Al-Qaida Chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri’s Appeal to Do “Hijrah” Or Migrate to Assam “Disturbing”: Cops Continue to Bust Modules of Ansar-ul-Islam, an AQIS Chapter
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 July 2022
Al-Qaida chief Aymenn
al-Zawahiri. File photo
----
• Taliban Leader, Akhundzada, Calls for Implementation
of Sharia Law in Afghanistan, Says Islamic Emirate spokesman
• New Fatwa Issued by Egypt’s Al-Azhar Sparked Outrage
and Criticism among Egyptians
• Islamic State Terrorists in Afghanistan Increased To
6,000 since Taliban Takeover: Russia
• Integrated Mideast Defence System Still Only an
Idea, Says US Official
India
• Islamic Terror Module Linked To Ansarullah Bangla
Team and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent Busted In Assam, 11 Detained
• 2nd Shocker from Karnataka in 3 Days: On Cam, Masked
Men Stab Mangaluru Muslim Youth; Section 144 Imposed
• As Bihar’s Dance Troupes Expand Flesh Trade, Love
Jihad and Conversion Enter the Unholy Mix
• Targeted Because We Are Muslims, Says Father of
Accused Arrested In Karnataka BJP Worker's Murder
• Martyrdom anniversary of Umar Ibn al Khattab
observed in Kashmir
--------
South Asia
• U.S. Senators Urge UN to Take ‘Meaningful Actions’
in Defence of Afghans Rights
• Afghan Frozen Assets Discussed At Meeting between
Taliban Delegation and US Officials in Tashkent
--------
Arab World
• Traditional Intra-Group Rivalry Impeding New
Government Formation in Iraq
• Kurdish authorities unearth dozens of bodies in mass
grave in Syria
• At least 17 dead in rare clashes in Syria’s Sweida
• Syrian ship carrying ‘stolen Ukrainian barley,
flour’ docks in Tripoli: Embassy
• Four Syrian Kurds killed in Turkish strike: Kurdish
forces
--------
Europe
• Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince holds summit with
France’s President at Elysee Palace
--------
North America
• US State Department confirms new funds for Lebanon’s
army, police
• 'No One’s Gotten to the Bottom Of 9/11' Trump Says
--------
Pakistan
• High Court Rejects Petition Seeking Orders To Block
Deal Between Govt And TTP
• Coalition Conspiring Against Judiciary While Economy
Plummets: PTI
• Govt Must Send Presidential Reference to SC for Full
Bench’s Interpretation of Article 63-A: Pakistan Democratic Movement
• Peshawar police arrest 20-year-old for sexually
assaulting, killing minor girls
• PTI files complaint against ANP leader
• PM alarmed over delay in PTI funding case verdict
--------
Southeast Asia
• Religious Affairs Minister Warns Oktoberfest Could
'Compromise Safety of Community' If Open To Public
• Malay-Muslim Company meets food crisis challenge
head on
• Don’t give in to PN’s demand for DPM post, Isham
tells PM
--------
Mideast
• Israel Refuses Jordanian King's Request to Send Qur'an
Copies to Al-Aqsa
• President Rayeesi: Regional Security Indebted to
Iran's Power
• Iran Busts Israeli-Linked Spy Network
• Iran's N. Chief: Construction of Research Reactor to
Start within Weeks
• Iran arrests five suspected members of an
Israeli-linked spy network
--------
Africa
• Nigerian Military Kills 30 Terrorists Who Ambushed
Soldiers in Capital
• Kano Govt Declares Monday Work Free Day to Mark New
Islamic Year
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/qaida-ayman-zawahiri-hijra-assam-aqis/d/127601
--------
Al-Qaida Chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri’s Appeal to Do
“Hijrah” Or Migrate to Assam “Disturbing”: Cops Continue to Bust Modules of
Ansar-ul-Islam, an AQIS Chapter
Al-Qaida chief Aymenn
al-Zawahiri. File photo
----
Jul 29, 2022
GUWAHATI: Assam has termed al-Qaida chief Aymenn
al-Zawahiri’s appeal to do “Hijrah” or migrate to Assam “disturbing” as police
continue to bust modules of Ansar ul-Islam, a chapter of al-Qaida in Indian
Subcontinent (AQIS), in the state.
Ansar ul-Islam is known to radicalise youths of the
state through religious teachings. Nearly 30 members of the terror outfit have
been nabbed in the state this year.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday
said “a section of fundamentalists is working in Bangladesh to destabilise the
country” and “since Assam and Bangladesh share the international boundary,
there is some danger in our state also. The central and state governments are
working in tandem to destroy the modules.”
Assam Police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said, “AQIS
is showing interest to expand its network into the northeast. In one of the
videos AQIS has released, Al Qaeda (AQ) leader Aymenn al-Zawahiri has himself
appealed to do hijrah into Assam, which means go to Assam. That is disturbing.
Another disturbing factor is that AQIS’s quarterly magazine is now being
published in Bengali language, which is dangerous.”
“Maybe it is an attempt to radicalise young people.
But our boys and girls have not fallen into their trap,” he added.
Investigations revealed that most of the arrested
members of the AQIS modules had entered India through West Bengal before
shifting to Assam to refine their training and start working.
According to the source in Assam police, the group
chooses West Bengal and Assam as they can utilise the language to radicalise
the youngsters.
Additional DGP (special branch) Hiren Nath said the
modus operandi of Ansar ul-Islam differs from other banned militant
organisations like Ulfa-I. “Ansar ul-Islam radicalises youths by religious
teachings. The effect of the radicalisation can be seen after five or 10
years,” he added.
The first module busted in March in lower Assam’s
Barpeta district was active in the district and adjacent districts from around
2019-20. Saiful Islam alias Harun Rashid alias Mohammed Suman, one of the five
members of the group who were arrested in March, had entered India from
Bangladesh “illegally” in 2018. He had first gone to Uttar Pradesh from where
he moved to West Bengal before moving to Assam in 2019-20 to carry out jihadi
activities.
To establish his network, Islam, who originally hails
from Narayanganj in Bangladesh, married a girl in Chirang district, that falls
in Bodoaland Territorial Region, and settled down in Howli in Barpeta.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Taliban
Leader, Akhundzada, Calls for Implementation of Sharia Law in Afghanistan, Says
Islamic Emirate Spokesman
Leader
of the Islamic Emirate Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada (PHOTO: Social Media)
----
By
Arif Ahmadi
29
Jul 2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan – Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid in a statement
Thursday said that the leader of the Islamic Emirate Mawlawi Hibatullah
Akhundzada held a gathering with the provincial governors in Kandahar,
stressing the need for preserving the Islamic values.
Akhundzada
called for the implementation of Sharia law, saying any law enacted by the
people are not acceptable and that every problem should be solved by Sharia.
“Over
the past 20 years, there have been a lot of anti-Shari and Islam rhetoric and
laws which are made by the people is not implementable,” he was quoted in the
statement.
Meanwhile,
analysts and local rights activists questioned the implementation of law the
so-called Islamic Emirate leadership is biding to implement throughout the
country, saying both the fundamental and Sharia laws are crucial for overall
development.
“The
laws should be implemented so as not to be against and in contrast with Sharia,
so if it is something like this, that is an Islamic law,” said Ghulam Sakhi
Ihsani, university instructor, as TOLOnews quoted.
According
to the statement, all rights concerning women and minorities in the country
must be upon Sharia, stressing the implementation of a latest decree by the
supreme leader that has at least six articles.
“How
is Sharia law implemented while the schools for girls’ students above grade six
have remained closed for more than 313 days and women are deprived of their
basic rights which is the right to education?” said Marriam Marouf Arveen, a
female rights’ activist.
Meanwhile,
the statement exclaimed it is the responsibility of all citizens and media
organizations to bring this decree into effect.
Earlier,
at least four American senators voiced their concerns over human rights
violations in Afghanistan on a letter to the Secretary-General of the United
Nations Antonio Guterres, saying “we must not stand by as the Taliban seeks to
erase the human rights of Afghan women and girls.”
Robert
Menendez, James E. Risch, Jeanne Shaheen and Joni K. Ernst were the senators
who wrote to the UN Secretary General, urging the intergovernmental
organization to take “meaningful actions” in defense of human rights of
Afghans.
“The
United Nations has an opportunity to take meaningful actions that will send a
clear, unequivocal message to the world that its member nations will defend the
human rights of Afghans, particularly women and girls,” the letter reads, as
TOLOnews quoted.
They
say that the Islamic Emirate leadership take advantage of the UN travel exception
outside Afghanistan, building diplomatic relations with other countries.
“The
UN travel exemption has failed to produce meaningful dialogue with the Taliban
nor spur them to take concrete actions to demonstrate their respect for the
human rights and freedoms of the Afghan people,” the letter reads.
“Moreover,
Taliban leaders have misused the exemption, traveling to Beijing and Moscow in
efforts to establish diplomatic ties.”
Emphasizing
on the ever-increasing restrictions and ongoing violation of human rights by
the Taliban leadership, these senators urged the United Nations to exclude
Taliban of any seat at the United Nations.
“We
urge you to work to ensure the Taliban does not receive a seat at the United
Nations when the UN Credentials Committee meets this September to determine
diplomatic representation for Afghanistan,” the letter further added.
International
community – including world leaders – laid down conditions before giving the
Taliban a formal identity to lead the Afghanistan republic government: 1-
Observe women’s right, 2- freedom of speech, 3- formation of inclusive
government, 4- and never use of Afghan soil as a threat to other countries,
including the United States.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-leader-calls-for-implementation-of-sharia-law-in-afghanista
--------
New
Fatwa Issued by Egypt’s Al-Azhar Sparked Outrage and Criticism among Egyptians
Muslim
Egyptians perform the morning prayer of the Eid al-Adha holiday in the capital
Cairo on Sept. 12, 2016. - AFP via Getty Images
----
July
28, 2022
CAIRO
— A veiling fatwa recently issued by Egypt’s Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest
religious authority, has sparked outrage and criticism among Egyptians.
