Ancient Swastikas Found Near Varanasi Gyanvapi Mosque, Survey Stopped Amid Protests: Court Commissioner's Team
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 May 2022
The survey team was allegedly denied entry to Gyanvapi Masjid by the mosque administration and a group of Muslim men (PTI photo)
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• Swedish Authorities Kidnap Muslim Children: Experts, Families Say
Sweden's Social System Mistreats Muslim Children
• Music Festival, ‘Freaks of Nature’ Organized By
Saudi Creative Agency, in Riyadh Attracts Huge Response
• Pakistan, Afghan Taliban Turning From Friends To
Arch Enemies: Report
• ISIS Wants To Delegitimize Taliban Via Explosions: Singaporean
Researcher
India
• Court Grants Pre-Arrest Bail To BJP Leader Who
Played Drums Outside Mosque During ‘Azaan’
• 'Pahela Baishakh' Is Bangladesh's Biggest Cultural
Festival, A Celebration Bengali Identity Held In Delhi
• 2 Mumbai Mosques Booked For Using Loudspeakers For
Azaan
• Hajj 2022: Over 79 thousand Indian Muslims to fly
for pilgrimage
• Haryana: High tension in Nuh amidst call for Mahapanchayat
• Hyderabad: BJP submits memorandum to Governor on
Saroornagar honour killing case
• UP: Muslim man held in Firozabad for converting,
marrying college-goer
--------
Europe
• Al-Qaeda Chief Blames US For Ukraine Invasion In New
Video
• UK ‘turns back on’ former Afghan prosecutor hunted
by Taliban
• EU attempts to save Iran nuclear deal with
last-ditch effort: Report
--------
Arab World
• Iraqi Cleric Mahmoud Al-Sarkhi Deepens Intra-Shia
Dispute
• Extremist attack kills 11 Egyptian troops: Army
• Unidentified aircraft target Syrian regime: War
monitor
• Saudi Arabia, UAE strongly condemn ‘terrorist’
attack on Egyptian troops in Sinai
• Yemen officials: Two commanders killed in clash with
militants
• Lebanese parliamentary elections: Second phase of
expat voting scheduled for Sunday
--------
South Asia
• Uzbekistan Not Ready To Recognise Taliban Government
In Afghanistan
• Islamic Emirate Denies Clashes in Panjshir
• China Among Nations Committed ‘Brutal Actions’
Against Journalists
--------
Southeast Asia
• Zahid calls PAS two-faced, says Umno wants loyal
friends
• JPJ issues 8,000 summonses during Raya operation
• Bursa Malaysia seen as flat this week due to
cautious sentiment
--------
Mideast
• Iran: Normalization of Ties Emboldens Zionists to
Commit More Crimes against Palestinians
• Iranian Resistance Warns Iran’s Primary Goal Is To
Build A Nuclear Weapon
• Iranian FM, UN Chief Confer on Vienna Talks, Region,
Ukraine
• Over Half Million Foreign Children Attend Iranian
Schools
• Two Palestinians wanted for killing three on Israel
Independence Day apprehended
• Israeli troops demolish home of Palestinian
assailant
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Police Arrest 8 Men Of The Ahmadi Sect Of
Islam Over Apparent Religious Killing
' • Chinese
Confidence In Pakistan's Security System Shaken' After The Karachi University
Attack
• Pak police guarded Farah Khan's residence during
Imran Khan govt without reason: Report
• Governor justifies inviting army intervention in
Punjab
• Pakistan: Medina sloganeering incident sharpens
political slugfest
• Humanitarian Assistance Cargo from Pakistan Arrived
in Balkh
--------
Africa
• UN Rights Chief Denounces Muslim-Christian Clashes
In Ethiopia
• UN experts favour keeping South Sudan arms embargo
• Nigeria’s central bank governor Emefiele says not
decided on presidential bid
--------
North America
• ‘US Envoy To UN Postpones Visit To Turkiye-Syria Border’
• Turkiye sympathizes with Cuba over deadly explosion
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/swastika-varanasi-gyanvapi-mosque/d/126954
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Ancient Swastikas Found Near Varanasi Gyanvapi Mosque,
Survey Stopped Amid Protests: Court Commissioner's Team
The survey team was
allegedly denied entry to Gyanvapi Masjid by the mosque administration and a
group of Muslim men (PTI photo)
----
Samarth Srivastava
Varanasi
May 8, 2022
The timeworn traces of two swastikas were seen near
the Gyanvapi Masjid in the Gyanvapi-Shringar Gauri complex in Varanasi during
the survey and videography exercise being carried out.
While the exercise was halted by the administration
amid protests on Saturday, videographers on the court commissioner's team later
told Aaj Tak that they came across the two faded but legible swastikas outside
the mosque as they were conducting the survey. The swastikas were possibly
drawn in ancient times, they said.
The videography and survey of some areas outside
Gyanvapi Masjid was stopped on Saturday after the team of lawyers were denied
entry inside the mosque due to protests by Muslim men.
Earlier in the day, a Varanasi court had ordered the
continuation of videography and survey of areas outside Gyanvapi Masjid. Heavy
police force was stationed in the area after a court-appointed official and a
team of lawyers carried out an inspection near the area on Friday.
The survey is being done on the Varanasi district
court’s order following a plea by Delhi-based women Rakhi Singh, Laxmi Devi,
Sita Sahu and others seeking permission to worship Hindu deities whose idols
are located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi Masjid.
Speaking to Aaj Tak/India Today, the petitioners’
lawyer Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said there will be no survey of the mosque
till the district court hears and passes order on a plea by the mosque
management committee seeking the appointment of a different court commissioner
to oversee the exercise.
Chaturvedi said that on Saturday, around hundred men
from the Muslim community surrounded the mosque when the team of lawyers and
videographers approached, due to which they were unable to conduct the survey.
One of the petitioners, Rekha Pathak, told Aaj
Tak/India Today that the team was denied entry into the mosque area by the
mosque administration and a group of Muslim men, as a result the survey and
videography could not be carried out on Saturday.
The court will now hear the matter on May 9 and they
would ask for specific order to carry out the videography and survey of the
Gyanvapi mosque, Pathak said. Live TV
Source: India Today
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original story:
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Swedish Authorities
Kidnap Muslim Children: Experts, Families Say Sweden's Social System
Mistreats Muslim Children
Photo: ToSNews
----
05 MAY 2022
Social agencies have the right to send their staff and
take children from their homes or from school without their parents’ knowledge
Following several months of protests by Muslim
families who claim their children are being “kidnapped” by Swedish authorities,
one of the founders of the Nordic Committee for Human Rights is putting a harsh
spotlight on Swedish social services.
“They are kidnapping Muslim children, that’s what I
mean. They don't accept that they have other ways to live,” said Siv
Westerberg, an internationally recognized lawyer who won eight cases at the
European Court of Human Rights against Swedish social services.
A country proud of its social engineering established
the Swedish Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act (LVU) in 1990, which
gives authority to social service workers to remove children forcibly from
their parents.
Without or even before they get the Swedish
Administrative Court’s support, social agencies have the right to send their
staff, assisted by the police, and take children from their homes or directly
from school without their parents’ knowledge.
Children are taken far from home directly to a secret
investigation home, foster home, or a Home for Care and Custody (HVB).
The impunity enjoyed by Swedish social services has
led to countless violations of the LVU, which gives legal grounds for forced
child removal.
Lena Hellblom Sjogren, a well-known Swedish forensic
psychologist who has investigated alleged sexual abuse and children’s
suffering, said she believes that those judging in the social care cases lack
reliable tools for the work that they are doing and that “their obligation
according to the Swedish fundamental law to be impartial and to be a matter of
fact oriented is violated in every case.”
Author Erik Philipson, who chairs the group Barnets
Basta (In the Child’s Best Interest), said the root cause for the failure is
that social services workers in Sweden were not educated about scientific
research methods “so that they can make an objective and impartial child
investigation, and still they have the authority to be an expert authority on
child matters and what is in a child’s best interests.”
Halima Marrie came to Sweden from the African country
of Gambia with her husband Almamo Jarju and children, but after just a few
months, her 6-year-old daughter was taken by social services.
Marrie claimed that from the very beginning, the
school manipulated her daughter by telling her that “they will find a better
home for her as we are likely to beat her."
The young girl was moved to five different homes from
when she was 6 to 7 years old due to “sexual abuse by the foster families,”
said the girl’s father Almamo.
Almamo said he suspects that his daughter, now 15, “is
still a victim of sexual abuse in her current foster home and the social
services are not doing anything about it.”
Halima and Almamo last saw their daughter “three years
ago, when she was 12, as social services stopped any contact between us and we
have no idea where she is,” Halima asserted.
Almamo believes that his family is a victim of racism
and that the only reason why his daughter was taken away from them is “because
we are Muslims.”
Westerberg, who is also a former medical doctor,
believes that "if you are an immigrant family in Sweden, there is a larger
possibility that social authorities will take your child away from you.”
Asked about the protests by the Muslim families, she
replied: “I mean that they are kidnapping Muslim children, and those social
workers find it a lot more interesting to go and kidnap Muslim children than to
sit around the whole day taking care of Swedish alcoholics and giving them
money and clothes.“
Swedish authorities denied allegations of kidnapping
by the protesters, branding a conversation on Twitter “a disinformation
campaign,” adding that social services “always put the safety and well-being of
the child first.”
Lena Hellblom Sjogren, author of the book Barnets Ratt
Till Familjeliv (The Child’s Right to Family Life), argues that the Swedish
system is not fair to the child because “the child’s rights -- the human rights
and legal rights and the child’s needs -- are violated, and if you don’t have a
very sound investigation that the child needs to be protected, then you can
take that last step to move away a child from his or her family, but not before
that.”
The well-established Persons Act LVU/ HVB-system is
thought to turnover billions of dollars per year, which is believed to be 2% of
the Swedish state budget.
"It is a big business (in Sweden) taking away
children from their mothers. It is a very big business in Sweden,” said
Westerberg.
She pointed out that foster homes are given too much
money by the social services and that “if you get a foster child in your home,
you will get 25,000 (Swedish krona) (roughly $2,522) a month, and you must not
pay any tax for that.”
“So lots of people who are psychopaths who don't have
any feelings for children they take let's say two or three foster children and
have an income that very few people in Sweden have.
“You can have a luxury life if you have two or three
children,” Westerberg added.
Hellblom Sjogren agreed and thinks that “it is quite
wrong that there are companies earning money from taking children in their
homes. I think that it should be a last resort, and then you should recruit
adults who love children, not adults who are in need of earning money.”
Swedish law states that children should be placed
first with someone from their family system, but according to Sjogren: “This
law is not followed, and that goes with many laws in Sweden. It looks very good
on the paper, but in practice, it doesn’t. They don’t follow the law.”
Pratima Singh and her husband David McLean-Treat are a
married Indian-American couple whose son Richard was taken away by social
services when he was nine.
“They came with police, and social services came and
took him, and they place him outside of Stockholm,” said McLean-Treat.
“Well for 10 years then we did nothing but take this
up with them and take it to the courts for 10 years until he was 18 years old.
“We missed him. We wanted him home with us,” he added.
David and Pratima did not succeed in getting their son
back.
When Richard was 18 years old, he was placed in a
rehab center by social services.
“So he had gotten into bad company and was
experimenting with drugs. So when he was 18, then instead of just letting him
go because LVU is finished when children are 18 years old, they put him into a
program for those who have problems with drugs or alcohol.
“We will never forgive and forget what they’ve done to
our lives.
“They are only doing this to make money. That’s all,”
he added.
Sweden’s social services are a powerful institution in
the country, so much so that even in the rare case that a Swedish court sides
with the family and rules against social services’ decision to take the child
away, under the current law, the services can override the ruling and refuse to
give the child back to their parents.
“But here we have a modern law, and here we have a
modern authority -- the social services in Sweden -- and they are creating not
objective, not impartial investigations, and they are creating tragedies --
awful tragedies -- for children, for their parents, and unfortunately these
kinds of difficulties have a tendency to go on and sort of carry the burden
over generations. And it is really, really sad,” said Philipson.
Source: yenisafak
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Music Festival, ‘Freaks of Nature’ Organized By Saudi
Creative Agency, in Riyadh Attracts Huge Response
The festival presented a
range of artists that included English 4-deck DJ James Hype, the ‘mashup-king’
WeDamnz from the Netherlands and a strong lineup of local artists, complete
with strong visuals and flamboyant costumes. (AN photo by Basheer Saleh)
----
Zaid Khashogji
May 08, 2022
RIYADH: More than 2,000 people attended the boutique
electronic music festival “Freaks of Nature” this weekend as the festival lit
up the night sky in Riyadh.
