let you down and we all fight by your side to support Palestine," said Saleh Mohamed, a participant in the rally.

Lebanese people marched in the capital of Beirut and in the southern city of Sidon to mark the annual Quds Day.

"This (day) is not meaningful for Palestinians only, but for all Muslims and Arabs in general. Everyone, Muslim and Arabs, should care about this day, because the occupied al-Quds is not just for us, Palestinians, it is for all of us Arabs and Muslims," said Jamile Youssef, one of the demonstrators.

Dozens of protesters took to the streets in the village of Duraz in northern Bahrain to mark Quds Day, with marchers symbolically stepping on US and Israeli flags while chanting slogans, such as "Death to America,” and "Death to Israel.”

Several regions in Bahrain also witnessed rallies in commemoration of Quds Day.

Syrians and Palestinian refugees gathered at the war-battered Yarmuk camp, south of Damascus, to attend a ceremony marking Quds Day.

Crowds of protesters marching in central London carried Palestinian flags and signs on Friday.

"Quds Day is a universal day to support the oppressed against the oppressor," one banner read in English.

This year’s rallies take place as Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip have been under Israel’s incessant bombardment campaign since Operation al-Aqsa Storm on October 7, the largest military operation by Palestinian resistance groups against the occupied territories in decades.

More than 180 days into the war, the illegal entity has achieved no objectives despite killing at least 33,091 people in Gaza and injuring 75,750 others, mostly women and children.

Tel Aviv has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal strip into a humanitarian crisis.

Source: presstv.ir

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Human rights expert urges immediate International Criminal Court action on Israel for crimes against Palestinians

Melike Pala 

06.04.2024

Professor Gentian Zyberi criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for its delayed response in holding Israeli officials accountable for crimes against Palestinians, stressing the urgency of immediate action.

The professor from the Human Rights Center at the University of Oslo assessed cases and investigations against Israel and its supporters in international courts for Anadolu.

Zyberi pointed out that measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are legally binding after Israel prevented humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.

He stressed that in line with the decision, Israel should collaborate with the UN to ensure unimpeded humanitarian aid access to the region and take necessary and effective measures without delay.

Zyberi interprets the decision as the Court expressing significant concern about the beginning of famine in Gaza. He believes the Court is demanding that Israel refrain from subjecting the Palestinian population, particularly those in northern Gaza, to death by starvation.

Explaining the legal reason why the ICJ did not issue a binding decision for an immediate cease-fire for both sides of the conflict due to Hamas not being a party to the case, Zyberi indicated that seven out of 16 judges expressed individual opinions that such a decision should have been made.

He said if the humanitarian situation worsens in Gaza, temporary measures may be reviewed. He highlighted that the outcome of the ongoing case against Israel at the International Court of Justice will take years and depend on the parties involved, especially Israel's actions.

Zyberi emphasized that the majority of UN member states demand Israel to cease its attacks, ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza and release remaining captives.

He noted that statements by senior Israeli officials could indicate an intent of genocide.

He referenced a report by Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, which concludes that Israel's attacks on Gaza demonstrate intent to commit genocide against Palestinians.

Zyberi highlighted that the report presents reasonable grounds indicating Israel's commission of the "crime of genocide," citing Israel's obstruction of humanitarian aid and the blockade imposed on Gaza as factors contributing to this conclusion.

- ICC process

Zyberi criticized the ICC, which has been criticized for its slow decision-making regarding Israel, for also being very slow in addressing the case referred to it 15 years ago concerning "mass atrocities" committed in Palestine.

Noting that ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced the initiation of investigations into the situation in Palestine on March 3, 2021, Zyberi said, "No senior Israeli officials or senior Hamas members have yet been charged with any crimes."

Zyberi emphasized the need for the ICC to ensure accountability for senior Israeli officials involved in crimes against Palestinians in the occupied territories.

