Christchurch Massacre: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Urges Debate over Racism
New
Age Islam News Bureau
15
March 2021
Dave Lintott / AFP | New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern
------
•
New Charges against British-Iranian Aid Worker Zaghari-Ratcliffe
‘Unacceptable’: UK
•
Bangladesh Islamic Foundation: Muslims Are Allowed To Receive Covid Vaccine
While Fasting During Ramadan
•
Hindu Community of Restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pardons Mob for Vandalising
Temple in Pak
•
Experts from China, Russia, Pakistan and Egypt Hail China’s Role in Development
of Xinjiang Muslims, Other Minority Groups
•
A Decade of War In Syria Killed Over 388,000, Says A War Monitor
•
Jailed French Tourist in Iran Benjamin Briere Faces Spying Charges: Lawyer
•
NIA Raids Several Locations across Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala in ISIS-Related
Cases
New Zealand
•
Christchurch Massacre: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Urges Debate over Racism
--------
Europe
•
New Charges against British-Iranian Aid Worker Zaghari-Ratcliffe
‘Unacceptable’: UK
•
Palestine, Arab League condemn opening of Czech diplomatic office in occupied
al-Quds
•
Saudi Air Force jets arrive in Greece for joint drill
•
Sweden: Arson Attack Targets Muslim Children’s School
•
Wife of Syria's Assad Faces War Crimes Probe In UK
--------
South Asia
•
Bangladesh Islamic Foundation: Muslims Are Allowed To Receive Covid Vaccine
While Fasting During Ramadan
•
Bangladesh Islamist Groups Demand Cutting Off Diplomatic Relations with China
for Uighur Persecution
•
Taliban face heavy retaliations in Helmand, Kandahar: Ministry of Defence
•
NDS kills key ‘Daesh Commander’ in Nangarhar
•
Hasty Withdrawal Of International Troops From Afghanistan Will Jeopardize
Global ‘Counterterrorism’ Efforts
•
Afghan forces kill 18 Taliban militants in Kandahar province - Defence ministry
--------
Pakistan
•
Hindu Community of Restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pardons Mob for Vandalising
Temple in Pak
•
Countrywide Protest Planned For Recovery of Shia ‘Missing’ Persons
•
Pakistan among biggest importers of major arms in Asia and Oceania: report
•
'Who gave you the right to judge statements?': Maryam hits back at NAB before
LHC hearing
•
Government’s environment policies recognised globally: PM
•
Incompetent people have been imposed on Pak, says opposition leader Latif
•
Pakistani Scholars Gathering Held on Mabaath
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Experts from China, Russia, Pakistan and Egypt Hail China’s Role in Development
of Xinjiang Muslims, Other Minority Groups
•
Malaysian Govt Files Appeal against Court Ruling Allowing Use Of 'Allah' Word
In Christian Publications
•
Putrajaya to contest High Court decision invalidating 1986 ban on ‘Allah’ use
by Christians
•
Unemployed man in KL fined RM10, 000 for insulting Islam on Facebook
•
Foreign investors stay net buyers of local equities so far in March, says Bank
Islam economist
--------
Arab World
•
A Decade of War In Syria Killed Over 388,000, Says A War Monitor
•
Missile, rocket strikes on fuel tankers in north Syria near Turkey border wound
two
•
Turkey must lay ground for normalizing ties with actions: Egyptian FM
•
Pope Francis renews appeal for Syria on 10th anniversary of conflict
•
Emirati security team hatching conspiracy in Iraq, Asa’ib leader warns
•
Iran denies involvement in Iraq attacks in letter to UN chief
--------
Mideast
•
Jailed French Tourist in Iran Benjamin Briere Faces Spying Charges: Lawyer
•
Iran, Pakistan Call for Halt to West's Support for Terrorist Groups in Region
•
Israel unveils ‘Iron Sting’ guided mortar system for future urban warfare
•
Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem, weeks after establishing ties with Israel
•
Fingers point to Yemen Houthi militia for starting fire that killed African
migrants
•
Defying global outcry, Netanyahu says will legalize West Bank settlements if
re-elected
•
Israeli plot to demolish more Palestinian homes amounts to 'ethnic cleansing':
Rights group
•
Human Rights Official Blasts Biden Administration for Continued Medical
Sanctions against Iran
•
Spokesman: Iran Not to Hold Talks with US on Any Issue
--------
India
•
NIA Raids Several Locations across Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala in ISIS-Related
Cases
•
BJP Condemns Shia Leader Waseem Rizvi’s Remarks about the Quran
•
Waseem Rizvi's blasphemous move sparks widespread resentment in Kashmir
•
Terrorist killed in Shopian encounter, stone-pelters try to disrupt op
•
Arrested terrorist was planning political killings in Doda: Army
•
For Khwaja Yunus’ Aging Mother, Arrest of Waze Is ‘Poetic Justice’
•
Pakistani drone spotted in Punjab's Bamial, returns after BSF opens fire
•
Indian army shares counter terrorist operation tactics with soldiers of
Uzbekistan army
--------
Africa
•
Video Shows Gunmen Beating Kidnapped Students in Nigeria
•
Armed bandits attack another Nigerian school as 39 students still missing
•
UN Urges Withdrawal of Mercenaries from Libya, Welcomes Unity Government
•
Tigray conflict: Ethiopia says US allegations of 'ethnic cleansing' unfounded
•
Nigeria: 19 killed in Boko Haram terror attack
--------
North America
•
US Lawmakers Urge Biden to Stop Israel’s Land Theft, Home Demolition Policies
•
Erdogan awaits call from Biden amid attempted reset in US-Turkey relations
•
US plans to reinvigorate diplomatic effort alongside UN in Yemen: State
Department
•
US military presence in Afghanistan much larger than disclosed: US media
•
Biden difference in rhetoric, same as Trump in policy towards Iran, others:
Analyst
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/christchurch-massacre-new-zealand-pm/d/124546
--------
Christchurch
Massacre: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Urges Debate over Racism
Dave Lintott / AFP | New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern
------
15
March 2021
New
Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called for more discussions to
address the divisive issue of racism, two years after scores of Muslims were
killed and injured in a mass shooting that target two mosques.
Speaking
to reporters in Wellington on Monday as mourners gathered in Christchurch at a
memorial marking the second anniversary of the attacks on Muslim worshipers,
Ardern, who hails from the Kiwis' Labour Party, said "there is still work
to be done".
"Two
years ago today 51 New Zealanders lives were taken in the March 15 mosque
attack. Our thoughts continue to be with the victims, injured survivors,
families and all those affected by the events of that day. I know we're all
committed to ensuring such an attack never happens on our soil again, and for
our part, that's why we have put in place an extensive program of work to
implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the
attack," she said.
"Members
of our Muslim community were experiencing some pretty horrific racism before
that attack here in their own communities" she added.
"The
world needs to have these conversations," Ardern said.
"In
the aftermath of the attack it was incumbent on New Zealand to get its house in
order," Ardern pointed out, adding that it was not fair to say that
because the terrorist came from Australia, that New Zealand didn't have a
responsibility.
Ardern
said every global leader has a responsibility as their voice can be broadcast
anywhere, at any time. "Countries need to take that into account,"
she noted.
Ardern
had previously apologized on behalf of law enforcement agencies and security
officials, who before the Christchurch attacks had been focused exclusively on
the possibility of threats posed by 'Islamic extremist groups.'
The
gunman, self-proclaimed white supremacist Australian Brenton Tarrant, 30,
killed and injured a large number of Muslim worshippers praying at Al Noor and
Linwood mosques, while streaming the brutal killings on Facebook.
Tarrant
was sentenced last year to life in prison, without parole, for 51 charges of
murder, 40 charges of attempted murder and one of terrorism. Before the
attacks, he had released a manifesto emphasizing the supremacy of the White
race over other races.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647333/Terrorism-New-Zealand-Prime-Minister-Jacinda-Ardern-Chritchurch-Racism
--------
New
Charges against British-Iranian Aid Worker Zaghari-Ratcliffe ‘Unacceptable’: UK
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her daughter Gabriella
in a photo taken in 2016
----
14
March, 2021
New
charges of “propaganda against the system” made by Iran against British-Iranian
national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a week after she finished serving a
five-year sentence, are “unacceptable,” Britain said Sunday.
“It
is unacceptable that Iran has chosen to continue a second wholly arbitrary case
against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote on Twitter.
“She
must be allowed to return to her family in the UK without delay. We continue to
do all we can to support her,” he added.
Earlier
on Sunday, Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s lawyer said she stood trial at Iran’s
Revolutionary court.
“Her
trial was held at branch 15 of the Revolutionary court. Her charge is
propaganda against the system,” he told the Iranian Emtedad website.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/14/New-charges-against-British-Iranian-aid-worker-Zaghari-Ratcliffe-unacceptable-UK
--------
Bangladesh
Islamic Foundation: Muslims Are Allowed To Receive Covid Vaccine While Fasting
During Ramadan
File photo of a health worker administering a jab
during the ongoing nationwide Covid-19 vaccine campaign Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka
Tribune
-----
March
15th, 2021
So
far, Covid-19 has claimed 8,545 lives and infected 557,395 people in Bangladesh
Muslims
can receive Covid-19 vaccine during Ramadan fast, said Islamic Foundation.
Religious
Affairs Ministry issued a press release in this regard on Monday after a view
exchange meeting at the Islamic Foundation on Sunday.
Director
General of Islamic Foundation Dr Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahman presided over the
meeting while high official concerned were present there.
Religious
Affairs Secretary Mohamamd Nurul Islam was present as the chief guest of the
meeting.
During
the meeting, they said as the vaccine does not enter the stomach directly it
will not break the fast. So it any person get vaccinated in the day time it
will not breakfast.
Covid-19
in Bangladesh
Covid-19
claimed 18 more lives and infected 1,159 more in Bangladesh in the last 24
hours till Sunday morning, showing a sharp rise both in the number of deaths
and daily infections.
With
the latest figures, the Covid-19 fatalities climbed to 8,545 and total
infections to 557,395, according to a handout of the Directorate General of
Health Services (DGHS).
The
daily infection rate jumped to 7.15% on Sunday from 6.26% on Saturday.
But
the mortality rate remained static at 1.53% on Saturday and Sunday which was
1.54% in the past few weeks, the DGHS said in a handout.
The
virus infection rate had come down to below 5% on January 19 last. It even had
come down below 3%. However, the infection rate soared again on Tuesday last as
it increased to 5.13%.
2021/03/local-portel-770-x-90-1615141235923.gif
The
infection rate was 5.98% on Wednesday while 5.82% on Thursday, 6.62% on Friday
and 6.26% on Saturday.
The
country's daily Covid-19 cases stayed below the 1,000-mark before Wednesday
when the daily Covid-19 cases rose to 1,018.
Besides,
1,385 people recovered from the virus infections during the period. So far,
511,695 patients (91.80%) have recovered, according to the DGHS.
Bangladesh
reported its first cases on March 8, 2020 and the first death on March 18 in
the same year.
Authorities
have so far tested 4,264,551 samples, including 16,206 in the past 24 hours.
Covid-19
vaccination drive in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
launched its nationwide Covid-19 vaccination drive on February 7.
By
Sunday, 4,398,094 people received the first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca
vaccine. The second dose has to be taken between 8 and 12 weeks of the first
one.
The
government is providing the vaccine for free. It signed an agreement with
India's Serum Institute for acquiring 30 million doses of the vaccine.
The
institute will provide five million doses every month between January and June.
Those who are 40 or above can register for getting the jab at
www.surokkha.gov.bd as the on-spot registration system has been revoked.
Health
Minister Zahid Maleque has said the age limit for getting the vaccine will be
revised once more doses are available in the country.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2021/03/15/islamic-foundation-muslims-are-allowed-to-receive-covid-19-vaccine-during-ramadan-fast
--------
Hindu
Community of Restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pardons Mob for Vandalising Temple in
Pak
Mar
15, 2021
PESHAWAR:
The Hindu community in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has decided to
pardon the mob that vandalised and burned down a century-old temple in the
province. The local clerics and members of the Hindu community held a meeting
on Saturday to resolve the dispute.
As
per the dialogue, informally called ‘jigra’, the accused have tendered an
apology over the attack. The Muslim clerics have assured full protection to the
Hindus and their rights as per the country’s constitution.
A
reconciliation statement would be presented to the Supreme Court, in a bid to
secure the release of the accused. Speaking to the media, Pakistan Hindu
Council chairman Ramesh Kumar said the incident had hurt the feelings of Hindus
across the world.
Kumar,
who is also a member of the ruling PTI, said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Mahmood Khan
had chaired the ‘jigra’ meet and thanked him for the amicable settlement of the
matter. Khan, in his address, had strongly condemned the attack, calling it an
attempt to pollute the peaceful environment in the province. On December 30, a
mob led by local clerics and members of the radical Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party
vandalised the temple. Nearly 50 people have been arrested. PTI
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/hindu-community-pardons-mob-for-vandalising-temple-in-pak/articleshow/81502372.cms
--------
Experts
from China, Russia, Pakistan and Egypt Hail China’s Role in Development of
Xinjiang Muslims, Other Minority Groups
March
14, 2021
By
Mian Abrar
ISLAMABAD:
Speakers from various countries have unanimously hailed the Chinese
government’s role in development of its ethnic minority groups especially the
way China has supported and protected the development of its ethnic minority
groups while Muslims in Xinjiang Province.
Participants
from several countries including China, Russia, Pakistan and Egypt talked about
China’s policies on its ethnic minority groups and agreed that the Uygur
Muslims are enjoying full religious and ethnic rights and their right to
worship and religion is fully protected under the law.
Addressing
a virtual conference held on the side-lines of the 46th Session of the UN Human
Rights Council, the executive vice president of China Family Planning
Association, Yao Ying, said that the Chinese government has made every effort
to promote the development of ethnic minority groups and improve their health
and living standards.
“Xinjiang
has set a successful example. From 2010 to 2018, the Uygur population in
Xinjiang rose from over 10 million to more than 12 million, seeing an increase
of over 25 per cent,” she said.
She
added that the development is an external theme of human society and only
through development, can the fundamental rights of people be guaranteed.
“China
is always committed to the people-centered philosophy of development.
Respecting the people’s principled position in the country ensures peoples’
equal rights. Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasised that no one should be
left behind,” she said.
Ying
said that the Chinese government has especially formulated a program for
developing the ethnic minorities’ areas. She said that in the 13th Five-Year
Plan, the strategic importance of ethnic minorities and ethnic regions has been
highlighted.
“China
has 55 ethnic minorities groups and 155 autonomous ethnic minority areas.
China’s government has made every effort to promote and improve the health and
living standards of ethnic minorities,” she said.
Ying
said that Xinjiang is a good example where birth rate of Uygur population in
not only higher than Xinjiang’s total population, but it also is higher than
all ethnic minorities groups in across China.
Muhatiremu
Xiripu, the deputy secretary general of Islamic Association in Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, said that in Xinjiang, normal religious activities are
guaranteed.
“There
are 103 Islamic Associations in Xinjiang and each mosque manages its own
religious activities. The property of the mosque is protected by law. The
access of Muslim people to religious knowledge is unobstructed,” he said.
Xiripu
said that China firmly upholds the concept of people-centered development,
respects the people’s principal position in the country, ensures their equal
participation and right to development.
“Setting
the improvement of people’s well-being and steady progress towards common
prosperity as the aim and outcome of development, China makes its people the
main participants, promoters and beneficiaries of development, enables its
people to enjoy better education, more stable jobs, more satisfying income,
more reliable social security, better quality healthcare services, more
comfortable living conditions and a more beautiful environment, so as to
promote the development of its people in all aspects,” he said.
