Hindus Must Give Birth To More Kids To Avoid India Becoming Islamic Nation: Yati Narsinghanand
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 April 2022
Yati Narsinghanand. (File
photo)
----
• Muslims Shower Flowers On Hanuman Jayanti Procession
In Moradabad, UP; Right Wing Group Said, They Were Bowled Over By The Warmth
• ISIS Vows ‘Revenge’ For Death of Abu Ibrahim
al-Qurashi, Taking Advantage Of Ukraine War to Stage Attacks In Europe
• Islamist Separatists Break Month Long Ramazan Truce
With Thai Government
• Pakistan’s Airstrikes are Assault on Afghanistan’s
Territorial Integrity: Afghanistan Mission in UN
India
• Muslims Offer Water, Juice To Hindus During Shobha
Yatra Procession In Noida
• Muslims shower petals, offer Sharbat during Hanuman
Jayanti procession in Kota
• Haridwar: Hindu Raksha Vahini demands demolition of
Muslim homes
• Kerala: Row After Board Banning Entry Of Muslims Put
Outside Kannur Temple Ground
• Pakistan grants two months extension to India for
transportation of wheat, medicines to Afghanistan
--------
Arab World
• Saudi Arabia Condemns ‘Deliberate Abuse’ Of Holy
Quran By ‘Extremists’ In Sweden
• Syrian fighters ready to join next phase of Ukraine
war
• Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militant targets in
northern Iraq: Report
• Tehran’s envoy says 28 Iranian prisoners in Qatar to
be transferred to Iran
• Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince congratulates new
Pakistan PM Sharif on premiership
• Iraq summons Swedish envoy over Quran burning
• Turkiye 'neutralizes' 13 YPG/PKK terrorists in
northern Syria
--------
Southeast Asia
• UAE Debacle: Malaysia Clearly Needs A New And More
Competent Leader In The Foreign Ministry
• Love It Or Loathe It, Umno Is In Charge: Umno Is
Going To Reign Supreme Yet Again For A Long Time, Albeit With A Smaller Number
Of MPs
• Religious minister slams burning of Quran in Sweden
--------
South Asia
• Taliban warns Pakistan over airstrikes, says 'don't
test patience of Afghans'
• Taliban warn Pakistan of dire consequences if
airstrikes are repeated
• Tajikistan residents fear Taliban attack
--------
Mideast
• Iran: Some Arab Countries' Normalization of Ties Emboldens
Israel for More Crimes
• Israeli forces raid al-Aqsa Mosque for third time
since start of Ramazan
• Iranian Speaker Strongly Condemns Desecration of
Al-Aqsa Mosque
• Iran Strongly Condemns Sacrilege of Holy Quran in
Sweden
• US Delay in Issuing Visa Cancels Iranian Economy
Minister’s Visit for IMF Meeting
• Spokesman: Iran Hosting Afghan Refugees, Britain
Deporting Asylum-Seekers
• Raisi says Iran will target heart of Israel if it
acts against Iranian nation
• Jerusalem violence puts strain on Israel's coalition
government
• Pope calls for free access to Jerusalem holy sites
• Thousands of Christian worshipers mark Easter in
Jerusalem
• Yemeni gov't accuses rebels of banning Tarawih
prayers
• Yemen’s new leader Abdullah Al-Alimi warns Houthis
--------
Pakistan
• The Need For A Sharia-Compliant Counter At Pakistan
Stock Exchange
• PM Shehbaz Writes Letter To Modi, Says Peaceful
Pak-India Ties Imperative For Progress Of Region
• Pakistan Urges Afghan Government to Secure
Pak-Afghan Border Region
• Head of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e Islam denounces
Zionist aggressions in Al-Aqsa mosque
• IHC dismisses petition against issuance of
diplomatic passport to Nawaz Sharif
• Verdict in Sri Lankan citizen Priyantha Kumara's
lynching expected today
• Key suspects in attack on Dost Mazari, police
identified
• Pakistan govt assures security to journalists
--------
Africa
• Nigerian Muslims, Pray For The Right Leader
• Regional forces kill 100 terrorists along Nigeria’s
borders: Official
• Libya’s National Oil says people entered Elephant
oil facilities, halted production
• Tunisia says countries offer help to tackle impact
of fuel ship’s sinking
• Morocco condemns Israeli raid on Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa
mosque
• UN says boat capsizes off Libya, 35 presumed dead
--------
North America
• Toronto Tightens Security At Mosques, Islamic
Community Centres
• 5 injured in mosque shooting in Canada
• Toronto mosque shooting prompts increased patrols in
Ottawa
--------
Europe
• Three injured in Sweden amid unrest, Quran burnings
• Russia summons Israeli ambassador over Tel Aviv’s
anti-Moscow stance
• Turkish president, UN chief discuss Russia-Ukraine
war, Jerusalem tensions
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindus-islamic-nation-yati-narsinghanand/d/126816
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Hindus Must Give Birth To More Kids To Avoid India Becoming
Islamic Nation: Yati Narsinghanand
Yati Narsinghanand. (File
photo)
----
April 18, 2022
An organisation of controversial priest Yati
Narsinghanand on Sunday asked Hindus to give birth to more children to avoid
India becoming an Islamic country The priest, who is out on bail in the
Haridwar hate speech case, had earlier this month in Mathura urged Hindus to
produce more children to prevent the country from becoming “Hindu-less” in the
coming decades.
The Akhil Bhartiya Sant Parishad’s Himachal Pradesh
in-charge Yati Satyadevanand Saraswati told PTI India is a democratic country
as Hindus are in majority.
But Muslims are increasing their population by giving
birth to many children in a planned way, he claimed on the first day of the
organisation’s three-day ‘Dharam Sansad’ at Mubarakpur in Himachal Pradesh’s
Una district.
“That is why, our organisation has asked Hindus to
give birth to more children to avoid India becoming an Islamic nation,” said
Saraswati.
In view of the meet, which is being attended by Yati
Narsinghanand, Annapurna Bharti and several other seers and priests form across
the country, the Himachal Pradesh Police in a notice to Saraswati has
instructed him that no instigating language should be used against any religion
or caste.
Issuing the notice under section 64 of Police Act,
2007, the SHO of the Amb police station in Una district has stated that
appropriate legal action would be taken if such instructions were not adhered.
Saraswati said India will be made into an Islamic
country like neighbouring Pakistan when Muslims are in majority. “That is why,
our organisation has asked Hindus to give birth to more children to avoid India
to become an Islamic nation”, he added.
When asked will not it be against the national policy
of two children, he said, “There is no such law in our country asking citizens
to give birth to only two children.” Narsinghanand was arrested and later
released on bail after he allegedly organised a Dharma Sansad in Haridwar from
December 17-19 last year, where provocative speeches were made against Muslims.
He also took part in a ‘Hindu Mahapanchayat’ at Burari
ground in Delhi last Sunday and remarked that “50 per cent of Hindus will
convert” in 20 years if a Muslim became the prime minister of India and had
also exhorted Hindus to take up arms to fight for their existence. PTI DJI ANB
ANB
Source: Indian Express
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original story:
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Muslims Shower Flowers On Hanuman Jayanti Procession In Moradabad, UP; Right
Wing Group Said, They Were Bowled Over By The Warmth
Setting an example of
communal harmony, Muslims showered flower petals at Hanuman Jayanti procession.
(Photo: Shariq Siddiqui)
----
Apr 18, 2022
BAREILLY: Muslims showered flower petals on members of
the Bajrang Dal during a procession taken out a day after Hanuman Jayanti in
Thakurdwara area of UP's Moradabad on Sunday. Hailing the gesture, the right
wing group said that they were bowled over by the warmth and affection shown by
the other community members adding that the move “heralded the winds of change
and sent out the message of unity and brotherhood.”
Police had stepped up the security as the procession
had to pass through a Muslim locality but were surprised to see Muslims with
petals in their hands and welcoming smile on their faces. Even the kids in the
area were making videos and taking selfies.
An elderly member of the Muslim community told TOI,
“We have always tried to maintain peace and harmony in the area. When any
untoward incident takes place, we feel bad as it brings a bad name to the
entire community. Every religion should be respected and people of every faith
should be given the right to live the way they want. Peace should be the utmost
priority.”
Terming it a confluence of Ganga-Jamuna, Circle
Officer Thakurdwara Anoop Singh, who was looking after the security
arrangements, told TOI, "It felt good to see members of both communities
taking a step forward towards harmony. I extend gratitude to the members of
Muslim community for showering petals on the procession. If others, too, follow
this approach or change their outlook, there won’t be any communal tensions
anywhere across the country as democracy allows the right to live peacefully
and respect every faith.”
Source: Times Of India
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original story:
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ISIS Vows ‘Revenge’ For Death of Abu Ibrahim
al-Qurashi, Taking Advantage Of Ukraine War to Stage Attacks In Europe
Islamic State leader Abu
Ibrahim al-Qurashi was killed during a US raid in Syria.
-----
18 April ,2022
The ISIS group on Sunday vowed “revenge” over the
killing of its former leader, calling on supporters to take advantage of war in
Ukraine to stage attacks in Europe.
“We announce, relying on God, a blessed campaign to
take revenge” over the death of Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi and the group's former
spokesman, an audio message attributed to the group and circulated on the
Telegram messaging app said.
The group's new spokesman, Abu-Omar al-Muhajjir, also
called on supporters to resume attacks in Europe, taking advantage of the
“available opportunity” of “the crusaders fighting each other” -- in reference
to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The militant group's previous leader died in early
February when he detonated a bomb to avoid capture during a US raid in
northwest Syria, the White House and US defence officials said.
On March 10, the group confirmed his death, along with
the group's former spokesman, naming Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi as the new
leader.
Little is known about the new leader, who is the
extremist group's third chief since its inception.
After losing their last territory under a military
onslaught backed by the US-led coalition in March 2019, the remnants of ISIS in
Syria mostly went into desert hideouts.
They have used such hideouts to ambush Kurdish-led
forces and Syrian government troops. The extremists also continue to mount
attacks in Iraq.
Source: Al Arabiya
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original story:
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Islamist Separatists Break Month Long Ramazan Truce
With Thai Government
FILE - People praying before
they break fast during an event in Narathiwat's Rangae district, Apr. 14, 2022,
as Muslim worldwide observe the holy month of Ramadan.
------
April 18, 2022
A truce brokered this month between Islamist
separatists and security forces was broken on April 15 by bomb explosions in
the southern Thai province of Pattani that left a fisherman dead and three
police officers injured.
An explosion set off by a pond in a rural area of the
Muslim-majority province shattered a truce declared by Islamist separatists and
Thai government officials for the month of Ramazan, which lasts from April 2 to
May 1 this year.
A man fishing at the pond was killed in the blast
while a subsequent explosion in the same area injured three members of a police
bomb disposal team.
