Alcohol in 2022 Qatar Football World Cup Stadiums – For Those Who Can Purchase
New
Age Islam News Bureau
02
February 2021
• Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General and Mushaal Mullick, wife of Yasim Malik Wants Pakistan To Cut Off Diplomatic Ties With India
• Mauritanian
Clerics Announce Religious Ban On Normalization Of Relations With Israel
• Can
The Saudis Buy A New Image On Capitol Hill?
• Turkey
To Prepare Reports On Islamophobia, Racism In West
• Iran
Link Emerges In New Delhi Israel Embassy Attack Probe Despite False Flags: Cops
• Aung
San Suu Kyi No Longer West's Priority After Myanmar Military Coup
• Indonesia
Launches Its Biggest Islamic Bank After Year-Long Merger Talks
• Zarif
Says EU Can ‘Choreograph’ Moves By Iran, US To Reach A New Nuclear Deal
Arab
World
• Alcohol
in 2022 Qatar Football World Cup Stadiums – For Those Who Can Purchase
• Israel
Wants To Setup Road Links With UAE, Says 130,000 Tourists Visited: Diplomat
• Iraq's
Grand Mufti Slams PM Khadimi, Demands Reforms
• Bahrain
court gives life sentence to eight anti-regime activists
• Lebanon
Army Arrests 18 Members Of Daesh-Linked Cell Near Syria Border
• Pope
Says He Is Intent On Making Iraq Trip Despite Difficulties
• Lebanon
Army Arrests 18 Lebanese, Syrians Linked To ISIS Terrorist Group
• Israel
says drone falls in Lebanese territory, Hezbollah says it brought it down
--------
Pakistan
• Jamaat-e-Islami
Secretary General and Mushaal Mullick,
wife of Yasim Malik Wants Pakistan To Cut Off Diplomatic Ties With India
• ‘Zarif’s
trips to Islamabad proof of amicable Iran-Pakistan ties’
• Senate
Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony ‘Turns Down’
Bill On Minorities Rights
• Pak
SC rejects govt's request to suspend release of accused in the Daniel Pearl
murder case: Report
• Pakistan
SC extends detention of principal accused in Daniel Pearl murder case for one
day
• Minister
sees Indian lobby behind PIA plane seizure
• FM
rejects claim Pakistan stands diplomatically isolated
• Three
terrorists killed near Afghan border
--------
Africa
• Mauritanian
Clerics Announce Religious Ban On Normalization Of Relations With Israel
• Libyan
delegates start talks in Geneva for transitional leaders
• Group
of Chibok Schoolgirls Reportedly Escape Boko Haram Captors
• Borno
speaker faults Olonisakin, Lai Mohammed’s claims on Boko Haram
--------
North
America
• Can
The Saudis Buy A New Image On Capitol Hill?
• Biden
Urged To Defend Right To Free Speech, Back Peaceful Calls For Israel Boycotts
• US
forces ‘transporting by choppers’ Daesh terrorists in Afghanistan: Taliban
• US
President Biden will keep tariffs on UAE aluminum imports citing national
security
• US
secretary of state: Iran ‘weeks away from having material to build nuclear
bomb’
--------
Europe
• Turkey
To Prepare Reports On Islamophobia, Racism In West
• Lawmakers
debate bill to rout out radical Islam in France
• Pope
To Celebrate International Day Of Human Fraternity With Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
--------
India
• Iran
Link Emerges In New Delhi Israel Embassy Attack Probe Despite False Flags: Cops
• Terrorist
Hideout Busted In Rajouri, ‘War-Like Store’ Recovered
• Bilkis
Bano, 82, Is ‘Woman Of The Year’ And Ilham Tohti, A Champion Of Uyghur Cause,
Is ‘Man Of The Year’
• Govt
hands over Israel embassy blast to NIA after Iranian angle emerges
--------
South
Asia
• Aung
San Suu Kyi No Longer West's Priority After Myanmar Military Coup
• Two
killed as bombs rock Afghan capital
• Taliban
delegation: New government will ’emerge’
• Taliban
Battered in Kandahar, Balkh, Kunduz
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Indonesia
Launches Its Biggest Islamic Bank After Year-Long Merger Talks
• Sabah
Mufti: Ebit Lew’s Mass Conversion Stands, But Most Bajau Laut Already Muslims
• Iran,
S Korea ties still sour in post-Trump era
--------
Mideast
• Zarif
Says EU Can ‘Choreograph’ Moves By Iran, US To Reach A New Nuclear Deal
• Turkey's
police detain 159 people at protests over Erdogan-appointed university head
• Turkey's
President Erdogan says may be time for new constitution
• Kosovo,
Israel establish diplomatic ties, embassy to be in Jerusalem
• Israeli
forces shoot two Palestinians in occupied West Bank city of Jenin
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/alcohol-2022-qatar-football-world/d/124208
--------
Alcohol
in 2022 Qatar Football World Cup Stadiums – For Those Who Can Purchase
February
1, 2021
DOHA:
Alcohol will be available to football fans in stadiums at the 2022 World Cup,
but so far only to those purchasing hospitality packages, the contractor behind
the premium offerings has said.
Despite
the Muslim nation’s strict rules around alcohol consumption, the announcement
indicates that Qatari authorities agree in principle with serving it at the
venues — the clearest indication yet that beer and other drinks could be
available for ordinary fans.
The
question of alcohol at the World Cup has dogged the Qatari organisers since the
conservative Islamic emirate won the right to host the tournament back in 2010.
No
ruling on the availability of alcohol in stadiums for standard ticket-holders
has yet been issued.
Speaking
at Monday’s launch of packages for the tournament, Jaime Byrom, the chairman of
MATCH Hospitality, the World Cup hospitality provider, said: “It is our
expectation that people will be able to (drink).
“We
expect that, depending on the decisions taken by others — we will of course
always comply with whatever regulations, whatever laws are decreed — certainly
at this point in time we are planning to be in a position to serve alcohol in
our hospitality programme.”
In a
sales presentation, MATCH Hospitality touted their most premium offering for
the World Cup, the Pearl Lounge box at the 80,000-seat Lusail stadium, which
will feature “mixologists, Champagne selection, sommeliers, and premium
spirits”. No price was given.
Sales
and consumption of alcohol are tightly controlled in Qatar. Only a handful of
bars and restaurants linked to luxury hotels are permitted to serve, and a
single state-controlled off-licence bottle shop sells to holders of liquor
permits.
Temporary
visitors, including football fans, will not be eligible to purchase from the
bottle store under the current rules.
While
alcohol prices have dipped modestly in recent years, a pint of beer outside of
happy hours commonly costs in excess of US$15, with glasses of wine reaching
almost US$20.
It is
a crime to be intoxicated in public in Qatar and there is zero tolerance for
drink driving.
Qatar
experimented with a “wet fan zone” during the 2019 Fifa Club World Cup when
fans were permitted to consume alcoholic beverages at a site on the outskirts
of Doha. A beer cost around US$7 and supporters responded favourably.
That
year, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Hassan
al-Thawadi said that “alcohol is not part of our culture, but hospitality is”.
There
will be no fan zone at this year’s Club World Cup featuring European champions
Bayern Munich, which gets underway Thursday, due to strict coronavirus
prevention measures.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2021/02/01/alcohol-in-2022-world-cup-stadiums-for-those-who-can-pay/
--------
Jamaat-e-Islami
Secretary General and Mushaal Mullick,
wife of Yasim Malik Wants Pakistan To Cut Off Diplomatic Ties With India
Mushaal
Mullick appealed to the political parties to shun their mutual differences for
some time and show unity on the Kashmir cause. — SS courtesy of Youtube
------
February
2, 2021
LAHORE:
Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ameerul Azim and Mushaal Hussein Mullick, the
wife of detained Kashmiri leader Yasim Malik, have demanded Pakistan should cut
off all diplomatic ties with India and nullify the Simla Agreement to show
solidarity with the Kashmir cause.
Addressing
a joint conference at Mansoora on Monday, both leaders appealed to the media
and the nation to play an active role to highlight the genocide of Kashmiris by
Indian forces in the valley.
“The
government has failed to meet the nation’s expectation. They [rulers] are only
paying lip service to the Kashmir cause,” Mr Azim said.
He
demanded the government should take the case of illegally detained Kashmiri
leaders Yasin Malik, Syed Ali Gilani, Asia Andrabi and others to International
Court of Justice and other world forums to ensure their release.
He
also demanded the international rights groups should arrange a meeting between
Yasin Malik and his daughter, which the Indian government had been denying
them, keeping the Hurriyat leader in death cell in a fake case for more than a
year and a half.
Ms
Mullick appealed to the political parties to shun their mutual differences for
some time and show unity on the Kashmir cause.
“The
Kashmir is the only important issue of the South Asia and Pakistan’s
government, political parties and nation should utilise their energies to
expose the Indian crimes against humanity at international level,” she said.
She
stressed the need for adoption of a consistent national Kashmir policy by
Pakistan. She expressed the hope that India could no more enslave the Kashmiri
people and the sun of freedom would soon rise in the occupied area.
Earlier,
Ms Mullik, with her mother and daughter, met the JI leadership and offered
fateha for the deceased party leader Hafiz Salman Butt.
Samia
Raheel Qazi and Qaisar Sharif were also present.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1604951/mushaal-wants-pakistan-to-cut-off-diplomatic-ties-with-india
--------
Mauritanian
Clerics Announce Religious Ban On Normalization Of Relations With Israel
In
this file picture, hundreds of Mauritanians rally in the capital, Nouakchott,
to protest former US president’s decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as
Israel’s capital. (Photo via Twitter)
-----
01
February 2021
Some
200 clerics and scholars in Mauritania have declared normalization of
diplomatic relations with Israel religiously forbidden, emphasizing that
establishment of ties with the Tel Aviv regime that is occupying the
Palestinian territories as well as holy Jerusalem al-Quds is not permissible in
any case.
“Normalization
equals full support for usurping Zionists, and their siege, massacre and
destruction. It has nothing to do with peace and reconciliation at all,” the
clergymen said in a fatwa (religious decree) issued at the end of a symposium
held at al-Tawfiq Mosque in the capital Nouakchott on Sunday evening, Lebanon's
Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network reported.
The
religious scholars also called on the Mauritanian government to maintain its
previously declared position that it does not intend to normalize ties with
Israel.
Among
the most prominent signatories is Sheikh Muhammad al-Hasan bin al-Diddu
al-Shanqiti, who is the head of the northwest African country's Center for the
Development of Scholars.
Last
month, Mauritania’s largest opposition political party announced it was
intending to submit a bill to the parliament seeking to criminalize
normalization and establishment of diplomatic relations with the Israeli
regime.
“In
line with our principles, values, and constitutional texts, which cite Sharia
as a source of law, and fulfillment of the aspirations of Muslims to support
just causes of nations, especially the issue of al-Aqsa [Mosque] and the
Palestinian cause, we highly demand the enactment of a law to criminalize
normalization [of relations with Israel], and we declare our full readiness to
do whatever necessary for such an honorable purpose,” the National Rally for
Reform and Development said in a statement released on January 11.
Earlier,
three other opposition parties, namely Union of the Forces of Progress, the
People's Progressive Alliance and the Alliance for Justice and
Democracy/Movement for Renewal, had called for legislation against
normalization of ties with Israel.
Mauritania
fully severed diplomatic ties with Israel in March 2010.
The
northwest African country had expelled Israeli representatives and closed the
regime’s embassy in Nouakchott a year earlier. The move came after it froze
ties in response to Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The
Mauritanian government has frequently affirmed its firm support for
Palestinians and their right to establish an independent and sovereign state
with Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644325/Mauritanian-clerics-announce-religious-ban-on-normalization-of-relations-with-Israel
--------
Can
The Saudis Buy A New Image On Capitol Hill?
01
February 2021
The
administration of US President Joe Biden strongly supports Israel who wants
Saudi Arabia on its side because it is instrumental in establishing closer ties
between Tel Aviv and regional Arab states, according to J. Michael Springmann,
an American political commentator, author and former US diplomat in Saudi
Arabia.
Saudi
authorities have reportedly hired more than a dozen lobbying firms to help
boost relations with the United States and improve the Riyadh regime’s image as
Biden assumes office.
According
to foreign agent registration filings with the US Justice Department, Riyadh
has used at least 16 firms “to largely restore its influence machine in the
capital [Washington] and in other parts of the country, and help boost US-Saudi
trade relations.”
The
lobbying effort will be even more crucial during the term of new US President
Joe Biden, whose administration decided on Wednesday to freeze arms sales to
Riyadh pending a review, said a Foreign Policy report.
