Abu Dhabi Non-Muslim Personal Status Court Issues First Non-Muslim Civil Marriage Contract To Canadian Couple
New
Age Islam News Bureau
28
December 2021
The UAE has also revised laws regarding
cohabitation before marriage, alcohol and personal status laws [File: Rula
Rouhana/Reuters]
-----
•
Abraham Accords: Experts Weigh In On Normalization between Israel and Indonesia
•
Health Is Wajib (Obligatory) In Islam: Iranian Senior Cleric Says, Opposing Vaccine
Not Justifiable
•
Case against Sant Kalicharan Maharaj, a Hindu Religious Leader, For Remarks
against Gandhi and Islam
•
Taliban Deputy PM, Maulvi Abdul Kabeer: All Ethnic Groups to Take Part in
Future Govt. Of Afghanistan
Arab World
•
Saudi Arabia Executes Man for Planning Attack under Direction Of ISIS
•
Kurdish leaders say poverty ‘biggest threat’ as it drives Syrians into arms of
Islamic State
•
Egypt hosts tripartite talks on Palestinian developments
•
Syrians decry Israel plan to double settlers in occupied Golan Heights
•
Syrian army carries out controlled explosion in Damascus
--------
Southeast Asia
•
No Regrets, Says Noor Shamera Hassan Who Stood Against Muslims Bigotry In Halal
Row
•
Boat with 120 Rohingya Refugees Stranded off Indonesia’s Aceh Province
--------
Mideast
•
Turkey, Israel Initiated Diplomatic Contacts: Minister of Foreign Affairs
•
Israel open to ‘good’ Iran nuclear deal, but wants tougher Vienna terms
•
Spokesman: Iran in Vienna to Reach “Good” Agreement, No Deadlines Accepted
•
Iran’s Top Negotiator Meets Russia, Chinese Counterparts in Vienna
•
FM: Iran Ready for Talks with Regional States to Promote Ties
•
Israel will act alone against Iran if needed: Foreign Minister
•
Over 100 Israeli settlers storm Aqsa Mosque in latest act of provocation
against holy site
--------
India
•
Dharam Sansad Row: Students, Activists Hold Protest over Hate Speeches against
Muslims at Uttarakhand Sadan
•
Hard-line Hindu vigilante groups disrupt Christmas celebrations on Modi
territory
•
Sikh gurus thwarted plans of Mughal rulers, says Yogi
•
Muslims played pivotal role in 1857 war of Indian Independence; now they are labelled
‘foreigners’
•
Pakistan summons top Indian diplomat over hate speeches at ‘Dharam Sansad’
--------
South Asia
•
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Asks National and International Companies to
Sign with Them Security Contracts
•
Shi’ite People Ask Taliban to Formalize Their Sect
•
Iran interested to meditate talks between Afghan factions: Qomi
•
Afghanistan Tajikistan inked power agreement
•
Taliban arrests nearly 100 criminal suspects in Kabul
--------
Pakistan
•
Ulema’s Role Crucial to Reducing Girls’ School Dropout Rate: Pakistan President
•
Intolerance Main Cause of Problems in Islamic World: Chairman Pakistan Ulema
Council
•
Taliban Banning Transport for Solo Woman Travellers Is 'Retrogressive':
Pakistan
•
'Extremist elements in Afghanistan pose threat to Pakistan'
•
Pakistan approves 'citizen-centric' National Security Policy
•
Senate defers bill seeking to decriminalise suicide bid
•
Turkish official praises Pakistan armed forces’ professionalism
--------
Europe
•
Erdoğan Urges Muslims to Unite In Face Of Rising Islamophobia
•
Turkey attaches importance to ties with US Muslim community
•
Turkey FM Cavusoglu urges Russia to drop ‘one-sided’ NATO demands
•
Separatist rhetoric in Bosnia benefits no one: Turkish defence chief
--------
Africa
•
Libyan Lawmakers Meet to Discuss Challenges on Delayed Presidential Election
•
Somalia PM Roble orders security forces to take orders from him, escalating
crisis
•
Somali president suspends prime minister over alleged corruption
--------
North America
•
Iran Raps US Assassination of General Soleimani as “State Terrorism”
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/abu-dhabi-non-muslim-civil-marriage-canadian/d/126048
--------
Abu
Dhabi Non-Muslim Personal Status Court Issues First Non-Muslim Civil Marriage
Contract To Canadian Couple
The UAE has also revised laws regarding
cohabitation before marriage, alcohol and personal status laws [File: Rula
Rouhana/Reuters]
-----
28
Dec 2021
The
Abu Dhabi Non-Muslim Personal Status Court has issued the first civil marriage
contract to spouses of Canadian citizenship, in accordance with the provisions
of Law No.14 of 2021 on non-Muslims Personal Status in the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi, which aims to ensure the emirate's leadership in regulating family
matters for non-Muslims in accordance with international best practices.
The
Abu Dhabi Judicial Department on Monday celebrated the establishment of the
first civil marriage contract in the Arab region. The happy couple expressed
their thanks and gratitude for facilitating the civil marriage contract service
in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and expressed their appreciation for the efforts
made both in terms of organisation, ease of application, and speed in
concluding the authentication procedures.
It
is worth mentioning that the civil marriage registration service is now
available on the official website of the Judicial Department, for both
residents and visiting tourists. The contracting and registration of marriage
is done remotely through video conferencing technology, in accordance with the
conditions and controls set by the law.
Yousef
Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD), stressed
that the establishment of civil marriage contract procedures for the first time
before Abu Dhabi courts sets a qualitative precedent in the Arab region, in the
wake of the procedures introduced by the non-Muslims Civil Personal Status Law,
and which support the ongoing development efforts of the legislative and
judicial system to ensure that it keeps pace with the various developments and
evolutions, thus contributing to the consolidation of the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi's position as a world leading destination for skills and expertise from
around the world.
Al
Abri emphasised that the Judicial Department is working, in accordance with the
directives of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Judicial
Department, to provide a flexible legal environment for the implementation of
the provisions of the non-Muslims Civil Personal Status Law, formulated in
accordance with international best practices, and which guarantee non-Muslims
the right to submit to internationally recognised civil principles that are
close to them in terms of culture, customs and language, and thus reflect the
positive image and the tolerance of the Islamic religion and ensure the
provision of distinguished services to UAE residents.
It
is worth mentioning that the civil marriage registration service is now
available on the official website of the Judicial Department, for both
residents and visiting tourists. The contracting and registration of marriage
is done remotely through video conferencing technology, in accordance with the conditions
and controls set by the law.
Source:
Gulf Today
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Abraham
Accords: Experts Weigh In On Normalization between Israel and Indonesia
Indonesia's flag (illustrative). (Photo credit:
PIXABAY)
-----
DECEMBER
27, 2021
WASHINGTON
- Last week, it was reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised
the possibility of Indonesia normalizing their diplomatic relations with Israel
in meetings with officials in Jakarta earlier this month. According to reports
in Axios and Walla, the Biden administration is trying to build on the
Trump-era Abraham Accords and looking beyond the Middle East to the largest of
the countries that don't recognize Israel.
Indonesia,
the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, was one of the countries the
Trump administration tried to bring into the Abraham Accords fold, though
negotiations had stalled by the time Trump’s term concluded.
The
US and Israeli officials have discussed ways to expand the Abraham Accords in
recent months – and Indonesia has come up in that context, Israeli officials
told Axios.
On
Sunday, Indonesia's foreign ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah told Nikkei
Asia that the issue was raised during a meeting between Blinken and Retno
Marsudi, Indonesia's foreign minister.
According
to Nikkei Asia, Faizasyah added that during the meeting, Marsudi "conveyed
Indonesia's consistent position towards Palestine that Indonesia will continue,
with the Palestinian people, to fight for justice and independence."
Ambassador
Dennis Ross, Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East
Policy, said that should Indonesia normalize “or even take a normalizing step
like opening a commercial trade office with Israel, it would be a big deal.”
“The
world’s largest Muslim majority state normalizing relations with Israel, even
as part of a process, would signal a much broader reconciliation between
Muslims and the state of Israel,” he said. “It would reflect broader acceptance
of Israel among those who historically had rejected it. It would make isolation
of Israel that much more difficult.”
Finally,
said Ross, it would be seen more generally as adding to the Abraham Accords,
“sending the signal that Arabs and non-Arab Muslims see the benefits of a
relationship with Israel and are not prepared to let Palestinian opposition
deny them what is in their interests. It would also signal that building on the
Abraham Accords was important to the Biden Administration, reflecting its
understanding that further advances would serve America’s broader interests
regionally and internationally.”
“What
would Indonesia get from the United States for such outreach to Israel? The
answer is most likely the promise of significant private and public sector
investment,” Ross continued. “No doubt, if Indonesia were to take a normalizing
step, it would reflect its expectation of economic gains—sending a message to
others of the value of such ties.”
Robert
Hefner, Professor at Boston University’s Pardee School of Global Affairs, said
that the question of whether Indonesia should establish diplomatic relations
with Israel has been a topic of serious discussion in Indonesia for more than
twenty years. “The late President Abdurrahman Wahid, a well-recognized Muslim
intellectual and politician from the largest of the country’s Muslim social organizations
(Nahdlatul Ulama [NU]which has some 90 million followers), was the first to
seriously broach the issue,” Hefner noted. “However, the proposal proved
controversial even among Wahid’s own followers, and in the face of overwhelming
opposition from the broader Muslim community the initiative was halted.”
“Notwithstanding
this setback, in the years since the Wahid administration, some in the
Nahdlatul Ulama leadership have continued to visit or dialogue with officials
in Israel,” Hefner continued. “Under the current President Joko Widodo, no less
a figure than Yahya Cholil Staquf, elected national chairperson of NU, has
continued to broach the issue, both in presidential circles and with the
broader public.”
He
said that this important wing of the NU leadership has made clear that it wants
Indonesia to play a more assertive role among Muslim-majority countries, and it
feels that, as the most populous country in the Muslim world, Indonesia’s
engagement with Israel could have a positive effect on the entire Middle East.
“Such an initiative has its political risks, however. Most surveys indicate
that the majority of Muslim Indonesians oppose establishing relations with
Israel, although, outside of Indonesia’s small Islamist community, the issue is
not a front-burner matter as it is in the Arab Middle East,” Hefner said.
“The
Indonesian leadership is certainly aware of the fact that normalizing relations
with Israel might be welcomed in Washington,” Hefner continued. “But this is
not the primary concern driving the discussion. There is a sense in NU and
among the country’s current leadership that, on this and many other matters, it
is time that Indonesia demonstrates leadership.”
Murray
Hiebert, a senior associate of the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for
Strategic and International relations, explained that Indonesia, as the world’s
fourth most populous nation, “has a fiercely independent foreign policy which
seeks balance between the US and China, including during their current
dispute.”
He
noted that Indonesia’s positions are Palestinian and that many Indonesians
strongly protested in May, during Operation Guardian of the Walls. “Jakarta has
often said it won’t normalize relations until the Palestinian situation is
resolved, but still Indonesia has maintained informal ties on trade and
interfaith discussions,” said Hiebert.
Jeffrey
Winters, Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University and founder
and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Indonesian Scholarship and
Research Support Foundation (ISRSF), said that Secretary Blinken's suggestion
to his Indonesian counterpart that her country should consider steps to
normalize relations with Israel “has drawn a muted response in Indonesia.”
“Conservative
Islamic forces have been gaining influence and momentum in Indonesia for the
past 25 years,” he said. “Indonesia remains a secular state only because
Islamic groups and parties are fragmented. If they were able to unify,
Indonesia would likely become an Islamic state.”