A militant arm of the Pattani United Liberation
Organization claimed responsibility for the attacks with its president, Kasturi
Mahkota, saying it was “business as usual” for the militant group as it had not
agreed to the truce between the government and Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN),
the main separatist organization.
“The talks are not inclusive enough and [they are]
going too fast,” Kasturi told Reuters news agency.
Government officials sought to play down the attack by
stressing that the truce would remain in effect during Ramazan in an effort to
bring a measure of peace to Thailand’s restive Muslim-majority southernmost
region, bordering Malaysia, of which Pattani is part.
“The bringing together of groups for the peace
dialogue is an internal matter for the other side, and the Thai team is ready
and happy to talk to all groups,” the government’s peace negotiators said in a
statement on April 17.
The bombs highlighted the seemingly intractable nature
of the conflict in Thailand’s deep South where various cells of a shadowy
separatist movement appear to act independently of one another with the aim of
achieving independence for the Muslim-majority region, which was annexed by
what was then the Kingdom of Siam a century ago.
Peace talks between the Thai state and BRN have taken
place on and off since 2013, but they have done little to pacify the restive
region where well over 7,000 people, both Muslims and Buddhists, have died in
bombings, drive-by shootings and other attacks as well as retaliatory action by
Thai security forces.
This year alone, there have been a series of bomb and
other attacks that have killed or injured dozens of people including civilians.
The Ramazan truce for this month was hailed by Thai
negotiators earlier in April as “significant progress” in negotiations.
They added that an “environment conducive to peace”
would enable local Muslims to “safely perform their religious practices.”
Source: UCA News
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original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/separatist-group-breaks-truce-with-thai-government/96923
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Pakistan’s Airstrikes are Assault on Afghanistan’s Territorial Integrity:
Afghanistan Mission in UN
17 Apr 2022
Afghanistan’s permanent mission in the United Nations
has reacted to Pakistan’s recent airstrikes on Khost and Kunar provinces and
added that the country has attacked Afghanistan’s territorial integrity.
The mission is a statement saying that Pakistan’s recent
attacks on Afghanistan are a blatant violation of international law, a
violation of the UN charter, and a violation of the UNGA and UNSC’s
resolutions.
The statement has asked Pakistan to stop attacks on
Afghanistan and respect the country’s territorial integrity.
“Pakistan’s rockets have claimed the lives of scores
of civilians in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces over the past 20 years.
Killings of civilians and assault on territorial integrity has no
justification.” Reads the statement.
Pakistani jets carried out airstrikes in the Spera
district of southeastern Khost province on Friday night killing over 40
civilians.
Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry in a press release claimed
that their border guards have been targeted from Afghanistan’s soil by terror
groups including TTP, a claim that has been denied by the Taliban.
Source: Khaama Press
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original story:
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India
Muslims offer water, juice to Hindus during Shobha
Yatra procession in Noida
17th April 2022
NOIDA: Muslims distributed water, juice and soft
drinks to hundreds from the Hindu community who were part of a religious
procession in Uttar Pradesh's Noida on Sunday, a day after communal clashes in
adjoining Delhi.
The 'Shobha Yatra' was held a day after the Hanuman
Jayanti, here even as the police force was on high alert in the wake of the
clashes in Delhi's Jahangirpuri.
Around 300 police personnel were deployed on security
duty while senior officials also hit the ground to continuously monitor the
situation as several hundred saffron-clad men on foot, two-wheelers and
four-wheelers went around the city roads.
Some women in saffron sarees and suits also
participated in the yatra, showering rose petals on the men taking out the procession.
"The Shobha Yatra started from Sector 45 and went past sectors 37, 18, 5,
8, 9, 12-22, to finally culminate at the Hanuman Mandir in Sector 34. In Sector
9's Bamboo market, the Shobha Yatra was greeted by members of the Muslim
community who offered juice, cold drinks and water to the Hindus," Vishwa
Hindu Parishad (VHP)'s Noida media in-charge Rahul Dubey told PTI.
He said the event was a big success and went off
peacefully, adding a huge number of supporters had turned out for the yatra
which ensured there was no problem during the programme.
Videos of the Muslim community members serving water,
juice and soft drinks to the Hindu procession also surfaced on social media,
prompting several internet users to describe it as an example of "communal
harmony".
Source: New Indian Express
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Muslims shower petals, offer sharbat during Hanuman
Jayanti procession in Kota
April 17, 2022
Amid incidents of communal clashes in parts of the
country, Muslims in a locality here welcomed a Hanuman Jayanti procession by
offering sharbat and showering petals.
Giving the message of communal harmony, several Muslim
youths exhibited their traditional martial art skills when the procession
halted in front of a mosque while passing through the Kherabad area of Ramganj
Mandi town.
The procession started from the Hanuman temple in
Kherabad village on Saturday evening and covered around two kilometers, passing
through a Muslim-dominated area, with two mosques on its way.
A majority of those who took part in the procession
wore saffron clothes.
Muslims led by Tahir Ahmad welcomed the procession,
showering petals and offering garlands to those taking part in it.
They also set up stalls outside the two mosques in the
area and offered cold water and sharbat to the devotees.
Ramganj Mandi SDM Rajesh Daga said the Muslims came
out of the mosques to welcome the procession after offering evening namaz.
When asked to join, Muslim youths displayed their
martial art skills along with those from the Hindu community, he said.
Source: Indian Express
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Haridwar: Hindu Raksha Vahini demands demolition of
Muslim homes
18th April 2022
Roorkee: After communal violence in Roorkee, Hindu
Raksha Vahini, a right-wing organization, has demanded the demolition of Muslim
homes. The organization threatened to organize Dharm Sansad in the city in two
days if their demand is not fulfilled.
It all started when slogans, “Jay shree ram”,
“hindustan mein rehna hai, to jay shree ram kehna hai” were reportedly raised
when a Hanuman Jayanti procession was passing in front of a local mosque on
April 16. Violence broke out between both the communities and a few people
including policemen got injured.
Soon, the police force reached the spot and arrested
six persons.
The next day, police filed an FIR naming 12 persons
and 40 unknown people.
On the one hand, Muslims have written letters to the
police stating how their shops were looted, and their houses, and vehicles were
vandalized. Many of them alleged that they were beaten up too.
On the other, Hindu Raksha Vahini demanded the
demolition of Muslim homes.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind moves SC against bull-dozing of
Muslims’ properties
Recently, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind filed a petition in
the Supreme Court against the use of bulldozers for razing houses and other
buildings in various BJP-ruled states, terming it a ploy to target minorities,
especially Muslims, under the guise of crime prevention.
Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Maulana President Arshad Madani
said: “The petition asks the court to order the states not to demolish anyone’s
home or shop without the court’s permission. It is noteworthy that the politics
of bulldozers is already going on in Uttar Pradesh, but now this nefarious act
has started in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh as well.”
Source: Siasat Daily
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of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/haridwar-hindu-raksha-vahini-demands-demolition-of-muslim-homes-2310815/
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Kerala: Row after board banning entry of Muslims put
outside Kannur temple ground
Apr 18, 2022
KOZHIKODE: A board, barring the entry of Muslims to
the temple grounds of Malliyottu Palottu temple at Kunhimangalam near Payyannur
in Kannur during the ongoing festival season, has sparked a row and drawn
criticism from several quarters, including CPM.
The board has been put up in the name of Nalooru
Samudayimar, who have been leading the conduct of temple festival, which is
being held from April 14 to 19. Last year also a similar board was put up
during the festival. Kunhimangalam is a CPM stronghold and the act has drawn
protests from the party apart from organizations like DYFI, Purogamana Kala
Sahitya Sanghom, etc. CPM Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan said that
putting up of such a board barring Muslims from entering the temple grounds was
unfortunate and unwarranted. “Places of worship are sacred places and nobody
should try to turn them into conflict spots.
It does not bode well for the land, especially when
attempts are being made to divide people in various states using religious
symbols,” he said. Jayarajan said that Kerala has a tradition of people from
various religions taking part in the festivities, be it in Christmas carol,
Onam or during Iftars during Ramzan.
Earlier, DYFI Madayi block committee had condemned the
act saying that fixing such a board was a challenge against a secular society.
The efforts to rekindle caste and communal sentiments which were eliminated
through the intervention of progressive organizations should be resisted and
foiled. DYFI had said that efforts to bring back uncivilized social practices
in the name of faith are a threat to the goodness of the land. That the temple
authorities have not backtracked from the move even in the face of the strong
protests is objectionable, said the DYFI leadeship, adding that the attempts to
create divisions in the society which would hinder the atmosphere of harmony
would be resisted by bringing people together.
Source: Times Of India
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Pakistan grants two months extension to India for
transportation of wheat, medicines to Afghanistan
Apr 17, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday extended for two months
the period for India to transport 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and life-saving
medicines as humanitarian assistance to war-torn Afghanistan via Attari-Wagah
border crossing.
Foreign Office said that the time period granted for
transportation of the humanitarian assistance expired on March 21 and the
Government of India recently requested for extension in time period to complete
the transportation process.
"As a manifestation of our sincere efforts towards
addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, it has been decided to grant
two months' extension to facilitate completion of the transportation," FO
said.
It added that all the modalities already decided shall
remain the same as earlier communicated to the Indian side and the High
Commission of India in Islamabad has been informed of the decision.
Pakistan in November 2021 had approved the
transportation of 50,000 MTs of wheat and life-saving medicines as humanitarian
assistance from India to Afghanistan via Wagah border on exceptional basis for
humanitarian purposes.
India had committed 50,000 MT of wheat for Afghanistan
because of food shortages in the war-torn country. Pakistan had agreed to
facilitate both Afghanistan and India through safe and duty-free transportation
of the commodity.
India has signed an MoU with the World Food Programme
(WFP) on the distribution of wheat to Afghanistan.
The wheat provided by India is expected to help
Afghanistan deal with shortages. According to international aid agencies, about
23 million Afghan are in need of urgent support.
Afghanistan has been under Taliban rule since August
15 last year when the Afghan hardline militant group ousted the elected
government of president Ashraf Ghani and forced him to flee the country and
take refuge in the UAE.
Source: Times Of India
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia condemns ‘deliberate abuse’ of Holy Quran
by ‘extremists’ in Sweden
18 April ,2022
Saudi Arabia condemned the deliberate abuse of the
Holy Quran by extremists in Sweden, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said early
Monday.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the deliberate abuse of the Holy Quran,
provocations and incitement against Muslims by some extremists in Sweden,” the
ministry said in a statement.
It added: “The Kingdom stresses the importance of
concerted efforts to spread the values of dialogue, tolerance, coexistence,
renounce hatred, extremism and exclusion and prevent abuse of all religions and
holy sites.”
