Barelvi Muslims' Fatwa Based on Aala Hazrat Teachings on Udaipur Killing: Beheading Is Crime, Killers of Kanhaiya Lal Criminals in the Sharia Court, Slogan from Pak
New Age Islam News Bureau
07 July 2022
Family members mourn during the funeral procession of
tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, on June 29, 2022. (PTI)
----
• Jamiat Ulama -i-Hind Sadbhawana Sammelans: All-Faith
Leaders Appeal for "Protection of India's Composite Nationalism"
• Three Gay Nigerian Men Sentenced To Death by Stoning
By Sharia Court for Homosexuality
• ‘Indo-Pak Alliance’ of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak Deals
Body Blow to UK PM Boris Johnson
• Grants Worth RM5.3m Handed Over To 92 Non-Muslim
Houses Of Worship in Malaysia
India
• Vishwa Hindu Parishad Slams Supreme Court for
Ignoring the "Reign Of Terror" Unleashed By Radical Islam since
Medieval Times
• Probe Ordered on the Imposition of Sharia and
Islamic Practices on Kids of the Jharkhand School Known for Its Communal
Harmony
• Bajrang Dal to Launch Helpline for Those
'Threatened' By 'Islamic Fundamentalists'
--------
Africa
• Saif al-Islam Says Has Initiative to Solve the
Political Crisis
• Islamic State claims raid on Nigerian prison, 440
inmates on run
• Jordanian man shoots two sons dead over financial
dispute
• ISESCO includes 22 Libyan sites in Islamic Heritage
list
--------
Europe
• Sweden’s PM condemns MPs posing with PKK flag amid
Turkey NATO row
• Turkey renews extradition requests with Finland,
Sweden: Justice Minister
• Iran detains several foreigners including senior UK
diplomat for spying: State TV
• Italian press highlights importance of multi-faceted
relations with Türkiye
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Sarawak Releases1, 807kg Ashes of Disposed Al-Quran,
Disposes In the South China Sea Tg Jerijeh
• China Takes Full Advantage of Taliban’s Isolation
• Rights group vows to continue protest against death
penalty
• Syed Saddiq told me to ‘clear’ RM1mil amid MACC
probe, says witness
• MoU 2.0 will bring more meaningful reforms, says DAP
MP
--------
Pakistan
• Political Parties Suffered Due To Imbalance in Ties
with Military: PTI Vice Chairman
• Imran takes aim at ECP as five PTI MPAs notified
• Pakistan’s ex-PM Imran Khan threatens to ‘reveal
everything’ if harassment of his party workers continues
• Three Afghan women swept away in North Waziristan
floods
• SHC issues notices on father’s plea for Dua Zehra’s
custody
• 'In the mouth of dragons': Melting glaciers threaten
Pakistan's north
--------
Arab
World
• Muslim Brotherhood to Be Excluded From Egypt
‘National Dialogue’
• Lebanon's Muslims locked out of Hajj by rising costs
and collapsed lira
• Russia proposes six-month cross-border aid renewal
for Syria
• Lebanon hopes to repatriate Syrian refugees within
months
--------
Mideast
• Palestinian President, Hamas Chief Hold Rare Meeting
• Senior Diplomat: Iran Resolved to Continue Key Role
in Achieving Peace in Yemen
• Iran Hopes for Resolution of Problems in Uzbekistan
• Israel and Turkey to sign bilateral aviation
agreement: Ministry
• Iran still seeking diplomats missing in Lebanon
during Israel’s 1982 invasion
• Iran claims it seeks lasting nuclear deal after
talks with Qatar FM
--------
North
America
• Father of Slain US Muslim Soldier Who Taunted Trump
to Receive Highest Civilian Honour
• US announces new sanctions related to Iranian oil,
threatens more pressure
• Biden to rescind designation of Afghanistan as major
non-NATO ally
--------
South
Asia
• Self-Proclaimed “Philosopher of the World” Dr.
Anwar-ul-Haq Jabbarkhail Mysteriously Killed in Kabul
• Isolating the Taliban: How young landmine victims
may be collateral damage
• Afghanistan-Based Rockets Launched into Uzbekistan
• Over 50 Afghan children contract unknown disease:
Report
• Iceland Contributes ISK 40 Million to Afghanistan:
UNOCHA
• UNOCHA: Germany Contributes €50 Million to
Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/barelvi-muslims-fatwa-aala-hazrat-sharia/d/127429
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Barelvi Muslims' Fatwa Based on Aala Hazrat Teachings
on Udaipur Killing: Beheading Is Crime, Killers of Kanhaiya Lal Criminals in
the Sharia Court, Slogan from Pak
Family members mourn during the funeral procession of
tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur, on June 29, 2022. (PTI)
----
Jul 07, 2022
By Shishir Gupta
The Barelvi Ulema has taken a strong stand against the
murder of a tailor in Udaipur for supporting the remarks of now-suspended BJP
spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammed. The Barelvi sect from Uttar
Pradesh’s Bareilly issued fatwa, a non-binding legal opinion in Islam, against
the beheading of the tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, by two locals who were said to be
influenced by radical Barelvi Islam preachers of Pakistan-based Dawat-e-Islami.
In the fatwa issued against the killers of Kanhaiya
Lal, the Muslim body ruled both of them criminals in the Sharia court. The
fatwa cited the teachings of 19th-century Islamic scholar Ahmed Raza Khan
Barelvi, commonly known as Aala Hazrat.
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, the national
secretary-general of Barelvi Ulema, said Aala Hazrat has ruled that if a person
kills someone under an Islamic regime “without the permission of the emperor,
then such a person would be a criminal in the eyes of the Sharia” and would be
punished severely. He further stated that under non-Islamic governments, such
killings would be anyway deemed illegitimate according to the law of the land
and the person would put his life in danger by committing such crime.
Razvi stressed that the slogans calling for beheading
of those who insult the Prophet were first given by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan,
a far-right Islamic extremist political party in the neighbouring country, to
fulfil their political ambition. The killers of Kanhaiya Lal were heard raising
the slogan "Gustakh e Nabi ki Ek Hi Saza, Sar Tan se Juda Sar Tan se
Juda," (there is only punishment for insult to the Prophet, beheading) in
a video in which the duo were boasting about the murder. Rajasthan police also
arrested three people, including a cleric, in Ajmer for delivering a hate
speech in which they allegedly called for beheading to avenge the insult to
Prophet Mohammad.
“Muslims should not take the law in their own hands,
complain to the government, it is the government's job to punish,” Razvi added.
Source: Hindustan Times
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original story:
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Jamiat Ulama -i-Hind Sadbhawana Sammelans: All-Faith
Leaders Appeal for "Protection of India's Composite Nationalism"
Jamiat Ulama -i-Hind
president Maulana Mahmood Madani, Goswami Sushil Maharaj, Acharya Lokesh Muni
and other dignitaries participate in "Sadbhawana Sammelan" on ongoing
situation in country at Madni Hall, Jamiat Ulama - I - Hind, in New Delhi on
Wednesday. (ANI)
----
Jul 7, 2022
NEW DELHI: Stepping up its effort for goodwill among
communities and appealing for calm, the Jamiat Ulama -i-Hind (JUH) at the first
of a 1,000 proposed "Sadbhawana Sammelans" brought on one platform in
speakers from across religions with JUH president Maulana Mahmood Madani saying
that those justifying resorting to violence by citing it to be a "reaction
to an action" are wrong and dishonest as Islam does not allow this at all.
While he made no reference to any incident of communal
violence, Madani's statement, given at the event held in New Delhi, gains
significance as it comes against the backdrop of the recent killings in Udaipur
and Amravati.
In a show of goodwill, the Sammelan was attended by
the national convener of Bharatiya Sarva Dharma Sansad, Goswami Sushilji Maharaj,
Acharya Lokesh Mani who is the president of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharati, religious
leader of Ravi Das Samaj, Swamiji Vir Singh Hatkari Maharaj, Buddhist guru
Acharya Yeshi Phon Tosk, Pastor Maurish Parker, representatives of the Sikh
community and others.
All of them appealed for "protection of India's
composite nationalism". "Today certain forces are active to spread
hatred in the country. And the peace activists are being side-lined, so let's
unite to show that peace has always emerged victorious," they said.
Goswami Sushilji Maharaj warned those who want to break the country will never
succeed in their nefarious design. "India belongs to all citizens from
across religions and will always belong to everyone. Everyone has made
sacrifices for this country. No one can question the loyalty of any citizen of
the country."
Source: Times Of India
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original story:
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Three Gay Nigerian Men Sentenced To Death by Stoning
By Sharia Court for Homosexuality
A Sharia Court in Ningi
handed down the sentence after hearing witness statements as well as the
confessions of the men. File Photo.
-----
By Chad Williams
July 7, 2022
Cape Town - An Islamic sharia court in Nigeria's
northern state of Bauchi has sentenced three men to death by stoning after
convicting them on charges of engaging in homosexuality.
A leader of the religious police that arrested them
confirmed the sentence.
According to the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian, the
men, aged 20, 30, and 70, were sentenced by Judge Munka’ilu Sabo Ningi under
provision 134 of Bauchi State Penal Law of 2001 and Fiquhussunah Jizu’i number
2, local media report.
The men were detained by members of the Hisbah
Vanguard in June.
The men, including a 70-year-old, all confessed to the
crime even though they were not represented by lawyers, according to Reuters.
Any death penalty passed by sharia courts in Nigeria
needs the approval of the state governor.
Nigeria criminalises same-sex sexual activity between
men and between women. The gender expression of trans people is also
criminalised.
According to the Human Dignity Trust, the laws
criminalising ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’ and ‘gross indecency’
were inherited from the British during the colonial period, in which the
English criminal law was imposed upon Nigeria.
Nigeria retained these provisions upon independence
and further criminalised LGBT people through the adoption of the SSMPA in 2013.
At the state level, the northern states criminalise same-sex sexual activity
through an interpretation of Sharia law.
Sentences include a maximum penalty of death by
stoning. There is evidence of the law being enforced in recent years, and
LGBTQIA+ people are regularly subjected to discrimination and violence.
Source: IOL
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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‘Indo-Pak Alliance’ of Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak
Deals Body Blow to UK PM Boris Johnson
Rishi Sunak and Sajid
Javid
-----
Amit Roy
07.07.22
An unusual Indo-Pakistani alliance has been operating
at the heart of British politics between Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, who have
coordinated their efforts towards ousting
Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.
Javid was the first to tweet he had resigned as health
secretary at 6pm on Tuesday. At 6.11pm came the even more dramatic news that
Sunak too was stepping down as chancellor, the second most powerful position in
the cabinet.
This might strike many as ironic but this is the first
recorded instance in British history of people of Indian and Pakistan origins
plotting together to bring about the downfall of the man who had given them
their jobs.
By Wednesday afternoon, after Boris had told the
Commons that he intended to stay on as Prime Minister and Javid had made a
devastating “personal statement” setting out why he could no longer give “the
captain of the team” the benefit of the doubt, the number of resignations had reached
32.
Boris’s position appeared untenable. Nor did he deny
that one of the most senior cabinet ministers, Michael Gove, had asked him to
go.
The headline in The Daily Telegraph summed up the
predicament for the Prime Minister: “Johnson hanging by a thread as Sunak and
Javid walk out.”
One of its columnists, Philip Johnston, wrote: “After
waiting for months to see if any senior member of the cabinet had a backbone,
we now find that there are at least two vertebrates. Maybe more will show their
spines today.”
Johnston wrote: “Rishi Sunak stepped down as
chancellor possibly wishing he had gone a few weeks ago when he was handed a
fine by the metropolitan police for unwittingly wandering in on one of No. 10’s
Bacchanalian lockdown parties. Since then, he has been briefed against by
allies of the Prime Minister over his wife’s tax status and his own personal
wealth to undermine his credibility as a potential leader. It is hardly
surprising that he has had enough.
