Five Thousand Clerics and Islamic Scholars to Meet In Deoband on May 28, Discuss Gyanvapi and UCC
New Age Islam News Bureau
21 May 2022
For Representative Purpose Only
----
• London's Westminster Council Elects for the First
Time a Muslim Hamza Taouzzale as lord Mayor and an Imam to Be Council Chaplain
• Taliban Ditches Former Ally Tehreek-Taliban Pakistan
over Quest for Global Recognition
• Chicago Judge Finds Sufficient Evidence Linking
anti-Israel group American Muslims for Palestine to Hamas Supporters
• Terrorism Resurges in Pakistan: Terrorists Shoot Two
Members of Sikh Community Dead
India
• Delhi University Professor, a Historian, Arrested
Over Social Media Post on Gyanvapi Mosque
• K'taka: 3 Muslim Students Quit School Over Bajrang
Dal's Arms Training Camp, Admin Blames 'Dubai Calls'
• UP: Man Booked For Objectionable Social Media Posts
about Holy Sites Of Muslims
• SC Shifts Gyanvapi Mosque Worship Suit Trial to Varanasi
District Judge
• BJP Raising Issues like Gyanvapi Mosque as Its Graph
Is Dipping, Says Congress Rajya Sabha Member
• BJP Stoking Communal Issues with Eye On 2024 Polls,
Says Shiv Sena On Gyanvapi Mosque Row
• Gyanvapi Mosque Row: Allahabad HC Stays Hearing On
Temple-Mosque Conflict Issue till July 6
• Gyanvapi Mosque Sees Spurt in Footfall for Friday Prayer
• Qasim Rasool Ilyas: For the first time, AIMPLB has
decided to reach out to leaders of all non-Muslim organisations
• Jammu Govt College Students Recite Hanuman Chalisa
In Protest Against Mosque Loudspeaker
• Bajrang Dal workers burn effigies of political
leaders over remarks on Gyanvapi mosque issue
• Gyanvapi mosque case: SC's observation on Places of
Worship Act
• Gyanvapi: Intelligence lens on father of Umar Khalid
• Uttar Pradesh: Mathura row not under Places of
Worship Act, says court
--------
Europe
• UK Allocates £24.5 Million for Security in Mosques,
Muslim Schools
• International Muslim History Month returns to shed
light on pioneers and sees quadrupled participation
• Turks in Sweden call on Nordic country to stop
supporting YPG/PKK terror group
• Turkiye not to change stance as long as Sweden has
ties with PKK terrorists: Envoy
--------
South
Asia
• Taliban Leadership Has Zero Credibility for Women’s
Rights: Human Rights Watch
• UN rights chief decries Taliban's move to dissolve
Human Rights Commission
• Pakistan brokers deal with TTP backed by Afghan
Taliban
• The Taliban Ministry of Finance Suspends Wheat
Exports, Cites Food Security
--------
North
America
• US Drops ‘Foreign Terrorist’ Designation from
Israeli, Basque, Egyptian Groups
• US welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan forthcoming talks in
Brussels
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan PM Shehbaz, Punjab CM Hamza in Court for
Hearing of Rs16bn Money Laundering Case
• Pavlovian response: India slams Bilawal for raking
up Kashmir at UNSC
• Pakistani rupee dips past 200 a dollar, IMF’s help
uncertain
• Pak EC ‘de-seats’ dissident PTI legislators who
voted for PML-N's candidate as Punjab's CM
• Only national govt can steer country out of crisis,
say Zardari, Fazl
• Pak Information Minister Aurangzeb takes a dig at
PTI, asks ECP to hasten up foreign funding case
• Cracks emerge between Pakistan’s new government,
military
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Singapore's Muslim Community Has To Forge Its Own
Religious Compass, Says Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir
• Najib Accuses Kit Siang of Inciting Public after Sri
Lanka Comparisons
• Supporters of Indonesian preacher denied entry to
S'pore stage protests in Jakarta, Medan
--------
Arab
World
• Hezbollah, Allies Hold Sway in Lebanon’s New
Parliament, Senior Official Says
• Peace, Taiz in focus as Saudi deputy defence
minister meets US special envoy to Yemen
• Syria Intercepts Israeli Missile Attack: State Media
• State Department calls on Lebanese leaders to work
with ‘urgency’ to rescue economy
• Syria Lambasts Turkey’s Erdogan Plan to Return
Million Refugees
• Lebanon recovery plan includes central bank debt
write-off, haircuts to depositors
• Amnesty urges Yemen’s Houthis to free journalists on
death row
--------
Mideast
• Over 50 Democrat Lawmakers Ask for FBI Probe into
Shireen Abu Akleh’s Killing
• US setting up military bases in eastern Yemen
cashing in on UN-brokered truce, says Houthi
• Turkey Overcame ‘Family Disputes’ With Saudi Arabia,
UAE: Erdogan
• Hezbollah Chief: Palestinians No Longer Wait For
Arab Regimes To Come To Their Rescue
• Iranian Priest: Islamic Republic’s Approach towards
Religious Minorities Admirable
• Palestinian teen shot in Israeli raid in occupied
West Bank
• Israeli gov't determined to stay in power amid
legislator's exit, says co-chair
--------
Africa
• Tunisia’s President Saied Excludes Parties from
Preparing New Constitution
• Sudan’s ruling junta frees detained anti-coup
figures: Party
• Three migrants’ dead, 10 missing as boat capsizes
off Tunisia
• US must not harm civilians, repeat past violations
in new Somalia mission: Rights group
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/clerics-islamic-scholars-deoband-gyanvapi-ucc/d/127058
--------
Five Thousand Clerics and Islamic Scholars to Meet In
Deoband on May 28, Discuss Gyanvapi and UCC
For Representative Purpose Only
----
May 21, 2022
Muzaffarnagar: More than 5,000 clerics and Islamic
scholars from all over the country will assemble in Uttar Pradesh's Deoband to
deliberate on issues related to Gyanvapi mosque and the Uniform Civil Code
(UCC) during a two-day session organised by Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind on May 28, a
Jamiat member said on Friday.
Mohammad Azeemullah, media in-charge of Jamiat
Ulema-i-Hind, said, "Representatives of the country's important Muslim
organisations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, along with
various other scholars and intellectuals will take part in the discussion. The
main objective is to brainstorm on the prevailing socio-political developments,
particularly those related to the Muslim community. Gyanvapi mosque and UCC
will be on the agenda." Divulging more details, Azeemullah said, "The
row over Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura will not be part of the official agenda
for discussion, as of now. Members of social organisations such as Jamiat Ulema
e-Hind and Jamaat-e Islami will be present along with many clerics. Jamiat's
national president Maulana Mahmood Madani will preside over the session."
Madani had also issued a statement on Thursday
stating, "The issue of Gyanvapi mosque has been a topic of public debate
these days and the country's judiciary has taken it up. Several anti-social
elements and biased media are trying to create a rift between the two
communities by wrapping it in an emotional coat. So, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind
appeals to the citizens of India, especially the Muslims, that issues like
Gyanvapi mosque should not be brought on the road and public demonstration of
all kinds should be avoided." Madani also appealed to clerics to
"avoid taking part in TV debates and media trials".
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
London's
Westminster Council Elects for the First Time a Muslim Hamza Taouzzale as lord
Mayor and an Imam to Be Council Chaplain
Lord
Mayor of Westminster Hamza Taouzzale looks at photos of his predecessors.
Photo: Westminster City Council
-----
Simon
Rushton
May
20, 2022
A
councillor elected to be lord mayor of Westminster, in central London, has
become the first Muslim and youngest ever person in the role.
Losing
Westminster Council to the opposition Labour Party in May's UK local elections
was one of the highest-profile Conservative Party losses on a bad night across
the country for the Tories.
Now
Hamza Taouzzale, 22, of Moroccan heritage, who was born in Queen's Park — the
Westminster area he represents as councillor — is making history.
“I'm
the first Muslim Lord Mayor of Westminster, so the first person who's not from
a stereotypically white background,” he said.
Westminster
has also for the first time appointed an imam to be council chaplain.
“This
is a real honour and a privilege and a total surprise,” Mr Taouzzale said.
His
grandmother moved from Morocco to London and the Lisson Green housing estate
where Mr Taouzzale grew up. He recently completed his master's degree in global
affairs at King’s College London.
“This
is a job that’s above politics, so you have to keep the office out of the
day-to-day council business, otherwise it will lose its importance,” he said.
“But
I do want to get out far more in the community, to be more visible in areas
where the lord mayor isn’t normally seen.
“A
lot of people don’t know what the lord mayor is or does and I really want to
change that during my year in office.”
He
still has to decide what his main charity will be but said he was keen on
helping local youth charities.
“I
want to open this up and get people from the community to join me at events,”
he said.
Another
change at Westminster council is the Lord Mayor’s chaplain will for the very
first time be an imam.
Kabir
Uddin, who runs an Islamic school and is chaplain at HMP Wormwood Scrubs prison
will take on the role.
The
incoming lord mayor, who was raised on the Lisson Green estate, said: “I think
I’m a bit of rarity among lord mayors in that I was actually born and brought
up in the city.
“A
lot of people come here for work and settle in Westminster and then take an
interest in politics and join the council.
“I
think growing up here gives you a closer connection to the city and its people.
And as an ordinary working-class local, I especially want to show young people
that there are opportunities out there for them and to make a difference.”
Mr
Taouzzale said the appointment is the highlight of a career that started just
six years ago — when he became an MP in the UK's Youth Parliament.
After
a year, he joined the Labour Party and worked hard on being selected as a
candidate in Queen’s Park, replacing Alderman Barrie Taylor.
He
was elected as a Westminster City councillor in 2018, becoming its
youngest-ever member.
Source:
The National News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
Ditches Former Ally Tehreek-Taliban Pakistan over Quest for Global Recognition
Representative
Image
----
21
May, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], May 21 (ANI): In a quest to gain global recognition, the Taliban
has brokered the deal between Islamabad and the Tehreek-Taliban Pakistan rebels
who have been detained and handed over to Pakistan by the organization.
This
move comes after the Taliban, in order to prove its usefulness to the world
community has been going every length and breadth to keep the interests of
Kabul intact as well as to end violent skirmishes that the TTP’s presence on
its soil has been causing.
However,
there is no guarantee that all TTP rebels would surrender and/or not continue
to use the vast, mountainous terrain along the Afghan-Pak border that has
proved to be violent operations that have killed, according to Pakistan’s
official figures, 83,000 civilians. This unmanageable terrain has been
Pakistan’s Achilles’ heel.
The
seizure of this mosque caused a hundred deaths during the time of military
ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf led to the birth of the TTP, Al Arabiya Post
reported.
The
TTP has been involved, among other major incidents in the last decade, attack
on Malala Yusufzai survived and is the world’s youngest Nobel Peace Laureate.
The TTP fighters also massacred students at the Army Public School, Peshawar,
in December 2014 and the challenge persists serious for Islamabad as the TTP
has spread its activities to other provinces and successive regimes have proved
unable to control them, the report stated further.
Kabul’s
interest lies in gradually winning global recognition, denied for the last nine
months. Several governments are currently moving to establish diplomatic ties
with Kabul, ending its global pariah status and also tacitly reconciling with a
regime that has resisted pressures to make their government inclusive and treat
their women better.
Far
from doing any of the things the world community demands, the Taliban have, in
fact, tightened the restrictions on women’s work and their movement, on girls’
education, and this week, closed down the human rights body, quoted Al Arabiya
Post, citing media reports.
The
Pakistani government has reportedly released 30 terrorists belonging to the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as it tries to negotiate for peace with the
terror outfit which has emerged stronger following the establishment of the
Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Most
of the released terrorists belong to Pakistan’s North-Western provinces of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas of North and South Waziristan. (ANI)
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/taliban-ditches-former-ally-ttp-over-quest-for-global-recognition/965180/
--------
Chicago
Judge Finds Sufficient Evidence Linking anti-Israel group American Muslims for
Palestine to Hamas Supporters
Hamas
supporters take part in a protest against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’
decision to postpone planned parliamentary elections, in the northern Gaza
Strip April 30, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
------
By
Abha Shankar
MAY
20, 2022
A
Federal judge in Chicago on Tuesday allowed a lawsuit to proceed, which claims
that the anti-Israel group American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) is really a
continuation of a defunct cog in a Hamas-support network.
In
2004, Joyce and Stanley Boim were awarded $156 million in damages from the
Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) and the American Muslim Society (AMS)
for providing material support to Hamas.
The
Boims’ 17-year-old-son David was killed in a 1996 Hamas terrorist attack.
But
the defendant organizations shut themselves down before paying, citing “the
burden of the Boim Judgment and associated litigation costs.”
The
Boims believe that was part of a shell game, with AMP and its financial arm —
Americans for Justice in Palestine Educational Foundation (AJP) — emerging and
picking up where IAP and AMS left off. If true, the $156 million judgment
should apply to them.
The
Boims have shown strong enough connections for the case to proceed, the US
court ruled.
“In
sum, the pertinent factors identified by the Seventh Circuit and discussed by
the parties support the Boims’ claim that Entity Defendants are liable for the
Boim I judgment as alter egos of Holy Land and AMS/IAP,” wrote US District
Judge Gary Feinerman. “The claim accordingly survives dismissal.”
A
different Federal judge dismissed an earlier complaint against the AMP and its
activists in August 2017, saying that the Boims “fail[ed] to demonstrate the
requisite level of unity of interest and control” to support the alter ego
claims.
The
Boims filed an amended complaint in December 2019. Last August, the Seventh US
Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a dismissal of the earlier complaint, saying
that the “amended complaint is replete with factual allegations … show[ing]”
that AMP “is a disguised continuance of [AMS/IAP] and [the] Holy Land
Foundation.”
IAP/AMS
were propaganda arms of a now-defunct network called the “Palestine Committee.”
The committee was created by the Muslim Brotherhood to help Hamas politically
and financially in the United States. The Holy Land Foundation was the
committee’s financial arm. The Treasury Department froze its assets in 2001,
and its leaders were convicted in 2008 of illegally routing millions of dollars
to Hamas.
IAP/AMS’s
closing in 2005, the year after the Boim judgment, was followed by “a short
quiet period,” the amended complaint states. Then “a purportedly new
organization emerged under a new name, ‘American Muslims for Palestine,’ or
‘AMP,’ but with the same fundamental mission and purpose of IAP/AMS.”
AMP
had “largely the same core leadership as IAP/AMS; it serves the same function
and purpose; it holds nearly identical conventions and events with many of the
same roster of speakers; it operates a similar ‘chapter’ structure in similar
geographic locations; it continues to espouse Hamas’ ideology and political
positions; and it continues to facilitate fundraising for groups that funnel
money to Hamas,” the complaint adds.
