‘Hum Hindu Hain Hindu, Tu Mulla Hai Mulla‘: 22-Year-Old Killed By Mob In Haryana
New
Age Islam News Bureau
20
December 2021
Rahul Khan a
22-year-old resident of Rasoolpur village in Haryana’s Palwal
----
• Reconvert
And Pray In Temples: A Right-Wing Hindu Outfit To Muslims On Namaz Row
• OIC
Meet On Afghanistan Concludes Without Any Pledge For Aid
• Stop
Propagating Against Afghanistan, Daesh Has Been Threatening Afghanistan From
Pakistan: Karzai To Imran Khan
• Taliban
Will Not Allow Daesh To Establish Foothold In Afghanistan, Says FM Muttaqi
• Acting
Muslim Brotherhood Leader Mahmoud Ezzat Sentenced To Life In Prison For
Espionage
India
• Political
Violence In Kerala Changes Colour With Entry Of Hardline Islamic Outfits With
The CPM On One End And BJP/RSS On The Other
• Delhi
forms UAPA Tribunal to probe ban on Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation
• ‘Real
Enemies Of Muslims Are So-Called Secular Parties’: AIMIM Maharashtra President
• V
Muraleedharan terms murder of Kerala BJP leader as 'handy work of Islamic
terrorist group'
• AMU
association release charter of demands before UP polls
--------
Pakistan
• Man
Arrested On Charge Of Blasphemy In Taxila On The Information of Tehreek-i-Labbaik
Pakistan
• Oldest
Buddhist Apsidal Temple Of Country Found In Swat
• Death
toll climbs to 17 in Pakistan's Karachi blast
• Afghanistan
will become biggest man-made crisis if world doesn’t act, says PM Imran at OIC
summit
• JI’s
Karachi power show declares Sindh local govt bill ‘black law’
• Saudi
FM calls on PM Imran, hails Pakistan’s efforts to help Afghanistan
• Three
terrorists killed, security official injured in shootout: ISPR
--------
South Asia
• Afghanistan's
Herat witnesses high poverty due to surge in unemployment
• OIC
member states agreed on Trust Fund for Afghanistan
• India,
Central Asian countries support peaceful Afghanistan, condemn terrorism
• Tariq
Ali Bakheet appointed OIC’s special representative to Afghanistan
• Afghanistan
is world’s worst man-made crisis, world must act now: Imran Khan
--------
Arab World
• Al-Azhar
Urges Action to Address Climate Change
• Kuwait
stresses Afghanistan aid amid pan-Islamic body talks
• Two
Chinese firms to build 1,000 schools in Iraq
• UN
chief urges Lebanon’s leaders to put people first and reform
• Two
rockets hit Baghdad’s Green Zone, one destroyed, two cars damaged: State media
• Arab
Coalition destroys Houthi drone targeting King Abdullah airport in Jazan
--------
Mideast
• Iran
Calls On France To Revise Anti-Muslim Laws After Assault On Religious Freedom
• Turkey’s
Erdogan Says Islam Demands Lower Rates and So Does He
• Iran
FM stresses OIC role in resolving Muslim world problems
• Iranian
FM Voices Concern about Terrorism, Refugees in Afghanistan
• Iran:
Vienna Talks Break Collective Decision
• Iran
holds air defence exercise near Bushehr nuclear plant
• Iran
says inspecting new IAEA cameras for nuclear site
• Palestinian
woman stabs Israeli man in attack near Hebron in West Bank
--------
Africa
• African
Union Chief Urges Africa-Turkey Cooperation Against Terrorism
• Sudan
security forces fire tear gas at protesters in Khartoum: Witnesses
• Security
forces block roads, bridges in Sudan’s Khartoum against post-coup protests
• Ethiopia’s
military again controls religious town of Lalibela
• No
technical problems impeding Libya polls: Elections commission
--------
North America
• UN,
US Lawmakers Back Efforts To Prevent Afghanistan’s Economic Meltdown
• Pentagon
documents reveal civilian deaths of US war in Mideast 'drastically
undercounted'
• US
and West ‘waged decades of war on Iran by other means’: Analyst
--------
Europe
• EU’s
Mora: 'Now We Have Common Basis' On Removal Of Iran Sanctions
• Iraq
agrees to move stranded nationals to Lithuanian capital
• Turkish
Cypriot says Greek side's Navtex is move to escalate tension
• France
praises troops after probe into killing of civilians in Niger
--------
Southeast Asia
• Pakistan,
Turkey, And Malaysia To Jointly Launch TV Channel To Promote Media Link: Fawad
• Elite
Expressway crash: Remains of nine family members buried in common grave
• Labour
Migration to Malaysia: Employers to bear costs at their end
• Minister:
Mosques in KL, Putrajaya open doors to flood victims
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/hindu-muslim-killing-lynching-haryana/d/125997
--------
‘Hum
Hindu Hain Hindu, Tu Mulla Hai Mulla‘: 22-Year-Old Killed By Mob In Haryana
Rahul
Khan a 22-year-old resident of Rasoolpur village in Haryana’s Palwal
----
December
19, 202
Meer
Faisal and Musheera Ashraf report:
On 13
December, Rahul Khan a 22-year-old resident of Rasoolpur village in Haryana’s
Palwal, left his home with his friends named Kalua, Akash and others. And Khan
never returned to home.
Kalua
and Akash came to Khan’s home at Rasoolpur on Monday and they demanded a treat
from Khan, which he denied. They still took Khan with them. “Little did he know
that this would cost him his life,” says Akram, brother in law of Rahul Khan.
On 14
December, Rahul Khan’s relative received a call from Kalua stating Khan met an
accident.
“I
went to Kalua’s house after the phone call. To my surprise, I was abused. They
said: ‘Mulla, Tu B Agya , Tujhe Bhi Mardene.’ This made me scared and I ran
off,” he said to Maktoob.
The
family members of Khan took Khan to hospital where he breathed his last almost
6 hours after admission.
Believing
Kalua, Khan’s family lodged an FIR at nearest police station Chandhat stating
that Khan was killed in an accident but in the morning of 15 December, they
came across a viral video, in which Khan was seen blood-soaked and being beaten
mercilessly.
“In
the video, the attackers can be heard saying ‘Hum Hindu Hain Hindu, Tu Mulla
Hai Mulla‘,” Akram said to Maktoob.
“His
body was in a bad situation, it seems he was beaten with axe and rods,” Akram
said to Maktoob.
A
social media user Sunil Chahal Chahal uploaded Khan’s photo on Facebook with a
song in the background in which his blue black wounds were clearly visible.
“Later,
he deleted the story,” Akram claims.
Later,
an FIR was lodged under IPC 209 and 304A at the Chandhat police station.
When
Maktoob reached out to the police, the in-charge said that the case is being
investigated and one arrest has been made so far.
“The
video is also being investigated,” he added.
The
post mortem report highlights the multiple traumatic injuries over the body. It
also describes multiple injuries on the head, legs and eyes.
Source:
Hindutva Watch
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://hindutvawatch.org/you-are-a-muslim-22-year-old-killed-by-mob-in-haryana/
--------
Reconvert
And Pray In Temples: A Right-Wing Hindu Outfit To Muslims On Namaz Row
Representational
image of Namaz prayers. (File Photo)
-----
19th
December 2021
Gurugram:
A right-wing group disrupting Friday Namaz being held in the open here on
Sunday asked Muslims to "reconvert" and pray in Hindu temples.
Ancestors
of a majority of Haryana Muslims belonged to Hindu community, said Mahaveer
Bhardwaj, chairman of the Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, a body of 32 right-wing
Hindu outfits.
"We
can organise a mass 'Ghar Wapsi' in Leisure Valley here and they will be taken
back in their castes and accepted with open arms," Bharadwaj said.
"They
will have their temples to pray and this Namaz issue will end," he added.
In
the past some months, members of some Hindu outfits have objected to the
offering of "Namaz" by Muslims in open spaces.
They
have been raising "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Jai Shri Ram"
slogans to disrupt the Friday prayers by Muslims.
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
OIC
Meet On Afghanistan Concludes Without Any Pledge For Aid
Pakistan
prime minister Imran Khan (File photo)
----
Omer
Farooq Khan
Dec
20, 2021
Islamabad:
the extraordinary conference of the member nations of the organisation of Islamic
Countries (OIC) on Afghanistan concluded in Islamabad on Sunday without any
direct announcement of economic and humanitarian assistance for the war-ravaged
country.
Envoys
from 57 Islamic nations and observer delegations participated in the conference
in Islamabad, the biggest event on Afghanistan after the fall of the US-backed
government in the country. The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August
had prompted the international community to freeze the country's billions of
dollars in aid and assets, plunging the nation of 38 million into the worst
economic and humanitarian disaster.
Pakistani
officials said that 70 delegations, including interim Taliban foreign minister
Mullah Amir Khan Muttaqi and delegates from the US, China, Russia the European
Union and the UN, took part in the event.
At
the end of the session, a draft resolution was issued that was full of phrases,
like the extraordinary session of the OIC council of foreign ministers welcomed
the initiative, commended Pakistan's role, recognised the deep-rooted Islamic
values that form the ethos of the Muslim society. Moreover, the resolution
carried statements, such as the body of Islamic nations expressed deep alarm at
the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. It noted with deep
concern the breakdown of Afghanistan's health system, disease outbreaks and severe
malnutrition. Furthermore, it urged on necessity for continuation of economic
cooperation to the country and reaffirmed strong commitment to the sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity of Afghanistan.
Speakers
also called for a quick opening of the country's banking system. The president
of the Islamic Development Bank Muhammad Sulaiman al-Jasser, who attended the
meet, offered several concrete financing proposals. He said the IDB can manage
trusts that could be used to move money into Afghanistan, jumpstart businesses
and help salvage the deeply troubled economy. The OIC also resolved Sunday to
arrange for a team of international Muslim scholars to engage with the Taliban
on issues "such as, but not limited to, tolerance and moderation in Islam,
equal access to education and women's rights in Islam".
Pakistan
PM Imran Khan, during his keynote address at the meeting, warned the global
community that situation in Afghanistan would become the biggest "man-made
crisis in the world" if it did not act immediately. Khan said no other
country had suffered as much as Afghanistan, adding that 75% of the country's
budget was supported by foreign aid before the Taliban had seized control. He
urged Washington to delink the Taliban government from the Afghan citizens.
"They have been in conflict with the Taliban for 20 years but this
concerns the people of Afghanistan," Khan said, reiterating that
Afghanistan would head for chaos if the world failed to take immediate action.
"Such a situation will not suit the US because chaos means the inability
to fight terrorism." He noted that the Taliban had to fulfil the
commitments they had made to the international community, which included
forming an inclusive government and ensuring women's rights. Earlier, the acting
Afghan foreign minister calimed the Taliban government has restored peace and
security and done much to address demands for more inclusive government with
respect for human rights, including the rights of women.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Stop
propagating against Afghanistan, Daesh has been threatening Afghanistan from
Pakistan: Karzai to Imran Khan
Afghanistan’s
interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi arrives at the conference in
Islamabad. (AP)
-----
20
Dec 2021
Afghanistan’s
former president Hamid Karzai reacted to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s
statements and called them inflammatory and sheer disrespectful for the people
of Afghanistan.
Speaking
at OIC’s extraordinary session on Afghanistan in Islamabad, Imran Khan said
that not allowing girls to get an education is part of Afghanistan’s history.
Imran
Khan also said that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan Branch
(ISIS-K) is active in Afghanistan and is threatening Pakistan.
A
statement released by Hamid Karzai reads, the presence of ISIS-K affiliates in
Afghanistan is propaganda against Afghanistan and that the fact of the matter
is vice versa.
Karzai
said that ISIS-K has always threatened Afghanistan from Pakistan.
“I
recommend Imran Khan to stop propagating and interfering in Afghanistan’s
internal affairs. Imran Khan must not necessarily speak on behalf of
Afghanistan on the international stage and act like a good neighbor.” Reads the
statement.
