Hindus Who Migrated to India Want to Return to Pakistan, Says National Commission for Minorities Chairman Chela Ram Kewalani
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 December 2020
National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairman
Chela Ram Kewalani has said that members of the Hindu minority community, who
have migrated from Pakistan to India, now want to return due to gross human
rights violations in the neighbouring country. — APP/File
------
• Israel Says Pakistan Not Among Muslim Countries It
May Have Ties With
• France Opens Door to Talks with Some African
Jihadists
• Malaysia’s Islamic Authorities Allow Use of
Coronavirus Vaccine
• Bonding of Punjab’s Muslim with Sikh Community -
Muslims Offer Zarda Pulao, Sweetened Rice, Langar at Singhu Border
• UAE Expats Thankful To Enjoy Christmas Away From
Tough COVID-19 Lockdowns
• Taliban Face Heavy Retaliation in South Battles, 28
Killed
• UN Probe in Mali Sees War Crimes, Crimes against
Humanity: Report
• UN 'Concerned' Over Trump’s Pardons for Guards Who
Massacred Iraqi Civilians
Pakistan
• Hindus Who Migrated to India Want to Return to
Pakistan, Says National Commission for Minorities Chairman Chela Ram Kewalani
• Maryam Nawaz lashes at Pak PM, asks why he assumed
office when wasn’t prepared
• Zardari invites Fazl to Larkana for rally on Benazir
death anniversary
• Dialogue with India not possible in current
situation: Qureshi
• Pakistan Democratic Movement holds rally in Mardan
despite govt restrictions
--------
Mideast
• Israel Says Pakistan Not Among Muslim Countries It
May Have Ties With
• Right-Wing Challenge To PM Netanyahu Builds Ahead Of
Israeli Election
• Rouhani: Fate awaiting Trump no better than Saddam
Hussein's
• Instagram Continues to Discrimination against
Iranians
• Turkey’s Erdogan says hopes to ‘turn new page’ in
ties with US, EU in 2021
• Ports in aggressor states will be targeted if
Saudi-led siege continues: Yemeni FM
• Erdogan says European court’s ruling on jailed
politician ‘hypocritical’
--------
Europe
• France Opens Door to Talks with Some African
Jihadists
• Prosecutors Urged To Look Into Alleged Afghan
Civilian Killings By Dutch Soldiers
• Germany’s UN Envoy: We Need to Get It Right in the
Middle East, But Everybody Has To Play Ball
• Coronavirus: UK COVID-19 variant detected in Israel,
health ministry says
--------
Southeast Asia
• Malaysia’s Islamic Authorities Allow Use of
Coronavirus Vaccine
• Indonesian Christians, Muslims create Covid
Christmas tree
• In meet with celebrity preachers, minister Zulkifli
urges for pro-Covid vaccine messaging
--------
India
• Bonding of Punjab’s Muslim with Sikh Community -
Muslims Offer Zarda Pulao, Sweetened Rice, Langar at Singhu Border
• Ayodhya Mosque Land Is Legal, Not Against Shariat:
Chairman of Sunni Central Waqf Board
• Delhi Woman Allegedly Forced To Change Religion
after Marrying Muslim Man
• After 'Love Jihad', MP Govt Now Warns Strict Action
against Land Grabbers Marrying Tribal Women
--------
Arab World
• UAE Expats Thankful To Enjoy Christmas Away From
Tough COVID-19 Lockdowns
• Trump threatens Iran after attacks on US embassy in
Iraq
• Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Hariri warns of
Lebanon's rapid collapse
• Iraq denounces Trump’s pardon of Blackwater guards
• Qatar calls for Iran-Persian Gulf states dialogue;
welcomes any initiative for regional peace
--------
South Asia
• Taliban Face Heavy Retaliation in South Battles, 28
Killed
• The Afghan police team welcoming back Taliban
fighters
• Bangladesh Envoy to Saudi Arabia Lauds Islamic
Military Counter Terrorism Coalition’s Works
• Provincial Head of MOHIA Shot Dead in Kandahar
• Dawlat Abad on The Verge of Collapse: Faryab
--------
Africa
• UN Probe in Mali Sees War Crimes, Crimes against
Humanity: Report
• Peace settlement efforts in Libya must be
intensified: Russia’s Lavrov
• Over 100 killed in latest ethnic massacre in
Ethiopia
• Israel Plane Blocked Out Of Algeria, Tunisia Airspace:
Report
• Local chief beheaded in Kenya, al-Shabab claims
responsibility
--------
North America
• UN 'Concerned' Over Trump’s Pardons for Guards Who
Massacred Iraqi Civilians
• Iranians created website threatening US election
officials: Security agencies
• Trump awards top aides for Arab-Israeli
normalization deals
• Activists call for end to recruitment of Canadian
citizens by Israeli army
• Oregon case reflects extremists' need of online
presence
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindus-migrated-india-want-return/d/123869
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Hindus Who Migrated to India Want to Return to
Pakistan, Says National Commission for Minorities Chairman Chela Ram Kewalani
Kalbe Ali
24 Dec 2020
National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairman
Chela Ram Kewalani has said that members of the Hindu minority community, who
have migrated from Pakistan to India, now want to return due to gross human
rights violations in the neighbouring country. — APP/File
------
ISLAMABAD: National Commission for Minorities (NCM)
chairman Chela Ram Kewalani has said that members of the Hindu minority
community, who have migrated from Pakistan to India, now want to return due to
gross human rights violations in the neighbouring country.
Chairing the sixth meeting of the commission here on
Wednesday, he urged India to stop persecution of religious minorities.
He observed that the issues faced by religious
minorities in Pakistan had to be addressed by the state and the commission
would play its role in this regard.
“We have to work together with all stakeholders and
authorities concerned to protect the places of worship of all minorities in the
country,” Mr Kewalani said, adding “protection of the minorities is the state’s
responsibility”.
Delhi urged to stop suppressing farmers’ protest
The meeting condemned persecution of protesting Sikh
farmers by the Indian government and the commission members noted that India
claimed to be the largest democracy in the world, but the religious minorities
and even low caste Hindus had always been deprived of their rights there.
“India should stop violating human rights. We have
reports from the Hindus who had migrated from Pakistan to India that they want
to return to the home country due to human rights violations, discriminations,
mistreatment and massive crime against women and children there,” Mr Kewalani
said.
The meeting was informed that members of the
commission led by its chairman had visited the Sadhu Bella Ashram in Sukkur,
Sindh, and met the administration. They observed that the building and other
infrastructure of the ashram was in dilapidated condition.
The meeting unanimously recommended that the agencies
concerned take necessary steps for early repair of the ashram.
The participants of the meeting said that it was also their
responsibility to help eliminate negative propaganda against Pakistan at the
international level.
During a discussion on the draft National Minorities
Commission Bill 2020, the meeting was told that detailed consultation with all
stakeholders was underway and following it the draft bill would be forwarded to
the federal cabinet for approval.
The participants said that the minorities would be
granted their rights in the country according to Quaid-i-Azam’s vision and the
constitution of Pakistan.
They said that the commission would use its
capabilities to promote inter-faith harmony in the country.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597532/hindus-who-migrated-to-india-want-to-return-says-ncm-chief
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Israel Says Pakistan Not Among Muslim Countries It May
Have Ties With
24 Dec 2020
In recent months, the
Trump administration has brokered rapprochements between Israel and the United
Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]
------
Pakistan is not among the Muslim countries Israel is
aiming to normalise relations with, an Israeli cabinet minister said.
In recent months, the Trump administration has
brokered rapprochements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain,
Sudan and Morocco.
Ofir Akunis, Israel’s regional cooperation minister,
told Ynet TV on Wednesday that there were two more countries lined up to
normalise ties with Israel before US President Donald Trump leaves the White
House next month.
He did not name either but said one was in the Gulf
but would not be Saudi Arabia.
The other, further to the east, is a “Muslim country
that is not small” but is not Pakistan, Akunis said.
Earlier this week, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi said Islamabad cannot recognise Israel until the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved.
“I categorically presented Pakistan’s stance on Israel
to the UAE’s foreign minister [during a visit to the UAE] that we will not and
cannot establish a relationship with Israel until a concrete and permanent
solution to the Palestine issue is found,” Qureshi said.
Qureshi’s statement came days after his visit to the
UAE, which was seen by many as crucial amid rumours that Islamabad had secretly
sent a messenger to Israel.
Islamabad denied the reports, which appeared mainly in
the Israeli media.
Responding to questions regarding reports about
alleged pressure from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf states for the
recognition of Israel, Qureshi said he explained to his UAE counterpart the
“depth of emotions and feelings Pakistanis have about Palestine and Kashmir”.
Meanwhile, Indonesia, the most populous Muslim
country, said last week it would not recognise Israel as long as Palestinian
statehood demands remain unmet. Malaysia has signalled a similar policy.
In Dhaka, a foreign ministry official said Bangladesh
was not interested in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.
“Our position remains the same,” he told the Reuters
news agency.
Oman has praised the US-brokered diplomatic drive but
has not commented on its own prospects of forging Israel ties.
The Palestinians, whose negotiations with Israel
stalled in 2014, fear being sidelined by the normalisation process.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/24/israel-says-pakistan-not-among-countries-to-normalise-ties-with
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France Opens Door to Talks with Some African Jihadists
DECEMBER 22, 2020
French soldiers during the
France-led Operation Aconit, which targeted Islamic State militants in Mali and
Niger between between June 7 and 19, 2019. Image: État-major des armées
------
France could back talks with some jihadist elements in
Africa’s restive Sahel region, a source in President Emmanuel Macron‘s office
said on Monday.
A dialogue with some elements of the Group to Support
Islam and Muslims (GSIM) would be “possible,” the source said, because their
agenda was more local and opportunistic than other groups.
France has more than 5,000 troops fighting jihadists
in the region, which runs the width of Africa to the south of the Sahara.
Overlapping insurgencies severely affect Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Macron ruled out negotiating with jihadist groups in
the Sahel last month, telling Jeune Afrique magazine: “We don’t talk with
terrorists. We fight.”
The source told AFP on Monday there could be no
negotiation with the leadership of Al-Qaeda, and any talks with the Islamic
State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) were also “neither possible nor requested by
anybody in the region.”
“We’re at war with two organisations which are not of
the Sahel but international, and which are waging a terrorist battle beyond the
region,” the source said.
Although affiliated with Al-Qaeda — which the source
said “nobody has ever managed to negotiate with” — GSIM contains elements which
might deserve “a response that is different from the war on terror.”
There is no reason for France to stand in the way of
discussions between regional governments and such elements, the source said.
Negotiating with jihadists in the Sahel region became
a hot topic in October when French hostage Sophie Petronin was freed following
talks led by Malian envoys — officially without French participation.
“Our objective is, by eliminating certain leaders, to
allow the Malians and the others to sit at the same table,” the source said.
The source also said that a summit is planned in
Africa in February with the leaders of the G5 Sahel countries — Mauritania,
Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.
France is planning to reduce its troop strength in the
region just a year after sending hundreds of extra troops to the Sahel, army
and government sources have told AFP.
France would like to withdraw several hundred troops
from its current 5,100-member contingent to make room for a stronger European
commitment, they say.
This would take it back to levels deployed before a
surge in activity in January, when rising numbers of jihadist attacks prompted
France to bolster its troop presence.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/12/22/france-talks-african-jihadists/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1848852_
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Malaysia’s Islamic Authorities Allow Use of
Coronavirus Vaccine
December 23, 2020
This view has been relayed to the Council of Rulers,
Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said in a statement on
Wednesday, amid concern among local Muslims that the shots could contain
substances forbidden by Islam.