He pointed out the credibility of the ICC, highlighting the importance of holding officials accountable promptly, especially when comparing it to the decisions made in other cases like the Ukraine-Russia case where arrest warrants were issued for high-profile figures.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Iranian Friday Imams Warn Against Hasty Retaliation Against Israel

06 Apr 2024

Following the recent air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, several Friday Imams in Iran called on the government to exercise caution and avoid rushing into retaliatory actions against Israel.

Hassan Ameli, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Ardebil, emphasized the need for a composed response, stating, "We will not make a decision regarding revenge against Israel based on emotional impulses." He further stressed the importance of a comprehensive strategy in determining the appropriate course of action.

LotfollahDezhakam, representing Ali Khamenei in Fars province, echoed similar sentiments, asserting that “Israel made a mistake that it now regrets.”

Mohammad Mehdi Hosseini Hamedani, another representative of Khamenei in Alborz province, also emphasized the importance of strategic patience in the face of provocation from adversaries.

Friday Imams' statements in Iran are commonly viewed as coordinated semi-official messages provided to them by a central office under the control of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Many analysts believe that the regime's longstanding strategy of refraining from direct conflict with Israel will persist despite recent provocations. Instead, Iran is expected to continue supporting its proxies in launching attacks on Israeli and US targets.

Iran supports various proxy groups across the Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and various militias in Iraq and Yemen. Through financial, military, and ideological support, Iran aims to extend its influence, counter perceived adversaries such as Israel and the United States and promote its revolutionary ideology. The proxies often serve as a means for Iran to exert pressure on regional rivals.

Source: iranintl.com

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200,000 worshippers perform Tarawih prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli restrictions

Ahmed Asmar

06.04.2024

About 200,000 Palestinian worshippers performed Tarawih at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday in occupied East Jerusalem, despite Israeli restrictions.

Tarawih prayers are special night prayers that are performed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The official Palestinian news agency, WAFA, said Israeli forces were heavily deployed in Jerusalem's Old City in an attempt to hinder access to the mosque.

It added that Israeli forces imposed further restrictions on entry to the mosque with at least 27 worshippers being detained.

Israel has restricted thousands of Palestinian worshippers’ access to Al-Aqsa Mosque amid growing tensions across the occupied West Bank due to the Israeli army’s ongoing offensive on the

Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, that has left more than 33,000 people dead.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Australia

 

Australia to appoint 'special adviser' to review Israel's probe into deadly airstrike that killed aid workers in Gaza

Zehra Nur Duz

06.04.2024

Australia plans to designate a "special adviser" to oversee a thorough inquiry into an Israeli airstrike that killed seven aid workers, including an Aussie, according to media reports Friday.

Defense Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are set to inform their Israeli counterparts of the decision to appoint a special adviser to oversee the investigation, ensuring alignment with Australia's expectations, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

The adviser, possessing expertise in military and humanitarian law, will soon be named and Australia will insist on the preservation of evidence about the attack, according to ABC.

Israel has briefed Australia on its swift inquiry into the attack on a humanitarian convoy in Gaza, which killed ZomiFrankcom and six World Central Kitchen (WCK) workers.

The Australian government previously outlined its expectations that if the investigation uncovered violations of legal or military protocols by Israeli military personnel, appropriate actions should be taken and made transparent.

The Israeli military announced Friday that it fired two officers and reprimanded three others following an investigation into the attack in Gaza that killed the aid workers. Tel Aviv said the attack was a “serious mistake.”

The WCK on Friday demanded the creation of an independent commission to investigate the killings of its aid workers, adding that Israel “cannot credibly investigate its own failure in Gaza.”

Response not sufficient

Information from Israel "hasn't yet satisfied our expectations," ABC quoted Wong.

"Australia is concerned by initial advice from the (Israeli) Ministry for Foreign Affairs that those responsible for commissioning and implementing the operation that killed Ms Frankcom and her colleagues have not been stood down while the investigation is undertaken," Wong said before Israel's announcement.

