Combatting Islamophobia in Australia : Victorian Mosques Open Their Doors To Educate And ‘Remove Hatred’
14
March 2021
Islamophobia in Australia/ Wikipedia for Free Encyclopedia
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• Combatting Islamophobia in Australia : Victorian
Mosques Open Their Doors To Educate And ‘Remove Hatred’
•Islam Rejects Every Invitation To A Belief By Force
Of Arms: Al-Azhar Grand Imam
• Swiss Jews Join Muslims In Protesting Referendum
Banning Face-Covering Veils
• NYC Park Christian Ranger Alleges He Lost Job
Because He Refused To Shave His Beard
• Boko Haram Threat Complicates Plans to Resettle
Displaced Nigerians
• Govt-Backed Jirga Brokers Deal Over Hindu Shrine
Attack Issue
• Quds Force Commander Admits Iran Supporting Houthi
Attacks On Saudi Arabia
• After Landmark ‘Allah’ Ruling, Sarawak Human Rights
Fighter Urges State, Putrajaya To Review All Religious Policies
Australia
• Combatting Islamophobia in Australia : Victorian
Mosques Open Their Doors To Educate And ‘Remove Hatred’
•Australian Citizen Facing ‘Credible Risk’ Of Torture
In Saudi Arabia
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Arab World
• Islam Rejects Every Invitation To A Belief By Force
Of Arms: Al-Azhar Grand Imam
• Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre launches
2021 plan
• 6 Saudi mosques closed after virus outbreaks
• Digital ID service launched for expats in Saudi
Arabia
• Over 2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses administered
in Saudi Arabia
• Digital ID service launched for expats in Saudi
Arabia
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Europe
• Swiss Jews Join Muslims In Protesting Referendum
Banning Face-Covering Veils
• Blackburn's Issa Brothers' £5m Mosque Plans Edge
Closer - And How It Could Benefit The Community
• Journalists, Heads Of NGOs And Public Activists
Visit Juma Mosque In Liberated Aghdam
• London Police clash with mourners and protesters at
Everard vigil
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North America
• NYC Park Christian Ranger Alleges He Lost Job
Because He Refused To Shave His Beard
• Biden Mulls Appointing First-Ever Muslim Federal
Judge
• Biden Administration Enlists FEMA To Help With Surge
Of Children At U.S.-Mexico Border
• Canada promised to end solitary confinement, report
shows it has not
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Africa
• Boko Haram Threat Complicates Plans to Resettle
Displaced Nigerians
• Muslim Rights Concern, A Islamic Group Advises
Nigerian Muslims On Covid-19 Vaccination, Says It Is Safe
• Nigeria: 19 killed in Boko Haram terror attack
• I feel hopeless after Boko Haram’s bomb killed my
son, deformed me, wife, daughter – Borno IDP
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Pakistan
• Govt-Backed Jirga Brokers Deal Over Hindu Shrine
Attack Issue
• Alarm bells ringing as positivity rate of Covid
cases surges
• Tribal People Using Twitter To Discuss Service
Delivery Issues: World Bank
• Efficient and empowered authority urged for CPEC
• Micro-smart lockdown imposed in four localities of
Rawalpindi
• PTI will now forward its reform agenda: Shibli
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Mideast
• Quds Force Commander Admits Iran Supporting Houthi
Attacks On Saudi Arabia
• Israeli Forces Attack Palestinian Worshipers At Al-Aqsa
Mosque
• Iran Validates Presidential Candidacies Of Military
Staff
• Hazrat Abu Talib Sacrificed Everything To Defend
Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H): Grand Ayatollah
• IDF chief Kochavi to lobby European leaders against
Iran deal, Hezbollah
• Iran: State-owned Ship Hit By Minor Explosion,
Tehran Terms It 'act Of Terrorism'
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Southeast Asia
• After Landmark ‘Allah’ Ruling, Sarawak Human Rights
Fighter Urges State, Putrajaya To Review All Religious Policies
• Islamic Finance Starts At Home, Not At The Bank,
Says University Head And Financial Management Coach Dr. Murniati Mukhlisin
• DAP lawmaker says IGP and Ismail Sabri should be
charged first under new ‘fake news’ law
• Kit Siang: AG must answer if individuals who
question PM’s Emergency declaration are prosecuted
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South Asia
• While Ankara, Moscow Draws Up For Afghan Peace
Summits, US Officials Signal Extreme Risks
• Taliban offensive claims 5, wounds 2 ANA soldiers
• ANA, AAF operations claim 28 Taliban in Kandahar
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India
• Ayodhya: Construction of Mosque, Hospital by Sunni
Waqf Board to Begin in May
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
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Combatting Islamophobia in Australia : Victorian
Mosques Open Their Doors To Educate And ‘Remove Hatred’
Islamophobia in Australia/ Wikipedia for Free
Encyclopedia
-----
By Ashleigh McMillan
March 14, 2021
There is still a strong need to combat Islamophobia in
Australia, with the increasing presence of far-right white supremacist
movements across the world, the vice-president of the Islamic Council of
Victoria says.
The group’s Mohamed Mohideen said in 2017 he had
started an annual mosque open day to “break down myths and negative publicity”
about the Muslim community.
The motto of “open doors, open hearts and open minds”
rang true on Sunday, as Victorian mosques opened their doors to the masses to
break down stereotypes and mistruths about Islam.
With barbecues on and henna at the ready, 15 mosques
from across Melbourne and regional Victoria took part, welcoming hundreds of
people for tours and talks about the religion.
“We wanted people to come in, visit a mosque, meet
people and realise Muslims are no different to any other Australians,” he said,
noting that the places of worship are open to people from different religious
or cultural backgrounds year-round.
“You’re most welcome to go to any mosque, any time and
... ask any questions. No one is going to get offended - it’s better to get
your concerns answered than just keeping it inside.”
Australian Bosnian Islamic Centre secretary Alen Havic
said attendees enthusiastically took the opportunity to “see what the mosque
was all about”.
“It was about building bridges, it’s about combating
those negative stereotypes,” Mr Havic said. “It was interesting for them to
see.”
The second anniversary of the Christchurch terror
attack, where 51 people were killed by an Australian gunman at the Linwood
Islamic Centre and Al Noor mosque, falls on Monday. Victorian mosques on Sunday
held prayers for the people of Christchurch.
Earlier this month, a 27-year-old man was charged in
New Zealand with making a threat to kill after allegedly posting a online
threat against the Al Noor Mosque.
“Unfortunately Islamophobia is still here, there are
still people who are not willing to accept a faith that is different to theirs
or person with a different skin colour,” Mr Mohideen said.
“But there is lots of change and positives: people who
come to our mosque say, ‘we always used to pass the mosque and had this fear to
enter, but once we came in and saw it, we’re now regulars and know the
community.’
“We hope and pray that by educating people, we can
remove this hatred that could be there, and we hope and pray that nothing like
(the Christchurch attack) will happen in Australia.”
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/victoria/victorian-mosques-open-their-doors-to-educate-and-remove-hatred-20210314-p57ak5.html
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Islam Rejects Every Invitation To A Belief By Force Of
Arms: Al-Azhar Grand Imam
Al-Azhar grand imam
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Ahram Online
13 Mar 2021
Islam has established peace as a main principle for
Muslims’ dealing with others, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayyeb, the grand imam of
Al-Azhar, said during his address to the 31st International Conference of the
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs on Saturday.
Mohamed El-Doweiny, Al-Azhar’s deputy sheikh,
delivered El-Tayyeb’s remarks during the conference, which Cairo hosts 13-14
March, titled “Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue."
Egypt’s Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed
Mokhtar Gomaa and Mufti Shawki Allam took part in the conference.
El-Tayyeb encouraged dialogue among people as a
“requirement necessitated by diversity and differences in tongues and colours.”
He added that dialogue among different people shall be
on the plenty of things they have agreed upon.
"Inviting people to the way of Allah shall only
be carried out through wisdom, good instruction, and quiet dialogue that does
not hurt others or offend them or their beliefs," El-Doweiny said on
behalf of El-Tayyeb.
“Islam rejects every invitation to a belief by force
of arms, coercion, or exploitation of the poverty or sickness of people, as
Quran states 'there is no compulsion in religion’,” El-Tayyeb said.
The grand imam explained that the word “peace” and its
derivatives have been mentioned in the Quran 140 times, while the word “war”
and its derivatives have been only mentioned six times.
El-Tayyeb noted that peace has been established in
Islam as a main principle for Muslims in dealing with the world.
“In case you heard or read that a religion has
licensed bloodshed and disposession, then you [should] know that this is a
deceit in portraying the truth about this religion,” El-Tayyeb added.
https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/405920/-.aspx
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Swiss Jews Join Muslims In Protesting Referendum
Banning Face-Covering Veils
Muslim women in headscarves (Photo by Hasan Almasi on
Unsplash)
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By JTA
March 13, 2021
Swiss voters passed a referendum on banning
face-covering veils, prompting the country’s Muslim and Jewish groups to
protest that infringement on religious freedoms.
The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities and the
Platform for Liberal Jews in Switzerland said the ban, which passed with 51% of
the vote on Sunday, “restricts and violates several conditions of religious
freedom.” In their joint statement, the groups also said they are “concerned
that further legislative or federal popular initiatives could further undermine
religious freedom in the future.”
The Swiss “have a long history of trying to curb
migrations through banning religious practice,” Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the
president of the Conference of European Rabbis and a Zurich native, wrote in a
separate statement.
In 1892, the Swiss ban on kosher slaughter, which
remains in place today, was “designed to stop the Jewish migration from Russia”
from pogroms, he added.
“We fear that this attacks against religious freedom
further weakens the ability to practice one’s faith, a basic freedom and human
right which is fundamental to a liberal democracy,” Goldschmidt wrote.
He called it “ironic” that the ban is coming at a time
when most people are covering their face regularly to avoid spreading the
coronavirus. The ban does not apply to face masks.
The referendum does not mention Islam, and its
advocates say it also applies to hooligans. France, Belgium and Austria have
similar bans.
https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/swiss-jews-join-muslims-in-protesting-referendum-banning-face-covering-veils/
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NYC Park Christian Ranger Alleges He Lost Job Because
He Refused To Shave His Beard
By Dean Balsamini
March 13, 2021
A Queens man claims he was forced from his city Parks
Department job because he refused to shave his beard.
Former park ranger Ryan Stancu, 31, says in a lawsuit
he wore the beard as part of his Christian beliefs but was driven to quit after
being told facial hair wasn’t allowed.
“We are not in the Stone Age here,” Stancu, of College
Point, claims he was told, according to his Manhattan Federal Court complaint.
After he told superiors his full but neatly trimmed beard
was required of his faith, they demanded a letter from his Eastern Christian
Orthodox church proving it, Stancu said in court papers.
Stancu charges he was then prevented from being able
to attend services because his bosses put him on a new schedule that had him
working every Sunday.
They also grilled him daily about the shape of his
facial hair and failed to promote him, according to the lawsuit, in which
Stancu is acting as his own lawyer.
Stancu says he was eventually transferred to
Washington Square Park, where the locker room and office were “infested with
mold, rat poison and carbon monoxide,” according to the lawsuit. He claims he
was repeatedly exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
He was allegedly threatened for not issuing “enough
tickets,” not given proper protective gear at the height of the COVID-19
pandemic and was finally forced to leave May 10, according to the claim.
https://nypost.com/2021/03/13/nyc-park-ranger-says-he-lost-job-due-religious-discrimination/
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Boko Haram Threat Complicates Plans to Resettle
Displaced Nigerians
By Haruna Shehu
March 14, 2021
MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA, - Boko Haram militants have
terrorized northeastern Nigeria for more than a decade, driving more than 2
million people from their homes, according to the United Nations.
Having escaped the Islamic extremists, these displaced
people still face enormous challenges, struggling to get food and basic health
care, to educate their children, to imagine a better future.
“Life here is very difficult. We are suffering,” said
Mohammed Abba, who had a farm in the Konduga government area, about 25
kilometers southeast of Maiduguri. Now, he, his wife and five children live in
a single, cramped room.
“During the rainy season, you would be shocked to see
how we must cope. This room floods and we can’t sleep here,” he said. Abba used
to “raise animals and do trading. But this is our situation today.”
His neighbor Falmata Abukar also came from Konduga
with her husband. She blames what she considers inadequate health care in the
camp for her son going blind in one eye.
“My child fell ill. He did not open his eyes for four
days. He cannot see with that eye now,” Abukar said. “The eye is beyond
repair.”