“Perhaps Mr Johnson will try to rebuild his team, but
it is hard to see how he could do so with credibility. Any cabinet minister who
wants a future career will need to abandon ship now. The battle for the Tory
party is about to begin.”
The leader in The Times was even harsher: “Boris
Johnson is still clinging to office in Downing Street, despite the resignations
yesterday of Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, and Sajid Javid, the health
secretary. That is a mistake. He has lost the confidence of his party and the
country.
“There is no conceivable chance that Mr Johnson, who
failed to secure the backing of 148 MPs in a confidence vote last month, can
recover his authority to provide the effective leadership that the country
needs at a time of acute national crisis. Every day that he remains deepens the
sense of chaos. For the good of the country, he should go.
“If Mr Johnson will not quit, the 1922 Committee
should make clear that it will move swiftly to change the party rules to
facilitate a new confidence vote. There is still time, if it moves fast, for the
Conservative Party under honest, respected, responsible leadership to recover
its reputation and win the next general election. Under Mr Johnson, there is no
chance.”
Indian opinion in the Conservative Party appeared
divided.
One Indian told this correspondent that he had been
“stunned” by Sunak’s resignation. “He’s made a blunder. He should have shown
loyalty. A lotus growing in a swamp remains affected. Why did he have to behave
like Mother Teresa? Two Asians have resigned. Why not any of the white cabinet
ministers?”
It is said in British politics that Tory party members
will not reward Sunak because “the hand that wields the knife shall never wear
the crown”.
However, The Daily Telegraph is offering odds on the
runners and riders and the top contenders to take the throne: “Rishi Sunak
(3/1); Sajid Javid (10/1); Jeremy Hunt (8/1); Liz Truss (8/1); Penny Mordaunt
(4/1); Nadhim Zahawi (the former education secretary who has replaced Sunak as
chancellor) (10/1).”
A senior Indian Tory source said that in the
leadership contest that he and many others now think is inevitable, “it is
Sajid who will run for leader, supported by Rishi”.
Javid is 52, and “has much more experience. He has
held five cabinet posts (communities, culture, home, chancellor and health).”
Sunak is 10 years younger but was seen as the obvious
successor to Boris --- till his reputation was damaged by his wife Akshata
Murty’s non-dom status.
Another peer agreed that an Indo-Pakistani alliance
was possible. “Rishi and Sajid have been friends for a long time and like each
other,” the peer said.
“When Sajid was communities secretary, Rishi was a
junior minister under him. And when Sajid was chancellor, Rishi worked under
him as chief secretary to the treasury. When Sajid resigned as chancellor in
February 2020 and Rishi took over, he was immensely respectful to Sajid. So it
is possible they will work together.”
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Grants Worth RM5.3m Handed Over To 92 Non-Muslim
Houses Of Worship in Malaysia
National Unity Minister
Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said the financial aid was to help the management
increase security features at their respective houses of worship to ensure the
safety and comfort of worshippers. ― File picture by Yusof Mat Isa
------
07 Jul 2022
PUTRAJAYA, July 7 ― The National Unity Ministry handed
over grants totalling RM5.3 million to representatives of 92 non-Muslim houses
of worship yesterday.
Its minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique said the
financial aid was to help the management increase security features at their
respective houses of worship to ensure the safety and comfort of worshippers.
The main purpose of this allocation is for repair,
maintenance and emergency works which cover three main scopes namely civil,
electric and mechanical works, she added.
“This special grant is part of the government's
continuous effort to help the management repair and maintain houses of worship
so that they will be in safe and comfortable condition,” she said in a
statement today.
In the 2022 Budget, the government has allocated RM50
million for repairs, maintenance and small development of houses of worship in
local authority areas.
It also included the implementation of community
activities in collaboration with the management of the houses of worship and
local residents. ― Bernama
Source: Malay Mail
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original story:
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India
Vishwa Hindu Parishad Slams Supreme Court For Ignoring The "Reign Of Terror" Unleashed By Radical Islam Since Medieval Times
Jul 7, 2022
NEW DELHI: Taking strong exception to a Supreme Court
bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala denying BJP's Nupur Sharma
protection from multiple FIRs, Vishwa Hindu Parishad has criticised the judges
for overlooking what it called the "reign of terror" unleashed by
radical Islam since medieval times.
"Thanks to the Supreme Court for making us wise
that 1400 years of aggression, violence and murders in the name of Islam have
been caused by Nupur Sharma's statement," VHP working president Alok Kumar
said in response to the SC order turning down Sharma's plea last week.
Kumar's statement came on a day when VHP came out in
support of those facing death threats for supporting Nupur Sharma. VHP's
general secretary Milind Parande asked those facing threats to approach police
and contact helplines that Bajrang Dal has been asked to set up. It announced
the plan to hold a protest march in the capital.
Parande asked Hindus facing death threats to not sit
silently and react immediately by seeking police support. "We urge the
Hindus that they need not feel threatened by the anti-national and evil forces
that are issuing life threats to them. If they still face any difficulty, they
should contact the local Bajrang Dal volunteers," he said and added that
VHP will soon release helpline numbers for all states.’
Source: Times Of India
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Probe Ordered on the Imposition of Sharia and Islamic
Practices on Kids of the Jharkhand School Known for Its Communal Harmony
Jul 7, 2022
RANCHI/GARHWA: The National Commission for Protection
of Child Rights (NCPCR) has issued a notice to Jharkhand's Garhwa district
deputy commissioner Ramesh Gholap, asking him to initiate an inquiry and
necessary legal action in connection with a complaint about imposition of
Sharia and Islamic practices on minors in a school there.
A similar probe has also been ordered by state
education minister Jagarnath Mahto, who directed the DC and the SP to probe and
initiate action, if required, in the matter. However, the management of
Korwadih Middle School and the village Mukhiya contradicted the allegations and
said Korwadih village, in which the school is located, is known for its
communal harmony and that false charges were being levelled.
In its notice, the commission mentioned that it took
cognizance of a complaint from one Legal Rights Observatory that some Islamic
radicals in Garhwa are trying to impose Sharia and Islamic practices on minor
schoolchildren. "Through the complaint, it has been informed that the said
radicals have forcefully changed the school's age-old prayer and are also
forcing the children to not join their hands during prayer...," the notice
reads.
The state government too swung into action after a
video clip showed children chanting their daily prayer, a few without joining
hands (namaskar mudra). Local media reports alleged that the students, mostly
from Muslim community, were forced to not join hands. Reports in social media
also said since the village is Muslim-dominated, the villagers forced the
headmaster to ensure that the normal prayer praising the god of knowledge and
wisdom is not said by Muslim students.
Source: Times Of India
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Bajrang Dal to launch helpline for those 'threatened'
by 'Islamic fundamentalists'
July 06, 2022
The Vishva Hindu Parishad, on Wednesday, said its
youth wing Bajrang Dal will soon release helpline numbers for those getting
threats from "Islamic fundamentalists" over their posts on social
media.
In a video message, VHP joint general secretary
Surendra Jain claimed efforts are being made to create an atmosphere of terror
in the country since the brutal killing of Umesh Kolhe in Maharashtra's Amravati
and Kanhaiya Lal at Uadipur in Rajasthan.
People are being threatened for their social media
posts, he alleged.
"The entire world is fed up with Islamic
fundamentalism, but for the last few days, their poison is spreading fast. In
the manner Amravati's Umesh Kolhe and Udaipur's Kanhaiya Lal were killed, the
entire world is shaken.
"After these two incidents, the way efforts are
being made to spread violence and create an atmosphere of terror in the country
is a matter of grave concern," he said.
"If a post is not liked, death threat be given?
Hindu society will not tolerate it," he said.
On behalf of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Jain
appealed to members of the "Hindu society" to immediately lodge a
complaint with police whenever such threats are made to them.
"If police does not take action, the activists of
VHP's youth wing Bajrang Dal will always be ready to help you," he said,
adding, "Helpline numbers will be released. Whenever such a situation
emerge, you can contact Bajrang Dal activists through these helpline
numbers," he asserted.
Source: The Week
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of the original story:
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Africa
Saif al-Islam says has initiative to solve the
political crisis
July 06, 2022
Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi has announced a political
initiative with two proposals to get the country out of its crisis, as he put
it.
The first proposal provides that a neutral party sets
urgent legal and executive arrangements for non-exclusive parliamentary and
presidential elections in which everyone participates, without exclusion, and
leaves the decision to the Libyan people to choose.
In his second proposal, Gaddafi calls on controversial
candidates to withdraw from the presidential elections collectively without
exception, saying that this would be "a last attempt to save the country
and find a peaceful solution to its crisis."
"All those in the positions are holding on to
power, for the.. benefits they obtained as a result of their presence in the
sovereign positions.. this has become clear to the Libyans and the
international community." He added.
He said the situation in Libya is getting worse every
day, and the door is open to all possibilities as everyone "refuses to
make concessions," warning that the country will be facing major and grave
events.
The son and one-time heir apparent of the late
dictator Muammar Gadafi was disqualified from running for the presidential
elections in December last year, on the backdrop of his previous convictions.
Source: Libya Observer
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.libyaobserver.ly/news/saif-al-islam-says-has-initiative-solve-political-crisis
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Islamic
State claims raid on Nigerian prison, 440 inmates on run
By
Abraham Achirga
July
7, 2022
ABUJA,
July 6 (Reuters) - Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for a raid
on a Nigerian prison in the capital Abuja which freed around 440 inmates,
raising fears that insurgents are venturing from their enclaves in the
northeast.
Shuaib
Belgore, permanent secretary at the interior ministry, told journalists outside
the Abuja prison - which has 900 inmates - that a security officer was killed
during Tuesday night's raid and three others were injured. He said suspected
Boko Haram attackers came for members who were held in the prison.
"They
came specifically for their co-conspirators, but in order to get them ... some
of them are in the general (prison) population so they broke out and other
people in that population escaped as well but many of them have returned,"
Belgore said.
A
total of 879 inmates fled, the prison service said in a statement, with 443
still at large and the rest recaptured. Four inmates were dead and 16 others
injured, it said.
"They
have reported themselves to the police, some we have successfully retrieved
from the bushes where they were hiding," Belgore said.
The
raid highlights Nigeria's security challenges, which is spreading from the
northern regions where armed insurgents and gangs are rife.
Outside
the prison, the charred wreckage of several vehicles with bullet holes were
seen on Wednesday morning, attesting to gunbattles in the vicinity during the
raid.
A
helicopter hovered overhead as armed security officials brought in a shirtless
inmate limping with a gaping wound on his leg, while another injured inmate was
carried into the prison.
President
Muhammadu Buhari, on his way to his hometown Daura to prepare for the Muslim
Eid al-Adha holiday, visited the prison. He questioned the prison's
intelligence system and demanded a report on the attack.
In
a separate attack on Wednesday, Buhari's convoy carrying an advance team of
security guards, protocol and media officers heading to the president's
hometown in the northern state of Katsina, was ambushed. Buhari was not in the
convoy.
Source:
Reuters
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Jordanian
man shoots two sons dead over financial dispute
06
July, 2022
A
man in Jordan shot his two sons dead on Tuesday over financial disputes in the
governorate of Ajloun, north of the capital Amman, according to local media
reports.
The
perpetrator is reportedly still on the run, and a search is underway to
apprehend him.
The
Public Security Department said in a statement that the perpetrator is in his
seventies, adding that an investigation has been launched.
The
crime came hours after a Jordanian man was arrested in the governorate of
Irbid, north of Amman, for beating his two daughters to death then burying
them.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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ISESCO
includes 22 Libyan sites in Islamic Heritage list
July
06, 2022
The
Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has
included 22 Libyan sites within the list of Islamic Heritage.
This
came during the tenth session of the Heritage Committee in the Islamic World,
held in Morocco, the Libyan Foreign Ministry said on its Facebook page.