"We are also alarmed by initial comments that this was an accident and that such incidents happen in a war,” she said.

"These responses suggest the gravity of the death of seven humanitarian workers is yet to be appreciated by the Israeli government," Wong noted.

Wong’s statements came in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks in which he acknowledged his government's responsibility for the incident but characterized it as "unintentional" and something that "happens in war.”

Since Israel launched its brutal war on Gaza on Oct. 7, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed and 75,750 injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

More than 200 aid workers have been killed during the war, according to figures from the Aid Worker Security Database, which is funded by US development funds, said the New York Times.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Arab World

 

Qatar not inclined to assist in post-war Gaza reconstruction due to Israeli treatment

JACOB MAGID

5 April 2024

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Mossad chief David Barnea in a recent meeting that Doha was not inclined to accede to Israeli requests to assist in the reconstruction of Gaza, given Jerusalem’s treatment of Qatar throughout the war, two officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel.

While some in Israel’s security establishment have expressed a desire to distance Qatar after the conflict with Hamas ends, al-Thani’s statement would further shrink the list of countries willing to assist in the revitalization of Gaza after the war, which could leave Jerusalem without partners in the effort.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials have spoken of Arab involvement in boosting the Strip’s security, civil affairs and economy. But al-Thani told Barnea in December that Qatar would only take part in the post-war reconstruction of Gaza if it was part of a broader initiative aimed at an eventual two-state solution, according to the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

That stance is consistent with the one held by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan, which have argued that they don’t want to again be called on to fund the Strip’s reconstruction after the next Gaza war and insist that the top priority must be creating a political horizon to end the conflict entirely.

Al-Thani told Barnea that Qatar also wanted to see a significant shift in Israel’s behavior vis-a-vis Qatar, pointing to several instances during the war in which he claimed Doha-funded infrastructure in Gaza had been wrongfully targeted.

Those included a hospital under which the IDF claimed to have uncovered a tunnel and a school in southern Gaza.

In both cases, al-Thani said the IDF had privately expressed regret and promised to issue a public apology, but never did. The IDF did not respond to a request for comment.

Al-Thani also raised his concern to Barnea over an assertion made several times in recent months by Netanyahu that Qatar has failed to sufficiently pressure Hamas in the hostage talks — a claim that Doha rejects.

The Qatari premier made the remarks to Barnea during a December summit of Arab foreign ministers in Washington and again during a recent visit to Qatar by a delegation of Democratic lawmakers, according to a senior Arab diplomat and a US lawmaker present at the respective meetings.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which oversees the Mossad, did not respond to requests for comment.

Israel has long had a complex relationship with Qatar, which became one of the first Arab countries to establish trade ties with Jerusalem in 1996. Those relations were severed over two decades later amid the 2009 Gaza war.

In the years that followed, though, Israel urged Qatar to donate hundreds of millions of dollars to finance Gaza humanitarian projects along with the salaries of the Strip’s civil servants.

Israel sought out and expressed appreciation for that Qatari aid in the years and months leading up to October 7, documents published last month by The Times of Israel revealed.

Critics have warned that the Qatari funds helped strengthen Hamas at the expense of the more moderate Palestinian Authority and allowed Doha to gain a foothold in the enclave by bolstering an Islamist group opposed by Israel’s Arab allies.

Qatar’s influence over Hamas — which maintains an office in Doha, at the behest of the United States — has positioned the Gulf country to mediate between the terror group and Israel.

In the first month of the war, National Security Council chairman TzachiHanegbi publicly praised Doha’s efforts. But amid stalled talks to release the remaining 134 hostages who weren’t freed in the Qatar-brokered November truce that released over 109, top Israeli officials have soured on Qatar.

Economy Minister Nir Barkat branded Qatar an “enemy” that “funds terror all over the world” during a Thursday interview on MSNBC.