Winters
noted that Indonesia has elections slated for 2024, “and it is again shaping up
as a battle between more secular nationalists against Islamic forces that have
proposed replacing the country's democracy with a caliphate.”
“The
political downside of such a diplomatic move is obvious, while the upside is
much less clear,” he said. “A major policy change on Israel would require
extensive preparation and socialization at all levels of Indonesian society.
The messaging and reframing of the issues involved would take years. Nothing resembling
a national conversation on changing Indonesia-Israel relations has even
started, much less matured.”
Source:
Jerusalem Post
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-689907
--------
Health
Is Wajib (Obligatory) In Islam: Iranian Senior Cleric Says, Opposing Vaccine
Not Justifiable
Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi said maintaining health
is wajib (obligatory) in Islam.
----
December
28, 2021
Iranian
senior cleric Ayatollah Nasser Makrem Shirazi highlighted the importance that
Islam attaches to protecting one’s health.
Speaking
after receiving the third dose of the coronavirus vaccine in Qom, Ayatollah
Makarem Shirazi said maintaining health is Wajib (obligatory) in Islam.
It
is also an act of worship just like saying daily prayers, the Shia source of
emulation stated.
He
said those who say they won’t inject the vaccine are not acting according to
the logic of Islam.
The
cleric urged everyone to act as doctors recommend and take the COVID vaccine to
protect their health.
So
far, more than 59.52 million Iranians have received the first dose of the
coronavirus vaccine, over 51.25 million have received the second dosage, and
more than 5.92 million have been injected with the booster shots.
The
number of people infected with COVID-19 across the world has surpassed 279
million and the death toll has exceeded 5.41 million.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Case
against Sant Kalicharan Maharaj, a Hindu Religious Leader, For Remarks against
Gandhi and Islam
Case against Hindu Leader For Remarks Against
Gandhi, Islam
-----
December
27, 2021
Raipur:
A police case has been filed against a Hindu religious leader from Maharashtra
after he allegedly insulted Mahatma Gandhi, and praised his assassin, Nathuram
Godse, yesterday at a 'Dharam Sansad', or 'parliament of religions', in
Chhattisgarh's Raipur.
Sant
Kalicharan Maharaj - whose controversial speech also led to 'chief patron'
Mahant Ramsunder Das disowning the event and walking off stage in anger - has
been charged with promoting enmity between communities after ex-Mayor Pramod
Dubey registered a complaint.
The
President of the ruling Congress' state unit, Mohan Markam, has also called for
a sedition case.
In
his speech - clips of which have been widely circulated on social media,
Kalicharan Maharaj declares that the aim of Islam is to capture the nation
through politics. He also declared "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi destroyed
the country... salutations to Nathuram Godse, who killed him".
Kalicharan
Maharaj demanded people elect a "staunch Hindu leader" to
"protect" Hinduism.
A
furious Mahant Ramsunder Das - from Chhattisgarh's Dudhadhari temple - was
quick to protest, pointing out that Mahatma Gandhi had sacrificed his life for
the country and that such abusive language could not be used at his expense.
"Mahatma
Gandhi has been abused from this stage and I oppose it. This is not sanatan
dharma nor should such a thing happen on a platform like a 'parliament of
religions'. I want to ask the organiser... why you didn’t raise an objection
when such words were being used," he asked.
"This
country - where 30 Crore Muslims live, where around 15 Crore Christians live...
will it become a 'Hindu Rashtra' if you call it so?" Mahant Das also said
as he walked off stage.
"I
do not belong to this event..." he declared.
The
head of the ruling Congress' communication wing, Sushil Anand Shukla, was
quoted by news agency PTI as saying: "The use of abusive words against
Mahatma Gandhi is highly objectionable. Kalicharan should first prove that he
is a saint."
Chhattisgarh
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was scheduled to attend the event's closing
ceremony, but he skipped the event.
Maharashtra
minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik also tweeted, saying: "An insult to
Mahatma Gandhiji is an insult to our nation. Strict action should be taken
against Kalicharan Maharaj and he should be booked for insulting the 'Father of
our Nation'. We are receiving further details from Akola and Maharashtra Home
Ministry must also take action."
An
insult to Mahatma Gandhi ji is an insult to our nation.
Strict
action should be taken against Kalicharan Maharaj and he should be booked for
insulting the Father of our Nation.
We
are receiving further details from Akola and Maharashtra Home ministry must
also take action.
—
Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) December 27,
2021
This
follows controversial comments from other Hindu religious leaders at two recent
conclaves in Delhi and Uttarakhand's Haridwar, where calls for "ethnic
cleansing" were made.
In
Haridwar, at another 'Dharam Sansad' that was organised by Yati Narsighanand, a
religious leader who has been accused in the past of inciting violence with his
incendiary speeches, there were open calls for genocide and the use of weapons
against Muslims.
Those
who organised the events, and gave hate speeches, claim they did no wrong.
The
events - and police inaction against the speakers - triggered a worried letter
from 76 top lawyers, who wrote to Chief Justice NV Ramana, asking for action
against those who made the threats.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
Deputy PM, Maulvi Abdul Kabeer: All Ethnic Groups to Take Part in Future Govt.
Of Afghanistan
Maulvi Abdul Kabeer, Deputy Prime Minister of
Taliban for the Political Affairs
------
December
28, 2021
Maulvi
Abdul Kabeer, Deputy Prime Minister of Taliban for the Political Affairs said
that all ethnic groups will be allowed to participate in the future system of
government in Afghanistan.
In
a meeting with a number of Afghan Shia representatives on Monday, he emphasized
that all ethnic groups will participate in the future of government in
Afghanistan.
While
appreciating Shias' support for the Taliban, Maulvi Abdul Kabeer said that
Afghanistan is the common home of all ethnic groups and that all these groups
will participate in the future establishment of the government in this country.
Demands
and suggestions of Shias in this country will be discussed and following,
governors will be contacted if needed in order to solve current problems, he
added.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Deputy Prime Minister of Taliban for Political Affairs stressed
that ensuring security, creating welfare for Afghan people is the main duty of
the government in Afghanistan.
Taliban
officials have repeatedly stated that they seek to form an inclusive government
with the participation of all ethnic groups.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Saudi
Arabia executes man for planning attack under direction of ISIS
27
December ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s Ministry of Interior on Monday announced that a man had been executed
in Riyadh for planning to target public civilian gatherings through a suicide
mission under the direction of ISIS.
The
ministry said the man had an explosive belt and photographs of the target with
him.
The
man had also sworn allegiance to ISIS and adopted their ideas, the Kingdom’s
interior ministry added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kurdish
leaders say poverty ‘biggest threat’ as it drives Syrians into arms of Islamic
State
Amberin
Zaman
December
27, 2021
AL-HASAKAH/RAQQA,
Syria — A man being led by security guards shuffles into an interrogation cell
in a military prison in the Kurdish-administered city of Hasakah in
northeastern Syria. His hands are cuffed, and his head is shrouded in a black
hood. He was arrested at his home in the city of Raqqa and brought here on Oct.
2 on charges of membership in the Islamic State (IS).
The
guards escorting him remove the hood. He has ruddy cheeks, thick brown hair and
a beard. Ahmed (a pseudonym, as prison authorities would not let him reveal his
real name) sat down for an interview with Al-Monitor on a recent afternoon and
described why he joined IS more than two years after the jihadis lost Baghouz —
the last patch of territory in their collapsed caliphate — to the US-backed
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in March 2019. “I did it for the money,” the
24-year-old father of three said. “Because of the drought, my farm collapsed. I
had a lot of debts.”
Ahmed’s
profile is typical, according to the Kurdish official who is in charge of
running the maximum-security prison where an attempted escape by IS inmates was
foiled just days after the interview. “They are paying people to join them,
paying thousands of dollars,” the official, who asked not to be identified,
told Al-Monitor. Some 50 jihadis being held at the prison were captured this
year, the official said. All had joined for money.
Syria
has been hit by its worst drought in 70 years, and farming is one of the main
sources of income in northeast Syria where most of the country’s crops are
grown. Coming on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, the collapse of Syria’s
national currency and international sanctions on the regime of Syrian President
Bashar al-Assad, the drought has further impoverished millions of people,
leading some like Ahmed to join IS in order to make ends meet. A far greater
number risk their lives as they try to flee the country to Europe illegally.
Ahmed
says he was approached in May 2020 by a friend who joined IS and was living in
the town of al-Bab, a former IS stronghold that was overrun by Turkish forces
and their Sunni rebel allies in February 2017 with US support. “There are many
[IS members] living in the Turkish-occupied areas. I think most of them are
there,” Ahmed said.
“My
friend introduced me to a man called Salman who told me to deliver a Syrian
marriage document to another [IS] member. They paid me 50,000 Syrian pounds for
this job. I continued to do such jobs as a courier,” he said.
“I
had nothing to do with military work,” Ahmed added. His brother needed costly
medical treatment after a motorbike accident. The offer had proven
irresistible.
After
their crushing defeat in Iraq and Syria by the US-led coalition and its SDF
allies, the jihadis and their global affiliates are seeking to regroup and have
begun to mount increasingly audacious attacks in places like Afghanistan and
Uganda alongside their traditional strongholds in Syria and Iraq.
“I
am concerned that they will be strong again. We are trying to break up the
cells. The [Arab] tribes are being very helpful. But to be honest, in
regime-controlled areas especially, the Syrian [Arab] army is not performing so
well against them,” the prison official said.
On
Dec. 25, the SDF announced the arrest of “one of the most dangerous leaders” of
IS, Muhammad Abul-Awwad, who had helped organize the attempted escape at the
military prison in Hasakah. In his filmed confession, Abul-Awwad said the plan
included detonating two car bombs at the gates of the prison and using 14
suicide bombers to storm it.
“We
are on the ground everywhere,” boasted another Syrian Arab IS prisoner
interviewed by Al-Monitor. “God willing we will have our Islamic State,” he
said. “Yes, it’s true, many are joining now for money,” he acknowledged,
averting his eyes from a woman reporter because “it’s against Islam to be in
the same room with you.” Arrested in 2019, the prisoner said he was active in
Raqqa, the jihadis’ erstwhile capital, “killing lots of enemies” but not doing
any beheadings “because it takes too long.”
The
US Treasury noted in a recent report that IS “probably has tens of millions of
US dollars available in cash reserves that are dispersed across the region” and
that it continues to move funds in and out of Syria and Iraq, “often relying on
[IS] facilitators in Turkey and in other financial centers.”
The
Rojava Information Center, an independent research organization in northeast
Syria, observed that IS sleeper cell attacks are on the rise, especially in the
Arab majority Deir ez-Zor region. Of a total of 22 attacks that were documented
in November, 14 were claimed by the jihadis.
Mazlum
Kobane, commander in chief of the SDF, said in a recent interview with
Al-Monitor that one of the greatest threats to northeast Syria was no longer
physical attacks by IS but the militants’ ability to exploit the current
economic crisis to lure new recruits.
Kobane
said, "These unfavorable economic conditions are impacting our struggle
against [IS]. Its ability to regain ground is increasingly linked to economic
conditions in Syria. There are way too many unemployed people. There is
widespread poverty.”
Almost
60% of Syria’s nearly 21 million people are “food insecure,” and nearly 12
million are losing access to food, water and electricity all together as a
result of the drought, according to the United Nations. Elizabeth Tsurkov, a
doctoral student at Princeton University who has written extensively on Syria,
told Al-Monitor, “In all areas, parents are eating less so that their children
can eat enough. People have given up eating fruits and vegetables, cheese and
eggs.”
