Christianity, Islam Don’t Have ‘Untouchability’, Dalit Converts Can’t Get Scheduled Caste Tag
New Age Islam News Bureau
12 November 2022
Supreme Court of India
-----
• Gulf Arab Region’s First Casino in UAE’s Ras Al
Khaimah Where Gambling Has Long Been Off-Limits
• Muslim Americans, All Democrats, Make Historic Gains
In 2022 Midterm Elections
• Tunisians Call for Ouster of Saudi-Allied President
Kais Saied
• Afghan Ministry Condemns Mistreatment of Refugees in
Pakistan
India
• Gurugram Imam Sangathan Asks Deputy Commissioner to
Stop Namaz in Undesignated Places
• Chennai man arrested, two detained for carrying
Islamic State leaflets, bomb-making manual
• Ensure namaz at select spots only: Imams body
• Gyanvapi Case: SC Extends Protection of 'Shivling'
Area inside Mosque
• 4 LeT associates arrested in Awantipora: Police
• Pakistani terrorist killed in Shopian encounter
• India closely monitoring security situation in
war-torn Afghanistan: Diplomat tells UN
• Prophet remarks: Raja Singh’s suspension may not be
lifted soon
• 10-year-old molested in mosque; accused arrested
--------
Arab
World
• Top Bahraini Cleric Slams Participation In
Parliamentary Election As ‘Betrayal’
• Bahraini opposition groups, activists unanimously
agree to boycott Nov. 12 polls
• Drones among most important weapons resistance owns:
Hezbollah official
• Hezbollah chief seeks assurances from Lebanon’s next
president
• UAE president invites Israel's Netanyahu to visit
Abu Dhabi
• Two Saudi teams qualify to attend Apple Entrepreneur
Camp in California
--------
North
America
• Biden, Egypt's Sisi emphasize importance of US-Egypt
partnership
• Biden arrives in Sharm El-Sheikh on 1st visit to
Egypt
• First Palestinian American elected to public office
in US state of Georgia
• Giorgio Cafiero: Personal Relationship between Saudi
Crown Prince And Biden ‘Is Probably Beyond Repair’
--------
Africa
• Jordanians rally against water-for-energy deal with
Israel
• South Africa, Türkiye hold trade summit in
Johannesburg
• Ethiopia says it controls 70% of Tigray region in
wake of peace deal
--------
South
Asia
• People of Afghanistan under World's Most Severe
Hunger Crisis: Report
--------
Pakistan
• Govt’s Step against Interest Welcomed in Pakistan,
Entire Muslim World: Ulema and Religious Scholars
• Shehbaz Sharif Accuses Imran Khan of Ruining Pakistan
through Agitation
• Allama Iqbal Open University Organizes Seminar on
“Reconstruction of Religious Islamic Thoughts in Islam”
• Pakistani arrangements not enough to extend CPEC in
Afghanistan: Report
• Shehbaz’s plea for stay on defamation case denied by
UK court
• Man arrested for firing inside girls school in Karak
• Customs officials’ infighting leaves Pak-China trade
in limbo
• Jamrud police kill terrorist after check post attack
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Indonesia towards the Centre of Global Sharia
Economy
• Ceasefire declared in Basilan after deadly clashes
between Philippine troops and Muslim rebels
• Kherson’s liberation sparks outpouring of joy and
tears in Kyiv
• 2 men held for threatening journalists covering GE15
• Indonesia introduces tight security measures ahead
of G20 Summit
--------
Mideast
• Iran Accuses West Of Helping Protestors Make
Weapons, Molotov Cocktails
• UN Experts Urge Iran to Stop Indicting Protesters
With Charges Punishable By Death
• Nasrallah: Both Democrats, Republicans back Israeli
crimes
• Freedom Flotilla coalition prepares to break illegal
Gaza siege again
• Hundreds protest one month after Iran’s ‘Bloody
Friday’
• Erdogan Rival Imamoglu Should Be Convicted, Banned
From Politics: Turkish Prosecutor
• Israel detects cholera in reservoir in north
• Israeli president to ask Netanyahu to form new
government
• Iran summons Azerbaijani ambassador over
'anti-Iranian propaganda'
--------
Europe
• Belgium Terror Stabbing Suspect Was On List As
Potential Islamic Extremist
• Project to revive Mosul's Al Nuri mosque showcased
at UN in Paris
• Britain summons Iran’s senior diplomat over alleged
threats to UK journalists
• Panel discussion on Islamophobia in Europe organized
in Paris
• Türkiye saves nearly 18,500 irregular migrants after
illegal Greek pushbacks in 2022
• EU to discuss new Iran sanctions Monday: Lithuania
• Iran-born brothers charged in Sweden with spying for
Russia
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/christianity-untouchability-dalit-converts/d/128387
--------
Christianity, Islam Don’t Have ‘Untouchability’, Dalit
Converts Can’t Get Scheduled Caste Tag
Supreme Court of India
-----
Nov
12, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The Centre has told the Supreme Court that Dalits converted to
Christians and Islam cannot be given Scheduled Caste status to get benefits of
reservation as there is no backwardness or oppression in those religions.
The
ministry of social justice and empowerment in an affidavit filed in the apex
court said the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950 does not suffer
from any unconstitutionality and it is legal and valid. The Centre was
responding on a plea of NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL)
seeking extension of reservation and other benefits to people from Dalit
communities who embraced Islam and Christianity.
“The
Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950 was based on historical data which
clearly established that no such backwardness or oppression was ever faced by
members of Christian or Islamic Society. In fact, one of the reasons for which
people from Scheduled Castes have been converting to religions like Islam or
Christianity is so that they can come out of the oppressive system of
untouchability which is not prevalent at all in Christianity or Islam,” the
affidavit said.
The
ministry also submitted that the identification of Scheduled Castes is centred
around a specific social stigma that is limited to the communities identified
in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and the order was based on
historical data which clearly established that no such backwardness or
oppression was ever faced by members of Christian or Islamic society.
“In
fact, one of the reasons for which people from Scheduled Castes have been
converting to religions like Islam or Christianity is so that they can come out
of the oppressive system of untouchability which is not prevalent at all in
Christianity or Islam,” the affidavit said.
The
government also expressed its disagreement with the report of the Justice
Ranganath Mishra Commission which recommended inclusion of Dalit Christians and
Dalit Muslims in the Scheduled Castes list, and said it took a myopic view and
its findings are flawed.
The
Centre differentiated the Dalits who embraced Buddhism from their counterparts
who converted to Islam and Christianity. The affidavit said: “Scheduled Casts
embraced Buddhism voluntarily at the call of Dr Ambedkar in 1956 on account of
some innate socio-political imperatives. The original castes/ community of such
converts can clearly be determined. This cannot be said in respect of
Christians and Muslims, who might have converted on account of other factors,
since the process of such conversions has been taken place over the centuries.”
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
Gulf Arab Region’s First Casino in UAE’s Ras Al
Khaimah Where Gambling Has Long Been Off-Limits
Company logos are
displayed at Wynn Macau resort in Macau, China February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby
Yip/File Photo
----
11 November, 2022
Hotel and casino operator Wynn Resorts will open a
casino at the luxury resort it is building in the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
Chief Executive Craig Scott Billings said, a first for the Gulf Arab region,
where gambling has long been off-limits.
The casino would mark a watershed moment for the Gulf,
a region that has traditionally imposed stricter rules than other parts of the
Middle East.
The prospect of a new casino comes against the
backdrop of intense competition in the Gulf, with business and tourism hub UAE
vying to become the go-to destination in a region diversifying its
oil-dependent economy.
The Ras Al Khaimah emirate and Wynn announced in
January that the resort was licensed for gaming without specifying gambling,
sparking renewed talk of casinos being introduced in other UAE emirates such as
regional tourism hub Dubai.
Billings confirmed the casino, set for completion in
2026 on a man-made island off the coast of Ras Al Khaimah, in an earnings call
on Wednesday.
“The casino component, where at least for some period
of time, we will be operating on our own, which makes it quite exciting, is shaping
up to be somewhat larger than Wynn Las Vegas,” he said.
“When you think about a market like that where you,
for some period of time, will be the only operator, you certainly don’t want to
underbuild the casino, but you want to maintain that sense of energy,” he
added.
Ras Al Khaimah is one of the smaller of the seven UAE
emirates. In regional business center Dubai, Caesars Palace currently has a
resort without a casino and MGM Resorts International is building a resort.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Muslim
Americans, All Democrats, Make Historic Gains In 2022 Midterm Elections
FILE
- Mana Abdi, 26, speaks with a reporter in this Oct. 6, 2022 file photo in
Lewiston, Maine. Abdi is one of two Somali women elected to the Maine House.
(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, file)
------
November
11, 2022
By
Alejandra Molina
(RNS)
— Nabeela Syed made history in this year’s midterms when she defeated a
Republican incumbent in Illinois’ 51st District, making her the youngest member
of the Illinois General Assembly and among the first Muslims elected to the
state Legislature.
“It
is so important for us to have a seat at the table, for us to have a voice in
the legislative process,” Syed, a 23-year-old Indian American who is Muslim,
told a local TV news reporter soon after her win. Syed recalled a conversation
with a friend who said he never thought he’d see a name like hers on hundreds
of yard signs in their community.
To
Syed, candidacies like hers are viable “if people put in the time, the effort
and the money,” she said in a podcast series documenting her historic campaign.
Syed joined Abdelnasser Rashid as the first Muslims elected to the Illinois
State House.
“You
can’t just write off a candidacy like mine because, ‘Oh, she’s too diverse for
this district or she’s too young,’” Syed said.
Syed
is among a cohort of new candidates who made history this year by becoming the
first Muslim Americans to be elected to the state legislature in states like
Texas, Illinois, Georgia and Minnesota. All of them are Democrats, many are
women and a rising number are Somali Americans.
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations said the 2022 midterms have been a
historic election, tracking a record-breaking 145 American Muslim candidates
running for local, state and federal office, including 48 state legislative
candidates in 23 states.
As
a result, more than 80 Muslim candidates won local, state, federal and judicial
seats in over 20 states, according to a report from CAIR and the Jetpac
Resource Center, a nonprofit that works to increase Muslim representation in
U.S. government and politics. This signals the highest number of electoral wins
among Muslim Americans since Jetpac and CAIR began tracking. In 2020, 71 were
elected.
Jetpac
has documented a record number of Muslims running for state legislative seats,
including: 20 Muslim incumbents who successfully ran for reelection; two
appointed lawmakers who ran for a full term and made history as the first
Muslims elected to their respective state legislature; plus 17 new Muslim
candidates who won their campaigns.
To
Mohammed Missouri, Jetpac’s executive director, it’s noteworthy that all Muslim
state legislators who were up for reelection have retained their seats. “That’s
a big thing,” he said.
Missouri
said the successful campaigns of Muslim American candidates show that “when
Muslims run for office today, in 2022 and beyond, … it’s rewarded by voters.”
Among
the historic gains:
In
Minnesota, 25-year-old Zaynab Mohamed, a Democrat, became the first Muslim
woman of Somali descent to be elected to the state Senate.
In
Georgia, four Muslim Americans were elected to state office. This includes
Democrat Ruwa Romman, the first Muslim woman elected to the Georgia House of
Representatives, and Nabilah Islam, the first Muslim woman elected to the
Georgia State Senate.
In
Texas, the first two Muslim lawmakers are Democrats Salman Bhojani, who won
election to House District 92 in Tarrant County, and Suleman Lalani, who won
election to House District 76 in Fort Bend County.
In
Ohio, Democrat Munira Abdullahi, who was unopposed, became the first Muslim
woman to be elected to the state Legislature. Ismail Mohamed, a Democrat, was
also elected as the first Muslim to serve in the Ohio State House. Both are
Somali Americans.
In
Maine, Democrats Mana Abdi, Ambureen Rana and Deqa Dhalac were the first
Muslims elected to the state Legislature. Abdi and Dhalac are Somali American.
In
Oregon, State Senator Kayse Jama ran for a full term after being appointed to
fill a vacancy in 2021. He is the first Muslim elected to the Oregon State
Legislature.
In
Washington state, State Senator Yasmin Trudeau ran for a full term after being
appointed to fill a vacancy in 2021. She is the first Muslim elected to the
Washington State Legislature.
The
2022 midterm election results prove that “Muslims are a powerhouse,” said
community organizer Nada Al-Hanooti — not just as candidates but also as a
constituency.
As
executive director of Emgage’s Michigan chapter, an organization that educates
and mobilizes Muslim American voters, Al-Hanooti saw major wins in voter
outreach and in the candidates they endorsed in Michigan, where Democrats will
now control the Michigan Legislature following this year’s election.
Al-Hanooti
said that most of the candidates who seek out Emgage are not Muslim. “(They)
know now the pull that we have,” she said.
A
recent survey of American congregations by The U.S. Religion Census showed the
number of Muslims who participate in mosque prayer increased from 2.6 million
in 2010 to 4.5 million in 2020, a 75% increase. (Pew Research estimates there
were 3.85 million Muslims in the U.S. in 2020, but those numbers do not include
children.)
Michigan
Democrat Hillary Scholten, whom Emgage endorsed, defeated former Trump-backed
John Gibbs in her run for Congress. Emgage also endorsed U.S. Rep. Elissa
Slotkin, who defeated Sen. Tom Barrett in a competitive race.
In
Michigan, the Democrats last were in charge of the Senate in 1984, and they
last controlled the House in 2010, according to the Michigan Advance.
“Our
focus was really to flip the House and Senate. We knew we had an opportunity,”
Al-Hanooti said.
Emgage,
through its nonprofit, offers nonpartisan voter education outreach. It also has
a political action committee, dubbed the nation’s largest Muslim American
bipartisan PAC, that supports local, state and federal candidates with a “track
record of upholding civil rights, welcoming diversity, and protecting religious
freedom.”
