Hindu-Muslim Temple Kissing Scenes of ‘A Suitable Boy’ Stir Trouble For Netflix India
New Age Islam News Bureau
23 November 2020
A still from movie via video grab. Netflix series A
Suitable Boy, in which a Hindu girl kisses a Muslim boy against the backdrop of
a Hindu temple.
------
• ‘Sculptures Are Not Always Elements Of Shirk, According
To Islamic Teachings’: Bangladesh Sommilito Islami
• Pakistan Minister Deletes Tweet Containing Macron
Nazi Jibe
• Israel Ratifies First Ever Visa-Free Agreement With
UAE
• Patriot Rubbishes DBKL Liquor Ban As Infringement Of
Non-Muslim Rights
• Al-Qaeda Names New North Africa Leader, Confirms
Death Of Swiss Abducted In Timbuktu
• Centrist Blinken To Be Biden’s Pick For US Secretary
Of State
India
• Hindu-Muslim Temple Kissing Scenes of ‘A Suitable Boy’ Stir Trouble For Netflix
India
• Love Jihad Law Violates Articles 14 And 21: AIMIM
Chief Asaduddin Owaisi
• Mumbai Police Rebuts BJP Leader's Claims Linking
Missing Persons Cases From Govandi To 'Love Jihad'
• ‘Karachi Will Be A Part Of India One Day’: Fadnavis
On Bandra Sweet Shop Row
• BJP says ‘love
jihad’
serious problem, states should act
• Tunnel Of Terror A 150-Metre-Long Cross-Border
Underground Tunnel Lined With Sandbags Bearing Karachi Markings
--------
South Asia
• ‘Sculptures Are Not Always Elements Of Shirk, According
To Islamic Teachings’: Bangladesh Sommilito Islami
• 'Bangladesh Must Drop Rohingya Island Relocation
Plan'
• 360 ANA Pledge to Fight Terrorists till ‘Last
Breath’
• Taliban Commander Killed in Herat: MoD
• Khalilzad Hails Pak-Afghan Vision on Regional
Stability
• Afghanistan donor conference to set aid cuts,
conditions amid war, pandemic
• Findings of Afghan war crimes terribly disturbing:
Australi’s Morrison
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Minister Deletes Tweet Containing Macron
Nazi Jibe
• Imran warns of total lockdown if rallies continue
• ‘Puppet rule’ must come to an end, says PDM
• Four ‘militants’ killed in North Waziristan
--------
Mideast
• Israel Ratifies First Ever Visa-Free Agreement With
UAE
• Israel Gaza attacks 'desperate attempt' to change
equation in favour of occupier: Hamas
• Turkey part of Europe, but won't bow down to
pressure, double standards: Erdogan
• Dealings with US possible despite crimes, says Iran
• Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza after rocket
attack
• Netanyahu rival Gantz launches investigation,
further straining ties with the PM
• Turkey’s Erdogan rejects ally’s call for release of
philanthropist and Kurdish leader
• Saudi’s violence against Yemeni kids must stop:
Yemen Foreign Ministry
--------
Southeast Asia
• Patriot Rubbishes DBKL Liquor Ban As Infringement Of
Non-Muslim Rights
• Indonesia Brass Barks Back At Islamist’s ‘Moral’
Threat
• Senior lawyer’s fees in Sabah dissolution case not
exorbitant, says counsel
• PAS shouldn’t force us to accept Bersatu, says Umno
VP
--------
Africa
• Al-Qaeda Names New North Africa Leader, Confirms
Death Of Swiss Abducted In Timbuktu
• Formation of Sudan’s transitional parliament pushed
to December
• Ethiopian PM gives Tigray rebels 3-day ultimatum to
surrender before govt. attack
• Ethiopia army threatens 'no mercy' will be in
all-out assault on rebel-held Mekele
--------
North America
• Centrist Blinken To Be Biden’s Pick For US Secretary
Of State
• US and Saudi Arabia advance decades of cooperation:
State Department fact sheet
• G20: Trump defends withdrawal from 'unfair' Paris
Climate accord
• Loose cannon Pompeo’s war of words on Iran
--------
Europe
• France’s FM Le Drian says Turkey’s ‘soothing
declarations’ not good enough
--------
Arab world
• Future Iran Deal Must Go Beyond Nuclear And Include
Regional Misbehaviour: Saudi FM
• EU foreign policy chief censures ‘dire condition’ of
human rights in Bahrain
• Nine Iraqi security personnel, civilians dead in
ISIS ambush in Baghdad: Police
• G20 Riyadh Summit wraps up, leaders commit to
fighting COVID-19, sustainable future
• Fourteen Iran-backed fighters in Syria killed in
airstrikes: Monitor
• In Lebanon, army courts, plainclothes officers
target protesters
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindu-muslim-temple-kissing-scenes/d/123550
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Hindu-Muslim Temple Kissing Scenes of ‘A Suitable Boy’ Stir Trouble For Netflix
India
November 22, 2020
A still from movie via video grab. Netflix series A
Suitable Boy, in which a Hindu girl kisses a Muslim boy against the backdrop of
a Hindu temple.
------
NEW DELHI: An Indian state on Sunday asked police to
investigate after a member of the country’s ruling party objected to scenes in
the Netflix series A Suitable Boy, in which a Hindu girl kisses a Muslim boy
against the backdrop of a Hindu temple.
The series is based on an English novel by one of
India’s leading writers Vikram Seth and follows a young girl’s quest for a
husband. It is directed by celebrated Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.
“It has extremely objectionable scenes that have hurt
the feelings of a particular religion,” Narottam Mishra, the interior minister
of the central state of Madhya Pradesh, said on Twitter.
“I’ve directed police officers to get this
controversial content tested” to determine “what legal action can be taken
against the producer-director of the film for hurting religious sentiments”.
Gaurav Tiwari, a leader of the youth wing of India’s
ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also governs
Madhya Pradesh, has filed a separate complaint against Netflix and warned of
street protests by Hindus if the series is not taken off the platform.
A Netflix India spokesman declined comment on the
police complaint. Reuters could not contact Nair.
Social media commentators say the scope for creative
freedom is narrowing in India, especially when it involves any depiction of
Hindu-Muslim relations.
Many Indians took to Twitter demanding a boycott of
Netflix, which sees India as one of its most promising growth markets, but
where its shows have faced legal challenges.
Last month, a unit of India’s Tata conglomerate
withdrew a jewellery advertisement featuring a Hindu-Muslim family celebrating
a baby shower, following threats to one of its stores and wide criticism on
social media.
Earlier this month, the Indian government announced
rules to regulate content on video streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon
Prime Video and Walt Disney’s Hotstar.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2020/11/22/hindu-muslim-temple-kissing-scenes-stir-trouble-for-netflix-india/
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‘Sculptures Are Not Always Elements Of Shirk,
According To Islamic Teachings’: Bangladesh Sommilito Islami
November 22nd, 2020
Bangladesh Sommilito Islami Jote president Maulana
Ziaul Hasan addresses a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on
Sunday, November 22, 2020 Collected
----
‘Sculptures placed as a symbol of beauty or as a
memorial to a historical event are not forbidden according to Islamic
teachings’
Describing the creation or installation of sculptures
as shirk or foreign culture is completely unreasonable, according to the
Bangladesh Sommilito Islami Jote.
Creation of sculptures and idolatry is not the same
thing, and sculptures are not always elements of shirk, said the organization’s
President Maulana Ziaul Hasan on Sunday, reports Bangla Tribune.
Notably, in Islam, shirk refers to idolatry or the
association of God with other deities.
Sharing their observation on the issue at a press
conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka, Ziaul said: “In our Bangali
culture, there are things that have been done or observed for a long time
without committing shirk; and suddenly describing them as part of a shirk
culture is nothing but dirty politics.”
He continued: “It is mentioned at the very beginning
of Bukhari Shareef that a deed depends on the intention. Sculptures don’t
always mean they will be used for shirk.”
According to Hadiths, he said, there was a small horse
sculpture in Hazrat Aisha’s (ra) room. She also had several dolls that she used
to play with along with her friends. But Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not forbid
her from doing that and also never said anything about them being elements of
shirk.
Because that sculpture or those dolls were not there
for worship; they were there only for playing, he said.
“Similarly, sculptures that are placed as a symbol of
beauty or as a memorial to a historical event are not forbidden according to
Islamic teachings,” added Maulana Ziaul.
Ziaul further said that when the country’s Muslim
citizens pay homage with flowers at the Shaheed Minar, the National Memorial or
the Martyred Intellectuals’ Memorial, they do not do that with the intention of
worshipping. “Through that, they only show their respect to national history,
tradition and sacrifice of the martyrs.”
“In Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, there is a sculpture of a
fist called The Fist. There are also sculptures of horses and fishes.
Similarly, there are sculptures of horses and other creatures in the
Muslim-dominated United Arab Emirates, Iran, Indonesia and Egypt.
“Thus, it can be said that even if it’s a sculpture of
a living being or part of a living being, there is nothing wrong with it if it
was not created with the intention of committing shirk,” Ziaul added.
He also said: “It is not a mark of religiosity to
confuse general people in the name of religion and create anarchy by spreading
rumours. Any government can take action against the perpetrators of such
anarchy.”
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has also talked against going
overboard over religion, he said.
Talking about a possible solution, Maulana Ziaul
added: “I would say this to the government — the only way out of this situation
is to form a ‘National Education Commission,’ comprising academics and
patriotic Islamic thinkers, to introduce a science-based, mass-oriented and
non-communal education system.”
Sommilito Islami Jote vice presidents Mufti Jobayed
Ali and Abdus Sobhan Miah, General Secretary Maulana Abul Hossain, among
others, were present at the press conference.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2020/11/22/maulana-ziaul-sculptures-aren-t-always-elements-of-shirk
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Pakistan Minister Deletes Tweet Containing Macron Nazi
Jibe
22 Nov 2020
Demonstrations against Macron’s comments on
caricatures of the Prophet in Lahore [File: Rahat Dar/EPA-EFE]
-----
A Pakistani minister has withdrawn comments she made
earlier that French President Emmanuel Macron was treating Muslims like Nazis
had treated Jews in World War Two.
France’s foreign minister had demanded Pakistan
authorities withdraw the comments posted on Twitter by Pakistan’s Federal
Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari on Saturday.
“Macron is doing to Muslims what the Nazis did to the
Jews – Muslim children will get ID numbers (other children won’t) just as Jews
were forced to wear the yellow star on their clothing for identification,”
Mazari had said in a tweet linking to an online article.
The article was however amended earlier on Sunday to
reflect the fact that the idea, if implemented, would be applied to all
children in France and not just to Muslim children.
In a follow-up tweet on Sunday, Mazari initially
doubled down on her claims following a condemnation by France’s foreign
ministry late on Saturday, which described them as “blatant lies, imbued with
an ideology of hatred and violence”.
Later on Sunday, however, Mazari tweeted: “The article
I had cited has been corrected by the relevant publication, I have also deleted
my tweet on the same.”
‘Hate-mongering’
The incident follows anger in Pakistan over the
republication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by satirical French
magazine Charlie Hebdo.
The images have sparked anger and protests in the
Muslim world, especially in Pakistan.
The Prophet is deeply revered by Muslims and any kind
of visual depiction of him is forbidden in Islam. The caricatures in question
are seen by Muslims as offensive and Islamophobic because they are perceived to
link Islam with “terrorism”.
Pakistan’s parliament at the end of October passed a
resolution urging the government to recall its envoy from Paris, accusing
Macron of “hate-mongering” against Muslims.
In early October, Macron made a speech in which he described
Islam as a religion “in crisis” globally and said he would work against
“Islamist separatism” in France.
Two weeks later, a French history teacher, Samuel
Paty, was beheaded outside his school by an 18-year-old man of Chechen origin
for showing the caricatures of the Prophet in a class on freedom of speech.
Macron paid tribute to Paty, refusing to condemn the
right to show the caricatures, vowing: “We will not give up cartoons,” and
defending France’s strict brand of secularism and its long tradition of satire.
French officials have said the beheading was an
assault on the core French value of freedom of expression. The attacks have
prompted tougher rhetoric from Macron against what he calls “Islamist
separatism”.
Meanwhile, thousands across the Muslim world have
protested against Macron and his government, angered by the French leader’s
comments on Islam and by renewed official support for the right to show the
caricatures.
Some Muslim countries have called for boycotts of
French products and a number of international media outlets – as well as allies
of France – have been critical of the actions by Macron and his government.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/22/france-demands-pakistan-rectifies-macron-nazi-comment
--------
Israel ratifies first ever visa-free agreement with
UAE
23 November 2020
Israel ratifies an unprecedented treaty signed with
the United Arab Emirates that enables people to travel visa-free from the
occupied territories to the Emirates and vice versa.
The Knesset, Israel’s parliament endorsed the treaty
on Sunday, The Times of Israel reported. It had been signed ceremoniously
outside Tel Aviv last month in the presence of Israeli prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, and a visiting Emirati
delegation.
The treaty makes the UAE the first-ever destination
which the Israelis could travel to without needing to apply for visas in
advance. There is no such agreement between the occupying regime and any
country in the world, not even Tel Aviv’s oldest and strongest ally, the United
States.
For its part, the UAE government reportedly ratified
the agreement on November 1.
The UAE and Bahrain signed US-mediated normalization
deals with Israel at the White House on September 15.
The development has been unanimously condemned by all
Palestinians and pro-Palestinian countries and officials around the world as a
sheer “betrayal” of the Palestinian cause of liberation from the Israeli
occupation and aggression.
Speaking before the vote, Netanyahu hailed “the great
change that we are bringing to our region in every field.”
“This is the first Arab country with which we have
signed such an agreement and this is a step that will facilitate reciprocal
tourism,” he noted.
Abu Dhabi has also “passed along” a message that it
wished to facilitate the reciprocal opening of embassies in Tel Aviv and Abu
Dhabi “as soon as possible,” the Israeli paper reported, citing Israel’s
foreign ministry.
