1993 Supreme Court Order To Pay Remuneration To Imams Is In 'Violation Of Constitution': Central Information Commission
New Age Islam News Bureau
26 November 2022
Jama Masjid, Delhi
----
• England Fans Dressed As Knights Accused Of Being
‘Muslim Killers’ By Qatari Police
• Fans Unite For Friday Prayers: Muslim Fans Say
Qatar's World Cup Has Accommodated Them Like No Other Tournament
• Iran Anthem Tense Moment For Players: A Form Of
Protest That Got Global Attention
• Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Extortion Rackets Return
To Swat Valley After A Decade
India
• UP: Man, Pretended to be Muslim, Arrested Over
Derogatory Comments on Shraddha Walkar Murder Case
• India Abstains From Vote In The Geneva-Based UNHRC
Fact-Finding Mission To Probe Human Rights Violations In Iran
• Muslim Man Travelling With Hindu Woman In Mangaluru
Assaulted: Cops
• 26/11 Attacks In Mumbai: The Trauma Of The Memory
Still Lingers
• 'In Five Kashmir Districts, No Local Has Joined
Terror Outfits This Year'
• Mosques In Govandi And Bhiwandi Join In Efforts To
Remove Vaccine Hesitancy
• U.P.: Shia clerics to discuss impact of terrorism on
society in Lucknow
• FIFA World Cup: Muslim body laments craze for soccer
among youth in Kerala
• Secular Muslim think tank demands entry of Muslim
women in all mosques
• Telangana: Four percent Muslim reservations reduced
to 3 in new roster system
• More Than 1,300 Hindu, Muslim Couples Tie Knot At
Mass Wedding Event In Ayodhya
--------
Europe
• Azerbaijan says no talks with Armenia if Macron
attends
• France seeking advantage from Lebanon’s presidential
vacuum: Report
• How New Zealand-born Joel Hayward become one of the
world's 500 most influential Muslims
• Ankara’s security concerns to be addressed as part
of memorandum for Nordic nations’ NATO bids: Swedish premier
• Man denies funding Daesh through government COVID-19
support payments
--------
Arab World
• Turkey’s Erdogan vows to create ‘safe zone’ in Syria
after barrage of airstrikes
• Iran guards send reinforcements to Kurdish areas
near country’s Iraq border: General
• Displaced Syrians stage protests against YPG/PKK
near Türkiye-Syria border
• Turkish threats leave Syria Kurds in fear for
symbolic city
• Base housing US occupation troops in northeastern
Syria comes under rocket attack
--------
Mideast
• Iran govt supporters at Qatar World Cup heckle woman
speaking on protests
• 'Halal products not just for Muslims, they are
favourites for many people worldwide'
• Iran’s Khamenei praises Basij forces for confronting
‘riots’: Report
• More security for London-based Iran International TV
after threats
• Turkey in final stage talks for up to $10 billion
funding from Qatar: Report
• Israel's Netanyahu offers far-right Ben-Gvir
national security minister role
--------
Pakistan
• Unnecessary censorship suffocates society, stifles
creativity, rules SHC
• Gangs unite under banned group to avenge killing of
‘terrorist’
• ‘My Investor Is My Master’: PM Shehbaz Seeks Turkish
Investment For 10,000MW Solar Project
--------
South Asia
• United Nations Assistance Mission Calls on Taliban
to End Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan
• Taliban Calls Out UN Security Council To Permanently
End All Travel Bans
--------
Southeast Asia
• Gains For Malaysia's Hardline Islamist Party A
Challenge For New PM Anwar Ibrahim
• Number of Muslim divorce cases down 7% in 2021
• Protests erupt in Xinjiang over 3-month Covid
lockdown
• Islamist party PAS turns down Malaysia PM Anwar’s
offer to join government
• Malaysia’s new PM says first priority is cost of
living
--------
Africa
• South Sudan Pulls Out Of Peace Talks With Rebel
Groups
• French businesses, schools closed following protests
in Burkina Faso
• Kenyan army to forego portion of salary to help
combat drought: Deputy president
• Somali army thwarts al-Shabab attack on military
base
--------
North America
• McCarthy’s Threats Against Ilhan Omar ‘Illustrate
The Institutional Racism In The US System’: African American Journalist
• Chile’s embassy in Türkiye, UN office mark Int’l Day
for Elimination of Violence Against Women
• US official urges ‘de-escalation’ as Turkiye strikes
Syria
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/supreme-court-imams-constitution-remuneration/d/128498
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1993 Supreme Court Order To Pay Remuneration To Imams
Is In 'Violation Of Constitution': Central Information Commission
Jama Masjid, Delhi
----
Nov 26, 2022
The Central Information Commission has said the 1993
Supreme Court order allowing remuneration to imams in mosques was in
"violation of the Constitution" and besides setting a "wrong precedent",
has become a point of unnecessary political slugfest and social disharmony.
Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar, while hearing
an RTI application filed by an activist demanding details of salaries to imams
by the Delhi government and the Delhi Waqf Board, also observed that the order
violated constitutional provisions that say "tax payers money will not be
used to favour any particular religion".
The Supreme Court in 1993 on a petition from the All
India Imam Organisation had directed the waqf board to give remuneration to
imams in mosques managed by it.
He has directed that a copy of his order be sent to
the Union law minister with suitable action to ensure enforcement of provisions
of articles 25 to 28 of the Constitution in letter and spirit to keep all
religions on par in terms of monthly remuneration to priests of different
religions at the cost of the public exchequer -- both central and states -- and
also other matters.
"Further with regard to the judgment by the
Supreme Court in the case between the 'All India Imam Organisation and ... vs
Union Of India And Ors' on 13 May, 1993, that opened the doors to special
financial benefits from public treasury to only imams and muezzins in mosques,
the commission observes that the highest court of the country in passing this
order acted in violation of the provisions of the Constitution, particularly
Article 27, which says tax payers money will not be used to favour any
particular religion," Mahurkar said.
"The commission notes that the said judgment sets
a wrong precedent in the country and has become a point of unnecessary
political slugfest and also social disharmony in the society," the
information commissioner said.
He also directed the Delhi Waqf Board to pay a
compensation of ₹25,000 to RTI activist Subhash Agrawal for the loss of time
and resources in chasing the response to his application. The activist was not
being able to get a satisfactory response to his application.
"It is necessary to go into the history when it
comes to giving special religious benefits to the Muslim community by the
State. A religious (Islamic) nation Pakistan was born out of the demand of a
section of Indian Muslims for partition of India along religious lines. Despite
Pakistan choosing to be a religious (Islamic) nation, India chose a
Constitution guaranteeing equal rights to all religions," Mahurkar said.
"It is necessary to note here that it was the
policy of giving special benefits to the Muslim community before 1947 that
played a key role in encouraging pan-Islamic and fissiparous tendencies in a
section of Muslims, ultimately leading to the nation's partition," he
said.
So giving remuneration to imams and others only in
mosques, amounts to "not just betraying the Hindu community and members of
other non-Muslim minority religions, but also encouraging pan-Islamist
tendencies amongst a section of Indian Muslims which are already visible",
the information commissioner said.
Steps such as giving special religious benefits to the
Muslim community only like the one taken up in the present matter, in fact,
severely affects interfaith harmony as they invite contempt for the Muslims as
a whole from a section of ultra nationalist population, Mahurkar said.
He said the Delhi Waqf Board (DWB) gets an annual
grant of around ₹62 crore from the Delhi government while its own monthly
income from independent sources is just around ₹30 lakh.
"So the monthly honorarium of ₹18,000 and ₹16,000
being given to the imams and muezzins of DWB mosques in Delhi is being paid by
the Delhi government virtually from the tax payers money which in turn is in
sharp contrast with the example quoted by the appellant in which the priest of
a Hindu temple is getting a paltry ₹2,000 per month from the trust controlling
the said temple," he said.
Mahurkar said those who justify such steps in the name
of protection to religious minorities raise a question that if a particular
religious minority has a right to protection, the majority community too has a
right to protection in a multi-religious country where it is incumbent that the
rights of the members of all religions are protected equally in the interest of
inter-faith harmony and unity of the nation.
He said Delhi Waqf Board initially denied salaries to
imams but later in a revised reply said it is only an honorarium not a salary.
"The commission observes that there was a clear
attempt to hide the information in the initial period by a play of words which
showed complete lack of transparency on the part of the respondent authorities
in a case which in turn affects the provisions of the Constitution, and also
social harmony and uniform applicability of laws for all religions in keeping
with the constitutional direction that citizens of all religions be treated
equally," he said.
Mahurkar directed the Delhi Waqf Board and office of
Delhi Chief Minister to provide responses to the RTI application of Agrawal.
The orders of the commission, the highest body to
decide appeals and complaints under the RTI Act, are often challenged in high
courts through writ petitions.
The government through an amendment in the RTI Act had
diluted perks, salaries and tenure of information commissioners from being on
par with central election commissioners or to that of bureaucrats serving at
their pay scale. The fixed tenure of five years given to an information
Commissioner in the RTI Act was also reduced to three years.
Source: Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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England Fans Dressed As Knights Accused Of Being ‘Muslim
Killers’ By Qatari Police
Two supporters apparently led away by World Cup
security after England fans were told not to dress up as St George for fear of
insulting Muslims in Qatar/ Photo: The Telegraph
-----
By Bill Gardner
25 November 2022
Two England fans dressed as knights say they were
accused of being “Muslim killers” by Qatari police as FIFA announced a ban on
“Crusader” fancy dress.
The two men claimed they were ordered to take off
their chainmail and St George shields outside England’s first match against
Iran.
Social media footage of the two men showed them being
led away by Qatari security.
Speaking for the first time, the two men, who did not
wish to be named, told The Telegraph they were “definitely not racists” and
claimed they had been dressed as knights from Monty Python rather than
Crusaders.
Both are British expats who have lived in Doha for
several years.
“It was ridiculous,” one of the men said. “We turned
up and the police first told us we couldn’t take the swords in, even though
they are made out of foam. Then a captain came running after us saying we
couldn’t wear the chainmail.
“At one point one of them asked ‘Are you Muslim
killers?’ Of course we aren’t Crusaders. We’ve lived here for years and we have
no problems with Muslims at all – we work with them every day.
“It took two-and-a-half hours before they eventually
let us in, wearing England shirts. This is just total woke madness. I blame
Fifa. You can’t wear anything nowadays without someone taking offence.”
England fans have supported the team for years while
dressed as St George, the patron saint often depicted as a Crusader warrior
knight on horseback. The best-known Crusades took place between 1095 and 1291,
when Christian armies fought to seize Jerusalem and the surrounding area from
Islamic rule.
The two men said they feared reprisals from the Qatari
authorities, and were only comfortable being photographed in their full
costumes in a cellar.
“Now we are worried about the Qataris coming after us
– they’ve got cameras everywhere. We were dressed as Monty Python, for god’s
sake. One of us had coconuts to do the horses clip-clopping from the film.
“On the way to the stadium everyone loved us,
including the Qataris. They took pictures, and they couldn’t get enough of us.”
Fifa announced a ban on Crusader costumes after
Islamophobia charities warned the garb could be offensive to Muslims.
In a statement, Fifa said: “Crusader costumes in the
Arab context can be offensive against Muslims. That is why anti-discrimination
colleagues asked fans to wear things inside out or change dress.”
A spokesman for Kick It Out, a charity campaigning
against racism and discrimination in football, warned fans against dressing up
in knight costumes in Qatar.
“We would advise fans who are attending Fifa World Cup
matches that certain attire, such as fancy-dress costumes representing knights
or crusaders, may not be welcomed in Qatar and other Islamic countries. Foreign
Office travel advice issued before the tournament expressed that fans should
familiarise themselves with local customs, and we would encourage fans to take
this approach.”
In the weeks leading up to the World Cup, British
police warned of the risk of England fans inadvertently offending Qatari
locals.
Mark Roberts, Cheshire chief constable and English
national football lead, said: “It’s a World Cup in a different part of the
world with a very different culture, and I think one of my fears is that
supporters not wishing to cause offence or cause problems may act in a way that
inadvertently causes offence or draws attention.”
Source: Telegraph UK
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Fans Unite For Friday Prayers: Muslim Fans Say Qatar's
World Cup Has Accommodated Them Like No Other Tournament
A worshipper wearing an
Argentina national team soccer jersey at daily prayers in a mosque in Doha.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
-----
25 November 2022
In the early afternoon, muezzins across Qatar called
Muslim football players, fans, officials and anyone else in the vicinity to the
first Friday prayers of the first World Cup to take place in a Muslim-majority
country.
And for those fans unable to make it to one of Doha's
many mosques to attend prayers ahead of Qatar's match versus Senegal,
authorities set up an outdoor prayer just steps away from the Al Thumama
Stadium.
While having a crowd of hundreds sitting on a carpet
outdoors listening to a preacher give a sermon is an unusual site for football
events in the western world, Muslim fans say Qatar's World Cup has accommodated
them like no other tournament, with prayer rooms inside each stadium,
concessions selling halal food and no beer-swilling supporters to contend with
in the stands following a stadium alcohol ban.
