Darul Uloom Deoband – The Ideological Fountainhead Of The Islamist Proselytising Movement, Tablighi Jamaat, Sniffs ‘Western Plot’ Behind Saudi Arabia’s Ban
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 December 2021
Darul Uloom Deoband Islamic
Seminary in Uttar Pradesh | PTI
----
• Taliban
Spokesperson Of The Taliban Zabiullah Mujahid Asks China To Help Them Get
Recognized
• Naftali Bennett First Israeli PM To Visit UAE
• CAIR Defends, Zahra Billoo, Who Blamed Jews For
Islamophobia
• UK Imposes Bans On Iranian Reporter, TV Producer
Despite Claims To Advocating Free Speech
India
• India won direct war against Pak, will win ‘indirect’
war too: Rajnath Singh
• JeM recruit killed in J&K gunfight with forces
• Kin of lone Afghan Muslim killed in Kabul Gurdwara
attack reach Delhi: ‘Want better life’
• Gurgaon Muslim Council members to meet deputy
commissioner on Monday
--------
South
Asia
• Women Rights Fully Realized In Islamic Government; Taliban
Leadership Issued A Very Comprehensive Decree On Women’s Rights
• Taliban Thanks Delhi For Aid Stating That Ties
Between The Two Countries Is "Very Vital"
• 20-year-old boy shot dead by Taliban in
Afghanistan's capital Kabul
• Third batch, Afghanistan International Bank receives
$19.2 million in cash
• Taliban welcomes US decision over allowing money
transfer to Afghanistan
--------
Arab
World
• Saudi Film Festival Cancels Screening Of ‘Amira’
Amid Palestinian Anger
• Saudi Arabia approves 2022 budget, first without
deficit in nearly a decade
• GCC summit will discuss several issues, especially
regional security: Saudi FM
• 4 Hamas members shot dead at Palestinian refugee
camp in Lebanon
• Bahrain condemns Beirut hosting press conference for
‘hostile personnel’
• Authorities seize captagon shipments in Lebanon,
Syria destined for Saudi Arabia
• Abu Dhabi's Mubadala says investing in crypto
ecosystem: Report
• In first, UAE team to participate in Israeli-hosted
football tournament
--------
North
America
• US bill drops negative references to Pakistan
• US military claims end of Iraq combat role but keeps
2500 troops
• US says held 'productive' talks with Europeans on
Iran nuclear deal
• US House panel approves bill to ban Iran’s military
drones amid Vienna talks
--------
Europe
• France's Zemmour Calls For Defence Of Armenia, A
‘Christian’ Nation In ‘Islamic Ocean’
• Turkey stresses support for sovereignty, territorial
integrity of Bosnia
• Bosnia's dissolution inevitable if issues cannot be
solved: Serb leader
--------
Pakistan
• Trial In Killing Of Priyantha Kumara, A Lankan Man
To Be Conducted On Daily Basis
• In First Attack Since End Of Truce, TTP Fighters
Kill Cop On Polio Duty
• Simultaneous scrutiny of parties’ funding sought
• PM Imran assures Gwadar protesters of action against
illegal fishing
• Pakistan snubbed US democracy summit to please China
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Mahathir Criticises Overreach By Shariah Authorities
• Umno can ensure secularism, linking with Amanah and
DAP
• Dr M says wasn’t forced to make Guan Eng finance
minister, needed his skills to deal with Najib’s financial mess
--------
Mideast
• Iran’s Chief Negotiator: Vienna Talks Progressing in
Serious Atmosphere
• Iran warns of ‘heavy price’ after report of
US-Israeli military drill plans
• Turkey not yet ready to give up on Muslim
Brotherhood
--------
Africa
• UN Support Mission In Libya Encourages All Sides To
Unify State Institutions
• Al-Shabaab kills 4 African Union peacekeepers in
Somalia
• Sudan’s PM replaces acting state governors named
after coup
• Bomb blast kills 1, wounds 2 regional lawmakers in
southern Somalia
• Benin opposition leader gets 20 years behind bars on
terrorism charges
• Tunisia protest group calls for rallies to mark
revolution anniversary
• Tunisia’s Ennahda rejects attempts to abolish 2014
constitution
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Darul Uloom Deoband – The Ideological Fountainhead Of
The Islamist Proselytising Movement, Tablighi Jamaat, Sniffs ‘Western Plot’
Behind Saudi Arabia’s Ban
Darul Uloom Deoband Islamic
Seminary in Uttar Pradesh | PTI
----
Dec 13, 2021
AYODHYA: Days after Saudi Arabia banned the Islamist
proselytising movement, Tablighi Jamaat, calling it the gateway of terrorism,
top leaders of the Jamaat, the Shura and leading Islamic seminary Darul Uloom
Deoband – the ideological fountainhead of the Jamaat – have reacted with shock
and anger, blaming “a western plot” to defame a “puritanical” outfit with
global footprint.
Majority sympathisers and followers of the Jamaat,
headquartered at Delhi’s Nizamuddin West, said the Saudi decision was dictated
by “an influential western power” that wants to cripple Riyadh’s centuries-old
affiliation to the Muslim Ummah.
Spokesperson of Tablighi Jamaat, Nizamuddin Markaz,
Sameeruddin Qasmi, defended his members as purists, who reformed deviant
Muslims and served as a bulwark against global terror. "It is an unfounded
allegation against Tablighi Jamaat. We have no connection with terrorism. In
fact, we stop, condemn and disown terrorism. We don't allow our members to
speak against any religion, community or country and focus on five pillars of
Islam. None of our men has ever been found involved in terrorist activity. The
Saudi government has been misled," he said in a video message from London.
Mohammad Miyan, member of the ‘Shura’, a prominent
breakaway Tablighi faction, said, "Our Jamaats are working all over the
world and even in Saudi Arabia. We are bringing Muslims to the path of the
prophet. The Shura will not comment on the ban, but our Jamaats will continue
to work fearlessly in Saudi Arabia."
Darul Uloom Deoband has condemned the Saudi
government. Taking Riyadh head-on for the first time, chief rector Maulana Abul
Qasim Nomani warned Saudi Arabia to desist from wrongdoing and withdraw the ban
as it would send a wrong message to Muslims across the world.
Talking to TOI, prominent Muslim activist Zafar
Sareshwala said, "I am surprised by the Saudi decision as the Tablighi
Jamaat was an antidote to extremist ideas with its strong disapproval of
jihadist ideology. Even Taliban have spoken out against the Jamaat. Calling it
the gateway of terrorism is unbelievable and unacceptable." A senior
faculty in Darul Uloom Nadwa, Maulana Fakhrul Hasan Khan, said, "We are
receiving the news from the media. We will react conclusively after talking to
our members in Saudi Arabia."
Source: Times of India
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original story:
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Taliban Spokesperson Of The Taliban Zabiullah Mujahid
Asks China To Help Them Get Recognized
Taliban Spokesperson
Zabiullah Mujahid
----
13 Dec 2021
Deputy Minister of Information and Culture and
spokesperson of the Taliban Zabiullah Mujahid said that they (Islamic Emirate
of Afghanistan) need recognition and the world countries especially China must
help them in this regard.
Zabiullah Mujahid in a news conference in Kabul on
Sunday, December 12 said that China is one of the most important countries in
the region, and having good relations with the country will be the Taliban’s
great achievement.
Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan Bilal Karimi citing Zabiullah Mujahid said, the Taliban do not want
to interfere in other’s affairs and that they will not allow others to do so
either.
“We hope all traders in particular Chinese investors to
invest in Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will ensure their
security.” Reads a Twitter post of Bilal Karimi.
China on Sunday inaugurated a construction project in
Kabul that will benefit the people of Afghanistan.
Chinese ambassador to Kabul Wang Yu who attended the
inauguration ceremony said they are committed to peace and stability in
Afghanistan and peace and development are China’s common aspiration.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-asks-china-to-help-them-get-recognized-7868768/
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Naftali Bennett first Israeli PM to visit UAE
HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed
Al Nahyan (R) welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on December 12. —
AFP
-----
December 13, 2021
ABU DHABI: Israel’s Naftali Bennett arrived in the
United Arab Emirates on Sunday for the first official visit by a prime minister
of the Jewish state, after they established diplomatic ties last year.
The trip announced by Bennett’s office comes with Israel
making a renewed diplomatic push against international talks which global
powers resumed with its arch foe Iran over the Islamic republic’s nuclear
programme.
Bennett on Monday meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to discuss “deepening the ties between Israel and
the UAE, especially economic and regional issues,” the prime minister’s office
said.
Just before 4:30pm, Bennett’s office announced his
plane had taken off from Ben Gurion Airport in central Israel on what the
premier called a “historic” visit and “first of its kind”.
A spokesman for Bennett, Matan Sidi, later confirmed:
“The entourage of the prime minister has landed now in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, for
PM Bennett’s first visit to the country.” Before boarding the plane, the prime
minister said his trip “is aimed at deepening the cooperation between the
countries, in all fields”.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1663470/naftali-bennett-first-israeli-pm-to-visit-uae
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CAIR
Defends, Zahra Billoo, Who Blamed Jews For Islamophobia
Zahra
Billoo, Executive Director, Council on American Islamic Relations (San
Francisco)
-----
December
12, 2021
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) defended one of its leaders
Saturday after criticism of a November speech in which she said Jewish
organizations and synagogues are a part of an “Islamophobia industry” working
to dehumanize Muslims.
Zahra
Billoo, executive director of CAIR San Francisco, described Jewish or Zionist
organizations as “enemies” who take part in a “conspiracy” of Islamophobia
during a speech at American Muslims for Palestine’s Annual Convention on Nov.
27, The Jerusalem Post reported Sunday.
“We
need to pay attention to the Anti-Defamation League, we need to pay attention
to the Jewish Federation, we need to pay attention to the Zionist synagogues,
we need to pay attention to the Hillel chapters on our campuses,” Billoo said
in her speech.
“In
the wake of her speech, anti-Muslim websites misquoted Zahra’s remarks and
falsely claimed that she had discouraged Muslims from working with Jewish
groups at-large,” CAIR said in its defense of Billoo on Saturday.
“Throughout
her speech Ms. Billoo blamed America’s Jewish institutions – from civil rights
orgs to respected campus orgs to charitable orgs to virtually every synagogue
in the US – for a variety of America’s illls, including Islamophobia,” Jonathan
Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, said Sunday.
Billoo
“discouraged engagement, dialogue & partnership with the Jewish community.
By her standard, no synagogue from any major Jewish movement—including the OU,
USCJ, URJ, Reconstructionist, or Renewal— should be welcomed, because they are
all her ‘enemies’ and ‘polite Zionists.’ She spins a vast conspiracy around
Jewish orgs supporting poverty, homelessness, and police brutality and
attacking Muslim Americans for their opposition. Claiming that American Jews
are working to subject our fellow Americans to poverty and brutality is wildly
antisemitic,” Greenblatt said.
