'Osama Bin Laden Tested Chemical Weapons On My Dogs,' Evil Terrorist's Son, Omar Says
New Age Islam News Bureau
01 December 2022
Omar bin Laden spent his
childhood surrounded by al-Qaeda (Image: WireImage)
----
• Bilkis Case: 'Convicts Of Gang-Raping Many And
Murdering 14 During The 2002 Communal Riots In Gujarat Didn't Tell SC That HC
Had Junked Similar Pleas'
• Islamic State Leader Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
killed "in combat with enemies of God"; Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini
al-Qurashi Appointed New Leader
• Mahsa Amini Protesters Celebrate US Win Against Iran
In World Cup, Videos On Social Media Show
• Pakistan Tops List Of Nations At Risk Of Violence,
US Think-Tank Report Says
Europe
• UK: Growing Muslim population hailed as 'strategic
national asset'
• Western media criticism of World Cup host Qatar 'old
orientalism refashioned for modern audience'
• Majority of British Muslims live in most deprived
areas of England and Wales: Data
--------
India
• Kashmir Files Row: Israeli Filmmaker, Nadav Lapid
Stands By His Comments, … “This Is A Very Crude, Manipulative And Violent
Propaganda Film”
• Hindu Outfits Continue To Campaign Against Muslim
Traders Near Karnataka Temples, Face Locals’ Anger
• Gyanvapi mosque row: Allahabad HC to hear AIM plea
challenging Varanasi court verdict on Dec 5
• Sheer Propaganda To Demonise Muslims: Mehbooba Mufti
Backs Nadav Lapid’s Remark On ‘The Kashmir Files’
• Saanjh 2022: Indo-Pak Peace Initiative To Resume In
Amritsar
--------
Arab World
• Saudi Arabia To Invest $13 Billion To Develop 21
Entertainment Hubs Across 14 Cities
• Free Syrian Army killed ISIS leader last month:
Pentagon
• Russia sends reinforcements to northern Syria amid
fears of Turkish incursion
• Saudi Arabia, Spain ink deal to build combat ships
for Saudi Navy
• Ronaldo 'agrees a $200 mln-per-year’ contract with
Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr: Reports
• UAE postpones launch of moon explorer spacecraft to
Thursday
--------
Mideast
• Far-right Ben-Gvir squabbles with Israel’s military
chief about ethics
• Iran’s top court sentences 4 to death over links
with Israel
• Israel’s Lapid slams politicians’ incitement against
army commanders
• Arab 'normalization' with Israel failed to stamp out
hatred for regime: Iran FM Spox
• Iran summons French envoy over 'interventionist'
resolution, remarks
• Official: Iran signs $4 billion services deal with
Iraq
--------
Pakistan
• Religious Groups Get In Momentum Against Blasphemous
Stuff On Social Media, Utilizing The • Expertise of Federal Investigation
Agency
• 'Do Not Forget Armed Forces Are Servants Of People':
Imran Khan To New Pakistan Military Leaders
• Suicide blast targeting police truck kills 4,
injures over 20 in Pakistan
• Religious extremists desecrate Ahmadi graves in
Pakistan
• PML-N struggling to beat impression it’s ‘afraid of
snap polls’
• Bilawal disputes ‘political failure’ narrative on
1971 debacle
• Govt urged to call joint session on terror threats
• New military leadership will work to ‘end trust
deficit’: Imran
• COAS, JCSC chairman call on President Alvi, PM
Shehbaz
• Security forces kill one terrorist in Shewa, North
Waziristan
--------
South Asia
• Taliban Silence Voice Of America Broadcasts In
Afghanistan
• Taliban: 10 Students Killed In Bombing Of Afghan
Religious School, Al Jihad Madrassa
• TTP appears to have lost trust in the Haqqani
faction of Taliban: Report
• At least 16 killed, 24 wounded in north Afghanistan
blast - local media
• ‘Islamic System is What Every Afghan Wants,’ Says
Afghan Deputy PM
• Pakistan’s Hina Rabbani Stresses Imperative of
‘Practically’ Engaging with Afghan Government
• India May Restart 20 Stalled Projects In
Afghanistan, Says Taliban: Report
--------
North America
• Muslim World League And Columbia University Launch
Interfaith Research Lab
• Anti-Muslim Imagery Paraded Around Piscataway
Mosque, Members Say
• US Knew for Weeks Islamic State Leader Was Dead
• Beijing relies on Pakistan to project its might,
Pentagon report notes
• US defence chief urges Turkey not to launch Syria
operation
• US envoy: Iran not pursuing a nuclear weapon,
military option still on table
• Netanyahu slams Trump for inviting anti-Semitic
guests to dinner
--------
Southeast Asia
• FATF Re-Rates China's Progress On Money Laundering
And Terror Financing
• Malaysian Rulers Urge Politicians To Stop Using
Race, Religion To Incite People
• Mat Sabu says worried about Muslims declaring one
another infidels amid post-GE15 tensions
• Umno Youth chief says unity govt not dominated by
non-Muslim MPs
--------
Africa
• Sudan sees protests against deal between army,
civilians
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/osama-laden-chemical-weapons-terrorist-omar/d/128541
--------
'Osama Bin Laden Tested Chemical Weapons On My Dogs,'
Evil Terrorist's Son, Omar Says
Omar bin Laden spent his
childhood surrounded by al-Qaeda (Image: WireImage)
----
By Lizzie McAllister
30 NOV 2022
Osama bin Laden's son has spoken out about what life was
like living with one of the world's most infamous terrorists.
Omar bin Laden, 41, was the al-Qaeda boss'
fourth-eldest son and heir, and endured a harrowing upbringing where he
witnessed his father's henchmen test weapons on his much-loved pets and was taught
to fire AK47s at a young age.
"I think I was one of the victims of my
father," Omar told the Sun.
"All my life [I spent] travelling around from
place to place, area to area. I never settled down."
From a young age, Omar was taught to use lethal weapons
and he recalled that some of his father's men had used chemical weapons on his
dog, Bobby.
"I saw them [the henchmen]," he recalled.
"They tried it on my dogs."
At 15, Omar was selected to carry on his father's
legacy.
He previously recalled: "My father never asked me
to join al-Qaeda, but he did tell me I was the son chosen to carry on his work.
"He was disappointed when I said I was not suited
to that life."
Omar has long been critical of his father's actions
and decided to abandon his terrorist dad and al-Qaeda before the famous Twin
Tower bombings on September 11, 2001.
"I took myself, I got myself out before even all
this happened," he recalled.
"I said goodbye and [...] [Osama bin Laden]
wasn't happy that I'm leaving. End of the story. And I left."
After leaving al-Qaeda, Omar never spoke to his jihadi
father again before he was killed in 2011.
Speaking of his father's death, Omar said: "I
felt like, 'at least my now rests in peace', as they say in the Christian
world.
"I don't know what they [did] to him. They said
they threw him in the ocean but I don't believe that.
"I think they [took him] to America for [...]
people to see."
When asked if he still loves his father, he said:
"Family will always be family, no matter what."
Omar said he wasn't given the chance to see his
father's body following bin Laden's historic death.
He believed that leaving the terrorist group would
mean his trouble was over, but with the bin Laden name still attached to him,
he has found people still judge him.
He said he is now trying to survive and has to take
medicine sometimes, but that his suffering has continued, both caused by the
trauma he faced growing up surrounded by al-Qaeda and from the way he has been
treated since walking away.
"I always try not to live in the reality of this
world," he said. "I struggle a lot in my life."
Nowadays, Omar's life couldn't be more different from
his upbringing.
A celebrated international artist, Omar sells his
paintings of Afghan scenery around the world for up to £8,500 apiece.
"From day to night I became a very famous artist,
an international artist."
"My favourite subject is mountains after living
in Afghanistan for five years," he said.
"They give me a safe feeling, like I’m
untouchable."
Omar is also now married to Zaina bin Laden, a
six-times-married great-grandmother who, before meeting Omar, was known as Jane
Felix-Browne and was a parish councillor in Cheshire.
The pair now live in Normandy, France, after they met
near the pyramids of Giza and eventually tied the knot.
Together the pair now like watching western movies,
including Shrek and Clint Eastwood.
Source: Daily Star UK
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/osama-bin-laden-tested-chemical-28624752
--------
Bilkis
Case: 'Convicts Of Gang-Raping Many And Murdering 14 During The 2002 Communal
Riots In Gujarat Didn't Tell SC That HC Had Junked Similar Pleas'
Bilkis Bano addresses press | Atul Yadav/ PTI
----
Dec
1, 2022
NEW
DELHI: Rape survivor Bilkis Bano on Wednesday requested the Supreme Court for
an open court hearing of her plea for review of the SC's May 13 judgment
allowing Gujarat to consider the remission pleas of 11 lifers, guilty of
gang-raping many and murdering 14 during the 2002 communal riots in the state,
and also filed a writ petition challenging the BJP-governed state's decision to
"arbitrarily and inappropriately" release the convicts by remitting
the remaining part of their life sentences.
Before
a bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha, counsel
Shobha Gupta sought an urgent hearing of the two petitions filed by Bilkis. The
CJI said, "The earlier petitions (filed by Subhasini Ali and others)
challenging grant of remission and release of convicts are pending before a
bench headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi. I will examine if both these petitions
(review and writ by Bilkis) could be listed before the same bench. I will pass
appropriate orders."
In
her plea, Bilkis also said that the appropriate authority to consider the pleas
for remission of sentence in her case should have been the Maharashtra
government.
Responding
to the earlier petitions challenging release of the lifers in the Bilkis Bano
case, the Gujarat government had told the apex court that on June 28, it had
sought the Centre's approval for its proposal to remit the sentences of the
lifers. The approval was granted on July 11. The state, exercising its power
under the 1992 Rules, on August 10 remitted the sentences of the convicts on
the ground that they were in jail for over 14 years.
Importantly,
the state government had conceded that the remission proposal was opposed by
both the trial court judge at Mumbai, where the trial was shifted from Gujarat
on the SC's orders, and the prosecuting agency CBI on the ground that the
convicts didn't deserve remission as they had committed heinous offences in a
gruesome manner.
Bilkis
in both her pleas narrated the 2002 incident as "one of the most gruesome
and heinous crime of multiple gang rape of a five-month pregnant woman
(Bilkis), gang rape and murder of her mother, gang rape and murder of her
cousin who was weak being fresh from child delivery two days ago, brutal murder
of eight minors, including a two-day-old girl child of her cousin, her
three-and-a-half-year-old daughter (her first child) by smashing her head on a
rock, her two minor brothers and sisters, other relatives - her 'phupha',
'phuphi', 'mama', three cousin sisters."
Bilkis
said she had survived the heinous, horrific and macabre crime "only
because she became unconscious from the sexual assault and the accused (now
prematurely released convicted prisoners) took her as dead".
She
said the SC bench headed by Justice Rastogi erred in ruling on May 13 that
Gujarat and not Maharashtra was the appropriate government under Section 432 of
the Criminal Procedure Code to grant remission. She said the SC in numerous
judgments, including those delivered by constitution benches, had ruled that
the state, under whose jurisdiction the trial takes place, is the appropriate
authority to consider a plea for remission of sentence, which in this case
should have been the Maharashtra government.
Bilkis
said the convicts who approached the SC for expeditious consideration of their
remission pleas concealed from the apex court the fact that the Gujarat HC had
twice rejected similar pleas, first on July 17, 2019 and then on March 13,
2020, while holding that Maharashtra would be the appropriate authority to
consider their remission pleas.
She
said she was not made a party before the SC by the convicts and hence was
unaware of SC's direction to the Gujarat government to consider their remission
pleas within two months. She said the state government also didn't consult her
nor gave her any document relating to the grant of remission, thus depriving
her of the opportunity to question the decision in SC at a prior date.
Expressing
her gratitude to Subhasini Ali and others for supporting her cause and
challenging the release of the life convicts, Bilkis said she could file the
review and writ petition after getting the relevant documents from the public
spirited persons.
"The
premature en masse release of the convicts in the much-talked-about Bilkis Bano
case has shaken the conscience of the society and resulted in a number of
agitations across the country," she said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
State Leader Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi killed "in combat with
enemies of God"; Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi Appointed New
Leader
Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
----
Dec
1, 2022
The
Islamic State jihadist group said on Wednesday that its leader Abu Hasan
al-Hashimi al-Qurashi has been killed in battle and announced a replacement.
A
spokesman for the group said Hashimi, an Iraqi, was killed "in combat with
enemies of God", without elaborating on the date of his death or the
circumstances.
Speaking
in an audio message, the spokesman identified the group's new leader as Abu
al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi.
Qurashi
refers to a tribe of the Prophet Mohammed, from whom IS leaders must claim
descent.
The
spokesman did not provide details on the new leader, but said he was a
"veteran" jihadist and called on all groups loyal to IS to pledge
their allegiance.
After
a meteoric rise in Iraq and Syria in 2014 that saw it conquer vast swathes of
territory, IS saw its self-proclaimed "caliphate" collapse under a
wave of offensives.
It
was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, but sleeper cells of
the Sunni Muslim extremist group still carry out attacks in both countries.
IS's
previous leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, was killed in February this year in a
US raid in Idlib province in northern Syria.
His
predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed, also in Idlib, in October 2019.
Hassan
Hassan, who authored a book on IS, said one "unprecedented" but
possible scenario was that Hashimi "was killed 'accidentally' during a
raid or fighting without him being known to whoever killed him".
In
October this year, US forces killed a "senior" IS member in a
pre-dawn raid in northeastern Syria, the US military's Central Command said at
the time.
It
said a later air strike had killed two other senior IS members.
The
US leads a military coalition battling IS in Syria.
In
July, the Pentagon said it had killed Syria's top IS jihadist in a drone strike
in the north of the country.
US
Central Command said he had been "one of the top five" IS leaders.
Turkey
in September said security forces had arrested a "senior executive"
of IS known as Abu Zeyd, whose real name was Bashar Khattab Ghazal al-Sumaidai.
Turkish
media said there were some indications Sumaidai might have been the IS leader.
Source: India Today
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Mahsa
Amini Protesters Celebrate US Win Against Iran In World Cup, Videos On Social
Media Show
A video shows Iranians in the city of Sanandaj
celebrating the Iranian national football team's elimination from the World Cup
after losing 1-0 to the US on November 29, 2022. (Screengrab/Twitter)
-----
30
November ,2022
Iranians
took to the streets in several cities early Wednesday to celebrate the Iranian
national football team’s elimination from the World Cup after losing 1-0 to the
US, videos circulating on social media showed.
Videos
posted on Twitter by the activist group 1500tasvir showed people dancing,
chanting anti-regime slogans, and sounding their car horns across Iran,
including in Tehran, Zahedan, Sanandaj, Isfahan, Qom and Mashhad.