The
Libyan ambassador to Morocco, Ibrahim Al-Taweel, received the registration
certificates of the heritage sites, in the presence of the Moroccan Minister of
Youth and Culture, Al-Mahdi bin Said, the Director General of ISESCO, Salem
Malik, and a number of ambassadors and diplomatic representatives accredited to
Morocco.
Source:
Libya Observer
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/isesco-includes-22-libyan-sites-islamic-heritage-list
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Europe
Sweden’s
PM condemns MPs posing with PKK flag amid Turkey NATO row
06 July,
2022
Sweden’s
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on Wednesday condemned a group of left-wing
MPs who posed with flags from Kurdish militants as the country’s NATO
membership bid faces Turkish pressure over such groups.
NATO
on Tuesday kicked off the accession procedures for Sweden and Finland after a
deal was struck with Turkey, which had blocked the Nordic nations from joining.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had accused them of being havens for Kurdish
militants, specifically highlighting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party
(PKK) he has sought to crush, and for promoting “terrorism.”
On
Tuesday, images spread on social media showing parliamentarians from the Left
Party, which opposed Sweden’s decision to apply for NATO membership, posing
with flags from the PKK, as well as militant group YPG and the all-female YPJ,
considered terrorist groups by Turkey.
The
images were taken during an annual political gathering on the island of
Gotland.
“The
PKK is a designated terror organization, not just in Sweden, but in the EU and
posing with such flags is extremely inappropriate,” Andersson told news agency
TT.
Left
Party MP Lorena Delgado Varas, who was one of those involved in the political
stunt, criticized what she called the hypocrisy of the other parties for
supporting Kurdish groups while they were fighting the Islamic state group.
“Now
they want to turn around, willing to cosy up with the dictator Erdogan. All to
join NATO,” Delgado Varas wrote on Twitter.
Sweden’s
Left Party is not part of the government but is helping prop up Andersson’s
Social Democrat cabinet.
Following
the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland reversed decades of
military non-alignment by applying for NATO membership in mid-May.
While
Turkey approved formally inviting Sweden to join, the accession bid still needs
to be ratified by all 30 NATO members.
Erdogan
has warned that his country could still block Sweden and Finland if they fail
to implement the deal with Ankara.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Turkey
renews extradition requests with Finland, Sweden: Justice minister
06
July, 2022
Turkey
renewed requests on Wednesday for Sweden and Finland to extradite individuals
it considers terrorists after the countries reached a deal over the Nordic
nations’ NATO membership bids, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said.
Turkey
had opposed the two countries’ bids over what it called support for Kurdish
fighters and others it views as terrorists, as well as over arms embargoes and
unfulfilled extradition requests.
Last
week, the three nations signed a deal for Ankara to remove its block, while the
candidate countries pledged not to support the Kurdish militant PKK and YPG
groups or the network of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Ankara
says the Gulen network staged a 2016 coup attempt and labels it a terrorist
organization with the acronym FETO.
“Within
the framework of the agreement signed between Turkey, Sweden and Finland at the
latest NATO summit, a monitoring committee was established,” Bozdag said in a
televised interview with HaberGlobal.
In
the text signed last week, Finland and Sweden agreed to “address (Turkey’s)
pending deportation or extradition requests of terror suspects expeditiously
and thoroughly...in accordance with the European Convention on Extradition.”
“Accordingly,
today we have renewed some requests that were rejected before, and reminded
them of some requests that were not responded to,” Bozdag said.
Turkey,
a NATO member of more than 70 years standing with the alliance’s second biggest
army, has long demanded that allies halt support for the YPG, a US ally in the
fight against ISIS in Syria.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
detains several foreigners including senior UK diplomat for spying: State TV
06
July, 2022
Iran’s
Revolutionary Guards have detained several foreigners, including Britain’s
second most senior envoy in Tehran, for alleged acts of spying such as taking
soil samples in restricted areas, state television reported on Wednesday.
It
did not say whether those detained were still under arrest.
“These
spies were taking earth samples in Iran’s central desert where the
Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace missile exercises were conducted,” state TV said.
The
TV showed footage of Giles Whitaker and his family in central Iran where the
British diplomat appeared to be taking ground samples. The TV said it was near
an area that a missile test was taking place.
“Whitaker
was expelled from (the area) after apologizing” the TV report said.
One
of those detained was identified by state TV as the husband of Austria’s
cultural attaché in Iran. It also showed a picture of a third foreigner,
identifying him as Maciej Walczak, a university professor in Poland whom it
said was visiting Iran as a tourist.
The
TV report ran footage allegedly showing Maciej Walczak and three colleagues
collecting earth samples in another area after visiting Iran on a scientific
exchange program.
It
said their sample collection also coincided with a missile test in Iran’s
southern Kerman province.
The
UK’s Foreign Office released a statement, saying “Reports of the arrest of a
British diplomat in Iran are completely false.”
Iran’s
elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and
foreigners in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related charges.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Italian
press highlights importance of multi-faceted relations with Türkiye
Baris
Seckin
06.07.2022
ROME
The
Italian media highlighted the importance of the country’s multi-faceted
relations with Türkiye where Prime Minister Mario Draghi paid a visit Tuesday.
Major
Italian newspapers covered Draghi’s visit to Ankara including Corriere della
Sera, one of the country’s most-read and circulated dailies, that said the
premier particularly focused on cooperation on irregular immigration.
Draghi
stressed that Türkiye and Italy are allies, friends and partners who stand
together against common challenges, it said.
The
newspaper noted that the two countries signed nine agreements, including
cooperation in intelligence sharing.
Türkiye
insists on concluding the deal on the SAMP/T long-range air defense system as
soon as possible, it added.
Center-left
La Repubblica emphasized that the two countries encourage a solution on the
export of Ukrainian grain to world markets via the Black Sea.
Italy
and Türkiye also agreed on jointly addressing the problem of irregular
immigration and essentially restoring full stability in Libya, it said.
For
Italy, it said, Türkiye is a tough but necessary partner with its role as an
energy transit country, among other critical issues with which Italy has to
deal.
The
Center-right Il Messaggero daily reiterated that the two countries share
similar perspectives on Libya and the export of Ukrainian grain.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Southeast
Asia
Sarawak
Releases1, 807kg Ashes of Disposed Al-Quran, Disposes In the South China Sea Tg
Jerijeh
06
Jul 2022
SARIKEI,
July 6 — Ashes of disposed Al-Quran weighing 1,807kg were released into the
South China Sea off Tanjung Jerijeh near here yesterday.
Deputy
Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Datu Len Talif Salleh, who
witnessed the process carried under the supervision of Sarawak mufti Datu Kipli
Yassin, said this was the first such programme held in the central region.
“The
ashes were of various holy materials, which had been disposed in accordance
with the process required under Islamic law at Pusat Pemuliaan Al-Quran. The
centre, also known as Relau, is the first in the central region and fourth in
the state after one each in Kuching, Kota Samarahan, and Bintulu,” he said.
The
Kuala Rajang assemblyman, who is also Sarikei Islamic Welfare Trust Board
(Lakisri) chairman, advised those who had damaged Al-Quran books to seek
assistance and advice from the relevant agencies such as the Sarawak Islam
Council to ensure the disposal process is done in accordance with Islamic law.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
China
Takes Full Advantage of Taliban’s Isolation
By
Niva Yau
July
06, 2022
It’s
been almost a year and the Taliban has managed to stay in power in Afghanistan.
The country faces severe isolation from the West, but regional countries, especially
China, have embraced the Taliban with open arms.
While
busy getting the Taliban fully on-board regarding issues related to Xinjiang,
Chinese official statements have been dropping many concerns that were
previously raised. For starters, China has come to terms with the fact that no
members of the former Afghan government will likely be part of the Taliban’s
leadership in Afghanistan. Now, the Chinese side only suggests inclusivity in
Afghanistan on the basis of ethnicity and political parties, given regional
concern for long-term stability.
Beijing
has also stopped making clear statements which asked the Taliban for a less
radical Islamic policy in Afghanistan – an intrinsic problem in dealing with
the Taliban Chinese scholars viewed as incompatible with Chinese policy on
Xinjiang and the Uyghur issue. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to the
Islamic Cooperation Organization summit in March 2022 and in mentioning
Afghanistan said that the PRC “supports Islamic countries to use Islamic wisdom
to solve current issues.”
The
Chinese official perspective on Afghanistan is rather clear now. Highest of all
priorities is to secure the Taliban’s facilitation and support on
Xinjiang-related issues, and to do this, Beijing must guarantee the Taliban
leadership stability domestically in Afghanistan and regionally. Second,
Afghanistan presents one of the most powerful soft power opportunities for
China to position itself as a peacemaker, meanwhile offering a direct
opportunity to compare itself with the United States, placing heavy blame on
American foreign policy in Afghanistan for the current situation. Compared to
last summer, the PRC has changed its speech completely and no longer asks the
U.S. to facilitate efforts to address spill-over effects, it’s now a full blame
game.
Updating
the Chinese press on the latest developments in Afghanistan in March 2022, Wang
Yi praised that “they [Taliban] spent a lot of efforts on stabilizing the
situation and tried to provide public goods, there is some success.” Chinese
fingerprints are all over this preliminary “success.” After months of direct
engagement with the Taliban, as its leadership consolidated, the PRC opened a
bilateral working group with the Taliban on humanitarian assistance and
economic rebuilding in December 2021. The initiatives discussed at the working
group, such as providing more humanitarian aid, facilitating the export of
Afghan products to the PRC, the sharing of Chinese economic development lessons
with the Taliban, Beijing’s help in restarting mining in Afghanistan, realizing
the connectivity potential of Afghanistan, and so on – have by now achieved
early outcomes.
On
the ground, between April and June 2022, representatives of the Chinese Embassy
have held a total of six meetings with various Afghan Ministers of the
provisional government to discuss Chinese projects to rebuild the country. The
Afghan Embassy in Beijing re-opened in late April 2022, it has since held at
least seven meetings with Chinese officials and senior representatives of key Chinese
state-owned companies to further finalize plans for Chinese reconstruction
projects.
China
is also leveraging its good relations with regional countries to create a
regional consensus and push for all neighboring countries to support the
Taliban in Afghanistan. Chinese officials have been well represented in all of
the regional dialogues on Afghanistan since the collapse in August 2021. On
September 8, 2021, the first meeting of neighboring countries on Afghanistan
was held online. It included the foreign ministers of China, Iran, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. This mechanism brings together the countries which
share a border with Afghanistan in order to manage consensus and cushion any
spill-over. Following a September 17,
2021 informal meeting on Afghanistan between Russia, China, Pakistan and Iran,
Russia was included in the second neighboring countries meeting on Afghanistan,
despite being the only country which does not actually share a border with
Afghanistan.
By
the third neighboring countries meeting, press handouts showed a gradual
deepening of issues discussed and more indications of practical management. All
sides have taken implementation seriously as a result of an agreed-upon scope.
A list of 72 deliverables was presented at the third meeting, which included
Iran donating 30 rounds of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Pakistan providing
$30 million worth of humanitarian aid, Pakistan assisting the United Nations
Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in delivering humanitarian aid by air between
Islamabad and Kabul, Tajikistan committing to dedicate six cross-border bridges
as bridges for passing of humanitarian aid, Turkmenistan prioritizing the
supply of electricity to Afghanistan and accepting Afghan students to study in
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan agreeing to dedicate parts of the Termez International
Transportation and Logistics Center to facilitate humanitarian aid to
Afghanistan, and much more.
When
Beijing says it seeks to build regional consensus and management of
Afghanistan, it does not mean for all countries to work together. Rather it
means setting up an agreed list of activities all regional countries should
look to implement on their own, given individual capacity differences. For
example, by the third meeting, implementation topics mentioned included
providing tangible support to economic rebuilding such as increasing capacity
of border port; open cooperation with various sectors of the Afghan business
community; over nine names of terrorist organizations mentioned as intolerable
in Afghanistan; a “security belt” at the Tajik-Afghan border; a mechanism
amongst country advisers on Afghanistan; and three working groups on political,
economic and security issues.