On
July 8, Al-Azhar's Global Center for Electronic Fatwas published its “Eid
Prohibitions,” a series of measures to observe during Eid al-Adha, on Facebook.
One forbids women from leaving home without the hijab.
The
statement was met with widespread criticism online. The following day, the
institution changed the wording to forbid women from attending Eid prayers
without the veil.
The
change, however, did not put an end to the controversy.
The
Arabic hashtag for “Down with Sheikh Al-Azhar,” demanding the ouster of
Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, trended on Twitter.
Sahar
al-Jaara, an Egyptian journalist who writes for several Egyptian newspapers
including al-Watan and Al-Masry Al-Youm, tweeted July 10, “The Al-Azhar sheikh
is not the guardian of society and the veil is not an obligation.”
Neither
Al-Azhar nor Tayeb have publicly responded to the comments.
While
this was not Egypt's first veiling controversy, it was the first criticism
leveled against Al-Azhar's grand imam himself, and many clerics have responded
by attacking the fatwa's critics.
Rida
al-Danbouki, director of the Women’s Center for Guidance and Legal Awareness,
told Al-Monitor, “The renewed debate over the headscarf in Egypt is nothing but
an attempt by clerics to impose patriarchal control and oppression on women’s
bodies,” calling such efforts "misogynistic and incitement against women.”
Danbouki
explained, “The Egyptian constitution stresses the personal freedom of all
citizens and strictly forbids infringing upon it,” referring to Articles 54 and
99.
He
added, “Women are completely free to wear whatever they want, whenever they
want, without any supervision from anyone or male control, and without being
discriminated against. Everyone is equal before the law.”
Fatiha
al-Hanafi, a professor of jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, told
Al-Monitor, “Some parties are hostile to Al-Azhar,” adding, “These parties tend
to spark controversies over established doctrinal issues in Islamic law,
including the issue of the hijab.”
She
went on, “According to all three [Abrahamic] religions, whether Judaism,
Christianity or Islam, women must wear the veil and loose clothing. Also, the
Quran specifically refers to the hijab in Verse 31 of Surah an-Nur,” she said.
“Yet some insist on confusing these religious concepts that are uncontested,
namely the issue of the hijab.”
Abbas
Shouman, the Al-Azhar official responsible for issuing fatwas, wrote in a July
16 Facebook post that the organizers of music events ought to force attendees
to wear loose white clothes.
“Obliging
women and men to wear white to attend an event does not contradict personal
freedoms. It is just a reminder for women to observe the hijab dress code,
which is a religious duty,” he added.
Meanwhile,
Noha Mohammad, a 20-year-old Egyptian university student, told Al-Monitor, “The
controversy around Al-Azhar’s electronic fatwa is misplaced. It is only normal
for women going to prayers to be veiled, whether they wear it in their daily
lives or not,” adding, “The way I see it, it did not say anything on imposing
the headscarf on women in general.”
“The
hijab issue has become almost a phobia for some, in light of the tendencies of
scholars such as Saad al-Din al-Hilali and others to impose the headscarf on
women,” Mohammad said.
Sara
al-Sayed, an Egyptian woman in her 30s, told Al-Monitor, “Religious
institutions are fighting to impose the hijab as a religious duty. But at the
end of the day, this remains a personal freedom. Every woman is free to put it
on or to give it up. Women are completely free in their choices, regardless of
any institution.”
Saeed
Sadiq, a professor of political sociology at the American University in Cairo,
told Al-Monitor, “The controversy surrounding the headscarf in Egypt is an
attempt by many clerics to impose male dominance on Egyptian women.” He went
on, “This is an unending controversial issue, as are all women’s issues,
because of the Egyptian clergy’s focus on them, while ignoring political issues
and other matters.”
Sadiq
said, “Most of the recent fatwas have been focusing on women's clothing. But
what about women’s education and protection from violence in the street, at
home and at work?”
Source:
Al Monitor
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/07/new-fatwa-reignites-hijab-controversy-egypt
--------
Islamic
State Terrorists in Afghanistan Increased To 6,000 since Taliban Takeover:
Russia
Image:
AP
----
28
July, 2022
Moscow
[Russia], July 28 (ANI): The number of Islamic State terrorist organization
members in Afghanistan increased three times to 6,000 since the Taliban came to
power last year, Zamir Kabulov, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s
Second Asian Department, said on Thursday.
“As
far as we understand, their approximate estimated number has reached 6,000. If
you remember, after the Taliban came to power and took tough steps against the
IS, their number was about 2,000 more or less. That is, even approximately, a
three-fold increase,” Kabulov said at a press conference at the Rossiya
Segodnya international media group.
“This
is the most negative side of the development of the Afghan situation, because
the IS, as before, are sharpened to destabilize not only Afghanistan, but also
its neighbors,” he was quoted as saying by Sputnik.
Since
the Taliban seized power in August last year, the Islamic group has been
fighting with the IS in several provinces.
Armed
groups linked to the Afghan branch of the Islamic State have carried out
bombings targeting ethnic Hazaras, Afghan Shias, Sufis, and others, killing and
injuring hundreds.
Last
month, a new report prepared for the UN Security Council said the Taliban
regime faces multiple threats from al-Qaida, the Islamic State, and an
insurgency in the northern region of Panjshir.
According
to the report, neither IS nor al-Qaida is expected to be able to launch
international attacks “before 2023 at the earliest, regardless of their intent
or of whether the Taliban acts to restrain them.”
“While
seeking international recognition to re-engage with the international financial
system and to receive aid in order to deal with the growing economic and
humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan,” the experts said.
“Since
taking power, however, there have been many factors creating internal tensions
within the movement, leading to perceptions that the Taliban’s governance has
been chaotic, disjointed and prone to reversing policies and going back on
promises,” they added. (ANI)
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Integrated
Mideast Defence System Still Only an Idea, Says US Official
U.S.
President Joe Biden walks to board a plane following an Arab summit, at King
Abdulaziz International Airprot, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 16, 2022.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo
-----
28
July ,2022
A
senior US administration official said on Thursday that there was no framework
yet for an integrated Middle East air and missile defense system but that the
US believes there is potential for a multilateral regional approach for
security.
President
Joe Biden raised the matter during a visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this month
where he held a summit with leaders from nine Arab states following a trip to
Israel, but left with no public Arab support for a regional security axis.
“It's
an idea right now, there's no framework for it ... but it was important for the
president to raise the issue of better regional integrated air and missile
defense,” said the administration official, who declined to be named.
“We
think, particularly given the increasing threat of Iran's ballistic missiles,
there's great promise here in having a more networked, more integrated, more
cooperative approach to air missile defense.”
Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been frustrated by US conditions on
arms sales. The two countries were also irked by their exclusion from indirect
US-Iran talks on reviving a 2015 nuclear pact they see as flawed for not
addressing Iran's missile program and regional behavior.
Israel,
which shares their concern over Iran, encouraged Biden's trip to Jeddah, hoping
it would foster a warming between Saudi Arabia and Israel as part of a wider
Arab rapprochement after the UAE and Bahrain forged ties with Israel.
During
the trip, Saudi Arabia announced it would open its airspace to all air
carriers, paving the way for more overflights to and from Israel. The Saudi
foreign minister later said this was not a precursor to further steps and that
he was not aware of any discussions on a Gulf-Israeli defense alliance.
Iran
accused Washington of using “Iranophobia” to create regional tension during
Biden's visit.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
India
Islamic
Terror Module Linked To Ansarullah Bangla Team and Al-Qaeda in the Indian
Subcontinent Busted In Assam, 11 Detained
28th
July 2022
GUWAHATI:
Assam Police along with Central agencies on Thursday detained 11 people in
connection with Islamic fundamentalism and linked with Bangladesh-based radical
outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent
(AQIS).
"Assam
Police has detained 11 persons from Morigaon, Barpeta, Guwahati and Goalpara
districts. They are connected to Islamic fundamentalism having linkages with
global terror outfits viz. AQIS and ABT. Further action is being taken per
law," GP Singh, Special DGP L&O, Border, Director V&AC & Chief
Anti-Rhino Poaching Task Force, Assam, told ANI.
Jamiul
Huda Madrassa, a building at Sahariagaon of Morigaon has been sealed. It is
suspected of being a harbour or safe house of the detained persons, added the
police.
"We
got info about a man named Mustafa who runs a madrassa in Moriabari associated
with anti-national activities. He's linked with financing of the Ansarullah
Bangla Team related to Al-Qaeda in the sub-continent. Case registered under
various sections of UAPA," said Aparna N, SP, Morigaon.
The
police have seized numerous electronic devices and incriminating documents from
detained persons.
Further
investigation and operations are being carried out to unearth the linkages and
network.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
2nd
Shocker from Karnataka in 3 Days: On Cam, Masked Men Stab Mangaluru Muslim
Youth; Section 144 Imposed
JULY
29, 2022
Just
2 days after a BJP Yuva Morcha worker was hacked to death, another shocker from
Karnataka’s Mangalore. A 23-year-old Muslim man, identified as Mohammed Fazil,
a resident of Mangalpete near Surathkal was attacked in his home town near
Mangalore. The gruesome attack seemed almost like a copycat incident of that of
Praveen Nettaru’s murder in Bellare.
The
entire incident was caught on CCTV and follows a similar pattern were a group
of unknown masked attackers were seen charging at him, who then chase him and
then brutally assault and stab the Muslim man. The incident occurred while
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was in Mangalore to visit to the house of
Praveen Nettar who was murdered in Bellare, just two hours away from Surathkal.
The
chilling CCTV clip shows moments of the attack that took place outside a
textile shop at Surathkal where the gang is seen beating the man up. The
attackers are also seen fleeing the scene. The aftermath of the attack shows
parts of the shop vandalised.
