'Love Jihad’: Trap 10 Muslim Girls If You Lose 1 Hindu: Shri Ram Sena Chief Tells Youths, Assures Them Security, Jobs
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 February 2023
Representative Image
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• Islamic State Khorasan Releases Book on Uyghur Issue,
Decries Islamic World’s Support to China
• Temple Mount to Be Shut to Jews at Ramadan’s End,
Despite Ben Gvir Dissent – Report
• Allocations Increased To RM100mil to Assist
Non-Muslim Faiths in Sarawak
• Need Not Worry, Allah Will Protect Pakistan: Islamic
Scholar Known For Scholastic Discourses on Mysticism and Spirituality
India
• 'Yuvati Shibir' Against Love Jihad Held in Gandhinagar
• Families of Muslim men killed in Bhiwani begin
sit-in protest
• Haryana Budget Session begins today: Oppn to take on
govt over killing of two Muslim men, assault on employees seeking OPS
• 'They Remember Mughals More Than Muslims Do': Mehbooba
Mufti's Indirect Jibe at Centre
• Muslim Cleric Refuses to Solemnise Nikah in MP Over
DJ Music
• Family Of Man Linked To Muslim Men's Murder Claims
Violent Raid, Cops Deny
• Jamia Hamdard organises a seminar on 'Life and Works
of Late Prof. Abul Hasan Siddiqi'
• Swara Bhasker's Dawat-e-Walima Being Planned In AMU
• Indian companies eye ‘game-changing’ potential of
trade pact with GCC
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South Asia
• “Purification” Campaign: Taliban Replacing Civil
Laws with Islamic Ones
• Islamic Emirate Aims to Turn Military Bases, Left by
Foreign Forces, Into ‘Economic Zones’
• Taliban shut Torkham border for ‘breach of commitments’
• Iran Bans the Entry of Afghan Migrant Students to
Universities
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Mideast
• Netanyahu: Peace with Saudi Arabia and stopping Iran
are intertwined goals for Israel
• Iran Calls on Azerbaijan to Avoid Politicization of
Fatal Mission Attack
• Chief US Terrorist to Visit Israel in Secret Trip in
Coming Days
• Spokesman Blasts French President for Meeting
Anti-Iran Figures
• Spokesman Lashes Out at Western Media for Provoking
Iranophobia to Justify Anti-Tehran Moves
• Iran nuclear inspectors detect 84 percent enriched
uranium, highest level to date
• Time to ramp up support for Iranian people, former
Shah’s son says
• ‘Pump the brakes’, US envoy tells Benjamin Netanyahu
on judicial changes
• Yemeni leader demands US handover of Houthi-bound Iranian
arms
• Palestinians declare civil disobedience in al-Quds
over Israeli crimes
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Southeast Asia
• Seek Religious Authorities Advice First Before
Organising Kuda Kepang Performance, Says Johor Islamic Affairs Rep
• Islamic Party in Malaysia under Probe after Members
Stage March with Fake Swords, Spears And Shields
• Religious affairs minister: Organisers of PAS Youth
gathering erred in not showing peaceful side of Islam
• Zambry undertakes maiden official visit to Saudi
Arabia starting today
--------
Pakistan
• Arrested ISIS Fighter is a Former Afghan Army
Commando: Pakistan Police
• Minister Claims Former Spy Chief Faiz Sought To
Repatriate TTP Militants
• TTP terrorists involved in Pakistan attack
identified
• Pakistan has 'already defaulted': Defence minister
Asif
• Pakistan's current situation most difficult in last
2 decades, shows report
• Ulema concerned at judges’ audio leaks
• Bail petition: Security beefed up at LHC as Imran
Khan expected to appear in court
• Investigators suspect ‘inside help’ in brazen attack
on Karachi Police Office
--------
Arab World
• Modern Architecture Adorns Grand Mosque’s Northern
Expansion
• Syria calls for ‘urgent’ international action to
stop Israeli aggression
• Lebanon raps Israeli Syria strikes, says Tel Aviv
indifferent to human suffering amid crisis
• Arab states need new approach towards Syria, says
Saudi Arabia
• Israeli strike in Syria’s Damascus kills 15: Monitor
• Saudi FM discusses Russia ties, Iran nuclear deal in
Munich
• Syrian baby born in earthquake adopted by aunt and
uncle after undergoing DNA test
• UAE’s Ramadan Rules for Non-Muslims, Reduced Working
Hours, and Holidays Explained
• Lebanon ‘is a hostage to the veto power’ of
Hezbollah, says Lebanese economist Nadim Shehadi
--------
Africa
• Muslim Students, Schools in Uganda Contribute
$10,000 to Earthquake Victims in Türkiye
• Tunisia coast guard intercepts over 400 migrants in
single night
• African Union organizing Libyan national
reconciliation conference: AU chief
• Burkina Faso’s junta officially ends French military
mission
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North America
• US ‘Stands Firmly With Pakistan’ In Fight against
Terror
• US mediating between Israel, Palestine, asked UAE to
halt UN settlements vote: Report
• US’ Blinken urges Israel, Palestine leaders to
‘restore calm’
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Europe
• 'Part Of The Family' Europe Must Stand Firm With
Türkiye After Quakes, Says Civil Protection Chief
• EU reiterates call on Iran to cooperate with IAEA
• Quake-hit Türkiye deserves 'very strong support'
from international community: UK minister
• Tunisian authorities declare head of top European
trade union 'persona non grata'
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/love-jihad-muslims-ram-sena--sene/d/129154
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'Love Jihad’: Trap 10 Muslim Girls If You Lose 1 Hindu: Shri Ram Sena Chief Tells Youths, Assures Them Security, Jobs
Representative Image
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Sagay Raj
Feb 20, 2023
Shri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik has called upon
young Hindu men to lure Muslim girls as a response to 'love jihad' and assured
them security and employment.
Speaking at a public event in Karnataka’s Bagalkote,
Muthalik said, “We are aware of the situation. I would like to invite the youth
here. If we lose one Hindu girl, we should trap 10 Muslim girls. If you do so,
Shri Ram Sena will take responsibility for you and provide every kind of
security and employment.”
“Our girls are exploited in love jihad. Across the
country, thousands of girls are cheated in the name of love. We should warn
them,” he pointed out.
A week ago, Muthalik, who is tipped to contest the
upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections from the Karkala segment in Udupi, said
so far, 109 cases had been registered against him and most of them were during
BJP rule. He faced more obstacles from his own people for his stand on
Hindutva, he claimed.
Muthalik added that he had the support of some BJP
leaders who had offered him financial help to contest the elections. He also
ruled out withdrawing his decision to fight the poll.
The Shri Ram Sena chief said though he does not know
how to play politics, his views have always been clear. "If I had
supported BJP's fake Hindutva, I would have achieved many things by now,"
he underlined.
Expressing confidence that he would win the Karkala
seat, he said as an independent candidate, he was receiving support from
various sections of people.
Muthalik said the Shri Ram Sena was fighting for real
Hindutva and against corruption in the state. The present Karkala MLA is
indulging in corrupt activities, he alleged, adding that the extent of
corruption in the constituency can be figured out if the wealth amassed by the
MLA is calculated.
State Minister for Kannada and Culture V Sunil Kumar
currently represents the Karkala constituency.
Source: India Today
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original story:
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Islamic State Khorasan Releases Book on Uyghur Issue, Decries Islamic World’s
Support to China
Islamic State – Khorasan
Province Wikipedia
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By: Manoj Gupta
FEBRUARY 20, 2023
In a first, the Islamic State in Khorasan Province
(ISKP), the regional affiliate of the Islamic State terror group, has published
a book on the Uyghur issue in China, criticising Islamic nations for continued
support to Beijing despite recorded abuses on its Muslim minorities.
The 117-page long book summarises China’s designs in
Afghanistan into 10 objectives from the political, economic and security
perspectives. It specifically accuses Iran of spreading its influence in East
Turkestan.
The group also lashed out at the Hui Muslims for
allegedly accepting all rules and regulations imposed by the Chinese government
that are being resisted by the Uyghurs.
The ISKP wants the support of the Turkistan Islamic
Party (TIP) as the Taliban, which now controls Afghanistan, is preventing it
from attacking Chinese business and interests.
The ISKP, a key rival of the Taliban, has increased
its attacks in Afghanistan since the latter’s takeover in 2021. Targets have
included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s Shiite minority as well
as Chinese-owned and frequented businesses.
In December, the group had claimed responsibility for
a coordinated attack on Chinese-owned Kabul Longan Hotel in the heart of Kabul,
which left three assailants dead and at least two hotel guests injured.
Chinese firms, with strong government backing, have
tentatively sought to pursue opportunities in exploiting Afghanistan’s vast,
undeveloped resource deposits, especially the Mes Aynak mine that is believed
to hold the world’s largest copper deposit.
Source: News18
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Temple Mount to Be Shut to Jews at Ramadan’s End,
Despite Ben Gvir Dissent – Report
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men,
left, pray as as Israeli police officers guard the entrance to the Al Aqsa
Mosque, in Jerusalem's Old City on April 19, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/ Flash90)
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19 February 2023
Despite combative rhetoric from firebrands in the
government, Israel, as in previous years, is set to bar Jews from entering the
Temple Mount holy site during the last 10 days of the Muslim month of Ramadan,
according to a report Sunday.
The Kan public broadcaster cited a stormy meeting held
over the weekend regarding the Israeli policy, which has prohibited non-Muslims
from entering the flashpoint Jerusalem location during the culmination of
Ramadan, when Muslims traditionally sleep at the site that they revere as the
Al Aqsa Mosque compound, or the Noble Sanctuary.
With the current government widely viewed as the most
right-wing in Israeli history, the report said the measure is facing staunch
opposition from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a
longtime proponent of changing the current status quo under which Jews are not
allowed to pray at the Temple Mount and face numerous other restrictions on
entry.
Ben Gvir reportedly argued during the meeting that the
previous big-tent government “closed the Temple Mount for fewer days than what
you want” — nine versus 10. He also made clear he believes the site, the
holiest place in Judaism, should not be off-limits to Jews at all.
Last year, Ben Gvir and his far-right running mate
Bezalel Smotrich — now the finance minister — slammed the government’s move as
a “surrender to terror.”
Nonetheless, the ban on Jewish entry during the last
10 days of Ramadan seems set to be applied this year too, the report said.
The Muslim holy month has traditionally seen violence
spike, in particular around the Temple Mound, where the situation has been
especially volatile of late. The Mount is the holiest site for Jews, as the
location of two biblical Temples, while the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Mount is the
third holiest shrine in Islam, turning the area into a major flashpoint in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Under an arrangement that has prevailed for decades,
Jews and other non-Muslims are permitted to visit the Temple Mount during
certain hours but may not pray there. In recent years, Jewish religious
nationalists, including members of the new governing coalition, have
increasingly visited the site and demanded equal prayer rights for Jews there,
infuriating the Palestinians and Muslims around the world.
In January, Ben Gvir paid a visit to the Temple Mount
— his first since taking office in the new government — leading to furious
condemnations from the Arab world. Jordan summoned Israel’s ambassador for a
dressing down.
Later in the month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
met with Jordanian King Abdullah II in Amman and discussed maintaining calm on
the Temple Mount. According to media reports, Netanyahu promised Abdullah that
the status quo on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem would be preserved.
Further fueling tensions is Ben Gvir’s ongoing
crackdown in East Jerusalem, which he ordered in response to recent terror
attacks.
Last week, Channel 13 reported that Shin Bet security
service chief Ronen Bar had spoken to Ben Gvir and warnied him that the
enforcement operations could provoke further violence.
Security sources told the channel that they see a
spike in violence as a foregone conclusion, given that efforts to calm tensions
in the capital have failed and noting the approach of Ramadan.
Source: Times Of Israel
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Allocations Increased To RM100mil To Assist Non-Muslim
Faiths In Sarawak
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri
Abang Johari Tun Openg (right) chatting with Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas
Uggah upon arriving at the Malaysia Interfaith Harmony Week forum in Kuching. -
ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
------
20 Feb 2023
By SHARON LING
KUCHING: The Sarawak government will continue to
assist non-Muslim faiths in the state, with the allocations for the Unit for
Other Religions (Unifor) to go up to RM100mil this year.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said
the allocations would go towards repairs and upgrading works for non-Muslim
houses of worship.
He said a substantial amount would also be used to
assist Chinese and mission schools.
"Many mission schools in rural areas are in need
of financial aid.
"They can get assistance from the Federal
Government but it will be slow, so the state government will provide assistance
through Unifor," he told reporters after attending the Malaysia Interfaith
Harmony Week forum here on Monday (Feb 20).
Abang Johari said this was part of the state's
commitment to build an inclusive society.
"What is important is that we create a harmonious
atmosphere," he said.
In his speech earlier, the Premier said social
inclusivity was an important pillar of Sarawak's post-Covid-19 development
strategy towards achieving high-income status by 2030.
He said this involved looking after everyone
regardless of race or religion.
"The Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government
believes in sharing, that's why we formed Unifor.
"We help the non-Muslims and mission schools, we
build houses of worship so that people can pray in peace.
"How are you going to pray in peace when the roof
is leaking?" Abang Johari quipped.
He added that the state government now had more
financial resources to share with Sarawakians by achieving a record-high
revenue of nearly RM12bil last year.
Unifor director Datuk Jack Aman said the forum was
held in conjunction with the United Nations' World Interfaith Harmony Week,
observed in the first week of February, as well as Sarawak's 60th anniversary
of independence within Malaysia.
"This forum aims to promote respect, appreciation
and acceptance in religious and cultural diversity through dialogue, education
and public awareness.
"It is also a platform to share experience,
knowledge and good practices to promote harmonious relationships between us and
within our communities," he said.
The forum featured seven panellists from the Sarawak
Islamic Religious Department, Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS),
Malaysia Buddhist Association Sarawak branch, Malaysia Hindu Sangam Sarawak
branch, the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i in Sarawak, Sarawak Federation of
Chinese Associations and Sarawak Sikh Temple Association.
Panellist Archbishop Simon Poh from ACS called for
harmony and unity to be protected and promoted at all levels of education,
employment and the civil service.
"We need to embrace a mindset change to move from
tolerance to mutual acceptance and respect," he said, adding that his
experience as a Sarawakian was one of unity in diversity between the various
races, faiths and cultures in the state.
He also gave credit to the Sarawak leaders for setting
up Unifor to address and promote the welfare of various faiths.
Source: The Star
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Need Not Worry, Allah Will Protect Pakistan: Islamic
Scholar Known For Scholastic Discourses On Mysticism And Spirituality
By Jamila Achakzai
February 20, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Islamic scholar Professor Ahmad Rafique
Akhtar has said that Pakistan faced no crisis and instead, there were some
issues for which its people were to be blamed.
Prof Ahmad Rafique, who is known for scholastic
discourses on mysticism and spirituality, delivered a lecture on “Renaissance
of Islam: Dream or Reality?” during the Annual Academic Session 2023 at his
institution Alamaat in hometown Gujar Khan.
“There’s no need to worry about Pakistan. Allah
Almighty will protect it,” he said. People from different parts of the country
and even from the United States, Europe and the Middle East showed up in large
numbers with women outnumbering men, according to the organisers.
They said almost 70 percent of the 10,000-12,000
participants were women and that the turnout had registered an upward trend
over the years. The event started off with recitation from the Holy Quran and
Naatkhwani.
The Islamic scholar said whenever the Muslims suffered
a debacle, it happened because they turned to nationalism distancing themselves
from the teachings of Islam. He said Islamic ideology never failed and instead,
nations continued to fall.
Prof Akhtar said Allah Almighty loved to see the man
turn to Him with excuses for his or her sins before seeking forgiveness. He
said the biggest problem with the Pakistani economy was usury, which is
tantamount to waging an open war against Allah Almighty and Prophet Muhammad
(SAW), and Pakistanis had been doing it for the last 70 years. “We will have to
introduce the system of Sadaqa. Allah Almighty allows us to do it gradually,
but just think what will become of us if we wage a war against Him with the
current interest-based banking system,” he said.
The scholar said Pakistanis gave away Rs270 billion in
charity every year but all those were individual acts, so authorities and banks
would have to get together to make the best use of that money to do away with
usury.
He said before the world suffered from the ongoing
economic crisis a few years ago, he forecast on the basis of his Quranic
knowledge that 2023 would be the “year of Allah Almighty’s wrath” and that
turned out to be true.
Prof Akhtar said the Russia-Ukraine war had hit the
world economy hard causing serious consequences for the West in particular. He
said if the war in Ukraine continued for years, the economy of the West would
crumble.
“The world faces food insecurity but there is no such
threat to Muslim nations, including Pakistan. We have plenty of grain, and
won’t suffer from famine as promised by Allah Almighty to Prophet Muhammad
(SAW),” he said.
The scholar said the European civilisation was
eclipsing, while its excellence in knowledge was also on the decline. He said
Islamic countries should abolish the interest-based economic system and
organise their banking sectors along the lines defined by Allah Almighty.
