House of One: Muslims, Jews and Christians to Worship under Single Roof in Berlin
New
Age Islam News Bureau
16
March 2021
A model of the House of One at Petriplatz in
Berlin. Getty Images
----
•
Shia, Sunni Clerics Give Call For A Mega Rally At Jama Masjid On Friday against
Moving Supreme Court To Remove 26 Verses Of The Quran
•
Canada Calls On China to Stop Persecution of Uighurs, Tibetans
•
Pakistan Joins First-Ever 'Int'l Day to Combat Islamophobia'
•
Bangladesh: Rally Held Against Quran Petition in India
•
Kyrgyzstan Repatriates Children of Extremists in Iraq
•
Hamas, OIC, Palestine PM Censure Kosovo Decision to Open Embassy in Jerusalem
Al-Quds
•
Tunisia Announces Presidential Visit To Libya, First Time Since 2012
•
Proper Management of ‘Allah’ Use Will Avoid Misinterpretation, Says Ex-Sabah
Chief Minister
Europe
•
House of One: Muslims, Jews and Christians to Worship under Single Roof in
Berlin
•
History Made As First Muslim Nominated For Lead Actor Oscar
•
Arsonists target Muslim children's school in central Sweden
•
UK sanctions Syrian leaders on 10th anniversary of failed proxy war
•
EU liable for Syrian people’s sufferings, shedding their blood: Foreign
ministry
•
London Isis supporter found guilty of plotting terror attack
--------
India
•
Shia, Sunni Clerics Give Call For A Mega Rally At Jama Masjid On Friday against
Moving Supreme Court To Remove 26 Verses Of The Quran
•
Islamic State module case: NIA conducts searches at 11 locations in Delhi,
Kerala and Karnataka; three arrested
•
Jaish commander killed in J&K encounter
--------
North America
•
Canada Calls On China to Stop Persecution of Uighurs, Tibetans
•
Analyst casts doubt on US willingness to return to Iran deal
•
Syrian conflict longer than two world wars: UN envoy
--------
Pakistan
•
Pakistan Joins First-Ever 'Int'l Day to Combat Islamophobia'
•
PDM decision on en masse resignations today: Maryam
•
Saudi tycoon in Pakistan to end impasse over KE sale
•
One arrested after cleric Muhammad Ali Mirza survives attack in Jhelum
--------
South Asia
•
Bangladesh: Rally Held Against Quran Petition in India
•
Taliban to Attend Afghan Peace Talks in Moscow
•
Two killed after gunmen ambush university bus in Afghanistan
•
Concerns rise over Sri Lanka's move to ban burqas and madrassas
•
Avalanche kills 25 Taliban fighters on route from Pakistan
•
Taliban attacks Pashdan dam of Herat province
•
India, Bangladesh likely to sign three MoUs during PM Modi's visit
--------
Arab World
•
Kyrgyzstan Repatriates Children of Extremists in Iraq
•
United Nations says has helped 12 jurisdictions prepare Syrian war crimes cases
•
US-occupied Iraqi air base hit by several rockets
•
Syria foils ‘large-scale’ terrorist attack on Damascus: SANA
--------
Mideast
•
Hamas, OIC, Palestine PM Censure Kosovo Decision to Open Embassy in Jerusalem
Al-Quds
•
Israel will be hit by 2,000 missiles a day in future war with Hezbollah:
Israeli general
•
Yemen: US must stop Saudi war, siege to set stage for political process
•
Yemen’s targeting of Saudi oil industry ‘not simply a tactical decision in war’
•
American proposal offers nothing new, serves Washington’s interests: Top Yemeni
official
--------
Africa
•
Tunisia Announces Presidential Visit To Libya, First Time Since 2012
•
Paris defends media freedom after news channel threatened by Algerian
government
•
European Union mulls visa pressure so northern African states take back
migrants
•
Libya's new interim prime minister sworn in, promises to represent all Libyans
•
Police clash with anti-lockdown protesters in Jordan
•
Boko Haram Threat Complicates Plans to Resettle Displaced Nigerians
•
Nigerian troops kill 41 Boko Haram terrorists
•
Armed men abduct schoolteachers, students in NW Nigeria
•
Libya’s new unity gov’t sworn in by parliament
•
Turkey decries Boko Haram terrorist attack in Nigeria
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Proper Management of ‘Allah’ Use Will Avoid Misinterpretation, Says Ex-Sabah
Chief Minister
•
In Sarawak, five lodge police report against Selangor woman for remarks on
‘Allah’ ruling
•
Malaysia government appeals ruling on Christians using 'Allah'
•
Shunned by Umno, Bersatu’s survival now rests with PAS, say analysts
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/house-one-muslims-jews-christians/d/124554
--------
House
of One: Muslims, Jews and Christians to Worship under Single Roof in Berlin
A model of the House of One at Petriplatz in
Berlin. Getty Images
----
Thomas
Harding
March
16, 2021
Under
the 2.3 million red bricks arching over a new building in Berlin it is hoped
that the seeds of peace can grow between the three Abrahamic religions.
When
the cornerstone is laid at the House of One building this spring it will mark
an increasingly global desire for togetherness among Muslims, Jews and
Christians.
A
decade in the making, the project puts all three religions under a single roof,
a concept growing around the world with the Abrahamic House reaching completion
in Abu Dhabi next year and similar projects in Central African Republic and
Georgia in eastern Europe.
In
interviews with The National, an imam, rabbi and priest have argued that the
House of One could mark greater understanding between the monotheist beliefs.
“The
Muslim community is tired of hate, violence and terror being spread to the
world in the name of Islam,” said Imam Kadir Sanci. “Now they see that Muslims
- together Jews and Christians - are finally working effectively for peace.
Many Muslims are happy that the House of One can be the voice of peace that can
drown out the voice of violence.”
His
words were echoed by Rabbi Andreas Nachama. “The idea to have Jews, Muslims and
Christians under one roof is attractive to people because it's a step towards
peace between the religions.”
For
more than 50 years a parking lot in what was East Berlin has stood largely
empty, with memories of the great church of St Peter demolished by the
communists, largely forgotten in the Petriplatz area.
But
in 2009, at the height of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, a group of
religious thinkers decided that a route out of violence would be greater
understanding by building a church, a synagogue and a mosque all housed within
a central building.
“The
Protestant community decided that we wanted not to rebuild a church but a
sacred building to mirror the religious situation in our city,” said Protestant
theologian Roland Stolte, one of the founders. “We wanted to step back and give
room for other religions, that was the main premise, for Jews and Muslims to
join us in one sacred building.”
The
Protestant theologian said the concept accepted there was “no exclusivity of
truth in other religions” but that the idea of House of One was to “look for
hints of truth in other religions or in other worldviews”.
The
idea found global appeal. Donations totalling almost 9million Euros ($10.7m)
have poured in from 60 different countries, including Egypt, Jordan and UAE as
well as 30million Euros from the German government.
Respect
for each religion’s individual services and practices will remain strictly
observed within the 46 metre high building separated into four distinct parts.
It will contain three religious structures, each accommodating about 100
worshippers and then a central hall to which everyone is welcome, from atheists
to tourists and others religions.
The
project has also had close ties with the Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi
that will be completed next year. “We discussed it with people from the UAE
embassy in Berlin and they have the same ideas, system and structure,” said
Roland Stolte. “The same hope too for more harmony between religions.”
From
a theological perspective, each theology accepts there should be no objection
to the concept. “It is in the tradition of our honourable Prophet,” said Imam
Kadir Sanci and was inspired by examples from Islamic history. “For us, every
step we take must be in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnah.
Father
Gregor Hohberg, 53, a Lutheran pastor, said the philosophy was contained within
the teaching of Jesus. “This goes hand in hand with the sharing and
relinquishing of historically grown power, influence and privileges - entirely
in the spirit of Jesus.,” he said. “There are theological challenges and
questions but no religion can come into the House of One with a final theology
or an absolute claim of truth.”
Worshippers
had been attracted to his congregation because of the project. “We are not
trying to create a mixed religion, but rather to live and celebrate diversity
and the richness of differences.”
It
was also accepted by Imam Sanci that there would be some concerns or
“headwinds” within the Muslim community who do “not know their own religion and
its history sufficiently”.
The
idea of “sharing an umbrella” with Christians and Muslims came in the knowledge
“that Abraham is our common father in belief and that we have the same God…is
progress,” said Rabbi Nachama.
Indeed,
this symbolism of unity, forgiveness and understanding has greater meaning
among the Jews in Germany where its people were the victims of the Holocaust.
Today their number is just 200,000 where once there were an estimated 318,000
Jews and many more from a Jewish background before the Nazis came to power.
But
Rabbi Nachama, whose father survived the Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen
concentration camps and whose mother was sheltered by a non-Jew Germany family,
believes the House can go some way to resolving conflict. “We can have greater
understanding that while each has his own tradition we share the earth and we
share the one God.”
Imam
Sanci is hopeful that the more people from different religions learn about each
other the greater the chances of peace. “From the first minute of my
involvement in the House of One, I was convinced that we are making an
important contribution - albeit a modest one - to world peace. When people have
conversations at eye level they are more likely to find reasons to be friendly
with each other,” he said. “People who refuse to get to know their counterparts
are more prone to hostility and violence.”
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/muslims-jews-and-christians-to-worship-under-single-roof-in-berlin-1.1184796
--------
Shia,
Sunni Clerics Give Call For A Mega Rally At Jama Masjid On Friday against
Moving Supreme Court To Remove 26 Verses Of The Quran
Hasan
Rizvi
-----
Mar
16, 2021
MUMBAI:
Continuing their protests against ex-chairman of UP Shia Central Waqf Board
Waseem Rizvi for moving Supreme Court to remove 26 verses of the Quran, senior
Shia and Sunni clerics have given a call for a rally at Delhi’s Jama Masjid
after the Friday Namaz on March 19.
United
under the banner Tahaffuz-e-Quran (in protection of the Quran), the clerics
addressed a rally at Lucknow on Sunday and resolved to continue their protests
till the Supreme Court, they hope, dismissed the PIL. “Both Shias and Sunnis
will participate in the rally at Jama Masjid on March 19. Since Waseem Rizvi
has committed a sacrilege he should not be made in-charge of any Muslim
organization or government departments dealing with Muslim issues,” said
Maulana Kalbe Jawad, senior Shia cleric and general secretary,
Majlis-e-Ulema-e-Hind.
The
meeting was also addressed by, among others, former member of All India Muslim
Personal Law Board Maulana Salman Nadvi. Nadvi was expelled from the Board
after he had publicly suggested that Muslims should handover the then disputed
Babri Masjid-Ramjanmbhoomi land months before SC gave its verdict in November
2019.
Waseem
Rizvi could not be contacted but reacting to the uproar his petition has
created among Muslims, he told a section of the media: “I stand by what I had
said in the petition and I am not scared by Anything. I will keep fighting for
it till the end.”
Meanwhile,
in a video message which has gone viral, Waseem Rizvi’s younger brother said
that the family has nothing to do with him.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/shia-sunni-clerics-give-call-for-a-mega-rally-at-jama-masjid-on-friday/articleshow/81524435.cms
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Canada
Calls On China to Stop Persecution of Uighurs, Tibetans
Canadian Leader of the Opposition Erin O'Toole
said Canada must stand behind those who advocate for religious freedom.
(REUTERS)
------
MAR
15, 2021
Conservative
party of Canada has called on China to stop the persecution of people who
practice their religion or belief including Christians, Tibetans and Uighurs.
In
a statement issued on the 62nd anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising
Day, Canadian Leader of the Opposition Erin O'Toole said Canada must stand
behind those who advocate for religious freedom.
The
Conservative party leader paid tribute to "the brave women and men who
sacrificed their lives for the just cause of Tibet", while noting his
support for the nonviolent struggle of the Tibetan people for genuine autonomy,
human rights, and justice for the past 62 years, without either malice or
compromise.
"This
is a great testament to the steadfastness and virtue that characterize His
Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people," the statement read.
He
further expressed his commitment as a leader of the Conservative party of
Canada for safeguarding religious freedom and protection of human rights for
those oppressed and facing abuses.
"Conservatives
have urged China to stop the persecution of people who practice their religion
or belief including Catholics, other Christians, Tibetans, Uighurs, and Falun
Dafa practitioners, including the genocide of the Uyghur people," the
statement read.
"In
a time when freedom of religion and belief is under increasing threat
internationally, Canada must stand behind those who advocate for religious
freedom," the statement added.
Last
month, Canada's parliament has passed a non-binding motion that says China's
treatment of its Muslim Uighur minority constitutes genocide.
The
motion, sponsored by the opposition Conservative Party, passed by a vote of
266-0 in the House of Commons on Monday, though Trudeau and nearly his entire
cabinet abstained.
Tibet
was a sovereign state before China's invasion in 1950 when the People's
Liberation Army (PLA) entered northern Tibet.
March
10 is regarded as 'Tibetan Martyrs' Day', dedicated to the patriotism of the
heroic men and women of Tibet.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/canada-calls-on-china-to-stop-persecution-of-uighurs-tibetans-101615818308590.html
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Pakistan
joins first-ever 'Int'l Day to Combat Islamophobia'
MAR
15, 2021
Pakistan
became a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday to
observe the first-ever “International Day to Combat Islamophobia.” The OIC has
decided to designate March 15 as a day to fight against Islamophobia globally
each year.
