Israel Court Allows Jewish Silent Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, Says, It Was Not a ‘Criminal Act’
New
Age Islam News Bureau
07
October 2021
Jewish worshippers, with police protection, visit
Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third-holiest site of Islam which is
also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, on 8 June 2021 (AFP)
-----
•
Malaysian Islamic Affairs Minister Confirms Bill to Control Non-Muslim
Religions
•
The Biggest Perpetrator and Supporter of Terrorism Masquerading As Its Victim:
India Slams Pakistan at UN
•
Why Imran Khan Must be Wary of Faiz Hameed, Who Could be Next Pakistan Army
Chief
•
Passport Office Reopening Gives Threatened Afghans Hope
Mideast
•
Iran UN Envoy: Terrorism Should Not Be Linked to Any Nationality, Religion
•
Spokesman: Vienna Talks Should Guarantee Iranians' Rights
•
Israeli archaeologists find ‘luxurious’ 2,700-year-old toilet in Jerusalem
•
Thousands of Palestinians in Gaza apply for Israeli work permits
•
Iran’s cyber-espionage poses threat to Israel, countries in the region: Report
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Royal Malaysia Police Investigating Viral Video Clip Of Preacher Insulting
Non-Muslim Faiths
•
Govt gives pledge on RUU355, bill to limit propagation of non-Muslim faiths
•
Fathers' rights association wants equal custody of children in Malaysian
divorce cases
--------
India
•
Muslims Revive Durga Puja in a Muslim Neighbourhood in the Heart of Kolkata
with Help from Hindu Families
•
2 teachers killed in terror attack in Srinagar
•
Probe ordered into AMU land lease
--------
Pakistan
•
Pakistan Army Replaces Powerful Spy Agency ISI Chief in Surprise Reshuffle
•
Pakistan Court Indicts Saba Qamar, Bilal Saeed for Shooting a ‘Dance Video’ In
Mosque
•
No Compromise on Khatm-e-Nubuwwat and Pakistan: MoS Parliamentary Affairs
•
At least 20 killed as 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocks parts of Balochistan
•
Bill to increase NA seats for ex-Fata likely after political consensus: speaker
--------
South Asia
•
Taliban Launches Operation against Daesh in Kabul's Paghman District
•
UN Calls On Donors to Scale up Life-Saving Response to Crisis in Afghanistan
•
Taliban say they captured four Islamic State members near Kabul after raid
•
Afghanistan’s Electricity Body to Sell Estate to Pay off Debt
•
Now in power, Taliban set sights on Afghan drug underworld
--------
Arab World
•
Grand Imam of Al Azhar Hails UAE's Support for Tolerance Values
•
Iran, Iraq exchange remains of 31 soldiers killed in 1980-88 war: ICRC
•
Saudi Arabia arrests two residents for collecting funds of unknown origin
•
Saudi air defences intercept Houthi drone targeting Abha airport, four injured
•
Arab Coalition destroys Houthi militia site used to launch booby-trapped drones
•
Arab Coalition intercepts three explosive-laden boats launched by Houthis in
Yemen
--------
Africa
•
Report: Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Threat to UK
•
Tunisia police seize equipment used by pro-Ennahda TV
•
Algeria tells France to ‘decolonize its history’ in new spat
•
Sudan's military asks premier to form new government
•
Islamist militants kill at least nine Malian soldiers
--------
North America
•
US Investigating Reports That Ghani Fled Kabul with Millions of Dollars: Official
•
Twenty-Six Art Works By Boxing Great Muhammad Ali Sell For Nearly $1 Mln
--------
Europe
•
War Games Stoke The Flames Of Enmity Between Caucasus Rivals Iran And
Azerbaijan
•
Briton charged with terror offenses after disappearing in Turkey
•
Moscow to host international talks on Afghanistan on Oct. 20
•
Germany repatriates 8 women, 23 children with ties to Daesh
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/israeli-court-jewish-al-aqsa-/d/125527
--------
Israel
Court Allows Jewish Silent Prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound, Says, It Was Not
a ‘Criminal Act’
6
October 2021
Jewish worshippers, with police protection, visit
Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third-holiest site of Islam which is
also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, on 8 June 2021 (AFP)
-----
In
a landmark decision on Wednesday, an Israeli judge ruled that silent prayer by
Jewish worshippers at al-Aqsa mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem was
not a "criminal act", according to Israel's Channel 7 news.
Justice
Bilha Yahalom of Jerusalem Magistrates' Court said Jewish prayer at the holy
site could not be considered a "criminal act" if it remained silent,
as it would not violate police instructions.
The
ruling came after a case was brought forward by Rabbi Aryeh Lippo contesting a
ban imposed by the police on his visits and prayers at the compound.
The
judge ordered Lippo be allowed to return to his prayer at the site in Occupied
East Jerusalem.
While
Jewish worshippers are allowed access to al-Aqsa compound, known to Jews as the
Temple Mount, they are not allowed to pray there.
Jordan,
which has managed the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf - or endowment - since 1948,
condemned the decision, stressing the Waqf held the sole legal authority to
administer the affairs of al-Aqsa.
"The
decision is a serious violation of the historical and legal status of al-Aqsa
Mosque," Jordan's foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement.
Meanwhile,
the Palestinian foreign ministry said the "unprecedented decision…
constitutes a flagrant aggression against the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque".
In
recent years the number of Jewish worshippers quietly praying on the site has
increased, despite the long-standing agreement banning the practice between
Jordanian authorities overseeing the compound and the Israeli government.
Heightened
tensions
A
growing far-right Jewish movement has been calling for Israel to take full
control of al-Aqsa, arguing that it should be an exclusively Jewish holy site.
Jewish
activists have repeatedly stormed the complex, prompting fears the Israeli
government would strengthen its control over the third-holiest site in Islam.
While
Muslim worshippers are often prevented from entering the complex, Israeli
security officials have often been seen protecting Jewish settlers in prayer
and blocking Muslim officials from interfering with Israeli visitors.
During
this year Jewish holiday of Passover, the al-Aqsa Mosque compound witnessed a
number of incidents viewed as attempts to breach the status quo on the site,
including Jewish worshippers praying and loudly reading the Torah at the site.
Al-Aqsa
mosque compound has been the site of rising tension between Palestinians and
Israeli activists this year.
A
raid by Israeli police on the mosque which left hundreds of Palestinians
wounded helped trigger an 11-day war in May between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in
May.
Last
month thousands of Israelis broke into the complex following the end of the
seven-day Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Activists
were joined by prominent members of the Israeli media, government ministers,
Knesset members and senior Israeli officials.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-aqsa-court-allows-jewish-silent-prayer
--------
Malaysian
Islamic Affairs Minister Confirms Bill To Control Non-Muslim Religions
07
Oct 2021
BY
KEERTAN AYAMANY
DAP’s Lim Guan Eng noted that Wan Junaidi
previously denied that the Bills were on the cards and downplayed the
perception that they would diminish constitutional freedoms, especially to
those of non-Muslim faiths. ― Bernama pic
------
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 7 — DAP’s Lim Guan Eng today urged de facto Law Minister Datuk Seri
Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar to clarify his position on the government’s plan to
introduce two new Islamic laws that critics say affect religious freedom in
Malaysia.
The
Bagan MP noted that Wan Junaidi previously denied that the Bills were on the
cards and downplayed the perception that they would diminish constitutional
freedoms, especially to those of non-Muslim faiths.
“Wan
Junaidi should clarify, especially when the Sabah and Sarawak state governments
have openly declared their opposition towards PAS proposals,” Lim said in a
statement.
Lim
was referring to two government proposals — the Syariah Courts (Criminal
Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Bill 2016, better known as RUU355, and the Control on
the Propagation of non-Muslim Religions Bill.
Wan
Junaidi was reported by several news outlets as saying on September 7 that
several Islamic Bills that had been talked about had not yet been raised in
Cabinet meetings.
The
Santubong MP from Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu also reportedly said that
even if they were tabled in Parliament, the proposed laws must first have the
consent of all the respective state Rulers as Islam is under state
jurisdiction.
Islamic
Affairs Minister Idris Ahmad who is also PAS vice-president yesterday confirmed
the Control on the Propagation of non-Muslim Religions Bill will be tabled in
Parliament, but said it is not intended to restrict religious freedom among
non-Muslims as they can proselytise their faiths among themselves.
However,
Lim claimed PAS has adopted a hostile stance towards non-Muslims since the
death of Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who was its spiritual adviser.
“Further,
PAS’ brand of extremism is highlighted by their support of the Taliban
government in Afghanistan, which denies educational and employment
opportunities to women.
“For
Idris Ahmad to claim that this proposed new legislation will only be enforced
on Muslims, such as the bill to restrict the propagation of non-Islamic
religions, reminds us of the justification by religious extremist preacher
Syakir Nasoha, spreading lies against non-Muslims, that his insulting and
derogatory remarks against non-Muslims, were meant only for Muslims,” he added.
Lim
pointed out that questions will continue to be asked about such law proposals
and whether they contravene the Federal Constitution?
In
August, PAS International Affairs and Foreign Relations committee chairman
Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi took to Twitter to “congratulate the people of
Afghanistan and the Taliban-led government for their victory” after the Taliban
took control of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul.
Last
week, a video of Kedah-based preacher Syakir Nasoha — where amongst other
things, he asserted that non-believers were “rushing” to kill Muslims — went
viral on social media, causing public outrage and multiple police reports have
been lodged against him.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
The
biggest perpetrator and supporter of terrorism masquerading as its victim:
India slams Pakistan at UN
Oct
7, 2021
UNITED
NATIONS: Pakistan is the biggest perpetrator and supporter of terrorism and
masquerades as its victim and should stop cleansing its own minorities
including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists, India has said in a strong
response slamming Islamabad for again raking up the Kashmir issue at the UN.
Emphasising
that the fight against terrorism has to be unrelenting and across all fronts,
Counsellor/Legal Adviser at India's Permanent Mission to the UN Dr Kajal Bhat
said that all member states must fulfil their obligations enshrined in
international counter-terrorism instruments and conventions.
“…let
me express my dismay that Pakistan has once again misused this august forum to
repeat at adnauseam their litany of lies,” Bhat said at the General Assembly
6th committee (Legal) meeting on ‘Measures to eliminate international
terrorism'.
“Here
is the biggest perpetrator and supporter of terrorism masquerading as its
victim. We condemn their Pavlovian response wherever the name of India is
mentioned and reject all their allegations and insinuations," she said on
Wednesday.
India's
strong response came after Pakistan's UN envoy Munir Akram again raked up the
issue of Kashmir at the Sixth Committee meeting and made baseless allegations
against India in his remarks.
"Jammu
and Kashmir is, and will always be a part of India," she said.
"We
call on Pakistan to stop cleansing their own minorities including Hindus,
Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and others,” Bhat said.