“Muslim countries should create an organisation that
could help each other in difficult times apart from fulfilling the Ummah’s defence
needs, and they all should contribute manpower to it,” he said.
Prof Akhtar also responded to the questions from
people who attended the event in person or online.
He led prayers for the victims of the recent floods in
Pakistan and a strong earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, and the welfare of
Muslims living in other parts of the world. Dr Amjad Saqib, who runs the
largest interest-free microfinance programme in the world, said his
organisation Akhuwat gave away Rs200 billion loans to 5.5 million families
(around 300 million people) and recovered 99.999 per cent of them without using
force.
He suggested that only 10,000 people set up Sadaqa
banks with a deposit of Rs0.1 million each in their respective areas to give
away small-time, interest-free business loans to create livelihood
opportunities for the poor – a model of poverty alleviation by uplifting the
people.
Source: The News
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original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1042294-need-not-worry-allah-will-protect-pakistan-islamic-scholar
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India
'Yuvati Shibir' against love jihad held in Gandhinagar
Feb 20, 2023
GANDHINAGAR: The Gandhinagar unit of Durga Vahini -
the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), organised a day-long
'Yuvati Sammelan' in the state capital on Sunday, "with the aim of
educating Hindu girls about the perils of love jihad."
According to the VHP and Durga Vahini, about 1,100
women and girls from Gandhinagar district participated in the event.
Durga Vahini Prant convener Nupurben Patel said,
"More than 1,000 girls and women between the ages of 15 and 35 were
educated "about the perils of love jihad and mehndi jihad. Slides were
shown of how girls got lured by person of another religion and all of them
suffered after marrying," she said.
Source: Times Of India
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Families of Muslim men killed in Bhiwani begin sit-in
protest
Feb 20, 2023
Jaipur/Bharatpur: Relatives of the two Muslim men who
were killed allegedly by cow vigilantes in Haryana’s Bhiwani district have
started an indefinite sit-in protest demanding action against the accused, even
as the Rajasthan police said no new arrest has been made in the case.
On Thursday afternoon, the charred bodies of Junaid
(35) and Nasir (27) — both cousins — were found inside a four-wheeler (Bolero)
in Bhiwani district. The families of the deceased, both residents of Ghatmika
village in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district, alleged that they were beaten and
murdered by members of the Bajrang Dal, a claim rejected by the Hindu
right-wing outfit.
“Our demands should be met. We are not being given
justice. Our dharna (sit-in) will continue until Monu Manesar (one of the
accused named in the FIR) is arrested,” said Mohammad Javed, a relative of the
deceased. “We want justice and will continue to fight for it.”
Javed is among the group of relatives and villagers
who have sat on a dharna near the graves of the two deceased.
Meanwhile, one of the accused named in the first
information report (FIR) registered in connection with the case, on Sunday
claimed innocence and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI).
The accused, Lokesh Singhla Mewat, in a video clip
widely circulated on social media, said the issue should not be given religious
or political colour. Singhla is the district president of Gau Raksha Dal (a cow
vigilante group) in Haryana’s Mewat region.
Also Read: 24-yr-old man bludgeons father to death,
dumps body in canal
“I have been named in the FIR but it is not based on
any truth. I was present in the court with my friend on February 14, the police
can check the CCTV footage. On the next day, I was in the hospital as my son
was unwell,” he claimed in the video clip. “I urge Rajasthan and Haryana
governments not to give this issue religious or political name, and get the
matter probed by CBI to bring truth in front.”
On Saturday, a senior police officer said that
preliminary interrogation of the arrested accused Rinku Saini (32) — a taxi
driver from Firojpur Zirka in Haryana’s Nuh district — pointed at cow
vigilantism as the reason behind the crime.
“I express my deepest condolence... We are gau
rakshaks (cow protectors) and not killers,” claimed Singhla in the video clip.
“. “We are social people and not involved in any crime.”
He added that action should be taken against people
involved in the crime and innocent should be protected.
HT cannot independently verify the authenticity of the
video.
On Wednesday, a relative of the deceased filed a
complaint with the Gopalgarh police station in Bharatpur alleging that five men
— Anil from Multan, Shri Kant from Maroda, Rinku Saini from Firojpur Zirka,
Loksh Singhla from Hodal and Monu from Manesar in Haryana — kidnapped Junaid
and Nasir in a Bolero.
The accused have been booked under sections 302
(murder), 143 (unlawful assembly), 365 (kidnapping), 367 (grievously hurt after
kidnapping), 368 (wrongfully keeping in confinement) of the Indian Penal Code
(IPC), said police.
Singhla’s video came a day after another named accused
Monu Manesar, who is the head of the cow vigilante wing of Bajrang Dal in
Haryana, also claimed innocence saying he had CCTV footage to prove his
innocence. “I was in a Gurugram hotel when this incident occurred... and we
have video. The two victims were unknown to me and I have no idea what happened
to them. We are also investigating this issue on our end to find out the
culprits,” Manesar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Earlier, senior police officers said the area where
the incident happened was known for crimes of cow smuggling. Even Junaid,
police have said, had five cases registered against him at different police
stations in connection with bovine smuggling.
On Saturday, AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin
Owaisi, who met the families of the deceased, alleged that the BJP government
in Haryana was protecting the accused. He further alleged that such incidents
occur because “BJP supports and shelters such organisations due to which police
do not take immediate action against them.”
Claiming it is not a matter of Muslims, but of all
those people who believe in rule of law and the Constitution, Owaisi said:
“Nobody has the right to take the law into their hands otherwise where will be
the need for police, administration and courts.”
The lawmaker also blamed the Congress-led Rajasthan
government for delayed action. “Had the Rajasthan government taken immediate
action on the missing complaint related to Junaid and Nasir, then they
(abductors) would have not been able to cross the Rajasthan border,” he added.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Haryana Budget Session begins today: Oppn to take on
govt over killing of two Muslim men, assault on employees seeking OPS
February 20, 2023
The Budget Session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha will begin
at 11 am Monday with Governor Bandaru Dattatreya’s address to the House. Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who also holds the finance portfolio, will
present the State’s Budget for 2023-24 on February 23.
The session is also likely to begin on a stormy note
as the main Opposition Indian National Congress will take on the Manohar Lal
Khattar-led BJP and Dushyant Chautala-led JJP coalition government on various
issues.
Congress MLAs told The Indian Express they will raise
the recent incident of the charred bodies of two Muslim men being found inside
a burnt Bolero SUV in Bhiwani. The crime shows how bad the law and order
situation is in Haryana.
They said they will also raise Sunday’s incident in
Panchkula where government employees seeking Old Pension Scheme (OPS) were cane
charged by the police. Opposition leaders slammed the coalition government for
using force on its own employees and not adhering to their demand for OPS.
Congress legislators have presented more than two
dozen Calling Attention and Adjournment Motions to be taken up in the Budget
Session.
Besides these, the Opposition will also question the
state government on various other issues, including rising unemployment, price-rise,
closure of government schools, deteriorating law and order etc.
Congress legislators said they will be questioning the
state government on several issues, including family identity cards, illegal
mining, unemployment, OPS, increasing drug addiction, privatisation of
education, allegations of molestation on a minister, NGT cases, and the plight
of cow shelters. They will also raise the issue of an increase in water rate,
shortage of electricity, dilapidated condition of roads, demand for permanent jobs
to sanitation workers, report of CAG, deduction of old age pension,
non-compensation for damage to mustard and wheat crops, imposition of
e-tendering on panchayats, implementation of the right to recall, and
deteriorating law and order.
Congress MLAs will also propose to discuss various
issues such as the current status of sports and approval of the fourth floor in
residential areas.
INLD’s MLA Abhay Chautala has announced he will also
be raising the issues of unemployment, closure of government schools, and
farmers issues, besides several other issues of public importance. Chautala
added he will once again question the government on the issue of the excise
department scam. He claimed he had also submitted 18 Calling Attention Motions
requesting the speaker to take them up during the session.
The Business Advisory Committee’s (BAC) meeting for
the state’s Budget Session took place last week. The meeting was chaired by
Speaker Gian Chand Gupta and attended by Leader of the House and chief minister
Manohar Lal Khattar, deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, home minister
Anil Vij and Congress MLAs led by B B Batra. Leader of Opposition, Bhupinder
Singh Hooda, who was unwell and advised to rest by the doctors could not attend
the meeting.
In the meeting, it was decided that the Budget Session
will be conducted in two phases—the first beginning on February 20 which will
go on till February 23 and the second phase from March 17.
Source: Indian Express
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of the original story:
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/haryana-budget-session-begins-today-8455465/
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'They remember Mughals more than Muslims do': Mehbooba Mufti's indirect jibe at
Centre
Feb 19, 2023
In an indirect jibe at the Centre, People's Democratic
Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said that they (government) remember the
Mughals (Mughal dynasty rulers) more than people from the Muslim community do.
Mufti also said that previously the threat was from the East India Company and
now a "west Indian company" has caused menace in Jammu and Kashmir.
"When there is no enemy, they talk about the
Mughals. They mention Mughals more than Muslims do, like they are their
offspring," the former J&K chief minister said.
Lashing out at the Centre, the former J&K chief
minister on Sunday said that since five years of 'direct rule', no recruitment
has taken place in the Valley. Mufti made the remarks during an organisational
meeting at her party headquarters in Jammu, comprising district and zonal
presidents.
"Look at the central government, no one is taken
from Jammu and Kashmir," Mufti said.
The PDP chief said that earlier crops and minerals
were extracted by the British-led East India Company and now all the 'bajra
(millet) and minerals' are sent to the West. "And you know where they have
come from," she said in a veiled jibe at the Centre.
Furthermore, the PDP chief also took a jibe at the BJP
over the ongoing row over the BBC documentary on PM Modi and said that they
were British allies who never spoke against the English until controversy
erupted.
"They don't speak against the British, but now
when the BBC controversy erupts, they speak against the British. Because a film
speaks the truth," Mehbooba Mufti said.
Speaking about the demolition drive in Jammu and
Kashmir, Mufti said the Valley should fight them together.
"We are not Hindu or Muslims, we are people of
Jammu and Kashmir. We need to fight the storm together," she said.
"If a house of a Hindu is demolished, the PDP
should be the first to reach the spot," she added. This comes a day after
Mufti commented that the people of J&K have now realised that the special
status under Article 370 of the Constitution had acted as their shield for
them.
Source: India Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Muslim Cleric Refuses to Solemnise Nikah in MP Over DJ
Music
FEBRUARY 19, 2023
“Miyan Biwi Raaji Toh Kya Karega Kaji”- the famous
line from Bollywood movies we grew up listening but in Madhya Pradesh, a Muslim
cleric had a problem so he refused to solemnise a nikah (marriage).
The cleric reportedly did not have any issues with the
couple waiting to tie the knot but had a problem with DJ music at the wedding
in the Chhatarpur district. He only relented after the family apologised for
their conduct.
“In our society, there is a ban on unnecessary
expenses. Neither a DJ plays music nor people dance during marriage because
these things are indecent. In order to give a message that every person is
equal in society, both DJ playing and dancing have been banned in Muslim
society. A decision was taken based on the consent of the people of the
community,” India Today quoted the cleric as saying.
Last year, a Muslim body requested clerics not to
perform ‘nikah’ if DJ music or “brass bands" are played at the function.
The Muslim Maha Sabha of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh had
earlier issued a statement seeking the cooperation of clerics to convince the
communities to conduct wedding ceremonies in a “simple manner".
Source: News18
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Family Of Man Linked To Muslim Men's Murder Claims
Violent Raid, Cops Deny
February 20, 2023
Jaipur: The Rajasthan Police has denied the allegation
of a woman who said her pregnant daughter-in-law lost her child after she was
assaulted during a raid at her house.
Her son, Srikant Pandit, is an accused in the
kidnapping and murder of two Muslim men by cow vigilantes. Pandit is a member
of the cow vigilante group led by local Bajrang Dal leader Monu Manesar.
Dulari Devi, Pandit's mother, in her complaint also
alleged that the police forcibly took away her two other sons.
Senior police officer Shyam Singh claimed that
Rajasthan and Haryana Police had indeed gone to Pandit's home, but they never
entered it.
"The accused was not present. His two brothers
had come out of home and they were freed after questioning. The allegations
levelled by the woman are false. Their family member is accused, that is why
they are levelling these allegations," he said.
Five men have been charged for allegedly kidnapping
and killing two men whose charred bodies were found in Loharu in Haryana's
Bhiwani on Thursday. The two victims, Junaid and Nasir, were allegedly
kidnapped from Rajasthan's Bharatpur.
While one suspect has been arrested in the case, Monu
and Pandit are among the four on the run.
Dulari Devi alleged that a team of Rajasthan Police
assaulted her family members, and kicked her pregnant daughter-in-law in the
stomach, which caused her to have a miscarriage.
More than 40 personnel of the Rajasthan Police
forcibly entered her house and asked about the whereabouts of Srikant, she
alleged.
"When I told them that my son was not at home,
they thrashed me and my son's pregnant wife Kamlesh. They abused us and took
away my two sons, Vishnu and Rahul, with them, and we still don't know about
their whereabouts," she claimed.
"The cops also kicked the pregnant wife of Shri
Kant in her stomach and she started having stomach pain. She was admitted to
Mandi Khera hospital and soon after referred to Nalhar Medical College where
her child was born dead," she claimed. Her daughter-in-law is still
hospitalised in critical condition, she said.
Junaid had a criminal record of cattle smuggling and
was booked in five cases at different police stations, a police officer said.
Source: ND TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Jamia Hamdard organises a seminar on 'Life and Works
of Late Prof. Abul Hasan Siddiqi'
Feb 19, 2023
NEW DELHI: To mark the extraordinary contributions of
Prof. Abul Hasan Siddiqi to Duty Society an International Seminar on “Life and
Works of Late Prof. Abul Hasan Siddiqi” was organized by Jamia Hamdard today.
The inaugural session was compared by Prof. F. S. Sheerani former Dean Faculty
of Unani Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University.
Prof. (Dr.) Mohammad Afshar Alam, Vice-Chancellor of
Jamia Hamdard enlightened the life and works of Abul Hasan Siddiqi sahib in the
field of Mathematics, Physics and Applied Research and shared his personal
experiences of Aligarh days and functioning of the Duty Society.
Chief Guest and Governor of Kerala Mr Arif Mohammad
Khan, presented the importance of Duty Society and focused on the duties of
citizens from a larger perspective. He said that nowadays people generally
fight for their rights and neglect their duties, if we focus on duties we can
develop a healthy society and prosperous country. He also enlightened the
Quranic Teachings of equality, humanity and the importance of education.
Mr Khwaja M. Shahid, Former Pro Vice-Chancellor of
MANU, in his keynote address remembered the dream of Abul Hasan Siddiqi to
develop a Virtual University which is now being realized by the Govt. of India.
Mr Hammad Ahmed Saheb, Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard and President of Duty
Society, and Vice-President of Duty Society also graced the function.
Prof. Irshad Mehmood thanked the delegates from across
India and abroad and the Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard for his support in
organising this Seminar at Jamia Hamdard.
In the technical session Padamshri Prof. S. Zillur
Rahman, Prof. M. Kaleemullah Ahmad, Dr Nazar Abbas, Dr R.C. Singh of Sharda
University and Mrs Azra Siddiqui shared their experiences of Duty Society. He
presented the achievements of Abul Hasan Siddiqi.
Other dignitaries include Professor Syed Asim Zafar of
Aligarh Muslim University, Chairman, Deptt. Computer Science, Professor Nafees
Ansari, Director, Center for Distance and Online Education, Dr Arman Rasool
Faridi, Mr Khalid Masood, AMU Court Member, Prof. Hafiz Ilyas, AMU Court
Member, Prof. Raziullah Khan, Mrs Heena Parveen, Dr Mohammad Shahid, Mr Mazhar
Siddiqui, Mr Shaukat Mufti, Dr Sarfraz Ahsan, Prof. Mohammad Akram, Er. Azhar
Hussain, Prof. Farhan J. Ahmed, Md. Tauhid Alam and others were also present in
the programme.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Swara Bhasker's Dawat-e-Walima Being Planned In AMU
Feb 19, 2023
By Poulomi Ghosh
Some students of the Aligarh Muslim University have
planned to host a wedding reception for Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker who got
married to AMU alumnus Fahad Ahmad, a Samajwadi Party leader. Amid row over the
'legality' of Swara Bhasker's marriage under Sharia law, the planned fest
inside the university campus has stoked a fresh controversy as another section
of the students said they don't approve of any festivity inside the campus.
They also said the administration should immediately intervene and cancel any
such programme. "If Shaheen Bagh and Tukde Tukde gang people come inside
the campus, anti-India slogans could be raised," Nadeem Ansari, former
vice president of the students' union, said.
"Fahad is an old student. We are still discussing
the dates. Today also, we held a discussion. After Fahad returns from the US,
we will throw the dawt. Will invite responsible people from society, media will
also be welcome," students' union former president Fazal Hasan said. About
50-100 people will be invited to the celebration which will either take place
at Old Boys' lodge or the guest house inside the campus, Fazal Hasan said.