In
the meantime, Afghanistan’s former ambassadress to Norway Shukria Barkezai also
reacted to Imran Khan’s comment and said that it is disrespectful to the people
of Afghanistan.
She
wrote on her Twitter post that Khan’s comments over girls not being allowed in
Afghanistan’s culture show his lack of knowledge about the history of
Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
Will Not Allow Daesh To Establish Foothold In Afghanistan, Says FM Muttaqi
Afghanistan’s
interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi
----
December
20, 2021
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s interim Foreign Minister Amir
Khan Muttaqi said on Sunday that the Afghan Taliban would not allow the Daesh
militant group to gain a “foothold” in the country or allow any terror outfits
to use Afghan soil against other nations.
Muttaqi
spoke to Arab News in an interview on the sidelines of an Organization of
Islamic Corporation summit held in Islamabad on Sunday to help Afghanistan,
which is facing a looming economic meltdown and humanitarian catastrophe.
“We
have controlled Daesh in the whole of Afghanistan and haven’t permitted anyone
to use our land against any other country,” Muttaqi said. “It is our promise to
the whole world that Afghan soil will not be used against anyone. We will not
allow it.
“We
will not let Daesh or any other group establish a foothold in Afghanistan as
the Afghan people want peace,” he added.
Saudi
Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, earlier said during
Sunday's gathering that Afghanistan must
not turn into a shelter for terrorist and extremist groups.
The
humanitarian crisis since the Taliban seized power in August could compromise
regional stability, Prince Faisal warned.
He
said Saudi Arabia would begin transporting humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, and
he hoped mechanisms could be created to deliver it to the Afghan people.
Afghanistan,
which is also suffering from a banking liquidity crisis as the cash flow dries
up due to sanctions, is facing the risk of economic collapse since the Taliban
took over.
But
Muttaqi said there was now peace in Afghanistan and the government was strong
and stable: “The people are happy,” he insisted.
Afghanistan
parked billions of dollars in assets overseas with the US Federal Reserve and
other central banks in Europe, but that money has been frozen since the Taliban
ousted the Western-backed government in August.
Muttaqi
pressed for the release of the billions of dollars of central bank reserves as
the drought-stricken nation faces a cash crunch, mass starvation and a new
migration crisis.
“The
financial assets of Afghanistan belong to the Afghan people, it is not our
(Taliban’s) money,” the foreign minister said, urging the US and other Western
nations to allow access to the funds.
“Why
have they frozen those assets and created problems for the Afghan people? Not
even one Afghan person who is working abroad can send their hard-earned money back
to their country. Is this an example of respect for human rights?”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1989766/world
--------
Acting
Muslim Brotherhood Leader Mahmoud Ezzat Sentenced To Life In Prison For
Espionage
Mahmoud
Ezzat
-----
El-Sayed
Gamal El-Din
9 Dec
2021
According
to the prosecution’s investigation on the case that dates back to 2013, Ezzat,
along with others, is charged with committing acts that undermine the
independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the country.
A
life sentence in Egypt carries 25 years in jail.
The
official charges levelled against the defendants are communicating with foreign
organisations with the aim of committing terrorist acts inside the country and
financing terrorism to achieve the purposes of the international organisation
formally known as the Muslim Brotherhood.
Investigations
showed that the defendants cooperated with elements affiliated with a terrorist
group in Sinai and qualified others to spread rumors to influence public
opinion.
Ezzat,
who was arrested in 2020, was first handed a death sentence in absentia in
2015.
Under
Egyptian law, in absentia convictions must be re-tried once the defendant is
apprehended.
Today’s
ruling against Ezzat, who is currently standing trial in other cases, can be
appealed.
Source:
Ahram Online
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/446748.aspx
--------
India
Political
Violence In Kerala Changes Colour With Entry Of Hardline Islamic Outfits With
The CPM On One End And BJP/RSS On The Other
20th
December 2021
By
Cynthia Chandran
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
When it comes to political killings in the state, the recent trend indicates
the growing brutal force of Islamic fundamental outfits such as SDPI and PFI,
punching their weight in equal measure with the CPM on one end and BJP/RSS on
the other.
While
the police claim that the number of political murders has come down
significantly in recent years, the two revenge killings in Alappuzha in a span
of 12 hours have brought to focus the growing violent approach of hardline
Islamic outfits such as SDPI and PFI.
The
murder of BJP leader Renjith Sreenivasan early on Sunday was in retaliation to
the killing of SDPI leader KS Shan - which is in turn suspected to be a case of
revenge for the murder of Nandu Krishnan, an RSS activist, at Vayalar allegedly
by SDPI activists in February.
Last
month, RSS worker A Sanjith (27) was killed allegedly by PFI workers. In 2018,
SFI leader Abhimanyu (20) was stabbed to death by the activists of Campus
Front, the students' wing of PFI. Until a few years ago, retaliatory killings
have mostly been witnessed in Kannur, which is considered the hotbed of CPM and
RSS politics.
The
latest twin murders in Alappuzha come at a time when the CPM was just
recovering from the shock of seeing their former MLA arraigned by the CBI in
the Periya twin murder case at Kasaragod. During the previous outing of the LDF
government (2016 -21) led by Pinarayi Vijayan, nearly 30 political killings
were reported - 10 of them in Kannur alone.
CPM
politburo leader MA Baby told The New Indian Express that this was not the
first time political killings were happening in the state as neither the RSS
nor the SDPI required a reason to unleash violence. "Now the SDPI has
emulated the RSS' style by initiating retaliatory killing. Creating unrest is a
matter of existence for these two fundamentalist forces. It is high time people
voice their strong displeasure against them," said Baby.
If so
far cadre parties like CPM and RSS were at loggerheads, now a minority radical
outfit like SDPI seem to be emerging stronger in the practice of retaliatory
killing.
Senior
BJP leader PK Krishnadas said the SDPI has been treading a dangerous path,
unlike political parties. "The slain BJP leader Renjith’s face was
disfigured in the attack. Only a terrorist outfit with a wide network like SDPI
can carry out such a gruesome killing. Their plan is to target their political
detractors under each subdivision," said Krishnadas.
Four
political murders in state this year
Source:
New Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Delhi
forms UAPA Tribunal to probe ban on Zakir Naik's Islamic Research Foundation
Dec
14 2021
New
Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS): The Centre has constituted an Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Tribunal headed by Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.N. Patel under
the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) provisions to adjudicate
whether there is sufficient cause for banning Islamic Research Foundation
(IRF), founded by the controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik.
The
development comes following the earlier order of the Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA) dated November 15, which had extended the ban on the IRF for five more
years.
"The
Central Government hereby constitutes an Unlawful Activities (Prevention)
Tribunal consisting of Justice D.N. Patel, Chief Justice of High Court of
Delhi, for the purpose of adjudicating whether or not there is sufficient cause
for declaring the Islamic Research Foundation as an unlawful association,"
the Ministry of Home Affairs' notification dated December 13 read.
Earlier,
the Central government had observed that the unlawful activities of the IRF are
not curbed and controlled immediately, it will take the opportunity to continue
its subversive activities and re-organise its activists who are still
absconding.
The
government also apprehended that the IRF cadre and supporters may disrupt the
secular fabric of the country by polluting the minds of the people by creating
communal disharmony, propagating anti-national sentiments, escalating
secessionism by supporting militancy, and undertaking activities that are
prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity, and security of the country and it
was necessary to extend the ban on IRF for five years more.
The
Centre had declared the IRF an unlawful organisation for the first time on
November 17, 2016, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of
1967) for a period of five years. The ban was to expire on Tuesday.
Source:
Daiji World
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=904260
--------
‘Real
enemies of Muslims are so-called secular parties’: AIMIM Maharashtra president
by
Zeeshan Shaikh
December
20, 2021
Imtiaz
Jaleel, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Maharashtra president
and Aurangabad Parliamentarian, speaks to The Indian Express about the status
of Muslims in Maharashtra’s polity and why he feels that the Congress-NCP pose
a bigger threat to Muslim empowerment than the BJP.
Your
party held a rally in Mumbai last week seeking reservation for Muslims. What is
your next course of action on this issue?
Our
emphasis is on creating awareness about the need for reservation for the Muslim
community. The rally was part of this awareness drive that the AIMIM’s state
chapter has been conducting over the past three months across Maharashtra.
There is strong empirical data to show that Muslims are justified in seeking
reservations. The AIMIM is also keen on exposing the duplicity of the so-called
secular parties who were crying hoarse on how the community needed reservation
when (ex-CM) Devendra Fadnavis was in power but have now gone silent on the
issue after coming to power themselves.
The
AIMIM is being accused of raking up this issue to polarise ahead of the
upcoming corporation elections in the state…
If
people are claiming that we are politicising this issue, then let me tell you
that they are 200 per cent correct. We are politicising this because we want
the community to question these politicians when they land up at their
doorsteps seeking votes. We want people to question them as to why they have
gone mum on Muslim reservation. The AIMIM has now become used to being referred
to as “vote cutters” by these so-called secular parties. I have a counter offer
to make to them: If the Maharashtra government brings in a Bill for Muslim
reservation in the upcoming winter session of the Assembly, I promise that the
AIMIM will not contest a single seat in the upcoming corporation or council
elections.
The
Mahmood-Ur-Rahman committee that was set up by the Maharashtra government had
recommended 8 per cent reservations to Muslims both in jobs and education. The
HC, however, upheld only 5 per cent reservation for the community, that too in
education. Is the AIMIM comfortable with this?
In
India, most of the reservation demand — be it of the Maratha community or that
of Other Backward Classes — are stuck in courts. The reservation of Muslims is
the only proposal that has cleared the judicial process. With the kind of
disempowerment that the Muslim community faces, 5 per cent reservation, that
too only in education sector, is not enough. But, it is a beginning. I also
think that the Maharashtra government failed to put its point effectively
before the Bombay HC…
You
have also raised the issue of Waqf land in your rally. What is it that you are
seeking from the state government on this issue?
Our
demands are very specific. There are hundreds of government offices which are
built on Waqf lands. When the state government builds or takes properties on
leases or rents for its offices, it pays money to the original owners. The
state should pay rent as per the present ready reckoner rate to the Waqf board
too.
The
AIMIM talks about marginalisation of Muslims in Indian polity. However,
Maharashtra, at this point of time, has a record number of Muslim ministers in
the cabinet.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
V
Muraleedharan terms murder of Kerala BJP leader as 'handy work of Islamic terrorist
group'
December
19, 2021
Thiruvananthapuram:
Hours after BJP OBC morcha state secretary Renjith Sreenivasan was allegedly
killed in Alappuzha, Union Minister V Muraleedharan termed it as the
"handy work of Islamic terrorist group".
"
I've been told that State Secy of BJP OBC Morcha was stabbed to death, this
morning. This is the handy work of Islamic terrorist group is the info coming
from Alleppey (Alappuzha). I demand the State government to take strict action
against perpetrators," he tweeted.
He
also added," This is not the first incident, a few weeks ago, a BJP worker
was killed. The state had not taken the required action to prevent such
incidents. They have been taking a soft stand with Islamic terrorists which has
encouraged them to indulge in more violence."
Two
murders of senior political functionaries from SDPI and BJP have rocked
Kerala's Alappuzha, forcing the local administration to impose Section 144 in
the district.
In
two separate incidents, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) state secretary
KS Shaan was allegedly attacked and murdered in Kerala's Alappuzha on Saturday
night. This was followed by a separate incident in which BJP OBC morcha state
secretary Renjith Sreenivasan was killed at his house by unidentified people
early on Sunday morning in Alappuzha.
Source:
Firstpost
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
AMU
association release charter of demands before UP polls
20th
December 2021
Lucknow:
The Lucknow wing of the Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys’ Association
(AMUOBA) has released its list of nine demands from the political parties vying
for the minority votes for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The
AMUOBA said that this was the right time for Muslims and other backward
communities to strike a bargain with political parties.