“I
think slowly, but surely, the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, will know
that the Muslim community is a force to be reckoned with,” Al-Hanooti said.
Source:
Religion News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://religionnews.com/2022/11/11/muslim-americans-make-historic-gains-in-2022-midterm-elections/
--------
Tunisians
Call For Ouster Of Saudi-Allied President Kais Saied
A
file photo of President Kais Saied of Tunisia. (By AFP)
-----
08
November 2022
Tunisians
have called for free and fair elections to remove Saudi-allied President Kais
Saied, who is accused of staging a coup last year.
Samir
Dilou, a member of Tunisia's Salvation Front, told a local radio station on
Monday that the front wants the naming of an alternative for Kais Saied “by the
Tunisian elite in fair and genuine elections and not in the December 17’s
elections.”
He
condemned the “individual rule” adopted by the president, saying he granted
himself “pharaonic powers.”
Dilou
also vowed that the front would continue its “peaceful struggle” against the
regime of Saied, which he blamed for the country’s crises.
Meanwhile,
the Free Constitutional Party announced that it filed a complaint with a
Tunisian court to halt the December 17 elections.
It
said in a statement that the complaint came as “the electoral commission did
not receive any nomination in seven out of 161 constituencies”, describing that
as “a serious precedent that acknowledges the lack of the citizens’
involvement” in the electoral process.
Shahid
Observatory expected a low turnout in the upcoming legislative elections.
Saied,
a former law professor who took office in 2019, moved to rule by decree after
shutting down parliament last year and later expanded his powers with a new
constitution passed in the July referendum.
His
opponents say his actions have undermined the democracy secured through a 2011
revolution that ousted former leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and triggered the
Arab spring.
Tunisians
are struggling to make ends meet as a crisis in state finances has contributed
to shortages of subsidized goods, including petrol, sugar and milk on top of years
of economic malaise and entrenched unemployment.
The
president, however, has blamed hoarders and speculators for the shortages,
saying the measures by his government were needed to save Tunisia from years of
crisis.
Critics
say Saied has moved Tunisia, which faces a grinding economic crisis, down a
dangerous path back toward autocracy.
Amid
the political crisis, Saudi Arabia expressed its firm support for the Tunisian
President.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/11/08/692362/Tunisian-call-for-ouster-Kais-Saied
--------
Afghan
Ministry Condemns Mistreatment Of Refugees In Pakistan
Representative
Image
----
12
November, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], November 12 (ANI): Taliban has condemned the mistreatment of
Afghan refugees in Pakistan and called on Islamabad to remain respectful of the
rights of refugees, local media reported.
“The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate condemns the disturbing of
our citizens and calls on the Pakistani government to avoid the repeat of such
actions,” Tolo News quoted a Taliban MoFA official as saying.
Earlier
a video went viral showing several Afghan refugees detained and tied with a
rope in Karachi, Pakistan.
The
detainees in the video were found complaining that the Pakistani police took
away their cell phones and money.
Tolo
News cited analysts saying that Islamabad is using the presence of Afghan refugees
as a tool to pressure the caretaker government to accept its wishes.
“When
the government of Pakistan sits in talks with the Islamic Emirate and does not
reach an agreement, then Pakistan has leverage with Afghan refugees who are
living in Pakistan and will beat them, disturb them and deport them”, Tolo News
quoted a university instructor as saying.
Tolo
News cited UNHCR which estimates that around 13 million Afghans live in
Pakistan.
“They
should allow them at first to come to Pakistan. They can live in their country
in any condition but when they come here, they are facing a lot of problems,”
Tolo News quoted a Pashtoon Tahfuz Movement (PTM) member.
Earlier,
the Afghanistan Embassy in Pakistan said that more than 1,250 Afghan refugees
had been detained within the past 40 days by Pakistani police.
Khaama
Press, citing its monitoring desk, said that thousands of Afghans cross Turkham
and Spin Boldak borders daily and most do so without holding valid entry
permits and visas.
The
Afghan immigrants in Pakistan do not hold any legal status as the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has not yet started registering the
immigrants.
One
of the main reasons behind the rising number of Afghan immigrants in Pakistan
is the political instability and economic crisis in Afghanistan, reported
Khaama Press.
Since
its ascent to power in Kabul, the Islamic group imposed policies severely
restricting basic rights–particularly those of women and girls. (ANI)
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/afghan-ministry-condemns-mistreatment-of-refugees-in-pakistan/1212277/
--------
India
Gurugram
Imam Sangathan Asks Deputy Commissioner to Stop Namaz in Undesignated Places
Nov
11, 2022
By
Leena Dhankhar
An
association of imams in Gurugram on Friday urged the district administration to
intervene and stop some groups from offering namaz at undesignated public
spaces, and said such acts could lead to communal disharmony and tension.
Mufti
Abdul Haseeb Qasmi, president of Gurugram Imam Sangathan, said they have
submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner requesting him to check sites
that are not designated but are being used by some people to offer namaz.
The
protest against Friday namaz in open public spaces has been taking place in
Gurugram since 2018. The same year, the administration designated 37 sites for
Muslims to offer Friday prayers. However, in November last year, the number of
sites was cut down to 20, after members of the right-wing outfits continued to
protest and disrupt prayers and, later, they were reduced to just six. The
Muslims, however, have maintained that they were forced to use public spaces
since there were not enough mosques in the city
“After
the issue was resolved, we have been holding prayers only at designated sites
but some people have again started using the other sites, which has started
causing tensions in several parts of the city,” Qasmi said.
The
organisation submitted a written petition, addressed to Haryana chief minister
Manohar Lal Khattar, with the Gurugram deputy commissioner on Friday.
After
Hindu right wing groups protested over the issue last year, the chief minister
had said people should offer prayers only at designated spaces or at mosques.
Muslims had approached the court demanding the administration to mark spaces
for prayers as well as provide land for building new mosques.
Currently,
there are six designated spots for Friday prayers and an estimated 11 mosques
in Gurugram, a district which has around 500,000 Muslims, of whom around
150,000 offer namaz in mosques on Fridays, said officials.
On
Friday, members of right-wing groups reached the designated namaz sites in
Sector 37, Atlas Chowk, Sector 44, Sirhaul Park, Sector 22 and Genpact Park to
observe the situation.
Haris
Khan, another member of the association, said if the administration does not
intervene, the situation could again get tense. “People in residential and
industrial areas have started objecting to namaz in the open as parks are used
by people for having lunch during their break and people from other areas come
and occupy the park to offer namaz on Fridays,” he said.
Kulbhushan
Bhardwaj, the legal advisor of Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, a Hindu group,
said they had stopped disrupting namaz in the open as it was decided that
Muslims would offer namaz only in spaces designated by district administration.
“If the situation changes, we will have to start protesting again. From next
Friday, we will not let anyone offer namaz at spots other than the designated
ones,” he said.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Chennai
man arrested, two detained for carrying Islamic State leaflets, bomb-making
manual
Pramod
Madhav
Nov
12, 2022
The
Chennai Police has arrested a man and detained two others for carrying leaflets
from the militant group, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), and
bomb-making notes.
Police
said on Thursday, the three men raised suspicion by avoiding a checkpoint and
escaping. The police tracked down three men. One of the policemen got hold of
their bag, which allegedly had ISIS leaflets and bomb-making notes carrying
details about chemicals required to create explosives reportedly taken from
YouTube tutorial videos.
Police
used their motorbike’s registration number to track them.
Police
arrested Nagoor Meeran under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different
groups), 505 (1)(B) (publication made with intent to promote hatred), and
505(2) (statements conducting public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)
and detained two others for questioning. Further investigation is underway.
Security
forces have been making similar arrests in the city since long. In September, a
suspected ISIS operative Shakul Hammed was arrested by the National
Investigation Agency (NIA) from Chennai for allegedly receiving funds, on
behalf of the terrorist organisation, to establish its presence in the city and
further stage attacks in parts of Tamil Nadu.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Ensure
namaz at select spots only: Imams body
Nov
12, 2022
By
Leena Dhankhar
An
association of imams in Gurugram on Friday urged the district administration to
intervene and stop some groups from offering Friday prayers at undesignated
public spaces, arguing that these could “lead to communal disharmony”.
Mufti
Abdul Haseeb Qasmi, president of the Gurugram Imam Sangathan, said that they
have submitted a memorandum to the district’s deputy commissioner (DC)
requesting him to check sites that are not designated but are being used to
offer namaz.
In
2018, the Gurugram administration designated 37 sites for Muslims to offer
Friday prayers.
In
November last year, this number was cut to 20 after Hindu right-wing groups
disrupted prayers at various spots in the city. This number was cut to six
later.
“After
the issue was resolved, we have been holding prayers at designated sites but
some people have started using other sites,” Qasmi said.
Meanwhile,
Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, the legal advisor of Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, a
Hindu group, said they stopped protests as it was decided Muslims would offer
namaz only in spaces designated by the administration. “If the situation
changes, we will have to start protesting again.”
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Gyanvapi
Case: SC Extends Protection of 'Shivling' Area Inside Mosque
November
11, 2022
The
Supreme Court on Friday extended the interim order granting protection of the
area where a 'shivling' was claimed to have been found inside the premises of
the Gyanvapi mosque. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud,
Justice Surya Kant and Justice PS Narasimha extended the May 17 order until
further orders.
The
bench allowed the Hindu parties to move an application before the Varanasi
district judge for consolidation of all the lawsuit filed on the Gyanvapi row.
It also directed the Hindu parties to file their replies within three weeks on
the appeal filed by the management committee of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid
challenging the Allahabad High Court order on the appointment of a survey
commissioner.
The
mosque is located close to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple. In May, the SC
had directed the district magistrate of Varanasi to ensure protection of the
area inside the Gyanvapi complex where a 'shivling' is said to have been found
during a survey and allowed Muslims to offer namaz and perform religious
observances.
The
videography survey of the mosque complex was ordered by the Varanasi court in
response to pleas by five Hindu women seeking permission to perform daily
worship of deities Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and Nandi whose
idols are located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
4
LeT associates arrested in Awantipora: Police
Nov
12, 2022
SRINAGAR:
J&K Police on Friday arrested four associates of banned terror outfit
Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) along with arms and ammunition in South Kashmir’s
Awantipora.
The
arrested men have been identified as Karamat-ul-lah Reshi, Suhail Bashir Ganai,
Adil Ghani Lone and Irshad Ahmed Kumar. Incriminating materials, including
explosive substance, have been recovered from their possession.
While
Reshi and Ganai are residents of Chewa Uller in Tral, Lone belongs to Karamulla
in Tral and Kumar is a native of Tral-e-Payeen.
According
to a police spokesman, during preliminary investigation, it was revealed that
the arrested operatives were in touch with LeT commander Babar alias Samama, a
resident of PoK, and were conspiring to plant IEDs in Tral area with the intent
to cause damage to security forces.
Besides,
the arrested men were also involved in transportation of arms and ammunition
and lending other logistic support to active LeT terrorists.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistani
terrorist killed in Shopian encounter
Nov
12, 2022
SRINAGAR:
A Pakistani terrorist of Jaish-e-Mohammed, active in J&K’s Shopian district
for the last eight months, was killed in an encounter with police early Friday.
SSP,
Shopian, Tanushree termed the killing of Kamran Bhai alias Hanees, an A+
category terrorist, a major success and said police had been receiving
intelligence inputs about a fidayeen attack for the past several days. Further
investigations were on to ascertain his role in terror cases, the SSP said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
closely monitoring security situation in war-torn Afghanistan: Diplomat tells
UN
Nov
11, 2022
UNITED
NATIONS: India has told the United Nations that it is closely monitoring the
security situation in Afghanistan as it has direct stakes in ensuring the
return of peace and stability in the war-torn country.
Addressing
the UNGA Plenary Meeting on Afghanistan on Thursday, India's Deputy Permanent
Representative Ambassador R. Ravindra said that in the recent past, terrorist
attacks have targeted public spaces such as places of worship and educational
institutes, especially of minorities.
“India
is closely monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan and is actively
engaged with the international community on issues related to Afghanistan,”
Ravindra said.
“This
is a concerning trend and India strongly condemns the targeting of innocent
civilians. The attack at the diplomatic premises of the Russian Federation is
highly condemnable,” he said.
He
said India that as a neighbour and a long-standing partner of Afghanistan, it
has direct stakes in ensuring the return of peace and stability to the country.
Ravindra
said the Security Council Monitoring Team is expected to continue to report on
terrorist groups using the war-torn country as a base to target other nations.
He
said that the collective approach of the international community relating to
Afghanistan has been articulated by the Security Council Resolution 2593
adopted during India's Presidency of the Council in August 2021.
The
resolution unequivocally demands that the territory of Afghanistan should not
be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts,
specifically terrorist individuals and entities proscribed by the UN Security
Council, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, he explained.
“India
notes the useful role that UNSC Monitoring Team has played and expects them to
continue to monitor and report on all terrorist groups that might use
Afghanistan as a base to target other countries,” he said.
The
findings of the 30th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring
Team concerning ISIL Da'esh, Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated
individuals and entities indicated the continuing presence and activities of
foreign groups in Afghanistan and its border areas.
In
the report, it is noted that Al-Qaida continues to have ties with the Taliban
and that it enjoys freedom of movement in the country.
During
the UNGA meeting, a draft resolution on the situation in Afghanistan,
introduced by Germany, was adopted by a recorded vote, with 116 in favour, none
against and ten abstentions, including by China, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia
and Zimbabwe.
The
elements in the draft resolution have set forth common concerns, the priorities,
and asks of the international community, he noted.
He
said that linked to the issue of terrorism is the menace of drug trafficking.
“We
have recently seized big shipments of drugs at our ports and in the high seas
off our coasts. It is important for strengthening international cooperation to
disrupt and dismantle these trafficking networks,” he said.