While
some states lack the legal-operational frameworks and necessary Combating of
Financing of Terrorism (CFT) capacities, others are "clearly guilty of
aiding and supporting terrorism by providing financial assistance and safe
havens to terrorists," Bhat said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
"We
must enhance capacities of the former, but must collectively call out the
latter and hold them accountable,” she said.
Bhat
said terrorism continues to persist globally, spreading into new areas, with
terrorists having significantly enhanced their capabilities by gaining access
to new and emerging technologies like drones, virtual currencies and encrypted
communications for furthering their objectives and accomplishing their evil
acts.
“Covid-19
pandemic has further aggravated the situation. Isolation due to lockdown,
distress and economic uncertainty has made the world more susceptible to
radicalizing narratives and violent extremist propaganda,” she said.
Asserting
that terrorists at one place are a “threat" to the whole world, Bhat said
fighting terrorism collectively requires “action from all of us, without any
exception.”
She
underscored India's condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations and firm belief that there cannot be any exception or justification
for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivations behind such acts, and
wherever, whenever and by whomsoever, they are committed.
“There
cannot be bad terrorists or good terrorists based on their intensions or
objectives.”
A
member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), India is already in the
process of upgrading its Financial Intelligence Network to ensure quicker
referral of terror-financing cases to law enforcement agencies, she said.
India
reiterated the need for early finalisation of the Draft Comprehensive
Convention on International Terrorism, saying the UN needs to do more in this
direction.
“We
believe that when right action is not taken at the right time, then it is time
itself that causes the action to fail,” Bhat said, strongly calling on states
to unite in efforts and end the stalemate preventing the adoption of the
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).
“We
all need CCIT as a law enforcement instrument that should strengthen the
existing framework of global anti-terrorism conventions,” she said.
India
expressed hope that the UNGA Resolution of December 2020 that recommends to
Sixth Committee to establish the “Working Group” with a view to finalising the
process on the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism will
“bring finality to the most important task in hand before the international
community.”
Welcoming
the adoption of the 7th review resolution of the Global Counter Terrorism
Strategy (GCTS) by the General Assembly by consensus in June 2021, Bhat
expressed hope that the member states will “walk the talk” and implement the
strategy by taking effective measures.
India
had contributed constructively to the GCTS negotiations, especially to
strengthen the language on countering the financing of terrorism, prevention of
misuse of emerging technologies, strengthen the rights of victims of terrorism,
providing greater financial resources to the UN counter-terrorism architecture
and obligations of member states to take effective measures to prevent terrorist
activities.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Why
Imran Khan Must be Wary of Faiz Hameed, Who Could be Next Pakistan Army Chief
OCTOBER
07, 2021
The
equivalent of a Cabinet reshuffle in India is the reshuffle of the military top
brass in Pakistan. No surprise then that even a routine reshuffle of the top
command and staff positions in the Pakistan Army invites so much attention.
More than anything else, this is a statement on who calls the shots in each of
these two countries. The appointment of ISI chief Lt General Faiz Hameed as a
Corps Commander is, therefore, nothing out of the ordinary.
It
is a routine transfer and wasn’t entirely unexpected. The only reason why it is
inviting so much attention is that this gives Hameed a shot at becoming the
Army Chief next year when the current incumbent General Qamar Bajwa’s term
ends. Without having commanded a Corps for at least a year, Hameed wouldn’t
have been eligible for the top job in Pakistan. But whether or not he gets the
job is far from certain.
For
one, there is speculation that Bajwa might well seek another extension. While
that looks a bit difficult right now, it cannot be entirely ruled out. But
assuming Bajwa condescends to retire, Hameed will be number four in the
seniority list. That doesn’t mean much because in Pakistan the senior-most
three-star general becoming the chief is more of an exception than the rule.
The
last senior-most Lt General who became chief was Jehangir Karamat. His
successor Pervez Musharraf superseded three Lt Generals to become chief.
Musharraf’s successor Ashfaq Kayani, his successor Raheel Sharif and even Bajwa
superseded senior three-stars to become chief. Going by that record, Hameed is
well placed to become chief, assuming Imran Khan is still the prime minister
when the time comes to pick Bajwa’s successor just over a year from now.
The
fact that Hameed is in the good books of Imran is hardly a secret. But to
imagine that because he is a loyalist, or if you will a Youthia (a pejorative
term for the cult of Imran’s followers), he will be Imran’s man as chief is a
mistake that many prime ministers in Pakistan have made. The thing is that in
Pakistan, prime ministers appoint their own boss—the Army chief.
The
moment someone becomes chief, he becomes his own man. That is the nature of the
job. Every prime minister thinks he is appointing his man as Army chief.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto superseded seven generals to appoint an obsequious
Zia-ul-Haq and then got hanged by him.
Nawaz
Sharif appointed five of them and had problems with all of them — Asif Nawaz
Janjua who died in the saddle before he could get rid of Nawaz Sharif, Abdul
Waheed Kakar who forced Nawaz to resign, Jehangir Karamat who was the only
gentleman who quit after differences with Nawaz Sharif, Pervez Musharraf who
did a coup and imprisoned Nawaz Sharif, Raheel Sharif who had serious tensions
but did not depose Nawaz Sharif, and Qamar Bajwa who engineered the judicial
coup to get rid of Nawaz Sharif.
The
Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] gave an extension to Kayani who in his second term
almost got rid of the government over a cooked-up Memogate scandal. Therefore,
if Imran thinks he will have a smooth ride with Hameed, he has another thought
coming.
Imran
would, of course, think that since Hameed was instrumental in his ‘selection’
in the 2018 elections, he will ensure his victory in the 2023 general elections.
In 2018, Hameed was Deputy DG ISI in charge of internal security but played the
same role in the election that brought Imran into power that in 2002 was played
by Major General Ehtesham Zamir who ensured the formation of the Pakistan
Muslim League {Q} [PMLQ] government by a single vote.
He
intimidated candidates to change loyalties or refuse tickets of Nawaz Sharif’s
Pakistan Muslim League {N} [PMLN], forced some candidates to withdraw from the
election [remember when the Department of Agriculture became a euphemism for
the ISI?], engineered splits in PMLN and other parties and corralled candidates
and electives to PTI, created a new front in South Punjab to cut into PMLN
votes and then got all these guys to merge their front in PTI. He was instrumental
in the rise of the Barelvi extremist party Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan which was
supposed to cut into the votes of PMLN, he is accused to have ensured that the
election transmission system RTS crashed which made it easy to rig the election
results.
The
services rendered by Hameed were not his personal decision but that of the
Pakistan Army that placed its bets on getting Imran Khan into the saddle. In
2023, the Army might not want Imran back. The experience of the last three
years has boomeranged on the Army which is getting all the flak for inflicting
a disastrous and utterly incompetent man like Imran Khan on the country. If the
public mood is ugly, it is unlikely the Army will risk backing Imran Khan
regardless of how much Hameed likes him.
A
lot will depend also on whether Bajwa decides to shaft Hameed. Postings and
transfers in the Army are the prerogatives of the chief. If Hameed’s tenure as
Corps Commander XI Corps (Peshawar) is cut short, it would remove him from the
race.
Of
course, it is probably a bit far-fetched to think Bajwa would do any such thing
especially since the XI Corps is right now probably the most important Corps as
it deals with Afghanistan. Hameed’s stint in the ISI during which he would have
developed very close contacts with the Taliban, especially the Haqqanis who are
the real rulers of Afghanistan, is probably the reason why he was picked for
the Peshawar Corps.
But
this will not be a cakewalk because no one knows how things will play out in
Afghanistan and inside Pakistan, what with the spike in terror attacks by the
TTP. As the XI Corps Commander, Hameed along with his successor in ISI will be
pivotal players in the ‘peace negotiations’ with some of the Pakistani Taliban.
How he handles this will be critical for not just his future but also for
Pakistan’s. There will also be the issue of a possible fallout of the meltdown
in Afghanistan that will spill over into Pakistan.
The
professional side of Hameed will of course be important in determining his
future. But his personal side, including his peccadilloes, will also have some
bearing on whether or not he becomes chief.
His
sexual indiscretions—he is believed to have been shot by his wife who
discovered his affair with someone—might well be overlooked by Imran who is
himself no spring chicken when it comes to affairs. But Hameed doesn’t enjoy a
good reputation within his own military fraternity.
Add
to this the fact that just a day earlier the bête noire of the Pakistan Army,
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, filed a petition in which she has dragged in Hameed, who
had been accused by a deposed Islamabad High Court Judge Shaukat Siddiqui of
trying to influence him to convict Nawaz Sharif. While no one expects this
petition to succeed — it is Pakistan, stupid! Generals don’t suffer adverse verdicts
from courts — it nevertheless adds to Hameed’s notoriety.
The
thing is that if Hameed stays in the race by the time the successor of Bajwa
has to be picked, Imran Khan would be smart to drop him and pick a more
non-political general. Hameed has shown himself to be a sort of ambitious and
political general who will not hesitate to usurp power if the opportunity
presents itself, as it might well if Imran Khan’s popularity continues to
plummet or if widespread disturbances break out because the 2023 polls are
rigged. In the event, Imran Khan might well end up as a Bhutto and Hameed as a
clone of the obsequious but ruthless and cunning Zia-ul-Haq.
Source:
News18
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Passport
office reopening gives threatened Afghans hope
Oct
6, 2021
KABUL:
The reopening of the passport office in Kabul on Wednesday gave some Afghans
who feel threatened under Taliban rule fresh hope they may soon be able to
escape the country.
Hundreds
of people flocked to the department to apply for travel documents in a test of
the new Afghan government's commitment to the international community to allow
eligible people to leave.
"I'm
trying to run away," said Mohammad Hanif, who said he was an interpreter
for the US special forces in the south of the country from 2009 to 2013.
Like
many Afghans who worked for US and allied forces following the 2001 invasion,
Hanif fears the Taliban will take revenge if they find him, so is desperate to
flee.
"I
have a stress right now," Hanif said in English. "Because also I live
in Helmand province -- it's very dangerous."
The
32-year-old was among those who went to the passport office in Kabul as it
opened for the first time since the Taliban seized power in mid-August.
A
day earlier the Taliban had announced that all staff -- including female
employees -- had been asked to return to their offices as the new government
tries to kickstart the country's flailing infrastructure.
Hanif
said he first applied for his passport four months ago, but only managed to
complete the application on Wednesday and will collect the document in a couple
of days.
The
former interpreter said he has a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) for the United
States and plans to move there with his wife and two children.
He
said he first tried to leave Afghanistan during the chaotic US-led evacuation
operation in August, but could not get into Kabul airport.
"When
the Taliban took over the country, especially the capital, everyone tried to go
to the airport," he told AFP outside the passport office, clutching his
paperwork.
"I
got an email and phone call from my mentor as well to get my ass to the
airport, so I went there.
"There
were a lot of people, a lot of crowds. I couldn't make it."
Since
then, Hanif told AFP he is being hunted in Helmand province by the Taliban who
accuse him of stealing weapons and a vehicle from the government.
"Yesterday
I got a call... and they're trying to catch me," he said.
