India-Based Twitter Accounts Fanned Hindu-Muslim Unrest In Leicester UK, Say Researchers at Rutgers University
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 November 2022
A network of fake accounts
originating outside of the UK stoked violence between Muslims and Hindus in
Leicester, says report. (Screengrabs from a Twitter video)
-----
• Sweden Banning Islamic Schools In A Bid To Push
"Anti-Islamic Rhetoric"
• Saudi Arabia Sentences Pro-Democracy Activist
Abdullah Gailan, To 10 Years In Prison
Over Tweets, Rights Groups Say
• Protest Against Hindu Students Reciting Muslim
Prayer In Coastal Karnataka During An ‘Inter-Faith Prayer’
• Islam Is The Religion Of Tolerance, Peace, And
Humanity: Chief Justice of Sharia Court
Europe
• Sweden approves 'anti-terrorism law'
• No deadline for Iran's answers but talks cannot go
on forever: UN nuclear chief
• British spy chief: Iran has tried 10 times to kidnap
or kill UK-based individuals
--------
Arab World
• Türkiye nabs 2 PKK/YPG terrorists preparing suicide
bombing in Syria
• Israel blames Iran for drone attack on oil tanker
off Oman
• Angry villagers, troops block US military convoy
from advancing in Syria's Hasakah
• US ambassador’s bids pose serious threats to our
national security, Iraqi legislator says
• Iraq sets up top body to tackle ‘major’ corruption
cases
• Saudi Arabia to donate $50 mln to global Pandemic
Fund: FM
• Saudi Crown Prince holds talks with South Korean
Prime Minister in Seoul
• Saudi Crown Prince congratulates Indonesia’s
President on ‘successful’ G20 summit
• UAE President meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince on
sidelines of G20 summit
--------
India
• Won’t Betray You, Says Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray)
to Marathi Speaking Muslims
• Shraddha Walkar Murder: Maha BJP MLA Urges Delhi
Cops To Probe 'Love Jihad' Angle
• UP Orders Action Against Unrecognised Madrasas 'As
Per Law'
--------
Pakistan
• Imran’s Divisional Politics Impediment To National
Unity: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl
• COAS should be selected on seniority: Fazl
• Pakistan seeks Constitutional amendment to rule on
army chief appointment
• Minister ‘confirms’ plans to amend army act
• Default risk soars amid political turmoil, delay in
IMF talks
• COAS pays farewell visits to PMA Kakul, Baloch
Regimental Centre
• Two TTP militants jailed for life in Landhi blast
case
• Pakistan stresses unfreezing of Afghanistan’s financial
assets ‘pivotal’ for rehabilitation roadmap
• Taliban: Afghanistan regrets deadly border shooting
incident
• Terrorism one of Pakistan's foremost problems,
admits PM Shehbaz Sharif
• TTP kills six police officers during ambush in
Pakistan's northwest
--------
Mideast
• Israeli Arab Teen Indicted For Affiliation With
Islamic State, Plans To Make Bombs
• Israeli Military To Seize 320,000 Square Meters Of
Palestinian Land For Settlement Expansion In West Bank
• Israeli Forces To Demolish Several Palestinian-Owned
Houses In East Al-Quds
• President Rayeesi: Resistance Only Way to Confront
West's Excessive Demands
• Nuclear Chief: IAEA’s Anti-Iran Resolution Lacks
Credibility
• FM: Iran Not to Allow Foreign Elements Harm Nation's
Interests, Security
• Iranian FM Cautions Baku over Irrational Positions
• At least five killed, 15 injured in ‘terrorist
attack’ in southwest Iran: State media
• Iran sentences three protesters to death: Report
• Iran’s Revolutionary Guards arrest person they say
linked to Israel’s Mossad: Report
• Iran rejects western draft calling for cooperation
with IAEA
• Several killed in separate incidents in Iran on day
marred by violence
--------
South Asia
• Opening Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Office
In Kabul Strengthens Relations Between Islamic Emirate And Islamic Nations
• US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction
Assesses Factors Behind the Collapse of Afghan Gov’t
• Taliban visit fails to solve Chaman border issue
• Russia’s Multilateral Talks on Afghanistan Opens
without Taliban
--------
Southeast Asia
• Malaysia GE15: Will There Be A ‘Big Tent’ Approach
By Opposition Parties This Time?
• Good seed will become island, Rashid Hasnon tells
Anwar
• After nearly half a century under BN, Kepala Batas
wonders if it’s time for change
• Named after vintage town, Bangi voters grapple with
age-old issues of religion and roads
• Saudi Arabia to finance restoration of Islamic centre
in G20 host Indonesia’s capital Jakarta
• Time running out as Malaysia’s opposition leader
Anwar fights for top job
• At 97, Malaysia’s Mahathir makes last election
hurrah
--------
Africa
• Sudan's Military Leader Burhan Again Warns Islamists
Against Interfering In Politics
• Critical aid starts trickling into Ethiopia's Tigray
after truce
• Kenyan president dismisses parliament bid to lift
his term limit
• Sudan’s rivals reach framework deal to end political
deadlock
--------
North America
• US Sanctions Officials, 'Interrogator' Journalists
With Iran's State Broadcaster
• There has never been any truth to Imran’s foreign
conspiracy claims: US
• US ‘confident’ Iran used drone to attack tanker MV
Pacific Zircon off Oman coast
• Canada sanctions Iran makers of drones used by
Russia in Ukraine
• US sanctions senior employees of Iranian state-run
media
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/india-twitter-hindu-muslim-uk-leicester/d/128423
--------
India-Based Twitter Accounts Fanned Hindu-Muslim
Unrest In Leicester UK, Say Researchers at Rutgers University
A network of fake accounts
originating outside of the UK stoked violence between Muslims and Hindus in
Leicester, says report. (Screengrabs from a Twitter video)
-----
November 17, 2022
A network of fake accounts originating outside of the
UK stoked violence between Muslims and Hindus in a British city earlier this
year, according to research first provided to Bloomberg News.
An estimated 500 inauthentic accounts that called for
violence and promoted memes, as well as incendiary videos, were created on
Twitter Inc. during riots in Leicester between late August and early September
this year, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers
University.
Hundreds took to the streets in the days following a
cricket match between long-held rivals India and Pakistan on Aug. 27, with some
rioters carrying sticks and batons and throwing glass bottles as police were
deployed to calm the masses. Homes, cars and religious artifacts were
vandalised during the clashes, which went on for weeks and resulted in 47
arrests, according to Leicestershire police.
Social media was rife with videos claiming to show
mosques being set alight and claims of kidnapping, forcing police to issue
warnings that people should not believe misinformation online. Many of the
Twitter accounts that amplified the unrest originated in India, researchers
said.
Anti-Muslim sentiment has been rising in India under
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to a narrative that Hindus outside the
country, some of whom are not Indian, subscribe to Hindutva, a kind of Hindu
nationalism. An initial video purporting to show Hindutva Hindus attacking
Muslim men sparked uncorroborated claims that local, politically motivated
activists amplified, researchers said. The video sparked the interest of a
foreign influence network, the involvement of which contributed to real-world
violence, according to the findings.
US technology companies played a key role in fanning
the confrontations, according to Leicester Mayor Peter Soulsby, numerous media
reports and participants including Adam Yusuf, a 21-year-old who told a judge
that he brought a knife to a demonstration and was “influenced by social
media.”
“Our research finds that both domestic networks of
assailants and foreign actors now compete to use social media as a weapon in
the midst of heightened ethnic tensions,” said Joel Finkelstein, founder of
NCRI. “Our methods highlight a process and technology that democracies need to
learn to take preventative measures and protect themselves and their
communities.”
Using data collected from Google’s YouTube, Meta
Platforms Inc.’s Instagram, Twitter and ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok the NCRI report
published Wednesday provides one of the most detailed views of how foreign
influencers spread disinformation at a local level, transpiring into clashes in
one of the most diverse cities in the UK.
Mentions of “Hindu” exceeded mentions of “Muslim” by
nearly 40%, and Hindus were largely depicted as aggressors and conspirators in
a global project for international dominance, NCRI’s linguistic analysis found.
They found that 70% of violent tweets, using sentiment analysis from Google’s
Jigsaw service, were made against Hindus during the Leicester riot timeframe.
One particularly effective meme, eventually banned by
Twitter, circulated under the hashtag #HindusUnderAttackInUK, researchers said.
The cartoon depicted the Muslim community as insects, alleging that different
aspects of Islam were “combining together to destroy India.”
Researchers also found evidence of bot-like accounts
which disseminated both anti-Hindu and anti-Muslim messaging, each blaming the
other for the violence. The bots were identified based on the time of account
creation and the number of repeated tweets, with some tweeting 500 times per minute,
according to the findings.
“It’s not Hindus versus Muslims it’s Leicester versus
extremist Hindus who came here through fake Portuguese passports, they started
coming here 5 years ago, before the Hindus and Muslims lived peacefully,” wrote
one account flagged by NCRI. Another, which has been banned, said that Hindus
were trying to “mobilise a global genocide.”
Largely, the researchers found that UK-based
assailants used social media platforms as a weapon to organise attacks and
amplify conspiracies against British Hindus, which in turn caused a
“tit-for-tat relationship between these two forces,” said Finkelstein.
After the first instances of fake videos spread on
Twitter, a “highly orchestrated echo chamber,” from India kicked into amplify
tweets “solely blaming Muslims for the events in Leicester,” the report
claimed, which in turned spurred even more violence against Hindus in
Leicester.
This suggested that local community tensions were ripe
for exploitation on Twitter by external nationalist groups, the researchers
warned. The BBC and disinformation research company Logically also found
evidence that a lot of the social media posts during the unrest hailed from
India, some 5,000 miles away.
Fiyaz Mughal, an author of the report and the founder
of Tell MAMA, a service that allows people in the UK to report anti-Muslim
abuse and monitors Islamophobic incidents, said he was shocked at how quickly
social networks “could jump on these issues.” Mughal said the events in
Leicester proved the “risk to the national security of any country today.”
Twitter didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Claudia Webbe, the MP for Leicester East, told
Bloomberg News the riots were undoubtedly sparked by social media. Although
hundreds of police were deployed to areas around the West Midlands to monitor
the demonstrations, she said she believed most of her constituents within the
Hindu and Muslim community had largely been affected “through their phones.”
“Even the people who didn’t take to the streets were
in fear because of what they were receiving through WhatsApp and Twitter — they
were afraid to go outside for weeks,” she said.
“You’ve got these overseas influences who are trying
to drive political hate and the desire to sow division,” she said.
Source: Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Sweden Banning Islamic Schools In A Bid To Push
"Anti-Islamic Rhetoric"
Photo: aa.com
----
Leila Nezirevic
16.11.2022
LONDON
Despite many being among the best-performing schools
in the country, the Swedish government continues to close down Islamic academic
institutions in a bid to push "anti-Islamic rhetoric" and "stop
privatization" in education.
Earlier this year, the Nordic country's
then-Educational Minister Lena Axelsson Kjellblum told a press conference that
her government had introduced a bill aiming to "prohibit the establishment
of so-called independent religious schools."
The bill essentially prevents the schools from
expanding by increasing the number of their students or opening new branches
from 2024 onwards.
Only Islamic schools have been targeted by the
legislation so far, triggering an outcry from Muslim organizations,
researchers, and schools, arguing that the decision to shut down Islamic
schools was not based on poor academic results or other teaching shortcomings,
but rather had political, anti-Islamic motives.
Mohamed Amin Kharraki, head of the independent Muslim
school Framstegsskolan in the Ragsved suburb of Stockholm, told Anadolu Agency
that around 20 schools that classify themselves as Islamic or those that are
owned by Muslims are being closed with the only three remaining fighting a
lawsuit against them.
Last May, the country's school inspectorate announced
it was shutting Framstegsskolan down. However, the school won an appeal and the
administrative court said the decision should no longer apply, pending a
verdict.
Decisions made on 'conspiratorial claims'
The inspectorate's decision to close the school was
based on a report by the Swedish domestic security service SAPO with
"conspiratorial claims" about the Muslim Brotherhood group, secret
agendas, and alleged terror labels that have left some researchers baffled.
"If I hadn't had the research background I have,
that I studied and researched the Muslim Brotherhood, I would have been afraid
of the dark. I would be afraid of basically all Muslim leaders in Sweden,"
local news outlet Syre quoted Emin Poljarevic, an associate professor in the
sociology of religion, as saying.
"This further shows that we have a social climate
where Muslims are exotified and made suspicious. It is a shame that Sapo, of
all authorities, has fallen into that pit," said Poljarevic, who is a
lecturer in Islamic theology and philosophy at Uppsala University.
Islamic preschools also caught in crosshairs
Saimagarden's preschool in the Akalla district of
Stockholm, also run by Framstegsskolan, was to close last August due to SAPO's
claims that children were at risk of radicalization.
The court, however, overturned the move and the
preschool remains open until a final verdict is issued.
Kharraki suggested that SAPO had not mentioned any
specific accusations about either school in its report and that it instead
referred only to "secret" sources.
Underlining the danger posed by the inspectorate's
argument, he said that if a school is accused of putting children at risk of
radicalization, with no actual proof or past incident, then it's "very
hard for you, as an accused party, to defend yourself, actually, because it's
nothing that has actually happened. It's something that may happen."
According to Kharraki, the school inspectorate never
visited Framstegsskolan to observe the alleged radicalization and has refused
to question SAPO's report.
Anti-Muslim agenda
Sead Busuladzic, a board member of the Nyans political
party and its top official in the southernmost Skane county, told Anadolu
Agency that the school closures were not about education, but about the
political anti-Muslim climate.
He pointed out how the right-wing parties that are
currently in power have explicitly said they have nothing against Christian,
Jewish, or other schools.
Politicians who, in his words, are normalizing
Islamophobia and making life more difficult for minorities, have only voiced
problems with Islamic schools, supposed to "stop radicalization." In
doing so, they are "influencing the general opinion and how the Muslims
are viewed."
Busuladzic explained that initially, Social Democrats
had driven this issue, because they are "against all private
schools," and argue that the state should run all educational institutions.
In practice, however, only Islamic schools bore the
brunt of even Social Democrat policies, despite their purportedly general
opposition to private education.
In past elections, instead of focusing on issues such
as the economy and high unemployment, politicians have fed anti-Muslim
sentiment, he said, suggesting that the school closures were a reflection of
this.