"I came to an Islamic country to attend Friday prayer...
This is what makes me happy in this competition," Yousef al-Idbari, a
visiting fan from Morocco, told Reuters.
During a night-time official fan festival event in the
city, the speaker announced a pause in festivities to the entire crowd to allow
for the Muslim congregants to take a prayer break.
Qatar has also made an effort to feature Islam and
Muslim culture throughout the first week of the tournament with sayings and
teachings of the Prophet Muhammad posted around Doha and translated into multiple
languages including English.
Sunday's opening ceremony began with a female singer
donning a traditional burqa, a face covering banned in several European
countries, who also recited a verse from the Quran about God creating humanity
into "nations and tribes" so they can get to know one another.
Some hotel rooms in the country are also offering
visitors QR codes to learn about Islam, according to social media reports, and
tourists visiting Qatar for the tournament were invited to learn about Islamic
dress.
"For 450 million Arabs, this is something they
thought they would never see in their lifetimes," Ali al-Ansari, Qatar's
media attache in the United States, said in a written statement to the New York
Times.
However, while Muslims attending games in Qatar may be
enjoying a better fan experience than they have had before, it is not clear
whether this World Cup will change things for them in the long run.
Qatar has faced a barrage of criticism in western
media, and from some countries playing in the 32-team tournament, over its
rights record on migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community.
Yet the criticism has been seen by Qataris as
hypocritical, given that many of the countries engaging in the criticism
continue to rely on the country for its natural gas resources with no outcries,
or that the same criticism isn't applied to Qatar's neighbour, the United Arab
Emirates.
Still, for Muslim fans, the tournament is an enjoyable
experience that they are sure to remember for a long time.
Ridwaan Goolam Hoosen, an avid South African soccer
fan, told Reuters he frequently has to leave football grounds in order to find
a prayer space, including at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
"You go out and you miss a team goal or you miss
someone getting sent off," he said. "It feels as if this World Cup is
for me, it works for me, it fits for me... This is the first of its kind like
this."
Source: Middle East Eye
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Iran Anthem Tense Moment For Players: A Form Of Protest
That Got Global Attention
Iran players during their
national anthem before Friday’s World Cup game against Wales in Qatar.
Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
-----
26.11.22
Iran’s national anthem was met by half-hearted singing
or mouthing of the words by players and the jeering whistles of thousands of
fans at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium before the team played Wales on Friday in its
second game at the World Cup.
The scene, and the sounds, were different from Iran’s
opener against England on Monday, when players gave the anthem the stoic silent
treatment, a form of protest that got global attention.
Iran’s team, a regular at the tournament and long a
unifying force in a divided country, has for months been trying to navigate the
delicate internal politics of Iran, caught between government expectations and
an ongoing national uprising.
Before Friday’s match against Wales, the stadium
camera feeds showed a man sobbing as Iran’s anthem was played.
When an emotional woman was shown, fans erupted in
cheers.
Elsewhere, others booed. In the seats, a woman
unveiled a No. 22 jersey with the name Mahsa Amini on it.
She was the 22-year-old who died while in police
custody in September It was the actions of Iran’s players, though, that
attracted the most attention.
After standing silently during the anthem before their
first game, they appeared to sing with varying degrees of commitment amid a mix
of boos and cheers. Iran’s fan base may be as incessantly noisy as any here at
the World Cup.
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/iran-anthem-tense-moment-for-players/cid/1900271
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Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Extortion Rackets Return To Swat Valley After A
Decade
Hundreds of people protest
in Swat on September 18, criticizing the government for failing to prevent the
return of the Pakistani Taliban.
-----
November 26, 2022
MINGORA: A lawmaker was sipping tea with voters when
his phone chirped to life — the Taliban were calling with a demand for
“donations”.
“We hope you won’t disappoint,” read the chilling text
from a shady go-between of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Then, a second message pinged on-screen: “Refusal to
provide financial support will make you a problem,” it warned.
“We believe a wise man will understand what we mean by
that.”
After the Taliban takeover in neighbouring Afghanistan
and emboldened by its sister movement’s success, TTP racketeering has infested
areas along the border with Pakistan, locals say.
‘Threatening calls’ from Afghan cell numbers ask
influentials for ‘donations’; ominous messages warn of impending ‘days of
cruelty’
Since July, the provincial lawmaker — who asked to
remain anonymous —has been cowed into sending the TTP sums totalling Rs1.2
million rupees.
“Those who don’t pay have to face the consequences.
Sometimes they throw a grenade at their door. Sometimes they shoot,” he said.
“Most of the elites pay the extortion money. Some pay
more, some pay less. But nobody talks about it. Everyone is scared for their
life.”
Open shelter
The TTP share lineage with the Afghan Taliban, but
were most potent from 2007 to 2009, when they overran Swat.
The military came down hard on them in 2014, after a
brazen attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar, which killed nearly 150
people, mostly pupils.
The TTP were largely routed, their fighters fleeing to
Afghanistan where they were hunted by US-led forces.
But with Afghanistan back under Taliban rule, it has
become an “open shelter” for the TTP, according to Imtiaz Gul, an analyst with
Islamabad’s Center for Research and Security Studies.
“They now have freedom of action while living in
Afghanistan,” he said, adding: “that’s a simple explanation for why the TTP
attacks rose”.
In the year since the Taliban’s return, militant
activity in Pakistan has spiked, according to the Pak Institute for Peace
Studies, with around 433 people killed.
‘The same old game’
“They started the same old game: target killings, bomb
blasts, kidnappings — and making calls for extortion,” Swat community activist
Ahmad Shah said.
The blackmail network bankrolls the TTP, but also sows
a crisis of confidence in local government the militants seek to usurp in
favour of Islamist rule.
Provincial lawmaker Nisar Mohmand estimates 80 to 95
per cent of well-off residents in surrounding districts are now blackmail
victims.
Fellow legislators have been targeted for refusing to
pay out, and some are too fearful to visit their precincts.
“They have their own system of reward and punishment,”
said Mohmand. “They have established an alternate government, so how are people
supposed to resist?”
The Afghan Taliban have long-standing differences with
their Pakistani counterparts, and since capturing Kabul have pledged not to
allow their soil to be used for militant activities.
But the first telltale sign of a TTP blackmail attempt
is the phone number — starting with the +93 international code indicating an
Afghan SIM card.
Then comes a suggestive text, or voice message in
Pashto — spoken with a Pakistani lilt.
AFP heard one message threatening an “action squad”
would be despatched to a landlord if he declined to pay.
“The days of cruelty are near. Don’t think we are a
spent force,” it warns.
The sum “owed” is then hashed out, generally through
an intermediary, before it is sent to the ragged bands of TTP fighters whose
silhouettes haunt the mountain steeps.
Victims expect to be “tapped up” up to five times a
year, the anonymous MP said.
Since the 2014 APS massacre, which horrified
Pakistanis even marginally sympathetic to their cause, the TTP has pledged to
avoid civilian targets, and claims extortion is done by criminals borrowing
their brand.
But a civilian intelligence official in the area
insisted they were “the root cause of the menace”.
‘Life at a standstill’
Swat — a snow-capped mountain valley split by
turquoise running waters — is one of Pakistan’s most famed beauty spots, but
its reputation has a dark side.
In 2012 then 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai was shot in
the head by the TTP while campaigning for girls’ education, a campaign that
later earned her the Nobel Peace Prize.
This summer things seemed to have slipped irredeemably
back towards those dark days.
After a decade-long hiatus, the anonymous lawmaker
started receiving blackmail texts once again.
“The situation was so bad that many people were
thinking of migration,” said Shah. “Life was at a standstill.” But there has
been pushback, and several protests against the TTP have been held since the
group’s high-profile kidnapping of three officials in August.
Businesses shut and thousands spilled into the streets
in rallies up and down the valley.
Pakistan’s military has claimed that reports of a
strong TTP presence in the area were “grossly exaggerated and misleading”.
Still, in Pakistan’s borderlands, attacks and
extortion continue unchecked — despite a professed negotiation truce between
the TTP and Islamabad.
“We have to search a solution which is acceptable to
both sides. A lasting settlement will have to be found,” said government
negotiator Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1723144/ttp-extortion-rackets-return-to-swat-valley-after-a-decade
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India
UP: Man, Pretended to be Muslim, Arrested Over
Derogatory Comments on Shraddha Walkar Murder Case
NOVEMBER 25, 2022
Police have arrested a man for outraging religious
feelings after he allegedly made remarks justifying the Shraddha Walkar murder
while pretending to be a Muslim.
Vikas was heard in a video clip telling a reporter
that if a man is not in the right mood, he can chop a woman into 36 pieces. He
gave out his name as Rashid.
“If a man's mood is not right, why 35? He can chop (a
woman) into 36 pieces," he says in the video.
Shraddha Walkar (27) was allegedly strangled by her
live-in partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who sawed her body into 35 pieces, which
he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in south
Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping those across the city over several days past
midnight.
Source: News18
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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India Abstains From Vote In The Geneva-Based UNHRC
Fact-Finding Mission To Probe Human Rights Violations In Iran
Anita Joshua
| New Delhi
26.11.22
India on Thursday abstained from a vote in the
Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council that set up a fact-finding
mission to probe human rights violations in Iran during the crackdown on the
recent “anti-hijab” protests.
The protests had broken out after the custody death of
a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in September after she was arrested for violating
the country’s strict dress code for women. While 25 of the 47 countries voted in
favour of setting up the fact-finding mission, India was among the 16 that
abstained. The remaining six voted against the motion.
India has studiously avoided commenting on the
agitation. Asked for a comment on the Iran protests during Thursday’s weekly briefing,
external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stuck to the “no comment”
response given a couple of weeks earlier to a similar question.
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/unhrc-india-ducks-vote-on-iran/cid/1900290
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Muslim Man Travelling With Hindu Woman In Mangaluru
Assaulted: Cops
Nov 26, 2022
In an alleged case of moral policing, a group of men
assaulted a Muslim man, who was travelling with a Hindu woman in Mangaluru on
Thursday, police said.
The incident occurred on Thursday night near Nanthoor
circle in Mangaluru. The couple were travelling in a bus from Karkala, when
three to four unknown men stopped the bus, dragged the Muslim youth out of the
vehicle and thrashed him, police said.
The Muslim youth has been identified as Seyad Raseem
Ummar (20), a third year BE (Information Science) student at Nitte Institute of
Technology, Nitte, Karkala. The identity of the woman is not known.
An FIR has been registered at the Kadri police
station. “On Thursday, Seyad was returning from Karkala in a private bus at
4pm. Near Nanthoor junction, three to four unknown people entered the bus,
abused him verbally and thrashed him. They also threatened him if he told
anyone about the incident. The miscreants then dragged him out of the bus and
beat him up with sticks,” the FIR read.
The police said that while there are reports that
members of the Bajrang Dal attacked the Muslim youth, the right-wing
organisation has however, denied its involvement in the incident so far.
“We are assuming it could be moral policing. The
Muslim youth was travelling in the bus when three people dragged him out and
thrashed him. The couple were coming from Karkala and the incident occurred
near Nanthoor circle in Mangaluru,” the police said.
“They also asked for his ID card. We are trying to
identify the accused by examining the CCTV footage,” the police said.
“We are not sure if those who attacked him are members
of the Bajrang Dal. When we asked them about the incident, Bajrang Dal said
they have not done anything,” the police added.
Moral policing by right-wing groups is on the rise in
Dakshina Kannada district. In September this year, an incident of moral
policing was reported in Dakshina Kannada’s Sullia Taluk in which a Muslim boy
was beaten up and was issued death threats by his college mates for befriending
a Hindu girl.
In April this year, another incident of moral policing
had taken place in Dakshina Kannada’s Kadaba Taluk. Then, a group had assaulted
a Muslim auto driver accompanied by a woman. Police said he was attacked after
the group learnt that the woman was a Hindu and the driver was a Muslim.
Source: Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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26/11 Attacks In Mumbai: The Trauma Of The Memory
Still Lingers
Nov 26, 2022
MUMBAI: It's been 14 years since the 26/11 attacks in
Mumbai. For some survivors, the trauma of the memory still lingers; for others,
it's an event that even shapes their goals in life; the rest are trying to keep
the door shut.
For Devika Rotawan, who was nine years and 11 months
old then, justice is still a quest. Shot in the right leg in the indiscriminate
firing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, she says, "Sometimes, when I
run and when it's cold, it hurts. It doesn't let me forget."
Rotawan had fallen unconscious during the attack, but
moments earlier she had seen "a man with a gun. He was less than 20 feet
away." When she came to, she was in St George Hospital. After surgeries
and a phase of rehabilitation during which she was on crutches, she regained
her strength.
In June 2009, she was taken to the special court at
Arthur Road Jail to identify Kasab. "I was in the witness stand and Kasab
sitting close to the judge...I wanted to throw a crutch at him or shoot
him," she says. On November 21, 2012, Kasab was hanged but she feels full justice
will be done only when the mastermind is punished. "Justice isn't done yet
and so, I want to be a cop," says the 23-year-old.
