Islamic Countries Nonaggression Pact For New World Order - Beginning Of The Third Muslim Renaissance
New Age Islam News Bureau
23 July 2022
This file photo taken on
Dec.13, 2017, shows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (C) delivering an opening
speech during an extraordinary summit of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), in Istanbul, Turkey. (AFP Photo)
-----
• Afghans Launch ‘Ban Taliban’ Campaign On Twitter
• Saudi Arabia Ropes In Giant US PR Firm To Cast Off
'Pariah' Status
• French MPs Sign Resolution Condemning Israeli
Apartheid Against Palestinians
• Uttarakhand HC Seeks Replies From Centre, State On
'Child Marriage' Allowed By Shariat
Arab World
• Hezbollah Rejected US Support Offer To Stop
Confrontation With Israel: Nasrallah
• UAE President Reminisces 1975 Paris Visit In Photo
He Shares With Macron
• Saudi Arabia foils captagon smuggling attempt,
seizes 15 million pills
• Saudi Navy takes over command of international task
force to secure key trade routes
• Syria calls on UN Security Council to condemn
Israeli attacks on its territories
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South Asia
• Consensus on Non-Recognition of the Taliban Gov’t in
Western World: EU Ambassador
• Islamic Emirate Leader Bans 'Unproven Allegations'
Against Members
• Taliban torture arrested Afghan YouTuber Ajmal
Haqiqi and his team: Report
• UNAMA Negotiates with Taliban Gov’t to Reopen Girls
School
• Taliban's worrying new diktat for those who
criticise 'Islamic Emirate'
• Thousands flee feuding Taliban in Afghanistan’s
north
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North America
• Sanders: US should not maintain ‘warm relationship’
with Saudi Arabia
--------
Europe
• UAE visit to France was ‘successful and important’
in all domains: French ambassador
• Former Afghan interpreter separated from baby son
amid UK visa delays
--------
India
• Namaz At Waiting Room Of Prayagraj Station Sparks
Row
• Man Held In UP For Raping Teen, Bid To Convert Her
To Islam: Police
• Karnataka: Muslim boy attacked with glass bottles
dies, 8 held
• Jamiat factions’ nod to merger, but no deadline
• ‘Waqf law not applicable in Gyanvapi case’
• 3 Of UP Family Held In Pakistan With Pistols
• Udaipur killing: NIA arrests eighth person in
connection with tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli's brutal murder
• Mathura court reserves decision over appointing
commissioner to survey Shahi Idgah mosque to verify temple signs in it
• Jahangirpuri: Muslim Family Alleges Police Detained
3 Women, 2 Minors 'Illegally', Move HC
• Pak intruder who intended to kill Nupur Sharma has
links with far-right Islamic group TLP: Police
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamiat
Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl Agree To Adopt ‘Aggressive Posture’ To Counter Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf Politics
• Pak, China Welcome 'Interested' Third Countries
Joining CPEC For Mutually Beneficial Cooperation
• Balochistan Orders Stricter Action Against
Terrorists
• State institutions, media should create enabling
environment for ‘truly representative govt’: President
• Military huddle discusses ‘peace talks’ with TTP
• Punjab CM election: Imran urges supporters to stage
'peaceful protests', says all eyes on SC
• FM Bilawal for close Pakistan-Iran cooperation on
Afghanistan matters
• TLP’s sit-in outside ECP continues in Karachi
--------
Southeast Asia
• Minister Targets Indonesia To Become Muslim Fashion
Hub By 2024
• Ministry Seeks To Standardize Honorarium For Mosque
Imams, Managers
• Malaysian politician hails Turkey-led deal as 'major
diplomatic coup'
• 12 Appeals Court judges in race for 4 Federal Court
positions
• Rafizi, Najib cross swords over RM1.5bil bank
scandal
--------
Mideast
• Turkiye Steps Up Efforts to Combat Islamic State,
Detains 10 Suspects in Istanbul
• Iranian FM Confirms UAE, Kuwait to Send Envoys to Tehran
• Spokesman: Iran Recalls Envoy from Sweden over Hamid
Nouri's Case
• Iran wants nuclear deal guarantees so as ‘not to be
stung twice’
• Iran’s nuclear program is ‘galloping ahead’, IAEA
chief says
• Houthis commit 277 violations of UN truce in 48 hours
--------
Africa
• Dozen Killed As Armed Groups Violently Clash In
Libya
• Nigeria's former treasury head remanded to prison in
$262 million fraud case
• South Africa, Ivory Coast welcome landmark grain
deal reached in Türkiye
• Mali’s army says terrorist attack on base near
capital repelled
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Islamic Countries Nonaggression Pact For New World
Order - Beginning Of The Third Muslim Renaissance
This file photo taken on
Dec.13, 2017, shows President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (C) delivering an opening
speech during an extraordinary summit of the Organisation of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), in Istanbul, Turkey. (AFP Photo)
-----
By Ihsan Aktaş
JUL 23, 2022
After the post-Cold War security paradigm shattered,
the nations were unable to replace it with a new one. Occupations, inequalities
in income distribution, refugee mobility, and displaced people created
widespread chaos. All the circumstances are reminiscent of the situation before
World War I. This situation disturbs the great powers as well as annoys the
nation-states. Countries like Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia
can take precautions regarding their national security. However, most Islamic
countries have to maintain their dependent relations for security. In a
possible chaos scenario, the most vulnerable countries still seem to be Muslim
countries.
Recently, Turkey's changes in its security paradigm
and ability to deal with big states or negotiate on an equal level have
attracted attention in the Islamic world, African and South American countries.
These countries have formed a subliminal partnership with Turkey and discovered
similarities between their future and Turkey’s destiny.
Turkey's historical background plays a role in forming
such symbolic value. Another factor creating this strong image of Turkey is the
leadership effect. Inspiring all oppressed people in the post-Cold War chaos,
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan raises the symbolic value of a great Turkey.
Turkey's effort is critical for its interests. But no
country in the world lives alone. And states coexist through alliances. In this
context, I suggested establishing a nonaggression pact a few years ago, when
Turkey was the acting president of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC). Recently, the president of Qatar made a similar offer to Iran and
Turkey, which brings me to a discussion on the Islamic Countries Nonaggression
Pact.
When World War II was over, Middle Eastern, African
and Asian countries had the opportunity to gain independence, as England and
France had gotten weaker and lost their colonial powers. Today, we are in a
similar atmosphere. Western influence on African, Asian and Middle Eastern
countries is declining. The direct and indirect influences of the colonialists
are weak. Western states are no longer as powerful as in the past.
The current frontier of the West, the United States,
has never established order in the countries it intervened in, and it has never
been able to conduct a program properly from beginning to end in this regard.
Afghanistan or Iraq's experiences are a disaster. The United States enters,
knocks down everything, dismantles the existing orders, can not establish a new
order and leaves behind material and moral debris, leaving the elements that
supported them in the country to their destinies. These examples are a
nightmare for all the states.
Conflicts between Islamic countries facilitate the
influence and occupation of Western states in these countries. Today, Saudi
Arabia and Iran see each other as threats. Although there seem to be more
balanced relations between Iran and Turkey, there is always a struggle for
regional power included. Pakistan has problems originating from India. The Gulf
countries, since their establishment, have been in the hinterland of Saudi
Arabia. They were almost drawn into a conflict in the Qatar crisis a few years
ago. Iraq's attack on Kuwait and the U.S. occupation did not end in favor of
any of them. There are stability problems and weakness in administration in
most countries of Africa. It is possible to extend this list.
In this context, as a first idea, the stronger Muslim
states can come together and form a nonaggression pact. Turkish states, which
are in a relatively safer environment, can participate in this process.
In recent years, Libya experienced a civil war and was
about to be divided into pieces. Five Muslim countries adopted a position
against Turkey. If Turkey's dominant stance had not emerged, Libya might have
turned into Syria today. Many Western countries would have arrived as invaders;
Libyans would have continued to die for another 50 years.
The idea of an Islamic pact of nonaggression can be
irritating for many, at first glance. Because for 200 years, Westerners have
shaped the world order and security architecture. Muslim countries have been
subject to occupation, exploitation or manipulation by Westerners due to
security concerns among themselves. Such a pact would reduce the security
concerns of Muslims related to each other and thus enable them to distance
themselves from the undesirable effects of the Westerners.
One thing to remember is that the Asian continent has
ruled the world for most of history. In addition, the Ottoman state existed
strongly within the European system for 400 years.
The world, whose traditional security paradigms
collapsed after the Cold War today, requires a new order of justice and
compassion. The new world order must be compatible with the developed human
mind and meet modern societies' security and welfare needs.
It no longer seems possible for Europe to establish
such a new order. Muslims must take the lead for such a step. Establishing the
Islamic Countries Nonaggression Pact may also be the beginning of the third
Muslim renaissance – because such ideas only flourish in safe environments.
Source: Daily Sabah
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/columns/islamic-countries-nonaggression-pact-for-new-world-order
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Afghans launch ‘Ban Taliban’ campaign on Twitter
Photo: Shutterstock
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23 July, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], July 23 (ANI): After Meta’s
crackdown on Taliban-affiliated content and pages, Afghans have launched a
trend on the social media platform Twitter with a hashtag calling for a ban on
Taliban.
The hashtag “BanTaliban” became a global sensation,
with over thousands of tweets so far in support. Rapidly on the rise, the trend
has gained significant coverage in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab
Emirates, Germany, Europe and India, as well as the United States of America.
According to Afghan Peace Watch, among the advocates
are Afghan journalists and civil activists urging Twitter to deny access to all
Taliban members on Twitter, owing to the group’s spreading of misinformation
and engaging in harmful content, including calls for violence and beheading, as
well as support for terrorists.
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This comes as Meta, formerly known as Facebook, banned
Taliban-related content and pages on various platforms, including the RTA TV
channel and Bakhtar News Agency, on Wednesday. The decision of banning Taliban-
related content has been highly welcomed by the Afghan public, leading to the
Twitter campaign.
Last year in August, as the Taliban came to power,
many social media companies revisited their policies on pro-Taliban accounts.
However, Twitter decided to allow Taliban-affiliated accounts to continue using
its platform despite its policies against the glorification of violence and
threats.
This Twitter trend comes as the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Wednesday released a report
outlining the human rights situation in Afghanistan over the 10 months since
the Taliban takeover.
The report summarises UNAMA’s findings with regards to
the protection of civilians, extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment,
arbitrary arrests and detentions, the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan,
fundamental freedoms and the situation in places of detention. The report also
contains recommendations to both the de facto authorities and the international
community.
Despite an overall, significant reduction in armed
violence, between mid-August 2021 and mid-June 2022, UNAMA recorded 2106
civilian casualties (700 killed, 1406 wounded). The majority of civilian
casualties were attributed to targeted attacks by the armed group
self-identified “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province”
against ethnic and religious minority communities in places where they go to
school, worship and go about their daily lives.
“It is beyond time for all Afghans to be able to live
in peace and rebuild their lives after 20 years of armed conflict. Our
monitoring reveals that despite the improved security situation since 15
August, the people of Afghanistan, in particular women and girls, are deprived
of the full enjoyment of their human rights,” said Markus Potzel, Acting
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
While the de facto authorities have taken some steps
seemingly aimed at the protection and promotion of human rights, such as the
amnesty for former government officials and security force members, the 3
December decree on women’s rights and a code of conduct relating to prisoners,
they also bear responsibility for a broad range of human rights violations. The
erosion of women’s rights has been one of the most notable aspects of the de
facto administration to date.
Since 15 August, women and girls have progressively
had their rights to fully participate in education, the workplace and other
aspects of public and daily life restricted and in many cases completely taken
away.
The decision not to allow girls to return to secondary
school means that a generation of girls will not complete their full 12 years
of basic education. At the same time, access to justice for victims of
gender-based violence has been limited by the dissolution of dedicated
reporting pathways, justice mechanisms and shelters. (ANI)
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://theprint.in/world/afghans-launch-ban-taliban-campaign-on-twitter/1051570/
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Saudi Arabia Ropes In Giant US PR Firm To Cast Off
'Pariah' Status
A demonstrator dressed as
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with blood on his hands protests outside
the Saudi embassy in Washington, on 8 October 2018.(Photo by AFP)
-----
18 July 2022
Saudi Arabia has roped in one of the biggest US public
relations firms in yet another attempt to change its ‘pariah’ image after
unleashing horror on the voices of dissent in the country and spearheading a
brutal war in neighboring Yemen.
In a previously unreported 109-slide proposal filed --
per law -- with the US Justice Department (DOJ) in June, the Chicago based
Edelman PR company proposed to the Saudi regime what it dubbed a five-year-long
“Search Beyond” campaign to help the kingdom market itself as “a new,
modern-minded tourism and culture destination,” the US-based Politico news
outlet reported Sunday.
The proposal, which was made in Arabic and
professionally translated for the news company, illustrates the extent to which
the Saudi rulers have been willing to go to cast off their internationally
recognized “pariah” status gained over the recent years, particularly after the
2018 killing and dismemberment of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who at
the time lived in the US and worked for Washington Post newspaper.
Top US intelligence agency issued a report in 2021
confirming that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder.