The use of vaccines to protect Muslims from fatal
diseases was not unusual in Islamic law, the minister said. He cited six
instances between 1988 and 2013 when they were given to prevent infections from
Hepatitis B to Meningitis Menveo.
The Special Muzakarah Committee of the National
Council for Malaysian Islamic Affairs, which met on Dec. 3, is of the opinion
that the COVID vaccine must be given to groups identified by the government,
Zulkifli said.
“As such, I urge all Malaysians, especially Muslims,
to abide by and give full trust to the government to manage the COVID-19
pandemic through the use of vaccines,” he said, Bloomberg reported.
Malaysia is struggling to stem a fresh wave of cases
that emerged in September. Daily cases hit a record 2,234 on Dec. 10, with the
outbreak spreading to facilities of companies including Top Glove Corp. and
Karex Bhd., the world’s biggest maker of condoms. The nation added 1,348 new
infections on Wednesday.
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3473499/malaysia%E2%80%99s-islamic-authorities-allow-use-of-coronavirus-vaccine
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Bonding of Punjab’s Muslim with Sikh Community -
Muslims Offer Zarda Pulao, Sweetened Rice, Langar At Singhu Border
Dec 24, 2020
Singhu border (SONIPAT): The ongoing protest by
farmers at Singhu border against Centre’s three agriculture laws is also showcasing
the bonding of Punjab’s Muslim with Sikh community.
The Langar of ‘Zarda Pulao’ (sweetened rice) run by
Muslims from Punjab’s Malerkotla area is one of the most visited places for
visitors at the Singhu protest site. It has been setup adjacent to the main
stage and is run by the Muslim Federation Punjab and Muslim Bhaichara
Malerkotla. The sweet ‘Zarda’ Pulao is a ‘must have’ dish for everyone after
finishing their lunch or dinner.
Mohammad Usman, a native of Narela in Delhi, who has
been preparing the dish since the beginning of the protest at Singhu border,
said the dish is so popular with the people that most ask for its recipe. The
‘zarda’ pulao is being prepared with ‘A’ grade basmati rice, shakkar (jiggery
powder) and vegetables. It is cooked on firewood in large ‘degs’ (metal pots).
Around 200kg ‘zarda’ pulao is being prepared and served daily. According to
Usmaan, the dish is purely vegetarian to maintain the maryada of langar.
Around 25 persons are involved in preparing the dish
and a majority of them are from Delhi. However, the funds and management of
langar is being done by the Muslims from Malerkotla.
Mubeen Farukh, advocate from Malerkotla, one of those
managing the langar, said the purpose of serving sweet rice is to convey the
strong bonding of Muslims from Malerkotla with the Sikh community. He said they
have been doing it in the spirit of “Haa Da Nara” (Voice of Justice).
Explaining the special Muslim-Sikh bonding, he said when mughal king Aurangzeb
had ordered that Sahibzadas (sons of Guru Gobind Singh) to be bricked alive in
the wall, Sher Mohammad Khan, the then Nawab of Malerkotla, had opposed the
decision.
“According to legend, though the Sahibzades could not
be saved, Guru Gobind Singh gave his kirpan to Sher Mohammad Khan. Ever since,
the Muslims of Malerkotla have had a special place in Sikh history. Sikhs have
built gurdwara ‘Haa Da Naara’, which is a symbol of bonding between Muslims and
Sikhs in Punjab,” Mubeen explained.
Even during the anti-CAA protests in Malerkotla, the
Sikhs of Punjab had extended their full support and held a rally and langars to
express their solidarity with Muslims in Malerkotla. The bonding is so strong
that reportedly no violence took place in Malerkotla during the 1947 Partition,
when the state witnessed bloodbath, and most of Muslims of Malerkotla had
decided to stay here only.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/muslims-offer-zarda-pulao-langar-at-singhu-border/articleshow/79937595.cms
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UAE expats thankful to enjoy Christmas away from tough
COVID-19 lockdowns
December 24, 2020
DUBAI: If it weren’t for the obligatory mask wearing,
endless flasks of sanitizer and social distancing rules — measures sure to
remain in place as the COVID-19 pandemic continues — you would be forgiven for
thinking that the UAE was having a “normal” year, perhaps even thriving. The
Gulf nation, which has a history of surprising skeptics, seems to have found a
balance between maintaining the necessary regulations to curb the virus and
allowing residents and visitors to enjoy the country’s many attractions.
Restaurants and hotels are packed and a range of festivities to celebrate the
holiday season are taking place throughout the emirate—just like any other
year.
The UAE may well be one of the only countries globally
to experience some sense of normalcy now after one of the strangest years in
living memory when lockdowns, cancellations, postponements, sickness, and
socio-economic crises rocked the world.
Even so, many expats in the UAE are still unable to
visit their families abroad (or vice-versa) due to recently renewed lockdowns
and travel restrictions, and so are celebrating Christmas in Dubai differently
this year.
“It is upsetting not to be with family on the
holidays, especially with older relatives,” said Jennifer Adams, an American
finance and business consultant who has lived in Dubai for 15 years. “We are
very lucky to be in the UAE. The weather is beautiful, the situation is under
control and there are many festive activities, especially for children.
“With the melting pot of nationalities here, I find it
interesting to learn about other culture’s traditions,” she continued. “Friends
who had to stay in Dubai are going out of their way to be festive and spend it
with friends and extended families so that no one feels left out.”
The Tier 4 restrictions announced on Sunday Dec. 20 by
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to contain a more infectious variant of
COVID-19 that sent infection rates in the country soaring have made
international travel challenging again. More than 40 countries in Europe, Asia,
South America, the Caribbean and the Middle East have restricted travel to the
UK. The UAE, which continues to share an air travel corridor with the UK, has
not yet made any announcement regarding changes in passenger flights to or from
the UK. UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad said they were operating per their
schedule.
However, several UK residents in Dubai who were in the
UK when Tier 4 was announced made swift arrangements to return to Dubai for
Christmas.
“This will be our first Christmas away from the UK and
our families,” said a Dubai resident from the UK who did not want to be
identified. “We hadn’t planned to be here. We were supposed to be with my
parents, who are now in Tier 4. It was a mixture of the Tier 4 announcement and
so many borders closing that prompted our decision to jump on a plane back to
Dubai.”
She and her family plan to make the most of their
first Christmas in Dubai, however. “We plan to go to church here as we do on
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day in the UK,” she continued.
Darryl Albuquerque, an India citizen and US
international tax specialist who lives with his family in Dubai, is celebrating
his eleventh Christmas in the emirate.
“This year will be different from prior years due to the
pandemic,” he told Arab News. “St Mary’s Church is awaiting permission for
in-person services with reduced numbers, which means no opportunity to attend
mass at the church. My wife, two
daughters and my father- in-law will likely dress up in our Christmas best and
sit in front of our TV at home for the live-streamed holy mass on YouTube on
Christmas Eve. It will be unreal, as normally we go to St Mary’s for midnight
mass and soak in the magical atmosphere. This year the magic will take place
virtually.”
Albuquerque said that on Christmas Day they intend to
be on video calls with extended family members in India.
“Thanks to the UAE Government allowing small but
socially distanced gatherings, we may be bold enough to have a potluck lunch on
the Christmas Day at a close friend’s place in walking distance from our home,”
he continued. “The normal gala of Christmas celebrations being toned down also
helps us realize what is truly important at Christmas: sharing, caring and
simplicity. We believe that this too shall pass, and we look forward to next
year.”
Teresa Geneloni, originally from Milan, Italy, has
lived with her family in Dubai for eight years. She has decided not to return
to Italy for Christmas this year due to the pandemic and the increasing restrictions
in Italy, one of the worst-hit European nations, which last week surpassed one
million infections.
The Genelonis usually spend Christmas at their home in
Liguria, but said they are equally happy to celebrate it in Dubai.
“Everything we typically do in Italy we will do in
Dubai this year,” Geneloni told Arab News. “It is also a special Christmas for
us as it the last Christmas that we will be all together before our son goes to
university next year. We will cook traditional Italian dishes, listen to Italian
music from the Eighties and Nineties, and watch films, just as we do each year
in Liguria.”
While the act of celebrating Christmas in Dubai is new
for many expats, most say they are relieved to be in a place that feels safe.
“There’s a positive energy in Dubai now, especially during Christmas,” Geneloni
said. “We will bring Italy to Dubai this year.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1782076/middle-east
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Taliban Face Heavy Retaliation in South Battles, 28
Killed
By Mohammad Arif Sheva
24 Dec 2020
HELMAND, Afghanistan – At least 21 Taliban killed and
further nine wounded during a battle with Afghan National Army (ANA) in
southern province of Helmand, said the Ministry of Interior in a statement
Thursday.
“21 #Taliban were killed and 9 others were wounded in
Nawa district of Helmand province yesterday,” said the MoD in a tweet.
According to the statement, the Taliban initially
targeted Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) in the area but
faced heavy retaliation.
“They were attacking #ANDSF positions when they were
targeted by #ANA,” the tweet. Added. “A large amount of their ammunition and
weapons were destroyed as result of the reciprocal attacks.”
Meanwhile, in another battle in Kandahar, at least
seven Taliban killed and further nine wounded in Zheria district of the
southern province.
“7 #Taliban were killed and 9 others were wounded in
Zheria district of Kandahar province, yesterday,” said the MoD. “They were
planning to attack #ANDSF positions when they were targeted by ANA.”
Taliban did not immediately comment on the incident.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-face-heavy-retaliation-in-south-battles-28-killed-34534/
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UN probe in Mali sees war crimes, crimes against
humanity: Report
22 Dec 2020
United Nations investigators into violence in Mali
have told the Security Council of evidence that security forces committed war
crimes, and fighters and other armed groups perpetrated crimes against
humanity.
The allegations were made in a 338-page report by the
International Commission of Inquiry for Mali, a three-member panel which
investigated violence that unfolded over six years from 2012-2018.
The probe, whose conclusions have been sent to the
Security Council but have not yet been made public, recommends setting up a
court that specialises in prosecuting international crimes.
“The Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that
the Malian defence and security forces committed war crimes, including violence
to the life and person of civilians and persons hors de combat suspected of
being affiliated or cooperating with extremist armed groups,” says the report,
acquired by the AFP news agency on Tuesday.
The landlocked Sahel country descended into violence
in 2012 when ethnic Tuareg separatists launched an armed uprising in the north
of the country, which was then overtaken by an armed campaign of fighters.
France, the former colonial power, launched a military
operation in 2013. The fighters then regrouped and expanded their campaign into
central Mali, inflaming a region with ethnic rivalries, before advancing into
neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.
Thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have
fled their homes.
“The Commission considers that extremist armed groups
committed crimes against humanity and war crimes,” the report says.
These include “murder, maiming and other cruel
treatment, rape and other forms of sexual violence, hostage-taking and attacks
against personnel of humanitarian organisations and MINUSMA”, the UN
peacekeeping force in Mali.
The report was drawn up by a commission comprising
Lena Sundh of Sweden, Simon Munzu of Cameroon and Vinod Boolell, a Mauritian,
who were appointed by the UN secretary-general in January 2018.
They handed their report to UN chief Antonio Guterres
in mid-2020, and he sent it last week to the 15-member Security Council.
The investigation details in chronological order 140
cases of violence or abuse between 2012 and 2018.
In 2013, security forces in northern Mali carried out
“many killings” of Tuareg, Arabs and Fulani, also called Peuls, who were
suspected of links to armed groups, it found.
From 2015, violence on civilians moved to the volatile
centre of the country, starting with the Fulani community, which had become
associated with the fighters after a firebrand Fulani preacher named Amadou
Koufa set up an armed group.