Demanding
representation of Muslims in the government bodies proportional to their vote
percentage, AMUOBA president Prof Shakeel Ahmad Kidwai said, “All political parties
are lobbying to get the votes of the backward communities and Muslims in their
favour. These communities have been exploited by the political parties and have
not been given any political importance in the state.”
He
said that it is the opportune time for them to bargain rather than enter caste
and religion-based politics.
“We
demand reservation for Muslims in higher educational institutions in line with
West Bengal government which is in accordance with Sachar Committee
recommendations, the establishment of good schools, ITI and vocational centres
in minority and Dalit dominated areas, the establishment of minority university
in Lucknow in the name of renowned educationist Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who should
also be conferred with Bharat Ratna posthumously,” he said.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/amu-association-release-charter-of-demands-before-up-polls-2244560/
--------
Pakistan
Man
Arrested On Charge Of Blasphemy In Taxila On The Information of
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan
December
20, 2021
TAXILA:
Police arrested a man on Sunday for allegedly making disparaging remarks
against a companion of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
The
man was arrested after a delegation comprising local religious leaders led by
Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s area president Yasir Mehmood Rizvi informed the
Wah Saddar police that the suspect had allegedly used derogatory language
against one of the Prophet’s companions publicly in a hotel.
The
delegation presented video footage against the suspect.
Police
registered a case against the suspect under Section 298-A of the Pakistan Penal
Code (PPC) and launched a hunt to arrest him. They took him into custody during
a raid on his house and sent him behind bars.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1664748/man-arrested-on-charge-of-blasphemy-in-taxila
--------
Oldest
Buddhist apsidal temple of country found in Swat
Fazal
Khaliq
December
20, 2021
SWAT:
The archaeologists have discovered the most ancient Buddhist apsidal temple of
Pakistan in Bazira area of Barikot tehsil in Swat.
The
site was discovered by archaeologists of Ca’ Foscari University and Italian
Archaeological Mission in collaboration with the provincial department of
archaeology and museums.
Italian
Ambassador to Pakistan Andreas Ferrarese told Dawn that he was excited that the
new discovery was also made by Italian archaeologists.
“It
is so impressive to find something common between the archaeology of Pakistan
and that of Italy. It is something that shows that even in antiquity we have a
kind of globalisation where people had exchange of certain techniques and ideas
of culture and religions which is astonishing. The more we search for the past,
the more we find that we have future together,” he said.
According
to Prof Luca M Olivieri, the director of Italian Mission, it is possible to
date the foundation of the Buddhist sacred structure to the Mauryan period,
certainly to the 3rd century BC.
This
was followed by a major reconstruction undertaken in the 2nd century BC.
When
the Greeks arrived and refortified the city of Bazira, known to them from the
times of Alexander the Great, they found an existing structure constructed
during the Mauryan period at the time of Ashoka.
Since
then, after the rule of King Menander in the mid-second century, the monument
was enhanced and kept in function for centuries till the third and fourth
century when it was eventually abandoned, as the Kushan city of Bazira was
razed by an earthquake.
“This
is an astonishingly important discovery as it attests a new architectural shape
of Buddhist structure in Gandhara. We only have one other example of apsidal
temple in a city at Sirkap, Taxila.
“However,
the apsidal temple of Bazira is so far the earliest example of this
architecture in Pakistan,” said Prof Luca.
He
said that the new discovery was revolutionary because it was proving the
presence of Buddhists since the third century in Swat.
The
discovery also confirms the claim that Indo-Greek ruler Menander and his
successors supported Buddhism.
The
archaeologists unearthed not only a well-preserved four-metre high monument,
the apsidal temple, but also one of the main streets of the ancient city
leading eventually to the discovery of one of the gates of the city.
“We
have found coins, among which a silver specimen issued by King Menander, an
onyx-made seal decorated with a Hellenistic intaglio depicting the image of a
youth in Greek attire with a Kharosthi inscription, a monumental Kharosthi
epigraph, many other Kharosthi inscriptions on pots, and potsherds belonging to
the Indo-Greek cultural horizon such as fish
plates
and polished black pottery that imitates Attic models,” said Dr Michele
Minardi, another Italian archaeologist.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1664783/oldest-buddhist-apsidal-temple-of-country-found-in-swat
--------
Death
toll climbs to 17 in Pakistan's Karachi blast
Dec
19, 2021
KARACHI:
The death toll in the powerful blast that ripped through a building of a
private bank in Pakistan's financial capital of Karachi has gone up to 17 after
another injured person died at a hospital on Sunday.
The
blast took place in a gas pipeline running through a sewage drain on Saturday,
killing at least 16 people and wounding 15 others while causing immense damage
to the building constructed atop the drain, a spokesperson for the Karachi
Police said.
The
spokesperson said that there was no lead suggesting that the blast might be
linked to terrorism.
Another
victim of Karachi's Shershah blast succumbed to his injuries at a hospital
Sunday morning, pushing the death toll from the explosion to 17, Geo News
reported.
The
dead also included the father of Alamgir Khan, a member of the ruling Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf party.
Expressing
grief over the loss of lives, Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a tweet:
"My heartfelt prayers [and] condolences go to all the families of victims
of the twin blasts at Sher Shah Paracha Chowk, Karachi. I am especially
saddened to hear of the loss of our MNA Alamgir Khan's father who also perished
in the blast. May Allah give him the strength to bear this loss."
Sindh
Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the commissioner Karachi to conduct
an inquiry into the incident and submit a report over its findings, a
spokesperson of the chief minister said.
“Police
officers should be included in the inquiry so that all aspects [of the blast]
can be investigated, " the chief minister said.
The
explosion occurred a day before Pakistan was hosting the 17th extraordinary
meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) foreign minister in
Islamabad to tackle the situation in Afghanistan.
The
police believe that the blast occurred inside the sewerage line in Shershah due
to the accumulation of gas. A case has been registered in connection with the
blast on the behalf of the state through a police inspector.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Afghanistan
will become biggest man-made crisis if world doesn’t act, says PM Imran at OIC
summit
December
19, 2021
Prime
Minister Imran Khan on Sunday issued a clear warning to the global community,
stating that Afghanistan could potentially become the biggest "man-made
crisis in the world" if it did not act now.
The
premier expressed the views while delivering the keynote address at the 17th
extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC)
Council of Foreign Ministers to discuss the situation in neighbouring
Afghanistan at the Parliament House in Islamabad.
Envoys
from 57 Islamic nations as well as observer delegations are participating in
today's session. The premier, who was the last to speak before the televised
portion of the event concluded, began his speech by welcoming the participants
to Pakistan.
"Forty
one years ago, an extraordinary session of the OIC was held in Pakistan to
discuss the situation in Afghanistan," he told the gathering, which also
included Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi alongside delegates from
the United States, China, Russia, the European Union and UN.
PM
Imran said no other country had suffered as much as Afghanistan, adding that
even before the Taliban seized control, half of the population was below the
poverty line. He said that 75 per cent of the country's budget was also
supported by foreign aid.
He
noted that any country, in a situation similar to that of Afghanistan, would
collapse.
Commending
the other speakers for highlighting the gravity of the situation in the
war-torn country, he said: "If the world doesn't act, this will be the
biggest man-made crisis which is unfolding in front of us."
PM
Imran said that the OIC also had a "religious duty" to help the
Afghans.
Specifically
addressing the United States, the prime minister said that Washington must
"delink" the Taliban government from the 40 million Afghan citizens.
"They
have been in conflict with the Taliban for 20 years but this [concerns] the
people of Afghanistan," he said, adding that it was important to take
immediate action.
He
noted that the Taliban had to fulfill the commitments they had made to the
international community, which included forming an inclusive government and
ensuring women's rights.
"[However],
the idea of human rights is different in every society," he said, giving
the example of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which borders the war-torn country.
"The
city culture is completely different from the culture in rural areas [...] we
give stipends to the parents of the girls so that they send them to school. But
in districts bordering Afghanistan, if we are not sensitive to the cultural
norms, then they won't send them to school despite receiving double the amount.
We have to be sensitive about human rights and women rights," he said.
He
reiterated that Afghanistan was headed for chaos unless the world took
immediate action. Such a situation will not suit the US because "chaos
means the inability to fight terrorism," he said, adding that Pakistan
also faced a threat from ISIL (Daesh).
PM
Imran said that Pakistan was currently housing over three million refugees,
adding that country was also providing shelter to more than 200,000 refugees
who had overstayed their visas.
"The
situation in Afghanistan means they can't go back. We are already suffering
from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are not in a position to deal with
a influx of refugees."
He
questioned how poorer countries, that were still struggling to get their
economic back up, would be able to cope with an influx of refugees.
Addressing
the participants, the premier said he was impressed by the suggestions put
forward by Islamic development banks for providing immediate assistance.
"I
look forward to the fact that you will come up with a road map by the end of
this evening," he said, reiterating that "chaos in Afghanistan suited
no one".
Pledge
to help unlock frozen Afghan assets
According
to an OIC resolution released after the meeting, the participating countries
resolved to work with the United Nations to try to unlock hundreds of millions
of dollars in frozen Afghan assets in a bid to tackle its growing humanitarian
crisis.
Delegates
said they would work “to unlock the financial and banking channels to resume
liquidity and flow of financial and humanitarian assistance”.
The
Islamic Development Bank would lead the effort to free up assistance by the
first quarter of next year, the resolution read.
It
also urged Afghanistan's rulers to abide by “obligations under international
human rights covenants, especially with regards to the rights of women,
children, youth, elderly and people with special needs”.
The
31-point resolution was short on specifics and gave no figure for financial
assistance.
Qureshi
proposes six-point framework to support Afghans
The
session began with the recitation of Holy Quran, following which Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi formally declared the extraordinary session
"open". He was the first to address the summit.
"Let
me start by commending Saudi Arabia for their leadership in convening this
session," Qureshi said. "I want to welcome OIC Secretary General
Taha. this is first the foreign ministerial meeting after his
appointment."
"Pakistan
is also gratified by the trust reposed in us by the OIC. Your presence here on
a short notice affirms the importance the world and OIC holds for the people of
Afghanistan. The significance of this gathering goes beyond mere symbolism. It
is a matter of survival for them."
The
foreign minister detailed the plight of people in Afghanistan, saying:
"Over half their population — 22.8 million people — face food shortage.
Millions of Afghan children are at risk of dying from malnutrition. This
situation has been brought about by a multiplicity of factors such as years of
conflict, poor governance and excessive dependence on foreign aid."
"August
2021 may have altered the political landscape in Afghanistan, but the needs of
the people are the same."
Qureshi
said that as per the UN, the Afghanistan situation "could become the
biggest humanitarian crisis in the world", adding that those with
"direct knowledge" have been giving "dire warnings" in this
regard.
"It
is unfortunate that the hardship and suffering of the Afghans has not
eased," he said as he urged the Islamic world to stand with the people of
Afghanistan just as it backed the right of "self-determination of the
Palestinians and the Kashmiris".
"This
is the moment to extend a collective helping hand. This is not the time to
withhold support," he added.
"This
organisation (OIC) has consistently supported the rights of the people and
called on the rest of the world to think beyond their economic and domestic
compulsions."
The
minister highlighted that Pakistan would also be impacted by a humanitarian
crisis in Afghanistan, adding that a "complete economic meltdown"
could not be ruled out.
"The
consequences of a humanitarian crisis and an economic collapse will be horrendous
[...] we must not allow this to happen," he said, adding that Pakistan was
doing all it could to help its Afghani brethren.
Qureshi
said that the OIC session must usher in "visible change" and show the
people of the war-torn country that it is united in helping them stabilise
their economy and country.
Qureshi
proposed a six-point frame work for the OIC to lead which included creating a
vehicle with the OIC to channel "immediate and sustained humanitarian and
financial support to the Afghan people".
"We
should also agree to increase investment in the people of Afghanistan,
bilaterally or through the OIC, in areas such as education, health and
technical and vocational skills to the Afghan youth," he said.