For others like Rounak Kinger who had joined the Taj
Mahal hotel as a trainee six months before 26/11, it was his first job. That
night, he was helping with a corporate dinner at the Gateway room. When he
heard gunshots, Kinger, then 21, thought it was firecrackers. Soon, he and his
colleagues were told to switch off lights, close doors and crouch on the floor.
Hours later, they managed to break open the windows, make a rope out of
curtains and escape. When it was his turn to climb down, the curtains gave in.
"I landed on the pavement with glass splinters in my knees and cracked
ankles."
Kinger worked with Taj for four years before moving
on. "They say you can never forget your first job. For me, I carry that
part every day," says Kinger, now an assistant vice president-culinary
experience with Zomato.
Source: Times Of India
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'In Five Kashmir Districts, No Local Has Joined Terror
Outfits This Year'
Nov 26, 2022
BARAMULLA: Five of the 10 districts in Kashmir
division - Kupwara, Ganderbal, Bandipora, Baramulla and Anantnag - have witnessed
zero local terror recruitment this year, with active local terrorists in the
Valley now contained at around 53, sources in the Jammu & Kashmir
government said on Friday.
According to the latest figures, the number of active
terrorists in J&K has fallen by over 27% to 135 at present, from 184 in
December 2021. The decline has been largely on account of the 46% fall in count
of local terrorists from 99 in December 2021 to 53.
The fall in numbers of home-grown terrorists is
attributed by sources to curbs on online activity aimed at glorifying
terrorists, the waning influence of Jamaat-e-Islami and also of separatist
outfits like the Hurriyat Conference, sustained anti-terror actions, and
disincentives against facilitation of terror acts such as attachment of
property and denial of government jobs.
A senior government official in Baramulla told TOI:
“Thanks to zero tolerance approach of the government to terrorism, locals have
realised the fate that awaits them if they join terrorist ranks. Besides, there
are enough development and social welfare initiatives that are reaching the
people of Kashmir. Youths are engaged in things like sports and emphasis is
laid on their education. They are no longer attracted to terrorism”.
As many as 176 terrorists were neutralised till early
November this year, of which a whopping 126 were local J&K recruits and 50
foreign terrorists, as per MHA data. The terrorists mostly belonged to outfits
like Lashkar-e-Taiba, its offshoot The Resistance Front, Jaish-e-Mohammad and
Hizbul Mujahideen.
The neutralisation of 126 terrorists in J&K so far
this year and dip in local recruitment has overturned the ratio of local
terrorists to foreign terrorists, with active foreign terrorists now far
outnumbering local terrorists, contrary to the trend of past several years.
Source: Times Of India
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Mosques in Govandi and Bhiwandi join in efforts to
remove vaccine hesitancy
by Rupsa Chakraborty
November 26, 2022
To overcome vaccine hesitancy among people in Govandi
and Bhiwandi, where 10 children have died due to suspected cases of measles,
local mosques started making announcements about the importance of vaccination
after the prayers on Friday.
“It is your responsibility to get your children
vaccinated against measles. Get the vaccine to save your children from the
disease,” announced Abdul Rahman Zeeyai from Darul Uloom Haji Ali Khan in
Govandi after the prayers.
In Bhiwandi, the mosques also announced the location
of vaccination centres where the parents can get their children vaccinated. “We
have selected five to six madrasas where vaccination camps can be held. To
inform the parents, the mosques were requested to announce the location of the
camps after the Friday prayers in Bhiwandi,” said Dr Bushra Shaikh, BMC medical
officer in Bhiwandi.
Both Govandi and Bhiwandi, which have a high Muslim
population in slum pockets, have been witnessing vaccination hesitancy.
Officials said they are also asking local schools to
create awareness. “We are asking school teachers and headmasters to counsel
parents against vaccine hesitancy. Also, they have been asked to identify the
children who haven’t taken the jab,” said Dr Upalimitra Waghmarem, BMC medical
officer in Govandi.
Source: Indian Express
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U.P.: Shia clerics to discuss impact of terrorism on
society in Lucknow
Nov 26, 2022
Shia ulemas from across the country will assemble in
Shia Degree College to discuss the impact of terrorism on the society at the
fourth “Ahl al-Bayt” conference on Saturday. They will give a message against
terrorism on the day that coincides with the 14th anniversary of the 26/11
Mumbai terror attack. They will also express their views on situations of
minorities and Shias in Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters on behalf of All India Shia
Hussaini Fund, which is organising the conference, at Shia Degree College on
Friday, general secretary, All India Shia Personal Law Board, Maulana Yasoob
Abbas, said, “Pakistan has become the epicentre of terrorism where terrorist
organisations are continuously targeting the Shia community. He said that
Prophet Muhammad and his ‘Ahl al-Bayt’ (family members) have given the message
of peace and humanity to the world. Through the conference, ulemas will spread
the message of humanity and peace.”
Source: Hindustan Times
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FIFA World Cup: Muslim body laments craze for soccer
among youth in Kerala
November 25, 2022
Thiruvananthapuram: An influential Sunni Muslim body
in Kerala on Friday came out against soccer-crazy Muslim youth in the state who
have erected huge cutouts of star players in support of their teams
participating in World Cup, saying worshipping football celebrities is against
Islamic faith and urged them not to wave flags of Portugal, which had made many
countries its colonies.
Nasar Faizy Koodathayi, general secretary of the Qutba
committee under the Samastha Kerala Jam-Iyyathul Ulama, also expressed concern
over football fans spending too much money on erecting huge cutouts of their
favourite soccer stars like Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano
Ronaldo and Neymar Jr of Brazil on the streets.
He also lamented that students were losing interest in
studies due to the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.
“It is not right to wave the flag of Portugal, which
colonised many countries”, the cleric said, adding that it was not right for
Indian citizens to respect and wave the flags of other nations over the
national flag.
He, however, said the organisation was not against
football.
“The game should be seen in a sportsman’s spirit.
Football is becoming a fever and people are getting addicted to it. This is not
a good trend,” he said.
According to Koodathayi, football should be promoted
only as a game which encourages physical activity.
“Instead of that now football has become a fever and
fans are engaged in worshipping football stars. Today people are respecting and
waving the flags of other nations over their own,” he said.
He said those who are poor are wasting their money in
erecting huge cutouts of their favourite football stars and students are not
concentrating on their studies.
“Instead of loving our nation, some are engaged in
worshipping football stars. There is a limitation to worshipping people when it
comes to Islam. Also people are waving Portugal flags…A country which colonised
many countries. Students are losing interest in their studies,” he said.
Kerala is well-known for the football crazy fans. Huge
cutouts of football stars including Messi, Neymar Jr and Ronaldo can be seen
across the state.
Fans of Brazil and Argentina religiously follow the
football season and celebrate the world cup with fervour in Kerala.
Source: Firstpost
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Secular Muslim think tank demands entry of Muslim
women in all mosques
Nov 26, 2022
MUMBAI: Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD), a
thinktank, has condemned the “blatant sexism” of Imam Bukhari of Delhi’s Shahi
Jama Masjid while welcoming his decision to remove the boards prohibiting
Muslim girls from entering the mosque precincts. IMSD also demanded entry of
Muslim women in all mosques in the country.
In a statement, IMSD convener Javed Anand said that
the “earlier decision to put up the notice board was sought to be explained on
the ground that Muslim girls ‘loiter’ around the mosque’s sprawling compound.
Presumably it’s OK for boys to loiter, not OK for girls. Such an attitude reeks
of a patriarchal mindset.”
“The imam has sought to clarify that the do-not-enter
directive did not apply to women who were welcome as before to pray at the
mosque. We appreciate the clarification since IMSD has consistently supported
the right of women from all religions to equal access to all sacred spaces on
par with men,” the statement said.
Anand said that Muslim women have prayed inside the
mosques in Mecca and Medina from the time of Prophet Mohammed and they continue
to do so even today in Saudi Arabia and much of the Arab world, the land of
Islam’s birth.
Source: Times Of India
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Telangana: Four percent Muslim reservations reduced to
3 in new roster system
26th November 2022
Hyderabad: Reservations are provided for better
representation of all the communities in education and employment. After the
formation of Telangana state, TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao had promised to
provide 12% reservation to Muslims in education and employment, but till date, there
are no practical steps are taken to fulfill it.
On the other hand, the 4% reservation provided to
Muslims in the united Andhra Pradesh seems to be under threat. Although this
matter is pending in the Supreme Court, the implementation of reservation in education
and employment is still going on.
The government has announced to fill more than 80000
vacancies in various departments and for this roster points system has
announced. However, only 3% reservations have been added to the roster points.
Under the Telangana State and Subordinate Service Rules 1996, Muslim
reservations were reduced from 4% to 3% in the roster points released for
direct recruitment.
The intention of the government does not appear to be
in favour of 4% representation for Muslims, so only 3 percent reservations were
included in the roster points.
A letter was sent by former minister Muhammad Ali
Shabbir to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary, after which the government
issued an explanation in an unclear manner. Although the explanation did not
mention the name of any officer or department, the statement was later
confirmed by the Chief Secretary’s office. The Chief Secretary, who is
in-charge of administration, has claimed that Muslim reservations i.e. BC-E
mentioned at 19, 44, 69 and 94th position in the 100-point roster.
Interestingly, there is no modification made in the
roster points till date, despite Chief Secretary’s explanation. If the error in
the roster points was rectified, the Chief Secretary should have released the
details of the revised points to the public. It is reported that the Minority
Welfare Department itself has not been sent a copy of the revised roster points
till date.
Even the TRS minority leaders in the government did
not ask for an explanation from the Chief Secretary on this issue. Somesh Kumar
refrained from saying anything more on this matter and said that the government
has added 4% reservation in the roster points. Till date, it has not been
explained who was responsible for reducing the 3% reservation and why the new
roster points are not released if the mistake is indeed corrected. Senior
officials of the Minority Welfare Department made the roster points expressed
ignorance about and said they did not receive any message from Chief
Secretary’s office. A large number of
Muslim candidates will be in loss the corrections are not made.
Source: Siasat Daily
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More than 1,300 Hindu, Muslim couples tie knot at mass
wedding event in Ayodhya
25th November 2022
Ayodhya: A mass marriage event was organised on Friday
by the department of labour and employment here at the government inter-college
ground where 1,356 daughters of Ayodhya and Ambedkar Nagar districts got
married without exchange of dowry.
As many as 1,342 Hindu couples and 14 Muslim couples
tied the knots at the event.
Gayatri Pariwar performed the marriage rituals for the
Hindu couples, while a Muslim Qazi administered the nikah for the Muslim
couples, District Magistrate Nitish Kumar said.
All couples who tied knots got Rs 75,000 from the
state government as a gift. The money was credited to their bank accounts, the
official said.
Ayodhya district administration issued the
certificates of marriage registration to the couples on the spot.
Uttar Pradesh Labour and Employment Minister Anil
Rajbhar, who was present during the ceremony, said that in the second term of
the Yogi government, he has got five lakh daughters married.
Source: Siasat Daily
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Europe
Azerbaijan says no talks with Armenia if Macron
attends
November 26, 2022
BAKU: Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said on
Friday he would not meet the prime minister of Armenia, as planned in Brussels
next month, because Yerevan demanded French leader Emmanuel Macron mediate.
Azerbaijan accuses France of backing Armenia in the
two countries’ decades-long conflict over the breakaway region of
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Aliyev said he would not meet Prime Minister Nikol
Pashinyan in Brussels on Dec 7 because the Armenian leader demanded that Macron
attend the talks.
Pashinyan “agreed to the meeting only on condition”
that Macron take part, Aliyev told an international conference in Baku. “That
means the meeting will not take place.”
He accused Pashinyan of attempting to “scupper the
peace talks”. Last month Macron and European Council President Charles Michel
attended a meeting between Aliyev and Pashinyan in Prague.
On Friday, the Armenian foreign ministry said the
meeting in Brussels should have the “same” format.
With Moscow increasingly isolated on the world stage
following its February invasion of Ukraine, the EU and the United States have
taken a leading role in mediating the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted
Moscow was “continuing its work on facilitating” talks between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars — in 2020
and in the 1990s — over Azerbaijan’s Armenian-populated region of Nagorno
Karabakh.
‘Unacceptable’
The six-week war in 2020 claimed the lives of more
than 6,500 troops from both sides and ended with a Russia-brokered ceasefire.
The two countries have recently begun working on a
peace treaty under the mediation of the European Union and the United States.
Last month, President Aliyev denounced as “unacceptable and biased” a comment
from Macron that “Azerbaijan launched a terrible war, with many deaths, (and)
atrocious scenes”.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1723138/azerbaijan-says-no-talks-with-armenia-if-macron-attends
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France seeking advantage from Lebanon’s presidential
vacuum: Report
25 November 2022
France is reportedly pushing to end the presidential
deadlock in Lebanon by promoting a Western-aligned candidate that may also be
confirmed by Hezbollah.
In a report on Friday, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar said
that officials in France have chosen a different path compared to that of the
US and Saudi Arabia as they are seeking to nominate Joseph Aoun, current
commander of the Lebanese army, for the presidency.
The push is reportedly led by the “Lebanon crisis
cell” at the Élysée palace as well as by presidential diplomatic adviser,
Emmanuel Bonne, and the head of foreign intelligence, Ambassador Bernard Emier.