In
2015, the Investigative Project on Terrorism first identified the connections
between the AMP and Palestine Committee groups. Foundation for the Defense of
Democracies Vice President Jonathan Schanzer built on those connections in his
2016 Congressional testimony.
The
“new name and quiet period were a necessity,” the complaint explains, because
the defendants came under increased law enforcement scrutiny after the Boim
judgment. They “recognized that these organizations could not continue to
pursue their missions with the same names, in the same form, and saddled with
the same civil and criminal liability as IAP/AMS. They therefore deliberately
concealed their connection to IAP/AMS, emphasizing internally that ‘we really
need to distance ourselves from any well known IAP figures.'”
A
Yahoo bulletin board created in late 2005 by activists associated with a former
Hamas-support network referred to the “initial phase” of “organizing the group
that would eventually become the AMP” as the “transition.” Among its organizers
were Hatem Bazian and Magdi Odeh.
Odeh
had helped coordinate IAP’s first annual “Jerusalem Festival for English
Speakers” held in Chicago in 1999. Bazian, chairman of AMP’s national board,
was a featured speaker at several IAP events, and shared “a close personal
relationship with IAP/AMS leader Rafeeq Jaber,” who is also listed as a
defendant in the Boim suit.
Jaber
is a former IAP/AMS president and AMP’s financial adviser. He has spoken at
numerous AMP conventions and events.
AMP
routinely sponsors conferences that serve as a platform for Israel bashers, and
it openly approves of “resistance” against the “Zionist state.” It is also one
of the principal advocates of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)
movement against the Jewish state.
AMP
also “provide[d] material support to Hamas through its open fundraising support
for the pro-Hamas organization called Viva Palestina,” according to the amended
complaint. In 2009, Viva Palestina activists, headed by then-British
Parliamentarian George Galloway, met with Hamas leaders to provide “funds and
equipment.” Galloway personally “handed substantial sums of money and equipment
directly to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, stating, ‘But I, now here, on behalf
of myself … are giving three cars and $25,000 in cash to Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh. Here is the money. This is not charity. This is politics.'”
The
complaint also highlighted the role that AMP Executive Director Osama
Abuirshaid played in the “transition.” Before AMP was created, Abuirshaid
edited IAP’s newspaper, Al-Zaytouna. When IAP/AMS closed, “Abuirshaid set up a
replacement newspaper, which he published under the name Al-Meezan, from a
location in Virginia,” the amended complaint says. “In this newspaper and his
other writings and pronouncements, Abuirshaid continued the publication and
advocacy of pro-Hamas positions. The content, target audience, website and many
of the advertisers of Al-Meezan were essentially identical to those of
Al-Zaytounah.”
Abuirshaid
spoke at an April 2006 Muslim American Society (MAS) convention in Milwaukee.
That is “where the ‘transition’ meeting took place [that] was effectively an
IAP reunion,” the amended complaint says. The convention was described as a
“precursor of AMP leadership,” and was organized and attended by former members
of IAP/AMS and the Palestine Committee.
MAS
was established in 1993 as the Muslim Brotherhood’s arm in the United States.
The
AMP filed its formal articles of incorporation in August 2006. That November,
the organization hosted its first national convention in Rosemont, Illinois, at
“the same place where IAP had held its annual conventions — and registered its
current internet domain address, AMPalestine.org.”
AMP
was given until June 7 to respond fully to the amended complaint.
Abha
Shankar is the Investigative Project on Terrorism research director, where a
version of this article first appeared.
Source:
Algemeiner
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Terrorism
Resurges in Pakistan: Terrorists Shoot Two Members of Sikh Community Dead
Photo:
The Khama Press
---
By
Saqalain Eqbal
20
May 2022
Currently,
Pakistan is experiencing a surge of terrorism, with security forces conducting
intelligence-based operations against terrorists in the erstwhile Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan.
On
Sunday, Islamic State terrorists shot and killed two Sikh businessmen in
Pakistan’s northwest, the latest targeted murder against the minority group in
the restive area bordering Afghanistan.
According
to police, Kanwaljeet Singh, 42, and Ranjeet Singh, 38, were killed on the spot
in Bata Tal market in Sarband, Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa province, after being hit by two bike-borne gunmen in the morning.
Police
obtained evidence from the crime scene and began an investigation into the case
in order to apprehend the perpetrators.
The
Islamic State’s Khorasan unit (ISKP) claimed responsibility for the attack in
Peshawar through its propaganda news service ‘Amaaq.’ The ISKP is a South Asian
and Central Asian affiliate of the Islamic State (IS).
Security
forces demolished the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan during Operation
Zarb-e-Azb, but terror sleeper cells and sympathizers remain in all corners of
the country.
In
addition, there have been multiple incidences of targeted killings of Sikh and
Shia populations in the Peshawar region in recent years, but the police have
failed to develop a strategy to prevent such incidents from occurring again.
To
protest the killing, a large group of enraged Sikh demonstrators barricaded the
Peshawar-Islamabad road in front of Qila Bala Hissar. They were carrying signs
with slogans including “We want justice,” and “Stop target killings.”
This
comes at a time when the country has recently agreed on a temporary ceasefire
agreement with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) aka Pakistani Taliban.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
India
Delhi
University Professor, a Historian, Arrested Over Social Media Post On Gyanvapi
Mosque
Tanseem
Haider Arvind Ojha
New
Delhi
May
21, 2022
Professor
of Delhi University’s Hindu College Ratan Lal was arrested on Friday for his
objectionable social media post related to the Gyanvapi Mosque case.
According
to the police, the professor made derogatory comments about a ‘Shivling’ found
inside Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque complex.
As
per sources, the police will present Ratan Lal before the court on Saturday.
Ratan
Lal was arrested under Indian Penal Code sections 153A (promoting enmity
between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth,
residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of
harmony) and 295A (deliberate act to outrage religious feelings of any class by
insulting its religion) by the Cyber Police Station of North District.
As
per the sources, there will be a protest asking for the release of Ratan Lal
today.
A
complaint was lodged with the Delhi Police against Ratan Lal by Supreme Court
lawyer Vineet Jindal. In the complaint, Lal was accused of hurting religious
sentiments.
In
his complaint, the lawyer said that the issue of a ‘Shivling’ found in the
Gyanvapi mosque complex which is very sensitive in nature and the matter is
pending before the court.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
K'taka:
3 Muslim Students Quit School Over Bajrang Dal's Arms Training Camp, Admin
Blames 'Dubai Calls'
MAY
20, 2022
Three
Muslim students have quit the Sai Shankar Institution in Kodagu district over
Bajrang Dal activists holding a weapons training camp inside the education
premise as part of the ‘Shaurya Prashikshana Varga’. Following the row over
photographs and videos of Bajrang Dal activists allegedly undergoing training
holding air guns and ‘trishul deeksha’, the parents decided to withdraw their
children from the school.
Zaru
Ganapathi, president of the Sai Shankar Institution alleged the parents
received calls from Dubai advising them to shift the children to Muslim schools
with promises of transportation facilities.
“The
parents got calls from Dubai asking parents to get the kids admitted to a
Muslim school and they would arrange for a bus from Virajpet. We have Muslim
teachers, other Muslim students and a few new students who have joined are
Muslims,” he said.
Terming
the allegations against the school are “baseless," the Institution claimed
that the school was unnecessarily targeted and defamed due to political gains.
According to the school administration, the premises has hosted numerous events
of several organizations during the school holiday. Bajrang Dal too staged an
event outside the school compound and no students or staffs of Sai Shankar
Institution were part of the event, the President said.
Meanwhile,
the Vishwa Hindu Parishad defended the event and said that no Hindu
organizations are involved in any kind of terrorism activity and don’t take law
and order into their hands. “Hindu organization is not involved in any kind of
terrorism activities. We don’t take law and order into our hands. Hindu
organizations work for the development of the nation. This news is
unnecessarily being hyped,” said VHP Kodagu district president, Krishnamurthy.
On
Tuesday, Gonikoppa Circle Sub-Inspector SN Jayaram was allegedly transferred
after serving notices on representatives of the Bajrang Dal, the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP), and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in connection with an
‘arms training camp’ held in the school.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UP:
Man Booked For Objectionable Social Media Posts about Holy Sites Of Muslims
20
MAY 2022
A
political activist has been booked in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh
for his alleged objectionable social media posts about holy sites of Muslims,
police said on Friday.
The
case against Raghav Aggarwal was registered at Kotwali police station on
Thursday under Section 153A (punishment for promotion of enmity between
different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence,
language, etc.) of the Indian Penal Code and the IT Act.
He
is accused of posting objectionable comments on Facebook about holy places of
Muslims, said SHO Anand Dev Mishra adding that Aggarwal is on the run.
Source:
Outlook India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
SC
shifts Gyanvapi mosque worship suit trial to Varanasi district judge
May
21, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday shifted the trial of a suit by Hindu parties
seeking enforcement of their right to worship inside Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque
from civil judge (senior division) to the district judge, even as it observed
that the survey of a structure to ascertain its religious nature is not barred
under the Protection of Places of Worship Act,
A
bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant and P S Narasimha said whether
Hindus can be allowed to worship at Gyanvapi mosque involved complex and
sensitive issues that needed to be dealt with a seasoned judicial hand and
ordered the Varanasi district judge to decide on priority the plea of Committee
of Management, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, Varanasi, under Order 7 Rule 11 of the
Civil Procedure Code (CPC), challenging maintainability of the suit by five
Hindu women seeking enforcement of their right to worship Goddess Shringar
Gauri and other deities inside the mosque complex.
Appearing
for the mosque management, Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi repeatedly argued that
the SC should scrap the suit and interim orders by the trial court, including
the direction for survey, as it was a “mischievous” attempt by plaintiffs to
change the character of the mosque existing for the last 500 years.
"Look
at the mischief being perpetrated through selective leak of the court
commissioner's survey report. Now the mischief is being created for four to
five other mosques. This disturbs communal harmony," Ahmadi said.
When
senior advocates C S Vaidyanathan and Ranjit Kumar took strong objection to
Ahmadi's pleadings, the bench orally observed, "Putting a cross on a
Zoroastrian religious place would not change the latter's character. This is
true for the reverse case scenario. Survey of a structure is to ascertain its
religious nature. That is not prohibited under the Protection of Places of
Worship Act, 1991.
The
bench emphasized that the hybrid religious character of places of worship is
not unknown to India. "Ascertaining the religious character of a place
through a procedure known to law will not fall foul of the 1991 Act," the
bench said and adjourned hearing to July second week.
However,
the bench said the district judge's decision on the mosque management
committee's application for scrapping of the suit would remain in limbo for
eight weeks to allow aggrieved parties to appeal before an appropriate judicial
forum.
During
this period, that is from today till eight weeks after district judge's
decision on the mosque management's application, the SC's May 17 interim order
- directing protection of the area where the Shivling was purportedly
discovered by court commissioner during survey and unhindered access of Muslims
to offer namaz in the mosque - would remain in force, the bench said.
Ahmadi
pleaded that the Shivling, found inside the wuzu khana area (ablution pond),
could be protected. However, he demanded access of Muslims to the area
surrounding the Shivling, which is a pond with water taps on side walls, for
performance of wuzu (ablution) by Muslims, as has been done for the last 500
years.
For
the UP government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said such a permission would
give rise to a grave law and order situation. "An alternative area for
wuzu should be provided in consultation with parties," he said. The bench
directed the Varanasi district magistrate to provide for wuzu facility in the
mosque in consultation with parties.
The
SC also said that the May 16 interim order of the civil judge (senior division)
Ravi Kumar Diwakar directing protection of Shivling area would be
"subsumed" by the Supreme Court's interim May 17 order giving similar
direction in addition to specifying that Muslims would have free access to the
mosque for namaz purposes.
Ahmadi
drew the court's attention to the selective leak of the court commissioner's
report, including the purported discovery of Shivling, which the Muslim side
referred to as a fountain. He said this mischief is to create a narrative and
disturb communal harmony in the country.
"Look
at the fallout of entertaining such a suit in gross violation of provisions of
the 1991 Act. Already similar mischief is being attempted in relation to
four-five other mosques. Because of the selective leaks, the trial court has
ordered protection of an area which had been used for the last 500 years by
Muslims for the purpose of wuzu. Now iron gates have been erected all around
it," he complained.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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BJP
Raising Issues like Gyanvapi Mosque As Its Graph Is Dipping, Says Congress
Rajya Sabha Member
21st
May 2022
INDORE:
Congress Rajya Sabha member Digvijaya Singh on Friday said the ruling BJP was
raking up religious issues like the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi as its
performance graph was continuously falling due to rising inflation,
unemployment and depreciation in rupee value against the US dollar.
He
also criticised the Centre's move to ban the export of wheat.
"This
is not a new thing. Inflation and unemployment are rising, rupee value is
dropping and the Modi government's graph is tumbling. In this condition what
are they going to do?" he told reporters here.
The
former CM was replying to a query over the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi,
where a court-mandated survey of the premises has been completed, and other
religious rows.
Singh
said the Modi government's decision to suddenly ban wheat export has inflicted
massive losses to small and medium traders.
Asked
about former Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar's comments, made after
joining the BJP, that some leaders of the Sonia Gandhi-led party were busy
"flattering the high command", Singh, taking a swipe at his
ex-colleague, quipped, "He took a long time to understand this."
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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BJP
stoking communal issues with eye on 2024 polls, says Shiv Sena on Gyanvapi
mosque row
MANASI
PHADKE
20
May, 2022
Mumbai:
The BJP is fuelling communal issues such as the row over the Gyanvapi mosque
with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena said Friday in an
editorial in its mouthpiece, Saamana.
Claims
about the discovery of a ‘Shivling’ on the premises of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi
mosque have become the subject of discussion in recent weeks. While the issue
is in court, BJP leaders have cited the developments to demand a relook at the
Places of Worship Act, with some even calling for “reclamation” of temples in
Kashi and Mathura.
The
Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which has been looking to project its brand of
Hindutva as more real than that of former ally BJP, also said the latter’s
“development model” comprises furthering communal issues such as the debates
over mosques and temples.
“These
days, it looks like the BJP has taken up the agenda of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi
mosque… People in the BJP have been talking about how Uttar Pradesh Chief
Minister Yogi Adityanath is going to rename Lucknow as Lakshmanpur. BJP’s
development model is going on in this manner,” the editorial reads.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, reacting to the 2019 SC verdict in favour of building a
Ram Temple at the disputed Ayodhya site, had called it a “day to forget any
bitterness”, the editorial recalled. The RSS, too, when asked about the
Gyanvapi mosque and Mathura’s Idgah, had said that it was associated with the
Ayodhya movement because of a historical backdrop, calling its role in the
movement an exception, it went on to say.