The two-day festival, organized by Saudi creative
agency Disrupt, featured two stages, an art exhibition, a camping experience
and an entertainment village with pop-up food and clothes stores.
The festival took place in Ammariyah, west of Riyadh,
with tickets sold on the website for SR700 ($187) for one day or SR1,200 ($320)
for the party weekend package that included all access to the festival and its
entertainment zones. The camping experience granted people access to a
pre-pitched tent at the “Freakville” camping zone.
The organizers said the aim of the festival was to
“promote new artists, empower talented creatives and change the creative
culture across the country.”
With an indoor main stage and vibrant outdoor area,
the festival presented a range of artists that included English four-deck DJ
James Hype, the “mashup-king” WeDamnz from the Netherlands and a strong lineup
of local artists, complete with strong visuals and flamboyant costumes.
“This was an epic festival,” said Yazeed
Al-Hashim, chief disruption officer at
Disrupt Group. “It was great to see so many creative people coming together to
experience all types of music, the art exhibition and the pop-ups we had on
offer. This shows what is possible for music and entertainment in Saudi as it
continues to grow and evolve into a thriving industry where talent gets the
chance to shine.”
Both nights featured sets from each act, spread over
two stages. The main stage kicked off with Aziz.wav, Frozen, and Rash
performing sets, before Frozen and Rash returned to combine their talents for
an exclusive back-to-back set featuring a creative mash-up of styles.
Cosmicat and Soul carried on the good vibes by joining
forces to delight the crowd with a set packed with ambient builds leading to an
intense drop. The sound of Yaz and ARX was up next, letting loose with a
euphoric set of festival anthems.
WeDamnz closed the show with an exceptional mash-up
mix, going back and forth between styles and genres to entertain the crowd
before a triumphant crescendo.
Yasir, ARX, Lesad, Mariam Arab, Dr. Shadow, and Bigg3
performed on the underground stage throughout the night, leading to Igniter
bringing the festival to a triumphant end with his blend of Tech and Minimal
House, going back and forth between decks to build to a fantastic close.
“Everyone brought their very best and put on an
amazing show for the audience on both nights. I would also like to thank James
Hype and WeDamnz for coming over, and MDL Beast for their continued support. We
are all looking forward to the next event,” Al Hashim added.
The first day of the festival was interrupted by a
three-hour power outage.
“Just when we were about to start, a power outage
across the whole area hit us and shut down the power at the venue. But luckily
we had the sound and visuals in a backup generator that pulled the crowd to the
dance floor,” said Al-Hashim.
The festival also brought together local artists for a
live wall painting by Big50, who created a huge mural during the festival, and
art installations by Euphoria and Riyadh String Art. Gaze by Leen, Miish Art,
and Aesthetic are also exhibited over the two days.
At the pop-up concept store, local clothing brands
Forty7, Foshostore, and Gleamsby were promoting the very latest in festival
wear throughout.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2077296/saudi-arabia
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Pakistan, Afghan Taliban Turning From Friends To Arch
Enemies: Report
Representative Image/ ANI
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7 May, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): Pakistan and the
Afghan Taliban, who for long were the closest of allies, are now increasingly
facing the prospect of getting involved in a war of attrition over their
Islamist terrorism policies that have now come to haunt both of them, a report
said.
Pakistan is now eager to wash its hands off the links
with terror groups it supported and gave shelter to in the last few decades. In
Pakistan, at the same time, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), sheltered in
the inaccessible hilly terrains of Afghanistan, is planning attacks inside
Pakistan, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS) reported.
In recent months, the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K)
is creating mayhem inside Afghanistan as it targets the Taliban, the report
said.
Both countries and their governments are confronting
each other over the resultant violence. They are blaming each other for
encouraging the terrorist groups to attack the other side, the report said.
The terror groups that have close links with state
agencies on both sides have now become Frankensteins neither Pakistan nor
Afghanistan want to pamper any longer. But they find their hands ties for
several reasons, the report further said.
This year’s Ramzan period was particularly violent
with suicide bombers targeting civilians and religious places in both
countries, the report said, adding, the last such incident was a powerful
explosion at the Khalifa Sahib Mosque in the west of Kabul that killed over 50
worshippers.
The ruling Taliban was quick to counter global
criticism that it had failed to secure the country because it was still
supporting terrorist groups in Afghanistan, the report said.
The Taliban backs the Pashtun demand for Pashtunistan,
as claimed largely by “Pashtun Taliban”. It encompasses a large area of
Pakistani territory south of Kabul including Pakhtunkhwa (formerly the North
West Frontier Province or NWFP) inhabited by their ethnic clansmen, thereby
taking their long-standing homeland claims to the municipal limits of
Islamabad, the report further said.
The confrontation between the two countries has
increased after the fencing work was taken up. Afghanistan says the fence
affects the daily lives of families living on both sides of the border.
The farmers whose lands straddle the border also face
problems. Same is the case with traders who make a living by exporting food
products and other items from Afghanistan to Pakistan and vice-versa.
There is tension at the border after Taliban soldiers
last December disrupted the fence construction work by the Pakistan military.
The situation was not allowed to escalate with both sides backing down
subsequently, the report said.
However, this January, a Taliban commander, Mawillawi
Sanaullah Sangin, issued a warning to Pakistan. He was quoted by Afghanistan’s
Tolo News as saying: “We (the Taliban) will not allow the fencing anytime, in
any form. Whatever they did before, they did, but we will not allow it
anymore.”
With the strained relations over the border fencing,
the Taliban openly backing the demand for Pashtunistan, and Pakistan and
Afghanistan both experiencing terrorist attacks, the region is literally
sitting on a powder keg, the report concluded. (ANI)
Source: The Print
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original story:
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ISIS Wants To Delegitimize Taliban Via Explosions: Singaporean Researcher
May 8, 2022
A Singaporean researcher says that the recent deadly
explosions in Afghanistan were plotted by ISIS to undermine the Taliban’s rule
in Afghanistan.
“The recent explosions in Afghanistan are attempts by
the extremist groups of discrediting and delegitimizing the Taliban, making it
look weak on the domestic turf and creating challenges for it internationally,”
Asif Shuja tells the Tehran Times.
“Many of such explosions are claimed by the local
offshoots of ISIS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K),
from which the Taliban claimed to have secured its country,” Shuja says.
The researcher believes that through these attacks
ISIS-K is testing the grip of the power of the Taliban and trying to undermine
its legitimacy.
Following is the text of the interview:
Q: How do you assess the recent explosions in
Afghanistan? What are the implications of such developments?
A: The recent explosions in Afghanistan are attempts
by the extremist groups of discrediting and delegitimizing the Taliban, making
it look weak on the domestic turf and creating challenges for it
internationally. Many of such explosions are claimed by the local offshoots of
ISIS, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), from which the
Taliban claimed to have secured its country. While nullifying such claims,
through these attacks ISIS-K is testing the grip of the power of the Taliban
and trying to undermine its legitimacy.
Although most of the recent attacks are on Shia
Muslims, it appears to be primarily because of the ease of such targets rather
than the Shia-Sunni factor. For instance, last Friday’s attack on Kabul’s
Khalifa Sahib Mosque which killed 50 people, as well as the attack on the Kunduz
Mosque a week before which killed 33 people, were both against the Sunni
Muslims. Since the Taliban has promised the security of the Shia minority in
Afghanistan under their rule, such attacks not just discredit its rule
domestically, but also delegitimize it in the international arena.
Q: Does the Taliban have the authority and power to
run the country and maintain security?
A: After the withdrawal of the U.S., the Taliban has
become the de facto ruler of Afghanistan, so it does have the authority to run
the country. However, in its present political form, where Afghanistan remains
largely unrecognized politically by the world, it happens to be in a unique
position of having no external friends as well as no external enemies. This can
be both liabilities as well as an opportunity. Taliban’s stiff stance of
declining the demand of the world community to form an inclusive government and
its conservative socio-religious views are the two major stumbling blocks
coming in the way of its international recognition. Effectively, it is in the
Taliban’s hands to turn the present adversity into an opportunity by accepting
the world’s demands and getting down to the reconstruction of the country. It
is only by confirming the international demand that the Taliban can have
international cooperation to run the country and maintain security.
Q: How do you see the rivalry between ISIS and the
Taliban? Would it be possible that a new wave of ISIS attacks sweep
Afghanistan?
A: Both ISIS and the Taliban are Sunni Islamist
groups. However, ISIS follows the ideology of the Caliphate, which implies
transcending the political boundaries of states. This makes it an ideological
opponent of the Taliban, which has established an Emirate of Afghanistan,
confining itself to the territorial boundary. The two groups have been at odds
since the beginning of ISIS's emergence in 2015. However, after the return of
the Taliban to Afghanistan in August 2021, the conflict between ISIS and the
Taliban has become that of between a non-state and state actor, injecting
related dynamics. While the withdrawal of the U.S. and NATO forces from
Afghanistan made the Taliban rulers of the country, the same factor is also
considered by ISIS as an opportunity to regain its own lost grounds, making it
resurgent in Afghanistan.
Since the deadly attack of ISIS-K at the Kabul airport
during the time of the U.S. withdrawal and evacuation, its attacks within
Afghanistan have continued. To stop this, a powerful opposing force is
required. The Taliban, which is struggling to carry out its day-to-day
functioning as a government due to financial constraints, is not in a position
to acquire much-needed capabilities. As the Taliban shows flexibility, earns
international legitimacy, and gets access to financial means, it can be better
equipped to tackle ISIS, just as any other state handles its internal security
issues. The absence of that scenario may imply that a new wave of ISIS attacks
sweeping Afghanistan is more likely.
Q: To what extent does the Taliban need security cooperation
with its neighbors, especially Iran and Pakistan, to prevent rivals such as
ISIS from emerging?
A: Afghanistan is currently facing an insurmountable
humanitarian crisis, which is a major distraction for the Taliban, making it
unable to fight ISIS alone. Now that the major international powers have
abandoned Afghanistan to its own fate, it is only with the security cooperation
of its neighbors, especially Iran and Pakistan that Afghanistan can effectively
meet its domestic challenges, including its fight with ISIS. In terms of their
opposition to ISIS, all three countries – Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan – are
on the same page. So, it appears obvious that the three countries should come
together to prevent the emergence of ISIS. However, the Afghanistan-Pakistan
border dispute and Taliban-Iran ideological differences may prevent them from
forging such cooperation.
Since the establishment of the Durand Line in 1893,
which separated Pakistan and Afghanistan, rulers of all ethnicities and
politico-religious ideologies of Afghanistan have opposed this demarcation.
This may compel one to deduce that a strong government in Afghanistan may not
be in Pakistan’s interests as that might renew the demand for redrawing the
Afghan-Pakistan border, causing Pakistan to lose large swaths of land on its
side of the Durand Line. Such deep-rooted differences are reflected in the
events such as Pakistan’s airstrikes in Khost and Kunar Provinces on 16th April
and subsequent warnings to Pakistan by Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of
Defence.
Although the Taliban’s Sunni ideology brings it into
conflict with Shia Iran, the problems that the Taliban have with Tehran are
easier to solve than what it has with Islamabad. In fact, Iran can be the most
useful ally to Afghanistan – Iran hosts the largest number of Afghan refugees,
and it has been an active participant in the two international platforms to
help the Taliban resolve its challenges in ruling the country. These include
the “Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s Neighboring Countries +
Russia” which includes Pakistan, and the “Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on
Afghanistan”, which excludes Pakistan.
Q: Given the strict laws enforced by the Taliban in
Afghanistan, can the group gain international legitimacy?
A: While faith and religion define the relationship
between humans and God, relationships between nation-states are primarily
determined by national interests, which are most material in nature. Be it a
cursory look around, or a deep excavation into the history of international
relations, what emerges is that regardless of the sufferings of the people of a
particular country due to the nature of its domestic laws, its international
relations are not solely determined by them. So, regardless of the sufferings
of the Afghan people, the domestic laws of the Taliban are not the only reason
coming in the way of its international recognition.
The United States and its allies did not invade
Afghanistan because the Afghanis were suffering due to the strict laws of
Mullah Omar; they ravaged the country because Mullah Omar gave refuge to Osama
bin Laden, who was wanted by the Americans for his attacks on the U.S. soil.