“At
around 8pm (on July 28), there was an incident where a 23-year-old boy was
brutally attacked by 4-5 people near Krishnapura Katipalla road, Surathkal. The
boy was immediately shifted to a hospital & was declared dead,” N Shashi
Kumar, Mangaluru Police Commissioner told ANI. According to the Police
Commissioner, the man was attacked using a lethal weapon and that a case has
been filed at Surathkal police station. Section 144 has also been imposed at
Surathkal, Mulki, Bajpe and Panambur in Mangalore.
Cops
also said that “The motive behind the incident & the identity of the
culprits is being investigated” and appealed to not fall prey to rumours by
what they termed “vested-interest groups”.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
As
Bihar’s Dance Troupes Expand Flesh Trade, Love Jihad and Conversion Enter the
Unholy Mix
Siddhartha
Rai
July
28, 2022
New
Delhi: It’s always been a bad business. Now it’s getting worse, much worse.
Bihar’s
travelling dance troupes have incorporated some really nasty moves in the
sex-trafficking rackets they are known for, using love jihad and conversion to
further their primary money-spinning activity. These troupes, known popularly
as orchestras, have now expanded their reach to neighbouring West Bengal, Uttar
Pradesh and even Nepal.
"The
governments of states where orchestras are a problem, such as Bihar and Punjab,
must show will and must act against them. Sexual exploitation of minors is
rampant in these orchestras. Moreover, why should there be minor girls dancing
in orchestras? Then these are also places where a religious conversion rackets
are active. Another angle to this problem is the involvement of illegal
migrants in India, such as Bangladeshis and Rohingyas," National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chief Priyank Kanoongo told
Firstpost.
Kanoongo
said these orchestras are patronised by the rich and powerful which is one of
the reasons why state governments have been loath to act against these crime
hubs.
There
is actually an infamous 'orchestra belt' in Bihar comprising the districts of
Gopalganj, Motihari, Muzaffarpur, Rohtas, West Champaran and adjoining areas.
These orchestras cater mostly to wedding functions that as a rule include the
lascivious, and sometimes occasions like the birth of a son to people of means.
The
modus operandi is simple: conmen lure young women, a lot of them minors,
promising jobs or love, usually both. The unsuspecting girls are then sold to
the orchestra or dance troupes for as less as Rs 10,000. Religious conversion
to Islam is also part of cycle frequently, for sale to Muslim buyers.
Unsuspecting
girls are mostly sourced from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha,
among other states, and neighbouring Nepal.
The
girls are then brutalised into submission and groomed as dancers; prostitution
is part of this horrendous journey which includes daily beatings and rape as a
matter of course.
Many
of these girls who are later sold forward by the orchestras go on to join
brothels, mostly in West Bengal, where they are formally initiated in selling
flesh for money. In several instances, these girls are also sold as brides to
willing husbands in regions where the sex ratio is skewed, such as western
Uttar Pradesh.
In
a recent case from June this year, four minor girls were rescued by Bihar
Police from an orchestra in Chiraiya, West Champaran. These girls were from
Jharkhand, West Bengal and Muzaffarpur in Bihar.
The
police filed FIRs against three orchestra owners, who slipped out of the police
net and escaped.
“The
girl from West Bengal had been sold by her close friend to the orchestra for Rs
50,000. She had been lured on the pretext of a job. She was made to dance
against her will while she was also physically exploited,” Virendra Singh,
director of Mukti Foundation, told Firstpost.
Mukti
Foundation is one of the biggest non-profits working for emancipation of women,
especially minors, from the clutches of such unscrupulous elements and works
closely with the NCPCR.
“The
girls from Muzaffarpur told the authorities that she had been netted in a love
affair by one Tanveer three months ago (from the date of rescue). Tanveer also
married her. Tanveer then sold the girl for Rs 20,000 to an orchestra in
Chiraiya in Bihar’s West Champaran. The same was the case with a girl from
Jharkhand,” Singh added.
“This
is not an isolated case. This has been happening in Bihar for some time now.
Guys like Tanveer net young unsuspecting minors in love affairs, push them to
have physical relations after which the girls are psychologically gripped by
these men. They are also alienated from their families. When the time is ripe,
they elope, but then are sold,” Singh said.
In
2018, 17 women, including five minor girls, were rescued by Bihar Police in
East Champaran district from an alleged sex racket that was run by human
traffickers operating under the garb of an orchestra group.
The
rescue operation was at two places in Balwa Rai village near Mahnava Bazar
under Turkaulia police station, some 200 km from Patna. According to the
police, these women were residents of Nepal, Maharashtra, West Bengal and
Odisha.
In
the same year, an orchestra owner had been arrested on charges of subjecting a
girl to sexual abuse, while six girls, all from Ghughali in West Bengal, were
rescued during a raid in Dipau village of East Champaran district in August.
Source:
Firstpost
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Martyrdom
anniversary of Umar Ibn al Khattab observed in Kashmir
Muzamil
Bhat
28th
July 2022
Srinagar:
Amid scorching heat, the martyrdom anniversary of Islamic caliph Umar ibn al
Khattab was observed across Kashmir on Wednesday.
Thousands
of devotees including men, women and children from across the valley thronged
Hazratbal Srinagar, Jenab Sahib Soura, Asar Sharief Sheri Kailashpora besides
Kabamarg Anantnag, Asar Sharief Peth-Muqaam Beerwah and Aham Sharief Bandipora
Shrines.
On
this occasion, holy relic, which is believed to be a hair from the beard of
Prophet Muhammad was displayed after Zuhar prayers.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/martyrdom-anniversary-of-umar-ibn-al-khattab-observed-in-kashmir-2378872/
--------
South Asia
U.S.
Senators Urge UN to Take ‘Meaningful Actions’ in Defence of Afghans Rights
By
Arif Ahmadi
29
Jul 2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan – At least four American senators voiced their concerns over human
rights violations in Afghanistan in a letter to the Secretary-General of the
United Nations Antonio Guterres, saying “we must not stand by as the Taliban
seeks to erase the human rights of Afghan women and girls.”
Robert
Menendez, James E. Risch, Jeanne Shaheen and Joni K. Ernst were the senators
who wrote to the UN Secretary General, urging the intergovernmental
organization to take “meaningful actions” in defense of human rights of
Afghans.
“The
United Nations has an opportunity to take meaningful actions that will send a
clear, unequivocal message to the world that its member nations will defend the
human rights of Afghans, particularly women and girls,” the letter reads, as
TOLOnews quoted.
They
say that the Islamic Emirate leadership take advantage of the UN travel
exception outside Afghanistan, building diplomatic relations with other
countries.
“The
UN travel exemption has failed to produce meaningful dialogue with the Taliban
nor spur them to take concrete actions to demonstrate their respect for the
human rights and freedoms of the Afghan people,” the letter reads.
“Moreover,
Taliban leaders have misused the exemption, traveling to Beijing and Moscow in
efforts to establish diplomatic ties.”
According
to the letter, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted last month to
once again roll over the travel ban exemptions for 13 Islamic Emirate leaders,
reinstating the travel ban only on two Ministers of Education following the
Islamic Emirate’s refusal to open secondary schools for girls.
Emphasizing
on the ever-increasing restrictions and ongoing violation of human rights by
the Taliban leadership, these senators urged the United Nations to exclude
Taliban of any seat at the United Nations.
“We
urge you to work to ensure the Taliban does not receive a seat at the United
Nations when the UN Credentials Committee meets this September to determine
diplomatic representation for Afghanistan,” the letter further added.
Meanwhile,
a number of political analysts highlight the need for a strategic approach of
the Taliban leadership to engage with the world leaders and international
communities.
“The
ruling leaders in Afghanistan should prepare a mechanism so that they are not
questioned by the outside world, and they should focus on a political
negotiation to address this problem,” said Javid Sangdil, political analyst,”
as local media quoted.
“Afghanistan’s
issues should be resolved specifically inside Afghanistan, and these
difficulties should not provide the chance for the international world to
criticize Afghanistan,” said Faiz Mohammad Zaland, university lecturer.
Earlier
this week, political analyst said the current situation in Afghanistan could
get worse if the Taliban leadership will not consider an inclusive government,
saying such could also pave the way for the international community to offer
formal recognition to the group.
“If
the people’s demand to form an inclusive government is not taken into
consideration, the situation will not only worsen, but the government won’t be
recognized by the international community,” said Sayed Sajad Sajadi,
international relations expert.
“The
international community and the people of Afghanistan want the current
government to include diverse layers of educated youth and representatives from
different ethnic groups,” said Ahmad Monib Rasa, political analyst.
But
the so-called Islamic Emirate government has repeatedly defied the
international community, saying its leadership has “fulfilled all the promises
it made with the United States in the Doha Agreement.”
“The
Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to use the territory of Afghanistan
against the United States and its allies,” said Spokesman of Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan Zabihullah Mujahid in a thread. “In addition, IEA is also committed
to providing all the Shariah rights of its citizens.”
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
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https://www.khaama.com/u-s-senators-urge-un-to-take-meaningful-actions-in-defense-of-afghans-rights/
--------
Afghan
Frozen Assets Discussed At Meeting Between Taliban Delegation and US Officials
in Tashkent
By
Saqalain Eqbal
28
Jul 2022
The
Taliban caretaker government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement,
said that a delegation from the ministry discussed Afghanistan’s frozen foreign
assets, economic stability, and humanitarian relief, with the American
delegation in Tashkent.
According
to the Taliban Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Spokesman, Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the
Taliban group sought the release of Afghan resources during their meeting with
the US high-ranking delegation, which included senior officials from the US
Treasury Department.
According
to Reuters, the US and the Taliban have exchanged proposals and approaches to
place the Central Bank of Afghanistan’s holdings in a trust fund.