He
added that China’s development philosophy has contributed to the enrichment and
improvement of the concept of the right to development.
He
further said that the right to development is the right of individuals, peoples
and nations to participate actively, freely and meaningfully in political,
economic, social and cultural development and to enjoy equitably the benefits
resulting therefrom.
“The
Chinese government has made every effort to accelerate the development of
ethnic minority regions and improve the health and living standards of ethnic
minority people. Xinjiang is a successful example of such efforts. Xinjiang is
the largest provincial administrative region with the longest land border and
the largest number of bordering countries in China, accounting for about 1/6 of
China’s total land area,” Xiripu said.
Hong
Ping, the commissioner of China Family Planning Association, said that there
are 55 ethnic minorities in China, and Xinjiang is the home to people of 47
ethnic minorities.
“Since
the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xinjiang has
achieved unprecedented outcomes in economic and social development and
livelihood improvement, and attained remarkable results in healthcare, poverty
alleviation, infrastructure construction, environmental protection and drinking
water safety,” she said.
She
said that Chinese civil society has played an active role in promoting the
development of China’s ethnic minorities, and relevant international
organisations and foreign friends have also contributed important efforts.
She
said that in order to facilitate the international community to better
understand the latest development in Xinjiang and to discuss topics of shared
interest, the China Family Planning Association and the China Population and
Development Research Centre had jointly organise the virtual workshop on the
theme of “Development of Ethnic Minorities and Protection of Human Rights in
China”.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/03/14/experts-hail-chinas-role-in-development-of-xinjiang-muslims-other-minority-groups/
--------
A
decade of war in Syria killed over 388,000, says a war monitor
14
March ,2021
The
overall death toll for Syria’s civil war has reached 388,652 since it began a
decade ago this month, a war monitor said on Sunday.
The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the figures includes
almost 117,388 civilians, among them more than 22,000 children.
Attacks
by the Syrian regime and allied militia forces accounted for the majority of
civilian deaths, said the Britain-based monitor which relies on sources inside
Syria for its reports.
The
Observatory’s previous tally was issued in December and stood at more than
387,000.
Observatory
head Rami Abdel Rahman said 2020 saw the lowest annual death toll since the war
began with just over 10,000 deaths.
Battles
slowed this year as a ceasefire held in northwestern Syria and attention turned
to containing the coronavirus pandemic.
The
Observatory also documented at least 16,000 deaths in government prisons and
detention centers since the conflict erupted in 2011 after the brutal
repression of anti-government protests.
It
said, however, that the real number was likely higher because its tally does no
include 88,000 people believed to have died of torture in regime prisons.
Today
the Damascus government controls more than 60 percent of Syria after a string
of Russia-backed victories against extremists and rebels since 2015.
Among
the regions still beyond its reach are the last opposition enclave of Idlib in
the northwest, Turkish-held areas along the northern border, and northeastern
parts of the country held by US-backed Kurdish forces.
The
war has forced more than half the country’s pre-war population to flee their
homes.
Some
200,000 people have gone missing, according to the war monitor.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/14/Syria-crisis-A-decade-of-war-in-Syria-killed-over-388-000-says-a-war-monitor
--------
Jailed
French tourist in Iran Benjamin Briere faces spying charges: Lawyer
15
March ,2021
French
tourist Benjamin Briere, who was arrested in Iran 10 months ago, faces charges
of “spying and propaganda against the system,” one of his lawyers Saeid Dehghan
told Reuters on Monday.
“On
Sunday, March 15, he was charged with two counts of espionage and propaganda
against the Islamic Republic,” Dehghan said, adding that Briere faces a
long-term jail sentence.
Iran’s
judiciary was not available to comment. Last month, France’s foreign ministry
confirmed that a French citizen was being held in Iran, adding that it was
monitoring the situation.
Dehghan
said the 35-year-old had been arrested after flying a drone in the desert near
the Turkmenistan-Iran border.
“He
is in Vakilabad prison in the city of Mashhad. His health is good and he has
access to his lawyers and he benefits from consular protection and the French
embassy officials have been in regular contact with him,” Dehghan said.
The
lawyer said he has been charged with “propaganda against the system” because of
a post on social media, in which he said “the hijab is mandatory” in the
Islamic Republic of Iran, but not in other Islamic countries.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/15/Jailed-French-tourist-in-Iran-Benjamin-Briere-faces-spying-charges-Lawyer
--------
NIA
raids several locations across Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala in ISIS-related cases
Mar
15, 2021
NEW
DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted raids at
several locations across Delhi, Kerala and Karnataka in a major crackdown on
Islamic State (ISIS) modules, said sources.
An
NIA source said that the multiple agency sleuths are carrying out searches at
seven locations in Delhi, Karnataka and Kerala.
In
Delhi, the searches are being carried out in the Jafrabad area and two
locations are being searched in Bengaluru.
The
agency sleuths are also carrying out searches at four locations in Kerala's
Kochi and Kunoor, reported IANS.
"The
people whose premises are being searched can be arrested after
questioning," the source added.
More
details are awaited.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/nia-raids-underway-at-5-locations-in-isis-related-cases/articleshow/81504865.cms
--------
Europe
Palestine,
Arab League condemn opening of Czech diplomatic office in occupied al-Quds
14
March 2021
The
Palestinian Authority and the Arab League have strongly condemned the Czech
Republic for opening a diplomatic office in the occupied Jerusalem al-Quds,
calling it as a clear violation of international law.
The
Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in a statement on
Saturday said Prague’s move is “a blatant attack on Palestinian people, their
rights and a flagrant violation of international law.”
The
decision is a revolt against Europe's stance on the legal and political status
of Jerusalem al-Quds, which is an integral part of Palestinian territories
occupied in 1967, it said.
The
move, it said, will have dramatic consequences, and harm the prospects for any
settlement of the Middle East conflict.
The
ministry also held the Czech government fully and directly responsible for the
consequences of the decision in relations with Palestine, Arab and Muslim countries.
It
also urged EU states and their foreign ministers, as well as EU foreign policy
chief Josep Borrell, to intervene and make Prague reverse the decision.
Arab
League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the legal status of Jerusalem
al-Quds will not be affected by the decision of one country or another to open
representative offices.
He
said East Jerusalem al-Quds is an occupied land under the international law.
On
March 11, Prague opened a diplomatic office in Jerusalem al-Quds. The Czech
Foreign Ministry said it was not an embassy, and was meant to strengthen
Prague’s strategic partnership with Tel Aviv and improve services for Czech
citizens there.
Speaking
beside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Czech counterpart Andrej
Babis said Prague was a “strategic partner” of Israel.
On
May 14, 2018, former president Donald Trump officially announced the opening of
a new US embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds.
He
had recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel in December 2017,
promising to relocate the US diplomatic mission from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
The
decision sparked outrage among Palestinians, who deem Jerusalem al-Quds as the
future capital of a Palestinian state.
Guatemala
opened an embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds two days after the United States
inaugurated its new site in the occupied city.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647254/Palestine,-Arab-League-condemn-opening-of-Czech-diplomatic-office-in-occupied-al-Quds
--------
Saudi
Air Force jets arrive in Greece for joint drill
Magda
Panoutsopoulou
15.03.2021
As
part of military cooperation between Greece and Saudi Arabia, six Royal Saudi
Air Force F-15s arrived on the Greek island of Crete this weekend, said a
Hellenic National Defense General Staff statement on Sunday.
A
joint exercise between Greece and Saudi Arabia this month from Crete’s Souda
Air Force Base aims for both sides to train in complex air operations such as
achieving air superiority/supremacy as well as protection and attack on land
and sea targets, according to the statement.
This
is the first visit to Greece by the 115th Battalion of the Saudi Royal Air
Force.
In
the Eastern Mediterranean exercise, Greece and Saudi Arabia will work for peace
and stability in the region, said Hellenic Chief of General Staff Gen.
Konstantinos Floros on Twitter.
The
Saudi personnel were welcomed by Saudi Ambassador to Greece Saad bin
Abdulrahman Al-Ammar and other officials.
“The
particularly important presence of the Saudi Armed Forces in Souda is added to,
among others, those of the United Arab Emirates, France, the USA and [Greek]
Cyprus and highlights the important role of Crete in consolidating security and
stability in the wider region of the Central and Eastern Mediterranean as well
as the Middle East,” the statement said.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/saudi-air-force-jets-arrive-in-greece-for-joint-drill/2175860
--------
Sweden:
Arson attack targets Muslim children’s school
Atila
Altuntas
14.03.2021
STOCKHOLM
A
fire broke out on Sunday at a private school in central Sweden where Muslim
children are educated, said media reports.
Hussein
Aldaodi, the principal of Alsalamskolan School in the province of Orebro, told
Swedish state broadcaster SVT that footage on school security cameras showed
two people setting fire to the school.
"In
the footage, two masked men break windows on the lower floor of the school and
throw flammable materials inside," Aldaodi said.
“Because
it was early in the morning, our only consolation was that no one was in the
school," he added.
Police
have launched an investigation into the incident.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/sweden-arson-attack-targets-muslim-children-s-school/2175632
--------
Wife
of Syria's Assad faces war crimes probe in UK
Muhammad
Mussa
14.03.2021
LONDON
Asma
al-Assad, the wife of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, is facing possible
prosecution for crimes against humanity by inciting and encouraging acts of
terrorism against the people of Syria.
Guernica
37 International Justice Chambers, a human rights law firm, submitted a
confidential filing to the War Crimes Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service
Counter-Terrorism Command on Saturday to open an investigation against Assad,
who is a dual Syrian-British national.
“The
legal team at Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers has been investigating
this matter for a number of months and has submitted two confidential filings
with the War Crimes Unit,” the firm said in a statement.
“It
is important to hold not only those who carry out these horrific crimes
accountable but also those who promote, incite, encourage and glorify such
acts. We are seeking to ensure that the process of truth and justice is meted
out equally to all persons irrespective of status and standing.”
The
firm said it is imperative that Assad faces prosecution in the UK and is not
simply stripped of her citizenship.
“We
recognize that it would be politically expedient to merely strip any person
accused of their citizenship. That will not serve the interests of the hundreds
of thousands of civilian victims to the ten-year conflict,” read the statement.
The
law firm called for Assad to face trial before an English court “where the
process will be independent and impartial and will look solely at the evidence
irrespective of any political considerations.”
“This
is an important step in holding senior political officials accountable for
their acts and ensuring that a State, through an independent and impartial
legal process, takes responsibility for the acts of its own nationals,” the
statement added.
-
‘Systematic approach to torture, murder’
Guernica
37 accused the Syrian regime of systematic torture and murder of civilians.
Citing
numerous sources and witnesses, the firm said the regime used an array of
tactics to repress protests and sanctioned the use of excessive and lethal
force against Syrian civilians.
These
include firing live ammunition indiscriminately at civilian protesters, the use
of chemical weapons, and the mass arbitrary detainment of civilians without
access to lawyers or a fair trial, the firm said.
“The
Syrian Government is clearly guilty of a systematic approach to the torture and
murder of civilians,” read the statement.
“We
see this systematic approach being evidenced at all stages in that even before
the armed conflict existed within the State, those who sought to protest
against the regime were made subject to arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention,
torture and other forms of ill treatment during that detention and ultimately
extra-judicial execution.”
In
March 2011, the people of Syria, inspired by events in Egypt and Tunisia, rose
up against Bashar al-Assad’s regime and demanded political reforms and
freedoms.
What
began as peaceful demonstrations quickly descended into a civil war as the
Syrian people were forced to take up arms to defend themselves against a
violent regime.
Now
in its 10th year, the Syrian conflict rages on with no immediate end in sight.
More
than half a million Syrian civilians have been killed in the conflict, over a
million have been severely injured, and over 12 million people have been
displaced, either internally, or externally in other countries, read the
statement.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/wife-of-syrias-assad-faces-war-crimes-probe-in-uk/2175649
--------
South Asia
Bangladesh
Islamist groups demand cutting off diplomatic relations with China for Uighur
persecution
Mar
13, 2021
Leaders
of several Islamist groups in Bangladesh have demanded that the government
should cut off its diplomatic relations with China if it does not stop the
persecution of Uighur muslims. The demand was made in a rally in front of the
Baitul Mukarram mosque in Dhaka after the Friday prayers.
Chairman
of the Bangladesh Janosheba Andolan Mufti Fakhrul Islam demanded that the
Chinese ambassador should be expelled from Bangladesh if the persecution of
Uighur muslims does not stop in China.
The
leaders at the rally also called for a boycott of Chinese goods as a mark of
protest against the treatment of the Uighur.
Secretary
General of the Khelafot Andolon Alhaj Azam Khan called upon the democratic
countries of the world to raise their voice together against the oppressive
behaviour of the Chinese government.
He
alleged that the Chinese government has been carrying out genocide against the
mostly Muslim ethnic Uighur in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of China
since last several years.
The
Xinjiang province situated in the northwestern region of China is home to over
11 million Turkic speaking ethnic group Uighur who are mostly Muslims. Chinese
government has been accused of forced detention of Uighur in specially designed
camps and torture ostensibly to control spread of extremism in the area
especially since 2017.
http://www.newsonair.com/News?title=Bangladesh-Islamist-groups-demand-cutting-off-diplomatic-relations-with-China-for-Uighur-persecution&id=411821
--------
Taliban
face heavy retaliations in Helmand, Kandahar: Ministry of Defence
14
Mar 2021
Afghanistan’s
Ministry of Defense said in a tweet that 25 Taliban members including a
commander of group’s red unit were killed in Helmand province on Saturday.
MoD
stated that Elham, Taliban’s red unit commander is also among the killed,
further 7 Taliban affiliates are wounded in ANA’s counterattacks.
The
clashes between the Taliban and Afghan National Army escalated when several
security check points were attacked by the Taliban in Bolan and Boshran areas
of Lashkargah city in Helmand province.
In
another incident, Ministry of Defense said that 13 Taliban fighters were killed
and one another was wounded in Kandahar province.
According
to MoD the Taliban fighters were killed and wounded in Afghan national defense
and security forces operation in Zherai, Arghandab and Pajwai districts of the
province.
MoD
tweeted seven of the Taliban strongholds were also wrecked during the ANDSF
operation.
ANDSF
during the mission also discovered and defused seven IEDs, MoD reported.
This
comes despite the peace efforts in Doha, Qatar.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-face-heavy-retaliations-in-helmand-kandahar-ministry-of-defense-5345377/
--------
NDS
kills key ‘Daesh Commander’ in Nangarhar
15
Mar 2021
According
to the local officials, NDS’ special operatives clashed with Islamic State
militants (Daesh) in the Mohmand district of eastern Nangarhar on Sunday night.
National
Directorate of Security (NDS) special forces clashed with Islamic State
militants in Mohmand district of eastern Nangarhar province on Sunday night,
killing the district chief, Mahmood Jan, officials said.
“Mahmood
Jan”, the ISI-K district chief was killed during the operation.
Sources
indicated that the killed individual was a well-known Daesh fighter and the
group’s commander, who time to time plotted violent attacks on security forces.
A
provincial official reported that the Afghan security forces arrested three
other Daesh members.
Meanwhile,
Mohammad Saber Tokhi an area representative in the Qalat district was targeted
by an IED explosion.
Hekmatullah
Kochi, commander of Zabul police told the media, that the incident happened at
around 9:00 am this morning in the Chowk area in Qalat city.
Taliban
took the responsibility for the attack.