"They're
calling me directly to bring those things back. I told them that I didn't take
anything. I'm not in the government. I was an interpreter."
Until
he manages to board a flight, Hanif said he is "hopeless".
"I
can't move around. I stay in Kabul, because people up here don't know me.
That's why I'm here."
The
Taliban have been trying to get government employees back to work, but civil
servants have gone months without salaries.
The
head of the passport department, Alam Gul Haqqani, said passport office staff
were being paid and separate offices had been created for women and men in
accordance with the Taliban's view of Islamic law.
"There
is no problem," he said. "Both female and male employees are back at
work."
Haqqani,
who said the office is able to issue about 6,000 passports a day, told AFP the
"great mass of people flocking for passports will not cause any negative
effect".
Meanwhile,
a sixth passenger flight left Kabul airport to Doha on Wednesday, a senior
Qatari government official said.
The
flight carrying more than 300 passengers included Afghan journalists as well as
citizens from countries all around the world.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Iran
UN Envoy: Terrorism Should Not Be Linked to Any Nationality, Religion
2021-October-6
Ershadi
made the remarks at the 6th Committee of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on
Wednesday on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) entitled 'Measures for
Eradication of International Terrorism'.
Ershadi
reiterated that terrorism must not and cannot be tied to any religion and
nationality and used to justify terrorism or counter-terrorism actions
including interference in the privacy of individuals.
The
full text of the Iranian envoy's speech at the UN is as follows:
Thank
you, Madam Chairperson,
I
have the honor to speak on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.
At
the outset, I would like to congratulate you for your well-deserved election.
Allow me to assure you of the Non-Aligned Movement’s fullest cooperation and
support throughout the work of the Sixth Committee.
The Non-Aligned Movement unequivocally rejects
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as all acts, methods and
practices of terrorism wherever, by whomever, against whomsoever committed,
including those in which States are directly or indirectly involved, which are
unjustifiable whatever the considerations or factors that may be invoked to
justify them.
All
such acts are condemned as criminal. In this context, NAM members reaffirm
their support for the provisions contained in General Assembly resolution 46/51
of 9 December 1991 and other relevant United Nations resolutions.
The
Non-Aligned Movement reaffirms that terrorist acts constitute a flagrant
violation of international law, including international humanitarian and human
rights law, in particular the right to life, leading to the lack of the full
enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms of peoples.
Such
acts endanger the territorial integrity and stability of States as well as
national, regional and international security, destabilize legitimately
constituted governments or the prevailing constitutional order and political
unity of States, affect the stability of nations and the very basis of
societies, create adverse consequences on the economic and social development
and cause the destruction of the physical and economic infrastructure of
States.
The
NAM reiterates its respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and political
independence of all States in accordance with the UN Charter.
We
would like to stress that terrorism should not be equated with the legitimate
struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation,
for self-determination and national liberation.
The
brutalization of peoples remaining under foreign occupation should continue to
be denounced as the gravest form of terrorism, and the use of State power for
the suppression and violence against peoples struggling against foreign
occupation in exercising their inalienable right to self-determination should
continue to be condemned.
The
Movement reaffirms its principled position under international law and in
accordance with General Assembly resolution 46/51 of 9 December 1991 as well as
other relevant UN resolutions on the legitimacy of the struggles of people
under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for national
liberation and self-determination.
Furthermore,
terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality,
civilization or ethnic group, and these attributions should not be used to
justify terrorism or counter-terrorism measures that include, inter alia,
profiling of terror suspects and intrusion on individual privacy.
Conscious
of the need to take speedy and effective measures to eliminate international
terrorism, the Movement urges all States, consistent with the UN Charter, to
fulfill their obligations under international law and international
humanitarian law in combating terrorism, including by prosecuting or, where
appropriate, extraditing the perpetrators of terrorist acts; by preventing the
organization, instigation or financing of terrorist acts against other States
from within or outside their territories or by organizations based in their
territories; by refraining from organizing, instigating, assisting, financing
or participating in terrorist acts in the territories of other States; by
refraining from encouraging activities within their territories directed
towards the commission of such acts; by refraining from allowing the use of
their territories as sanctuaries and safe havens or for planning, training or
financing for such acts; or by refraining from supplying arms or other weapons
that could be used for terrorist acts in other States.
The
Non-Aligned Movement rejects actions and measures, the use or threat of use of
force, imposed or threatened to be imposed, by any State against any
Non-Aligned Member Country under the pretext of combating terrorism or to
pursue its political aims, including by directly or indirectly categorizing
them as terrorism sponsoring-States.
Furthermore,
the NAM totally rejects the unilateral preparation of lists accusing States of
allegedly supporting terrorism, which are inconsistent with international law
and constitute on their part a form of psychological and political terrorism.
The
Non-Aligned Movement calls upon all States to condemn any form of, and refrain
from extending, political, diplomatic, moral or material support for terrorism.
The
NAM urges all States, consistent with the UN Charter and in fulfilling their
obligations under international law, to ensure that refugee status or any other
legal status is not abused by the perpetrators, organizers or facilitators of
terrorist acts and that claims of political motivation by them are not
recognized as grounds for refusing requests for their extradition.
The
Movement expresses grave concern over the acute and growing threat posed by
foreign terrorist fighters, namely, individuals who travel to a State other
than their States of residence or nationality for the purpose of the
perpetration, planning, preparation of, or participation in terrorist acts, or
providing or receiving terrorist training, including in connection with armed
conflict.
In
this context, the Movement emphasizes the need for States to address this
issue, including through the implementation of their international obligations,
and underlines the importance of United Nations capacity-building and
facilitation of capacity-building in accordance with existing mandates to assist
States, including those in the most affected regions, upon their request.
The
Movement expresses deep concern over the misinterpretation and the
misrepresentation of religions by terrorist groups to justify terrorism in all
its forms and manifestations as well as violent extremism conducive to
terrorism, all in an effort seeking to instill hatred in the hearts and minds
of the youth while justifying and glorifying brutality and violence.
In this regard, it is imperative to
effectively counter the narratives of terrorism through a comprehensive and
international framework with an effective and comprehensive method aimed at
addressing all of its root causes, including through the engagement of
community leaders and clerics from all denominations,
The
Movement also calls upon all States to respect all human rights and fundamental
freedoms while countering terrorism and to reaffirm their commitment in this
respect to prevent human rights violations in consistency with the rule of law
and their obligation under international law, in particular international human
rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law and in
accordance with relevant General Assembly resolutions.
We call upon the Security Council sanction
committees to further streamline their listing and delisting procedures to
strengthen due process and the rule of law through an independent, transparent
and permanent position of the ombudsperson.
The
Non-Aligned Movement reiterates its call for an International Summit Conference
under the auspices of the UN to formulate a joint organised response of the
international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,
including identifying its root causes.
We
further reiterate the importance of the conclusion of a Comprehensive
Convention for Combating International Terrorism, noting the negotiations in
the Ad Hoc Committee established by General Assembly Resolution 51/210 of 17
December 1996, for the elaboration of a Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism and the continuing efforts to that end, including
during the intersession period, and we call upon all States to cooperate in
resolving the outstanding issues.
The
Movement reaffirms the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy as well
as the Member States’ primary responsibility to execute the aforementioned
Strategy and calls for its transparent and comprehensive implementation,
including through cooperation with the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT)
and the UN Centre for Counter Terrorism (UNCCT). We look forward to receiving
the contributions of the UNOCT aimed towards bringing more coherence and
effectiveness to the activities carried out by the UN in the counter-terrorism
sphere. This includes the assistance it can provide in addressing such issues
upon the request of Member States’ capacity-building needs while underscoring
that such assistance must be tailored to the specific needs and realities of
the concerned state and that it shall take into account the centrality of
national ownership.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Spokesman:
Vienna Talks Should Guarantee Iranians' Rights
2021-October-6
"Our
sole aim is to ensure talks will secure our rights, including sufficient
guarantees that the US will actually stick to the deal this time,"
Khatibzadeh tweeted.
In
relevant remarks in late September, Khatibzadeh blasted the US for its
dishonesty in the nuclear deal talks, and said that Tehran will merely take
part in result-oriented talks in a bid to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan
of Action (JCPOA).
“Only
Iran speaks for Iran. Our mandate is to engage in only RESULTS-oriented
dialogue,” Saeed Khatibzadeh tweeted.
He
underlined that talks for sake of talks is non-starter, and said, "So is fallacy
that #EconomicTerrorism works."
"High
time for the party that unilaterally left JCPOA—to wake up to NEW
reality," he added.
In
a relevant development in late September, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir
Abdollahian in a meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in New
York cast doubt about seriousness of US President Joe Biden administration's
decision to return to the JCPOA.
During
the meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New
York, Amir Abdollahian said that Iran's new administration is
"pragmatic" and considers negotiations as an important tool of
diplomacy.
The
Iranian foreign minister expressed his regret over non-compliance of the United
States and three European countries involved in nuclear talks, including
France, the UK and Germany to live up to their obligations under JCPOA.
He
reiterated that practical and tangible results for Iranian people are of
paramount importance with regards to returning to JCPOA talks.
The
two sides also discussed bilateral issue and the latest situation in
Afghanistan.
Describing
that France is vehemently interested in expanding its relations with Iran, Le
Drian, for his part, said that that recent phone talk between Iranian President
Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron show the
importance that the two sides attach to bilateral relations.
Le
Drian agreed with the principled position of Iran on the need to form an
inclusive government and prevent the spread of terrorist acts in Afghanistan and
stressed the need to help refugees in Afghanistan's neighboring countries.
In
a relevant development in mid-September, Amir Abdollahian in a meeting with his
Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis criticized Washington for its dishonesty in
the nuclear deal talks, and called on the US to change its approach.
During
the meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Amir Abdollahian
referred to the stable and good ties between the two countries, saying,
"We want to expand bilateral relations more than before and see the vast
presence of Swiss firms in Iran's economic and development projects. There are
many grounds for developing relations between the two countries."
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000714000304/Spkesman-Vienna-Talks-Shld-Garanee-Iranians'-Righs
--------
Israeli
archaeologists find ‘luxurious’ 2,700-year-old toilet in Jerusalem
07
October ,2021
Israeli
archaeologists have found a rare ancient toilet in Jerusalem dating back more
than 2,700 years, when private bathrooms were a luxury in the holy city,
authorities said Tuesday.
The
Israeli Antiquities Authority said the smooth, carved limestone toilet was
found in a rectangular cabin that was part of a sprawling mansion overlooking
what is now the Old City. It was designed for comfortable sitting, with a deep
septic tank dug underneath.
“A
private toilet cubicle was very rare in antiquity, and only a few were found to
date,” said Yaakov Billig, the director of the excavation.
“Only
the rich could afford toilets,” he said, adding that a famed rabbi once
suggested that to be wealthy is “to have a toilet next to his table.”