Saudi
authorities are already in hot water over issues including Riyadh’s devastating
war on Yemen, its treatment of women and the murder of exiled dissident
journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.
Foreign
agents hired to lobby on behalf of Saudi interests have apparently contributed
almost $2 million in political donations to federal candidates, including Trump
and new Democratic President Joe Biden, said the report.
“The
Saudis' hiring lobbying firms to improve their image in the United States is
nothing new. There’re currently putting a lot of money into a number of firms
that have ties to conservatives on Capitol Hill and elsewhere in the American
political system,” said Springmann.
“But
in actual fact, they were lobbying several years ago when the Bush
administration was doing its best and the Obama administration was doing its
best to block the publication of a redacted series of 28 pages from the 9/11
Commission Report. And once they finally let some of it out, which was heavily
redacted still, it showed that the Saudis had in fact been deeply involved in
one way or another with the attacks on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.
So, farther back they were very good at polishing their image in the United
States. Various journalists and so-called journalists including lobbyists for
Israel have published articles and books about this going back 20 years or
more,” he told Press TV on Monday.
“So
it's essentially an issue that the Saudis are very good at. They're one of the
most powerful lobbying groups in the world and I think the third largest in the
region. But of course the issue is and it will be an issue for some time, I
think, that Israel is working very hard to improve its relations with Saudi
Arabia and the (Persian) Gulf states in order to split the Arab opposition to
support for Israel, and to eliminate anybody who would be in any way able to
oppose Israel and question exactly what they're doing,” he said.
“And
of course, since the Biden administration strongly supports Israel and it
appointed a number of Jews who are presumably Zionists to high-level positions
like Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary of State, Deputy Director of the CIA,
and Director of National Security, we
find that he's not really going to oppose the Saudis as much as people think he
might,” the analyst noted. The Israelis have been clandestinely working with
the Saudis and want the process to continue.
“The
Saudis, of course, provide oil to the United States, they buy American weapons,
they put lots of money into the bottom line of many huge American corporations,
and provide jobs for tens of thousands of people. Along the way Israel, of
course, wants Saudi Arabia on its side. The Saudis are instrumental in this
because they established the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council and the state
lists of the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council were countries who are beholden
to Saudi Arabia and they would not have established closer relations with
Israel recently, without Saudi approval. So all this is under the table,
back-channel communications, and I don't see any major changes coming,” he
stated.
“What
they're going to do, I think, is to simply change the perception in the United
States, if in fact there is one, since Americans probably can't find Saudi
Arabia on a map if they had help. You've got the situation that's obtained in
the United States and Saudi Arabia since the end of the Second World War. They
worked with the United States to create international [Takfiri] terrorism,
starting with the recruitment of the Mujahideen terrorists against the Soviet
Union in Afghanistan back in the 1980s. So I don't think there's going to be
any real changes,” he said.
“In
fact, when I was in Jeddah, the issue was, of course, the policy of the
American mission to Saudi Arabia is to support the country, guarantee stability
in the region, which is questionable in my mind, given what America has done to
Iran, and also to ensure that Americans can sell weapons there, Americans
really travel there, and the US government wants to keep tight relations with
the Saudis which has a huge oil reserve,” he said.
“So I
think that whatever they're paying the lobbyists, and there is any number of
groups that they're backing, is basically to maintain their image or not lose
any amount of their image or lose any luster to their image, maybe, and it's
going to be more of the same. There won't be any changes. The Congress will not
rise up and stop sales of weapons to Saudi Arabia because it's bombing the
living hell out of Yemen and engaging in torture and human rights violations
amongst some people. You've got all kinds of clerics that have been imprisoned
there. Well that's nothing new. Laith al
Hathloul was imprisoned along with other people that dare to question what the
Saudis were doing, especially those in the eastern province, which is heavily
Shia," he said.
"So
I don't think there's going to be any changes. The Saudis will use their money
wisely. They will use their lobbying outlets wisely. And I expect no real
change,” the commentator concluded.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644332/%E2%80%98Biden-strongly-supports-Israel-who-wants-KSA-on-its-side%E2%80%99
--------
Turkey
to prepare reports on Islamophobia, racism in West
FEB
02, 2021
Turkey
will prepare annual reports on acts of Islamophobia and racism in other
countries, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Monday.
Speaking
at the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AK Party) seventh congress in
Antalya province, Çavuşoğlu said that until today, the European Union and the
United States have been publishing reports on Turkey and other countries, but
from now on, Turkey will also produce its own reports "for the good of
humanity."
He
said Turkey no longer played the game by others' rules in matters that concern
itself.
"Diplomacy
is always our priority, but we also teach those who do not believe in diplomacy
to come back to the table," he said.
The
rising trend of Islamophobia, racism and xenophobia have been disturbing the
Turkish community living in Western countries, particularly in Europe.
Racist
attacks targeting Muslims or immigrants increasingly make the headlines as
white supremacists become more efficient in an age where their ideals, or at
least parts of them, are going mainstream. There is no single large group
orchestrating these attacks against Muslims and immigrants. Rather, individual
attacks lead to more attacks by copycats.
The
tolerant political climate under the pretext of freedom of speech has helped
far-right sympathizers with violent tendencies expand their support.
For
instance, Islamophobia is being disguised as secularism in France, a French
opposition leader had said in criticism of the Emmanuel Macron-led government,
which has recently come under fire for policies against Muslims living in the
country.
"There
is hatred toward Muslims under the guise of secularism in this country.
Secularism does not mean to hate a religion," Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader
of the left-wing France Unbowed movement and a parliamentarian from
Bouches-du-Rhone, a Mediterranean region with a large Muslim population, told
the BFM-TV channel in November. His remarks come after recent anti-Islam
statements by Macron and other politicians. Macron described Islam as "a
religion in crisis" and announced plans for tougher laws to tackle Islamic
"separatism" in France.
"There
is an attempt at forming French Islam, German Islam. We, of course, are against
these attempts. There has never been an Arabic or Turkish Islam so there cannot
be a European Islam as well," Melenchon said, noting that there is only
one Islamic religion.
Regarding
maritime disputes over the Eastern Mediterranean, he said Turkey favors
"equitable sharing," but the Greek side has disclaimed this approach
despite Turkey staking its claims in the Mediterranean.
"Everyone
has learned the ways of cooperation with Turkey," he said.
Çavuşoğlu
reiterated that positive messages were given about the EU in December and that
a road map was worked on to develop relations in a positive atmosphere.
Helping
hand extended amid pandemic
Çavuşoğlu
stressed that Turkey has used hard and soft power in diplomacy and the country
is No. 1 in the world in terms of providing humanitarian aid.
He
noted that amid the pandemic, Turkey has sent aid to 156 countries.
"Turkey
is co-chairing the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the
U.N. It (Turkey) is a reliable mediator not only at the table but also (on the
ground) in Somalia, Mali, Venezuela, all over the world. Today, we are one of
the five countries that wave their flag in the world with 248
representatives," he added.
https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/diplomacy/turkey-to-prepare-reports-on-islamophobia-racism-in-west
--------
Iran
Link Emerges In New Delhi Israel Embassy Attack Probe Despite False Flags: Cops
JAN
31, 2021
By
Shishir Gupta
Investigations
by Indian security agencies into the improvised explosive device (IED) blast
outside the Israeli Embassy on Friday evening are still not conclusive but the
needle of suspicion is pointing towards Iran with local involvement.
According
to counter-terrorism officials in New Delhi, there is enough to suggest the
involvement of Tehran in the blast, although investigators are still looking
for the people who actually planted the bomb.
“Deliberate
efforts have been made to firewall the real prepetrators behind the terror
incident with false flags and deniability built into the attack that obviously
was carried out at the behest of Iran,” said a senior official who asked not to
be named.
Queries
to the Iranian officials went unanswered at the time of going to press.
New
Delhi has taken the heinous attack against Israel very seriously and its
position is that India cannot be used by any other country to target its
perceived enemies. India has close ties with both Israel and Iran, although the
two countries, in turn, are enemies. “ Once we have concrete evidence we will
take up the matter in very serious terms with the country behind the attack,”
said a second official in know of the entire investigation who too asked not to
be named.
The
current investigations, counter-terror officials said, are focused on Indian
students who have returned after studying at Qom, one of the holiest cities in
Shia Islam, in Iran. The focus is on a particular city in south India and a
Shia dominated city in Afghanistan, the officials added.
According
to available evidence, at 3.27 pm, much before the blast at the Israeli
embassy, a Telegram (messaging app) entity, VikarUdDeen@Vikar45 claimed responsibility
for the blast near the Israeli Embassy on behalf of an unknown group called “
Jaish ul Hind.” This message was posted by Vikar on a Telegram group in the
ISIS linked group Qayam Forum (Telegram ID @brownisbest_88). The Jaish ul Hind
has a Facebook account (jaish.ulhind), which is currently locked, a private
group with 56 members. The message posted by Vikar was forwarded and posted in
several other ISIS linked Telegram groups such as Jaag Muslman Jaag, Muslim
Groups and Azaadi ki Awaaz Channel of which Vikar is also a member. ISIS is a
hard line Sunni organisation, which considers Shias as non-believers.
Investigations have shown that the internet protocol address of Vikar is shown
to be Herat in Afghanistan, which has considerable Shia Iran influence. But
this appears to be a false flag, the officials said.
After
the IED exploded around 5.11pm, the investigators recovered a letter addressed
to Israeli Ambassador to India, Ron Malka.
The
letter was addressed to “ The Terrorist, Devil of Terrorist Nation Dr Ron
Malka” and was written by someone who identified himself as Sarallah India
Hezbollah. While Ya Sarallah means one who is dead but has not yet been
avenged, Hezbollah is the Shia Islamist political party in Lebanon with a sword
arm — a sworn enemy of Israel. The letter swears revenge for the killing of
Iran Quds Commander Qassem Soleimani, and Abu Mehdhi Al Muhandis, who were
killed in a US drone attack in January 2020, and Iranian nuclear physicist Dr
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who died in a car bomb attack in Iran in November 2020. The
contradiction is that Al Muhandis was very close to Soleimani and fought
against ISIS.
The
letter reads : “ This is just a trailer presented to you, that we can observe
you, from eating to …..Mind it, all the participants and partners of Israelian
terrorist ideology will be no more in existence. Now get ready for a big and
better revenge of our heros (Soleimani, Muhandis and Fakhrizadeh).”
The
letter claimed that the group has the capacity to “end your life” anytime and that
Israeli terror shelters would be destroyed. It ended by saying : “ All you have
to do (is) just count your days now.”
Malka
said he would not like to comment on the letter and would leave the
investigation to India.
Despite
the letter making such tall claims, the IED itself was very basic in nature
with ammonium nitrate-fuel oil as main charge, a non-electrical detonator and
bicycle ball bearings as shrapnel. According to the counter-terror officials,
it did not appear to be the creation of an expert bomb maker but that of some
one who was guided to make a device through a cyber handler.
Given
that an Iran link was being established through the recovered letter, external
affairs minister S Jaishankar talked to his Israeli counterpart, as did the
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Doval made a call and briefed the
Israelis despite being abroad on a visit.
The
matter could take a serious diplomatic turn, South Block officials said. This
is not the first time Iran has been involved in an attack of this kind in
India. Three Quds agents through an Indian conduit targeted the wife of the
Israeli Defence Attache on February 13, 2012 with a magnetic bomb. While the
agents managed to escape, the then UPA-regime discreetly rapped Iran on its
knuckles and told it not to repeat this again in New Delhi.
Once
it finds concrete evidence, the Narendra Modi government will send a strong
message to Tehran, the South Block officials added.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/iran-angle-with-local-connivance-key-line-of-embassy-blast-probe-101612058202614.html
--------
Aung
San Suu Kyi no longer West's priority after Myanmar military coup
FEB
01, 2021
Aung
San Suu Kyi's fall from grace as a rights icon has dampened Western enthusiasm
for her as Myanmar's leader, but governments will still press for her release
after Monday's coup in order to return to democratic rule, diplomats and
lawmakers said.
Long
celebrated as a pro-democracy activist, Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize while
under house arrest in 1991, was later feted at the White House and became the
subject of a 2011 film.
But
as the country's elected leader since 2015, she has faced an international
outcry at her defence of allegations of genocide against at Myanmar's Rohingya
population.
Western
leaders condemned Monday's seizure of power by the military and called for the
release of those detained. But many European governments chose not to mention
her by name in their statements. Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok on Twitter
demanded "the immediate release of all democratically elected politicians
and civil society representatives".
Her
party's landslide win in a Nov. 8 election, viewed as a referendum on Suu Kyi's
fledgeling democratic rule, means she is critical to any return to democracy,
said Heidi Hautala, a vice president of the European Parliament and former
Finnish government minister who met Suu Kyi in 2013 in Myanmar.