“She
claims ‘Islamophobia is a well-funded conspiracy, a well-funded project’ by
Jewish communal orgs,” Greenblatt said. “To so brazenly refer to the vast
majority of American Jews as enemies solely because of their connection to the
Jewish homeland, to repeatedly blame Jews for Islamophobia, and to
unapologetically promote tropes used against Jews for millennia, is grotesque …
Ms. Billoo’s speech, and CAIR’s support for it, are both blatant acts of
antisemitism. CAIR obviously should reject such hate without hesitation but it
has a long and problematic history of anti-Israel rhetoric,” Greenblatt said.
Billoo
was voted off of the Women’s March national board in September 2019 following
repeated accusations of antisemitism. At the time, Billoo blamed “an
Islamophobic smear campaign led by the usual antagonists.”
Source:
Daily Caller
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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UK Imposes
Bans On Iranian Reporter, TV Producer Despite Claims To Advocating Free Speech
Iranian
reporter and TV producer Ali Rezvani,
----
09
December 2021
The
British government, in its latest act of hostility to free media, has imposed
sanctions on an Iranian reporter and TV producer on false charges of spreading
“misinformation regarding political prisoners.”
During
Wednesday session of Britain's House of Commons, Labour MP Chris Bryant, who
co-chairs the UK’s All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Magnitsky Sanctions,
read a list of Iranian individuals, including Ali Rezvani, a reporter and
producer working for Iran’s official Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting
(IRIB).
The
British government accused Rezvani, who is an Iranian state media journalist
for the popular and highly-watched 20:30 news program, of being involved in the
“interrogation of detainees,” and broadcasting their “forced confessions,” as
well as spreading “misinformation regarding political prisoners, dissidents and
hostages.”
The
Iranian reporter was also accused of working with intelligence agencies and
“peddling propaganda” on detained dual and foreign nationals.
In
reaction to the move by the British government, IRIB head Peyman Jebelli
commended Rezvani’s “media valor” and said the illegal measure was indicative
of the British monarchy’s political idiocy.
“I
express my felicitations to you on your media effort and valor that has made
the arrogant British government angry and confused,” Jebelli said in a
statement.
“The
imposition of sanctions on a journalist by a monarchy whose record over the
past centuries has been riddled with human rights abuses means that it has
morphed into a political idiot much more than what was previously thought.”
The
IRIB chief said, “Today, we have already felt London's key role in the inhumane
sanctions imposed on the Iranian people. When this symbol of human rights
violations boycotts a journalist, it means that we should weep for human rights
across the world.”
Violating
free media and free speech principles, the Western governments have over the
past years targeted Iranian news channels, media outlets and journalists with
restrictive measures, such as sanctions.
The
allegations against the Iranian reporter come against a dismal backdrop by the
British government to muzzle free speech and disregard for the rights of
minorities as well as helping totalitarian governments in other countries to
suppress their people. In October 2018, The results of the report by the
Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), showed that around 14 million Britons
with disabilities, roughly a fifth of the UK population, have suffered from
erosion of their rights.
The
study, which reported its findings to the United Nations committee on
disability rights, said that there was “deeply concerning” evidence showing
that the situation of the disabled people across the UK is getting worse
despite government pledges to improve their conditions.
Last
October a report released by British NGO Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) showed
that the British government has approved tear gas exports to numerous
authoritarian Middle East regimes,
including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain, over the past
decade.
The
report added that since 2008, the British government has approved arms export
licenses to 70 countries, despite the fact that several of these states are on
its own human rights priority list.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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India
India
won direct war against Pak, will win ‘indirect’ war too: Rajnath Singh
Dec
13, 2021
NEW
DELHI: India won the direct war against Pakistan in 1971 and will emerge
victorious in the ongoing ‘indirect war’ of cross-border terrorism sponsored by
its western neighbour as well, defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.
Inaugurating
the 'Swarnim Vijay Parv' (Golden Jubilee celebration) at the India Gate lawns
here to commemorate the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, Singh said, “This war
tells us that the partition of India on the basis of religion was a historic
mistake. Pakistan was born in the name of one religion but it could not remain
one.” At the event, a video message by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin
Rawat, which was recorded a day before his death with 12 others in the Mi-17 V5
helicopter crash on December 8, was also played. “Apne senao par hei hame garv,
aao milkar manaye Vijay Parv (We are proud of our armed forces, let's celebrate
victory together),” said Gen Rawat in his message, paying glowing tributes to
the Indian military personnel killed in the 1971 war with Pakistan.
“After
the defeat of 1971, it is continuously fighting a proxy war. Pakistan wants to
disrupt peace in India by promoting terrorism and other anti-India activities.
The Indian forces had foiled their plans in 1971 and work to eliminate terrorism
from its root is also underway. We have won in a direct war and the victory
will be ours in the indirect war as well,” Rajnath said. He said India
contributed to the establishment of democracy in Bangladesh, which has
progressed rapidly on the path of development over the last 50 years, in an
inspiration for the rest of the world.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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JeM
recruit killed in J&K gunfight with forces
Dec
13, 2021
SRINAGAR:
A Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist fresh out of training was killed in a gunfight
with security forces at Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on
Sunday, just over a month after he was inducted into the proscribed
Pakistan-based outfit's ranks.
The
slain terrorist was identified as Sameer Ahmad Tantray, a resident of Bargam in
Awantipora. A police officer said JeM assigned him to its south Kashmir unit on
November 2. In the police records, he was classified as a
"C-category" terrorist.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Kin
of lone Afghan Muslim killed in Kabul gurdwara attack reach Delhi: ‘Want better
life’
by
Divya Goyal
December
11, 2021
More
than a year after Islamic State terrorists gunned down 25 people at Sri Guru
Har Rai Sahib gurdwara in Kabul’s Shor Bazar, the family of Mahram Ali
Shaghasi, the 43-year-old Afghan Muslim security guard who fell to their
bullets that day, reached Delhi — to begin a “better life”.
Mahram’s
wife Fariba Gul Rok (40), son Abdul Wahid (23) and daughters, Murwarid (24) and
Geeta (19), were among the 94 people, mainly Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, who
landed on a special flight Friday.
Mahram,
from Qalai Zaman Khan of Kabul, was the sole breadwinner of the family. He was
the lone Muslim who was killed in gurdwara attack, all other victims were from
Sikh community.
On
Friday, speaking to The Indian Express, Abdul Wahid said: “Our lives have been
in danger there since the Taliban took over. There is no one to bring food and
bear family expenses. Since my father’s death, we have had no breadwinner.
There are no jobs and there is no scope to get educated. But our Sikh brothers,
who my father died protecting, stood with us and helped us migrate to India.”
Referring
to “the uncertain situation in Afghanistan”, Wahid said: “There’s hardly any
hope there for a good future. We expect a better life here. We also plan to
migrate to Canada after spending some time here… life has become terrible,
especially since the Taliban took over.”
It
was on March 25, 2020, that gunmen stormed the gurdwara and opened fire. Among
the 25 people killed was a three-year-old girl. Security forces rescued at
least 80 others, including women and children, who were inside the complex at
the time. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which was
described by India as a cowardly attack that reflected a “diabolical mindset”.
Following
the attack, Wahid says the local Sikh community supported the family in “every
possible way”. “They have borne our travel expenses and promised to provide us
basic expenses for three months in India. They have also promised that they
will help us apply to go to Canada,” he said.
Describing
his father, and recalling the day of the attack, Wahid said: “He was a very
honest and hardworking man, dedicated to his duty. He was committed to protect
the gurdwara from any harm. Although he never had any weapons, he guarded the
premises 24×7. That day, my father tried to stop a gunman at the entrance. He
was shot in the shoulder and fell down. But he got up again to put up a fight
but then was shot in the head.”
According
to Wahid, Mahram shared a special bond with the Sikh community. “He knew that
his job was very risky. But he loved doing it. He always respected the Sikh
community and their faith. He used to say that all Sikhs and Hindus in
Afghanistan are his brothers. He used to say that Sikhs are kind and nice
people. In fact, he used to come home only once a week and stay at the gurdwara
for the rest of the time. More than his family, he spent time with Sikhs and
served the gurdwara,” he said.
Wahid
says all that he wants is for the world to remember the sacrifice of his father
and the fact that he never differentiated among people on the basis of
religion. “Let the entire world know that he too died…while doing his duty,
while protecting the gurdwara and his Sikhs brothers. Terrorists don’t know any
religion. Had it been so, they wouldn’t have shot my father,” he said.
For now,
Mahram’s family will be based in Delhi under the care of Sikh community at a
gurdwara.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/kabul-gurudwara-attack-taliban-sikhs-7666879/
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Gurgaon
Muslim Council members to meet deputy commissioner on Monday
Dec
13, 2021
By
Leena Dhankhar
A
delegation of Gurgaon Muslim Council will meet Gurugram deputy commissioner on
Monday to ask about the alternative sites for performing Friday prayers in the
city, after permission for 20 designated locations was withdrawn following
continued protests by the right-wing Hindu outfits, and following chief
minister ML Khattar’s remarks on Friday that namaz in open public spaces will
not be tolerated.
Altaf
Ahmad, spokesperson for the Gurgaon Muslim Council, said a delegation will meet
the deputy commissioner on Monday since the chief minister on Friday said that
the Muslims need to discuss alternative sites for Friday prayers with the
district administration. “Around five lakh Muslims stay or work in Gurugram,
while there are only two mosques in new Gurugram and 11 in the old city with a
total capacity of 15,000 people even if offer the Juma namaz in several jamaats
(shifts). Hence, it’s extremely important that alternative sites are assigned
to the Muslims until the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) approves land
for building multi-story mosques,” he said.
“The
state Waqf Board and the administration have not been able to get waqf
properties vacated from encroachers. Who is being held responsible for the
same,” he said, referring to suggestions that the Muslims should use waqf
properties to offer namaz or build mosques.
When
contacted, a senior district administration official said they were waiting for
“new orders from the state government”, based on which they will discuss the
issue with both parties (Hindus and Muslims).
Sanjeev
Balhara, assistant commissioner of police, said they have not received the new
plan of action, and added that the “new orders are expected to come by Monday”.
“The deployment (for Friday prayers) will be decided on Monday after fresh
directions are received,” he said.
The
protest against Friday namaz in open public spaces has been taking place in
Gurugram since 2018. The same year, the administration designated 37 sites for
Muslims to perform the Friday prayers. However, in November this year, the
number of sites was cut down to 20 after members of the right-wing outfits
continued to protest and disrupt prayers.