Animal
bones and pottery found in the septic tank could shed light on the lifestyle
and diet of people living at that time, as well as ancient diseases, the
antiquities authority said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Thousands
of Palestinians in Gaza apply for Israeli work permits
06
October ,2021
Thousands
of Gazans applied Wednesday for work permits for Israel, which has been
reopening its gates to laborers from the Palestinian enclave following the
latest war in May.
In
Jabalia, a refugee camp in northern Gaza, a crowd of men holding their identity
papers lined up hoping to obtain a permit to work in Israel, AFP journalists
said.
“There
is no work in the Gaza Strip,” said Fathi Abu Nur, a 40-year-old unemployed
man.
“Yesterday
I heard that workers are registering to get permits (for Israel),” he said.
“I
hope things will get better because the current situation is really difficult,”
the father of five said.
The
total number of permits being granted by Israel to Palestinian laborers in Gaza
is 7,000, an Israeli security official told AFP, up from 5,000 workers and
traders allowed in August.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran’s
cyber-espionage poses threat to Israel, countries in the region: Report
06
October ,2021
By
stealing sensitive information from states, Iran’s cyber-espionage poses a
threat to countries in the Middle East region, including Israel, according to a
recent report by cybersecurity company Cybereason.
Cybereason,
a cybersecurity technology company, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts,
published a report on Wednesday detailing an Iranian-based group’s operations
targeting the US, Russia, Europe, Israel, and the Middle East.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
group nicknamed “MalKamak,” targets companies including those in the telecom
and aerospace sectors, according to Cybereason and media reports.
According
to Cybereason, their research “resulted in the identification of a new Iranian
threat actor dubbed MalKamak that has operated since at least 2018 and remained
publicly unknown thus far.”
“The
investigation draws possible connections to other Iranian state-sponsored
threat actors including Chafer APT (APT39) and Agrius APT [Advanced persistent
threat],” the report added.
Cybereason
reported that Chafer APT has been active since at least 2014 and is believed to
be linked to the Rana Intelligence Computing Company, a Teheran-based company,
previously known to serve as a front company for the Iranian Ministry of
Intelligence and Security.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Royal
Malaysia Police Investigating Viral Video Clip Of Preacher Insulting Non-Muslim
Faiths
07
Oct 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 7 ― The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is investigating a viral video
clip which contains disparaging remarks on non-Muslim faiths and race linked to
an independent preacher.
Bukit
Aman CID director, Datuk Seri Abdul Jalil Hassan said the one minute video
which started to be disseminated on several social media such as TikTok,
Facebook and WhatsApp in the past few days, had incurred the anger of the
people.
“Therefore
an investigation has been carried out by the Classified Crime Investigation
Unit, Prosecution and Law Division (D5) of Bukit Aman CID under Section 505 (c)
of the Penal Code for making statement with intent to incite or which is likely
to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any
other class or community of persons, as well as Section 233 of the
Communications and Multimedia Act 1988 on abuse of net facilities or network
services,” he said in a statement last night.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Govt
gives pledge on RUU355, bill to limit propagation of non-Muslim faiths
Dineskumar
Ragu
October
6, 2021
KUALA
LUMPUR: The religious rights of non-Muslims will not be affected by the
proposed RUU355 and the bill to restrict the propagation on non-Islamic
religions, the government said today.
The
minister in charge of Islamic affairs, Idris Ahmad, gave this assurance in the
Dewan Rakyat when responding to a question by Fong Kui Lun (PH-Bukit Bintang),
who expressed concern that the bills will infringe on religious freedom
enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“The
bill to restrict the propagation of non-Islamic religions will only be enforced
on Muslims. Non-Muslims are free to propagate their faiths among themselves,”
the minister in the prime minister’s department said.
Asked
by Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PAS-Pasir Mas) on how the government will tackle the
perceptions by non-Muslims that the two bills will pave the way to
discrimination and the “Talibanisation of Malaysia”, Idris said they “will not
concern the non-Muslim community at all”.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Fathers'
rights association wants equal custody of children in Malaysian divorce cases
07
Oct 2021
BY
ASHMAN ADAM
KUALA
LUMPUR, Oct 7 — A newly-formed fathers’ rights advocacy group wants the current
Law Reform (Divorce & Marriage) Act 1976 to be well, reformed to be more in
keeping with the times.
Father’s
Rights Association of Malaysia (FRAM) co-founders Malcolm Fernandez and Sheikh
Faleigh Sheikh Mansor said the law has been against fathers from the get go as
in a divorce, mothers are automatically granted sole custody of the children.
“The
norm in Malaysia in divorce cases is that the mother is granted sole custody of
the child from the very beginning, with the father usually ending up with only
alternate weekends with his kids at best, or a 15-minute supervised video call
a week in worse cases,” said Fernandez, a lawyer.
“I
have seen good, loving and responsible fathers sharing that when they get
alternate weekends, they treat it as if they have hit the jackpot. That is not
right, it should not be the case. FRAM is saying no to this.
“If
a father wants to play an important role and be with his child, added with the
fact that a father is willing to fight for his share of equal custody in court,
he should be allowed to do so.”
Starting
off as a WhatsApp group created by Fernandez who was going through his divorce
in 2018, FRAM received its certification as a legitimate association from the
Registrar of Societies (RoS) in May this year, and now has over 50 active
members.
“We
decided to not just stick to a WhatsApp group. We decided to go one step
further and start an association which really doesn’t exist in Malaysia. A
specific fathers' rights association. That’s how we began,” said Sheikh
Faleigh, an entrepreneur.
Fernandez
explained that even though the association is called Father’s Rights
Association of Malaysia, its primary focus is the wellbeing of children
involved in divorce cases, and is pushing for reforms to make the Law Reform
(Divorce & Marriage) Act 1976 fair to both parents.
“FRAM
is an association that puts the child in the forefront,” said Fernandez. “While
there are a lot of child’s rights advocates, when it comes to a custody battle,
they will all inevitably say the same thing... which is that the child is
better off with the mother.
“This
is a very strange and archaic stereotype because a lot of studies and findings
by psychologists and child experts say that a child is actually better off not
with just the father or mother, but with both parents playing an active role
and having equal access,” he said.
He
also shared that FRAM is working on a Bill to bring to Parliament that would
focus on bringing about fairness in divorce cases, adding that Malaysia can
start by simply tweaking certain aspects of the Law Reform (Divorce &
Marriage) Act 1976.
Fernandez
added the stereotype in Malaysia is that fathers are always the “bad guys” in
the courts, with mothers being viewed as the only person who can care for their
children, calling out the hypocrisy of gender equality when it comes to
divorces in Malaysia.
“Does
not being able to carry a child make the father a lesser parent? No, because a
lot of the time, you don’t see the struggles of a father. He needs to go to
work and bring in the money, he needs to also spend time with the kids and why
we call it hypocrisy of the highest level is we all talk about gender equality
but it is only women having equal rights.
“We
are all for women having equal rights, but when it comes to the children in
divorce cases, Malaysia takes 10 steps back. We have to adapt our current laws
to be like those in Scandinavian countries, where when there is a divorce, both
parents are granted equal custody,” explained Fernandez.
Sheikh
Faleigh said the child’s emotional needs are immediately secure when both
parents care for the child, adding that in Malaysia, no matter the
circumstances, the father is always the one being punished.
“In
Malaysia, the mother gets to keep the child, while the father is punished, even
if he is the most loving, caring and responsible father,” he said.
He
also shared that there is currently no clause in the Law Reform (Divorce &
Marriage) Act 1976 that dictates the amount of time allocated to fathers to
spend with their children, adding that it is now just a habitual judgement
handed down by judges.
“There
is no such law carved in stone. There is only the judgement that is given to
fathers; alternate weekends or a 15-minute video call a week. There’s no such
law. So why do we continue to agree with this?
“Why
is it so difficult to think that naturally, a child needs both a mother and a
father. I always tell people, couples can get divorced or separated, but you
can never stop being a parent. You are a parent until you die,” he said.
Fernandez
added that the burden of proof to show that a father is fit to have sole
custody is unbelievably high when compared to mothers.
“For
a mother, you just have to go to the court and tell them I carried this child
for nine months, this is my child, and she would be granted full custody. For a
father, the burden of proof is so limited, that the only way they can get full
custody is to show that the mother is of unsound mind, an alcoholic or a drug
addict.
“The
chances of fathers getting equal custody, not even full custody, is the same as
a person getting hit with debris from the International Space Station,” added
Fernandez.
Sheikh
Faleigh said that currently, FRAM is working to build momentum and create
awareness of the topic of shared or equal custody in Malaysia, from giving
talks to hosting podcasts, as well as being the platform for fathers who are
going through a divorce.
“Previously,
fathers didn’t know where to go. Now, I feel like they have a place to call
home, where you have other fathers and people who are in a similar predicament
to talk to.
“We
have a support system. We organise sessions for fathers to come and share their
feelings, no holds barred, and we also have a counsellor who has offered to
counsel fathers for free.
“Change
is not going to happen overnight, but we are being aggressive and optimistic
and we want to bring about changes at least to get a Bill into Parliament by next
year, simply because divorces and unequal custody can be so damaging to the
children,” said Fernandez.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Muslims
Revive Durga Puja in a Muslim Neighbourhood in the Heart of Kolkata with Help
from Hindu Families
Oct
7, 2021
KOLKATA:
Local Muslim residents have revived a Durga Puja in a predominantly Muslim
neighbourhood in the heart of the city that was discontinued nine years ago
after most Bengali Hindu families migrated from the area and the three families
that stayed back were unable to carry forward the tradition.
The
pandal is coming up at the original venue — next to the pavement opposite Pratt
Memorial School on AJC Bose Road and a stone’s throw from CPM’s Alimuddin
Street office — and the Muslim organisers are being enthusiastically guided by
members of a Bengali Hindu family who have been living in the area for decades.
The
shared spirit of communal harmony and festivity might appear extraordinary to
the outside world at a time when convergence of religion and politics has
frayed the social fabric, but for those staying around Alimuddin Street, a
lower middle-class neighbourhood of mostly Urdu-speaking Muslims, this
harmonious co-existence of the two communities has always been the normal.
Jayanta
and Sharmila Sen, members of one of the three Bengali Hindu families left in
the area, were surprised when some local Muslim residents approached them a few
weeks ago with the proposal of reviving the Durga Puja.
“This
Durga Puja had started in the late 1960s. At one point, my husband too was
active in organising the Puja but gradually most families settled elsewhere,
and nobody was left to shoulder the responsibility. But when the local Muslims
approached us for guidance because they are not aware of the rituals, we were
both surprised and touched. We decided to extend all possible help so that they
can organise the Puja,” said Sharmila.
‘Durga
Puja was a shared culture of this locality’
After
a group was formed to look into the logistics and money collected, Jayanta Sen,
Mohammad Tauseef Rahman and others went to Kumartuli to book the idol.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
2
teachers killed in terror attack in Srinagar
Oct
7, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Two teachers were killed in a terrorist attack at a government school in
the Sangam Eidgah area of Srinagar on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Police said.