When the bill was first introduced by the government,
it claimed that all religious schools would be affected. However, in reality, this
has not been the case as no other religious schools have been shut down except
Muslim schools.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/sweden-banning-islamic-schools/2739879
--------
Saudi Arabia Sentences Pro-Democracy Activist Abdullah
Gailan, To 10 Years In Prison Over Tweets,
Rights Groups Say
Photo: Pars Today
----
16 November 2022
Human rights organizations says a Saudi pro-democracy
activist has received a 10-year jail sentence for writing tweets critical of
the government, as a crackdown led by
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against human rights activists and political
dissidents widens.
The Prisoners of Conscience, an independent
non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia,
announced in a post on its official Twitter page that the so-called Specialized
Criminal Court in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh has passed the ruling on
Abdullah Gailan, and slapped a 10-year travel ban on him as well.
Gailan, a graduate of West Chester University, was
arrested in May 2021 after he travelled from Pennsylvania to Saudi Arabia to
see his family.
He has apparently been held in conditions that
amounted to torture since his arrest by Saudi authorities.
The London-based rights group ALQST, which is an
independent non-governmental organization advocating human rights in Saudi Arabia,
said Gailan was tortured and sentenced to 10 years in prison over his critical
tweets.
He used to write against joblessness, economic
conditions and citizens' rights in posts published on social media platforms,
according to online activists.
Since bin Salman became Saudi Arabia’s de facto leader
in 2017, the kingdom has arrested hundreds of activists, bloggers,
intellectuals and others for their political activism, showing almost zero
tolerance for dissent even in the face of international condemnation of the
crackdown.
Muslim scholars have been executed and women’s rights
campaigners have been put behind bars and tortured as freedom of expression,
association, and belief continue to be denied by the kingdom's authorities.
Over the past years, Riyadh has also redefined its
anti-terrorism laws to target activism.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Protest Against Hindu Students Reciting Muslim Prayer
In Coastal Karnataka During An ‘Inter-Faith Prayer’
The alleged incident took
place at Kundapura in Udupi district of Karnataka on November 16, 2022.
----
November 16, 2022
A group of Hindu Jagran Vedike activists held a
protest on Wednesday November 16 against recital of a Muslim prayer during an
‘inter-faith prayer’ that was part of the inauguration of a block-level sports
meet in Shankaranarayana in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district.
According to officials from the Department of Public
Instruction, Mother Teresa Memorial School in Shankaranarayana hosted the
Kundapura block-level sports meet, which started on Tuesday November 15.
As part of inauguration programme, a group of students
recited prayers. First was a song related to Ganapati, which was followed by
the sound of bells, and the last was ‘Allah O Akbar’. As the students bowed
down to pray, a person on stage objected.
The school management immediately apologised and
continued with the event.
On Wednesday November 16, Hindu Jagran Vedike (HJV)
activists staged a protest against the school management allegedly using Hindu
students to recite a Muslim prayer.
Source: The Hindu
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
--------
Islam Is The Religion Of Tolerance, Peace, And
Humanity: Chief Justice of Sharia Court
Faizan Hashmi
November 16, 2022
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th
Nov, 2022 ) :Chief Justice of the Federal Sharia Court, Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar
has said that Islam is the religion of tolerance, peace, and humanity.
He was addressing as Chief Guest at an international
seminar on religious tolerance held at Allama Iqbal Open University the other
day.
He said that all the prophets have taught love,
tolerance, forgiveness, and justice. Our constitution has given the right to
religious freedom to minorities and people of all religions living here in
Pakistan.
Dr. Syed Muhammad Anwar further said that intolerance
is far from Islam and far from the Constitution of Pakistan.
He said that the rights of minorities are the
responsibility of our state, and all the democratic and government institutions
need to take care of minorities.
This seminar was jointly organized by the AIOU's
Department of Islamic Thought, History and Culture, Faculty of Arabic and
Islamic Studies, board of Bright Future society, and Implementation Minority
Rights Forum, Pakistan. Dean, Faculty of Arabic, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Shah Mohyuddin
Hashmi, Director General, IRI, IIUI, Dr. Muhammad Zia Ul Haq, Director,
Christian Study Center, Rawalpindi, Rt. Rev. Bishop Samuel Azariah, Founder of
Grace Churches International, Dr. Yousaf Nadeem, Prof.
Dr. Ghulam Shams ur Rahman, Dr. Muhammad Akram, and
Dr. Ayesha Quratul-Ain were among the speakers.
The speakers stressed the need to promote tolerance,
forgiveness, love and brotherhood, inter-faith harmony, and national unity and
said that the promotion of peace and tolerance in Pakistan is the guarantee of
a peaceful future for our generations.
Dr. Mohyuddin Hashmi said that we have completely
forgotten the most important lesson of diversity. He said that despite the
natural differences, the Holy Quran orders Muslims to stay united instead of
dividing.
He added that Allama Iqbal Open University had
recently organized an international conference on interfaith harmony.
He said that AIOU has also established the Department
of Interfaith Studies, which is offering a BS program in interfaith studies,
while we are about to start MPhil and Ph.D. programs soon.
Dr. Zia Ul Haq said that we need to establish an
atmosphere of tolerance and brotherhood.
He congratulated Vice Chancellor, AIOU, Prof. Dr. Zia
Ul-Qayyum on organizing different events for the promotion of religious
harmony.
Samuel Azariah, Dr. Yousuf Nadeem Bhinder, Prof. Dr.
Ghulam Shamsur Rahman, and Dr. Muhammad Akram also stressed the need for
tolerance, peace, and brotherhood.
Source: Urdu Point
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/islam-is-religion-of-love-peace-cj-sharia-1595376.html
--------
Europe
Sweden approves 'anti-terrorism law'
Leila Nezirevic
16.11.2022
LONDON
The Swedish government voted Wednesday in favor of a
constitutional amendment in hopes of altering its anti-terror law.
The Riksdag adopted the legislative changes in a 270 -
37 vote.
The new law will give greater opportunity to restrict
freedom of association for groups engaged in terrorism -- a key demand from
Türkiye to approve Stockholm’s NATO membership bid.
Changes will make it possible to propose and decide on
laws that prohibit terror groups or involve participation in a terror group’s
criminal offense.
The Left Party and the Green Party opposed the bill.
The amendment paves the way for easier criminal
proceedings against members of the PKK/YPG terror organization or other terror
groups.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/sweden-approves-anti-terrorism-law/2740452
--------
No deadline for Iran's answers but talks cannot go on
forever: UN nuclear chief
Oliver Towfigh Nia
16.11.2022
BERLIN
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) on Wednesday said there is no need to set a deadline for Iran to answer
questions about its nuclear program, but made clear that talks cannot go on
forever.
“I don’t like deadlines. Deadlines have a connotation,
a repressive connotation, that I don’t like. I think we have to work with …
mutual respect,” Rafael Grossi said at a press conference in Vienna.
“So I wouldn’t talk about deadlines, but at the same
time we cannot continue with this forever.”
He reiterated the need for Tehran’s “full cooperation”
with the IAEA to resolve issues blocking the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal,
formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The agreement curtailed Iran’s nuclear program in
exchange for relief from Western economic sanctions, but former President
Donald Trump withdrew the US from it in 2018.
“It is obvious that for the international community …
if you add absence of cooperation with a nuclear program that is growing and
growing and growing, then the lack of confidence is absolute,” he said.
“We hope that we can finally sit down … (and)
reconstruct a dialogue with Iran as soon as possible. My effort is aimed at
making Iran cooperate with us, understanding that they have an obligation to do
that.”
Grossi’s comments came a day after he pressed Iran to
answer questions over its nuclear program, particularly about “traces of
uranium that were found in places where they should not have been.”
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
British spy chief: Iran has tried 10 times to kidnap
or kill UK-based individuals
November 16, 2022
LONDON: Iran’s intelligence services have tried on at
least 10 occasions to kidnap or even kill British nationals or individuals
based in the United Kingdom regarded by Tehran as a threat, the head of
Britain’s domestic spy agency said on Wednesday.
Ken McCallum, Director General of the Security Service
known as MI5, said while at home Tehran was using violence to silence critics,
its “aggressive intelligence services” were also projecting a threat to Britain
directly.
“At its sharpest this includes ambitions to kidnap or
even kill British or UK-based individuals perceived as enemies of the regime,”
McCallum said in a speech at MI5’s headquarters.
“We have seen at least ten such potential threats
since January alone.”
The British spy chief’s words echo similar remarks
earlier on Wednesday from French President Emmanuel Macron that Iran was being
increasingly aggressive toward France by detaining its citizens.
For its part, Iran has accused Western foes of stoking
nationwide protests ignited by the death of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini
on Sept. 16 in the custody of the morality police.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2200871/world
--------
Arab World
Türkiye nabs 2 PKK/YPG terrorists preparing suicide
bombing in Syria
Zafer Fatih Beyaz
17.11.2022
Two PKK/KCK-PYD/YPG terrorists who were preparing a
suicide bomb attack in Afrin were caught Wednesday by Turkish security forces.
It was reported that the planned action by the
PKK/KCK-PYD/YPG terror organization in Syria was prevented with intelligence
studies conducted by the Hatay Intelligence Branch Directorate under the
coordination of the Intelligence Department of the General Directorate of
Security.
The capture of the two terrorists follows months of
follow-up after two women were detained while they were preparing a suicide bomb
attack at a restaurant in the region May 18.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Israel blames Iran for drone attack on oil tanker off
Oman
Abdelraouf Arnaout
16.11.2022
Israel on Wednesday blamed Iran for a drone attack
against an oil tanker owned by an Israeli billionaire off the coast of Oman.
Israeli Army radio said the attack was carried out by
an explosive-laden drone, but without providing any further details.
The broadcaster quoted a senior Israeli security
official as saying that Tehran was behind the attack.
According to the official, the oil tanker is operated
by a Singapore-based company owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer.
The Eastern Pacific Shipping company, the owner of the
tanker, said the attack took place on Tuesday evening where the vessel was
"hit by a projectile" 150 miles (240 kilometers) from the coast of
Oman.
It said the tanker was carrying a gas oil cargo and
that the attack did not cause any leaks or injuries among its crew, but
suffered minor damage.
There was no comment from Iran on the Israeli
accusation.
Source: Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Angry villagers, troops block US military convoy from
advancing in Syria's Hasakah
16 November 2022
Local residents of a village in Syria’s northeastern
province of Hasakah in cooperation with government forces prevented a US
military convoy from advancing through their villages on Wednesday.
Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that a
convoy of six armored vehicles was forced to turn around and head back in the
direction it came from after locals in al-Buladiyah village aided by government
forces stationed at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the area blocked the road.
The report added that the villagers threw stones at
the American convoy and chanted vociferous slogans in condemnation of US
occupation forces.
There were no reports of casualties during the
confrontation.
The development took place two days after the US
military, in cooperation with allied Kurdish-led militants affiliated with the
so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), employed 76 tankers to smuggle crude
oil from Syria’s Jazira region in Hasakah province to bases in neighboring
Iraq.
The US military has for long stationed its forces and
equipment in northeastern Syria, with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment
is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of
Daesh terrorists.
Damascus, however, maintains the deployment is meant
to plunder the country’s natural resources. Former US president Donald Trump
admitted on several occasions that American forces were in the Arab country for
its oil wealth.
Daesh weapons cache with Western-made munitions
uncovered in Syria’s Dara’a
Separately, Syrian government forces have discovered
Western-made weapons from a position of Daesh Takfiri militants in the
country's southwestern city of Dara'a.
An informed source, speaking on condition of
anonymity, told SANA that security forces carried out a clean-up operation in
Tariq al-Sad neighborhood, and found a big weapons depot left behind by members
of the Daesh terrorist group.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
US ambassador’s bids pose serious threats to our
national security, Iraqi legislator says
16 November 2022
An Iraqi lawmaker has lambasted US Ambassador to
Baghdad Alina L. Romanowski for her seditious moves and attempts to provoke
bitter divisions within the Iraqi society, stressing that her divisive stances
are detrimental to the Arab country’s national security and sovereignty.
Abbas al-Maliki, a member of the State of Law
Coalition led by former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, in an interview
with the Arabic-language al-Maalomah news agency, sharply criticized
Romanowski’s “suspicious” meetings with political and social figures as well as
members of civil organizations in Iraq.
“The US ambassador in Iraq behaves like a special
envoy as she holds meetings with any political and non-political figure whom
she desires, and can make use of all available social and political means for
such a purpose. Romanowski believes that she can give orders and tell people
what to do and not to do,” Maliki said.
He stressed, “Under the orders of the Iraqi
premiership, foreign diplomats must perform their roles in accordance with
international norms and principles, and should only communicate with officials
from the Foreign Ministry and state authorities through diplomatic channels and
submit a plan for their meetings in advance.”
“The US ambassador must respect diplomatic principles,
sovereignty of Iraq as well as the laws and regulations in the country,” Maliki
said.
Source: Press TV
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Iraq sets up top body to tackle ‘major’ corruption
cases
16 November ,2022
Oil-rich Iraq said Wednesday it has set up a high
commission to investigate “major cases of corruption,” as the newly appointed
premier makes tackling graft a priority.
Corruption, mismanagement, and nepotism are rife in
Iraq where they has caused widespread public anger.
Days after Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani was
appointed last month, authorities announced they were investigating the “theft”
of $2.5 billion from the tax authority, with a hearing by a judge of five
senior tax officials.
The high commission, whose creation the Commission of
Integrity announced on Wednesday, will be specifically responsible for “investigating
major cases of corruption” such as the tax authority case, said Judge Haider
Hanoun, who will now head both bodies.
The new panel must “block corruption and punish those
who are guilty of it”, the commission said in a statement.
Official figures published in 2020 estimated that well
over $400 billion had gone missing from state coffers since dictator Saddam
Hussein was toppled in the US-led invasion of 2003.
Iraq ranks a lowly 157 out of 180 countries in
Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index.
Criminal charges are rare in Iraq and usually limited
to mid-level government officials.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Arabia to donate $50 mln to global Pandemic
Fund: FM
17 November ,2022
Saudi Arabia will donate $50 million to the global
Pandemic Fund in a bid to boost efforts to combat future pandemics, the Saudi
Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
The Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince
Faisal bin Farhan made the announcement during his speech at the G20 summit in
Bali, Indonesia.
The initiative comes as part of the goals Saudi Arabia
set during its G20 presidency in 2020 to address the gaps in the global
response to pandemics following the COVID-19 outbreak, according to SPA.
