Al-Azhar Sunni Scholars Who Left Afghanistan Hope Islam's Tolerant Message Survives Taliban
New
Age Islam News Bureau
23
September 2021
Shawki Abuzeid, Egyptian cleric and head of
Al-Azhar's mission to Afghanistan, Picture taken August 29, 2021. REUTERS/Sayed
Sheasha
------
•
Stop Indiscriminate Sentencing – Bauchi Chief Judge Warns Sharia Court Judges
•
Preventing Women from Accessing Education in Afghanistan Would Be Un-Islamic: Pakistan
Prime Minister
•
World Powers Agree At UN to Push Taliban for More Inclusive Afghan Govt
South Asia
•
Around 70 Teaching Staff Resign After Taliban Sacks VC of Kabul University
•
Special Envoys of China, Russia and Pakistan Hold Talks with Top Taliban
Officials, Karzai In Kabul
•
Gun-Toting Taliban Seek Afghanistan's UN Seat; World Says No, Not Yet
•
Russia, China, Pakistan agree to maintain contacts with Taliban
•
Bakhtarian Treasure is safe and preserved in Kabul: Taliban
•
BA degree holder replaces Ph.D. holder as V/C of Kabul university
--------
Africa
•
Global partnership is critical to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
Jordan’s King
•
Tunisian President Kais Saied takes new powers, says will reform system
•
Libya’s Haftar says he is suspending military role, activities ahead of polls
•
‘Israel’s overtures toward AU mask efforts to dilute Africa’s support for
Palestine’
--------
Pakistan
•
Global terrorism will gain strength if world abandons Afghanistan, warns NSA
Yusuf
•
'Be more realistic': FM Qureshi details roadmap for Afghan Taliban's
recognition
•
Minority Groups to Fight Forced Conversions and To Promote An Anti-Conversion
Bill In Pakistan
•
No force can harm Pak-Saudi ties, says Ashrafi
•
Pakistan resisting International commitments on blasphemy laws
--------
Europe
•
London mayor calls for misogyny to be hate crime
•
‘Turkey contributes to solution of regional problems in Balkans’
•
EU’s foreign policy chief Borrell meets Iran’s new foreign minister for first
time
--------
North America
•
Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan Could Inspire US Extremists to Plot Attacks On
American Soil: FBI Chief
•
Bill to provide $1 billion for Israel Iron Dome system introduced in US
Congress
•
Echoes, uncertainty as Afghan pilots await US help in Tajikistan
•
UN climate summit president invites Turkish first lady to Glasgow summit
•
US should do more on Afghan refugees after pullout: Erdogan
--------
Mideast
•
Turkey’s Top Islamic Cleric Sealed the New Court Complex Opening Ceremony with
a Muslim Prayer, Triggering Protests from Critics
•
Turkey reiterates its position to stand by Rohingya Muslims
•
Israeli settlers and police officers storm Al-Aqsa mosque on Sukkot
•
How an Islamic State suspect lived as a shopkeeper in Turkey
•
President Rayeesi: Talks with G4+1 Should Result in Removal of Sanctions
against Iran
•
Iranian FM: Foreign Presence Contradicts Regional Peace, Security
•
Iran’s Top Diplomat Meets European Counterparts in New York
•
IRGC Commander: Iran Increasing Power to Defeat US
•
Iran FM expressed ‘very clear intent’ to return to nuclear talks: Ireland FM
•
US pledges $290 mln in humanitarian aid to Yemen: Blinken
--------
India
•
UP Anti-Terrorist Squad Claims Islamic Scholar, Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Got Rs
57 Crore for Conversion Activities
•
Taliban's commitment to not allow terror on Afghan soil must be implemented:
External Affairs Minister
•
Terrorist killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian
•
Drugs Aren’t Sold Based on Religion, Says Pinayari Vijayan on Bishop’s
‘Narcotics Jihad’ Controversy
•
India's oldest mosque Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala basks in past glory after
renovation
•
'Sarv Dharm Sambhav': Sara Ali Khan Visits Temple, Mosque, Church in Kashmir
•
Pakistan claims threat to New Zealand team sent from India-linked device; Delhi
terms charges 'frivolous'
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Kelantan Gives Nod To Marriage Solemnisation At Mosques, Private Premises
•
Chinese FM says economic sanctions on Afghanistan must end
--------
Arab World
•
Saudi Arabia Aims To Maintain Peace, Resolve Conflicts Peacefully: King Salman
•
At least 62 children died in Roj, al-Hol camps in Syria this year: Save the
Children
•
Saudi Arabia is world’s biggest donor of humanitarian aid to Yemen: KSrelief
•
Saudi Arabia’s defence forces destroy ballistic missile heading to Jazan
•
‘Eight decades of partnership’: US congratulates Saudi Arabia on 91st National
Day
•
Arab Coalition foils Houthi attack, destroys booby-trapped boats in the Red Sea
•
Saudi Deputy Defence Minister meets with US Envoy to Yemen
•
Senior US official planning visit to region next week, including stop in Saudi
Arabia
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/al-azhar-sunni-afghanistan-taliban/d/125422
--------
Al-Azhar
Sunni Scholars Who Left Afghanistan Hope Islam's Tolerant Message Survives
Taliban
By
Mahmoud Mourad
September
22, 2021
Shawki Abuzeid, Egyptian cleric and head of
Al-Azhar's mission to Afghanistan, Picture taken August 29, 2021. REUTERS/Sayed
Sheasha
------
CAIRO,
Sept 22 (Reuters) - Clerics from Egypt's ancient seat of Sunni study Al-Azhar,
who spent years teaching in Afghanistan and were planning to open an education
centre for girls, hope their tolerant message of Islam will survive the return
of the Taliban.
The
1,000 year-old institution had opened a mission in Kabul in 2007, promoting
what its clerics describe as Islam's peaceful tradition in a country where
guerrillas have used religion as a justification for fighting for decades.
The
23-person mission was repatriated to Egypt after being briefly stranded in
Kabul when the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital last month.
"There
must be a presence for Al-Azhar in the country of Afghanistan, in order for us
to communicate with the Afghan people and youth, to spread Islam's tolerant
message," Shawki Abuzeid, the 58-year-old head of the mission said in an
interview in Cairo.
Al-Azhar
hosted 700 male Afghan students in Kabul, and over the years thousands have
gone on to further religious and Arabic language studies at Al-Azhar university
in Cairo. The mission also gave lectures and sermons, and contributed
commentary in Afghan media.
It
had been preparing to open a newly-built education centre for girls. Abuzeid
expressed hope that the Taliban would fulfil a promise to let girls and women
study.
"The
Taliban are from the fabric of the Afghan people, and as I heard from the media
and from our contacts with professors and heads of universities and some
important figures, the thinking changed and they value women, and they said they
will educate them but in a way compatible with Islamic law."
Any
return of the mission would depend on approval from Egypt's leadership. But the
scholarship Al-Azhar teaches "does not change with the change of system or
ruler," said Mohamed Wardany, spokesperson for Al-Azhar's Islamic Research
Academy.
"Al-Azhar's
legacy is a legacy that is passed down from generation to generation, it is not
just transient information but a way of thinking," he said.
"If
there is stability and the Taliban retreats from its ideas and the state
returns to stability by popular will, then Al-Azhar does not object to its
mission returning again."
Source:
Reuters
--------
Stop
Indiscriminate Sentencing – Bauchi Chief Judge Warns Sharia Court Judges
September
23, 2021
By
Hafsat Abdulhamid
(Photo courtesy: Daily Post) The Chief Judge of
Bauchi State, has warned Sharia court judges to refrain from sentencing all
manner of suspects to custody, especially those with minor offences.
------
The
Chief Judge of Bauchi State, Justice Rabi Talatu Umar, has warned Sharia court
judges to refrain from sentencing all manner of suspects to custody, especially
those with minor offences.
This
is even as she freed 11 inmates from custodial centres across the state after
she reviewed cases of awaiting trial inmates presented to her.
The
Chief Judge gave the warning during her third quarter visit to custodial
centres in the state, saying that the warning became imperative because such
sentencing brings about congestion in custodial centres.
A
statement signed and made available to DAILY POST by the Public Relations
Officer (PRO) of the Bauchi State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service,
SC Adam Abubakar Jibrin, said the Chief Judge admonished the released inmates
to be law abiding citizens and shun crime.
Justice
Umar also addressed inmates with terrorism-related charges who have been
languishing in custody for a long time without trial, assuring them that
government and relevant agencies are doing everything possible to address their
problems.
The
CJ, who alongside members of Administration of Criminal Justice Committee
visited the custodial centres in Misau, Zaki, Gamawa, Azare, Jama’are, Ningi
and Bauchi, then urged them to remain calm and exercise more patience.
In
his welcome address, the Comptroller of Correctional Centre, Bauchi State
Command, CCS Kabir Abba Galadanci, commended the CJ and the state government
for making the visit to custodial centres possible.
He
said the visit would go a long way in decongesting the centres in the state and
further give hope to the inmates.
Members
of the Administration of Criminal Justice Committee, DAILY POST learnt, are the
Nigerian Police, the Director Public Prosecution (DPP) in the state Ministry of
Justice, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Bauchi Chapter, and the
Comptroller of Correctional Centre.
Source:
Daily Post
--------
Preventing
Women from Accessing Education in Afghanistan Would Be Un-Islamic: Pakistan
Prime Minister
SEP
22, 2021
Pakistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan has recently commented that preventing women from
accessing education in Afghanistan would be un-Islamic, but he hoped that the
Taliban leadership would soon allow women to resume studies. This comes as the
Pakistan Prime Minister has repeatedly said that the world should give more
time to the Taliban. In an interview with the BBC, the Pakistan PM said the
idea that women should not be educated is just not Islamic. "I think they
will allow women to go to schools. It has nothing to do with religion,"
Imran Khan said.
The
Taliban have recently asked male students to join schools but said nothing
about girl students, though universities have resumed classes for female
students. The Taliban have dissolved the ministry for women and replaced it
with their notorious 'vice and virtue' ministry, despite the commitment they
made to uphold women's rights.
Imran
Khan says world should give Taliban more time, US misunderstood Haqqanis
The
full Cabinet has also been announced with no woman minister which shows how the
Taliban went back on their promise of giving equal rights to women.
In
an earlier interview with CNN, which was Imran Khan's first international
interview after the Taliban takeover, Khan said Afghanistan's women are strong
and they can assert their rights. It is wrong to think that they can be helped
from outside, he had added.
On
Pakistan recognising the Taliban government, Imran Khan said that Pakistan will
not take the decision individually. The decision will be taken only after
consulting with other neighbours. "All neighbours will get together and
see how they progress. Whether to recognise them or not will be a collective
decision," Imran Khan said.
Sooner
or later, Afghanistan will have a civil war of the Taliban do not include all
factions in the governance, Imran Khan said. "That would mean an unstable,
chaotic, Afghanistan and an ideal place for terrorists. That is a worry,"
he said.
Source:
Hindustan Times
--------
World
powers agree at UN to push Taliban for more inclusive Afghan govt
23
September ,2021
The
five permanent UN Security Council members found common ground Wednesday on
Afghanistan with officials saying all the powers would press the Taliban to be
more inclusive after their military takeover.
China
and Russia have described last month’s Taliban victory as a defeat for the US
and moved to work with the extremist group, but no country has moved to
recognize a government that includes international pariahs.
The
Security Council powers all want “a peaceful and stable Afghanistan where
humanitarian aid can be distributed without problems and without
discrimination,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters after the
meeting during the annual General Assembly.
They
seek “an Afghanistan where the rights of women and girl are respected, an
Afghanistan that is not a sanctuary for terrorism, an Afghanistan with an
inclusive government representing all sections of the population,” he said.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the foreign ministers of Britain, France
and Russia met in person while their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi joined them
virtually for the talks of just over an hour.
A
US official described the meeting called by British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss
as “constructive” and with “a lot of convergence,” including hopes that the
Taliban respect the rights of women and girls.
“I
don’t think anybody is satisfied with the composition of this interim
government, including the Chinese,” the official said.
Speaking
to AFP before the meeting, China’s ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun,
agreed that the five powers all wanted an inclusive government.
“Unity
is everywhere,” he said.
China
has previously criticized the US for freezing billions of dollars in Afghan
assets.
But
Beijing is also keen for the neighboring nation not to be a base for outside
extremist groups.
Afghanistan
was also the subject of virtual talks by the Group of 20 major economies that
included the participation of several other nations including Qatar, the hub
for Taliban diplomacy.
