A First in A UK Mosque: London Mosque Worshippers Sing God save The King in a Service to Honour the Life of Queen Elizabeth II
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 September 2022
The chairman of the
Prince's Trust International Board, Shabir Randeree, described it as a
"very moving moment".
-----
• Miniskirts Can Be Banned In Schools but Not Hijab:
Muslim Side
• Taliban's Retort to Pakistan: Jaish Chief Masood
Azhar with You, Not Us
• Joe Biden on Anti-Hindu, Anti-Sikh, and Anti-Muslim
Violence: ‘That Line of Hate Never Fully Goes Away, Have No Place in America’
• UAE President Invites Israel’s President to Abu
Dhabi Space Event
Europe
• Vienna Meeting to Discuss Afghanistan’s Future:
Afghan Political Figures Gather in Austria
• Northern Ireland's first Muslim scout group set for
Belfast
• Armenia says 135 soldiers killed in clashes with
Azerbaijan
--------
India
• Uttar Pradesh Holds Survey of Historic Islamic
Seminary, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, a 125-Year-Old Islamic Seminary in
Lucknow
• Karnataka Man Accused of Love Jihad, Assaulted By Hindu
Activists
• 4 Men Booked For Stopping Inter-Faith Marriage:
Police
• Muslims Arrested, Hindus Untouched For Violence In
MP Town
• Job Discrimination against Indian Muslims Rises By
9% in 16 Years: Report
• Ambedkar Remarks Cited In Karnataka HC Hijab Ban
Order ‘Deeply Offensive’, Muslim Parties Tell SC
• Terrorist in touch with Pak handlers arrested in
J&K’s Reasi
--------
South
Asia
• Bolton: World should be concerned about Increasing
Influx of International Terrorists in Afghanistan: Former Advisor to US NSC
• Taliban Accuse US of ‘Usurping’ Afghanistan’s Frozen
Assets
• BSCO Summit in Uzbekistan: Taliban Officials Not
Invited
• UK Contributes £24M to Provide Emergency Support for
Afghan Women, Children
--------
North
America
• Not too late' to conclude nuclear deal with Iran, US
says as talks stall
• Iran condemns US charges against three over cyber
attacks
• Blinken offers condolences to Armenia’s PM after
Azerbaijan shelling kills scores
• US House speaker heading to Armenia following
Azerbaijan clashes: Report
--------
Arab
World
• No Active Members Of The Muslim Brotherhood On
Qatari Soil: Qatar’s Emir Tamim
• Iraqi PM visits Karbala as over three million
Iranian pilgrims attend Arbaeen
• IMF to send mission to Lebanon next week to discuss
slow reform progress
• New batch of Syrian prison photos opens ‘old wounds’
• With a Russian nudge, Turkey and Syria step up
contacts
• Dubai court orders Sanjay Shah, others to pay
Denmark $1 billion
• Turkish forces 'neutralize' 5 PKK terrorists in
northern Iraq
--------
Mideast
• Two of World's Oldest Mosques Discovered in Israel’s
Negev Desert
• Iran Calls for Mechanisms to Hold Sanctioning
Countries Accountable
• Iranian Envoy: Israeli Raids on Syria's Civilian
Infrastructures Amounts to War Crime
• Israel’s election campaign kicks off, polls predict
further deadlock
• Israeli premier holds talks with UAE foreign
minister in Jerusalem
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Faces TTP, JeM Hurdle in Exiting FATF Grey
List
• PTI Hits Out At Govt for Fanning ‘Religious Hatred’
Against Imran
• ‘Don’t Downplay Seriousness of Terrorism Charges,’
IHC CJ Tells Govt In Terror Case Against Imran Khan
• Second anti-Taliban tribal leader killed in Swat in
week
• Ashrafi urges Muslim world’s aid agencies to help
flood victims in Pakistan
• Pak court grants bail to Imran’s aide in sedition
case
• PM Shehbaz Sharif says, "Even friendly
countries started looking at Pakistan as beggars"
• Buttler ‘excited’ as England arrive in Pakistan
after 17 years
• Chinese national arrested on charge of raping girl
in Islamabad
• PM arrives in Uzbekistan to attend SCO regional
security bloc summit
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Promoting Empathy, Inclusivity through Malaysian
Theatre
• Muslim Unity Narrative A Ruse to Weaken Umno, Says
Analyst
• Leave Malaysia if you want it more like Afghanistan
or North Korea
• Dr M mocks ‘opportunistic’ PAS over past ‘infidel’
remarks
• Jakarta governor ‘prepared’ to run for president
• Funds withheld from PAS reps will be paid straight
to needy, says exco
• Xi urges more ‘political trust’ with Turkey
• Incompetency nothing to do with racism, PAS leader
told
• PH a gathering of ‘bribe givers and receivers’, says
Hadi
• China’s Xi to meet Turkish president Erdogan at
regional summit: State media
• China’s Xi set to meet Iran’s president at regional
summit
--------
Africa
• 18 Terrorists Killed, 'Strategic' Al-Shabaab Assets
Destroyed In Somalia Operation
• At least 134 dead, scores of homes wiped out in
Sudan seasonal floods
• Book reveals Jordan king left 'bent doubled-over'
after Trump’s West Bank offer
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/uk-mosque-king-queen-elizabeth/d/127961
--------
A First in A UK Mosque: London Mosque Worshippers Sing
God save The King in a Service to Honour the Life of Queen Elizabeth II
The chairman of the
Prince's Trust International Board, Shabir Randeree, described it as a
"very moving moment".
-----
15 September, 2022
Worshippers at London Central Mosque have sung God
Save the King, in what organisers said was a first in a UK mosque since the
Queen's death.
Muslim community leaders attended a service at the
mosque in Regent's Park to honour the life of the Queen and to mark the
accession of King Charles III.
Ahmad Al-Dubayan, of the Islamic Cultural Centre, said
they wanted to show how Muslim communities felt.
He said: "Muslims are so grateful and acknowledge
all the things she did."
He added: "The Queen was loved by everybody, and
everybody remembers the achievements and the good things about her."
He praised the Queen's commitment to multiculturalism
and her "commitment and devotion for the service of everybody that made
the UK an oasis of freedom".
The chairman of the Prince's Trust International
Board, Shabir Randeree, described it as a "very moving moment".
"It raised the hairs on the back of my neck for
two reasons," he said. "First, I was thrilled to be standing in a
mosque singing God Save the King. And the second, I was deeply touched of
course in trying to remember the Queen. It was a momentous moment and a very
touching moment.
"The Muslim community are united with everyone,
and you've seen an outpouring of grief, not just from the Muslim community but
from all communities in the UK, and, dare I say, in the Commonwealth and
worldwide as well.
"And it's been an opportunity, a very positive
opportunity, for all communities to show we stand together and we also mourn
what is a very sad moment in our history, but we also celebrate the life of the
Queen and her contribution.
"I think it's very important for the Muslim
community to be out here and to say what they felt, and to also have the royal
family and others and the entire country notice that they mourn deeply the
passing of the monarch."
Source: BBC
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-62921645
--------
Miniskirts Can Be Banned In Schools but Not Hijab: Muslim
Side
Photo: The Times of India
-----
Sep 16, 2022
NEW DELHI: The Muslim side on Thursday told the
Supreme Court that a girl student can be barred from wearing a miniskirt to an
educational institution, but not a hijab, by applying the restrictions of
public order, decency and morality to the freedom of expression under Article
19(2) of the Constitution.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal in his brief arguments
crystallized the constitutional issue requiring adjudication by posing a series
of questions: “Does the Muslim women’s right of expression not include a choice
of dress (hijab) to display her identity, culture and the religious group to
which she belongs to?”
“If Muslim women have been traditionally wearing hijab
to educational institutions, from where did the Karnataka government derive its
power now to ban it when there is no such restriction under Article 19(2)? When
the Muslim women are not opposed to uniform, but want to wear an additional
headscarf of a colour matching with the uniforms, how can it be banned,” he
asked.
When a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu
Dhulia said the state government’s action was probably to address the situation
arising from certain students wearing saffron shawls, Sibal said Article 51A(f)
of the constitution casts a duty on every citizen to “value and preserve the
rich heritage of our composite culture”.
“They should actually encourage Muslim women to wear
hijab as it reflects our composite culture. How can someone object to a Muslim
girl’s hijab, which she has been traditionally wearing for decades in
Karnataka? If a Muslim girl can wear a hijab outside in public, how can other
students object to her wearing one to school? How did the Karnataka HC import a
non-existent concept of ‘qualified public space’ to uphold the ban on hijab?
The situation was deliberately created to enable the state to ban hijab in
educational institutions,” Sibal said.
He said because of hijab ban there has been an
alarming rate of dropout from educational institutions among Muslim women. “If
this trend is started by other states, it would have a devastating impact on
the nation where Muslim women would, because of their religion and gender, be
deprived of their fundamental right to education,” he said. Others who argued
against the hijab ban included Shoeb Alam, Colin Gonsalves, Prashant Bhushan,
Abdul Majeed Dar, Jayna Kothari and Meenakshi Arora. The arguments would
continue on Monday.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Taliban's Retort To Pakistan: Jaish Chief Masood Azhar
With You, Not Us
Taliban rejected
Pakistan's claims that Jaish Chief Masood Azhar is in Afghanistan.
------
September 15, 2022
Kabul: Talibani spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid has denied
that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar was in Afghanistan, and
said he is, in fact, in Pakistan, Afghanistan's local media outlet Tolo News
said.
This comes as Pakistan has written a letter to
Afghanistan for the arrest of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Maulana Masood
Azhar, Bol News reported citing sources and added that Maulana Masood Azhar is
probably present in Afghanistan's Nangarhar and Kanhar areas.
However, reacting to the letter, Islamic Emirate
spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said, "The leader of the Jaesh-e-Mohammad
group is not here in Afghanistan. This is an organization which could be in
Pakistan. Anyway, he is not in Afghanistan and we have not been asked anything
like this. We have heard about it in the news. Our reaction is that this is not
true," reported Tolo News.
Moreover, the Taliban-led Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MoFA) said that such allegations can affect the relations between Kabul and
Islamabad. "We also call on all parties to refrain from such allegations
lacking any proof and documentation. Such media allegations can adversely
affect bilateral relations," said Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a Talibani spokesman
said.
This report comes after Paris-based international
watchdog Financial Action Task Force (FATF) forced Islamabad to take action
against some of the UN-designated terrorists, offering the possibility of
getting out from the grey list now.
Notably, Pakistan's recent action on Lashkar e Taiba
(LeT) operational commander Sajid Mir, which it kept on declaring dead until
now, is the result of FATF's persistent pressure on Pakistan.
Pakistan maintains that Azhar is not present in
Pakistan and likely to be in Afghanistan. Despite claims by Pakistan that he is
not traceable, he continues to publish articles on Pakistani social media
networks exhorting JeM cadres to indulge in Jihad and eulogizing the Taliban
takeover of Kabul, claiming that Taliban victory would open avenues for Muslim
victories elsewhere, reported South Asia Press.
Source: ND TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Joe
Biden on Anti-Hindu, Anti-Sikh, and Anti-Muslim Violence: ‘That Line of Hate
Never Fully Goes Away, Have No Place in America’
US
President Joe Biden speaks at an event in Washington on Sept. 15, 2022. (AP)
-----
September
16, 2022
US
President Joe Biden has asserted that white supremacy, all forms of hate
fuelled by violence have no place in America, amidst a spurt in hate-related
incidents across the country, including those against the Hindus, Sikhs and
Muslims.
“Regardless
of our backgrounds, our beliefs, we have to stand united against hate-fuelled
violence, which you know than anyone, that forever an attack on one group of us
is literally an attack on all of us,” Biden said in his address to the “United
We Stand” summit organised by the White House on Thursday.
Addressing
the participants who had gathered from across the country in the East Room of
the White House, Biden said he decided to run for president after such
incidents
“I
had no intention of running. I give you my word. I was teaching and I thought
that was the best thing for me to do, as Chris knows, my colleague from
Delaware. But Charlottesville changed everything because I believed our story
is to unite as people of one nation and one America,” he said.
“When
those folks came out of those — that field carrying torches, the United States
of America, carrying torches, chanting the same anti-Semitic bile that was
chanted in Germany in the early ’30s, accompanied by white supremacists holding
Nazi flags, and I thought to myself, my God, this is the United States of
America, said how could that happen?” said the president.
In
2020, hate crimes in the US were the highest in more than a decade, and the
Justice Department has pledged to increase efforts to counter it.
The
idea of America, he observed, guarantees everyone, everyone is treated with
dignity and equality, an idea that ensures an inclusive, multiracial democracy,
an idea that we give no safe harbour, none, to hate.
“While
we’ve never, as I said, fully lived up to the idea, we’ve never walked away
from it before. Look, on the — Kamala (Harris) and I travelled to Atlanta to
grieve with Asian-American residents, the violence against the community grew
during the pandemic, too many people fearful just walking the streets of
America,” he said.
Noting
that the summit is being joined by presidents of historic black colleges and
universities, who should be able to focus on providing the best experience
possible for their students, he said instead, they’re having to worry about
more bomb threats against their institutions. Too often Native Americans,
disabled Americans face harassment, discrimination, and violence and
victimisation.
“Unfortunately,
such hate-fuelled violence and threats are not new to America. There is a
through the line of hate, from massacres of indigenous people to the original
sin of slavery, the terror of the Klan, anti-immigration violence against the
Irish, Italians, Chinese, Mexicans, so many of those laced through our
history,” he said.
“There’s
a through the line of violence against religious groups, anti-Semitic,
anti-Catholic, anti-Mormon, anti-Muslim, anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh. Look, folks,
that line of hate never fully goes away. It only hides,” Biden said.
Hate,
he observed, can be defeated. “It only hides. When you give it any oxygen, it
comes out from under the rocks. And the last few years it’s been given much too
much oxygen in our politics, in our media, and on the Internet, too much hate
all for power and profit,” he said.
“You
need to say clearly and forcefully white supremacy, all forms of hate fuelled
by violence, have no place in America. A barrier called out is complicity, my
dad would say. If your silence is complicity, we can’t remain silent,” he said.
Biden
said his administration will use every federal resource available to help
communities counter hate-fuelled violence, build resilience, and foster greater
national unity.
For
example, training on identifying, reporting and combating hate-fuelled violence
from local law enforcement agencies, workplaces and houses of worship.
Partnerships with schools that help them address bullying and harassment. “And
I’m calling for a new era of national service to organizations like AmeriCorps,
to foster stronger communities and bridge divides in our society,” he said.
Biden
called on Congress to do its part, and raise the living allowance for national
service positions to include USD15 an hour. This would make national service an
accessible pathway to success for more Americans of all backgrounds. “Pass my
budget and increase funding to protect nonprofits and houses of worship from
hate-fuelled violence,” he said.
“Hold
social media platforms accountable for spreading hate and fuelling violence.
I’m calling on congress to get rid of special immunity for social media
companies and impose much stronger transparency for crime on all of them,” said
the president.
Recent
incidents
Recently,
Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said that she has been receiving
abusive and hate messages over the phone from a male caller who even asked her
to go back to India.
Jayapal,
55, is the first-ever Indian-American Congresswoman who represents Seattle in
the US House of Representatives.
Typically,
political figures don’t show their vulnerability. I chose to do so here because
we cannot accept violence as our new norm. We also cannot accept the racism and
sexism that underlies and propels so much of this violence, Jayapal, from the
Democratic Party, said in a tweet.
There
have been hate-related incidents against the Indian-American community also in
the US.