Trying not to conceal his jubilation, Netanyahu
further mentioned a visit to the occupied territories by Bahraini Foreign
Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani last week. “This is an immense
change,” the Israeli premier said.
The Bahraini minister's visit featured signing of a
similar agreement for an “online visa application” arrangement between the two
sides.
The US has been advertising the normalization deals as
a foreign policy victory for outgoing President Donald Trump’s administration.
Various regional and international officials and
pundits, however, have warned against allowing the occupying regime to carve
out a foothold in the Persian Gulf. They say the highly sensitive region’s
affairs, especially its security matters, have to be handled by the littoral
states without the interference of outside parties.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/23/639177/Israel-UAE-visa-free-treaty-approval
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Patriot rubbishes DBKL liquor ban as infringement of
non-Muslim rights
22 Nov 2020
BY JERRY CHOONG
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — Veterans’ group Persatuan
Patriot Kebangsaan (Patriot) has condemned the recent decision by Kuala Lumpur
City Hall (DBKL) to ban the sale of liquor in sundry shops, grocery stores and
convenience stores, calling it “unnecessary and ridiculous”.
Its president Brigadier General Datuk Mohamed Arshad
Raji (Rtd) also took Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Ahmad Marzuk Shaary to
task, after the latter said yesterday that the Perikatan Nasional (PN)
government has not ruled out extending the ban to other states.
“The public could see through that it was a tactic of
testing for height all the way since last June when Federal Territories
Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa made the call to the government to stop issuing
liquor licenses,” he said in a statement.
Arshad urged Ahmad Shaary and his fellow leaders in
PAS to not make a mockery of their earlier promises that non-Muslims would not
be subjected to regulations pertaining to Islam and Islamic affairs, and that
they could consume non-halal food so long as their religion permits it.
“Otherwise public perception of their hypocrisy will
only worsen. If curbing of liquor sale is because of drink-driving, there are
better ways to tackle the problem.
“The approach must be an all-inclusive consultation
including the business community, not merely with a show-making select group,”
he said.
Arshad further argued that if matters of health are
the issue in question, the authorities should know there are many other food
and beverages that are worse for health compared to beer and mild liquor.
“It is not Patriot’s business to promote any alcoholic
drink. But upholding social justice and the value of righteousness, encouraging
fair business practices, and voicing up against bullying tactic; are within the
bounds of our business.
“Our Malaysian society had existed for generations. We
have been a multi-racial and a multi-religious nation living in tolerance,
understanding and mutual respect among the three major races,” he said.
The retired brigadier-general also said that
politicians must be reminded of the ramifications of their decision to curb
liquor sales and not issuing licenses.
“These include jobs, small businesses, transport,
restaurants, hotels, tourism, and our national income. Also, others might see
our leaders as Taliban-like.
“We would like to ask the pious Ahmad Shaary to tell
us which is more evil — drinking liquor or corruption. Which is more damaging
to our society and nation? Which evil attracts the Malay most?” he
questioned.
Similarly, Arshad also extended the question to
Annuar, asking both leaders to decide whether banning liquor or eradicating the
scourge of corruption among Malay-Muslims is more important.
DBKL’s decision, announced on Tuesday, is set to come
into force on October 1 next year. The ban also applies to traditional Chinese
medicine halls or herbalist stores, with an exemption on pure or mixed liquor
products which are used and sold for medicinal purposes.
Ahmad Shaary’s remarks also saw him defending DBKL’s
decision by citing the positive feedback from civil society, including Muslims
and non-Muslims, on implementing the ban.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/11/22/patriot-rubbishes-dbkl-liquor-ban-as-infringement-of-non-muslim-rights/1924975
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Al-Qaeda
names new North Africa leader, confirms death of Swiss abducted in Timbuktu
22
November 2020
Al-Qaeda’s
North Africa branch (AQMI) has chosen a new leader to replace Abdelmalek
Droukdel, who was killed in June by French forces, the SITE monitoring group
reported Saturday.
Algerian
Abu Obaida Yusuf al-Annabi, the head of al-Qaeda’s North Africa’s “Council of
Dignitaries,” was named as Droukdel’s successor, SITE said.
Al-Annabi
has been on the American “international terrorist” blacklist since September
2015, according to the Counter Extremism Project.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
He
has regularly appeared in the group’s propaganda videos, and in 2013 famously
demanded that Muslims retaliate against France’s intervention in Mali.
AQIM
also confirmed the death of Swiss national Beatrice Stoeckli, who was abducted
in Timbuktu while working as a missionary in 2016.
It
blamed her death on an attempt by “French crusaders” to free her.
Al-Qaeda
in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) emerged from a group started in the late 1990s by
radical Algerian Islamists, who in 2007 pledged allegiance to Osama Bin Laden’s
al-Qaeda network.
The
group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on troops and civilians
across the Sahel region, including a 2016 attack on an upmarket hotel and
restaurant in Burkina Faso that killed 30 people, mainly Westerners.
France
has more than 5,000 troops deployed in its anti-extremist Barkhane force in the
Sahel.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/11/22/Al-Qaeda-names-new-North-Africa-leader
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Centrist
Blinken to be Biden’s pick for US secretary of state
Joseph
Haboush
22
November 2020
The
top US diplomat in President-elect Joe Biden’s upcoming administration will be
his longtime confidante Antony Blinken, sources familiar with the decision said
late Sunday.
Blinken
was previously the deputy secretary of state under former President Barack
Obama as well as the deputy national security adviser.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Despite
Blinken being one of the frontrunners for secretary of state, it was reported
that he would be the national security adviser for Biden. One of the reasons
was that Biden “doesn’t want him out of his sight,” one adviser to Biden told
Al Arabiya English.
During
Biden’s time on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken was his aide
and played a central role in crafting US policy in the Middle East.
Blinken,
referred to as a centrist, admitted to getting Washington’s policy on Syria
wrong during his time under Obama and Biden.
Bloomberg
also reported Sunday that Jake Sullivan, formerly one of Hillary Clinton’s
closest aides, is likely to be named Biden’s national security adviser,
according to two people familiar with the matter.
An
announcement is expected Tuesday, the people said.
Biden’s
pick of the 58-year-old Blinken could allay fears of Republicans in the Senate,
where cabinet picks must be confirmed.
Susan
Rice and Chris Coons are two other choices in the mix to become secretary of
state.
However,
Rice would likely have a difficult time being confirmed by the Senate for her
previous actions, including statements she made after the deadly 2012 attacks
on Americans in Benghazi, Libya.
A
graduate of Harvard University and Columbia Law School and a longtime
Democratic foreign policy presence, Blinken has aligned himself with numerous
former senior national security officials who have called for a major
reinvestment in American diplomacy and renewed emphasis on global engagement.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/23/Centrist-Blinken-to-be-Biden-s-pick-for-US-secretary-of-state
--------
India
Love
Jihad Law Violates Articles 14 And 21: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi
Nov
23, 2020
Hyderabad:
Reacting to the draft ‘Love Jihad law’, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday
said the proposed law is in gross violation of Articles 14 & 21. “I would
say spread love, spread only love. How much more hatred will you spread, end
the hatred Modiji (dilo ko jodne ka kaam kigiye),” said the Hyderabad MP.
“Will
you end Special Marriage Act, too. Choice is now a fundamental right in
Constitution. BJP diverting the attention of the youth, who are victims of
unemployment,” he said.
Speaking
about cow cabinet meet in Madhya Pradesh, Owaisi said, “When will the people
who have been rendered jobless start earning, and will the government
accommodate those who have lost jobs in that cabinet?”
He
asked whether BJP will agree with Savarkar’s and Golwalkar’s definition of
Hindutva.
“If
de-radicalization happens, who will be the targets? Will it be the ones who go
to shops and ask vendors to stop selling crackers? UAPA is a draconian law,
which is used to imprison innocent Muslims, Dalits and dissenters,” he said.
“What
did the central government give to Telangana and Hyderabad. Floods hit the
city, houses were inundated but what financial aid did Modi government give?
They are trying to give a communal colour as they failed to provide aid,” he
said. Owaisi also said that there is no alliance between TRS and AIMIM.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/love-jihad-law-violates-articles-14-21-asad/articleshow/79358967.cms
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Mumbai
Police rebuts BJP leader's claims linking missing persons cases from Govandi to
'love jihad'
Pankaj
Upadhyay
November
23, 2020
BJP
leader Kirit Somaiya on Sunday raised the issue of missing girls from the
suburban area of Govandi in Mumbai, questioning if 'love jihad' was behind the
disappearances. Somaiya alleged that in the past few months, at least 21 girls
have gone missing from Govandi.
"From
Mumbai's Govandi Police Station area 21 young girls aged between 15 years 17
years 20 years have gone missing in the last few months. Someone picked them
from the area....I talked to the police station officials and no one is
serious. Is it a part of Love Jihad? Will Thackeray government investigate the
matter?" Kirit Somaiya said in a tweet.
Kirit
Somaiya also took to Twitter on the issue and put out the list of the missing
persons.
"It's
shocking 21 young girls 'GAYAB' Missing in last few months, from GOVANDI Police
Station Area Mumbai!!?? Why? Who took them away? Who cheated them? We demand
high-level inquiry," he tweeted, tagging former Maharashtra chief minister
and current Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly,
Devendra Fadnavis.
Referring
to the matter, Mumbai Police told India Today that a probe is underway in this
matter. Officials of the Mumbai Police further provided details on the missing
persons cases from Govandi and said that a majority of the victims have been
found.
In
a statement, the Mumbai Police said, "There are total of 23 cases of
missing women in Govandi police station this year. This includes 15 majors and
eight minors. All eight minors have been found. Out of the 15 majors, 11 have
been found, four have not been found. Therefore, out of the total 23 cases, 19
have been found, 4 have not been found and investigation is going on in these
cases."
Responding
to the Mumbai Police's rebuttal, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said he will be
visiting the Govandi police station on November 23 to get more details on the
cases.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mumbai-police-rebuts-bjp-leader-s-claims-linking-missing-persons-cases-from-govandi-to-love-jihad-1743131-2020-11-23
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‘Karachi
will be a part of India one day’: Fadnavis on Bandra sweet shop row
Nov
23, 2020
Edited
by Prashasti Singh
Former
Maharashtra chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra
Fadnavis on Sunday said that his party believes in ‘akhand bharat’ and that
Karachi will be a part of India one day.
He
was responding to a question over the incident where a Shiv Sena leader
allegedly asked Karachi Sweets shop owner in Bandra West to remove the word
‘Karachi’ from the names of their shop.
“We
believe in ‘Akhand Bharat’. We also believe that Karachi will be a part of
India one day,” Fadnavis said.
A
video of Shiv Sena leader Nitin Madhukar Nandgaonkar asking Karachi Sweets shop
owner to change the shop’s name recently went viral. “You have to do it, we’re
giving you time. Change ‘Karachi’ to something in Marathi,” says Nitin
Nandgaokar in the video, according to ANI.
After
Nitin Nandgaokar’s visit, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut called the demand futile and
clarified that changing the shop’s name is not the party’s official stance.
“Karachi
bakery and karachi sweets have been in mumbai since last 60 years. They have
nothing to do with Pakistan. It makes no sense to ask for changing their names
now.Demand for changing their name is not shivsena’s official stance,” he
tweeted.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/karachi-will-be-a-part-of-india-one-day-devendra-fadnavis-reacts-to-bandra-sweet-shop-row/story-pS1gdKQaaMctsV8iHXjTUK.html
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BJP says ‘love jihad’
serious problem, states should act
Posted
by Arpan Rai
Nov
22, 2020
The
BJP on Sunday termed ‘love jihad’ a “serious problem” and backed the decision
of its state governments to enact laws against it.
BJP-ruled
states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have expressed their intention to bring a
law against ‘love jihad’, a term coined by Hindutva groups for Hindu girls
being allegedly forced to convert to Islam in the guise of marriage.
Opposition
parties have dismissed this as an attempt by the BJP to divide the society and
said any such law will be violative of the Constitution.
“Love
jihad is a serious problem. Many mothers and sisters have suffered its bad
consequences. This is a state matter and state governments should enact law
against it,” BJP general secretary Arun Singh told reporters at a press
conference.
Some
state governments are working in this regard and will continue to do so, he
added.
About
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s attack on the saffron party over
the issue and his reference to interfaith marriages of some BJP leaders, Singh
said Baghel should first answer whether his government has fulfilled the
promises like waiving farm loans and starting unemployment allowance the
Congress had made during the Assembly polls in 2018.
His
government has become synonymous with corruption and malgovernance, the BJP
general secretary said.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-says-love-jihad-serious-problem-states-should-act/story-lve8y9Hz3lla2yXbc9PhzI.html
--------
Tunnel
Of Terror A 150-Metre-Long Cross-Border Underground Tunnel Lined With Sandbags
Bearing Karachi Markings
Nov
22, 2020
JAMMU/NEW
DELHI: A two-day search for the infiltration route of the four Jaish-e-Mohammed
terrorists killed in a gunfight with security forces on the Jammu-Srinagar
highway last Thursday has culminated in the discovery of a 150-metre-long
cross-border underground tunnel lined with sandbags bearing "Karachi
markings".
The
freshly dug tunnel, which starts around 70 metres from the Line of Control
(LoC) and is 1.5m wide, lends credence to intelligence reports that Pakistan
has been using the underground route to push terrorists into Kashmir.
DGP
Dilbag Singh, who had revealed in September that security forces were looking
for "Pakistani underground routes along the infiltration grid", on
Sunday told reporters in Samba that the tunnel unearthed by BSF was possibly
one of several used by terrorists to enter the region.
Pre-fed
GPS locations on a communication device found on one of the slain terrorists
helped security forces pinpoint the coordinates of the tunnel, sources said.
The
tunnel originates on the side of the Chak Bhura, Rajab Sahid and Asif Sahid
border outposts across the LoC and exits towards the Regal border outpost on
the Indian side. The terrorists entered the tunnel through the Chak Bhura end
around 8.15pm on November 18, according to the timings found on the GPS device.