He
also proposed establishing a group of experts to consider ways and means to
facilitate Afghanistan’s access to legitimate banking services. He also called
for enhancing food security in the war-torn country, investing in building the
capacity of Afghan institutions in countering terrorism and combating illicit
trade in narcotics, and engage with Afghan authorities to help advance the
expectations of the international community.
Concluding
his speech, the foreign minister called on the countries to seize this
"historic opportunity" to turn the tide in Afghanistan.
'Afghans
have suffered for too long'
Addressing
the OIC session, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al
Saud said that the economic difficulties could trigger a humanitarian crisis
and lead to further instability which could impact regional and international
peace.
He
said that the OIC meeting expressed solidarity with the Afghans and
demonstrated to the world the need for immediate action to put an end to the
situation in the war-torn country.
"The
people of Afghanistan have suffered for too long," he said, adding that
they had faced years of instability.
The
Saudi minister urged OIC member states to play a part in providing the Afghans
with the necessary support and to prevent an economic collapse in the country.
Highlighting
the assistance provided by the kingdom in the past, he said that Saudi Arabia
had recently airlifted food supplies on the directives of King Salman bin
Abdulaziz.
He
said that the kingdom also condemned terrorist actions targeting minorities in Afghanistan.
"We promote peace and security as it requires cooperative action from the
international community," he said.
Concluding
his speech, he expressed the hope that the OIC meeting would come up with a
proper resolution as well as recommendations to alleviate the difficulties
being faced by the Afghans.
'OIC
moot sends universal message of harmony and solidarity'
OIC
Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha began by thanking the participants for
electing him. He also voiced his appreciation for Saudi Arabia for supporting
"Islamic solidarity", and thanked Pakistan for the cordial welcome.
"By
hosting this event, Pakistan reaffirms its total commitment to the issues
facing the Muslim community with a keen dedication to security and peace for
region and world," he said.
He
also thanked the participants for travelling for the OIC meeting despite the
pandemic and the spread of the Omicron variant. "This effort gives a
universal message of harmony and solidarity," he said, adding that the
Afghan issue has always been high on the OIC agenda.
"The
OIC has always taken a strong position which supports its member countries
[...] the joint secretariat calls for the sovereignty, unity and territorial
integrity of Afghanistan," he said.
The
OIC secretary general said that the role of OIC members in delivering
humanitarian assistance was more important now than ever before as the pandemic
had exacerbated existing challenges.
"We
commend the humanitarian assistance provided by some member states to the
Afghan people. We also call for all parties concerned to cooperate with the OIC
mission in Kabul to provide relief to the affected Afghan people," he
said.
"The
OIC is ready to carry out a follow-up of the outcome and to play its role in
supporting humanitarian action in coordination with the relevant OIC missions
and relief agencies across the Muslim world,' he said.
Capital
on lockdown ahead of moot
On
Sunday, the capital was on lockdown, ring-fenced with barbed wire barriers and
shipping-container roadblocks where police and soldiers stood guard.
The
foreign ministers of about 20 countries are attending the meeting, while 10
other countries are being represented by their deputy ministers. The rest have
sent senior officials for the session.
Moreover,
officials of the UN, global financial institutions, international and regional
organisations and important non-OIC countries like Japan and Germany have also
been invited.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
JI’s
Karachi power show declares Sindh local govt bill ‘black law’
Imran
Ayub
December
20, 2021
KARACHI:
The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Sunday announced that it would protest against the
recently passed Sindh Local Government Amendment Bill 2021 and stage a sit-in
outside the provincial assembly on Dec 31 in an effort to compel the Pakistan
Peoples Party ‘dictatorship’ to reverse the ‘black law’.
The
announcement came at a JI rally titled ‘Karachi Bachao March’ staged against
the LG bill on M. A. Jinnah Road by the JI Karachi chapter and participated by
top JI leadership. A large number of people, including women and children,
turned up to express their “anger against PPP government and its policies”.
Addressing
the participants, JI chief Sirajul Haq expressed the resolve that a countrywide
movement would be launched to build momentum for the rights of Karachi.
He
warned that the existing policies of the federal and provincial governments for
the country’s business capital would cause suffering to masses and could lead
to a national disaster.
“The
Karachi is not run by any administration but a mafia,” he said. “Here you will
find [water] tanker mafia, land mafia, arms mafia, education mafia, builders
mafia, gas and petrol mafia. And every mafia is backed and supported by federal
and provincial governments. But we want to make it clear that we wouldn’t
tolerate it anymore. This movement would end only after achieving its desired
results,” the JI chief declared.
He
added that the movement for the rights of Karachi was not for or from the
people of this city alone. “Now the people of Karachi will see that their
voices and slogans are raised and heard from Badin to Khyber and Kashmir to
Gwadar.”
The
march has come following a month-long campaign by the Karachi chapter of the JI
that demands withdrawal of the recent LG bill calling it against the spirit of
Article 140-A of the Constitution.
The
party also demands a number of measures for Karachi and its people ranging from
status of mega metropolis to infrastructure development and autonomy in local
governance to authority of city mayor in law enforcement and revenue
generation.
Among
several other demands, the party also seeks holding of a ‘true’ census for
Karachi, saying that actual population of the metropolis is more that around 30
million.
Riding
motorbikes, cars, buses and trucks and carrying placards, banners and party
flags, the participants in the rally were calling for an independent and
empowered local government system for the city.
“Isn’t
it an irony that a city that generates employment for the people of every
district and town of the country is never owned by rulers,” said Senator Haq.
“Isn’t it a tragedy that this city that deserves to become the world’s centre,
is pleading for its due rights from its very own rulers? From General Ayub Khan
to the present day rulers, this city has never been given its due rights and
share. But enough is enough. This city has always been deprived of its true
leadership through rigging, violence and conspiracies. Now we are here to fight
the case of this city.”
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1664778/jis-karachi-power-show-declares-sindh-local-govt-bill-black-law
--------
Saudi
FM calls on PM Imran, hails Pakistan’s efforts to help Afghanistan
December
19, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Foreign Minister Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud
Sunday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed with him key issues of
bilateral interests.
The
Prime Minister conveyed cordial greetings for the Custodian of the Two Holy
Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Appreciating
the Saudi initiative to convene the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of
Foreign Ministers on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Premier Imran
Khan expressed the hope that the world would not repeat the mistake of
disengaging with Afghanistan. He urged the
international
community to support the vulnerable people of Afghanistan.
To
alleviate the sufferings of the Afghan people, the Prime Minister highlighted
that Pakistan remained committed to facilitate humanitarian organizations
working from Pakistan for their humanitarian support to Afghanistan.
Reaffirming
Pakistan’s abiding commitment to the continued well-being of the people of
Afghanistan, the Prime Minister highlighted that Pakistan has already committed
to immediate relief of in-kind humanitarian assistance worth Rs. 5 billion,
which comprises of food commodities including 50,000 MT
of
wheat, emergency medical supplies, winter shelters and other supplies.
On
Pakistan-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations, PM Imran Khan underscored the
special significance of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relationship, which is based
on close fraternal ties, historic links, and support at the gross-roots level.
Recalling
his visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2021, the Prime Minister highlighted the
assiduous follow-up on the decisions taken and stressed the need for exploring
new avenues of cooperation to further deepen bilateral relations in diverse
fields.
Thanking
the Prime Minister for the hosting the Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council
of Foreign Ministers on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Prince
Faisal expressed hope that the Session would be instrumental in mobilizing the
international community to support the people of Afghanistan on humanitarian
grounds.
He
also underscored the importance that Saudi Arabia attaches to its strong
relationship with Pakistan, based on bonds of brotherhood.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Three
terrorists killed, security official injured in shootout: ISPR
December
19, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Three terrorists, including a commander, were killed and one security official
was injured during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, separate army statements said.
The
statements said that security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation
in the Bajaur district.
During
the exchange of fire, a terrorist commander was killed and one security
official was injured, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations
(ISPR) said in the statements.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Afghanistan's
Herat witnesses high poverty due to surge in unemployment
Dec
19, 2021
KABUL:
The third-largest city of Afghanistan, Herat, is witnessing a high rate of
poverty due to a surge in unemployment after the Taliban took control of the
country.
The
high rate of poverty has recently affected many people in the western province
of Herat, officials said on Saturday, reported Tolo News.
Herat
has seen a rapid surge in unemployment that has severely affected its
residents. This comes as the UN and other humanitarian organizations have
repeatedly raised alarms over an economic meltdown in the country after the
Taliban takeover of the country.
The
head of the provincial disaster management authority, Sayed Habib Rahman
Ruhani, said that dozens of people are asking for help from the department on a
daily basis.
"The
demands are high. But the assistance of the disaster management department is
limited. It depends on the emergency situation. When a flood or drought takes
place, we provide our aid," he said.
Meanwhile,
on Saturday the people received some aid from the humanitarian package provided
by Turkmenistan. The aid consisted of one pack of vegetables, reported Tolo
News.
"It
is not aid--- these are vegetables that are eaten after a meal- not as a meal.
The people are struggling with economic problems," said Ahmad, a Herat
resident.
"We
want them to provide us with flour, oil. What will we do with carrots and other
vegetables?" said Naznin, a Herat resident.
Some
of the vulnerable people who were not enrolled gathered at the site to receive
aid. They said that poverty has forced them to stand in the line and ask for
help, reported Tolo News.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
OIC
member states agreed on Trust Fund for Afghanistan
20
Dec 2021
Pakistan’s
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the close of OIC’s 17th extraordinary
session on Afghanistan said that the member states agreed on a financial Trust
Fund for addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
The
Fund will be made under the umbrella of the Islamic Development Bank and will
be playing the role of channel for humanitarian aids to Afghanistan with other
organizations.
Organization
of Islamic Cooperation held the one-day session on addressing the humanitarian
crisis of Afghanistan in Islamabad on Sunday, December 19.
22
foreign ministers of member states and representatives of over 50 countries had
taken part in the session.
The
joint statement of the session asked for means and approaches for the release
of Afghanistan’s assets to prevent the economic collapse of the country.
Afghanistan’s
acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi was invited to represent Afghanistan
while US’s special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West was representing
the US.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/oic-member-states-agreed-on-trust-fund-for-afghanistan-458458/
--------
India,
Central Asian countries support peaceful Afghanistan, condemn terrorism
19
Dec 2021
The
joint statement of the India-Central Asian Dialogue condemned all forms of
terrorism and supported a peaceful and stable Afghanistan while emphasizing the
respect for sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and non-interference
in its affairs.
India
and five central Asian countries- Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan- held a conference in the Indian capital New Delhi
on Sunday, December 19.
The
countries unanimously condemned terrorism and reiterated that providing safe
haven for terrorists, terror financing, and using terror proxies for
cross-border terrorism is against the principles of humanity and international
relations.
Foreign
ministers of the participant countries discussed Afghanistan’s situation and
its impacts on the region.
The
dialogue in Indian comes parallel with OIC’s extraordinary session in Islamabad
that is aimed at discussing the humanitarian situation of Afghanistan.
The
joint statement reads that foreign ministers decided to continue humanitarian
assistance to the people of Afghanistan and to continue consultation on the
country.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tariq
Ali Bakheet appointed OIC’s special representative to Afghanistan
20
Dec 2021
Organization
of Islamic Cooperation in a statement said that the organization’s
Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha announced Tariq Aali Bakheet’s
appointment as his special envoy to Afghanistan.
Tariq
Ali Bakheet was Taha’s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian, Cultural,
and Social Affairs.
The
OIC’s new envoy is assigned to follow up on the implementation of the
resolution of the Council of Foreign Ministers, particularly as regards
coordinating efforts for the supply of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan
people.
The
special representative will not only be coordinating humanitarian assistance
and support to Afghanistan but will also pursue economic and political
engagement.