He
stressed that India's main priorities in Afghanistan include providing
immediate humanitarian assistance for the Afghans, formation of a truly inclusive
and representative government, combating terrorism and drug trafficking and
preserving the rights of women, children, and minorities.
Voicing
concern at the unfolding humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Ravindra said
that in response to the humanitarian needs of the Afghans, as well as to the
urgent appeals made by the United Nations, in the last several months, India
has dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
These
include 40,000 metric tonnes of wheat, and about 50 tonnes of medical aid
consisting of essential lifesaving medicines, anti-TB medicines, 500,000 doses
of COVID vaccine, medical/surgical items and 28 tonnes of disaster relief aid.
The
consignments were handed over to the Indira Gandhi Children Hospital, Kabul,
the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) and other UN specialised agencies
including WFP and UNOCHA.
In
order to closely monitor and coordinate the efforts of various stakeholders for
the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance and in continuation of
India's engagement with the Afghan people, an Indian technical team has also
been deployed at its Embassy in Kabul.
Ravindra
noted that on the political front, India continues to call for an inclusive
dispensation in Afghanistan, which represents all sections of the Afghan
society.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Prophet
remarks: Raja Singh’s suspension may not be lifted soon
Yunus
Lasania
11th
November 2022
Hyderabad:
Will the Telangana high court scrapping suspending Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)
MLA T Raja Singh’s detention under the Preventive Detention (PD) Act, all eyes
are on the party’s central disciplinary committee which suspended him. Sources
said that the legislator, who faced action for his remarks on Prophet Muhammad,
is unlikely to be back in the BJP anytime soon.
BJP
leaders, who did not want to be named said that internally in the Telangana
party unit there is a soft coroner for Raja Singh (mainly attributed to him as
a firebrand Hindutva mascot). “I don’t think anything will happen immediately.
Raja Singh had sent an explanation to the show cause notice earlier. The
central committee could respond or just keep it pending,” said one BJP leader.
The
show cause notice was sent to the BJP MLA soon after he passed derogatory
remarks against Prophet Muhammad in a video that he posted on YouTube on August
22. He was the second person in the BJP to be suspended after national
spokesperson Nupur Sharma also received the same punishment for her statements
on Prophet Muhammad earlier this year.
In
fact, Nupur Sharma’s statements even resulted in international condemnation rom
Islamic nations and became a diplomatic problem for India. In Raja Singh’s
case, he made the remarks in retaliation against the TRS-run state government
allowing comic Munawar Faruqui to hold a show in Hyderabad on August 20. Raja
Singh was suspended soon after, and was later arrested by the Hyderabad police
and kept in prison under the PD Act. His remarks had led to massive protests by
Muslim youth in the city.
PM
Modi’s visit
“The
show cause ot notice said that the party’s stance has been violated. You cannot
comment without commenting on the original accusation or issue. Once it started
becoming a ninternatonal issue, it hurt relations. It does not only concern
Telangana but affects the BJP nationally. Some off the cadre may feel
dispirited but there is a right time for everything (about lifting his
suspension). PM Modi is coming, so there is no reason to divert attention from
that too,” said the BJP leader.
He
was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Telangana on November 12
and going to Ramagundem to unveil a fertiliser a plant. Raja Singh’s suspension
being lifted will certainly make headlines if it happens. Moreover, the BJP
will have to take into account the anger among Muslims in Hyderabad who were
offended by the Goshamahal MLA’s remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
However,
a decision will be taken in the coming days for sure as Telangana is slated to
go to polls next year around November. Raja Singh is an important person for
the BJP, as his incendiary speeches often rile up religious sentiments,
especially during election rallies. In the 2018 state polls, he was the only
one to win his seat, as the other four contestants who had won in the 2014
elections from the BJP, failed to retain their seats.
Background
of Raja Singh’s arrest
Raja
Singh was sent to jail under the PD Act for posting a video in which he makes
derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad, leading to massive protests by
Muslims across the city of Hyderabad. His comments lead to scores of people
protesting on the streets demanding his arrest.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/prophet-remarks-raja-singhs-suspension-may-not-be-lifted-soon-2453742/
--------
10-year-old
molested in mosque; accused arrested
NOVEMBER
12, 2022
A
24-year-old man was arrested on Friday for molesting a 10-year-old girl in a
mosque in north-east Delhi’s Maujpur area, the police said on Friday. The accused
worked as a teacher at the mosque.
According
to the police, the complaint regarding the incident was received on Wednesday.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Top
Bahraini cleric slams participation in parliamentary election as ‘betrayal’
11
November 2022
Bahrain’s
most prominent Shia cleric has reiterated the call to boycott parliamentary
elections, saying participation in the elections amounts to betrayal.
“The
responsibility of Bahrainis is to boycott the election, and participation in it
is a betrayal,” Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim said in a live address aired on
Friday from a number of regional TV channels.
He
noted that the Bahraini parliament acts in favor of the ruler and to the detriment
of the Bahraini nation.
This
parliament is a tool to exercise oppression, he said, amid growing calls to
boycott the elections.
On
Thursday, the cleric wrote on a Twitter post that the sham vote is meant to
“slaughter democracy” in the Persian Gulf kingdom.
He
said that voter participation would not result in the consolidation of
democracy in Bahrain as communities are largely excluded from the political
process.
“How
would it be possible to strengthen democracy [in Bahrain], whilst elections
have originally been designed to destroy it? This is an election whose doors
are closed to those who seek democracy,” he underlined.
Meanwhile,
Bahrain’s dissolved al-Wefaq National Islamic Society says opposition groups,
in a show of outright rejection of dictatorship and repression by the ruling
Manama regime, have unanimously agreed to boycott the forthcoming elections.
“In
light of the increasingly suffocating atmosphere, dictatorship of the ruling Al
Khalifah dynasty, utter disregard to public demands and violation of people’s
right to seal their own fate, foreign-based Bahraini opposition groups as well
as social and political activists in the country have taken the decision not to
cast ballots in the upcoming polls,” al-Wefaq deputy secretary-general Sheikh
Hussain al-Daihi said in an interview with the Arabic-language Lualua
television network.
Wefaq,
in a statement released on September 14, described the boycott of November 12
polls as a national duty, emphasizing that the ruling Manama regime maintains absolute
control over the electoral process and seeks to install a weak legislature,
whose main task would be to burnish the image of the corrupt Al Khalifah
dynasty and cover up its human rights abuses.
It
added that the constitutional and political rift between the Bahraini regime
and the nation is deepening day by day, the main reason for which, it said, is
the lack of any social agreement between the two sides.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bahraini
opposition groups, activists unanimously agree to boycott Nov. 12 polls
11
November 2022
The
deputy secretary general of Bahrain's dissolved al-Wefaq National Islamic
Society says opposition groups, in a show of outright rejection of dictatorship
and repression by the ruling Manama regime, have unanimously agreed to boycott
the forthcoming parliamentary elections in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom.
“In
light of the increasingly suffocating atmosphere, dictatorship of the ruling Al
Khalifah dynasty, utter disregard to public demands and violation of people’s
right to seal their own fate, foreign-based Bahraini opposition groups as well
as social and political activists in the country have taken the decision not to
cast ballots in the upcoming polls,” Sheikh Hussain al-Daihi said in an
interview with the Arabic-language Lualua television network.
He
added that Bahraini authorities are making preparations for the opening of the
Israeli embassy in Manama, stressing that the so-called diplomatic mission would
actually serve as the den of espionage for the Tel Aviv regime and would
seriously endanger the security of Bahrain and the entire Middle East region.
“Despite
the ambitious efforts of the Manama regime such as vote buying, Bahraini
officials have suffered a major diplomatic failure. The decision to boycott the
November 12 elections came in response to a call by [Bahrain’s most prominent
cleric] Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim not to participate in the polls,” Sheikh
Daihi said.
“The
ruling Manama regime is keeping the Bahraini nation impoverished, even though
it exercises complete monopoly on the national assets as well as the vital
economic sectors of the country. Poverty is widespread across the country, and
approximately half of the population (47%) receives subsidies,” the senior
Bahraini opposition figure said.
“What
is happening nowadays in Bahrain is outrageously insane. Candidates take great
pride in having the chance to serve the Al Khalifah regime than the nation
should they get elected,” Sheikh Daihi said.
Earlier
this week, Sheikh Isa Qassim called for a boycott of the country’s forthcoming
parliamentary elections, saying the sham vote is meant to "slaughter
democracy" in the Persian Gulf kingdom, as the ruling Al Khalifah regime
is insistently exercising its heavy-handed crackdown on dissent.
In
a post published on his Twitter page, he reiterated his call on people from all
strata of the Bahraini society to boycott the elections, stating that voter
participation would not result in the consolidation of democracy in Bahrain as
communities are largely excluded from the political process.
“How
would it be possible to strengthen democracy [in Bahrain], whilst elections
have originally been designed to destroy it? This is an election whose doors
are closed to those who seek democracy,” the senior Shia cleic underlined.
Wefaq,
in a statement released on September 14, described the boycott of November 12
polls as a national duty, emphasizing that the ruling Manama regime maintains
absolute control over the electoral process and seeks to install a weak
legislature, whose main task would be to burnish the image of the corrupt Al
Khalifah dynasty and cover up its human rights abuses.
It
added that the constitutional and political rift between the Bahraini regime
and the nation is deepening day by day, the main reason for which, it said, is
the lack of any social agreement between the two sides.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Drones
among most important weapons resistance owns: Hezbollah official
11
November 2022
Hezbollah's
Liaison and Coordination Chief Wafiq Safa has said that drones are one of the
most important weapons the resistance movement owns today.
In
an interview with al-Nour radio station in Lebanon, Safa noted that these
drones have proved effective in the case of the maritime borders demarcation.
"The
process of demarcating the maritime borders constituted liberation [to
Lebanon], and the drones constituted a serious tool in this file,” he told the
radio station.
Safa
also pointed out to the fact that “drones have become the most powerful weapon
in the region today,” underscoring “these weapons have become one of the
important arms the resistance owns."
Lebanon's
Hezbollah resistance movement confirmed in July that it flew three unarmed
drones towards the Karish gas field in the country's territorial waters,
sending a message to the Israeli regime. Following the statement, Sheikh Nabil
Qaouk, a top member of the executive council of Hezbollah, said the operation
conveyed a message at the appropriate place and time and had a quick effect.
Qaouk
explained that the “drones plunged the Israeli enemy into new equations and
calculations, and the post-drones period does not resemble the pre-drones one.”
According
to Hezbollah, the resistance group is a strategic national treasure that
protects the Arab country and preserves its riches and glory.
Earlier
in June, Hezbollah warned that it was “ready” to take action if the Lebanese
government confirms that Israel is violating the country’s maritime rights.
Lebanon
and the occupying regime are technically at war, since Tel Aviv has kept the
country’s Shebaa Farms under occupation since 1967. Lebanon fought off two
Israeli wars in 2000 and 2006. On both occasions, battleground contribution by
its Hezbollah resistance movement proved an indispensable asset, forcing the
Israeli military into retreat.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE
president invites Israel's Netanyahu to visit Abu Dhabi
Said
Amouri
11.11.2022
Israel's
former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who won the last Knesset elections,
has said UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed invited him to visit Abu Dhabi
to strengthen bilateral ties.
I
have now spoken with my friend, the President of the United Arab Emirates,
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, and we have agreed to further promote relations
after the historic peace agreement we reached together,” Netanyahu tweeted on
Thursday.
“Sheikh
bin Zayed invited me to visit his country so that we can advance our relations
together. I thank him for the conversation and the excellent relationship
between us!” he added.
Sheikh
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan congratulated Netanyahu "on his victory in the
recent Knesset elections, stressing the UAE's keenness to strengthen positive
partnerships in the region,” according to the state-run Emirates News Agency.
Netanyahu
and his right-wing bloc secured an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset,
allowing him to form the upcoming government.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Two
Saudi teams qualify to attend Apple Entrepreneur Camp in California
November
11, 2022
RIYADH:
Two Saudi teams from the Riyadh-based all-female Apple Developer Academy have
been selected to attend the Apple Entrepreneur Camp in California taking place
between Nov. 7–11.
The
first team qualified for their HOVER application which offers a market that
links customers with drone operators to deliver the services they desire and
the numerous tools a drone operator needs, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The
second team qualified for their AWARE application which provides a service for
people looking for reliable reviews and recommendations on skincare products
and that determines their care routine.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2198091/saudi-arabia
--------
North
America
Biden,
Egypt's Sisi emphasize importance of US-Egypt partnership
Michael
Hernandez
11.11.2022
WASHINGTON
US
President Joe Biden and Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, his Egyptian counterpart,
emphasized on Friday their "mutual commitment multifaceted U.S.-Egypt
strategic partnership."
Biden
and the Egyptian president met on the sidelines of a key UN climate conference,
which is being hosted in Egypt's resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, during which
the leaders "firmed their commitment to accelerating global efforts to
tackle the climate crisis," the White House said in a statement.
"President
Biden expressed the United States’ solidarity with Egypt in the face of the
global economic and food security challenges caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine,
as well as his support for Egypt’s water rights," it said, likely
referring to a bilateral regional dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over an
Ethiopian dam that could curtail Egypt's share of the Nile River's waters.
Biden
further "raised the importance of human rights and respect for fundamental
freedoms. The two leaders also consulted on regional security challenges,
opportunities to de-escalate conflicts, and the decades-long U.S.-Egypt defense
partnership," it added.
Biden's
visit is his first to Egypt since assuming office in January 2021.
After
the COP27 summit, Biden will travel to Phnom Penh, Cambodia from Nov. 12 - 13
to participate in the annual US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Biden
arrives in Sharm El-Sheikh on 1st visit to Egypt
Ibrahim
El-Khazen
11.11.2022
SHARM
EL SHEIKH, Egypt
US
President Joe Biden arrived Friday in the eastern city of Sharm el-Sheikh on
his first visit to Egypt since taking office in January 2021.