The fund will provide financing to low- and
middle-income countries and regions to improve their ability to not only
prevent future pandemics, but to also respond to outbreaks efficiently at the
national, regional, and global levels, SPA cited the foreign minister as
saying.
The donation will also be used to fund laboratory
systems, disease surveillance, emergency communications and management,
community engagement and the health workforce, according to SPA.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Crown Prince holds talks with South Korean Prime
Minister in Seoul
16 November ,2022
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Mohammed bin Salman held official talks with South Korea’s Prime Minister Han
Duck-soo in Seoul, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Crown Prince congratulates Indonesia’s President
on ‘successful’ G20 summit
16 November ,2022
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent a
telegram of thanks to Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo following his
participation in the G20 Summit in Bali, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
“As I leave your brotherly country, following my
participation in the G20 Leaders’ Summit, I express to your excellency my deep
gratitude and appreciation for the kind reception and hospitality I and the
accompanying delegation received,” the Crown Prince said.
“I would also like to congratulate your excellency on
the success of Indonesia in hosting this summit and on the positive results
that we reached during your presidency,” he added.
The Crown Prince arrived in Bali on Tuesday and met
with several country leaders, including UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed
and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Source: Al Arabiya
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UAE President meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince on
sidelines of G20 summit
16 November ,2022
President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed
bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister
Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Bali,
Indonesia on Tuesday.
The leaders discussed bilateral ties between their two
countries, as well as topics of mutual interest, including those on the agenda
for G20 talks, the official Emirates News Agency WAM reported on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by high-level officials from
the UAE and Saudi Arabia, including the Kingdom’s foreign minister Prince
Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah.
Source: Al Arabiya
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India
Won’t Betray You, Says Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) to
Marathi Speaking Muslims
Nov 17, 2022
By Jyoti Punwani
Mumbai: For the better part of Maharashtra’s history, the
two sides have been sworn enemies. But on Wednesday evening, at a meeting held
at the Islam Gymkhana, both swore to support each other.
Anant Geete, six-time MP and former union minister
from the Shiv Sena, was the special invitee at a meeting held by the Marathi
Muslim Seva Sangh, an umbrella organisation of NGOs run by Marathi-speaking
Muslims. A delegation of the Sangh had met Uddhav Thackeray about a month ago
and told him its members were pained by the way his government had been
dislodged. They also offered their support.
Citing this initiative, Islam Gymkhana president Yusuf
Abrahani pointed out that the Sangh had come to Uddhav Thackeray’s party not
when it was in power but out of it. Geete acknowledged this. “You came to offer
support at a time when many felt the Shiv Sena was finished,” he said.
Geete recounted that Thackeray had asked the Sangh if
it had thought its gesture through. Faqir Thakur, founder of the Sangh, had
then replied that they were Marathi Muslims, and Bal Thackeray had formed the
Shiv Sena to fight for the rights of the Marathi Manoos. “We are also
Bhumiputra, sons of the soil,” Thakur had told Uddhav Thackeray.
“Now that you have put it this way and shown faith in
us when we are down and out, it becomes our responsibility to stand by you,”
said Geete. “I’m not making any grand promises, but I can say that when this
bad patch is over, whenever we get the opportunity, we will see to it that you
get your due. We will not betray you.”
This assurance came in response to Thakur’s opening
remarks in which he reiterated the long-standing grievance of his outfit: that
previous governments had not wanted local Muslim leadership to develop, and had
hence cultivated “outsiders” ie Urdu-speaking Muslims from the North who had
settled in Mumbai. These outsiders were told to focus on Mumbai’s Muslims and
ignore the concerns of Marathi-speaking Muslims in the rest of the state. Thus,
despite their numbers and their problems being the same as the rest of
Maharashtra’s citizens, Marathi-speaking Muslims were side-lined, said Thakur.
The Sangh founder added their NGO was a
socio-political outfit but without being part of the state’s politics, it was
difficult to achieve its social goals. At this, pointing to his own background,
Geete said that his family had had nothing to do with politics. “If someone
like me, an ordinary Shiv Sainik, could become a union minister without ever
dreaming of it, surely you, who rightfully dream of a share in politics, will
see your dream fulfilled,” he said.
Ali Ahmed Shamsi, an 87-year-old veteran leader of the
community, traced the closeness between Shivaji and the Muslim community to
assert that this new coming together of Marathi Muslims and the Shiv Sena was
nothing out of the ordinary. Recalling that Bal Thackeray’s magazine ‘Marmik’
had an Urdu couplet on its masthead, and it was in Bal Thackeray’s reign that a
12-lakh strong meet of the Tableeghi Jamaat had been held, he said that those
who had projected the Shiv Sena founder as an enemy of Muslims were themselves
enemies of Muslims.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Shraddha Walkar Murder: Maha BJP MLA Urges Delhi Cops
To Probe 'Love Jihad' Angle
16 NOV 2022
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator from Mumbai,
Ram Kadam, on Wednesday wrote a letter to Delhi Police, urging them to probe
into the possible "Love Jihad" angle behind the murder of Shraddha
Walkar, a resident of Vasai near Mumbai.
In his letter addressed to New Delhi Police Commissioner
Sanjay Arora, the MLA from Ghatkopar West said, "The angle of 'Love Jihad'
should be probed into Shraddha Walkar murder case. It needs to be investigated
whether there was a conspiracy behind the love that the accused had for
her."
The Delhi Police have arrested Walkar's live-in
partner Aaftab Amin Poonawala, who is accused of killing her. Poonawala (28)
allegedly strangled Walkar in May this year and cut her body into 35 pieces
which he kept in a fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in south
Delhi's Mehrauli before dumping them across the national capital over several
days past midnight.
The MLA said in the letter, "If he (Poonawala)
was earning only moderately, then how come he was amassing money? It should be
probed thoroughly. The information that has surfaced so far indicates the 'Love
Jihad' angle. The Delhi police should form a special team to probe this
angle."
"Love jihad" is a term used by right-wing
groups and activists to allege a concerted effort by Muslim men to convert
Hindu women to Islam through marriage.
Meanwhile, activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad
(VHP) and its affiliated organisations on Wednesday held a protest in Nagpur
against Poonawala, seeking the death penalty for him.
Source: Outlook India
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UP Orders Action Against Unrecognised Madrasas 'As Per
Law'
Nov 17, 2022
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has directed
officials to take action against unrecognised madrasas "as per law".
According to a survey report submitted to the state
government by District Magistrates, there are about 8,441 madrasas across the
state that do not have recognition.
State minister for minority welfare, Muslim Waqf and
Haj, Dharampal Singh, said he had directed department officials to upload a
list of all unrecognised madrasas on the department portal and the MELA app so
that parents should get correct information regarding any particular madrasa
and they do not end up sending their children to the wrong institutes where
they can be misled.The minister said that during the survey, 8,441 unrecognised
madrasas were identified in which about 7,64,164 students, both girls and boys,
were enrolled.
"These children are the future of our country and
to ensure that they are aligned with mainstream society, it is necessary that
they be given access to modern education," he said, adding that the
department had also been able to identify the means of funding for the
unrecognised madrasas and in most cases, donations and zakat were the main
sources of funding.
Singh directed officials to take action in order to
provide education as per the new education laws to children from the minority
community.
He said that action as per law should be taken against
unrecognised madrasas and a presentation must be prepared to give a clear
picture about all the unrecognised madrasas that had been identified till now.
This would be presented before Chief Minister Yogi
Adityanath in the coming days.
The survey on madrasas was started in all districts on
September 10 on the orders of the state government.
The government has maintained that the survey will
only be used to improve the level of education in the madrasas.
Source: Times Of India
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Pakistan
Imran’s Divisional Politics Impediment To National
Unity: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl
NOVEMBER 17, 2022
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur
Rehman Wednesday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)Chairman Imran Khan’s
divisional politics was an impediment to unity among the nation. Addressing to
media here, the JUI-F chief continued to criticize the PTI chief, saying that
the country was being dragged towards a quagmire as the allegations were being
levelled after “destroying the country’s economy”. He said Pakistan was being
pushed towards difficulties, which made it lag behind in the comity of nations
economically.
He said the coalition government was trying to revive
bit-by-bit the ties with other countries “damaged by Imran Khan”. Fazl said due
to prudent policies of the coalition government, rigorous monitoring and
effective implementation of the given tasks, the Financial Action Task Force
had removed Pakistan from the Grey list. The country was now moving towards an
‘interest-free’ banking system under Islamic law by 2027, he maintained.
Regarding the PTI’s long march, Fazl made it clear that nobody would be allowed
to play with Pakistan at all costs, adding that it was a complete flop show. To
a query, he said Imran Khan was giving statements against the armed forces,
adding the “PTI chief would not be allowed to destroy the national institutions
as the JUI-F would defend the country’s geographical boundaries”.
Source: Daily Times
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https://dailytimes.com.pk/1028246/imrans-divisional-politics-impediment-to-national-unity-fazl/
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COAS should be selected on seniority: Fazl
November 17, 2022
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)
head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said
that the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) should be made on
seniority basis like the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), reported local media
on Wednesday.
Source: The News Pakistan
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Pakistan seeks Constitutional amendment to rule on
army chief appointment
Nov 17, 2022
With less than two weeks left for the retirement of
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Pakistan government is seeking to amend an Act
of 1952 to have greater authority over the appointment and retention of the
Army chief, according to a media report on Wednesday.
The current army chief, Gen Bajwa, will be retiring by
November 29 after serving for six years, which includes one extension to his
term.
The planned amendment of the Pakistan Army Act (PAA)
1952 would empower the prime minister to retain an incumbent Army chief with a
simple notification rather than through a complex constitutional process which
also requires the President's assent, the Dawn newspaper reported.
“The current legislation calls on the government to
follow a set procedure to reappoint or extend the tenure of the Army chief,
through a summary through the Ministry of Defence, followed by the Prime
Minister’s approval and a final nod from the President,” a senior lawyer was
quoted as saying by the report.
According to the proposed amendment in Section 176
titled ‘Power to make rules', sub-section (2-a), in clause (a) of the PAA, the
word ‘retention’ shall be inserted after ‘reappointment’ in the current text of
the law, while the word ‘resignation’ would be inserted after the word
‘release’.
The proposed changes were approved by the Ministry of
Defence last month and were set to be at a November 11 meeting of the Cabinet
Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) but were cancelled for
unknown reasons, the report said.
Lt-Gen Asim Munir, the senior most of those said to be
in the running to become the next army chief, is also set to retire a few days
before Gen Bajwa’s tenure comes to an end.
The appointment of the Army chief may be a routine
affair for other countries, but in Pakistan, it generates a lot of heat due to
the power wielded by the person heading the Army.
There has been intense ongoing speculation about the
appointment of the new Army chief. The recent visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif to London where he met his elder brother Nawaz Sharif and his
influential daughter Maryam Nawaz added further momentum to the speculation.
Ousted Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
chairman, Imran Khan has previously slammed Shehbaz and Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz, and questioned how the Prime Minister could
consult with “a convict” on the appointment of the new Army chief.
Nawaz was in jail serving a term for conviction in a
corruption case when he was allowed by the court to leave the country for
London in 2019 for medical treatment.
He lambasted the current government by saying that
“important decisions are taken abroad by those who have plundered the state
wealth for the past 30 years".
However, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
rejected reports about consultation with former premier Nawaz Sharif over the
Army chief’s appointment, underlining that the decision was
"strictly" Prime Minister Shehbaz's prerogative.
Generals in Pakistan have directly controlled power
for almost half of the history of Pakistan.
Source: India Today
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Minister ‘confirms’ plans to amend army act
Baqir Sajjad Syed
November 17, 2022
ISLAMABAD: Even though Defence Minister Khawaja Asif
on Wednesday attempted to downplay the debate on a leaked proposal to amend the
army act, the revelation has laid bare the ongoing behind-the-scenes power
struggle, ahead of the impending appointment of a new army chief.
The wide-ranging amendments proposed in the Pakistan
Army Act (PAA) 1952 pertain to an array of subjects related to the army’s
functioning, structure, command, and terms and conditions of service.
However, amendments to Section 176 are currently the
centre of attention, especially the insertion of the words “retention” and
“resignation” in sub-section 2(a) of the same clause.
A casual reading of this specific amendment in the
current scenario, wherein one of the contenders for the coveted post is
scheduled to retire a couple of days before the chief’s position falls vacant,
would suggest that a provision is probably being created to pull up the
transition in a manner where the complexity involved in making an appointment
is removed.
But that may not necessarily be the case.
The amendment was originally proposed by General
Headquarters, as per the Defence Ministry’s Summary for the Cabinet Committee
for the disposal of Legislation Cases (CCLC) and, on the face of it, seems to
be meant to achieve the goal of getting Gen Bajwa to continue.
According to a retired defence secretary, the
government or any of the services can technically retain any of retiring
officers of the rank of lieutenant general and below for as long as they are
required, without needing any new legislation.
The former secretary, who did not want to be named,
said the plan to ‘retain’ seemed to be meant for none other than the incumbent
army chief.
It is clear that the positions taken by the ruling
allies and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have made the choice of the
new commander quite tricky: if one candidate is picked, there is a chance that
one of the political parties may try to discredit that appointment in public.
This is something the military can ill-afford at this
juncture, when some of its senior officers are facing relentless criticism in
the political domain.
This is the context in which the proposal to get Gen
Bajwa to continue in office until after a new government is installed, seems to
have emerged. The idea is that the new government then picks who would be the
next army chief.
Until a few weeks ago, PTI chief Imran Khan was a
leading proponent of this idea, but even he seems to have readjusted his views
on the appointment and no longer seems keen to force his opinion on the
appointment process.
Also read: Gen Bajwa to stay on as COAS for 6 more
months: Supreme Court
On Wednesday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif contended
in a tweet that the proposed amendments package was required as per the Supreme
Court verdict of 2019, which had called for legislating on the tenures of the
services chiefs.
Timeline
Now comes the question of how serious the government
is about the legislation proposed by GHQ. The summary shows that the proposal
was sent by the defence ministry to the cabinet committee, which is the first
port of call for any legislative proposal, on Nov 1. Since then, more than a
fortnight has passed without a meeting of the CCLC.
When contacted by Dawn on Wednesday, three key federal
ministers expressed complete ignorance about the proposed legislation,
indicating that it had yet to be circulated among the members of the executive
body.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s sudden detour to
London on his way back from Sharm el-Sheikh on Nov 8 and his extended stay
there also explains the government’s reluctance to do the needful. Reports from
London had, at that time, indicated that PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif was
averse to Gen Bajwa staying in the job.