According to the report, Paris seeks to rule out the
nomination of Christian politicians who are aligned with Hezbollah, especially
from the Free Patriotic Movement.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has also not included Aoun as a
possible candidate but it seems that the resistance movement does not reject
him completely.
MP Ali Ammar of Hezbollah responded to a question
about the nomination of Aoun, saying, “Hezbollah sees Aoun as a good example in
his management of the military establishment and his protection of civil peace
and national security.”
Lebanese lawmakers failed to elect the country’s next
president for a seventh time on Thursday, nearly a month after the previous
head of state Michel Aoun left the Baabda Palace.
Christian MP and presidential hopeful Michel Moawad,
who is seen as close to Washington, was the front-runner with 42 votes in
Thursday’s session. He, however, fell short of the two-thirds majority or 86
votes needed to win. The fraction of the vote in the 128-seat parliament is
needed for a candidate to win in the first round, with an absolute majority
required in subsequent rounds.
Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri said the legislative
body will convene for an eighth attempt to elect a new president on December 1.
Moawad’s candidacy is opposed by Hezbollah.
There have been delays in electing previous Lebanese
presidents. Aoun’s own election in 2016 followed a more than two-year vacancy
at the presidential palace as lawmakers made 45 failed attempts before reaching
a consensus on his candidacy.
The country has also had only a caretaker government
since May.
Source: Press TV
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How New Zealand-born Joel Hayward become one of the
world's 500 most influential Muslims
Daniel Bardsley
Nov 26, 2022
When Prof Joel Hayward received an email telling him
that he had been included in a publication detailing the world's 500 most
influential Muslims he, modestly, thought someone was joking.
"I was shocked to find, in fact, that it was me
and that people do think that I somehow am making a difference," he said.
"I’m a historian and we don’t imagine that people
read our books and that our books make a difference. To have been put in such
an illustrious group of people is beyond imagination."
The recent announcement that this 58-year-old
researcher at the Rabdan Academy in Abu Dhabi has been included in the 2023
edition of The Muslim 500 should, however, not come as a surprise.
The British-New Zealander, a distinguished historian
of warfare and military strategy, became a Muslim in the early 2000s and is now
recognised as an authority on Islamic history.
One of his most recent books, The Leadership of
Muhammad: A Historical Reconstruction, was chosen as the Best International
Non-Fiction Book at last year's Sharjah International Book Awards.
Prof Hayward has found the life of the Prophet to be
"immensely stimulating and very impressive".
Born in New Zealand to parents of British extraction,
Prof Hayward developed an interest in warfare in part because his father was a
soldier.
His interest also stemmed from a feeling that warfare
was when "people are tested to the most extreme levels and … the quality
of their character emerges".
"People become very frightened, they become very
emotional, they become very angry. Also, they become very brave," he said.
"Those esteemed qualities — self-sacrifice,
comradeship, courage — that we all place importance on are demonstrated best, I
think, during wartime."
At the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New
Zealand, he completed a doctorate on the Luftwaffe’s operations during the
Second World War and, after a number of years working as a lecturer in the
country where he was born, moved to the UK
There he continued to lecture, including at a military
academy, and to write books on military history.
Following the 9/11 attacks, Prof Hayward became
interested in Islam when a senior military officer suggested to him that there
was a militarism to the religion.
He took evening classes in Arabic so that he could
read the Quran in its original language and, nearly two decades ago, became a
Muslim himself.
In the early 2010s, Prof Hayward moved to the UAE,
working first at Khalifa University, then the National Defence College and now
the Rabdan Academy, a government security-oriented academic institution.
There he mostly teaches young Emiratis, who he says
are enthusiastic to learn.
The Abu Dhabi resident spends between three and five
hours a day reading and from Saturday to Thursday writes 500 words a day.
His background in the western source-critical
historical method, in which scholars interrogate sources to understand their
motivations rather than simply accept them at face value, coupled with his
expertise in Islam, gives him a perspective few other historians share and one
that seems to resonate with readers.
Prof Hayward has written a number of books on Islamic
history, the latest of which is The Warrior Prophet: Muhammed and War. Running
to nearly 500 pages, it has taken Prof Hayward about a decade of on-and-off
work to complete.
Now he has turned his focus to the Prophet’s
diplomacy. Prof Hayward said the Prophet had great strengths as a diplomat and
insights into what others thought.
"When you know what people want, your competitors
in other tribes, it’s far easier to negotiate than if you don’t know what they
want," Prof Hayward said.
"He understood ego, he understood greed, he
understood ambition — all those things that his competitors seemed to have been
motivated by — and found ways to work with those traits to get the best out of
people and to bring people together who might not ordinarily have wanted to
come together."
Prof Hayward has found Islam to be a unifying force
also in the present day because being a Muslim has given him a strong sense of
kinship with his co-religionists, even though he is of a very different
background to many of them.
"That’s the thing about Islam — it transcends
race, it transcends ethnicity, it binds us all together regardless of our
backgrounds, and also regardless of our socioeconomic status," he said.
"You go to the mosque and you pray alongside
people who might be cleaners or construction workers or they might be CEOs.
They might even come from one of the royal families.
"Everybody just prays together in a line. There’s
no sense that status plays a role in that. In some ways that’s one of the
attractions."
He feels lucky to be living in the UAE, which he
describes as a Muslim country "that has so easily and fully embraced
modernity and done so with success".
Source: The National News
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Ankara’s security concerns to be addressed as part of
memorandum for Nordic nations’ NATO bids: Swedish premier
Atila Altuntas
26.11.2022
STOCKHOLM
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told the media
Friday that Ankara’s security concerns will be addressed as part of a
tripartite memorandum between Finland, Sweden and Türkiye for NATO membership
of the Nordic nations.
Kristersson underlined that Türkiye's security
concerns will be addressed as part of the memorandum between Finland, Sweden
and Türkiye for NATO membership of the Nordic nations.
“To be honest, this is not a triple memorandum, rather
it is an agreement that Finland and Sweden promised Türkiye on security,”
Kristersson told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper, adding it would fulfill the
commitments.
He noted that Sweden is in contact with Türkiye about
the law, citing his country's new anti-terror law that is expected to take
effect next spring.
“This is the fact that Sweden is involved in the fight
against terrorism together with NATO,” he added.
Nordic countries' NATO bid
Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO in
May, abandoning decades of military non-alignment, a decision spurred by
Russia's war against Ukraine.
But Türkiye voiced objections to their membership
bids, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting terrorist
groups.
Stockholm and Helsinki struck a deal with Ankara in
June, which requires them not to provide support to the PKK terror group and
its offshoots, or the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- the group
behind the 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye. Ankara has also called for the
extradition of terror suspects.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against
Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and
EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including
women children and infants. The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.
Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, have warned that Türkiye will not give the nod to Sweden’s and
Finland’s memberships until the memorandum is implemented.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Man denies funding Daesh through government COVID-19
support payments
November 25, 2022
LONDON: A UK man has denied sending money to Daesh
fighters in Syria from a COVID-19 relief package during the pandemic totaling
£25,000 ($30,246).
Tarek Namouz, a former pub landlord and barber,
received thousands of pounds from the government support scheme for local
businesses and is accused of sending the proceeds to Daesh, Kingston Crown
Court heard on Thursday.
The British government loaned about £47 billion under
the program to support businesses hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was
estimated earlier this year that £17 billion will never be repaid and £4.9
billion was claimed fraudulently
Namouz, 43, wanted to buy a building for “storing
weapons” and occupy it with “Daesh fighters,” the court heard.
Transfers, totaling about £11,280, were sent to
accomplice Yahya Ahmed Alia between November 2020 and May 2021, jurors heard.
But, while remanded in custody, Namouz told a visitor
he had transferred “more than double” that amount, the Metro reported.
Prosecutor John McGuinness KC told the court that
forensic analysis of his mobile phone showed he was in “regular WhatsApp
communication” with Alia.
According to McGuinness, Namouz and Alia were
“committed to the Islamic extremist culture,” “fervently supported” the culture
of Daesh and were “committed to the cause of terrorism.”
The two also shared messages expressing a desire to
“burn Christianity” and “(kill) non-believers.”
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2206036/world
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Arab World
Turkey’s Erdogan vows to create ‘safe zone’ in Syria
after barrage of airstrikes
25 November ,2022
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday vowed to
protect Turkey’s southern border with a “safe zone” in Syria after Ankara
launched a barrage of airstrikes against Kurdish fighters.
Erdogan has long sought to build a “safe zone” with a
depth of 30 kilometers (19 miles) inside Syria and repeatedly threatened this
year to start a new military operation to achieve this goal.
Turkey’s military has conducted three offensives
against Kurdish fighters and extremists since 2016 and already captured
territory in northern Syria, held by Ankara-backed Syrian proxies.
“With the security (zone) we are establishing on the
other side of our border, we are also protecting the rights of millions of
women and children,” Erdogan said during a televised speech to mark
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
“God willing we will complete this (zone) along the
border from the west to the east as soon as possible,” he added.
Following a bombing in Istanbul on November 13 that
killed six people and injured 81, Turkey launched a series of airstrikes across
parts of Iraq and Syria on Sunday, targeting Kurdish groups.
Turkey blamed the bombing on the Syrian Kurdish YPG
militia and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK is designated a
terrorist group by the European Union and the United States.
Kurdish groups deny any involvement in the Istanbul
attack.
Turkey says the Kurdish YPG militia is allied with the
PKK, which has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights, Turkey launched raids Friday on Hasakeh in northeast Syria, held by the
US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), now the Kurds’ de facto army.
Erdogan wants the “safe zone” to include the Syrian
Kurdish border city of Kobane, also known as Ayn al-Arab, which was captured by
Kurdish YPG forces from extremists in 2015 with the support of the United
States.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran guards send reinforcements to Kurdish areas near
country’s Iraq border: General
25 November ,2022
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have sent reinforcements
to the country's protest-hit Kurdish areas in order to stop the infiltration of
"terrorists" from neighbouring Iraq, a general said in a report on
Friday.
Tehran told the United Nations on Thursday that it had
no choice but to act in self-defense by striking Kurdish rebel groups in Iraq,
which it accuses of stoking protests back home over the death of Iranian
Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched
missile and drone strikes on the bases of armed groups in northern Iraq twice
in recent days, according to Iranian media reports.
“Armored units and special forces of the Revolutionary
Guards army are moving to the western and northwestern borders of the country,”
General Mohammad Pakpour, who heads the Guards' land forces, was quoted as
saying by the Tasnim news agency.
“This movement of ground forces aims to strengthen the
units located on the border and prevent the infiltration of terrorists
affiliated with separatist groups operating in Iraq’s northern region,” he
said.
On Tuesday, Pakpour had advised residents near “the
bases of terrorist groups to evacuate in order to avoid injury during the operations
of the Guards,” the ideological arm of Iran’s military.
Kurdish groups from Iran have long inhabited areas of
northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, previously waging an armed
insurrection against the Islamic republic.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Displaced Syrians stage protests against YPG/PKK near
Türkiye-Syria border
Ömer Koparan, Ethem Emre Özcan
25.11.2022
AZAZ, Syria
Syrians who were forced to flee their hometown of Tal
Rifat by the YPG/PKK terrorist group held a demonstration on Friday.
The protesters gathered near the Oncupinar border
crossing with Türkiye demanding that the YPG/PKK terrorists be cleared from
their lands.
They also chanted slogans praising the Turkish army.
Sulaiman Abdo, who was forcibly displaced, told
Anadolu Agency: "We came together to protest against the terrorist
organization YPG and its supporters. We want the Turkish army and the Syrian
National Army to clear our lands from terrorism."
"The YPG has deprived us of our sustenance,
condemned us to a life in tents, we have been living in tents for six years,
away from our home,” he added.
Some 250,000 civilians in Tal Rifat and the
surrounding areas were displaced in 2016 by YPG/PKK terrorists. They sought
refuge close to the Turkish border.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Turkish threats leave Syria Kurds in fear for symbolic
city
November 26, 2022
In the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobane, gripped by fear
of a Turkish offensive, Saleh Abdo Khalil passes an open-air “museum” of
buildings reduced to rubble.
“Daesh destroyed these buildings,” the local baker
said.
That danger has passed, but now, he says: “Turkiye
wants to destroy the rest of the city.”
Since Sunday, Turkiye has carried out airstrikes
against the semi-autonomous Kurdish zones in north and northeastern Syria, and
across the border in Iraq.
Those raids, which started in Kobane, have killed 58
Kurdish fighters and Syrian soldiers as well as a Kurdish journalist, the
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Ankara has threatened a ground offensive and made
clear that Kobane, also known as Ayn Al-Arab, would be a primary objective.
US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces, now the Kurds’
de facto army in the area, led the battle that dislodged Daesh fighters from
the last scraps of their Syrian territory in 2019.
Years before, in 2015, Kurdish forces drove Daesh from
Kobane, on the border with Turkiye, and the city became a symbol of their
victory against Daesh.