Biden
headed to the headquarters of the UN climate summit, according to the official
Nile channel.
US
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday: “The President departs
for Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, where he will participate in the COP27 climate
conference and hold a bilateral meeting with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.
“The
President heads to COP27 with historic momentum on climate, thanks to the
passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and other significant steps that put us
on an enduring path towards meeting our ambitions and clean energy goals.”
After
the COP27 summit, Biden will head to Phnom Penh, Cambodia from Nov. 12 - 13 to
participate in the annual US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/biden-arrives-in-sharm-el-sheikh-on-1st-visit-to-egypt/2735647
--------
First
Palestinian American elected to public office in US state of Georgia
November
11, 2022
WASHINGTON:
A young community organizer has become the first Palestinian American elected
to public office in the US state of Georgia.
Ruwa
Romman, a 29-year-old progressive Democrat, was elected in the midterm
elections this week to represent District 97 in the state’s House of
Representatives at the Georgia General Assembly.
Romman
defeated her Republican opponent, who was accused of using racist, anti-Muslim
tactics to intimidate voters and tarnish her image. Nevertheless, Romman won by
a clear margin, claiming almost 58 percent of the vote.
She
told Arab News that the majority of people in her district had supported her
during her campaign and protected her whenever she felt threatened by the
supporters of her opponent, John Chan, who described himself as a “MAGA
Republican,” a reference to former former president Donald Trump’s “Make
America Great Again” slogan.
“I
was able to develop a trust relationship with the communities in my district,
especially with conservative groups who came out and supported me and defended
me against my opponent’s attacks,” Romman said.
Thanks
to that support, she said, she was able to overcome the vicious, Islamophobic
attacks by her opponent’s campaign.
“I
feel really lucky because I live in a great community that really cares about
me” she added.
District
97, the boundaries of which were redrawn in 2021, is in Gwinnett County, north
of Atlanta, and includes the towns of Berkeley Lake, Duluth, Norcross. and
Peachtree Corners. It is a diverse district; 40 percent of the population is
white and there are a sizable Muslim, African and Asian American populations.
Romman
was born in Amman, Jordan, to Palestinian parents. Her grandparents were
Palestinian refugees. Her parents moved to the Atlanta area 22 years ago, when
she was 7 years old.
She
said her parents are very supportive of her political ambitions, despite being
skeptical when she started campaigning for election about 10 months ago.
“My
parents are so proud and so excited for me,” she added.
Romman
said she feels tremendously excited and honored to have been been elected and
admitted that it has not yet quite sunk in that she actually won and has made
history in the state.
“It
felt weird to be in the state Capitol as a representative-elect,” she said in a
statement after her victory. “I cannot fully express my thanks to everyone who
supported our campaign. So many of those who volunteered with us had never done
political work before.
“It’s
such an honor to know that you chose me to be the first candidate you volunteer
for and I hope to continue to be the person you felt deserved that support.
“I
cannot wait to continue this work and look forward to serving everyone in my
district.”
Romman
ran on a progressive platform that included pledges to push for full funding
for public education, expanded access to healthcare, and protection of women’s
rights, including economic empowerment and access to abortions.
She
told Arab News that her election win is part of a larger shift that is evident
in Georgia politics, as the state had historically “suppressed mail-in ballots”
through various legal channels, a tactic that was seen as benefiting
Republicans.
She
argued that while Georgia has long been considered a Republican-controlled “red
state,” it is in fact a “voter-suppressed state” in which the election system
was skewed in favor the Republican candidates.
Romman
said she is determined to put public service back into politics and make
government work for everyone, not just special interest groups and big
corporations.
Three
other Muslim American candidates for the Georgia General Assembly made history
at Tuesday’s elections.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2197971/world
--------
Giorgio
Cafiero: Personal relationship between Saudi crown prince and Biden ‘is
probably beyond repair’
11
November 2022
An American
strategic analyst and researcher says the personal relationship between Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and US President Joe Biden is “probably
beyond repair,” but Saudi-US “bilateral ties are much deeper than this
relationship.”
Giorgio
Cafiero is the CEO and founder of (Persian) Gulf State Analytics, a
geopolitical risk consultancy based in Washington, DC. His research interests
include geopolitical and security trends in the Arabian Peninsula and the
broader Middle East region.
Cafiero
made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday while commenting on a
recent war of words between the United States and Saudi Arabia over the
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) production
cut.
The
Biden administration has warned it will “recalibrate” its ties with Saudi
Arabia after the OPEC+ decision to cut oil production despite US entreaties.
The
oil-exporting alliance, which includes the 13 OPEC nations and 11 non-members
including Russia, made the production cut announcement last month. The group
agreed to cut output by 2 million barrels per day, equal to 2 percent of global
supply.
The
Biden administration was worried that the decision to cut oil production would
cause a gas price hike in the US ahead of the November 8 midterm elections.
Republicans
are edging closer to securing a majority in the US House of Representatives
while control of the Senate is hinging on a few tight races which may not be
decided until December.
Republicans
have captured at least 210 House seats, Edison Research projected, eight short
of the 218 needed to wrest the House away from Democrats and effectively halt
President Biden's legislative agenda, Reuters reported. While Republicans
remain favored, there were 33 House contests yet to be decided.
The
fate of the Senate is far less certain. Either party could seize control by
winning too-close-to-call races in Nevada and Arizona, where officials are
tallying thousands of uncounted ballots.
“The
relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia has never been based on shared
values. The partnership has sustained for many decades because of shared
interests,” said Cafiero.
“Washington’s
relationship with Riyadh is experiencing many problems and it is now arguably
at its lowest point since the 9-11 terror attacks. Yet, the two countries
continue to have so many shared interests which means that it is unrealistic to
expect this partnership to completely fall apart anytime soon. Lawmakers in
Washington are likely to be less friendly and warm toward the Saudis,
especially in light of Saudi Arabia’s strengthening relationship with Russia
against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine," he said.
"But
this does not prevent the fundamentals of the US-Saudi partnership from
remaining strong. Perhaps now that this month’s midterm elections are over, US
policymakers will tone down their rhetoric and some cooler heads will prevail,”
he added.
In
a report published recently by Business Insider Cafiero was quoted as saying
that the Saudi crown prince is deliberately snubbing the Biden administration
in an attempt to chart a more independent path.
Cafiero
said, "With Mohammed bin Salman at the helm, Saudi Arabia is very
determined to assert its autonomy from the US.The leadership in Riyadh has been
sending many signals to Washington that the Kingdom will pursue its own
national interests as perceived by Saudi officials, which includes deepening
cooperation with Beijing and Moscow."
In
his interview with Press TV, Cafiero
said that the “personal relationship between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
and President Joe Biden is probably beyond repair. But bilateral ties go much
deeper than this relationship between the Saudi Crown Prince and the US
President.”
“It
is difficult to deny that the Saudi leadership would be delighted to see Biden
and the Democrats lose power with Trump, or at least a Trump-aligned
Republican, returning to power. Riyadh was far more comfortable dealing with
the US when Trump was in the Oval Office,” he said.
“Like
many Arab states, Saudi Arabia believes that it is unwise to remain so
dependent on the US as the Kingdom’s security guarantor," he stated.
"For
decades, many aspects of Washington’s foreign policy have left the Saudi
government feeling insecure. Riyadh realizes that no other state is willing, or
able, to replace the US as a security guarantor for the Persian Gulf’s Arab
monarchies and Saudi Arabia has no intention of burning bridges with
Washington," he noted.
"However,
to gain greater leverage in its partnership with the US, and to become more
autonomous from Washington, Saudi Arabia is diversifying its global alliances
and partnerships. Riyadh wants Washington to understand that Saudi Arabia is
not any global power’s client or vassal state," he pointed out.
"Making
this point clear to the US sits well with many Saudi citizens at home. Mohammed
bin Salman is extremely determined to use every opportunity to let team Biden
know that Saudi Arabia will put its own national interests first, regardless of
what Washington thinks,” the analyst explained.
“What
remains to be seen, however, is the long-term impact of this Saudi-first
foreign policy on the US-Saudi partnership. Regardless of the risks, Mohammed
bin Salman seems willing to accept them and continue pursuing this independent
course which entails Riyadh cooperating much more closely with Beijing and
Moscow than Washington would like to see,” Cafiero concluded.
The
US and Saudi Arabia have been close allies for decades with Washington selling
weapons worth billions of dollars to the kingdom on the pretext of bolstering
its defenses and in return Riyadh protecting Washington’s interests in the
Middle East region.
The
OPEC move was a large blow to the administration of Biden, who visited oil-rich
Saudi Arabia on a July trip to appeal to bin Salman despite a CIA conclusion
that he had personally ordered the murder of dissident and journalist Jamal
Khashoggi.
US
officials told The New York Times that they thought they had secured a deal
with the kingdom and were blindsided when their plan fell apart
This
caused humiliation for President Biden, who has struggled to build an
international coalition against Russia and to amend ties with the Saudis.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Jordanians
rally against water-for-energy deal with Israel
11
November 2022
Thousands
of Jordanians have taken to the streets to protest the controversial
water-for-energy agreement with Israel, condemning it as a step toward the
normalization of ties with the regime.
Held
in the capital Amman on Friday, amid heavy deployment of police forces, the
protesters urged the Jordanian government to scrap the agreement.
In
November 2021, Jordan signed a declaration of intent for a water-for-energy
deal with Israel and the UAE. The agreement, however, was met with public fury
in Jordan.
The
parties to the agreement signed an MoU on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN
climate change summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh to continue feasibility
studies after an initial examination of the project found it to be feasible.
Under
the pact, Jordan would supply Israel with 600 megawatts of power generated from
a solar plant that would be built by the UAE – the first Arab country that normalized
ties with the Tel Aviv regime in 2020 – while Israel would provide water-scarce
Jordan with 200 million cubic meters of desalinated water in return.
Since
the agreement, also dubbed Project Prosperity, was announced last year, several
demonstrations have rocked the kingdom and calls have risen to cut ties with
Tel Aviv and scrap the project.
Israel’s
energy ministry said on Tuesday that “regular” meetings have been held between
the parties’ teams in the past year as they were studying financial, planning,
and regulatory aspects of the project.
Furthermore,
a statement on the Emirati state news agency WAM says that the parties will
continue engaging to develop the necessary implementation plans for the project
in time for COP28, which is to be held in the UAE next November.
Meanwhile,
Jordanian lawmaker Musa Hantash said on Friday that any sort of agreement with
the Israeli regime is rejected.
Speaking
to Quds Press, he said international pressures are being exerted on Jordan to
sign the deal with the occupation, adding that there are other alternatives for
providing water for the country.
He
was apparently referring to the National Water Carrier Project which was
announced by Jordan’s Water Ministry in 2021. The project includes the
provision of about 300 million cubic meters of desalinated water from the
shores of the Red Sea in Aqaba.
Jordan
signed a so-called peace deal with Israel in 1994, but Jordanians are at odds
with their government and oppose any form of normalization of ties with the occupying
regime.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/11/11/692538/Jordanians-denounce-water-for-energy-deal-Israel
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South
Africa, Türkiye hold trade summit in Johannesburg
Hassan
Isilow
12.11.2022
JOHANNESBURG
Turkish
and South African firms met Friday in Johannesburg to explore investment opportunities.
“Our
(Turkish) economy is one of the fastest growing economies in the region. In the
past 19 years Türkiye’s economy has been growing at an average of 5.4% but in
the first quarter of this year it grew to 7.4%,” Yasemin Esenlik, a representative
of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office, told Anadolu
Agency after the meeting.
She
visited South Africa with two other colleagues to promote investment
opportunities for Türkiye at the South Africa-Türkiye Investment and Trade Day
event organized by the Turkish Embassy and the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce
and Industry.
She
said Türkiye is a great investment destination owing to its strategic location
between Asia and Europe.
“Türkiye
attracted $240 billion foreign direct investment (FDI) in the last 19 years and
as of 2021, we attracted $14.1 billion. We are close to our pre-pandemic
numbers of FDI,” Esenlik said.
She
said companies from across the world are choosing Türkiye because it is a
manufacturing and logistical hub, and research and development center with more
than 500 companies having their headquarters in the country.
Esenlik
said currently there are over 60 South African companies operating in Türkiye
and 70 Turkish companies operating in South Africa. She said the trade volume
between the two countries is $2.1 billion.
“There
was a couple of things that stood out for me, as we explored these different
aspects (of investment opportunities) and one particular aspect for us is to
say that both South Africa and Türkiye are great trade destinations. One from a
perspective that Türkiye is a gateway into Europe in terms of its location in
central Europe, and provides a lot of support for businesses to come in and for
them to navigate the way.” Shawn Theunissen, head of the Johannesburg Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, told Anadolu Agency after the meetings.
He
said there has been a key focus on manufacturing in the automotive industry as
well as renewable energy space.
“From
a South Africa perspective we also view that Johannesburg and (particularly
South Africa) is a gateway economy into the rest of Africa,” Theunissen said.
He
said they heard the experiences of South African companies that have invested
in Türkiye such as Metair and Turkish companies in South Africa such as Defy.
“Some
key sectors we explored in terms of opportunities are in the extractive
industry, manufacturing space, retail space specifically from fabric and
fashion perspective but also in the tourism space," he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/south-africa-turkiye-hold-trade-summit-in-johannesburg/2735893
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Ethiopia
says it controls 70% of Tigray region in wake of peace deal
Mohammed
Dhaysane
11.11.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Ethiopia’s
government on Friday announced that its forces now control 70% of the country’s
northern Tigray regions in the wake of a peace deal.
Redwan
Hussein, national security adviser to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said that the
Ethiopian National Defense Force took control of most of the Tigray region and
that humanitarian aid is flowing “like no other times.”
He said
the aid is also reaching areas not yet held by the Ethiopian National Defense
Force.