The camp’s residents, kept from their regular
livelihoods, are trying to make ends meet. In daylight outside, women do
needlework, crafting hats and other items to sell. So do girls who would have
been in school if they were in their home communities.
Borno State has 32 official camps for displaced people
and roughly 200 informal settlements. These are supported by the State
Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the federal government. They also
receive support from humanitarian partners ranging from local groups to
international organizations such as the U.N. International Children's Emergency
Fund, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children and Doctors of the
World.
“The IDPs [internally displaced persons) are tired of
life in the camps,” Zulum said. “They complain to us day and night about their
plight. They do not have food, and their children are being exploited. They
need to return to their homes.”
That depends on regaining control of the territory
from Boko Haram and protecting civilians, Zulum said. “We have to first ensure
their safety. We don’t want to resettle people where there is no security.”
Many homes of displaced people were destroyed or are
in areas still vulnerable to Boko Haram attack. So, for now, authorities are
moving to resettle people in cities closer to home that are patrolled by
federal troops.
That does not reassure Abba Gana Kolomi, a fish trader
from the town of Baga near Lake Chad. A friend who returned there gave him a
grim report about continuing insecurity and how it restricts the ability to earn
a living.
“People cannot go to fishing,” he said. “They cannot
find food anywhere, because no one has cultivated his farm or raised animals.”
Venturing from better-protected cities to fish, farm
or do other chores in rural Borno State can be dangerous. In mid-February, a
group of displaced people gathering firewood near the town of Damboa were
abducted – and five were killed – in a suspected Boko Haram attack.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/boko-haram-threat-complicates-plans-resettle-displaced-nigerians
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Govt-backed jirga brokers deal over Hindu shrine
attack issue
Manzoor Ali
March 14, 2021
PESHAWAR: A jirga backed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
government has helped the residents of Karak district and members of the Hindu
community reach an agreement to settle issues that arose after the desecration
of a local Hindu shrine over two months ago.
On Dec 30, 2020, a mob had vandalised and torched the
Shri Paramhans Ji Maharaj shrine in the remote Teri area of Karak district.
Adviser of the chief minister on science and
information technology Ziaullah Bangash and Pakistan Hindu Council
patron-in-chief and MNA Ramesh Kumar announced the deal in a presser here on
Saturday.
The residents of Karak apologised to the Hindu
community for vandalising its shrine. The Hindus accepted the apology and
assured the jirga that they would cooperate with it on all issues, including
the release of those detained on the charge of demolishing the shrine.
Karak residents apologise for incident, Hindus promise
cooperation for release of detainees
The police had arrested over 30 residents, including a
senior JUI-F leader and clerics, for desecrating the Hindu shrine.
Mr Bangash said a committee was formed by Chief
Minister Mahmood Khan on the issue, while parleys were held at a local level
and the Hindu Council was involved.
He said the jirga also met the chief minister to get
his approval for the deal.
The chief minister’s aide said both sides and
government representatives had met in the office of the home secretary two days
ago and agreed on the deal.
He said the people put behind bars for the shrine
desecration had also formally declared that they would follow the jirga’s
decision, while Mr Kumar also held out an assurance that they would abide by
that decision.
Mr Bangash said the local elders apologised to the
Hindu community over the desecration of the Hindu shrine and assured it of the
protection of its religious rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
The elders also said whenever Hindus visited Teri,
they (elders) would welcome them.
Mr Kumar and government’s representatives agreed to
offer cooperation for the release of those detained for the shrine attack.
He said both sides also agreed to resolve any issue
arising in future through dialogue.
Mr Kumar said the Hindus also agreed to reciprocate
after the local elders’ apology over tehe shrine attack by cooperating with
them for the resolution of all issues, including the release of those behind
bars.
He said the chief minister met him thrice on the
issue.
On the occasion, local MPA Mian Nisar Gul Kakakhel
said the incident occurred due to a misunderstanding and the government should
take legal steps for the early release of detainees.
Meanwhile, the jirga members met Chief Minister
Mahmood Khan and informed him about their efforts for the amicable resolution
of issues regarding the Karak shrine attack.
According to a statement issued here, Mr Mahmood
termed the Karak incident tragic and highly-condemnable one and said it was a
failed bid to destroy peace and inter-faith harmony in the area.
He appreciated the jirga’s role to resolve the issue
through negotiations.
The chief minister said the government would make all
required steps to prevent such incidents in future and that the ulema and
elders should play their due effective role in that respect.
He said Islam and Constitution guaranteed the
protection of the rights of religious minorities in the country and that their
all religious places in the province would be given complete protection.
Mr Mahmood said leaders of the Hindu community thanked
the provincial government, especially the chief minister, for taking an
effective yet quick action over the Karak shrine attack.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612389/govt-backed-jirga-brokers-deal-over-hindu-shrine-attack-issue
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Quds Force commander admits Iran supporting Houthi
attacks on Saudi Arabia
ARAB NEWS
March 14, 2021
JEDDAH: Tehran supports attacks on Saudi Arabia by the
Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps’ overseas Quds Force has admitted.
Ismail Qaani told a conference in the northeastern
city of Mashhad that the Houthis had launched
“18 operations in less than 10 days” targeting the Kingdom.
He said Iran supported all such armed groups around
the world, which he described as “forces of resistance against global
arrogance.”
Qaani became head of the Quds Force after its previous
leader, Qassem Soleimani, was assassinated in a US drone strike at Baghdad
airport in January 2020. In his Mashhad speech, Qaani repeated threats that the
US would pay a price for Soleimani’s death.
“We have made it clear that we will break the bones of
the criminal US. The sound of them being fractured will be heard at the proper
time,” he said.
The Quds Force leader also renewed Iranian threats
against Israel. “Although Israel has all the world’s tools at its disposal, it
is building a wall around itself 1 meter wide and 6 meters high, in order to
remain safe,” he said. “But they must be sure that we will destroy that wall
too.”
Meanwhile, Israel was probably behind an attack in the
Mediterranean last week that damaged an Iranian container ship, investigators
in Tehran said on Saturday. The container ship Shahr e Kord was hit by an
explosive object that caused a small fire.
The incident came two weeks after the Israeli-owned MV
Helios Ray was hit by an explosion in the Gulf of Oman, which Israel has blamed
on Iran.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1825091/middle-east
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After landmark ‘Allah’ ruling, Sarawak human rights
fighter urges state, Putrajaya to review all religious policies
BY SULOK TAWIE
13 Mar 2021
KUCHING, March 13 ― The Sarawak and federal
governments should review all policies and directives relating to religious
freedom and ensure they are in line with the Malaysian Constitution, a local
human rights activist Peter John Jaban said today.
He made the call following the High Court decision
this week quashing the 1986 federal government circular on the use of the name
“Allah” in Christian publications.
“Religion has long been used as a divisive issue in
Malaysia, not so much among the people but as a political tool.
“It runs through multiple aspects of Malaysia’s
institutional life, from the mandatory conversion on marriage to public display
of religious symbols, all the way down to allocation of public funding and our
choice of leader,” Jaban said in a statement.
“The message from the court’s ruling, however, it is
clear that Malaysia respects and
represents freedom of religion, which is enshrined in our constitution and it is
the basis on which this nation is built,” he said.
He said the Malaysian government should look to the
Federal Constitution as its guiding principle in all other legislations and
practices, especially relating to Articles 3, 8, 11 and 12.
He added the word “Allah” has been used by the people
of all faiths worldwide for centuries.
He said that thousands of churches in Indonesia, the
world’s most populous Muslim country, are called “Gereja Allah”.
“For many years, the Christian natives of Sabah and
Sarawak have been using the word, imported from an Arabic, in their daily
worship.
“It was only in the last forty years that the
Malaysian government has decided to legislate the use of language in this way.
But the court’s ruling tells us that this is a clear departure from the shared
basis of our nation,” he said.
Jaban also welcomed any appeal in the Federal Court on
the High Court’s judgment, saying that the apex court’s ruling and precedent
should be set.
“The judiciary, sworn to uphold the primacy and integrity
of the Constitution, should lead the way. But this should not stop at this one
circular,” he said, adding the Federal Court should also look at the
legislations, directives, and circulars that touched on the rights of the
Christians.
Jaban also called on the government of Sarawak,
Malaysia’s only non-Muslim majority state, to speak out on this issue.
“It is time for them to show the way in reviewing
their legislation. They shouldn’t wait to be directed by the courts.
“It is time for Malaysia to be reborn as it was
originally intended that people of all religions, races, descents, places of
birth or genders are free from religious discrimination and equal under the
law,” he said.
On March 10, Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Nor Bee
Ariffin, sitting as High Court judge, allowed a judicial review application by
Sarawakian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill on a 1986 circular that banned the
Christians from using the word “Allah” in their publications.
The judge ruled that the ban on the use of the word
“Allah” in Christian publications was unconstitutional and invalid.
It also declared orders to affirm Jill Ireland’s right
to not be discriminated against and practice her faith.
The judge granted three of the specific constitutional
reliefs sought by the Sarawakian native of the Melanau tribe.
The three orders granted by the judge include a
declaration that it is Jill Ireland’s constitutional right under the Federal
Constitution’s Article 3, 8, 11, and 12 to import the publications in the
exercise of her rights to practise religion and right to education.
The other two declarations granted by the judge today
are that a declaration under Article 8 that Jill Ireland is guaranteed equality
of all persons before the law and is protected from discrimination against
citizens on the grounds of religion in the administration of the law ―
specifically the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and Customs Act
1967), and a declaration that government.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/13/after-landmark-allah-ruling-sarawak-human-rights-fighter-urges-state-putraj/1957497
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Australia
Australian citizen facing ‘credible risk’ of torture
in Saudi Arabia
Source : Tasnim
March 14, 2021
An Australian citizen was extradited to Saudi Arabia
just days after a Moroccan court approved the transfer request, and without
allowing his lawyers, who say he faces a “credible risk” of torture, time to
appeal the decision.
International lawyers acting for Osama al-Hasani, 42,
have previously asked United Nations special rapporteurs to raise the dual
Australian-Saudi Arabian citizen’s case with Moroccan authorities, citing
“credible concerns” that he was being targeted by the Saudi Arabian government
for his political opinions.
Last week the Australian government confirmed it had
been in contact with Moroccan authorities after the decision. A spokesman said
an Australian embassy official had been able to visit al-Hasani.
“The extradition took place just days after a Moroccan
court approved Saudi Arabia’s extradition request, and before Mr al-Hasani’s
local lawyers were able to take steps to challenge and appeal the decision,”
his lawyer, Haydee Dijkstal, said, The Guardian reported.
“Today’s extradition presents a real risk that Mr
al-Hasani’s safety, security and fundamental rights will be irreparably
violated in Saudi Arabia, particularly due to credible concerns that Mr
al-Hasani is being targeted by the government of Saudi Arabia for political
opinions he has expressed which have been critical of the government.
“It is disappointing and worrisome that the government
of Morocco carried out the extradition despite its clear obligation under
international law, and under its acceptance of the convention against torture,
to not extradite any person to a state where there are substantial grounds to
believe the person is in danger of being tortured.
“The credible risk that Mr al-Hasani will be tortured
and abused in Saudi Arabia upon his extradition has been repeatedly raised by
international counsel for Mr al-Hasani in communications to the Australian and
Moroccan governments, and in an urgent appeal to UN special rapporteurs.”
On Thursday the Australian government confirmed it was
in contact with Moroccan authorities and that an Australian embassy official
had visited him.
The department of foreign affairs said in a statement
to the Guardian: “DFAT is providing consular assistance to an Australian man,
Osama Alhasani, who was detained in Morocco on 8 February 2021.
“The Australian Government is concerned about the
circumstances of his detention, his access to the due process of law, and the
validity of foreshadowed extradition proceedings to Saudi Arabia.
“DFAT has been undertaking and is continuing urgent
talks with Morocco and Saudi Arabia about Mr Alhasani’s legal case, and to
insist upon continued consular access and the transparency of legal processes.”
Al-Hasani – a dual Australian and Saudi citizen – was
detained shortly after he arrived in Morocco on 8 February in connection with
an extradition request from Saudi Arabia. His wife, Hana al-Hasani, said he was
detained just hours after meeting his newborn child.
She said on Thursday: “I can’t describe my feeling. I
was just told today that I could visit my husband tomorrow for the first time
since he was arrested and now I am being told that this may be my last visit
and even may be the last time I could see him alive.