The
US beat Iran 1-0 on Tuesday and progressed to the knockout stage at the expense
of Iran who are out of the competition.
Many
Iranians have turned against their national football team amid ongoing protests
in the country. They see the team as representing the regime rather than the
people of Iran. Some in Iran had also celebrated Iran’s 6-2 defeat in its opening
World Cup match against England, posts on social media showed.
People
in Behbahan, a city in the southwestern Khuzestan province, let off fireworks
to celebrate Iran’s elimination from the World Cup, one video showed.
Another
video showed people dancing in the streets in Qom, a city considered to be
Iran’s “religious capital” as many senior Shia clerics are based there. The
city is also home to the shrine of an important Shia figure.
In
Marivan, a city in Iran’s Kurdistan province, protesters chanted “death to
Khamenei,” in reference to Iran’s highest authority, Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei.
Protests
have swept across Iran since September 16 when 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish
woman Mahsa Amini died three days after collapsing in police custody.
Demonstrators
have been calling for regime change in the protests which have become one of
the boldest challenges to the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.
Security
forces have killed hundreds and detained thousands, according to rights groups.
“The
Islamic Republic spent over 43 years and billions of dollars on ideological
programs in schools and TV to depict America as the enemy. Now many across the
country celebrate the Great Satan’s win against IRI team. What a humiliating
defeat for the Islamic Republic,” Amir Toumaj, an expert on Iran, wrote on
Twitter.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Tops List Of Nations At Risk Of Violence, US Think-Tank Report Says
Pakistani Taliban patrol in then their stronghold of
Shawal in Pakistani tribal region of South Waziristan. (File photo: AP)
-----
01
December ,2022
Pakistan
tops the list of countries at the highest risk of experiencing new mass killings,
according to a new report that cites violence by a local offshoot of the
Taliban as one of the main challenges for the nation already facing political
and economic crises.
“Pakistan
faces multiple security and human rights challenges, including increasing
violence by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP,” according to a report by
Early Warning Project, a research organization that identifies countries at
risk of mass violence.
Threats
of attacks by the ISIS and the country’s blasphemy laws, which have resulted in
episodes of mob violence against religious minorities, were other factors for
Pakistan’s high-risk ranking.
Political
volatility, following the ouster of former premier Imran Khan, was also
expected to lead to “highly contentious elections next year,” according to the
report.
The
study comes days after an announcement by the TTP militant group ending a
months-long agreement with the government to pause violence and ordering its
fighters to resume attacks.
Pakistan’s
neighbor Afghanistan ranked seventh on the list because of its growing targeted
killings at mosques and other public places after the Taliban’s takeover of the
country last year.
The
Early Warning Project is a joint initiative of the Simon-Skjodt Center for the
Prevention of Genocide at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the
Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College.
Two
other Asian nations were on the top ten list -- Myanmar, where the military
seized power in a February coup last year, was at number three. India was
ranked eighth as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has increased its
systematic discrimination against the country’s Muslim minority, the report
said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Europe
UK: Growing Muslim population hailed as 'strategic national asset'
30
November 2022
The
Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has said that the growth of the UK's Muslim
population is a "strategic national asset" for the country but raised
concerns about the levels of poverty the community continues to live in.
Results
from the 2021 Office for National Statistics (ONS) census have shown that the
Muslim community of England and Wales stood at 3.87 million, or 6.5 percent of
the total population - a rise of 1.7 percent since 2011.
In
a statement on Tuesday, the MCB said that the addition of so many young Muslims
to the British workforce would provide a boost to the economy.
"While
our nation has an increasingly ageing population, the contribution to the
workforce of a youthful Muslim population remains a strategic national
asset," said MCB secretary general Zara Mohammed.
"The
last decade has seen more second and third-generation Muslims, confident of our
faith and place in society, contributing immensely to the economic recovery and
vitality of our nation."
They
also noted, however, that Muslim communities in the UK were
"disproportionately impacted by deprivation", according to the
census.
The
ONS data showed that around 40 percent of the Muslim population of England
resided in the most deprived fifth of local authority districts.
In
addition, almost 500,000 more Muslims live in these most deprived locales than
in 2011.
"Policymakers
now need to address these concerns, communities cannot continue to be left in
cycles of poor social mobility," said Mohammed.
"Young
people cannot have a bright future if they do not have the best opportunities
available to them."
The
census, which is taken every 10 years in the England and Wales, showed that
less than half the population of the two regions was now Christian, compared to
in 2011.
The
biggest growth has been in the number of people who now identify as
non-religious.
Source: Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Western media criticism of World Cup host Qatar 'old orientalism refashioned
for modern audience'
Gulcin
Kazan Doger
30.11.2022
As
Qatar makes history as the first Muslim country to host the FIFA World Cup, the
language of Western media outlets about the tournament is being criticized as
racist, Islamophobic, and orientalist.
Western
criticisms of Qatar are "not about human rights, and the inconsistency is
very clear. It is the old orientalism which was refashioned for a modern
audience," political scientist Muhammad Jalal, a lecturer and host of the
Thinking Muslim podcast, told Anadolu Agency.
"Some
of the old orientalist tropes have been wheeled out time and time again in the
media. Arabs and Muslims are depicted as only being useful for producing oil
and spending lavish amounts of money in Western capitals," he said.
Touching
on the negative effect of Western media narratives on Muslims, Jalal said:
"If you have the press constantly describing you as thieves, as
terrorists, as murderers, as people who don’t have the basic qualities of
civilization that Europeans have, then over time the European public would see
you in this one-dimensional way."
Stories
for perception management
Jalal
called most of media headlines about Qatar "manipulative,"
highlighting the cover of French satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine showing
Qatari footballers as terrorists holding guns in their hands.
He
said that this is a kind of hate speech, one often seen in the French press,
adding that such stories are run for the purpose of perception management.
Almost
half of the newspaper headlines were about topics other than football, he
added.
Citing
a pre-tournament survey in the UK, Jalal said that around 62% of British public
thought Qatar should be prevented from hosting the World Cup simply because of
its stance on LGBT issues.
'World
Cup becomes event to impose European culture, values'
Jalal
said the World Cup turned into an opportunity to try to impose European culture
and values rather than a sporting event, mentioning a British fan who tried to
enter the stadium in a crusader costume.
He
said: "Talk TV, which is a right-leaning British channel here, said: 'What
a brave man! He’s gone out to Qatar and now he’s showing them English spirit.'
It’s unacceptable."
He
explained that the crusader knight outfit evokes the 11th century occupation of
Jerusalem.
"You
wouldn’t get any Arab or Muslim who come to Britain on a tourist visa or come
to Britain or come to support a team and denigrate the culture and history of
those people, but for the Brits and for the Europeans, it’s perfectly
acceptable to behave in such a way," he added.
Migrant
workers
He
said that there is some truth in the criticisms directed at Qatar over migrant
workers, but added that the figures of workers who lost their lives during the
construction of the stadium are misleading.
Some
6,500 migrant workers from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh
are said to have died. This is accepted as the figure by most outlets.
He
stressed that those 6,500 non-Qataris were from a wide range of professions,
including doctors, educators, and workers, citing work by Marc Owen Jones, who
teaches Middle East studies at Qatar Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Touching
on the BBC broadcasting a program that criticized Qatar’s treatment of migrant
workers, ban on the LGBT community, and corruption in FIFA instead of the World
Cup opening ceremony, Jalal stressed the BBC previously broadcast similar
events in Russia and China live.
He
said: "Up to 2 million Uyghurs are currently based in so-called retraining
camps (in China), which we will call genocide camps, yet during the (2022)
Winter Olympics there was not much discussion (of that) at all."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Majority
of British Muslims live in most deprived areas of England and Wales: Data
November
30, 2022
LONDON:
The majority of Muslims are living in the areas of England and Wales with the
worst levels of deprivation, the UK Office for National Statistics revealed on
Wednesday.
Muslims
now account for 6.5 percent of the population in England and Wales, some 3.9
million in 2021, according to the latest ONS census.
However,
the data showed 61 percent of them live in the lowest 40 percent of areas
ranked by deprivation score, The Guardian reported.
Tower
Hamlets, considered one of the most deprived areas, had the highest percentage
of Muslims in England and Wales in 2011. The census in 2021 shows that they now
account for 39.9 percent of the local population.
Meanwhile,
only 4 percent of Muslims live in the 20 percent of areas least deprived.
Policymakers
have been urged to address the “cycles of poverty” that have affected
generations of British Muslims, the numbers of which have increased by 1.2
million in the last decade.
Muslim
Council of Britain Secretary-General Zara Mohammed told The Guardian: “We’re
now the second or third generation (of Muslims).
“There’s
more of us here, and yet we’re still in these cycles of poverty and
deprivation.
“I
think part of that is down to socioeconomic conditions where people are housed,
and the economic opportunities available.
“There’s
something to really be said about what our politics and policies are doing to
help those who are really suffering.
“There’s
all these stereotypes and tropes around Muslims, but the reality is that people
are actually in cycles of poverty. And these need to be broken.”
Sufia
Alam, head of the Maryam Centre and programmes at East London Mosque in Tower
Hamlets, told The Guardian: “I have worked for almost three decades in this
borough and it’s one of the poorest in London and indeed in the country.
“Even
though it’s a rich borough as well as a poor borough: We’ve got Canary Wharf on
our doorstep.
“The
(census data) are not surprising because of so many factors that we’ve often
talked about: Islamophobia, cultural biases that exist, racism within
institutions from education all the way to employment.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2208841/world
--------
India
Kashmir
Files Row: Israeli Filmmaker, Nadav Lapid Stands By His Comments, … “This Is A
Very Crude, Manipulative And Violent Propaganda Film”
01.12.22
Israeli
filmmaker Nadav Lapid has said he stands by his criticism of The Kashmir Files
because he “knows how to recognise propaganda disguised as a movie” and
believes it was his “duty” to speak up.
“Making
bad films is not a crime, but this is a very crude, manipulative and violent
propaganda film,” Lapid said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz,
unfazed by the backlash to his comments, made from the stage of the International
Film Festival of India whose international jury he chaired.
“I
feel as a foreigner who arrives there, you have an obligation to say the things
that the people who live there may have a harder time saying,” the
award-winning filmmaker said.
“In
such contexts, I don’t believe in secrets and whispers. If you stand on stage
and are asked to speak, what will you talk about? Only about the beaches you
saw and the food you ate?”
The
Kashmir Files portrays the attacks on Pandits in 1990 in a manner that seeks to
demonise Muslims. The film was endorsed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking
at the IFFI closing ceremony in Goa on Monday, Lapid described the film as
“vulgar” and “propaganda” and unfit for the festival.
“The
truth is that I also couldn’t help but imagine a similar situation that might
happen one day soon in Israel,” the filmmaker said in the interview.
“And
I would be happy that in such a situation, the head of a foreign jury would be
willing to say things as he sees them. In a way, I felt it was my duty to the
place that invited me,” Lapid added.
The
film’s team and the BJP ecosystem have lashed out at Lapid for his comments,
and Israel’s ambassador to India Naor Gilon wrote an open letter to him
condemning his criticism of the film.
Asked
if he had in-depth knowledge of the Kashmir conflict, Lapid said “of course did
not know enough”. But, he added, “you can also watch films by Leni Riefenstahl
(a German filmmaker who glorified the Nazi Party) and know what you’re seeing,
without being a great expert on that period”.
“There
are cases that are nuanced, but this is not the case. In a way, The Kashmir
Files makes life easy because it is so bare and aggressive that it doesn’t even
mask itself intelligently,” the filmmaker added.
Lapid
made it clear he had commented only on the film and not the Kashmir issue, as
many of those attacking him have alleged.
He
was invited to the festival as a director and he talked about a film’s subject,
Lapid said. “I did not come to express one position or another on the conflict
in Kashmir,” he added.
“We
learned that the film was pushed into the official competition of the festival
due to political pressure,” he said.
Responding
to the criticism he has received from Israeli diplomats in India, Lapid said
his comments were “political” but not representative of his country.
“Since
this is a film that the Indian government encourages, I assume that the
government there is not happy about it. But is a country only about its
government?” he said.
“I
assume not. What I said is not comfortable for the government of India, nor for
the government in the making in Israel, which the ambassador there represents.”
Lapid
said he had received hundreds of emails and messages from Indians who were
happy that “finally things were said
that they believed in”.
In
another interview, Lapid said he shared his views at the closing ceremony with
a lot of “discomfort and apprehension”.
“I
knew that this was an event that is terribly connected to the country, and
everyone stands there and praises the government. It is not an easy position,
because you are a guest,” he said.
“I
am the president of the jury here, you are treated very nicely. And then you
come and attack the festival. There was apprehension, and there was
discomfort.”
But
in countries that are increasingly losing the ability to speak the truth,
“someone needs to speak up”, he said.
Source:
Telegraph India
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Hindu
Outfits Continue To Campaign Against Muslim Traders Near Karnataka Temples,
Face Locals’ Anger
November
30, 2022
Hindu
outfits in Karnataka targeting Muslim traders continued their protest and tried
to stop non-Hindu traders from conducting business in several parts of the
state, including the Anjanadri Hill in the Koppal district. However, the
district administration stepped in and removed the banners that were put up and
warned legal action against those behind them.
Anjanadri
Hill located in the Koppal district in North Karnataka, which is believed to be
the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, is a religious shrine that sees a good footfall
of devotees throughout the year. On Tuesday, on the occasion of the ‘Hanuman
Mala Vrit Visarjana’ event, Muslims had also installed shops even as there were
posters demanding not to allow non-Hindus to conduct business.
According
to sources, the banners were put up by the members of Hindu Jagarana Vedike.
The temple authorities brought the issue to the notice of the district
administration and police and the banners were removed later.
A
large number of devotees, who wear Hanuman Mala annually, are expected to visit
the shrine over the next few weeks.
Shrikanth,
a leader from Hindu Jagran Vedike in Gangavathi, told the media they are
demanding a ban against non-Hindu traders from doing business at all Hindu
shrines in the state, including Anjanadri Hills. “You saw the recent arrests in
terror accused cases and Hindu temples are under the radar of anti-national
elements,” he said.
Despite
support from the district administration, some of the non-Hindu vendors have
shut down their shops till the situation cools down and some have shifted their
stalls away from the shrines. This is the second year in a row that this
campaign has been launched by Hindu outfits.
In
a similar incident, some members of a Hindu outfit demanded to a Muslim vendor
to remove his shop near the Mangodu Subrahmanya Temple in the state’s Udupi
district but the villagers intervened and sent them away.
Sadashiva
Katte, a local resident, said the incident took place on Saturday when a Muslim
vendor had opened a soda and juice shop near the temple. Members of the
rightwing outfit came to the spot and demanded the vendor to shift his shop.
