‘I Will Continue Killing Foreigners’: Hekmatullah, Who Shot Dead Unarmed Australians Treated As ‘Returning Hero’ By Taliban
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 August 2022
A previously unseen photograph of Hekmatullah in prison. Photograph: Supplied
----
• Muharram sans Muslims in This Karnataka Village in
Belagavi district; Illuminated with Colourful Lighting to Mark the Occasion
• US President Joe Biden Welcomes Gaza Truce as 44
Palestinians Confirmed Killed
• Mukhtar Robow, a Former Al-Shabab Figure Appointed
Minister in Somalia’s New Cabinet
• Don't Fall For Claims on Imam Mahdi, Penang Mufti
Urges Muslims
South
Asia
• International Recognition Will Put Positive Impact
on Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: Afghan Defence Minister
• Deputy PM Mullah Beradar Meets Afghans Released From
UAE Prison
• Bangladesh seeks China help to send Rohingya
refugees back to Myanmar
• Increasing Security Threats; Taliban Places
Restrictions on Ashura Ceremony in Northern Afghanistan
--------
India
• Uttar Pradesh BJP to Hoist Tricolour on Madrassas,
Dargahs & 5 Lakh Muslim Households
• Army steps up deployment of AI-powered surveillance
systems on borders with China & Pakistan
• 92-year-old Jalandhar man to reunite with nephew
lost in Partition riots at Kartarpur
• Authorities Impose Restrictions on Muharram
Procession in Parts of Srinagar City
--------
North
America
• Possible serial killer targeting Muslims on the lam
in New Mexico
• Muslims in New Mexico's Albuquerque urged not to
walk alone at night
• Türkiye 'deeply concerned' over 'serial' killings of
4 Muslim individuals in US
• Biden denounces killings of four Muslims in US city
--------
Africa
• UK museum to return Benin Bronzes stolen by colonial
British to Nigeria
• 18,000 local, international observers to monitor
Kenya's high-stakes Aug. 9 elections
• African Union hits out at deadly Israeli airstrikes
on Gaza
• Chad’s junta, rebel groups sign peace deal in Qatar
before talks
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Sarawak Premier: Non-Muslims Must Have State Govt's
Protection To Achieve Complete Unity
• Taiwan showcases expertise in halal and plant-based
food
• Cops nab six in joint operation to curb immoral
activities in Pandan Indah
• Jakim identifies location of deviant group Hadi
Minallah's operations centre
• Malaysia working closely with Saudi Arabia to locate
Habib Shah Firdaus
--------
Mideast
• Israel, Islamic Jihad Terrorist Group Agree to
Cease-Fire from Sunday Night
• Iranian FM: Massacre of Palestinians Exposes Israeli
Regime’s Savage Nature
• Iran Blasts Int'l Community for Keeping Mum on
Israeli Aggression against Palestinians
• IRGC: Israeli Regime Unable to Buy Security through
Normalizing Ties with Arab Nations
• Iran Urges World's Firm, Swift Stance against
Israeli Crimes
• 7 killed in Israeli attack on Gaza's Rafah
• Iranians, Muslims worldwide mark mourn martyrdom of
Imam Hussein
--------
Arab
World
• Saudi Arabia: No Limit on Number of Umrah Trips for
Overseas Muslims
• Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli attack on Gaza Strip:
Foreign ministry statement
• Dubai hosts first licensed school in UAE offering
camel riding classes
• Egyptian-brokered cease-fire takes effect in Gaza
--------
Pakistan
• Imran to Spell out ‘Counter-Fascism’ Strategy on Aug
13
• Pakistan
strongly condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers
• Imran Khan summoned in 'Toshkhana' controversy; PDP
claims former PM took most items for free
• Pakistan's probe agency identifies 4 PTI employees
in foreign funding probe
• After US, Bajwa reaches out to UAE, Saudi for
crucial bailout
• PM Shehbaz discusses mutual ties with UAE President,
Amir of Qatar
--------
Europe
• Greece Takes Flak over New Legislation Disclaiming
Turkish Minority's Religious Leaders
• Negotiators optimistic about progress on Iran
nuclear deal
• Iran says UN nuclear watchdog should resolve
outstanding issues
• Iran urges Germany to take immediate action against
Quran desecration
• UN chief welcomes cease-fire in Gaza
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/killing-foreigners-hekmatullah-australians/d/127673
--------
‘I Will Continue Killing Foreigners’: Hekmatullah, Who
Shot Dead Unarmed Australians Treated As ‘Returning Hero’ By Taliban
A previously unseen
photograph of Hekmatullah in prison. Photograph: Supplied
----
7 Aug 2022
Ben Doherty
Hekmatullah, the rogue Afghan soldier who killed three
unarmed Australian diggers in Afghanistan a decade ago, is living in a luxury
home in the capital Kabul, treated as a “returning hero” by the Taliban who
released him from prison.
He has said he does not regret killing Australian
soldiers, and has vowed he would again kill Australians, or anyone who opposes
the Taliban.
“If I am released I will continue killing foreigners,”
Hekmatullah told an official of the former Afghan government when his release
was being negotiated.
“I will continue killing Australians and I will kill
you as well because you are a puppet of foreigners,” he said.
“I am among my brothers, we will be free, Afghanistan
will be free. We will kill you.”
Since returning to Afghanistan, Hekmatullah has
reportedly been housed in the former diplomatic quarter of Wazir Akbar Khan. He
lives in a heavily secured property in a district adjacent to the clandestine
former home of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the former al-Qaida leader assassinated eight
days ago by a US drone strike as he stood on the balcony of his villa.
Hekmatullah’s release from prison in 2020 was fiercely
resisted by Australia, with the government previously conceding it did not know
where he had been since being freed.
Of 5,000 prisoners the Taliban wanted released as part
of peace deal negotiations with the US, Hekmatullah was one of six terrorists
that western governments fiercely resisted being pardoned, because they had either
killed unarmed foreign nationals, were unrepentant about their crimes, or had
vowed to commit further acts of violent terrorism.
A former senior official in the democratically elected
government of Afghanistan – overthrown in August 2021 – has confirmed to the
Guardian Hekmatullah’s return to Afghanistan.
“He was welcomed back to Kabul as a hero … with a
house, car, guards, an amnesty for his crimes, his expenses are being paid for.
He is being treated as a hero.”
The Guardian has independently confirmed Hekmatullah’s
repatriation to Afghanistan. Family members of the Australian soldiers killed
have said they have not been updated on his whereabouts.
On 29 August 2012, at Wahab, a patrol base in
Afghanistan’s Uruzgan province, Hekmatullah, then an Afghan National Army
sergeant, drew his M16 and fired more than 30 rounds from close range at
Australian troops. He killed three: L/Cpl Stjepan Milosevic, 40, Spr James
Martin, 21, and Pte Robert Poate, 23.
Hekmatullah fled the base into the Baluchi valley and was
designated a “high-value” target for the Australian SAS in Afghanistan within
24 hours. He was the sole target of a controversial SAS mission to the village
of Darwan in Uruzgan province on 11 September 2012, based on – ultimately
flawed – intelligence he was hiding in the village.
The mission was the subject of extensive evidence
presented during the long-running defamation trial brought by the former SAS
corporal Ben Roberts-Smith, who denies all wrongdoing in relation to an
allegation he participated in the murder of an Afghan national during that
mission.
Two other Australian SAS soldiers have also been
accused of unlawfully killing Afghan nationals during the raid – allegations
they deny.
It was not until February 2013 that Hekmatullah was
arrested after being found hiding in Pakistan’s lawless border region. Charged,
tried and convicted of three counts of murder, Hekmatullah was sentenced to
death, but served only seven years in Bagram prison before being moved to Qatar
in 2020, where he lived under house arrest.
After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, he returned to
Afghanistan, where he now lives in Kabul.
The senior former government source said he insisted
to senior government officials that Hekmatullah not be released, because he
presented an ongoing danger, but objections to his release were overruled
because of a US desire to conclude its 2020 peace agreement with the Taliban.
“The person I met is a dangerous terrorist, a
dangerous man,” the source said. “He is not repentant, not regretful. He is a
threat, he can cause harm to the world. He should not have been released.”
The source said Hekmatullah appeared to be “very well
protected”, with close links to senior Taliban officials now in government.
“But the Taliban who hold the strongest grudges, who
want to take revenge, are those who were in prison, including him, Hekmatullah.
He has hatred still.”
The release of the 5,000 Taliban prisoners was the
subject of fierce and fractious debate during negotiations between the US and
representatives of the terror networks in Qatar.
The US-led Coalition objected to 200 of the prisoners
because of the nature of their crimes – green-on-blue attacks, or attacking
civilian targets – or because they were seen to be ongoing terror threats.
Hekmatullah was among the 200.
After further negotiations, the list of objections was
reduced to 15: Hekmatullah was still on the list. After still more talks, the
list of objections was just six names. Hekmatullah remained still, deemed
unsuitable for release.
In August 2020, then prime minister Scott Morrison
said he spoke directly with then US president Donald Trump, urging that
Hekmatullah remain imprisoned.
Hekmatullah, Morrison said, was “responsible for
murdering three Australians and our position is that he should never be
released”.
But the US overruled Australia’s objections, arguing
the release of terrorist prisoners, while unpopular, would lead to a “reduction
of violence and direct talks resulting in a peace agreement and an end to the
war” in Afghanistan.
Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade
declined to answer questions on Hekmatullah.
The anonymous previous-government source told the
Guardian former officials who remain in Afghanistan face the grave threat of
retribution from the Taliban.
“The Taliban is seeking revenge: they have no mercy.
We will be identified soon. Our lives, and the lives of our families, are in
danger.”
He said the US assassination of al-Zawahiri, the
former al-Qaeda leader, had escalated tensions – and heightened Taliban security
fears – dramatically.
“The world is definitely putting pressure on the
Taliban for appearances. But no matter how much pressure is put on the Taliban,
they put pressure on the people.” Those who worked for the former
democratically elected government have “been left on the battlefield … as
enemies of the Taliban”, he said.
A Human Rights Watch report this month said Taliban
forces had summarily executed or forcibly disappeared more than 100 former
police and intelligence officers in four provinces since taking over the
country in August 2021, in defiance of a proclaimed amnesty.
“Summary killings and enforced disappearances have
taken place despite the Taliban’s announced amnesty for former government
civilian and military officials, and reassurances from the Taliban leadership
that they would hold their forces accountable for violations of the amnesty
order,” the report said.
“The Taliban, through their intelligence operations
and access to employment records that the former government left behind, have
identified new targets for arrest and execution.”
Source: The Guardian
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Muharram sans Muslims in This Karnataka Village in
Belagavi district; Illuminated with Colourful Lighting to Mark the Occasion
Streets of Hirebidanur
village in Saundatti taluk are illuminated with colourful lighting to mark the
occasion.
-----
Aug 8, 2022
BELAGAVI: For more than a century now, a village in
Belagavi district with not a single Muslim family has been observing Muharram
for five days a year. Streets of Hirebidanur village in Saundatti taluk are
illuminated with colourful lighting to mark the occasion.
The only visible link to Islam here is a mosque, where
a Hindu priest conducts religious proceedings in the traditional Hindu way in
celebration of the nation's rich syncretic culture. Hirebidanur is 51km from
the district headquarters and has a population of 3,000. A majority of the
people are from Kuruba and Valmiki communities.
The shrine is called the 'mosque of Fakireshwar
Swami', where villagers offer prayers to fulfil their vows. Area MLA Mahantesh
Koujalagi recently sanctioned Rs 8 lakh for renovating the mosque building.