Former US president Donald Trump, however, refused to
condemn the state-sponsored atrocity. Despite initial condemnation of the
Khashoggi’s killing and Saudi’s war crimes in Yemen, the incumbent US President
Joe Biden also changed course and visited Saudi Arabia last week.
"[Mohammed bin Salman] tried to launder his
reputation, whitewash it through bringing in celebrities to hold concerts, to
sportswash it by buying soccer clubs, and anyway he can sort of try to
rehabilitate his reputation and his image,” said Seth Binder, director of
advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy as quoted in the report. “I
think to my mind, President Biden’s trip is that sort of final complete
rehabilitation.”
“But the current contract could be one of the most
lucrative among its partnerships with the kingdom in recent years,” the report
added, citing Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings.
Edelman -- an agency under Daniel J. Edelman Holdings
known as United Entertainment Group -- broke down the costs for the contract
into four categories: research, planning and strategy; media relations and
strategic partnerships; social media plan development and outreach; and client
management and reporting.
Within those categories, according to the report,
Edelman pledged to -- among other things -- “monitor online conversations and
media coverage to identify ‘friends’ and detractors,” “Commence a relationship
building program of US based media contacts,” and host “Monthly Client
Meetings.”
Edelman’s proposed “Search Beyond” campaign, the
report insists, “provides a window into how mega PR firms believe controversial
clients can ingratiate themselves with modern media consumers.”
It further notes that the contract Edelman signed with
the Saudi regime underscores the changing attitudes of US companies towards the
oil-rich Persian Gulf state, adding: “In Washington, some who once balked at
working with the kingdom have steadily dropped their objections.”
In addition to targeting a US audience, the Saudi PR
and lobbying campaign would also target markets in the Middle East, Britain,
Germany, France and elsewhere, according to the report, pointing out that
“influencers and the use of social media — be it Twitter, Instagram, or other
platforms — appear to be a key part of the effort.”
Reiterating that the Saudi Kingdom has long thrown
copious amounts of money in improving its tarnished image internationally, it
goes on to add that among the expenditures includes a new professional LIV Golf
Series tournament, which will host events at clubs owned by, among others,
Trump.
“The tour was derided as “sportswashing,” or the use
of athletics to mend reputation, and raised eyebrows for enticing [famous golf
players] Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and others to participate with its
sizable prizes. The Saudi-sovereign Public Investment Fund, with others, also
purchased the United Kingdom-based soccer team Newcastle United last year, over
objections.”
Edelman, the report also points out, has a history of
work in and with Saudi Arabia, including a campaign to promote the professional
networking company LinkedIn as a “platform that amplified the voices of Saudi
career women.”
“It’s the next step in their reputational laundering
campaign, and whether it’s through sports or whether it’s through Hollywood
connection — you name it — this is something they’ve been trying to do for
years,” said Ben Freeman, a research fellow at the Washington-based liberal
think tank, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
“I think that this lobbying campaign … is a big part
of the reason why Biden was able to do this trip, why this was at all possible.
It’s because of places like Edelman and the other folks working for the
Saudis,” Freeman underlined.
“In 2020, Edelman registered with the DOJ to represent
the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, a company producing chemicals and other
materials that is majority owned by the Saudi government, in a deal that was
worth roughly $6.7 million,” according to the report.
“You can’t ignore the money,” said former
communications director for Trump’s transition team, Bryan Lanza, as quoted in
the report. “Celebrities will make more money pitching a foreign government
than making a film these days.”
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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French MPs Sign Resolution Condemning Israeli Apartheid
Against Palestinians
A participant holds up a
sign reading 'Stop Israeli Apartheid' during a protest in solidarity with the
Palestinians on 15 May 2021 [WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP/Getty Images]
-----
23 July 2022
Dozens of far-left members of the French parliament
have signed a draft resolution condemning the Israeli regime for practicing
apartheid and committing war crimes against Palestinians.
Titled "Institutionalization of an Apartheid
Regime Against the Palestinian People", the motion was endorsed by 38
members of the French National Assembly, who represent the newly-formed
far-left NUPES coalition.
The draft resolution was originally submitted on July
13 by Communist MP Jean-Paul Lecocq but stirred a public debate on Friday.
Among the signatories include former presidential
candidate Fabien Roussel, and deputies from the "France Proud"
(radical left) party, such as Adrien Katniss, socialist Christine Pierce-Bonn,
and both Aurelian Tashi and Sabrina Sabaihi of the Green Party.
Much to the chagrin of the pro-Israeli lobby in the
West, it describes Tel Aviv as an "institutional apartheid regime,"
blasting the occupying entity for establishing a system of "systemic
oppression and control by one group" and committing war crimes against
Palestinians under occupation.
Since 1948, when the Israeli regime came into
existence through illegitimate means, it “has pursued a policy aimed at
establishing and maintaining a Jewish demographic hegemony and expanding its
control over the territory for the benefit of Israeli Jews,” reads the text.
And following the regime's victory against a combined
force of Arab armies in the Six-Day War of June 1967, “Israel extended this
policy to the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” the draft further adds, referring to
Palestinian territories.
“Currently, all territories under Israeli control
remain administered with the aim of favoring Israeli Jews at the expense of the
Palestinian population, while successive Israeli governments have continued to
deny the right of return to Palestinian refugees for more than seven decades.”
The resolution also calls for the legalization of the
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, a transnational,
Palestinian-led organization that works to end international support for
Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressures Tel Aviv to comply with
international law.
The draft text urges “imposition of a strict arms
embargo” and a French-sponsored resolution to the United Nations Security
Council that would impose “targeted sanctions, such as the freezing of assets,
on the Israeli officials most implicated in the crime of apartheid.”
The signatories call on the French government to
“recognize the State of Palestine,” and demand that the United Nations impose
an arms embargo on the occupation, and “target sanctions” against Israeli
officials “most implicated in the crime of apartheid.”
Jérôme Guedj, a NUPES parliamentarian, attacked the
motion for describing the Israeli regime as a colonial entity devoid of legal
and moral legitimacy.
“If it is always legitimate to challenge the policy of
a government, I do not understand how the abolition of a state advances peace
by a millimeter,” he wrote.
“The resolution maintains that Israel is an apartheid
regime, calls for the legalization of the boycott of Israeli products, and
pleads for the official recognition of Palestine,” Guedj added. “If I can
defend this last point, the first two are unacceptable. I condemn them.”
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/07/23/686092/France-parliament-anti-Zionist-resolution-Israel
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Uttarakhand HC Seeks Replies From Centre, State On
'Child Marriage' Allowed By Shariat
File photo of Uttarakhand
high court
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Jul 23, 2022
NAINITAL: Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)
seeking to declare the "marriage of minor girls allowed by Muslim personal
law as illegal", the Uttarakhand high court (HC) on Friday issued notices
to the central and state governments, asking them to file their response in the
matter. The petition was filed by the Youth Bar Association of India, a group
of advocates working for social causes.
The PIL argued that "child marriages lead to
girls dropping out of school and getting pregnant at a young age, which is
detrimental to society's health and violates several laws, including Right to
Education and Pocso, so it should be declared illegal across religions".
Representing the petitioner, advocate Sanpreet Singh
Ajmani said, "The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021,
was introduced in the Parliament, as an amendment to the Prohibition of Child
Marriage Act, 2006, raising the marriageable age of women from 18 to 21 years,
making it the same as men. The bill, meant to override all personal laws, would
ensure Muslim women, too, are granted protection."
Ajmani added: "We demand this bill is passed at
the earliest, or the Centre forms SOPs preventing child marriages across
religions." Notably, Muslims in India mainly follow the Muslim Personal
Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937. This law deals with marriage, succession,
inheritance and charities pertaining to the community. In a recent case, the
Punjab and Haryana HC had granted protection to a young Muslim couple --
16-year-old girl married to a 21-year-old boy -- while noting that "she is
of marriageable age under Muslim personal law". Essentially, the bench was
hearing a protection plea filed by the couple who solemnised their marriage as
per Muslim customs.
Incidentally, the Uttarakhand government is working on
implementing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which would allow "uniform rights
to all religions". It has constituted a five-member panel to prepare a
draft proposal for its implementation in the state.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Arab World
Hezbollah Rejected US Support Offer To Stop
Confrontation With Israel: Nasrallah
22 July 2022
In a rare interview recorded some 20 years ago and
aired this week, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah says the
resistance movement rejected American offers of money and support that were
made in exchange for its elimination from the Arab-Israeli conflict equation.
Lebanon's al-Mayadeen channel is airing a five-part
documentary series dubbed "40 and Beyond" about Hezbollah. The series
comes on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Hezbollah
as well as the 30th anniversary of the election of Nasrallah as the head of the
movement. The episodes include an unseen interview of Nasrallah with Ghassan
Ben Jeddou, the current CEO of al-Mayadeen.
In the third episode of the series, Nasrallah says the
United States made several offers to Hezbollah after the liberation of southern
Lebanon and western Bekaa in 2000, aiming at neutralizing the movement and
eliminating it from the Arab-Israeli conflict equation.
The United States was trying to convince Hezbollah
that Shebaa farms were not worth a conflict and that the issue could be
resolved through dialogue, Nasrallah said.
According to the top resistance figure, what the
United States was offering in exchange for the movement's neutralization
included working out a solution about the issue of Lebanese prisoners in
Israeli prisons, recognizing Hezbollah's political role and its inclusion of
Hezbollah into the government, providing the resistance with a significant
financial aid to rebuild the liberated areas, and removing Hezbollah from the
so-called terror list.
Washington was also asking the Lebanese movement to
abandon its military and financial support for the Palestinian Intifada, said
Nasrallah.
These offers, he went on, were strongly rejected by
Hezbollah because the movement sought to help the Palestinians and considered
Israel a permanent threat to Lebanon's security.
American authorities repeated the same offers after
9/11 following its declaration of war against organizations it recognizes as
terrorists, added the resistance leader.
Hezbollah was established following the 1982 Israeli
invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon. Since then, the popular resistance
group has grown into a powerful military force.
The resistance group fought off two Israeli wars
against Lebanon in 2000 and 2006, forcing a humiliating retreat upon the
regime’s military in both wars. The movement has vowed to resolutely defend
Lebanon in case of another Israeli war.
In an interview with Iran’s Arabic-language al-Alam
news network in early January 2022, Nasrallah also pointed to the offer by the
United States to turn its back on Palestine and end confrontation with the
occupying regime.
"Previously, they (the Americans) sent us a
delegation on behalf of Dick Cheney to negotiate a halt in our support for
Palestine and attacks against Israel. In return, they said that they would pay
us billions of dollars and even allow us to have our weapons, an offer which we
naturally opposed,” he said.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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UAE President Reminisces 1975 Paris Visit In Photo He
Shares With Macron
22 July ,2022
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was
reminiscing his first official visit to France in a meeting with French
President Emmanuel Macron, a viral video shared on Thursday showed.
In the light-hearted video shared by the Cultural
Adviser to the UAE President Zaki Nusseibeh, Sheikh Mohamed was seen showing
Macron an image of his younger self alongside his father, the late Sheikh
Zayed, during a visit to Paris in 1975.
In the photo, both 14-year-old Sheikh Mohamed and
Nusseibeh were seen in a meeting with then-French President Valery Giscard
d’Estaing.
When the UAE President pointed out that the suited boy
was his younger self, Macron said, “come on, seriously?” while his wife
Brigitte told Sheikh Mohamed “you have not changed,” to which he replied,
“thank you ma’am.”
“In the same way that Sheikh Zayed made his first
visit to France in ’75, it was the very first, His Highness also made his first
state visit to France,” Nusseibeh was heard telling Macron in the video, adding
in his Tweet that it “underlines the special status of France as a strategic
ally of the UAE.”
The interaction took place during Sheikh Mohamed’s
recent official trip to France between July 17-19, his first overseas state
visit since being named President, following the death of the late UAE
President Sheikh Khalifa in May.
The UAE leader described Macron on Twitter as a friend
and his country as one of the Emirates’ closest allies.
“I was pleased to arrive in France, a close strategic
ally of the UAE, and meet my friend President Emmanuel Macron,” Sheikh Mohamed
wrote on Twitter in Arabic, English, and French.
“Our countries enjoy longstanding partnerships across
many fields. We look forward to further collaborations and strengthening ties
towards a prosperous future.”
Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to the European country last
week saw the signing of a wide range of agreements on topics such as space,
education and climate change. The agreements were aimed at enhancing bilateral
relations in various vital fields, WAM reported at the time.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Saudi Arabia foils captagon smuggling attempt, seizes
15 million pills
2 July ,2022
Saudi Arabia announced Friday the seizure of nearly 15
million captagon pills, an amphetamine that seeks to wreak havoc in the Kingdom
as well as across the region.
The customs authority “foiled an attempt to smuggle”
the drug through the Red Sea port of Jeddah, the official Saudi Press Agency
reported on Friday.
As many as 14,976,000 of the pills had been found
“hidden in a machine designed to manufacture concrete blocs” in a commercial
consignment from abroad, SPA reported.
Saudi Arabia regularly announces seizures of captagon.
The drug is known to come from Syria and transits through Lebanon in cargo such
as fruit and vegetables.