"People do have different opinions. Swara and
Fahad got married under Special Marriage Act. They love each other, it's their
personal matter. As friends, we can at least give a dawat and celebrate. This
is not my campus, and neither this belongs to any other person. This campus
belongs to the university," Fazal said.
Anyone can love anyone but that does not warrant a
celebration inside the university campus, Nadeem Ansari said, protesting.
"AMU is an educational institute and such a celebration programme does not
suit a university campus. If any such incident takes place, we will
protest," Ansari said.
"It is good that they got married in the court.
This marriage is not even valid under Sharia. What is Walima then? There are
many restaurants in Aligarh. Go and give dawat there. If Shaheen Bagh and tukde
tukde people come here, anti-India slogans could also be raised. And if that
happens, the administration will be responsible," Ansari added.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Indian companies eye ‘game-changing’ potential of
trade pact with GCC
SANJAY KUMAR
February 19, 2023
NEW DELHI: Indian businesses are eyeing the potential
of a free trade pact with Gulf countries, the Confederation of Indian Industry
said on Sunday, as New Delhi recorded a significant rise in exports a year after
such an agreement with the UAE.
India and the Gulf Cooperation Council agreed to
resume talks on a free trade pact last November, the third such attempt
following negotiations previously held in 2006 and 2008.
In 2021-22, their bilateral trade grew from $87
billion to $154 billion.
Indian businesses are excited about the potential of a
free trade deal with the six-member union, said CII Senior Director Manish
Mohan.
“The Free Trade Agreement with the GCC would be a
game-changer in the region,” Mohan told Arab News on Sunday.
“Businesses are excited. They are realizing that there
is a huge potential in the Gulf and the Middle East and North Africa region
across sectors like health, trade and investment,” he added. “The GCC is also
emerging as an important partner for India.”
India and the UAE are recording a trade increase of
nearly 30 percent across different sectors after they signed the Comprehensive
Economic Partnership Agreement last February. The landmark deal reduced tariffs
on around 80 percent of all goods and provided zero-duty access to 90 percent
of Indian exports.
“There is remarkable growth,” Mohan said. “The CEPA
agreement is a starting point, and we are looking at a huge upward trend
between India and the UAE.”
Mohan said India’s trade pact with the UAE is a
“win-win situation,” as the CII expects trade to reach $100 billion in five
years.
The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner after
the US and China, with a bilateral trade volume of $43.3 billion in 2020-21,
which the CII said rose to $57 billion following the agreement.
“We are seeing an enhanced market access that is being
offered under the India-UAE CEPA,” he said.
“The UAE is a gateway to not only African countries
but also central Asian countries. This will have positive spins with other
countries as well as other regions through UAE. Everybody would benefit from
the CEPA.”
The Indian Embassy in the UAE said the agreement has
“unleashed new opportunities” in trade.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2254226/world
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South Asia
“Purification”
Campaign: Taliban Replacing Civil Laws with Islamic Ones
19
February, 2023
Kandahar
[Afghanistan], February 19 (ANI): Afghanistan’s new rulers- Taliban have
launched a “purification” campaign across the country to replace civil laws
with Islamic ones, writes Susannah George in The Washington Post
When
the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the group quickly launched what
officials called a “purification” campaign aimed at stripping the country of
civil laws and institutions to build an entirely Islamic society.
A
year and a half later, the Taliban has gutted the country’s justice system by
scrapping the constitution and replacing the legal code with rules based on a
draconian interpretation of Islamic law, said Georges.
The
Taliban has filled prisons to overflowing, deprived men and women of basic
civil rights, and eroded social safety nets meant to protect the most
vulnerable Afghans.
It
is also seeking to transform the media, using it to promote its vision for the
country and restricting content deemed un-Islamic, including music and the
presence of women, reported The Washington Post.
Critics
say that this effort has replaced a social order based on rights with one
maintained by fear and intimidation. Taliban officials and some Afghans credit
the campaign with improving security and eliminating corruption, reported The
Washington Post.
“We
have returned humanity to the country,” said Mawlewi Ahmad Shah Fedayii, a
prominent imam with close ties to the Taliban, speaking outside his mosque in Afghanistan’s
second city of Kandahar.
Taliban
judges said they either burned the books containing laws from the previous
government when they moved into abandoned courthouses after the 2021 takeover.
Within
recent months, the purification campaign has escalated further, with the
Taliban formalizing these legal and policy changes, said George.
Moreover,
the Taliban’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, has become more vocal
about subjecting alleged criminals to Islamic law, and this has translated, for
instance, into more frequent public beatings.
“The
rulers are compelled to make efforts to create an Islamic sharia system and
bring reforms to [Afghan] society,” a deputy Taliban spokesman, Qari Muhammad
Yousef Ahmadi, told The Washington Post.
He
said imposing the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law “is a blessing for
the government, the people, and it pleases God.”
So
far, the Taliban’s purification campaign has yet to reprise the brutality of
the group’s earlier tenure, such as the widespread stoning of women for alleged
adultery. But recent changes suggest that the Taliban could be moving in that
direction, said George.
Since
taking power, the Taliban has also severely restricted female access to
education and barred women from working for humanitarian organizations.
The
rulings sparked global outrage and initially forced many aid groups to halt
operations delivering assistance to millions of Afghans struggling to keep
their families warm and fed.
The
Taliban has said that other countries should not interfere with its domestic
affairs, and, on balance, the international backlash has been relatively
modest.
While
rulings stripping women of their rights have further undermined the Taliban’s
reputation on the international stage, inside Afghanistan the group is
overhauling the media to promote a positive image of the emirate, its new
leadership and ultraconservative beliefs.
Television
programs that the group deems immoral have been outlawed. Afghan films are no
longer allowed to include women or music.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/taliban-replacing-civil-laws-with-islamic-ones/1384151/
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Islamic
Emirate Aims to Turn Military Bases, Left By Foreign Forces, Into ‘Economic
Zones’
19
February 2023
The
Islamic Emirate on Sunday announced that it has been agreed to turn military
bases left by foreign forces into “special economic zones.”
The
Ministry of Industry and Commerce will be in charge of the program, according
to a tweet by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Office.
The
deputy PM office noted that the bases in Balkh and Kabul will be the only ones
to start pilot operations for this purpose.
“Following
a thorough discussion, it was decided that the Ministry of Industry and
Commerce should progressively take the control of the remaining military bases
left by foreign forces with the intention of turning them into special economic
zones,” the office said. “For this purpose, pilot operations will begin only on
bases in Balkh and Kabul.”
“It
is good if they are used for economic purposes such as factories, warehouses,
cold storage facilities, or economic activities,” said Sarwar Niazi, an
analyst.
The
Ministry of Economy said that turning military facilities into “special
economic zones” will help develop the country’s economy.
“These
military bases have good and desirable facilities and span a vast geographical
area, which might be beneficial for economic activity and economic mobility,”
said Abdul Latif Nazari, the deputy minister of economy.
“I
think it is better for us to turn them into economic centers if the Afghan
government cannot use the military bases for military purposes,” said Abdul
Nasir Reshtia, an analyst.
At
the regular meeting of the Economic Commission, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the
deputy prime minister for economic affairs, also discussed major infrastructure
projects.
These
projects would be added to the budget for the following year to complete
projects that have stalled, said the deputy prime minister’s office.
Source:
Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/business-182133
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Taliban
shut Torkham border for ‘breach of commitments’
February
20, 2023
PESHAWAR:
The Afghan Taliban authorities on Sunday closed down one of the main trading
and border crossing points with Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of reneging on
its commitments.
The
Afghan Taliban commissioner for Torkham said the border point had been closed
down for travel and transit trade.
“Pakistan
has not abided by its commitments and so the gateway has been shut down on the
directions of (our) leadership,” Taliban commissioner at Torkham Maulavi
Mohammad Siddique tweeted.
He
advised the people of Afghanistan to avoid travelling to the border crossing in
eastern Nangrahar province.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1738114/taliban-shut-torkham-border-for-breach-of-commitments
--------
Iran
Bans the Entry of Afghan Migrant Students to Universities
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
February
19, 2023
Iran’s
Sharq Daily on Sunday reported that the Ministry of Education has instructed
universities to avoid the entry of Afghan migrant students holding refugee
certificates.
These
students will have to travel to Afghanistan and should enter Iran with
passports and study visas to get enrolled in universities and educational
institutions, the announcement said.
This
comes as none of the Afghan Embassies can issue fresh passports to Afghan
nationals since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021.
Additionally, the central passport department in Kabul has also stopped issuing
passports for the past couple of months.
Those
Afghan citizens holding ‘Amayesh’ cards are recognized as legal refugees in
Iran according to the UN Refugee Agency. International human rights conventions
will have to oblige Iran to respect the refugee rights of these people.
Herewith, Afghan refugees are wrestling with systematic discrimination in Iran.
Sharq
Daily has written that Afghan students are required to pay tuition fees even
for non-degree courses at public universities, according to the laws of Iran’s
Ministry of Education.
The
newspaper has further highlighted that since students are paying for their
courses, the announcement of such statements is nothing but systematic
discrimination of students from education, and creating chaos in society.
The
Islamic Regime of Iran has been pursuing strict policies regarding Afghan
refugees in the recent past. Iran has been continuously deporting undocumented
Afghan nationals who fled their home country due to economic and security
challenges.
Source:
Khaama Press
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of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/iran-bans-the-entry-of-afghan-migrant-students-to-universities/
--------
Mideast
Netanyahu:
Peace with Saudi Arabia and stopping Iran are intertwined goals for Israel
19
February ,2023
Israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his government is working towards a
peace deal with Saudi Arabia and stopping Iran’s aggression, adding that the
two are “intertwined” goals, reported Israeli media on Sunday.
Netanyahu
said that achieving an accord with Saudi Arabia would be a diplomatic “quantum
leap”, adding that he expected that “establishing warm relations with Saudi
Arabia would change Israel’s relationship with the rest of the Arab world,” and
as a consequence would “bring about the effective end of Israeli-Arab not
Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” the Times of Israel reported.
He
added that the achievement of normalizing ties with Saudi Arabia would “launch
a historic change in Israel’s position in the Middle East,” the Jerusalem Post
reported.
“The
Arab world recognizes the primacy of the Iranian threat,” Netanyahu said,
adding that the common enemy has brought the Arab world closer to Israel.
Netanyahu
described signing a peace accord with the Kingdom and thwarting Iran’s threat
to the region as two “intertwined” goals for Israel.
“This
[normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia] is a goal that we are working on in
parallel with the goal of stopping Iran; the two are intertwined,” the
Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying.
Israel,
since the signing of the US-sponsored Abraham Accords normalizing ties with
UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, has continued to seek expanding the initiative
to additional countries.
Israeli
top brass has repeatedly stressed that establishing ties with Saudi Arabia
would be the ultimate achievement and would be pivotal to establishing peace in
the region.
Israeli
officials have touted Iran's threat to the region - including its nuclear
program, ballistic missiles arsenal, and its interference through arming and
financing militias in countries such as Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria - as a
shared enemy with Arab countries.
Saudi
Arabia has repeatedly stated that any kind of peace accord or deal to normalize
ties with Israel would be preconditioned on the establishment of an independent
Palestinian state.
Saudi
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said: “We have said consistently that
we believe normalization with Israel is something that is very much in the
interest of the region. However, true normalization and true stability will
only come through giving the Palestinians hope, through giving the Palestinians
dignity.”
He
added: “That requires giving the Palestinians a state, and that’s the
priority.”
Last
year, the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview with
US magazine The Atlantic that Saudi Arabia views Israel as a “potential ally,”
noting however that several issues need to be resolved first.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran
Calls on Azerbaijan to Avoid Politicization of Fatal Mission Attack
2023-February-20
Kana'ani
made the comments in reaction to President of Azerbaijan Republic Ilham
Aliyev's remarks who accused Iran of having a hand in the tragice incident.
“Talking
to media to present non-legal interpretations of this incident is not a
constructive action in the path of the legal and judicial investigation into
the case,” the diplomat said in a statement on Sunday.
“It
is better to avoid any prejudgement, politicization and promotion of the
issue,” he added.
Kana’ani
stated that the Iranian officials have time and again said that the case was
going through its legal procedures and that what was released so far about the
incident was the explicit notes of the gunman.
The
spokesperson emphasized that all aspects of this tragic incident are under
thorough investigation.
He
once again expressed Iran’s readiness to give the results of the investigation
to Azerbaijan, stressing, “We are confident that in an atmosphere of cooperation
and a constructive approach, the Azerbaijani officials will receive the
necessary responses regarding all the ambiguities and the questions in their
minds.”
A
gunman attacked the Azerbaijan Embassy in Iran in late January, killing a
security guard and wounding two more. Police in Tehran announced they have
arrested the assailant. The attacker has claimed that his wife visited
Azerbaijan’s embassy in April 2022 and never returned, leaving him frustrated.
Following
the incident, Tehran’s Police Chief Hossein Rahimi stated a preliminary
investigation pointed to “family problems” as the motive behind the fatal
shooting, but Azerbaijani officials called it a “terrorist act".
Iranian
officials have stressed that the enemies of the two countries should not be allowed
to take advantage of the incident which Tehran announced was not an act of
terrorism. They urged Azerbaijan to avoid making a decision out of emotion
following the raid.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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of the original story:
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Chief
US Terrorist to Visit Israel in Secret Trip in Coming Days
2023-February-19
According
to secret documents exchanged among US and Israeli spy and police agencies,
Senator Tom Cotton and a number of American politicians will accompany Pompeo
during the visit.
The
entourage is scheduled to attend "a secret and strategic meeting" on
Tuesday morning local time at "a hotel in a port in the occupied
territories", although plans may undergo last minute changes due to
"tightening security measures".
According
to the documents sent to some spy services, the US and Israeli police agencies
and the Saudi Embassy in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
had invited former and current US officials to travel to the occupied
territories to discuss intensifying pressures on the administration of
President Joe Biden.
The
meeting between Israeli and US diplomats will be held on the sidelines of a
meeting held by the ultra-orthodox Jewish center "The Tikvah fund" on
Tuesday and Wednesday. The center runs the China Studies Office to deal with
the policies of Eastern nations, including China, India and Russia, and also
publishes a journal called "Hashiloach" which is providing analysis
about Iran.
Netanyahu,
who has come under intense pressure in recent weeks from protesters as well as
some parties over his plan to manipulate the judicial system, has decided to
put pressure on the Biden administration by inviting the US officials.
The
Biden administration has advised Netanyahu to "slam on the brakes"
regarding the judicial reforms. The US president has called for wide agreement
to be reached in Israel on sweeping changes to the judiciary pushed by
Netanyahu's hard-right government which have sparked nationwide demonstrations.
Lieutenant
General Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s PMU,
and ten of their deputies were martyred by an armed drone strike that was
directly ordered by the White House as their convoy left Baghdad International
Airport on January 3, 2020.
Both
commanders were highly revered across the Middle East because of their key role
in fighting the Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) Takfiri terrorist group in the region,
particularly in Iraq and Syria.
Iranian
officials have repeatedly emphasized that Tehran will certainly take revenge
from the masterminds and perpetrators of the terror attack on the anti-terror
icon. Tehran stresses Americans and Zionists rest assured that it is serious
about revenge for the assassination of Martyr Soleimani, and they continue to
live under the shadow of Iran's reprisal since they don't know when and where
they come under attack.
On
January 8, the the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeted the US-run
Ein Al-Assad in Iraq’s Western province of Al-Anbar by launching a volley of
missiles in retaliation. According to the Pentagon, at least 110 American
forces suffered “traumatic brain injuries” during the counterstrike on the
base. Iran has described the missile attack as a “first slap".
Iran
has asked Interpol to issue a red notice for all perpetrators and masterminds
of the assassination of Lieut. Gen. Soleimani. Tehran has also identified
dozens of people in connection with the targeted terror attack, including
former US President Donald Trump, Pentagon officials and American forces in the
region. The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also declared sanctions against
several persons - including Trump, Pompeo and former National Security Advisor
John Bolton - who have ordered, perpetrated or cooperated in the assassination
of Lieutenant General Soleimani.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Spokesman
Blasts French President for Meeting Anti-Iran Figures
2023-February-19
"Holding
such meetings was a sign of ignorance for 44 years of continued support
provided by the Iranians to their country, revolution and leadership,"
Kana'ani tweeted.
He
called the anti-Revolution figures who have met Macron recently or in late
November as “undignified clowns” and insisted that the French president does
not believe in democracy and has failed to know the Iranian people and
Revolution.
"The
greatness, resistance and power of the Iranian nation will soon force you to
your knees," Kanaani tweeted Farsi language.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Spokesman
Lashes Out at Western Media for Provoking Iranophobia to Justify Anti-Tehran
Moves
2023-February-19
In
a Twitter post late on Saturday, Kana'ani said that the media propaganda
against Iran by European countries and the US government during a recent
security conference in Germany was a futile effort that was in line with the
West’s general Iranophobia campaign against the Islamic Republic.
