New Age Islam News Bureau
01 October 2021
Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister of Qatar
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
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• France Has Shut Down One-Third of 89 Inspected
Mosques since November 2020
• Balochistan Employees Ordered To Set 'Pakistan
Zindabad' As Caller Tune
• American Muslim Groups Ramp up Voting Drives Ahead
of Upcoming General Elections
• Love and Narcotic Jihad: Catholic Church in Kerala
Decides To Be "Guarded" In Its Future Sermons
Arab
World
• Egyptian authorities say they blocked Brotherhood
financing scheme
• Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid opens embassy in
Bahrain
• Cash-strapped Lebanon names team for IMF talks
• Bahrain’s Jewish community welcomes ‘historic’ visit
of Israeli Foreign Minister Lapi
• Saudi Crown Prince, French President discuss
regional stability over phone call
• UAE officially launches Expo 2020 Dubai, world’s
biggest cultural gathering
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Europe
• Greek premier acknowledges Turkey's ‘significant'
role in managing migration crisis
• Ukraine seeks Turkish president’s help for release
of prisoners from Russia
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Pakistan
• Conservation of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor’s Ancestral
Homes in Peshawar Begins
• Islamic State-Khorasan Claims Killing Of Sikh
Hakeem, a Unani Medicine Practitioner in Peshawar
• Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Kills Pakistani Army
Captain
• Pakistan PM Khan's conversion comments cause outrage
• Sirbaz Khan becomes first Pakistani to scale 9 of
world's 14 highest peaks
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North
America
• US Very Honest About Its Concerns on Safe Havens
with Pakistan Says Pentagon
• US 'Deeply Saddened' By Killing Of Rohingya Muslim
Advocate, Mohib Ullah
• California gunman gets life without parole for
synagogue murder, mosque arson
• US may use Russia's bases in Central Asia to hit
terror targets in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
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India
• Siddique Kappan incites Muslims, paints them as
victims, says UP STF in chargesheet
• Assam Eviction Drive: BJP Targeted People As They
Are Muslims, Says Brinda Karat
• Terrorist killed in encounter with security forces
in Shopian in J&K
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South
Asia
• Rights Group Expresses Concern over Taliban's New
Media Rules in Afghanistan That Prohibit Critical Reporting About the Taliban
• Taliban reacts to US Senate Bill seeking to sanction
Islamic Emirate
• Qatar urges 'friendly countries' not to isolate
Afghanistan
• Taliban reiterate commitment to ensuring security of
foreign diplomats
• IEA committed to ensuring security of foreign
diplomats: Motaqi
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Southeast
Asia
• Democracy Alive Due to DAP But Party Has Lost
Support
• Jawi: Full capacity for prayers at mosques, surau in
Federal Territories from tomorrow
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Mideast
• IRGC Commander Repeats Demand from Iraqi Kurdistan
Region to Expel Terrorists
• Iranian FM Hails IRGC Quds Force’s Role in
Establishment of Peace in Region, World
• Israel reports few heart inflammation cases after
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters
• Iran nuclear talks to resume in acceptable period of
time: EU’s Borrell
• Palestinian in Gaza killed by Israeli fire: Gaza
ministry
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Africa
• Sheikh Zakzaky: Majority of Nigerians in Favour of
Islamic System
• Sudanese Protesters Demand Civilian Rule, Want Army
Out
• Spain ‘reassured’ by Algeria over gas supplies
• US strongly condemns Ethiopia for expelling UN
officials
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/taliban-sharia-qatar-islamic/d/125485
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Taliban Should Not Mistreat Sharia Law, Qatar Is Good
Example of Islamic Country: Deputy PM, Qatar
01 Oct 2021
Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister of Qatar
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
------
Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister of Qatar
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that their country that has an
Islamic constitution is a good example for the Taliban and the latter should
not mistreat the Sharia law when it comes to women.
Al-Thani has called on the Islamic countries to be a
good example for the Taliban.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani hosted
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell in Qatar
on Thursday, September 30.
Josep Borrell touched upon the important role of Qatar
is the world’s engagement with the Taliban and called the role to be strategic.
Borrel said that the gulf state has been facilitating
interactions with the authorities in Kabul and the Western world and added that
Qatar has done much during evacuation.
“You did it during the evacuations. You are doing
that, keeping the airport at Kabul open. And I am sure you will keep doing
that.” Said Borell.
The foreign policy representative was also sure that
Qatar will also deliver humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan.
Qatar has been one of the most influential countries when
it comes to the engagement of the world and the Taliban.
Apart from hosting the political office of the Taliban
in Doha, the country has also been the first to be visiting the Taliban’s
interim premier in Kabul after they announced caretaker government.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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France Has Shut Down One-Third of 89 Inspected Mosques
since November 2020
Yusuf Ozcan
(Photo courtesy: aa.com)
----
30.09.2021 PARIS
Amid ongoing drive against Muslims and their worship
places, France has shut down one-third of 89 inspected mosques since November
2020, the French interior minister said.
Gerald Darmanin told Le Figaro newspaper that before
the "anti-separatism law" was enacted, 650 places were closed in the
country for allegedly housing "extremists", and 24,000 places were
inspected by French police.
Darmanin stated that as a result of the inspections
carried out in 89 mosques since November 2020 over radicalization allegations,
one-third of them have been closed, adding they are taking action to close six
more mosques in Sarthe, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Cote-d'Or, Rhone, and Gard regions.
Darmanin added they also opposed the construction of a
mosque called "Eyup Sultan" in Strasbourg, which is affiliated with
the Islamic Community National View (IGMG), despite the approval from local
authorities.
Noting that five Muslim associations allegedly
promoting the so-called "political Islam" have been closed so far,
the minister said the separatism law allows them to do more than that.
There will be a total of 10 additional associations
closed, with four of them closing in October, he said, adding bank accounts of
205 associations were confiscated and two imams were expelled.
“We spread terror among those who want to impose
terror on us,” he said, adding that religious officials from abroad will not be
able to come to the country starting 2023 and that he has instructed the
governors not to renew the residence permits of those who are here.
He said they do not renew residence cards of people
sentenced for drug trafficking and domestic violence in the country.
France has limited the number of visas issued to
Algerian, Tunisian, and Moroccan citizens in order to enable these countries to
readmit their citizens deported by France, he said.
Anti-separatism law
In August, France’s highest constitutional authority
approved a controversial “anti-separatism” law that has been criticized for
singling out Muslims, striking down just two of its articles.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly in July,
despite strong opposition from both rightist and leftist lawmakers.
The government claims that the legislation is intended
to strengthen France's secular system, but critics believe that it restricts
religious freedom and marginalizes Muslims.
The bill has been criticized for targeting France's
Muslim community – the largest in Europe, with 3.35 million members – and
imposing restrictions on many aspects of its members' lives.
The law allows officials to intervene in mosques and
associations responsible for their administration, as well as control the
finances of Muslim-affiliated associations and NGOs.
It also restricts the educational choices of Muslims
by making homeschooling subject to official permission.
Under the law, patients are prohibited from choosing
their doctors based on gender for religious or other reasons, and
"secularism education" has been made compulsory for all civil
servants.
France has been criticized by international
organizations and NGOs, especially the UN, for targeting and marginalizing
Muslims with the law.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/france-closes-nearly-30-mosques-in-less-than-a-year-/2379348
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Balochistan Employees Ordered To Set 'Pakistan
Zindabad' As Caller Tune
Sep 30, 2021
'Pakistan Zindabad' Caller
Tune Made Compulsory for Balochistan Govt Employees
------
NEW DELHI: The Balochistan government has issued a
notification asking senior officials of the province to set 'Pakistan Zindabad
as ring-back tone (also known as caller tone) on their Cellphones, Samaa TV
reported.
The notification, issued by Balochistan's Services and
General Administration Department, said that the rule applies on administrative
secretaries, additional secretaries and deputy secretaries as well as the head
of all the government departments.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the
Balochistan chief secretary. The divisional and deputy commissioners have also
been notified. The notification details how to set the caller tone for all the
mobile cariiers.
The order states: "The Government of Balochistan,
Science and Information Technology Department, has conveyed that in pursuance
to the decision made in the meeting held under the Chairmanship of worthy Chief
Secretary, for setting of mobile Ring-Back Tone 'Pakistan Zindabad' by
Administrative Secretaries, Additional Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries and
head of attached Departments on their cell/contact numbers."
'Pakistan Zindabad' is a song by singer/music director
Sahir Ali Bagga. The song was produced in collaboration with the Inter Services
Public Relations and was released on ISPR's YouTube channel on March 23, 2019.
While the notification does not specify a reason for
the move, it explains the procedure for changing the ringback tones for
officials using different mobile networks, the Dawn reported.
The move, meanwhile, has raised eyebrows among social
media users who expressed surprise at the government's directive.