German
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, addressing the G20, renewed concern about the
extremist group’s caretaker government which includes no non-Taliban and no
women but has ministers blacklisted by the United Nations on terrorism
allegations.
“The
announcement of a non-inclusive government was a tactical mistake by the
Taliban, as it will make it harder for us to engage with them,” Maas said.
“It
is important that they hear this from all of us. And we should also speak with
one voice when it comes to the basic political parameters and benchmarks for
any future engagement with them.”
The
Taliban have requested to speak at the UN General Assembly but the US, which
sits on the credentialing committee, has made clear that no decision will be
made before the summit ends early next week.
Source:
Al Arabiya
--------
South Asia
Around
70 teaching staff resign after Taliban sacks VC of Kabul University
September
23, 2021
Around
70 teaching staff of the Kabul University, including assistant professors and
professors, resigned after the Taliban on Wednesday sacked PhD holder
Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Osman Baburi and replaced him with Muhammad Ashraf
Ghairat, a BA degree holder.
The
appointment of Ghairat as VC in the biggest university based in Kabul has led
to protests on social media. Critics have highlighted a tweet by Ghairat last
year in which he justified the killing of journalists.
People
are angry over the appointment of a young bachelor degree holder replacing an intellectual
and experienced PhD holder as head of the best and the very first university in
Afghanistan reported The Khaama Press News Agency.
People,
including some Taliban members, have criticized the move and said that there
were more eligible people than him, reported The Khaama Press News Agency.
Ghairat
is said to have been employed in the Ministry of Education in the previous
government and was head of the assessment body of universities of IEA in the
southwestern part of Afghanistan, reported The Khaama Press News Agency.
Earlier,
the Taliban on Monday officially changed the name of a government university in
the name of Burhanuddin Rabbani-former Afghan President and founder of
Afghanistan's second-biggest political party- to Kabul Education University.
The
university was named after Burhanuddin Rabbani after he was killed in a suicide
attack in his home in 2009.
Source:
Business Standard
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Special
Envoys Of China, Russia And Pakistan Hold Talks With Top Taliban Officials,
Karzai In Kabul
Sep
22, 2021
BEIJING:
Special envoys of China, Russia and Pakistan have met the top officials of the
Taliban's interim government as well as Afghan leaders Hamid Karzai and
Abdullah Abdullah in Kabul and discussed the formation of an inclusive
government, combating terrorism and humanitarian situation, a top Chinese
official said on Wednesday.
The
three special envoys visited Kabul from September 21 to 22 and held talks with
acting prime minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund, foreign minister Amir Khan Mutaqi,
finance minister and other high-level officials of the interim government,
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here.
Significantly,
they also met with former president Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah,
president of the Council for National Reconciliation under the previous
government.
This
is perhaps the first time that the foreign diplomats met Karzai and Abdullah
who stayed put in Kabul after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan last
month ahead of the withdrawal of the US and Nato troops.
Their
meeting also coincides with the Taliban's letter to the UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres nominating its spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan's new
ambassador to the UN.
The
Afghan militant group also asked Guterres to allow it to participate and speak
in the 76th session of the General Assembly currently underway in New York.
Besides
coordinating closely with Russia on Afghanistan, Pakistan and China, who are
playing a lead role after the Taliban seized Kabul, are trying to establish a
new grouping of countries sharing borders with Afghanistan.
The
new grouping includes China, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and
Uzbekistan, all of them Afghanistan's neighbours. The foreign ministers of the
group held a virtual meeting on September 7.
Highlighting
its significance, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan told BBC on Tuesday that
the new group will jointly decide about extending recognition to the Taliban's
interim government.
Elaborating
on China, Russia, Pakistan Special envoys talks with the Taliban officials in
Kabul, Zhao said they discussed the situation especially regarding inclusiveness,
human rights, economic and humanitarian matters and the friendly relations
between Afghanistan.
They
also discussed ties with other countries as well as the reunification and
territorial integrity of the country, he said.
"They
had an in-depth and constructive discussion and also expressed support to
combating terrorism and drug crimes,” he said.
Their
offer to extend support comes amid increasing attacks reportedly by ISIS-K on
the Taliban officials in Jalalabad in the past few days resulting in a number
of casualties.
"Taliban
said they highly valued the relations with the three countries and they play a
responsible role in consolidating the stability in Afghanistan. The three
countries called on more humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan from the international
community," Zhao stated.
They
stressed that the US and allies shoulder the main responsibility for the
economic and social reconstruction in Afghanistan and provide much needed
economic livelihood and humanitarian assistance, Zhao said.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Gun-toting
Taliban seek Afghanistan's UN seat; world says no, not yet
Sep
22, 2021
WASHINGTON:
A hirsute bunch of unelected, gun-wielding militants who go by the name
Taliban, and who have overrun Afghanistan and disenfranchised half its
population, are seeking to represent Kabul at the United Nations. Early word
from the global community: No. Not any time soon.
The
outrageous bid for Kabul's UN seat by the Taliban, which has proscribed
terrorists in its leadership ranks, came after the group nominated Suhail
Shaheen, its spokesman based in Doha, as Afghanistan's new ambassador to the
UN.
In
a communication to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on a letterhead
reading "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs," the new "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Ameer Khan
Muttaqi reportedly said the currently accredited Afghan Ambassador, Ghulam
Isaczai, was no longer the representative.
The
matter is to be decided by the UN credentials committee, whose members include
United States, Russia, China, Bahama, Bhutan, Chile, Namibia, Sierra Leone and
Sweden.
No
country in the world, including China and its client state Pakistan, both of
whom are current patrons of the Taliban, has so far recognized the sketchy
administration in Kabul, whose representatives openly carry heavy automatic
weapons into office. In fact, but for the sorties to Doha for talks, proscribed
Taliban leaders are not even allowed to fly commercially.
While
the credentials committee is expected to meet next week to consider the matter,
Germany was among the first country to give a thumbs down to according Taliban
any recognition at the UN, its foreign minister Heiko Maas told reporters, “To
schedule a show (by the Taliban) at the United Nations won’t serve
anything."
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Russia,
China, Pakistan agree to maintain contacts with Taliban
Sep
22, 2021
MOSCOW:
Special representatives of Pakistan Russia and China agreed with the Taliban to
maintain contacts at the recent consultations in Kabul, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said on Wednesday.
"An
agreement was reached to maintain constructive contacts in the interests of
Afghanistan's peace and prosperity, and regional stability and
development," the Sputnik news quoted Russian Foreign Ministry.
The
statement added that the Taliban emphasized their special focus on promoting
relations with Russia, China and Pakistan.
This
comes as the 76th UN General Assembly (UNGA) opened began the high-level week
started on September 21.
The
United States and all other major countries around the world are taking a wait
and watch approach with regard to recognising the Taliban. While the other
stakeholders are restraining themselves to recognise the new Taliban regime in
Afghanistan, Pakistan is in a hurry to recognize and boost the caretaker
"Islamic Emirate".
While
nominated their Doha-based spokesperson Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan's UN
ambassador, the Taliban on Tuesday said that they wanted to address world
leaders at United Nations, reported a UK-based media.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bakhtarian
Treasure is safe and preserved in Kabul: Taliban
23
Sep 2021
Officials
of the ministry of information and culture said that the Bakhtarian Treasure is
kept in Kabul and assured of its full safety and security.
The
officials denied the Treasure being trafficked out of Afghanistan and added
that the asset is kept under the surveillance of the Taliban in the Afghan
capital.
Bakhtarian
Treasure is the biggest and most expensive treasure of the world and is
Afghanistan’s biggest asset which was rumored to be trafficked after the
Taliban took over the country on August, 15.
The
Taliban though do not disclose the exact location of the treasure, assured that
it is kept safe and will be kept so.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/bakhtarian-treasure-is-safe-and-preserved-in-kabul-taliban-5745747/
--------
BA
degree holder replaces Ph.D. holder as V/C of Kabul university
22
Sep 2021
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan sacked Muhammad Osman Baburi and appointed Muhammad
Ashraf Ghairat as vice-chancellor of Afghanistan’s biggest university based in
Kabul-Kabul University.
The
appointment has reacted wide reaction in social media as a young bachelor
degree holder replaced an intellectual and experienced Ph.D. holder as head of
the best and the very first university in Afghanistan.
Muhammad
Ashraf Ghairat was officially announced as the interim vice-chancellor of the
Kabul University on Wednesday, September 22.
Ghairat
is said to have been employed in the ministry of education in the previous
government and was head of the assessment body of universities of IEA in the
southwestern part of Afghanistan.
People
including some Taliban members have criticized the move and said that there
were more eligible people than him among them.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/ba-degree-holder-replaces-ph-d-holder-as-v-c-of-kabul-university-7547457/
--------
Africa
Global
partnership is critical to resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Jordan’s King
22
September ,2021
Jordan’s
King Abdullah II said that global partnership is critical to resolving the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict during his speech at the United Nations General
Assembly on Wednesday, according to The Royal Hashemite Court.
King
Abdullah reaffirmed that Jordan would continue working to preserve the historic
and legal status quo of Jerusalem and its Islamic and Christian Holy Sites,
under Hashemite Custodianship.
World
leaders have returned to the United Nations in New York this week with a focus
on boosting efforts to fight both climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic,
which last year forced them to send video statements for the annual gathering.
As
the coronavirus still rages amid an inequitable vaccine rollout, about a third
of the 193 UN have planned to again send videos, but presidents, prime
ministers and foreign ministers for the remainder have travelled to the United
States.
King
Abdullah said that the conflict Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the
longest-standing conflicts in modern history.
On
the socio-economic crisis in nearby Lebanon, King Abdullah said that the
[world] owes the Lebanese people its full support to enable them to rise from
the crisis.
“Enabling
the Lebanese to rise from the crisis demands a well-planned, well-executed
international response, engaging all of us,” he added.
King
Abdullah added that the world must not forget the millions of refugees in host
countries like Lebanon.
“In
this time of great need, we owe the Lebanese people our full support, to enable
them to rise from this crisis. And that demands a well-planned, well-executed
international response, engaging all of us. Jordanians well understand what a
serious impact this has. For generations, our country has sacrificed to help
millions of refugees fleeing injustice and danger,” King Abdullah added.
King
Abdullah added that the wellbeing of these millions and the communities that
host them remains an international responsibility.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tunisian
President Kais Saied takes new powers, says will reform system
22
September ,2021
Tunisian
President Kais Saied has put in place special measures for wielding legislative
and executive power, the presidency said on Wednesday, without elaborating.
It
added that Saied would form a committee to prepare amendments to Tunisia’s
political system and that he would maintain the suspension of parliament that
he declared in July.
Saied’s
critics accused him of a coup in July when he sacked the prime minister,
suspended parliament and seized executive authority, saying he would appoint a
new prime minister.
Nearly
two months on, he is widely expected to issue changes to the 2014 constitution
installed after Tunisia adopted democracy in a 2011 revolution, but he has not
yet done so.
He
has also still to appoint a new prime minister after repeatedly saying he would
do so soon, with a crisis looming in Tunisia’s public finances.
His
announcements on Wednesday, issued by his office’s social media feed, added
that he would continue working through all elements of the existing
constitution that do not contradict the exceptional measures he has declared.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Libya’s
Haftar says he is suspending military role, activities ahead of polls
22
September ,2021
Libya’s
eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar said Wednesday he was suspending his military
activities, a step which could lead to his candidacy in elections later this
year.
In
a statement, Haftar said he had named an interim replacement as head of the
self-proclaimed Libyan National Army until December 24, the date of the
legislative and presidential vote.
Libyan
media said the step opens the way for Haftar to run as a presidential candidate
under a controversial new law.
Parliamentary
speaker Aguila Saleh earlier this month ratified legislation governing the
presidential ballot and which critics say bypassed due process to favor his
ally Haftar.
They
cite a clause stipulating that military officials may stand in presidential
polls, on condition that they withdraw from their roles three months beforehand
– and that, if unsuccessful, they will receive backpay.
That
would allow for a presidential run by Haftar, whose forces control eastern
Libya, where the parliament is based, as well as parts of the south.
Haftar
had waged a year-long assault on Tripoli, leaving thousands dead, before reaching
a formal ceasefire with his western opponents in October last year.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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‘Israel’s
overtures toward AU mask efforts to dilute Africa’s support for Palestine’
Hassan
Isilow
22.09.2021
JOHANNESBURG
The
recent decision by the African Union (AU) to grant Israel observer status could
have been the result of growing Western pressure to reduce traditional
Palestinian support on the continent, experts say.