“But,
as the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are drawing closer, one can see a change in the
stance. Now, AIMIM’s (Asaduddin) Owaisi has in his own way spoken about the
Mathura and Gyanvapi mosques. This great person has said that they will not let
one more mosque be sacrificed.
“Because
of all this there is an indication of what exactly will happen before the 2024
election and on what issues the elections will be fought,” reads the editorial.
Shiv
Sena’s Hindutva vs BJP’s
Sena’s
stand on the Gyanvapi row, and the larger temple-mosque politics, is in line
with Maharashtra CM Thackeray’s proclamation that his party’s Hindutva is
distinct from the BJP’s, and has “nationalism, not communalism” at its core.
Just
last week, the Shiv Sena, while publicising its Hindutva as “Hrudyat Ram,
haatala kaam (Ram in the heart, job in hand)”, had slammed the BJP over its
“fake Hindutva to divert attention from real issues”.
Reiterating
its stance that the BJP’s Hindutva is not development-oriented unlike the
Sena’s, the party in its Saamana editorial Friday cited news reports about
schools in Uttar Pradesh allegedly not having walls or toilets.
It
went on to add that there is no end to temple-mosque politics and debates over
issues such as AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi’s visit to Aurangzeb’s tomb in
Aurangabad “because political fortunes are dependent on the fire”.
“But,
the fire in the stomach is more important than these flames. Our neighbouring
country (Sri Lanka) is a live example of what can happen if that fire gets out
of control,” the editorial reads.
The
Sena mouthpiece also said that while France — with a population of a little
over 6.5 crore — is supplying Rafales, India, with a population of 130 crore is
caught up in debates over temples and mosques.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Gyanvapi
Mosque Row: Allahabad HC Stays Hearing On Temple-Mosque Conflict Issue Till
July 6
21
MAY 2022
The
Allahabad High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on the Kashi Vishwanath
temple-Gyanvapi Mosque issue till July 6 after hearing a length petition filed
by the Anjuman Intazamiya Masjid of Varanasi. Justice Prakash Padia adjourned
the hearing of the case till July 6.
The
original suit was filed in the Varanasi district court in 1991, seeking
restoration of an ancient temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque
currently stands.
Counsel
appearing on behalf of the temple, Vijay Shankar Rastogi, submitted that the
Uttar Pradesh Sri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983 passed by the Uttar Pradesh
Legislative Assemble came into force on January 28, 1983.
He
relied upon the definition of the temple mentioned in sub section 9 of section
4 of the Act. The definition states the temple of Adi Vishweshwar, popularly
known as the Sri Kashi Vishwanath temple, situated in the city of Varanasi,
which is used as a place of public religious worship and dedicated to or for
the benefit of or used as of right by the Hindus as a place of public religious
worship of the Jyotirlinga.
Rastogi
argued that rights of ownership of this temple and its endowment are vested in
the deity of Sri Kashi Vishwanath, i.e., Lord Vishweshwar, which is itself
mentioned in section 5 of the Act. The 'Linga' situated in this temple is
'Swayambhu' and also 'Jyotirlinga', and the 'Jyotirlinga' has a long religious
history which has also been mentioned in the Puranas, he said.
It
was further argued that the validity of Act had been challenged up to the
Supreme Court, which in the case of Sri Adi Visheshwara of Kashi Vishwanath
temple, Varanasi, and others vs the State of Uttar Pradesh and others, affirmed
the validity of the Act and held that the idol of Lord Shiva in Varanasi on the
banks of the Ganges is one of the five Jyotirlingas in India believed to be
self-incarnated (Swayam Bhuva).
However
due to paucity of time, the arguments could not be concluded on Friday.
On
April 8, 2021, the Varanasi court of civil judge (senior division) had ordered
a five-member committee comprising two Hindu, two Muslim members and an
archaeological expert, to oversee a "comprehensive physical survey"
of the centuries-old Gyanvapi mosque complex.
Source:
Outlook India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Gyanvapi
mosque sees spurt in footfall for Friday prayer
21st
May 2022
LUCKNOW:
The Friday prayer at Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, the first after the May 16 court
order sealing the wuzu khana (pond), passed off peacefully amid tight security
arrangements by the district administration and alternative arrangement of
water for wuzu (ritual washing before prayers) by the mosque management
committee.
Despite
an advisory by the Anjuman Intizamia Masajid (AIM) to Muslims to offer namaz at
local mosques, there was a sudden rise in the number of attendees for the
Friday prayer. As many as 1,200 devotees reached the mosque which has capacity
to accommodate 2,000. The masjid used to witness barely 350-400 people on
earlier Fridays.
Amid
heavy police presence, Muslim devotees entered the mosque through gate number 4
of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham area to offer the prayers. The entrance to the
mosque and surrounding areas were under the careful watch of district police
and CRPF.
The
AIM had urged the namazis to come for prayers after performing wuzu at home.
However, the mosque authorities had arranged two drums containing 1,000 litres
water each for wuzu after receiving permission from the district
administration.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Qasim
Rasool Ilyas: For the first time, AIMPLB has decided to reach out to leaders of
all non-Muslim organisations
By
Esha Roy
May
21, 2022
The
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Executive Member Qasim Rasool
Ilyas spoke to ESHA ROY over the controversy surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque in
Varanasi and the ongoing case in a court. Excerpts from an interview:
What
is the AIMPLB’s stand on the Gyanvapi mosque controversy?
We
have a very clear stand on the matter. Once the Places of Worship Act came into
being in 1991, there is simply no space for controversy regarding any place of
worship. It had been unanimously decided and passed in Parliament, with even
the support of the BJP, that after Babri Masjid, such matters would be put to
rest… it is extremely disheartening that the lower court gave permission for
the survey…
Starting
with Gyanvapi, now other mosques in the country seem to be embroiled in a
similar controversy. Do you think these controversies are politically
motivated?
This
has happened over the last couple of days. A Hindu group in Karnataka has now
claimed that the Masjid-e-Ala in Srirangapatna in Mandya district was a Hanuman
temple and they should be allowed to worship there. Similar controversies have
been created around the Neem Masjid in Madhya Pradesh, the Idgah in Mathura,
and now even the Jama Masjid in New Delhi, where surveys are being demanded.
The BJP-RSS commune has alleged that there are 30,000 mosques in the country
that have been built by razing temples… such issues can be carried on for
perpetuity, creating anarchy… The BJP
wants to distract people from rising prices, unemployment, and the health
issues brought to light by the pandemic…
The
AIMPLB has questioned the stance that secular parties have taken on the matter
or the lack of it. What were your expectations from them?
It
is very unfortunate that the so-called secular parties have not come out and
said anything, in particular in defence of the Places of Worship Act… And yet,
when the elections roll up, they expect Muslims to vote for them…
What
is the recourse for the Muslim community under the circumstances?
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Jammu
Govt College Students Recite Hanuman Chalisa In Protest Against Mosque Loudspeaker
21.05.22
Some
students of Government Gandhi Memorial College here on Friday recited Hanuman
Chalisa in protest against use of loud speaker by a local mosque, officials
said.
However,
police later stopped them from reciting Hanuman Chalisa and detained
half-a-dozen students, though they were later let off.
According
to the officials, as students were studying in class rooms, there was use of
loud speaker by a local mosque, triggering protests by the students that there
is disturbance to their studies at the GGM College.
Angry
over violation of use of loud speaker and failure of authorities to stop it,
students resorted to chanting of 'Hanuman Chalisa'.
Source: Telegraph India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Bajrang
Dal workers burn effigies of political leaders over remarks on Gyanvapi mosque
issue
Simer
Chawla
Kanpur
May
20, 2022
Hundreds
of Bajrang Dal workers burnt the effigies of former UP chief minister Akhilesh
Yadav, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday for
their remarks on the Gyanvapi mosque issue. Party workers took to the streets
in Kanpur to protest against the statements made by the political leaders.
The
party workers gathered and held a meeting near the Bharat Mata statue in
Kanpur. They raised slogans against the political leaders and burnt their
effigies. Prakash Sharma, the Bajrang Dal worker who led the protest said,
“Some people have lost their mental balance ever since the Shivling has been
found in the premises of the Gyanvapi masjid. We burnt their effigies today to
send a message to stop commenting on Hindu beliefs and temples or else we will
show them their place.”
WHAT
DID THE LEADERS SAY?
Samajwadi
Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the BJP is trying to divide society
on communal lines and is trying to create fear among Muslims.
Rajasthan
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had said the “BJP was creating a new drama in the
country on the issue of Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque”.
Source:
India Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Gyanvapi
mosque case: SC's observation on Places of Worship Act
May
20, 2022
NEW
DELHI: Ascertainment of religious character is not barred under Section 3 of
the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the Supreme Court
observed on Friday while hearing the Gyanvapi mosque case.
The
principal contention of the Committee of Management of Anjuman Intezamia
Masjid, the outfit that has filed an appeal against the survey, was that the
videography “interdicted” the 1991 Act. It has further contended that many more
mosques could come under review if the survey was allowed.
On
May 19, a Mathura court held that the suit to remove the Shahi Idgah Masjid,
allegedly built on the land of Shrikrishna Janam Bhoomi, is maintainable and
that the Places of Worship Act is not applicable to the suit.
What
the Act says
The
Places of Worship Act prohibits the conversion of the religious character of a
place of worship and to maintain the status quo as it was at the time of
India's Independence. According to Section 4 (1) of the Act, the religious
character of a place of worship existing on August 15, 1947, shall continue to
be the same as it existed on that day.
Section
3 of the Act reads: Bar of conversion of places of worship. No person shall
convert any place of worship of any religious denomination or any section
thereof into a place of worship of a different section of the same religious
denomination or of a different religious denomination.
Justice
Chandrachud on Friday observed that ascertainment of religious character was
not barred under Section 3 of the Act.
In
the 2019 Ayodhya verdict, the Constitution Bench referred to the law and said
it manifests the secular values of the Constitution and prohibits
retrogression.
Certain
exemptions
The
Act exempts any place of worship which is “an ancient monument, historical
monument or an archaeological site”.
Also,
the monuments covered under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and
Remains Act, 1958, or any other law have been exempted from the restrictions
under this Act.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Gyanvapi:
Intelligence lens on father of Umar Khalid
May
21, 2022
NEW
DELHI: At least one member of the Gyanvapi Legal Commission — constituted by
AIMPLB to review ‘The Places of Worship Act, 1991’ and all cases related to
Gyanvapi and other mosques — is being watched with interest and concern by
central intelligence agencies in view of his past association with outlawed outfit
SIMI, alleged lead role in anti CAA protests and current charge as general
secretary of Welfare Party of India, which agencies see as the political wing
of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JEI-H). He is SQR Ilyas, who happens to be father of
JNU activist and Delhi anti-CAA riots accused Umar Khalid.
A
source said the prominence that Ilyas has been gaining in affairs of AIMPLB, a
preserve of Sunni clerics, is a point of concern. Ilyas has earlier been
associated with the Babri M asjid Action Committee and was issuing statements
on its behalf. Intelligence sources pointed out that what has prompted their
concern is Ilyas’s background as an Ansar (active mem ber) of SIMI and also as
its president from 1983 to 1985. SIMI was banned as an unlawful association
under UAPA in 2001.
After
SIMI was banned, Ilyas shifted to JEI-H where he has held severa l posts from
time to time. Following the formation of the Welfare Party of India as a
political offshoot of JEI-H, he was given charge of general secretary of the
party.
An
intelligence officer claimed that Ilyas was in the forefront of organising
antiCAA protests between December 2019 and March 2020 in Delhi and other
cities. Before that, he had also openly slammed the Centre over nullification
of Article 370 in J&K.
Agencies
also view with interest his family member’s involvement in anti-government
protests and riots. His son Umar was arrested in connection with the Delhi
riots case (2020) and is presently in jail. He was a lso a leader of the
Democratic Students’ Union at JNU. Agencies claim that Democratic Student’s
Union is a front of CPI(Ma oist), declared a terrorist outfit under UAPA.
Before his arrest for Delhi riots, Khalid had grabbed headlines because of his
show of solidarity for Jaish terrorist and Parliament attack convict Afzal
Guru, organised in JNU.
Agencies
have been watching and warning of the nexus between Maoists whose front
organisation Khalid is aligned with and hardline Islamists allegedly
represented by Jamaat, WPI and erstwhile SIMI.
Source:
Times Of India
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Uttar
Pradesh: Mathura row not under Places of Worship Act, says court
May
21, 2022
AGRA:
While allowing a petition for “removal” of the Shahi Idgah mosque, the Mathura
court on Thursday observed that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act
1991 is not applicable in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah case as the
compromise decree dividing the disputed land was signed in 1968, much before
the law was enacted.
The
court overturned an earlier decision by a civil court to disallow the petition
and accepted the revision plea filed by “Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman” through
“next friend” Ranjana Agnihotri and six other devotees.
The
court in its order stated: "With regard to the entire property of Katra
Keshav Dev, whether Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Seva Sangh had the power to enter
into a compromise with Trust Masjid Eidgah is a matter of evidence that can be
determined only on the basis of evidence adduced by both parties during the
trial."
The
court also stated that a worshipper, as the next friend of the deity, can file
a suit for restoration and re-establishment of religious rights of the deity.
Advocate
G P Nigam, representing the Waqf board, refused to comment but claimed that
this Act will be applicable partially as the petitioners had demanded the land
on which the mosque is situated.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Europe
UK
allocates £24.5 million for security in mosques, Muslim schools
By
Prasun Sonwalkar
20
May 2022
The
Boris Johnson government has allocated £24.5 million to help upgrade security
measures to protect mosques and Muslim faith schools in the context of an
increase in hate crime in recent years in Britain.
In
2020-21, officials said 45 per cent of religious hate crimes recorded by the
police in England and Wales were targeted against Muslims.
The
places of worship can bid for funding to put in place security measures to help
tackle this threat. This could include the installation of CCTV cameras and
perimeter fencing to ensure that adequate measures are in place to protect
worshippers.
Muslims
will also be able to register their interest in security guarding services at
mosques, to ensure that their communities can worship safely and without fear.
In
addition, £3.5 million is available for other faith communities through the
government’s Places of Worship Fund, the officials added. The fund is open to
all places of worship that feel they are vulnerable to hate crime.
Security
Minister Damian Hinds said: “It is a fundamental right to be able to practise
your faith in your community. This new round of funding will cover the costs of
security measures for places of worship to deter and prevent hate crime attacks
on vulnerable communities, making our streets safer. I encourage any place of
worship which feels vulnerable to hate crime to apply for funding through the
Places of Worship fund”.
Iman
Atta, director of campaign group Tell MAMA that supports victims of anti-Muslim
hate, said: “The additional support from this government to ensure security
support through guarding services is warmly welcomed and much needed. Tell MAMA
has regularly called for additional support to Islamic institutions and mosques
and in line with the national anti-Muslim hate crime monitoring and support
services that Tell MAMA provides on an ongoing basis. Collectively, this
support from the government should be welcomed and applauded”.