Beijing
has delivered a dozen batches of humanitarian aid to the Taliban, with the
latest aid delivered by Chinese military jets crossing the narrow, mountainous
Wakhan Corridor. In June 2022, the PRC started its first technical training
programs for Taliban officials. In April 2022, the PRC special envoy on
Afghanistan briefed the German, European, British, Saudi and Turkish
representatives on Afghanistan affairs on the deliverables of the third
neighboring countries meeting. It is clear that the PRC is interested in
positioning itself as the central player pushing and organizing regional, and
soon, global management of Afghanistan affairs.
Chinese
interests in expanding its engagement in Afghanistan lies in opportunist
thinking. Beijing views this as a chance to present itself to the world as a
peacemaker, and frames these engagement activities as key talking points to put
further blame on American foreign policy. The most recent batch of aid to
Afghanistan, delivered by Chinese military planes, has been used in Chinese
propaganda materials contrasted side by side with American military planes.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao remarked on Twitter on June 29:
“Two military planes showed up at Kabul airport, one taking life and the other
carrying hope. This is perhaps the biggest difference between China and the
US.”
Source:
The Diplomat
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://thediplomat.com/2022/07/china-takes-full-advantage-of-talibans-isolation/
--------
Rights
group vows to continue protest against death penalty
Danial
Azhar
July
6, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: A human rights group says it will continue to protest the death
penalty, even as another Malaysian is scheduled to be hanged in Singapore
tomorrow.
Kalwant
Singh will be hanged in the city-state after the Singapore Court of Appeal
dismissed his final appeal for a stay of execution.
The
32-year-old was convicted of possession of 60.15gm of diamorphine and
trafficking 120.9gm of the drug.
He
was arrested when he was 23 and had spent the last nine years in prison.
Amnesty
International Malaysia’s Brian Yap said the continued executions were untenable
and did not solve any problem.
“(Even)
if we are unable to halt the execution tomorrow, we will continue to protest.
“We
will not be silent, we will continue to raise our voices against the death
penalty,” he said at a candlelight vigil for Kalwant outside the Singapore High
Commission here.
Yap
reiterated calls for the Singapore government to repeal the death sentence,
adding that those who were sent to the gallows had been victimised or were in
desperate situations.
The
vigil saw a group of 15 representatives from the Anti-Death Penalty Asia
Network, Lawyers for Liberty, Suara Rakyat Malaysia and Amnesty International
holding placards and candles in a show of support for Kalwant.
Gathering
for 30 minutes, they chanted “Singapore stop the killing” and “save, save
Kalwant” while holding placards which read “stop the execution of Kalwant
Singh”, “Putrajaya save Kalwant” and “Singapore don’t kill again”.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Syed
Saddiq told me to ‘clear’ RM1mil amid MACC probe, says witness
Ho
Kit Yen
July
5, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The star witness in Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s money laundering
and criminal breach of trust (CBT) trial told the High Court here the Muar MP
asked him to dispose of part of the RM1 million Bersatu funds.
The
RM1 million was in Syed Saddiq’s possession.
Former
Bersatu Youth assistant treasurer Rafiq Hakim Razali said Syed Saddiq called
him in late March 2020, informing him that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC) wanted to conduct checks at his Petaling Jaya home.
He
said he was told by Syed Saddiq the checks were part of MACC’s investigations
into the former Bersatu Youth leader’s police report that he was robbed of
RM250,000. Then, Syed Saddiq had said the RM250,000 had been stolen from his
home.
Rafiq
said Syed Saddiq asked him to “clear” some cash that Syed Saddiq was holding.
“I
distributed (part of) the money to Naqib (Rahim) and Daniel (Kusari),” he said.
Before
this, Naqib – a tailor and Bersatu member – and Daniel – the then federal
territories Bersatu Youth information chief – had testified that they received
RM250,000 and RM650,000, respectively, from Rafiq in April 2020.
Rafiq
also told the court that he and Ahmad Redzuan Mohamed Shafi, the then Bersatu
Youth assistant secretary, went to the CIMB KL Sentral branch on March 6, 2020
to withdraw RM1 million from the youth wing’s account.
He
said the withdrawal was done on Syed Saddiq’s instruction.
“He
(Syed Saddiq) asked me how much was in the bank account and I told him we had
about RM1.8 million.
“He
instructed me and Redzuan to withdraw RM1 million for Armada’s (Bersatu Youth)
programmes,” he said.
Rafiq
said as RM1 million was a large amount, he contacted the branch manager and
asked if the branch had sufficient money.
“When
the manager informed us that they had sufficient funds, I proceeded (with the
withdrawal),” he said.
Asked
by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin what happened to the
balance of the money after it was distributed to Naqib and Daniel, Rafiq said
it was spent on the political programmes, but he could not recall the details.
Syed
Saddiq is standing trial on four counts of CBT and money laundering. He is
alleged to have misappropriated a total of RM1.12 million belonging to Bersatu.
From
the amount, RM120,000 was said to be party funds for the 2018 general election,
while RM1 million was allegedly withdrawn by him without the top leadership’s
consent.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
MoU
2.0 will bring more meaningful reforms, says DAP MP
'Ainin
Wan Salleh
July
6, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: An extension to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the
government and Pakatan Harapan would make room for more meaningful reforms over
the next year, said Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming.
The
DAP MP said introducing a “MoU 2.0” that would push GE15 to July next year
would enable the government to introduce more progressive reforms, such as
those suggested by electoral reform group Bersih.
“If
MoU 2.0 is going to be proposed, the understanding on the part of the
opposition parties and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob would be that this
would only be meaningful if GE15 can be pushed to July 2023.
“This
means that we have one year from the end of the first MoU until the possible
dissolution of Parliament to put forward more progressive agendas,” said Ong at
a conference jointly organised by Bersih and the Bar Council.
Some
of the reforms suggested by Bersih include fixing the term of the Parliament as
well as a mechanism for a vote of confidence or no-confidence to prove that the
prime minister enjoys the support of the majority of MPs.
Ong
added that MPs from both sides of the aisle would be receptive to a fixed
Parliament term as it would provide them the certainty of remaining in office
throughout the period.
Ismail
and PH leaders signed the first MoU in September 2021, agreeing to work
together to restore political stability while the government managed the
Covid-19 pandemic and to help bolster economic recovery.
While
the MoU does not have an expiry date, it states that the government and PH had
agreed not to hold GE15 before July 31.
In
March, DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook had proposed an extension to the
MoU under the condition that Ismail could deliver on all items in the
agreement.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Pakistan
Political Parties Suffered Due To Imbalance In Ties With Military: PTI Vice
Chairman
July
7, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday
said all three major parties had suffered from the imbalance in relationship
with the military and therefore should prudently look at the past mistakes and
try to rectify them.
Speaking
at a dialogue hosted by Islamabad Policy Institute (IPI), a think-tank, on
civil-military imbalance, the former foreign minister called for cooperation
among political rivals on this issue and asked them not to remain stuck in the
past.
The
discussion was held between three main political parties to analyse the state
of civil-military ties in the context of the political instability in the
country.
“If
we continue with the blame game, we won’t be able to move ahead,” Mr Qureshi
said, adding that national consensus would have to be forged on this issue.
Criticising
the government for giving a role to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in vetting
postings and appointments of government officials, he said the move would
strengthen the spy agency’s involvement in civilian matters.
He
regretted that the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP) did not fully implement the Charter of Democracy (CoD), which they signed
in 2006 for restoring balance of power between various state institutions and
reclaiming the space lost by the mainstream political parties. He said it
needed to be studied why these signatories did not fully implement CoD, adding
that “there is now a need for an expanded CoD”.
Speaking
on the occasion, Senate Defence Committee Chairman Mushahid Hussain Syed said
any effort at redressing civil-military imbalance should begin with political
parties agreeing to take back former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s
directive that mandated ISI’s role in politics.
The
defence committee chairman and PML-N senator said in 1975, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
had mandated the ISI to keep an eye on political parties on national security
grounds.
He
said all political parties should reach a consensus on withdrawing the
directive. “This could be a starting point,” he added.
Senator
Mushahid Hussain said political parties should decide among themselves that
“road to Islamabad would not lie through Rawalpindi, Washington or London, but
through the Constitution and ballot box”.
He
said there should be a realisation that if political parties use military to
get power and then rely on them for running the affairs, then the military
would keep deciding the time of their exit.
Dealing
with this imbalance, the PML-N senator said it might look difficult, but it
could be done if there was political will and unity among political forces on
this issue.
PPP
leader Farhatullah Babar said a dialogue between political parties on this
issue was not enough.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
Imran
takes aim at ECP as five PTI MPAs notified
Shafiq
Butt
July
7, 2022
SAHIWAL:
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan once again trained his guns
on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday as he alleged
pre-poll rigging, especially tampering with electoral lists, ahead of
by-elections on 20 seats of the Punjab Assembly on July 17.
But
even as the former premier was making his fiery address, the commission
notified five PTI members on reserved seats that had fallen vacant after the
de-seating of MPAs who had voted for Hamza Shehbaz in the Punjab chief minister
election.
Addressing
a public gathering in Mor 90, a constituency (PP-202) of Sahiwal where PTI
candidate retired Major Sarwar will take on former colleague and Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket holder Malik Nauman Langrial in by-polls
later this month, Mr Khan appreciated his supporters for attending the rally
despite rain.
Imran
Khan, who was ousted from power following a no-confidence vote against him in
April this year, reiterated that a cabal of alleged crooks was imposed on
Pakistan through a “foreign conspiracy”, which resulted in the “tanking of the
economy”.
Former
PM alleges commission, ‘umpires’ involved in pre-poll rigging to favour PML-N
In
a comment on the election watchdog, Mr Khan said, “The election commission
lacks conscience… the ECP is in cahoots with these crooks and turncoats and is
trying to influence elections in favour of [these] crooks.”
“If
you think you can win the match through collusion with ‘umpires’, I challenge
you that we will defeat you in the elections,” the PTI chairman said and added
that the government could not defeat the PTI even with the support of the
powers-that-be.
Mr
Khan alleged that voters’ lists were being tampered with to add “bogus votes”
and asked his party nominees to check the lists ahead of the polls to weed out
such votes. In order to stop the manipulation of elections, the former premier
asked “10 daring youths” to be stationed at each polling station on the voting
day to “stop” the opponents from manipulating polls.
During
the address, Imran Khan also talked about the crackdown on the PTI supporters,
including journalists. According to Mr Khan, a “cabal of crooks” was imposed on
the country but “we are being told not to criticise it to avoid penalisation”.
The PTI chief warned that anyone who stood by these “crooks” would be held accountable
by the nation. “Neither the nation nor history would forgive you,” Mr Khan said
without naming anyone.
The
PTI chief further warned that Pakistan would be pushed towards “anarchy” if the
PTI supporters were stopped from organising peaceful protests. He added
Pakistan could become Sri Lanka or Lebanon – both reeling from political and
economic crises – if restrictions were imposed on the right to protest. He said
the cases registered against the PTI could not deter people from joining the
‘jihad’ for “real freedom”.
PTI
MPAs notified
In
line with the ruling of the Lahore High Court (LHC), the election watchdog on
Wednesday evening notified five PTI members of the Punjab Assembly on reserved
seats.
Those
declared as returned candidates on reserved seats for women include Batool
Zain, Saira Raza and Fouzia Abbas Naseem whereas Habkook Rafiq Babbu and Samuel
Yaqoob were notified as MPAs on seats reserved for non-Muslim members.
On
June 2, the ECP had decided to put on hold notifications of new PTI members till
by-poll –due to July 17 – on grounds that the seats are allocated on the basis
of proportional representation and appointment prior to elections would amount
to violation of a constitutional provision.