However,
one of the major disagreements between the two parties is the Taliban’s refusal
to dismiss the head of Afghanistan’s Central Bank.
Neither
the US Treasury Department nor the US delegation to the Tashkent conference
have made any statements regarding this meeting, yet.
After
the meeting, however, the US special representative for Afghanistan, Thomas
West, said that US representatives continued to discuss with “Taliban and
Afghan technocrats regarding the macroeconomic stability” of Afghanistan.
The
Taliban Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Finance, and the Deputy Head of the
Central Bank of Afghanistan were all present at this meeting, according to the
Taliban government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which does not provide any
other detail.
For
as long as almost two decades, the development of Afghanistan was largely
shaped by the United States and its Western allies.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab World
Traditional
intra-group rivalry impeding new government formation in Iraq
Mahmoud
Barakat
28.07.2022
The
formation of a new government in Iraq has been elusive as long-running tensions
continue to ramp up between prominent Shia leaders, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and
former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who have been known as traditional
rivals since 2008.
Iraqi
people are in dire need of a new government to improve their poor living
conditions following years of security crisis caused by Daesh/ISIS, which
caused mass internal displacements. The terrorist group still has sleeper cells
in the war-torn country, despite authorities declaring the defeat of the group
in 2017.
The
country has also witnessed an exacerbating economic crisis as a result of
political powers' failure to achieve reform, while Iraq has become one of the
world's most corrupted countries in recent years, with corruption and security
tensions undermining the country's institutions, according to the Berlin-based
Transparency International index.
Political
deadlock
In
the latest developments in the formation of a new government, supporters of
al-Sadr, who leads the Sadrist Movement, stormed the fortified Green Zone in
Baghdad late Wednesday, including the parliament, in protest of the nomination
of a new premier by Shia parties close to Iran, of which al-Maliki is a leading
political figure.
Although
al-Sadr’s movement won the last year’s general elections, forming a new
coalition government has been stymied by differences between the prominent Shia
cleric and al-Maliki.
Al-Sadr
has voiced his intention to establish a national majority Cabinet far removed
from narrow sectarian biases, as well as to exclude some forces from it,
including the State of Law coalition led by al-Maliki.
The
Shia forces under the umbrella of the Coordination Framework – known for close
ties with Iran - demand a consensual government in which all political forces
in the parliament participate, similar to previous sessions. Due to the failure
to reach an agreement with the Coordination Framework, al-Sadr asked lawmakers
from his bloc in June to resign and once again he took the helm of the
opposition.
On
Monday, Mohammed al-Sudani, 52, was selected by the Coordination Framework as a
candidate for the country’s premiership. However, al-Sadr reacted by announcing
that he will not accept al-Sudani to form a new government before his
supporters stormed the Green Zone on Wednesday.
The
firebrand cleric is well-known for his great influence on Iraqi streets, as
mass protests initiated by his supporters in the summer of 2019 forced former
Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to eventually resign.
Shia
rift
Disagreements
and hostility between al-Sadr and al-Maliki have been stretched back to the
years of American occupation in Iraq when then-Prime Minister al-Maliki led a
US-backed military campaign to enforce the law in Basra and other southern
provinces in 2008.
This
campaign targeted the Mahdi Army, the armed wing of the Sadrist movement, which
was later forced to cede its weapons and headquarters and leave Basra, where it
had extensive control over security and economic files.
Maliki’s
move effectively ended the Mahdi Army's influence in southern Iraq and prompted
al-Sadr to disband the armed group in April 2008.
The
two figures' rivalry has become a part of the Iraqi political landscape. It
became rampant and took a toll on forming the next government, manifesting when
al-Sadr in mid-June called on al-Maliki to either quit politics or surrender to
the judiciary following leaked audio attributed to him.
According
to the audio leaks attributed to al-Maliki, at a meeting, he referred to Shia
cleric al-Sadr as a "murderer" and "thief."
The
recordings also include a claimed attack by al-Maliki on the city of Najaf,
where al-Sadr is located, and alleged participation in a conspiracy with one of
the Iranian Shia leaders to orchestrate a fight within the Shia sect by
threatening to arm between 10 and 15 groups to storm the city.
On
Tuesday, the Iraqi judiciary said investigations into the leaked tapes will
begin.
Elusive
government
Political
analysts have noted that the audio leaks have virtually eliminated the
possibility of al-Maliki and his party forming the next government, a move
perceived as favoring al-Sadr.
Nevertheless,
the current prime minister candidate al-Sudani is expected to face hurdles due
to al-Sadr's refusal to endorse him, which has complicated the existing
political situation.
The
Cabinet’s outline is expected to be shared among all political powers, leaving
it vulnerable to becoming a fragile coalition government and raising concerns
about its functionality.
The
Iraqi Parliament is scheduled to meet in the coming days to elect a new
president, which is required before a new prime minister can be appointed.
While
al-Sudani's nomination is expected to be approved by parliament after the
withdrawal of al-Sadr’s parliamentary bloc from the assembly, the Kurdish
parties still have to reach an agreement on a new presidential candidate.
Iraq’s
to-be-elected president will appoint the new prime minister to form the
government. The prime minister is obliged to present his Cabinet lineup to the
Parliament within 30 days.
In
2004, Paul Bremer, the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority
(post-invasion US-led interim government), instituted a quota system.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kurdish
authorities unearth dozens of bodies in mass grave in Syria
28
July ,2022
Kurdish-affiliated
authorities said Thursday they had found the remains of almost 30 bodies in a
mass grave in northern Syria, with a war monitor saying they were likely killed
by extremists.
“At
least 29 bodies, including those of a woman and two children, have been found
in a mass grave,” near a hotel in Manbij, said an official of the
Kurdish-affiliated Manbij civilian council, who requested anonymity.
ISIS
had turned the hotel in a prison when it ruled the northern city between 2014
and 2016.
The
mass grave was unearthed on Wednesday by municipal workers who were doing work
on the sewerage system, according to the Manbij military council.
Some
of the decomposed remains were found handcuffed and blindfolded, it said.
The
military council said it was unclear when they were killed, but that it was
during ISIS’ rule of Manbij.
The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the remains
are believed to belong to people abducted by ISIS fighters.
US-backed
Kurdish-led forces took control of Manbij in 2016, after ousting the extremists
from the city.
Dozens
of mass graves have been found in Iraq and Syria but the identification process
is slow, costly and complicated.
ISIS
seized large swathes of Iraq and Syrian territory in 2014 and killing thousands
before they were detained.
One
of the biggest alleged ISIS mass graves contained 200 bodies and was discovered
in 2019 near Raqa, the group’s former apparent capital in Syria.
Rights
groups have repeatedly called on Kurdish authorities and the Syrian government
to investigate the fate of thousands who went missing during ISIS rule.
The
missing include British reporter John Cantlie and Italian Jesuit priest Paolo
Dall’Oglio.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
At
least 17 dead in rare clashes in Syria’s Sweida
28
July ,2022
At
least 17 people have been killed and dozens wounded in the southern Syrian
province of Sweida in clashes in between armed residents and gangs aligned with
the security agencies, activists and local media said on Thursday.
The
Druze-majority province has remained mostly shielded from the bloody conflict
that ravaged the rest of the country since 2011 but sporadic rallies have taken
place over deteriorating economic conditions. The Syrian government exerts less
military and administrative control of the region than other government-held
areas.
Residents
have been growing increasingly frustrated at government-backed fighters
carrying out arbitrary detentions, random roadblocks and kidnappings for
ransom, said Rayan Maarouf, an activist and head of the Suwayda24 local media
outlet.
At
the weekend, the detention of one resident prompted others to set up informal
roadblocks and detain members of government-backed gangs and besiege their
bases, Suwayda24 reported.
“This
uprising flared up very suddenly and there were attacks on the bases of these
armed groups, which are reinforced with heavy weapons,” Maarouf told Reuters
late Wednesday.
One
resident of Atil, one of the villages swallowed up by fighting, said the
clashes were so heavy he was unable to leave his house to get urgent medical
supplies for his sister.
“It
was 15 hours of full-on war. The cars, the solar panels, the water tanks - they
all got destroyed,” said the resident, who preferred to use his first name
Shadi.
The
resulting fighting left 17 people dead according to Sweida’ health directorate,
which was cited by both Suwayda24 and the pro-government Al-Watan newspaper on
Thursday.
Most
of the dead were members of the state-aligned gangs and muted funerals were
held for them on Thursday, Maarouf told Reuters.
The
rest, from a movement linked to Druze religious figures and known as the “Men
of Dignity,” were mourned in two processions that drew in around 2,000 people
each, he added.
The
Syrian government has not commented on the violence but Al-Watan said the
fighting had quietened and negotiations over a settlement were underway.
The
man kidnapped at the weekend was ultimately released, Sweida24 reported.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syrian
ship carrying ‘stolen Ukrainian barley, flour’ docks in Tripoli: Embassy
28
July ,2022
A
Syrian ship under US sanctions has docked in the northern Lebanese port of
Tripoli carrying barley and wheat that the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut told
Reuters on Thursday had been plundered by Russia from Ukrainian stores.
The
Laodicea docked in Tripoli on Wednesday, according to shipping data website
MarineTraffic.
“The
ship has travelled from a Crimean port that is closed to international
shipping, carrying 5,000 tonnes of barley and 5,000 tonnes of flour that we
suspect was taken from Ukrainian stores,” the embassy told Reuters.
“This
is the first time a shipment of stolen grains and flour reaches Lebanon,” the
statement said.
Ukrainian
ambassador Ihor Ostash met with Lebanese president Michel Aoun on Thursday to
discuss the shipment, telling him that purchasing stolen Ukrainian goods would
“harm bilateral ties” between Kiev and Beirut, the embassy told Reuters.