"Why aren't we sure that Baloch brothers are more
patriotic than us," journalist Mubashir Zaidi questioned, the Dawn
reported.
Another journalist, Mohammad Taqi, asked in a veiled
criticism: "What else does a colony look like?"
The secretaries of all departments, additional
secretaries, deputy secretaries and heads of other departments concerned are
required to strictly abide by the decision. The additional secretaries have
also been directed to ensure their subordinates also apply the same ringback
tones on their mobile phone numbers, the report said.
Source: Times of India
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original story:
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American Muslim Groups Ramp up Voting Drives Ahead of
Upcoming General Elections
30 September, 2021
America’s general election was less than a year ago,
but with local, state and midterm elections fast approaching, and with early
voting already well underway, Muslim groups are wasting no time in getting
their community out to vote.
“We’re often the subject of political discourse, and
we’re affected by policies, so it’s important to mobilise voters,” says Tala
Dahbour, policy director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Ohio,
which like other groups across the country has organised voting drives in
recent weeks. “It affects you whether you realise it or not.”
As a growing voting bloc with substantial populations
in swing states with upcoming elections in November, such as a possible special
election in Ohio, a gubernatorial election in Virginia, as well as local and
state elections across the country, Muslim votes are increasingly important.
“We need to ensure that we build on and not reverse
the progress we’ve had in Virginia,” says Sam Rasoul, one of the two Muslim
members of the General Assembly and one of nine elected officials in Virginia,
where the Muslim population has grown considerably in the past decade, part of
the state’s demographic change that has come along with its political shift
from red to a solidly blue.
“We really are the bellwether for the rest of the
country,” he tells The New Arab. “We want to make sure we’re setting the tone
for the rest of the country as we head into the midterms in 2022.”
Muslims in the US have long been in the unfortunate
position of being adversely affected by government policies, while largely
staying low-profile as part of a relatively small minority.
Over the past two decades, however, as their numbers –
now estimated at around 3.5 million, according to Pew – and visibility have
grown, they have become important constituents that politicians need to court
for votes.
Moreover, an increasing number are running for office
– and winning, showing that a community can grow its political clout through
consistent organising.
The September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and
Washington sparked a wave of activism among Muslim Americans, following widespread
discrimination. But this did not immediately translate into substantial voter
engagement, despite post-9/11 policies that directly impacted the community.
It wasn’t until the 2020 election, after four years of
Donald Trump’s explicit anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric, that the Muslim vote
was truly mobilised.
Among the most impactful 2020 Muslim voter outreach
drives was through Emgage, whose Million Muslim Votes campaign helped flip
swing states like Michigan blue. Before that, prior to the 2018 congressional
run of Rashida Tlaib, Muslim voter registration in some parts of the state was
in the single digits, a sign of long-time voter disengagement.
Amid all of these efforts, Muslim voter turnout
remains low compared with that of other communities, though it is catching up.
Continuous engagement is key to developing a strong voting bloc.
In addition to getting out the vote, policies that
ease the voting process play an important role. Ahmed Mohamed, legal director
for CAIR-New York, which recently held primaries for city and municipal
elections, says experience has shown Muslims are often do not decide to vote
until election day, making same-day voter registration an important option.
He stresses that for Muslim political engagement
continue its momentum, it needs to become a part of people’s everyday lives.
Mosques, like churches, are being used as centres for voter outreach, and
increasingly as destinations for politicians courting votes, which can no
longer be taken for granted.
“Being engaged is a 365-day process. It doesn’t stop
because you voted or you protested. You have to be active. That’s how you
maximise your voice,” Mohamed says.
Najee Ali, founder of the Muslim Democratic Club of
Southern California, sees engagement as essential for preserving and advocating
for civil rights.
“I believe the presidency of Trump, which was a clear
and present danger, was a wake-up call that we must be engaged in the civic
affairs of our nation,” he tells The New Arab. “We realise that politics is
power.”
Source: The New Arab
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/features/us-muslim-groups-ramp-voting-drives-ahead-elections
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Love and Narcotic Jihad: Catholic Church in Kerala
decides to be "guarded" in its future sermons
September 30, 2021
Earlier, Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt said that Keralite
Christian girls were falling prey to what he claimed was "love and
narcotic jihad" that extremists were using wherever arms cannot be used to
destroy the youth.
The Catholic Church in Kerala has decided to be
"guarded" in its official communications and religious sermons in
future to ensure their words do not cause pain to other communities and their
faith or create uneasiness in the society, a top church official said on
Thursday.
The significant decision, seeking to end the controversy
over "Love and Narcotic Jihad" remarks made by a Bishop recently, was
taken at the meeting of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC) held in
Kochi on Wednesday.
In an interaction with PTI, a Church official also
said the Church would continue to do its "prophetic responsibility"
of fighting against all sorts of social evils.
However, statements, speeches and reactions of the
church and its officials on such matters will be presented before the public
only after formal studies and discussions at its appropriate forum.
"In future, our statements, speeches and
responses will be guarded. We will be very cautious as we do not want to hurt
the sentiments of other communities. The Church always stands for openness and
strengthening the secular fabric of the society by enriching the communal
harmony," the official said in his first of such interactions after the
Bishop's remarks rocked the state.
An eye-opener for Church
The KCBC has observed that the recent controversy over
the "love and narcotic jihad" remarks made by the Bishop of Pala
diocese of Syro-Malabar Church was an "eye-opener" for the Church as
it was "misinterpreted" by a section of media and politicians for
serving their "narrow political and business interests" causing
"pain and anguish" among members of another community, he said.
After their meeting on Wednesday, the KCBC, which
includes bishops of Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara, Knanaya Catholic and Latin
Catholic churches, had issued a statement saying social evils pointed out by
the church require a deeper study and serious enquiry instead of giving it a
"different hue" and diverting it to other directions.
Choosing not to use controversial terminologies like
narcotic jihad or love jihad in its statement, the council said that it rejects
all forms of interpretations in unison, undermining religious harmony and
weakening healthy co-existence in society by mischievously twisting the
warnings of the pastors of this church.
"The KCBC disapproves of any covert attempts to
show that there exists disunity among the Churches. The fundamental values of
truth, love and justice, which the Catholic Church upholds, constitute the
basis of all inter-religious dialogue and harmony among religions," it had
said in the release.
Destroying the youth
Addressing the laity in Kuravilangad near Kottayam
recently, Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of Pala diocese had said that Christian
girls were falling prey to what he claimed was "love and narcotic
jihad" in Kerala and that wherever arms cannot be used, extremists were
using such methods to destroy the youth.
The comment had resulted in a verbal duel and blame
game amongst the major political parties -- CPI(M), BJP and Congress -- in the
state.
The Congress, which criticised the Bishop for his
remarks and the BJP, which supported the Bishop's remarks, had attacked the
Left government and the Chief Minister for their silence on the issue.
Thereafter, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had
on September 21 rejected outright the comments made by the Bishop, saying the
southern state is a firm terrain of secularism and society would take a strong
stand against those who try to upset it.
The KCBC said that the Catholic Church in Kerala has
been working towards peaceful co-existence and harmony of religions and for the
cultural development of society in the state through its varied services in
education and healthcare, as social and charitable actions.
The KCBC said it wants secularism and religious
harmony always and vows to work for the same.
Source: The Hindu Businessline
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Arab
World
Egyptian authorities say they blocked Brotherhood
financing scheme
01 October ,2021
Egyptian authorities said on Thursday they had blocked
a scheme aimed at financing the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and alleged a link
to the imprisoned founder and former chairman of dairy and juice firm Juhayna ,
Safwan Thabet.
The scheme aimed to funnel funds using Thabet’s
companies into “terrorist activities”, the interior ministry said in a
statement, adding that $8.4 million and ammunition had been found in an
apartment in Giza, across the Nile from central Cairo. It described Thabet as a
“Brotherhood leader”.
The Thabet family have denied any wrongdoing in
statements on social media. A lawyer for Juhayna could not be reached.
Thabet was arrested in December, and his son Seifeldin
was detained in February after taking over as chairman.
In a statement released on Monday, rights group Amnesty
International said authorities were holding the men in conditions that amounted
to torture after they refused to cede assets to a government-owned entity.
Amnesty said the authorities had failed to produce
evidence for the alleged affiliation with the Brotherhood.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Israeli Foreign Minister Lapid opens embassy in
Bahrain
30 September ,2021
Israel’s top diplomat Yair Lapid opened the Jewish state's
embassy in Bahrain Thursday, a year after the US-brokered normalization of
ties.
“We have officially opened the Israeli embassy in
Bahrain,” tweeted Lapid.
“We agreed that by the end of the year, there will be
the opening of the Bahraini embassy in Israel.”