“We villagers stood with the Muslim trader and sent those members away. The
Muslim trader is a local and has been doing business for a long time,” said
Katte.
Katte
said it has become a trend to disturb peace and harmony in order to gain
publicity using these cheap tricks. “Our Grama Panchayat has about 5,000 people
and there are many Muslims. Once we all stood with the Muslim trader, they left
the place silently,” he added.
In
Kodagu, Hindu activists sent away Muslim traders who were doing business near
the Harihara Subramanya Temple in Ponnampete. Ambika, the district coordinator
of Durga Vahini, a Hindu outfit, told the Muslim traders non-Hindus were not
allowed to do business on the temple premises. Ambika claimed the Muslim youth
were using fake identity cards such as Aadhaar cards with Hindu names.
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Gyanvapi
mosque row: Allahabad HC to hear AIM plea challenging Varanasi court verdict on
Dec 5
01st
December 2022
By
Namita Bajpai
LUCKNOW: The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday fixed
December 5 as the date for further hearing on a civil revision petition filed
by Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM), the Gyanvapi mosque management committee,
challenging the Varanasi district court order that had allowed the hearing in
the suit filed by five Hindu women plaintiffs seeking right to worship Goddess
Shringar Gauri and other deities on mosque premises.
The
Varanasi court had ruled that the suit filed by Hindu plaintiffs was
maintainable, and turned down the
objections filed by AIM to its maintainability under Order 7 Rule 11 of Civil
Procedure Code (CPC) on September 12, 2022.
Source: New Indian Express
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Sheer
propaganda to demonise Muslims: Mehbooba Mufti backs Nadav Lapid’s remark on
‘The Kashmir Files’
30
November, 2022
Srinagar
(Jammu and Kashmir) [India], November 30 (ANI): Jumping into the ‘Kashmir
Files’ row that erupted following a “propaganda” remark by Israeli filmmaker
Nadav Lapid, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on
Wednesday said that the movie was “sheer propaganda” promoted by the BJP to
“demonise Muslims”.
The
PDP chief also accused the Vivek Agnihotri-directed movie of attempting to
“widen the gulf between Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims”.
Nadav
Lapid had called ‘The Kashmir Files’ a “propaganda, vulgar film” at the 2022
International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, adding that he was
“shocked” to see the film in the competition section of such a prestigious film
festival.
“Finally
someone called out a movie that was nothing but sheer propaganda promoted by
the ruling party to demonise Muslims esp Kashmiris & widen the gulf between
Pandits & Muslims,” Mufti tweeted.
Following
Lapid’s remark, Israel’s ambassador to India Naor Gilon on Tuesday denounced
the controversial remarks.
“I
think one private person with his own opinion shouldn’t change anything here.
The relations are much stronger than one individual and I think they will
continue regardless of another individual,” Ambassador of Israel to India, Naor
Gilon had told ANI.
Israel’s
Consul General Kobbi Shoshani also described IFFI jury head Nadav Lapid’s
controversial remarks as a “big mistake”, and added that the comments made by
the Israeli filmmaker don’t reflect the country’s position on the movie.
Reacting
to the development, Mufti said that it is “sad” that the diplomatic channels
are being used to “silence the truth”.
“Sad
that diplomatic channels are now being used to silence the truth,” she added in
her tweet.
After
the remarks of Lapid on “Kashmir Files” set off a controversy, Israeli envoy
Naor Gilon slammed the IFFI Jury Head and apologized for the conduct of his
countryman at the 2022 IFFI in Goa.
“An
open letter to #NadavLapid following his criticism of #KashmirFiles. It’s not
in Hebrew because I wanted our Indian brothers and sisters to be able to
understand. It is also relatively long so I’ll give you the bottom line first.
YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED,” ambassador Gilon tweeted.
Gilon,
in a series of tweets, rebuked Lapid and emphasized how the friendship between
the people and the states of India and Israel is very strong and will survive
the damage inflicted by him.
“The
friendship between the people and the states of India and Israel is very strong
and will survive the damage you have inflicted. As a human being I feel ashamed
and want to apologize to our hosts for the bad manner in which we repaid them
for their generosity and friendship,” said Gilon.
Moreover,
the Israeli envoy said Nadav Lapid has abused the Indian invitation to chair
the panel of judges at IFFI Goa, as well as the trust bestowed on him.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saanjh 2022: Indo-Pak Peace Initiative To Resume In Amritsar
Nov
30, 2022
AMRITSAR:
Saanjh, also known as the Amritsar-Lahore festival, was brought to a standstill
due to the Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdown and hence the peace initiatives
taken by votaries of Indo-Pak peace came to a standstill.
Saanjh
2022 will be held on December 11 . "Saanjh is a rare and ambitious
initiative deriving from the belief that arts and cultures can succeed in
bringing people together to share and celebrate their common roots. Keeping
this in mind, we have decided to hold Saanjh 2022 this year,” said Sahiljit
Singh Sandhu, Chairman Spring Dale Educational Society.
He
added that they extended an invitation to Pakistan’s Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop
(RPTW), besides Wadali Brothers and Manganiyars, folk musicians of the Thar
desert, Rajasthan etc.
The
event was organised by Punarjyot, an offshoot of the Spring Dale Educational
Society. Late Faizaan Peerzada, former Chief Operating Officer, RPTW, Lahore
had co-founded Saanjh with late Dr Shivinder Singh Sandhu and late Manveen
Sandhu, in 2004, aiming to quell the unnecessary hatred in the minds of the
Indian and Pakistani public towards each other and to unite them by exploring
shared roots.
“We
are delighted to bring back Saanjh 2022 which was conceptualised as a festival
of peace by celebrating our composite culture and common roots through music,”
said Sahil.
About
RPTW , he informed that it was Pakistan’s foremost modern dramatist that was
started to promote art and focused on culture and aims to educate and entertain
through its activities.
Source:
Times Of India
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Arab World
Saudi
Arabia to invest $13 billion to develop 21 entertainment hubs across 14 cities
30
November ,2022
Saudi
Arabia is to invest more than $13 billion (SAR50 billion) to develop 21
entertainment destinations across the Kingdom which will include cinemas,
bowling tracks, electric karting tracks and indoor surfing areas.
The
Saudi Entertainment Ventures (SEVEN), wholly owned by Saudi’s Public Investment
Fund (PIF), has announced that the entertainment hubs will include more than
150 entertainment areas in 14 cities across the country.
Construction
workers have already broken ground for the first entertainment district –
slated for al-Hamra in Riyadh, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported
on Tuesday.
The
al-Hamra destination – which will be located at the intersection of the Eastern
Ring Road with King Abdullah Road - will cost $800 million (SAR3 billion) and
will stretch over 90,000 square meters and a construction area of 167,000
square meters.
The
entertainment destination will include an indoor viewing wheel, an indoor
surfing area, bowling alleys that include 10 tracks, an indoor air-flying area,
electric karting tracks, as well as cinemas, restaurants, cafes and branded
retail stores with local and global brands. It is expected to cater for some
six million visitors annually.
The
details and locations of the remaining 13 entertainment destinations have yet
to be revealed.
The
announcement comes amid rapid growth within
the
Saudi entertainment sector, and the country’s efforts to consolidate the
position of the sector.
This
is in line with its Vision 2030 plans to diversify sources of income, create
jobs, contribute to raising the quality of life for citizens and residents, and
improve the ranking of Saudi cities among the best cities globally.
SEVEN
said it will introduce a new concept in the world of entertainment; its
destinations will offer various experiences including a wide range of
entertainment attractions, a variety of local and international dining outlets
and many more – all under one roof.
Chairman
Abdullah AlDawood said: "SEVEN is redefining the future of entertainment
in Saudi Arabia through our 21 entertainment destinations across 14 cities with
more than 150 world-class attractions that enhance the quality of life for the
people of Saudi Arabia. We are partnering with leading entertainment brands and
will continue to do so to develop entertainment destinations like no
other."
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Free
Syrian Army killed ISIS leader last month: Pentagon
01
December ,2022
ISIS
leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi was killed by the Free Syrian Army
last month, according to the US military.
“This
operation was conducted by The Free Syrian Army in Dar’a province in Syria.
ISIS remains a threat to the region,” US Central Command Spokesman Col. Joe
Buccino said in a statement.
Buccino
said CENTCOM and Washington’s partners remained focused on the enduring defeat
of ISIS.
But
no US military forces were involved in the operation, a military spokesman told
Reuters.
ISIS
released earlier in the day that said al-Quraishi was killed during fighting
against “enemies of God.”
After
reports of the ISIS leader’s death, National Security Council spokesman John
Kirby said the White House welcomed the news.
This
was the second ISIS leader to be killed this year.
US
President Joe Biden announced in February that an operation to kill former
leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi was successful in Syria’s Idlib province.
Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi, his predecessor was also killed in Iblib, in 2019 after
then-President Donald Trump ordered a military raid on the ISIS leader.
But
gains made against ISIS are at risk, according to US officials, following the
recent Turkish military attacks on US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Russia
sends reinforcements to northern Syria amid fears of Turkish incursion
30
November ,2022
Russia
deployed troop reinforcements Wednesday to an area of northern Syria controlled
by Kurdish fighters and government troops, residents and a war monitor said,
amid fears of a Turkish ground incursion.
The
move by Damascus ally Moscow comes after Ankara launched air strikes on Kurdish
targets in Syria and Iraq on November 20, a week after a deadly Istanbul
bombing that it blamed on Kurdish militants, who have denied responsibility.
Residents
of Tal Rifaat, a Kurdish-held pocket north of Aleppo, told AFP that Russian
troop reinforcements had reached the city.
Tal
Rifaat lies 15 kilometers (nine miles) south of the border with Turkey. Kurdish
forces control the city and surrounding villages, and Russian troops were
already present in the area.
Residents
said Russian forces had set up roadblocks at a nearby village separating it
from positions under the control of Turkish forces and their Syrian proxies.
Turkish
proxies control areas surrounding Tal Rifaat from the north, while
Russian-backed Syrian troops control zones mostly to the south.
After
carrying out a series of airstrikes, Turkey has threatened to launch a ground
incursion into northern Syria, including the Tal Rifaat pocket as well as
Kobane and Manbij further east.
Kobane
and Manbij are under the control of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF), which include the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), one of the
groups Turkey accuses of being behind the Istanbul bombing.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said Russia
was also reinforcing its troops at a government-controlled airbase near Tal
Rifaat.
The
reinforcements could be an attempt “to stop or put off the Turkish operation,”
Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
Kurdish-led
forces in northern Syria have called on Russia to dissuade Turkey from
launching a ground offensive against them, their commander said on Tuesday.
The
Observatory said Russian reinforcements had also reached the outskirts of the
border city of Kobane.
Russian
troops deployed in some Kurdish-controlled border areas of northern Syria
following a 2019 agreement that sought to avert a previous Turkish incursion
threat.
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Turkey was more determined than ever
to secure its border with Syria from attacks by Kurdish fighters, threatening a
ground operation “at the most convenient time.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
Arabia, Spain ink deal to build combat ships for Saudi Navy
01
December ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Ministry of Defense has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU)
with Spanish company Navantia to build multi-mission combat ships for the Saudi
Navy, state news agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.
“The
MoU aims to raise the level of readiness of the Royal Saudi Naval Forces to
enhance maritime security in the region and protect the vital and strategic
interests of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and support the strategic, operational
and tactical goals of the Ministry of Defense,” it said.
According
to the agreement, the Spanish company “would localize up to 100 percent of
naval shipbuilding, integration of combat systems, and ship maintenance, in
line with the Kingdom’s objectives and Vision 2030.”
The
MoU focuses on integrating combat systems into new combat ships, systems design
and engineering, hardware design, software development, testing, verification
systems, prototyping, and simulation, as well as logistical support and
training program design.
Ahmed
al-Ohali, governor of General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), said:
“This memorandum promotes the march of localization in the military industries
sector by achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s vision to localize more than 50
percent of the total military spending by 2030, which will enable it to achieve
the national priorities represented in In strengthening the strategic
independence of the Kingdom, in addition to developing a sustainable local
military industries sector.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Ronaldo
'agrees a $200 mln-per-year’ contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr: Reports
30
November ,2022
Portugal
captain and former Manchester United player Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly
agreed to a record-breaking $207 million-a-year contract with Saudi Arabia’s Al
Nassr football club, according to Spanish newspaper outlet Marca.
The
37-year-old parted ways with Manchester United earlier this month, following a
rocky relationship and a 90-minute tell-all explosive interview with Piers
Morgan saying that he felt “betrayed” by the club while also criticizing
younger players.
Ronaldo
is now said to have agreed a two-and-a-half year deal with Al Nassr - that will
see him play until the age of 40.
Last
week, CBS Sports said Al Nassr club was reportedly ready to present Ronaldo –
who made history when he became the first player to score in five World Cups in
Portugal’s head-to-head with Ghana last week - with a three-year deal after the
global tournament ends, but no confirmation had been publicly made.
“Due
to contact being initiated over the summer, it is believed talks are relatively
advanced but awaiting Ronaldo’s final decision. Should he choose to accept the
offer, sources tell CBS Sports a deal would not take long to finalize,” the
media outlet reported at the time.
According
to the Spanish news outlet Marca, however, the deal has now been agreed.
However, there has been no official announcement from the club.
Al
Nassr are one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, having being
crowned winners of the country's top flight nine times, with their most recent
triumph coming in 2019.
In
both 2020 and 2021, it won the Saudi Super Cup and they are currently managed
by Frenchman Rudi Garcia, who has previously coached Roma, Marseille and Lyon.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UAE
postpones launch of moon explorer spacecraft to Thursday
Hussameldin
Abdelgadir Salih Mohamed
30.11.2022
The
UAE has announced the postponement until Thursday of the launch of its
spacecraft to explore the moon.
“Mohammed
bin Rashid Space Centre announces new launch date for the Emirates Lunar
Mission, tomorrow, 1st of December at 12:37 PM (UAE time),” or 0837GMT, the
official Emirates news agency said in a Wednesday tweet.
The
center did not mention the reason for postponing the launch of the explorer
Rashid.
Rashid
was scheduled to launch Wednesday towards the moon’s surface from Cape
Canaveral Space Force Station in the US state of Florida.
The
explorer's journey, from its launch until its arrival on the moon's surface,
will take about five months, while its main exploratory mission will take over
14 lunar days, according to the center.
On
the surface of the moon, it added, the explorer will have six study tasks: rock
science, plasma, dust, soil, data to develop new technologies, and collect data
related to the origin of the solar system and planet Earth.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Mideast
Far-right
Ben-Gvir squabbles with Israel’s military chief about ethics
30
November ,2022
An
Israeli far-right politician set to take a key security post in Benjamin
Netanyahu’s emerging government traded barbs on Wednesday with the military
chief over the jailing of a soldier who had taunted leftist activists in the
occupied West Bank.