The
relative stability and prosperity seen in the northeast compared to the rest of
Syria, owed in part to US military protection and funds, are increasingly at
risk because of the drought and Ankara’s unremitting hostility, including
restricting access to water for more than a million residents in al-Hasakah.
Kobane
argued that the first order of business must be for the United States to exempt
the northeast from crippling sanctions imposed on the Assad regime in order to
clear the path for potential investors, particularly in the oil sector. But the
Biden administration has not budged so far and has refused to extend a waiver
granted to a US oil company under the Trump administration that had signed a
deal with the Kurdish-led administration.
For
Abed Mehbes, co-chair of the Executive Council of Northeast Syria (the top
administrative body based in Raqqa), the idea of an IS comeback is intolerable.
“When we first came here to rebuild the city, there were animals eating the
dead IS bodies. Raqqa was in ruins.” The administration has since rebuilt 60%
of the town’s critical infrastructure, he asserted. “Over 10,000 of our
fighters sacrificed their lives for this.”
On
a recent evening, young women with their heads uncovered and unaccompanied by
males sat chatting in Raqqa’s Naim Square where IS used to stage its public
beheadings. A man hawked giant heart-shaped balloons that said “I love you.”
Restaurants serving sizzling kebabs and hot breads coated in spicy tomato paste
were filled with customers of both sexes.
Mehbes
insisted that the gravest danger facing the Kurdish-led autonomous enclave was
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party “who are the big friends of
[IS].”
Since
October, Turkey has grown more aggressive with its drone strikes targeting
alleged members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party. Turkey says the
militant group, which has been fighting the Turkish army since 1984, is “the
same” as the SDF, Ankara’s stock argument to justify its continued assaults.
On
Christmas day, a Turkish drone struck a group of Syrian Kurdish youth activists
in the border town of Kobane, killing five. The autonomous administration
condemned the attack in the statement, saying, “Turkey aims to smash the will
of the population and destroy efforts to strengthen democracy and achieve
stability.”
Turkey
has long been accused of turning a blind eye to the thousands of foreign
fighters who flocked to the IS caliphate via its borders because they were
fighting the Kurds. Its reluctance to let the US-led coalition use the Incirlik
air base to target the jihadis — it relented in July 2015 — reinforced claims
that it was colluding with them.
Thamer
Jamal al-Turki, a sheikh from Al Sabkha tribe, told al-Monitor, “Turkey, the
[Syrian] regime and Iran — they all want to make problems between us and the
SDF.” He insisted that all three were supporting IS sleeper cells in northeast
Syria so as to destabilize and weaken the Kurdish-led administration. “They are
not strong like before. But they are organizing in the countryside, stealing
our sheep and attacking our men,” Turki said.
The
lack of opportunity and uncertainty about Syria’s future are driving
ever-larger numbers of people to make their way out of Syria via Turkey and
Iraq or by air from Damascus. Many get turned back, scammed by smugglers or die
at sea as they try to brave choppy seas in rickety boats headed for European
shores.
Others
become pawns in the hands of callous political leaders seeking to blackmail
Europe, as witnessed most recently in Belarus where thousands of illegal
migrants, mostly Iraqi and Syrian Kurds, remain marooned in freezing
temperatures in no-man’s land between the Polish and Belarussian borders. On
Nov. 12, the body of a dead man was found on the Polish side. Polish officials
said he was Syrian and around 20 years old. The cause of his death remains
unknown.
On
a recent drive between the towns of Amude and al-Darbasiyah, a Syrian Kurdish
translator pointed at grayish material caught on razor wire fencing atop a
concrete wall that skirts the 911-kilometer-long border.
“Look,
pantaloons (men’s baggy trousers),” the translator exclaimed. Articles of
clothing caught on the wire and blankets thrown over it for protection by
people attempting to scale the wall are a common sight, the translator said.
That day, three pairs of trousers and one blanket were flapping on the wire between
Amude and al-Darbasiyah.
The
wall was erected by Turkey to keep out Syrians. Turkey hosts more refugees than
any country in the world, including 3.7 million Syrians, and doesn’t want any
more.
“Even
after the erection of the wall, irregular crossings over the Turkish border are
still happening,” said Omar Kadikoy, policy analyst at the Economic Policy
Research Foundation of Turkey, an Ankara-based think tank.
A
Syrian Kurdish smuggler who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity
confirmed that he was among those helping to arrange the crossings. “The wall
is useless. It’s just a design,” he said.
“When
the Syrian crisis began in 2012, I started my business. I used to work in a
Syrian government office for $110 a month. I have 10 kids. I needed the income,”
he explained.
It’s
hard and sometimes heartbreaking work. “I took a group of Christians several
years ago. They stepped on a mine. All of them died,” the smuggler said. “The
soldiers on the [Turkish side] put them in a bulldozer and tossed them over the
wall.” Al-Monitor was unable to confirm the veracity of this account. But an
undocumented number of Syrians have died while attempting to cross into Turkey
as Turkish border guards fired warning shots into the air.
The
crossings have become far riskier since October 2019 when Turkey invaded a
large slab of territory in northeastern Syria, including the towns of Tell
Abyad and Ras al-Ain. “Turks are now using drones to patrol the border,” the
smuggler said. These day no more than two people cross per night, he added.
Corruption on both sides of the border creates loopholes for the smuggler and
his friends.
The
SDF has been cracking down on the human trafficking rings, arresting complicit
officials and planting mines along the length of the wall. The smuggler
acknowledged that he had done time and that many of his colleagues are in jail.
In
2019, a group of Syrian Kurdish emigres in Germany decided to take matters into
their own hands. They raised money between themselves to launch an internet
technology company that would employ bright young Syrians and keep them at
home. The outfit, the first of its kind, is based in a modern and cheerful
office in Amude and is called Northeast Syria Technology, or NESTECH.
The
young Syrian Kurdish woman who runs the company, a law graduate fluent in four
languages, introduced a reporter to her team, some in person and others
virtually, on a recent morning on condition that none be identified by name.
“We have to protect them from the regime,” she explained.
Source:
Al Monitor
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Egypt
hosts tripartite talks on Palestinian developments
Qais
Abu Samra
27.12.2021
RAMALLAH,
Palestine
Egypt,
Jordan and Palestine held talks in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, on Monday to
discuss the latest Palestinian developments.
The
talks brought together Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordan’s Ayman
Safadi and chairman of the Palestinian Civil Affairs Authority, Hussein
Al-Sheikh, to discuss Israeli violations in the occupied East Bank and attacks
by Israeli settlers.
“The
escalation of terrorist operations by settlers is supported and protected by
the Israeli government,” Al-Sheikh said in statements carried by the
Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Ahmed Al-Deek, an adviser to the Palestinian foreign minister,
said the meeting also took up US efforts to build confidence between the
Palestinians and Israelis.
The
Gaza-Israel truce and the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory were also
discussed during the meeting, he added.
Egypt
mediated a cease-fire deal between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups in
Gaza following the last Israeli military offensive on the seaside territory in
May.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Syrians
decry Israel plan to double settlers in occupied Golan Heights
27
December 2021
Hundreds
of Syrians have denounced an Israeli plan to double the settler population in
the Golan Heights, saying they will put up resistance and steadfastness to
thwart the Tel Aviv regime’s schemes aimed at displacement of local community
and construction of more illegal settlements there.
The
protesters said the strategic area has been and will be an integral part of
Syrian territories and that locals will frustrate Israeli schemes aimed at
changing the demographic characteristics of the territory as they have not
allowed the regime to consolidate its hold on the region, Syria’s official news
agency SANA reported.
Hayel
Masoud, a protester, deplored Israel’s intention to double the number of
settlers living in the Golan Heights in the coming years, stating that Israeli
authorities seek to Judaize the area and plunder its natural resources.
During
a meeting held on Sunday at the Mevo Hama community in the Golan, Israeli Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett's cabinet voted in favor of the plan to double settler
population in the region. The plan aims to build 7,300 settler homes in the
area over a five-year period.
It
calls for one billion Israeli shekels ($317 million) to be spent on settler
units, infrastructure and other projects with the goal of attracting roughly
23,000 new Jewish settlers to the area, which Israel captured from Syria more
than 50 years ago.
“This
is our moment. This is the moment of the Golan Heights,” Bennett told
ministers. “After long and static years in terms of the scope of settlement,
our goal today is to double settlement in the Golan Heights.”
During
the cabinet meeting, the right-wing Israeli prime minister announced two new
neighborhoods in the town of Katzrin, as well as two new communities to be
named Asif and Matar, each with about 2,000 settler units.
Bennett
had announced the plan in October, saying that the ultimate goal was to double
and eventually quadruple the Israeli settler population in the Golan Heights,
from almost 27,000 to 50,000, and then increase it to 100,000 settlers in the
coming years.
“The
Golan Heights is Israeli, full stop,” he said at the time.
Bennett
claimed that the Joe Biden administration had adopted former US president
Donald Trump’s recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli.
Israel
seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the closing stages of its 1967 Six-Day
War on Arab countries, which also saw the regime occupy the Palestinian
territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds, and the Gaza Strip.
Tel
Aviv unilaterally annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 in a move not recognized by
the international community.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syrian
army carries out controlled explosion in Damascus
December
28, 2021
DAMASCUS:
A loud blast was heard on Tuesday morning in Damascus as the Syrian army blew
up ammunitions seized from insurgents, in a controlled explosion in the suburb
of Douma, state TV said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1994181/middle-east
--------
Southeast Asia
No
Regrets, Says Noor Shamera Hassan Who Stood Against Muslims Bigotry In Halal
Row
K.
Parkaran
December
28, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: Noor Shamera Hassan knew she would hit turbulent waters when she decided
to speak up publicly against Muslims who questioned if food donated by
non-Muslims for flood victims was halal. But that did not deter her.
She
produced a 90-second video clip berating the naysayers whom she described as
using a double standard at a time when people were just interested in survival
after the devastating floods last week.
The
emotional clip, calling for rational heads to prevail, went viral on social
media, and received thousands of positive comments from Muslims.
“Of
course, there were some Muslims who chastised me questioning my authority
over haram and halal, saying I had no
locus standi. I was not discouraged because I always speak up against
injustice.
“But
I must say 90% of the Muslims who commented were in support of my clip. It also
included an ustaz who commended me for speaking up,” she told FMT.
In
the clip, the 39-year-old mother of two teenagers lashed out at those asking if
the donated food was halal although they had nothing else to eat and could
possibly die of starvation.
“Islam
allows Muslims to eat any food available in times of such emergency and if
meant for survival. You see unmarried Muslim couples holding hands, is that
halal? You see that everywhere but don’t question such unIslamic practices.
Why?
“Please
do not hurt the feelings of others especially when they were so magnanimous to
sacrifice their time, effort and money,” she is heard saying in the video.
Asked
what prompted her to do this despite knowing some would react negatively, Noor
Shamera said she was upset seeing Muslims rejecting food aid delivered by
non-Muslims on the basis of it being non-halal.
“I
got all riled up when food from the Sikh temple was questioned even though they
serve only vegetarian dishes. They are not known to cook meat in their temple
premises. I told myself I must send a strong message out to make the volunteers
feel better,” she said.
The
video clip brought her more than 20,000 new followers on her social media
accounts.
Her
mother called to say how proud she was, and asked her to continue what she was
doing. “I am thankful for her support. I am also teaching my two children about
the need to co-exist in a plural society.”
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Boat
with 120 Rohingya Refugees Stranded off Indonesia’s Aceh Province
2021-12-27
A
boat carrying 120 Rohingya was stranded in waters off Indonesia’s Aceh province
as security forces prevented locals from helping the refugees come ashore, a
local community leader and a human rights activist said Monday.