"The
US and a number of European governments have resorted to media propaganda
against Iran to justify their illegal acts and human rights violations against
the Iranian nation," the diplomat added.
“Creating
external crisis and engaging in blame games are among the hackneyed tactics of
the West and the apartheid Zionist regime to cover up their internal crises
amid repeated waves of public protests and strikes,” the spokesperson
continued.
The
comments came after foreign ministers of several Western countries held a
meeting on Iran on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) to
pretend they have put a united front on the issue.
Tehran
and certain Western nations have been engaged in a diplomatic row over their
meddlesome stance on recent unrest Iran and Tehran's alleged role in the war
between Russia and Ukraine.
Protests
erupted in several cities across Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini who fainted
at a police station in mid-September and days later was pronounced dead at a
hospital. The demonstrations soon turned violent.
An
official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization announced that Amini’s
controversial death was caused by an illness rather than alleged blows to the
head or other vital body organs.
Iranian
officials blame Western countries for orchestrating the riots to destabilize
the country.
The
unrest has claimed the lives of dozens of people and security forces, while
also allowing acts of terror and sabotage across the country. Iran's Interior
Ministry has confirmed the enemy waged a hybrid war against the country to
weaken national solidarity and hinder the country's progress, stressing that
some 200 people lost their lives in the riots sparked by separatist and
terrorist groups.
The
US, the UK and the European Union (EU) have imposed a slew of sanctions against
Iranian individuals and legal entities since the September death in police
custody of an Iranian woman. Iran has returned the adversarial measures and
meddlesome statements with sanctions against European, American and British
officials and institutions.
Kiev
and its Western allies have also claimed that Tehran has provided Russia with
arms to be used in the war in Ukraine.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
nuclear inspectors detect 84 percent enriched uranium, highest level to date
19
February ,2023
International
atomic monitors in Iran last week detected uranium enriched to levels just
below that needed for a nuclear weapon, according to two senior diplomats, underscoring
the risk that the country’s unrestrained atomic activities could prompt a new
crisis.
The
International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to clarify how Iran accumulated
uranium enriched to 84 percent purity — the highest level found by inspectors in
the country to date, and a concentration just 6 percent below what’s needed for
a weapon. Iran had previously told the IAEA that its centrifuges were
configured to enrich uranium to a 60 percent level of purity.
Inspectors
need to determine whether Iran intentionally produced the material, or whether
the concentration was an unintended accumulation within the network of pipes
connecting the hundreds of fast-spinning centrifuges used to separate the
isotopes. It’s the second time this month that monitors have detected
suspicious enrichment-related activities.
The
development comes as Iran is increasingly isolated from the West and nuclear
talks with world powers remain suspended. The country has also faced widespread
condemnation for its deadly crackdown on major protests and the US and European
Union have tightened sanctions on Iran over its military support for Russia’s
war on Ukraine.
Earlier
on Sunday, Israel blamed Iran for a Feb. 10 attack on an oil tanker in the
Arabian Sea. The incident came about a fortnight after a drone strike on a
weapons depot near Iran’s city of Isfahan that Tehran blamed on Israel.
The
IAEA is preparing its quarterly Iran safeguards report ahead of a March 6 Board
of Governors meeting in Vienna, where the Gulf nation’s nuclear work will
figure prominently on the agenda.
Iran
hasn’t submitted required forms declaring its intention to raise uranium
enrichment levels at two facilities near the towns of Natanz and Fordow,
according to one diplomat.
Even
if the detected material was mistakenly accumulated because of technical
difficulties in operating the centrifuge cascades — something that has happened
before — it underscores the danger of Iran’s decision to produce highly
enriched uranium, the other diplomat said.
The
IAEA has repeatedly said levels even at just 60 percent are technically
indistinguishable from the level needed for a nuclear weapon. Most nuclear
power reactors use material enriched to 5 percent purity.
A
nuclear deal between Iran and world powers unraveled after then-President
Donald Trump withdrew the US in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. In response,
Iranian officials expanded the country’s nuclear program. Tehran denies it’s
seeking to build atomic warheads but concerns it might develop the technology
to do so propelled years of diplomacy that led to the deal with world powers.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Time
to ramp up support for Iranian people, former Shah’s son says
18
February ,2023
A
group of exiled Iranians will increase support for opposition movements in the
country so they can continue to pressure the authorities there, amid a
crackdown on protests, the last heir to the Iranian monarchy said on Saturday.
Iran
has been rocked by unrest since the death in police custody of a young Iranian
Kurdish woman in September after she was detained for flouting a strict Islamic
dress code. The protests are among the strongest challenges to the Islamic
Republic since the revolution.
Eight
Iranian exiled dissidents, including Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the
toppled Shah, discussed ways of uniting a fragmented opposition earlier this
month, amid pro-government events marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic
Revolution inside the country.
“It’s
important we have to have a component of domestic pressure on the regime
because external pressure by sanctions weakens the system but it is not enough
to do the job,” Pahlavi told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the
Munich Security Conference.
“We
are looking at means on how we can support the movement back home,” Pahlavi
said. “There is a lot of discussion on maximum pressure and more sanctions, but
parallel to maximum pressure there needs to be maximum support.”
The
Washington-based Pahlavi said the immediate focus would be to ensure Iranians
had access to the Internet, help finance labor strikes through a fund, and find
ways to ease money transfers to Iran.
Good,
bad and ugly
Unlike
in previous years, the Iranian government was not invited to Munich this year
as a result of its crackdown, but also due to its support of Russia in the war
in Ukraine. Instead, opponents to the Iranian governments were invited, while
anti-government rallies took place in Munich.
Pahlavi
has lived in exile for nearly four decades, since his father, the US-backed
Shah, was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Opposition
to Iran’s clerical government is atomized, with no clear recognized leader.
Pahlavi said the priority now was for unity, with in the end a democratic
system decided by Iranians.
It
remains unclear how much support Pahlavi has on the ground, but there have been
some pro- and anti-slogans in demonstrations. Many Iranians remember the Shah’s
secret police, Savak, and Pahlavi said he condemned what had happened then.
“We
have to look at the good, bad and ugly, and that’s the only way we can progress
in future,” he said, adding that Iran’s young population was savvy and knew
that any future political system would need strong institutions to ensure the
past was not repeated.
Western
powers have been reluctant to speak to opponents to the ruling authorities,
fearing a rupture in ties would harm efforts to release dozens of Western
nationals held in Iran, but also kill any chance of reviving a nuclear deal
between Tehran and world powers. However, that has begun to change.
French
President Emmanuel Macron was filmed in Munich on Friday with US-based women’s
rights advocate Masih Alinejad.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
‘Pump
the brakes’, US envoy tells Benjamin Netanyahu on judicial changes
February
19, 2023
JERUSALEM:
The US envoy to Israel said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should slow
progress on a contentious judicial overhaul that could make it harder for
Washington to help him promote ties with Saudi Arabia or deal with Iran.
For
weeks, Israel has been in uproar over Netanyahu’s hard-right government’s plan
to carry through changes to the judiciary, which critics say endangers the
country’s democratic checks and balances.
Israel’s
parliament may on Monday hold the first of three votes on a bill that would
increase the government’s sway in selecting judges while setting limits to the
Supreme Court’s power to strike down laws or rule against the executive.
“We’re
telling the Prime Minister, as I tell my kids, pump the brakes, slow down, try
to get a consensus, bring the parties together,” Ambassador Tom Nides told CNN
podcast The Axe Files that was published late on Saturday.
While
Nides emphasized that Israel had the United States’ support on security and at
the United Nations, he also said that Netanyahu’s stated hope of forging
diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia or dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, were
at stake.
“The
Prime Minister wants to do big things, okay? He tells us he wants to do big
things,” Nides said. “I said to him, to the prime minister, a hundred times, we
can’t spend time with things we want to work on together if your backyard’s on
fire.”
There
was no immediate response from Netanyahu but Minister of Diaspora Affairs
Amichai Chikli told Israel’s public broadcaster Kan: “I tell the American
ambassador, you pump the brakes. Mind your own business. You are not sovereign
here to discuss judicial reforms. We’re happy to discuss diplomatic and
security matters with you but respect our democracy.”
Warning
Israel is on the brink of a “constitutional and social collapse,” President
Isaac Herzog is trying to bring the government and the opposition together to
agree on legal reforms and freeze legislation on the present plan, which
successive polls have shown has relatively little support and which has
triggered nationwide protests.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2253856/middle-east
--------
Yemeni
leader demands US handover of Houthi-bound Iranian arms
SAEED
AL-BATATI
February
19, 2023
AL-MUKALLA:
Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Al-Alimi has urged
the US to provide the Yemeni army with seized Iranian weaponry destined for the
Houthis in order to replenish its arsenal and battle the militia.
Al-Alimi
said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference that the US turned over the
traffickers of the seized weapons to the Yemeni authorities along with just a
handful of rifles as evidence during the trials.
“We
demand that they be turned over to the legitimate government. They (the
Americans) only provided samples of them with smugglers as courtroom proof,” he
said.
The
Wall Street Journal reported last week that the US is considering providing
Ukraine with thousands of rifles, anti-tank missiles, and other Iranian
weaponry meant for Yemen’s Houthis.
Officials
from the Yemeni military believe that the military and security forces need
these weapons to safeguard their territory and combat the Houthis and other
terrorist groups.
Al-Alimi
accused the Houthis of derailing efforts to achieve peace in Yemen, both now
and in the past, by disrupting the transitional process that followed the Arab
Spring-inspired protest, the formation of a new constitution, and presidential
and parliamentary elections, and he blamed Iran for pushing the Houthis to
seize power.
“All
the outcomes we are witnessing today...are the result of Iran’s backing for
this irresponsible and destructive act in the area,” he said.
The
Yemeni leader stated that the Houthis are obedient to Iran’s orders to
undermine peace in the region and that they are not serious about achieving
peace.
He
said that the Houthis have planted thousands of landmines, refused to renew the
UN-brokered ceasefire, repressed people in areas under their control, and recently
attacked oil facilities in southern Yemen.
“The
international community must recognize that this organization is not a peace
project; rather, it is a project of violence and devastation tied to Iran’s
regional expansionist goal,” said Al-Alimi.
“There
is a Quds Force-led subversive operation in the area, and it is prevalent
everywhere, not only in Yemen. This militia takes its orders from the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard’s operations room.”
He
advised the Houthis to give up their guns, become a political party, contest in
elections, and turn their backs on Iran, pledging to combat them if they
continue to seize power by force.
“They
must become a political group. If the Yemeni people elect them at the ballot
box, they should govern Yemen. We have no problems. Those (Houthis) are Yemenis
and our brothers, but they have prioritized Iran’s interests above those of the
Yemeni people,” Al-Alimi said.
The
Yemeni leader said that the Yemeni government has reversed its decision to
withdraw from the UN-brokered Stockholm Agreement after the Houthis attacked
oil infrastructure in the southern provinces of Shabwa and Hadramout, continued
to violate the UN-brokered truce, and attacked government forces.
“We
were in the process of filing a request to the UN to freeze this agreement
since it has lost all significance. Our allies recommended that we wait,” he
said.
Al-Alimi
strongly denied media reports that Saudi Arabia bypassed his government and
engaged in direct talks with the Houthis and that they are about to sign a deal
with the militia, stating that Saudi officials informed the presidential
council about their efforts to end the war in Yemen by approaching the Houthis.
“We
commend all efforts, whether from the brothers in Oman or the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, so long as they lead to a fair and lasting peace that would alleviate
the suffering of the Yemeni people and put an end to Yemeni bloodshed,” he
said.
“The
Saudi brothers notified us that there are connections and negotiations between
them and the Houthis. This is not the first time this has happened…Saudi Arabia
made it plain that no deal could be reached between Saudi Arabia and the
Houthis. Any deal will be reached between the legitimate government and the
coup militia.”
Two
million Yemenis residing in Saudi Arabia remit $4 billion yearly to Yemen to
feed more than 10 million Yemenis, making the remittance from the Kingdom and
other Gulf states one of the country’s most vital sources of income, according
to the Yemeni leader.
He
thanked the Kingdom and the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen for
humanitarian and military help, including the rehabilitation of a hospital in
Aden, which would treat more than half a million patients annually.
Al-Alimi
said that the Houthis would have seized control of the Bab Al-Mandab Strait and
constituted a danger to international maritime traffic if the coalition had not
intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 to defend the internationally recognized
government.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2254156/middle-east
--------
Palestinians
declare civil disobedience in al-Quds over Israeli crimes
19
February 2023
Palestinians
in East al-Quds have declared a general strike and civil disobedience in
protest against the repressive Israeli measures in the city and the rest of the
occupied territories.
Palestinian
media reports said on Sunday young protesters burnt tires and set up barricades
overnight at entrances to different neighborhoods, including Shufat, Anata,
Jabal al-Mukabber, Issawiya and the town of al-Ram.
Israeli
forces raided some areas in the city, including Issawiya and Silwan, to remove
the road barricades, leading to confrontations with protesters.
The
civil disobedience action includes boycotting Israeli workplaces and refusing
to pay taxes to the Israeli-run municipality and other agencies.
Palestinian
factions said the protests were in response to a series of punitive measures
imposed on Palestinian residents in the city by Israel's far-right Minister
Itamar Ben-Gvir. The crackdown was launched following a series of car-ramming
and special operations by Palestinians earlier this month that left four Israelis
dead.
In
a statement on Saturday, strike organizers said Palestinians have been
subjected to "retaliatory measures, abuse, torture, humiliation and daily
oppression" since the attacks.
Ben-Gvir
had called for disproportionate use of force and heavy-handed tactics to
suppress disobedience movement.
In
recent weeks, the crackdown involved demolishing at least seven buildings,
arresting 100 people, setting up dozens of roadblocks and checkpoints, and
confiscating money and assets from former and current political prisoners,
among other measures.
Meanwhile,
Israeli prison authorities have begun imposing harsher conditions against
Palestinian prisoners on Ben-Gvir's directives.
Last
week, Israeli media reported senior officials from internal intelligence agency
Shin Bet had asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the crackdown or
risk a "broad flare-up."
Shin
Bet director Ronen Bar separately made a rare call to Ben-Gvir and warned him
that he was "creating a feeling of collective harassment" in al-Quds
and "agitating" the city.
Israeli
forces have ramped up attacks against Palestinian towns in recent months in a
bid to stifle growing Palestinian resistance in occupied cities. Dozens of
Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been arrested. Israeli
troops and settlers have killed about 50 Palestinians since the start of
January.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/02/19/698517/West-Bank-Quds-Ben-Gvir
--------
Southeast Asia
Seek
religious authorities advice first before organising Kuda Kepang performance,
says Johor Islamic affairs rep
By
Ben Tan
18
Feb 2023
JOHOR
BARU, Feb 18 — Johor Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid
today said that the state government is undertaking additional research to
examine and review the suitability of the traditional Kuda Kepang dance
performance for public events.
He
said this was to ensure that the Kuda Kepang performance does not involve
elements of idolatry and worship that could disrupt the faith of Muslims.
"The
final review will be carried out by the appointed research organisation which
is the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) Batu Pahat.
"After
that, the next step would be to get feedback from the state Mufti department,”
Mohd Fared told reporters after the state-level Israk Mikraj event held at the
Sultan Ibrahim Mosque in Muar last night.
He
was responding to several TikTok videos that went viral showing a group
involved in a Kuda Kepang dance performance that was believed to contain
mystical elements of worship and possession in Tangkak.
The
Kuda Kepang dance is synonymous with Johor and is known as a popular
traditional performance to welcome tourists in the southern state.
Mohd
Fared, who is also the Semerah assemblyman urged any Muslim cultural
associations to seek the views and advise from the religious affairs office
first prior to performing the Kuda Kepang dance at any events.
"I
recommend all cultural groups to make the local Kadi’s office in their
respective districts as a point of reference before partaking in any
performance,” he said.
The
Kuda Kepang dance is well-known in Johor and is mainly performed by the local
Javanese community, particularly in the districts of Batu Pahat and Muar.
Popular
belief points the dance, using a two-dimensional horse, as originating from the
famed nine Islamic saints of Javanese lore, popularly called Wali Songo. It
narrates the arrival of Islam to Java in the 15th century.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Islamic
party in Malaysia under probe after members stage march with fake swords,
spears and shields
Najmi
Syahiran Mamat
20
Feb 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: Malaysian police are investigating an incident during which Parti Islam
Se-Malaysia’s (PAS) youth wing members in Terengganu staged a march with fake
swords, spears and shields.
According
to Terengganu police chief Rohaimi Md Isa, initial investigations showed that
the event took place on Friday (Feb 17) at a resort in Setiu, Terengganu.
“Police
will carry out an investigation to identify any offences in the programme and
appropriate action will be taken,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Mr
Rohaimi, however, said that the police were not informed about the march
involving replicas of weapons, though they were notified of the event
earlier.
“We
were not informed about the march with replicas of weapons, which has caused
uneasiness and concern among the public,” he said.