"We invite a moulvi from nearby Bevinakatti
village during Muharram every year. He stays in the mosque for a week and
offers prayers in the traditional Islamic way. On other days, I take the
responsibility of the mosque," Yallappa Naikar, the priest at the mosque.
According to Naikar, two Muslim brothers established
two mosques - one near Gutanatti and another at Hirebidanur - "a long time
ago". After their death, locals continued worshipping at the mosques and
observe Muharram every year without fail.
Umeshwar Maragal, a teacher from the village, said
Muharram is special to Hirebidanur because it blends many layers of tradition
in those five days. For instance, the occasion provides a platform for artists
to showcase many forms of performing art: Karbal dance during procession, rope
art that's unique to Hirebidanur and crossing of the fire performed on the
first and fifth days.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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US President Joe Biden Welcomes Gaza Truce As 44 Palestinians
Confirmed Killed
United States President
Joe Biden. (AP file photo)
-----
08 August, 2022
US President Joe Biden on Sunday welcomed a truce
between Israel and Islamic Jihad militants aimed at ending days of deadly
bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, urging all parties to implement it
fully.
The president said in a statement that Washington had
worked with officials from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and various
countries in the region to "encourage a swift resolution to the
conflict" over the previous three days.
"We also call on all parties to fully implement
the ceasefire, and to ensure fuel and humanitarian supplies are flowing into
Gaza as the fighting subsides," Biden added.
The president also lamented the injury and death of
civilians in Gaza, but did not specify who was responsible. The bombings have
killed at least 44 Palestinians, including 15 children.
"The reports of civilian casualties in Gaza are a
tragedy, whether by Israeli strikes against Islamic Jihad positions or the
dozens of Islamic Jihad rockets that reportedly fell inside Gaza," Biden
said.
Buildings in Gaza have been reduced to rubble since Israel
launched a bombing campaign on Gaza on Friday.
"As I made clear during my recent trip to Israel
and the West Bank, Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live safely and
securely and to enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and
democracy," added Biden, who travelled to the region last month.
Source: The New Arab
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/biden-welcomes-israel-islamic-jihad-truce-gaza
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Mukhtar Robow, a Former Al-Shabab Figure Appointed
Minister in Somalia’s New Cabinet
Before the creation of
al-Shabab, Mukhtar Robow, foreground, also known as Abu Mansur, was trained
with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
-----
07 August 2022
Mortar shells have struck residential neighbourhoods
near the presidential palace in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, shortly after
Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre unveiled his new cabinet with the former deputy
leader of al-Shabab militant group.
“We have no recorded casualties so far as
investigations are ongoing," said district security official Mohamed
Abdifatah on Sunday.
Abdikadir Yare, a witness, said, "One of the
mortar rounds struck in the Xararyaale intersection and another hit a hospital
close by.”
The prime minister appointed Mukhtar Robow as minister
of endowment and religious affairs. The appointment was just one day after
Robow was released from the headquarters of Somalia’s National Intelligence and
Security Agency (NISA). It has attracted some criticism.
Some analysts say the appointment was an apparent
attempt and a milestone in the fight against al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked
group formed in 2007.
“After consultations that took a period of more than
30 days... I'm very happy to present Somali men and women whom I have selected
based on their academic background, experience, and fairness," argued the
Somalian prime minister. "I'm expecting they will respond to the needs of
the country." the district official said.
Zakaria Yusuf, a researcher on Somalia at the American
think tank International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera, “I think the reason why
he was brought from house arrest to the cabinet minister is to create and come
up with a counter-narrative to that of al-Shabab since he deeply understands
their philosophy and their tactics”
“He may also have influence within the militant group
and could attract more fighters from the group [to the government’s way of
thinking.] I believe he can successfully run this docket given his background
and experience in endowment affairs.”
Elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has implicitly
expressed his administration’s willingness to negotiate with al-Shabab.
Robow will likely attempt to implement Mohamud’s
policy of war against al-Shabab on economic, ideological, and military fronts.
Some believe this will put him in confrontation with his former colleagues.
Before the creation of al-Shabab, Robow, also known as
Abu Mansur, was trained with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. He then went on to serve
as al-Shabab’s official spokesman and later as the group’s deputy leader. In
2008, the United States designated al-Shabab a terrorist group and offered a
$5-million reward for information leading to Robow’s capture in 2012.
Al-Shabab has been engaged in a bloody war against
Somalia's fragile central government for 15 years. It remains a potent force
despite an African Union operation against the group.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/08/07/686970/somalia-shabab-cabinet
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Don't Fall For Claims on Imam Mahdi, Penang Mufti
Urges Muslims
Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr
Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor
-----
By Audrey Dermawan
August 8, 2022
GEORGE TOWN: Muslims in the country have been advised
not to be easily influenced by claims involving the birth of Imam Mahdi and
avoid falling victim to fraud by individuals or parties with certain trickery.
Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor
felt the need to explain the matter since claims of the birth of Imam Mahdi
came up from time to time.
"Since claims of the birth of Imam Mahdi are
often raised, it is good that this issue is given some light to not confuse
society, especially the Muslims in this country.
"In fact, we find many individuals or groups who
exploited the issue of Imam Mahdi for specific purposes, especially for
political interests and religious influence.
"Therefore, I want to advise Muslims in this
country to not easily be influenced by claims of the birth of Imam Mahdi and
not fall victim to fraud by individuals or parties with certain trickery,"
he said today.
Wan Salim said the first thing that needed to be
emphasised was that evidence about the coming of Imam Mahdi was not found in
the Quran.
He said while there were dedicated hadith about it,
but most of it were weak.
He said that from all the hadiths, it could be
concluded that Imam Mahdi was from the Aalil Bait, the descendants of Prophet
Muhammad.
"The arrival of Imam Mahdi at the end of time, is
hoped, will fight for justice in the face of the earth, which before this was
filled with tyranny.
"It can be said that every divine religion,
namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is waiting for the arrival of Imam
Mahdi to help defend their respective religions.
"In fact, for the Shiites, there is also a version
of Mahdi, that is strange and difficult to understand, which is the son of Imam
Hasan Al-Askari, who is said to be hiding in an underground hole in Samurra'
Iraq. Shiites have been waiting for his birth until now.
"In Sudan, many Muslims in the country regarded
their religious leader, who led the rebellion against Turkish rule in the 18th
century, as Imam Mahdi," he said, adding that indeed there were many
individuals or groups who exploited the issue of Imam Mahdi for specific
purposes, especially for political interests and religious influence.
"The issue of Imam Mahdi has nothing to do with
the Islamic faith.
"Whoever believes, then he can wait for the birth
of the saviour, without spreading it to the others. Whoever does not believe,
then he does not become a kafir with such an attitude," he said.
Yesterday, the government said it was working closely
with the Saudi Arabian authorities to locate the whereabouts of Tarekat
al-Naqsyabandiah al-Khalidiyyah leader Habib Shah Firdaus Habih Ahmad.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious
Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad had said that the same action was also taken against
Habib Shah Firdaus' hundreds of followers, believed to be still in the country.
Idris said the group was considered having deviated
from Islam, including believing that there would be an appearance of Imam Mahdi
on the last day of Arafah.
It was earlier reported that Habib Shah Firdaus is
believed to have been in Saudi Arabia since last March with hundreds of his
followers to perform Umrah, and at the same time, to await the appearance of
Imam Mahdi.
Negri Sembilan mufti Datuk Mohd Yusof Ahmad had said
that it was believed that half of the 300 followers of Habib Shah Firdaus, who
have been in Saudi Arabia since last March, had returned to Malaysia after
finding out that nothing happened on the day of Arafah.
However, Habib Shah Firdaus and some followers did not
give up and are still living there, waiting for the 10th of Muharram (Monday)
to look forward to the same event.
Following this, Tarekat Naqsyabandiyah Al-Aliyah
Sheikh Nazim Al-Haqqani in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, was ordered to close for
six months following complaints about actions or matters in violation of
Islamic law.
Source: NST
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/820351/dont-fall-claims-imam-mahdi-penang-mufti-urges
--------
South
Asia
International Recognition Will Put Positive Impact on
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: Afghan Defence Minister
2022-08-07
KABUL (BNA) Acting National Defence Minister
deliberates the recognition of the Islamic Emirate to benefit regional
relations and asks the US and other countries to establish their relations with
the Islamic Emirate as a legitimate government in Afghanistan.
BNA analyst; Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Acting Minister
of National Defense, said in an interview with American National Radio,
“Recognizing the current government in Afghanistan will benefit the United
States because there is no other government that the United States can deal
with.”
The statements are made while almost a year has passed
since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan. The
government has not been recognized for reasons that the Islamic Emirate does
not consider justified. This has caused an atmosphere of mistrust between
Afghanistan and a number of There are countries.
These countries ponder the formation of their
political relations with the existing government in Afghanistan as dependent on
the conditions that they have offered.
Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Acting Minister of National
Defense, believes that the recognition of the current system in Afghanistan is
for the benefit of America because there is no other system that this country
“America” can deal with.
The purpose of these statements is that the Islamic
Emirate is the only effective political and military force in Afghanistan,
which governs the political and security situation in the country, and other
countries, including the United States, have no other address to contact
Afghanistan than the Islamic Emirate.
From the point of view of this senior member of the
Islamic Emirate, America and other countries should form their relations with
Afghanistan on the basis of government-to-government relations, the relations
of governments are based on internationally accepted standards and conventions,
and if there is a problem or defect in the relations between the two countries
It occurs unilaterally or multilaterally between countries, it can be solved
within the framework of international rules and laws, while the current way
that the United States and its allied countries have taken against Afghanistan
leads to isolation and isolation.
There are many countries that have more problems with
the United States than the current system of Afghanistan, but despite all the
complications, they have managed to resolve the misunderstandings and solve the
problems.
Source: Bakhtar News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Deputy PM Mullah Beradar meets Afghans released from
UAE prison
August 8, 2022
KABUL: Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan on Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar met with the Afghans
who were recently released from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) prison and
returned home the other day.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar said he was happy to see
his countrymen release and assured them that they will be provided with work
opportunities. Deputy Prime Minister considered Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al
Nahyan the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates action, as goodwill
toward the Afghans and thanked him. Up to 12 Afghan citizens have been reportedly
put in prison for unknown reasons in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Source: The Kabul Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://thekabultimes.gov.af/deputy-pm-mullah-beradar-meets-afghans-released-from-uae-prison/
--------
Bangladesh seeks China help to send Rohingya refugees
back to Myanmar
Aug 8, 2022
DHAKA: Bangladesh on Sunday sought cooperation from
China to repatriate Rohingya refugees to Myanmar during a visit by foreign
minister Wang Yi, who promised better trade ties, investment and support for
infrastructure development in the South Asian nations.
China had used its influence in Myanmar to broker a
November 2017 agreement to repatriate about 700,000 Rohingya Muslim refugees
who fled persecution in Myanmar in August that year. Despite attempts to send
them back, the refugees refused, fearing danger in Myanmar, which was
exacerbated by the military takeover last year.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Increasing Security Threats; Taliban Places
Restrictions on Ashura Ceremony in Northern Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal
07 Aug 2022
Locals in Mazar-e-Sharif, in Balkh province of
northern Afghanistan, say that the Taliban has prevented Ashura ceremony
preparations at the shrine of Hazrat Ali, aka Rawza-e-Sharif, and denied
permission to hold the Ashura event there for security reasons.
Officials from the Taliban in Mazar-e-Sharif have
instructed those attending Ashura events to do so exclusively in mosques,
citing security concerns as their justification.