In one incident, on June 17, 2017, an armed group
called Dan Na Ambassagou, which is drawn from the Dogon community, retaliated
for the death of one of their members by attacking several Fulani hamlets,
killing at least 39 civilians, including children.
The raids marked the beginning of “systematic” attacks
on the Fulani in Koro, the report says.
“The Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that
those acts amount to murder that constitutes a crime against humanity,” it
says.
It also names three Tuareg or Arab armed groups as
having committed war crimes – the National Movement for the Liberation of
Azawad, known by its acronym in French of MNLA; the Self-Defence Group of
Imghad Tuareg and Their Allies (GATIA), and the Arab Movement of
Azaward-Platform (MAA-Plateforme).
Unlike other UN reports, the conclusions of the
International Commission of Inquiry can be used as a legal basis for possible
prosecution.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/22/un-mali-probe-sees-war-crimes-crimes-against-humanity?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1848852_
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UN 'concerned' over Trump’s pardons for guards who
massacred Iraqi civilians
24 December 2020
The UN Human Rights Office has voiced deep concern
over US President Donald Trump’s decision to pardon four former American
security contractors convicted of killing Iraqi civilians in the capital
Baghdad in 2007.
“We are deeply concerned by the recent US presidential
pardons for four security guards from the private military firm Blackwater who
were convicted for killing 14 Iraqi civilians,” UN human rights spokesperson
Marta Hurtado said in a statement on Wednesday.
“These four individuals were given sentences ranging
from 12 years to life imprisonment, including on charges of first-degree
murder,” she said. “Pardoning them contributes to impunity and has the effect
of emboldening others to commit such crimes in the future.”
Trump on Tuesday pardoned the four guards – Paul
Slough, Evan Liberty, Dustin Heard and Nicholas Slatten – who were part of an
armored convoy that opened fire indiscriminately on a crowd of unarmed people
in Nisour Square in Baghdad.
In 2014, Slatten, who was the first to start shooting,
was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, while the
other three were convicted of voluntary and attempted manslaughter and
sentenced to 30 years in prison each.
Hurtado said victims of gross human rights violations
have the right to see perpetrators serve punishments proportionate to the seriousness
of their conduct, calling on Washington to uphold its obligations to ensure
accountability for such crimes.
The Nisour Square massacre, at the time, infuriated
the Iraqi people, and Trump’s pardons rubbed fresh salt into the wound of the
Iraqis, who have suffered tremendously in the aftermath of the US invasion of
their land in 2003 and the American forces’ widespread atrocities in their
country.
Hassan Jaber Salman, a lawyer who survived the Nisour
Square massacre with his son, said during the 2014 trial that the American
forces shot “anything that moved” in the square. “Women, children, young
people, they shot everyone,” he said.
Speaking to CNN in the wake of the pardons, Salman
called Trump’s decision shocking, disappointing and “abusive to the rights of
the victims.”
“The infamous Blackwater company killed Iraqi citizens
at Nisour Square. Today we heard they were released upon personal order by
President Trump, as if they don’t care for the spilled Iraqi blood,” Saleh
Abed, a Baghdad resident, told the AFP news agency.
Jasim Mohammed Al-Nasrawi, a police officer who also
survived the massacre, told Trump “not to pardon or release the perpetrators.
They are terrorists.”
“I am still not a hundred percent recovered from my
head wound, which [was] sustained in the gunfire by Blackwater guards in 2007,
and have not been completely compensated for the attack. I will not waive my
right to this case, I am not giving up,” Al-Nasrawi told CNN.
'Blood cheaper than water'
A former classmate of a medical student who was killed
in the massacre called the pardons “an utter outrage.”
“As far as they are concerned, our blood is cheaper
than water and our demands for justice and accountability are merely a
nuisance,” the classmate told AFP, requesting anonymity.
Trump’s move comes at a time when anti-American
sentiments are very strong in Iraq. Earlier this year, the US president ordered
strikes near Baghdad that killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command
of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and Iran’s top commander Lieutenant
General Qassem Soleimani – two very popular figures in the Iraqi society.
The assassinations have been followed by recurring
attacks against US positions, including its embassy in Iraq. The latest attack
occurred on Sunday night, when at least three Katyusha rockets landed within
the highly fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, close to the US embassy.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/24/641411/UN-concerned-over-Trump-pardon-Iraq-war-criminals
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Pakistan
Maryam Nawaz lashes at Pak PM, asks why he assumed
office when wasn’t prepared
Posted by Shivani Kumar
Dec 24, 2020
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Maryam
Nawaz on Wednesday ripped into the government, asking why Prime Minister Imran
Khan assumed office when he was not prepared for the challenges.
Addressing the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM)
‘Mehangai March’ in Mardan here, she said: “Before the election, [the prime
minister] used to say that he has a team of 200 fantastic individuals. Where is
that 200-person team now?” Dawn reported.
“Ministers in his cabinet play musical chairs with
each other [...] but that 200 person team is nowhere to be seen in Pakistan,”
she said.
“He says that he was unaware about the country’s power
issues, external debt, the current account deficit, and didn’t know how to run
the government and was not prepared.” However, you were prepared for the sugar,
wheat and LNG scams through which you stole from the people’s pockets, she
said.
Maryam’s comments come a day after Prime Minister Khan
said that never should a new government come to power without doing its
homework and getting briefings.
During today’s rally, Maryam said that coronavirus
patients had died at Khyber Teaching Hospital after there was a delay in procuring
oxygen cylinders. “You were not prepared to provide medical services, but you
were prepared to raise the prices of medicines?”
She added that the premier was prepared to throw the
sisters and daughters of his opponents in jail but was prepared to give an NRO
to his sister.
You were not prepared to work on our foreign policy
but were prepared to surrender Kashmir to India, she said. “You had zero
preparation to run the government but were fully prepared to be obedient. After
two-and-a-half years, you still don’t know how to govern but you know how to be
obedient very well.”
The PDM held a rally in Mardan against Prime Minister
Khan-led government, threatening him to quit by January 31 or face intensified
movements by opposition parties such as a long march to Islamabad.
In the past months, Khan has stepped up his efforts to
silence the voice of the PDM, along with thousands of people, who criticised
the government.
Despite such attempts, the PDM has held five such
rallies in Multan, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Karachi, and Quetta since October 16.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/maryam-nawaz-lashes-at-pak-pm-asks-why-he-assumed-office-when-wasn-t-prepared/story-7hoyPYfXFFQp13huz1foJI.html
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Zardari invites Fazl to Larkana for rally on Benazir
death anniversary
24 Dec 2020
PPP co-chairman and former president, Asif Ali
Zardari, on Thursday invited Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana
Fazlur Rehman to Larkana to attend a rally scheduled on Dec 27, the death
anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
A statement issued by the PPP said the former
president made a telephone call to Fazl, who is also the president of 11-party
opposition alliance, also known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
Both leaders exchanged views on the current political
condition in the country, including the ongoing anti-government protest
movement from the PDM's platform. During the call, Zardari invited the JUI-F
chief to Larkana for a rally planned on the death anniversary of Benazir
Bhutto, the statement said.
The PPP will hold a rally on Dec 27 in Garhi Khuda Bux
as part of its annual commemoration of the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto. Bilawal
Bhutto had also previously invited leaders of the PDM to attend the event.
The PPP Sindh leadership remains confident about the
Dec 27 rally expecting all key leaders of the PDM in Garhi Khuda Bux, a small
village in Larkana where the Bhutto mausoleum is located.
PPP Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that the
PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz and other leaders of the PDM were expected to
participate in the rally.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Khuhro said “this
year’s rally would be [a] massive one and we expect a huge turnout of people on
the day.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597590/zardari-invites-fazl-to-larkana-for-rally-on-benazir-death-anniversary
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Dialogue with India not possible in current situation:
Qureshi
24 Dec 2020
MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has
stressed that no backdoor or diplomatic dialogue is under way with India.
“There is no possibility of a backdoor or diplomatic
dialogue with India in the prevailing situation and it is not possible until
the Indian atrocities are stopped in Kashmir. The circumstances are not
suitable for any dialogue at the moment,” he remarked.
Talking to the media here on Wednesday, the foreign
minister further mentioned why the government rejected the 34 amendments to the
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws proposed by the opposition parties,
saying as it “smelt a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)” in the proposal.
He claimed that the opposition parties had clearly
demanded that if the government wanted any legislation in connection with the
Financial Action Task Force (FATF) it should also give them concessions by
discussing amendments to the NAB laws.
“We told them that both the parties remained in power
for 10 years and were in a position to amend the NAB laws, but failed, which is
their negligence not ours. However, if you still want amendments, we can
discuss it but it should not be linked with legislation in connection with the
FATF and should be discussed separately. They gave us a draft of 34 amendments
where we smelled an NRO. I… categorically state that there is a capacity to
improve the NAB laws but we will not strike any deal,” he stressed.
Mr Qureshi said that instead of merely threatening,
the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) legislators should go ahead
and resign without any delay. He also asked them to submit the resignations to
the assembly speaker instead of the PDM leadership.
He said the government will not compromise on national
interest to remain in power or succumb to any pressure. “We are ready to hold
dialogue on whatever issues the opposition wants to discuss,” he added.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1597517/dialogue-with-india-not-possible-in-current-situation-qureshi
--------
Pakistan Democratic Movement holds rally in Mardan
despite govt restrictions
Posted by Karan Manral
Dec 23, 2020
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an 11-party
alliance, held a rally in Mardan on Wednesday despite a ban imposed by the
district administration amid the COVID-19.
The district administration had decided not to allow
the opposition leaders to hold the public procession given the rising numbers
of coronavirus infections across the country, according to Geo News.
Responding to the PDM’s call for protest, Mardan
deputy commissioner warned that action will be taken against the protesters.
The protesters, led by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and
PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, and senior
PPP leader Yousuf Raza Gilani, gathered at Gaju Baba Khan flyover, Geo News
reported.
Awami National Party Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, Mian
Iftikhar Hussain, Aftab Sherpao of the Qaumi Watan Party, and other opposition
leaders are scheduled to address the rally.
This comes after the PDM demanded Prime Minister Imran
Khan-led government to quit by January 31 or face intensified movements by
opposition parties such as a long march to Islamabad.
“The meeting in Mardan would be followed by another
public meeting in Larkana on December 27 on the eve of the death anniversary of
Benazir Bhutto,” The News International quoted Mian Iftikhar Hussain, PDM
spokesman, as saying.
The PDM decided to focus on smaller cities for the
public meeting. The protest will be held in Bahawalpur on December 30, Malakand
on January 3, 2021, Bannu on January 6, Khuzdar on January 9, Loralai on
January 13, Tharparkar on January 16, Faisalabad on January 18, Sargodha on
January 23, and Sialkot on January 27.
In the past months, Khan has stepped up his efforts to
silence the voice of the PDM, along with thousands of people, who criticised
the government. Despite such attempts, the PDM has held five such rallies in
Multan, Peshawar, Gujranwala, Karachi, and Quetta since October 16. (ANI)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-democratic-movement-holds-rally-in-mardan-despite-govt-restrictions/story-zi3oD0FDwEmorDKMcHyFSN.html
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Mideast
Right-wing challenge to PM Netanyahu builds ahead of
Israeli election
24 December 2020
A right-wing challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu in a March Israeli election gained momentum on Wednesday with the
defection of a long-time ally to an upstart rival party.
In a letter announcing his resignation from
Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party and parliament, Zeev Elkin, a minister in
successive Netanyahu governments, accused Israel’s longest-serving prime
minister of putting his own interests ahead of those of the country.
“I can’t ask Israelis to vote for you (Netanyahu) and
to be satisfied that you are not putting your personal interests ahead of
theirs,” Elkin said in a speech broadcast live by Israeli television channels.