However,
on June 27, the Lahore High Court (LHC) instructed the ECP to notify PTI
members on five reserved seats. The notifications were not issued even after
that perhaps due to the absence of a detailed judgement.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1698638/imran-takes-aim-at-ecp-as-five-pti-mpas-notified
--------
Pakistan’s
ex-PM Imran Khan threatens to ‘reveal everything’ if harassment of his party
workers continues
July
6, 2022
Pakistan’s
former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday threatened to reveal all about the
"conspiracy" that allegedly led to his downfall.
Khan’s
video message came ahead of crucial by-election in Punjab this month where his
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is trying to secure the seats against the
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). In his message, Khan alleged the
provincial administration was involved in rigging the upcoming polls.
Khan
was removed through a no-trust vote in April but refused to concede his defeat,
and rather alleged that an American conspiracy with the help of local actors
was the cause of his ouster. His belligerent posturing has clashed with the
powerful establishment.
He
upped his ante in the video message, threatening to identify the characters
responsible for the conspiracy to topple his government if his harassment and
that of his party was not stopped.
“If
we are pushed against the wall and harassed then I will be forced to speak up
and will lay bare everything before the nation about what happened,” he said.
Khan
said he was keeping mum in the interests of the nation but he knew everything
about those bringing his downfall. “I know how this conspiracy happened and who
is involved,” he said.
The
former premier also said that he had recorded a video to identify “which
characters did what and who committed this great betrayal with the
country" and it would be released if something happened to him.
Khan
also said that there was similarity between his ouster and the downfall of
former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was removed by military dictator
Ziaul Haq in 1977, as both of them were ousted after the US disapproved
Pakistan’s effort to go for an independent foreign policy.
Source:
India Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Three
Afghan women swept away in North Waziristan floods
July
7, 2022
NORTH
WAZIRISTAN: Three Afghan women were swept away by floodwaters and several
people suffered injuries following the downpour-induced flash floods in Tochi
River and streams in North Waziristan tribal district on Wednesday.
The
residents said the Afghan women had come to the area for medical treatment and
had been missing since a torrent swept her away in Saidgi area near the border.
They
said several people were injured after being caught up in flash floods.
The
residents also said construction machinery and other goods were also washed
away by surging water in the Tochi River.
They
said the torrential rains caused the river and streams to overflow and thus,
damaging agricultural lands across the district.
Thousands
stranded as key Mansehra artery blocked by landslides
High
flooding was also reported in the Qanungo Algad River, Ketho River and Kurram
River.
Rescue
1122 officials told Dawn that they rescued several people from the flooded
Tochi River.
They
also said heavy downpour caused several houses in Miramshah and Mirali areas to
collapse.
Also
in the day,a stream in Talash area of Lower Dir district was flooded disrupting
vehicular traffic on the main Timergara-Peshawar road for around five hours.
The
police diverted the traffic to the Kalpani-Talash Bypass Road but it was
blocked.
The
stream swelled due to heavy rain leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on its
both sides in Shamshi Khan and Ziarat Talash area for a long time.
Meanwhile,
thousands of people travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan,
including tourists, remained stranded on Wednesday due to the blocking of the
Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road by heavy landslides in Basal area.
“The
tourists and other people travelling in around 225 coaches and vehicles got
stranded near the Lolusar Lake as the relevant departments failed to clear the
road for almost 24 hours,” Dr Mohammad Abdul Saboor, chief executive officer of
the Southern Punjab Cricket Association Multan, told Dawn by telephone from the
area.
He
said he had come to Kaghan valley along with family after visiting Hunza area
in GB.
Hasan
Deen of the Moon Restaurants said employees of his hotel were providing food
and other goods to the stranded people, including women and children, on a
not-for-profit basis.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1698619/three-afghan-women-swept-away-in-north-waziristan-floods
--------
SHC
issues notices on father’s plea for Dua Zehra’s custody
Naeem
Sahoutara | Ishaq Tanoli
July
7, 2022
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the interior ministry,
provincial home department, police and others on a petition filed by the father
of teenage Dua Zehra seeking her custody.
The
petitioner also sought a restraining order for respondents from issuing her a
passport and not to allow her to leave the country.
A
two-judge bench headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro put all the
respondents as well as additional attorney general, advocate general Sindh and
prosecutor general Sindh on notice for July 21.
Syed
Mehdi Ali Kazmi again petitioned the SHC stating that the June 8 order of the
SHC setting Dua at liberty to decide her fate cannot be treated as final
adjudication of the instant matter since the same was passed on the basis of a
fact which had now been rendered to be erroneous whereas new facts emerged.
The
counsel maintained that in the light of foregoing ancillary facts and changed
circumstances, the petitioner has no alternative remedy than to approach the
SHC again for recovery of her daughter, production and restoration to the
lawful guardianship.
He
further argued that the June 8 order of SHC had relied upon the impugned report
of the ossification test showing age of Dua being around 17 years and her
statement on oath.
He
added now a medical board had set aside the earlier report about her age as it
had found the age of girl under 16 years.
The
lawyer further stated that documentary evidence in the form of birth certificate,
passport, etc, had shown her age under 14 years at the time of incident and the
same cannot be overridden by a medical board in the form of an ossification
test.
He
argued that as per medical board’s report, Dua was under 16 years and it was prima
facie deemed that her alleged marriage with Zaheer Ahmed was illegal even under
the Punjab Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2016.
“It
is imperative that the alleged detainee be recovered from illegal detention of
her alleged husband and handed over to her natural guardian,” the counsel
maintained.
The
petitioner also expressed the apprehension that the investigating officer of
the case, DSP Shoukat Shahani, might be operating under prejudice and certain
bureaucratic influence as he was appointed on May 30 the same day SHC had
reprimanded the conduct of SSP-AVCC for failing to recover the girl and hence,
there was resentment on the apart of some senior police officers, who would
prefer the investigation report in “C” class for cancellation of the case.
IO
granted two weeks
Judicial
Magistrate (East) Aftab Bughio on Wednesday granted two-week time to the IO for
filing a supplementary charge sheet in a case pertaining to alleged abduction
of Dua Zehra.
The
IO submitted that he had not received a copy of the medical board’s report
regarding the age estimation test of Dua. He undertook that the supplementary
charge sheet would be filed in the light of the age determination test report
once it was provided to him.
The
magistrate directed the office to provide a certified copy of Dua Zehra’s age
determination test report.
He
also told the IO to submit the supplementary charge sheet by July 20 and
adjourned the hearing.
Jibran
Nasir, the complainant’s counsel, later tweeted: “We have moved multiple
applications to the IG Police Sindh and Additional IG (investigation) for
changing the IO Shahani in the case. However, it appears Sindh Police is more
than comfortable embarrassment to itself and inviting doubts/questions about
its performance.”
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1698539/shc-issues-notices-on-fathers-plea-for-dua-zehras-custody
--------
'In
the mouth of dragons': Melting glaciers threaten Pakistan's north
Jul
7, 2022
HASSANABAD,
PAKISTAN: As dawn broke over Javed Rahi's Pakistani mountain village, a loud
boom shattered the silence and a torrent of water came cascading down from the
melting glacier nearby, followed by a thick cloud of smoke.
Rahi,
a retired maths teacher, had been due to attend his nephew's wedding the day
the flood rushed through the village of Hassanabad.
"I
expected women and children to sing and dance... Instead I heard them screaming
in terror," the 67-year-old said. "It was like doomsday."
The
flood- which occurred as a heatwave was gripping South Asia in May- swept away
nine homes in the village and damaged half a dozen more.
The
water also washed away two small hydro plants and a bridge that connected the
remote community to the outside world.
Pakistan
is home to more than 7,000 glaciers, more than anywhere else on Earth outside
the poles.
Rising
global temperatures linked to climate change are causing the glaciers to
rapidly melt, creating thousands of glacial lakes.
The
government has warned that 33 of these lakes- all located in the spectacular
Himalaya, Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountain ranges that intersect in Pakistan
-- are at risk of bursting and releasing millions of cubic metres of water and
debris in just a few hours, like in Hassanabad.
At
least 16 such glacial lake outburst floods linked to heatwaves have occurred
this year already, compared with an average of five or six per year, the
Pakistani government said earlier this week.
The
devastation caused by such floods makes recovery for impacted communities an
arduous task.
After
disaster struck Hassanabad, Rahi and fellow villagers who lost their homes had
to move to a nearby camp for displaced people.
Inside
their makeshift tents are the few belongings they managed to salvage and
mattresses to sleep on.
"We
never thought we would fall from riches to rags," Rahi said.
Pakistan
is the world's eighth most vulnerable country to extreme weather caused by
climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index compiled by the
environmental NGO Germanwatch.
The
country is experiencing earlier, hotter and more frequent heatwaves, with
temperatures already hitting 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) this year.
Floods
and droughts in recent years have killed and displaced thousands of people,
destroyed livelihoods, and damaged infrastructure.
According
to the UN Development Programme, a lack of information on glacial changes in
Pakistan makes it difficult to predict hazards originating from them.
Although
Hassanabad had an early warning system in place -- including cameras that
monitor water flow in glacial lakes -- the villagers believed they were living
high enough above the water to avoid any impact, according to local officials.
Zahida
Sher, who lost her home in the Hassanabad flood, said the power of the water
took out buildings that had previously been considered safe.
The
mountain communities depend on their livestock, orchards, farms and tourism for
survival, but climate change threatens all of it.
"Our
economy is agrarian and people don't have enough resources to move from
here," said Sher, a researcher for a local development NGO.
Siddique
Ullah Baig, a disaster risk reduction analyst in the northern region, said
around seven million people are vulnerable to such events, but many are not
aware of the gravity of the threat.
"People
are still constructing homes in areas declared as a red zone for flooding. Our
people are not aware and prepared to deal with any possible disaster," he
told AFP.
Further
north of Hassanabad lies Passu, another precarious hamlet that has already lost
around 70 percent of its population and area after being hit by floods and
natural river erosion.
The
village is sandwiched between White glacier in the south, Batura glacier in the
north and the Hunza River in the east -- three forces given the respectful
title of "dragons" because of their destructive power.
"Passu
village lies in the mouths of these three dragons," said local scholar Ali
Qurban Mughani, pointing to the centuries-old bodies of dense ice towering over
the village.
As
he spoke, labourers worked on a protective concrete wall on a riverbank -- a
bid to shield the village from further erosion.
Kamran
Iqbal invested 500,000 rupees (around $2,400) that he borrowed from a local NGO
to open a picnic spot for visitors with a breathtaking view.
The
beauty of the glaciers has made the region one of the country's top tourist
destinations.
Business
was flourishing until a "horror night" last year when a flash flood
washed away Iqbal's investment.
Even
the most ambitious international climate targets of limiting global warming to
1.5 degrees by the end of the century could lead to the melting of one third of
Pakistan's glaciers, the Nepal-based scientific organisation the International
Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said in a 2019 study.
"In
2040 we could start facing problems of (water) scarcity that could lead to
drought and desertification -- and before that we may have to cope with
frequent and intense riverine flooding, and of course flash floods," said
Aisha Khan, head of the Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization, which
researches glaciers in Pakistan.
Home
to more than 220 million people, Pakistan says it is responsible for less than
one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Yet
it remains highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, dependent on
climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture and natural resources.
"There
are no factories or industries here that can cause pollution... We have a clean
environment," said Amanullah Khan, a 60-year village elder in Passu.
"But
when it comes to the threats posed by climate change, we are at the
forefront."
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Muslim
Brotherhood to be excluded from Egypt ‘national dialogue’
06
July, 2022
The
general coordinator of an Egyptian “national dialogue” initiative has ruled out
any participation by the opposition Muslim Brotherhood in the process.
Diaa
Rashwan, who also heads Egypt’s Press Syndicate and State Information Service,
said on Tuesday that “all factions which took part in killing or incitement to
violence or terrorism will be excluded from the national dialogue” - government
rhetoric that is regularly used against the popular movement.