Every year in Rawza-e-Sharif before the Taliban’s
control, the Ashura ceremony was observed.
The Taliban have also acknowledged that they have
removed the Ashura holiday from the calendar, as earlier reports in some
domestic media and Iranian media contended that the Taliban removed Ashura as a
national holiday.
Two explosions occurred among the mourners of this
month in Kabul on the 7th and 8th days of Muharram. The number of casualties
has been reported with conflicting numbers.
While witnesses to the incident and local sources
claim that more than 100 people were killed and nearly 150 others were injured
in both blasts, Khalid Zadran stated that there were 8 fatalities and 20
injuries in the first explosion and 2 fatalities and 7 injuries in the second
explosion.
Ashura is observed by all Muslims on the tenth day of
Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
--------
India
Uttar
Pradesh BJP to hoist tricolour on madrassas, dargahs & 5 lakh Muslim
households
Aug
7, 2022
LUCKNOW:
The UP BJP plans to hoist tricolour at around 5 lakh Muslim households,
madrassas and dargahs (shrines) to bolster its ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign on
completion of 75th year of Independence on August 15. The party brass has
tasked its Muslim Morcha to carry out the exercise for three days starting
August 12.
Sources
said that the BJP brass has also asked the minority wing cadre to get the photo
of unfurling of tricolour at madrassas and dargahs clicked and uploaded on the
social media platforms as well – in an apparent move to ramp up party’s
nationalist campaign among the minorities, like in other communities.
“We
are targeting hoisting tricolour on at least 5 lakh Muslim households,” said UP
BJP minority morcha president Basit Ali, while speaking to TOI on Sunday.
Confirming that the party cadre will unfurl the tricolour on madrassas and
dargahs and get photos clicked for uploading them on social media platforms,
Ali said: “The exercise is being planned as dargahs can spread the message
widely. People, essentially Muslims, easily connect with dargahs and
madrassas.”
The
move comes over two months after the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board
made singing of the national anthem mandatory at madrassas before the start of
classes. Earlier, soon after coming to power in 2017, the BJP had made the
recital of the national anthem and flag hoisting mandatory on Independence Day
in madrassas.
This
also comes close on the heels of PM Narendra Modi’s stress on amplifying the
party’s outreach among the ‘Pasmandas’ (backward community among Muslims). The
party is learnt to have identified around 50,000 Muslim-dominated booths where
it plans to step up awareness drive about public welfare schemes initiated by
the Centre. BJP sources said that the party aims to cut through religious lines
in carrying out its ambitious ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign which seeks to cover
more than 4 crore households and government offices.
Reacting
to the development, Samajwadi Party chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said
that BJP should abstain from doing politics over the tricolour. “Ye Rashtriya
Dhwaj hai. Uska poora samman hai...par kisi tarah ka dabav nahi daalna
chahiye....jo log swechha se lagana chahein woh lagaye... (This is the national
flag which is highly respected. The BJP should avoid putting pressure on people
to unfurl tricolour).”
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Army
steps up deployment of AI-powered surveillance systems on borders with China
& Pakistan
Aug
7, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The army is slowly but steadily cranking up the use of Artificial
Intelligence (AI)-powered smart surveillance systems to keep tabs on troop
movements, build-ups and infrastructure development along the borders with
China and Pakistan.
There
are "already 145 deployments of assets based on such AI-powered
systems", which get feeds from satellite imagery, drones, radars, thermal
cameras, electro-optical devices, motion detectors and the like. The
heterogeneous inputs are collated, interpreted and then disseminated to
commanders on the frontlines to ensure “battlefield transparency” and faster
decision-making, defence establishment sources said on Saturday.
It
is simply not possible to physically guard every inch of the long unresolved
borders, especially the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China
stretching from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, without such smart
surveillance systems. “This focus on technology has considerably reduced the
need for manual monitoring,” a source said.
Take
Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as "South Tibet", for
instance. The Army has a very high density of troops and heavy weapon systems
deployed in the region, which are now also backed by surveillance and
communication hubs, where all inputs converge, to monitor the People’s
Liberation Army (PLA). The force is even using AI-based facial recognition
software to identify PLA officers across the LAC.
The
Army has also deployed “AI-based suspicious vehicle recognition systems” in
eight locations in the northern and southern theatres, while a real-time
monitoring software is being used to generate intelligence for
counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Though
far behind China in exploitation of cutting-edge `disruptive’ technologies like
AI and ML (machine learning), the Indian defence establishment is now finally
stepping on the gas to boost situational awareness, combat capability and
survivability of its forces through them.
“AI
is a critical operational necessity. It’s capable of providing considerable
asymmetry during military operations and will transform war-fighting
paradigms,” the source said.
“AI
applications can be utilised for surveillance and detection, real-time social
media monitoring, pattern recognition and prediction of adversary courses of
action,” he added.
The
army is closely collaborating with DRDO, academia and industry for realisation
of complex AI-based projects. Towards this end, an AI Lab at the Military
College of Telecommunication Engineering in Mhow conducts extensive testing of
products before giving them to a production agency.
The
AI-enabled products range from automated room-intervention drones, rail-mounted
sentry robots and swarm drones to even a wearable Mandarin-to-English
translation device.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
92-year-old
Jalandhar man to reunite with nephew lost in Partition riots at Kartarpur
Aug
08, 2022
By
Surjit Singh
Six-year-old
Mohan Singh was separated from his family during the bloody riots of 1947, in
which 22 members of his family were slaughtered in the communal violence
unleashed in his village, Chak 37, in Pakistan.
While
the rioters killed the men, and women of the house jumped into a well with
their children to save their honour, Mohan managed to escape. Seventy-five
years on, Mohan Singh, who was raised by a Muslim family in Pakistan, is all
set to meet his family members who managed to successfully cross to India at
Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, a week before Independence Day.
His
uncle, Sarwan Singh, 92, a resident of Jalandhar – whose parents, two brothers
and two sisters were killed during the riots – is excited to meet his elder
brother’s son at the last resting place of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.
Sarwan
Singh’s daughter, Rachhpal Kaur, who will accompany him during the visit, said,
“Our family members, who survived the riots, looked for Mohan after the
violence, but could not find him.”
Australia-based
man brought long-lost family together
The
family did not know what became of the six-year-old until a Punjab-origin man,
who was based in Australia, Gurdev Singh, helped the two families unite after
separately coming across the Partition accounts of India-based Sarwan Singh and
Pakistan-based Mohan Singh.
Sikh
author Sukhdeep Singh Barnala had made a YouTube docuseries on the tragedy of
the Partition, entitled ‘The Other Side of Freedom’. One episode of this series
was on Sarwan Singh family.
“Gurdev
Singh watched this episode of the documentary, in which Sarwan Singh mentioned
the identifying marks of the missing child. He revealed that Mohan, had two
thumbs and a black spot on one of his thighs. The man had also seen the
interview of one Pakistan-based man, who had revealed similar things about
himself. He managed to get the contact numbers of both the families and got
them together over phone. They will meet each other for the first time at
Kartarpur Sahib”, said Barnala, while speaking on the phone.
Kaur
says, “We often speak to our cousin over video call. He told us that he was
raised by a Muslim family and now his name is Afzal Khalak. Now, he has a
family of his own with six sons. His sister, who was four at that time, also
survived the carnage and came to India with my family in 1947. She is settled
in Canada and will soon be flying to Pakistan to meet her brother,” she added.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Authorities
Impose Restrictions on Muharram Procession in Parts of Srinagar City
Muzamil
Bhat
7th
August 2022
Srinagar:
Curfew-like restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar City, especially in
Lal Chowk and the Dalgate area where Muharram processions were expected.
A
large number of troops were deployed at several locations to prevent any
untoward incident.
Shops
and other business establishments were closed, public transport was off the
roads in the places where restrictions were imposed while mobile internet
services were also snapped in parts of the city.
Earlier
Srinagar Administration issued an order, disallowing Muharram processions to
avoid law and order problems.
The
order reads, On the directions of the High Court of J&K at Srinagar, the
District Magistrate Srinagar today decided that processions related to
Muharram-ul-Haram 1444 (Hijri) on Guru Bazar towards Buchwara and Abi Guzar
towards Zadibal routes respectively will not be allowed keeping in view public
Security and law & order.
Pertinent
to mention that, in a writ petition(C)
No 7/2022, titled Aga Syed Mujtaba Abass V/S UT of J&K and others, the High Court had asked the competent authority to
take the decision regarding the representation of the petitioners most
expeditiously preferably within a period of 3 days.
In
this regard, the District Magistrate, Srinagar issued a formal order here
today, which cited various past incidents of violence. The order reads that,
“Whereas the undersigned held a detailed meeting involving all the Field
Magistrates, Police officers and leaders of Shia Community wherein they were
briefed about the routes allowed/ disallowed for Muharram procession”.
The
order further stated that, “Whereas, Law & order and Security concern is
the top most priority of the Government of the Jammu and Kashmir keeping in
view the larger public interest and safety of its citizens”.
“In
view of the above stated facts and circumstances read in conjunction with the
reports of Intelligence Agencies thereof, more particularly the security
concerns of the District Srinagar with respect to the Muharram, the processions
therein cannot be allowed on the Gurubazar toward Buchwara and Abi-Guzar
towards Zadibal routes respectively, keeping in mind the public interest, law
& order and security”, the order also added.
That
it is witnessed from past instances/cases and upon analysis of
reports/data from different security
agencies with regard to incidents which have occurred during the Muharram, it
is evident that not only there has been breach in peace & law and order,
but also there have been Sectarian clashes which have resulted in breach of peace
and threat to maintenance of law and order and also resulted in damage to
public property and injuries to civilians and security forces as well.
Meanwhile,
the District Magistrate(DM) has said that Administration respects the religious
sentiments and practices of all, at the same time it is the joint
responsibility of one and all to adhere to the security measures to ensure
protection and safety of all citizens.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/authorities-impose-restrictions-on-muharram-procession-2385359/
--------
North
America
Possible
serial killer targeting Muslims on the lam in New Mexico
By
Ben Kesslen
August
7, 2022
Authorities
are investigating the possibility that a serial killer has been hunting Muslim
people in Albuquerque, New Mexico after four men of the faith were murdered
there in the past year.
New
Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Saturday that she deployed additional
state police to help with the probe into the “targeted killings.”
“The
targeted killings of Muslim residents of Albuquerque is deeply angering and
wholly intolerable,” she wrote on Twitter.
“We
will not stop in our pursuit of justice for the victims and their families and
are bringing every resource to bear to apprehend the killer or killers — and we
WILL find them,” the Democrat said in a statement.
She
added: “I am angered and saddened that this is happening in New Mexico, a place
that prides itself on diversity of culture and thought. This is not who we
are.”
The
statement did not provide details on whether investigators have any leads or
confirm if the killings are connected.
An
unnamed Muslim man was murdered Friday night, following the shooting of
Muhammad Afzaal Hussain on Monday, police said.
Hussain’s
killing comes after Aftab Hussein was murdered on July 26 and Mohammad Ahmadi
was killed in November 2021.
Hussain
and Hussein were both Pakistani and went to the same mosque, according to the
New York Times. The slayings have prompted an outcry in Albuquerque’s
close-knit Muslim community. Less than one percent of the two million people in
New Mexico are Muslim, according to the Pew Research Center.
“We
are incredibly sickened with the idea that someone has this much hate against
innocent people,” Ahmad Assed, leader of the Islamic Center of New Mexico,
said, according to the Times. “We’re scared for our families, we’re scared for
our children. And we are incredibly confused about why this is happening.”