Bakheet
was appointed at the close of OIC’s 17th extraordinary session on Afghanistan
that was held on Sunday, December 19 in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/tariq-ali-bakheet-appointed-oics-special-representative-to-afghanistan-34737/
--------
Afghanistan
is world’s worst man-made crisis, world must act now: Imran Khan
19
Dec 2021
Pakistan’s
Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the ongoing situation is the worst man-made
humanitarian crisis on earth and called on the international community to act
now.
Speaking
at the OIC’s extraordinary session on Afghanistan in Islamabad, the Premier
expressed his concerns over Afghanistan’s situation and asked the world not to
be indifferent to the country’s case.
He
added that no country has been that impacted as much as Afghanistan did in the
past years and added that if another country had a situation like Afghanistan
it would have fallen.
Imran Khan said, “More than half of the
population of Afghanistan was starving before the Taliban’s takeover.” He also
said that “Afghanistan’s economy was dependent on foreign aids and 75% of the
country’s budget was coming from other countries.”
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Al-Azhar
Urges Action to Address Climate Change
19
December, 2021
Al-Azhar
has ordered its institution to draft a curriculum to raise awareness of the
dangers of climate change and coordinate efforts to address environmental and
climate crises.
This
comes as part of Egyptian institutions’ preparations to host the COP27 United
Nations Climate Change Conference in 2022 in the Red Sea resort of Sharm
El-Sheikh.
“Preserving
the environment and limiting the climate change crisis is a crucial matter and
underestimating its negative impacts exacerbates poverty rates,” it noted.
Al-Azhar
University’s third scientific conference for environment and sustainable
development kicked off on Saturday in Cairo, under the auspices of President
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The
three-day event is attended by Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, Awqaf
Minister Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa and Egypt’s Grand Mufti Dr. Shawki Allam, as
well as prominent religious figures.
Among
various topics, the conference will discuss the impact of pollution on climate
and the negative effect of climate change on health, industry, water and
agriculture, as well as the role of greenhouse gas emissions in upping
pollution rates and global warming.
Tayeb
underlined the importance of coordinating efforts between religious leadersو
scholars and political leaders to raise awareness about environmental and
climate crises.
Tayeb
said that Sisi’s sponsorship of the event asserts Egypt’s interest and keenness
to claim responsibility and play its role in facing the major challenges facing
humanity.
Climate
change is causing rise in temperatures, the outbreak of fires in forests,
snowfall in the seas and oceans and the extinction of many animal and plant
species, he stressed.
These
have prompted officials in the east and the west to warn from these dangers,
hold international conferences to address the causes of this catastrophe and
work hard to prevent it and criminalize its perpetrators.
President
of Al-Azhar University Mohamed al-Mahrasawi said climate change is an “old,
modern and renewed issue,” considering it one of the most complex matters.
“Poor
peoples are still paying a heavy bill as a price for the welfare of the major
industrialized countries, their exploitation of the environment and their
pollution and global warming.”
Source:
Aawsat
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3367716/al-azhar-urges-action-address-climate-change
--------
Kuwait
stresses Afghanistan aid amid pan-Islamic body talks
19/12/2021
ISLAMABAD:
Kuwait believes that it is imperative that Afghans get access to much needed
aid as Kabul copes with a worsening humanitarian crisis, its foreign minister
said yesterday. Leading Kuwait’s delegation to the Pakistan-hosted Organization
of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) talks on Afghanistan, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Al-Nasser
Al-Sabah said the Islamic world is in the throes of a myriad of challenges,
chief among them the “humanitarian crisis” unfolding in Afghanistan.
On
the talks, the Kuwaiti top diplomat said it was tantamount to a “message of
support” to Afghanistan, as some 23 million people stand on the precipice of
starvation, he highlighted, in addition to more than a half million others
displaced by the crisis. He reiterated his country’s stern rejection of “all
forms of violence and terrorism,” saying the international community should
never allow Afghanistan to turn into a “hotbed of extremism and terrorism,”
adding that the talks should be a step towards bringing the aspirations of
Afghans to fruition.
Kuwait
has provided Afghanistan with aid worth $92 million, he said, saying his
country will continue to “work diligently” with global aid bodies in order to
ensure that Afghans ultimately get access to much needed assistance. Islamic
countries are meeting in Pakistan for extraordinary talks as part of efforts to
prevent the situation in neighboring Afghanistan to descend into further
bedlam.
Bilateral
relations
Meanwhile,
Sheikh Dr Ahmad met yesterday with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi on
the sidelines of the extraordinary session of the OIC’s Council of Foreign
Ministers (CFM). During the meeting, both sides discussed bilateral relations
between Kuwait and Jordan, and ways of enhancing them, in addition to the
latest international and regional developments.
On
Saturday, Kuwait’s Foreign Affairs held a session of bilateral talks with the
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi in
Islamabad. The meeting dealt with the solid bilateral ties between both
countries, as well as ways to enhance and develop the strategic partnership
between them in various fields. Topics on the agenda of the OIC extraordinary
session were also discussed by the two ministers.
Source:
Kuwait Times
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Two
Chinese firms to build 1,000 schools in Iraq
19
December ,2021
Iraq
has signed agreements with two Chinese companies to build 1,000 schools in the
country in the space of two years, an Iraqi government official said on Sunday.
The
country needs a total of 8,000 schools “to fill the gap in the education
sector”, a housing ministry official, Hassan Mejaham, was quoted as saying by
the official Iraqi News Agency.
The
deals were signed on Thursday in the presence of Prime Minister Mustafa
al-Kadhemi, with Power China, to build 679 schools and Sinotech the remaining
321.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Despite
being rich in oil, Iraq has suffered for decades from crumbling infrastructure
because of successive wars and endemic corruption.
Construction
of the schools is due to be completed in two years, with the first delivered a
year after work begins “very soon”, Mejaham said.
He
added that Iraq would pay for the project using oil products.
A
second phase will see the construction of an additional 3,000 schools, with
4,000 more to be built in a final phase.
“Decades
of conflict and under-investment in Iraq have destroyed what used to be the
best education system in the region,” UNICEF said on its website, adding that
“one in every two schools is damaged and needs rehabilitation”.
In
the country of 40 million people, “there are close to 3.2 million school-aged
Iraqi children out of school”, it said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UN
chief urges Lebanon’s leaders to put people first and reform
19
December ,2021
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday urged Lebanese leaders to put
people first and implement reforms to rescue the country from a financial
depression and its worst social crisis in 30 years.
Guterres
met President Michel Aoun at the start of a four day visit for talks with
politicians, civic leaders and humanitarian workers on how the world body can
help the country overcome mounting problems.
“It
is essential for leaders to put the people first, and implement the reforms
needed to set Lebanon back on track, including efforts to promote
accountability and transparency, and root out corruption,” he said in a video
message ahead of the visit. He repeated the message after his arrival.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
In a
country fractured along sectarian lines, successive governments made up of
nearly all Lebanon’s main parties have repeatedly failed to implement the
reforms needed to fix the national finances.
Foreign
donors have long pressured politicians to enact the changes, long promised but
never delivered because of vested interests, before they release funds.
UN
agencies have warned of a dramatic deterioration in living conditions, and
Guterres said he was deeply concerned about hardships faced by ordinary
Lebanese.
Guterres
echoed a call by many Lebanese activists and politicians to hold accountable
those responsible for a huge chemical blast at Beirut port last year that
killed 200 people and caused billions of dollars of damage.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Two
rockets hit Baghdad’s Green Zone, one destroyed, two cars damaged: State media
19
December ,2021
Two
Katyusha rockets hit Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, Iraq’s state news agency
reported early on Sunday citing security forces.
One
rocket was destroyed in the air by the C-RAM defense system and the other
landed near the zone’s festivals arena damaging two cars, the report added.
Security
forces started an investigation to detect the launch site, the agency reported.
A US
military official told Reuters that the C-RAM system brought down one of the
rounds and none of them landed on the US embassy. The official said there were
no American casualties.
The
Green Zone hosts foreign embassies, including the US embassy, and government
buildings and is regularly the target of rockets fired by groups that US and
Iraqi officials say are backed by Iran.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Arab
Coalition destroys Houthi drone targeting King Abdullah airport in Jazan
20
December ,2021
The
Arab Coalition destroyed on Monday a drone that was aiming to target civilians
at King Abdullah airport in the southern city of Jazan in the Kingdom, state
media reported.
The
drone was launched from Sana’a international airport in Yemen’s capital, where
the Iran-backed Houthi militia is in control.
The
Coalition also announced it destroyed sites for launching drones and weapon
caches for the Houthis in Sana’a, including two workshops for assembling
explosive-laden drones as well as locations for storing drones and weapons.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
Arab Coalition added it took precautionary measures to ensure there were no
civilian casualties.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Mideast
Iran
calls on France to revise anti-Muslim laws after assault on religious freedom
19
December 2021
A
senior Iranian rights official has called on France to revise laws targeting
the Muslim minority across the European country after the French government
ordered the closure of nearly two dozen more mosques in a fresh assault on
freedom of religion.
Kazem
Gharibabadi, the secretary-general of Iran's Human Rights Office, made the call
in a Saturday tweet, days after France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin
appeared on the French television LCI and said 21 mosques that showed signs of
“extremism” had been closed in the country.
The
minister said the French security forces had carried out raids at 99 mosques on
suspicion of extremism, and closed 21 of the mosques in question while the
process of closing 6 others was underway.
“In
western approach, terrorists in Iran are human rights defenders and religious
freedom in their own countries is tantamount to terrorism! The French Interior
Minister: 21 mosques were currently shut and 6 will be closed soon based on
laws against extremism and separatism,” Gharibabadi wrote.
“We
call on France to revise its anti-Muslims laws that target France's 5.5 million
minority Muslims, their worship places, educational and other centers,” he
added.
The
hostile move by the French government is seen as yet another Islamophobic
attack targeting the country’s persecuted minority Muslim community, which has
in recent years faced deep marginalization and a witch-hunt campaign.
Earlier
in the year, the lower house of the French parliament approved a controversial
bill targeting religious freedom and stigmatizing Muslims, while tightening
rules on the funding of mosques, associations, and non-governmental
organizations belonging to Muslims.
Source:
Press TV
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Turkey’s
Erdogan Says Islam Demands Lower Rates and So Does He
(Bloomberg)
-- President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to continue interest rate cuts that
have made the Turkish lira the world’s worst performing currency over the past
three months, referring to Islamic proscriptions on usury as a basis for his
new policy push.
Turkey’s
Erdogan Evokes Religion in New Push for Lower Rates
“What
is it? We are lowering interest rates. Don’t expect anything else from me,”
Erdogan said Sunday in televised comments from Istanbul. “As a Muslim, I’ll
continue to do what is required by nas,” Erdogan said, using an Arabic word
used in Turkish to refer to Islamic teachings.
For a
second time in a month, Erdogan invoked religion to justify the current
monetary stance, which is in line with his demands for lower borrowing costs to
boost economic growth. The lira’s collapse is the outcome of an economic siege,
but Turkey won’t back down from its new economic policy, the Turkish leader
said.
Turkey
Stock Rout Triggers Circuit Breakers Twice in an Hour
The
lira has lost almost half its value against the U.S. dollar over the last three
months, with declines gaining pace after Erdogan unveiled last month an
economic model that relies on lower borrowing costs and a cheaper currency.
In
the eyes of the president, Turkey can free itself from reliance on foreign
capital flows by abandoning policies that prioritized higher interest rates and
strong inflows. At the heart of his ideas is a belief that lower interest rates
will also curb consumer price growth -- the exact opposite of the consensus
view among the world’s central bankers.
He’s
put that idea to the test since September when the central bank began cutting
interest rates in the face of soaring consumer prices. The ensuing monetary
stance eventually left the lira unanchored, with the currency sinking to fresh
record lows almost every day.
The
currency’s collapse fed into consumer prices almost overnight, resulting in
inflation so rampant that supermarket employees were barely able to keep up
with changing labels. Working-class Turks and pensioners began forming long
lines in front of municipality stalls to get subsidized bread in recent weeks
while the country’s top business associations started publicly attacking the
government for destabilizing the economy.