Responding to the Likud minister, who has sought since the war’s outbreak to criticize Netanyahu from the right, Qatar foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari called Barkat “another headline-seeking politician in Israel [who] is using ‘Qatar-bashing’ as a means to further his own political future.”

“Rather than being preoccupied with supporting in the efforts to secure a deal, Minister Barkat finds his time is better spent attacking the mediators who are working round the clock to reach a deal that ensures the release of hostages and stop the bloodshed,” Ansari said.

“Spreading lies and baseless accusations about the country that helped secure the release of 109 hostages and is relentlessly working on the release of the remaining hostages, is another sign of political recklessness and selfishness,” he added.

Source: timesofisrael.com

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https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatar-not-inclined-to-assist-in-post-war-gaza-reconstruction-due-to-israeli-treatment/

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Digital Platforms of Two Holy Mosques Convey Ramadan’s Last Friday Sermon to Half a Billion Muslims

05 Apr, 2024

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque successfully delivered the sermon of the fourth and final Friday prayer in Ramadan through its digital platforms and smart applications.

Translated into 14 languages, the sermon, delivered by Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, the president of the General Presidency, reached nearly half a billion Muslims worldwide.

This significant number adds to the millions of worshippers and pilgrims who had the opportunity to witness the Friday prayer in the Grand Mosque.

The digital platforms provided 42 services for beneficiaries, setting a record in the history of the relatively new specialized religious apparatus of the Two Holy Mosques.

Such services include 13 through the General Presidency's electronic gate, four services through the Manarat Al-Haramain digital platform, 13 services through the Library of Al Masjid Al Haram website, 10 services through the Alharamain application, and two services through the Holy Quran app.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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https://alriyadhdaily.com/article/1ac7d294e335431dac8c3710e20e19d9

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Saudi navy chief meets with US naval delegation in Riyadh

April 06, 2024

RIYADH: Vice Admiral Fahd Al-Ghufaili, commander of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, recently met with the commander of the US Naval Forces Central Command, Fifth Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Admiral George Wikoff and his accompanying delegation, the Saudi Defense Ministry reported on X.

The meeting reportedly addressed cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the US “in a way that serves and enhances maritime security in the region.”

Meanwhile, Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Abdulrahman bin Ayyaf Al-Muqrin met with Mauritania’s Minister of DefenseHanenaOuldSidi on Thursday. According to the Saudi Press Agency, they discussed military and defense cooperation and ways to enhance it.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2488796/saudi-arabia

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Ithra’s Eid celebration promises to ‘bloom with joy’

April 06, 2024

DHAHRAN: Eid Al-Fitr festivities at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Ithra, will have a spring theme this year with the tagline “blooms with joy.” From April 11-13, the center will be filled with fun and educational activities for the whole family.

Eid at Ithra will be open from 4 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. on all its designated Eid days.

Chocolate lovers can create their own tasty creations at the heart of Ithra, in the Plaza area, from opening time until 11 p.m. There will be a station set up with milk and white chocolate where participants will be able to add any — or all — toppings provided to make their own chocolate bar.

The Plaza will also be the scene for live music throughout the three nights.

Up the famous escalator, in the exhibition area in the library, will be plenty of Eid-centric storytelling. “In Ithra's Eid we will share the joy through stories, meet new characters, gain values, and answer questions,” Ithra said in a statement. The library will also host an interactive game — or a few.

Eid at Ithra will be open from 4 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. on all its designated Eid days.

Outside in the Lush Garden, an interactive maze will be set up that will challenge visitors to solve quests along the way.

At the Energy Exhibit, experts will perform live experiments in an attempt to answer interesting questions, such as: Does science factor into Eid decorations? Do bubbles have chemical reactions? What makes light glow?

Each day at 4:30 p.m., three short films will be shown at the cinema: “Saleeg” features a stubborn grandmother who accidentally boils a pot of rice too long in the kitchen and is forced to seek assistance from strangers; “Radimah” is about jasmine — the aromatic plant with deep roots in the Jazan region; while “Alrufea” is a documentary about a community of the same name. 