A
local legal aid group told BenarNews that fishermen feared they would be
prosecuted if they helped the Rohingya come ashore, while Amnesty International
urged the government to allow the boat to land, according to a report by
Antara, the state news agency.
“Local
fishermen were not allowed to bring the refugees [ashore],” said Syahrul Putra
Muti, director of the Banda Aceh Legal Aid Institute.
On
Sunday, fishermen found the boat in waters off the coast of Bireun regency in
northern Aceh, said Badruddin Yunus, a leader of the local fishing community.
“We
received reports from fishermen, there were 120 people, 51 children, 9 adult
men, and 60 women,” he told local publication AcehNews.
“They
threw paper at our fishermen on which they had written, and they used sign
language when communicating with fishermen.”
The
boat has been anchored to a fishing device about 50 miles off Aceh, he said,
adding that the Navy planned to send food supplies to the boat on Tuesday.
“So
far, there has been no response from the Bireuen regency administration,”
Badruddin told BenarNews.
“Local
security authorities said they were awaiting guidance from authorities in Jakarta.”
On
Monday, Indonesian security officials in Aceh and Jakarta could not be reached
immediately for comment.
Amnesty
said the fishermen had appealed to local authorities to rescue the Rohingya
migrants because they had been at sea for weeks or months, Reuters news agency
and Antara reported.
“There
needs to be joint responsibility between regional countries to conduct search
and rescue so that [refugees] can avoid dangers at sea...,” Amnesty Indonesia
executive director Usman Hamid said, according to Reuters.
Since
a brutal crackdown by Burmese security forces in Rakhine state against the
Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017, hundreds of them have paid traffickers to
transport them to Thailand and Malaysia, where they can find work, and away
from Myanmar or the crowded camps in neighboring Bangladesh where they fled to
that year.
Around
740,000 Rohingya sought shelter at refugee campus southeastern Bangladesh’s
Cox’s Bazar. They are fenced into these camps and not allowed to work, which is
why many refugees try to leave, some Rohingya have told reporters over the
years.
Groups
of Rohingya have also packed into boats and sailed off in search of asylum in
other countries, but have often been refused entry.
In
June, a court in Aceh sentenced three fishermen to five years in prison for
people smuggling after they helped bring people from a Rohingya boat to shore
last year in return for payments.
Source:
Benar News
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Turkey,
Israel Initiated Diplomatic Contacts: Minister Of Foreign Affairs
December
28, 2021
Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday that his country has
initiated diplomatic contacts with the Zionist regime as part of steps to
normalize its previously strained diplomatic relations.
“We
have taken many steps in terms of normalizing our relations with UAE, South
Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt are among the countries with which held talks.”
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said during a press conference on Monday on the occasion of
the end of the year 2021 as reported by the TRT Wolrd Twitter page.
Source:
ABNA24
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https://en.abna24.com/news//turkey-israel-initiated-diplomatic-contacts-cavusoglu_1213118.html
--------
Israel
open to ‘good’ Iran nuclear deal, but wants tougher Vienna terms
December
28, 2021
JERUSALEM:
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Tuesday that Israel would not
automatically oppose a nuclear deal with Iran but world powers must take a
firmer position.
“We
are not the bear who said ‘no’,” Bennett said in an interview with Israel’s
Army Radio, referring to a popular naysaying character from children’s literature.
Israel
prefers a more result-oriented approach, he said.
“For
sure there can be a good agreement. For sure. We know the parameters. Is that
expected to happen now in the current dynamics? No. Because there needs to be a
much firmer position,” he said.
“Iran
is negotiating with a very weak hand. But unfortunately the world is acting
like Iran is at a strong point.”
Bennett
declined to comment on Israel’s military strike capabilities against Iran,
saying he preferred the approach of “speak little and do a lot.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1994176/middle-east
--------
Spokesman:
Iran in Vienna to Reach “Good” Agreement, No Deadlines Accepted
2021-December-27
“We
hope Sullivan believes in the self-proclaimed deadlines that he announces. We
are in Vienna to reach a good agreement at the earliest opportunity. An
agreement that ensures in practice what the US commits on paper along with the
objective guarantees that we receive. For Iran, none of these fabricated dates
for an agreement is binding, and our only goal is to respect the redlines and
interests of [our] people. We go to Vienna to get results, and we do not care
about these media campaigns,” Khatibzadeh told reporters in a press conference
in Tehran on Monday.
He
noted that Tehran and the world powers have reached two new documents during
the 7th round of talks in Vienna which fully include Iran’s proposals and
views, and said, “We expect the commitment and seriousness of the other side to
show that they have come to reach a meaningful agreement in accordance with the
international laws. The coming days will show if the seriousness of Iran will
be reciprocated by the other side.”
Khatibzadeh
also blasted the three European states of Britain, France and Germany for their
inaction towards the US unilateral sanctions against Iran in the past few
years.
He
underlined that the Iranian negotiating team will remain in Vienna as long as
necessary, and said, “We are ready to make a comprehensive agreement with the
other party to make sure that their undertakings are fulfilled and then adopt
compensatory measures. We have not done any activities beyond the Safeguards
agreement (with the IAEA). The law of the parliament is completely binding and
its agenda is clear.”
The
comments came after US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Wednesday
that the US deadline to reach an agreement in the talks with Iran in Vienna
will come “within weeks”.
Sullivan
said there was “still room for a diplomatic effort” to curb Tehran’s nuclear
program, but that the timeframe in which to achieve results was “not long”.
The
Iranian negotiating team has traveled to Vienna for an eighth round of talks
aimed at removal of the US illegal and inhumane sanctions against the Islamic
Republic.
The
US returned the coercive economic measures in 2018 after ditching the nuclear
deal.
On
Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that his
country will not accept the western sides' excessive demands in the Vienna
talks, blasting France for unconstructive behavior.
"In
the last round of the Vienna talks, after two stages of negotiations, we
reached a single document and agenda, and there was a significant progress in
the previous two rounds of talks. In the negotiations, in general, I did not
see the position of certain European countries, specially France, as
constructive. We hope that the French side will play a constructive role and
the Iranian people's rights will be restored realistically," Amir
Abdollahian said in a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad
Hussein in Tehran.
"The
second problem with the three European countries is that in practice they did
not show any new initiative in the negotiations.
He
described the coordinator role played by EU Deputy Foreign Policy Chief Enrique
Mora Mora and EU Foreign Policy Chief Joseph as positive, and said in the
previous rounds of talks the American side sent some unwritten messages to the
meeting and received the necessary answers.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran’s
Top Negotiator Meets Russia, Chinese Counterparts in Vienna
2021-December-27
Baqeri
Kani, heading a high-ranking delegation, arrived in Vienna on Monday morning to
hold talks with the remaining parties to the JCPOA on the removal of the
illegal sanctions.
According
to the reports, he held trilateral consultations with the heads of Russian and
Chinese delegations at the Coburg Hotel, Vienna.
The
meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA) is scheduled to start in Vienna at 6 p.m. local time.
Iran
and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA -- Britain, Germany, France, Russia
and China -- resumed talks in Vienna on November 29 after a five-month hiatus,
marking the first round of negotiations under President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi’s
administration and the seventh overall.
During
the seventh round of the Vienna talks, Iran presented two draft texts which
address, separately, the removal of US sanctions and Iran’s return to its
nuclear commitments under the JCPOA. Tehran also said it was preparing a third
draft text on the verification of the sanctions removal.
Iran
and the G4+1 group of countries resumed the talks in the Austrian capital on
December 9 after being paused on December 3, when the participants returned to
their capitals for additional consultations on the two draft proposals that
Tehran had put forward.
As
the seventh round of discussions in Vienna concluded, Baqeri Kani said the
three European parties to the JCPOA, also known as the E3, intimately agreed to
accept Tehran’s viewpoint as a basis for “serious, result-oriented” talks.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Thursday that his country
would not accept the western sides' excessive demands in the Vienna talks,
blasting France for unconstructive behavior.
"In
the last round of the Vienna talks, after two stages of negotiations, we
reached a single document and agenda, and there was a significant progress in
the previous two rounds of talks. In the negotiations, in general, I did not
see the position of certain European countries, specially France, as
constructive. We hope that the French side will play a constructive role and
the Iranian people's rights will be restored realistically," Amir
Abdollahian said in a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad
Hussein in Tehran.
"The
second problem with the three European countries is that in practice they did
not show any new initiative in the negotiations.
He
described the coordinator role played by EU Deputy Foreign Policy Chief Enrique
Mora Mora and EU Foreign Policy Chief Joseph as positive, and said in the
previous rounds of talks the American side sent some unwritten messages to the
meeting and received the necessary answers.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
FM:
Iran Ready for Talks with Regional States to Promote Ties
2021-December-27
Amir
Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with Omani Deputy Foreign Minister
Sheikh Khalifa Al Harthy in Tehran on Monday.
He
said that expansion of Iran’s relations with the neighboring countries is the
priority of the Iranian president’s foreign policy, adding that Oman has a
special place in Iran's foreign policy.
Amir
Abdollahian also emphasized the need for the two sides to make effort to
enhance bilateral and trade relations.
He
said that Iran is committed to negotiations and adopting political solutions
for the bilateral and regional problems, expressing Iran’s readiness for
negotiations with regional countries to promote bilateral relations.
Iran’s
top diplomat expressed hope that with the efforts of all countries in the
region, specially Iran and Oman, the necessary ground will be prepared for the
end of the Yemeni crisis.
Al
Harthy who has traveled to Tehran to participate in the meeting of the Joint
Strategic Consultation Committee, for his part, expressed the hope that the
Yemeni crisis would end as soon as possible, adding that his country welcomes
and supports peaceful ways to reduce regional problems.
In
relevant remarks on Saturday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baqeri Kani
underlined the necessity for regional countries to resolve their problems
through dialogue, cooperation and coordination among themselves.
Baqeri
Kani made the remarks in Tehran in the 8h meeting of the Joint Strategic
Consultation Committee of Iran and Oman that was held in the presence of the
Omani deputy foreign minister.
He
also pointed to the 50th anniversary of the establishment of relations between
the two countries, expressing satisfaction with the level of relations between
Iran and Oman.
Baqeri
Kani also expressed the hope that the existing problems would be resolved based
on dialogue between the countries of the region.
Sheikh
Khalifa al-Harthy, for his part, referred to the pivotal role of Iran in
regional developments and said that his country, as in the past, is interested
in developing bilateral and regional relations.
He
added that Oman considers peaceful paths necessary for peace and tranquility in
the region.
Iran-Oman
relations, which have regional and trans-regional influences, will continue,
Sheikh Khalifa al-Harthy noted.
In
addition to bilateral issues, the two sides discussed various regional and
international issues, including the Vienna talks, the need for a political
solution to the crisis in Yemen, and the region's need for dialogue.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001006000518/FM-Iran-Ready-fr-Talks-wih-Reginal-Saes-Prme-Ties
--------
Israel
will act alone against Iran if needed: Foreign Minister
27
December ,2021
Israel
is prepared to act alone against Iran in case it becomes necessary, Foreign
Minister Yair Lapid warned on Monday as the eighth round of talks in Vienna to
revive the abandoned 2015 nuclear accord are set to begin but concern remains
that they are not going anywhere.
“Of
course, we prefer to act in international cooperation, but if necessary - we
will act alone. We defend ourselves by ourselves,” Lapid told the Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee, according to the Jerusalem Post.
“We
have presented to our allies with quite a bit of firm intelligence [on Iran's
nuclear program]. [It was not] opinions and positions, [but] intelligence that
proves Iran is deceiving the world in a completely systematic way,” he added.