The Kingdom’s customs authority said it seized a total
of 119 million pills last year, and figures so far for 2022 show trafficking of
the drug is continuing to rise.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Saudi Navy takes over command of international task
force to secure key trade routes
22 July ,2022
The Royal Saudi Navy took command of a mixed task
force that is part of the largest international naval partnership in the world,
according to a US Central Command report released on Thursday.
Royal Saudi Navy Commodore Abdullah al-Mutairi assumed
command of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 from Pakistan Navy Commodore Vaqar
Muhammad during a ceremony at the US Navy base in Bahrain.
Al-Mutairi has reportedly served in the Royal Saudi
Navy for 27 years and was most recently the deputy director of operations for
Saudi Arabia’s Western Fleet.
“My team will continue to strengthen our relationship
with our maritime partners, progress our interoperability and provide a robust
security presence to some of the world’s most challenging and important
international waters,” al-Mutairi was quoted as saying in the CENTCOM report.
This marks the third time Saudi Arabia leads CTF 150,
according to the CENTCOM statement.
The CTF 150 task force, one of four as part of the
Combined Maritime Forces, was established in 2002 to conduct maritime security
operations in the Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden,
and the Red Sea.
It helps ensure the free flow of commerce, in addition
to combating terrorism and the activities linked to it, including human
trafficking, drugs and weapons trafficking, the official Saudi Press Agency
reported.
According to the report, the task force has already
interdicted illegal drugs worth $200 million (in US street value) in 2022.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Syria calls on UN Security Council to condemn Israeli
attacks on its territories
23 July 2022
Syria has called on the UN Security Council to condemn
Israel's attacks on its territories following the regime's recent strike that
killed three Syrian soldiers and injured seven others near the capital
Damascus.
The call came in two identical letters by the Syrian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on Friday addressed to UN Secretary-General
António Guterres and the rotating President on the UN Security Council Ronaldo
Costa Filho.
The ministry urged the UN to exert pressure on Israel
to abide by the 1947 Agreement on Disengagement, which stipulates in its first
paragraph a ceasefire on land, sea, and air between Syria and the
Israeli-occupied territories.
The statement said Syria reserves the right to respond
to the Israeli strikes by appropriate means in accordance with international
law and the UN Charter.
It stressed that the Security Council’s failure to
adopt necessary measures to prevent and condemn repeated Israeli missile
strikes in Syria shows the UN body’s incapability to honor its obligations
concerning establishment of peace and security in the Middle East region and
across the world.
The statement further highlighted that such Israeli
attacks cannot be treated in isolation from US acts of aggression, violations
of international principles, occupation of northeastern Syria, plunder of
Syrian energy reserves, and delivery of various weapons to Takfiri militants in
the country.
The Syrian foreign ministry noted that these attacks
are conducted in a show of direct support for terror groups that spread
insecurity and chaos across Syria.
Israeli fighter jets launched a series of airstrikes
on areas near Damascus shortly after midnight on Friday, killing three soldiers
and wounding seven others, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported.
SANA, citing a military source, said most of the
missiles launched from over the occupied Golan Heights were intercepted.
Syria has been in the grip of foreign-backed militancy
since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western
and regional allies aid Takfiri terrorist groups that continue to wreak havoc
in the country.
Israel frequently targets military positions inside
Syria, especially those of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah which has
played a key role in helping the Syrian army in its fight against
foreign-backed terrorists.
The Tel Aviv regime rarely comments on its cowardly
attacks on Syrian territories, which many see as a knee-jerk reaction to the
Syrian government’s phenomenal success in confronting and decimating terrorism.
Source: Press TV
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South Asia
Consensus on Non-Recognition of the Taliban Gov’t in
Western World: EU Ambassador
By Arif Ahmadi
23 Jul 2022
KABUL, Afghanistan – Ambassador of the European Union
for Afghanistan Andreas Von Brandt, at a meeting in the European Parliament
Friday, drew attention to the increasing hunger crisis in Afghanistan, saying
there is consensus on non-recognition of the Taliban government in Western
world.
According to Brandt, the world is trying to provide
humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, not to the de facto
government, exclaiming the consensus of the international community is that the
Islamic Emirate should not be given formal recognition.
“We have a very cautious approach…and I think …if
there are a few good things at the moment it is, that there is the tremendous
consensus on the non-recognition in the entire Western world and I actually
don’t see that changing in the near future,” he said, as TOLOnews quoted.
Meanwhile, political analyst believe the current
situation in Afghanistan could get worse if the Taliban leadership will not
consider an inclusive government, saying such could also pave the way for the
international community to offer formal recognition to the group.
“If the people’s demand to form an inclusive
government is not taken into consideration, the situation will not only worsen,
but the government won’t be recognized by the international community,” said
Sayed Sajad Sajadi, international relations expert.
“The international community and the people of
Afghanistan want the current government to include diverse layers of educated
youth and representatives from different ethnic groups,” said Ahmad Monib Rasa,
political analyst.
But the so-called Islamic Emirate government has
repeatedly defied the international community, saying its leadership has
“fulfilled all the promises it made with the United States in the Doha
Agreement.”
“The Islamic Emirate does not allow anyone to use the
territory of Afghanistan against the United States and its allies,” said
Spokesman of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabihullah Mujahid in a thread. “In
addition, IEA is also committed to providing all the Shariah rights of its
citizens.”
Reflecting on the overall security of the country, the
spokesman said a “peaceful atmosphere” has been created in the country, where
women and men could rightfully take part on Afghanistan’s development.
“In Afghanistan, a normal life and peaceful atmosphere
has been created for women and men, and the rights of all minorities are
maintained,” he said. “Moreover, the system and way of life in Afghanistan are
issues related to Afghans.”
Source: Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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https://www.khaama.com/consensus-on-non-recognition-of-the-taliban-govt-in-western-world/
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Islamic Emirate Leader Bans 'Unproven Allegations'
Against Members
July 23, 2022
A statement of the Islamic Emirate leader, Mawlawi
Hibatullah Akhundzada, said allegations against officials of the Islamic
Emirate that lack proof are forbidden.
The statement, issued by Islamic Emirate spokesman
Zabiullah Mujahid, said several Islamic Hadiths suggest that unproven
allegations are considered lies and are worthy of punishment.
The statement said that it is the responsibility of
all citizens and media organizations to bring this decree into effect.
"Based on Islamic values, making unnecessary
allegations about officials and inaccurate criticism is not allowed, based on
Sharia. There is no place for rumors in Islam because it causes hatred among
the Muslims, it negates trust and affects morale," the statement reads.
The statement said that the humiliation of Islamic
clerics and government employees verbally, through body language or by any
other means is not appropriate.
Meanwhile, analysts said a standard government should
be flexible and accept criticism.
"Indeed, criticism has its benefits as well.
Criticism can cause reform in the system, it can cause the strengthening of the
government. Unfortunately, I found this statement very serious and this could
be for those people among the Taliban who made remarks about the girls' schools
in recent days," said Torek Farhadi, a political analyst.
"National freedom, civil freedom, legal
explanation and criticism, which improve the system, should have the people's
support," said Najibullah Jami, university instructor.
Source: Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-179059
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Taliban torture arrested Afghan YouTuber Ajmal Haqiqi
and his team: Report
Jul 23, 2022
The Taliban are torturing arrested Afghan model and
YouTuber Ajmal Haqiqi, along with other three people, reported news agency ANI
citing sources. Reportedly, the Taliban tortured them by brutally beating them
with rods and filmed it “for fun” - which then went viral on social media.
On June 9, the Taliban arrested Haqiqi along with
three people for allegedly “disrespecting” Islam and the Quran, as per videos
released by Afghanistan's new rulers.
The model known for his fashion shows, modelling
events, and YouTube videos had reportedly appeared handcuffed in a light brown
jail uniform - in the videos released by the Taliban.
Reportedly, the model was seen laughing as his colleague
Ghulam Sakhi — who is known to have a speech impediment that he uses for humour
— recited the verses of the Quran in Arabic in a comical tone. Upon this, the
Taliban arrested Haqiqi and his colleagues as “no one is allowed to insult
Quranic verses or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad”.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has been calling on
the Taliban to release them, reported ANI citing Khaama Press.
Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August
last year, they have imposed hard censorship on media.
Source: Hindustan Times
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UNAMA
Negotiates with Taliban Gov’t to Reopen Girls School
By
Arif Ahmadi
23
Jul 2022
KABUL,
Afghanistan – United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Chief of
Human Rights Fiona Frazer, in an interview with TOLOnews Friday, said they bid
to interact with the Islamic Emirate government to reopen girls’ school in
Afghanistan.
This
came days after (UNAMA) released a report, outlining the human rights situation
in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover last August, including ban on high
school girl’s education in the country.
“I
think that we need to continue to keep raising what we see as concerns on the
ground and to keep interacting and engaging with the de facto authorities…” she
said, as TOLOnews quoted.
Frazer
believes the restrictions against girls’ high schools in Afghanistan is an
obstacle to the country’s development, saying such a leadership of the Taliban
interrupts a generation of girl’s basic learning and schooling.
“We
do have the fact that girls are no longer able throughout Afghanistan to go to
secondary school,” she said. “One of the points that we make related to this is
that it is really interrupting a generation of girls’ basic education.”
Since
the takeover last August, Taliban government has been imposing strict
restrictions against women rights and girls’ education in Afghanistan, which
has sparked global reactions.
Earlier,
the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report,
outlining the human rights situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover
last August.
The
report summarizes UNAMA’s findings with regards to the protection of civilians,
extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and
detentions, the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, fundamental freedoms
and the situation in places of detention.
Despite
a significant reduction in armed conflict, UNAMA recorded 2106 civilian
casualties between mid-August 2021 and mid-June 2022. The majority of civilian
casualties were attributed to targeted attacks by the ISIL against ethnic and
religious minority communities.
“It
is beyond time for all Afghans to be able to live in peace and rebuild their
lives after 20 years of armed conflict,” said Markus Potzel, Acting
Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. “Our monitoring
reveals that despite the improved security situation since 15 August, the
people of Afghanistan, in particular women and girls, are deprived of the full
enjoyment of their human rights.”
While
the Taliban leadership have taken some steps seemingly aimed at the protection
and promotion of human rights, including amnesty for former government
officials and security force members, they bear responsibility for a broad
range of human rights violations, according to the findings.
The
erosion of women’s rights has been one of the most notable aspects of the de
facto administration, where women and girls have particularly been restricted
from obtaining education and living a normal public life in the country.
“The
education and participation of women and girls in public life is fundamental to
any modern society. The relegation of women and girls to the home denies
Afghanistan the benefit of the significant contributions they have to offer.
Education for all is not only a basic human right, it is the key to progress
and development of a nation,” said the UN envoy.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/unama-negotiates-with-taliban-govt-to-reopen-girls-school/
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Taliban's
worrying new diktat for those who criticise 'Islamic Emirate'
Jul
23, 2022
The
Taliban will punish those to criticise the scholars and public servants of
‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ without any authenticity, be it with gesture,
word or anything else, reported news agency ANI citing Voice of America (VOA).
Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid has reportedly published new set of
instructions attributed to their leader, Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada, calling
their implementation "Sharia responsibility" of the people and the
media.
The
people of Afghanistan have been ordered to stop unnecessary accusations against
the government officials and avoid criticism that are “away from reality”,
without specifying it. The Sunni Pashtun group has long been accused of gross
human rights violations and often faces criticism for its stance on girls'
education and women's rights.
Several
reports from human rights organisations and media suggest that the Taliban have
"arrested, imprisoned and tortured some people who criticised them on
social media". Under the new instructions from Akhundzada, such actions
are deemed as "negative propaganda" that "unconsciously helps
the enemies", reported VOA.
If
any person "touches any soldier, or pulls his clothes, or say bad things
to him" will be considered as a punishable act, according to the new
directives as per VOA.
A
self-identified "National Resistance Front" is fighting the Taliban
government in Afghanistan and has repeatedly accused the Islamist
fundamentalists of "arresting, killing and injuring civilians".
According to a UN report released earlier this week, 18 extrajudicial killings,
54 instances of torture and ill-treatment and 113 instances of arbitrary arrest
and detention and 23 cases of incommunicado detention of individuals affiliated
with the National Resistance Front have been recorded.
The
new directives were published weeks after a Mullah from Herat, Mujibur Rahman
Ansari, asked the participants at the "Great Meeting of Scholars" in
Kabul to issue a fatwa that calls for beheading of the chiefs of the opponents
of the Taliban government, reported VOA.
Baitullah
Hamidi, professor of journalism faculty of Kabul University, wrote on his
Facebook page that this situation will "make the oppression and violence
in the country stronger and more frightening."
Source: Hindustan Times
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Thousands
flee feuding Taliban in Afghanistan’s north
July
22, 2022
DUZDANCHISMA,
Afghanistan: When fighting erupted between Taliban forces and a breakaway group
led by one of their former commanders in northern Afghanistan last month, Zahra
and her family fled to the mountains.
For
days they walked across the rocky terrain, unsure what lay ahead or when they
might return to their home Sar-e Pol province’s Balkhab district, where the
clashes erupted.
“We
didn’t want to get trapped ... we all might have been killed,” said Zahra, 35,
asking to use a pseudonym for security reasons.