Haryana
chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday said offering namaz in public
places cannot be tolerated, even as the district administration withdrew
permission for Friday prayers at 20 designated sites. “Such programmes (namaz)
should not be held in the open. This practice of offering namaz at public
spaces will not be tolerated as it is leading to controversies and
confrontations. We have given directions to the police and administration to
resolve the issue amicably. We will not allow any confrontation, and try to
resolve it,” the chief minister said
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South
Asia
Women
Rights Fully Realized In Islamic Government; Taliban Leadership Issued A Very
Comprehensive Decree On Women’s Rights
December
13, 2021
The
leadership of the Islamic Emirate issued a very comprehensive and unprecedented
decree on women’s rights. The decree generally prohibits those abusive
practices, oppressions, bans and injustices against women, which have
unfortunately deep roots in our society since ancient times and are considered
accepted norms and traditions by many people.
However,
there is no doubt that these traditions in our societies are in direct conflict
with our religious law and instructions, even they are beyond the humanity.
These vicious practices against women have been existing from long ago, the
religious scholars were supposed to oppose them at each and every time they
lived and lead Muslims towards the right path but since the Muslims political
leadership has remained
powerless
for most of the post Islamic period, the religious scholars and preachers have
been left out with only the worship and its virtues related affairs. That is
why religious practices have been ignored and replaced with obvious
misconceptions in the political, economic and academic areas of Islamic
societies.
These
vicious traditions have become such a shameful sarcasm among Muslims that even
Westerners taunt us who do not have any proper family system and do not respect
relations and other moral values themselves.
Thanks
God, Now that the Islamic Government has taken over the country and we can
implement and practice our social laws in accordance with our sacred Islamic
law, our leadership also perceived this shortcoming and issued a decisive
decree to cure it. If God is willing, the Afghan people will soon be free from
such vicious practices. Now all the religious leaders of the country, social
influential personalities and law enforcers will take serous steps to prevent
the above mentioned practices.
It is
so much important to fight against these injustices against women because the
rest of the world considers these practices as part of Islam while Islam has
given women an unparalleled status and guaranteed their rights in a way that is
un precedent For example, Islam has given women the status of a mother, which
the western world is completely deprived of, as well as a very honorable
position as a daughter, sister and wife. Islam considers women to take care and
look after children and home, a
status
that is highly valued in terms of teaching human beings.
Source:
The Kabul Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thekabultimes.gov.af/women-rights-fully-realized-in-islamic-government/
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Taliban
Thanks Delhi For Aid Stating That Ties Between The Two Countries Is "Very
Vital"
Dec
13, 2021
KABUL:
After India dispatched its first consignment of 1.6 metric tonnes of
life-saving medicines to Afghanistan, the Taliban responded by thanking New
Delhi stating that ties between the two countries is "very vital".
The aid, which consisted of life-saving medicines was sent on Saturday from New
Delhi to Kabul by a special flight.
Taking
to Twitter, the Afghan ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay said the aid will
help many Afghan families in this difficult time.
"All
kids need a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.' The
first consignment of medical aid from India arrived to Kabul this morning. 1.6
metric tonne of life-saving medicines will help many families in this difficult
time."Gift from people of India," Mamundzay had tweeted.
In a
tweet, Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan (IEA) on Saturday said that "India is a leading country in the
region. Afghanistan-India relations are very vital."
The
Ministry of External Affairs earlier yesterday said in view of the challenging
humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the government of India has dispatched a
consignment of medical supplies on a return flight that brought evacuated
Indians and Afghanistan.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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20-year-old
boy shot dead by Taliban in Afghanistan's capital Kabul
December
13, 2021
The
Taliban on Sunday shot dead a 20-year old boy, Faisal who was attending an
engagement function in Police District two of the Afghan capital Kabul.
Eyewitnesses
and his uncle of whom the killed Faisal was attending the wedding said, they
were directed to stop for check post and they did but were shot at, reported
Khaama Press.
"We
were returning from my engagement function and were directed to stop in a check
post of the Taliban in Quwa-e-Markaz. We stopped and were searched by the
Taliban and then they allowed us to go, when we went there were four other
Taliban who started shooting and shot dead Faisal", said Faisal's Uncle.
Spokesperson
of the Ministry of Interior Affairs Saeed Khostai confirmed the incident and
added that two culprits have been arrested.
"The
people were asked to stop to a check post and the Mujahideen started shooting
at Faisal who was wounded and then succumbed to his wounds in hospital. Two
people have been arrested in connection to the incident," said Khostai.
Source:
Business Standard
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Third
batch, Afghanistan International Bank receives $19.2 million in cash
13
Dec 2021
Afghanistan’s
Central Bank (De Afghanistan Bank) on Sunday, December 12 said that the third
batch of World Bank’s cash assistance to Afghanistan arrived in Kabul and was
given to Afghanistan’s International Bank (AIB).
Central
Bank in a statement said that the money is part of the World Bank’s
humanitarian pledges to Afghanistan.
The
cash was taken from Kabul International Airport to Afghanistan International
Bank by the Taliban.
The
cash is apparently best timing as the local currency (Afghani) is in its unprecedentedly
lowest value- one dollar for 114 Afghani on Sunday.
It is
believed that the fresh batch of dollars will help the value of local currency
stabilize.
Common
people are the real victims of the ongoing unpleasant economic situation in
Afghanistan as the prices of everything in the country have been doubled.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Taliban
welcomes US decision over allowing money transfer to Afghanistan
13
Dec 2021
Afghanistan’s
Foreign Ministry has welcomed the US decision over issuing licenses to banks to
let Afghans living abroad transfer money to relatives in Afghanistan.
Spokesman
of the Ministry in a series of Twitter posts said that the move is a good step
and will allow Afghans access the services of the Western Union, Money Gram,
and other banking channels.
“We
appreciate this progress and hope the right of Afghans to access all services
of the international banking system will be guaranteed.” Reads a Tweet.
US
Treasury Department issued its 16th General license on Saturday, December 11,
and allowed Afghans to send money to Afghanistan but acknowledged that the
money should be for personal purposes only not for trade.
The
US has said that the step was taken to address the humanitarian situation in
Afghanistan and will not ease sanctions on the Taliban but the spokesperson of
the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid said the decision is a
result of their fruitful engagement with the US in Doha.
Source:
Khaama Press
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--------
Arab
World
Saudi
film festival cancels screening of ‘Amira’ amid Palestinian anger
Ibrahim
El-Khazen
11.12.2021
Saudi
Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has canceled the screening of a
controversial movie that has incited Palestinian anger.
"We
regret the cancellation of the screenings of the movie Amira at the request of
its producers,” the festival’s administration said on its website, without
providing further details.
The
film titled Amira, which translates to Princess, tells the story of a young
girl born from smuggled sperm while her father was languishing in Israel's
Megiddo prison.
However,
the girl later realizes that the sperm that was smuggled out of the jail was
actually that of an Israeli soldier.
The
movie was shot in Jordan in 2019 and is a Jordanian-Egyptian-Palestinian
co-production.
The
film, directed by Egyptian director Mohamed Diab, was scheduled to represent
Jordan at the 94th Academy Awards in the international feature film category in
2022.
However,
the Royal Film Commission of Jordan said Thursday that it had decided to
withdraw the film from the 2022 Academy Awards in light of the "recent
huge controversy that it is detrimental to the Palestinian cause."
Withdrawing
the film out of "respect to the feelings of the prisoners and their
families," the commission stood by its "artistic value," and
argued that it highlights the plight of Palestinian prisoners and "their
willingness to live a decent life in spite of the occupation."
The movie
was also condemned by Palestinian institutions concerned with prisoners'
affairs for questioning the lineage of children born from smuggled sperm of
prisoners inside Israeli prisons.
Saudi
Arabia launched its first international film festival on Dec. 6 in the
country’s western coastal city of Jeddah and is set to end on Dec. 15.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Saudi
Arabia approves 2022 budget, first without deficit in nearly a decade
13
December ,2021
Saudi
Arabia said on Sunday it expected to post its first surplus in 2022 since
nearly a decade, and it expected to continue implementing economic initiatives
and reforms to enhance the quality of life of citizens.
“Expenditures
in the total budget amount to 955 billion Saudi riyals ($254.6 billion),
revenues estimated at 1.045 trillion Saudi riyals ($278.6 billion) and the
surplus reached 90 billion Saudi riyals ($24 billion),” King Salman bin
Abdulaziz said, according to state news agency SPA.
The
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “The budget was a confirmation of the
results achieved from economic and financial reforms aimed at promoting
economic growth and financial sustainability towards a vibrant society, a
prosperous economy, and an ambitious nation.”
SPA
reported that it is expected that the deficit in 2021 will reach around 2.7
percent of GDP compared to 11.2 percent in 2020.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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GCC
summit will discuss several issues, especially regional security: Saudi FM
12
December ,2021
The
upcoming GCC summit set to be held in Riyadh will discuss several issues
especially regional security, according to Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister
Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
The
foreign minister’s statement came at the end of a press conference in Riyadh
after a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council
countries in the presence of their Egyptian counterpart.
GCC
Secretary General Nayef al-Hajraf told reporters on Sunday that there are
continuing consultations between the Gulf states and Egypt to enhance the
stability of the region and the world.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
4
Hamas members shot dead at Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon
Idiris
Okuduci
12.12.2021
BEIRUT,
Lebanon
Four
Hamas members were killed in an armed attack during a funeral at a Palestinian
refugee camp in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the group said.
In a
written statement following the incident, the Palestinian resistance group
Hamas accused the Fatah movement of the attack at the Burj Shemali camp.
The
shooting took place during the funeral ceremony of a Hamas member at a mosque
in the camp.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Bahrain
condemns Beirut hosting press conference for ‘hostile personnel’
12
December ,2021
Bahrain’s
foreign ministry has denounced Lebanon for hosting a press conference for
individuals it described as “hostile personnel” on terror lists with the
purpose of “broadcasting and promoting abusive and malicious allegations
against the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
“The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deep regret and denunciation that the
Lebanese capital Beirut hosted a press conference for hostile personnel
designated on supporting and sponsoring terrorism lists, with the purpose of
broadcasting and promoting abusive and malicious allegations against the Kingdom
of Bahrain,” the ministry said in a statement.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Bahrain’s
foreign ministry said it had submitted a “strong formal protest” to the
Lebanese government regarding the recent move.
The
Ministry added that an official note verbale of protest was sent to the General
Secretariat of the League of Arab States in this regard, containing the Kingdom
of Bahrain's denunciation of this unfriendly step by the Lebanese side. The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the Lebanese government to prevent such
reprehensible practices that aim to offend the Kingdom of Bahrain, and are
inconsistent with the most basic diplomatic norms and the brotherly relations
between the two people,” the ministry added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Authorities
seize captagon shipments in Lebanon, Syria destined for Saudi Arabia
11
December ,2021
Security
forces in Lebanon and Syria said Saturday that they had seized two separate
shipments of the banned stimulant captagon, the latest in a string of similar
busts.