“Of
course, we know the impact from price increases on people’s daily lives. We are
of course aware of the instability caused by the lira’s fluctuations and its
impact on prices,” Erdogan said. “But we will put up resistance against these.
I announce from here: there is no backing down.”
Business
Groups
Erdogan’s
most recent policy pivot also drew the ire of Turkish industrialists, with
several business associations calling for measures to stabilize the lira’s
exchange rate.
Turkish
Business Group Says Erdogan’s Economic Model Is Failing
Key
business group Tusiad -- once the umbrella organization for Turkey’s most
powerful businesses -- called on Erdogan’s government over the weekend to
abandon the current policy stance, citing recent market turmoil as proof that
the experimental model is bound to fail.
Source:
Bnnbloomberg
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Iran
FM stresses OIC role in resolving Muslim world problems
Dec
19, 2021
Amirabdollahian
made the remarks in a meeting with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha on
the sidelines of a foreign ministerial meeting of the Organization.
Earlier
in the day, Amirabdollahian also met with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan
and the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Source:
Irna
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https://en.irna.ir/news/84582968/Iran-FM-stresses-OIC-role-in-resolving-Muslim-world-problems
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Iranian
FM Voices Concern about Terrorism, Refugees in Afghanistan
2021-December-19
Upon
arrival in Islamabad on Sunday to participate in the 17th extraordinary session
of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers
on Afghanistan, Amir Abdollahian raised concerns about the rise of terrorism in
Afghanistan and the outflow of refugees toward the Iranian border in recent
months.
“We
believe that the solution to the Afghan issue lies in the formation of an
inclusive government with the participation of all ethnicities,” he added.
Amir
Abdollahian also underlined the need for the formation of an inclusive government
in neighboring Afghanistan with the participation of all ethnic groups, amid
concerns about the rapidly unfolding humanitarian crisis in the South Asian
country.
He
also expressed hope that the participants at the OIC meeting would be able to
send a unanimous message to the international community and the interim
governing body in Afghanistan regarding the formation of such a government in
Kabul.
The
top Iranian diplomat pointed to close and fraternal relations with Pakistan,
saying that the Islamic Republic pays “special” attention to neighbors, and
that Pakistan is one of Iran’s good neighbors.
“The
13th government has a clear plan and roadmap for further development of ties
with the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan,” he added.
Amir
Abdollahian also noted that he would discuss the details of the plan for
enhanced Tehran-Islamabad relations in meetings with high-ranking Pakistani
officials, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Envoys
from 57 Islamic nations are attending at the OIC summit aimed at relieving the
humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, while testing diplomatic ties with its new
Taliban rulers.
The
meeting is the biggest major conference on Afghanistan since August, when the
government and military collapsed in the face of the Taliban’s swift advances
on the ground, which many attribute to a hasty withdrawal of US-led occupation
forces from the country.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Iran:
Vienna Talks Break Collective Decision
2021-December-19
"Despite
the Western side's claim about Iran’s request for a pause in the (Vienna)
talks, these countries and other members of the G4+1 (Russia, China, Britain
and France plus Germany) know very well that this time schedule is (the result
of) a collective consensus which has been made by taking into account the
European parties' Christmas and New Year holidays," Foreign Ministry
Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Saturday.
He
added that it was not the first time that the Western parties have resorted to
distorting realities and spreading disinformation, rejecting their latest claim
as "unrealistic".
Khatibzadeh
underlined that the three European parties to the multilateral nuclear
agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),
may have sought to make up for their previous demand for an early return to
their capitals by making such an "unrealistic" claim.
The
Iranian spokesperson urged the European trio to show seriousness and
determination to contribute to the progress of the talks, instead of insisting
on their “threadbare and useless blame game”.
Khatibzadeh's
remarks came after senior European diplomats on Friday claimed that they were
disappointed by Iran's decision to request a pause in the Vienna talks amid
what they described as “technical progress".
Iran
and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA -- Britain, Germany, France, Russia
and China -- resumed talks in Vienna on November 29 after a five-month hiatus,
marking the first round of negotiations under President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi’s
administration and the seventh overall.
During
the seventh round of the Vienna talks, Iran presented two draft texts which
address, separately, the removal of US sanctions and Iran’s return to its
nuclear commitments under the JCPOA. Tehran also said it was preparing a third
draft text on the verification of the sanctions removal.
Iran
and the G4+1 group of countries resumed the talks in the Austrian capital on
December 9 after being paused on December 3, when the participants returned to
their capitals for additional consultations on the two draft proposals that
Tehran had put forward.
As
the seventh round of discussions in Vienna concluded on Friday, Iran’s chief
negotiator Ali Baqeri Kani said the three European parties to the JCPOA, also
known as the E3, intimately agreed to accept Tehran’s viewpoint as a basis for
“serious, result-oriented” talks.
He
added that the pace of reaching an agreement depends on the will of the
opposite side, adding, "If the other side accepts the rational views and
positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the new round of talks can be the
last one and we can achieve a deal in the shortest possible time."
Source:
Fars News Agency
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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000928000194/Iran-Vienna-Talks-Break-Cllecive-Decisin
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Iran
holds air defence exercise near Bushehr nuclear plant
20
December ,2021
The
sounds of anti-aircraft fire heard on Monday from around Iran’s Bushehr nuclear
power plant was the result of an air defense exercise to increase the defense
system’s abilities, an official told Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.
“This
exercise took place at 5 a.m. local time (1:30 GMT) with full preparation and
coordination with the armed forces,” the official, Mohammadtaqi Irani, said.
Indirect
talks between Iran and the US have resumed to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal
with major powers, which the US abandoned three years ago, reimposing harsh
sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iran
says inspecting new IAEA cameras for nuclear site
19
December ,2021
Iran
said Sunday the technical inspection of new surveillance cameras for the Karaj
nuclear facility had begun after Tehran said previous cameras were damaged in
an attack it blamed on Israel.
The
new cameras, provided by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), are to
replace those Iran says were damaged on June 23 during an Israeli “sabotage”
operation.
Tehran
and the Vienna-based IAEA announced Wednesday that they had reached agreement
on replacing the cameras at the TESA nuclear complex in Karaj, west of Tehran,
a facility which makes centrifuges.
Behrouz
Kamalvandi, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, listed the
three conditions set by Tehran for the reinstallation.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Iran
demands “legal and security investigations into the sabotage”, the IAEA's
condemnation of the matter, and a “technical and security investigation of the
cameras” before their installation, he said, speaking on state television.
“The
authorization given by Iran did not come in the form of a new agreement, but
after the three prerequisites were met,” Kamalvandi added.
The
IAEA was not able to recover the camera memory cards destroyed in June, and on
Friday the agency's director general Rafael Grossi said he had “doubts” over a
missing camera memory unit.
Suspicions
have been raised in Iran that June's attack could have been enabled by the
hacking of the cameras.
But
Grossi dismissed that suggestion as “absurd”, insisting the monitors were
tamper-proof and that, once installed, they had no means of remote data
transmission.
For
the rest of the cameras at Karaj, as well as at other sites where the IAEA's
activity has been restricted since February, Iran has said the footage will
only be available to the IAEA once US sanctions are lifted.
How
and when Iran could get sanctions relief is one of the topics being discussed
at the Vienna talks.
Former
US president Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 and imposed
sweeping sanctions including a unilateral US ban on Iran's oil sales, vowing to
bring the US adversary to its knees.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Palestinian
woman stabs Israeli man in attack near Hebron in West Bank
18
December ,2021
A
Palestinian woman on Saturday stabbed an Israeli settler near a disputed holy
site in Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, wounding him slightly, a
border guard spokesperson said.
The
attack took place near a flashpoint site known to Jews as the Cave of the
Patriarch and to Muslims as the Ibrahimi mosque, a place revered by both
faiths.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Israeli
border guards said they had arrested the attacker, a 65-year-old Palestinian
woman from a nearby village, the statement added.
The
wounded man was a 38-year-old resident of the nearby settlement of Kiryat Arba.
Israel
seized the West Bank in the Six-Day War of 1967. Since then nearly 700,000
Jewish Israelis have moved into West Bank and east Jerusalem settlements that
much of the international community regard as illegal.
Hebron,
the largest city in the West Bank with some 200,000 Palestinian residents, also
has some 1,000 Jewish settlers living there under heavy protection from the
Israeli army.
The
attack comes as Israeli security forces continue a manhunt for the assailants
behind a deadly shooting on Thursday near the northern West Bank wildcat
settlement outpost of Homesh.
Israel’s
army said Palestinian attackers opened fire on a car, killing 25-year-old
Jewish religious student and settler Yehuda Dimentman.
No
one has claimed responsibility for that attack, but multiple Palestinian
organizations praised the shooting.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Africa
African
Union chief urges Africa-Turkey cooperation against terrorism
Sadik
Kedir Abdu
18.12.2021
Urging
strong cooperation between Africa and Turkey against terrorism, the president
of the African Union said on Saturday that maintaining peace and security on
the continent is imperative for achieving sustainable development.
Addressing
the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul
on Saturday, Felix Tshisekedi, who is also the president of the Democratic
Republic of Congo, affirmed Africa's trust in Turkey's expertise in various
sectors, saying: "Africa needs concrete projects in the areas of trade,
infrastructure, agricultural development, governance, and health."
"In
some parts of Africa, unfortunately, there is instability and insecurity due to
terrorist activities. Therefore, it is a must to ensure peace and security in
order to move forward," he said, stressing the need for cooperation
against terrorism.
Meanwhile,
African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat said: "Our
partnership with Turkey concerns not only Africa but the whole world. Our
partnership will bring solutions to major global problems."
Noting
the investments of many Turkish firms in different African countries, Mahamat
said that bringing that partnership to a strategic level would be a solution
for major global issues.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Sudan
security forces fire tear gas at protesters in Khartoum: Witnesses
19
December ,2021
Sudanese
security forces fired tear gas Sunday at a huge crowd of protesters who had
gathered near the republican palace in the capital Khartoum, witnesses told
AFP.
Tens
of thousands rallied on Sunday to mark three years since the start of
demonstrations that led to the ouster of Omar al-Bashir, as well as against the
current military chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Security
forces block roads, bridges in Sudan’s Khartoum against post-coup protests
19
December ,2021
Security
forces blocked major roads and bridges in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Sunday
against planned protests over the Oct. 25 military coup that have continued
even after the reinstatement of the prime minister.
Demonstrations
were also planned in other cities across the country to mark the third
anniversary of protests that touched off a popular uprising which led to the
overthrow of Omar al-Bashir.
On
Saturday night, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok warned in a statement that
Sudan’s revolution faced a major setback and that political intransigence from
all sides threatened the country’s unity and stability.
Security
forces sealed off major roads leading to the airport and army headquarters as
well as most bridges connecting Khartoum to sister cities Bahri and Omdurman
across the Nile river.
Protesters
planned to march towards the presidential palace in downtown Khartoum, where
security forces including joint army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces were
heavily deployed.
It
would be the ninth in a series of demonstrations against the coup that have
continued even after the military reinstated Hamdok, who had been under house
arrest, on Nov. 21 and released him and other high-profile political detainees.
The
Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors says 45 people have been killed in
crackdowns on protesters since the coup.
The
military and civilian political parties had previously shared power since
Bashir’s removal. But the deal reinstating Hamdok faces opposition from
protesters who had seen him as a symbol of resistance to military rule and
denounced it as a betrayal.
Civilian
parties, and neighborhood resistance committees that have organized several
mass protests, demand full civilian rule under the slogan “no negotiation, no
partnership, no legitimacy.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Ethiopia’s
military again controls religious town of Lalibela
19
December ,2021
The
Ethiopian military is again in control of the town of Lalibela, famed for its
rock churches, state media reported on Sunday, showing pictures of the deputy
prime minister visiting the site.
It
was unclear when government forces recaptured the town, which has spiritual
significance for millions of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and has changed
hands several times during a conflict with rebellious forces from northern
Tigray province.