Lapid
said all Iran cared about was for the US to lift the sanctions and Tehran can
pour billions of dollars into its nuclear program and into funding its proxy of
Shia militias in the region.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Over
100 Israeli settlers storm Aqsa Mosque in latest act of provocation against
holy site
27
December 2021
At
least 120 Israeli settlers have stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the
occupied Old City of al-Quds under the protection of the regime’s forces in the
latest act of provocation against the sacred site.
The
settlers entered the compound through the Moroccan Gate on Monday morning to
mark a Jewish religious occasion and perform Talmudic prayers under the full
protection of Israeli forces.
Hardline
Israeli legislators and extremist settlers regularly storm the al-Aqsa Mosque
compound in the occupied city, a provocative move that infuriates Palestinians.
Such mass settler break-ins almost always take place at the behest of Tel
Aviv-backed temple groups and under the auspices of the Israeli police in
al-Quds.
The
al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses
both the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
The
Jewish visitation of al-Aqsa is permitted, but according to an agreement signed
between Israel and the Jordanian government in the wake of Israel’s occupation
of East Jerusalem al-Quds in 1967, non-Muslim worship at the compound is
prohibited.
Back
in early October, an Israeli court upheld a ban on Jewish prayers at the
al-Aqsa Mosque compound, after an earlier lower court's decision stirred
outrage among various Palestinians and across the Muslim world.
Judge
of the district court in al-Quds Aryeh Romanov on October 8 confirmed that Jews
are barred from worshiping openly at the site, and only Muslims are permitted
to pray there.
In
issuing the ruling, Romanov said the fact that the defendant, an Israeli
settler identified as Rabbi Aryeh Lippo, had been caught served as proof that
his prayer at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound was overt.
“What
is important… is the fact that there was someone who noticed the appellee
praying, which evidently shows that the prayer was overt. If it was not overt,
no one would have noticed it,” the judge wrote.
The
ruling came after Israel's public security minister Omer Bar-Lev appealed the
lower court's decision days earlier not to regard prayer by Jewish worshipers
as a “criminal act” if it remained silent, and warned that “a change in the
existing status quo” would spark violent protests and could cause a flare-up.
Source:
Press TV
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--------
India
Dharam
Sansad Row: Students, Activists Hold Protest Over Hate Speeches Against Muslims
At Uttarakhand Sadan
28
Dec 2021
Students
and activists on Monday staged a protest at Uttarakhand Sadan over hate
speeches against Muslims at a 'Dharm Sansad' in Haridwar.
Amid
heavy police deployment, protesters gathered at Uttarakhand Sadan and raised
voice demanding immediate arrest of Yati Narasimhanand, Prabodhanand and
Annapurna, who delivered hate speeches at the conclave.
At
the protest on Monday, a public meeting was conducted in which representatives
of various organisations spoke, according to a statement.
Dipankar
Bhattacharya, CPI(ML) general secretary, said, "The calls in Haridwar
resemble those of the final solution in Nazi Germany! RSS must be defeated with
strong people's movement."
Organisations
like AISA, Anhad, SFI, UAH, NFIW, KYS, AIDWA, DISHA, among others, joined the
protest.
The
protesters submitted a memorandum to the Resident Commissioner of Uttarakhand
Sadan, which demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and
immediate legal action against those involved in hate speeches in the Haridwar
'Dharma Sansad'.
Source:
Outlook India
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--------
Hard-line
Hindu vigilante groups disrupt Christmas celebrations on Modi territory
December
28, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Hard-line Hindu vigilante groups disrupted Christmas mass in parts of
India, including in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s core territory ahead of
local elections in the coming months, media reported on Monday.
The
disruption of Christmas celebrations at the weekend and last week included the
vandalising of a life-size statue of Jesus Christ at Ambala in Haryana, a
northern state governed by Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), The
Hindu newspaper said.
It
also reported activists burnt a model of Santa Claus and chanted slogans
against Christmas celebrations and religious conversions on Saturday outside a
church in Varanasi, Modi’s parliamentary constituency and Hinduism’s holiest
city.
Anoop
Shramik, a social activist in Varanasi, told Reuters he saw about two dozen
people burning the Santa Claus.
Contacted
by telephone, the federal and state governments declined to comment.
On
Saturday, Christmas celebrations were also disrupted in Silchar, eastern Assam,
after men, claiming to be members of Bajrang Dal — a right-wing group with
close ties to BJP, forced their way into a church, NDTV, a local news channel
reported.
Leader
of the main opposition Congress party and prominent members of minority
Christian groups urged Modi to act.
“The
PM should direct the BJP governments of Haryana and Assam to identify the
miscreants and bring them before a Court of law,” P. Chidambaram, India’s
former finance minister and a senior Congress leader, said in a tweet.
Since
Modi came to power in 2014, right-wing Hindu groups have consolidated their
position across states and launched small-scale attacks on religious
minorities, saying their action is to prevent religious conversions.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1994041/world
--------
Sikh
gurus thwarted plans of Mughal rulers, says Yogi
Dec
27, 2021
LUCKNOW:
In an event to mark Sahibzada Diwas on Monday, chief minister Yogi Adityanath
said that Sikh traditions should be adopted in every Hindu household and not be
limited to gurdwaras.
The
CM said that those who came to India with the intention of converting people to
Islam, “their existence was erased and it was the tradition of the Sikh Gurus
that did not allow anti-Sanatan Dharma intentions of the foreign terrorists to
succeed.”
After
paying tributes to the four Sahibzadas at a ceremony held at his residence on
Monday morning, the CM called Sikhs an inspiration for new India. “From Guru
Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh, ‘Sikhism’ is a wonderful amalgamation of power
and devotion. This divine tradition had come to save India. ‘Sahibzada Day’
will always inspire us to fight against tyranny,” the CM said.
Referring
to the Mughal rulers Babur and Aurangzeb, the CM accused them of trying to
convert the entire country to Islam and enslave the nation, but commended the
Sikh gurus for thwarting their plans. “Who does not know that Aurangzeb wanted
the Sahibzade to renounce their faith and abandon the teachings of the Guru.
However, they chose to get buried alive in order to protect the country.
Aurangzeb destroyed the Kashi Vishwanath temple, but Maharaja Ranjit Singh
brought two tons of gold and transformed the temple into the Golden Kashi
Vishwanath Temple,” he said.
Praising
the Sikh community for their social work, the CM said that their efforts have
been recognised across the world. Quoting Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the CM said:
“Safal Jagat mein Khalsa Panth Gaaje, Jage Dharm Hindu Safal Bhand Bhaaje”
while paying respects to the martyred sons of Guru Gobind Singh.
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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Muslims
played pivotal role in 1857 war of Indian Independence; now they are labelled
‘foreigners’
27th
December 2021
Indian
Muslims’ contribution in different phases of the country’s freedom movements
was, without any iota of doubt, enormous. They played larger than life role and
gave significant sacrifices for the cause. From last Mughal Emperor Bahadur
Shah Zafar to nawabs, princes, landlords of all sizes, clergy and ulema
(religious scholars) and the common people, they all stood for the cause, took
on huge challenges and sacrificed almost everything for it. Thousands of ulema
were slaughtered in the wake of 1857 uprising, entire Delhi was emptied of
Muslims and they were not allowed to return to their homes and reclaim their
properties.
While
there is an effort to obfuscate Muslims’ contribution in the freedom movements,
spanning from 1800 to 1947, there doesn’t seem to be any concerted effort on
the part of the 200 million strong Indian Muslim community to preserve its own
history.
Be
it 1857 Mutiny or the later freedom movements, Muslims have played leading role
in all such efforts. British officials and historians have accused Muslims for
the 1857 Ghadar. Both British historians and officials have named Muslims as
the most dangerous rebels and termed the mutiny as a sinister plot by ulema and
mujahedeen to reclaim their lost power in India.
Long
before the Mutiny, ulema and sufis had been predicting the imminent doom of the
British rule in the country. When the Mutiny was at its height, hundreds of
thousands of ghazis (Muslim fighters), converged at the hotspots of revolt that
included Delhi, Lucknow, Bareilly, Agra and Thana Bhawan, besides Kanpur and
Shahjahanpur, and fought till the end. It is no secret that in Delhi when the
rebels almost gave up, the ghazis who despite going hungry for days due to lack
of supplies, gave the stiffest fight. They also suffered the highest number of
sacrifices against the marauding British armies that eventually defeated the
rebels.
In
many places ulema and sufis gave the call for jihad (holy war or war against
injustice) long before the actual outbreak of Ghadar in 1857. Maulvi Ahmadullah
Shah was preaching jihad in Agra. He was arrested in Faizabad a couple of years
before 1857 and was released only when the fighting started and his supporters
broke open the Faizabad prison. Similar was the case of Maulvi Liaqat Ali who
took control of Allahabad during the Mutiny and was proclaimed the governor
there by none other than Bahadur Shah Zafar.
Maulvi
Sarfaraz Ali is one of the leaders whose role has remained shrouded in mystery.
It is said that Maulvi Sarfaraz Ali was the spiritual mentor of Bakht Khan who
rose to become the commander in-chief of armies fighting the British in Delhi
and its surroundings. Sarfaraz Ali has been called the imam of the mujahedeen
(leader of the rebels) by many people. He was a known face in Delhi and enjoyed
the trust of the Mughal Court. He had taught in a madrassa in Delhi and had a
huge fan following across north India. It is said that it was he who persuaded
Bakht Khan to march to Delhi and take on the British armies. After coming to
Delhi, it was Bakht Khan who brought some semblance of discipline in the ranks
of the rebel armies and made them better fighters.
Not
just ulema and sufis, Muslim nawabs, landlords and common folks too fought
valiantly and numerous sacrifices for the cause of the freedom of the nation.
Many nawabs who supported the Mutiny or even the ones who extended their moral
support were singled out for British retribution.
Nawab
Tafazzul Husain Khan of Farrukhabad had to pay a heavy price for his support to
mutineers. His estate was seized and he was sent off to Hejaz where he died in
penury. Abdul Rehman Khan, nawab of Jhajjhar, was executed by hanging at the
Delhi Kotwali on December 23, 1857. His body was thrown into a pit and a mound
was made to mark the burial place. His estate was seized too. Fazil Mohammad
Khan, the nawab and jagirdar of Ambapani near Bhopal, was one of the main
leaders of the freedom movement during the Mutiny. When the rebel forces were
defeated, the nawab was captured along with 18 of his close associates and was
executed by hanging over the gate of the Rahatgarh Fort. His estate was also
seized. Ahmed Ali Khan, the nawab of Farrukhnagar too had to pay a heavy price
for his support to the revolutionaries. He was arrested and charged with
treason against the British. He was sentenced to death and executed in November
1857. His estate was seized and his family rendered penniless.
The
preeminent role of Muslims in the Mutiny is the reason that the community was
singled out by the British government for the worst revenge. Thousands upon
thousands of ulema were hanged to death. Many others, when the British hangmen
got tired, were simply taken to secluded places and shot dead. Others, like
Urdu journalist Muhammad Baqir, were tied to a cannon and blasted into small
pieces.
When
the British forces reoccupied the city in 1857 they were given free hand in
killing Muslims and pillaging their properties. The military ordered that the
residents of the city to vacate houses immediately and leave businesses to make
Delhi ‘safe’ for the occupation forces.
It
is said that perhaps Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, the renowned Urdu and Persian
poet, was the only one who was allowed to live in the city. This was due to the
intervention of Maharaja of Patiala, a supporter of the colonial rulers who had
sent forces in support of them. The property of Ghalib too remained safe. It is
said that he was the only member of the Mughal court to have survived the fall
of Delhi. All others were either killed or thrown out of Delhi, their homes and
businesses ransacked and destroyed.