Source: Al Arabiya
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original story:
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Cash-strapped Lebanon names team for IMF talks
30 September ,2021
Lebanon said Thursday it has formed a new government
delegation to resume talks with the International Monetary Fund aimed at
rescuing the country from an economic meltdown.
The government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in
a statement that a four-member committee had been appointed to resume talks
with the IMF.
The team -- Deputy Prime Minister Saade Chami, Finance
Minister Youssef Khalil, Economy Minister Amin Salam and central bank governor
Riad Salameh -- would be backed by experts.
The eastern Mediterranean country is facing what the
World Bank has described as one of the world’s worst economic crises since the
1850s.
Its currency, the pound, has lost almost 90 percent of
its value against the dollar on the black market since 2019, and people’s
savings are trapped in banks.
Inflation has soared, and 78 percent of all Lebanese
now live under the threshold of poverty, according to the UN.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Bahrain’s Jewish community welcomes ‘historic’ visit
of Israeli Foreign Minister Lapi
01 October ,2021
A senior rabbi in Bahrain and members of their Jewish
faith have welcomed an “historic” visit by Israel’s top diplomat Yair Lapid, a
year after the US-brokered normalization of ties.
The Jewish community of Bahrain, the only indigenous
Jewish community in the GCC, welcomed the minister during his visit to the
Kingdom on Thursday, during which he opened the Jewish state’s embassy in
Bahrain.
Members of the Jewish community met with the minister
during his visit and participated in the ceremony where a new mezuzah gifted by
the community was placed on Israel’s embassy in the Bahrain.
“Today was historic for both Bahrain and Israel and an
important moment for our Jewish community,” said Ebrahim D. Nonoo, president of
the Jewish Community of Bahrain. “We had the opportunity to speak with the
Foreign Minister and hear from him about the significance of the Bahrain-Israel
relationship and we shared some of the recent milestones and developments in
our community.”
“Being present as the new mezuzah was affixed to the
entryway of the Embassy was very meaningful. The Embassy represents an address
for Bahrain-Israel business, cultural and social activities to flow through.”
Dating back to the 1880s, the Bahrain Jewish community
is the only indigenous Jewish community in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
countries and has the only operational synagogue (House of Ten Commandments)
and Jewish cemetery in the region.
The minister’s visit was the highest-level Israeli
visit to the Gulf state since the countries established formal relations last
year.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Crown Prince, French President discuss regional
stability over phone call
30 September ,2021
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has
received a phone call on Thursday from French President Emmanuel Macron,
according to Saudi Press Agency.
During the call, they reviewed relations between the
two countries and opportunities to develop and develop them in various fields
to achieve the common interests of the two countries, in addition to a number
of issues and developments in the region.
Source: Al Arabiya
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UAE officially launches Expo 2020 Dubai, world’s
biggest cultural gathering
30 September ,2021
The United Arab Emirates has officially launched Expo
2020 Dubai, the world’s biggest cultural gathering, in a ceremony streamed by
millions across the world.
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Crown
Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed have attended the opening
ceremony.
Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed
al-Maktoum announced the official launch of Expo 2020 during the opening
ceremony.
“The entire world gathers in the United Arab Emirates,
today, we witness, together, a new beginning, as we inaugurate, together, with
the blessings of God, Expo 2020 Dubai, May God grant us success,” Dubai Crown
Prince added.
The opening ceremony took place beneath the 130-metre-wide,
67.5-metre-tall Al Wasl Plaza dome, the world’s largest 360-degree projection
screen, which enabled spectators to experience an immersive audio and visual
display of the featured live performances.
To celebrate the opening day, Dubai hosted fireworks
around the city at three locations: The Frame, Dubai Festival City and The
Pointe on Palm Jumeirah.
UAE’s Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and
Coexistence, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, said during the opening
ceremony that the UAE has worked hard to create a better life by “building
people and promoting investment.”
“By connecting minds, we can achieve achievements.
Through Expo, we affirm our commitment to making the world better through
cooperation. 192 countries will meet for the first time in history,” the
minister added.
The minister added that through Expo, UAE affirms its
commitment to making the world better through cooperation.
“We welcome participants to the Expo as an opportunity
for cooperation and action among the world's population, we carry a message of
cooperation, tolerance, coexistence and peace to achieve a prosperous future
for all,” he added.
The Secretary General of the International Bureau of
Exhibitions, Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, said that Expo 2020 enhances partnership and
cooperation between countries of the world.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Europe
Greek premier acknowledges Turkey's ‘significant' role
in managing migration crisis
Ali Murat Alhas
30.09.2021
Turkey has played a significant role in managing the
migration crisis, the Greek prime minister said on Thursday.
Speaking at a session held as part of the Athens
Democracy Forum, Kyriakos Mitsotakis commented on matters pertaining to
migration, fight against COVID-19 as well as the defense cooperation agreement
signed with Paris.
Mitsotakis said his country would continue to defend
its borders against irregular migration and would not allow the repeat of 2020
events.
Referring to over 4 million refugees hosted in Turkey,
the premier said: "I've been very open in acknowledging the significant
role that Turkey is playing in managing the migration crisis and that is why I
urge Europe to work with Turkey constructively.”
“We have every interest in working with Turkey to
contain illegal flow of migrants and to eradicate the smuggler networks that
prey on vulnerable people...," he said.
"There has been a lack of European solidarity,
the fact that we have not been able to agree on a common migration, asylum
package due to the fact some countries consider this not to be the problem at
all, placing all the burden on frontline countries. This is unfair," he
said.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Ukraine seeks Turkish president’s help for release of
prisoners from Russia
Talha Yavuz
30.09.2021
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has sought his
Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s help for the release of Ukrainian
citizens detained by Russia, the Ukrainian foreign minister said on Thursday.
Speaking at a news conference, Dmytro Kuleba recalled
that Zelensky and Erdogan held one-on-one and delegation-level talks in New
York, where they attended the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
Kuleba said that during the meeting, Zelensky handed
Erdogan a list of 450 Ukrainian detainees, including Nariman Dzhelyal, the
deputy head of the Crimean Tatar National Assembly.
Russian forces entered the Crimean Peninsula in
February 2014, with Russian President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the
region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the
following month.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Pakistan
Conservation of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor’s ancestral
homes in Peshawar begins
October 1, 2021
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directorate of
archaeology and museums has formally begun the conservation of the ancestral
homes of Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor located inside the walled
city of the provincial capital by documenting their details.
The government had taken the possession of the two
properties, including Dilip Kumar’s in Mohallah Khudadad area and Kapoor Haveli
in Dhaki Nalbandi area, from their respective owners in June this year through
the colonial era land acquisition law Director (archaeology) Dr Abdul Samad
told Dawn that his department’s experts had begun documenting details of the
properties after cleaning the premises.
“The condition in which we received Dilip Kumar’s
property was that its previous owners have left to us in really bad shape. It
took us nearly two months to remove the broken material,” he said.
He said his department had started work soon after it
was handed over to them.
Official says details of properties being documented
to determine project cost
Mr Samad said that now after cleaning the premises,
the directorate was working on the properties’ documentation to have ideas
about the project’s total cost and related issues.
“Our engineers are busy in work but since it is very
old building, it will take us time to figure out the old material used,
construction techniques and assemble experts for the task,” he said.
The director said the directorate would be able to say
something after the documentation of both properties was complete.
“Being an archaeologist, I can say that it would take
us at least two to two and half years to conserve Dilip Kumar’s residence,” he
said.
Mr Samad said the directorate was trying to follow
international standards while conserving both properties.
He said the historical structures would be made
museums after restoration.
After years long attempts to acquire both properties
linked with the Bollywood actors, the KP government finally used the colonial
era Land Acquisition Act, 1894, to take their control.
Source: Dawn
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Islamic State-Khorasan Claims Killing Of Sikh Hakeem,
A Unani Medicine Practitioner In Peshawar
OCT 01, 2021
The Islamic State-Khorasan has claimed responsibility
for the killing of a well-known Sikh hakim or Unani medicine practitioner in
the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar on Thursday.
Sardar Satnam Singh, 45, was at his clinic when
unidentified men barged into his cabin and shot him, police said. He was hit by
four bullets and died instantly. The killers escaped from the scene.
In a message posted on social media late on Thursday,
Islamic State-Khorasan claimed the killing of Singh.
Islamic State-Khorasan, which is based in Afghanistan,
has stepped up attacks in several Afghan cities since the Taliban marched into
Kabul on August 15. It claimed the deadly suicide attack at Kabul airport on
August 26 that killed nearly 170 Afghans and 13 US military personnel.
Singh was a well-known member of the Sikh community
and ran Dharmandar Pharmacy on Charsadda Road in Peshawar, the capital of
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. He had lived in the city for the past 20 years.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan Kills Pakistani Army
Captain
Oct 1, 2021
ISLAMABAD: In yet another attack on the Pakistani
security forces, Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) killed an army captain during
an intelligence-based operation in the Northwestern Tank district next to the
country’s restive tribal district of South Waziristan bordering Afghanistan,
the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media arm, said on
Thursday.