Zahra’s
family is among thousands that fled conflict between the Taliban and fighters
loyal to Mahdi Mujahid, the group’s former intelligence chief for Bamiyan.
Ethnicity,
religious sectarianism and a battle for a lump of Balkhab’s lucrative coal
resources are at the heart of the fighting.
“All
these factors are working together in driving the conflict,” Australia-based
political analyst Nematullah Bizhan said.
Mujahid,
a Shiite Hazara, joined the mostly Sunni and Pashtun Taliban in 2019, and was
appointed to his post soon after the hard-line Islamists seized power in August
last year.
Afghanistan’s
Shiite Hazaras have faced persecution for decades, with the Taliban accused of
abuses against the community when they first ruled from 1996 to 2001.
They
are also the target of attacks by the Daesh group, which considers them
heretics.
Mujahid’s
appointment was initially seen as supporting the Taliban’s claim of being more
inclusive to non-Pashtuns, but he soon fell foul of the leadership.
The
group routinely denies reports of infighting in its ranks, but in June local
media said Mujahid split with the Taliban leadership when Kabul sought greater
control over the coal business.
Balkhab
is home to several coal mines and demand has soared in recent months with
Pakistan — in the grip of an energy crisis partly caused by rising oil prices —
stepping up imports to fuel power plants.
Local
Taliban commanders were known to “tax” trucks on their way to Pakistan — as
officials in the previous government did before them — but when Mujahid resisted
Kabul’s efforts to rein in the practice, they sacked him.
“Balkhab
has a long history of resisting the government,” analyst Bizhan said, adding
the region also fought strongly against the Taliban during their first reign.
While
the June fighting lasted only a few days, the United Nations says it displaced
at least 27,000 people — almost all of them Hazara.
The
result is a humanitarian crisis that aid agencies are now struggling to deal
with.
“We
used to sleep thirsty on empty stomachs and wake up in the morning and start
walking again,” said Zahra, whose family walked for nearly a fortnight before
finding shelter in a village mosque in Bamiyan.
“Everyone
was sick.”
The
family of Barat Ali Subhani, another resident of Balkhab, has taken refuge in
the same mosque.
“We
didn’t have anything with us. We just left in clothes we were wearing,” Subhani
said.
His
seven-member family — including five children — walked for four days before a
shepherd led them to the mosque.
“He
saved us,” Subhani said.
“We
had nothing. We thought that we will probably die.”
In
the town of Duzdanchishma in Bamiyan, Najiba Mirzae has spent days treating
those who fled Balkhab.
Many
are pregnant women suffering from diarrhea, nausea and respiratory ailments
caught while traveling through the mountains, said Mirzae, head of a local
hospital.
Several
UN aid agencies have tried to respond, but have not managed to reach all those
displaced as many are still in the mountains.
“We
couldn’t reach the area even after walking for five and half hours because the
mules were unable to pass,” said Noryalai, who led a UNICEF team on one mercy
mission.
In
Balkhab, Mujahid and his followers have fled into the mountains, according to
defense ministry spokesman Enayatullah Khwarizmi, and fighting has stopped.
But
rights group Amnesty International accused Taliban forces of carrying out
summary executions of civilians there — a charge denied by Kabul.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2127441/world
--------
North America
Sanders:
US should not maintain ‘warm relationship’ with Saudi Arabia
17
July 2022
Independent
Senator Bernie Sanders has denounced US President Joe Biden’s visit to Saudi
Arabia, saying the United States should not maintain a “warm relationship” with
the kingdom.
Sanders
on Sunday said Biden should not have visited the kingdom or met its Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), who was accused by American intelligence of
ordering the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The
former presidential candidate said that he does not believe “that type of
government should be rewarded with a visit by the president of the United
States.”
When
asked in an interview with ABC whether Biden should have visited the country,
Sanders replied, “No, I don’t think so.”
“You
have a leader of that country who was involved in the murder of a Washington Post
journalist,” he added. “I don’t think that that type of government should be
rewarded with a visit by the president of the United States.”
“I
just don’t believe we should be maintaining a warm relationship with a
dictatorship like that,” he stated.
A
team of Saudi operatives murdered Khashoggi, a Washington Post journalist, in
the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on October 2, 2018.
Biden,
who once called for Saudi Arabia to be made a pariah, visited Saudi Arabia and
met with the crown prince.
Saudi
Arabia has denied any involvement by the crown prince in the murder and
rejected a US intelligence report that assessed that MBS "approved an
operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill" Khashoggi.
Sanders
also dismissed arguments that Biden visited the kingdom to try to get it to
increase oil production and lower American gasoline prices.
The
price for a gallon has doubled since Biden took office in January last year,
but that same gallon costs $4.53 on Sunday morning, according to data from the
non-profit American Automobile Association (AAA). The association said the
average gallon of gas cost only $2.39 during the first week of Biden’s
presidency.
The
gasoline prices are a problem for Biden and his fellow Democrats ahead of the
November midterm congressional elections.
Sanders
said that the focus should be on the American companies, as their profits in
the last quarter “have been extraordinarily high.”
I
happen to believe that we have to tell the oil companies to stop ripping off
the American people, and if they don’t, we should impose a windfall profits tax
on them,” he added.
Sanders
slammed Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations, democracy and violence against
government dissidents, saying that all of this show why the US should not
maintain a close relationship with the regime.
“If
this country believes in anything, we believe in human rights, we believe in
democracy,” he said. “And I just don’t believe we should be maintaining a warm
relationship with a dictatorship like that.”
US
relations with Saudi Arabia have been strained since the assassination of
Khashoggi.
Biden,
after winning the presidential election and even in the election campaign, had
repeatedly said that bin Salman was the main perpetrator of this crime. But to
date, no practical action has been taken by the White House in this regard.
Democratic
members of the US House of Representatives had introduced two bills to penalize
MBS for his personal role in the violent murder of Khashoggi.
Congresswoman
Ilhan Omar said back then that the legislation would freeze the Saudi crown
prince’s assets and impose a visa ban on him.
Biden
also scaled back support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen amid disgust over
civilian casualties.
Source:
Press TV
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Europe
UAE
visit to France was ‘successful and important’ in all domains: French
ambassador
22
July ,2022
The
visit of United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to
France was “successful and important in all domains,” the French ambassador to
the UAE was quoted as saying by state news agency WAM on Friday.
Sheikh
Mohamed visited the European country last week, with both countries signing
agreements on topics such as space, education and climate change. The
agreements are aimed at enhancing bilateral relations in various vital fields,
WAM reported at the time.
During
the visit the UAE and France also announced the launch of the UAE-France
Business Council, signed in the presence of Sheikh Mohamed and French President
Emmanuel Macron, which aims to strengthen the economic relations between the
two countries in the fields of energy, transport and investment.
The
“visit also underscores the deep-rooted friendship and cooperation between the
two countries,” French Ambassador to the UAE Xavier Chatel told WAM.
Chatel
explained that over 600 French companies employ nearly 30,000 people in the
UAE, noting that France has gained a strong and diverse presence in the
country, according to WAM.
The
UAE hosts the largest number of French citizens abroad, Chatel reportedly
added.
Sheikh
Mohammed’s state visit to France took place between July 17-19, his first
overseas state visit since being named President, following the death of the late
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa in May.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Former
Afghan interpreter separated from baby son amid UK visa delays
July
22, 2022
LONDON:
A former Afghan interpreter and his wife who live in Britain have been
separated from their infant son for more than six months due to visa problems,
The Times newspaper reported.
Sajid
Naeemi, 29, told The Times that the situation was devastating for him, adding
that his wife Mena was “crying every single day” after they left their son in
Afghanistan because of visa delays.
The
UK Ministry of Defence in January requested copies of the child’s passport and
birth certificate to commence a reuniting effort, but the couple have not heard
from them due to a growing backlog of cases for civil servants to work through.
“I
am devastated,” Naeemi told The Times. “I feel like I am being betrayed by the
MoD and the government as a whole. My wife is feeling the same. She is crying
when she sees him over the phone. She tells me every single day to send her
back to Afghanistan.”
Ministry
officials are struggling to process thousands of asylum applications since the
fall of Kabul to the Taliban last year.
Rules
for who can move to Britain from Afghanistan have gradually relaxed in recent
years, with family members being offered the opportunity to join interpreters.
But
many people who worked with British troops have struggled to acquire the
necessary clearances and permission to move to the UK, even as restrictions are
eased.
Naeemi
has been luckier than most interpreters, moving to Britain in 2016 ahead of the
fall of Kabul under a government relocation scheme. He spent two years on the
frontline in Helmand province, serving alongside British troops.
He
moved with his last wife, who he divorced after moving to the northwest of
England, and married his current wife Mena in 2019 on a visit to his home
country.
Naeemi,
who found work with Amazon, applied for Mena to join him in Britain, saying he
spent £1,400 ($1,600) on a fast-track visa service.
The
service was advertised as taking six weeks to process, but their son was born
while they waited. Naeemi was told that if he restarted the application for the
new family member, then it would be rejected due to his limited funds from his
work.
Naeemi’s
life became additionally strenuous when the Taliban took over last autumn.
Mena,
25, attempted to board a flight for Britain but was turned away due to having
insufficient paperwork.
His
brother, Halimjan, was shot while commuting to work, which his family believes
was a revenge attack due to their support as interpreters.
Naeemi
then asked the ministry to bring his wife, son, and Halimjan’s five children to
Britain.
Last
October, Mena was granted a short-time visa by the UK Home Office. She took it,
fearing that there was a risk she would never be united with her husband in
Britain if she waited for a better deal.
Naeemi
this year responded to a ministry request for documentation on his son and
Halimjan’s five children, who were adopted by Naeemi with their mother’s
blessing.
He
replied with the full official documentation but has been kept in the lurch,
sending requests for an update.
He
told The Times: “They haven’t sent me a single letter in all that time. Now I’m
worried they are stuck thinking about the Ukraine crisis and focusing on us
less and less.”
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2127596/world
--------
India
Namaz
At Waiting Room Of Prayagraj Station Sparks Row
Jul
23, 2022
PRAYAGRAJ:
Barely a few days after a row over Namaz at a mall in Lucknow, a video of some
persons offering ‘Namaz’ in the waiting room of platform number one of
Prayagraj Junction has hit the social media.
The
video shows a Muslim cleric leading the prayers at the waiting room while those
behind him are madrassa students. GRP and RPF are now keeping a close watch at
the Prayagraj Junction. Railway officials are tight lipped over the incident,
but said that an investigation was underway in connection with rescue of some
children at the station on suspicion of child trafficking.
On
Thursday morning, RPF and GRP had rescued some children from Mahananda Express
at Prayagraj Junction on suspicion of child trafficking. The action was taken
on the information passed by an NGO ‘Bachapan Bachao Andolan’ run by Nobel
Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi. Officials said the rescue was carried out
at Mahananda Express bound for New Delhi. As train reached platform number 3 of
Prayagraj Junction, RPF and GRP swung into action. Two persons identified as
Abdul Rab of Sitapur and Mohd Sahil of Saharsa district of Bihar were detained
for questioning. They claimed that they were taking the children to a madrassa
in Fatehpur district.
Investigations
revealed that the two persons were taking 15 children to a madrassa while 17
others including adults and children were being taken to Delhi for labour.
The
children being taken to the madrassa and the two men accompanying them offered
‘Namaz’ three times at the waiting room where they were being kept. GRP
personnel raised objections, but Abdul Rab claimed he has taken permission from
officials as they have no place to offer Namaz.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Man
Held In UP For Raping Teen, Bid To Convert Her To Islam: Police
July
23, 2022
THE
KANPUR police have arrested a 22-year-old Muslim man for allegedly raping and
forcing a minor girl to “convert to Islam for marriage”. The man had allegedly
taken the 17-year-old girl to a court on Thursday and was accosted by some
members of the Bajrang Dal, police said on Friday
The
police were also informed and the two were taken to the local police station,
where Bajrang Dal members staged a protest demanding action against the
arrested accused.
An
FIR was registered against the arrested accused on charges of rape, cheating
and criminal intimidation. Police also invoked Protection of Offence Sexual
Children Act and anti conversion law against the accused.
Police
said that during preliminary investigation, the girl told them that the accused
allegedly raped her and also took Rs 50,000 from her on the pretext of marrying
her.
“The
accused was on Friday produced before a local court that sent him to judicial
custody,” said a senior police officer.
The
police also sent the girl for medical examination of the girl and said her
statement would be recorded before a court on Saturday.
Source:
Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Karnataka:
Muslim boy attacked with glass bottles dies, 8 held
22nd
July 2022
Hyderabad:
19-year-old, Mohammed Masood died on Thursday while undergoing treatment after
being attacked by a gang of eight members at Kalanja village in Sullia taluk,
Karnataka on July 19.
On
Tuesday, the deceased Masood and one of the accused Sudhir allegedly got into a
fight. Later, the same night, Sudhir and seven other people attacked Masood
while demanding a resolution to the conflict outside a local shop.
Masood
was gravely injured in the altercation, as glass bottles were also allegedly
smashed on his head. He received initial care at a hospital in Sullia before
being transferred to a private facility, where he passed away on July 21,
Thursday.
