New
Age Islam News Bureau
08
November 2021
Paris
Mosque (AFP File Photo)
-----
• Pakistan
Cabinet Removes Ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan
• Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan Retitles All Military Corps in Afghanistan
• All
India Muslim Development Council Launched the ‘Masjid One’ Initiative to
Protect Mosques against Islamophobia
• Supreme
Court Of America to Hear Muslim Monitoring Case; Lawsuit Claims the FBI Spied
On Them Following 9/11
Europe
• New
Zealand mosque shooter considers appealing life sentence
• Turkey
criticizes categorization of countries at climate talks
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan
Hindu Council to organise grand Diwali function at temple that was vandalised
• TV
channels directed to flash political map of Pakistan before 9pm bulletins
• Taliban
promise military action if TTP talks fail
• IMF
Has Asked Pakistan to Further Hike Levy on Petroleum Products, Says Imran
Khan's Adviser
--------
South Asia
• At
least 3 killed in two consecutive explosions in Jalalabad, Afghanistan
• Three
million Afghans on the brink of starvation: WFP
• WHO’s
fresh shipment carrying medical aid arrives in Kabul
• Taliban
welcomes Germany’s decision over reassessing relations
--------
India
• Sixteen
of Jamia Millia Islamia Researchers Are In the Stanford University List of Top
Two Percent Most Cited Scientists in the World
• Hyderabad
Mosque Clinic Treats 569 Dengue, Typhoid-Hit Children of 20 Slums in 30 Days
• Mira
Nair Gets Notice from Shia Personal Law Board over 'A Suitable Boy'
• In
a first, 2 Bangladeshis to be honoured with Padmas today
• Namaz
row: Muslim group says ready to rent space in Gurugram for prayers, seek admin
help
• UP
Police Arrest Maulana Mohammed Umar Gautam’s Son Under the ‘Love Jihad’ Law
--------
North America
• Prohibitive
cost of war contributed to US withdrawal from Afghanistan, shows report
• Palestinians,
Israel spar over US mission in Jerusalem
• US
condemns attack on Iraq PM as ‘apparent act of terrorism’
--------
Arab World
• Iraq
Military: PM Targeted In Failed ‘Assassination’ Attempt, Drone Struck His House
• Iraqi
militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq says Kadhimi assassination attempt ‘fabricated’
• Abu
Dhabi Sets Up Dual English-Arabic Language Family Court For Non-Muslims
• ‘Crazy
Love:’ Lebanon Slogan Promotes Tourism On Back Of Crisis
• Tension
rises in Iraq after failed bid to assassinate PM
• Iraqi
PM Al-Kadhimi Says He Knows Those Behind Assassination Bid, Will Pursue Them
• Three
drones used in attack on Iraq PM, two shot down: Sources
• Arab
Coalition says 138 Houthis killed in target operations
--------
Mideast
• Imam
of Al-Aqsa Condemns World’s Silence about Zionists’ Attacks On Muslim
Cemeteries
• Iranian
FM Warns of Ill-Wishers' Plot to Foment Insecurity in Iraq
• Senior
Commander Warns Enemies Not to Test Iran's Power
• Chinese
FM Blames US for Problems in Implementation of N. Deal
• Iran
begins annual war games ahead of nuke talks with West
--------
Africa
• Algeria
President Tebboune Says Will Not Offer To Make Up With France
• Libya’s
PM Dbeibah to run for president, as election turmoil grows
• Libya
FM Minister Najla al-Mangoush suspended days before intl. conference
--------
Southeast Asia
• PAS
Muktamar: Give Women Candidates Opportunity To Contest In GE15
• Under
PAS rule, Kelantan needs to focus on bigger issues
• PAS
chief says party will act as kingmaker in Malaysian politics
• Govt
fails court bid to forfeit luxury items belonging to Najib, Rosmah and family
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/islamophobic-france-islamic-slogans-mosques/d/125731
--------
Islamophobic
Incident in France: A Cross and Anti-Islamic Slogans Inscribed On the Walls of
Three Mosques
Paris
Mosque (AFP File Photo)
-----
Yusuf
Özcan
07.11.2021
PARIS
In
another Islamophobic incident in France, a cross and anti-Islamic slogans were
inscribed on the walls of three mosques.
The
walls of the mosques, affiliated to the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious
Affairs (DITIB), the largest Turkish-Muslim association in the country, were
defaced in Montlebon, Pontarlier, and Roubaix provinces of France late
Saturday.
“We
condemn the ugly attack on our mosques and wish our community well,” DITIB said
in a statement. “We thank the security forces and the French authorities for
their cooperation and the French people for their support.”
It
added: “We call for unity against actions that aim at harming peace in the
country. We request you to be discreet about such provocative events."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/3-mosques-in-france-face-islamophobic-attack/2414458
--------
Pakistan
Cabinet Removes Ban on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan
Nov
7, 2021
(File
Photo: TLP)
-----
NEW
DELHI: The Pakistan federal cabinet has approved the de-proscription of the
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), after the political party and the government
had struck a secretive deal, Geo News reported.
The
federal cabinet approved the removal of the party's proscribed status through a
circulation summary sent by the Interior Ministry, sources said, which
mentioned that TLP has assured the government it will not organise violent
protests in the future.
Two
days ago, Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar granted the initial approval to
the summary sent to him by the Punjab home department for the revocation of the
TLP's proscribed status, the Geo News report said.
After
granting preliminary approval to the summary, Buzdar had sent it to the
Ministry of Interior to take a final decision regarding the matter through
circulation.
In
line with the deal struck with the TLP, the Punjab government has already
removed the names of 48 party workers among 90 from the fourth schedule.
The
provincial government also decided to release 100 other activists of the
proscribed organisation from different jails in the province, the report said.
On
November 2, the government began implementing the accord with TLP, with reports
suggesting that it had released more than 800 supporters of the party arrested
across Punjab.
The
government signed an accord with the proscribed outfit on October 31, under
which workers of the organisation who are not facing any formal criminal
charges were to be released.
The
amnesty will also extend to the party's top leader, Saad Rizvi, the report
said.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan Retitles All Military Corps in Afghanistan
08
Nov 2021
Photo:
Khaama Press
-----
The
defence ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has changed the names
but the codes of all military corps in Afghanistan.
The
defence ministry in an official directive said that the names of military corps
of the Islamic army are as follow,
313
Central Corps (Kabul)
209
Al-Fatha corps (Mazar-e-Sharif)
217
Omari corps (Kunduz)
205
Al-Badr corps (Kandahar)
201
Khalid Bin Walid corps (Laghman)
203
Mansoori corps (Gardez)
207
Al-Farooq corps (Herat)
215
Azm crops (Helmand)
Earlier,
acting minister of defence Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid had said that they will be
building an Islamic army that will be equipped with the latest weapons and will
be protecting the national interests, values and borders of Afghanistan.
The
Taliban has not officially started training army members for their new army but
tens of the Taliban affiliates are busy getting trained in various provinces of
Afghanistan.
They
are learning new technics and are given uniforms too.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-retitles-all-military-corps-in-afghanistan-45747/
--------
All
India Muslim Development Council Launched the ‘Masjid One’ Initiative to
Protect Mosques against Islamophobia
The
All India Muslim Development council is a national organisation, (Photo: Siasat
Daily)
------
7th
November 2021
Hyderabad:
The All India Muslim Development Council on Saturday launched the “Masjid One”
initiative, aimed at the protection of mosques against communal violence.
The
first session of the program was held at the Red Rose function hall located in
Nampally. The Imams and presidents of various mosques across the city were
invited to the session wherein the presidents of various mosques put forth
their ideas with regards to taking the initiative forward.
The
mosques have pledged to provide educational, health, and employment
opportunities to the people. Speaking about the program, Aijaz Ahmed a member
of the All India Muslim Development Council, said “The program was organised by
the AIMDC Hyderabad chapter, and was attended by the representatives of 150
mosques, Maulana Mufti Umar- ul -Abideen, the national secretary of the AIMDC
addressed the gathering along with Mohammed Imtiaz, the general secretary of
the organisation.”
The
program aimed at bringing the mosques on the same page, which could help them
to work for community development, actionable plans are being charted to take
the program forward, and the upcoming sessions will be held at the mosque,
where the emphasis will be laid on how mosques can effectively contribute
towards community development apart from the regular prayers and other
religious activities.
Apart
from the aforementioned activities, the Masjid One movement also focuses on the
economic development of the community, for which each of the participating
mosques will have to come up with actionable ideas. There were breakout
sessions conducted during the program, each cluster consisted of 10 mosques
that would focus on one mega project , such as constructing a hospital, there
were 200 attendees at the function hall.
The
All India Muslim Development council is a national organisation, which has its
branches in different states, Mysuru emerged as an example to reflect the
dedicated work done by the organisation, which was evident during the peak of
the COVID-19 pandemic, when they were clinics being operated in the mosques.
Presently a 400-bed hospital is being set up through contribution from 10
Mosques, the hospital is set to be named Masjid Association Hospital.
Source:
Daily Siasat
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/aimdc-starts-initiative-to-protect-mosques-against-islamophobia-2221503/
--------
Supreme
Court Of America to Hear Muslim Monitoring Case; Lawsuit Claims the FBI Spied
On Them Following 9/11
The
U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case centered on the FBI's
surveillance of mosques after 9/11.
Jose
Luis Magana/AP
----
November
8, 2021
The
Supreme Court is preparing to hear a case about the government's ability to get
lawsuits thrown out of court by claiming they would reveal secrets that
threaten national security.