"But
we won't forget what she said about the Rohingya people in the International
Court of Justice. She has spoiled her international reputation as a human
rights defender with her very open support of the military in the genocide
issue," Hautala told Reuters.
In
December 2019, Suu Kyi led a legal defence team to the World Court in The
Hague, where the country faces allegations of genocide against its Muslim
Rohingya population.
The
Nobel committee faced calls for her to be stripped of her prize, and number of
other cities and institutions, including the European Union, withdrew or
suspended honours.
Restored
as a "martyr"?
Although
Suu Kyi does not personally face charges, she backed the military and denied
genocide.
An
August 2018 United Nations report said the Myanmar military had carried out
killings and mass rape with "genocidal intent" in the 2017 operation.
More
than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar to Bangladesh during the crackdown, during
which UN investigators said 10,000 people may have been killed.
But
Suu Kyi defended the violence in western Rakhine State as a counter-terrorism
operations and asked the court "to remove the case from its list".
Laetitia
van den Assum, a retired Dutch diplomat in Southeast Asia who regularly met Suu
Kyi during the nearly 15 years between 1989 and 2010 when she was under house
arrest, said her status as an icon of democracy was "almost irreparably
tarnished".
"But
nobody wants there to be a military regime in Myanmar," she said.
A
senior EU diplomat based in Jakarta told Reuters her image might benefit from
the coup, "restoring her position as a martyr" but that the West was
now realising that despite her popularity at home, she had no sway over the
military.
With
only the United States and Britain having direct sanctions on Myanmar's
powerful military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the EU could show its
support for Suu Kyi by imposing punitive measures this month, although they may
first choose to cut development aid, the senior EU diplomat said.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news
--------
Indonesia
launches its biggest Islamic bank after year-long merger talks
February
01, 2021
JAKARTA:
Indonesia’s biggest Shariah-compliant bank, formed out of the merger of three
Islamic lenders, began its operations on Monday with a combined asset value of
240 trillion rupiah ($17.1 billion), making it the Asian country’s
seventh-biggest bank.
President
Joko Widodo launched the operations of state-owned Bank Syariah Indonesia
(BRIS), the new single identity replacing the Islamic lending trio of Bank BRI
Syariah, Bank Syariah Mandiri, and Bank BNI Syariah.
Each
of the banks was a subsidiary of their respective conventional banking
companies, namely Bank BRI, Bank Mandiri, and Bank BNI.
“Amid
the (coronavirus disease) pandemic crisis, I am pleased to receive reports that
the performance of Shariah banking in Indonesia recorded stable growth, and
their growths were higher than the conventional banks,” Widodo said during the
launch.
He
noted that Indonesia’s Shariah economy performance had ranked fourth in 2020,
rising from 10th place in 2018 and fifth in 2019, according to the State of the
Global Islamic Economy Report.
BRIS
President Director Hery Gunardi said the merger process began in March and on
Feb. 1 the bank started operating under its new logo, which features a
five-edged star to represent the Pancasila or the five national ideologies and
five pillars of Islam.
“Bank
Syariah Indonesia is committed to being a banking institution that serves
customers from all walks of life and upholds the Shariah principles,” Gunardi
added.
He
pointed out that the bank was also aiming to be among the world’s top 10 Shariah-compliant
financial institutions within five years.
It
has a core capital of more than 22.6 trillion rupiah, with 1,200 branches and
2,447 ATMs throughout Indonesia, and more than 20,000 employees.
Financial
authority data showed that Indonesia’s Shariah banks’ assets in 2020 grew 10.97
percent year-on-year while conventional banks’ assets rose by 7.7 percent.
Loans
from Shariah banks went up 9.42 percent, compared to 0.55 percent among their
conventional counterparts.
The
growth showed that there had been a significant shift to Islamic-compliant
banks in the world’s most predominantly Muslim population.
On
Monday, Erwin Dariyanto was surprised to discover he had become the first
customer registered under the newly merged bank.
“I
was opening a new account at a former BNI Syariah branch when the customer
service staff and the branch manager congratulated me for being the first
customer under the new bank identity. They gave me a souvenir to mark the
occasion.
“I
already have an account in a private Shariah bank, and I wanted to open an
account in a state-owned one. I have shifted all my bank accounts to Shariah
banks, except for one at a conventional bank where my salary is transferred,”
Dariyanto told Arab News.
Ebi
Junaidi, the director of Islamic finances and economy at the Center of Reform
on Economics (CORE) Indonesia think tank, said there was still huge potential
for growth at the new bank.
While
Muslims make up around 75 percent of Indonesia’s 270 million population,
Shariah-compliant lenders have a penetration rate of less than 8 percent.
“Hopefully,
now that we have a Shariah bank among Indonesia’s 10 biggest lenders, it will
improve the Islamic banking sector performance, since previously there was no
Shariah-compliant bank that had the competitive edge compared to the
conventional ones on the top 10 list,” Junaidi added.
With
its major assets, Junaidi said the bank would have the potential for
international exposure with the possibility of opening branches in the Middle
East where global Shariah funds were primarily concentrated.
“It
can be part of the global Shariah fund liquidity and one of the players in the
global Shariah economy,” he added.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1802006/business-economy
--------
Zarif
says EU can ‘choreograph’ moves by Iran, US to reach a new nuclear deal
01
February 2021
Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sketched out a path on Monday to overcome
the US-Iranian impasse over who goes first in returning to the 2015 Iran
nuclear deal, saying the EU foreign policy chief could “choreograph” the moves.
“There
can be a mechanism to basically either synchronize it or coordinate what can be
done,” Zarif told CNN in an interview.
Zarif
noted the agreement created a Joint Commission coordinated by the European
Union foreign policy chief, now Josep Borrell. Borrell “can ... sort of
choreograph the actions that are needed to be taken by the United States and
the actions that are needed to be taken by Iran,” Zarif told CNN.
The
commission includes Iran and the six other parties to the deal: Britain, China,
France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
Under
the accord, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program to make it harder for it
to develop nuclear weapons in return for relief from US and other economic
sanctions.
Former
US president Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and reimposed US
sanctions. US President Joe Biden has said that if Iran returns to strict
compliance, Washington will too.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/02/Zarif-says-EU-can-choreograph-moves-by-Iran-US-to-reach-a-new-nuclear-deal
--------
Arab
World
Israel
wants to setup road links with UAE, says 130,000 tourists visited: Diplomat
Marco
Ferrari
01
February 2021
Israel
is looking to set up road links with the UAE to further strengthen the
bilateral trade corridor, Emirati state news agency reported on Monday citing
an Israeli envoy.
Around
130,000 Israeli tourists had visited the UAE since diplomatic relations were
established in September's Abraham Accords, added Eitan Naeh, Head of Mission
at the newly-opened Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
"Now
we are looking into the potential of trailers and lorries carrying goods from
the UAE reaching Israel in three days and vice versa in the near future,"
he said.
Trade
is currently conducted between the two countries by air, which takes a few
hours, or by sea, which takes 16 days.
"It
all has to be investigated. Business communities in Israel and the UAE are now
looking into ways to increase trade. Each country brings its relative advantage.
We have trade agreements with the West [US and European Union]. You are an
opening to the East. So, it is a huge market," said the 57-year-old
diplomat, who arrived in Abu Dhabi a week earlier.
The
envoy spoke about how Israelis are “very curious people” who “like to travel,”
adding that he had spoken with tourism industry leaders in his home country who
estimated around 50,000 Israelis were likely travel to the UAE every month.
Once
COVID-19 is no longer a concern, Naeh also expects many tourists from the UAE
to visit Israel.
“Israel
has got many climate zones, forests and mountains and water bodies, which will
attract visitors from the UAE,” he said.
"We
are very ancient people. We carry with us a long history. We carry that bag on
our back, but we’re certainly the kind of people like yourselves [Emiratis] who
look very much into the future," he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/01/Israel-diplomat-discusses-potential-UAE-road-links-says-130-000-tourists-visited-sin
--------
Iraq's
Grand Mufti slams PM Khadimi, demands reforms
01
February 2021
Robert
Carter
Any
hopes of a good start to 2021 for Iraq were quickly squashed during January.
With
renewed criticism on the government amid the return of Daesh terror attacks to
Baghdad, new US troop deployment and a postponement of June's parliamentary
elections.
Amid
the difficulties, Press TV secured an exclusive interview with Iraq's most
senior Sunni religious authority, Grand Mufti Mehdi al-Sumaidaie. Who was eager
to speak out.
The
Mufti blasted the government for failing to protect the people or improve
living conditions.
However,
when asked about fears of sectarian strife, the Mufti made it clear he blames
the politicians and is working closely with his Shia Muslim counterparts.
Before
ending our discussion, the Mufti issued a stark warning to current PM Mustafa
al-Khadimi, who he condemned for snubbing Iraq's scholars.
Last
year saw large numbers of Iraqis take to the streets to demand reforms. In some
cases, people were killed.
If
Baghdad continues to alienate respected scholars - they might have lost the
only capable of stopping the protests from becoming a revolt.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644348/Iraq-s-Grand-Mufti-slams-PM-Khadimi,-demands-reforms
--------
Bahrain
court gives life sentence to eight anti-regime activists
01
February 2021
A
court in Bahrain has sentenced eight anti-regime protesters to life
imprisonment and handed down prison sentences to several others as the ruling
Al Khalifah regime continues its clampdown on political opponents and
pro-democracy activists in the Persian Gulf kingdom.
On
Sunday, Bahrain's High Criminal Court found eight defendants guilty of forming
an anti-regime cell, alleging that they were affiliated to Iran's Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC).
Iran
has repeatedly denied supporting any bid to overthrow the Bahraini government.
The
same court also sentenced two others to 15 years in prison each. Two dissidents
each received a ten-year prison sentence.
Five-year
prison terms were slapped against another five defendants, and a one-year
prison sentence was passed on the last defendant.
Bahrain’s
parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals on March 5,
2017. The move drew widespread condemnation from human rights bodies and
activists, and was described as imposition of an undeclared martial law across
the country.
King
Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah rubber-stamped the constitutional amendment on April
3 that year.
The
Persian Gulf kingdom has seen anti-regime protests over the past nine years.
The major demand has been the ouster of the Al Khalifah regime and the
establishment of a just and conclusive system representing all Bahraini
nationals. The Manama regime has ignored the calls.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644316/Bahrain-court-gives-life-sentence-to-eight-anti-regime-activists
--------
Lebanon
Army Arrests 18 Members Of Daesh-Linked Cell Near Syria Border
01
February 2021
The
Lebanese army says it has arrested 18 people linked to the Daesh Takfiri
terrorist group in the town of Arsal on the border with Syria.
The
army said in a statement on Monday that those arrested included several
Lebanese and Syrians, adding that they were detained in a series of security
operations over the past two weeks in Arsal, which lies 124 kilometers
northeast of the capital, Beirut.
The
detainees confessed to being a Daesh member, the statement said, adding that
they were in possession of weapons, which were confiscated from them.
The
Juroud Arsal region on the outskirts of Arsal is a barren area in the mountains
between Syria and Lebanon, which was previously a base of operations for
militants fighting in Syria, including Daesh and the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham
Takfiri terrorist group, formerly known as al-Nusra Front
The
Arsal area was hardly hit by the spillover of the Syria crisis in 2014, when
militants managed to overrun the town for a brief period. Thousands of Syrian
refugees are believed to be living in camps in the Juroud area.
Lebanon
has often seen the infiltration of Takfiri elements from neighboring Syria into
its territory, where they target the civilian population or security forces
with bombings.
In
August 2014, members of the Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and Daesh overran the town of
Arsal, killing a number of Lebanese forces. They took 30 soldiers hostage, most
of whom have been released.
Since
then, Hezbollah resistance fighters and Lebanese military forces have been
defending Lebanon on the country’s northeastern frontier against foreign-backed
terrorist groups from Syria.
Hezbollah
fighters have fended off several Daesh attacks inside Lebanon. They have also
been providing assistance to Syrian army forces to counter the ongoing
foreign-sponsored militancy.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644314/Lebanon-army-arrest-Daesh-members-Arsal-border-town-Syria
--------
Pope
says he is intent on making Iraq trip despite difficulties
01
February 2021
Pope
Francis said on Monday he is intent on making a trip to Iraq next month even if
it means many Iraqi Christians won’t be able to see him in person because of
COVID-19 restrictions.
“I am
the pastor of people who are suffering,” he told Catholic New Service (CNS),
the news outlet of the US Bishops Conference.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Francis
said it was important that “they will see the pope is there in their country”
even if most would see him only on television because of social distancing
requirements.