This
comes despite peace efforts in Afghanistan, just recently Los Angeles times
reported that Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said that the war in the country will
intensify and the Taliban could threaten major cities unless the Biden
administration does not push for an end to the conflict within the coming two
months.
LA
TIMES quoted Gen. McKenzie saying: “If we withdraw and no deal was made with
the Taliban, I think the government of Afghanistan is going to be in for a very
stiff fight to retain possession of towns and cities”.
President
Ashraf Ghani and General McKenzie had a meeting on Saturday in Kabul, both
discussed the security situation, the peace process, and America’s support to
Afghan national defense and security forces.
The
war in the country is so complex at a level that Interior Ministry spokesman
Tariq Arian said that according to the MoI investigations, a private media
outlet was involved in the transfer of explosives.
He
added there are serious questions in this regard and that MoI is working to
find the desired answer for it.
Arian
did not provide any further details about the media outlet.
https://www.khaama.com/nds-kills-key-daesh-commander-in-nangarhar-5344388/
--------
Hasty
Withdrawal Of International Troops From Afghanistan Will Jeopardize Global
‘Counterterrorism’ Efforts
14
Mar 2021
Masoud
Andarabi, Afghan Interior Minister warns against the speedy withdrawal of
international troops from Afghanistan on Saturday, he claimed that the Taliban
have not yet cut their ties with Al-Qaeda and the hasty withdrawal will further
persuade the insurgency and will worsen global counterterrorism incessant
efforts.
Andarabi
in an interview with The Associated Press said that Afghan defense forces
backed by U.S support have maintained to put pressures on various terrorist
groups in Afghanistan including Daesh.
Andarabi
during his interview confidently expressed that following the U.S troops
withdrawal Afghan national defense and security forces can hold their ground
but would still require aid and air support to maintain the outposts and
checkpoints.
“The
Afghan security forces are fully capable of defending the capital and the
cities and the territories that we are present in right now,” AP quoted
Andarabi.
The
Interior Minister added, “we think that the Afghan security forces this year
have proven to the Taliban that they will not be able to gain territory”.
Following
the U.S-Taliban deal in Qatar, Afghanistan and its people hoped for a serenity,
instead the violence spiked and raged crueler than ever.
In
regards to complaints about rampant Kabul crimes, Andarabi added that 70
percent of ANP members are busy fighting the Taliban and eroded most of the
attention from maintaining law and order.
According
to Andarabi Afghan National Police has to face and confront approximately 100
Taliban offensives across the country, besides such harsh conditions law and
order forces managed to have 400 arrests in the past month.
He
reiterated that Afghanistan still is in need of continued support from the
international community including NATO and the United States both during the
war and the peace.
According
to Andarabi, more work needs to be done to reintegrate tens and thousands of
men, armed men, in various parts of the country into a peacetime society,
regardless of which faction they belong to.
Andarabi
also pointed out that police are facing intimidating fight against narcotics in
Afghanistan which produces more than 4,000 tons of opium, massively produced
more than the combination of other opium-producing country.
He
said that peace will provide the opportunity to the Afghan police to fight the
illegal production of drugs in the country that is also fueling criminal
activities.
The
Interior Ministry of Afghanistan warned of the hasty, unplanned withdrawal just
seven weeks before the May 1st deadline.
Washington
has not yet finalized their decision on troops pullout from war-torn
Afghanistan.
https://www.khaama.com/hasty-withdrawal-will-jeopardize-global-counterterrorism-efforts-4324321/
--------
Afghan
forces kill 18 Taliban militants in Kandahar province - Defence ministry
Mar
15, 2021
KABUL:
At least 18 Taliban militants were killed during a special operation in the
Afghan southern Kandahar province, according to the country's Defense Ministry.
The
Afghan defense and security forces, supported by the air forces, held a joint
operation in the Arghandab and Zheri districts of the Kandahar province also
injuring three other Taliban militants, the ministry said.
The
intra-Afghan talks in Doha have so far failed to put an end to the
confrontation on the ground. On the contrary, Afghanistan has witnessed a spate
of bomb attacks and clashes in recent months, with the military continuing to
regularly conduct operations against Taliban militants.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/afghan-forces-kill-18-taliban-militants-in-kandahar-province-defense-ministry/articleshow/81509803.cms
--------
Pakistan
Countrywide
protest planned for recovery of Shia ‘missing’ persons
March
15, 2021
KARACHI:
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) for Shia missing persons and families of
enforced disappearance on Sunday warned countrywide protest from next month if
their loved ones were not recovered by the end of the current month.
Speaking
at a press conference here at the Karachi Press Club, Allama Mubashir Hassan,
Alimdar Haider and Ali Hussain Naveed expressed grave concern over the
non-recovery of their loved ones and alleged that the government and state
institutions were not serious in their recovery.
They
said despite repeated assurances from the authorities the missing persons had
not returned to their home or been traced.
“Our
concern has heightened due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The
recovery of missing persons has put strain on our patience. If our youth are
not recovered by the end of this month, the families of the enforced
disappearances will protest across the country from April 2,” the JAC warned.
They
said they had reached out to every powerful authority, including state
institutions, but nothing happened so far.
They
said discrimination on the basis of religion or creed was a cruel act and the
worst violation of the Constitution and the law. “People who have been picked
up from their homes, if involved in any crime, should be brought before the
courts as per the Constitution and law. But this is not being done. Despite
repeated assurances from the agencies concerned the missing persons are still
untraceable.”
The
JAC leaders said that more and more people were being secretly rounded up every
day. “If the missing persons are guilty, they should be punished according to
the law but no one has the power to impose extrajudicial punishment.”
The
JAC has announced a nationwide protest on April 2 for the recovery of missing
persons.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612576/countrywide-protest-planned-for-recovery-of-shia-missing-persons
--------
Pakistan
among biggest importers of major arms in Asia and Oceania: report
March
15, 2021
Pakistan
was among the biggest importers of major arms in Asia and Oceania from
2016-2020, a report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute (Sipri) said on Monday.
Asia
and Oceania was the largest importing region for major arms, receiving 42 per
cent of global arms transfers in 2016–2020. In addition to Pakistan, India,
Australia, China and South Korea were also among the biggest importers in the
region.
Exports
by China, the world’s fifth largest arms exporter in 2016–20, decreased by
7.8pc between 2011–2015 and 2016–2020. Chinese arms exports accounted for 5.2pc
of total arms exports in 2016–2020. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Algeria were the
largest recipients of Chinese arms.
“For
many states in Asia and Oceania, a growing perception of China as a threat is
the main driver for arms imports,” said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher at
Sipri, said.
The
report noted that international deliveries of arms were flat in the period
2016-2020, ending more than a decade of increases.
The
United States, France and Germany — three of the world’s biggest exporters —
increased deliveries, but falls in exports from Russian and China offset the
rise, Sipri said.
It
was the first time since 2001–2005 that the volume of deliveries of major arms
between countries — an indicator of demand — did not increase from the previous
five year period, Sipri said.
While
the pandemic has shut down economies across the world and pushed many countries
into deep recessions, Sipri said it was too early to tell whether the slowdown
in arms deliveries was likely to continue.
“The
economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic could see some countries reassessing
their arms imports in the coming years,” Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher with
the Sipri Arms and Military Expenditure Programme, said in a statement.
“However,
at the same time, even at the height of the pandemic in 2020, several countries
signed large contracts for major arms.”
The
United Arab Emirates, for example, recently signed an agreement with the United
States to purchase 50 F-35 jets and up to 18 armed drones as part of a $23
billion package.
Middle
Eastern countries accounted for the biggest increase in arms imports, up 25pc
in 2016–2020 from 2011–15.
Saudi
Arabia, the world’s biggest arms importer, increased its arms imports by 61pc
and Qatar by 361pc.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612678/pakistan-among-biggest-importers-of-major-arms-in-asia-and-oceania-report
--------
'Who
gave you the right to judge statements?': Maryam hits back at NAB before LHC
hearing
March
15, 2021
PML-N
Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Monday lashed out at the National Accountability
Bureau (NAB) for making an issue about her statements and questioned who gave
the accountability watchdog the right to judge her statements.
She
was speaking to the media at her Jati Umra residence in Lahore, before a
hearing in the Lahore High Court on a NAB petition for cancellation of her bail
in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM) case.
"Who
gave you the right to judge statements? Your job was to supposedly stop
corruption. Now that you've failed in that, you have changed your
responsibilities?"
She
said the various institutions such as the army and the courts had their own
spokespersons so who had appointed NAB as the spokesperson.
"Who
are they to find responsibilities for themselves about who is issuing what
statements?"
Maryam
railed against NAB and claimed that the institution did not know the boundaries
of its own authority, adding that a case should be registered against it.
She
alleged that NAB had uttered a "great lie" about her not cooperating
or obstructing the investigation in the money laundering charges against her in
the CSM case.
She
said she had presented herself at the NAB office for her hearing but the
institution itself resorted to delaying tactics and did not attend to her.
"For
three months on the pretext of investigations you kept me in NAB and what did
you do?" said Maryam, adding that nothing but trivial and unrelated
questions had been asked of her.
She
claimed NAB had still not been able to successfully register a reference
against her over the charges she had been arrested for.
"In
front of me, the judge in the court asked them many times that where is your
reference? They looked here and there [but had no answer]. If a reference was
merited then they would have made it."
Maryam
said the arrest threat was nothing more than an attempt to deflate the growing
momentum of the PML-N's opposition against the government and "save their
own sinking ship".
"I
am a Pakistani citizen, the Constitution and the law give me the right" to
make political statements and call out the shortcomings of the government,
Maryam said.
"What
is a politician supposed to do if not represent the nation?" she asked.
"If
you think that you will be able to scare Maryam Nawaz by threats of jail and
bail cancellation then this will never happen [...] Maryam Nawaz has returned
after serving baseless jail terms twice, I will serve it a third time
too."
NAB
had submitted a petition with the LHC for Maryam's bail cancellation in the CSM
case.
The
petition claimed that Maryam had been making statements against state
institutions since her bail and tarnishing their image.
The
petition was roundly condemned by PML-N leaders who said it was nothing more
than an effort to "gag" Maryam.
Maryam
was arrested by NAB in the CSM case in August 2019. The accountability watchdog
suspects her of involvement in money laundering through investments of variable
heavy amounts as one of the main shareholders of the mills.
She
was later released on bail in November 2019 by a two-member LHC bench,
comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, against two
surety bonds worth Rs10 million each, and an additional Rs70m as well as
surrendering her passport.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612677/who-gave-you-the-right-to-judge-statements-maryam-hits-back-at-nab-before-lhc-hearing
--------
Government’s
environment policies recognised globally: PM
March
15, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that his government’s
environment-friendly policies had been recognised and praised at the
international level.
On
Twitter, the prime minister posted a video of the World Economic Forum which
showed three ways that Pakistan had adopted for building a greener future.
“Globally
PTI’s (Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf) environment policies are being recognised
especially our green recovery programme from the Covid 19 pandemic and our
climate action plan,” Mr Khan tweeted.
The
video showed that Pakistan had pledged to produce 60 per cent energy from
renewable sources by 2030 and cancelled all coal-based projects, replacing them
with hydro-electric projects.
It
said Pakistan had created more than 85,000 green jobs from plant care to
protection of forests. “It (Pakistan) has trained 5,000 young people to be
nature guardians,” the video said, adding that Pakistan had invested in green
spaces and attracted $180 million funding.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612612/governments-environment-policies-recognised-globally-pm
--------
Incompetent
people have been imposed on Pak, says opposition leader Latif
March
15, 2021
Lashing
out at the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
government in Pakistan, opposition leader Javed Latif on Sunday said that some
'incompetent people have been imposed on the nation'.
Latif
was addressing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers, who had gathered
outside his residence, according to Geo News.
Instructing
the workers to prepare for the long march under the banner of the opposition
alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Latif said: "The purpose of
the march is to get rid of this incompetent [government]. For the march,
caravans should leave every neighbourhood and union council of [the
city]."
He
also said that even if someone sees the future generations of Pakistan
"sinking" or moving towards a decline, they are expected to stay
silent for the fear of being labelled a traitor.
"Call
me a traitor, hang me, but we will not let Pakistan sink as long as we are
alive," Latif said.
Earlier,
Latif had said that if anything happens to Maryam Nawaz, then "PML-N will
not say Pakistan Khappay (we want Pakistan)", unlike Zardari, who had used
those words after former PM Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, reported Geo News.
Following
the comment, PTI Central Punjab had announced a protest against the remarks
made by Latif.
https://www.business-standard.com/article/international/incompetent-people-have-been-imposed-on-pak-says-opposition-leader-latif-121031500068_1.html
--------
Pakistani
Scholars Gathering Held on Mabaath
March
13, 2021
The
Iranian embassy in the Pakistani capital hosted the event, which was organized
in cooperation with Iran’s Cultural Center in the city.
The
gathering began with congregational prayers led by a Sunni scholar followed by
Quran recitation by prominent Iranian Qari Karim Mansouri.
Next,
a number of speeches were delivered, the main focus of which were the
importance of Muslim unity and the need for efforts to materialize the
objectives of Mabaath.
Today,
more than ever, humanity needs to attain these objectives, Iran’s Ambassador
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said.
Also
speaking was Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister who said occasions such as
Mabaath and the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) birthday are opportunities for promoting
Islam’s goals and the true teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
At
the end of the gathering, a statement was read out by the participants in which
they highlighted the importance of Muslim unity and countering sectarianism and
Takfir.
They
also said the issue of Palestine and liberating this holy land is a common
demand of all Muslims and any attempt to normalize ties with the Zionist regime
of Israel is condemned.
The
statement also condemned Islamophobia and called for confronting this
phenomenon in the world.
Mabath,
which fell on Thursday, March 11, this year, marks the appointment of Muhammad
ibn Abdullah as the prophet of Islam in the seventh century.
It
is celebrated by Muslims all over the world.
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3474228/pakistani-scholars-gathering-held-on-mabaath
--------
Southeast Asia
Malaysian
govt files appeal against court ruling allowing use of 'Allah' word in
Christian publications
March
15, 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR - The Malaysian government on Monday (March 15) filed an appeal with the
Court of Appeal against last week's ruling on the use of the word
"Allah" by Christians in their publications in the country, local
media reported.
Solicitor-General
Abdul Razak Musa confirmed with both the Malaysiakini and Malay Mail news sites
that the appeal has been filed on behalf of the home minister and the government.
Muslim
groups in Malaysia had asked the government to launch an appeal against the
court ruling.
Malaysia's
High Court judge Nor Bee Ariffin on March 10 granted a Malaysian Christian the
right to use the word "Allah" in her religious practice, quashing a
three-decade government ban on Christians using the word in their religious
publications.
The
court also allowed three words to be used in Christian publications for
educational purposes: Kaabah (Islam's holiest shrine in Mecca), Baitullah (House
of God), and solat (prayer).
The
ruling affirmed the constitutional right of Ms Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a
Sarawakian Christian, to use the word "Allah" for her religious
practice, some 13 years after the latter first filed a legal challenge on the
matter.
Ms
Bill's legal challenge started shortly after the government seized eight
educational compact discs from her containing the word "Allah" at an
airport in 2008, upon her return from Indonesia.
Ms
Bill's legal challenge over a decade ago also coincided in another court case
involving the use of the word "Allah", after a Catholic weekly The
Herald was banned by the home ministry from using the word "Allah".
The
Herald, however, was unsuccessful in its legal challenge, with courts in 2013
backing the government's ban on the use of "Allah" in publications.
At
the height of both trials, right-wing groups in Malaysia protested against the
right of non-Muslims to use the word "Allah".