On
September 1, an Indian-American man has been racially abused by a compatriot in
California who hurled racist slurs that he is a “dirty Hindu” and a “disgusting
dog”, days after another hate crime was reported against four women from the
community in Texas.
Krishnan
Jayaraman was verbally attacked by 37-year-old Singh Tejinder in the Taco Bell
at Grimmer Boulevard in Fremont, California on August 21, NBC News reported.
On
August 26, four Indian-American women were racially abused and smacked by a
Mexican-American woman in Texas who hurled racist slurs at them that they are
“ruining” America and should “go back to India”.
The
incident took place in a parking lot in Dallas, Texas. The woman, identified as
Esmeralda Upton, has been arrested.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
UAE
President Invites Israel’s President To Abu Dhabi Space Event
President
Sheikh Mohamed has invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the event being
organised by the Emirates Space Agency. AFP
-----
15
September, 2022
UAE
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has invited Israel’s President to an Abu
Dhabi space event, as the countries continue to build relations two years after
the normalization of ties.
Sheikh
Mohamed invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to the Space Dialogue in
December, state news agency WAM reported on Thursday.
The
event will see professionals from the space industry across the globe travel to
the UAE to “strengthen cooperation” and “formulate new international policies”,
Sheikh Mohamed said in a Tweet earlier in September.
The
meeting is just one of many between officials of the countries since the UAE
normalized ties with Israel in September 2020 through signing the US-brokered
Abraham Accords.
The
invitation to the space conference comes a day after UAE Foreign Minister
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed arrived in Tel Aviv for an official visit to Israel,
marking the two-year anniversary of the signing of the accords.
Officials
from the UAE and Israel discussed in a meeting the importance of increasing
cooperation in areas such as economy, investment, and food security, WAM
reported.
The
discussions included efforts to consolidate peace and stability in the region.
The
Abraham Accords have “opened up promising prospects for building privileged
relations” between the UAE and Israel, Sheikh Abdullah stressed, according to
WAM.
Experts
told Al Arabiya English that the countries are continuing to benefit from the
agreement.
Deputy
Mayor of Jerusalem and co-founder of the UAE-Israel Business Council Fleur
Hassan-Nahoum told Al Arabiya English that over the past two years the UAE has
become one of the fastest-growing trade partners for Israel and predicts trade
deals will double in the 12 months ahead.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Vienna
Meeting to Discuss Afghanistan’s Future: Afghan Political Figures Gather in
Austria
By
Saqalain Eqbal
15
Sep 2022
Political
adversaries of the Taliban have gathered in Vienna, the capital of Austria, for
a three-day meeting, behind closed doors, to discuss the current situation in
Afghanistan and resistance against the Taliban.
At
least 31 Afghan political figures and civil activists were invited to the
meeting, according to preliminary knowledge acquired by Khaama Press; however,
some of them were unable to attend the first day due to personal or
visa-related reasons.
Today,
September 15, the first day of the Vienna meeting, was held behind closed doors
with strict security measures in the Bruno Kriesky Forum, a “forum for
dialogue”, in Vienna.
A
report is reportedly going to be made public at the conclusion of this
three-day meeting, which is themed “Coordination for the Future of Afghanistan”
and will continue for two more days.
Figures
such as Ahmad Masood, the leader of the National Resistance Front, Dr. Spanta
and Zalmai Rasool, the former Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mahmoud Saikal,
former diplomat, Fawzia Koofi and Shukria Barekzai, former members of the lower
house of the parliament are among those who participated the Vienna meeting.
Sayed
Sadat Mansoor Naderi, the former State Minister for Peace, Said Tayeb Jawad,
the former ambassador to the Russian Federation, the UK, and the US, and Jawid
Ludin, the former ambassador to Canada, were not present at the Vienna meeting,
according to a credible source in Vienna who confirmed this to Khaama Press.
This
is the first gathering of anti-Taliban politicians to discuss a solution to the
ongoing situation in Afghanistan that has been hosted by a western country.
The
Austrian Institute of International Affairs, the Bruno Kriesky Forum, and the
Austrian Research and Development Organization are also hosting this meeting,
which is being moderated by prominent Austrian politician, Wolfgang Petristch.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Northern
Ireland's first Muslim scout group set for Belfast
By
Robbie Meredith
15 September,
2022
The
first Muslim scout group in Northern Ireland is to be established in Belfast.
The
117th Belfast Islamic Centre Scout Group has been set up with the help of
Scouts NI.
It
is holding an event to register new members for the group on Saturday 17
September.
There
are about 12,000 members and leaders in the Scouts in Northern Ireland, making
it one of the biggest youth organisations in the country.
There
are already more than 70 Muslim Scout groups in the UK, who are part of the
wider-UK Scout organisation.
But
the one in Belfast will be the first group in Northern Ireland.
The
chief commissioner of Scouts NI, Stephen Donaldson, said that the new group
would enable the movement to keep growing in Northern Ireland.
"We're
looking to areas where we haven't been so much in evidence in the past,"
he told BBC News NI.
"With
my role being a national role and being across in England quite a lot, I got to
know about the Muslim Scout fellowship.
"That
was the motivation for us to get it started in Northern Ireland.
"We
kind of thought that there's a community there that probably needs us as much
as we need them.
"To
get people involved in scouting you need to be in their community, so that's
very much our way of looking at this in Northern Ireland as well."
The
leader of the new Muslim Scout Group is Ameer Ibrahim.
He
had been a Sea Scout in Sudan as a child before he came to live in Northern
Ireland.
"I
enjoyed my time when I was in the Sea Scouts, I learned a lot - swimming, canoeing,
sailing, camping," he told BBC News NI.
"Scouts
is a worldwide organisation, it has no religious ideology or any political
point of view."
Mr
Ibrahim said that the differences in the Muslim Scouts were small and mainly to
do with some of the uniform worn, rather than any activities.
"Our
girls can wear the scarf, they can cover their body," he said.
"Same
for the men, if they want to do their prayers, whatever, they will have that
identity that belongs to them.
"We
can do our own ritual things when we need to, such as fasting during the month
of Ramadan."
Otherwise
the Muslim Scouts do the same activities and take the same badges as any Scout
group.
Mr
Ibrahim said the new group hoped to attract some refugees and asylum-seekers
who had recently come to Northern Ireland.
More
than one in every 20 schoolchildren in Northern Ireland are "newcomer
pupils" who make up over 5% of the school population.
There
has also been a rise in the number of children coming to Northern Ireland as
refugees or asylum-seekers in recent years.
"More
and more people come from diverse, different countries to Northern Ireland,
especially youth," Ameer Ibrahim said.
"They
don't know where to go or where to belong.
"People
with language barriers or any financial difficulties, that will not be a
problem.
"We'll
be there just to help them and obviously the Scouts are there to help and give
them that opportunity for their potential to be fulfilled."
He
added: "There are a lot of challenges but we've got a lot of help from the
local Scouts.
"I
can't speak highly enough about them, I appreciate all their help."
The
117th Belfast Islamic Centre Scout Group will meet in the cross-community Agápē
Centre on Belfast's Lisburn Road.
It
is registering new members for Scouts aged from 10 - 14 and Explorer Scouts
aged from 15 -18 at the Centre on Saturday 17 September from 1800 to 2000 BST.
According
to Ameer Ibrahim groups for younger children will follow in future as more
volunteer leaders are recruited.
For
Stephen Donaldson, the new Muslim group is further evidence of Scouting's
global reach.
"I
was at the last world scout jamboree in America and there were about 50,000 or
60,000 scouts there from all over the world," he said.
"All
those young people just mixed, it was just unbelievable how much they mixed and
came together.
Source:
BBC
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-62910017
--------
Armenia
says 135 soldiers killed in clashes with Azerbaijan
16
September, 2022
Armenia’s
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday that 135 Armenian service
personnel had been killed in clashes with Azerbaijan this week, the Interfax
news agency reported from a session of Armenia’s parliament.
Pashinyan
on Wednesday said 105 soldiers had died and that the figure was likely to rise.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Uttar
Pradesh Holds Survey of Historic Islamic Seminary, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama,
a 125-Year-Old Islamic Seminary in Lucknow
Sep
16, 2022
A
three-member team of the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday held a survey of
Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, a 125-year-old Islamic seminary in Lucknow, as part
of an ongoing exercise to assess unrecognised madrasas (religious schools) in
the state, officials said.
The
committee, comprising sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Naveen Chandra, block
education officer (BEO) Rajesh Singh and district minority officer (DMO) Sone
Kumar, arrived at the seminary for the survey at 10.20am and left around noon.
The
team tried to collect information about the seminary, including details about
its affiliation and source of income, Kumar said. The seminary is not
affiliated to the state madrasa education board.
“The
madrasa Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama is not recognised by the UP State Madrasa
Education Board. The authorities here said the seminary is registered under the
1860 Societies Registration Act and is even older than the UP State Madrasa
Education Board,” the DMO said.
“However,
they (seminary) have some courses which are recognised by West Bengal and Bihar
madrasa boards. They said they have applied for recognition of some graduate
courses with Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University in Lucknow. They have
promised to submit all the documents soon,” he added.
The
controversial exercise, which began on September 10 and will be held over a
span of 46 days, is in consonance with an order of the minority welfare and
waqf department, directing UP Board of Madrasa Education and district
magistrates across the state to carry a survey of all unaffiliated madrasas.
On
August 31, minister of state for minority affairs Danish Azad announced that
the state government will soon conduct a survey of unrecognised madrassas to
gather information on the number of teachers, curriculum, basic facilities
available there and their affiliation with any non-government organisations.
The survey will be held in accordance with the requirement of National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) in connection with
availability of basic facilities to students in madrassas, he said.
“Nadwa
authorities said there are 2,410 students and 81 teachers in the seminary. They
have a library with 2.5 lakh books. They also have a hostel for around 2,200
students,” Singh said.
On
funding and source of income, authorities said they run the seminary with the
support of the people and using the money they get in the form of rent from
some property.
They
were asked to provide documents to corroborate their statement, Kumar said.
“Once they provide the details, all the members will sit and make a detailed
report that will be submitted to the government,” he added.
The
Nadwa management cooperated with the survey team and provided all information,
vice-principal Abdul Aziz Nadwi said.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Karnataka
man accused of love jihad, assaulted by Hindu activists
16th
September 2022
CHIKKAMAGALURU:
A Hindu girl, in love with a Muslim boy, on Wednesday approached the
sub-registrar’s office to register their marriage officially. A few pro-Hindu
activists, who learnt about the incident, came to the office and allegedly
assaulted the boy, terming the marriage as ‘Love Jihad’. The boy has lodged a
complaint in connection with the assault at a police station.
The
girl is from Lakshmipura, near Dasarahalli in Kasaba taluk. Members of a few
Hindu outfits accused the boy of committing ‘Love Jihad’ and assaulted him.
They took the pair to Basavanahalli Women’s police station.
Soon
after the incident, district SP Uma Prashanth rushed to the police station. She
said that the boy, who got engaged to marry the girl, had lodged a complaint
accusing the Hindu activists of moral policing. She added that an investigation
has been launched.
The
police confirmed that the pair had agreed to marry with mutual consent without
any coercion. They have also ruled out ‘Love Jihad’ and said that the moral
policing incident will be investigated. The mother of the girl, Shobha, who is
a labourer, arrived at the Women’s police station and demanded that the police
show her daughter’s face.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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4
men booked for stopping inter-faith marriage: Police
Sep
16, 2022
Karnataka
police on Thursday registered a case against four unidentified men, a day after
a group of suspected Bajrang Dal workers stopped an interfaith marriage in
Chikkamagaluru, officers said.
Police
said a group of Bajrang Dal activists on Wednesday stopped the marriage of a
Hindu woman to a Muslim man, terming it a case of “love jihad”.
An
FIR was lodged on Thursday based on a complaint filed by the Muslim man,
Basavanahalli police said.
The
man and woman, both residents of Lakshmipuram in Chikkmagaluru taluk, were in
love and they had planned to get married at the sub-registrar’s office in
Chikkamagaluru. A group of Bajrang Dal activists, who got information about the
marriage, intervened and stopped the marriage.
Chikkamagaluru
superintendent of police Uma Prashanth said the couple were not minors and an
investigation was underway to ascertain the identity of the four suspects.
“The
Muslim man and Hindu woman were stopped on Wednesday by the four people from
registering the marriage. The two were then taken to the women’s police
station. The girl was asked to remain there and the four men took the Muslim
man to the Chikkamagaluru rural police station,” Prashanth told reporters.
“In
his complaint, the man said the four people had stopped him from getting married
and hit him,” the SP added. The SP said it was an incident of “moral policing”.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Muslims
arrested, Hindus untouched for violence in MP town
Syed
Ali Mujtaba
15th
September 2022
Bhopal:
Anti- Muslim violence has come to light from Udaipura town in Raisen district
Madhya Pradesh, during the Ganesh idol immersion procession. The incident took
place on the night of September 10, 2022.
A
Ganesh idol immersion procession stopped at a Muslim locality, playing loud
music with provocative songs. When the procession halted near a madrasa and did
not proceed further it angered the Muslim community living in there. A Muslim
woman threw a slipper on a group of Hindu teenagers who were part of the
procession and dancing in front of her home. It is alleged that some Muslims
poured hot water on the procession from the rooftops which triggered violence.
Thereafter,
the Hindu mob allegedly set on fire more than 12 vehicles belonging to the
Muslims. A video has gone viral showing a group of enraged men toppling
vehicles. Subsequently, as violence was exacerbated, a curfew was imposed in
the area to maintain peace.
The
police lodged an FIR against four Muslims, including two women for inciting
violence. They also lodged a suo-moto FIR against unidentified persons for
damaging Muslim properties and vehicles.
Amrat
Meena, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Raisen district said, “All the four
accused in the case have been arrested, and FIR against the unidentified person
has been lodged as the accused are yet to be identified.”
The
Hindu group is demanding the demolition of the properties of the four Muslims
arrested in this case. This demand comes at a time when the state Home Minister
Narottam Mishra has publically proclaimed; “Jis ghar se patthar ayenge, usi ke
patthar nikale jayenge (Houses from where stones are thrown will be
demolished).
Source:
Siasat Daily
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https://www.siasat.com/muslims-arrested-hindus-untouched-for-violence-in-mp-town-2413227/
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Job
discrimination against Indian Muslims rises by 9% in 16 years: Report
15.09.2022
A
higher number of Indian Muslims are jobless and face discrimination in
accessing salaried jobs and income through self-employment compared to their
non-Muslim fellow citizens, according to the UK’s independent charitable
organizations focusing on global poverty alleviation.
In
rural areas, unemployment among Muslims increased by 17% compared to
non-Muslims during the first quarter of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the
rural Muslim unemployment rate to 31.4%, Oxfam stated in its “India
Discrimination Report 2022,” which was released on Thursday.
While
only 15.6% of the urban Muslim population aged 15 and above had regular
salaried employment, nearly 23.3% of non-Muslims had regular salaried jobs in
2019-20.
Discrimination
against Muslims in the labor market, which contributed to their low employment
rate, rose to 68.3% in 2019-20.
The
report shows that the discrimination faced by Muslims in 2004-05 was 59.3%,
indicating an increase in discrimination by 9% over the last 16 years.
Regular-salaried
non-Muslims in urban areas earn an average of 20,346 Indian rupees (about
$255), which is 49% more than Muslims, who earn 13,672 Indian rupees (about
$171).
Self-employed
non-Muslims earn 15,878 Indian rupees (about $199) on average, while
self-employed Muslims earn 11,421 Indian rupees (about $143) despite their
overrepresentation in urban self-employment. This means non-Muslims are earning
one-third more than Muslims in self-employment.