Earlier on Sunday, Swedish public broadcaster Sveriges
Radio reported violent protests across several cities over the weekend, which
saw police clash with counter demonstrators.
Source: Al Arabiya
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of the original story:
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Syrian fighters ready to join next phase of Ukraine
war
18 April ,2022
During a visit to Syria in 2017, Vladimir Putin
lavished praise on a Syrian general whose division played an instrumental role
in defeating insurgents in the country’s long-running civil war. The Russian
president told him his cooperation with Russian troops “will lead to great
successes in the future.”
Now members of Brig. Gen. Suheil al-Hassan’s division
are among hundreds of Russian-trained Syrian fighters who have reportedly
signed up to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, including Syrian
soldiers, former rebels, and experienced fighters who fought for years against
ISIS in Syria’s desert.
So far, only a small number appears to have arrived in
Russia for military training ahead of deployment on the front lines. Although
Kremlin officials boasted early in the war of more than 16,000 applications
from the Middle East, US officials and activists monitoring Syria say there
have not yet been significant numbers of fighters from the region joining the
war in Ukraine.
Analysts, however, say this could change as Russia
prepares for the next phase of the battle with a full-scale offensive in
eastern Ukraine.
They believe fighters from Syria are more likely to be
deployed in coming weeks, especially after Putin named Gen. Alexander
Dvornikov, who commanded the Russian military in Syria, as the new war
commander in Ukraine.
Though some question how effective Syrian fighters
would be in Ukraine, they could be brought in if more forces are needed to
besiege cities or to make up for rising casualties.
Dvornikov is well-acquainted with the multiple
paramilitary forces in Syria trained by Russia while he oversaw the strategy of
ruthlessly besieging and bombarding opposition-held cities in Syria into
submission.
“Russia is preparing for a greater battle” in Ukraine
and Syrian fighters are likely to take part, said Ahmad Hamada, a Syrian army
defector who is now a military analyst based in Turkey.
Syria observers and activists say the Russians have
been actively recruiting in Syria for the Ukraine war, particularly among
Russian-trained combatants.
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, reported that so far
about 40,000 people have registered -- 22,000 with the Russian military and
about 18,000 with the Russian private contractor Wagner Group.
Around 700 members of al-Hassan’s 25th Special
Missions Forces Division, known in Syria as the “Tiger Force,” left Syria over
the past weeks to fight along Russian forces, Abdurrahman said. The numbers
could not be independently confirmed.
Pro-government activists posted videos over the past
two weeks on social media showing members of the Tiger Force performing
military drills including parachuting from helicopters.
Russian officers appeared in one of the videos
advising the paratroopers inside a helicopter as al-Hassan praised the young
men by tapping on their heads. It was not immediately clear if the videos were
new.
Abdurrahman said there are also volunteers from the
Russian-trained 5th Division; the Baath brigades, which is the armed wing of
Assad’s ruling Baath party; and the Palestinian Quds Brigade, made up of
Palestinian refugees in Syria. All have fought alongside the Russian military
in Syria’s war.
“The Russians are looking for experienced fighters.
They don’t want anyone who was not trained by the Russians,” Abdurrahman said.
The Tiger Force took credit for some of the biggest
government victories in the 11-year conflict. It was involved in a monthslong
Russian-backed campaign into the rebels’ last enclave, located in the northwest
province of Idlib, which ended in March 2020 with government forces capturing a
vital north-south highway -- though rebels remain in control of the enclave.
Al-Hassan “is one of Russia’s men and Russia will
depend on him,” said Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who runs the
DeirEzzor 24, a Syria war monitoring group.
Hundreds of fighters from the 5th Division and the
Quds Brigade have registered at Russia’s Hmeimeem base in western Syria, which
is leading recruitment efforts, and are waiting for orders, he said.
In late March, a Russian-trained force known as the
“ISIS Hunters” militia, which fought for years against ISIS, posted an ad
calling on men aged 23 to 49 to come forward for screening, saying those who
pass the test and are found suitable will be called on later.
So far, about 100 men have registered their names in
the southern province of Sweida, according to Rayan Maarouf of Suwayda24, an
activist collective that covers ISIS activities in the Syrian desert. He added
that they were promised a monthly income of no less than $600, a huge sum of
money amid widespread unemployment and the crash of the Syrian pound.
Earlier this month, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby
said the US had indications that the Wagner Group is trying to recruit
fighters, mostly from the Middle East, to deploy in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas
region.
But he said there has been “no specific information”
on numbers recruited. “We just aren’t there yet to see anything real
demonstrable when it comes to reinforcement,” he added.
Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, told
the Senate Armed Services Committee in early March that so far there are only
“very small groups” trying to make their way from Syria to Ukraine, calling it
a “very small trickle.”
Retired Lebanese army general Naji Malaeb, who follows
the war in Syria closely, said there is no indication so far of Syrian fighters
traveling to Russia, but this could change as the war drags on.
“This all depends on what the Russians plan to do in
the near future,” Malaeb said.
Syrian and Palestinian officials in Syria have played
down reports of fighters heading to Ukraine. The Syrian government is likely
wary of having Syrian fighters flock to Ukraine, opening opportunities at the
front lines that its many opponents could exploit.
In a potentially worrying sign for the Syrian
government, Russia has significantly scaled down its operations in Syria since
the war in Ukraine started, with fewer airstrikes targeting ISIS or opposition
positions in Idlib.
“Any change in the posture of Russian forces or
pro-regime militias creates security gaps that anti-regime actors including
Turkey, ISIS, al-Qaida and Syrian opposition groups can exploit,” the ISW
report said.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Turkish warplanes hit Kurdish militant targets in
northern Iraq: Report
18 April ,2022
Turkish warplanes, helicopters and drones hit Kurdish
militant targets, camps, tunnels, shelters, and ammunition storage areas in
northern Iraq, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by the
state-run Anadolu news agency.
The operation, which Akar said targeted the Metina,
Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq, also included commandoes who
have “entered the region by infiltration from land”, he was cited as saying.
“Until now, our operation is continuing successfully
as planned. The targets identified in the first phase have been captured,” he
said, but did not provide any information on casualties resulting from the
operation.
The operation, which he dubbed “Operation Claw Lock”,
aimed to “prevent terror attacks” and “ensure our border security”. It was also
supported by artillery units, he said.
The offensive is part of a continuing Turkish campaign
in Iraq and Syria against militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and
the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, both of which Ankara regards as a terrorist
group.
Turkey regularly launches air strikes into northern
Iraq and has sent commandoes in the region to support its offensives.
The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in
1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, which in the
past was mainly focused in southeast Turkey.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Tehran’s envoy says 28 Iranian prisoners in Qatar to
be transferred to Iran
17 April ,2022
The Emir of Qatar has agreed to the transfer of 28
Iranian prisoners held in the Gulf state to Iran, Tehran’s envoy to Doha said
on Sunday.
“We are pleased to announce that following the visit
of [Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi] to Qatar, the Emir of Qatar agreed to
issue a decree transferring 28 Iranian prisoners to Iran,” Hamidreza Dehghani,
Iran’s ambassador to Qatar, wrote on Twitter.
“Throughout the past month, we have been preparing the
case and obtaining the consent of the prisoners for transfer,” Dehghani said,
without providing any further details.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince congratulates new Pakistan
PM Sharif on premiership
16 April ,2022
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
congratulated Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Mohammed Sharif for taking up the
premiership role, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.
The greetings were conveyed during a call between the
leaders, with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince wishing success in achieving the
“aspirations of the Pakistani people,” SPA reported.
The newly appointed Pakistani Prime Minister expressed
his thanks and appreciation, SPA reported.
The two leaders also “emphasized the depth of bilateral
relations between the two brotherly countries and agreed to strengthen and
develop them in various fields,” according to SPA.
Additionally, the Crown Prince said that the Kingdom
was keen to support Pakistan across sectors.
Pakistan’s parliament chose a more Western-friendly
politician, Shehbaz Sharif, as prime minister on Monday, completing the ousting
of predecessor Imran Khan in a political crisis that has sparked street
protests and a mass resignation of lawmakers.
Sharif’s election brings to a close a week-long
constitutional confrontation that climaxed on Sunday when Khan lost a
no-confidence vote, although the nuclear-armed nation is likely to remain prone
to political and economic turbulence.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iraq summons Swedish envoy over Quran burning
Ali Jawad
17.04.2022
BAGHDAD
Iraq on Sunday summoned the Swedish charge d'affaires,
Hakan Rooth, to protest the burning of a copy of the Muslim holy book of Quran
by far-right extremists in Sweden.
On Thursday, Rasmus Paludan, the Danish leader of the
far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party, burned a copy of the Holy Quran in
southern Linkoping in Sweden, according to media reports.
In a statement, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said it
lodged a protest with the Swedish diplomat over the burning of the Muslim holy
book.
The ministry warned that the burning “bears grave
implications on Sweden’s relations with all Muslims.”
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/iraq-summons-swedish-envoy-over-quran-burning/2565875
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Turkiye 'neutralizes' 13 YPG/PKK terrorists in
northern Syria
Mümin Altaş
17.04.2022
The Turkish army "neutralized" 13 YPG/PKK
terrorists in northern Syria, near Turkiye’s southern border, the National
Defense Ministry said on Sunday.
The terrorists attempted to attack an area falling
under Turkiye's Operation Peace Spring zone, the ministry said on Twitter.
Turkish authorities use the term
"neutralize" to imply that the terrorists in question surrendered or
were killed or captured.
Since 2016, Turkiye has launched a trio of successful
anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the
formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents:
Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Southeast Asia
UAE Debacle: Malaysia Clearly Needs A New And More Competent Leader In The
Foreign Ministry
Reshna Reem Ganesan
April 17, 2022
PETALING JAYA: Foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah is
coming under increasing pressure over the poor handling of Prime Minister Ismail
Sabri Yaakob’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last month.
The Malaysian ambassador to the UAE, Tarid Sufian, and
the consul-general in Dubai, Hasril Abdul Hamid, have been recalled, but many
observers believe the two senior diplomats have been unfairly treated.
The saga has been one filled with drama involving,
among others, a leaked audio clip, a police report and a three-page statement
from Wisma Putra – yet it seems far from over.
FMT takes a look at the debacle over Ismail’s recent
visit to the UAE.
What happened?
On Sunday, a source told FMT that Malaysia’s two
senior diplomats in the UAE had been reassigned to a civil service pool in
Putrajaya, where officers falling out of favour are sent pending their next
move.
This was because Ismail was greeted on arrival in
Dubai by only Tarid and Hasril, without any top UAE officials present, unlike
the usual protocol for a senior minister of the host country to be officially
assigned to receive foreign dignitaries.
Another source said the ambassador had informed Wisma
Putra about the UAE government’s reservation about the timing of Ismail’s
visit, but it was not heeded.