A
Lebanese official confirmed that the issue had been raised during a Thursday
meeting with Aoun and noted Ukraine's general concerns that Russia might try
selling stolen Ukrainian wheat to a host of countries including Lebanon.
The
head of Tripoli port did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The
Laodicia is one of a trio of ships owned by the Syrian port authority that
Ukraine says have been transporting wheat plundered from stores in Ukrainian
territory recently overtaken by Russia.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Four
Syrian Kurds killed in Turkish strike: Kurdish forces
28
July ,2022
A
Turkish drone strike in northern Syria killed four Syrian Kurdish fighters on
Thursday, the second such attack in recent days, a Kurdish official and a war
monitor said.
The
Kurdish Asayish security forces said that “a drone attacked our forces” in the
Ain Issa area in Raqa province, killing “four of our members”. The statement
condemned “Turkish attacks”.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor confirmed the death toll in the
“attack by a drone belonging to the Turkish military” in the north of Raqa
province.
In
recent months, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly vowed to
launch a new offensive in Syria's north.
Ankara
has launched successive military offensives in Syria. Most have targeted
Kurdish militants that Ankara links to a group waging a decades-long insurgency
against it.
Turkey
has increased the frequency of its drone strikes in Kurdish-controlled areas of
Syria since a July 19 summit with Iran and Russia, according to Kurdish
officials and the Britain-based Observatory, a monitoring group with a network
of sources on the ground.
Four
fighters including three commanders from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic
Forces were killed on July 22 in a drone strike blamed on Turkey.
Russian
and Iranian leaders urged Erdogan against launching a new Syrian offensive last
week, but Turkey has insisted it does not need “permission”.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
Saudi
Arabia’s Crown Prince holds summit with France’s President at Elysee Palace
28
July ,2022
France’s
President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman to the Elysee Palace on Thursday, where they will hold talks regarding
bilateral ties and regional developments.
The
Crown Prince headed to France, the second and last leg of his European tour, to
discuss relations between the two countries and ways to enhance cooperation in
various fields.
The
Crown Prince will also discuss issues of common interest with the French
leadership.
The
Saudi Crown Prince’s visit to Paris follows Macron’s visit to Jeddah last
December.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
US State Department confirms new funds for Lebanon’s army, police
28
July ,2022
The
US State Department confirmed that it would provide additional support for the
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal Security Forces (ISF), a
spokesperson said on Thursday.
“The
Administration has notified Congress of its intent to provide additional
support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Internal Security Forces
(ISF) as they respond to a wide range of security, economic, and public health
challenges currently facing their country,” the State Department official told
Al Arabiya English.
The
State Department first notified Congress at the start of this year that it
wanted to reroute $67 million of American military aid earmarked for Lebanon to
include “livelihood support.”
“We
want to ensure the LAF and ISF are able to carry out their core duties and
functions, including defending Lebanon’s territorial integrity, providing
internal security, and preserving stability,” the official said.
Al
Arabiya English reported last week that US lawmakers had greenlighted two separate
funds to help Lebanon’s struggling security agencies after months of being held
up by the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The
support is for six months and will help Lebanese soldiers “put food on the
table,” a second US official previously told Al Arabiya English.
A
separate fund has also been approved for the ISF, which will be less than $67
million. The ISF has around 40,000 servicemembers compared to the LAF’s
estimated 80,000 troops.
“Over
the last two years, the LAF and ISF have been at the forefront of responding to
the compounding crises facing Lebanon. We continue to look for ways to support
their efforts,” the State Department official said on Thursday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'No
one’s gotten to the bottom of 9/11' Trump says
Laura
Gamba
29.07.2022
BOGOTA,
Colombia
Former
US President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his decision to host a
controversial Saudi Arabia-funded golfing event, ignoring the outrage from the
families of the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York and
Washington, DC.
He
made the remarks at a pro-am game held on the eve of the third LIV Golf
tournament, which will take place between July 29-31 at the Trump National Golf
Bedminster course in New Jersey, located around 80 kilometers (50 miles) from
where the Twin Towers once stood.
"Nobody
has gotten to the bottom of 9/11 unfortunately, and they should have,"
Trump told the ESPN sports channel, adding that those responsible for the
attack were "maniacs that did that horrible thing to our city, to our
country, to the world."
Family
members of the victims have condemned Trump’s decision and have asked him to
cancel the tournament, which will include golf stars like Bryson DeChambeau,
Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
Terry
Strada, chair of 9/11 Families United, a coalition of families and survivors of
the 2001 attacks, said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is using
professional golfers to change the image of the Saudi government.
Family
members allege that the Saudi government's involvement in the Sept. 11 attacks
is undeniable. Fifteen of the 19 al-Qaeda terrorists who hijacked four planes
were Saudi nationals.
Trump
has said that the event will take place.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/no-one-s-gotten-to-the-bottom-of-9-11-trump-says/2648227
--------
Pakistan
High
court rejects petition seeking orders to block deal between govt and TTP
Waseem
Ahmad Shah
July
29, 2022
PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court on Thursday rejected a petition seeking its orders to
stop the federal government from making a deal with the banned terrorist outfit
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan without the consultation of parents of those killed
in the 2014 Peshawar Army Public School attack.
A
bench consisting of Justice Lal Jan Khattak and Justice Shahid Khan pronounced
a short order after the completion of arguments by both sides.
The
petition was filed by mothers of four students and a woman teacher assassinated
by the TTP militants in the APS attack on Dec 16, 2014.
The
petitioners included Falak Naz, mother of students Noorullah and Saifullah,
Shahana, mother of Asfand Khan, Seema, mother of Aimal Khan, and Zulaikha,
mother of teacher Sadia Gul.
Plea
was filed by parents of students, teacher killed in 2014 APS attack
Advocate
Ajoon Khan, whose son Asfand Khan was also killed in the massacre, appeared for
the petitioners and said parents of the slain students and teachers were the
victims of the most barbaric act of terrorism in the country’s history but they
had still not been taken into confidence about the ongoing negotiations of the
government with the proscribed TTP.
He
requested the court to issue directives to the government not to take any step
of reconciliation with the T TP without taking him and the petitioners on
board.
Additional
attorney general Amir Javed and a representative of the ministry of defence,
Colonel Rizwan, appeared for the government and opposed the petition.
The
defence ministry’s representative said hundreds of thousands of people had
sacrificed their lives for the country, but the compensation package given to
the families of the martyrs of APS was unmatched.
He
said while families of a civilian martyred by terrorists was provided with Rs2
million compensation, Rs4 million was given away to those of APS attack victims
each.
The
official said the families of APS Shuhada were also given a plot each measuring
10 marlas in DHA, were sent for performing Umrah apart from other facilities
including free medical treatment.
He
said his clients’ other children were given admissions to cadet colleges and
educational institutions of their choice for which the expenses were met by the
government.
The
official also said Rs90 million was spent on treatment of the students, who
were injured in the attack, and that money was provided by the Pakistan Army.
He
said all those involved in the APS attack were convicted and sentenced to
death.
The
official claimed that parents of the martyred students had confidence in the
Pakistan Army and that was evident from the fact that they had been giving
applications for admitting their children in Pakistan Army’s educational
institutions.
Ajoon
Khan took exception to the statement of the official and said he was ready to
return plots and compensation as he like petitioners only wanted justice.
“We
didn’t demand any compensation and instead, it was provided to us without
demand. We had sent our children to school and not a war front,” he said.
The
lawyer said his clients paid monthly fee to the tune of Rs5,000 to the educational
institutions, whereas the children of military personnel paid Rs200 each.
He
said the educational institutions of the Pakistan Army were run on the monthly
fees of the civilians.
The
lawyer said a threat alert was provided to the relevant security head in Aug
2014 about terrorists planning to attack APS but later it was said no such
alert was issued.
He
claimed that the families of the children and wives of military officials
killed in the occurrence were provided compensation of Rs9.9 million, whereas the
civilians were provided with Rs2 million.
The
lawyer said his clients’ children should not be compared with other martyrs of
terrorism as those children were target-killed.
“I
have been practicing law for 20 years and if I can’t get justice for the blood
of my child, how I will defend children of other people,” he said.
The
counsel also said during previous hearing, it was claimed that no parleys
between the government and TTP were in progress but currently, a delegation of
clerics was busy holding talks with TTP leaders in Afghanistan.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Coalition
conspiring against judiciary while economy plummets: PTI
Ikram
Junaidi
July
29, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari are hatching a conspiracy against
the judiciary at a time when the rupee is fast losing its value against the
dollar.
While
speaking at a press conference along with former Sindh governor Imran Ismail in
Islamabad, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry remarked there was no
government in the country as the federation was silent on problems the nation
was faced with.
The
former information minister said the foreign minister did not go to his office
for 12 days during the entire Punjab chief minister’s election case, which
spoke volumes about his indifference to the affairs of his ministry.
“[Special
Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs] Tariq Fatemi travelled to
the US to lobby for Shehbaz Sharif, but he failed,” he said.
Shehbaz
and Bilawal were hatching conspiracies against the judiciary while the rupee
was on a constant decline, as it lost its value by Rs62 against the dollar in
just 100 days, he claimed.
He
went on to say that the country was facing myriad crises, with the dollar rising
at an alarming pace and the stock market nose-diving. In such a situation, “we
have to announce an election date and if the government resists, the PTI must
send the government home without any further delay”, Fawad Chaudhry declared.
Coming
down hard on Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Mr Chaudhry said the only
solution to all the problems the country was embroiled in were snap polls. He
taunted Mr Sanaullah, questioning how a person would manage to bring a no
confidence motion against anyone when he could not save his chief minister in
Punjab.
He
said meetings were held in London to topple the PTI government, while one group
within the PML-N became pro- and the other anti-establishment.
Speaking
on the occasion, Mr Ismail said PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh had been arrested
for the tenth time, alleging Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah wanted to hang
him. He further said Mr Sheikh had been subjected to torture in custody.