While
the entire town was emptied of the residents, both Hindus and Muslims, the
Hindu residents were allowed to return in 1858 while the Muslims were kept out
for two more years.
It
is historical fact that the Muslims were presumed to be the real conspirators
behind the Mutiny. Subsequently they faced the full wrath of the colonial
government. Their places of worship and other symbols of spirituality and power
seized and occupied as barracks by British troops. Jama Masjid was turned into
army barrack where Sikh sepoys were kept for several years before it was handed
back to the Muslims following a long negotiation process initiated by Mufti
Sadruddin Azurdah. Masjid Fatehpuri was sold off to a Hindu businessman and it
took years before it was released after paying huge sum to him.
In
Kucha Chelan that was the center of art and academia the entire population of
1400 people, including renowned scholar, Imam Baksh Sahbai, and his sons were
slaughtered.
Edward
Vibart, a young British officer says that the forces were ordered to kill
everyone: “It was literally murder…I have seen many bloody and awful sights
lately but such a one as I witnessed yesterday I pray I never see (such a scene)
again. The women were all spared but their screams, on seeing their husbands
and sons butchered, were most painful… Heaven knows I feel no pity, but when
some old grey bearded man is brought and shot before your very eyes, hard must
be that man’s heart I think who can look on with indifference.
William
Dalrymple while writing in his book says: “Those city dwellers who survived the
killing were driven out into the countryside to fend for themselves. Delhi was
left an empty ruin. Though the royal family had surrendered peacefully, most of
the emperor’s sixteen sons were captured, tried and hung, while three were shot
in cold blood, having first freely given up their arms, then been told to strip
naked: ‘In 24 hours I disposed of the principal members of the house of Timur
the Tartar,’ Captain William Hodson wrote to his sister the following day. ‘I
am not cruel, but I confess I did enjoy the opportunity of ridding the earth of
these wretches.’”
What
happened in Delhi was repeated in almost all the strongholds of the rebels. Be
it Lucknow, Allahabad, Bareilly, Kanpur, Shahjahanpur or other rebel
strongholds, centers of the towns were flattened, people massacred and their
homes and properties confiscated.
Muslims
not only took the lead in Mutiny they also remained in the forefront in all
other efforts to topple the British colonial regime in the country. Reshmi
Rumal Tehrik of Maulana Mahmud Hasan and Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi was a Muslim
initiative to topple the colonial rule. When the British intelligence finally
got wind of it, hundreds of sympathizers of Reshmi Rumal Tehrik were arrested
and thrown in prison for years without any trial. The top leadership including
Maulana Mahmud Hasan and half a dozen of his disciples were bundled off to
Malta after a sham trial where they endured the worst hardship.
Muslims
were integral part of the Congress’ anti colonial struggle too. From Justice
Tayabji to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, there were as many as nine Muslim leaders
who became the president of the Indian National Congress. Muhammad Ali Jauhar,
Shaukat Ali, Maulana Azad, Dr Mukhtar Ansari, Hakim Ajmal Khan, Maulana Mahmud
Hasan and many top of the line Muslim leaders were equally respected and hugely
popular. They gave every possible sacrifice for the cause of the freedom
movement. Without their sacrifices, it is unthinkable that the nation would
have won freedom.
Source:
Siasat Daily
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
summons top Indian diplomat over hate speeches at ‘Dharam Sansad’
by
Shubhajit Roy
December
28, 2021
IN
AN unusual intervention days after a ‘Dharam Sansad’ held in Haridwar saw a
series of hate speeches targeting Muslims and calling for violence and
assassination, Pakistan’s foreign ministry Monday summoned the most senior
Indian diplomat at the High Commission in Islamabad and asked him to convey
their “serious concerns”.
In
an official statement, the Pakistan ministry said: “Today, the Indian Charge d’
Affaires was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad and asked
to convey the Government of Pakistan’s serious concerns to the Government of
India over the widely reported open calls by Hindutva proponents for carrying
out genocide of Indian Muslims.”
India’s
charge d’affaires M Suresh Kumar was summoned by the Pakistani officials on
Monday afternoon.
While
critical statements by foreign ministries are common, summoning of Indian
diplomats about incidents related to minorities in India is rare. In fact, it
is usually India that has in the past issued several critical statements on
atrocities against Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan, and summoned Pakistan’s
diplomats — most recently in August to protest the attack on a Hindu temple in
Rahim Yar Khan region of rural Punjab in Pakistan.
At
the Haridwar event, which was held from December 17 to 19, the controversial
Yati Narsinghanand, the priest of Dasna temple in Ghaziabad who is facing
several FIRs in UP, called for a “war against Muslims” and urged “Hindus to
take up weapons” to ensure a “Muslim didn’t become the Prime Minister in 2029.”
Former
Delhi BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay was among those who had attended the
event.
Following
nationwide outrage, three persons were booked in connection with the hate
speeches. Swami Dharamdas and Sadhvi Annapurna, along with Waseem Rizvi, who
had assumed the name of Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi after converting to
Hinduism, were named in the FIR lodged last Thursday.
The
FIR has been lodged under Section 153A of the IPC (promoting enmity between
different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language).
The
Pakistan Foreign ministry said it was “impressed upon” the Indian Government
that it was “highly reprehensible” that those who called for ethnic cleansing
at the event have “neither expressed any regret nor the Indian government has
condemned or taken any action against them so far”.
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Islamic
Emirate Of Afghanistan Asks National And International Companies To Sign With
Them Security Contracts
28
Dec 2021
The
Interior Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in a statement asked
all national and international companies and firms to refer to the ministry and
sign the security contracts.
The
ministry has reactivated the National Public Protection Forces and appointed
Enaitullah as head of the forces.
National
Public Protection Forces had replaced private national and international
security companies and were providing security services to various national and
international companies based on contracts.
The
Forces were inactive after the Taliban takeover.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Shi’ite
people ask Taliban to formalize their sect
28
Dec 2021
Shi’ite
people in Afghanistan in a statement asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
to formalize their sect and protect their citizenship rights in the framework
of an inclusive government.
In
the statement that was titled “Demands and ideas of Shi’ite people in
Afghanistan,” the people asked that for protection of their all political,
economic, societal, cultural, freedom of speech, and political participation.
Writers
of the statement welcomed the green signal of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan for the establishment of an inclusive government and added that the
Afghan government will not be inclusive without their participation as they
form 25 percent of the Afghan population.
The
Shi’ite people also asked for the creation of exclusive courts of Shi’ite people
where they can implement their own law.
It
comes as a number of Shi’ite leaders met with the political deputy of PM Abdul
Kabir on Sunday, December 26 and they were given assurance of their security in
Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/shiite-people-ask-taliban-to-formalize-their-sect-7647678/
--------
Iran
interested to meditate talks between Afghan factions: Qomi
27
Dec 2021
Iran’s
president special representative to Afghanistan Hassan Kazzemi Qomi said that
Tehran has good relations with all factions in Afghanistan and can mediate
talks between them for stability and peace in the war-torn country.
Qomi
met with Afghan leader in exile Muhammad Muhaqiq and acknowledged that Iran is
ready to mediate talks between different groups in Afghanistan to help the
country reach stability and establish an inclusive government, FARS news agency
reported.
The
special representative said that his country stands for peace and stability in
Afghanistan and emphasized that the country’s issue be resolved through
negotiations among all ethnic groups.
He
added that peace and stability are in the favor of the whole world and the
region.
The
suggestion for mediating potential negotiations comes as the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan has never talked of negotiations with any part after they
recaptured power on August 15.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/iran-interested-to-meditate-talks-between-afghan-factions-qomi-96797/
--------
Afghanistan
Tajikistan inked power agreement
27
Dec 2021
Afghanistan’s
electricity body (Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat) on their official Facebook
page announced that they signed an agreement of power with Tajikistan for 2022.
The
statement by DABS read that the agreement on importing electricity was signed
after two-day negotiations with the Tajik officials.
Afghanistan’s
electricity body has also said that Afghanistan has also signed an agreement
with Tajikistan during political changes in the country.
“Chief
executive of DABS Hafiz Muhammad Amin leading a delegation met with
Tajikistan’s head of electricity Ismailzada and his delegation and signed
electricity agreement for the year 2022.” Reads the statement of DABS.
The
two sides have also discussed major regional development energy-related
projects including CASA 1000 and the line of 500 KW.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-tajikistan-inked-power-agreement-3763456/
--------
Taliban
arrests nearly 100 criminal suspects in Kabul
Dec
27, 2021
KABUL:
The Taliban on Sunday claimed to have arrested nearly 100 criminal suspects in
Kabul in the past week.
Gen
Mobin, the spokesman of the Kabul Security Department, said the detainees were
suspects involved in different cases including armed robberies, and their
documents have been sent to the related judicial offices to be investigated,
reported Tolo News.
"Their
documents have been sent to the judicial departments, and we assure Kabul
residents that Islamic Emirate forces are working 24 hours a day to provide
security for residents," said Gen Mobin.
Meanwhile,
military experts state that the number of criminal cases would increase as
poverty and hunger expands in the country, reported Tolo News.
"Widespread
poverty is directly linked to and affects the increase of crimes in the
city," said Asadullah Nadim, a military expert.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Ulema’s
Role Crucial To Reducing Girls’ School Dropout Rate: Pakistan President
December
28, 2021
Islamabad:
President Dr Arif Alvi Monday while terming the country’s progress linked with
education, called for society and Ulema’s role to promote girls’ education
through awareness as well as providing them a secure environment.
The
president, addressing the launching ceremony of Ulema-Ambassadors of Girls
Education Campaign said the Ulema had never resisted the girls’ education as
Islam was always its strong proponent.
He
said the dropout rate of children in Pakistan was high which should be
addressed by the government. He said in Pakistan, 32 per cent of primary
students were out of schools comparing 21 per cent boys, 60 per cent girls
above primary level were out of school comparing 50 per cent boys while only 13
per cent of girls reached class 9. He said in case of an insecure atmosphere,
the parents would not even send their boys to schools, what to talk of the
girls.
There
could also be some opposition to co-education due to cultural traditions which
should be resolved through the provision of separate facilities, he added. The
president said with the increased awareness, the mind-set of giving more
importance to boys’ education would also subside gradually.
Contrary
to the notion, he said the Ulema also never opposed family planning. However,
having their influence and outreach to the masses, the Ulema should highlight
the importance of girls education, health issues like diabetes and obesity.
He
said mosques had been and should remain the anchors of the Islamic society. He
said the prayer leaders could also be sensitised on certain issues like the
killing of Sri Lankan national Sialkot to raise their voice against extremist
attitudes.
The
president also lauded the idea of using the infrastructure of mosques without
seminaries for school education in Punjab and KP where the prayer leaders were
also getting stipends.
He
said besides faith, education was also equally important for the Muslims to
excel in the world otherwise they would lag behind in the development.
However,
he said in this modern era, it was also possible for the girls to get skill
training while being at home, through the government had also introduced 50,000
higher education scholarships for both boys and girls.
In
order to promote girls education at a lower level, the president said the
government was giving Rs500 more stipend for girls’ enrolment in schools
comparing the boys. The president also lauded the role of Ulema for evolving a
consensus on the anti-COVID SOPs which made Pakistan the first Muslim country
to allow mosques open.
He
said after their adult literacy, the women could be skill trained to make them
an earning hand for their families and help them become productive citizens. He
said under the Ehsaas programme, the government was extending cash assistance
to the women as they were considered to be more responsible and better handlers
of the money.