Ismail visited the UAE from March 29-31 in conjunction
with the Dubai World Expo.
The UAE government had apparently told the Malaysian
embassy that it was not a suitable time for an official visit given the
hundreds of VIPs arriving from all over the world daily for the expo.
On April 1, Wisma Putra released an official statement
confirming the two diplomats had been recalled. The ministry said Tarid and
Hasril had failed to coordinate administrative and logistics for the prime
minister, resulting in him having to wait a long time for passport and
immigration clearance at the airport.
It also said the move to recall the two officials was “nothing
out of the ordinary”, adding that it was taken to protect interests in
bilateral relations between Malaysia and other countries.
A few days later, Public Service Department (JPA)
director-general Shafiq Abdullah said the two recalled diplomats will be placed
at Wisma Putra.
He added that they have not been assigned to the JPA’s
pool system of civil servants as claimed in some reports.
Reactions
Subsequently, an audio recording went viral claiming,
among others, that Ismail was not on good terms with Saifuddin.
In the two-minute 15-second clip, a man was heard
complaining to a “Datin” about the problems the ministry faced and alluded to
the growing number of vacancies at Malaysian missions abroad.
Wisma Putra has since lodged a police report and is conducting
an internal investigation into the matter.
Several figures have also voiced their dissatisfaction
with the way the two diplomats were treated.
Former foreign minister Anifah Aman said their hasty
recall was a “major embarrassment” for the country and that an internal
investigation should have been conducted first.
“I have my doubts that such senior and experienced
diplomats would overlook important details especially when it involves our
prime minister,” he said in a statement.
Umno vice-president Khaled Nordin criticised Wisma
Putra for failing to ensure that Ismail was given an “honourable” welcome,
adding that it was “very unprofessional” to blame the diplomats.
Noor Farida Mohd Ariffin, who once served as an
ambassador to the Netherlands, told FMT that many of her former colleagues were
“outraged” over how the matter was handled, and dismayed by the recall of Tarid
and Hasril.
She said that many of her former colleagues know Tarid
personally, describing him as a “competent diplomatic officer”.
Pressure on Saifuddin
Anifah said his successor Saifuddin, who had
accompanied Ismail to the UAE, should have taken full responsibility for the
debacle.
He said Saifuddin could have prevented the fiasco by
visiting the site earlier to ensure that preparations had been made “as per
standard practice”.
Khaled also called on the foreign minister to take
responsibility for what had happened.
“Malaysia clearly needs a new and more competent
leader in the foreign ministry. The performance of our current foreign minister
does not suit Malaysia’s experience, position and global interests,” he said.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/04/17/uae-debacle-will-more-heads-roll/
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Love It Or Loathe It, Umno Is In Charge: Umno Is Going
To Reign Supreme Yet Again For A Long Time, Albeit With A Smaller Number Of MPs
K. Parkaran
April 18, 2022
Some Malaysians rejoiced, while others were worried
when Umno’s hegemony of Malaysian politics was broken at the 2018 general
election. The DAP in particular had been calling for this for decades, saying
the complete control Umno had in the government had led to too much abuse of
power.
Little did people realise that Umno’s stranglehold on
all aspects of Malaysian life had been broken by a group of former Umno
leaders, namely Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim and Muhyiddin Yassin among
others.
It was indeed aided by DAP but the masterminds were
all former Umno leaders.
Subsequently, Mahathir got a good number of Umno MPs
to switch to Bersatu, where he was then chairman. But there was pressure from
within Pakatan Harapan coalition partners who were against party hopping after
an election.
As a result, the move did not end the way Mahathir had
wanted, with Umno’s destruction.
One of his close aides told me at the time that the
former prime minister knew the only way of making sure Umno were not back in
control would be to get most of its MPs to switch. The wily politician knew
that if this was not done, Umno would resurrect itself and take control again.
We all know now that he was right.
Mahathir apparently was not too happy that DAP and PKR
had opposed his plans to get the Umno MPs to switch. But PKR president Anwar
was quietly said to be also wooing Umno leaders to get his much proclaimed
numbers several times.
Of course PAS had already wooed Umno by this time,
forming the two-party Muafakat Nasional in the name of Malay-Muslim unity. The
Islamic party knew that only with Umno’s support could it taste federal power.
And sure enough it did.
After the Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the
Pakatan Harapan government, and the Muhyiddin-led Perikatan Nasional taking
over, a charm offensive began to woo Umno MPs with offers of posts in GLCs
among others with the ultimate aim of bringing them into Bersatu.
Eventually, all of them were proven wrong. Umno, with
experienced leaders who can politically out-manoeuvre others, is back in
charge. They are obviously calling the shots now with the party’s
vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the helm.
He is walking on a tightrope as he is only a
vice-president. He knows it’s the party president who signs the ticket to
enable him to stand in elections. So he has to watch his step.
When the prime minister uses the Umno general assembly
to announce a slew of major government policies without any reservation, you
know the party is in total control with others at its mercy.
Among other measures, Ismail announced the RM1,500
minimum wage, a new investment of RM32 billion for developing the Automative
High-Technology Valley at Proton City in Tanjong Malim, Perak, making Malay as
the second language of Asean, and setting up a culture and language unit in all
foreign missions.
Then he went on to say that Umno’s top five leaders
would have a say on when Parliament would be dissolved, completely ignoring its
major partners in the government like Bersatu and PAS.
If this wasn’t enough, the Umno supreme council
decided that the government should not extend its memorandum of understanding
with PH when it ends in July.
Shouldn’t the Cabinet have the final say on this, many
are asking.
But Ismail said he will abide by the party’s decision.
I guess he would have no choice but to agree or face admonishment by his party,
which has pacified him by naming him PM candidate for GE15.
It could well be a red herring to show that all is
well within Umno and prove that the bunch of leaders in the so-called “court
cluster” are not going to grab the post, (although many do not rule this out).
But whether it happens is left to be seen. The Johor
debacle, where poster boy Hasni Mohammad was ditched and not made the menteri
besar as promised, because of some hidden hands, is fresh in everyone’s mind.
To dislodge Umno again from the throne, PH has to
combine forces with the very party and leaders who stabbed it in the back and
caused its tenure to last a mere 22 months. The treachery, backstabbing and
racial bigotry that transpired is still fresh in everyone’s mind.
Even if the leaders agree for the sake of political
expediency, the grassroots are not in the mood to forgive. The PH parties will
pay a heavy price in GE15 if they sleep with their enemies again.
Knowing the passion Bersatu and PAS have for
Malay-Muslim unity and supremacy, Sheraton Move 2 is bound to happen.
In that regard, an excerpt from a speech by the late
Lee Kuan Yew, founding prime minister of Singapore, comes to my mind: “Malaysia
is unlikely to change. Even if it succeeds, everything will only return to the
original point, because the issue of racial conflicts cannot be resolved.”
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Religious minister slams burning of Quran in Sweden
18 Apr 2022
KOTA BHARU, April 18 — The burning of the Quran by a
political party leader in Sweden is an extreme act that should not be done by a
person of influence, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department
(Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad.
He said Islam should be respected by other religions.
“The act (burning the Quran) should not happen. Even
as Muslims, we are not allowed to burn the holy books of other religions, what
more to insult their religion.
”People from other faiths or religions should respect
Islam, there should be no provocation as Muslims are sensitive over this,” he
told a press conference after a state-level Multaqa Murabbi Ummah programme
which was opened by the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council
(MAIK) president Tan Sri Tengku Mohamad Rizam Tengku Abdul Aziz here last
night.
Malaysia strongly condemned the provocative action by
Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Stram Kurs, for burning a copy of the Holy Quran
in Linkoping, Sweden.
Source: Malay Mail
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South Asia
Taliban warns Pakistan over airstrikes, says 'don't
test patience of Afghans'
Apr 17, 2022
The Taliban on Sunday warned Pakistan over the recent
airstrikes on the Khost and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan in which more than
40 civilians lost their lives, news agency ANI reported.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the deputy minister of information
and culture said," Pakistan should not test the patience of the people of
Afghanistan or else should be ready to face the aftermath."
"We are trying our best to resolve the issue
through diplomatic channels and negotiations. Such acts will create tension
between Pakistan and Afghanistan which will lead to conflicts that are in
favour of no one," Mujahid, who is also the chief spokesperson of Taliban,
said.
Condemning Pakistan's recent airstrikes, Mujahid said
that repetition of such moves will have dire implications, ANI quoted The
Khaama Press.
On Saturday, the foreign ministry of the Taliban
regime summoned Pakistan's Afghan envoy Mansoor Ahmed Khan in Kabul and asked
for the prevention of such strikes in the future.
Pakistan's aircrafts bombed civilians' homes in the
Spera district of the southeastern Khost province killing at least 60
civilians, said The Khaama Press. The Pakistan's foreign office has neither
confirmed strikes , nor addressed if they were carried out by aircraft, which
would be the first time a military incursion is officially confirmed. The
Pakistan's embassy in Kabul denied it carried out air strikes.
Islamabad on Sunday said that the incidents of its
security forces being attacked from Afghanistan had risen, and asked the
Taliban authorities to act against perpetrators.
"Terrorists are using Afghan soil with impunity
to carry out activities inside Pakistan," said the Foreign Ministry
statement that was unusually harsh in its language, AP reported.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Taliban warn Pakistan of dire consequences if
airstrikes are repeated
April 17, 2022
Kabul: The Taliban warned Pakistan to face dire
consequences for the recent airstrikes on the Khost and Kunar provinces of
Afghanistan that killed 60 civilians if repeated.
In a statement, Deputy Minister of Information and
Culture and Chief Spokesperson of the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid said, that
Pakistan should not test the patience of the people of Afghanistan or else
should be ready to face the aftermath.
"We are trying our best to resolve the issue
through diplomatic channels and negotiations. Such acts will create tension
between Pakistan and Afghanistan which will lead to conflicts that are in
favour of no one," Mujahid said.
He further condemned Pakistan's recent airstrikes on
Khost and Kunar provinces in the strongest terms adding that repetition of such
moves will have dire implications, reported The Khaama Press.
Mujahid added that Afghans by defeating the US have
proven that they can defend their country hence, Pakistan should not examine
the patience of the people of Afghanistan.
The Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August and
the US military ended its 20 years of military presence in the country, marking
the end of a chaotic and messy exit from America's longest war.
Source: Firstpost
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Tajikistan residents fear Taliban attack
17 April, 2022
Kabul [Pakistan], April 17 (ANI): Amid the worldwide
disapproval of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, another imminent threat lurks
over Tajikistan residents as they fear Taliban attack yet again.
Tajiks have always been a target of the Taliban as
according to the latter, involvement of this ethnic heterogeneity in local and
national politics holds the power to overpower the Taliban’s rule, defusing
their grip on Afghanistan, as reported by an independent, non-profit media
organization Fair Observer. This terror of fragmentation has led the Taliban to
build a centralized governance system controlled by the Pashtuns.