TTP, a conglomerate of several Pakistani terror
outfits, has intensified its attacks on Pakistani security forces in the
northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces since
Kabul fell to the Afghan Taliban on August 15 after ousting the US-backed
government there. The group, along with the Afghan Taliban, had remained active
for years in the fight against the US-led Afghan forces in their war against
terror.
In a statement, the ISPR said that security forces conducted
an operation after receiving information about the presence of terrorists in
Tank. “During the exchange of fire, Captain Sikander — who was 27 years old and
hailed from Pakpattan (located in the Punjab province) — was killed,” the
statement said, adding that a TTP commander, Khawaza Din alias Sher Khan, was
also killed. “Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the hideout.”
Separately, the Pakistani security forces claimed they
had killed 10 suspected terrorists, including four commanders, on Tuesday in
the remote Sarwakai area of South Waziristan. A statement from the ISPR said
the terrorists were killed in an intense exchange of fire.
The TTP, however, contradicted the military’s claim,
saying that Pakistani security forces had carried out a drone strike that
killed a woman and two children.
These conflicting claims could not be independently
verified.
Source: Times of India
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Pakistan PM Khan's conversion comments cause outrage
Kamran Chaudhry
October 01, 2021
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is facing a growing
backlash after he assured clerics that his government will not enact any
anti-Islamic law.
During his Sept. 27 meeting with Islamic scholars in
Karachi, the PM said government bills addressing domestic violence and forced
conversions will not be enacted as they have provisions which are “in direct
conflict with the teachings of Islam.”
He requested the clerics keep him informed of any such
act so that he could intervene in time and ensure that no policy or law which
conflicts with Islam is made during his tenure.
Church leaders and rights groups including the Cecil
and Iris Chaudhry Foundation, a Lahore-based Catholic NGO, released a statement
on Sept. 29 demanding justice for minority women.
“So it is OK for women to be battered and tortured,
and it is also OK for underage non-Muslim girls to be forcefully converted to
Islam? The prime minister needs to realize that all are not Muslims in
Pakistan. The state must protect the rights of religious minorities; effective
legislation against forced conversions is pivotal. No two ways about it,” it
stated in a Facebook post.
Camillian Father Mushtaq Anjum even described Khan as
"a clean-shaven Taliban."
“Clearly he is trying to save his Islamic vote bank.
Nobody is demanding a law against Islam; our struggle is against pedophiles
using religion as their shelter for criminal activities. Exploitation of
vulnerable minorities shouldn’t be equated with opposition to Islam,” he told
UCA News.
Last week the Ministry of Religious Affairs and
Interfaith Harmony rejected a bill that proposed regulations on conversions to
Islam. A day later, Lahore High Court ruled that mental capacity outweighs age
in child religious conversion cases.
Addressing a Sept. 28 press conference in Islamabad,
the Peoples' Commission for Minorities’ Rights and Centre for Social Justice
(CSJ) expressed utter dismay at the reduction in religious freedom relating to
child marriages and forced conversions.
Source: UC News
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https://www.ucanews.com/news/pakistan-pm-khans-conversion-comments-cause-outrage/94353#
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Sirbaz Khan becomes first Pakistani to scale 9 of
world's 14 highest peaks
Jamil Nagri
October 1, 2021
Mountaineer Sirbaz Khan became the first Pakistani on
Friday to climb nine of the world's highest 14 peaks — each of which has a height
of more than 8,000 metres — after he scaled the 8,167-metre-high Dhaulagiri
mountain in Nepal, said Alpine Club of Pakistan Secretary Karrar Haidri.
Sirbaz was part of the 19-member 'SST-Dhaulagiri I
Expd. 2021 Autumn' expedition organised by trekking company Seven Summits Trek.
According to Seven Summit Trek officials, the climbers
summited the world's seventh highest peak on Friday morning, with Sirbaz
raising Pakistan's national flag upon reaching the mountain's top.
In his recent communication with Dawn from Dhaulagiri
on Thursday, Sirbaz had said he was determined to summit the peak on Friday
morning.
Dhaulagiri, which forms part of the Himalayas mountain
range, is widely known as one of the hardest peaks to climb due to its steep
sides and bitterly cold climate.
As Sirbaz achieved the feat, congratulations poured in
for him.
Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of legendary mountaineer
late Mohammad Ali Sadpara and a climber himself, tweeted: "Lots of
congratulations to Sirbaz Khan to climb Dhaulagiri . After climbing Daulaghiri
he is first Pakistani to summit nine 8000 mountains."
Sirbaz, 32, hails from the Aliabad area of Hunza in
Gilgit-Baltistan and began his climbing career in 2016.
In 2019, he became the first Pakistani to summit Mount
Lhotse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain at 8,516m in Nepal, without the use
of supplementary oxygen.
Moreover, he summited the 8,125-metre-high Nanga
Parbat in 2017, 8,611-metre-high K-2 in 2018 and Broad Peak, which has a height
of 8,163 metres in 2019. Earlier this year, he climbed the 8,091-metre-high
Anapurna mountain, 8,848-metre-high Everest and 8,035-metre-high Gasherbrum II.
Source: Dawn
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North
America
US very honest about its concerns on safe havens with
Pakistan says Pentagon
Oct 1, 2021
WASHINGTON: The US has been very honest about its
concerns with Pakistan for a long time about the terrorist safe havens along
with the border areas of Afghanistan, the Pentagon has said.
Afghanistan and the US have criticised Pakistan in the
past for allowing Taliban fighters to cross into Pakistan where they are
provided safe havens and also receive medical treatment.
“We've been very honest about our concerns with
Pakistan for a long time, about the safe havens that exist on their side of the
border along that spine. And those concerns are still valid today,” Pentagon
Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters on Thursday at a news conference.
As Afghanistan's neighbour, Pakistan certainly has
equities and responsibilities with respect to terrorism in that part of the
world, Kirby said.
“We continue to have candid conversations with
Pakistani leaders about our concerns,” he said in response to a question.
“I think it's important to continue to remind that the
Pakistani people, likewise, have been rendered victim by terrorist threats that
emanate from those groups and along that same border,” he said.
While Kabul claims that Islamabad is sending thousands
of militants to fight in the war-ravaged country and providing safe haven for
the Taliban, Pakistan alleges that Afghanistan harbours the anti-Pakistani
group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan -- the Pakistani Taliban -- and also the
secessionist Balochistan Liberation Army.
Kirby also told reporters that the United States is within
its rights to continue drone strikes inside Afghanistan.
“We believe we have the authorities that we need to
continue to protect the nation,” he said.
The Taliban has accused the US of violating the
withdrawal agreement by continuing to fly drones over Afghanistan and warned
Americans against doing that in the future.
“We have the authorities that we need to continue to
defend our interests and the security of the American people there and around
the world, and we're going to do that,” Kirby said.
Source: Times of India
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US 'Deeply Saddened' By Killing Of Rohingya Muslim
Advocate, Mohib Ullah
Servet Günerigök
01.10.2021
WASHINGTON
The US is "deeply saddened and disturbed" by
the killing of Rohingya Muslim advocate Mohib Ullah, Secretary of State Antony
Blinken said Thursday.
"Ullah was a brave and fierce advocate for the
human rights of Rohingya Muslims around the world," Blinken said in a
statement.
The 48-year-old, a leader of the Rohingya Muslim
community, was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen in a refugee camp in
Bangladesh on Wednesday.
"We urge a full and transparent investigation
into his death with the goal of holding the perpetrators of this heinous crime
accountable," said Blinken.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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California gunman gets life without parole for
synagogue murder, mosque arson
By Steve Gorman
October 1, 2021
LOS ANGELES, Sept 30 (Reuters) - A man who admitted to
killing one worshiper and wounding three others in a shooting spree inside a
California synagogue about a month after setting fire to a nearby mosque was
sentenced on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
John T. Earnest, 22, pleaded guilty in July to a
single count of murder, three counts of attempted murder and a charge of
committing arson in a place of worship, in a deal with local prosecutors
sparing him from possibly facing the death penalty.
The defendant was sentenced in a San Diego courtroom
to a life prison term less than two weeks after pleading guilty to federal
hate-crime charges stemming from the same two attacks in 2019.
He faces an additional life term when he is sentenced
in the federal case in U.S. District Court on Dec. 28.
Earnest opened fire with an assault-style rifle at the
Chabad of Poway synagogue north of San Diego on April 27, 2019, during Sabbath
prayers on the last day of the weeklong Jewish Passover holiday. He was 19 at
the time.
A 60-year-old member of the congregation, Lori
Gilbert-Kaye, was killed and three others were wounded in the attack, including
the rabbi, who was shot in the hand and lost an index finger.