Moreover,
PTI leaders Asad Umar and Shaukat Tarin, in separate posts on social media,
said the rupee had hit a new all-time low against the US dollar in the
inter-bank market around midday on Thursday.
Mr
Umar said the dollar had crossed the Rs240 mark and the economy was bleeding to
death.
He
said the gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that the rupee
had lost over Rs62 against the dollar. This would result in further increases
in the prices of energy products, including petrol, diesel, LNG and
electricity.
The
PTI chairman’s Chief of Staff Dr Shahbaz Gill hit out at Interior Minister
Sanaullah, saying a “criminal who killed 14 people”, including pregnant women,
in Model Town, was unaware that there was no foreign funding case with the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Addressing
a press conference on Thursday, he said the “criminal” could not differentiate
between foreign funding and prohibited funding. Gill said the ECP should decide
the foreign or prohibited funding cases of all political parties collectively
according to the orders of the high court, and bring the truth before the
nation.
In
a separate development, PTI chairman Imran Khan ordered the Punjab government
on Thursday to immediately provide assistance to the flood-stricken people
of south Punjab and Mianwali.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702116/coalition-conspiring-against-judiciary-while-economy-plummets-pti
--------
Govt
Must Send Presidential Reference to SC for Full Bench’s Interpretation of
Article 63-A: Pakistan Democratic Movement
July
28, 2022
The
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a multi-party alliance with representation
of ruling PML-N — on Thursday recommended to the government to send a
presidential reference to the Supreme Court seeking its interpretation of
Article 63-A of the Constitution by a full-court bench for “a way out of the
prevailing constitutional and political crisis.”
Announcing
key decisions taken by the PDM following a meeting today, alliance chief
Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said the meeting decided that the recent interpretation
of the Article 63-A by a three-member bench of the apex court while ruling on
Punjab chief minister’s election had fuelled reservations and triggered a
constitutional crisis.
“The
political parties have expressed reservations on the observation of three
judges of the top court [on Punjab chief minister election] which complicated
the matter,” he said.
He
said that sending a reference to the apex court was now essential in view of
widespread differences of opinion among different circles as well as legal
experts, media and the civil society.
Fazl
also said it was unanimously agreed that the government would complete its term
and the elections would be “held on time”.
“Under
the resolution, it is also our demand that the ECP must immediately announce
its verdict in the foreign funding case, which has been lingering for eight
years,” he told journalists.
The
PDM chief said the ECP must fulfill its legal, constitutional responsibility
without any delay, adding that the electoral watchdog was currently “under a
cover of mysterious silence”.
He
claimed that ample evidence was available against the PTI, saying the law must
take its course and a verdict must be delivered at the earliest.
He
also said the “mess created by Imran in three and a half years cannot be
cleaned in just an year.”
We
will clean his mess in the next five years, the PDM chief claimed.
“Imran
must also remain within his limits. His propaganda is based on social media
gimmickry. We will take decisions with unanimity and move forward,” Fazl said
in response to a question.
He
also said the PDM meetings will continue for days to discuss problems faced by
the country.
Plea
for full-court bench rejected to ‘facilitate Laadla’: Maryam
Speaking
on the occasion, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said the plea for a
full-court bench was rejected by the Supreme Court to “facilitate Laadla” (the
blue-eyed) and deliver an unjust verdict to dent the government.
“The
three-member bench of the SC has already become controversial,” she said. “Our
25 MPAs were given to Imran and Chaudhry Shujaat’s 10 MPAs were also provided
to Imran. This was the mistake and misinterpretation,” Maryam claimed.
She
accused the SC bench of violating the Constitution, adding that “if you think
we will accept this decision, we won’t”.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Peshawar
police arrest 20-year-old for sexually assaulting, killing minor girls
July
29, 2022
PESHAWAR:
The police have arrested a young man here for sexually assaulting three minor
girls and killing two of them earlier this month.
Provincial
Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari told reporters at the Central
Police Office here on Thursday that the 20-year-old embroiderer had confessed
to sexual assaults and murders.
Declaring
the accused a serial killer, he said the resident of Sufaid Dheri area had
committed the crime on Sundays in the cantonment area.
Mr
Ansari said the young man sexually assaulted the girls before killing them and
dumping the bodies.
He
said the accused raped and killed a 10-year-old girl in the Railway Colony area
on July 3, sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl in Gulberg area on July 10
and raped and killed the seven-year-old girl in Kali Bari area on July 17 and
that those crimes were committed within a five-six kilometres radius.
Mr
Ansari said several police teams were formed to trace and arrest the accused
and they examined over 2,000 hours long CCTV footage, geo-fenced at least 10
places,obtained records of hundreds of phone calls and quizzed over 500
suspects.
He
said the police took the 20-year-old into custody after carrying out detailed
profiling of suspects.
The
IGP said the police had trouble tracing the accused as he neither used mobile
phone nor did he obtain computerised national identity card.
He
also said the accused didn’t have close friends.
Mr
Ansari said following assaults on minor girls, the police also deployed
plainclothesmen in bazaars, who, along with the CCTV footage, helped track down
the accused.
He
said the DNA of the accused matched with that of his victim from Gulberg area.
The
police chief said the first two assault cases provided investigators with leads
and the breakthrough came from the Kali Bari case.
“This
case was a challenge for us [police] but we successfully dealt with it,” he
said.
Mr
Ansari said the Railway Colony girl had left home to buy grocery on July 3 but
didn’t return, so the family began a search for him and found her strangled
with head injury.
He
said another girl was found unconscious in Gulberg area on July 10 after being
subjected to sexual assault.
The
IGP said the Kali Bari girl’s body was found in a mosque on July 17 after she
stepped out of her house to deliver launch to her grandfather.
Regarding
targeted killing of police personnel in the province, he said both terrorist
and criminal groups were involved in the attacks against police.
“Being
on the forefront, the police are an easy target for such attacks,” he said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
PTI
files complaint against ANP leader
Munawer
Azeem
July
29, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader has submitted an application against an
Awami National Party’s (ANP) leader for allegedly hurling life threats on the
party’s chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan.
The
complaint has been filed by PTI’s Additional General Secretary Omer Ayub Khan
at the Secretariat police station. The police, however, said it had sent a
letter to the legal branch for opinion over the application.
According
to the application, Aimal Wali Khan while speaking at a gathering had said “if
you want to make the country safe then Imran Khan ko thikane lagana ho ga
(Imran Khan must be disposed of).
He
claimed this in the presence of people sitting on the most important position
of the present government, the complainant stated, adding that he had a video
clip of the statement of Mr Khan.
Aamir
Kiani and Sibghatullah Virk are the witness to the Aimal Wali’s confession, it
stated, adding that earlier, intelligence agencies and institutes in different
letters sent to Imran Khan said that his life is in danger.
It
is urged that a case be registered immediately against those involved in
hatching the conspiracy, the application stated, adding Aimal Wali Khan should
be arrested.
The
PRO for capital police, when contacted, confirmed that the police received the
application and registered it in the daily diary of Secretariat police station.
It is a political statement and cases are not registered on such statements, he
added.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702060/pti-files-complaint-against-anp-leader?preview
--------
PM
alarmed over delay in PTI funding case verdict
Iftikhar
A. Khan
July
29, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Irked by the alleged pampering of PTI chairman Imran Khan, Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday voiced alarm over the delay in the announcement of
verdict in the prohibited funding case against PTI.
“(The)
foreign funding case is an example of how ‘Ladla’ is being protected. While NS
(Nawaz Sharif) was convicted for not taking salary, ‘Ladla’ is untouchable. 8
years on, decision is still elusive. Imran Niazi filed 9 writ petitions in IHC
& got 50 adjournments in the FF case,” the PM tweeted.
The
tweet came two days after the prime minister urged the Election Commission of Pakistan
(ECP) to announce the “long-delayed” judgement. “For long has Imran Niazi been
given a free pass despite his repeated and shameless attacks on state
institutions. Impunity given to him has hurt the country,” he said.
Interior
Minister Rana Sanaullah also called upon the ECP for an early decision in the
prohibited funding case.
Interior
minister wants Imran-led party to dissolve Punjab, KP assemblies if it wants
early polls
“The
Pakistan Muslim League and its allies in the government demand the ECP announce
its reserved verdict in the PTI’s prohibited funding case immediately,” he told
a presser.
He
said it had been proved that 350 foreigners and foreign companies, including
Indians and Israelis, had funded the PTI. He said $750 million had been received
in the PTI accounts, opened in the names of its members Amir Kiyani, Dr Humayun
and others, who should be arrested for being involved in money laundering.
He
said the ECP should not only announce the decision, but also take action
against the party.
The
minister alleged that during the last eight years, PTI had been using delaying
tactics to prevent the case from reaching a logical conclusion.
Rana
Sanaullah said the ECP had reserved its decision some eight weeks ago and
wondered why it was not being announced. “What was the hurdle in its way,” he
questioned.
About
Imran Khan’s demand for removal of the Chief Election Commissioner, he said the
incumbent CEC was appointed through a constitutional procedure and Imran Khan
himself had proposed his name. The CEC could only be removed through the
Supreme Judicial Council, he remarked.
Rana
Sanaullah, while chiding the PTI for its demand for early elections, said the
Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies should be dissolved before asking the
coalition government to announce the date for early elections.
The
interior minister said the PTI chief would never prefer early polls and was
making such demands only to discredit the government. In fact, he added, PML-N
supremo Nawaz Sharif himself wanted the country to move towards early
elections.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702113/pm-alarmed-over-delay-in-pti-funding-case-verdict
--------
Southeast Asia
Religious
affairs minister warns Oktoberfest could 'compromise safety of community' if
open to public
By
Ashman Adam
28
Jul 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 28 — The Oktoberfest event should not be openly celebrated and
held as a festival open to the public, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad.