The
travel time from one end to another was just about 10 minutes, an intelligence
official said.
The
MPS2505 device carried by the terrorists has multiple options to trace their
coordinates, including periodic location intervals. The coordinates had to be
decrypted.
"We
found more than a dozen locations fed into the device. We have now also traced
the route the terrorists took on foot to reach the highway, where they boarded
a truck arranged by contacts in Samba. They had travelled 5-6 hours on
foot," a source in J&K police said.
DGP
Singh pointed out that the tunnel had been bored and bolstered for reuse.
"This proves our suspicion that Pakistan is bent on disrupting
peace," he said, reiterating PM Narendra Modi's statement last Friday that
Pakistan-based outfit Jaish had started sending terrorists specifically to
target the first District Development Council polls in J&K.
The
four Jaish terrorists killed in the Nagrota encounter were travelling in a
truck loaded with 11 AK-47 rifles, three pistols, 29 grenades (excluding those
hurled at the security personnel), some RDX, SOS medicines and an unspecified
number of communication devices.
DGP
Singh, BSF inspector general (Jammu) N S Jamwal and IGP (Jammu) Mukesh Singh
jointly surveyed the infiltration spot after the tunnel was discovered on
Sunday.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/tunnel-of-terror-unearthed-in-jammu/articleshow/79357116.cms
--------
South Asia
'Bangladesh
must drop Rohingya island relocation plan'
Md.
Kamruzzaman
22.11.2020
DHAKA,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
must abandon its plans to relocate Rohingya refugees to a remote island in the
Bay of Bengal, a top global rights group has said.
The
island of Bhashan Char has not yet been declared safe for human habitation by
the UN and many of the Rohingya refugees are still reluctant to relocate,
Amnesty International said in a statement on Friday.
It
accused Bangladeshi authorities of pressuring the Rohingya community, currently
confined to crammed camps in the southern district of Cox’s Bazar, to consent
to being shifted to the disaster-prone island.
Citing
media reports, the group said Bangladesh is aiming to relocate 300 to 400
Rohingya refugees to the island in November.
“Rohingya
refugees, interviewed by Amnesty International this month, said that government
officials in charge of refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar have coerced them into
registering for relocation,” the statement said.
Omar
Waraich, South Asia head at Amnesty International, stressed that the island has
yet to be “deemed safe for human habitation” and there are still “serious
questions over this relocation procedure”.
“Based
on the experiences of those that Amnesty International has spoken to, many of
the Rohingya who have signed up to relocate to Bhashan Char are doing so out of
compulsion rather than choice,” he said.
“Any
decisions relating to the relocation of refugees must be transparent and
involve the full participation of the Rohingya people. In the meantime, plans
for any further relocations must be abandoned.”
He
called on Bangladeshi authorities to allow the UN to carry out an assessment of
Bhashan Char and “immediately return the hundreds of Rohingya refugees
currently on the island to their families in Cox’s Bazar.”
‘Rohingya
willing to relocate’
The
Bangladesh government, meanwhile, is insisting that the Rohingya refugees are
willing to shift to the island.
The
country’s foreign minister has put forward this claim on several recent
occasions, saying last week that a decision has been taken to relocate around
100,000 Rohingya to Bhasan Char from Cox’s Bazar.
“Most
of them [Rohingya] have agreed to go there [Bhashan Char]. The relocation
process is being delayed only because of pressure from international agencies
and NGOs,” AK Abdul Momen was quoted as saying by state-run Bangladesh Sangbad
Sangstha news agency.
He
said the refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar were overcrowded and disaster-prone,
claiming that the remote island offers the Rohingya community a shot at a
better life.
“Bhasan
Char is a beautiful place; I wish to build a resort there. The Rohingya can
work and earn on the island too, be it agriculture or rearing livestock,” the
minister said.
‘World’s
most persecuted people’
The
Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced
heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in
2012.
According
to Amnesty International, more than 750,000 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and
children, fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces
launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community in August 2017, pushing
the number of persecuted people in Bangladesh above 1.2 million.
Some
600,000 Rohingya remaining in Myanmar’s Rakhine State were still the target of
a government campaign to eradicate their identity, and were living under
“threat of genocide”, according to a UN-mandated Fact-Finding Mission’s report
last September as quoted by Human Rights Watch.
Since
Aug. 25, 2017, nearly 24,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed by Myanmar’s
state forces, according to a report by the Ontario International Development
Agency (OIDA).
More
than 34,000 Rohingya were thrown into fires, over 114,000 more beaten, and as
many as 18,000 Rohingya women and girls were raped by Myanmar's army and
police, said the OIDA report, titled Forced Migration of Rohingya: The Untold
Experience.
Over
115,000 Rohingya homes were burned down and some 113,000 others vandalized, it
added.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/bangladesh-must-drop-rohingya-island-relocation-plan/2051845
--------
360
ANA Pledge to Fight Terrorists till ‘Last Breath’
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
23
Nov 2020
BALKH,
Afghanistan – At least 360 Afghan National Army (ANA) took oath of allegiance
to fight terrorists “till their last breath”, said the Ministry of Defense
Monday morning, deploying them in north battle against the known Taliban
insurgents.
According
to the authorities, these soldiers will be deployed in Northern provinces,
including Balkh and Takhar, where security threats are at its peak.
“360
ANA soldiers took oath of allegiance in Balkh Prov. Yesterday,” said MoD in a
tweet. “These soldiers will be deployed to northern Prov and in order to defend
lives and properties of Afghans.”
“They
pledged to fight terrorists until their last breaths and will not allow them to
harass our compatriots,” the tweet added.
This
came amid a widespread concern over a rising insecurity that has targeted
locals and civilians in northern provinces – mainly Balkh and Takhar, where
reportedly several districts are under severe influences of the Taliban.
https://www.khaama.com/360-ana-pledge-to-fight-terrorist-till-last-breath-34534/
--------
Taliban
Commander Killed in Herat: MoD
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
22
Nov 2020
HERAT,
Afghanistan – At least eight Taliban insurgents, including one of their
commanders, were killed during a battle with Afghan National Defense and
Security Forces (ANDSF) in Herat province Saturday night, said the Ministry of
Defense in a statement Sunday.
Officials
did not provide further details on a possible casualties the Afghan forces may
have suffered but said further 14 Taliban were wounded during clashes.
“8
Taliban including one of their commanders were killed and 14 others were
wounded after they attacked #ANDSF positions in Shindand district of Herat
province, last night,” said the MoD in a tweet.
_________
[EARLIER:
‘13 Taliban Killed in Kandahar Battle’]
KANDAHAR,
Afghanistan – At least eight Taliban insurgents were killed during a battle
with Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in southern province
of Kandahar, said the Ministry of Defense in a statement Sunday.
According
to the statement, the Taliban were “preparing to attack ANDSF” at their
locations in Panjwae and Aherai districts before being haunted by the Afghan
Air Force.
“8
Taliban were killed in Panjwae and Zherai districts of Kandahar last night,”
said the MoD in a tweet. “They were preparing to attack #ANDSF positions when
they were targeted by AAF.”
Meanwhile,
at least five further Taliban were killed in Shawali Kot district of the
province, according to the ministry.
Officials
did not provide further details on possible casualties Afghan forces may have
suffered or further injuring the terrorist group bored, but said their attack
was foiled before the Taliban succeed in their “heinous” attack.
“5
Taliban were killed in Shahwali-Kot district of Kandahar province yesterday,”
MoD added. “They were preparing to attack #ANDSF positions when they were
targeted by #ANA.”
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-commander-killed-in-herat-mod-345345/
--------
Khalilzad
Hails Pak-Afghan Vision on Regional Stability
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
23
Nov 2020
KABUL,
Afghanistan – United States Special Representative for Afghanistan
Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad hailed the shared vision by Pakistan and
Afghanistan on bilateral relations and regional stability.
On
Friday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani urged Pakistan to “overcome distrust that
has haunted” bilateral relationship, as both leaders met at Presidential Palace
for the first time in their positions.
“We
welcome and are encouraged by the positive development in Pakistan-Afghanistan
relations,” said Khalilzad in a tweet Monday. “If implemented, it provides an
opportunity to move forward on peace and development in the region.”
Addressing
PM Khan’s visit to Kabul, Khalilzad said the move “represents a concrete step
forward”, strengthening relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid
struggle for peace and stability in the region.
“We
congratulate both countries on emphasis Joint Vision places on: 1) preventing
either’s territory to be used against the other, 2) inclusive governance, 3)
stronger people/govt/security ties, 4) more integrated econ connectivity, trade
& dvp-linking CentralAsia, Pak & Afg,” he added.
During
an official trip to Kabul, PM Khan said the objective of his visit amidst
escalation of violence in the country is to assure that people and government
of Pakistan want peace in Afghanistan.
“My
idea of choosing this time to come was to assure you that Pakistan will do
everything, whatever is possible to help to reduce this violence and move
toward ceasefire,” he said.
https://www.khaama.com/khalilzad-hails-pak-afghan-vision-on-regional-stability-345345/
--------
Afghanistan
donor conference to set aid cuts, conditions amid war, pandemic
22
November 2020
Afghanistan
faces funding cuts and tighter restrictions on vital aid from an international
donor conference this week, marking further challenges for a nation torn by two
decades of war and now ravaged by COVID-19.
Ministers
from about 70 countries and officials of humanitarian organizations, at the
virtual conference hosted in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday, are expected to
pledge billions of dollars to safeguard development projects, with talks
between the Afghan government and the Taliban stalled and President Trump
sharply reducing US forces in the country.
Although
the fragile economy depends heavily on foreign aid, Kabul will see cuts in
donations, and donors will introduce stringent political and human rights
conditions on the money, five participants told Reuters.
For
all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Afghanistan’s
economy is set to contract by at least 5.5 percent his year because of COVID-19
impacts, stated the World Bank in a recent report.
The
strategy aims to protect the peace talks and prod the Afghan government to
improve allocation, they said.
Donors
at the last conference, in Brussels in 2016, pledged $15.2 billion for 2017 to
2020, or $3.8 billion a year.
That
could be cut by 15 percent to 20 percent, said a senior Western diplomat
participating in the conference. “This is the best countries can offer amid the
domestic challenge of managing a pandemic.”
Trump
will cut US forces in Afghanistan to 2,500 from 4,500 by mid-January, the
Pentagon said last week, seeking to wind down America’s longest war. The
drawdown of foreign forces - Britain plans to follow the US lead - could mean
greater influence for the Taliban.
This
makes donors uneasy over whether the hardline Islamists will try to roll back
progress on human rights and girls’ education.
The
peace talks in the Qatari capital Doha have stalled and the Taliban refuses to
call a ceasefire. Its attacks have sometimes prompted US airstrikes to protect
urban areas.
But
senior diplomats told Reuters that a breakthrough was expected in the peace
talks after the donor conference.
“Taliban
and Afghan government representatives will take a break from the peace talks
after the Geneva conference but not before they have joint declaration of
agreement over key security issues,” said a senior Western official.
At
the Geneva meeting, the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will
present a peace and development framework meant to allocate funds to key
projects, safeguard millions of jobs and protect democratic institutions.
“The
conference will remain focused on making Afghanistan self-reliant by the end of
its transformation decade which is 2024,” Naser Sidiqee, a senior official of
the Afghan finance ministry, said in Geneva last week.
The
Taliban is not invited to the conference but the militants have urged donors to
continue their humanitarian assistance while accusing Ghani’s government of
pocketing the aid money.
“We
request the international community and organizations to deliver aid, collected
in the name of the people, to the people,” the Islamist group said in a
statement.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/22/Afghanistan-donor-conference-to-set-aid-cuts-conditions-amid-war-pandemic
--------
Findings
of Afghan war crimes terribly disturbing: Australi’s Morrison
21
November 2020
Australian
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the findings of a military report that
confirmed Australian forces murdered dozens of civilians or prisoners in
Afghanistan are “disturbing and distressing.”
The
findings of an investigation published on Thursday confirmed that Australian soldiers
“unlawfully” killed at least 39 civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan between
2005 and 2016. The report found that senior commandos forced junior soldiers to
kill defenseless captives in order to “blood” the troops for combat.
The
report recommended referring 19 current and former soldiers for potential
prosecution.
“This
is a terrible, terribly disturbing and distressing report,” Morrison said on
Saturday. “But the thing about Australia is — is we will deal with it. And we
will deal with it under our law, under our systems, and our justice system.”
The
investigation came after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported
in July about an alleged cover-up of the killing of an Afghan boy in Kandahar
Province in 2012.
The
office of the Inspector-General of the Australian Defense Force (IGADF) also
described the report as “possibly the most disgraceful episode in Australia’s
military history.”
“We
know that it happened in 2012,” it said. “The commanders at troop, squadron,
and task group level bear moral command responsibility for what happened under
their command, regardless of personal fault.”
Australia,
which is not a member of NATO, has had an active role in Afghanistan since the
US-led invasion of the country in 2001.
In
May, it sent an additional 30 troops to Afghanistan to join the NATO-led
mission against the Taliban and other militant groups, bringing its total
Afghan deployment to 300 troops.
The
US-led invasion removed the Taliban militant group from power but has failed to
stop its militant activities in the country. The ongoing chaos has also paved
the way for the Daesh terror group to gain a foothold in Afghanistan’s east.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/21/639070/Findings-of-Afghan-war-crimes-terribly-disturbing-Australi-Morrison-
--------
Pakistan
Imran
warns of total lockdown if rallies continue
Syed
Irfan Raza
23
Nov 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday said the government would be compelled to
enforce complete lockdown if the opposition did not desist from holding public
gatherings at a time when the country was reeling under the impact of Covid-19.
During
the last 24 hours, the highest number of positive cases was reported with 2,665
people getting infected and 59 losing their lives.