President
Biden expressed solidarity with the local Muslim community on Sunday.
Source:
New York Post
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://nypost.com/2022/08/07/possible-serial-killer-targeting-muslims-in-new-mexico/
--------
Muslims
in New Mexico's Albuquerque urged not to walk alone at night
Anwar
Iqbal
August
8, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Police in the New Mexico city of Albuquerque urged citizens on Sunday to share
any tips they may have about four recent murders that police are treating as
hate crimes against Muslims.
In
a separate message, the Islamic Center of New Mexico (ICNM) urged Muslims in
Albuquerque on Monday to avoid walking alone at night and to make sure they
are not followed to their homes.
A
local newspaper, Albuquerque Journal, reported that “people are beginning to
panic” after the fourth murder. All four victims are of Pakistani and Afghan
descent.
“We
urge everyone to take precautions and be aware of your surroundings including
making sure that you are not being followed home and avoid walking alone at
night,” the ICNM community message said. “This is especially true for our
members living in the southeast part of the city where these killings have
taken place.”
The
Albuquerque Police Department (APD) said their homicide detectives were
investigating an overnight murder of a Muslim man that might be linked to three
similar murders in the area. The FBI is assisting them in the investigation.
On
Friday, just before midnight, APD officers in the southeast area responded to
reports of a shooting in the area of Truman Street and Grand Avenue NE. An
adult male was located and found to be dead.
According
to investigators, the victim, Naeem Hussain, believed to be in his mid-20s, is
Muslim and a native from South Asia. They believe Friday’s murder may be
connected to the recent murder of three Muslim men, also from South Asia.
Detectives
on Thursday determined there’s a connection between the Aug 1 murder of
Muhammad Afzal Hussain, 27, and the July 26 murder of Aftab Hussein, 41. “Both
men are Muslim and are from Pakistan,” police said. They were killed in
southeast Albuquerque near Central Avenue.
As
a result of these murders, detectives are now trying to determine whether the
Nov 7, 2021, murder of Mohammad Ahmadi, a Muslim from Afghanistan, is also
related to more recent homicides. Ahmadi was killed outside of a business he
and his brother ran at 1401 San Mateo Blvd NW.
Anyone
with tips about these murders is urged to call Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers
at 505-843-STOP (7867).
The
ICNM online message page said they have held several meetings with city and
state officials and law enforcement agencies. “Everyone is working diligently
to ensure that Muslims in our city remain safe and that the criminals are
brought to justice,” the message added.
ICNM
officials said they have shared with the police “whatever tips and information
we had.”
The
2022 report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) pointed out that in
recent years, anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States has spiked.
“Existing
and proposed mosque sites across the country have been targeted for vandalism
and other criminal acts, and there have been efforts to block or deny necessary
zoning permits for the construction and expansion of other facilities,” the
report said.
Tahir
Gauba, ICNM’s director of public affairs, said the local Muslim community —
especially students who live near the area where two most recent shootings
happened — “is feeling very afraid”.
At
a Saturday afternoon news conference at APD headquarters, city and police
officials denounced the violence and assured the community that they were
working together and devoting every possible resource to the investigation,
Albuquerque Journal reported.
“We
urge our entire interfaith community of Albuquerque and all the people of
Albuquerque to help law enforcement identify and catch the person or persons
responsible,” said Michelle Melendez, the office’s director. “Please, please,
call with any bit of information.”
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Türkiye
'deeply concerned' over 'serial' killings of 4 Muslim individuals in US
Seda
Sevencan
08.08.2022
Türkiye
said on Monday that it is "deeply concerned" over the suspicious
killings of four Muslim individuals since November in the US city of
Albuquerque.
“We
are deeply concerned about the suspicious consecutive killings of 4 Muslim
individuals since November in the US city of Albuquerque, three of which have
been in the past week,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We
want the perpetrators of these serial murders, which are stated to be related
to each other and may be hate crimes, to be found immediately and brought to
justice,” the statement said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Biden
denounces killings of four Muslims in US city
August
08, 2022
WASHINGTON:
President Joe Biden on Sunday deplored the killings of four Muslim men in New
Mexico, which police say may be linked.
“I
am angered and saddened by the horrific killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque,”
the US president said on Twitter.
“While
we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and
my Administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful
attacks have no place in America.”
Police
in Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, said Saturday they are investigating
the murders of three Muslim men that they now suspect are related to a fourth
homicide from last year.
The
Albuquerque police department said in a statement they had discovered the latest
victim overnight Friday.
His
body was discovered near a Lutheran Family Services office that provides
assistance to refugees, TV station KOB4 reported.
Police
did not identify the man but said he was in his mid-20s, Muslim and “a native
from South Asia.”
“Investigators
believe Friday’s murder may be connected to three recent murders of Muslim men
also from South Asia,” the statement said.
Two
of the previous victims were Muslim Pakistani men, a 27-year-old whose body was
found on August 1 and a 41-year-old who was found on July 26.
Detectives
are now investigating whether these murders are connected to the death of a
Muslim man from Afghanistan who was killed on November 7, 2021, outside of the
business he ran with his brother in Albuquerque, the statement said.
The
police urged anyone with information to call a tip line and said the FBI was
assisting with the investigation.
New
Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed outrage at the killings,
calling them “wholly intolerable,” and said she was sending additional state
police officers to Albuquerque to aid in the investigation.
She
said she was sending additional state police officers to Albuquerque to help
with the investigation.
“We
will continue to do everything we can to support to the Muslim community of
Albuquerque and greater New Mexico,” she said.
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest US Muslim civil
rights group, has offered a $10,000 reward to whoever provides information
leading to the killer or killers’ arrest.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2138101/world
--------
Africa
UK
museum to return Benin Bronzes stolen by colonial British to Nigeria
08
August 2022
A
British museum in the capital city of London has said that it would return
dozens of artifacts looted by UK soldiers in Nigeria.
The
Horniman Museum announced on Sunday that it was obvious that the ancient artifacts
had been “acquired through force” by colonial British soldiers.
“Ownership
of 72 objects, which were forcibly removed from Benin City during the British
military incursion in February 1897, will be transferred to the Nigerian
government,” the museum said in its statement.
The
museum noted that handing back the artifacts that were forcibly looted in the
late 19th century was the right thing to do.
The
items that the museum aims to return include a collection of famed Benin
Bronzes.
In
addition to the Benin Bronzes, a brass cockerel altarpiece, ivory and brass
ceremonial objects, brass bells and a key to the king’s palace are other
artifacts that the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London’s southeast said would
be handed over to the Nigerian government.
“The
collection includes 12 brass plaques, known publicly as Benin bronzes. Other
objects include a brass cockerel altar piece, ivory and brass ceremonial
objects, brass bells, everyday items such as fans and baskets, and a key ‘to
the king’s palace,’” it stated.
Nigeria’s
National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) welcomed the move and said
it looked forward to further discussions in this regard.
In
the meantime, tens of thousands of ancient artifacts, treasures, sculptures,
and other artworks, which were looted by the colonists in past centuries, are
still being kept in European museums.
The
Nigerian government has stepped up its demands in recent years for European
countries to hand back the artifacts.
The
British Museum has 73,000 African artifacts. Germany’s Ethnological Museum has
75,000. Other western countries, most notably France, Belgium, Holland, Italy
and Spain have artifacts as well.
France’s
Quai Branly Museum has almost 70,000 ancient African artifacts and the
Netherlands’ National Museum of World Cultures has 66,000.
Belgium’s
Royal Museum for Central Africa alone has 180,000 ancient African items in its
possession, and museums in the United States have 50,000.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/08/08/686989/UK-Museum-Africa-Nigeria-Artifacts-Benin-Bronzes--
--------
18,000
local, international observers to monitor Kenya's high-stakes Aug. 9 elections
Andrew
Wasike
08.08.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Some
18,000 observers will be on the ground to monitor Kenya’s high-stakes general
elections on Tuesday, authorities said.
Around
10,000 local and international observers have already been given the necessary
clearance, Wafula Chebukati, head of Kenya’s Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (IEBC), told a news conference last week.
He
said applications of 8,000 more observers are currently being processed and
will be approved before the elections.
At
least 1,300 of the total 18,000 are international observers, he added.
The
Kenyan government has declared a nationwide public holiday on Aug. 9.
More
than 46,200 polling stations have been set up across the East African country,
while the distribution of election materials is 90% complete, according to the
IEBC.
Over
22 million registered voters in the country of some 54 million are expected to
have their say as Kenya elects a new president, parliament, members of 47
county assemblies and county governors.
Having
served the maximum possible two terms, incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta is out of the
presidential race.
A
close contest is expected between the two main contenders – William Ruto,
Kenya’s deputy president since 2013 and leader of the United Democratic
Alliance, and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who heads the Orange
Democratic Movement.
Kenyatta
has opted to support Odinga, his former rival for the top post who is making
his fifth presidential run, rather than his own deputy.
Risk
of violence
International
watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned that the failure of Kenyan
authorities to address “past abuses by police heightens the risk of police
abuse” around the general elections.
“Kenya
has a history of election-related violence including excessive and unlawful use
of force by police, with few, if any, police officers held to account,” read an
HRW statement released on Tuesday.
Kenya
grappled with months of post-election violence in 2017 that claimed dozens of
lives.
HRW
said it worked with Kenyan and other international human rights organizations
to document the killings of 104 people by police and armed gangs.
Most
of the victims were supporters of the then-main opposition party, the National
Super Alliance, the watchdog said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
African
Union hits out at deadly Israeli airstrikes on Gaza
Addis
Getachew
07.08.2022
The
chairman of the African Union Commission on Sunday lashed out at Israel's
continued airstrikes on the Gaza Strip that have killed dozens of civilians,
including children.
"The
targeting of civilians and the continued illegal occupation by Israeli security
forces of the occupied territories, are in stark violation of international
law, and complicate the search for a just and lasting solution," Moussa
Faki Mahamat said, according to a statement from the commission.
"The
chairperson reaffirms the unwavering support of the African Union with the
Palestinian people in their legitimate quest for an independent and sovereign
state with East Jerusalem as its capital," added the press release.
In
February, during the African Union summit of heads of state and governments,
African leaders reversed an earlier decision by the bloc's secretariat to grant
Israel observer status in the Pan-African body.
Mahamat
also called for a renewed and genuine international effort for a lasting
solution in which Israel and Palestine could co-exist as separate sovereign
nations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/african-union-hits-out-at-deadly-israeli-airstrikes-on-gaza/2656047
--------
Chad’s
junta, rebel groups sign peace deal in Qatar before talks
August
08, 2022
DUBAI:
Chad’s military government and some rebel groups signed a pledge Monday in
Qatar ahead of planned national reconciliation talks, though the deal did not
include the country’s main opposition group.
Under
the terms of the deal in Doha, those who signed have agreed to a cease-fire
ahead of the Aug. 20 talks planned in the Chadian capital of N’Djamena. Chad’s
junta also agreed to “not take any military or police operations against the
signing groups” in neighboring countries.
However,
the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, the main rebel group in the country,
did not sign the pledge. The shadowy group, known by its French acronym FACT,
is blamed for the 2021 killing of Chad’s longtime President Idriss Deby Itno,
who had ruled the country since 1990.
That
immediately called into question whether the deal would be enough to ensure the
success of the talks as a planned 18-month transition from military rule to
democracy winds down.
FACT
did not immediately comment publicly on its decision not to sign the pledge.