Several
photos and videos of a group of men clad in medieval Islamic war attire staging
a march with fake swords, spears and shields were seen on social media with PAS
flags in the background.
The
march was part of a two-day PAS youth wing gathering, known as Himpunan Pemuda
Islam Terengganu (HIMPIT), or Terengganu Muslim Youth Gathering.
Mr
Rohaimi added that the march, which was attended by party members from various
districts in the state, was part of a design competition involving the theme of
clothing, weapons and Islamic heritage.
Meanwhile,
Setiu police Afandi Hussin was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insight that
the organiser of the event has been summoned for questioning to help facilitate
investigations into the programme.
On
Sunday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr
Mohamed Na'im Mokhtar called the march inappropriate, adding that it can give a
bad image to Islam and Malaysia.
“It
is better for the organisers to highlight Islamic values that are peaceful and
that invite unity and prosperity.
“All
parties are responsible to call for peace and harmony in the society. Any
action that can incite public unrest should be avoided altogether,” said Dr
Na’im in a statement.
He
added that the department is of the view that the matter should be handed over
to the authorities for investigation as well as any other necessary action if
it is found that the organiser has violated national security rules.
In
justifying the event, Terengganu PAS Youth Chief Harun Esa likened it to other
“cosplay” events.
“The
issue of donning warrior uniforms used during ancient times by one of the
contingents was just part of fulfilling their parade theme.
“(The
event is) just like parades and ‘cosplay’ contests held across the country
which show their favourite superhero weapons,” he said in a Facebook post on
Sunday.
He
elaborated that it has become a tradition for the eight PAS youth groups in the
state to have their own parade themes and relevant replicas. The march has been
held annually since 1991.
Source:
Channel News Asia
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Religious affairs minister: Organisers of PAS Youth gathering erred in not
showing peaceful side of Islam
By
R. Loheswar
19
Feb 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, Feb 19 — Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious
Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar called out the organisers of a PAS Youth
parade in Terengganu for being callous with their choice of outfits and
portrayal of Islam.
He
said by choosing to use Islamic symbols, their parade had caused members of the
public to raise their concerns that the parade could cause racial disharmony.
“In
my opinion, to march in that manner was wrong and gives people a bad impression
of the country and Islam. It’s best the organisers highlight the peaceful and
harmonious side of Islam that will strengthen our unity.
“All
parties are responsible for our peace and harmony and any actions that can
cause public unrest must be avoided at all costs.
“The
department feels this matter should be handed to the authorities to investigate
and ascertain if any breach of public security has occurred,” he said in a
statement.
This
came on the heels of reports that Terengganu police would be speaking to
Terengganu PAS Youth, who were the organiser of the event.
“We
are looking into it. Now we are waiting to see if a report has been made and
what actions we can take from a criminal point of view. We are evaluating.
“We
will inform you later (when investigations will be done),” Setiu district
police chief Afandi Hussin was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insight.
PAS
Youth had organised a gathering called Perhimpunan Pemuda Islam Terengganu
(Himpit) over two days on February 17 and 18 in Bari Indah Beach Resort in
Setiu.
The
costume parade caught people’s attention as participants were seen wielding
fake weapons such as swords and bows, while clad in mock armour.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Zambry
undertakes maiden official visit to Saudi Arabia starting today
19
Feb 2023
PUTRAJAYA,
Feb 19 — Malaysian foreign minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir will undertake
his maiden official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from today until
February 23.
The
Malaysian foreign ministry (Wisma Putra), in a statement, said Zambry is
scheduled to meet with his counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan to continue the
discussion on expanding the bilateral cooperation between the two countries,
including the formation of Saudi-Malaysian Coordinating Council (SMCC), as well
as to explore new areas of cooperation.
The
kingdom will be the first country in West Asia to be visited by Zambry since
assuming office as a minister on Dec 2 last year.
“The
visit reflects the special and long-standing relationship between Malaysia and
the Kingdom, as well as the commitment of the Malaysian Government under the
leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim towards the Malaysia —
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia bilateral relations,” read the statement.
During
his visit, Zambry will also meet Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment, Khalid
A. Al-Falih to explore new economic potentials between the two countries.
“Malaysian
Foreign Minister will also be meeting the Secretary General of the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi in Riyadh for discussion on
the Asean-GCC Summit, which is scheduled to be held this year,” said the
statement.
Zambry
is also scheduled to have separate meetings with the Secretary General of the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador Hissein Brahim Taha in
Jeddah, and the Secretary General of the Muslim World League Sheikh Dr Mohammed
Al-Issa in Riyadh.
Besides
this, the foreign minister will hold engagement sessions with the business
communities Riyadh and Jeddah, which will serve as platforms for Malaysian
businessmen to explore strategic cooperation in business and investment,
particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Arrested
ISIS Fighter is a Former Afghan Army Commando: Pakistan Police
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
February
20, 2023
Karachi
police has announced that two ISIS fighters have been arrested during a special
anti-terrorist search operation, and both suspects are Afghan nationals.
Pakistan’s
Sahafat Daily reports that the accused suspects baring Afghan identities, one
of whom was a commando and has experience fighting in the Afghan National Army.
Karachi
police also said that during an anti-terrorist search operation, a number of
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants have been arrested. The arrest was
done following the terror attack on Police headquarters in Karachi which took
place last week. The city’s security personnel are putting tremendous effort to
find the hideouts of the insurgents who launched the attack on the Karachi
police headquarter on Friday.
Police
officials claim that one of the attackers had recently entered Pakistan,
possibly through illegal routes. The attacker belongs to the ‘Tepu Gul’ branch
of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and has traveled to Afghanistan quite frequently.
Karachi
police stated that the accused attackers have been arrested and thorough
investigations are ongoing.
TTP
issued a warning on Saturday, saying more attacks against law enforcement
officials. This came after Friday’s attack on Karachi police headquarter in
which four people were killed, and many other were injured.
Terror
activities and militancy have unprecedentedly increased in Pakistan over the
past months. Since the outlawed TTP ended its unilateral ceasefire with the
Pakistani government, the group has launched brutal attacks in major cities of
Pakistan, mostly targeting police officers, army personnel, and Inter-Service
Intelligence officials, resulting in the death and injury of hundreds of
innocent people.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/arrested-isis-fighter-is-a-former-afghan-army-commando-pakistan-police/
--------
Minister
claims former spy chief Faiz sought to repatriate TTP militants
February
19, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
A minister of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has accused the former
director general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), retired Gen. Faiz
Hameed, of attempting to reintroduce the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) back into the country.
Pakistan
has recently experienced a surge in terrorist activities, with the latest
incident being an attack on the office of the Karachi police chief on Friday
night. The hours-long confrontation between law-enforcement agencies and
militants left four people dead, 18 wounded, and all three attackers killed.
The
central government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) opposition have been trading accusations regarding the
security situation in the country.
The
coalition has blamed the PTI’s decision to engage in talks with militants,
which they argue was never approved by parliament.
The
latest claim by Riaz Hussain Pirzada, minister for human rights, during an
interview on the Dawn News, came in the wake of a statement made by his
predecessor Shireen Mazari, alleging that former army chief retired Gen. Qamar
Javed Bajwa had plans to resettle TTP members in the tribal region.
However,
former prime minister Imran Khan defended the plan earlier this month, saying
the returning fighters had issues that needed to be resolved for peace in the
province.
During
the interview, Pirzada said an in-camera briefing had taken place, during which
army generals had proposed bringing the TTP back to Pakistan. However, Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif objected to the proposal, citing the number
of politicians killed by the group, including Benazir Bhutto.
When
questioned about who had made the proposal, the minister identified Gen. Hameed
as the individual who had suggested bringing the TTP back into the mainstream,
but the plan ultimately backfired.
On
the issue of missing persons, the minister said the courts are the actual
defenders of human rights as they are accountable for enforcing punishment and
providing relief.
He
claimed that both sides, a reference to the military accused of picking up
suspected militants, had contributed to the issue. In some cases, individuals
who had been coerced into cooperating with particular groups had gone missing,
while others had gone into hiding in mountainous regions or foreign countries,
only to be declared missing later.
Pirzada
acknowledged there were valid arguments for and against the issue, which made
it a contentious topic. However, he noted that the problem could not be solved
until the law and order situation in the country improved. This would require a
concerted effort by all stakeholders, including government agencies, the
judiciary, and civil society organisations.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
TTP
terrorists involved in Pakistan attack identified
Feb
20, 2023
PESHAWAR:
The heavily-armed Pakistani Taliban terrorists who carried out an audacious
attack on the office of the Karachi Police chief have been identified as
residents of two tribal districts in northwest Pakistan bordering Afghanistan,
police said on Sunday. The incident took place at 7. 10pm local time on Friday,
during which Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists stormed the
five-storey Karachi Police Office (KPO) building situated in the country’s most
populous city. The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed
responsibility for the attack in a statement issued by its spokesperson
Mohammad Khurasani. In the hours-long operation between the Pakistan police
commandos and paramilitary soldiers, three TTP terrorists were killed and fo ur
others, including three security personnel, also lost their lives.
Source:
Times Of India
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Pakistan
has 'already defaulted': Defence minister Asif
Feb
19, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Defence minister Khawaja Asif has said that the country has already
defaulted amid looming fears that the cash-starved country may go bankrupt and
blamed the establishment, bureaucracy and politicians for the prevailing
economic crisis.
Addressing
a ceremony in his home town of Sialkot, he said that standing on its own feet
was crucial for Pakistan to stabilise itself.
"You
must have heard that Pakistan is going bankrupt or that a default or meltdown
is taking place. It (default) has already taken place. We are living in a
bankrupt country," he was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune
newspaper.
"The
solution to our problems lies within the country. The IMF does not have the
solution to Pakistan's problems," he said.
He
said that everyone — including the establishment, bureaucracy and politicians —
are to blame for the current economic mess as the law and Constitution are not
followed in Pakistan.
The
minister said that most of his time had been spent in the opposition camp and
that he has witnessed politics being disgraced for the past 32 years.
Lashing
out at the former government, Asif said that terrorists were brought to
Pakistan two and a half years ago which eventually resulted in the current wave
of terrorism.
Speaking
about the attack on the police office in Karachi on Friday, he said that the
security agencies bravely fought the attackers.
The
remarks come as the country faces a crippling economic crisis, with
decades-high inflation and critically low foreign exchange reserves depleted by
continued debt repayment obligations, the report said.
Source:
Times Of India
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Pakistan's current situation most difficult in last 2 decades, shows report
February
20, 2023
The
current situation in Pakistan is the most difficult faced by the country in the
last two decades, the South Asia Press reported, adding that the country,
facing an economic crisis, political chaos, and rising number of terror attacks
along the northwestern areas, has been drained of its resources.
Further,
according to the report, the country's economic deterioration has a direct
impact on the public.
The
floods in Pakistan came as a severe blow to the cash-strapped nation already
grappling with high debt, the South Asia Press reported, adding that the
country's planning commission, agriculture, food, livestock, and fisheries
sectors lost USD 3.7 billion in the floods with long-term losses estimated to
be around USD 9.24 billion.
In
December, 2022, inflation in the country stood at 24.5 per cent, almost double
of 12.3 per cent from the previous year, the report said, adding that the
common people were the most affected by the high flour prices amid the
country's worst-ever food crisis.
Many
areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Balochistan provinces have even
witnessed stampedes for grain and flour. Analysts fear the crisis will soon
take petroleum products and basic essential items under its fold.
Some
experts also hint at possible rationing of petrol and diesel in the next two to
three months, ultimately hitting the trade and industry and even the
agricultural sector, which needs diesel during the harvesting season, according
to South Asia Press.
The
twin deficits of the Budget and balance of payments have in the past been
managed by reaching out to bilateral benefactors and multilateral institutions,
the report noted further, adding that about half of the USD seven billion loan,
extended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2019, has already been
disbursed.
International
agencies say the country's problems are outcomes of governments constantly
living beyond their means without raising domestic resources. The delay in the
release of IMF's next tranche is worsening the country's problems, the report
stated.
In
the absence of any inflows from the IMF or friendly countries, the forex
reserves with the country's central bank dropped to USD 4.34 billion in the
week ending January 6 which is the lowest since February 2014.
According
to analysts, the reserves are not even enough to pay for one month of imports.
Islam
Khabar recently reported that the ongoing financial crisis in Pakistan and the
economic slowdown in China appear to have had bearing on the progress of the
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
Source:
Business Standard
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Ulema
concerned at judges’ audio leaks
February
20, 2023
LAHORE:
A convention of Ulema and Mashaikh (religious scholars) held here on Sunday
expressed its concern at various scandals surfacing on social media involving judges
of higher courts and urged upon the prime minister to call a multi-party
conference for devising a joint strategy on the issues being faced by the
country.
A
declaration issued at the end of the convention chaired by Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi
demanded a thorough evaluation of the ‘audio leaks’ involving superior courts
judges. It also demanded that facts be made public, saying the judiciary was
facing many problems and the chief justice of Pakistan must resolve the issues
at the earliest, as the institution was the highest and final forum for justice
seekers.
Seeking
solution to the political issues through mutual understanding and negotiation,
it urged all political and religious parties to sacrifice their biases and
interests for the sake of the country and find a solution to terrorism,
extremism, economic and social problems, by sitting at negotiation table.
The
declaration sought that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should call a multi-party
conference and Imran Khan should also participate in it.
The
convention demanded elections in the country as per the Constitution and law,
and that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should fulfill its
responsibilities in this regard. The clerics would not directly take part in
the polls, but support the “like-minded” candidates and local officials of the
Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) would inform the central leadership in this regard
after mutual consultations.
It
said the scholars and clerics across the country had been cooperating with the
government and the security institutions of the country for peace, security and
stability of Pakistan, and would continue to do so.
It
blamed the “anti-state elements” for launching a campaign against the country’s
security agencies to create divisions between the nation and the army, saying
that similar abortive campaigns had also been run in the past.
The
conference decided to hold the annual ‘Message of Islam Conference’ in
Islamabad on March 28. Due to the month of Ramazan this year, the foreign
guests would deliver virtual addresses, it decided.
The
PUC expressed complete solidarity with the earthquake victims in Turkiye and
Syria, and appealed to the international community, especially the Islamic
world, to provide full assistance to the quake victims.
The
council called upon all traders and provincial governments to take all possible
measures to curb unnatural and unnecessary inflation before the arrival of
Ramazan.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1738119/ulema-concerned-at-judges-audio-leaks
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Bail
petition: Security beefed up at LHC as Imran Khan expected to appear in court
Rana
Bilal
February
20, 2023
Security
at the Lahore High Court (LHC) was beefed up on Monday as PTI chairman Imran
Khan is expected to appear in court for a hearing on his bail application in a
case pertaining to protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Justice
Tariq Saleem Sheikh is expected to take up the petition at 2pm.
On
Feb 15, an Islamabad anti-terrorism court — on grounds of non-appearance — had
rejected Imran’s request for an extension in his interim bail in a case
pertaining to violent protests outside the ECP after it disqualified him in the
Toshakhana case.
The
PTI chief has been convalescing in his Zaman Park residence in Lahore ever
since he was wounded in an assassination attempt during a pitstop his caravan
made in Wazirabad while they were marching on Islamabad.
Subsequently,
the PTI chief had approached the LHC for interim protective bail.
At
the previous hearing, Justice Sheikh had warned of issuing a contempt notice to
Imran and instructed him to appear in the court in person on Feb 20.
The
court had also advised Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar to meet the PTI
chief’s legal team and decide on security matters.
Ahead
of today’s hearing, a large contingent of police personnel was deployed at the
main gate of the LHC. Imran’s legal team also arrived at the court to review
the security arrangements.
Imran’s
request for entrance into LHC via Mosque Gate rejected
Earlier
today, the court rejected the PTI chairman’s request, submitted via Senator
Shibli Faraz, to enter the LHC premises through the Mosque or Judges Gate.
The
application, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, had stated that the
petitioner was the former prime minister of Pakistan and was recently injured
in an assassination attempt.
“The
petitioner’s bullet injuries are still under healing process and he has not
been allowed by doctors to walk or put pressure on the broken tibia,” it said.
It
added that there was a “huge amount of risk and threat” to Imran’s life as the
perpetrators and masterminds of the previous attack were still at large and
“giving threats time and again”.
“It
is hereby prayed that the petitioner, being the former prime minister, may
kindly be allowed to enter the court premises through its Mosque Gate/Judges
Gate due to medical reasons,” the petition pleaded.
The
case
The
terrorism case in Islamabad was filed against Imran in Oct 2022 after PTI
workers took to the streets and held demonstrations outside ECP offices across
the country after it disqualified the former prime minister in the Toshakhana
reference.
Soon
after the verdict was announced, the PTI leadership asked people to take to the
streets. Clashes were also reported between the police and protesters in
Islamabad, Peshawar and Karachi.
Source:
Dawn
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Investigators
suspect ‘inside help’ in brazen attack on Karachi Police Office
Imtiaz
Ali
February
20, 2023
KARACHI:
While a case has been registered against the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan for Friday’s attack on Karachi Police Office (KPO), police and other
allied agencies appear to be clueless about the mastermind and facilitators of
the three militants who barged into the police compound and engaged
law-enforcers in a fierce gun battle for hours, it emerged on Sunday.