After the gunman's weapon apparently jammed, he was
chased from the temple by an ex-Army sergeant in the congregation and sped away
in a car, escaping an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent who shot at the getaway
vehicle but missed the suspect.
Earnest later stopped at a shopping center, called the
emergency 911 number to report he had committed the shooting, and waited for
police to arrive to arrest him.
Authorities later identified Earnest as the author of
a rambling, violently anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim manifesto found posted on the
internet under his name minutes before the shooting had begun.
He stated in the post that he had planned the
synagogue rampage for months and claimed responsibility for a predawn arson
attack weeks earlier that damaged the Islamic Center of Escondido, a nearby
town, although no one was injured in the fire.
Earnest also professed in the letter to have drawn
inspiration from the gunman who killed 50 people at two mosques in New Zealand
around that time, and he made reference to a shooting that took 11 lives the
previous October at a Pittsburgh synagogue.
Source: Reuters
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US may use Russia's bases in Central Asia to hit
terror targets in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
Sep 30, 2021
NEW DELHI: In its war against terror, the USA may use
Russias bases in Central Asia to hit targets in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
where terrorist groups such as the Isis-K and remnants of al Qaeda are still
active.
The US is in talks with countries that border
Afghanistan about housing "over the horizon" counterterrorism
operations that would allow the U.S. military to more easily surveil and strike
targets in the Taliban-controlled nation, US news portal POLITICO has reported
citing senators who attended a classified hearing with Pentagon leaders this
week. Those sites could include bases run by Russia in those countries, they
said.
After testifying publicly before the Senate Armed
Services Committee on Tuesday, a trio of the military's top officials briefed
lawmakers behind closed doors about the discussions, which are taking place
with the governments of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and others, the
senators told POLITICO.
The disclosure to lawmakers on Tuesday came just hours
after Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged that the U.S. has asked
Russia for "clarification" about an offer from President Vladimir
Putin to host the US counterterrorism operations on Russian military bases in
central Asia.
India Narrative had also reported earlier that Russia
had offered the use of its military bases in the region to the USA. Moscow,
too, is worried over terrorism spreading to the Central Asian republics with
which Russia shares a border. These countries also constitute a buffer for Russia
against Afghanistan.
During the classified session, senators were told that
that option is being seriously considered, the lawmakers added. Gen. Kenneth
McKenzie, the U.S. Central Command chief, went into detail about specific types
of aircraft and launching points that could be used to strike terrorist targets
in Afghanistan.
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, also described to senators the nature of his conversations with his
Russian counterpart, Valery Gerasimov, the senators added.
The POLITICO report also quoted Senate Armed Services
Chair Jack Reed as saying: "It's their territory. But I think,
realistically, Russia has influence there. And so [Russia] may not have a veto,
but they certainly have an influence. So you have to talk to them."
The USA has carried out two drone strikes against
ISIS-K targets in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan from its bases in the Gulf
countries. However, these are considered too far for efficient action as much
of the flight duration capacity of the drones is wasted flying to the strike
zone and then back to base.
Operating from the immediate neighbourhood would be
far more effective, military experts have said.
Source: Times of India
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India
Siddique Kappan incites Muslims, paints them as
victims, says UP STF in chargesheet
by Amil Bhatnagar
October 1, 2021
Delhi-based journalist Siddique Kappan, who was
arrested a year ago on charges of sedition while on his way to Hathras
following the murder of a Dalit woman, did not write like a “responsible”
journalist, “only and only reports to incite Muslims”, and also wrote to
“sympathise with Maoists and Communists”, the UP Special Task Force (STF) is
learnt to have stated in the chargesheet filed against him.
The 5,000-page chargesheet includes a case diary note,
dated January 23, 2021, in which the investigating officer highlights portions
from 36 articles written by Kappan for a Malayalam media house — on the
Nizamuddin Markaz gathering after the Covid outbreak, anti-CAA protests,
Northeast Delhi riots, the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the chargesheet against
Sharjeel Imam who was jailed on sedition charges.
Referring to one of these articles “written during the
CAA protests in AMU,” the note states: “In the writing, the Muslims have been
portrayed as victims (who) were beaten up by police and were asked to go to
Pakistan. It is evident from the writing that it has been done to incite
Muslims.”
The note concludes: “These writings of Siddique
Kappan, to a great extent, can be classified as communal. During riots, taking
the name of a minority and talking about events related to them can incite
sentiments. Responsible journalists do not do such communal reporting. Kappan
only and only reports to incite Muslims, which is a hidden agenda of PFI
(Popular Front of India). Some stories were written to sympathise with Maoists
and Communists.”
The chargesheet was filed in April this year, months
after Kappan, PFI members Atikur Rahman and Masud Ahmad, and their driver Alam,
were arrested in Mathura on October 5 last year while on their way to Hathras.
They were booked under UAPA and on charges of sedition.
The STF has claimed that the PFI wanted to create
unrest and a riot-like situation in the garb of a protest demanding justice for
the Hathras victim, who had been allegedly assaulted and gangraped leading to
her death in a Delhi hospital — and whose hurried cremation by the UP
administration on the night of September 29, 2020, led to nationwide outrage.
According to the case diary note, the articles are
part of data obtained from Kappan’s laptop after it had been sent to the
forensic laboratory.
In the note, police claim that Kappan worked as a
“think tank” of the PFI. It alleges that he was attempting to publish
“anti-Hindu” stories in the Malayalam media and had plans to inflame the Delhi
riots. Police also accuse him of trying to hide the death of Intelligence
Bureau officer Ankit Sharma and head constable Ratan Lal, and downplaying the
alleged role of suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, in the Delhi riots.
The investigating agency also alleges that Kappan,
through his writing, has tried to deny terrorism carried out by the banned
organisation SIMI.
Police have also submitted statements from two
eyewitnesses who claim that Kappan and Rahman were trying to incite a crowd
against the administration, the day after the victim’s body had been cremated.
“A lot of crowd had gathered because entry to the
village had been barred due to the presence of SIT. There were some people who
were trying to incite the crowd into taking action against the Thakurs. Two
people in the crowd were making speeches and distributing money. I identify
them as Atiqur Rahman and Siddique Kappan as they had told me their names,”
police quote a resident of a neighbouring village as having told them.
Another person from the same village, who claims to be
an eyewitness, has recorded a similar statement with the UP STF, documents
show.
The lawyer for the accused, however, said they were
not even in the region at this time, and were only arrested on their way to
Hathras, two days later. “These are dubious eyewitness statements since the
accused had not been able to reach the village in the first place and were
arrested on the way to it,” said Madhuvan Dutt, the counsel for the accused.
Source: Indian Express
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Assam eviction drive: BJP targeted people as they are
Muslims, says Brinda Karat
30th September 2021
By Prasanta Mazumdar
GUWAHATI: CPI-M politburo member Brinda Karat said
Assam’s BJP government had targeted the people at Garukhuti in Darrang district
through an eviction drive as they were Muslims.
After visiting the site and sharing the party’s
findings, Brinda said the 1,000 families evicted were the citizens of India
with every single document to prove it. She said although many of them were
registered in the 1951 National Register of Citizens (NRC), yet, they were
treated worse than the “prisoners of war”.
“…This shameless government with a 12-hour notice came
with a big police force, evicted them and bulldozed their houses. They did not
care about women, children or anything and fired and killed two and injured so
many. This happened for one reason alone – they are minority community members.
They belong to the Muslim community,” Brinda said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stated
the eviction drive was not against any community but encroachers. BJP national
general secretary Dilip Saikia had claimed the people evicted were “Bangladeshis”
who came over the past few years and grabbed government land.
The displaced people are now lodged in tents which
they erected at a government-identified land on the bank of the Brahmaputra.
“They are living in conditions which are unbelievable.
There is no water, no latrine and no houses. There are no facilities. There is
no food since September 23 till today. This is their condition. This is the
worst nightmare of what a Hindu rashtra’s agenda actually is. It is
anti-national and anti-constitutional and we will fight against it,” Brinda
added.
A CPI-M statement said no government officials visited
the people since September 23. The party said the government deployed the
police personnel at the site to intimidate the people.
Source: New Indian Express
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Terrorist killed in encounter with security forces in
Shopian in J&K
Oct 1, 2021
SRINAGAR: A terrorist was killed in an encounter with
security forces in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police
said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation
at Rakhama village in the district following information about the presence of
militants in the area, a police spokesman said.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter
after terrorists opened fire towards the security forces drawing retaliation.
Source: Times of India
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South
Asia
Rights Group Expresses Concern over Taliban's New
Media Rules in Afghanistan That Prohibit Critical Reporting About the Taliban
Oct 1, 2021
KABUL: The imposition of a range of regulatory
measures to tighten media freedom in the country by the Taliban are a cause of
concern to the rights groups.