The
national dialogue initiative was launched earlier this year by the government
of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
It
is meant to bring together representatives from various Egyptian political
forces, civil society groups, and think tanks, and a number of figures
associated with the Egyptian liberal and left-wing opposition are taking part.
Egyptian
state-affiliated media have called it a “step towards a modern, civil and
democratic state”.
“This
dialogue can include everyone, Egypt is a country which is big enough for
everyone and our disagreements do not ruin the affection between us,” Rashwan
said on Tuesday.
However,
critics have accused the Egyptian government of not being serious about genuine
political reform, pointing to the continued suppression of rights and freedoms
and imprisonment of government opponents.
In
2013, current Egyptian President Sisi led a military coup against his
predecessor, Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood who won
democratic presidential elections the previous year.
Sisi
arrested and imprisoned tens of thousands of coup opponents from the Muslim
Brotherhood and other political groups, using trumped up charges such as
“inciting terrorism” and “spreading false news” to sentence them to long
periods in prison.
Hundreds
of Muslim Brotherhood supporters were massacred by the military in Cairo’s
Rabaa Square in August 2013.
The
Arabic Network for Human Rights Information estimated that there were 65,000
political prisoners in Egypt in 2021. At least 26,000 were held in pre-trial
detention, according to the network.
Mohammed
Sudan, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, recently told The New Arab’s
Arabic-language service that there were recent contacts between the group and
Egyptian government officials, but downplayed them.
He
said that there were no changes “on the ground” and that the officials had been
acting in an individual capacity.
“There
is great pressure from the US on the Egyptian regime to reconcile with the
Brotherhood, but until now we don’t know the reason for this,” he said.
Source:
The New Arab
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/muslim-brotherhood-excluded-egypt-national-dialogue
--------
Lebanon's
Muslims locked out of Hajj by rising costs and collapsed lira
By
Adam Chamseddine
6
July 2022
For
every Lebanese Muslim who wished to perform Hajj this year, the 97th verse of
the Quran’s third chapter has meant a great deal: “Pilgrimage to this house is
an obligation by God upon whoever is able among the people.”
Since
Lebanon was engulfed in a terrifying economic crisis in 2019, tens of thousands
of Lebanese have found it increasingly difficult to perform this holy ritual.
With
Hajj scheduled to begin on Thursday, Jihan Tabarra, who owns a small
fishmonger's, sits in her living room watching the Mecca channel, a Saudi TV
station that streams live coverage all year round from the holy city. When footage
of pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba appears, the 52-year-old turns with a
sad smile to say: “I was supposed to be there.”
Tabarra
has been saving money in a Kaaba-shaped savings box for four years, so that she
could fulfil the obligation expected of all able-bodied Muslims.
“I
never had a bank account," she tells Middle East Eye. "I never
trusted banks and I preferred to keep my money where I can see it. My only
mistake was that I saved my money in Lebanese lira.”
Since
2019, the lira, which was once pegged to the dollar, has lost 93 percent of its
value. Corruption, bad governance and an economy run like a ponzi scheme have
plunged Lebanon into what the World Bank calls one of the worst economic crises
in 150 years.
Tabarra
never suspected that the currency could crash like it has, and now her savings
aren’t enough to meet her family's basic needs, let alone for her to perform
Hajj.
“Today,
if I had to sell all my jewellery and my furniture it wouldn’t be enough for me
to perform Hajj. I never thought I will be one of those who will not be able to
be among the people, as the verses says. But the situation has never been
worse,” she says. “But God will forgive me. However, I wish God won’t forgive
those who deprived me from this blessing.”
Unaffordable
costs
Like
others worldwide, Lebanese Muslims have been restricted from performing Hajj
over the past two years due to the pandemic. After two years of allowing only
Saudi residents to perform the pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia is now allowing a
million pilgrims from across the world to travel. In 2019, 2.5 Muslims
performed Hajj.
For
two years, the applications of Lebanese and Palestinian refugees submitted to
the Hajj and Umrah Authority in Lebanon have been piling up, due to Saudi Covid
restrictions. Around 24,000 applications were registered in 2022, but the quota
of pilgrims allowed from Lebanon is decreasing.
According
to Ibrahim Itani, an official at the Hajj and Umrah Authority, 15,000 Lebanese
and Palestinian pilgrims were allowed to enter Saudi Arabia in 2019, which
included 5,000 complimentary slots for Lebanese government officials.
“This
year, due to Covid restrictions and despite the higher limit, Lebanon was given
45 percent of its original quota prior to the pandemic - 3,300 pilgrims for
both Lebanese and Palestinians,” he tells Middle East Eye. “The shock was that
Lebanon did not even reach the quota, and only around 2,300 pilgrims have made
the trip.”
Itani
says the economic crisis is partly to blame, but thinks other factors
contributed too: alongside plummeting Lebanese purchasing power has been the
rising cost of Hajj itself.
Nasser
(who asks us not to use his real name) has been relatively unaffected by the
crash of the lira. He’s paid in dollars, so his costs haven’t been affected,
unlike hundreds of thousands of other Lebanese.
Despite
that, the cost of Hajj has risen so much that Nasser feels it is still beyond
his reach. “It seems even God’s duties are up for sale in Lebanon,” Nasser
tells MEE.
Before
2019, the most luxurious trips to Mecca and the best pilgrimage services would
cost around $3,500. Today, a basic trip stands at $6,000, with better services
costing up to $12,000 for Lebanese.
“It
is true that I am somewhat better off than many others, but I will not be
ripped off in the name of God,” Nasser says.
As
in other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and the West before the
system was chaotically altered at the last minute, Lebanese have to book their
Hajj trips through travel agencies.
Saeb
Kalash runs the Lebanese-Saudi Company of Hajj and Umrah, a travel agency
specialising in pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. He tells MEE that the rising price
is due to extra fees set by the Saudi authorities due to new Covid regulations.
“The
Saudi authorities have implemented new health insurance regulations that
contributed to the increase in prices,” Kalash says. “Many transportation and
other infrastructure services have been privatised since 2019, which helped
raise the cost.”
Another
reason for Lebanon’s failure to sell its quota is the problem in renewing
passports. As a result of the economic collapse, authorities have adopted
austerity measures in issuing new passports, because the finance ministry has
been postponing money transfers to the international passport company
contracted by the government.
“Many
applicants who wished to participate this year had to renew their expired
passports, and couldn’t get it on time,” Kalash tells MEE. The company that
Kalash runs accommodated around 400 pilgrims in 2019, whereas this year it only
catered to 100.
“The
entire pilgrimage travel sector was hit hard. Our company is still one of the
surviving ones… many other companies did not organise a pilgrimage campaign
this year,” he says.
Corruption
allegations
Many
Lebanese are not buying the excuse that Covid regulations have meant extra
expenses.
Lebanese
attempting to apply for Hajj through travel agencies known to have better
connections seem to have a better chance of being chosen to perform the
pilgrimage, but those companies often charge a premium.
A
sheikh, who preferred to remain anonymous, tells MEE: “This year’s pilgrimage
season in Lebanon was nothing less than a black market. If you are connected
within the right circles, you can have your applicants’ files processed. If you
don’t, then you have to pay a black-market price.”
There
is a discrepancy between the costs of new administrative fees and the new cost
of Hajj overall, he says.
On
social media, an anonymous campaign has begun, complaining about corruption in
the Hajj application process.
A
statement has been circulated online, titled “Hold the Hajj bandits
accountable”, in a nod to the highwaymen who once robbed pilgrims; it describes
the rise in prices as an “organised grand theft”.
“Some
pilgrims had to borrow money and mortgage their jewellery to meet the extra
fees requested by the companies,” it reads.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/lebanon-hajj-muslims-rising-costs-collapsed-lira
--------
Russia
proposes six-month cross-border aid renewal for Syria
07
July, 2022
As
the UN Security Council prepares to vote Thursday on humanitarian aid
deliveries to opposition-held northwest Syria from Turkey, Russia agreed to
continue such deliveries but only for six months — not a year, as many UN
Security Council members, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and more than 30
nongovernmental groups want.
Russia
proposed amendments to a draft resolution by Ireland and Norway reducing their
year-long time frame for deliveries. Council diplomats said consultations were
continuing late Wednesday to see if a compromise could be reached.
The
Security Council scheduled a vote for Thursday morning. If no compromise
appeared, the draft resolution by Ireland and Norway to extend cross-border
deliveries for 12 months would be voted on first. If it failed to get nine
votes, or was vetoed by Russia, the Russian resolution with a six-month
extension would then be put to a vote.
In
early July 2020, China and Russia vetoed a UN resolution that would have
maintained two border crossing points from Turkey to deliver humanitarian aid
to Idlib. Days later, the council authorized the delivery of aid through just
one of those crossings, Bab al-Hawa. That one-year mandate was extended for a
year on July 9, 2021, and expires this Sunday.
The
Russian proposal called for increased efforts to ensure “full, safe and
unhindered” deliveries of humanitarian assistance across conflict lines within
Syria, according to the Russian draft obtained Wednesday by The Associated
Press.
It
also would authorize the establishment of “a special working group” comprising
concerned council members, major donors, interested regional parties and
representatives of international humanitarian agencies “in order to regularly
review and follow-up on the implementation of this resolution.”
Neither
of those proposals were in the Ireland-Norway draft resolution.
Northwest
Idlib is the last opposition-held bastion in Syria and al-Qaeda-linked Hayat
Tahrir al-Sham is the strongest insurgent group in the region. The UN said last
week that the first 10 years of the Syrian conflict, which started in 2011,
killed more than 300,000 civilians -- the highest official estimate of civilian
casualties.
In
a letter to Security Council ambassadors obtained Wednesday by the AP, former
International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo warned that by
approving cross-border deliveries to northwest Syria, council members “could
find themselves materially supporting a UN-designated terrorist organization.”
He
said northwest Syria “is controlled by al-Nusra, a UN designated terrorist
organization affiliated with al-Qaeda and currently called Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham.”
Any
support to a “terrorist organization, including humanitarian assistance,” is
prohibited by previous UN Security Council resolutions, Ocampo said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Lebanon
hopes to repatriate Syrian refugees within months
06
July, 2022
Lebanon
hopes to start repatriating Syrian refugees within months over objections by
the United Nations and rights groups, a minister said Wednesday.
Lebanon
has one of the world’s highest numbers of refugees per capita and currently
hosts over 1 million Syrians who fled the decade-old conflict.
Officials
say the influx has cost Lebanon billions of dollars and further damaged its
crippled infrastructure.
The
plan “projects 15,000 monthly repatriations. It’s an acceptable gradual return
over a 12-month period,” Issam Charafeddine, Lebanon’s caretaker Minister of
the Displaced, told The Associated Press.
“This
project is humanitarian, honorable, national and also of urgent economical
importance for the Lebanese state,” he said.
The
UN High Commissioner for Refugees and rights groups oppose involuntary
repatriation to Syria and say the practice risks endangering the returning
refugees.
The
UN refugee agency in a press statement denied that it is engaged in
negotiations with Beirut and Damascus on refugee returns.
“UNHCR
continues to call on the government of Lebanon to respect the fundamental right
of all refugees to a voluntary, safe and dignified return,” the statement read.
The
United Nations estimates that 90 percent of Syrian refugee households live in
extreme poverty.
But
since late 2019, poverty has worsened for both Lebanese and Syrians as the
Mediterranean country continues to struggle with crippling economic crisis.
Sky-rocketing
fuel prices coupled with a currency collapse has meant many essential
commodities are now out of reach.
The
Lebanese minister on Monday presented the plan to President Michel Aoun.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
Mideast
Palestinian
president, Hamas chief hold rare meeting
July
7, 2022
ALGIERS:
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met publicly
for the first time in over five years, on the sidelines of Algerian
independence anniversary celebrations.
Algeria’s
state broadcaster reported late Tuesday that representatives of the Palestinian
Authority and the Hamas movement also attended this meeting, which it called
“historic”.