Lebanon’s
Internal Security Forces said it “thwarted an attempt to smuggle four million
captagon pills” hidden in a coffee shipment destined for Saudi Arabia via
Jordan.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
pills were confiscated following raids this week on a storage facility in Bir
Hassan, a neighborhood near Beirut’s southern suburbs, the ISF said on Twitter.
It
said it arrested two men behind the operation, including one who was trying to
flee the country through Beirut’s airport.
A
video it posted online showed a man ripping open a bag of coffee stuffed with
narcotic pills.
In a
separate operation, Syrian authorities seized “hundreds of thousands” of
captagon pills in the southern province of Daraa, the official SANA news agency
said, citing a security source.
“The
drugs were to be smuggled abroad via the Jordan border,” SANA said, without
specifying the intended destination.
It
said some arrests were made amid ongoing attempts to clamp down on remaining
members of the smuggling network.
Captagon
was one of the brand names for the amphetamine-type stimulant fenethylline and
continues to be manufactured, mostly in Lebanon and Syria, for illegal
recreational use, mostly in Saudi Arabia.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Abu
Dhabi's Mubadala says investing in crypto ecosystem: Report
13
December ,2021
Abu
Dhabi state fund Mubadala has invested in the ecosystem around
cryptocurrencies, such as block-chain technology, given the increase in the
digital currency's market value, its CEO Khaldoon al-Mubarak told CNBC in an
interview.
“I
think, you know, this is a business that had, what $200 billion worth of crypto
value two years ago, and it's two and a half trillion dollars today and
growing,” Mubarak said.
“So I
think while many people are sceptics, I don't fall in that category.”
Mubadala
has $243 billion in assets.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Mubarak
did not give any indication of how much the fund would spend, but said the
focus was on the related infrastructure.
“From
our perspective, I think we look at the ecosystem around crypto. And I think we
are investing in that ecosystem. That could be that's in the block-chain
technology, energy usage, etc.,” he said.
The
rapid growth of cryptocurrencies and in particular stablecoins - digital assets
pegged to traditional currencies - has caught the attention of regulators that
fear they could put the financial system at risk if not properly monitored.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
In
first, UAE team to participate in Israeli-hosted football tournament
11.12.2021
In a
historic first under a controversial normalization deal, the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) youth football team is set to play a friendly against Israel in
a winter tournament on Sunday.
Organized
and hosted by Israel, the tournament is set to start on Dec. 12 and will see
the participation of the Russian and German youth teams.
“The
UAE youth team landed at Israel and was warmly received by the CEO of the
Israel Football Association (IFA), Yossi Sharabi,” the IFA said in Twitter on
Friday.
The
UAE Football Association (UAEFA) said the Gulf state’s participation in the
tournament follows an agreement signed between the UAE and Israeli federations
in December 2020 in Dubai.
It
will be the first time an Emirati football team visits Israel, a development
following Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv signing a controversial US-sponsored agreement
to normalize their diplomatic relations last year.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North
America
US bill drops negative references to Pakistan
Anwar
Iqbal
December
13, 2021
WASHINGTON:
The US House of Representatives has dropped all references to Pakistan from a
bill that sought to blame the country for enabling the Taliban to capture Kabul
in August this year.
But
this comes with a negative development too. Last week’s tragic death of a Sri
Lankan factory manager in Sialkot seems to have increased concerns about the
security situation in the country as the Americans become more secretive about
official US visits to Pakistan.
The
original text of the US National Defence Act for 2022 required the US
secretaries of defence and state to certify before a relevant Congress
committee that providing “covered support” to Pakistan was in the national
security interest of the United States.
The
amended version changed the text by striking off “Pakistan” and inserting “any country
in the near abroad of Afghanistan”. Another reference in the original text
sought to determine Pakistan’s role in Taliban’s surprising victory in Kabul.
The amended text does not mention this reference either.
The
act, however, retains a condition to probe the cause and effects of the US
withdrawal. It suggests forming a commission to do so, with the authority to
review the role played by Afghanistan’s immediate and distant neighbours.
Another
indication of continued US interest in maintaining, at least, a working
relationship with Pakistan came earlier this week when the Biden administration
invited Islamabad to its first-ever democracy summit, held in Washington on Dec
9 and 10.
Commenting
on the invitation, an influential Washington think-tank, Brookings Institution,
cited two reasons for inviting Pakistan and not inviting Bangladesh, “which
scores slightly higher” on the US democracy index.
“Since
2015, Pakistan’s score has improved slightly, while Bangladesh has worsened,”
and another likely factor was the US “desire to balance India’s inclusion with
a regional, if aspiring, democratic rival,” the report added. While India ranks
in the middle tier of the index, its “scores on constraints on government
powers, absence of corruption, and fundamental rights have significantly
decreased” from 2020 to 2021, Brookings explained.
The
negative impact on Pakistan’s image came from the lynching of Sri Lankan
factory manager Priyantha Kumar on Dec 3.
Soon
after the incident, a US Senate delegation visited Pakistan.
The
delegation — which included Senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn and
Benjamin Sasse — met Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday and expressed the
desire to maintain friendly relations with Pakistan.
But
the news of their arrival, and meetings in Islamabad, was released after the
delegation’s departure, apparently on US instructions.
The
United States and other Western nations have had concerns about Pakistan since
the 9/11 attacks in America. But Washington had slowly become less strict with
the restrictions.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1663469/us-bill-drops-negative-references-to-pakistan
--------
US
military claims end of Iraq combat role but keeps 2500 troops
12
December 2021
The
US military has claimed the end of its combat operations across Iraq under the
terms of an earlier agreement with Baghdad, but added that thousands of its
troops will remain in the Arab nation as “advisers.”
"This
is the natural evolution," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby boasted recently
after the purported change of the American military’s role was finalized at the
conclusion of technical talks between officials of both countries.
Kirby
insisted, however, that the change will not result in any immediate change to
the laydown and number of US forces in Iraq, saying that nearly 2,500 American
soldiers still remain in the country and will continue advising and training
Iraqi security forces after the “transition” was completed in the past week.
The
US-Iraq agreement to pull out all American combat troops from the country by
the end of this year was devised back in July following persisting demands by
Iraqi lawmakers and community leaders for withdrawal of US forces after their
terrorist drone assassination in Baghdad airport of visiting Iranian Gen.
Qassem Soleimani along with other senior Iraqi and Iranian military officials
early last year.
US
President Joe Biden and Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi declared last
summer that the US mission in Iraq will transition from combat to an “advisory”
role by the end of the year.
“The
delegations decided, following recent technical talks, that the security
relationship will fully transition to a training, advising, assisting, and
intelligence-sharing role, and that there will be no US forces with a combat
role in Iraq by December 31, 2021,” Baghdad and Washington said in a joint
statement on July 26.
The
agreement, which has effectively given a mere new name to the US military
presence in Iraq, has enraged Iraqi resistance groups, which have played a
significant role in defeating the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq in 2017.
In
October, Iraq's anti-terror Kata'ib Hezbollah group said all Iraqi resistance
groups and factions will “use all the weapons at their disposal” against
American forces in the Arab country if Washington refuses to withdraw its
forces despite a parliament’s decision to expel them from Iraq.
Following
the announcement about the change of US military mission in Iraq, however, the
country’s anti-terror Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba movement fiercely rejected
the move and reiterated its determination to continue the struggle to drive out
all American occupation forces from their country.
“American
forces cannot be identified as anything other than occupiers if they do not
withdraw by the end of the current year. We express our support for the groups
that are mounting resistance against occupying US forces,” the group's
spokesman, Nasr al-Shammari, said in an interview with Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen
television news network broadcast on Thursday evening.
Shammari,
whose group is part of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Sha’abi,
termed retaliatory attacks against US troops in Iraq "a great honor",
saying, “We announce an alliance with the groups that are targeting American
forces.”
This
is while US military officials and observers have expressed fears about the
threat posed to the US troops remaining in Iraq from the country’s Shia militia
groups, blaming them for persisting drone and rocket attacks on American
installations across Iraq and Syria.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2021/12/12/672478/US-military-combat-operations-Iraq-keeps-troops-
--------
US
says held 'productive' talks with Europeans on Iran nuclear deal
11
December 2021
The
US State Department has said Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a
"productive" meeting with his European counterparts on the nuclear
agreement with Iran.
In
2015, six world powers, namely, the US, France, Germany, the UK, Russia and
China signed a nuclear deal with Iran known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA).
However,
in 2018, the US under its former president Donald Trump, exited the nuclear
deal and began to unilaterally implement what it called a maximum pressure
campaign against the Islamic Republic.
On
Saturday, a US State Department spokesperson said that Blinken held talks with
his German, French and British counterparts regarding the Iran nuclear deal.
"Secretary
Blinken had a productive meeting with his E3 counterparts from Germany, France
and the UK in Liverpool yesterday. They discussed the JCPOA talks and our way
forward," the spokesperson was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Blinken
has traveled to the northwest English port city to hold talks over the weekend
with his G-7 counterparts.
Meanwhile,
Iran's nuclear steps prompted other signatories to enter new talks earlier this
year and the meetings resumed in Vienna with the UK, France, Germany, Russia
and China on Thursday.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
House panel approves bill to ban Iran’s military drones amid Vienna talks
11
December 2021
A US
House panel has approved a bill to restrict the proliferation of Iran's
military drone in the midst of negotiations over the removal of anti-Tehran
sanctions in the Austrian capital of Vienna.
In a
statement on Friday, Gregory W. Meeks, head of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, announced the passage of the Stop Iranian Drones Act (SIDA), which
would impose a ban on the supply, sale or transfer of military drones to or
from Iran under US law, by its members.
The
SIDA bill, proposed earlier in the week by a group of Republican and Democratic
lawmakers in the US House of Representatives, addressed what it claimed to be
the growing threat of Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program.
In
the statement, Meeks accused Iran of conducting “drone attacks in the Middle
East,” and said, “Such activity will not be tolerated by the US Congress and is
actively being addressed by the Biden Administration.”
The
head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said, “Our bill clarifies that
existing conventional weapons sanctions against Iran include unmanned combat
aerial vehicles and brings US code up to date with the UN’s categories of major
conventional arms. By doing so, this legislation will allow us to better
respond to the threat posed by Iran and its proxies’ aggressive UAV tactics to
the US and our partners. This clarification makes clear to the international
community that it is in everyone’s interest to work to stop Iranian UAV
procurement and production.”