CNS
said the 84-year-old pope intended to go ahead with the March 5-8 trip unless
there is a serious new wave of coronavirus infection there.
The
patriarch of Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic Church said last week the pope would meet
the country top Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
The
visit, which eluded Francis’ predecessors, takes place amid deteriorating
security in some parts of Iraq and after the first big suicide bombing in
Baghdad for three years.
CNS
did not say if the pope discussed security during an audience granted to its
Rome staff on the occasion of the agency’s 100th anniversary.
Iraq
has been home to Christian communities for centuries. Hundreds of thousands of
Christians fled sectarian violence after the fall of Saddam Hussein or were
driven out when Islamic State captured much of the north in 2014.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/01/Pope-says-he-is-intent-on-making-Iraq-trip-despite-difficulties
--------
Lebanon
army arrests 18 Lebanese, Syrians linked to ISIS terrorist group
01
February 2021
Lebanon’s
army said on Monday it had arrested 18 people, some Lebanese and others Syrian,
with links to ISIS terrorist group.
The
arrests came in “field operations” that took place over the past two weeks in
the border town of Arsal in the north, an army statement said.
The
individuals arrested confessed to belonging to ISIS and supporting it, and
several weapons were also confiscated, it said.
Juroud
Arsal, a barren area in the mountains between Syria and Lebanon, was previously
a base of operations for insurgents fighting in the Syrian civil war, including
militants from ISIS and the group formerly known as the Nusra Front.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/01/Terrorism-Lebanon-army-arrests-18-Lebanese-Syrians-linked-to-ISIS-terrorist-group
--------
Israel
says drone falls in Lebanese territory, Hezbollah says it brought it down
01
February 2021
Lebanon’s
Hezbollah said on Monday it brought down an Israeli drone that had entered
Lebanese airspace, while the Israeli military said one of its drones had fallen
inside Lebanon.
Hezbollah
said in a statement carried by al-Manar television that it was now in control
of the drone.
The
Israeli military said the drone had fallen in Lebanese territory during an
operation near the border demarcation known as the Blue Line and that there
was, “no breach of information.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/01/Israel-says-drone-falls-in-Lebanese-territory-Hezbollah-says-it-brought-it-down
--------
Pakistan
‘Zarif’s
trips to Islamabad proof of amicable Iran-Pakistan ties’
01
February 2021
Pakistan’s
foreign minister says his Iranian counterpart has made four trips to Islamabad
in less than three years, and that proves Iran and Pakistan have maintained
great relations.
Shah
Mahmood Qureshi made the remarks in a Monday address to his country’s
Parliament, where he elaborated on the level of Pakistan’s relations with its
neighbors, including Iran.
“Pakistan
enjoys very good relations with all its neighbors, especially the Islamic
Republic of Iran,” Qureshi said.
“Mohammad
Javad Zarif, the foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, paid four
official visits to Islamabad [since less than three years ago when the new
Pakistani government took office],” the Pakistani top diplomat said.
“That
indicates our good ties with this neighboring country,” he added.
Zarif
made his latest trip to Islamabad in November 2020, during which he expressed
Tehran’s preparedness for expansion of all-out relations with its eastern
neighbor.
In
that visit, he held separate meetings with the country’s prime minister, army
chief, and Foreign Minister Qureshi.
The
Iranian foreign minister has made 11 visits to Pakistan since assuming office
in 2013.
Iran
and Pakistan enjoy cultural, religious and political relations in addition to
close cooperation in security and economic sectors.
In
December 2020, the two states opened a new border crossing point to bolster
their bilateral economic and trade ties.
The
Rimadan-Gabd border gateway was officially opened on December 19, becoming the
second border crossing between Iran and Pakistan.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644349/Iran-pakistan-qureshi-zarif
--------
Senate
Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony ‘Turns Down’
Bill On Minorities Rights
February
02, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The
Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony turned
down on Monday a private bill regarding the protection of the rights of
minorities, saying that the minorities were enjoying complete religious freedom
in the country.
A
committee meeting, chaired by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Maulana
Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, observed that the existing laws were already providing
unprecedented religious freedom to minorities, adding that that the proposals
in the bill were already present in the laws.
The
Protection of the Rights of Religious Minorities Bill was presented by Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Javed Abbasi. He said that the minorities
should have the opportunities to go to their sacred religious places in a free
environment.
Abbasi
said that 8 million Hindus lived in Pakistan, and stressed that minorities
should have the opportunities to go to their sacred religious places in a free
environment. He also pointed to incidents of forced conversion in Sindh and
other areas.
In
many cases, young girls are forcibly converted, Abbasi said, adding that the
state of Pakistan would not allow such acts. “We do not treat minorities in
Pakistan as [Indian Prime Minister Narendra] Modi is doing in India,” he said.
Haideri
observed that the government was even constructing temples for the minorities,
while minorities had the liberty to establish their religious educational
institutions. He added that temple vandalising in Karak had wrongly been
attributed to the Muslims.
Jamaat-e-Islami
(JI) Senator Sirajul Haq termed the bill a part of the agenda of
non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Religious affairs ministry secretary
Ejaz Khan Jaffar told the committee that the protection of the rights of
minorities had been handed over to the provinces after the 18th Amendment.
During
the meeting, there were heated exchanges between the members of the committee.
Haq said that a minor girl cannot be married. As far as the hate speech was
concerned, he added, the law should be applied to all – opposition members and
the treasury members.
Pakistan
Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Krishna Kumari Kolhi (Kishoo Bai) said that they
did not seek legislation on speeches in the Senate, but on the issue of
inciting people to kill and harm others. Haq said if the Sindh government did
not apply the law and could not protect people it was its problem.
“What
did terrorism in Machh have to do with Islam or any other religion,” Haq asked.
“Terrorism has no religion,” Haideri replied. Abbasi said that he had no
objection if the bill was rejected. However, Haideri said that “reject” was a
strong word, instead the bill should be turned down.
later,
Kishoo Bai walked out of the meeting in protest after the bill failed to pass
through the committee. “You [should] reject it [bill] to show that you do not
want to protect minorities,” Bai said. “I can't sit on such a committee.”
The
committee endorsed the Muslim Family Law Ordinance 1961, (Amendment) Bill 2020
with the directions for further amendments to it. The bill was also moved by
Senator Abbasi. He said special allowance for elderly parents, who have no
other source of income, should be made part of the law.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2282277/senate-panel-turns-down-bill-on-minorities-rights
--------
Pak
SC rejects govt's request to suspend release of accused in the Daniel Pearl
murder case: Report
Feb
1, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Supreme Court on Monday rejected the government's request to
suspend the order to release British-born al-Qaeda terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed
Sheikh and his three aides in the brutal murder of American journalist Daniel
Pearl, days after it announced to formally join the review proceedings against
the acquittal of the accused amid mounting international pressure.
The
court, however, extended the interim detention order of main accused Sheikh and
his aides - Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib- by one day to hear the
government's position on the case.
During
the hearing on Monday, the attorney general of Pakistan requested the Supreme
Court to suspend the decision to release the accused so that he could argue the
case in detail. The apex court rejected the request, according to a report in
The Express Tribune.
The
Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of the accused by dismissing
appeals against their acquittal by the Sindh High Court. The judgement was
denounced by Pearl's family as "a complete travesty of justice".
The
Sindh government on Friday filed a review petition in the apex court against
the acquittal of Sheikh and his three accomplices.
Amid
mounting pressure from the US and the UN, a spokesman of the attorney general
of Pakistan (AGP) on Saturday announced that the federal government will file
an appropriate application before the apex court to be allowed to join as a
party in the proceedings and further seek review and recall of the court's
January 28 judgement.
Pearl,
the 38-year-old South Asia bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal, was
abducted and beheaded while he was in Pakistan investigating a story in 2002 on
the links between the country's powerful spy agency ISI and al-Qaeda.
“Let's
hear the government's position till tomorrow,” the court said, according to a
report in The Express Tribune.
“The
government should tell the court how a citizen can be detained,” it further
said.
A
three-judge bench of the apex court led by Justice Umar Ata Bandial heard the
government's petition wherein a notice to the Attorney General of Pakistan was
also issued and records of the case were sought from the Sindh High Court
(SHC), the report said.
During
the hearing, the AGP said that the government has not been made a party in the
SHC and the accused were acquitted without hearing pleas from the government, a
necessary step in such cases, the report said.
A
Pakistani citizen is in custody, the high court will not rule without looking
at the order sheet, Justice Bandial said.
The
court also refused to adjourn the case for a week on the request of a
co-counsel.
Meanwhile,
Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said that Pakistan
will not hand over the main accused in the case to the US, The Express Tribune
report said on Sunday.
His
comments came after a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who
offered to prosecute Sheikh in America.
Blinken
also expressed "deep concern" over the apex court's judgement.
The
US also has been mounting pressure on Pakistan, demanding justice for Pearl.
Last month, the US said it is ready to take custody of Sheikh, asserting that
Washington will not allow him to evade justice.
Acting
attorney general Monty Wilkinson said the US was deeply concerned by the ruling
affirming the acquittal of individuals convicted by a Pakistani trial court.
"The
release of those involved would be an affront to Daniel Pearl's family, to
other terrorism victims around the world, and to the cause of justice,”
Wilkinson said.
Expressing
concern over the acquittal of the accused in the case, a senior UN official
representing Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that it is important that
there is accountability for such crimes.
"What
is important is that there be accountability for those crimes committed,” Stephane
Dujarric said on Friday.
In
April 2020, a two-judge Sindh High Court bench commuted the death sentence of
46-year-old Sheikh to seven years imprisonment. The court also acquitted his
three aides who were serving life terms in the case -- almost two decades after
they were found guilty and jailed.
The
Sindh government and the family of Pearl filed petitions in the apex court,
challenging the high court verdict.
The
Sindh government invoked the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960
to keep the four men under detention.
Their
continuous detention was challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC), which on
December 24 directed security agencies not to keep Sheikh and other accused
under "any sort of detention" and declared all notifications of the
Sindh government related to their detention "null and void".
Sheikh
in a handwritten letter to the SHC in 2019 admitted his limited involvement in
the killing of Pearl. The letter was presented to the Supreme Court nearly two
weeks ago and Sheikh's lawyer on Wednesday confirmed the letter. The accused,
however, didn't explain the nature of his role which he said was “just minor”.
Pearl's
murder took place three years after Sheikh, along with Jaish-e-Mohammad chief
Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, was released by India in 1999 and given
safe passage to Afghanistan in exchange for the nearly 150 passengers of
hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814.
He
was serving a prison term in India for kidnappings of Western tourists in the
country.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pak-sc-rejects-govts-request-to-suspend-release-of-accused-in-the-daniel-pearl-murder-case-report/articleshow/80631019.cms
--------
Pakistan
SC extends detention of principal accused in Daniel Pearl murder case for one
day
Feb
2, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday extended for one day the detention of
British-born Pakistani Ahmed Omar Ahmed Saeed Sheikh, the prime accused in the
American journalist Daniel Pearl murder case.
The
extension has been granted on the request of the Sindh government, which has
filed a review petition in the SC against Sheikh’s release. A three-member
bench of the SC, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, heard the petition.
The
petition also requested an early hearing of the matter.
During
the hearing, Sheikh’s lawyer said his client was innocent and those involved in
the murder of Daniel Pearl had been released. “The wrong man was caught under
American pressure. Sheikh passed a law degree from the UK. If he hadn’t been in
jail, he would have been a better lawyer than me,” Sheikh’s lawyer argued. The
hearing was adjourned till Tuesday.
The
top court’s order had led the US to call it “an affront to terrorism victims
everywhere” and to demand that the Pakistani government review its legal
options.
Pearl
was the South Asia bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal. He was researching
a story about militants when he was abducted in Karachi in January 2002.
Nearly
a month later, a graphic video showing his decapitation was received by officials
at the US consulate in Karachi.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-sc-extends-detention-of-principal-accused-in-daniel-pearl-murder-case-for-one-day/articleshow/80638465.cms
--------
Minister
sees Indian lobby behind PIA plane seizure
Amjad
Iqbal | Mohammad Asghar
February
2, 2021
TAXILA/RAWALPINDI:
Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan claimed on Monday that
there was Indian lobby’s conspiracy behind the seizure of the Pakistan
International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane in Malaysia last month.
Malaysian
authorities held back the PIA plane on Jan 15 due to a British court case over
the jet’s lease. The plane, however, returned to Pakistan on Friday.
Answering
questions of reporters in Taxila, the minister accused the previous Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government of acquiring planes for PIA from a
foreign firm at higher than the market value. He said the previous government’s
adviser on aviation, Shujaat Azeem, allegedly tried to grab kickbacks in the
lease deal of the plane. Mr Azeem, he added, was “controlled” by some Indians.