Amid
controversy over the issue in 2010, 11 churches and five mosques were
firebombed or vandalised.
Malaysian
Christians have argued that they have used the word "Allah" to denote
God for centuries in their own religious practice.
Christians
make up a substantial population of the two Malaysian Borneo states of Sabah
and Sarawak, where congregations use the Malay language in their church
activities and publications.
However,
some Muslim leaders have argued that allowing Christians to use the word
"Allah" could lead to public unrest and confusion.
The
word "Allah", they say, is largely perceived by Malaysia's Muslim
community to exclusively refer to the Islamic God.
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysian-govt-files-appeal-on-court-ruling-over-use-of-allah-word-in-christian
--------
Putrajaya
to contest High Court decision invalidating 1986 ban on ‘Allah’ use by
Christians
15
Mar 2021
BY
KENNETH TEE
KUALA
LUMPUR, Mar 15 — The federal government gave notice today that it will appeal
against last week’s High Court ruling that annulled a directive prohibiting
Christians from using the word “Allah” in their religious education and books.
The
notice of appeal dated March 12 was filed at the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya
and copied to lawyers for Sarawakian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill who initiated
the judicial review that led to the High Court ruling.
Solicitor-General
Datuk Abdul Razak Musa confirmed the filing of the appeal.
A
copy of the notice of appeal, undersigned by senior federal counsel Shamsul
Bolhassan, was also extended to the Registrar of the KL High Court (Appellate
& Special Powers).
Jill
Ireland has been named a respondent in the suit while both the Malaysian
government and the Home Ministry were named appellants.
On
March 10, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that the government directive
via a December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home Ministry’s publications
control division was unlawful and unconstitutional.
Justice
Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, who has since been elevated to be a Court of Appeal
judge, granted three of the specific constitutional reliefs sought by the
Sarawakian native of the Melanau tribe.
The
High Court had made this ruling in Jill Ireland’s case, who had previously
challenged the government’s seizure of her eight educational compact discs
(CDs) containing the word “Allah” in their titles and which were meant for her
personal use. The CDs were seized in 2008 based on the 1986 directive, but were
previously returned in 2015 to Jill Ireland following court orders.
The
word “Allah” is Arabic for God and had been adopted into the Malay language, and
had been used for generations by Malay-speaking Christians in the country,
especially those living in Sabah and Sarawak.
The
three orders granted by the judge include a declaration that it is Jill
Ireland’s constitutional right under the Federal Constitution’s Article 3, 8,
11 and 12 to import the publications in exercise of her rights to practise
religion and right to education. The publications mentioned by the judge were
in reference to eight educational compact discs (CDs) that Jill Ireland had
brought back to Malaysia from Indonesia for her own personal use.
The
other two declarations granted by the judge today are that a declaration under
Article 8 that Jill Ireland is guaranteed equality of all persons before the
law and is protected from discrimination against citizens on the grounds of
religion in the administration of the law ― specifically the Printing Presses
and Publications Act 1984 and Customs Act 1967), and a declaration that
government directive issued by the Home Ministry’s publication control’s
division via a circular dated December 5, 1986 is unlawful and
unconstitutional.
The
Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Jill Ireland filed her lawsuit almost 13 years ago
after the Home Ministry seized eight educational compact discs (CDs) containing
the word “Allah” meant for her personal use at the Sepang LCCT airport upon her
return from Indonesia.
Following
the May 11, 2008 seizure, Jill Ireland filed for judicial review in August the
same year against the home minister and the government of Malaysia.
The
High Court had in July 2014 ruled that the Home Ministry was wrong to seize the
CDs and ordered that they be returned, but did not address the constitutional
points then.
Jill
Ireland finally received her CDs in September 2015, months after the Court of
Appeal had in June 2015 directed the Home Ministry to do so.
At
the same time, the Court of Appeal in June 2015 sent two constitutional issues
back to the High Court to be heard, namely a declaration that it is her
constitutional right under the Federal Constitution’s Article 11 to import the
publications in exercise of her rights to practise religion and right to
education, and a declaration under Article 8 that she is guaranteed equality of
all persons before the law and is protected from discrimination against
citizens on the grounds of religion in the administration of the law ―
specifically the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and Customs Act
1967).
The
High Court later heard the constitutional issues over two days in October and
November 2017, but the decision which was initially scheduled to be delivered
in March 2018 has been deferred several times over the years, due to various
reasons such as both sides seeking resolution outside the court and also the
movement control order.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/15/putrajaya-to-contest-high-court-decision-invalidating-1986-ban-on-allah-use/1958029
--------
Unemployed
man in KL fined RM10, 000 for insulting Islam on Facebook
15
Mar 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 15 — The Sessions Court here today fined an unemployed man
RM10,000 on two counts of insulting Islam through postings on his Facebook.
Judge
MM Edwin Paramjothy meted out the fine on Mohd Zahrein Zakariah, 39, who
pleaded guilty to both charges.
The
man, who was fined RM5,000 on each count, in default six months’ jail, paid the
fine.
On
both counts, Mohd Zahrein was charged with improper use of the network
facilities by knowingly making and initiating the transmission of offensive
communications on Prophet Muhammad and Islam with intent to annoy others
through Facebook under the profile name of “Semar Tilem”.
The
postings were read at UTC Keramat Mall, Jalan Datuk Keramat, here at 11 am on
May 8, 2019.
Deputy
public prosecutor Noor Dayana Mohamad prosecuted, while Mohd Zahrein was represented
by lawyer LA Gomes. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/15/unemployed-man-in-kl-fined-rm10000-for-insulting-islam-on-facebook/1957991
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Foreign
investors stay net buyers of local equities so far in March, says Bank Islam
economist
15
Mar 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 15 — Foreign investors
remained net buyers of local equities on Bursa Malaysia in the first two weeks
of this month with inflows totalling RM526.7 million.
“This
brings the cumulative year-to-date foreign net outflow to RM1.2 billion,” said
Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd economist Adam Mohamed Rahim.
He
told Bernama that foreign investors bought RM240.8 million net of local
equities during the second week of March 2021, down from RM285.9 million in the
preceding week.
Elaborating
further, he said Bursa Malaysia began last week on the wrong foot as
international investors sold RM62.9 million net of local equities on Monday, as
inflation worries offset optimism over the passage of a US$1.9 trillion
stimulus bill in the United States (US).
Nevertheless,
he said foreign investors returned to the local stock market with RM120.7
million net on Tuesday, buoyed by rubber glove counters, namely Kossan Rubber
Industries Bhd and Top Glove Corporation Bhd which gained by more than one per
cent for the day.
“The
strength in rubber glove counters came about as Top Glove released its latest
quarterly results which saw its revenue for the second quarter ended Feb 28,
2021, grow 12.74 per cent to hit a record RM5.37 billion from RM4.76 billion in
the first quarter.
“This
was despite an eight per cent decline in volume due to a temporary production
halt in its facilities in Klang during November and December 2020,” he said.
On
the global front, Adam said the upbeat sentiment in regional Asian markets was
due to a retracement in the US bond yields following remarks of central banks
across the globe including the US Federal Reserve which mentioned that it had
the tools to deal with inflation.
Offshore
investors upped the ante in their buying activity as they mopped up RM186.6
million net of local equities on Wednesday, he said.
“Positive
vibes came about following the government’s move to allow domestic tourism
travel from March 10, 2021, via government-registered tour agencies which
sparked some positivity in terms of economic growth trajectory,” he said.
He
added that the pace at which foreign investors were buying local equities
slowed down to RM72.4 million net on Thursday.
“The
FTSE Bursa Malaysia (FBM KLCI) settled lower at 1,629.4 points on Thursday,
with some investors having the view that the current levels were ripe for
profit-taking.
“This
was in contrast with other regional peers which recorded gains such as
Singapore, China, Hong Kong , Japan, Taiwan and South Korea,” he noted.
According
to Adam, the three-day buying streak was snapped on Friday as foreign investors
withdrew RM76.0 million net of local equities amid continuing profit-taking
activity.
“This
is because international investors decided to lock in some gains despite receding
worries about rising inflation following the bigger-than-expected fall in
weekly jobless claims in the US,” he said. — Bernama
https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2021/03/15/foreign-investors-stay-net-buyers-of-local-equities-so-far-in-march-says-ba/1957921
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Arab World
Missile,
rocket strikes on fuel tankers in north Syria near Turkey border wound two
15
March ,2021
Missiles
and rockets struck fuel tankers in northern Syria near the Turkish border,
causing casualties, Turkey’s defense ministry and local rescue workers said.
The
fuel tankers were parked alongside primitive oil refineries between the towns
of Al-Bab and Jarablus, the same area which was hit by rockets earlier this
month.
Local
rescue workers said two people were wounded late on Sunday in the strikes,
which the Turkish defense ministry said were caused by missiles and rockets
fired from a military base in a Syrian government-controlled part of Aleppo
province.
“They
targeted civilian residential areas and parking areas of fuel tankers,” it
said. “There are civilian casualties.”
Missile
strikes in the same region 10 days ago killed one person and wounded at least
eleven others, Turkish state media and a source from the Turkish-backed faction
that controls the region said.
Turkey
has backed fighters who sought to overthrow Bashar al-Assad, but the president,
with Russian and Iranian help, has driven back the insurgents to a pocket in
northwest Syria and other Turkish-controlled border areas.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/15/Missile-rocket-strikes-on-fuel-tankers-in-north-Syria-near-Turkey-border-wound-two
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Turkey
must lay ground for normalizing ties with actions: Egyptian FM
14
March ,2021
Turkey’s
actions must show alignment with Egypt’s principles and goals for relations
between the two countries to return to normal, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh
Shoukry said on Sunday.
Shoukry
confirmed contacts between Cairo and Ankara after years of tensions but
indicated that dialog was limited.
Relations
have been frosty since Egypt’s army ousted Mohammed Mursi, who was the
country’s first democratically elected president and an ally of Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan, following protests in 2013.
“(There
is) no communication outside the normal diplomatic framework. If real actions
from Turkey show alignment with Egyptian principles and goals then the
groundwork will be laid for relations to return to normal,” Shoukry said.
Top
Turkish officials said last week that diplomatic contacts had resumed and that
Ankara was seeking further cooperation. Erdogan said contacts were “not at the
highest level, but right below the highest level”.
Egyptian
intelligence sources said Turkey had proposed a meeting to discuss cooperation.
Any
thaw in ties between the two regional powerhouses could have repercussions
around the Middle East, where Cairo and Ankara have sought to influence events
in various hotspots and stand on opposing sides in a Mediterranean maritime
dispute.
Shoukry
also told lawmakers there were positive messages from Qatar indicating a desire
to further repair relations following a summit in Saudia Arabia’s al-Ula in
January.
Egypt
and its Gulf allies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed
at the summit to restore diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Doha, which had
been severed in 2017 over allegations Qatar supported terrorism, a charge it
denies.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/14/Turkey-must-lay-ground-for-normalizing-ties-with-actions-Egyptian-FM
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Pope
Francis renews appeal for Syria on 10th anniversary of conflict
14
March ,2021
Pope
Francis has renewed his “heartfelt appeal” to all sides in the Syria conflict
to demonstrate “signs of good will so that a glimmer of hope can be open for
the exhausted population.”
The
pope offered prayers for Syria during his traditional Sunday blessing in St.
Peter’s Square, noting that a decade has passed since the start of the “bloody
conflict.”
It
“has caused one of the most serious humanitarian disasters of our times, with an
unknown number of dead and wounded, millions of refugees, thousands missing,
destruction and violence of every type, enormous suffering for the entire
population, in particular the most vulnerable, including children, women and
the elderly.”
Francis
also expressed hope for “a decisive and renewed commitment” in the
international community, so that “once arms are laid down, the social fabric
can be mended to launch reconstruction and economic recovery.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/14/Syria-crisis-Pope-Francis-renews-appeal-for-Syria-on-10th-anniversary-of-conflict
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Emirati
security team hatching conspiracy in Iraq, Asa’ib leader warns
15
March 2021
Qais
Khazali, the leader of the Iraqi anti-terror movement Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, has
warned of a conspiracy against Iraq hatched by an Emirati security team which
has reportedly arrived in the Arab country to manage the Iraqi intelligence
service.
Quoting
“reliable sources”, Khazali said on Sunday the Emirati team is supposed to run
the Iraqi intelligence service.
“Has
Iraq reached such a level of weakness to be crushed like this?” Khazali asked,
questioning the Emirati group’s mission.
In
a post on his Twitter account, the Iraqi cleric said, “What’s going on is very
dangerous, and threatens the future of the Iraqi government."
Scolding
those who keep silent toward the conspiracies hatched against Iraq, he compared
the performance of Emirati security forces to their performance in Libya and
Yemen, and warned that they are rapidly implementing the plot.
He
also referred to the transfer of 300 Iraqi security forces to the country’s
customs points, and asked if the transfer is related to the Emirati team’s
visit.
The
security forces transferred to border areas upon a decision by the federal
government allegedly include several Iraqi intelligence service officers who
have been excluded for being loyal to the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU),
better known as Hashd al-Sha'abi.
The
PMU is a government-sponsored umbrella organization composed of around 40
factions of volunteer counter-terrorism forces, including mostly Shia Muslim
groups like Asa'ib, besides Sunni Muslims, Christians and Kurds.
The
PMU’s formation goes back to the summer of 2014, shortly after Daesh, the
world’s most notorious terror group, showed its face and managed to occupy
swathes of territory in Iraq.
The
lightning gains made by the terrorists caught the national army of Iraq off
guard, pushing government forces to the verge of collapse and leaving the Arab
state in disarray.
On
June 15 that year, Iraq’s prominent Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
intervened to help rebuild the national army, issuing a fatwa that called on
all Iraqi people to join forces with the army in the face of the Daesh threat.
The
historic fatwa led to a mass mobilization of popular volunteer forces under the
banner of Hashd al-Sha’abi. The force then rushed to the aid of the army and
took the lead in many of the successful anti-terror operations, which
ultimately led to the collapse of Daesh’s territorial rule and the liberation
of the entire Iraqi land in December 2017.
The
PMU’s efficient role in the Takfiri outfit’s defeat turned the force into a
permanent and broadly-popular feature of Iraq’s social, political and security
landscapes, despite attempts by the US and its allies to depict the PMU’s
mission as sectarian in nature.
In
November 2016, the Iraqi parliament recognized Hashd al-Sha’abi as an official
force with similar rights as those of the regular army, therefore legally
establishing it as part of the National Armed Forces.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647316/Iraq-asaib-pmu-uae-security
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Iran
denies involvement in Iraq attacks in letter to UN chief
15
March 2021
Iran
has denied any involvement in the recent attacks against the US-occupied
military bases in Iraq, but at the same time denounced the American airstrikes
against Iraqi forces as a violation of international law.
In
a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the rotating president of
the UN Security Council, Iran's ambassador to the UN Majid Takht-Ravanchi
categorically denied his American counterpart's efforts to accuse Iran of
supporting the so-called "non-governmental militia groups" in Iraq.
"The
Islamic Republic of Iran has not been directly or indirectly involved in any
armed attack against any US individual or body in Iraq," he noted.
"Therefore,
we deny any claim about our implicit or explicit involvement in attacks against
American forces in Iraq. Such allegations are totally baseless, invalid, and
false," the Iranian envoy added.
Earlier
this month, a US contractor died after at least 10 rockets slammed into Ain
al-Asad, a US-occupied air base in western Iraq. The West has blamed what it
calls “Iran-backed groups” for the deadly attack. The attack was the first of
its kind since the US’ raid against Iraqi forces in late February.