Accompanied by war crimes, barbaric punishments like
beheading, lashing, stoning, and amputation are imposed upon the Tajiks as
well. Dreadful videos have emerged portraying the merciless killings of the
Tajiks at the hands of the ruthless insurgents, especially in the provinces of
Panjshir and Baghlan.
The return of the Taliban can once again create
dominance and oppression over the Tajik residents accompanied by mass murder
and assassination by the ruling party when the non-Pashtuns aka the Tajiks fail
to comply with their diktat. The civilians of Tajikistan hence find themselves
in a terrible face-off with the smoking barrel of a gun or at the sharp end of
a knife, Fair Observer reported
The Taliban’s re-entry to Afghanistan has been a
source of joy for many Pashtuns but, Tajiks and Uzbeks dread a reign of terror
as they set foot in another cycle of violence.
The client state founded by Abdul Rahman Khan was
always riddled with intra-ethnic feuds and tribal conflicts. But the founder
was successful in channeling the aggression of the Pashtuns towards the Uzbeks
and Tajiks in central Afghanistan commencing this war.
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/tajikistan-residents-fear-taliban-attack/919665/
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Mideast
Iran: Some Arab Countries' Normalization of Ties
Emboldens Israel for More Crimes
2022-April-17
Khatibzadeh made the remarks in a twitter post on
Saturday.
He voiced anger and condemned the Israeli regime's new
atrocities in al-Aqsa Mosque, and warned against the consequences of some Arab
countries' move to normalize relations with the Tel Aviv regime.
"Reminder that normalization with apartheid
regime of Israel only encourages the oppressor to double down on its
brutality," he said.
In a Friday phone call with Head of the political
bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas Ismail Haniyeh, Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian denounced the Israeli regime’s attack
at al-Aqsa Mosque, saying resistance is alive while the Zionists are in
desperation.
“Undoubtedly, the Zionist regime has become too weak
to withstand the uprising of the Palestinian people and the resistance that
created the epic of Operation al-Quds Sword,” he said.
Also on Friday, Khatibzadeh said the Israeli regime is
blatantly violating human rights principles and international law through
committing crimes in al-Aqsa Mosque.
He censured the Zionists’ “shameless” acts of violence
at holy sites in Palestine and against the fasting people and worshipers at the
mosque in the month of Ramazan.
Mass rallies were held across the Muslim world in
solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine.
Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in
occupied East Jerusalem, with medics saying at least 152 Palestinians have been
injured in the ensuing violence.
The Islamic endowment that runs the site said Israeli
police entered in force before dawn on Friday, as thousands of worshippers were
gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers.
Videos circulating online showed Palestinians throwing
rocks and police firing tear gas and stun grenades. Others showed worshippers
barricading themselves inside the mosque amid what appeared to be clouds of
tear gas.
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it
evacuated the majority of the wounded to hospitals. The endowment said one of
the guards at the site was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet.
The Palestinian Red Crescent added that Israeli forces
had hindered the arrival of ambulances and paramedics from reaching the mosque,
as Palestinian media said dozens of injured worshippers remained trapped inside
the compound.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010128000289/Iran-Nrmalizain-f-Ties-Embldens-Israel-fr-Mre-Crimes
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Israeli forces raid al-Aqsa Mosque for third time
since start of Ramazan
18 April 2022
Israeli forces stormed al-Aqsa Mosque for the third
time since the beginning of Ramazan early on Monday, attempting to clear
worshippers from courtyards to allow Israeli settlers to enter the occupied
East Jerusalem holy site.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa said large numbers of
officers had entered the area and snipers had been positioned on the roofs of
the mosque and adjacent buildings.
People under the age of 25 were also prevented from
entering the mosque.
Far-right Israeli activists and settler groups had
announced plans to storm al-Aqsa this week in large numbers starting from
Sunday to mark the Jewish Passover holiday.
The Islamic Waqf, a joint Jordanian-Palestinian trust
that administrates the affairs of al-Aqsa, recorded more than 500 settlers who
entered during this period.
Israeli forces first raided al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday.
During a second raid on Sunday, hundreds of Israelis, protected by heavily
armed forces, continuously stormed the courtyard of the mosque in different
groups.
Source: Middle East Eye
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Iranian Speaker Strongly Condemns Desecration of
Al-Aqsa Mosque
2022-April-17
"We strongly condemn the deliberate killing of
the oppressed people of Palestine by the Zionist criminals and the desecration
of Al-Aqsa Mosque," Qalibaf said on Sunday, addressing an open session of
the parliament.
He added that such crimes show the Zionist regime's
growing fear of the courageous resistance of the Palestinian people.
Qalibaf also warned occupiers about the growing anger
of Muslims, stressing that a severe and crushing punishment awaits them.
According to him, Palestinians are more awake than
ever and the decline of the occupiers and the aggressors is close.
Muslim youth, especially the Palestinian youth, will
take revenge on the blood of their brothers and sisters, he asserted.
The Islamic Republic of Iran will support the new
intifada of the honorable people of Palestine with all its might, Qalibaf said,
adding that the Resistance Front will definitely foil plots of the Zionist
enemy all over the world.
During the holy month of Ramazan, the governments of
the Muslim countries and their awakened nations must unanimously condemn the
crimes of the occupying and declining regime of Israel, he said.
"Undoubtedly, the governments, who have remained
silent about the killing of Palestinians, are considered accomplices of
criminals in the eyes of Muslims," Qalibaf concluded.
In relevant remarks on Saturday, Iranian Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh strongly deplored the sacrilege of Al-Aqsa
Mosque by the Israeli forces, saying that the Zionist regime’s beating and
wounding the Palestinian worshipers shows its weakness.
The crimes of Zionists against the oppressed people of
Palestine indicate the regime’s increasing weakness which it seeks to cover up
with a show of its hollow clout in the face of a number of defenseless
worshippers, Khatibzadeh said.
He warned against continued brutal and terrorist acts
of the occupiers in al-Quds and occupied Palestine.
Khatibzadeh added that these crimes constitute a gross
violation of international law and human rights, proving that the treacherous
move by heads of state of certain Islamic countries to normalize ties with the
Zionist regime will not result in a change of behavior on the part of this
entity that is by nature inclined to shedding blood and creating crises.
He invited all governments and international
organizations to support the people of Palestine and prevent the continuation
of crimes by the Zionists in Palestine, calling for popular movement by Muslim
nations in support of al-Aqsa Mosque.
Khatibzadeh said that the Zionist regime and its
regional and international backers are responsible for the consequences of the
acts of the Zionists in al-Quds and Palestine.
He also called for a rapid and immediate response by
the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Muslim countries in support
of al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian nation.
Israeli police raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in
occupied East Jerusalem, with medics saying at least 152 Palestinians have been
injured in the ensuing violence.
The Islamic endowment that runs the site said Israeli
police entered in force before dawn on Friday, as thousands of worshippers were
gathered at the mosque for early morning prayers, Al-Jazeera reported.
Videos circulating online showed Palestinians throwing
rocks and police firing tear gas and stun grenades. Others showed worshippers
barricading themselves inside the mosque amid what appeared to be clouds of
tear gas.
The Palestinian Red Crescent emergency service said it
evacuated the majority of the wounded to hospitals. The endowment said one of
the guards at the site was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010128000632/Iranian-Speaker-Srngly-Cndemns-Desecrain-f-Al-Asa-Mse
--------
Iran Strongly Condemns Sacrilege of Holy Quran in
Sweden
2022-April-17
“Iran strongly condemns the burning of the Holy Qur’an
by an extremist racist Danish element in the Swedish city of Linkoping, which
took place under the pretext of freedom of expression and under the auspices of
the Danish police,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on
Sunday.
He said the deliberate repetition of the insulting act
during the holy month of Ramazan hurt the feelings of Muslims in Sweden and
around the world, adding, “This blasphemous act is a clear example of hate
mongering and contrary to freedom of expression, and should be condemned by all
those who believe in coexistence and dialog among religions.”
The spokesman held the Swedish government accountable,
urging immediate action from Sweden to severely deal with the perpetrators and
take practical measures to prevent the recurrence of such actions.
“The action perpetrated by the insulter and his
supporters necessitates, more than before, the unity of Muslims and Islamic
countries against the conspiracies of the enemies of Islam,” Khatibzadeh
concluded.
The strong condemnation came on Saturday after the
Danish leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party tried to burn a
copy of Qur’an in a heavily-populated Muslim area in Sweden.
Rasmus Paludan, accompanied by police, went to an open
public space in the southern Swedish city of Linkoping and reportedly placed
the Muslim holy book down and tried to set it on fire while ignoring protests
from onlookers.
The blasphemous act prompted protesters, around 200
people by local media’s estimate, to clash with the members of the far-right
party and Swedish police after their pleas to stop Paludan’s sacrilegious move
were conveniently disregarded.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson came out in
support of the far-right group’s anti-Muslim move, saying, “In Sweden, people
are allowed to express their opinions, whether they are in good or bad taste,”
and that it is part of her country’s democracy.
Paludan has regularly been at the center of such
incidents in recent years. In 2019, he wrapped the holy book in bacon and
tossed it in the air.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010128000848/Iran-Srngly-Cndemns-Sacrilege-f-Hly-Qran-in-Sweden
--------
US Delay in Issuing Visa Cancels Iranian Economy
Minister’s Visit for IMF Meeting
2022-April-17
The Iranian ministry of finance and economic affairs
said in statement on Saturday that Khandouzi had decided to cancel his planned
visit to the US after authorities in the country said they would issue visas
for the Iranian delegation only in the days within the start of the IMF/World
Bank event.
“This is not a first time that the US government is
violating its obligations towards international institutions like the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund and is stonewalling the attendance of
a delegation from our country in international summits,” said the statement.
It criticized the US for having an opportunistic
approach to the presence of some international institutions on its soil by
forcing them to apply political pressure on member countries.
The ministry said those pressures have deprived Iran
of the ability to enjoy its rights in international organizations.
It also said that US authorities have repeatedly
blocked Iran’s presence in IMF and World Bank Group meetings despite the fact
that the county is a founding member of those international institutions.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Spokesman: Iran Hosting Afghan Refugees, Britain
Deporting Asylum-Seekers
2022-April-17
“Britain plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda under
human rights pretexts. That’s while Iran has for years hosted Afghan refugees
and asylum seekers, even when it was under sanctions and without receiving
international assistance,” Bahadori Jahromi said on Saturday.
The Iranian foreign ministry had also on Saturday
lashed out at Britain for forced deportation of asylum-seekers to Rwanda,
calling the move a violation of the international laws.
