Maulvi Abdul Aziz Hoisted Taliban’s Flag over Lal Masjid in Islamabad, FIR Lodged
New
Age Islam News Bureau
21
September 2021
The
Lal Masjid in Islamabad in Pakistan, which is known for its support to the
Taliban, is back in news. This time, several Taliban flags were again found to
be hoisted on the roof of the mosque. It is notable that a women’s madrassa
known as Jamia Hamsa is also located near the mosque which is supervised by a
extremist Maulvi named Abdul Aziz.
-----
•
Indian Man, Born Hindu and Converted To Islam, Buried As Per Islamic Customs
after Hindu Rituals
•
Dar Al Ifta of Egypt Issues Religious Decree About Writing Holy Quran with
Latin Letters
•
Over 150 Muslim Scholars From Across the World Demand an End to ‘War on Terror’
•
US Lawmaker 'Ilhan Omar' Urges Probe into Two Decades Of Civilian Killings In
Afghanistan
Pakistan
•
Imran Khan to address UNGA virtually; raise Afghanistan issue
•
Qureshi says no rush to recognise Taliban govt in Afghanistan
•
Pakistan Satisfied With Security Assurances By Afghan Taliban: ISPR
•
Allama Ahmed Iqbal: Punjab government nothing as compare to Banu Ummayah &
Abbas in cruelty
•
Pakistani scholars, poets call Ostad Shahriar as a reviver of classical poetry
•
Pakistan: Tortured for getting water from mosque, Hindu family blames Imran
Khan’s party
•
Sindh lacks capacity, resources to accommodate more Afghan refugees, Sindh
Assembly told
--------
India
•
PM Modi to focus on counter-radicalisation at UNGA to fight extremist
ideologies
•
Christians at forefront of conversions, love jihad: NDA ally leader
•
Narcotic Jihad: Religious Leaders Call for Steps to Strengthen Secular Fabric
of Kerala Society
•
India at forefront to push for joint, collective effort to combat terrorism,
says Tirumurti
--------
Arab World
•
Parents of Newly Engaged 11-Year-Old Bride, 12-Year-Old Groom Arrested In Egypt
•
Kingdom will always provide 'good offices' to ease Pak-India ties: Saudi FM
•
Two jihadist commanders killed in Syria drone strikes: monitor
•
US kills ‘senior al-Qaeda leader’ in strike near Syria’s Idlib
•
Saudi Arabia destroys two Houthi drones headed for Khamis Mushait: Arab
Coalition
•
Arab Coalition destroys two booby-trapped Houthi boats, thwarts attack
--------
South Asia
•
Islamic State Bomb Attacks on Taliban Raise Spectre of Wider Conflict
•
Taliban Leader Baradar's Message after Clash Looked Like Hostage Video: Report
•
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Changes Name of University in Kabul
•
WHO chief meets Taliban’s premier and officials
•
Witnesses say explosion targets Taliban, 2nd in as many days
•
After Afghans fell from plane, families live with horror
•
Taliban expand interim cabinet, double down on all-male team
•
Afghan cricket lovers disappointed over Taliban ban on telecast of IPL on
national media
--------
North America
•
Pentagon chief orders new review of mistaken US drone strike in Kabul
•
‘We were them’: Vietnamese Americans help Afghan refugees
•
Turkey's first lady attends screening of documentary 'Ottoman America'
•
Turkish foreign minister meets Colombian, Venezuelan, Bahraini counterparts
•
Turkish president cuts ribbon on landmark Turkevi Centre in New York
--------
Europe
•
Four charged with ‘anti-Semitic abuse’ during pro-Palestinian protest in London
•
UK reveals contacts of 250 Afghan interpreters in email
•
UK, US discuss Iran, Afghanistan, security deal
•
World powers to meet with Iran at UN to push for return to nuclear talks:
France
•
Turkey's parliament speaker criticizes EU over migration, Islamophobia
•
German chancellor 'hopeful' vows to enhance ties with Turkey
•
Turkish president meets British premier at Turkevi Center in New York
•
Anti-Zionist Jew seeks UK asylum after refusing military service in Israel
--------
Africa
•
France’s Macron asks ‘forgiveness’ for French treatment of Algerian Harki
fighters
•
'Secessionist terrorists' kill 15 soldiers in Cameroon conflict zones
•
Man who inspired ‘Hotel Rwanda’ gets 25 years for terrorism
•
Sudan failed coup attempt: Situation under control, suspects arrested