Also,
death toll rises to five as one of the wounded policemen, identified as Abdul
Latif, 50, died during treatment at a hospital on Sunday.
Two
policemen, one Rangers official and a sanitation worker were martyred and 17
others, mostly law-enforcers, wounded in the Feb 17 attack. After hours-long
gun battle, two militants were gunned down while the third one blew himself up
on the fourth floor of the building.
DIG-South
Irfan Ali Baloch, who is one of the members of the probe body, told Dawn that investigators
were looking into an aspect that the militants or their facilitators got help
from inside.
“We
are looking into the matter from different angles. The point from where the
militants cut barbed wire and made an entry was not covered by CCTV cameras,”
he said.
He
said that the CCTV footage showed that two unidentified men, wearing helmets,
saw the three militants off outside KPO and left the place on a motorcycle
before the attack began.
DIG
Baloch said that the third militant was still unidentified.
Terrorism
case registered
Saddar
SHO Khalid Memon lodged the FIR against the three militants, their facilitators
and TTP spokesperson under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 34 (common
intention) read with Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and Section 3/4 of the
Explosives Act 1908.
The
investigation has been handed over to the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD),
the Saddar SHO said.
The
FIR stated that three militants came in a car and they were followed by two men
riding a motorbike. The FIR said when the attackers got out of their car the
motorcyclists “indicated them towards the KPO, hugged them and rode away”.
The
militants entered the KPO from the Saddar police line by cutting the barbed
wire on the wall at the backyard of the police headquarters.
Funeral
prayer
The
SHO said that injured policeman Abdul Latif was admitted to the intensive care
unit of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where he breathed his last on
Sunday.
A
police spokesperson said that the martyred cop had joined the police in 2014 on
ex-army quota and was performing his duty at Security-I. He is survived by a
widow and seven children, including six daughters, he added.
The
funeral prayers were held at the Police Headquarters in Garden. Sindh Chief
Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, chief secretary, inspector general of police,
Karachi police chief and other officials attended his last rites.
The
chief minister and the IGP met with the victim’s heirs and appreciated his
bravery.
Earlier
on Saturday, Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir flew down to
Karachi and attended security meetings. He had said intelligence-based
operations were being conducted all over the country.
Source:
Dawn
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Arab World
Modern
architecture adorns Grand Mosque’s northern expansion
February
19, 2023
MAKKAH
— The architectural details are mixed with the longstanding Islamic heritage to
decorate the various walls, domes and artifacts across the Grand Mosque while
considering the flow of air and natural light.
The
General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques seeks to intensify
cleaning, sanitizing and perfuming operations around the clock, ensure the
operation of Zamzam water drinks, secure containers, equip doors, and provide
carpets in all praying places and wash all roofs on all multi-floor expansions.
The
teams are allocated to monitor the operation of escalators, service elevators
and indoor and outdoor lighting systems to ensure the clarity of the sound
systems and the operation of the air conditioning system according to the
standards that take into consideration the temperature of weather and air
purity.
The
Presidency provided electric vehicles for persons with disabilities in all
praying places and two ambulance rooms equipped with modern health equipment,
cardiac electric shock devices, and Automated External Defibrillators (AED)
spread across the northern expansion.
It
also provided entrances, exits and toilets for persons with disabilities to
suit their different needs.
The
Northern Expansion Agency at the presidency supervises receiving visitors of
the northern expansion of the Grand Mosque within a system of field services,
systematic plans, automated equipment and human resources of engineers,
technicians, supervisors and laborers working around the clock for the comfort
and safety of visitors.
Undersecretary
of the President for the Northern Expansion Hmoud Bin Saleh Al-Iyadah said that
the Presidency is keen on providing all services that can ensure the conformity
and safety of visitors of the Grand Mosque.
It
also seeks to benefit from feedback to develop all works and services, identify
the needs necessary for the quality of outcomes, and activate cooperation with
relevant departments and administrations in enriching the experience of
visitors of the Grand Mosque.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
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Syria
calls for ‘urgent’ international action to stop Israeli aggression
19
February 2023
The
Syrian Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned an Israeli air strike on
Damascus that killed at least five people and heavily damaged residential
buildings, calling for “urgent international action” to stop the Israeli
regime’s aggression.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA cited the country’s Foreign Ministry as making the
call in a statement on Sunday, after Israeli missiles hit a number of
residential buildings mostly in the Kafr Sousa neighborhood in central
Damascus.
The
Syrian air defenses reportedly intercepted most of the missiles, with
al-Mayadeen news agency saying that the Israeli strike targeted also areas in
Damascus countryside, including Tal al-Masih near the city of Shahba, north of
al-Suwayda in southwestern Syria.
The
Israeli assault came just a day after Syrian state media outlets said as many
as 53 people had been killed in an ambush carried out by the Daesh Takfiri
terrorist group near a central Syrian city.
“At
a time when Syria was trying to heal its wounds, bury its martyrs, and receive
condolences, sympathy and international humanitarian support in facing the
devastating earthquake, the Israeli entity launched an air aggression today
targeting the civilian-populated residential neighborhoods in Damascus,
causing, in a primary toll, the martyrdom of five civilians and injury of 15
others and the destruction of a number of houses,” the statement said.
“The
aggression comes in the context of the systematic Israeli attacks against the
Syrian civilian targets, including homes, service centers, airports, and ports,
intimidating the Syrians who are still suffering from the catastrophic effects
left by the earthquake and working to support those affected by it,” it added.
The
Syrian Foreign Ministry stressed that the hostile action also coincided with
the attacks carried out by Daesh, which claimed the lives of dozens of innocent
civilians in the eastern countryside of Homs Province.
“The
continuation of these brutal attacks and crimes against the Palestinian and
Syrian people constitutes an explicit threat to peace and security in the
region and requires urgent international action to stop the Israeli aggressive
actions on Syrian territory,” the statement said.
“Syria
expects the United Nations Secretariat and Security Council to condemn Israeli
aggression and crimes, take the necessary measures to deter them, hold them
[Israelis] accountable, punish their perpetrators and ensure they do not
recur.”
Israel
frequently carries out missile attacks on targets in Syria, mostly using the
airspace of Lebanon or the occupied territories.
Syria
has repeatedly complained to the UN over Israeli assaults, urging the Security
Council to take action against Tel Aviv’s crimes. The calls have, however,
fallen on deaf ears.
In
early November 2022, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad emphasized that his
country will definitely give a crushing response to such acts of aggression at
some point in the future.
Palestinian
resistance groups condemn Israeli assault
In
a related development on Sunday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas
condemned the Israeli aggression in Syria and called for confrontation with the
“brutal fascist occupation.”
“We
strongly condemn the Zionist aggression against Syria and its targeting of
residential neighborhoods in the capital, Damascus, which led to a number of
victims, including one martyr or one wounded,” Hamas said in a statement.
“We
extend our deepest condolences to brotherly Syria and to the families of the
martyrs, and we hope for a speedy recovery for the wounded, and we stress the
importance of confronting this brutal fascist occupation, by unifying the ranks
and uniting the Arab and Islamic efforts, because the Zionist occupation
continues to pose a threat to our nation and peace and security throughout the
region, with its presence on the land of Palestine,” it added.
Hamas
also referred to the Israeli regime as “an absolute evil that can only be
deterred by force and resistance until its demise from our land and
sanctities.”
In
a separate statement, the Islamic Jihad resistance movement also strongly
condemned the Israeli aggression that targeted Damascus, which caused a number
of civilian casualties as well as great damage and destruction.
“This
aggression clearly proves the extent of the Zionists’ hatred and fascism, and
their continuous efforts to target Syria and deepen the tragedy of the
brotherly Syrian people, who are healing their wounds after the devastating
earthquake,” the statement said.
The
resistance movement also reaffirmed its solidarity with Syria in the face of
the conspiracies led by the Zionist entity, which target the country’s
sovereignty, security, and stability.
Russia:
Israeli attack ‘flagrant violation of international law’
Meanwhile,
the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli attack on Damascus and its
environs, stressing that it is a flagrant violation of the rules of
international law and has dire consequences for the region.
“We
strongly condemn the Israeli military actions, which are a flagrant violation
of international law, and we call on the Israeli side to stop armed
provocations against Syria, which will have dire consequences for the entire
Middle East region,” Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign
Ministry, said in a statement.
Source:
Press TV
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Lebanon
raps Israeli Syria strikes, says Tel Aviv indifferent to human suffering amid
crisis
20
February 2023
Lebanon
has strongly condemned the latest Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital
Damascus that heavily damaged residential buildings and caused civilian
casualties, saying the aggression confirms the regime’s indifference to human
suffering.
The
Lebanese Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Sunday, denounced the “attack on
the sovereignty of Syria, which is still reeling from the repercussions of the
devastating earthquake that struck it” on February 6 and killed thousands.
The
ministry called the airstrikes a “violation of the most basic rules of
international law.”
“It
comes to reaffirm Israel’s indifference to the human suffering resulting from
its attacks on the peoples of the region in all circumstances, especially in
times of tragedies, which doubles its moral condemnation,” the statement read.
At
least five people, including a soldier, were killed and 15 others wounded in
the Israeli airstrikes early on Sunday, the Syrian army said in a statement.
The
Israeli attack was launched from the occupied Golan Heights and targeted several
military sites in Damascus, including the southwestern residential neighborhood
of Kafar Sousah, the statement noted.
It
added that many of the wounded are in critical condition, and many residential
homes in Damascus and its countryside were damaged.
The
statement said Syrian air defense units intercepted most missiles before
reaching the targets.
Following
the attack, Syria urged the United Nations to take necessary measures to deter
Israel’s attacks and hold it accountable for the crime.
“When
Syria was trying to heal its wounds, bury its martyrs, and receive condolences,
sympathy, and international humanitarian support in the face of the devastating
earthquake, the Israelis launched an air aggression targeting
civilian-populated neighborhoods,” the Syrian foreign ministry said in a
statement.
The
Israeli regime frequently violates Syrian sovereignty by targeting military
positions inside the country, especially those of the Lebanese Hezbollah
resistance movement, which has played a key role in helping the Syrian army in
its fight against foreign-backed terrorists.
Israel
mostly keeps quiet about its attacks on the Syrian territories, which many view
as a knee-jerk reaction to the Syrian government’s increasing success in
confronting terrorism.
The
Tel Aviv regime has been a main supporter of terrorist groups that have battled
the government of President Bashar al-Assad since foreign-backed militancy
erupted in Syria in early 2011.
Source:
Press TV
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Arab
states need new approach towards Syria, says Saudi Arabia
19
Feb 2023
DUBAI:
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said consensus was building in the Arab world
that isolating Syria was not working and that dialogue with Damascus was needed
“at some point” to at least address humanitarian issues, including a return of
refugees.
Prince
Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud’s remarks at a Munich security forum on Saturday mark
a shift from the early years of Syria’s 12-year civil war when several Arab
states including Saudi Arabia backed rebels that fought Bashar al-Assad.
“You
will see not just among the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) but in the Arab
world there is a consensus growing that the status quo is not workable,” he
said.
The
minister said in the absence of a path towards “maximalist goals” for a
political solution, another approach was “being formulated” to address the
issue of Syrian refugees in neighbouring states and suffering of civilians,
especially after the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey.
“So
that’s going to have to go through a dialogue with the government in Damascus
at some point in a way that achieves at least the most important of the
objectives especially as regards the humanitarian angle, the return of refugees,
etc,” he said.
Asked
about reports that he would visit Damascus following visits by his Emirati and
Jordanian counterparts after the earthquake, Prince Faisal said he would not
comment on rumours.
Riyadh
has sent aid planes to government-held territory in Syria as part of earthquake
relief efforts after initially sending aid only to the country’s
opposition-held northwest.
Shunned
by the West, Assad has been basking in an outpouring of support from Arab
states that have normalised ties with him in recent years, notably the United
Arab Emirates which aims for Arab influence in Syria to counter that of Iran.
Assad
has recovered control of most of Syria with support from Russia along with Iran
and Iranian-backed Sh’ite Muslim groups such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Israeli
strike in Syria’s Damascus kills 15: Monitor
19
February ,2023
An
Israeli missile strike killed 15 people and destroyed a residential building in
the Syrian capital of Damascus, a war monitor said Sunday.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike, which hit close to an
Iranian cultural center, had killed 15 people including civilians.
Syria’s
close allies, Russia and Iran, whose military support helped President Bashar
al-Assad turn the tide of the war in his favor, both said they strongly
condemned the strikes, warning that they threatened regional stability.
Since
the beginning of the war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of
air strikes against its neighbor, primarily targeting positions of the Syrian
army, Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, allies of the Syrian regime.
Israel’s
military rarely comments on its strikes against Syria, but regularly asserts
that it will not let Iran extend its influence to Israel’s borders.
“The
strike on Sunday is the deadliest Israeli attack in the Syrian capital,” said
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Observatory, which has a wide
network of sources inside Syria.
The
strike hit in Kafr Sousa, a high-security area of the Syrian capital, which is
home to senior security officials, security branches and intelligence
headquarters.
“At
00:22 AM (2222 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from
the direction of the occupied Golan Heights targeting several areas in Damascus
and its vicinity, including residential neighborhoods,” Syria’s defense
ministry said in a statement.
The
strike killed, in a preliminary toll, five people, among them a soldier, and
injured 15 civilians, some in critical condition, the ministry added.
Footage
posted by state media showed that a 10-storey building was badly damaged during
the strike, crushing the structure of its lower floors.
Israel
rarely hits residential areas of Damascus.
The
attack comes more than a month after Israeli missile strike hit Damascus
International Airport, killing four people -- including two soldiers.
The
January 2 strike hit “positions for Hezbollah and pro-Iranian groups inside the
airport and its surroundings, including a weapons warehouse,” the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said at that time.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
FM discusses Russia ties, Iran nuclear deal in Munich
18
February ,2023
Saudi
Arabia maintaining a good relationship with Russia is beneficial to all and
keeps the doors of dialogue open, the Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
said during a panel at the Munich Security Conference.
The
GCC is unified in supporting dialogue as a means to resolve the Russian
invasion of Ukraine, Prince Faisal bin Farhan added.
Saudi
Arabia “continues dialogue with Kyiv and Moscow” to find a solution, “but
issues between them are complex,” the diplomat said, noting that there is
willingness on both sides to negotiate.
As
for relations with Washington, Prince Faisal reiterated that Saudi Arabia
disagrees with the US on some issues on the basis of national interest, but
maintained that the Kingdom is working jointly on security and stability in the
region.
Nuclear
deal
Regarding
the Iran nuclear deal, he was quoted by Al Arabiya as saying: “We want the Gulf
states to have a say regarding the nuclear agreement.”
“We
want to return to the nuclear agreement, but with a comprehensive view and with
Gulf participation,” adding that the acquisition of a nuclear weapon by an
“enemy country prompts everyone to search for their options,” he continued,
according to Al Arabiya.
Prince
Faisal also added that Saudi Arabia supports a Middle East free of nuclear
weapons.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Syrian
baby born in earthquake adopted by aunt and uncle after undergoing DNA test
18
February ,2023
An
infant child born in northern Syria during this month’s devastating earthquake
was reunited on Saturday with her aunt and uncle, after her parents and
siblings died in the disaster.
Footage
circulating widely on social media after the quake showed a rescuer scrambling down
a hill of rubble carrying a tiny dust-covered baby.
The
newborn was later identified as the child of Abdallah and Afraa Mleihan, who
died in the earthquake along with their other children in the opposition-held
town of Jandaris in Syria’s Aleppo province.
The
infant was treated in the Jihan Hospital further west in the Afrin district,
also opposition-held, until medics could verify the identities of her
relatives.
On
Saturday, her paternal aunt Hala and uncle by marriage Khalil al-Sawadi finally
picked up their niece - whom they named Afraa, after her deceased mother.
“This
girl means so much to us because there’s no-one left of her family besides this
baby. She’ll be a memory for me, for her aunt and for all of our relatives in
the village of her mother and father,” Sawadi told Reuters.
He
was carrying Afraa, wrapped in a pink blanket, in one arm and his own newborn
daughter Ataa, wrapped in blue, in the other. Ataa was born three days after
the earthquake and Sawadi said he would raise them together.
“There
were legal procedures to confirm the genetic relation, as well as a DNA test,”
he told Reuters.
More
than 5,800 people have died across Syria as a result of the Feb. 6 earthquake,
the bulk in the opposition-held north which had already suffered years of
bombardment since conflict broke out in Syria in 2011.
The
quake also left more than 39,000 dead in Turkey.
Jandaris,
where Sawadi lives, is one of the hardest-hit towns in the opposition-held
parts of the north. Other children have been left orphaned there by the quake,
after surviving years of bombardment in the nearly 12-year war ravaging Syria.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
UAE’s
Ramadan rules for non-Muslims, reduced working hours, holidays explained
20
February ,2023
Ramadan
is a special time for Muslims around the world, and the United Arab Emirates’
Muslim community is no exception.