“The
AU Commission is expectedly facing various pressures from the US as well as
former colonial powers, especially France and Britain. Their collective goal is
to tilt the AU away from an African ethos to neoconservative policies,” Iqbal
Jassat, an executive member of the Johannesburg-based think tank Media Review
Network, told Anadolu Agency.
He
said the first salvo indicative of this shift is granting Israel observer
status at the 54-nation body, whose majority opposes Israel’s occupation of
Palestine.
Many
African countries, especially those in the southern and northern parts of the
continent, have objected to the decision made by AU Commission head Moussa Faki
Mahamat, saying they were not consulted.
The
Southern African Development Community (SADC), a bloc of 16 countries, also
condemned the decision at a recent summit in Malawi and want it to be reviewed,
while half a dozen North African countries delivered a verbal protest note to
Mahamat at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia.
“South
Africa firmly believes that as long as Israel is not willing to negotiate a
peace plan [with Palestine] without preconditions, it should not have an
observer status in the African Union,” South Africa’s Foreign Ministry said in
a statement.
“The
African Union cannot be a party in any way to plans and actions that would see
the ideals of Palestinian statehood reduced to balkanized entities devoid of
true sovereignty, without territorial contiguity and with no economic
viability,” it added.
Israeli
agenda on the continent
“Israel
has been trying to get accredited to the AU since 2002, when the continental
body was formed as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU),”
Na'eem Jeenah, executive director of the Afro-Middle East Center, a research
institute in Johannesburg dedicated to studying the Middle East and North
Africa, told Anadolu Agency.
Israel
had previously held the position of observer at the OAU.
Jeenah
said Tel Aviv has been expanding and strengthening links with AU member states
for decades and currently has a group of African states that are fully
supportive of the Israeli project in Africa.
“The
Israeli agenda includes a few elements. First, it wants to further weaken
Palestinian solidarity that was once very strong on the continent – both at the
state and civil society level,” he said.
“Such
a break in solidarity would mean ensuring that states [and citizens] do not
adopt boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaigns against Israel.”
Jeenah
said the Zionist state has repeatedly expressed that it regards the global BDS
movement as an existential threat.
“Second,
Israel has always been unhappy that AU member states usually vote as a bloc in
most international fora, such as various UN bodies, including the UN General
Assembly and the UN Security Council,” he explained.
“It
seeks to break this bloc vote where it comes to the matter of Israel’s
occupation and colonization of Palestine and the Palestinian people.”
The
third aspect, according to the South African academic, is that a number of
African states have proven to be ready and willing consumers of certain Israeli
products, especially those related to security, which reduces their opposition
towards Israel.
-
Was the AU Commission pressured?
Mahamat,
the AU Commission chief, said last month that the decision to accredit Israel
to the AU falls within his full “sphere of competence,” without being tied to
any preliminary procedure.
He
said in a statement that the decision was taken on the basis that Israel has
restored diplomatic relations with more than two thirds of AU member states.
However,
Jeenah noted that while Mahamat does have the power to grant the status, he is
supposed to only do so if the applicant state conducts itself in line with the
AU’s Constitutive Act, and only if he knows that AU member states do not oppose
the accreditation.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Global
terrorism will gain strength if world abandons Afghanistan, warns NSA Yusuf
Shazia
Hasan
September
23, 2021
KARACHI:
“The core of Pakistan’s national security is economic security,” said National
Security Adviser Dr Moeed Yusuf on Wednesday.
He
was speaking at a programme about ‘Pakistan Future Direction’ organised by the
English Speaking Union of Pakistan at a local hotel here.
“Built
around that is military security, human welfare. Whenever we talk about
national security, this comprehensive national security vision is on our minds
and should be on everyone’s minds. You would ask why not military security? Why
not human welfare? The issue is we need microeconomic stability to ensure that
we have enough resources to spend adequately on our military and on our human
welfare. The genius of policy is to ensure that your resource pile grows to a
point where you can redistribute it adequately to everyone,” he explained.
“But
the ultimate goal of national security is to ensure that the most disempowered
Pakistani citizen has a means to livelihood and personal safety and security.
That is the ultimate objective of national security. So the prime minister
often talks about Riasat-i-Madina. It is basically that the poorest Pakistani
family is also able to be safe and secure and have a means to livelihood.
That’s the approach we are taking,” he said.
Pakistan’s
shift to geo-economic cadre
“All
of our leadership regularly talks about Pakistan’s shift from a geopolitical to
a geo-economic cadre, which is actually a transformation in terms of the
thinking,” he said.
He
added: “If you look at the past, our location has actually brought us global
wars. Afghanistan is a very good example of this for the past 40 years. What we
are looking at is how to utilise our location for geo-economic position. This
has three pillars of which number one is connectivity. Given our location we
can use where we sit to connect south from north, westward and eastward
theoretically then you optimise the use of your location.
“So
in terms of policy, you may have noticed a very strong shift towards Central
Asia, an area that has been closed for a long time. You must have noticed three
or four major visits including the one last week by the prime minister. Because
it is from Central Asia connected through Afghanistan, down to our warm waters
is by far the most economical route. It gives Afghanistan a mode of transit.
Also that’s why the Gwadar port becomes important.
“Second
is CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor]. Again the idea is connecting China
down to the warm waters with Pakistan becoming the transit territory. If you
understand the overall umbrella vision, it is very clear what we are trying to
achieve, which is more infrastructure, more energy and transit through
Pakistan,” Dr Yusuf explained.
“Theoretically,
we can also extend connectivity eastward. Unfortunately, that side is closed
due to the kind of government attitude and trajectory that India has,” he said.
“Next
there are development partnerships. How do we create real partnerships in terms
of trade, investment, export, etc? For that, of course, a lot has to be done.
We need internal and regional peace,” he said.
‘Peace
in Afghanistan essential’
“Peace
in Afghanistan is essential. Unless Afghanistan is stable, how do you get a
corridor from Central Asia down to warm waters? And unless Afghanistan is
stable, how do you extend the connectivity that Pakistan has for more
infrastructure, more energy through Afghanistan? That’s why this third element
of peace in Afghanistan is critical,” he pointed out.
“Then
there is human benefit. Everything from social safety programmes such as Ehsaas
have helped us survive Covid too. This welfare orientation of the government
has helped us do that. So the prime minister is very serious about this
Riasat-i-Madina concept. The idea is redistribution towards the poorest
Pakistani citizens,” he said.
“And
then there is, of course, military security. Please name one other country to
me which is in a neighbourhood where you have got a seven times larger
neighbour with the history that we have had with India, that lives with a
neighbour that has been in turmoil for 40 years, from where refugees are still
in Pakistan. We have lost tremendously due to a battle that we didn’t start.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'Be
more realistic': FM Qureshi details roadmap for Afghan Taliban's recognition
September
23, 2021
Be
realistic. Show patience. Engage. And above all, don’t isolate. Those are the
pillars of an approach emerging in Pakistan to deal with the fledgling government
that is suddenly running the country next door once again — Afghanistan’s
resurgent, often-volatile Taliban.
Pakistan
is proposing that the international community develop a road map that leads to
diplomatic recognition of the Afghan Taliban — with incentives if they fulfill
its requirements — and then sit down face to face and talk it out with the
group's leaders.
Foreign
Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi outlined the idea on Wednesday in an interview
with The Associated Press (AP) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s
meeting of world leaders.
“If
they live up to those expectations, they would make it easier for themselves,
they will get acceptability, which is required for recognition,” Qureshi told
the AP. “At the same time, the international community has to realise: What’s
the alternative? What are the options? This is the reality, and can they turn
away from this reality?”
He
said Pakistan “is in sync with the international community” in wanting to see a
peaceful, stable Afghanistan with no space for terrorist elements to increase
their foothold, and for the Taliban to ensure “that Afghan soil is never used
again against any country.”
“But
we are saying, be more realistic in your approach,” Qureshi said. “Try an
innovative way of engaging with them. The way that they were being dealt with
has not worked.”
Expectations
from the Taliban leadership could include an inclusive government and
assurances for human rights, especially for women and girls, Qureshi said. In
turn, he said, the Afghan government might be motivated by receiving
development, economic and reconstruction aid to help recover from decades of
war.
He
urged the US, the International Monetary Fund and other countries that have
frozen Afghan government funds to immediately release the money so it can be
used “for promoting normalcy in Afghanistan.” And he pledged that Pakistan is
ready to play a “constructive, positive” role in opening communications
channels with the Taliban because it, too, benefits from peace and stability.
This
is the second time that the Taliban have ruled Afghanistan. The first time,
from 1996 to 2001, ended when they were ousted by a US-led coalition after the
9/11 attacks.
During
that rule, Taliban leaders and police barred girls from school and prohibited
women from working outside the home or leaving it without a male escort. After
they were overthrown, Afghan women still faced challenges in the male-dominated
society but increasingly stepped into powerful positions in government and
numerous fields.
But
when the US withdrew its military from Afghanistan last month, the government
collapsed and a new generation of the Taliban resurged, taking over almost
immediately. In the weeks since, many countries have expressed disappointment
that the Taliban’s interim government is not inclusive as its spokesperson had
promised.
While
the new government has allowed young girls to attend school, it has not yet
allowed older girls to return to secondary school, and most women to return to
work despite a promise in April that women “can serve their society in the
education, business, health and social fields while maintaining correct ...
hijab.”
Pakistan,
which shares a long border with Afghanistan, has a long and sometimes
conflicted relationship with its neighbour that includes attempts to prevent
terrorism there. The Islamabad government has a fundamental vested interest in
ensuring that whatever the new Afghanistan offers, it is not a threat to
Pakistan.
That,
Qureshi says, requires a steady and calibrated approach.
“It
has to be a realistic assessment, a pragmatic view on both sides, and that will
set the tone for recognition eventually,” the minister said. The good news, he
said, is that the Taliban are listening, “and they are not insensitive to what
is being said by neighbours and the international community.”
How
does he know they’re listening? He says the interim government, drawn mostly
from Afghanistan’s dominant Pashtun ethnic group, made some additions on
Tuesday. It added representatives from the country’s ethnic minorities —
Tajiks, Uzbeks and Hazaras.
“Yes,
there are no women yet,” Qureshi said. “But let us let the situation evolve.”
He
stressed that the Taliban must make decisions in the coming days and weeks that
will enhance their acceptability.
“What
the international community can do, in my view, is sit together and work out a
roadmap,” Qureshi said. “And if they fulfill those expectations, this is what
the international community can do to help them stabilise their economy. This
is the humanitarian assistance that can be provided. This is how they can help
rebuild Afghanistan, reconstruction and so on and so forth.”
He
added: “With this roadmap ahead, I think an international engagement can be
more productive.”
On
Wednesday night, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said after a meeting of
the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that all five nations —
the US, China, Britain, Russia and France — want “an Afghanistan at peace,
stable, where humanitarian aid can be distributed without problems or discrimination.”
He
also described a hoped-for “Afghanistan where the rights of women and girls are
respected, an Afghanistan that won’t be a sanctuary for terrorism, an
Afghanistan where we have an inclusive government representing the different
sectors of the population.”
Qureshi
said there are different forums where the international community can work out
the best way to approach the situation. In the meantime, he asserted, things
seem to be stabilising. Less than six weeks after the Taliban seized power on
August 15, he said, Pakistan has received information that the law-and-order
situation has improved, fighting has stopped and many internally displaced
Afghans are going home.
“That’s
a positive sign,” Qureshi said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Minority
Groups to Fight Forced Conversions And To Promote An Anti-Conversion Bill In
Pakistan
Zahid
Hussain Khan
September
23, 2021
An
alliance of minority rights groups is to launch a movement in Pakistan to oppose
forced religious conversion of minor minority girls and to promote an
anti-conversion bill.
Lala
Robin Daniel, chairman of the National Minorities Alliance of Pakistan,
condemned the government’s decision to forward the bill to the Religious
Affairs Ministry for review.
“The
state of minorities in Pakistan is dismal. The promises made by the
constitution to every citizen of Pakistan are being negated by the state
itself,” Daniel told a news conference in Islamabad on Sept. 22.
“The
constitution guarantees equality of status. One particular group has rights but
the other, which is called a minority, remains deprived of its rights after 75
years.
“The
bill should never have been forwarded to the Religious Affairs Ministry. It is
a matter of human rights. It is a matter of minority rights. The bill should
have been sent to the cabinet for approval and from there it should have been
taken up by the parliament.
“We
all non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan condemn the ministry for rejecting the
bill. The bill has been rejected by the mindset which opposed the creation of
Pakistan. And those who supported it are being penalized by the state.”