In
his Sunday letter, Takht-Ravanchi also noted that Iran condemns the US'
unlawful attack on 25 February against Iraqi forces along the Syrian border.
"Such
dangerous measures, which are wrongly justified based on an arbitrary
interpretation of the article 51 of the UN charter, are considered violation of
the sovereignty of regional countries, and a symbol of blatant breach of the
international law and the UN charter," he noted.
He
warned that such attacks only exacerbate the already tense situation of the
region, and in effect only serve the interests of terrorist groups in these
countries.
The
US airstrikes killed one member of the Iraqi resistance forces.
It
was US President Joe Biden’s first illegal military action on the Iraqi-Syrian
border to target the facilities of PMU fighters.
Observers
compared Biden’s militaristic approach to that of his hawkish predecessor,
Donald Trump. The attack killed one and wounded four others.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647317/Iran-Iraq-US-attacks-guterres-ravanchi
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Mideast
Iran,
Pakistan Call for Halt to West's Support for Terrorist Groups in Region
2021-March-15
During
the meeting in Tehran on Sunday, Araqchi and Sadiq described the ISIL as a
threat to the regional peace and security.
During
the meeting, Araghchi said that peace will be supported by Iran when it comes
to the fundamental rights of the Afghan people and the preservation of the
accomplishments of the past two decades.
Sadiq,
for his part, called for further cooperation between the two countries in
establishing lasting peace in Afghanistan.
Sadiq,
heading a delegation, is on an official visit to Iran.
In
a relevant development in late January, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh said that Iran and its allies will not allow Daesh terrorist group
to reorganize itself in Iraq and elsewhere in the region once again.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991225000367/Iran-Pakisan-Call-fr-Hal-Wes's-Sppr-fr-Terrris-Grps-in-Regin
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Israel
unveils ‘Iron Sting’ guided mortar system for future urban warfare
14
March ,2021
The
Israeli Defense Ministry on Sunday said it has completed development of a new
guided mortar system, giving the army a formidable new weapon against enemies
embedded in crowded urban environments.
Officials
said the “Iron Sting” system, using both GPS and laser technology, would
provide Israeli land forces a new level of precision while minimizing the risk
of harming nearby civilians.
Defense
Minister Benny Gantz said the system “changes the battlefield and provides our
forces with more accurate and effective means.”
The
Israeli military has found itself in recent years grappling with the challenge
of battling Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, while also training for
the possibility of war against Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants.
The
chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court this month opened a
preliminary investigation into possible war crimes by Israel during its 2014
war in the Gaza Strip, when hundreds of civilians were killed during fighting
between Israel and Hamas militants.
Israel
has blamed Hamas for the civilian casualties, citing the group’s attacks
launched from residential neighborhoods. But human rights groups have said the
military did not take sufficient precautions to distinguish between militants
and civilians.
Col.
Assaf Shatzkin, head of the land systems department in the ministry’s research
division, said the new mortar system would help the army against enemies like
Hamas and Hezbollah. He said it could strike short-range targets within several
kilometers (miles) with precision of just a few meters (yards).
“With
this precise mortar shell, it can be more focused on the enemy ... without a
collateral damage to those that are not relevant to the fighting,” he said.
The
system is expected to be activated in the coming months, he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/14/Israel-unveils-Iron-Sting-guided-mortar-system-for-future-urban-warfare
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Kosovo
opens embassy in Jerusalem, weeks after establishing ties with Israel
14
March ,2021
Kosovo
said Sunday it had officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem after becoming
the first Muslim-majority territory to recognize the city as Israel’s capital.
The
move was in exchange in for Israel recognizing Kosovo, a major victory for
Pristina’s efforts to gain full global recognition of the independence it
declared in 2008 following a war with Serbia in the 1990s.
The
new embassy was opened during a brief ceremony during which Kosovo’s flag was
raised in front of the building in Jerusalem, the Kosovo foreign ministry said
in a statement.
Serbia
has refused to acknowledge the independence of its former province, so while Kosovo
has now been recognized by much of the Western world, its rejection by
Belgrade’s key allies Russia and China has locked it out of the United Nations.
Israel
had been another key holdout until last month, when it established diplomatic
ties with Kosovo.
In
exchange Kosovo followed the controversial lead of former US president Donald
Trump by recognizing Jerusalem as the Jewish state’s capital.
Trump
had discussed the Israel-Kosovo deal in Washington during economic talks with
Serbia and Kosovo in September.
Kosovo’s
decision sparked criticism not only from Muslim-majority countries such as
Turkey, but also from Europe.
The
status of Jerusalem remains one of the biggest flashpoints in the long-running
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The
Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and
most countries have their embassies in Tel Aviv.
In
one of Europe’s most intractable disputes, Serbia has rejected Kosovo’s
independence since it broke away in a 1998-99 war that was ended only by a NATO
bombing campaign against Serb troops.
Both
Kosovo and Serbia face mounting pressure from the West to resolve the impasse,
seen as crucial to either side joining the European Union.
More
than 13,000 people died in the war, mostly Kosovo Albanians, who form a
majority in the former province.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/14/Palestinian-Israeli-conflict-Kosovo-opens-embassy-in-Jerusalem-weeks-after-establishing-ties-with-Israel
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Fingers
point to Yemen Houthi militia for starting fire that killed African migrants
Reem
Krimly
14
March ,2021
Rights
groups say the Iran-backed Houthi militia is responsible for causing a fire in
a detention center last week that killed at least 44 migrants, according to The
Associated Press, a number disputed by Yemen-based groups.
A
local rights group said the Houthi militia was “directly and consistently
responsible for the killing and injury of approximately 450 mostly Ethiopian
migrants in a detention center, on 7 March 2021, in a fire caused by bombs
apparently fired by Houthi forces,” citing witnesses who survived the incident.
Survivors
and local rights campaigners say the deadly blaze erupted when guards fired
tear gas into the crowded warehouse, trying to end a protest against alleged
abuses and ill-treatment at the facility.
The
Houthis did not state the cause of the fire, mention a protest or give a final
casualty toll.
They
also prevented the UN migration agency from accessing injured migrants at
hospitals.
‘Heinous
crime’
The
“Government of Yemen has categorically condemned the heinous crime committed by
the Houthi militias against African migrants detained in prisons of Houthis in
Sanaa,” Yemen’s Embassy in Washington, DC, said in a statement posted on
Twitter.
A
statement by Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights read: “We note with great sadness
and concern the news of killing and injury to dozens of Africans held in Houthi
prisons, and deplore the extreme attempts by Houthis to cover up this horrific
incident. There were many fatalities.”
“The
Government of Yemen affirms to the international community that the Houthi
militia no longer poses a threat just to Yemenis, but also to migrants and
citizens of neighboring countries. And swift action is needed to bring those
responsible for this crime to account,” the statement posted on Twitter
concluded.
A
leader of the migrant community in the Yemeni capital on Saturday called for an
international probe into the fire.
In
a news conference in Sanaa, Othman Gilto, who heads the Ethiopian community, blamed
“negligence” by the Iran-backed Houthi militia who control the capital, as well
as the United Nations, which has aid agencies present in Yemen.
Some
900 migrants, mostly from Ethiopian, were detained at the facility — including
350 inside a warehouse — when the fire took place on Sunday, according to the
International Organization for Migration, adding that it was three times the
facility’s capacity.
Michael
Aron, the British Ambassador to Yemen, said he was “appalled by the fire at
Houthi-controlled migrant center in Sana’a.”
“OHCHR
[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights] and
humanitarian agencies need immediate, unrestricted access to site and those
injured. A credible, transparent, independent investigation must be carried out,
including a full account of those killed and injured,” he said in a tweet.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/14/Fingers-point-to-Yemen-Houthi-militia-for-starting-fire-that-killed-African-migrants-
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Defying
global outcry, Netanyahu says will legalize West Bank settlements if re-elected
14
March 2021
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to authorize new illegal
settlements in the West Bank if he were re-elected and formed a strong
right-wing cabinet after the March 23 election.
“I
swear to you: If I create a strong right-wing government without a rotation, I
will take care of the settlements and the authorization of the young
settlements [outposts],” Netanyahu said, according to the Jerusalem Post.
He
made the remarks during a visit to the Givat Harel outpost in the West Bank’s
Binyamin region, pointing to 160 illegal West Bank outposts, out of which 65
were constructed in the last eight years during Netanyahu’s tenure.
Netanyahu
had already pledged support for the authorization of the outposts and backed an
initiative for Israeli ministers to issue a declaration of intent to legalize
the outposts before the fall of the cabinet. However, Alternate Prime Minister
Benny Gantz kept the issue off the agenda.
The
Israeli right-wing groups pushed to authorize the settlements prior to US
President Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, but they failed to take full
advantage of the last days of the administration of the former president,
Donald Trump, who had broken with decades of the United States’ bipartisan show
by not opposing the settlements.
The
Biden administration has voiced opposition to the Israeli regime’s settlement
expansion, making it difficult for the regime to expand the illegal West Bank
settlements, while rejecting calls to reverse Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem
al-Quds as Israel’s “capital.”
The
international community has repeatedly opposed Israel’s settlement activities,
urging Biden in recent months to put pressure on Israel over the issue.
In
remarks on Tuesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the
Biden administration to make good on its opposition to Israel’s settlement
expansion across the West Bank and take concrete measures to tackle the
expansionism.
Shtayyeh
said the uptick in Israeli settlement construction activities amid the global
coronavirus pandemic undermines international efforts to keep alive the
prospect for the establishment of an independent State of Palestine.
Late
last month, hundreds of European lawmakers sent a letter to foreign ministers
in Europe, saying the Trump administration “left the [Israeli-Palestinian]
conflict farther away from peace than ever,” urging the Biden administration to
make efforts to address the issue and halt the annexation of the West Bank.
Some
440,000 Israeli settlers live among more than three million Palestinians in the
West Bank, in territories captured illegally by the Israeli regime.
While
all Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, outposts are
established regularly and even without Tel Aviv’s approval.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647311/Netanyahu-West-Bank-settlements-election
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Israeli
plot to demolish more Palestinian homes amounts to 'ethnic cleansing': Rights
group
14
March 2021
A
human rights group has strongly denounced a fresh Israeli decision of razing
more Palestinian homes and structures in Occupied Jerusalem al-Quds, stressing
that such a plot would lead to massive destruction and amount to "ethnic
cleansing" across the occupied Palestinian lands.
The
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor in a statement warned that the planned
destruction operations were characterized by racial discrimination committed by
the Israeli army, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
“The
Israeli decisions coincide with the authorities' establishment of settlement
projects in the heart of Palestinian communities in east Jerusalem to
perpetuate a policy of racial discrimination against the Palestinian
population,” the statement read.
The
nonprofit organization for the protection of rights also said the scheme would
pave the way for a massive destruction and displacement against the native
population in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
"Thus,
19 households from eight families, comprising 78 people, of whom 28 are
children, remain threatened with forced displacement at any moment,” Euro-Med
noted.
“While
the Israeli authorities insist on eviction decisions against Palestinian homes
in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, the municipality has approved establishing a
memorial for soldiers of a battalion in the Israeli army paratroopers brigade
killed during the occupation of Jerusalem in 1967,” the right group further
pointed out.
Elsewhere
in the statement, the group voiced concern over the ongoing Israeli demolition
campaign in Silwan neighborhood adjacent to the al- Aqsa Mosque in east
Jerusalem al-Quds, which places dozens of Palestinian homes under threat of
demolition at any moment.
Euro-Med
Monitor calls on the international community and the United Nations to shoulder
their responsibilities in stopping Israeli violations and urgently intervening
to stop house demolition plans and change the city's demographic reality.
United
Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory Lynn
Hastings said in a statement that the recent Israeli demolition of Palestinian
homes and evacuation of local residents and confiscation of their lands
contravened international law, and were all in flagrant violation of human
rights law.
Israeli
authorities usually demolish Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank,
claiming that the structures have been built without permits, which are nearly
impossible to obtain.
They
also sometimes order Palestinian owners to demolish their own homes or pay the
demolition costs to the municipality if they do not.
The
latest surge in demolition has drawn widespread condemnation against the
Israeli regime for exploiting the coronavirus crisis to press ahead with its
campaign of razing Palestinian homes.
Israeli
prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a plan for grabbing a huge
swathe of the West Bank, namely the areas upon which the regime has built its
illegal settlements since occupying the territory in 1967, as well as the
strategic Jordan Valley. He made the announcement after former US President
Donald Trump unveiled the “deal of the century,” a hugely pro-Tel Aviv scheme.
Following
the signing of normalization agreements with Israel by the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, there has been a rapid increase in Tel
Aviv's demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem
al-Quds.
The
rise is coupled with an increase in deportation of Palestinians from Jerusalem
al-Quds, their expulsion from al-Aqsa Mosque and daily storming of the compound
by extremist Israeli settlers.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli
occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
All
Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. The UN Security
Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in the occupied
territories in several resolutions.
Palestinians
want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East
Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647290/Israel-Palestine-Jerusalem-al-Quds--Euro-Mediterranean-Human-Rights-Monitor-
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Human
Rights Official Blasts Biden Administration for Continued Medical Sanctions
against Iran
2021-March-14
“Now
that a new administration has been empowered in the US, they continue the same
path of sanctions against the Iranian people and pressure them to make
concessions, and it is a step beyond Trump in crimes against humanity,” Baqeri
Kani said on Sunday.
“Medicine
and medical equipment and food are not liable to sanctions, but they are also
sanctioned by the Western countries, specially the European ones,” he added.
In
a relevant letter in January, thousands of Iranian patients with special needs
in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for his efforts to
lift the US unilateral sanctions against Iran which have blocked the country’s
access to drugs and medical equipment.
“The
illegal US economic sanctions have prevented our access to health care,
medicine and medical supplies. In the last two years, we have repeatedly
pursued supply of drugs and medical equipment with the Iranian government and
even pharmaceutical companies or companies supplying drugs and medical
equipment for a wide range of patients with special needs, mostly children and
minors. But due to the implementation of the US illegal sanctions and,
especially the obstacles posed by Washington to financial exchanges, the
imports of drugs and medical equipment for these patients is not possible,” the
letter said.
It
added that the US sanctions have led to the loss of a significant number of
patients, some of them have suffered serious physical injuries, and in general,
the patients have suffered and sustained severe physical and psychological
harms.
“We
are still suffering from this shortage of medicine and medical equipment,” the
letter noted.
It
warned that dozens of thalassemia and epidermolysis bullosa patients,
especially children, etc. have lost their lives due to the lack of their
special-need medicine and medical equipment due to the US systematic and
organized policy called comprehensive crippling sanctions against Iran.
The
letter called on Guterres to take all necessary measures to prevent continued
criminal sanctions against the oppressed and defenseless patients who are under
the support of non-governmental organizations, and take necessary measures to
implement human rights and humanitarian law in UN member states.
The
letter was written by the heads of Iranian Thalassemia" Association,
Iranian MS Association, EB House of Iran, Iranian Kidney Patients Support
Association, Hemophilia Center of Iran and Iranian Autism Association,
representing thousands of Iranian patients with special needs.
The
US sanctions and restrictions on export of drugs and medical equipment to Iran
have shortened the breath of patients suffering from cancer, hemophilia,
epilepsy and thalassemia.