The Taliban-formed 'Ministry of Information and
Culture' has imposed a set of regulations in a bid to prohibit virtually any
critical reporting about the Taliban, Human Rights Watch informed.
A copy of these regulations seen by Human Rights Watch
directs the media groups that they are prohibited from printing or broadcasting
reports that "are contrary to Islam," "insult national
figures," or "distort news content."
Associate Asia Director at Human Rights Watch Patricia
Gossman has expressed concerns over these regulations and said "despite
the Taliban's promises to allow media that 'respected Islamic values' to
function, the new rules are suffocating media freedom in the country."
As per the regulations, journalists are required to
"ensure that their reporting is balanced" and are not allowed to
report on "matters that have not been confirmed by officials" or
issues that "could have a negative impact on the public's attitude,"
Human Rights Watch reported.
Last month, the International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) had expressed concern over the safety of journalists in
Afghanistan and slammed the Taliban for suppressing freedom of the media in the
country.
Since Taliban rule solidified in the country, at least
153 media outlets have had to shut down over increasing threats towards
journalists while female media employees have been barred from work entirely.
Source: Times of India
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Taliban reacts to US Senate Bill seeking to sanction
Islamic Emirate
Sep 30, 2021
KABUL: Expressing its displeasure over a bill that
seeks to impose sanctions on Taliban in Afghanistan, the outfit on Thursday
stated that the imposition of sanctions on the Islamic Emirate will
"repeat the failed policies" of the US in Afghanistan, local media
said.
This comes after more than 20 US Senators on Tuesday
introduced legislation to impose sanctions on the Taliban and the foreign
governments that support the outfit.
"Any sanction causes harm to Afghanistan's
interest and its people, and should not be imposed; the Taliban should be asked
to engage politically with the international community," political analyst
Hekmatullah Hikmat was quoted as saying by TOLO News, reported.
Afghanistan is "not capable of overcoming the
sanctions because over 20 million people are in grave need of humanitarian
assistance", said political analyst Abdul Naseer Rishtia.
The legislation titled the 'Afghanistan
Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act', seeks to address the
outstanding issues related to the Administration's rushed withdrawal from
Afghanistan.
"The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was as
awful as it was avoidable. It was unwise and unrealistic for the Administration
to stick to its arbitrary August 31st deadline, which resulted in hundreds of
Americans and tens of thousands of our most loyal allies -- drivers, translators,
guides, and others -- and vulnerable Afghans such as women leaders being left
behind in Afghanistan in dire jeopardy," said Senator Collins on the
legislation introduced by Senator Jim Risch.
Source: Times of India
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Qatar urges 'friendly countries' not to isolate
Afghanistan
Sep 30, 2021
DUBAI: Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al-Thani urged on Thursday "friendly" states not to
isolate Afghanistan after the takeover of the country by the Taliban.
He was speaking at a news conference in Doha with
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
Source: Times of India
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Taliban reiterate commitment to ensuring security of
foreign diplomats
1 October 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], October 1 (ANI): Taliban on
Friday reiterated its commitment to ensuring the security of foreign diplomats
in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Motaqi
said that ensuring the safety of foreign diplomats and envoys is the
responsibility of the Taliban and added that they can come to eth ministry
anytime they want to, reported The Khaama Press News Agency.
Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted
Kabul-based diplomats and envoys on Thursday evening and the first deputy of
Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar also attended the banquet.
The acting foreign minister who was addressing the
guests said that they would like to have good governance inside the country and
friendly relations with the neighbouring countries and the world, reported
Khaama Press.
"We not only want positive relations based on our
shared interests with the US but with our neighbours, Islamic world, Gulf
states, regional and European countries," said Motaqi.
Motaqi also said that the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan is respecting all the legitimate demands of the world and wants the
same from the international community, reported Khaama Press.
Source: Yahoo News
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https://sg.news.yahoo.com/taliban-reiterate-commitment-ensuring-security-084332904.html
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IEA committed to ensuring security of foreign
diplomats: Motaqi
01 Oct 2021
Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi
said that ensuring the safety of foreign diplomats and envoys is the
responsibility of the Taliban and added that they can come to eth ministry
anytime they want to.
Amir Khan Motaqi said that the transformation of the
regime was unexpected and was conducted much peacefully.
Afghanistan’s ministry of foreign affairs hosted
Kabul-based diplomats and envoys on Thursday evening, September 30 and the
first deputy of Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar also attended the
banquet.
The acting foreign minister who was addressing the
guests said that they would like to have good governance inside the country and
friendly relations with the neighboring countries and the world.
Amir Khan Motaqi said that the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan is respecting all the legitimate demands of the world and wants the
same from the international community.
“We not only want positive relations based on our
shared interests with the US but with our neighbors, Islamic world, gulf
states, regional and European countries.” Said Motaqi.
Source: Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/iea-committed-to-ensuring-security-of-foreign-diplomats-motaqi-457457457/
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Southeast
Asia
Democracy alive due to DAP but party has lost support
October 1, 2021
In a speech on the occasion of the launching ceremony
of the book Lost in Transition: Malaysia Under Abdullah on April 3, 2008, I
told the audience the following:
“I want to end with an important point in this
analysis of what is possibly a turning point in politics in the country. Much
has been written about the political leadership role of Anwar (Ibrahim) in this
election – how he has played a key part in bringing DAP, PAS and PKR together
to challenge the political hegemony of BN and Umno and galvanising the
electoral vote for the opposition. This is true, and an important part of how future
political events will unfold will depend on Anwar’s leadership. However, as a
scholar looking at the longer-term ebb and flow of politics in the country – at
this moment when many are celebrating a breakthrough in our political system –
I wish to pay tribute to Lim Kit Siang who has been an indomitable fighter for
democracy, justice and good governance.”
In December 1999, HAKAM the national human rights
society had written a tribute to Kit Siang:
“HAKAM would like to put on record its tribute and
appreciation to you for your selfless and fearless long public service in the
quest for a more just and equitable society and commitment to the principles of
parliamentary democracy and good governance.
We have no doubt that the cherished ideals and
principles that you have steadfastly championed through the long years of
trials and tribulations and personal sacrifices will not be in vain and your
precept and example will surely be a source of inspiration and an example for
the young generation of Malaysians to emulate.”
In December 2006, I wrote:
“The truly towering Malaysian – head and heels above
everyone else – is Kit Siang for his unwavering principled stand on behalf of
justice, truth and equality over all these years.”
To me, an important factor in where we are today in
our democracy owes a great deal to the untiring efforts of Kit Siang. Through
his long political career spanning over forty years, he has been a true
Malaysian political giant where others have been pygmies.
That Malaysia’s democracy has stayed alive is largely
because of the DAP and Kit Siang.
And we must also never forget Karpal Singh, who until
his untimely demise, stood alongside Kit Siang in this gruelling political
journey.
In particular, Karpal’s message to Malaysians to stand
steadfast and strong for a secular Malaysia and to never give in to the
religious forces pushing for a religious state needs to be reemphasised to the
younger generation.
A falling rocket
Repulsing conservative forces and the challenges of
rapid socio-economic disruption do not require a change in political direction
but the breathing in of renewed idealism and new leadership.
Long time observers of the Malaysian political scene
must be wondering what is going wrong with the DAP since its key role in
Pakatan Harapan’s watershed victory in GE14.
Before the election, few will disagree, the DAP had
been the leading force in the political opposition for over 40 years since its
establishment in 1967.
According to its constitution, the party is committed
to “a free, democratic and socialist Malaysia, based on the principles of
racial and religious equality, social and economic justice, and founded on the
institution of parliamentary democracy”.
The pursuit of racial and religious equality and
justice for all Malaysians embedded in the party’s call for a Malaysian
Malaysia has been likened by “pragmatic” analysts as akin to a political death
wish or an impossible dream.
This is because in a country with an increasingly
superior demographic and assertive Malay-Muslim population, conventional wisdom
is that a party fighting for the equal rights of Malaysians – especially with
the advent of the New Economic Policy and Bumiputera dichotomy which has
polarised the country’s population emphatically into racial categories – is
doomed to failure. Or the other wisdom that any Malaysian party that has a
largely Chinese base would have at best a minor position in the country’s
political arena.
However the impossible happened and then was reversed
by the Sheraton Move and its aftermath.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Jawi: Full capacity for prayers at mosques, surau in
Federal Territories from tomorrow
30 Sep 2021
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — The congregation for Friday
and daily prayers in mosques and surau in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan
will be back to the actual capacity while maintaining a 1.5 metre social
distancing effective tomorrow.
Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi)
director Datuk Mohd Ajib Ismail said the new directive was implemented after
obtaining the consent of the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Nazrin Shah in
line with the transition phase of the National Recovery Plan (PPN).