Although it is important for the Taliban to revisit its conservative views in
the interests of the Afghan people, for the international legitimacy and
support all it needs is to think about what Afghanistan can offer to the other
countries. If Afghanistan has nothing else to offer, and the world is demanding
from the Taliban only the revision of its domestic laws and inclusive
government, then the Taliban has no other option but to offer these virtues to
gain international legitimacy and support.
Source: ABNA24
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original story:
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India
Court grants pre-arrest bail to BJP leader who played
drums outside mosque during ‘azaan’
Sonam Saigal
MAY 07, 2022
Special public prosecutor argues that offence is very
serious, considering the effect on society
A court in Mumbai granted anticipatory bail to a BJP
leader accused of playing drums in front of a mosque during ‘azaan’ and said,
“The State must ensure that there shall be no interference by any one community
into the religious feelings of any other community, so as to ultimately achieve
the goal of fraternity, as sought to be promoted by the Constitution.”
Additional Sessions Judge S.U. Baghele was hearing a
plea filed by Vinod Shelar, Sunil Koli and Deepak Raorane. They were booked
under sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot—if
rioting be committed—if not committed), 153 A (promoting enmity between
different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence,
language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 141
(unlawful assembly), 142 (being member of unlawful assembly), 149 (every member
of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common
object), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the
Indian Penal Code and relevant provision of the Maharashtra Police Act.
The special public prosecutor argued that the offence
was very serious, considering the effect on society. The prayer of other
communities was obstructed, by playing drums, by organizing a procession, by
selecting the time accordingly. It was a provocation to cause a riot. It has to
be investigated into as to whether the crime was pre-planned for which
custodial interrogation is necessary.
‘Custodial interrogation not warranted’
The court said, “The nature of the allegations is such
that the custodial interrogation of the applicants is not warranted at all. No
purpose is going to be served, by interrogating the applicants, by taking them
into custody. No slogans are said to have been raised by one community against
another community, thereby directly instigating disharmony and creating hatred
between two communities. In such a scenario, they are entitled to anticipatory
bail.”
The court granted them anticipatory bail on furnishing
a bond of ₹15,000 and said, “The rights guaranteed by Articles 14 (equality before
law), 19 (freedom of speech ) and 21 (right to life) form the basic structure
of the Indian Constitution. It is the responsibility of the State to devise a
mechanism, to ensure that the said rights are given effect to, in letter and
spirit. It is the responsibility of the State to ensure that all steps are
taken to promote fraternity among different communities. The State should not
shun its eyes and close its ears, in respect of the situation prevailing in the
society, resulting in disrespect by any person belonging to one community for
another community. The promotion of fraternity is one of the goals, set forth
in the constitution.”
Source: The Hindu
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'Pahela Baishakh' Is Bangladesh's Biggest Cultural
Festival, A Celebration Bengali Identity Held In Delhi
May 7, 2022
NEW DELHI: On May 8, Bangladesh High Commission in
Delhi holds delayed Bengali New Year celebrations, that coincides with the
birth anniversaries of two celebrated Bengali poets – Rabindranath Tagore and
Kazi Nazrul Islam – in the same month. The colourful celebrations with food,
music and other cultural activities had to wait for the month of Ramzan get
over.
All the three occasions are celebrated through the
Bangla month of Baishakh (between April 14 to May 14) on both sides of the
border – in West Bengal and Bangladesh -- with equal fervour. But in Dhaka and
across urban and rural Bangladesh “Naba Barsho” or the first day of the Bangla
calendar, is one of the biggest festivals that is celebrated with gusto, apart
from the 50- year-old nations’s Independence day celebrated on March 26, to
commemorate declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971 and February 21,
commemorated as the nation’s language or mother tongue day.
The morning celebrations in Dhaka begin at the
historic Ramna Park. People from across the city and beyond dress up in white
and red and gather at sunrise under the historic old banyana tree (Batamul) at
Ramna Park where artistes from Chhayanaut artistes usher in the first day of
the year with a Tagore song to welcome the new year, Esho hey Baishakh… From
the Institute of Fine Arts, Dhaka University, students and teachers organise a
colourful procession and parade round the campus and then through the main
streets of Dhaka. Observed as a national holiday in Bangladesh like a holiday
in the state of West Bengal, Pahela Baishakh is the biggest cultural festival
for Bengali speaking people on both sides of the political border, be it for
Hindus, Muslims, Christians or other religious groups.
Politically, since the present Sheikh Hasina regime
was installed in Dhaka, the government has encouraged the Naba Barsho
celebrations even more as it cuts across religious lines in the
Muslim-dominated Bangladesh. For a nation that was born out of its struggle to
uphold the Bengali identity of its people, when it broke away from Pakistan in
1971, the festival celebrates that identity.
Source: Times Of India
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2 Mumbai Mosques Booked For Using Loudspeakers For
Azaan
May 07, 2022
By Vinay Dalvi
MUMBAI: The Mumbai police on Saturday registered cases
against functionaries of two mosques in the western suburbs for flouting noise
pollution norms by using loudspeakers for the early morning prayers.
The cases come in the midst of a political row raked
by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and leaders of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who sought the removal of loudspeakers from
mosques last month, with the state government contending that the use of
loudspeakers was legal as long as written permissions were sought and noise
norms were adhered to.
The imams (head priests) of the Noorani Masjid on
Bazar Road in Bandra and the Muslim Kabarastan mosque in Santacruz were booked
for using the loudspeaker in contravention of the Noise Pollution Rules (2000),
which prevents the use of the loudspeaker before 6 am.
While one case was registered at the Bandra police
station based on a complaint lodged by police constable Hemant Pagare, the
second was registered at the Santacruz police station.
According to the complaint, Pagare heard the Azaan
(call to prayer in the Islam faith) being played on loudspeakers atop Noorani
Masjid following which he met the mosque’s trustee Jakel Tuffel Khan and
informed him that he was part of several meetings and even a WhatsApp group
formed by police to create awareness about the norms.
Khan told the police that he had informed the mosque’s
imam, Anwar Ashraf Mohammed Shabbir Shah, about the rules. The police
registered a case against Shah under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code
(disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) and some relevant
sections of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.
The second case was registered at the Santacruz police
station against Mohammed Shoaib Abdul Sattar Shaikh, the president of Muslim
Kabarastan mosque on Linking Road at Santacruz west, and mosque imam Aarif
Mohammed Siddiqui.
Police officials said the Santacruz mosque had taken permission
to use loudspeakers for reciting Azaan and had given an undertaking that they
won’t use loudspeakers from 10 pm to 6 am. However, on Friday, the loudspeaker
was used at 5.35 am and a police constable reached the spot. A case was
registered after he confirmed that loudspeakers were being used for reciting
Azaan before 6 am.
“We met the representatives from various religious
institutions and first created awareness about the Noise Pollution Rules within
all communities. In the second stage, we gave warnings. Now, we have started
taking legal action by registering cases,” said a senior police officer.
Raj Thackeray had announced that MNS workers will play
the Hanuman Chalisa outside mosques to protest against loudspeakers used by
them on April 2. On April 12, he issued a deadline to the state to remove the
public address systems from mosques by May 3 to avoid law and order problems.
He reiterated his stand in a rally in Aurangabad on May 1. The Aurangabad
police later lodged an FIR against the MNS chief for delivering a provocative
speech. The city police and the state government swung into action at the start
of the month to ensure that political unrest did not disturb the peace. Raj
Thackeray’s call to recite the Hindu prayer also went largely unheeded by his
party workers.
Clause 5 of the Noise Pollution Rules (2000) lays down
that a loudspeaker or a public address system shall not be used except after
obtaining written permission from an officer authorised by the Central or the
State Government.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Hajj 2022: Over 79 thousand Indian Muslims to fly for
pilgrimage
7th May 2022
Mumbai: After a gap of two years of the Covid-19 pandemic
restrictions, as many as 79,237 Indian Muslims will fly to Saudi Arabia to
perform the Hajj 2022 pilgrimage which will start from July onwards, officials
said here on Saturday.
They include around 50 per cent women with 22,636
going via Hajj Group Organisers and the remaining 56,601 through the Hajj
Committee of India, from among 83,140 applications including 72,170 online,
said Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
More than 1,800 Muslim women will go for Hajj 2022
without “Mehram” (male companion), and without the lottery system, he added.
Naqvi was inaugurating a two-day training camp for 400
aKhadim-ul-Hujjaj’ including 12 women, who will assist the Indian Hajj pilgrims
in Makkah-Madina with processes related to Hajj, accommodation, transport,
health and safety.
They will be trained by officials from HCI,
BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation, Disaster Management agencies, doctors,
airlines, customs and immigration professionals.
The Minister said that Hajj is taking place with significant
reforms giving utmost priority to health and well-being of the Hajj pilgrims
and all processes have been chalked out jointly by the governments of India and
Saudi Arabia based on criteria like age, health, etc.
“We are making all out efforts to ensure there is no
additional financial burden on the pilgrims as they will perform the Hajj
without any subsidy. Process is going on to take accommodation, transportation
and other necessary facilities in Saudi Arabia at affordable prices,” Naqvi
said.
The selection process of Hajj pilgrims was in
accordance with the COVID vaccination protocols and other norms decided by the
two governments, he said.
Uttar Pradesh leads with a total of 8,701 pilgrims,
followed by West Bengal (5,911), Jammu & Kashmir (5,281), Kerala (5,274),
Maharashtra (4,874), Assam (3,544), Karnataka (2,764), Gujarat (2,533), Bihar
(2,210), Rajasthan (2,072), Telangana (1,822), Madhya Pradesh (1,780),
Jharkhand (1,559), Tamil Nadu (1,498), Andhra Pradesh (1,201).
Besides, there will be Hajj pilgrims from Delhi (835),
Haryana (617), Uttarakhand (485), Odisha (466), Chhattisgarh (431), Manipur
(335), Punjab (218), Ladakh (216), Lakshadweep Isles (159), Andaman &
Nicobar Islands (114), Tripura (108), Goa (67), Puducherry (52), Himachal Pradesh
(38), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (34), and Chandigarh 25.
Naqvi said the government has arranged 10 flight
embarkation points for Hajj 2022 pilgrims going through HCI – Ahmedabad,
Bengaluru, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and
Srinagar.
Ahmedabad will cover entire Gujarat, Bengaluru
(Karnataka and Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh), Cochin (Kerala,
Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Andaman & Nicobar Isles), Delhi
(Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan,
western districts of Uttar Pradesh), and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh except western
parts).
Guwahati embarkation point will cover (Assam,
Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland), Hyderabad (Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana), Kolkata (West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Jharkhand and
Bihar), Mumbai (Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu
and Dadra & Nagar Haveli), and Srinagar (Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh-Kargil).
Source: Siasat Daily
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https://www.siasat.com/2-years-post-pandemic-79237-indian-muslims-will-fly-for-haj-2022-2322452/
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Harayana: High tension in Nuh amidst call for
Mahapanchyat
7th May 2022
Hindutva organisations Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang
Dal, and the Gau Raksha Dal – have called for a Hindu Mahapanchayat in the
Muslim-majority district of Nuh, Haryana on Sunday.
The event will be held at Sangel Gaushala in Ujjina, a
Hindu-majority village located on Hodal-Nuh road, 11 kilometers away from the
sub-district headquarter in Nuh.
The invitation, accessed by Maktoob Media gives an
open call of threat to the sitting MLAs of the Nuh district. “Accepting the
challenge given by the MLAs of Mewat to the Gau Rakshaks. We aren’t true
Mewatis if you come to Mewat this time and go back alive,” read one of the
invitations, in Hindi.
The invitation requested the fellow Hindus to join
forces and “make the jihadi mentality feel their power”.
“No cow killing should happen in Nuh. This is the
agenda of the Mahapanchayat.” 27-year-old Mohit alias Monu Manesar, who is the
conveyor of the Manesar unit of Bajrang Dal, was quoted by Maktoob as saying
over the scheduled event.
Monu Manesar has been an active Bajrang Dal member
since 2016. He constantly shares several photos of himself with high-profile
politicians and police officials.
On April 23 and 24, cow vigilantes and Bajrang Dal
members entered Sheikhpur and Rawli villages situated in Nuh district, shouting
slogans of “Jai Shree Ram”, fired shots, terrorized villagers, and abducted
three Muslims – 26-year-old Sahib Hussain from Sheikhpur village and
45-year-old Hakmuddin and 25-year-old Raees from Rawli village. Manesar was one
of the kidnappers, according to eyewitnesses.
Surprisingly, the three victims who were abducted by
the cow vigilantes were booked by the Nuh police under sections 13 (1) and 13
(3) of the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015 and arrested
for alleged cow smuggling.