Tahira
Anjum, president of the Working Group on Minority Issues, announced the
minority caucus would start a movement in Pakistan to force the government to
legislate against forced conversion.
“We
have already been raising the issue at every forum. But we will not launch a
movement and lay down our lives to stop the forced conversion of Christian and
other minority girls,” she said.
Source:
UC News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/minority-groups-to-fight-forced-conversions-in-pakistan/94269#
--------
No
force can harm Pak-Saudi ties, says Ashrafi
Asim
Yasin
September
23, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman and Special Aide to Prime Minister on
Religious Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said
Pakistan and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have an important place in the world and
in the Islamic world and no force harm the relations between both the brotherly
Islamic countries.
“Pakistan
is the forte of Islam and the defence and security of Saudi Arabia is very dear
to every Muslim,” he said on Wednesday in a statement. Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi
said on the eve of National Day of Saudi Arabia, an important seminar
“Pakistan-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Relations, (Past, Present and Future) will be
held in Islamabad today (Thursday).
He
said President Dr Arif Alvi will chair the event, while Ambassador of Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan Nawaf Saeed Al-Malki, will grace the event as
special guest, while federal ministers, leading religious scholars and, foreign
dignitaries will also attend the seminar.
Source:
The News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/894616-no-force-can-harm-pak-saudi-ties-says-ashrafi
--------
Pakistan
resisting International commitments on blasphemy laws
22
September 2021
Islamabad
[Pakistan], September 22 (ANI): The increasing cases of blasphemy registered in
Pakistan continues to be a cause of concern for human rights activists who have
repeatedly highlighted the practice and urged world bodies, including the EU to
take note of the issue, which has worsened the lives of minorities living in
the country.
Pakistan
has registered around 1600 blasphemy cases, which are mostly against religious
minorities like Hindus, Christians, Shia and Ahmadiya Muslims from 1987 till
today according to several reports by rights groups.
A
large number of these blasphemy cases in Pakistan are still awaiting justice.
Junaid
Hafeez, a former lecturer at Bahahuddin Zakariya University, Multan, was
accused of blasphemy which he never committed. Wajih-ul-Hassan who had served
in jail for 18 years was proven innocent in September 2019. And the alleged
crime he was accused of was writing a blasphemous letter, which he had never
written and was acquitted later. Yet, he lost his 18 years of life in jail.
Blasphemy,
which is defined as "the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of
reverence for God," has always been misused by the extremist groups in
Pakistan, who have continued discrimination against the minority groups in the
country.
Brad
Adams, who is Asia director at an international conference on Blasphemy held
recently said, "The overturned conviction of a man imprisoned for 18 years
highlights just one of the many miscarriages of justice stemming from
Pakistan's vaguely worded blasphemy law."
"Typically,
it is members of religious minorities or other vulnerable communities who are
wrongly accused and left unable to defend themselves," Adams added.
Paulo
Casada, who is a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Founder and
Executive Director of the South Asia Democratic Forum said, "People are
accused of blasphemy in Pakistan without any foundation and often lawyers who
are fighting these cases face attack from bigots."
He
also stressed that the issue should be highlighted by the EU which has worsened
the lives of minorities living in Pakistan
On
April 29, 2021, during a European Parliament session, the EU had again raised
concerns over Pakistan's harsh blasphemy laws which were misused against the
people and their defenders and discriminate against religious minorities.
In
view of the seriousness of the issue, a resolution was adopted demanding
Pakistan to allow space for religious freedom and EU authorities were urged to
review the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) plus status for Pakistan
amidst the increasing number of blasphemy cases in the country.
In
December 2020, the US House of Representatives had passed a resolution calling
the worldwide repeal of blasphemy laws, which resulted in the imprisonment
and/or death of many Christians accused of speaking against Islam.
In
fact, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)
2019 report highlighted that in Pakistan, various political parties and leading
politicians promoted intolerance against religious minorities during their
lead-up to the 2018 national elections. The report further elaborated that
Pakistan failed to adequately protect minority groups, and perpetrated
systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations which occurred
despite the optimism about the potential for reform under the new government of
Prime Minister Imran Khan, reported International Forum for Right and Security.
USCIRF
report 2019 envisaged that the entry of extremist religious parties into the
political arena, which includes the Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz
Saeed's Milli Muslim League, during the election period would lead to increased
threats and hate speeches against religious minorities. This is no more evident
than in the recent elections held in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) where a
former Tehreek I Taliban Pakistan associate Mazhar Saeed Shah was given a
reserved seat at the behest of the ruling party in the centre. To this extent,
terror links of political parties seem to be a non-issue in Pakistan, reports
International Forum for Right and Security.
Source:
Yahoo News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/pakistan-resisting-international-commitments-blasphemy-055256934.html
--------
Europe
London
mayor calls for misogyny to be hate crime
Ahmet
Gurhan Kartal
23.09.2021
LONDON
London
Mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday urged legislators to make misogyny a hate crime.
Appearing
on ITV’s Good Morning Britain program, Khan described violence targeting women
and girls as an “epidemic.”
“Between
last year’s International Women’s Day and this year’s International Women’s
Day, 180 women were killed at the hands of men across the country,” Khan said.
“We
do have an epidemic when it comes to violence against women and girls,” he
said.
Khan
said: “Girls at a young age are changing the way they dress on the way to
school because of the way they are treated by boys.
“I
think we need to make misogyny a hate crime. I think harassment in the public
space against women should be a criminal offence,” he added.
Khan’s
intervention came following the murder of a primary school teacher last
weekend.
Sabina
Ness, 28, was attacked as she was taking a five-minute walk from home to meet
her friends on Friday night.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/london-mayor-calls-for-misogyny-to-be-hate-crime/2372759
--------
‘Turkey
contributes to solution of regional problems in Balkans’
Zlatan
Kapic and Lejla Biogradlija
22.09.2021
Turkey
contributes to the solution of regional problems in the Balkans, said the head
of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Party of Democratic Action.
In
an interview with Anadolu Agency, Bakir Izetbegovic said Turkey pursues a wise
policy and diplomacy in the region.
Noting
that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has always been a friend of Bosnia
and Herzegovina and Bosnians, Izetbegovic said that the Belgrade-Sarajevo
highway Project supported by Turkey is a good opportunity to work together.
The
Bosnia politician underlined that the highway project is of great importance
not only for Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also for all countries in the region,
both financially and in terms of infrastructure.
"The
project will also contribute to the reduction of tension between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Serbia. The project will lead us to make joint decisions and
meet in common interests," he added.
On
the arrest of former Bosnian police officer Edin Vranj by Serbia over
accusation of “war crimes,” Izetbegovic said should not have been detained.
“We
expect a peaceful, friendly and respectful attitude towards Muslims in the
Balkans from the Serbian President,” he added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EU’s
foreign policy chief Borrell meets Iran’s new foreign minister for first time
22
September ,2021
European
Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell met Iran’s new Foreign Minister
Hossein Amirabdollahian on Tuesday in the margins of the United Nations General
Assembly, the EU said in a statement on Wednesday.
The
meeting was scheduled in the absence of a ministerial meeting of the parties to
the 2015 nuclear deal in New York during the annual UN gathering of world
leaders.
“The
Iranian Foreign Minister assured of the willingness to resume negotiations at
an early date,” the EU said in a statement. “High Representative Borrell ...
underlined once again the great importance of a quick resumption of the Vienna
talks.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
North America
Taliban
takeover in Afghanistan could inspire US extremists to plot attacks on American
soil: FBI chief
Sep
23, 2021
WASHINGTON:
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday
warned that the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan could inspire US-based
extremists to plot attacks on American soil.Wray testified before the Senate
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the domestic
terrorism caseload has skyrocketed since the spring of 2020, from around 1,000
possible investigations to 2,700 and extremist groups have never stop plotting
attacks on US soil, reported The Hill.
"We
are concerned that, with developments in Afghanistan, among other things, that
there will be more inspiration to the first bucket," Wray told the
committee.
"So
I think we anticipate, unfortunately, growth in both categories as we look
ahead over the next couple of years," added Wary.
Even
National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid also testified to
the committee that the terrorism threat to the country is less
"acute" than it was two decades ago after the Taliban takeover of
Afghanistan, reported The Hill.
Abizaid
also said that US officials have been monitoring how terror groups Al Qaeda and
Islamic State (ISIS) could rebuild their forces and conduct an attack on the
US.
"In
the wake of our withdrawal, the question is, at what point does that regional
threat build to a capability and intent that is focused externally and
particularly focused on the homeland?" Abizaid said.
Source:
Times of India
Please
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Bill
to provide $1 billion for Israel Iron Dome system introduced in US Congress
23
September ,2021
The
leader of the US House of Representatives Appropriations Committee introduced
legislation on Wednesday to provide $1 billion to Israel to replenish its “Iron
Dome” missile-defense system, a day after the funding was removed from a
broader spending bill.
Some
of the most liberal House Democrats had objected to the provision and said they
would vote against the broad spending bill. This threatened its passage because
Republicans were lined up against the plan to fund the federal government
through Dec. 3 and raise the nation’s borrowing limit.
The
removal led Republicans to label Democrats as anti-Israel, despite a long
tradition in the US Congress of strong support from both parties for the Jewish
state, to which Washington sends billions of dollars in aid every year.
The
US has already provided more than $1.6 billion for Israel to develop and build
the Iron Dome system, according to a Congressional Research Service report last
year.
Some
liberal Democrats have voiced concerns this year about US-Israel policy, citing
among other things the many Palestinian casualties as Israel responded to Hamas
rocket attacks in May. Israel said most of the 4,350 rockets fired from Gaza
during the conflict were blown out of the sky by Iron Dome interceptors.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Echoes,
uncertainty as Afghan pilots await US help in Tajikistan
23
September ,2021
A
US-trained Afghan pilot was talking to Reuters on a smuggled cellphone from
Tajikistan, where he is being held, when something strange happened - his voice
started looping, repeating everything he had just said, word for word.
His
fiancee, an American nurse in Florida, was on the line too and started to
panic. She shouted his name, but his words kept cycling back.
“I
was freaked out,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect him.
“The worst things came to my mind.”
Whatever
the reason for the telephone glitch, which only happened once, it added to a
deep sense of anxiety for the couple. It also came amid growing feelings of
impatience and uncertainty among the Afghan pilots and personnel who have been
held by the government in Tajikistan since fleeing there on Aug. 15.
There
are 143 Afghans detained at a sanatorium in a mountainous, rural area outside
of the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, waiting and hoping for over a month for
transfer by the United States.
After
flying there with 16 aircraft as their military’s ground forces crumbled before
the advancing Taliban, the Afghans say they had their phones taken away. They
were initially housed in a university dormitory before being moved on Sept. 1.
Contact
with family is extremely limited. Although they appear to be held in humane
conditions, they are on edge, uncertain about the future.
“We
don’t know about our destination. ... We’re all worried about that,” the pilot
said.
The
pilots want to join the other Afghan military personnel being processed for US
visas in places like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Germany.
“Whenever
we ask the government of Tajikistan, they just answer: ‘Please wait,’” said a
second pilot, speaking separately on condition of anonymity.
Among
the military personnel at the facility are two Afghan women, including a pilot
who is eight months pregnant, the second pilot told Reuters.
Such
a pregnancy would be an important reason to move them quickly, said David
Hicks, a retired US brigadier general who is helping lead a charity called
Operation Sacred Promise working to evacuate and resettle Afghans.
There
are also 13 Afghan personnel in Dushanbe, enjoying much more relaxed
conditions. Several of those pilots told Reuters they flew separately into the
country on Aug. 15 and are staying in a government building. Speaking in a
video call, they said they have not had contact with the Afghans at the
sanatorium.
The
pilots could not explain why the two groups were being kept apart.
The
US State Department declined comment on the pilots in Tajikistan. Tajikistan’s
Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
The
US-trained Afghan pilots in Tajikistan are the last major group of Afghan air
force personnel abroad still in limbo after flying dozens of advanced aircraft
across the Afghan border to that country and Uzbekistan in the final moments of
the war.
Earlier
in September, a US-brokered deal allowed a larger group of Afghan pilots and
other military personnel to be flown out of Uzbekistan. Some of the
English-speaking pilots there had feared they could be sent back by the Uzbeks
to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and killed for inflicting so many Taliban
casualties during the war.
‘No
domestic urgency’
Afghanistan’s
new rulers have said they will invite former military personnel to join the
country’s revamped security forces and that they will come to no harm.
That
offer rings hollow to Afghan pilots who spoke with Reuters. Even before the
Taliban takeover, the US-trained, English-speaking pilots had become their
prime targets. Taliban fighters tracked them down and assassinated them
off-base.