The
report said the Muslim population in urban India is mostly engaged in
self-employment compared to other communities, largely because of the
low-quality family professions and related difficulties in finding other
options in the labor market.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Ambedkar
remarks cited in Karnataka HC hijab ban order ‘deeply offensive’, Muslim
parties tell SC
by
Ananthakrishnan G
New
Delhi
September
16, 2022
Muslim
appellants who have challenged the hjijab ban in Karnataka told the Supreme
Court on Thursday that B R Ambedkar’s statement, extracted in the High Court’s
judgment, is “deeply offensive” and “totally biased”, and it is not one “that
should be repeated in India”.
“Ambedkar’s
statement, although he was a pillar, is a deeply offensive statement. It is not
a statement that should be repeated in India, great though he may have been.
(It was a) totally biased statement,” senior advocate Colin Gonsalves,
representing some of the appellants, told a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and
Sudhanshu Dhulia.
The
comments came following an exchange with the bench about the HC judgment.
Gonsalves said, “The judgment, read as a whole, is basically from the
majoritarian perspective. It does not conform to the kind of constitutional
independence that a judgment ought to have…. I will show you why I say
this…startling paragraphs and hurtful paragraphs.”
Explaining
why the HC order “cannot be relied upon at all”, Gonsalves referred to parts of
the verdict linking the wearing of hijab to cultural practices of the past,
women’s emancipation, and developing a scientific temperament. “So (according
to HC), hijab is not a part of religion…. I wear the hijab, (but according to
HC) I can’t be emancipated. I wear the hijab, I can’t have scientific
temperament,” he submitted.
He
said the HC order links wearing of the hijab with indiscipline and chaos, with
social separateness and sectarianism of every kind.
Intervening,
Justice Dhulia said, “This was said in reference to what Dr Ambedkar had said
at some point of time. So it is not the judge saying it.”
He
also said that the verdict “cannot be read like a statute, cherry-picking (here
and there)…this was said in some different context altogether”. He then asked
Gonsvalves to read the part where the verdict quotes Ambedkar’s statement, as
extracted from his book ‘Pakistan or the Partition of India’.
Referring
to Ambedkar’s statement, the HC had said in its order, “What the chief
architect of our Constitution observed more than half-a-century ago about the
purdah practice equally applies to wearing of hijab. There is a lot of scope
for the argument that insistence on wearing of purdah, veil, or headgear in any
community may hinder the process of emancipation of women in general and Muslim
women in particular.”
“So
let’s not mix the entire thing,” Justice Dhulia told the senior counsel.
Gonsalves
said the judgment is “not in keeping with constitutional values, and certainly
not respectful of the rights of minority communities”. He asked why the hijab
cannot be allowed if Sikhs can be allowed to wear turban. “The Constitution is
a living organism…you change with the times…. What was previously not
acceptable but today (has) to be accepted,” he added.
Senior
advocate Kapil Sibal, also appearing for the appellants, said the matter should
be referred to a Constitution Bench. Contending that “what you wear is an
expression of the self”, Sibal said the question is, “if the right (to wear
hijab) is available to me in a public place, is my fundamental right
extinguished when I enter a school?”
He
said that wearing a hijab is also a part of one’s persona and cultural
tradition and asked, “Do I have a right to carry on my cultural tradition, or
does that stop at college gate?”
Sibal
said Muslim girls have been wearing the apparel since the birth of Karnataka,
“and there has been no untoward incident”. He said there was no compelling need
for the government to come out with the order.
The
senior counsel also said that information obtained under RTI by the ‘Deccan
Herald’ newspaper showed that “in government-aided and constituent colleges of
Mangalore University, Uduppi district, 145 out of 900 Muslim girl students who
had enrolled in 2020-21 and 2021-22 had collected transfer certificates”
following the ban om hijab.
Advocate
Prashant Bhushan contended that unlike a private club, a public educational
institution, particularly a government institution, cannot impose a dress code.
Asked
if he meant to say that government schools cannot have a uniform, Bhushan
replied, “Yes, even if they can, they can’t restrict hijab.”
Advocate
Shoeb Alam submitted that hijab is a matter of personal identity, and the
extent to which an individual chooses to cover his or her body to feel secure
from public gaze is a matter of personal choice. He argued that the right
cannot be taken away by virtue of a person being in a public place.
Source:
Indian Express
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Terrorist
in touch with Pak handlers arrested in J&K’s Reasi
Sep
16, 2022
JAMMU:
Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday arrested a terrorist, who was in touch
with his handlers in Pakistan, from Resai and recovered arms and ammunition on
his disclosure.
Reasi
SSP Amit Gupta said that acting on a tip-off, police arrested Zaffar Iqbal of
Bal, Angralla tehsil in Mahore from Plaasu Nallah. Upon being subjected to
sustained interrogation, he confessed to his links with terror organisations.
During
his questioning, the accused revealed that one of his relatives, Abdul Rashid
of Ladh Tehsil in Reasi, was in Pakistan and was working with terror groups.
His brother Mohd Ishaq was also a Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorist and was killed in
an encounter with security forces in Rajouri.
Based
on Zaffar’s disclosure, a joint operation was launched in Angralla forest by
teams of Reasi police, 58 Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF’s 126 Battalion, the SSP
said. Arms, ammunition and explosives, including pistols, four magazines, 22
live rounds of 9 mm and one grenade, were recovered from a hideout during the
operation. Cash amounting to Rs 1,81,000, meant for terror-related activities,
was also recovered.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South
Asia
Bolton:
World should be concerned about Increasing Influx of International Terrorists
in Afghanistan: Former Advisor to US NSC
By
Saqalain Eqbal
15
Sep 2022
John
Bolton, a former adviser to the US National Security Council, said in an
interview that the increased influx of international terrorists in Afghanistan
should worry everyone in the world.
Bolton
claimed that US intelligence findings show that ISIS and al-Qaeda terrorist
groups are restructuring in Afghanistan in an interview with Voice of America
(VOA).
Bolton
told VOA that the rapid growth of ISIS and the Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan
has put not only Afghanistan but also the region and the rest of the world in
grave danger.
The
former National Security official of the US accused the Taliban government of
having ties with international terrorist groups and failing to comply with the
provisions of the Doha Agreement to battle terrorism.
“The
Taliban have proven once again that their words are not worth the paper they
are printed on. They have created a worldwide danger, not only in Afghanistan,”
Bolton said.
According
to the top former American official, the Taliban made assurances to the US in
the Doha Agreement to break ties with the terrorists and prevent Afghanistan
from functioning as a safe haven for terrorists once again.
However,
the group, according to Bolton, has not fulfilled the commitments made under
the Doha Agreement, especially with the stay of al-Qaeda leader, Ayman
al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
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Taliban
accuse US of ‘usurping’ Afghanistan’s frozen assets
September
16, 2022
KABUL:
Taliban authorities accused the United States on Thursday of having “usurped”
Afghan assets, after Washington revealed plans to set up an external fund to
manage $3.5 billion of its seized national reserves.
When
the Taliban stormed back to power in August last year, the US froze $7 billion
in central bank assets, exacerbating a poverty crisis caused by the collapse of
the old regime and suspension of foreign aid.
Earlier
this year US President Joe Biden revealed a plan to split the cash, with half
for aid to Afghanistan and half going to victims of the 9/11 terror attacks
that prompted the US-led invasion.
Since
then Kabul’s new leaders have been courting Washington to unlock the aid cash
as Afghanistan has been lashed by a winter food crisis, economic free-fall and
devastating earthquake. But on Wednesday the US said the $3.5 billion would be
stored in a professionally run fund, as it did not trust the Taliban leadership
with the country’s money.
“The
assets of the people of Afghanistan have been usurped by the United States,”
government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. “We consider it an invasion on
the property of Afghans,” he added. “The United States is not the owner of
these assets.” He demanded the funds are released “without any conditions”.
The
new Afghan Fund, based in Geneva, will not provide humanitarian assistance but
will be put in charge of core central bank functions such as paying
Afghanistan’s international arrears and for its electricity imports — and
potentially for necessities such as printing currency.
Since
the end of the 20-year military intervention, the US and other nations have
been grappling with how to funnel aid to Afghanistan without going through the
Taliban.
“There
is currently no institution in Afghanistan that can guarantee that these funds
would be used only for the benefit of the people of Afghanistan,” US Deputy
Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo wrote in a letter to the country’s central Da
Afghanistan Bank (DAB) on Wednesday.
“Until
these conditions are met, sending assets to DAB would place them at
unacceptable risk and jeopardize them as a source of support for the Afghan
people,” said. DAB also criticised the plan to deposit its reserves in
Switzerland.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1710336/taliban-accuse-us-of-usurping-afghanistans-frozen-assets
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BSCO
Summit in Uzbekistan: Taliban Officials Not Invited
By
Saqalain Eqbal
15
Sep 2022
Due
to opposition from several Shanghai Cooperation Organisation members, the
Taliban leadership was not invited to the summit even though Afghanistan was
one of the main topics of discussion for the Council of Heads of State at the
SCO summit, international media reported.
This
week, on September 15 and 16, Uzbekistan hosts the SCO summit in Samarkand
under the theme “dialogue and cooperation in an interconnected world,” to which
the Taliban officials are not invited.
The
status of Afghanistan’s membership as an observer country in SCO remains
unknown as a result of the Taliban’s reinstatement to power, Rahmatullah
Nourimbtov, the coordinator for Uzbekistan at the SCO Summit, informed the
media.
Along
with the heads of the SCO’s full members, China, Russia, Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, India, and Pakistan, the Samarkand meeting
of SCO will also include Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia as heads of the observer
countries.
In
the months leading up to the SCO Summit, which started on Thursday the issue of
whether or not to invite the Taliban was under discussion, according to foreign
media reports.
According
to ThePrint, citing diplomatic sources, some countries wanted to include the
Taliban in the SCO Summit this year, but others refused.
The
issue of the international recognition of the Taliban as the ruling body of
Afghanistan is reported to have been the reason for not inviting the Taliban to
the summit.
The
Taliban Deputy spokesperson also stated the group has not been invited to the
SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
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https://www.khaama.com/sco-summit-in-uzbekistan-taliban-officials-not-invited-47632/
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UK
Contributes £24M to Provide Emergency Support for Afghan Women, Children
By
Arif Ahmadi
15
Sep 2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan – The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has
contributed an additional GBP 24 million towards UNICEF’s $2 billion
Humanitarian Action for Children appeal for Afghanistan, UNICEF said in a
report.
With
these funds, UNICEF aims to deliver lifesaving nutrition, water and sanitation,
and child protection services to over 1.6 million people affected by the
country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. As estimated, around 1.3 million – 77
per cent – are children.
“We
are grateful to the United Kingdom for its continued partnership during this
critical time,” said Mohamed Ayoya, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan.
“These funds will allow us to continue addressing the immediate needs of the
most vulnerable girls, boys and women across the country.”
Meanwhile,
the funds will enable UNICEF to improve the nutritional status of over 700,000
children, provide safe drinking water and improved hygiene awareness to more
than 350,000 people, and increase access to key protection services, including
mental health and explosive ordnance risk education support, for over 500,000
people.
A
further 18,000 households with pregnant and lactating women will also benefit
from humanitarian cash assistance intended to address their nutrition needs and
provide an entry point for the provision of case management services to over
3,400 children.
Addressing
the ongoing geopolitical and economic crisis in the country, Ayoya said,
“Afghanistan remains one of the toughest places on earth to be a child.
Children’s rights are under attack; their childhoods are marred by
deprivation.”
“Compounding
factors including drought, malnutrition, the spread of preventable disease, the
detritus of war, a stagnating economy, and limited and fragile social basic
services are exacerbating challenges for children and women,” he added.
This
contribution from FCDO follows a GBP 25 million contribution made in 2021
towards UNICEF’s emergency response, the report stated.
What
We Know About Afghanistan Economy Since the Takeover
The
ongoing political crisis since the takeover last August has “hit hard” private
sectors in Afghanistan, where businesses were halted and put to uncertainty,
according to a latest survey conducted by the World Bank.
Due
to shortage in sells, private companies have laid off more than a half of their
employees on average, a rising concern on unemployment rate in the country.
“The
majority of surveyed businesses reported a drastic decline in consumer demand
for their products and services and have been forced to scale back operations,
reduce investments, and lay off employees,” the report said.
According
to the survey, small enterprises have been hit hardest with about 38 percent of
them seizing operation, comparing to a 25 percent among medium and 35 percent
among large businesses in the country.
The
finding shows Afghan domestic inputs have become more expensive and yet
difficult to obtain due to supplier closure and supply chain disruptions, which
all lead to price inflation since the beginning of political uncertainty.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/uk-contributes-24m-to-provide-emergency-support-for-afghan-women-children/
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North
America
Not
too late' to conclude nuclear deal with Iran, US says as talks stall
Michael
Hernandez
15.09.2022
WASHINGTON
It
is "not too late" to secure a mutual return to compliance with the
landmark nuclear deal world powers struck with Iran, the US said Thursday.
The
State Department continued to blame Tehran for an ongoing impasse in the
indirect talks, saying Iran has failed to respond reasonably to a draft
agreement put forward by the EU that would enable it to receive the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)'s economic benefits in return for its full
compliance with the deal's nuclear-related restrictions and inspections.
"There
is only one reason that we have not yet reached an understanding on a mutual
return to compliance with the JCPOA, and that is because Tehran has not yet
accepted the reasonable basis presented by the EU," spokesman Ned Price
told reporters.
"It's
clear from Iran's response that these gaps still remain. Iran's response did
not put us in a position to close a deal. But we continue to contend that it's
not too late to conclude a deal, as long as we believe that pursuing a mutual
return to compliance with the JCPOA is in the interests of the United States,
and our national security interests," he added.
EU
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell presented the draft agreement to the parties
in August and while it was initially met with signs of optimism from the
parties, recent weeks have seen major gaps emerge.
Notably,
reports have suggested that Iran revived its demand that an International
Atomic Energy Agency probe into traces of uranium being found at three
undeclared sites in 2019 be closed.
The
JCPOA was signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, China, Russia, France, the UK, Germany
and the EU. Under the agreement, Tehran committed to limiting its nuclear
activities and allowed for a broad range of international inspections on its
program in exchange for world powers agreeing to drop their economic sanctions
against Iran.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Iran
condemns US charges against three over cyber attacks
15 September,
2022
Iran
on Thursday strongly condemned what it called false accusations levelled by the
United States against three of its citizens for alleged cyber-attacks in the US
and other countries.
The
US justice department unveiled the indictments on Wednesday accusing the trio
of exploiting computer vulnerabilities to extort “hundreds” of victims, including
inside Britain, Australia, Iran, Russia and the United States.
In
a statement on Thursday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani
“strongly condemned” the US measures against “citizens and companies on the
false accusation of being involved in cyber-attacks.”
“Resorting
to launching a propaganda campaign... against Iran is part of the failed
Iranophobic policy of the American government, which of course will not lead
anywhere,” Kanani said.
“The
US, which has previously remained silent against numerous cyber-attacks against
Iran... and has even directly or indirectly supported these attacks, lacks the
jurisdiction to accuse others.”
The
Islamic republic has also been targeted by cyber-attacks, most notably in 2010
when the “Stuxnet” virus -- believed to have been engineered by Israel and the
US -- infected its nuclear program.
On
Wednesday, the US justice department said a shelter for victims of domestic
violence and a children’s hospital were among those targeted by the three
accused between October 2020 and August 2022.