“The fact that he will be extradited to Saudi Arabia
means simply that he is going to be tortured and maybe worse than that, things
I don’t want to think about right now.
“I still hope a miracle will happen and I still have
trust that this country has wise people in charge, led by the king of Morocco,
that will not allow this to happen.”
Al-Hasani is a father of four. His youngest child
turned five months old the day his father was in court: “And I really hope the
Australians will succeed in moving something and taking him [al-Hasani] home,
to be safe and secure.”
A report published by a Moroccan news site has
previously alluded to accusations that al-Hasani was accused of organizing
opposition activity to Wahhabism, the state-sponsored form of Sunni Islam in
Saudi Arabia, but his supporters have argued he “he has no relation to any
political opposition activity”.
SBS News quoted a Moroccan justice ministry official
as saying the arrest took place after an Interpol notice filed by Saudi Arabia,
adding that he was wanted by the Saudis for a penal code matter involving
theft. Reuters claimed a court there had previously sentenced him to two years
in prison on theft charges, which he denied.
The statement, issued by Dijkstal, said the
extradition was approved “despite urgent concerns raised of the real and
credible risk to Mr al-Hasani’s fundamental rights, safety and security if he
is extradited to Saudi Arabia”.
Dijkstal said a representative of the Australian
government was understood to have been present at the two hearings before the
extradition decision was released, but al-Hasani was not present in the
courtroom for either hearing.
https://en.abna24.com/news//australian-citizen-facing-%e2%80%98credible-risk%e2%80%99-of-torture-in-saudi-arabia_1123168.html
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Arab World
Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre launches 2021
plan
Gulf News Report
March 13, 2021
Dubai: The Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre’s
(DIEDC) board meeting for 2021, presided by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri,
Chairman of DIEDC detailed the action plan for 2021, with a specific focus on
the DIEDC 2022-2030 Strategy.
The Islamic economy has witnessed four years of
outstanding achievements largely be attributed to the robust DIEDC 2017-2021
Strategy. Implemented in collaboration with the Centre’s strategic partners, a
key outcome of the Strategy was the year-on-year growth of the Islamic economy
and an increase in its contribution to Dubai’s GDP.
“Following several years of positioning the UAE as a
global capital of Islamic economy, today we are happy to lead the nation into
the next phase of growth for the sector,” said Al Mansouri.
“Impactful collaborations with nations across the
globe and defining public-private partnerships, as well as prioritising the
exchange of knowledge and shared success stories have facilitated our journey
so far. We are now set to continue our march to shape a sustainable economy
following the downturn that was a direct outcome of the extraordinary
circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Since the launch of the strategy in 2013 as a pillar
of a strong Islamic economy based on sustainable development, the sector has
witnessed continuous growth. “Through combining ethics, innovation and true
growth, the Islamic economy ecosystem serves not only as an instrument to
resolve economic crises, but also to safeguard against any potential ones,”
said Al Mansouri.
The Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy initiative, as
part of the national economic diversification agenda, is making significant
strides given the strong synergies that DIEDC boasts with its diverse strategic
partners from across the public and private sectors.
“The next phase requires us to intensify
collaborations with DIEDC’s strategic partners to continue building on the
successful track record Islamic economy has achieved to date, and will aim to
elevate the Islamic economic system to greater heights,” said Al Mansouri.
Essa Kazim, Secretary General of DIEDC, confirmed that
the executive plans will continue to prioritise the strategic objectives of the
Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy initiative, to boost the industry’s
contribution to Dubai’s GDP, and also bring on board more international
partners keen to benefit from the growing investment opportunities the Islamic
economy presents.
“The Dubai: Capital of Islamic Economy initiative
continues to make significant advances in realising its strategic objectives,
through multiple programmes that are well aligned with Dubai’s executive plans
for 2021. Today, Dubai and the wider UAE are building growing credibility in
the Islamic economy space through attracting Islamic economy experts and
subject matter specialists as well as startups and young entrepreneurs,” said
Kazim.
Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of DIEDC, presented the
various initiatives and outcomes achieved in line with the Dubai: Capital of
Islamic Economy Strategy in 2020 and announced DIEDC’s action plan for the
upcoming year that covers proposed new initiatives and expected milestones on
existing ones.
Abdulla Al Awar shared the latest preparations for the
fifth Global Islamic Economy Summit that will take place on 1 and 2 November
2021. Addressing the board, he said: “This landmark event is taking place
during exceptional circumstances and will convene minds from across the globe
to discuss the future of the Islamic economy, as well as its pivotal role in
restructuring international economy and trade.”
https://gulfnews.com/business/banking/dubai-islamic-economy-development-centre-launches-2021-plan-1.1615624305508
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6 Saudi mosques closed after virus outbreaks
SPA
March 13, 2021
RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah,
and Guidance on Friday temporarily shut down six mosques in two regions after a
number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases were confirmed among
worshippers.
Virus cases have led to 269 mosques being forced to
temporarily close over the past 33 days, with 253 reopening after sanitization
measures were completed.
The ministry said that three of the mosques were in
Riyadh, and three in the Northern Borders region.
Nine mosques have been reopened, including four in
Riyadh, two in Makkah, and one in each of the regions of Tabuk, Jazan, and the
Northern Borders. The decisions came after precautionary measures, including
sanitization and maintenance, were carried out.
The ministry praised the cooperation of worshippers
and mosque employees in complying with health and safety requirements.
Authorities will continue to sanitize and clean mosques
and implement measures to ensure the safety of visitors, the ministry added.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1824591/saudi-arabia
------
Digital ID service launched for expats in Saudi Arabia
ARAB NEWS
March 14, 2021
JEDDAH: Saudi authorities have launched a digital
version of the Muqeem, or resident, ID for foreign workers.
The General Directorate of Passports launched the
digital version on the Absher individuals app.
The Ministry of Interior’s online Absher service was
introduced to increase productivity and promote more efficient work practices
within government departments, while raising customer satisfaction levels.
Through the service, all details can be viewed
electronically through a QR code. Users can also download a copy of their
digital ID on a smart device for use without an internet connection.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1825041/saudi-arabia
-------
Digital ID service launched for expats in Saudi Arabia
ARAB NEWS
March 14, 2021
JEDDAH: Saudi authorities have launched a digital
version of the Muqeem, or resident, ID for foreign workers.
The General Directorate of Passports launched the
digital version on the Absher individuals app.
The Ministry of Interior’s online Absher service was
introduced to increase productivity and promote more efficient work practices
within government departments, while raising customer satisfaction levels.
Through the service, all details can be viewed
electronically through a QR code. Users can also download a copy of their
digital ID on a smart device for use without an internet connection.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1825041/saudi-arabia
-------
Europe
Blackburn's Issa Brothers' £5m Mosque Plans Edge
Closer - And How It Could Benefit The Community
By Tom Earnshaw
13 MAR 2021
Blackburn's billionaire Issa brothers are one step
closer to making their £5million hometown mosque a reality, with hopes it can
help boost the town's 'community cohesion' agenda.
Mohsin and Zuber Issa, founders of the EG Group and
newly confirmed owners of supermarket giant Asda, have set their sights on
building a new mosque and community centre on the former Westholme Nursery
School site.
Through their charity the Issa Foundation, the
brothers want to turn the area of land on the corner of the A677 Preston New
Road and Billing End Road into a new religious facility 'for the benefit of the
local community'.
Tom Jeremiah, from planning agents Monte Blackburn
Ltd, says the site will "re-develop a vacant brownfield site and bring it
back in to an active use for the benefit of the local community".
He also says it will "promote interaction between
Muslims and non-Muslims, provide a positive contribution towards Blackburn’s
community cohesion agenda and allow the Muslim community access to service provision
from one location".
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council planning
officers have now given the concept an initial thumbs up, saying it is a
"viable and sustainable form of development at a prominent and key
arterial route into Blackburn, taking the form of a landmark building of
bespoke design".
"Community benefits arising include facilities
for prayer, training, education and opportunities for community integration,
aligning with the principles of Blackburn with Darwen’s community cohesion
agenda," they add, saying this is important due to being one of five
national 'Integration Areas' invited by the Ministry for Housing, Communities
and Local Government (MHCLG) to work closely with on innovative plans to
address social integration.
Images of the planned mosque reveal contemporary
Islamic architecture over two storeys on the centre of the site, with a
community centre to the south east corner of the land.
The mosque will cater for the traditional five prayers
over the course of every day, with the community centre to be used for a
variety of training and conference events as well as educational needs on a
weekday evening from 5pm to 7pm.
Weddings are to be restricted at the mosque and
community centre to religious registration events, lasting around 30 minutes
and witnessed by close relatives.
The council's Planning and Highways Committee
committee is now set to meet next Thursday (March 18) where councillors have
been advised to approve the plans.
In doing so, it would secure a £30,000 payment to the
council to invest in the local community via a legally binding Section 106
agreement.
https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/blackburns-issa-brothers-5m-mosque-20081409
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Journalists, heads of NGOs and public activists visit
Juma Mosque in liberated Aghdam
13 March 2021
On March 13, the heads of media resources and NGOs,
bloggers and public activists visited the Juma Mosque in Azerbaijan's Aghdam
region liberated from Armenian occupation, Trend’s Karabakh bureau reports.
The participants of the trip were told about the
history of the mosque and Armenian vandalism. It was emphasized that the Juma
mosque was built in 1868-1870 by the Karbalai architect Safikhan Garabagi. The
mosque belongs to the Karabakh architectural school.
During the occupation of Agdam, Armenian Armed Forces
committed unprecedented acts of vandalism against the historical and cultural
heritage of Azerbaijan. Monuments, cultural centers, mosques, cemeteries were
destroyed and desecrated here.
The minarets of the Juma Mosque were destroyed from
the inside, and the ceiling was demolished in some places. The inscriptions on
it were also deliberately damaged.
Heads of media structures and NGOs, bloggers and
public activists are accompanied by Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - Head
of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat
Hajiyev.
On March 13, the heads of media resources and NGOs,
bloggers and public activists visited the Juma Mosque in Azerbaijan's Aghdam
region liberated from Armenian occupation, Trend’s Karabakh bureau reports.
The participants of the trip were told about the
history of the mosque and Armenian vandalism. It was emphasized that the Juma
mosque was built in 1868-1870 by the Karbalai architect Safikhan Garabagi. The
mosque belongs to the Karabakh architectural school.
During the occupation of Agdam, Armenian Armed Forces
committed unprecedented acts of vandalism against the historical and cultural
heritage of Azerbaijan. Monuments, cultural centers, mosques, cemeteries were
destroyed and desecrated here.
The minarets of the Juma Mosque were destroyed from
the inside, and the ceiling was demolished in some places. The inscriptions on
it were also deliberately damaged.
Heads of media structures and NGOs, bloggers and
public activists are accompanied by Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan -
Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat
Hajiyev.
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2021-03-12/norwich-mosque-helps-hundreds-of-people
------
London Police clash with mourners and protesters at
Everard vigil
14-Mar-2021
News.cgtn
Clashes broke out Saturday between police and people
who gathered in defiance of coronavirus restrictions at an unofficial vigil for
a London woman whose killing has spurred a national conversation in the UK
about violence against women.
Sarah Everard's disappearance as she walked home on
the evening of March 3 had led to a wave of accounts from women about the
dangers of walking streets alone at night, and dismay at the failure of police
and wider society to tackle this.
Early on Saturday an impromptu memorial with flowers
and candles sprang up around the bandstand on Clapham Common in southwest
London, near where Everard was last seen alive.
By late on Saturday around a thousand people – mostly
women – gathered at the site to pay their respects and protest at the lack of
security they felt when out alone. Some chanted "shame on you" at
police who were present.
Campaign groups had wanted to organize a formal vigil,
but London's Metropolitan Police said people should not gather due to
coronavirus restrictions. The head of the force, Cressida Dick, said any vigil
"would be unlawful and would be unsafe."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who is responsible for
policing in the city, said officers' response "was at times neither
appropriate or proportionate" and added that he was seeking an urgent
explanation from Dick.
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer called the scenes
"deeply disturbing" and Conservative interior minister Priti Patel said
she too wanted answers from police about "upsetting" images.
Appearing at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court
on Saturday morning, 48-year-old police officer Wayne Couzens, wearing a grey
tracksuit, spoke only to confirm his identity.
Couzens's lawyer did not enter a plea to the charges
of kidnap and murder ahead of a fuller court hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
Couzens remains in custody.