Taking
to Twitter, Prime Minister Khan said the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic
Movement (PDM) would be responsible for the consequences if it continued with
public gatherings despite a surge in Covid-19 cases. “In (Pakistan), the PDM by
continuing with Jalsas (public gatherings) is deliberately endangering lives
and livelihoods (because) if cases continue to rise at the rate we are seeing,
we will be compelled to go into complete lockdown & PDM will be responsible
for consequences,” Mr Khan said in his tweet.
He
said the data was quite alarming as there was a 200 per cent increase in the
number of patients on ventilators in Peshawar and Multan during the last 15
days. It was 148 per cent in Karachi, 114pc in Lahore and 65pc in Islamabad.
Seventy
per cent ventilators were in use in Multan and Islamabad, he added.
The
prime minister said the world was facing a second wave of the virus with many
countries going for complete lockdown. “I do not want to take measures like a
lockdown that will start hurting our economy which at the moment is showing
signs of a robust recovery,” he tweeted.
About
PDM’s public meetings, Mr Khan said the opposition was callously destroying
people’s lives and livelihoods in their desperation to get relief in cases
against their leaders.
“Let
me make it clear: they can hold a million Jalsas but will not get any National
Reconciliation Ordinance-like concession,” he said, adding that unfortunately
the opposition’s only goal was to get an NRO at the cost of people’s lives and
the country’s economy.
Peshawar
rejected PDM:
Minister
for Information Senator Shibli Faraz on Sunday said by putting lives at risk
when the country was seeing a spike in cases was ‘political cruelty’ and
‘oppression’.
Senator
Faraz said people of Peshawar had rejected PDM’s public meeting by not
attending it.
In
a tweet, the minister said: “Mentality of selfish political coterie was exposed
as it was playing with lives of innocent people and workers for minor political
advantage. The criminals who maligned the national institutions and destroyed
the national economy now went after lives and employment of people.”
Due
to their [opposition] irresponsible behaviour, people’s livelihoods were
getting affected, he said. “People would hold them accountable for ‘coronavirus
of corruption’ as staging public meetings despite the court orders was
violation of law,” he added.
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said people of the province had once
again proved that they stood with PM Khan, accusing the PDM leadership of
disregarding public safety for political gain.
The
CM said Peshawar was and would remain a stronghold of the ruling Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf.
Also,
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Sarwar said the opposition should refrain from playing
with the lives of the people by holding rallies. “The government is not holding
rallies and large gatherings because of the pandemic,” he added.
He
regretted that it had become a norm for the opposition to give priority to
political and personal interests.
Special
Assistant to CM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan said coronavirus was a
reality and the entire world was taking precautions. She said the opposition
was doing politics only for face saving despite the fact that the second wave
was more lethal.
“Your
life is more important than politics. If life lasts, so will politics,” she
said, adding that it was not possible to enforce SOPs in public gatherings.
“If
people’s lives are at stake, the government will take strict legal action,” she
added.
NCOC
data
According
to the National Command and Operation Centre, 2,665 new cases and 59 deaths
were reported from across the country during the past 24 hours.
With
the addition of new cases, the tally of confirmed cases surged to 374,173. At
present, 1,653 Covid-19 patients were in critical condition, while so far
329,828 have fully recovered.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591891/imran-warns-of-total-lockdown-if-rallies-continue
--------
‘Puppet
rule’ must come to an end, says PDM
Zulfiqar
Ali
23
Nov 2020
PESHAWAR:
In a renewed attack on the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government,
the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders on Sunday sought an end to the
‘puppet rule’, warning that actions and policies of the government based on a
‘stolen mandate’ were akin to hollowing out the country.
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa’s capital witnessed a massive turnout of general public and
political activists at the opposition’s rally that the government had been
warning could cause the disease to further spread as the city registered its
highest Covid-19 positivity rate at 18 per cent. Marchers belonging to nearly a
dozen political parties poured into the rally venue of Ring Road on Sunday
morning despite the security warning from the KP government that quoted fresh
intelligence reports as saying the “rally is prone to possible acts of
terrorism”.
The
provincial government had suspended the BRT service for the day as crowds from
all over the province poured into Peshawar.
Amid
much pomp and show, the occasion evidenced a rare bonhomie among political
parties of diverse hues — religious, nationalists and federalists — much like
those in Gujranwala, Karachi and Quetta before it. However, what set it apart
was the show of strength from the Awami National Party (ANP) that along with
the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl jointly hosted the event.
Among
those who spoke at the rally were the PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan
Peoples Party chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Balochistan National
Party-Mengal leader Akhtar Mengal, National Party’s Dr Abdul Malik Baloch,
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Qaumi Watan Party
chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, ANP senior vice president Ameer Haider Khan
Hoti and Prof Sajid Mir of Jamiat Ahle Hadith.
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz vice president Maryam Nawaz, even though present on the
occasion, could not make her speech after receiving news of the demise of her
grandmother in London. She came to the dais to make this brief announcement: “I
cannot speak to you because my grandmother has died.”
In
his address, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said it was time for the
‘selected government’ of Imran Khan to go. “We will hold accountable the puppet
government and their selectors as well,” he said, adding that corruption could
not be rooted out until the law of the land applied equally to “judges,
generals and politicians” of Pakistan.
Criticising
the NAB’s witch-hunt of politicians in the opposition, the PPP chairperson said
the government’s anti-corruption body had ignored the ruling PTI’s glaring
corruption in the case of BRT, the Malam Jabba lease scandal, foreign funding
case, assets earned through a sewing machine, and foreign properties and
business empire of PM’s special assistant.
Terming
Mr Khan a supporter and facilitator of militants, the PPP chairperson said the
‘puppet’ had issued NRO (relief) to the killers of the Army Public School (APS)
students and thousands of Pakhtuns who had laid down their lives through the
years of militancy for the sake of Pakistan. “The brave people of KP have
offered the most sacrifices in the war against terrorism,” he said.
“This
is due to democracy that the Pakistani flag is hoisted in Swat and Waziristan.
The blood of the people of KP was spilled by the terrorists but the coward
Imran Khan did not speak a word against terrorists.”
He
said that despite massive rigging in the recent Gilgit-Baltistan elections,
constituent parties of the PDM received the most number of votes, indicating
the defeat of the PTI. “Citizens would decide the fate of this country, not
those in Pindi or in Aabpara,” he said, adding that the people of GB were ready
to participate in PDM’s long march. “Today the most popular slogan in GB is
Vote par daka, na manzoor,” he remarked.
Addressing
the rally, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman declared Mr Khan Pakistan’s Mikhail
Gorbachev, saying that his actions and policies would hollow out Pakistan,
making it vulnerable to disintegration.
“The
government policies are aimed at changing the geography of border regions like
the former Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said, “without the people’s mandate
and without taking the inhabitants of these places into confidence.”
“PDM
has declared war against the puppet rulers in Islamabad,” said the Maulana. “We
will not afford them the escape route of an NRO. We know who overtly stole the
people’s mandate in the 2018 elections. We also know who did it covertly.”
The
Maulana said that the ‘puppet’ rulers had lost their credibility in the country
as well as abroad. “He (Imran) was speaking against forced disappearances
before coming into power, but now fundamental rights are being violated in his
government,” he said.
He
said the PDM respected the “constitutional role” of the army in securing the
border of Pakistan, but “if the military dabbles in politics, it will have to
face criticism”. He asked the security establishment to withdraw its support
for the “illegitimate” government of PTI and “publicly disown” it.
ANP’s
Amir Haider Hoti demanded electoral reforms and free and fair elections,
without the army’s interference. He said the PDM believed in the supremacy of
constitution and would continue its struggle for this cause.
Earlier,
Attaullah Mengal of Balochistan National Party who was the first speaker at the
rally, said the struggle for “real democracy in the country would continue, one
which protected the rights and dignity of citizens”. He said Pakhtuns had
suffered at the hands of the state for the last 40 years, while the Baloch had
been oppressed for the last seven decades. “The security establishment is
responsible for the current state of affairs in Pakistan, not politicians or
the political parties,” he added.
Earlier
in the wake of intelligence reports about “possible acts of terrorism” during
the opposition rally, the government had suspended the BRT service and put in
place a security plan. Spokesperson for the KP government Kamran Bangash said
police and other law enforcement agencies were fully alert to such a
possibility. However, he added, “Police have chalked out a security plan and we
hope that no untoward incident will happen.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591893/puppet-rule-must-come-to-an-end-says-pdm
--------
Four
‘militants’ killed in North Waziristan
23
Nov 2020
MIRAMSHAH:
Four suspected militants were killed and a soldier was martyred in an operation
in North Waziristan following an attack by militants on a security check-post.
According
to official sources, the incident occurred in the T.T. Madakhel area of Speen
Wam tehsil in Mir Ali division.
The
soldier Sadam, son of Abid Rehman, was a resident of Karak district of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
Security
forces have taken bodies of militants into custody. The operation against the
militants was still on under way till the filing of this report.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591898/four-militants-killed-in-north-waziristan
--------
Mideast
Israel
Gaza attacks 'desperate attempt' to change equation in favour of occupier:
Hamas
22
November 2020
The
Palestinian Resistance Movement, Hamas, says recent Israeli airstrikes and
artillery attacks against various positions across the besieged Gaza Strip are
a foolish and desperate attempt to “change the equation” in favor of the
occupying regime.
Hamas
spokesman Hazem Qasem during a press briefing on Sunday said that continuous
“Zionist campaign of terror” against the Palestinian people was a stupid effort
to claim victory.
“The
Zionist bombing of the Gaza Strip at dawn Sunday and terrorizing the peaceful
population reflect the non-stop Zionist aggression on our Palestinian people.”
Emphasizing
that the Zionist regime's campaign of terror against the Palestinian people
"is a stupid attempt to claim victory," the Hamas official added,
“This will not happen because our people will continue their struggle until
they recover their full rights.”
An
observation post belonging to the Gaza-based resistance movement of Hamas,
located in Beit Hanoun’s An-Nayema street, was targeted by Israeli warplanes
early on Sunday.
Local
sources said that "Israeli warplanes launched several airstrikes targeting
at least five military and observation posts belonging to the Ezzedine
al-Qassam Brigades.
The
Israeli military claims the fresh airstrikes came in response to a rocket
allegedly fired from Gaza, hitting an Israeli factory and causing warning
sirens to sound in Ashkelan. The rocket is said to have caused material
damages.
Last
Sunday, the Israeli military attacked the Gaza Strip after rockets from the Tel
Aviv-blockaded Palestinian territory targeted the “central” and “southern”
parts of the occupied territories.
The
chain of incidents came as the Israeli military has been put on high alert
following the first anniversary of the regime’s assassination of Baha Abu
al-Ata, a senior commander of the Islamic Jihad movement, another
Gaza-headquartered resistance group.
The
42-year-old and his wife were killed in an Israeli aerial assault on his Gaza
home on November 12 last year.
The
atrocity was followed by a barrage of retaliatory rocket fire from the besieged
coastal sliver.
Back
then, the Islamic Jihad released a statement, pledging to continue in the
footsteps of its assassinated commander to “complete the process of liberation
of the entire beloved Palestine.”
“Our
response will inevitably shock the Zionist entity,” the group warned.
The
latest Israeli attacks also come as coronavirus continues to threaten the socioeconomic
welfare of Palestinians living in Gaza as much as their health. The
Palestinians there are bracing themselves for the worst as coronavirus
infections continue to increase at a fast pace amid the crippling Israeli
blockade.
Gaza
has been under Israel’s land, air and sea blockade since 2006, which the
international community consistently demands Israel to end.
Israel
has committed eight large-scale military operations against Gaza, thousands of
smaller bombardments and three large-scale wars in which thousands of
Palestinian civilians have been killed, tens of thousands badly wounded and
hundreds of thousands displaced.
Gaza’s
vital infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, power plants, generators,
sewage facilities, water storage units, government buildings, media buildings
and more have been bombarded.
In
December last year, Hamas praised an announcement by the International Criminal
Court (ICC) to launch an investigation into war crimes committed by the Israeli
regime in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In
a statement, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the court will launch a full
investigation into war crimes in the Palestinian territories, expressing her
satisfaction that there is a “reasonable basis" to probe into the
situation in Palestine.
The US, a staunch ally of Israel, also claimed
that the "unjustified inquiry" will "unfairly" target Tel
Aviv.
Israel
and the US have both refused to sign up to the ICC, which was set up in 2002 to
be the only global tribunal trying the world's worst crimes, war crimes and
crimes against humanity.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/22/639133/Israel-Gaza-Hamas-Beit-Hanoun-ICC
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Turkey
part of Europe, but won't bow down to pressure, double standards: Erdogan
22
November 2020
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the European Union (EU) of double
standards against Turkey, saying his country will not bow down to pressures in
order to gain full membership of the bloc.
Erdogan
made the remarks during a speech to members of his ruling AK Party on Sunday,
after the EU threatened Ankara with sanctions over its energy exploration in
the disputed waters of the eastern Mediterranean, which have been the subject
of a territorial row between Turkey and Greece.
"We
see ourselves as an inseparable part of Europe...However this does not mean
that we will bow down to overt attacks to our country and nation, veiled
injustices and double standards," he said.
Turkey
and Greece, both NATO members, have been embroiled in a long-running
territorial dispute in the eastern Mediterranean over the region’s rich
resources.
In
August, Turkey dispatched a seismic research vessel and warships escorting it
to prospect for energy resources in an area in the sea that is disputed with
Greece, infuriating Athens.
But
in mid-September, Turkey ended the mission of those vessels and ordered them
back to shore for maintenance work. Ankara said the move was also meant to give
diplomacy with Greece a chance.
The
European Union (EU), which fully backs Greece, has threatened Turkey with
sanctions if Ankara continues with its exploration in the disputed waters.
Ties
between Turkey and EU took a turn for the worse last month after Brussels
threatened Ankara with further sanctions if it continued oil and gas drilling
in the disputed areas of the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
It
also accused Erdogan’s government of ruining the country’s chances to join the
EU.