He
said the lease of the said plane expired in July last year and the government
had decided not to extend it.
Meanwhile,
PIA on Monday issued new directives for its cabin crew after another flight
crew member went missing during the last two days soon after the PIA flight
landed in Toronto.
The
move by the general manager flight services came after another crew member,
this time an airhostess who was among the crew members of PIA flight PK797 from
Karachi to Toronto, went missing in Canada on Jan 31.
This
was the second such incident during as many days.
PIA
issued new standard operating procedures (SOPs) for its crew members that
included confiscation of their passports on arrival aboard to check the
incidents of slipping away of the staff in other countries.
“Cabin
crew passports will be kept in the safe custody of the station manager. They
should be collected on arrival after immigration and customs formalities and
should be returned at the time of check in on departing flights,” a statement
issued by PIA in Rawalpindi said.
The
GM flight services further directed: “Hotel security will be activated to
ensure that everyone checks in on arrival. Any shortfall should be immediately
reported by the hotel staff.”
Due
to the pandemic situation, cabin crew movement should be restricted and no one
should be allowed to stay out of hotel premises at night, the directives said.
A PIA
spokesperson confirmed that there had been two recent incidents of cabin crew
missing in Canada after which the matter had been reported to Canadian
immigration authorities.
He
said there was no contact with the crew members who were reported missing in
Toronto.
Earlier
on Friday, a flight steward of PIA reportedly went missing in Canada soon after
the airline’s flight PK-798 landed in Toronto.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1605013/minister-sees-indian-lobby-behind-pia-plane-seizure
--------
FM
rejects claim Pakistan stands diplomatically isolated
Baqir
Sajjad Syed
February
2, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday rejected the opposition’s
criticism of ‘diplomatic isolation’ and called for forging bipartisan consensus
on foreign policy issues.
Winding
up a debate in the Senate on the foreign policy, Mr Qureshi invited lawmakers
of the opposition for a briefing on external affairs and developing consensus
on different issues related to it.
“The
foreign policy is linked to state’s interests,” he emphasised while cautioning
against developing rival views on relations with external world.
The
foreign minister offered to visit the opposition leaders, in case they did not
want to come over to him.
“The
government is open-minded. We are not narrow-visioned on this,” he asserted.
Senators
offered briefing on foreign affairs to forge consensus
The
foreign minister rejected the opposition’s criticism of the country facing
diplomatic isolation and said that it had not happened despite India’s desires
and efforts.
In
this regard, he pointed to success at the UN Human Rights Council, to which
Pakistan was re-elected in last October; UN Economic and Social Council, where
Pakistan is currently holding the presidency; and the seven per cent growth in
trade with Africa last year.
He,
however, said that the government was aware of the “challenges, pitfalls, and
spoilers” and had a plan for moving forward.
Mr
Qureshi said that the challenges in the foreign policy domain were not new and
some were longstanding and preceded the current government.
He
also touched upon some of the important relationships.
The
foreign minister said that there were important convergences with the new Biden
administration in Washington on various aspects of the Afghan conflict,
especially with regard to withdrawal of troops and reduction in violence.
He
said that he had written a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, even
before he spoke to him last week, in which he had emphasised the convergences.
In
the region, he said, the government desired friendly ties with all its neighbours.
He
contended that Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan had improved and Kabul
had, along with the international community, started acknowledging Islamabad’s
support for peace process.
He
also pointed out another shift in the approach on Afghanistan and said the
government was no more interacting with only one ethnicity group in Afghanistan
and had started reaching out to other important ethnic groups as well.
About
India, he said, the government desired normal relations with it, but that
couldn’t move forward because of lack of reciprocation from the other side. He
blamed the current stalemate in ties on the extremist Hindutva mindset
dominating India.
Mr
Qureshi observed that ties with Iran had greatly improved during the current
government’s tenure as reflected by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s six visits,
Tehran’s support for the Kashmir issue and improvement in border management.
Border markets are now being set up, he added.
The
evergreen ties with China, he said, were further deepening. The second phase of
the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he added, was under way which involved
industrial relocation, transfer of technology and investment in agriculture —
all of which would increase national productivity.
The
foreign minister rejected the impression of lukewarmness in relations with
Saudi Arabia. He argued that the loan given by Riyadh was time-bound and the
government paid it when the foreign exchange reserves improved. The Saudi
government, he pointed out, supported Pakistan at the United Nations and OIC
meeting in Niamey (Niger).
About
the UAE, Mr Qureshi said, he had been assured by his Emirati counterpart that
their relations with India would not be at the cost of Pakistan.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1605017/fm-rejects-claim-pakistan-stands-diplomatically-isolated
--------
Three
terrorists killed near Afghan border
February
2, 2021
LOWER
DIR: Security forces thwarted an infiltration attempt by terrorists close to
the Afghan border in Lower Dir by killing three of them, official sources said.
The
security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in an area close to
the border, according to a statement issued here by the Inter-Services Public
Relations (ISPR).
The
ISPR said the three terrorists namely Abdul Sattar, a resident of Mardan, and
Abid and Yousaf Khan, both residents of Swat, were killed during an exchange of
fire with the security forces. A large quantity of ammunition, weapons and
grenades were seized from their possession, it added.
According
to the military’s media wing, the terrorists remained involved in several
targeted killings in Swat in 2019. While they had again planned to infiltrate
and target several notables inside Pakistan, they were timely engaged and
killed, the ISPR stated.
It
also noted that area people appreciated the operation and pledged their
complete support to the security forces against the menace of terrorism.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1605006/three-terrorists-killed-near-afghan-border
--------
Africa
Libyan
delegates start talks in Geneva for transitional leaders
01
February 2021
Libyan
delegates have come together for UN-backed talks in Switzerland to choose new
interim leaders who will oversee preparations for elections scheduled to take
place by the end of the year.
The
participants at a five-day meeting in Geneva would vote next week to pick a
three-person presidential council and a prime minister.
They
will pick from 24 candidates for the three council posts. Twenty-one people are
vying for the post of premier.
The
75-member Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), which was set up in line with
UN efforts to end the chaos in the country, is working to get the warring sides
to agree on a mechanism that would lead to a transitional administration
following presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2021.
Many
fear competition for the abovementioned posts could yet trigger new fighting,
unraveling a ceasefire that has largely held since October 2020.
Stephanie
Williams, the acting UN envoy, told the delegates on Monday that the temporary
leaders should strive toward national reconciliation and restoration of
democracy.
“Reaching
this far and achieving this progress in the political dialogue has been an
arduous journey fraught with challenges,” Williams told the gathering Monday.
“Indeed, a year ago, this would not have been possible.”
“This
decision was greeted with the overwhelming approval by your compatriots, and it
is a commitment that must be honored at all costs,” she added.
“The
Libyan people are behind you. They support you and they want you to succeed.
They need you to succeed. Don’t let them down.”
Since
2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the UN-recognized
government based in the capital Tripoli, and another camp based in the eastern
city of Tobruk, backed militarily by armed rebels.
The
country descended into unprecedented chaos last year after the so-called Libyan
National Army (LNA) under rebel commander Khalifa Haftar moved toward Tripoli
to seize the city. They were repelled by government forces.
The
conflict has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers
pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country.
The
rivals agreed during talks in Geneva in September 2020 to hold elections within
18 months and restructure the government.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644323/Libya-Geneva-transition
--------
Group
of Chibok Schoolgirls Reportedly Escape Boko Haram Captors
By
Timothy Obiezu
January
29, 202
ABUJA
- An unknown number of girls, kidnapped seven years ago from a government school
in Chibok, Nigeria, are believed to have escaped after the military launched an
offensive in the Sambisa Forest in Borno state, a Boko Haram base where the
girls and many other kidnap victims are believed to be held.
One
of the girls, Halima Ali Maiyanga, spoke to her father Friday from military
custody, confirming the escape.
Former
chairman of the Chibok community Hosea Adama, speaking to VOA via a messaging
app, says the town is celebrating the news: "People are happy, yes it is
true. Even if it's one (girl), the whole village will jubilate over
it."
The
Nigerian military has yet to respond to questions or issue a statement on the
matter.
However,
Adama says the military is profiling the rescued victims to ascertain how many
of them are Chibok girls, who would now be in their late teens and early 20s.
"Up
tlll now, we don't know who is involved and how many. Even the soldiers, people
contacted them, they don't have the right information. They are still
profiling," he said.
In
2014, Boko Haram militants raided a government secondary school in Chibok town
and kidnapped 276 girls.
Dozens
of the girls escaped soon after and about 100 of them were freed through
negotiations between 2016 and 2017.
Hosea
says five of his nieces are among the Chibok girls who are yet to be found, and
he's hoping they're among the new batch of returnees.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/group-chibok-schoolgirls-reportedly-escape-boko-haram-captors
--------
Borno
speaker faults Olonisakin, Lai Mohammed’s claims on Boko Haram
By
Abdulkareem Haruna
February
1, 2021
The
Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkareem Lawan, has faulted claims
that Boko Haram no longer holds any local government area in the state.
The
speaker was responding to a statement by the immediate past Chief of Defence
Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, at the pulling out parade of retired service chiefs
that no local government area is under the control of the insurgents.
The
Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had in December 2020 during a meeting
with the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria , made the same
asertion.
But
the Borno speaker said the claim was not fair to the displaced people of Borno,
especially his immediate constituency.
Mr
Lawan said even as the head of the state legislature he has not been able to
visit his local government area for three years because it is being occupied by
insurgents.
“I
disagree with the claims of the former Chief of Defence Staff during their
pulling out ceremony that no territory in Nigeria is under the control of Boko
Haram. I say this because my local government is completely under the control
of Boko Haram for the past three years.
“As I
am speaking to you right now, there is no single civilian that lives in the
entire territory that defines my local government area, Guzamala. Sadly, there
is also no single military presence or soldier in my local government.
“I
have also heard the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the same
thing that no single local government area is under the occupation of Boko
Haram.
“This
gives me worry because I know there are 774 local government areas in Nigeria
and my local government Guzamala is one of them. I don’t know if the federal
government has reduced the number of local government areas in Nigeria to 773,
by saying that no single LGA is under the control of Boko Haram.
What
about my local government, Guzamala, which is a no-go-area for both military
and civilians? Are we not part of the Nigerian state? Have we been cut off from
the Nigerian geographical space? If that is the case, we need the federal
government to tell us in clear terms.
“For
the past one year, the Borno state governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has been
visiting all the local government areas and making efforts to return IDPs to
their liberated local. government headquarters. But of all the places, Guzamala
was never visited because it is a no-go-area.”
The
speaker said of all the 10 local government areas that form the Northern Borno
senatorial district, “none is completely free of Boko Haram.”
“Most
of the IDPs relocated to their communities are only restricted to the local
government headquarters because the remote villages and hamlets are still not
safe. So how can we even say Boko Haram is not in those locations when only the
local government headquarters are relatively secured?”
But
he called on the new commanders to see to the total elimination of the
insurgents from the nooks and crannies of the state.
“We
are happy with the new set of services chiefs especially the CDS and the Chief
of Army Staff who were once commanders of the Lafiya Dole Theatre Command here
in Borno. We plead with them to deploy more troops to the northern part of
Borno where Boko Haram are still occupying my entire local government area.”
During
the retired service chiefs pull out ceremony last week, the former CDS said
under his leadership, the Nigerian military had seen the reclaiming of the 20
local government that was under the control of the insurgents in 2015.
“We
all could recall that at the inception of the current administration of
President Muhammadu Buhari, the Boko Haram terrorist group held sway in parts
of north-east Nigeria, where the sect occupied 20 out of 26 local government
areas in Borno State,” Olonisakin, who retired as a four-star General, said.
“Our
immediate challenge on the assumption of office was to flush out Boko Haram and
restore Nigeria’s sovereignty over these occupied territories.
“Gratefully,
with the support of political leadership and indeed all Nigerians, the armed
forces of Nigeria, under my leadership, was able to reclaim all territories
that were then under the control of Boko Haram.”
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/439973-borno-speaker-faults-olonisakin-lai-mohammeds-claims-on-boko-haram.html
--------
North
America
Biden
urged to defend right to free speech, back peaceful calls for Israel boycotts
02
February 2021
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) has called on new US President Joe Biden to defend free
speech, including peaceful calls for a boycott of Israel, and publicly renounce
his predecessor Donald Trump’s legacy of branding human rights groups and
activists critical of Israel and its settlement expansion in the occupied
Palestinian lands as “anti-Semitic.”