Ramadan
is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed as a time of
fasting, spiritual reflection, devotion, and increased charity. In the UAE, the
holy month is marked with various traditions and customs that are followed by
Muslims, as well as non-Muslims who are living or visiting the country.
The
start of Ramadan changes every year based on the Islamic calendar, which
consists of 12 lunar months totaling either 354 or 355 days. This causes the
fasting month to move up to 10 days earlier each year in the Gregorian
calendar.
This
year, it is expected to fall on March 22 or 23 until April 21. However, dates
may vary based on the sighting of the new crescent moon that indicates the
month of Shawwal’s arrival, or after the 30th day of Ramadan.
It
is important for non-Muslim residents or tourists in the UAE to understand the
rules and etiquette surrounding Ramadan to ensure respect of the local culture
and traditions.
Here
is an overview of the rules for non-Muslims during Ramadan, the expected
working hours, and the upcoming Eid holidays in the UAE.
Rules
for non-Muslims
While
non-Muslims are not required to fast during Ramadan, they are expected to
respect the customs and traditions of the Holy Month.
The
UAE government has rules for non-Muslims to follow during Ramadan, which
include refraining from eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum in public
during the fasting hours.
Non-Muslims
are expected to avoid engaging in any aggressive behavior, playing loud music,
wearing inappropriate clothing, and using any offensive language. They are also
encouraged to accept invitations to Iftar meals, which are the breaking of
fasts, and to join in the spirit of the season.
While
most people in the UAE will be fasting during the day, some malls and
restaurants will remain open during Ramadan to serve non-Muslims, children, and
the elderly.
It
is important to remember that these establishments will still be expected to
adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the UAE government during
Ramadan.
Ramadan
working hours
During
Ramadan, those employed in the UAE can expect shorter working hours.
As
per the country’s labor law, private sector workers are required to work eight
hours per day or 48 hours per week. However, during the Holy Month, working
hours are reduced by two hours, meaning that workers will only be required to
work six hours per day or 36 hours per week.
The
time it takes to commute from the employee’s place of residence to the
workplace will not constitute working hours, except for certain categories of
workers as specified by the ‘Executive Regulations of the Labor Law.’
Those
who are fasting during Ramadan will maintain up to 14 hours of fasting per day.
Each day, the duration of the fast will increase by a few minutes, so it is important
to plan your day accordingly.
UAE
Iftar timings
During
Ramadan, there are two main meals: Suhoor and Iftar.
Iftar
is the meal that breaks the fast, and it is usually consumed at sunset, while
Suhoor is consumed early in the morning before sunrise, just before the fasting
hours begin.
The
UAE timings to break the fast (Iftar) during the Holy Month of Ramadan are as
follows:
March
23: 18:31
March
24: 18:32
March
25: 18:32
March
26: 18:33
March
27: 18:33
March
28: 18:33
March
29: 18:34
March
30: 18:34
March
31: 18:35
April
01: 18:35
April
02: 18:36
April
03: 18:36
April
04: 18:37
April
05: 18:37
April
06: 18:37
April
07: 18:38
April
08: 18:38
April
09: 18:39
April
10: 18:39
April
11: 18:40
April
12: 18:40
April
13: 18:41
April
14: 18:41
April
15: 18:41
April
16: 18:42
April
17: 18:42
April
18: 18:43
April
19: 18:43
April
20: 18:44
April
21: 18:44
Eid
al-Fitr and other holidays
Based
on astronomical charts, the UAE is set to celebrate Eid al-Fitr from April 20
to 23. However, the exact dates will be confirmed by the moon-sighting
committee later.
After
Eid al-Fitr there are officially five more occasions in 2023 where UAE
residents will be given one or more days off.
The
UAE government recently announced a list of approved holidays for this year,
which includes:
·
Eid al-Fitr: Day 29 of Ramadan to Shawwal 3
·
Arafah Day: June 27-28
·
Eid al-Adha: June 28- July 1
·
Hijri New Year: July 21
·
Prophet Mohammed’s birthday: September 29
·
National Day: December 2-3
Ramadan
is a time of spiritual reflection, devotion, and increased charity. It is a
time for Muslims to deepen their connection to God and to practice compassion
and kindness towards others.
The
UAE is a country that welcomes people of all faiths and backgrounds, and during
Ramadan, it is important for all residents and visitors to show respect and
support for the Muslim community.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Lebanon
‘is a hostage to the veto power’ of Hezbollah, says Lebanese economist Nadim
Shehadi
February
19, 2023
DUBAI:
Eighteen years ago this month, Rafik Hariri, a prominent politician and former
prime minister of Lebanon, was assassinated by a suicide truck bomb in Beirut.
Originally a philanthropist before his engagement in politics, Hariri, who had
made his fortune in construction, donated millions of dollars to victims of war
and conflict in Lebanon, and later played a major role in ending the civil war
and rebuilding the capital city.
Hariri’s
assassination marked the beginning of dramatic political change and movements
calling for democracy in Lebanon. For years after his assassination,
politicians and important figures opposed to the influence of both Syria and
Hezbollah in the country were targeted.
Despite
an international tribunal finding members of Hezbollah guilty of Hariri’s
assassination after passionate calls for an investigation into his death, the
Iran-backed militia group has only tightened its grip on Lebanon, keeping the
country in a dire state.
“Hariri
was killed 18 years ago and it took about 15 years to destroy the whole country
after everything he tried to build,” Lebanese economist Nadim Shehadi said on
“Frankly Speaking,” the Arab News current affairs talk show which engages with
leading policymakers and business leaders.
“The
Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the independent international investigation
commission came to Lebanon, and it took them about 15 years to produce their
result. And for the first time in the history of Lebanon, where we have had
several assassinations, for the first time, we had a conviction,” Shehadi said.
But
according to him, despite a conviction in Hariri’s case, Hezbollah’s influence
over Lebanon means that the real perpetrators of the assassination will go
unpunished, and the group will continue to hold the country hostage.
Lebanon’s
various political and economic crises have only intensified in recent years,
with inflation in the country rising to the highest in the world in 2021 and
the value of the Lebanese lira plummeting drastically.
Last
year witnessed a series of bank holdups by armed customers seeking to withdraw
their frozen deposits. In a country whose capital was formerly referred to as
the “Paris of the East,” two-thirds of the population now suffers from poverty,
with regular electricity blackouts and shortages of basic necessities such as
medicine and water increasingly commonplace.
The
country’s chronic instability has deepened in recent years in the wake of the
COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the 2020 Beirut port explosion which killed
hundreds, left hundreds of thousands homeless, and damaged over half of the
city while inflicting massive economic losses.
Human
Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the two international organizations
which campaign against injustice and inequality, have called the investigation
into the blast a “farce.”
Shehadi
asserts that despite Lebanon’s historically “very healthy and functioning
judiciary,” Hezbollah has interfered with the investigation.
This
series of disasters have pushed many Lebanese to call for the removal of the
entire political class, something that Shehadi views as a “ridiculous demand.”
In
his opinion, Lebanon’s political system is not “sectarianism,” as some
observers term it, but rather “a political system based on a social contract
between communities and which has maintained the country … even before the
state was created.”
“We
have a banking system which was the banking center of the region. We have
political parties. These are pillars that distinguish Lebanon … and the
revolution is asking almost for the dismantlement of all these pillars,” he
told Katie Jensen, the host of “Frankly Speaking.”
While
Shehadi acknowledges there are definitely issues with Lebanon’s political
class, which he says was compromised by 15 years of occupation and political
infiltration by the Syrian regime, “this doesn’t justify calling for the
abolition of the whole system.”
Eight
months after the country’s general elections, Lebanon still has not reached a
consensus regarding its president or a functioning parliament.
Urgent
political reforms are needed to unlock the $3 billion in emergency funds from
the International Monetary Fund, but with Lebanon’s political system in tatters
and its parliamentarians regularly staging walkouts, accessing these funds
seems unlikely.
Shehadi
said that while he is not opposed to a “fragmented” parliament with diverse
political opinions, “what we have is not a fragmented parliament. What we have
is a paralysis of all institutions that’s been building up for 15 years, 17
years almost.”
He
added that Lebanon and its institutions are “a hostage to the veto power” of
Hezbollah, which has gained footholds in Lebanon by means of assassinations and
building of political alliances.
Shehadi
compares Hezbollah’s gradual infiltration of state institutions in Lebanon to
the behavior of drug cartels in power in narco-states in Latin America.
“They
bribe politicians, the judiciary, the police, the army. Those who cannot be
co-opted, if you like, are probably dead, and those who can be framed or
blackmailed — that’s how criminal organizations gain power in a country,” he
said.
The
Lebanese parliament has held eleven electoral sessions to elect the president
since Sept. 29 last year, with every session failing to elect a candidate.
In
recent days, Joseph Aoun, commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, has emerged
as a potential contender. However, this would require a constitutional
amendment, and consensus from the parliament, which is currently headed by
Speaker Nabih Berri.
Though
he calls Berri “a brilliant operator” who is familiar with the ins and outs of
Lebanon’s tangled political web, Shehadi says Berri is “also a hostage
himself.”
Berri
is the leader of the Amal Movement, which engaged in a years-long war with
Hezbollah in the 1980s which saw thousands killed.
“It
ended with an agreement between them, sponsored by Iran and Syria, whereby they
basically formed one block in parliament and one list, which means they have
the monopoly of Shiite representation. They do not have a monopoly of Shiite
support, but they have the monopoly of Shiite representation because of the way
they manipulate lists in their areas,” Shehadi said.
During
multiple electoral sessions stretching from September 2022 to January this
year, many MPs left their ballot papers blank, with some in early sessions even
casting their votes for “For Lebanon,” “Righteous dictator,” and “Nobody.”
Shehadi
explained that major decisions and appointments within the Lebanese
administration must be made by consensus, and with the signature of the
president, speaker of the parliament, and prime minister. In the midst of the
current political power vacuum, this means that the government in Lebanon has
all but ceased to function.
“We
had that for 29 months, without a president, without a parliament, and without
a functioning government … we had a caretaker government, until our
politicians, if you like, compromised and accepted to elect the favorite
candidate of Hezbollah. So, we are in the same position, and it’s a difficult
position because the longer we resist, the more damage there is, and I think
our economic collapse is mainly caused by paralysis,” Shehadi said.
“The
priority now is to have a president and a functioning parliament and a functioning
government so that state institutions do not collapse further.”
Shehadi
added that though there is no shortage of credible candidates, the parliament
is “held hostage, and the whole system is held hostage because you need a
certain majority to start the process of elections. You need a two-thirds plus
one majority, which means that one-third of parliament can spoil the process.”
Even
if this litany of political challenges were overcome and Lebanon managed to
receive assistance from the IMF, Shehadi said that IMF funds would not be a
solution to all of Lebanon’s financial problems. However, he stressed that
“engagement with the IMF is crucial.”
“Following
the IMF recommendations is very important, especially on fiscal and monetary
policy. There’s a lot of opposition to some of the IMF reforms, which I
understand,” he said, adding that many observers say that $3 billion in funds
will do very little to alleviate the country’s $90 billion deficit.
“But
I think, in my view, it’s more important to remain engaged. The country is
being paralyzed and isolated from the West, from the Arab countries, and now
will be isolated from international institutions too, like the IMF and the
World Bank and the UN and all that. It’s very damaging to ignore the IMF
route.”
Shehadi
concurs with the World Bank’s assessment of the meltdown in Lebanon as one of
the worst modern crises in recent history. But asked if he thinks there is a
way out of the quagmire, he replied: “Yes, but I don’t see it only for Lebanon.
The whole region is suffering from the same problem. The Lebanese case is
similar to what is happening in Palestine, in Syria, in Iraq, in Yemen, and
this could spread to other countries in the region who could be vulnerable.”
He
continued: “It should be treated as a regional phenomenon, which is, basically,
the role of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The IRGC, as a
paramilitary, non-state actor, has taken over the Iranian state and society in
the same way as Hezbollah is acting in Lebanon, in the same way as Iranian-sponsored
militias are behaving in Iraq, and definitely in the same way as Hamas has
paralyzed the whole of the peace process in Palestine.”
Under
the circumstances, Shehadi said the multidimensional crisis in Lebanon is part
of a “broader regional problem, which needs to be treated as such. Lebanon is
the fault line or the weakest point. A lot of the region’s ills, or problems,
surface in Lebanon first.”
Because
of this, Shehadi added, international and regional engagement and cooperation
are crucial components to solving Lebanon’s crisis, and that the international
community must refrain from seeing Lebanon as a hopeless case.
“We
are definitely hostages, but we still have a say in the country and we need
international support to get out of the grip of (Hezbollah). And again, the
grip is regional. So, our fate is similar to Iraq, similar to Palestine,
similar to Syria, and similar to Yemen,” he said.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2254221/middle-east
--------
Africa
Muslim
students, schools in Uganda contribute $10,000 to earthquake victims in Türkiye
Godfrey
Olukya
20.02.2023
KAMPALA,
Uganda
Muslim
students and some Muslim-founded schools in Uganda have contributed $10,000 to
the victims of the Feb. 6 twin earthquakes in Türkiye.
A
Muslim student leader in eastern Uganda, Salim Mubekete, told Anadolu they
donated the money to show solidarity with the Turkish people and the Muslim
community at large, who have contributed a lot towards the construction of
mosques at their schools and in the region.
He
cited a technical institute as an example which recently opened in the district
of Luwero in central Uganda that was built with funds from the Turkish people
and donors from Arab countries.
“We
were touched by what happened to our brothers and sisters in Türkiye. It is
unfortunate that the earthquake killed many people in the country, whose people
have been helping us in various ways,” he said.
Mubekete
said they approached many schools managed by Muslim communities and individuals
and asked students to contribute money towards the earthquake victims in
Türkiye. He said Muslim students eagerly contributed money and the schools
added to what the students raised and in total they received the equivalent of
$10,000.
The
head teacher of Bulyanku Muslim Primary School, Jamil Wamba, said most students
at his school contributed money that was meant for them to buy something to eat
during break time. He appreciated the spirit shown by the students.
Uganda
Muslim Supreme Council spokesman Ashraf Muvawala told Anadolu they have not yet
come up with a program for raising money for the earthquake victims in Türkiye
and Syria but they appreciate the individuals and organizations that have
contributed to the cause.
At
least 41,020 people have been killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted
southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, the country’s disaster management agency said Sunday.
The
magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other
provinces – Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Hatay, Gaziantep, Malatya, Kilis,
Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected
by the devastating quakes.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Tunisia
coast guard intercepts over 400 migrants in single night
February
19, 2023
TUNIS:
The Tunisian coast guard said Sunday it had intercepted overnight more than 400
migrants trying to reach Europe by sea in 16 separate operations off the North
African country’s coast.
“During
the night between February 18 and 19, coast guard units in the center, north
and south managed to thwart 16 attempted crossings and rescue 423 people,” the
agency said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
It
added the migrants include 71 Tunisians and 352 people from sub-Saharan African
countries.
Tunisia,
which at points is less that 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the Italian island
of Lampedusa, is a key departure point for Tunisian and other African migrants
seeking better lives in Europe.
Tunisia
is struggling with a grinding economic crisis that has seen a growing wave of
clandestine migration attempts in recent months, involving not just young
people frustrated by a lack of jobs, but in some cases whole families.
Rome
says more than 32,000 migrants, including 18,000 Tunisians, reached Italy from
Tunisia last year, while thousands more have departed from neighboring Libya.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2254126/middle-east
--------
African
Union organizing Libyan national reconciliation conference: AU chief
James
Tasamba
20.02.2023
KIGALI,
Rwanda
The
African Union is organizing a national reconciliation conference on Libya, the
AU Commission chairperson said Sunday, in the latest effort to break the
political stalemate and restore stability in the country.
Speaking
after the closure of the two-day AU summit in Ethiopia, Moussa Faki Mahamat
said a preparatory meeting for the reconciliation conference was recently held
in the Libyan capital Tripoli.
“We
have met the different parties and we are working with them on the date and
place of the national conference, which will be held under the chairmanship of
the high-level committee of the African Union chaired by the Republic of Congo
head of state Denis Sassou Nguesso,” Mahamat told reporters.
Mahamat’s
announcement followed a meeting of the African Union High-Level Committee on
Libya.
President
Nguesso, who heads the committee, presented his report to AU leaders, who
adopted the idea of organizing an inclusive national reconciliation conference.
Nguesso said he is “optimistic about the peace process.”
Oil-rich
Libya has remained in turmoil since 2011 when longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi
was ousted after four decades in power.
The
situation has worsened since last year when the Libyan parliament appointed a
new government led by former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha. But the head of
the Tripoli-based government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, said he will cede authority
only to a government that comes through an "elected parliament,"
raising fears that Libya could slip back into a civil war.
Presidential
and parliamentary elections initially scheduled for December 2021 were
postponed indefinitely due to disagreements on candidates and the rules to be
followed.