A federal minister, on the condition of anonymity,
also said that the amendments in the army act may not happen before the change
of command.
The defence minister also seemed non-committal about the
scope of the amendments and the timeline for legislation, saying that no major
changes in the army act were being considered and whatever amendments were to
be carried out, would be done in “due course”.
Source: Dawn
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Default risk soars amid political turmoil, delay in
IMF talks
Shahid Iqbal
November 17, 2022
KARACHI: The country’s default risk as measured by
five-year credit-default swaps (CDS) — insurance contracts that protect an
investor against a default — rose sharply overnight amid political turmoil and
uncertainty about talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The CDS soared to 75.5 per cent on Wednesday from
56.2pc a day ago, according to data provided by research firm Arif Habib
Limited.
Official sources in Washington said last week the
schedule for talks between Pakistan and the IMF had been readjusted, but the
negotiations are continuing. Media reports, however, claimed that the talks
that were scheduled to begin in early November had been postponed until the
third week of this month.
According to these reports, the talks would resume
after Pakistan fulfilled its pledge to adjust sales tax on petroleum products
and took other measures required under a loan agreement revived earlier this year.
Pakistan’s five-year credit default swap rises sharply
to 75.5pc from 56.2pc a day ago
But official sources, who spoke to Dawn, had said the
talks were rescheduled after last month’s release of a World Bank report on
flood damages in Pakistan.
Pakistan is scheduled to pay $1 billion on Dec 5
against the maturity of five-year sukuk, or Islamic bonds. The finance minister
has repeatedly assured for sukuk payment, but the international market is not
ready to rely on assurances as the country’s economy struggles to avoid default
by borrowing more from the markets, donors, commercial banks and friendly
countries.
The day-to-day increase in the CDS reflects a grave
situation, making it increasingly difficult for the government to raise foreign
exchange from markets either through bonds or commercial borrowings.
The country requires $32bn to $34bn this fiscal year
to meet its foreign obligations.
Financial experts said the country still needed about
$23bn through the remaining fiscal year.
Pakistan is still in the IMF programme, which enables
it to get inflows from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Pakistan had promised the IMF to bring down the fiscal
deficit by Rs1,500bn in the current fiscal year, but the situation is worsening
as the deficit expanded in the first quarter.
The financial sector said the Fund was demanding new
taxes to increase liquidity and avoid fiscal deficit expansion.
The government requires at least Rs800bn, which is
only possible through new taxes, something that can be difficult for the
government amid a faltering economy and political unrest.
Govt exceeds borrowing target
The government raised Rs757bn through treasury bills
against the target of Rs650bn on Wednesday.
Source: Dawn
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COAS pays farewell visits to PMA Kakul, Baloch
Regimental Centre
November 16, 2022
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar
Javed Bajwa on Tuesday visited Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul and
Baloch Regimental Centre, Abbottabad as part of his farewell visits.
Upon his arrival at PMA, the COAS was received by
Commander Rawalpindi Corps Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, an Inter Services
Public Relations (ISPR) news release said.
The COAS laid floral wreath at the Martyrs’ Monument
and offered fateha. He also interacted with the cadets and officers of PMA.
The COAS, while addressing the cadets, appreciated the
exceptionally high standards of Pakistan Army’s premier training institution
and its efforts towards grooming future leaders.
He also advised cadets to focus their energies on the
pursuit of professional excellence.
Later on, the COAS visited Baloch Regimental Centre.
After laying floral wreath at the Shuhada Monument, he interacted with serving
and retired officers and troops of the regiment, and paid rich tribute to their
supreme sacrifices.
Source: Pakistan Today
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Two TTP militants jailed for life in Landhi blast case
Naeem Sahoutara
November 17, 2022
KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Wednesday handed
down life imprisonment to two militants of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) on charges of carrying out an improvised explosive device (IED)
blast near a Rangers office in Landhi.
Inamullah alias Mulla and Muhammad Shafiq were found
guilty of killing two persons and wounding eight passers-by in the Khurramabad
area on March 11, 2013 by detonating the IED.
They have already been sentenced to death by a
military court in 2013 for carrying out the Abbas Town bomb blast.
On Wednesday, the ATC-V judge, who conducted the trial
in the judicial complex inside the central prison, pronounced his verdict
reserved after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.
The judge noted that the prosecution proved its case
against the accused beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Besides life term, the court ordered the convicts to
pay Rs200,000 as compensation to the legal heirs of the victims.
The judge also sentenced them to total
20-year-imprisonment for causing injuries to eight people and terrorism.
However, the court ruled that all the sentences would
run concurrently.
The court kept the case against two absconding accused
— Fareedullah alias Fareed and Zahidullah alias Zahid — on dormant file until
their arrest or surrender.
In the verdict, the judge wrote that some mitigating
circumstances did exist in this case, for which the accused could not be handed
down capital punishment of death.
It stated that at the time of the commissioning of the
offence as per the prosecution evidence and material available on record, both
the accused were accompanied by their accomplices Zahid and Fareed, who had a
remote control in their hands which the prosecution failed to recover from
their possession. Therefore, the capital punishment cannot be given to them,
the court ruled.
Source: Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1721304/two-ttp-militants-jailed-for-life-in-landhi-blast-case
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Pakistan stresses unfreezing of Afghanistan’s
financial assets ‘pivotal’ for rehabilitation roadmap
November 16, 2022
MOSCOW: Special Representative on Afghanistan
Ambassador Muhammad Sadiq on Wednesday stressing the region’s role in promoting
peace and stability in Afghanistan said that exploring realistic pathways
towards unfreezing Afghanistan’s financial assets was pivotal.
“A roadmap for the rehabilitation and reconstruction
of Afghanistan is equally important,” Sadiq said while addressing the 4th
Meeting of the Moscow Format Member States.
The fourth meeting of the Moscow format of
consultations on Afghanistan was held in Russia, with the participation of
representatives from Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Iran, Pakistan, China,
Turkmenistan, India, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Muhammad Sadiq said the international community should
consider cooperating with the Afghan authorities on a ‘hierarchy of
priorities’, especially where the Interim Afghan government had shown a
commitment to act on countering terrorism and combatting drug trafficking.
He emphasized that the pressing humanitarian needs of
the Afghan people must be de-hyphenated from any political considerations.
Beyond the confines of humanitarian assistance, he
said that “we should focus on generating economic activity within Afghanistan
to ensure a sustainable future”.
He said after four decades of war and bloodshed,
Afghanistan had turned a new page in its history, however, said that now that
the war had ended, there was a unique opportunity to secure durable peace.
Muhammad Sadiq said Pakistan was a firm adherent to
the primacy of a regional approach to the situation in Afghanistan.
He mentioned that the international community had
consistently urged the interim Afghan government to promote greater political
inclusivity. He, however, regretted that unfortunately, there was little to
show on this count.
He mentioned that despite assurances by the interim
Afghan government, the rights of women and girls also appear to have regressed,
not progressed.
Sadiq pointed out that the footprint of terrorist
organizations in Afghanistan had yet to be fully eradicated.
He said the advent of the Afghan winter had
exacerbated an already dire situation – the World Food Programme had already
warned that over half the Afghan population could face a ‘winter of famine’
this year.
He said the international commitments to provide
humanitarian support to Afghanistan remained largely unfulfilled.
Afghanistan remains cut-off from the international
banking system and faces serious liquidity challenges, he added.
Source: Pakistan Today
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Taliban: Afghanistan regrets deadly border shooting
incident
November 16, 2022
ISLAMABAD: The Taliban expressed regret for a shooting
incident that killed a Pakistan Army soldier over the weekend and led to the
closure of a main border crossing in Balochistan.
Chaman is the most important border point for trade
between the two countries, after Torkham in the mountainous northwest.
Taliban-appointed spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said
Afghanistan “expresses regret” for the incident and has appointed a high-level
committee to investigate it.
He said the border guard was shot dead by an unknown
person.
“The security institutions of the Islamic Emirate are
trying to pay serious attention to prevent such incidents from happening
again,” Mujahid said.
The frontier between Pakistan and Afghanistan has seen
similar shooting incidents before at Chaman, Torkham and other crossing points.
Source: Pakistan Today
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Terrorism one of Pakistan's foremost problems, admits
PM Shehbaz Sharif
Nov 17, 2022
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif acknowledged
that terrorism remains one of the “foremost problems” faced by his country as
he condemned the attack on a patrol van in the restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
province, in which six police personnel were killed.
“Let us make no mistake. Terrorism continues to be one
of Pakistan's foremost problems. Our armed forces and police have valiantly
fought the scourge. No words are enough to condemn terrorists' attack on a
police van in Lakki Marwat. My thoughts and prayers are with bereaved
families,” Sharif said in a tweet.
News agency AFP reported that gunmen with automatic
rifles ambushed a police vehicle patrolling the village of Shahab Khel in Lakki
Marwat district early on the morning of Wednesday.
All six policemen were killed under fire from both
sides, Tariqullah Khan, a district official in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the local chapter of
the Afghanistan-based Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack.
In a statement issued shortly after the attack,
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif condemned it and paid tribute to the martyred
policemen. "The nation salutes brave officers who have sacrificed their
lives for their motherland,” he said, as quoted by The News.
Terming terrorists as the enemies of Pakistan, Sharif
vowed that the nation would stand strong against them.
Expressing grief and sorrow over the loss of precious
lives in the terror incident, President Alvi also said the sacrifices rendered
by the security personnel in the war on terrorism are unforgettable.
Source: India Today
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TTP kills six police officers during ambush in
Pakistan's northwest
Nov 17, 2022
ISLAMABAD: At least six policemen were killed in a
terrorist attack on a police mobile van in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province bordering Afghanistan on Wednesday.
The attack took place in Shahabkhel area of Lakki
Marwat district in the morning. Police said the slain cops were on a routine
patrol when gunmen on motorcycles opened fire on their vehicle and managed to
flee. “The deceased included four police constables, an assistant sub-inspector
and a driver,” said Irfanullah, a local police official.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack,
calling the police a “vanguard against terrorism”.
“Let us make no mistake. Terrorism continues to be one
of Pakistan’s foremost problems. Our armed forces and police have valiantly
fought the scourge,” he tweeted.
The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a conglomerate
of various Pakistani terrorist outfits, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The group said in a statement that the attack was carried out to counter a police
raid on the outfit’s facilities.
In a separate statement on Wednesday, the TTP claimed
that a US drone strike and following Pakistani security raid had killed three
of the group’s commanders in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district. The claim could
not be independently verified but the provincial counter-terrorism department
had confirmed a day earlier the killing of four terrorists in an
intelligence-based operation in the same district.
There has been a dramatic rise in TTP attacks in
Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021
following the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government and exit of all
international troops from the war-torn country. A ceasefire agreement between
the TTP and Islamabad in November 2021, which was indefinitely extended in May
this year, could also not stop the frequent militant attacks.
Source: Times Of India
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Mideast
Israeli Arab Teen Indicted For Affiliation With
Islamic State, Plans To Make Bombs
By Emanuel Fabian
16 November 2022
Prosecutors on Wednesday filed an indictment against
an Arab teen from northern Israel over his alleged affiliation with the Islamic
State terror group, the Justice Ministry said.
According to the charge sheet, over the past two
years, the 16-year-old was in contact with several members of the jihadist
group via the Telegram messaging application and other social media sites.
The indictment, citing the teen’s interrogation by the
Shin Bet security agency, said in 2020 he was interested in swearing allegiance
to IS and potentially joining its ranks abroad.
In 2021, the teen swore allegiance to the group, and
continued being in contact with members, who provided him with instructions to
build explosive devices and makeshift weapons, the indictment read.
The teen also attempted to convince several of his
friends to join IS as well, however, they declined, according to the
indictment.
As he is a minor, the suspect’s name and other
identifying details, such as when he was arrested, were barred from
publication.
The prosecution has asked to keep the suspect held
until the end of legal proceedings.
Last month, six Arab men were arrested for alleged
affiliation with IS and plans to commit terror attacks. The men, from Nazareth
in northern Israel, were accused of planning to attack a Muslim school, a busy
bus stop, a police station and a park where Jewish Israelis often visit.
In August, three Arab men were arrested for alleged
affiliation with IS and plans to fight with the jihadist group in Africa. In
April, another Arab teen was arrested for planning to join IS in Syria.
Source: Times Of Israel
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Israeli military to seize 320,000 square meters of
Palestinian land for settlement expansion in West Bank
17 November 2022
The Israeli military is set to confiscate thousands of
square meters of Palestinian-owned land in the southern West Bank to expand
illegal settlements in violation of international law and UN Security Council
resolutions which condemn the Tel Aviv regime’s land expropriation policies in
the occupied territories.
Hasan Brijiyeh, a local anti-settlement and
anti-apartheid activist, told the official Palestinian news agency Wafa that
Israeli officials had issued a military order aimed at confiscation of 230
dunams (230,000 square meters) of private Palestinian land in al-Khader town
and the villages of Nahalin and Artas, in order to expand the nearby illegal
settlements of Daniel, Eliezer and Efrat.
Brijiyeh noted that the order will come into effect
within 30 days from the date of the decision.
Last month, Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian activist
who monitors Israeli settlement activities in the northern West Bank, said that
Israeli officials were planning to grab some 616 dunams (616,000 square meters)
of Palestinian-owned land in the villages of Qaryout and al-Lubban
ash-Sharqiya, and as-Sawiya town to make room for the expansion of Eli
settlement.
Emboldened by former US president Donald Trump’s
all-out support, Israel has stepped up its illegal settlement construction
activities in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334,
which pronounced settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds “a flagrant
violation under international law.”
Much of the international community regards the
Israeli settler units in the occupied lands as illegal.
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230
settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East
al-Quds.
All Israeli settlements are illegal under
international law. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement
activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.
Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future
independent state with East al-Quds as its capital.
Source: Press TV
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Israeli forces to demolish several Palestinian-owned
houses in East al-Quds
16 November 2022
Israel appears set to demolish a number of
privately-owned Palestinian houses in the occupied East al-Quds neighborhood of
al-Tur, amid ongoing land grab policies carried out by the Tel Aviv regime.
According to Palestinian WAFA news agency, Israeli
police, accompanied by staff of the Israeli municipality of West al-Quds,
stormed several neighborhoods in al-Tur, photographed a number of homes in the
area and placed demolition notices against the structures.