To keep the memories of the combat alive, Kurdish
authorities erected a cordon around a group of destroyed buildings, burnt-out
vehicles and missile remnants, dubbing the area the Kobane “museum.”
While the football World Cup in Qatar has captured
some residents’ attention, tension can be read on their faces.
Most fled the combat with Daesh before slowly
returning and rebuilding.
“We fought Daesh for the whole world, and today the
world closes its eyes and acts like an ostrich while Turkiye bombs,” said the
baker Khalil, 42.
One week after a bombing in Istanbul on November 13
that killed six people and wounded 81, Ankara said it launched air strikes from
“70 planes and drones” against Kurdish bases in Iraq and Syria, starting with
Kobane.
Turkiye blamed the Istanbul bombing on the Kurdistan
Workers’ Party — designated a terrorist group by the EU and the US — and said
it was ordered from Kobane.
The PKK has waged an insurgency against the Turkish
state since 1984, and Turkiye alleges that Syrian Kurdish fighters are the
group’s allies.
Kurdish groups denied any involvement in the Ankara
blast.
Turkiye then hit other areas including the SDF bastion
of Hasakeh province, in the northeast, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed
Tuesday that Turkiye would “soon” begin a ground operation.
“The situation in Kobane is bad. People don’t sleep at
night” out of fear that the city could be “bombed at any moment,” said Nabo
Jumaa Ramadan, who opened a minimart in Kobane after he returned from Lebanon
in 2019.
“Kobane is a symbol for the Kurds and she defeated
Daesh,” Ramadan said with pride. Erdogan wants to “break the will of Kurds in
the city,” according to Ramadan.
“If Kobane falls, all Rojava will fall,” he predicted,
using the name Kurds in Syria give to the area they administer.
The Kurds faced an earlier Turkish incursion in 2019
when Ankara’s forces and its Syrian proxies grabbed a swathe of land along the
frontier.
Under a deal between Moscow and Ankara, Kurdish forces
which controlled nearly a third of Syria had to pull back to a line 30 km from
the border.
The withdrawal included Kobane.
On Thursday, despite fears of a new ground incursion,
there was no visible Kurdish military mobilization in the streets of Kobane,
AFP correspondents said.
A civilian vehicle traversed the city-center, calling
residents through a loudspeaker to join a demonstration against Turkiye’s
strikes.
Even when bombs are not falling, Turkiye’s proximity
is hard to avoid, and its flags can be seen along the border from several
districts of Kobane.
Flags of Syria and Russia — a major ally of Damascus —
are also visible, on a nearby hill with a post for government troops.
“We’re afraid of bombs. We are poor, without
possessions or land,” said Amina Youssef, 65, in front of her home.
“We only have this house. What does Turkiye want? We
don’t know what to do.”
The trauma spans generations.
“We came back years ago and began to rebuild our
homes,” Sherwan Hami, 39, said, sheltering from rain inside a shop.
Source: Arab News
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Base housing US occupation troops in northeastern
Syria comes under rocket attack
26 November 2022
A military facility occupied by US forces in Syria’s
northeastern province of Hasakah has come under rockets attack from nearby
areas amid public rage over presence of American occupation troops in
energy-rich regions of Syria and US’s attempts to further loot natural
resources there.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which
oversees American troops in the Middle East, said in a short statement that the
rockets were launched at around 10:31 p.m. local time (1931 GMT) on Friday, and
targeted the US patrol base in al-Shaddadi town.
It added that the projectiles failed to impact
anything inside the base.
CENTCOM further said that US-sponsored and Kurdish-led
militants affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) later visited the
rocket launch site, and found an unfired rocket there.
Late on November 17, a military facility housing US
occupation forces in Syria’s oil-producing eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr
came under a rocket attack.
Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel associated with
Iraqi anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units – better known by the Arabic name
Hashd al-Sha’abi – reported at the time that several rockets had struck the
vicinity of the US-controlled al-Omar oil field.
The Arabic-language Radio Souryana station also
reported that several explosions were heard inside the US-run base, and attack
helicopters flew overhead at a low altitude in the aftermath of the attack.
The US military has for long stationed its forces and
equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment
is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of
the Daesh terrorists.
Source: Press TV
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Mideast
Iran govt supporters at Qatar World Cup heckle woman
speaking on protests
25 November ,2022
Iran’s political turmoil cast a shadow also over Iran’s
second match at the World Cup on Friday, with pro-government fans harassing
anti-government fans outside the stadium in Qatar.
Unlike in their first match against England, the Iran
players sang along to their national anthem before the match against Wales as
some fans in the stadium wept.
Some Iran fans confiscated Persian pre-revolutionary
Iranian flags from supporters entering the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and shouted
insults at those wearing shirts with the slogan of the country’s protest
movement, “Woman, Life, Freedom.”
Small mobs of men angrily chanted “The Islamic
Republic of Iran” at women giving interviews about the protests to foreign
media outside the stadium.
Shouting matches erupted outside the security
checkpoint at the between fans screaming “Women, Life, Freedom” and others
shouting back “The Islamic Republic.”
Many female fans were visibly shaken as Iranian
government supporters surrounded them with national flags and filmed them on
their phones.
One woman named Vanya, 21, who lives in Qatar, said
she was terrified to ever go back to Iran after what she experienced outside
the stadium on Friday.
She said Iranian government supporters “have been
attacking me, they’ve been cursing at me all the way in the metro when I was
getting here.”
As she walked and talked on her phone, one Iranian
government supporter walked behind her with an unfurled Iranian flag chanting
“Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Some anti-government fans waved signs in support of
the protest movement at Iran’s first match against England earlier this week.
Before that match, Iran’s players remained silent as their national anthem
played. On Friday, they sang along.
The unrest in Iran was spurred by the September 16
death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country’s morality
police.
Source: Al Arabiya
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'Halal products not just for Muslims, they are
favourites for many people worldwide'
Gokhan Ergocun
25.11.2022
Thanks to its unparalleled standards in such areas as
cleanliness and healthfulness, halal products are the favorites of people all
the world, not just Muslims, said a top official of the Standards and Metrology
Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC).
International interest in halal products grows greater
each day, Mahmut Sami Sahin, SMIIC vice president and also head of the Turkish
Standards Institution (TSE), told Anadolu Agency during the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Halal Expo and World Halal Summit, hosted in the
Turkish metropolis Istanbul.
Halal refers to products and services that conform to
Islamic guidelines, but Sahin argued the term should no longer be considered as
purely religious, as actually it is an area with a very large trade volume
worldwide.
The global halal market, including Islamic finance,
food, tourism, cosmetics, medical products and textiles, totals $7 trillion,
according to World Halal Summit Council.
Touching on the current expo and summit, he said there
is high attendance from all around the world thanks to the rising interest in
halal products.
Muslims are sensitive about halal due to religious
necessity, he said, adding: "People want to consume halal products, so
they need to access halal products."
Within the framework of this need, the SMIIC was
established in Türkiye in 2010 with 13 countries, as a significant step, he
said.
The standards were prepared within the framework of
Islamic rules, he noted.
So far, approximately 50 standards were published by
the SMIIC, and Türkiye adopted all of them, he stressed.
Ensuring uniformity in halal concepts among Islamic
countries will make a great contribution to boosting trade, especially between
Islamic countries, he said, adding that the umbrella group SMIIC is a good platform
for this target.
He stressed that with 47 member states, SMIIC is a
large intergovernmental institute, and one of the most important for
Muslim-majority countries, adding: "The world is following SMIIC's
standards very closely right now."
The Turkish Standards Institute aims to share its
experience with other countries, especially Turkic republics and North African
countries, he said.
"We have undertaken a mission to convey its
experiences to countries within a three-hour flight distance, we’re working on
this," he explained.
He said the institute hopes to remove hurdles to
boosting trade ties between Türkiye and countries in its region.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Iran’s Khamenei praises Basij forces for confronting
‘riots’: Report
26 November ,2022
Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that
Basij militia forces sacrificed their lives in “riots” sparked by the death in
custody of a young Iranian Kurdish woman in September.
The Basij force, affiliated with the country’s
Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), has been at the forefront of the state crackdown
on protests that have spread across the country.
“They have sacrificed their lives to protect people
from rioters,” Khamenei said in a televised speech.
Authorities have blamed Iran’s foreign enemies and
their agents for orchestrating the unrest, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini
on September 16 after being arrested by the morality police that enforces
strict Islamic dress codes in the country.
The activist news agency HRANA said as of Friday 448
protesters have been killed, including 63 children.
Source: Al Arabiya
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More security for London-based Iran International TV
after threats
25 November ,2022
The Iran International TV channel on Friday said that
further security measures have been put in place around its London offices
after threats from the regime in Tehran.
Concrete barriers have been erected similar to those
at key government buildings and tourist spots in the British capital, to
prevent vehicle attacks.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
The barriers were “guaranteed to stop a 7.5 ton truck
at 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour,” a spokesman for the Persian-language
channel said.
Vehicle access in and around the site would also be
controlled and checks carried out, he added.
The threats were an escalation of years of intimidation
because of its broadcasting of protests in Iran, the spokesman told AFP.
“We’re the only channel running 24/7 coverage of the
protests,” he said.
But he added: “We’re not the voice of the protests.
We’re the only means that people in Iran can see them.”
The spokesman, who asked not to be identified,
stressed that Iran International was not an opposition channel and its staff
were not activists.
“We were set up as a service for people in Iran and
the diaspora,” he said.
Last week, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed that
armed police vehicles had been deployed outside the TV studios.
That followed “severe and credible” death threats
against two of its UK-based journalists from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps.
The UK government promptly hauled in Iran’s
highest-ranking diplomat to the country for a dressing-down.
MI5, the UK domestic intelligence agency, has
uncovered at least 10 plots by Iran to kill UK-based individuals deemed to be
“enemies of the regime” so far this year, its boss said last week.
The channel employs about 100 staff in London, whose
coverage of the protests largely involves sifting through and verifying social
media content of the demonstrations.
Iranian staff were “more anxious” than panicked about
the threats and more worried about the safety of their families back home, as
well as the wider impact of the protests, said the spokesman for the channel.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Turkey in final stage talks for up to $10 billion
funding from Qatar: Report
25 November ,2022
Turkey and Qatar are in the final stages of talks for
Doha to provide up to $10 billion in funding for Ankara, including up to $3
billion by the end of this year, two senior Turkish officials and one other
source told Reuters.
One of the officials said the total funding could take
the form of a swap, eurobond or other method, and that the Turkish and Qatari
leaders had discussed the issue.
The foreign funding could help shore up forex reserves
to backstop President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s unorthodox policy of pursuing
interest rate cuts and other stimulus measures despite soaring inflation and a
slumping lira currency.
Turkey’s Treasury was not immediately available for
comment. Officials in Qatar did not immediately respond to a request for
comment.
With Western countries balking at investments in
Turkey, Ankara has turned to “friendly” countries for foreign resources to
backstop its policy of supporting the lira currency by balancing the economy’s
supply and demand for forex.
Turkey’s central bank already had in place a swap deal
with Qatar’s central bank that was originally worth $5 billion but was tripled
in 2020 to $15 billion.
‘New resources’
The sources spoke under condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to discuss the funding.
“Talks for Qatar to provide new resources to Turkey
have reached the final stage. A minimum amount of $8 billion is foreseen” but
it could total as much as $10 billion, the first official said.
“Resources will be obtained, with $2-3 billion by the
end of this year (and) the rest to come next year. This could be a swap or
eurobond but they are discussing several methods. There is a mutual agreement,”
the person added.
The second Turkish official said the talks for $2-3
billion funding for this year were focused on the eurobond.
Erdogan was in Qatar for the opening game of the
soccer World Cup on Sunday, while Turkish Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati met
his Qatari counterpart Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari last month.
Turkey’s Finance Ministry has borrowed $9 billion in
2022, of the $11 billion foreign borrowing foreseen for the year.
The ministry foresees $10 billion foreign borrowing
for 2023 but it can bring forward its debt issuances when needed for earlier
financing.
Ankara already has a total $28 billion currency swap
deals with the United Arab Emirates, China, Qatar and South Korea and bankers
calculate around $23-24 billion are already in the Turkish central bank’s
reserves.
Turkey is also in the final stage of talks with Saudi
Arabia on Riyadh placing a $5 billion deposit at the Turkish Central Bank, a
Saudi finance ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. Turkey’s central bank has
declined to comment on the matter.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Israel's Netanyahu offers far-right Ben-Gvir national
security minister role
Abdelraouf Arna'out
25.11.2022
JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu
agreed to offer far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir the portfolio of the
national security minister in the new Israeli government.
Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Netanyahu's Likud
party agreed with Ben-Gvir, who is head of the Jewish Strength party, on other
positions including the portfolio of the minister for development of periphery,
Negev and galilee, minister for national fortitude, and deputy minister for the
economy.
Under their deal, the National Security Ministry will
have expanded authorities, including control of the border police.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Pakistan
Unnecessary censorship suffocates society, stifles
creativity, rules SHC
Naeem Sahoutara
November 26, 2022
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has ruled it is not the
job of judiciary to morally police the public by deciding what should be or
should not be viewed by them as unnecessary censorship suffocates a society and
stifles its creativity and growth.