Police discovered Everard's body on Wednesday in
woodland about 80 kilometer southeast of London. The court heard that her body
was found in a builder's refuse bag, and was identified using dental records.
The Metropolitan Police has expressed shock and horror
that one of its own was a suspect in the case. The London police force said
Couzens joined its ranks in 2018 and most recently served in the parliamentary
and diplomatic protection command, an armed unit responsible for guarding
embassies in the capital and Parliament.
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said
he and his partner Carrie Symonds would light a candle in memory of Everard.
"I will do everything I can to make sure the
streets are safe and ensure women and girls do not face harassment or
abuse," he said.
Many participants laid flowers at a bandstand in the
park. Among them was Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, who was seen pausing for a
moment in front of the sea of flowers. Other people held signs reading "We
will not be silenced" and "She was just walking home," and the
crowd chanted, "Sisters united will never be defeated."
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-03-14/London-Police-clash-with-mourners-and-protesters-at-Everard-vigil-YCeRLrNZrW/index.html
--------
North America
Biden mulls appointing first-ever Muslim federal judge
March 12, 2021
By Joseph Hammond
The Biden administration is considering naming
Washington, D.C., attorney Abid Riaz Qureshi to U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia, according to media reports. If confirmed by the Senate,
Qureshi would be the first Muslim to become a federal judge.
According to BuzzFeed News, the Biden administration
has ordered the FBI to vet Qureshi, who was previously nominated for a district
court seat by then-President Barack Obama in 2016.
Qureshi is a partner at Latham & Watkins, a global
law firm, and has built his career around health care fraud, securities
violations and other cases in the public interest. According to the Latham
& Watkins website, he “has particular facility with managing large
multi-faceted investigations on behalf of international companies, drawing on
experience investigating two of the largest healthcare fraud cases in the
country.”
Qureshi has provided pro bono legal advice to a number
of immigrants’ rights groups and the Muslim Alliance. He also received the
Impact Award from the Capital Area Muslim Bar Association at a Ramadan event in
2018.
President Obama nominated Qureshi to D.C.’s U.S.
District Court in September of 2016 to fill a seat vacated by Judge Rosemary M.
Collyer, but the nomination was not acted on by the Senate with the end of that
congressional session in January 2017.
Qureshi’s appointment would mark a historic step
forward for Muslim representation in the American judicial system. Earlier this
year, the influential Harvard Law Review appointed its first Muslim president
since the journal was founded in 1887.
https://religionnews.com/2021/03/12/report-biden-mulls-appointing-first-ever-muslim-federal-judge/
------
Biden administration enlists FEMA to help with surge
of children at U.S.-Mexico border
By Ted Hesson
March 13, 2021
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Homeland
Security on Saturday ordered an emergency agency that usually responds to
floods, storms and other major disasters to help care for a growing number of
migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in news release
that he would deploy the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “to help
receive, shelter and transport the children” over the next 90 days.
The move signals the scope of a growing humanitarian
and political crisis for the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat
who took office on Jan. 20. The increased arrivals come as Biden has reversed
some of the restrictive policies of former President Donald Trump, a
Republican.
Unaccompanied minors found crossing the border are
transferred by immigration officials to another federal agency, the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS). But a spike in children arriving without
parents or legal guardians has exceeded shelter capacity, which was previously
cut by 40% to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The coronavirus-related shelter capacity restrictions
were lifted on March 5, but only about 200 beds came back online last week, an
administration official told reporters on Friday.
It is unclear exactly how FEMA will help, though the
agency has expertise in housing and caring for those left homeless. The
Homeland Security statement said FEMA would assist in looking “at every
available option to quickly expand physical capacity for appropriate lodging.”
Migrant children apprehended at the border are
supposed to be transferred out of Border Patrol custody within 72 hours. But
when shelter space is limited, they can get stuck in border detention centers
for longer periods – as is happening now.
The border stations were built to house adult men for
short periods and could pose a COVID-19 health risk to children and staff if
they are overcrowded.
More than 3,600 migrant children were being held in
U.S. border facilities as of Thursday morning, a U.S. official told Reuters,
more than four times the number in late February. As of Friday, the HHS refugee
office had approximately 8,800 unaccompanied children in custody.
FEMA also helped coordinate a response to an influx of
unaccompanied minors in 2014, under former President Barack Obama.
https://www.metro.us/biden-administration-enlists-fema/
-------
Canada promised to end solitary confinement, report
shows it has not
By Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
13 Mar 2021
Montreal, Canada – More than a quarter of inmates held
in specialised units of Canadian federal prisons are subject to conditions akin
to solitary confinement, a recent report found, while one in 10 have been kept
in conditions that constitute torture under United Nations standards.
The revelations come less than two years after Canada
passed legislation that it promised would end solitary confinement practices,
and which the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), the agency in charge of
federal prisons, said would usher in “a transformative era” in corrections.
“There doesn’t seem to be any improvement over time,
so it’s getting harder to argue that these are just sort of growing pains as
you transition from one set of rules to another,” said Jane Sprott, a
criminology professor at Ryerson University in Toronto.
Canadian federal inmates are transferred to SIUs if
they pose a security threat to themselves, to others or to the institution, or
if they could interfere with an investigation. But under the SIU system, they
must get at least four hours out of their cells every day, two hours of which
must include “meaningful human contact”.
Sprott, who co-authored the report with University of
Toronto professor Anthony Doob, said CSC data shows just more than 28 percent
of prisoners held in SIUs were confined for 22 hours or more a day without any
meaningful contact with others.
That amounts to solitary confinement under the United
Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, also known as
the Nelson Mandela Rules.
“It’s like a prison within a prison,” she said, about
the SIU cells. “It’s a little more off-steer, it’s more isolated. You’re in
that cell and if you’re out for less than two hours, that means your main
interaction for the day is getting food pushed through a food slot.”
Myriad human rights groups and international experts
have documented the damage even short periods in solitary confinement can have
on inmates, including depression, hallucinations, paranoia and ideations of
self-harm. The risk of long-term and severe harm also increases for inmates who
already suffer from mental health issues.
Authorities in various countries nevertheless have
defended the practice as a necessary means to ensure inmates do not harm
themselves or others. In Canada, the federal government maintains its SIU
system is “fundamentally different” from the previous model of administrative
segregation.
CSC Spokeswoman Esther Mailhot told Al Jazeera in an
email that SIUs are designed as a temporary measure to help inmates “adopt more
positive behaviours that keep the institution, as a whole, safe and secure”.
Inmates held in SIUs have access to the same
programmes and services as other inmates and get daily visits from staff,
Mailhot said, and the system was built to minimise situations in which inmates
are in their cells for too long. But she said inmates can sometimes stay in
their cells for longer “if they refuse to leave”.
Mailhot said the department had reviewed the recent
report by Sprott and Doob, and “their analysis identifies issues and data
trends that we are following up on”. She did not comment directly on the claims
of continued solitary confinement or torture.
“As we continue to learn and make adjustments, we
remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure the success of this new
correctional model while we fulfil our mandate of ensuring the safe
rehabilitation of federal inmates in Canada,” she said.
In a November 2020 report, Prisoners’ Legal Services,
a project by the West Coast Prison Justice Society in British Columbia, said
Canadian federal prisoners “continue to be held in isolation at an alarming
rate”.
Prisoners held in SIUs are still subjected to
prolonged solitary confinement “often without access to counsel”, the report found,
while “prisoners with the highest mental health needs continue to be held in
isolation in SIUs without adequate treatment”.
Critics had cautioned even earlier that Canada’s plan
to change the previous administrative segregation system would not actually end
the practice of solitary confinement.
You're in that cell and if you're out for less than
two hours, that means your main interaction for the day is getting food pushed
through a food slot
In November 2018, independent Senator Kim Pate accused
the federal government of engaging in “a cynical exercise that merely rebrands
this cruel treatment” and using “linguistic trickery” in its legislation.
“Ottawa cannot declare that segregation has been
eliminated while failing to address the horrors associated with this practice
and gutting what minimal restrictions courts have placed on its use,” Pate
said.
Sprott also said there has been a lack of transparency
around the SIU system since it came into effect. “If there’s no transparency
and people don’t even know what’s happening then it’s pretty unlikely anything
will change,” she said, adding that while the recent report is about federal
prisons, issues with solitary confinement also extend to provincial detention
centres.
For instance, in August of last year, the Ontario
Human Rights Commission said Canada’s largest province had failed to make sure
people living with mental health issues were only placed in segregation as a
last resort.
The commission filed a motion requesting the Ontario
Human Rights Tribunal to order a ban on segregation for inmates with mental
health illnesses, a strict limit on segregation beyond 15 straight days and 60
days in a single year, and the creation of an independent monitor.
Between July 2018 and June 2019, more than 12,000 people
– 46 percent of whom had mental health alerts on file – were placed in
segregation in Ontario, the commission said.
Yusuf Faqiri knows how destructive solitary
confinement can be. His brother, Soleiman, died in December 2016 in a
segregation cell at a provincial detention centre in Lindsay, Ontario, where he
was awaiting a transfer to a mental health facility after being held on assault
allegations.
“My brother was more than just his illness. He was a
gifted mind. He meant the world to my family, every single one of us,” Yusuf
told Al Jazeera, explaining that his family is still fighting to get
information about what happened in the last moments of Soleiman’s life.
Local police have said they would not arrest anyone in
relation to Soleiman’s death and Ontario provincial police came to the same
conclusion last year, saying, “there is no reasonable prospect of conviction on
any criminal offences”, as reported by local media.
Meanwhile, a coroner’s inquest has been ordered and
the family also filed a 14.3 million Canadian dollar ($11.3m) civil lawsuit
against the province, the correctional centre superintendent and seven staff
members, alleging “excessive force” was used. Both are forthcoming.
Nader Hasan, a partner at Toronto law firm Stockwoods
and the Faqiri family’s lawyer, said Soleiman’s case makes it abundantly clear
that Canada’s criminal justice system is ill-equipped to deal with individuals
living with mental health issues.
“Every single staff person who came into contact with
him knew that he was ill, and knew that he didn’t belong there – that he
belonged in a hospital – yet they did nothing … and then on his last day, they
beat and killed him,” Hasan told Al Jazeera. “This is a case where the
worst-case scenario materialises.”
For his part, Yusuf Faqiri said his family would
continue to fight for answers. “We’re not going to stop until we achieve
justice for Soleiman,” he said, “because achieving justice for Soleiman is
achieving justice for all Canadians suffering from mental illness within the fatal
nexus of the justice and incarceration system.”
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/13/canada-promised-end-solitary-confinement-report-shows-it-has-not
--------
Africa
Muslim Rights Concern, A Islamic Group Advises
Nigerian Muslims On Covid-19 Vaccination, Says It Is Safe
John Owen Nwachukwu
March 13, 2021
Muslims in the country have been advised to present
themselves for COVID-19 vaccination.
In a statement on Saturday, a popular Islamic rights
group, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), said it was safe.
Nigeria received almost 4 million doses of the
Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. The vaccination
exercise has since begun as doses have been sent to various states of the
federation.
MURIC opined that Nigerians cannot afford to sit on
the fence in the face of daunting COVID-19 statistics around the world.
“Nigeria needs the vaccine as much as countries that
have suffered high death rates from the pandemic,” MURIC said in a statement
signed by its director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola.
The group noted that a large number of Nigerians are
still very hesitant about taking the vaccine, as well as doubting its efficacy
and MURIC said that its message was for the conspiracy theory camp,
particularly the Muslim population.
“The consensus of Islamic scholars is that vaccination
is halaal (permissible). They cited the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon
him) where he said ‘Seek medical treatment’.
“COVID-19 vaccine is designed to give protection to
those who take it by making their bodies produce substances known as antibodies
whose function is to fight disease.”
MURIC noted that the reason President Muhammadu Buhari
and his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo took the jabs on national television was to build
confidence in Nigerians.
“We urge Nigerian Muslims and the rest of the
citizenry to embrace the vaccine. Let us obey our leaders as enshrined in the
Glorious Qur’an (4:59),” MURIC said.
“Nigerians should note that many of those who denied
COVID-19 later fell victims.
“MURIC therefore calls on cynics to have a rethink,
face reality and accept the vaccine. We are concerned with the right of every
Nigerian to live a healthy life free from any disease.