We
hope “other groups will join the march of reconciliation and peace, with a view
to achieving the aspirations and dreams of the Chadian people,” Qatari Foreign
Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told those gathered for the
signing ceremony. “The initial peace agreement we are celebrating today will be
an important turning point toward stability and prosperity for the Chadian
people.”
“It
is no secret that the negotiations faced many challenges which were addressed
through your estimated efforts,” Sheikh Mohammed added.
Those
challenges include some 20 rebel groups walking out of the talks in July,
accusing the military government under Deby’s 38-year-old son, Mahamat Idriss
Deby, of “harassments, intimidation, threats and disinformation” amid the
negotiations.
Rebels
have called for Deby to declare he would not run in any coming elections,
though the military junta has insisted that can only be decided in the national
dialogue talks. The pledge signed Monday in Qatar do not include any
prohibition on Deby running in any coming vote.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2138236/world
--------
Southeast
Asia
Sarawak
premier: Non-Muslims must have state govt's protection to achieve complete
unity
By
Sulok Tawie
07
Aug 2022
KUCHING,
Aug 7 — Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg today stressed that the state
government will protect non-Muslims and care for them to achieve togetherness
and inclusion.
He
said as an example the Sarawak government has channeled aid to non-Muslims
through the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) on the basis that non-Muslims
also need the protection and care of the state government.
“Since
its introduction in 2017, UNIFOR has provided an allocation of RM215 million to
build or repair houses of worship for non-Muslim religions, RM30 million for
missionary schools and RM10 million for administrative purposes,” he said at
the closing of the state-level Jelajah Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia event here by
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He
said the state government has also provided an allocation of RM70 million to
build UNIFOR Building in Jalan Ong Tiang Swee, Kuching, so that its
administration is more organised and the implementation of religious activities
under UNIFOR is more orderly.
“I
am confident and believe that togetherness in terms of religious development
between the Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Sarawak will give birth to a
society that is friendly to each other and avoids prejudices that can cause
division,” the premier said.
He
said as the head of the state government who is a Muslim, he has always
insisted that the “Charter of Medina” is a very suitable guide to guarantee
fair administration for the multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities in
Sarawak.
Abang
Johari said the concept of Keluarga Malaysia that the prime minister had
introduced as a philosophy of his administration reflects his sincere desire to
see all Malaysians continue to unite for the sake of the nation which is
greater than personal interests or the interests of any group.
He
said lately, the country has experienced an uncertain political situation which
has had a negative impact on the country.
He
said the prime minister's leadership has shown some positive changes and that
the state sincerely hopes that this situation will last and that the country
will continue to be stable and move towards a dynamic and advanced economy.
Abang
Johari said in Sarawak, with the high spirit of understanding and unity that
has been built over the years a multi-ethnic and religious community of small
Keluarga Sarawak under the auspices of a large Keluarga Malaysia has been
established.
“However,
just like in a large family, there will definitely be differences of opinions
and different ways of doing things between Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak,” he
said.
He
said such kind of situation is not a big problem if these different views and
methods are resolved in good faith in a family and friendly atmosphere.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Taiwan
showcases expertise in halal and plant-based food
Hayatun
Razak
08-
08- 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Taiwan is halal-ready and has much to offer to the increasing Muslim
population in Malaysia and worldwide to cater to the rising demand for halal
food while addressing their concerns about hygiene and quality.
Taipei
Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia director of economic division James
Chang said plant-based products have gained popularity in recent years, as
consumers increasingly prefer healthy and environmentally friendly food.
Taiwan, in relation to this, has emerged as the second friendliest destination
for Muslim travellers in the world. Although the trend seems new, Taiwan has in
fact long been a leader in plant-based meat production and has accumulated
technical expertise in the field.
“The
plant-based market is worth US$7.9 billion (RM35 billion) in 2022 and is
projected to reach US$15.7 billion by 2027. The halal food market is expected
to reach over US$3 trillion by 2028,” he said at the Taiwanese Halal Food &
Plant-based Meat Cooking Contest @ Taiwan Expo 2022 in Malaysia here last
Saturday.
Malaysia
External Trade Development Corp director of halal, food and beverages and
agro-based section Remee Yaakub said it hopes trade between Taiwan and Malaysia
will continue to go from strength to strength.
“The
relationship has enabled both markets to embark on many collaborations in
various sectors. Over the years, our trade has been driven by technological and
industrial items. Halal and plant-based are two segments with enormous
potential post-pandemic. The halal industry has a current global market value
of US$2.3 trillion. This is an opportunity for the world economies including
Taiwan to be involved,” he added.
Meanwhile,
Taiwan Trade Center Kuala Lumpur director Eva Peng said such events will go a
long way in introducing Muslims to Taiwan’s high-quality halal food.
“The
rising health awareness among Malaysians is one of the driving factors for the
increase in popularity of plant-based meat in Malaysia,” she added.
The
cooking contest, which was organised by Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade,
Taiwan External Trade Development Council and Taiwan Halal Center, showcased
Taiwan’s plant-based meat produce, vegetarian products, and other
halal-certified ingredients to the Malaysian market.
Eleven
products from nine Taiwanese brands were specially flown in for the
competition. The plant-based meat ingredients featured in the competition came
from halal-certified manufacturers from Taiwan, including No Meating, Land
Young Foods, Golden Crops (Sungift), and Vegefarm which carry products sold
around the world.
No Meating,
a brand under Taiwan Farm Industry Co Ltd, has shot up in popularity among the
younger demographics on the back of its taste and packaging, while Golden
Crop’s plant-based meat closely mimics meat despite being made completely of
pea protein.
Source:
The Sun Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.thesundaily.my/home/taiwan-showcases-expertise-in-halal-and-plant-based-food-BF9557377
--------
Cops
nab six in joint operation to curb immoral activities in Pandan Indah
07
Aug 2022
AMPANG:
Police have detained six transvestites in Pandan Indah following a joint
operation to curb immoral activities in the district.
Ampang
Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Farouk Eshak said the operation, which was
conducted at about 10.30pm on Saturday (Aug 6) involved various agencies
including the police, Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS), and the
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.
"We
detained six transvestites in Pandan Indah, believed to be involved in immoral
activities.
"Five
of them, who were Muslims, were handed over to JAIS while the non-Muslim is being
investigated by the police," he said when contacted on Sunday (Aug 7).
One
of the suspects also tested positive for methamphetamine, he said.
According
to ACP Farouk, the five Muslim suspects were being investigated under Section
30 Enactment 9 of the Selangor Syariah Criminal Offences 1995 for posing as
women for immoral purposes, which carries a fine of not more than RM1,000 or up
to six months in prison upon conviction.
"The
other suspect (non-Muslim) is being investigated under Section 14 of the Minor
Offences Act 1955 for insulting behaviour.
"We
are also investigating under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act,"
he said.
Source:
The Star
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Jakim
identifies location of deviant group Hadi Minallah's operations centre
08
Aug 2022
PUTRAJAYA:
The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) has identified the
location of the operations centre of a deviant group known as Hadi Minallah,
says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk
Idris Ahmad.
He
said information regarding the location had been channelled to the The Federal
Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) for further action.
"On
Sunday (Aug 7), I received the profile of Hadi Minallah and the address of its
operations centre, which some said is located in Langkawi (in Kedah).
"I
immediately contacted JAWI as it (taking enforcement actions) falls within the
jurisdiction of the state Islamic religious authorities,” he said after
officiating the first meeting to elect members of the Federal Territories
Syarie Lawyers Council, here on Monday (Aug 8).
Jakim
is reported to have lodged a report to the Home Ministry and the Malaysian
Communications and Multimedia Commission to prevent the spread of the
teachings.
The
Hadi Minallah group has been found to be active in spreading its teachings
through the Persatuan Nur Mutiara Mutmainnah YouTube channel.
A
video of a man, believed to be the founder of the group, known as Wayang Hadi
Kesumo or Hadi Minallah Aminnullah Ahmad from Indonesia, talking about the ‘Nur
Muhammad’ teachings and religious pluralism that deviate from the true
teachings of Islam, has gone viral on social media.
Source:
The Star
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Malaysia
working closely with Saudi Arabia to locate Habib Shah Firdaus
By
Zahratulhayat Mat Arif
August
7, 2022
BAGAN
SERAI: The government is working closely with the Saudi Arabian authorities to
locate the whereabouts of Tarekat al-Naqsyabandiah al-Khalidiyyah leader Habib
Shah Firdaus Habih Ahmad.
Minister
in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad said
the same action is also taken against Habib Shah Firdaus' hundreds of followers,
believed to be still in the country.
"I
have contacted the consulate there to track them down and arrest them. We hope
that these people will be caught and have them deported back here.
"At
the same time, Tabung Haji (TH) is also assisting us. They have informed us
that they are in the process of taking further action. So, we ask them (TH) to
cooperate with the embassy there," he said.
Idris
said this at a press conference after opening the 39th Pas Youth Muktamar at
Bukit Merah Laketown Resort here today.
Idris
said the group was considered to have deviated from Islam, including believing
that there would be an appearance of Imam Mahdi on the last day of Arafah.
"It
is ridiculous, and some of them had even sold their property. We hope that
people who want to follow such teaching must also know their teachers.
"It
is hoped that there is an awareness among the community to understand things
like this so that it is not easy to be deceived," he said.
It
was reported that Habib Shah Firdaus is believed to have been in Saudi Arabia
since last March with hundreds of his followers to perform Umrah, and at the
same time to await the appearance of Imam Mahdi.
Negri
Sembilan mufti Datuk Mohd Yusof Ahmad said it was believed that half of the 300
followers of Habib Shah Firdaus who have been in Saudi Arabia since last March
have returned to Malaysia after finding out that nothing happened on the day of
Arafah.
Source:
NST
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Israel,
Islamic Jihad Terrorist Group Agree to Cease-Fire From Sunday Night
Aug
7, 2022
Israel
and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group agreed to a Cairo-mediated
cease-fire to take effect late on Sunday, both sides said, raising hopes of an
end to the most serious flare-up on the Gaza frontier in more than a year.
Israeli
forces have pounded targets in Gaza since Friday, while the Iran-backed Islamic
Jihad terrorist group has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel in response.
The
truce came into effect at 23:30 (4:30 p.m. ET). It was announced in separate
statements by Islamic Jihad and then Israel, who both thanked Egypt for
mediating the cease-fire.
The
three-day clashes have echoed preludes to previous Gaza wars, though they were
relatively contained as Hamas, the ruling terrorist group in the Gaza Strip,
had so far stayed out.
Gaza
officials said 44 Palestinians had so far been killed. Israel says some of the
dead were killed by misfired rockets. The rockets have threatened much of
southern Israel and sent residents in cities including Tel Aviv and Ashkelon to
shelters.
Israel
launched what it called preemptive strikes on Friday against what it
anticipated would be an Islamic Jihad attack meant to avenge the arrest of a
leader of the group, Bassam al-Saadi, in the West Bank.
In
response, Islamic Jihad fired hundreds of rockets at Israel. At a news
conference in Tehran, the group’s leader Ziyad al-Nakhala, said Cairo would
“work to secure the release” of al-Saadi. Israeli and Egyptian officials did
not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On
Sunday, Islamic Jihad extended its range to fire toward Jerusalem in what it
described as retaliation for the overnight killing of its southern Gaza
commander by Israel—the second such senior officer it has lost in the fighting.
Source:
NTD
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iranian
FM: Massacre of Palestinians Exposes Israeli Regime’s Savage Nature
2022-August-7
Amir
Abdollahian held a phone call with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al-Thani, in which the two sides discussed the latest developments
in the Gaza Strip.