The
Places of Worship Fund is part of the government’s commitment to ensure that
faith communities in England and Wales are protected from the threat of hate
crime attacks by providing funding to places of worship such as churches,
mosques, gurdwaras, temples and associated faith community centres in order to
improve physical security, officials said.
Source:
Khaleej Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/europe/uk-allocates-24-5-million-for-security-in-mosques-muslim-schools
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International
Muslim History Month returns to shed light on pioneers and sees quadrupled
participation
May
21, 2022
LONDON:
An annual initiative that celebrates Muslim accomplishments throughout history
and confronts Islamophobia globally through education has grown significantly
in popularity, with social media engagement quadrupling in just a year,
organizers said.
International
Muslim History Month, which was established by the New York-based World Hijab
Day organization in 2021 and runs throughout May, aims to acknowledge and raise
awareness of the Muslim trailblazers who helped to shape humanity.
The
organization told Arab News that the event, which is geared toward schools,
universities, workplaces, businesses, organizations, and social settings, is a
celebration for everyone, irrespective of ethnicity or religious backgrounds.
More
than 26 countries participated in the inaugural IMHM 12 months ago but this
year the number has increased significantly, WHD said, with more individuals,
organizations, businesses, and educational institutions taking part.
“In
addition, we have seen a rise in awareness of IMHM on social media by
individuals and academics, (and) our reach on social media has quadrupled from
last year,” it added.
The
organization — which founded World Hijab Day, held on Feb. 1 each year to
spread awareness of the hijab and why it is worn — said its goal was for IMHM
to be federally recognized nationwide within the US, and internationally, to
help tackle Islamophobia worldwide.
New
York adopted a resolution to recognize the month on May 4, 2021, “to pay
tribute to those who foster ethnic pride and enhance the profile of cultural
diversity which strengthens the fabrics of the communities of the New York
State,” Andrew Cuomo, the governor at the time, said.
WHD
has been calling on legislators worldwide to do the same. It is also urging
individuals, organizations, and educational institutions to get involved and
help raise awareness of the campaign.
The
ways in which Muslims and non-Muslims can participate include social media
engagement, petitioning government officials to recognize May as International
Muslim History Month, supporting a Muslim business or donating to a Muslim
organization, reading a biography of an influential Muslim figure and sharing
their story, or calling out discrimination and prejudice against Muslims within
their community.
The
theme of this year’s event focuses on Muslim pioneers from the Golden Age to
modern times in four categories: medicine; STEM (science, technology,
engineering and mathematics); liberal arts; and discovery, including inventors,
explorers, and innovators. Conferences have been organized each week to raise
awareness of significant figures in these fields.
“In
the first conference, the presenters discussed the examples of Ibn Sina, the
father of early modern medicine, from the Golden Age, to Dr. Ugur Sahin and Dr.
Ozlem Tureci, the creators of BioNTech, a company focused on making
personalized cancer vaccines,” WHD said. In partnership with Pfizer, BioNTech
also developed a vaccine for COVID-19.
Other
notable Muslims that were highlighted this year include 13th-century Persian
poet Rumi, sixth-century Arab poet Imru’ Al-Qais, Pakistani-American
neurosurgeon Dr. Ayub Ommaya, Palestinian-Jordanian molecular biologist Dr.
Rana Dajani, Arab philosopher Ibn Khaldun, Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta, Caliph
Harun Al-Rashid, Turkish astronomer Burcin Mutlu-Pakdil, among dozens of
others.
WHD
has also partnered with different organizations including Majlis Ash-Shoura:
Islamic Leadership Council of New York, an umbrella organization that
represents more than 90 mosques and organizations.
“In
the last two decades, Muslims in general have been painted negatively
especially in the media,” the organization’s founder and chief executive
officer, Nazma Khan, said.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2086331/world
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Turks
in Sweden call on Nordic country to stop supporting YPG/PKK terror group
20.05.2022
STOCKHOLM
Turkiye’s
embassy staff and Turkish nationals in Sweden are continued to be threatened
and targeted by members of the YPG/PKK terrorist group.
The
embassy accused Sweden of not giving them the necessary diplomatic protection
against the YPG/PKK members, who are operating freely in the country.
Despite
ongoing threats and violence against Turkish people in Sweden and its officials
in the country, the Swedish government and police have not taken any measures.
Turkish
Ambassador to Sweden Hakki Emre Yunt said: “We are very upset about it and we
do not like it. We always inform the police about their (YPG/PKK members’)
demonstrations, they caused danger to the embassy in the past.
“They
attacked the embassy many times and just after I arrived here, they attacked one
of my cars and broke a window. Police denied that it was done by PKK and they
said that since they do not have cameras on the street, they cannot find them …
I mean it is unbelievable that they cannot do this.
“Because
if it was done in Turkiye, the police would catch them in two hours. So, we
cannot understand these laws and rules in Sweden. Even they cannot find a
simple criminal, I mean, criminals.”
The
embassy walls were also painted with PKK slogans and posters on many occasions
and the police “refused to take any action”, the ambassador added.
“We
have a police booth in front of the Swedish consulate in Istanbul, but they
(the Swedish government) only send some police cars to stand in front of (the
Turkish) embassy for one day or two days and then they leave”, he said.
The
Turkish Embassy continues to experience difficulties in its daily life in
Sweden and says that the Swedish officials “are not always friendly and
positive towards us.”
Yunt
said: “When I ask for an appointment for some consular work to help any citizen
of Turkiye, national, sometimes they become very arrogant, they are not very
polite towards us.
“For
instance, the banks stop Turkish people from sending money to Turkiye. They are
treating them as criminals and so people are facing all these difficulties to
live here and it’s hurting our economic ties and it is hurting our daily
consular business.”
The
ambassador said that Turkiye has found evidence that Sweden is supplying
weapons to the PKK terror group and is urging the country to stop supporting
and arming the terrorist groups that are threatening the security of Turkiye.
“When
we fought YPG in Syria, we found some weapons which were made in Sweden. Also,
they are not hiding that they want to help them financially … They already allocated
some money to help them because they consider them as an ally in Syria. We have
been showing them (the Swedish side) pictures of YPG leaders together with PKK
leaders, but they don’t want to accept that.”
‘Horrible
stuff’
Tufan
Erdogan, a Turkish national in Sweden, said that he is “extremely sad” to know
that his home country Sweden is supporting terrorist organizations.
“Well,
as a Turk and a Swedish it makes me sad to see the Swedish government has
supported YPG, it has supported PKK. Of course, we are sad because these are
terrorist groups that have done some horrible stuff toward civilians.
“So,
I have seen some numbers like $376 million that the Swedish government is using
to fund the YPG, and if you look at how much they have spent on Ukraine during
its war against Russia, it is just like 5 million dollars. YPG is a Syrian
offshoot of the PKK terror group, so it is sad to see this support from the
Swedish side.”
Can
Kayhan, another Turkish national, thinks that Sweden should stop supporting terrorist
groups.
“I
would expect them (Sweden) to stop sending military equipment to these
organizations because it is not good. Sweden is a neutral country; they have
been for a very long time. I just feel it is wrong, it will just affect their
reputation.
“For
how many years they have never been in a war and now they are supporting
groups, especially terror organizations. They are sending military equipment
worth $300 million and I think it is wrong.”
With
more than 40 Swedish-made AT-4 weapons and French and German anti-tank
ammunition, the terror group targeted Turkish security forces in Syria between
2017 and 2021.
Despite
the factual evidence put across by the Turkish government, Sweden continues its
support of the PKK and YPG and refuses to admit that these two groups are “the
same terrorist organization.”
The
Swedish government has failed to offer any explanation to Ankara about how such
high-intensity weapons ended up in the hands of the PKK. Many have suffered as
a consequence of the Swedish military and economic support.
“Magdalena
Andersson was elected prime minister with one vote in the parliament. It was
the vote of a Kurdish MP of Iranian origin. In return for this vote, $300
million in aid was given to the YPG. This happened openly, not secretly”, said
Dikran Ego, an Assyrian journalist based in Sweden.
In
Syria's northeastern provinces such as al-Hasakah and Qamishli, Assyrians have
faced massacres throughout history by similar terrorist movements.
“What
we Assyrians want from the Swedish parliament is that the terrorist groups YPG
and PKK should not be helped. Because these groups attack Assyrians and Ezidis.
These groups should not be armed or provided financial aid.
“We
Assyrians see PKK and YPG as terrorist organizations as Turkiye does. Because
of these groups and terrorists, Assyrians suffer harm in Syria, Turkiye and
Iraq. Today, Assyrians in Syria live under the terror of YPG. Assyrians are
against supporting PKK and YPG”, Ego added.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a
terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for
the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The
YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
NATO
bids
Sweden’s
and Finland’s support for the terror groups may jeopardize their entry into
NATO as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has voiced objections to the
membership bids, criticizing the countries for tolerating and even supporting
terrorist groups.
“As
long as they keep this attitude, we will not change our position,” Yunt said.
Finland
also hosts the YPG/PKK terrorists and members of Fetullah Terrorist
Organization (FETO), which was behind the defeated coup in 2016 in Turkiye.
FETO
and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July
15, 2016 in Turkiye, in which 251 people were killed and 2,734 injured.
The
Turkish government accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to
overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions,
particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Turkiye
not to change stance as long as Sweden has ties with PKK terrorists: Envoy
Ahmet
Gurhan Kartal
20.05.2022
LONDON
Turkiye
will “not change” its position on Sweden’s NATO membership application as long
as the Nordic country has “ties with the terrorist organization PKK,” Turkiye’s
envoy to Stockholm said.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Hakki Emre Yunt said Swedish authorities do not accept that
YPG and PKK are the same group.
Yunt
said that Sweden claims that YPG is not a terrorist organization because “they
have been very useful in the fight with this Daesh group in Syria and in Iraq.”
“So,
they want to continue to help them by financial means and also by some military
equipment. And we have been telling them to stop this relationship with YPG,
but they have rejected so far and also with PKK which is also on the terror
list of Sweden and EU,” he added.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a
terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for
the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The
YPG is PKK’s Syrian offshoot.
The
Turkish ambassador said that Sweden has been “helping them and accommodating
them.”
“Some
Swedish parliament members have been supporting them,” he added.
He
said: “They have been pressuring the government to remove them (terrorist
groups) from the terror list and to take a negative stance toward Turkiye
because of our fight with PKK.
“So
we are not happy about these things.”
Yunt
said that Turkiye has “some other concerns like the arms embargo against
Turkiye, (and they are also) not extraditing certain members of terrorist
organizations like FETO (the Fetullah Terrorist Organization) and PKK.”
“So,
these three issues are the main problems for Turkiye and that's why we took the
decision to pull up their application to NATO.”
“When
we fought with YPG in Syria, we found some weapons, which were made in Sweden,”
Yunt said.
He
said: “Also they (Sweden) are not hiding that they want to help them (the
terror groups) financially.
“(For)
next year, they have already allocated some money to help them because they
consider them as an ally in Syria, but we have been showing them pictures of
YPG leaders together with some PKK leaders.
“However,
Swedish authorities don’t want to accept that. We see a very awkward situation.
Despite all the proofs, they do not want to admit that these two groups are the
same terrorist organization.”
Yunt
said Turkiye will not change its position “as long as they keep this attitude.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South
Asia
Taliban
leadership has zero credibility for Women’s rights: Human Rights Watch
21
May, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], May 21 (ANI): Associate women’s rights director and former
senior Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, Heather Barr, highlighted
Taliban’s vicious remarks against Afghan women, calling out the organization’s
growing atrocities, in a tweet on Friday.
Taking
to Twitter, she said, “Everyone from Taliban leadership has zero credibility on
women’s rights,” recalling the human rights violation taking place in
Afghanistan.
“They
made representations about their supposed respect for women and girls when
taking power. Every day after there was a new crackdown on women & that
continued to intensify over time,” she added, continuing the thread.
The
Islamic Emirate has been facing criticism inside and outside Afghanistan for
imposing restrictions on women.
2021
has been the worst year for the Afghan women as the Taliban after assuming
control of Afghanistan have rolled back access to their right to education and
work, however, also snatched it later for an indefinite period of time.
Barr,
in a statement earlier also referred to the international community and said
that it “didn’t do much” to protect Afghan women.
Afghan
women are staring at a bleak future due to a number of restrictions imposed by
the Taliban governing aspects of their lives within ten months of Afghanistan’s
takeover. Women are no longer allowed to travel unless accompanied by men
related to them and are being curtailed from wearing make-up as well as their
reproductive rights.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UN
rights chief decries Taliban's move to dissolve Human Rights Commission
May
20, 2022
UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet condemned Taliban's
decision to dissolve the Human Rights Commission and expressed concerns over
the grave human rights situation in Afghanistan.
"I
am dismayed at the reported decision of the Taliban to dissolve the country's
Independent Human Rights Commission. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights
Commission (AIHRC) performed extraordinary work in extremely difficult
conditions over many years, shining a spotlight on the human rights of all
Afghans, including victims on all sides of the conflict," Bachelet said in
a statement on Thursday.
The
AIHRC has been a powerful voice for human rights and a trusted partner of UN
Human Rights, and its loss will be a deeply retrograde step for all Afghans and
Afghan civil society, she said.
"During
my visit to Kabul in March this year, I discussed with the de facto authorities
the importance of re-establishing an independent human rights mechanism that
can receive complaints from the public and bring concerns to the attention of
the de facto authorities," UN rights chief contijued.
Rights
activists said the AIHRC that was abolished by the Taliban was not perfect but
it mattered enormously to have a place to demand justice.
"Let's
take a moment to remember an Afghanistan which had a human rights commission.
It was not perfect--these institutions never are--but it mattered enormously to
have somewhere to go, to ask for help and to demand justice. Shocking to see a
country go backwards in this way," said Heather Barr, Associate women's
rights director and former senior Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch
(HRW).
"The
Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions had 120 member countries
in April, but they will need to remove Afghanistan now," she added.
This
meeting comes against the backdrop of a range of issues affecting Afghanistan.
In the past few weeks, dozens of countries have expressed deep disappointment
about escalating restrictions on the human rights of women and girls in
Afghanistan.
Last
week, the G7 Foreign Ministers had deplored the Taliban's recent decree
enforcing hijab on Afghan women and new punishments for family members to
enforce compliance with these restrictions.
Source:
Business Standard
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Pakistan
brokers deal with TTP backed by Afghan Taliban
20
May, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], May 20 (ANI): Pakistan on Wednesday released 30 of the top leaders
of the proscribed terrorist group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as part of a
peace deal brokered by the Afghan Taliban that it had facilitated to seize
power in Kabul last August.