Eric
Goldstein, acting Middle East and North Africa executive director at the HRW,
stated on Monday that the Democratic leader should oppose laws that penalize
companies seeking to cut ties with West Bank settlements — which are illegal
under the Fourth Geneva Convention — in order to avoid complicity in inevitable
human rights violations of the structures.
Goldstein
then expressed doubts that Biden would end Washington’s attempts to tar the
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, in ways that threaten free
speech.
The
BDS movement was initiated in 2005 by over 170 Palestinian organizations that
were pushing for “various forms of boycott against Israel until it meets its
obligations under international law.”
Thousands
of volunteers worldwide have since then joined the campaign, which calls for
people and groups across the world to cut economic, cultural and academic ties
to Tel Aviv, to help promote the Palestinian cause.
Goldstein
went on to say that former hawkish US secretary of state Mike Pompeo did not
stop at accusing the pro-Palestinian BDS movement of being “anti-Semitic,” but
also lumped in groups that use international law as a basis to urge businesses
to shun Israeli settlements.
He
said the Trump administration upended the global politics of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Pompeo toured a settlement in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank — the first such visit by a top US official — on
November 19 last year.
The
trip to Psagot came a year after Pompeo said the settlements did not contradict
international law, reversing a long-held US position.
The
declaration outraged Palestinians, who oppose settlements on land they claim
for a future independent state.
Goldstein
further noted that the former US secretary of state vowed the same day to list,
and cut off funding to groups that support boycotts of Israel. Pompeo, however,
did not release that list, for unexplained reasons.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli
occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
al-Quds.
All
Israeli settlements are illegal under international law as they are built on
occupied land.
After
Trump took office in December 2016, Israel stepped up its settlement
construction activities in defiance of United Nations Security Council
Resolution 2334, which pronounce settlements in the West Bank and East
Jerusalem al-Quds “a flagrant violation under international law.”
But
Biden has indicated his administration will restore US policy of opposing
settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/02/644365/Biden-urged-to-defend-right-to-free-speech,-back-calls-for-Israel-boycotts
--------
US
forces ‘transporting by choppers’ Daesh terrorists in Afghanistan: Taliban
01
February 2021
The
Taliban says the US occupation forces in Afghanistan are engaged in
“transporting by their choppers” members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group
in the war-torn country’s east.
Senior
members of a Taliban delegation, who are on an official visit to Iran for talks
on the Afghan peace process and relevant topics, made the assertion in a news
conference in Tehran on Monday, saying that the US forces in Afghanistan are
assisting the Daesh terrorists to escape the areas that are coming under the
Taliban control.
“Daesh
were in Nangarhar and Kunar; they existed in those areas. They were eliminated
by the Taliban there but their members were transferred by choppers,” Suhail
Shaheen, a negotiating member of the Taliban told reporters, adding, “When the
Taliban laid a siege on them, we saw that only American choppers could fly as
the Afghan airspace is fully under the control of Americans.”
The
senior Taliban member also referred to the escalation of violence in
Afghanistan after the US-Taliban deal last February and said the US forces were
to blame as they defaulted on their obligation to end their occupation and
resumed the assault.
“After
the signing of the agreement, we gave a chance to the Americans to withdraw
their troops from Afghanistan and we were committed not to launch any attacks,
so if they terminated the occupation we were committed to refrain from any
assaults or attacks so it would pave the way for intra-Afghan talks but
unfortunately new attacks were launched against us and we were forced to defend
ourselves and they even tried to capture our region and they conducted nightly
attacks,” he said.
“We
have no access to the media but they have. They attribute violence to us and
that is not true. They start the violence. They start the violent action and
that’s still continuing.”
During
the news conference, the Taliban negotiator said the group was after an
“inclusive system and establishment” in Afghanistan and not after “monopolizing
power,” adding that they would reconsider the agreement with US if
foreign forces failed to withdraw from Afghanistan.
“We
have resisted the occupation of Afghanistan for 20 years and we will continue
resistance against occupation if foreign forces remain in the country,” the
senior Taliban member said.
Last
week, the Taliban political delegation arrived in Tehran at the invitation of
the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the latest of such visits that have been paid
several times over the past months.
Iran
strongly supports the realization of peace and stability in Afghanistan, which
has been embroiled in decades of militancy fueled by foreign military
intervention.
The
intra-Afghan talks started after the United States agreed to withdraw 12,000 US
troops from Afghanistan in exchange for the Taliban’s halting of their attacks
on international forces under a deal between the two sides in February 2020.
The
deal was intended to result in the reduction of bloodshed, but violence
continues to take a heavy toll on the country.
In
recent months, deadly attacks and high-profile assassinations have seen a rise
in Afghanistan. The Taliban have denied responsibility for the killings, but
Afghan and US officials have pinned the blame on the group.
Despite
the ongoing talks between Kabul and the Taliban, the administration of US
President Joe Biden has said it would review the peace deal reached last year.
The
US first invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the banner of fighting “terrorism.”
The invasion toppled the Taliban, but the group has never stopped its attacks,
citing the foreign military presence as one of the main reasons behind its
continued militancy.
Since
the US invasion of Afghanistan, Washington has spent more than two trillion
dollars for the war on the impoverished country, according to some estimates.
Over 2,400 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Afghan civilians have been
killed.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644328/Taliban-Afghanistan-US-forces
--------
US
President Biden will keep tariffs on UAE aluminum imports citing national
security
02
February 2021
US
President Joe Biden will maintain tariffs on aluminum imports from the United
Arab Emirates, reversing Donald Trump's move to end the levies on his last day
as president, the White House said on Monday.
Trump
said on Jan. 20 he would exempt UAE from a 10% tariff imposed on most aluminum
imports in 2018, saying the two countries had reached a quota agreement that
would restrict aluminum imports. The exemption was due to go into effect on
Wednesday.
"I
consider it is necessary and appropriate in light of our national security
interests to maintain, at this time, the tariff treatment applied to aluminum
article imports from the United Arab Emirates," Biden said in a
proclamation released by the White House on Monday.
https://english.alarabiya.net/business/2021/02/02/US-President-Biden-will-keep-tariffs-on-UAE-aluminum-imports-citing-national-security
--------
US
secretary of state: Iran ‘weeks away from having material to build nuclear
bomb’
February
01, 2021
JEDDAH:
Iran will be weeks away from building a nuclear bomb if it stays on its current
path, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Monday.
In
his first TV interview since his appointment was confirmed last month, Blinken
said Tehran was months away from being able to produce enough material for a
weapon, but it would be “a matter of weeks” if it continued to breach the terms
of the 2015 nuclear deal.
The
future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement to curb
Iran’s nuclear program in return for an easing of economic sanctions, is an
early foreign policy challenge for the new Biden administration.
Donald
Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions that have
crippled the Iranian economy, and Tehran has responded by gradually increasing
its enrichment of uranium beyond what is permitted under the deal.
Blinken
said on Monday the US was willing to return to compliance with the JCPOA if
Iran did, and then work with US allies and partners on a “longer and stronger”
agreement encompassing other issues.
Iran
has rejected any new negotiations or changes to the participants in the JCPOA,
after French President Emmanuel Macron said new talks should include Saudi
Arabia. The Kingdom and its Gulf allies believe any enhanced agreement should
address Iran’s ballistic missile program, and its regional meddling through
proxy militias in Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.
Blinken’s
reference to a timeframe for Iran’s development of a nuclear bomb means the
issue must be resolved rapidly, because the US will never allow Iran to obtain
nuclear weapons, political analyst Hamdan Al-Shehri told Arab News. “The US is
giving Iran an ultimatum to solve the matter within weeks,” he said.
Al-Shehri
said the international community was aware that if Iran obtained a nuclear
weapon, it would not be alone in the region. “Other countries will not accept
that Iran possesses nuclear weapons alone, and remain standing idly by,” he
said.
“However,
although the US is offering to open the door for Iran to return to a deal,
entrance is subject to certain conditions,” Al-Shehri said. These included US
follow-up to ensure Iran’s compliance, addressing other issues such as
ballistic missiles, and involving other countries including Saudi Arabia, he
said.
Iran
would understand the threat and was unlikely to wholly reject the proposal,
Al-Shehri said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1801906/middle-east
--------
Europe
Lawmakers
debate bill to rout out radical Islam in France
February
02, 2021
PARIS
(AP) — French lawmakers debated a bill on Monday they hope will uproot radical
Islam in the country, beliefs that authorities maintain are creeping into
public services, associations, some schools and online with the goal of
undermining national values.
The
bill is broad and controversial, with around 1,700 proposed amendments, and it
guarantees heated debate for the next two weeks in the lower house.
Opening
the debate, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the bill’s sponsor, said the aim
is to stop “an Islamist hostile takeover targeting Muslims.” He stressed that
“we are not fighting against a religion,” although some Muslims in France have
voiced concern that it adds a new layer of stigmatization for them. Other
religions, from Buddhists to Roman Catholics, have complained they also could
suffer fallout from the text.
The
bill reflects a priority for President Emmanuel Macron, who in an October
speech painted a dark picture of what he dubbed “separatism,” a perverse
version of Islam, France’s No. 2 religion, quietly making inroads and creating
a “counter society.”
Darmanin
echoed the president in his opening remarks to lawmakers, saying “Our country
is suffering from a sickness of separatism, first and foremost an Islamist
separatism that is like gangrene infecting our national unity.”
Darmanin,
a right-leaning member of Macron’s centrist party, took up his mission to
propose a law with zeal, writing a short book to be released in the next few
days, “Manifesto for Secularism” — a fundamental value of France that the bill
he sponsored is meant to protect.
Multiple
attacks in France by Islamist extremists provide a backdrop for the bill, even
if recent violence was committed by outsiders.
The
text applies to all religions, but some Muslims say the legislation once again
points the finger at Islam.
Other
critics say the bill covers ground already addressed in current laws while
far-right leader Marine Le Pen says the bill doesn’t go far enough or even name
the enemy: radical Islam.
The
proposed law is one aspect of the French president’s bid to do what his
predecessors tried and failed to do: create a made-to-measure “Islam of
France.” Separately, the official conduit to the government, the French Council
of the Muslim Faith, or CFCM, was pushed to create a “charter of principles for
Islam of France,” completed last month after much wrangling among Muslim
federations.
Muslim
leaders were keeping a low profile as debate opened.
In
ways small and large, the bill seeks oversight in the functioning of
associations and mosques, including foreign financing, and aims to plug up
entry points for Islamist ideology in the lives of Muslims.
Mohammed
Moussaoui, head of the CFCM, said at a parliamentary commission hearing in January
that the new oversight of associations in the bill is “useful, necessary to
fight those who want to instrumentalize associations” to counter French values.
However, he expressed concern that officials could “use this tool to bother
associations, the good students” following the rules.
The
head of the Foundation of Islam, a secular organization representing a
progressive Islam, called the proposed law “unjust but necessary.”
While
Muslims are not mentioned in the text, it singles out “but one religion, but
one category of the citizenry,” Ghaleb Bencheikh said in a phone interview. It
is necessary because “French society, the French nation is traumatized by
attacks and the reality of radical Islam.” While radicals are a minority, “it’s
minorities that make up history,” Bencheikh added.
Among
the 51 articles, the bill aims to ensure that public service employees respect
neutrality and secularism, while protecting them against threats or violence.
In a
bid to protect children from indoctrination and to do away with underground
schools, the text requires all children from age 3 to attend a regular school.
Around 50,000 children were home-schooled in 2020, according to French media.
But the number of “clandestine schools” where children are reportedly indoctrinated
in radical ideology is unknown.
Among
other key points, the bill aims to keep a close watch on associations,
including those that often run mosques, with measures including one aimed at
ensuring that outsiders can’t take control of an association.
Another
measure requires associations receiving state funds to sign a “contract of
Republican commitment” ensuring they honor French values. Funding must be
reimbursed if the contract is broken. While foreign funding for mosques isn’t
banned, amounts over 10,000 euros ($12,100) must be declared.
If
some Muslims feel a new layer of stigmatism, France’s other religions feel
collateral damage. Le Monde newspaper reported they were unanimous in their
criticism of the treatment of religious associations, which leaders told a
parliamentary commission adds unnecessary layers of work, oversight and
suspicion for all faiths.
The
proposed law also seeks to halt the issuing by doctors of virginity
certificates, the practice of polygamy and forced marriage. Doctors would be
fined and risk jail for providing virginity certificates.
The
law includes an article that Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti has called
the “Paty law,” after the beheading of school teacher Samuel Paty who showed
students in a civics class caricatures of the prophet. It creates a new crime
for hate speech online in which someone’s personal details are posted. A
Chechen refugee beheaded Paty after information about the teacher was spread
online.