The
case before the high court Monday involves a group of Muslim men from Southern
California. They filed a class-action lawsuit claiming that the FBI spied on
them and hundreds of others in a surveillance operation following 9/11. The
group, represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and
others, claimed religious discrimination and violations of other rights, saying
they were spied on solely because of their faith.
A
lower court dismissed almost all their claims after the government said
allowing the case to go forward could reveal “state secrets” — whom the
government was investigating and why. But an appeals court reversed that
decision, saying the lower court first should have privately examined the
evidence the government said was state secrets to see if the alleged
surveillance was unlawful.
The
Biden administration, like the Trump administration before it, is telling the
justices that decision is wrong.
The
case involves a confidential informant, Craig Monteilh, the FBI used from 2006
to 2007. Monteilh pretended to be a new convert to Islam as a way to become
part of Southern California's Muslim community.
Monteilh
told people he was a fitness consultant, but he was really working as part of a
surveillance program known as Operation Flex. Monteilh regularly attended the
Islamic Center of Irvine in Orange County and has said that he was told to
collect as much information on as many people as possible. He gathered names
and phone numbers and secretly recorded thousands of hours of conversations and
hundreds of hours of video using a camera concealed in a shirt button.
Ultimately
Monteilh's handlers told him to ask about jihad and express a willingness to
engage in violence. Those questions caused members of the community to report
him to the FBI and other authorities and seek a restraining order against him.
The
FBI has acknowledged Monteilh was an informant, and the story was covered in
the news media including on the National Public Radio show “This American
Life.”
Three
of the men Monteilh allegedly recorded sued seeking damages and asking the
government to destroy or return the information it had gathered.
This
is the second case the court has heard involving the state secrets privilege
since beginning its new term in October. Last month the court heard a case
involving a Guantanamo Bay detainee that also involved the states secrets
privilege.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Europe
New
Zealand mosque shooter considers appealing life sentence
November
8, 2021
WELLINGTON,
Nov 8 (Reuters) - The man who killed 51 Muslim worshippers at mosques in
Christchurch is considering appealing against his life sentence, saying his
guilty plea after the 2019 attack was obtained under duress, his lawyer told
state radio on Monday.
White
supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 31, was sentenced to jail for life without parole
last year for the murder of 51 people and attempted murder of 40 others at two
mosques in Christchurch on 15 March 2019, the worst mass shooting in the
country's history.
It
was the first time a court in New Zealand had sentenced a person to prison for
the rest of their life.
Tarrant's
lawyer, Tony Ellis, told Radio New Zealand he was advised by his client that he
pleaded guilty last year because of "inhumane and degrading
treatment" he experienced while awaiting trial.
Ellis,
who only took over as Tarrant's lawyer recently, has made the claim on his client's
behalf in a memo to the coroner's court that has launched an investigation into
all aspects of the Christchurch attack and whether due processes were followed.
"He
said because of how he was treated while he was awaiting trial and afterwards,
(that affected) his will to carry on and he decided that the simplest way out
was to plead guilty," Ellis said.
"By
this, he means he was subject to inhuman or degrading treatment whilst on
remand, which prevented a fair trial."
Source:
Reuters
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkey
criticizes categorization of countries at climate talks
Aysu
Biçer
08.11.2021
GLASGOW,
Scotland
Turkey
said Sunday that it is not possible to adopt any decisions at the UN Climate
Change Summit, or COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland based on annexes or any kind of
new categorization.
"We
do not believe that annexes of the Convention reflect the current situation as
regards to the development levels of countries," Mehmet Emin Birpinar,
Turkey’s chief negotiator for climate change talks, said on Twitter, referring
to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which
lists Turkey in the Annex I group described as industrialized or developed
countries.
Turkey
ratified the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement as a developing country, and
implementing it must not "harm its right to economic and social
development," said a statement approved by parliament.
The
country previously sent a proposal to the UNFCCC to have its name removed from
the Annex 1 list, which is on the provisional agenda for the COP26 Climate
Change Conference.
"We
see a constant attempt to include the language reference to Annex 1 of the
Convention,” said Birpinar.
Two
groups are at the negotiation table in Glasgow.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Hindu Council to organise grand Diwali function at temple that was vandalised
7
November, 2021
Islamabad:
The Pakistan Hindu Council will organise a grand function on Monday to
celebrate Diwali at a century-old temple in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which
was vandalised and set on fire by a mob led by a radical Islamist party last
year, a media report said on Sunday.
Pakistan’s
Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmad has been invited by the Council to celebrate the
festival of lights at the Teri Temple in Karak, the Dawn newspaper reported.
The
grand function to celebrate Diwali is being organised by the Pakistan Hindu
Council (PHC), which will also host a large number of pilgrims from the Sindh
and Balochistan provinces.
PHC
patron-in-chief and member of the National Assembly Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani
said that the presence of senior officials during the celebration would give a
strong message to the miscreants that their nefarious designs would be foiled,
the report said.
To
provide facilities to those arriving from Sindh and Balochistan to participate
in the annual fair at Teri, the Council has requested the Evacuee Trust
Property Board (ETPB) to provide boarding and lodging facilities to around
1,500 pilgrims at Hassanabdal.
The
pilgrims have started arriving at Hassanabdal from where they will proceed to
the Teri area of Karak on Monday and return the same day.
The
shrine is associated with a saint, Shri Param Hans Ji Maharaj, in Karak
district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where the temple was established in
1920.
However,
it was vandalised by a mob led by a local cleric belonging to the Jamiat Ulema
Islam-Fazl last year.
On
the orders of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, the temple was restored. The apex
court also ordered the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government in October 2021
to recover Rs 33 million (USD 1,94,161) from the culprits involved in
vandalising the century-old shrine.
In
December last year, over 1,000 people led by some local clerics belonging to
the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) instigated the villagers to demolish the
temple and as a result, people led by local seminary students attacked the
temple.
The
Supreme Court was informed that 109 people involved in the incident had been
arrested.
Earlier
in 1997, the shrine was first attacked and severely damaged, and the PHC head
Vankwani had approached the apex court in 2015 seeking help to restore the holy
place and restart the annual pilgrimage to the place.
At
that time, local clerics were creating hurdles to holding a religious
congregation for the Hindus, while the followers of Shri Paramhans Ji tried to
build the temple at the place but it was not allowed, Vankwani had told Dawn.
After
the Supreme Court issued directives to the provincial government to restore and
preserve the Teri temple, the Pakistan Hindu Council started holding the annual
fair in 2015.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
TV
channels directed to flash political map of Pakistan before 9pm bulletins
Amir
Wasim
November
8, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has directed all
public and private TV channels to flash the political map of Pakistan before
airing news bulletins at 9pm.
“All
the news channels (both public and private) have to flash the political map of
Pakistan for two seconds before airing the news bulletin at 9pm on a regular
basis,” says the Pemra directive issued on November 3 that became public on
Sunday.
“All
the satellite TV channel licensees (news and current affairs/regional language)
are, therefore, directed to comply with the above-mentioned recommendation in
letter and spirit without fail,” it says.
Pemra
says it has issued the directives to TV channels on the basis of a September 16
letter of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
When
contacted, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry justified
the act of his ministry to issue the directive to Pemra, saying the government
could do so under Section 5 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002.
The
section reads: “The federal government may as and when it considers necessary,
issue directive to the Authority (Pemra) on matters of policy, and such
directives shall be binding on the Authority, and if a question arises whether
any matter is a matter of policy or not, the decision of the federal government
shall be final.”
The
PTI government had on August 4 last year unveiled the country’s new political
map, essentially asserting its longstanding position on Kashmir and Sir Creek
disputes. Prime Minister Imran Khan, while introducing the map at a ceremony,
had said the map reflected the national aspiration and supported principled
stance on the Kashmir dispute.
The
new map was made public a day before Pakistan observed the first anniversary of
annexation of occupied Kashmir. India annexed the held territory on August 5,
2019, by revoking articles 370 and 35A of its constitution, which had provided
special status to occupied Kashmir and rights and privileges to the Kashmiris.
Prime
Minister Khan had said that it would now be the “official map” after being
approved by the federal cabinet and would be the one used in schools and
colleges.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
promise military action if TTP talks fail
November
8, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Days before the Afghan Taliban were at the gates of Kabul, Pakistan was already
in talks with the government in-waiting to deal with terrorist outfits such as
banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch groups which have been for
years operating out of the neighbouring country.
Pakistani
officials in their interactions with the Taliban leadership made a clear demand
that all these groups must not only be denied space to operate but also sought
military action against them.
After
Taliban captured Kabul on August 15, Pakistan shared a list of most-wanted
terrorists seeking their extradition.
The
Taliban leadership came up with a proposal, offering Pakistan their good
offices to initiate talks with the TTP and its affiliates. But at the same time
the interim Taliban government promised military action against those groups,
which were not willing to reconcile, according to sources familiar with the
development.
It
was because of this reason that Pakistan initiated talks with the TTP. The two
sides reportedly held at least three face-to-face meetings. One was held in
Kabul while the other two took place in Khost.
The
chief of Haqqani network, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is thought to have played a role
of mediator. Although there was no official confirmation, reports suggested
that the TTP agreed to announce a month-long ceasefire in return for Pakistan
releasing dozens of terrorist group’s prisoners.
“I
can neither confirm nor deny the reports of talks between Pakistan and the
TTP,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan told The Express
Tribune.
He,
however, said engagement with the TTP or its affiliates should be seen in the
context of counter-terrorism efforts and a strategy agreed between Pakistan and
the Taliban government.