In
a Parliamentary written reply to DAP National Chairman Lim Guan Eng, Idris
claimed that doing so would lead to social problems as alcohol can affect the
harmony, order and safety of the community.
"With
regards to Oktoberfest, all parties should respect the rules and regulations of
Malaysia, based on Islam as the religion of the federation.
"Although
non-Muslims are not prohibited from drinking alcohol, the Government is of the
opinion that this allowing this festival to happen and making it open to the
public should not happen as it will cause social problems, as alcohol is seen
to affect the harmony, order and safety of the community," the MP from
Islamist party PAS said.
Lim
had asked the Prime Minister to state the government's stance in the
celebration of Bon Odori and Oktoberfest, which are Japanese and German
cultural events under the auspices of their respective embassies.
Aside
from compromising the community's safety, Idris said that the effects of
alcohol may lead to situations like domestic violence, road accidents, poverty,
fighting, health problems, and even affect work performance.
PAS
has consistently opposed Oktoberfest despite the event not being open to
Muslims, with party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang previously saying
that the Bavarian festival disrespects Muslim sensitivities.
Previous
iterations of Oktoberfest have been banned following complaints by PAS,
coinciding with Umno’s overtures for cooperation with the Islamist party.
On
Bon Odori, Idris said that while the government didn't stop the event from
happening, but only advised Muslims from not attending the event, as a study by
the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) alleged that the
festival contained elements from other religions and has ceremonies that are
contrary to the teachings of Islam.
On
June 6, Idris advised Muslims not to participate in the Bon Odori Festival that
was to be held at the Shah Alam Sports Complex on July 16, as the festival
contains elements of other religions.
This
drew a sharp rebuke from Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, who
issued a statement to put the Religious Affairs Minister in place, suggesting
that he was ignorant to warn Muslims against attending the Japanese cultural
celebration.
Idris
was told to attend the annual event himself "so that he could learn to
make the distinction between culture and religion”, a sharp and direct censure
rarely made by a monarch.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Malay-Muslim
company meets food crisis challenge head on
Izzat
Mushtaq
July
29, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: For a country with almost a million hectares of arable land, Malaysia
struggles to feed its people.
Nearly
60% of the food consumed here – from meat to greens and grain – is either
raised or cultivated in another country. The food import bill in 2020 amounted
to a staggering RM55.5 billion.
Most
of the fodder for the little livestock raised in Malaysia is also imported. In
2020, the country spent RM4.6 billion to buy animal feed, comprising mostly
wheat, oatmeal, barley, cereals and corn, from abroad.
For
Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH), this crisis is
also a business opportunity.
The
Malay-Muslim company wants to play a role in helping the country overcome the
food shortage problem and is doing so by taking part in programmes and
initiatives introduced by the government.
For
instance, it is already taking part in a padi cultivation project in Rompin,
Negri Sembilan.
The
project, under the auspices of the Integrated Agriculture Development
Authority, entails the cultivation of padi over 11,000ha in Rompin as well as
in the Pekan district in Pahang.
The
company also cultivates fresh produce such as bean sprouts that it supplies
directly to the markets, CEO Lokman Hakim Pfordten told FMT Business.
Malaysia’s
self sufficiency ratio (SSR) in rice and vegetables is at only 63% and 44.4%
respectively, making efforts by GISBH significant.
Solving
the food problem has become a priority for GISBH. “When it comes to food
security, we have to take the responsibility. Blaming others won’t solve the
problem,” Lokman said.
“To
achieve that, the government and the rakyat must be on the same page with
regards to reducing our dependence on imported products.
“We
have to make the effort to raise local production, especially of basic
necessities and food.”
Data
from the department of statistics Malaysia shows that 77.8% of beef and 90.4%
of mutton consumed in the country is imported. The annual import bill for beef
is RM2.2 billion while that for mutton is RM879.4 million.
Lokman
said GISBH is also constantly on the lookout for suitable land for cultivation.
“The
price of imported corn is rising. As a result, chicken has become more costly.
To help the farmers reduce production costs, we are cultivating corn to be
processed into chicken feed,” he said.
Nothing
is wasted. He said the corn leaves and stalks would then be processed into
cattle and goat feed.
To
help farmers reduce production costs, GISBH has started a project to develop
its own chicken and fish bran. “It’s still on a small scale, but the results
have been satisfactory,” he said.
GISBH
is also venturing into deep-sea fishing in its effort to help boost the supply
of seafood in Malaysia.
To
this end, it has purchased a C2-class boat and several smaller boats for
fishing activities in the waters off Sabah.
“We
are also targeting to have up to 10 large-scale deep-sea fishing boats equipped
with storage and canning facilities,” Lokman said.
While
prices of food continue to rise, Lokman said, GISBH will ensure that items sold
at its eateries and bakeries are competitively priced.
Ads
by Kiosked
Apart
from its efforts to solve the food crisis, GISBH is engaged in community
service programmes such as the Dapur Prihatin Bersama and Jumaat Berkat.
Through
these programmes, the company distributes food from its chain of restaurants to
the needy.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Don’t
give in to PN’s demand for DPM post, Isham tells PM
July
28, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: An Umno Supreme Council member has urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri
Yaakob not to bow down to Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) demands.
In
a Facebook post, Isham Jalil said Malaysians wanted a general election, not a
deputy prime minister from Bersatu.
“The
prime minister doesn’t have to entertain them (PN). If they blackmail us, then
we will fight back,” he said, adding that Umno is a grassroots party with three
million members.
Isham
said the prime minister need not bother with the demands of party hoppers,
adding that the people took priority over PN’s desire for a Bersatu deputy
prime minister.
“Let’s
dissolve the Parliament, return the mandate to voters, reset and restore
political and economic stability as fast as possible,” he said.
Isham
was responding to reports that PN had decided to send a delegation to meet
Ismail over his failure to fulfil promises he made to the coalition.
This
comes amid revelations that the Umno vice-president signed an agreement with PN
before he was appointed the ninth prime minister in August 2021.
According
to leaked copies of the agreement, a deputy prime minister’s post had been
promised to PN lynchpin Bersatu.
Meanwhile,
another Umno Supreme Council member, Razlan Rafii, highlighted the irony of PN
being disappointed with Ismail for not keeping his end of the bargain when
Muhyiddin had tried to backstab him previously.
“Muhyiddin,
in a PN meeting, is said to have suggested that the coalition withdraw its
support for Ismail, but was struck down by other component parties. Was this
not clearly an attempt to backstab the prime minister?” he said on Facebook.
Razlan
added that the agreement entered into by Ismail and PN was only a “memorandum
of agreement”, which is not necessarily binding.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Israel
refuses Jordanian king's request to send Qur'an copies to Al-Aqsa
28
July, 2022
Israeli
Prime Minister Yair Lapid refused a request by Jordan's King Abdullah to
deliver copies of the Qur'an to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In
a meeting with Lapid in the Jordanian capital Amman, King Abdullah asked that
Jordan be allowed to send copies of the Qur'an to Al-Aqsa Mosque, but the request
was rejected, according to Israeli broadcaster Kan 11.
King
Abdullah had previously made the same request to Lapid's predecessor, Naftali
Bennet, but was also refused.
He
had been consistently making the same request to Isreali officials who visit
Amman, including during a meeting with Israeli President Issac Herzog, the Kan
report said.
Jordan,
whose ruling Hashemite family has custodianship of the Muslim and Christian
sites in Jerusalem, says that since 2000 Israel has undermined the kingdom's
authority.
Amman
has also accuses Israel of brushing off a centuries-old tradition under which
non-Muslims do not worship in the mosque compound.
In
April, Jordan intensified efforts to push Israel to respect the historic status
quo at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque and avoid violent confrontations that could
threaten a wider conflict.
Israel
has denied accusations by Jordan and other Arab countries that it is trying to
encroach on the Muslim holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, which it
occupied in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/israel-refuses-jordan-request-send-quran-copies-aqsa
--------
President
Rayeesi: Regional Security Indebted to Iran's Power
2022-July-28
Addressing
a large number of the Iranian Army officers during a visit to Hamedan Province,
President Rayeesi stated that everyone has to know that the smallest aggression
against Iran will receive a crushing response.
He
noted that the enemies are keeping a close watch on the achievements made by
the Iranian armed forces.
"With
today's power of Islamic Iran, no one even thinks of invading this country's
territory, and the nations of the region are proud of Iran's power, and feel
safe because of this power," the president said.
He
also touched upon the presence of the Iranian armed forces in the international
free waters, and stated that such presence brings about security and power.
“Today
we have no war in the country, but the Army and the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps) rush to help the people in floods, earthquakes, and in the battle
against the coronavirus,” President Rayeesi continued, adding that the Army and
the IRGC stand by the people.
READ
MORE: IRGC Warns Israel of Losing Occupied Territories in Case of Military
Folly
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the Iran's president stated that "Tehran wouldn’t walk
back from its position against dominance-seekers and that's because the Iranian
people demand it".
"The
Iranian people have frustrated the enemies as they know that the Iranian nation
is risk-taking, and prepared to defend the country," Rayeesi said.
He
added that the enemy is determined to alienate the Iranian nation from their
ideals, but the conspiracy will be unfolded like any other plots of the
enemies.
"When
the White House officially announces that the Iranian nation’s resistance has
neutralized all the American sanctions and economic pressure, this means that
the presence of the people produces power for the country," the president
emphasized.
IRGC
Commander: US Too Weak, No Longer Plays Role in Regionhttps://t.co/QYyLfIcvNA
pic.twitter.com/1mGhjFd5KW
—
Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) July 28, 2022
Iran
has repeatedly warned that any mistake by the US and Israel will be met with
Tehran's crushing response.
Iranian
officials say Washington and Tel Aviv are well aware of Tehran’s capabilities
and capacities, and caution that Tehran does not compromise or joke with its
national security.
