‘Islamic Terrorism Is a Form of Islam’, Says Rajasthan Class XII Textbook, FIR Lodged
New
Age Islam News Bureau
18
March 2021
•
With Police Help, Extremist Mullahs Demolish Ahmadi Mosque in Pakistan's
Gujranwala
•
Hardline Hefazat-e-Islam Supporters Attack Hindu Village in Bangladesh: Report
•
UN Leaders Speak Out Against Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hatred
•
Children as Young As 11 Beheaded By Mozambique Militants, Aid Group Says
•
'We Don’t Punish State Leaders': Biden Defends Inaction on MBS In Khashoggi
Murder
•
As ‘Allah’ Storm Continues, Sarawak CM’s Office Maintains Has Always Upheld
Freedom For All Religions
•
UAE Will Not Get Involved In Israel Elections ‘Now or Ever’: UAE Official Gargash
•
Iran Grants Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Temporary Leave from Jail
India
•
‘Islamic Terrorism Is a Form of Islam’, Says Rajasthan Class XII Textbook, FIR
Lodged
•
Mosque Reduces Azaan Volume by Half after Allahabad University VC's Complaint
•
Karnataka Waqf Does A U-Turn, Now Allows Loudspeakers in Mosques For Morning
Azaan
•
Karnataka government to urge mosques to stop using loudspeakers
•
Muslim hardliners not amused by Khader’s Guruvayur temple visit
•
Islamic terror strand ofIslam, says Raj textbook
•
Delhi riots: Complainant in mosque vandalism is held, court says absurd
--------
Pakistan
•
With Police Help, Extremist Mullahs Demolish Ahmadi Mosque in Pakistan's
Gujranwala
•
‘Peace with Pak Will Get India Direct Access to Central Asia’: Pakistan PM
Imran Khan
•
Pakistan urges world to fight xenophobia
•
Bajwa says Pakistan ready to resolve disputes peacefully
•
Pakistan govt mulls contempt case against poll body
•
Pakistan Opposition Alliance Unravels Over Strategy Dispute
•
Fazl directs JUI-F to continue preparations for long march
•
Two civilians embrace martyrdom; terrorist killed in Swat IBO
•
PPP says allies failed to convince it on post-resignation strategy
--------
South Asia
•
Hardline Hefazat-e-Islam Supporters Attack Hindu Village in Bangladesh: Report
•
Afghanistan Abandonment By US To Taliban Will Be Geopolitical Suicide
•
Nine Afghan security force members killed after rocket hits helicopter: Sources
•
Three killed, 11 wounded in government bus bombing in Kabul: Afghan officials
•
Biden warns US may miss deadline to exit Afghanistan
•
UN team visits remote Bangladesh Island where Rohingya relocated
•
Taliban faces heavy casualties in 3 provinces: MoD
•
UN appoints Jean Arnault as Peace Envoy in Afghanistan
--------
Europe
•
UN Leaders Speak Out Against Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hatred
•
Jehovah's Witness Convicted On Extremism Charges In Russia
•
Muslim groups boycott review of UK counter-extremism strategy
•
Germany: Turkey ‘highly reliable partner’
•
Turkey, EU need cooperation in civil protection
--------
Africa
•
Children as Young As 11 Beheaded By Mozambique Militants, Aid Group Says
•
Boko Haram Counters Nigerian Army, Releases Pictures of 16 Killed, Abducted
Soldiers
•
Gunmen kill at least 58 civilians in attack on Niger convoy
•
Niger: UNICEF condemns ‘horrific killings’ of civilians
•
Militants kill 11 Malian soldiers in ambush, 11 others missing
•
Sudanese military firm to give up its civilian operations, says information
minister
•
Tunisia brings extremist-linked families home from Libya jail
•
Kenya mourns death of Tanzanian president
--------
North America
•
'We Don’t Punish State Leaders': Biden Defends Inaction on MBS In Khashoggi
Murder
•
Michigan man charged with threatening to kill Biden, Pelosi and Whitmer
•
Four people on terror watchlist arrested at southern US border since October
•
‘Tough’ To Meet May 1 Deadline for Troop Pull-out From Afghanistan: Biden
•
US envoy reaffirms need to end Yemen war in calls with PM, regional ambassadors
•
US may miss deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden says
•
Turkey's new US envoy outlines priorities during office
•
Turkey's new envoy aims to advance relations with US
•
NC 'domestic terrorist' sentenced over failed fire attack on police SUV during
George Floyd unrest
--------
Southeast Asia
•
As ‘Allah’ Storm Continues, Sarawak CM’s Office Maintains Has Always Upheld
Freedom For All Religions
•
Baru Bian: ‘Allah’ case wouldn’t have gone to court if Muhyiddin had acted in
2019 as home minister
•
Perikatan’s appeal of ‘Allah’ ruling could cost Sabah, Sarawak partners, say
analysts
•
Don’t vilify Christians over ‘Allah’ ruling, groups say
•
Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim backs Putrajaya appeal against High Court ruling on
‘Allah’ use
•
Indonesia urged to revoke Sharia-inspired dress rules
--------
Arab World
•
UAE Will Not Get Involved In Israel Elections ‘Now or Ever’: UAE Official Gargash
•
Lebanon's president asks PM-designate Hariri to form new government or leave
•
Lebanon agrees to imburse WB fund for families in hard currency
•
UAE engages in ‘destructive’ activities in Iraq on US-Israeli order: MP
•
Lebanon’s UN envoy dismisses Israel’s remarks on Hezbollah
•
Pentagon worried about situation in Lebanon, studying ways to help army
•
Arab Coalition destroys Houthi explosive-laden drone heading towards Saudi
Arabia
•
Syria to UN: Israel coordinates its acts of aggression with terrorists
--------
Mideast
•
Iran Grants Rights Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Temporary Leave from Jail
•
Yemeni Army Liberates Ma’rib Area from Grip of Saudi-Led Terrorists
•
Mahmoud Abbas won’t be the only candidate in upcoming Palestinian elections:
Dahlan
•
Iran making ‘significant developments’ in building its weapon arsenal: Israeli
media
•
Erdogan’s nationalist ally welcomes case to close pro-Kurdish opposition
•
Erdogan bodyguard commits suicide, cites insults and threats in note: Report
•
Turkey’s parliament strips pro-Kurdish deputy of seat in blow to third largest
party
--------
Australia
•
Three Arrested In Melbourne Counter-Terrorism Raids As Police Warn Of Youth
Radicalisation Online
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
-----
‘Islamic Terrorism Is a Form of Islam’, Says Rajasthan Class XII Textbook, FIR Lodged
By
Hamza Khan | Jaipur
March
18, 2021
The
Jaipur police have lodged an FIR after a Class XII textbook by Rajasthan State
Textbook Board, and another by a private publishing house, associated Islam
with terrorism. The police have also arrested three persons for vandalising the
office of the publishing house in Jaipur’s old city.
The
FIR has been lodged on a complaint by Mohsin Rasheed, state coordinator of
Rajasthan Muslim Forum as well as Minority Cell of the ruling Congress party,
under IPC sections 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage
religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs)
and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
In
a chapter on ‘Terrorism, Criminalisation of Politics and Corruption’, the Class
XII government Political Science textbook allegedly talks about Islamic
terrorism. And on page 257, it asks: “Which one of the following is not the
main objective of Islamic terrorism?” The options were: “Establishment of
Muslim nation in the world; Resistance of western non-Muslim powers through
violent activities; Peace in the world; Implement Islamic laws and principles
in the world.” On the next page, under Short Answer Type Questions, question 5
reads: “What do you think of Islamic terrorism?”
The
book has been published by Rajasthan State Textbook Board, Jaipur, for the
Board of Secondary Education Rajasthan, Ajmer. The content is said to have been
introduced during the tenure of former CM Vasundhara Raje (2013-18). Dr Bhanwar
Singh Rathore, Associate Professor at Department of Political Science,
government college, Jodhpur, has been listed in the textbook as the Convenor,
Author and Translator. Rathore and about a dozen government professors and
teachers, listed as members of the board and authors, have also been named in
the FIR.
Answering
the question in government textbook on Islamic terrorism, an answer-key
published by Jaipur-based Sanjiv Prakashan said that “Islamic terrorism is a
form of Islam” and elaborated on the topic.
Mohsin
Rasheed said that he had bought the textbooks for the library at his home when
he came across the text. “By directly associating Islam with terrorism and then
repeatedly using ‘Islamic terrorism’, the books promote hatred towards Islam
and defame the religion. They also attempt to provoke Muslim students and the
community and hurt their sentiments. It is also an attempt to insult Muslim
teachers and students by insulting their religion and humiliating them,”
Rasheed said in the FIR, demanding action against all the persons responsible
for writing and approving the textbook.
Meanwhile,
Jaipur police have also arrested three persons, including Muslim Parishad
Sansthan president Yunus Chopdar, for vandalising the Sanjiv Prakashan’s office
on Wednesday.
Congress
MLA from Jaipur’s Adarsh Nagar, Rafeek Khan, too raised the issue in the
Assembly on Wednesday, demanding action against the publishing house. “No
religion can be associated with terrorism. The religion is being unnecessarily
defamed in the book,” he said. In a statement, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Rajasthan,
condemned the vandalism and demanded that the objectionable content be removed
from the textbooks.
In
a letter to Naeem Rabbani, who is also associated with Rajasthan Muslim Forum,
the publishers have apologised and said that they have asked the wholesalers to
stop their sale. “They will be recalled and destroyed at the earliest,” Sajiv
Prakashan said.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/rajasthan-class-xii-textbook-links-islam-with-terrorism-fir-lodged-in-jaipur-7234074/
--------
With
Police Help, Extremist Mullahs Demolish Ahmadi Mosque In Pakistan's Gujranwala
An
Ahmadi mosque in Garmola Virkan village, Gujranwala district on Wednesday was
demolished by a mob of extremists, with the help of police on Wednesday
-----
Mar
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
An Ahmadi mosque in Garmola Virkan village, Gujranwala district on Wednesday
was demolished by a mob of extremist Mullahs, with the help of police.
The
information was shared by the Twitter handle of Bilal Farooqi, a Pakistani journalist
who also posted pictures of the demolished mosque.
As
per him, a mob of Mullahs, with the help of police, demolished the dome and
minarets of an Ahmadi mosque and also desecrated the kalima inscribed on it.
"A
mob of extremist mullahs, with the help of police, demolished the dome &
minarets of an Ahmadi mosque in Garmola Virkan village, Gujranwala district and
also desecrated the kalima inscribed on it. Will the Punjab govt please take
action against these goons?" tweeted Bilal Farooqi.
A
mob of extremist mullahs, with the help of police, demolished the dome &
minarets of an Ahmadi mosque in Garmola… https://t.co/B6XrevHGAw
—
Bilal Farooqi (@bilalfqi) 1616014047000
Ahmadis,
a four million-strong minority group in Pakistan, have been facing death threats,
intimidation and a sustained hate campaign for decades.
Meanwhile,
an unverified Twitter account of Mona Farooq Ahmed questioned the State's
persecution of the Ahmadis - a marginalised community in Pakistan.
"Police
helped a mob to demolish the dome and minarets of an Ahmadi mosque in a village
Garmola Virkan, district Gurjranwal Punjab. When State is an accomplice to
persecute an already marginalized community, is there any hope left for a
progressive Pakistan?" tweeted Mona Farooq Ahmed.
Moreover,
he also posted the video of custodians of Khatme Nabbuwat with some people
after the desecration of the Ahmadi mosque who were seen shouting, "Inna
lillahi wa inna elehi rajioon".
The
mob was seen rejoicing at the demolition and desecration of the mosque.
The
incident further emphasises Pakistan's persecution of its minorities - Hindus,
Christians, Ahmadis.
Last
year, a 168-page report by the UK-based All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)
for the Ahmadi Muslim Community had revealed details about the discrimination
the Ahmadi community has been facing in Pakistan.
The
report titled "Suffocation of the Faithful - the persecution of Ahmadi
Muslims in Pakistan and the rise of International Extremism" categorically
says that persecution against the peace-loving community intensified following
the partition of the Indian subcontinent and the formation of Pakistan.
"This
culminated in the events of 1974 when Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto turned
the anti-Ahmadi movement into fully-fledged state-sponsored persecution. He
enacted a 1974 Constitutional Amendment specifically targeting Ahmadi Muslims,
declaring them 'not Muslims for purposes of law and constitution'. It was a
watershed moment in Pakistan's history", said the report.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/with-police-help-extremist-mullahs-demolish-ahmadi-mosque-in-pakistans-gujranwala/articleshow/81562032.cms
--------
Hardline
Hefazat-e-Islam supporters attack Hindu village in Bangladesh: Report
(AP Photo/For Representation Purposes)
-----
MAR
18, 2021
Thousands
of hardline Islamist organisation Hefazat-e-Islam supporters on Wednesday
attacked a Hindu village in Shalla upazila of Sunamgan district, after a Hindu
man criticised the group joint-secretary general Mawlana Mufti Mamunul's speech
in social media post.
A
young Hindu man from Noagaon, Shalla upazila allegedly made a Facebook post
criticizing Mamunul, who opposed the sculpture of Bangabandhu on Tuesday.
After
this, a mob with makeshift weapons attacked the village on Wednesday, Dhaka
Tribune reported.
Hefazat
leaders in the area had already staged a protest on Tuesday night, accusing the
social media post of inciting religious violence.
To
bring the situation under control, the police arrested the youth the same
night.
However,
several thousand followers of Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque from Kashipur,
Nachni, Chandipur and some other Muslim-populated villages gathered in Noagaon
village at around 9 am on Wednesday and attacked the homes of local Hindus.
According
to the police, 70-80 houses were vandalized in the incident.
Habibpur
union chairman Vivekananda Majumder Bakul said several houses in the village
had been attacked.
Many
local Hindus fled their homes to save themselves. The followers of
Hefazat-e-Islam entered the village, ransacked and looted many houses.
An
umbrella platform for ulema (religious scholars), Hefazat-e-Islam was
established in 2010 in Chittagong ostensibly to defend Islam from ruling Awami
League's allegedly anti-Islamic policies, especially a proposed policy to
confer equal inheritance rights to women
In
2013, it mobilized its supporters against surging secular activism in the
country.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/hardline-hefazat-e-islam-supporters-attack-hindu-village-in-bangladesh-report-101616007480061.html
--------
UN
Leaders Speak Out Against Islamophobia and Anti-Muslim Hatred
March
17, 2021
UNITED
NATIONS: Underlining that “diversity is a richness, not a threat”, United
Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for greater investment in
promoting social cohesion and tackling bigotry in a message on Wednesday to
mark the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
“We
must continue to push for policies that fully respect human rights and
religious, cultural and unique human identity,” he said in a video broadcast
during a commemorative event held online, organised by the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in which Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood
Qureshi also took part.
“As
the Holy Quran reminds us: nations and
tribes were created to know one another,” the UN chief said.
Nearly
60 countries are members of the OIC, which designated March 15 as the
International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
The
secretary-general cited a recent report to the UN Human Rights Council which
found that suspicion, discrimination and outright hatred towards Muslims had
risen to “epidemic proportions”.
Examples
listed included disproportionate restrictions against the Muslims manifesting
their beliefs, limits on accessing citizenship, and widespread stigmatisation
of Muslim communities.
The
study also highlighted how Muslim women face “triple levels of discrimination”
because of their gender, ethnicity and faith, he added, while the media and
some persons in power had further compounded stereotypes.
“Anti-Muslim
bigotry is sadly in line with other distressing trends we are seeing globally –
a resurgence in ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazism, stigma and hate speech targeting
vulnerable populations, including Muslims, Jews, some minority Christian
communities as well as others,” the secretary-general said.
Stressing
that “discrimination diminishes us all”, the UN chief called for safeguarding
the rights of minority communities, many of whom were under threat.
“As
we move toward ever more multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies, we need
political, cultural and economic investments to strengthen social cohesion and
tackle bigotry,” he stated.
The
secretary-general underscored that fighting discrimination, racism and
xenophobia was a priority for the United Nations.
Following
a fall-out in relations between many Muslim countries and some Western nations
in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States – and
subsequent attacks in London, Madrid and Bali – the Organisation established
the UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) in 2005.
Miguel
A´ngel Moratinos, the current UNAOC High Representative, recalled the
initiative was launched as a “political soft power tool” whose objectives
included promoting mutual respect among diverse cultures and religions.
“Despite
progress made in building bridges of understanding through the promotion of
intercultural and interfaith dialogue, manifestations of anti-Muslim hatred
persisted and morphed into different forms,” he said.
“Islamophobia
cannot be seen in isolation from the worrying increase in xenophobia and hate
speech against minorities, including immigrants and other faith communities.”
Moratinos
said that mutual respect, interfaith harmony and peaceful co-existence could be
achieved “when there is broad space for everyone to practice the rituals of their
religions or beliefs freely and safely”.
For
the president of the UN General Assembly, Turkish diplomat Volkan Bozkir, any
form of discrimination, including based on religion or belief, “is a deeply
personal attack”.
He
urged countries to re-commit to the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and other related instruments, expressing hope that they would lay
the foundation for national laws to end hate speech and hate crimes.
“Today
our conversation is focused on Islamophobia, but the source of this scourge is
a source that imperils us all. The answer is solidarity, equality, and respect
for the equal dignity and entitlement to fundamental human rights of every
individual,” he said.
Bozkir
added that protecting people from extremism required a global strategy that
included defeating all forms of violent ideologies.
He
called for building resilience to discriminatory, exclusionary, and intolerant
teachings, and developing respect for the religious and cultural practices of
others.
Urging
tolerance, he looked to young people as a source of hope.
“Young
people are the leaders and upstanders of tomorrow – and it is our duty to teach
them that every individual is entitled to equal dignity and inalienable human
rights,” he recommended.
“Beyond
formal education, we must instill within them a moral compass to help them
navigate difficult situations. I applaud the work of the UN Alliance of
Civilizations for their programming which promotes interfaith and intercultural
dialogue for young people. I believe this is critical to the progress of
humanity.”
Underscoring
the importance of the Day, Foreign Minister Qureshi said that it would send a
clear message against contemporary challenges of racism, racial discrimination,
xenophobia, negative stereotyping and stigmatisation, raise international
awareness about increasing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiments, and promote
the message of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and interfaith and cultural
harmony.
“The
idea behind commemorating this day is to exhibit unfettered solidarity with
humanity, convey a strong message of respect for human dignity, and reiterate
our common commitment to ‘unity in diversity’,” he said, adding, “This day is
about uniting, not dividing.”
“Let
us not allow those who want to divide us, to negatively portray this day as
being against any region, religion or country.
“Disinformation
and distortion of facts is our common enemy. And it is these tools that
purveyors of hate use to nourish their self-serving agendas,” Qureshi added.
The
tragic events in Christchurch two years ago, in which 51 worshippers lost their
lives, were a grim reminder of what the hateful ideologies could accomplish, he
pointed out, saying the way the prime minister, the government and the people
in New Zealand responded was both emphatic and empathetic.
Noting
that the phenomenon of Islamophobia is not new, he said it had grown
considerably over the last two decades.
“Today,
expressions of Islamophobia are unmistakable in the manifestos of far-right and
neo-fascist parties, which openly call for expulsion of Muslims, politicisation
of the hijab, frequent mob lynchings by cow vigilantes, discriminatory laws,
state-sponsored pogroms, deliberate vandalism of Islamic symbols and holy
sites, and attempts to link and equate Islam and Muslims to terrorism,” the
foreign minister said.
“Covid-19,
that should have united us, has led to rise of negative narratives and hate
speech in some countries, holding Muslim minorities responsible for spreading
the virus,” he said.
The
latest report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief has
revealed that such policies have served to perpetuate, validate and normalize
discrimination, hostility and violence towards Muslim individuals and
communities.
“The
natural reaction of the Muslims to situations like unresolved disputes and
festering conflicts, foreign occupation, and denial of the right to
self-determination, is political disagreement with specific policies. It should
not be taken as or depicted as an ‘Islamic’ reaction against universal values
or freedoms,” the foreign minister said.