The
accused Abhilash, Sunil, Sudhir, Shiva, Ranjith, Sadashiva, Zym Ranjith, and
Bhaskar were all taken into custody by the Bellare police on July 20. They were
charged with crimes that were prohibited under sections 143 (Whoever is a
member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished), 147 (Punishment for rioting),
323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), and 149 (Every member of
unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in the prosecution of the common
object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The eight people have also been charged
with murder following the passing away of Masood.
The
accused were reportedly members of the Bajrang Dal and reports of the murder of
Masood being a pre-planned crime have also emerged.
On
July 21, several people gathered at the municipal hospital after hearing of his
death. They demanded that Masood’s body not be moved unless Deputy Commissioner
K.V. Rajendra visits the scene and guarantees that the deceased’s family
members would receive compensation.
After
receiving confirmation from the Tahsildar, people let the body be moved for the
last rituals. U.T. Khader, a Mangaluru MLA, visited the hospital in the
meanwhile and urged the arrest of everyone connected to the crime.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/karnataka-muslim-boy-attacked-with-glass-bottles-dies-8-held-2375166/
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Jamiat
factions’ nod to merger, but no deadline
Jul
23, 2022
NEW
DELHI: In a significant development, putting aside their differences, the two
factions of the influential Deobandi clerics led Jamiat Ulama -i- Hind have
decided to formalise the roadmap to merge. The JUH faction led by Maulana
Mahmood Madani after its working committee meeting on Friday issued a statement
on the "reconciliation process" between the two factions. The move is
seen as an assertion of a show of strength to put up a united front to voice
the concerns of minorities to counter communal forces.
It
is learnt that the modalities of the merger and the power sharing model will be
worked out in subsequent meetings between the Presidents of the two factions
Maulana Mahmood Madani and Maulana Arshad Madani. However, the JUH is still not
willing to set a deadline for the merger.
"It
was unanimously approved by the working committee to take forward the process
of reconciliation. To advance this process, the WC authorised Maulana Mahmood
Madani to continue the process of reconciliation and it also considers it
necessary that the concerned parties should not only limit themselves to verbal
discussions but present their suggestions and positions in written form."
.
Meanwhile,
the working committee also discussed the on-going communal situation, hate
crime, protection of the constitution and the need for an anti-blasphemy law.
In
his address, Mahmood Madani said that to deal with the prevailing
circumstances, JUH has been conducting interfaith harmony programs and has also
established a department to fight hate crime incidents.
In a resolution approved by the working
committee about the prevailing communal situations, JUH said that
"religious fanaticism and insulting of religious leaders as promoted by
political leaders is a grave threat to the country and would tarnish the image
of the country among the global fraternity." The working committee wants
the Government of India to take measures to stop communal riots and derogatory behaviour
and implement effective legislation in the light of Supreme Court directives to
prevent violence.
Claiming
to have the backing of over 1.2 crore members, the move by the two JUH factions
to bury their differences and work out a strategy for a merger is part of its
vision to strengthen the organisation to give voice to the community’s concerns
as one.
The
merger has long been in the works since the Delhi High Court in 2017 directed
both factions to settle their differences through arbitration and arrive at a
consensus.
The
division in JUH was triggered during the presidential tenure of Arshad Madani
who took on the reins of the organisation in 2006 when the former president
Asad Madani passed away. The latter’s son and Arshad Madani’s nephew Mahmood
Madani was the general secretary of the organisation. It is learnt that soon
trouble broke out over the division of powers and the working of the
organisation between Arshad Madani, and Mahmood Madani and the members of the
executive committee.
Arshad
Madani’s decisions related to the organisation were cited to be autocratic by
his opponents. Consequently, Arshad Madani was dismissed as the president of
the united Jamiat, leading him to form a new executive committee which he
claimed to be the true Jamiat. The existing Jamiat was led by Mahmood Madani,
and in April 2008 this faction appointed Usman Mansoorpuri as their first
president. Mahmood Madani became President of this faction earlier this year.
Source:
Times Of India
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‘Waqf
law not applicable in Gyanvapi case’
Jul
23, 2022
PRAYAGRAJ:
The Waqf Act of 1995 cannot be applied in the Gyanvapi case as the law is
exclusive to the minority community, while the current litigation involves two
separate religious groups, the counsel for the Kashi Vishwanath Temple argued
in the Allahabad HC on Friday.
Temple
counsel Vijay Shankar Rastogi said provisions of the Waqf Act are not binding
upon Hindus and if any dispute arises between the Waqf Board and a nonMuslim, a
notice essentially has to be issued to the opposite party. “In the current
matter, no notice or opportunity was ever given to the plaintiffs. Therefore,
the property in dispute cannot be treated or said to be Waqf property,” he
said.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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--------
3
Of UP Family Held In Pakistan With Pistols
Jul
23, 2022
SHAMLI:
Three of a family from UP’s Shamli were arrested by Pakistani authorities at
Wagah-Attari border in Punjab after some pistols were recovered from them.
Seventy-year-old Nafees Ahmad, his wife Aamna and 35-year-old son Mohd Kaleem
are residents of Nokua Mohalla in the district.
An
intelligence officer in Shamli said, on condition of anonymity, that they could
be part of ‘kabootarbazi’, a term used for smuggling of goods using travellers.
Top officials of Shamli police have refused to reveal further details. The
local police on Friday found their house in Nokua Mohalla locked, as other
family members have gone underground.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Udaipur
killing: NIA arrests eighth person in connection with tailor Kanhaiya Lal
Teli's brutal murder
Jul
22, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an eighth accused
in the case relating to the brutal killing of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiyaa Lal
Teli.
Mohammed
Javed, 19 years old and a resident of Udaipur, had played an important part in
the murder conspiracy by conducting reconnaissance and passing on the
information about Teli’s presence at his shop, to the main accused and killer
Riyaz, prior to the crime, said NIA.
Teli
was murdered by two assailants, armed with sharp weapons, at his shop in Maldas
Street, Udaipur, Rajasthan, last month. The killing took place after Teli had
allegedly put up a social media post in favour of former BJP spokesperson Nupur
Sharma.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Mathura
court reserves decision over appointing commissioner to survey Shahi Idgah
mosque to verify temple signs in it
July
23, 2022
Mathura:
A court in Mathura has reserved its decision over the appointment of a
commissioner to survey the Shahi Idgah mosque near the Krishna Janmabhoomi
temple to verify temple signs in it.
The
hearing was held in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Sanjay
Chaudhary, said Devkinandan Sharma and Deepak Sharma, the advocates of Dinesh
Sharma, who is the treasurer of the plaintiff Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha.
"We
insisted on the demand of conducting a survey of the Idgah through the
court-appointed commissioner. On this the court has reserved the
decision," the advocates told PTI.
They
said that their next course of action will be decided after the court arrives
at a decision.
Source:
Firstpost
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Jahangirpuri:
Muslim Family Alleges Police Detained 3 Women, 2 Minors 'Illegally', Move HC
Nikita
Jain and Sumedha Pal
July
23, 2022
New
Delhi: Five women, all Muslims, have alleged that they were picked up by Delhi
Police and illegally kept in custody for 42 hours over what police claim is
their connection with the communal violence that took place in the city’s
Jahangirpuri area on April 16 this year.
On
the day, a Ram Navami procession halted outside a mosque in the C Block area
and provocative slogans were raised, reports have said. Amid tensions, violence
was seen in the area.
In
its charge sheet, Delhi police have identified three main conspirators and has
accused them of instigating riots and inciting youth in the region.
The
Wire had earlier reported on locals’ allegations on Muslim residents being
harassed repeatedly by police investigating the communal violence.
Some
of the women The Wire spoke to then are among the five who have alleged that
they were illegally picked up and kept in custody.
Jahangirpuri
resident Bano* and her daughter had previously told The Wire that they had been
receiving threats and were being asked to get the men in their family to
surrender. Police, they had said, suspect that Bano’s son had a role in the
violence.
Bano
says that on July 17, once again, police came to their house. The visit was at
around 9 pm.
“They
knocked on our doors asking for the whereabouts of my son. When I told him that
I didn’t know anything, he asked me and my daughter to go sit in the police
van. There were no women police officers with him,” she said.
The
mother and daughter were then taken to Jahangirpuri Police Station. Bano’s
daughter Salma* is 17 years old. She says that she informed police that she was
a minor but that they did not listen to her.
When
Salma’s aunt and two female cousins reached the station, they were also
detained. One of her cousins is four years old.
“The
five of us were first asked to sit. Then they locked us in a room where we
stayed for three days [around 42 hours over the course of three days],” Salma
says.
The
women managed to call their lawyer, who reached the police station. It was only
after lawyers intervened that the women were released.
Among
the five, only Bano had a phone with her, which she managed to pass to a tea
seller whom the police officials had called on July 18. Her lawyers were called
early on July 19 and reached the police station immediately. On reaching the
police station, the lawyers were told that the women were locked up two nights
ago, on July 17.
The
women alleged they were verbally abused as well and that police had not allowed
them to contact or meet with anyone.
The
family, through their lawyer, has filed a petition in the Delhi high court
against police, over this ‘illegal’ detentions in the investigation into the
case.
“The
case of the petitioners concern grave violations of their fundamental right to
life and liberty as guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The
Petitioners before the Hon’ble Court are all women who along with the two minor
girls were subjected to illegal detention by the Jahangirpuri Police Station,
New Delhi wherein they were kept in continuous Police detention/custody
starting from 17.7.222 to 19.7.22,” read the petition.
Speaking
to The Wire, Bano’s lawyer Kawalpreet Kaur said they have demanded that the
women be compensated for the trouble they were put through.
“This
is the case of illegal detention of more than 40 hours. There are various
judgements by courts stating that people cannot be kept in illegal detention.
There were also two minor girls who were in detention as well. Action must be
taken against the police personnel who have done it,” she said.
Further
stating that a proper procedure needs to be followed during an arrest, Kaur
said, “So many laws were violated in this case. There were no female personnel
present during the arrest. The women were arrested after 7 in the evening,
which is not allowed. Minor girls were arrested and they were not even given a
chair to sit in.”
The
provisions of sub-section (4) of Section 46 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1973 mandates that if the Police want to arrest a woman after sunset, they have
to seek prior permission of the Magistrate, and arrest should be made by a
female police officer.
The
matter will be heard in the high court next week.
Jahangirpuri
residents have also termed the probe as “one sided”, portraying the minorities
as aggressors. National Security Act was invoked against five accused persons
in connection with the case, among those arrested for the violence, majority of
the accused were Muslims.
Source:
The Wire
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://thewire.in/communalism/jahangirpuri-muslim-family-police-detained-illegally
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Pak
intruder who intended to kill Nupur Sharma has links with far-right Islamic
group TLP: Police
July
22, 2022
Jaipur:
Pakistani intruder Rizwan Ashraf, who infiltrated into India with the intention
to eliminate suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, has been associated with
a far-right Islamic group in his country, police said on Friday.
Rizwan
(24) was caught by the Border Security Force (BSF) near the India-Pakistan
border in Sri Ganganagar on the night intervening July 16 and 17, and was
handed over to the local police for interrogation.
He
has also been involved in vandalising a statue of erstwhile Sikh ruler Ranjit
Singh at Lahore Fort last year, after which he was nabbed and sent to a jail in
Pakistan.
Rizwan
has been associated with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a far-right Islamic group in
Pakistan, police said.
Sri
Ganganagar SP Anand Sharma said during interrogation, Rizwan said he came to
India with a plan to kill Nupur Sharma for insulting Prophet Mohammad.
The
SP said that the accused has been actively associated with the
Tehreek-e-Labbaik.
"This
group had organised a protest march a month ago in the village of the accused
against the statement of Nupur Sharma," the SP said.
He
had taken part in a religious meeting in Pakistan and after being motivated
there, he made a plan to kill the suspended BJP leader.
He
was caught by the BSF in Hindumalkot when he entered India after crossing the
border. Two knives, religious books, food and clothes were recovered from a bag
in his possession.
Source:
Firstpost
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Pakistan
Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl Agree To Adopt ‘Aggressive
Posture’ To Counter Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Politics
July
22, 2022
LONDON,
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
supremo Nawaz Sharif on Friday telephoned Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)
President and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and
discussed with him present political situation of the country.
Sources
privy to the development informed that both the leaders agreed on adopting an
“aggressive” posture to counter the politics of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
(PTI). They further said that the former prime minister not only agreed with
the suggestions given by the JUI-F chief for the success of the coalition
government, but also assured him that these would be implemented as well.
Furthermore,
sources said that both Nawaz and Fazl were of the opinion that the coalition
government should now take on the challenges of inflation and also take those
trampling upon the constitution to task.
Similarly,
both the leaders agreed that the “tales of corruption and bad governance” of
the PTI government would be made public. Nawaz also had a telephonic
conversation with former president and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari
yesterday.
The
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan wants to
create economic instability in the country, asserting that Pakistan cannot bear
the Imran-Bushra-Gogi mafias’ thefts any more.
Reacting
to Fawad Chaudhry’s statement on Friday, Information Minister Marriyum
Aurangzeb said in a statement that people of Pakistan had rejected the politics
of thieves, hypocrites and liars. She held that Imran’s government was toppled
on April 3. “Days to hurl threats by the PTI members have gone now. Now keep
your mouth shut and let the government do its work,” Ms Aurangzeb said
categorically.