"At
about 11:15 am, terrorists shot dead two school teachers at Sangam Eidgah in
Srinagar district," a police official said.
He
said the area has been cordoned off and a hunt has been launched to nail the
attackers
This
comes days after three people, including prominent pharmacist Makhan Lal
Bindroo, were shot dead in Srinagar and Bandipora in separate incidents.
A
road in Srinagar will be named after Bindroo, Mayor Junaid Mattu had said on
Wednesday.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Probe
ordered into AMU land lease
Oct
06, 2021
Agra
The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a probe regarding the land leased out
by late Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh to the Aligarh Muslim University in 1929.
Commissioner, Aligarh division, has been asked to conduct the probe and he has
sought a report from the district magistrate of Aligarh.
“A
letter in this regard was received from additional chief secretary SP Goyal. The
matter to be probed relates to land leased out for 90 years by late Raja
Mahendra Pratap Singh to the Aligarh Muslim University. The term of the lease
has lapsed and so a report has been sought from the district magistrate of
Aligarh,” said Gaurav Dayal, commissioner, Aligarh division.
It
may be recalled that late Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was a known freedom
fighter, social reformer and academician. He had leased out land owned by him
to Aligarh Muslim University for 90 years in 1929. The term of the lease has
lapsed but, according to the complaint lodged in the chief minister’s office,
the said land has not been handed back to legal heirs of late Raja Mahendra
Pratap Singh.
Taking
note of the complaint lodged by Ashok Chaudhary from ‘Ahuti’, a social organization
in Aligarh, the chief minister’s office, through additional chief secretary,
has directed commissioner, Aligarh division to probe the matter and submit the
report.
On
the said land leased out to the AMU, there stand a ‘Tikonia Park’ and the city
school run by Aligarh Muslim University. The legal heirs of Raja Mahendra
Pratap Singh had suggested to the AMU to hand over land on which Tikonia Park
stands and name the city school run by AMU after Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh. In
this regard, a committee headed by the vice chancellor was constituted by the
AMU Executive Council, to consider the proposal.
When
contacted, AMU spokesperson Prof Shafey Kidwai admitted that a proposal from
the legal heirs of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh was considered by the Executive
Committee of Aligarh Muslim University. However, no final decision had been
taken yet, he added.
“The
Executive Council of Aligarh Muslim University was ready to give back the land
on which Tikonia Park is located. Further, the Executive Committee said it was
acceptable that the city school run by AMU on remaining land will be named
after Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, an alumnus of AMU, and the lease of this land
be extended,” said Prof Shafey Kidwai.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Pakistan
Army Replaces Powerful Spy Agency ISI Chief in Surprise Reshuffle
Oct
6, 2021
NEW
DELHI: Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum has been appointed as the new
chief of Pakistan's powerful spy agency ISI in an unexpected reshuffle.
Lt
Gen Anjum will replace Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, who has been appointed as the
Peshawar Corps Commander.
According
to Dawn, Lt Gen Anjum was previously the commander of Karachi Corps. He was
promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in September 2019.
A
graduate of UK's Royal College of Defence Studies, Lt Gen Anjum also holds a
degree from the Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Honolulu.
The
outgoing spymaster Hameed was appointed to the post on June 16, 2019 in a
military shake-up. He had previously served in the ISI as the head of internal
security.
Lt
Gen Hameed was considered as close to Army chief General Qamar Bajwa and was
appointed as ISI head at a crucial time due to several external and internal
security challenges.
As
ISI chief, Lt Gen Hameez oversaw crucial changes in Afghanistan where the
Taliban took control in August.
He
even rushed to Afghanistan when the government formation talks between the
Taliban and Haqqanis went sour, resulting in a scuffle during which Mullah
Baradar got injured.
During
his visit to Kabul, he told the media in a brief chat that "everything
will be ok" in Afghanistan, when there were rumours about differences
among Taliban ranks due to delay in the announcement of the government.
In
Pakistan, it is the Prime Minister's prerogative to appoint the chief of ISI.
However, the choice is made by the PM in consultation with the army chief.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Court Indicts Saba Qamar, Bilal Saeed for Shooting a ‘Dance Video’ In Mosque
October
07, 2021
A
Pakistani court on Wednesday indicted Hindi Medium actor Saba Qamar in a case
registered against her last year for shooting a ‘dance video’ at a historical
mosque in Lahore.
Both
Qamar and singer Bilal Saeed were present in the court of judicial magistrate
Javeria Bhatti when they were charge-sheeted with desecration of Wazir Khan
Masjid (in old city of Lahore).
The
magistrate directed the prosecution to present its witnesses on next hearing on
next hearing on 14 October.
Both
the suspects pleaded before the court ‘not guilty’. They said they would
contest the trial.
Clad
in a black burqa (scarf covering her from head to toe) Ms Qamar looked nervous
when she was indicted in the case which she contested registered on frivolous
charges.
The
versatile actress said she was booked under ‘baseless facts''.
“No
dance or music took place at the mosque. I am falsely implicated in this case,”
she pleaded.
Lahore
police last year had registered a case against Qamar and Saeed under section
295 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for allegedly ‘desecration’ of Masjid
Wazir Khan in the old city of Lahore.
According
to the FIR, both actors had trampled upon the sanctity of the mosque by
shooting a dance video and this act also sparked an outrage among the people of
Pakistan.
The
Punjab government had also sacked two senior officers in connection with
violation of the mosque’s sanctity.
Following
strong criticism and even death threats to her on social media, Qamar and Saeed
had apologised for their act.
“It
was the music video featuring a Nikah (marriage) scene. It was neither shot
with any sort of playback music nor has it been edited to the music track,” she
had said.
Source:
Firstpost
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
No
Compromise on Khatm-e-Nubuwwat and Pakistan: MoS Parliamentary Affairs
MANSOOR
ALI
October
07, 2021
ISLAMABAD
- Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan on Wednesday
said that there is no compromise on Khatm-e-Nabuwat and Pakistan.
Addressing
Khatm-e-Nabuwat Conference held by Jamaat-e-Jalalia Pakistan, Ali Muhammad Khan
said that every Muslim Pakistani is ready to sacrifice his life for
Khatm-e-Nabuwat and Pakistan.
He
said Pakistan came into being on the name of Islam and no one is allowed here
to plot against Pakistan and Khamt-e-Nabuwat.
Source:
The Nation
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://nation.com.pk/07-Oct-2021/no-compromise-on-khatm-e-nabuwat-pakistan-minister
--------
At
least 20 killed as 5.9-magnitude earthquake rocks parts of Balochistan
Ghalib
Nihad
October
7, 2021
An
earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck parts of Balochistan early on Thursday
morning, killing at least 20 people and injuring over 300 others, the
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said.
According
to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre, the earthquake was centred near the
province's Harnai district and had a depth of 15 kilometres.
It
added the quake had a longitude of 67.96 east and a latitude of 30.08 north.
Tremors
were felt in Quetta, Sibbi, Pishin, Muslim Bagh, Ziarat, Qila Abdullah,
Sanjavi, Zhob and Chaman, the PDMA said in its initial report.
It
further said the "exact damage" has not yet been confirmed.
The
death toll was also confirmed by Deputy Commissioner of Harnai District Sohail
Anwar Hashmi. He said six children were also among the deceased.
The
injured, which include women and children, have been shifted to the District
Headquarters Hospital in Harnai, he said.
Balochistan
Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani shared that assistance and evacuation
efforts were under way.
"Blood,
ambulances, emergency assistance, [helicopters] and rest all things are placed
... All departments are working on it," he tweeted.
Security
forces also reached the district for rescue and relief efforts, the
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
Army
doctors and paramedics were assisting the civil administration with necessary
medical care, it said, adding that food and medicines were also transported to
remote mountainous district Harnai, which was the worst-affected area where a
lack of paved roads, electricity and mobile phone coverage hampered rescue
efforts.
Nine
critically injured patients were airlifted to Quetta in Pakistan Army
helicopters, according to the statement.
The
ISPR statement said the inspector general of Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan
has reached the district for damage assessment and response. In addition, an
urban search and rescue team was being flown in from Rawalpindi to assist in
rescue work.
An
injured patient is being airlifted from Harnai to Quetta. — Photo via NDMA
PM
Imran, others call for immediate relief efforts, offer condolence
Prime
Minister Imran Khan ordered authorities to provide immediate assistance to
Harnai and the quake victims, and conduct an assessment so relief and
compensation could be dispensed.
"My
condolences and prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones," he
tweeted.
President
Arif Alvi shared his condolences over the loss of lives in the earthquake. He
hoped the authorities would swiftly assist in relief operations.
PML-N
President Shehbaz Sharif said he was also saddened over the loss of lives.
"The
authorities must act on war footing to rehabilitate those affected by this
disaster," he stated on Twitter.
PPP
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also offered condolence to the families of
those killed in the quake.
He
also called upon the federal and provincial governments to save the lives of
those injured and pay compensation to the families of the deceased.
"PPP
Balochistan leadership should help the earthquake affectees," he added.
Landsliding,
infrastructural damage
Speaking
to Geo News, PDMA Director General Naseer Ahmed Nasir said there had been some
landsliding in mountainous areas. He added that houses within a 15km radius of
Harnai had been destroyed and rescue teams were busy in relief efforts.
The
official said that government buildings had been damaged as well.
“There
are reports that some 15 coal miners are trapped in a mine on the outskirts of
the town due to the quake,” Suhail Anwar Hashmi, a senior provincial government
official in Harnai told AFP.
Separately,
Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langove said five to six districts were affected on
a "major scale" and data was still being collected.
He
said the highest number of deaths and injuries had been reported in Harnai,
adding that critical patients would be shifted to Quetta immediately.
"They
are our people, the state's resources are for them. People won't be left
helpless. Those who have suffered a loss will be compensated," the
minister said while speaking to Geo News.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bill
to increase NA seats for ex-Fata likely after political consensus: speaker
Amir
Wasim
October
7, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that a new legislation to
increase the number of seats in the assembly for the merged districts of
erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) will be introduced in
parliament after a political consensus on the issue.
The
speaker was presiding over a meeting of parliamentary committee on development
of former Fata areas here on Wednesday, according to an official handout issued
by the National Assembly Secretariat.
The
parliamentary committee, which met for the second consecutive day, had invited
representatives of the ex-Fata and the members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Assembly as special invitees. The purpose of the meeting was to make
recommendations for the development of ex-Fata region.
During
the meeting, a number of participants called for allocation of seats for the
ex-Fata region which was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after the
passage of the 25th Constitution Amendment in May 2018.
Says
region needs special attention after recent developments in Afghanistan
As
a result of the merger, the existing 12 seats of the region would be abolished
in the National Assembly that would emerge after the next general elections.
However,
there has been a constant demand from representatives of ex-Fata region to
retain these seats by increasing the seats allocation for KP province. In this
regard, independent MNA Mohsin Dawar had also introduced a constitution
amendment which was passed by the present National Assembly in 2019, but it
could not be approved by the Senate.