“Islam
is a religion of peace. It should not be judged by acts of a fringe group of
extremists who exist in all societies, religions or belief system. ”
The
world, he said, could not continue on this spiral of hate. It benefitted only
extremists on all sides and results in polarized societies and ultimately
violence.
“We,
Muslims, unequivocally condemn the practice of insulting Prophets (Peace Be
Upon Them) of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Respect for all religions and
Prophets (Peace Be Upon Them) is an article of faith with us. Similarly, we
oppose all acts of violence on the basis of religion or belief. We only expect
empathy and solidarity from others,” Qureshi said.
“The
way forward is dialogue and understanding. Only if we are able to better
understand each other’s perspective, will we be able to create peaceful and
harmonious societies.
“The
United Nations is the best platform to nurture this understanding. The
secretary-general should convene a global dialogue on countering rising
Islamophobia and promoting inter-faith harmony, as a step to foster
engagement,” he added.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/03/17/un-leaders-speak-out-against-islamophobia-and-anti-muslim-hatred/
--------
Children
as young as 11 beheaded by Mozambique militants, aid group says
By
Adam Taylor
March
16, 2021
A
new report says that children as young as 11 were beheaded by militants in
Mozambique’s troubled Cabo Delgado province, where a local Islamist insurgency
is battling against the government forces.
Save
the Children, an aid group based in Britain, said in a short account released
Tuesday that it had spoken to displaced families who gave details of their
young children being killed by militants from the local group referred to as
al-Shabab.
“That
night our village was attacked and houses were burned,” a woman referred to as
Elsa, 28, told the organization. “When it all started, I was at home with my
four children. We tried to escape to the woods, but they took my eldest son and
beheaded him.
“We
couldn’t do anything because we would be killed too,” Elsa said. Her son was
12, according to Save the Children.
A
29-year-old woman whose name was given as Amelia also told the group her son
was beheaded in similar circumstances. Save the Children did not give the full
identity of the witnesses or their real names to protect their identities.
“After
my 11-year-old son was killed, we understood that it was no longer safe to stay
in my village,” Amelia told the organization, explaining that they did not have
time to properly bury her child before fleeing.
There
have been numerous reports of beheading in the Cabo Delgado conflict, including
of children. In November, Police Commander Bernardino Rafael told The
Washington Post that at least 50 people had been decapitated in the first half
of the month.
Chance
Briggs, Save the Children’s country director in Mozambique, said that the
reports of violence against children in Cabo Delgado “sicken us to our core” and
said that staff had been brought to tears when speaking to witnesses.
“While
the world was focused on covid-19, the Cabo Delgado crisis ballooned but has
been grossly overlooked,” Briggs said.
The
conflict in Cabo Delgado, a region in the northeast corner of Mozambique that
is rich in oil and gas, intensified significantly last year. Much of the worst
violence has been attributed to al-Shabab, a local Islamist group that does not
have known links to the better known Somali group with the same name.
Security
experts have voiced concern about the arrival of foreign fighters who used
techniques similar to those found in conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.
U.S.
officials said last year that the core Islamic State militant group provides
fighters in Mozambique with training and other resources after formally
adopting al-Shabab as the Mozambican wing of its Central Africa Province in
June.
The
Biden administration designated al-Shabab as a “foreign terrorist organization”
last week and imposed sanctions on the group. The United States has also
pledged to send military specialists to train the Mozambican army.
Of
the more than 2,600 people who have died in the conflict since it began in
2017, roughly half were civilians deliberately targeted, according to the Armed
Conflict Location and Event Data Project.
It
isn’t only al-Shabab that has been accused of war crimes. Earlier this month,
Amnesty International accused not only the militant group of unlawful killings
but also government forces and a private military force allied with them, the
Dyck Advisory Group.
Soldiers
working with the South African contractor had broken international law by
“firing indiscriminately into crowds, attacking civilian infrastructure, and
failing to distinguish between military and civilian targets,” said Deprose
Muchena, Amnesty International’s regional director.
Briggs
said that now much of the concern was not only about the violence, but the
enormous risks being placed on people displaced by the conflict.
“A
major concern for us is that the needs of displaced children and their families
in Cabo Delgado far outweigh the resources available to support them,” Briggs
said, adding that nearly a million people were now facing severe hunger as a
result of the conflict.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/16/cabo-delgado-mozambique-beheading/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
'We
don’t punish state leaders': Biden defends inaction on MBS in Khashoggi murder
18
March 2021
US
President Joe Biden has defended his decision not to impose any sanctions on
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince in the murder of his critic, US-based journalist
Jamal Khashoggi, in a move that rights groups say signals “permanent impunity”
for the royal leaders.
US
intelligence agencies acknowledged in a report last month that Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) authorized the team of Saudi security and
intelligence officials that killed Khashoggi in the country’s consulate in
Istanbul, Turkey, back in October, 2018.
Biden,
however, said he was not going to hold the prince accountable for the murder.
“We
held accountable all the people in that organization – but not the crown
prince, because we have never, that I’m aware of … when we have an alliance
with a country, gone to the acting head of state and punished that person and
ostracized him,” Biden told ABC News on Wednesday.
The
US president, however, claimed that he had “made it clear” to Saudi Arabia’s
King Salman “that things were going to change.”
The
king, who is in his mid-80s, has allowed his son broad governing authority.
During
his campaign, Biden had promised to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” state for the
Khashoggi killing and other abuses.
The
president imposed sanctions on several Saudi individuals involved in the murder
but refused to punish the crown prince.
The
decision drew strong criticism from rights groups and some news organizations
that warned the kingdom’s critics about looming threats against them.
Exiled
Saudi activists say Biden's decision to let bin Salman off the hook has put
them in greater danger.
The
release of the report into Khashoggi’s murder “is welcomed transparency, but
the lack of direct accountability will give MBS permanent impunity, rendering
him more dangerous,” said Khalid Aljabri, the son of a former senior Saudi
official who is living in exile in Canada.
“He
is probably thinking he can get away with future assassinations as long as he
doesn’t leave fingerprints,” he added.
Khashoggi
was murderd on October 2, 2018, after he entered the Saudi consulate in
Istanbul to retrieve papers that would allow him to marry his Turkish fiancée.
Recording
and other evidence gathered by Turkish authorities revealed how a team of Saudi
agents subdued, killed and then dismembered the journalist inside the diplomatic
mission.
Saudi
Arabia initially issued conflicting stories about Khashoggi’s disappearance,
but eventually said that he was killed in a “rogue” operation.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/18/647550/US-Saudi-Arabia-Joe-Biden-Crown-Prince-Mohammed-bin-Salman-Khashoggi-murder
--------
As
‘Allah’ storm continues, Sarawak CM’s Office maintains has always upheld
freedom for all religions
18
Mar 2021
BY
SULOK TAWIE
KUCHING,
Mar 18 — The Sarawak government has always been consistent in upholding
religious tolerance for all communities, regardless of whether they are from
major or minor faiths, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said today.
It
was responding to Parti Sarawak Bersatu president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh who
two days ago accused the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government of remaining
silent and passive amid federal attempts to restrict the constitutional rights
of Christians in the state.
“Our
deed in assisting other religions through the Unit for Other Religions (Unifor)
is a testimony.
“There
has never been a restriction for Christians in Sarawak to use the word ‘Allah’
with respect,” the CMO said in a statement.
It
added that Muslims in Sarawak respect the Christians as much as the Christians
respect the Muslims, and that it was the same with people of other religions.
It
said the state government’s policy on religious tolerance has been the same
since the leadership of Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud to the administration of the late
Tan Sri Adenan Satem until now, under Datuk Abang Johari Openg as chief
minister.
The
CMO stressed that the GPS government will continue to defend and preserve
Sarawak’s religious tolerance as it is the core unifying factor for its people.
“It
is understandable that certain quarters who are merely pseudo-champions — to
use Tok Nan’s phraseology — is politicising the issue in view of the impending
state elections,” it said, referring to Adenan’s commitment that there was no
law in Sarawak that prevented Christians from using the term ‘Allah’ to refer
to God and that he would not permit such a law in Sarawak as long as he was the
chief minister.
The
CMO said the GPS leadership trusts that Sarawakians will not be influenced by
critics who cast aspersions on its policies to protect religious unity in
Sarawak.
Wong,
who is a former second finance minister expressed concern on March 16 with the
GPS government’s silence while the federal government appealed the High Court
judgement to quash a 1986 directive banning the use of the word “Allah” by
Christians in their publications.
He
had said the failure by Putrajaya to respect Sarawak’s constitutional right was
a fundamental problem today, representing a continuing failure of the
administration, where lip-service, not moral leadership, was the order of the
day.
Wong
also called on the GPS government and Abang Johari to use their “kingmaker”
status in the federal government and openly make their stand to preserve
Sarawak’s secular status.
He
added this course of action to let the decision of the High Court stand would
be proper in the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963, and also to honour the
words and legacy of the late Adenan.
On
March 10, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that the government directive
via a December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home Ministry’s publications control
division banning the use of the word “Allah” by the Christians was unlawful and
unconstitutional.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/18/as-allah-storm-continues-sarawak-cms-office-maintains-has-always-upheld-fre/1958920
--------
UAE
will not get involved in Israel elections ‘now or ever’: UAE official Gargash
18
March ,2021
The
UAE will not get involved in Israeli electioneering, an Emirati official said
Wednesday, in pointed comments amid new reports Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is planning to visit ahead of elections next week.
Israel
and the UAE established ties last year in a diplomatic coup for Netanyahu
brokered by his staunch ally, former US president Donald Trump.
The
deal, known as the Abraham Accords, made the UAE only the third Arab state to
establish relations with Israel, following Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.
Netanyahu,
in power since 2009, has sought to burnish his credentials as Israel’s leading
statesman as part of his re-election pitch ahead of March 23 polls.
A
UAE visit could have aided that effort.
“From
the UAE’s perspective, the purpose of the Abrahamic Accords is to provide a
robust strategic foundation to foster peace and prosperity with the State of
Israel and in the wider region,” tweeted Anwar Gargash, adviser to UAE
President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed.
“The
UAE will not be a part in any internal electioneering in Israel, now or ever,”
he said, without elaborating.
The
comments from Gargash, who until recently was the face of UAE diplomacy as its
minister of state for foreign affairs, were unusually candid for an Emirati
official.
They
came after Netanyahu last week cancelled what would have been a historic visit
to the UAE, citing a disagreement with Jordan over the premier crossing its
airspace.
The
UAE had never confirmed the visit, but said the same day that it was setting up
a $10 billion investment fund aimed at strategic sectors in Israel.
The
decision, the UAE official news agency WAM said, was taken following a
“constructive” phone call between Netanyahu and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed.
There
was new speculation Wednesday that Netanyahu could be scheduling a visit again,
but there was no official comment from either side.
The
Israeli prime minister said last week that he had spoken to Sheikh Mohammed bin
Zayed, and that the pair agreed to meet “very soon.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/18/UAE-will-not-get-involved-in-Israel-elections-now-or-ever-UAE-official-Gargash
--------
Iran
grants rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh temporary leave from jail
18
March ,2021
Jailed
Iranian human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh has been granted a temporary leave
of absence from prison on the occasion of the Persian New Year, her husband
said Wednesday.
“Nasrin
came on leave from Qarchak prison,” Reza Khandan wrote on Twitter, posting a
photo of the smiling lawyer standing beside him in a car park.
Sotoudeh,
57, was jailed in 2018 after defending a woman arrested for protesting against
the requirement for Iranian women to wear the hijab.
A
winner of the European Parliament’s Sakharov prize, she had returned to prison
in December after being granted a leave of absence for less than a month for
treatment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Her
new leave of absence was granted on the occasion of the Persian New Year
(Nowruz), which Iranians celebrate this year on March 20.
Khandan
did not say how long it would last.
In
October, Sotoudeh was transferred from Evin prison in northern Tehran to
Qarchak, more than 30 kilometers south of the capital, after her husband
expressed concern about her health.
She
was told in 2018 that she had been sentenced to five years’ jail in absentia
for espionage, according to her lawyers.
In
2019, she was sentenced again, to 12 years in prison, “for promoting corruption
and debauchery.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/18/Iran-opposition-Iran-grants-rights-lawyer-Nasrin-Sotoudeh-temporary-leave-from-jail
--------
India
Mosque
Reduces Azaan Volume by Half After Allahabad University VC's Complaint
Ismat
Ara
March
18, 2021
New
Delhi: The mosque committee of Lal Mosque, about which Allahabad University
vice-chancellor Sangita Srivastava had written a letter on March 3 to the
district magistrate of the area complaining about the azaan (Islamic call to
prayer), has decided to reduce the volume by 50% and also change the direction
of the speaker away from her house. In the letter, she wrote that she is forced
to wake up too early every day due to azaan being recited on a loudspeaker and
urged DM Bhanu Chandra Goswami to take action. “The sleep [gets] so disturbed
[that it] does not resume even after trying very hard,” she wrote in the
letter.
“This
also results in a headache throughout the day, causing losses in working
hours,” the letter read. The VC added that no matter how hard she tries, she
cannot sleep again after the disturbance. Claiming that she is not against any
religion, she suggested that the azaan can be recited even without a
loudspeaker.
Srivastava
also complained about the announcement of sehri, the morning meal consumed by
Muslims in the month of Ramzan. “This practice also creates a disturbance to
other people. The constitution of India envisages a secular and peaceful
co-existence of all communities, which needs to be practiced in letter and
spirit,” the letter further said.
Srivastava
cited an Allahabad high court judgement from 2020 in her letter that said azaan
was an essential part of Islam, but not its recitation through the use of
loudspeakers. She appealed to the district magistrate to “restore some peace
and tranquility” in the minds of people suffering due to the “loud” call for
prayer.
She
has also sent a copy of this letter to the Allahabad divisional commissioner,
the Inspector General of Police and the senior superintendent of police.
Prayagraj IG of police Kavindra Pratap Singh told The Wire that action will
soon be taken.
“I
will be writing to all SP’s, telling them that without permission there should
not be any public address at religious places.” He added that a meeting will be
held to explain this to the concerned parties. “These instructions will be
communicated to them and they will be asked to follow them,” he said.
Kalimurrahman,
caretaker at Masjid e Noor also known as Lal Masjid, against which the VC had
written the complaint, told The Wire that they have now reduced the volume of
the speaker by 50% and also changed the direction of the speaker facing her
house and tilted it towards the road. “The issue could have been solved
amicably even if she had come to us once,” he said. He also told The Wire that
her house is almost 400 metres away from the mosque.
The
Wire tried to contact the Allahabad University VC for a comment but she was
unavailable owing to a “family function”, her office said.
https://thewire.in/religion/mosque-reduces-azaan-volume-by-half-after-allahabad-university-vcs-complaint
--------
Karnataka
waqf does a U-turn, now allows loudspeakers in mosques for morning azaan
Mar
18, 2021
BENGALURU/NEW
DELHI: Karnataka State Board of Waqf on Friday clarified that the prohibition
of use of loudspeakers will not apply for morning azaan, which usually starts
around 5am.
On
March 9, the Karnataka State Board of Waqf issued a circular asking all mosques
and dargahs not to use loudspeakers between 10pm and 6am. The circular,
officials said, was based on the guidelines of the Karnataka State Pollution
Control Board and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
The
state government is now considering restricting the use of loudspeakers during
azaan at mosques, contending that it contributes to noise pollution.
Haj
and waqf minister Anand Singh told reporters on Wednesday that the government
would soon call a meeting of Muslim leaders and maulvis and request them to
stop using loudspeakers five times a day.
“It
[the discussion] has become necessary as people have filed PILs in the high
court, saying that this causes great inconvenience and disturbance to nearby
residents. Implementation will be done after consulting all stakeholders and
taking the community into confidence,” Singh said.
Currently,
mosques are not allowed to use loudspeakers between 10pm and 6am. “But we want
the use of loudspeakers to stop completely as residents, especially in the
cities, are complaining,” he said.
Singh
emphasised that the move is not against any religion or community. “As times
change, practices should also change,” he said.
The
minister clarified that mosques would be allowed to use loudspeakers during
Ramzan, Bakrid and other important occasions. “We absolutely have no problem
with it,” he added.
In
November last year, a letter from the office of the director general and
inspector general of police called for “suitable action” on a petition that
sought the removal of loudspeakers from mosques. The letter created a stir in
the community.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-waqf-does-a-u-turn-now-allows-loudspeakers-in-mosques-for-morning-azaan/articleshow/81564486.cms
--------
Karnataka
government to urge mosques to stop using loudspeakers
Mar
18, 2021
BENGALURU/NEW
DELHI: The state government is considering restricting the use of loudspeakers
during azaan at mosques, contending that it contributes to noise pollution.
Haj
and wakf minister Anand Singh told reporters on Wednesday that the government
would soon call a meeting of Muslim leaders and maulvis and request them to
stop using loudspeakers five times a day.
“It
(the discussion) has become necessary as people have filed PILs in the high
court, saying that this causes great inconvenience and disturbance to nearby
residents. Implementation will be done after consulting all stakeholders and
taking the community into confidence,” he said.
Currently,
mosques are not allowed to use loudspeakers between 10pm and 6am. “But we want
the use of loudspeakers to stop completely as residents, especially in cities,
are complaining,” Singh said.
He
emphasised that the move was not against any religion or community. “As times
change, practices should also change,” he said. The minister clarified that
mosques would be allowed to use loudspeakers during Ramzan, Bakrid and other
important occasions. “We absolutely have no problem with it,” he added.
On
March 9, the Karnataka State Board of Wakf issued a circular asking all mosques
and dargahs not to use loudspeakers between 10pm and 6am. The circular,
officials said, was based on the guidelines of the Karnataka State Pollution
Control Board and the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.
In
November last year, a letter from the office of the director-general and
inspector-general of police called for “suitable action” on a petition that
sought the removal of loudspeakers from mosques. The letter created a stir in
the community.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/karnataka-government-to-urge-mosques-to-stop-using-loudspeakers/articleshow/81563157.cms
--------
Muslim
hardliners not amused by Khader’s Guruvayur temple visit
18th
March 2021
KOCHI:
Leaders of Sunni organisations, who are traditionally loyal to the Indian Union
Muslim League (IUML), have resented party leader KNA Khader’s gestures at the
Guruvayur temple during a visit in connection with election campaigning.
Khader, the sitting MLA from Vengara, is the IUML candidate from the Guruvayur
constituency.
In
an FB post, Sunni Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) state secretary Abdul Hameed Faizy
Ambalakkadavu objected to Khader’s deeds and words at the temple. Faizy found
Khader’s words like “Lord Guruvayurappan will certainly read my mind and has
blessed me” and the god “will certainly accept the avilpothi from this Kuchela”
un-Islamic. He said there is a chapter in Islamic scriptures titled
‘Kithaburiddath’ which explains actions that will eject a person from Islam. He
said even a cursory reading of the chapter will make one realise the gravity of
Khader’s actions.
“The
deeds of leaders of a Muslim organisation will not only affect thems, but will
also send a dangerous signal to followers that such things are acceptable,”
Faizy said. He said secularism is not taking a bit from all religions.“It would
amount to what Emperor Akbar did by forming a new religion ‘Deen e-Ilahi.’ If
secularism means accepting customs and beliefs from other religions, we don’t
need such secularism,” he said. “We proudly remember former education minister
Abdurabb who refused to light the traditional lamp saying that it is against
his beliefs. We also remember late Panakkad Syed Umar Ali Shihab Thangal who
took a stern stand against a minister who sported a tilak on his forehead, an
alien custom for Muslims,” Faizy said.
The
incident involving Umar Ali Thangal that Faizy referred to happened around two
decades ago. Late Cherkkalam Abdulla, the then minister for local
administration, was chided by Thangal for sporting a ‘tilak’ during his visit
to a Hindu Mutt in Kasaragod in 2003. Thangal was the state president of the
SYS at the time. Khader remained unavailable for comments. Another Sunni
leader, Nazar Faizy Koodathayi also termed Khader’s gesture as an unwanted act.