The
Iranian foreign minister strongly condemned Israel's savage aggression against
Gaza, and noted that “this act of aggression and subsequent martyrdom of scores
of Palestinian women and children stem from the aggressive and savage nature of
this regime".
The
top official also quoted the Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad movement,
Ziad Al-Nakhala, as telling him in a Saturday phone call that the Palestinian
resistance has prepared a comprehensive plan to give a strong and effective
response to Israel.
The
Qatari diplomat, for his part, condemned the latest assault by Israel, and
stated measures were underway to achieve a truce between the two sides.
He
added that Israel's provocative acts at Al-Aqsa Mosque were the main reason
behind escalation of the recent military conflict.
Israel
has unleashed a wave of airstrikes on the besieged enclave since Friday,
killing more than 30 people, including children and women.
The
latest round of tensions began after Israeli troops arrested Bassam Al-Saadi,
an Islamic Jihad commander in the occupied West Bank, on Monday during a raid
in the city of Jenin that resulted in the killing of a teenager.
Israeli
forces on Friday bombed an apartment building in the Centre of Gaza City,
killing Tayssir Al-Jabari, Islamic Jihad’s Northern commander, and several
others, including a five-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman.
Khaled
Mansour, its commander in the South of the Gaza Strip, was the second
high-ranking member of the Islamic Jihad to be assassinated as Israeli military
aircraft bombed the besieged enclave on Saturday.
In
response to the brutal Israeli air raids, Palestinian resistance forces fired
nearly 600 rockets at the occupied territories, setting off air raid sirens and
sending settlers running to bomb shelters.
The
Islamic Jihad called the retaliatory barrage only an “initial response” to the
Israeli bloodbath, with Al-Nakhalah stressing the Israeli enemy must expect a
"non-stop" confrontation in the wake of the aggression.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
Blasts Int'l Community for Keeping Mum on Israeli Aggression Against
Palestinians
2022-August-7
Attaching
to his tweet several images of the victims of the latest Israeli assault,
Kana'ani wrote, "These are examples of a set of targets by the Apartheid
regime in recent attacks on the Gaza Strip."
"Silence
of international community and those who claim that are defending human rights
in facing the Zionists’ crimes in Gaza is deplorable and regretful," the
spokesman added.
Interestingly,
the United States State Department has underscored their “full support” for the
rights of Israel to defend themselves, the Iranian diplomat pointed out.
"Alaa
Abdullah Riyad Qaddoum, a five-year-old girl living in the Shuja'iyya
neighborhood of Gaza City, is just one of the martyred children [killed in] the
ongoing attacks of the Israeli apartheid regime against Gaza," he
continued.
The
five-year-old Palestinian girl martyred on Friday after the Shuja’iyya
neighborhood was hit by Israeli strikes. With no electricity at home, Alaa
ventured outside to escape the stifling heat indoors. She was playing outside
her home before Israeli shelling killed her and her cousin.
The
latest bout of air raids by the Tel Aviv regime in the besieged Gaza Strip has
claimed the lives of at least eight Palestinian children.
The
foreign ministry spokesman also emphasized that it is a matter of regret that
those who are fake human rights claimants back the occupying regime’s routine
crimes against people of a country, which is under occupation, in the name of
“rights for defending itself".
The
Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed that the Israeli regime’s attacks had
since Friday left at least 34 people, including women, children and two senior
commander, dead and 215 wounded.
The
Islamic Jihad called the retaliatory barrage only an “initial response” to the
Israeli bloodbath, with the Palestinian resistance movement's Secretary General
Ziad Al-Nakhalah warning the Israeli enemy must expect a "non-stop"
confrontation in the wake of the aggression.
In
response to the Israeli strikes, Palestinian resistance forces fired almost 600
rockets at the occupied territories, setting off air raid sirens and sending
settlers running to bomb shelters.
The
international community has strongly condemned the latest Israeli air raids in
the Gaza Strip, voicing its deep concern over the latest rounds of violence by
the Tel Aviv regime against Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave.
Iran
describes Israel as the root cause of instability in the region, but says the
regime's US-supported barbarity will not change the inevitable fate of the Tel
Aviv regime.
Iranian
President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi strongly condemned the new crime committed by
Tel Aviv in the Gaza Strip, and said the Israeli regime is on a fast-track
towards decline because of the resistance of the Palestinian people in the
besieged enclave.
"Through
its crime last night, the Zionist regime once more showed its occupationist and
aggressive nature to the world," President Rayeesi stated on Saturday.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
IRGC:
Israeli Regime Unable to Buy Security through Normalizing Ties with Arab
Nations
2022-August-7
The
IRGC made the remarks in a Sunday statement in reference to the ongoing Israeli
onslaught on the besieged enclave, which started on Friday and has so far
claimed the lives of over 30 Palestinians, including children and women,
leaving more than 200 others injured.
“The
new crime committed by the Zionist regime against the oppressed Palestinian
nation and the savage attack on Gaza is the outcome of a miscalculation by
Zionists and will add further fuel to the flames of the Islamic resistance,
speeding up the collapse of the occupying regime,” the statement read.
“The
new crime committed by the fake, racist and child-killing Zionist regime in
attacking the Gaza Strip, which started on Friday with ... the assassination of
the Islamic resistance’s commanders through the backing of the United States
and other governments that are against humanity, has once again revealed the
criminal and aggressive nature of the Zionists and their regional and
trans-regional supporters,” the IRGC added.
The
IRGC stressed that Israel’s latest attacks were the result of a
“miscalculation” and a move to test the resistance front’s ability to respond
to the regime’s acts of aggression.
It
emphasized that the Israeli regime and its supporters would undoubtedly regret
committing this “big crime”, which has led to death and injury of “scores of
Muslim, oppressed and defenseless people of Palestine in the month of
Muharram”.
The
IRGC said the continuation of the Zionist regime’s crimes against the
Palestinian people is a result of certain Arab states’ submission to the global
hegemonic system’s demand for normalizing relations with the occupying regime.
“The
path of compromise and normalization of some Arab countries’ relations with the
fake and murdering Zionist regime will not only fail to guarantee the security
of the Zionists, but will also improve the capacities of Islamic and anti-Zionist
resistance [movements] among Muslim nations,” the statement added.
The
IRGC urged international human rights organizations, forums and institutions to
end their silence and inaction in the face of the Zionists’ crimes and take
measures to restore the Palestinian people’s rights and punish the occupiers in
order to clean up their role in these “undeniable crimes, which are a disgrace
to the human society".
Back
in 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed United
States-brokered agreements with Israel to normalize their ties with the TelAviv
regime. Some other regional states, namely Sudan and Morocco, followed suit
soon afterward.
Palestinian
officials censured the deal between the Arab countries and Israel to establish
normal diplomatic relations, describing the agreement as a “treacherous stab in
the back of the Palestinian nation”.
The
international community has strongly condemned the latest Israeli brutal raids
in the Gaza Strip, voicing its deep concern over the latest rounds of violence
by the Tel Aviv regime against Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave.
Iran
describes Israel as the root cause of the region’s instability, but also says
Israel's US-supported barbarity will not change the inevitable fate of the Tel
Aviv regime.
Iranian
President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi strongly condemned the new crime committed by
Tel Aviv in the Gaza Strip, and said the Israeli regime is on a fast-track
towards decline because of the resistance of the Palestinian people in the
besieged enclave.
"Through
its crime last night, the Zionist regime once more showed its occupationist and
aggressive nature to the world," President Rayeesi stated on Saturday.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
Urges World's Firm, Swift Stance Against Israeli Crimes
2022-August-7
In
letters to foreign ministers of Muslim countries, UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres, secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),
chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and secretary general of the African
Union on Saturday, Amir Abdollahian expressed Iran's grave concern over the
apartheid Israeli regime's brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip and the killing of
civilians, including innocent Palestinian children.
The
Iranian foreign minister condemned the Israeli regime's crimes and aggression
against the Palestinian people amid the inaction of international
organizations, warning that the occupying Tel Aviv regime bears full
responsibility for the consequences of the intensified crisis in Gaza and the
occupied Palestinian territories.
He
emphasized that the Palestinian people reserve the right to counter the Israeli
regime's occupation and defend themselves.
At
least 32 people, including women, children and two high-ranking members of
Islamic Jihad, were martyred and 200 others injured in Israeli raids on the
Gaza Strip.
Following
the assault, the Islamic Jihad fired hundreds of rockets and mortar shells
toward the occupied territories. The movement called the retaliatory barrage
only an “initial response” to the Israeli bloodbath, and warned that the
Israeli enemy must expect a "non-stop" confrontation.
Iranian
President: Israeli Regime’s Decline Accelerating Due to Palestinians'
Resistancehttps://t.co/FXkoSiDOvY pic.twitter.com/vfNqvHtXdC
—
Fars News Agency (@EnglishFars) August 6, 2022
In
a Saturday phone call with Secretary General of the Gaza-based Islamic Jihad
movement Ziad Al-Nakhala, the Iranian foreign minister also said the
Palestinian resistance and the resilient people of Gaza are definitely the
ultimate winners of the battle against the Israeli regime.
"Tel
Aviv is trying to cover up the multi-layered crises in the occupied territories
through continued efforts to create crisis," Amir Abdollahian added.
Nakhala,
for his part, outlined the latest developments in Palestine and hailed the
support of the Iranian people and government for the Palestinian people in
their fight against Israel.
The
senior Palestinian official emphasized that the Israeli regime is currently in
its weakest situation ever, saying the resistance movement fighters would
strongly support the people of Palestine, particularly in Gaza and Al-Quds.
The
resistance forces have given a firm response to the Israeli regime and would mark
major developments in this regard, he continued.
Iran
describes Israel as the root cause of the region’s instability, but says the
regime's US-supported barbarity will not change the inevitable fate of the Tel
Aviv regime.
On
Wednesday, Amir Abdollahian once again reiterated Tehran's unchangeable stance
in support of the Palestinian cause, and said the Israeli regime has proved
that it only understands the language of force.
Speaking
at an event to celebrate human rights and human dignity in Tehran, Amir
Abdollahian reiterated Iran’s support for “the Palestinian issue and the
creation of a Palestinian state on the entire mainland and motherland, with
Al-Quds as its capital".
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
--------
7 killed
in Israeli attack on Gaza's Rafah
Hani
es-Sair
07.08.2022
GAZA
CITY, Palestine
At
least seven people were killed in an Israeli attack on Rafah in the southern
Gaza Strip, local authorities said on Sunday.
Seven
dead bodies, including a boy and two women, were recovered from the rubble of a
building that was targeted by Israel, said Hamas-run Interior Ministry
spokesman Iyad al-Buzum.
Meanwhile,
Al-Quds Brigades said in a statement that Khaled Mansour, a senior leader of
the Islamic Jihad group, was killed in the attack.
On
late Saturday, the Health Ministry said that at least 24 Palestinians have been
killed in Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Aug. 5.
Israeli
warplanes launched airstrikes in the area citing an "imminent threat of
attack" by the Islamic Jihad group.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/7-killed-in-israeli-attack-on-gazas-rafah/2655581
--------
Iranians,
Muslims worldwide mark mourn martyrdom of Imam Hussein
08
August 2022
Millions
of Muslims across the world are observing Ashura, which commemorates the
martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam and the
grandson of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon Him).
Ashura,
the 10th day of the lunar month of Muharram, falls on Monday in Iran this year.
Dressed
in black, Shia Muslims hold mourning rituals to remember Imam Hussein (PBUH),
who was martyred along with his 72 companions in the Battle of Karbala, in
southern Iraq, in 680 AD after fighting courageously for justice against
thousands of soldiers of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I.