In
a statement, the Foreign Ministry of Pakistan said the OIC's unanimous support
for the designation of this day is a reflection of the sentiments of billions
of Muslims around the world.
"Today,
joins members of the OIC in observing for the first time the ‘International Day
to Combat Islamophobia.' Marking this occasion, the OIC Group will hold a
High-Level Event in New York on 17 March 2021," it said.
Last
November, the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in its 47th session, held in
Niamey, Niger, unanimously adopted a resolution moved by Pakistan and Turkey to
observe March 15 as the "International Day to Combat Islamophobia."
The
Islamic group is now working with the international community to commemorate
the day at the global level.
"Prime
Minister Imran Khan has been the leading international voice in raising
awareness on the grave consequences of rising systematic Islamophobia and in
promoting inter-faith harmony," said the ministry, adding that the scourge
of Islamophobia, fueled by populism, hate speech, and lack of knowledge and
disinformation, is causing unimaginable suffering to Muslim minorities around
the world.
Pakistan
reaffirmed its support to continue to lead international efforts for building
bridges between cultures and civilizations.
"Through
the observance of this Day, we want to build better understanding of Islam and
Islamic precepts. We intend to send a message of international solidarity and
cooperation. We remain determined to promote values of peaceful co-existence as
well as inter-faith and cultural harmony," the Pakistani Foreign Ministry
further said.
The
OIC in its report presented in the foreign ministers meeting in Niger last year
said the spread of Islamophobia, both in momentum and outreach, is particularly
alarming these days, for it has emerged as "a new form of racism"
characterized by xenophobia, negative profiling and stereotyping of Muslims.
"The
rise in hate crimes against Muslims both offline and online, as well as
discrimination in education, employment, housing and healthcare sector, among
others are well documented," said the global Muslim body in its report.
Studies
in Europe and elsewhere have also revealed that Islamophobia is most visible in
media and the discourse of right-wing political parties and groups who tend to
exploit and build on the general fear of Islam for electoral gains.
In
European countries and the U.S., anti-immigration and anti-refugee rhetoric has
taken an anti-Muslim overtone and often becomes the central theme of campaigns
by far-right parties.
"Pertinent
to note that Islamophobia is also on the rise in some non-western countries
where the Muslim communities and minorities face discrimination, hatred and
violence, including in Kashmir," according to the OIC.
The
OIC further reported that during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there has
been a perceivable rise in negative narratives and hate speech in some
countries holding the Muslim minorities responsible for spreading the COVID-19,
as part of a disinformation campaign and "fake news,” mainly on social
media.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/pakistan-joins-first-ever-intl-day-to-combat-islamophobia
--------
Bangladesh:
Rally held against Quran petition in India
Md.
Kamruzzaman
16.03.2021
DHAKA,
Bangladesh
Jamaat-e-Islami,
Bangladesh's largest religious-political party, organized a rally in the
capital Dhaka on Monday to condemn a petition filed in the Indian Supreme Court
seeking the removal of 26 verses from the Muslim holy Quran.
Waseem
Rizvi, former chairman of the Shia Central Board of Waqf (Trust) in Uttar
Pradesh, India, as well as a Bollywood film producer, filed a petition two days
ago claiming that parts of the Quran are "provocative of violence"
and incite people to "jihad," which he interpreted as armed struggle.
Hundreds
of Jamaat supporters came to the capital's business hub of the Motijheel area
in small and large groups, and later rallied on the main road amid full-throat
slogans against Rizvi.
The
protesters also demanded that the Indian court immediately reject the petition
and bring Rizvi to trial for hurting over a billion Muslims’ religious
sentiments around the world.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Jamaat leader Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said no Muslim would dare
submit such a petition on the Quran as "Allah Himself has taken the
guarantee to protect this book from any alteration."
It
is the extreme audacity of Rizvi, the so-called Shia leader, who approached the
court for the expulsion of 26 verses from the Quran, which remained unchanged
for the last 1,500 years, Rahman added.
"Leave
aside 26 verses, no one has the authority to alter even a single digit of the
holy Quran," Rahman said.
He
urged the Indian government to immediately arrest Rizvi and bring him to trial
for hurting the religious sentiments of the world's Muslims.
According
to Islamic scholars, the term "jihad" in Islam refers to struggles or
strivings for some good cause, such as education, social change, or preaching
Islam.
"Jihad
is the name given to all-out attempts to accomplish some good aim. It never
entails the killing of people or the use of terrorism. However, some
anti-Islamic forces use the term as a synonym for terrorism as part of their
Islamophobia propaganda," according to Rafiqul Islam, associate professor
at the Arabic Department of Dhaka University.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/bangladesh-rally-held-against-quran-petition-in-india/2177238
--------
Kyrgyzstan
repatriates children of extremists in Iraq
16
March ,2021
Dozens
of children were returned to Kyrgyzstan from Iraq Tuesday in the ex-Soviet
country’s first major repatriation since hundreds of its citizens joined
extremist groups fighting there and in Syria, the foreign ministry said.
Images
showed the children holding balloons and stuffed animals after touching down at
the capital Bishkek’s Manas airport early Tuesday.
Scores
of women from Central Asia are serving jail time in Iraq over their
participation in the activities of extremist organizations, chiefly ISIS. In
many cases, their husbands are assumed to have died in the fighting.
Kyrgyzstan’s
foreign ministry said in a statement that the repatriation of 79 children born
to Kyrgyz parents was “carried out with the consent of their mothers, who
remain in the Republic of Iraq.”
The
statement did not mention the status of the women.
It
added that government services will work on the children’s “rehabilitation and
resocialization for further transfer to relatives”.
Kyrgyzstan
is the fourth state in former Soviet Central Asia to complete a repatriation
mission from either Iraq or Syria following neighbors Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan
and Tajikistan.
The
Kyrgyz government thanked Iraq’s government, the United Nations children’s
agency UNICEF and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
A
fifth Central Asian state, Turkmenistan, has not acknowledged its citizens
joining the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/16/Kyrgyzstan-repatriates-children-of-extremists-in-Iraq
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Hamas,
OIC, Palestine PM censure Kosovo decision to open embassy in Jerusalem al-Quds
15
March 202
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas and the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) have lambasted Kosovo for opening its embassy in the occupied
Jerusalem al-Quds.
In
a press release on Monday, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Kosovo’s move was
in sheer violation of international resolutions and humanitarian
considerations, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
The
decision by Kosovo, a partially-recognized state and disputed territory in
Southeastern Europe, showed a blatant bias in favor of Israel, he said.
Donald
Trump, the former president of the United States, sparked controversy by
officially recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s ‘capital’ in December
2017, before moving the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv in May the next year.
Israel
lays claim to the entire Jerusalem al-Quds, but the international community
views the city’s eastern sector as occupied territory and Palestinians consider
it the capital of their future state.
Kosovo
opened its diplomatic mission in Jerusalem al-Quds on Sunday, weeks after
establishing relations with Israel.
The
Hamas official said Kosovo had been encouraged to make such a decision
following the normalization of relations between Israel and some Arab
countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.
Qassem
also stressed that Jerusalem al-Quds would remain Palestinian and its Arab
identity would never be erased.
OIC
decries Kosovo, Czech for opening embassies in al-Quds
In
a statement on Monday, the General Secretariat of the OIC censured Kosovo and
the Czech Republic for opening their diplomatic missions in the occupied Jerusalem
al-Quds, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.
This
illegal act “violates international law and all relevant UN resolutions,
particularly UN Security Council resolution 478, which prohibits the
establishment of diplomatic missions in the occupied city,” it said.
The
OIC also called for abstaining from holding prejudice toward the historical,
legal, and political status of the occupied city, which forms an integral part
of the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.
Palestinian
prime minister slams Kosovo, Czech for embassy opening
Separately
on Monday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh denounced Kosovo and
Czech’s decision to open their diplomatic mission to Israel, Wafa reported.
Speaking
during the weekly session of the Council of Ministers in Ramallah, the
Palestinian premier said Kosovos had effectively recognized the occupied city
as the ‘capital’ of Israel in blatant defiance of international law.
Shtayyeh
also slammed the Czech Republic’s opening of a branch of its Israel embassy,
located in Tel Aviv, in Jerusalem al-Quds.
The
Palestinian prime minister also affirmed such decisions could not deny the
Palestinian people’s legitimate rights to Jerusalem al-Quds.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647355/Hamas-OIC-Kosovo
--------
Tunisia
announces presidential visit to Libya, first time since 2012
16
March ,2021
Tunisian
President Kais Saied is to travel to neighboring Libya Wednesday for the first
visit by a head of state since 2012, his office announced, in a boost for its
new UN-backed unity administration.
Saied’s
visit aims to show “Tunisia’s support for the democratic process in Libya”
following the swearing in on Monday of new interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid
Dbeibah on a pledge to reunite the divided country and lead it to December
elections, the president’s office said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/north-africa/2021/03/16/Tunisia-announces-presidential-visit-to-Libya-first-time-since-2012-
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Proper
management of ‘Allah’ use will avoid misinterpretation, says ex-Sabah chief
minister
16
Mar 2021
BY
JULIA CHAN
KOTA
KINABALU, March 16 — Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal
believes proper management with sensitivity in using the word “Allah” will go a
long way to prevent potential misuse and misinterpretation in multireligious
Malaysia.
He
said the word “Allah” is universally understood as the Arabic word for God and
should not be exclusive to Muslims.
“In
Islam, we believe that Allah is the God for all people, so why should it be exclusive
to only one group?” he said in a Facebook Live session last night.
The
former Sabah chief minister said the federal Cabinet during his time had
discussed the matter, in the presence of Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who eventually
became Malaysia’s first ambassador to the Vatican City.
“If
we believe that God is the Almighty for all beings, then why are we not
confident in others using the term?
“If
there are potential abuses, that’s where we have to manage it. As an example,
you let people own guns, but not to shoot others. You allow people to own
knives to cut meat, not to injure another. You do not take their guns or knives
away,” he said.
Shafie
said in a situation as delicate as religion, the key is to manage the potential
abuse and confusion.
“For
instance, we don’t allow Muslims to pray in church, so do not name your church
Allah, to prevent confusion. Manage the use and potential misinterpretation.
That is the way to go about it,” he said.
“We
need to have high tolerance and understand each other, not go for the extreme,
that is divisive and bad for unity,” he said.
On
March 10, the High Court ruled that the federal government directive in a
December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home Ministry’s publications control
division was unlawful and unconstitutional.
The
controversial decision meant that after decades, Christian Malaysians could use
the word “Allah” to refer to their God.
The
ruling was for Sarawakian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill’s legal challenge against
the government’s seizure of her eight educational compact discs containing the
word “Allah” in their titles and which were meant for her personal use.
The
word “Allah” is Arabic for God and has been adopted into the Malay language. It
has been used for generations by Malay-speaking Christians in the country,
especially those in Sabah and Sarawak.
The
federal government has filed an appeal against the High Court decision.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/16/proper-management-of-allah-use-will-avoid-misinterpretation-says-ex-sabah-c/1958188
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Europe
History
made as first Muslim nominated for lead actor Oscar
March
15, 2021
LONDON:
British actor Riz Ahmed has made history by becoming the first Muslim to be
nominated best lead actor for the film industry’s most prestigious award: The
Oscar.
Ahmed,
38, was nominated for his role in “Sound of Metal,” which tells the story of
Ruben, a rock-and-roll drummer and recovering addict whose life is sent into a
tailspin when he loses his hearing.
Ahmed
told The Times that he had immersed himself in the character of Ruben by
attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and learning drumming and sign
language.
“When
you learn things that take you away from yourself and your comfort zone — and I
mean truly learn them — what it does is bring you home, back to yourself,” he
said.
“As
an actor, you start off at this place of separation, and by the end, it’s
crazy, but you want to grab someone and tell them, ‘This is me!’” he added.
“Ruben’s
journey in ‘Sound of Metal’ became my journey too. And it absolutely changed my
life.”
Muslims
have seen Oscar success in the past, but this is the first time one has been
nominated for the coveted lead actor award.
American-Muslim
Mahershala Ali has taken home two Oscars for supporting actor for his roles in
“Moonlight” in 2017 and “Green Book” in 2019, but nomination for lead roles has
eluded him.
Ahmed
will compete against six-time nominee and one-time winner Anthony Hopkins,
one-time winner Gary Oldman, the late Chadwick Boseman and Steven Yeun. The
Oscars will take place on April 25.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1825956/art-culture
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Arsonists
target Muslim children's school in central Sweden
15
March, 2021
A
Muslim children's school in central Sweden was attacked by masked men on Monday
who attempted to set fire to the building, according to local media reports.
Alsalamskolan
School principle, Hussein Aldoaudi, told Swedish state broadcaster SVT that the
attack on the school in Orebro province was captured on CCTV.
"In
the footage, two masked men break windows on the lower floor of the school and
throw flammable materials inside," Aldaoudi said.
"Because
it was early in the morning, our only consolation was that no one was in the
school," he added.
Aldaoudi
said parts of the school, including its preschool department, will remain
closed for refurbishment. The repair works are expected to last several weeks.
Despite
works and safety checks ongoing, Aldaoudi said the school's pupils will return
as normal on Monday.