Despite
the American officials' claims of not imposing sanctions on imports of drugs to
Iran, some specific medications needed for rare diseases are hard to obtain in
the country due to banking embargos that hamper money transactions which causes
some Western companies to refuse to sell the necessary drugs and medical
equipment to Tehran.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991224000807/Hman-Righs-Official-Blass-Biden-Adminisrain-fr-Cnined-Medical-Sancins
--------
Spokesman:
Iran Not to Hold Talks with US on Any Issue
2021-March-15
“We
do not talk directly or indirectly with the US on any issue, and the path of
diplomacy is quite clear. Of course, the coordinator of the nuclear deal is
trying to advance some points on the path of diplomacy,” Khatibzadeh told
reporters in his weekly press conference in Tehran.
“The
US has withdrawn from the nuclear deal, it should both undertake committments
and take effective measures to lift sanctions, and it should accept some
conditions in order to ensure that it won't repeat this mistake again, and only
then we can speak to them within the framework of the nuclear deal,” he added.
Khatibzadeh
referred to the US officials’ claims about pursuing diplomacy towards Iran
alongside their continued policy of pressures and sanctions, and said, “You
cannot say that you are in favor of diplomacy but prevent the transfer of
national funds to the country (Iran). You cannot say that you are in favor of
diplomacy and continue the war and economic terrorism and this crime against
the Iranian people.”
Khatibzadeh
had also on Saturday reiterated the country's decision to lower the nuclear
deal undertakings until a full removal of sanctions by the US has not changed.
"Iran's
position on the US defiance of its undertakings under the UN Security Council
Resolution 2231 and the path to the revival of the nuclear deal are clear, and
it has repeatedly been stated by the foreign minister (Zarif),"
Khatibzadeh said.
"Iran
suspends remedial measures only once the US lifts the sanctions as Supreme
Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei) has announced," he added.
Khatibzadeh
also reiterated again that the authority to verify moves under the nuclear deal
is the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In
relevant remarks last Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a phone
conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the US has no
way but to remove the cruel sanctions against Tehran to return to the path of
diplomacy.
“If
we are after diplomacy, the path is clear… It’s the lifting of sanctions and
the US fulfilling of its commitments, and there is no other option,” Rouhani
said.
He
said while the new US administration has voiced willingness to rejoin the
nuclear deal and implement its commitments, it has failed to take any practical
measure whatsoever.
Rouhani
pointed to the fact that the US withdrawal was a unilateral action, saying they
did not negotiate their way out of the JCPOA, and therefore, do not need to
negotiate their way into the deal.
“International
cooperation has been damaged as a result of Trump’s policies, and unfortunately
the United Nations and the Security Council have not been able to function
properly and impartially during this period, and now it is time to work
together to address such a shortcoming,” he noted.
The
president laid out Iran’s unwavering policy as an “action-for-action” approach
with regard to JCPOA commitments, saying that “Iran cannot and should not be
the only party paying the price of preserving the JCPOA.”
He
explained that all of Iran’s measures have been taken within the framework of
the JCPOA with the aim of bringing a state of equilibrium to the deal in order
to preserve it, making a reference to Iran’s reduction of its commitments under
the JCPOA in response to the US withdrawal and harsh sanctions.
He
pointed out that the Iranian people have been faced with greater problems in
dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and other health issues due to the
sanctions as well as the problems created by the US and its allies that have
hindered Iran’s access to its financial resources outside the country.
“The
international community has shown that it is not ready for a civilized fight
against the crisis, and that it pursues protectionist and discriminatory
tendencies,” he noted. “This is undoubtedly a moral failure for the
international community.”
Iranian
Government Spokesman Ali Rabiyee said last Tuesday that the US is not in a
position to set conditions for implementing its nuclear deal undertakings,
saying that lifting sanctions is the only solution to revive the agreement.
“The
US is not in a position to set conditions for implementation of its
international undertakings. Unlike the US, which is avoiding returning to the
nuclear deal, Iran is ready to fulfill all its undertakings as soon as possible
and in companionship with other members of the nuclear deal and the US. Based
on the policy announced by the Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Khamenei), the only
way to revive the nuclear deal is lifting sanctions and return of all parties
to the full implementation of their undertakings,” Rabiyee told reporters in a
press conference in Tehran.
“Once
again, we recommend the White House to return to the nuclear deal
unconditionally, just as the previous US president suddenly left the nuclear
deal, and not to further complicate and harden diplomacy. I should remind you
that in the last 4 years we, and not them (the US), have kept the way of
diplomacy open, and today it is them who should take the first step in the way
of diplomacy, not us,” he added.
Rabiyee
noted that today, many countries are trying in good will to revive the nuclear
deal, and added, “We are confident that this goal will be achieved in the near
future because it is the only way to ensure world peace and guarantee the
interests of all countries; the nuclear deal is international law and the US
has no choice but to abide by the law.”
Asked
about Iran’s position on exchanging prisoners with the US, he said, “There is
nothing new about the exchange of prisoners; Iran's position has already been
stated by the Foreign Minister, and we are ready to exchange all prisoners
between Iran and the US. If this has not happened yet, it is because of the unpreparedness
of the US government."
Elsewhere,
Rabiyee referred to reports about releasing Iran’s US-blocked assets in a
number of countries, and said, “These measures are insufficient. The Iranian
government will no doubt strive to release what belongs to the Iranian people
to the last cent, and it should be able to trade freely and gain access to its
financial resources like all countries.”
Tehran
had last week dismissed media reports about direct or indirect contacts between
Iran and Washington, saying that close talks are being held, but with other
parties to the nuclear deal.
“We
have not and do not have any direct or indirect contact with the US about
issues related to the nuclear deal or other subjects,” Khatibzadeh told
reporters in a press conference in Tehran.
“We
have had very close talks with the (other) parties to the nuclear deal and we
have not had any talks with the US. Inside Iran, some points are being reviewed
and completed,” he added.
Asked
if Iran will accept the US proposal to implement undertakings in a step-by-step
plan, Khatibzadeh said, “Iran has neither received any step-by-step plan nor is
such a plan in line with Iran’s declared policy.”
“No
direct or indirect talks are being held between Iran and the US because the
nuclear deal has clarified the path,” he said.
Zarif
said earlier this month that the US should lift all sanctions against Tehran
before rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The
US must remove the sanctions that it has imposed against Iran if it wants to
return to the nuclear deal, Zarif said during his meeting with the Irish
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney in Tehran.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991225000416/Spkesman-Iran-N-Hld-Talks-wih-US-n-Any-Isse
--------
India
BJP
condemns Shia leader Waseem Rizvi’s remarks about the Quran
Peerzada
Ashiq
MARCH
13, 2021
The
Shia leader approached the Supreme Court seeking removal of 26 verses of the
Quran.
The
BJP on Saturday joined the Valley-based Muslim religious organisation in
condemnation of Shia leader Waseem Rizvi's move to approach the Supreme Court
to seek removal of 26 verses of the Quran, a holy book central to the faith of
Muslims across the world.
“We
have filed a complaint [before the police] and want the accused to be dealt
with strictly. Nobody will be allowed to speak against any community or their
holy book,” Valley-based BJP leader Manzoor Bhat said.
Another
BJP leader Altaf Thakur termed the remarks of the former chairman of Shia Waqf
Board “unacceptable”.
“The
Quran teaches love, brotherhood and peace and not violence. The government must
act quickly against Mr. Rizvi and arrest him for his blasphemous remarks and
hurting the religious sentiments of billions of Muslims across the globe,” Mr.
Thakur said.
The
BJP’s condemnation comes after several Shia and Sunni religious bodies took
umbrage at the reported remarks made by Mr. Rizvi about the Quran.
National
Conference President and Member of Parliament Farooq Abdullah said the act Mr.
Rizvi was abominable. “The holy Quran is the incorruptible and unchangeable
word of Allah. The petition should not be entertained; on the contrary, strict
action should be taken against him for hurting the sentiments of Muslims living
across the globe,” Dr. Abdullah said.
“This
move is deliberate, aimed at provoking Muslims and feeding into the agenda of
Islamophobe who are hostile towards Islam and full of hatred. Quran is the
fountain-head that promotes humanity, love, unity and harmony,” a spokesman of
the J&K Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a body of 24 religious groups, said.
The
Majlis-e-Ulmae Imamia J&K, an amalgam of the Shia clergy, also demanded the
arrest of the Shia leader.
“We
strongly condemn the statement. This man has become a tool of conspiracies of
the enemies against Islam and Shiaism. Indian Muslims have already kicked him
out and he has been excommunicated from Islam,” Masroor Abbas Ansari, head of
the Itehadul Muslimeen, said.
Kashmir’s
grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam demanded the Shia leader’s arrest. “I urge people to
maintain discipline, remain calm and to register protest peacefully,” he said.
Mr.
Rizvi has reportedly approached the SC and sought deletion of 26 verses from
the Quran for allegedly “teaching hatred, violence and terrorism.”
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bjp-joins-jks-islamic-groups-to-condemn-rizvis-remarks/article34063352.ece
--------
Waseem
Rizvi's blasphemous move sparks widespread resentment in Kashmir
March
14, 2021
Discontent
and anger is brewing across Jammu and Kashmir after Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf
Board Chairman Waseem Rizvi filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the
Supreme Court demanding deleting of 26 Ayats (verses) from the Holy Quran.
On
Saturday, people in Kashmir termed the act as blasphemous, held multiple
protests against Rizvi and demanded stringent action against him.
Scores
of people staged a protest burning an effigy of Rizvi and raising slogans
against him at Press Colony in Srinagar.
“No
Muslim will tolerate raising fingers on Quran. Quran teaches us peace, not
violence. This man is trying to create a misconception by filing such a
petition,” a protestor said.
People
of Kashmir also took to social media expressing their anger against Rizvi.
Protests
were held across Kashmir with the protestors demanding action against Rizvi.
The
religious groups and Shia bodies in J&K also condemned Rizvi’s move.
Jammu
and Kashmir Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a conglomerate of various religious
organisations of J&K condemned the mischievous and malicious agenda of
Rizvi.
In
a statement issued here MMU, the conglomerate of Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid,
Dar-ul-Uloom Raheemiya, Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamiat Ahle Hadeth,
Jama’at-e-Islami, Anjuman Sharia’n Shian, Karwaan-e-Islami,
Itihaad-ul-Muslimeen, Anjuman Himayat-ul-Islam, Jamiat Hamdania, Anjuman
Ulema-e-Ahnaaf, Dar-ul-Uloom Qasmia, Dar-ul-Uloom Bilaliya, Anjuman
Nusrat-ul-Islam, Anjuman Mazhar-ul-Haq, Jamiat-ul-Aima Wal Ulema, Anjuman Aima
Wa Mashaa’ikh Kashmir, Dar-ul-Uloom Naqshbandiya, Dar-ul-Uloom Rasheediya,
Ahl-e-Bayt Foundation, Madrasa Kanz-ul-Uloom, Perwaan-e-Wilayat, Auqaf Islamiya
Khurram Sarhama, Anjuman Tanzeem-ul-Makaatib, Muhammadi Trust led by Mirwaiz
Umar Farooq, said that this move was deliberate and aimed at provoking Muslims
and feeding into the agenda of Islamophobes hostile to Islam and full of
hatred.
MMU
appealed the people not to resort to violence over the obnoxiousness of Rizvi,
which he and his masters would be anticipating to further their agenda and
instead pledge to follow the teachings of the holy Quran in letter and spirit.
Grand
Mufti of J&K, Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam said Rizvi should be arrested
immediately for this blasphemous act.
Jamiat
Hamdania also condemned Rizvi for the act and said that he had hurt the
sentiments of the Muslims.
Condemning
Rizvi’s blasphemous moves, Anjuman Sharie Shiayan President Aga Syed Hassan
called on the authorities to register a case under Section 295-A of the Indian
Penal Code against Rizvi for hurting the sentiments of Muslims.
Ittehadul
Muslimeen President Maulana Masroor Abbas Ansari tweeted: “We strongly condemn
the recent statement of Rizvi against the Quran. This man has become a tool of
conspiracies of the enemies against Islam and Shiaism. Indian Muslims have
already kicked him out of their midst and he has been excommunicated from Islam.”
A
spokesman of Majlis-e-Ulmae Imamia said that Rizvi was an agent of anti-Muslim
forces and with the CBI investigating corruption in the Waqf Board, he was
doing all that was in his imagination to hold on to their support.
Jammu
Muslim United Forum (JMUF) also condemned the action of Rizvi and said that
this had hurt the sentiments of entire Muslim community while Jammu Muslim
Front (JMF) appealed All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to
excommunicate Rizvi from Shiite community.
Condemning
the blasphemous move of Rizvi, Kashmir Trade Alliance urged the Government of
India to take strong action against him.
“Rizvi
is known for his anti-Islamic remarks in the past and should be punished for
that. He should be arrested because he is just trying to create conflict
between the two schools of thought of Islam,” KTA President Ajaz Shahdhar said
in a statement.
Criticising
Rizvi for this blasphemous act, Jammu and Kashmir Civil Society Forum Chairman
Qayoom Wani appealed the Supreme Court to outright reject the petition of
amendments against Quran to safeguard and respect the sentiments of the Muslims
and other Quran lovers who seek guidance from this book of Allah.
https://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/kashmir/waseem-rizvis-blasphemous-move-sparks-widespread-resentment-in-kashmir/
--------
Terrorist
killed in Shopian encounter, stone-pelters try to disrupt op
Mar
15, 2021
SRINAGAR:
A Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was slain in an anti-terror operation in south
Kashmir’s Shopian district early Sunday, even as stone-pelters tried to disrupt
the encounter by targeting the security forces. This is the first time since
the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A that terrorist sympathisers have
attempted to thwart an ongoing anti-terror operation.
Three
houses caught fire near the encounter site as miscreants tried to disturb the
operation by creating law and order problems. Several stone-pelters were
injured in the clash and many who sustained pellet injuries in police
retaliation were hospitalised, said sources.
“Based
on intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in Rawalpora village, a
joint team of the Army’s 34RR, CRPF’s 14Bn and J&K Police launched a
cordon-and-search operation in the area around 8pm on Saturday,” said a police
spokesperson.
The
holed-in ultras were offered a chance to surrender but they opened fire on the
search party instead, triggering a gunfight. Even as the cordon remained
intact, the fire exchange was suspended temporarily during the night. When it
resumed early Sunday, a local terrorist identified as Jahangir Ahmad Wani from
Shopian’s Rakh Narapora was killed, the spokesperson said.
Jahangir
had been active since September 1 last year and was part of several terror
crimes including attacks on security forces and civilians. A US-made M4 Carbine
rifle along with other incriminating material were recovered from the en
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/terrorist-killed-in-shopian-encounter-stone-pelters-try-to-disrupt-op/articleshow/81502838.cms
--------
Arrested
terrorist was planning political killings in Doda: Army
Mar
15, 2021
JAMMU:
Terrorist Firdaus Ahmed Natnoo, who was arrested from Jammu’s Doda district
with a cache of arms and ammunition on Friday, was planning to execute
“sensational political killings” to revive terrorism in the district, the Army
said on Sunday. Natnoo’s affiliation is yet to be disclosed.
“Natnoo
was involved in revitalizing the terror footprint in Doda, which had been
declared terrorist-free after the encounter killing of Hizbul Mujahideen
commander Tahir Ahmed Bhat alias Uqaab on May 17 last year,” said Jammu-based
defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand.
“As
per intelligence inputs, Natnoo was planning the political murders to revive
terrorism in the region besides grabbing headlines. He and his associates —
tasked with luring youth into terrorism, procuring arms and fundraising — were
being tracked by security forces for the past two months,” the spokesperson
said.