In
his FB post, Nazar said not even Hindus would expect a Muslim to accept their
beliefs. He said the political bankruptcy of certain Muslim leaders will only
create an aversion in the minds of polytheists. He said Panakkad Syed Muhammad
Ali Shihab Thangal had rushed to Tali Temple at Angadippuram in Malappuram when
he heard about the fire that broke out at the temple. “But Thangal didn’t offer
prayers there. Yet he was a great
religious person and a secularist,” he said.
Samastha
Kerala Sunni Students Federation leader Onampilly Muhammad Faizy too expressed
similar sentiments. Without naming Khader, he cautioned against the tendency to
show ‘over subservience’ in the specific Indian political context and recalled
the leaders who valiantly fought for ‘honourable cultural existence.’
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2021/mar/18/muslim-hardliners-not-amused-by-khaders-guruvayur-temple-visit-2277999.html
--------
Islamic
terror strand ofIslam, says Raj textbook
Mar
18, 2021
Jaipur:
Drawing the ire of Muslim organisations in the state, the Class XII political
science textbook of the Rajasthan government claims that some experts believe
“Islamic terrorism as a strand of Islam”.
The
texbook, published in 2018 under the former BJP government, has a chapter on
‘Terrorism, Criminalization of Politics and Corruption’. Here it quotes
anonymous experts stating that “commitment to a particular religion is the main
trend of Islamic terrorism”, under the heading ‘Fanaticism and Terrorism’.
Acting
on a complaint by the Rajasthan Muslim Forum, an apex body of Muslims in the
state, Lal Kothi police filed an FIR late on Wednesday night against the
Rajasthan State Textbook Board and Sanjiv Passbook for the objectionable
content. The body had earlier held two meetings with police commissioner Anand
Srivastava.
Quoting
anonymous experts, the chapter also says that “in Islamic terrorism the
terrorist has excessive devotion to Islam rather than any faction or a group”.
It also says that "it is also believed that Islam, is not a violent or
inhuman”. The chapter also projected Islam as essentially a political ideology.
The writer’s comments begin only after the anonymous expert’s comments end.
The
writer explains Islamic terrorism as "martyrdom, perpetrating unlimited
barbarism, forcibly amassing wealth and killing and committing atrocities on
innocent people ruthlessly in a most ghastly manner in the name of Allah are
some of the features of Islamic terrorism".
It
goes on to say that "this form of Islam has killed and intimidated more
Muslims than other people”.
In
a section, ‘Nature of Terrorism in India,’ it uses terms like Sikh terrorist
and Muslim terrorist in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir demanding a separate state
on religious grounds. In the latter part of the section, it says, “In these
horrendous attacks there was a direct role of Muslim fundamentalist, the
hard-core terrorist, smugglers, and foreign agencies" while describing
those behind the Bombay blast in 1993, along with ISI.
On
Kashmir, it says Islamic terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir comes under the
category of religious separatism. The textbook claims that "Pakistan has
been quite successful in fomenting religious discontent discord in the mindset
of Kashmir and orienting them towards the tendency of excessive devotion to
Islam".
Bansilal
Jakhad, former principal of government school, Jodhpur, was one of the
three-member committee who authored and translated the chapter into Hindi. “I
didn’t deal with this section and was not aware until it was published,” Jakhad
told TOI.
Convenor
of the book Bhanwar Singh Rathore, who was an associate professor at a
government college in Jodhpur and wrote this portion, died in September 2020.
The
present state government has replaced the state textbooks with NCERT textbooks
from the 2021 academic session.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/islamic-terror-strand-ofislam-says-raj-textbook/articleshow/81557983.cms
--------
Delhi
riots: Complainant in mosque vandalism is held, court says absurd
By
Anand Mohan J
March
18, 2021
A
Delhi court has pulled up Delhi Police for arresting the complainant in a case
of arson and vandalism at a mosque, which was targeted during the northeast
Delhi riots.
The
observations were made by Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Yadav, who called the
arrest absurd and directed DCP (Northeast) to file a status report on the
investigation carried out so far. The judge also summoned SHO (Karawal Nagar)
on March 25 with the case diaries.
On
February 1, a Delhi court had ordered police to register an FIR into the attack
on Madina Masjid in Northeast Delhi by armed rioters and to carry out a
complete investigation.
Police
challenged the order before a Sessions Court. ASJ Yadav, in his order, wrote,
“It is really strange that the complaint with regard to burning of house of
respondent No. 1 was clubbed with the complaint of one Naresh Chand… and later
on the respondent No.1 was arrested in the same matter, meaning thereby that he
is not only complainant in the matter, but also an accused, which is an
apparent absurdity.”
On
February 25 last year, rioters broke into the mosque in Shiv Vihar after a
power cut in the area and set two LPG cylinders on fire inside, causing an
explosion. A saffron flag was later planted atop the mosque by a local, who has
been named in the complaint along with two others.
Haji
Hasim Ali had earlier filed a complaint regarding arson and loot at his home in
Shiv Vihar.
Police
clubbed his complaint with another man’s, who reported arson at his shop, in
which no accused was named. Police registered an FIR and arrested Ali on the
basis of CCTV footage, in which the police claimed he was “clearly seen in the
footage instigating the mob”. He was later granted bail by a court. Police also
clubbed the complaint regarding the mosque, of which Ali is the caretaker, with
these FIRs.
Ali’s
advocate, M R Shamshad, then filed an application in court for police to
register a separate FIR into mosque attack, since clubbing it with another
would make it “irrelevant”. The court had said “it would be appropriate that an
FIR is registered in this matter (the mosque attack) as well…”
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhi-riots-complainant-in-mosque-vandalism-is-held-court-says-absurd-7233227/
--------
Pakistan
‘Peace
with Pak Will Get India Direct Access to Central Asia’: Pakistan PM Imran Khan
Mar
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Wednesday said India will be benefitted economically
by having peace with his country as it will enable New Delhi to directly access
the resource-rich Central Asia region through Pakistani territory.
Khan
also said his government after coming to power in 2018 did everything for
better ties with India and it was for India to reciprocate. “India will have to
take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much,” he said.
India
last month said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in
an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus
is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.
Khan
dwelt at length on the issue of peace in the region, including peace between
Pakistan and India, saying “the unresolved Kashmir issue was the biggest hurdle
between the two countries”. “If India gives the Kashmiris their right under the
UN (resolutions), it will be greatly beneficial for Pakistan as well as for
India,” he said and added, “India can access Central Asia after peace”.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/peace-with-pak-will-get-india-direct-access-to-central-asia/articleshow/81560605.cms
--------
Pakistan
urges world to fight xenophobia
March
18, 2021
UNITED
NATIONS: Pakistan urged the international community on Wednesday to challenge
xenophobia and racism in all its forms as leaders from nearly 60 countries
spoke out against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.
Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who addressed the high-level event on Pakistan’s
behalf, stressed the need to “send a clear message against contemporary
challenges of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, negative stereotyping
and stigmatisation”.
UN
Secretary General António Guterres called for greater investment in promoting
social cohesion and tackling bigotry, reminding the world that “diversity is a
richness, not a threat”.
In
his address to this virtual meeting, held to commemorate the International Day
to Combat Islamophobia, the UN chief also cited a recent UN report which found
that suspicion, discrimination and outright hatred towards Muslims had risen to
“epidemic proportions”.
The
day was organised by the OIC Group in New York, which established the UN Alliance
of Civilisations (UNAOC) in 2005 to deal with the fallout of the Sept 11, 200,
terrorist attacks in the United States.
The
attacks strained relations between Muslim countries and Western nations and led
to attacks on Muslims in some places.
The
UN report highlighted how Muslim women face “triple levels of discrimination”
because of their gender, ethnicity and faith and how the media had further
compounded stereotypes against Muslims.
Foreign
Minister Qureshi recalled the tragic events in Christchurch, New Zealand, two
years ago, in which 51 worshippers lost their lives, adding that such tragedies
were “a grim reminder of what hateful ideologies could accomplish”.
“But
the way the prime minister, the government and the people in New Zealand
responded was both emphatic and empathetic,” he added.
Mr
Qureshi noted that right-wing parties in some countries were “openly calling
for expulsion of Muslims, politicisation of the hijab, and frequent mob
lynching by cow vigilantes”.
The
UN secretary general highlighted this point in his message, noting that
“anti-Muslim bigotry is sadly in line with other distressing trends we are
seeing globally — a resurgence in ethno-nationalism, neo-Nazism, stigma and
hate speech targeting vulnerable populations, including Muslims and Jews.
“As
the Holy Quran reminds us: nations and tribes were created to know one
another,” said the UN chief while urging world leaders to “continue to push for
policies that fully respect human rights and religious, cultural and unique
human identity”.
Miguel
Angel Moratinos, the current UNAOC High Representative, recalled the initiative
was launched as a “political soft power tool” whose objectives include
promoting mutual respect among diverse cultures and religions.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1613149
--------
Bajwa
says Pakistan ready to resolve disputes peacefully
March
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa Thursday renewed the offer
of peace to India and said Pakistan was ready to resolve all lingering disputes
with its neighbours through dialogue “in a dignified and peaceful manner”.
Addressing
the gathering on the final day of the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue, the
army chief, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said Pakistan’s “choice
[to seek a dialogue] is deliberate” and based on reason, and not a result of
any external pressure.
A
stable relationship between arch-rival neighbours was key to unlocking the
potential of south and central Asian regions by way of ensuring connectivity
between East and West Asia, he said.
He
said it was high time that synergies are created in the region through
connectivity, peaceful coexistence and resource sharing to fight common enemies
such as hunger, illiteracy, and diseases instead of fighting forever wars.
“The
Kashmir dispute is at the heart of it [issues between India and Pakistan],” he
said.
The
army chief stressed the need to understand that without the peaceful resolution
of the Kashmir dispute, the process […] will always remain vulnerable to
derailment to politically-motivated bellicosity.”
The
unresolved disputes in South Asia were dragging the entire region into debt and
poverty, he observed.
“Despite
being an impoverished region, we end up spending a lot of money on defense
which naturally comes at the expense of human development,” he said.
Gen
Bajwa observed the national security encompassed more than just matters and
affairs related to strengthening the country’s security forces. “It included
development and human security as well,” he said.
He
also noted that “despite rising security challenges, Pakistan has been one of
the few countries that have resisted the temptation of involving itself in an
arms race”, citing the decrease in the country’s defence expenditure.
“Today,
the leading drivers of change in the world are demography, economy and
technology. However, one issue that remains central to this concept is economic
security and cooperation. Frayed relations between various powers centres of
the globe and boomeranging of competing alliances can bring nothing but another
stint of Cold War.”
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/03/18/bajwa-says-pakistan-ready-to-resolve-disputes-peacefully/
--------
Pakistan
govt mulls contempt case against poll body
Mar
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Imran Khan-led government has opened a new battlefront by taking on the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), warning to initiate contempt proceedings
against the chairman and members of the electoral body if they did not resign
from their offices, reports Omer Farooq Khan.
The
government’s warning came hours after the ECP issued notices to Khan’s PTI on
Tuesday to appear before it on March 22 to explain its position over keeping
secret the documents related to a foreign funding case against the party.
While
Khan and his cohorts accuse the ECP of foul play in the recent Senate polls,
political pundits and opposition leaders believe PTI’s demand for the
resignation of ECP members is due to the imminent decision in the foreign
funding case against Khan and his party.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-govt-mulls-contempt-case-against-poll-body/articleshow/81560900.cms
--------
Pakistan
Opposition Alliance Unravels Over Strategy Dispute
March
17, 2021
By
Abubakar Siddique
Nearly
six months after major opposition political parties in Pakistan coalesced in a
grand coalition to cleanse politics of military interference by pushing Prime
Minster Imran Khan out of power, their alliance appears to be disintegrating.
The
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the formal name of the alliance that
emerged in September, has postponed its much-touted protest March on Islamabad
this week after one major party refused to joined the remaining nine in
resigning from the parliament, a move intended to force Khan to relinquish power
and spur new elections.
“The
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had reservations over the issue of resignations
and has asked for some time to consult with its central executive committee,”
PDM leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman told journalists late on March 16 after a
daylong meeting whose deliberations trickled to the Pakistani media, where
hardlines screamed of a widening rift and the PPP leader and former President
Asif Ali Zardari reportedly argued against resigning from the parliament.
“We
will be awaiting their decisions, but until then the Long March protest planned
for March 26 should be considered postponed,” said Rahman, leader of Islamist
Jamiat Ulma-e Islam (JUI).
The
development exposed a deep rift among PDM leaders, whose parties recently
scored some political victories when they joined forces against Khan’s in this
month’s indirect Senate elections and won most of the byelections across
Pakistan earlier this year.
The
alliance had postponed the issue of resignations in December after they
reportedly accepted Zardari’s push to postpone it until after the Senate vote.
Rehman’s JUI and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League
Nawaz (PML-N) are now unlikely to resign from the parliament or resort to
street protests to oust Khan even while claiming that the country’s military
rigged the 2018 parliamentary vote to propel him into power.
Pakistan’s
powerful military, however, denies interfering in the country’s politics.
Has
Khan Survived?
Khan’s
cabinet members gloated over the PDM’s split. “The PDM is a collection of
political orphans,” Fawad Chaudhry, Khan’s science and technology minister,
told journalists. “People who have no stake in the [current political] system
are clamoring for resignations,” he added.
“The
Pakistan Peoples Party is a stakeholder in this system,” Chaudhry said. The PPP
heads the provincial government in the southern province of Sindh. Its leaders
are challenging the election for Senate chairman, an important constitutional
position that could see one of its top leaders and former Prime Minister Yousaf
Raza Gilani head the upper house of the parliament.
In
recent weeks, the government was rattled when Khan’s party lost an important
vote in the National Assembly. In an upset Gilani defeated his finance minister
Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. The move forced Khan to seek a vote of confidence to show
he still holds a majority sway in the lower house.
“PDM’s
unity has disintegrated,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tweeted. “While
fighting a war for their interested, the opposition parties have fallen out
with each other,” he added in apparent jubilation over the rift, which is will
provide a much-needed respite for Khan’s administration.
Fighting
Within Parliament
PPP
leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is adamant the PDM should focus on removing Khan
though a no-confidence vote. “The PDM’s struggle has entered the final phase as
the government’s majority in the upper and lower houses of parliament has been
exposed,” he told journalists on March 15.
But
the mood within the PDM is less optimistic. In late September, the movement
began with great fanfare when its leaders vowed to end “the state above the
state,” which they claimed top army generals had created by controlling the
levers of power through installing Khan in a rigged vote. “We cannot live in
this country as slaves,” Rehaman told supports days after the PDM was formally
launched on September 20.
In
their vocal protest across Pakistan, the alliance of 10 parliamentary political
parties -- many of whom are also electoral rivals -- showed a united front in
promising a new era and vowing not to repeat past mistakes.
Competition
between the PPP and PML-N defined the 1990s and returned to Pakistani politics
following Sharif’s efforts to bring down the PPP’s government in 2011 after U.S.
Special Forces killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, a garrison
town near Islamabad.
What
Lies Ahead
A
key part of the rift within the PDM appears to be a demand by Zardari who asked
Sharif to abandon his exile in London and return to Pakistan to lead the PDM’s
future agitation.
“The
office-holders of the PML-N, its leaders, and its voters do not want to see the
life of Nawaz Sharif in danger,” Sharif’s daughter and heir apparent Maryam
Nawaz told reporters as she confirmed the conversation. “The people of
Pakistan, too, do not want this because we want to have a leader who is alive,”
she added.
Most
elected leaders in Pakistan were deposed by force in military coups. Some, like
PPP leader and former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, were executed under
what his supporters say were fabricated charges. Benazir Bhutto, his daughter
and another PPP leader, was killed in a bomb blast in 2007. The high-stakes
game between powerful generals and populist politicians has defined Pakistan’s
political history for more than 70 years.
In
the coming days and weeks, PDM leaders will scramble to bridge their wide
differences. Their only hope now seems to be that a population hard done by
economic hardship and repression might spark unprecedented protests, which will
once more carry them to the corridors of power.
https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/pakistan-democratic-movement-unravels-over-strategy-dispute/31156308.html
--------
Fazl
directs JUI-F to continue preparations for long march
March
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has directed the
party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter to continue preparations for the March 26
long march to Islamabad, reports said Thursday.
A
letter was written to the party’s KP leadership on Fazl’s directives, directing
the leaders not to slow down the preparations. The letter said the long march
has only been postponed until Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) makes its decision
on the march.
Nine
of the 11 component parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) are ready
to participate in the long march while PPP has sought time to make a final
decision concerning en masse resignations, the letter said.
The
development comes two days after the opposition alliance announced to postpone
the long march after PPP linked its resignations from the legislative
assemblies with deposed prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N)
supreme leader Nawaz Sharif’s return — a condition PML-N termed out of the
question.
“Nine
parties [of PDM] were in favor of resignations along with the long march but
PPP had expressed some reservations,” Fazl told reporters on Tuesday, adding
the PPP would discuss the matter during its upcoming central executive
committee (CEC) meeting.
A
day earlier, Fazl held a telephonic conversation with Nawaz and urged him to
return to Pakistan, saying with top PML-N leadership living abroad in
self-exile, it was difficult to execute decisions taken by the opposition
alliance.
After
spending a year in prison, Nawaz, 71, secured a conditional bail in November
2019 to travel to London on the pretext of medical treatment and has since
refused to return.
His
party insists that despite being summoned by the courts, which declared him a
proclaimed offender in multiple corruption trials, the former premier will only
return after the completion of his medical treatment.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/03/18/fazl-directs-jui-f-to-continue-preparations-for-long-march/
--------
Two
civilians embrace martyrdom; terrorist killed in Swat IBO
March
17, 2021
RAWALPINDI:
The Security Forces on Wednesday conducted intelligence based operation (IBO)
in Kanju area of Swat and killed a terrorist of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) Swat faction and apprehended the other whereas two civilians were
martyred in response to the firing of the terrorists.
The
security forces conducted the IBO in Kanju area on confirmation of presence of
terrorists, said an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) media release.
It
added that during exchange of fire, terrorist Mukarram was killed while his
associate terrorist was apprehended. Due to terrorists’ firing two local
civilian pedestrians were also martyred.
Both
the terrorists of TTP Swat remained involved in terrorists’ activities against
security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs), demolition of schools,
extortion and targeting killing.
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/03/17/two-civilians-embrace-martyrdom-terrorist-killed-in-swat-ibo/
--------
PPP
says allies failed to convince it on post-resignation strategy
Amir
Wasim
March
18, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Explaining its stance after being singled out on the issue of en masse
resignations from the assemblies, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday
rejected the perception that the party had reached some kind of understanding
with the establishment and claimed that other parties in the Pakistan
Democratic Movement (PDM) failed to provide a clear roadmap and the
post-resignation strategy.
Talking
to Dawn, PPP secretary general Nayyar Bokhari alleged that the nine parties
which had linked the en masse resignations with the long march were repeatedly
asked about the strategy which they would adopt after submitting resignations
from the assemblies, but “they failed to give replies to our questions”.
Mr
Bokhari ridiculed the reports that the PPP was running away from the
resignations as it had struck a deal with the establishment and said had the
party reached any understanding with the establishment, Yousuf Raza Gilani
would not have faced such a defeat in the election for Senate chairman office.
“The
PDM parties failed to satisfy us on the situation after submission of
resignations,” he said. It was wrong to blame the PPP for everything as the
party was still committed to follow the PDM declaration and the action plan
issued after their multi-party conference (MPC) in September last year, he
said.
The
PPP secretary general said in the action plan, the use of resignations had been
mentioned as a last resort after utilising all other options, including vote of
no-confidence and long march. He said the PPP was determined to implement the
PDM’s agenda which included removal of the government.
Another
senior PPP leader while talking to Dawn on condition of anonymity said the
party was shocked to see violation of the declaration and the PDM’s action plan
by the other parties by linking en masse resignations with the long march.
On
the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secretary general Ahsan
Iqbal denied that they had not provided any post-resignation roadmap, saying
they had thoroughly talked about it in the PDM meeting and even the worst-case
scenarios were discussed.
Mr
Iqbal regretted that the PPP did not honour the opinion of the nine parties
having long political and parliamentary experience. He said it was a collective
view of the nine parties that the government would collapse after opposition
lawmakers submitted their resignations as it would not be possible for it to go
for by-elections in more than 450 constituencies.