“In particular, we believe that Nigerian lives matter
as no Nigerian deserves to lose his life to any epidemic when a panacea has
been made available.” #Nigerianlivesmatter,” it said.
https://dailypost.ng/2021/03/13/covid-19-islamic-group-advises-nigerian-muslims-on-vaccination/
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Nigeria: 19 killed in Boko Haram terror attack
14.03.2021
By Adam Abu-bashal
Nineteen people were killed in the attack by the Boko
Haram terror organization in the northeastern state of Borno in Nigeria,
according to media reports on Saturday.
Terrorists attacked a military convoy in Gudumbali in
the Lake Chad region, killing 15 soldiers and four Joint Task Force members.
Army spokesman Mohammed Yerima said in a statement
that several soldiers were also injured in the attack.
On Thursday, Nigeria's National Security Adviser
Babagana Monguno announced that his country would not negotiate with the terror
group and the government does not see negotiations as a means to deal with the
worsening security conditions in the country.
Boko Haram launched a bloody insurgency in 2009 in
northeastern Nigeria but later spread its atrocities to neighboring Niger, Chad
and Cameroon, prompting a military response.
More than 30,000 people have been killed and nearly 3
million displaced in a decade of Boko Haram's terror activities in Nigeria,
according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Violence has affected 26 million people in the Lake
Chad region and displaced 2.6 million others, according to the UN Refugee
Agency.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigeria-19-killed-in-boko-haram-terror-attack/2175197
------
I feel hopeless after Boko Haram’s bomb killed my son,
deformed me, wife, daughter – Borno IDP
March 14, 2021
DOGARA BITRUS
Thirty-year-old Malum Umara is an internally displaced
person in Gajiram, Borno State. He tells DOGARA BITRUS that his world has been
shattered after a Boko Haram bomb killed his five-year-old son and deformed
him, his wife and daughter
I sustained injuries from a bomb explosion that
affected my house in Gajiram. My wife, my daughter, Fatima, and I were all
injured on the same day by the bomb that was dropped in our compound.
It was an attack on our community in Gajiram by Boko
Haram insurgents. The insurgents attacked Gajiram on the evening of Thursday,
January 14, this year while everyone was either at home or within the
neighborhood. Except for some people who travelled out of town, almost all the
villagers were around. I know this because everyone in the village knows
everyone else and we do check on one another always.
That day, I came back from my petty business and sat
with other men at our majalisa (relaxation area), chatting when we suddenly saw
young boys running towards us, shouting ‘Boko Haram!’ We immediately dispersed
and ran into our houses. It was already night and my entire family was in the
house when I got in, so I just locked the doors and we went to bed. Later in
the night, around 11pm I heard something drop on the roof of my house and then
fire erupted in the entire compound, resulting in the death of my son, Asheik,
while my wife, my daughter, Fatima, and I sustained varying degrees of injury.
After the insurgents had left, everyone came out and
my neighbours saw how badly my compound was burnt. They rushed to check on us
and that was when they discovered my late son’s body; he was killed by the
explosion. The neighbours went to bury him and then rushed my wife, daughter
and me to the state specialist hospital here in Maiduguri.
We were given bed spaces in the hospital and the
chairman of our local government area came almost immediately to check on us.
When the chairman was leaving, he gave my wife, my daughter and me N10,000
each, making N30,000. But as soon as he left the hospital, the health personnel
on duty that day convinced us to give him the money for safe keeping and we
did, only for him to disappear. We have not set eyes on that health worker
again. He went away with our N30,000.
Yes, I kept asking of him but they all said they
didn’t know him. But I think the workers in that hospital have a habit of cheating
their patients and robbing them of their money. During the multiple explosions
that rocked Maiduguri last week, the governor came and sympathised with the
survivors; when leaving, he gave us N10,000 each and he also gave our
caregivers N6,000 each while the security personnel were given N5,000 each.
But after the governor left, the health workers
slashed the N10,000 given to the patients to N6,000 and instead of N5,000, the
security personnel were given N1,000 each. I believe it is their stock-in-trade
in that hospital.
To the glory of God, we were treated for free; the
drugs too were provided free but we fed ourselves and that was the major
challenge. I had on me only N20,000, which I saved from my petty business. For
the 40 days that we were in the hospital nobody gave us any form of financial
assistance. Until the governor came and gave us the N30,000, it was just that
N20,000 that my wife, daughter and I depended on.
I was selling fresh fruits and vegetables in Gajiram.
I also engaged in farming to feed my family. But since this incident, I have
not been able to do any business neither have I been able to go to farm. That
is my biggest challenge now. I don’t have any means of livelihood now that I am
on crutches, my wife is deformed, and my daughter too is on crutches. I will
not be able to do anything with my life for now. So, how do I feed my family?
And I have other dependants that look up to me – my aged parents, my late elder
brother’s children, six of them are dependent on me for their daily upkeep. My
two surviving sons, Faruq, 14 years old, and Bukar, 12 years old are there too.
They are all in Gajiram.
You see, I am
first of all an IDP from Bakassi village near Gajiram. We were displaced from
Bakassi village by the Boko Haram terrorists, who persistently attacked us
until we finally fled the place. We came to Gajiram and have been living as
IDPs ever since. When I was in my village, I was into full-time farming; I was
into both rainy season and dry season farming. But when we were displaced from
my village and we got to the IDP camp in Gajiram, then I started this petty
business since I could no longer actively engage in farming like I used to. But
we were managing and surviving, then the bomb explosion.
My brother was killed in one of the attacks in Bakassi
and that was why his children are in my care. But this unfortunate incident is
threatening our lives because I don’t have anyone else to turn to for help.
That is my biggest challenge. My wife is deformed, and my daughter is badly
injured. This is the time for me to shoulder my responsibilities and be the man
but I am not also in good health condition; this is my biggest challenge. I am
struggling to come to terms with the fact that I cannot provide for my family
at this point in time.
My daughter, who is just five years old, is in severe
pains. She is in a critical condition of health, she cannot go to school for
now, she cannot play with other children neither can she do anything at all.
She is just there; it is a serious source of concern for me.
https://punchng.com/i-feel-hopeless-after-boko-harams-bomb-killed-my-son-deformed-me-wife-daughter-borno-idp/
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Pakistan
Alarm bells ringing as positivity rate of Covid cases
surges
Ikram Junaidi
March 14, 2021
ISLAMABAD: As Covid-19 positivity rate ranges between
5 and 6 per cent, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has asked
all federating units to take immediate actions to ensure strict implementation
of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and mulled over further curbs on travel
from countries with high prevalence of South African and Brazilian virus
strains.
Also, expanded lockdowns in the federal capital as
well as in various cities of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are under active
consideration of the authorities after 46 deaths and 2,338 new cases were
reported from across the country in a single day.
According to the NCOC, the number of active cases has
jumped to 19,764 while in Gujrat 100pc oxygen beds are in use of coronavirus
patients. Only a couple of weeks ago, the total number of cases were around
16,000.
To review the pandemic situation, federal Minister for
Planning and Development Asad Umar chaired a special session. It was observed
during the session that there was a sharp rise in the national positivity,
which was around 1pc in September 2020 and 2pc in January 2021, as it has been
hovering between 5pc and 6pc.
The data, shared during the meeting, showed that major
contributors are Islamabad, several cities of Punjab, a few cities of KP and
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
“All federating units have been asked to take
immediate actions for strict implementation of SOPs. Steps taken by Punjab for
disease control were appreciated. However, further steps for disease control
including expanded lockdowns in various cities of Punjab, Islamabad and certain
cities of KP are under consideration,” it stated.
“Spread of new virus strains in country was also
discussed. Further curbs on international travel from certain countries with
high prevalence of South African and Brazilian virus were considered. Decision
will be taken after consultation with all stakeholders. SOPs implementation
week will be observed across the country from Sunday. Citizens are requested to
once again display good example of social behaviour and follow Covid-19-related
SOPs for collective good,” it stated.
“Vaccination drive for elderly population is going on
since March 10. Senior citizens are encouraged to get themselves vaccinated
from designated vaccination centres. Provinces [have been asked] to ensure smooth
continuation of vaccination drive for health care workers and elderly
citizens,” the statement concluded.
An official of the Ministry of National Health
Services (NHS), requesting not to be quoted, said it was obvious that the
number of cases would increase after lifting of curbs.
On Feb 24, the NCOC had decided to lift many
restrictions and open educational institutions with full strength from March1,
apart from five cities. However, because of the decision cases started
increasing rapidly. With no let-up in Covid-19 cases, the NCOC on March 10
re-imposed a number of restrictions that had been in force in the country prior
to Feb 24. The centre announced a two-week spring vacation in educational
institutions in 10 cities, whereas Balochistan and Sindh were suggested to
limit attendance to 50pc. It decided to continue ‘smart lockdowns’ and
‘micro-smart’ lockdowns and re-enforce 50pc work-from-home policy and time
limit of 10pm on all commercial activities with immediate effect. It was
decided to close amusement parks at 6pm.
As the incubation period of virus is around seven
days, the official believed that number of cases would start decreasing in the
second half of upcoming week.
“However, we have lost whatever we had gained during
January this year. We will have to work very hard to reach to same position
where we were in January this year. I urge the masses to strictly adhere to
SOPs so that the chain of the virus would break and number of cases again start
decreasing. Moreover, people should bring their parents at vaccination centres
so that the herd immunity would be created,” he said.
While replying to a question, the health ministry
official said travel ban could be imposed on countries which had reported South
African and Brazilian virus strains.
“We can also introduce quarantine policy for those
coming from countries having virus strain but decisions would be made after
taking all stakeholders on board,” he added.
Meanwhile, the NCOC data showed 241 ventilators were
occupied across the country, Lahore’s 38pc, Islamabad’s 32pc, Peshawar’s 26pc
and Multan’s 21pc ventilators were in use of Covid patients.
Regarding oxygen beds, the NCOC claimed that all such
beds in Gujrat, 42pc of beds in Peshawar, 35pc in Islamabad and 29pc in Lahore
were in use.
While the number of active cases was 19,764, 2,202 of
them were admitted across the country on Saturday.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612454/alarm-bells-ringing-as-positivity-rate-of-covid-cases-surges
--------
Tribal People Using Twitter To Discuss Service Delivery
Issues: World Bank
Amin Ahmed
March 14, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Strong evidence has been found that people
in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) use Twitter to
communicate about service delivery issues and this phenomenon is increasing,
according to a World Bank research.
Tweets about service delivery have been dominated by
the topics of access to clean water, education, economic development and
healthcare. There is also a significant interest in areas of energy access and
natural resources.
While spikes in the sub-category of water seem to
indicate a water crisis in 2018, it would be noted that the spike which seems
to be most prevalent in 2020 is the issue of food security.
Overall sentiments towards service delivery seem to be
increasing since 2018, potentially due to impact of the merger of Fata with
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and associated development efforts. The lowest sentiment
tweets seem to be about healthcare and economic development, whereas the
highest sentiment tweets seem to be about natural resources and education.
Wheat and sugar very often appeared in tweets with
prices and it can be validated that these tweets relate to hunger and food
security, according to the research paper released on Thursday.
The World Bank policy research working paper used
Twitter data and examined development priorities of citizens in the northwest
region of Pakistan between 2007 and 2020, using natural language processing
techniques and sentiment analysis of 9.5 million tweets generated by 20,000 unique
Twitter users.
The analysis revealed that service delivery priorities
in this context are centered on education, healthcare, food, and clean water.
The findings provide baseline data for future on-the-ground research and
development initiatives.
Early-adopters of Twitter in the erstwhile tribal
areas used this social networking service mainly for interpersonal speech and
in contrast the rise in the use of Twitter has coincided with a different
distribution concerns as the ratio of the people tweeting about service
delivery has increased from less than 10 per cent of users before 2012 to over
40pc of users in 2020.
Evidence has been found that within the erstwhile
tribal areas, there is significant geographical distribution, with fourteen
geographical clusters tweeting about service delivery in a roughly uniform
distribution. Users in big cities, like Peshawar and Abbottabad, tweet about
service delivery significantly less than users in rural areas.
The research found that among Twitter users active in
erstwhile tribal areas in the past two years, service delivery is a widespread
concern, though there is some evidence that the conditions may be improving. On
the other hand, there is some evidence suggesting that it would be beneficial
to further investigate the potentially growing threat of food insecurity in
addition to persistent concerns of access to clean water, education, healthcare
and economic development.