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that the EU will discuss Turkey's
pursuit of natural gas exploration in contested waters in the eastern
Mediterranean at their next summit in December.
"We
do not believe that we have any problems with countries or institutions that
cannot be solved through politics, dialogue and negotiations," Erdogan
said via video-link.
He
also said the EU should keep its promises regarding the migrants issue and
making Turkey a full member of the bloc.
Erdogan
was referring to a 2016 refuge deal under which Ankara stemmed the flow of
refugees and asylum seekers to Europe in exchange of financial aid, the
acceleration of visa liberalization talks and progress in its EU membership
negotiations.
Turkey
began negotiations to join the bloc in 2005, but the bid has long been stalled
amid disagreements over several issues, including Cyprus.
The
island has been divided into a Turkish Cypriot-controlled north and a Greek
Cypriot-controlled south since a brief war in 1974, which saw Turkey intervene
militarily in response to a military coup on the island that was backed by
Athens.
Greek
Cypriots run the island’s internationally-recognized government, while Turkish
Cypriots have a breakaway state in the north — only recognized by Turkey.
EU
foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said earlier this month that Turkey's
rhetoric on Cyprus was aggravating tensions with the EU, adding that Ankara had
to understand that its behavior was "widening its separation" from
the bloc.
Turkey
has also been angered by a European Commission annual report that accused
Erdogan’s government of undermining Turkey’s economy, eroding its democracy,
and destroying independent courts.
The
October report said that Turkey’s human rights record had pushed Ankara further
away from membership in the EU than ever.
It
also accused the Erdogan government of exposing Turkey to “rapid changes in
investors’ sentiment.”
Ankara
dismissed the report as “biased, [and] far from constructive,” saying that the
country “is acting within the framework of universal norms, in line with
fundamental rights, democracy, and the principle of rule of law.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/22/639139/Turkey-EU-Erdogan-membership-sanctions-threat-Greece-Cyprus-Mediterranean-
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Dealings
with US possible despite crimes, says Iran
23
Nov 2020
TEHRAN:
The “crimes” committed by the United States against Iran do not prevent
“carefully considered” exchanges from taking place, Iran’s foreign ministry
spokesman said on Sunday.
“The
future of relations between Iran and the United States is not simple,” Saeed
Khatibzadeh acknowledged at a press conference in Tehran, as President Hassan
Rouhani’s government makes signs of apparent overtures to US president-elect
Joe Biden.
“The
United States has committed repeated crimes against the Iranian people,” added
Khatibzadeh, citing a long list.
They
included Washington’s support for Baghdad during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war,
the “series of sanctions” against Tehran, and the US drone strike that killed
top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in January.
President-elect
Biden has promised a return to diplomacy after four hawkish years under Trump
“It
is natural that (between two) members of the United Nations (like the US and
Iran) there have always been, and there are, very carefully considered exchanges,
in a known framework,” Khatibzadeh said, while noting that this “does not mean
that Iran is forgetting this list of crimes”.
Tehran
and Washington, enemies for more than four decades, have edged to the brink of
war twice since June 2019, amid tensions over Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement
with world powers, which outgoing US President Donald Trump unilaterally
withdrew from.
Biden
has promised a return to diplomacy with Iran after four hawkish years under
Trump.
Rouhani’s
government offered a cautious welcome to Biden’s victory, but Iran’s
conservatives are critical, accusing the country’s government of yielding to
what they say is an “illusion” of a change by the “Great Satan” of America.
“The
time has come to attack, not to compromise” with Washington, the
ultra-conservative newspaper Kayhan wrote on Saturday.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591918/dealings-with-us-possible-despite-crimes-says-iran
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Israel
strikes Hamas targets in Gaza after rocket attack
23
Nov 2020
JERUSALEM:
Israel said on Sunday its military struck Hamas targets in Gaza in response to
a rocket attack launched from the Palestinian enclave.
The
Israeli air force struck two rocket ammunition manufacturing sites, a military
compound and “underground infrastructures”, the Israel Defence Forces said.
A
rocket was fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday evening, according
to the army, shortly after warning sirens sounded in the southern Israeli city
of Ashkelon.
The
army statement gave no further details, but emergency services said they had no
notification of anyone wounded and Israeli media said the projectile fell on
open ground.
The
latest reported fire from the Hamas-ruled Palestinian enclave came after two
rockets were fired from the coastal strip into neighbouring Israel in the early
hours of last Sunday.
There
were no casualties or damage in that attack. Israel struck back with fighter
planes, helicopters and tanks, hitting what the army said were Hamas targets.
There
was no claim of responsibility for the November 15 rocket fire, but Israel
routinely holds Islamist group Hamas responsible for all attacks originating
from its territory.
Hamas,
considered a terrorist group by Israel, seized control of Gaza from the rival
Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 in a near civil war.
Since
then Hamas has fought three devastating wars with Israel in the coastal
territory where about two million Palestinians live.
Israel
has since maintained a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, to isolate Hamas.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1591920/israel-strikes-hamas-targets-in-gaza-after-rocket-attack
--------
Netanyahu
rival Gantz launches investigation, further straining ties with the PM
23
November 2020
Israel’s
defense minister on Sunday appointed a committee to investigate the
government's controversial purchase of German submarines several years ago — a
step that further strained his already poor relationship with Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu.
The
$2 billion purchase of the submarines and warships made by Thyssenkrupp is the
focus of a sweeping corruption scandal in which seven businessmen, including
confidants of Netanyahu, have been named as suspects.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Netanyahu,
who is on trial for his involvement in three other corruption scandals, is not
a suspect in the submarine case. But critics, including his defense minister at
the time of the purchase in 2015, have said Netanyahu behaved improperly and
may have had a conflict of interest.
Defense
Minister Benny Gantz, who is Netanyahu’s main coalition partner, said he had
decided to appoint the committee after weeks of consultations with legal and
defense officials. He said the committee, to be headed by a retired judge,
would release its findings within four months.
Gantz
and Netanyahu formed a power-sharing deal in May after battling to a deadlock
in three consecutive elections. But their government, ostensibly aimed at
confronting the coronavirus crisis, has been plagued by infighting and
paralysis.
If
the rivals cannot reach a budget deal by Dec. 23, the country could be forced
into another election next spring, right around the time the investigative
committee is set to release its findings.
Netanyahu’s
Likud party accused Gantz of acting out of political considerations, saying he
is “scouring for votes” at a time when his Blue and White party is plunging in
opinion polls.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/23/Netanyahu-rival-Gantz-launches-investigation-further-straining-ties-with-the-PM
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Turkey’s
Erdogan rejects ally’s call for release of philanthropist and Kurdish leader
22
November 2020
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday dismissed calls from a close ally for
the release of a leading Kurdish opposition politician and a philanthropist
from jail.
Rights
activists, Western powers and some opposition parties have all urged the
release of Selahattin Demirtas and Osman Kavala, both arrested in the wake of
an attempted coup in 2016.
They
were joined on Thursday by former deputy prime minister Bulent Arinc, now on
the presidency’s High Advisory Board.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“Even
though we have worked together in the past, no one’s personal comments can be
linked to the president, our government or the party,” Erdogan said in a speech
to party members.
Demirtas,
former head of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and one of Turkey’s best
known politicians, faces several charges, including one of terrorism relating
to violent protests against the Turkish army’s inaction during a siege by ISIS
militants of the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani in 2014/15. He denies all the
charges.
Kavala
was acquitted in February of charges related to street protests in 2013 that
threatened then-premier Erdogan’s grip on power, but was re-arrested the same
day on charges related to a failed coup in 2016, in which he denies any role.
In
his remarks, Erdogan said that “the people who are currently at the disposal of
the judiciary, who caused the deaths of thousands of our people, the people who
are responsible for Kobani, cannot be defended by Tayyip Erdogan or his
allies.”
He
also said he would never defend Kavala, whom he called the sponsor of the 2013
protests.
Erdogan
promised this month that parliament would prioritize judicial reform next year.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/22/Turkey-s-Erdogan-rejects-ally-s-call-for-release-of-philanthropist-and-Kurdish-leader
--------
Saudi’s
violence against Yemeni kids must stop: Yemen Foreign Ministry
22
November 2020
Yemen’s
Foreign Ministry has demanded an immediate and unconditional end to the
Saudi-led military coalition’s violence against children in the embattled
country.
In
a statement released on the occasion of the World Children’s Day, which is
celebrated on November 20 each year, the ministry said children are subjected
to heinous crimes by the aggressor states.
The
children have either been killed or maimed in the coalition attacks. Schools
and hospitals have been bombed, and children have been deprived of their
healthcare and educational rights, the statement added.
The
ministry statement, citing figures compiled by the United Nations, noted that
there are about 12.2 million children in Yemen in dire need of humanitarian
aid, more than five million children under the age of five who suffer from
malnutrition, about 1.71 million displaced children, and more than two million
children out of school.
Incessant
coalition attacks have also resulted in the death of more than 3,790 children,
and the injury of over 4,000 others, it said.
In
the statement, there was also a part where the United Nations’ removal of
the coalition from a blacklist of
parties violating the rights of children was highlighted. The move, it said,
was a setback by the UN in regard to globally protecting and promoting
children’s rights; the removal also gave Saudi Arabia the carte blanche to
continue committing war crimes against Yemeni children.
The
statement called on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to re-include the
Saudi-led coalition in the list of groups violating children’s rights, or it
would be considered a ‘partner in the killing’ of Yemeni children.
The
Sana’a-based National Salvation Government, the statement said, respects
international humanitarian law, and is committed to the protection of
children’s rights in Yemen.
The
ministry statement urged condemnation of the crimes against Yemeni kids. It called on the
freedom-loving people around the world, the UN chief, Special Representative of
the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba de
Potgieter, the UN Human Rights Council and all the concerned organizations,
especially UNICEF, to act in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Rights
center: Yemeni children's rights violated in Saudi war
Meanwhile,
the Center for Human Rights in the Yemeni province of Ta’izz also announced on
Sunday that children’s rights are being violated due to Saudi atrocities
against people of Yemen.
The
center said more than 850 children in Ta’izz province have either been killed
or injured by Saudi attacks, which have destroyed scores of schools in.
The
Ta’izz Human Rights Center also slammed the international community for its
silence in the face of Saudi crimes against the Yemeni people, holding it
responsible for the violation of the Yemeni children’s rights.
The
US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a nonprofit
conflict-research organization, estimates that the war on Yemen has claimed
more than 100,000 lives since 2015.
Saudi
Arabia and a number of its regional allies sought to restore former President
Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crush the popular Ansarullah movement
when they launched the deadly campaign in March that year.
The
conflict lingers. The coalition has not achieved its objective.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/22/639130/Saudi-violence-Yemeni-kids
--------
Southeast Asia
Indonesia
brass barks back at Islamist’s ‘moral’ threat
By
JOHN MCBETH
NOVEMBER
22, 2020
JAKARTA
– Early December is stacking up as a test of wills between President Joko
Widodo’s government and Islamic militants, emboldened by the return from exile
of radical Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab breathing fiery
threats of a so-called “moral revolution.”
But
Widodo has the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) firmly on his side with Jakarta
regional commander Major General Dudung Abdurachman threatening to dissolve the
FPI if it continues to cause trouble. “Don’t ever go against the TNI,” he said.
“This is an order. Don’t forget it.”
“I
will not hesitate to take serious action,” he warned in the November 20
statement, the strongest in memory from a serving Indonesian army officer
against radical Islamists. “Don’t try to disturb our unity and integrity. Don’t
feel as if you are representing all Muslims.
“A
good Muslim is one who believes in caring and tolerance for everyone and
everything,” he continued. “Don’t just talk nonsense about fire and hell. I get
very upset when I hear habibs spout bad things during religious ceremonies.
That is bad, that is dirty. As a Muslim, I can’t accept it.”
A
member of Jakarta’s ethnic Arab-Betawi community, Shihab is a Saudi
Arabia-educated kyai (religious teacher), who also claims to be a habib, or a
descendent of the Prophet Muhammad.
Events
are likely to come to a head on December 2, the anniversary of the mass
demonstrations organized by the conservative 212 Movement that led to the
downfall of Chinese-Christian Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama, a Widodo
ally, in 2016.
Police
have refused to issue a permit for that and all other mass gatherings, citing
concerns over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far killed
3,679 people in Jakarta and neighboring West Java and Banten provinces, nearly
a quarter of the nationwide death toll.
Western
Java also has had more than a third of the 500,000 total infections across the
country of 270 million and has been subject to frequent partial lockdowns over
the past eight months to keep the virus contained.
Abdurachman
said he had instructed the tearing down of posters repeating Shihab’s threats
of “moral revolution” and said he had
also ordered stepped-up mobile patrols around the FPI’s Tanah Abang
headquarters to guard against “unwanted incidents.”
“I
will clean everything up,” he said. “There will be no banners calling for
people to commit revolution. Don’t think that he (Shihab) represents all
Muslims. Not at all. There are many other Muslims who are good.”
The
day before, Tjahjanto made a high-profile inspection of military units around
Jakarta, including the Indonesian Special Forces (Kopassus), the 1st Marine
Brigade and the air force special forces (Paskhas), where he stressed the
importance of national unity.
Jakarta
is also home to the Army Strategic Reserve’s (Kostrad) 1st Division, part of
the regular army’s main 35,000-strong combat formation, and a territorial
infantry brigade attached to the regional command.
TNI
spokesman Major-General Achmad Riyad told reporters: “TNI can’t be complacent.
The inspection is an expression of the TNI’s loyalty. We don’t mention names,
but we will be alert. Some groups have raised the issue of (political)
identity.”
Because
of its role in Indonesia’s struggle for independence, the TNI enjoys far more
respect than the notoriously corrupt police, who took over responsibility for
internal security from the military with the birth of democracy in 1998.
In
the past, police generals have often been accused of using the FPI as a
stand-over force to blackmail the owners of nightclubs, bars and other
entertainment venues that have been a favored target of thuggish raids.