•
Libya’s upper house calls for elections to be delayed for a year
--------
Southeast Asia
•
Indonesian G20 Presidency Promises To Put A ‘Battle For The Soul Of Islam’ On
The Front Burner
•
Indonesian Analysts: MIT Leader’s Killing May Bring about Militant Group’s
Demise
•
Malaysian transgender activist arrested in Thailand
•
PBDS president urges Christian MPs from Sarawak to not support controversial
RUU 355 in Parliament
--------
Mideast
•
Iran’s Top Commander Asks US Soldiers Not to Turn into Infantries of
Warmongering Rulers
•
Iran Calls for UN's Active Role in Afghanistan
•
Iran, IAEA Agree to Continue Cooperation
•
IRGC Destroys 4 Bases of Anti-Revolutionary Groups in Northern Iraq
•
Iran’s Top Commander: Besieged Israel Aware of Incapability to Survive War
against Resistance Front
•
Erdoğan receives representatives of Turkish, Muslim communities in US
•
President Rayeesi: Iran No Longer Focuses Only on Ties with West
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/maulvi-abdul-aziz-lal-masjid-taliban/d/125408
--------
Maulvi
Abdul Aziz Hoisted Taliban’s Flag over Lal Masjid in Islamabad, FIR Lodged
September
21, 2021
The
Lal Masjid in Islamabad in Pakistan, which is known for its support to the
Taliban, is back in news. This time, several Taliban flags were again found to
be hoisted on the roof of the mosque. It is notable that a women’s madrassa
known as Jamia Hamsa is also located near the mosque which is supervised by a
extremist Maulvi named Abdul Aziz.
-----
The
Lal Masjid in Islamabad in Pakistan, which is known for its support to the
Taliban, is back in news. This time, several Taliban flags were again found to
be hoisted on the roof of the mosque. It is notable that a women’s madrassa
known as Jamia Hamsa is also located near the mosque which is supervised by a
extremist Maulvi named Abdul Aziz.
Federal
Capital Police has registered 2 different cases against notorious terrorists
and is widely known as veiled absconder Maulvi Abdul Aziz in Police Station
Aabpara on his attempt to occupy Lal Masjid and giving threats to Masjid
Administration.
According
to said FIRs lodged by Khateeb-e-Masjid, Maulvi Abdul Aziz forcefully entered
Lal Masjid with 25 hooligans and hostage the administration.
The
complainant added that accused Abdul Aziz trespass the Masjid and attacked him
with modern weapons.
As
per rules State should itself lodge a complaint against the accused Maulvi
under the provisions of sedition and ATA to arrest him but, unfortunately, this
time also State was seen hopeless to deal with the said terrorist with iron
hands.
Extremist
Maulvi Abdul Aziz threatened the police that reached there to remove the flags.
Abdul Aziz, who is known to be an Islamic fundamentalist, was seen carrying a
rifle and intimidated the Islamabad police in the name of the Pakistan Taliban.
A large number of women belonging to the madrassa were also present at the
spot. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
According
to reports, Hamza Shafqat, the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad asserted that
hoisting of the flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan would not be
tolerated and the culprit would be punished. Later the flags were removed from
the roof of the mosque by the cops. Following the incident, the maulvi and his
associates have been booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act and different sections
of the Pakistan Penal Code by the police.
Source:
ABNA
--------
Indian Man, Born Hindu and Converted To Islam, Buried As Per Islamic Customs after Hindu Rituals
Sep
21, 2021
INDORE:
The relatives of a dead man, who was born Hindu and converted to Islam after
marriage, wrangled over his final rites for over 10 hours at a morgue in
Indore, before the local administration and police negotiated an agreement.
Salim
Khan, 48, who was born Prakash Malviya in Dewas, died in an Indore hospital on
Sunday night. As his daughter Rani Sheikh waited for the release of his body,
Salim’s mother and sister arrived to seek custody as well.