Iranians
hold mourning processions across the country and listen to elegies in
commemoration of Ashura, while benefactors distribute votive food, known
generically as nazri.
Ashura
is the culmination of 10-day mourning ceremonies that are observed in Muharram.
On
the eve of Ashura, known as Tasu’a, mourners remember Abbas ibn Ali (PBUH),
Imam Hussein’s half-brother, who was martyred shortly before Imam Hussein as he
tried to bring water to women and children in Imam Hussein’s camp, who had been
deprived of drinking water for days due to a siege by the enemy forces.
Shia
Muslims across the world also observe the mourning rituals, while hundreds of
thousands of pilgrims from Iran and other countries head to the holy Iraqi city
of Karbala — where Imam Hussein (PBUH)’s shrine is located — to mark Ashura.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Arab
World
Saudi
Arabia: No Limit On Number Of Umrah Trips For Overseas Muslims
Sakina
Fatima
7th
August 2022
Riyadh:
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) said there is no maximum limit for overseas
Muslims who wish to perform Umrah during the year as the new season of the
pilgrimage began in the kingdom a week ago, local media reported.
The
Ministry of Haj and Umrah also said that overseas Muslims can enter Saudi
Arabia and leave through any airport in the kingdom without being restricted to
Jeddah airport.
According
to Arabic daily Ajel, the ministry further added, that the Umrah undertaking
requires a permit from the Eatmarna app on the condition that the applicant is
not infected with COVID-19 or has not come in contact with a patient.
On
July 28, Saudi authorities announced instructions for Muslims wishing to enter
the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, to undertake umrah rites.
Saudi
Arabia’s Ministry of Haj and Umrah called on Umrah pilgrims to enjoy good
health, as shown in the “Tawakkalna” application for smartphones, and to wear
face masks while they are in the Grand Mosque.
The
pilgrims are also asked to leave the mosque after the expiration of their entry
permits and to avoid bringing luggage to the site while entering the rituals.
The
Kingdom also set conditions for issuing permits for children accompanied by
their parents to perform the lesser pilgrimage or Umrah to the Grand Mosque.
Children
can accompany their parents to perform prayers inside the Grand Mosque and set
the minimum age to obtain an Umrah permit at the age of five.
The
start of the new Umrah season for pilgrims from inside and outside the Kingdom
began on the first of Muharram 1444 AH, corresponding to July 30, 2022.
On
Wednesday, August 3, After 2.5 years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia removed the
protective barriers around the holy Kaaba that were erected as a precautionary
measure as part of efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/saudi-arabia-no-limit-on-number-of-umrah-trips-for-overseas-muslims-2385139/
--------
Saudi
Arabia condemns Israeli attack on Gaza Strip: Foreign ministry statement
06 August,
2022
Saudi
Arabia condemned and denounced the Israeli attack carried out in the Gaza
Strip, a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
The
statement said that the Kingdom stands by the Palestinian people, and called on
the international community to take all efforts to end the escalation between the
two countries.
It
added that civilians must be protected from the violence.
Israeli
aircraft struck in Gaza and Palestinians fired rockets deep into Israel on
Saturday, a day after an Israeli operation against the Palestinian Islamic
Jihad movement set off a cross-border flare-up that ended more than a year of
relative calm.
Islamic
Jihad fired rocket salvoes as far as Israel’s commercial hub Tel Aviv, after
Israel killed one of the group’s commanders in a surprise daytime air strike on
a Gaza City tower on Friday.
Israel
struck more Islamic Jihad militants and weapon depots hidden in residential
areas on Saturday, the military said. Bombings of at least five houses sent
huge clouds of smoke and debris into the air, as explosions rocked Gaza and
ambulances rushed through the streets.
The
Israeli strikes have killed 15 Palestinians, including at least four other
Islamic Jihad militants and three civilians, among them a child, the
Palestinian Health Ministry said. It added scores more had been wounded.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Dubai
hosts first licensed school in UAE offering camel riding classes
08 August,
2022
Camel
riding is now official in Dubai after the opening of the first licensed school
in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) dedicated to teaching the popular pastime.
It
can be traced back to the seventh century in the UAE, making it part of the
country’s cultural heritage, but today only one school is licensed to teach the
sport.
Linda
Krockenberger, said that she grew tired of taking solitary camel rides in 2021
and it pushed her to open the Arabian Desert Camel Riding Centre, where she is
not only a co-founder along with a local partner, but also a trainer.
“There
are other places to ride, but usually they don't offer such an in-depth
experience with the animal, or that people can come repeatedly, and they can
build relationships with the animals…or that they can take their riding skills
further from riding long distance, we did a track of 50 km in one day, to ride
overnight and camp out in the desert or to ride in short races,” said
Krockenberger.
“Riding
involves a lot of body weight, for example going left or right, we only have
one reign, so how we communicate and how we give directions, is a lot by
shifting the weight of the rider, as well as using one singular rope as a stick
to point,” added the German trainer.
Calling
them “Gentle Giants,” camel riding trainer, Jana Schmiedel, said she feels
proud every time she gets to ride.
“For
me really, the fascinating thing is to have a connection with the camel, to
really get to understand them, to be a team with them when riding, to listen to
what they need in order to understand me and what I can give them in order for
them to understand what is going,” added Schmiedel.
It
was the first time for Michelle O’Malley, coming all the way from New Zealand,
to see a camel ever. She decided to take on the new venture of learning camel
riding with her young children.
For
thousands of years the Arabian Peninsula has been home for the desert's giant
species, which have been historically used for transport and as a source of
survival. Nowadays, camels have become popular for racing in the UAE with
prizes reaching thousands of dollars.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Egyptian-brokered
cease-fire takes effect in Gaza
08.08.2022
GAZA
CITY, Palestine
An
Egyptian-brokered cease-fire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the
Palestinian group Islamic Jihad took effect late on Sunday at 11.30 p.m. local
time (2030GMT).
The
cease-fire agreement came after three days of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, which
left at least 44 Palestinians dead and over 360 others injured, according to
the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Sources
had earlier told Anadolu Agency that Israel and Islamic Jihad had agreed to a
cease-fire in Gaza to start at 11.30 p.m.
Egypt
also called on both sides to observe a mutual and comprehensive truce in Gaza
at that time.
An
official Egyptian source cited by the state news agency MENA said Egypt was
exerting efforts to release Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh and transport
him for treatment, as well as Bassam Al-Saadi, who is also in Israeli
detention.
Awawdeh,
40, was arrested by Israeli forces in December and held without trial. He has
reportedly been on hunger strike for around a month as he remained in jail
without charges.
Saadi,
a senior figure in Islamic Jihad's political wing, was detained by Israeli
forces earlier this week in a raid in the West Bank city of Jenin.
The
Islamic Jihad, for its part, confirmed the cease-fire in Gaza.
"A
cease-fire has been reached by Egyptian mediation that will take effect at
23.30 Palestinian time," group spokesman Dauwd Shehab had told Anadolu
Agency.
Earlier,
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said the military offensive in Gaza
"achieved its goals."
Israeli
warplanes launched airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Friday citing what the army
said was an "imminent threat of attacks" by the Islamic Jihad.
Of
those killed, at least 15 were children and four women, according to the Health
Ministry.
Last
year, Egypt managed to broker a cease-fire to end 11 days of Israeli airstrikes
on Gaza, in which more than 200 Palestinians were killed and thousands injured.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/egyptian-brokered-cease-fire-takes-effect-in-gaza/2656138
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Pakistan
Imran
to spell out ‘counter-fascism’ strategy on Aug 13
Ikram
Junaidi
August
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said that in order
to counter the “fascist” government led by coalition parties, he will announce
a strategy to “counter this fascism” during a rally at Islamabad’s Parade
Ground on August 13.
In
a tweet, the former premier said “every era has its Yazids”. He equated fascism
with Yazidiat and termed the rulers as present-day Yazids.
He
said Pakistan is facing fascism today in the form of rule by a “cabal of crooks
and their handlers” brought to power through US regime change conspiracy. “Will
our people bow down before this conspiracy in fear or, as a nation, face up to
the challenge?” he asked.
Says
country is being ruled by a ‘cabal of crooks and their handlers’
The
decision to organise what Mr Khan termed ‘Azadi March’ a day before
Independence Day was taken by the PTI leadership on Aug 6.
In
a comment on the upcoming gathering at Parade Ground, PTI leader Ali Awan
claimed that the public meeting on Aug 13 will pave the way for “true
independence”.
Speaking
to the members of regional advisory council in Islamabad, he claimed that it
will be for the third time in the history of Islamabad that Parade Ground will
be “completely filled” with people. “Every time only PTI has made it possible,”
he added.
Commenting
on the decision by the party chairman that he will contest by-elections on all
nine seats, Mr Awan said that the former prime minister has proved that he can
fight against all his opponents alone.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1703831/imran-to-spell-out-counter-fascism-strategy-on-aug-13
--------
Pakistan
strongly condemns storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli settlers
AUGUST
8, 2022
Pakistan
strongly condemns the storming of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli
settlers under the protection of Israeli occupying forces, today. This
provocative action has blatantly violated the sanctity of the Qibla-e-Awal and
hurt the sentiments of Muslims across the world. Such incidents are flagrant
violations of international law, international norms and practices. Any attempt
to change the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque must stop. Pakistan
calls upon the international community to take urgent action to put an end to
the Israeli aggression and violations, which continue to fuel violence, tension
and instability in the region. For a lasting and just solution of the Palestinian
issue, Pakistan renews its call for a viable, independent and contiguous
Palestinian State, with pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,
in accordance with the relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions.
Source:
Daily Times Pakistan
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Imran
Khan summoned in 'Toshkhana' controversy; PDP claims former PM took most items
for free
Aug
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a notice to former Prime
Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, Imran Khan in connection
with the government treasure-house collection controversy and summoned him for
a hearing on August 18.
The
notice was issued to Khan after Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) filed a
reference against him claiming that the ex-PM took most of the items from the
treasure house "free of cost" during his tenure, Geo TV reported.
PDM
filed the reference claiming that Khan had paid for only some items that he
took home from the 'Toshkhana', but most items that he took from the government
treasure-house was done so without paying for them
In
the reference, it was alleged that Khan did not disclose the gifts he took and
concealed the information in his statements.
Reportedly,
gifts received by government officials are to be reported immediately, to
enable its value to be assessed. Only after an assessment is conducted can the
recipient take away the gift, if he wants to keep it, after depositing a
specific amount.
These
gifts either remain deposited in the Toshakhana or can be auctioned and the
money acquired through it is to be deposited into the national treasury.
Last
month, the former Pakistan Prime Minister sold three expensive watches from the
government treasure-house collectively worth more than 154 million Pakistani
rupees (Pkr) to a local watch dealer, media reports said.
Imran
Khan reportedly earned millions of rupees from these jewel-class watches gifted
to him by foreign dignitaries, The News International newspaper reported.
The
most expensive watch worth over Pkr 101 million was retained by Khan at 20 per
cent of its value after his PTI government amended the rules and settled the
gift retention price at 50 per cent of its original value.
The
PTI chief first sold the watches and then deposited 20 per cent of each in the
government treasury, the Pakistan daily said citing documents and sale
receipts.
It
added that these gifts worth millions of rupees were never deposited in Toshakhana.
In
April this year, Shehbaz Sharif had accused his predecessor Imran Khan of
selling Toshakhana gifts worth Pkr 140 million in Dubai.