Ultra-nationalist
Jewish Power leader Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the 10-day confinement handed
down to a soldier who was filmed on Friday warning pro-Palestinian activists in
the flashpoint city of Hebron: “Ben-Gvir will sort this place out.”
Ben-Gvir,
to whom Netanyahu has promised the post of national security minister, with
expanded powers over police in the West Bank, said on Twitter on Monday that
the sentence was too harsh and weakened soldiers’ resolve.
He
also appeared in a video together with the soldier’s father on Tuesday,
demanding that the army review the punishment and drawing apparent criticism
from Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi.
“We
will not allow intervention by any politician, left or right, in commanders’
decisions, nor use of the military to promote a political agenda,” Kohavi told
the soldier’s battalion and brigade commanders in a telephone call, the
military said on Twitter.
In
his turn, Ben-Gvir, also on Twitter, accused Kohavi of making inappropriate
political statements and said he had no intention of intervening in the
commanders’ punitive measures but demanded a change in policy.
Netanyahu
called on Twitter for Israel’s conscript military to be “left out of any
political argument.”
On
Friday, his Likud party said it had reached agreements on cabinet posts with
the Jewish Power after a Nov. 1 saw the joint list of far-right factions soar
to third place in parliament.
The
ascent of Ben-Gvir, a West Bank settler whose record includes 2007 convictions
for incitement against Arabs and support for a Jewish militant group on the
Israeli and US terrorist watchlists, has stirred concern at home and abroad.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran’s
top court sentences 4 to death over links with Israel
Syed
Zafar Mehdi
30.11.2022
TEHRAN
Iran’s
apex court has upheld the death penalty for four people accused of working for
Israel’s intelligence agency, the judiciary said on Wednesday.
The
individuals were charged with “destroying private and public property,
kidnappings and obtaining false confessions,” said a statement published by
Mizan news agency, which is linked with the judiciary.
The
four men were identified as Hossein Ordukhanzadeh, Shahin Imani Mahmoudabad,
Milad Ashrafi Atbatan, and Manouchehr Shahbandi Bejandi.
Three
others accused were given jail sentences ranging from 5 to 10 years on charges
of “crime against the country's security, aiding in kidnapping and possession
of weapons."
All
of them, the judiciary said, were working “under the guidance” of Israel’s
intelligence service.
According
to state media, the men were arrested in a joint operation by the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps and Intelligence Ministry in June.
Following
the legal trial, four of them were sentenced to death by a lower court. The
death verdicts were subsequently challenged in the Supreme Court, which has
upheld the rulings.
Iran
has been rocked by sweeping anti-government protests over the death of a young
woman in police custody, but officials said this case is not linked to the
ongoing unrest.
The
Islamic republic has often accused Israel of recruiting locals for espionage
activities, as well as sabotage at important nuclear, military and industrial
facilities across the country in recent years.
It
has also charged Tel Aviv of killing leading Iranian nuclear scientists.
Tensions
between the two arch-foes escalated dramatically after the top nuclear
scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was killed in a sophisticated operation on the
outskirts of Tehran in November 2020.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Israel’s
Lapid slams politicians’ incitement against army commanders
Abdelraouf
Arnaout
30.11.2022
JERUSALEM
Outgoing
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday slammed what he described as
"wild incitement" against commanders of the Israeli army.
Lapid's
statement was made in response to criticism of extremist politician Itamar
Ben-Gvir to the army punishment of soldiers who assaulted Israeli activists
last week in the West Bank city of Hebron.
"The
wild incitement led by the [incoming] ministers and MKs [lawmakers] against the
chief of staff [...] is dangerous and destructive and is at the head of the new
government," Lapid said in a statement.
"The
new government has not yet taken office and its ministers are already inciting
the IDF [Israeli army] soldiers against their commanders," Lapid added.
Ben-Gvir,
who heads the far-right Jewish Strength Party, is expected to become Israel’s
national security minister in the upcoming Israeli government headed by
Benjamin Netanyahu.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Arab
'normalization' with Israel failed to stamp out hatred for regime: Iran FM Spox
30
November 2022
The
so-called “normalization deals” between the Israeli regime and some Arab
governments in recent years have failed to stamp out hatred of people in Arab
countries towards the apartheid regime.
Iran’s
foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kana'ani made these remarks in a Twitter post
on Wednesday, saying the World Cup 2022 hosted by Qatar has demonstrated
disgust against the Tel Aviv regime.
“The
FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar has turned into a show of (Arab) people’s disgust
against the apartheid Zionist regime and the manifestation of the solidarity of
nations with the cause of Palestine,” Kana'ani said.
“The
occupying Israeli regime is hated by all nations,” he hastened to add.
In
recent weeks, since the football carnival began in Qatar, anti-Israel sentiment
has been running high, with football fans from across the world waving the
Palestinian flag during the matches.
Football
fans have also refused to speak to Israeli journalists covering the World Cup,
citing the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories and unbridled
atrocities against Palestinians.
Raz
Shechnick, a reporter for Yedioth Ahronoth, took to Twitter to share his
harrowing experiences in Qatar vis-à-vis sweeping anti-Israel sentiment and
pro-Palestine advocacy.
"We
didn't want to write these words, we are not the story here. But after ten days
in Doha, we cannot hide what we are going through. We are feeling hated,
surrounded by hostility, not welcomed,” he said.
Dor
Hoffman, an Israeli journalist, reported that a Qatari taxi driver kicked him
out of his cab after he discovered his identity, refusing to take his money.
Moav
Vardy, a foreign affairs reporter for the Israeli Kan 11 television channel,
said he was yelled at by a Saudi fan, who told him "you are not welcome
here, this is Qatar, this is our country, and there is only Palestine, no
Israel."
During
the matches, the Palestinian flag has been spotted regularly over the past few
weeks, amid growing awareness about Israeli aggression in the occupied
territories.
Meanwhile,
in another tweet, Kana'ani cited Palestinian news sources as saying that at
least five Palestinians had been killed by the Israeli regime troops over the
past 24 hours.
He
lashed out at Western states for supporting “a racist, terrorist and occupying
regime,” calling them “false advocates of human rights.”
“The
false claimants of human rights have been supporting a racist, terrorist, and
occupying regime for more than 7 decades, which not only commits gross human
rights violations but also commits genocide against the Palestinian nation,” he
stated.
Two
young Palestinian men, identified by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa
as Jawad and Dhafr Rimawi, aged 22 and 21, were killed on Tuesday during
confrontations with the regime troops near the village of Kafr Ein, west of
Ramallah.
Another
Palestinian man identified by the Palestinian Health Ministry as Mufid Khalil
was killed by Israeli soldiers during a military raid near al-Khalil.
Khalil
was shot in the head, and at least eight others were injured, according to the
ministry.
The
health ministry said a fourth Palestinian died after being shot in the chest by
Israeli soldiers on Tuesday during clashes north of Ramallah. Wafa named the
victim Raed Ghazi al-Naasan.
Also
on Tuesday, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian over an alleged
car-ramming attack near the Kochav Yaakov illegal settlement outside occupied
East al-Quds.
The
spree of killings comes as Israeli forces have been carrying out overnight
raids in the northern occupied West Bank, mainly in the cities of Jenin and
Nablus, where new groups of Palestinian resistance fighters have been formed.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/11/30/693661/Arab-Normalization-Israel-Failed-Stamp-Out-Hatred
--------
Iran
summons French envoy over 'interventionist' resolution, remarks
30
November 2022
Iran's
foreign ministry on Wednesday summoned the French ambassador in Tehran over the
adoption of an "interventionist" anti-Iran resolution at French
National Assembly and "unacceptable" remarks by the country's top
diplomat.
The
ministry said in a statement that it conveyed to Nicolas Roche Iran’s “strong
protest” against “baseless” accusations made by French officials while also
condemning and rejecting such intervention as “unacceptable.”
It
also slammed as unacceptable remarks made by French Foreign Minister Catherine
Colonna during the Monday session of the parliament.
The
Islamic Republic of Iran regrets that France and some European countries are
using the issue of human rights as a tool and treating it with double
standards, the statement noted.
“It
is necessary for these countries to rectify their wrong approach which is in
blatant violation of the principle of sovereignty in international law,” it
added.
The
ministry also said that such countries lack “authority and competence” to claim
advocating human rights because of their resort to force and unilateral
approaches, which is in violation of the rights of nations.
Iran’s
official protest comes as the French National Assembly passed a resolution on
Monday, condemning what it termed "crackdown on non-violent
demonstrators.”
During
the session, Colonna said that the European Union was working on new
anti-Iranian sanctions which will be prepared for the next Council of Foreign
Ministers on December 12.
Deadly
riots broke out in Iran in mid-September after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa
Amini.
Amini
fainted at a police station in Tehran and was pronounced dead three days later
in hospital. An official report by Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization concluded
that Amini’s death was caused by illness rather than alleged blows to the head
or other vital body organs.
Rioters
went on a rampage, attacking security officers and causing damage to public and
private property as Western powers provided support.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Official:
Iran signs $4 billion services deal with Iraq
30
November 2022
Iran
has concluded a $4 billion contract in the field of exporting technical and
engineering services with Iraq, board director of the Iranian Oil, Gas and
Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Association (OPEX) has said.
The
contract is on course to offset part of the shortfall which has arisen in
Iran’s exports to Iraq in the field of technical and engineering services,
futures, production and medical treatment over the past year.
“In
the eight months of this year [beginning on March 20], exports to Iraq, except
for electricity, totaled $4.7 billion, down by $1.4 billion compared to the
same period last year,” Hamid Hosseini said.
The
official touched on shocks to the Iraqi market and uncertainty over the
formation of government in the Arab country last year, saying he expected Iraqi
imports to increase in the next four months.
It
is expected that Iran exports to Iraq will reach $8-9 billion, Hosseini said.
Iraq’s
new prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani paid a day-long visit to Iran on
Tuesday and was received by President Ebrahim Raeisi who expressed hopes of
bolstering ties.
Raeisi
said banking, finance and wider business topics were also discussed and that
talks between the two allies "will help to resolve bilateral
problems".
Sudani
thanked Iran for its continued deliveries of gas and electricity, which have
been in short supply in Iraq, while he also pointed to discussions on a
"mechanism" to enable Iraq to pay Iran for these services.
Iraq
relies on Iran for natural gas that generates as much as 45 percent of its
14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily. Iran transmits another 1,000
megawatts directly, making itself an indispensable energy source for its Arab
neighbor.
The
US has had to repeatedly extend sanctions exemption by 45, 90 or 120 days, to
allow Baghdad to import Iranian energy, but it is unhappy with close
relationship and trade between Baghdad and Tehran.
Years
of war following the 2003 US invasion have left Iraq’s power infrastructure in
tatters and a deficit of some 7,000 megawatts.
In
the past, officials in Baghdad have said there is no easy substitute to imports
from Iran because it would take years to adequately build up Iraq’s energy
infrastructure.
They
have said American demand acknowledges neither Iraq’s energy needs nor the
complex relations between Baghdad and Tehran.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/11/30/693657/Iran-Iraq-technical-services-deal-electricity
--------
Pakistan
Religious
Groups Get In Momentum Against Blasphemous Stuff On Social Media, Utilizing The
Expertise of Federal Investigation Agency
DECEMBER
1, 2022
Religious-based
organizations have got in momentum against the blasphemous stuff on social
media as they are using all legal forums to control this burgeoning social as
well as religious menace through proper channel.
The
religious organizations are also utilizing the expertise of Federal
Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Cyber Crime Wing to net those culprits allegedly
involved in this heinous crime.
Legal
Commission on Blasphemy Pakistan Secretary General Sheraz Ahmed Farooqui, in an
exclusive talk with APP, informed that the FIA had booked an accused allegedly
involved in publication of indecent content against the sacred books Quran and
Bible on social media on Tuesday.
The
FIA had also arrested two miscreants allegedly involved in proliferation of
desecration things on social media on Wednesday, he added.
He
further said 62 blasphemers had been put behind the bars so far, nine of them
had been awarded the capital punishment by the trial court, two of the death
penalty accused’s sentences had been confirmed by the high courts.
Farooqui
said the accused under trial in blasphemous cases had never been granted bail
by any court of law yet.
He
said today, a blasphemer namely Sana Ullah had been awarded death sentence by
the Anti-Terrorist Court, Peshawar – I.
He
said ATC Judge Fazl Sattar Khan reserved the verdict in the following case on
November 24, adding that the convicted used to share desecration material on
the WhatsApp group against the sanctity and prestige of Holy Prophet Muhammad
Peace Be Upon Him, Mothers of believers (Ummahaat-ul-Momineen) and the religion
of Islam.
Farooqui
informed that there was a consortium of religious-based organizations including
Namoos-e-Risalat Lawyers Forum Pakistan, Legal Thinkers Forum, Tehreek Tehfuz
Namoos-e-Risalat Pakistan, World Khatm-e-Nabuwat Council, Anjuman
Ashqaan-e-Muhammad, Tehfuz Khatm-e-Nabuwat Forum, Tehfuz Khatm-e-Nabuwat Wukla
Forum, Legal and Cyber Experts Forum, Razakaran-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwat and Islamabad
Bar Association which were pursuing the blasphemous cases till their logical
conclusions.
Meanwhile,
the National Assembly (NA) had passed a unanimous resolution to withdraw
appeals of government from the Supreme Court to annul the Lahore Haigh Court
(LHC)’s decision against the publication of blasphemous content on the social
media.
The
mover of resolution Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Member of the National
Assembly Choudhary Faqir Ahmad, talking to this national premier news agency,
informed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government of then challenged the
decision in the apex court instead of implementing it in letter and spirit.
He
urged the incumbent government to withdraw the appeals against the LHC’s
decision filed by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication
and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority in the tenure of so called
Riyasat-e-Madinah.
In
addition, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had
reactivated its Web Evaluation Cell to control the increasing incidents of
blasphemy on social media.
The
ministry’s spokesperson Muhammad Umar Butt told APP that the people could
report blasphemous material if found on social media on the official email
address: reportblasphemy@mora.gov.pk, Facebook page: @mora.official or WhatsApp
number: 0306 3332555.
He
made it clear that hate material against the religion or sacred figures was
completely banned as per law and the Constitution. “Those allegedly involved in
this illegitimate activity would be taken to task as per law of the land,” he
added.
He
said Ulema and Mashaykh of all schools of thought were making all out efforts
to promote religious harmony in all sections of the society.
Source: Daily
Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'Do
not forget armed forces are servants of people': Imran Khan to new Pakistan
military leaders
Nov
30, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
In a message to the newly appointed military leaders, including army chief Asim
Munir, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday expressed hope
that they will work to end the prevailing trust deficit between the nation and
the State.