At 8 p.m. each day, Ithra’s own “Valley Road,” a fantastical film that tells a Saudi-centric story, will be shown at the cinema. The films will be in Arabic with English subtitles.

While all activities at Ithra’s Eid are free, select events require you to purchase a ticket to enter.

The Children’s Museum provides ample chances for the youngsters to have fun while learning. The Eid Around the World program promises to reveal global and local Eid traditions and rituals.

The Energy Exhibit will offer a live family play titled: “The Village of Happiness.”

Each night of Eid, the IthraTheater will host two live performances of “Hikayat Farah with Chorolla.” The first hour-long show starts at 6:30 p.m. and the other at 8:30 p.m. 

Tickets can be bought directly at Ithra on the day of the event, with a discount for Ithra members.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2488766/saudi-arabia

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Yemenis hold massive Quds Day rallies to support Palestine

Apr 5, 2024

TEHRAN, Apr. 05 (MNA) – The Yemeni people declared their strong support for the Palestinian nation by turning out to massive rallies across the capital Sana'a and other cities on International Quds Day on Friday.

The demonstrators in the huge International Quds Day rallies in Yemen issued a statement announcing that the battle for the liberation of holy Quds and other parts of Palestine is not only duty of the Palestinian nation, but the entire Islamic world.

The statement further states that during the past six months, the Palestinian nation has faced the most terrible and shameless genocide by the Zionist regime and the American colonial power in Gaza and throughout Palestine.

The Yemenis further stressed that Palestine is still the number one issue of the Islamic Ummah. "Our Ummah must support the sacred cause and take action to liberate the holy land"

"No excuse is accepted from any government in Islamic countries for their negligence in fulfilling their duty for the liberation of Palestine and helping its oppressed nation," it also read.

Source: mehrnews.com

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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/213540/Yemenis-hold-massive-Quds-Day-rallies-to-support-Palestine

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Record 2.5 million Muslims gather in Makkah to observe Ramadan's sacred night prayer

IsmaeelNaar

Apr 06, 2024

A record 2.5 million Muslims gathered at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, on Friday to mark one of the holiest nights of Ramadan this year, authorities said.

The General Authority for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah said plans for a large number of Umrah pilgrims went smoothly as night prayers were held on the last Friday of Ramadan.

For many, the night marked Laylat Al Qadr (The Night of Destiny), the spiritual climax of the holy month, which commemorates the moment the archangel Gabriel first appeared to the Prophet Mohammed and began revealing the Quran.

This night is celebrated by those who believe that their prayers have the greatest chance of being answered. It is a time of festivity, during which children are allowed to stay up late and shops remain open until the early hours throughout the Muslim world.

“We planned for this large number of people both domestic and foreign pilgrims as well as worshippers from the local province of Makkah to descend on the holy grounds of the mosque and we can confirm that more than 2.5 million pilgrims prayed last night,” Mohammed Al Bassami, director general of the Saudi Traffic Directorate, told reporters in Makkah.

“We ensured we doubled our security forces across the grounds to facilitate the smooth control of crowds who wished to pray at the mosque on the holiest night of Ramadan,” he added.

Local media reported that the attendance at the prayers set a record.

The Grand Mosque and its courtyards reached full capacity with the Umrah pilgrims and worshippers who came to perform the Isha, Taraweeh, and Qiyam Al Layl prayers.

The Qiyam Al Layl prayers concluded with a special supplication led by Abdulrahman Al Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

The specific date of Laylat Al Qadr remains uncertain, but the Prophet Mohammed said it occurs during the last 10 nights of Ramadan, specifically on an odd-numbered night, with many believing it to be on the 27th.

Source: thenationalnews.com

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https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/gulf/2024/04/06/record-25-million-muslims-gather-in-makkah-to-observe-ramadans-sacred-night-prayer/

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