Police
have opened an investigation into the attack.
Anti-Muslim
sentiment in Sweden has risen to prominence in recent years, with far-right
movements and political parties gaining ground on anti-immigration platforms.
In
its 2018 parliamentary elections, the Scandinavian country saw the far-right
Sweden Democrats Party, once shunned for historical links to neo-Nazis, rise to
become the third-largest party in parliament.
Last
year, far-right groups in both Sweden and neighbouring Denmark staged public
Quran burning events which ended in clashes with police and rioting.
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2021/3/15/arsonists-target-sweden-muslim-childrens-school
--------
UK
sanctions Syrian leaders on 10th anniversary of failed proxy war
15
March 2021
The
British government has chosen the 10th anniversary of the failed campaign to
oust the Syrian government by means of foreign-sponsored armed uprisings and
Takfiri terrorism, to impose sanctions on six leading Syrians.
The
sanctions were announced by Foreign Secretary, Dominc Raab, who claimed their
object is to hold the Syrian government “to account for their wholesale assault
on the very citizens they should be protecting”.
The
sanctioned individuals include Syrian foreign minister, Faisal Miqdad,
government press officer, Luna al-Shibl, in addition to two army generals and
two leading businessmen.
The
sanctions – part of the UK’s post-Brexit strategy of appearing more assertive
on the world stage – freezes any assets the targeted individuals may have in
the UK and bars them from traveling to Britain.
Currently
359 Syrian entities are sanctioned by the UK; of which 289 are individuals and
70 comprise organizations.
The
UK’s new post-Brexit sanctions regime has also been used against the leader of
Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and other “senior figures” in the Belarusian
establishment.
It
is not yet clear just how effective these sanctions are, especially in view of
the fact the targeted Syrian officials are unlikely to have any assets in the
UK nor are they likely to be planning imminent trips to Britain.
Analysts
have been at pains to point out the sanctions against Syrian officials are
borne out of malice and frustration, in so far as the UK has failed to achieve
even its minimal objectives in the Syrian conflict.
The
increase of Western attacks and mainly the UK, on the Syrian government and
head of state is related to the anniversary of the "revolution" of
Jihadists and the failure of the #UK to achieve the #US objectives in #Syria.
Understandable.
https://t.co/WrYhHjRzwt
—
Elijah J. Magnier (@ejmalrai) March 15, 2021
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647353/UK-Syria-Sanctions-Dominic-Raab-Failed-Proxy-Warfare
--------
EU
liable for Syrian people’s sufferings, shedding their blood: Foreign ministry
15
March 2021
The
Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has denounced the European
Union’s recent declaration on the decade-long conflict in the war-torn Arab
country, saying the bloc is responsible for the sufferings of Syrian people as
it backs sanctions which amount to economic terrorism.
“The
EU is liable for the miseries of Syrians and their carnage as it supports
terrorism, and exercises economic terrorism [against Syria]. The EU is not in a position to advocate Syrians, and has no capacity to assume a
positive role,” Syria’s official news agency SANA quoted an unnamed official at
the ministry as saying in a statement on Monday.
The
source added that the EU declaration on Syria is tainted with falsehood and
unsubstantiated claims, overlooks realities on the ground, and underscores its
continued hostile policies towards Syria.
The
EU is involved in aggression against Syria through supporting terror groups and
imposing economic sanctions, the statement said, adding that this makes the
union responsible for the sufferings and slaughter of Syrian people.
The
source went on to say that “the colonialist dreams of some EU members have
become a thing of the past. The Syrian nation, who stood up against the French
occupation, will not allow colonialists to return and meddle in the country’s
domestic affairs. They must realize only Syrians will seal their future.”
The
ministry highlighted that EU-sponsored conferences on Syria, which bring
together enemies of the Syrian nation, fall within the framework of the bloc’s
flawed approach vis-à-vis Syria and are in line with its attempts to undermine
Syria’s national sovereignty.
On
Sunday, the European Union said it will renew sanctions against the Damascus
government in May, alleging the foreign-backed conflict in the war-ravaged
country is still far from a solution.
Syria
has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian
government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are
aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.
Syrian
government troops and their allies have managed to retake roughly 80 percent of
the war-ravaged Arab country’s territory from the Takfiri terrorists.
The
Syrian army is fighting to drive out remaining militants, but the presence of
US and European forces in addition to Turkish troops has slowed down its
advances.
A new report by a humanitarian aid group has
revealed that the economic cost of the ongoing foreign-sponsored conflict in
Syria after 10 years is estimated to be at over USD 1.2 trillion, besides the
loss of thousands of civilian lives and displacement of millions of people.
The
'Too high a price to pay: the cost of conflict for Syria's children' report
launched by California-based World Vision International in partnership with
Frontier Economics says even if the war ended today, the cost will continue to
accumulate to the tune of an additional $1.4 trillion in today’s money through
to 2035.
The
report went on to say that the negative impacts of the war on the Syrian
children's health and education will bring the figure up to $1.7 trillion.
The
group also said the life expectancy of Syrian children has been reduced by 13
years.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647373/EU-liable-for-Syrian-people%E2%80%99s-sufferings-spilling-their-blood-Foreign-ministry
--------
London
Isis supporter found guilty of plotting terror attack
12
Mar 2021
An
Islamic State supporter who rapped about decapitations and wearing suicide
vests has been found guilty of plotting to run amok with a sword during the
coronavirus lockdown.
Sahayb
Abu, 27, had bought two blades, balaclavas, a camouflage hat and body armour
online in readiness for the planned terror attack last summer, the Old Bailey
heard. He was arrested on 9 July after discussing guns with an undercover
police officer, who he met on an Isis supporters’ Telegram chat group.
A
jury deliberated for 21 hours and 32 minutes to find him guilty of preparing
for terrorist acts by a majority of 11 to one.
His
brother, Muhamed Abu, 32, wept as he was cleared of failing to disclose
information about a plot to authorities. He appeared distressed at his
sibling’s conviction, sobbing: “He’s a clown, he’s a buffoon.”
Following
the verdicts, Commander Richard Smith said Sahayb Abu was a “very dangerous
individual”, despite portraying himself as a clownish aspiring rapper called
Masked Menace.
Smith,
the head of the Met’s counter-terrorism command, said: “There is no doubt in my
mind that Sahayb had murderous intent, some of that was evidenced from the kind
of things that he was posting online and sharing with others, including his
brother.”
The
court heard how some of the defendants’ relatives had been linked to extremism
in the past. The defendants’ half-brothers Wail and Suleyman Aweys went to
Syria in 2015, where they are both believed to have died, the court was told.
Two
years later, the court heard, the defendants were caught with their older
half-brother Ahmed Aweys putting up poppy posters in east London saying British
tax was used to “kill Muslims”.
Sahayb
Abu, from Dagenham in east London, went on to associate with known terrorists
while serving a sentence for burglary at Wandsworth prison in south London.
Among them was the Isis supporter Husnain Rashid, who was jailed for at least
25 years in 2018 for calling for an attack on Prince George.
Sahayb
Abu was released from prison on 20 March last year, and went from being “locked
up to locked down” as the Covid-19 pandemic struck, jurors heard. Over the next
three months, he trawled the internet for Isis propaganda, including pictures
of fighters in balaclavas with guns. He posed in his combat gear in homemade
videos sent to Muhamed Abu.
In
a disturbing rap, he described the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, as a “sellout” and
talked about the murdered fusilier Lee Rigby.
He
also posted extremist comments online and came to the attention of the
undercover officer via the Telegram chat group. The pair met twice, and during
their conversations used code words “silah” and “duty free” for firearms, which
the officer claimed he could import.
Sahayb
Abu said the time was coming to be an “action man rather than a chatty man” and
commented “we need a 9/11 2.0”, in reference to the World Trade Center attacks
in New York. Police took the decision to arrest the brothers on 9 July last
year.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/12/london-isis-supporter-sahayb-abu-guilty-plotting-terror-attack?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2102947_
--------
India
Islamic
State module case: NIA conducts searches at 11 locations in Delhi, Kerala and
Karnataka; three arrested
March
15, 2021
New
Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested three persons
as it conducted simultaneous searches at 11 locations in Kerala, Karnataka and
Delhi in connection with terror activities of a group propagating the violent
ideology of ISIS, an official said.
An
NIA spokesperson said the searches were carried out by the premier anti-terror
probe agency with local police units at 11 locations – eight in Kerala's
Kannur, Mallapuram, Kollam and Kasargod districts, two in Bengaluru and one in
Delhi.
The
case pertains to the terrorist activities of a group led by one Mohammed Ameen
of Kerala, the official said.
Three
people – Ameen and his associates Mushab Anuvar and Rahees Rashid – were arrested
after preliminary examination, the NIA official said.
The
group has been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social
media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the
violent Jihadi ideology of ISIS, and radicalising and recruiting new members to
the module, the NIA official said.
The
NIA had registered a case against seven known and other unnamed persons under
relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act on March 5, 2021.
The
NIA official said the group of radicalised individuals, under the leadership of
Ameen and having pledged allegiance to the proscribed terrorist organisation
ISIS, had identified certain people in Kerala and Karnataka for targeted
killing.
They
had also planned to undertake Hijrat (religious migration) to Jammu and Kashmir
for engaging in terrorist acts, the official said, adding that Ameen had
travelled to Jammu and Kashmir immediately after his return to India from
Bahrain in March 2020 and had been camping in Delhi for last two months for
establishing a connection with Jammu and Kashmir-based operatives having
allegiance to the ISIS.
The
searches, which took place following the extensive verification by the NIA, the
Delhi Police's Special Cell and the Kerala Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad, were
conducted at the premises of Ameen and his associates who were members of the
various groups/channels on encrypted chat platforms, according to the NIA.
During
the searches, several digital devices including laptops, mobiles, hard disk
drives, pen drives, multiple SIM cards of different service providers and
incriminating documents have been seized, the official said.
The
seized items are being scrutinised and will be sent for forensic examination,
the NIA official said, adding that further investigation in the case continues.
https://www.firstpost.com/india/islamic-state-module-case-nia-conducts-searches-at-11-locations-in-delhi-kerala-and-karnataka-three-arrested-9421951.html
--------
Jaish
commander killed in J&K encounter
Mar
16, 2021
SRINAGAR:
A three-day anti-terror operation in Shopian’s Rawalpora village came to a
close on Monday with the killing of Jaish-e-Mohammad district commander Sajad
Afghani alias Wilayat Lone, a day after his accomplice was gunned down at the
site, confirmed IGP (Kashmir Range) Vijay Kumar.
Terming
the killing of Afghani — instrumental in luring Kashmiri youth into terrorism,
especially in Shopian — a “major success”, the IGP lauded security forces for
taking extreme care in ensuring no collateral damage in the operation. As a
precautionary measure, internet services were suspended in the district on
Monday.
The
encounter began late Saturday after a joint team of the Army, CRPF and J&K
Police, based on intelligence inputs, launched a cordon-and-search operation in
Rawalpora. The holed-in ultras were offered a chance to surrender but they
opened fire on the search party instead, triggering a gunfight. Even as the
cordon remained intact, the fire exchange was suspended temporarily during the
night.
When
it resumed early Sunday, Jahangir Ahmad Wani from Shopian’s Rakh Narapora area
was killed and a US-made M-4 carbine rifle recovered from the spot even as
stone-pelters tried to disrupt the encounter by targeting the security forces.
This was the first time since the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A that
terrorist sympathisers attempted to thwart an ongoing anti-terror operation.
Three houses caught fire near the encounter site as miscreants tried to disturb
the operation by creating law and order problems. Several stone-pelters were
injured in the clash and many who sustained pellet injuries in police
retaliation were hospitalised.
The
firefight was suspended again on Sunday night to prevent civilian casualties,
and ended with Afghani’s killing on Monday morning, IGP Kumar added.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/jaish-commander-killed-in-jk-encounter/articleshow/81518348.cms
--------
North America
Analyst
casts doubt on US willingness to return to Iran deal
16
March 2021
A
political analyst and foreign affairs journalist says he doubts the willingness
of the US President Joe Biden administration to return to the 2015 nuclear deal
with Iran amid Israeli opposition to the agreement.
Speaking
in an interview with Press TV, Patrick Lawrence rejected Washington’s claim
that Tehran must take the first step to revive the nuclear deal as US National
Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said the ball is in Iran’s court.
“The
ball is in the Americans’ court because they withdrew from this agreement
unilaterally, then imposed sanctions, which are illegal. Plainly, the ball is
in the Americans’ court and they simply don’t want to acknowledge this,” he
said on Monday.
The
administration of former US president Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned the
Iran nuclear deal in May 2018 and launched what his team called a “maximum
pressure campaign.”
Despite
offering verbal support for the Iran deal, the European parties to the
agreement — France, Britain, and Germany — succumbed to Washington’s pressure
and failed to fulfill their contractual commitments to Tehran.
That
prompted Tehran to start taking a set of measures in several stages as part of
its legal rights stipulated in Articles 26 and 36 of the deal itself,
downgrading its obligations due to the non-performance of the agreement by the
other parties.
Biden
has spoken of a willingness to rejoin the Iran deal, but in practice, his
administration has been sticking with Trump’s futile pressure campaign so far.
Washington says Tehran should return to full compliance with the deal before
the US comes back.