He said all mosques and surau were also allowed to
organised activities like Maghrib lectures, tazkirah before Friday prayers,
reciting of the al-Quran, reciting the Yasin and prayers subject to the
standard operating procedures (SOP).
Source: Malay Mail
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Mideast
IRGC Commander Repeats Demand from Iraqi Kurdistan
Region to Expel Terrorists
2021-September-30
General Pakpour made the remarks in a ceremony to
commemorate the martyrs during the Sacred Defense (Iraqi-imposed war against
Iran 1980s) in Sanandaj city in Western Iran on Wednesday.
"We see some movements in the Iraqi Kurdistan
region, and terrorist and anti-Islamic Revolution groups have set up bases,
something that we have previously said we will not accept and we will encounter
it with might," he said.
General Pakpour further advised the Iraqi and
Kurdistan Region authorities to expel elements and members of terrorist and
anti-Islamic Revolution groups from Northern Iraq, warning that "if that
demand is not met, we will act in accordance with the duty to destroy their
bases and headquarters".
This is the second time that the IRGC Ground Force
commander warns the Iraqi and Kurdistan Region authorities over the presence of
the terrorist groups on their soil after his warning on September 6.
A senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps announced last week that the IRGC forces have attacked and destroyed 4
bases of the anti-revolutionary groups stationed in Northern Iraq.
“Anti-revolutionary groups have been organized by the
intelligence services of hostile and foreign countries, and even certain Arab
states, in Northern Iraq to be used in line with their goals and create
obstacles on the way of the Islamic Republic,” Deputy Commander of the IRGC
Hamzeh Seyed al-Shohada base in Northwestern Iran Brigadier General Majid
Arjmandfar told reporters.
"These anti-revolutionary groups were stationed
in a short distance from the Iranian borders, and necessary warnings were given
to the Iraqi government, officials and managers in the Northern parts of the
neighboring country."
"We had said and warned that if the slightest
mistake is seen from these hostile groups, they will receive a harsh response,
which led to the destruction of the four bases of these anti-revolutionary
groups," General Arjmandfar said.
He underlined that anywhere these
counter-revolutionary groups are stationed is considered as enemy territory by
Iran, and said, “We proved this in the recent attack and we targeted all
positions, command centers and the ammunition dumps they had."
The IRGC had said in a statement that last week that
their forces had targeted and destroyed terrorist hideouts in the Iraqi
Kurdistan region.
A statement by the IRGC's Hamzeh Seyed al-Shohada Base
in West Azerbaijan Province in Northwestern Iran said that "four bases of
the anti-revolutionary groups were targeted and destroyed by precision-striking
weapons in response to their movements on the border of our country with
Northern Iraq".
The statement added that anti-Iran groups have been
organized and sponsored in the Northern region of Iraq by the foreign and
hostile intelligence services and some Arab states to use them in line with
their goals and create obstacles on the way of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In relevant remarks last week, Chief of Staff of the
Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri warned of the
country’s continued attacks against the hideouts of anti-revolutionary groups
in the region, specially the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
General Baqeri made the remarks, referring to the
recent IRGC operations against the terrorist and anti-revolutionary groups in
the Iraqi Kurdistan region,
“The officials of this region and the Iraqi government
should take action to confront these groups," he added.
General Baqeri warned the Americans that their bases
in the region should also be abolished and not be used as an anti-revolutionary
center, and said, "We will continue our operations against the
anti-revolutionary groups and we will not tolerate any mischiefs at these
borders."
"Confronting these groups is our right based on
the UN Charter," he stressed.
General Baqeri said that the Iraqi Kurdistan region
officials should not allow the armed anti-revolutionary groups which are
affiliated to the US and Israel to have military bases and TV and radio
stations and attack the Iranian borders, and warned, “The (Iranian) Armed
Forces will annihilate these groups.”
Earlier this month, the IRGC attacked the positions of
terrorists in the Iraqi Kurdistan region with artillery fire, missiles and
drones.
The missile units of the IRGC Aerospace, with the
participation of the IRGC Ground Forces' UAV unit carried out successful
operations, and pounded the headquarters of terrorists in Northern Erbil, a
meeting of one of the evil and criminal groups and a training center belonging
to the foreign-backed terrorists with 7 short-range missiles, the IRGC said in
a statement on Thursday.
It added that the operations came after a warning to
the Kurdish authorities in Northern Iraq and in response to the infiltration
attempts by terrorist teams belonging to the foreign-sponsored terrorist groups
stationed in Northern Iraq, which endangered the security of the Western
provinces of Iran.
The statement said based on concrete evidence and
reports, dozens of the terrorist "chieftains" and their elements were
killed or wounded in the attack.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Iranian FM Hails IRGC Quds Force’s Role in
Establishment of Peace in Region, World
2021-September-30
During the meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, Amir
Abdollahian called the IRGC Quds Force as a borderless soldier that plays a key
role in helping spread of peace and security both in region and world.
He pointed to the unprecedented and unparalleled role
of former IRGC Quds Force Commander Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani
in the fight against terrorism, and said, “Had it not been for the key role of
Iran’s anti-terror commander and hero of fight against terrorism Martyr Lt. Gen.
Qassem Soleimani, today, the region would look differently.”
If the ISIL had succeeded in Syria and Iraq, the world
would have faced terrorism and extremism, Amir Abdollahian said.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry will proudly follow the
path of Commander of Peace Martyr Lt. Gen. Qassem Soleimani persistently in
line with institutionalizing peace and friendship with countries of the region
and in the fight against terrorism, he added.
Lieutenant General Soleimani and Deputy Commander of
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were
assassinated in a US drone strike on Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on
January 3, 2020.
On January 8, 2020, the IRGC Aerospace Force started
heavy ballistic missile attacks on US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq
near the border with Syria and a US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation
for the US assassination of General Soleimani.
Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m
altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq.
Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein
Al-Assad failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial
reports said the US army's central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been
jammed by electronic warfare.
The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military
base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of
"Martyr Soleimani" reprisal operation.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Israel reports few heart inflammation cases after
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters
01 October ,2021
Israel’s Health Ministry has identified fewer than 10
cases of heart inflammation following a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech
vaccine among millions administered, according to recently released data.
Israel began administering boosters to risk groups in
July and by the end of August expanded its campaign to include anyone above the
age of 12, five months or more after a second dose.
Having kicked off its rapid vaccination drive
relatively early, in December, Israel was one of the first countries to report
that the vaccine’s protection diminished with time, and has since deemed its
booster campaign safe and effective.
The booster drive is being watched closely in the
United States, where third Pfizer shots have been rolled out for those 65 and
older, all people at high risk of severe disease, and others who are regularly
exposed to the virus.
In data published late on Thursday, the Health
Ministry reported nine cases of myocarditis within four age groups that
comprised more than 1.5 million people who had received a booster shot.
All were male, three were between the ages of 16 and
29 and six were in the 30-59 group. Eight more possible cases were still being
reviewed. Most myocarditis cases are generally mild, the ministry said.
In total, out of all 3.2 million Israelis who have
received a third jab, 25 reported serious adverse events that appeared within
30 days of the shot, including myocarditis, though a causal link had yet to be
established among many of them.
Employing a “living with COVID” strategy, the
government is hoping that the boosters, so far administered to around a third
of the 9.3 million population, will fend off an outbreak of the Delta variant
while the economy is kept open.
Since Delta began spreading in June, the government
has reimposed indoor mask wearing and Israelis require a Green Pass - a digital
document that confirms full immunization, including a third shot, or recovery
from the illness - to enter most places of leisure. Teachers must either be
vaccinated or get tested in order to enter schools.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran nuclear talks to resume in acceptable period of
time: EU’s Borrell
30 September ,2021
The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell said he believes nuclear talks with Iran will resume within an acceptable
period of time.
Borrell was speaking at a news conference in the
Qatari capital Doha.
Speaking at a news conference in the Qatari capital
Doha, Borrell was referring to indirect talks between Tehran and Washington in
Vienna that began in April and were adjourned two days after hard-line cleric
Ephraim Raisin won Iran’s presidential election in June.
Borrell, in comments translated into Arabic by Al
Jazeera television, said he believed the negotiations aimed at bringing back
Tehran and Washington into full compliance with the agreement will resume
“within an acceptable period of time.”
After former US President Donald Trump ditched the
deal three years ago and reimposed sanctions on Iran, Tehran has been
rebuilding stockpiles of enriched uranium, enriching it to higher levels of
fissile purity and installing advanced centrifuges to speed up production.
President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but the
sides disagree on which steps need to be taken and when, with the key issues
being what nuclear limits Tehran will accept and what sanctions Washington will
remove.
Western powers have urged Iran to return to
negotiations and said time is running out as Tehran’s nuclear program is
advancing well beyond the limits set by the deal.
Tehran says its nuclear steps are reversible if
Washington lifts all sanctions. Iranian and Western officials have said many
issues remain to be resolved before the accord can be revived.