Iranian
military experts and technicians have in recent years made great progress in
developing and manufacturing a broad range of military equipment, making the
armed forces self-sufficient in this regard.
Iran’s
military drone capabilities have proved to be purely defensive in the face of
aggressive moves by the United States and its regional allies, which have been
fomenting chaos and tensions in West Asia and elsewhere.
Iranian
officials have repeatedly underscored that the Islamic Republic will not
hesitate to build up its defense capabilities, emphasizing such abilities are
entirely meant for the purpose of defense and will be never subject to
negotiations.
Last
month, the Iranian Army intercepted two US unmanned aerial vehicles that had
penetrated into the country’s airspace, giving them stern warnings to stay away
from the zone where it was holding massive drills.
The
ban imposed on the Iranian military drones on Friday comes as since April,
Vienna has been hosting negotiations on a revival of the nuclear deal,
officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which would
require the US to remove its anti-Iran sanctions three years after Washington
walked out of the JCPOA and slapped the bans on Iran to kill the deal.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2021/12/11/672434/US-House-Stop-Iranian-Drones-Act-
--------
Europe
France's
Zemmour calls for defence of Armenia, a ‘Christian’ nation in ‘Islamic ocean’
12
December 2021
Eric
Zemmour, far-right candidate for the 2022 French presidential election, called
on Sunday to better defend Armenia, a "Christian" nation in the
middle of "an Islamic ocean".
During
a visit to the monastery of Khor Virap, his first overseas trip as a candidate,
Zemmour invoked what he described as a historical clash between Christianity
and Islam.
“It
is the great confrontation between Christianity and Islam which is reborn
today,” he said. “We see it here with a Christian nation, which intends to
remain so, in the middle of an Islamic ocean.”
Zemmour
delivered the remarks following a Christian mass at the historic monastery
located near the border with Turkey.
The
63-year-old presidential candidate for the Reconquete party has been described
by some as "France's Trump" because of his hostile rhetoric on
migration and Islam.
Upon
his arrival at Yerevan airport in Armenia on Saturday, a small group of
protesters shouted slogans against Zemmour, describing him as a racist, and
some held up signs in French that read, “Not welcome, Eric Zemmour”.
The
majority Christian Armenia and its predominantly Muslim neighbour Azerbaijan
fought a short but bloody war last year for control over the breakaway region
of Nagorno-Karabakh, leaving 6,500 people dead.
The
defeated Armenia was forced to agree a ceasefire and cede several Azerbaijani
regions it controlled around this separatist region.
Since
then, tensions have remained high and several incidents have raised fears of a
resumption of fighting. France has repeatedly called for respect for the
ceasefire.
However,
this conflict between Baku, supported by Turkey, and Yerevan, which is part of
an alliance led by Russia, has never taken on a religious tinge, with
Azerbaijan being one of the most secular countries in the world.
"We
have seen French people who fail in their duty because they talk but they do
not really defend Armenia," said Zemmour.
Armenian
genocide memorial
Zemmour
is also scheduled to visit the Armenian genocide memorial near Yerevan.
France,
home to a sizeable Armenian diaspora, is among some 30 countries that recognise
the mass killings of Armenians during the First World War as
"genocide".
An
estimated 1.5 million Armenians were killed in Ottoman-controlled territory
between 1915 and 1923, the majority before 1919, through systematic
deportations, starvation and murder.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/france-zemmour-armenia-christian-nation-islamic-ocean
--------
Turkey
stresses support for sovereignty, territorial integrity of Bosnia
Burak
Dag and Talha Ozturk
12.12.2021
BELGRADE,
Serbia
Turkey
has underlined its determination to strongly support the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It
stressed this support after the National Assembly of Republika Srpska, one of
Bosnia-Herzegovina's two entities, took decisions at an extraordinary session
widely seen as moves towards secession.
"Turkey
sees the decisions of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska as harmful to
the constitutional and legal framework and detrimental to the peaceful and
prosperous future of the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Tanju
Bilgic, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, said late Saturday.
Bilgic
said the decisions are also a challenge to the peace and stability of the
Balkans and all of Europe.
"We
will continue to strive, together with the international community, for Bosnia
and Herzegovina to return to its real agenda, on the path of economic
development, as soon as possible. With this understanding, we call on those who
will bear the responsibility of harming peace and prosperity to abide by the
constitutional and legal framework and resort to dialogue instead of unilateral
actions," he added.
The
moves were also criticized by European politicians.
In
the session, the parliament of Republika Srpska decided to draft a new
constitution, and proposed Banja Luka become Republika Srpska’s new capital.
It
also moved to bring the powers of legislation and regulations governing the
security, defense, tax administration, and judicial system to Republika Srpska.
Officials
from the Democratic Action Party (SDA) officials called the moves a direct
attack on the 1995 Dayton peace accords – which ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war –
with serious repercussions.
Christian
Schmidt, the high representative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, urged Serbian
politicians to reverse their decisions.
"Serbian
politicians should stay away from decisions that would be disastrous for
Republika Srpska," he said in a statement.
The
Croat and Bosniak members of the presidential council of Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic, asked prosecutors to initiate necessary
legal proceedings against those who are linked to the decisions taken in the
Republika Srpska parliament.
Political
dispute in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina
is currently embroiled in a political conflict between Bosniaks and Serbs
living in the country.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bosnia's
dissolution inevitable if issues cannot be solved: Serb leader
Talha
Ozturk
11.12.2021
BELGRADE,
Serbia
A
Serbian member of Bosnia-Herzegovina's joint presidency has warned that
Republika Srpska will leave the country if the government fails to resolve the
challenging political situation.
"It
is inevitable that Bosnia and Herzegovina will break up and Republika Srpska
would leave the country if we cannot overcome the difficult situations we are
in," Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of the Bosnia's presidential council,
warned on Friday.
The
National Assembly of Republika Srpska, one of Bosnia-Herzegovina's two
entities, convened an extraordinary session in Banja Luka, the administrative
capital.
"The
Republic of Serbia will not take military measures and if it comes under
military attack, it will fight to resolve it by political means," he
added.
"We
will only continue our path through political means. Just because we lack
military might does not imply that we have lost. I reject war," Dodik said
during the session, and reiterated, "I call on this assembly to reject the
war."
During
the session, it was decided to draft a new Constitution, with Banja Luka
proposed to become the capital of Republika Srpska.
In
addition, within six months, the government of Republika Srpska must create
legislation and regulations governing the security, defense, tax
administration, and judicial system.
Meanwhile,
members of the opposition walked out of the conference, claiming that Dodik's
speech was a "pure election campaign."
The
Democratic Action Party (SDA) officials said the resolutions being debated in
the Republika Srpska parliament are a direct attack on the Dayton peace accord,
with serious repercussions.
Christian
Schmidt, the high representative of Bosnia-Herzegovina, urged Serbian
politicians to reverse their decisions.
"Serbian
politicians should stay away from decisions that would be disastrous for
Republika Srpska," he said in a statement.
The
Croat and Bosniak members of the presidential council of Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic, asked prosecutors to initiate necessary
legal proceedings against those who are linked to the decisions taken in the
Republika Srpska entity assembly.
Political
dispute in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina
is currently embroiled in a political conflict between Bosniaks and Serbs
living in the country.
The
dispute erupted after Valentin Inzko, former high representative for
Bosnia-Herzegovina, amended the criminal code in July to ban the denial of
genocide and the glorification of war criminals.
In
response, Bosnian Serb lawmakers said that they would boycott the country's
institutions.
Dodik
denounced the amendments. "We will not live in a country where someone can
impose a law by simply publishing it on his website."
The
Serb politician, who denied all legal changes enacted by the Office of the High
Representative, pledged to take drastic measures in the army, judiciary and tax
systems if the Dayton Agreement, which ended the 1992-95 Bosnian war, did not
return in its entirety.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Trial
In Killing Of Priyantha Kumara, A Lankan Man To Be Conducted On Daily Basis
December
12, 2021
LAHORE:
The government of Punjab has decided to conduct the trial pertaining to the mob
killing of Priyantha Kumara, a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot, on a
daily basis, Gulf News reported.
In a
meeting of the cabinet committee on law and order, Law Minister Basharat Raja,
who was presided over the sitting, directed the investigators to file the case
challan in court within 14 days.
The
prosecution was also directed to set up a special cell to monitor the case
trial. The meeting was attended by all the regional police officers (RPOs) and
commissioners of the province via video link.
The
Gujranwala RPO gave a detailed briefing on progress regarding the arrest of
those still at large and assured the remaining accused would also be
apprehended shortly.
The
committee also considered holding the trial of the suspects inside the prison.
A
delegation of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) a day
earlier visited the Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mohan Wijewickrama to pay
condolences. The delegation was led by Senator Syed Ali Zafar.
Zafar
said the nation as well as the entire legal fraternity are deeply saddened and
horrified and expressed solidarity with the Sri Lankan people and the family of
the deceased and strongly condemned the killing of Priyantha at the hands of
the mob.
He
also reiterated the unequivocal message of Prime Minister Imran Khan that there
would be a zero-tolerance policy for such incidents in Pakistan.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
In
first attack since end of truce, TTP fighters kill cop on polio duty
Dec
12, 2021
Gunmen
attacked two police officers who were providing security for polio vaccination
workers in Pakistan’s restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, killing one and
wounding the other, police said on Saturday, days after a terror group
announced that it has ended a month-long ceasefire deal with the government.
Mohammad
Khurasani, spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility
for the attack. It was the first attack since the TTP on Thursday announced the
end of a onemonth cease-fire with the government. The truce had been announced
in November amid peace talks between the two sides. The TTP has been targeting
vaccination drives in Pakistan, claiming it was a Western conspiracy to
sterilise children.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Simultaneous
scrutiny of parties’ funding sought
Mansoor
Malik
December
13, 2021
LAHORE:
The PTI government has called upon the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to
simultaneously scrutinise the funding sources of three major political parties
of the country — Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and
Pakistan Peoples Party — and make them public.
In
the second phase, the ECP should do the same for the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan
(TLP), Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI-F).
The
demands were made by federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad
Chaudhry and Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib at a news
conference at the Governor House on Sunday.
“Making
ECP-registered political parties’ accounts scrutinised honestly and without any
discrimination is mandatory for the commission as advised by the Supreme Court
in the Hanif Abbasi case of 2016,” said the state minister.
The
information minister said the incumbent government wanted that the funding
sources of all political parties, registered with the ECP, should be open for
all. Mr Chaudhry also gave some examples of huge amounts transferred to the
PML-N and PPP accounts without disclosure about any sources.
Minister
says ECP can complete in two months the process to ensure use of EVMs in next
polls
He
alleged that the PML-N leadership used its party account to whiten their
ill-gotten money. “The PTI will continue pursuing this case since it is a
complainant against the PML-N and PPP,” he added.