Iran,
however, says the US should first lift all the sanctions put in place under the
Trump administration before the Islamic Republic stops the measures under
Articles 26 and 36.
Lawrence
said the White House’s main issue was the Israeli regime.
“The
principal problem facing the Biden administration is Israel. Israel must be
made happy on the Iran question and Israel has made it very plain that it does
not want the JCPOA to be re-opened, to be revived,” he said, using an
abbreviation for the Iran deal’s official name.
Commenting
on Iranian money blocked in South Korea and other countries as a result of
American sanctions, Lawrence said the US “cannot reasonably expect Iran to
rejoin negotiations when it’s blocking money that belongs to Iran and the
Iranian people.”
Last
week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that the US would oppose
the release of Iran’s frozen funds from South Korea until Tehran returns to
full compliance with the nuclear deal.
Lawrence
said Biden, who was vice president under former president Barack Obama, was not
rushing back to either of the two major diplomatic achievements of Obama’s
presidency, namely the 2015 Iran nuclear accord and the re-establishment of
relations with Cuba.
“I
really don’t think that President Biden has any serious plans to revive the
Iran nuclear accord, and America’s participation in it,” he said.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the analyst attributed the failure of the European signatories
to the deal to turn their verbal support for the agreement into palpable action
to their dependence on America.
He
said the spineless behavior on the part of the Europeans dated back to “the
Cold War, the immediate post-World War II years, when Europe grew very dependent
on America” after European economies were destroyed.
“It
grew very dependent on America economically and also for security. It’s from
that period that the Europeans surrendered any sense of autonomous initiative
in questions of foreign policy,” Lawrence said.
Touching
upon the financial and political pressure exerted by the US on some countries
in the Middle East, Lawrence said the US aimed to “make sure we have free
access to the maximum of Middle Eastern petroleum reserves” and to “maintain
its hegemony.”
“As
a hegemonic power, America, like most others in history, cannot tolerate
‘deviation.’ In this context, Iran is a deviant nation in the eyes of
Washington. Syria is a deviant nation in the eyes of Washington,” he said,
hailing the Iranian and Syrian peoples for successfully resisting American
sanctions and refusing to submit to a hegemonic power.
“I
have nothing but admiration for Iranian people, and nothing but admiration for
Syrian people because their economies have been mercilessly damaged, perhaps in
some sectors destroyed. And nobody in either [country], so far as I can make
out, is talking about caving in to the Americans,” he said.
“I
think all signs indicate that in the long term, Iran will prevail in its
determination to maintain its territorial integrity, its independence, its
sovereignty, and its right to determine its own path,” he said.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/16/647406/Iran-deal-US-return-Biden-Israel-Patrick-Lawrence
--------
Syrian
conflict longer than two world wars: UN envoy
Michael
Hernandez
15.03.2021
WASHINGTON
The
brutal conflict that has enveloped Syria has endured longer than both world
wars combined, the UN's special envoy for the country noted on Monday on the
civil war’s 10-year anniversary.
Geir
Pedersen said there is a "silver lining" of what he called a
"relative calm" that now exists in Syria where frontlines have
remained largely stable for the past year, stressing the situation should be
used to make progress on a political settlement.
"The
greatest danger of all is that the fragile calm unravels, leading to a new
storm of all-out conflict and all that would mean for Syrians, the region, and
beyond," he told the Security Council. "That is why I will always
stress, first and foremost, the importance of consolidating this fragile calm
into a true nation-wide ceasefire."
Pedersen
called on council members to "not lose sight of the fundamental importance
of a peaceful resolution."
"A
political solution is the only way out, and I am convinced that it is possible.
In some ways, it is more possible now than before, but to turn those
possibilities into realities, creative and high-level engagement from key
international players with a stake in this conflict will be needed," he
said.
Syria's
conflict began on March 15, 2011, in the southwestern province of Deraa when a
group of students wrote on a school wall, “It’s your turn next, doctor!” – a
reference to regime leader Bashar al-Assad who was trained as an
ophthalmologist.
As
thousands of people took to the streets demanding reform, demonstrations soon
spread to other provinces across the country. Assad's forces clamped down
violently on the intensifying protests, setting off what would become the
Syrian civil war.
Linda
Thomas-Greenfield, the US's UN envoy, placed blame for the lack of a diplomatic
resolution squarely with the Assad regime and its supporters.
"The
regime has not taken a single step that would lay the groundwork for
peace," she said. "We call on Russia to press the Assad regime to
quit stalling. It’s time for the regime to address the conflict’s root cause:
the basic demand of all Syrians to live in dignity, free from torture, abuse,
and arbitrary detention."
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/syrian-conflict-longer-than-two-world-wars-un-envoy/2176886
--------
Pakistan
PDM
decision on en masse resignations today: Maryam
Imran
Mukhtar
March
16, 2021
ISLAMABAD
- The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz
Monday said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition of opposition
parties, will decide on giving en masse resignations from the assemblies in its
crucial meeting being held on Tuesday (today).
“We
are discussing the option of tendering resignations to oust the PTI government
and PDM will take a final decision in its Tuesday’s meeting being held here in
Islamabad,” said PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz, along with other party
leader, while briefing reporters after an internal party meeting.
Former
PM and PML-N Supremo Nawaz Sharif chaired the meeting from London which
discussed the matters of resignations and long march ahead of PDM meeting
called to discuss the situation after defeat of its joint candidate Syed Yousaf
Raza Gillani in chairman Senate election.
Responding
to questions what will the PDM will do when Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), an
important part of the coalition, decided against tendering resignations, Maryam
said that they would try to convince those on the issue to make a “last push to
get rid of this government.” She also indicated that PML-N was pressing for the
resignations.
To
a question whether PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif had given complete mandate to
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on issue of resignations and where will PPP
stand on this matter, she said that this would also become clear in Tuesday’s
meeting as to “what consensus will develop and which party stood where?”
She
also said that her party, having big vote bank, could decide at its own on the
mater but she hoped that all parties in PDM will understand sensitivity of
situation.
The
PML-N vice president said that PDM was a coalition of different opposition
political parties and every party had its own political views and ground
realities. “Despite this, PDM is united on a larger agenda,” she said adding
that they would try to convince those who were not accepting the option of
resignations. “We have accepted this for the larger interest of people,” she
said. It was necessary to use this option to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan
from power, she emphasized.
She
argued that a forceful voice of opposition was now being heard in the masses
and it was encouraging Pakistan to move towards better future in this way. “It
is our responsibility to bring civilian supremacy in Pakistan where vote would
be respected.”
https://nation.com.pk/16-Mar-2021/pdm-decision-on-en-masse-resignations-today-maryam
--------
Saudi
tycoon in Pakistan to end impasse over KE sale
Khaleeq
Kiani
March
16, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
A Saudi group that had originally bought the Karachi Electricity Supply
Corporation, now called K-Electric, in 2005 has re-entered the scene amid an
impasse over the future of the power utility’s business relations with the
government following the downfall of Abraaj Capital chief Arif Naqvi.
The
owner of the Aljomaih Holding Company of Saudi Arabia, Shaikh Abdulaziz Hamad
Aljomaih, spent a hectic day here after his early morning arrival. He held
separate meetings with President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan,
ministers for finance, energy and privatisation and some other important
stakeholders.
Senior
officials of almost all the important ministries concerned were part of some of
these meetings.
He
will spend another busy day in Karachi on Tuesday (today) by having a series of
meetings with all the stakeholders before flying back in the evening.
His
visit followed a series of engagements between the KE management, some of its
other foreign board directors and the government over the settlement of huge
past payables and receivables and other matters including KE’s another sale to
the Shanghai Electric of China.
The
owner of Aljomaih Group meets Alvi, Imran
Informed
sources said the high-profile visitor discussed a business programme,
challenges faced by the KE and overall investment and business regime in the
country.
An
official said it appeared the Aljomaih group was asserting itself as the actual
owner of the KE after Mr Naqvi’s arrest in London over alleged misappropriation
of securities funds.
The
Saudi businessman is reported to have explained to the authorities the Aljomaih
group’s investment strategies, saying the initial investment in Pakistan was
driven by strong brotherly relationship between the people of the two countries
and that he was still interested in looking into challenges facing the KE.
He
told the authorities that the group was holding large investment funds, which
take over loss-making entities, transform them into profitable organisations
through restructuring and move.
In
an apparent reference to the Shanghai Electric, he said it was now time for the
KE to be run by a technical team.
Mr
Aljomaih is the managing director-investments of Aljomaih Group and is
principally responsible for all international investments on behalf of the
group. He is the chairman of Arcapita Investment in Bahrain and holds numerous
board positions in various portfolio companies of Aljomaih Group. Previously,
he served on the board of directors of Etihad, Etisalat in Saudi Arabia and
Dana Gas in the UAE.
Aljomaih
Group had invested in K-Electric for the past 15 years since its privatisation
in 2005. He also served as the first chairman of the KE’s BoD at that time. He
continued to be on the board of the KES Power, the company that holds the
majority shares of KE.
Early
this year, the Supreme Court had declined a federal government request for
facilitating the settlement of almost Rs300 billion worth of financial claims
and counter-claims among various public sector entities and KE.
The
government requested the apex court to set some guiding principles for
settlement or arbitration of huge build up of payables and receivables from the
privatised KE. Concise statements of payables and receivables were also
presented to the apex court in chambers.
The
apex court was told that government officials were reluctant to take initiative
for settlement of controversial amounts because of fears of the National
Accountability Bureau (NAB).
A
number of federal secretaries and chief executives of companies over the past
five-six years had declined to be drawn into controversies relating to
settlement or write-offs for such huge financial adjustments.
As
a result, not only the prospective transfer of KE’s majority shares to the
Shanghai Electric had been stalled for years, but also the troubled integrated
public utility was not doing enough for improvement of its system in the
country’s largest city, affecting the consumers in peak summers.
The
issue was also hampering the signing of fresh agreements for power and gas
supply to the KE, which could lead to 800-900MW shortage in Karachi in the
coming summers.
The
core problem is Rs272bn outstanding dues the National Transmission &
Despatch Company and Sui Southern Gas Company claim against the KE on account
of past electricity and gas supplies. Both companies are reluctant to sign
fresh supply agreements with KE unless these dues are cleared.
Of
this, the SSGC has a claim of Rs122bn against the KE that it says had developed
over the years despite no formal gas supply agreement. Also, the NTDC
management wants clearance of its Rs150bn before signing the agreement for
additional power supply.
The
KE, on the other hand, claims about Rs234bn against the government and its
agencies on a gross payable basis and expects about Rs80bn net payments from
the public sector provided all payables and receivables are settled on
principal payment basis i.e. if both sides give up mark-up and settle for
principal dues.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612770/saudi-tycoon-in-pakistan-to-end-impasse-over-ke-sale
--------
One
arrested after cleric Muhammad Ali Mirza survives attack in Jhelum
Amir
Kayani
March
15, 2021
Popular
cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza survived an assassination attempt at a
religious academy in Punjab's Jhelum district, police said on Monday.
A
suspect who allegedly attacked Mirza with a sharp-edged weapon on Sunday
afternoon was taken into custody and a case was registered against him.
Mirza,
a resident of Machine Mohallah of Jhelum city, has regularly been uploading his
recorded as well as live videos of lectures and speeches on his social media
pages and has 4.6 million followers on his YouTube channel.
In
the First Information Report (FIR) of the incident registered on Mirza's
complaint under Section 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code, the
cleric stated that he delivered a weekly dars (Islamic lesson) at a research
academy situated in a building.
After
Mirza delivered the lecture on Sunday afternoon, a man charged towards the
cleric with a sharp-edged weapon "with the intention of murder" in
the presence of many people, the FIR said. According to a police spokesperson,
the incident occurred when Mirza was having photos taken after the lecture.
Mirza
in his complaint said although the attacker was reaching for his neck, he moved
quickly and was struck on his shoulder instead. The assailant then made a
second attempt to reach Mirza but was stopped by two men present in the hall,
according to the FIR.
Police
spokesperson Chaudhry Mohammad Imran of City police station said Mirza had
sustained a minor injury in the incident and was allowed to go home after being
given first aid.
He
identified the assailant as a 21-year-old resident of Lahore who had come to
Jhelum "with the intention of murder".
After
being arrested from the spot, the suspect accused Mirza of "deceiving
people" and strongly took offence to his teachings, the police official
said.
Last
year in May, Jhelum police had arrested and booked Mirza for uttering
derogatory and instigating remarks against known religious scholars. He was
released a day later after a local court accepted his bail plea.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1612703/one-arrested-after-cleric-muhammad-ali-mirza-survives-attack-in-jhelum
--------
South Asia
Taliban
To Attend Afghan Peace Talks In Moscow
March
16, 2021
Doha:
Senior members of the Taliban will attend talks with the Kabul government in Moscow
this week to discuss the future of war-ravaged Afghanistan, the insurgent group
said Monday.
The
two sides are due to meet at Russia's invitation ahead of a May deadline for US
President Joe Biden to decide whether to end the two-decade military involvement
in Afghanistan.
The
US State Department said Monday that Washington's special envoy to Afghanistan,
Zalmay Khalilzad, will also attend the meeting in Moscow as part of ongoing US
efforts "to encourage and support the peace process."