On
Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the absence of elections
worsens economic insecurity, heightens political instability, risks renewed
conflict, and raises the specter of partition in Libya.
The
UN has “no agenda and no goal but one: to secure the right of the Libyan people
to live in peace, to vote in free and fair elections, and to share in the
prosperity of their country,” he told the African Union High-Level Committee on
Libya in Ethiopia.
“There
is no alternative to elections. They remain the only credible pathway to
legitimate, unified governance.”
Guterres
called for the complete withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries that
intervened in Libya following the outbreak of violence over power.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Burkina
Faso’s junta officially ends French military mission
James
Tasamba
20.02.2023
KIGALI,
Rwanda
Burkina
Faso’s junta has officially ended the French military mission in the West
African country, the military announced Sunday.
It
thus brought to an end the 2018 military accord that Burkina Faso reached with
France which allowed French troops to help fight insurgents in the country.
In
a statement, the army said the General Staff of the Burkinabe Armed Forces said
it had taken part with the commander of France's Sabre special forces in “a
solemn ceremony of lowering flags marking the official end of the operations of
the Task Force from Burkinabe soil.”
The
event took place on Saturday at Camp Bila Zagre in Kamboincin, northeast of the
capital Ouagadougou.
The
ceremony was presided over by Col. Adam Nere, the chief of staff of Burkina
Faso’s army, and Lt. Col. Louis Lecacheur, who represented the commander of
France’s Sabre special forces, according to the statement.
Relations
between France and Burkina Faso have soured since the September 2022 military
coup.
Last
month, amid the deteriorating relations, Burkina Faso said it had decided to
end the military pact because it is in line with the transition government’s
vision for the Burkinabe to defend their country.
Several
demonstrations have been reported against the French military presence in the
country on perceptions that it has been ineffective against the terrorism that
has been raging in the country since 2015.
In
December, authorities in Burkina Faso also demanded the replacement of the
French ambassador, Luc Hallade.
Following
the formal request, the French Foreign Ministry said on Jan. 26 that it was
recalling its ambassador to Burkina Faso for consultations in “the context of
recent developments.”
A
day earlier, Paris announced that it had agreed to demands from the military
junta to pull out troops from its former colony within a month.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/burkina-faso-s-junta-officially-ends-french-military-mission/2825009
--------
North America
US
‘stands firmly with Pakistan’ in fight against terror
Anwar
Iqbal
February
20, 2023
WASHINGTON:
The United States stands firmly with Pakistan in its fight against terrorists,
but Washington is still trying to ‘wrap its head around’ the country’s security
situation.
This
message came from two senior US officials after recent terrorist attacks in
Peshawar and Karachi.
“The
US strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Karachi Police Office,” State
Department spokesperson Ned Price while commenting on Friday’s attack in
Karachi.
“We
stand firmly with the Pakistani people in the face of this terrorist attack.
Violence is not the answer, and it must stop.”
Counselor
Derek Chollet, one of the highest-ranking officials at the US State Department,
said the United States was prepared to work with Pakistan as the country
assessed the renewed threat of terrorism.
Washington
was “trying to wrap its head around” how the threat had been evolving in
Pakistan, Mr Chollet said in a recent interview to the VOA broadcasting service
after his day-long visit to Islamabad on Thursday.
“We
are very much following their [Pakistan’s] lead in terms of both the
investigation and where that leads and ensuring that those who conducted these
attacks are held accountable,” he said.
Madiha
Afzal, a Pakistani-American scholar at Washington’s Brookings Institution,
however, described Friday’s attack at the Karachi police office as “shocking,
brazen,” and noted that “the state (was) once again asleep at the wheel” as the
terrorists raided a key security building on Karachi’s “main thoroughfare,
Shahrah-e-Faisal.”
In
his interview to VOA, Mr Chollet did offer to help Pakistan fight terrorism
would not say whether Washington would support any Pakistani action against
terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.
This
was Mr Chollet’s second visit in five months and it came as Pakistan faces near
daily deadly terror attacks.
Mr
Chollet would not say what kind of Pakistani counterterrorism action, including
cross-border military strikes, Washington would support. “I’m not going to get
into hypotheticals about what we would support or not. … I don’t want to say …
publicly … how that [Price’s statement] would apply in hypothetical
situations,” he said.
Instead,
Mr Chollet said he talked to his Pakistani counterparts about their needs and
the help Washington could provide, adding that Pakistan’s economic situation
was also “worrisome” for Washington.
He
said that while the debt Pakistan owed to China was a concern around the world,
the US was not asking Pakistan to choose between Beijing and Washington.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1738100/us-stands-firmly-with-pakistan-in-fight-against-terror
--------
US
mediating between Israel, Palestine, asked UAE to halt UN settlements vote:
Report
20
February ,2023
The
US asked the UAE to hold off putting forward to the UN Security Council on
Monday a draft resolution that demands Israel immediately stop all its
settlement activities in occupied Palestinian territories, as Washington is
trying to broker a deal between the two parties, Axios reported on Sunday
citing US and Israeli officials.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken started working on a solution to avoid a UNSC
vote last week when he met UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed in
Washington, Axios reported citing sources with direct knowledge of the issue.
State
Department spokesperson Ned Price said on February 14: “The Secretary and
Foreign Minister discussed recent regional developments, such as the need for
Israelis and Palestinians to urgently take steps to prevent further escalation
of violence and restore calm.”
Blinken
then spoke with the Emirati FM over the weekend and “asked for more time to
work out a deal before the UAE moved forward with the resolution in New York,”
Axios reported a citing knowledgeable source.
On
Saturday, the US top diplomat then spoke to both Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the State
Department. He “reaffirmed US commitment to a negotiated two-state solution and
opposition to policies that endanger its viability.”
He
also stressed to both “the urgent need for Israelis and Palestinians to take
steps that restore calm and our strong opposition to unilateral measures that
would further escalate tensions.”
On
Sunday, the UAE told the UNSC that it will not call a vote on Monday on the
draft resolution which condemns and demands a halt to Israeli settlement
activities in Palestinian territories, Reuters reported citing a note the UAE
sent to council counterparts.
The
note said according to Reuters: “Given the positive talks between the parties,
we are now working on a draft PRST which would garner consensus… Accordingly,
there will not be a vote on the draft resolution on Monday. Much of the
language of the PRST will be drawn from the draft resolution.”
This
flurry of diplomatic effort comes after Netanyahu’s government recently
authorized Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and a week prior to
that announced plans to construct new homes in already established settlements.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
US’
Blinken urges Israel, Palestine leaders to ‘restore calm’
19
February ,2023
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken spoke Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and separately with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, reaffirming
US support for a “two-state solution” in the region and asking the two to
“restore calm.”
Blinken
spoke by telephone with both men to reaffirm US commitment to “a negotiated
two-state solution and opposition to policies that endanger its viability,”
State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
“The
Secretary underscored the urgent need for Israelis and Palestinians to take
steps that restore calm and our strong opposition to unilateral measures that
would further escalate tensions.”
That
message followed a decision by Israel’s new hard-right government to give
retroactive permission to multiple settlement outposts in the occupied West
Bank -- a move that drew nearly unanimous criticism among major powers
including the United States.
The
White House said Thursday it was “deeply dismayed” by the Israeli decision, but
it nevertheless voiced opposition to a proposed UN Security Council resolution
to demand Israel end settlements in the occupied territories.
Blinken
met with Abbas late last month in the West Bank at the end of an intense series
of diplomatic meetings planned before the latest flare-up of violence.
In
their phone call, the two “discussed efforts to improve the quality of life of
the Palestinian people and enhance their security and freedom,” Price said in a
statement.
Blinken
and Netanyahu spoke about broader regional challenges, Price said, “including
the threats posed by Iran,” and Blinken underscored the United States’
“ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Europe
'Part
of the family' Europe must stand firm with Türkiye after quakes, says civil
protection chief
Dilara
Hamit
19.02.2023
Europe
must stand firm with Türkiye in the aftermath of the twin devastating
earthquakes that shook its southern region earlier this month, as Ankara is
both "part of the family" and the EU's civil protection mechanism,
according to a senior official at that agency.
No
country in the world was prepared to deal with the severity of the disaster
that unfolded in southern Türkiye after the back-to-back earthquakes of Feb. 6,
Pekka Tiainen, the coordinator of EU assistance in Türkiye's earthquake zone,
told Anadolu.
"Türkiye
is part of the civil protection mechanism as a participating state. So, Türkiye
is a part of the family. It was very clear for us that Europe stand very firm
and support to Türkiye in this emergency," said the European Civil
Protection coordination team leader.
Tiainen
said their role was to support the Turkish government to receive assistance and
facilitate the team's work in the field under the leadership of local
authorities to help in search and rescue efforts, as well as relief work, after
the quakes that left at least 40,642 dead and over 108,000 injured in the
country.
"In
my coordination team, we have 30 persons. We have experts from different areas
like logistics, information management, operations experts and then we have a
support team helping us to work here. We have two camps, and then from that
same mechanism, we have almost 1,700 rescuers, all types of emergency workers,
here in Türkiye," he said.
On
the cooperation between the Turkish and European teams, Tiainen said they had
close relations with Türkiye's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency
(AFAD), and that part of their team was working at AFAD's headquarters in the
capital Ankara.
Tiainen
also emphasized that rescue efforts are organized at the central governmental
level, and that they work with regional level in the most affected provinces.
"It's
always the aim to do everything together with the local authorities and they
are in charge of the activities. We are always under the leadership of the
local authorities. Our role is to support them, whether it's rescue teams or
other support means we are always under the leadership of the of the local
authority," he stressed.
'Biggest
emergency in 100 years in Europe'
Eleven
of Türkiye 81 provinces were hit hardest by the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6
earthquakes — an area of over 108,000 square kilometers (about 41,700 sq
miles).
"That
is the biggest challenge we have had. It's very widely spread. There's 200
kilometers between different locations, even more, and multiple big cities.
"The
population in the area is somewhere between 15 and 20 million. So it's very
dense populated," Tiainen said, calling the disaster the biggest emergency
in Europe in 100 years.
The
disaster effort has now started moving to the recovery phase as the life-saving
phase approaches its end, Tiainen noted.
Türkiye
'part of the family'
As
soon as news came of the earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye, the Finnish
official said he knew aid would be needed.
"For
me, as someone coming from Finland, my immediate reaction when this happened in
Türkiye, was that we need to help Türkiye not only as a Finnish and as a
Finland but as Europe as a whole," he said.
"I
don't think that there's any country in the world was prepared to really cope
with such an emergency by themselves," he said.
Coordinating
the incoming international relief has also not been easy, he noted. "We
have around 8,000 international rescuers in the country, so it's also a big
challenge to receive such big assistance from other countries."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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EU
reiterates call on Iran to cooperate with IAEA
Selen
Temizer, Syed Zafar Mehdi
20.02.2023
The
European Union has once again urged Iran to cooperate with the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said
Sunday.
Borrell
made the appeal during a phone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
“I
underlined again the EU's position on Iran's behavior: stop human rights
violations, stop support to Russia's war of aggression, and stop unjustified
detention of EU citizens,” Josep Borrell said on Twitter.
Amir-Abdollahian
said on Twitter that they discussed Iran-EU ties, the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, Iran-IAEA cooperation,
and developments in Ukraine.
He
added that he "emphasized" that Iran "relies upon its people,
and this was proven once again on Feb. 11th this year," referring to the
nationwide rallies to mark the 44th anniversary of the 1979 revolution.
Last
November, Iran announced a decision to ramp up uranium enrichment at the Fordow
Fuel Enrichment Plant in response to a resolution passed by the IAEA, the UN
nuclear watchdog.
At
the time, Iran said it had begun enriching uranium to 60% purity at the
facility and that two new centrifuge cascades, IR-2m, and IR-4, were reviewed
and operated at the Natanz nuclear facility in central Isfahan province.
Tensions
between Tehran and the IAEA have heightened over the nuclear watchdog's probe
into "uranium traces" found at three undeclared nuclear sites. Iran
has dismissed the probe.
It
has also led to a stalemate in indirect talks between Tehran and Washington to
revive the 2015 nuclear deal, with on-and-off talks underway since April 2021.
Reports
about Iran supplying drones to Russia for use in the Ukraine war have also
fueled tensions between Tehran and Washington, with American officials saying
that a nuclear deal is no longer on the table.
Iran
acknowledges that it supplied "a limited number of" drones to Moscow
months before the war in Ukraine but rejects reports that its drones are being
used in the war.
Last
week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was
considering a new package of sanctions against Russia and its allies, including
Iran, over the Ukraine war.
Earlier
this month, Borrell warned that if Iran takes "a further step in its
military assistance to Russia,” the nuclear deal will be imperiled.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-reiterates-call-on-iran-to-cooperate-with-iaea/2825011
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Quake-hit
Türkiye deserves 'very strong support' from international community: UK
minister
Usman
Mir
19.02.2023
Türkiye
can expect the global community’s full support as it deals with the aftermath
of an “awful disaster,” according to the UK’s Development Minister Andrew
Mitchell.
The
international community “should express very strong support in all the
different phases of this operation,” Mitchell told Anadolu as he toured a
British field hospital in Turkoglu, a district in Kahramanmaras, the southern
Turkish province that was the epicenter of the devastating Feb. 6 twin tremors.
Türkiye
“has many friends, with Britain in the lead amongst them,” he emphasized.
The
UK has been by Türkiye’s side from the very beginning, he said, sending vital
supplies and a 77-member rescue team just days after the tragedy, which has now
claimed at least 40,689 lives in 11 southern Turkish provinces.
Mitchell
said that 150 members of the British team are working on the ground including
in the field hospital and emergency medical clinics.
He
described the situation in Türkiye’s quake-hit areas as “absolutely appalling.”
“It
is quite extraordinary driving through the affected areas to see the scale of
destruction. I have never seen anything like it,” he said.
On
rescue and relief efforts, Mitchell said the “international response has been
extremely good.”
“I’m
impressed by how so many friends of Türkiye, and people who are not so close to
Türkiye, have come here to support the rescue effort,” he said.
'Awful
disaster'
The
minister said the first phase of quake relief efforts when “search and rescue
experts and emergency medical teams were deployed” is now “heading towards an
end.”
The
next phase is “trying to deal with health and safety and also shelter issues,”
according to Mitchell.
“Britain
has sent something like 35,000 thermal blankets, 2,500 tents, dignity kits and
hygiene kits. These are designed to help in this stage of the operation, and
our extensive medical team here is doing everything it can to help people whose
health has been harmed in one way or another,” he said.
“We
got here as fast as we could and we are determined to help Türkiye right
through this awful disaster.”
Mitchell
met staff and patients at the hospital, which has been set up in the courtyard
of a severely damaged public hospital and where more than 2,700 patients have
been treated in less than a week.
The
facility has Turkish teams, British civilian medics, and military doctors and
personnel working together.
Earlier
this week, Mitchell also unveiled a £25 million ($30 million) aid package to
support quake victims in both Türkiye and Syria, where at least 5,840 people
have been killed in several northwestern regions.
Asked
about how the UK plans to support Türkiye in the longer term, he said Britain
“will be at the side of the United Nations.”
“The
UN has announced that they are drawing down $50 million from the CERF fund,” he
said, referring to the Central Emergency Respond Fund set up by the UN in 2005.
“This
is designed to help in emergencies. Britain has set up the CERF fund … we are a
very big contributor and will be very pleased to see the fund deployed through
the UN, along with all the other support that is going in to try and make sure
those who are in these places get help.”
‘Closest
of friends’
Turning
to bilateral ties, Mitchell hailed Türkiye and the UK as “closest of friends.”
“We
have strong political connections. We have development connections. We have
security connections. We are leading partners in NATO … we are as close to
Türkiye as anyone can be,” he asserted.
The
UK’s connection with Türkiye was evident in the British people’s “affection and
love … and extraordinary support” for the call to raise funds for quake
victims, he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Tunisian
authorities declare head of top European trade union 'persona non grata'
Ahmed
Asmar
19.02.2023
Tunisian
authorities late Saturday ordered the deportation of the Secretary-General of
the European Trade Union Confederation, Esther Lynch, following her
participation in a rally to back Tunisian trade union activities.
The
decision was made on orders from President Kais Saied, according to a statement
by the Tunisian Presidency.
The
statement noted that Lynch "took part in a demonstration organised by the
Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT) and made comments that constituted blatant
interference in Tunisia's internal affairs."
The
presidency added that Lynch has 24 hours to leave Tunisia because she has been declared
"persona non grata."
Early
Saturday, Lynch took part in a rally in Sfax in southern Tunisia to stand by
her Tunisian counterparts in defending trade union actions and protest the
arrests of Tunisian activists.
"The
UGTT is the latest rampart to defend Tunisian democracy. President Saied's
authoritarian crackdown against trade unionists will not be allowed to
succeed," she said.
Tunisia
has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's
economy since 2021 when Saied ousted the government and dissolved parliament.
Since
then, Saied held a referendum to draft a new Constitution last July and
parliamentary elections in December.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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of the original story:
--------
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