Moreover,
he said, the PPP was told in the meeting that they could consider submitting
resignations only from the National Assembly in the first phase, if the party
did not want to sacrifice its provincial government in Sindh. Again, Mr Iqbal
said, it would not be possible for the government to have by-polls on 161 seats
and half-empty opposition-less house would have no legitimacy and it would
“create a question of legitimacy of the system.”
“You
can hold by-elections on 20 or 30 seats, but not on 161 seats,” he opined. He
said the nine parties believed that the whole system would collapse after the
opposition’s en masse resignations.
Explaining
the worst case scenario, he said first of all the speaker would not be able to
hold their resignations for an indefinite or a longer period. He said the
situation would become more difficult for the speaker and the government if the
opposition members started besieging him daily asking him to accept their
resignations and there would be a “drama in the country.”
When
his attention was drawn to the fact that during the previous PML-N government,
the then speaker Ayaz Sadiq had held the resignations of the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf members for almost a year, he said that was just one party,
adding that when the entire opposition would come out of the assembly, then the
whole system would become questionable.
Secondly,
the PML-N leader said, even if the government decided to hold by-elections on
the vacant seats and also in phases and according to its own choice of timing
and place, then the PDM could again contest the elections jointly as they did
in the recent by-elections, but only to resign again from the seats which,
according to him, would create a “perpetual crisis”.
“At
one point of time, you have to take risk. In politics, two plus two is not always
four,” Mr Iqbal said.
Meanwhile,
speaking at a ceremony in Peshawar, PDM president and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam
chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed annoyance over the PPP’s attitude, saying
it should have respected the opinion and viewpoint of the nine parties. He
expressed the hope that the PPP in its Central Executive Committee (CEC)
meeting would give consideration and respect to the collective opinion of the
nine parties, saying they wanted to keep the PPP within the PDM ranks.
The
Maulana, who had left the press briefing on Tuesday after presiding over the
PDM meeting apparently to show his displeasure over their failure to reach a
consensus, also indirectly criticised the PPP for “leaking the proceedings of
the meeting” to the media.
“Discussions
in such meetings are always kept secret as a trust. Leaking the proceedings
amounts to the breach of trust,” said the Maulana in an apparent reference to
the media coverage of the PDM meeting containing almost full speech of former
president Asif Zardari.
On
the other hand, PPP’s Nayyar Bokhari said the Maulana’s criticism was
justified, but the meeting was not held on the PPP’s premises and it was hosted
by the PML-N. The arrangement of video link was made by the PML-N.
Earlier,
speaking at a news conference, PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the party
believed in democracy and had defeated every despotic government with its
democratic actions. He said it was the PPP which convinced all political
parties in the PDM to take part in the by-elections and the PDM won in the four
provinces.
He
said all decisions taken by the PDM on the advice of the PPP proved correct and
mature. He said resignations were not first or second option but the last
option to send the government packing. He said the PPP wanted to bring a
no-confidence motion in the Punjab assembly.
Mr
Ashraf said they had made preparations for the long march but when the
resignations were bracketed with the long march, the PPP asked for time to
consult its CEC.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1613119/ppp-says-allies-failed-to-convince-it-on-post-resignation-strategy
--------
South Asia
Afghanistan
Abandonment By US To Taliban Will Be Geopolitical Suicide
March
18, 2021
By
Dr Subhash Kapila
“Geopolitical
Suicide” would be the end-result of United States withdrawal of US Military
Forces from Afghanistan by May01 2021, robbing United States of an
irreplaceable vital “Strategic Perch’ which empowers United States to extend
power and influence in turbulent Greater South West Asia expanse.
The
United Sates unilateral implementation of its ill-conceived and ill-advised
Doha Accord with the Afghan Taliban—- much hated within Afghanistan for its
medieval Islamist brutalisation of the Afghan people—-without matching
cessation of Afghan Taliban terrorism & suicide bombings as pledged to
United Sates at Doha is suicidal for US National Security interests.
The
United States as a Superpower cannot be globally seen and perceived ‘Supping
with the Devils’ with Islamist Terrorist outfits like the Afghan Taliban. This spectacle is demeaning for United States
global image besides spinning on its head the very rationale in the first place
of US military intervention in 2001 to displace the Afghan Taliban regime
installed in Kabul courtesy Pakistan Army.
‘Geopolitical
Suicide” it will surely be for the United States as withdrawal of US Military
Forces by May01 2021 would generate in its wake three major adversarial factors
impacting US National Security interests as follows: (1) United States wilfully
generating a ‘Strategic Void’ in Afghanistan to be exploited by US geopolitical
adversaries (2) United States unceremoniously
gambling away its ‘Strategic Perch’ to its confirmed geopolitical
adversaries (3) United States would be risking a ‘Third Military Intervention’
at much greater cost to undo the Civil War hat Afghan Taliban would inflict on
Afghanistan following US military exit.
The
‘Strategic Void’ in Afghanistan wilfully generated by United States honouring
Doha Accord will be exploited by China and Pakistan with Russia in tow. China
and Russia figure on top of US threat perceptions as Sates adversarial to US
primacy and intent on undermining US influence globally and regionally.
Pakistan today is China’s ‘Front Line State’ and not that of the United States.
Strategic
convergences of China, Pakistan and Russia are markedly visible currently to
prompt United States towards a military exit from Afghanistan. Can the United
States in the prevailing geopolitical turbulence afford to consign the Kabul
Government as a prey to the geopolitical and strategic machinations of
confirmed US adversaries?
Afghanistan
with sizeable US military presence embedded offers a valuable ‘Strategic Perch’
for United States for surveillance and possible military intervention if
warranted o any adversarial developments to US National Security interests in
Greater South West Asia. No alternatives to Afghanistan are alternatively
available to United States.
This
facet of Afghanistan’s strategic utility needs to be seriously considered by
United States strictly in the context of checkmating the China Threat. China
has a small sliver of border-sharing in the Wakhan Corridor area. Afghanistan
also strategically rests on China’s western periphery of the vulnerable and
turbulent Xingjian Region. Are US policy planners in Washington blind to the
great strategic potential that Afghanistan offers to United States as a major
strategic pressure point against China?
The
above mandates a permanent US Forward Military Presence of about 20,000 troops
on the lines of FMP in Japan and South Korea as argued by me in my writings for
over a decade.
The
United States wilfully attempting to include Afghan Taliban in a Provisional
Government in Afghanistan as being advocated by present US Secretary of State
Blinken following a Boon-type Meet inherently sows the seeds of yet another
Civil War in Afghanistan which any discernible policy analyst can foresee.
The
Civil War in the 1990s in Afghanistan was generated by Pakistan Army foisting
the Afghan Taliban medieval Islamist regime in Kabul by military means due to
the US strategic obliviousness.
The
next Civil War following US military exit honouring Doha Accord will be
generated by United States wilfully foisting the much hated Afghan Taliban in
the Provisional Government envisaged by Washington planners.
What
the Afghan Taliban could not achieve victoriously on the battlefield by
defeating US Military Forces in Afghanistan is now being handed over by
Washington planners on a silver platter to Afghan Taliban.
Ironically
it is the Washington policy establishment that seems to be providing a ‘Back
Door Entry’ to the much despised Afghan Taliban in the future governance of
Afghanistan. The end-result will be a Civil War.
Any
third military intervention in Afghanistan to reclaim Afghanistan for United
Sates vital interest would be far more costly than the costs of a US Forward
Military Presence embedment.
Concluding
Observations
Afghanistan
has overwhelming geopolitical and strategic utility for United States
continuance as a Superpower now being contested openly by China with its heady
military muscle.
Afghanistan
is in the crosshairs of China, Pakistan and Russia as the next target of
prompting a ‘Saigon Unceremonious Exit’ of US power and influence in the
region. Short of military means this is a no-cost bargain basement option for
these adversarial nations of United States to demean United States
Civil
War is a surety if the United States wilfully or permissively facilitates
Afghan Taliban’s inclusion in Provisional Government of Afghanistan.
Would
the United States consciously adopt a “Geopolitical Suicide” option in
pursuance of temporary political expediencies?
https://www.eurasiareview.com/18032021-afghanistan-abandonment-by-us-to-taliban-will-be-geopolitical-suicide-oped/
--------
Nine
Afghan security force members killed after rocket hits helicopter: Sources
18
March ,2021
Nine
Afghan security force members were killed in a helicopter crash in central
Afghanistan late on Wednesday, according to the defense ministry.
A
defense ministry statement on Thursday said they were investigating the crash
which took place in Maidan Wardak province and the dead included crew members
and special force personnel.
An
air force source and a provincial official told Reuters that the helicopter was
hit by a rocket while taking off.
It
was not clear who fired the rocket and there have been no claims of
responsibility.
The
defense ministry said it was investigating the crash, which killed the
helicopter’s crew members as well as special forces on board.
An
airforce source said the helicopter had been on a supply mission that included
transporting the body of a soldier and wounded members of the military.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/18/Nine-Afghan-Military-members-killed-in-helicopter-crash-Defense-ministry
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Three
killed, 11 wounded in government bus bombing in Kabul: Afghan officials
18
March ,2021
Three
people were killed and 11 wounded when a roadside bomb hit a bus carrying
Afghan government employees in Kabul on Thursday, officials said.
The
bombing comes on the day the Afghan government, Taliban and key countries,
including the US and Russia, gather in Moscow to push for a reduction in
violence to propel the Afghan peace process forward.
A
spokesman for the Kabul police confirmed the casualty figures but gave no
further details. Another official said the vehicle was carrying Afghan
government employees.
The
blast hit a bus which was rented by the Afghan ministry of information and
technology to transport employees, said Abdul Samad Hamid Poya, a ministry
adviser.
He
added that it was unclear at the moment who the victims are.
No
one claimed immediate responsibility for the blast, but the Afghan government
has blamed the Taliban for running an assassination campaign against government
employees, civil society figures and journalists.
The
insurgent Taliban has denied being involved in the campaign.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/03/18/Three-killed-11-wounded-in-government-bus-bombing-in-Kabul-Afghan-officials-
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Biden
warns US may miss deadline to exit Afghanistan
Mar
18, 2021
WASHINGTON:
US President Joe Biden has said that it would be "tough" to meet the
deadline to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by May 1, as agreed with
the Taliban in a deal secured under Donald Trump.
The
Taliban insurgents have largely stuck to a promise not to attack US or other
foreign troops since the agreement was struck in February last year, but they
say the date to end America's longest war is inflexible.
"Could
happen, but it is tough," Biden said when asked about the May 1 deadline
in a TV interview broadcast on Wednesday. "I'm in the process of making
that decision now."
The
Taliban quickly reacted to Biden's comments, with a spokesman telling AFP there
would be "consequences" if the United States did not stick to the
agreed timetable -- further raising pressure on the fragile peace process.
Biden
also took a direct swipe at Trump's Afghanistan policy, saying it "was not
a very solidly negotiated deal" that the then-president oversaw.
"The
failure to have an orderly transition from the Trump presidency to my
presidency... has cost me time and consequences. That's one of the issues we're
talking about now, in terms of Afghanistan," he added.
The
United States is supposed to pull out all its troops by May 1 in an agreement
that saw the Taliban agree to peace talks with the Afghan administration of
President Ashraf Ghani.
The
insurgents also vowed not to allow territory to be used by
"terrorists" -- the original goal of the US invasion following the
September 11, 2001 attacks.
But
the supposed peace talks held in Qatar since September have made little
progress.
Washington
wants to jump-start the process and get the Taliban and Afghan government to
agree to some form of power-sharing.
Major
urban centers in Afghanistan are in the grip of a worsening terror campaign in
the form of deadly attacks targeting politicians, civil servants, academics,
rights activists and journalists.
The
Taliban deny all responsibility but the government says they are to blame --
either directly, or by using proxies.
As
the May deadline looms closer, Russia on Thursday is to host a conference
featuring high-level delegations from the Taliban and Afghan government -- as
well from the United States, Pakistan and China.
At
the talks, the insurgents will be led by the Taliban's co-founder and deputy
leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, while the Afghan government side is headed
by former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah.
Pakistan,
which holds the most outside influence over the Taliban, is represented by
veteran diplomat Mohammed Sadiq, while the US sent long-time Afghan envoy
Zalmay Khalilzad.
The
United Nations, which is not participating in the Moscow talks, meanwhile
announced that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had nomination a new personal
envoy, Jean Arnault, to work for peace in Afghanistan.
Analysts
suggest a face-saving compromise on the US withdrawal could be hashed out, with
Washington saying it has met its obligations while leaving some US experts
attached to Afghan forces in advisory roles.
A
complete exit of US troops -- given the vital air cover provided to Afghan
ground forces -- would further loosen Kabul's tenuous grip on the countryside.
Trump,
who dubbed the conflict America's "endless war," cut troop numbers
during his final days in office to 2,500 -- their lowest figure since the start
of operations 20 years ago.
Afghanistan
has been engulfed by a two-decade insurgency by the Taliban since the Islamist
militants were ousted by a US-led invasion in 2001 for harboring the Al-Qaeda
terror network.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/biden-warns-us-may-miss-deadline-to-exit-afghanistan/articleshow/81566553.cms
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UN
team visits remote Bangladesh island where Rohingya relocated
17
Mar 2021
A
United Nations delegation is on a three-day visit starting Wednesday to a
remote Bay of Bengal island where Bangladesh has moved more than 13,000
Rohingya Muslim refugees since December despite criticism from rights groups.
Bangladesh
wants to eventually transfer 100,000 of the more than a million refugees living
in overcrowded border camps to Bhasan Char island, which emerged from the sea
only two decades ago and is considered vulnerable to floods.
“This
initial three-day visit will bring together experts from UN agencies engaged in
the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh,” the UN refugee agency told
Reuters in an email.
“The
visit will look at the current situation and facilities on Bhasan Char,
appraise the needs of the Rohingya refugees relocated there, as well as discuss
with the authorities and others currently working on Bhasan Char.”
The
UN earlier said it had not been allowed to conduct a technical and safety
assessment of the island and was not involved in the transfer of refugees
there.
Bangladesh
says the relocation is voluntary, but some among a first group to be moved
spoke of being coerced.
The
Rohingya, a minority group who fled violence in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, are
not allowed to move off the island, which is several hours’ journey away from
the southern port.
Bangladesh
has dismissed safety concerns over the island, citing the building of flood
defences as well as housing for 100,000 people, hospitals and cyclone centres.
It
also says overcrowding in refugee camps fuels crime, while some Rohingya said
frequent violence in the camps had driven them to relocate.
“We
hope it will remove any concerns that the UN has about the relocation and they
will get involve in the relocation and provide Rohingya people the support they
need,” a senior official at the foreign ministry said.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/17/un-team-visits-remote-bangladesh-island-where-rohingya-relocated
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Taliban
faces heavy casualties in 3 provinces: MoD
18
Mar 2021
Ministry
of Defense said that government forces inflicted heavy casualties on the
Taliban in three provinces.
MoD
in a released statement on Thursday said that Afghan national defense and
security forces carried out an operation in Maidan Wardak district of Maidan
Wardak province, killing at least 10 insurgents and wounding seven others.
Security
forces also prevented seven placed IEDs from exploding in the district.
In
another defense operation, 30 Taliban militants were killed and nine others
were wounded in the Arghandab, Zherai, Dand, and Panjwai districts of Kandahar
province.
ANDSF
also discovered and defused 20 IEDs during the operation.
This
comes as the Ministry of defense in a separate statement said that 21 Taliban
fighters were killed and 14 others were wounded in Helmand province.
ANDSF
backed by the air force carried the operation and a large number of weapons and
ammunition belonging to the Taliban were also destroyed.
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-battered-in-3-provinces-faces-heavy-casualties-54535555/
--------
UN
appoints Jean Arnault as Peace Envoy in Afghanistan
18
Mar 2021
António
Guterres, UN Secretary-General on Thursday announced that Jean Arnault from
France is appointed as his Personal Envoy on Afghanistan peace and regional
matters.
UN
in a released statement said, Guterres, has requested Arnault to assist in the
achievement of a political solution to the Afghan war.
Arnault
will be closely working with United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
(UNAMA).
According
to UN Arnault has 30 years of experience in international diplomacy mostly
focused on peace settlements and mediation.
The
appointed Personal Envoy has an extensive working background in United Nations
missions in Afghanistan, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
The
statement indicated that Arnault has recently worked as Delegate of
Secretary-General to Colombia peace talks and Special Representative for
Secretary-General from 2015 to 2018.
He
also has served as Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Bolivia from
2019 to 2020.
This
comes as US President Joe Biden has said that it will be “tough” for the US to
meet a May 1st deadline to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, and the
complete withdrawal won’t take much time.
“It
could happen, but it is tough.” If the deadline is extended, it won’t be by “a
lot longer”.
“That
was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president, the former
president, worked out,” President Biden said in an interview with ABC news.
“We’re in consultation with our allies as well
as the government and that decision is in process now,” he added.
The
deadline was set under the US-Taliban agreement signed on February 29th, 2020
during the former President Donald Trump’s administration.
https://www.khaama.com/un-appoints-jean-arnault-as-peace-envoy-in-afghanistan-5435399/
--------
Europe
Jehovah's
Witness Convicted On Extremism Charges In Russia
March
16, 2021
A
77-year-old Jehovah’s Witness in Russia's Far Eastern Primorye region has been
handed a six-year suspended sentence on extremism charges amid an ongoing
crackdown on the religious group that has been banned in the country since
2017.
A
district court in the town of Volno-Nadezhdinskoye on March 15 found retired
military officer Vladimir Filippov guilty of taking part in the activities of
an “extremist organization" and also banned him from taking part in any
public groups for three years.
Prosecutors
had sought 6 1/2 years in prison for Filippov.
In
his last testimony at the hearing, Filippov denied taking part in the
activities of any extremist groups.
"I
have never participated in extremist affairs, never expressed any hatred
towards people of other nationalities and religions.... I did not commit a
crime, but only exercised my constitutional right to believe in Jehovah,
God," Filippov said.
The
United States has condemned Russia's ongoing crackdown on Jehovah's Witnesses
and other peaceful religious minorities.
For
decades, the Jehovah's Witnesses have been viewed with suspicion in Russia,
where the dominant Orthodox Church is championed by President Vladimir Putin.
The
Christian group is known for door-to-door preaching, close Bible study,
rejection of military service, and not celebrating national and religious
holidays or birthdays.
Since
the faith was outlawed in Russia, many Jehovah's Witnesses have been imprisoned
in Russia and the Russia-annexed Ukrainian Black Sea Crimean Peninsula.
According
to the group, dozens of Jehovah's Witnesses were either convicted of extremism
or are in pretrial detention.
The
Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights Center has recognized dozens of Jehovah’s
Witnesses who've been charged with or convicted of extremism as political
prisoners.
https://www.rferl.org/a/jehovah-witness-convicted-extremism-charges-in-russia/31153515.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
Muslim
groups boycott review of UK counter-extremism strategy
March
17, 2021
LONDON:
A group of over 450 Islamic organizations in the UK will boycott a review of
the government’s anti-radicalization Prevent program over the appointment of
its chairman.
William
Shawcross, who led the UK Charity Commission from 2012 to 2018, has been
accused of having a track record of hostility toward Islam and Muslims.
Prevent
facilitates schools, medical trusts, prisons and local authorities reporting
individuals they believe may be at risk of turning to extremist ideologies.
Critics
have long said it facilitates discrimination against ethnic and religious
minorities in the UK, particularly members of the Muslim community.
Many
have called for an independent review of its methods, but the impartiality of
that review is being called into question.
The
opposition to Shawcross surrounds his time at the Charity Commission where,
under his lead, Muslim charities said they were unfairly and disproportionately
targeted with investigations into their activities.
Groups
including 350 mosques, the Association of Muslim Lawyers, the Muslim Youth
Network and Advancing Voices of Women Against Islamophobia released a statement
saying: “No serious, objective, critical review can be undertaken by someone
with such a track record — rather we should expect him to promote a hardening
of policies towards Muslims.”