The local source did not provide further information
on who owns the houses or when the demolitions will take place.
Earlier on Monday, local sources said that Israeli
occupation forces demolished two Palestinian-owned houses in the town of
Tarqumia, northwest of the southern occupied West Bank city of Hebron, in order
to expand two illegal settlements.
The destruction of houses took place even though the
land owners own legal papers that prove their ownership.
In a report issued in September, the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the Israeli regime has
demolished close to 9,000 Palestinian-owned structures since 2009, rendering
thousands of Palestinians homeless. The demolitions have displaced some 13,000
Palestinians and inflicted losses on around 152,000 others, the UN report
added.
To justify the demolitions, the regime has been
claiming that their owners lack construction permit, which is almost impossible
to obtain.
The Tel Aviv regime also regularly destroys the homes
of Palestinians it blames for attacks on Israeli settlers, in an act of
collective punishment condemned by human rights activists.
According to a recent survey, some 130,000
Palestinians, who live in the areas occupied by Israel in 1948, face the threat
of demolition of their homes and displacement even though they were not
suspected of any wrongdoing.
Source: Press TV
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President Rayeesi: Resistance Only Way to Confront
West's Excessive Demands
2022-November-16
The Iranian president made the remarks in a meeting
with a visiting high-ranking Venezuelan delegation comprised of Vice President
and Minister of Science, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Agriculture
and Lands.
President Rayeesi said that Iran's different and vast
economic, scientific and energy capacities make bilateral and multilateral
cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran fruitful for other nations.
The Iranian president praised the resistance of the
Venezuelan people against Imperialist powers, saying Americans thought they
could stop the nations with threats and sanctions.
"However, the approach of independent nations
forced them to retreat and once again proved that resistance and cooperation
are the only way to tackle the West's excessive demands," he added.
The Venezuelan transport minister, for his part, said
that "in the negotiations, we reached good agreements to expand
cooperation in the fields of transportation, agriculture, energy and
technology".
The Venezuelan official also considered the results of
the negotiations to be important for the expansion of trade relations between
Tehran and Caracas and welcomed the strengthening of scientific and educational
cooperation between the two countries.
In relevant remarks in June, President Rayeesi lauded
the strategic relations between Tehran and Caracas, and expressed the hope that
the two countries will further strengthen their cooperation in future.
"The two countries would keep up their
cooperation by signing a 20-year cooperation document," the Iranian
president said addressing a joint press conference with Maduro in Tehran.
"Iran has always sought to have ties with
independent countries and that Venezuela’s resistance against imperialism and
enemies was exemplary," he added.
The Iranian president said that as the White House
press secretary has confessed the US’ maximum pressure policy has failed and
this is a victory for the Iranian people and a failure for the enemy.
"The Venezuelan nation, which has had difficult
years under US sanctions, has been determined to stand against the
enemies," he added.
President Rayeesi said that Venezuela has left
hyperinflation behind and resumed economic growth, adding that it proved that
resistance had worked and forced the enemy to withdraw.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Nuclear Chief: IAEA’s Anti-Iran Resolution Lacks
Credibility
2022-November-16
Mohammad Eslami made the remarks on the sidelines of
the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday and called the policy of exertion of maximum
pressure and false accusations against Iran an addiction of global arrogance
and the Zionist regime.
He reiterated that they (the western countries)
themselves know for sure that the resolution they have drafted against Iran is
not correct and is strongly turned down by the Islamic Republic of Iran.
"The important issue is that Iran has a
comprehensive, approved and announced plan to advance its nuclear program and
it continues its activities within the framework of it," Eslami added.
He pointed out that Iran expected IAEA to show a
positive reaction to the goodwill of the Islamic Republic and allow the
natural, non-political path and professional method, as well as safeguards criteria
to be taken into consideration.
In a relevant development last week, Iran's Ambassador
and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeed Iravani urged the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to act as an independent and
professional body and stay away from the control of world powers.
Iran's envoy made the remarks at the UN General
Assembly plenary meeting on the report of the IAEA for 2021.
"The IAEA’s duty to verify member states’
activities and concerns over nuclear proliferation should not turn into a
hurdle in the way of peacefully using nuclear energy as an inalienable right of
the member states," he said.
Speaking about Iran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear
agency, Iravani stated that no issue has remained regarding safeguards
agreement between Tehran and the IAEA.
Source: Fars News Agency
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FM: Iran Not to Allow Foreign Elements Harm Nation's
Interests, Security
2022-November-16
Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in a message
addressed to Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ivica Dacic on Tuesday while thanking him for his condolence message on the sad
occasion of Shah Cheragh terrorist attack by an ISIL agent in Shiraz.
"Iran, as a country that is a victim of terrorism
and extremism, has always been a pioneer of campaign against that malignant
phenomenon in the region and the international scenes, and dedicated many
martyrs, including Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in that campaign,"
Amir Abdollahian said.
The Iranian foreign minister added that unfortunately,
some oppressor countries that claim to be the pioneers of campaign against
terrorism and have lost hope in imposing maximum sanctions against the Iranian
nation, are now trying to impose their deceiving policies by encouraging
terrorism and aggressive moves in Iran.
"Such moves cannot break the will of the Islamic
Republic of Iran in paving the path towards strength and advancement, and the
Iranian nation, too, will not permit national interests and security be played
with, by the foreign intruders and their mercenary terrorists," Amir
Abdollahian further said.
In his message, the Iranian foreign minister also
expressed hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran will in collaboration with the
independent and friendly countries, including the Republic of Serbia, take
precious steps in the path of real campaign against the malicious phenomenon of
terrorism, as well as the deceitful policies of the global oppressor powers.
Amir Abdollahian blasted some Western countries'
unconstructive positions and actions against Tehran over the recent
developments in his country, and said some diplomats pay greater attention to
partisan goals than their national interests.
In relevant remarks last week, Amir Abdollahian stated
in a phone conversation with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares that
some European officials proved during the unrest across Iran that they are
after their “partisan objectives rather than the national interests of their
country".
Elsewhere in telephone talk, Iran’s foreign minister
referred to the diplomatic efforts to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal, noting,
“We always welcome interaction with Europe."
"This is while the three countries of Germany,
France and England have since 2018 not been able to implement the nuclear
agreement, which was an international obligation, after the imposition of
sanctions by the Trump administration,” he continued.
The top Iranian diplomat also pointed to the
historical relations between the two countries and welcomed the further
expansion of Tehran-Madrid ties.
He appreciated the position of Spain in condemning the
recent terrorist attack in the southern city of Shiraz.
Albares, for his part, condemned the terrorist attack
in Shiraz and expressed the sympathy of the Spanish nation and government with
the Iranian nation and government.
Source: Fars News Agency
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Iranian FM Cautions Baku over Irrational Positions
2022-November-16
During the phone conversation, Amir Abdollahian and
Bayramov reviewed the latest status of bilateral relations and other issues of
mutual interest.
Amirabdollahian expressed Tehran's deep
dissatisfaction with some illogical stands adopted in recent days, and argued, "Respecting the national
security and territorial integrity of the countries and refraining from
interference in other countries' internal affairs are among the fundamental
rules in Iran's foreign diplomacy."
The foreign minister said that the diplomatic and
official channels are be best way to resolve disputes and misunderstandings,
and underlined, "Talking about such issues in mass media not only does not
lead to problem resolving, but also provides the path for the enemies' making
disadvantages."
Amir Abdollahian also said that relations with
neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan Republic, is the priority of the
Islamic Republic of Iran, and the two countries' relations need to be boosted.
He also invited his Azeri counterpart to attend the
3+3 Meeting, initiated by the Islamic Republic of Iran as a framework for
solving regional disputes diplomatically.
Bayramov pointed to the two presidents' meeting in
Astana, and the meetings between the two countries' top officials, as a
positive point in bilateral relations, announcing Azerbaijan's readiness for
strengthening relations and removing the misunderstandings.
In a relevant development in September, Iranian
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kana'ani asked Armenia and Azerbaijan to seek
a solution to resolve their differences through dialogue, amid concern that
worsening relations between Yerevan and Baku may threaten regional security and
stability.
Kana’ani said Tehran strongly believes that dialogue
is key to a peaceful resolution of existing disputes between Azerbaijan and
Armenia.
"Iran, on the basis of good neighborliness and as
part of attempts to constructively help resolve regional conflicts, launched
political efforts as soon as border clashes between the two former Soviet
republics flared up again last week," he added.
Source: Fars News Agency
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At least five killed, 15 injured in ‘terrorist attack’
in southwest Iran: State media
16 November ,2022
At least five people were killed, and 15 others were
injured in a “terrorist attack” in Iran’s southwestern city of Izeh on
Wednesday, state news agency IRNA reported.
The attack was carried out by two motorcyclists who
opened fire on people in a market in Izeh, a city in the oil-rich province of
Khuzestan, IRNA said, citing an unnamed official.
Members of the security forces were among those
killed, it said.
Last month, ISIS claimed responsibility for an attack
at a Shia Muslim shrine in the Iranian city of Shiraz that killed 15 people and
injured dozens.
Earlier on Wednesday, activists shared videos of
anti-regime protests in Izeh.
“Freedom, Freedom, Freedom,” protesters chanted in
Izeh in one video posted by the activist group 1500tasvir on Twitter.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran sentences three protesters to death: Report
16 November ,2022
Iranian courts issued three more death sentences for
violence linked to protests over Mahsa Amini’s death, the judiciary said
Wednesday, bringing to five the total handed down in three days.
One was convicted of attacking police officers with
his car, killing one of them, the second had stabbed a security officer and the
third tried to block traffic and spread “terror,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online
website reported, citing the verdicts.
Five people went on trial on October 29 before the
revolutionary court of Tehran, the judicial authority announced at the time.
Iran has been gripped by protests -- described as
“riots” by the authorities -- since the September 16 death of Amini, three days
after her arrest by the morality police for an alleged breach of Iran’s dress
code for women.
Charges have been filed against more than 2,000 individuals
in provinces across Iran in connection to the protests, according to the
judiciary.
Mizan reported that an individual identified as
Mohammad Ghobadlou was charged in Tehran with “corruption on earth,” an offense
punishable by death, for “attacking police with a car, which resulted in the
death of one officer and the injury of five others.”
Another of the five, Saeed Shirazi, faced the same
charge for “inciting people to commit crimes against the country’s security,”
Mizan said.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards arrest person they say
linked to Israel’s Mossad: Report
16 November ,2022
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday they had
arrested a person who they alleged is linked to Israel’s intelligence services,
semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The Revolutionary Guards’ statement said the alleged
spy was arrested in the southeastern province of Kerman, without specifying the
person’s nationality or the time of the arrest.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iran rejects western draft calling for cooperation
with IAEA
16 November ,2022
Iran said Wednesday it rejected a draft resolution by
Western nations calling on it to cooperate fully with the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).
“They wrote a resolution and brought documents which
they themselves know are not true and which are rejected by the Islamic
republic,” the official IRNA news agency quoted Iran’s atomic energy chief
Mohamed Eslami as saying.
On Tuesday, diplomats said that the United States,
Britain, France and Germany had submitted the resolution to the UN nuclear
watchdog.
The resolution calling on Iran to cooperate fully with
the IAEA comes after a report by the agency concluded there had been “no
progress” in a long-standing probe into undeclared nuclear material in Iran.
The text must be discussed during a quarterly meeting
of the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors, that starts on Wednesday.
The draft text seen by AFP underscored that it was
“essential and urgent” for Iran to “act to fulfil its legal obligations.”
An IAEA delegation was due to visit Iran this month,
but Eslami said that “for the moment, no visit of the agency (IAEA) is on the
agenda.”
“We have responded to all of the IAEA’s allegations
and accusations and, if it had good intentions and a will to continue
negotiations, they (Western countries) would not have presented a resolution”
against Iran, he added.
It comes against the backdrop of stalled talks on
reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
The deal Iran reached with Britain, China, France,
Germany, Russia and the United States gave it relief from sanctions in return
for guarantees it could not develop an atomic weapon. Iran has always denied
wanting a nuclear arsenal.
The deal collapsed after Washington’s unilateral
withdrawal in 2018 under then president Donald Trump.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Several killed in separate incidents in Iran on day
marred by violence
Syed Zafar Mehdi
17.11.2022
TEHRAN, Iran
Two people were shot dead Wednesday in Iran’s central
city of Isfahan, hours after five people were killed in an armed attack in the
country’s southwest.
The latest incident took place around 9.00 p.m. local
time (1730GMT) in the Khane Esfahan area of the city when two motorcycle riders
armed with assault rifles opened fire at security forces, according to local
reports.
The two slain men were both paramilitary voluntary
Basij personnel, identified as 54-year-old Mohsen Hamidi and 30-year-old
Mohammad Hossein Karimi.
At least eight others were also injured in the attack,
seven of them law enforcement personnel and one paramilitary Basiji.
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi extended condolences to
the families of the victims and asked the security agencies to
"immediately identify the perpetrators and leaders of the terrorist
incident and hand them over to the judicial system," his office said.
Meanwhile, according to Iran's state broadcaster,
quoting local officials, at least three people were also killed in Semirom,
another city in Isfahan province, on Wednesday during fierce clashes. Many
others were also injured.
In another similar incident Wednesday evening, at
least five people were killed and 15 others injured after motorcycle-borne
armed men opened fire at a busy market in the southwestern province of
Khuzestan.
Among the dead were an elderly woman and a child. At
least two others are said to be in critical condition.
A religious seminary was also set ablaze by unknown
men in the main market of the city.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for
Wednesday's attacks.
It comes amid sweeping protests triggered by the death
of a 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Iran’s morality
police in mid-September.
This week, a call had been given by anti-government
protesters for a three-day shutdown across the country, which notably received
a lukewarm response.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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South Asia
Opening Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Office
In Kabul Strengthens Relations Between Islamic Emirate And Islamic Nations
November 16, 2022
In a ceremony, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) opened its mission in Kabul, few days ago.
Senior officials of the Islamic Emirate, including the
country’s Foreign Minister, attended the ceremony to open the office of the
Organization of the Islamic Countries (OIC) in the capital Kabul.
The IEA acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mawlavi
Amir Khan Muttaqi, said the office would play key role in the improvement of
relations between Afghanistan and Islamic countries.
Opening of the OIC office, according to the Islamic
Emirate’s Foreign Minister, will provide the ground for the improvement of
Afghanistan’s relations with the Islamic countries.