“In our view, where a cinematic work has passed
through the censors, who have examined its content and cleared it for release
with an appropriate certification, an individual cannot be allowed to trump
that decision through a court proceeding based on his conception of morality.
Indeed, it is not the function of the Court under Article 199 to make a moral
judgment so as to curtail the freedom of speech and expression of a filmmaker,
as safeguarded under Article 19 of the Constitution,” stated the detailed order
passed by a division bench dismissing a petition seeking ban on the film
Joyland.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M Shaikh,
added: “On the contrary, the default position of the Court under Article 199
ought to be that of fully safeguarding the fundamental right by giving as
expensive an interpretation to Article 19 as possible, and in that event of a
restriction being imposed by the Board or any other authority that may be
competent in that regard, testing the reasonableness of that restriction
stringently, so as to ensure that the same is “reasonable” in the strictest
conceivable sense.
“As such, in the absence of any restriction imposed by
the concerned quarter, whether that be the Board of Provincial Government, it
does not fall to the Court to morally police the public by making a
determination of what should or should not be viewed and to take on the
function of itself devising and imposing a restriction. Suffice it to say that
unnecessary censorship suffocates a society and stifles its creativity and
growth”.
“Looking to the matter at hand, we are confident that
Islam, being the great global religion that it is, is strong enough to
withstand a cinematic work portraying a purely fictional account of a
relationship humanizing a transgender character, and are equally sanguine that
our society is not so weak as to crumble as a consequence,” the order stated.
“Suffice it to say that transgender persons are equal
citizens of Pakistan in all respects and the stories of their life, their
struggle, and their human relationships deserve equal space and recognition,”
the court order concluded.
The petitioner sought a ban on the film, arguing that
it apparently portrayed a relationship between a married man and a transgender
woman, and averred that the storyline violates the Islamic teachings and the
Constitution.
However, the judges observed that the petitioner did
not make any attempt to show how any Articles would be violated by the
screening of the film, other than confined his argument to the extent that the
theme and storyline thereof offended the Article 277.
Source: Dawn
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Gangs unite under banned group to avenge killing of
‘terrorist’
Asif Chaudhry
November 26, 2022
LAHORE: Several gangs of hardened criminals united on
Friday under the umbrella of a banned militant group and threatened to attack
six police stations in Rojhan tehsil of Rajanpur district, a couple of days
after a most-wanted criminal was killed in a police operation, and the police
high-ups started preparing a strategy to offer a befitting response, a senior
official told Dawn.
In fierce clashes late on Wednesday, the criminals had
fired rocket launchers, mortars and other weapons at the poorly equipped police
force for more than five hours.
Dera Ghazi Khan Regional Police Officer (RPO) Khurram
Ali Shah told Dawn that a heavy exchange of fire ended up in the killing of
proclaimed offender and ringleader of a notorious gang, Khuda Bukhsh Lound, who
also had a head money of Rs1.8 million against him.
At least 12 others, including five policemen, were
injured in the fighting and the heavily armed criminals left several
bullet-proof vehicles riddled with bullets.
The five cops, including a ‘gunner’ of an armoured
personnel carrier (APC), were trapped inside the two-decade-old APC after its
rusty tyres burst during the operation and a group of criminals attacked the
vehicle with lethal weapons, the official said.
Following an emergency call, additional police force
had reached the spot and another round of clashes ensued. Police, however,
forced the attackers to retreat and managed to rescue the ‘trapped’ colleagues
amid fierce resistance.
Another most-wanted criminal, identified as Gora
Umrani, had received five bullet injuries and six of his accomplices were also
injured. The assailants took away their injured associates and disappeared in
the tall bushes and forests.
The official said over 1,000 police personnel were
participating in the large-scale operation launched in the troubled and
relatively inaccessible areas of Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan districts of south
Punjab, which shared boundaries with Sindh and Balochistan.
On Friday, the RPO said, several gangs, including
Lound, Umrani, Dullani, Banu, Indhar and Mosani, convened a grand jirga and
united under the BLA umbrella.
Through a social media account that could not be
independently verified, the BLA announced they would all avenge the killing of
Khuda Bukhsh whom they declared a “martyr”. The statement further added that a
member of the BLA, Gora Umrani, had been injured critically in the fight on
“our homeland”.
Moreover, in wake of serious threats by the Baloch
militant group, the Punjab police have withdrawn the force from six police
stations of Rajanpur. The militants had announced to target these police
stations and pickets with rocket launchers and mortars from their hideouts.
About Wednesday’s clashes, the south Punjab police’s
initial report sent to the government said the Rojhan police had received
information that criminals Khuda Bukhsh Lound, Mujeeb Lound, Abdul Wahab Lound,
Ameen and Shahid Lound along with 26 other hardened criminals had gathered at
the residence of Gora Umrani.
“All the criminals were equipped with heavy weapons,
including SMGs, G3s, LMGs, and planned to attack the Bahar Machi police
picket,” stated the report, a copy of which is available with Dawn.
The area where the picket was located was Mouza
Khairpur Bambli in the southwest of Rojhan with an approximate population of
around 7,000 people largely belonging to two castes of Mazari tribe. Due to its
peculiar topography, the area had a significant strategic importance, the
report added.
Following the volatile security situation in Rojhan,
nearly 200 Punjab police personnel, including Elite commandos, had advanced
towards the tehsil and launched the operation under the command of Rajanpur
District Police Officer Ahmad Mohiuudin.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1723125/gangs-unite-under-banned-group-to-avenge-killing-of-terrorist
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‘My investor is my master’: PM Shehbaz seeks Turkish
investment for 10,000MW solar project
November 26, 2022
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday made a pitch
to Turkish entrepreneurs to invest in a 10,000-megawatt solar power project for
Pakistan, saying “my investor is my master”.
The premier sought the investment while addressing a
meeting of the Pakistan-Turkiye business council.
Milgem Corvette
Earlier termed the launch of a Milgem Corvette ship as
one of the “finest moments” in ties between Turkiye and Pakistan which will
strengthen and enhance the two countries’ defence production and joint
cooperation.
PM Shehbaz, who left for Turkey on a two-day visit
yesterday, witnessed the inauguration of the third of four Milgem Corvette
ships for the Pakistan Navy at the Istanbul Shipyard on Friday.
The Milgem project — based on a joint collaboration
between Turkiye and Pakistan — was signed with ASFAT inc, a Turkish state-owned
Defence contractor firm in 2018, according to which the Pakistan navy would
acquire four Milgem-class ships from Turkey.
Speaking about the project today, PM Shehbaz said
Milgem Corvette was a “great step forward” in terms of defence cooperation
between the two countries.
The premier also offered condolences over the loss of
life in a “barbaric action” by terrorists against the innocent people of Turkiye.
Source: Dawn
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South Asia
United Nations Assistance Mission Calls on Taliban to
End Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan
By Arif Ahmadi
November 25, 2022
Kabul, Afghanistan – The United Nations Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Friday called on Taliban leadership to end
violence against women and the “broader deterioration of women’s rights” in an
efforts to establish a sustainable peace in the country.
In a press statement to Khaama Press, UNAMA made the
call at a time the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women and the start of the global 16 Days of Activism against
gender-based violence.
Since the takeover last August, Women in Afghanistan
have had many of their most fundamental rights restricted in a country that has
one of the highest rates of violence against women globally.
Afghan women have also experienced a “marked
deterioration” in access to coordinated, comprehensive and quality services for
survivors of gender-based violence.
“The fundamental rights of Afghan women need to be
protected and concrete steps need to be taken for an enabling environment which
is free from all forms of violence,” said Roza Otunbayeva, the
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
“Protecting the rights of women is a crucial factor
for stability, prosperity and any lasting peace in Afghanistan” said
Otunbayeva, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA).
The current situation is exacerbated by a dire
humanitarian and economic crisis – including the freedom to move, work, seek
education, and participate in public life.
These factors reinforce traditional social norms that
condone the use of violence as a form of discipline and control, creating an
environment where violence against women and girls is normalized.
“Each day we continue to see the normalization of
violence against women and girls, in their homes, places where they are allowed
to work, online, and in public spaces,” said Alison Davidian, UN Women’s
Representative in Afghanistan.
“Globally we know it is impossible to create an
environment where women and girls are free from violence without also having
specific interventions to empower them, including initiatives to support their
voice, agency and participation in the decisions affecting their lives. We need
to renew our efforts to invest in both the protection and empowerment of women
and girls in Afghanistan.”
The UN in Afghanistan is working to address
gender-based violence, including responding to the differentiated needs of
vulnerable women and girls, amplifying the priorities and influence of women,
direct support and funding to service providers and civil society organizations
working to eliminate all forms of violence, prevention and response programmes,
and advocacy with key national and international stakeholders.
What is 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based
Violence
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence
is an annual international campaign that starts on 25 November and ends on 10
December, International Human Rights Day.
It calls for global action to increase awareness,
strengthen advocacy efforts and share knowledge and innovations to end
gender-based violence everywhere.
The campaign started by activists at the inauguration
of the Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/unama-calls-on-taliban-to-end-gender-based-violence-in-afghanistan/
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Taliban Calls Out UN Security Council To Permanently
End All Travel Bans
26 November, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], November 26 (ANI): Claiming that
an isolating approach of Taliban would do no good to Afghanistan and its
people, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate Bilal Karimi called out
the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to lift all the sanctions related to
travel bans, saying there should be a less gap between the Islamic Emirate and
the world, TOLOnews reported on Friday.
“An isolating approach would not work and there should
be less of a gap between the Islamic Emirate and the world,” Taliban’s Deputy
Spokesperson Bilal Karimi said.
Earlier in September, Human Rights Watch urged the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) not to extend the existing government
officials’ travel exemption as a result of the closure of girls’ schools in
Afghanistan and the Taliban’s atrocities against women and girls in the
war-torn nation.
“The Islamic Emirate always works to minimize gaps:
isolationist policies, and policies that create gaps and lead to problems.
History has shown that did not produce any results, I mean positive results,”
Karimi added, TOLOnews reported.
The UN Security Council hasn’t renewed the Taliban
leaders’ exemption from the travel ban in more than three months.
TOLOnews reported citing various international relations
specialists that the Taliban’s failure to address the demands of the
international community is what prevented the extension of the travel exemption
for its officials.
“The Taliban should respond to the demands of the
international community as a standard country and a standard government,” said
a former diplomat, Aziz Marij.
According to the analysts, one of the key reasons for
not extending the travel exemption for officials of the Islamic Emirate is the
failure of the Taliban to implement the Doha Agreement.
“The Taliban group failed to uphold its obligations to
the international community and the Afghan people, one of which is to respect
Afghan citizens’ fundamental rights,” said Nematullah Bizhan, international
relations expert.
Human Rights Watch also urged the United Nations not
to extend the existing government officials’ travel exemption and demanded how
they should be taking care of the intense women’s rights crisis in Afghanistan.
The Security Council should permanently end all
exemptions to the travel bans that are covering and restricting some Taliban
leaders. The Security Council should be looking to add more Taliban leaders to
the list of people subject to travel bans and to add other measures and based
on their involvement in human rights violations,” said the associate director
of the women’s rights division at Human Rights Watch, Heather Barr.
Earlier, the UN Security Council (UNSC) gave leaders
of the Islamic Emirate exemptions to travel bans to facilitate their
negotiations with the US despite its long-standing international travel ban on
the Taliban leaders.
Moreover, in an earlier statement, HRW’s Barr said the
Taliban rollback of the rights of women and girls began immediately after they
took power on August 15, 2021.
An extraordinary national economic, financial, and
humanitarian crisis has aggravated the human rights situation since the Taliban
took control of Kabul last year. Large-scale violence has been unleashed since
the US soldiers left the country, causing political unrest in many regions of
the nation.
Source: The Print
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Southeast Asia
Gains For Malaysia's Hardline Islamist Party A
Challenge For New PM Anwar Ibrahim
By A. Ananthalakshmi
November 25, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Malaysia's new prime
minister, Anwar Ibrahim, will be contending in parliament with a strengthened
Islamist party that espouses a stricter interpretation of sharia Islamic law, a
challenge to Anwar's vision of an inclusive society.
Anwar will likely face challenges from the Parti Islam
Se-Malaysia, or PAS as it is known, which emerged as one of the big winners in
Malaysia's election last Saturday, risking deeper divisions in the diverse,
multi-faith country.
Anwar, who is ethnic Malay and Muslim, addressed race
and religion in his first news conference as prime minister, promising to
uphold Islam as the official religion of the country and the rights of the
ethnic Malay majority, while also safeguarding the rights of all.
PAS, long a powerhouse in northeastern parts of
Malaysia, has become a national force by winning the most seats of any party:
49 of the total of 222, nearly triple its tally in the last election in 2018.
PAS has banned cinemas and advocated caning as a
punishment for homosexuality in states that it runs and put its religious
appeals front and centre in the election, with one leader saying voters would
"go to hell" if they voted for Anwar's coalition.
Race and religion are thorny issues in Malaysia, where
Muslim ethnic Malays form a majority in a country with significant ethnic
Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, most of them Hindu, Buddhist or
Christian.