She
asked her predecessor where the PTI’s election framework had been for the last
four years. She said that everybody had seen PTI’s election framework in 2018
elections, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Senate and Daska
elections.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
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Pak,
China welcome 'interested' third countries joining CPEC for mutually beneficial
cooperation
Jul
23, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
All-weather allies Pakistan and China have decided to welcome
"interested" third countries joining the multi-billion dollar
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), saying it was "an open and
inclusive platform" for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Launched
in 2013, the CPEC is a corridor linking Pakistan's Gwadar port on the Arabian
Sea with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which
highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation.
The
3rd meeting of the CPEC Joint Working Group (JWG) on International Cooperation
and Coordination (JWG-ICC) was held in virtual mode on Friday.
During
the meeting, co-chaired by Pakistan's foreign secretary Sohail Mahmood and
China's Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao, both sides reviewed the
continued implementation of the CPEC and its expansion to the jointly agreed
priority areas, according to a statement by the Foreign Office here.
It
was noted that as a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the CPEC
had broken new ground in strengthening international and regional connectivity,
especially in the context of its extension to Afghanistan.
“As
an open and inclusive platform, both sides welcomed interested third parties to
benefit from avenues for mutually beneficial cooperation opened up by CPEC,”
according to the Foreign Office.
India
has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The CPEC is a USD 60 billion flagship project
of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of the Chinese government and promoted by
President Xi Jinping.
During
Friday's meeting, Pakistan and China also agreed that CPEC's development had
reached a new point, with increasing emphasis on high-quality development of
industry, agriculture, IT, and science and technology, while ensuring tangible
socio-economic benefits for the people.
Foreign
Secretary Mahmood underscored the centrality of the time-tested Pakistan-China
all-weather strategic cooperative partnership in Pakistan's foreign policy.
He
said that manifesting the historic choice of both countries and peoples, the
vitality and dynamism of CPEC reflected the deep-seated mutual goodwill that
lay at the heart of the bilateral relationship.
Source:
Times Of India
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Balochistan
orders stricter action against terrorists
Saleem
Shahid
July
22, 2022
QUETTA:
Adviser to the Balochistan Chief Minister on Home Mir Ziaullah Langove on
Thursday ordered the law enforcement agencies to speed up operations against
terrorists and extremists to maintain peace in the province.
Presiding
over a meeting to review the law and order situation, Mr Langove asked the
authorities concerned to review the security of sensitive installations, places
of worship and educational institutions.
In
view of the recent attacks in the province, Mr Langove also ordered strict
monitoring of banned organisations, terrorists and extremist elements,
including their facilitators.
He
asked the CTD and Special Branch to speed up intelligence-based and combing
operations while closely monitoring the movement of persons on Fourth Schedule.
The
adviser said the process of searches at inter-provincial and intra-provincial
security posts should be improved to check the movement of terrorists.
Arms
licences
The
Balochistan cabinet has lifted the ban on issuance of licences for
non-prohibited weapons and directed the home deportment to make a policy for
the purpose.
The
cabinet approved a proposal for making legislation on permanent residence
certificate (PRC) for residents of Balochistan.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1700971/balochistan-orders-stricter-action-against-terrorists
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State
institutions, media should create enabling environment for ‘truly
representative govt’: President
July
22, 2022
President
Dr Arif Alvi on has said that all state institutions and media should endeavour
to create enabling environment for setting up a government which was truly representative
of the people of Pakistan.
The
president while addressing the 5th Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(ICCI) Business Excellence Awards ceremony, at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Thursday night,
said the truly representative government should reflect their aspirations and
hopes of the people to ensure political and economic stability needed for the
promotion of business, trade and investment in the country.
The
president said that Pakistan could rise within a decade if it strengthened its
democracy, established a government that was truly representative of its
people’s aspirations, and its leadership made the right decisions, curbed
corruption, upheld justice and promoted human rights.
He
said that consultative institutions, trade and investment, and passion were the
key ingredients for any nation to become prosperous.
He
said that in addition to making the right decisions, and implementing dynamic
policies, Pakistan needed to curb corrupt practices if it was to become a
peaceful, prosperous, progressive and respectable country in the comity of
nations.
President
Alvi said that Pakistan needed to maintain cordial relations with all of its
international partners and avoid becoming parties to divisive politics in
international relations.
Urging
the business community to invest in the development of intellectual avenues,
the president said that upskilling the human resources in different sectors of
the economy, especially the IT sector, could help Pakistan achieve high
economic growth rates.
He
stated that by focusing on the development of the knowledge-based economy and
intellectual development of its human resources, Pakistan could achieve the
status of a developed, peaceful and progressive country.
He
said that the business and industrial sectors were the backbone of the
country’s economy.
“Country
grows when the industry grows, therefore, the government should take every step
possible to promote business and industry by rationalizing the taxation system,
setting up new industrial estates and economic zones and focusing on the
promotion of exports and industrialization”, he added.
The
president also called upon the members of ICCI to collaborate with universities
to develop indigenous solutions to the specific problems being faced by the
local industry.
He
said that it was the social responsibility of the private sector to contribute
to the uplift of society and the economy.
The
ICCI should help make cities more environmentally friendly and accessible for
differently-abled people (DAPs), he added.
He
said the private sector should also take steps to provide training and skills
to the uneducated and DAPs and employ them as per their capabilities as equally
empowered employees.
The
president added that all industries should make sure that the quota fixed for DAPs
was fully implemented.
He
urged the business community to increase the participation of women in business
and other social activities, stating that the exclusion of women from economic
and social activities had no basis in religion rather it was derived from
cultural and human biases embedded in our culture and social norms.
He
stressed that cultural and structural hindrances against women’s inclusion
should be removed by taking affirmative action in different sectors, including
business, trade, investment and manufacturing.
He
regretted that women were being deprived of their inheritance and property
rights in some parts of the country, despite Islam and the Constitution
granting them their rights.
The
president also highlighted that polarization in Indian society was increasing
and the situation of Indian minorities, especially Muslims, was particularly
debilitating.
He
said that in India religious minorities were facing intimidation, harassment
and discrimination at the hands of the Hindu majority population.
He
emphasised that when the business interests of India were hurt, India was
forced to take action against those who hurt the religious sentiments of
Muslims.
He
further stated that high moral and ethical standards should be the basis of
global order, instead of vested interests.
While
expressing concerns over brain drain and Pakistan’s low ranking in the gender
parity index, he said that Pakistan pursued a regressive policy of exporting
highly educated and skilful Human Resources from the 70s to the 90s which
deprived the country of necessary human intellect and knowledge needed for
progress and development.
He
said that government and the private sector should create enabling conditions
to stop the brain drain and bring the women population into the mainstream of
the economy.
President
ICCI, Shakeel Munir, said that industrialization could pave the way for
Pakistan’s accelerated growth and would also help address the issue of
inflation and overcome the economic difficulties being faced by the country.
Former
President of ICCI, Khalid Iqbal Malik, said that Pakistan had the potential to
take its annual exports up to USD 40 billion provided the right policies were
in place and business and industrial sectors were properly consulted.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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Military
huddle discusses ‘peace talks’ with TTP
Baqir
Sajjad Syed
July
23, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A high-level military huddle on Friday discussed ‘peace talks’ with the banned
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and decided to pursue the matter in accordance
with “comprehensive security strategy”.
The
national security meeting, chaired by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
Gen Nadeem Raza, was attended by all three services chiefs — Chief of Army
Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan
Niazi and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu —, ISI
Director General Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Faiz
Hamid, and other senior officials.
Though
the meeting carried the impression of a Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
session, it wasn’t one. A JCSC meeting would normally include the director
general of Strategic Plans Division, and secretaries of ministries of defence
and defence production, but none of them were there.
It
was the first of such meetings, involving all the armed services, since the
army-led talks with the militants in Afghanistan assumed a public profile with
briefings for political leaders and the Parliamentary Committee on National
Security on the issue by the army top brass.
Decides
to pursue matter in accordance with ‘comprehensive security strategy’
“The
forum was given a detailed briefing on review of national security situation
specific to Western Border, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan,” the ISPR said
about the meeting. It added that “fast-paced developments in the realm of
strategic and conventional policies, the importance of peace in Afghanistan for
sustainable development in the region and the operational preparedness of the
armed forces” were also discussed.
The
participants, the ISPR said, resolved to respond to “entire spectrum of
threats” in accordance with the “comprehensive security strategy”.
It
apparently means that the approach would go beyond the usual ‘kinetic strategy’
— an apparent reference to the peace talks.
The
military leadership had told the political leadership at the earlier briefings
that it wanted to give peace a chance, but would respond with full force if the
TTP did not abide by the agreement that may be eventually concluded.
The
meeting noted its “complete satisfaction” and “full confidence” in the
readiness of all the three services.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1701083/military-huddle-discusses-peace-talks-with-ttp
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Punjab
CM election: Imran urges supporters to stage 'peaceful protests', says all eyes
on SC
July
22, 2022
Former
prime minister and PTI leader Imran Khan on Friday urged his workers and
supporters — particularly the youth — to register their protests tonight,
adding that he now expects the Supreme Court to play its role in light of Hamza
Shehbaz's shock win over Parvez Elahi in Punjab CM election.
"I
am in shock at what happened in the Punjab Assembly," he said referring to
Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari's ruling to not count PML-Q votes — a
decision that reduced PTI-backed Parvez EIahi's votes from 186 to 176 and
handed him a shocking defeat.
"Last
night, Asif Zardari reached Lahore. We knew that he had to play a game. For 30
years, he has ruined the country. He buys democracy through black money."
Repeat
of Sindh House
Imran
said the developments of the day were similar to what was allegedly done prior
to his ouster from the top office.
"This
circus that we are seeing, it first happened in the Sindh House," he
referred to him losing his party MNAs ahead of the no-confidence move in March.
"A mandi (market) was set up. Our children were seeing it. Every child has
social media these days. There was a market set up where the price of the
conscience of public leaders and parliamentarians was ascertained.
"The
way goats and sheep are sold ... the same way members of the parliament were
being sold. Even there, the biggest culprit was the biggest dacoit Asif
Zardari. He has gone to jail and still rules over Sindh. He became the part of
an imported conspiracy".
"I
am telling the nation today. You have to do peaceful protest. Until and unless
you do that, nothing will happen. Register your protest. You have to tell that
we are humans, and not sheep. Register your protest today so that they know the
Pakistani nation is alive. Tell them that you wont let these dacoits steal the
mandate of the public."
Hussain's
letter 'invalid', Mazari has 'no shame'
Commenting
on Mazari's contentious ruling, Imran said: "It has clearly been written
in Article 63-A that the parliamentary party's head issues instructions for
vote. Shujaat Hussain's letter is not valid.
"This
man who is the speaker (Mazari) has no shame that votes have been cast and we
have won and then he goes and awards the win to someone else.
Imran,
whose party has decided to challenge the deputy speaker's ruling in the Supreme
Court, also addressed the top judiciary in his address.
"I
also want to urge the Supreme court that things are clear in front of you. I
have done jihad against Zardari and Sharifs for years. I was pressured to give
them NRO but I refused. Both of them looted the country," he said.
"Until
and unless we bring these dacoits under the rule of law, there is no future for
this country. Remember that our children are seeing this."
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
FM Bilawal for close Pakistan-Iran cooperation on Afghanistan matters
July
22, 2022
Foreign
Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday underscored the importance of close
cooperation between Pakistan and Iran on matters relating to Afghanistan,
including refugee management, regional security, and institutional mechanisms.
He
reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a peaceful, stable, prosperous and
connected Afghanistan.
The
foreign minister was talking to Iran’s Special Representative to the President
on Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Ghomi, who called on him here, a press release
issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
He
highlighted Pakistan’s provision of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,
including recent relief efforts in wake of the devastating earthquake in
eastern Afghanistan on 22 June 2022.
The
foreign minister also reiterated the importance of continued constructive
engagement and practical cooperation with the Interim Afghan Government in
order to promote the objective of sustainable peace and security in the region.
On
bilateral ties, he expressed Pakistan’s keen desire to further strengthen
relations with Iran, which are rooted deep in common faith, shared history, and
cultural affinities.
The
foreign minister highlighted the importance of regular exchanges to advance
economic and trade relations, energy cooperation, regional security and
connectivity.
Special
Envoy Hassan Kazemi Ghomi noted that Iran associated high importance to its
relations with Pakistan.
He
appreciated the constructive role played by Pakistan in Afghanistan and
underscored that peace and stability in Afghanistan were essential
pre-requisites for the region’s long-term stability and prosperity.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
TLP’s
sit-in outside ECP continues in Karachi
July
22, 2022
A
large number of activists of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) continue to
sit outside the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Karachi
on Friday to register their protest against one of the commission’s decisions.
TLP
Ameer Hafiz Saad Rizvi will lead Friday prayers at the site of the sit-in.
Later,
he will also address the participants.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/07/22/tlps-sit-in-outside-ecp-continues-in-karachi/
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Southeast Asia
Minister
targets Indonesia to become Muslim fashion hub by 2024
23
July, 2022
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan expressed optimism of Indonesia's
target of becoming a hub of the world's Muslim fashion being achieved by 2024
as mandated by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi).