In fact, the OIC’s office would be effective in other
fields including political cooperation, besides its clear contribution to the
economic and humanitarian support for Afghanistan.
The organization of the Islamic country’s office would
facilitate the delivery of humanitarian and development aids for Afghanistan.
A number of Turkish religious scholars have earlier
visited Afghanistan and spoke on related issues with the authorities of the
Islamic Emirate and pledged to convoy the available opportunities in
Afghanistan to the Islamic world.
The Turkish Ulama expressed happiness over the
recently ensured countrywide security, restored proper political environment,
social and economic developments in the country and vowed to share the good
message about positive development with the Islamic world.
Indeed, such visits and resuming missions by the
Islamic countries help overcome humanitarian problems including aids supplying
issues in Afghanistan.
Likewise, such visits and exchanges of views between
the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Islamic countries can pave the way
for further political engagements with the world and ease recognition of the
Islamic system by the world countries.
The Islamic Emirate has 100 percent of the country’s
territory, ensured countrywide security and formed a nationally accepted and
legal Islamic system.
What is more important for both the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan and the Islamic countries is that the Islamic countries should not
be affected by the western powers and their allies in recognition of the
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. They should act independently and based on the
holy sharia and do not fear others in their plan to inter a direct, firm and
honest interaction with Afghanistan, under the legal Islamic system.
Source: The Kabul Times
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US Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction
Assesses Factors Behind the Collapse of Afghan Gov’t
By Arif Ahmadi
November 16, 2022
KABUL, Afghanistan – The US Special Inspector for
Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) in a recent report assessed the underlying
factors behind the collapse of former Afghan government in 2021, listing at
least nine factors that led to Taliban’s regime in Afghanistan.
SIGAR found the single most important factor in the
ANDSF’s collapse in August 2021 was the US decision to withdraw military forces
and contractors from Afghanistan, which was based on the US-Taliban agreement
signed in February 2020 under Trump administration.
According to SIGAR, the Afghan government was
fundamentally unprepared to manage a fight against the Taliban as the United
States military and its contractors withdrew from the country.
Due to the ANDSF’s dependency on U.S. military forces,
these events destroyed Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF)
“morale” that eventually led to the fall.
“Many Afghans thought the U.S.-Taliban agreement was an
act of bad faith and a signal that the U.S. was handing over Afghanistan to the
enemy as it rushed to exit the country; its immediate effect was a dramatic
loss in ANDSF morale,” said the report.
In addition, SIGAR had identified eight other factors
that explain why, after 20 years and nearly $90 billion in U.S. security
assistance, the ANDSF was ill-prepared to sustain security following a U.S.
withdrawal.
1st Factor: No country or agency had complete
ownership of the ANDSF development mission, leading to an uncoordinated
approach;
2nd Factor: The length of the U.S. commitment was
disconnected from the reality of the time required to build an entire security
sector;
3rd Factor: The U.S. created long-term dependencies
that would require significant time to overcome, such as providing the ANDSF
with advanced equipment they could not sustain and leaving them out of the
equipping process;
4th Factor: The U.S. military, driven by political
deadlines, struggled to balance winning battles with letting the ANDSF gain
experience by fighting on their own;
5th Factor: The U.S. metrics created to measure the
development of the ANDSF were unable to effectively measure ANDSF capabilities;
6th Factor: Afghan corruption harmed ANDSF
capabilities and readiness;
7th Factor: The U.S. control of the battlespace and of
key governance systems restricted Afghan ownership of important military and
governance systems;
8th Factor: The U.S. and Afghan governments failed to
develop a police force effective at providing justice and responsive to
criminal activities that plagued the lives of Afghan citizens.
On August 15, 2021, the Taliban arrived at the gates
of Kabul, compelling then-President Ashraf Ghani to flee to Uzbekistan,
precipitating the collapse of the Afghan government.
By then, six of the seven ANA Corps had surrendered or
dissolved. Only the 215th Corps in Helmand Province remained engaged in combat
operations against the Taliban for two days after the president had fled the
country, at which point it was instructed to stop fighting.
On the day of President Ghani’s departure, the Taliban
entered the presidential palace.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/sigar-assesses-factors-behind-the-collapse-of-former-afghan-govt/
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Taliban visit fails to solve Chaman border issue
Saleem Shahid
November 17, 2022
QUETTA: The Friendship Gate at the Pak-Afghan border
could not be opened for a fourth consecutive day, as efforts for reopening of
the border failed on Wednesday.
Sources said a delegation of the Afghan Taliban
administration visited Chaman and condoled with the Pakistan security officials
over the death of a soldier of the Frontier Corps who embraced martyrdom when
armed men opened fire at the Friendship Gate on Sunday.
The Afghan Taliban during their stay at the Friendship
Gate held talks with the Pakistani officials deployed at the border. They
expressed their grief over the death of the soldier, terming it an unfortunate
incident.
The sources said that Kabul and Islamabad were in
contact with each other on the issue of the border closure. However, no
progress was reported regarding the opening of the border until the Taliban
hand over to Pakistan the people involved in the firing.
Meanwhile, the return of Pakistani and Afghan
families to their respective countries was completed.
“We allowed all Pakistanis to come back to Chaman from
Afghanistan who produced required legal documents, which proved their Pakistani
nationality,” a senior official of the Chaman administration told Dawn, adding
that the border was completely closed.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1721346/taliban-visit-fails-to-solve-chaman-border-issue
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Russia’s Multilateral Talks on Afghanistan Opens
without Taliban
By Saqalain Eqbal
November 16, 2022
Russia’s multilateral talks, Moscow format of
consultations on Afghanistan, started on Wednesday, November 16, with the
presence of envoys from various countries but the Taliban.
Sputnik reported that there are 11 countries
represented at this meeting, including Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.
At a news conference in Moscow, Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the discussion will center on the
military-political, socioeconomic, and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan as
well as coordinating measures to bolster regional security.
Despite taking part in the last Moscow format meeting
in October 2021, Russian officials previously announced that the Taliban would
not attend the talks.
The Taliban and other Afghan political forces will
receive a thorough briefing from the Russian government after the planned
meeting in the Russian capital, according to Sergey Lavrov, the foreign
minister of Russia.
The Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier
asserted that the meeting was “incomplete” since Taliban government
representatives were not invited to the Moscow format meetings in Afghanistan.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Taliban’s
foreign ministry, said on November 5 that the absence of the government from
such events may have an “adverse” impact on engagement.
The Taliban, however, participated in the last Moscow
consultative format, in October 2021, as the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister,
Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi chaired a Taliban delegation to the meeting.
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/russias-multilateral-talks-on-afghanistan-opens-without-taliban-36564/
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Southeast Asia
Malaysia GE15: Will there be a ‘big tent’ approach by
opposition parties this time?
17 Nov 2022
SINGAPORE: Political parties looking to form
Malaysia’s next government after the general election will likely have to forge
coalitions – an uphill task given various factors such as race and religion
issues, and the possibility of parties hopping between existing alliances.
With so many parties contesting the Nov 19 polls –
likely splitting the votes in a number of areas – none of the main coalitions
is expected to achieve a simple majority. This means negotiations will have to
be conducted before the next government can be formed.
Factored into their decisions would be the stance
towards race issues in the country, with the significant Malay vote at play,
and political baggage of candidates who had switched parties before the
anti-hopping law was introduced.
There has been talk of a “big tent” strategy by the
opposition parties to work together and block the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN)
from returning to power.
But that seems increasingly unlikely and unnecessary,
due to the current polling figures, said political science professor Meredith
Weiss from the University at Albany.
“The issue is that the vote could well be so
sufficiently split, that we really have multiple different options, some
including a bigger tent than others,” Dr Weiss, who is also a visiting senior
fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), told CNA
Asia First.
Forming coalitions also goes beyond just the number of
supporters garnered by the component parties combined.
Dr Lau Zhe Wei, assistant professor at the
International Islamic University Malaysia’s political science department, said
that the supporter base of the three main coalitions are also very different in
nature.
The BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN) supporter bases are
more loyal towards the party leadership, and more willing to compromise and
leave the freedom of decision-making to the coalition’s leaders.
However, Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters are more
vocal and active. “They will demand what they want. Yes, I elect you, but make
sure you do things that I want,” Dr Lau told CNA’s Asia Tonight.
“So it will be a problem for them to simply combine
with any other component party or any other coalition,” said Dr Lau, who thinks
the most likely collaboration would be BN and PN coming together under the name
of Malay-Muslim unity.
STRIKING A BALANCE
Dr Lau noted that to win elections in Malaysia, one
needs to strike a balance between securing the Malay vote while also pursuing
diversity.
“At the end of the day, Malaysia politics still rely a
lot on ethnicity or religion, and also on diversity. It sounds a bit
contradictory, but basically it's about having both together.”
He explained that although the Malay community forms
the voting majority, a party would still not have the votes to win enough seats
to form the federal government just by courting them alone.
The only occasion in which a component party could
form the government on its own was United Malays National Organisation (UMNO)
back in 2004, when it won 110 out of 219 seats, said Dr Lau, a result he
described as “a huge tsunami”.
He added that due to the Malaysian electoral system,
the lack of electoral pacts would mean parties heading into contests on their
own would lead to the splitting of votes, and further prevent a clear winner
from emerging.
The new anti-party hopping law would also not
sufficiently address the formation of coalitions.
“Parties themselves can still hop from one coalition
to another and that is very much a possibility shortly after the election,”
said Dr Weiss.
Malaysia had introduced the anti-party hopping law to
address political defection, with the law kicking in on Oct 5, five days before
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that parliament was dissolved.
There are however other considerations such as
political baggage.
For example, UMNO has issued strong statements against
aligning with Bersatu in a potential post-election coalition, as they are made
of former UMNO members who hopped over.
Dr Weiss said that there could be movements among politicians
before the next general election or even before a by-election, such as
candidates who were dropped as nominees moving to stand for another party.
There are also coalitions that stood together and
compete under one banner, but whose members still have loyalties to their own
component parties, such as BN and PH, said Dr Weiss.
Source: Channel News Asia
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Good seed will become island, Rashid Hasnon tells
Anwar
By Yiswaree Palansamy
16 Nov 2022
BATU PAHAT, Nov 16 — A good seed will become an
island, Perikatan Nasional candidate Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon said to rebut
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, his former party’s president.
Rashid used the Malay proverb to respond to Anwar, who
said at a political rally here last week that he would kick Rashid “into the
sea” for defecting to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) as part of the
Sheraton Move in 2020.
“Did I attack him back? No, I didn’t attack. He and I
have been taught religious education. We do not indulge in openly shaming
someone.
“Furthermore, that issue, as I had said, is a fairy
tale. There is no truth of that happening, about me crying asking for
positions,” the Batu Pahat incumbent said in an interview with Malay Mail here.
Anwar alleged during the ceramah that Rashid had cried
and begged for a position, and left for Bersatu out of spite, after which he
was made a deputy Speaker of Parliament.
“Personal attacks are not my game and I looked up to
him and I don’t want to go down that path,” he said.
Rashid then recalled when Anwar left the Malaysian
Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) to join Umno, which was led by Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, the prime minister then.
“We said, ‘eh Anwar, why are you doing this?’” he
said, adding that Anwar was a figure he adored and supported in his student
days.
“You know, in my personality as an engineer, I develop
people. Whoever gets a chance, I bring them up. I have never degraded someone.”
The former Penang deputy chief minister said his
objective for seeking re-election was to continue his existing efforts on
education, flood management, and solving housing issues.
He said his experience helping solve displacement and
housing issues in Penang would help in his constituency.
Rashid said that he was also hoping to develop Batu
Pahat as a tourism destination, as it has potential for extreme sports as well
as leisurely hiking.
While saying he would not ask for a ministerial
position, he described himself as capable of handling one.
Source: Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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After nearly half a century under BN, Kepala Batas
wonders if it’s time for change
By R. Loheswar
17 Nov 2022
KEPALA BATAS, Nov 17 — For as long as the federal
constituency here as existed since 1974, it has had a Barisan Nasional
representative.
Yet, there was now an angst in the area that suggested
all was not well with incumbent Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican’s
standing with his constituents.
In 2013, Reezal inherited the seat from former prime
minister Tun Abdullah Badawi who opted to go into retirement after having been
the constituency’s federal lawmaker since 1978.
But while Abdullah had always enjoyed commanding wins
in the seat — even in 1999 when many Umno stalwarts had come close to losing —
Reezal did not appear to have come into the same unwavering support.
This was not for a lack of trying. In a Kepala Batas
entering an election, his presence was inescapable.
Posters, flags, buntings, and advertising billboards
bearing his image and touting his service were prevalent all across the
constituency, even deep into the rural areas like Jalan Kedah, Permatang Tiga
Ringgit all the way to Paya Keladi and beyond.
Unlike this near-omnipresence, there was not a
corresponding level of affinity for the Umno lawmaker.
In Taman Bertam Indah, Malay Mail met residents who
described themselves as former supporters of the BN coalition, saying they were
disillusioned by the apparent corruption that has landed several Umno leaders
in court.
Shahrul Effendi, 49, was expressive in his disapproval
for Reezal’s party president, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and was
unconvinced he would not try and claim the prime ministership himself.
“I’m definitely thinking about his court cases
although many want to simply brush it aside, forget about it like it’s nothing.
Imagine he gets the big seat (prime minister), he’ll squash all of us like
insects,” Shahrul said when met at his house where he was smoking shirtless and
in his sarong.
A vegetable farmer, Shahrul said everyone in Kepala
Batas could see Reezal’s banners and billboards, but most just interpreted
these as him being rich enough to spend lavishly on electioneering material.
Shahrul also said it only hardened his resolve to vote
differently than in the previous three general elections, so he would not be
accused of enabling yet further corruption.
“We cannot keep going like this and since you asked me
what the undercurrent was, I’ll tell you it’s not going to be a walk in the
park for BN,” he said.
Nearby, Malay Mail met Norshamira, 28, a storekeeper
for a warehousing firm, and her colleague, Ah Seong, who said they have not
decided how they would vote.
Norshamira noted that politicians appeared to be busy
bickering over positions and not focused on matters affecting Malaysians, such
as the cost-of-living crisis.
Expressing anxiety over stagnant wages coupled with
skyrocketing inflation, she said she would like to vote for a representative
who could address this, but did not see one available to her.
“For the residents here, we also see the kind of
politics that’s happening and it’s so messy and we can’t help but wonder if
these politicians want to work for the people or themselves,” she said.