The election will be Israel’s fourth in two years, and
comes as Netanyahu faces criticism over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
and battles corruption allegations, which he denies.
Elkin will join a new party led by fellow former Likud
legislator Gideon Saar, who earlier this month announced a breakaway bid aimed
at defeating Netanyahu. Saar announced Elkin’s move to his party in a tweet,
though Elkin made no mention of it in his speech.
The defections pose a new challenge to Netanyahu ahead
of a March 23 snap election. Parliament’s failure to pass a national budget on
Tuesday triggered the early ballot.
Until his resignation, Elkin served as Israel’s
minister of higher education and water resources. Born in Ukraine, Elkin is
fluent in Russian and has long served as Netanyahu’s interpreter and adviser in
strategic talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sharren Heskel, a junior Likud
lawmaker, also announced she was defecting to Saar’s new party, writing in a
Facebook post that Netanyahu’s government “has lost the moral mandate to
continue to govern.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/24/Right-wing-challenge-to-PM-Netanyahu-builds-ahead-of-Israeli-election
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Rouhani: Fate awaiting Trump no better than Saddam
Hussein's
23 December 2020
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has drawn a parallel
between the hostile policies of outgoing US President Donald Trump and Iraq's
Saddam Hussein for waging wars on the Islamic Republic, saying the American
leader will eventually not fare much better than the former Iraqi dictator.
“There were two maniacs who waged wars against the
Iranian people; one was Saddam who imposed a military war and the other was
Trump who started an economic war on us,” President Rouhani told a cabinet
meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.
“During the [1980s] imposed war, we defeated the enemy
owing to our unity and alliance, and the day Saddam was hanged was a day of
victory for the Iranian people. Thanks to the resistance the Iranian nation has
put up against the US sanctions, Trump's fate will not be better than
Saddam’s.”
Iran has been under a series of illegal sanctions
imposed by the US since 2018, when Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015
nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA), and enforced the so-called maximum pressure campaign to target the
Iranian nation.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani said the US economic
war was meant to bring the Iranian people to their knees and destroy the
Islamic establishment, and lauded the nation for refusing to buckle under pressure.
"As pointed out by Leader of the Islamic
Revolution [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei], what is important is that we
prevented the economic war from achieving its objectives. A thriving
manufacturing sector and the positive economic growth mean the sanctions have
failed,” he underlined.
The Iranian chief executive counted lessening the
impact of the economic war on people's livelihoods and the removal of the
oppressive sanctions as the important goals pursued by his administration.
"By breaking the sanctions, we will in fact
defeat Zionism, reactionary [states] in the region and the extremists,” he
said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641348/Iran-Rouhani-Trump-Saddam
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Instagram Continues to Discrimination against Iranians
2020-December-23
Ketabshahr Iran in cooperation with Farhang Radio had
launched a competition and called for writings about General Soleimani on their
Instagram pages to commemorate the anti-terrorism commander.
Instagram, then, rushed to delete these posts left by
participants in four competition areas of poetry, memoray, story writing, and
informal texts with no violent contents, claiming that they violated the social
media’s guidelines.
In a similar move in January 2020, Instagram had also
purged against the users reacting to the US assassination of Iranian
anti-terrorism struggle icon Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani.
Instagram had either deleted the accounts belonging to
many Iranians, who were using the social networking service to communicate
their devastation at the tragedy, or eliminated relevant content posted by
them.
Lieutenant General Soleimani was assassinated in a US
drone strike on Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on January 3, 2020.
The airstrike also martyred deputy commander of Iraq's
Popular Mobilization Forces Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. The two were martyred in an
American airstrike that targeted their vehicle on the road to the airport.
Five Iranian and five Iraqi military men were martyred
by the missiles fired by the US drone at Baghdad International Airport.
On January 8 and after the funeral ceremony of General
Soleimani, the IRGC Aerospace Force started heavy ballistic missile attacks on
US Ein Al-Assad airbase in Southwestern Iraq near the border with Syria and a
US operated airbase in Erbil in retaliation for the US assassination of General
Soleimani.
Ein Al-Assad is an airbase with a 4km runway at 188m
altitude from sea levels, which is the main and the largest US airbase in Iraq.
Early reports said the radar systems and missile defense shields in Ein
Al-Assad failed to operate and intercept the Iranian missiles. Unofficial
reports said the US army's central radar systems at Ein Al-Assad had been
jammed by electronic warfare.
The second IRGC reprisal attack targeted a US military
base near Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan Region in the second leg of
"Martyr Soleimani" reprisal operation.
Iraq said the attacks had not taken any toll from its
army men stationed at these two bases. The US army had blocked entrance into
Ein Al-Assad to everyone, including the Iraqi army.
The IRGC officials said none of the missiles had been
intercepted.
Meantime, Iran announced in late June that it had
issued arrest warrants for 36 officials of the US and other countries who have
been involved in the assassination of the martyred General Soleimani.
"36 individuals who have been involved or ordered
the assassination of Hajj Qassem, including the political and military
officials of the US and other governments, have been identified and arrest
warrants have been issued for them by the judiciary officials and red alerts
have also been issued for them via the Interpol," Prosecutor-General of
Tehran Ali Alqasi Mehr said.
He said that the prosecuted individuals are accused of
murder and terrorist action, adding that US President Donald Trump stands at
the top of the list and will be prosecuted as soon as he stands down presidency
after his term ends.
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/13991003000689/Insagram-Cnines-Discriminain-agains-Iranians
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Turkey’s Erdogan says hopes to ‘turn new page’ in ties
with US, EU in 2021
23 December 2020
President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey
hopes to “turn a new page” in its ties with the United States and European
Union, and that Ankara had been subjected to “double standards” by both its
NATO ally Washington and the bloc.
Earlier this month, Washington sanctioned Turkey over
its acquisition of Russian S-400 missile defenses, and the EU also prepared
punitive measures over Turkey’s dispute with members Greece and Cyprus over
Mediterranean offshore rights.
For all the latest headlines follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
“Turkey is facing double standards both over the
eastern Mediterranean and the S-400s. We wish for the EU to rid itself of the strategic
blindness that is plaguing it as soon as possible,” Erdogan told lawmakers from
his ruling AK Party.
“I think (US President-elect Joe) Biden will show the
necessary importance to Turkey-US ties,” he added.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/23/Turkey-s-Erdogan-says-hopes-to-turn-new-page-in-ties-with-US-EU-in-2021
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Ports in aggressor states will be targeted if
Saudi-led siege continues: Yemeni FM
23 December 2020
Foreign Minister in the Yemeni National Salvation Government,
Hisham Sharaf Abdullah, has warned Saudi Arabia and its regional allies against
continuation of the sea, land and air blockade on Yemen, stating that their
ports and economically strategic sites will be targeted if such crippling
measures are not abolished.
On Tuesday, Abdullah lambasted the Saudi-led coalition
and administration of former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi for
practicing the policy of collective punishment against Yemeni people,
emphasizing that their acts do not contribute at all to the political
settlement of Yemen conflict.
He then called on the UN Special Envoy for Yemen,
Martin Griffiths, to exert more efforts to immediately release Yemen-bound
vessels loaded with oil derivatives, warning that Yemen was facing an acute
crisis of energy supply on top of other problems.
The Yemeni foreign minister noted that although Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates claim to support humanitarian relief work
in Yemen, they continue to pursue a policy of starvation of Yemeni people and
do not allow oil tankers to offload at Yemeni ports.
He went on to say that Abu Dhabi and Riyadh
occasionally allow vessels to unload at Hudaydah port just to mislead the
international community, while their military aggression and all-out siege
continue unabated.
The official warned Saudi Arabia and its allies
against continuation of the blockade, underlining that their ports would not be
safe from Yemen attacks if the siege persisted.
Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies
launched the war on Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing Hadi’s
government to power and crushing the popular Ansarullah movement.
Earlier this month, the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs put the death toll from the Saudi-led war on Yemen at 233,000.
The Houthi Ansarullah movement, backed by armed
forces, has been defending Yemen against the Saudi-led aggression.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641341/Ports-in-aggressor-states-won%E2%80%99t-be-safe-if-Saudi-led-siege-continues-Yemeni-FM-warns
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Erdogan says European court’s ruling on jailed
politician ‘hypocritical’
23 December 2020
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday
that a call by the European Court of Human Rights for the release of Kurdish
politician Selahattin Demirtas was hypocritical and only Turkish courts can
rule on his case.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News
channel online or via the app.
The Grand Chamber of the ECHR ruled on Tuesday that
Turkey must immediately release Demirtas, the former leader of the Peoples’
Democratic Party (HDP) who has been jailed for more than four years on
terrorism-related offenses. It said justification for his detention was cover
for limiting pluralism and political debate.
Lawyers for Demirtas called the ruling “historic” and
Western allies urged Ankara to act. But while such rulings are legally binding,
Turkey has not implemented them in several past instances, including a previous
chamber ruling on Demirtas’ case.
Speaking to members of his ruling AK Party, Erdogan
said the court was defending a “terrorist” and repeated his view that Demirtas
is responsible for the deaths of dozens in 2014 protests that are at the heart
of the charges against him.
“If the ECHR wants to be respected by Turkey, its
needs to question its own contradictions,” he said. “The discussion concerns a
person wearing a politician’s mask who is intimate with the PKK and with the
blood of tens of people on his hands.”
The president said Demirtas was guilty according to
Turks for not being able to distance himself from the Kurdistan Workers Party
(PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European
Union and the United States.
Erdogan said the court held a “double-standard” and
its “hypocritical” ruling on Demirtas contradicted a verdict related to the
Batasuna party in Spain.
In 2009, the ECHR did not find any rights violation in
the application related to Batasuna’s closure and declaration as illegal.
Ankara accuses HDP of links to the PKK; the party
denies links to terrorism.
Demirtas faces a sentence of up to 142 years in prison
if convicted of being the leader of a terrorist organization over his speeches
during the 2014 protests that turned violent and led to the deaths of 37
people. He denies any wrongdoing.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/23/Erdogan-says-European-court-s-ruling-on-jailed-politician-hypocritical-
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Europe
Prosecutors urged to look into alleged Afghan civilian
killings by Dutch soldiers
23 December 2020
The Dutch defense ministry said on Wednesday it had
asked prosecutors to look into a report by a war veteran that Dutch soldiers
fired at and may have killed civilians in the Afghan province of Uruzgan in
2007.
For the latest headlines, visit our Google News
channel online or via the app.
The ministry responded to a report by the Dutch
veteran, who said he had been ordered to fire heavy artillery at a cluster of
houses in the Chora valley because his superiors suspected a Taliban presence
there.
In an interview with Dutch newspaper Trouw, published
on Wednesday, the veteran said the action was based only on intercepted radio
communications and that the people who were fired on during the attack did not
shoot back.
This would appear to be in violation of the Dutch army’s
rules of engagement in Afghanistan, under which force can be used only in
self-defense.
The ministry said in a statement that it took the
report very seriously and was looking into every known violent incident in
Uruzgan at the time. It also said it was considering improvements in the ways
veterans can report incidents.
The investigation follows a report published in
Australia last month which found Australian special forces allegedly killed 39
unarmed prisoners and civilians in Afghanistan, with senior commandos forcing
junior soldiers to kill defenseless captives.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said last month he had
seen no indication that Dutch soldiers had also committed such crimes, but the
defense Ministry has started an investigation similar to the one in Australia
to check this.
Dutch prosecutors could not be reached for comment on
Wednesday morning.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/23/Prosecutors-urged-to-look-into-alleged-Afghan-civilian-killings-by-Dutch-soldiers
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Germany’s UN envoy: We need to get it right in the
Middle East, but everybody has to play ball
December 24, 2020
NEW YORK: He famously brought an hourglass into the
Security Council to encourage members to have frank conversations instead of
reading their capitals’ statements. Despite daily conflicts, he is known to
call a spade a spade.