The
parliamentary debate comes after the French president’s defense of the right to
produce or show such caricatures following the school teacher’s beheading, a
stance for free expression that upset many Muslims abroad. It triggered
protests in multiple countries where Macron’s position was perceived as anti-Muslim,
which his government strongly denies. An international collective of pro-Muslim
groups filed a complaint last month with the U.N. Human Rights Committee,
accusing France’s government of “Islamophobic attitudes.”
https://apnews.com/article/religion-emmanuel-macron-secularism-france-bills-d3146e80f369006ed6f5a0d8fe2bc1b2
--------
Pope
to celebrate International Day of Human Fraternity with Abu Dhabi crown prince
February
01, 2021
ROME: Pope Francis will celebrate the UN’s first
International Day of Human Fraternity on Feb. 4 with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed.
Al-Azhar’s
Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and
other public figures will also take part in the event, the Pontifical Council
for Interreligious Dialogue said.
The
Zayed Award for Human Fraternity will be given that day, with the meeting and
ceremony streamed live in several languages.
The
prize was inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity that the pope signed
with Al-Tayyeb in Abu Dhabi during his inaugural visit to the Arabian peninsula
two years ago.
“This
celebration responds to a clear call that Pope Francis has been making to all
humanity to build a present of peace in the encounter with the other,” Cardinal
Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot MCCJ, president of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue, told a press conference.
"In
October 2020, that invitation became even more vivid with the encyclical
‘Fratelli Tutti.’ These meetings are a way to achieve true social friendship.”
It
was on Feb. 4 2019, during his trip to the UAE, that the pope signed the
Document on Human Fraternity.
He
and the grand imam had spent nearly six months drafting the document before
announcing it together during the historic visit.
The
Higher Committee of Human Fraternity was established to translate the
document’s aspirations into sustained engagement and concrete actions to foster
fraternity, solidarity, respect and mutual understanding.
It is
planning an Abrahamic Family House - featuring a synagogue, a church and a
mosque - on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island.
It
has established an independent jury to receive nominations for the Zayed Award
and choose winners whose work demonstrates a lifelong commitment to human
fraternity. The award carries a $1 million prize.
The
committee comprises different international religious leaders, scholars and
cultural leaders who were inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity and are
dedicated to sharing its message of mutual understanding and peace.
Their
work is to act concretely according to the aspirations of the document and to
spread the values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
The
committee’s secretary-general is Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam.
Last
December the UN General Assembly unanimously declared Feb. 4 as the
International Day of Human Fraternity.
Pope
Francis has encouraged the Holy See to join in the celebration of International
Human Fraternity Day under the leadership of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue, a Vatican institution founded in 1964 by Pope Paul VI
with the aim of working on relations and dialogue between the Catholic Church
and the faithful of other religions.
“This
is a further evidence of Pope Francis’ commitment to interreligious dialogue,”
Archbishop Carlo Maria Celli, former president of the Vatican Pontifical
Council for Social Communications, told Arab News. “A commitment confirmed also
by the visit that the Holy Father will hold in Iraq between 5 and 8 March, when
we all expect he will deliver a powerful message.”
The
papal itinerary in Iraq, at the invitation of the Iraqi government and the
local Catholic Church, will include Baghdad, Irbil, Mosul and Qaraqosh in the
plain of Nineveh.
He
will also visit the ancient city of Ur, said to be the birthplace of the
Muslim, Christian and Jewish patriarch Ibrahim.
It
will be the pope’s first overseas trip since Nov. 2019, when he traveled to
Thailand and Japan, and his first trip to the Middle East since Feb. 2019, when
he visited the UAE and celebrated Mass in front of 180,000 people at Zayed
Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1802051/world
--------
India
Terrorist
hideout busted in Rajouri, ‘war-like store’ recovered
Feb
2, 2021
JAMMU:
A joint team of the Army and J&K Police busted a terrorist hideout in the
dense Gadyog forest in Rajouri district’s Khawas region late Sunday and
recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle, three
AK-47 magazines, 94 AK-47 rounds, five UBGL grenades, two Chinese pistols, two
Chinese pistol magazines, eight pistol rounds, one Kenwood radio set and three
radio set antennae, confirmed Rajouri SSP Chandan Kohli.
The
timely recovery has thwarted a possible terror bid besides attempts to revive
terrorism in Rajouri and Reasi districts, SSP Kohli said.
On
January 23, a joint team of the Army, BSF and J&K Police had busted a
terror hideout in Hari Buddha area in Poonch district. On January 3, security
forces had recovered arms and ammunition from another hideout in Dabbi village
in Mendhar’s Balakote on disclosures of three terror associates of J&K
Ghaznavi Force who were arrested on December 27 last year.
Based
on information obtained from the trio, security personnel busted three terror
hideouts and recovered 13 grenades, three pistols, five pistol magazines, 105
pistol bullets, four Pakistan-made balloons, one flag of Tehreek ul Mujahideen
Jammu and Kashmir and 18 posters of J&K Ghaznavi Force.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terrorist-hideout-busted-in-rajouri-war-like-store-recovered/articleshow/80638478.cms
--------
Bilkis
Bano, 82, Is ‘Woman Of The Year’ And Ilham Tohti, A Champion Of Uyghur Cause,
Is ‘Man Of The Year’
Peerzada
Ashiq
FEBRUARY
02, 2021
Bilkis
Bano, 82, who became the face of the Gandhian-style protest against the
Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
who advocated an India-Pakistan dialogue on Kashmir, were among the world’s 500
most influential Muslims named by the Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic
Studies Centre (RISSC) on Monday.
In
its latest report, the RISSC said the survey of the ‘persons of the year’
included individuals “who achieved or represented something significant in the
past year”. It named Ms. Bano as the ‘Woman of the Year’ and Ilham Tohti, a
champion of Uyghur cause from China, as the ‘Man of the Year’.
The
survey described Ms. Bano from New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh as one who mobilised
and inspired many to stand up by starting a Gandhian-style sit-in on a road in
her locality and brought the world’s attention to the “latest signpost” in
India’s slide into “majoritarianism”.
“Ms.
Bilkis was joined by thousands of women, initially Muslim, but then of all
religions, ages and classes, to protest against the government’s National
Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,” the report
said.
The
Mirwaiz is among 10 “most influential” in the political category. The survey
described him as “an advocate of dialogue between India and Pakistan so that
the aspirations of the Kashmiri people may be realised”. The Hurriyat leader
had remained under house arrest since August 2019, when the Union government
ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, it added.
The
RISSC, an independent research entity affiliated to the Royal Aal al-Bayt
Institute for Islamic Thought, is an independent institute headquartered in
Jordan’s capital Amman.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bilkis-mirwaiz-among-500-most-influential-muslims/article33722536.ece
--------
Govt
hands over Israel embassy blast to NIA after Iranian angle emerges
FEB
02, 2021
The
Union home ministry on Tuesday handed over the probe into the blast near Israel
embassy in Delhi to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The
premier investigating agency will look into the Iran angle, people aware of the
development said.
“The
NIA has been roped in as case has international ramifications. The case file
and evidence collected so far by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell including the
explosive sample, CCTV footage and the ‘threat letter’ recovered from the blast
site will be handed over to the central agency,” said an officer, requesting
anonymity.
According
to counter-terrorism officials in New Delhi, there is enough to suggest the
involvement of Tehran in the blast, although investigators are still looking
for the people who actually planted the bomb.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi had on Monday assured his Israeli counterpart Benjamin
Netanyahu of punishing the perpetrators of the low-intensity bomb blast that
took place near the Israeli Embassy on January 29.
According
to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the two leaders
spoke on phone and PM Modi told Netanyahu that India gives high importance to
the safety and security of Israeli diplomats and embassy.
On
January 29, a low-intensity explosion took place near the Israel embassy in
Delhi. No injuries have been reported in the incident so far. Windscreens of
several cars parked in the vicinity of the embassy on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road
were found damaged.
After
the incident, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had assured the Israeli
foreign minister of "fullest protection" to their diplomats.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/union-home-ministry-hands-over-probe-into-blast-outside-israeli-embassy-in-delhi-to-national-investigation-agency-101612252161086.html
--------
South
Asia
Two
killed as bombs rock Afghan capital
Feb
2, 2021
KABUL:
Two people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of
rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an
attack north of Kabul.
Attacks
during the morning commute have become a favoured tactic of insurgents, who
remotely detonate bombs attached to target vehicles.
Police
spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters two people were killed and two
injured in a first blast, while a second targeting an interior ministry vehicle
wounded two security personnel.
There
were no reports of casualties from a third blast.
Deadly
violence has ravaged the country in recent months -- particularly in Kabul,
with near-daily attacks against government officials, security personnel,
journalists and other prominent Afghans.
Separately,
a police vehicle was targeted north of Kabul in Parwan province, but the blast
caused no casualties, police said.
Peace
talks between the warring Taliban and Afghan government were launched in
September in Qatar, but progress has been slow.
The
new US administration of President Joe Biden has said it will review a landmark
deal Washington made with the Taliban last year after accusing the insurgents
of ramping up violence.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/two-killed-as-bombs-rock-afghan-capital/articleshow/80646093.cms
--------
Taliban
delegation: New government will ’emerge’
02
Feb 2021
A
Taliban delegation in Iran said in a press conference, that the Doha agreement
and Intra-Afghan talks would lead to the overthrow of the Ashraf Ghani-led
government and “Afghanistan’s new Islamic government will emerge”.
Suhail
Shaheen, Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwa, Mohammad Wasiq members of the Taliban’s
negotiating team and political office have indicated the Doha Agreement
includes the formation of an Islamic government and that the current republic
government will fall.
Suhail
Shaheen added Taliban’s agreement with the United States is that a new Islamic
government would be formed, meaning that the current government would be
overthrown, and it will occur as a result of Intra-Afghan peace talks.
This
comes as 200 checkpoints occupied by the Afghan National Army’s 205th Corps in
Kandahar were abandoned to Taliban, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction said in a report
Resolute
Support mission in the country has long identified a need for reduction and
elimination of most vulnerable checkpoints, and to consolidate personnel into
patrol bases.
According
to the report Afghanistan government had 10,000 check points across the
country, with 10-20 personnel, out of which an estimated 6,000 checkponts
remain.
In
2020 checkpoint reduction and base development plan was developed but nearly
200 checkpoints in Kandahar were voluntarily abandoned to the Taliban by 205th
corps personnel.
Recent
abandonment let all of the government weapons and ammunition fall into Taliban
hand.
Lack
of cooperation, shortfalls in personnel, adversarial relations with the public,
low fuel and personnel reserves for the 205th Corps have led to such a huge
collapse, Sigar stated.
These
are the concerns that MoD is working to “Improve”, SIGAR said.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-delegation-new-government-will-emerge-45456/
--------
Taliban
Battered in Kandahar, Balkh, Kunduz
02
Feb 2021
Ministry
of Defense in a published statement on Tuesday said, at least 52 Taliban
fighters were killed in Balkh, Kandahar, and Kunduz provinces.
Taliban
fighters planned to attack ANDSF outposts in Khan Abad, Timurk, and Mesgaran
villages of Chahar Bolak district of Balkh province, Arghandab and Dand
districts of Kandahar province and in Bakhmal Kocha area of Imam Sahib district
in Kunduz province, MoD reported.
According
to the statement, Afghan national defense and security forces rebuffed the
planned Taliban attack by killing 15 of the group’s affiliated members in
Balkh, 25 in Kandahar, and 12 others in Kunduz province.
MoD
said in the statement, that more than 20 Taliban were wounded in Balkh, three
in Kandahar and six others in Kunduz province
During
the Afghan security force’s reciprocal attacks some of the weapons and
ammunition belonging to the Taliban were seized and three of the group’s strongholds
were totally wrecked.
Meanwhile,
ANA 205th Corps in Kandahar stated that seven planted mines in the Dand and
Maiwand districts of Kandahar were discovered and defused.
The
bombs were placed with an intention to hurt civilians and soldiers, the corps’
engineering team defused the bomb before it could inflict injuries to the
public, MoD stated.
So
far, Taliban has not commented on this matter.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-battered-in-kandahar-balkh-kunduz-554433/
--------
Southeast
Asia
Sabah
mufti: Ebit Lew’s mass conversion stands, but most Bajau Laut already Muslims
02
Feb 2021T
BY
JULIA CHAN
KOTA
KINABALU, Feb 2 — Sabah’s Islamic authorities lauded the mass conversion of a
Bajau Laut community by popular preacher Ebit Lew recently, but clarified that
the nomadic sea gypsies are mostly already classified as Muslims.