It has been observed that the top 50 words and top 50
bigrams are related to each key word in the tweets. Some frequently
co-occurring words or bigrams present an easy case.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612393/tribal-people-using-twitter-to-discuss-service-delivery-issues-wb
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Efficient and empowered authority urged for CPEC
Staff Reporter
March 14, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Experts at a webinar on Saturday feared
that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) might become a debt trap if
the authorities did not efficiently actualise the targets of the game-changer
initiative.
Institutions, experts and the public at large are
still unclear about the scope and targets of CPEC where the Pakistan government
has committed billions of dollars to pool in on high rates of interest.
They said a fact-based narrative building is very
important while the enemies and unwise friends are spreading rumours for their
own vested interests and to malign the CPEC initiatives. A one-window operation
shall be the backbone of the agricultural and industrial phase of CPEC which
should be handled by the relevant and expert human resource.
Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan)
organised the webinar. The panel of experts included Adviser to President
National Defence University (NDU) and former ambassador retired Gen Raza
Mohammad, who is a PhD on CPEC, former project director CPEC with the Planning
Commission of Pakistan and presently CEO KP Board of Investment Hasan Daud
Butt, NASCOM Director and former executive director CPEC Centre of Excellence,
Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Dr Shahid Rasheed, Director
CPEC Study Centre SDPI Shakeel Ramay, development experts Dr Zahoor Bazai
(Quetta) and Dr Khushboo Ejaz (Lahore), and executive director Devcom-Pakistan
Munir Ahmed.
“We need to make the CPEC projects more transparent
and efficient if inspired to achieve the targets and harness the economic
benefits. A rational narrative is imperative to wipe off the ambiguity and
rumours by engaging parliamentarians and media counter-offensive campaigns,” he
said.
“The federal government need to revive the monthly
meetings of the CPEC stakeholders and the periodic meetings of the seven joint
working groups to improve efficiency. CPEC is indeed a game-changer but it
could be a debt trap if not taken seriously and worked hard to achieve the
targets of the project on time. The CPEC authority shall have more powers and
authority to combat the challenges and bottlenecks,” he said.
Dr Shahid Rasheed said CPEC improved Pakistan’s GDP to
5.7 per cent in 2018 from 3.3pc in 2013, and also improved the security
situation.
“Covid-19 and political instability has marred the
performance of CPEC in recent years. But a reborn of CPEC would bring much
better benefits to the nation. Parliamentarians of both sides shall work in
harmony for an inclusive CPEC authority that is much needed in its new phase to
invigorate agriculture and industrialisation around CPEC,” he said.
Shakeel Ramay said Pakistan needed to understand that
it is one of the 139 countries that have signed the Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI) and in case of sluggishness the investors would go to other parts of the
BRI.
“Speed of work matters in the international
development projects but we are lagging behind the schedule of development
because of very casual behaviour. Unfortunately, the government could not
project the economic benefits of CPEC. Rumours are in the air without any
check. We need to have an empowered CPEC authority,” he said.
Munir Ahmed said only the strategic partners could
understand the importance of the CPEC initiatives while politicians have no
idea about the strategic and socioeconomic culmination of the project.
“Many have been projecting it as a debt trap. Every
investment and loan has the capacity to become debt if not used efficiently. We
need to develop the CPEC narrative according to its objectives and targets
beyond the political scoring and vested interests of the individuals and the
interests groups,” he said.
Dr Zahoor Bazai stressed the need to prioritise the
engagement of locals in the projects and also ensure environmental integrity
through adequate Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612354/efficient-and-empowered-authority-urged-for-cpec
-------
Micro-smart lockdown imposed in four localities of
Rawalpindi
Munawer Azeem
March 14, 2021
RAWALPINDI: While the upward trend in Covid-19 cases
continued in Islamabad with 402 more infections, the Punjab government imposed
a micro-smart lockdown in four localities of Rawalpindi and issued new standard
operating procedures (SOPs) for bazaars and public places.
Deputy Commissioner retired Capt Anwarul Haq said the
home department had issued a notification under which the four localities were
sealed for two weeks.
“The government has issued new SOPs for public places,
bazaars and other activities which will be implemented from Monday (tomorrow),”
he said.
According to the notification, which will remain in
force until March 29, all business centres will be closed by 6pm while no
business will be allowed on Saturdays and Sundays.
It said medical services, pharmacies, collection
points and laboratories will remain open round the clock and seven days a week.
Similarly, grocery and general stores, flour chakkis, fruit and vegetable
shops, tandoors and petrol pumps will also remain unaffected.
The new schedule will not apply to tyre puncture
shops, filling plants, workshops, spare-part shops and shops selling
agricultural equipment and machinery.
According to the notification, only 50 per cent staff
will work each day at both government and private offices while indoor and
outdoor marriage halls and community centres will remain closed from March 15.
Similarly, indoor dining will be strictly be
prohibited at cafes and restaurants; only takeaways will be allowed. It said
only 50 persons will be allowed at social and religious gatherings while
shrines and cinema halls will remain completely shut. There will be no entry to
parks and other recreational places after 6pm.
The deputy commissioner said traders and business
community had been taken on board. “We will not force traders to close shops on
March 14 (today) but [next Sunday and Saturday] will be off for them.”
“We will follow the timings issued for Islamabad by
the federal government as the timings issued by the Punjab government would
hamper business activities in the garrison city,” Rawalpindi Traders
Association President Sharjeel Mir told Dawn.
He said markets and bazaars in Islamabad would remain
open till late at night but “in Rawalpindi we are being asked to close all
shops by 6pm. It is not acceptable for us,” he said.
Four patients died in the district and 75 people tested
positive on Saturday. However, 228 patients were discharged from hospitals
after their recovery in the last 24 hours.
Nuzhat Almas, 72, a resident of Gulraiz Housing
Scheme, was brought to Rawalpindi Institute of Urology (RIU) on March 12 where
she died.
Attaullah, 76, a resident of Bangash Colony, was
brought to Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Centre on March 10 where
he died.
As many as 45 people tested positive in city and
cantonment areas including five from cantonment, 27 from Potohar Town and 13
from Rawal Town.
Four patients each also arrived from Gujar Khan and
Kahuta, three from Kallar Syedan and five from Taxila. Moreover, 10 patients
arrived from Islamabad and one patient each from Attock, AJK and Gujranwala.
In Rawalpindi district, there are 572 active patients
and 102 of them are in hospitals. Besides, 446 patients are waiting for the
results of their Covid-19 serology.
Of the new patients, 14 patients are admitted in Holy
Family Hospital, 11 in Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH), 44 in Rawalpindi
Institute of Urology (RIU), 28 in Fauji Foundation Hospital (FFH), three in Red
crescent Corona Care Centre and one in Attock Hospital Rawalpindi.
Two women also died in the capital and the deceased
were in the age group of 60-69 and 70-79. They were residents of G-7 and F-8.
Officials of the capital administration said as the
number of cases continued gradually the administration and the District Health
Office closely watched the trend. Some of the areas are emerging as hotspots,
they added.
Only Loi Bher has more than 300 active cases while
eight to nine areas have over 100 active cases. When asked about the hotspots
and any plan to seal them, District Health Officer Dr Zaeem Zia told Dawn that
they had not recommended it yet.
Weekly positivity rate in Islamabad jumped to 5.1 per
cent from 4.1pc previous week, he said, adding his office was tracing the
contacts vigilantly.
A notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad
Hamza Shafqaat said as per the advice by health experts to limit the spread of
cases it was essential for the public to wear masks while visiting public
places.
The district administration on Saturday locked down
different areas. A notification issued by the district administration said the
lockdown proposed by the primary and secondary healthcare department had been
enforced following reports of a surge in the number of new Covid-19 cases.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Ali Annan Qammar
said the Punjab government had started taking strict measures as the UK-variant
of the coronavirus continued to spread in the province. He said bazaars and
markets would close at 6pm while business centres remain closed on weekends.
Moreover, seven people tested positive across the district
during the last 24 hours raising the tally to 1347.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612366/micro-smart-lockdown-imposed-in-four-localities-of-rawalpindi
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PTI will now forward its reform agenda: Shibli
Kalbe Ali
March 14, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Exulting at the victory of the
government-backed candidates in the election for the Senate chairman and deputy
chairman, Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz has said that the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government is now in a position to forward its reform
agenda for the benefit of the nation.
Addressing a press briefing here on Saturday, the
minister said that opposition parties had obstructed the government’s
legislation in the upper house of parliament over the last two-and-a-half
years.
Mr Faraz refused to directly answer the question as to
how the government would be able to get a bill passed if the opposition, which
enjoys majority in the Senate, decided to oppose that piece of legislation.
“The government’s victory in the elections for Senate
chairman and deputy chairman was the defeat of a system which has been harming
the country for the last 30 years as well as those who doubted our intentions,”
he said, adding that during that dark period the people of country did not
prosper whereas the assets of the rulers increased manifold.
Mr Faraz asserted that since the country could not
afford to regress now, it is necessary that everybody lent support to the prime
minister to materialise his vision for the progress of the country. “Now it is
the time to look ahead and bury the past,” he added.
After acknowledging that high inflation was one of the
key challenges faced by the country, he announced that the prices of essential
items would come down in near future — “you will see it soon”.
The minister highlighted the future plans of the
government, saying, “We are now focused on all reforms, judicial reforms,
electoral reforms, economic reforms — our challenges are improved service
delivery, revival of economy and improving governance”.
He said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was a
dead horse and buried. Its leaders should apologise to nation over their past
deeds and cooperate with the government to carry forward the reforms agenda, he
added.
He claimed that the Senate elections were held in a
free and transparent manner. The defeat of the opposition candidates was the
results of internal differences in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N),
Pakistan Peoples Party and other parties in the Pakistan Democratic Alliance
(PDM), he added. “The PML-N backstabbed the PPP and they did the same with the
Maulana — JUI-F,” he said adding, “This has been their tradition and part of
their political culture throughout the history.”
He referred to the clause of open elections in the
Charter of Democracy signed by the PML-N and PPP and said that the same was
supported by “Imran Khan when he said that such a reform was beneficial for all
of us”.
In response to a query about his earlier statement
that the PTI will respond to the opposition in the same coin in the elections
of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman, Mr Faraz said, “Our politics is
based on ethics — but ethics do not mean that we allow them to slap us on the
face, but the only difference this time was that we were prepared for their
negative politics.”
Regarding the PDM plans for a long march, he said that
it was their constitutional right and they might go ahead with it. But, he
believed, the opposition’s long march would not get any support from the
masses.
About the opposition’s accusations that “spy cameras”
were installed inside the Senate polling booths, Mr Faraz said that the
opposition staged a “drama”. The opposition was the “mastermind behind this
wicked conspiracy”, he added.
This was the first news conference which Mr Faraz did
at the official Press Information Department (PID) after taking fresh oath as a
senator on Friday.
Some legal experts believe that Mr Faraz is required
to take a fresh oath as the federal minister as well since he is no more the
minister after his retirement as the senator after the March 12 midnight.
A highly-placed source in the Ministry of Law and
Justice also said that since Mr Faraz was enjoying his position in the cabinet
by virtue of being a senator, therefore, when he ceased to be a senator for
nearly 12 hours, there was a need for issuance of a fresh notification about
his appointment as the federal minister.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612463/pti-will-now-forward-its-reform-agenda-shibli
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Mideast
Israeli forces attack Palestinian worshipers at
al-Aqsa Mosque
Source : PressTV
March 13, 2021
Israeli forces have attacked Palestinian worshipers at
the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem al-Quds,
detaining five people.
According to Palestinian sources, the Israeli forces
attacked the Muslim worshipers and fired stun grenades at them after Friday
prayers, forcing the Palestinians to leave the al-Aqsa Mosque through al-Asbat
Gate.
The Israeli troops had also prevented 321 people from
the West Bank from performing the Friday prayers at al-Aqsa, arresting four of
them.
Separately, Israeli forces continued to suppress
anti-settlement weekly protests across the occupied West Bank on Friday.
In the village of Beit Dajan, Israeli forces opened
live fire on anti-settlement protesters, leaving three people injured. Two
others were hit with rubber bullets fired by the Israeli troops, who also used
tear gas against the demonstrators, leaving tens of them suffering breathing
difficulties.
A settlement outpost has recently been established in
the village.
Clashes also erupted between Palestinian protesters
and Israeli forces in Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya City.
Dozens of people suffered breathing difficulties due
to inhaling tear gas during the clashes, which also saw Israeli forces using
sound bombs and rubber bullets against the protesters.