The
Thursday talks "will complement all other international efforts to support
the Afghan peace process, and also reflects the international community's
concerns about the progress to date," State Department spokeswoman Jalina
Porter told reporters.
The
US has encouraged the Afghan leadership to work towards establishing an
"inclusive" government and peace accord amid fears of rapid Taliban
gains once US troops leave.
"A
high-level delegation of 10 members of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, led
by (Taliban co-founder) Mullah Baradar Akhund... will attend the meeting held
in Moscow," tweeted Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the Taliban office in
Qatar.
The
United States, despite tensions with Russia, has welcomed Moscow's role and
also consulted its other rival China as diplomacy steps up.
Biden
is wrapping up a review on whether to stick to an agreement with the Taliban
negotiated by his predecessor Donald Trump who wanted to pull the last US
troops from Afghanistan by May.
The
Biden administration has signalled it wants to take a hard look at Trump's deal
and its repercussions for Afghanistan and regional stability.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote a letter to Afghan leaders encouraging
them to consider a "new, inclusive government".
He
also proposed that talks take place within weeks in Turkey to seal a
comprehensive peace deal with the Taliban.
Turkey
plans to host an Afghan peace conference in Istanbul in April, Foreign Minister
Mevlut Cavusoglu said last week.
The
Russian and Turkish initiatives will run alongside the Qatar-hosted talks
between the Afghan government in Doha which have been ongoing with long pauses
since September 2020.
Cavusoglu
has signalled that he did not necessarily expect the Istanbul meeting to
produce an immediate breakthrough.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/taliban-to-attend-afghan-peace-talks-in-moscow-2391555
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Two
killed after gunmen ambush university bus in Afghanistan
16
March ,2021
Gunmen
ambushed a bus carrying university staff in northeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday
killing the driver and a student, officials said, as attacks on civilians
continued, while peace talks between the government and the Taliban remained
stalled.
Six
university lecturers were also wounded during the attack in Baghlan province,
said Sayed Hamid Rushan, a spokesman for the interior ministry said.
The
ministry blamed the Taliban for the attack, but the militant group denied
involvement.
“The
attack...has nothing to do with our mujahideen (fighters), we condemn the
attack and consider it as a conspiracy of the enemy,” said Zabihullah Mujahid,
a Taliban spokesman.
On
the other side of the country, unidentified gunmen attacked security forces
guarding a dam in Herat, killing three, wounding one, according to officials in
the western province.
Four
other members of the security forces were missing.
Diplomats
and advocates have become alarmed at the rising violence, including targeted
attacks on government employees, journalists, academics and rights workers in
recent months even as peace negotiations were being held in Qatar.
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the targeted
killings, especially those against minority groups, women and journalists.
“Unidentified
attackers have also gone after journalists, civil society activists, and
professionals, killing many, driving some from the country, and leaving the
rest to live in fear,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at HRW.
With
the US-brokered peace talks struggling to make headway, Washington’s special
envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is currently on a regional visit, trying
to find a way forward before a looming deadline for the withdrawal of US troops
in May.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/16/Two-killed-after-gunmen-ambush-university-bus-in-Afghanistan-
--------
Concerns
rise over Sri Lanka's move to ban burqas and madrassas
MAR
15, 2021
A
Pakistani diplomat and a UN expert have expressed concerns over Sri Lanka’s
proposed move to ban the wearing of burqas.
Sri
Lanka announced plans over the weekend to ban the wearing of burqas — garments
worn by some Muslim women that cover the body and face — and also said it would
close more than 1,000 Islamic schools known as madrassas, citing national
security.
Pakistan's
ambassador to Sri Lanka, Saad Khattak, tweeted on Monday that the ban would
"only serve as injury to the feelings of ordinary Sri Lankan Muslims and
Muslims across the globe.”
The
United Nations' special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Ahmed
Shaheed, tweeted that the “burqa bans are incompatible with int’l law
guarantees of the right to manifest one’s religion or belief & of freedom
of expression.”
On
Saturday, Sri Lanka’s minister of public security, Sarath Weerasekara, called
the burqa a sign of religious extremism and said it has a direct impact on
national security. Weerasekara signed a paper on Friday seeking the approval of
the Cabinet of Ministers to ban burqas.
The
wearing of burqas in Sri Lanka was temporarily banned in 2019 soon after the
Easter Sunday bomb attacks on churches and hotels that killed more than 260
people in the Indian Ocean island nation. Two local Muslim groups that had
pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group have been blamed for the attacks
at six locations — two Roman Catholic churches, one Protestant church and three
top hotels.
Sri
Lanka also plans to ban more than 1,000 Madrassas, saying they are not
registered with the authorities and do not follow the national education
policy.
The
decision to ban burqas and madrassas is the latest move affecting Sri Lanka's
minority Muslims.
Muslims
make up about 9% of the 22 million people in Sri Lanka, where Buddhists account
for more than 70% of the population. Ethnic minority Tamils, who are mainly
Hindus, comprise about 15% of the population.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/concerns-rise-over-sri-lanka-s-move-to-ban-burqas-and-madrassas-101615814005942.html
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Avalanche
kills 25 Taliban fighters on route from Pakistan
15
Mar 2021
Local
sources in Paktia province confirmed that 25 Taliban have been killed in an
avalanche in the Jaji Ariob district of the province.
Mohammad
Lal Amiri, spokesman for the Paktia Police HQ told the media that the incident
took place on Sunday night in the ” Zaghni” valley of Jaji Ariob district.
Amiri
added that 25 Taliban including some group’s Pakistani commanders were killed
in the incident.
According
to him, these Taliban affiliates intended to come to Afghanistan from Pakistan
taking the mountainous route through the zone.
The
Taliban have not yet commented.
The
Meteorological Department warned of heavy snowfall in 30 provinces two days
before the natural disaster hit.
This
comes as the Ministry of Defense stated on Monday that the Taliban have
suffered heavy casualties during the battles in Arghandab and Zherai districts
of Kandahar province.
The
Ministry of Defense said in a released statement on Monday that Afghan national
defense and security forces backed by air support launched a clearance
operation in Arghandab and Zherai districts of Kandahar province.
As
a result of which 18 insurgents were killed and three others were wounded, MoD
said in the statement.
The
MoD bulletin added, that large premises of Zherai and the Kandahar-Helmand
highway were cleared of Taliban fighters and the Highway is currently open to
traffic.
During
the operation, ANDSF also discovered and defused 13 mines placed in the Zherai,
Dand, and Arghandab districts of Kandahar province.
The
southern Kandahar province is one of the most insecure provinces of
Afghanistan, where the Taliban has influence in various parts of the region.
https://www.khaama.com/avalanche-kills-25-taliban-fighters-on-route-from-pakistan-45357733/
--------
Taliban
attacks Pashdan dam of Herat province
16
Mar 2021
Taliban
attack on Pashdan damn in Herat killed three security forces assigned to
protect the facility.
Local
officials told the media that the incident happened on early Tuesday morning
when armed men attacked the dam.
A
spokesman for National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, Nizamudding Khpulwak
indicated that the attack happened at around 3 am on Tuesday and further four
security force members were wounded.
Mohammad
Arif Achakzai, head of Pashdan dam told the media that the Taliban attacked an
outpost far from the dam and has a lot of distance from the surrounding walls
of the dam.
Taliban
has not yet commented on the attack.
The
damn is located in the Karokh region 25 kilometers northwest of Herat city, the
dam has the capacity to intake 45 million cubic meters of water, generates two
megawatts of electricity, and has the efficacy to irrigate 13,000 hectares of
land, and most of all the project is reportedly worth about $117 million.
Last
month Taliban insurgents also interrupted this development project by abducting
11 workers who were assigned at Pashdan Dam.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-attacks-pashdan-dam-of-herat-province-54353599/
--------
India,
Bangladesh likely to sign three MoUs during PM Modi's visit
Mar
16, 2021
DHAKA:
India and Bangladesh are likely to sign three MoUs during Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka next week to attend the celebrations of the
golden jubilee of the country's independence and the birth centenary of its
founder ‘Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Prime
Minister Modi and heads of state and government from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan
and the Maldives will be among the distinguished foreign guests to join the
celebrations under separate schedules.
"It's
a historic event for Bangladesh as five heads of state and government never
(without any summit) visited here within a time span of 10 days," Foreign
Minister AK Abdul Momen told a media briefing here ahead of the 10-day
celebrations starting on March 17.
"This
is a very unusual time (due to Covid-19)… but heads of state and government of
our neighbouring countries are coming here to show their tribute to our Father
of the Nation," Momen said.
During
his trip, Prime Minister Modi will hold talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
and visit three places outside Dhaka.
The
two sides are expected to sign three MoUs, Momen said.
"These
(MoUs) are not final yet," he said.
Foreign
Secretary Masud bin Momen said the MoUs were likely to be signed in the field
of disaster management and cooperation between some institutions of the two
countries.
"We
are still working on every MoUs. We will get the final scenario regarding the
MoUs within one or two days," he said.
According
to the schedule, all the foreign leaders would visit the National Memorial in
Savar to pay homage to the independence martyrs, Bangabandhu Museum at Dhanmondi
32 to pay tribute to Bangladesh's founding father, watch special military
parades and join State banquets.
Prime
Minister Modi is also set to visit the Bangabandhu shrine at his village home
in Tungipara and two Hindu temples outside Dhaka - one in Gopalganj and the
other in southwestern Satkhira.
The
temples are places of worship, particularly of the Hindu Matua community. A
large number of the Matua community members reside in West Bengal.
Maldivian
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih will be the first top foreign dignitary to
arrive here on a three-day visit on March 17. He will be followed by Sri Lankan
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who will arrive here on a two-day tour on
March 19.
Nepalese
President Bidya Devi Bhandari will be in Dhaka on a two-day tour from March 22
while Bhutan's premier Lotay Tshering will visit Dhaka from March 24 to 25.
Prime Minister Modi will arrive here on March 26 and return home the next day.
Momen
said Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Canadian Premier Justin Trudeau and some
high-level leaders of different countries and international organisations would
send video messages on the occasion
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/india-bangladesh-likely-to-sign-three-mous-during-pm-modis-visit/articleshow/81526007.cms
--------
Arab World
United
Nations says has helped 12 jurisdictions prepare Syrian war crimes cases
16
March ,2021
A
United Nations body working to ensure justice for war crimes committed by all
sides in Syria has provided information and evidence to 12 national
jurisdictions, its chief disclosed on Monday as the country marked a decade of
war.
Videos,
photos, satellite imagery, “exfiltrated documents”, witness statements and
forensic samples constitute “the best documented situation since the end of
World War Two”, said Catherine Marchi-Uhel of the International Impartial and
Independent Mechanism investigating the most serious crimes in Syria.
“It
doesn’t make the justice path easy, but it makes it possible,” Marchi-Uhel , a
former French judge, told a panel event hosted by Britain.
Her
small team in Geneva is building a repository of the large amount of evidence
and information and corroborated it in accordance with international criminal
law standards, she said.
“We
are cooperating with and assisting investigations and prosecutions in 12
different jurisdictions. We have received 100 requests for assistance in
relation to 84 distinct investigations and prosecutions,” Marchi-Uhel said. It
had shared information and evidence for 39 of the 100 investigations.
Marchi-Uhel,
referring to the 12 jurisdictions, later told Reuters: “A large proportion are
in Europe”.
A
court in the German city of Koblenz last month sentenced a former member of
Syrian President Assad’s security services to 4-1/2 years in prison for
abetting the torture of civilians, the first such verdict for crimes against
humanity in the Syrian civil war.
Paulo
Pinheiro, who heads a separate panel of UN war crimes investigators that keeps
a confidential list of suspects, told Monday’s event: “To date, the Commission
of Inquiry has compiled initial information on more than 3,200 alleged
individual perpetrators.
“That
includes individuals from all sides of the conflict, including government and
pro-government forces, anti-government armed groups, and United Nations-listed
terrorist organizations, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and ISIL,” he said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/16/United-Nations-says-has-helped-12-jurisdictions-prepare-Syrian-war-crimes-cases
--------
US-occupied
Iraqi air base hit by several rockets
15
March 2021
At
least seven rockets have targeted another Iraqi air base occupied by American
troops north of Baghdad, the latest in a string of attacks against US positions
and interests in the Arab country.
Two
of the rockets struck Al-Balad air base on Monday evening, but did not cause
any casualties or damage inside the base, a security official said.
The
other five rockets crashed into a nearby village, the official said, adding
that all the rockets were fired from a separate village in the neighboring
province of Diyala, east of the base.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but there have been
several such attacks in recent weeks targeting locations where US forces are
positioned.
On
March 3, an American sub-contractor was killed in a similar attack against
another US-occupied air base, Ain al-Assad, in Iraq’s western desert.
That
came days after the US bombed the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), an
anti-terror unit of the Iraqi army, along the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Dozens
of rocket attacks and roadside bombs targeted Western security, military and
diplomatic sites in Iraq in 2020.
Anti-US
sentiment has been running high in Iraq following Washington’s January 3
assassination of top Iranian anti-terror commander Lieutenant General Qassem
Soleimani and senior PMU commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, in addition to
several other comrades, outside the Baghdad airport.
Iraqi
resistance groups have vowed to avenge the assassinations, but denied any role
in such rocket attacks.