And when Germany’s Permanent Representative to the UN,
Christoph Heusgen, entered the press briefing room, a rare sight occurred:
Journalists, both in person and those who were zoomed in, beamed at him with
undisguised gratitude for the openness he exhibited toward the media over the
past two years.
The man not only believes that transparency with “our
counterparts, the journalists” is a fundamental, universal principle, but also
puts that creed into action, constantly bringing into the limelight news and
elements of the Security Council machinery that otherwise would remain behind
closed doors.
With Germany’s two-year term as a non-permanent member
of the UN Security Council coming to an end on Dec. 31, Heusgen looked back on
two years of intensive diplomacy.
“We came to the Security Council to work as a fully
engaged member,” the leading envoy said.
“We used this period to defend the multilateral
system, the rules-based international order; to work for the respect of
international humanitarian law and human rights law. And we have followed that
playbook from the very beginning and until the last day.”
The guiding principle that emerges from Germany’s
history books, said the ambassador, is that conflicts should be resolved not by
force but by the rule of law.
“A second leading rule for us is to take a wider, more
comprehensive view of security: Not only (tackling) mere conflicts but also
their root causes.”
Germany’s mandate, which ranged from the Berlin
conference on Libya and a new political mission in the Sudan, relentless
advocacy for open humanitarian channels in Syria, and investment in the Middle
East peace process and the Western Sahara, also saw efforts to bolster the
Non-Proliferation Treaty along with tireless endeavors against sexual violence
in conflicts, and for stronger participation of women in peace-building and
leadership.
Of all the conflicts on the Security Council agenda in
which Germany has cooperated, Heusgen singled out his country’s work on Libya.
He said that a new start was made at the January 2020 Berlin International
Conference, which was held in Berlin at the invitation of UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres and Chancellor Angela Merkel to support UN peace efforts and
“to move from a military logic to a political one.”
The aim was to reduce external influence and thus
enable an intra-Libyan political process under the auspices of the UN.
The Security Council then adopted Resolution 2510 endorsing
the outcomes of the conference.
A nationwide cease-fire is now in effect in Libya.
Since early November, 75 Libyans have been negotiating in Tunis on the
country’s political future and elections are planned for December 2021.
Asked by Arab News to share the single most important
insight on the Libyan conflict, Heusgen underscored the need for the UN as a
convening power: “(It is) key that you convene (not only) all the parties on
the ground, but also potential spoilers or supporters from the outside.”
He emphasized the importance of appointing a UN Libya
envoy, after Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov told Guterres this week that
he will be unable to take up the role due to “personal and family reasons.”
Acting Libya envoy Stephanie Williams will continue in
the role, Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief’s spokesman, said.
Mladenov was due to replace Ghassan Salame, who
stepped down as the UN Libya envoy in March due to stress.
The German envoy expressed his wish that Williams
would eventually stay on and accept the role.
Also high on the German mission’s agenda was the
humanitarian situation in Syria. “We have fought hard to keep aid flowing into
the country,” Heusgen said, an issue not without its own controversies in the
Security Council.
The US and Europe support continued cross-border aid,
but Turkey’s invasion of the Kurdish-controlled northeast brought
complications. Ankara, along with Assad ally Russia, wanted to add a crossing
into Turkey’s new “safe zone” and eliminate another that brings aid to the
Kurds.
As co-penholder with Belgium, Germany conducted long
and tough negotiations to extend the cross-border resolution (2165) thus
ensuring access for deliveries of life-saving food and medical assistance.
“Syria’s stability is absolutely in our interest,”
said the envoy.
“We have to try to get it right, to a point where
Syrian people feel at home, where you have constitutional reforms, and free and
fair elections.
“This is the direction we want to go, and we will push
the parties to go (with us). But everybody has to play ball.”
For Germany, disarmament and arms control are also
central foreign policy goals, especially regarding nuclear nonproliferation.
In April 2019, Germany put nuclear disarmament back on
the Security Council’s agenda for the first time in over seven years as a
priority of its month-long presidency.
Together with Algeria, Germany currently serves as
co-president of the so-called Article IVX process, which actively supports the
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty’s entry into force.
Asked whether the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA), or the Iran deal — in limbo since the US withdrawal in 2018 — needs an
ancillary to get back on its feet, Heusgen said: “There will have to be
intensive talks. There is a willingness to return to the JCPOA. We have heard
that from the Biden administration, but this has to be formalized.”
He added: “The Biden administration is very careful in
resisting all attempts to enter negotiations with partners. They want to wait
until Jan. 20 (Biden’s inauguration day.)”
On the question of Palestine, Heusgen reiterated
special envoy Mladenov’s optimism about the achievability of the two-state
solution, emphasizing the Palestinian need for a contiguous country that is not
separated from Jerusalem.
He said President Donald Trump believed that by
cutting funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees
(UNRWA), he would motivate Palestinians to give up their refugee status,
integrate in neighboring countries and forgo their desire to return.
“That is not going to work,” said Heusgen.
“Palestinians don’t want it and the countries don’t want it.”
Germany has been a Security Council member six times.
With its five permanent members and 10 non-permanent
members elected for two-year terms, the UN Security Council is the only UN body
whose decisions are binding under international law.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1782071/middle-east
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Coronavirus: UK COVID-19 variant detected in Israel,
health ministry says
23 December 2020
Israel has detected four cases of the new, highly
infectious variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain, the Israeli
health ministry said on Wednesday.
Three of the cases were returnees from England and are
isolating at a hotel designated as a coronavirus quarantine facility, the
health ministry said. The fourth case is under investigation, it added.
The new variant of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus
is spreading rapidly in Britain and prompting high levels of concern among its
European neighbors, some of which have cut transport links.
Israel closed its borders to foreigners in March, with
exceptions including students and journalists. Under new restrictions adopted
this week, it nixed those exceptions for non-citizen arrivals from the United
Kingdom, South Africa and Denmark, citing risk of the new coronavirus strain.
From Wednesday evening until Jan. 1, all Israelis who
return from abroad must isolate at hotel quarantine facilities, according to a
directive posted to the health ministry’s website.
Israel launched a coronavirus vaccination drive on
Saturday and has vaccinated 70,000 out of its 9 million population, health
ministry data shows.
Having secured vaccines from drug makers Pfizer,
Moderna and AstraZeneca, Israel expects to have enough doses by the end of the
year for the 20 percent of its population most prone to COVID-19 complications.
Israel has reported 383,385 coronavirus cases and
3,136 deaths. It has imposed two national lockdowns and may soon order new
sweeping restrictions amid an uptick in new cases.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/coronavirus/2020/12/23/Coronavirus-UK-COVID-19-variant-detected-in-Israel-health-ministry-says
--------
Southeast Asia
Indonesian Christians, Muslims create Covid Christmas
tree
Konradus Epa
December 23, 2020
Christians and Muslims in Indonesia's East Java
province have decorated a Christmas tree using masks and hand-sanitizer bottles
to remind people to follow health protocols and show unity amid the Covid-19
pandemic.
The tree, decorated with 1,000 masks and bottles, was
a joint effort between the Association of Nahdlatul Ulama Intellectuals (ISNU),
part of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s biggest Islamic organization, and
Catholics of Christ the King Parish in Surabaya, East Java’s capital.
They worked on the 3.5-meter-high Christmas tree for
12 days and put it at the entrance to the church where it would be most
visible.
Nur Kholis Saleh, a Muslim cleric and chairman of the
ISNU, said that helping decorate the tree was a way of building interreligious
harmony.
Several churches in Surabaya were bombed in May 2018
in a series of attacks that killed 12 people.
Before that, a 19-year-old Nahlatul Ulama member
called Riyanto was killed during a Christmas Eve bombing while providing
security at a Protestant church in Mojokerto in 2000.
"When Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Fitr, Christians
help to provide security for that event," Saleh said.
Saleh said Christmas is a celebration for all people,
not only Christians, as is Eid Al-Fitr, which also provides inspiration to
build peace and reconciliation.
"Celebrating Christmas is like celebrating Eid
Al-Fitr, so we must show unity with our brothers and sisters. This is
Indonesia, we have to maintain diversity," he said.
Theresia Mariani, coordinator of Christ the King
Parish’s Christmas celebration, said the use of masks and hand-sanitizer
bottles was meant to encourage Catholics and the public to follow health
protocols to prevent them from becoming spreaders of the virus.
“It warns Catholics to always use masks, keep physical
distancing and wash hands with soap,” Mariani told UCA News.
She also thanked the Muslim volunteers who helped
decorate the Christmas tree.
Father Antonius Benny Susetyo, a member of a
presidential unit promoting sectarian ties, said such cooperation is seen in
many parts of Indonesia and is a good tradition to build communal fraternity.
“They [Christians and Muslims] want a peaceful and
successful Christmas,” Father Susetyo told UCA News.
According to him, all religions should welcome people
with different views by loving, respecting and sharing, especially in this
difficult time caused by the Covid-19 pandemic
“I hope religious people make religion an inner
inspiration for the common good,” he said.
As of Dec 22, Indonesia had recorded 678,125 Covid-19
cases and 20,257 deaths.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-christians-muslims-create-covid-christmas-tree/90802
--------
In meet with celebrity preachers, minister Zulkifli
urges for pro-Covid vaccine messaging
24 Dec 2020
BY DANIAL DZULKIFLY
SEPANG, Dec 24 — Minister Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad has
urged Muslim televangelists and celebrity preachers today for a uniformed
message on the permissible use of Covid-19 vaccines among adherents.
Speaking at a gathering with them here, the minister
in charge of Islamic affairs said that the “harus” ruling on the vaccines is
not solely his view, but also the opinions of many Muslims scholars and
authoritative bodies worldwide.
“Such views are not solely mine, but it is the views
of [Muslim] scholars and authoritative bodies, not just in Malaysia but the
entire community. Top scholars have agreed in this manner.
“So, it is good if all of us, including celebrity
preachers, are uniformed along with authoritative bodies, who have done
detailed and thorough research on the matter,’’ he said.
Yesterday, Zulkifli had said that the Covid-19 vaccine
is permissible for Muslims amid much anticipation ― and trepidation ― in
Malaysia after the government signed several deals to procure millions of doses
for the population.
The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in
charge of Islamic affairs said the national fatwa council had met on December 3
and ruled that the Covid-19 vaccine “is harus and wajib to be taken by those
designated so by the government”.
The term “harus” in Islam means permissible, while
“wajib” means obligatory. However, the minister did not elaborate if anyone has
been designated as obliged to take the vaccine.
On November 23, while winding his speech on the Supply
Bill 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat, Zulkifli said the Covid-19 vaccine would be
permissible in line with the principle of Maqasid Syariah as it concerned the
protection of life.
The government has announced that it has secured
Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca and is in the midst of
negotiating with other manufacturers to vaccinate over 80 per cent of
Malaysia’s population at an estimated cost of RM2.05 billion.
This comes following the renewed rise of a small yet
vocal anti-vaccination portion in the country that is spreading falsehoods and
misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccines in an attempt to sway public opinion
over the matter.
On December 16, Deputy Minister of Science, Technology
and Innovation (Mosti) Ahmad Amzad Hashim said the government will monitor closely
the activities of a particular group that is spreading propaganda regarding the
Covid-19 vaccine through social media so as to prevent it from influencing
public perception,.