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230
settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian
territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Emboldened by the anti-Palestine policies of former US
president Donald Trump, Israel stepped up its settlement expansion in defiance
of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which pronounces
settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds “a flagrant violation
under international law.”
All Israeli settlements are illegal under
international law as they are built on occupied land.
https://en.abna24.com/news//israeli-forces-attack-palestinian-worshipers-at-al-aqsa-mosque_1122717.html
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Iran Validates Presidential Candidacies Of Military
Staff
Source :IANS
Mar 14th, 2021
Tehran, March 14 (IANS) Iran's Constitutional Council
has validated the registration of military staff as candidates for the
country's presidency.
"It happened before. Military personnel applied
for candidacy in previous terms and there is no legal ban," the spokesman
for the council Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei said in a press conference here on
Saturdday.
He clarified that in Iran, military staff are banned
to "interfere" in elections or voice support for candidates other
than themselves, reports Xinhua news agency.
The next Iranian presidential election is scheduled
for June 18, and the Constitutional Council is in charge of vetting
candidacies.
Hossein Dehghan and Saeed Mohammad, members of Iran's
Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, have declared their intention to run for
presidency.
https://www.sify.com/news/iran-validates-presidential-candidacies-of-military-staff-news-international-vdofOjcgajedf.html
----
Hazrat Abu Talib Sacrificed Everything To Defend Holy
Prophet (P.B.U.H): Grand Ayatollah
March 14, 2021
The opening ceremony of the International Conference
of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.), the Supporter of the Prophet (p.b.u.h), started,
Tuesday morning, March 9, 2021, in the Quds Hall of Imam Khomeini Complex in
Qom.
“At the time of the birth of the Prophet (p.b.u.h)
great events took place because he was carrying a message from God that had to
be conveyed to everyone,” stated Grand Ayatollah “Mohammad Taqi Modarressi”,
one of the Shiite sources of emulation, in the conference, referring to the
birth of the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h).
“When this great message came from the cave of Hira,
the demons of humans and jinn gathered to confront it, and there it was the
turn of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) to defend the Prophet (p.b.u.h) in a society
ruled by a tribal system,” he continued.
“Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) was the senior of Bani Hashim
and Bani Hashim was considered the pearl of the Arabian Peninsula, including
the Quraysh. Within a tribal system, one group from one tribe would not attack
another because it would damage its credibility,” added the Iraqi Shiites’
source of emulation.
“He sacrificed everything to defend the Holy Prophet
(p.b.u.h). At night, he changed the bed of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) with his
children so that the he would not be in danger. Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.)
sacrificed his property and finally his life in this way,” Ayatollah Modarressi
clarified, considering Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) as the supporter of the Prophet
(p.b.u.h).
“The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h) called the year of death
of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) and Hazrat Khadijeh (p.b.u.h) as the Aam al-Huzn
(Year of Sorrow). Muslims have not yet understood the position of Abu Talib
(a.s.). He was the one who presented a person like Imam Ali (a.s.) to the world,”
he continued.
“Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) taught his son to sacrifice
his life for the Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h). Imam Ali (a.s.) also taught this issue
to his son Hazrat Abbas (a.s.),” added the Iraqi Shiites’ source of emulation.
“We understand the importance of the tribal position
of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) when we see what happened to the Holy Prophet
(p.b.u.h) after the death of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.). He was eventually forced
to emigrate from Mecca,” stated Grand Ayatollah Modarressi, saying that Muslims
are indebted to Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.).
“The prominent role of Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.) is a
model for us and different generations. The fact that the Muslim youth defended
the sanctities in Iraq and Syria is a value that they learned from their
fathers,” he continued.
“When we honor Hazrat Abu Talib (a.s.), we appreciate
the outstanding values during different historical periods,” added the Iraqi
Shiites’ source of emulation.
“Martyrs Qassem Soleimani, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, and
their companions defended the integrity and sanctity of Islam and have a high
position. We must teach our children to support religion and religious leaders
and to support those who represent religion and propagate it. Hazrat Umm
Al-Banin (a.s.) also raised his son to defend the Hujja of God,” he added.
“Today, it is the duty of everyone, including
religious scholars, to strive to educate generations. In that case, the enemies
will not dare to target our dignity,” he said in the end.
https://en.abna24.com/news//hazrat-abu-talib-sacrificed-everything-to-defend-holy-prophet-p-b-u-h-ayatollah-modarressi_1123094.html
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IDF chief Kochavi to lobby European leaders against
Iran deal, Hezbollah
By UDI SHAHAM
MARCH 14, 2021
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi will join
President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday on his diplomatic trip to France, Germany,
and Austria.
Rivlin and Kochavi are expected to meet French
President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Austrian
President Alexander Van der Bellen, and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.
In addition, Kochavi is expected to meet also with the
German Bundeswehr’s Inspector-General Eberhard Zorn and the Austrian Chief of
the General Staff Robert Brieger.
IDF senior sources said that Kochavi intends to
discuss with the European leaders security-related issues with an emphasis on
Iran and Lebanon.
They said that he will present, among other things,
the failures of the current Iran deal; the challenges that Iran poses to the
region — from Syria to Yemen; and
Lebanon’s and Hezbollah’s disregarding of UN 1701 decision, as well as the
implications and threats that their precise missiles pose on the region.
The sources added that Kochavi will also bring up the
issue of the IDF captive soldiers, and the recent ICC decision to open an
investigation into Israel’s actions in the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem.
According to sources, the chief of staff will tell the
leaders that the decision has severe implications on the ability of democracies
to operate on battlefields against terrorist militias that choose to hide
behind civilians.
Kochavi was one of the first Israeli officials - after
Joe Biden took up the presidency in January - to come out openly against a
return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal or the possibility of America entering
into a new deal that appear to be only "slightly improved."
If Iran’s progress in developing advanced centrifuges
and enriching uranium are not stopped, it could eventually be “only weeks” away
from a nuclear bomb, he said at the Institute for National Security Studies
(INSS) annual conference.
The Iran deal would still allow the Islamic Republic
to break out to a nuclear weapon in 2030 when the agreement expires, Kochavi
said.
The US and others must maintain all sanctions and
pressure because Tehran is at its weakest and closest to making real
concessions, he said.
Kochavi said he had ordered operational plans to
strike Iran’s nuclear program to be ready if necessary, but whether to use
those plans and under what circumstances was a decision for the political
echelon.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/kochavi-to-discuss-icc-probe-hezbollah-with-european-leaders-661910
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Iran: State-owned Ship Hit By Minor Explosion, Tehran
Terms It 'act Of Terrorism'
By Riya Baibhawi
13th March, 2021
An Iranian cargo vessel suffered minor damage after
being hit by a low-scale explosion in the Mediterranean sea. The ship named
Shahr-e Kord was on its way to Europe when it hit an unidentified explosive
device, which eventually damaged the ship’s hull and triggered a small fire.
The ship last reported its position on March 10 while moving towards the Syrian
port of Latakia, as per Refinitiv ship tracking data.
Meanwhile, speaking to state-owned media, spokesman
for the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines Group (IRISL) Ali Ghiasian
threatened legal action against what he termed as an act of terrorism and
piracy. “Such acts of terrorism and instances of piracy are contrary to
international regulations, Ghiasian said adding that “legal prosecution of the
perpetrators of this terrorist action will be pursued through competent
international organizations.”
As per the state TV report, the explosion did not lead
to any fatalities. The incident comes less than two weeks after Israel accused
arch-enemy Iran of executing an attack on an Israeli-owned cargo ship in the
Gulf of Oman, a charge denied by Tehran.
Speaking to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said
that “it was indeed an act by Iran, that's clear.” “Iran is the greatest enemy
of Israel, I am determined to halt it. We are hitting it in the entire region,”
Netanyahu said. In the latest development, Iranian Gen. Esmail Ghaani, chief of
the Quds Force, the foreign wing of the Revolutionary Guard has warned that
Tehran “will destroy the wall,” referring to Israel’s West Bank separation
barrier.
Both Iran and Israel have been involved in a proxy war
for decades- with the issue of Palestine being at the heart of the conflict.
Tensions further fuelled last year after, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
accused Israel of killing Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top nuclear scientist long
suspected by the West of masterminding a secret nuclear bomb program. Calling
it a “terrorist and desperate” act, the Shiite leader asserted that once again,
the “evil hands of global arrogance” have been strained with the blood of the
“mercenary usurper Zionist regime”. Furthermore, he said that Fakhrizadeh’s
“martyrdom” reminded the depth of “enemies' malice and grudge”.
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/rest-of-the-world-news/iran-state-owned-ship-hit-by-minor-explosion-tehran-terms-it-act-of-terrorism.html
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Southeast Asia
Islamic finance starts at home, not at the bank, says
university head and financial management coach Dr. Murniati Mukhlisin
BY YOSI WINOSA
11 MAR 2021
JAKARTA - Indonesia is home to the world’s biggest
Muslim population but Islamic finance comprises only around 10% of financial
assets. The government wants Islamic banks, as a sub-sector, to reach at least
15% of total banking assets by 2023 (it was 6.47% last year) and it has a
national masterplan to drive growth.
Considering the low uptake of Islamic finance, one
woman believes Muslims need a different approach. Dr. Murniati Mukhlisin has
been on a mission to teach finance the Islamic way through families, not banks.
“I feel that 90% of Indonesians, whether on campus, in
the industry or at the grassroots or family level, don’t really embrace Shariah
as their lifestyle,” the Rector of Islamic university Institut Tazkia told
Salaam Gateway.
Dr. Murniati became Rector of the university in 2017.
She started her career at Uni Bank in Jakarta and also worked at Ernst &
Young in Kuala Lumpur. She moved into academia in 2002 when she was a lecturer
in Islamic accounting and finance and later became an affiliate staff at the
University of Glasgow after completing her PhD in 2014. Before joining Tazkia
she was at the Essex Business School at the University of Essex.
What the educator considers to be an issue is that
young people are driven to view Islamic finance as a career goal, and that
degrees are only a pathway to a good job.
“For me, a good job is an additional goal; the main
goal is practising Shariah as a lifestyle. In this context, Islamic financial
planning or management is a daily need.”
She has the privilege of practising what she preaches
at the university where the finance curriculum blends in Quran and Islamic
scholarship. At the same time, away from Tazkia, Dr. Murniati runs a company
that coaches individuals and families on Islamic financial management. In the
last eight years alone, Sakinah Finance has trained 23,173 participants from 28
countries. The company, which she opened with her husband Dr. Luqman Tamanni in
2008, started with a blog that grew into a bestselling book.
In many ways, Dr. Murniati was compelled to start
Sakinah Finance not only because of what she wanted to change at the industry
level but more so due to her own personal struggles.
“At the industry level, from my personal experience
when I started work at Uni Bank in 1991—where our office was next to Bank
Muamalat (Indonesia’s first Islamic bank)—I saw at the time that Bank Muamalat
only introduced Islamic banking products without training their human capital
first.
At the family level, she sees people from high school
to higher education to the workplace with poor understanding of the concept of
Islamic financial management.
“For instance on zakat, they only know zakat, infaq
and sadaqah when they put their money in the charity box. But beyond that—who
are the beneficiaries, how do we manage zakat, how can we advance beneficiaries
to make a better living using the funds—they have no clue.
All these observations form layers over the initial
core driver of her motivation that goes back three decades—the woman who now
leads an Islamic university was not always a Muslim. She was born into a
Christian family in South Sumatra and given the name Mu Kim Ni. Her parents
were well-off business people who taught her the value of work.
“I learned to become a cashier at my parents’ shop,
calculating using an abacus. I made my own ice-cream and sold them in front of
the shop, and many other things.”
“As new Muslims, we should maintain a relationship not
only with Allah but also with our family. We can’t just break relationships
just because we are of different religions.
“My mom, my younger sister and my aunt are Christians
but I always try to be close to them. I sent them gifts, food or money at
different occasions and alhamdulillah they slowly accepted my new religion.
She did more than manage. After three years at the
conventional Uni Bank she received a scholarship to study at the International
Islamic University Malaysia, where she earned her undergraduate degree.
“My intention was to become as good as possible and I
was very jealous seeing many clever people. I kept building my knowledge and
networking. Later, I saw how it was useful for my life when I took on several
positions in industry or on campus – people trust me.”
Dr. Murniati’s other professional contributions make
for a long list. She is head of Islamic accounting at the Indonesia Institute
of Accountants, a consultant for the central bank (BI), the financial services
authority (OJK), and the National Sharia Economy and Finance Committee (KNEKS),
expert member of the Indonesian Association of Islamic economics (IAEI), a
board member of the Indonesian Economist Association (ISEF), and advisor to the
Association of Islamic Fintech Indonesia (AFSI).