During
the Wednesday’s meeting, the members of parliament again stressed the need for
re-introducing the constitution amendment bill so that the seats of the ex-Fata
region could be retained in the next National Assembly.
The
participants also called for allocating three per cent share for the ex-tribal
region in the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award as per the agreement that
reached among the political parties while announcing the plan for the merger of
the tribal area with KP.
During
the meeting, Speaker Asad Qaiser said the development in ex-Fata would ensure
prosperity for the common people of former tribal areas. He, however, said
changing environment of ex-Fata region was interlinked with a political
consensus. He said opinions of all stakeholders were required to bring Fata out
of challenges after its merger with KP, adding that a national support was
compulsory for provision of fundamental necessities to the people of ex-Fata.
The
speaker was of the view that ex-Fata needed special consideration in the
context of changing situation in Afghanistan.
Mr
Qaiser assured the provincial representatives that they would continue to make
efforts to make the region prosperous. He also briefed the participants on
three working groups which had been constituted by the special parliamentary
committee.
Minister
for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri said political consensus and political
input were imperative to resolve the issues of NFC Award and allocation of
seats in the National Assembly for ex-Fata. For this purpose, he said there was
a need to take Sindh and Balochistan on board.
Senator
Ayub Afridi called for allocation of more funds for provision of basic health
and education facilities to the people of the tribal region.
MNA
from Swat Dr Haider Ali and Jawad Hussain from Orakzai called for increasing
federal cooperation for release of three per cent NFC share for the tribal
region which, according to them, is the right of the people and necessary for
the development of the region.
MPA
Naeema Ishrat drew the attention of the participants towards the stalled bill
in the Senate regarding allocation of NA seats for ex-Fata. She also objected
to the methodology adopted in ex-Fata while conducting population census in
2018.
MNA
from Bajaur Gul Dad Khan said ex-Fata had faced negative effects of turmoil in
Afghanistan, adding that the situation in the region would have an effect on
the overall development of the country. He also called for retaining the
existing 12 seats of ex-Fata in the National Assembly. Besides this, he also
called for maintaining the special quota system for the tribal people.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
Taliban
launches operation against Daesh in Kabul's Paghman district
Oct
6, 2021
KABUL:
The Taliban on Tuesday launched an operation against a Daesh hideout in Kabul's
Paghman district.
As
per Information and culture deputy Minister Zabihullah Mujahid, four Daesh
members were arrested.
"The
Islamic Emirate forces launched an operation against a Daesh hideout in Kabul's
Paghman district on Tuesday evening, information and culture deputy minister
Zabihullah Mujahid said, adding four Daesh members were arrested," tweeted
Tolo News.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
calls on donors to scale up life-saving response to crisis in Afghanistan
07
Oct 2021
KABUL,
AFGHANISTAN – AUGUST 12: Displaced Afghans from the northern provinces are
evacuated from a makeshift IDP camp in Share-e-Naw park to various mosques and
schools on August 12, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. People displaced by the
Taliban advancing are flooding into the Kabul capital to escape the Taliban
takeover of their provinces. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
United
Nations in a statement published on Wednesday, October 6 said that their aid
agencies and NGOs are racing against the time to deliver life-saving aid to
crisis-affected people in Afghanistan and called on other donors to turn their
pledges into reality.
The
statement reads that millions of people in Afghanistan have been affected by
decades of war. Failing health system, displacement, chronic poverty, COVID19,
severe drought, and falling economic situation that need urgent humanitarian
aids.
The
UN has also expressed concern over the violation of rights of the women,
children, and minorities and pledged to spare no aid to these people affected.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
say they captured four Islamic State members near Kabul after raid
06
October, 2021
Taliban
forces raided an area west of Kabul and captured four members of an Islamic
State cell, the movement's main spokesman said on Wednesday.
The
raid, in Paghman district just outside the Afghan capital, followed a bomb attack
on a mosque on Sunday claimed by Islamic State, which has mounted a series of
operations since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August.
As
well as the four prisoners, the raid yielded quantities of weapons and
documents, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.
Earlier
on Wednesday, Islamic State said on one of its Telegram channels that it had
captured and beheaded a member of a Taliban militia force in the eastern city
of Jalalabad, where there have been several incidents involving the group in
recent days.
It
was not clear whether there was any direct connection between the incidents in
Jalalabad and Paghman.
The
return of Islamic State's local affiliate, just as the new government is
grappling with a potentially catastrophic economic crisis, has added to the
mounting array of problems facing the Taliban.
The
Taliban say they have complete control of the country following the collapse of
the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani in August.
But
remnants of opposition forces made up of former members of the Afghan army and
local fighters, under the banner of the National Resistance Front of
Afghanistan, continue to hold out in Panjshir province, north of Kabul.
Mujahid
and other Taliban spokesmen have dismissed suggestions of a threat from Islamic
State, saying the group has no roots in Afghanistan. But Wednesday's arrests
showed it has not been completely eliminated.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/taliban-say-four-islamic-state-members-captured-after-raid
--------
Afghanistan’s
electricity body to sell estate to pay off debt
07
Oct 2021
De
Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS)- the electricity body of Afghanistan-
decided to sell the estate of its debtors so that they pay nearly $62 million
bills of the power to the central Asian countries.
As
per the decision, DABAS plans to sell the houses of former officials and
politicians who did not pay the bills of electricity for years and consumed a
large amount of electricity.
The
acting head of DABAS, Safiullah Ahamdzai said that they will implement the plan
and will pay off all the debts in order to prevent cutting electricity by
exporting countries.
Ahmadzai
said that they have talked with the exporting countries and they were assured
about the electricity not be cut for the time being.
The
decision is taken after reports over the cutting of electricity by central
Asian countries as the winter season is approaching.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistans-electricity-body-to-sell-estate-to-pay-off-debt-436346346/
--------
Now
in power, Taliban set sights on Afghan drug underworld
October
07, 2021
KABUL,
Afghanistan: Now the uncontested rulers of Afghanistan, the Taliban have set
their sights on stamping out the scourge of narcotics addiction, even if by
force.
At
nightfall, the battle-hardened fighters-turned-policemen scour the capital’s
drug-ravaged underworld. Below Kabul’s bustling city bridges, amid piles of
garbage and streams of filthy water, hundreds of homeless men addicted to
heroin and methamphetamines are rounded up, beaten and forcibly taken to
treatment centers. The Associated Press gained rare access to one such raid last
week.
The
scene provided a window into the new order under Taliban governance: The men —
many with mental illness, according to doctors — sat against stone walls with
their hands tied. They were told to sober up or face beatings.
The
heavy-handed methods are welcomed by some health workers, who have had no
choice but to adapt to Taliban rule. “We are not in a democracy anymore, this
is a dictatorship. And the use of force is the only way to treat these people,”
said Dr. Fazalrabi Mayar, working in a treatment facility. He was referring
specifically to Afghans addicted to heroin and meth.
Soon
after the Taliban took power on Aug. 15, the Taliban Health Ministry issued an
order to these facilities, underscoring their intention to strictly control the
problem of addiction, doctors said.
Bleary-eyed
and skeletal, the detained encompass a spectrum of Afghan lives hollowed out by
the country’s tumultuous past of war, invasion and hunger. They were poets,
soldiers, merchants, farmers. Afghanistan’s vast poppy fields are the source of
the majority of the world’s heroin, and the country has emerged as a
significant meth producer. Both have fueled massive addiction around the
country.
Old
or young, poor or once well-off, the Taliban view the addicts the same: A stain
on the society they hope to create. Drug use is against their interpretation of
Islamic doctrine. Addicts are also stigmatized by the wider, largely
conservative Afghan community.
But
the Taliban’s war on drugs is complicated as the country faces the prospect of
economic collapse and imminent humanitarian catastrophe.
Sanctions
and lack of recognition have made Afghanistan, long an aid-dependent country,
ineligible for the financial support from international organizations that
accounted for 75 percent of state spending. An appalling human rights record,
especially with respect to women, has rendered the Taliban unpopular among
international development organizations.
A
liquidity crisis has set in. Public wages are months in arrears and drought has
exacerbated food shortages and disease. Winter is weeks away. Without foreign
funds, government revenues rely on customs and taxation.
The
illicit opium trade is intertwined with Afghanistan’s economy and its turmoil.
Poppy growers are part of an important rural constituency for the Taliban, and
most rely on the harvest to make ends meet.
During
the insurgency years, the Taliban profited from the trade by taxing
traffickers, a practice applied on a wide variety of industries in the areas
under their control. Research by David Mansfield, an expert on the Afghan drug
trade, suggests the group made $20 million in 2020, a small fraction compared
to other sources of revenue from tax collection. Publicly, it has always denied
links to the drug trade.
But
the Taliban also implemented the only largely successful ban on opium
production, between 2000-2001, before the US invasion. Successive governments
have failed to do the same.
Police
roundups of addicts did occur during previous administrations. But the Taliban
are more forceful and feared.
On
a recent evening, fighters raided a drug den under a bridge in the Guzargah
area of Kabul. With cables for whips and slung rifles, they ordered the group
of men out of their fetid quarters. Some came staggering out, others were forced
to the ground. The sudden clinking of lighters followed another order to hand
over belongings; the men preferred to use up all the drugs they possessed
before they were confiscated.
One
man struck a match beneath a piece of foil, his sunken cheeks deepening as he
sucked in the smoke. He stared blankly into the distance.
Another
man was reluctant. “They are vitamins!” he pleaded.
Taliban
fighter Qari Fedayee was tying up the hands of another.
“They
are our countrymen, they are our family and there are good people inside of
them,” he said. “God willing, the people in the hospital will be good with them
and cure them.”
An
elderly, bespectacled man raised his voice. He is a poet, he announced, and if
they let him go he will never use drugs again. He scribbled verses on a piece
of paper to prove his point. It didn’t work.
What
drove him to drugs? “Some things are not meant to be told,” he replied.
In
the end, they were at least 150 men rounded up. They were taken to the district
police station, where all their belongings — drugs, wallets, knifes, rings,
lighters, a juice box — were burned in a pile since they are forbidden to take
them to the treatment center. As the men crouched nearby, a Taliban officer
watched the plumes of smoke, counting prayer beads.
By
midnight, they were taken to the Avicenna Medical Hospital for Drug Treatment,
on the edges of Kabul. Once a military base, Camp Phoenix, established by the
US army in 2003, it was made into a drug treatment center in 2016. Now it’s
Kabul’s largest, capable of accommodating 1,000 people.
The
men are stripped and bathed. Their heads are shaved.
Here,
a 45-day treatment program begins, said Dr. Wahedullah Koshan, the head
psychiatrist.
They
will undergo withdrawal with only some medical care to alleviate discomfort and
pain. Koshan conceded the hospital lacks the alternative opioids, buprenorphine
and methadone, typically used to treat heroin addiction. His staff have not
been paid since July, but he said the Health Ministry promised salaries would
be forthcoming.