Indonesian
commentators say the TNI’s involvement in the current situation remains a “grey
area.” Despite being a designated external defense force, the military has
always claimed that its underlying duty is as “protector of the nation.”
A
former governor of Indonesia’s Military Academy, Abdurachman, 55, was only
promoted to the prized capital post last July on the recommendation of
long-serving TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, a Widodo loyalist.
Traditionally,
the Jayakarta chief is the only one among the country’s 15 regional commanders
whose appointment must be personally approved by the president, according to
sources familiar with the practice.
Abdurachman
is a graduate of the military’s academy’s 1988 class, whose members include
recently-promoted Deputy Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herman
Asaribab, the first ethnic Papuan to hold such a high-ranking post.
Army
Chief of Staff General Andika Perkasa is another Widodo loyalist, the
son-in-law of Hendropriyono, the former director of the State Intelligence
Agency (BIN) and one of two candidates in line for TNI chief when Tjahjanto
retires next year.
The
violence-prone FPI is the sharp spearhead of the 212 coalition which has said
it will only conform with the ban on mass gatherings if the government
postpones nationwide regional elections scheduled for December 9.
The
mass Muslim organizations Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah have already urged
the postponement of the elections for governors, mayors and regents because of
fears that they will act as superspreaders of the coronavirus.
Elections
Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) data shows that the polls in 50 of the 224
regencies where elections are to be held are in the highly-vulnerable category.
Another 126 electorates are considered to pose a medium threat to the 100
million eligible voters.
Only
two of the nine provinces in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi that are
scheduled to hold four-yearly gubernatorial races have had more than 5,000
Covid-19 cases, according to government data.
Health
officials are bracing for a major spike in cases after more than 50,000
followers crowded Soekarno-Hatta Airport on December 10 to welcome home Shihab
from three years’ exile in Saudi Arabia.
His
daughter’s wedding four days later attracted another 10,000 people in downtown
Jakarta, many of whom failed to wear masks or follow other health protocols
that have been in force for months.
The
police chiefs of Jakarta and West Java were both fired for not enforcing the
protocols and their replacements will understand a similar fate awaits them if
they fail to act forcefully on virus containment measures.
Shihab’s
talk of a “moral revolution” against the government is ironic given the fact
that when he fled Indonesia in mid-2017 it was to avoid prosecution for
allegedly engaging in internet text-sexting with a woman who was not his wife.
In
a direct message to the firebrand cleric, Abdurachman told him: “If you are
truly a religious leader, then you then you should have good thoughts and do
good deeds, otherwise you are not one.”
https://asiatimes.com/2020/11/indonesia-brass-barks-back-at-islamists-moral-threat/
--------
Senior
lawyer’s fees in Sabah dissolution case not exorbitant, says counsel
November
23, 2020
KOTA
KINABALU: A counsel has clarified that a peninsular-based lawyer who appeared
for former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal and the state government over the
dispute on the dissolution of the state assembly was not paid exorbitant legal
fees as claimed by certain quarters.
“Cyrus
Das has issued an invoice for his professional services, which is based on his
professional rates and is far below what was alleged,” lawyer Chung Jiun Dau said
in a statement.
Chung,
who was the solicitor instructing Das, said this in response to viral messages
of claims that Das was paid RM3 million to represent Shafie and the state
government in the Court of Appeal.
The
lawyer said the state government has yet to pay the fees though an invoice had
been submitted.
“It
is therefore obvious that the viral message is being spread with mischievous
intention and is patently untrue and dishonest,” he added.
State
Attorney-General Brenndon Keith Soo represented the Sabah governor while Chung
and Das appeared for Shafie and the state government.
Yesterday,
a representative of the ousted Warisan-led government also denied allegations
that Das was paid RM3 million while Soh received a monthly salary of RM60,000.
Describing
the claim as outlandish, Warisan vice-president Jaujan Sambakong urged the
public to be more discerning and not be misled by bloggers friendly to Gabungan
Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/11/23/senior-lawyers-fees-in-sabah-dissolution-case-not-exorbitant-says-counsel/
--------
PAS
shouldn’t force us to accept Bersatu, says Umno VP
23
Nov 2020
BY
KEERTAN AYAMANY
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 23 — Umno vice president Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin today
called on PAS to respect his party’s stand on Bersatu, while stressing that
Umno will prioritise cooperating with PAS to win the upcoming general
elections.
This
comes after former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa reportedly said
last Friday that PAS had decided to not ally itself with Umno, if Umno did not
also support Bersatu.
“Umno
is confident that PAS will not force Umno to accept Bersatu let alone give
seats to Bersatu arbitrarily,” said Khaled in a statement.
He
also pointed out that although Umno retracted its support for Perikatan
Nasional (PN), it had allowed PAS to join the coalition because Umno understood
and respected PAS’ position.
“After
all, the Muafakat Nasional (MN) charter has never prevented PAS from working
with anyone. So at the same, this is what Umno expects from PAS of Umno’s
relationship with Bersatu.
“Because
of that, I am convinced that the statement that ‘PAS will not be with Umno
without Bersatu’ by a person who is not a PAS spokesman, does not represent the
stand of PAS.
“It
comes from a person who just wants to save Bersatu and divide Muafakat
Nasional,” he said.
Khaled
said that Umno and PAS both realise that their top priority is the seat
negotiations for the upcoming general election between the two as part of the
MN partnership.
“PAS
must be aware that there will be seats where Umno will clash with Bersatu.
“Since
Umno is not part of PN, then any negotiations with Bersatu are for Umno to
undertake directly with PN through Barisan Nasional,” he said.
Khaled
also said that Umno and PAS have a “convincing synergy”, and called on both
parties to optimise said synergy.
However,
he stressed that apart from PAS, Umno’s cooperation with other parties will be
based on their ability to give Umno a strategic advantage at the ballot box.
“Umno
is not in the mission of giving charity to any party to breathe and achieve
victory with the help of Umno.
“Umno
also does not want to be forced to accept anyone as its political partner. Only
jewellers will know gems,” he said.
Since
Annuar’s allegations, Umno Youth chief Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has refuted
the FT minister’s claims, saying that a MN central committee meeting last
Wednesday had agreed to proceed with registering the partnership between Umno
and PAS.
Yesterday,
PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man was reported as saying
that Umno, PAS and Bersatu must present a united front at the next general
election or risk the prospect of three-cornered fights.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/11/23/pas-shouldnt-force-us-to-accept-bersatu-says-umno-vp/1925191
--------
Africa
Formation
of Sudan’s transitional parliament pushed to December
22
November 2020
The
formation of Sudan’s transitional parliament, a key element of a power-sharing
deal between the military and protesters after the ouster of president Omar
al-Bashir, has been pushed back to December.
The
Forces for Freedom and Change umbrella protest group said further consultations
were needed after Sudan’s transitional government signed a landmark October
peace deal with rebels.
In
a statement late last week, the FFC said efforts to ensure “national consensus”
were still underway to establish the legislature.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Its
formation had been due within 90 days of a power-sharing deal signed on August
17 between the FFC and military generals who seized power following al-Bashir’s
ouster in April last year.
The
deal stipulated that the legislature should include no more than 300 members,
40 percent of them women, with the FFC obtaining 201 seats and the rest going
to other factions.
But
in November, an FFC leader suggested that the group should hold 165 seats in
the transitional parliament, with 75 going to the Sudan Revolutionary Front
rebel alliance and the rest to other groups.
Several
organizations, including the powerful Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA)
trade union alliance that spearheaded the protests against al-Bashir, rejected
the proposal.
“In
order to take into consideration the views of the Sudan Revolutionary Front and
to engage in a broad dialogue on the distribution of seats with (all) factions,
it has been decided to push back the formation of the assembly until December
31,” the FFC said in its statement last week.
The
SPA is insisting that “all revolutionary forces be represented” in the new
parliament, which will be tasked to legislate until new general elections are
held in 2022.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/22/Formation-of-Sudan-s-transitional-parliament-pushed-to-December
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Ethiopian
PM gives Tigray rebels 3-day ultimatum to surrender before govt. attack
23
November 2020
Ethiopian
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has given the rebels in the restive Tigray region in
the north a 72-hour ultimatum to surrender before government troops launch an
offensive on the provincial capital city Mekelle.
"We
urge you to surrender peacefully within 72 hours, recognizing that you are at
the point of no return," he tweeted on Sunday.
So
far, there has been no reaction from the rebels to the ultimatum.
Meanwhile,
the United Nations on Monday urged the Ethiopian government to provide
"protection" for the civilian population affected by the fighting.
Catherine
Sozi, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Ethiopia, called on the
Ethiopian government for "protection of more than 525,000 civilian
(non-combatants) who live in Mekelle."
She
also highlighted the need for the "protection of all civilian
infrastructure like health facilities, schools and water system... of civilian
importance."
Sozi
also demanded that the Ethiopian government guarantee the safety of aid
workers.
The
military has already warned that it will encircle Mekelle with tanks and might
have to conduct an artillery strike to liberate the city from the rebel forces
holding it.
Dejene
Tsegave, a military spokesman, warned civilian residents in the city to
"dissociate yourself from this junta, after that there will be no
mercy."
The
military official urged the city’s half a million inhabitants to “Save
yourself!" in a warning that may displace many civilians. More than 36,000
have already fled to neighboring Sudan since the fighting erupted three weeks
ago.
In
response, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) leader Debretsion
Gebremichael vowed that the rebel forces will resist the government troops'
advancement on the regional capital.
He
said Ethiopian government forces will meet "fierce fighting" if they
advance toward the regional capital.
"They'll
continue to pay for every move," he told AFP.
Tigray
has been engulfed in bloody fighting since November 4, when Ethiopian
government forces launched a military operation against the regional
government.
TPLF
forces dominated Ethiopia's political scene until Abiy became prime minister in
2018.
The
2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner has
accused the rebel forces loyal to the TPLF of launching deadly attacks on a
pair of federal military camps in the region.
Abiy
has also accused the TPLF of defying his government and seeking to destabilize
it.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/23/639174/Ethiopia-PM-Tigray-Ultimatum
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Ethiopia
army threatens 'no mercy' will be in all-out assault on rebel-held Mekele
22
November 2020
Ethiopia’s
military has threatened a full-scale attack on the rebel-held Mekele, the
capital of the dissident Tigray region, warning civilians to flee and save
their lives, as violence continues to rage in the East African country for the
third week.
“The
next decisive battle is to surround Mekele with tanks,” said Dejene Tsegaye, a
military spokesman, at a press conference on Sunday, threatening to siege the
capital of the northern region.
The
military official further warned the city’s half a million inhabitants, saying,
“Save yourself! A directive has been communicated for you to dissociate
yourself from this junta, after that there will be no mercy.”
Tigray
has been engulfed in bloody fighting since November 4, when Ethiopian Prime
Minister Abiy Ahmed announced the launch of military operations against the
regional government there.
The
announcement led to a dramatic escalation of a long-running feud between the
federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), the
region's ruling party, which dominated Ethiopian politics for almost three
decades before Abiy assumed power in 2018.
Ahmed,
the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2019, has accused the rebel forces loyal to
the TPLF of launching deadly attacks on a pair of federal military camps in the
region. He has also accused the party of defying his government and seeking to
destabilize it.
The
premier has so far spurned all calls by the United Nations, the African Union,
and various countries for talks with the armed rebels in Tigray.
The
fighting has reportedly claimed the lives of hundreds of people and displacing
thousands of others, who have fled across Ethiopia's northern border into
neighboring Sudan.
The
TPLF claimed a day earlier that civilians had lost their lives during a “heavy
bombardment” of Adigrat town by the Ethiopian Defence Forces (EDF). However,
Ahmed's government, which regards the TPLF as a criminal administration,
insists it does not target civilians.
The
fighting has not been confined within the scope of Tigray as the TPLF is firing
rockets at Asmara, the capital of neighboring Eritrea to the north, which it
accuses of supporting Ahmed's government, and the city of Bahir Dar to the
southwest.
The
conflict has spread beyond Tigray, whose forces have fired rockets at the
neighboring Amhara region and the nation of Eritrea, spurring concern of a
wider war.
Tigray's
TPLF accuses Eritrea of supporting Ahmed's government.
Army
takes town north of Mekele: Ethiopian govt.
The
federal government claims that it has so far captured a string of towns in
recent days, including the ancient city of Aksum.
On
Sunday, it also announced that the army had managed to capture and the town of
Edega Hamus, which is situated 100 kilometers north of Mekele.
“Defense
forces have controlled Edaga Hamus city, which is on the road from Adigrat to
Mekele,” said the Ethiopia State of Emergency Fact Check, a government
taskforce, in a tweet. “The defense forces are currently marching on the
campaign's last goal, Mekele city,” it added.
Our
forces standing firm against Ethiopian advance: TPLF leader
Debretsion
Gebremichael, the head of the TPLF, also said via text message on Sunday that
Tigrayan forces fighting the army troops of the federal government were
“standing firm” on the southern front and engaging soldiers around the town of
Adigrat to the north.
Separately
on Sunday, Redwan Hossein, spokesman for a government taskforce on Tigray, said
in a statement that the rebel forces had already dug up roads, destroyed
bridges, and booby-trapped roads with explosives in the south.
However,
he stressed that federal troops were making progress, claiming that Tigrayan
rebels or militiamen escaped into the community after army soldiers took
Adigrat a day earlier.
As
all rights groups are concerned about ethnic violence and destabilization in
Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous country, Amnesty International has
documented a horrific massacre in which “scores, and likely hundreds, of
people, were stabbed or hacked to death” in the southwestern town of Mai-Kadra.
The
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that a full-scale
humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the region.