It
identified the three accused as Mansour Ahmadi, Ahmad Khatibi Aghda, and Amir
Hossein Nikaeen Ravari.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Blinken
offers condolences to Armenia’s PM after Azerbaijan shelling kills scores
16 September,
2022
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken spoke with Armenia’s prime minister on Thursday to
convey Washington’s condolences for those killed by Azerbaijani attacks along
the border, the State Department said.
Armenia
and Azerbaijan have been locked in a battle for years over disputed
Nagorno-Karabakh but fighting escalated this week, with each side blaming the
other. A fragile ceasefire seems to have been held over the last 24 hours.
“The
Secretary reiterated our commitment to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve
issues peacefully,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said.
Price
added that Blinken said diplomacy was the only way forward, pledging to remain
personally engaged.
There
was no reported call between Blinken and Azerbaijan’s president, but a senior
State Department official said Thursday’s call with Nikol Pashinyan was at the
latter’s request.
The
official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, reiterated previous
US calls for more direct engagement between Yerevan and Baku to reach a lasting
solution but also criticized the shelling inside Armenia proper.
“We
also have to think about the rights and the security of ethnic Armenians in
Nagorno-Karabakh, which has been an important element of this conflict. But I
think also what was striking this week was the concern about shelling on
sovereign Armenian territory,” the official said.
As
for Russia’s role in the most recent ceasefire, the official played down any
work so far by Moscow. “I will say we do not see any indication that Russian
efforts contributed in a positive way towards securing the most recent
ceasefire of this week,” the State Department official said.
According
to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), the State Department, Defense
Department, Energy Department, and USAID provided around $808 million for
assistance for Azerbaijan in fiscal years 2002 through 2020.
Around
$164 million of these funds were for security assistance to Azerbaijan. Asked
if the US would consider cutting military aid after Azerbaijan attacked areas
inside of Armenia this week, the official said it was too early to say.
“We
are still in the early days of this, and I will say that we are still trying to
understand exactly what happened on the ground. And that’s why our call has
been initially for an immediate and full cessation of violence,” the official
said. “And now that the ceasefire is in place, we are very focused on both
sides maintaining that ceasefire.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
US
House speaker heading to Armenia following Azerbaijan clashes: Report
Michael
Hernandez
16.09.2022
WASHINGTON
US
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will travel to Armenia in what is being is billed as
support for the Caucasus nation following clashes with neighboring Azerbaijan
that left more than 170 dead, according to a report published Thursday.
Pelosi
is slated to make the visit alongside congresswoman Jackie Speier, who is
Armenian-American, following a summit in Berlin, the Politico news website
reported.
Pelosi's
office declined to confirm or deny the travel in advance when contacted by
Anadolu Agency. It adopted the same position ahead of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan.
While
in Armenia, Pelosi will meet Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Yerevan, as well
as other government officials, according to Politico.
The
recent fighting claimed lives on both sides with Azerbaijan reporting 71
soldiers killed and two civilians wounded. Armenia said 105 of its soldiers
were killed and six civilians were wounded. A cease-fire was declared
Wednesday.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Arab
World
No
active members of the Muslim Brotherhood on Qatari soil: Qatar’s Emir Tamim
15
Sep 2022
The
Qatari Emir’s remarks came in an interview with the French Le Point Magazine
published Wednesday on the last day of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah
El-Sisi’s first-ever two-day visit to Doha.
In
a question about the relationship between the Gulf state and the Islamist
organisation – outlawed in several Arab countries including Egypt – Emir Tamim
stated that Qatar deals with states and their legitimate government and not
with political organisations.
“This
relationship does not exist, and there are no active members of the Muslim
Brotherhood or any related groups on Qatari soil. We are an open country and a
large number of people with different opinions and ideas pass through it, but
we are a country and not a party, and we deal with countries and their
legitimate governments, not with political organisations,” the magazine quoted
Emir Tamim as saying.
Egypt
designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in 2013, the same
year Egypt’s late Islamist President Mohamed Morsi was ousted from power. Since
then, bilateral diplomatic and political relations between Egypt and Qatar had
been strained over the latter’s alleged support for the Brotherhood.
President
El-Sisi said in May 2022 that the Brotherhood had repeatedly threatened to
target the army and sow chaos across Egypt, adding that the Brotherhood’s
Deputy Supreme Guide Khairat El-Shater – who is currently in prison after
having been found guilty in several cases – had threatened him personally when
the group ruled the country.
In
2017, Egypt along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain
cut ties and transport links with Qatar, accusing Doha of backing radical
Islamist groups chief among them the Brotherhood and cooperating with Iran as
well as interfering in other countries’ affairs. Such accusations have been
denied by Qatar.
Since
January 2021, the three Gulf states along with Egypt have resumed diplomatic
ties with Qatar after signing the Al-Ula Declaration, which ended the
three-and-half-year diplomatic and economic boycott the four Arab states had
placed on Doha.
In
the wake of Al-Ula Declaration, Cairo and Doha have agreed to move beyond their
disputes and work towards settling all their outstanding issues, forming an
Egyptian-Qatari follow-up committee that has held seven rounds of negotiations
over the past year, the last of which was in Doha last September.
The
course of the follow-up committee has seen the signing of a number of bilateral
deals to bolster ties between the two countries, which eventually formed the
Egyptian-Qatari High Joint Committee – headed by the two foreign ministers – in
March.
According
to the Egyptian Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady, El-Sisi’s visit to Doha
this week was “a culmination of the intensive discussions held recently between
the two countries with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation on all
levels.”
El-Sisi’s
visit to Doha comes after Emir Tamim’s visit to Cairo in June, which was his
first since the two countries resumed diplomatic ties following the Al-Ula
agreement.
Source:
Ahram
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/476163.aspx
--------
Iraqi
PM visits Karbala as over three million Iranian pilgrims attend Arbaeen
15
September, 2022
Mustafa
al-Kadhimi, the Iraqi caretaker prime minister, paid a visit to the holy city
of Karbala on Wednesday to follow up on security and service measures as
millions of Shia pilgrims from around the world arrived to mark Arbaeen.
Al-Kadhimi,
accompanied by several security and public service ministers, met with
officials in the province and emphasised on protecting visitors and providing
services for them, according to a statement by the Iraqi government.
"Karbala
embraces a large number of pilgrimages during Arbaeen, as well as during 10th
of Muharam, nevertheless the infrastructure in our province and across Iraq is
poor," Kadhimi said in the statement.
"However, the cooperation by people, state institutions, the local
authorities and the holy shrines have big roles in reducing the obstacles."
Millions
of Shia Muslims from around the world annually visit Iraq's holy city of
Karbala, to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage.
Arbaeen
marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for the killing of Imam Hussein – a
founding figure in Shia Islam and grandson of the Prophet Mohammed – by the
forces of the caliph Yazid in 680 CE.
Iran's
interior minister Ahmad Vahidi Wednesday was quoted by Iran's state media
saying that the number of Iranians entering Iraq has exceeded three million,
and around 1.5 million of them have already returned from the trip.
Eleven
Iranian Shia Muslim pilgrims and their local driver died on Sunday in central
Iraq when their minibus collided with a truck and burst into flames, a health
official said.
Iraq's
powerful cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Sunday said that pilgrims should not hold
weapons, and requested that Kadhimi's government not let Sadr's Saraya al-Salam
militias or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) control any checkpoints in or
around the city.
Iraqi
security forces recently confiscated weapons from Iranian visitors when they
tried to enter the country through the official's border gates.
Political
observers are cautioning of new chaos in Iraq by early next week, after Arbaeen
ends, as Iran-backed Shia groups are trying to form a new government in
defiance of Sadr and other liberal protestors.
Since
the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, successive governments in Baghdad have
been struggling to provide fresh drinking water, electricity and health
services to r own citizens, especially during hot summer months.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/iraqi-pm-visits-karbala-millions-shia-pilgrims-arrive
--------
IMF
to send mission to Lebanon next week to discuss slow reform progress
15
September, 2022
The
International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that a staff mission will visit
Lebanon next week to discuss ways to “speed up” implementation of agreed
reforms required for an IMF loan program amid deteriorating living conditions
in the country.
“We
are looking to support Lebanon as strongly as we can. It’s a difficult
situation,” IMF spokesman Gerry Rice told a regular news briefing. “There’s
been slow progress in implementing some of the critical actions that we think
are required to move forward with a program.”
The
IMF and Lebanon in April reached a staff-level agreement on a $3 billion loan
program, but this was contingent on enactment of a range of economic reforms,
including addressing unrealized losses in Lebanon’s banking system.
The
slow progress, including what the IMF views as “key deficiencies” in a proposed
bank secrecy law, has raised questions about whether Lebanon has the political
will to meet key conditions for a program.
Rice
said the meetings in Beirut starting on Sept. 19 will “prepare the ground for a
full mission” after a new Lebanese government is formed.
“Delaying
the implementation of these reforms only increases the costs to Lebanon and
Lebanese people,” Rice added.
Rice
also said the Fund was “fully committed” to working closely with authorities in
Egypt to help stabilize its economy amid shocks from the war in Ukraine, but
declined to say whether a deal for an IMF loan program was close at hand.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
New
batch of Syrian prison photos opens ‘old wounds’
15 September,
2022
It
had been nearly a decade since Mahmoud al-Khalaf laid eyes on his father, but
he immediately recognized the bruised and battered face in the graphic
photograph circulating online.
It
was one of four published samples from a cache of 800 images allegedly showing
Syrians who died in the summer of 2013 in government detention in the northern
Aleppo Central Prison.
Reuters
could not immediately verify the accuracy of the four photos published by the
Syrian website Zaman al-Wasl. The Syrian government did not respond to a
request for comment.
Zaman
al-Wasl said it had received the full portfolio from the Syrian military
photographer who took the images in 2014 and later defected, without disclosing
the soldier's name.
A
previous batch of photos taken by another Syrian military photographer
codenamed Caesar who defected in 2013 set off a diplomatic furore when some of
them were published in 2014. Former war crimes prosecutors described those
images as clear evidence of systematic torture and mass killings.
A
US law that imposed a tough round of sanctions on Syria in 2020 was named the
Caesar Act, after the photographer.
Zaman
al-Wasl called the latest cache of photos “Caesar 2”, suggesting the pictures
have similar potential to shed light on the behavior of Syrian security forces.
Like
the earlier photographs, the new batch of photos showed bodies with blackened
skin, some with visible wounds to their torso and others with bruises around
their eyes.
Khalaf
said only part of his father's face was recognizable beneath the bruises.
“It
was so hard to look at the picture and see what they did to him,” he told
Reuters from Turkey, where he and his four siblings fled with their mother in
2014.
He
said his father had been arrested in 2011, the year Syria's conflict broke out,
and had not been heard from since.
“We
still had a small sliver of hope that he was still alive. We never got official
confirmation until now,” Khalaf said.
Zaman
al-Wasl's editor-in-chief Fathi Buyud told Reuters at least one other family
had also been able to identify a loved one in the photo.
‘Scream
to the heavens’
Tens
of thousands are estimated to have disappeared in Syria's prisons since 2011,
leaving families both in the country and abroad wondering what happened to
their relatives.
The
UN Secretary General's office last month recommended establishing “a new
international body...to clarify the fate and whereabouts of persons reasonably
believed to be missing in the Syrian Arab Republic”.
Without
this mechanism, families like Khalaf's have searched for answers in photo
dumps, death certificates published by Syrian authorities years after
individuals passed away, or scanning surviving detainees released in official
amnesties.
Syrian
woman Yasmin Mashaan learned of her brother's death in government detention
when someone tagged her in a photo from the Caesar cache that was circulating
on social media platform Facebook in 2015.
“There's
anger, sadness, you just want to scream to the heavens – and at the same time
you think, 'thank God he doesn't have to be tortured anymore,'“ the 42-year-old
told Reuters.
Mashaan,
who now campaigns for other relatives of forcibly disappeared Syrians with the
Caesar Families Association, said the new batch of photos from Aleppo “reopens
old wounds.”
A
study earlier this year by the association found that the unregulated
publishing of such images by media outlets caused families “a lot of pain.”
Laila
Kiki, executive director of The Syria Campaign, a group seeking justice for
crimes during Syria's war, said the new photographs should be handed to Syrian
rights groups and independent investigators to verify and use in possible
international criminal proceedings.
“Family
members of those disappeared and detained in Syria should not learn of their
deaths in news reports or be forced to search through distressing images of
tortured and mutilated corpses online to discover the fate of their loved
ones,” Kiki told Reuters.
The
Commission on International Justice and Accountability said it had not sought
access to the new batch of photos, but said they “appear to verify” other
allegations of violations.
“These
photos may help shed light on (the) destiny of individual prisoners, many of
whom lost their lives in Aleppo prison. They may also be used by national
justice actors in any future cases,” said CIJA's director of external relations
Nerma Jelacic.
War
crimes investigators at the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said the
“emergence of this reported cache of photographs” once again showed that an
international mechanism to determine the fate of the missing “is urgently
needed.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
With
a Russian nudge, Turkey and Syria step up contacts
15
September, 2022
Turkey's
intelligence chief has held multiple meetings with his Syrian counterpart in
Damascus over the last few weeks, a sign of Russian efforts to encourage a thaw
between states on opposite sides of Syria's war, four sources said.
A
regional source aligned with Damascus told Reuters that Hakan Fidan, head of
Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT), and Syrian intelligence
chief Ali Mamlouk met as recently as this week in the Syrian capital.
The
contacts reflect a Russian policy shift as Moscow steels itself for a
protracted conflict in Ukraine and seeks to secure its position in Syria, where
its forces have supported President Bashar al-Assad since 2015, according to
two Turkish officials and the regional source.
Any
normalization between Ankara and Damascus would reshape the decade-long Syrian
war.
Turkish
backing has been vital to sustaining Syrian rebels in their last major
territorial foothold in the northwest, after Assad defeated the insurgency
across the rest of the country, aided by Russia and Iran.
But
rapprochement faces big complications, including the fate of rebel fighters and
millions of civilians, many of whom fled to the northwest to escape Assad's
rule.
Turkey,
a NATO member country, has troops on the ground across the area, deemed
occupying forces by Assad.
During
the meetings, Fidan - one of President Tayyip Erdogan's closest confidants -
and Mamlouk evaluated how the two countries' foreign ministers could eventually
meet, according to a senior Turkish official and a Turkish security source.
“Russia
wants Syria and Turkey to overcome their problems and achieve certain
agreements...which are in the interest of everyone, both Turkey and Syria,”
said the Turkish official.
One
big challenge is Turkey's desire to include Syrian rebels in any talks with
Damascus, the official added.
Russian
shift
The
Turkish security official said Russia has gradually withdrawn some military
resources from Syria in order to focus on Ukraine, and had asked Turkey to
normalize relations with Assad to “accelerate a political solution” in Syria.
The
Damascus-allied source said Russia had nudged Syria to enter talks as Moscow
seeks to nail down its position and that of Assad in the event it must redeploy
forces to Ukraine. Russia has sustained stunning losses on the ground in
Ukraine over the past week.
The
most recent meetings - including a two-day visit by Fidan to Damascus at the
end of August - had sought to lay the ground for sessions at a higher level,
the source said.
The
senior Turkish official said Ankara does not want to see Iranian or Iran-backed
forces - already widely deployed in government-controlled parts of Syria -
plugging gaps left by Russian withdrawals.
The
Turkish security official said neither did Russia want to see Iranian influence
expand as it reduces its presence.
A
diplomat based in the region said Russia had pulled a limited number of troops
out of Syria's south earlier this summer, particularly in areas along the
border with Israel that were later filled by Iran-aligned forces.