The
pilots did not express concern the Tajiks will send this group back to the
Taliban. But after more than a month, pilots and their supporters complain
about a lack of urgency by authorities to move the group along.
Reuters
has learned that US officials have started collecting biometric information to
confirm the identities of members of the group, in a sign that help could soon
be on the way. A similar effort in Uzbekistan preceded those pilots’ transfer
from there.
People
close to the pilots said the United States had collected biometric data on
about two-thirds of the group so far.
Paul
Stronski, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,
thinks Tajikistan’s president, Emomali Rahmon, may be proud of his role
receiving the pilots as the Taliban swept to power.
Tajikistan,
which shares a porous, 835-mile (1,345-km) border with Afghanistan, has broken
from its more conciliatory neighbors and been outspoken about its concerns over
the new Taliban government in Afghanistan.
“The
Tajik government is probably playing this to try to get some benefit,” Stronski
said. “There’s no domestic urgency, and it probably suits Rahmon to sort of
say: ‘We’re housing these people.’”
About
a quarter of Afghanistan’s population are believed to be ethnic Tajiks,
although no recent census data exists. But they and other ethnic minorities are
not represented in the Taliban’s interim government, a point Rahmon has made
publicly.
“Foisting
any political system on Kabul without regard for the voice of the Afghan
people, which consists of diverse ethnicities, may lead to seriously negative
consequences,” Rahmon was quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency as saying last
week.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
climate summit president invites Turkish first lady to Glasgow summit
Esin
Eskinat Sayilgan
22.09.2021
NEW
YORK
Alok
Sharma, a UK government minister and the president of UN climate change summit
COP26, invited Turkey's First Lady Emine Erdogan to the Glasgow summit in
Scotland this November.
During
their meeting on Tuesday at newly inaugurated Turkevi Center, or Turkish House,
across the UN headquarters, Sharma praised Erdogan's leadership in climate and
zero waste issues, saying it sets an example for the world countries.
He
also stated that they carefully monitor Turkey's successful work on renewable
energy and waste.
Sharma
said they expect the first lady to also attend the 26th climate summit in
Glasgow, Scotland to which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been
invited.
Speaking
on the importance of the world leaders expressing their determination to fight
climate change in Glasgow, Sharma hailed Turkey's carbon neutrality target by
2050, adding that Turkey's ratification of the Paris Agreement will also
strengthen the world's fight against climate change.
"Enjoyed
meeting @EmineErdogan to discuss her work championing environmental issues in
Turkey. Also discussed Turkey's climate plans and the need for all countries to
demonstrate ambition ahead of #COP26," Sharma wrote on Twitter.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
should do more on Afghan refugees after pullout: Erdogan
Servet
Gunerigok
22.09.2021
NEW
YORK
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the US should do more regarding a further
influx of refugees in the wake of the refugee crisis that followed the American
withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Erdogan
told CBS News that "right now" the US has failed to meet its
obligations on Afghanistan.
"We
have more than 300,000 Afghan refugees, and we will no longer be able to afford
to welcome any more Afghan refugees in Turkey," he said in the interview
that will be aired Sunday.
Asked
if the US needs to do more, Erdogan responds: "Of course, the United
States should do a lot, and should invest a lot.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Turkey’s
Top Islamic Cleric Sealed the New Court Complex Opening Ceremony with a Muslim
Prayer, Triggering Protests from Critics
September
22, 2021
ISTANBUL,
Sept 22 (Reuters) – When President Tayyip Erdogan opened a new court complex
this month, Turkey’s senior cleric sealed the ceremony with a Muslim prayer,
triggering protests from critics who said his actions contravened the secular
constitution. “Make this wonderful work beneficial and blessed for our nation,
my God,” Ali Erbas said in his address, adding that many judges had “worked to
bring the justice which (God) ordered”.
Erbas’s
appearance at the Sept. 1 ceremony in Ankara, and the wave of opposition
criticism over his comments, reflect his rising profile at the head of a
state-run religious organisation and the growing influence it has attained
under Erdogan.
The
president, whose ruling AK Party is rooted in political Islam, has overturned
decades-old restrictions imposed on religion by modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk, placing Islam centre-stage in political life.
Last
year Erbas delivered the first sermon in Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia after the
Byzantine church-turned-museum was reconverted into a mosque. He did so while
clutching a sword, saying this was traditional for preachers in mosques taken
by conquest. The church was captured by Ottoman forces in 1453.
His
state-run Diyanet organisation, or Religious Affairs Directorate, has its own
television channel which is recruiting 30 new staff. Its budget, which already
matches that of an average ministry, will rise by a quarter next year to 16.1
billion lira ($1.86 billion), government data shows.
Erdogan
further endorsed Erbas last week by extending his term at the Diyanet. He was
with Erdogan again on Monday in New York, reciting a prayer at the opening of a
skyscraper that will house Turkish diplomats based there.
Erdogan’s
political foes says Erbas’s growing profile is at odds with the Turkish
Republic’s secular constitution, and shows the president is using religion to
boost his waning ratings ahead of an election scheduled for 2023.
“It
is completely unacceptable for the Religious Affairs Directorate to be used
politically by the AKP,” said Bahadir Erdem, deputy chairman of the opposition
Iyi Party.
POLARISING
“The
reason for Ali Erbas repeatedly making statements that polarise the nation is
very clearly the government using religious sensitivities of those whose votes
it thinks it can win,” he said.
Apart
from the Diyanet’s growing prominence, secularists also fret over a sharp
increase in religious ‘Imam Hatip’ schools, a 10% rise in mosque numbers in the
last decade, the lifting of a ban on Muslim headscarves in state institutions
and the taming of Turkey’s powerful military, once a bastion of secularism, all
during Erdogan’s rule.
Responding
to the criticism over the Diyanet, the presidency shared a picture of Ataturk
standing in prayer beside a Muslim cleric at a ceremony outside Turkey’s new
parliament 100 years ago, suggesting that even the founder of the secular
republic gave space to religion alongside politics.
The
secularist main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) accuse Erdogan of
deliberately using Erbas to distract public attention from Turkey’s mounting
economic woes.
“He
has put the Religious Affairs Directorate chairman on the field like a pawn,”
CHP spokesman Faik Oztrak said.
Turkey’s
constitution says the Diyanet must act in line with the principles of
secularism, without expressing political views.
Erbas,
a former theology professor who took office in 2017, has not addressed the
criticism directly but says his role is limited to religious guidance.
Source:
Egypt Independent
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.egyptindependent.com/turkeys-top-islamic-cleric-moves-center-stage-irking-secularists/
--------
Turkey
reiterates its position to stand by Rohingya Muslims
SEP
23, 2021
Turkey
on Wednesday reiterated that it will never abandon Rohingya Muslims to their
fate.
Foreign
Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in a tweet that he was honored to co-host an
online international high-level event regarding the status of Rohingya in Bangladesh.
"We
must continue to work for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return
of Rohingya" to their homeland, he said. "We will never leave
Rohingya Muslims to their fate."
Since
August 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed, more than 34,000
thrown into fires, over 114,000 beaten and at least 18,000 Rohingya women and
girls raped, according to a report by the Ontario International Development
Agency (OIDA).
Source:
Daily Sabah
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
settlers and police officers storm Al-Aqsa mosque on Sukkot
22
September 2021
Over
500 Israeli settlers, accompanied by security officers and members of Knesset,
broke into Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot on
Wednesday, the Palestinian News Agency (Wafa) reported.
According
to Wafa, 529 Israeli settlers entered Al-Aqsa compound through the Moroccan
Gate on the western side of the site, which the Israeli authorities have
controlled since the beginning of the occupation of East Jerusalem and the West
Bank in 1967.
Wafa
said that the settlers, flanked by Israeli police, performed Jewish prayers and
toured the site.
Israeli
far-right activists have repeatedly pushed for an increased Jewish presence at
al-Aqsa, despite a longstanding joint guardianship agreement between Israel and
Jordan, which retains custodianship over Christian and Muslim holy sites in
Jerusalem and bars non-Muslim prayer at the site.
Palestinian
Muslims and Christians do not seek to pray in the Western Wall Plaza, the
holiest site in Judaism to the east of Al-Aqsa mosque. Their access to the
site, however, has to go through a strict security check.
Jerusalem's
Islamic Waqf has repeatedly described the settlers' tours as
"provocative" and said that Palestinian worshippers and guards at
al-Aqsa feel uncomfortable with the presence of Israeli police and settlers
touring the Muslim holy site.
Naser
al-Hidmi, the head of the Jerusalem Authority Against Judaisation, told local
media that Israel uses the season of Jewish holidays to speed up its settlement
plans around the Old City and Al-Aqsa mosque.
He
said that Israel aims to send a message that it is the sovereign power in the
city by allowing settler tours in al-Aqsa, blocking Palestinian roads and forcing
Palestinian shops to close on Jewish holidays.
"Unfortunately,
every coming year is more difficult and worse for Jerusalem and al-Aqsa, in
terms of Israel's violations and the practices of the occupation that increased
in brutality and became more cruel and painful, amid Arab and Islamic silence
and inaction regarding what is happening," Hidmi said.
Regular
storming of al-Aqsa
Israeli
settler groups regularly enter the al-Aqsa compound - which they refer to as
the Temple Mount - during religious holidays. They are currently celebrating
the Sukkot, which ends on 27 September.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-aqsa-mosque-settlers-police-storm-sukkot
--------
How
an Islamic State suspect lived as a shopkeeper in Turkey
Metin
Gurcan
September
22, 2021
The
first time that Turkey faced the deadly threat of the Islamic State (IS) on its
soil was in March 2014, when three foreign IS militants opened fire at a
checkpoint in the province of Nigde, killing two members of the security forces
and a civilian. The culprits were sentenced to life but only after a
controversial trial.
Scores
of other cases against IS suspects have been marked by judicial oddities and
what many observers see as obtrusive leniency on the part of the Turkish
judiciary. In a country where peaceful political dissidents could languish in
jail for years without conviction, many IS defendants have walked free or
benefited from sentence reductions under “effective remorse” provisions, as
Al-Monitor reported last month.
Yet,
few cases have been as striking as Jamal Abdul Rahman Alwi, who allegedly
ordered the burning to death of two Turkish soldiers that the radical group had
captured in northern Syria. A video released by IS in December 2016 showed the
pair being hauled from a cage before being bound and torched. Despite the huge
outpouring of fury on social media at the time, the Turkish government kept mum
on the incident.
It
turns out that Alwi, who allegedly served as an IS qadi – or Islamic court
judge – in northern Syria, lived as a free man and ran a bird shop in Turkey’s
border province of Gaziantep, even though he had been charged with being a
senior member of IS and remained under probe in connection with the gruesome
execution.
A
Sept. 17 report by investigative journalist Ismail Saymaz told the Turkish
public how the 64-year-old Syrian was arrested in June 2020 and went on trial
in September that year, but the court in Gaziantep released him in March,
pending trial. The court ruled that sufficient evidence had been collected in
the case and the suspect was not in a position to obfuscate evidence, citing
also unspecified personal and familial excuses by the defendant.
Following
the public outcry, Alwi was rearrested Sept. 18. Had it not been for Saymaz’s
report, Alwi would have certainly continued to run his shop in Gaziantep and
perhaps engage in other, less overt activities. And the author of the report
might have ended up behind bars for criticizing the authorities had he not been
as well-known as Saymaz, as past cases involving local reporters show.
Among
the reasons the authorities cited for Alwi’s rearrest were witness statements,
including from his wife, that he gave or approved the decision to burn the two
soldiers to death; the gravity of the charges he might face; and a strong
suspicion he might attempt to escape or hide. The move, however, appeared
driven more by public pressure amid the huge indignation that Saymaz’s report
sparked on social media.
When
the court released Alwi in March, judicial control measures banned him from
traveling abroad, but those measures were lifted in June. In other words, Alwi
was given ample opportunity to leave the country legally. The fact that he
stayed in Gaziantep suggests he felt safe in Turkey and perhaps even counted on
the leniency of the Turkish judiciary.
To
give credit where credit is due, Turkey’s security forces and intelligence have
relentlessly pursued IS for years. The media abound with reports about anti-IS
raids and the capture of IS-linked suspects, many of them foreign nationals who
fled to Turkey after the IS defeat in Syria and Iraq. The annual number of such
operations has reached about 1,000 in recent years.