Confirming the abduction of the Muslim men by his
organisation, Acharya Yogendra Arya, the head of Gau Rakshak Dal Harayana said
that the Mahapanchayat is being arranged as they have been challenged by those
in the cow slaughtering business.
“Every day cows are being slaughtered. People involved
in the cow slaughtering business in Mewat are challenging us that they will
slaughter the cows. They are saying this country is theirs also and
slaughtering and eating cows is their right,” said Yogendra Arya.
When asked if the organisers were granted permission
for the event, he confidently said, “The place is our religious place. We can
organise the event there.” He later clarified that permission was granted.
However, the Superintendent of Police in Nuh, Varun
Singla has not yet confirmed that permission has been granted for the event. He
said, “We will check all facts and circumstances and only then grant the
permission. DC sir (Deputy Commissioner) will take the final call.”
Source: Siasat Daily
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https://www.siasat.com/harayana-high-tension-in-nuh-amidst-call-for-mahapanchyat-2322438/
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Hyderabad: BJP submits memorandum to Governor on
Saroornagar honor killing case
8th May 2022
Hyderabad: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) minority
morcha on Sunday submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Telangana, Dr.
Tamilisai Soundararajan, requesting a thorough enquiry into the brutal ‘honor
killing’ of Billapuram Nagaraju, a Dalit man who was killed earlier this week
for marrying a Muslim woman.
The letter stated that the police are showing no
seriousness to grab the culprits even after three days of the incident. “The
BJP SC Morcha is afraid that there is every likelihood that the police may
water down the case just by registering cases under very weak sections,” they
said.
The Telangana State BJP SC Morcha sought the
intervention and order the State DGP to take “stringent action against the
culprits and take the case to its logical conclusion so that the miscreants get
rigorous punishment as per law.“
They also said that in view of the victim’s family
belonging to a very backward Scheduled Caste (SC) community, financial support
must be provided to them and a member of the family be given government
employment or other aid from the state government.
On Thursday, two accused were arrested by police in
the Saroornagar honor killing case. The accused- Syed Mobin Ahmed and Mohammed
Masood Abdul Hameed are said to have murdered 25-year-old Billipuram Nagaraju.
On Wednesday night, B Nagaraju along with his wife
Pallavi aka Syeda Ashrin Fatima was traveling on a bike when some unknown
assailants are said to have attacked them.
Source: Siasat Daily
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https://www.siasat.com/bjp-submits-memorandum-to-governor-on-saroornagar-honor-killing-case-2322669/
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UP: Muslim man held in Firozabad for converting,
marrying college-goer
07th May 2022
FIROZABAD: A man was arrested here for allegedly
forcing a college student to change her religion and marry her under Islamic
rules, police said on Saturday.
Arif, the accused, was arrested for
"abducting" a B.Com course student from her college and performing a
Nikaah with her, police said.
According to them, the father of the woman had filed a
missing person report after her daughter did not return home from college.
Superintendent of Police (city) Mukesh Chandra Mishra
said that the woman had gone to her college with her brother on April 25, where
Arif convinced her to elope with him.
He said the accused was arrested on Wednesday, and led
the police to the woman, who was recovered on Friday.
The accused has confessed that he got the woman to
change her religion and marry him under Islamic rules, Mishra said.
Source: New Indian Express
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Europe
Al-Qaeda chief blames US for Ukraine invasion in new
video
May 7, 2022
BAGHDAD: Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri made an
appearance in a pre-recorded video to mark the 11th anniversary of the death of
his predecessor Osama bin Laden.
Al-Zawahri says in the video that “US weakness” was
the reason that its ally Ukraine became “prey” for the Russian invasion .
The 27-minute speech was released Friday according to
the SITE Intelligence group, which monitors militant activity. The leader
appears sitting at a desk with books and a gun.
Urging Muslim unity, al-Zawahri said the US was in a
state of weakness and decline and cited the impact of the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan launched after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Bin Laden was the
mastermind and financier behind the attacks.
“Here (the US) is after its defeat in Iraq and
Afghanistan, after the economic disasters caused by the 9/11 invasions, after
the Corona pandemic, and after it left its ally Ukraine as prey for the
Russians,” he said.
Bin Laden was killed in a 2011 raid by US forces on
his compound hideout in Pakistan.
Source: Times Of India
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UK ‘turns back on’ former Afghan prosecutor hunted by
Taliban
May 07, 2022
LONDON: The UK’s Afghan resettlement scheme is failing
to support those looking to flee Afghanistan, a former senior prosecutor who
lives in fear of his life in neighboring Pakistan has told The Independent.
The man, who is being hunted by the Taliban, has lived
in Pakistan for almost 18 months after fleeing his homeland. But he is still
being denied resettlement in the UK despite having family members in Britain.
He is “constantly terrified” that underground Taliban
networks in the country will locate and kill him. The former director of
prosecution for an Afghan province has already been targeted by a car bomb,
which he escaped by switching vehicles before it detonated.
He told The Independent that family members back in
Afghanistan have received threatening visits and letters.
The former prosecutor living in Pakistan said of the
Taliban takeover: “Can you imagine all the prisoners that I had put in prison
for their crimes escaping? All the jails were breaking down, and everyone was coming
out by themselves. I was scared to death.
“Dealing with the Taliban is a nightmare for all the
attorneys. It was unusual for the head of a province to speak to them directly,
but I wanted to see if they had regrets for what they did, as many of them are
young.
“But it was very difficult because some of them were
the most dangerous people — who are proud of killing women and killing children
— and they said they would never regret their crimes.
“I had worked for many years serving the people of
Afghanistan and it was heartbreaking to see the Taliban takeover. I couldn’t
believe what had happened. This was not only the failing of Afghanistan but the
failing of our people.
The UK Home Office’s Afghan Citizens Resettlement
Scheme aims to support “vulnerable people and members of minority groups at
risk,” but has received significant criticism in the UK.
The program has prioritized Afghans who already
traveled to the UK, leaving those still stuck in Afghanistan — including former
lawyers, prosecutors, and government workers — at risk of Taliban retribution.
UK charities have warned that the scheme “still offers
little or no capacity for those most at risk in Afghanistan or those who have
fled into neighboring countries to come to the UK in a safe way.”
The former prosecutor’s nephew, who lives in London
after migrating about seven years ago, has contacted the Foreign, Commonwealth
and Development Office and Home Office for help.
He organized a phone call from an FCDO official to his
uncle in Kabul during the Taliban takeover. But that effort failed when the
city’s airport became crowded, preventing his uncle from boarding an aircraft
to leave the country.
He said: “The Taliban have searched our two houses in
Afghanistan, breaking doors and windows asking where he is. My dad and I look
after him, but his life is still in danger in Pakistan. He has had to change
location three times.”
MP Diane Abbott told The Independent: “We have raised
this particular case multiple times, both with the Foreign Office and Home Office.
We have yet to receive a reply.
“In general, the treatment of Afghan visa applicants
has been appalling. Whatever your view of the Afghan war, this country was a
key participant, and many of those who helped British forces are now in grave
danger. Yet this government seems to have turned its back on them almost
entirely.”
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2077091/world
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EU attempts to save Iran nuclear deal with last-ditch
effort: Report
07 May ,2022
The European Union is making a last-ditch attempt to
save the Iran nuclear deal and break a deadlock, the Financial Times reported
on Saturday.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told the
Financial Times that he was seeking a “middle way” to end the impasse, which
threatens to scupper more than a year of European diplomatic efforts.
Talks have been on hold since March, chiefly over
Iran’s insistence that Washington remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) from the US Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list.
Borrell is considering a scenario whereby the
designation on the IRGC is lifted but kept in place on other parts of the
organization, which has several arms and a sprawling business empire, the FT
reported.
The foreign policy chief also said he wanted EU
negotiator Enrique Mora to visit Tehran to discuss the issue, but added that
Iran “was very much reluctant” and described the diplomatic push as “the last
bullet,” according to FT.
The report also cited Borrell as saying that
negotiators would not give Iran an ultimatum.
Reuters reported last week that Iran’s clerical
rulers, emboldened by an oil price surge since Russia invaded Ukraine, are in
no rush to revive the 2015 nuclear pact with world powers to ease sanctions on
its energy-reliant economy.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Arab World
Iraqi cleric Mahmoud al-Sarkhi deepens intra-Shia
dispute
By Shawn Yuan and Shawn Yuan
7 May 2022
Baghdad, Iraq – A mosque pulled down by tractors,
angry protesters setting buildings on fire, and police arrests: despite their
relatively small-scale, recent events across a few cities in Iraq were enough
to startle the country over the last month, and all were linked to a
controversial Muslim scholar – Mahmoud al-Sarkhi.
The trigger in the latest round of what has become an
increasingly tense intra-Shia leaders’ dispute was an otherwise uneventful
Friday sermon in early April, when Ali Masoudi, a representative of al-Sarkhi,
who is a former student of the late prominent Shia scholar Mohammad Sadiq
al-Sadr, demanded the demolition of shrines, or graves of Shia imams, across
Iraq.
“We should follow the teachings of the Prophet
[Muhammed] and Imam Ali and not build any structures on the graves,” Masoudi
passionately told a group of people attending the sermon.
The demand was unsurprisingly dismissed by the
majority of Iraqi Shia Muslims, but then came the fiery response: furious
protesters, mostly supporters of Muslim leader Moqtada al-Sadr, the son of
Sadiq al-Sadr and currently the biggest political player in Iraq, took to the streets
and burned down some of al-Sarkhi’s offices in a number of cities, including
Babil, Karbala, and Basra.
The Iraqi security forces soon arrested a number of
al-Sarkhi’s followers. Babil governorate, where al-Sarkhi’s movement is based,
promptly moved to close all of the leader’s offices, and one of al-Sarkhi’s
mosques in the governorate was torn down.
Moqtada al-Sadr himself also issued a warning to
al-Sarkhi that unless the scholar disavowed the representative who called for
the destruction of the shrines, he would resort to “legal and customary
methods”, according to a note al-Sadr posted on Twitter, although it is unclear
whether al-Sadr would follow through with his threats.
In the weeks following the controversial sermon,
al-Sarkhi has become the subject of widespread discussions in Iraq, igniting
debates on his ideology and what threats he could pose to the now overall
stable Iraqi security.
Despite the criticism towards al-Sarkhi’s demand to
demolish graves, some experts are voicing their concern over how the
government’s response has run the risk of further stoking violence and conflict
in a deeply scarred country.
“The state has been reactive instead of proactive over
the past few years, and none of [the reactions were] about taking the initiative
to fight sectarianism,” Ruba Ali al-Hassani, a UK-based sociologist who studies
Iraq, told Al Jazeera. “Instead of launching arrests of al-Sarkhi’s people,
there should have been more restorative and correctional efforts.”
For al-Sarkhi, this is not the first time he managed
to grab attention. This time, however, it coincided with a chaotic government
formation process that has been definitively stalled by intra-Shia political
division.
“He realises that Shias, in general, are passing
through a very chaotic period with low confidence in all religious political
parties and movements,” Munqith M Dagher, the founder of the Iraq-based
Independent Institute of Administration and Civil Society Studies, told Al
Jazeera. “Accordingly, this is the best time to find more followers who are
hating the current players and welcome any different voices.”
Al-Sarkhi and his movement did not respond to Al
Jazeera’s request for comment.
Anti-Iran
A figure who first emerged following the United
States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, al-Sarkhi had a rather low profile and
would periodically re-emerge in the public discourse with at times
controversial claims, and sometimes violent clashes with either US or Iraqi
security forces.
Initially fighting alongside the once-formidable Mehdi
Army, a now-disbanded paramilitary group led by Moqtada al-Sadr, against the US
forces during the early days of the Iraq war, al-Sarkhi soon parted ways with
al-Sadr.
Building on his staunch resistance towards both
American and Iranian influence in Iraq, al-Sarkhi has so far accumulated a
modest following in the tens of thousands.
“Unlike Moqtada, who changes his position every five
days, al-Sarkhi has remained committed to rejecting the US and Iranian
influence in our country,” Hassan, an al-Sarkhi follower living in Karbala told
Al Jazeera, referring to the sometimes changing nature of Moqtada al-Sadr’s
political stances.
“He may have some opinions that I don’t completely
agree with, but I think he is the one who actually cares about Iraq and the
people,” he added.