As the biggest party in parliament, PAS could push for
Islamisation and more affirmative action for Malays - a long-standing policy
that Anwar has opposed, analysts said. PAS could also play up its religious
credentials to distinguish itself from other Malay-centric parties, they say.
"The big victory of PAS in this election proves
that Malay and Islamic politics is still the dominant core of Malaysian
politics," said Mohd Izani Mohd Zain, an associate professor at University
Putra Malaysia.
'RELIGIOUS RHETORIC'
The election illustrated how polarised Malaysia has
become.
While on the one hand PAS did well on its own, Anwar's
bloc of progressive parties, which includes the predominantly ethnic Chinese
Democratic Action Party (DAP), won the most seats of any alliance.
A conservative, predominately Malay Muslim coalition
led by Muhyiddin Yassin, which includes PAS, came second.
The result was a hung parliament with no bloc winning
a majority. In the ensuing five-day crisis, ethnic tensions came to the fore on
social media.
In the midst of the standoff, PAS called on all
parties to respect the constitution, preserve public order and avoid
provocation that could threaten national harmony.
The party did not respond to a request for comment but
it congratulated Anwar on Friday, saying it was confident he would
"prioritise the concept of federalism for all states and the people".
Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with Singapore's Institute
of International Affairs, characterized the Malay parties as being in a
"race to the bottom" to prove their religious credentials to a
significant portion of voters who are receptive to religious appeals.
"Certainly, PAS could play up its religious
rhetoric," Oh said.
The new popularity of PAS is also partly a result of
the decline of the long-dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO),
for generations the party of choice for Malays that has recently been mired in
graft scandals.
UMNO's former leader, ex-premier Najib Razak, is in
jail for corruption and abuse of power over the looting of funds from the 1MDB
state fund.
'CLEAN PARTY'
Under current president Abdul Hadi Awang, PAS has been
pushing for the expansion of sharia that allows for harsher punishments for
Muslims nationwide. Malaysia has a dual-track legal system, with Islamic
criminal and family laws applicable to Muslims running alongside civil laws.
PAS pressed for the law aggressively as the
opposition, though analysts say it moderated its views while it was part of a
governing coalition after 2020.
In regional governments that it runs, PAS has enforced
stricter rules. In Kelantan state, cinemas have been banned since 1990 for
causing "social ills", and in 2017, a man was fined for wearing a
pair of shorts that exposed his knees.
In 2018, two women were publicly caned after being
accused of attempting lesbian sex in Terengganu state.
PAS has called for tighter controls on alcohol and gambling.
Analysts say the 70-year-old party, founded before
Malaysia's independence from Britain, has worked for decades to build its
reach, at times cooperating with Anwar and the DAP to win power.
PAS has also built a strong base through private and
informal religious schools, which it partly funds.
It offers training for civil society and party
members, aiming to produce scholars and professionals with Islamic knowledge,
said Mohd Izani, adding that such efforts have helped PAS win support among
young Malays who want to see reforms.
Source: Reuters
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Number of Muslim divorce cases down 7% in 2021
November 25, 2022
PETALING JAYA: The number of divorce cases among
Muslims declined by 7.1% from 47,272 in 2020 to 43,934 last year, according to
the latest marriage and divorce statistics released by the statistics
department.
Conversely, the number of divorce cases involving
non-Muslims increased by 30.4% from 9,418 in 2020 to 12,284 last year, Bernama
reported.
In a statement, Chief Statistician Uzir Mahidin said
the decrease in the number of Muslim divorce cases could be attributed to the
closure of the shariah court, civil court and national registration department
(JPN) during the various movement control orders (MCOs) from March 18, 2020, to
Nov 21, 2021, and the limited number of cases that could be handled by the
court following the SOPs put in place during the MCO.
He said the three states that recorded the highest
decline in Muslim divorce cases were Sarawak, Perlis and Penang.
Meanwhile, Selangor, Kedah and Kuala Lumpur recorded
the highest number of non-Muslim divorce cases.
A similar pattern was observed in terms of the number
of marriages, with an increase of 15.4% of Muslim marriages from 186,297 in
2020 to 214,943 in 2021.
Conversely, the number of non-Muslim marriages
declined by 4.7% from 40,854 in 2020 to 38,941 in 2021.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Protests erupt in Xinjiang over 3-month Covid lockdown
November 26, 2022
HONG KONG: Protests have broken out in China’s remote
Xinjiang region, as anger boils over three months of harsh Covid curbs, and
after a fatal blaze at a locked-down apartment killed 10.
Hundreds of people marched through the streets of the
far western territory’s capital, Urumqi, on Friday evening shouting “Lift the
lockdown,” according to online videos verified by Nikkei Asia.
“We’ve been under lockdown for more than 100 days,”
one resident, who declined to be named, told Nikkei. “Every day people are
locked in their homes. There are no government subsidies.”
“There were 10 lives lost and we’ve been under
lockdown for [over three months]. We’re all angry.”
It was not clear if virus curbs contributed to the
death toll from the apartment fire on Thursday evening.
But Xinjiang, home to Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim
ethnic groups, has set China’s record for the most prolonged lockdown – with no
end in sight – after authorities started shuttering Urumqi on Aug 10.
Millions of people remain under strict Covid controls
in Xinjiang in what critics say marks an expansion of widespread rights abuses
against minorities, which the UN this year said could amount to crimes against
humanity. China denies all abuse claims.
Some of China’s biggest cities, from Beijing to
southern Guangzhou and sprawling Chongqing, are tightening curbs and ordering
large swaths of their population indoors as Covid infections soared to new
daily records this week. Shanghai endured a gruelling two-month lockdown
earlier this year.
But the situation in Xinjiang appears to be among the
strictest nationwide.
One Uyghur with family in Urumqi told Nikkei Asia that
his relatives are housebound and live under what they described as constant surveillance,
despite Beijing saying this month it would loosen its controversial zero-Covid
policy.
“They can’t open the door and there are cameras
everywhere to make sure they aren’t able to leave,” he said, asking not to be
named to protect his family’s safety. “The relaxations don’t make any
difference.”
The cities of Urumqi and Yining, with a combined total
of about eight million people, have been under severe restrictions for months,
with the region of some 26 million also squeezed by travel restrictions.
People who test positive for the respiratory illness
are whisked away to quarantine centres, while Xinjiang has pinpointed some
1,100 “high- and low-risk areas” where residents are routinely tested.
Despite these measures, Xinjiang’s official case count
hit 3,853 known infections this week, with an average of about 900 a day. China
recorded a new daily record of 32,695 nationwide infections on Friday.
Yining, where most of the population is Uyghur, went
into lockdown in August and residents shared videos and online posts of the
chaos sparked by food and supply shortages. The public outcry, including claims
that some residents were starving, was quickly scrubbed by China’s internet
censors.
Last week, the city officially lifted its citywide
shutdown but some restrictions remain, with daily testing the norm.
“They’re still locked at home, but are now required to
work from home,” too, according to a Uyghur whose sibling lives in Yining.
“Even though officially it was lifted, it’s still not true.”
And Xinjiang’s Communist Party boss, Ma Xingrui,
warned that “the situation is still serious and complicated,” as he said the
virus had spread to the ancient Silk Road city of Kashgar and other cities with
predominantly Muslim populations.
More than one million Uyghurs have been held in what
critics describe as internment camps and have been allegedly subjected to
torture, forced labour and sterilisation.
China has described the camps as training centres to
combat terrorism and separatist activity.
Xinjiang and Tibet, another region with a large ethnic
minority population, have been subject to harsher censorship than other parts
of the country, largely due to authorities’ already tight control.
Several Yining residents were arrested in September
over allegations that they spread false rumours online about pandemic controls.
This month, three men in Xinjiang were investigated by
the region’s internet regulator over similar claims. Ma, the regional leader,
later visited parts of Urumqi and said the government should “severely crack
down on fabrication and spreading of rumours,” according to state media.
China has long defended tight pandemic controls for
saving lives. But some activists and critics say the harsh lockdowns are an
extension of abuses against Xinjiang’s ethnic minorities, who make up about
half the population.
“It’s a very convenient way for authorities to try to
justify a greater capacity for surveillance and imposing constraints on
people,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Right Watch.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Islamist party PAS turns down Malaysia PM Anwar’s
offer to join government
Ram Anand
November 26, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS)
has turned down Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s offer to join his unity
government on Saturday, saying that it will remain as an opposition party along
with its Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition partners.
PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said on Saturday
that the Islamist party, which has 43 MPs – the largest party in Parliament –
after the Nov 19 General Election, will respect the wishes of the “majority”
and especially those who had voted for PN coalition.
Datuk Seri Takiyuddin’s assertion comes just a day
after PN chief Muhyiddin Yassin said that the coalition will remain as an
opposition, and will not be joining the government, which already has a
two-thirds majority in Parliament.
On Friday, Mr Takiyuddin had said that it will
consider Mr Anwar’s offer, which was made hours after he was sworn in as
Malaysia’s 10th prime minister on Thursday, ending five days of political
impasse.
PAS’ decision means that PN, which comprises mainly of
PAS and Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia will be the only
opposition.
Mr Anwar said on Thursday that he was leaving the door
open for PN to join his government, in the spirit of the King Sultan Abdullah
Ahmad Shah’s wish to see a unity government following a polarising election
which resulted in a hung Parliament.
PN had already rejected the unity government proposal
on Tuesday, when Mr Muhyiddin told the King that he was not amenable to form a
unity government with PH.
PN had attempted, unsuccessfully, to form Malaysia’s
next government and consistently claimed it had the support of majority MPs,
before finally conceding and congratulating Mr Anwar on Friday.
PN has 73 MPs, the second-largest bloc after Mr
Anwar’s PH, which won 82 seats.
But Mr Anwar was able to form a government with the
backing of former ruling party Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS),
other parties and independents. As at Saturday, he has the support of 148 MPs –
or two-thirds of lawmakers in the 222-member Parliament.
Mr Anwar has said that he will test his majority in Parliament
by calling for a confidence vote when the Lower House sits on Dec 19.
He has also promised a leaner Cabinet, to reduce
salaries for ministers, and not take any pay as prime minister as he looks to
help Malaysia recover from an economic slump and a prolonged political
instability that has lasted for more than two years.
PN’s Sabah-based partner Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)
has said that it will be backing Mr Anwar’s government. But GRS chief Hajiji
Noor on Saturday denied that his party had demanded the deputy prime minister’s
post in the Cabinet, which has yet to be formed.
Source: Straits Times
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/pas-turns-down-pm-anwar-s-offer-to-join-government
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Malaysia’s new PM says first priority is cost of
living
November 25, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s newly appointed Prime Minister
Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday his primary focus would be on the cost of living
as he takes office with a slowing economy and a country deeply split after a
close election.
Anwar, 75, was sworn in as premier on Thursday,
capping a three-decade political journey from a protege of veteran leader
Mahathir Mohamad to protest leader, a prisoner convicted of sodomy and
opposition figurehead.
Anwar, who was appointed by Malaysia’s king on
Thursday following an inconclusive election, said his primary concern was the
economy and he would have a smaller Cabinet than those of previous
administrations.
“My priority now is addressing the cost of living,” he
told a news conference after reporting for duty at the prime minister’s office.
Anwar had earlier indicated there would be two deputy
prime ministers in his Cabinet — one from former ruling alliance Barisan and
another from smaller political blocs in Malaysia Borneo.
Anwar said he would convene parliament on Dec. 19 for
a vote of confidence to prove his majority in the lower house.
His appointment ended five days of unprecedented
post-election crisis.
His rival, former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, had
refused to concede, challenging Anwar to prove his majority in parliament.
But on Friday, Muhyiddin said he accepted Anwar’s
appointment and his bloc would play the role of the opposition.
The campaign for Saturday’s election pitted Anwar’s
progressive, multi-ethnic coalition against Muhyiddin’s mostly conservative
ethnic-Malay, Muslim alliance.
Anwar’s supporters expressed hope that his government
would avert a return to historic tensions between the ethnic Malay, Muslim
majority and ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
Anwar’s coalition, known as Pakatan Harapan, won the
most seats in Saturday’s vote with 82, while Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional
bloc won 73. They needed 112 — a simple majority — to form a government.
The long-ruling Barisan bloc won only 30 seats — the
worst electoral performance for a coalition that had dominated politics since
independence in 1957.
Anwar said on Thursday the Barisan and an alliance of
parties from Malaysian Borneo had pledged to support his government.
On Friday, he said another Borneo bloc had also
joined, giving him the backing of more than two-thirds of members of the
222-seat parliament.
A two-thirds majority will allow Anwar’s government to
amend the constitution.
No Malaysian government has held such a majority in
the lower house since 2008.
Muhyiddin’s bloc includes the PAS, whose electoral
gains raised concern within the ethnic Chinese and Indian communities, most of
whose members follow other faiths.
Authorities have warned of a rise in ethnic tension
since the vote on social media and short video platform TikTok said this week
was on high alert for content that violated its guidelines.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2206106/world
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Africa
South Sudan pulls out of peace talks with rebel groups
25 November
,2022
South Sudan’s government has withdrawn from peace
negotiations with rebel groups, accusing them of using the talks “to buy time
as they prepare for war,” according to a letter seen by AFP Friday.