Talks
are continuing with the TTP demanding amnesty for all its fighters and
fugitives as well as an end to the Pakistan Army’s military operations in South
Waziristan apart from the releases, Al Arabia Post reported.
Sheltered
for two decades after being toppled from power in 2001, the Taliban had been
reluctant to push out the TTP fighters and their families because of their
ideological affinity and the fact that thousands had fought against the
erstwhile Ashraf Ghani Government, the report said.
However,
the Taliban regime was forced to take a quick decision with the US showing an
inclination towards returning to the Asian theatre after ending its Ukraine
distraction, the report said.
The
Taliban regime’s interest lies in gradually winning global recognition, denied
for the last nine months.
Several
governments are currently considering establishing diplomatic ties with the
Taliban regime, ending the regime’s global pariah status while also tacitly
reconciling with a regime that has resisted pressures to make their government
inclusive and treat their women better, the report said.
Taliban
appears to have brokered the deal between Islamabad and the rebels, even
detaining TTP leaders and handing them over to Pakistan, to prove its
usefulness to the world community, the report further said.
The
Afghan Taliban is also seeking an end to violent skirmishes that the TTP’s
presence on its soil has been causing. Also, a landlocked Afghanistan is
heavily dependent upon Pakistan, the report added.
However,
there is no guarantee that all TTP rebels would surrender or not continue to
use the vast, mountainous terrain along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to
unleash violence that has, during the course of time, according to Pakistan’s
official figures, killed 83,000 civilians. This unmanageable terrain has been
Pakistan’s Achilles’ heel, the report said.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-brokers-deal-with-ttp-backed-by-afghan-taliban/964742/
--------
The
Taliban Ministry of Finance Suspends Wheat Exports, Cites Food Security
By
Saqalain Eqbal
20
May 2022
Mullah
Hidayatullah Badri, the Finance Minister, authorized all customs offices on
Thursday,May 19, to prevent wheat export or trade.
According
to a report released by the state-run Bakhtar News Agency, the country’s wheat
production was anticipated to be four million tonnes last year; however, the
Ministry of Agriculture has yet to assess the current year’s wheat yield.
The
measure has been taken to avoid wheat shortfall and food scarcity, Zabihullah
Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stated on his
twitter handle.
Farmers
across the country are complaining about the lack of rain and the their
agricultural grounds running dry this year.
Furthermore,
as a result of recent political developments, the Afghan people are
experiencing a severe humanitarian crisis. In addition to that, food prices,
particularly wheat, have risen substantially since Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine.
While
the price for wheat has increased by 50% in different parts of Kandahar
province, it is claimed that some people have begun smuggling wheat to
Pakistan.
Previously,
World Food Programme (WFP) reported that since the fall of the former
government to the Taliban, over 22 million people face severe hunger.
According
to UN, hunger and food shortages affect up to 97% of the Afghan population.
Wheat
is the country’s principal source of nutrition. Afghanistan is estimated to
require more than six million tonnes of wheat each year to feed its 33 million
population.
Source:
Khaama Press
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North
America
US
drops ‘foreign terrorist’ designation from Israeli, Basque, Egyptian groups
20
May ,2022
The
US State Department on Friday removed its longstanding official “foreign
terrorist organization” label from Israeli, Basque, Egyptian, Palestinian and
Japanese extremist groups, but all will remain under a separate, broader terror
designation.
Removed
from the FTO blacklist were Kahane Chai, a Jewish extremist group linked to
late rabbi Meir Kahane; the Palestinian group Mujahidin Shura Council in the
Environs of Jerusalem; and Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or ETA, a Basque separatist
group that operated in Spain and France.
Japan’s
Aum Shinrikyo cult, which launched a deadly sarin attack in Tokyo’s subway in
1995, and al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya, the militant group led by the blind cleric
Omar Abdel Rahman, who died in a US prison in 2017, were also dropped from the
department’s official list of foreign terrorist organizations.
The
FTO designation had allowed the United States to take strong unilateral moves
against a group’s members and associates, seizing assets, blocking travel to
the United States, deportation, and - significantly - jailing for up to 20
years anyone found providing “material support” for them.
None
of the five are seen as currently active organizations and the State Department
must review FTO designations every five years to see if they remain warranted.
“Our
review of these five FTO designations determined that, as defined by the INA,
the five organizations are no longer engaged in terrorism or terrorist activity
and do not retain the capability and intent to do so,” the department said in a
statement.
The
revocations “recognize the success Egypt, Israel, Japan, and Spain have had in
defusing the threat of terrorism by these groups,” it said.
Kahane
Chai, which grew out of Kahane’s Kach movement, was designated an FTO in 1997,
three years after its supporter Baruch Goldstein massacred 29 Palestinians in
the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
The
group’s founder, an advocate of expulsion of Arabs from Israel, was
assassinated in New York in 1990.
ETA
was blamed for killing hundreds in attacks as the group sought an independent
Basque homeland over four decades. Eight years after declaring a ceasefire in
2010, it dissolved itself.
The
Mujahidin Shura Council was blacklisted for its role in rocket attacks in
Israel over 2010-2013.
Al-Jama’a
al-Islamiyya group was built around Abdel Rahman, an extremist and US resident
who allegedly inspired the deadly 1993 bombing of New York’s World Trade
Center.
He
was convicted in 1995 over several bomb plots and sentenced to life in prison.
Removal
of the FTO label does not drop the five groups from the US Treasury’s
blacklist.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan forthcoming talks in Brussels
Michael
Hernandez
20.05.2022
WASHINGTON
The
US State Department welcomed on Friday ongoing bilateral talks between Armenia
and Azerbaijan before a key meeting geared toward the establishment of peace in
the south Caucasus.
"We
remain committed to promoting a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future for
the South Caucasus region," State Department spokesman Ned Price told
reporters on a conference call.
"As
part of that, we do urge this dialogue to continue, and for the parties to
intensify their diplomatic engagements, to make use of existing mechanisms for
direct engagement in an effort to find comprehensive solutions to all
outstanding issues related to or resulting from the Nagorno Karabakh conflict
and, to normalize their relations," he added.
The
US remains ready to assist Yerevan and Baku in the efforts, added Price.
Armenian
Prime Minister Nikol Pashiyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev are slated
to hold a trilateral meeting this weekend in Brussels with European Council
President Charles Michel. The meeting will mark the second such sit-down in as
many months as the parties seek to broker a peace agreement.
Following
April's meeting, Michel said Aliyev and Pashinyan stated their desire to “move
rapidly towards a peace agreement between their countries.”
“To
this end, it was agreed to instruct the ministers of foreign affairs to work on
the preparation of a future peace treaty which would address all necessary
issues,” he said in a statement.
The
parties also agreed to convene a Joint Border Commission by the end of April.
Relations
between the two former Soviet countries have been tense since 1991, when the
Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory
internationally-recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.
New
clashes erupted in September 2020, and the 44-day conflict saw Azerbaijan
liberate several cities and over 300 settlements and villages that were
occupied by Armenia for almost 30 years.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
PM Shehbaz, Punjab CM Hamza in Court for Hearing of Rs16bn Money Laundering
Case
Rana
Bilal
May
21, 2022
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz,
appeared in a special court in Lahore on Saturday for the hearing of a Rs16
billion money laundering case.
They
were set to be indicted in the case during the previous hearing on May 14 but
it was delayed because Shehbaz was in the UK and postponed his return to the
country in order to visit the UAE to offer condolences over the death of its
ailing president.
At
the outset of the hearing, Presiding Judge of the Special Court (Central-I)
Ijaz Hassan Awan observed that conditions outside the court were "not
good", referring to security personnel obstructing the entry of people
onto the court premises. PM Shehbaz responded that he would look into the
matter.
The
judge also expressed anger at the SP Civil Lines for stopping judges' vehicles
from entering the court.
Meanwhile,
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecutor Farooq Bajwa contended that three
of the accused in the case were absconders and an application had been
submitted for action against them.
He
requested the court to indict all of the accused at the same time.
The
judge observed that action had been taken against the absconders by a
magistrate court.
However,
the FIA prosecutor argued that proceedings to declare the three accused as
absconders should be completed, adding that if the case continued in this way,
it would benefit them.
Meanwhile,
Shehbaz and Hamza's counsel, Mohammad Amjad Pervaiz, said that charges were
filed against his clients between 2008 and 2018 and the prosecution team had
removed many of them in the challan.
"It
was said that matters were handled through fake companies and transactions of
Rs2 billion were done through one account. Many of the charges filed by the
previous investigation team were not included in the new challan," he told
the court.
"There
is a world of difference between the FIR and the challan." He added that
the entire investigation against Shehbaz was conducted by the former adviser on
accountability.
Shehbaz
addresses court
Shehbaz,
while speaking in the court, said that the United Kingdom's National Crime
Agency (NCA) had conducted an investigation for nearly two years but could not
find "even one rupee of corruption".
The
prime minister said he had lived in the UK and done business in that country,
claiming that the cases against him were "political".
At
this point, Judge Awan said he had issued an order for declaring Shehbaz an
absconder.
For
his part, Shehbaz's counsel argued that the court had issued orders for
declaring those people absconders whose names had been highlighted in red in
the FIA's challan.
The
FIA prosecutor said the accused could take advantage of any legal loophole at
which the judge asked why the prosecution had remained silent for four months.
Prosecutor
Bajwa responded by requesting the court to begin action against the absconders
mentioned in the challan.
Subsequently,
the court reserved a decision on declaring Shehbaz's son, Suleman Shehbaz, an
absconder.
When
Shehbaz again took the stand, he told the court he had served as the chief
minister for 10 years but had never taken a salary. "My salary would be
Rs10 million but I did not take it. I also went on official tours using my own
money. I used to get the government car refuelled from my own pocket.
"I
saved the nation billions of rupees."
The
premier's counsel argued that the 14 accounts mentioned by the FIA were through
banking channels. "Baseless propaganda was done in this case for 1.5
years. The accused tolerated insults despite lack of evidence.
"It
seems the FIA is inspired by [streaming platform] Netflix. This is a
film-inspired FIR," he argued.
Shehbaz
was given a questionnaire and investigated by the FIA while he was in jail in
December 18, 2020, he continued. The FIA had remained "completely
silent" about the case from January 8, 2021 to June 2021, he said.
The
Lahore High Court (LHC) had granted the PML-N president bail on merit in the
money laundering and assets beyond means cases, Pervaiz said.
The
FIA then sent a notice to Shehbaz on June 15 when the budget was about to be
presented, he added.
"Shehbaz
Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz believe in the rule of law. They are prime minister
and chief minister, respectively, but they still appeared in the court."
There
were several issues in the case, including which court could hear the trial and
under which law was the crime committed, he argued.
The
decision to extend bail would be in accordance with Supreme Court judgements,
Pervaiz.
When
the court asked for bail arguments to be completed, the FIA prosecutor said it
could not be done today and pointed out that the investigation officer was also
not present.
Pervaiz
requested the court to allow the accused to leave, saying he would present the
arguments. "Even if we hold daily hearings, the arguments cannot be
completed within a week."
He
noted that other accused were also nominated in the case and their lawyers
would argue separately.
Subsequently,
the court allowed Shehbaz and Hamza to leave and adjourned the hearing till
12:15pm.
Charges
against Shehbaz, Hamza
The
FIA had in December 2021 submitted the challan against Shehbaz and Hamza to a
special court for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16bn
in the sugar scam case.
"The
investigation team has detected 28 benami accounts of the Shehbaz family
through which money laundering of Rs16.3bn was committed during 2008-18. The
FIA examined the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions," according to
an FIA report submitted to the court.
The
amount was kept in "hidden accounts" and given to Shehbaz in a
personal capacity, the report added.
This
amount (Rs16bn) has nothing to do with the sugar business (of Shehbaz family),
it claimed. The money received from the accounts of low-wage employees by
Shehbaz was transferred outside Pakistan via hundi/hawala networks, ultimately
destined for beneficial use of his family members, the FIA had alleged.
Source:
Dawn
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--------
Pavlovian
response: India slams Bilawal for raking up Kashmir at UNSC
May
21, 2022
NEW
YORK: The governmentof India hit out at Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal
Bhutto Zardari for raising the Kashmir issue in UNSC saying Pakistan’s
“Pavlovian response” on the revocation of the special status of J&K and the
recent delimitation exercise was meant to propagate false propaganda against
India. The only contribution Pakistan can make is to stop its support to
terrorism, said the government.
“Pakistan’s
representative made unwarranted remarks, which symbolises nothing but a
Pavlovian response aimed to misuse any forum, and every topic, to propagate
false and malicious propaganda against my country,” counsellor in India’s
Permanent Mission to UN Rajesh Parihar said, responding to remarks by Bilawal.
Bilawal had raised the abrogation of Article 370 and the recent order by the
Delimitation Commission during his remarks in a UNSCdebate.
India
exercised the Right of Reply at the security council open debate on
‘Maintenance of International Peace & Security — Conflict and Food
Security’ organised by the US, the current council president.
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
Pakistani
rupee dips past 200 a dollar, IMF’s help uncertain
May
21, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s currency plunged past 200 a dollar for the first time ever as a
shortage of dollars threatens to spiral into a fullblown crisis. The rupee
weakened 0. 08% and closed at 200. 14 a dollar in Karachi Friday, the central
bank said on its website. The nation’s foreign-exchange reserves now cover less
than two months of imports.
Policy
makers are in talks with the International Monetary Fund to revive a stalled
loan programme. Key conditions would require PM Shehbaz Sharif to raise fuel
prices, which risks stoking public anger with inflation already at 13%.
Meanwhile ousted PM Imran Khan has threatened to lead protests calling for
early elections. The rupee may drop as low as 210 a dollar if the uncertainty
isn’t resolved, as per Samiullah Tariq, head of research at Pakistan Kuwait
InvestmentCo. The nation’s benchmark KSE-100 index has declined for past five
straight weeks.
Source:
Times Of India
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Pak
EC ‘de-seats’ dissident PTI legislators who voted for PML-N's candidate as
Punjab's CM
May
21, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (EC) “de-seated” on Friday 25 lawmakers of
former PM Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for defying a party
directive and voting for Hamza Shehbaz of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
for the Punjab CM’s post in April.
The
legislators had voted for Hamza in the Punjab CM elections on April 16 and
their support gave him a majority with 197 votes, more than the required 186 in
a house of 371 members. But Hamza lost his majority after EC “de-seated” the
lawmakers—which means they are no longer members of the house and their votes
won’t count.
The
EC’s decision has dealt a serious blow to PM Shehbaz Sharif’s fragile coalition
government that has been struggling against grave financial and political
challenges facing the country.
The
decision follows a Supreme Court judgment three days ago on a presidential
reference seeking interpretation of a defection law. The SC said votes of dissident
lawmakers could not be counted in the case of a vote of no confidence.