Al-Sarkhi has repeatedly voiced his opposition to
Iranian influence in Iraq. During Iraq’s 2019 mass demonstrations, for example,
al-Sarkhi’s movement reportedly encouraged protesters to set fire to the
Iranian consulate in Karbala, which turned out to be one of the most dramatic
nights of the entire protests.
He even rejected Ali al-Sistani, the most revered
scholar among Iraqi Shia Muslims, based on his claim that al-Sistani had too
much Iranian influence behind him. However, some experts say his rejection of
Iran has often overstepped its boundary.
“He argues that Iran tried to shape the Shia public
discourse and threaten national security in Iraq,” al-Hassani said. “However,
he overreaches by claiming that there is no public Shia discourse in Iraq and
that it was entirely Iranian.”
Negotiate with ISIL?
Al-Sarkhi has also faced criticism for his role during
the rise of ISIL (ISIS) in 2014. At the time, al-Sistani had issued a fatwa, a
religious decree, to call on all able Iraqis to take up arms to fight against
the armed group that seized a vast swath of land in Iraq and neighbouring
Syria.
To most people’s surprise, al-Sarkhi refused to answer
the fatwa, and instead called for conversations and negotiations with ISIL,
despite the crimes committed by the group, and the failure of diplomatic
efforts to reach out to them.
“Even now, many are questioning his stance towards
ISIS,” al-Hassani said. “Even as someone who works on peacebuilding, I wouldn’t
agree to negotiate with ISIS when the group was going on a killing rampage.”
His controversial claims, however, rarely caused any
big issues to Iraqi security and, according to experts and common Iraqis who
spoke with Al Jazeera, his relatively small following will unlikely constitute
an actual threat in the future, despite the controversy generated recently.
Source: Al Jazeera
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Extremist attack kills 11 Egyptian troops: Army
07 May ,2022
Eleven Egyptian soldiers were killed on Saturday
attempting to thwart a “terrorist” attack on the Suez Canal zone abutting the
Sinai Peninsula, a hotbed of extremist activity, the army said.
It was the heaviest loss the army had suffered in
years in its long-running campaign in and around the Sinai against militants
loyal to ISIS.
Five soldiers were also wounded in the firefight on
the eastern, Sinai bank of the canal, the army said, adding that security
forces “are continuing to chase the terrorists and surround them in an isolated
area of the Sinai.”
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi mourned the death of
the troops, vowing in a Facebook post to continue fighting the militants and
“uprooting terrorism.”
Two Northern Sinai residents said the attack took
place in the town of Qantara in the province of Ismailia, which stretches
eastward from the Suez Canal.
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channel online or via the app.
The militants ambushed troops guarding the pumping
facility, before fleeing to the desert in Northern Sinai, according to the
residents who spoke on condition of anonymity for their safety.
No group claimed responsibility for Saturday’s attack.
Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has been gripped by an armed
insurgency for more than a decade, which peaked after the ouster of late
president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.
In February 2018, the army and police launched a
nationwide operation against militants focused on North Sinai.
More than a thousand suspected militants and dozens of
security personnel have been killed since the start of operations, according to
official figures.
In November, Egypt agreed with Israel to boost its
troop numbers around the border town of Rafah in order to quell ISIS militants.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Unidentified aircraft target Syrian regime: War
monitor
07 May ,2022
Unidentified aircraft struck oil-rich areas in eastern
Syria held by government and Iran-aligned groups on Saturday, an opposition war
monitor said.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said there were no casualties or material losses in the attack, the second
within a week in the province of Deir Ezzor.
At least five explosions were heard, according to the
monitor, in the Hawijah Kateh area and a nearby bridge north of Deir Ezzor
city.
Syrian state media also reported the attack but gave
no details. Deir Ezzor is a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains
oil fields.
Iran-backed militia groups and regime forces control
the area and have often been the target of Israeli war planes in previous
strikes. Israel has staged hundreds of strikes on targets in Syria over the
years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Saudi Arabia, UAE strongly condemn ‘terrorist’ attack
on Egyptian troops in Sinai
07 May ,2022
Saudi Arabia and the UAE strongly condemned Saturday’s
“terrorist attack” that targeted the Suez Canal zone abutting the Sinai
Peninsula and claimed the lives of 11 troops.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry reaffirmed that the
Kingdom stands with Egypt “against everything which targets its security and
stability,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
It also commended the Egyptian army’s efforts in
combating “terrorist and destructive” attacks and offered the Kingdom’s deep
condolences to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy
recovery.
The UAE’s foreign ministry also reaffirmed its stance
in support of all measures that Egypt takes to protect its security and
stability.
“The UAE strongly condemns these criminal acts and
[completely] rejects all forms of violence and terrorism that aim to undermine
security,” the ministry said according to state news agency (WAM).
Source: Al Arabiya
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of the original story:
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Yemen officials: Two commanders killed in clash with
militants
07 May ,2022
Clashes at a militia facility in southern Yemen
following the arrest of a group of suspected al-Qaeda militants has killed at
least a dozen people, including two force commanders, officials said.
The officials said the fighting took place late Friday
at the headquarters of the so-called Security Belt force in Dhale province. The
force is active in Yemen’s southern provinces.
The militia reported that Col. Waleed al-Dhami, deputy
commander of the Security Belt, and Col. Mohamed al-Shoubagi, commander of the
government’s counterterrorism unit in Dhale, were killed. It did not offer
further details.
The security officials said the nearly hour-long
firefight erupted when troops asked the militants to hand over their weapons.
The militants refused and opened fire at the troops,
according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they
were not authorized to brief reporters.
Eight militants and four security forces were killed
in the fighting, including the two commanders, they said. There were a number
of wounded troops who were taken to a hospital, the officials added.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Lebanese parliamentary elections: Second phase of
expat voting scheduled for Sunday
NAJIA HOUSSARI
May 07, 2022
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s embassies in countries with a Sunday
weekend have completed their arrangements for Lebanese expats to cast their
votes in parliamentary elections.
There are over 190,000 Lebanese expats living in the
UAE, the US, Australia, and across Europe and Africa who registered their names
with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs months ago, out of the millions of
Lebanese expats around the world.
The first phase of the Lebanese expat voting process
in 10 Arab and Muslim countries ended on Friday night, with a final turnout of
nearly 60 percent of registered voters.
Three opposition parties topped the general electoral
scene, the Lebanese Phalange Party (Kataeb), the Progressive Socialist Party,
and the Lebanese Forces party. Hezbollah and the Amal movement dominated the
electoral scene in Iran and Syria, which had the highest turnout.
The turnout of the Sunni voter was remarkable in the
Gulf states, specifically voting in the boxes designated for Beirut's second
constituency.
It was impossible to trace the votes for the forces of
change or what is known as the candidates of the revolutionary movements that
took to the streets in 2019, as they had several lists which dispersed the
expat vote.
Candidates are committed to an electoral silence that
lasts until Monday, according to electoral law.
Arab News contacted sources close to them. One of them
said on condition of anonymity: “According to our sources in the Gulf
countries, especially in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain, a good
percentage of expats voted for the forces of change. Voters who voted for the
revolution's lists posted pictures of their fingers dipped in blue ink.
“Votes in Beirut's second constituency, specifically
by the Sunni voter, were remarkable, although some Sunnis boycotted the
elections in line with the Future Movement's decision not to participate. Other
voters boycotted because they did not find in the traditional parties’ lists
anyone who would convince them to re-elect them, specifically the Shiite voter
preferred to boycott the electoral process.”
According to the final results of the voter turnout,
Syria had the highest, amounting to 83.79 percent, 73.83 percent in Iran, 66.45
percent in Oman, 65.59 percent in Kuwait, 49.26 percent in Saudi Arabia, 66.46
percent in Bahrain, 59.63 percent in Jordan, 48.72 in Qatar, 48 percent in
Iraq, and 44 percent in Egypt.
About 18,000 expats voted in these countries, from
around 31,000 registered voters. The general percentage was 58.89 percent.
In 2018, the turnout in Arab countries was about 65
percent.
The ballot boxes arrived in Lebanon on Saturday,
sealed with red wax and equipped with a tracking device via DHL, with the
exception of the two ballot boxes from Iran, which Lebanese ambassador Abbas
Hassan brought personally by air as DHL does not deal with Iranian authorities.
He said that the two boxes held 474 votes.
At the Masnaa crossing, on Lebanon's border with
Syria, the Ministry of Interior received three ballot boxes containing 853
votes.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2077226/middle-east
--------
South Asia
Uzbekistan Not Ready To Recognise Taliban Government
In Afghanistan
May 07, 2022
Kabul: An envoy of Uzbekistan said that the country is
not ready to recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Ismatulla Irgashev, the Uzbek president's special
representative for Afghanistan, in an interview with Voice of America (VOA),
said it would be difficult for the new government in Kabul to qualify for
international recognition any time soon, reported Tolo News.
"We will not recognize them alone," he said.
"When it happens, we want a collective voice and stand."
While urging greater engagement with the Taliban,
Irgashev said Tashkent is committed to moving ahead with formal recognition
only in concert with the international community, reported Tolo News.
The Center for European-Asian Studies and the
Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
held a meeting in Kyrgyzstan on Afghanistan.
Envoys of Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, while
emphasizing the need for the formation of an inclusive government in
Afghanistan, said terrorist activities in Afghanistan are threats to the
region.
"The rapid withdrawal of foreign troops from
Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban has increased the threats against
Russia and Central Asian countries, because it has been over eight months that
the Taliban government has not fulfilled any of its commitments to the
international community. Most importantly. After the political change in
Afghanistan, neither women nor representatives of religious and ethnic
minorities participate in the government," said Andrey Rusakov, Director
of the Center for European-Asian Studies.
"The Taliban have been a part of the Afghan
people since the takeover and must respect religious freedom and equality, and
it is clear that this freedom has grown equally in Uzbekistan and other
countries over the past 30 years," the Uzbekistan envoy said.
Source: ND TV
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Islamic Emirate Denies Clashes in Panjshir
08.05.22
The Islamic Emirate denied the clashes between the
Islamic Emirate and the Resistance Front’s forces in the central province of
Panjshir.
A spokesman for Panjshir’s governor, Abubaker Sediq,
said there was a small amount of gunfire but the situation was controlled by
the Islamic Emirate.
“We deny this allegation. This is a plot by some
biased individuals. This is not true. There was a small amount gunfire
yesterday evening in the Abshar area by the opponents, but the Islamic Emirate
controlled the situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Resistance Front claimed that clashes
are still underway in Abshar district of Panjshir province, and they have
overrun several areas.
“An extended region of the Panjshir province,
including a large part of Abdulah Khail and Abshar valley, fell to the
resistance (forces),” said Sebghat Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Resistance
Front.
This comes as reports of clashes between the Islamic
Emirate and the Resistance Front in Panjshir have been posted on social media.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid,
denied the reports and called them speculation.
Source: Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-177906
--------
China
Among Nations Committed ‘Brutal Actions’ Against Journalists
By
Arif Ahmadi
07
May 2022
BEIJING,
China – A group of United States House lawmakers named among others China
Russia and Belarus as nations that committed “repressive and brutal actions”
against journalists, according to sources.
But
Beijing dropped the accusations, saying they are “lies” and that “the local
people are living a safe and happy life” in Xinjiang.
On
World Press Freedom Day honored Tuesday, the lawmakers introduced a resolution,
listing countries that has “worst media environment in the world” for
journalists and media practitioners.
China
is “one of the worst media environments in the world and seeks to curtail
political speech inside and outside the country…,” stated the resolution,
citing the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2021 findings.
In
total, at least 50 journalists are imprisoned in China, according to CPJ’s 2021
report released last December. Of which, 22 of them are Uyghur journalists from
Xinjiang, who make up 44% of the incarcerated journalists in China and 7.5% of
the 293 jailed journalists worldwide in 2021.
Bahram
Sintash, a Uyghur American, urged US government to “speak up” for Uyghur
journalist who are detained in China, including his father for years.
“The
U.S. government should speak up for many Uyghur journalists like my father who
are arbitrarily detained and imprisoned by the Chinese authorities,” Sintash,
who lives in Virginia, told VOA.
Sintash
father, Qurban Mamut, was the former chief editor of the China-controlled
Uyghur journal Xinjiang Civilization.
Four
years passed since Sintash lost contact with his father, saying in February he
learned his fathers was taken by Chines officials form his residence in Urumqi,
the capital of Xingjian in northwest China, for a 15-year imprisonment.