Two
days after the assassinations, the Iraqi parliament voted for a resolution that
called for an end to the presence of all foreign forces, including the Americans.
Washington,
however, has threatened sanctions should US troops be expelled from Iraq
instead of ending the occupation of the Arab country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647389/Iraq-US-air-base-attack
--------
Syria
foils ‘large-scale’ terrorist attack on Damascus: SANA
15
March 2021
Syrian
government forces have foiled a ‘large-scale terrorist operation’ by killing at
least three terrorists and arresting three others who intended to launch
attacks across the capital Damascus.
Syria’s
official news agency SANA reported on Monday that the plot, involving a large
amount of explosives, had been foiled with the cooperation of residents from
two villages in rural Damascus.
The
elements, all of whom wore explosive belts, had been sent by a terrorist group
to target various installations across the capital city.
In
recent months, Syrian government forces have dealt heavy blows to terrorists.
In
the meantime, Israel and the United States have frequently attacked certain
positions inside Syria in what is considered as an attempt to prop up
anti-Damascus terrorists.
The
US forces were until recently airlifting members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist
group from one place in Syria to another, under the cover of darkness, in order
to save them in the face of advancement and territorial gains by government
forces.
The
US military has also transferred to safe sanctuaries hundreds of Daesh
terrorists and their relatives from Syrian territories to Iraq.
Numerous
accounts have emerged alleging airlifts, weapon airdrops and aerial support for
the Takfiri group, particularly as its strength has diminished in Syria and
Iraq.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647356/Syria-terrorist-attack-Damascus
--------
Mideast
Israel
will be hit by 2,000 missiles a day in future war with Hezbollah: Israeli
general
16
March 2021
A
high-ranking Israeli military commander says the Hezbollah resistance movement
can fire 2,000 missiles per day towards Israel in case a military confrontation
breaks out with Lebanon.
Speaking
at the B’Sheva Conference in Jerusalem al-Quds on Monday, OC Home Front Command
Major Generl Uri Gordin said that some 2,000 rockets and missiles will be fired
at the Israeli-occupied territories every day and will challenge Tel Aviv’s
military capabilities, according to The Jerusalem Post newspaper.
Gordin
said the Israeli regime will activate what he described as a powerful military
that has never been seen before during a future war with Hezbollah.
On
March 3, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said the United
States and Israel do not dare attack the Lebanese resistance movement since
they are aware that the group’s firm determination to respond to any act of
aggression will never change.
Sheikh
Qassem stressed at the time that Hezbollah intends to remain in a defensive
position and does not want to initiate a war.
“Israel
must understand that the battleground is not open for it,” he said, adding that
any future battle will be taken to the depth of the Israeli-occupied
territories.
Earlier
this year, Alon Ben-David, a military commentator for Israel’s Channel 13
television network, said in an opinion piece that Hezbollah had boosted its
missile power in the recent years as the Tel Aviv regime intensified its
atrocities against Syria.
Titled
“Is Israel ignoring the biggest strategic threat it faces?” his opinion piece
said while Israeli authorities have been intensifying their acts of aggression
against Syria, they have not stopped Hezbollah’s efforts to establish an
independent capability of producing and manufacturing accurate missiles on
Lebanese territory.
“The
main strategic threat facing Israel is not located in Syria, but in Lebanon,
and as it stands, Israel is avoiding dealing with it,” it added.
“Several
estimations indicate that the organization has managed to accumulate a few
hundred mid to long range accurate missiles by now,” it said.
Lebanon
fought off two Israeli wars in 2000 and 2006. About 1,200 Lebanese, most of
them civilians, lost their lives during Israel’s 33-day war on Lebanon back in
the summer of 2006.
According
to a 629-page report of the Winograd Commission, appointed by the Israeli
regime itself, Hezbollah fighters involved in defending Lebanon against the
Israeli war defeated the enemy and Tel Aviv was compelled to withdraw without
having achieved any of its objectives.
The
Winograd Commission was set by former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert in
September 2006 to examine the events during Israel’s 33-day war on Lebanon.
The
commission was formed in the wake of public criticism and protest over the fact
that the Israeli military had effectively lost the war by failing to achieve
its aim of freeing two soldiers captured by Hezbollah fighters.
UN
Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the 2006 war,
calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Lebanon
and the occupying entity are technically at war since the latter has kept the
Arab country’s Shebaa Farms under occupation since 1967.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/16/647410/Israel-will-be-hit-by-2,000-missiles-a-day-in-future-war-with-Hezbollah--General
--------
Yemen:
US must stop Saudi war, siege to set stage for political process
16
March 2021
The
spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement says the US administration is
not sincere in its calls for the restoration of peace to the country, stressing
that Washington must make the Saudi-led invaders end their aggression and siege
against Yemen to set the stage for a real political process.
“It
is unacceptable for [the United States of] America to chant the slogan of human
rights and express concern over the worsening humanitarian conditions in Yemen
as a result of the [Saudi-led] aggression and siege, and then make that
(humanitarian issues) subject to military and political bargaining,” Mohammed
Abdul-Salam wrote in a post published on his Twitter page on Monday
He
was responding to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s comments on supporting
what he described as a Yemen free from foreign influence.
During
a phone conversation with the UN’s Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths, Blinken
claimed that “the United States supports a unified, stable Yemen free from
foreign influence, and that there is no military solution to the conflict,”
according to the US Department of State.
Washington
plans to “reinvigorate diplomatic efforts” to end the war in Yemen, he said.
Abdul-Salam
said a political process can achieve success only when it is free from
coercion, adding, “We know the US is well aware of what can [truly] contribute
to the restoration of peace in Yemen,” but its misleading and unwise statements
show Washington does not want such a thing to happen.
The
Ansarullah spokesman said “our position is defensive. The US must first oblige
aggressors to stop their aggression and lift the blockade against Yemen” in
order to set the stage for a real political process.
Ansarullah
sends peace plan to US envoy
Moreover,
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, tweeted
on Monday that the Ansarullah movement had presented its own vision plan for
the cessation of hostilities in the war-torn country to US Special Envoy for
Yemen Tim Lenderking.
“We
are only demanding an end to the [Saudi-led] aggression, and removal of the
blockade. We are not opposed to ceasefire and do not refuse any such bids,” he
said.
“We
are actually confronting an all-out aggression against our country, besides
occupation and siege by a coalition which is waging a war, invading our country
and besieging our nation,” Houthi added.
The
senior Yemeni official noted that Ansarullah has submitted a plan for a
nationwide ceasefire in Yemen, through Griffiths, to Lenderking.
The
US special envoy for Yemen on Friday said during a webinar with the Atlantic
Council think tank that Houthis are a “significant player” in Yemen and that
needs to be acknowledged.
“I
don’t think you can operate by denying that reality,” he said, adding that the
US “never said the Houthis have no role in Yemen.”
Lenderking,
who recently returned from a three-week trip to the region, said Washington is
looking for the Ansarullah’s response to its peace plan, but claimed that
Ansarullah does not appear interested in a ceasefire at this moment, and is
supposedly prioritizing a military campaign to take the strategic central
province of Ma’rib.
“I will return immediately when the Houthis
are prepared to talk,” Lenderking said.
UAE
brings in foreign experts to Yemen’s Socotra island to explore for oil, gas
Separately,
the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly brought in a group of foreign
experts to the strategic island of Socotra to assess the natural resources
there.
An
informed source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Yemeni Press
Agency that the experts come from Pakistan, India and Egypt, and they are
exploring for oil and gas reserves on the island, besides rich fishing grounds
surrounding the island.
Home
to some 60,000 people, Socotra overlooks the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a main
shipping route that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian
Sea. It has a unique ecosystem.
Socotra
has been a source of tension between the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which have been
vying for control of the resource-rich island.
Last
June, UAE-backed separatists of the so-called Southern Transitional Council
(STC) took control of Socotra in a move described by the administration of
Yemen's former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi as “a full-fledged coup.”
The
French-language news outlet JForum said in a report last August that Israel, in
cooperation with the UAE, was planning to build intelligence-gathering bases on
the Socotra island.
The
purpose of the bases, according to the report, is to electronically monitor
Saudi-led forces waging a war on Yemen.
Israel
and the UAE are currently making all logistical preparations to establish
intelligence bases to collect information from across the Gulf of Eden,
including Bab al-Mandab and south of Yemen, which is under the control of
forces backed by the UAE, the report said.
Yemen
launches drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid Air Base
Meanwhile,
Yemen’s military said it had launched yet another successful drone attack
against King Khalid Air Base in southwestern Saudi Arabia in retaliation for
the Riyadh regime’s ongoing military aggression and blockade against the crisis-hit
impoverished country.
Spokesman
for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree said on Tuesday that
army troops and allied fighters from Popular Committees had carried out a
strike against King Khalid Air Base, which is located near the city of Khamis
Mushait, Yemen’s Masirah television network reported.
He
added that designated targets inside the air base had been successfully hit
with a domestically-developed Qasef-2k (Striker-2k) combat drone.
Saree
said the airstrike falls within Yemen’s legitimate right to respond to the
Saudi-led coalition’s air raids as well as its continued all-out siege against
Yemeni people.
A
day earlier, Yemeni armed forces, backed by allied fighters from Popular
Committees, had fired two domestically-developed ballistic missiles towards the
southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
Saudi
Arabia’s state-run al-Ekhbariya television news network, citing a statement
issued by the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, claimed that the missiles
landed in uninhabited border areas.
The
coalition early on Tuesday said it had also intercepted an explosive drone
flown towards Khamis Mushait.
Backed
by the US and a number of other Western states, 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 back to power and crushing the popular Ansarullah
movement.
The
Yemeni armed forces and allied popular groups have, however, gone from strength
to strength against the Saudi-led invaders, and left Riyadh and its allies
bogged down in the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/16/647403/Yemen-US-Saudi-war-siege-political-process
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Yemen’s
targeting of Saudi oil industry ‘not simply a tactical decision in war’
15
March 2021
Sam
Mahdi Torabi
The
Yemeni army has officially declared that it will be targeting the Saudi oil
industry in its efforts to counter the Saudi invasion and bombing. This is not
simply a tactical decision in a war and the strategic and historic significance
of the successful Yemeni attacks on the Saudi oil installations cannot be
overstated.
Contrary
to every other place in West Asia, America's military presence in Saudi Arabia
was not inherited from the British and goes back to 1930, two years before the
creation of the country called "Saudi Arabia" which was founded in
1932.
It
was American oil companies that founded the "Saudi" oil industry
during the rule of Abdul Aziz as the ruler of Najd and occupier of Dhahran, the
eastern coast of what is today Saudi Arabia, the area where all the oil is
deposited and which happens to be Shia-majority, an area historically,
religiously, culturally and tribally part of Bahrain, southern Iraq and the
Iranian provinces of Khuzestan and Busher, not Najd.
Americans
have spent almost 9 decades and trillions of dollars "protecting"
their Saudi oilfields from any potential rival and most importantly the local
Shia-majority population who have been brutally suppressed by the Ale Saud
regime for decades and declared "infidels" by Takfiri Wahhabi court
clerics of the regime.
The
significance of Saudi oil for the empire cannot be overstated when we look at
some historic facts and documents. There is the famous exchange of letters
between Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt in 1944 quoted in Daniel
Yergin's Pulitzer Award winning history of the oil industry, wherein Churchill
and Roosevelt literally divide Persian Gulf oil amongst each other: Iranian oil
is British, Saudi oil is American and Iraqi and Kuwaiti oil is divided equally.
There
are the declassified documents of the Eisenhower administration which describe
Saudi Arabian oil as the greatest strategic prize in the contemporary world,
and maybe in human history.
There
are the declassified secret agreements of the Nixon administration Treasury
department following the end of the gold standard wherein Saudi Arabia pledges
to always denominate its crude oil sales in US dollars and to purchase US
treasury bills in return for US "protection" effectively replacing
gold with Saudi oil reserves as backing for the US dollar and its position as
the global hegemonic currency. This system literally means that unlike
everybody else in the world that needs to work, earn money and then convert
that money to dollars to purchase oil, the US can simply print money to
purchase oil. A sweet deal indeed.
There
is the Carter doctrine declared following the Islamic Revolution in Iran where
the US declares the Persian Gulf region its "vital national interest"
and declares that it will permanently deploy troops to that region formalized
in the establishment of CENTCOM in the Reagan administration.
And
there is of course the 1991 Persian Gulf War where the US openly and publicly
declared that will go to war to protect Saudi oilfields and to
"liberate" Kuwait, although it's clear which goal was more important
given the history.
As
recently as 2013, Charles Freeman, a fifty year veteran of the US State
Department and US ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the 1991 war declares that
the US strategy in the region is "Access", "Transit" and
most importantly "Strategic Denial"- denial of the region to
"rivals" the most dangerous of whom are the local populations. When
in 2016 candidate Trump spoke about leaving the Middle East, Freeman in a sharp
rebuke declared that if the US leaves the Middle East it can forget about being
the global hegemon because this region is the center of all global
interactions. Whoever rules West Asia rules the world.
Given
this intense and multi-trillion dollar history of US "protection" of
its oil in Saudi Arabia, it is now clear as to why the attacks by
"barefoot Yemenis" on the Saudi oil industry using drones and
missiles that might add up to a few million dollars is historically and
strategically so important.