Tigray
troops captured it in August but government forces pushed them back at the
beginning of December in an ongoing offensive that has forced the Tigrayans to
withdraw hundreds of kilometers.
Last
Sunday, residents reported that the Tigrayans had retaken the town after the
military and its allies withdrew.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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No
technical problems impeding Libya polls: Elections commission
Mohammad
Erteima
19.12.2021
TRIPOLI,
Libya
Libya's
elections commission said Sunday there are no technical issues hindering the
holding of the country’s general election as scheduled.
"Technically,
we don't have any problem to conduct the polls on time," Emad Al-Sayeh,
the head of the High National Elections Commission, told Anadolu Agency.
His
remarks came two days after Al-Hadi Al-Saghir, head of the parliamentary
elections committee, said Friday that postponing the polls was
"inevitable."
"The
House of Representatives (parliament), not the commission, is the one who
announces postponing the polls," Al-Sayeh said.
Libya's
presidential elections are set to take place on Dec. 24, followed by
parliamentary polls after 52 days, under an UN-sponsored agreement reached by
Libyan political rivals during meetings in Tunisia on Nov. 15, 2020.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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North America
UN,
US lawmakers back efforts to prevent Afghanistan’s economic meltdown
Anwar
Iqbal
December
20, 2021
UNITED
NATIONS: The United Nations joined Pakistan on Sunday in appealing to the world
to help prevent Afghanistan’s economic collapse as 39 US lawmakers also backed
the call.
In a
message to the 17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC foreign ministers,
Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths reminded the
world that “now is the time” to save Afghanistan from a total collapse.
“The
need for liquidity and stabilisation of the banking system is now urgent – not
only to save the lives of the Afghan people but also to enable humanitarian
organisations to respond,” he said.
In
Washington, 30 lawmakers put their signatures to a letter to US secretaries of
state and treasury on Saturday, asking them to help rebuild Afghanistan’s
failing economy and to unfreeze the country’s assets.
The
letter includes four proposals: Releasing frozen Afghan assets of more than $9
billion to an appropriate UN agency, expanding sanction exemptions for international
organisations dealing with Afghanistan, assisting multilateral organisations to
pay salaries of essential workers, and allowing international financial
institutions to “inject the necessary economic capital into Afghanistan to
stave off the economic meltdown”.
In
his virtual message, Mr Griffiths warned that Afghanistan’s economy was in
“free fall” and if decisive and compassionate action was not taken immediately,
it may “pull the entire population with it.”
The
message depicted a grim picture of the current situation in Afghanistan: 23
million people facing hunger; malnourished children overflowing in health
facilities; 70 percent of teachers working without salaries; and millions of
students out of school.
Mr
Griffiths warned that the plummeting value of the Afghani currency, a lack of
confidence in the financial sector, ever-decreasing trade and the narrowing
space for borrowing and investment had further complicated the situation.
The
UN official welcomed the decision by the World Bank’s Afghanistan
Reconstruction Trust Fund to transfer $280 million by the end of December to
the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
“This
step should be followed by reprogramming of the whole fund to support the
Afghan people this winter,” he said. “Families simply do not have the cash for
everyday transactions, while prices for key commodities continue to rise.”
In
Washington, Pakistan’s ambassador Asad Majeed Khan also urged the international
community to understand the seriousness of the situation.
“We
are deeply concerned over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in
Afghanistan that threatens millions of Afghans with hunger, disease and death,”
he said.
He
said that Pakistan convened the OIC conference to demonstrate the Islamic
world’s solidarity with the Afghan people and to “mobilise international
support for a coordinated global response to prevent the unfolding humanitarian
catastrophe in Afghanistan.”
Source:
Dawn
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Pentagon
documents reveal civilian deaths of US war in Mideast 'drastically
undercounted'
19
December 2021
Newly
obtained Pentagon documents reveal that the US military’s aerial campaigns in
the Middle East have been marked by “deeply flawed intelligence and claimed the
lives of thousands of civilians, including many children, without
accountability.
According
to a report — the first of a two-part series — published by the New York Times
on Saturday, a trove of confidential documents covering more than 1,300 reports
of civilian casualties undercuts Washington’s claims of aerial raids with
“all-seeing” drones, precision strikes and smart bombs.
The
Times said US forces carried out more than 50,000 airstrikes in Afghanistan,
Iraq and Syria over a five-year period.
In
compiling its report, the daily newspaper said its reporters had “visited more
than 100 casualty sites and interviewed scores of surviving residents and
current and former American officials.”
While
several of the cases mentioned by the Times have been previously reported, it
said its investigation showed that the number of civilian deaths had been
“drastically undercounted.”
Among
three cases cited was a July 19, 2016 bombing of purported strongholds of the
Daesh terrorist group in northern Syria. Initial reports alleged that 85
militants were killed in the strikes. The fatalities were, instead, 120 farmers
and other villagers.
Another
example was a November 2015 attack in the central Iraqi city of Ramadi, located
about 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of the capital, Baghdad, after a man was
seen dragging “an unknown heavy object.” The “object,” a review found, was a
child, who died in the aerial assault.
The
report added that poor or inadequate surveillance footage often contributed to
deadly targeting failures.
Before
launching air raids, the US military should navigate elaborate protocols to
estimate and minimize civilian deaths.
“In
the report of the investigation, targeteers and weapons experts describe the
ultimately disastrous calculations taken to win approval for the strike,” the
paper said.
For
instance, when a crowd of people rushing to the scene of a bomb attack could
possibly be mistaken as militants, not would-be rescuers.
Sometimes,
the Times said, “Men on motorcycles moving ‘in formation,’ displaying the
‘signature’ of an imminent attack, were just men on motorcycles.”
The
paper added that the promises of transparency and accountability regularly were
not fulfilled.
“Not
a single record provided includes a finding of wrongdoing or disciplinary
action,” the paper reported.
Trying
to justify the civilian deaths, Captain Bill Urban, spokesman for the terrorist
US Central Command (CENTCOM), told the Times that “even with the best
technology in the world, mistakes do happen, whether based on incomplete
information or misinterpretation of the information available. And we try to
learn from those mistakes.”
Last
month, the New York Times, citing anonymous sources and classified documents,
published a report that said a previous American air strike in March 2019 hit
“a large crowd of women and children huddled against a river bank” near the
town of Baghuz, and may have resulted in the Pentagon’s largest civilian
casualty incident in Syria.
Source:
Press TV
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US
and West ‘waged decades of war on Iran by other means’: Analyst
18
December 2021
The
United States and the West have “waged decades of war on Iran by other means,”
according to American writer and political commentator Stephen Lendman.
Lendman
made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Saturday while commenting on
a statement by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan who said on Friday
that talks for the US to rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are “not going
well.”
“It’s
not going well in the sense that we do not yet have a pathway back into the
[Joint the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)],” Sullivan said at an
event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations.
As
another round of discussions in Vienna comes to a close, Sullivan said the past
few days have brought “some progress” at the negotiating table, but Iran has
“raced” its nuclear program since the United States pulled out of the clear deal
in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump.
“Getting
that program back into a box through a return to mutual compliance with the
JCPOA has proven more difficult through the course of this year than we would
have liked to see,” Sullivan said. “And we are paying the wages of the
disastrous decision to leave the deal back in 2018.”
The
JCPOA was abandoned by Trump in May 2018. Trump then targeted Iran’s economy
with what he called a “maximum pressure” campaign, which failed to compel Iran
to negotiate a “new deal.”
Iran
and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA -- Germany, Britain, France, Russia
and China -- began the talks in the Austrian capital in April with the aim of
removing the sanctions after the US, under President Joe Biden, voiced its
willingness to return to the agreement.
Meanwhile,
Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said on Friday the three European
parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the E3, intimately agreed to
accept Tehran’s viewpoint as a basis for “serious, result-oriented” talks.
Bagheri
Kani was briefing reporters on Friday, at the end of the seventh round of talks
in the Austrian capital of Vienna between Iran and the five remaining
signatories to the multilateral nuclear deal aimed at removing the US sanctions
imposed on Tehran and saving the agreement.
He
said the pace of reaching an agreement depends on the will of the opposite
side, adding, "If the other side accepts the rational views and positions
of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the new round of talks can be the last one and
we can achieve a deal in the shortest possible time."
Lendman
said, “JCPOA talks in Vienna going nowhere reflect longstanding US/Western
hostility toward Iran. Their ruling
regimes demand everything, offering nothing in return but hollow promises to be
broken.”
“It’s
been this say since Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, freeing the nation and its
people from hegemon USA control. Both right wings of its war party want to
regain what was lost. They want control
of Iran’s vast oil and gas reserves.
They want ordinary Iranians exploited to serve US interests. They’ve waged decades of war on Iran by other
means,” he added.
“The
Obama/Biden regime breached the JCPOA nearly straightaway after its adoption,”
he said.
Hardliners
controlling the imposter in the White House have no intention of observing
what’s mandated by Security Council Res. 2231 — ignoring that its binding
international and US constitutional law under its Supremacy Clause,” the
analyst said.
Source:
Press TV
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Europe
EU’s
Mora: 'Now we have common basis' on removal of Iran sanctions
18
December 2021
European
Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora says the parties to the 2015
Iran nuclear deal somehow have a “common basis” on the removal of unilateral
sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Mora's
remarks came on Saturday after the seventh round of talks in the Austrian
capital, Vienna, confirming Iran's announcement that the Europeans had accepted
its draft proposals on how to proceed with the negotiations.
“Now
we have a common basis though not entirely there on sanctions lifting chapter
but that bit has a different internal logic so no big deal. Hope that clarifies
why next is 8,” Mora tweeted.
Chief
negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani announced on Friday that the three European members
of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — known as the E3 — had
accepted Iran's proposals as the basis for future talks.
Bagheri
Kani said the pace of reaching an agreement depended on the will of the other
side.
"If
the other side accepts the rational views and positions of the Islamic Republic
of Iran, the new round of talks can be the last one and we can achieve a deal
in the shortest possible time."
The
senior official said Iran and the P4+1 group of countries had reached “two new
documents for talks both on the issue of sanctions and on the nuclear issue,”
referring to the bans that the US imposed on Iran after withdrawing from the
deal and the retaliatory nuclear steps that Tehran took away from the accord.
He
emphasized that the fresh round of Vienna talks would be based on these new
texts which incorporate Iran’s viewpoints and positions.
Iran’s
chief negotiator explained that the talks were paused on Friday because the two
sides agreed on the basis of the future negotiations, noting that they would
resume a fresh round with serious discussions on the texts which have been
agreed upon by all the negotiating teams.
EU
claims about pause dismissed
The
official also rejected claims by the E3 that the pause in the talks had been
requested by Iran.
“Iran
did not want to stop the negotiations at this stage, but we had agreed from the
beginning that it would be necessary for us to take a rest after reaching a
draft agreement,” he said.
“Iran
has stressed from the beginning the need to continue negotiations to reach a
draft agreement,” he added.
His
remarks came after the European signatories to the JCPOA claimed in a joint
statement that Iran had asked for a pause in Vienna talks.
Overjoyed
at the news, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid wrote in a tweet, “BREAKING: E3
diplomats: We are disappointed by Iran’s decision to ask for a pause in the
nuclear talks in Vienna. In just few weeks the non-proliferation advantages
achieved by the 2015 nuclear deal will be lost. We are rapidly approaching the
end of the road for these talks.”
Ravid
had also swiped at the E3 for accepting Iranian demands for proceeding with the
Vienna talks in another round.
"So
you basically accepted Iranian demands to change the TOR of the talks," he
wrote under a thread of tweets by Mora.
Iran
and the five remaining parties to the JCPOA resumed talks in Vienna on November
29 after a five-month pause, marking the first round of negotiations under
President Ebrahim Raeisi’s administration and the seventh overall.
The
Islamic Republic maintains that its presence at the talks is intended to have
the US sanctions removed, which would, in turn, secure a US return to the
nuclear deal.