"This British plan to put its responsibility toward
refugees on the shoulder of a third country exposes the refugees to violations
of the rights mentioned in conventions on refugees and human rights agreements
and completely ignores human and moral considerations," Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said.
He rejected the objectification of refugees, the use
of violence, and humiliating acts that violate human dignity, and reminded that
Iran is hosting millions of refugees.
"The British government’s plan to deport refugees
comes while this country and other Western states always ignore the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s efforts to manage and deal with millions of migrants and
refugees."
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has been hosting
millions of refugees, especially from the neighboring country of Afghanistan,
while observing human and humanitarian considerations and receiving minimum
foreign aid, which has been repeatedly recognized and commended by
international institutions related to the affairs of the refugees,"
Khatibzadeh concluded.
Britain announced a deal with Rwanda on Thursday to
send some asylum-seekers thousands of miles to the East African country.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Raisi says Iran will target heart of Israel if it acts
against Iranian nation
18 April ,2022
Iran’s armed forces will target Israel’s heart if it
makes “the slightest move” against the Islamic Republic, President Ebrahim
Raisi told a military parade on Monday.
“If you make slightest move against our nation ... our
armed forces destination will be the heart of the Zionist regime,” Raisi said
in a televised speech.
Israel, which the Islamic Republic refuses to
recognise, says it will not accept Iran as “a nuclear threshold state”, while
Tehran and world powers have been trying to revive a 2015 nuclear pact.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Jerusalem violence puts strain on Israel's coalition
government
17 April ,2022
Clashes in Jerusalem that have stoked tensions during
the Muslim holy month of Ramazan spread into Sunday, triggering 18 arrests and
putting further strain on Israel's coalition government.
Israeli riot police faced off with fireworks-hurling
Palestinians in the alleyways of the walled Old City after a visit by Jews to a
disputed holy site.
Several passengers on two buses were lightly wounded
when stone-throwing Palestinians smashed the vehicles' windows. And a small
group of Jewish worshippers was attacked.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
Sunday's confrontations were less violent than clashes
at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound two days earlier, but they were enough
to prompt a small but pivotal Arab party to review its membership in Israeli
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's ruling coalition, which no longer has a
majority in parliament.
The United Arab List - the first party drawn from the
country's 21 percent Arab minority to join an Israeli government - said it was
suspending its government membership over Israel's handling of the Al-Aqsa
violence and would consider officially resigning if things did not change.
Bennett's coalition controls 60 of 120 seats in
parliament, including four from the United Arab List.
Some political commentators said the announcement was
a symbolic gesture to take pressure off party leaders during the crisis and it
could be resolved by the time parliament reconvenes next month.
The Old City lies in East Jerusalem, which Israel
captured in a 1967 war and which Palestinians seek to make the capital of a
future state.
Tensions over Jerusalem fanned an 11-day war last May
between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pope
calls for free access to Jerusalem holy sites
17
April ,2022
Pope
Francis on Sunday called for free access to the holy sites in Jerusalem as he
delivered his annual Easter address amid simmering violence between Israelis
and Palestinians in the Holy City.
“May
there be peace for the Middle East, racked by years of conflict and division.
On this glorious day, let us ask for peace upon Jerusalem and peace upon all
those who love her, Christians, Jews and Muslims alike.
“May
Israelis, Palestinians and all who dwell in the Holy City, together with the
pilgrims, experience the beauty of peace, dwell in fraternity and enjoy free
access to the Holy Places in mutual respect for the rights of each,” he said.
Clashes
between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police wounded ten protesters on
Sunday morning in and around Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound,
the site of major clashes two days earlier, police said.
The
latest tensions in Jerusalem come as all three Abrahamic faiths mark major
festivals: Jewish Passover, Christian Easter and the Muslim fasting month of
Ramazan.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Thousands
of Christian worshipers mark Easter in Jerusalem
17
April ,2022
Christian
worshipers gathered in Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Seplucher, the
traditional site of Jesus’s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, on Sunday to
observe the Easter holiday.
Thousands
of people participated in mass at the church in the historic Old City, home to
holy sites to the three monotheistic faiths.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Tens
of thousands have come to Jerusalem for the holidays now that most coronavirus
restrictions have been lifted.
Sunday
is Easter in the Western Christian calendar, and is Palm Sunday for Eastern
Orthodox Christians.
This
year the holiday coincides with the Jewish holiday of Passover and the Muslim
holy month of Ramazan for the first time in over three decades.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Yemeni
gov't accuses rebels of banning Tarawih prayers
Aziz
al-Ahmadi
17.04.2022
SANAA,
Yemen
The
Yemeni government on Sunday accused Houthi rebels of banning the Tarawih,
special night prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan, in areas under
their control.
Information
Minister Moammar Al-Eryani said Houthis “seek to impose by force their ideas
and sectarian beliefs imported from Iran.”
"The
Houthis are targeting the sectarian diversity and undermining the principle of
coexistence in Yemeni society,” he added in statements carried by the state
news agency Saba.
The
Yemeni minister called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Muslim
scholars and rights groups to condemn the Houthi practices and their assaults
on mosques.
There
was no comment from the Houthi group on the minister’s accusations.
Yemen
has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned
Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/yemeni-govt-accuses-rebels-of-banning-tarawih-prayers/2565699
--------
Yemen’s
new leader Abdullah Al-Alimi warns Houthis
April
18, 2022
RIYADH:
Yemen’s new leaders are “ready for war” should the latest push for peace with
Houthis fail, but a senior official said they genuinely want the years-long
conflict to end soon.
“Our
first option is peace, but we are ready for war,” Abdullah Al-Alimi said in his
first interview since being named to an eight-member leadership council tasked
with running the country after President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi stepped down
earlier this month.
“We
believe the council is in a position, with the coalition support, to score a
decisive military victory,” Al-Alimi said in Riyadh.
Hadi’s
April 7 announcement handing power to the council came at the end of talks in
Riyadh that brought together all anti-Houthi factions.
The
developments followed the start of a renewable two-month truce.
“We
hope the dire situation in Yemen will make people have a desire to leave
personal and partisan interests behind in pursuit of peace,” said Al-Alimi,
formerly Hadi’s chief of staff.
He
said council leaders are due to meet in the coming days with UN special envoy
to Yemen Hans Grundberg.
The
new council has not yet decided how long it will give the Houthis to join
talks, Al-Alimi said.
If
the push for peace goes no-where, the newly aligned anti-Houthi forces are
positioned to pursue “a concerted multifront campaign” against the militia,
said Peter Salisbury, senior Yemen analyst for the International Crisis Group.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2065201/middle-east
--------
Pakistan
The
Need For A Sharia-Compliant Counter At Pakistan Stock Exchange
Ahmed
Ali Siddiqui | Maryam Tariq
April
18, 2022
As
per world bank rankings on financial inclusion, Pakistan ranks poorly at 136
out of 158 countries. According to data from the Securities and Exchange
Commission of Pakistan, from the Capital Market Development Plan Report, only
210,000 retail investors have a trading account on the Pakistan Stock Exchange
(PSX). The number of active investors in PSX is around 100,000. This accounts
for less than 0.1 per cent of the population.
In
comparison, other regional markets have far higher participant levels.
Bangladesh stock market has 2.7 million retail investors participating,
Malaysia Stock Market has 2.5m retail investors, Thailand has 1.46m and India
has a much larger retail investor base of 32m. Even Sri Lanka which only has a
population of 21m has 630,000 retail investors.
One
of the reasons for this low investor participation is the lack of information
regarding stock market investment avenues and apprehension amongst the general
public regarding the Sharia-permissibility of stock market investments. Due to
the general perception that stock market investments are often based on
speculation, the apprehensions regarding market manipulation, and market
features like short-sell and margin borrowing raise doubt regarding the Sharia
compliance status of the trading process. Often the lack of clarity amongst the
investors regarding the business model and Sharia-compliance level of the
listed scrips induces many Sharia scholars to advise the general public to stay
away from stock market investments.
One
of the ways in which this can be solved is via the development of a
Sharia-compliant trade counter at the Pakistan Stock Exchange which would
streamline the trade process in an approved Sharia-compliant manner, resulting
in increased investor confidence and investor information, while providing ease
of mind and confidence regarding the soundness of stock market investments in
the light of Sharia principles.
To
date, many steps have been taken by the PSX to address this perception issue by
incorporating measures that help sharia-compliant investments via the stock
market.
KMI-all
share index and KMI-30 index, are the two indices that provide a universe of
sharia-compliant stocks for investment, screened as per the KMI
sharia-compliance screening criteria. Moreover, the first Sharia-compliant
exchange-traded fund (ETF), Meezan Pakistan ETF, was launched in 2020, which
tracks Sharia-compliant securities with higher market capitalisation.
The
PSX has also issued notices to listed companies to ensure that they make all
relevant disclosures required for Sharia screening and those disclosures have
also been mandated under the Companies Act,2017. All these steps have helped
provide a platform for investors to undertake investments in Sharia-compliant
securities with ease. In light of these, the PSX bagged the Best Islamic Stock
Exchange Award 2021 by Global Islamic Finance Awards, since more than 50pc of
the listed securities on PSX are shariah-compliant.
However,
other than security selection the trading process apprehension remains
unaddressed and many investors remain unaware of the possibility and ways to
undertake Sharia-compliant stock market investments in Pakistan. Therefore, to
further facilitate investors in Sharia-compliant securities, a Sharia-compliant
trade mechanism is the next needed step.
As
per our analysis of the last three years’ data of the PSX, the all-share index
and the KMI-all-share index (illustrated in the table), the Sharia-compliant
stocks represent 56pc of the market capitalisation and average trade volume of
the PSX’s business, which represents a significant chunk of overall listed equity
investments in the country.
Moreover,
Sharia-compliant stocks’ annualised three-year-growth rate has been
significantly higher than the overall listed equity universe of PSX, while as
compared to the growth differential between the two indices, the trade volume
has been comparatively lower for KMI-All.
One
reason is the lack of an Islamic trading counter on PSX, due to which the
general public who wishes to directly invest in Sharia-compliant stocks, in a
Sharia-compliant manner, is unable to do so.
At
a total of Rs17.6 billion, 2021 has been a year of record-sized initial public
offerings (IPO). Of the five IPOs last year, four of them (worth Rs11.2bn) were
Sharia-compliant scrips as Islamic banks were amongst their
bankers-to-the-issue. This also signals high public demand for Sharia-compliant
investments.
With
recent government efforts to channel foreign investments towards Pakistani
capital markets, funds have been flowing into PSX via Roshan Digital Account
(RDA) holders. A sizeable number of RDA holders of Meezan bank, requested a
Sharia-compliant trading facility, because of which Meezan Bank had to ask
specific brokers to maintain a system adhering to Sharia-trade rules,
particularly for their customers.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1685450/the-need-for-a-sharia-compliant-counter-at-psx
--------
PM
Shehbaz writes letter to Modi, says peaceful Pak-India ties imperative for
progress of region
Naveed
Siddiqui
April
17, 2022
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday penned a letter to Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, calling on him to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in the
"interest of mutual peace and prosperity" for India and Pakistan.