“When
we go for the solution of any problem, there are ways to deal with it,” the
envoy said, adding that there were elements within terrorist groups who might
be willing to reconcile and others who might be dealt with military action.
It
is believed that Pakistan is trying to woo reconcilable elements within the TTP
and its affiliates. The aim of this strategy is particularly focused on the
foot soldiers. If Pakistan succeeds in wooing reconcilable elements, it would
weaken the terrorist outfit, according to officials familiar with the
government strategy.
When
asked whether Pakistan initiated talks with the TTP because of the Taliban
government’s refusal to take military action against it, Ambassador Mansoor
said this was not the case.
“The
Taliban government has not said at any stage it would protect the TTP or give
them sanctuary. At every stage they have assured us that no group would be
allowed to use Afghan soil against Pakistan,” the ambassador said.
He
referred to the October 21 visit of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to
Kabul where according to the ambassador, the Taliban gave a very “positive
response” to Pakistan’s demand for tackling TTP and other anti-Pakistan groups.
Qureshi
was accompanied by DG ISI Lt General Faiz Hameed and other officials.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2021/11/08/taliban-promise-military-action-if-ttp-talks-fail/
--------
IMF
has asked Pakistan to further hike levy on petroleum products, says Imran
Khan's adviser
Nov
7, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan government is likely to increase the levy on petroleum products in the
near future after it recently increased petrol prices amid continued protests
by the opposition, reported local media.
"The
International Monetary Fund [IMF] has also asked to increase the petroleum
development levy [PDL] but it will depend on the global prices of petroleum
products," The News International quoted Pakistan's adviser to the prime
minister on finance Shaukat Tarin as saying.
Tarin
hinted at a possible increase in the levy on oil products.
He
stated that if the global price of oil goes down, "it will be easy for the
government to increase the PDL".
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
At
least 3 killed in two consecutive explosions in Jalalabad, Afghanistan
November
8, 2021
At
least three civilians have been killed and several others wounded in two
consecutive explosions in Jalalabad city in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar
province, Afghan local media reported.
Source:
ABNA24
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Three
million Afghans on the brink of starvation: WFP
08
Nov 2021
World
Food Program has recently said that three million people in Afghanistan are
starving and pledged to be helping those in need of food.
Director
of WFP David Beasley has said that 45 million people are starving in 43
countries of the world among them 3 million people are living only in
Afghanistan.
David
Beasley in his recent visit to Afghanistan promised that they will be providing
food for 23 million people in the country.
The
Director of WFP has named COVID-19 and climate change as the two biggest
factors for starvation around the world.
He
has also added that people are selling their children in Afghanistan to
survive.
Earlier,
the program has warned that over 22 million people will be facing starvation
and had called on the international community to provide humanitarian aids to
Afghan people.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/three-million-afghans-on-the-brink-of-starvation-wfp-65856856/
--------
WHO’s
fresh shipment carrying medical aid arrives in Kabul
08
Nov 2021
World
Health Organization confirmed on Monday, November 8 that an aircraft carrying
nearly seven metric tons of medicines and medical supplies had landed in Kabul
last week.
The
supplies include medicines for the treatment of 5,000 Afghan children suffering
from acute malnutrition and other diseases.
It
is WHO the fourth consignment of medical supplies is since August 30 that it
arrived in Afghanistan in collaboration with logistic teams of Qatar Airways
and the Qatari government.
The
organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Ahmad
Al-Mandhari said that health needs in Afghanistan are greater than ever before
and added that they are moving faster to address the shortages in medical
supplies to keep life-saving health services running.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/whos-fresh-shipment-carrying-medical-aid-arrives-in-kabul-567568/
--------
Taliban
welcomes Germany’s decision over reassessing relations
08
Nov 2021
A
spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Ahamdullah Wasiq has
welcomed Germany’s decision over reassessing relations with the Taliban and was
hopeful about bilateral ties.
Ahmadullah
Wasiq has said that the German embassy will be reopened in Kabul and added that
they will soon be recognized by the international community.
Germany
intends to send ambassador-designate Marcus Potzel to Afghanistan that will
also be followed by diplomats.
Marcus
Potzel has been settled in the Qatari capital Doha after the Taliban took over
Afghanistan on August 15 and is observing the situation of Afghanistan from
there.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-welcomes-germanys-decision-over-reassessing-relations-68568/
--------
India
Sixteen
of Jamia Millia Islamia Researchers Are In the Stanford University List of Top
Two Percent Most Cited Scientists in the World
Nov
8, 2021
New
Delhi: Sixteen of Jamia Millia Islamia University’s researchers are in the
Stanford University list of top 2% most cited scientists in the world.
In
the first list, based on career-long data, eight JMI professors feature. In the
second list for the year 2020’s performance, there are 16 scientists from JMI,
the institution has claimed in a press release.
Both
the lists feature the following researchers: Imran Ali, Atiqur Rehman, Anjan A.
Sen, Haseeb Ahsan, Sushant G. Ghosh, S. Ahmad, Tokeer Ahmad and Mohd. Imtaiyaz.
The
second list additionally features Abid Haleem, Rafiq Ahmad, Tabrez Alam Khan,
Mohd. Javaid, Arshad Noor Siddique, Musheer Ahmad, Faizan Ahmad and Tarikul
Islam.
The
list has 1, 59,683 people and nearly 1,500 Indians in it, Indian Express has
reported.
The
university also ranked first in the list of central universities released by
the Ministry of Education in 2020. Jamia beat JNU and Aligarh Muslim University
to top the list of 40 central varsities.
The
varsity also improved its position from 19 to 12 in 2020 among Indian
institutions in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.
As
The Wire has analysed earlier, “Ultimately, a better-ranked university tends to
be a better-perceived university, and has the potential to draw foreign
students, and also serves as a form of ‘soft diplomacy’ between the origin and
destination countries.”
Jamia
has, in the past two decades, battled a communal narrative against it that has
lent itself to violent action as well.
The
Bharatiya Janata Party government and its supporters have frequently called the
university and its students “anti-national.”
Despite
having a higher overall ranking amongst universities vis-a-vis parameters like
graduate outcomes, teaching, learning and resources, outreach and inclusivity,
Jamia has scored lower when it comes to the parameter of “perception” in
comparison with Delhi University, Mahtab Alam has noted on The Wire, in a piece
that analysis the numbers.
A
Scroll.in report from 2015 points to how as chief minister of Gujarat, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi had publicly called for the university authorities to
“drown” themselves in the aftermath of the Batla house encounter of 2008 and
then Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hassan’s comment that the university would foot
the legal bill of the two arrested students.
“There
is a university in Delhi called Jamia Millia Islamia. It has publicly announced
that it will foot the legal fee of terrorists involved in the act. Go drown
yourself,” Modi had said.
In
an analysis for Article 14, Alishan Jafri has noted that sustained attempts
were made by the Modi government between 2017 and 2018 to take away Jamia’s
minority status. No lawyer represented the university at this time.
The
piece also notes that as recently as May 2021, an “anti-terrorism” pledge
ceremony organised at the behest of the Union home ministry had rankled
students who criticised the government’s supposition that students required
such a pledge. Similar pledges were taken in JNU and Delhi University too.
In
between Modi’s comment in 2008 and the pledge event, was December 15, 2019. On
the day, during what was allegedly a peaceful protest near the university area
against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, police officials barged into the
university premises causing destruction of university property, firing tear gas
shells, injuring university security guards and students, and conducting
widespread Lathi charge. Police claim this was done while attempting to quell a
protest that had become violent.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thewire.in/education/jamia-millia-islamia-stanford-list
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Hyderabad
Mosque Clinic Treats 569 Dengue, Typhoid-Hit Children of 20 Slums in 30 Days
Nov
8, 2021
Hyderabad:
With dengue, typhoid and malaria becoming endemic to Shaheen Nagar in Old City,
scores of cases are reported from the area daily. The mosque clinic in Shaheen
Nagar has in the last 30 days treated 569 children suffering from vector-borne
ailments from 20 slums.
A
survey by the mosque clinic has shown that 51% of total typhoid cases, 22% of
dengue cases and 2% of malaria cases were reported in a cluster of 20 slums in
Shaheen Nagar catchment while 15% of typhoid cases and 11% of dengue cases were
reported in slums of Rajendra Nagar and Hasanagar catchment area in Old
Hyderabad.
Of
the 569 children, who received free treatment including medicines and blood
tests in the past one month, 421 cases related to typhoid, 133 cases to dengue
and 15 cases to malaria? The mosque clinic is managed by Helping Hand
Foundation in collaboration with SEED, an NGO based in the USA, and American
Muslim Physicians of Indian Origin (AMPI). The mosque clinic caters to the
health needs of people living in about 20 slums spread over Shaheen Nagar,
Hasanagar, Rajendranagar and Achi Reddy Nagar.
The
survey revealed that 72% of the cases of typhoid were children between five and
15 years while 85% of dengue cases were children between 10 and 18 years of
age. “Poor sanitation, overflowing drains, uncleared garbage, and frequent
inundation due to heavy rains are the primary cause of high incidence of
vector-borne diseases. All cases of typhoid were treated in outpatient mode.
However, almost all the cases required IV injections for a period of 5 to 7
days. Additional beds were laid in the available space in the mosque for
treatment of typhoid cases,” said HHP managing trustee Mujtaba Hasan Askari.