The
US cannot do the most fundamental job that is the entire basis for its presence
in the Arabian peninsula since 1930, that is the basis of its currency
hegemony, that is the basis of its support of a medieval family dictatorship in
Saudi Arabia and families similar to them in America's other fiefdoms in the
region.
The
entire security structure of the region and thus the world given the importance
of the region as stated by American elites themselves, has clearly and
unambiguously been put in question by the courageous and patient Yemeni people
who where able to make history after six years of brutal and shameless
bombardment, deliberate starvation and mass-murder by the US and its allies in
the region.
Sam
Mahdi Torabi holds a PhD in International Relations from London School of
Economics and is the current director of the Resalat Strategic Studies
Institute in the Iranian city of Qom.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647375/Yemen-Sam-Mahdi-Torabi-Saudi-invasion-bombing
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American
proposal offers nothing new, serves Washington’s interests: Top Yemeni official
15
March 2021
A
high-ranking Yemeni official says the American proposal for a nationwide
ceasefire in the conflict-plagued Arab country offers nothing new, and only
serves the interests of the US administration.
“The
American proposal on Yemen doesn't present anything new. It rather repeated the
mistake of previous US administrations towards Sana’a (Yemen’s National
Salvation Government),” Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs Major
General Jalal al-Rowaishan said in an exclusive interview with Arabic-language
al-Masirah television network on Sunday.
He
added, “The United States and Europe must first work out a solution to the main
issue, that is to stop the Saudi-led aggression and lift the siege of Yemeni
people, and then think of negotiations.”
Rowaishan
further noted that the so-called US plan for a nationwide ceasefire in Yemen
has nothing new in it, and “only guarantees Washington’s interests,"
adding "Americans have no respect whatsoever for the interests of others and
human rights.”
“We
welcome any clear proposal and peace plan anchored in the removal of the siege
and cessation of hostilities,” the senior Yemeni official pointed out.
US
Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking on Friday said during a webinar with the
Atlantic Council think tank that Houthis are a “significant player” in Yemen
that needed to be acknowledged.
“I
don’t think you can operate by denying that reality,” he said, claiming the US
“never said the Houthis have no role in Yemen.”
Lenderking,
who recently returned from a three-week trip to the region, said Washington is
looking for the Ansarullah’s response to its peace plan, but claimed that
Ansarullah does not appear interested in a ceasefire at this moment, and is
supposedly prioritizing a military campaign to take the strategic central
province of Ma’rib.
“I will return immediately when the Houthis
are prepared to talk,” Lenderking noted.
Commenting
on the ongoing fighting in the strategic central province of Ma’rib, Rowaishan
said, “This combat is part of the great battle of Yemen, and is not separate
from it. Clashes in Ma’rib province, especially in Sirwah and Hilan districts,
have been going on since the beginning of the Saudi-led aggression.”
“The
controversy in the Western media about Ma’rib is only in line with the
aggressors' desire to prevent Yemenis from reaching a point where they can work
out a political solution,” he highlighted.
Over
the past few weeks, Ma’rib has been the scene of large-scale operations by
Yemeni troops and allied Popular Committees fighters, who are pushing against
Saudi-sponsored militants loyal to Yemen’s former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur
Hadi.
Houthi:
We are waiting for US to withdraw its elements from Yemen
Meanwhile,
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, has
reacted to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments on supporting a
Yemen free from foreign influence, describing them as “positive” but stressed
they need to be backed by action.
“Blinken's
comments on Yemen being free from foreign influence were positive," Houthi
wrote in a post published on his Twitter page.
“We
are waiting for [US] action to withdraw American elements and experts from the
battle, and to neutralize American weapons and withdraw them from the confrontation.
“This
is what we're looking for and what would be consistent with the comments,” he
added.
On
Sunday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Blinken told UN's Yemen envoy
Martin Griffiths during a call that the “United States supports a unified,
stable Yemen free from foreign influence, and that there is no military
solution to the conflict.”
Backed
by the US and a number of other Western states, 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 back to power and crushing the popular Ansarullah
movement.
The
Yemeni armed forces and allied popular groups have, however, gone from strength
to strength against the Saudi-led invaders, and left Riyadh and its allies bogged
down in the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647357/American-proposal-has-nothing-new-in-it,-serves-Washington-interests-Top-Yemeni-official
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Africa
Paris
defends media freedom after news channel threatened by Algerian government
15
March ,2021
The
French government defended media freedom and the “right to inform” on Monday as
it stood by the France 24 news channel, following fierce criticism from the
Algerian government.
Algerian
authorities on Saturday threatened to permanently withdraw the media
accreditation for the broadcaster because of alleged “blatant bias” in its
coverage of the country’s pro-democracy protest movement.
“France
defends press freedom everywhere in the world, as well as the safety of
journalists and all of those who contribute to public debate,” a spokesperson
for the French foreign affairs ministry told reporters.
“The
right to inform is a fundamental right which needs to be protected everywhere.”
Although
former Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down in 2019 in the face
of anti-regime protests, demonstrations have continued demanding an overhaul of
the ruling system in place since independence from France in 1962.
Reporters
Without Borders (RSF) ranked Algeria 146 out of 180 countries and territories
in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index, a 27-place drop from 2015.
Journalists
working for foreign media in Algeria are subject to bureaucratic and arbitrary
press accreditation procedures which grant them permission to work in the
country.
Agence
France-Presse’s Algeria bureau chief, Philippe Agret, was appointed in October
2019, but authorities have failed without explanation to provide him with any
accreditation.
His
predecessor as bureau chief, Aymeric Vincenot, was forced to leave the country
in 2019 after the authorities refused to renew his accreditation.
https://english.alarabiya.net/media/2021/03/15/Protests-Paris-defends-media-freedom-after-threat-from-Algerian-government
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European
Union mulls visa pressure so northern African states take back migrants
15
March ,2021
European
Union ministers on Monday debated ways to persuade northern African countries
to take back migrants denied entry into the 27-nation bloc, as the EU considers
making it more difficult for those failing to cooperate to secure European
visas.
Migrants
arriving in Europe without authorization routinely lose or destroy their
identity documents, or use fake papers, making it hard to work out where they
came from and send them home. Sometimes the countries they live in or transit
through are reluctant to take them back.
“We
have to work for safe and fair and regular migration. We have to put together
incentives in order to make third countries accept the people who have to go
back, and to create a flow of regular migration,” EU foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell said.
The
EU’s executive body, the European Commission, has drawn up a list of how well
39 countries are cooperating on readmitting their nationals. Foreign and
interior ministers were meeting Monday to discuss the list and what
“incentives” might be used to encourage compliance.
“Now
it’s time to go to action. We need … to urgently agree on a limited number of
countries that we should focus on and set up a timetable,” EU Home Affairs
Commissioner Ylva Johansson said Friday, after talking separately with interior
ministers about the issue.
Johansson
declined to name the countries on the list, and which might be the worst
offenders.
“If
we do not reach sufficient progress, I am ready to table proposals to the (European)
Council already this summer for making restrictions on visa policy,” she said,
adding that if they cooperate well, “we are also ready to put on the table
proposals for more generous visa policies.”
The
focus on visa restrictions is part of the European Commission’s overhaul of the
EU’s failed asylum and migration policy, which was unveiled in September and
aims to ensure that more migrants denied entry into Europe are sent home.
Under
the EU’s visa code, the European Commission assesses at least once a year how
well countries cooperate on readmitting their nationals. EU member states can
also notify the executive body when confronted with “substantial and persistent
practical problems” with any country, triggering another assessment.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/15/European-Union-mulls-visa-pressure-so-northern-African-states-take-back-migrants
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Libya's
new interim prime minister sworn in, promises to represent all Libyans
15
March 2021
Abdul
Hamid Dbeibah has been sworn as Libya’s Prime Minister until elections later
this year, following years-long violence and division in the North African
country.
Dbeibah
took the oath of office in front of members of parliament in the eastern city
of Tobruk on Monday, after lawmakers voted in support of a unity government and
approved his cabinet last week.
"I
swear by God almighty to perform my duties with honesty and sincerity," he
said.
Dbeibah
was selected through a UN-facilitated process early last month. He will serve
in his post until elections are held on December 24.
He
proposed a unity government including two deputy prime ministers, 26 ministers
and six ministers of state in an attempt to resolve a decade of conflict in the
country.
The
parliamentary approval of Dbeibah’s cabinet took place after a two-day session
in the war-battered frontline city of Sirte on Wednesday.
"This
will be the government of all Libyans," Dbeibah said in a brief speech
after the vote. "Libya is one and united."
Libya
has been grappling with unchecked violence since the overthrow, and later
killing, of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 during an operation backed by
NATO.
Since
2014, two rival seats of power have emerged in Libya, namely the UN-recognized
government - known as the Government of National Accord (GNA) - based in the
capital Tripoli, and another camp based in the eastern city of Tobruk, backed
militarily by the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), composed of armed rebel
forces led by renegade General Khalifa Haftar.
The
country descended into unprecedented chaos last year after the LNA moved toward
Tripoli to seize the city. They were repelled by government forces.
The
conflict has escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers
pouring weapons and mercenaries into the country.
Dbeibah’s
new interim government is expected to replace both existing administrations in
Libya. He has pledged not to stand for office in December’s vote.
Outgoing
GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj has said he is "fully ready to hand over"
power, while Haftar last month offered "the support of the armed forces
for the peace process."
Dbeibah
has called for the departure of some 20,000 foreign militants present in the
country, adding that he would coordinate with the militants’ countries of
origin to arrange for their withdrawal.
“The
mercenaries are a stab in our back – they must leave,” Dbeibah said. “Our
sovereignty is violated by their presence.”
The
UN Security Council on Friday called for all foreign forces to leave
"without further delay."
However,
challenges remain and the manner of Dbeibah's own appointment has drawn
criticism in Libya with accusations of corruption and influence peddling as a
UN inquiry found that he allegedly gained power after his supporters offered
bribes as high as $200,000 to attract votes.
Holding
free parliamentary and presidential elections under such circumstances in 2021
will be an immense task.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/15/647370/Libya-prime-minister-sworn-parliament-lawmakers-Tobruk-violence-division-elections
--------
Police
clash with anti-lockdown protesters in Jordan
16
March 2021
Clashes
have erupted in Jordan between police and people protesting against
coronavirus-related restrictions.
Hundreds
of protesters in several cities, including the capital, Amman, on Monday called
for an end to the state of emergency that has been in place since last year to
help curb the spread of the virus, as well as the resignation of the
government.
Civic
groups say the emergency laws violate civil and political rights.
Reuters
cited witnesses and residents as saying that police used tear gas to disperse
the protesters, who defied a night curfew, which has been extended several
times since it was imposed a year ago, most recently on Saturday amid an
increase in coronavirus cases in the country.
Jordan
on Monday registered 9,417 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total
number of cases to 486,470, including 5,428 deaths in the country of 10 million
people.
According
to the witnesses, dozens of activists were arrested in several cities and towns
on Monday.
The
protests also came amid anger over the death of nine patients, mostly suffering
from COVID-19, on Saturday, when a hospital in the northwestern town of Salt
ran out of oxygen.
The
incident forced the Jordanian health minister to resign, and triggered protests
in Amman and other cities on Sunday.
In
televised comments on Monday, Jordan’s King Abdullah vowed to hold those behind
the incident in Salt accountable.
Abdullah
further said he understood that people were facing difficulties due to the
pandemic, but he warned of dissidents’ attempts to sow discord.
Jordan
last year suffered its worst recession in decades as a result of the pandemic.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/16/647413/Jordan-police-clash-anti-lockdown-protesters
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Boko
Haram Threat Complicates Plans to Resettle Displaced Nigerians
By
Haruna Shehu
March
14, 2021
MAIDUGURI,
NIGERIA - Boko Haram militants have terrorized northeastern Nigeria for more
than a decade, driving more than 2 million people from their homes, according
to the United Nations.
At
least 3,000 have fled from the countryside to the relative safety of Kawar
Maila, a camp in Borno State’s capital, Maiduguri.
Having
escaped the Islamic extremists, these displaced people still face enormous challenges,
struggling to get food and basic health care, to educate their children, to
imagine a better future.
“Life
here is very difficult. We are suffering,” said Mohammed Abba, who had a farm
in the Konduga government area, about 25 kilometers southeast of Maiduguri.
Now, he, his wife and five children live in a single, cramped room.
“During
the rainy season, you would be shocked to see how we must cope. This room
floods and we can’t sleep here,” he said. Abba used to “raise animals and do
trading. But this is our situation today.”
His
neighbor Falmata Abukar also came from Konduga with her husband. She blames
what she considers inadequate health care in the camp for her son going blind
in one eye.
“My
child fell ill. He did not open his eyes for four days. He cannot see with that
eye now,” Abukar said. “The eye is beyond repair.”
Widows,
most with children, live in a donated warehouse – more than 180 people in rooms
separated by hanging sheets of fabric or plastic. Women often sit together in
the center, chatting while sifting ground maize to make a traditional dish
called bisko.
The
camp’s residents, kept from their regular livelihoods, are trying to make ends
meet. In daylight outside, women do needlework, crafting hats and other items
to sell. So do girls who would have been in school if they were in their home
communities.