"Imran
Khan sold these gifts for Pkr 140 million in Dubai," Shehbaz had said.
He
said that the expensive gifts included diamond jewellery sets, bracelets and
wristwatches.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
Pakistan's
probe agency identifies 4 PTI employees in foreign funding probe
Aug
7, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has identified four employees of
the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secretariat, whose personal and salary accounts
were used for receiving foreign funding.
News
International newspaper reported that the agency said funds were received in
the bank accounts of Muhammad Arshad, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad Rafique, and Nauman
Afzal.
In
the statements, the PTI employees that they used to give the money received in
their accounts to the Imran Khan party's finance manager, as per the report.
They
said they would give signed blank cheques to the finance manager. According to
the publication, the FIA came to know during the investigation that besides
other accounts, foreign funding was also received in employees' salary
accounts.
FIA
has earlier constituted a six-member team to probe into PTI prohibited funding
case.
This
investigation came days after the three-member Election Commission of Pakistan
bench in a unanimous verdict ruled that the PTI received prohibited funding in
the case pending since 2014, ARY News reported.
On
August 4, the Pakistan government decided to file a disqualification reference
against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after the verdict of
the prohibited funding case and the federal cabinet accepted the
recommendation.
Pakistan's
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in her press conference that the
PTI used overall 16 bank accounts that were not found on the records. She
alleged that PTI used donations to the charity as party funds and an inquiry
will be conducted into it.
"For
the first time in Pakistan, a political party is declared a foreign-funded
party. The accounts of the PTI secretariat employees were used for foreign
funding," she added.
Aurangzeb
said that PTI was declared a 'foreign-funded party' in light of the ECP
verdict, according to ARY News.
The
Commission found that the donations were taken from 34 countries in fundraising.
These included America, Australia, and the UAE, Geo News reported.
The
ECP also said that the PTI had taken funds from an American businessman.
In
its verdict, the ECP observed the 'unknown accounts' and said that hiding
accounts are a "violation of the Constitution".
Moreover,
it found that PTI Chairman Imran Khan submitted a false Nomination Form I.
The
ECP decided to issue a show-cause notice to the PTI to explain why the
commission should not seize the funds it received.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
After
US, Bajwa reaches out to UAE, Saudi for crucial bailout
Aug
7, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Days after seeking US help in securing an early release of a crucial $1.7
billion instalment from the IMF to Pakistan, Army chief General Qamar Javed
Bajwa has now reached out to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of his efforts to
ensure financial assistance for the cash-strapped nation, according to a media
report on Saturday.
As
the executive board of the International Monetary Fund is set to meet later
this month to formally approve the next tranche of $1.2 billion instalment, the
international lender wants Pakistan to ensure it receives commitment from its
friends for financial assistance, Express Tribune newspaper reported.
It
is believed that the IMF has asked Pakistan to provide firm guarantees that its
friends would provide $4 billion for its external requirements.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
PM Shehbaz discusses mutual ties with UAE President, Amir of Qatar
August
8, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Sunday thanked President of the United Arab
Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for investment of his country in
Pakistan.
In
a tweet on social media platform Twitter, he said, “Grateful to my brother His
Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan @MohamedBinZayed for the
investment that the UAE is going to make in various sectors of Pakistan.”
“Both
brotherly countries are very keen to further strengthen their multifaceted
relationship,” the PM added.
Talks
with Amir of Qatar
Meanwhile,
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a telephonic conversation with the
Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani on Sunday and
exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.
Qatar
and Pakistan enjoy close and cordial relations. Qatar is home to over 200,000
Pakistani diaspora that is playing a pivotal role in the development of Qatar
and Pakistan.
Social
media campaign against sacrifices of martyrs, horrifying
Meanwhile,
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday while expressing his
displeasure said that the social media campaign, aimed at belittling and
ridiculing the sacrifices of martyrs, was horrifying.
On
his Twitter handle, he observed that the self-righteous political narratives
were poisoning the minds of the youth and spurring the hate speech.
Expressing
his worry, the prime minister questioned ‘Which way are we headed?” and
stressed that the moment called for a deep reflection.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Europe
Greece
takes flak over new legislation disclaiming Turkish minority's religious
leaders
Tevfik
Durul
06.08.2022
ATHENS
Greece
has faced stiff criticism over new legislation on the religious leaders of its
Muslim Turkish population that came into force on Tuesday.
The
minority has said they were not consulted during the planning phase of the
legislation, which allows the appointment of religious leaders, also known as
muftis, by Greek authorities -- something the minority in the Western Thrace
region calls "unacceptable," as it ignores the Turkish minority's
right under the treaty to elect their own mufti.
Members
of the minority have said the legislation fails to meet their demands,
particularly on their autonomous election of their own religious leaders, as
provisioned by international law and treaties.
Greece's
Western Thrace region -- in the country’s northeast, near the Turkish border --
is home to a substantial, long-established Muslim Turkish minority numbering
around 150,000, especially in population centers such as Xanthi (Iskece).
In
violation of a series of international and bilateral agreements, including the
1923 Treaty of Lausanne that established the minority's religious autonomy,
Greece has been accused of aiming to turn locally elected muftis into Greek
state officials via the new measures.
According
to the legislation, the muftis would be turned into bureaucrats of the Greek
Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, appointed by a ministerial
committee instead of the related bodies of the minority.
The
Western Thrace Turkish Minority Consultation Council, one of the minority's
oldest and most prominent associations, stressed that the new legislation
ignored the Treaty of Lausanne and has rejected what it called anti-democratic
legislation that is far from being constructive.
In
Xanthi, the office of the elected local mufti said the legislation was part of
Greece's efforts to undermine the Turkish minority's rights and freedoms.
For
its part, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has criticized Greece for denying
recognition to the minority's elected muftis, and called this
"unacceptable."
"Greece
once again violated the rights and freedoms of the Turkish Minority in Western
Thrace, guaranteed by international agreements, particularly the Lausanne Peace
Treaty, through an act that it has enacted recently regarding the Muftis in
Western Thrace," it said in a statement on Thursday.
Decades-long
struggle for rights
The
rights of the Turks of Western Thrace were guaranteed under the Treaty of
Lausanne, but since then the situation has steadily deteriorated.
After
a Greek junta came to power in 1967, the Turks of Western Thrace started to
face harsher persecution and rights abuses by the Greek state, often in blatant
violation of European court rulings.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
Negotiators
optimistic about progress on Iran nuclear deal
07
August, 2022
Top
negotiators in renewed talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal indicated
Sunday that they are optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement
to impose limits on Tehran's uranium enrichment.
“We
stand 5 minutes or 5 seconds from the finish line,” Russian Ambassador Mikhail
Ulyanov told reporters outside Vienna’s Palais Coburg, four days into the
talks. He said there are “3 or 4 issues” left to be resolved.
“They
are sensitive, especially for Iranians and Americans,” Ulyanov said. “I cannot
guarantee, but the impression is that we are moving in the right direction.”
Enrique
Mora, the European Union’s top negotiator, also said he is “absolutely”
optimistic about the talks’ progress so far.
“We
are advancing, and I expect we will close the negotiations soon,” he told
Iranian media.
Negotiators
from Iran, the US and the European Union resumed indirect talks over Tehran’s
tattered nuclear deal Thursday after a months-long standstill in negotiations.
Since
the deal’s de facto collapse, Iran has been running advanced centrifuges and
rapidly growing its stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran
struck the nuclear deal in 2015 with the US, France, Germany, Britain, Russia
and China. The deal saw Iran agree to limit its enrichment of uranium under the
watch of UN inspectors in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
says UN nuclear watchdog should resolve outstanding issues
07 August,
2022
Iran
on Sunday demanded that the UN nuclear watchdog “completely” resolve
outstanding issues related to questions over nuclear material at undeclared
sites, amid resumed talks to revive its 2015 nuclear deal.
Talks
aimed at reviving the agreement over Iran's nuclear program resumed this week
in Vienna, months after they had stalled.
Iranian
sources have suggested that one of the key sticking points is a probe by the
International Atomic Energy Agency on traces of nuclear material found at
undeclared Iranian sites.
“We
believe that the agency should completely resolve the remaining safeguard
issues from a technical route by distancing itself from irrelevant and
unconstructive political issues,” Iran's foreign minister Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian said.
During
a phone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated
that his country is “serious about reaching a strong and lasting agreement”,
Iran's foreign ministry said.
“The
outcome of this matter depends on whether the US wants to make an agreement,”
he added.
The
IAEA's board of governors adopted a resolution in June, censuring Iran for
failing to adequately explain the previous discovery of traces of enriched
uranium at three previously undeclared sites.
But
Tehran argued on Friday that the issues surrounding the undeclared sites “are
political in nature and should not be used as a pretext for abuse against Iran
in the future”.
“Nuclear
weapons have no place in the doctrine of the Islamic republic of Iran and are
contrary to our policies and beliefs,” Amir-Abdollahian reiterated on Sunday.
The
negotiations to revive the deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action, began in April 2021 before coming to a standstill in March.
The
2015 deal gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear
program to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon --
something it has always denied wanting to do.
But
the US unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 and the reimposition of
biting economic sanctions prompted Iran to begin rolling back on its own
commitments.
Russia's
envoy to Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov however said Sunday that talks are moving “in
the right direction”.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
urges Germany to take immediate action against Quran desecration
08
August 2022
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry spokesman has categorically condemned the desecration of the
Holy Quran and Islamic sanctities in Germany, urging the country to put an end
to such moves.
According
to reports, ten people desecrated the Holy Quran in front of the Islamic Centre
of Hamburg on Sunday.
German
police forces, who were present in the place, did not take any action to
prevent the blasphemous act, which is prohibited under Germany’s law, nor
reacted to those who committed it, Iranian news network al-Alam reported.
In
a statement following the incident, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser
Kan’ani slammed the “provocative” move and warned of its “dangerous”
consequences and implications.
“This
blasphemous act is a clear example of sedition and spreading hatred and is
categorically condemned by all Muslims, monotheists …and those who believe in
coexistence and interfaith dialogue,” he said.
He
noted that such acts are “another aspect of extremism and Takfiri violence”
that require a “strong and deterrent response from governments that claim to be
supporting human rights, freedom, and democracy.”
Kan’ani
urged Germany to take “an immediate and strong” action over the incident and
called for holding the perpetrators to account in order to prevent the
repetition of such acts.
He
further said that those acts stress the importance of unity among Muslims and
Islamic countries against conspiracies hatched by the enemies of Islam.
The
desecration of the Islamic sanctities took place on the ninth day of the
mourning month of Muharram, which is called Tasua.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/08/08/686982/Iran-condemns-Quran-desecration-Germany
--------
UN
chief welcomes cease-fire in Gaza
Burak
Bir
08.08.2022
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday welcomed the announcement of a
cease-fire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian group Islamic
Jihad.
Guterres
also commended Egypt for its efforts carried out in close coordination with the
UN to help restore calm, his office said in a statement.
He
also extended his condolences to the victims of the violence and their loved
ones.
"He
is deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries, including children, from
airstrikes in Gaza and the indiscriminate firing of rockets toward Israel from
population centers in Gaza by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant
groups," it added.
Calling
on all sides to observe the cease-fire, Guterres reaffirmed the UN's commitment
to the achievement of a two-state solution based on relevant United Nations
resolutions.
An
Egyptian-brokered cease-fire in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Islamic Jihad
took effect late Sunday at 11.30 p.m. local time (2030GMT).
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/un-chief-welcomes-cease-fire-in-gaza/2656156
--------
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