Modi
had congratulated the premier on his April 11 election as the prime minister
and said India desired peace and stability in the region. PM Shehbaz had
reciprocated the gesture and said Pakistan desired "peaceful and
cooperative ties" with India for which a solution to the Kashmir dispute
was "indispensable".
In
Sunday's letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the prime minister
reiterated his gratitude to his Indian counterpart for his well wishes and said
that Pakistan remained "committed to the maintenance of regional peace and
security".
The
letter said Pakistan's sacrifices and contribution towards fighting and
eliminating terrorism were "well known and globally acknowledged".
"We
believe that peaceful and cooperative ties between Pakistan and India are
imperative for the progress and socioeconomic uplift of our people and for the
region.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Urges Afghan Government to Secure Pak-Afghan Border Region
17
Apr 2022
Pakistan’s
Foreign Ministry in a press release said that terrorists have been using Afghan
soil to carry out terror attacks in Pakistan and have asked the Afghan
government to secure the border region.
The
Ministry’s spokesperson in the statement said that security along the
Pak-Afghan border has increased recently wherein Pakistani security forces are
being targeted from across the border.
The
press release is made public after Pakistani aircrafts conducted airstrikes in
the Spera district of Khost province killing over 40 people.
“Pakistan
has repeatedly requested Afghan Government in last few months to secure
Pak-Afghan border region. Terrorists are using Afghan soil with impunity to
carry out activities inside Pakistan.” Reads the press release.
The
press release further added that recent terror activities along the border are
detrimental to the country’s efforts of maintaining peace and stability in the
region.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-urges-afghan-government-to-secure-pak-afghan-border-region-45756/
--------
Head
of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e Islam denounces Zionist aggressions in Al-Aqsa
mosque
April
17, 2022
Head
of Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulema-e Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday condemned
the Zionist attacks on Palestinian worshippers in the Holy al-Aqsa mosque.
Referring
to the Islamic leaders who are normalizing relations with Tel-Aviv regime, he
called on them to wake up and open their eyes to the oppression faced by Palestinians.
He
said that it is time for the Islamic leaders to take a firm stance to the
Zionist brutalities against the Palestinian people.
Source:
ABNA24
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
IHC
dismisses petition against issuance of diplomatic passport to Nawaz Sharif
Tahir
Naseer
April
18, 2022
The
Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed a petition asking the court to
stop the expected issuance of a diplomatic passport to PML-N supremo and former
prime minister Nawaz Sharif, stating that the petition "is based on
unreliable material and is, therefore, frivolous".
Advocate
Naeem Haider Panjutha, had filed a petition in the IHC on Thursday, referring
to media reports that said Nawaz was being issued a diplomatic passport on the
instructions of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — also his sibling.
The petitioner claimed that the instructions for the issuance of the diplomatic
passport were given to the interior and foreign affairs secretaries.
The
petitioner contended that as Nawaz "is a court absconder who was convicted
by learned NAB (National Accountability Bureau) Court for corruption ... it is
violative of law, a mockery of the justice system and disgrace to the nation if
a diplomatic passport is issued to a convict".
In
its order today, the court noted that the petitioner could not show any order,
direction or notification issued by the federal government to substantiate his
claim.
"It
is noted that no evidentiary value is attached to the press reports and no
reliance can be placed on it when a person claims a legal right on its basis.
It is settled law that courts do not decide cases on the basis of press
reports," the IHC chief justice observed.
The
chief justice disposed of the petition after slapping a Rs5,000 fine on the
petitioner on account of counsels engaged during the hearing at state expense.
In
August last year, Nawaz had filed an appeal with the British Immigration
Tribunal after the Home Department refused to extend his stay in the country on
“medical grounds” any further.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Verdict
in Sri Lankan citizen Priyantha Kumara's lynching expected today
Rana
Bilal
April
18, 2022
An
anti-terrorism court is expected to announce the verdict in Sri Lankan citizen
Priyantha Kumara's lynching case on Monday (today).
Kumara
was lynched by a mob comprising hundreds of protesters, including the employees
of the factory in Sialkot he was the manager of, on December 3. The mob had
tortured him to death and later burnt his body.
A
first information report was registered against 900 workers of Rajco Industries
on the application of Uggoki Station House Officer Armaghan Maqt under sections
302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7 and 11WW of
the Anti-Terrorism Act. Scores of suspects were arrested in the following days.
The
incident saw widespread outrage and condemnation across Pakistan with
politicians, scholars and civil society members calling for swift punishment to
be meted out to the perpetrators.
The
ATC had indicted 89 individuals accused of the lynching on March 12. According
to the challan submitted by the police, 80 of the accused are adults while nine
of them are minors.
Judge
Natasha Naseem had conducted the trial in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail.
The
statements of the accused had been recorded under Section 342 of the Code of
Criminal Procedures (CrPC).
Five
prosecutors, including Senior Special Prosecutor Abdul Rauf Wattoo, appeared
during the trial. The prosecution had made 46 eyewitnesses part of the challan.
According
to the challan, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, videos, digital
evidence, DNA evidence, forensic evidence, eyewitnesses, including Kumara's
colleague who had tried to save him from the mob, were made part of the
investigation.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Key
suspects in attack on Dost Mazari, police identified
Asif
Chaudhry
April
18, 2022
LAHORE:
At least 15 members of the Punjab Assembly, including Q-League leader Chaudhry
Parvez Elahi, besides his private security chief, former secretary of the
assembly Mohammad Khan Bhatti and others have been identified as prime suspects
during an initial investigation into the assault on Deputy Speaker Dost
Mohammad Mazari and law enforcers during the Saturday session marred by
unprecedented violence.
On
the ‘order’ of Speaker Elahi who was contesting chief minister’s election that
Deputy Speaker Mazari was to conduct on a court directive, former SP and
retired Major Faisal allegedly brought some private men, wearing PA’s security
department officials uniform, into the House, according to the police
investigations.
An
official privy to the development told Dawn that footage examined by the
investigators showed that retired Maj Faisal, who was chief security officer of
Mr Elahi, entered along with some other men in the uniform of Punjab Assembly
security department officials.
Explaining
his old association with the Chaudhrys of Gujarat, the official said on Mr
Elahi’s recommendation, he had been hired in the Punjab police some 15 years
ago on a contract basis. Later when his contract was terminated during the
PML-N rule, Mr Elahi hired him as his chief security officer. Since then he had
been serving the Chaudhrys, the official explained.
Investigators
spot 15 MPAs, including Parvez Elahi, his security chief and former assembly
secretary in footage
Deputy
Speaker Mazari and police investigations also marked many other people
including 14 MPAs besides Mr Elahi and the then secretary of the assembly
Mohammad Khan Bhatti as the prime suspects in the investigations.
According
to the documents (a copy is also available with Dawn), the 14 MPAs included
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders Umar Tanveer, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Malik
Taimoor Masood, Khayyal Ahmad Kastro, Mohammad Waris Aziz, Umar Farooq, Shahbaz
Ahmad, Malik Nadeem Abbas, Mahinder Pall Singh, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nadeem
Qureshi, Mohammad Ali Raza Khan Khakwani, Ejaz Khan and Shujahat Nawaz of the
PML-Q.
They
allegedly thrashed, manhandled and tortured Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari
in the Punjab Assembly. “These suspects thrashed Mr Mazari and beat up him using
kicks and fists in a bid to kill him,” reads an official document.
Some
security staff and the PML-N leaders rescued him amid strong resistance, it
said, adding that Mr Elahi, Mr Bhatti, special secretary Amir Habib, secretary
coordination Anayatullah, security officer Sardar Akbar Nasir and retired Major
Faisal entered along with several unidentified private men.
They
attacked and thrashed many provincial lawmakers, the document stated, adding
that the suspects blatantly violated the law of land bringing disgrace/shame
for the sanctity of the provincial assembly.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1685554/key-suspects-in-attack-on-dost-mazari-police-identified
--------
Pakistan
govt assures security to journalists
18
April, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], April 18 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed
the authorities concerned to ensure the security and safety of senior
journalists and their homes.
Several
journalists were attacked during Imran Khan’s rule in Pakistan as Asad Ali Toor
was allegedly assaulted by three masked men at his Islamabad residence in 2021,
another journalist Zahid Shareef Rana was targeted for a report on political
associates and relatives of a legislator linked to Imran Khan’s
Tehreek-e-Insaaf party.
Hamid
Mir, a prominent Pakistani journalist was taken off the air indefinitely for
making hard-hitting remarks against the powerful military establishment.
Following
the directions of the premier, Pakistan Muslim League (Q) PML-N spokesperson
Marriyum Aurangzeb has contacted the Inspector General of Police (IG) Islamabad
Ahsan Younis and told him that those who tried to harass journalists and
attacked their homes should be dealt with severely.
“Those
who tried to bully and attack the houses of senior journalists Hamid Mir, Asma
Shirazi, and Saleem Safi will be dealt with severely. Instructions have been
issued to the concerned law enforcement officials, including IG Islamabad.
Bullying of any kind will not be tolerated,” she wrote on Twitter.
Aurangzeb
said that the Constitution has guaranteed citizens their fundamental rights and
rights to the freedom of expression, therefore, no concessions should be made
to those who take the law into their own hands.
She
went on to say that with the ouster of Imran Khan from power, the intimidation
and torture of journalists will no longer be tolerated.
“Imran
Sahib’s dark era of suffocating journalists, breaking their ribs, shooting
them, taking TV shows off-air, putting journalists in jails for four years is
over. Your bullying will no longer work,” she tweeted.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://theprint.in/world/pakistan-govt-assures-security-to-journalists/920295/
--------
Africa
Nigerian
Muslims, pray for the right leader
By
Muhammad Rabiu
18
April 2022
SIR:
I write this letter to you as a Muslim brother and a citizen, who is deeply
concerned about the gory happenings in this country and who as well, prays for
its betterment. It is an undeniable fact that, the trying time Nigerians live,
is uncalled for. It is not what the citizens prayed for. Thus, it indicted the
leadership system of all the three arms of government in the country,
unfortunately.
If
the government have worked holistically towards curbing the menace, the
situation couldn’t have been worst like this. But, would the inferno ignited
due to the nonchalant attitudes of our leaders that seems to have been
politicising virtually everything, be left to consume the spirit and the
fabrics of our dear nation?
Truth
be told, even a responsible and serious government can’t fight a politically
created conflagration, on multiple fronts, alone; let alone, a government of
lackadaisical attitude. As Muslims of the ravaging county, therefore, we all
have a role to play, be it, individually or collectively.