Government
pushes for resettlement
Borno
State has 32 official camps for displaced people and roughly 200 informal
settlements. These are supported by the State Emergency Management Agency
(SEMA) and the federal government. They also receive support from humanitarian
partners ranging from local groups to international organizations such as the
U.N. International Children's Emergency Fund, the Norwegian Refugee Council,
Save the Children and Doctors of the World.
The
state’s governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, said authorities are working to
resettle many of the displaced by year’s end.
“The
IDPs [internally displaced persons) are tired of life in the camps,” Zulum
said. “They complain to us day and night about their plight. They do not have
food, and their children are being exploited. They need to return to their
homes.”
That
depends on regaining control of the territory from Boko Haram and protecting
civilians, Zulum said. “We have to first ensure their safety. We don’t want to
resettle people where there is no security.”
Concerns
about security
Many
homes of displaced people were destroyed or are in areas still vulnerable to
Boko Haram attack. So, for now, authorities are moving to resettle people in
cities closer to home that are patrolled by federal troops.
That
does not reassure Abba Gana Kolomi, a fish trader from the town of Baga near
Lake Chad. A friend who returned there gave him a grim report about continuing
insecurity and how it restricts the ability to earn a living.
“People
cannot go to fishing,” he said. “They cannot find food anywhere, because no one
has cultivated his farm or raised animals.”
Venturing
from better-protected cities to fish, farm or do other chores in rural Borno
State can be dangerous. In mid-February, a group of displaced people gathering
firewood near the town of Damboa were abducted – and five were killed – in a
suspected Boko Haram attack.
https://www.voanews.com/africa/boko-haram-threat-complicates-plans-resettle-displaced-nigerians?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2102947_
--------
Nigerian
troops kill 41 Boko Haram terrorists
Adam
Abu-bashal
16.03.2021
ABUJA,
Nigeria
Nigerian
special forces eliminated 41 Boko Haram fighters in the country’s northeastern
Borno state Monday.
Mohammed
Yerima, a spokesman for the Nigerian Army, said in a statement that an
anti-terror operation was carried out in Gulwa and Musuri villages in the
Gamboru Ngala local government area.
The
army also recovered sophisticated weapons and rescued 60 women and children who
were being held by the terrorists, he said.
He
added that four soldiers were killed and many others were injured during the
operation.
Boko
Haram launched a bloody insurgency in 2009 in northeastern Nigeria but later
spread its atrocities to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a
military response.
More
than 30,000 people have been killed and nearly 3 million displaced in a decade
of Boko Haram's terrorist activities in Nigeria, according to the UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Violence
committed by Boko Haram has affected some 26 million people in the Lake Chad
region and displaced 2.6 million others, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/nigerian-troops-kill-41-boko-haram-terrorists/2177207
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Armed
men abduct schoolteachers, students in NW Nigeria
Ibrahim
Garba Shuaibu
15.03.2021
KANO,
Nigeria
An
armed group on Monday abducted teachers and students of a primary school in
northwestern Nigeria, a local official said.
In
a statement, Samuel Aruwan, commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs
of Kaduna State, said details about the actual number of students and teachers
are being gathered.
Abdulsalam
Adam, a local resident, told Anadolu Agency by phone the gunmen came to Rema, a
community in Birnin Gwari, on about 12 motorcycles.
“Three
teachers and some pupils have been reportedly abducted but we are trying to
ascertain the true situation. Right now, some volunteers have gone after the
bandits,” Adam said.
“We
are in the school right now, and are trying to comb the bushes around the
school because some of the children ran into the bushes as the bandits ambushed
the school. So, we don’t know how many people were abducted at the moment.”
The
incident happened 24 hours after security forces thwarted an attempted
abduction of 307 students of a government school in Ikara local government area
of the state and another attack at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria
(FAAN) quarters in Igabi area of the state.
On
Thursday night, gunmen invaded the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization,
Afaka, in Igabi area and abducted 39 students, including 23 girls.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/armed-men-abduct-schoolteachers-students-in-nw-nigeria/2176769
--------
Libya’s
new unity gov’t sworn in by parliament
Mohammad
Erteima
15.03.2021
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libya’s
new unity government headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh was sworn in
on Monday before the Libyan parliament in Tobruk city in eastern Libya.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency, Libyan lawmaker Mohammad al-Ra'eedh said more than 100 MPs
attended the swearing-in session.
“A
number of Arab and foreign ambassadors were present during the session,” he
added.
Earlier
Monday, Dbeibeh's government took the constitutional oath before the High Court
in the capital Tripoli before heading to Tobruk.
Last
week, the Libyan parliament granted a vote of confidence to Dbeibeh’s
government with 132 votes of the 133 lawmakers who attended the session.
Libyans
hope it will end years of civil war that have engulfed the country since the
ouster and killing of strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011.
The
war was exacerbated when warlord Khalifa Haftar, supported by several
countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Russia, and France,
carried out a military onslaught to topple the Tripoli-based internationally
recognized government for control of the North African country.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/libya-s-new-unity-gov-t-sworn-in-by-parliament/2176603
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Turkey
decries Boko Haram terrorist attack in Nigeria
Sena
Guler
15.03.2021
Turkey
on Monday condemned a “heinous” terrorist attack in Nigeria that caused many
casualties.
“We
are deeply saddened by the news that 19 soldiers lost their lives and a further
13 wounded, during a terrorist attack perpetrated by the terrorist organization
Boko Haram against a military convoy on 12 March 2021, in the Gudumbali region
located in the Borno State of Nigeria,” the Foreign Ministry said in a written
statement.
“We
strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack,” it said, extending condolences
to the families of the deceased and the “friendly and brotherly” people and
government of Nigeria.
It
also wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
Boko
Haram launched a bloody insurgency in 2009 in northeastern Nigeria but later
spread its atrocities to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a
military response.
More
than 30,000 people have been killed and nearly 3 million displaced in a decade
of Boko Haram’s terror activities in Nigeria, according to the UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Violence
has affected 26 million people in the Lake Chad region and displaced 2.6
million others, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkey-decries-boko-haram-terrorist-attack-in-nigeria/2175962
--------
Southeast Asia
In
Sarawak, five lodge police report against Selangor woman for remarks on ‘Allah’
ruling
16
Mar 2021
MIRI,
March 16 — Police here have received five reports lodged against a woman over
her alleged inflammatory remarks on social media over the recent High Court
ruling on the ‘Allah’ issue.
Miri
police chief ACP Hakemal Hawari when contacted said the five reports were
lodged by individuals and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“The
police reports were lodged between March 13 and 15. We have opened an
investigation paper for further action,” he said.
The
widely-circulated video shows a woman, who claimed to be from Selangor, making
several remarks, among them warning non-Muslims in the country not to challenge
the patience of the Muslim community.
She
also questioned why the court had allowed the word ‘Allah’ to be used by
Christians in their Bible.
She
said Islam’s position as the country’s official religion should not be
challenged and vowed that she and ‘her team’ would take action against
Christians in the country. — Borneo Post
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/16/in-sarawak-five-lodge-police-report-against-selangor-woman-for-remarks-on-a/1958185
--------
Malaysia
government appeals ruling on Christians using 'Allah'
15
Mar 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR: The Malaysian government on Monday (Mar 15) appealed a court's decision
to overturn a decades-old official ban and allow Christians in the
Muslim-majority country to use "Allah" to refer to God.
The
word has long been divisive in multi-ethnic Malaysia, with Christians
complaining that attempts to stop them using it highlight the growing influence
of conservative Islam.
But
some Muslims accuse the sizeable Christian minority of overstepping boundaries,
and the subject has fuelled religious tensions and sparked violence over the
years.
Last
week the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Christians can use
"Allah" in publications, siding with a member of the minority and
striking down a ban that dated back to 1986.
A
judge ruled the ban was unconstitutional, as Malaysia's constitution guarantees
freedom of religion.
But
the government lodged a challenge at the court of appeal saying it was
"not satisfied" with the ruling, according to documents seen by AFP.
Authorities
have long argued that allowing non-Muslims to use "Allah" could be
confusing, and entice Muslims to convert.
The
case began 13 years ago when officials seized religious materials in the local
Malay language from a Christian at Kuala Lumpur airport that contained the word
"Allah".
The
woman - Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, a member of a Malaysian indigenous group -
then launched a legal challenge against the ban on Christians using the term.
Malaysia
has largely avoided overt religious conflict in recent decades, but tensions
have been growing.
In
2014 a church was hit with petrol bombs, while Islamic authorities have seized
Bibles containing the word "Allah".
Less
than 10 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million people are estimated to be
Christians, coming from mostly ethnic Chinese, Indian or indigenous
backgrounds, while 60 per cent are ethnically Malay Muslims.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-government-appeal-ruling-christians-allah-publications-14412310
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Shunned
by Umno, Bersatu’s survival now rests with PAS, say analysts
16
Mar 2021
BY
SYED JAYMAL ZAHIID
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 16 — Umno’s decision to withdraw its support for the coalition
led by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia will pull large swathes of the Malay vote
away from the splinter group to deal a blow powerful enough to decimate the
young party at the next general election, analysts said.
Bersatu
was founded with the initial aim of breaking Umno’s grip on rural and
conservative Malay votes but has seen marginal success.
Since
its formation, the party has made little progress to counter Umno’s clout,
having to contend with a smaller supporter base of mostly disgruntled former
members of its sister party with no grassroots support.
Umno
and PAS on the other hand amassed up to 70 per cent of the Malay vote at the
2018 general election, with the former enjoying the lion’s share. Hawkish Umno
leaders have used this to pressure Bersatu into giving way.
Oh
Ei Sun, a fellow at the Singapore International Institute of Foreign Affairs,
said the numbers are testament to the parties’ clout among rural and
conservative Malays.
Voting
data throughout the years suggest this is an electorate that often votes along
partisan lines, and has stayed consistently with either Umno or PAS.
“I
think for most conservative Malays — who make up the bulk of the overall voters
— the fallback party is still unequivocally Umno, followed closely by PAS,” the
analyst said.
“This
was testified in the 2018 general election, where Umno and PAS garnered more
than 75 per cent of Malay votes. The progressive Malays — who are decidedly
fewer in number — would likely go for Pakatan Harapan (PH),” he added.
The
rest consists of urban moderates and liberals, most inclined towards PH. While
just 30 per cent, their votes helped the multiracial pact achieve a landmark
victory and ended Barisan Nasional’s (BN) six-decade long monopoly on power.
There
has been talk that Bersatu could woo Malay liberals too. Some party leaders
have openly identified with progressive ideas by championing inclusive and
welfare policies.
Datuk
Seri Azmin Ali, who defected from PKR and is now a Bersatu supreme council
member, has also shared hope that supporters from his former party would switch
allegiances, citing disillusionment with the leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahim.
But
some analysts feel it would be hard for Bersatu to draw support from liberals,
citing its role in the power grab that ousted PH last year.
“This
actually leaves Bersatu in a lurch, as it cannot count on PH votes for obvious
reasons, but they have yet to make significant inroads into the conservative
Malay vote bank,” Oh said.
With
PAS throwing its full support behind Bersatu, that may work if the two parties
can find a formula for seat distribution. Still, analysts noted that PAS has
limited influence, with support strongest in the northern rice-belt states.
The
Islamists are also in an election pact with Bersatu’s rival, which has raised
questions if it is possible for the three to cooperate in their respective pact
and avoid a clash at some point.
Some
analysts, however, have pointed to the emergence of new voters who see
conservatism as a unifying ideology able to transcend partisan loyalty, which
could work in favour of Bersatu.
Datuk
Mohamad Abu Bakar, political analyst at UnisZa, said this is a generation of
electorate born as a result of liberal governance under PH, and would vote for
any party that champions conservatism as reflected in the positive rating for
PN and the Umno-PAS-Bersatu alliance.
Yet
these voters will still be forced to choose at the end of the day, as the
tussle between Umno and Bersatu would effectively make the prospect of three
parties sitting in a coalition purely based on conservatism unlikely.
“There
has been a resurgence of traditional Malay-Muslim conservatism following PH
rule, and this has translated into support for Umno-PAS-Bersatu as evidenced in
the last couple of months,” he said.
“But
they need to harness this force in order to come up strong and formidable in
the next election. So far they have been at loggerheads with each other,” he
added.
“Under
pressure from Malay-Muslim conservationists, they might regroup, and present
themselves as a common front. But as of today, this has not happened.”
The
induction of over 7.5 million young voters once the lowered voting age takes
effect this July, and some four million more when the automatic registration
begins, is also expected to add to the uncertainty both for conservative and
liberal political forces.
The
widely held view among analysts is that no one party can truly hold sway over
this highly unpredictable electorate, making them a volatile force that could
do either damage or good.
For
prime minister and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, these young
voters present an opportunity to level the playing field with its more
established competitors, especially Umno.
But
Mohamad Hisomuddin Bakar, director at the Ilham Centre, said winning them over
will not be easy.
“Looking
at the significant addition, I feel this government is unprepared to take the
risk on a wave whose political inclination is hard to predict,” he said.
“With
this pandemic, the drastic dip in support for PN and the prime minister, and
the addition of a voter segment deemed fragile or uncertain make it difficult
for any party to dictate the trajectory of the upcoming election.”
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/16/shunned-by-umno-bersatus-survival-now-rests-with-pas-say-analysts/1958135
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