He
said there was no discrimination between men and women regarding education
rather Islam was thefirst religion to empower women by granting them
inheritance rights. However, he said it was essential for the Muslims to abide
by the basic principles of Islam to regain the lost grandeur.
President
Alvi also mentioned the double standards of the West regarding women and
refugees rights and said their morality was hypocritical. Earlier, Chairman of
Council of Islamic Ideology Dr Qibla Ayaz said the campaign was being in
collaboration with Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education (PAGE) which had
already started the initiative through its Star Schools.
He
said the daylong event was attended by the Ulema from Kohistan, Chilas, Diamer,
South Punjab and Islamabad who pointed out the issues impeding the girls’
education and also suggested the solutions.
He
said the proposals put forward by the participants would be presented to the
president after compilation. He hoped that the Council would be able to take
practical steps for the promotion of girls’ education in cooperation with the
PAGE.
Executive
Director of PAGE Dr Fajr Rabia Pasha highlighted the activities of the organization
which was serving not only to promote quality education but was also investing
in the teachers training.
Source:
The News Pakistan
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Intolerance
Main Cause Of Problems In Islamic World: Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council
December
28, 2021
LAHORE:
Special Aide to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East Affairs,
and Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council, Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi has warned
that the majority of problems facing Pakistan and the Islamic world are the
result of intolerant attitudes. “Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan is
requested to order the immediate trial of all the cases of blasphemy, Sialkot
tragedy and other basic issues causing unrest and tensions in the country,” he
said while addressing Ulema and Mashaykh Convention here on Monday.
He
appealed to all sections of the society to play their role to end the
uncertainty among different sections of the society. Ashrafi said the
extraordinary meeting of the OIC foreign ministers' council on Afghanistan is a
great success for Pakistan and lauded the remarks of Russian President Putin on
blasphemy and Namoose-e-Risalat (SAW).
The
role of the Pakistan Ulema Council will be important in the local body
elections in Punjab, he said, adding that Ulema and Mashaykh Conventions are
being held across the country to promote unity and peace and create awareness
about the laws of blasphemy and Toheen-e-Namoose-e-Risalat. He said Pakistan
Ulema Council has a categorical stance that whoever endeavours for the uplift
of Islam, we will cooperate, he said, adding that unfortunately our country’s
justice system is in the hands of powerful people and the practice of making
hostage the justice system through force should come to an end.
Ashrafi
said Ulema and Mashaykh have to come forward against the elements taking
advantage of decrees and religious edicts for their vested interests and
political gains. “Muslims across the world and Pakistanis have to observe a day
of cleansing after incidents like the Sialkot tragedy. Whoever took the law in
their own hands actually cause serious damage to blasphemy laws and
Namoose-e-Risalat laws,” he said. He said with the blessings of Allah Almighty,
Pakistan has an important and eminent place in the entire Muslim world. He said
the OIC Foreign Ministers' Council meeting scheduled for March 2022 on the
issue of Kashmir and Palestine will also prove a good omen. “Pakistan stands
with the oppressed Palestinians and Kashmiris today, like in the past.
Source:
The News Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/920513-intolerance-main-cause-of-problems-in-islamic-world-ashrafi
--------
Taliban
banning transport for solo woman travellers is 'retrogressive': Pakistan
Dec
27, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's information minister Fawad Chaudhry on Monday lashed out at the
Taliban regime in Afghanistan for its latest "retrogressive" move of
banning women from travelling alone in public spaces.
The
Taliban on Sunday said women seeking to make long distance journeys should not
be offered transport service, if they are not accompanied by a close male relative.
Chaudhry
decried the step.
"Women
can't travel alone or go to schools and colleges (alone) — this kind of
retrogressive thinking is a danger for Pakistan," the minister said.
Afghanistan
has been under Taliban rule since August 15 when the Afghan hardline militant
group ousted the elected government of President Ashraf Ghani and forced him to
flee the country and take refuge in the UAE.
Girls
are out of schools in several provinces and educated females face a grim
future.
Chaudhry
said Pakistan should chart its own course of progressiveness.
He
paid tribute to Mohammad Ali Jinnah, saying Pakistan was created for
"preserving (a) minority rights and safeguarding them".
He
also said that Jinnah clarified the role of minorities in Pakistan by
envisioning a state having no business with religious matters.
He
also said that Jinnah never wanted Pakistan to become a religious state, and
his entire lifestyle was at variance from the people who used his name even
today to make Pakistan a backward country.
Chaudhry
said the current Pakistan was different from what Jinnah and poet Allama
Muhammad Iqbal had in mind as it was a product of the retrogressive thinking
that came to prevail later and led to the decline of Pakistan.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'Extremist
elements in Afghanistan pose threat to Pakistan'
Dec
28, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said
that 'extremism in Afghanistan is a threat to Pakistan".
"Women
are not allowed to travel alone in Afghanistan, and they cannot go to school as
well," Chaudhry said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of a photo
exhibition on the life of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah at the Pak-China
centre, reported Geo News.
Pakistan
is blamed globally for supporting terrorism and helping the Taliban. The
federal minister's crocodile tears came a day after the Afghan Taliban said
that women seeking to travel long distances should not be offered transport
unless they are accompanied by a close male relative.
The
guidance, issued by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of
Vice, also called on all vehicle owners to offer rides only to those women
wearing hijabs, reported Geo News.
The
guidance, circulated on social media networks, comes weeks after the ministry
asked Afghanistan's television channels to stop showing dramas and soap operas
featuring women actors.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
approves 'citizen-centric' National Security Policy
Dec
27, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's top security panel on Monday approved its National Security Policy
for 2022-26, placing "economic security at the core" of the
first-of-its kind document to ensure a "citizen-centric approach to
security".
The
policy was presented and approved at the 36th meeting of the National Security
Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by the
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and all Services Chiefs.
National
Security Advisor (NSA) Moeed Yusuf, presenting the document, said Pakistan was
shifting to a Comprehensive National Security Framework - the ultimate purpose
of it being safety, security and dignity of citizens.
This
is the first time a National Security Policy has been approved in Pakistan.
"To
ensure this citizen-centric approach to security, the NSP put economic security
at the core. A stronger economy would create additional resources that would in
turn be judiciously distributed to further bolster military and human
security,” according to a statement by the Prime Minister's Office.
Federal
Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Defence, Information, Interior, Finance and
Human Rights as well as other senior civil and military officers were also
present at the NSC meet.
The
NSP has been created through a whole-of-government effort over the last seven
years, and included extensive consultations among federal government
institutions, with all provinces, and with the academia and private sector, NSA
Yusuf said at the meet.
It
was highlighted that a detailed implementation framework had been created
through which the National Security Division would review progress in
collaboration with relevant ministries and departments.
The
NSC members, while approving the NSP, appreciated the National Security
Division and all other government departments for this effort.
Prime
Minister Khan, on the occasion, emphasised that the security of Pakistan rests
in the security of its citizens, reposing confidence that Pakistan is well
prepared to meet any internal and external threat.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Senate
defers bill seeking to decriminalise suicide bid
Iftikhar
A. Khan
December
28, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate on Monday deferred consideration of a bill seeking to decriminalise
suicide attempt after members exchanged arguments for and against the idea.
The
criminal laws amendment bill proposing to amend the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC)
and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to abolish punishment for those making
attempts to commit suicide had been moved by Senator Shahadat Awan of the PPP,
on the plea that this was done by people suffering from mental disorder who
deserved medical treatment, not punishment.
Mr
Awan said such people were generally denied immediate treatment and referred
for medico-legal process, placing their lives at risk. Therefore, he said,
attempt to commit suicide, which currently carried one-year jail term, should
be decriminalised.
Chairman
seeks input of Council of Islamic Ideology
Minister
of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Khan said that opinion of
religious scholars should be sought before passage of the bill. He said that it
should be thoroughly discussed so that an otherwise good bill was not opposed
in a state of confusion.
Abdul
Ghafoor Haidri of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) noted that attributing
suicide to mental disorder was inappropriate as today the people facing abject
poverty and joblessness were committing suicides under compelling
circumstances. However, he said, suicide was prohibited in Islam.
The
mover told the house that the Senate standing committee had approved the bill
and ulema and psychological experts had also supported the bill.
He
recalled that the house had passed a similar bill back on February 19, 2018,
which had subsequently lapsed.
Leader
of the House in Senate Dr Shahzad Wasim also said that the act of attempted
suicide must not be co-related with mental disorder.
PML-N
parliamentary leader in the Senate Azam Nazir Tarar said that 11 out of 13
members of the Senate committee had cleared the bill. He said the amendment
should be passed to save lives lost due to procedural hitches in the way of
treatment under the present law.
Senator
Mohsin Aziz of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), who heads the Senate
standing committee on interior, said depression could also be a reason behind
suicide attempt, and noted that a jail term could cast a negative impact on
behaviour of an individual suffering from depression.
Leader
of the Opposition in the Senate Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said that he had no
objection to the passage of the bill if a document proving that it had been
approved by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) was available.
Senator
Rjaz Chaudhry of the PTI was of the opinion that addressing the issue of
medico-legal process and not abolishing the sentence was the solution.
JUI-F
Senator Kamran Murtaza wondered how attempted suicide could be permissible when
suicide was forbidden. He stressed that the inappropriate amendment be
withdrawn.
Senator
Faisal Javed of the PTI suggested that the bill be referred to the CII.
The
consideration of the bill was deferred by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani with
the directive of taking the CII’s input.
The
house passed the Islamabad Rent Restriction Amendment Bill, Trade Organisation
Amendment Bill and Code of Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill moved by Mohsin
Aziz, Fauzia Arshad and Shahadat Awan, respectively.
Senator
Talha Mehmood of the JUI-F introduced in the house a bill seeking to amend the
Banking Companies Ordinance to do away with the restrictions placed on
politicians for being politically exposed persons. “Why we are treated like
criminals,” he asked and said that politicians found it hard to obtain a credit
card or open a bank account due to the provision.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1666220/senate-defers-bill-seeking-to-decriminalise-suicide-bid
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Turkish
official praises Pakistan armed forces’ professionalism
December
28, 2021
RAWALPINDI:
Chief of the General Staff (CGS) of Turkish Land Forces, Lt Gen Veli Tarakci,
on Monday acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan armed forces and vowed
to enhance cooperation in various fields.
This
he said during a meeting with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed
Bajwa at GHQ. Matters about regional security situation and of mutual and
professional interest with emphasis on defence and security collaboration
between the two brotherly countries were discussed, said an Inter-Services
Public Relations (ISPR) media release.
Speaking
on the occasion, the COAS said: “We highly value our brotherly relations with
Turkey which are deeply rooted in history and entrenched in our cultural and
religious affinities.” He underscored the importance of peace and
reconciliation initiatives in Afghanistan. He stressed upon the need for
sincere international efforts to avert a humanitarian crisis.
Both
sides agreed to further optimise military-to-military ties, particularly in
training and counterterrorism domains.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1666215/turkish-official-praises-pakistan-armed-forces-professionalism
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Europe
Erdoğan
urges Muslims to unite in face of rising Islamophobia
DEC
28, 2021
Muslims
will only reach ultimate peace and harmony if they are able to establish unity
and solidarity among themselves in the face of rising Islamophobia, President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told a conference in the U.S. on Monday.
Speaking
in a televised message broadcast at the Muslim American Society (MAS) and
Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) Convention in Chicago, Erdoğan
highlighted the importance of unity and positivity for Muslims.
“We
need to strengthen our solidarity in the face of anti-Muslim hatred, xenophobia
and cultural racism, which have risen during the pandemic,” Erdoğan said,
adding that Muslims need to unite and set aside cultural and ethnic
differences.