Sabah
Mufti Datuk Bungsu Aziz Jaafar said that while he was not privy to the actual
conversion ceremony, the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAINS) does
classify the Bajau Laut ethnic group as Muslims based on its own surveys and
reports.
“As
far as I know, in the Bajau Laut or Pala’u community, they are considered
Muslims. Based on a survey by JHEAINS a few years ago, they are classified as
Muslims,” he said when contacted by Malay Mail.
Bungsu
said that he is aware of Lew's visit to Sabah but was not part of the
conversion ceremony which was believed to have been unplanned. He said their
conversion stands as long as they recited the shahadah with belief.
“But
to enter Islam is simple, one just has to believe in Allah, be pure and sure
that there is no other God, and that Muhammad is the messeger of God, and
recite the shahadah.
“In
the eyes of Islam, they are Muslims,” he said, when asked about the procedure
required for such mass conversions to happen.
However,
he admitted the registration process for the any such converts in those
communities may be a different story, as the 157 villagers of Pulau Tatagan in
Semporna are believed to be mostly undocumented, owing to their nomadic
lifestyle.
“In
that case, the process is different. Normally, a new convert would have to come
into the office for the administrative process — register, get the picture
taken, go through the process. But if they are undocumented, or stateless the
process then is more complicated,” said Bungsu.
He
said that other agencies like the Immigration Department, National Registration
Department and JHEAINS would be the rightful authorities to speak to.
On
January 31, the philantrophist posted on his social media that he had allegedly
converted some 157 Bajau Laut to Islam by reciting the shahadah after he
reached out to them with food supplies and other aid.
The
Pahang-born Lew was on day three of a 10-day humanitarian visit to Sabah’s east
coast districts of Lahad Datu, Tawau, Kunak and Semporna when he visited the
water village off Semporna.
The
Bajau Laut are originally from a sea gypsy nomadic culture and practice an
ancestral worship or belief in spirits, sometimes of holy natural objects or
places. Some beliefs and practices still go on today despite having embraced
Islam.
Many
communities who have yet to assimilate to life on land continue with their mix
of Islamic and traditional beliefs.
Malay
Mail has learnt that other non-governmental groups and organisations have
previously reached out to the Bajau Laut of Tatangan island, as well as nearby
islands of Maiga, all within the Tun Sakaran Marine Park where villagers had
also converted.
“In
fact, there are suraus which have been built by NGOs and groups in the two
adjacent villages in the area, in Maiga and Alab.
“There
are definitely other groups who have met the villagers and each time, the
villagers would again profess their faith,” said Aminor Azmi, a scuba diving
operator based out of the nearby Selakan island since 2013, and is familiar
with the community there.
He
said that though “converted”, the Bajau Laut may not have had the benefit of
continuous Islamic teachings to practice the religion without any kind of
school.
Lew
has since said that he was in the process of building a school which he hopes
will be ready within a month, and has engaged six teachers who can speak the
local language ready to teach in three schools he intends on building overall.
In
Malaysia, Muslim preachers and missionaries are free to evangelise and convert
those from other faiths into Islam.
However,
it is illegal and forbidden for other religions to preach and evangelise
towards Muslims.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/02/02/sabah-mufti-ebit-lews-mass-conversion-stands-but-most-bajau-laut-already-mu/1946070
--------
Iran,
S Korea ties still sour in post-Trump era
01
February 202
Hooman
Abedi
The
Islamic Republic of Iran and South Korea are experiencing a very rare chapter
of relationships. Since 2.5 years ago Tehran and Seoul are at loggerheads over
the decisions of a man who is not in power anymore, Donald Trump.
Tehran
is angry about the blocking of some seven billion dollars of its cash assets by
Seoul since 2019 when Donald Trump ended the US sanctions waivers for the South
to buy Iran’s oil.
The
Islamic Republic filed a lawsuit against the South at The Hague, but up to now
negotiations with the Koreans to release Iran’s frozen assets has come to
nothing.
It
was in early January that Iran’s naval forces held a South Korean oil tanker
due to its violation of environmental protocols. This deteriorated the
bilateral ties more.
I
attended the weekly presser of the foreign ministry to ask if the capturing of
the vessel has anything to do with Tehran’s frozen assets and the answer was
Not At All.
During
the past few weeks Koreans expressed worries about the fate of the ship and its
crew, but the Iranian top diplomat made assurances that all of them are safe
and sound.
Korea
was one of the main purchasers of Iran’s oil after the nuclear agreement. It
also turned into the largest buyer of Iran’s oil derivatives and gas at the
same time. However, after souring the ties, they lost access to Iran’s oil and
also the country’s large market for their products.
Earlier,
the South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister visited Iran and held talks with the
country’s top officials. His visit raised hopes that after the end of Trump’s
era Tehran and Seoul could mend ties again.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644347/Iran,-S-Korea-ties-still-sour-in-post-Trump-era
--------
Mideast
Turkey's
police detain 159 people at protests over Erdogan-appointed university head
02
February 2021
Turkish
police on Monday detained 159 people over protests in Istanbul against
President Tayyip Erdogan's appointment of a new rector at one of the country's
top universities, the Istanbul Governor's office said.
Students
at the Bogazici University in Istanbul began their protests nearly a month ago,
saying the appointment of Melih Bulu as rector was undemocratic. Teachers at
Bogazici have also protested Bulu's swearing-in.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Protesters
chanting slogans such as "Police, get out" and "Universities are
ours" clashed and scuffled with the police on Monday.
In a
statement, the Istanbul Governor's office said 159 people had later been
detained for "not ending the demonstrations in front of the Bogazici
University despite warnings," and added that an investigation had been
launched.
Earlier,
more than 100 police gathered at the main entrance of the campus. They allowed
university students to enter, checking their IDs, but told others to leave,
including several lawmakers, mainly from the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic
Party (HDP).
Sidewalks
next to the roads leading up to the university were fenced off, and minor
scuffles broke out as some protesters began chanting and walking toward the
police barricade.
Kemal
Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP),
criticised the detentions late on Monday on Twitter, calling on Bulu to resign
to end "this ugly situation".
Istanbul
Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, also from the CHP, said he had spoken with authorities to
establish dialogue between them and the protesters, adding he would meet with
Bogazici students on Tuesday to hear their concerns.
Bulu,
who has applied to be a candidate for Erdogan's ruling AK Party in a 2015
parliamentary election, was the first rector chosen from outside a university
since a military coup in Turkey in 1980, Bogazici faculty members have said.
The
protesters have also been demanding the release of four people who had been
detained after images were shared on social media of them laying a picture on
the ground that mixed sacred Islamic iconography with symbols supporting LGBT
issues.
Interior
Minister Suleyman Soylu said at the weekend that four "LGBT perverts"
had been detained, while Erdogan on Monday praised his ruling AK Party's youth
wing for "not being the LGBT youth."
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/02/Turkey-s-police-detain-159-people-at-protests-over-Erdogan-appointed-university-head
--------
Turkey's
President Erdogan says may be time for new constitution
01
February 2021
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday it may be time for Turkey to adopt a new
constitution, feeding speculation that he could seek a way to extend his rule.
Erdogan,
66, has governed Turkey as prime minister or president since 2002, cementing
his control over the nation of 83 million people and surviving a failed coup.
As
prime minister, he pushed through changes to the constitution in 2017 that
created an executive presidency and abolished the premiership.
He
then won the 2018 presidential election, the first of two potential five-year
terms.
Turkey
is scheduled to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in 2023, meaning
that his rule would have to end by 2028 if he were re-elected.
But
after chairing a four-hour cabinet meeting, Erdogan raised the idea of writing
a brand new constitution to replace one that Turkey has been using since 1982.
It was drafted following a military coup.
"It
is clear that the source of Turkey's problems is that constitutions have always
been written by putschists," Erdogan said in nationally televised remarks.
"It
may be time for Turkey to reopen the debate about a new constitution," he
said. "If we reach a common understanding with our (ruling coalition)
partners, we may take action for a new constitution in the future."
Erdogan's
AK Party is allied in parliament with ultranationalist MHP.
Erdogan
added the the drafting of Turkey's new constitution "would have to be done
in a transparent manner and the agreed upon text would have to be submitted to
the will of the people".
Erdogan
has never lost an election, but his popularity has been waning since he
unleashed a sweeping crackdown after a failed coup in 2016.
His
jailing of political opponents and assault on civil liberties have been
accompanied by economic problems that analysts blame on financial
mismanagement.
The
Turkish lira has fallen sharply since 2018, wiping out people's savings and
undermining his support among working class voters who form a part of Erdogan's
political base.
Soner
Cagaptay, Turkey programme director at the Washington Institute, said Erdogan's
comments were his "first admission that he may not win Turkey’s next
elections held under the new executive-style presidential system."
"His
likely next step: divide his opposition through culture wars along left-right
lines," Cagaptay said in a tweet.
"Turkey
is a right-wing dominated country (where Erdogan will) try to build a new
majority."
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/01/Turkey-s-President-Erdogan-says-may-be-time-for-new-constitution
--------
Kosovo,
Israel establish diplomatic ties, embassy to be in Jerusalem
01
February 2021
Israel
and Kosovo established diplomatic ties on Monday, with the Muslim-majority
territory recognizing Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s capital, putting it at
odds with the rest of the Islamic world.
In a
ceremony held over Zoom in Jerusalem and Pristina, Israeli Foreign Minister
Gabi Ashkenazi and his counterpart from Kosovo Meliza Haradinaj Stublla signed
a joint declaration establishing ties.
Ashkenazi
said he had approved Kosovo’s “formal request to open an embassy in Jerusalem.”
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Israel
last year inked a series of deals brokered by former US president Donald Trump
to establish diplomatic relations with Arab states, including the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Those
agreements, known collectively as the Abraham Accords, triggered criticism in
many majority-Muslim countries.
But the
Arab parties to the Abraham Accords have all maintained that their diplomatic
missions in Israel will be in Tel Aviv.
That
position is in line with global consensus against recognizing Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital until the Palestinian conflict is resolved.
In
September, Trump announced at a summit originally organized to strike a deal
between Kosovo and its former war foe Serbia that Kosovo and the Jewish state
would establish diplomatic ties.
But
the most eye-catching part of the summit was an announcement by Kosovo that it
would mutually recognize Israel, and Serbia saying it would follow Washington’s
lead in moving its embassy to Jerusalem.
So
far, however, Serbia has failed to honor its pledge, with some officials
claiming the deal was non-binding.
Kosovo
also said it was ready to set up its Israel mission in Jerusalem, in exchange
for Israel’s recognition, as it seeks to further legitimize its 2008
declaration of independence from Serbia and statehood.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/02/01/Israel-relations-Kosovo-Israel-establish-diplomatic-ties-embassy-to-be-in-Jerusalem
--------
Israeli
forces shoot two Palestinians in occupied West Bank city of Jenin
01
February 2021
Israeli
forces have shot and injured two Palestinian workers in the West Bank city of
Jenin, as tensions continue to simmer in the occupied territories.
The
Palestinian Information Center, quoting local sources, reported that Israeli
forces opened live fire on two civilians while they were near the controversial
“apartheid wall” close to Barta’a village, southwest of Jenin, on Monday.
Palestinians
sources said one of the men sustained an injury to the foot and was taken to
hospital for treatment, adding that Israeli forces are still holding the other.
Israel
began building the barrier of walls and fences inside the occupied West Bank
back in 2002. Tel Aviv argues that the project is aimed at preventing
infiltration into the occupied territories, but Palestinians say the move is
yet another violation of their rights and allows for further annexation of
their land.
The
barrier wall violates the basic rights of nearly a million Palestinians,
forcing thousands of them to obtain special permits from Israeli forces to
allow them to move between their homes and their lands.
The
International Court of Justice said in an advisory opinion issued in 2004 that
the "apartheid wall" violates international law and urged Israel to
remove it from the occupied territories.
Israeli
police arrest two Palestinian teenagers in East Jerusalem
In a
separate development on Monday, Israeli police arrested two Palestinian
teenagers in the East Jerusalem al-Quds neighborhood of al-Tur.
Local
sources said the boys, identified as 15-year-old Ismail Abu al-Hawa and Raed
Al-Sayyad, 16, were detained after Israeli police raided their houses in
al-Khalwa and Qa'a al-Hara districts, respectively.
Al-Tur
residents suffer from continuous attacks by Israeli police and settlers.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967
Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East
Jerusalem al-Quds.
The
UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the
occupied territories in several resolutions.
According
to human rights groups, incidents of sabotage and violence by extremist
settlers against Palestinians and their property are a daily occurrence
throughout the West Bank.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/02/01/644327/Palestine-Israeli-forces-workers-injure-West-Bank-Jenin
--------
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