For school teacher Zailan Aboo Hassan, who described
himself as a staunch Muslim, he said he preferred his candidate to also exhibit
this virtue, but explained that ultimately, he was leaning towards the
Perikatan Nasional candidate, Siti Mastura Mohamad, because she was a woman.
Saying that Kepala Batas was no longer the BN bastion
it once was, he explained that he would like a woman MP because he felt men
were less hardworking.
“The PN candidate is a woman, young, a local. I hope
she wins. If you look at the current trends, support for her is rising. So, if
I had to compare between a man and a woman, I feel a woman can work way harder
than the male so let’s see what happens.
“I am guided by the Quran so for me when the time
comes it’ll be easy,” said the 50-year-old.
Housewife Yuslida Arshad, 42, was carrying groceries
to her car when approached, initially declining to share her views, but
relented to say she also wanted a change.
She explained that Kepala Batas has grown weary with
the same representation for decades and seeing the same results, which were no
longer acceptable with the residents’ worsening circumstances.
Still, she said change might be hard for the seat that
has grown so accustomed to voting for BN, and was unconvinced this election
would be when the streak would finally end.
“I feel PN is strong now, but to be honest the old
people are brainwashed and they love to vote. They cannot change, cannot see
the light, cannot see anything beyond the old ways so these pak cik and mak cik
will be a problem.
“Now the youngsters, they are not as hard headed as
the older guys and they will be the ones who will be able to influence this
election, but, as usual, it’s a mystery what the kids will do.”
For Azman Yusoff, 52, the frustration was not with
Reezal personally, but with the government in general, saying he did not feel
assured by national leaders who could allow the country to run short of staples
such as egg and cooking oil.
A critical Azman said the government appeared to be dysfunctional
and powerless to address the spiralling inflation and profiteers, leaving
Malaysians to suffer.
While he said he was still undecided over which
candidate to pick, he was certain it would not be Reezal.
“I mean what on earth are these people in government
doing? It’s a mad government. We must bring in change,” he said when met
outside a sundry shop in Taman Paya Keladi.
Adding to the uncertainty of Reezal’s defence was the
addition of 6,317 voters between 18 and 20 courtesy of the Undi18 movement.
While they represented less than 8 per cent of the
eligible voters, their numbers are greater than Reezal’s majorities in the
previous two general elections. Including those from 21 to 29, the two age
categories accounted for 25,695 votes or nearly a third of all ballots.
First-time voter Hadi Zulkifli, 22, said he was
excited to head to the polls on Saturday, saying he would intuit his decision.
Saying he did not follow the news and obtained his
political information from social media, Hadi believed a meeting with the
candidates would allow him to decide.
“If my gut feeling tells me this is the person to vote
for, that’s the person I’ll vote for. For now, I am unaware of these
manifestos, policies and promises. I know the parties,” he said.
For Pakatan Harapan’s candidate in the seat, Danial
Abdul Majeed from the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda), the
rumblings of discontent were encouraging.
While he would be trying to woo young voters who were
his party’s target audience, Danial said there were many older residents who
were also on the verge of changing allegiances due to a perceived lack of
assistance.
He told Malay Mail he has spoken to some farmers and
fishermen in the area who complained they were struggling to buy pesticide,
seeds and fertilizer. Some also alleged that political affiliation to a certain
party was needed before fishing permits could be obtained.
“They tell me they don’t want money or handouts, they
want this broken system to be fixed,” he said.
In 2018, Reezal saw off the challenges of PH’s Zaidi
Zakaria and Siti Mastura, who was contesting for PAS then, to retain the seat
for a second term.
Source: Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Named after vintage town, Bangi voters grapple with
age-old issues of religion and roads
By Radzi Razak
16 Nov 2022
BANGI, Nov 16 — The old town of Bangi is not much
different from when it was rebuilt after a huge fire in 1936, with the biggest
difference perhaps being that the train station originally built in 1905 now
serves the KTM Komuter service as well.
The station still stands by the side of a small hill
leading to the main road, with temples and a mosque situated nearby. Down the
road, old shop lots made out of wood — said to be part of the 18 original ones
set up in 1906 when the town was originally founded — still currently stand
side by side with their newer brick neighbours.
Past the wooden shop lots, the village head office is
situated on the main road of Jalan Bangi. Situated opposite a small old Chinese
coffee shop with wooden frames and zinc roofs, it governs the various villages
in Bangi.
Knowing its history, it feels jarring to consider that
the name Bangi was not even used for a state assembly seat until 2003. It was
then placed under the Kajang state seat, itself falling under the Hulu Langat
federal seat.
Bangi was then placed by the Serdang federal seat,
before replacing the latter and being promoted to a federal seat itself in 2018
— a testament to its burgeoning population of 303,430 voters, which is one of
the biggest seats in the country and almost double the previous head count of
178,790 voters in 2018.
Is being a Muslim a must to win Bangi?
Consequently, the seat is also seeing a crowded fight
in the 15th general election with eight candidates, including Pakatan Harapan's
(PH) Syahredan Johan, who hopes to defend the seat won by his DAP senior Ong
Kian Ming since 2013 when it was still Serdang.
Syahredzan is facing Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Hoh
Hee Lee, Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Nazrul Hakim Nazir, Gerakan Tanah Air's
(GTA) Annuar Salleh, and Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s (PRM) Chee Chee Meng.
Three independent candidates have also thrown their
hats into the ring: Suthan Mookaiah, Muhammad Fauzi Hasim and Dr Jamal Hisham
Hashim
Though expected to win, Syahredzan is also seen by
locals as a ploy for DAP and PH to win more Malay votes, especially in
Malay-majority areas such as Bandar Baru Bangi and Kampung Teras Jernang.
"I am sure Syahredzan is a good candidate but he
is from DAP. But I think it is a good sign if he can represent the people
here,” local Rafiz Amin told Malay Mail, admitting that DAP has little by
little shed its public perception of being "chauvinist" towards the
Malays.
"He prays five times a day, he has a good
background and qualifications. That could be a plus point,” he added,
highlighting how Syahredzan has shown his presence in the area even before
being nominated since he is PH's Bangi Parliament coordinator.
The mention of Syahredzan's religious credentials may
seem incongruous in an urban area, but in Bangi this is more of a reflection of
Syahredzan’s two Malay-Muslim rivals who play the religious card.
Islamist party PAS, contesting under PN, has fielded
the 27-year-old Nazrul, who was formerly a special officer for ex-religious
affairs minister Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad.
Meanwhile, GTA has fielded Annuar Salleh from PAS'
splinter party Berjasa. The religious teacher known as ustaz was formerly the
Hulu Langat chief of controversial Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia
(Isma) — whose headquarters is in Bandar Baru Bangi, and is fielding at least
six candidates under GTA.
"It is important that Malays are seen not just as
professional but also religious as well. Religious people will be seen with
more integrity,” said Bangi voter Wan Ikmal Abdullah, referring to some of the
more conservative Malay voters.
Rat race to influence votes
Despite this sentiment, the truth is that Bangi as a
seat is home to affluent and vibrant multi-ethnic communities divided into 62.2
per cent Bumiputera, 28 per cent ethnic Chinese, and 8.4 per cent ethnic
Indians — a close enough mirror to the national population.
While Bandar Baru Bangi and Kampung Teras Jernang is
home to stridently "halal and 100 per cent Malay owned" restaurants
and tudung sellers, areas such as Balakong New Village is predominantly
Chinese, while Bandar Mahkota Cheras does not even have a single mamak outlet.
Chinese educationist group Dong Zong — which Isma
would see as an ideological opposite — is also headquartered in the
constituency.
To drive from one end of the constituency at Bandar
Damai Perdana to the other end in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia would take
more than 30 minutes in normal traffic, and twice as long during rush hour.
This congested traffic during rush hour amid a rat
race that is affecting almost every voter from UKM students to office workers
at Cheras Perdana may instead be the prevailing make-or-break issue for
candidates.
Even before Nomination Day, the matter was already
raised by Syahredzan, who promised to raise issues relating to public transport
should he win — alongside other pet issues such as human rights, data privacy
and draconian laws.
"I don’t care what race, religion or how drunk
they are but they need to do something about the horrendous traffic,” said
Grace Ho, who has lived in Balakong for more than 20 years.
For a lot of voters, this situation is ironic
considering the number of highways and expressways that run through the
constituency: PLUS, SILK, Grand Saga, Lekas, and even the just-launched Sungai
Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (Suke).
"Most of us totally depend on the MRT, but when
it breaks down, we are out of luck. I don’t want to drive two hours to get to
work,” said Imran Alias. referring to the very recent breakdown of train
services in Kuala Lumpur.
Source: Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Saudi Arabia to finance restoration of Islamic center
in G20 host Indonesia’s capital Jakarta
RASHID HASSAN
November 16, 2022
RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced
that the Kingdom will finance the restoration of the Jakarta Islamic Center
after it suffered fire damage during renovation work last month.
Wednesday’s announcement reflects the crown prince’s
interest in preserving the site as “it plays a great role in educating young
generations and spreading Islam’s tolerance and message of peace,” the Saudi
Press Agency reported.
It added it is also “an embodiment of the fraternal
relations that unite Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.”
Indonesian Ambassador Abdul Aziz Ahmad told Arab News:
“I express my deepest gratitude to Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi
Arabia Mohammed bin Salman for attending the G20 Summit in Bali.
“We hope that the presence will further strengthen
relations between the two countries, not only at the G20 but especially for the
good relations between the two nations that have been established from
thousands of years ago.
“We welcome the initiative to finance the renovation
of the JIC by the Kingdom, as a reflection of the brotherly relationship
between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
“The JIC is an important institution for spreading
Islam, not only for the people of Jakarta but also for the people of Indonesia.
We believe the initiative will further strengthen the brotherly relations
between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia in the present and the future.”
Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General
Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, thanked the crown prince for
supporting the restoration.
He also gave his appreciation for the backing of the
Kingdom and its leadership in aiding Islamic countries, and said that Indonesia
is at the forefront of regions that have enjoyed such support.
He added that the Saudi leadership is keen to support
Islamic centers, initiatives and projects to help establish the concept of
moderation. It was this enthusiasm that led to the decision to restore the JIC.
Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance
Abdullatif Al-Asheikh said that the announcement is an extension of the
Kingdom’s interest in serving Islam and Muslims, based on its leadership in the
Islamic world.
The minister added in a statement that the restoration
confirms the crown prince’s enthusiasm for Islamic centers in all friendly
countries, and for the role they provide in educating younger generations and
spreading Islam’s belief in tolerance and message of peace, moderation and
dialogue.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2200736/saudi-arabia
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Time running out as Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar
fights for top job
November 17, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR: Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s perennial
opposition leader, has often been on the cusp of power but age is catching up
with him and Saturday’s election could be his last chance to win the top job.
The 75-year-old, whose political career spans four
decades and includes two prison stints, is optimistic his Pakatan Harapan
(Alliance of Hope) coalition can finally win enough seats to form a government
and replace the graft-tainted ruling party.
So long the runner-up of Malaysian politics, Anwar
could be running out of time to achieve his long-held but elusive ambition of
leading the Southeast Asian nation.
“This is Anwar’s last election. If he fails to get the
support to become PM, there will be expectations that he should step aside,”
Bridget Welsh of the University of Nottingham Malaysia told AFP.
“If he chooses to stay on, this will only serve to
weaken the opposition further and fragment it. There are other leaders ready to
lead.”
Anwar was a firebrand Muslim youth leader when he was
recruited in 1982 into the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the main
political party that ruled Malaysia for more than 60 years.
His star rose meteorically, with the suave young
politician becoming finance minister and then deputy prime minister in the
early 1990s under former premier Mahathir Mohamad, a youthful counterbalance to
the political veteran.
The pairing, considered one of the most dynamic duos
in Southeast Asian politics at the time, soon unraveled.
Tensions came to head during the 1997-1998 Asian
financial crisis, when they had a bitter falling out over how to handle the
debacle.
Some observers say Anwar had been too impatient to
become prime minister, slighting his patron.
Mahathir sacked Anwar, who was also expelled from UMNO
and charged with corruption and sodomy, the latter a crime in the largely
Islamic nation.
He was sentenced to six years in jail for corruption
in 1999, with an additional nine-year prison term added for the sodomy charge
the following year, the two sentences to run consecutively.
As Anwar claimed political persecution, street
protests erupted and evolved into a movement calling for democratic reforms.
Photos of Anwar with a black eye, inflicted in prison
by Malaysia’s then police chief, were published in newspapers around the world,
turning him into a symbol for a struggle that adopted the battle cry of
“Reformasi!,” or reforms.
The Mahathir-Anwar tussle has dominated and shaped
Malaysian politics over the past four decades, “alternately bringing despair
and hope, progress and regress to the country’s polity,” according to Oh Ei Sun
of the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia.
The Malaysian Supreme Court overturned Anwar’s sodomy
conviction in 2004 and ordered him freed.
After a brief hiatus from politics as an academic,
Anwar returned to lead an opposition coalition in the 2013 general election.
His alliance won 50.87 percent of the popular vote but
failed to muster the numbers needed for a parliamentary majority.
Controversy continued to hound the married father of
six. He was again sentenced to jail for sodomy in 2015, this time for five
years, at the age of 70.
He has maintained his innocence and received a full
pardon from the Malaysian king three years into his sentence. Anwar returned to
parliament months later after winning a by-election.
Anwar allied with Mahathir during the 2018 elections
when his erstwhile tormentor came out of retirement to challenge incumbent
Najib Razak, who was mired in the billion-dollar 1MDB financial scandal.
Their alliance scored a historic victory against UMNO
and Najib, who is serving a 12-year jail term for corruption.
Mahathir became prime minister for the second time,
this time with an agreement to hand over the premiership to Anwar later.
He never fulfilled that pact, and their alliance
collapsed after 22 months, leaving Anwar empty-handed again and paving the way
for UMNO to return to power.
Anwar has rejected any more alliances with Mahathir,
who is again running for parliament at age 97.
“No matter how you dice it, the relationship between
Mahathir and Anwar is cold,” Malaysian political analyst Charles Santiago told
AFP.
Anwar’s campaign rallies for Saturday’s vote have
drawn sizeable, enthusiastic crowds, many still chanting the “Reformasi!”
slogan made popular 30 years ago.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2201236/world
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At 97, Malaysia’s Mahathir makes last election hurrah
November 17, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR: When two-time former Prime Minister
Mahathir Mohammed said he wanted to earn his “work till death” title, he wasn’t
joking.