While
Fidan and Mamlouk have spoken intermittently over the last two years, the pace
and timing of recent meetings suggests a new urgency to the contacts.
The
regional source allied to Damascus and a second senior pro-Assad source in the
Middle East said the Turkish-Syrian contacts had made a lot of progress,
without giving details.
A
third regional source aligned with Damascus said Turkish-Syrian relations had
begun to thaw and were advancing to a stage of “creating a climate for
understanding”.
The
sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the contacts,
which have not been publicly disclosed.
The
Russian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Turkey's
MIT declined to comment and the foreign ministry did not immediately comment.
The Syrian information ministry did not immediately reply to emailed questions
from Reuters.
Unthinkable
becomes thinkable
Turkish-Syrian
rapprochement seemed unthinkable earlier in the Syrian conflict, which spiraled
out of an uprising against Assad in 2011, killing hundreds of thousands of
people, drawing in numerous foreign powers, and splintering the country.
Erdogan
has called Assad a terrorist and said there could be no peace in Syria with him
in office, while Assad has called Erdogan a thief for “stealing” Syrian land.
But
in an apparent change of tone last month, Erdogan said he could never rule out
dialogue and diplomacy with Syria.
Erdogan
faces tight elections next year in which a key issue will be repatriating some
of the 3.7 million Syrian refugees now in Turkey.
The
Turkish-Syrian contacts come against the backdrop of a flurry of meetings
between Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, including one planned on
Friday in Uzbekistan.
In
July, Turkey helped seal a UN-backed deal that lifted a blockade on grain
exports from Ukraine's Black Sea ports which had prevailed since Russia's Feb.
24 invasion of its neighbor.
After
a recent visit to Moscow, Erdogan said Putin had suggested Turkey cooperate
with Damascus along their joint border, where Ankara has waged several
offensives into areas where Syrian Kurdish groups have carved out autonomy
since 2011.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Dubai
court orders Sanjay Shah, others to pay Denmark $1 billion
16
September, 2022
A
Dubai court has ordered Sanjay Shah and several other people and companies tied
to the hedge fund trader to repay Denmark more than 8 billion kroner ($1.1
billion), broadcaster DR reported on Thursday citing tax authorities.
The
Danish Tax Agency, which confirmed the ruling, said it “is satisfied with the
decision of the appellate court against one of the central players in the fraud
committed against Denmark.”
The
agency declined to provide further details or confirm the amount.
Denmark
has sought to claw back more than $2 billion that authorities said networks of
bankers, lawyers and others defrauded the country out of.
Shah
was named as the mastermind of the scheme in which pension plans filed for tax
returns to which they weren’t entitled, because they never paid the taxes to
begin with. Shah maintained his innocence.
Jack
Irvine, a spokesman for Shah, said that his lawyers intend to lodge an appeal.
Bloomberg couldn’t confirm the ruling directly with the Dubai court.
Shah,
who was arrested in Dubai earlier this year, won’t be extradited to Denmark to
face charges in connection cum-ex case, a court in the country ruled Monday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
forces 'neutralize' 5 PKK terrorists in northern Iraq
Zehra
Nur Düz
15.09.2022
Turkish
security forces "neutralized" five PKK terrorists in northern Iraq,
near the Turkish border, authorities said on Thursday.
The
terrorists were targeted in the Operation Claw-Lock zone, the Turkish National
Defense Ministry said on Twitter.
Turkish
authorities use the term "neutralize" to imply the terrorists in
question surrendered or were killed or captured.
Türkiye
launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target PKK terrorist hideouts in
northern Iraq's Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions, near the Turkish
border.
It
was initiated after Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle to root out terrorists
hiding in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Two
of world's oldest mosques discovered in Israel’s Negev desert
Hadeel
Al Gherbawi
eptember
16, 2022
In
June, the Israel Antiquities Authority unearthed an ancient mosque dating back
1,200 years in the Bedouin city of Rahat in the Negev desert in southern
Israel.
Back
in 2019, the authority uncovered another mosque dating back to the seventh and
eighth centuries AD.
In
a June 8 statement, the authority explained that both the previous and new
discoveries of mosques suggest that the area made a transition from
Christianity to Islam, adding that the first relics found were marble columns
belonging to churches.
The
authority stated that the excavation works will continue and the mosques will
be restored and preserved as historical monuments.
Yasser
al-Amour, who has worked at the Israel Antiquities Authority for 28 years, was
among the first people to unveil the discoveries of the mosques in the Negev.
“I
was truly overwhelmed when we found the two mosques. I even called my Muslim
colleagues to prayer. An indescribable feeling took over me. These two mosques
are among the oldest in the world and evidence of the presence of Islam for
more than 1,200 years,” he told Al-Monitor.
“Of
course, there are other mosques in the area, but these two will turn Rahat into
a tourist area,” he added.
Amour
explained that “the population of Rahat is about 75,000 people, all of whom are
Muslim Bedouins and most of whom took part in this great exploration. This
archaeological site will bring economic benefits to the city’s residents.”
“The
municipality of Rahat demanded [of the Israel Antiquities Authority] that a new
mosque be built next to the newly discovered ones in a bid to attract visitors
and tourists to the area. The municipality also called on the Israeli Ministry
of Antiquities to preserve and renovate these discoveries, which are a source
of pride for us, as Muslims, and for the city of Rahat,” he added.
“The
two mosques actually mark the end of the Umayyad era and the beginning of the
Abbasid Caliphate, i.e., the advent of Islam in the year 636 AD,” he explained.
Amour
said that these “great discoveries took place during construction works to
expand the city and build new housing units for the residents. We actually
discovered four archaeological sites, including these two mosques.”
“The
site is really ancient, dating back more than 1,000 years, and the mosques are
unique and sacred and are as significant as Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
Although there are many well-known mosques inside Jerusalem, it is rare to find
a place of worship that is that ancient,” Amour added.
Archaeologists
at the Israeli Ministry of Antiquities began excavation works in the city of
Rahat in January. They discovered several sites and monuments dating back to
the period between the Byzantine era and the modern Islamic era.
These
archaeological sites, which include churches and mosques, are further proof
that the region was under the yoke of the Christian Byzantine rule for hundreds
of years before the emergence of Islam, thus the presence of mosques.
Mansour
al-Nasasira, a lecturer in international relations at Ben-Gurion University in
Beersheba, told Al-Monitor, “These discoveries date back to the seventh and
eighth centuries AD, which was during the Umayyad caliphate. This period of
time witnessed many conquests — and Beersheba, one of the Negev desert’s cities
in which excavations were carried out, was anciently the headquarters of the
Islamic leader Amr Ibn al-Aas.”
“The
area was inhabited by Muslims during that time. The new discovery did not come
as a surprise to us, as many foreign missions had visited different areas in
Palestine, including the Negev desert, and unearthed significant archaeological
monuments dating back to the Islamic period,” he added.
Nasasira
explained that “these [discoveries] of mosques, agricultural villages and the
ancient soap factory [in 2020] are evidence that the area was an extremely
important agricultural area during that period, which refutes the Israeli
narrative claiming that the Negev desert had not been inhabited and does not
have any relics or antiquities.”
Omar
Zaidan, an antiquities inspector in Acre in Israel who took part in the
excavation and exploration works in Rahat, told Al-Monitor, “We found many
peasant houses that date back to the Umayyad era, which consisted of a room and
a kitchen with pottery and ovens. But the mosques that date back more than
1,200 years were the highlight of our discoveries.”
“Every
hill in the site where we carried out our excavation works revealed to us
houses and relics dating back to that period of time. Excavations are ongoing,
which means that we will have new information to fill the gaps regarding the
Umayyad period in the area,” he added.
Despite
the paramount significance of the discovery, it was not spared the political
bickering between the Palestinian archaeologists and the official Israeli
authorities.
In
fact, the discovered mosques confirm that since ancient times, the Palestinians
inhabited the Negev and built their houses of worship and cultivated lands,
which is in conflict with Israeli claims that the Bedouins have no history in
Palestine.
Kayed
Abu Latif, a resident of Rahat, told Al-Monitor, “These discoveries created
controversy in the area because it had been said that Bedouins were invaders
and not indigenous population, and that the Negev desert was not inhabited and
did not have any archaeological landmarks.”
“But
now, with these discoveries, the official narrative has changed. The Negev
desert is a very strategic location linking the Gaza Strip, the West Bank,
Jordan and Egypt. And now, it has also become an important archeological area,”
he added.
The
Israeli Ministry of Antiquities also uncovered Aug. 23 a desert mansion that
dates back more than 1,200 years.
Source:
Al Monitor
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Calls for Mechanisms to Hold Sanctioning Countries Accountable
2022-September-15
Qaribabadi
made the comments during his speech at the 51st regular session of the UN Human
Rights Council in Geneva where he spoke about the negative impact of the
unilateral coercive measures (UCM) on the enjoyment of human rights.
He
said on Wednesday that the Iranian people are the main victims of sanctions
that are imposed against them as a war tool, and added that the sanctions have
been imposed under the so-called maximum pressure campaign that has been
launched with the aim of genocide and crimes against humanity against the
Iranian people.
The
Iranian rights official blasted the United States and its allies for their
unilateral coercive measures against Iranians, noting the measures violate the
basic principles of international law, the United Nations Charter as well as
fundamental human rights.
He
underlined the need for the establishment of effective mechanisms in order to
hold the sanctioning states to account, stressing that the step must be an
integral part of any appeal and legal discourse on the negative impacts of
sanctions.
“How
come certain states, which are always pretending to support the human rights of
Iranians, have the face to encroach upon the rights of Iranians on a large
scale by imposing and supporting cruel sanctions or remaining silent about
them?” the human rights chief went on to question.
Qaribabadi
underscored that it was an absolute necessity to establish a conceptual
framework for a compensation and grievance mechanism in order to make
reparations to the victims of human rights violations as a result of sanctions.
The
judiciary official stated that significant attention should be paid to the
impacts of unlawful unilateral coercive measures.
In
2018, the United States began to unilaterally reimpose sanctions against Iran
after former President Donald Trump's administration abandoned the 2015 nuclear
agreement and launched what it called a maximum pressure campaign against
Tehran at the time, targeting the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever”
sanctions.
Washington
has insisted that sanctions on Tehran do not affect the trade of humanitarian
items and food. However, strict bans on banking transactions involving Iran
have made it impossible for the country to access critically needed medicine
and medical equipment over the past years.
Iranian
authorities say the Unite States has been bullying companies in Europe and
other parts of the world to make them stop trading with Tehran.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
Envoy: Israeli Raids on Syria's Civilian Infrastructures Amounts to War Crime
2022-September-15
Iravani
made the remarks on Wednesday through a statement before the United Nations
Security Council meeting on "The situation in the Middle East:
(Syria)".
"We
reiterate our consistent position that there is no military solution to Syria.
The crisis must be resolved peacefully, in accordance with the UN Charter and
international law, as well as with full respect for the independence, national
sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic," The
permanent representative of Iran said.
"Ending
the occupation and ongoing violations of the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Syria is essential for such a solution and political
process," he added.
"The
fight against terrorism must not be used to undermine the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Syria," the official continued, stressing,
"The illegal presence of foreign forces in parts of Syria, which has
created ideal conditions for terrorist activities, must be ended."
"Recent
military airstrikes in the Northeast of Syria by illegal foreign forces cannot
be justified under Article 51 of the Charter or by an arbitrary interpretation
of self-defense. These attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international
law and the United Nations Charter," Iravani stated.
"The
free movement of terrorist organizations within Syrian territory, where foreign
forces are illegally present, endangers regional and international peace and
security," the Iranian official noted.
"We
strongly condemn the repeated aerial military aggression and violations of the
territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic by the
Israeli regime," he continued.
"The
ongoing Israeli regime’s attacks, particularly the systematic and deliberate
targeting of civilians and critical infrastructure in Syria, including the most
recent attack on Aleppo International Airport on August 31, are a flagrant violation
of international humanitarian law and constitute an act of aggression and a war
crime," Iran's envoy stressed.
"We
call on the Security Council to hold this regime accountable for such
violations and atrocities, which threaten regional and international peace and
security," he stated.
"We
support Syria’s standing in the region and its improved bilateral
relations," Iravani said, adding, "The Syrian Arab Republic has
always played a significant role in regional peace and security. A secure,
stable, and prosperous Syria benefits the Syrian people, the region, and the
international community."
Since
2011, Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy, as a result of which
Daesh (also known as ISIS or ISIL) and other terrorist groups emerged in the
country.
Israel
frequently targets military positions inside Syria, especially those of the
Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah which has played a key role in helping
the Syrian Army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists.
The
Tel Aviv regime rarely comments on its cowardly attacks on Syrian territories,
which many see as a knee-jerk reaction to the Syrian government’s success in
confronting and decimating terrorism.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel’s
election campaign kicks off, polls predict further deadlock
15 September,
2022
Israeli
political parties submitted their final lists of candidates on Thursday for an
unprecedented fifth election in four years, which looks unlikely to break the
deadlock between former premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his bitter rivals.
The
Nov. 1 ballot will see the veteran Netanyahu leading a bloc of right-wing and
ultra-religious parties against centrist Prime Minister Yair Lapid who is
leading a far more fragmented camp, spanning left to right.
So
far polls have shown neither camp winning an outright majority in Israel’s
120-seat Knesset, an outcome that analysts say could leave Israel facing many
more months of political uncertainty as economic and security troubles mount.
Since
2019, Israel has seen four inconclusive elections deliver two short-lived
coalition governments and just one state budget while Netanyahu stands trial on
corruption charges that he denies.
“Israel
has been in political crisis mode since 2019. This has deep implications for
policymaking across the board. The country is paying a price,” said Israel
Democracy Institute President Yohanan Plesner.
He
noted long-needed economic, education and transportation reforms that would help
lower soaring living costs and expand Israel’s work force.
Netanyahu,
who was in power consecutively from 2009 to 2021, on Wednesday pledged to form
a “strong, stable and national” government that he pledged would “quash
terrorism, restore national pride and reduce living costs.”
But
while his Likud party is likely to be the largest in parliament, recent polls
show his camp, comprising three more factions, falling between one and four
seats short of a commanding majority.
At
the same time, Lapid’s camp is set for an even weaker showing and its various
parties have ruled out membership in any Netanyahu coalition government.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Israeli
premier holds talks with UAE foreign minister in Jerusalem
Said
Amouri
15.09.2022
JERUSALEM
Israeli
Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday met with United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan at his office in Jerusalem.
A
statement by Lapid's office said the Israeli premier had, at first, a session
between him and the top Emirati diplomat before holding an expanded meeting
with teams from both sides.
Lapid
and bin Zayed reviewed bilateral relations and ways to develop their
cooperation in the fields of economy, agriculture, energy and food security.
According
to the statement, the two sides congratulated each other on the second
anniversary of the normalization of ties between the two countries.
Lapid
also voiced support to Abu Dhabi in the face of what he said "terrorist
attacks" -- in reference to drone attacks targeting the city by Yemen’s
Houthi rebels in January.
In
September 2020, the UAE and Israel signed a US-sponsored deal to normalize
their relations. Since then, the two countries have exchanged official visits
by senior officials and signed dozens of bilateral agreements in various
fields, including investment, banking services, and tourism.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Pakistan
Pakistan
faces TTP, JeM hurdle in exiting FATF grey list
16
Sep-2022
Islamabad:
The UN's anti-terrorism watchdog - the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) -
will meet next month to evaluate not just enacting of laws and their
enforcement, but also individuals and terror groups suspected to be the
beneficiaries in Pakistan, reported local media.