“While
the man’s mother, Soram Bai, wanted him to be cremated as per Vedic rituals,
his wife Harun Bi and daughter Rani Sheikh wanted him to be buried under
Islamic customs,” tehsildar Rajesh Soni told TOI.
“Rani
Sheikh said he had converted to Islam after marrying her mother around 15-years
ago. She also presented his Aadhaar card and voter ID where his name is Salim
Khan,” the tehsildar said. Administrative officials talked to the man’s
relatives and settled the debate by sending the body to his paternal home for an
hour for Hindu rituals and then burial as per Islamic customs.
Source:
Times of India
--------
Dar
Al Ifta of Egypt Issues Religious Decree About Writing Holy Quran with Latin
Letters
September
21, 2021
Egypt’s
Dar Al Ifta has strongly rejected the use of Latin letters for writing the Holy
Quran, urging for maintaining the Arabic script.
-----
Egypt’s
Dar Al Ifta has strongly rejected the use of Latin letters for writing the Holy
Quran, urging for maintaining the Arabic script.
According
to Egyptian daily El-Watan, an Egyptian engineer has devised a method so that
all Muslims, regardless of their nationality and language, could read Quranic
verses correctly.
The
method uses Latin letters which match correct Arabic pronunciation of the noble
verses verified by audio recordings of recitation that top readers of the Holy
Book use.
After
the announcement of the project, numerous questions were raised about the
permissibility of this matter from the religious aspect.
The
Egyptian Dar Al Iftaa put an end to the controversy by issuing a fatwa on its
website. The body announced prohibition of writing or printing Quran in Latin
letters. According to the Fatwa, no change should be introduced to the writing
style of Quran and those responsible must put every effort to preserve the
current Arabic script.
Source:
ABNA
--------
Over
150 Muslim Scholars From Across the World Demand an End to ‘War on Terror’
By
Muhammad Khan
21
September, 2021
Over
150 Muslim scholars from across the world- including Morocco, Tunisia and Libya
- have signed a statement denouncing the ‘War on Terror’ and calling for an
immediate end to foreign wars and occupations.
The
statement, published this weekend coincides with two decades to the day that
George. W. Bush announced his authorisation of use of military force after
9/11, which paved the way for the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the
USA’s borderless ‘War on Terror’.
According
to the statement by the scholars: “In 20 years, at least 800,000 Muslims have
been killed, thousands have been imprisoned unlawfully and often tortured, 37
million people have been displaced. Muslim people everywhere are treated with
suspicion and viewed as threats to the societies they live in.
“We
extend our sympathy to the citizens of western countries who have had to suffer
the social, economic and legal consequences of the disastrous decisions made by
their leaders.
“We
stand in solidarity with all oppressed people who fight for liberation from
tyranny and welcome the victory of the Afghan people against their occupiers.
We offer our condolences to all those that have died as a result of these
wars.”
Across
the world, Governments have co-opted the ‘War on Terror’ rhetoric for their own
political goals whether by the Chinese against the Uyghur Muslims or by the
Russians. Addressing this, the Scholars call for an end to all arbitrary and
emergency powers which permit the violation of basic rights and legitimise
torture and degrading treatment.
The
statement calls for western leaders to replace their policy of war and
animosity against Muslim people with one of respect and mutual cooperation.
They
also want for Muslim minorities to be able to live a dignified life according
to their faith, independent from government interference, and attempts to
distort their beliefs and identity.
Commenting
on the statement, CAGE Managing Director Muhammad Rabbani said: “It can be
argued that it was September 18th, and not September 11th, that changed the
world. Apart from Barbara Lee, every single member of the US congress supported
this resolution which subsequently led to illegal invasions, war crimes,
torture sites, targeted assassination programmes and mass curtailment of civil
liberties across the world.
"It
is therefore a poignant moment for Muslim scholars across the world to come
together to strongly demand an end to the ‘War on Terror’ and call for
accountability for all those who were responsible for its crimes. The
international scope of the signatories demonstrates the global scholarly
agreement on this issue.”
Source:
Asian Image
https://www.asianimage.co.uk/news/19591460.muslim-scholars-demand-end-war-terror/
--------
US
lawmaker 'Ilhan Omar' urges probe into two decades of civilian killings in
Afghanistan
September
21, 2021
Ilhan
Omar, US Muslim lawmaker has reacted to a recent confession by US army over
mistaken drone attack on civilians in Kabul which led to death of ten civilians
including seven children and called for international probe into the attack.