They
added: “If Muslim organizations engage with this review, it strengthens its
legitimacy and its power to recommend policies more harmful to the community.”
Neil
Basu, a leading UK counter-terrorism police officer, called it “the most
important pillar of our counter-terrorism strategy.”
But
he warned that a lack of trust from the Muslim community over the appointment
of Shawcross to oversee its review risks undoing its progress.
“We
will, of course, work with the government’s chosen reviewer, because we believe
the process will give our Prevent practitioners the opportunity to share their
many years of expertise and insight, with the hope of bringing lasting
improvement to this vital strategy,” he said.
“But
we also recognize how important the support and trust of our communities will
be if we are to continue to protect vulnerable people, and so it is with great
disappointment that I read some key groups plan to boycott the review
altogether.”
Basu’s
faith in Prevent is not shared by the signatories of the statement boycotting
the review.
Prof.
Nasar Meer of the University of Edinburgh said: “Prevent is a bad policy that
has only worsened with time. An independent review of its attack on the freedom
of speech, curtailment of fundamental liberties and criminalization of
communities is long overdue. Sadly, the Shawcross review promises no such thing.”
De
Montfort University’s Dr. Fatima Rajina said: “The presence of Prevent in
smaller organizations within local communities that provide essential services
… illustrates its perniciousness.”
She
added: “Prevent is expanding its tentacles into community spaces that ought to
remain safe for Muslims but, yet again, it is there to surveil and monitor.”
A
Home Office spokesperson defended the appointment of Shawcross, saying: “It is
absolutely wrong to suggest that Prevent focuses on a particular group, ethnicity
or ideology. Unfortunately, some organizations continue to perpetuate
falsehoods about Prevent.
“A
panel, led by an independent chair, assessed the candidates (for the role of)
independent reviewer of Prevent and found that William Shawcross met the criteria
and possessed the right range of skills and experience.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1827126/world
--------
Germany:
Turkey ‘highly reliable partner’
Ayhan
Simsek
17.03.2021
BERLIN
Turkey
is a “highly reliable partner” of the EU in addressing the refugee crisis, the
government of Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.
Deputy
government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer spoke at a news conference in Berlin and
expressed Germany’s commitment to a 2016 EU-Turkey refugee deal that
effectively stopped the flow of Syrian refugees into Europe.
“The
EU-Turkey Statement of 18 March 2016 is our joint success, and it is in the
mutual interest of the EU and Turkey,” according to Demmer who said the EU and
Turkey are determined to its continued implementation.
She
praised Turkey for hosting nearly 4 million refugees who escaped a civil war in
neighboring Syria -- providing essential services, housing, health and
educational support.
“What
Turkey is doing deserves high recognition,” she said.
Demmer
said the EU’s financial support for Syrian refugees has improved their living
conditions, and the agreement has been successful in stemming irregular
migration in the Aegean Sea, and it saved the lives of refugees.
Merkel
championed the refugee agreement, with hopes of stopping the refugee influx
after nearly 1 million refugees arrived in Germany.
The
agreement has been successful in significantly reducing the number of crossings
in the Aegean Sea, and preventing lives lost. But EU’s bureaucratic hurdles and
delays in mobilizing promised funds led to sharp criticism by Turkish
officials.
The
EU promised to deliver €6 billion ($7.1 billion) in 2016 until the end of 2018
to help Turkey care for nearly 2.6 million refugees.
After
nearly a two-year delay, the EU concluded the final contracts under the €6
billion package in December 2020. But the amount the bloc spent for Syrian
refugees remains below €4.5 billion as of March, according to EU figures.
The
remaining amount is expected to be disbursed in coming months, as part of recently
contracted projects.
Turkey
currently hosts nearly 4 million Syrians, making it the world's top
refuge-hosting country. Ankara is also providing protection and humanitarian
assistance to nearly 6 million Syrians in northern Syria.
Turkey
has spent more than $40 billion from its resources on refugees, and officials
underline that the EU should do more to equitably share the burden.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/germany-turkey-highly-reliable-partner-/2179579
--------
Turkey,
EU need cooperation in civil protection
Gokhan
Varan
17.03.2021
Turkey
and the EU need structured cooperation in the field of civil protection, said
the head of the EU Delegation to Turkey on Wednesday.
Speaking
at an online meeting marking the 25th anniversary of Turkey’s Search and Rescue
Association (AKUT), Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut said Turkey and the EU have been
cooperating in the fields of disaster management and civil protection for many
years.
Stating
that the EU is working with Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority
(AFAD), especially in the field of capacity-building, Meyer-Landrut said:
"We
see this as bilateral cooperation. We learn from each other as we collaborate
and share with each other. We’re also pleased that Turkey takes part in the EU
Civil Protection Mechanism as a participating country."
The
EU sees Turkey as a valuable partner for preparing for disasters well and being
able to respond properly, he added.
All
countries participating in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism have different
experiences with disasters and disaster management, he said, adding that this
creates a solidarity and cooperation mechanism.
"Our
ultimate goal here is to share practices that will protect our citizens against
disasters."
Pointing
out that AKUT is an organization registered in the EU Civil Protection
Mechanism pool, he said it will also take part as a field partner in a
comprehensive earthquake exercise this fall in Turkey’s northwestern Tekirdag
province.
He
added that the EU Module Exercise will last three days and feature experts from
the EU and Turkey.
Meyer-Landrut
emphasized that it is necessary to prepare for risks by considering worst-case
scenarios, and added: "Preparation is extremely important to reduce risks.
There is a serious earthquake risk in Istanbul, but earthquake isn’t the only
risk we face. We also face other risks arising from climate change."
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/turkey-eu-need-cooperation-in-civil-protection/2179311
--------
Africa
Boko
Haram Counters Nigerian Army, Releases Pictures of 16 Killed, Abducted Soldiers
MAR
16, 2021
Militants
from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West
Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah
wa'l-Jihād, have released pictures of 15 soldiers killed by the group during an
ambush on Nigerian soldiers in Monguno, Borno state.
This
is contrary to a statement by the Nigerian army that four soldiers died in the
attack.
The
Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima had on Monday said
the encounters, which took place on the Tumbus of Lake Chad’s fringes, led to
the destruction of the terrorists’ gun trucks and recovery of a large cache of
arms and ammunition.
He
added that the combined troops of Sector 2 advanced and cleared Daban Massara
and Ali Sherifti villages among other settlements before they harboured for
replenishment and retrofitting along the axis.
“In
the course of the hot pursuit which was aided by air cover provided by the Air
Task Team of Operation Lafia Dole, several terrorists were neutralised and
their gun trucks destroyed.
“Unfortunately,
however, one officer and three gallant soldiers paid the supreme sacrifices
while those wounded in action are currently receiving medical attention at 7
Division Medical Services and Hospital in Maimalari Cantonment.
“Above
is an on-the-spot account of the encounter between Nigerian troops and the Boko
Haram/ISWAP terrorists in Mugono area and environs,” he had said.
But
ISWAP in a statement claimed 33 soldiers were killed by the group during the
attack.
Attached
to the statement were pictures showing about 15 bodies of dead soldiers.
The
group also released pictures showing an abducted soldier and vehicles captured
from the Nigerian army and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
Boko
Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, have killed
thousands and displaced millions in northeastern Nigeria.
The
Nigerian military has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency has been largely
defeated and frequently underplays any losses.
In
the past months, soldiers have been targeted by the insurgents.
Hundreds
of soldiers and officers have been reportedly killed since January 2021.
At
least 33 soldiers were recently killed when two explosive-laden vehicles rammed
into a military convoy in Wulgo.
The
suicide bombers were identified as Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Bana Jundullah. The
group also claimed four military vehicles were destroyed.
In
February, about 20 soldiers were also killed in Malari, Borno State by the
insurgents.
SaharaReporters
gathered that the soldiers were on patrol to clear some Boko Haram elements in
the area following a credible intelligence when they were ambushed by the
group.
http://saharareporters.com/2021/03/16/boko-haram-counters-nigerian-army-releases-pictures-16-killed-abducted-soldiers?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
Gunmen
kill at least 58 civilians in attack on Niger convoy
16
Mar 2021
Armed
men in southwestern Niger have killed at least 58 people when they intercepted
a convoy returning from a weekly market and attacked a nearby village, the
government said on Tuesday.
The
attacks on Monday occurred in the Tillabery region, which is near the border
with Mali and Burkina Faso and has seen increasingly deadly attacks by armed
groups active across the region with links to ISIL (ISIS) and al-Qaeda.
The
announcement was read on Niger state television on Tuesday evening by
government spokesman Abdourahmane Zakaria, who declared three days of national
mourning for the victims.
The
mass killings underscore the enormous security challenges facing Niger’s new
president, Mohamed Bazoum, who won the election in late February to succeed
outgoing leader Mahamadou Issoufou.
‘Targeted
executions’
Attackers
killed at least 100 civilians on January 2 in raids on two villages in
Tillabery, one of the deadliest episodes in the country’s recent history.
The
assailants this time intercepted four vehicles transporting passengers from a
weekly market to the villages of Chinagoder and Darey Dey, the government said
in a statement.
“These
individuals then gutlessly and cruelly proceeded to carry out targeted
executions of passengers,” it said. “In the village of Darey Dey, they killed
people and burned the granaries.”
There
was no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday’s massacres.
The
violence is part of a wider security crisis in West Africa’s Sahel region. Many
of the attacks are concentrated where the borders of Niger, Mali and Burkina
Faso meet, a zone that a 5,000-strong French task force has targeted heavily.
Not
only are armed groups active in the Tillaberi region, but the counterterrorism
offensives against them have helped give rise to ethnic militias, analysts say.
Intercommunal
tensions have been exacerbated as a result, particularly near the border
between Mali and Niger, with fighting over scarce resources.
Fighters
staged mass attacks on Niger’s military in the Tillaberi region, killing more
than 70 in December 2019 and 89 in January 2020.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/3/16/gunmen-kill-at-least-58-civilians-in-attack-on-niger-convoy?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
Niger:
UNICEF condemns ‘horrific killings’ of civilians
Rodrigue
Forku
17.03.2021
YAOUNDE,
Cameroon
UNICEF
on Wednesday condemned the "horrific killings" of civilians in Niger
after at least 58 people, including six children aged 11-17, were killed in the
Tillabery region.
The
UN agency said it was deeply saddened and outraged that civilians, including
children, were among the casualties late Tuesday.
“The
surge in armed violence across the Central Sahel region is having a devastating
impact on children’s survival, education, protection and development. Mounting
insecurity along the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali has exacerbated the needs
in the Tillabery region where more than 95,000 people are displaced," said
Marie-Pierre Poirier, the group’s regional director for West and Central
Africa.
“Niger
continues to face a combination of quick onset and protracted humanitarian
crises that have been exacerbated by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some
3.8 million people, including 2 million children, need humanitarian assistance
across the country," Poirier added.
The
region has been frequently targeted by terrorist groups based in Mali since
2017, with a state of emergency declared in the area.
Niger,
Burkina Faso and Mali in the Sahel are at the epicenter of one of the world's
fastest-growing displacement and protection crises.
The
region hosts 851,000 refugees and nearly 2 million displaced people, according
to the UN Refugee Agency.
In
January, around 100 people were killed in attacks in two Tillabery villages
after the first round of presidential elections.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/niger-unicef-condemns-horrific-killings-of-civilians/2179600
--------
Militants
kill 11 Malian soldiers in ambush, 11 others missing
MARCH
17, 2021
BAMAKO
(Reuters) - Eleven Malian soldiers were killed and 11 more are missing after
Islamist militants ambushed a patrol in the desert north, the army said on
Tuesday.
Fourteen
soldiers were also wounded, eight of them seriously, in the attack in the
northern region of Gao on Monday, the army said in a statement. It added that
seven militants were killed in an ensuing exchange of fire.
Islamist
militants, who seized Mali’s desert north in 2012 before being pushed back by
French-led forces the following year, have stepped up attacks in the north and
centre in recent years. Many are linked to al Qaeda or Islamic State.
Last
year was Mali’s deadliest on record due to attacks by the militants,
tit-for-tat violence between rival ethnic groups and killings by security
forces, according to data compiled by the Armed Conflict Location & Event
Data Project (ACLED).
The
militants have also used Mali as a base to extend their operations into
neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, defying attempts by regional, French and
U.N. troops to contain them.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mali-security/militants-kill-11-malian-soldiers-in-ambush-11-others-missing-idUSKBN2B832V?il=0&utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
Sudanese
military firm to give up its civilian operations, says information minister
17
March ,2021
One
of Sudan’s biggest military firms has agreed to gradually hand over its
civilian operations to the finance ministry, with the goal of eventually
converting it to a public shareholding company, the information minister said
on Wednesday.
If
completed, the spin-off of Defense Industrial Systems’ civilian business could
help reduce tension between the transitional authority’s civilian and military
elements, which are sharing power until the end of 2023.
Many
civilian politicians view the military’s opaque business activities as
inappropriate and complain that its profits are not included in the state
budget.
“This
is a new partnership between the military and civilian components that produced
the great December revolution,” said Information Minister Hamza Balol, in a
reference to the ousting of former President Omar al-Bashir, at a news conference
at the company’s manufacturing complex on the outskirts of Khartoum.
The
company hosted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other ministers on Wednesday
in a rare invitation to civilians to tour its facilities.
Sudan’s
military took power from al-Bashir in April 2019, after months of protests that
began the previous December, then the following August agreed to share power
with civilians.
Since
then, the economy has weakened, with the government suffering from chronically
low revenue.
Sudan’s
military has been under domestic and international pressure to increase its
transparency and contribute more to the national economy.
The
company, like many other large enterprises owned by the military, has yet to
release its finances or disclose its holdings to the public.
“The
Sudanese public will now be able to benefit from this company,” said Finance
Minister Jibril Ibrahim, citing its work in the petroleum, railway and
agricultural industries.
“It
is important for the company to explain to the people what it does and what it
owns and what it hopes to achieve.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/18/Sudanese-military-firm-to-give-up-its-civilian-operations-says-information-minister
--------
Tunisia
brings extremist-linked families home from Libya jail
17
March ,2021
Tunisia
has repatriated at least 16 women and children accused of links to extremist
fighters imprisoned in war-ravaged neighboring Libya, rights groups said
Wednesday.
Two
separate groups of detainees, totaling six women and 10 children, were handed
over by Libyan authorities at the Tunisian border earlier in March, said
Mustapha Abdelkebir, from the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights.
News
of their release came as Tunisian President Kais Saied visited Libya on
Wednesday, his country’s first leader to do so for nine years, to meet Libya’s
newly-sworn in unity government.
Libya
descended into chaos after former Libyan President Muammar Gaddaf was toppled
and killed in a NATO-backed uprising in 2011, with an array of forces battling
to fill the void, creating fertile ground for extremist groups like the ISIS
terrorits group to take root.
Extremists
used lawless Libya as a staging area for a series of bloody attacks in Tunisia,
but a new UN-backed unity government in Libya is seeking to restore stability.
Activists
urged Saied to plead for the release of others still in Libyan detention.
“We
hope that... President Saied will do his utmost to speed up the returns of
those who are still detained,” said Mohamed Iqbel Ben Rejeb, of the Rescue
Association of Tunisians Trapped Abroad campaign group.
Abdelkebir
estimated some 20 Tunisian children remain in detention in Libya, and about 15
women.
The
children now in Tunisia, aged between three and 17, have been handed over to
social services ahead of their possible return to their families.
The
six women are being held at a Tunisian detention ahead of their trial,
Abdelkebir said.
The
issue of repatriation of citizens who left to fight abroad is hotly debated in
Tunisia, after several bloody attacks carried out on home soil by Tunisians
trained in Libya.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/north-africa/2021/03/17/Tunisia-brings-extremist-linked-families-home-from-Libya-jail-
--------
Kenya
mourns death of Tanzanian president
Andrew
Wasike
18.03.2021
Flags
in Kenya and all Kenyan diplomatic missions abroad will be flown at half-mast
from March 18 until the burial day of Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli
who died on Wednesday, said the Kenyan president on Thursday.
“In
testimony of the high esteem in which the People of Kenya hold President John
Pombe Magufuli, the Republic of Kenya will observe a period of seven days of
national mourning,” Uhuru Kenyatta said.
"As
a symbol of Kenya’s enduring respect for Magufuli, as well as Kenya’s solemn solidarity
with the Nation and People of the United Republic of Tanzania,” flags in Kenya
and its diplomatic missions will be flown at half-mast, he added.
Kenyatta
termed Magufuli as a champion of pan-African ideals.
Magufuli
died of a heart condition at the age of 61 on Wednesday, Vice President Samia
Suluhu Hassan announced in a televised address.
His
death came after two weeks of speculation about his health on suspicion of
contracting COVID-19.
Magufuli
had declared that COVID-19 was defeated in his country, attributing it "to
God’s help," even when the World Health Organization asked the cooperation
of the government.
But
he had recently acknowledged that the virus was still being transmitted when
the vice president of semi-autonomous Zanzibar reportedly died of COVID-19.
The
Tanzanian vice president will assume office for the remaining period of
Magufuli's five-year term.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/kenya-mourns-death-of-tanzanian-president-/2180147
--------
North America
Michigan
man charged with threatening to kill Biden, Pelosi and Whitmer
MARCH
17, 2021
Michigan
state prosecutors have charged a 21-year-old man with threatening to kill
President Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Michigan Governor Gretchen
Whitmer, all Democrats, saying he claimed to “be the catalyst” for an American
revolution, officials said on Tuesday.
Whitmer
previously had been the target of right-wing militia extremists who plotted to
kidnap her ahead of last November’s election, according to U.S. prosecutors.
The
new and separate charges come as U.S. law enforcement officials including FBI
Director Christopher Wray have warned of the growing threat of homegrown
violent extremism in the United States.
The
office of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Monday charged Joshua
Docter, 21, of Holland, Michigan, with threatening terrorism and using a
computer to commit a crime. Each count carries a sentence of up to 20 years in
prison.
The
suspect turned himself in on Monday and faced a judge on Tuesday, Nessel’s
office said in a statement.
A
lawyer for Docter could not immediately be identified.
The
FBI, which initiated the investigation, received a tip that Docter posted
threats on the social media site iFunny, and the case was later taken over by
Michigan State Police, the statement said.
“Michigan
Attorney General Dana Nessel has charged a Holland man with crimes for making
death threats against President Joe Biden, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer,” the statement said.
“In
those posts, Docter stated he would use a gun to shoot and kill the elected
officials and would ‘be the catalyst’ for a new American revolution. Docter
also had information on how to make a bomb and where to find the necessary
materials on his smart phone,” it said.
In
the previous plot against Whitmer, federal officials arrested and charged six
men here with conspiring to abduct her from her vacation home last summer. One
of them has pleaded guilty.
Eight
other men accused of taking part in the plot have been charged in Michigan
state court with domestic terrorism.
Investigators
linked the suspects to an anti-government militia group based in Michigan
called the Wolverine Watchmen.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-michigan-whitmer-idUSKBN2B831H?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
Four
people on terror watchlist arrested at southern US border since October
By
Kenneth Garger
March
16, 2021
Four
people on the FBI’s terror watchlist have been arrested at the southern border
since October, a report said.
Three
of the people are from Yemen, and the other is from Serbia, the Customs and
Border Protection agency confirmed to Congress on Tuesday, according to Axios.
The
terror watchlist includes people who are “known to be or reasonably suspected
of being involved in terrorist activities,” the report said, citing the FBI.
The
revelation comes as Republican lawmakers touring the border on Monday said some
suspected terrorists had been heading to the crossing — along with the tens of
thousands migrants typically from Mexico or Central America.
“Individuals
that they have on the watchlist for terrorism are now starting to exploit the
southern border,” Rep. John Katko (R-NY) said. “We need to wake up.”
In
the past two fiscal years, fewer than four people on the watchlist were busted
at the border, sources told Axios. Six people from Yemen and Bangladesh were
arrested in fiscal year 2018.