Meanwhile,
Pakistan is scrambling to play down the rebellious Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP)'s marauding of innocent civilians in the Swat Valley, but also convince
the FATF that Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief, Masood Azhar, is absconding and is
not being sheltered on Pakistan territory, reported Islam Khabar. Pakistan's
record on the flow of funds into terrorist activities has been under sustained
scrutiny by FATF which has placed it on the 'grey' list since 2018.
Pakistan
has to explain not only Azhar but also the role of his chief aide, Sajid Mir,
besides others who conduct their activities in and out of Pakistan in a shadowy
manner.
For
form's sake, Islamabad has sent a formal letter to Kabul, ruled by an
intransigent Taliban group, to locate Azhar. But it can expect no cooperation
for a simple reason: Kabul is not obliged to help Islamabad and it is not
affected by the FATF scrutiny, reported Islam Khabar.
Indeed,
the entire Afghanistan-Pakistan region is a hotbed of terrorist activity and
its massive financing, partly from the huge quantities of narcotics that
Afghanistan produces year after year, irrespective of who rules in Kabul.
Of
course, both nations deny the presence of any terrorist group, when affiliates
of Al Qaida and Islamic State - Province of Khorasan (ISPK) are having a field
day.
As
for the TTP, it has claimed responsibility for nearly 13 attacks in the tribal
areas since September 2, leaving nobody in doubt of its growing clout,
continued defiance of the government and tacit support it enjoys from the Kabul
regime.
On
the TTP's role, Dawn newspaper (September 14, 2022) referred to a debate in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly when lawmakers "pointed to the
rising incidents of gun attacks, targeted killings and extortion in the
sensitive area, while it was also said that militants were roaming around
freely in parts of the province."
The
FATF sent a team this month to see on-the-ground enforcement of the measures
against money laundering. On return from the visit, it reported that Pakistan's
capability to enforce the anti-terror measures remains 'low,' Pakistani
newspapers reported last week, reported Islam Khabar.
In
an editorial (September 14, 2022), Dawn newspaper linked FATF and militancy and
noted that Pakistan's level of effectiveness is "low" on 10 of 11
anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terror goals, even though
the country is compliant with 38 out of 40 technical recommendations."
With
Pakistan facing multiple crises, the newspaper demanded transparency on dealing
with the FATF as it "simply cannot afford to ignore this matter, as being
put back on the grey list will impact the country's ability to attract foreign
investment and trade freely with the world."
Source:
First India
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https://firstindia.co.in/news/world-news/pakistan-faces-ttp-jem-hurdle-in-exiting-fatf-grey-list
--------
PTI
hits out at govt for fanning ‘religious hatred’ against Imran
Ikram
Junaidi
September
15, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Leaders of the formerly ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday
lashed out at the coalition government for what they called creating religious
discord against party chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.
Separately,
the party submitted a requisition for a Senate session on the raid on Senator
Saifullah Khan Nyazee’s residence in Islamabad.
Former
religious affairs minister Noorul Haq Qadri, former National Assembly speaker
Asad Qaiser and former federal minister Iftikhar Durrani held a press
conference here in the capital and alleged that the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) was running an organised campaign to make former premier
Khan controversial among people.
Their
reaction comes hours after PML-N federal minister Javed Latif, in a press
conference, alleged that Mr Khan had “attacked the basic principles of Islam”
while in power.
Former
minister Qadri, who enjoys a following among religious circles, said he had joined
the PTI due to the party’s both religious and political ideologies. He said
Imran Khan always expressed his love and respect for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He warned that the allegations levelled by the government were dangerous and
could lead to divisions and violence among the masses.
Asad
Qaiser also criticised Latif’s statements, saying such comments would lead to
religious discord. He claimed former prime minister Khan was at the peak of his
popularity and their party comprised people from all segments of society.
Iftikhar
Durrani said the government was violating the National Action Plan as well as
the Constitution by spreading religious hatred. He alleged that the PML-N was
founded on the basis of dictatorship.
Senate
session requisition
Meanwhile,
a delegation of PTI senators, led by leader of the opposition in the house Dr
Shahzad Waseem, submitted a requisition to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani for a
session of the upper house of parliament on the alleged political victimization
of party Senator Saifullah Khan Nyazee and violation of the sanctity of his
private residence by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officers and armed
policemen.
The
delegation comprised senators Dr Waseem, Nyazee, Faisal Javed, Azam Swati,
Abdul Qadir, Saifullah Abro, Seemee Ezdi, Fawzia Arshad, Dost Mohammad and
Falak Naz Chitrali were also part of the delegation.
The
senators asked the upper house chairman to take appropriate action on the
breach of the privilege of a parliamentarian.
Dr
Waseem claimed Senator Nyazee’s house was raided by FIA officers and armed
policemen as part of the continued political victimisation of PTI leadership
and workers. He further said the sanctity of the PTI lawmaker and his private
property had been violated.
Senator
Nyazee also submitted a privilege motion against the Islamabad police and FIA
over the breach of his privilege. He said as soon as he reached home, he was
ambushed by a dozen FIA officers and armed policemen who snatched his mobile
phone and took away laptops from his car.
“They
entered my house violating the sanctity of my private property and even barged
into my bedroom,” he claimed.
Nyazee
said they searched through his belongings and took away many other things,
including his wife’s mobile phone. He said the behaviour of the FIA and
Islamabad police, including alleged harassment of his wife and daughters, was
tantamount to the breach of privilege of the house of the federation and its
member, therefore, the Senate chairman should take appropriate action on this
breach.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710197
--------
‘Don’t
downplay seriousness of terrorism charges,’ IHC CJ tells govt in terror case
against Imran Khan
September
15, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday told the government not to downplay
charges as serious as terrorism while questioning whether PTI Chairman Imran
Khan’s speech against a female judge and Islamabad police warrants the offence.
IHC
Chief Justice Athar Minallah made the remarks while hearing a plea seeking
dismissal of the terror case against PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
Khan
was booked in a case under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ACT) for making
threatening remarks against an additional sessions judge and senior officials
of the Islamabad Police in his speech at a rally.
The
party had moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to grant Khan transit bail till
August 25, but the court had directed the former premier to approach an ATC as
it was a terror case.
The
FIR registered against Khan states that he threatened Additional Sessions Judge
Zeba Chaudhry and police officers at a rally in F-9 Park to “terrorise” police
officials and the judiciary.
The
main aim was to prevent the police officers and judiciary from carrying out
their legal obligations, states the FIR. The FIR was registered on the
complaint of Magistrate Ali Javed in Islamabad’s Margalla Police Station under
Section 7 of ATA.
A
two-member bench comprising IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Saman
Rifat conducted hearing on PTI’s plea.
At
the outset of the hearing, the Justice Minallah said that the court had ordered
Imran Khan to join the investigation and asked the investigation officer to
guide the court on whether the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) is applicable to the
former premier’s statement.
“Do
not confuse things, as a separate case of contempt of court is under trial
against Imran Khan,” the chief justice said.
At
this, the special prosecutor informed the court that Khan appeared before the
joint investigation team (JIT) to record his statement on Wednesday.
Following
the court’s directives, Abbasi read the transcript of Imran Khan’s
“threatening” speech at the rally, contending that sections of ATA apply to the
words used in the speech.
“Is
there anything else other than his [Imran Khan] speech? This allegation is of a
very serious nature. There is a Supreme Court verdict on the matter,” Justice
Minallah said.
“The
speech was absolutely wrong, with inappropriate words used, but does not
warrant terrorism charges,” the judge remarked.
“Don’t
downplay the seriousness of terrorism charges,” IHC Chief Justice Athar
Minallah said, while responding to the arguments of the special prosecutor.
The
IHC adjourned the hearing till September 19, while directing the JIT officials
to meet and then inform the court about the developments in the probe on Monday
(September 19).
At
a rally at the F-9 park in Islamabad, the PTI chair had warned that he would
“not spare” Islamabad’s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female
magistrate, vowing to file cases against them for allegedly torturing PTI
leader Shahbaz Gill.
“We
will not spare the IG and DIG,” he said while addressing the rally. The former
prime minister called out Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry,
who had approved Gill’s two-day physical remand at the request of the capital
police, and said she, too, should prepare herself as a case will also be
registered against her.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Second
anti-Taliban tribal leader killed in Swat in week
September
15, 2022
PESHAWAR:
A second member of a local state-allied peace committee was shot dead in the
space of a week by unidentified gunmen in Charbagh town of Swat late on
Wednesday, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported.
The
police identified the deceased as Shirin Khan whose bullet-riddled body was
discovered in a nearby area.
After
the incident, a police team reached the spot and cordoned off the area to
arrest the accused who managed to escape.
According
to Rifaqat Ullah, a journalist, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group
has claimed responsibility for the killing. Pakistan Today couldn’t
independently verify the claim.
Khan’s
killing came less than a week after a blast in the picturesque region killed
five people, including an influential anti-Taliban tribal leader, on Tuesday,
in the first major bombing in over a decade in a city that was once a
battleground between the army and TTP.
The
attack comes as fears rise about the return of the TTP to Swat, and peace talks
between Pakistan Army and Afghanistan-based militants, that started last year,
have failed.
Meanwhile,
locals and several civil society groups staged a demonstration in Mingora city
to protest the recent wave of militancy in Swat.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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Ashrafi
urges Muslim world’s aid agencies to help flood victims in Pakistan
SEPTEMBER
16, 2022
Prime
Minister’s Special Representative for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz
Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, emphasizing the need to accelerate the relief
activities, Thursday urged the Muslim world’s aid agencies to help the flood
victims in Pakistan.
Talking
to APP, Ashrafi who is also the chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, assured the
development charities for all possible support to conduct relief and
rehabilitation work in the flood-hit areas of the country.
“His
august office and state institutions doors are always open to those
organizations and individuals want to help the people facing critical situation
due to monsoon rains and flash floods in the country,” he added.
He
also asked the government machinery to further improve the cooperation and
coordination mechanism with the national and international philanthropists and
welfare agencies that wanted to carry out relief activities in the flood
affected areas.
Expressing
gratitude to Saudi government for taking extraordinary measures to help the
flood-stricken people in Pakistan, he said the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and
Relief Center (KSrelief) had dispatched hundreds of tons relief goods including
food, medical supplies and shelters in the affected areas so far.
Ashrafi
also welcomed the KSrelief’s initiative for launching a countrywide
humanitarian campaign to help the flood affected people in Pakistan.
He
said Khateeb and Chief Imam of Masjid Al Haram Sheikh Abdul Rehman Al Sudais
had also appealed the Muslim Ummah to come ahead for all-out support to the
affected people.
Keeping
in view the prevailing crisis, he proposed the political leadership of the
country to express unity particularly to cope with this national emergency on a
war footing.
Lauding
Ulema and Mashaykh’s contribution in the rescue and relief activities across
the country, he said they
Source:
Daily Times Pakistan
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Pak
court grants bail to Imran’s aide in sedition case
Sep
16, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad high court on Thursday granted bail to a top aide of Pakistan’s
former PM Imran Khan in a sedition case. Shahbaz Gill, Khan’s chief-of-staff
since his ouster from office in April, was arrested last month over his
comments on a TV channel that were described by authorities as “highly hateful
and seditious” and intended to “incite the armed forces towards revolt”.
He
was booked for stoking up mutiny by asking junior officers not to follow
“illegal” orders of their officers that violated “the will of the majority”.
Gill,
who claimed to have been humiliated, tortured and sexually abused during detention,
had approached the Islamabad high court last week after a trial court denied
him bail.
During
Thursday’s hearing, chief justice Athar Minallah granted bail to Gill on a
surety bond of Pakistani rupees 500,000 (approximately $2,200), but ruled that
the investigation against him in the sedition case must continue.
“No
one should be deprived of the right to be released on bail until there is solid
evidence against him/her. There wouldn’t be any remedy if the person turns out
to be innocent later,” Justice Minallah remarked.
Following
Gill’s arrest, the government had also cancelled the operating license of ARY
News, the channel that had aired his conversation during a live political talk
show.
Imran
Khan’s strong reaction against his aide’s arrest involved him in legal
contests, too. A terrorism case was filed against him for threatening to take
“legal” action against police officers over Gill’s arrest and torture.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PM
Shehbaz Sharif says, "Even friendly countries started looking at Pakistan
as beggars"
Sep
15, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has presented a bleak picture of the
country's dwindling economy, regretting that even friendly countries have
started looking at Pakistan as one that was always begging for money.
"Today,
when we go to any friendly country or make a phone call, they think that we
have come [to them] to beg for money," Dawn news quoted the prime minister
as saying in an address to a lawyers' convention on Wednesday.
Sharif
said even small economies have surpassed Pakistan, "and we have been
wandering for the past 75 years carrying a begging bowl".
According
to Sharif, Pakistan's economy was facing a "challenging situation"
even before the floods, whi-ch had made it more "complicated".
He
said Pakistan was on the verge of "economic default" when he assumed
power in April, following the ouster of then prime minister Imran Khan, and the
coalition government had saved the country from default through its hard work.
He
added that the coalition government led by him controlled "to some
extent" the economic instability in the cash-strapped nation.
Admitting
that inflation was "at its peak" when he took charge, the premier
indirectly blamed the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government for this
situation in the country.
Sharif
alleged that the previous rulers had violated the agreement with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), compelling the incumbent government to agree
on tough conditions.
The
IMF had even threatened withdrawal of its programme if the agreed conditions
were not met, he added.
The
IMF on August 29 approved a bailout package for cash-starved Pakistan,
including disbursement of about USD 1.18 billion.
The
IMF move followed the completion of the USD 4 billion in bilateral financing
from four friendly nations, including China.
The
prime minister also warned of a possible gas crisis in the coming winter,
stating that he had been struggling to arrange gas before the advent of the
winter season.
He
said the rains and floods had played unprecedented havoc in the country, adding
that such climate-induced catastrophe had perhaps not been witnessed anywhere
in the world, according to the Dawn report.
The
cash-strapped nation has been struggling with the worst floods in the past 30
years, leaving more than 1,400 dead and 33 million people affected since early
June.
A
third of the country is submerged in water and one in every seven persons is
badly affected by the floods that have led to an estimated USD 12 billion in
losses that have left about 78,000 square kilometres (21 million acres) of
crops under water.
The
UN said that USD 150 million have been pledged so far in response to flash appeals
for Pakistan's flood victims but only USD 38 million has been converted into
assistance.
While
several countries have come forward to provide aid to Pakistan in such a
crisis, Pakistan and the UN had launched a flash appeal for USD 160 million in
initial funding out of which USD 150 million has been pledged.
United
Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Julien Harneis said the United
States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Denmark, Australia, Singapore, and
others were the main donors besides the Central Emergency Response Fund of the
United Nations, which raised USD 10 million.
Meanwhile,
the Nepalese government Wednesday sent humanitarian relief materials to
Pakistan to support the flood-affected people. The Nepal Airlines chartered
flight carried food items, medicines, and garments apart from other household
items.
Canada
on Wednesday announced an additional USD 25 million of funding in humanitarian
assistance to support Pakistan in this difficult time.
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
Buttler
‘excited’ as England arrive in Pakistan after 17 years
Mir
Shabbar Ali
September
16, 2022
KARACHI:
England have arrived, finally, after 17 long years and after they abruptly
called off their visit to Pakistan last year.
All
is forgiven now as the 19-man side checked into a five-star hotel here on a
quiet afternoon on Thursday, ahead of what will be an extensive Twenty20
International series.