Tests
for typhoid and dengue were done free of cost. Owing to the in-house lab
facility the tests were done in shorter window and treatment could be initiated
on timely basis, he said.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mira
Nair Gets Notice From Shia Personal Law Board Over 'A Suitable Boy'
08
Nov 2021
The
All India Shia Personal Law Board has issued a legal notice to filmmaker Mira
Nair, Netflix and others over their portrayal of a 'tazia' in the web series ‘A
Suitable Boy’. The notice claims that millions of people's religious sentiments
have been hurt badly, and their religious beliefs have been disrespected.
The
notice was written by Syed Mohammed Haider Rizvi, the president of the Board's
legal cell.
The
objection which has been mentioned in the notice is to episode 4 of Season 1.
“…at 43:30 minutes…you have desecrated a “Tazia” when you have shown it falling
to the ground. This particular scene has not just hurt the sentiments of lakhs
of people (belonging to different religions, faiths, beliefs and walks of life)
who consider a “ Tazia” to be the most sacrosanct and keep it at the highest
pedestal, but has also invoked religious fervour of sorts amongst them,” reads
the notice.
“Tazia
is a replica of the mausoleum of Imam Hussain … who stared into the eyes of imminent
annihilation but refused to bow down to evil and an oppressive ruler Yazid, who
in consequence killed him and almost his entire family on the sands of Karbala
in Iraq. Imam Hussain, though martyred centuries ago, but his message of peace
and humanity still resonates in the hearts and minds of people at large and has
been a source of solace and courage during their testing times…,” the notice
further stated.
The
notice further says that the ‘tazia’ is not just any religious relic, but
something so sacred that the whole Taziadar community keeps and guards it with
their life until it is laid to rest on the 10th of Moharram or the Chehallum or
other days throughout the Muharram mourning period.
While
the notice states that the makers of the show do enjoy the Freedom of Speech
and Expression, but it also draws attention to Section 295 of the Indian Penal
Code. That section of the IPC reads as, “Deliberate and malicious acts,
intended to outrage religious feelings… Whoever, with the deliberate and
malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of
citizens of India, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by
visible representations or otherwise, insults or attempts to insult the
religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years,
or with fine, or with both.”
The
notice finally calls for deleting the offensive scene from the web series. Not
just that, it also demands the issuing of a public apology for depicting the
same. “It is needless to say that any act of yours which is contrary to what
has been instructed above would invite initiation of criminal proceedings
against you inter-alia under section 295 A Indian Penal Code, besides initiating
further suitable action against you, at your risks, costs and consequences
throughout,” concludes the notice.
Source:
Outlook India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
In
a first, 2 Bangladeshis to be honoured with Padmas today
Indrani
Bagchi
Nov
8, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Former high commissioner to India Muazzem Ali and 1971 war hero Colonel
Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir will be the first Bangladeshi citizens to be honoured
with one of India’s highest civilian awards, the Padma Shri, on Monday.
Muazzem
Ali will be honoured posthumously at a function here where other awardees named
in January too will receive their awards. India and Bangladesh are celebrating
the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s liberation and the 50th year of diplomatic
ties with India as well as the centenary of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman. The Vijay
Diwas celebrations of December 16 may see a high level visit from India. Bangladeshi
media reports suggested that President Ram Nath Kovind may be travelling to
Bangladesh for the occasion. Indian government sources said there was no
clarity yet on the President’s schedule.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Namaz
row: Muslim group says ready to rent space in Gurugram for prayers, seek admin
help
By
Leena Dhankhar
Nov
06, 2021
Gurugram:
A day after right-wing Hindu groups organised Govardhan Puja at a designated
namaz site in Gurugram Sector 12 to protest against Friday prayers in public
spaces, members of the Muslim community, which formed a 21-member committee on
Saturday to resolve the ongoing issue, said that they are ready to take up
spaces on rent for their prayers and sought the help of the district
authorities for the same.
Members
of the committee said five of their representatives will meet the Gurugram
deputy commissioner on Monday to discuss their action plan.
“We
are ready to take up places on rent to offer namaz but then the residents of
the area should not have any problems. We need the support of the government
and administration to offer namaz peacefully,” said president of the Jamiat
Ulama, Gurugram, Mufti Mohammad Saleem, who is also part of the 21-member
committee under the leadership of former Rajya Sabha member Mohammad Adeeb.
He
said the committee held several meetings with community members and will share
their plan of action on Monday after the meeting with the administration. A
meeting was held at Idgah and Sushant Lok-1 on Saturday where a large number of
Muslim community members participated and discussed the issue.
“We
have taken representation from Muslims staying across various sectors of
Gurugram and Manesar so that we can work on finding solutions wherever they are
facing challenges in offering Juma Namaz,” said Altaf Ahmad, a member of
Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch and a member of the committee.
Ahmad
further said that there are two major issues that need to be addressed: “Firstly,
the district administration should get all the Waqf Board properties cleared of
encroachers so that namaz can be offered there. Secondly, until we are given
designated sites, we should be allowed to offer namaz in the open as we are
only offering prayers and do not want to hurt anyone’s sentiments.”
Members
said that they will also seek an appointment with Haryana chief minister and
appeal to him to grant them land for building mosques in Gurgaon as per town
planning guidelines. “We will also request for stern action against those who
are working towards disturbing the communal harmony of Gurugram.” said Ahmad,
adding that they are also seeking appointments with deputy chief minister
Dushyant Chautala and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
Ahmad
pointed out that they were forced to offer namaz in the open because the city
lacked mosques, particularly in newer parts of the city. “We have requested the
administration to provide us land in different parts of the city so that we can
build mosques. But till that happens, the authorities must ensure that namaz is
offered peacefully and no one is allowed to create a disturbance,” he said.
Yash
Garg, deputy commissioner of Gururgam, said that the administration will hold
meetings with both communities before coming up with a solution this month. “We
do not want to take any decision in haste, so we are working on all possible
solutions to resolve the problem. The members of the Muslim community are
meeting me on Monday and they want to discuss some plans to offer namaz at some
sites,” he said.
Muslim
members said they did not visit the Sector 12 site on Friday to avoid
confrontation with right-wing Hindu groups who participated in Govardhan puja
at the namaz site on Friday.
Meanwhile,
Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, the legal advisor for Sanyukt Hindu Sangarsh Samiti, a
Hindu group which organised the Govardhan puja at Sector 12 on Friday, said
that they will not disrupt namaz at any location for a month. “They have 30
days to make arrangements but once the deadline is over we will not let anyone
offer namaz in open.,” he said.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UP
Police Arrest Maulana Mohammed Umar Gautam’s Son Under the ‘Love Jihad’ Law
7th
November 2021
Hyderabad:
Abdullah, the son of prominent Muslim scholar Maulana Mohammed Umar Gautam, was
arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) under the states’
anti-conversion (or as it is popularly known) love jihad law on Sunday.
Abdullah
was arrested from Gautam Buddha Nagar and is currently being interrogated about
funding sources and links with other accused including his father in the case.
The state police have accused Muslim scholars and institutions of running
religious conversion syndicates across India.
At
least 17 Muslims have been arrested by the ATS in connection with the case so
far, including Maulana Umar Gautam, Abdullah, Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, Adam,
Arslaan Mustafa, Kaushar Alam, and Mohammad Hafiz Idris.
Abdullah’s
father and prominent Islamic scholar Umar Gautam was arrested on 20 June this
year.
Source:
Daily Siasat
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/up-police-arrest-maulanas-son-under-the-love-jihad-law-2221604/
--------
North America
Prohibitive
cost of war contributed to US withdrawal from Afghanistan, shows report
Anwar
Iqbal
November
8, 2021
WASHINGTON:
A nongovernmental estimate of US costs for the 20-year war in Afghanistan is
more than double the calculation made by the US Department of Defence (DOD),
says an official report.
The
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), an official
agency that reports directly to Congress, released its latest findings this
week, focusing on how the ever-soaring costs of war forced Washington to
reconsider its Afghan strategy.
The
report notes that the Brown University’s Costs of War Project in its latest
estimates put total costs of the 20-year (2001-2021) at $2.26 trillion. The
university’s prestigious Watson Institute for International Public Affairs sponsored
the project.
The
Watson report builds on DOD’s $933 billion Overseas Contingency Operations
(OCO) budgets and State’s $59 billion OCO budgets for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Unlike the DOD Cost of War Report, the Watson report adds what it considers to
be Afghanistan-related costs of $433 billion above DOD baseline costs, $296
billion in medical and disability costs for veterans, and $530 billion in
interest costs on related Treasury borrowing.
DOD’s
latest Cost of War Report, dated June 30, 2021, said its cumulative obligations
for Afghanistan, including US war fighting and reconstruction, had reached
$839.8 billion. Cumulative reconstruction and related obligations reported by
State, USAID, and other civilian agencies reached $49.7 billion.
The
SIGAR report notes that since 2002, Congress has appropriated more than $145.96
billion for reconstruction and related activities in Afghanistan, of which
nearly $110.26 billion was for six of the seven largest active reconstruction
accounts.
The
International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) reported cumulative
appropriations of $5.50 billion and $0.57 billion in funds remaining for
possible disbursement on June 30, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, approximately
$3.59 billion of the amount appropriated to these six reconstruction accounts
remained for possible disbursement. The fall of Kabul in August this year,
delayed both disbursements.Congress created the Afghanistan Security Forces
Fund (ASFF) to provide the Afghan National Defence Forces (ANDSF) with
equipment, supplies, services, training, and funding for salaries, as well as
facility and infrastructure repair, renovation, and construction.
Former
US president Donald Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021,
into law on December 27, 2020, which provided an appropriation of $3.05 billion
for ASFF for fiscal year 2021 and a rescission of $1.10 billion for ASFF for
fiscal year 2020, reducing the original appropriation from $4.20 billion to an
adjusted appropriation of $3.10 billion.