And
in fiscal year 2017, more than 3,700 people on the watchlist were stopped by
the Department of Homeland Security — mainly at airports, the report said.
https://nypost.com/2021/03/16/four-on-terror-watchlist-arrested-at-border-since-october/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
‘Tough’
To Meet May 1 Deadline for Troop Pull-out From Afghanistan: Biden
Anwar
Iqbal
March
18, 2021
WASHINGTON:
US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that it would be “tough” to withdraw
the remaining US troops in Afghanistan by May 1, as was agreed to by the Trump
administration.
In
an interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, Mr Biden said he was still “in
the process” of determining when the forces should leave.
“The
fact is that this was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the former
president worked out. And so, we’re in consultation with our allies as well as
the government, and that decision’s going to be — it’s in process now,” he
said.
Earlier
this week, the Biden administration announced it was sending its special envoy
for Afghanistan, Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, to an Afghan peace conference in
Moscow, which begins on Thursday. Pakistan is also attending the conference.
On
Tuesday, Ambassador Khalilzad said in a tweet that he was wrapping up his
second, two-day visit to in Kabul during which he discussed “the latest
developments on the (Afghan) peace process with President Ashraf Ghani,
Abdullah Abdullah, and a wide range of other leaders, including those in civil
society and advocates of women’s rights.
After
his first visit to Kabul last week, Ambassador Khalilzad spent several days in
Doha, Qatar, discussing the peace process with senior Taliban leaders. He also
visited Islamabad last Sunday where he held a series of meetings with senior
civil and military leaders and sought Pakistan’s “continued support” for his
efforts to seek a peaceful end to the Afghan conflict.
The
Biden administration, which assumed power on Jan 20, inherited a peace deal
from its predecessors that limits its options for negotiating the end endgame
in Afghanistan after almost 20 years of military presence.
Under
the deal, signed in February 2020, former President Donald Trump agreed with
the Taliban to pull US troops from the country by May 1. In return, the Taliban
committed to keep militants out of Afghanistan and hold direct talks with the
Kabul government.
In
February 2020, the US had more than 12,000 troops in Afghanistan, down from a
peak of more than 100,000 in 2011.
Now
2,500 troops remain, although the New York Times reported last week that about
1,000 more Special Operations forces were also in the country.
Asked
how long US troops could remain in Afghanistan, President Biden said, “I don’t
think a lot longer,” adding that the May 1 deadline “could happen, but it is
tough.”
Mr
Biden blamed the delay on the Trump administration’s reluctance in transferring
power after the US election. “The failure to have an orderly transition from
the Trump presidency to my presidency... has cost me time and consequences,” he
said.
Ambassador
Khalilzad, who negotiated the deal with the Taliban for the Trump
administration, has been retained by the new administration as well.
In
a series of tweets after his first visit to the region as Mr Biden’s envoy,
Ambassador Khalilzad said he was “encouraged by the fact that all political
figures endorse efforts to accelerate the peace process.”
The
Afghan leaders, he said, had also agreed to “attend or send delegates to
upcoming international engagements for a lasting political settlement and
permanent ceasefire.”
However,
a US scholar David Andelman told CNN on Wednesday he believed the Biden
administration realised that “US troops will need to stay in Afghanistan for a
very long time” but was reluctant to share this realization with the American
people.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1613155/tough-to-meet-may-1-deadline-for-troop-pullout-from-afghanistan-biden
--------
US
envoy reaffirms need to end Yemen war in calls with PM, regional ambassadors
17
March ,2021
Joseph
Haboush
US
Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking reaffirmed the need to end the country's
yearslong war during a call with the Yemeni premier on Wednesday.
Maeen
Abdulmalik Saeed and Lenderking spoke about efforts to improve services and
meet the humanitarian needs of all Yemenis, a tweet from the State Department
read.
“The
PM reconfirmed the Yemeni Government’s continued support for peace efforts,”
Lenderking’s office said.
Separately,
the US diplomat spoke with the Egyptian and Omani ambassadors to Washington.
Lenderking
“continues to believe the time is now to resolve the conflict in Yemen. There
is strong regional consensus and close coordination with our Arab partners
toward this end,” a separate tweet from his office read.
Yemen
has been the focus of renewed US attention since President Joe Biden took
office. Although he has softened Washington’s stance on the Iran-backed Houthis,
regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, have continued to voice a
willingness to help reach a political solution to the war.
The
Houthis, having had their terror list designation removed by Biden, have
escalated their offensive on Marib and have been accused of killing 44 African
migrants in a fire at a detention center in Sanaa.
Lenderking
spoke to the Director-General of UN Migration Antonio Vittorino about the
tragic fire. “The importance of an investigation into the causes, and the
critical need for aid and protection to reach those in need,” the State
Department said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/03/17/US-envoy-reaffirms-need-to-end-Yemen-war-in-calls-with-PM-regional-ambassadors
--------
US
may miss deadline for withdrawal from Afghanistan, Biden says
17
March 2021
US
President Joe Biden says it is “tough” to withdraw all the US forces in
Afghanistan by May 1, a deadline agreed upon by the Trump administration and
the Taliban.
"I'm
in the process of making that decision now as to when they'll leave,"
Biden said in an interview with ABC News.
The
US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 under the pretext of the so-called war
against terror.
Washington
has spent more than trillions of dollars waging war on the impoverished country,
which has left thousands of Afghan civilians and American soldiers dead.
Last
year, former US President Donald Trump signed a deal with the Taliban militant
group, which controls large parts of Afghanistan, to withdraw the remaining US
troops by the beginning of May this year in exchange for the Taliban to halt
attacks on foreign forces.
"The
fact is that, that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president --
the former president -- worked out. And so we're in consultation with our
allies as well as the government, and that decision's going to be -- it's in
process now," he added.
Now,
the future of the NATO deployment will be largely determined by Joe Biden, who
will either stick to the May withdrawal deadline or risk a backlash by staying
in Afghanistan.
The
US along with its NATO allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 under the guise of
fighting terrorism and dismantling the al-Qaeda terrorist group.
The
invasion — which has turned into the longest war in US history — removed the
Taliban from power, but the militant group has never stopped its attacks,
citing the foreign military presence as one of the main reasons behind its
continued militancy.
The
White House says it is reviewing the US-Taliban deal, while the Pentagon has
accused the group of not fulfilling its promises.
Trump
reduced the number of US troops to 2,500 in January, their lowest figure since
the onset of the so-called war on terror but a full withdrawal of US troops is
yet to materialize.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/17/647523/US-Joe-Biden-Afghanistan-Taliban-Trump
--------
Turkey's
new US envoy outlines priorities during office
Servet
Günerigök
18.03.2021
WASHINGTON
Turkey's
new US ambassador on Wednesday outlined his priorities during his term in
office to advance relations between the two countries.
Hasan
Murat Mercan, the former envoy to Tokyo, met with Turkish journalists at the
embassy's residence and said he would work on political, economic and cultural
areas to achieve a better relationship with Washington.
Mercan
said relations between Turkey and the US have seen ups and downs in the past
and ambassadors are supposed to advance relations in line with the policies
determined by both Ankara and Washington.
"Important
tasks fall on us," he said, putting political relations first among his
priorities, and noted the Turkish embassy will mediate between governments and
parliaments, improve mutual political relations and tell their interlocutors
about Turkey's theses and position.
"Our
dialogue will increasingly continue with the [US] administration, the Congress
and some institutions that have an impact on the political establishment,
including think-tanks," said Mercan.
With
economic relations the second priority, Mercan said an intensified effort is
needed to increase the volume of trade between the two countries and discuss
"some disputes" on the economy.
"It
is essential to rate the performance of an ambassador in line with that. I mean
how much the embassy plays a role in advancing political relations, how much
does it affect and increase trade volume. You should look at these kinds of
things," he said.
Mercan
also touched on cultural relations, on which he attaches importance.
"It
is important that the peoples of the two countries know each other, understand
each other and understand each other's values.
"For
me, it will be one of my tasks to tell about Turkey, its culture and
history," he added.
Mercan
said he has been visiting Washington and New York since 1996 for various
political and economic reasons.
He
took office on Monday.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkeys-new-us-envoy-outlines-priorities-during-office/2179723
--------
Turkey's
new envoy aims to advance relations with US
Servet
Günerigök
17.03.2021
WASHINGTON
Turkey's
new US ambassador said Tuesday that he aims to advance relations with the US, a
day after taking office in Washington, DC.
In
a video message addressed to the Turkish American community, Hasan Murat Mercan
said transatlantic relations have been important for Turkey and will continue to
be of importance.
"It
will be among the most important tasks of all of us to carry the existing
political, economic and cultural relations between the two countries much
further," said Mercan.
During
his time in office, he said he would work with members of the Turkish-American
community to promote Turkey better in the US and do his part for the
development of Turkey.
"You
can be sure that we will need your support, participation and advice," he
said.
The
embassy and consulates in the US will work 24/7 to promote Turkey and explain
its interests, he added.
Mercan,
Turkey’s former ambassador to Japan, arrived in the US on Sunday and officially
took office on Monday.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/turkeys-new-envoy-aims-to-advance-relations-with-us/2178476
--------
NC
'domestic terrorist' sentenced over failed fire attack on police SUV during
George Floyd unrest
March
17, 2021
A
man from North Carolina – who federal prosecutors deemed a "domestic
terrorist" – was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison for attempting to
set fire to a marked police vehicle during demonstrations last summer that
erupted in the state capital of Raleigh in reaction to the viral bystander
video showing George Floyd pinned beneath Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin's
knee.
Jabari
Devon Davis, of Raleigh, was arrested by special agents of the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) on June 4, 2020. He was
charged and convicted of one count of attempting to damage or destroy by fire a
vehicle owned or possessed by an institution receiving federal financial
assistance, G. Norman Acker III, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District
of North Carolina, said in a statement Monday following Davis' sentencing by
U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.
On
May 31, 2020, at approximately 12:31 a.m. a fire was discovered coming from the
"fuel filler area" of a police vehicle owned by the Raleigh Police
Department (RPD) that was parked at the Raleigh Police Southeast District
Station (RPSDS), according to court documents.
The
fire was discovered and extinguished by an RPD captain who was driving through
the parking lot prior to the fire department's arrival. Investigators seized
"a charred sock located within the fuel filler of the damaged vehicle, a
bottle with the odor of gasoline was located on the sidewalk, behind the
damaged vehicle, and another charred sock located between the vehicle and the
sidewalk," prosecutors said. The fire caused approximately $5,000 in
damage to the police vehicle.
Demonstrations
in Raleigh at the time involved crowds setting fires in the street, smashing
businesses’ windows and some climbing a Confederate monument downtown, tagging
it with messages including "Black Lives Matter," WRAL previously
reported. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper activated 450 National Guardsmen to
assist cities including Raleigh and Charlotte.
On
June 2, 2020, investigators were notified that a fingerprint was lifted from
the seized bottle recovered at the scene and determined the fingerprint
belonged to Davis, according to court documents. Law enforcement interviewed
Davis at his residence the next day when he allegedly "admitted to being
the subject who intentionally set the police vehicle at the Southeast District
on fire."
Davis
stated that after leaving a demonstration in the city, he and his friend
traveled to the RPSDS, where "he retrieved the bottle of gasoline and
poured a small amount of gasoline on a sock and put another sock in to the
mouth of the bottle," according to court documents. Davis placed the
gasoline-soaked sock in the fuel filler of the police vehicle and set it on
fire.
But
as he ran back toward his friend's vehicle, Davis set the bottle with the sock
on fire and threw it toward several parked police vehicles. When he threw it,
the burning sock fell out, catching the grass and straw on fire, prosecutors
said.
The
case was investigated by the Raleigh Police Department and the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and prosecuted by Assistant
U.S. Attorney Daniel W. Smith. Though Davis faced a maximum potential penalty
of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, the judge only sentenced
him to 30 months behind bars, WNCN reported.
Meanwhile,
jury selection continues in Minneapolis this week in Chauvin's trial. He is
charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in
connection Floyd’s death in custody. Viral bystander video showed Chauvin with
his knee pinned to the neck of Floyd, who called out for his mother, explaining
that he couldn't breathe.
Minneapolis
and Hennepin County officials have invested at least $1 million to fortify the
courthouse and police stations in anticipation of repeated protests and rioting
seen last summer in response to Floyd's death that sparked a nationwide
reckoning on race.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/north-carolina-domestic-terrorist-fire-police-vehicle-george-floyd-unrest-raleigh?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
--------
Southeast Asia
Baru
Bian: ‘Allah’ case wouldn’t have gone to court if Muhyiddin had acted in 2019
as home minister
18
Mar 2021
BY
SULOK TAWIE
KUCHING,
March 18 — The on-going legal battle over the “Allah” ruling could have been
settled out of court if Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had agreed to a proposal to
amend the 1986 administrative directive when he was home minister, former
colleague Baru Bian said today.
He
said the proposal was for an administrative resolution to amend the 1986
Administrative Directive dated December 5, 1986 prohibiting the use of the word
“Allah”.
He
said under the amendments to the directive, the word “Allah” is permitted to be
used in Christian publications in Sabah and Sarawak unconditionally; while it
is permitted to be used in Christian publications in Peninsular Malaysia with
the condition that the front cover of the same contains a chop with the symbol
of a cross and the sentence “Christian Publication”.
“The
proposal was based on the 2010 Ten-Point Solution which acknowledged the
different circumstances in the Borneo states and the Malayan states.
“I
was informed by the lawyer for Jill Ireland and Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB) Sabah
that the Senior Federal Counsel of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) was
amenable to the proposal but had to get the approval of the Ministry of Home
Affairs, headed then by the present prime minister,” he said, referring to
Muhyiddin.
“However,
the then minister of home affairs was not in favour of an out-of-court
settlement and wanted the court to decide, for reasons best known to himself.
“Now
that the court has made a ruling, he should advise the people to respect the
decision,” said the Selangau MP.
His
remarks came following the Gabungan Parti Sarawak Backbenchers Club’s
allegation that he did nothing to resolve the “Allah” issue when he was in the
Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
Baru
said he had brought up the issue in the Cabinet on November 8, 2019, and a
Special Committee of Ministers comprising himself, Muhyiddin, Datuk Darell
Leiking, the late Datuk VK Liew and Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa was formed to
discuss and resolve the matter.
Liew
was then de facto law minister and Mujahid then minister in charge of religious
affairs.
He
said sometime in mid-2019 the Cabinet agreed that the issue should be settled
outside court and mandated Tun Daim Zainuddin, the Chairman of the Council of
Eminent Persons to resolve the matter.
He
said this was after he had met lawyers for the Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill and
SIB Sabah cases and senior federal counsel (SFC) of the AGC.
“The
lawyers had indicated to the SFC representing the federal government that they
were prepared to settle the matter outside a court or to work on an
administrative resolution of these two cases.
“The
court was duly informed and the court’s decision was postponed many times
pending out-of-court settlement,” Baru said, adding that Daim could not move
forward as the Cabinet decision mandating him to resolve the issue was not
officially communicated to him.
He
said the Special Committee of Ministers had its first meeting at the end of
November 2019 but Muhyiddin was unable to attend.
“I
briefed the Cabinet thereafter and requested for time to look into the matter
and how the issue could be resolved on a win-win situation.
“In
the meantime, we were told that the matter was further fixed for case
management in the latter part of January 2020,” he said, adding that he then
advised the lawyers for Ireland and SIB Sabah to write officially again to the
SFC of the earlier proposal with additional proposals while waiting for a final
decision by the Cabinet.
He
said the lawyers wrote a letter dated February 12, 2020 to the SFC with the
same proposed amendments to the 1986 Administrative Directive and added that in
order to facilitate the administrative resolution the applicants were prepared
to take two interim steps.
He
said the steps were that pending a decision by the Cabinet on the resolution of
the matter there should be a moratorium on enforcing the 1986 Administrative
Directive; and that the applicants should withdraw the two pending judicial
review applications in the High Court.
“Before
the Special Committee of Ministers and/or the Cabinet could make a final
decision, the PH government collapsed at the end of February 2020.
“The
matter was hence out of our hands and was left to be dealt with by the Ministry
of Home Affairs under the current government.
“Plainly
no resolution was arrived at and the High Court was obliged to hand down its
decision,” he said.
While
some Muslims in Malaysia believe “Allah”, the Arabic word for God, to be
exclusive to Islam, it was adopted into the national language generations ago
and used throughout by Malay-speaking Christians in the country, especially
those living in Sabah and Sarawak.
On
March 10, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that the government directive
via a December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home Ministry’s publications
control division was unlawful and unconstitutional.
This
government directive was the one that banned the use of the word “Allah” in
Christian publications.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/18/baru-bian-allah-case-wouldnt-have-gone-to-court-if-muhyiddin-had-acted-in-2/1958821
--------
Perikatan’s
appeal of ‘Allah’ ruling could cost Sabah, Sarawak partners, say analysts
18
Mar 2021
BY
JULIA CHAN
KOTA
KINABALU, March 18 — The Perikatan Nasional government’s move to appeal a High
Court ruling that effectively allows Christians to use the word “Allah” may
have lasting repercussions despite the obvious benefits of shoring up its
Malay-based support.
While
political analysts believe the appeal was predictable in order to get more
majority Malay-Muslim support, it may alienate Sabah and Sarawak voters ahead
of an expected early general election.
“Such
a move will only affect the non-Muslims Kadazandusun and Dayak support for the
Sabah and Sarawak state government,” said University Malaysia Sabah political
analyst Romzi Ationg.
“Rumours
are spreading which suggests that the Bumiputera non-Muslim are increasingly
interested in supporting other parties if GRS and GPS are unable to ensure such
decision does not further hurt them... this certainly makes them uneasy, thus
may make the necessary effort to systematically dealt with the issue,” he said.
GRS
is an abbreviation for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah while GPS is Gabungan Parti
Sarawak. Both are the ruling coalitions in their respective states and aligned
with PN.
Romzi
said that aside from trying to get the federal government to withdraw the
appeal, the state governments have also sought to distract from it by putting
the focus on the issue of undocumented migrants and to continue on-going
discussion with federal leaders to deal with the issue “systematically.”
Despite
the possible consequences to PN’s allies in Sabah and Sarawak, Singapore
Institute of International Affairs Senior Fellow Oh Ei Sun said it was not
surprising given how it was received among the country’s Muslim majority.
“All
three Malay parties in the coalition are calling for the appeal. In East
Malaysia, the decision to appeal would likely further alienate the non-Muslims.
But the Muslim in East Malaysia appear to be at least tacitly approving of the
decision to appeal.
“This
could be gleaned from the fact that a recent open letter applauding the High
Court decision was signed only by the non-Muslim MPs,” Oh said
He
said that in Sabah at least, most of the seats and constituencies were becoming
Muslim majority, or at least hold significant number of Muslim voters, and this
made appealing the decision a “safe” move for PN.
“The
Malayan non-Malay component parties are in any case multiculturally decorative
with minuscule non-Malay anyway, so it doesn’t quite matter how they feel, as
long as their senatorial appointments are on the pipeline,” said Oh, adding
that such issues tended not to deter the rural voters that make up the majority
in Sabah and Sarawak.
It
is also very likely that whatever the outcome of the appeal, Christians in
Sarawak and Sabah will be able to continue their worship with the use of the
word “Allah” without issue as it is only in the peninsula that the use will be
restricted.
For
this reason, Universiti Malaysia socioeconomic analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi
said that the PN government’s appeal was just to signal its commitment to
upholding Islam and for political mileage when there was no practical
significance to the outcome.
“In
the end, Sabah and Sarawak are the kingmakers and they need to be appeased. So
totally banning the use among non Muslims is unlikely. It is just unrealistic
to expect it to change. They made the move to be seen like they are defending
Islam to get political mileage,” he said.
For
Senior Fellow at the Malaysian Council of Professors Jeniri Amir, the cost of
getting more Malay Muslim support will ultimately be to the detriment of nation
building and national race and religious relations.
“The
new ruling and subsequent appeal has put Malaysia in limbo again in terms of
racial relations. It has far reaching implications for the non Muslims in Sabah
and Sarawak especially with the coming General Election.
He
said that the appeal has been perceived in bad light by non-Muslims in the
Borneon states and the government needs to make a stand once and for all that
can foster national reconciliation.
“Of
course, they are facing pressure from the Malay base who form the majority. So
the Sabah and Sarawak government of the day have to be careful and mindful.