Led
by Jos Buttler, England will play seven games against the hosts, with the last
scheduled for October 2, just 20 days before their first match at the T20 World
Cup in Australia.
“We’re
all excited to be here and very much looking forward to the tour and it is
great to be back as an England cricket team after a long time,” Buttler told a
news conference on Thursday.
England
are without the likes of key players in all-rounders Liam Livingstone and Ben
Stokes and pacer Chris Jordan for the Pakistan tour. The trio, however, has
been named in the T20 World Cup squad.
While
the Pakistan series will give the visitors the time and space to delve into and
experiment numerous possibilities, it will also be about the players’ workload
management — a phenomenon that is now common in the sport with the advent of
T20 leagues.
“For
many of us to build up towards the World Cup, we’re in a bit of a unique
situation as a team with few guys who are injured and will be fit in time for
the World Cup but not necessarily fit here,” said Buttler.
“There’s
a few guys who are coming back to full fitness so we’ll have to manage
ourselves through this tour and obviously the main aim for everyone is to turn
up to Australia, fully ready to go to the World Cup.
“It’s
important to us in that sense to get players to where we want them to be to
familiarise some roles.”
The
absence of some regular players might see a group of emerging youngsters and
second-string personnel in action during the Pakistan games. Few of those who
are likely to feature have decent experience of playing in the country via the
Pakistan Super League, namely David Willey, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson,
Harry Brook, Luke Wood and Ben Duckett.
Their
presence will give England an edge on the ground, but these players have also
contributed in England’s decision to send a nearly full-strength team to
Pakistan.
“Many
of our players have played in the PSL and shared their positive experiences
from being here and more than anything how much the public here love their
cricket so we are delighted to be here and looking forward to the series,”
Buttler said.
The
England skipper believed the series will deliver high-quality cricket and it
was important for the visitors, ranked top in the world, to not take Pakistan
lightly.
“Pakistan
are a very strong side we look forward to challenging ourselves against them
and I expect to see some great cricket,” Buttler said.
“We
know how strong Pakistan are and also how volatile T20 cricket is, its not
necessarily a game where you need to be the favourite.
“There
are a lot of match winners on both teams and that’s what you need in T20
cricket.”
The
high number of games, Buttler said, would help England go through rigorous
preparatory routine going into the World Cup.
“They
will give us a very tough challenge and we look forward to that to be
battle-hardened going into the World Cup after tough seven-match series,” the
32-year-old observed.
“Seven
games will be a challenge; some of them are back to back as well.”
The
England players have also decided to make a donation to the Disaster Emergency
Committee’s appeal for the people affected by the recent floods in Pakistan.
The
call has been supported by England players’ bodies TEPP and PCA and the donation
will be matched by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“The
tough times the people of Pakistan are facing at the moment with the floods, we
hope that with us being here, we can uplift that a little bit and raise spirits
by seeing us play cricket,” Buttler said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710282/buttler-excited-as-england-arrive-in-pakistan-after-17-years
--------
Chinese
national arrested on charge of raping girl in Islamabad
September
16, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A Chinese national has been arrested by the capital police on the charge of
sexually assaulting a teenage girl for months, police said.
A
case was registered against the suspect at the Koral police station in response
to a complaint lodged by the girl.
According
to the FIR, the 16-year-old girl is a student of grade 9 and was working as a
translator with the Chinese national, operating a CCTV installation business at
Ghauri Town on Rs15,000 per month salary since May 2021.
The
suspect started harassing her soon after she started the job and sexually
assaulted her in January this year. He threatened her with dire consequences
and continued raping her.
As
a result, the girl got pregnant but did not disclose it to her family. However,
her elder sister noticed her condition and took her to a private hospital at
F-8 where she was pronounced over 31 weeks pregnant, the FIR said. Later, the
sister approached the police for registration of a case.
The
police said the suspect had been arrested and his custody obtained on two days’
physical remand from a magistrate’s court. His passport has also been
confiscated, they added.
Medical
of the suspect and the girl was conducted to collect samples for DNA matching.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710322/chinese-national-arrested-on-charge-of-raping-girl-in-islamabad
--------
PM
arrives in Uzbekistan to attend SCO regional security bloc summit
September
15, 2022
SAMARKAND:
The prime minister arrived in Uzbekistan Thursday on a two-day state visit to
attend the annual meeting of the heads of member states of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being held in the historical city of Samarkand
on September 15-16.
Abdulla
Aripov, prime minister of Uzbekistan, received Shehbaz Sharif on his arrival at
the Samarkand International Airport. The prime minister is accompanied by a
high-level delegation including his ministers for foreign affairs, defense and
finance as well as the foreign secretary.
In
a tweet prior to his departure, the prime minister said Pakistan reiterated its
commitment to the so-called “Shanghai Spirit” of the event.
“Mutual
respect and trust can be the bedrock of shared development and prosperity,” he
said.
Sharif
said the SCO had a great potential to chart a way forward at a time of deeply
worrying transformation in the geo-political and geo-economic fields.
“The
global economic turbulence has necessitated the need for more cooperation among
the SCO member countries. The SCO vision represents the aspirations of 40
percent of the world population,” he said.
On
the first day of his visit, the prime minister held separate meetings with
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president of Uzbekistan, and Emomali Rahmon, president of
Tajikistan.
Sharif
is scheduled to meet participating world leaders including Russian President
Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian President
Ebrahim Raisi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and Kyrgyzstan
President Sadyr Japarov.
Immediately
after his arrival at the airport, the prime minister proceeded to the Hazrat
Khizr Mosque, where he will visit the mosque and will also pay respects at the
mausoleum of Uzbekistan’s first president, Islam Karimov.
The
prime minister will attend the banquet hosted by the Uzbek president in honour
of the guest leaders.
SHARIF,
HOST PRESIDENT EXPLORE MUTUAL INTERESTS
Meanwhile,
Sharif also held a meeting with Rahmon wherein he discussed matters of bilateral
and regional importance.
The
two leaders met on the sidelines of the summit.
The
meeting focused on the ways and means to strengthen the relationship between
Islamabad and Tashkent in fields including trade, economy, energy and
people-to-people contacts.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast
Asia
Promoting
empathy, inclusivity through Malaysian theatre
Danial
Azhar
September
16, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: An ungrateful son turned to stone by his heartbroken mother. A comparison
of history textbooks to uncover the erasures, exclusions and questions
surrounding the Malayan Emergency. And two dancers attempting to reclaim their
freedom and identity as Malaysian Chinese women.
For
Mark Teh and June Tan, these are only a few of the many narratives that local
plays and performances explore in Malaysia’s diverse theatre and performing
arts scene.
Teh
and Tan, both a part of Five Arts Centre, a collective of local artists,
activists and producers, believe that theatre is an art form to encourage
empathy and understanding through the telling of alternative and marginal
stories.
Citing
a theatre play he recently directed titled ‘A Notional History’, Teh said it
was important to tell inclusive stories that validate and narrate a person’s
experience without disregarding, silencing or erasing someone else’s
experience.
“How
do you tell a story without erasing someone else’s story?” he asked,
referencing a line from the performance.
In
‘A Notional History’, Form 4 history textbooks published after the 2018 general
election, are compared to older versions. This period was of great interest to
Teh as it marked Barisan Nasional’s fall from power after governing the country
for over 60 years.
Teh
said he was interested in determining what changed between the textbooks, what
remained unchanged and what elements of Malaysia’s history were unchangeable.
The
performance also included decades-old interview footage of members of the
outlawed Malayan Communist Party. This, Teh said, was to ensure that those who
were largely excluded from that period of the country’s history could convey
their experiences.
Tan,
a producer and stage manager, said the public must continue to show a curiosity
for others and an openness to experiences different from their own.
“We
shouldn’t be afraid of alternative narratives or fear shifting our own opinions
and perceptions having seen all these alternative narratives,” she told FMT.
“Even if we don’t agree with these narratives, at least we have the necessary
information to understand them.”
She
said Malaysians are accustomed to difference and diversity as it is a country
teeming with various cultures and ethnicities.
Actor,
director and writer Jo Kukathas expressed her confidence that Malaysian theatre
could continue to be an avenue for open expression, differing opinions,
tolerance, empathy and understanding.
“Most
people in the arts are trying to tell minority stories that aren’t often heard,
which is important because when you hear your story reflected back, it’s very
powerful.”
She
said arts and culture were constantly evolving and theatre was no different,
adding that playwrights always try to respond to the changing face of the
country.
‘And
Then Came Spring’, a play Kukathas directed earlier this year, is reflective of
this.
It
tells the tale of a 14-year-old Afghan girl, Nazanin, who dreams of going to
school but is sold off by her father to settle his debts. Nazanin then finds
herself married to a man twice her age and is soon with child.
Kukathas’
theatre company, Instant Café, collaborated with Parastoo Theatre, a troupe of
Afghan refugees in Kuala Lumpur, to stage the play.
“I
wanted Instant Café to do this collaboration because there are a lot of new
migrants in Malaysia now and refugees speaking different languages.
“There
was so much xenophobia during the pandemic, I felt we should listen to their
stories and why these refugees ended up in Malaysia rather than just being
suspicious of them and unaware of their humanity,” she said.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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--------
Muslim
Unity Narrative A Ruse To Weaken Umno, Says Analyst
Nora
Mahpar
September
16, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: PAS’ Muslim unity narrative when pushing to work with Umno in the coming
general election is a subtle ploy to weaken the latter, an analyst said.
Azmi
Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said PAS realised that Umno will not join forces
with them as long as they remained with Perikatan Nasional, the coalition led
by Bersatu.
Umno
had previously declared it would not work with Muhyiddin Yassin’s party.
“They
are trying to portray Umno as a party that does not care for Muslim unity (by
continuously spurning the invite).
“This
is an ingenious way of weakening and belittling Umno,” he told FMT.
On
Sept 11, PAS said it still regarded Umno as a partner after revealing that no
progress had been made in its discussion with the party for the 15th general
election.
Azmi
said he also expected the Muslim unity narrative to be raised by PN during the
election campaigning period where the coalition would paint Umno as being
selfish and power-hungry.
However,
he felt that PAS’ tactic could backfire as Umno might turn the tables on them
by accusing PAS of flip-flopping merely to bring Umno down.
“PAS
needs to be careful about courting both Umno and Bersatu at the same time,” he
said.
Umno
and PAS, the two largest Malay-based parties, formed Muafakat Nasional in
September 2019 as an electoral pact aimed at uniting the Malay-Muslim vote.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Leave
Malaysia if you want it more like Afghanistan or North Korea
Adzhar
Ibrahim
September
16, 2022
I’m
sure you’ve heard people saying “If you don’t like this country, leave”. But
here’s the crucial question: what exactly is the kind of Malaysia that you’re
supposed to like, which you must leave if you don’t?
The
official version of Malaysia is that it is a multiracial democracy born this
day in 1963, not long after a few other British colonies became independent.
Most
of us are Malaysian citizens by virtue of being born to Malaysian parents (or
at least to Malaysian fathers!). Some were naturalised after due process or
playing a few football matches, and many others through the abuse of power of
some powerful, well connected crooks.
Those
latter actions were obviously wrong. Regardless of the identity cards they
hold, the recipients are not Malaysians. They are clearly among those who
should “leave”.
Our
nation, along with many other former British colonies, came into being in the
middle of the last century when nationalism, often boosted by socialism, was in
tune with the post-war exhaustion of the colonial powers.
Indonesia
had objected to the formation of Malaysia. Its president, Sukarno, started an
armed attack, the “Konfrontasi”, which failed. The Philippines claimed Sabah,
reverberations of which are still felt to this day.
The
majority of Malaysians are Malays, a mix of many local and not so local
peoples, bound together by customs and Islam.
The
immigrant peoples, mostly Chinese and Indians, joined the Malays and the
indigenous people, in becoming Malaysians. Of the indigenous people, we have
the many Orang Asli tribes in the Peninsula and the larger groupings such as
the Ibans and the Kadazan-Dusuns in East Malaysia.
But
even among them, we also have the seafaring Bajau Laut of Sabah, people who
have no papers that determine citizenship of a political state as today’s world
demands, but who could claim to be as Malaysian as anybody else.
If
we go back further, we’re all part of the long trek from the Rift Valley of
Africa across the land bridge that extended to Australia. So, we’re all
pendatangs to this land – migrants from Africa.
Singapore
left Malaysia in 1965, and seemed to be doing all right. We had a major race
riot in the Peninsula in 1969, with many repercussions felt to this day. The
Bornean members of the federation meanwhile felt deprived of their rights as
founding members of Malaysia – in essence being colonised by the “west” all
over again!
But
overall, we prospered as we’re blessed with bountiful natural resources,
hardworking people and relatively good governance.
Things,
however, started to slide in the 1980s.
Politics,
which had been focused on nation building in earlier days, became fixated on
tribalism and religion. Well-intentioned affirmative actions implemented after
the May ’69 riots to ensure the economic rise of the Malay people, or officially
the Bumiputeras, became much abused.
Like
strong medicine, it can cure or it can harm if taken for too long. After a
while, it became a bitter pill to swallow for the non-Malays, whilst it became
a soporific, hallucinatory drug for the Malays.
Malay
politicians started treating the many extra-constitutional affirmative action
privileges as rights, and mostly ignored responsibilities. They battled for
what was easy (quotas, discounts, special rights) instead of what was necessary
but hard – education, health, self-sufficiency etc.
Islam
has penetrated deeply into Malay politics. It’s not the Islam that led the
early Muslims to conquer Europe and set up civilisations still admired to this
day, but rather the Islam of ritual piety and culture wars.
An
example is the recent new political issue about the apparently insidious and
well- planned efforts to destroy the faith of the Muslims by bringing
in…foreign musical concerts!
Jakim
has been invoked as gatekeeper against such “invasions”. Dewan Bahasa dan
Pustaka are likely to be roped in to ensure that performances, if any, are only
in Malay. Special Advisors to the PM will be appointed, and GLCs will be
granted monopolies to organise such concerts. That is the Malaysian way.
If
this puts Islam in a bad light, remember the ones who shout the loudest and the
harshest in any religion are always the ones most frightened and insecure. It’s
exactly the same here.
I
have no idea who this Billie Eilish person is, who recently performed here and
created so much controversy. I don’t know which football team he plays for, but
I’m happy many enjoyed watching him perform, and that the country gained some
respite and revenue.
Good
for you Billie, and that Japanese chap Odori-San, and the German gentleman Herr
Oktober and whoever else who comes here and follows the laws of the land.
Most
of the Muslims I know have strong faith and aren’t intimidated by people having
fun. My late parents would’ve said Billie Eilish is not quite their taste, but
go ahead and watch her if you like.
The
leaders busy churning up emotions are those who want to impose the rules and
norms of Afghanistan or North Korea in Malaysia, against our own multiracial
norms and mores, and especially against our laws and constitution.
They
invoke the threat of the wrath of God because of this permissive culture. They
would cite any natural disaster as proof of such wrath – which is easy because
many of our natural disasters are caused by people like them destroying our own
hills and rivers anyway.
Wrath
of God? I give you Exhibit #1 – Afghanistan. They haven’t had peace for
decades, maybe even centuries; can barely feed themselves, treat women like
chattels, and are often visited by natural disasters like the recent
earthquake. Those indeed do sound like the wrath of God.
Perhaps
it would be good to have Billie Eilish go and play football there. The Afghans
won’t have to worry about the wrath of God. After all, He can’t be any angrier
with Afghanistan already.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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--------
Dr
M mocks ‘opportunistic’ PAS over past ‘infidel’ remarks
Nora
Mahpar
September
16, 2022
SERDANG:
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has taken a dig at PAS for seeking to
work with Umno despite describing its members as infidels in the past.