The
EC had reserved its verdict after the completion of arguments on May 17. The
reference against the defectors was sent by speaker Pervaiz Elahi of the Punjab
assembly after the election in which he was a candidate. But he had boycotted
the polls.
Source:
Times Of India
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Only
national govt can steer country out of crisis, say Zardari, Fazl
May
21 2022
ISLAMABAD:
PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana
Fazlur Rehman said that only a national government could steer the country out
of the ongoing crisis “created” by the past government.
During
a meeting at the Zardari House on Friday, both the leaders agreed that Pakistan
is their first priority, and they would take all steps needed for its
betterment in consultation with all member parties of the ruling alliance.
The
meeting between the two key leaders of the ruling coalition is important in the
backdrop of the ongoing political crisis in the country due to PTI’s pressure
on the incumbent government to announce snap polls.
According
to a statement issued after the meeting, both sides also resolved that all
decisions would be made in consultation with the coalition partners and the
practice would continue in future also.
The
meeting was part of the ongoing consultations between the ruling coalition
partners.
On
Thursday, Asif Zardari had a meeting with the former prime minister and PML-Q
President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
The
PPP co-chairman thanked Shujaat for his complete support for the coalition
government and also took him into confidence on the current political
situation.
Federal
ministers Chaudhry Salik Hussain and Tariq Bashir Cheema, belonging to the
PML-Q, and party MNA Farrukh Khan were also present.
The
meeting was termed important at a time when the coalition government had to
take tough decisions in the coming days and consultation was going on to bring
all the coalition partners on one page.
Source:
Geo TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.geo.tv/latest/418097-only-national-govt-can-steer-country-out-of-crisis-say-zardari-fazl
--------
Pak
Information Minister Aurangzeb takes a dig at PTI, asks ECP to hasten up
foreign funding case
21
May, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], May 21 (ANI): Pakistan’s Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on
Friday called out the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to pay heed to the
foreign funding case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf as quickly as it finished
the 25 PTI dissidents’ case.
The
Minister pointed out that the ECP decision on disqualification declarations had
been given in a month’s time but the foreign-funding case against the PTI had
been pending for eight years, she said in a press conference.
In
a further statement, she also claimed the ECP decision of de-seating 25 MPAs
would not affect the Punjab government and Hamza Shehbaz would continue as the
Chief Minister, adding that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz led the Punjab
government along with its allies, enjoying the support of 177 members, whereas
the PTI’s strength in the legislature was 172 now.
Aurangzeb
said it was not time for the PTI to celebrate but to mourn as 25 of its members
had left the party in protest against the anti-people policies of the Imran
Khan regime, The News International reported.
She
noted that when the courts were opened at night in the wake of constitutional
transgressions by Imran, he and the PTI hurled threats at the judges and the
courts and also tried to defame their families.
She
said the PTI dissident lawmakers overtly cast their conscience vote. “They knew
about the consequences and voted against their party and in favour of the
nation,” she said.
The
Minister claimed that these 25 members have not been de-seated but their action
is akin to a slap in Imran’s face, adding they have the right to prefer an
appeal against the ECP decision.
Since
her days as information secretary of PML-N, Marriyum Aurangzeb has accused
Imran Khan of introducing dirt and filth into Pakistan’s politics.
The
foreign funding case is pending since November 14, 2014, and it was filed by
PTI founding member Akbar S Babar who had alleged that there are some financial
irregularities in the PTI’s funding from Pakistan and abroad.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Cracks
emerge between Pakistan’s new government, military
20
May, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], May 20 (ANI): Having come to power after an intense political drama
which saw the first no-confidence motion being successfully carried out in the
country, the Shehbaz Sharif led coalition government seems to have developed
serious differences with Pakistan’s all-powerful military establishment.
If
the statements of several leaders of the coalition government, as well as the
political experts, are to go by it is evident that the main point of contention
is the duration of the incumbent government’s tenure, Express Tribune reported.
The
stalemate between the government and military establishment is not only
becoming visible with every passing day but causing delays in the
decision-making process of the government and, thus, affecting the economy and
the country itself, the report said.
The
uncertainty coupled with former premier Imran Khan’s planned rally and sit-in
in the capital has also pushed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to repeatedly
postpone his address to the nation where he is expected to present his economic
plan.
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, while speaking in
Sargodha asked the rally participants should PML-N take the blame for PTI’s bad
performance and should PML-N stay in government or leave it. “It would be
better to say goodbye than take the blame for the poor performance of the
previous government,” she said.
Another
hint about the stalemate between Islamabad and Rawalpindi emerged when Pakistan
People’s Party (PPP) Khursheed Shah clearly said that the coalition government
was ready for the elections and they would be happy if the government was
ended. “We would thank you for freeing us in just one month,” he reportedly
said.
The
fear of the establishment ‘forcefully’ ending the government pushed the
coalition partners in the Shehbaz Sharif government to the extent that they
even floated the suggestion to summon a meeting of the National Security
Committee (NSC) to discuss the issue in detail and reach a decision.
The
coalition partners maintained that the current situation was not suitable for
stabilising the economy and things would further deteriorate if the caretaker
government was tasked with making tough decisions, the report said.
Since
its inception, the report said citing political experts, the new Pakistani
government has been mulling about deciding the tenure of the government and the
timeframe for the next elections but could not reach any decision as they do not
have assurance from the military establishment that they would be able to
complete a full term.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/cracks-emerge-between-pakistans-new-government-military/964899/
--------
Southeast
Asia
Singapore's
Muslim Community Has To Forge Its Own Religious Compass, Says Mufti Nazirudin
Mohd Nasir
Tham
Yuen-C
MAY
20, 2022
SINGAPORE
- The Covid-19 pandemic has shown Singapore's Muslim community that it can and
must forge its own religious compass as it charts its way forward, said Mufti
Nazirudin Mohd Nasir on Thursday (May 19).
To
achieve this, the community will need to be confident in its own religious
identity as well as in the leadership of the local Asatizah, or religious
teachers, he added.
Dr
Nazirudin, who is Singapore's top Islamic leader, was speaking to around 250
Asatizah at the first annual Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering for them to be held
physically since the pandemic hit.
He
reminded his audience that they were responsible for the well-being of
Singapore's Muslim community.
"Beyond
our little red dot, no one else is as vested or interested in our future, not
the religious preachers or scholars who live elsewhere and occasionally throw
comments or remarks about us," he said.
"Let
us strive to strengthen our religious credibility and leadership as we continue
to find solutions for our own contexts and challenges. We have done this
before, and we will continue to do this."
In
his speech at The Chevrons in Jurong East, the mufti thanked the asatizah for
keeping the community's religious spirit alive amid Covid-19 restrictions,
saying this was possible because of the way they understand and practice their
faith in the country's unique context.
He
noted that in the pandemic's early days, Singapore had no precedents to follow,
whether from religious texts and traditions or the experiences of other Muslim
communities.
Religious
leaders had to work with experts and find new solutions, and at times take
different decisions from other Muslim communities.
While
they felt fearful at times, this did not weaken their spirituality, he said,
noting that similar decisions were later replicated across the Muslim world.
"It
is in these difficult times that we build resilience and find courage to change
and adapt, and to stand by our decisions," he said.
Covid-19
could be a dry run for similar situations in the future, he added.
Citing
another instance where Singapore had differed from other countries, Dr
Nazirudin noted that when Muslims here celebrated Hari Raya Puasa on May 3, a
day later than in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, some people had voiced their
criticisms online.
They
suggested this could lead to disunity among Muslims, when such differences took
place in Islamic history, and were recognised as religiously valid.
Dr
Nazirudin reiterated that the religious authorities here had relied on astronomical
calculations and guidance from the time of Prophet Muhammad in determining the
date, as the crescent moon which traditionally marks the start of the new month
could not be seen in Singapore on the evening of May 1, unlike in other
countries in the region.
Dr
Nazirudin said while Singapore uses the criteria agreed upon by MABIMS, an
informal gathering of religious ministers of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Singapore, in determining the sighting of the crescent moon, this "does
not, and will never mean that there will be no differences in our
conclusions".
"The
outcomes may differ based on our unique circumstances," he said.
"But
what was alarming was how some were quick to view this difference as a
weakness, even an error and misguidance," he added.
"Instead
of any sound arguments, the voices which criticised our decision were at best
conjectural, and at worst, carried untruths and were ignorant of the basics of
falak (astronomy). Most were purely emotive in nature, as has often been the
case with many other issues," he said.
Dr
Nazirudin acknowledged more had to be done to educate the community and improve
its capabilities, skills and expertise as it navigates a more complex world.
His
office and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore will do more, but they
need the support and partnership of asatizah, he added.
Ultimately,
it is the responsibility of asatizah here to guide the Muslim community, he
said, urging them to draw from their experiences during the pandemic to remain
open-minded while being confident of their own decisions.
This
is especially important, since the Muslim community here, as a minority, is
often viewed as being a disadvantage by others, due to the misconceived notion
that Islam and Muslims can only thrive in majority contexts, he added.
"On
the contrary, I have always believed that our context offers us opportunities
to truly live and embody the dynamic values of our faith, when it speaks of
peace and cohesion in the context of diversity, when the syariah calls for
flexibility and progress, in the context of scientific and technological
progress," he said.
Source:
Straits Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Najib
accuses Kit Siang of inciting public after Sri Lanka comparisons
May
19, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Najib Razak has accused DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang of inciting the public
by questioning whether Malaysia will suffer the same fate as Sri Lanka, which
was recently plagued by unrest.
The
former prime minister also called on police to arrest Lim.
Najib
said Lim, who recently quit active politics, should not issue such statements,
adding that the latter should enjoy life as a retiree instead.
“Why
the need to continue lying and inciting the public? You have been doing it for
the past 60 years, are you not satisfied?” he asked in a Facebook post.
Earlier
today, Lim expressed concern that Malaysia would become a failed state like Sri
Lanka in three to four decades.
The
Iskandar Puteri MP also did not rule out the possibility of similar protests
like the ones in the republic occurring here.
“Will
the houses of the prime minister and ministers of Malaysia be set on fire by
angry protestors as happened in Sri Lanka last week?,” he wrote in a blog.
Earlier
this month, the houses of several lawmakers from Sri Lanka’s ruling party were
set on fire by anti-government protesters.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Supporters
of Indonesian preacher denied entry to S'pore stage protests in Jakarta, Medan
Linda
Yulisman
JAKARTA
- Supporters of Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara staged protests in
Jakarta and Medan, North Sumatra, on Friday (May 20) against Singapore's recent
move to deny him entry over his history of extremist teachings.
In
Medan, about 250 of the preacher's supporters first gathered at Medan Grand
Mosque before marching to the Forum Nine office building, where Singapore's
Consulate-General is located.
Several
of them held placards that read: "Expel Singapore Ambassador",
"Boycott Singapore products", "Singapore Villain's Lair",
"Singapore is Malay land, not Chinese property", and "Singapore
nasty and disgusting".
The
protest was organised by the Alliance of North Sumatra Islamic Mass
Organisations, which represents various Islamic groups across the province.
Somad
was born in North Sumatra and lives in Pekanbaru, the capital of neighbouring
Riau province, where he spends much of his time when not travelling.
In a
45-second video posted on Twitter, a protester could be seen speaking through a
loudspeaker and pointed out Somad's popularity beyond Indonesia.
"He
is welcome in Malaysia. He is welcome in Brunei. He is welcome in South-east
Asia. But, a country named Singapore expels and refuses him without any
specific reason. God is great," he shouted to the crowd.
Medan
police chief Valentino Alfa Tatareda told The Straits Times on Saturday (May
21) that 900 police officers were deployed to maintain security during the
event. "The situation was safe," he said.
He
added that representatives of the protesters, along with cleric Hasan Matsum,
chief of the Medan chapter of the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI), managed to
meet the Singapore Consul-General in Medan.
In
Jakarta, a crowd of around 50 men and women, with some holding banners, held a
protest in front of the Singapore Embassy amid heavy rain.
One
of their banners read: "Stop Islamophobia. Singapore apologise within 2x24
hours to the Indonesian people. Don't harass our ulama."
Police
commander Agung Permana, head of the Setiabudi sub-precinct police station,
said on Friday that the organiser, Islamic Union for Ideology Defence (Perisai)
got police approval to hold the protest prior to the event.
Between
50 and 100 police officers were deployed to guard the protest, he added.
"There
is no traffic diversion because there are not many protesters," he was
quoted as saying by Kompas.com.
Singapore
denied entry to Somad and six of his travel companions soon after they arrived
from Batam on Monday.
On
his Instagram account, the preacher posted a photo and a short clip of himself
at his holding area in Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
In
its response to the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore's query on the matter,
Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said the reason for the
refusal was due to Somad "being ineligible for the issue of a pass under
current immigration policies."
A
spokesman at Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday that
"Somad has been known to preach extremist and segregationist teachings,
which are unacceptable in Singapore's multiracial and multi-religious
society".
Although
he is one of Indonesia's most widely followed preachers, Somad has also been
criticised by Indonesians, including mainstream Muslim leaders, for comments he
has made denigrating other faiths. Several of them have also welcomed
Singapore's decision to bar him from entering the Republic.
Indonesia's
Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that Indonesia acknowledges the
sovereignty of every country to implement its immigration rules and exercise
its rights to accept or deny entry to foreigners.
In
an interview with Karni Ilyas Club YouTube channel on Wednesday, Somad said he
would not be deterred from trying to visit Singapore, as it was Malay land
which was connected to his homeland, Riau.
Source:
Straits Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Hezbollah,
allies hold sway in Lebanon’s new parliament, senior official says
20
May 2022
Enemies
sought to undermine the political power and popularity of Lebanon’s resistance
movement Hezbollah in the recent parliamentary elections but they failed as
Hezbollah and its allies held sway in the new parliament, a senior official
says.
Vice
President of the Executive Council of Hezbollah Sheikh Ali Damoush said on
Friday that adversaries in this political war were trying to target the
political and popular power of Hezbollah and mobilize supporters of resistance
against it. He said the enemies favored a minimum voting rate for the
resistance.
Damoush
said Lebanon’s current economic woes are in sync with enemy plots.
“Nevertheless, they failed. The result [of the parliamentary elections] was
that Hezbollah and its allies retained a presence in the new parliament.” The
results revealed the turnout in areas populated by resistance supporters was
the highest, he said.
He
said hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on media and election campaigns
to promote figures backed by the United States and Saudi Arabia. Work has also
been done, the official added, to tarnish the image of Hezbollah and
marginalize it on the political scene.
Damoush
said Hezbollah enjoyed the highest popularity in the recent elections and that
its representatives won more than 347,000 votes, thousands above the number of
votes it had obtained in 2018. He said what mattered most was that the election
results displayed the power, stability, and popularity of the resistance
against the ill wishes of the enemies.