“Thirty-five
trucks of food and 3 trucks of medicine arrived in (the city of) Shire. Flights
are allowed. Services are being reconnected,” Hussein said on Twitter.
He
added that the recent agreement between the government and the Tigray rebels
provided opportunities to enhance services.
On
Nov, 2, peace talks between Ethiopia's government and the Tigray rebels bore
fruit, ending a two-year war that killed over half a million people and
displaced many others.
Getechow
Reda, adviser to the Tigray president, speaking days after the peace agreement
was reached, said everything they do, every move they make, is driven by the
need to ensure the interests of the people of Tigray.
“Peace
is what our people need more than anything. Whether we will deliver on our
promise in a manner that satisfies our people, time will tell,” he said on
Twitter.
“If
a peace agreement can ensure our survival, why not give it a try?” he added.
The
Tigray conflict has also displaced millions more since November 2020.
There
have been allegations that Ethiopian forces committed atrocities during the
conflict, claims are denied by Addis Ababa.
In
a report released on Oct. 29, the UN said that 2.75 million people in Ethiopia
are internally displaced and 12.5 million children are in need of humanitarian
assistance.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South
Asia
People
Of Afghanistan Under World's Most Severe Hunger Crisis: Report
November
11, 2022
Kabul:
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the country is witnessing one of
the world's most extensive and most severe hunger crises and acute food
insecurity has surged in 2022, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) said in a report.
As
per the report, the hunger crisis is affecting 22.8 million people which is
equivalent to more than half of the population, as a result of extended
drought, conflict, and political instability, Khaama Press reported.
"As
of March 2022, the people of Afghanistan are suffering one of the world's
largest and most severe hunger crises; this is affecting 22.8 million people,
equivalent to more than half of the population, as a result of extended drought,
conflict, political instability and COVID-19," the report read.
The
report also highlighted the economic, environmental, and development issues in
Asia and the Pacific alongside a rapid increase in acute food insecurity in
2022.
Moreover,
the residents of Kabul also voiced concerns about rising food prices in the
country due to the reeling economic crisis in the country.
"The
price of foodstuffs has increased. The people are not able to purchase even one
bag of flour," said Rahmanullah, a resident of Kabul, reported Khaama
Press.
Meanwhile,
the World Food Programme has also raised concerns about the economic crisis in
Afghanistan.
Having
struggled through a year of unprecedented economic hardships and environmental
disasters like earthquakes and flooding, the people of Afghanistan are less
prepared than ever to weather another harsh winter, WFP said in a statement.
A
staggering 9 in 10 households cannot meet their food needs, with those headed
by women particularly vulnerable, according to the latest WFP assessment.
"This
is a time of urgent need for Afghanistan. The people are reeling from the
effects of four decades of conflict, climate hazards, COVID-19 and the
socio-economic crisis that have deprived people of their jobs and livelihoods
across the country in the past year," said Raffaella Iodice, EU Chargee
d'affaires to Afghanistan.
"People
who previously were able to put food on the table are now struggling and
turning to humanitarian agencies to help steady them in this new reality. We
are committed to helping the Afghan population, especially the most vulnerable.
Our investment in WFP's resilience programming is an investment that will have
long-lasting, positive effects for local communities," Iodice added.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Govt’s
Step against Interest Welcomed in Pakistan, Entire Muslim World: Ulema and
Religious Scholars
November
12, 2022
Ulema
and religious scholars have appreciated the government's decision to withdraw
appeal challenging decision of Federal Shariah Court on abolition of interest.
Observing
the ‘Thanksgiving Day’ over the decision at every nook and cranny of the
country they assured the government of all out support in this noble cause.
The
Ulema thanked the government, particularly Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for taking such a bold step to get rid of the
interest-based system from the financial institutions of the country.
They
said the government’s announcement has infused a wave of happiness in the
entire nation and it is being welcomed not only in Pakistan but also in the
entire Muslim world.
Source:
Radio Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Shehbaz
Sharif accuses Imran Khan of ruining Pakistan through agitation
11
November, 2022
London
[UK], November 11 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday
blamed Imran Khan for ruining the country through agitations (long march).
Shehbaz,
who is on a visit to the UK said that defeat is for those who are participating
in long march, reported Geo News.
Briefly
speaking to the media after holding a third round of talks with Pakistan Muslim
League-N (Nawaz) supremo Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf
(PTI) chief Imran Khan wants to ruin Pakistan but this will not happen.
“Defeat
is the destiny of those who are doing the long march,” said the premier.
“Let’s
pray for the better of Pakistan. Let’s pray to Allah for guidance on putting
Pakistan on the right path. Pakistan is in great difficulty,” said Nawaz
Sharif, reported Geo News.
Nawaz
said the rule of mobs will not be tolerated. “We have never listened to the
dictation of mobs before and will not do so now.”
He
confirmed to Geo News earlier in the day that he has received the diplomatic
passport from the Pakistan government. “I have had this passport for a few days
now.”
A
Sharif family member also confirmed that Nawaz’s passport has arrived in
London.
Meanwhile,
PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz condemned the PTI’s long march, saying that
the ordinary people were in great difficulty due to the long march. “People are
stuck and facing difficulties. This is bad,” reported Geo News.
Both
Nawaz nor PM Shehbaz answered questions about the appointment of the next army
chief.
Earlier,
Nawaz resolved not to come under PTI’s pressure, especially on their key demand
of early elections, sources told Geo News.
Nawaz
told PM Shehbaz to “continue doing his best to take Pakistan out of the
economic crisis and not succumb to any kind of pressure”.
The
Sharif brothers resolved that the elections will be held on time and PTI
chief’s planned march on Islamabad will be dealt with legally, shared the
source.
Shehbaz
Sharif is likely to leave for Pakistan on Friday.
As
the PTI resumed its long march from Wazirabad, where PTI Chairman Imran Khan
came under attack on November 3, the former prime minister addressed the
marchers and told them that the march would not stop now.
PTI
workers have been continuously holding protests at Islamabad’s M2 Motorway for
the fourth day, causing trouble to the commuters.
Geo
News reported that around 150 PTI workers were participating in the protest,
which caused long queues of vehicles.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday announced Rs 5 million each for the fatal
victim of the PTI’s long march to support the bereaved families.
Three
of the four victims lost their lives after they were run over by PTI Chairman
Imran Khan’s container and one in the Wazirabad shooting.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Allama
Iqbal Open University Organizes Seminar on “Reconstruction of Religious Islamic
Thoughts in Islam”
NOVEMBER
12, 2022
A
national seminar on “Reconstruction of Religious Islamic Thoughts in Islam” was
organized by Allama Iqbal Open University under the auspices of Iqbal Chair on
Tasawuf and Muslim Thoughts.
The
event was presided over by the Professor Muhammad Rafiq Tahir, In charge Centre
of Excellence, while the President of the Iqbal Chair, Professor Fateh Muhammad
Malik was the keynote speaker.
Among
the other speakers were Professor Dr. Abdul Aziz Sahir, Chairman of Urdu
Department, Dr. Arshad Mahmood Nashad and Dr. Abdul Basit Mujahid.
The
students and teachers of Federal College of Education also participated in the
seminar.
While
giving a lecture on the topic of Reconstruction of Religious Thoughts in Islam,
Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik said that Iqbal’s ideas and sermons are
available in Urdu, Persian, Punjabi and other languages, they need to be read
and understood.
He
clarified the difference between West and East from Iqbal’s point of view and
declared western science as our lost asset. He said that there came a time when
we fell asleep and these sciences of ours were taken away by the westerners, we
became careless, and they started to advance our sciences. Prof. Fateh Muhammad
Malik said that a joint struggle is required to make this country, as conceived
by Quaid and Iqbal.
Muhammad
Rafiq Tahir said that the spirit of love and devotion to Allama Muhammad Iqbal
is present in all the eastern countries. If there is less somewhere, that’s in
Pakistan. He further said that there was a need to highlight the love of Iqbal
and the spirit of patriotism in Pakistan.
Source:
Daily Times Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistani
arrangements not enough to extend CPEC in Afghanistan: Report
12
November, 2022
Beijing
[China], November 12 (ANI): China’s non-satisfaction with Pakistani
arrangements is delaying the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) to Afghanistan, despite Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed
the resolve to do so, reported Geo-politik.
For
China, extending its multi-billion project in Afghanistan means extending the
security problems it is already facing in Pakistan, into an even more difficult
terrain. Afghanistan has a poorer infrastructure, a lower capacity to absorb
investment and poses a greater threat from the Islamist groups opposing the
Taliban regime.
Geopolitik
cited Claudia Chia Yi En, a Research Analyst at the Institute of South Asian
Studies, the National University of Singapore as saying “The Taliban initially
had high expectations for Chinese investment, but this has not materialised.
Beijing remains reluctant to invest and harbours suspicions about the Taliban’s
commitment to cut ties with the Turkistan Islamic Party, formerly known as the
East Turkestan Islamic Movement.”
It
also cited Khan Jan Alokozay, the vice president of Afghanistan’s Chamber of
Commerce and Investment, who believes that Beijing’s biggest worry is the use
of an ungovernable tribal region that straddles Afghanistan-Pakistan for
training Islamist militants.
The
same problem is also faced by Russia, in selling its oil to Afghanistan, as it
tries to tackle the sanctions following the Ukraine crisis.
Although
there exists a provisional trade deal between the two countries, there is
little chance of the Kremlin recognising the Taliban. The clearest indication
of this was seen when the Taliban was excluded from the September 2022 Shanghai
Cooperation Organisation (SCO)’s summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
“Whether
Afghanistan will retain its observer status at the SCO is unknown, given that
the international community has not recognised the Taliban as the legitimate
government of Afghanistan,” Geo-politik further quoted Claudia from her study
for East Asia Forum.
China
and Russia both want to fill in the vacuum created by the American exit from
Afghan soil. While Russia is an existing trade partner, China is keen to
explore the untapped Afghan resources. But, neither of the two countries has
shown a willingness to recognise the Taliban regime, or even upgrade the
diplomatic intercourse.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin too has terror threat concerns in the region. He has
expressed his wariness of militants plotting terror activities by crossing into
the neighbouring states.
The
so-called Islamic State (IS) has reportedly increased its anti-Russia
propaganda. They have lambasted Russia as a ‘crusader government’ and ‘enemy of
Islam’, actively encouraging their supporters to inflict harm on the country,
the Geo-politik reported.
These
concerns were further amplified after the suicide bombing of the Russian
embassy in Kabul on September 5, which happened to be the first attack on a
foreign embassy since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021.
The
September 5 suicide bombing of the Russian embassy in Kabul exemplified Russian
concerns about the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP)’s expanding
presence in Afghanistan. That was the first attack on a foreign embassy since
the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021.
Geo-politik
cited analysts saying that because of the similar obstacles faced by Russia and
China, the two are planning to work out a joint security strategy for pursuing
their national interests. They are also looking at the prospects of extending
the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
to Afghanistan, using the Wakhan corridor.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Shehbaz’s
plea for stay on defamation case denied by UK court
November
12, 2022
LONDON:
A UK High Court judge ordered Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son-in-law
Imran Ali Yousaf to file a reply in a defamation suit they brought against the
publisher of Mail On Sunday, and also ordered him to pay the sum of 30,000
pounds in costs to the defendant.
In
2019, the paper published an article alleging that Shehbaz Sharif had stolen
and laundered the UK government’s aid money while he was chief minister of
Punjab. Mr Sharif filed a defamation claim against the “grotesque allegation”
in January 2020, claiming a retraction, damages and an apology. In March this
year, the newspaper submitted a 50-page response to Mr Sharif’s defamation
suit.
According
to an order issued on Nov 9 by Justice Nicklin of the King’s Bench Division, Mr
Sharif and Mr Yousaf’s request for a stay order on proceedings was denied by
the court, which has demanded that the two claimants respond to the defence
presented by the newspaper and also pay the cost for earlier litigation
incurred by the paper for the stay application.
“The
first claimant [Sharif] must pay the defendant’s [paper’s] costs of and
occasioned by a) the stay application b) his original reply (including the
costs arising from the process by which extensions of time were sought and
agreed in respect of the same,” the order read.
Minister
claims British paper has failed to prove allegations about misappropriation of
public funds
Mr
Sharif was ordered to pay the sum of 30,000 pounds to the defendant by Nov 23.
The court also said both Mr Sharif and his son-in law must file and serve
amended replies to the defence presented by the paper, and that if the
responses are not compliant under the rules set out under CPR PD 53B paragraph
4.7, they will be struck out.
The
relevant paragraph 4.7 reads: “Where a defendant relies on a defence under
section 2(truth), section 3 (honest opinion), or section 4 (publication on a
matter of public interest) of the Defamation Act 2013, the claimant must serve
a reply specifically admitting, not admitting, or denying that defence and
setting out the claimant’s case in response to each fact alleged by the
defendant in respect of it.”
This
means the response submitted by Mr Sharif and his son-in-law must respond by
addressing every aspect of the response filed by the paper.
‘Paper
fails to prove allegations’
Minister
for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed on Friday that the British newspaper
had failed to prove the allegations levelled by its journalist David Rose in an
article against PM Sharif about alleged misappropriation of public funds.
Now,
the newspaper would have to face the law, she said in a statement.
According
to Ms Aurangzeb, the trail of defamation case would be held in “December 2023”.
She said the judge had fixed Dec 13 for next hearing of the case and the reply
on the allegations needed to be submitted by the same date.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1720460/shehbazs-plea-for-stay-on-defamation-case-denied-by-uk-court
--------
Man
arrested for firing inside girls school in Karak
November
12, 2022
LAKKI
MARWAT: The police on Friday arrested a man after he entered a girls school in
Takht Nusrati area of Karak district, opened fire at female teachers and
snatched a purse from one of them.