As
we witness the first quarter of the month of Ramazan, which has the best nights
therein and in which the glorious Qur’an has been revealed, we need to cry
hard, for God, the almighty to come to the rescue of our nation.
We
must look inward and outward and return to God; the most merciful, the most
powerful, the compassionate and the absolute compeller. We should desist from
committing sins and repent from our misdeeds. We should give charities, recite the glorious Qur’an,
supplicate and intensify prayers to God to see to the end of this mess.
Religious
scholars should use their mights during tafsir, Imams during their Juma’a
sermons should pray immensely on this matter. Let Him choose for us the
rightful leaders of all cadres. Let God the almighty leave us not with our
wisdom and selfish wishes and choices.
Source:
Guardian Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://guardian.ng/opinion/letters/nigerian-muslims-pray-for-the-right-leader/
--------
Regional
forces kill 100 terrorists along Nigeria’s borders: Official
Olanrewaju
Kola
18.04.2022
LAGOS,
Nigeria
Troops
from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad have killed over 100 Boko Haram and
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists during special operations
along Nigeria's borders, a military official said Sunday.
Colonel
Muhammad Dole, the spokesman for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), in
a statement said a joint military operation was conducted in the past week
under Operation Lake Sanity on the terrorists' camps in the Lake Chad region.
"Well
over a hundred terrorists have been neutralized, including over 10 top
commanders, following intelligence-driven lethal air strikes in the Lake Chad
islands," he said, disclosing the names of some of the ISWAP commanders
killed in the offensive.
He
said 18 soldiers and officers were wounded when the terrorists attempted to
attack the troops with explosives-laden vehicles during the operation.
Dole
said troops seized some ammunition from the terrorists including 105 mm
artillery shells as well as canoes and motorbikes.
He
said their explosives-making factories and bunkers were also destroyed through
air bombardment.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Libya’s
National Oil says people entered Elephant oil facilities, halted production
17
April ,2022
Libya’s
National Oil Corp (NOC) declared on Sunday force majeure on oil production from
the Elephant oil field, also known as El Feel, curtailing the North African
nation’s production by 70,000 barrels per day.
The
state-owned oil company said in a statement that a group of people, which it
did not identify, had entered the facilities the previous day and prevented
employees from working.
The
takeover of the field, located in the southwest of the country, appears to be
an action against the Tripoli-based prime minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Tunisia
says countries offer help to tackle impact of fuel ship’s sinking
17
April ,2022
Some
countries have offered to help Tunisia prevent damage to the environment after
a merchant ship carrying up to one thousand tons of oil sank off the coast of
Gabes, the Tunisian defense ministry said on Sunday.
The
ship heading from Equatorial Guinea to Malta sank on Friday and the Tunisian
navy rescued all seven crew members.
The
vessel carried between 750 tons and one thousand tons of fuel and sent a distress
call seven miles away from Gabes to which the Tunisian navy responded,
officials said.
The
defense ministry said in statement sent to Reuters that to control the
environmental damage the Tunisian navy will work with countries that have
expressed their desire to help.
Local
media said that Italy had offered to help and that it is expected to send a
naval vessel specialized in dealing with marine disasters.
On
Saturday, Tunisian authorities opened an investigation into the ship’s sinking,
which the environment ministry said was caused by bad weather.
It
said barriers would be set up to limit the spread of the fuel and cordon off
the ship, before suctioning the spillage.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Morocco
condemns Israeli raid on Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque
16
April ,2022
Morocco
condemned on Saturday the Israeli raid on al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem saying
the escalation undermines peace efforts.
At
least 152 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli riot police inside
Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque compound on Friday, the latest outbreak in a recent
upsurge of violence that has raised fears of a slide back to wider conflict.
“This
blatant attack and systematic provocation during the holy month of Ramdan....
will stoke hatred and extremism and undermine chances to revive the peace
process in the region,” Morocco’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UN
says boat capsizes off Libya, 35 presumed dead
16
April ,2022
A
migrant boat has capsized off the Libyan coast, leaving at least 35 people dead
or presumed dead, the UN migration agency said Saturday.
The
shipwreck took place Friday off the western Libyan city of Sabratha, a major
launching point for the mainly African migrants making the dangerous voyage
across the Mediterranean, said the International Organization for Migration.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
IOM said the bodies of six migrants were pulled out while 29 others were
missing and presumed dead. It was not immediately clear what caused the wooden
boat to capsize.
The
tragedy was the latest to involve migrants departing from North Africa to seek
a better life in Europe. This past week alone, at least 53 migrants were
reported dead or presumed dead off Libya, according to the IOM.
“Dedicated
search and rescue capacity and a safe disembarkation mechanism are urgently
needed to prevent further deaths and suffering,” the IOM said.
Earlier
this month, more than 90 people in an overcrowded boat drowned in the
Mediterranean Sea, days after they left Libya, according to the Doctors Without
Borders aid group.
Migrants
regularly try to cross the Mediterranean from Libya in a desperate attempt to
reach European shores. The country has emerged as the dominant transit point
for migrants fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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North America
Toronto
Tightens Security At Mosques, Islamic Community Centres
Seyit
Aydogan
18.04.2022
TORONTO
The
Canadian city of Toronto tightened security at Muslim places of worship and
community centers Sunday after five people were injured in a mosque shooting
the previous day.
Nishan
Duraiappah, the police chief of Peel District, where the incident occurred,
said in a statement on his social media account that they increased the
security protocol at mosques and community centers belonging to Muslims in the
region.
Toronto
Police Chief James Ramer also said in a statement that the search continues for
the attackers, who opened fire from a vehicle on five people who were coming out
of tarawih prayers, special prayers performed after the night (Isha) prayer
during the Muslim holy month of Ramazan.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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5
injured in mosque shooting in Canada
Seyit
Aydoğan
17.04.2022
TORONTO,
Canada
Five
people were injured in a mosque shooting Saturday in the Toronto area of
Canada, according to police sources.
A
group of men, who had finished midnight prayers during the holy month of
Ramazan, was randomly attacked in a drive-by shooting in the Scarborough
district, said Toronto Police Department spokesperson David Rydzik.
At
least six shots were fired but it remains unknown how many suspects were
involved in the shooting, he said.
“We
are unable to say whether the victims were targeted because of their religious
beliefs,” said Rydzik.
Meanwhile,
Nadeem Sheikh, board member of the Scarborough Muslim Association said he is
concerned about the shooting.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/5-injured-in-mosque-shooting-in-canada/2565500
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Toronto mosque shooting prompts increased patrols in Ottawa
April
17, 2022
Ottawa
police say they have been in contact with local imams in the city following a
shooting outside a mosque in Scarborough early Saturday morning.
The
drive-by shooting happened at around 1 a.m., following midnight prayers for
Ramazan. Toronto police said five people were shot in an apparently random
drive-by shooting. None of the victims' injuries are considered
life-threatening.
In
a tweet Sunday, the Ottawa Police Service said it was monitoring the
investigation and that patrols have been increased around religious
institutions.
Source:
Ottawa
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https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/toronto-mosque-shooting-prompts-increased-patrols-in-ottawa-1.5864699
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Europe
Three
injured in Sweden amid unrest, Quran burnings
18
April ,2022
Three
people in the Swedish city of Norrkoping needed medical attention after being
hit by police bullets during clashes between police and protesters following
Quran burnings that caused riots in several Swedish towns over the Easter
weekend.
In
some places counter-protesters attacked police ahead of planned right-wing
extremist demonstrations. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has condemned the
violence.
“Three
people seem to have been hit by ricochets and are now being cared for in
hospital. All three injured are arrested on suspicion of crime,” police said in
an online statement, adding none of the injuries were life-threatening.
Police
said the situation in Norrkoping was calm on Sunday evening.
Police
and protesters have been engaged in serious clashes during the past days where
several police have been injured and multiple vehicles have been torched.
The
violence began on Thursday after a demonstration organized by Rasmus Paludan,
leader of Danish far-right political party Hard Line.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Russia
summons Israeli ambassador over Tel Aviv’s anti-Moscow stance
April
18, 2022
The
Russian foreign ministry has summoned the Israeli ambassador to Moscow after
Tel Aviv denounced Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
The
summons came on Sunday after the Israeli regime’s foreign minister Yair Lapid
accused Russia of committing “war crimes” in Ukraine.
Lapid
had claimed that Russia had “invaded” Ukraine, alleging that there was no
“justification” for the military operation. “Russian forces committed war
crimes against a defenseless civilian population. I condemn these war crimes,”
he had said.
On
February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military
operation” aimed at “demilitarization” of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in
eastern Ukraine. In 2014, the two regions declared themselves new republics,
refusing to recognize Ukraine’s Western-backed government.
Russia
has denied targeting civilians during the operation and has said it would halt
the military operation instantly if Kiev met Moscow’s list of conditions.
Moscow has specified some of the demands as protection of its interests and
nationals in Ukraine and prevention of the ex-Soviet republic’s accession to
the Western military alliance of NATO.
Earlier
this month, the Israeli regime voted in favor of a United Nations General
Assembly resolution suspending the Russian Federation’s membership in the UN
Human Rights Council.
Reacting
to the vote, the Russian foreign ministry called the resolution "unlawful
and politically motivated.”
Source:
ABNA24
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Turkish
president, UN chief discuss Russia-Ukraine war, Jerusalem tensions
Sefa
Mutlu
17.04.2022
Over
the phone on Sunday, the Turkish president and UN chief discussed the ongoing
Russia-Ukraine war and recent tensions in Jerusalem.
"We
had a phone talk with the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres. In our
conversation, we discussed regional developments, especially the incident in
Jerusalem and the Ukraine-Russia war," Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said on Twitter.
Erdogan
also said he stressed the importance of the Istanbul process for the Russia-Ukraine
peace talks and efforts to settle disagreements between the parties.
At
least 1,982 civilians have been killed and 2,651 injured in Ukraine since the
war started on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates, with the true figure
believed to be much higher.
More
than 4.8 million Ukrainians have fled to other countries, with over 7 million
more internally displaced, said the UN refugee agency.
The
leaders also addressed the recent tensions in Jerusalem, as Erdogan told
Guterres that Ankara strongly condemns Israel's interventions against
worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and finds it "unacceptable."
They
also evaluated the joint steps that can be taken to achieve peace in the
region.
Tension
has mounted across the Palestinian territories since Israeli forces raided the
Al-Aqsa Mosque courtyard on Friday amid clashes with worshippers, injuring
hundreds.
On
Sunday, more than 700 Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque
complex under heavy police protection to celebrate the week-long Jewish
Passover holiday, which started on Friday.
Al-Aqsa
Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the
"Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in
ancient times.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindus-islamic-nation-yati-narsinghanand/d/126816