Mr
Chaudhry said the PPP’s funds record for the years 2009-12 was not available
and depositing of Rs420 million in a newly opened account in 2013 also lacked
information about the funding sources.
He
said that the PPP had got its company registered in the United States for which
former ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani had raised funds. There was no
record of millions of dollars collected in the fundraising campaign, he added.
Farrukh
Habib said the PTI had introduced a system of acknowledging its donors and the
party had submitted 22 volumes of record of its 40,000 donors to the ECP. He
said the commission had constituted a committee in 2017 to scrutinise the
accounts of the PML-N and PPP but failed to conclude the exercise so far.
Mr
Habib said the PML-N had nothing to say about its funding sources, adding that
former premier Benazir Bhutto had written in her book that Nawaz Sharif had
taken money to topple the PPP government. He also said the PML-N had got its
party registered in the United Kingdom and the PPP in the United States.
Fawad
Chaudhry said democracy would strengthen when political parties would have
their own structures and funding system. He regretted that many extremist
parties had got registered with the ECP and they had never given any detail of
their funding sources.
“This
is very serious issue and needs to be handled with care,” he said, adding:
“There has been an objection that the JUI-F continues getting foreign funding,
while there is no information about the funding sources of TLP,” Mr Chaudhry
observed.
The
minister, meanwhile, objected to the ‘threats’ hurled by Sindh Chief Minister
Murad Ali Shah and asserted that he should refrain from criticising the
federation. “Mr Shah is not ashamed of carrying Faryal Talpur’s purse but
always remains ready to hurl threats of breaking Pakistan,” he said.
Punjab
LG law, EVMs
Mr
Chaudhry praised Punjab for finalising the Punjab Local Government Act (PLGA)
2021 that would devolve powers and resources to grassroots level and create an
empowered government. Under the new law, he said, mayors would be elected
through direct election in every district of the province and they would
nominate their cabinets.
He
said every mayor in a district would literally be a chief minister and all the
funds sent to the provinces would ultimately reach the respective districts.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has fulfilled his promise of empowering local
governments at grassroots level despite opposition from within the party,” he
said.
Referring
to a statement that the upcoming local government elections could not held by
using electronic voting machines, the information minister asserted that these
could be held by using EVMs by all means. “The ECP should issue a tender and
the companies from all over the world would bid and it [commission] could
select, purchase and use them in elections,” he said, adding that this process
could easily be completed in just two months.
Stating
that the ECP should take this matter a bit seriously, Mr Chaudhry acknowledged
that the commission had constituted a committee and was heading towards the use
of EVMs. In the upcoming LG elections, he said, all political parties would get
a chance to show their muscles. He said PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had
destroyed the party and it would not even be able to get candidates in the next
elections.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1663462
--------
PM
Imran assures Gwadar protesters of action against illegal fishing
Saleem
Shahid | Syed Irfan Raza
December
13, 2021
ISLAMABAD
/ QUETTA: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said that demands of the coastal
community of Gwadar were ‘very legitimate’ and announced that he would take up
the matter with Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo.
The
intervention by Prime Minister Khan came nearly a month after the Gwadar
fishermen took to the streets to press the government for their demands including
halt to illegal fishing.
Mr
Khan vowed to take ‘strong’ action against illegal fishing by trawlers. “I have
taken notice of the very legitimate demands of hardworking fishermen of
Gwadar. Will be taking strong action against illegal fishing by trawlers and
will speak to CM Balochistan,” the premier tweeted.
While
both CM Bizenjo and leader of the Gwadar protest movement Maulana Hidayatur
Rehman hailed the PM’s tweet, the latter pointed out that the real issue was
fulfillment of promises.
A
senator belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), meanwhile, told
the state-run TV channel that some demands of the local fishermen were
unacceptable. “If some of these demands are met, the government will have to
provide such facilities to all people of the country,” Senator Abdul Qadir, who
hails from Balochistan, said.
Fishermen
in large numbers along with women and children have been protesting on the
shores of Gwadar for past 28 days to press the relevant authorities for
elimination of illegal fishing by trawlers, removal of Gwadar Development
Authority director general as well as Pasni’s deputy commissioners and
assistant commissioner, cross-border trade with Iran, provision of clean
drinking water, closure of wine shops, jobs, job quota for disabled and free
300 units of electricity.
Led
by Maulana Hidayatur Rehman, Balochistan general secretary of the
Jamaat-i-Islami, the protesters have vowed to continue their protest till
the achievement of their ‘rights’. They blocked roads and other places by
holding rallies and staging a sit-in.
Adviser
to the CM on Home and Tribal Affairs Mir Ziaullah Langau told a PTV show that
the Balochistan government had already fulfilled most of their 19 demands and
vowed to take stern action against what he called “illegal trawlers mafia”.
Regarding
one of the three remaining complaints, the CM’s aide said Maulana Rehman had
recently admitted during a meeting that illegal fishing by trawlers had
‘declined’ though at the same time he feared a resurge in the activity if the
protesters ended their sit-in.
About
their boats and vehicles that had been confiscated under the Customs Act, the
adviser said he had informed the protesters that it was an act of the federal
government and was “out of the domain of Balochistan government”.
Speaking
to Dawn, PTI Senator Abdul Qadir said some of their demands were
‘unacceptable’. “If some of these demands are met, the government will have to
provide such facilities to all people of the country. For example, fishermen
are demanding free 300 units of electricity, cross-border trade with Iran and
use of non-custom duty paid cars,” he said before adding that people of Gwadar
already enjoyed those facilities which were unavailable to those residing in
other parts of Balochistan.
The
senator said some ‘anti-state’ elements were provoking the fisherman against
the government in order to create unrest in the port city.
The
Gwadar rights movement leader also lauded the tweet of PM Khan saying: “We are
not stubborn and believe in solution of the issues” though the prime minister
took notice of the demands after their protest entered 28th day. He said the
protest would continue as the people awaited practical steps to meet all the
demands, which were very much legitimate.
He
said the PM did not talk about some other important issues including opening of
border, power and water issues and return of the confiscated boats and
vehicles.
Despite
official notifications issued by the provincial government, no step had been
taken to fulfill those promises, he said. “We want implementation as our people
are deprived of their livelihoods due to the restrictions,” he said.
Maulana
Rehman had earlier said the protest would continue until the acceptance of two
major demands — action against ‘trawler mafia’ and cross-border trade with Iran
— out of the 19 demands.
While
hailing the assurance given by the prime minister, CM Bizenjo said the
assurance was encouraging. He claimed that the steps demanded by the Gwadar
rights movement, which came under the purview of the provincial government,
were already being implemented as per its policy.
“Relevant
provincial departments are ensuring prevention of illegal fishing and
trawling,” he said, adding that unnecessary checkpoints and token system for
border trade had already been abolished. He said licences of wine shops had
been canceled in Gwadar and funds had been released for urgent solution to the
drinking water problems as well as for the Gwadar old city development plan.
“Some
other demands, including electricity, are related to the federal government,”
the CM said, expressing the hope that the demands related to the federation
would also be resolved with better coordination between relevant departments
and agencies to curb illegal trawling.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
snubbed US democracy summit to please China
By FM
SHAKIL
DECEMBER
13, 2021
PESHAWAR
– Pakistan gave the US-sponsored virtual “Summit for Democracy” a miss after
remaining ambivalent for days about joining the event in official fear of
annoying its all-weather strategic ally China and thereby potentially
jeopardizing over US$60 billion worth of Chinese investment in the country.
Pakistan’s
foreign office did not explicitly announce that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s
elected government turned down the US invitation but media reports indicate
that’s what happened, likely under Beijing’s pressure.
China
reportedly contacted Pakistani authorities in the two weeks before the summit
to lobby them against participating. Days after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah
Mehmood Qureshi had a late-night telephone conversation with his Chinese
counterpart Wang Yi, Pakistan officially decided to skip the summit.
As
Pakistan’s Foreign Office announced the decision, official circles in Islamabad
were reportedly worried that Washington would be irked by the snub, though no
official US statement was made on Pakistan’s non-participation.
Pakistan’s
Foreign Office said in a statement:
“We
remain deeply committed to further deepening democracy, fighting corruption,
and protecting and promoting the human rights of all citizens. We value our
partnership with the US, which we wish to expand both bilaterally as well as in
terms of regional and international cooperation. We remain in contact with the
US on a range of issues and believe that we can engage on this subject at an
opportune time in the future. Pakistan will, meanwhile, continue to support all
efforts aimed towards strengthening dialogue, constructive engagement, and
international cooperation for the advancement of our shared goals.”
Last
week, Pakistan Prime Minister Khan referred to the US democracy summit overture
as a “Cold-War approach”, claiming that Pakistan did not want to be a part of
any political bloc in the region but instead wanted to play a role in bridging
the gaps between the US and China. However, Khan’s assertions did not allay
fears that Pakistan virtually lent support to the Chinese bloc by skipping the
US confab.
Mushahid
Hussain Sayed, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senator, told told Asia Times
that the government took the right decision to skip the event. He said that the
government wanted to send a message to the US not to take Pakistan for granted
and treat it with the respect it deserves given the help Islamabad delivered
for the US in Afghanistan – a view not shared by all in Washington.
He
said the Biden administration’s attitude towards Pakistan has been either cold
or hostile and often demeaning, including when US Deputy Secretary of State
Wendy Sherman visited India in October but snubbed visiting Islamabad. Mushahid
noted the US has not put forward any forward-looking proposals for bilateral
relations, opting instead to blame Pakistan for its failures in Afghanistan.
“In
my view, there were reasons for skipping the summit…Instead of thanking
Pakistan for evacuating its citizens and assets out of Afghanistan – the CIA
chief visited personally to Islamabad for that purpose – the US continued to
scapegoat Pakistan, taking scant regard to its policy failures on Afghanistan,”
Mushahid added.
China
was the first to support Islamabad’s decision to snub the virtual summit
meeting. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson and Director General Information
Department Lijian Zhao wrote in a tweet: “Pakistan declined to attend democracy
summit. A real iron brother! The people who sustain the worst losses are
usually those who overreach, including all those who think they are calculating
enough to play the “Taiwan card.”
The
Biden administration peeved China by inviting Taiwan, which Beijing considers a
renegade province rather than a self-governing country, to the democracy event.
Mushahid
believes that the summit was not really about democracy promotion but rather
played the democracy card to isolate China and Russia. “The summit was using
the banner of democracy but the agenda was an ideological Cold War perspective
to promote an anti-China conclave,” he said.