The
Taliban have broader aims. “This is just the beginning, later we will go after
the farmers, and we will punish them according to (Islamic) Sharia law,” said
lead patrol officer Qari Ghafoor.
For
Mansfield, the expert, the latest drug raids are history rinsed and repeated.
“In the 90s, (when the Taliban were in power) they used to do exactly the same
thing,” he said. The only difference now is that there are drug treatment
centers; back then drug users were made to stand on mountain melts, or rivers,
thinking it would sober them up.
Whether
they will be able to ban opium production is another story, he said. Any
meaningful ban will require negotiations with farmers.
Mohammed
Kabir, a 30-year-old poppy farmer from Uruzgan province, checked himself into the
hospital two weeks ago. He said demand from traffickers remains high, and come
harvest time in November, selling opium is his only means to make a living.
In
the hospital, patients, totaling 700, float around the halls like ghosts. Some
say they aren’t being fed enough. Doctors said hunger is part of the withdrawal
process.
Most
of their families don’t know where they are.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1943061/world
--------
Arab World
Grand
Imam of Al Azhar hails UAE's support for tolerance values
07-10-2021
CAIRO,
6th October 2021 (WAM) - The UAE is playing a prominent role in promoting the
values of tolerance and fraternity, and will go down in history for hosting the
signing of the iconic human fraternity document, said the Grand Imam of Al
Azhar, His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb.
Source:
Emirates News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302977924
--------
Iran,
Iraq exchange remains of 31 soldiers killed in 1980-88 war: ICRC
06
October ,2021
Iraq
and Iran on Wednesday exchanged the remains of 31 soldiers killed in the
1980-1988 war between the two countries which have since become allies, the Red
Cross said.
“Under
the auspices of the #ICRC, the remains of 11 Iraqi & 20 Iranian soldiers
were repatriated to their respective homelands today,” the International
Committee of the Red Cross said on Twitter.
It
said the exchange took place at the Shalamcheh border post in the Basra region
of southern Iraq.
“We
will continue to support relevant authorities in providing answers to families
of the #missing,” since the UN-brokered ceasefire that ended the war, it said.
Several
exchange ceremonies have been held in past years, with hundreds of remains
being transferred to their home countries under a 2008 accord with the ICRC.
“Over
30 years have passed since the end of the conflict and thousands of families on
both sides still remain in the dark on the fate of their loved ones,” the ICRC
said in April.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia arrests two residents for collecting funds of unknown origin
07
October ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s Riyadh police arrested two Sudanese residents in the capital for
“collecting funds of unknown origin,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA)
reported Thursday.
The
media spokesman for the Riyadh police, Major Khaled al-Kuraides, said the
police arrested the two residents, who are in their thirties, for committing
“crimes of collecting funds of unknown origin and transferring them outside the
Kingdom in various ways, using two housing units in Riyadh as a headquarters,”
according to SPA.
The
spokesman said that $24,4827 (918,141 riyals) were seized from their
possession, along with foreign currencies.
SPA
reported that the two individuals were arrested and were referred to the
Kingdom’s Public Prosecution.
Last
month, Saudi Arabia had sentenced 24 gang members to 20 years in prison for
laundering $4.5 billion.
The
gang members, including Saudi nationals and expatriates, were also fined a
total of $19.9 million and ordered to hand over all the money found at the
crime scene – which is estimated to amount to billions of Saudi riyals.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
air defenses intercept Houthi drone targeting Abha airport, four injured
07
October ,2021
Saudi
Arabia’s air defenses have intercepted a booby-trapped drone launched by the
Iran-backed Houthis in attempt to carry out an attack on Abha International
Airport.
“Shrapnel
have scattered and fell in the vicinity of Abha’s internal airport as a result
of the interception,” a statement by the Arab Coalition added.
“The
shrapnel have caused minor injuries to four employees of Abha International
Airport and some windows had been shattered. The Houthi attempt to target
civilians at Abha Airport as a civilian airport constitutes a war crime. We are
taking operational measures to neutralize the sources of threat used in the
attempt to attack Abha airport,” the coalition added.
Last
month, eight people had been injured in Houthi drone strikes on Saudi Arabia's
Abha airport that also damaged a civilian airplane.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Arab
Coalition destroys Houthi militia site used to launch booby-trapped drones
06
October ,2021
The
Arab Coalition has destroyed a Houthi militia site in Yemen’s al-Jawf used to
launch booby-trapped drones.
“The
coalition has destroyed two drones in al-Jawf that were prepared to carry out
an imminent hostile act towards Saudi Arabia,” a statement added.
The
Houthis regularly launch attacks on Saudi Arabia and Yemeni areas under the
control of the internationally-recognized government.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Arab
Coalition intercepts three explosive-laden boats launched by Houthis in Yemen
06
October ,2021
The
Arab Coalition has successfully intercepted and destroyed three explosive-laden
boats in the Red Sea, launched by Iran-backed-Houthi militia in Yemen.
"The
coalition's efforts have contributed to protecting navigation and global trade
in the Bab al-Mandab strait. Our efforts contributed to protecting shipping
lanes in the Bab al-Mandab strait and the southern Red Sea" the coalition
said.
The
Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans
Grundberg, stressed the importance of the full implementation of the Riyadh
Agreement to support stability and the functioning of state institutions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Africa
Report:
Libyan Islamic Fighting Group Threat to UK
October
6, 2021
The
European Center for Counter-Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (ECCI) stated in
a report that the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) is one of the most
prominent extremist “Islamist” groups in Britain.
In
a report prepared by the researcher, Heba Gharbi the center said that the
British government noted that the country faced numerous threats, mainly from
Islamic extremists, the extreme right, and anarchists.
In
a comprehensive review outlining the country’s post-Brexit political
priorities, the British government warned that mismanagement and chaos,
particularly in Africa and the Middle East, would give way to extremist groups
while increasing the likelihood of states sponsoring terrorism and resorting to
proxy wars.
The
LIFG, headquartered in southern Manchester, is a branch of the global extremist
Islamic movement that draws its ideas from Al-Qaeda. Its most prominent members
include Abdel-Hakim Belhaj and Khaled Al-Sharif, both of whom fought with the
Mujahedeen movement and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Source:
Libya Review
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://libyareview.com/17366/report-libyan-islamic-fighting-group-threat-to-uk/
--------
Tunisia
police seize equipment used by pro-Ennahda TV
06
October ,2021
Tunisian
security forces on Wednesday seized broadcasting equipment used by an
unlicensed television station close to the Ennahda party, the country’s media
authority said.
Zitouna
TV, considered close to Ennahda and its ally Al-Karama, both of which oppose a
July power grab by President Kais Saied, had been operating illegally, the
Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication (HAICA) said.
“Broadcasting
equipment was confiscated today from the Zitouna channel following a decision,”
HAICA president Nouri Lajmi told AFP.
“Zitouna
has been broadcasting illegally for years and has not received a broadcasting
license as it has not respected the legal framework.”
Nasreddine
bin Hammouda, head of production at the Zitouna Network that produces
programmes for Zitouna TV and other channels, said “security forces accompanied
by members of the HAICA raided the headquarters of Zitouna Network... and began
confiscating equipment.”
“Nobody
told us it was forbidden to work with Zitouna TV,” he said.
The
channel was still on air, he added.
Saied
in July suspended parliament, sacked the Ennahda-supported government of Hichem
Mechichi and removed MPs’ immunity following months of growing public anger
over an ongoing economic crisis and failings in managing the coronavirus
pandemic.
Hichem
El-Senoussi, a member of HAICA, told AFP that decisions had been taken a month
ago against Zitouna TV and other channels that had “failed to comply with
orders to stop broadcasting.”
Zitouna
TV started broadcasting in 2012, following the fall of longtime dictator Zine
El Abidine Ben Ali in an uprising the previous year.
In
2015, some of its equipment was seized but it continued operating.
El-Senoussi
said the HAICA had repeatedly ordered the channel to close, but that it had
been “supported by political actors including Ennahda”, preventing the orders
from being implemented.
Tunisian
authorities on Sunday arrested Zitouna TV presenter Amer Ayad on charges of
“plotting against state security”, his lawyer said, along with an Al-Karama MP
who appeared on Ayad’s show and criticized Saied’s moves.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Algeria
tells France to ‘decolonize its history’ in new spat
06
October ,2021
Algerian
Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra has told France to “decolonize” its history,
in the latest verbal broadside between Paris and a former colony in Africa.
On
a trip to Mali, whose ruling junta has been fiercely criticized by France,
Lamamra said French President Emmanuel Macron suffered from “forgetfulness of
history,” Malian TV reported late Tuesday.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
“Our
foreign partners need to decolonize their own history,” said Lamamra.
“They
need to free themselves of certain attitudes, certain behaviors, certain
visions which are intrinsically linked to the incoherent logic driven by the
West’s claimed mission to bring civilization,” he said.
This
mission, he claimed, “was the ideological cover used to try to gain acceptance
for the crime against humanity which was (France’s) colonization of Algeria,
colonization of Mali and the colonization of so many African peoples.”
Lamamra’s
barb appeared to be aimed at comments by Macron last week in which he said
Algeria’s post-independence “political-military system” had “totally
re-written” the country’s history.
Macron
told descendants of Algeria’s war of independence that the version of history
transmitted to Algerians was “not based on truths” but “on a discourse of
hatred towards France,” according to remarks reported by Le Monde.
Algeria
over the weekend recalled its ambassador from Paris and banned French military
planes from its airspace, which France regularly uses to reach its forces
battling jihadists in the Sahel region to the south.
On
Tuesday, Macron said he hoped for a “calming down” of tensions with Algeria and
that his relations with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune were “truly cordial.”
Macron
is also at loggerheads with Mali’s junta, which ousted the country’s elected
president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, in August 2020.
France
intervened after jihadists seized control of Mali’s north in 2012, and Paris
has since deployed thousands of troops across the Sahel to combat the
insurgency.
In
June, France announced a major scaleback of its Sahel deployment -- a move that
caused Mali last month to publicly declare its ally had decided to “abandon”
it.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Sudan's
military asks premier to form new government
Talal
Ismail
06.10.2021
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
Military
members of Sudan's ruling Sovereign Council asked Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
to form a new government to solve the marginalization crisis of tribes, local
media reported Wednesday.
According
to daily al-Sudani, unidentified informed sources said military members from
the Council refused on Tuesday to meet a ministerial committee formed by Hamdok
to address the crisis in eastern Sudan.
"The
military members refused to meet the ministerial committee and asked to meet
Hamdok alone before meeting any minister," said the newspaper.
It
also said members representing the army exerted pressure on Hamdok to dissolve
the government in response to demands to form a new government by the head of
the High Council of Beja, Muhammad al-Amin Turk.
Tensions
have risen in recent days between military and civilian members of the Sudanese
transitional authority over the coup attempt last month.
The
government has yet to comment on developments mentioned by the newspaper.
The
Sudanese Council of Ministers decided Tuesday to form a committee, headed by
Hamdok, to engage military members of the Sovereign Council to agree on
"practical solutions" to the crisis.