"We
support every effort to enliven Muslim fashion trends and modest fashion. Our
goal is clear, which is to make Indonesia the center of the world's Muslim
fashion in 2024," Hasan stated here, Friday.
The
Trade Ministry will support Indonesian Muslim fashion exports through various
trade cooperation schemes with partner countries, he remarked.
Hasan
made the statement while receiving representatives from the organizers of
Indonesia Modest Fashion Week (IMFW).
To
this end, the public is invited to increasingly echo Muslim fashion trends in
the domestic market to help the Muslim fashion industry and Indonesia's modest
fashion to reach a wider market, Hasan noted.
The
minister also supports the implementation of the 2022 IMFW event and will
mobilize 46 foreign trade representative offices to promote the event to
attract more participants and buyers.
Based
on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Indonesia is ranked 13th as the Muslim
clothing exporter in 2021.
Indonesia's
exports of Muslim clothing in 2021 amounted to US$4.68 billion, an increase of
12.49 percent as compared to only US$4.16 billion in 2020.
Meanwhile,
the export value of Muslim clothing during the January-May 2022 period had
reached US$2.35 billion, an increase of 41.42 percent as compared to US$1.66
billion recorded during the corresponding period in 2020.
The
main export destinations for Indonesian Muslim clothing are the United States,
Japan, Germany, Korea, and Canada, Hasan stated.
Moreover,
the demand for halal products has continued to rise. By 2024, Muslim fashion is
projected to contribute 6.04 percent to the global halal industry, whose value
had reached US$311 billion.
Source:
Antara News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Ministry
seeks to standardize honorarium for mosque imams, managers
23
July, 2022
Jakarta
(ANTARA) - The Religious Affairs Ministry is considering formulating a
regulation to standardize the honorarium paid to imams and managers of mosques,
an official has confirmed.
"We
are now deliberating the (honorarium) requirement and mechanism," the
ministry's director of Islamic affairs and sharia guidance, Adib, said here on
Friday.
Besides
ensuring the smooth running of religious activities at the mosques they manage,
imams and mosque managers also play a role in helping maintain religious
harmony in society, he added.
According
to the official, as improving imams and mosque managers' livelihood is the
ministry's concern, the standardization of the honorarium by the ministry is
expected to enhance their livelihood and professionalism.
"I
believe it is appropriate that the Religious Affairs Ministry consider measures
to enhance the livelihood of mosques' imams and managers. So far, they are the
ministry's partners in developing a pious and moderate society, as well as
maintaining religious harmony," he expounded.
Meanwhile,
an official from the ministry's Sub-directorate for Mosques under the
Directorate General of Islamic Community Guidance, Ahmad Zamroni, said that the
honorarium for the imams and managers would be funded from three sources: the
state budget, regional budget, and the mosques’ monthly income.
The
amount of honorarium would depend on the type of mosque, he added.
"(The
honorarium will depend) on the mosque type, such as state mosque, great mosque,
grand mosque, and jami (congregational) mosque. Apart from the mosque type, the
honorarium will also depend on the monthly mosque income," Zamroni
explained.
Earlier,
the ministry's director general of Islamic community guidance, Kamaruddin Amin,
had highlighted the need for enhancing religious literacy among the managers of
mosques to prevent radical thoughts from taking root in mosques.
"While
a lot of mosque managers have good, even outstanding, religious literacy, some
others have very low religious literacy," Amin noted.
Source:
Antara News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
--------
Malaysian
politician hails Turkey-led deal as 'major diplomatic coup'
JUL
22, 2022
The
incumbent opposition leader in Malaysia praised Turkey for its efforts to
mediate a deal to secure grain exports from Ukraine through the Black Sea.
"This
is a major diplomatic coup," said Anwar Ibrahim, referring to the deal
signed by Turkey, the U.N., Russia and Ukraine on Friday.
Ibrahim
was speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) in an interview in Istanbul.
Thanking
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish authorities, and the Turkish
people for taking the lead, Ibrahim said, "This (deal) is a remarkable
story in the period of despair and negativity."
"The
President (Recep) Tayyip Erdoğan has managed to bring together Ukraine and
Russia to settle an international problem of food security,” he said.
"This
is a major diplomatic victory. Although there is still war, this is at least an
opportunity to be able to meet and engage," said the globally renowned
reformer and academic-turned-politician.
The
deal, signed in presence of Erdoğan and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres, came after a general agreement reached between the parties on a
U.N.-led plan during talks in Istanbul on July 13 to form a coordination center
to carry out joint inspections at the entrance and exit of the harbors and to
ensure the safety of the routes.
Internationally
praised for its mediator role, Turkey coordinated with Moscow and Kyiv to open
a corridor from the Ukrainian port city of Odessa to resume global grain
shipments, which are stuck due to the Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth
month.
Ibrahim,
who in the past also performed duties as Malaysia's deputy prime minister, said
the deal "affects the food security... therefore the welfare of general
people in Turkey and other countries."
Pointing
to the participation of the U.N. chief, the Malaysian politician said the deal
was a "major step in resolving partly the problem that is affecting lives
of the common people."
"This
is a major diplomatic success in terms of resolving the problem of escalating
prices of food and more so food security," he added.
Referring
to the Russia-Ukraine war which began on Feb. 24, Ibrahim said the grain
exports deal indicates "at least there is light at the end of the
tunnel... where engagement is taking place, though not a substantive matter
affecting the war, which means there is a form of collaboration taking
place."
"What
Turkey has done is to be able to use its influence in trying to settle a major
dispute that affects the livelihood of people and to me, that is very
significant," said Ibrahim, who earlier taught at U.S.-based Georgetown
University among others.
"This
(Turkey) is probably the only country that has been able to bring these two
countries together at least on some specific sphere, in this case, import and
export of grain," said Ibrahim, calling himself a personal and family
friend of Erdoğan.
"We
are proud at least we have an emerging moderate Muslim nation (Turkey)
undertaking that role," he added.
Source:
Daily Sabah
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
12
Appeals Court judges in race for 4 Federal Court positions
V
Anbalagan
July
23, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Twelve of 26 Court of Appeal judges could be in the running to fill four
existing and expected vacancies in the Federal Court.
Based
on seniority they are Yaacob Md Sam, Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, Suraya Othman,
Hanipah Farikullah, Kamaludin Md Said, Nor Bee Ariffin, Has Zanah Mehat, Lee
Swee Seng, Azizah Nawawi, Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, Abu Bakar Jais and M Nantha
Balan.
Last
week, the most senior Federal Court judge, Zawawi Salleh, retired after a
six-month extension given by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Earlier,
in May, another apex court judge, Zaleha Yusof, retired.
Another
two vacancies will arise when Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed and Court of
Appeal president Rohana Yusuf leave office in October and November,
respectively.
This
is because two Federal Court judges will be elevated to these two
administrative posts.
This
means, four Court of Appeal judges will likely be picked to fill the vacancies
in the Federal Court, though nothing stops the prime minister from picking
senior lawyers from the Bar.
According
to procedure, the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), chaired by Chief
Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat, will meet to propose the names to be sent to
the prime minister’s office.
As
required under Article 122B of the Federal Constitution, the King appoints
judges acting on the advice of the prime minister after consulting the
Conference of Rulers.
A
former JAC member said the selection criteria includes integrity, competency,
experience, the ability to make timely judgments, and good writing skills.
“Seniority
is a factor that will be considered for elevation to the apex court, too” said
the former member, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
He
said the JAC was more inclined to look for judges from within the judiciary for
elevation.
Former
Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram said the Federal Court needed writers and
thinkers and not mere passengers.
“It
is a policy making court and a constitutional court. Its decision binds every
other court below,” he said.
Sri
Ram said Yaacob, who was chairman and member of the Enforcement Agency
Integrity Commission (EAIC), should be elevated as he had a good track record
of writing judgments.
He
said Hanipah, Vazeer Alam and Nantha Balan were other good choices.
“In
her capacity as chief justice, Tengku Maimun will have the records and conduct
of all judges before the JAC makes proposals,” he said, adding that there
should be no executive interference.
Sri
Ram, who was directly promoted to the Court of Appeal from being a lawyer in
1994, said there was no reason to look for candidates outside the ranks of the
judiciary as there were now sufficiently-talented candidates for promotion.
“At
one time, an outsider was brought in as the morale and public confidence in the
judiciary was low,” he said, alluding to the appointment of lawyer Zaki Azmi as
a Federal Court judge in 2007. Zaki was made the chief justice the following
year.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Rafizi,
Najib cross swords over RM1.5bil bank scandal
July
22, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: A RM1.5 billion scandal involving loans from Bank Pembangunan led to PKR
deputy president Rafizi Ramli and former prime minister Najib Razak crossing
swords today.
Rafizi
questioned why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has not called
up Najib over the missing funds, and claimed that Najib, as the then finance
minister, had approved the RM1.5 billion loans.
He
said there was enough evidence in a suit filed by Bank Pembangunan last month
for MACC to act against those involved.
The
bank suit, filed on June 29, is against 27 people and entities, including its
former president and managing director Zafer Hashim, over a RM400 million loan
granted to Aries Telecoms a decade ago.
In
a response on Facebook today, Najib said Rafizi was either “desperate or
stupid” because the prime minister and finance minister did not approve bank
loans. “Banks have their own credit committees and loan policies,” he said.
“Do
I need to be probed for every fraud and losses incurred by the banks during my
time as prime minister? And why didn’t Pakatan Harapan probe it then when they
were in government?” he said.
According
to court filings, as reported by The Edge, Bank Pembangunan is accusing the 27
defendants of conspiring and using unlawful means to defraud the bank and
concealing such fraud and its proceeds.
The
bank alleged that the money, which was meant to be used for an optical fibre
project, was misused and “siphoned off or unjustifiably transferred” to others.
Rafizi
also made reference to other loans provided by the bank. These were:
RM337
million to offshore supply vessel operator Borcos Shipping which he said became
insolvent in 2017;
RM450
million to Asian Broadcasting Network for a digital cable TV network; and
RM305
million to Nautical Resort Sdn Bhd and Garuda Suci Sdn Bhd which were involved
in a Langakawi hotel and convention centre project.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Turkiye
Steps Up Efforts to Combat Islamic State, Detains 10 Suspects in Istanbul
JULY
23, 2022
Turkish
law enforcement agents in Istanbul have detained 10 individuals suspected of
being active members of the Islamic State (IS).
Special
Operations forces raided 10 different locations in the city on early Friday
morning, capturing the suspects, operational files and digital material that
could give clues about other IS cells within the region, Xinhua news agency
reported, citing the local Demiroren News Agency (DHA).
Suspects
were active operatives and could have been in preparation for an attack inside
Turkiye, reported DHA.
Turkiye
has been stepping up its efforts to combat the IS, according to state
officials.
Since
the beginning of the year, 13 would-be suicide bombers were captured by local
law forces, owing to information deciphered from previously seized operational
files, the Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said in June.
Source:
News18
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iranian
FM Confirms UAE, Kuwait to Send Envoys to Tehran
2022-July-22
Following
Saudi Arabia's decision to sever ties with Iran in 2016, some other Persian
Gulf states also followed suit, reducing the level of diplomatic ties, Amir Abdollahian
said in an interview broadcast on state television Thursday evening while
elaborating on the Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi-led administration's foreign policy.
The
foreign minister added that the new Iranian administration implemented measures
last year, including the invitation of Persian Gulf states to the inauguration
ceremony of President Raeisi, to improve the level of ties with neighbors.
"Efforts
were made to use all practical plans as well as political and diplomatic
capacities to strengthen ties with these states," he stressed.
"The
efforts have resulted in decisions of the UAE and Kuwait to introduce
ambassadors to Tehran," the top diplomat continued.
"The
United Arab Emirates decided to introduce an ambassador to Tehran and the envoy
will soon arrive in Tehran," Amir Abdollahian said, adding, "Kuwait
has introduced its ambassador and we agreed; the new Kuwaiti envoy will enter
Tehran in the coming days."
In
other remarks during the interview, the Iranian foreign minister said Saudi
Arabia has shown readiness to advance the ongoing talks from security to the
political sphere, after progress in the previous five rounds hosted by the
Iraqi government.
He
stated the two sides have reached some agreements, including on re-opening
embassies in their respective countries.
"Last
week we received a message from Iraqi foreign minister [Fuad Hussein] saying
that the Saudi side is ready to move the phase of talks from a security one to
a political and public one," added the minister.
"We
also expressed our readiness to continue talks at the political level so that
it leads to the return of Iran-Saudi Arabia ties to the normal level,"
Amir Abdollahian continued.
Riyadh
decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran back in January 2016 after
protestors who were enraged by the Saudi execution of prominent Shia cleric
Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr threw stones at its consultae in Mashhad in
Northeastern Iran.
There
was no change in Riyadh's confrontational policy towards Tehran until 2021 when
it signaled an inclination to mend fractured ties with Iran.
Iraqi
government agreed to the role of mediator between the two countries and has so
far hosted five rounds of talks in Baghdad.