“Early
Friday, a joint team of the Army, CRPF, SSB and J&K Police launched a
cordon-and-search operation in Bekhriyan, Udhiyanpur and Nagri, Doda town and
arrested Natnoo from his Bekhriyan residence while he was trying to escape.
Three Chinese pistols with five magazines, 15 rounds and a silencer were
recovered from him, besides incriminating material like personal diaries, a
photo album, a will cum suicide note and a machine to probably dig underground
hideouts,” Lt Col Anand said.
A
case was registered in this connection and further investigation was underway,
the spokesperson added.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/arrested-terrorist-was-planning-political-killings-in-doda-army/articleshow/81502820.cms
--------
For
Khwaja Yunus’ aging mother, arrest of Waze is ‘poetic justice’
Mar
15, 2021
MUMBAI:
For Asiya Begum, Sachin Waze’s arrest seems like “poetic justice”. The
73-year-old mother of Khwaja Yunus, a bomb blast suspect who disappeared in
2003, has waited patiently for years for the tide to turn against the erstwhile
encounter specialist.
Fighting
for “justice after the murder of my son’’, she said she was never a match for
“the powerful Waze”. But his arrest showed that “there is always light at the
end of the tunnel”.
“We
ran from pillar to post to get the trial started in my son’s murder case, but
Waze is so powerful that he managed to delay the judicial process for so many
years,” she said, hoping Sunday’s developments will lead to a relook at the
criminal case against Waze pending in a Sewree trial court.
Yunus
who worked in Dubai, had come to India on November 28, 2002 to visit his
family. He arrived in his hometown Parbhani on November 30. On December 2, a
blast took place in Ghatkopar. According to his mother’s petition, Yunus was
taken into custody on December 25, brought to Mumbai and handed over to a
police team in Powai the next day. Two others, Mohammed Abdul Mateen and Shaikh
Zaheer, were also held. A fourth person named Muzammil was arrested, but later
discharged.
Her
petition alleged that “during interrogation” Yunus and the others were
“assaulted and tortured”. When she saw her son on December 27, he appeared
weak. Police later said he died trying to escape while they were shifting him
to Aurangabad for further investigation.
She
alleged that “to conceal the custodial torture and... custodial death”, Waze
and three constables faked his escape and registered a “false case with the
Parner police” on January 7, 2003. They alleged that he fled by “jumping” out
of the police jeep just before it met with an accident and fell into a gorge.
The
Bombay high court had accepted her contention that the ‘escape’ FIR was false
and had on April 7, 2004 directed that the statement of Yunus’s co-accused
Abdul Mateen, who alleged torture in custody, be treated as an FIR for a case
of murder against Waze and others. The HC also directed the state and Mumbai
police chief to suspend Waze and three others and initiate an inquiry against
them. The state had gone to the SC to challenge the HC order. But the SC
declined to intervene. Yunus’s body was never found.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/for-khwaja-yunus-aging-mother-arrest-of-waze-is-poetic-justice/articleshow/81502179.cms
--------
Pakistani
drone spotted in Punjab's Bamial, returns after BSF opens fire
Mar
14, 2021
CHANDIGARH:
A Pakistani drone entered the Indian territory on Sunday but was forced to
return as BSF jawans spotted it and opened fire in its direction in Punjab's
Pathankot district, a police official said.
"The
drone which came from the Pakistani side was sighted at Dinda post close to
Bamial along the Indo-Pak international border," Pathankot Senior
Superintendent of Police Gulneet Singh Khurana told PTI over phone.
He
said the BSF opened fire in its direction after which it returned to the
neighbouring country.
Asked
if the drone dropped anything inside the Indian territory before flying back,
Khurana said, "A thorough search operation was carried out at the site,
but nothing was found."
In
December 2020, 11 hand grenades dropped by a drone flying in from Pakistan were
recovered from a field near the International Border in Punjab's Gurdaspur
district.
The
consignment was found in Salach village, located about one km from the border.
The
box of hand grenades had been attached to a wooden frame which was lowered from
the drone onto the ground with a nylon rope, police had then said.
The
first incident of dropping of arms and weapons through drones from Pakistan
came to light in Punjab in September 2019 when police recovered AK-47 rifles,
magazines and rounds of ammunition, hand grenades, fake currency and other
items in Tarn Taran district.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pakistani-drone-spotted-in-punjabs-bamial-returns-after-bsf-opens-fire/articleshow/81497818.cms
--------
Indian
army shares counter terrorist operation tactics with soldiers of Uzbekistan army
14th
March 2021
CHAUBATI:
Indian Army imparted its tested counter terrorism operation skills to the
soldiers of the Uzbekistan Army in its foreign training node at Chaubatia in
Ranikhet, Uttarakhand under the ongoing Dustlik-II series of Exercise. The use
of helicopters to insert soldiers into the operations area and also training on
modern weapons like the Seg Sauer of the Indian soldiers are part of the
capsule.
Colonel
Amit Malik, Commanding Officer of the troops of 13th Battalion of Kumaon
Regiment nominated from Indian side told, “The aim of the exercise is to
conduct sub-unit level operations in CT role under United Nations (UN) mandate
and in the first two days both sides shared each-others drills, demonstrations
and best practices.”
“We
are also showcasing our technological advancements... They shared their
survival skills with us,” he stated while addressing the media..
Talking
about the weapons training Col Malik said "As far as weapons are concerned
we have Sig Sauer rifles... we are sharing our weapons with the Uzbek troops.
At present Uzbek troops are learning firing from Sig Sauer rifles,”
The
main personal weapon of the Uzbek Army is the Assault Klashnikov (AK) series of
rifles. The Indian and Uzbekistan Army teams also practiced the static
slithering as part of their ongoing bilateral exercise and it will be
demonstrated using the MI-17 helicopters of the Indian Air force during the
validation phase of the exercise.
The
10-day exercise named as “Dustlik” which in Uzbek language means friendship
began on March 10 and is being held under the United Nations mandate focusing
on countering terrorism operations in the mountainous terrain.
A
total of 45 personnel, including 12 officers from Uzbekistan Army are
participating in the exercise. Similar number of soldiers are also
participating from the Indian side.
Indian
Army has selected troops of Kumaon Regiment and the Uzbekistan Army troops
belong to different Units of its Central District.
The
Indian Army troops belong to the 13th Battallion of Kumaon Regiment which is
also called as the Rezang La Battalion which lost its 114 men fighting
valiantly agains the Chinese PLA in 1962 India China War.
Dustlik
will culminate on March 19 after the validation exercise of March 17 and 18 in
which the observers from both the countries will test the skills learnt on
various parameters like Cordon and Search Operation, heliborne jumps, room
intervention and jungle range shooting,” the commanding officer said.
India
and Uzbekistan share a good relationship between the two countries. Uzbekistan
deputy defence minister Major General Bakhodir Kurbanov and Uzbekistan
Ambassador to India Dilshod Akhatov will attend the validation exercise on
March 17-18. A Lieutenant General of the Indian Army will also be present on this
day.
The
Indian Army procured the US made 72,400 SIG-716 assault rifles in end of 2019.
The rifles have been given to all the frontline infantry troops and the rest
have been distributed in the remaining infantry units.
The
SIG-716 weighing 3.82 kgs and has an effective range of 600m a soldier
explained.
Last
September, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had approved the procurement
of a second batch of 72,400 SIG-716 rifles. The SIG-716 is meant to replace the
INSAS rifles in use presently.
The
first edition of exercise Dustlik took place in Tashkent in Uzbekistan in 2019.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Uzbekistan counterpart Major General
Bakhodir Nizamovich Kurbanov presided over the Curtain Raiser of the military
drill in 2019.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2021/mar/14/indian-army-sharescounter-terrorist-operation-tactics-with-soldiers-of-uzbekistan-army-2276581.html
--------
Africa
Video
shows gunmen beating kidnapped students in Nigeria
13
March 2021
A
video has emerged showing a group of students kidnapped from a school in
northwest Nigeria beaten hard by armed men in a forest.
The
footage, shared on social media, showed roughly two dozen students begging for
help in English and Hausa, while cowering on a forest floor as armed captors
hit them with sticks.
One
student says in the video that the captors seek a 500 million-naira ($1.31
million) ransom.
“If
anybody comes to rescue them without the money, they are going to kill us,” a
male student says in the video as a man with a gun stands behind him.
Gunmen
attacked the Federal College of Forestry on Thursday night and kidnapped more
than 30 students.
Earlier
on Saturday, Kaduna state security commissioner Samuel Aruwan said the number
of the missing students was nine more than previously thought – 23 females and
16 males.
“The
Kaduna state government is maintaining close communication with the management
of the college as efforts are sustained by security agencies towards the
tracking of the missing students,” Aruwan said.
College
Provost Bello Mohammed Usman and the mother of one kidnapped student identified
those shown in the video as some of the abducted students, including one
pregnant woman.
Usman
did not comment on the ransom request.
Abubakar
Sadiq, executive secretary of the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency,
also refused to comment on the ransom demand, saying he was unaware of the
video.
Last
month, heavily armed gunmen abducted some 300 schoolchildren in the northwest.
Also
in mid-December 2020, groups of gunmen kidnapped hundreds of schoolboys in
Katsina State. They released the boys days later after negotiations with the
government.
In
2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted in the northeastern town of Chibok. A
foreign-brokered deal enabled the release of 103 of the girls in October 2016
and May 2017.
Authorites
say gangs involved in the kidnappings are driven by financial motives, but
security officials are concerned that they are being infiltrated by Takfiri
terrorists from the northern and northeastern states.
Those
parts of the country have been wracked by years of violence involving Boko
Haram and the West Africa Province (ISWAP) branch of the Daesh Takfiri
terrorist group.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/13/647234/Video-gunmen-kidnapped-students-Nigeria
--------
Armed
bandits attack another Nigerian school as 39 students still missing
14
March 2021
A
group of heavily-armed gunmen have attempted to kidnap more students in
Nigeria's Kaduna state where about 40 students from an earlier attack remain
missing.
A
state government official said that police, army and others had repelled
attacks on another school and at a local government office near Kaduna airport
overnight on Sudnay.
"The
Kaduna state government extends its unequivocal solidarity to the military,
police, Department of State Services and other security agencies, whose swift
intervention prevented the bandits from abducting more persons," media
outlets quoted Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna state commissioner of internal security
and home affairs, as saying.
All
307 students at the Government Science Secondary School in Ikara were accounted
for, Aruwan said.
"As
a government, our focus is on getting back our missing students and preventing
further episodes of school abductions," Aruwan said.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the official said that the army and air force also repelled an
attack on senior staff quarters in Ifira village in Igabi local government
area.
Attacks
by armed gangs, usually referred to as bandits, have intensified across
northwest Nigeria in recent years.
Four
school kidnappings since December have provoked nationwide outrage.
Some
39 students, including a pregnant woman, are still missing from Thursday's
abduction from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, in the
country's troubled northwest.
A
video recently emerged showing a group of students kidnapped from a school in
northwest Nigeria beaten hard by armed men in a forest.
The
footage, shared on social media, showed roughly two dozen students begging for
help in English and Hausa, while cowering on a forest floor as armed captors
hit them with sticks.
One
student says in the video that the captors seek a 500 million-naira ($1.31
million) ransom.
Also
in mid-December 2020, groups of gunmen kidnapped hundreds of schoolboys in Katsina
State. They released the boys days later after negotiations with the
government.
In
2014, 276 schoolgirls were abducted in the northeastern town of Chibok. A
foreign-brokered deal enabled the release of 103 of the girls in October 2016
and May 2017.
Authorites
say gangs involved in the kidnappings are driven by financial motives, but
security officials are concerned that they are being infiltrated by Takfiri
terrorists from the northern and northeastern states.
Those
parts of the country have been wracked by years of violence involving Boko
Haram and the West Africa Province (ISWAP) branch of the Daesh Takfiri
terrorist group.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647304/Nigeria-Kaduna-state-Samuel-Aruwan-Hausa-ISWAP-Daesh-
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UN
urges withdrawal of mercenaries from Libya, welcomes unity government
14
March 2021
The
United Nations Security Council has called for an immediate withdrawal of all
foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya as the conflict-ridden African
country ushers in a new era with the formation of a national unity government.
In
a unanimously approved declaration, the Council urged foreign fighters to leave
Libya “without further delay”.
It
also welcomed the Libyan parliament’s approval of a new unified government,
which is set to lead the North African country to December elections after a
decade-long conflict.
"The
Security Council calls on all parties to implement the ceasefire agreement in
full and urges member states to respect and support the full implementation of
the agreement," the world body said in a statement.
A
ceasefire agreement reached in October called for the withdrawal of all foreign
forces and mercenaries in three months and adherence to a UN arms embargo,
provisions which have not been met.
The
UN said in December last year that there were about 20,000 foreign troops and
mercenaries helping the opposing sides in Libya.
Calling
for full compliance with the UN arms embargo by all member states, the
15-member body stressed on Saturday that plans were needed “for the
disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of armed groups, security sector
reform and to establish an inclusive, civilian-led security architecture for
Libya as a whole.”
Moreover,
the council welcomed the parliamentary approval of Libyan Prime Minister
Abdulhamid Dbeibah’s cabinet.
It
said the new Libyan government should take necessary preparations to set Libya
for "free and fair national presidential and parliamentary elections on 24
December 2021."
Libya's
parliament granted a vote of confidence to Dbeibeh’s new unity government on
Wednesday, with 132 votes of the 133 lawmakers who attended the session.
Libya,
which sits atop the largest oil reserves in Africa, has been grappling with
unchecked violence since the overthrow of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi in
2011 during an operation backed by the Western alliance of NATO.
Since
2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the UN-recognized
government based in the capital Tripoli, and another camp based in the eastern
city of Tobruk, backed militarily by armed rebels.
The
country descended into unprecedented chaos last year after the so-called Libyan
National Army (LNA) under rebel commander Khalifa Haftar moved toward Tripoli
to seize the city. They were repelled by government forces.
The
conflict has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers
pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country, with the Tripoli government
receiving major backing from Turkey, and the rebels from the United Arab
Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647272/Libya-United-Nations-Security-Council-withdrawal-mercenaries
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Tigray
conflict: Ethiopia says US allegations of 'ethnic cleansing' unfounded
14
March 2021
Ethiopia
has rejected the recent allegations of ethnic cleansing in the northern Tigray
region, by the new administration in the
White House, calling them 'unfounded and spurious.'
Ethiopia's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement released on Saturday, said it
“vehemently opposes such accusations.”
“Nothing
during or after the end of the main law enforcement operation in Tigray can be
identified or defined by any standards as a targeted, intentional ethnic
cleansing against anyone in the region,” it said.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for creating a regional force to
stop what he described as "acts of ethnic cleansing” in the Ethiopian
rgion.
While
testifying before Congress on Wednesday, Blinken citied “very credible” sources
as reporting continued human rights abuses and atrocities in Tigray.
Blinken
called for “an independent investigation into what took place there”.
“We
have, as you know, forces from Eritrea over there, and we have forces from an
adjoining [Ethiopian] region, Amhara, that are there. They need to come out,”
he insisted.
There
have been reports of Eritrean forces' engagement in the Tigray clashes, but
both Ethiopia and Eritrea deny this.
Blinken,
in a call with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, repeated his
call for an international investigation into the alleged ongoing human rights
abuses in the Tigray region, the State Department said on Friday.
Blinken
also called for “enhanced regional and international efforts to help resolve
the humanitarian crisis, end atrocities, and restore peace in Ethiopia.”
The
Ethiopian Foreign Ministry added the government was ready "to engage
positively and constructively with all the relevant regional and international
stakeholders in responding to the serious allegations of human rights abuses
and crimes."