"Congratulations
to Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza as new CJCSC and Gen Syed Asim Munir as new COAS.
We hope new mly ldrship will work to end prevailing trust deficit that has
built up in last 8 months between the nation and the State. Strength of the
State is derived from its people," Khan said in his congratulatory tweet
for the newly appointed military leadership.
In
his Twitter post, the PTI chief quoting Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah,
"Do not forget that the armed forces are the servants of the people and
you do not make national policy; it is we, the civilians, who decide these
issues and it is your duty to carry out these tasks with which you are
entrusted."
This
comes a day after General Asim Munir took over the command from outgoing Chief
of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Marking an end to his six-year
tenure as the most powerful person in the country, Bajwa passed the baton of
command to Lt Gen Munir at a ceremony held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in
Rawalpindi, the Dawn newspaper reported.
Since
his ouster from power in April this year, Imran Khan has had a fallout with the
country's coalition government and military establishment.
The
hype and hoopla created over the appointment of Pakistan's new army chief came
to rest after General Asim Munir and General Sahir Shamshad Mirza were notified
as the next chief of army staff (COAS) and chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
Committee (CJCSC) respectively on November 24.
Munir,
who was to retire on November 27, two days before Bajwa completed an extended
tenure of almost six years, was among six generals in the race for the top post
-- a cause for much uncertainty and speculation till this week.
There
was an unprecedented hysteria and frenzy in Pakistan by former Prime Minister,
his followers and his social media brigade after the PTI government was thrown
out of the power corridors of Islamabad in April. The Shehbaz Sharif government
has accused Khan of making the appointment of the new army chief controversial
for political gains.
For
the last month, Pakistan was literally paralysed administratively and
economically because of the delay in the appointment of the army chief who is
considered the most powerful personality with all political stakeholders dying
for his blessings.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Suicide
blast targeting police truck kills 4, injures over 20 in Pakistan
Nov
30, 2022
KARACHI:
A suicide bomber from the banned Pakistani Taliban blew himself up near a
patrolling police truck carrying security personnel to protect polio workers in
the restive Balochistan province on Wednesday, killing at least four people and
injuring 26 others, including 23 policemen.
The
attacker targeted the paramilitary constabulary truck in Quetta's Baleli area,
which was going to provide security to polio workers at the ongoing drive.
Quetta
deputy inspector general of police (DIGP) Ghulam Azfar Mahesar confirmed the
attack and said that a total of three vehicles were hit in the blast.
“Looking
at the crime scene and given that the truck toppled, it is estimated that 25
kilograms of explosives were used,” he said.
The
death toll from the targeted suicide attack in Quetta rose further as another
child died during treatment, Geo News reported.
The
attack killed a cop and a child on the spot, and reportedly left 26 including
23 cops wounded, it said.
The
death toll climbed to 4 after a woman and her child injured in the bombing
succumbed to their injuries later in the day, the report quoted the hospital
administration as saying.
Earlier,
the hospital administration had said that most of the injured are out of
danger.
The
banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group claimed responsibility for the
attack which came just two days after the group announced to call off its
ceasefire.
It
said the attack was in retaliation for the killing of Abdul Wali also known as
Omar Khalid Khurrassni killed in Afghanistan in August.
Mahesar
said that the explosion was a suicide attack as they have found the remains of
a suicide bomber near the crime scene.
Preliminary
police investigations showed that a rickshaw hit the police truck. Authorities
have declared an emergency in the hospitals of Quetta to treat the victims.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident and directed the authorities to
initiate an investigation into the attack.
According
to the state-run Radio Pakistan, the premier expressed grief and sorrow over
the loss of life.
He
also said that polio workers across the country were fulfilling their
responsibilities without caring for their lives.
“Eliminating
polio virus from the country is amongst the top priorities of the government
and we will not rest until polio is completely eradicated,” he said, asserting
that “evil elements” would always fail to harm the anti-polio campaign in the
country.
President
Dr Arif Alvi also condemned the attack and prayed for the forgiveness of the
deceased and the recovery of the injured.
He
said that children were Pakistan's most valuable asset and the government was
determined to protect them from diseases such as polio.
“The
State will not allow anti-social elements to interfere in the mission of
complete eradication of polio,” he said.
Former
premier and PTI chief Imran Khan also expressed deep grief on the attack and
prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured people.
Attacks
on workers of the anti-polio vaccination drives in Pakistan have increased in
recent times.
In
March this year, gunmen in northwestern Pakistan shot and killed a female polio
worker as she was returning home after taking part in the country's latest
anti-polio campaign.
In
January last year, armed gunmen shot dead a police officer guarding a team of
polio vaccine handlers in northwestern Pakistan.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Religious
extremists desecrate Ahmadi graves in Pakistan
November
29, 2022
Several
graves belonging to Ahmadis have been allegedly desecrated by religious
extremists in Pakistan's Punjab province, a spokesman for the minority
community said on Tuesday.
Jamaat
Ahmadiya Pakistan official Amir Mahmood told PTI that the tombstones of the
graves were desecrated at Prem Kot graveyard in Hafizabad district, some 100
kilometres from Lahore.
He
said that those who damaged the graves also wrote "Ahmadi dog" on
them, which is very distressing for the families.
"The
Ahmadis living in Pakistan are not at peace even after their demise. The
Ahmadis are not safe in their graves," he said.
Mahmood
demanded the arrest of those involved in the desecration of graves of the
minority community.
In
the past also, such incidents have taken place in other Ahmadi graveyards in
Punjab but not a single culprit was arrested or put on trial.
In
August this year, 16 graves of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan's Punjab
province were allegedly desecrated by religious extremists for using Islamic
symbols on gravestones at a cemetery in Chak 203 RB Manawala, Faisalabad
district, some 150 kilometres from Lahore.
Minorities,
especially Ahmadis, are very vulnerable in Pakistan and they are often targeted
by religious extremists. Former military dictator Gen Zia-ul Haq made it a
punishable offence for Ahmadis to call themselves Muslims or to refer to their
faith as Islam.
Pakistan's
Parliament in 1974 declared the Ahmadi community as non-Muslims. A decade
later, they were banned from calling themselves Muslims. They are banned from
preaching and from travelling to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.
Source: The Week
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PML-N
struggling to beat impression it’s ‘afraid of snap polls’
Zulqernain
Tahir
December
1, 2022
LAHORE:
There appears to be an impression in political circles that the PML-N is
‘running away’ from elections in Punjab, something that seems to stem from the
party’s insistence that it wants to save the Punjab Assembly ‘at any cost’.
However,
the party says it is taking the decision in the interests of the country and
not on the whims of an individual or a party, as it doesn’t want to appear to
be giving in to Imran Khan’s demands.
The
Sharifs have reportedly been advised by well-wishers within the party to change
their narrative of ‘saving Punjab Assembly at any cost’ and adopt a more
confident tone that shows they are not afraid of contesting polls in case
Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi dissolves the assembly on the
request of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.
These
conversations within the party come in the wake of PTI chairman and his party
members claiming that the PDM parties, especially the PML-N, are afraid to
contest even a by-poll because of the fear of a ‘loss’ as their popularity has
dipped immensely since April.
A
PML-N insider told Dawn on Wednesday that some close aides of the Sharif family
have asked it to shun the ‘apologetic’ narrative, which the insider said
implied that the party was running away from elections in the province.
“This
makes it sound like we are seconding the narrative of Imran Khan that the PML-N
is afraid of going to polls because of his supposedly rising popularity. We are
in government in the Centre, not in Punjab. Why should we oppose the
dissolution of the PA? Rather we should dare Imran to dissolve the assembly
after which we will form a government here — this should be our narrative,” the
insider quoted as having conveyed it to the Sharif family.
However,
PML-N Punjab Information Secretary Azma Bokhari told Dawn that the reasons the
party wanted to save the assemblies were constitutional, economic and law and
order.
“The
country cannot be run on the wishes of Imran Khan. Elections are held after
consensus among all political parties and not on the desire of one person.
Nowhere in the world can one party force others to call elections,” she
maintained.
The
MPA said the Constitution enunciated that the assemblies should complete their
tenure.
“It
is also not possible that elections are held in various assemblies separately.
Besides, the ECP has also announced local body polls in Punjab in April.”
Ms
Bokhari further said Pakistan’s economic situation, the post-flood situation,
TTP’s end of the ceasefire with the government were the other pressing issues
that did not make the environment conducive for elections.
It
is pertinent to mention that the election commission sacked its spokesperson
Haroon Shinwari for issuing a statement “without directions from the higher
authorities” regarding the holding of elections in 60 days in case the Punjab
and KP assemblies were dissolved. Subsequently, the commission announced
holding of local body polls in Punjab in April.
Observers
see this as an anticipatory move in the wake of the PTI’s possible dissolution
of KP and Punjab assemblies, commenting that the election body could make an
excuse that it would not be possible for it to conduct two elections — local
bodies and Punjab — simultaneously.
On
the other hand, PML-N senior leader Pervaiz Rashid dispelled the impression
that the party was running away from polls.
“We
are very much ready to contest and defeat the PTI in Punjab, but don’t want
billions of rupees wasted twice. If Punjab and KP go to polls in March then
after six months, elections for the national, Balochistan and Sindh assemblies
will be held, which means billions of rupees will be spent twice for no reason.
Every penny is precious and to be spent on the rehabilitation of flood-affected
families, as we prefer the country’s economic situation over party politics.”
The
former senator and close aide of Nawaz Sharif further said Mr Khan’s popularity
was just a myth.
“People
have seen his popularity graph during the long march, which reached Rawalpindi
from Lahore in a month. He is not interested in dissolving the Punjab and KP
assemblies… he wants to maintain political instability and create problems for
the government,” Mr Rashid remarked and added that when the people of Punjab go
to vote, they would compare the performances of Shehbaz Sharif as the chief
minister with the PTI’s Usman Buzdar.
Meanwhile,
a PML-N lawmaker close to Hamza Shehbaz told Dawn the party was not ready to go
to polls in Punjab or anywhere before Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan.
“Let
Nawaz come back and then we won’t mind taking up Imran Khan’s challenge,” he
commented.
Since
former premier Khan decided to dissolve the two provincial assemblies besides
tendering resignations from the Sindh and Balochistan legislatures, the former
Punjab rulers, the PML-N, have been talking about using all ‘available tactics’
to foil the PTI’s plan to dissolve the two provincial assemblies.
Punjab
Assembly Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz has come out of ‘hibernation’ and in
back-to-back meetings in Lahore with the fellow opposition party, the PPP,
vowed to ‘save the PA’ through various available options such as a no-trust
move against CM Elahi, imposition of governor’s rule, the governor seeking a
vote of confidence from the CM, requesting the apex court to take up Hamza’s review
petition on its decision in the Punjab CM election case etc.
Besides,
both the PML-N and PPP have agreed to contact ‘disgruntled’ PTI lawmakers to
preempt the ruling party’s move to dissolve the PA.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari of the PPP also
met on Tuesday and discussed ways to prevent the possible political crisis in
the province.
“PML-N
supreme leader Nawaz Sharif should tell his younger brother and nephew to adopt
a more daring approach and respond to Khan’s challenge in a political way
instead of talking like a dictator about governor’s rule,” a party leader from
Punjab told Dawn.
He
questioned that if Mr Khan was taking his chances by dissolving the Punjab and
KP assemblies where his party had governments, what was stopping the PML-N from
going to polls there?
“Holding
elections in Punjab and KP provide an opportunity to the PML-N and Pakistan
Democratic Movement (PDM) to form their government, especially in Punjab, while
holding onto power in the Centre. The Sharifs, especially PM Shehbaz and the
opposition leader in Punjab, should come forward and look Mr Khan in the eye
and take him up on his challenge of provincial polls,” the party leader
suggested, adding the PML-N maintaining its ‘apologetic’ narrative would show
its popularity had completely eroded in Punjab and it might need some assurance
(for securing a victory) from the establishment before going to polls.
Source: Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1724031/pml-n-struggling-to-beat-impression-its-afraid-of-snap-polls
--------
Bilawal
disputes ‘political failure’ narrative on 1971 debacle
Imran
Ayub
December
1, 2022
KARACHI:
Exactly a week after former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa referred to the
East Pakistan loss as a ‘political’ failure, Foreign Minister Bilawal
Bhutto-Zardari in a thinly-veiled rejection of the claim insisted on Wednesday
that the Dhaka debacle in 1971 was in fact a ‘military failure’ that had
brought host of challenges for the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto-led PPP.
The
foreign minister expressed this opinion at the Nishtar Park rally, which was
organised to mark the 55th foundation day of his party as part of countrywide
celebrations.
On
the occasion, the PPP chairman revisited the history of his party and recounted
the achievements of its founder. He referred to the fall of Dhaka in 1971, when
his grandfather took up the challenge to reunite the “disintegrated country”
and “regain the lost glory”.
“When
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took over the government, the people were broken and had
lost all hope,” he said. “But he rebuilt the nation, restored the confidence of
the people and finally brought our 90,000 troops back home who had been made
prisoners of war due to ‘military failure’. Those 90,000 soldiers were reunited
with their families. And that all was made possible due to politics of hope...
of unity... and inclusion.”
Terms
fall of Dhaka ‘military failure’; says PTI will never resign from KP and Punjab
assemblies
While
addressing a Defence and Martyrs Ceremony at the General Headquarters last
week, former army chief retired Gen Qamar Bajwa — in an attempt to “correct the
record” — had made the claim: “I want to correct the record. First of all, the
fall of East Pakistan was not a military but a political failure. The number of
fighting soldiers was not 92,000, it was rather only 34,000, the rest were from
various government departments.”
He
had said those 34,000 people fought 250,000 Indian army soldiers, and 200,000
trained Mukti Bahini fighters but still they fought valiantly despite all odds
and offered unprecedented sacrifices.
In
an over hour-long speech, the foreign minister recalled the history of his
party that he said “sacrificed” two elected prime ministers. Even their family
members were not spared and slain in an attempt to weaken democracy and
strengthen the “puppet leadership”, he said.
Taking
a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman, the PPP chief said that
contrary to Imran Khan’s claim, the PTI would never quit the assemblies of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, as it had a history of taking “U-turns” and that
too for the vested interests.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1724027/bilawal-disputes-political-failure-narrative-on-1971-debacle
--------
Govt
urged to call joint session on terror threats
Amir
Wasim
December
1, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The coalition government has been asked to convene a joint sitting of
parliament immediately to discuss the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP)
fresh claim about a breakdown of negotiations with Pakistani authorities and
instructions to its militants to carry out terrorist attacks across the
country.