He said the ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry
of Communications and Multimedia, was studying the need to create certain laws
to curb the matter.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/12/24/in-meet-with-celebrity-preachers-minister-zulkifli-urges-for-pro-covid-vacc/1934688
--------
India
Ayodhya Mosque Land Is Legal, Not Against Shariat:
Chairman of Sunni Central Waqf Board
Dec 24, 2020
AYODHYA: A day after All India Muslim Personal Law
Board (AIMPLB) member Zafaryab Jilani created a flutter by telling TOI that
mosque to be built in Ayodhya is against Shariat and Waqf Act, chairman of
Sunni Central Waqf Board Zufar Farooqui said, land for the proposed mosque at
Dhannipur in Ayodhya was not exchanged. “The Waqf Board has paid stamp duty to
the government and the land is the property of the board and not a ‘waqf’."
Farooqui, who is also president of Indo-Islamic
Cultural Foundation, the trust constituted by Waqf Board to build mosque at
Ayodhya, said, “The land allotted to Sunni Central Waqf Board at Dhannipur
village of Ayodhya was not bartered as claimed by AIMPLB member Zafaryab
Jilani. We paid stamp duty of Rs 9,29,400 to process this land."
“We did not demand this land. The Supreme Court on its
own allotted it to Sunni Board. Thus, there is no question of exchanging land
for Babri land,” Farooqui said, adding that “there is no shifting of then Babri
Masjid as Babri premises was given to the Hindu party by Supreme Court order in
November last year. Dhannipur land was given in ownership of Uttar Pradesh
Sunni Central Waqf Board by the same SC order and it is not a waqf land."
“The court has not accepted Babri Masjid as waqf. Had
the apex court accepted land as waqf, we would have won the case. Five acres
given to Waqf Board is not in lieu of Babri Masjid. The land is given to us as
restitution by the apex court. The land has been given to UP Sunni Central Waqf
Board, which is a statutory body. The Waqf Board is not an individual and Waqf
Board cannot create any waqf on its own. Only a believer of Islam can create
waqf. The land was given to the Waqf Board and being a legal body it can
acquire the property," said Farooqui.
"Apart from two properties of Waqf Board in
Lucknow (two offices), this is the third property at Dhannipur and the
Dhannipur property has been transferred to Ayodhya Mosque Trust," he
added.
Meanwhile, Athar Hussain, secretary of Ayodhya Mosque
Trust, reacting over the issue said “Jilani Sahab is a competent lawyer. If we
are violating Central Waqf Act, why does he not challenge it in court. If he is
not doing so, then he is simply spreading misinformation by saying it’s against
Shariat."
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ayodhya-mosque-land-is-legal-not-against-shariat-farooqui/articleshow/79937735.cms
--------
Delhi Woman Allegedly Forced To Change Religion After
Marrying Muslim Man
By Mukesh Singh Sengar, Edited by Nandini Gupta
December 24, 2020
New Delhi: A 20-year-old Muslim man in Delhi has been
charged by the police over his wife's allegations that she was forced to
convert after their wedding in May and harassed by her in-laws.
"His family forced me to change my religion to
Islam. I was forced to wear a Burqa and offer Namaz. His father tried to
sexually harass me," the woman has alleged in a complaint filed on Monday.
The woman says she met the man when he rented a room
at her parents' home late last year. At the time, she says, he did not reveal
his religion and claimed he had no family.
After a few months, when the two grew close, the man
introduced her to his family living in another part of Delhi. The revelation
led to a confrontation, after which the accused man assured her she "would
not be forced to change her religion".
The two got married at a temple, the complaint states.
The woman alleges that she was harassed for dowry,
confined and stopped from contacting her parents.
The sole purpose of the marriage was to change my
religion, she says in her complaint.
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A case filed against the man and his family lists
charges like rape, kidnapping, breach of trust and intimidation.
The police said the woman's medical examination had
been carried out and investigations were on. No arrests have been made so far.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-woman-allegedly-forced-to-change-religion-after-marrying-muslim-man-2342984
--------
After 'Love Jihad', MP Govt Now Warns Strict Action
Against Land Grabbers Marrying Tribal Women
DECEMBER 23, 2020
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on
Wednesday in a warning against 'Love Jihad' said 'stringent' action would be
taken against those who plot religious conversions of tribal women in bid to
usurp their land
Chouhan made the statement during a meeting with the
Tribal Consultation Committee in Bhopal. The warning came a day after home
minister Narottam Mishra announced that a special meeting will be held on
December 26 for cabinet approval of the 'Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion
Bill, 2020', also known as the anti-love Jihad law. Chouhan had rejected the
draft proposal of the bill on Tuesday and sought fresh changes.
The Chief Minister also instructed officials to ensure
encroachment of forest land is prevented. Offering land rights to forest
dwellers who possessed forest land before December 2006 was also decided.
The committee meeting was held after eleven months due
to Covid-19 restrictions. MPs and MLAs attended the meeting through video
conferencing.
Affirming commitment towards tribal welfare schemes,
Chouhan said Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension of Scheduled Areas) Act
1996 (PESA), implemented in states like Himachal Pradesh would be studied and
similar rules will be implemented in Madhya Pradesh.
The Shivraj government also announced the decision to
set up another tribal museum such as Chhindwara. The new museum will be for
tribal art and culture in Shahdol division, another tribal pocket. Land at
Umaria will be allotted for the purpose, said Chouhan in the meeting.
The state government also called for a health survey
to check a genetic disorder of Sickle Cell Anemia amid the tribal population in
Madhya Pradesh.
Chouhan asserted that the tribal population will have
the first right on government funds and said "development of the tribal
community will be ensured while incorporating their culture, beliefs and
tradition.
https://www.news18.com/news/india/after-love-jihad-mp-govt-now-warns-strict-action-against-land-grabbers-marrying-tribal-women-3208052.html
--------
Arab World
Trump threatens Iran after attacks on US embassy in
Iraq
Rawad Taha
24 December 2020
Trump threatened Iran on Wednesday night after a
series of attacks on the US embassy in Iraq.
"Our embassy in Baghdad got hit Sunday by several
rockets. Three rockets failed to launch. Guess where they were from: IRAN. Now
we hear chatter of additional attacks against Americans in Iraq," Trump
tweeted.
"Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one
American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over," he
added.
Over the past days multiple Katyusha rockets have
targeted the US embassy in Iraq’s Green Zone area, according to Al Arabiya’s
correspondent.
Security sources said the rockets were intercepted by
the US embassy’s anti-missile defense systems and that they fell within the
Green Zone Area
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/24/Trump-threatens-Iran-after-attacks-on-US-embassy-in-Iraq
--------
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Hariri warns of
Lebanon's rapid collapse
Rawad Taha
24 December 2020
The Lebanese Prime Minister-designate, Saad Hariri,
warned of Lebanon's rapid collapse, stressing that the government will take
difficult and quick decisions to stop this deterioration.
On Wednesday, Hariri said, "Everyone should know
that the politicians have no time left and that the country is collapsing at a
rapid rate."
The Lebanese Prime Minister-designate stated that once
the government is formed, difficult and fast decisions will be taken to stop
the country's collapse.
Hariri called for the necessity of reaching a final
formation of the government as soon as possible.
Lebanon's government's consultations entered an
unknown tunnel, with the escalation of disputes between the parties concerned
with authorship so that they needed a "miracle."
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/24/Lebanese-Prime-Minister-designate-Hariri-warns-of-a-rapid-collapse-of-Lebanon
--------
Iraq denounces Trump’s pardon of Blackwater guards
23 December 2020
Iraq’s government and the Hezbollah Brigades have
denounced a decision by US President Donald Trump to pardon Blackwater
contractors jailed for the killing of unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on
Wednesday that the “seriousness of the committed crimes” had been ignored by
the White House and was in contradiction to the Trump administration's declared
‘commitment’ to human rights, justice and the rule of law.
The pardon, the statement added, did not take into
account the “dignity of the victims and the feelings and rights of their
relatives.”
Baghdad will urge Washington to reconsider the
decision through diplomatic channels, the statement said.
On Tuesday, Trump issued pardons for four guards from
the notorious US mercenary firm Blackwater who were serving jail sentences for
killing 14 civilians in Baghdad’s crowded Nisour Square in 2007, a tragic
incident that caused international uproar over the use of private contractors
in war zones.
The four security guards – Paul Slough, Evan Liberty,
Dustin Heard and Nicholas Slatten - worked for the now-defunct Blackwater
Worldwide security firm, which had been contracted by the US State Department
to provide protection for American diplomats in Iraq.
In another statement issued on Wednesday, the
resistance group Hezbollah Brigades said the pardon was “an unfair arbitrary
action.”
The Brigades stressed the necessity of exerting
serious efforts in order to drive the US forces out of Iraq to stop the
recurrence of crimes against the Iraqi people.
The group also called for “activating judicial
procedures” to that end.
Meanwhile, the Arabic-language al-Sumaria television
network cited a security source as saying that a logistics convoy of the US-led
coalition had been targeted by a roadside bomb on Hawalli highway, south of the
capital Baghdad, on Wednesday.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641385/Iraq-Trump-pardon-Blackwater-guards
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Qatar calls for Iran-Persian Gulf states dialogue;
welcomes any initiative for regional peace
23 December 2020
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani has called for dialogue between Iran and Persian Gulf
littoral states, saying Doha welcomes any initiative that would contribute to
peace and stability in the region.
The top Qatari diplomat made the remarks during a
joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on
Wednesday.
“We are interested in holding and staying in dialogue
with countries in the region and with Iran,” he said, adding that for Qatar
safety issues in the region are a “priority.”
He called for a de-escalation of tension in the
Persian Gulf and added that the crisis in the strategic region, which erupted
after Saudi Arabia and a number of its allies severed ties with Doha, should be
resolved diplomatically and sovereignty of states should be respected.
The Persian Gulf crisis should be resolved through
“dialogue, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs
of states,” he said.
The Qatari foreign minister also said that his country
embraced any initiatives for the establishment of peace in the region.
“We are aware of numerous diplomatic initiatives on
behalf of friendly countries,” he said.
“In Qatar, we will welcome all the initiatives aimed
at stabilizing the situation in the region” and those that “search for mutually
beneficial solutions to stabilize the situation in the [Persian] Gulf,” he
noted.
Back in June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar,
accusing Doha of meddling in regional affairs and supporting “terrorism.” They
also imposed diplomatic, trade and travel embargo against Qatar.
Qatar has repeatedly condemned the decision as
unjustified and the allegations as based on false claims and assumptions.
A number of regional and international attempts have
been made in lifting the embargos against Qatar and resolving the row, but all
to no avail.
Iran has backed talks and diplomacy as the viable
solution to the persisting diplomatic row in the Persian Gulf, expressing hope
that the reconciliation will contribute to the stability as well as the political
and economic development of the regional nations.
Iran’s support for talks between the parties to the
Saudi-led Persian Gulf row over Qatar comes as Tehran has already unveiled an
initiative aimed at establishing peace in the region.
Iran’s peace initiative to promote security in the
Persian Gulf, dubbed Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE), was unveiled by President
Hassan Rouhani during his speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2019.
The Iranian president invited all regional countries to participate in the
initiative.
Back in October, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif stressed the importance of implementing the HOPE initiative, and
called for collective cooperation among neighbors to establish “inclusive
dialogue and security networking” in the region.
“Security is contingent on a reliance on our own
peoples and cooperation with our own neighbors. We need collective efforts by
regional countries to establish inclusive dialogue and security networking in
this region,” the Iranian foreign minister said
in an address to a virtual debate of the United Nations Security Council
under the title “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Comprehensive
Review of the Situation in the Persian Gulf” on October 20.