But
what happens after the suspects are handed over to the judiciary is a different
story. Only a small number end up behind bars, while the majority are released
after questioning. And even if officially charged, very few remain behind bars
while standing trial as the authorities stumble in dealing with crimes
committed in Syria and Iraq. The breakup of diplomatic ties between Ankara and
Damascus and the lack of expeditious cooperation with Baghdad results in
protracted probes and prosecutions. Thus, Turkey has become a relatively safe
country in the eyes of IS militants who have committed crimes in Syria or Iraq.
Source:
Al Monitor
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/09/how-islamic-state-suspect-lived-shopkeeper-turkey
--------
President
Rayeesi: Talks with G4+1 Should Result in Removal of Sanctions against Iran
2021-September-22
President
Rayeesi made the remarks in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly via
video conference on Tuesday night, in his first address to the main
policy-making organ of the world body since taking office in August.
The
Iranian president said Washington is using sanctions as a “new way of war”
against other nations, stressing that the US sanctions against the Islamic
Republic during the coronavirus pandemic are “crimes against humanity”.
“Sanctions
are the US’ new way of war with the world countries. Sanctions against the
Iranian nation started not with my country’s nuclear program; they even predate
the Islamic Revolution and go back to the year 1951 when oil nationalization
went underway in Iran,” Rayeesi said at the 76th session of the UN General
Assembly.
“Despite
the fact that the Islamic Republic was keen from the outset to purchase and
import COVID-19 vaccines from reliable international sources, it faced inhumane
medical sanctions. Sanctions, especially sanctions on medicine at the time of
the COVID-19 pandemic, are crimes against humanity,” he noted.
The
Iranian president said Tehran has been adhering to its nuclear commitments
under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) while Washington violated
the 2015 landmark accord, stressing that the US so-called maximum pressure campaign
against Iran has failed.
“Today,
the whole world, including the Americans themselves, have admitted that the
project of countering the Iranian people, which manifested itself in the form
of violating the JCPOA and was followed by the “maximum pressure” and arbitrary
withdrawal from an internationally recognized agreement, has totally failed,”
Rayeesi said.
“We
want nothing more than what is rightfully ours. We demand the implementation of
international rules. All parties must stay true to the nuclear deal and the UN
Resolution in practice,” he added.
The
Iranian president underlined that 15 reports released by the International
Atomic Energy Agency have attested to the adherence of Iran to its commitments,
however, the US has not yet discharged its obligation, which is lifting
sanctions.
Rayeesi
said Iran has “no trust in US promises”, and wants all anti-Tehran sanctions to
be removed at once, noting that the Islamic Republic considers the nuclear talks
useful only when their ultimate outcome is the lifting of all unilateral
sanctions.
Rayeesi
told the UN General Assembly in another part of his speech that “this year, two
scenes made history: one was on January 6 when the US congress was attacked by the
people and, two, when the people of Afghanistan were dropped down from the US
planes in August. From the Capitol to Kabul, one clear message was sent to the
world: the US hegemonic system has no credibility, whether inside or outside
the country”.
“What
is seen in our region today proves that not only the hegemonist and the idea of
hegemony, but also the project of imposing Westernized identity have failed
miserably. The result of seeking hegemony has been blood-spilling and
instability and, ultimately, defeat and escape. Today, the US does not get to
exit Iraq and Afghanistan but is expelled,” he said.
Iranian
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday that Tehran and
the Group 4+1 (China, Russia, Britain and France plus Germany) will resume
nuclear deal talks in Vienna within the next few weeks.
“As
previously emphasized, the Vienna talks will resume soon and in the next few
weeks, and the G4+1 has been informed of it,” Khatibzadeh said.
He,
meantime, said that the nuclear deal and the Vienna talks will be one of the
main topics of bilateral meetings between the Iranian foreign minister and EU
foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell and the G4+1 foreign ministers who are
present in New York for the UN General Assembly meeting.
“But
there is no pre-arranged [multilateral] meeting between the Iranian and G4+1
foreign ministers, while based on our information not all G4+1 foreign
ministers are present in New York,” Khatibzadeh said.
Khatibzadeh
had earlier today said that no collective meeting is scheduled between
representatives of the country attending the UN General Assembly meeting in New
York and their Group 4+1 counterparts.
Khatibzadeh’s
comments came after French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Monday
that world powers and Iran were likely to meet on the sidelines of the annual
gathering of world leaders at the United Nations later this week.
The
spokesman dismissed any such multilateral meeting between the Iranian foreign
minister and his G4+1 counterparts, though he said Hossein Amir-Abdollahian
will discuss the nuclear deal in bilateral meetings with counterparts.
“Other
foreign ministers have also already expressed this interest, and the nuclear
deal will be one of the topics of our discussions with [individual] foreign ministers
of the G4+1 who are in New York, but no meeting between Iran and the G4+1 is on
agenda in New York,” Khatibzadeh said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
FM: Foreign Presence Contradicts Regional Peace, Security
2021-September-22
Amir
Abdollahian made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon, addressing the Baghdad
Multilateral Meeting in New York which was also attended by foreign ministers
and high representatives of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt,
and France as well as EU foreign policy chief, secretary-general of Arab
League, secretary-general of Islamic Cooperation Organization,
secretary-general of Persian Gulf Cooperation Council and chaired by Iraqi
foreign minister.
Amir
Abdollahian highlighted the role of diplomacy and dialogue in overcoming crises
and solving disagreements, saying that in absence of dialogue and negotiation,
all the sources and opportunities would be spent on militarism.
Noting
that Iran has always emphasized intra-regional dialogue, he said that
contemporary history of West Asia indicated that external variables have been
the main hurdle against integration and development in the region.
Foreign
presence and interference in any form contrasts main goals of peace and
security, as well as sovereignty of states in the region, Iran’s top diplomat
stressed, proposing fighting against terrorism and drug trafficking, energy
sector, maritime navigation, security and environmental crises as areas of cooperation
that countries in the West Asia region could base a dialogue on.
He
underlined Iran’s support for Iraq’s security, stability, and development, and
said that the new administration in Iran prioritized expansion of ties with
neighbor countries and regional states.
Attendees
in the meeting agreed to hold a second edition of Baghdad Conference for
Cooperation and Partnership in Jordan. The first conference was on August 28 in
Baghdad.
In
the final statement, they once again reaffirmed their support for Iraqi nation
and government and emphasized the importance of general election due to be held
on October 10.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran’s
Top Diplomat Meets European Counterparts in New York
2021-September-22
During
his meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Olavi Haavisto on Tuesday, Amir
Abdollahian underlined Iran’s readiness to expand economic, trade, industrial
and agricultural cooperation between the two countries.
Haavisto,
for his part, expressed readiness to expand bilateral relations in the
political, economic, and environmental issues.
He
also expressed satisfaction with the establishment of a joint chamber of
commerce between Iran and Finland, saying that it is a measure in promoting bilateral
economic relations.
The
Finnish top diplomat also announced his country's readiness to help the JCPOA
revival.
In
a meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday, Amir Abdollahian
said that it is the right of the Iranian people to enjoy the economic benefits
of the JCPOA, adding that however, it has not been realized due to the
negligence of the other parties, but this right must be guaranteed this time.
Maas,
for his part, said that Germany is committed to the JCPOA and will make every
effort to preserve and revive it.
In
a meeting with Amir Abdollahian in New York on Tuesday, Austrian Foreign
Minister said that Vienna has always sought to expand relations with Iran and
does not see any limits on improving relations.
Austria
is interested in hosting the Vienna nuclear talks as in the past, he said,
stressing on seizing opportunities to revive the JCPOA.
Amir
Abdollahian, for his part, thanked Austria for donating the vaccine to Iran.
He
also emphasized Iran's interest in further expansion of economic relations,
including financial and banking relations with Austria.
Also
in a meeting with the Iranian foreign minister on Tuesday, Croatian Minister of
Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman said that his country seeks to
strengthen relations with Iran.
Referring
to the potentials, he emphasized the need to activate a joint economic
commission to expand relations.
Radman
hailed Iran's role in contributing to the peace and stability of Afghanistan.
Elsewhere,
he said that there is no better alternative for the JCPOA.
In
a meeting with his Swiss counterpart, Amir Abdollahian spoke about the stable
and good relations between the two countries.
"We
seek to expand the relations between the two countries", the Iranian top
diplomat said, calling for the widespread presence of Swiss companies in Iran's
economic and development projects.
"We
attach great importance to relations with Iran", Swiss Foreign Minister
Ignazio Cassis said, adding that in the coming months, important meetings will
be held between the two countries in various fields.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
IRGC
Commander: Iran Increasing Power to Defeat US
2021-September-21
“We
have built power to defeat the US. When we build power for man's largest
military empir, i.e. the US, small powers like the Zionist regime are no longer
counted in our equations,” General Salami said.
He
underlined that the Iranian nation has managed to embrace victory against the
US cruel sanctions and economic war as well as the psychological pressures and
heavy media operations of Washington and other western powers, and defused
enemies’ plots.
In
relevant remarks on Sunday, General Salami said that the US has lost its power
and is a defeated, fugitive and depressed state which has been forced to
withdraw its forces from the region.
“Today
we no longer see a dangerous US, but we witness a failed, fleeing and depressed
US,” General Salami said.
General
Salami also expressed delight that the Iranian nation’s resistance too had
helped them weather all pressures.
“Inside
our own country, despite all natural or imposed pressures, the Iranian nation
has been engaged in resistance [too]. And now, these obstacles are being
removed, the adversities are giving way to easier times, and the roads are
being paved,” he said.
The
entire world is now envying this nation that has been successfully standing up
to great powers for more than four decades, the commander said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000630000744/IRGC-Cmmander-Iran-Increasing-Pwer-Defea-US
--------
Iran
FM expressed ‘very clear intent’ to return to nuclear talks: Ireland FM
22
September ,2021
Iran’s
foreign minister expressed a “very clear intent” to return to nuclear talks in
Vienna, Ireland’s foreign minister said on Wednesday after meeting with his Iranian
counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
“That
may not happen for a number of weeks, as the new Iranian government finalizes
their approach towards those negotiations. But certainly, he expressed a very
clear intent to return to those negotiations,” Simon Coveney, Ireland’s foreign
minister, told reporters.
Ireland
is currently a member of the UN Security Council and coordinates the 15-member
body’s work on a 2015 Iran nuclear deal between Tehran, Britain, China, France,
Germany and Russia.
The
world powers held six rounds of indirect talks between the US and Iran in
Vienna to try and work out how both can return to compliance with the nuclear
pact, which was abandoned by former US President Donald Trump in 2018.
Trump
reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran, which then started breaching curbs on its
nuclear program. Iran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful energy
purposes only.
The
Vienna talks were adjourned in June after hardliner Ebrahim Raisi was elected
Iran’s president. The Iranian foreign ministry said on Tuesday that those would
resume in a few weeks, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
pledges $290 mln in humanitarian aid to Yemen: Blinken
22
September ,2021
The
United States announced close to $300 million in additional humanitarian aid
for Yemen on Wednesday, as the international community pledged $600 billion for
the wartorn country.
“The
United States remains committed to delivering aid to the most vulnerable in
Yemen and calls for an end to obstructions and bureaucratic hurdles,” US
Secretary of State Blinken said in a statement.
Blinken
thanked the EU, Sweden and Switzerland for hosting the UN event. “We also urge
other countries to help fill critical funding shortfalls, particularly in the
protection sector, including child protection, mine action, and gender-based
violence prevention and response,” the top US diplomat said.
The
US, backed by the UN, has said that Yemen was home to the world’s largest
humanitarian crisis.
Other
pledges announced Wednesday came from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Riyadh announced
$90 million, while Qatar pledged $100 million.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
UP
Anti-Terrorist Squad Claims Islamic Scholar, Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Got Rs 57
Crore For Conversion Activities
By
Puja Awasthi
September
23, 2021
The
Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad has claimed that religious scholar Kaleem
Siddiqui has confessed to carrying out more than 1,000 religious conversions.
Siddiqui
was arrested on September 21. A police statement on his arrest had said,
"UP ATS has arrested Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, a resident of Muzaffarnagar,
in connection with India's largest religious conversion syndicate busted by the
ATS. He runs Jamia Imam Waliullah trust that funds several madrassas for which
he received huge foreign funding”.
Now
the ATS has said that Siddiqui has confessed to the conversions and has said
that he used the lure of ‘Jannat’ (heaven) and the fear of ‘Jahannum’ (hell) to
carry out the conversions. The unit also claimed that he had received Rs 57
crores for the task of conversions.
The
Rihai Manch, a forum against illegal arrests has labelled the arrest of
Siddiqui a ‘conspiracy’. Mohammed Shoeb, the president of Rihai Manch said,
“Siddiqui is a respected Islamic scholar. The manner in which his religious
activities are being presented as criminal is a conspiracy and an attack on
Constitutional values”.