At 97, Mahathir is back again in the election race as
the head of a new ethnic Malay alliance that he calls a “movement of the
people.” He hopes his bloc could gain enough seats in Saturday’s polls to be a
powerbroker. Analysts said it is likely to be a spoiler party in a tight race.
Denounced for being an autocrat during his first
22-year rule until 2003, Mahathir was welcomed as a savior after leading the
opposition to oust a long-ruling corruption-stained party in 2018.
He became the world’s oldest leader at 92, and was to
hand over power to his rival-turned-ally Anwar Ibrahim.
The euphoria was brief as their government fell in 22
months due to infighting. The United Malays National Organization — which had
ruled since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957 until its defeat —
bounced back to power but the country has since been rocked by continuous
political infighting.
In all, Malaysia has had three prime ministers since
2018.
Mahathir, a master tactician, is no stranger to
setbacks. He swiftly formed the Pejuang Malay party that now heads a motley
bloc known as Gerakan Tanah Air, or Homeland Movement. But it seems an almost
impossible mission as it is fielding 116 mostly inexperienced non-political
faces including activists, actors and lawyers, and lacks the machinery to reach
out to voters.
Mahathir’s star power has also faded and he is up
against three established groups including the UMNO-led coalition and Anwar’s
Alliance of Hope. Still, his party may further split votes that could tip the
balance in a tight race and his return cannot be ruled out.
“Malaysia’s political landscape is so fragmented that
even Mahathir’s chances of returning to power, however minuscule it may appear,
could not be totally discounted, especially when no single major coalition is
likely to win an outright parliamentary majority and a compromise leadership
figure may be needed,” said Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of
International Affairs.
Source: Arab News
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Africa
Sudan's Military Leader Burhan Again Warns Islamists
Against Interfering In Politics
16 NOV 2022
Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan
issued on Sunday another warning to politicians not to interfere in the affairs
of the armed forces.
“Anyone who interferes in the affairs of the armed
forces will be considered our enemy. We will cut off his tongue and hand,”
Al-Burhan warned.
The top general repeated the strong warnings he addressed
last week to the Islamists, but this time, referred to their link with the
armed forces.
“We warned the Islamists because they are trying to
infiltrate the army. We tell them: Go away, you will not be able to rule
through the army,” he said.
Addressing high-ranking officers during his visit to
Al-Markhayat Operational Base in Omdurman, General Al-Burhan underscored that
he will not allow any party to infiltrate the military.
“The army will remain a unified, independent national
institution whose concern is the homeland and the preservation of its security
and people,” he said.
“We will not allow any of them to exploit the armed
forces to gain power, whether those parties are Islamists, communists,
Baathists or others,” he added.
The military leader admitted the presence of
understandings with the opposition Freedom and Change forces, for the benefit
of Sudan, stressing that there is no bilateral settlement with any party.
Al-Burhan added that the army received the draft
transitional constitution proposed by the country's Bar Association and made
some observations on it.
Al-Burhan said the army does not want unilateral
solutions but a civil rule guarded by the armed forces.
Source: Radio Tamazuj
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Critical
aid starts trickling into Ethiopia's Tigray after truce
Andrew
Wasike
16.11.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Following
a cease-fire agreed earlier this month, humanitarian organizations have finally
been able to access Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where millions remain in need of
urgent assistance.
The
UN’s World Food Program (WFP) confirmed that a convoy of its trucks had entered
northwestern Tigray via Gondar, a city in the neighboring Amhara region.
“Critical
relief food will now be delivered to communities in coming days. More food,
nutrition, medical cargo will follow,” the WFP said on Wednesday.
The
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also reported that its
“test-flight” successfully landed in Shire, a town in northwestern Tigray.
This
was the “first humanitarian flight in 2 years since the conflict erupted,”
according to the ICRC.
“The
resuming of airlifts to Tigray will help carry urgent humanitarian aid to the
region more quickly, to alleviate the suffering of thousands needing immediate
support,” the aid group said.
Earlier
on Tuesday, the ICRC delivered two truckloads of vital medical supplies to
Mekelle, marking the first aid delivery since fighting between the Ethiopian
government and the rebel group Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) resumed
in August after a months-long truce.
There
was intense fighting in the northern Ethiopian region over the past few months,
with reports of mass casualties and other rights violations.
UN
rights experts have accused both sides of committing abuses that border on war
crimes and crimes against humanity.
Hostilities
have subsided after the two sides signed agreements in Pretoria and Nairobi
earlier this month.
The
Tigray conflict has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions more since
November 2020.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Kenyan
president dismisses parliament bid to lift his term limit
Andrew
Wasike
16.11.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Kenya's
president on Wednesday rejected attempts by lawmakers to remove a limit on his
tenure to give him 20 years in office.
William
Ruto shut down attempts by a section of lawmakers to annul a Constitutional
limit of two five-year presidential terms that would have opened the way for
him to lead the East African nation for 20 years.
"Do
not spend your time pushing for selfish and self-serving legislation, like
changing the Constitution to remove term limits. My focus is service to the
people," Ruto told legislators from the ruling United Democratic Alliance
(UDA), which holds a majority in the National Assembly.
Ruto
was speaking at the State House in the capital Nairobi during a parliamentary
group meeting of the UDA, urging lawmakers to focus on delivering and coming up
with bills that would improve lives.
The
country has been in uproar over plans to remove the term limit in a proposal by
Salah Yakub, a member of parliament from the western Fafi region, to replace it
with an age limit of 75 years. Ruto is currently 55.
There
has been a growing trend across Africa to evade presidential term limits,
weakening governance.
According
to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, since 2015, leaders of 13 countries
have evaded or overseen the further weakening of term limit restrictions that
had been in place.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Sudan’s
rivals reach framework deal to end political deadlock
Mohammed
Amin
16.11.2022
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
Sudan’s
military and political rivals reached a preliminary deal on Wednesday to
resolve the country’s months-long political crisis.
In
a statement, the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition said
the framework deal aims to end last year’s military coup and set new rules for
civilian rule to be followed by elections.
A
final agreement will be signed between the two sides soon, the statement said.
“The
deal aims to address issues of transitional justice, reform of the military and
security sector and the revision of the Juba peace agreement,” the statement said.
Sudan
has been without a functioning government since October 2021 when the military
dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared
a state of emergency, a move decried by political forces as a "military
coup."
The
two sides have undergone talks under the auspices of the United Nations
Integrated Transition Mission in Sudan in recent weeks to reach an agreement to
resolve the country’s political deadlock.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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North America
US
sanctions officials, 'interrogator' journalists with Iran's state broadcaster
Michael
Hernandez
16.11.2022
WASHINGTON
The
US sanctioned on Wednesday three senior officials and two
"interrogator" journalists who work with Iran's state broadcaster,
the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
IRIB
was sanctioned in 2013, and has been "a critical tool in the Iranian
government’s mass suppression and censorship campaign against its own
people," including recent productions and broadcasts of interviews with
individuals who said their relatives were not killed during ongoing mass
demonstrations in Iran, but died due to unrelated causes, the Treasury
Department said.
“The
Iranian government’s systemic reliance on forced confessions illustrates the
government’s refusal to speak truth to its citizens and the international
community,” Brian Nelson, the department's top official for financial
intelligence, said in a statement.
“The
United States remains committed to supporting the Iranian people as they
continue their peaceful protests. We will continue to hold Iranian officials
and government institutions accountable for their human rights violations and
their censorship of the Iranian people.”
Those
sanctioned include Ali Rezvani and Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour, whom the department
labeled "interrogator-journalists." The Treasury said the men have
worked with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security and the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps to extract and broadcast forced confessions "in
the style of documentaries."
Zabihpour
is the head of IRIB's Persian-language media group, and "has a long
history of direct involvement in the broadcast of coerced confessions of dual
nationals, civil society activists, political prisoners, writers, and religious
minorities," the department said.
Rezvani
"has also been implicated in the harassment of the family of an
Iranian-American activist," according to the Treasury. It did not specify
to which activist it was referring, but last year US prosecutors charged four
Iranian intelligence officers with attempting to kidnap a dissident believed to
be journalist and women’s rights activist Masih Alinejad.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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There
has never been any truth to Imran’s foreign conspiracy claims: US
November
17, 2022
The
United States has asserted that there had never been any truth to former
premier Imran Khan’s allegations of Washington orchestrating a regime change
conspiracy to oust his government and reiterated its resolve not to let
“misinformation” and “propaganda” come in the way of its bilateral ties with
Pakistan.
“As
we’ve previously said, there has — there is not and there has never been a
truth to these allegations, but I don’t have anything additional to offer,” US
State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a press briefing on
Wednesday when asked to comment on the PTI’s chief’s apparent “backtracking” on
the allegations.
Since
his removal from public office through a no-confidence vote in April — the
first such ouster of any prime minister in Pakistan’s history — Imran has been
blaming the US and the incumbent dispensation in Islamabad of colluding and
conspiring to overthrow his government.
But
in a recent interview to Financial Times, he said he no longer “blamed” the US
administration for his removal from power, and that he wanted a “dignified”
relationship between Washington and Islamabad.
“As
far as I’m concerned it is over, it’s behind me,” he said about the alleged US
role in the purported conspiracy.
His
remarks were seen by opponents as him backtracking on his allegations but the
PTI leadership, including Imran, maintained that his statements were
misconstrued and taken out of context.
When
Vedant’s comments were sought on the matter on Wednesday, he began by saying:
“The US values our longstanding cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed
a prosperous and democratic Pakistan as critical to US interests.
“That
remains unchanged.”
He
also clarified that the US did not have “a position on one political candidate
of a party versus another.
“We
support peaceful upholding of democratic, constitutional, and legal principles.
And ultimately, we will not let propaganda, misinformation and disinformation
get in the way of any bilateral relationship, including our valued bilateral
partner with Pakistan.”
Asked
to elaborate further, Vendant said, “As we’ve previously said, there has —
there is not and there has never been a truth to these allegations, but I don’t
have anything additional to offer.”
It
was then pointed out to him that in the Financial Times interview, Imran had
also termed his visit to Russia on the eve of Moscow’s launch of an offensive
on Ukraine “embarrassing”.
The
timing of the visit last year was questioned but the then-PTI government had
defended the visit, describing it as a move in line with policy shift to
geoeconomics.
And
Imran also explained to Financial Times that the visit was organised months in
advance.
To
this end, Vedant said, “I really don’t have anything else to offer on foreign
minister — or former prime minister Khan’s comments on that.”
Source:
Dawn
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US
‘confident’ Iran used drone to attack tanker MV Pacific Zircon off Oman coast
16
November ,2022
The
US is “confident” Iran attacked commercial tanker, the MV Pacific Zircon, off
the coast of Oman on Tuesday and that Tehran used a drone to conduct the
attack, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday.
“Upon
review of the available information, we are confident that Iran likely
conducted this attack using a UAV, a lethal capability it is increasingly
employing directly and via its proxies throughout the Middle East and
proliferating to Russia for use in Ukraine,” he said in a statement.
Last
month, Washington decried the use of Iranian drones by Russia in Ukraine. The
State Department reported having evidence of Iranian drones being used to
strike Ukrainian civilians and critical civilian infrastructure. Tehran
continues to deny the fact that their drones are being used in Ukraine.
Sullivan
added: “There is no justification for this attack, which is the latest in a
pattern of such actions and broader destabilizing activities. This action further
threatens freedom of navigation through this crucial waterway, international
shipping and commerce, and the lives of those on the vessels involved.”
The
attack comes at a time of heightened tensions between the US and Iran, as well
as regional tensions with Tehran. Gulf waters have experienced in recent years
several attacks on tankers, many of them blamed on Iran while Tehran typically
denies responsibility.
“We
will work with partners and allies, including as part of the International
Maritime Security Construct, to hold Iran accountable and respond through
appropriate means,” he said.
Israeli-controlled
Eastern Pacific Shipping manages the attacked tanker, and Israeli officials
said Iran used the same type of drone in the attack on the vessel as the type
it supplies Russia for use in the war on Ukraine.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Canada
sanctions Iran makers of drones used by Russia in Ukraine
16
November ,2022
Canada
on Wednesday targeted Iranian makers of drones that Kyiv and the West say have
been used by Russia to attack Ukraine in a rollout of new sanctions against the
Islamic republic.
The
two companies -- Shahed Aviation Industries and Qods Aviation Industries --
“are key to the regime's ongoing activities aimed at destabilizing
international peace and security,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a
statement.
This
has included, she said, “the sale of weapons and the provision of Iranian
military personnel to train and assist Russian forces on the use of Iranian
weapons.”
The
chief military adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the
head of its UAV Command were also hit with the Canadian sanctions.
Kyiv
and its Western allies have accused Russia of using Iranian-made drones in
recent weeks to carry out attacks.
Shahed
Aviation Industries and Qods Aviation Industries are alleged to have produced
the lethal combat drones used by Russia, including in attacks on civilian
infrastructure in Ukraine.
Iran
has admitted that it sent drones to Russia but insisted they were supplied to
its ally before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Britain
and the European Union have already imposed sanctions on Iranian officials and
arms firms over the drones shipments.
Earlier
this week, Ottawa also permanently banned thousands of Iranian officials from
Canada over what Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino described as “gross
human rights violations and terrorism.”
“This
is a regime that has killed its own citizens. This is a regime that has also
killed our citizens,” Mendicino said on Monday in reference to Tehran's deadly
crackdown on protests and its downing of flight PS752 in January 2020.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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US
sanctions senior employees of Iranian state-run media
16
November ,2022
The
US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on senior employees of an Iranian state-run
media corporation it accused of broadcasting hundreds of forced confessions of
detainees in the country, as Washington increases pressure on Iran over the
crackdown on protests.
The
US Treasury Department in a statement said it imposed sanctions on six senior
employees of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, which was designated by
Washington in 2013.
The
Treasury said the media corporation acts as “a critical tool in the Iranian
government’s mass suppression and censorship campaign against its own people.”
The Treasury said the corporation has produced and broadcast interviews of
people being forced to confess that their relatives were not killed by Iranian
authorities during recent protests but instead died due to accidental,
unrelated causes.
“The
Iranian government’s systemic reliance on forced confessions illustrates the
government’s refusal to speak truth to its citizens and the international
community,” the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial
Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement.
“The
US remains committed to supporting the Iranian people as they continue their
peaceful protests,” he said, adding that Washington would continue to hold the
Iranian government accountable for human rights violations and censorship.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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