This
quarter, DOD reprogrammed nearly $1.46 billion from its ASFF FY 2020 and FY
2021 accounts to its Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA)
and Transportation Working Capital Fund (TWCF) accounts, providing funds for
evacuation from Afghanistan, and reducing ASFF FY 2020 and ASFF FY 2021
balances to more than $2.95 billion and nearly $1.74 billion, respectively.
As
of September 30, 2021, cumulative appropriations for ASFF stood at more than
$81.44 billion, with nearly $76.39 billion having been obligated, and nearly
$75.72 billion disbursed.
DOD
reported that cumulative obligations increased by $193.06 million during the
quarter ending September 30, 2021, and cumulative disbursements increased by
more than $514.60 million.
The
SIGAR report also includes a joint statement issued after a Sept. 8, 2021,
virtual meeting of the foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, Iran, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The statement affirms “the importance of
sustained international engagement on Afghanistan, especially in supporting its
humanitarian and development needs.”
Afghanistan’s
six neighboring states further expressed their “readiness to keep ports open
for Afghanistan and ensure the smooth cross-border flow of goods to facilitate
Afghanistan’s access to external support, in particular the transport of
humanitarian supplies, as well as to help Afghanistan strengthen economic and
trade connectivity with the regional countries.”
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Palestinians,
Israel spar over US mission in Jerusalem
November
8, 2021
TEL
AVIV: The Palestinians on Sunday slammed Israel for rejecting the promised
reopening of the US consulate in Jerusalem, a move that would restore
Washington’s main diplomatic mission for the Palestinians in the contested
city.
Israeli
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said late on Saturday there was no room in
Jerusalem for another American mission.
The
Trump administration shuttered the US Jerusalem consulate, an office that for
years served as the de facto embassy to the Palestinians. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken has pledged to reopen it, a move that Israel says would
challenge its sovereignty over the city. The reopening could help mend US ties
with the Palestinians ruptured under Trump.
In
a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it views the reopening of
the consulate as part of the international community’s commitments to ending
Israel’s decades-long occupation of territories the Palestinians seek for their
future state.
East
Jerusalem is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory and is
the capital of the state of Palestine. Israel, as the occupying power, does not
have the right to veto the US administrations decision, the statement said.
Asked
about the consulate at a press conference, Bennett repeated Israel’s position
on Jerusalem.
There’s
no room for another American consulate in Jerusalem, he said. Jerusalem is the
capital of one state and that’s the state of Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister
Yair Lapid suggested the consulate could instead be opened in the Palestinian
administrative center in Ramallah, West Bank. The Palestinians reject the idea
because it would undermine their claims to Jerusalem.
Israel
views Jerusalem as its eternal, undivided capital. The Palestinians seek the
eastern part of the city, which Israel occupied in 1967 and later annexed, as
capital of their hoped-for state.
The
consulate is emerging as another test between Bennett’s government and the
Biden administration, which has moved to restore traditional US foreign policy
towards Israel and the Palestinians after the Trump White House largely sided
with Israel on issues related to the conflict.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1656726/palestinians-israel-spar-over-us-mission-in-jerusalem
--------
US
condemns attack on Iraq PM as ‘apparent act of terrorism’
07
November ,2021
The
US condemned on Sunday the attack on Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi
and labeled it an “apparent act of terrorism”, State Department spokesman Ned
Price said.
“This
apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart
of the Iraqi state,” Price said in a statement.
“We
are in close touch with the Iraqi security forces charged with upholding Iraq’s
sovereignty and independence and have offered our assistance as they investigate
this attack,” he added.
Iraq’s
military said Kadhimi’s residence in Baghdad’s Green Zone was targeted by an
explosive-laden drone in a “failed assassination attempt”, but the PM was
unharmed.
Kadhimi
took to Twitter to say he was fine and call for restraint from the public.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Iraq
military: PM targeted in failed ‘assassination’ attempt, drone struck his house
07
November ,2021
Iraq’s
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was targeted in a “failed assassination
attempt” after an explosive-laden drone struck his residence in Baghdad, Iraqi
military said early Sunday.
Kadhimi
was unharmed in the attack and is in good health, the military said, adding
that it was taking the necessary measures in connection with the failed
attempt.
Kadhimi
took to Twitter soon after the attack and said he was fine and called for calm
and restraint from the public.
“The
rockets of treachery will not discourage the believers… The steadfastness and
insistence of our heroic security forces will not falter as they work to
preserve the security of the people, achieve justice and enforce the law,” he
said.
“I
am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint
from everyone, for the sake of Iraq,” Kadhimi added.
No
group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraqi
militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq says Kadhimi assassination attempt ‘fabricated’
07
November ,2021
The
assassination attempt on Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was
“fabricated”, Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq spokesperson
Mahmod al-Rubaeay said on Sunday.
“My
expectation is [that] it is a fabricated explosion… with the aim of covering up
yesterday's crimes and preoccupying public opinion,” Rubaeay said on Twitter.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Iraq’s
military said Kadhimi’s residence in Baghdad’s Green Zone was targeted by an
explosive-laden drone, but the PM was unharmed.
Kadhimi
took to Twitter to say he was fine and call for restraint from the public.
“I
am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint
from everyone, for the sake of Iraq,” Kadhimi said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Abu
Dhabi sets up dual English-Arabic language family court for non-Muslims
07
November ,2021
A
dual language court has been set up in emirate of Abu Dhabi to deal with family
matters for non-Muslims, the country’s President announced in a statement
carried by the official WAM news agency Sunday.
A
new law was passed to regulate personal status matters for non-Muslims in the
emirate – allowing divorced parents to share joint custody of their children.
Non-Muslims
will also be able to enter civil marriages in Abu Dhabi, the statement said.
Inheritance and alimony laws have also been amended.
The
new court will provide “a modern judicial umbrella for foreigners residing in
the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to resolve family disputes in a flexible manner in
line with international best practices,” the statement added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
‘Crazy
love:’ Lebanon slogan promotes tourism on back of crisis
07
November ,2021
Lebanon’s
tourism minister has announced a new slogan for the crisis-swept country that
aimed to portray the precarity of life there as a point of pride, roughly
translating to “I love you in your madness.”
Lebanon
is suffering a financial and economic meltdown which the World Bank has labeled
as one of the deepest depressions of modern history, compounded by the COVID-19
pandemic and a massive explosion at Beirut’s port that destroyed large parts of
the city and killed more than 215 people.
“This
will be our touristic identity that the world will see,” tourism minister Walid
Nassar said at a news conference on Thursday with other senior ministers in
Beirut.
The
slogan was developed cost-free for Lebanon by Dubai-based advertising company
TBWA, he said.
TBWA
chief creative officer Walid Kanaan said it was “near-impossible” to find ways
to market a country in the grip of multi-layered economic and political crises,
but that he had found inspiration in Lebanon’s people.
“This
is our country, a crazy country, crazy in its nightlife, crazy in its food and
generosity. And no matter how crazy the situation in Lebanon is, we can only
say, ‘we love you in your madness’,” Kanaan said, unveiling the slogan.
Originally
a lyric in a song by Lebanese star singer Fairuz released before the outbreak
of Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war, the new catchphrase will be displayed on planes
of Lebanon’s national carrier Middle East Airlines and used in social media
campaigns, Kanaan said.
The
official English translation will be “A crazy love.” Tourism, historically a
major component of Lebanon’s economy, has dramatically declined since late
2019.
Some
2 million tourists visited the country in 2018, according to the former tourism
minister, while media reports citing official figures suggest that numbers fell
to a few hundred thousand in 2020.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tension
rises in Iraq after failed bid to assassinate PM
08
November ,2021
The
failed assassination attempt against Iraq’s prime minister at his residence on
Sunday has ratcheted up tensions following last month’s parliamentary
elections, in which the Iran-backed militias were the biggest losers.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Helicopters
circled in the Baghdad skies throughout the day, while troops and patrols
deployed around Baghdad and near the capital’s fortified Green Zone, where the
overnight attack occurred.
Supporters
of the Iran-backed militias held their ground in a protest camp outside the
Green Zone to demand a vote recount. Leaders of the Iran-backed factions
converged for the second day on a funeral tent to mourn a protester killed
Friday in clashes with security. Many of the faction leaders blame the prime
minister for the violence.
Prime
Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi suffered a light cut and appeared in a televised
speech soon after the attack by armed drones on his residence. He appeared calm
and composed, seated behind a desk in a white shirt and what appeared to be a
bandage around his left wrist.
Seven
of his security guards were wounded in the attack by at least two armed drones,
according to two Iraqi officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to give official statements.
Al-Khadimi
called for calm dialog. “Cowardly rocket and drone attacks don’t build
homelands and don’t build a future,” he said in the televised speech.
Condemnation
of the attack poured in from world leaders, with several calling Al-Khadimi
with words of support. They included French President Emmanuel Macron, Jordan’s
King Abdullah II and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Saudi Arabia called
the attack an apparent act of “terrorism.” Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah
el-Sissi on Facebook urged all sides in Iraq to “join forces to preserve the
country’s stability.”
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken talked with al-Kadhimi on Sunday to relay US
condemnation of the attack and to underscore that the US partnership with the
Iraqi government “is steadfast,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Also
on Sunday, al-Khadimi met with Iraqi President Barham Salih and headed security
and Cabinet meetings.
A
security video showed the damage to his residence: A van parked outside the
residence badly mangled, a shallow crater near the stairs, cracks in the
ceiling and walls of a balcony and broken parts of the building’s roof. Two
unexploded rockets were filmed at the scene.