“We
know the US reaction in the past when Pakistan took decisions contrary to
Washington’s desires. It happened on our China policy under Ayub Khan in the
1960s or the nuclear program under Bhutto in the 70s or Mian Nawaz Sharif
testing the nuclear Bomb in 1998. [But] whenever Pakistan faced US sanctions,
we came out better in the end,”
He
recalled that in the 1960s, following US sanctions, Pakistan started an
indigenous defense production program and in 1990 after the Pressler Amendment,
the country built its own nuclear capability. “In any case, the US should know
that the road to peace, security and stability in the region lies via Islamabad
and for the US in the region, Pakistan is the only game in town,” he added.
Source:
Asia Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://asiatimes.com/2021/12/pakistan-snubbed-us-democracy-summit-to-please-china/
--------
Southeast
Asia
Mahathir
criticises overreach by shariah authorities
December
12, 2021
PETALING
JAYA: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has criticised the shariah
system, arguing in his memoir that shariah courts and religious authorities
have subjected non-Muslims to their jurisdiction in certain cases.
“Although
Malaysian shariah law states that the shariah court only has jurisdiction over
Muslims, religious authorities and the shariah courts have subjected non-Muslim
spouses to their jurisdiction as well,” he said, referring to several
contentious custody battles involving conversion of children to Islam.
“We
are still unable to solve the complex problems arising from the overlapping
jurisdictions when common law says one thing and shariah law says another.”
In
his book, Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia, which was
officially launched today, Mahathir also criticised some actions of the
religious authorities, saying it seemed they had exceeded their powers under
the law.
He
added that forcing shariah law on believers of other faiths was likely to cause
protests, resistance and instability, calling it “an action abhorrent in the
Quran” and “constitutionally impossible”.
He
said the Quran stated an individual should not be forced to accept a religion
or belief against his or her will.
Mahathir
also cited protection for others to profess their own faith in the Constitution
under Article 3(1), which states other religions can be practised freely.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Umno
can ensure secularism, linking with Amanah and DAP
K.
Parkaran
December
13, 2021
Recent
flip-flops by the federal government on matters involving non-Muslim liberties
have led to some people accusing it of playing the “good cop, bad cop” game.
The
issue of reversing its stand of asking the manufacturers of Timah whisky to do
a name change was one among them.
Here,
domestic trade and consumer affairs minister Alexander Nanta Linggi, a
Sarawakian Christian, was seen as the hero by settling the matter in a most
amicable manner, when it was not an issue in the first place. Level heads
prevailed despite PAS’ stand on the matter.
Then
came the finance ministry’s new regulation on alcohol sale and licensing fees
which saw a barrage of protests from non-Muslims. It was not because all of
them were alcoholics, but most felt that if allowed, the ruling could be the
start of authorities infringing on the rights of non-Muslims in a
constitutionally secular country.
In
came MCA’s Wee Ka Siong, sounding like a knight in shining armour, making an
announcement that the Customs department, which is under the finance ministry,
would cancel the order. It’s obvious why the government tasked Wee with making
the announcement when he was only the transport minister. Of course it was to
score points with the Chinese community.
Then
there is this current imbroglio on not allowing Thaipusam processions when huge
Keluarga Malaysia gatherings were taking place in a seemingly uncontrolled
manner. Even MIC deputy president M Saravanan, who is human resources minister,
in a rare move took his government to task over this.
Can
we expect another about-turn? Maybe Saravanan will be tasked to make the
announcement that the Keluarga Malaysia government now listens to its family
members and will rescind the decision for the celebration on Jan 18 next year?
Last
week in Parliament, a PAS backbencher claimed the uniforms worn by MAS
stewardesses was too revealing.
This
subject, and a few other related ones, seem to surface on and off, especially
when elections loom. Perhaps the MP should question if there is mismanagement
in the national carrier that resulted in colossal losses instead of talking
about attire which covers most parts of the stewardesses’ bodies anyway.
Well,
with the next general election (GE15) looming, we can expect more of these
kinds of flip-flops, and back to some “flop-flips” perhaps months after the
election, going by past actions.
Are
we seeing a silent battle between Umno and PAS, both trying to outdo each other
on who’s more Islamic? Here, PAS and Bersatu are openly advocating for a huge
Malay-Muslim majority to lead the country while Barisan Nasional, with its
non-Malay component parties MCA and MIC, seems to be taking a more moderate
stand of late.
Pakatan
Harapan, on the other hand, is struggling with its image as a truly multiracial
coalition as it is facing an uphill battle making Malays accept its secular
approach, especially with how the strongest partner, DAP, has been demonised by
PAS and Bersatu, and Umno before that.
In
this context, some political observers are of the view that Umno has a key role
in ‘taming’ PAS through the Muafakat Nasional platform so that pluralism
becomes the only way Malaysia should go if it hopes to claw its way back to
become the economic tiger it once was in Asia. Malaysia is way behind many
countries, even in the Southeast Asian region.
Last
week, the United Arab Emirates announced some big changes to fit into the
global structure which is mainly secular, by transitioning to a 4.5-day work
week, with weekends to consist of Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday.
That’s
significant because the Muslim country wants to be more in line with Western
schedules. Up until now, the UAE had a Friday-Saturday weekend, the standard in
many predominantly Muslim countries.
“The
extended weekend comes as part of the UAE government’s efforts to boost
work-life balance and enhance social well-being, while increasing performance
to advance its economic competitiveness,” the government declared.
Malaysia
was founded on the precepts of secularism, but decades of heavily influenced
race and religious politics, coupled with blatant social engineering has led to
the huge split among Malaysians, which is still widening.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Dr M
says wasn’t forced to make Guan Eng finance minister, needed his skills to deal
with Najib’s financial mess
12
Dec 2021
BY G.
PRAKASH
KUALA
LUMPUR, Dec 12 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has revealed that the appointment of
Lim Guan Eng as finance minister after he became the prime minister for the
second time was purely because he was confident in the latter’s ability to
perform well.
Dr
Mahathir said he initially did not expect any trouble over the appointment but
the Opposition at that time seized on it to accuse him of being controlled by
DAP.
In
his latest book titled Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues For A New
Malaysia, Dr Mahathir told his version of the events that led to the abrupt
collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government he led in the aftermath of the
landmark 14th General Election in 2018.
“I
had confidence in Guan Eng’s ability to perform well — after all, he
strengthened the finances of the state of Penang when he was chief minister and
this was a skill we badly needed in order to deal with the financial problems
created by Najib’s government.
“The
allegation that I was being controlled by DAP was played up by Umno so
relentlessly that I was unable to counter them,” he wrote.
He
said that despite his arguments, Umno, which was the Opposition at the time,
latched on to the idea that the government had somehow come under “Chinese”
control.
“It’s
a deeply racist and insecure idea but it was a key part of their strategy to
undermine the government. No matter how we explained ourselves, they would
repeat that Malaysia needed a Malay-Muslim government, and that the DAP was
anti-Muslim and intended to destroy the Malays, and so forth.
“This
was all propaganda, and it came from the side that lost the general election,
but Malaysians who are not very knowledgeable about politics tend to swallow
this hook, line and sinker,” he wrote.
He
said Umno “cybertroopers” worked hard at encouraging the idea that DAP was
becoming too powerful.
He
said within months of his first year as the eighth prime minister, rumours were
being circulated that Lim was dominating the government and controlling him.
“This
was patently untrue. Like everyone else, Guan Eng listened to the views of
others, and there was no way to impose his will on the Cabinet.
“Guan
Eng was a very senior minister but he was also a member of a five-party
Cabinet. The DAP won 42 seats at the general election and they had six Cabinet portfolios.
Bersatu won 13 seats and we also had six ministers, one of whom was the prime
minister and another was minister of home affairs.
“DAP
never questioned me on this division, and to say that I was under the control
of the DAP was a complete lie. For the most part, Guan Eng always referred to
me and sought my approval on almost all his initiatives. In fact, even in
Cabinet meetings, every time he proposed something, he would end it by saying
‘if the prime minister agrees,’” he said.
Dr
Mahathir said when Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Umno started playing up the fear
that DAP would somehow “destroy the Malays”, it resonated with the community
as, for many years, people in Umno had claimed that DAP was the enemy.
“DAP
members were communists, pro-Chinese chauvinists, and so forth, and now they
were in the Government: of course, they were planning to destroy the Malays —
so it was claimed.
“This
kind of thinking is credible where the Malays are concerned, but the DAP was
never in control of the Pakatan Harapan government, and was never out to
destroy anyone.
“The
DAP could not do anything without the consent of the Cabinet. They would put up
a paper in the Cabinet, and we would debate. The Cabinet rejected many of their
suggestions, which is the usual business of government,” he wrote.
Dr
Mahathir said it is common and normal in Malaysia for each race to look after
itself.
For
example, he said the Chinese community will continue to demand that Chinese
schools be maintained and that the Chinese language be used, and even to the
point of inviting only Chinese-speaking people to apply for jobs.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Iran’s
Chief Negotiator: Vienna Talks Progressing in Serious Atmosphere
2021-December-12
Baqeri
Kani said that he is optimistic about reaching agreement; however, the country
will surely not be simple-minded as "our people" have the bad
experience of the other side('s disloyalty).
The
atmosphere within the talks is based on mutual respect and very serious, he
added.
Baqeri
Kani went on to say that each side should defend its stance and give its
reasons.
As he
stressed, no approach has been seen as interruption to the talks.
The
deputy foreign minister said that full and comprehensive agreement has not been
reached on many parts.
For
instance, the two have reached agreement on the part of nuclear activities;
meanwhile, some related issues had remained from the sixth round of talks about
which the two have to continue negotiations, he noted.
At
the end of the sixth round of talks in Vienna, removal of the sanctions,
nuclear activities, and some other issues remained unresolved, and if any
question remains unsolved during the fresh talks, it will be added to the
previous ones, Baqeri Kani underlined.
Asked
about the possibility of reaching an agreement, the top negotiator said the
talks should proceed and the two sides should direct the talks to a result and
agreement.
About
the meetings between the two sides, he said the two sides will negotiate
continuously based on the documents exchanged between them.
Iran
and the five remaining parties (Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany)
to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) began the talks in the
Austrian capital in April with the aim of removing Washington’s unlawful
sanctions after the US voiced interest to return to the agreement.
Last
week’s discussions followed a five-month hiatus that saw President Rayeesi come
to office and Iran send a new team of negotiators to Vienna.
The
fresh round of talks between the two sides started on Thursday.
Iran
wants all sanctions imposed by Washington after it left the deal to be removed
in a verifiable process.
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian underlined Iran’s resolve to reach a
“good agreement”, saying the Western sides have talked the talk in recent years
but it is high time they walk the walk as well to secure a serious, good deal.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
warns of ‘heavy price’ after report of US-Israeli military drill plans
11
December ,2021
A top
Iranian military official warned on Saturday of a “heavy price” for aggressors,
state media said, after a report of US and Israeli plans for possible military
drills to prepare for strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites if diplomacy fails.