Afghan
Journalists Face Ever-Increasing Restrictions
Afghan
Journalists since the Taliban Takeover
Rights
groups and some countries, including the U.S., have accused China of
mistreating Uyghurs, including subjecting more than 1 million Uyghurs to mass
internment for “reeducation,” forced sterilization and labor or those either in
and out of detention since late 2016, as the VOA wrote.
Meanwhile,
Journalists in Afghanistan
KABUL,
Afghanistan – Honoring the World Media Freedom Day on Tuesday, Afghanistan
Journalists Center (AFJC) expressed “deep concern” over the increasing number
of media practitioners being arrested throughout the country, said AFJC in a
written statement to Khaama Press.
The
center underscored the sudden collapse of the media outlets since the Taliban
takeover last August, warning of the “consequences” such a process could bring
in the country.
“On
this day, the Afghanistan Journalists’ Center expresses its deep concern over
the increase in the number of arrests of journalists and media workers and the
sudden collapse of the media in the country, and warns of the consequences of
this process,” said AFJC in a statement.
Statistics
from last 12 months by the AFJC show at least four journalists and media
practitioners have lost their lives in Afghanistan: three as a result of two
ISIS-affiliated explosions in Kabul and one person during coverage of the war
between the Taliban and former government forces in Kandahar.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/china-among-nations-committed-brutal-actions-against-journalists/
--------
Southeast Asia
Zahid
calls PAS two-faced, says Umno wants loyal friends
May
7, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, describing PAS as “two-faced” and
indecisive, has again dismissed the possibility of working with the party at
the next general election as partners in the Muafakat Nasional (MN) pact.
Zahid
accused PAS of often changing its opinion on various matters, and said Umno did
not want to be friends with parties that did not have a consistent stand in its
actions.
“We
want friends who are loyal and that loyalty must not just be in words but in
terms of actions and decisions,” he said, according to Berita Harian.
Umno
and PAS leaders have been at odds for a year over the future of the MN
alliance, which had been formed in 2019 by the two major Malay-Muslim parties
to challenge Pakatan Harapan, then in power.
However,
Zahid and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang later disagreed about whether to
accept Bersatu into the alliance.
Zahid
has often spoken against reviving the alliance, while PAS leaders have tried to
keep MN alive. PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said yesterday MN was
the best formula to unite the Muslim ummah.
“That’s
PAS’s opinion,” Zahid said in response. “From early on, that has been our
stand, but they have shown their two-faced attitude.” He reiterated that the
best strategy for Umno was for Barisan Nasional to go solo at GE15.
Separately,
Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said MN was not dead yet. However, he
acknowledged that the alliance was “not well-nourished”, especially after the
Melaka and Johor elections.
PAS
contested against Umno-BN as part of Perikatan Nasional (PN), with Bersatu and
Gerakan, to little success. In both states, the Umno-led BN stormed to strong
victories.
Ahmad
said Umno’s Supreme Council had not even discussed MN recently and whether to revitalise
its pact with PAS. Once a final decision had been made by the top leadership,
every state chapter should fall in line.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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JPJ
issues 8,000 summonses during Raya operation
May
6, 2022
GENTING
HIGHLANDS: The road transport department (JPJ) issued a total of 8,036
summonses nationwide in conjunction with Operasi Hari Raya Aidilfitri (HRA)
2022 until yesterday.
All
the summonses were issued after JPJ had inspected 44,737 vehicles since the
operation began on April 29.
JPJ
senior director of enforcement Lokman Jamaan said this showed that there were
still many drivers who disobeyed the traffic rules even though police had
previously reminded drivers to abide by the rules.
“We
hope that for the next few days before the Op HRA ends on Sunday (May 8), road
users will comply with the rules and there will be a reduction in traffic
offences,” he said.
Lokman
said this to reporters after conducting a special inspection at the Genting
Highlands Bus Terminal in Pahang today.
Meanwhile,
in JPJ’s special technical operation, Lokman said a total of 11 buses were
inspected and all of them were found to comply with the rules.
“JPJ
is very strict with express and tour buses ferrying passengers to Genting
Highlands, bearing in mind it is a difficult road (with dangerous twists and
turns),” he said.
At
the same time, Lokman said a total of 77 depots and 28 bus terminals were also
inspected during the Op HRA.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Bursa
Malaysia seen as flat this week due to cautious sentiment
08
May 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama): Bursa Malaysia is expected to trade sideways from
Monday (May 9) amid cautious market sentiments due to external factors, namely
continued worries over aggressive monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve
going forward and a grim economic outlook forecast by the Bank of England (BOE).
Bank
Islam Malaysia Bhd chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the local
bourse would track global equities, which are expected to be volatile in the
immediate term amid global monetary tightening.
"This
is because central banks globally are upping their arsenal to clamp down on
inflationary pressures,” he told Bernama.
At
the same time, he said monetary policy divergence such as in China and Japan
also suggests a mixed feeling over global growth prospects this year.
"It
seems that institutional investors would stay light and remain invested in
cash-like instruments. In other words, they are going to stay defensive in the
face of uncertainty,” he explained.
All
eyes would also be on the latest economic assessment by Bank Negara Malaysia
next week, including the gross domestic product (GDP) data for the first
quarter of 2022.
"As
such, the FBM KLCI is likely to remain in a narrow range of around 1,564 to
1,574 points next week,” he said.
Bursa
Malaysia Bhd and its subsidiaries were closed from May 2 till May 4 in
conjunction with the Workers’ Day replacement holiday and Hari Raya Aidilfitri
holidays.
For
the week just ended, the FBM KLCI traded mostly lower amid negative performance
in regional markets and a decline on Wall Street as the US 10-year yield surged
past the 3.0 per cent level.
On
a weekly basis, the FBM KLCI fell 36.09 points to end the week at 1,564.34 from
1,600.43 in the previous week.
On
the index board, the FBMT100 Index fell 264.99 points to 10,855.51, the FBM
Emas Shariah Index eased 328.53 points to 11,693.75, the FBM Emas Index slid
260.52 points to 11,205.56, the FBM ACE shed 81.41 points to 5,497.26 and the
FBM 70 lost 386.11 points to 13,386.07.
Sector-wise,
the Plantation Index lost 287.91 points to 8,533.10, the Industrial Products
and Services Index weakened by 5.93 points to 204.10 but the Energy Index added
22.43 points to 796.17.
The
Financial Services Index trimmed 250.97 points to 16,675.83, the Healthcare
Index shed 38.72 points to 2,011.10, and the Technology Index inched down 3.45
points to 67.88.
Weekly
turnover declined to 5.79 billion units valued at RM4.81 billion from 12.90
billion units valued at RM10.72 billion last week.
The
Main Market volume eased to 3.53 billion shares worth RM4.41 billion versus
8.49 billion shares worth RM9.71 billion in the previous week.
Warrants
volume shrank to 726.98 million units valued at RM130.71 million against 1.76
billion units valued at RM315.60 million previously.
Source:
The Star
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Mideast
Iran:
Normalization of Ties Emboldens Zionists to Commit More Crimes against
Palestinians
2022-May-7
Normalization
of relations with the apartheid regime of Israel encourages the Zionists to
show more aggression in the occupied lands, Khatibzadeh said on Saturday.
He
added that fighting against the occupiers of Quds and Palestine is a natural,
legal and legitimate right of the Palestinian people.
Khatibzadeh
condemned the attack carried out once again by the Zionists on Al-Aqsa Mosque
and against the worshipers and those who were defending the holy places in
Palestine, saying that occupation and occupiers are declining.
He
pointed to Israel’s intense aggression against the Palestinians and in the
occupied lands, and called on the international and regional societies and the
government and the nations to help Palestine defend itself.
Khatibzadeh
stressed the importance of unity in the Islamic world to defend Palestine and
save Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Iranian
Parliament’s Permanent Secretariat of International Conference in Support of
Intifada (Uprising) in Palestine also strongly condemned the Israeli regime's
continued aggression and desecration of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In
a statement on Thursday, the Permanent Secretariat of International Conference
in Support of Intifada in Palestine denounced the sacrilege of AL-Aqsa Mosque
by the Israeli military forces in the occupied lands and territories.
It
said that today, the dire situation in the occupied lands and territories
requires all nations and freedom-seekers of the world to condemn this sinister
conspiracy orchestrated by Zionists against the Islamic and Christian sanctities
which is being carried out amid silence and passivity of the international
community and human rights organizations.
"The
desperate Zionist regime must know that the Resistance movement and Palestinian
youth and people in the occupied territories are ready to defend Al-Aqsa Mosque
and liberate the occupied territories with all might more than ever," it
added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iranian
resistance warns Iran’s primary goal is to build a nuclear weapon
RAY
HANANIA
May
08, 2022
CHICAGO:
Iran is close to building a nuclear weapon and is using negotiations with the
West to give them more time to achieve that goal, according to Shahin Gobadi,
the spokesperson for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
A
thermal nuclear scientist who first joined the resistance while a college
student at UCLA 40 years ago, Gobadi, 60, said the NCRI, which is based in
Paris, works with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK). The PMOI/MEK
operates inside Iran taking great risks to expose Iran’s nuclear weapons
program, Gobadi said.
Without
the PMOI/MEK resistance, Gobadi said, the world would never have known the true
depth of Iran’s nuclear weapons program and how far it had advanced towards
building a nuclear weapon.
“The
Iranian resistance, mainly the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, have
been the key factor, the key player that has brought the issue of the Iranian
nuclear program to the international attention,” Gobadi said.
“If
it were not for the Iranian resistance activities through the more than 120
press conferences and revelations regarding the secret Iranian nuclear sites,
projects, facilities, the world would have been totally caught off guard
regarding the mullahs’ secret drive to acquire nuclear weapons and by now the
world would have been faced with a predicament of the worst regime being
equipped with the worst weapon. Actually, this has been a part of our struggle
of the past three decades through our vast human network inside regime, the
vast network of the Mojahedin, the MEK, inside Iran taking huge risks to expose
the various aspects of the mullahs’ drive to acquire nuclear weapons.”
During
an interview on “The Ray Hanania Show” broadcast on Wednesday May 4, 2022,
Gobadi said the resistance to Iran’s brutality continues to grow, not only
outside of Iran under the leadership of the NCRI but also inside with everyday
citizens protesting and engaging in significant disruptions.
“The
protests and disruptions,” Gobadi said, “have been on the rise particularly
during the past four years. Since January 2018 there have been eight nationwide
uprisings in Iran against the regime. And in some of them like in November
2019, it caught on so quickly throughout the country, it spread to some 200
cities with people chanting ‘Down with Khamenei the Supreme Leader and down
with the whole regime’.”
The
mullahs, he said, responded by massacring more than 1,500 civilian protesters.
“But
even that has not stopped people from coming to the streets. Or in 2021, in 21
nationwide protests and strikes teachers, who constitute more than 1 million
people, have come to the streets. And also, after that, there has been a
remarkable surge in the activities of the resistance which is affiliated to the
Mojahedin, the MEK and their activities have been on a constant rise,” Gobadi
said.
Gobadi
said that everyday Iranian people “are standing up” and fueling “the continued
rise of the resistance,” which makes the mullahs much “more vulnerable and much
more worried” about their future.
“Since
1981 some 120,000 political activists, over 100,000 from the main resistance
movement, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, the principal resistance
organization, have been executed by the theocracy simply for standing firm for
secular government and gender equality,” Gobadi said.
“And
that includes tens of thousands of women, which is an amazing aspect of our
resistance in Iran. Hundreds of thousands of others have been imprisoned and
severely tortured.”
Gobadi
cited many incidents of resistance inside Iran. In January, the resistance
disrupted 25 of the Iran regime’s television radio channels broadcasting chants
of “Death to Khamenei and “Hail to Rajavi” — who is the leader of the
resistance. The same month, they set fire to statues of Qassem Soleimani in
several provinces.
On
April 25, more than 100 computer servers of Iran’s Ministry of Agriculture were
disrupted. In the past few weeks, resistance units have repeatedly broadcast
anti-regime slogans in busy locations, in large cities and in shopping malls.
Gobadi
said the Iranian mullahs have not only been brutal in their response against
their own people, 70 to 80 percent of whom live below the poverty line but,
just as importantly, the regime is “the primary source” of international
terrorism.
He
called it “foolhardy” to believe a brutal regime like Iran would abandon its
nuclear weapons ambitions, even if the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is
approved and the US removes the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the
Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Iran sees the negotiations as
“appeasement,” he said, rather than preventing them from acquiring a nuclear
weapon.
“An
agreement that does not close the regime’s path to a nuclear drive is not going
to stop the drive. If the West holds firm, the regime has no choice but to
concede to the West. Unfortunately, that was not the desire at the time,
particularly of the Obama administration,” Gobadi said.