Damoush
said Hezbollah is satisfied with the election results. The priority of the new
parliament and all the political parties, he added, must be to address the
people’s issues. The new legislature needs to stay away from hollow slogans.
Hezbollah’s
Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that the resistance
achieved a “great victory” in the elections.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Peace,
Taiz in focus as Saudi deputy defence minister meets US special envoy to Yemen
21
May ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid Bin Salman met with US
Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking to discuss the latest developments in the
Taiz conflict, the Yemen war and the need for UN-backed peace proposals, among
other bilateral issues, a tweet from the Saudi minister on Saturday said.
“I
affirmed to him the Saudi led Coalition’s backing of the Yemeni Presidential
Leadership Council and its supporting entities, and our aspirations for
reaching a comprehensive political resolution to the crisis that will lead
Yemen into peace and prosperity,” he said.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
He
also “reaffirmed the need for the United Nations and the international
community to pressure the Houthis into reopening the roads of Taiz, deposit
revenues of the Hodeidah port, and engage with peace proposals,” according to
the same tweet.
US
Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg had earlier said separate talks would be
held to open roads in disputed Taiz region, but no progress has yet been
reported.
A
Yemeni minister recently said the Iran-backed Houthi militia is undermining
efforts to reach complete peace by violating the agreed-upon ceasefire terms,
according to an official Saudi Press Agency report citing the Yemeni state-run
news agency.
The
claim was made by the Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism,
Moammar al-Eryani, who said that the militia continues to “avoid its commitment
to lift the seize on Taiz governate.”
A
two-month truce between the Arab Coalition and the Iran-backed Houthi militia
that runs the north went into effect on April 2, coinciding with the holy month
of Ramadan, and has largely held up.
Prince
Khalid Bin Salman arrived in Washington on Tuesday and has met with senior
defense and state department officials.
The
Saudi minister met with the US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan who
reaffirmed President Joe Biden's commitment to “help Saudi Arabia defend its
territory”. Sullivan also underscored the longstanding partnership between the
two nations.
The
senior Saudi official also met with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin where
they discussed the strategic relations between the two countries, in addition
to reviewing the Saudi-US partnership and aspects of strategic cooperation in
the existing and future defense and military fields.
Prince
Khalid also headed the Saudi side in the meeting of the Joint Strategic
Planning Committee between the Ministries of Defense in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia and the United States of America as the Under Secretary of Defense for
Policy Dr. Colin H. Kahl headed the US side.
During
the meeting, the latest developments and the rapid regional and international
changes were discussed, in addition to discussing many issues and files as part
of the two countries' vision to defend common interests and maintain
international peace and security.
The
two officials also spoke about the US approach to China “as its pacing
challenge.” They also touched on the war in Yemen, maritime threats, and
violent extremist organizations.
Iran’s
destabilizing actions in the region were also a topic of discussion. The pair
agreed to increase cooperation and work to counter the smuggling of illicit
weapons to violent non-state groups in the Middle East.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syria
intercepts Israeli missile attack: State media
20
May ,2022
Syrian
air defenses intercepted Israeli missile strikes near Damascus, state media
reported on Friday.
“Our
air defenses stopped a number of hostile missiles in the airspace of the
southern countryside of Damascus,” Syria’s official news agency SANA said.
AFP
correspondents in the Syrian capital said they heard very loud noises in the
evening.
The
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said that the target of the
Israeli strikes were Iranian bases near Damascus.
The
latest strike follows one on May 14 that killed five soldiers and another one
on April 27 which, according to the Observatory, killed 10 combatants, among
them six Syrian soldiers, in the deadliest such raid since the start of 2022.
Since
civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air
strikes there, targeting government positions as well as bases and weapon
depots for allied Iran-backed forces and fighters of Lebanon’s Shia militant
group Hezbollah.
While
Israel rarely comments on individual strikes, it has acknowledged mounting
hundreds of them.
The
Israeli military has defended them as necessary to prevent its arch-foe Iran
from gaining a foothold on its doorstep.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
State
Department calls on Lebanese leaders to work with ‘urgency’ to rescue economy
20 May
,2022
The
US called on Lebanese officials to quickly form a government after last
weekend’s elections led to Hezbollah and its allies losing a parliamentary
majority.
“As
Lebanon looks ahead, we urge those elected and the country’s political leaders
to heed the Lebanese people’s call for change and to work seriously, and with
urgency, to take the necessary actions to rescue the economy,” State Department
Spokesman Ned Price said.
Price
said the US was urging the swift formation of a new government able to carry
out the “hard work required to restore the confidence of the Lebanese people
and the international community.”
Washington
also commended the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces for their
role in ensuring the elections were held without any major security incidents.
Videos
purported to show Hezbollah supporters swapping vote ballots or ripping up
others while its supporters ransacked voting booths in Baalbek.
Supporters
of other candidates also were seen allegedly bribing voters with cash.
“We
share the concerns raised by our partners in the international community of
allegations of vote-buying, clientelism, and reports of intimidation,” Price
said.
Several
new faces, including members of the civil society, broke into the ranks for the
first time.
The
first primary task in front of the new parliament will be to elect a speaker
ahead of October’s presidential election.
The
World Bank has said that Lebanon’s financial crisis is one of the worst the
world has seen in over 150 years.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syria
lambasts Turkey’s Erdogan plan to return million refugees
20
May ,2022
Syrian
authorities on Friday rejected plans by Turkey to return one million Syrian
refugees to a “safe zone” on the border, state media reported.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in early May said Ankara was aiming to encourage
one million Syrian refugees to return to their country by building them housing
and local infrastructure there.
Turkey
is today home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, who fled after a civil
war broke out in 2011 in Turkey’s southern neighbor.
Erdogan’s
“cheap statements” reveal his regime’s “aggressive games against Syria and the
unity of its land and people,” the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a
statement on the official news agency SANA.
Erdogan
is facing rising public anger over the refugees’ presence and is wary of the
issue dominating elections next year.
He
said around 500,000 Syrians have returned to “safe zones” on the Turkey-Syria
border since 2016.
These
are controlled by Ankara-backed groups. The areas are designed to keep Syrians
displaced by war from crossing into Turkish territory, and to allow it to send
back others who already did.
“The
government of the Syrian Arab Republic absolutely rejects such games,” the
ministry said, calling on countries not to finance the Turkish projects and to
stop supporting Ankara.
“The
main objective is colonialism... The so-called safe zone is in fact ethnic
cleansing,” the ministry said.
Ankara
has periodically carried out military strikes on a Kurdish-administered zone in
northeastern Syria, where groups it considers terrorists are based.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lebanon
recovery plan includes central bank debt write-off, haircuts to depositors
20
May ,2022
Lebanon’s
government foresees canceling “a large part" of the Central Bank’s foreign
currency obligations to commercial banks and dissolving non-viable banks by
November, according to a financial recovery plan passed by the cabinet on
Friday.
The
document, seen by Reuters and verified as accurate by a minister, was passed by
cabinet in its final session hours before losing decision-making powers,
following the election of a new parliament on May 15.
It
includes several measures that are prerequisites to unlock funds from a
preliminary deal with the International Monetary Fund agreed in April that
could help pull the country out of a three-year financial meltdown.
The
plan foresees a full audit of the Central Bank’s forex financial standing by
July. Then, the government “will cancel, at the outset, a large part of the Central
Bank’s foreign currency obligations to banks in order to reduce the deficit in
BDL’s capital,” the document said.
The
largest 14 commercial banks, representing 83 percent of total assets, would
also be audited. Viable banks would be recapitalized with “significant
contributions” from bank shareholders and large depositors.
The
plan said it would protect small depositors “to the maximum extent possible” in
each viable bank, but did not lay out a minimum amount to be protected - unlike
draft plans.
Non-viable
banks, however, would be dissolved by the end of November, it added.
It
also said the government would unify the official exchange rate, ending a
system in which the government offered various exchange rates for different
operations.
Lebanon’s
local currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value since its economic
decline began in 2019.
In
April 2020, Lebanon’s cabinet endorsed a recovery plan that was then torpedoed
by powerful political parties, the Central Bank, and commercial banks, who
disputed the distribution of losses.
This
April, the Association of the Banks in Lebanon (ABL) rejected a draft
government recovery plan that it said would leave banks and depositors
shouldering the “major portion” of a government-estimated $72 billion hole in the
financial sector.
A
spokesman for the association said it “did not meet yet to discuss the decision
of the government, therefore ABL still endorses its last statement in this
regard.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Amnesty
urges Yemen’s Houthis to free journalists on death row
20
May ,2022
Amnesty
International has urged Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia to free four
journalists facing the death penalty for “espionage” in the war-torn country, ahead
of an appeal court hearing on Sunday.
The
four, Abdul Khaleq Amran, Tawfiq al-Mansouri, Harith Hamid and Akram al-Walidi
were arrested in June 2015 in Yemen’s capital Sanaa which is under the control
of the Houthis.
“Yemen’s
Houthi de facto authorities must quash the death sentences and order the
immediate release of four Yemeni journalists who are facing execution following
a grossly unfair trial,” the rights group said in a statement on Friday.
The
Iran-backed Houthis seized Sanaa from the internationally recognized government
in 2014.
In
April 2020, a Houthi court sentenced the four journalists to death on charges
of “treason and spying for foreign states.”
“This
has been a sham of a trial since the beginning and has borne a terrible toll on
the men and their families,” said Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa deputy
director Lynn Maalouf, according to the statement.
One
of the detained men, Mansouri, is in a “critical health condition” with heart
and other ailments, Amnesty said.
“Pending
their overdue release, the journalists must be provided with urgent medical
care - the denial of medical treatment for the seriously ill is an act of
cruelty which amounts to torture and other ill-treatment,” the statement said.
At
the time of their trial, Amnesty criticized their sentencing on “trumped-up
charges,” while Reporters Without Borders called the verdict “totally
unacceptable.”
Their
arrest was motivated by their reporting on “human rights violations committed
by Houthi forces,” the International Federation of Journalists and the Yemeni
Journalists’ Syndicate have said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Over
50 Democrat lawmakers ask for FBI probe into Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing
21
May ,2022
A
group of 57 Democrat lawmakers penned a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray
and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday requesting an American-led
investigation into the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu
Akleh.
“We
request the State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
launch an investigation into the death of Ms. Abu Akleh,” the group of
lawmakers wrote.
Abu
Akleh was shot and killed last week while she was covering an Israeli military
raid in the occupied West Bank. Israeli initially blamed Palestinian gunmen for
her death but later backtracked and said they would investigate where the
bullet came from.
But
Palestine has refused to hand over the bullet, calling for an international
investigation.
“The
Israeli military claimed that the victims were caught between gunfire between
Palestinian militants and Israeli Defense Forces. However, media and
eyewitnesses had conflicting reports,” the US lawmakers wrote on Friday.
They
welcomed the statements and actions taken by the Biden administration, which
have condemned Abu Akleh’s death and called for an investigation. But the Biden
administration has said that Israel was capable of carrying out a thorough
investigation on its own.
“However,
given the tenuous situation in the region and the conflicting reports
surrounding the death of Ms. Abu Akleh, we request the State Department and the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launch an investigation into Ms. Abu
Akleh’s death,” the lawmakers wrote.
They
also called on the State Department to determine whether any US laws protecting
Abu Akleh, an American citizen, were violated. “As an American, Ms. Abu Akleh
was entitled to the full protections afforded to US citizens living abroad,”
they said.
“We
have a duty to protect Americans reporting abroad,” read the letter co-led by
Congressmen Andre Carson, Bill Pascrell and Lou Correa.
Israeli
forces were also criticized for their violence during Abu Akleh’s funeral
procession.
While
her casket was being carried, hundreds of Palestinians were seen hoisting the
Palestinian flag and chanting. Shortly after, Israeli forces rushed at the
mourners, attacking them with batons, including the pallbearers and leading to
the coffin dropping.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
setting up military bases in eastern Yemen cashing in on UN-brokered truce,
says Houthi
20
May 2022
The
leader of Yemen’s popular Ansarullah resistance movement says the United
States, with the help of its allied Takfiri militant groups, is building
several military bases in the country’s eastern provinces of Hadhramaut and
al-Mahrah as well as on the Red Sea coast.
Addressing
a delegation of tribal leaders from the western Yemeni province of Ibb on
Thursday evening, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said Washington is setting up military
installations in eastern Yemen and the country's southern coastal city of Aden.
He
asserted that the Yemeni nation cannot accept Washington’s diktats, warning
that the enemies are hell-bent on sowing the seeds of discord and division
among people by hook or by crook.
“We
must work for security and social stability in Ibb province through compromise
and cooperation among local authorities,” the top Yemeni resistance leader told
the delegation.
He
said the “enemies” have begun to mobilize military reinforcements by taking
advantage of the UN-brokered ceasefire, which clearly shows their orientation
towards the next stage of the war, and bears testimony to their failure in the
previous phase.
“Enemies,
having become fairly frustrated with attempts to impose their diktats through
ousted Yemeni president Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, have decided to remove him in a
humiliating matter,” Houthi said.
“They
brought a bunch of criminals, traitors, and thieves to power, and declared them
as the leaders of the Yemeni nation. They are actually the picks of outsiders,
not Yemenis.”
The
leader of the Ansarullah movement further asserted that the Yemeni nation will
never accept being under the ominous specter of the United States.
“It
is the traitors and mercenaries who would like to prove their servitude to
Saudi or Emirati officers,” he said, calling for an immediate end to foreign
domination of the Arab country.
Normalization
deals with Israel
In
other remarks, Houthi pointed to the controversial normalization agreements
between the Israeli regime and some Arab countries, describing the process as
an opening for the Tel Aviv regime to flex its clout in the Middle East region.
“The
parties displaying animosity and military aggression against our nation are the
ones that are pushing for the normalization of ties with the Israeli enemy. The
enemies’ main goal is to shatter the Yemeni nation’s unity and solidarity, and
easily dominate it,” the Ansarullah leader said.
“Yemeni
people will continue to tread the path of independence and freedom, and will
prevent foreigners from interfering in their domestic affairs.”
Saudi
Arabia launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration
with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and other
Western states.
The
objective was to reinstall the Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi
and crush the Ansarullah resistance movement, which has been running state
affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Turkey
overcame ‘family disputes’ with Saudi Arabia, UAE: Erdogan
20
May 202
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his country’s differences with Saudi Arabia
and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been overcome, describing the disputes
as ones “within the same family.”
Erdogan
made the remarks during an event on the occasion of Youth and Sports Day and
the commemoration of the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, at the presidential complex in the capital, Ankara, on Thursday.
“We
have overcome the differences with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and we have drawn up
plans for the rapid development of bilateral relations in the fields of trade,
industry, defense industries, culture and tourism, and we are taking steps to
do so,” he said.