Officials
said a Yaqoob Khan Shaheed police station team led by SHO Hakim Khan was
patrolling Shah Salim area to check security arrangements in educational
institutions when they heard gunshots. They said a traffic warden told the
policemen that the firing incident had occurred in a government girls school in
Takht Nusrati Bazaar.
They
said teachers and students were crying for help when policemen reached there.
The
policemen also spotted an armed man and ordered him to surrender, but he opened
fire.
The
personnel returned the fire, but the suspect escaped.
A
schoolteacher, Zuhra Jabeen told the policemen that an unidentified suspect
entered the school and snatched a purse from her containing a mobile phone,
cash and national identity card after resorting to fire.
The
police later arrested the man, identified as Abdullah, in Lawaghar Algada area,
and recovered the stolen articles, a pistol and bullets from him.
A
case was registered against him.
TRAINING
SESSION: The agriculture department arranged a training session for farmers at
the model farm services centre in Tajazai area of Lakki Marwat the other day to
train them about the soil sampling process under the soil fertility mapping
project.
Deputy
commissioner Fazle Akbar, who was the chief guest at the concluding session,
distributed certificates and cash honoraria among the participants.
He
asked farmers to bring their barren lands under cultivation.
Abdul
Qayyum, head of district agriculture department, said the department was
holding sessions to motivate growers to bring their lands under cultivation and
sow oilseeds, pulses and other cash-giving crops.
LONG
MARCH: Former federal minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Ali Amin
Gandapur has claimed the entire nation stands by former prime minister Imran
Khan as he has launched the ‘Haqiqi Azadi’ march to ‘free the country of
looters’.
Addressing
a meeting in Bannu Township on Friday, he said reins of the country had been
handed over to a ‘corrupt mafia under a conspiracy’.
“The
imported rulers have stolen national wealth and stashed it in foreign
countries,” he maintained.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1720354/man-arrested-for-firing-inside-girls-school-in-karak
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Customs
officials’ infighting leaves Pak-China trade in limbo
Jamil
Nagri
November
12, 2022
GILGIT:
The wrangling between high-ranking customs officials has been hampering
operations at the Sost dry port — the country’s main land trade post with China
— effectively halting goods transportation from China to Pakistan through the
Khunjerab Pass.
Gilgit-Baltistan
Collector Customs Nisar Ahmed Khan has accused the Federal Board of Revenue’s
Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation in Islamabad of
‘needlessly’ blocking consignments from China ‘without any jurisdiction’ in the
region.
As
the discord intensified, Mr Khan allegedly allowed the release of four
consignments, which had been blocked by the intelligence directorate.
The
GB Customs Collectorate had earlier cleared consignments that were eventually
blocked in October of this year, after intelligence directorate officials
suspected that high taxable items were part of these consignments.
GB
collector accuses customs intelligence of working ‘without jurisdiction’
According
to rules, the blocked consignments can only be cleared after the completion of
an investigation by the intelligence directorate.
However,
when Mr Khan visited the dry port on Nov 1, he ordered the assistant collector
to release the consignments through manual inspection, in an apparent violation
of rules as electronic clearance of the same is necessary.
The
same day, the assistant collector wrote to a senior manager of the Sost dry
port to release the blocked consignments.
The
letter, seen by Dawn, stated: “It has been decided by competent authority that
… GD [goods declaration] number 278, 351, 357, 358, blocked by intelligence and
investigation Islamabad, may be released and goods may be delivered to owners.”
Meanwhile,
officials of the intelligence directorate told Dawn on condition of anonymity —
as they are not authorised to speak to the media — that the blocked
consignments cannot be released without the directorate’s permission.
When
asked to comment, FBR Spokesperson Afaque Ahmed Qureshi said that apparently,
there was no row between the collector customs and customs intelligence at
Sost.
However,
when contacted, Mr Khan claimed the directorate has no jurisdiction in GB,
adding that some traders have even challenged the intelligence directorate’s
jurisdiction in the GB Chief Court.
When
asked how the four consignments were cleared without the intelligence
directorate’s permission, he said the consignments were released manually with
the permission of the chief collector, as the date of their clearance had long
passed.
Whenever
Customs officials clear goods for release, the intelligence directorate blocks
them, Mr Khan claimed, saying that this was affecting trade activities between
China and Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass for nearly a month now.
He
said that 13 consignments blocked by the intelligence directorate were still
stranded at the dry port.
After
remaining closed for more than two and a half years, the Khunjerab Pass was
reopened for trade only to facilitate the transportation of the containers
loaded with goods from China to Pakistan. It was closed in November 2019 to
contain the transmission of coronavirus between the two countries.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1720459/customs-officials-infighting-leaves-pak-china-trade-in-limbo
--------
Jamrud
police kill terrorist after checkpost attack
November
12, 2022
KHYBER/LAKKI
MARWAT/KOHAT: The police killed a suspected terrorist after a gun attack on
their checkpost in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber tribal district on Friday.
According
to a statement issued by the Police Centre in Shah Kas area, armed attackers
opened fire at the Wazir Dhand market police station at around midday.
The
attack injured two policemen, who were shifted to the hospital.
Their
condition was declared out of danger by the doctors.
Two
personnel suffer bullet injuries
The
police seized arms and ammunition from the killed attacker. He was identified
as Yousaf, a resident of Spin Qabar area in Bara tehsil.
Earlier,
gunmen killed a former Levies official in Mastalkhel area of Jamrud tehsil on
Thursday night.
The
police said Sharbat Khan was attacked during his stay in a relative’s house.
They
declared the murder a targeted killing and sad investigation had been launched
into it after the registration of a case against unidentified attackers.
Meanwhile,
armed men attacked a police patrol near Malang Adda area in Lakki Marwat
district on Friday.
However,
no official was injured in the gun attack.
An
official of the Serai Gambila police station said a police mobile van was
targetted by armed motorcyclists in the rural area.
He
said several bullets hit the vehicle smashing the rear windshield but the
policemen on board remained unhurt.
The
official said the police returned fire, which led to an exchange of fire.
He
said the attackers escaped to Darga forests located alongside the Gambila River
benefitting from traffic congestion on the road.
The
official said reinforcements along with APC vehicles and QRF commandos had been
sent to the area to hunt down the attackers.
He
said the police had registered a case but no arrests were made.
In
another incident, miscreants threw a hand grenade inside the police training school
on Rawalpindi Road in Kohat district early on Friday.
However,
no one was injured in the attack, the police said.
According
to them, a high alert has been sounded and vehicles and motorcycles are being
checked at road blockades. Also, a search has been launched for the attackers.
A
school guard said two motorcyclists threw a hand grenade inside the premises
causing an explosion.
He
said the attack neither injured anyone nor did it damage the property.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1720367/jamrud-police-kill-terrorist-after-checkpost-attack
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Southeast
Asia
Indonesia
towards the Centre of Global Sharia Economy
November
11, 2022
PT
Bank Shariah Indonesia Tbk (BSI) affirmed Indonesia’s commitment to become one
of the centres of world Islamic finance, through the introduction of four
programs to strengthen this ecosystem in Indonesia and abroad.
Minister
of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir has led the Ministries preparation of
four featured programmes to form this ecosystem. First, developing the halal
industry market within the country and abroad. The second one is developing the
sharia financial industry.
Third,
friendly investment involving local entrepreneurs. And the fourth one,
continuous growth of the sharia economy in rural areas.
Recognising
Indonesian sharia economy potential, Minister Thohir expressed his desire for
Indonesians not only to be consumers of imported halal goods but to be the
producers. “We should be the producers and a global player. Yet that would be
impossible if we do not have a strong sharia financial system,” said Thohir.
According
to the indicator report from The State of Global Islamic Economy, Indonesia has
continuously shown significant growth. In 2019, the country was one of the top
10 countries of the world’s sharia economy. In 2020, this rank was raised,
placing Indonesia in the top five.
Thohir
established the holding of the state’s sharia bank, Bank Syariah Indonesia
(BSI). BSI is a result of the merger of 3 sharia banks namely BNI Syariah, BRI
Syariah, and Bank Syariah Mandiri which was inaugurated on February 1, 2021.
BSI is the largest Islamic bank and the 7th largest bank in Indonesia.
Vice
President of the Republic of Indonesia Ma’ruf Amin said, BSI should be able to
make Indonesia the center for the sharia industry and the world’s halal
ecosystem. “Our hope is that BSI will not only take this role nationally, but
also globally. Analogically, now Islamic banks are not just playing in a small
pool, but are able to swim in the wide ocean,” said Ma’ruf, during a visit to
the BSI representative office at Dubai, United Arab Emirates on November 4,
2022.
BSI
President Director Hery Gunardi declared the bank’s commitment to fully support
all initiatives to reinforce the ecosystem towards the goal of becoming the
world’s sharia economy centre of gravity. BSI, he said, has persistently
developed the country’s sharia financial ecosystem.
“Indonesia
has big potential in halal industry,” Gunardi added. This is supported by the
fact that more than 229 millions of its population are Muslim, which equals to
87.2% of the country’s total population. The halal food industry has the
potential up to USD164,76 billion. Further potential can be found in clothing
with USD20 billion, halal media USD9,52 billion, halal tourism USD10,48
billion, health industry USD4,76 billion, halal cosmetics and hajj and umrah
USD3,81 billion. Other sharia businesses, such as investment, have potential
around USD122,65 billion.
BSI
has also started its business penetration in the global market. One of them is
in the Middle East in line with cooperation with international conglomerates
and start-ups in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which also marks the expansion of
the largest Islamic bank in Indonesia in the global arena. This step was an
acceleration for BSI to be taken into account in the international community
through increasing capabilities, competitiveness, and reputation. The presence
of overseas business networks allows BSI to interact directly with important
components of the global banking industry.
Gunardi
hopes that BSI will be closer to global investors so that the company can
contribute more in supporting the programs of the government of the Republic of
Indonesia, both in funding infrastructure and development projects through the
issuance of Global Sukuk as well as support for the development of national MSMEs.
Source:
Pak Observer
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://pakobserver.net/indonesia-towards-the-centre-of-global-sharia-economy/
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Ceasefire
declared in Basilan after deadly clashes between Philippine troops and Muslim
rebels
Mara
Cepeda
NOV
11, 2022
MANILA
- The Philippine government and rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) inked a ceasefire agreement on Thursday, following days of combat in the
south that killed at least seven and threatened to set back the decades-long
peace process in the main southern island of Mindanao.
A
“miscommunication” triggered clashes on Tuesday between government troops and
the Muslim rebels in Ungkaya Pukan town in the island province of Basilan,
located off the coast of Mindanao, the military said on Thursday.
At
least three soldiers and four MILF rebels were killed, while dozens were
injured.
Fearing
further bloodshed, representatives from the government and the MILF agreed to a
ceasefire, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and
Unity said in a statement on Friday.
Brigadier-General
Domingo Gobway, commander of the Philippine Army’s Joint Task Force Basilan,
told reporters that fighting broke out midday on Tuesday.
Soldiers
and local officials had gone to Ulitan village in Ungkaya Pukan to confront a
group of MILF members who were allegedly carrying weapons, a violation of the
peace pact forged with the government in 2014.
The
clashes erupted after a rebel sniper supposedly fired a shot and hit the helmet
of a soldier. The gun fight extended to two neighbouring towns, forcing around
1,500 families to flee.
Among
those killed was Mr Hapids Abdal, 20, a freshman criminology student who
survived armed conflicts between the military and Muslim rebels in Basilan in
the early 2000s.
“He
was just a boy, dreaming of becoming a policeman to serve the people,” Dr Arlyn
Jawad Jumao-as, executive director of Save the Children of War, told the
Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.
The
non-governmental organisation had provided Mr Abdal and other war victims with
trauma therapy in 2004.
The
predominantly Catholic Philippines has been plagued by insurgencies for
decades, including Muslim separatist violence waged by the MILF that has killed
more than 100,000 since the 1970s.
MILF
commanders eventually forged a peace deal with the government in 2014, agreeing
to decommission their weapons and to abandon their cessation plans.
As
part of the agreement, the MILF now rule over the Bangsamoro region, a group of
islands in the Muslim-majority southern Philippines which was granted autonomy
in 2019.
Presidential
peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr said the ceasefire agreement on Thursday meant
peace mechanisms between the national government and the MILF are working.
Source:
Straits Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Kherson’s
liberation sparks outpouring of joy and tears in Kyiv
November
12, 2022
KYIV:
Residents of Kherson gathered in Kyiv’s Maidan Square yesterday to celebrate
the liberation of their home city – the first outpouring of joy in the capital
in nearly nine months of war.
“My
city, where I was born and where I’ve lived my whole life, is finally free,”
said 17-year-old Nastia Stepenska, her eyes welling with tears.
“When
(the Russians) arrived, it was horrible. We didn’t know what was going to
happen the next day or if we’d even still be alive,” the school student said,
admitting she was in a state of shock.
Ukraine’s
President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that Kherson was “ours” after
Russia announced the completion of its withdrawal from the regional capital,
the only one Moscow had captured since its invasion began on Feb 24.
The
city could open a gateway for Ukraine’s forces to the entire Kherson region,
with access to both the Black Sea in the west and Sea of Azov in the east.
“I’ll
go back when it’s possible and it’s safe,” said Stepenska. “Soon, I hope.”
The
announcement that Ukrainian forces were entering Kherson sparked a rare flurry
of joy in Kyiv, music in the streets and blaring car horns.
‘Best
surprise ever’
Kherson
inhabitants who left for Kyiv when Russian soldiers captured their city in
March began converging on Maidan Square at 7pm, draped in flags, popping
champagne corks, and hugging each other.
“I
didn’t believe it at first. I thought it would take weeks or months, a few
hundred metres at a time. And in just one day, they’ve made it into Kherson.
It’s the best surprise ever,” said 41-year-old Artem Lukiv.
“I
told my kids, ‘That’s it. We’ve been liberated,’ and we all started crying,” he
said, hugging his two children and a Ukrainian flag at the same time.