“And
look what happened. The mullahs took billions of dollars and it all ended up in
the coffers of the regime’s leaders, Khamenei in particular, or the IRGC’s top
brass, or has helped to prop up the regime’s surrogates and terrorist groups in
the region to increase the regime’s capability of missile program ... and, the
regime never, never, never gave up its nuclear weapons program.”
“Well,
by far, they are the most active state sponsor of terrorism for years and
years. Their tentacles have reached as far away as Europe, the US and even
Latin America. Needless to say Europe, the Middle East. It’s very shocking.”
On
the restoration of the JCPOA, Gobadi said, “We think such an agreement in and
of itself is no guarantee that the regime does not get nuclear weapons.”
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2077301/world
--------
Iranian
FM, UN Chief Confer on Vienna Talks, Region, Ukraine
2022-May-7
During
the phone talks, Amir Abdollahian reviewed the latest status of Iran's nuclear
talks with world powers, as well as some regional and international
developments, including the situation in Yemen, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.
On
Vienna negotiations to terminate sanctions, he referred to the exchange of
messages between Iran and the US through the EU, arguing that the erroneous US
policy of imposing maximum pressure against Iran has led to the current
conditions.
He
criticized the non-compulsory US Congress ratification, arguing that if the US
wishes to make up for its past wrong approach it needs to take a brave rational
move.
Amir
Abdollahian said that the prerequisite for reaching a sustainable, strong and
justice-based agreement is a brave move by the US to compensate for its past
wrong attitude.
Elsewhere,
he referred to o a temporary ceasefire in Yemen, which he said needs to be
extended continually, arguing that all the same the requirements of the
temporary ceasefire such as ending the inhumane siege of that country are
needed.
Amir
Abdollahian also said that the living conditions and security status in
Afghanistan are both seriously worrying, stressing the need for the establishment
of an all-encompassing government comprised of the entire Afghan ethnic groups
and tribes.
The
Iranian foreign minister also referred to a wave of Afghan refugees in Iran
asking the UN to pay heed to its responsibilities regarding the refugees.
Amir
Abdollahian pointed to the increased range of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan
and the problems due to poverty in the that country, stressing that releasing
the blocked monetary assets of Afghanistan can ease those problems to an
extent.
He
also referred to the legitimate expectations of the UN to harbinger peace in
the world, and appreciated the secretary general’s efforts in that respect.
Amir
Abdollahian voiced Iran’s objection to the ongoing war in Ukraine, and
elaborated on Iran’s moves aimed at ending the war and resorting to diplomatic
moves to minimize the human catastrophe and lower the level of crisis there.
He
also made the point that the international community’s attention to Ukraine
must not deviate the needed attention to the catastrophic conditions in
Afghanistan.
The
UN secretary general, for his part, appreciated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s
constructive stances in supporting the ceasefire in Yemen.
Guterres
expressed the hope that the obstacles would be removed and the flights to Sanaa
Airport will be resumed, and also inter-provincial relations in Yemen would
become possible through extension of the ceasefire.
He
also welcomed the continuation of naturalizing trend of Riyadh-Tehran ties and
giving priority to diplomacy.
Guterres
emphasized on the need for the establishment of an all-encompassing government
in Afghanistan and appreciated the Islamic Republic of Iran’s constructive role
in hosting Afghan refugees and offering them humanitarian contributions.
In
response to the Iranian foreign minister’s request from the UN to pay heed its
responsibilities about refugees, he expressed the hope that the UNHCR would be
able to contribute more to Iran for this purpose.
The
UN secretary general also expressed the hope that the Vienna nuclear talks
would continue and lead soon to a good agreement.
Amir
Abdollahian said last Tuesday that the Vienna talks are still underway through
exchange of written messages between Tehran and Washington via the EU
coordinator.
“The
Vienna talks have not been paused, but they continue in another process to
remove the unilateral sanctions imposed on us and through the exchange of
written messages with the Americans through the EU representative,” Amir
Abdollahian said in an interview with Yemen’s Arabic-language al-Masirah
television network.
He
underlined that Iran’s objective in the talks is to reach a “strong” and
“permanent” agreement, adding, “We urged the American side to be
realistic."
“Removing
sanctions in all areas and receiving economic guarantees are among the most
important items on our negotiating team’s agenda.”
The
top Iranian diplomat also said he believes the Americans have perfectly
understood Iran’s red lines.
“We
will continue the dialog. As soon as an agreement is about to be reached, our representative
in the negotiations will make the final changes to the agreement,” Amir
Abdollahian said.
The
Islamic Republic has made clear that both the JCPOA and the UN Security Council
Resolution 2231 are the benchmarks for the Vienna talks, rejecting anything
less or more than those two.
Several
rounds of negotiations have been held in the Austrian capital since April 2021
to bring the US back into the Iran deal. The Vienna talks, however, exclude
American diplomats due to their country’s withdrawal from the deal, officially
called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on May 8, 2018.
Recent
weeks have brought the talks to a new impasse, as the US insists on its refusal
to remove Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) from its foreign terrorist
organization list.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Over
Half Million Foreign Children Attend Iranian Schools
2022-May-8
"Iran’s
Ministry of Education has adopted appropriate policies for foreign national students,
with 22 schools exclusively established for them," Abolfazl Kamaali.
He
said that special schools were established in popular immigration destinations
like Tehran, Qom, Kashan, and Mashhad and the Iranian Education Ministry would
welcome private investment in such areas.
About
10,000 foreign national children study in these special schools, Kamali noted,
adding that the students are taught in accordance with Iran education system.
No
immigrant child, no matter legal or illegal, is deprived of education in Iran
in line with official guidelines and in accordance with the instruction given
by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, as
said by the official.
Iranian
universities, research institutes, and scientific centers have established
broad academic cooperation with counterparts from different countries,
specially the neighboring states.
In
2020, Iran and Afghanistan decided to further increase academic exchanges in
the field of medical sciences, after universities from the two neighboring
countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The
Chancellor of Qom University of Medical Sciences Mohammad Reza Qadir met and
held talks with the Chancellor of Khatam Al-Nabieen University Vahid Binesh in
Qom where the two sides signed an MoU and discussed the ways to expand
scientific and academic cooperation during the meeting.
“Iran
and Afghanistan can have extensive ties in expanding scientific exchanges,
therefore, we are ready to fully cooperate with Qom University of Medical
Sciences”, said Binesh.
"We
welcome the cooperation and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Qom
University of Medical Sciences and strive to expand this scientific
cooperation," Deputy Head of Khatam Al-Nabieen University Mousavi said.
“Signing
a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities is an important step
in the development and advancement of scientific fields and we are also ready
for further collaboration," said Qadir, for his part.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010217000491/Over-Half-Millin-Freign-Children-Aend-Iranian-Schls
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Two
Palestinians wanted for killing three on Israel Independence Day apprehended
08
May ,2022
Two
Palestinians who killed three Israelis in an attack in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish
town on Israel’s Independence Day on Thursday have been apprehended, Israeli
security forces said in a statement on Sunday.
The
attack was the latest in a recent upsurge of Israeli-Palestinian violence that
has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict.
“The
two terrorists who murdered three Israeli civilians in the deadly attack in the
city of Elad have been caught,” Israel’s police, Shin Bet security services and
military said in a joint statement, which gave no further details.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Israeli
troops demolish home of Palestinian assailant
07
May ,2022
Israeli
troops on Saturday demolished the home of a Palestinian man who killed a Jewish
seminary student in a shooting ambush in the occupied West Bank five months
ago, the military said.
The
demolition took place around dawn in the village of Silat al-Khartiyeh, with
troops swinging sledgehammers to break walls and setting off explosives.
Residents threw stones and firebombs at soldiers who fired live rounds, the
army said.
Palestinian
medics said three Palestinians were injured by live fire and others by tear gas
inhalation.
Such
demolitions have been denounced by rights groups as collective punishment, and
the military suspended the practice for several years, starting in 2005, after
concluding it did not serve as an effective deterrent.
The
army resumed demolitions several years ago and now carries them out routinely
in response to attacks in which Palestinians kill Israelis.
In
the most recent attack, two Palestinians from the West Bank killed three
Israelis and wounded four in a mass stabbing in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish town
of Elad in central Israel on Thursday.
As
of Saturday, the suspected assailants, two young men from the town of Jenin,
remained at large.
Officials
familiar with the investigation said the attackers arrived in Elad in a vehicle
driven by one of the victims and then killed him.
At
least one attacker also used an axe, according to officials who spoke on
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details with
the media. A gag order has been placed on much of the investigation.
At
least 18 Israelis have been killed in five attacks since March, including another
stabbing rampage in southern Israel, two shootings in the Tel Aviv area, and a
shooting last weekend in a West Bank settlement.
Nearly
30 Palestinians have died in violence - most of whom had carried out attacks or
were involved in confrontations with Israeli forces in the West Bank. But an
unarmed woman and two apparent bystanders were also among those killed, and
rights groups say Israel often uses excessive force.
The
ongoing conflict plays out against the backdrop of Israel’s occupation, now in its
55th year, of the West Bank and other lands Palestinians seek for a state.
Serious
peace talks collapsed more than a decade ago, while Israel’s settlement
expansion on occupied lands has continued unabated.
On
Friday, Israel said it is set to advance plans for the construction of 4,000
settler homes in the West Bank. If approved, it would be the biggest
advancement of settlement plans since the Biden administration took office.
The
White House is opposed to settlement growth because it further erodes the
possibility of an eventual two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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of the original story:
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Pakistan
Pakistan
Police Arrest 8 Men Of The Ahmadi Sect Of Islam Over Apparent Religious Killing
MAY
07, 2022
Pakistani
police say they arrested eight men of the Ahmadi sect of Islam on Saturday who
had opened fire on a group of Sunni Muslims the night prior, killing one and
wounding another
Pakistani
police say they arrested eight men of the Ahmadi sect of Islam on Saturday who
had opened fire on a group of Sunni Muslims the night prior, killing one and
wounding another.
Senior
officer Faisal Mukhtar said the Ahmadis shot at the Sunnis while they were
chanting religious poems in the village of Bahuman, near Lahore in the eastern
province of Punjab. One minor suspect was still missing.
The
killing was a rare case of violence exercised by Ahmadis, who have long held a
grievance against Pakistan's majority Sunnis, who consider them heretics.
Ahmadis
believe that an additional prophet named Ghulam Ahmad was sent by God in the
19th century, centuries after the Prophet Muhammad. That view is at odds with
the fundamental Islamic principle that Muhammad was God's final chosen
messenger.
Source:
The Hindu
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of the original story:
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'Chinese
Confidence In Pakistan's Security System Shaken' After The Karachi University
Attack
May
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Chinese confidence in Pakistan's security system's ability to protect its
citizens and projects is seriously shaken after the Karachi University attack
last month, a senior lawmaker has said.
Three
Chinese teachers were killed when an explosion triggered by a burqa-clad woman suicide
bomber from the Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) ripped through a van of the
Confucius Institute at the prestigious University of Karachi on April 26.
This
was the latest targeted attack against Chinese citizens in Pakistan. Sharing
the mood of the Chinese side after the attack to Dawn newspaper on Friday,
Senator Mushahid Hussain, who is also the chairman of the Senate Defence
Committee, said: “It has caused serious concern and understandable indignation
in China."
Hussain
led a Senate delegation to the Chinese embassy last week to express his
condolences over the loss of the Chinese lives in the university attack.
The
Chinese confidence in Pakistan's security system's ability to protect their
citizens and their projects is seriously shaken,” said Hussain.
The
Karachi University attack was the third terrorist attack on Chinese citizens on
Pakistani soil in a year.
"The
pattern of attacks is so recurring and it's clear that Pakistani promises of
‘foolproof security' are mere words, not matched by countermeasures on the
ground,” he maintained.
Criticising
the security arrangements, he said security agencies seemed to have been caught
napping.
“If
such attacks continue, not just Chinese but other foreign investors will be
forced to review their role in Pakistan,” he said.
There
were reports on social media of Chinese workers leaving Pakistan in large
numbers after the attack.
A
Chinese source denied such reports, adding that it was a regular movement of
Chinese workers and citizens living in Pakistan on a weekly flight from Karachi
that was presented by some as an “exodus”.
The
source, however, noted that terrorist attacks do impact the confidence of the
Chinese community living here.
The
Federal Investigation Agency's (FIA) cybercrime wing said the tweet claiming
that thousands of Chinese were leaving from the Karachi airport because of
threats was a “baseless and panic-creating video tweet”.