The
US, which is not allowed to directly participate in the talks as a result of
its 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA, claims that it is willing to undo the
withdrawal and repeal its “maximum pressure” policy against Iran.
Source:
Press TV
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Iraq
agrees to move stranded nationals to Lithuanian capital
Ali
Jawad
18.12.2021
The
Iraqi government on Saturday agreed to have its nationals stranded along the
Lithuanian border moved to residential complexes in the capital, Vilnius.
In a
statement, the Ministry of Immigration said the agreement was reached following
a visit by an Iraqi government delegation to Lithuania to assess the
humanitarian conditions of Iraqis stranded along the Lithuania-Belarus border.
The
statement said the deal will see Iraqis in border camps transferred to
residential complexes in Vilnius.
The
ministry said the Lithuanian government has increased financial grants paid to
those wishing to return voluntarily to their country from 300 euros to 1,000
euros.
Last
Sunday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said 3,556 Iraqis who were stranded on the
border between Lithuania and Belarus have been brought back home.
Their
evacuation came as the humanitarian crisis worsened for thousands of irregular
migrants at the borders of Belarus and the European Union.
Due
to unfavorable living conditions in Iraq, a large number of people have been
waiting in difficult conditions at the Belarusian border to travel to Europe
for a better life.
Since
August, EU countries bordering Belarus -- Lithuania, Latvia and Poland -- have
reported a dramatically growing number irregular migrants from Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Syria crossing their borders.
Reports
say that since the start of the year, the Lithuanian border guards have caught
more than 4,000 migrants, mostly from Iraq, compared to only 81 in 2020.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/iraq-agrees-to-move-stranded-nationals-to-lithuanian-capital/2450999
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Turkish
Cypriot says Greek side's Navtex is move to escalate tension
Beyza
Binnur Dönmez
18.12.2021
The
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday denounced a navigational
telex, or Navtex, published by the Greek side to operate in the disputed area
of the Eastern Mediterranean.
A
Navtex is a maritime communications system that allows ships to inform other
vessels about their presence in an area as well as other information.
"These
unilateral activities, which continue despite all our warnings, serve no other
purpose than to escalate the tension in the Eastern Mediterranean region,"
the Foreign Ministry of TRNC said in a statement.
The
ministry was referring to the Navtex published Tuesday, indicating that the
Greek side will operate in the Eastern Mediterranean Dec. 17 - Jan. 1 with the
Italian flagged ship Odin Finder.
Underlining
that the area where the activity is planned "coincides" with the
license area issued for the Turkish Petroleum Corporation by TRNC, it said:
"It is obvious that the Greek Cypriot side does not refrain from usurping
the equal and vested rights of the Turkish Cypriot people."
It
urged the international community, especially the EU, to recognize that
"it is the Greek side that prevents the creation of an environment of
peace and tranquility in the Eastern Mediterranean."
The
TRNC, together with “Motherland Turkey,” will take corresponding steps to
protect its legitimate rights and interests, it added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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France
praises troops after probe into killing of civilians in Niger
19
December 2021
France
has praised its troops who killed civilians during a standoff in Niger last
month after allegedly conducting an investigation into the incident.
Florence
Parly, the French defense minister, said on Sunday that the country’s army had
carried out an "internal investigation" into the clashes during in
three people lost their lives during one of its convoy patrols in Niger.
The
investigation came after Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum pressed for a probe
into the Mali-bound French military convoy that sparked violent protests and
led to the fatalities.
In
November, the convoy ran into trouble in Niger after being delayed by protests
in Burkina Faso, with the Nigerien government reporting three deaths and more
than a dozen wounded.
French
army spokesman Pascal Ianni said at the time that "no French soldier was
wounded," however, "two civilian drivers in the convoy were wounded
through stones pelted at them.”
Declining
to accept France’s responsibility in the deadly clashes, Parly said in an
interview with Le Journal du Dimanche that, “There was an internal
investigation, which showed that in the face of great violence, our soldiers
demonstrated the necessary control and reacted adequately.”
She
added, "We continue to discuss with the Nigerien authorities to understand
what happened before, during and after these clashes.”
The
supply French convoy, which arrived on African soil in Ivory Coast earlier in
the month, had crossed into Burkina Faso before entering Niger on its way to Mali.
It
was heading for a base at Gao, central Mali, a hub of France's Barkhane
operation which claims to be protecting the Sahel region against militancy that
began in northern Mali nearly a decade ago despite strong opposition from the
said countries.
French
troops are stationed in the Sahel region under the pretext of fighting the
spread of extremist militant forces there, while reports have emerged that
their convoys deliver arms to the Takfiri militants.
France
recently deployed more troops in the Sahel despite opposition to its presence
in the volatile region.
Source:
Press TV
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Southeast Asia
Pakistan,
Turkey, and Malaysia to jointly launch TV channel to promote media link: Fawad
Dec
20 2021
Minister
of Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain has announced the
establishment of a joint television channel to boost media cooperation between
Pakistan, Turkey, and Malaysia, reported Radio Pakistan on Monday.
Speaking
to the press in Islamabad, he stated that focal persons for media sharing have
been designated and a cooperative media network will be developed.
According
to Chaudhry Fawad, extremism must be countered in Pakistan, Malaysia, and other
Muslim countries.
He
stated that an OIC platform should include a unit of scholars to provide
counsel on religious matters.
The
minister stated that the Rehmat-ul-Alamin Authority's jurisdiction would be
increased and that a similar organisation would be established under the OIC.
Pak-Turk
drama series
Earlier
this year, Pakistan and Turkey had announced that the two they are collectively
bringing a period drama on the life of Salahuddin Ayyubi.
A
great warrior and founder of the Ayyubid Dynasty, Salahuddin, also known as
Saladin is one of the most celebrated Muslim rules around the world.
The
series will jointly be produced by Pakistan's Ansari & Shah Films and Emre
Konuk, owner of Turkey's Akli Films.
Source:
Geo TV
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Elite
Expressway crash: Remains of nine family members buried in common grave
19
Dec 2021
SHAH
ALAM, Dec 19 — The Section 21 Muslim Cemetery near here, was shrouded in
sadness when eight funeral vans arrived with the remains of nine family members
who perished in the horrific accident along the Elite Expressway near here last
Friday.
The
vans, driven by health workers donned in full PPE clothing and escorted by the
police, were seen entering the main gate of the cemetery at 12.40pm today.
By
1.30pm the remains were buried in a common grave as requested by the family
after the autopsies and Covid-19 screening were performed and funeral prayers
conducted at the Shah Alam Hospital
Forensic Unit here.
The
remains of Norul Naziah Buyong, 37, were buried with her eight children,
Razarul Amin Abd Razak, 17; Razatul Aliah, 16; Puteri Hidayah, 12; Muhamad
Aizat Syazwan, 10; Muhamad Rolkaizat Rezky, 9; Muhamad Hidayat Hakimie, 7;
Puteri Nur Ain Syalwana, 3; and 10-month-old Muhammad Raid Fathi.
Norul
Naziah’s younger sister, Nurul Atika, 33, said five of the deceased children
tested negative for Covid-19 but four others, including the baby, were Covid-19
positive.
Norul
Naziah, her husband Abd Razak Majit, 50, and their eight children were
travelling in two Proton Wira cars but had stopped on the emergency lane after
one of the cars broke down.
Source:
Malay Mail
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Labour
Migration to Malaysia: Employers to bear costs at their end
Jamil
Mahmud
Dec
20, 2021
Employers
in Malaysia will bear Bangladeshi workers' migration costs incurred in that
country, the expatriates' welfare ministry said in a press release after the
signing of an MoU between the two countries.
Expatriates'
Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad and Malaysian Human Resources Minister M Saravanan
signed the memorandum of understanding, which will be in effect until December
2026, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
The
release did not mention how much the workers have to pay while in Bangladesh
before migrating to Malaysia.
The
MoU will end a freeze of more than three years on Bangladeshi workers'
recruitment in Malaysia. In September 2018, the Malaysia government froze
recruitment from Bangladesh following allegations of labour exploitation and
high migration costs of up to Tk 4 lakh per worker.
Despite
the development, however, fears remain over syndication of a few recruiting
agents driving costs up.
The
ministry hoped recruitment of Bangladeshi workers will start soon upon
completion of necessary procedure.
However,
fears also remain over whether labour migration would meet the ethical
recruitment criteria of employers covering migration costs at both ends.
The
costs that employers will cover include the service charge of the Malaysian
recruiting agency, travel to and from Malaysia, and accommodation, according to
the expatriates' ministry press release.
Moreover,
employers will pay the immigration, visa, medical test, insurance, Covid-19
test, and quarantine fees in Malaysia, it said.
The
presence of Malaysian recruiting agencies will be a new inclusion in the
labour-sending process as previous recruitments were operated by Bangladeshi
agencies.
The
ministry expects that recruitment costs will now reduce significantly.
Andy
Hall, a migrant worker rights specialist on Malaysia, however expressed doubt
over the extent to which Bangladeshi workers would actually be spared the costs
of migrating to Malaysia.
He
said it's often the case in practice in Malaysia that an employer or agent will
deduct workers' wages to cover recruitment costs, which the employers paid for
in advance.
According
to the International Labour Organisation, the "employer pays
principle" cites that no worker should pay for a job and the costs of
recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer.
The
costs include recruitment, travel, visa and administrative expenses and other
forms of unspecified "fees" and "service charges",
according to ILO.
Hall
raised concerns that a lack of transparency may result in a return to illicit
and syndicated recruitment activities, which could in turn lead to
"systemic debt bondage and forced labour" of Bangladeshi workers
newly brought into Malaysia under the deal.
Noting
that the details of the MoU have not been made public, he urged both countries
to do so.The signing of the MoU is expected to meet the urgent need for
recruitment in Malaysia, reads a Malaysian human resources ministry statement.
Its
implementation will be regulated by a Joint Working Group with members from
both countries.
Bangladeshi
workers are expected to be hired in various sectors including plantation,
agriculture, manufacturing, services, mining, quarrying, and construction.
The
statement further says, as per a standard operating procedure, the workers need
to complete Covid-19 vaccination in Bangladesh and RT-PCR tests two days prior
to travel.
The
workers are only allowed to enter through the Kuala Lumpur International
Airport.
Besides,
workers will have to undergo quarantine for seven days in Malaysia.
Source:
The Daily Star
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Minister:
Mosques in KL, Putrajaya open doors to flood victims
19
Dec 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Mosques in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and
Putrajaya, including the Federal Territory Mosque and Tuanku Mizan Zainal
Abidin Mosque, have been turned into temporary accommodation for flood victims.
Minister
in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Idris Ahmad said he had
instructed the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the Federal
Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) to coordinate the matter.
“Mosques
are ready and will also provide the appropriate assistance. The mosques also
manage food assistance through the Dapur It’am and Jawi Food Bank programmes,”
he said in a statement today.
In
addition, the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) was to
provide the necessary assistance to the victims.
The
Klang Valley was hit by floods causing some 15,000 residents to be evacuated to
more than 100 temporary evacuation centres as of 2pm today, as well as scores
of road users stranded due to roads and highways being inundated by
floodwaters.
Apart
from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, other states affected by the floods are
Kelantan, Pahang, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu.
Meanwhile,
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) has also turned its mosque into temporary
accommodation for all flood victims around Shah Alam and its Shah Alam campus’
colleges will house affected students and staff.
It
said the move was taken following severe floods that hit the Klang Valley.
“Special
flash flood assistance for UiTM residents has also been established following
this incident, managed by the university’s zakat (tithe), contribution and waqf
(Zawaf) division,” it said in a statement.
Those
who wished to contribute to the fund could do so to Bendahari UiTM via the
Affin Islamic Bank account (105140003422), while UiTM staff and students around
the Klang Valley who need assistance or wish to become volunteers can contact
Ku Hadzrill of UiTM Volunteers Brigade at 019 3813863.
Source:
Malay Mail
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