The
pair, who officially last met face-to-face in Doha in October 2016, were
brought together in a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune,
whose country marked the 60th anniversary of independence from France.
Abbas’
secular Fatah party, which dominates the Palestinian Authority that rules the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, has been at loggerheads with Hamas since elections
in 2007, when the movement took control of Gaza.
Tebboune
and Abbas also signed a document to name a street “Algeria” in the West Bank
city of Ramallah.
Palestinian
killed
Israeli
forces shot dead a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday as
he was attempting to flee an army raid, officials on both sides said.
The
Palestinian health ministry identified the man as Rafiq Riyad Ghannem, 20,
saying he was shot by Israeli troops in Jaba, a town near the flashpoint city
of Jenin in the northern West Bank.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1698631/palestinian-president-hamas-chief-hold-rare-meeting
--------
Senior
Diplomat: Iran Resolved to Continue Key Role in Achieving Peace in Yemen
2022-July-6
Khaji
made the remarks in talks with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Affairs Hans
Grundberg via video conference.
During
the talks, the two sides discussed the latest developments in Yemen, as well as
ceasefire and solutions of cooperation between parties involved in Yemen war.
Khaji
reiterated Iran's constructive and leading role in order to achieve a just
peace through a political solution, specially complete lifting of blockade of
Yemeni people.
Grundberg,
for his part, expressing satisfaction over the constructive efforts of Islamic
Republic of Iran to resolve crisis in Yemen, and called for continuation of
these cooperation for restoration of peace in Yemen.
In
a relevant development in April, Khaji underlined the need for the
establishment of permanent ceasefire in Yemen and the start of intra-Yemeni
talks.
Khaji
made the remarks in a meeting with Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Henrik
Thune in Tehran.
During
the meeting, the two officials called for achieving a peaceful resolution to
end the Yemen crisis.
The
latest developments in Yemen and the ways to reach a peaceful resolution to the
Yemen crisis were also discussed in this meeting.
Khaji
welcomed implementation of the temporary ceasefire in Yemen, but meantime,
stressed the need for a permanent cessation of aggression, as well as the start
of the intra-Yemeni political dialogue.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
Hopes for Resolution of Problems in Uzbekistan
2022-July-6
Iran
is closely monitoring the recent incidents and unrest in Uzbekistan, Kana'ani
said.
Stability
and security in Uzbekistan is highly important to the Islamic Republic of Iran
and the region, he added.
Kana'ani
underlined that the developments are an internal affair of the country, and
expressed the hope that the government of Uzbekistan would soon resolve the
problems in favor of its honorable people.
At
least 18 people were killed and 243 injured during last week’s unrest in
Uzbekistan’s autonomous province of Karakalpakstan, according to the country’s
authorities.
The
unrest over planned constitutional changes affecting Karakalpakstan’s status
poses the most significant challenge yet to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s rule
since he rose to power from the post of prime minister in 2016, when his
long-serving mentor Islam Karimov died.
Mirziyoyev
on Saturday dropped plans to amend articles of the constitution concerning
Karakalpakstan’s autonomy and its right to secede, a day after protesters tried
to seize local government buildings in the worst bout of violence in nearly 20
years.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010415000375/Iran-Hpes-fr-Reslin-f-Prblems-in-Uzbekisan
--------
Israel
and Turkey to sign bilateral aviation agreement: Ministry
07
July, 2022
Israel
and Turkey will expand bilateral airline traffic under a new aviation deal to
be signed on Thursday, their first since 1951, Israel’s Transportation Ministry
said.
“The
agreement is expected to result in the resumption of flights by Israeli
companies to a variety of destinations in Turkey, alongside flights by Turkish
companies to Israel,” it said in a statement.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
Iran
still seeking diplomats missing in Lebanon during Israel’s 1982 invasion
06
July, 2022
Tehran
said Wednesday it is “still looking” for four Iranian nationals with diplomatic
status who disappeared during Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
“We
are continuing serious efforts to determine the fate of the four abducted
diplomats,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement issued on the 40th
anniversary of their disappearance.
The
ministry criticized “the lack of cooperation on the part of the international
community and human rights organizations to determine the fate of the
abductees.”
Three
diplomats and a photographer from the official Iranian news agency IRNA were
arrested in northern Lebanon on July 4, 1982, at a checkpoint of the Lebanese
Forces, a Christian militia, which gave up its weapons and became a political
party since, and have not been seen since.
They
were Ahmad Motevasselian, the military attache of the Iranian embassy in
Beirut, Mohsen Moussavi, charge d’affaires, Taghi Rastegar-Moghadam, an
employee of the embassy, and photojournalist Kazem Akhavan.
Motevasselian
was also a commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s
ideological army, which established itself in Lebanon in 1982 and was crucial
to the formation of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Iran
blames Israel for the disappearance, describing those responsible as “agents of
the Zionist regime.” In 1982, the Lebanese Forces were armed by Israel.
The
Iranian ministry “renewed its calls to the United Nations and relevant human
rights agencies to pursue the cases of the four Iranian diplomats and punish
the perpetrators of this crime.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
claims it seeks lasting nuclear deal after talks with Qatar FM
06
July, 2022
Iran
said on Wednesday it sought a strong and lasting nuclear agreement with world
powers following talks with US ally Qatar on easing stalled efforts to revive a
2015 nuclear pact.
Qatari
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani visited Tehran a week
after EU-mediated indirect US-Iran talks in Doha failed to break a deadlock
hindering efforts to resurrect the nuclear agreement.
“We
are determined to seek a good, strong and lasting accord, and despite American
claims ... we have not raised any demands outside of the nuclear deal,” Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian told a joint news conference with
Sheikh Mohammed in Tehran.
Since
last week, Iran has questioned US resolve to save the pact while Washington has
said Tehran added new demands at the Doha talks.
Iran’s
Amirabdollahian, however, said on Tuesday that Washington “must decide if it
wants a deal or insists on sticking to its unilateral demands.”
Under
the 2015 deal, Iran curbed its uranium enrichment work, a potential pathway to
nuclear weapons, in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Iran says it
seeks only civilian atomic energy.
But
former US President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the pact in
2018 and reimposed tough economic sanctions, prompting Tehran to breach many of
the deal’s nuclear limitations.
After
almost a year of indirect negotiations in Vienna, the broad outline of a
revived deal was agreed. But then talks broke down in March, largely over
Tehran’s demand that Washington remove its Revolutionary Guards from a US
terrorism list.
The
United States refused, arguing this was outside the scope of reviving the
agreement.
Other
remaining obstacles to an agreement, Iranian and Western diplomats had said,
include providing assurances that Washington will not quit the pact again and
the International Atomic Energy Agency dropping its claims about Tehran’s
nuclear work.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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North
America
Father
of slain US Muslim soldier who taunted Trump to receive highest civilian honour
6
July 2022
Khizr
Khan, the father of a fallen soldier who admonished Donald Trump in 2016, is
set to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday, alongside several
other recipients.
The
Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honour in the United
States, and is presented to people who have made "exemplary contributions
to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or
other significant societal, public or private endeavours".
"These
seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul
of the nation - hard work, perseverance, and faith," the White House
wrote.
"They
have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in
the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most
vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their
communities - and across the world - while blazing trails for generations to
come."
Khan,
who is Pakistani-American and Muslim, will be presented with the medal by President
Joe Biden on Thursday 7 July. His son, US Army Captain Humayun Khan, was killed
in 2004 during the Iraq War.
In
2021, Khan senior served on the US Commission on International Religious
Freedom under Biden. He is also the founder of the Constitution Literacy and
National Unity Center.
Khan
made headlines at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016
when he called out Trump - then the Republican presidential candidate - for
supporting the Muslim Ban.
"Tonight
we are honoured to stand here as parents of Captain Humayun Khan and as
patriotic American Muslims with undivided loyalty to the country," he said
in front of the world's cameras. "If it was up to Donald Trump, he never
would have been in America. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of
Muslims.
"You,"
he said, addressing Trump directly, "have sacrificed nothing and no
one."
Khan
didn't stop there in his infamous remarks. "Donald Trump, you are asking
Americans to trust you with their future. Let me ask you - have you even read
the United States Constitution?" he said, brandishing a copy to loud
cheers. "I will gladly lend you my copy!" Khan said.
Source:
Middle East Eye
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of the original story:
US
announces new sanctions related to Iranian oil, threatens more pressure
06 July,
2022
The
Treasury Department issued new sanctions on Wednesday related to Iran’s oil
sector, a move announced after the latest round of talks to revive the 2015
nuclear deal was dubbed a “wasted occasion” by US Special Envoy for Iran Rob
Malley.
The
Treasury Department said that the sanctioned network of people and entities
used a web of Gulf-based front companies to facilitate the “delivery and sale
of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum and
petrochemical products from Iranian companies to East Asia.”
Under
Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson
said the US was committed to reaching a nuclear deal with Iran despite the
sanctions. But, he added: “We will continue to use all our authorities to
enforce sanctions on the sale of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals.”
Among
those designated in Wednesday’s move was Iran-based Jam Petrochemical Company,
which the Treasury accused of exporting petrochemical products worth hundreds
of millions of dollars to companies throughout East Asia, many of which the
Treasury said were sold to Iran Petrochemical Commercial Company for shipment
to China.
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken also spoke on the designated individuals and entities
that have “supported Iranian energy trade generating millions of dollars worth
of illicit revenue.”
Blinken
also said that the US had been “sincere and steadfast” in trying to reach a
deal with Iran that would see both sides come back into full compliance with
the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA).
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Biden
to rescind designation of Afghanistan as major non-NATO ally
Servet
Günerigök
07.07.2022
WASHINGTON
US
President Joe Biden notified Congress on Wednesday of his intent to officially
rescind Afghanistan’s designation as a major non-NATO ally.
"In
accordance with section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended
(22 U.S.C. 2321k), I am providing notice of my intent to rescind the
designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non‑NATO
Ally," Biden said in a letter to the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
In
July 2012, the US named Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally, which made it easier
for Kabul to receive defense equipment from Washington.
The
Taliban seized control of Afghanistan after taking Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021,
forcing President Ashraf Ghani and other top officials to leave the country.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
South
Asia
Self-Proclaimed
“Philosopher of the World” Dr. Anwar-ul-Haq Jabbarkhail Mysteriously Killed in
Kabul
By
Saqalain Eqbal
06
Jul 2022
According
to the Taliban security officials, unidentified assailants killed Ibn-e-Sina
private institute Director, the self-proclaimed “philosopher of the world”, Dr.
Anwar-ul-Haq Jabbarkhail in Kabul’s Bagrami district.
The
Taliban’s spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, Abdul Nafi Takor, Dr.
Jabbarkhail’s body was found in Kabul’s Bagrami district and brought to
forensics for further investigation.
According
to him, Dr. Jabbarkhail’s body was handed over to his family later on Tuesday,
July 5.
The
Taliban spokesperson for the Kabul police chief also stated that the group’s
forces have begun their investigation and that efforts are being made to
apprehend the culprits.
According
to Khalid Zadran, Taliban spokesman for the Kabul police chief, Dr. Jabbarkhail
was mysteriously killed two days ago in Sayed Jamaluddin town, located in the
Bagrami district of Kabul province.
While
some public sources claim that Anwar-ul-Haq Jabbarkhail was shot to death by
unidentified assailants, others claim that his beheaded body was discovered.
Kabir
Haqmal, the former spokesperson for the dissolved National Security Council,
wrote on his Twitter handle, “Beheaded body of Dr. Anwar-ul-haq Jabarkhail
found in Kabul PD (police district) 15.”
Jabbarkhail’s
murder has not yet been claimed by any individual or group.
Social
media has been flooded with comments in response to Jabbarkhail’s murder.
Hamed
Ilmi, who served as the deputy presidential spokesman in Hamid Karzai’s tenure,
wrote on his Facebook page that he sees the local media, especially Youtubers
to have implicated in the murder of Dr. Jabbarkhail.