He
also said that the RSS and the Bajrang Dal are carrying out a movement against
religious conversion and that the ATS is helping them in it. “The Yogi
government is trying to give the message that the majority is in danger, when
in fact humanity is in danger”, said Shoeb. He also pointed out that Article 25
gave citizens the right to profess and practice any religion of their choice
but it appeared that the ATS had not read it.
On
Wednesday, Aam Aadmi Party Amanatullah Khan had labelled the arrest a political
move pointing out that as elections in the state approached such atrocities on
Muslims increased.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Taliban's
commitment to not allow terror on Afghan soil must be implemented: External
Affairs Minister
SEP
23, 2021
External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has told the G20 nations that the Taliban’s
commitment not to allow the use of Afghanistan’s soil for terrorism in any
manner should be implemented and the world expects a broad-based, inclusive
process that involves representation from all sections of the Afghan society.
Jaishankar
addressed the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Afghanistan on Wednesday, held
on the sidelines of the high-level 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
“International
community must come together in response to humanitarian needs. Assistance
providers must be accorded unimpeded, unrestricted, and direct access,”
Jaishankar said in a series of tweets after the virtual meeting.
“Taliban’s
commitment not to allow the use of Afghan soil for terrorism in any manner
should be implemented. The world expects a broad-based inclusive process that
involves representation from all sections of Afghan society,” he said.
The
Taliban swept across Afghanistan last month, seizing control of almost all key
towns and cities in the backdrop of withdrawal of the US forces that began on
May 1. On August 15, the capital city of Kabul fell to the insurgents.
The
Taliban claimed victory over opposition forces in the last holdout province of
Panjshir on September 6, completing their takeover of Afghanistan three weeks
after capturing Kabul.
The
Taliban has said that Afghan territory will not be used against any country.
Jaishankar
said the UN Security Council resolution 2593 on Afghanistan reflects global
sentiment and should continue to “guide our approach. India’s engagement will
be driven by its historical friendship with the Afghan people.”
The
resolution, adopted under India’s Presidency of the 15-nation Council in
August, demanded that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any
country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or to finance terrorist
acts, and reiterated the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan,
including those individuals and entities designated pursuant to resolution 1267
(1999), and noted the Taliban’s relevant commitments.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Terrorist
killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian
SEP
23, 2021
A
terrorist was killed by the security forces in Jammu Kashmir's Shopian early on
Thursday during an encounter, news agency ANI reported. The encounter started
on Wednesday night in Kashwa village.
The
security forces received an input about terrorist Anayat Ashraf Dar attacking a
civilian and injuring him in Kashwa village in Zainapora area of Shopian district
by opening fire, ANI quoted Jammu and Kashmir Police as saying. Soon, a cordon
and search operation (CASO) was launched, the police further said, ANI
reported.
They
said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire
towards the security forces drawing retaliation. The terrorist was offered to
surrender but he didn't, according to ANI.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Drugs
Aren’t Sold Based on Religion, Says Pinayari Vijayan on Bishop’s ‘Narcotics
Jihad’ Controversy
SEPTEMBER
23, 2021
As
controversy rages over Pala Archdiocese bishop’s statement on ‘love jihad’ and
‘narcotic jihad’, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said
statistics show no such practices in the state.
Speaking
at a function in Kottayam district on September 9, Bishop Mar Joseph
Kallarangat had alleged that Christians in Kerala were being subjected to “love
and narcotics jihad”, leading to protests from various Muslim organisations to
withdraw the remark.
Weighing
in on the issue, CM Vijayan said the allegation that Christian women were being
forcefully converted and lured into terrorist activities was not true. He added
that drugs are not peddled based on religion and there is no proof that those
selling drugs were from a particular community.
“Of
the cases registered under Narcotics Act in Kerala in 2020, 49.8% of the
accused are from the Hindu community, while 34.47% are from Muslim community,
and 15.73% are from Christian community. We are not seeing any unnatural
percentage among communities,” the CM said.
“Till
2019, around 100 Malayalees joined Islamic State (IS). Of them, 72 were working
abroad and got influenced by the IS from there. Among them, 71 are from the
Muslim community. Other 28 went from Kerala and only five were from other
religions who converted to Islam and joined the IS,” he added.
Source:
News18
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India's
oldest mosque Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala basks in past glory after
renovation
September
22, 2021
Thrissur:
India's first-ever mosque and the oldest in the sub-continent is all set to
welcome back devotees and general public after regaining its past glory and
grandeur.
The
classic beauty and humble style of the "Cheraman Juma Masjid", dating
back to 629 AD, was restored after a painstaking renovation and conservation
process spread over nearly 30 months under the state-run Muziris Heritage
Project (MHP).
Located
at Kodungallur taluk in this central Kerala district, the heritage structure
was recreated in tune with its original character and aesthetics, at a cost of
Rs 1.14 crore, PM Noushad, Managing Director of MHP, said.
Besides
the renovation and conservation initiative, which started in May 2019, a
two-storey Islamic Heritage Museum was also constructed in the mosque campus
spending nearly Rs 1 crore and its internal refurbishment is going on now, he
noted.
After
submitting the letter of completion to the government, the MHP authorities are
now awaiting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's date to reopen the oldest mosque
for visitors.
"It
is expected to happen any day.. We are waiting for a convenient day of the Chief
Minister for the inaugural function. If the COVID-19 situation is completely
under control, it may happen within the next two week," Noushad told PTI.
According
to Oral tradition, Cheraman Perumal, as the king, went to Arabia where he met
the Prophet (PBUH) and embraced Islam in the early 7th century.
From
there, he had sent letters, along with Malik Ibn Dinar, as a Persian scholar
who travelled to India.
Dinar
is believed to have built the masjid in 629 AD, five years after the king's
death.
Noushad
said they focused more on conserving the existing portions of the old structure
and recreate its appearance in the past based on the old photographs.
"We
demolished the additional concrete structure added to the main building in
1974. We recreated the old structure of the mosque with a tile roof as seen in
the old photographs," he said.
Luckily,
several portions of the basic structure were found retained as such, he said,
adding that such portions had been renovated and conserved.
Besides
the MHP's conservation effort, a multi-crore construction project is also
underway at the masjid under the aegis of the mosque management.
An
underground prayer hall, being constructed, is envisaged to accommodate at
least 2000-3000 devotees.
A
total of Rs 15-20 crore is expected for the same, the MD explained.
"It's
structural work and internal plastering is over. Flooring and beautification
work is pending and expected to be completed soon," he added.
The
MHP, entrusted with the heritage management by the state government, had
initiated discussions with the mosque committee and entered into an MoU with
them for implementing the renovation and conservation initiatives.
After
the renovation, the MHP is now awaiting the nod to include the Cheraman Juma
Masjid in the Union Ministry of Tourism's ''National Mission on Pilgrimage
Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD).
A
proposal for a Rs 10 crore project has been submitted to the Centre in this
regard, the official said adding that the construction of a facilitation centre
and the rejuvenation of a pond in the mosque campus would be a reality if it is
included in the PRASAD scheme.
"A
large number of people from across the state are coming here now to have a
glimpse of the renovated structure of the oldest mosque,'' Noushad added.
Source:
Firstpost
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'Sarv
dharm sambhav': Sara Ali Khan visits temple, mosque, church in Kashmir
September
23, 2021
Sara
Ali Khan on Wednesday shared photos from her recent Kashmir visit during which
she visited various religious places. In the photos she is seen at a church,
mosque, temple and gurdwara.
“If
there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this. Sarv Dharm Sambhav,”
she captioned the post, indicating her respect for all religions.
Later,
Sara also took to her Instagram handle to share a picture from interaction with
the Indian Army. In the pic, she is seen standing with the soldiers and the
Indian flag flying high in the frame. “So thrilled to meet the heroes that make
us feel us safe, secure and protected. Thank you for all that you do for us.
Jai Hind,” she wrote.
Sara,
who had earlier travelled to the Maldives had shared breathtaking pictures from
the vacation.
Source:
The Week
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Pakistan
claims threat to New Zealand team sent from India-linked device; Delhi terms
charges 'frivolous'
Sep
23, 2021
ISLAMABAD/
NEW DELHI: Indian government sources on Wednesday termed as “frivolous”
allegations by the Pakistani establishment that a threatening email was sent to
the New Zealand cricket squad from a device associated with India and this
prompted the Kiwis to call off their tour of the country last week, citing
security reasons.
Pakistan's
information minister Fawad Chaudhry and interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed
told a joint press conference in Islamabad that in August, a fake social media
post was created under the name of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant
Ehsanullah Ehsan, which threatened the New Zealand cricket board and government
and asked them not to send their team to Pakistan as it would be ‘targeted’.
Subsequently, a threatening email was sent to the New Zealand team using the ID
‘Hamza Afridi’, the minister added, claiming that investigating authorities
discovered that the email was sent from a device associated with India. “It was
sent using a virtual private network (VPN) so the location was shown as
Singapore.”
While
there was no official reaction from India, government sources said these are
frivolous allegations which should not be taken seriously.
Chaudhry
said that soon after the threatening mail, The Sunday Guardian bureau chief
Abhinandan Mishra published an article claiming that the New Zealand cricket
team may face a terrorist attack in Pakistan. The minister claimed that Mishra
has strong links with former Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh.
Mishra
stood by his report and claimed in a statement that after the Pakistani
ministers’ press conference in Islamabad, Ehsanullah Ehsan released an audio
recording “reiterating that he had made the statement through his Facebook
profile and that he did this for the 'protection of New Zealand cricketers'.”
Mishra
said his report was based on the statement made by Ehsan, “who by multiple
independent, local, published accounts has been very close to the Pakistan army
and its intelligence agency, the ISI”.
“He
(Ehsan) had shared the statement regarding a possible attack on the New Zealand
team publicly on his Facebook profile. I also verified through independent
sources that Ehsan has indeed written about an imminent ISIS attack on the New
Zealand team. I also confirmed the possibility of an ISIS-planned attack on the
cricket team through sources in Pakistan and in Afghanistan,” Mishra said. The
journalist added that he had reached out to ICC and New Zealand Cricket for
their response on Ehsan’s claims, which were duly incorporated in the story.
On
Chaudhry’s allegations that the journalist had strong links with the former
Afghan vice-president, Mishra said: “All I can say is that I know him in a
professional capacity, just like any other journalist would know him.”
Chaudhry
also claimed in the press conference that New Zealand cricketer Martin Guptill’s
wife had received an email threatening her husband. He said the email ID used
‘Tehreek-i-Labbaik’ as the username. The email claimed that the cricketer would
be killed in Pakistan. The minister added that the email was sent via
ProtonMail, a secure service.
Chaudhry
said on the day of the first match New Zealand officials said that their
government had concerns of a credible threat and cancelled the tour.
Source:
Times of India
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Southeast Asia
Kelantan
gives nod to marriage solemnisation at mosques, private premises
23
Sep 2021
KOTA
BHARU, Sept 23 — Kelantan allows marriage solemnisation ceremonies to be held
at private premises or mosques with immediate effect.
Kelantan
Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jaheaik) director Datuk Che Mohd Rahim
Jusoh said however, the ceremonies must not exceed 30 minutes and be conducted
in full compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set.
Apart
from that, he said the ceremonies are only allowed to be attended by 10 people
who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, including the bride and bridegroom,
marriage official, wali or legal guardian of the bride and witnesses.
“For
couples and guardians of the bride who have not been fully vaccinated, they are
required to undergo a Covid-19 screening test at least two days before the
ceremony.
“Those
who conduct the screening using the self-screening test kit must update the
result via the MySejahtera application,” he said in a statement today.
Che
Mohd Rahim said the guardians of the bride can apply for wakalah wali
(representative) if they are unable to attend the ceremony.
Source:
Malay Mail
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Chinese
FM says economic sanctions on Afghanistan must end
September
23, 2021
China's
State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the various unilateral
sanctions or restrictions on Afghanistan should be lifted as soon as possible.
Economic
sanctions on Afghanistan must end, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a
statement, citing Wang at a virtual G20 foreign ministers' meeting on
Afghanistan on Wednesday.
Afghanistan's
foreign exchange reserves are national assets that should belong to the
country's people and be used by its own people, and not be used as a bargaining
chip to exert political pressure on Afghanistan, he said.
While
most of the countries have adopted a wait-and-see approach to engagement with
the Taliban, China has said it is ready to deepen “friendly and cooperative”
relations with the Taliban following their takeover. It has also expressed
willingness to maintain communication with the leaders of the new Taliban
government in Afghanistan, calling its establishment a "necessary
step" in reconstruction.