“Providing
conditions for military commanders to test Iranian missiles with real targets
will cost the aggressors a heavy price,” Nournews, affiliated with Iran’s top
security body, said on Twitter, citing an unnamed military official.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Turkey
not yet ready to give up on Muslim Brotherhood
Pinar
Tremblay
13.12.2021
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has often said that he wants to reconcile with
the Gulf countries, Egypt and Israel. On Dec 7, Erdogan reiterated that better
relations with Israel would benefit the regional peace.
But
all these countries would like Ankara to curb its enthusiasm for the Muslium
Brotherhood (MB), a global organization with different groups and political
entities under its broad umbrella. MB has been declared a terrorist
organization in countries such as Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE and
Syria. Turkey has become a hub for exiled MB members after the Arab Spring. And
today as Turkey wants to rebuild relations in the region, its support for MB is
a major issue.
Since
2013, Qatar and Turkey have emerged as main supporters of MB. Unlike Qatar, whose support was mostly financial,
Ankara’s relations are multilayered and complex. Reports have emerged that
Israel has asked Turkey to close Hamas offices in Istanbul. But a senior
bureaucrat, speaking on condition of anonymity in Ankara, told Al Monitor,
“This is not even an option open for negotiation for us.”
In
Turkey, MB has domestic support and organic growth. Erdogan’s pragmatism is
well known, but on MB issues over the last two decades his support has not
wavered.
But
Turkey’s foreign policy options in the Middle East are dwindling. Ankara wants
to break its isolated stand. Erdogan’s need for higher domestic approval
compels him to speak more amicably about different Middle Eastern rivals.
Turkey’s
bargaining chips are scarce, and its support for MB is probably one of the few
that still matters. But although it may be willing to agree to curb activities
of certain MB opposition voices, for Ankara it is too soon and too risky to cut
off links with MB.
Even
if Ankara has the political will to end its support, what would happen to
homegrown MB? The senior bureaucrat commented, “If we close Hamas’s offices and
expel members of MB, then what will be the next demand, shut down IHH and
others and prosecute them?
MB’s
reach is wider than meets the eye. In May 2010, the Mavi Marmara flotilla was
raided by Israeli commandos, and 10 Turkish citizens were killed in a mission
to end the Gaza blockade. That ship was owned by IHH, Humanitarian Relief
Organization, a Turkish Islamist NGO active in over 115 countries. Israel
declared IHH a terrorist organization in 2008 because of IHH’s support for
Hamas to fund its military activities. Indeed, IHH was under legal scrutiny in
the 1990s, before AKP assumed power.
AKP
has allowed several Islamic organizations to operate freely, filling in gaps
for education and for social and economic aid both at home and abroad. IHH, for
instance, is a force to be reckoned with for any politician. At the end of
November, four young IHH volunteers lost their lives in a car accident, and
their funerals drew condolences for IHH from all political party leaders and
different Islamist NGOs.
On
Nov. 29, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted support for
Palestine. Yet Turkey’s support for Palestinians is neither unconditional nor
for all Palestinians. Since 2019, Turkey has a $700,000 bounty on Mohammed
Dahlan, a former Fatah leader who fled to UAE. Dahlan is seen as Hamas’ rival
in Gaza. Given Turkey's economic and regional struggles, it would be
unrealistic to expect an expansion of support for Hamas, but Ankara is not yet
ready to bid Hamas goodbye.
Source:
Al Monitor
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https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2021/12/turkey-not-yet-ready-give-muslim-brotherhood
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Africa
UN
Support Mission in Libya encourages all sides to unify state institutions
12
December ,2021
The
United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Sunday welcomed the meeting
that took place between Gen. Abdulrazzak al-Nazouri and Gen. Mohammed al-Hadad
in Libya’s Sirt.
“UNSMIL
warmly welcomes the meeting that took place on [December 11] between Gen.
Abdulrazzak al-Nazouri and Gen. Mohammed al-Hadad in Sirt,” the mission said in
a statement shared on Twitter.
Al-Nazouri
is the Chief of Staff of the Libyan Armed Forces, who was appointed by the
Libyan House of Representatives, while al-Haddad is the Chief of General Staff
of the Libyan Army in Tripoli.
“The
Mission encourages all sides to take further concrete steps towards unifying
state institutions, including military and security institutions,” the
statement added.
On
Saturday, al-Nazouri said that Libya’s military institution will unite.
“Our
responsibility is to protect the homeland and the constitution, and to preserve
the military institution,” he said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Al-Shabaab
kills 4 African Union peacekeepers in Somalia
Mohammed
Dhaysane
12.12.2021
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Twin
blasts targeted Burundian soldiers serving under the African Union peacekeeping
mission (AMISOM) in southern Somalia on Saturday, a security official said.
The
official, who spoke to Anadolu Agency over the phone on the condition of
anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media, said Burundian peacekeepers
hit two improvised explosive devices while patrolling on foot between the
vicinity of Buurane and Mahaday towns in the Middle Shabelle region.
Al-Shabaab,
a Somali-based al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, claimed responsibility for
the attack on the African Union peacekeepers, saying it had killed four
Burundian soldiers in the attack.
Mahaday,
which houses an AMISOM base, is an agricultural town located 118 kilometers (73
miles) north of the Somali capital Mogadishu.
The
official said al-Shabaab terrorists flooded villages in the region on purpose
to stop AMISOM and the Somali national army from traveling.
"By
the way, al-Shabaab have deliberately flooded villages between Balcad and
Jowhar after they broke the water reserves of Xawaadleey vicinity which was
built during the 1970s to assist the Shabelle regions during the dry season.
They are doing this because they fear military operations against their
hideous," he said.
Earlier
on Saturday, a bomb blast in the town of Jowhar killed one civilian and wounded
five others, including two regional lawmakers.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/al-shabaab-kills-4-african-union-peacekeepers-in-somalia/2445228
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Sudan’s
PM replaces acting state governors named after coup
13
December ,2021
Sudanese
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has replaced all acting state governors appointed
by the country's military leader after a coup in late October, a document seen
by Reuters on Sunday said.
The
decision is part of efforts by Hamdok, who returned to the premiership under a
deal with the military, to roll back changes made by the military following the
takeover.
Hamdok's
office confirmed the decision.
Hamdok
has also replaced most of the caretaker deputy ministers appointed by the
military, some of them veterans of the rule of Omar al-Bashir, who was toppled
amid a popular uprising in 2019.
However,
Hamdok has yet to name a cabinet of technocrats as stipulated by the Nov. 21
deal he struck with the military, and faces a challenge in doing so due to
opposition to the deal from political parties and protesters.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Bomb
blast kills 1, wounds 2 regional lawmakers in southern Somalia
Mohammed
Dhaysane
11.12.2021
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
At
least one civilian was killed and five other people were wounded, including two
regional lawmakers, when a terrorist-claimed bomb blast targeted a restaurant
in southern Somalia on Saturday, an official said.
An
IED-type bomb was smuggled into the restaurant in Jowhar, a regional capital 90
kilometers (55 miles) north of the Somali capital Mogadishu, a police officer
in Jowhar told Anadolu Agency over the phone.
"We
know that a traditional elder was killed in the bomb attack, which also wounded
five others including two MPs,” he said.
Al-Shabaab,
an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group based in the Horn of Africa country,
claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had targeted lawmakers for Hirshabelle
state, whose capital is Jowhar.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Benin
opposition leader gets 20 years behind bars on terrorism charges
Aurore
Bonny
11.12.2021
DOUALA,
Cameroon
A
special court in Benin’s capital Porto-Novo on Saturday sentenced Reckya
Madougou, opposition leader and former justice minister, to 20 years in prison
over terrorism charges.
The
Court of Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism sentenced Madougou to 20
years in jail and a fine of $86,000 for complicity in terrorist acts, local
broadcaster ORTB reported.
Madougou,
along with other opposition leaders, was jailed this March just weeks before
April general elections in the West African nation of over 12 million people, and
they were barred from contesting the polls.
She
was accused of inciting terror and mayhem, as well as plotting to assassinate
prominent officials during the April elections.
"I
sacrifice myself for democracy," she wrote on Twitter after the verdict
was announced, "and if my sacrifice may allow you, President, and your
fellow judges to reclaim their independence from the government, then I would
not have gone through this torture and horror unnecessarily."
One
of her lawyers, Antoine Vey, criticized the court's "lack of impartiality
and independence" as well as a planned trial, which she called a
"mediatized political coup."
Mario
Metonou, the court's special prosecutor, said Madougou was implicated, along
with some members of her political party, on charges of maneuvers aimed at
"provoking terror, chaos, and suspending the April 2021 electoral
process."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Tunisia
protest group calls for rallies to mark revolution anniversary
Alaa
Hammoudi
12.12.2021
TUNIS,
Tunisia
A
protest group has called for demonstrations on Friday to mark the 11th
anniversary of the Tunisian revolution.
In a
statement on Sunday, the “Citizens Against Coup” initiative called for the
restoration of the elected parliament and defending the country’s constitution.
The
protest group renewed calls for setting a date for holding early parliamentary
and presidential elections as an exit from the country's ongoing political
crisis.
On
July 25, Tunisian President Kais Saied ousted the government, suspended
parliament, and assumed executive authority. While he insists that his
exceptional measures are meant to "save" the country, his critics
accuse him of orchestrating a coup.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Tunisia’s
Ennahda rejects attempts to abolish 2014 constitution
Yousra
Ounes
11.12.2021
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia’s
Ennahda movement on Saturday rejected attempts to abolish the country’s 2014
constitution.
“We
express our rejection of the attempts to abolish the 2014 constitution, and the
tendency to unilaterally engineer the political and legal system of Tunisia,”
the movement said in a statement.
It
also warned against violating the constitutional structure through presidential
decrees which it said could usher the government “into an open crisis of
legitimacy, with dire consequences for political stability and the future of
the country."
The
statement also appreciated President Kais Saied's recent call for coexistence
and respect for difference, while also warning against "exploiting the
exceptional situation and harnessing state institutions to impose personal and
partisan agendas."
On
Thursday, Saied said during a meeting with three constitutional law professors
that his country's crisis lies in the 2014 constitution, adding that it was no
longer valid and has no legitimacy in Tunisia.
The
Tunisian president ousted the government on July 25, suspended the parliament
and assumed executive authority. While he insists that his "exceptional
measures" are meant to "save" the country, critics accuse him of
orchestrating a coup.
Experts
and observers have in recent weeks sounded alarms of the possibility of the
Tunisian president taking a decision to suspend the 2014 constitution.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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