Sudan
is ruled by a civilian government and a Sovereign Council which consists of 14
members; five military representatives from the army, six civilians from the
Forces for Freedom and Change Coalition and three members who were added in
February to represent armed groups after a peace deal was signed with the
government in October 2020.
Demonstrators
have since Sept. 17 blocked Khartoum's airport, seaports and the main road
between Khartoum and Port Sudan in protest of the peace deal with rebel groups,
which Beja tribes in eastern Sudan say marginalizes the community.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/sudans-military-asks-premier-to-form-new-government/2384903
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Islamist
militants kill at least nine Malian soldiers
October
7, 2021
BAMAKO,
Oct 6 (Reuters) - Islamist militants killed at least nine soldiers and wounded
at least 11 more in central Mali on Wednesday, the army said, while local
officials said the death toll was even higher.
The
attack involving an improvised explosive device occurred between the towns of
Koro and Bandiagra in the Mopti region, an epicentre of violence in Mali by
insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State, the army said in a statement.
The
soldiers returned fire, killing 15 militants, it said, adding that the death
tolls on both sides were provisional.
Moulaye
Guindo, the mayor of the nearby town of Bankass, said 16 soldiers had been
killed, while another local official, who asked not be named, said more than 10
soldiers had died.
Malian
soldiers as well as French counter-insurgency forces that support them and
United Nations peacekeepers are frequently targeted in central and northern
Mali by the militants.
Source:
Reuters
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North America
US
investigating reports that Ghani fled Kabul with millions of dollars: Official
06
October ,2021
The
US is investigating reports that Afghanistan’s former president, Ashraf Ghani,
fled Kabul with millions of dollars, the special inspector general for
Afghanistan reconstruction (SIGAR) said Wednesday.
Despite
being asked by Congress’s main investigative body to probe allegations that
Ghani fled with bags full of cash hours before the Taliban took over Kabul, the
SIGAR John Sopko said there was no proof “yet.”
“We’re
looking into that [allegation]. Actually the Oversight and Government Reform
Committee has asked us to look into that,” he said during a subcommittee
hearing with the House of Representatives.
Ghani
shocked the US and other backers of his government after he abruptly left
Afghanistan just before the Taliban quickly took over Kabul.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Twenty-six
art works by boxing great Muhammad Ali sell for nearly $1 mln
07
October ,2021
A
boxing sketch in felt pen by the late Muhammad Ali sold for more than $580,000
at an auction in New York of his little-known art works, some of which went for
many times over estimates.
The
sketch, called Sting Like a Bee and drawn on paper in 1978, was the most
sought-after work among 26 paintings, drawings and sketches by the former
heavyweight champion that reflected Ali’s interest in religion, social justice
and his own career.
It
carried a pre-sale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.
“Ref,
he did float like a butterfly and sting like a bee!” reads the speech bubble
from a boxer knocked down by an opponent whose arms are raised in victory.
Ali
famously used the phrase to describe his boxing style.
Bonhams
auctioneers said that 26 art works by Ali sold on Tuesday for a total of
$945,524, more than three times the lower end of estimates of their value.
Sting
Like A Bee was bought by a British-based collector of Ali memorabilia, Bonhams
said. Other buyers were not identified.
Ali’s
passion for art was little known but he liked to sketch as a way of unwinding
after a fight or training.
Some
of the works for sale were traditional nature paintings, while others were more
personal, cartoon-like sketches.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Europe
War
games stoke the flames of enmity between Caucasus rivals Iran and Azerbaijan
October
06, 2021
WASHINGTON
D.C.: Tensions between Iran and Azerbaijan are high amid a diplomatic spat that
is approaching crisis point, according to regional observers.
Although
the two countries normally enjoy cordial relations, they are drifting apart
owing to divergent strategic interests and political visions.
Azerbaijani
authorities, long frustrated by Iran’s support for its neighbour and rival,
Armenia, have launched a crackdown on Iranian cross-border smuggling that was a
lifeline for the Armenian separatist holdout in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In
2020, following a Russian-brokered ceasefire, Armenian forces agreed to hand
over much of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan, which marked a significant victory
for Baku after a 44-day war.
In
Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenian separatists protected by Russian peacekeepers still
control the city of Khankendi, also known as Stepankeret, and a handful of
surrounding villages.
The
entirety of Iran’s shared border with what had once been Armenian-occupied
Nagorno-Karabakh is now under the control of Azerbaijani authorities.
However,
Iranian trucks reportedly continued to enter Nagorno-Karabakh without paying
the requisite customs fees to the Azerbaijani government.
“This
is not the first time that Iran’s trucks have illegally traveled to the
Karabakh region,” Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said this week.
“This
is something that happened repeatedly during the occupation period. Around 60
Iranian trucks entered Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region without permission between
Aug. 11 and Sept. 11 this year after Azerbaijan called on Iran to put an end to
the practice.
“Then
we started to control the road passing through Azerbaijani land, and the trucks
sent by Iran to Karabakh came to an end.”
Tensions
have been stoked further by joint military drills held by the Azerbaijani army
with Turkey and Pakistan 500 kilometers from the country’s border with Iran.
Aliyev
also inaugurated a new military base in the city of Jabrayil in
Nagorno-Karabakh, right on the border with Iran, making sure to be filmed
standing beside a line of Israeli-made Harop combat drones that Azerbaijan used
to devastating effect during the 2020 war.
Iran
claimed Azerbaijan was allowing Israel to establish a base on Iran’s border.
“Iran
will not tolerate the presence of the Zionist regime near our borders,” said
Saeed Khatibzadeh, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman.
Iran
then conducted a multi-day military exercise along its border with Azerbaijan.
According
to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, the Azerbaijani government ordered the closure of
a mosque in Baku linked to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
“The
mosque and representative office of Seyyed Ali Akbar Ojaghnejad, representative
of supreme leader (Ayatollah) Ali Khamenei in Baku, were sealed and closed
today by order of the authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” Tasnim said.
Azerbaijan
claimed the move was necessary because of “a surge in COVID-19 cases in several
locations in Baku,” saying that the mosque’s operation had been “suspended
temporarily.”
Iran’s
embassy in Baku said there had been no advanced warning of the move.
Speaking
to Arab News, Farid Shafiyev, chairman of the Baku-based Center of Analysis of
International Relations, said: “Only Iran will suffer from these statements.
Tehran, first of all, should see the Caucasus as a region of potential
cooperation.
“Iran’s
statements about ‘third-country’ or ‘foreign’ forces stationed in Azerbaijan
are mainly aimed at Israel and Turkey, but they must understand that we are not
hiding.
“Azerbaijan
has military-political cooperation with Israel and with Turkey, as well as
strong economic ties. It is designed, first of all, to ensure the security of
Azerbaijan and not against Iran.”
Shafiyev
believes there are two key reasons why Iran fears Azerbaijan’s growing regional
clout. The first is the Zangezur Corridor — an overland corridor Baku plans to
establish across southern Armenia to link up with the Nakhchivan enclave
bordering Turkey.
According
to Shafiyev, Iran fears the plan, which was agreed under the terms of the
ceasefire deal, will leave it cut off from the wider region.
The
second factor at play is Azerbaijan’s longstanding relationship with Israel,
which has angered Iran at a time when its nuclear program has been set back by
a string of suspected Israeli covert operations.
Shafiyev
says Azerbaijan is unlikely to back down in the face of Iranian saber-rattling.
“This
is our sovereign right,” he said. “Our cooperation with Israel is more about
security. Israeli weapons have shown their effectiveness during the Patriotic
(Nagorno-Karabakh) War.
“As
a former diplomat, I would like the issues to be resolved diplomatically and
Iran should (instead) consider this region as a potential region of
cooperation.”
Ahmad
Obali, a US-based Azerbaijan analyst and founder of Gunaz TV, also believes the
outcome of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war is driving Iranian policy in the
region.
“Iran
does not want to accept the fact that Azerbaijan won the Karabakh war and
liberated the border between Iran and Azerbaijan from Armenian occupation,” he
said.
“Iran
lost significant revenue when Azerbaijan regained Karabakh from the Armenians.
The border area in that region was used extensively for narcotics smuggling and
exports. Now Azerbaijan is in control.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1942791/world
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Briton
charged with terror offenses after disappearing in Turkey
October
06, 2021
LONDON:
A British man who allegedly joined Daesh after vanishing from a family holiday
as a teenager more than seven years ago has been charged with terrorist
offenses.
Shabazz
Suleman, 25, went missing on holiday in Turkey in 2014 after finishing his
high-school exams and securing a university place in Britain.
In
the summer of 2013, Suleman traveled to Syria as part of an aid convoy, but
stands accused of returning to the region to serve Daesh and being trained by
the terror group to use weapons.
When
concerns about his disappearance first surfaced in 2014, Suleman said he was
caught up in a secret mass prisoner swap between Ankara and regional armed
groups after having been picked up near the Turkish border with Syria.
His
father Afzal still works in England and previously said he knew his son “was
thinking of going there (Syria) and helping people.”
Suleman
was eventually captured in Syria by a Turkish-backed militia group called Liwa
Al-Shimal in October 2017.
He
told The Times that he was safe, but pleaded for an opportunity to return to
Britain to challenge any allegations against him.
He
was later freed by a court in Jarabulus, Syria — which is not internationally
recognized — after it ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict him.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1942716/world
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Moscow
to host international talks on Afghanistan on Oct. 20
07
October ,2021
Moscow
plans to host international talks on Afghanistan on Oct. 20, President Vladimir
Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan said on Thursday.
Zamir
Kabulov, the representative, did not provide further details on the planned
talks in comments carried by Russian news agencies.
Moscow
hosted an international conference on Afghanistan in March at which Russia, the
United States, China and Pakistan released a joint statement calling on the
then-warring Afghan sides to reach a peace deal and curb violence.
It
also called on the Taliban not to launch any offensives in the spring and
summer.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Germany
repatriates 8 women, 23 children with ties to Daesh
October
06, 2021
BERLIN:
Germany has repatriated eight women who joined the IS terror group and 23
children from northern Syria, the foreign ministry said overnight from
Wednesday to Thursday, the biggest such transfer since 2019.
“The
children are not responsible for their situation... the mothers will have to
answer for their acts,” Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a statement, adding
that “many of them were held in custody on arrival in Germany.”
Denmark
also brought three women and 14 children to its territory as part of the same
operation, carried out with US military support, Berlin said.
Maas
said he was “happy” to have brought back to Germany people, especially
children, identified “as being in particular need of protection.”
“They
are mostly sick children or those with a guardian in Germany, as well as their
brothers and sisters and their mothers,” the foreign ministry said.
The
group was repatriated from the Roj camp in Kurdish-controlled northeastern
Syria.
Tabloid-style
daily Bild reported that foreign ministry and police officials landed in the
region early Wednesday on a US military plane, which then brought the group to
Kuwait before they boarded a flight to Frankfurt.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1942996/middle-east
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