Anwar-ul-Haq
Jabbarkhail allegedly served as the director of a private hospital in Kabul,
and recently, his contentious remarks have attracted a lot of attention on
social media.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/self-proclaimed-philosopher-of-the-world-mysteriously-killed-in-kabul-54839/
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Isolating
the Taliban: How young landmine victims may be collateral damage
July
07, 2022
A
group of Afghan children were grazing sheep in fields near the village of Bolak
Wandi in eastern Helmand when they spotted a metallic object half-buried in the
ground. Crowding round excitedly, they argued over who had found it first and
who could sell it for scrap.
The
mortar shell exploded, killing one child instantly.
Three
more children died from their wounds as they were taken to hospital by Taliban
fighters who had been nearby. Another passed away on arrival.
"I
don't blame anyone," said Haji Abdul Salam, the father of two of the
children. He tries to focus on comforting his wife, who cries for her lost
children.
"This
mortar could have been left over from the Americans or the Soviet Union.
However, not only our area, but all of Afghanistan should be cleared of this
problem."
That
mission has become more difficult.
The
Taliban's return to power last summer, ending their 20-year insurgency, should
have helped de-mining efforts, with swathes of territory that were off-limits
during the fighting finally accessible.
Yet
foreign governments have now frozen development aid to the Afghan government,
unwilling to use their taxpayers' money to prop up the Taliban, an Islamist
group that restricts women's rights and has been at war with much of the West
since harbouring Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks.
One
unintended consequence: In a previously unreported development, the Afghan
government agency that oversees mine clearance told Reuters it had lost its
roughly $3 million funding and laid off about 120 staff in April - the majority
of the organisation - because it couldn't pay salaries.
"All
the sanctions have severely affected us," said Sayed Danish, deputy head
of the agency, the Directorate of Mine Action Coordination (DMAC). "We
can't do strategic work, which is our main responsibility."
The
cost to ordinary Afghans of isolating the Taliban, who say they are being
unfairly treated, was also highlighted after an earthquake last month left
thousands homeless and the health system under huge strain, sparking some calls
for a new approach to the group.
The
loss of de-mining funds could have profound consequences for the country of 40
million people which is one of the most heavily mined places on Earth after
four decades of war.
Almost
80% of civilian casualties from "explosive remnants of war" are
children, the U.N. mining agency estimates, partly due to their curiosity as
well as their regular role in collecting scrap metal to sell to bolster
families' incomes.
In
the seven months to March, about 300 Afghan children were killed or maimed by
landmines and other unexploded devices, according to the U.N.'s children's
agency.
Idris,
8, who lost his leg in a mine in Ghorband, poses for a photograph at the Red
Cross rehabilitation center in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 9, 2022. REUTERS
The
five children from Bolak Wandi, four boys and a girl aged between five and 12,
died in April.
THOUSANDS
OF DEVICES
Foreign
governments have exempted humanitarian aid from their freeze, and hundreds of
millions of dollars are flowing into the country, allowing aid organizations to
function.
But
the limitations of such funds – to meet urgent needs and aimed at bypassing the
government – are becoming apparent, with many economists and experts saying the
population will suffer without robust state services and a viable banking
sector.
DMAC's
funding is part of roughly $9 billion a year in international development and
security aid that the World Bank says been frozen since the Taliban took power
in Afghanistan, which relies on foreign donors for the bulk of its budget.
The
de-mining work itself is largely carried out by aid groups, but DMAC provides
strategic guidance to prioritise high-danger areas and maps the nationwide
de-mining work to avoid duplicating efforts, according to Danish and aid
workers.
"Mine
action works best when national-level coordination and oversight is in
place," said Søren Sørensen, head of Humanitarian Disarmament and
Peacebuilding for Afghanistan at the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an
international organisation.
"At
the moment all that is being done is that we select areas from an outdated
list," he added. "That is not effective and is not addressing the
most serious hazards."
Sørensen
stares out of the window of a car on the way back to the capital Kabul from
Qafas Kalay, a small village in the eastern district of Khaki Jabbar, an area
once used by Soviet forces as a military outpost and which more recently saw
heavy fighting as the Taliban took the area.
Hundreds
of devices have been detonated in the vicinity but almost 40,000 square miles
still need to cleared. Across Afghanistan, thousands of unexploded devices lie
in wait, the U.N. de-mining agency says.
Members
of a demining organisation are seen after their search for unexploded ordnance
in Khaki Jabbar district of Kabul province, Afghanistan, April 4, 2022. REUTERS
"We
finally have this amazing window of opportunity to actually clear this
country," Sørensen said. "There is so much we could do."
On
a hillside outside Qafas Kalay, about 20 miles east of Kabul, DRC
mine-clearance workers in protective vests and visors peer at the ground and
sweep detectors.
They
place a small flag on a barely visible device found nestled in the dirt - a
Soviet anti-personnel mine - and then connect it by wires that run hundreds of
metres to a small makeshift control centre where the countdown begins. The
device blows up and the de-miners return to their painstaking work.
A
few miles away, children on the doorstep of a mosque pore over cartoons that
show different kinds of explosive devices and the kinds of places they might be
hidden.
Their
tutor tells them what to do if they spot one.
"We
don't go to that place and we report it to our parents," the children
repeat back enthusiastically.
The
community nearby is already eking out patches of de-mined land to farm wheat
and fruit and working on irrigation projects, developments that could help
alleviate the growing hunger crisis in Afghanistan.
'THE
PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING'
Asked
about the cash crunch and layoffs at DMAC, the U.S. Department of State said it
was continuing to support humanitarian de-mining in Afghanistan by directly
funding NGO partners. A spokesperson said it had provided $720 million in
overall humanitarian assistance to Afghans since last August.
Germany's
foreign minister said in June there was no room to recognise the Taliban as a
legitimate government until it changed policies on issues such as women's
rights.
Foreign
capitals want to squeeze the Taliban's finances to pressure the group to lift
restrictions on the rights of girls and women to education, freedom of
expression and employment.
Since
returning to power, the group has kept girls' secondary schools closed and
demanded women cover their faces in public and only leave home with a male
relative or husband.
Some
people have also accused the Taliban of reprisal attacks against former members
of the Western-backed administration, including soldiers and intelligence
officials.
The
Taliban has said it would respect human rights and promised to investigate
allegations of revenge killings, saying they have put an amnesty against former
foes in place.
The
Taliban also says it is addressing issues including girls' secondary education
and has called on Washington to unfreeze billions of dollars of central bank
assets, saying they belong to the Afghan people and the country needs a
functioning banking system to alleviate poverty.
Late
last month, a temporary deal was reached when DMAC agreed that the United
Nations could set up an office in the country for about six months. But with
funding for the stopgap U.N. regulator half of that of the Afghan agency before
the Taliban takeover, it has only employed about 30 from the original 120
staff, according to Paul Heslop, Chief of the U.N. Mine Action Programme in
Afghanistan.
He
added that for long-term sustainability, the responsibility of coordinating
de-mining should be with a state and not an outside humanitarian body like the
U.N. agency.
"We're
in a situation where we have a government that's not recognised," said
Heslop, adding that the lack of funding was "very difficult".
Source:
Tribune Pakistan
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--------
Afghanistan-Based
Rockets Launched into Uzbekistan
By
Saqalain Eqbal
06
Jul 2022
Five
rockets, allegedly launched from Afghanistan, landed near the border town of
Termez in southern Uzbekistan on Tuesday, according to the Uzbek Foreign
Ministry.
“At
about 16:20 on July 5, five rockets presumably fired from Afghanistan’s
territory hit the ground in Uzbekistan’s border territory. No explosions
followed. No casualties or damages were reported,” the ministry announced the
news on its Telegram channel.
According
to the ministry, none of the rockets exploded, resulting in no human losses or
significant destruction other than little damage done to four private
residences in the southern Uzbekistan city of Termez.
One
of the launched missiles is said to have landed on a football stadium,
undetonated.
According
to the statement from the Uzbek ministry, the relevant Uzbek authorities are
currently working with the Afghan side to put the required steps in place to
determine the incident’s causes.
The
Taliban officials have yet to respond to the incident.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-based-rockets-launched-into-uzbekistan-47383/
--------
Over
50 Afghan children contract unknown disease: Report
6
July, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], July 6 (ANI): More than 50 children in Afghanistan’s southern
Zabul province have contracted an unknown disease, according to local media.
The
disease which is mainly found in Siori region, carries symptoms similar to
cholera, Khaama Press reported.
Abdul
Hakim Hakimi, the Taliban’s head of the public health department in Zabul, said
that a mobile medical team has been sent to the province to examine the
disease.
Meanwhile,
several people in the province have been infected with cholera.
Cholera
is a highly infectious disease caused by consuming food or drinking water
having certain bacteria. It causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting, which causes
dehydration and can lead to death within a few hours if left untreated.
According
to the World Health Organisation, “Cholera remains a global threat to public
health and is an indicator of inequity and lack of social development.”
The
spread of cholera had earlier threatened the Afghan people who continued to
deal with the aftermath of the recent 5.9-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan,
and now the unknown disease has also become a concern.
Afghanistan
is also grappling with a serious humanitarian crisis as according to
international assessments, the country now has the highest number of people in
emergency food insecurity in the world, with more than 23 million in need of
assistance, and approximately 95 per cent of the population having insufficient
food consumption.
Notably,
the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of
the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power in August last year.
Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations
continue unabated, especially against women and minorities.
As
a result of this, women and girls in Afghanistan are facing a human rights
crisis, deprived of the fundamental rights to non-discrimination, education,
work, public participation, and health.
Source:
The Print
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of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/over-50-afghan-children-contract-unknown-disease-report/1027821/
--------
Iceland
Contributes ISK 40 Million to Afghanistan: UNOCHA
By
Saqalain Eqbal
06
Jul 2022
According
to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (UNOCHA),
Iceland provides ISK 40 million ($296,000) to the Afghanistan Humanitarian
Fund.
On
Tuesday, July 5th, UNOCHA tweeted its gratitude to Iceland for its donation of
more than ISK 40 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund (AHF).
Iceland
has generously provided ISK 95 million to the AHF since 2020 with its new
commitment.
The
Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund is one of the UN’s country-based pooled funds. In
order to protect people and rescue lives during humanitarian disasters, UNOCHA
coordinates the international emergency response.
Due
to the economic crisis brought on by the Taliban’s return to power, the United
Nations has continuously requested other countries and international
organizations to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan.
According
to reports from the World Food Program, half of Afghanistan’s population is
currently going hungry as a result of the Taliban gaining control of the
country.
International
assistance was severely curtailed once the Taliban were reinstated in
Afghanistan, and the World Bank’s reconstruction budget was severely
constrained.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/iceland-contributes-isk-40-million-to-afghanistan-unocha-37438/
--------
UNOCHA:
Germany Contributes €50 Million to Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund
By
Saqalain Eqbal
06
Jul 2022
In
its latest humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, Germany provides a
contribution of €50 million, according to an announcement from the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (UNOCHA).
UNOCHA,
in a tweet on Wednesday, July 6th, expressed appreciation from Germany for
contributing an amount of over €50 Million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund
(AHF), making Germany the second-largest donor to contribute to AHF.
Germany
has also committed to providing Afghanistan with €5 million in aid for 2023,
according to OCHA.
“With
an additional contribution of €50M to the AHF for 2022 and commitment of €5M
for 2023 Germany is supporting emergency life-saving responses to assist the
people in need in Afghanistan,” UNOCHA tweeted.
One
of the UN’s country-based pooled funds is the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.
Contributions are gathered into a single, undesignated fund that is then
locally controlled by the UN.
Afghanistan’s
poverty and unemployment have increased due to the country’s political unrest
and drought.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/unocha-germany-contributes-50-million-to-afghanistan-humanitarian-fund-48483/
--------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/barelvi-muslims-fatwa-aala-hazrat-sharia/d/127429