Head
of FIA Cyber Crime Sindh Imran Riaz told the newspaper that action would be
taken against the person who tweeted it once the ongoing investigations were
complete.
At
a media conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lijian Zhao
expressed hope that “the plot of terrorist forces to undermine the two
countries' mutual trust and cooperation will not succeed”.
Source: Times Of India
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of the original story:
--------
Pak
police guarded Farah Khan's residence during Imran Khan govt without reason:
Report
May
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Farah Khan, a close friend of former Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan's wife
was provided security outside her residence by Punjab Police officials' soon
after the PTI chief's was elected as the country's Prime Minister, even though
neither Farah Khan nor her husband held a public office during that period.
The
cops were posted outside her home, in the upscale Defence area of Lahore, first
in September 2018, confirmed a police officer who was on duty there, on the
condition of anonymity, reported Geo News.
The
security detail was only pulled last month, on the first of Ramadan, he added.
The
cop further told Geo. tv that the men in uniform were ordered to work in three
shifts, eight hours each, to ensure the home was protected 24 hours. Four cops
were deployed per shift, meaning 12 police officers and three police vehicles
were dedicated to her home.
Pakistan's
anti-corruption watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in April
authorised an enquiry on Farah Khan, a close friend of ousted Prime Minister
Imran Khan, over allegations of accumulating "illegal assets beyond known
sources of income" among other charges.
Last
month, NAB opened a case to probe how her assets grew exponentially during the
tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan.
However,
Imran Khan defended Farah Khan and asked how a case of corruption can be made
against her.
"She
was not a public office holder," the former prime minister said, "She
has been working in real estate for the last 20 years."
Regarding
the case, when Geo TV spoke to another cop, he also claimed that the security
detail was provided to Farah Khan on the orders of Superintendent of the Police
Ayesha Butt.
On
reaching out to Ayesha Butt, who is now posted as the Superintendent of Police
Telecommunications in Punjab, the officer denied she had any knowledge of the
officers being posted outside Farah Khan's home, adding that she was surprised
to see her name even mentioned in the regards to this, Geo TV reported.
"I
had no link to this," she said, "I have never been posted in the
branch which decides where security will be deployed."
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Governor
justifies inviting army intervention in Punjab
Mansoor
Malik
May
8, 2022
LAHORE:
Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema has said the ‘foreign conspiracy facilitators’
are levelling allegations against the establishment and the army to achieve
their goals.
In
a thread of tweets on Saturday, the governor said the nation venerated and
trusted its national institutions as well as the Pakistan Army, adding those
who facilitated (the alleged foreign conspiracy against the PTI government)
wanted to create a rift between the nation and the armed forces.
The
governor’s latest thread of tweets comes a couple of days after he wrote a
letter to the army chief seeking his intervention to lead Punjab out of the
legal and constitutional crises plaguing it for months – a move that was panned
by political and social circles. Mr Cheema had also announced to send a
reference against Lahore High Court’s Justice Jawad Hassan to the Supreme
Judicial Council for an “illegal decision” of asking the National Assembly
speaker to administer the oath to the then chief minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz.
In
another tweet on Saturday, Mr Cheema said several people had started offering
their opinions on the ongoing constitutional, legal and political crises in
Punjab. “Since Punjab is suffering from a constitutional crisis, it is not a
crime to ask other constitutional office-holders to intervene and play their
legal and constitutional role to avert the crisis,” he asserted.
The
governor also expressed solidarity with the judiciary in a tweet, saying
everyone should respect the judiciary and judges, whether the decisions are in
favour of or against someone.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1688561/governor-justifies-inviting-army-intervention-in-punjab
--------
Pakistan:
Medina sloganeering incident sharpens political slugfest
7
May, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], May 7 (ANI): The Medina sloganeering incident continues to vitiate
the political atmosphere in Pakistan.
The
Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have been at the loggerheads since the Medina
mosque sloganeering incident.
The
PTI supporters had abused and insulted Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum
Aurangzeb and physically attacked Minister for Narcotics Control Shahzain
Bugti, violating the sanctity of the holy mosque, Islam Khabar reported.
Sunni
Islamist outfits, especially Barelvis, are angered over the incident since the
loud sloganeering and abuses violated the sanctity of Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque
in Medina and urged the Islamabad Police to register a case against Sheikh
Rasheed under Pakistan’s infamous ‘blasphemy laws’ for provoking people for
violence and for violating the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi.
In
another statement, PTI’s top tier leader, and former minister of human rights,
Shireen Mazari, alleged that the current finance minister of Pakistan Miftah
Ismail “made fun” of some Islamic concepts during a talk in the United States,
subtly charging him of committing blasphemy.
From
openly blaming the Biden Administration for the alleged ‘conspiracy,’ and
organising paid protests in foreign countries after his ouster, Imran Khan and
other PTI leaders are desperately looking for some evidence to prove their
points, while embarassing Pakistan internationally, noted Islam Khabar.
The
key suspects in the case included close aides of Imran Khan such as former
information minister Fawad Chaudhry, ex-special assistant to the Prime Minister
for political communication Shahbaz Gill, National Assembly’s former deputy
speaker Qasim Khan Suri, Aneel Mussarat, a British-Pakistani businessman, among
others, the report added.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-medina-sloganeering-incident-sharpens-political-slugfest/946377/
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Humanitarian
Assistance Cargo from Pakistan Arrived in Balkh
By
Saqalain Eqbal
07
May 2022
According
to a statement released by Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office, aid has been
delivered to flood victims in Afghanistan.
On
Saturday, May 7th, a Pakistani military plane brought the goods to
Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province.
100
tents, 2 tons of wheat, 200 tons of rice, and 450 kilograms of sugar were some
of the items.
According
to Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office, the second package of help for flood
victims in Afghanistan will be delivered by May 9 this year.
Pakistani
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif tweeted, “Pakistan will continue to stand by the
Afghan brothers & sisters.”
He
emphasized that the international community must not disregard Afghans and
those who need assistance.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/humanitarian-assistance-cargo-from-pakistan-arrived-in-balkh67542/
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Africa
UN
rights chief denounces Muslim-Christian clashes in Ethiopia
Peter
Kenny
07.05.2022
The
UN human rights chief on Saturday expressed deep distress over recent violent
clashes between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia, in which at least
30 people were reportedly killed and more than 100 others were injured.
“I
call on the Ethiopian authorities to promptly initiate and conduct thorough,
independent, and transparent investigations into each of these deadly incidents
and ensure that those found to be responsible are held to account,” UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement.
She
said the inter-religious clashes were first reported in Gondar, a city in the
northern Amhara region, on April 26, which were reportedly connected with a
land dispute, and they quickly spread to towns and cities in multiple other
regions and the capital Addis Ababa.
She
added, “I understand two mosques were burnt and another two partially destroyed
in Gondar.
“In
the apparent retaliatory attacks that followed, two Orthodox Christian men were
reportedly burnt to death, another man hacked to death, and five churches burnt
down in Silt’e Zone…. located in the southwest of the country.”
The
UN rights chief said there was further violence on April 28 in the Debark town
in the Amhara region, and in the Dire Dawa city in the northeastern Afar
region.
Police
have reportedly detained at least 578 people in at least four cities connected
to the violent clashes.
“Individual
accountability of perpetrators is essential to prevent further violence,” said
Bachelet.
“Those
arrested must be fully accorded their due process and fair trial rights in
accordance with international human rights law, without discrimination.”
Bachelet
stressed that the underlying causes of this shocking violence must be addressed
promptly “with the meaningful participation of survivors, families and affected
communities” to prevent further inter-religious violence.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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UN
experts favour keeping South Sudan arms embargo
07
May ,2022
A
panel of UN experts has recommended maintaining an arms embargo imposed on
South Sudan because of persistent ceasefire violations, according to a report
made public Saturday.
The
embargo had been due to expire at the end of the month and the UN Security
Council is due to discuss the matter on May 26.
The
Panel of Experts on South Sudan recommended, in a 77-page report to the UN
Security Council, that the embargo be maintained because of the continuing
unrest there.
It
has in any case been violated in the 12 months since it was extended in May
2021, said the experts, as the government had bought armored troop carriers.
A
2018 peace agreement ended five years of bloody civil war between President
Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, a conflict that left 400,000 dead
and forced four million people to flee their homes.
“Far
from delivering transformational change to the predatory political system of
South Sudan, the peace agreement has itself become a lucrative venue for elite
power politics,” said the experts.
The
peace accord provided for a power-sharing arrangement in a government of
national unity, set up in 2020 with Kiir as president and Machar as
vice-president.
But
their rivalry has persisted, leaving many articles of the accord still to be
respected, while armed clashes between the two sides have resumed.
While
acknowledging there had been some progress, the report highlighted the
continuing violence, as well as floods that had created “unprecedented levels
of food insecurity.”
It
added: “Millions remain displaced, with around 70 percent of the population in
need of humanitarian assistance.”
It
also described state corruption and a “chaotic system of public finances.”
“South
Sudanese civilians, along with many of its political, military and civil
society leaders, are deeply skeptical of the peace agreement’s prospects of
delivering peace and stability to South Sudan without a dramatic course
correction,” said the report.
South
Sudan has been wracked by instability since independence in 2011 and is still
struggling to draw a line under the devastating civil war.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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of the original story:
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Nigeria’s
central bank governor Emefiele says not decided on presidential bid
08
May ,2022
Nigerian
central bank governor Godwin Emefiele has not decided to run for president next
February or for another elected office and will remain in his current post, he
said on Saturday after critics called on him to resign following reports of his
political ambitions.
After
a spokesperson for the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) said on Friday
Emefiele had bought forms to contest the party’s presidential nomination this
month, he tweeted: “I have not come to that decision.”
Emefiele
said he would continue to serve as central bank governor and would clarify his
ambitions in the next few days.
Reports
of Emefiele’s presidential bid sent the naira close to a record low of 591 per
dollar on the black market on Friday, against a range of 413 to 417 naira on
the official market where it has traded this year.
President
Muhammadu Buhari will step down after serving two four-year terms following the
February 2023 ballot. The APC has
set
its primaries to decide on its presidential candidate for May 30 and 31.
Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo and former Lagos state governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu are
frontrunners in the race to be the next
candidate
to head Africa’s top economy.
Political
parties in Nigeria should pick presidential candidates by June 3, according to
the electoral commission, while official campaigning will begin in September.
Emefiele
is serving a second term at the central bank where he has pursued dovish
policies on interest rates, introduced currency controls, and launched a
company to help build infrastructure in Nigeria.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
North America
‘US
envoy to UN postpones visit to Turkiye-Syria border’
Servet
Gunerigok
08.05.2022
WASHINGTON
US
Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield has postponed her visit to Turkiye's
southern border with Syria, the US Mission to the UN said on Saturday
Thomas-Greenfield
was scheduled to visit Hatay's Reyhanli district from Sunday to Monday to
survey the Cilvegozu border crossing, opposite to Bab al-Hawa border crossing
on the Syrian side.
"Ambassador
Thomas-Greenfield will continue to travel as planned to Brussels May 9-10 to
lead the United States delegation to the Supporting the Future of Syria and the
Region, Brussels VI Conference, chaired by the European Union," her office
at the UN said in a statement.
"There,
the Ambassador will underscore the United States’ commitment and our
determination to work in partnership with the international community to help
support the Syrian people," the statement added.
On
the sidelines of the conference, Thomas-Greenfield is expected to host a
ministerial meeting to discuss the future of international support for the
Syrian political process.
"She
will also meet with NATO and EU officials in Brussels to discuss Ukraine and
other shared Transatlantic priorities," the statement added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/-us-envoy-to-un-postpones-visit-to-turkiye-syria-border-/2581846
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Turkiye
sympathizes with Cuba over deadly explosion
Beyza
Binnur Donmez
07.05.2022
Turkiye
on Saturday extended its condolences to Cuba over a deadly explosion in the
capital Havana.
"We
are deeply saddened to learn that many people lost their lives in an explosion
that took place yesterday at a hotel in Havana, Cuba," the ministry said
in a statement.
"We
extend our sincere condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,
as well as to the friendly people and Government of Cuba and wish swift
recovery to the injured," it added.
A
strong explosion hit the Saratoga Hotel in Havana on Friday, killing 18 people
and injuring 64 others, the Cuban government said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkiye-sympathizes-with-cuba-over-deadly-explosion/2581477
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/swastika-varanasi-gyanvapi-mosque/d/126954