There
was no claim of responsibility, but suspicion immediately fell on Iran-backed
militias. They had been blamed for previous attacks on the Green Zone, which
also houses foreign embassies.
The
militia leaders condemned the attack, but most sought to downplay it.
It
was a dramatic escalation in the already tense situation following the Oct. 10
vote and the surprising results in which Iran-backed militias lost about
two-thirds of their seats.
Despite
a low turnout, the results confirmed a rising wave of discontent against the
militias that had been praised years before as heroes for fighting ISIS militants.
But
the militias lost popularity since 2018, when they made big election gains.
Many hold them responsible for suppressing the 2019 youth-led anti-government
protests, and for undermining state authority.
The
attack “is to cut off the road that could lead to a second al-Kadhimi term by
those who lost in the recent elections,” said Bassam al-Qizwini, a Baghdad
political analyst. “They started escalating first in the street, then clashed
with Iraqi Security Forces, and now this.”
On
Friday, protests by supporters of the pro-Iran Shia militias turned deadly when
the demonstrators tried to enter the Green Zone where they had been camped out,
demanding a recount.
Security
forces used tear gas and live ammunition. There was an exchange of fire in
which one protester affiliated with the militias was killed. Dozens of security
forces were injured. Al-Khadimi ordered an investigation.
“The
blood of martyrs is to hold you accountable,” said Qais al-Khazali, leader of
the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, addressing al-Kadhimi in recorded comments to
supporters. He blamed him for election fraud.
In
the strongest criticism of the prime minister, Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior
leader with one of the hardline pro-Iran militias, Kataib Hezbollah, questioned
whether the assassination attempt was really al-Kadhimi’s effort to “play the
role of the victim.”
“According
to our confirmed information no one in Iraq has the desire to lose a drone on
the residence” of al-Kadhimi, al-Askari wrote in a Twitter post. “If anyone
wants to harm this Facebook creature there are many ways that are less costly
and more effective to realize that.”
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh condemned the assassination
attempt on al-Khadimi and indirectly blamed the US.
The
escalation also reveals a level of nervousness among Iran and its allies as
they realize that political results don’t always translate into control, said
Joseph Bahout, a director of research at the American University of Beirut.
“This
is an act depicting fear of loss of control. Al-Khadimi is being now perceived
as a Trojan horse for more erosion of Iran’s grip on the country,” Bahout said.
Al-Kadhimi,
54, was Iraq’s former intelligence chief before becoming prime minister in May
last year. He is considered by the militias to be close to the US, and has
tried to balance between Iraq’s alliances with both the US and Iran.
Prior
to the elections, he hosted several rounds of talks between regional foes Iran
and Saudi Arabia in Baghdad in a bid to ease regional tensions.
Marsin
Alshamary, an Iraqi-American research fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School’s
Belfer Center, said the attack resurfaced the long-term challenge of how to
curb the powers of the militias without triggering a civil war.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iraqi
PM al-Kadhimi says he knows those behind assassination bid, will pursue them
07
November ,2021
Iraqi
Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said after chairing a security meeting on
Sunday that those behind an attempt on his life were well known and would be
exposed.
“We
will pursue those who committed yesterday’s crime, we know them well and we
will expose them,” he said according to a statement from the prime minister’s
office.
Three
drones were used in the attack, including two that were downed by security
forces while a third drone hit the residence, state news agency INA quoted an
interior ministry spokesman as saying.
Six
members of al-Kadhimi’s personal protection force stationed outside his residence
in the Green Zone were wounded, security sources told Reuters.
The
attack came two days after clashes in Baghdad between government forces and
supporters of Iran-backed political parties that lost dozens of parliamentary
seats after an Oct. 10general election. Most of the parties have armed wings.
President
Barham Salih condemned the attack as a heinous crime against Iraq. “We cannot
accept that Iraq will be dragged into chaos and a coup against its
constitutional system,” he said in a tweet.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Three
drones used in attack on Iraq PM, two shot down: Sources
07
November ,2021
The
attack on the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi early Sunday
was carried out using three drones, two of which were shot down, security
sources said.
They
were “launched from a site near Republic Bridge” which crosses the Tigris River
in Baghdad, before flying towards the Green Zone where Kadhimi lives, one
source said, confirming that “two drones were shot down”.
Kadhimi
later said in a video he was unhurt and appealed for “calm and restraint” after
a drone attack on his residence in Baghdad’s Green Zone early Sunday as
political tensions mount in the country.
“I’m
doing fine, praise be to God, and I call for calm and restraint on the part of
everyone for the good of Iraq,” Kadhemi wrote on Twitter, after what his office
called a “failed assassination attempt”.
Two
security sources earlier confirmed the attack in the heavily-guarded Green
Zone, which also hosts the US embassy and is frequently targeted by rocket
attacks.
A
large number of security forces were deployed in and around the Zone following
the attack, according to a security source.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
Coalition says 138 Houthis killed in target operations
07
November ,2021
The
Arab Coalition on Sunday said 138 Iran-backed Houthi militia members were
killed in 29 target operations in 24 hours, the official Saudi Press Agency
(SPA) reported.
“We
carried out 29 target operations of militia mechanisms and elements in al-Juba
and al-Kasara during the past 24 hours,” the coalition said in a statement.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Imam
of Al-Aqsa Condemns World’s Silence about Zionists’ Attacks on Muslim
Cemeteries
November
7, 2021
Sheikh
Akrama Sabri said that Zionist forces have attacked some 500 cemeteries in
occupied territories, slamming the international community’s silence about the
issue.
The
Imam and preacher of Al-Aqsa Mosque made the remarks while addressing a
symposium about the Israeli regime’s measures aimed to demolish Muslim graves
and Judaisation. The event was organized by Popular Conference for Palestinians
Abroad, the Palestine Information Center reported.
Sheikh
Sabri noted that the Israeli regime, in its latest aggression, is now attacking
the Yusufiya cemetery located east of the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound. The regime
is planning to build a biblical garden there and destroy the traces of Muslims
and scatter the bones of their dead.
The
demolition of the mosques, he continued, is an irrefutable document against
occupation and proves the historical presence of Palestinians in this land.
The
Israeli measures are blatant aggression against Muslim cemeteries because the
cemeteries host the body of Muslim figures, scholars, leaders, and officials
who have been laid to rest here throughout history.
“If
a single Muslim had attacked a Jewish cemetery, the whole world would have
protested; however, the Jews are now destroying our cemeteries.”
Israeli
authorities have been desecrating Muslim cemeteries for decades, including
through exhumations, excavation works that have uncovered bones, and
construction projects where graves once stood.
Source:
ABNA24
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Iranian
FM Warns of Ill-Wishers' Plot to Foment Insecurity in Iraq
2021-November-7
Amir
Abdollahian described the failed assassination attempt against al-Kadhimi as a
plot against the stability and security of the friendly country of Iraq, saying
that the drone attack was carried out by the ill-wishers in order to interrupt
the peace in Iraq.
Hussein,
for his part, voiced appreciation to his Iranian counterpart for the phone
call, and elaborated on the latest developments related to the incident to him.
He
also appreciated the Iranian President on behalf of al-Kadhimi for asking about
his health.
"No
one was hurt in the attack, and Iraqi officials are investigating the
issue," Hussein said.
Earlier
today, the Iranian foreign ministry had condemned the assassination attempt
against al-Kadhimi, stressing that it benefits those who have violated the
country's security and territorial integrity since 2003.
Iranian
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh in a statement on Sunday stressed
the firm and continuous stance of Iran in supporting stability and security in
this country.
He
called on the Iraqi citizens to be aware of the conspiracies that have targeted
Iraq's security and development, describing such incidents in the interests of the
parties that have violated the country's stability, security, independence and
territorial integrity over the past 18 years and by creating terrorist groups
have sought to achieve their sinister goals in the region.
Khatibzadeh
expressed satisfaction with the released news about Mustafa al-Kadhimi's health
after the assassination attempt, voicing hope that the Iraqi people, government
and political movements would contribute to the development and prosperity of
Iraq through unity and solidarity.
Also,
Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani had
also said that the Sunday attempt to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa
al-Kadhimi has been the product of foreign plotters.
"The
attempt to assassinate al-Kadhimi is a new plot that must be traced back to
foreign think tanks, which have brought nothing but insecurity, discord and
instability to the oppressed Iraqi people through creation and support of
terrorist groups and occupation of that country for years," Shamkhani wrote
on his twitter page on Sunday.
Al-Kadhimi
survived an assassination attempt after a drone laden with explosives targeted
his residence in the capital, Baghdad.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Senior
Commander Warns Enemies Not to Test Iran's Power
2021-November-7
The
enemies should refrain from testing the power of the Army and IRGC, General
Rashid said, addressing the Army commanders during the ‘Zolfaqar 1400’ military
drills on Sunday.
He
stressed the capabilities and combat readiness of the Iranian, and said,
"The Iranian Army and Armed Forces are always ready for a strategic,
operational and tactical confrontation with the aim of maintaining the
security, stability and territorial integrity of Iran against the coalition of
enemies (specifically the US-Zionist coalition)."
Iranian
Armed Forces, including IRGC and Army forces, will respond decisively to any
threats by any arrogant and aggressor power at any level and from the origin of
any country, General Rashid underlined.
He
stated that the Iranian Armed Forces have got familiar with the components of
power and the ways how to use them during the Iran-Iraq war, warning the
enemies to refrain from testing the strength of the will and power of the Army
and IRGC.