UN
rights chief Michelle Bachelet said last week that her office had confirmed
serious violations in Tigray that could amount to “war crimes and crimes
against humanity”.
Ethiopia's
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched an offensive against Tigray's then-ruling
party in early November.
In
late November, the Nobel laureate PM announced victory against the heavily
armed forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which he had
accused of attacking federal army troops in earlier clashes. The TPLF forces were
driven out of the regional capital Mekelle.
There
are still reports of sporadic fighting in parts of the restive region.
The
conflict resulted in thousands of fatalities. Hundred of thousands were also
driven from their homes due to the fighting. Tigray is currently dealing with
an acute shorage of water, food and medicine.
Aid
agencies and relief organizations have warned that a growing number of people
in Tigray might be starving to death.
TPLF
politicians and commanders had dominated Ethiopia's government for nearly three
decades; however, the party's clout declined after Abiy came to power in 2018.
Since
then, Abiy has introduced a number of reforms and senior Tigrayan officials
were detained, fired, or sidelined, in what the federal government described as
a crackdown on widespread corruption.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647253/Ethiopia-Tigray-Blinken-Ethnic-Cleansing
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Nigeria:
19 killed in Boko Haram terror attack
14.03.2021
By
Adam Abu-bashal
ABUJA,
Nigeria
Nineteen
people were killed in the attack by the Boko Haram terror organization in the
northeastern state of Borno in Nigeria, according to media reports on Saturday.
Terrorists
attacked a military convoy in Gudumbali in the Lake Chad region, killing 15
soldiers and four Joint Task Force members.
Army
spokesman Mohammed Yerima said in a statement that several soldiers were also
injured in the attack.
On
Thursday, Nigeria's National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno announced that
his country would not negotiate with the terror group and the government does
not see negotiations as a means to deal with the worsening security conditions
in the country.
Boko
Haram launched a bloody insurgency in 2009 in northeastern Nigeria but later
spread its atrocities to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a
military response.
More
than 30,000 people have been killed and nearly 3 million displaced in a decade
of Boko Haram's terror activities in Nigeria, according to the UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Violence
has affected 26 million people in the Lake Chad region and displaced 2.6
million others, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-19-killed-in-boko-haram-terror-attack/2175197
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North America
US
lawmakers urge Biden to stop Israel’s land theft, home demolition policies
14
March 2021
A
dozen members of the US Congress have called on the administration of President
Joe Biden to condemn Israel's land expropriation and home demolition policies
in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The
legislators, led by Rashida Tlaib and Mark Pocan, urged the administration to
attach meticulous attention to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in terms of
international law and human rights, and to reverse decisions taken by former US
president Donald Trump on the matter.
“We
remain concerned about Israel’s policy of demolishing Palestinian homes in the
occupied West Bank", including East Jerusalem al-Quds, they said in a
letter addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The
lawmakers also demanded an investigation into the use of US equipment in the
demolitions and whether such a conduct violates American law.
“We
believe the State Department should condemn Israel’s home demolitions in
unequivocal terms and take effective and timely diplomatic action to end this
policy,” the letter read.
The
lawmakers said Israel’s ongoing colonization of the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem al-Quds, alongside its demolition of Palestinian homes, is a form of
de facto annexation that needs to be unequivocally opposed by the United
States.
They
asked the US administration to denounce Israel's settlement expansion,
stressing that “settler colonialism in any form – including Israel’s
settlements in East Jerusalem al-Quds and the West Bank – is illegal under
international law and will not be tolerated.”
The
US lawmakers also called on the Biden administration “to officially rescind the
Trump administration’s so-called Peace to Prosperity plan, which would enable
Israel to unilaterally annex 30 percent of the West Bank outside the framework
of negotiations.”
Moreover,
the State Department should publicaly call on Israel to fulfill its legal
obligations to provide COVID-19 vaccines to all Palestinians living under the
Israeli military occupation, they added.
On
March 9, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the Biden
administration to make good on its opposition to Israel’s settlement expansion
across the occupied West Bank and take concrete measures to tackle it.
Shtayyeh
said the uptick in Israeli settlement expansion amid the global coronavirus
pandemic undermines international efforts to keep alive the prospect for the
establishment of an independent State of Palestine.
More
than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli
occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
al-Quds. All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.
According
to human rights groups, acts of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians
and their property are a daily occurrence throughout the occupied West Bank.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/14/647267/US-lawmakers-urge-Biden-to-stop-Israel-land-theft-home-demolition-policies
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Erdogan
awaits call from Biden amid attempted reset in US-Turkey relations
14
March ,2021
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has toned down his anti-Western and anti-US
rhetoric in an apparent effort to reset the rocky relationship with his NATO
allies, but so far he’s been met by silence from US President Joe Biden.
Nearly
two months into his presidency, Biden still hasn’t called Erdogan, which some
in Turkey see as a worrying sign. By contrast, former President Donald Trump
and Erdogan spoke just days after the 2016 election.
Ties
between Ankara and Washington — which once considered each other as strategic
partners — have steadily deteriorated in recent years over differences on
Syria, Turkey’s cooperation with Russia and more recently on Turkish naval
interventions in the eastern Mediterranean, which US officials have described
as destabilizing.
Despite
tensions, many within Erdogan’s government were hoping for four more years of
the administration led by Trump, who had a personal rapport with Erdogan and
didn’t give him any lectures about Turkey’s human rights record.
Biden
drew ire from Turkish officials after an interview with the New York Times in
which he spoke about supporting Turkey’s opposition against “autocrat” Erdogan.
In
public statements, Turkish officials have played down the lack of a phone call
from the White House, noting that conversations are happening at other levels,
but a senior Turkish government official told The Associated Press that
Erdogan’s office “is not thrilled” about it. The official spoke on condition of
anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Jen
Psaki, the White House press secretary, said last week that there were many
world leaders Biden still hadn’t talked to and that she was sure he would call
Erdogan “at some point.”
Left
with few friends due to a spate of assertive foreign policy, anti-Western
rhetoric and increasing authoritarianism, Turkey is now looking to attract
foreign investments to rescue its troubled economy. Erdogan has been reaching
out to the US, European nations and other former allies in a bid to patch
troubled relations and end its international isolation.
Biden,
who has spoken about restoring international alliances and traditional ties as
well as strengthening NATO, would have an interest in rebuilding ties and
trying to pull Turkey away from Russia’s sphere of influence.
But
analysts say it’s going to be very difficult to reset the relationship, given
the range of issues where the two countries don’t see eye to eye, including
Turkey’s decision to acquire the advanced Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system,
which Washington says poses a threat to NATO and to the US F-35 fighter
aircraft program. Washington kicked Turkey out of the F-35 production program
and last year imposed sanctions on senior Turkish defense industry officials as
well as bans on military export licenses.
Turkey
argues that the Russian system, which cost the country $2.5 billion, is not a
threat to the NATO alliance and it has repeatedly called for dialogue to
resolve the issue. Washington insists the sanctions cannot be lifted as long as
the Russian system remains on Turkish soil.
During
a Senate hearing before his confirmation as US secretary of state, Antony
Blinken described Turkey as a “so-called strategic partner” and called it
“unacceptable” for Turkey to be “in line with one of our biggest strategic
competitors in Russia.”
Merve
Tahiroglu of the Washington-based Project on Middle East Democracy, said it
would be difficult for Erdogan to backtrack on the S-400 “because he made such
a big deal about the purchase and what this would mean for Turkey’s
geopolitical independence.”
American
military support for Syrian Kurdish fighters to combat the Islamic State group
is another point of contention. Turkey argues they are inextricably linked to a
decades-long Kurdish insurgency and Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said that
ties cannot improve unless Washington halts its cooperation with the Syrian
Kurdish group.
In
2019, Biden accused Trump of betraying US allies, following the latter’s
decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria, which paved the way for a
Turkish military offensive against the Syrian Kurdish group.
The
Biden administration is likely to put pressure on Turkey on its energy dispute
with Greece in the eastern Mediterranean, which led to a tense standoff between
two NATO members. Turkey has since halted its search for energy reserves in
disputed waters while Erdogan has toned down his fiery rhetoric.
Gonul
Tol, director of the Middle East Institute’s Center for Turkish Studies, said
Turkey cannot give concessions in the eastern Mediterranean “because it is
considered a national cause by a wide segment of Turkish society.”
The
Biden administration is expected to place more emphasis on democracy and human
rights than Trump did. During a telephone call with Turkish Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu, Blinken underlined the “importance of democratic
institutions, inclusive governance and respect for human rights” for Turkey,
according to a US readout of the conversation.
Last
week, Erdogan pledged a series of reforms to improve human rights but analysts
said they were unlikely to make a huge impact or lead to the release from
prison of high-profile figures such as activist Osman Kavala, who is accused of
ties to anti-government protests in 2013 as well as a 2016 failed coup attempt.
“For
a true reset to happen, the Biden administration needs to see more of a
democratization process ... that can come in the form of major judicial reforms
or by the release of some of the most contentious political figures,” Tahiroglu
said.
Turkey
is also seeking the extradition of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara
accuses of orchestrating a failed military coup in 2016. US officials say
Ankara has not been able to present documents that would allow his extradition.
Turkey accuses Washington of providing him shelter.
Also
threatening to perturb ties is a trial against Turkish state bank, Halkbank,
accused of helping Iran to evade US sanctions worth $20 billion.
“If
the court sentences Halkbank, it is going to be devastating for the Turkish
economy and I don’t see how you can have a reset after that,” Tol said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/14/Erdogan-awaits-call-from-Biden-amid-attempted-reset-in-US-Turkey-relations
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US
plans to reinvigorate diplomatic effort alongside UN in Yemen: State Department
15
March ,2021
The
US plans to reinvigorate diplomatic efforts, alongside the United Nations and
others, to end the war in Yemen, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U. N.
Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, a State Department spokesperson said
on Sunday.
“He
highlighted that the US supports a unified, stable Yemen free from foreign
influence, and that there is no military solution to the conflict,” State
Department Spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
The
Arab Coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Iran-allied Houthi group
ousted the country’s government from the capital Sanaa.
The
United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/03/15/US-plans-to-reinvigorate-diplomatic-effort-alongside-UN-in-Yemen-State-Department
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US
military presence in Afghanistan much larger than disclosed: US media
15
March 2021
US
officials have said the real number of American forces in Afghanistan is much
higher than the public has been led to believe as the Biden administration
claims to follow through with a troop withdrawal as part of a US deal with the
Taliban, according to US media.
It
turned out that number is actually around 3,500 US forces, which is one
thousand more troops in the war-wracked country than the Pentagon had claimed,
the New York Times reported, citing US, European and Afghan officials.
The
report said this figure does not accurately represent how many US boots are
actually on the ground in Afghanistan.
In
addition to the 3,500 US troops, there are some 7,000 NATO and allied troops
still in Afghanistan who depend on Americans for logistics and force
protection.
The
revelation now adds more complexity to a debate at the White House over whether
to stick with the deal, struck by the Trump administration and the Taliban over
a year ago, that called for complete withdrawal of American forces by May 1.
Senior
US official said some Special Operations forces having been put “off the
books,” as well as some temporary and transitioning units.
These
troops include Joint Special Operations Command units, some of them elite Army
Rangers, who work under both the CIA and the Pentagon in Afghanistan.
US
troop numbers in Afghanistan have declined from 12,000 to the current number
since last year under the Trump administration.
Some
in the Pentagon have, however, staunchly opposed the drop as they long claimed
that at least 8,600 US troops are needed to continue training operations and
counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan, the Times said.
A
review of the US-Taliban deal that was submitted to US lawmakers last month
concluded that 4,500 American troops would be necessary in order to “secure US
interests” in Afghanistan.
It
is not yet clear whether President Joe Biden’s administration will honor the
Trump-Taliban deal, ending America’s longest war after more than 19 years.
The
Washington Post reported on Saturday that many US officials thought it was
unlikely that all American forces would leave Afghanistan by May,
Members
of the US Congress have repeatedly called for an increase in troops if the
United States decides to stay past.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647345/US
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Biden
difference in rhetoric, same as Trump in policy towards Iran, others: Analyst
15
March 2021
US
President Joe Biden is only different in rhetoric while pursuing the same
policies as former President Donald Trump towards Iran and other countries,
says a political commentator.
Stephen
Lendman made the comments in an interview on Saturday, while commenting on
Press TV’s latest investigative editorial into a “step-for-step” proposal, with
the US yet to make good on its promised return to the Iran nuclear deal.
Before
winning the 2020 presidential election, Biden vowed to bring the United States
back to the internationally supported agreement, which Trump unilaterally quit.
“Biden
has done exactly the same thing. The rhetoric is different, the policies are
the same,” noted Lendman. “He pretends that he wants to rejoin the JCPOA. He
promised it while campaigning.”
The
Democratic president, who promoted an attitude contrary to Trump’s in his 2020
campaign, has also refused to end the sanctions illegally imposed on the
Iranian nation.
“He
said he’d lift sanctions on Iran. They were imposed illegally,” said Lendman,
who also hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour.
While
discussing his book, "The Art of Sanctions," @richardmnephew boasted
with a wide grin that the economic warfare tactics he devised drove up
unemployment rates in Iran.
Nephew
was just appointed as Biden's deputy Iran envoy.
My
full story here: https://t.co/FWTYO7Ab4G pic.twitter.com/m5431czF8i
—
Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) March 8, 2021
Yet,
Washington’s pressure on Iran goes beyond the West Asian country, further
victimizing any entities even considering ties with Tehran by imposing new
sanctions.
“They
have no legitimization at all, but other countries adhere to them because the
US threatened sanctions on them if they do not, especially the European
countries.”
#JCPOA
IS the comprehensive plan concluded by E3+3 (incl US) & Iran. The “C”
stands for COMPREHENSIVE.
It
has been implemented only by Iran.
Instead
of posturing, US & E3 must finally live up to their commitments made, but
never fulfilled.#CommitActMeet
Iran
will reciprocate
—
Javad Zarif (@JZarif) March 9, 2021
Press
TV’s findings, in part, revealed that Tehran had earlier sent messages
signaling the possibility of working out a "step-for-step" proposal,
which could involve the United States’ release of Iran’s frozen assets.
But
Washington was seeking an unofficial meeting with Tehran, hoping to declare an
asset unfreeze as the outcome of the hypothetical meeting.
The
US lifting of sanctions is Iran’s absolute right, violated by the Trump
administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action and a brutal “maximum pressure” campaign against Iranians, which is yet
to end.
Another
example of their lies: The US has the biggest nuclear weapons arsenal in the
world. They have thousands of atomic bombs & are the only state that has
used #NuclearWeapons and massacred 220,000 people. Then they shout that they
oppose weapons of mass destruction!
—
Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) March 11, 2021
“Biden
has zero intention of rejoining the JCPOA,” Lendman opined. “They want a
hardened deal that no country would accept.”
Iran
has announced that it will not enter any engagements on the basis of proposals
inconsistent with its declared policies as well as conditions set by Leader of
Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
"Our
rational demand is the lifting of the sanctions. This is the Iranian nation's
right, which has been violated. They are duty-bound to do that... If the
sanctions are lifted, then the US return to the JCPOA will mean
something," the Leader said in a speech on January 8, 2021.
The
head of the Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights said last week
that the Islamic Republic would appoint a special rapporteur to evaluate the
impact of the illegal US sanctions on the Iranian nation and to protect the
rights of Iranians in the face of Washington’s unjust restrictive measures.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647320/US-Iran-Stephen-Lendman-comments-Press-TV-investigative-editorial
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