“Otherwise, we will all be engulfed in turmoil for
generations to come,” he added, warning that turmoil in the region “will be
everyone’s turmoil.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641359/Qatar-urges-dialogue-between-Iran-and-Persian-Gulf-countries-
--------
South Asia
The Afghan police team welcoming back Taliban fighters
23/12/2020
After more than a decade fighting for the Taliban and
being hounded by Afghan and US forces, Haji Lala thought there was little
chance of ever returning home.
Once a commander and senior district official for the
insurgent group, he says he was captured by Pakistan's security services who
took him across the border and detained him for two and a half years.
Haji Lala said he was interrogated by the agents --
long-term backers of the Taliban -- for information about a spy working against
the group.
When he was released, the 58-year-old vowed to put his
militant years behind him and look for a way to go back home.
It was with the unlikely support of a police chief and
the encouragement of a fellow former Taliban militant that he was given the
opportunity to return home to the southern province of Kandahar.
"I thought maybe... they would hand me over to
the US troops," said Lala, describing his initial trepidation at trusting
a police officer.
Before being captured, US forces he had battled
against had raided his house nearly 15 times.
"After I returned, friends and villagers visited
me for nearly 10 days, as if there was a wedding party," he told AFP.
"I have a good reputation now in the village and
the police are also not troubling me. I feel absolutely safe."
Haji Lala's return early this year was made possible
because of the protection of the former police chief of Panjwai district,
Sultan Mohammad Hakimi.
Despite the bloodshed he has witnessed throughout his
career, Hakimi has made it a personal mission to give ex-Taliban fighters,
commanders and officials the chance to reintegrate into village life.
"We invited the former fighters to return,
assuring them that nobody would harass them," said Hakimi.
"Those whose farms were destroyed, we rebuilt
them; those who had no water, we dug wells for them."
- 'Our brothers' -
Even in retirement, Hakimi has continued an effort
first launched by former Kandahar police chief General Abdul Raziq, a fierce opponent
of the insurgents who was assassinated in 2018.
Raziq's brother Tadin Khan Achakzai has since joined
the effort after taking over as police chief of the province.
"We will continue to help them in the future,
they are our brothers too," said Achakzai.
"If we have the right to live, so does the
Taliban -- but to live in peace... not to carry out suicide attacks and kill
people."
For Hakimi, it is a way of contributing to a
reconciliation process and also of "weakening the leadership" of the
Taliban.
During his time as Panjwai police chief, Hakimi
launched insurgent-clearing operations in almost every village in the district,
making it one of the most secure areas in Kandahar.
But with violence surging in Afghanistan, the progress
is fragile -- with the Taliban last month retaking part of Panjwai in a major
offensive.
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 with
an iron fist, imposing a harsh version of the Islamic sharia law.
Ousted by a US-led invasion after the September 11
attacks, the jihadists were able to regroup, launching a deadly insurgency that
continues to this day.
In February, the Taliban signed a deal with Washington
that paved the way for the withdrawal of all foreign forces by May 2021 and the
start of peace negotiations between the insurgents and the Afghan government in
Qatar.
- New beginnings -
Hundreds of Taliban fighters have defected from the
group, but it still has tens of thousands of members and claims to have
influence over more than half of Afghanistan.
Several previous efforts to help reintegrate Taliban
fighters had failed as they were "sporadic", said Andrew Watkins of
conflict think tank International Crisis Group.
"They were never able to convince the higher-up
commanders to bring a lot of their fighters along with them," Watkins told
AFP.
Taliban commander Mullah Rauf, 48, had fought for more
than half of his life before he returned from Pakistan to resettle in Panjwai
and return to farming.
He chose the same path as Haji Lala, contacting Hakimi
rather than surrendering to authorities, in order to save himself "from
any problems" such as a possible jail term.
Haji Ahmadullah Khan, 53, now lives in an upscale area
of Kandahar after emerging from a militant lifestyle.
"I go everywhere, to my village or in the city
without any problem. I have no weapons or bodyguards now," said the former
insurgent as he watched his son chatting and laughing with a son of Hakimi at
the ex-police officer's house.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20201223-the-afghan-police-team-welcoming-back-taliban-fighters?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1848852_
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Bangladesh Envoy to Saudi Arabia Lauds Islamic
Military Counter Terrorism Coalition’s Works
December 23, 2020
RIYADH: Dr. Mohammed Javed Patwary, Bangladesh ambassador
to Saudi Arabia, recently visited the headquarters of the Islamic Military
Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) in Riyadh.
IMCTC Secretary-General Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Saeed
Al-Moghedi received the EU diplomat and the accompanying delegation.
Al-Moghedi briefed the visiting dignitaries about the
coalition’s goals, achievements and the initiatives it has taken to fight
terrorism in different forms.
The envoy lauded the IMCTC’s role in establishing
strategic partnerships to enhance coordination in the global fight against all
forms of terrorism.
The IMCTC is an alliance of 41 countries that forms a
pan-Islamic unified front in the global fight against terrorism and violent
extremism.
In coordination with the relevant authorities in the
member countries, it promotes best practices, advances legal, regulatory, and
operational frameworks, and facilitates information sharing to curb terror
financing.
It also aims to assist member countries to enhance
their military capabilities to fight terrorism.
The intellectual aspect specializes in preserving the
universal message of Islam, promoting the values of moderation, tolerance and
the preparation of targeted messages to counter radical ideology.
The media side is based on producing digital, media
and other informative content to refute the rhetoric and claims of terrorist
organizations and extremists.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1781956/saudi-arabia
--------
Provincial Head of MOHIA Shot Dead in Kandahar
By Mohammad Arif Sheva
24 Dec 2020
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan – Mohammad Omar Akhundzadeh, a
provincial head to the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, was wounded,
said local authorities, after an armed attack by unknown gunmen on Thursday.
According to local officials, his bodyguard was
wounded during the attack.
Abdulbashir Khaksar, deputy spokesman for the Kandahar
police, told media the incident took place at around 9 a.m. Thursday in Chawoni
area of Police District 13 (PD13) in Kandahar province.
According to Khaksar, during the attack Akhundzadeh
was killed and his bodyguard was wounded.
While the suspect flee the scene, security officials
assured an investigation is underway to bring the perpetrators to justice.
No group of individual has immediately claimed
responsibility for the attack.
https://www.khaama.com/provincial-head-of-mohia-shot-dead-in-kandahar-34534/
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Dawlat Abad on The Verge of Collapse: Faryab
By Mohammad Haroon Alim
23 Dec 2020
A source in Dowlat Abad district of Faryab province,
who did not want to be named, told Khaama Press that following two car bomb
attacks on Dowlatabad district center, the district is now on the verge of
collapse.
He added that Taliban fighters attacked the Dawlat
Abad district center last night with an explosive-laden vehicle, destroying
most of the buildings inside the bazaar.
The source added that a three-story building of the
National Army has completely collapsed, and many security members are still
trapped under the rubble.
The official indicated, that the district building had
also been destroyed, and only a few soldiers remain at the gate of the entrance
fighting the Taliban.
He stressed that if reinforcements are not sent to the
central Dawlatabad, the district would collapse in a few hours.
So far, the bodies of three ANA soldiers have been
pulled from the rubble and handed over to the International Committee of the
Red Cross (ICRC), the official said.
Two nights ago, Taliban fighters attacked the district
with a Humvee type of vehicle loaded with 1,500 Kg of explosives.
Faryab Governor, Naqibullah Fayeq said on Tuesday that
the Taliban had attacked the market in Dowlat Abad district with 1,500
kilograms of explosives.
He added that the district had been under the Taliban
siege for three years and that all means of communication with them have been
blocked.
Many residential homes and hundreds of shops were
destroyed in a car bomb attack on the central Dawlat Abad two nights ago,
killing and injuring dozens of civilians.
War in Afghanistan raged amidst peace negotiations and
consultation on agenda.
https://www.khaama.com/dawlat-abad-on-the-verge-of-collapse-faryab-5566774/
--------
Africa
Peace settlement efforts in Libya must be intensified:
Russia’s Lavrov
23 December 2020
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on
Wednesday that international efforts to reach a peace settlement in Libya
should be intensified, the RIA news agency reported.
Libya descended into chaos after the NATO-backed
overthrow of leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In October, the two major sides in
the country’s war – the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Libyan National
Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar – agreed to a ceasefire.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/12/23/Peace-settlement-efforts-in-Libya-must-be-intensified-Russia-s-Lavrov
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Over 100 killed in latest ethnic massacre in Ethiopia
23 December 2020
More than 100 people have been killed in the latest
massacre along ethnic lines in western Ethiopia, and the toll is expected to
rise, according to the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.
The attack in Metekel zone of Benishangul-Gumuz region
occurred a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed visited the region and spoke
about the need to end such massacres. Ethnic tensions are a major challenge as
he tries to promote national unity in a country with more than 80 ethnic
groups.
The attacks are separate from the deadly conflict in
Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, where Ethiopian forces and allied regional
forces began fighting Tigray regional forces in early November.
Some people in remote villages remained encircled and
under threat on Wednesday evening, with the death toll thought to be above 200,
Belete Molla, head of the National Movement of Amhara political party, asserted
after speaking with residents.
Amnesty International, which spoke with five
survivors, said members of the ethnic Gumuz community attacked the homes of
ethnic Amhara, Oromo and Shinasha, setting them on fire and stabbing and
shooting residents. The Gumuz see minorities as “settlers,” the rights group
said.
Dozens of people are still unaccounted for, Amnesty
said.
The ruling party in the region, the Benishangul-Gumuz
Prosperity Party, said in a statement that armed bandits had committed a
“horrifying crime.”
Amharas are the second most populous ethnic group in
Ethiopia, and they have been targeted repeatedly in recent weeks. One rebel
attack on Nov. 1 in the far western Oromia region killed at least 54 people,
according to Amnesty International.
An attack in the Benishangul-Gumuz region in early
October killed at least 14 civilians, according to a security official. It
followed similar deadly attacks in September that also displaced over 300
people, leading the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to say it was deeply
alarmed.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641388/Ethiopia-massacre-human-rights
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Israel plane blocked out of Algeria, Tunisia airspace:
Report
23 December 2020
Algeria and Tunisia have reportedly disallowed an
Israeli plane conducting the first-ever direct flight from Tel Aviv to
Morocco’s capital from using their respective airspace.
Pan-Arab news and commentary website al-Masdar News
cited Tunisia’s Nessma TV as reporting the episode on Wednesday.
The television said after facing the prohibition, the
aircraft that had also been boarded by some American officials, including US
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and top advisor Jared Kushner, was forced
to take “a northern route that passes through the Mediterranean Sea.”
The alternative route, it added, took the plane all
the way through the Greek, Italian, and Spanish airspaces before it could land
in Rabat.
Algeria’s An-Nahar website also stiffly rejected
allegations that the country had let the plane into its skies. “Spiteful and
misleading parties spread false news about the passage of the Zionist plane
through Algerian airspace,” it wrote.
Morocco has been the latest country to fall into line
with a few-months-old United States-enabled trend of détente with the Israeli
regime. The normalization bandwagon has, since September, seen the United Arab
Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan agreeing on rapprochement with Tel Aviv.
The flurry of compromise with the illegal regime has,
however, been vehemently denounced by Palestinians and their supporters, who
call it a stab in the back of the oppressed nation and its cause of liberation
from Israeli occupation and aggression.
The Tunisian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, confirmed in
a statement that all “rumors circulating about Tunisia’s intention to normalize
relations with Israel are unfounded,” noting that this position “will not be
affected by the international changes.”
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641381/Palestine-Israeli-plane-Algeria-Tunisia-airspace-Morocco-normalization
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Local chief beheaded in Kenya, al-Shabab claims
responsibility
23 December 2020
The al-Shabab militant group abducted and beheaded the
chief of a clutch of villages in northeastern Kenya near the border with
Somalia, local police sources said Wednesday.