Iranian
Army's Deputy Commander for Coordination Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari
announced that the main phase of the Army's Zolfaqar 1400 drills would start on
Sunday with the participation of four units.
"The
main and operational phase of the Zolfaqar 1400 joint exercises of the Army of
the Islamic Republic of Iran will start on Sunday with the participation of the
Army's Ground, Air, Air Defense and Naval forces in an area of one million
square kilometers East of the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman and the North
Indian Ocean (up to 10 degrees orbit)," Rear Admiral Sayyari, also the
commander of the drills, said on Saturday.
He
added that the Army's infantry, armored and mechanized units, Air Defense, air
force defense systems, Navy's surface vessels and submarines, Army's Air
Force's fighters and drones have been deployed in the general zone of the
drills since days ago and have staged different exercises and the units will
carry out the main phases of the joint Zolfaqar 1400 wargames on Sunday,"
he added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000816000316/Senir-Cmmander-Warns-Enemies-N-Tes-Iran's-Pwer
--------
Chinese
FM Blames US for Problems in Implementation of N. Deal
2021-November-7
The
US is the root cause of problems in the JCPOA implementation, Wang said on
Saturday, expressing the hope that Washington would remove all sanctions it has
re-imposed on Tehran to make up for its past mistakes so that the upcoming
Vienna talks would lead to good outcomes amid Iran’s positive approaches.
He
added that his country welcomes the continuation of talks on sanctions removal.
Amir
Abdollahian, for his part, expressed the hope that the US and European parties
to a 2015 nuclear deal would pursue a realistic approach to the scheduled talks
later this month in Vienna so that the talks would culminate in results
quickly.
He
added that the US cannot claim to be interested in the talks while it is still
persisting on its failed ‘maximum pressure’ policy and economic terrorism
against Iran.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, the top Iranian diplomat also expressed confidence that Iran
and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would continue cooperation
within the framework of regulations and their agreements.
The
Iranian foreign minister thanked the Chinese government for sending 120 million
doses of coronavirus vaccine to Iran and said the two countries have growing
relations.
He
said Iran supports China’s Global Development Initiative, proposed by President
Xi Jinping at the General Debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations
General Assembly, and pledged cooperation with Beijing in this regard.
Amir
Abdollahian and Wang also discussed Tehran-Beijing relations and the latest
regional and international developments.
Iran
and six world powers, namely the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and
China, inked the JCPOA in July 2015. The agreement removed international
sanctions on Iran in exchange for certain limits on Tehran's nuclear
activities.
The
deal, however, was unilaterally abandoned by the US in 2018 despite Iran’s full
compliance with its nuclear undertakings, as repeatedly certified by the UN
nuclear agency. The US then unleashed a “maximum pressure” campaign against
Iran, which practically deprived the country of all of the deal’s economic
benefits.
Iran
fully honored its nuclear obligations for an entire year, after which it
decided to ramp up its nuclear work as a legal “remedial measure” against the
US violation of the deal and the abject failure on the part of the other
signatories, the E3 in particular, to safeguard its benefits.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
begins annual war games ahead of nuke talks with West
07
November ,2021
Iran’s
military began its annual war games in a coastal area of the Gulf of Oman,
state TV reported Sunday, less than a month before upcoming nuclear talks with
the West.
The
report said navy and air force units as well as ground forces were
participating in a more than 1 million square-kilometer (386,100 square-mile)
area east of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Nearly
20 percent of all oil shipping passes through the strait to the Gulf of Oman
and Indian Ocean.
The
drill comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US in the wake of
former President Donald Trump’s unilateral withdrawal of America from Iran’s
2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
State
TV said brigades including commandos and airborne infantry deployed for the
annual exercise. Fighter jets, helicopters, military transport aircraft,
submarines and drones were also expected to take part in the drill. It wasn’t
immediately clear how long the exercise would last.
Dubbed
“Zolfaghar-1400,” the war games are aimed at “improving readiness in
confronting foreign threats and any possible invasion,” state TV said.
US
officials said last week that Iran had seized a Vietnamese-flagged oil tanker
in the Gulf of Oman last month and was still holding the vessel in its port.
Iran
offered conflicting accounts of what happened, claiming that elite
Revolutionary Guard commandos had thwarted a US seizure of a tanker carrying Iranian
oil in the Gulf of Oman and freed the vessel. It aired dramatic footage on
state television but did not further explain the incident.
The
nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA,
promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for limits on its nuclear
program, and is meant to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.
After
the US withdrew from the deal in 2018 and restored sanctions on Iran, the
Islamic Republic gradually — and publicly — abandoned the deal’s limits on its
nuclear development.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
Algeria
President Tebboune says will not offer to make up with France
06
November ,2021
Algeria’s
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said on Saturday he would not make the “first
move” towards easing tensions with former colonial power France after critical
comments from Paris about his country.
The
diplomatic spat has been fueled by a visa row and media reports that President Emmanuel
Macron told descendants of fighters in Algeria’s 1954-1962 war of independence
that the North African country was ruled by a “political-military system” that
had “totally re-written” its history.
“Macron
completely pointlessly revived an old conflict,” Tebboune told German magazine
Der Spiegel.
“I
won’t be the one to make the first move” to ease tensions, he added.
“No
Algerian will accept it if I get in touch with those who insulted us.”
French
daily Le Monde in early October quoted Macron as saying: “Was there an Algerian
nation before French colonization? That’s the question.”
The
comments reflected “the old hatred of colonial masters, and I know that Macron
is far from thinking like this,” Tebboune said.
Algeria
has recalled its ambassador from Paris and banned French military planes from
its airspace over the tensions.
Asked
by Der Spiegel if the fallout was likely to be resolved any time soon, Tebboune
was defiant.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Libya’s
PM Dbeibah to run for president, as election turmoil grows
07
November ,2021
The
head of Libya’s national unity government plans to run for president next
month, according to a senior official, an apparent breach of a pledge to remain
neutral when he took office in March under a UN-backed peace process.
Abdulhamid
al-Dbeibah has become popular with big public spending programs after years of
civil war, and could be a frontrunner to win office as Libya’s first directly
elected head of state since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown a decade ago.
But
his decision could also add to political disputes over the election, which have
overshadowed the peace process. Dbeibah and other cabinet members had pledged
not to run for president when they were appointed to the Government of National
Unity, which replaced two rival administrations after years of war between
factions based in the east and west.
Dbeibah
“announced his intention to run for the upcoming presidential election,” the
senior official told Reuters, a day before registration for candidates
officially opens.
Other
potential candidates include Khalifa Haftar, the Eastern commander, and Saif
al-Islam Gaddafi, the former dictator’s son. Parliament head Aguila Saleh could
stand, as could powerful former Interior Minister Fathi
Bashagha.
A prominent comedian is among others who have already declared they will run.
Libya’s
rival political institutions remain divided over the election’s legal basis,
the rules governing candidacy and even the date.
The
electoral commission said that candidates for Libya’s presidential and
legislative elections slated for December 24 can start registering from Monday.
“This
is the real start of the electoral process,” aimed at turning the page on a
decade of violence in the North African country, the head of the commission
Imad al-Sayeh told reporters on Sunday.
“Candidate
registration for the presidential election will be open from November 8 to 22,
and from November 8 to December 7 for the legislative polls,” he added.
Rivals
As
premier, Dbeibah has won popularity through populist programs including
financial support for young people seeking marriage and investment across
Libya’s regions.
Those
moves have also drawn him into competition with other major players in Libyan
politics, including some of his potential rivals in the election.
Parliament
speaker Saleh orchestrated a vote of no confidence in Dbeibah’s government in
September, citing its spending plans.
Days
later Saleh signed an election law that was rejected by an advisory body called
the High State Council, after opponents said the law was passed improperly and
tailored to allow Saleh to run.
While
the law set Dec. 24 for the presidential vote, as envisaged by a UN-backed
roadmap, it said parliamentary elections would take place at a later date. The
UN Libya mission has said it is important for the president and
parliament
to be elected on the same day.
The
Presidency Council, a three-person body serving since March as Libya’s
transitional head of state, has said there must be consensus on the election
rules.
The
parliament’s election law also said candidates for president who already held
official posts must step down from them three months before the voting date.
Haftar and Saleh have both done so.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Libya
FM Minister Najla al-Mangoush suspended days before intl. conference
07
November ,2021
Libya's
presidential council has suspended Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush from her
duties and barred her from travel, a spokeswoman said Saturday, days before a
major international conference.
The
council opened an inquiry into alleged “administrative breaches” by Mangoush,
spokeswoman Najla Weheba told the Libya Panorama television channel, while
El-Marsad news website close to eastern-based Khalifa Haftar said she took
foreign policy decisions without consulting the council.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
PAS
Muktamar: Give women candidates opportunity to contest in GE15
07
Nov 2021
KUALA
TERENGGANU, Nov 7 — PAS needs to give the opportunity for more women candidates
to contest in the 15th General Election (GE15), said PAS Muslimat deputy chief
Dr Rosni Adam.
She
said this was not only to gain the attention and support of women voters who
made up almost 50 per cent of the total number of voters but also to enable the
group to fight in their own way.
“For
the Melaka state election, there is only one woman candidate out of the total
eight candidates, only 12.5 per cent.
“I
am confident, insya Allah, in GE15 the percentage will increase. Give us the
chance to fight for the religion of Allah through the women’s wing because we
know almost 50 per cent of voters out there are women of all ages,” she said
during the winding-up session of the 67th PAS Muktamar (general assembly) here
today.
Dr
Rosni said if PAS wanted to field young women candidates, the wing is ready to
cooperate and fulfil the set criteria.