Erdogan
went on to say that Turkey has a lot in common with Saudi Arabia and the UAE,
expressing certainty that the path started by Ankara towards the two countries
will make very important contributions, both at the commercial and political
levels.
The
Turkish president further referred to his recent visit to Abu Dhabi to offer
his condolences on the death of the late President of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa
bin Zayed, following nearly a decade of strained relations due to regional
disputes.
He
said relations with Saudi Arabia are also “moving in a more positive
direction,” while announcing that Ankara will cooperate with the two countries
in the field of defense industry.
Erdogan
visited Saudi Arabia last month to mend fences between Ankara and Riyadh.
Ties
between Ankara and Riyadh took a nosedive in 2018 after dissident journalist
Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered inside Saudi Arabia’s consulate in
the Turkish city of Istanbul in October 2018.
Saudi
Arabia initially issued conflicting stories about Khashoggi’s disappearance,
but eventually claimed that the Washington Post columnist had been killed in a
“rogue” operation.
However,
Turkish officials released an audio recording of Khashoggi’s killing that they
said contained evidence that Khashoggi had been assassinated on the orders of
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
The
high-profile targeted killing has affected Riyadh’s relations with a number of
countries, but those relations are being restored with the subsiding of the
global outrage sparked by the gruesome murder.
Biden
may meet MBS as early as June
A
new report has revealed that US President Joe Biden may meet in person with the
Saudi crown prince, also known as the kingdom’s de facto ruler, as early as
next month.
CNN,
citing multiple officials, reported on Thursday that Biden administration
officials are currently in talks with their Saudi counterparts about a
potential meeting between the two leaders while the US president is overseas
next month.
“You
should count on something like this happening, it just comes down to when, not
if,” said a former US official familiar with the issue, adding, “Because of our
multiple shared national security interests, [a meeting] is a good thing.”
A
meeting between Biden and bin Salman would likely coincide with a Persian Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh, the sources added.
The
potential meeting would come after months of turbulent relations and multiple
attempts at rapprochement by the White House.
It
would also mark a turning point for Biden, whose administration declared last
year that it sought to “re-calibrate” its relations with Saudi Arabia, and
refused to arrange a call between Biden and MBS.
Under
that decision, the White House explained, Biden’s counterpart is King Salman,
not his son, and Mohammed bin Salman was told to communicate with Defense
Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III.
Similar
to its relations with Ankara, Riaydh’s once intimate relationship with
Washinton turned sour after the Biden administration published an assessment by
US intelligence agencies that concluded MBS personally ordered the killing.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/05/20/682436/Turkey-overcame-differences-Saudi-Arabia-UAE-Erdogan
--------
Hezbollah
Chief: Palestinians No Longer Wait For Arab Regimes To Come To Their Rescue
20
May 2022
The
secretary-general of the Hezbollah resistance movement says the Palestinian
people will no longer wait for Arab regimes to come to their help as they have
chosen the path of resistance against the occupying Israeli regime.
Arab
regimes are unable to protect their own nations, let alone defend the
Palestinian cause, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in remarks on Friday.
The
Hezbollah chief was commemorating the 6th anniversary of the martyrdom of
Sayyed Mustafa Badr al-Deen, a military leader of Hezbollah and an advisor to
Nasrallah himself.
He
said Badr al-Deen used to fight against the “global arrogance” led by the
United States and the Israeli regime.
Badr
al-Deen’s generation did not wait for any Arab, Islamic, or international
decisions to start their resistance, he stated.
According
to Nasrallah, the Palestinian people too will no longer wait for Arab regimes,
the Arab League, or the United Nations to come to their help in the fight
against the Israeli occupation.
He
said the Nakba Day, when the Israeli regime was created, was not only a
catastrophe for Palestine but for all the Arab nations in the region, adding
that the Arab world failed to defend Palestine even when it was strong and
united.
Nakba
Day, held each year on May 15, marks the dispossession and expulsion of Palestinians
from their ancestral land prior to the creation of the Israeli regime in 1948.
During
that year, eighty-five percent of the Palestinian people were forcibly
displaced from their homeland and over 500 villages were destroyed in order to
establish the Israeli regime.
Despite
the pain and suffering inflicted by Israel upon the Palestinian people since
the regime’s formation, some Arab countries began in 2020 to normalize their
relations with Tel Aviv, in moves deemed by Palestinians as a betrayal of their
cause.
Nasrallah:
Elections over; time to heal
Elsewhere
in his Friday remarks, Nasrallah said what protects Lebanon is its people and
their resistance.
“Let
no one have the illusion that the Arab world can protect Lebanon.”
He
said the Lebanese resistance movement will continue the struggle relentlessly
and it will never give up its arms.
“The
resistance has contributed to protecting Lebanon’s domestic security,
especially in the dismantling of Israeli spy networks,” he said.
The
Hezbollah chief stated that the impending challenge in Lebanon is the economic
and social crisis, as well as the bread, medicine, and electricity crises, “not
the weapons of the resistance.”
On
the recent Lebanese parliamentary elections, Nasrallah said the elections are
over and now is the time for cooperation to resolve the country’s problems.
“Let
the parliamentary blocs head to parliament to continue the building of the
state and the approval of laws and we might agree with you,” he added.
In
remarks late on Wednesday, Nasrallah said the large turnout and the outcome of
the election conveyed a message of people’s adherence and commitment to the
resistance, noting that the resistance achieved “great victory” in the
election.
He
also said there was no single bloc in the parliament that could claim the
majority in elections.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/05/20/682433/Nasrallah-Palestinians-dont-wait-Arab-regimes-help
--------
Iranian
priest: Islamic Republic’s approach towards religious minorities admirable
May
20, 2022
Priest
Dayavush Azizian who was speaking in a meeting by people of different walks of
life of West Azarbaijan province with President Ebrahim Raisi said that the
Iranian Christians thank God for this blessing, which is one of the beauties of
Iran.
He
added that the various Iranian tribes and followers of different monotheist
religions in West Azarbaijan province have dedicated many martyrs to their
country during the years of the sacred defense against the former Iraqi
dictator Saddam Hussein, but the Christians have dedicated more martyrs
compared with other minorities.
“I,
as a representative of the small society of Assyrian Christians, all the same
ask for the government’s more particular approach for preservation of the
cultures and traditions of the country’s minorities and their wellbeing,” he
added.
He
stressed that the Iranian Christians, too, like to preserve their culture,
their traditions and their language.
Source:
Irna
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.irna.ir/news/84761082/Iranian-priest-Islamic-Republic-s-approach-towards-religious
--------
Palestinian
teen shot in Israeli raid in occupied West Bank
21
May, 2022
Israeli
troops shot and killed a teenage Palestinian boy as clashes erupted when they
entered a volatile town in the occupied West Bank early Saturday, the
Palestinian health ministry and local media said.
There
was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has intensified
overnight raids in the northern West Bank town of Jenin in recent months.
The
ministry identified the dead teen as Amjad al-Fayyed, 17. It said an
18-year-old Palestinian was in critical condition after being wounded by
Israeli gunfire.
Local
media reported that clashes erupted outside Jenin’s refugee camp when Israeli
forces stormed the area. It was not immediately clear how al-Fayyed was shot.
Israel
says it carries out “counterterrorism activities” to detain wanted militants
and planners of recent deadly attacks in the West Bank and Israel.
On
May 11, a veteran Palestinian journalist for the al-Jazeera satellite channel
was killed while covering an Israeli military operation in Jenin.
Shireen
Abu Akleh’s family, the broadcaster, the Palestinian Authority and witnesses
accused Israel of shooting the correspondent for the Qatari channel.
Israel
accused Palestinian militants of firing at the journalist but backtracked
later.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Israeli
gov't determined to stay in power amid legislator's exit, says co-chair
Abdelraouf
Arna'out
20.05.2022
JERUSALEM
Israel's
ruling coalition does not intend to surrender despite recently becoming a
minority government, its foreign minister and alternate premier declared on
Friday.
Striking
an assertive tone, Yair Lapid tweeted that it was still too early to
"mourn" the government's dissolution, admitting, however, that it was
in a shaky situation after left-wing lawmaker Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi exited the
coalition on Thursday over its harassment of Palestinians.
Lapid
underlined that the there was no intention for the government to surrender and
give former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently heading the
opposition, the chance to "destroy the country."
Along
with sitting Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Lapid is co-chairing the
government, which was established under a rotation agreement in June 2021 that
would see the foreign minister assume the premiership from August 2023 until
November 2025.
He
said efforts were ongoing to persuade Zoabi, an Arab lawmaker from the leftist
Meretz Party, to reverse her decision. According to the official Public
Broadcasting Corporation network (KAN), however, she is insistent on her position.
Netanyahu's
right-wing Likud Party already announced plans to bring a no-confidence motion
to parliament next Wednesday.
For
the motion to pass, it will need four rounds of voting, a procedure that might
take weeks, after which the parliament will be dissolved and Israelis will go
to elections for the fifth time in three years.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Africa
Tunisia’s
President Saied excludes parties from preparing new constitution
20
May, 2022
Tunisian
President Kais Saied named a law professor to head an advisory committee to
draft a new constitution for a “new republic,” the presidency said on Friday,
excluding political parties from restructuring the political system.
Saied
has consolidated his one-man rule since seizing executive power last summer and
dissolving the parliament to rule by decree in moves his foes call a coup.
He
has since said he will replace the democratic 2014 constitution with a new
constitution via a referendum on July 25 and have new parliamentary elections
in December.
The
committee headed by law professor Sadok Belaid consists of deans of Law and
Political Sciences. It must submit its report on June 20 to the president, the
official gazette said.
In
parallel, another committee was established, comprising six national
organizations, including the powerful UGTT Labour Union, to submit proposals
for reforms. This committee also does not include any political party.
In
the first reaction to the president’s appointment of an advisory body to
prepare a new constitution and propose economic and political reforms, the UGTT
said it rejects the proposals.
Saied’s
opponents accuse him of trying to consolidate one man rule and his actions have
been criticized abroad too. He rejects the accusations and says he is not a
dictator and wants to change Tunisia after “a decade of ruin.”
Western
countries have urged a dialogue in which unions, political parties and civil
society participate to return Tunisia to a democratic path to help it
financially as the country suffers its worst financial crisis.
Saied’s
consolidation of power has accelerated this year - he replaced the top judicial
body and threatened to restrict civil society groups, giving the 64-year-old
almost total control.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Sudan’s
ruling junta frees detained anti-coup figures: Party
20
May, 2022
Sudanese
authorities released on Friday two anti-coup figures from the Communist Party a
day after their arrest, the party said.
The
military’s October takeover in Sudan has sparked nationwide demonstrations
which sparked a crackdown that has killed at least 95 protesters and wounded
hundreds, medics say.
Hundreds
have also been arrested after rallies calling for civilian rule in the
northeast African nation.
On
Thursday during protests mainly in the capital Khartoum, authorities arrested
the Communist Party’s political secretary Mohammed Mukhtar al-Khatib and
another member.
They
were detained after meeting rebel leader Abdel Wahid Nour who has refused to
sign a landmark 2020 peace deal with the Sudanese government, the party said.
The
pair were released on Friday, it said.
Army
chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who led the coup, pledged in April to release
political detainees to set the state for talks among Sudanese factions.
Last
year’s military power grab has sparked international condemnation.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Three
migrants’ dead, 10 missing as boat capsizes off Tunisia
20
May, 2022
Three
people were found dead and another 10 went missing after their boat capsized
off Tunisia during an attempt to reach Europe, the country’s coast guard said
Friday.
“Forty-four
people were rescued and 10 are still missing, and we found three bodies,” said
Houssem Eddine Jebabli, spokesman for the National Guard of which the coast
guard forms part.
The
migrants, all Tunisians, had set off on Thursday from the coastal region of
Sfax with the aim of reaching Italy, he said.
Improving
weather in recent weeks has prompted a spike in such attempts.
Tunisian
authorities said last Saturday they had rescued 80 men and a woman after they
had set out from the Libyan coast.
Both
Tunisia and Libya have seen a surge in attempts to reach European shores on the
world’s deadliest migration route.
The
countries are launchpads for such attempts by people fleeing violence and
poverty in African nations further south, as well as by growing numbers of
their own citizens who attempt the journey due to a long economic crisis in
Tunisia and a protracted civil war in Libya.
Many
end up in Italy, but many others die or are rescued at sea when their often
unseaworthy boats capsize or break down.
In
2021, over 15,000 people reached Italy from Tunisian shores, compared with just
under 13,000 the previous year, according to the Tunisian Forum for Economic
and Social Rights NGO.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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US
must not harm civilians, repeat past violations in new Somalia mission: Rights
group
Andrew
Wasike
20.05.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
As
the US moves to redeploy hundreds of troops to Somalia, it makes efforts to
minimize civilian harm, ensure justice for abuses and focus on civilian
protection as a priority, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Friday.
“Previous
US military operations in Somalia resulted in the loss of life and property to
Somali civilians that the US neither recognized nor provided with redress,” the
rights group said in a report.
Washington
has been involved in military operations against al-Shabaab, an
al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, in Somalia since at least 2007, with US
airstrikes increasing significantly in 2017.
However,
in the last month of his presidency, former President Donald Trump ordered
approximately 700 American troops out of the East African country.
In
a major policy reversal conducted at the Pentagon’s request, his successor Joe
Biden approved the redeployment “to enable a more effective fight against
al-Shabaab, which has increased in strength and poses a heightened threat,”
according to the White House.
The
troops that will be sent to Somalia will come from current deployments in the
region, and will have conducted what the White House called “episodic” missions
in the country following Trump’s January 2021 withdrawal.
Laetitia
Bader, Horn of Africa director at HRW, said US officials must be “very clear on
how their forces will avoid harming Somali civilians during military
operations.”
“They
will need to work closely with Somali and African Union authorities to avoid
repeating past laws of war violations and promptly and appropriately respond to
civilian loss,” she stressed.
Culture
of impunity for civilian loss
HRW
pointed out that “considerable loss of civilian life in US airstrikes and
during joint operations, including attacks that were apparent violations of the
laws of war” has been documented.
During
the previous deployment, the US military “denied many incidents of civilian
harm,” the report said.
The
rights group said it recorded two US airstrikes in February and March 2020
“that killed seven civilians in apparent violation of the laws of war.”
“While
the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) acknowledged responsibility for the Feb. 2
incident, which killed a woman and injured her two sisters, both children, and
her grandmother, none of them received compensation,” the report said.
HRW
urged the US military to “correct course and ensure that it takes all civilian
harm allegations seriously, and credibly investigates them.”
“A
culture of impunity for civilian loss breeds resentment and mistrust among the
population and undermines efforts to build a more rights-respecting state,”
Bader said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/clerics-islamic-scholars-deoband-gyanvapi-ucc/d/127058