Omar Adan Buul, the head of the Gumarey sub-location
in Wajir county, was kidnapped on Friday by militants who had raided the area
and “lectured the locals,” according to Kenyan media reports.
“It is true the chief who went missing last week on
Friday has been found dead. His head was dumped on the road but the rest of the
body has not been found,” a local police officer said on condition of
anonymity.
Another police officer said, “we have collected the
head and taken it to the mortuary.”
“This is the work of Al-Shabab… we are looking for the
rest of the body or the parts, we hope it wasn’t taken to the other side,” he
added, referring to over the Somali border.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the “execution”
through their Shahada News Agency, according to the US monitoring group SITE.
The group said it had taken the chief prisoner during
an attack that seized control of a Kenyan police outpost, a claim that has not
been confirmed.
The al-Qaeda-linked group has been waging a violent
insurgency across Somalia seeking to unseat the internationally-backed
government in the capital Mogadishu.
They were driven out of Mogadishu by government forces
backed by 20,000 African Union peacekeepers in 2011.
But the group still controls swathes of territory
outside the cities, from where they launch attacks against government targets,
as well as occasionally crossing the border to carry out raids in Kenya.
Al-Shabab has ramped up the intensity of its attacks
in Kenya in recent years, including several major assaults as far as the
capital Nairobi, which have left nearly 300 dead.
Two demonstrators killed in Zambia protest
Elsewhere in Africa, two demonstrators were killed on
Wednesday in a protest outside the police headquarters in the Zambian capital
Lusaka, where opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was being interviewed, an
AFP reporter said.
Police arrived to break up a crowd of several hundred
demonstrators and shots were heard, leaving the blood-stained bodies of two men
on the ground after the crowd fled, he said.
Police issued a statement saying that two people were
reportedly killed by gunfire after tear gas was used to disperse an unruly
crowd, and that the circumstances were not immediately clear.
Hichilema, 58, is the main contender to President
Edgar Lungu in elections due next August.
A veteran campaigner and self-made entrepreneur, he
bid five times for the presidency between 2006 and 2016.
After narrowly losing in 2016, he spent four months in
jail when he contested the outcome.
Hichilema has vowed to step down as leader of the
United Party for National Development (UPND) if he fails again next year.
Lungu, 63, is struggling with a wave of unpopularity
and internal divisions within his party, fueled especially by Zambia's economic
problems.
The country is heavily dependent on copper, demand for
which has slumped.
The reason why Hichilema was called to police
headquarters was not immediately known.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641358/Kenya-Shabab
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North America
Iranians created website threatening US election
officials: Security agencies
24 December 2020
US security agencies said on Wednesday they had highly
credible information indicating that Iranian cyber actors were responsible for
creating a website earlier this month featuring death threats aimed at US
election officials.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Homeland
Security Department's Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a
statement that the Enemies of the People website, which surfaced after the US
election but now appears dormant, demonstrated “an ongoing Iranian intent to
create divisions and mistrust in the United States and undermine public
confidence in the US electoral process.”
The agencies said they had previously warned that
“Iranian cyber actors” likely were keen to influence and interfere with the
2020 US election.
“Iran is not involved in inciting violence and
creating unrest in the United States,” Alireza Miryousefi, a spokesman for
Iran's UN mission, said in an email to Reuters.
“Iran itself is the largest victim of cyber-attacks,
including Stuxnet, and has always emphasized the need for the establishment of
a global mechanism to prevent cyber-attacks at the United Nations, and at other
international institutions.”
The alleged Iranian-created website accused US
officials involved in election security of “treason.”
The site, along with several associated social media
accounts, included photographs of Republican and Democratic officials, with
rifle crosshairs superimposed on them. It also
included officials' purported home addresses.
Those targeted by the website included FBI director
Christopher Wray and Christopher Krebs, the former CISA director who was fired
by President Donald Trump after publicly vouching for 2020 election results
showing Joe Biden defeated Trump.
The site also targeted several employees of Dominion
Voting Systems, a voting-machine vendor that has been the subject of
unsubstantiated conspiracy theories of vote manipulation.
A Dominion spokeswoman said those false claims have resulted
in dangerous threats to the company and its workers.
Internet records hid the identity of whoever set up
the site. Cybersecurity researchers said one of the pages was hosted in Russia,
and some records include accounts registered through Yandex, a Russian email
platform. But experts said such links did not prove any Russian government
connection to the website.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/12/24/US-elections-Iranians-created-website-threatening-US-election-officials-Security-agencies
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Trump awards top aides for Arab-Israeli normalization
deals
24 December 2020
US President Donald Trump has awarded his top advisers
for their role in helping the push for normalization deals between several Arab
states and Israel as he scrambles to clinch more agreements before leaving the
White House next month.
The outgoing president awarded the National Security
Medal to his top advisers, under an executive order that allows for recognition
for major contributions in the field of national security.
Trump awarded Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Treasury
Secretary Steven Mnuchin, national security adviser Robert O’Brien, senior
adviser Jared Kushner, Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz, US ambassador to Israel
David Friedman and John Rakolta, US ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
“Thanks to the efforts of these individuals, the
region will never be the same as it finally moves beyond the conflicts of the
past,” the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.
Over the past four months, they pushed for the
agreements, known as Abraham Accord, between Israel and four Arab states; the
United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.
They are now pushing for agreements between Israel and
Saudi Arabia and Oman.
In a recent move, the Trump administration also
offered billions of dollars in aid to push Indonesia, the world’s largest
Muslim-majority nation, to sign normalization deal with Israel.
The White House offered Indonesia on Monday more than
double its current $1 billion portfolio if it signs the accord with Tel Aviv.
Indonesian Islamic groups and pro-Palestinian NGOs
have condemned the recent normalization deals.
The normalization deals have drawn widespread
condemnation from Palestinians, who seek an independent state in the occupied West
Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. They say the
deals ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which is headquartered
in Ramallah, vowed to cooperate with all Palestinian powers “to confront the
wave of Arab normalization with Israel,” denouncing the peace accords as “a
betrayal to Palestine” and a “national sin that only serves the Zionist
enterprise in the region.”
The Gaza-based resistance movement, Hamas, has called
for unity and resistance against Israel, vowing to keep fighting against the
occupying regime until the liberation of Palestinian territories.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/24/641410/US-Israel-nornmalization-national-security-award
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Activists call for end to recruitment of Canadian
citizens by Israeli army
23 December 2020
Human rights activists have called for an end to the
recruitment of Canadian citizens by the Israeli military, which is against the
laws of Canada.
These activists maintain that this measure by the
Israeli army is in violation of the Foreign Enlistment Act, which prohibits the
recruitment of Canadian citizens by foreigners.
According to the reports by the Israeli army, hundreds
of Canadian citizens have joined the Israeli military in the recent years, not
to mention the US citizens.
In a letter to
the Canadian Justice Minister David Lametti in October, 170 prominent figures
of the country asked him to take urgent action “against all those involved in
recruiting and encouraging recruiting” in the country.
Last year, Canada revoked the charity status of a
Jewish organization following a government audit that found it has funded
Israeli military projects and settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) stripped the “Beth
Oloth Charitable Organization” of its status for funding activities that are
not charitable under Canadian law, including attempts at “increasing the
efficiency and effectiveness of the Israeli armed forces.”
Beth Oloth also funded Israeli pre-army seminaries,
known in Hebrew as “mechinot.” Under Canadian law, registered charities are
prohibited from donating funds to “foreign armed forces.”
Canada officially opposes Israeli settlements in the
occupied West Bank and says they represent "a serious obstacle to
achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.”
About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal
settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian
territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future
independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/12/23/641370/Activists-call-for-end-to-recruitment-of-Canadian-citizens%C2%A0by-Israeli-army
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Oregon case reflects extremists' need of online
presence
23 December 2020
SALEM, Ore. -- A man supported the Islamic State group
for years from a Portland, Oregon, suburb by helping the extremists maintain an
online presence that encouraged attacks and sought recruits, federal agents and
prosecutors said.
Hawazen Sameer Mothafar, who was arrested in November
and whose trial is scheduled to begin in January, produced and disseminated
propaganda and recruiting material through social media platforms, according to
a grand jury indictment.
Mothafar pleaded not guilty to charges of providing
material support to a designated terrorist organization and conspiring to
provide that support. Mark Ahlemeyer, his federal public defender, declined to
comment.
The case underscores the group's focus on an online
presence, often referred to by experts as a “digital caliphate." By late
2017, the Islamic State had lost most of the territory it seized in Iraq and
Syria, and its self-declared caliphate along with it. The group continues to
carry out and inspire attacks.
Law enforcement's attempts to take down Islamic
State's online presence often resemble a game of whack-a-mole. A year ago,
European law enforcement officials removed accounts and information linked to
the Amaq agency, which spreads propaganda and news for the group. But as
recently as last month, Amaq carried a statement in which Islamic State claimed
responsibility for a shooting rampage in Vienna that killed four people.
“While the Islamic State has lost swaths of territory,
it has survived, is conducting significant numbers of attacks, and is
leveraging the digital caliphate to promote its narrative,” Maxwell Markusen of
the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in November 2018.
Mothafar, who lived in the Portland suburb of
Troutdale, is accused of editing and producing material al Anfal, a newspaper
that “advocates violent jihad” and receives its orders from Islamic State's
central media office, known as Diwan, the indictment says.
It also said Mothafar had been working on behalf of
the group since at least early 2015 until his arrest in November.
Jordan Reimer, a counterterrorism expert with Rand
Corp., said the arrest does not seem to represent a major blow to the group,
but anyone helping create and spread its propaganda plays an important role.
“ISIS propaganda is a huge component of what they do,”
said Reimer, a former intelligence analyst for the New York City Police
Department.
Reimer said it is rare for someone in the United
States to be as deeply and directly involved directly in Islamic State online
activities as Mothafar is alleged to have been.
Around 40% of the 221 people who have been charged in
the U.S. as of November with Islamic State-related crimes were accused of
traveling or attempting to travel abroad. One-third were accused of plotting
domestic terror attacks, according to George Washington University’s Program on
Extremism.
“To be part of the actual formal pro-ISIS or
ISIS-affiliated publications, to be working on that in a formal capacity in
America is unique. That I had not seen before,” Reimer said.
Mothafar is also accused in the indictment of
providing assistance, including moderating private chat rooms, to Al Dura’a al
Sunni, or Sunni Shield, a pro-Islamic State internet-based media organization.
In 2016, he opened a Facebook account for a senior
Islamic State official who is currently in custody in Iraq, the indictment
says, adding that Mothafar also distributed online articles that described how
to kill and maim with a knife and that encouraged attacks,
Loren “Renn” Cannon, the FBI’s special agent in charge
of the Portland division, said extremist groups of all stripes are increasingly
using online tools to spread their message of violence and in direct actions by
intimidation, hacking and harassing people.
“The digital component is incredibly important these
days,” Cannon said. “I think it’s important for people to understand that those
extremists that are advocating violence utilize the Internet and social media —
those are today’s tools to try to get ideas across.”
He declined to comment about the Mothafar case, though
in announcing the arrest, he called Mothafar “a leading figure in the Islamic
State’s media network.”
The trial is scheduled to start on Jan. 5 in Portland.
But Ahlemeyer has asked the judge for a 90-day postponement to further
scrutinize the case.
Authorities decided not to jail Mothafar, who has
physical disabilities and uses a wheelchair, because he is considered a low
flight risk, especially amid coronavirus travel restrictions.
The conditions of his release include limited travel
and the use of electronic devices.
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/oregon-case-reflects-extremists-online-presence-74863970?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1848852_
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