He
continued by saying that rather than withdrawing into one’s shelf, Muslims
should strive to be confident and play their well-deserved role in an embracing
manner in the societies that they live in.
Two
decades after 9/11, Muslims across the U.S. are still battling intolerance,
racism and hate, according to research.
A
poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (AP-NORC)
conducted ahead of the 9/11 anniversary found that 53% of Americans have
unfavorable views toward Islam, compared with 42% who have favorable ones. This
stands in contrast to Americans’ opinions about Christianity and Judaism, for
which most respondents expressed favorable views.
Source:
Daily Sabah
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Turkey
attaches importance to ties with US Muslim community
December
28, 2021
Turkey
attaches importance to healthy and strong relations with the Muslim community
in the US, the country’s presidential spokesman said on Tuesday.
Ibrahim
Kalin’s remarks came at the gala dinner of the Muslim American Society and
Islamic Circle of North America (MAS-ICNA) Convention, one of the largest
Islamic conventions held annually in North America.
The
Turkish official said faith was more than just a belief system as it was also
related to matters of spirituality, justice and goodness.
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, sent a video-message for the event in which
he called for further strengthening solidarity against cultural racism,
xenophobia, and Islamophobia -- which have gained momentum during the COVID-19
pandemic.
"All
Muslims are brothers and sisters, regardless of their origin, skin color,
nation, culture, sect," Erdogan said, adding that Islam had no room for
exclusion, incitement or terror.
Source:
Yeni Safak
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Turkey
FM Cavusoglu urges Russia to drop ‘one-sided’ NATO demands
27
December ,2021
Turkey
urged Russia on Monday to drop “one-sided” demands and adopt a more
constructive approach in its standoff with Western powers and NATO over
Ukraine.
NATO
member Turkey has irritated Moscow by supplying combat drones to Ukraine that
Russia fears could be used by Kiev in its conflict with separatists in two
eastern regions.
But
Turkey has also upset Washington and NATO by acquiring an advanced missile
defense system from Russia that resulted in sanctions from the United States.
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Moscow and the Western defense alliance
to air their differences in direct negotiations proposed by NATO chief Jens
Stoltenberg.
Russia
wants NATO to provide Moscow with a binding security guarantee and withdraw its
forces to positions they held before a wave of eastward expansion that began
after the Soviet Union’s collapse.
“For
any proposal to be accepted, it should be acceptable by both sides. Russia made
some proposals. But maybe NATO seeks the same kind of guarantees from Russia.
This is not a one-sided issue,” Cavusoglu told reporters.
“If
the requests are maximalist -- I’m not saying that Russia is maximalist in any
case -- both sides must be constructive,” he said. “They should come to the
table with proposals that both sides can accept.”
A
NATO spokesman said the Brussels-based alliance had been “in touch” with Moscow
about holding a meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on January 12.
Russia
has not yet formally accepted the offer.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Separatist
rhetoric in Bosnia benefits no one: Turkish defence chief
Talha
Ozturk
27.12.2021
BELGRADE,
Serbia
The
recent upsurge in separatist talk in the multi-ethnic nation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina serves no party, said Turkey’s national defense minister on Monday.
"We
believe the separatist rhetoric in Bosnia and Herzegovina benefits no one,”
Hulusi Akar told a joint press conference with his Bosnian counterpart Sifet
Podzic in the capital Sarajevo, on an official visit.
“We
see the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole,” he added, referring to
its Bosniak, Croat, and Serb peoples making up one nation.
“We’re
following the situation closely. We invite the relevant parties to think
reasonably, sensibly, and act prudently. Existing and potential problems can
also be resolved through negotiations and peaceful means.”
Stressing
that Turkey is standing by to help, he said: “I want you to know that we’re
ready to do our part on every issue, including mediation, when requested.”
Podzic,
for his part, said 89 members of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina are
currently getting training in Turkey and that relations with Turkey are getting
stronger and better each year.
"In
addition to being a NATO member, the Republic of Turkey is a friendly country
for Bosnia and Herzegovina," said Podzic.
Beginning
his visit, Akar was welcomed with a military ceremony by Podzic at a parade
guard.
Akar
later met with Lt. Gen. Senad Masovic, the Bosnia and Herzegovina chief of
General Staff.
Political
dispute in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina
has seen a separatist push since Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of the
country’s tripartite presidency, blasted legal changes banning the denial of
genocide and the glorification of war criminals.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Africa
Libyan
lawmakers meet to discuss challenges on delayed presidential election
27
December ,2021
Libyan
lawmakers met on Monday to discuss the myriad challenges that forced a
postponement of the long-awaited presidential election this month. The
postponement was a major blow to international efforts to end a decade of chaos
in the oil-rich North African country.
The
vote has faced many obstacles, including controversial presidential hopefuls,
disputes over laws governing the elections, and occasional infighting among
armed groups.
The
parliament, based in the country’s east, convened to decide on the proposal by
Libya’s election commission to hold the vote on Jan. 24. Under the proposal,
the presidential election would be followed by parliamentary elections a month
later, on Feb. 15.
There
were no immediate details from Monday’s parliament session held in the eastern
city of Tobruk. Abdullah Bliheg, spokesman for the legislature, said lawmakers
would discuss “means to support” the electioncommission’s efforts to hold the
vote.
Libya’s
nationwide elections have for a year the lynchpin of UN-mediated efforts to
bring peace to the oil-rich North African nation.
Another
key obstacles on the road to balloting is a long-running rift between the
country’s east and west, and also the presence of thousands of foreign fighters
and troops supporting either side.
The
failure to hold the vote last Friday has fueled concerns that Libya could again
slide into another major outbreak of fighting.
Libya
plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled Muammar
Gaddafi, who was later killed.
In
recent years, the country became split between rival governments — The Libyan
National Army (LNA) in the east, led by Khalifa Haftarr, and UN-recognized
Government of National Accord in the capital of Tripoli, in the west of the
country.
A
looming political vacuum is another threat, with some lawmakers arguing that
the mandate of the interim government ended on Dec. 24, the day the vote had
been scheduled.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Somalia
PM Roble orders security forces to take orders from him, escalating crisis
27
December ,2021
Somalia’s
prime minister Mohammed Hussein Roble said on Monday he was ordering all
security forces to take orders directly from him, potentially deepening an
ongoing dispute with President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.
The
dispute is widely seen as distracting the government from fighting an extremist
insurgency and prompted the United States to call for calm.
The
prime minister on Monday accused President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed of staging
a coup attempt as a simmering political dispute between both leaders of the
Horn of Africa country escalated.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Somali
president suspends prime minister over alleged corruption
Mohammed
Dhaysane
27.12.2021
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Somali
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Monday suspended Prime Minister Mohamed
Hussein Roble over alleged corruption and misuse of public land.
“Whereas
Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble is accused in an ongoing investigation on
corruption and abuse of public land, the duty and powers of the Prime Minister
remain suspended pending the conclusion of the ongoing investigations,” said a
statement issued by the president’s office.
It
cited that Roble named a new defense minister on Sunday amid the ongoing probe
into misuse of public lands owned by the Somali National Army.
The
president instructed the rest of the ministers to carry on with their
responsibilities in accordance with the country's laws and regulations.
The
prime minister, however, defied the order, describing the president's decision
to suspend him as "outrageous."
In
a statement on Twitter, Roble’s office said the president’s “failed attempt to
militarily take over” the office of prime minister was in breach of the
Constitution.
"The
Prime Minister is carrying out his constitutionally mandated day-to-day duties
as usual, and is fully committed to fulfilling his national responsibility to
conduct an acceptable electoral process that culminates in a peaceful
transition of power,” it said in a separate post.
On
Sunday, the president and prime minister traded barbs as the political standoff
in the country deepens.
Abdullahi
accused Roble of failing to carry out his mandate to lead the country through
the elections as he had been entrusted, while Roble countered that Abdullahi
was deliberately interrupting the general elections process in the country.
Navy
commander also suspended
Earlier,
the president also ordered the suspension of the country's marine forces
commander who previously accused the prime minister of land grabbing and misuse
of public land.
Commander
Gen. Abdihamid Mohamed has been under investigation for the last few days and
grilled by a military committee appointed by Armed Forces Commander Gen. Odawa
Yusuf Rageh.
Late
Sunday, Interior Security Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Nur placed a travel ban on
the navy commander.
The
latest standoff emerged after Somalia's electoral body ousted its chairman
Saturday, citing a lack of consultation, violation of electoral procedures, and
abandonment of neutrality.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
Iran
Raps US Assassination of General Soleimani as “State Terrorism”
2021-December-27
The
US assassination of General Soleimani and his companions in January 2020 is “a
true example of a terrorist attack and state terrorism” which was committed in
an organized way by the US government, and was planned and conducted upon on a
direct order from this country’s former president Donald Trump, Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters in a press conference in
Tehran on Monday on the threshold of the second anniversary of General
Soleimani’s martyrdom.
He
added that assassination of the prominent anti-terror commander proves the
double standards and the untruthfulness of those claiming to be combating terrorism.
He
also emphasized that the Islamic Republic “will not spare any effort to bring
the perpetrators, commanders, and advisers of this terrorist act to justice”.
The
spokesman noted that the incident was not only a violation of human rights and
international law, but also “an act of aggression against the sovereignty” of
an independent country, namely Iraq.
“General
Soleimani was a hero of fighting terrorism,” Khatibzadeh said, adding that the
US assassination was aimed at “taking revenge on this great general” for his
key role in the fight against terrorism.
General
Soleimani, his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of
Iraq’s PMU, and ten of their deputies were martyred by an armed drone strike as
their convoy left Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020. The attack
was ordered by then US President Donald Trump.
To
date, Iran’s chief civilian prosecutor has indicted tens of individuals in
connection with the assassination, among them former president Trump, the head
of US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie Jr., and former US Secretaries
of State and Defense Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper.
The
file remains open to the further addition of individuals that Tehran determines
to have played a role in the killing.
Both
commanders were highly popular because of their key role in fighting against
the ISIL terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
Back
in January 2020, two days after the assassination, the Iraqi parliament passed
a law requiring the Iraqi government to end the presence of the US-led foreign
forces in the Arab country.
Earlier
this year, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement on ending the presence
of all US combat troops in Iraq by the end of the year.
The
US military declared the end of its combat mission in Iraq this month, but
resistance forces remain bent on expelling all American forces, including those
who have stayed in the country on the pretext of training Iraqi forces or
playing an advisory role.
Since
the assassination, Iraqi resistance forces have ramped up pressure on the US
military to leave their country, targeting American bases and forces on
numerous occasions, at one point pushing the Americans to ask them to “just
leave us alone”.
Iran
and Iraq in a joint statement earlier this month underlined their determination
to identify, prosecute and punish the culprits behind the assassination of
General Soleimani and al-Muhandis.
Iran
and Iraq have issued a joint statement on an investigation into the “criminal
and terrorist” assassination by the US of top anti-terror commanders of the two
countries in Baghdad early last year, Iranian Judiciary Deputy Chief and
Secretary General of Iran's Human Rights Headquarters Kazzem Qaribabad said.
He
added that the statement was issued during the second session of a joint
Iran-Iraq committee investigating the murder of General Soleimani and
al-Muhandis.
Qaribabadi
said that in the statement, Iran and Iraq stressed that the assassinations were
a “violation of the rules of international law, including relevant
international conventions on the fight against terrorism”.
“In
addition, the two countries reaffirmed their serious and firm determination to
identify, prosecute and punish all those involved in deciding, planning and
implementing this criminal act,” he emphasized.
Qaribabadi
noted that the two countries have exchanged documents and reports about the
case.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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