“After
all, in the formation of Malaysia, freedom of religion is guaranteed and the
two states Borneon states were allowed to not have an official religion, that
was the original tenet. You cannot tell them now that they cannot do what they
have been doing for more than a hundred years,” he said.
“They
have to find an amicable solution to the long-standing issue without causing
more tension,” but said that restricting the use of “Allah” to just Muslims or
to Christians in Sabah and Sarawak only was not a realistic solution.
“But
as long as they don’t use it to confuse people for their own religious agenda,
there should be no need for worry. Non-Muslims in Malaysia are not allowed to
convert Muslims, so this is not even a possibility,” he said, adding that there
was unnecessary fears among the Muslim Malays of Semenanjung which should be
cleared by leaders and religious experts.
Jeniri
said that Sarawakians were at first relieved and happy at the High Court ruling
last week, but this turned sombre with the appeal filed by the federal
government a few days later.
“The
Sarawakian government has been clear on its multi religious policies and has
consistently made assurances that the state will maintain its high tolerance
policies. Now Sabah has to be clear also and come out and say it. They cannot
keep quiet and sweep the issue under the carpet or this will give rise to more
issues in the future,” he said.
Awang
Azman said that whatever future government is formed after the next general
election will likely have to have more multiethnic dynamic cooperation.
“The
current PN are seen as Malay-centric despite several token Chinese and Indian
representatives are inconsequential to their administration and won’t have long
standing influence.
“Moving
forward, there should not be seen to have a domination of one race. It's not
apparent now how this can happen, but perhaps new coalitions are in the works,
and a unity government can happen. It is necessary for political stability,” he
said.
While
some Muslims in Malaysia believe “Allah”, the Arabic word for God, to be
exclusive to Islam, it was adopted into the national language generations ago
and used throughout by Malay-speaking Christians in the country, especially
those living in Sabah and Sarawak.
On
March 10, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that the government directive
via a December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home Ministry’s publications
control division was unlawful and unconstitutional.
This
government directive was the one that banned the use of the word “Allah” in
Christian publications.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/18/perikatans-appeal-of-allah-ruling-could-cost-sabah-sarawak-partners-say-ana/1958713
--------
Don’t
vilify Christians over ‘Allah’ ruling, groups say
18
Mar 2021
BY
JERRY CHOONG
KUALA
LUMPUR, Mar 18 — A coalition of civil society groups said no party or
individual should provoke and spread the unfounded fear that Christians using
the word ‘Allah’ in their prayers would lead to widespread apostasy of Muslims
in Malaysia.
Under
the aegis of human rights group Pusat Komas, the 66 organisations said there
was Muslim suspicion that Christians praying in Bahasa Malaysia and using
“Allah”, the Arabic word for god, were part of deliberate attempts to convert
them.
“In
reality Christians who recite Allah in prayers are predominantly Sabahans,
Sarawakians and Orang Asli,” they said in a statement.
The
coalition pointed out that Muslims in Sabah and Sarawak, many of whom have
Christians families and friends, are comfortable and not alarmed by Christians
praying to Allah, as is the case with Muslims in Indonesia and the Arab world.
“That
suspicion against Christians praying to Allah is actually a cultural shock
experienced by Peninsular Muslims and the natural outcome of two phenomena.
“Firstly
it is the success of the National Language Policy which reversed the decline of
Bahasa Malaysia amongst natives in Borneo, and secondly the closer integration
of East and West Malaysia as more Sabahans and Sarawakians migrate to the
Peninsula for education and employment,” they said.
Due
to this cultural shock, the coalition said the ban on universal use of the word
Allah by the Federal Cabinet in 1986 stemmed from the Muslim community’s
concerns that they were becoming the target of aggressive proselytisation.
It
added that this is incidentally a common concern of all other religious
communities in Malaysia.
“Underlying
such cultural shock is the ignorance that Christians in Nusantara have been
praying to Allah in Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Iban, Bahasa Bidayuh, Bahasa Lun
Bawang, Lun Dayeh, Kelabit, and some other regional languages for as long as
476 years.
“The
undisputed fact is that Muslims constitute near or more than 90 per cent of the
population in Arab countries and Indonesia, even though Muslims and Christians
have shared the word ‘Allah’ and other religious terms for 1,442 and 476 years
respectively,” they said.
As
such the High Court’s decision is restoring the pre-1986 status quo, as well as
undoing a restriction on Sabah, Sarawak and Orang Asli Christians. This may be
an unfounded threat felt by many Peninsular Muslims but not shared by Sabah and
Sarawak Muslims.
“The
High Court’s decision should be viewed positively for two grounds. Firstly it
would strengthen Malaysia when Christians in Sabah and Sarawak can freely pray
to Allah as their Christian cousins in Indonesian Kalimantan do.
“Secondly
it is reaffirming the status of Bahasa Malaysia as the national language for
all. We urge Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to withdraw the
Government’s appeal against the High Court’s decision,” said the coalition.
It
called upon both the government and rakyat to seize the High Court’s decision
as the closure of the 35-year-old polemic since the Federal Cabinet’s decision
to ban its universal use.
“All
political parties should not exploit the High Court’s decision for narrow
political mileage,” they said.
Earlier
last Wednesday (March 10) the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that the
government directive via a December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home
Ministry’s publications control division was unlawful and unconstitutional.
Following
this, an appeal was filed by Putrajaya on Friday (March 12) against the ruling,
which was confirmed by Solicitor-General Datuk Abdul Razak Musa.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/18/dont-vilify-christians-over-allah-ruling-groups-say/1958943
--------
Johor’s
Sultan Ibrahim backs Putrajaya appeal against High Court ruling on ‘Allah’ use
18
Mar 2021
BY
BEN TAN
JOHOR
BARU, March 18 — Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar supports the
federal government’s appeal against the landmark High Court ruling last week
annulling a 1986 directive prohibiting Christians from using the word “Allah”
in their religious education and books.
The
sultan, who is head of Islam in Johor, called on the federal government to
carry on with its appeal, amid calls from lawmakers to desist, especially in
Sabah and Sarawak which have large a large Bumiputera Christian population.
“In
fact, I will instruct the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) to take any
necessary and appropriate action to support this appeal,” Sultan Ibrahim said
in a statement today on his official Facebook account.
The
62-year-old state monarch insists that the word "Allah" is a name
specific to the God worshiped by Muslims and the name is not derived from any
root word, but a special noun that refers to: “Allah, the One True God, the God
worshiped by Muslims.”
“Allah
SWT's words in Surah Taha Cerse 14 which reads: "Sesungguhnya Akulah
Allah; tiada Tuhan melainkan Aku; oleh itu, sembahlah akan Daku, dan dirikanlah
solat untuk mengingati Daku” (Surely I am Allah; there is no god but Me;
therefore, worship Me, and establish prayer to remember Me),” he quoted in his
statement.
Sultan
Ibrahim said he is sad that the issue has created controversy and claimed it
has negatively affected harmony in Johor.
He
referred to a Johor State Fatwa gazetted on June 4, 2009 that states: “The use
of the word Allah by non-Muslims is not permitted, not allowed, and
prohibited.”
“This
fatwa means that the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims, which does not
coincide with the true meaning as the teachings of Islam, is absolutely not
allowed.
“In
Johor, we also have the Control and Restriction of the Development of
Non-Muslim Religions Enactment 1991 which prohibits the use of words that are
reserved exclusively for Muslims and cannot be used by non-Muslims except in
circumstances where it is permitted by law,” said Sultan Ibrahim.
On
March 10, the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that the government directive
via a December 5, 1986 circular issued by the Home Ministry’s publications
control division was unlawful and unconstitutional.
This
government directive was the one that banned the use of the word “Allah” in
Christian publications.
While
some Muslims in Malaysia believe “Allah”, the Arabic word for God, to be
exclusive to Islam, it was adopted into the national language generations ago
and used throughout by Malay-speaking Bumiputera Christians in the country,
especially those living in Sabah and Sarawak without causing discord until
about 20 years ago.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/03/18/johors-sultan-ibrahim-backs-putrajaya-appeal-against-high-court-ruling-on-a/1958847
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Indonesia
urged to revoke Sharia-inspired dress rules
Ryan
Dagur
March
18, 2021
Human
Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Indonesian government to do away with
Sharia-inspired dress codes that are used to discriminate against women,
including non-Muslims.
Indonesia
still applies discriminatory regulations on clothing that have led to
widespread bullying of women, the New York-based rights group said in a report
titled "I Wanted to Run Away: Abusive Dress Codes for Women and Girls in
Indonesia," released on March 18.
This
included women being pressured into wearing a hijab, Muslim apparel that covers
the head, neck and chest, HRW said.
Those
who do not comply have been bullied or forced to leave school while female
workers have lost their jobs or resigned to escape constant demands to conform.
“Indonesia’s
national, provincial and local governments should immediately end these
discriminatory practices and let women and girls wear what they choose without
sacrificing their right to education or work.” said Elaine Pearson, HRW’s
Australia director.
Since
2001, local authorities have issued more than 60 local and provincial
ordinances to enforce what they claimed to be "Islamic clothing for Muslim
girls and women," the report said.
The
Indonesian government, meanwhile, issued a national regulation on school dress
in 2014 that has been widely interpreted to require female Muslim students to
wear a jihab as part of their school uniform.
The
report said almost 300,000 state schools, particularly in the 24
Muslim-majority provinces, require Muslim girls to wear the hijab from primary
school onwards.
Such
rules also apply to non-Muslims including Catholics.
“I’m
Catholic and since I was in sixth grade I was forced to wear a hijab. My
parents spoke to our Catholic priest, who said we could do nothing about it,”
said the woman who identified herself as Daisy and who works as a civil servant
in Klaten district of Central Java.
These
regulations are part of a broader attack by conservative religious forces on
gender equality and the ability of women and girls to exercise their rights to
an education, a livelihood and social benefits, Pearson said.
“The
Jokowi [Widodo] administration should enforce a new decree banning mandatory
wearing of the hijab, and then go further by ending all regulations that
discriminate on the basis of gender at school or the workplace,” she said.
The
new decree was issued recently after a Christian father complained about his
daughter being forced to wear a hijab at a secondary school in West Sumatra.
The complaint went viral on social media.
HRW
said the decree didn’t go far enough as it covered only state schools under the
control of local governments and the Education and Culture Ministry.
“It
does not affect Islamic state schools and universities under the Religious
Affairs Ministry. It also excludes Aceh province, which under a special
arrangement has greater autonomy than other provinces and is the only province
that officially follows a version of Sharia or Islamic law,” according to the
report.
Alissa
Wahid, a rights activist and coordinator of the Gusdurian Network, said she
hoped the report sheds light on the current situation and broadens the
discussion on Sharia-related rules for future generations.
"The
hijab issue is not only about mandatory or formal regulations but also has
consequences related to social pressure on women," she said during the
launch of the report.
She
said, those who do not wear the headscarf are definitely vulnerable to violence
and a loss of self-determination as women.
Father
Antonius Benny Susetyo, a member of a presidential unit promoting communal
tolerance, said such regulations demonstrate how strong efforts still are to
impose religious rules into community life.
"This
is a common challenge that this nation will always face," he told UCA
News.
Father
Susetyo said the government has tried to show it is serious in addressing the
issue by issuing a ban on coercion in public schools.
"This
approach must go hand in hand not only with the abolition of these regulations
but also with healthy dialogue with religious groups such as Muslims," he
said.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesia-urged-to-revoke-sharia-inspired-dress-rules/91807
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Arab World
Lebanon's
president asks PM-designate Hariri to form new government or leave
18
March 2021
Lebanese
President Michel Aoun has called on Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri to
make way for someone else if he is unable to form a government.
In
a televised speech late on Wednesday, Aoun asked Hariri to visit the
presidential palace to form a new cabinet immediately or leave space for others
as the country's economic crisis deepens.
"If
Prime Minister-designate Hariri finds himself unable to form a government, he
should make way for those who are," Aoun said. "My call is determined
and truthful to the prime minister-designate to choose immediately one of the
two choices, as silence is not an option after today."
The
Lebanese president also challenged accusations against him of obstructing the
formation of a government.
"There
is no use in… blame-shifting if the country collapses and the people become
prisoners of despair and frustration," he said. "There is no escape
for them but anger. Everything subsides in front of the people's suffering,
which has reached levels that they cannot bear."
Hariri
was tasked with forming a government for a fourth time in October last year.
That was one year after he resigned as prime minister amid mass protests. But
he has failed to form a government.
The
country has been without a government since the last administration resigned
following a devastating explosion at the port in Beirut.
Hariri
responded to Auon's plea on Wednesday and said he was surprised to hear the
president's comments on the urgency of the formation of the next government.
"After
many weeks of introducing an integrated lineup to a non-partisan specialist
government capable of implementing the reforms required to stop the collapse
and start reconstruction of what was destroyed by the port explosion in Beirut,
I am awaiting a call from the president to discuss the proposed lineup,"
he said in a statement.
Hariri
underlined that he had visited the Lebanese president 16 times since being
designated to form a new government, and would be honored to visit Aoun for the
17th time to discuss the issue when his schedule permits.
Hariri
also said that Aoun should allow early presidential elections if he cannot sign
the decrees allowing the formation of a new government.
Lebanon
is facing both a political deadlock and an economic crisis, with no new
government agreed some seven months after Prime Minister Hassan Diab resigned
in the wake of the August 4 Beirut port explosion that destroyed swathes of the
capital and left 200 people dead.
Compounded
by the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is experiencing its worst economic crisis
in decades as prices are skyrocketing and more than half of the population is
now living below the poverty line.
People
have been staging protests since 2019 as the financial crisis has so far
slashed almost 90% of the value of the Lebanese currency and raised the risk of
widespread hunger.
President
Aoun has ordered an investigation into the fall of the national currency's
value and the punishment of those responsible for the potential corruption that
has brought about the situation.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/18/647558/Lebanon-s-president-asks-PM-designate-Hariri-to-form-new-government-or-leave
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Lebanon
agrees to imburse WB fund for families in hard currency
Rawad
Taha
17
March ,2021
Lebanon’s
government and central bank have agreed to imburse international aid and funds
to vulnerable Lebanese families and refugees in hard currency following
pressure from civil society groups and alternative political parties on the
World Bank and international donors.
The
World Bank has previously approved a US$246 million new project to provide
emergency cash transfers and access to social services to approximately 786,000
poor and vulnerable Lebanese reeling under the pressure of Lebanon’s economic
and COVID-19 crises.
Lebanon’s
Central Bank announced earlier that the funds will be distributed at a rate of
6,240 Lebanese liras for each US dollar, while the black-market exchange rate
has further depreciated to reach 15,000 Lebanese lira per US dollar.
A
letter to the country’s finance ministry seen by the, representatives of the
European Union, United Nations and World Bank said they “take note of the
verbal agreement” on February 22 by the Central Bank chief and deputy prime
minister for aid to be disbursed in US dollars, Thomson Reuters Foundation
reported.
Economist
Dan Azzi said that the “Wollar” rate, which is the term he created for the
exchange rate set by the Central Bank for the World Bank loan, is officially
dead.
“So,
no theft of 30 percent by the Central Bank. Not only that, the old 3900 Lira
rate for NGOs & other aid organizations is also dead, so no more theft of
75 percent of the more than a billion US dollars from international charity to
the poor,” he added.
Researcher
at Human Rights Watch Aya Majzoub said that the decision is a “big deal and a
big victory.”
“International
aid to Lebanese and refugees will be given in fresh US dollars rather than
Lebanese lira, which had allowed the Lebanon Central Bank and commercial banks to
pocket the US dollars and distribute Lebanese liras at a highly depreciated
rate,” she said.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/17/Lebanon-crisis-Lebanon-agrees-to-imburse-WB-fund-for-families-in-hard-currency
--------
UAE
engages in ‘destructive’ activities in Iraq on US-Israeli order: MP
17
March 2021
An
Iraqi lawmaker says the United Arab Emirates, at the request of the United
States and the Israeli regime, is implementing a “destructive” agenda in Iraq
to “destabilize the country.”
Kazem
al-Sayadi said on Wednesday that the Emirati interference in the Iraqi internal
affairs is now an open secret, according to Iraq’s Alahednews Agency.
“The
UAE received the Iraqi file at the request of the US and the Zionist entity
[the Israeli regime] after the Daesh (terrorist group) occupied a number of
provinces,” he said, noting that Abu Dhabi runs “death squads” in many
countries across the world.
Sayadi
added that the UAE’s National Security Advisor, Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan,
“buys the positions in the (Iraqi) ministries and assign them to corrupt
figures” to implement the “destructive” Emirati agenda, which aims to
“destabilize the security” in southern and central Iraq and to “target” the
Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known as Hashd al-Sha'abi.
The
PMU is a government-sponsored umbrella organization composed of around 40
factions of volunteer counter-terrorism forces, including mostly Shia Muslim
groups, besides Sunni Muslims, Christians and Kurds.
The
PMU’s formation goes back to the summer of 2014, shortly after Daesh, the
world’s most notorious terror group, showed its face and managed to occupy
swathes of territory in Iraq.
The
popular force played a major role in the liberation of the entire Iraqi land
from the control of the terrorists in December 2017.
“The
Emirati team which will supervise the Iraqi intelligence service aims to
control all the security information of Iraq,” Sayadi said.
His
remarks come as an Emirati security team has reportedly arrived in Iraq to
manage the Iraqi intelligence service.
Qais
Khazali, the leader of the Iraqi anti-terror movement Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, has
also warned of a conspiracy against Iraq hatched by the Emirati security team.
He
referred to the transfer of 300 from the Iraqi intelligence service to the
country’s customs points, and asked if the transfer is related to the Emirati
team’s visit.
Sayadi
noted that there are attempts to make Iraq a subordinate to the UAE, “which is
originally a subordinate to the Zionist entity.”
Earlier
this year, an American think tank decried the UAE's role in the region, saying
it has contributed to humanitarian crises and instability in the Middle East.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/17/647526/Iraqi-lawmaker-UAE-destructive-role-
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Lebanon’s
UN envoy dismisses Israel’s remarks on Hezbollah
17
March 2021
Lebanon’s
ambassador to the office of the United Nations in Geneva has dismissed the
Israeli representative’s latest remarks about the resistance movement of
Hezbollah as baseless allegations and blatant interference in his country’s
affairs.
Lebanon’s
al-Mayadeen television network reported on Tuesday that Salim Baddoura
condemned recent remarks by the Israeli regime’s representative to the UN, in
which he has accused Hezbollah of terrorism and alleged that its missile system
poses a threat to the Lebanese people.
Baddoura
described the comments as “slander and blatant interference by Israel, which is
occupying parts of Lebanon.”
In
January, Baddoura stressed that “Hezbollah is a Lebanese component that
represents a large segment of the nation, and is part of the Lebanese
resistance against the Israeli occupation and participates in the political
life,” in response to previous remarks by the Israeli envoy.
He
rejected all the Israeli accusations against Hezbollah, especially the
allegation of terrorism, as “false” as they are made by an occupying force.
In
the 45th session of the Human Rights Council last September, Lebanon’s
permanent mission to the UN affirmed the nation’s right to resist to liberate
its land and defend its sovereignty, noting that Hezbollah represents an
integral part of the resistance.
Hezbollah
was established following the 1982 Israeli invasion and occupation of southern
Lebanon.
Since
then, the movement has grown into a powerful military force, dealing repeated
blows to the Israeli military, including during a 33-day war in July 2006.
Last
year, the second-in-command of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement hailed
the 2000 liberation of southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupation as a
“turning point” in the history of the Middle East, saying the victory put an
end to the Israeli military’s invincibility myth and helped strengthen the
faith of the young generations in resistance and struggles towards liberating
Palestine from the Israeli occupiers.
UN
Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the 2006 war,
calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Lebanon
and the occupying entity are technically at war since the latter has kept the
Arab country’s Shebaa Farms under occupation since 1967.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/17/647504/Lebanon-UN-envoy-dismisses-Israel-remarks-Hezbollah
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Pentagon
worried about situation in Lebanon, studying ways to help army
Joseph
Haboush
17
March ,2021
With
the situation in Lebanon deteriorating and the economy in a freefall,
Washington’s focus has turned to finding ways to support the Lebanese military.