Through her personal and professional journey she has
maintained her line of truth: “The main message that I want to tell people is
that a Muslim wife and husband, or a family, can start to implement financial
planning that focuses on Islamic values.”
“There is a wife and husband of around 80-years-old
attending our eight-hour class a day. Participants from Japan are also curious
about preparation for marriage and Islamic financial planning for after
marriage life, and there is also enthusiasm from a young wife in the UK.”
Sakinah Finance is also preparing to train more than
1,000 participants, from state-owned companies, in planning for their pensions.
As the economy struggles to recover and continues to
inflict joblessness and lower incomes for a lot of Indonesians, Dr. Murniati
advises that instead of rushing to find other sources of income or starting a
new business, people should stop to first take a moment to self-reflect.
“Is our income all halal? What if some of our income
came from sources that weren’t Shariah-compliant? Have we done zakat, infaq and
sadaqah? After considering all these, then we can try to find a new solution.
This is the basic knowledge in Islam.
https://www.salaamgateway.com/story/islamic-finance-starts-at-home-not-at-the-bank-says-university-head-and-financial-management-coach-d
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DAP lawmaker says IGP and Ismail Sabri should be
charged first under new ‘fake news’ law
By Soo Wern Jun
13 Mar 2021
KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 — DAP’s Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham
today said that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador and
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob should be the first persons to
be arrested and charged under the newly gazetted Emergency (Essential Powers)
(No.2) Ordinance 2021 which came into effect yesterday for spreading fake news
concerning Covid-19 and the emergency.
Ngeh said Abdul Hamid and Ismail should consult the
Attorney-General’s Chambers to ascertain if they have “erred in law” via
several statements they made regarding the movement control order‘s (MCO)
enforcement powers.
“The IGP and defence minister should be the first
persons to be arrested and charged for disseminating fake news with regards to
Covid-19 and the Emergency.
“Unless they are arrested and charged, the Emergency
(Essential Powers) (No.2) Ordinance 2021 should be withdrawn immediately,” Ngeh
said.
Citing two examples, Ngeh claimed that Abdul Hamid and
Ismail had allegedly spread fake news by announcing that police can arrest
and/or issue an offer to compound breaches under Act 342 (Prevention and
Controls of Infectious Diseases Act 1988).
“After Act 342 was amended by the Emergency Ordinance
2021, the Health director-general and his authorised officers, after receiving
written consent from the Public Prosecutor, may issue an offer to compound for
offences under Act 342.
“The police do not have such power based on the
ejusdem generics (same kind) rule of interpretation as to who is authorised to
issue an offer to compound under Act 342,” he said.
Ngeh added that even if the interpretation allowed the
police as authorised officers, they have to get written consent from the Publis
Prosecutor before they can issue an offer to compound.
“I believe they did not (get written consent) when
they issued offers to compound RM10,000 to all alleged offenders yesterday,” he
said.
Citing another example Ngeh referred to the IGP’s
statement on February 27, where the latter had said that the compound of
RM10,000 will only be effective starting March 11 and will only be imposed on
individuals who breached the MCO SOP’s repeatedly as well as those who can
trigger the spread of Covid-19.
“On March 11, the IGP confirmed what he said on
February 27 was fake news when he said the offer to compound issued by the
police has to be RM10,000.00 in all cases.
“If the power to determine the final fine to be
imposed rests with the health ministry, clearly the power to compound rests
with the ministry,” he said.
“While I do not support that the IGP and defence
minister be arrested and charged under the new Ordinance which has come into
effect yesterday (March 12), but since it is the law of the land, it has to be
executed.
“Since the IGP and defence minister has yet to retract
their fake news, they have committed offences under the new Ordinance,” he
said.
Under the new Ordinance which came into effect
yesterday, individuals who create or publish fake news on Covid-19 or the
Emergency proclamation could now face a fine of up to RM100,000 and
imprisonment.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/13/dap-lawmaker-says-igp-and-ismail-sabri-should-be-charged-first-under-new-fa/1957516
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Kit Siang: AG must answer if individuals who question
PM’s Emergency declaration are prosecuted
BY R. LOHESWAR
13 Mar 2021
KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang
today urged the Attorney-General to provide clarity on the move to prosecute
any individuals who claim that the Emergency Ordinance called by Prime Minister
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was done to save his skin, says DAP’s Lim Kit Siang.
He questioned the law and its execution and asked why
it was not gazetted by the Cabinet.
Lim said a period of time should have been given for
public feedback before enacting the law.
The MP for Iskandar Puteri was commenting on de facto
Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan’s remarks yesterday that it was a
criminal offence under the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021
for anyone to allege that Muhyiddin had called for the Emergency because he
lost the majority in Parliament and that they can be fined RM100,000, jailed for
up to three years or both.
He asserted that Takiyuddin is not part of the
judiciary and questioned the legitimacy of his claim.
“Is this the law of the land? Although the issue has
to be decided by the Courts and not by the de facto Law Minister,” Lim said in
a statement today.
“In any event, in view of the statement by the de
facto Law Minister, the Attorney-General Tan Sri Idris Harun should make his
position clear, whether he would prosecute any person under the Emergency
Ordinance for alleging that the proclamation of emergency was made because
Muhyiddin had lost his majority in Parliament.
“I had asked yesterday, among other things, whether and when the Emergency (Essential
Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021 was presented to the Cabinet for approval and why
the Cabinet did not suggest that before the Ordinance was gazetted, that there
should be a period of public feedback from interested organisations and
individuals?
“Answers to these questions are awaited.”
The newly-gazetted Emergency (Essential Powers) (No.
2) Ordinance 2021 criminalises the creation and publishing of fake news.
According to the new Ordinance that takes effect
today, individuals found guilty of creating or publishing fake news on Covid-19
or the Emergency proclamation could now face a fine of up to RM100,000 and
imprisonment.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/13/kit-siang-ag-must-answer-if-individuals-who-question-pms-emergency-declarat/1957517
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South Asia
While Ankara, Moscow Draws Up For Afghan Peace
Summits, US Officials Signal Extreme Risks
By Khaama Press
13 Mar 2021
United Nations in a released statement announced that
the organization is ready to assist the mediation of the Afghan peace process.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN
Secretary-General stated on a Friday briefing said that the UN is ready to
assist the Afghan people to a peace “agreeable” to all parties.
Dujarric stated that the secretary-general and others
have been in constant contact with Americans, Russians, Turks and Qataris, and
other parties involved in the Afghan peace process.
“There is a positive momentum from the international
community in terms of coordination and moving forward on helping the afghan
parties find peace for the sake of the people of Afghanistan,” Dujarric added.
He said that the UN is continuing its discussions and
that it will do whatever to facilitate the peace process per the requests
within the structured framework.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone
conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday to discuss
Afghanistan.
US State Department stated, that both officials spoke:
“on Afghanistan, Secretary Blinken thanked Secretary-General Guterres for his
commitment to helping advance talks on a just and durable political settlement and
permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,”.
On the other hand, Afghan National Security Adviser
Hamdullah Mohib on Saturday announced that the Afghan government will
participate in the UN-led conference in Turkey requested by the US and the
Moscow conference on the Afghan peace process.
Afghan politicians are expected to join the event in
Moscow on 18 March and the Turkey is said to host the UN-led summit on April of
2021.
Turkey conference was proposed by Secretary of State,
Antony Blinken to President Ashraf Ghani and Head of High Council for National
Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah.
Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Minister of Turkey hinted on
Friday that Istanbul has planned to host the Afghan peace summit in April.
He said “we were one of the few countries invited to
this signing ceremony, and we are one of the most important actors in
Afghanistan,” Anadolu Agency quoted Cavusoglu.
Earlier, the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan also
sent out a letter to Afghan leaders, politicians, and Taliban representatives
to join the Moscow peace meeting.
A peace framework that Russia planned for Afghanistan
will be discussed in the meeting, however, Maria Zakharova, Spokeswoman to the
Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that “the formation of an interim inclusive
administration would be a logical solution to the problem of integrating the
Taliban into the peaceful political life of Afghanistan”.
The decisions on the table should be made by Afghans
themselves and the issues should be resolved during negotiations on national
reconciliation, Zakharova told reporters.
Fraidoon Khwazoon told the media that in the Moscow
meeting President Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah as well as foreign envoys are
expected to participate on 18 of March.
This comes as Washing Post reported that high-ranked
Pentagon officials warned of dangerous consequences if the US pulls its troops
out of Afghanistan by May 1st, a deadline agreed upon on the US-Taliban peace
deal on February 2020 in Doha, Qatar.
According to Washing Post, officials at the US
department of state also believe that early US troop’s withdrawal from
Afghanistan may lead to a civil war, possible attack on US allies and allies,
and most of all the hasty withdrawal will put human rights condition at extreme
risk.
This swift pullout will also create significant
security and logistical issues, as US troops and contractors will be evacuated
by aircraft, this would require the destruction of sensitive equipment worth
millions of dollars and could be followed by a diplomatic drawdown in Kabul,
Washington Post reported.
An official at the White House reiterated that the
Taliban still haven’t fulfilled their commitments to sever ties with Al-Qaeda,
according to Washington Post.
U.S President has sought to put an end to the Afghan
war and bring US troops back home, but US officials have constantly said that
the U.S would mull over troop’s withdrawal and the country is still considering
its final decision about the pullout.
https://www.khaama.com/while-ankara-moscow-draws-up-for-peace-summits-us-officials-signal-extreme-risks-5435222/
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ANA, AAF operations claim 28 Taliban in Kandahar
By Khaama Press
13 Mar 2021
The Ministry of Defense said Saturday that 28 Taliban
insurgents were killed in attacks conducted by security forces and the Afghan
Air Force in Kandahar province.
MoD stated that Afghan national defense and security
forces backed by air support launched a clearance operation in Arghandab and
Zherai districts of Kandahar province.
The operation led to the death of 28 Taliban
militants, seven of the group’s members are also injured during the skirmish,
MoD reported.
During the operation 13 motorbikes, 13 bags of
explosives, and 50 Taliban positions were targeted and destroyed by the ANA,
according to the Ministry of defense.
The statement indicated that a large number of weapons
and ammunition were also destroyed.
MoD added that 11 mines planted by the Taliban were
also discovered and the bombs were later neutralized and many were saved from
harm.
Meanwhile, six security force members are reported
killed in a Taliban attack on an outpost in the Khanabad district of Kunduz
province.
Local sources told the media that the incident
happened on Friday night, and five Taliban insurgents were also killed in the
attack.
Reports indicate that the outpost fell to the Taliban
militants and five Afghan security force members were also captured by the
insurgent group.
Both the government officials and the Taliban have not
yet commented on the clash.
Media outlets in the country reported that within 48
hours 30 civilians were either killed or wounded in security incidents in
Maidan Wardak, Balkh, Herat, Kandahar, Ghor, Badghis, Kabul, Paktia, and
Nangarhar.
https://www.khaama.com/ana-aaf-operations-claim-28-taliban-in-kandahar-654333/
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India
Ayodhya: Construction of Mosque, Hospital by Sunni
Waqf Board to Begin in May
MARCH 13, 2021
NEWS18.COM
The construction of a mosque, hospital, museum, and
cultural centre by the Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni Waqf Board in Dhanipur
village of Sohawal tehsil of Ayodhya is expected to commence in the month of
May.
As per sources, these structures will be built on the
five acres of land which was allotted to the Sunni Waqf Board by the Supreme
Court following its landmark judgment on the Ayodhya temple dispute.
The board has formed a trust for this construction —
Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation. Foundation spokesperson Athar Hussain said
the construction of the hospital is expected to start by May.
He said that the trust held a meeting in Delhi on
Friday with senior architect SM Akhtar who designed the construction work.
Decisions were taken to make some changes in the construction work that
included the widening of the road which is set to be built around the five-acre
campus.
First Extension of Ram Janmabhoomi Premises; Trust
Purchases 7,285-sq.ft Land for Rs 1 Cr
The green area and parking lot of the entire campus
will be specially lined. The map of the proposed construction will be submitted
to the Ayodhya administration next week. The members of the foundation are
hopeful that after getting the approval in April, the construction can begin in
May.
https://www.news18.com/news/india/ayodhya-construction-of-mosque-hospital-by-sunni-waqf-board-to-begin-in-may-3529982.html
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