Both
Tehran and Riyadh have hinted at some progress in recent rounds of talks,
although they remain divided over some contentious issues, mainly the
devastating Saudi-led coaltion's war on Yemen.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Amir Abdollahian stated revenge for the assassination of Iran's
celebrated anti-terror commander Lieutenant general Qassem Soleimani is among
the "absolute responsibilities" of the foreign ministry and other
concerned organizations.
"The
issue of General Soleimani will never be forgotten. The issue is so deep that
even [Russian President Vladimir] Putin pointed to the important position and
role of General Soleimani during his meetings with the Leader of the Islamic
Revolution and the Iranian president," the top diplomat said.
The
foreign ministry, he noted, has beefed up a committee that follows up on
international issues, adding that the judiciary branch is also seriously
pursuing the case.
"We
consider avenging the blood of Martyr Soleimani in legal, international, and
political arenas and deem following up on the issue in all its aspects as our
absolute responsibility," Amir Abdollahian asserted.
General
Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps (IRGC), and his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, the
second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were martyred
along with their companions in a US drone strike in January 2020.
The
strike near the Baghdad International Airport was authorized by then-President
Donald Trump.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010431000309/Iranian-FM-Cnfirms-UAE-Kwai-Send-Envys-Tehran
--------
Spokesman:
Iran Recalls Envoy from Sweden over Hamid Nouri's Case
2022-July-22
"Following
the illegal verdict and statement issued in Sweden regarding Hamid Nouri, an
Iranian citizen who is in jail in this country, in protest against the illegal
statement and verdict issued in Sweden against Hamid Nouri, which is based on
baseless, distorted and fabricated accusations, Iran has decided to call its
ambassador in Sweden to Tehran for some consultations," Kana'ani said.
"The
local court of Stockholm in Sweden sentenced ‘Hamid Nouri’ for life
imprisonment by issuing a verdict as given by false accusations of MKO
terrorist group," Kana’ani added.
Nouri,
a former Iranian judiciary employee who has been in solitary confinement in
Sweden since 2019, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Sweden on
Thursday.
Nouri
was arrested upon arrival in Sweden at Stockholm Airport in November 2019 and
immediately imprisoned. He has been held in solitary confinement for over two
years.
Swedish
prosecutors have requested the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for Nouri,
accusing the former Iranian judiciary official of prisoner abuse.
The
charges against Nouri stem from allegations leveled against him by members of
the anti-Iran Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group. Nouri has
vehemently rejected the allegations.
Amir
Abdollahian has denounced his detention as “illegal”.
Swedish
judicial authorities have been preventing Nouri from contacting his family
since moving him to a different detention center.
Upon
arrest, he was forbidden for around eight months from making phone calls to his
family members, and barred from meeting them in person for two years.
Also
in May, Iran’s Judiciary Spokesman Zabihollah Khodayian said that Hamid Nouri
who is deprived of human rights is being tried in a politically-driven trial in
Sweden.
Nouri’s
trial couldn’t be described as judicial because it is political and lacks
international and even Sweden's national legal standards, Khodayian said.
Source: Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran
wants nuclear deal guarantees so as ‘not to be stung twice’
22
July ,2022
Iran
is seeking economic guarantees from the US to revive a long-stalled 2015
nuclear deal so as “not to be stung twice” the same way, its foreign minister
said.
The
agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),
gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its atomic program to
guarantee that it could not develop a nuclear weapon - something it has always
denied seeking.
But
the US unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018 under then-president
Donald Trump and the reimposition of biting economic sanctions prompted Iran to
begin rolling back on its own commitments.
“We
do not want to be stung twice on the same spot. In order to enjoy the full
economic benefits of the JCPOA, the Americans must accept some commitments and
guarantees,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told state television in an interview on
Thursday night.
“We
are now at a point where we have a text ready in front of us; we agree with all
parties on 95 percent of its content,” he said.
“We
are serious about reaching a good, strong and lasting agreement but we do not
want an agreement at any price.”
Talks
in Vienna that started in April 2021 to restore the deal have stalled since
March amid differences between Tehran and Washington on several issues.
The
two sides negotiated indirectly through the European Union coordinator.
Qatar
hosted indirect talks last month between the United States and Iran in a bid to
get the process back on track, but those discussions broke up after two days
without any breakthrough.
“The
Americans have not yet assured us that we can enjoy the full economic benefits
of the JCPOA,” Amir-Abdollahian stressed, saying Iran will continue its
indirect negotiations with the US through the European Union.
On
Thursday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Iran “doesn't seem to have
made the political decision - or decisions, I should say -necessary to achieve
a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA.”
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran’s
nuclear program is ‘galloping ahead’, IAEA chief says
22
July ,2022
Iran’s
nuclear program is “galloping ahead” and the International Atomic Energy Agency
has very limited visibility on what is happening, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told
Spain’s El Pais newspaper in an interview published on Friday.
In
June, Iran began removing essentially all the agency’s monitoring equipment,
installed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
Grossi
said at the time it could be a “fatal blow” to chances of reviving the deal
following 2018’s pullout by the United States.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“The
bottom line is that for almost five weeks I have had very limited visibility,
with a nuclear program that is galloping ahead and, therefore, if there is an
agreement, it is going to be very difficult for me to reconstruct the puzzle of
this whole period of forced blindness,” he told El Pais.
Grossi
had said in June there was a window of just three to four weeks to restore at
least some of the monitoring that was being scrapped before the IAEA lost the
ability to piece together Iran’s most important nuclear activities.
Since
then-US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the deal and re-imposed
sanctions against Tehran in 2018, Iran has breached many of the deal’s limits
on its nuclear activities. It is enriching uranium to close to weapons-grade.
Western
powers warn it is getting closer to being able to sprint towards making a
nuclear bomb. Iran denies wanting to.
“It
is not impossible (to reconstruct the puzzle), but it is going to require a
very complex task and perhaps some specific agreements,” Grossi, who was
visiting Madrid, said in his interview with El Pais.
Indirect
talks between Iran and the United States on reviving the 2015 deal have been
stalled since March.
Grossi
said he was concerned and worried about these weeks with no visibility.
“The
agency needed to reconstruct a database, without which any agreement will rest
on a very fragile basis, because if we don’t know what’s there, how can we
determine how much material to export, how many centrifuges to leave unused?,”
he said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Houthis
commit 277 violations of UN truce in 48 hours
July
23, 2022
DUBAI:
The Houthi militia has been accused of committing 277 breaches of the
UN-brokered truce in the span of 48 hours across several Yemeni cities.
At
least 12 army personnel were killed and 19 others were injured as a result of
the violations, according to state news agency SABA referring to the Yemeni army.
The
Military Forces' Media Center reported that 109 breaches were committed in
areas located in southern Hodeida, 51 in Hajjah, 42 in Barh Military Pivot in
western Taiz, 37 in Taiz Pivot, 24 in the southern, western and north-eastern
parts of Marib, seven in Hazm Jawf, four in Dhale and three in Sa'adah's
warfronts.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2127836/middle-east
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Africa
Dozen
Killed As Armed Groups Violently Clash In Libya
23
July 2022
Clashes
between armed groups in Tripoli have left 13 people dead and 30 others injured
in the latest violence to hit the Libyan capital amid rising political
tensions.
They
exchanged fire in a central district where several government and international
agencies, along with diplomatic missions, are based, and clashes spread to the
areas of Ain Zara and Asbaa.
The
fighting "killed 13 people, among them three civilians including a child
aged 11, and wounded 30," the ambulance service told news channel Libya
al-Ahrar.
The
United Nations Libya mission UNSMIL said it had received reports of civilian
casualties and demanded an investigation.
"Any
action that endangers the lives of civilians is unacceptable," it said in
a tweet, calling on "all Libyans to do everything possible to preserve the
country's fragile stability at this sensitive time".
The
clashes occurred between two armed groups with major clout in the west of the
war-torn country: the Al-Radaa force and the Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade.
Another
brigade called "444" intervened to mediate a truce, deploying its
armed vehicles in a buffer zone east of Tripoli, noted an AFP photographer.
According
to Osama Ali, a spokesman for Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Services, around
60 students who were stranded in the dormitories of the University of Tripoli
due to the conflict were transported by ambulances.
Flights
of Libyan Airlines from Cairo and Al Alamiya (Global Air) from Benghazi, which
were supposed to land at Mitiga Airport, were diverted to Misrata, 200
kilometers east of Tripoli.
Meanwhile,
the management of Mitiga Airport, the only airport that serves the Libyan
capital, also suspended air traffic until further notice.
Last
month, Tripoli also witnessed clashes between the al-Nawasi brigade affiliated
with the Libyan National Unity Government and the Stability Support Service
affiliated with the Presidential Council.
The
Libyan presidential election was supposed to be held on December 24, 2021, but
it was postponed due to a disagreement between the representatives of the
Tobruk Parliament and the Supreme Council of the Libyan Government regarding
the election law.
Following
the postponement of the elections, the members of the House of Representatives
in Tobruk, located in eastern Libya, elected Fathi Bashagha, the former
interior minister of Libya, as the prime minister during a meeting chaired by
Aqila Saleh.
Then,
the prime minister of the National Unity Government of Libya Abdul Hamid
Dbeibah accused the House of Representatives of leaving the roadmap set in the
Geneva Agreement and announced that he would remain in his responsibility and
hand it over only to an elected government.
For
about four months, there have been two separate governments led by Dbeibah and
Bashagha in Libya. This situation has increased the concerns of the escalation
of violence in the country.
Libya
has been beset by violence and chaos since the overthrow and killing of its
long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi following a bombing campaign by the US-led
NATO military alliance in 2011. The resulting chaos and factional divisions
then escalated into a regional proxy war fueled by foreign powers, who poured
weapons and mercenaries into the country.
Since
2015, Libya has been divided between the internationally recognized Government
of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and lawmakers in Tobruk, allied to renegade
military commander Khalifa Haftar.
The
Government of National Unity of Libya was supported by countries such as Qatar,
Turkey, some European countries and the United Nations, and countries such as
Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE also supported the army of Khalifa
Haftar, a retired general based in Benghazi and Tobruk.
Source:
Press TV
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Nigeria's
former treasury head remanded to prison in $262 million fraud case
Ibrahim
Garba Shuaibu
23.07.2022
KANO,
Nigeria
The
former head of Nigeria’s Treasury was remanded Friday for his alleged
involvement in diverting more than 109 billion Nigerian nairas ($262 million).
Justice
Adeyemi Ajayi gave the order after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) indicted Ahmad Idris on a 14-count charge including conspiracy, criminal
breach of trust and money laundering.
Idris
allegedly received payments from Godfrey Olusegun Akindele worth 15.1 billion
nairas in exchange for accelerating payment to the 13% derivation fund -- a benefit-sharing
system that helps communities get development funds. It goes to the country’s
nine oil-producing states.
The
former Treasury chief was arraigned alongside Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu
Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
EFCC
counsel Rotimi Jacobs pleaded with the court to grant the prosecution time to
prepare additional criminal charges.
But
Idris’ lawyer, Chris Uche, asked the court to grant bail to his client pending
a formal written application.
He
said his client had to take the next available flight from Kano to appear for
the trial in the nation's capital, Abuja.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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South
Africa, Ivory Coast welcome landmark grain deal reached in Türkiye
Hasan
Isilow
23.07.2022
JOHANNESBURG
The
presidents of South Africa and the Ivory Coast welcomed a landmark deal Friday
that was brokered in Türkiye between Russia and Ukraine to allow Ukrainian
grain exports to resume.
“The
flow of grains from that sea is going to be helpful to Africa and I’m
particularly pleased,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a joint news
conference in the nation’s capital of Pretoria with his Ivorian counterpart,
Alassane Ouattara, who is on a state visit .
Ramaphosa
said he was particularly pleased to hear that UN chief Antonio Guterres will be
going to Turkey to sign the agreement.
“From
the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, we held a view and
continue to hold the view that the conflict needs to be settled and resolved
through negotiation,” he said.
Speaking
through an interpreter in French, Ouattara said he was equally happy with
Ankara and the deal.
He
said he spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and requested that
Africa be considered a priority once supplies resumed because of its social
economic conditions.
“We
should also see this agreement as something which could signal the end of
conflict. Everyone wants to see peace and everyone wants to see an end to
conflict and president Ouattara and myself shared this view,’’ said Ramaphosa.
The
South African leader said the Russia-Ukraine conflict should be seen as a
wakeup call for Africa which depends on fertilizers and grains from those
countries.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Mali’s
army says terrorist attack on base near capital repelled
James
Tasamba
22.07.2022
KIGALI,
Rwanda
A
soldier was among eight people killed in a terrorist attack on a military base
near Mali’s capital Bamako, the army said on Friday.
Seven
terrorists were shot dead as Malian forces “vigorously repelled” the attack by
Katiba Macina, a group affiliated with the al-Qaeda and Daesh/ISIS terror
organizations, according to a military statement.
The
attack on the Kati military barracks, some 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Bamako,
began early in the morning with two vehicles packed with explosives, the army
said.
Six
people were wounded in the assault and eight more have been arrested, the
statement said.
“The
situation is under control and a search is underway to flush out the
perpetrators and their accomplices,” it added.
Since
2012, Mali has been battling violence orchestrated by militant and terrorist
groups in northern and central parts of the country.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamic-countries-nonaggression-muslim-renaissance/d/127554