“If
(the party) wants young women candidates, we can accommodate. We can give way
if the party wants fresh faces because the hand that rocks the cradle is also
able to defend Malaysia,” said Dr Rosni to thunderous applause from the
delegates present.
The
two-day PAS Muktamar themed ‘Islam Menyatukan Ummah’ was held in a hybrid
format that involves the physical attendance of 694 delegates while 852
delegates attended the assembly virtually.
Meanwhile,
during the same session, PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said all quarters
should not question the direction of the party’s relationship with Muafakat
Nasional and Perikatan Nasional which had been decided by PAS president Datuk
Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
“This
is not the time question over the direction. Give the mandate to the president.
Put your trust in one master to steer (the ship) because he knows where the
sharks and hurricanes are.
“If
everyone wants to be a negotiator, it is feared that there will be some
quarters who will sell the party’s name to others,” he said.
Ahmad
Fadhli added that when the country was facing political turmoil, PAS was the
only party that showed a high level of integrity by not jumping to other parties.
As
such, he suggested that PAS delegates and leaders continue to defend the party
by going down to the ground especially in reaching out to the young people.
“We
have to accept the fact that in GE15, (the voters) will start from 18 years
old. We have to have a suitable agenda for them and we must plan a clear
programme to gain their support,” he said.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Under
PAS rule, Kelantan needs to focus on bigger issues
November
8, 2021
Despite
facing socio-economic woes, Kelantan is a relatively tolerant and peaceful
state to live in. It is a predominantly Malay-Muslim state. About 95% of its
population are ethnic Malays, and under the Malaysian Constitution, all Malays
are Muslims. Therefore, Islam is the most influential religion in the state.
The
minority ethnic Thai inhabitants of Kelantan are mostly Buddhists. There are
over two hundred Buddhist temples in Kelantan, mainly concentrated in Tumpat.
Buddhism is evidently a visible religion. Hundreds of Thai wats can be found
and despite their large number, no Muslims in the state have thus far
desecrated any of these temples or harassed the Buddhist worshippers.
Much
of Chinese culture is preserved and practised, such as lion and dragon dances,
temple celebrations, eating bak chang, mooncake, pulut kuning and telur merah,
and praying to Datuk Gong.
Famous
Chinese villages have not been erased from the state map and this includes
Kampung Tok’kong (with a 300- year-old temple), Batu Jong and Kampung Jelatok.
Seng
Choon Keong temple, 25km from Kota Bharu, is approximately 300 years old. The
temple’s lion dance association tours the state every Chinese New Year to
conduct rituals aimed at driving away evil spirits and bad luck. No Muslims
have stopped, harassed or destroyed any of these Chinese celebrations and
historical relics.
The
Hindu temple in Tumpat (Sri Maha Muthu Mariamman Temple) still remains despite
there being only one or two Hindu families left in Tumpat. The Hindus, too,
perform their rites without being harassed.
The
Presbyterian and Roman Catholic Churches, built during the British era, are
among the few churches found in Kota Bharu.
The
Temiar Orang Asli, who have lived in the forests of Kelantan for thousands of
years maintain their traditional beliefs in their natural surroundings and
other forms of animist elements.
Kelantan
in effect shows an example of a Malaysian state in which different people can
live in peace and harmony.
When
the May 13 1969 incident saw bloodshed in Kuala Lumpur and some minor
skirmishes in other parts of the country, there was not even a single ugly
incident of the same in Kelantan.
Kelantan
has seen no stomping of cow heads in protest of a temple being built. No churches
were splashed with paint, desecrated or set on fire. No dead animals were
thrown or placed into a mosque.
The
people have lived harmoniously in the state for decades, some for many
centuries, without harping on trivial religious issues. As such, they want to
preserve the harmonious multiracial and multi-religious Kelantan.
Lagging
economically
However,
after more than three decades of being governed by PAS the state still lags
behind other states economically. Kelantan is the second poorest state in Malaysia.
Kelantan has also long failed to supply clean water to the people compared to
other states.
The
state also has a relatively high rate of rape cases as well as substance abuse
and drug peddling, and relatively high cases of divorce that end up with many
single parents, desertion of children and illiteracy among them.
The
Kelantan PAS government has now enforced 24 new provisions of the Syariah
Criminal Code for offences such as those that involve intercourse with corpses,
witchcraft, false allegations, attempts to leave Islam, distorting Islamic
teachings, and sexual intercourse with non-humans.
Will
this move resolve the people’s socio-economic problems?
The
incidents of unnatural sex are in all likelihood a rare thing. What more, the
shariah court has no jurisdiction as criminal offences are already under
federal law, including the crime of rape.
Setting
priorities
PAS
needs to know what to prioritise. To police the social lives of the people will
not resolve the state’s social and economic issues. Sentencing those who go
against their dress code will not make the people stay away from social
aberrances.
People
want clean tap water, employment and business prospects as well as decent
infrastructure facilities. These are areas that the PAS government should focus
on through proper economic planning as well as through progressive education
that could create better social awareness in society.
An
obsession with too many religious laws on the social milieu will not uplift
living standards.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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PAS
chief says party will act as kingmaker in Malaysian politics
Hazlin
Hassan
NOV
6, 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR - Malaysia's Islamist party became a member of the country's ruling
coalition for the first time in its history just last year and today has three
full Cabinet ministers, five deputy ministers and three chief ministers.
The
president of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), Abdul Hadi Awang, on Saturday (Nov
6) recounted at his party's annual congress how the 70-year-old party had
"created history" under his leadership, and that it will act as
kingmaker by uniting the Malay-Muslim parties.
"PAS
created history and returned an Islam-led government at the federal-level via
peaceful and democratic means from the Pakatan Harapan government, which won the
14th general election (2018) through lies that were spread to the people.
"PAS
successfully returned the government's leadership to one which is led by
Islam... It was brought about by the changes made through an approach to unite
Muslim-based parties that were awakened and repentant," Datuk Seri Hadi
said in his president's policy speech at the congress in the state capital of
Terengganu state.
Though
PAS has just 18 Members of Parliament - just 8.1 per cent in the 222-strong
Lower House - both key Malay-Muslim parties Umno and Parti Pribumi Bersatu
Malaysia (Bersatu) are constantly wooing PAS, which has strong grassroots
support among rural Malays.
Its
three menteri besars (chief ministers) are in the rural states of Kelantan,
Terengganu and Kedah.
With
campaigning for the Melaka state election starting next week (Nov 8) and
general election expected next year, the suitors have been constantly knocking
at the party's doors.
To
be sure, Malaysian politics in the last three years is easily confusing to outsiders,
with three prime ministers in the last three years.
Adding
to the mess, the votes of the Malay-Muslims, who form some 60 per cent of the
country's 32 million population, are broken up among not just Umno, Bersatu and
PAS, but also other Malay-led factions.
These
include Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) led by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim,
Pejuang led by ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad and Parti Amanah Negara led by
ex-PAS No. 2 Mohamad Sabu. Both PKR and
Amanah are members of the federal opposition alliance Pakatan Harapan (PH).
PAS
itself is often torn between siding with Umno, the established Malay
nationalist party but one led by leaders facing multiple corruption charges in
court, or with Bersatu, which is led by ex-premier Muhyiddin Yassin.
PAS
is a member of both the Umno-PAS grouping called Muafakat Nasional (MN) and Tan
Sri Muhyiddin's Perikatan Nasional (PN).
"These
two parties (Umno and Bersatu) have been united thanks to PAS' role in Muafakat
Nasional and PN, with PAS playing the role of peacemaker," Mr Hadi said.
"We must face the next general election with the unity that we are
building today. There should not be any conflict due to greed, selfishness or
resentment, that could lead to a repeat of the last election results."
Mr
Hadi, 74, on Saturday declared that for the Melaka state polls and the next
general election, PAS will team up with PN. But, at the same time, he is not
ruling out cooperating with MN.
Source:
Straits Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Govt
fails court bid to forfeit luxury items belonging to Najib, Rosmah and family
08
Nov 2021
BY
KENNETH TEE
KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 8 — The Malaysian government today failed to forfeit assets it
believes were bought with 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) money that had
been seized in 2018 from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and their children.
High
Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan said he found serious gaps in the elaboration
of events and the documents tendered in support of the allegations after
considering the numerous affidavits filed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers
(AGC).
“The
applicant had through various affidavits merely disclosed the movements of
monies deposited into and transferred out of the first respondent’s bank
accounts and other entities concerned,” the judge said in his ruling.
The
first respondent refers to Najib.
“It
is insufficient to just set out the movement of monies to prove the offence.
“No
doubt the huge amount of monies that went into the first respondent’s bank
account and monies taken out raises a big question mark but the courts do not
find guilt based on perceptions or suspicions.
“The
applicant have therefore failed to satisfy the necessary ingredients of Section
409 and Section 411 of the Penal Code in this application.
“There
would not be any proceeds of unlawful activities if the predicate offences have
not been proven,” he added.
However,
the judge also said his ruling is strictly confined to this application and no
other. He noted that the 1MDB trial is ongoing.
“The
failure of the applicant to prove the predicate offence allegely commited by
the first respondent and the other entities concerned should not be construed
to mean the first respondent and the other entities are not culpable for the
alleged shenanigans of 1MDB,” the judge said.
On
May 8, 2019, the AGC filed a notice of motion to forfeit hundreds of items,
allegedly linked to 1MDB scandal, including handbags of various brands and 27
vehicles seized from Najib, Rosmah, their three children, as well as 13
individuals and companies.
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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