The
World body also called for the creating of humanitarian corridors to allow aid
agencies access and has said it is preparing for as many as 200,000 refugees to
flee the restive region in the coming months.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/22/639135/Ethiopia-Mekele-Tigray-TPLF-Abiy-Ahmed-rebels-UN-
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North America
US
and Saudi Arabia advance decades of cooperation: State Department fact sheet
Tuqa
Khalid
22
November 2020
The
United States and Saudi Arabia share “strong bilateral security and economic
partnership,” the State Department said on Sunday ahead of Secretary Mike
Pompeo’s arrival in Saudi Arabia.
“Secretary
Michael R. Pompeo will travel on November 22 to Saudi Arabia where he will meet
with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz to discuss the strong
bilateral security and economic partnership between the United States and Saudi
Arabia, progress made under the US-Saudi Arabia Strategic Dialogue held last
month in Washington, and issues related to Iran’s malign influence in the
region,” the US State Department said in a statement on Sunday.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
state department also shared a fact sheet detailing the ties between the US and
Saudi Arabia:
Relationship:
For
more than 75 years, the United States and Saudi Arabia have built a strong
partnership in energy and investment cooperation, trade, counterterrorism, and
security.
In
October, the two countries launched a strategic dialogue to advance economic
and security objectives through working groups on defense, economics and energy
cooperation, and culture and education exchanges.
The
United States recognizes Saudi Arabia’s progress toward transforming its
economy under the Vision 2030 plan while emphasizing the importance of
continued human rights reform and strengthening of civil society.
Economic
partnerships:
The
United States and Saudi Arabia support global economic growth and stable energy
markets as two of the world’s largest suppliers of oil and gas. Two-way trade
of goods and services between Saudi Arabia and the United States totals nearly
$40 billion annually and supports some 165,000 American jobs.
US
companies are key investment partners in strategic Saudi industries – not just
traditional industries such as oil and gas. AMC opened the first cinema in the
country in 35 years. Six Flags signed an agreement to establish the world’s
largest theme park near Riyadh.
Regional
security initiatives:
Saudi
Arabia is a founding member of the Coalition to Defeat ISIS and assists US
efforts to combat al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
Saudi
Arabia co-chairs the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC) and hosts the
center in Riyadh. The TFTC is a platform for information sharing, multilateral
coordination, and capacity building aimed at tracking and disrupting illicit
financial flows to terrorist groups throughout the world.
Saudi
Arabia plays a key role in deterring Iranian malign activities in the region.
The Saudi-led Coalition helps the legitimate Yemeni government defend its
territory from attacks on civilian targets.
Saudi
Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council work with the United
States on border security, maritime security, and cybersecurity.
People-to-people
ties:
About
37,000 Saudi students are enrolled in US schools – the fourth highest number
from across the world. When these students return home, they are helping to
drive Saudi Arabia’s transformation taking place under the Vision 2030 plan.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/11/22/US-and-Saudi-Arabia-advance-decades-of-cooperation-State-Department-fact-sheet
--------
G20:
Trump defends withdrawal from 'unfair' Paris Climate accord
22
November 2020
US
President Trump on Sunday defended his decision to pull out of the Paris
climate accord, calling it "unfair and one-sided" even as
President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the landmark agreement.
The
United States formally left the 2015 Paris accord earlier this month, becoming
the first country to ever withdraw from an international climate change pact.
"I
withdrew the United States from the unfair and one-sided Paris Climate accord,
a very unfair act for the United States," Trump said on the sidelines of a
virtual G20 summit hosted by Saudi Arabia.
"The
Paris accord was not designed to save the environment. It was designed to kill
the American economy.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
"I
refuse to surrender millions of American jobs and send trillions of American
dollars to the world's worst polluters and environmental offenders, and that's
what would have happened."
Trump
has aggressively championed the fossil fuel industry, questioned the science of
climate change and weakened other environmental protections.
Trump,
who has refused to concede the bitter US election, had given a one-year notice
to leave the Paris accord on November 4, 2019.
Biden
has vowed that the US would rejoin the Paris climate accord on his first day in
the White House in January, a move welcomed by European leaders.
The
US President-elect has proposed a $1.7 trillion plan to take the United States,
the world's second biggest carbon emitter, to net zero by 2050.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/11/22/G20-G20-Trump-defends-withdrawal-from-unfair-Paris-Climate-accord
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Loose
cannon Pompeo’s war of words on Iran
22
November 2020
By
Stephen Lendman
If
words could kill, loose cannon Mike Pompeo’s remarks would be considered WMDs.
The
Big Lie about an Iranian threat has been around for decades.
Ignored
is that Washington’s only threats are invented, none real — what’s been
geopolitically clear since WW II ended.
In
stark contrast, hardliners from both right wings of the US war party threaten
everyone everywhere.
US
imperial aims, by diabolical means used to advance them, represent an
unparalleled threat to humanity.
Iran
is the region’s leading proponent of peace and stability. Its ruling
authorities pursue cooperative relations with other countries, confrontation
with none.
Longstanding
US plans for regime change are all about its sovereign independence.
Nations
free from its imperial control aren’t tolerated.
In
the Middle East, they’re an obstacle to US and Israeli hegemonic aims.
In
Iran’s case, longstanding US hostility toward the country is also about wanting
control of its vast hydrocarbon resources.
Trump
regime hardliners escalated war on Iran by other means beyond where their
predecessors went.
A
previous article discussed possible US aggression against Iran during what may
be Trump’s final weeks in office.
While
he continued inherited hot wars in Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen — and waged
greater than ever wars by other means against targeted countries — he did not initiate
new aggression on his watch.
With
two months of his tenure remaining if legal challenges to brazen election fraud
fail, will he go at the 11th hour where he hasn’t gone before?
Would
he risk embroiling the Middle East in greater than ever conflict since WW II
ended during what may be his final days in office?
Would
he want to be remembered for launching what could develop into catastrophic war
as his parting shot as US president and commander-in-chief?
Would
he risk more greatly tainting his record in office than already?
I
believe possible Trump regime hot war on Iran before January 20 is highly
unlikely.
At
the same time, war of words on the Islamic Republic and piling on more illegal
sanctions will continue over the next two months and beyond.
As
long as Iran refuses to subordinate its sovereign rights to US interests — what
no nation should do — it’ll remain a prime target for regime change.
That’s
how the scourge of imperialism works, permitting no nations to remain free from
its iron grip.
On
Monday, Pompeo concludes visits with officials in France, Turkey, Georgia, the
UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
Before
leaving Israel, he was interviewed by the Jerusalem Post.
Asked
if all Trump regime options remain on the table against Iran, he said:
“Of
course. The (Trump regime) has been clear on that for its entire four years.”
“There
is no reason that would change today or tomorrow.”
Defying
reality, he falsely claimed maximum pressure success.
It
achieved nothing beyond inflicting hardships on ordinary Iranians.
Trump
regime Middle East policies overall made the US more of a pariah state than
already.
Iran
today is stronger politically and militarily than when Trump took office — its
latter strength solely for defense, not offense.
Its
geopolitical agenda is polar opposite how the US operates on the world stage —
waging peace and stability in stark contrast to Washington’s war on humanity.
Pompeo’s
public addresses, interviews, and other remarks are characterized by bravado,
hate-mongering, Big Lies, and mass deception.
US
foreign policy with him at State has been one of the darkest chapters in the
nation’s history.
Last
week, the CIA-connected Washington Post slammed his “legacy of incompetence,”
adding:
It
“peaked with his failed Iran policy.”
“His
latest move(s) — visiting an illegal Israeli settlement and Occupied Golan —
were “as mean-spirited as…misguided.”
His
intention to further sanction Iran weekly through January 20 is “perfectly
consistent with (his) track record of staging poorly conceived publicity stunts
rather than undertaking any actual diplomacy with the government in Iran.”
He
and the Trump regime overall have been all sticks and no carrots
geopolitically.
Its
maximum pressure “damage(d) the Iranian people themselves” — including by
“disrupt(ing) the import of medicine(s) and food.”
The
Trump regime’s “maximum pressure (has been) a total bust.”
Pompeo’s
interview with the Jerusalem Post was characterized by a litany of bald-faced
Big Lies and absence of hard truths.
He
lied saying Iran “foment(s) (regional) harm” — a US, NATO, Israeli specialty,
not how Tehran operates anywhere.
Claiming
Trump regime actions against Iran “isolate(d)” the country is belied by
reality.
He
lied calling Trump’s geopolitical agenda a “vision of peace” — an anathema
notion in Washington.
He
lied accusing Iran of being “prime actor who is causing instability in the
Middle East (sic).”
He’s
spearheading an effort to try preventing the US from returning to the JCPOA if
Biden/Harris replace Trump on January 20.
He
reinvented the Trump regime’s Middle East agenda, saying:
“Continuation
of the things we’ve been doing leads to a very increased likelihood of a safer,
more prosperous (region), and that our friends in Israel will be safer and more
secure as a result of that as well (sic).”
Pretending
concern for Palestinian rights ignored nearly four years of Trump regime
trampling on them.
Trump’s
domestic and geopolitical agendas have been virtual wrecking balls for ordinary
people at home and abroad.
They’ve
been a gift that keeps on giving for wealth, power and privileged interests at
the expense of most people everywhere.
Trump
will be remembered as a bombastic businessman, geopolitical know-nothing,
reality TV president.
Pompeo
will be remembered as a thug masquerading as a diplomat.
The
last four years will be remembered as one of America’s darkest chapters.
What’s
coming will likely be worse, domestically and geopolitically — no matter which
wing of US duopoly rule controls the White House and/or Congress.
Stephen
Lendman, born in 1934 in Boston, started writing on major world and national
issues began in summer 2005. In early 2007, radio hosting followed. Lendman now
hosts the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network three
times weekly. Distinguished guests are featured. Listen live or archived. Major
world and national issues are discussed. Lendman is a 2008 Project Censored
winner and 2011 Mexican Journalists Club international journalism award
recipient.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/22/639131/Loose-cannon-Pompeo%E2%80%99s-of-words-on-Iran
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Europe
France’s
FM Le Drian says Turkey’s ‘soothing declarations’ not good enough
22
November 2020
France
said on Sunday it expects Turkey to de-escalate international tension with
actions instead of words ahead of an EU decision on possible further sanctions
against Ankara.
Foreign
Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told French media that it would be “easy” for
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to defuse standoffs in the eastern Mediterranean,
in Libya and in Nagorno-Karabakh.
“The
soothing declarations by Erdogan that we’ve seen over the past two or three
days are not enough, we need acts,” he said.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Le
Drian’s comments come a day after Erdogan reached out to the European Union,
while warning the bloc not to be manipulated during escalating tensions over
the eastern Mediterranean.
Turkish
deployment of a ship to search for gas in waters claimed by Greece has
triggered a fierce war of words with EU member states, which early this month
extended sanctions against Ankara for another year.
“We
have many disagreements,” Le Drian said, calling Turkey’s policies
“expansionist” as well as “aggressive” toward two EU members, Greece and
Cyprus.
Le
Drian said Turkey had been sending “Syrian mercenaries” to Nagorno-Karabakh,
where warring parties Armenia and Azerbaijan this month signed a
Russian-brokered peace accord.
At
the December summit, the EU will “verify the commitments” made by Ankara
concerning the various trouble spots, Le Drian said.
Erdogan
said on Saturday he expected “the EU to keep its promises, not to discriminate
against us or at least not to become a tool to open enmities targeting our
country” in a video address to his ruling party congress.
At
one point Turkey had pursued a track toward EU membership, but it encountered
opposition from several EU members and has since pulled back under Erdogan’s
leadership.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/22/France-s-FM-Le-Drian-says-Turkey-s-soothing-declarations-not-good-enough
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Arab world
Future
Iran Deal Must Go Beyond Nuclear And Include Regional Misbehaviour: Saudi FM
Emily
Judd
22
November 2020
Any
new deal with Iran needs to go beyond the nuclear program and address Tehran’s
regional malign activity, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin
Farhan Al Saud said on Sunday.
“We
believe that the issue isn’t just with the nuclear program…the issue with Iran
is the fact that it continues to believe in imposing its will on the region, on
exporting its revolution to its neighbors and beyond,” said Al Saud in an
interview with CNBC.
“We
need to address that. I like to call what we see in the future as JCPOA++,
something that addresses the nuclear program, which is critically important of
course, but also that addresses the regional malign activity,” he added.
Iran
supports proxy groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and other countries in the
Middle East, which have carried out attacks on Saudi and Western targets.
‘Deepest
concern’
Iran
reneged on the promises it made as part of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), since President Hassan Rouhani announced
in May 2019 that Tehran would reduce compliance.
Iran
subsequently breached JCPOA limits on uranium enrichment, research and
development on advanced centrifuges, and stockpile size.
Al
Saud said that Saudi Arabia’s “deepest concern” is that Iran has now “blown
well past the restrictions of the JCPOA,” thus proving how easy it is for the
Iranian regime to move forward with their nuclear program.
Under
President Donald Trump, the US officially withdrew from the Obama-era JCPOA in
2018, and imposed a “maximum pressure” campaign on the Iranian regime through
increasing economic sanctions.
The
“significant pressure on Iran” has limited its ability to interfere in Iraq,
Syria, and Lebanon, according to Al Saud.
“I
think this lays the groundwork for the future to make sure that we are able to
engage with the Iranians eventually in a way that forces them to address the
full gamut of concerns,” he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/22/Future-Iran-deal-must-go-beyond-nuclear-and-include-regional-misbehavior-Saudi-FM
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EU
foreign policy chief censures ‘dire condition’ of human rights in Bahrain
22
November 2020
High
Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell has
criticized the ruling Al Khalifah regime for the “appalling condition” of human
rights in Bahrain, pledging to use all available means to improve the
circumstances.
Borrell,
in response to a letter sent by members of the European Parliament regarding
the dire situation of human rights in the Persian Gulf kingdom, pointed to the
condition of imprisoned Bahraini activists Mohamed Ramadan and Hussein Ali
Moosa, who have been sentenced to death on trumped-up charges of bombing a
convoy and killing a police officer in al-Deir, a village northeast of the
capital Manama, in early 2014.