As
the TTP announcement to call off the ceasefire indicates that people of
Pakistan were being kept in dark, a clear policy is required to deal with
violent extremism rather than the ‘policy of use of force and appeasement’.
These
demands were made by PPP Senator Raza Rabbani in a statement issued here on
Wednesday, a day after Gen Asim Munir took over army’s command.
The
banned outfit earlier on Nov 28 announced it was calling off the ceasefire
agreed with the Pakistan government in June.
The
senator also highlighted the need for making the Parliamentary Committee on
National Security (PCNS) more effective which, according to him, would become
possible by “removing National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf from its
chairmanship” since due to time constraints, the NA speaker could not
effectively chair the PCNS.
He
was of the opinion that over the past few months, the state had been concealing
the facts despite an increase in terrorism throughout the country, particularly
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “The re-emergence of militancy in the shape of TTP
finishing the ceasefire has made it clear that the state continues to keep the
people of Pakistan in the dark, as this announcement was made by the TTP,” he
said.
“There
was clear evidence of increasing sporadic attacks, extortion demands and
kidnapping. The people of Swat held massive rallies against the increase in
terrorism but the state relied by applying the anti-terrorism act on innocent
citizens.”
The
PPP senator alleged that the state had failed to provide adequate
infrastructure despite four years of Fata’s merger with KP. Secondly, he said,
the state had refused to engage with peaceful civilian movements that have a
potential of standing up against militancy.
“I
made repeated demands for a joint session of the parliament to discuss the
increase in terrorism but it has fallen on deaf ears,” he regretted.
Last
year, when the talks began with the TTP, Mr Rabbani had made a similar demand,
stating that the PTI government had no right or mandate to enter into talks
with the banned entity without taking the parliament into confidence.
“The
Pakistani parliament should be locked and the key thrown away, rather than
suffering humiliation and being shown to be redundant every day,” Mr Rabbani
had gone to the extent of saying while commenting on the interview of the then
prime minister Imran Khan with TRT World in which he had offered general pardon
to the TTP provided the banned group laid down weapons.
In
the same interview, the prime minister had disclosed that the Pakistan
government was in talks with some groups of the TTP seeking reconciliation.
Talks
between Pakistani officials and the militant outfit started in October last
year under the PTI government but broke down in May this year due to a deadlock
on the revocation of the merger of erstwhile tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Subsequently, attacks by the TTP have been on the rise since September after
the group’s ceasefire with the army ended.
Most
of the attacks have happened in and around Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, South
Waziristan, and North Waziristan districts in KP, while the Quetta blast was
the latest in a series of attacks.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1724028/govt-urged-to-call-joint-session-on-terror-threats
--------
New
military leadership will work to ‘end trust deficit’: Imran
December
1, 2022
LAHORE:
PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday congratulated the newly appointed military
leadership, expressing the hope that they would work to “end the prevailing
trust deficit” between the nation and the state.
In
a tweet on Wednesday, Imran felicitated the new military command. “We hope the
new military leadership will work to end the prevailing trust deficit that has
built up in the last 8 months between the nation and the state.
“The
strength of the state is derived from its people,” the PTI chief added.
Along
with the message, Imran also shared a screenshot of a purported quote by
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which some people on social media questioned
the veracity of.
Last
week, Gen Asim Munir, a soldier with considerable operational experience and a
career steeped in intelligence, was designated as the country’s 17th army chief
while Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, another infantry officer with an enviable
career, was appointed as the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff committee.
The
appointments ended weeks of intense speculation about who will lead the
powerful military following Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s retirement. Gen Mirza took
charge on Nov 27 while Gen Munir assumed charge on Nov 29.
Imran
slammed for ‘selective memory’
Reacting
to Imran’s statement, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb took exception to
his claim and questioned whether Quaid-i-Azam had also offered an indefinite
extension to the army chief behind closed doors.
The
information minister, addressing a press conference in Islamabad, said the only
mistrust present was the one in Imran’s mind.
Aurangzeb
said Imran was now twiddling his thumbs after the party’s long march and
advised him to do the following two things: Declare all the gifts he had taken
from the Toshakhana and follow through on registering a case against the Jang
Group and Dubai-based businessman Umar Zahoor for the claims they made against
him.
“You
know that if you file the case, you will have to provide details about the
watch and all those details related to the Toshakhana which have yet to be
revealed to the nation.”
As
for the PTI’s announcement to leave the provincial assemblies, she said Imran
only wanted political instability and discord in the country.
PML-N
Vice President Maryam Nawaz claimed Imran had a “selective memory” but other
people did not.
“You
collude with certain elements of the establishment, they raise and feed you
like their godson. Now you beg for their unconstitutional interference and when
it is denied you call them traitors. You have the audacity to talk about trust
deficit? You think people are fools,” she tweeted.
PML-N
leader Muhammad Zubair was also of the opinion that the PTI chief had
“selective memory”.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
COAS,
JCSC chairman call on President Alvi, PM Shehbaz
November
30, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Newly-appointed Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Sahir Shamshad Mirza
and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir called on President Arif Alvi and
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif separately.
Both
CJCSC General Shamshad and Army Chief General Asim Munir separately called on
President Alvi at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday. The duo also called on Prime
Minister separately.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/11/30/coas-jcsc-chairman-call-on-president-alvi-pm-shehbaz/
--------
Security
forces kill one terrorist in Shewa, North Waziristan
November
30, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
Security forces in an operation have killed one terrorist in Shewa, North
Waziristan while a troop also embraced martyrdom.
“On
30 November 2022, fire exchange took place between terrorists and own troops in
general area Shewa, North Waziristan District. Own troops fought bravely and
engaged the terrorist’s location effectively; 1 x terrorist got killed. Weapon
and ammunition was also recovered from the killed terrorist,” says a handout
issued by the ISPR.
The
killed terrorist remained actively involved in terrorist activities against
security forces.
During
intense fire exchange, Havaldar Parosh (age 35 years, resident of Kohat) having
fought gallantly, embraced Shahadat.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Taliban
silence Voice of America broadcasts in Afghanistan
December
01, 2022
Washington,
Dec 1 (AP) The Voice of America said Wednesday that Taliban authorities have
banned FM radio broadcasts from VOA and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in
Afghanistan, starting Thursday.
VOA
said Taliban authorities cited “complaints they have received about programming
content” without providing specifics.
VOA
and RFE are funded by the U.S. government, though they claim editorial
independence.
The
Taliban overran Afghanistan in August 2021 as American and NATO forces were in
the final weeks of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.
Despite
initially promising a more moderate rule, they have restricted rights and
freedoms and widely implemented their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or
Sharia.
Abdul
Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told The
Associated Press Thursday that Afghanistan has press laws and any network found
“repeatedly contravening” these laws will have their privilege of working in
the country taken away.
“VOA
and Azadi Radio (Radio Liberty) failed to adhere to these laws, were found as
repeat offenders, failed to show professionalism and were therefore shut down,”
he said.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.theweek.in/wire-updates/international/2022/12/01/fgn16-afghan-ld-voice-of-america.html
--------
Taliban:
10 Students Killed In Bombing Of Afghan Religious School, Al Jihad Madrassa
Nov
30, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A bomb blast hit a religious school in northern Afghanistan on Wednesday,
killing at least 10 students, a Taliban official said. The explosion went off
at around the time of afternoon prayers at the Al Jihad Madrassa in Aybak,
capital of Samangan province, a resident of the city who heard the explosion
told The Associated Press. Most of the students at the school are young boys,
said the resident, speaking on condition of anonymity for his own safety.
Video
distributed by the Taliban to the media showed the blast site, a hall littered
with debris, mats and shoes, with dead bodies and bloodstains on the floor.
Sirens can be heard in the background and men, some of them armed, move through
the hall surveying the explosion's aftermath.
Interior
Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor said a number of students were wounded in
the attack. Samangan province has a majority population of ethnic Uzbeks.
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility. But the Afghan affiliate of the
Islamic State group has been waging a campaign of violence that escalated since
the Taliban took power in August 2021.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
TTP
appears to have lost trust in the Haqqani faction of Taliban: Report
Dec
01 2022
Islamabad,
Dec 1 (IANS): The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) appears to have lost trust
in the "Haqqani faction" of the Afghan Taliban, which is considered
close to the Pakistani establishment, and instead seeks to align itself with
the rival "Kandahari faction" led by Afghan Defence Minister Mullah
Yaqoob.
The
TTP's statement on ending the ceasefire with Pakistan government came hours
after the Foreign Ministry said that Deputy Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar
will be leading a high-level delegation to Kabul for talks with Taliban
officials, The Express Tribune reported.
Rumours
have it the TTP was also invited by Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani
to Kabul, but the group declined the invitation.
Some
Afghan media reports also claimed that Mullah Yaqoob refused to meet the
Pakistani delegation in Kabul, The Express Tribune reported.
A
Defence Ministry official, however, denied such a meeting was ever planned.
There
is a possibility that the TTP's move might have been choreographed by the Kabul
regime to use it as a pressure tactic in their talks with Khar and her
delegation because they believe Pakistan is again ditching their regime after
warming up to the US.
The
TTP announced the truce collapse a day before Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was to pass
the baton of army command to his successor Gen Asim Munir.
This
could be a reminder for the new army chief to revive the negotiation process
which has stalled since the transfer of Lt Gen
Faiz
Hameed out of Peshawar. Gen Munir has inherited far too many challenges in the
politically volatile and economically near-bankrupt country, The Express
Tribune reported.
There
could also be a possibility that the TTP wants to break away from the Afghan
Taliban after the loss of some of its big guns in recent months in Afghanistan,
suspecting a role of the Kabul regime which has been under increasing pressure
from Islamabad to dismantle TTP sanctuaries.
If
that is the case, then we may next expect the TTP drifting towards the Khorasan
enterprise of Islamic State (IS) terror group. And if that happens, the Taliban
regime's worst nightmare would come true, The Express Tribune reported.
The
TTP knows that its alliance with the IS could create the most potent threat to
the Taliban's nascent regime and that it would try to prevent it at any cost.
The TTP timed its truce collapse announcement with Khar's arrival in Kabul to
give a message to Islamabad that the Taliban would no longer speak or negotiate
on its behalf. Or this could also be a message to Kabul to put pressure on the
Pakistani side for a deal with the TTP.
Whatever
may be the reason for its latest move, the TTP has zero motivation to give up
violence and disband, especially following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban
in August 2021. Instead the group has been emboldened by the Taliban's
bewildering victory over foreign forces which gave it a hope that it could also
bring the Pakistan government to its knees, The Express Tribune reported.
Source:
Daiji World
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1025021
--------
At
least 16 killed, 24 wounded in north Afghanistan blast - local media
November
30, 2022
KABUL:
At least 16 people were killed and 24 others wounded Wednesday by a blast at a
madrassa in Afghanistan's northern city of Aybak, a doctor at a local hospital
said.
There
have been dozens of blasts and attacks targeting civilians since the Taliban
returned to power in August last year, most claimed by the local chapter of the
Daesh group.
A
doctor in Aybak, about 200 kilometres (130 miles) north of the capital Kabul,
said the casualties were mostly youngsters.
“All
of them are children and ordinary people,” he told AFP, asking not to be named.
The
Taliban, which frequently plays down casualty figures, said 10 students had
died and “many others” were injured.
“Our
detective and security forces are working quickly to identify the perpetrators
of this unforgivable crime and punish them for their actions,” tweeted Interior
Ministry spokesman Abdul Nafay Takor.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2208621/world
--------
‘Islamic System is What Every Afghan Wants,’ Says Afghan Deputy PM
By
Saqalain Eqbal
November
30, 2022
The
Deputy Prime Minister in Political Affairs of the incumbent administration in
Afghanistan, Qari Abdul Kabir, stated in a meeting of influential figures that an
“Islamic system is what every Afghan wants.”
The
political deputy of the Afghan prime minister, according to the state-run
Bakhtar News Agency, met with influential figures of Maidan Wardak, Baghlan,
Takhar, Kapisa, Parwan, and Panjshir provinces, in the Sapidar Palace in Kabul,
the Afghan capital.
According
to Bakhtar, the top official from the new administration met with the attendees
on November 30 and offered to cooperate with any problem by emphasizing that
everyone is welcome to the current Afghan authorities’ offices.
The
Deputy Prime Minister in Political Affairs hailed the meeting and stated that
“every Afghan” wants the “Islamic Emirate.”
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/islamic-system-is-what-every-afghan-wants-says-afghan-deputy-pm-35896/
--------
Pakistan’s
Hina Rabbani Stresses Imperative of ‘Practically’ Engaging with Afghan
Government
By
Saqalain Eqbal
November
30, 2022
Hina
Rabbani Khar, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, stressed the
imperative for the world community to engage “practically” with the caretaker
Afghan government.
According
to a statement from the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday,
November 29, the Pakistani official Hina Rabbani Khar undertook a one-day
official visit to Afghanistan where she met with the current Afghan
administration’s several authorities.
The
Pakistani top official, according to the statement, held meetings with the
Afghan Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister for
Administrative Affairs, Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, and Acting
Minister of Commerce and Industry.
Hina
Rabbani, in her meetings with Afghan authorities, discussed bilateral issues of
mutual interest in the areas of health, education, trade, regional
connectivity, and other socio-economic issues.
The
Minister of State emphasized the need for practical cooperation between the
international community and the interim Afghan government in order to assist
Afghanistan in addressing the country’s catastrophic humanitarian situation and
other reconstruction matters.
She
emphasized further that the goal of a practical engagement would be furthered
by the unfreezing of Afghanistan’s financial assets.
The
Pakistani side also discussed matters of mutual cooperation in the face of the
growing terrorism, including joint counter-terrorism measures in preserving
regional security.
Pakistan’s
Rabbani Khar also visited women representatives of the chamber of commerce,
where she pledged that her country would give “special preference” to importing
products produced by women businesses in Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
May Restart 20 Stalled Projects In Afghanistan, Says Taliban: Report
December
01, 2022
Kabul:
Taliban on Wednesday said that India may restart 20 stalled projects in
Afghanistan.
The
Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MUDH) of Afghanistan said that the
Indian charges d'affaires, Bharat Kumar, expressed India's interest in
improving relations and the resumption of Delhi's projects in Afghanistan,
reported Tolo News.
Mr
Kumar made the remarks in a meeting with the Minister of Urban Development and
Housing, Hamdullah Nomani.
The
agency quoting the MUDH Ministry said, "It is expected that India will
resume work on at least 20 projects in several provinces of the country. Mr
Kumar made the remarks in a meeting with the Minister of Urban Development and
Housing, Hamdullah Nomani, in Kabul.
"Projects
they were implemented during the former government but were delayed due to
political changes or other issues--they are now interested in resuming these
projects, said Mohammad Kamal Afghan, a spokesman for the MUDH.