Last
month, Hua Chunying, a spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, had said,
"The Taliban have repeatedly expressed their hope to develop good
relations with China, and that they look forward to China's participation in
the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan."
“We
welcome this. China respects the right of the Afghan people to independently
determine their own destiny and is willing to continue to develop ... friendly
and cooperative relations with Afghanistan,” she had added.
That
followed Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen saying China had played a
constructive role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and was
welcome to contribute to the rebuilding of the country.
Source:
Dawn
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Arab World
Saudi
Arabia aims to maintain peace, resolve conflicts peacefully: King Salman
22
September ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz said during his first address to the United
Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that the Kingdom is one of the founding
members of the United Nations, and it has been committed to its purposes and principles,
which aim to maintain international peace and security, resolve conflicts
peacefully, respect sovereignty and independence, and non-interference in the
internal affairs of countries.
King
Salman added that the Kingdom continues to confront extremist ideology based on
hatred and exclusion, and the practices of terrorist groups and sectarian
militias that destroy people and nations.
King
Salman said during his address to the General Assembly that Iran is a
neighboring country and that Saudi Arabia hopes that initial talks with it will
lead to tangible results to build confidence and pave the way for achieving the
aspirations of the two nations’ peoples in relations of cooperation based on
adherence to the principles and resolutions of international legitimacy,
respect for sovereignty, and its cessation of support for terrorist groups and
sectarian militias.
King
Salman added that the Kingdom stresses the importance of making the Middle East
region free of weapons of mass destruction, supports international efforts
aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, and expresses its
deep concern over Iranian steps that contradict its commitments and contradict
what it always declares that its nuclear program is peaceful.
King
Salman added that the peace initiative in Yemen, which Saudi Arabia presented
last March, can end the conflict, sparing blood and putting an end to the
suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people.
“Unfortunately,
the terrorist Houthi militias still refuse peaceful solutions, and are betting
on the military option to control more lands in Yemen,” the King added.
King
Salman said that the Iran-backed Houthi militias use the suffering of the
Yemeni people, their urgent need for humanitarian assistance, and the risks
resulting from the deterioration of the situation, as bargaining chips and
blackmail, and attack daily on civilian objects inside the Kingdom, and
threaten international navigation and international energy supplies.
“The
Kingdom reserves its legitimate right to defend itself in the face of attacks
by ballistic missiles, drones, and booby-trapped boats, and categorically
rejects any attempts to interfere in its internal affairs,” King Salman added.
King
Salman added that Saudi Arabia stresses the importance of the international
community standing firm before everyone who supports, sponsors, finances and
harbors terrorist groups and sectarian militias or uses them as a means to
spread chaos and destruction and extend hegemony and influence.
“The
Kingdom’s foreign policy attaches great importance to consolidating security
and stability, supporting dialog and peaceful solutions, and providing
conditions that support development and achieve people’s aspirations for a
better tomorrow, in the Middle East and the world at large,” King Salman added.
King
Salman added that the Kingdom supports efforts aimed at a binding peaceful
solution to the problem of the Renaissance Dam in a manner that preserves the
water rights of Egypt and Sudan, and peaceful solutions under the auspices of
the United Nations to the crises in Libya and Syria, and all efforts to achieve
peace and stability in Afghanistan, and the aspirations of its people and
guaranteeing their rights of all spectrums.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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At
least 62 children died in Roj, al-Hol camps in Syria this year: Save the
Children
22
September ,2021
Two
children die every week in al-Hol, one of the overcrowded Syrian camps where
families with suspected links to ISIS are stranded, Save the Children said
Thursday.
The
charity said many countries, including EU states, were abandoning thousands of
children in their desert limbo, vulnerable to violence, fires, malnutrition and
illness.
Save
the Children said a total of 40,000 children from 60 different countries were
living in dire conditions in the camps of Roj and al-Hol in northeastern Syria.
“Many
of the world’s richest countries have failed to bring home the majority of
their children stuck in” the two displacement camps, the group said in a
statement.
It
said 62 children had died of various causes so far this year, including
violence, disease and accidents.
Save
the Children said a total of 73 people, including two children, were murdered
in al-Hol alone so far this year.
The
remote camps managed by the Kurdish forces that control the area were meant to
house the families of men who had been detained over suspected ties to ISIS.
However
they also hold many families who simply fled ISIS occupation of their homes in
Iraq and Syria. Some have been there for more than four years.
Save
the Children interviewed several children trapped behind the fences of al-Hol,
where they live like prisoners and from which their governments are unwilling
to repatriate them.
“I
cannot endure this life any more. We do nothing but wait,” said one 11-year-old
Lebanese girl who was interviewed in May and was since reportedly killed during
a failed escape attempt in a water truck.
The
charity said France had 320 children held in both camps but had only
repatriated 35. The United Kingdom has 60 and only brought four home.
“What
we are seeing here is governments simply abandoning children, who are first and
foremost victims of conflict,” said Sonia Khush, director of Save the
Children’s Syria response.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia is world’s biggest donor of humanitarian aid to Yemen: KSrelief
23
September ,2021
Saudi
Arabia is the world’s biggest donor of humanitarian aid to Yemen, having
pledged $18 billion to the country over the past six years, the King Salman
Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) has said.
Adviser
at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz al-Rabeeah, said the Kingdom has provided $848 million in the past
year alone to provide urgent financial assistance to Yemen, home to the world’s
largest humanitarian crisis, state news agency SPA reported Thursday.
Dr
al-Rabeeah’s words came during a high-level UN meeting co-hosted by Sweden,
Switzerland and the European Union, on the sidelines of the 76th session of the
United Nations General Assembly in New York.
He
explained that the Yemeni people have faced major humanitarian crises over the
past decades, exacerbated by the conflicts erupting in the country.
Although
donor countries have provided billions of dollars over the past six years to
mitigate the effects of humanitarian crises in Yemen, organizations are still
facing several obstacles and challenges – including the ongoing violations
committed by the Iran-backed Houthi militia which prevent the delivery of aid
to the beneficiaries.
He
also expressed his regret that children and women are the most affected by
these violations, which limit their access to food and necessary medical
supplies.
As
an extension of the Kingdom’s humanitarian stances and its continuous support
for Yemen, through KSrelief and in coordination with the United Nations and
international and local non-governmental organizations, the projects will
continue to be implemented in Yemen during the remainder of 2021, which are
estimated at $90 million, he added.
He
said that financial donations alone will not alleviate the humanitarian crisis
in Yemen, and that it is no secret that the ongoing aggression being carried
out by Houthi militias against UN organizations and international
non-governmental organizations deepens the suffering of the Yemeni people,
especially in the areas that they control.
UN,
agencies warn vital aid lack funding
It
came as international donors pledged an additional $600 million to tackle
Yemen’s crisis on Wednesday, as the United Nations and other aid agencies
warned that vital aid programs would be cut this year without more funding.
This
year’s $3.85 billion aid response plan to what the UN describes as the world’s
largest humanitarian crisis had been only half funded before Wednesday’s
high-level UN meeting.
A
significant gap in funding for the aid response in Yemen, which has been
divided by seven years of war, opened up last year, forcing some aid programs
to close and the UN to warn of increasing risk of famine.
In
response more funds were given earlier this year to food programs, but this
left other sectors such as sanitation and protection severely underfunded.
“This
has helped push back famine and pull people back from the brink of despair,”
Martin Griffiths - the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs
and Emergency Relief Coordinator and former Yemen envoy - told the meeting.
Significant
additional pledges on Wednesday included $291 million from the US, $100 million
from Qatar, and $90 million from Saudi Arabia.
A
child dies every ten minutes in Yemen, 2.3 million children are acutely
malnourished and 400,000 are at imminent risk of death from severe acute
malnutrition, the head of the UN children’s agency UNICEF said.
The
UN meeting called on donors to urgently disburse existing pledges to make
additional contributions and to distribute funds across all aid sectors.
Ninety-eight
percent of pledges made earlier this year have been fulfilled, taking funds
disbursed so far to just over $2 billion, said Griffiths.
King
Salman address UN General Assembly
Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz made his first address to the United Nations
General Assembly on Wednesday, saying that the Kingdom is one of the founding
members of the UN, and it has been committed to its purposes and principles,
which aim to maintain international peace and security, resolve conflicts
peacefully, respect sovereignty and independence, and non-interference in the
internal affairs of countries.
King
Salman added that the peace initiative in Yemen, which Saudi Arabia presented
last March, can end the conflict, sparing blood and putting an end to the
suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia’s defence forces destroy ballistic missile heading to Jazan
23
September ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s Defense Forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile
that was launched towards the Kingdom’s Jazan, the Arab Coalition announced on
Thursday.
The
defense forces’ efficiency helped to thwart all the attempts by the Iran-backed
militia to attack Saudi Arabia, the coalition added.
The
coalition will be taking the necessary operational measures to target the
sources of the threat in accordance with international humanitarian law, the
coalition said in the statement.
The
attack comes as Saudi Arabia is marking its 91st National Day on Thursday. The
Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been ramping up attacks on civilians and
civilian objects in the Kingdom in recent months.
Earlier
on Thursday, the Arab Coalition said it foiled an imminent attack by the
Houthis, who were using two booby-trapped boats off the coast of the Hodeidah
port in Yemen.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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‘Eight
decades of partnership’: US congratulates Saudi Arabia on 91st National Day
23
September ,2021
The
US congratulates Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the Kingdom’s 91st National
Day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday.
“My
best wishes to the people of Saudi Arabia for a happy national day and a
successful year ahead,” Blinked said.
“The
United States of America and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have shared eight
decades of partnership, cooperation, and mutual friendship. The strength of our
ties has propelled our two nations’ prosperity and has underpinned the region’s
security,” Blinken said in the statement.
The
US and the Kingdom will be expanding their relations to include addressing the
challenges of climate change as well as supporting a strong international
response to the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.
The
two countries will also continue to work together to “address shared security
challenges and forge a future of peace and economic prosperity,” the top US official
added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Arab
Coalition foils Houthi attack, destroys booby-trapped boats in the Red Sea
22
September ,2021
The
Arab Coalition on Thursday said it foiled an imminent attack by the Iran-backed
Houthi militia using two booby-trapped boats off the coast of the Hodeidah port
in Yemen.
The
coalition was able to destroy the boats off the coast of the As-Salif village
before the Houthis carried out their operation, according to a statement
carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The
Iran-backed group continues to threaten maritime navigation and international
trade in the southern Red Sea, the Arab Coalition said.
The
Houthis also continue to violate the Stockholm Agreement by planning hostile
attacks from the Hodeidah governorate, which is currently under their control,
the statement added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Deputy Defence Minister meets with US Envoy to Yemen
22
September ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman has met with US Envoy
to Yemen Tim Lenderking to review and discuss the latest developments in Yemen.
“Met
with #USEnvoyYemen Tim Lenderking to review the latest developments in Yemen,
and discuss mutual efforts to support the Saudi peace initiative and UN efforts
to reach a political resolution that achieves security and stability for the
Yemeni people and the region,” Prince Khalid tweeted on Wednesday.
The
meeting comes as the Iran-backed Houthis have ramped up attacks on Saudi
Arabia’s southern border cities in recent weeks.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Senior
US official planning visit to region next week, including stop in Saudi Arabia
22
September ,2021
US
President Joe Biden’s national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, is preparing to
make his first trip to the Middle East next week, sources familiar with the
visit said Wednesday.
Sullivan
will make stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, according
to a report first published by Axios.
The
trip to Saudi Arabia comes at a time when bilateral ties between Washington and
Riyadh have soured as a result of Biden’s efforts to “recalibrate” the
relationship since taking office.
Sullivan
will also be the highest-ranking US official to visit Saudi Arabia under the
Biden administration.
Secretary
of Defense Lloyd Austin was scheduled to make a trip to the Kingdom while on a
tour of the region earlier this month. However, his trip was postponed at the
last minute due to what Washington said were “scheduling” issues.
The
White House did not confirm or deny details of Sullivan’s trip.
Last
week, the US State Department approved the sale of $500 million in equipment to
Saudi Arabia, which includes maintenance support services for helicopters,
including Saudi Arabia’s Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, as well as a future
fleet of CH-47D Chinook helicopters.
In
July, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman met
with Sullivan and other senior Biden administration officials in Washington,
including Austin and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Miller.
Sullivan’s
stops in the UAE and Egypt are expected to focus on human rights and bilateral
relations.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/al-azhar-sunni-afghanistan-taliban/d/125422