The
high-ranking EU official reiterated that all of the matters concerned should be
discussed again during the next human rights dialogue slated for the end of
autumn 2021.
He
also noted that EU representatives attended the court session of Ramadan and
Moosa, which took place on January 8, adding that the EU has called on Bahrain
to release human rights activists who suffer from poor health.
Bahrain’s
parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals on March 5,
2017. The move drew widespread condemnation from human rights bodies and
activists, and was described as imposition of an undeclared martial law across
the country.
Bahrain’s
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah rubber-stamped a constitutional amendment on
April 3 that year.
The
kingdom has seen anti-regime protests over the past nine years. The major
demand has been the ouster of the Al Khalifah regime and the establishment of a
just and conclusive system representing all Bahraini nationals.
The
Manama regime, in return, has ignored the calls and is pressing ahead with its
heavy-handed crackdown.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/11/22/639141/EU-human-rights-Bahrain
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Nine
Iraqi security personnel, civilians dead in ISIS ambush in Baghdad: Police
21
November 2020
Six
Iraqi security personnel and three civilians were killed in an ambush Saturday
carried out by the ISIS militant group north of Baghdad, police and a local
official said.
A
police source said a roadside bomb hit a car and that jihadists opened fire on
a rescue team of policemen and state-aligned paramilitary forces when they
arrived at the scene, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) from the capital.
Four
members of the Hashed al-Shaabi and two policemen died along with three
civilians, Mohammed Zidane, the mayor of Zouiya, 50 kilometres from the city of
Tikrit, told AFP.
He
updated an earlier civilian death toll of two.
There
was no immediate word of casualties among the assailants, but Zidane said those
killed among the Hashed, a coalition of mainly Shiite forces, were Sunni tribesmen.
Both
the mayor and police said the ambush was the work of ISIS jihadists, although
no immediate claim of responsibility was issued.
Eleven
people were killed on November 8 in an ISIS attack on a lookout post at
Al-Radwaniyah, near Baghdad airport on the outskirts of the capital.
ISIS
swept across a third of Iraq in 2014, seizing major cities across the north and
west and reaching the suburbs of the capital.
After
a fierce three-year fight backed by a US-led military coalition, Iraq declared
ISIS defeated in late 2017.
The
coalition has significantly drawn down its troops this year.
ISIS'
sleeper cells have continued to wage hit-and-run attacks on security forces and
state infrastructure, particularly in desert areas where troops are stretched
thin.
Attacks
with high tolls and close to the capital have been rare, however.
The
latest attacks come as the United States announced that it will withdraw
another 500 troops, reducing its deployment to 2,500 soldiers.
Most
other countries' contributing forces to the coalition have pulled out since the
coronavirus pandemic hit.
However,
the Iraqi government has "clearly indicated it wants to maintain its
partnership with the United States and coalition forces as we continue to
finish the fight against ISIS", the US Middle East commander said
Thursday.
General
Kenneth McKenzie cited estimates that ISIS still has a body of 10,000
supporters in the Iraq-Syria region and remains a real threat.
The
progress of the Iraqi Security Forces has allowed the United States to reduce
force posture in Iraq," he said.
But
US and coalition forces have to remain to help prevent ISIS from reconstituting
as a cohesive group able to plot major attacks, he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/21/Eight-Iraqi-security-personnel-civilians-dead-in-ISIS-ambush-in-Baghdad-Official
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G20
Riyadh Summit wraps up, leaders commit to fighting COVID-19, sustainable future
Lauren
Holtmeier
23
November 2020
Saudi
Arabia hosted the G20 Riyadh Leaders’ Summit this weekend, bringing together
world leaders from the most powerful countries and the European Union.
The
summit was a culmination of Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20, which focused
on three key areas: empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new
frontiers for the future.
The
summit, which took place virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, addressed
the key challenges facing the world today, including COVID-19 and climate
change.
Here
is a summary of the key events.
Final
communique
Saudi
Arabia and other world leaders reinforced their commitment to supporting health
care workers and developing safe and effective COVID-19 solutions, pushing the
sustainability needle forward, and creating a more equal world at the G20
Riyadh summit.
“We,
the G20 Leaders, meeting for the second time under the Saudi Presidency, stand
united in our conviction that coordinated global action, solidarity, and
multilateral cooperation are more necessary today than ever to overcome the
current challenges and realize opportunities of the 21st century for all by
empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers,” read a
statement from the final communique of the G20 leaders.
“We
are committed to leading the world in shaping a strong, sustainable, balanced
and inclusive post-COVID-19 era,” it continued.
Coronavirus
commitments
As
coronavirus continues to threaten lives and livelihoods in myriad sectors, G20
sought to ensure support across sectors, including trade and investment,
transportation and travel, sustainable development, access to opportunities,
gender inclusivity, and education.
At
the summit, the countries pledged more than $21 billion to the fight against
coronavirus.
G20
efforts have temporarily extended social protection measures to 645 million
people according to estimates from the International Labour Organization.
The
countries also pledged to pay for a fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines
to ensure poorer nations were not left out and to extend debt relief for those
countries.
The
G20 leaders said in their final declaration they will “spare no effort” to
ensure the fair distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus worldwide, and
support poor countries whose economies have been hit by the repercussions of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sustainability
The
Kingdom also highlighted its Circular Carbon Economy for clean energy, noting
their “big plans“ for renewable energy, including wind and solar which will
generate 50 percent of the country’s electricity by 2030.
A
statement from the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen said
the G20 summit could be a new beginning for global cooperation.
She
noted that the US would be welcome to return to the Paris Climate Agreement
following President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. President Donald Trump
announced in 2017 his intention to pull out from the agreement.
Trump,
however, has defended his decision, calling it “unfair and one-sided.”
“2020
has been a very difficult year. But the G20 rose to the challenge and it
provided leadership. In fact, the G20 has proven a strong pillar and a key
partner for the European Union, helping us to keep international cooperation
running,” she said.
In
one G20 session, presenters gave examples of how to create a more sustainable
world. One of which would be a closed-loop shipping system where boxes and
packaging are reused; another would be switching from wooden shipping pallets
to plastic pallets that can be recycled and can be used up to 40 times more
than their wooden counterparts.
Education
On
education, the final communique read “We stress the importance of continuity of
education in times of crisis through the implementation of measures to ensure
safe in-person learning, effective quality distance and blended teaching and
learning, as appropriate. Inclusive, equitable and quality education for all,
especially for girls, remains key to unlocking a brighter future and fighting
inequalities.”
Legacy
In
his closing remarks, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abzulaziz said “We have
achieved a lot this year. We have upheld our commitment to continue to work
together to rise to the challenge I of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to
safeguard lives and livelihoods and protect the most vulnerable groups. We have
adopted important policies that will achieve recovery all the way to an economy
that is resilient, sustainable, inclusive, and balanced.”
Speaking
from the virtual summit that gathered world leaders from the most powerful
countries and the European Union, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said “The
G20, since its foundation, has been an essential link among our countries. It
has demonstrated the vitality of its role, over the years, to deal with
economic, financial, social, and environmental issues.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/11/23/G20-G20-Riyadh-Summit-wraps-up-leaders-commit-to-fighting-COVID-19-sustainable-future
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Fourteen
Iran-backed fighters in Syria killed in airstrikes: Monitor
22
November 2020
At
least 14 Iran-backed militia fighters from Iraq and Afghanistan were killed in
air strikes in war-torn eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said Sunday.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
strikes on Saturday night in Deir Ezzor province, on the border with Iraq, were
likely carried out by Israeli war planes, the Observatory said.
The
Israeli army said it doesn't comment on foreign reports.
More
than 10 strikes hit positions of Iran-backed militias outside the border town
of Albu Kamal, according to the war monitor.
The
attack killed eight Iraqis and six Afghan fighters, it said.
It
also destroyed two bases as well as several military vehicles, the Observatory
added.
Iran-backed
fighters are heavily deployed in a stretch of territory between the Syrian
towns of Albu Kamal and Mayadeen, both former strongholds of the ISIS group.
Along
with Russia, Iran has been a key backer of the Damascus regime in its
nine-year-long civil war.
Israel
has carried out hundreds of air and missile strikes on Syria since the civil war
broke out in 2011, targeting Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces as well as
government troops.
The
Israeli army rarely acknowledges individual strikes.
Syria's
war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions more since
starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/11/22/Fourteen-Iran-backed-fighters-in-Syria-killed-in-airstrikes-Monitor
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In
Lebanon, army courts, plainclothes officers target protesters
22
November 2020
Khaldoun
Jaber was taking part in an anti-government protest near the presidential
palace outside Beirut last November when several Lebanese intelligence officers
in plainclothes approached and forcibly took him away.
The
demonstration was part of a wave of protests sweeping Lebanon against
corruption and misrule by a group of politicians who have monopolized power
since the country’s civil war ended three decades ago.
Jaber
didn’t know it then, but Lebanese security forces targeted him because of his
social media posts criticizing President Michel Aoun. What followed were 48
harrowing hours of detention during which security officers interrogated him
and subjected him to physical abuse, before letting him go.
“I
was beaten, harmed psychologically and morally,” Jaber said. “Three of my teeth
were broken and I lost 70 percent of my hearing in my left ear.”
“I
am still traumatized,” he added.
A
year after mass protests roiled Lebanon, dozens of protesters are being tried
before military courts, proceedings that human rights lawyers say grossly
violate due process and fail to investigate allegations of torture and abuse.
Defendants tried before the military tribunal say the system is used to
intimidate protesters and prop up Lebanon’s sectarian rulers.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Around
90 civilians have been referred to the military justice system so far,
according to Legal Agenda, a human rights group based in Beirut.
“We
expect many more people to be prosecuted,” said Ghida Frangieh, a lawyer with
the group.
The
trials underscore the growing perils of activism in Lebanon, where a string of
court cases and judicial investigations against journalists, as well as smear
campaigns and intimidation to silence critics, has eroded the country’s
reputation for free speech and tolerance in a largely autocratic Arab world.
Frangieh
said that security forces arrested around 1,200 people from the beginning of
the anti-government uprising in October 2019 through the end of June. Lebanese
authorities have prosecuted around 200 of them, including those referred to the
military judiciary, the monitoring group has found.
Two
months after his arrest, Jaber received an official notice saying military prosecutors
were charging him with assaulting security forces at the Baabda Palace when the
plainclothes agents detained him.
“I
was shocked when I was called to the military tribunal,” Jaber said.
The
trial did not take place until Oct. 7, when the military court declared Jaber
innocent of assaulting security officers, which is a military crime under
Lebanese law, but said it lacked jurisdiction over a second charge, that of
insulting the president.
Like
Jaber, many detained protesters only find out a month or more after their
release that authorities have referred them to military courts. Many of these
cases were scheduled for hearings this November and December, Frangieh said,
before a two-week nationwide lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic temporarily
closed the courts.
Jaber’s
case is an example of how military prosecutors try to claim jurisdiction over
civilian cases by usually filing more than one charge, including one that is a
military crime, said Frangieh, who represents protesters before the military
tribunal and is also part of the Lawyers’ Committee for Defense of Protesters.
“There
was no evidence,” Frangieh said about Jaber’s charge of assaulting security
officers. “He was kidnapped during a protest, but he was actually targeted
because of his social media posts that criticized the president.”
The
military prosecutor’s office closed, without investigation, a torture complaint
that Jaber had submitted, she added.
According
to Legal Agenda, the military courts usually issue summary decisions on the
same day of the trial, without issuing an explanation.
“There’s
really a lot of doubt about the fairness and arbitrariness of the decisions
issued by the court,” she said, adding that when defendants are sentenced, the
legal basis of the conviction is not immediately shared with their lawyers.
Military
prosecutors often neglect to read the full case files prepared from military
intelligence reports, or abruptly drop or change charges during trials,
according to Frangieh and another lawyer with the committee representing
protesters, Ayman Raad.
“Military
courts have no business trying civilians,” said Aya Majzoub, a researcher with
Human Rights Watch. The international rights group has called on Lebanon’s
parliament to end the troubling practice by passing a law to entirely remove
civilians from the military court’s jurisdiction.
Georges
Abou Fadel was summoned for a military trial on Oct. 30, after he was detained
during a protest a year ago in the town of Beit Mery, east of Beirut. During
his trial, the military prosecutor asked the judge for time to read the case
report, then asked to change the charge against Abou Fadel from assaulting
security forces to the lesser charge of nonviolently resisting arrest.
The
court found him innocent but Abou Fadel said he wasn’t relieved, knowing
there’ll be more trials “for my friends, for the people protesting, for anyone
who is trying to call for his rights.”
Lawyers,
rights activists and defendants describe the military tribunals’ prosecution of
protesters and other civilians as another node in the web of Lebanon’s
sectarian system that protects the power of its top politicians rather than the
rights of citizens.
“This
is one of the tools used by the sectarian parties,” said Abou Fadel - keeping
their people loyal through fear of the military courts.
Many
of the judges at the military tribunal are appointed by the defense ministry,
which undermines the tribunal’s judicial independence, according to rights
activists. The head of the military tribunal is customarily Shiite, while the
chief military prosecutor is Maronite Christian.
Reforming
the Lebanese judicial system is “one of the most important demands” of the
anti-government protesters, Raad said, including ending military trials for
civilians.
Justice
Minister Marie-Claude Najm did not respond to a request for comment. Lebanese
officials typically do not address the question of why civilian cases are being
tried in the military court system. Security forces have denied beating and torturing
protesters and activists in detention.
On
Nov. 13, Jad Al Rayess was fined 200,000 Lebanese Pounds ($132) by a military
court, 11 months after security forces detained him at a protest on Beirut’s
Ring Road. The court has not yet released a statement with the charge for which
he was convicted.
The
32-year-old said that he plans to emigrate from Lebanon.
“We
are not going to get any progress without blood, and that’s nothing I want to
be involved in,” he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2020/11/22/In-Lebanon-army-courts-plainclothes-officers-target-protesters-
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