Economists
said they believe that the implementation of the projects will facilitate job
opportunities and boost development in the country, reported Tolo News.
"The
resumption of these projects can also create job opportunities for the people
and it can promote people's income and drive Afghanistan out of political
isolation," said Darya Khan Baheer, an economist.
"The
restart of these projects will decrease the level of poverty and
unemployment," said Nazkamir Ziarmal, an economist.
The
Pajhwok Afghan News meanwhile said that Urban Development and Land Affairs
Acting Minister Mawlavi Hamdullah Nomani had urged the Indian business
community to invest in the urban development sector of Afghanistan.
On
its Twitter handle, the Ministry wrote that acting Minister Nomani met the
charge de affairs of the Indian embassy in Kabul. During this visit, the acting
Minister Nomani said: "The Indian businessmen can invest in the urban and
housing sector, especially in the New Kabul City project".
Numani
further added, "India implemented some projects in Afghanistan in the
past, while some of them remained incomplete due to non-payment". He asked
the Indian government to clear its stance about the incomplete projects as
well.
"Projects
they were implemented during the former government but were delayed due to
political changes or other issues--they are now interested in resuming these
projects, said Mohammad Kamal Afghan, a spokesman for the MUDH.
Locals
believe that implementing the projects will facilitate job opportunities,
decrease poverty and unemployment, and boost development in the country.
In
addition, the visiting Indian envoy was requested to provide the Afghan nationals
with scholarships for master's and PhD degrees in the civil and urban
development field to increase Afghan engineers' capacity further.
Charge
de affairs Bharat Kumar said the ministry could share information about all the
mentioned projects. He will convey the message to the Indian government to
solve their problems and make all projects ready to use.
I
have received some details about the New Kabul Project, and I would talk about
them to Indian investors as well, Mr Kumar said.
India
had to stop all its projects once the Taliban took over the reins of power in
August 2021. India then closed its embassy, which restarted functioning a few
months ago. India still has security issues as several civilian projects,
religious places and the Russian embassy were targeted recently by suspected
Islamic State terrorists.
India,
before the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, had invested in
developmental and capacity-building projects of around three billion dollars.
The
significant projects India supported in Afghanistan were: The 42MW Salma Dam in
Herat province was inaugurated in 2016 and is known as the Afghan-India
Friendship Dam. The other high-profile project was the 218-km Zaranj-Delaram
highway built by the Border Roads Organisation. Zaranj is located close to
Afghanistan's border with Iran.
India
built the Afghan Parliament in Kabul for $90 million. A block in the building
is named after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
In
2016, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the restored
Stor Palace in Kabul, initially built in the late 19th century. India also
constructed one of its leading hospitals in Kabul.
India,
in the past, has been supporting in developing the human resources, giving
training to professionals and offering a considerable number o scholarships and
admissions to Afghan students to study in India.
The
Indian projects are mostly people-centric in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
The projects were aimed at making Afghanistan a self-sufficient nation. India
also operationalized air freight corridors and the Chabahar Port to enhance
regional connectivity to Afghanistan.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-may-restart-20-projects-in-afghanistan-taliban-3567520
--------
North America
Muslim
World League and Columbia University launch interfaith research lab
November
30, 2022
NEW
YORK: The Muslim World League, in partnership with Teachers College, Columbia
University in New York, on Wednesday launched the International Lab for
Research and Leadership in Interfaith Collaboration and Coexistence.
Its
founders said it aims to be a center of excellence for research, leadership and
training to help combat all forms of hate and radicalization based on religion,
race or ethnicity.
The
Muslim World League has provided a grant to support the work of the lab, which
will include the development of innovative, evidence-based training programs to
address biases in communities and classrooms, along with the advancement of
groundbreaking research to help foster and enhance coexistence and
collaboration.
The
officials who attended the signing ceremony for the project on Wednesday
included Muslim World League Secretary General Mohammad Al-Issa, Teachers
College President Thomas Bailey, Archbishop of New York Timothy Cardinal Dolan,
Park East Synagogue Senior Rabbi Arthur Schneier, and members of the US
Congress.
“The
Muslim World League is dedicated to fighting hate speech and intolerance in all
its forms,” said Al-Issa.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2208871/world
--------
Anti-Muslim Imagery Paraded Around Piscataway Mosque, Members Say
Nov
30, 2022
PISCATAWAY,
NJ — Members of a Piscataway mosque said an anti-Muslim incident occurred there
this past Saturday, where someone drove a truck in circles through the mosque's
parking lot, showing graphic photos from the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
This
took place Saturday afternoon at the Muslim Center of Middlesex County on Hoes
Lane in Piscataway, according to Dina Sayedahmed, a spokeswoman for the New
Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ).
The
truck circled the mosque parking lot at a time when more than 200 people were
standing outside, having just concluded a religious service inside, she said.
PISCATAWAY,
NJ — Members of a Piscataway mosque said an anti-Muslim incident occurred there
this past Saturday, where someone drove a truck in circles through the mosque's
parking lot, showing graphic photos from the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
This
took place Saturday afternoon at the Muslim Center of Middlesex County on Hoes
Lane in Piscataway, according to Dina Sayedahmed, a spokeswoman for the New
Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ).
The
truck circled the mosque parking lot at a time when more than 200 people were
standing outside, having just concluded a religious service inside, she said.
"I
and the Township Council condemn all forms of religious bigotry," said
Wahler in a statement posted on social media. "And are committed to
protecting all places of worship in Piscataway."
The
Mumbai attacks were a series of terrorist attacks that took place in November
2008, where members of a Pakistani Islamic terrorist organisation carried out a
series of coordinated shooting and bombing attacks that lasted for four days
across Mumbai. In total, at least 174 people were killed. Tension between
Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India has remained extremely high
since then.
“The
intent behind this incident is clear. By targeting a Muslim center and
deliberately circling its premises repeatedly, the perpetrators expect New
Jersey’s Muslim community to answer to, or even feel shame for, an event that
occurred entirely independent of them," said CAIR-NJ director Selaedin
Maksut. “Anti-Muslim intimidation tactics like these are unacceptable. They
mirror the tactics used against American Muslims in the aftermath of the 9/11
terror attacks."
This
happened at approximately 1:30 p.m. Saturday, said Sayedahmed. The truck
circled the mosque parking lot twice, making stops throughout.
One
member of the mosque got into their car and followed the truck out of the
parking lot onto Rt. 18 north, and recorded the truck as it drove off, she
said. However, the driver was not stopped.
"No
one has the right to target religious minorities especially at their houses of
worship with acts of harassment," added Maksut.
He
also said the incident was reminiscent of this past August, when a bulldozer
was included in the India Independence Day parade in Edison and Woodbridge. In
India, some say the bulldozer symbolizes anti-Muslim sentiment and the
destruction of Muslim homes by the government. The specific bulldozer used in
the Edison/Woodbridge parade had large photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and Indian Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, both Hindu nationalist figures.
Adityanath specifically has been known for making inflammatory anti-Muslim
comments.
Gov.
Phil Murphy and both U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker all condemned
the use of the bulldozer in the parade, calling on parade organizers to
apologize. After several weeks of declining to comment, parade organizers the
Indian Business Association, apologized.
Source:
Patch
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
Knew for Weeks Islamic State Leader Was Dead
Jeff
Seldin
November
30, 2022
WASHINGTON
—
Word
from the Islamic State terror group that it had lost its second leader in less
than a year came as no surprise to the United States, which had been aware of
his demise for more than a month.
IS,
also known as ISIS or Daesh, announced the death of Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi
al-Qurashi in a short audio statement Wednesday, with spokesman Abu Umar
al-Muhajir saying, "He died fighting the enemies of God, killing some of
them before being killed like a man on the battlefield."
U.S.
Central Command later issued its own statement, confirming Abu al-Hassan was
killed in mid-October in Syria’s southern Daraa province by the Free Syrian
Army (FSA), a rebel group that does not partner with the U.S.
But
despite the lack of American involvement in the operation, U.S. officials were
quickly brought in to examine the results.
Based
on evidence at the scene and subsequent DNA testing, the U.S. determined the FSA
had in fact killed Abu al-Hassan, a U.S. defense official, speaking on the
condition of anonymity in order to discuss the intelligence, told VOA.
The
U.S. official did not say why the U.S. refused to confirm the IS leader's death
until now, nor have U.S. defense and intelligence officials explained how they
were able to identify him though DNA, as Abu al-Hassan is not his real name but
a nom de guerre.
Intelligence
gathered by United Nation member states and published in July suggested Abu
al-Hassan was most likely one of two people – Juma'a Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri,
the brother of former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, or Abd al-Raouf
al-Muhajir, who led the IS general directorate of provinces.
Other,
earlier reports suggested Abu al-Hassan was Iraqi national Bashar Khattab
Ghazal al-Sumaida'i, but Turkish officials confirmed in recent months that
al-Sumaida'i as been in their custody since May, following a raid in Istanbul.
The
London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group that was
among the first to report on a series of FSA raids that led to the IS leader’s
death, on Wednesday gave his real name as Abd Al-Rahman Al-Iraqi.
Regardless,
U.S. officials welcomed the announcement of the IS leader’s death.
"We
are pleased to see the removal of ISIS' top leaders in such quick
succession," said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, noting
the death of the group’s previous leader this past February.
"We
will build on these counterterrorism successes," she added. "We'll
keep that pressure on for sure."
Abu
al-Hassan’s death, while not at the hands of the U.S., is the latest in a
series of heavy blows to the terror group’s leadership.
In
addition to the death of Abu al-Hassan’s predecessor in February and the arrest
of al-Sumaida'i in May, IS has lost at least five other senior officials in the
past eight months.
Hani
Ahmed al-Kurdi, a key leader for the group's Syrian operations, was captured in
a U.S. helicopter raid in June.
A
U.S. drone strike in July killed Maher al-Agal, said to be the top IS official
in Syria.
Then,
in October, a U.S. raid in the northeastern Syria village of Qamishli killed
Rakkan Wahid al-Shammri, a longtime IS operative and smuggler.
The
U.S. followed up less than 24 hours later with an airstrike that killed two
more top IS officials: Abu 'Ala, described as one of the terror group's
"top five," and Abu Mu'Ad al-Qahtani, the IS official responsible for
prisoner affairs.
Even
before the most recent operations targeting IS, U.S. officials had said the
terror group had essentially been forced into survival mode by "a major
talent loss in ISIS senior leadership."
"[It]
has caused them to focus on kind of branch expansion that has diffused the
threat and, again, made the focus on the United States less acute than we had
seen in prior years," National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine
Abizaid told a conference this past September.
The
terror organization has also seen its ranks thin considerably. Intelligence
estimates shared by the U.S. and by U.N. member states indicate IS has gone
from commanding possibly upwards of 20,000 fighters in the months after the
collapse of the last remnant of its self-declared caliphate in Syria, to
overseeing perhaps as few as 6,000 across Syria and Iraq.
The
task of leading IS now falls to Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi, named as
the group's new emir in the same statement announcing Abu al-Hassan’s death.
"He
is one of the veteran warriors and one of the loyal sons of the Islamic
State," said IS spokesman al-Muhajir.
According
to JihadoScope, a company that monitors jihadi activity on social media, some
IS followers have already began pledging their allegiance, or bay'ah, to the
new leader.
Source: VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.voanews.com/a/us-knew-for-weeks-islamic-state-leader-was-dead-/6856999.html
--------
Beijing
relies on Pakistan to project its might, Pentagon report notes
Anwar
Iqbal
December
1, 2022
WASHINGTON:
China relies on Pakistan for projecting its military and economic might as
Islamabad remains a key Beijing ally, says the US Department of Defence.
The
China Military Power 2022 report — released here on Tuesday — examines how
China seeks to achieve its “national rejuvenation” objective by 2049 with the
help of international partners, such as Pakistan.
According
to the report, China ranks Pakistan as its only “all-weather strategic partner”
while Russia as its only “comprehensive strategic partner with coordination
relations”.
During
the last five years, China has expanded ties with both of its historical
partners, Pakistan and Russia. Pakistan is also one of the places that China
has likely “considered as locations for military logistics facilities”.
China
Military Power notes that Beijing ranks Islamabad as its only ‘all-weather
strategic partner’, ahead of Moscow
The
report notes that China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is associated with
pipelines and port construction projects in Pakistan. But with the help of
those projects, China “seeks to become less reliant on transporting energy
resources through strategic choke points, such as the Strait of Malacca”.
Beijing
also attempts to exploit the relationships it builds through BRI to pursue
additional economic cooperation with participating countries, the report adds.
It
recalls that in 2021, 10 Chinese nationals were killed, and 26 others injured
when a suicide bomber targeted a workers’ bus on its way to a BRI
infrastructure development project in Pakistan.
The
report, however, claims that China used this incident to “extend its ability to
project military power to safeguard its overseas interests, including BRI, by
developing closer regional and bilateral counterterrorism” cooperation with
Pakistan.
Reviewing
China’s growing military and economic cooperation with Pakistan, the report
notes how Beijing helped Islamabad complete the in-orbit delivery of the
Pakistan Remote-Sensing Satellite.
China
also vigorously pursues its policy of supporting a BRI host-nation’s security
forces through military aid, including military equipment donations.
The
examples of China-Pakistan cooperation cited in the report include joint
military exercises. It notes that in 2020-21, China participated in a joint
naval exercise with Pakistan and also supplied strike-capable Caihong and Wing
Loong Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Pakistan.
China
also supplied major naval vessels to its partners, highlighted by Pakistan’s
2015 purchase of eight Yuan class submarines for more than $3 billion. In 2017
and 2018, China sold four naval frigates to Pakistan.
Under
the PLANMC, which supports the PRC’s military diplomacy, Chinese forces have
trained with Thai, Pakistani, Saudi Arabia’s, South African, and Djiboutian
forces.
Pakistan
is also a member of the China-led Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation.
The
“Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of
China,” commonly known as the China Military Power Report (CMPR), is a
Congressionally mandated document. It serves as an authoritative assessment of
China’s military and security strategy.
The
report follows the Pentagon’s release of the National Defence Strategy in
October, which identified China as the “most consequential and systemic
challenge” to US national security and a free and open international system.
The
military power report covers the contours of the People’s Liberation Army’s way
of war, surveys the PLA’s current activities and capabilities, and assesses its
future military modernisation goals.
The
Pentagon argues that China’s foreign policy seeks to build a “community of
common destiny” that supports its strategy to realise “the great rejuvenation
of the Chinese nation”.
Source:
Dawn
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US
defense chief urges Turkey not to launch Syria operation
01
December ,2022
US
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar
on Wednesday, expressing “strong opposition” to Ankara launching a new
operation in Syria, the Pentagon said.