Under
the square’s victory column commemorating Ukraine’s independence from the
Soviet Union in 1991, Kherson’s displaced residents belted out the national
anthem in unison and wiped their tears.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
2
men held for threatening journalists covering GE15
November
12, 2022
SEREMBAN:
Two men were detained after they were suspected of threatening a group of
journalists covering the 15th general election (GE15) campaign of a party
candidate at a restaurant here last night.
Negeri
Sembilan police chief Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof said both men, aged between 30
and 40, were picked up in Taman Seremban Selatan after police received a report
at 11.50pm.
“Both
men, who were believed to be drunk, warned reporters from carrying out the
coverage.
“The
men also hurled a glass, a liquor bottle and a shoe at one of the journalists.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Indonesia
introduces tight security measures ahead of G20 Summit
SHEANY
YASUKO LAI
November
11, 2022
JAKARTA:
Indonesia has introduced tight security arrangements in Bali, as it prepares to
welcome world leaders and thousands of international delegates for the G20
Summit next week.
The
world’s largest Muslim-majority nation this year holds the rotating presidency
of the Group of 20 largest economies, which will culminate in a meeting of the
heads of state and government on Nov. 15 and 16.
The
summit will take place on the island of Bali, one of the planet’s most popular
holiday destinations, where Indonesia has previously hosted other major
international events, including the World Bank Group and International Monetary
Fund annual meeting in 2018.
Security
measures for the G20 Summit are being led by the Indonesian military and
police, which together are set to deploy over 24,000 personnel, who have been
trained to anticipate situations ranging from terrorist threats to natural
disasters, as well as the possibility of violent demonstrations.
“The
Indonesian National Police have tried to identify different threats that may
occur,” National Police spokesperson Dedi Prasetyo told Arab News.
“The
police have formed task forces to handle the possibility of these different
threats and we are ready to secure all events surrounding the G20 Summit in
Bali.”
Indonesia’s
President Joko Widodo earlier this week confirmed the attendance of at least 17
G20 leaders, including US President Joe Biden and China’s President Xi Jinping.
But
the G20 leaders are not the only top-level officials attending.
“(We)
prepared VVIP task forces not only for the 20 heads of state for G20 members
but also 42 other heads of state that are expected to attend (the summit) in
Bali,” the Indonesian military said in a statement.
A
special Air Force fleet dedicated to G20 security will comprise 13 helicopters
and fighter aircraft.
The
provincial government of Bali will impose restrictions on parts of the island
from this Saturday to Nov. 17. Community activities, classes at schools, office
work, and traditional and religious ceremonies will be suspended for five days.
Despite
rumors of security threats looming over the G20 Summit, security and terrorism
analyst Stanislaus Riyanta from the University of Indonesia told Arab News that
“it will be very difficult to penetrate G20 venues” in Bali.
“I
see that the (Indonesian) government is very ready, because it’s not just one
institution that’s working here, there are several especially when it comes to
security,” he said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2198051/world
--------
Mideast
Iran
accuses West of helping protestors make weapons, Molotov cocktails
11
November, 2022
Iran’s
top diplomat has accused Western countries of promoting violence in the Islamic
republic by helping protesters to make weapons and Molotov cocktails.
Street
violence has flared across Iran since the death in police custody of Mahsa
Amini on September 16, after her arrest for allegedly flouting the country’s
hijab dress code for women.
Dozens
of people, mainly demonstrators but also security personnel, have been killed
during the demonstrations, which the authorities have dubbed “riots”, and
hundreds more have been arrested.
In
a phone call late Thursday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Iran’s
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accused Western governments of
“promoting violence and teaching (protesters) to make weapons and Molotov
cocktails via social networks and the media”.
These
actions led to the “killing of police officers, and insecurity in Iran, and
they even prepared the ground for the terrorist action of the Islamic State”
group, he said, quoted on his ministry’s website.
At
least 13 people were killed on October 26 at a Shia shrine in the southern city
of Shiraz, in an attack claimed by the extremist group.
Amir-Abdollahian
also criticized Western countries that have been pressing for a special session
of the UN Human Rights Council to be held on Iran’s response to the Amini
protests.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
experts urge Iran to stop indicting protesters with charges punishable by death
Peter
Kenny
11.11.2022
UN
experts on Friday urged Iranian authorities to stop indicting people with
charges punishable by death for participation in peaceful demonstrations.
Eight
people were charged on Oct. 29 by the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran
province, with crimes carrying the death penalty, including “waging war against
God” and “corruption on earth,” the experts said in a statement.
They
urged Iranian authorities to stop using the death penalty to squash protests.
On
Nov. 6, 227 members of parliament called on the judiciary to act decisively
against people arrested during the protests and to carry out punishment
carrying the death penalty, experts noted.
Since
nationwide protests in November 2019, the imposition of the death penalty has
been widely used against individuals for participating in protests under
unsubstantiated murder charges or vague national security charges.
In
2020, at least two individuals were executed following their participation in
protests.
On
Oct. 31, the Tehran prosecutor announced that some 1,000 indictments had been
issued in connection with recent “riots” in Tehran province alone.
The
prosecutor said trials were scheduled in the Islamic Revolutionary Court for
cases against several individuals.
Public
trials would take place “in the coming days,” the prosecutor said.
The
UN experts said: “With the continuous repression of protests, many more
indictments on charges carrying the death penalty and death sentences might
soon be issued.”
“We
fear that women and girls, who have been at the forefront of protests, and
especially women human rights defenders, who have been arrested and jailed for
demanding the end of systemic and systematic discriminatory laws, policies and
practices might be particularly targeted,” the experts said.
Thousands
of peaceful protesters have been arrested since Sept. 16, including many women,
children and youth, lawyers, human rights defenders, and activists, the
statement said, adding that at least 51 of them were journalists.
Fourteen
were reportedly released on bail, while 37 remain detained. Many of the
arrested individuals remain in incommunicado detention, it added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Nasrallah:
Both Democrats, Republicans back Israeli crimes
11
November 2022
Hezbollah’s
Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says both Democrats and Republicans
in the United States have always supported the Israeli regime’s crimes and
killing of Palestinians.
He
made the remarks on Friday while addressing a ceremony to mark Martyr’s Day in
Lebanon.
Making
a reference to the US midterm elections, Nasrallah said “Both Republican and
Democratic governments have launched wars and invasions.”
“US
Democrats and Republicans have always supported the Israeli crimes and
massacres against the Palestinian people,” he said.
“Objectives
of all US administrations are similar, only their tactics differ,” he said,
adding that the first party responsible for the survival of the Zionist regime
in the region is successive US administrations.
He
reiterated that there is no difference between Democrats and Republicans,
therefore, “we should rely on our own power and on our friends instead of
pinning hope on Americans.”
He
went on to call on the Lebanese people not to surrender to “the curse of the
US,” whose sole desire is to protect the Israeli regime.
Referring
to a recent demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel, Nasrallah said
“Washington did not conclude the maritime border demarcation agreement for the
sake of Lebanon, but rather to spare the region from war because its priorities
are now Ukraine, Russia, and energy.”
‘All
Zionist occupiers are oppressors’
He
also touched upon the recent elections in Israel which led to the rise of
far-right, saying, “It doesn’t matter to us who wins the Israeli elections,
they are all worse than each other, and they are all oppressors.”
All
Israeli governments since that which was led by Ben-Gurion are similar, he
said, adding that things will not change despite the far-right coalition’s win.
This
election affects internal conflicts inside the Zionist regime and will
exacerbate deep divisions, “accelerating” the decline of the regime, stressed
the Lebanese leader.
He
also said that Netanyahu will not be able to revoke the maritime deal.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Freedom
Flotilla coalition prepares to break illegal Gaza siege again
11
November 2022
The
Freedom Flotilla Coalition is set to challenge the Israeli blockade imposed on
the Gaza Strip, in light of the worsening situation and the increasingly brutal
repression in occupied Palestine.
Zaher
Birawi, president of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza
declared that the Freedom Flotilla Coalition will soon be back to sailing in
order to “break the illegal, immoral and inhuman siege of Gaza,” following a
halt of activities due to the corona virus lockdown.
Birawi
made his comments following meetings held by the Coalition on the 6th and 7th
of November to discuss its plan to resume efforts to break the siege in the
coming year of 2023, especially the naval blockade.
“Our
goals remain full human rights for all Palestinians, and in particular, freedom
of movement within historic Palestine and the right of return,” said Birawi,
who is also founding member of the Freedom Flotilla.
Assuring
that the sole permanent solution is the total removal of the siege, he added
“at the time some of our partner organizations are actively involved with
important programs addressing the most urgent needs of Palestinian children
traumatized by the blockade and murderous Israeli attacks on Gaza, we recognize
that a lasting solution requires an end to the blockade.”
The
meeting was attended by representatives of the international coalition in
Sweden, Norway, France, Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Malaysia, Turkey, Canada,
South Africa and the US, in addition to the International Committee to Break
the Siege on Gaza. British and international pro-Palestine solidarity
organizations (including Palestinian Solidarity Campaign (PSC), Muslim
Association of Britain (MAB), Palestinian Forum in Britain (PFB), popular
conference for Palestinians Abroad, Miles of Smiles) also took part in the
meetings.
Several
vessels have tried to break the siege on the Gaza Strip as part of the Freedom
Flotilla, however Israeli occupation forces confronted them and prevented them
from reaching Gaza's shores.
In
2010, Israel brutally raided the Mavi Marmara ship bound for Gaza and left a
dozen activists killed. The attack occurred on a flotilla that comprised six
civilian ships and sent the Ankara-Tel Aviv ties into a tailspin.
Israel
has enforced a crippling blockade on some two million Palestinians in Gaza for
supporting Hamas movement in parliamentary elections.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hundreds
protest one month after Iran’s ‘Bloody Friday’
11 November,
2022
Hundreds
of men protested in Iran’s strife-torn Sistan-Baluchistan province on Friday,
marking one month since a crackdown that rights groups say killed dozens,
according to online videos verified by AFP.
Security
forces killed more than 90 people when they opened fire on protests that
erupted on September 30 after weekly prayers in Zahedan, capital of
Sistan-Baluchistan on Iran’s southeastern border with Pakistan, according to
Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR).
It
came two weeks after demonstrations broke out across Iran over the death of
Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian of Kurdish origin, following her arrest in
Tehran for allegedly flouting the country’s strict hijab dress rules for women.
The
protests were initially fanned by fury over the restrictive dress rules for
women, but have grown into a broad movement against the theocracy under supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“Death
to Khamenei,” chanted men who emerged from mosques in Zahedan after weekly
prayers on Friday, in a video published by IHR.
The
Norway-based human rights group says at least 304 people have been killed
across the Islamic republic since protests broke out over Amini’s death on
September 16.
It
says around a third of them were killed in Sistan-Baluchistan, including at
least 92 who died on September 30 – which activists have dubbed “Bloody
Friday.”
The
latest demonstrations come a week after more than a dozen people were killed in
a crackdown by the security forces in Khash, another city in
Sistan-Baluchistan.
Protests
were seen taking place in Khash again on Friday, and dozens of riot police were
seen heading to protests in Iranshahr, another city in Sistan-Baluchistan, in
video footage posted on social media and verified by AFP.
Security
forces were later seen firing tear gas to disperse protesters on a street in
Iranshahr, according to video posted online by the 1500tasvir monitoring
channel.
Amnesty
International said at least 18 protesters, bystanders and worshippers –
including two children – were killed in the crackdown on the “largely peaceful
protests” in Khash.
“During
the 4 November protests in Khash, security forces immediately and exclusively
relied on live ammunition to disperse protests,” it said in a statement issued
late Thursday.
Amnesty
said it had recorded the names of at least 100 protesters killed by security
forces in Sistan-Baluchistan since September 30, but it said the real number
was much higher.
The
London-based group called on the international community “to take urgent action
to stop further killings of protesters in Sistan and Baluchistan province and
across the rest of Iran.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Erdogan
rival Imamoglu should be convicted, banned from politics: Turkish prosecutor
11 November,
2022
A
Turkish prosecutor requested on Friday that a court convict and impose a
political ban on Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular rival of President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for insulting public officials, but the case was
adjourned to December.
Polls
show Imamoglu would be a strong challenger to Erdogan if he were to run in next
year’s national elections. A main opposition presidential candidate has not yet
been chosen.
Imamoglu
narrowly won the municipal election in March 2019 over Erdogan’s ruling AK
Party candidate. After those results were annulled, he won the vote rerun by a
comfortable margin. His victory ended the 25-year rule in Turkey’s largest city
by the AKP and its Islamist predecessors.
Imamoglu
is accused of insulting public officials in a speech he made in 2019, in which
he said those who annulled the elections were “fools.” The charge carries a
maximum prison sentence of four years.
A
jail sentence or political ban would need to be upheld by any appeal courts,
potentially extending beyond the election set for no later than June 2023.
The
court adjourned the case on Friday to evaluate a defense lawyer’s request that
the judge be recused. It set the next hearing for Dec. 14.
“The
(prosecutor’s) opinion being produced without reviewing our judge recusal
request is against judicial proceeding norms and shows that they came prepared
with the ruling,” said Gokhan Gunaydin, a lawyer for Imamoglu.
Police
officers sealed off roads approaching the courthouse on the Asian side of
Istanbul, after a district governor banned protests in the area for the day.
More
than 1,000 people gathered in support of Imamoglu at a city square around 2 km
away, which was excluded from the ban.
The
crowd held up his party’s banners and chanted “you’ll never walk alone.”
“I
am ashamed of this court. I couldn’t care less,” Imamoglu said in an interview
with broadcaster Fox TV on Friday morning.
The
outcome of Turkey’s elections in 2023 is seen hinging on the ability of
Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) and others in opposition to join
forces against Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party, which has governed for
two decades.