Echoing Iran’s official stance, Iran’s foreign
ministry spokesman told Le Monde newspaper that “Iran has reached conclusion
that we certainly will return to the nuclear talks” in Vienna.
Saeed Khatibzadeh added that Iran would not “waste an
hour before returning to Vienna talks once a re-evaluation of the sixth round
of the nuclear talks” is completed by Raisi’s government.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Palestinian in Gaza killed by Israeli fire: Gaza
ministry
30 September ,2021
Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead a Palestinian man
in Gaza who approached the security fence that marks the border, the
territory’s health ministry and the Israeli army said.
“Troops spotted three suspects approaching the
security fence in the northern Gaza Strip. One of the suspects was seen
carrying a suspicious backpack and digging in the ground. (Israeli) troops at
the scene fired towards the suspect,” an army statement said.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Africa
Sheikh Zakzaky: Majority of Nigerians in Favour of
Islamic System
2021-September-30
“I believe that if there will be a plebiscite in this
country and people will be asked ‘which system would you like? Is it the status
quo, which is inherited from the British colonialists or the Islamic system?’”
he told Press TV in the first interview to a network since he was released from
jail in July.
“I’m sure that the majority will choose the Islamic
system. [Because] it will be the government of the people after all,” he added.
Zakzaky stated, although, the authorities in Nigeria
strictly forbid any such vote, he did not rule out the prospect of the
establishment of such a system in Nigeria. However, this, he reiterated,
depended on the people being “given the choice” similar to what happened in
Iran with the referendum that followed the victory of the country’s Islamic
Revolution in 1979.
Nigerian authorities admit “in private not in public,
that they fear the Islamic Movement” and the potential that it may help
establish the “Islamic system just as the Revolution in Iran”, he said. But all
the IMN is after “is democracy. What is a democracy? It is the government of
the people”.
In December 2015, Nigeria’s military launched a
crackdown as part of a deadly state-ordered escalation targeting Zakzaky’s
Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) that Abuja has branded as illegal.
The campaign saw the troops attacking Zakzaky’s
residence in the town of Zaria in Kaduna, burning the whole house down and
afflicting him and his wife with serious injuries that reportedly caused the
cleric to lose his left eye.
Zakzaky told Press TV that a subsequent surgery had
found around 38 fragments of bullets in the space between his cheek and his
head, including in his eyes. His wife, he added, also received “gunshots to
stomach and thigh”.
“It is the will of God that I’m alive,” the cleric
added.
During the crackdown, the military also attacked the
movement’s members as they were holding religious processions, with the
government alleging that the Muslims had blocked a convoy of the country’s
defense minister. The movement has categorically rejected the allegation and
said the convoy had intentionally crossed paths with the IMN’s members to whip
up an excuse to attack them.
The violence led to the death of three of Zakzaky’s
sons and hundreds of his followers.
Although the state’s so-called investigation into the
massacre never allowed the inclusion of the IMN and its followers’ insights,
one government official testified that “they have buried 347 people” in just
“one of the mass graves”, he said, adding, “And we know that there are other
mass graves [too].”
The tally that has been kept by the IMN from the
information obtained from the victims’ relatives and other sources, however,
shows that the state’s bloodletting of the Shias led to “around 700 deaths”.
And this amounts to the movement’s tally just “so
far”, he said, adding that the actual number could be as high as 1,200.
“The Zaria massacre has opened the eyes and ears of
the people… that was not the first time, but only the worst that they have
done,” Zakzaky stated.
Zakzaky and his wife were kept in custody despite a
2016 ruling by Nigeria’s federal high court that ordered their release from
prison. They were acquitted of all their charges on July 28, but reports say
that the state is still trying to launch a new lawsuit against the couple.
The couple’s freedom came about as a result of
tireless activism on the part of Nigeria’s Shia faithful and numerous damning
reports about their situation by international human rights bodies.
Zakzaky noted he and his wife currently are not able
to travel aboard to seek medical assistance because the state is still
withholding their passports months after their release and despite the fact
that all the charges against them have been dropped.
Turning to the issue of the state’s persecution of the
Shias, Zakzaky revealed that Abuja’s campaign against the followers of the
faith goes as far back as the 1970’s, when he was a student fighting communist
ideology and the ideology’s objection to religion.
The crackdown dragged into the 80’s when the cleric
was arrested and jailed for four years. The Shia leader spent another period in
prison for nine months starting from December 1984.
Two more bouts of crackdown on the Shia faithful saw
him being incarcerated from 1987 to 1989 and from 1996 to 1998.
In the latest crackdown on the Shia faithful, Nigerian
police on Tuesday opened fire on a peaceful procession of Shias who were
marking Arba’een, the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein
(AS), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Tens of thousands of people were taking part in the
annual commemoration when they were fired upon without provocation.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Sudanese protesters demand civilian rule, want army
out
01 October ,2021
Thousands of Sudanese rallied in the capital of
Khartoum on Thursday to demand an exclusively civilian transitional government
and accused the generals now in power of derailing the transition to democracy.
Security forces fired tear gas as protesters neared a central street housing
government headquarters.
Sudan has been ruled by an interim, joint
civilian-military government since 2019. The military ousted former leader Omar
al-Bashir in April that year, following four months of mass protests against
his rule. Months after al-Bashir’s toppling, the ruling generals agreed to
share power with civilians representing the protest movement.
“The objective of these marches is to protect Sudan’s
democratic transition and there is no way to achieve that without ending any
partnership with the military council,” said a statement issued by the Sudanese
Professionals Association, which spearheaded the nationwide uprising that
kicked off in December 2018 and culminated in al-Bashir’s ouster.
Tensions between the civilians and generals in the
transitional government have increased since Sudan’s interim authorities last
week said they foiled a coup attempt within the military. Officials blamed
al-Bashir loyalists for the move.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, the civilian face of
the government, described the coup attempt as an effort to undermine Sudan’s
democratic transition. The interim government has been under pressure to end
wars with rebel groups as it seeks to rehabilitate the country’s battered
economy, attract much-needed foreign aid and deliver the democracy it promised.
On Thursday, demonstrators waved Sudanese flags and
chanted pro-democracy slogans. They accuse the military of dragging its feet on
transferring power to civilians, purging state institutions of remnants of
al-Bashir’s regime and bringing to justice those responsible for the killing of
dozens of protesters in June 2019, when security forces dispersed a sit-in
outside the military headquarters in Khartoum.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Spain ‘reassured’ by Algeria over gas supplies
30 September ,2021
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said
Thursday that he had received assurances over gas supplies from Algeria, amid
fears a crucial pipeline via Morocco could be shut.
Algeria “has always been a trustworthy partner that
has honored its engagements and I was reassured today that energy supplies
would continue,” he said at a press conference after meeting senior officials
in Algiers.
“Algeria has always been a first class energy partner
for Spain.”
The Spanish diplomat was visiting Algiers a month
before a 25-year deal to pump Algerian gas to Spain via Morocco is set to
expire, with the two North African countries mired in their worst crisis in
years.
Algeria, Africa’s biggest natural gas exporter, has
been using the Gaz-Maghreb-Europe (GME) pipeline since 1996 to deliver several
billion cubic meters (bcm) per year to Spain and Portugal.
But the GME contract ends at the end of October, just
over two months after Algiers severed diplomatic ties with Rabat over “hostile
actions.” Morocco has dismissed the claims.
Shortly after, Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab
told Spanish ambassador Fernando Moran that Algeria was ready to deliver all
its Spain-bound gas exports via an alternative undersea pipeline, bypassing
Morocco.
Experts say the Medgaz pipeline does not have enough
capacity to make up the shortfall.
Maghreb geopolitics expert Geoff Porter told AFP that
“a deal to continue the GME agreement before October 31 is very unlikely.”
Source: Al Arabiya
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https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/09/30/Spain-reassured-by-Algeria-over-gas-supplies
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US strongly condemns Ethiopia for expelling UN officials
Servet Gunerigok
30.09.2021
The US condemned Ethiopia on Thursday for expelling
seven UN officials for allegedly meddling in internal affairs and urged the
international community to take action.
"The US government condemns in the strongest
possible terms the government of Ethiopia's unprecedented action to expel the
leadership of all of the United Nations organizations involved in ongoing
humanitarian operations," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki at a news
conference.
"We agree with UN leaders. This is a stain on our
collective conscience and it must stop," she added.
Earlier, Ethiopia ordered the UN officials to leave
the country within 72 hours.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, staffers from different UN organizations have been declared “persona
non grata” for "meddling in the internal affairs" of the nation.
The statement did not provide further details but the
declaration was made in connection with the agencies’ operations in Ethiopia's
northernmost region of Tigray.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/us-strongly-condemns-ethiopia-for-expelling-un-officials-/2379758
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