Turkey
has carried out air strikes against semi-autonomous Kurdish zones in Syria and
Iraq since a deadly Istanbul bombing it blames on Kurdish groups, and has
threatened to launch an operation on the ground in Syria.
“Secretary
Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the (Defense) Department’s strong
opposition to a new Turkish military operation in Syria,” the Pentagon said in
a statement.
He
also offered condolences for those killed in the Istanbul attack, it said.
Austin’s
call with Akar came a day after the Pentagon’s press secretary said a Turkish
ground incursion into Syria would “severely jeopardize” gains made against the
Islamic State jihadist group -- operations in which Syrian Kurdish-majority
forces played the central role.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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US
envoy: Iran not pursuing a nuclear weapon, military option still on table
30
November ,2022
US
Special Envoy Rob Malley said Wednesday that Washington is using pressure that
Iran has not experienced for “many, many years” to prevent Tehran from
acquiring a nuclear weapon, which he claims Iran is not looking to do
currently.
Malley
also warned that the military option was still on the table if the US could not
get Iran back into compliance with the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal through
diplomatic efforts.
The
Biden administration has rolled out several rounds of sanctions as chances to
reach a nuclear deal worsen. The indirect talks, which were being held in
Vienna, have been stalled for months.
One
of the key foreign policy priorities for Biden officials after they took office
was to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was brokered
under former President Barack Obama.
“If
none of that works, the President has said, and, as a last resort, he will
agree to a military option because if that’s what it takes to stop Iran from
acquiring a nuclear weapon, that’s what will happen. But we’re not there,” the
special envoy for Iran said in a webinar with Foreign Policy.
Malley
defended the Biden administration’s efforts to keep diplomacy open and as an
option. But he criticized the Trump administration and its maximum-pressure
campaign that was implemented in a bid to try to get Iran back to the
negotiating table.
“We
owe it to ourselves to have an honest examination of how sanctions work and how
they don’t work,” he said, adding that Iran would not be advancing its nuclear
program the way it currently is if sanctions had worked.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Netanyahu
slams Trump for inviting antisemitic guests to dinner
Ahmed
Asmar
01.12.2022
Israeli
Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday condemned the dinner
gathering for former US President Donald Trump in which he hosted two guests
accused of being antisemitic and Holocaust deniers.
Netanyahu
described Trump's meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes and rapper Kanye
West, both of which accused of being antisemitic, as a "mistake," a
first criticism in-public to Trump by Netanyahu who had strong ties with him
during his tenure.
"President
Trump’s decision to dine with this person I think is wrong and misplaced. I
think it’s a mistake. He shouldn’t do that," Netanyahu said in an
interview with American journalist Bari Weiss.
Netanyahu,
however, acknowledged how Trump was supportive to him while in power as the
first US president to move the US embassy to Jerusalem but hoped that his
"mistake not repeated."
Trump's
meeting with the guests was also met with many condemnations from US congress
members and Jewish groups in the US.
The
criticism has also come from Trump's former senior officials. Elan Carr, the
ex-president's special envoy to combat antisemitism, implored Trump to
"condemn these dangerous men and their disgusting and un-American
views."
"No
responsible American, and certainly no former President, should be cavorting
with the likes of Nick Fuentes and Kanye West. To placate antisemitism is to
promote antisemitism," he wrote on Twitter.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Southeast Asia
FATF
re-rates China's progress on money laundering and terror financing
Nov
30, 2022
PARIS:
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) re-rated China's progress made on money
laundering and terror financing.
The
country has been upgraded on two recommendations - Recommendation 7 - Targeted
financial sanctions related to proliferation and Recommendation 24 -
Transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons, read a Paris-based
watchdog report.
The
FATF Plenary adopted the mutual evaluation report (MER) of China in February
2019, its 1st enhanced follow-up report (FUR) with technical compliance
re-ratings (TCRR) in October 2020, and its 2nd enhanced FUR with TCRR in
October 2021. This 3rd FUR analyses China's progress in addressing the
technical compliance deficiencies identified in its MER. Overall, China has
made progress in addressing some of the technical compliance deficiencies
identified in its 32016 Mutual Evaluation report, read the report.
China
is now compliant on 9 recommendations, largely compliant on 22, and partially
compliant on 5 Recommendations. The country remains non-compliant with four
recommendations. China will remain in enhanced follow-up and will continue to
inform the FATF of progress achieved in improving the implementation of its
AML/CFT measures.
Given
these results and China's level of effectiveness, the FATF placed China in
enhanced follow-up. Patricia Godinho Silva, Legal Advisor, Bank of Portugal,
conducted the analysis of the re-rating. Section 3 of this report summarises
China's progress made in improving technical compliance. Section 4 sets out the
conclusion and a table showing which Recommendations have been re-rated.
Re-ratings
are given where sufficient progress has been made. Overall, the expectation is
that countries will have addressed most, if not all, technical compliance
deficiencies by the end of the third year from the adoption of their MER. This
report does not address what progress China has made to improve its
effectiveness.
Notably,
China has China, in recent months, has blocked several bids to designate
several terrorists based in Pakistan. Beijing put on hold a proposal to list
Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. This bid was moved
by India and co-supported by the US, under the 1267 sanction regime.
FATF
is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog set up in 1989
out of a G-7 meeting of developed nations in Paris.
Initially,
its objective was to examine and develop measures to combat money laundering.
After the 9/11 attacks on the US, the FATF 2001 expanded its mandate to
incorporate efforts to combat terrorist financing.
Source:
Times Of India
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Malaysian
Rulers Urge Politicians To Stop Using Race, Religion To Incite People
Iman
Muttaqin Yusof
2022.11.30
Malaysia’s
Council of Rulers called Wednesday on politicians to stop stoking hatred in the
multireligious and multiethnic country, amid an increase in hate speech
following the formation of a new and diverse “unity government.”
Tuanku
Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, the council chairman and one of the nine rulers in the
Muslim-majority nation, put out the message after an Islamic party in the
opposition accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of being an Israeli agent and
one of the ruling parties of promoting Islamophobia.
“I
hope that there will be no more leaders who raise racial or religious issues
with the purpose of incitement,” Tuanku Muhriz said in a speech after chairing
a two-day meeting of the Council of Rulers at the National Palace in Kuala
Lumpur.
“I
call on the new government to foster a spirit of togetherness among
multireligious, multiracial, and multicultural Malaysians.”
The
rulers are considered protectors of the people and hold mostly ceremonial
roles.
The
council convenes at least once a year to get an overview from the prime
minister about the situation in the country. This body of sultans and
governors, who represent Malaysia’s 13 states, also selects the king on a five-year,
rotating basis.
This
was the rulers’ second meeting this year since June. It came after Anwar was
appointed prime minister last week.
The
Nov. 19 general election in Malaysia resulted in a hung parliament, where no
party or coalition secured a majority to form a government.
Anwar’s
multiracial Pakatan Harapan bloc won the most parliamentary seats, 82.
Muhyiddin Yassin’s Perikatan Nasional bloc, which includes the fundamentalist
Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), followed close behind with 73.
The
Barisan Nasional bloc, which had led the previous government, was routed at the
polls. But it allied with Anwar to form a “unity government” when Malaysia’s
king appointed him as PM to break the electoral impasse.
PAS
has been taking digs at Anwar’s Pakatan bloc since the new ruling coalition
came to power on Nov. 24, analysts say.
Perikatan
leader Muhyiddin had said he did not want to be part of a “unity government,”
which the king preferred and recommended.
Earlier
this week, while apparently responding to criticism for running a racially
divisive campaign, PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang accused the Democratic Action
Party, a Pakatan constituent party, of Islamophobia.
“They
[DAP] openly slander Islam, especially PAS,” Hadi Awang said in a Facebook post
Monday.
“PAS
has become DAP’s target due to PAS’s progress in the 15th general election in
acquiring the highest number of parliamentary seats of all individual parties,”
he added.
DAP’s
members are largely ethnic Chinese. Some people in the country’s Malay majority
distrust the Democratic Action Party, which they see as putting the interests
of Malaysian Chinese above those of Malays.
Police
are also investigating a PAS lawmaker, Hassan Saad, over allegedly defamatory
claims he made alleging that the prime minister was an Israeli agent.
Meanwhile,
there has been an uptick in hateful posts on social media since the election
produced a hung parliament.
Several
online posts implied that race riots, which occurred in 1969, may happen again
if DAP became part of the government.
Tensions
over race and religion and economic resentment are a persistent theme in
Malaysian society. They reached their nadir in May 1969 when communal violence
killed nearly 200 people, many of them ethnic Chinese, according to official
figures.
The
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the police have
summoned the management of TikTok, a short-video platform, to explain these
incendiary videos about 1969.
“Spreading
such content is an irresponsible act which may cause disharmony, division,
feelings of hatred or prejudice in matters related with race and religion,” the
commission said in a statement Tuesday.
Such
actions are a criminal offense, the commission added.
If
the current situation continues, it could disrupt Anwar’s ability to govern,
political analyst Azmi Hassan said.
“We
don’t need this kind of sideshow. I think it’s very timely the advice the
Council of Rulers gave that this type of campaign … harping on race and
religion should stop,” Azmi, a senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for
Strategic Research, told BenarNews.
“Mostly,
the blame lies on Perikatan leaders, who they think they should have formed the
government. If they think they have the majority, they should wait until Dec.
19, when Anwar proposes the vote of confidence in the parliament.”
Azmi
applauded DAP’s response to provocations by the Islamic party.
“DAP
in this … they have been on the receiving end,” Azmi said.
“And
they have been restrained, which is a very smart move.”
Another
analyst, Jayum A. Jawan, noted that racial tensions have been part of the
Malaysian fabric for a long time.
“It
will take a lot of effort to undo the damage done over decades,” Jayum a
political science professor at Universiti Putra of Malaysia, told BenarNews.
Source:
Benar News
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Mat
Sabu says worried about Muslims declaring one another infidels amid post-GE15
tensions
By
Shahrin Aizat Noorshahrizam
01
Dec 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu has expressed his
concern about the prevalence of takfiri among Muslims, or the act of declaring
one an infidel due to a difference in opinion, saying this would ruin the
country.
According
to Malay daily Utusan Malaysia, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) deputy chairman
popularly known as Mat Sabu said Malaysia should heed the lessons from Syria,
Iraq and Somalia.
"Recently,
Malaysia has been plagued with unpleasant notions. I can criticise Umno, I can
bash Barisan Nasional (BN), I can criticise or bash DAP... but don't let it
come to the point we are declaring Umno as infidels.
"I
am worried that the concept of takfiri is re-emerging now. We see countries in
the world that are destroyed because of the belief of takfiri. Like we
disbelieve them when they do not agree with us, we lead the people astray,
eventually it happened like in Syria, in Iraq, in Somalia.
"If
you look at Somalia for more than 40 years no solution could be reached; (for)
Iraq and Syria it has been 10 years and (they) have yet to resolve the conflict
between them, between tribes, tribes and sects,” he was quoted as saying during
a political ceramah in Rompin yesterday.
He
also said that he has visited Baghdad, Iraq for a special conference and had
seen how the country that has regressed despite having the fourth largest oil
resources had been plagued with civil war caused by the conflict.
Mohamad
cited recent videos of May 13 riots being repeated that were disseminated on a
social media platform as an example and which should not happen again.
"Why
stoop to that level of making accusations against the opposing party? It is
dangerous in the short and long term,” he added.
Mohamad's
remark came amid PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang's comparison of himself
with the Prophet Muhammad.
Hadi
compared himself to the Prophet who had opposed the oppressive Meccan Quraisy
tribe, drawing parallels to non-Muslims in Malaysia.
"Unfortunately
today, when offered the position of prime minister, mentri besar, exco and so
on, they accepted it and were willing to compromise their principles. Who do we
actually learn from?
"So,
the people who see and understand must reject these type of leader. Let's all
support the Perikatan Nasional (PN) to make changes and build national
leadership in a sustainable manner based on the guidance of Allah," the PN
deputy chairman said.
Abdul
Hadi also alleged PH leaders of being liberals who would legitimise issues that
are prohibited in Islam, giving examples such as recognising the LGBT and
bribes.
Prior
to the election, Hadi had caused backlash for suggesting that non-Muslims are
the roots behind corruption.
Yang
di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir decreed
yesterday for political leaders to cease and desist from raising religious
issues to flame public anger after chairing the 260th Conference of Rulers.
Source: Malay Mail
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Umno Youth chief says unity govt not dominated by non-Muslim MPs
By
Shahrin Aizat Noorshahrizam
30
Nov 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 30 — Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki today denied
claims that the current unity government consisting of Barisan Nasional (BN),
Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as main components are
dominated by non-Muslims.
He
said there are 68 out of 135 lawmakers in the three main components represented
in the unity government making the Malay-Muslim MPs the majority ethnicity.
“Therefore,
if the unity government of Malaysia takes into account the three main parties
PH, BN and GPS only, Bumiputera Muslim MPs are the largest, which is 68
people,” he said in a statement on his Facebook page today.
He
also added that Warisan and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) contributed another six
Malay-Muslim lawmakers to the list out of nine seats that were won in the last
general election (GE15).
“So
the total Muslim Bumiputera-Malay Members of Parliament in the Malaysian Unity
Government are 74 people, which is the highest and the majority,” he added.
Previously,
former PAS turned BN Kuala Nerus lawmaker Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali has
backed the unity government led by PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by
saying that Malay-Muslim lawmakers are the dominant force.
Previously,
Perikatan Nasional deputy chairman Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang claimed in a
statement that DAP was being extreme when it tried to deceive by presenting
members, candidates and leaders from Malay Muslim faces but could not
legitimise its ideology which contradicted Islam.
Source:
Malay Mail
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Africa
Sudan
sees protests against deal between army, civilians
Mohammed
Amin
30.11.2022
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
Thousands
of Sudanese protesters marched on Wednesday against a deal between the
civilians and the military, which is expected to be finalized soon.
The
protests were organized by the resistance committee in the Omdurman city of the
Khartoum state.
The
protesters marched in front of the national parliament, raising slogans against
the political deal between the military and civilians that brokered by the
international community.
“We
are against this compromise as we agreed with the resistance committees. We are
sticking with our slogans which is no negotiation, no compromise, and no
partnership with the military” Ahmed Hassan, a protester, told Anadolu Agency.
The
police have used tear gas to disperse the protesters, but no injuries have been
reported so far.
The
military, who ruled the country since the coup in October last year, and the
political coalition of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) have agreed on a
political framework deal early this month.
The
two sides agreed on ending the military coup of October 2021 and put new rules
for a civilian ruling in the country that will end by general elections.
FFC
also said the talks between the two sides will continue to sign a final
agreement soon.
It
added that the deal will also address the issues of the transitional justice,
reformation of the military and security sector, and the revision of the Juba
Peace agreement that was signed in October 2020.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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