Mahathir
said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang used to call Umno members infidels because
the party worked with non-Muslim parties in Barisan Nasional (BN), but was now
“allowing PAS members to become infidels” themselves by partnering with Umno in
Muafakat Nasional (MN).
“I
find PAS’ actions peculiar because it’s different from its previous stand,” the
Pejuang chairman said at a press conference.
“Last
time, PAS accused Umno members of being infidels and other things. But, without
denying that Umno is an infidel party, it means they are now working with
infidels.
“PAS
is opportunistic. When they see an opportunity, they put aside their
principles. However, they say that they struggle for Islam, that they cannot
work with infidels or they themselves will become infidels.”
Yesterday,
Hadi claimed that Pakatan Harapan (PH) was a coalition that gave and took
bribes, adding that those in the coalition were immoral and not religious.
In
response, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said PAS under Hadi’s leadership was
a different party from the one led by its past leaders.
The
PKR president said the views of the late Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Fadzil Noor would
have differed from Hadi, and pointed out that the current PAS president had
branded Umno members as infidels in the past.
Nik
Aziz was PAS’ spiritual leader from 1995 until his death in February 2015, and
Fadzil, who died in 2002, was Hadi’s immediate predecessor.
Separately,
asked if the Pejuang-led Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) would work with PH in the next
general election (GE15), Mahathir simply said it would not work with the
corrupt or those who formed a backdoor government.
He
was alluding to Perikatan Nasional (PN), which was formed by his former party
Bersatu and PAS, and which joined forces with BN to topple the PH government in
February 2020.
GTA
comprises Malay-based parties, NGOs, academics and professionals, Pejuang,
Berjasa, Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) and the National Indian
Muslim Alliance Party (Iman).
Mahathir
also said that many had urged him to become prime minister for a third time,
though he has yet to make any decision on this matter.
“I
have neither rejected nor accepted (their proposals),” he said.
Mahathir
first became prime minister in 1981 and went on to become the longest-serving
prime minister, leading the nation until 2003.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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--------
Jakarta
governor ‘prepared’ to run for president
September
15, 2022
SINGAPORE:
The popular governor of Indonesia’s capital Jakarta today said he is “prepared”
to run for president of the world’s third-largest democracy in 2024, despite
not yet securing the support of any political party.
With
his five-year term as governor coming to a close next month, Anies Baswedan,
53, has emerged in independent opinion polls as one of the top figures expected
to contest the presidential election due in February 2024.
“I’m
prepared to run for president if a party nominates me,” he told Reuters in an
interview in Singapore, adding that not being a member of a party allows him
“room to communicate with all factions”.
“These
unsolicited surveys happening before I’m even campaigning, I think they give me
more credibility,” said Anies, a former education minister and university
rector.
Other
popular potential candidates include defence minister Prabowo Subianto, who ran
twice before, unsuccessfully, and Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo, an
up-and-coming politician in the ruling party. Incumbent Joko Widodo has reached
his two-term limit and cannot run again.
Analysts
say Anies is a likely frontrunner given his popularity at the helm of one of
Southeast Asia’s biggest cities, a position often considered a springboard to
the presidency. Widodo was the city’s governor for two years before winning the
top job in 2014.
But
Anies has also been criticised for how he rose to power in Jakarta in 2017,
helped by hardline Islamist groups who had agitated for months against his
opponent and former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama – an ethnic Chinese
Christian – who was later jailed for insulting Islam.
At
the time, Anies, who espouses moderate Islam, was seen to be doing little to
mend widening religious and communal rifts in the world’s largest
Muslim-majority nation.
But
he says his policies as governor had “united the people of Jakarta”.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Funds
withheld from PAS reps will be paid straight to needy, says exco
Nora
Mahpar
September
15, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: The decision to stop allocating funds for eight PAS assemblymen in Pahang
does not mean the state government is neglecting the people in these areas,
says a state executive councillor.
Unity,
welfare, women and family development committee chairman Shahaniza Shamsuddin
said funding and aid will instead be channelled directly to the needy.
She
also dismissed claims that the termination of the RM20,000 allocation would
hinder the development of Malay-Muslims in the state.
“What’s
important are the people, not the elected representatives. So it’s not true to
say that we’re restricting the development of the Malay-Muslim community just
because they (the PAS assemblymen) don’t receive funds.
“Recently,
I handed over RM288,000 in state government funding to the Luit constituency.
In total, I’ve given about RM2 million to Luit and Chenor,” she told FMT.
Luit
and Chenor are represented by PAS assemblymen Sofian Abd Jalil and Mujjibur
Rahman Ishak, respectively.
She
said the Barisan Nasional state administration will look after the people’s
welfare in all constituencies by appointing exco members as “caretakers” in
areas held by the opposition.
“Constituencies
under PKR, DAP or PAS are all going to get the funding. There’s no special
treatment just for BN areas, we’re not cruel,” she said
Shahaniza,
who is the “caretaker” for Luit and Chenor, is also the Maran Umno division
chief.
Yesterday,
PAS’ Panching assemblyman Tarmizi Yahaya said the party’s elected
representatives have not received allocations from the Pahang government since
January.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Xi
urges more ‘political trust’ with Turkey
September
16, 2022
BEIJING:
China’s president Xi Jinping met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan
on today, urging “political mutual trust” between the two sides during a regional
security meeting in Central Asia.
Xi
and Erdogan met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Turkey
is a dialogue partner of the SCO, which was set up in 2001 and consists of
China, India, Pakistan, Russia and several ex-Soviet states.
“The
two sides should consolidate political mutual trust, respect each other’s core
interests and consolidate the political foundation of China-Turkey strategic
cooperative relations,” Xi said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
“We
should focus on development cooperation (and) give full play to the role of
various cooperation mechanisms and respective strengths between the two
countries,” China’s leader was reported as saying.
Xi
also pushed for more cooperation on his signature Belt and Road global trade
initiative, and said the two countries should “contribute to safeguarding
international industrial and supply chains, food and energy security”,
according to CCTV.
Beijing’s
ties with Ankara have been overshadowed by international criticism of China’s
alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority
in the northwest Xinjiang region.
The
readout of the meeting made no mention of Xinjiang or Uyghurs.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Incompetency
nothing to do with racism, PAS leader told
Predeep
Nambiar
September
15, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Idris Ahmad’s cry of racism over criticism that he is an incompetent
minister is uncalled for, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng said.
Lim
pointed out that Idris’ poor rating was first suggested by academic Agus
Yusoff, who branded all PAS ministers as incompetent. He said he was merely
supporting Agus’ claim.
Idris,
the religious affairs minister, recently accused Lim of trying to “fan the
flame of racism” and widening the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims.
This
was after Lim said Idris “tops the list of incompetent PAS ministers”, claiming
he brought no value to his job “apart from threatening national unity and
disrupting religious harmony”.
“Is
Idris trying to distract attention from his incompetence by using the racial
and religious bogey, preying on people’s fears to hide their incompetence?
“I
wonder why he isn’t saying anything about Agus. Idris is not a sacred cow … as
a minister, he is subject to criticism,” he told FMT.
Lim
had responded to an FMT report on Monday in which Agus, of Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia, said Umno should not partner with PAS as the Islamic party
was starting to grow unpopular, even among Malays and Muslims.
Agus
said the public could see “how PAS rides on religion, governs certain states
poorly, and has incompetent ministers”.
DAP
central committee members Young Syefura Othman and Syahredzan Johan also hit
out at Idris for his outburst.
Syefura
said Idris’ call to Muslims not to attend the Bon Odori festival was testament
of the poor rating given by Agus.
“For
me, someone’s incompetence has nothing to do with a person’s religion or race.
It is an individual trait,” she said.
Syahredzan
said Idris’ use of religion to justify his actions “missed the point” of the
criticism levelled at him.
Idris
received flak last week for his remarks on a teenage actress who shared that
she was molested by her father when she was younger.
He
was quoted by Berita Harian as saying the 15-year-old should not have gone
public with her experience but should have reported the incident to the police
and let the law take its course.
Noting
that the brickbats against Idris came from all quarters, Syahredzan said “this
is not a religious issue but about a woman who suffered horrific abuse and came
out to expose it”.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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PH
a gathering of ‘bribe givers and receivers’, says Hadi
September
15, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang says the party rejects cooperation with
Pakatan Harapan (PH) as the coalition “gathers groups of bribe givers and bribe
receivers”.
In
a Facebook post, he also described PH as a coalition full of those “without
beliefs and morals”.
“PAS
firmly rejects cooperation with PH as it can destroy the country’s foundations
and key branches,” he said.
However,
he did not provide any proof to back his claim that there were those within PH
who were involved in corruption.
Hadi
also alleged that some people in PH were “clearly anti-Islamic, threatening the
royal institution, the Rukun Negara, and the foundations of the Federal
Constitution, especially Islam as the religion of the federation”.
He
also claimed that there were those in PH who “fanatically hate Malays and
Bumiputeras”.
He
said this was done without thinking about the rights enjoyed by other races and
religions, which were “already sufficient”.
Without
naming anyone, Hadi also said some in PH were against PAS’ efforts to implement
Islam democratically, and that these parties continued to defend laws from the
colonial era and its fragile judicial system.
He
said PAS’ previous political cooperation with several component parties in PH
had made it clear to PAS that PH was “trying to prevent the Islamic struggle”,
which was the basis of the Islamic party.
Previously,
in a statement on Aug 20, Hadi had accused non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras of
being at the root of corruption and forming the “majority of those involved in
ruining the country’s politics and economy”.
This
led to several police reports lodged against the Marang MP, and he was called
in for questioning by the police.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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China’s
Xi to meet Turkish president Erdogan at regional summit: State media
16
September, 2022
China’s
President Xi Jinping will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on
Friday, on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Central Asia, state
media said.
Beijing’s
ties with Ankara have been overshadowed by international criticism of China’s
alleged human rights abuses against the Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking Muslim
minority in the country’s northwest Xinjiang region.
“On
the morning of September 16, President Xi Jinping will meet with Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Samarkand,” Chinese state broadcaster CCTV
said, announcing the meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the city in Uzbekistan.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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China’s
Xi set to meet Iran’s president at regional summit
16
September, 2022
Chinese
President Xi Jinping will have his first face-to-face discussion with his
Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on Friday, state media reported.
The
meeting comes days after the European Union warned that negotiations to bring
Iran and the US back into a nuclear deal curbing Tehran's nuclear program are
in “stalemate”.
China
is one of the key members of the multilateral dialogue -- alongside France,
Germany, Britain, Russia and the United States -- that is trying to revive the
troubled 2015 nuclear deal.
“On
the morning of September 16, President Xi Jinping will meet with Iranian
President Raisi in Samarkand,” Chinese broadcaster CCTV said, announcing the
meeting on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) in the city in Uzbekistan.
Iran,
one of four SCO observer states, applied for full membership in 2008 but its
bid was slowed by UN and US sanctions imposed over its nuclear program.
Raisi
said on Wednesday Iran still intends to pursue membership of the SCO, but
several members do not want a country under international sanctions in their
ranks.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Africa
18
terrorists killed, 'strategic' al-Shabaab assets destroyed in Somalia operation
Mohammed
Dhaysane
15.09.2022
BAIDOA,
Somalia
At
least 18 al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in military operations in central
Somalia, the army said on Thursday.
A
key base used by the terror group was also destroyed in raids by the Somali
military in Buq Aqable, a district in the Hiran region.
The
operation successfully targeted “stations, offices and other terrorist sites”
in the Buq Aqable area, which is about 90 kilometers (56 miles) south of
Hiran’s capital Beledweyne, according to an army statement.
These
were “strategic” assets that al-Shabaab used to organize attacks on Somali
forces and civilians, it added.
The
latest operation comes days after the Somali military said it killed 100
al-Shabaab terrorists and freed 20 villages in a major offensive in three
states.
President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who took office this May, has declared a “total war” on
al-Shabaab after last month’s deadly hotel siege in the capital Mogadishu – a
30-hour attack that killed at least 21 people and injured nearly 120 others.
Somalia
has been grappling with increasing insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab being
one of the main threats in the Horn of Africa country.
Since
at least 2007, al-Shabaab has waged a deadly campaign against the Somali
government and international forces that has claimed thousands of lives.
The
United Nations 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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At
least 134 dead, scores of homes wiped out in Sudan seasonal floods
15 September,
2022
Flooding
in Sudan has killed at least 134 people and destroyed tens of thousands of
homes in the northeast African country's ongoing wet season, police said on
Thursday.
Heavy
rains usually fall between May and October in Sudan, which faces severe
flooding each year, wrecking property, infrastructure and crops.
The
National Council for Civil Defense said the floods have killed a total of 134
people, left 120 others injured, and damaged or destroyed more than 128,000
homes so far this wet season.
Water
can be seen engulfing villages and roads in footage of the flooding aired on
state television.
People
have taken shelter under makeshift tents made from tattered fabrics after the
floodwaters washed away mud brick homes.
Last
month, the government declared a state of emergency due to flooding in six of
Sudan's 18 states.
This
season's death toll has risen from 112 given earlier this month.
In
the latest figures, the highest number of fatalities occurred in the central
state of North Kordofan, while the largest figure of home collapses was
recorded in southern White Nile state.
The
main causes of death were collapsing homes, drowning and electrocution.
The
official SUNA news agency said a hospital was heavily damaged due to flooding
in a village in the eastern state of Kassala.
“Toilets
collapsed, and doors and windows were smashed at Um Gargour hospital,” SUNA
said.
“The
village is currently surrounded by water which threatens the collapse of more
homes and facilities.”
The
United Nations, citing government figures, said this week that the flooding has
so far affected 286,400 people.
The
eastern states of Gedaref and Kassala, North and South Kordofan state, River
Nile state, and the region of Darfur were among the worst affected, according
to the UN children's agency, UNICEF.
The
UN has warned that flooding this year could affect up to 460,000 people -- far
higher than the average 388,600 people affected annually between 2017 and 2021.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Book
reveals Jordan king left 'bent doubled-over' after Trump’s West Bank offer
16
September 2022
According
to a new book which is set to be published soon, former US president Donald
Trump offered Jordan's King Abdullah II control over the occupied West Bank in
2018.
Citing
Peter Baker and Susan Glasser's book titled The Divider: Trump in the White
House 2017-2021, the Washington Post points to the Jordanian king’s reaction as
he told a friend: “I thought I was having a heart attack. I couldn’t breathe. I
was bent doubled-over.”
According
to the book, Trump made this offer in January 2018. This is one of the several
new details about his 4-year tenure as revealed by the two White House
reporters.
Amman
had control over the West Bank from 1948 to 1967 before it was illegally
occupied by the Israeli regime. Nearly half of Jordan’s population of 9.5
million is comprised of the descendants of the Palestinians who escaped the war
and many of those refugees still live in camps in the country.
Since
the start of the occupation, the Israeli regime has been building settlements
in the West Bank that are considered illegal under international law. The
settlements are said to be one of the main impediments to peace in the region.
Despite
signing a peace treaty with Tel Aviv, Amman has not recognized Israel’s 1967
occupation of east Jerusalem al-Quds and other parts of the West Bank.
Trump’s
offer came as Washington had no authority to give away this Palestinian land.
The former US president had been condemned by Palestinians for his pro-Israel
stances. Among his controversial measures with regard to Palestine was
relocating the US embassy to Al-Quds, not considering settlement inconsistent
with international law, and pushing for a peace plan which had not included
Palestinian rights.
Source:
Press TV
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