Iranian
officials have repeatedly underlined the necessity for the settlement of the
crises and problems in the region through collective cooperation among the
regional states, and underscored that the presence of foreigners is harmful.
Recently,
Tehran urged the neighboring countries to be extremely vigilant about any
US-Israeli plan that clearly aims to disturb the stability and order of the
region.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010506000737/Presiden-Rayeesi-Reginal-Secriy-Indebed-Iran's-Pwer
--------
Iran
Busts Israeli-Linked Spy Network
2022-July-28
The
Iranian police have detained the chief and members of an espionage group
affiliated with the Israeli regime, the intelligence body of the police said in
a press release.
The
Intelligence Organization of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic
Republic of Iran announced that the group of five was encouraged by a
separatist leader to get connected with the Zionist regime’s intelligence –
Mossad.
"Financially
or otherwise incentivized by Mossad, the group collected information from
critical locations in Iran but were under monitor by the Iranian police
intelligence from the very beginning," the release added.
"They
also carried out arson attacks and advertised against Iran, and had received
enough training for armed sabotage operations," the release said, adding
that "the members of the group were arrested before they could perform
such operations".
It
comes days after the Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced that it has
captured a network of Israeli Mossad agents who had entered the country to
carry out terror attacks and acts of sabotage. Tehran declared that declaring
that the detained mercenaries intended to blow up a sensitive military site
inside Iran by highly powerful bombs.
On
Wednesday, Intelligence Minister Esmayeel Khatib disclosed that Iran has
conducted several successful operations against Israel in recent months in
addition to thwarting the Tel Aviv regime’s plots.
He
stressed that enemies have failed to provoke riots and terror in Iran, and
explained, "One of the reasons is the popular approach of the intelligence
ministry and the government to interact with the people in order to ensure
stable security in the country.”
Iranian
nuclear scientists and sites have been the target of the Western and Israeli
spy agencies' terror and sabotage attacks in recent years, but, Iranian
intelligence bodies say they have managed to thwart a large number of these
plots.
Back
in June, a plot by Mossad to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists was defused
after security forces arrested three agents of the spy agency.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010506000486/Iran-Bss-Israeli-Linked-Spy-Newrk
--------
Iran's
N. Chief: Construction of Research Reactor to Start within Weeks
2022-July-28
"The
research reactor to test fuel for other reactors will be built at the Isfahan
Nuclear Technology Center," the head of the AEOA noted during a visit to
the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) of the Isfahan site on Wednesday.
"We
have planned that based on the studies carried out, we will officially start
the construction of the research reactor at the Isfahan site in the coming
weeks," Eslami added.
"It
must be said that this project is completely indigenous and Iranian, which will
complete the chain of research, evaluation, testing and assurance of our
nuclear power production," he continued.
Eslami
noted the nuclear fuel cycle is the most important part of the nuclear
industry.
"It
should be noted that until now, all the commotion raised has been for
enrichment, and the next station is the fuel cycle industry, which we have
already been utilizing at the research semi-industrial stage," he said in
reference to the West's accusations against Iran's nuclear program.
Eslami
added foreign countries did not cooperate with Iran on completing the nuclear
fuel cycle, adding even some countries came to do the project, but they
abandoned the work halfway and left it.
Currently,
the domestic industrial capacity and engineering change order at the Atomic
Energy Agency of Iran and knowledge-based companies enables the country to move
toward industrialization in order to produce fuel for reactors, including at
the UCF in Isfahan.
"It
should be known that nuclear power is designed and built in an integrated
manner only in a few countries of the world and because they do not cooperate
with us in this field, we must fully develop capacity and localize it … so that
the people of Iran can benefit from it and receive clean electricity without
any fluctuations" from nuclear facilities, the official said.
Eslami
stressed that the main issue regarding the advancement of Iran's nuclear
program is to increase the capacity of domestic power plants.
So
far, Iran has built 1,000 megawatts of sustainable nuclear power capacity and
is building another 2,000 megawatts of nuclear power plants, he added.
"We
have also planned to produce 10,000 megawatts of new nuclear power, with the
scheme included in the current budget law," Eslami underlined.
He
explained that his agency is locating sites, especially in Iran's south to find
suitable places compatible with the requirements of nuclear power plants before
launching study and design operations.
"All
the same, we will use international partnerships, but we will not wait for anyone,
because Iran has sufficient scientific, industrial and technological
capacities," the chief underscored.
"Fortunately,
there are large companies in the country that can support the 10,000 megawatt
nuclear power production program, but we also welcome any company and
institution that participates in the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's
projects," Eslami added.
The
Iranian nuclear chief said the clean and sustainable electricity produced at
Iran's first nuclear power plant in Bushehr is equal to about 85 million
barrels of oil, which has a great impact on the reduction of pollutants and the
health of society.
Back
in May, Eslami said Iran has gained full self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel
cycle, adding that his country is now working on 60% enriched fuel.
"The
efforts of the enemies by committing sabotage in the field of nuclear
technology have made it the frontline. Our scientists stood up at the order of
the Leader who said, "produce yourselves", he stated.
"They
acted on the issue of 20% fuel, which was needed by Tehran's research reactor,
and today we produce not only 20% fuel but also working on production of 60%
fuel," he added.
Eslami
referred to the crucial production of radiopharmaceuticals, saying the country
is now moving toward using nuclear medicine in plasma therapy.
Eslami
also touched on the "very important" role of heavy water which the
enemies try to forbid Iran from using by accusing it of seeking to produce
nuclear weapons.
He
said if it had not been for the strategies of Supreme Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, "we would have not got into
nuclear technology and fallen far behind by now".
"The
country's development plans must move without interruption, and the efforts of
the country's scientists and youth must be spent for the great goals of the
country, and we must endure hardships and vicissitudes to reach the peak,"
he added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
arrests five suspected members of an Israeli-linked spy network
28
July ,2022
Iranian
police have arrested the alleged leader and four other members of a spy network
they suspect is affiliated to Israel's secret services, Iranian law enforcement
authorities said on Thursday.
They
did not give the nationality of those arrested but said they had received
training for armed operations and sabotage.
“The
arrested five members of this spy network were given various pledges from
(Israel’s) Mossad, including financial promises, to gather information from
important areas across the
country,”
the law enforcement intelligence organization said in a statement reported by
the semi-official ILNA news agency.
In
Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office, which oversees the foreign intelligence
agency Mossad, declined comment on the reported arrests.
Iran
and Israel are longtime foes and are currently locked in dispute over Iran’s
nuclear program. Israel accuses Iran of backing militant attacks against it,
while Iran says Israel has carried out a number of killings of Iranian
officials, including that of a senior officer in May. Israel does not confirm
nor deny such actions.
On
Wednesday, Iran’s minister of intelligence Esmail Khatib said Tehran had foiled
subversive actions from the “Zionist Regime” -- its term for Israel. Iranian
security forces have successfully carried out a number of operations against
Israel over the last few months, he said without specifying what they consisted
of.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Africa
Nigerian
military kills 30 terrorists who ambushed soldiers in capital
Ibrahim
Garba Shuaibu
29.07.2022
KANO,
Nigeria
Nigeria’s
military killed 30 of the terrorists who ambushed members of the Presidential
Guards Brigade earlier this month in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), the Defense Headquarters said Thursday.
The
operation was conducted between Sunday and Tuesday by troops of the 7 Guards
Battalion and 167 Special Forces Battalion in conjunction with the air
component of “Operation Whirl Punch”, Maj. Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, director of
defense media operations, told reporters in the capital Abuja.
According
to Onyeuko, the ground troops also recovered six motorcycles, two AK47 rifles
and one fully loaded light machine gun (LMG) magazine during the mop-up.
“The
hierarchy of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies wishes to
reassure Nigerians of its commitment and pact with all Nigerians,” he said.
“With
the recent operations carried out from July 23, we wish to assure residents of
FCT in particular that we are undaunted and unrelenting in our efforts to
ensure the safety of lives and properties.”
Onyeuko
said the troops successfully cleared Kawu and Ido villages, neutralizing the
terrorists and destroying their enclave and hideout.
“Citizens
are encouraged to report unusual persons in your community to security
agencies. If you see something, say something,” he added.
The
Director of Defense Information, Maj. Gen. Jimmy Akpor, urged the media to
continue to support the military in ensuring that the enemies of the nation are
defeated.
On
July 24, terrorists attacked troops of the Presidential Guards while they were
on patrol, wounding three personnel.
The
attack occurred along Kubwa-Bwari Road in Abuja while the guards were on
routine patrol.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Kano
Govt declares Monday work free day to mark new Islamic year
28
July 2022
The
Kano State Government has declared Monday as work free day, to mark the
beginning of the new year of the Islamic calendar, 1444 A.H.
This
is contained in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information, Malam
Muhammad Garba, in Kano.
“Gov.
Abdullahi Ganduje, therefore, congratulates Muslims in the state on the
spiritual significance of the occasion that also calls for self-assessment.
“He
also called on them to use the holiday to seek Allah’s forgiveness, and pray
for His intervention in salvaging the nation from the lingering security
challenges,” he said.
He
assured residents of his administration’s readiness to assiduously continue to
deliver on its promise to improve their living conditions through the execution
of people-oriented programmes and projects.
Ganduje
also urged those who were yet to obtain their voter card, to do so, to enable
them to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general elections.
Muharram
is the first month of the Islamic calendar, also considered as the holy month
after Ramadan.
The
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad
Abubakar III, directed Muslims to start looking out for the new moon of
Muharram from Thursday,, which is equivalent to Dhul-Hijjah 29, 1443 AH.
NAN
reports that the calendar is also called the Hijri calendar.
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/news/kano-govt-declares-monday-work-free-day-to-mark-new-islamic-year/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/qaida-ayman-zawahiri-hijra-assam-aqis/d/127601