Critics
say Turkish courts bend to Erdogan’s will. The government says the judiciary is
independent.
Birol
Baskan, non-resident scholar at the Washington-based Middle East Institute,
said Imamoglu is the best chance the opposition has at defeating Erdogan but
argued he may not be convicted.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
detects cholera in reservoir in north
11
November, 2022
Israel
has detected cholera in a reservoir in the north of the country, likely the
result of an outbreak in neighboring Syria spreading, the health ministry said
on Friday.
The
bacteria’s detection does not pose a danger to the public at this point, the
ministry spokesperson said, adding that the authorities have taken steps to
“protect Israel’s water sources” and regularly monitor possible water
contamination, particularly in the north.
“In
samples taken by the health ministry over the last few days, a sample from the
Yarmoukim reservoir in the north of the country tested positive for cholera,”
the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The
origin of the bacteria is likely Syria given the cholera outbreak there,” the
statement said.
Water
from the affected reservoir is used for irrigation, according to the Jordan
Valley Water Association.
The
first recent case of cholera in Syria was confirmed in August, according to the
World Health Organization. The outbreak has since rampaged across the country
and last month spread into Lebanon.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
president to ask Netanyahu to form new government
Mahmoud
Barakat
11.11.2022
Israeli
President Isaac Herzog on Friday said he will present Benjamin Netanyahu, a
former prime minister and the Likud party’s leader, with mandate on Sunday to
form a new government.
Herzog’s
announcement came after consultations with representatives of the political
parties voted into the Knesset. The consultations from Wednesday to Friday were
held before the president tasked an individual with the formation of a
government based on their recommendations.
Netanyahu
and his right-wing bloc secured an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset,
allowing him to form the upcoming government.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
summons Azerbaijani ambassador over 'anti-Iranian propaganda'
Haydar
Sahin
11.11.2022
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador Thursday to protest against
"anti-Iranian propaganda" spread by Azerbaijani officials and the
media against Iran.
The
ministry said in a statement that it conveyed Iran’s displeasure to Ambassador
Ali Alizada over "unfriendly remarks" by senior Azerbaijani officials
and a “smear campaign” against Iran in Azerbaijani media.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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--------
Europe
Belgium
terror stabbing suspect was on list as potential Islamic extremist
By
RAF CASERT
11
November 2022
BRUSSELS
(AP) — Belgian authorities said Friday that the lone assailant who killed one
police officer and wounded another in a stabbing attack had been on a
counterterrorism list of potential extremists.
The
Belgian suspect, who had served six years in prison for common-law crimes, had
gone to a police station early Thursday to express hatred for them, but
couldn’t be arrested before he launched his stabbing attack on two police
officers that evening.
“The
man was on the list of OCAD,” said federal prosecution magistrate Eric Van Der
Sypt, referring to the organization that assesses the terrorism threats in
Belgium.
Van
der Sypt said the suspect shouted “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is
great,” during the stabbing attack, which occurred around the usually busy
Brussels Nord station just after evening rush hour.
The
suspect was identified as Yassine M, born in Brussels in 1990. His common-law
crimes put him behind bars between 2013 and 2019.
On
Friday, he faced charges of “murder and attempted murder within a terrorist
context,” Van der Sypt said.
Brussels
prosecutor spokeswoman Sarah Durant said the suspect had made “unhinged
remarks” during a discussion with officers hours before the attack. Since he
voluntarily asked for psychological help, he wasn’t arrested and was instead
sent to a hospital, which he left soon after.
After
the stabbings, the suspect was almost immediately shot and wounded by another
police officer who had rushed to the scene. The condition of the attacker
wasn’t disclosed, but authorities said that he was still hospitalized Friday
and unable to be interrogated.
Belgian
authorities kept the overall terrorist threat level at two out of a possible
four, meaning the risk of an attack was “medium.”
Belgian
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo posted a message of condolences to the family
and friends of the dead officer.
“Our
police officers risk their lives every day to ensure the safety of our
citizens,” he said. “Today’s tragedy demonstrates this once again.”
Interior
Minister Annelies Verlinden said she was in contact with the Brussels mayor, police
chief, and security services to coordinate the response to the attack.
“Such
violence against our people is unacceptable,” she said.
Authorities
came under immediate criticism for not arresting the suspect when he made his
initial threats to the police early Thursday, but Durant said procedures
stipulate that he had to be taken by police to a hospital since he had asked
for psychological help himself.
“Police
remained there until hospital staff took over,” she said. A few hours later,
when police checked on his whereabouts, “it appears that the person had left
the hospital.”
Source:
Times Of Israel
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Project
to revive Mosul's Al Nuri mosque showcased at UN in Paris
Damien
McElroy
Nov
11, 2022
A
joint project between the UAE, the UN and Iraq aimed at reconstructing Mosul's
most sacred sites was on display at Unesco headquarters in Paris, where it was
lauded as a move that was “courageous for peace”.
Unesco
Secretary General Audrey Azoulay praised the project, called Revive the Spirit
of Mosul, during a UAE-organised event.
Noura
Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth, led the session, calling the
effort a cornerstone of regional cohesion and a global model for how to
safeguard precious heritage.
“The
last memory of Al Nuri Mosque should not be a horrific one,” she said. “We
should bring back not just the skyline but its spirit.”
The
$50 million project aims to reverse the destruction wrought by ISIS on Al Nuri
Mosque and its leaning Al Habda minaret as well as Al Saa’a monastery and the
800-year-old Al Tahera church.
A
community centre and history museum will also open on the site to encourage
peaceful coexistence.
The
event known as the Majlon — a portmanteau of the Arabic “majlis” and French
“salon” — also heard contributions from Didier Lenoir, the European Union's
ambassador to Unesco, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi, the UAE's ambassador to Unesco,
and Hend Al Otaiba, the UAE's ambassador to France. The initiative was launched
by the UAE embassy in Paris and the Mosul meeting was the sixth event in the
series.
Thomas
Kaplan, head of the partner Aliph Foundation, said the work in Mosul had led to
the body branching out to other conflict zones, including Ukraine.
Members
of the team in Iraq carrying out the restoration joined the meeting by Zoom.
Some told of uncovering torture chambers at the church, which was the
headquarters of ISIS in the city.
People
come to the site to this day, recounting horrific memories of the group's rule,
the team accounts said. More than 80 per cent of Mosul's monuments were
destroyed or plundered during the city's 36-month occupation by ISIS.
The
Unesco headquarters also opened an exhibition on Thursday featuring the
contenders for its Al Burda collection prize for Islamic art.
Entries
from nearly 30 countries displaying creativity in the medium were displayed in
the atrium of the building.
A
fragment of a tile from Al Nuri Mosque and a keystone from the Notre Dame
Cathedral — large parts of which were destroyed in a fire in 2019 — were also
on display.
Source:
The National News
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Britain
summons Iran’s senior diplomat over alleged threats to UK journalists
11
November, 2022
The
British foreign office said on Friday it has summoned Iran’s most senior
diplomat over alleged threats by Iranian security forces to journalists in the
UK.
“I
summoned the Iranian representative today to make clear that we do not tolerate
threats to life and intimidation of any kind towards journalists, or any
individual, living in the UK,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a
statement.
Iran
has responded to widespread internal protests with the suppression of freedom
of expression and the targeting of media outlets operating in Iran, the foreign
office said, adding that over 40 journalists have been arrested and detained.
Britain
last month set out sanctions on senior Iranian security officials and the
country’s “so-called Morality Police,” saying the force had used threats of
detention and violence to control what Iranian women wear and how they behave
in public.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Panel
discussion on Islamophobia in Europe organized in Paris
Esra
Taskin
12.11.2022
PARIS
The
Perspectives Musulmanes Movement presented a panel discussion Friday in Paris
that included Turkish-German University Faculty Member Enes Bayrakli and CAGE
UK member Shezana Hafiz.
Bayrakli
used instances from the Europe 2021 Islamophobia Report by the group to explain
Islamophobia across Europe, particularly in France.
He
said that Perspectives Musulmanes Movement, which has been issuing reports
about Islamophobia, has been producing studies on the subject in Europe for
seven years and have featured politicians associated with Islamophobia on the
covers of reports since 2018.
He
said the group featured French President Emmanuel Macron, an Islamophobic
politician, on the front of last year's report.
Bayrakli
drew attention to the institutionalization of Islamophobia in Austria and
France, emphasizing that Europe has the highest rate of anti-Islamic prejudice
in the world.
He
evaluated France as the European country with the most problematic history with
the Muslim community on its territory, claiming that 101 security units were
established in France to spy on Muslims and more than 24,000 Muslim
organizations and companies were registered on a secret blacklist.
Hafiz,
a member of the London-based human rights organization dedicated to defending
communities harmed in the battle against terrorism, believes state Islamophobia
in all forms is nothing more than a kind of authoritarianism.
He
highlighted the emergence of far-right and Islamophobic ideas in Europe, noting
that Islamophobia is entrenched through politics and laws.
France
will extend its Islamophobic policies to neighboring countries, according to
Hafiz
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Türkiye
saves nearly 18,500 irregular migrants after illegal Greek pushbacks in 2022
Mustafa
Gungor
11.11.2022
IZMIR,
Türkiye
In
the past 10 months, Türkiye has rescued nearly 18,500 irregular migrants
illegally pushed back by Greece in the Aegean Sea.
A
total of 18,487 irregular migrants were saved in Turkish Coast Guard operations
off Canakkale, Balikesir, Izmir, Aydin, and Mugla between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31,
according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency.
In
August alone, Greece pushed back 3,259 irregular migrants, the highest monthly
figure for this year.
Many
of the migrants were violently assaulted by Greek forces before being left to
die at sea.
The
bodies of at least 18 migrants were found in the Aegean Sea in the past 10
months.
Turkish
forces also prevented 11,541 irregular migrants from making illegal border
crossings.
Türkiye
has been a key transit point for irregular migrants who want to cross into
Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution in
their countries.
It
already hosts 4 million refugees, more than any other country in the world, and
is taking new security measures on its borders to humanely prevent an influx of
migrants.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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EU
to discuss new Iran sanctions Monday: Lithuania
November
11, 2022
BERLIN:
EU foreign ministers will Monday discuss slapping Iran with new sanctions over
its deadly crackdown on protests and support for Russia in Ukraine, member
state Lithuania said.
“We
will be suggesting additional (Iranian) listings that could be added... to the
sanctions list,” said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on
Friday during a visit to Berlin.
“It
would have two parts — for Iranian participation in the war on Russia’s side in
Ukraine, but also for the human rights abuses that are happening in the cities
of Iran.”
A
senior EU official, speaking anonymously, said foreign ministers would likely
adopt sanctions at the Brussels meeting on Monday over the repression of
protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini.
She
died in the custody of the morality police on September 16, three days after
falling into a coma following her arrest in Tehran for allegedly breaching the
Islamic republic’s hijab dress rules for women.
A
European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that about 30 names
were set to be added to the sanctions list.
The
EU had already imposed sanctions against Iran on October 17, targeting the
morality police and 11 officials including the country’s telecommunications
minister over alleged involvement in repressing the protests.
Transfers
of drones from Iran to Russia would also be discussed, said the EU official.
Kyiv
and its Western allies have accused Russia of using Iranian-made drones in
recent weeks to carry out attacks in Ukraine.
Last
weekend, Iran admitted for the first time that it sent drones to Russia but
insisted they were supplied to its ally before Moscow invaded Ukraine.
The
EU is also seeking to confirm reports that Iran had transferred missiles to
Russia to be used in Ukraine, the official said.
“If
that is proven to be true... we will take action in the form of sanctions,” the
official said.
Iran
has denied supplying missiles to Russia, calling the accusations “completely
false.”
German
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock had already indicated earlier this week the
27-member EU was poised to adopt new sanctions, prompting Tehran to accuse
Germany of being “provocative” and “undiplomatic.”
Source:
Arab News
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Iran-born
brothers charged in Sweden with spying for Russia
November
11, 2022
COPENHAGEN:
Two Iranian-born brothers were charged in Sweden with aggravated espionage for
allegedly spying for Russia for around a decade, prosecutors said Friday. One
of them men worked for Sweden’s domestic intelligence agency.
Authorities
identified them as Peyman Kia, 42, and Payam Kia, 35. One of the men was also
indicted for the alleged gross unauthorized handling of secret information. It
wasn’t immediately clear which of the brothers it was.
“It
has been a complex investigation concerning a crime that is very difficult to
investigate and the suspicion concerns very serious criminality directed
against Sweden’s intelligence and security system,” National Security Unit
chief prosecutor Per Lindqvist said.
“The
information that has been obtained, transmitted and divulged could, by the fact
that if it comes into the hands of a foreign power, result in detriment to
Sweden’s security,” Lindqvist said in a statement.
According
to the charge sheet obtained by The Associated Press, the men have “jointly”
passed information to the Russian military intelligence service GRU during the
period Sept. 28, 2011-Sept. 20, 2021.
It
added that the data were acquired through one of the men’s work within Sweden’s
domestic intelligence agency and the country’s armed forces. The data
originates from several authorities within the Swedish security and the
intelligence service.
His
brother helped with the contacts with “Russia and the GRU including matters of
surrender of information and receipt of compensation.”
The
case has been investigated by Sweden’ domestic security service, SAPO. Sweden’s
prosecution authority said much of the information in the preliminary
investigation is secret and could not offer details.
Peyman
Kia worked for the domestic security service, SAPO, and for the foreign defense
intelligence agency, MUST, Swedish media said. He reportedly has worked with a
top secret unit under MUST which was dealing with Swedish spies abroad, local
media said. He later worked for Swedish Customs.
The
brothers became Swedish citizens in 1994, and the Expressen daily quoted one of
the men as saying that he speaks Persian fluently. The younger brother,
reportedly has worked for SAPO, Swedish media reported..
Source:
Arab News
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