The
United States and other European countries have voiced a willingness to help
financially, but any type of aid will not materialize before a government
independent of the current political elite is formed and specific reforms are
implemented.
This
was the agreement reached between the international community and Lebanon as
far back as 2018 when more than $11 billion in soft loans and grants were
pledged at the CEDRE conference.
Lebanese
officials took no action, and the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with the Beirut
blast, accelerated the country’s social, economic and financial collapse.
While
the banking sector and the Lebanese army have often been referred to as the two
main pillars of Lebanon’s stability, the banking sector has all but collapsed.
As
for the military, Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun unleashed a diatribe against
Lebanese officials last week, blaming them for the current situation.
The
rank and file soldier’s monthly salary is worth less than $100 now with the
local currency’s plummet.
The
country’s interior minister also warned of the security situation spiraling out
of control.
In
Washington, the State Department has been closely monitoring the situation on
the ground in Lebanon.
But
after the Lebanese army commander’s speech, the Pentagon quickly followed suit.
“The
Defense Department is closely monitoring the situation. The Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF) remain a critical institution in Lebanon and valued defense
partner,” Pentagon Spokesperson Commander Jessica McNulty told Al Arabiya
English.
With
the army struggling to pay salaries sufficient for soldiers and their families,
Washington is reportedly looking at ways to help.
However,
no provision allows for direct aid in helping pay salaries for a foreign
government’s army.
Previously
the US looked at increasing counterterrorism funding for the Lebanese army; this
could help ease the burden on the Lebanese army’s budget.
A
similar method was used in Iraq years ago.
No
comment was provided when asked if the Pentagon was planning to help in this
capacity.
“The
Pentagon shares concern with the entire US Government regarding the economic
crisis in Lebanon and the suffering of the Lebanese people,” McNulty said.
She
added: “We continually assess US support to the LAF to ensure it is consistent
with US interests and values.”
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/17/Lebanon-crisis-Pentagon-worried-about-situation-in-Lebanon-studying-ways-to-help-army
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Arab
Coalition destroys Houthi explosive-laden drone heading towards Saudi Arabia
17
March ,2021
The
Arab Coalition said it destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by the
Iran-backed Houthis from ‘Amran in Yemen towards Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
The
coalition confirmed that the drone and the terrorist elements operating were
destroyed.
“We
deal with the sources of threats firmly to protect civilians from terrorist
attacks,” the coalition said.
The
Houthis have been intensifying their attacks on Saudi Arabia in recent months,
and has targeted airports and other civilian objects.
Iran
backs the Houthis in their war against the Yemeni government, supplying the
group with weapons, such as drones and missiles, that are often used to target
civilians.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2021/03/17/Arab-Coalition-destroys-Houthi-explosive-laden-drone-heading-towards-Saudi-Arabia
--------
Syria
to UN: Israel coordinates its acts of aggression with terrorists
18
March 2021
Syria
says Israel’s latest air raid, which coincided with a terror attack against
Syrian army troops, proves that the regime commits such aerial acts of
aggression in full coordination with the terror groups operating on the ground
in the Arab country, calling on the United Nations to act decisively to stop
Tel Aviv.
In
a letter addressed to the UN secretary general and the president of the
Security Council on Wednesday, the Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry drew
the world body’s attention to the simultaneity of the missile strike on Tuesday
near Damascus and a deadly terrorist attack against a bus carrying Syrian
government forces in the southwestern province of Dara’a.
This
is indicative of “full cooperation and coordination” between Israel and its
allied terrorists, on the one side, and the separatist groups, on the other,
aimed at prolonging the foreign-backed crisis plaguing Syria, said the letter.
Late
on Tuesday, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported that the country had
confronted a number of Israeli missiles fired from the direction of the
occupied Golan Heights towards the areas surrounding the capital, Damascus.
The
news agency had reported earlier in the day that a number of Syrian troops were
killed in an attack on their bus in Dara’a.
The
report did not specify the number of fatalities or how the attack took place,
but a war monitor, which calls itself the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights,
claimed that at least 21 Syrian forces had been killed in a militant ambush.
Syrian
government forces had, on Monday, foiled a "large-scale terrorist
operation" by killing at least three terrorists and arresting three others
who intended to launch attacks across Damascus.
In
the letter, the Syrian Foreign Ministry further reminded the UN that the
Israeli missile strike was “in flagrant violation of UN Security Council
Resolution No.350 for 1974 regarding the Disengagement Forces treaty.”
It
called on the Security Council “to assume its responsibility in maintaining the
international security and peace, taking swift and decisive measures to prevent
Israel from repeating such terrorist attacks, [and] holding it responsible for
its crimes in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions No. 242,
338, 350 and 497.”
The
letter said such acts of aggression and “suspicious movements” will not affect
Syria’s determination to continue fulfilling its constitutional rights and its
legitimate war against terrorism.
In
recent months, Syrian government forces have dealt heavy blows to terrorists.
In
the meantime, Israel and the United States have frequently attacked certain
positions inside Syria in what is considered an attempt to prop up
anti-Damascus terrorists.
The
Tel Aviv regime mostly keeps quiet about the attacks on Syrian territories,
which many view as a knee-jerk reaction to the Syrian government’s increasing
success in curbing terrorism.
The
US forces were until recently airlifting members of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist
group from one place in Syria to another, under the cover of darkness, in order
to save them in the face of advancement and territorial gains by government
forces.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/18/647546/Syria-Foreign-Ministry-letter-Security-Council-Israel-Dara%E2%80%99a-terrorists-
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Mideast
Yemeni
army liberates Ma’rib area from grip of Saudi-led terrorists
18
March 2021
Yemeni
army soldiers and allied fighters from Popular Committees have managed to
establish full control over a neighborhood in the central province of Ma’rib as
they continue to push against Saudi-led mercenaries and terrorists in the
strategic region.
Local
media reported that the Yemeni forces liberated the mountainous al-Atif area in
Ma’rib’s Sirwah district on Wednesday night.
The
territorial gain came after a heavy battle with al-Qaeda terrorists and the
Saudi-led coalition forces, the reports said.
They
added that fighting is currently underway between the Yemeni forces and
Saudi-affiliated militants in Sirwah’s Idat al-Rai area.
Meanwhile,
Saudi fighter jets bombarded west of Ma’rib at least 12 times in the past few
hours.
The
oil and gas-rich province is considered as the last stronghold of Saudi-backed
forces in northern Yemen.
Earlier,
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the spokesman of Yemen’s popular Houthi Ansarullah
movement, said that Ma’rib has turned into one of the most important military
bases of the occupiers, and that the battle for its liberation has been going
on since the beginning of the war.
Saudi
Arabia launched a devastating military aggression against Yemen in March 2015
in collaboration with a number of its allied states, and with arms and
logistics support from the US and several Western countries.
The
aim was to return to power the former Riyadh-backed regime and crush the Houthi
movement which has been running state affairs in the absence of an effective
government in Yemen.
The
war has failed to achieve its goals, but killed tens of thousands of innocent
Yemenis and destroyed the impoverished state’s infrastructure. The UN refers to
the situation in Yemen as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Yemeni
forces have gone from strength to strength against the Saudi-led invaders, and
left Riyadh and its allies bogged down in the country.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/03/18/647549/Yemen-Ma-rib-Saudi-terrorists
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Mahmoud
Abbas won’t be the only candidate in upcoming Palestinian elections: Dahlan
17
March ,2021
Ismaeel
Naar and Omar Elkatouri
Mohammed
Dahlan has said he expected challengers to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
ahead of upcoming Palestinian elections, the former leader of Fatah in Gaza
told Al Arabiya in a special interview.
“The
current institutions will decide who will be on the list of candidates, and if
we are going to nominate a specific person for the presidency. But I can
guarantee brother Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) that he will not be the only
candidate in the upcoming elections,” Dahlan said.
“My
words are clear. I don’t want to get ahead of events but I can say that he will
not be the only candidate,” Dahlan added, without confirming or denying that he
will nominate himself in either the upcoming legislative or president
elections.
Dahlan,
long considered a political rival of Abbas, has been living and based in the
United Arab Emirates for years since leaving Gaza. He is also considered one of
those expected to challenge Abbas in the upcoming presidential elections.
A
day earlier, Palestinian rival factions Fatah and Hamas agreed in Cairo to a
code of conduct to ensure upcoming elections are run based on “transparency and
integrity.”
The
Palestinian parliamentary and presidential polls are set for May 22 and July 31
respectively.
Dahlan
also addressed criticism of his decision to live in exile in the UAE during his
special interview with Al Arabiya. He was asked to address critics who recently
said his assistance in getting much-needed COVID-19 vaccines to Gaza was done
in order to score political points.
“Firstly,
the UAE does not have a greedy interest in the Palestinian cause, not in the
past, present or in the future. They have private circumstances which led them
to take a sovereign and a political stance to normalize ties with Israel. As
for their support in history, the UAE is the second Arab country that supports
the Palestinian people financially after the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” Dahlan
told Al Arabiya.
Dahlan
currently leads a Fatah breakaway movement that is poised to the Gaza Strip
after a 14-year absence. Last month, two of the movement’s representatives
returned to Gaza.
During
the interview, Dahlan was asked again whether he would stand in either the
local or presidential elections but would not confirm at this time his
intentions, saying that he is focused on his “personal and national duty” for
now.
“I
am not talking about personal achievements. I am talking about a people
suffering at least the last 15 years. An increase in poverty rates of the
Palestinian people during the past 15 years. An increase in diseases, in
stress, and a loss of hope. Therefore, I belong to this group of people who
paid the price either in the Palestinian revolution or in building the
Palestinian National Authority,” Dahlan said.
“I
want to fulfill personal and nationalistic duty whether I was in the
Palestinian National Authority or not. I have been out of the Palestinian
National Authority for the past 15 years nearly. I was not late for day doing
my duty and no one handed this duty to me. But, I gave that duty to myself to
stand with these people and stand with them during any crisis,” he added.
https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2021/03/17/Mahmoud-Abbas-won-t-be-the-only-candidate-in-upcoming-Palestinian-elections-Dahlan
--------
Iran
making ‘significant developments’ in building its weapon arsenal: Israeli media
Jennifer
Bell
18
March ,2021
Iran
has recently made significant advances in the development of its weapon
arsenal, including precision-guided rockets and missiles, cruise missiles and
drones, Israeli media reported Wednesday.
According
to Amos Harel, one of Israel’s leading experts on military and defense issues,
Israeli intelligence has observed a rise in Iranian capabilities, which are now
being extensively distributed across Iran’s radical axis of proxy forces in the
Middle East, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Assad regime in Syria, the
Shia militias in Iraq, and the Houthi militia in Yemen.
Writing
in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, Harel citied intelligence officials as stating
that, for the first time, the Iranian arms industry has become “an industry
encompassing the entire radical axis.”
“One
unit from the Revolutionary Guards, Unit 340 of the Quds Force, is responsible
for the research and development that serves all the terrorist and guerilla
organizations operating with Tehran’s patronage and financing,” said Harel.
“The knowhow gained by the Iranians is quickly and effectively relayed to their
proxies throughout the region.”
Harel
explained that Tehran’s aim is to enable these organizations to achieve
independent production capability in their respective countries, without being
dependent upon Iranian smuggling operations. This will help these proxy forces
should Israel successfully strike any part of Iran’s various smuggling
channels.
Last
week, Iran blamed Israel for a blast on an Iranian cargo ship in the
Mediterranean, with an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson noting that Iran
would consider “all options” in response, according to reports in local media.
The
container ship Shahr e Kord was hit by an explosive object which caused a small
fire, but no one on board was hurt.
“Israel
is especially concerned by Hezbollah’s acceleration of its “precision project,”
in which it plans to do a massive upgrade of its arsenal of rockets and
missiles so they can strike within just a few meters of their targets,” Harel
said. “In recent years, in the wake of the Israeli strikes on its smuggling
operations, Hezbollah has made several attempts to build facilities in Lebanon
to manufacture weaponry and convert arms to precision-guided weapons.”
He
said, officially, Israel talks about Hezbollah having dozens of precision
rockets, but some assessments say that number has surged in the past couple of
years and is now reputedly in the hundreds.
“Hezbollah
is working on developing several types of improvements for its missiles –
greater precision, greater lethal impact and ability to circumvent the active
Israeli defense systems,” said Harel. “In his speeches, Hezbollah leader Hassan
Nasrallah often talks about the level of precision of his organization’s
weaponry and boasts that in the event of a war, Israel will be surprised by
Hezbollah’s capabilities.”
He
said another nearby arena where similar progress has been made is the Gaza
Strip.
“Hamas,
with Iranian aid, has significantly boosted its production capacity for rockets
and drones and conducts very frequent test firings that are directed westward
into the Mediterranean.”
In
the last few years, Hamas members have traveled to Iran and elsewhere for
training in weapons development, claimed Harel.
He
pointed out that in late February, an Israeli naval operation reportedly
destroyed Hamas weapons off the Gaza coast.
This,
said Harel, turned out to be a Hamas boat.
The
Houthi militia in Yemen, which operates in close consultation with the
Revolutionary Guards, have also been “dramatically upgraded,” Harel said.
He
points that in recent weeks, the Iran-backed Houthis have stepped up their
attacks against airfields and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, firing dozens of
drones and missiles at the Kingdom in recent weeks.
“At
present, the Houthis are not showing much interest in friction with Israel,”
said Harel. “They are too preoccupied with the war on the Saudis. But
intelligence officials say that in the future, Iran may try to deploy drones
and missiles in Yemen that could reach southern Israel."
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/18/Iran-making-significant-developments-in-building-its-weapon-arsenal-Israeli-media
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Erdogan’s
nationalist ally welcomes case to close pro-Kurdish opposition
18
March ,2021
Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan’s nationalist ally on Thursday welcomed a case by a
top prosecutor demanding the closure of the pro-Kurdish opposition, saying the
party should be shut, “never to be opened again."
A
Turkish prosecutor filed a case with the constitutional court on Wednesday
demanding a ban on the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) over alleged ties to
Kurdish militants, the culmination of a years-long crackdown against
parliament’s third largest party.
Devlet
Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) which led calls for the
HDP’s closure in recent weeks, said it was a “criminal organization disguised
in a political cloak."
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/18/Erdogan-s-nationalist-ally-welcomes-case-to-close-pro-Kurdish-opposition
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Erdogan
bodyguard commits suicide, cites insults and threats in note: Report
Ismaeel
Naar
18
March ,2021
A
security officer working at the presidential protection unit of Turkey’s
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has committed suicide, leaving a note saying he
had faced insults and threats from work, according to local Turkish media
reports.
The
bodyguard who worked as part of Erdogan’s protection team was identified as
Mehmet Ali Bulut by the Cumhuriyet newspaper. His death was ruled a suicide
after his colleagues found a note when they discovered his body at his
apartment after he had failed to show up at work and his phone was turned off.
“I
wish you had treated your employees well and asked them how they are. It must
be what you do best to insult your personnel, threaten them, fire them,
humiliate them and make them out to be liars,” Bulut was reported to have
written in his suicide note, according to Ahval newspaper which translated the
letter.
“Every
man has his pride, and I couldn’t stomach those words,” Bulut said.
Bulut
is now the third officer to commit suicide this year, after two other officers
identified as Halil Akkaya and Ethem Dağdeviren killed themselves earlier this
year.
“These
children, at the prime of their lives, want to become police officers, and then
they commit suicide. What pushes them to give up on their own lives?” Ahval
quoted Murat Bakan, a deputy from the main opposition Republican People’s Party
who submitted an inquiry to parliament following the suicides.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/18/Erdogan-bodyguard-commits-suicide-cites-insults-and-threats-in-note-Report
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Turkey’s
parliament strips pro-Kurdish deputy of seat in blow to third largest party
17
March ,2021
Turkey’s
parliament increased pressure on a pro-Kurdish opposition party on Wednesday by
stripping a prominent member of his seat over a criminal conviction for
spreading “terrorist propaganda” in a social media post.
The
move against Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a human rights advocate, dealt a new blow
to the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) which nationalist allies of President
Tayyip Erdogan’s AK Party (AKP) want banned over what they say are militant
links.
Gergerlioglu
was the latest among many HDP lawmakers, mayors and officials jailed or forced
out in recent years, and is one of many government critics to have expressed
concern about an erosion of human rights in Turkey.
He
said he would resist the decision and HDP deputies held up placards in
parliament supporting him. They chanted “rights, law, justice” and “putchist
AKP.”
“Enough
of so many anti-democratic practices. We will not bow down,” Gergerlioglu
shouted, adding that the will of the people had been “trampled under foot.”
The
HDP now has 55 seats in the 600-member assembly. Two HDP lawmakers also lost
the right to sit in parliament last year because of convictions against them.
The
HDP says Gergerlioglu, who received a 2-1/2 year jail sentence, was punished
for sharing on Twitter the link to a news story that included comments from the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey,
the United States and European Union.
The
HDP denies any links to the PKK, and said Gergerlioglu should have been
protected by parliamentary immunity.
Erdogan
has announced a plan to strengthen rights to a fair trial and freedom of
expression in Turkey, but has failed to appease his critics.
Pressure
on the HDP has grown since Turkey said 13 captives, including Turkish military
and police personnel, were executed by PKK militants in Iraq during a failed
Turkish military operation to rescue them last month.
The
PKK has fought an insurgency against the state in mainly Kurdish southeast
Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2021/03/17/Turkey-s-parliament-strips-pro-Kurdish-deputy-of-seat-in-blow-to-third-largest-party
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Australia
Three
arrested in Melbourne counter-terrorism raids as police warn of youth
radicalisation online
March
16, 2021
Police
say they are alarmed by a growing "phenomenon" of young people
getting radicalised online, after arresting two men and a 16-year-old boy in a
counter-terrorism investigation in Melbourne's north.
The
two men — a 19-year-old and 20-year-old from Epping — remain in custody after
being arrested at their homes on Wednesday.
A
16-year-old boy from Pascoe Vale was also arrested, but was released pending
further inquiries.
Assistant
Commissioner Michael Hermans, from Victoria Police's Counter Terrorism Command,
said police would offer the boy support and "hopefully divert him away
from the activity that saw him come to our attention this morning".
But
the two men could be charged with attempted terrorism or committing acts in
preparation of terrorism, Assistant Commissioner Hermans said.
Depending
on the charge, they could be facing a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Police
have said they will allege the 19-year-old attempted to engage in a terrorist
act.
Assistant
Commissioner Hermans said they were inspired by Islamic "ideology-based,
religious extremism".
But
he stressed it made "no difference" which religion was involved, as
police focused on the crime, not the religion.
Police
said the three arrests were made at an early stage and they believed they have
successfully contained any immediate threat to public safety.
Further
arrests are not expected to be made, but the operation is still ongoing, police
said.
Growing
online radicalisation threat during pandemic
The
counter-terror operation was prompted by investigations into two events: a fire
started in bushland in the Epping area on February 18, and an assault in
metropolitan Melbourne on March 10, Assistant Commissioner Hermans said.
Police
then received intelligence which indicated the investigation was more serious
than initially thought.
"We
received information that suggested their ideology would be of concern to the
Victorian community," he said.
The
investigation was then transferred to the Joint Counter Terrorism Team.
Assistant
Commissioner Hermans said it was possible that the three men arrested were
radicalised online.
Seeing
young people getting caught up in extremism was becoming a regular
"phenomenon" for police, said Assistant Commissioner Scott Lee, from
the AFP's Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations team.
"I
think there's a range of factors, but one that can't be underestimated is the
magnification of the online environment and what that means for the
radicalisation of these young individuals," he said.
"That's
certainly what we've seen during the COVID period as people come out of the
physical world and have been in isolation and driven into the online
environment ... and that's exacerbated some of the radicalisation we've seen.
Assistant
Commissioner Hermans said the trend was "very concerning".
"I
would say that we're seeing a younger demographic, and that may or may not be
on the back of easy access to social media," he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-17/police-arrest-3-in-melbourne-counter-terrorism-operation/100015184?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2112673_
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