The talks between the government and a coalition of
rebel groups, which did not sign a 2018 peace agreement that ended a five-year
civil war, were brokered in Rome by a Catholic association with ties to the
Vatican.
Negotiations began in 2019 but have failed to curb violence
in the south of the country, despite a ceasefire signed in January 2020.
In a letter dated November 21 and addressed to the
Catholic Community of Sant’Egidio, Presidential Affairs Minister Barnaba Marial
Benjamin said the government “has suspended its participation in the Rome Peace
talks till further notice.”
“While we have been preparing to engage in serious
dialogue with Non-Signatory South Sudan Opposition Group to bring lasting peace
to our country, it has come to our attention that this group is using these
talks to buy time as they prepare for war,” Benjamin said.
The government had previously pulled out of talks last
year, accusing one of the groups, the National Salvation Front (NAS), of
carrying out indiscriminate attacks in the south of the country. But in August
it said it was ready to resume discussions.
The rebel coalition in October announced it was
changing its name from the South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOMA) to the
Non-signatories.
The world’s newest nation has suffered from chronic
instability since winning independence from Sudan in 2011, including a civil
war that killed nearly 400,000 people.
Since the peace deal between President Salva Kiir and
his deputy Riek Machar, the country has endured natural disasters and an
economic crisis, with political infighting fueling further violence and
obstructing progress on the terms of the agreement.
Source: Al Arabiya
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French businesses, schools closed following protests
in Burkina Faso
Aurore Bonny
26.11.2022
DOUALA, Cameroon
Teleworking and e-learning were planned Friday for
French schools and companies in Burkina Faso in anticipation of the resumption
of previously announced protests, a diplomatic authority told Anadolu Agency.
"People from French companies are invited to
telework today and people from French schools and students are in distance
learning," the French Embassy told Anadolu Agency in a telephone
interview.
A source at the embassy confirmed the move was made in
the wake of anti-French demonstrations in cities of the West African country.
Demonstrators took to the streets on Nov. 18 and days before to protest French
aid in the fight against terrorism, which has plagued the country for years.
The military police did nothing when hundreds of
demonstrators threw stones and projectiles at the walls of the embassy,
according to French diplomats.
A diplomatic source told Anadolu Agency that the
situation "seems calm for the moment."
Violent demonstrations are not new to Burkina Faso
which is undergoing a transition after a second coup in less than because of
insecurity due to the presence of terrorists.
Angry demonstrators also tried to burn the embassy in
October following the dismissal of Paul-Henri Damiba, the former leader of the
military junta.
They suspected French authorities of providing him
with shelter and assistance. The charges were denied by France.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Kenyan army to forego portion of salary to help combat
drought: Deputy president
Andrew Wasike
26.11.2022
NAIROBI, Kenya
Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) will give up one day of
pay every month to help raise funds to combat the effects of a drought that has
rocked the country, according to an official.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said the KDF and the
National Youth Service (NYS) will forgo the pay and he urged Kenyans to donate
a portion of their pay to aid those affected by the drought.
“Our men and women in the KDF have offered to forgo a
one-day salary to contribute to the drought response kitty,” said Gachagua.
“We appeal to Kenyans in food surplus counties to help
contribute to drought-affected areas. We appeal to Kenyans of goodwill to
contribute a percentage of their salaries to a pay bill number that will be
established soon to contribute to the drought response kitty,” he added.
Rigathi launched the country’s newly formed National
Drought Response Steering Committee. The 15-member state-funded team will
provide a framework for the mobilization of additional resources following
increased public interest in scaling up the drought response to meet the needs
of citizens affected by drought.
The United Nations Refugee Agency released a statement
Tuesday with humanitarian aid partners that urged $472.6 million in 2023 to
respond to the drought to help 4.3 million people.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Somali army thwarts al-Shabab attack on military base
Mohammed Dhaysane
25.11.2022
MOGADISHU, Somalia
The Somali military said Friday its forces thwarted an
al-Shabab attack on a military base in the recently liberated village of Qayib
in Galmudug state.
A security officer in Galmudug, who spoke to Anadolu
Agency over the phone on condition of anonymity, said heavily armed fighters
from the al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabab tried earlier to
overturn the army camp but they were defeated and several terrorists were
killed.
He said the army also destroyed vehicles laden with
explosives.
Earlier this month, Qaayib was recaptured by the army
backed by local clan militias from the al-Shabaab terrorists.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the Friday
morning attack and said several Somali government soldiers had been killed and
several wounded in the attack.
However, a statement issued by the government said it
killed 15 al-Shabaab terrorists late Thursday.
On Wednesday, the government said it killed 49
terrorists after an operation in the same region.
In his first 100 days in office, Prime Minister Hamza
Adi Barre said the army killed more than 600 al-Shabaab fighters and wounded
1,200 others.
He also said the army has liberated over 68 areas in
the south and central parts of the Horn of African country.
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with
al-Shabaab being one of the main threats.
Since at least 2007, al-Shabaab has waged a deadly
campaign against the Somali government and international forces that have
claimed thousands of lives.
The UN has also warned of growing instability in the
country, with its periodic reports on Somalia this year detailing attacks by
al-Shabaab and pro-Daesh/ISIS groups.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somali-army-thwarts-al-shabab-attack-on-military-base/2748286
--------
North America
McCarthy’s Threats Against Ilhan Omar ‘Illustrate The
Institutional Racism In The US System’: African American Journalist
25 November 2022
Presumptive US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's threats
against African American Congresswoman Ilhan Omar “illustrate the institutional
racism inherent in the US political system,” according to African American
writer and journalist Abayomi Azikiwe.
Azikiwe, an editor at the Pan-African News Wire, made
the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday after US House Minority
Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) vowed to remove Omar from her committee posts
over her condemnation of Israel’s war crimes if he becomes speaker of the
House.
On Monday, Omar hit back at McCarthy and his
Republican Party, saying they "use fear, xenophobia, Islamophobia and
racism to target me."
Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement after
McCarthy threatened to strip her from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs
Committee.
“From the moment I was elected, the Republican Party
has made it their mission to use fear, xenophobia, Islamophobia and racism to
target me on the House Floor and through millions of dollars of campaign ads.
“Whether it is Marjorie Taylor Greene holding a gun
next to my head in campaign ads or Donald Trump threatening to ‘send me back’
to my country (despite the fact that I have been a proud citizen of the United
States for more than 20 years), this constant stream of hate has led to
hundreds of death threats and credible plots against me and my family.
“At the same time, they have openly tolerated
antisemitism, anti-Muslim hate and racism in their own party. Newly-elected
Whip Tom Emmer said prominent Jewish Democrats 'essentially bought control of
Congress.' And McCarthy himself accused Jewish Democrats of trying to 'buy
elections.'
“Instead of doing anything to address the open
hostility towards religious minorities in his party, McCarthy is now lifting up
people like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Emmer and so many others. If he cared about
addressing the rise in hate, he would apologize and make sure others in his
party apologized.
“McCarthy’s effort to repeatedly single me out for
scorn and hatred—including threatening to strip me from my committee—does
nothing to address the issues our constituents deal with. It does nothing to
address inflation, healthcare, or solve the climate crisis.
“What it does is gin up fear and hate against
Somali-Americans and anyone who shares my identity, and further divide us along
racial and ethnic lines. It is a continuation of a sustained campaign against
Muslim and African voices, people in his party have been trying to ban since
Donald Trump first ran for office.
“I will not stop fighting for more equitable, more
just and more humane policies. I will not stop advocating for peace and human
rights around the world. And I will not stop fighting for an America that does
not single out people based on their race or religion.”
Azikiwe said, “McCarthy's threat to ban Congresswoman
Ilhan Omar from participating in the foreign relations committee is an outrage.
It should be illegal under Constitutional law since Congresswoman Omar has been
elected three times by her constituents in the state of Minnesota.”
“She has not been charged or found guilty of breaking
any United States laws or Congressional rules. This is an attempt to further
criminalize African Americans and Muslim Americans in the US,” he added.
“McCarthy's threats illustrate the institutional
racism inherent in the US political system,” the journalist stated.
“During the late 1960s, militant African American
Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was illegally expelled from the House of
Representatives leaving his district without representation for three years.
Powell was eventually vindicated by the Courts. Omar should wage a struggle to
maintain her full authority as a member of Congress,” he noted.
Omar has long been critical of the regime of Israel
and its actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Along with US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the two
have triggered a widespread debate in the US about Israel’s crimes against the
Palestinians and American aid to the regime.
Tlaib and Omar, the first two Muslim women elected to
Congress, are outspoken critics of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians
and vocal supporters of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement. The
two called “Israel” an “apartheid state” guilty of war crimes.
The 37-year-old US lawmaker is originally from Somalia
and represents Minneapolis, Minnesota, a district with a large Somali
population.
In his earlier interview with Press TV, Azikiwe said
the independent organization of the African American people in alliance with
other oppressed peoples in the United States must overturn “the existing system
which is rooted in racism and exploitation.”
“There is potentially the threat of civil war in the
US. It is a civil war that oppressed and working-class people are not prepared
for no more than what developed in 1860-61, when the intolerance of the
slaveocracy and the indifference of northern industrialists led to a four-year conflict
that killed nearly one million people. This war created the conditions for the
elimination of chattel slavery and the ostensible freedom of African people who
were in captivity since the 16th and 17th centuries under Spain and Britain,”
he said.
“However, it is not only the fault of the Republicans.
The Democratic Party under President Joe Biden has been largely ineffective in
passing legislation and issuing executive orders aimed at protecting the rights
of African Americans, people of color communities and women. There are
concerted efforts underway to turn back the social clock making African
Americans, Latin Americans, women and all oppressed groups slaves of the racist
and capitalist system. Both parties which are dominant in the US deserved condemnation
for their perpetuation of the exploitative and discriminatory political culture
which remains pervasive in the US,” he stated.
Source: Press TV
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Chile’s embassy in Türkiye, UN office mark Int’l Day
for Elimination of Violence Against Women
Busra Nur Cakmak
25.11.2022
Chile’s embassy in Türkiye and the UN Women Türkiye
office marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women on Wednesday.
In a roundtable panel titled Human Rights and Violence
Against Women: A Shared Vision, Chile’s ambassador Rodrigo Arcos, lawmaker
Lorena Fries and Duygu Arig, Programme Specialist at UN Women Türkiye,
discussed issues women face and how to raise awareness ahead of the
UN-designated day on Nov. 25.
Fries said that violence against women is often
discussed within marriage, but in the past few decades in Latin America,
studies show that it starts much earlier with controlling behavior of the
partner and then escalates until it turns to violence.
She stressed the importance of education of young
women and girls on the issues.
Arig for her part said that prevention should start at
an early age by educating young people about gender equality.
“I have been part of other research during my tenure
with UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), where we have worked with middle
school students and we try to understand their perceptions in terms of violence
against women,” she said.
“And we have seen that the gender roles are so
concrete that even at that age, you cannot break it.”
“So whatever we do, we should start off very early,”
she added.
Ambassador Arcos also underlined the importance of
creating awareness about gender equality and women rights.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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US official urges ‘de-escalation’ as Turkiye strikes
Syria
November 25, 2022
BEIRUT: A US official in Syria on Friday called for an
“immediate de-escalation” following days of deadly airstrikes and shelling
along the Syria-Turkiye border, saying the actions destabilize the region and
undermine the fight against the Daesh group.
Turkiye this week launched a wave of airstrikes on
suspected Kurdish rebels hiding in neighboring Syria and Iraq, in retaliation
for a deadly Nov. 13 bombing in Istanbul that Ankara blames on the Kurdish
groups.
The groups have denied involvement in the bombing and
say the Turkish strikes have killed civilians and threatened the anti-Daesh
fight.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,
an opposition war monitor, said that 67 civilians, gunmen and soldiers, have
been killed in Turkish attacks in northern Syria since the airstrikes began.
Nikolas Granger, the US senior representative to
northeastern Syria, said Washington “strongly opposes military action that
further destabilizes the lives of communities and families in Syria and we want
immediate de-escalation.”
The developments are “unacceptably dangerous and we
are deeply concerned,” said Granger, who is currently in Syria, and added that
the strikes also endanger US military personnel there.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened a
new land invasion of northern Syria targeting Kurdish groups. On Friday, he
said Turkiye would continue its “struggle against all kinds of terror inside
and outside our borders.”
Turkiye and the United States both consider the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a terror group for the decadeslong
insurgency and attacks the group has staged within Turkiye’s borders.
But they disagree on the status of the main Kurdish
militia in Syria, the People’s Protection Units, or YPG. The Syrian Kurdish
group has been a key US ally in the fight against Daesh.
Turkiye has carried out three major incursions into
northern Syria since 2016 and its forces still control part of the country.
Kurdish officials in Syria have been warning that any
new Turkish incursion would disrupt the fight against Daesh, which still has
sleeper cells and has carried out deadly attacks in recent months against the
Syrian Kurdish-led opposition forces as well as Syrian government forces.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2206066/middle-east
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