Omar
slammed two decades of secret drone attacks by US army in Afghanistan which led
to death of thousands of civilians urging for full investigation into the
August drone attack on a vehicle in Kabul which left ten civilians including
seven children dead.
Apology
is not enough" said the US lawmaker Omar and added," We owe to the
families of the victims, admit the crimes committed, compensate and allow
international investigation into the crime."
Kayleigh
McEnany, former White House press secretary also said," We found that the
US drone attack on Kabul has not targeted Daesh terrorists but left 10
civilians including seven children dead. This is unbelievable" slamming
the Biden administration over the shameful act in the international arena.
US
General McKenzie admitted the army probe into a US drone attack against Kabul
in August has shown ten civilians killed and that event the driver could not be
counted a threat from ISIL-K.
Source:
ABNA
--------
India
PM
Modi to focus on counter-radicalisation at UNGA to fight extremist ideologies
By
Shishir Gupta
SEP
21, 2021
Addressing
the plenary session of the SCO Council of Heads of State on September 17, Prime
Minister Modi called for SCO to develop a strong network between the moderate,
tolerant, and inclusive institutions and traditions associated with Islam in
India. He asked almost all SCO countries to address the challenge of increased
radicalism in the region, which is at the root of the challenges of peace,
security, and trust deficit.
With
Taliban military occupation of Afghanistan and its extremist ideology set to
dominate the UNGA this week, Prime Minister will talk about
counter-radicalization and other tools to fight political Islam in his speech
on September 25. It is the weaponization of religion with an aim to capture
political power that has led to bloodshed in Af-Pak region.
This
important statement came as the first SCO Summit met after the departure of
American and NATO forces from Afghanistan and Taliban once again took complete
control over the country. Concerns have once again risen about the fate of the
Afghan people, impact on regional stability and security, and the likelihood of
Afghanistan once again becoming a well spring of terrorism. At the very least,
Taliban have already shown that their extremist ideology is not a thing of the
past.
Prime
Minister Modi has made five important points. One, he has pointed to the
Islamic heritage of India, which is inclusive, tolerant, and moderate. Two,
this version of Islam has been the prevalent one in the region for centuries.
Three, as he has argued over the past several years, the fight against
terrorism will succeed when terrorism is delinked from religion and when the
more enlightened, progressive and inclusive vision of Islam prevails over the
radical and extremist interpretation of Islam, for political purpose, in this
contest of ideas. Four, he has once again, as he had done in Central Asia tour
in 2015, reminded the world of the spiritual links between India and Central
Asia. Five, he has rejected the idea of an inevitable clash of civilisations.
PM
Modi also sees Afghanistan in that context. In his address at the inauguration
of the Afghan Parliament building in December 2015 or during the inauguration
of the Salma Dam a few months later, he lauded the tradition of liberalism, the
message of Sufi saints of Afghanistan and the achievements of the country in
literature and poetry. At the SCO Summit, he was once again making the point
that the Taliban way of life is not either natural or inevitable for the people
of Afghanistan. This is an important message that we will carry to Washington
DC and UNGA in New York.
With
Taliban military occupation of Afghanistan and its extremist ideology set to
dominate the UNGA this week, Prime Minister will talk about
counter-radicalization and other tools to fight political Islam in his speech
on September 25. It is the weaponization of religion with an aim to capture
political power at the behest of an ambitious and unscrupulous neighbour
Pakistan that has led to bloodshed in Af-Pak region
Beyond
the state sponsorship of terrorism by Pakistan against India as a
politico-military strategy, terrorism has also sprung from violent and
extremist twists given to certain schools of Islamic thoughts. Some of it is
framed against occupation and injustice by the western world or for political
purpose. Often, though, it has also turned into a contest between different
strains for domination, leading to spiralling level of violence.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Christians
at forefront of conversions, love jihad: NDA ally leader
by
Shaju Philip
September
21, 2021
Prominent
Hindu Ezhava leader and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam general secretary
Vellappally Natesan on Monday said that it was not the Muslim community but
Christians who are at the “forefront” of conversions and “love jihad” in the
country.
Natesan,
who is the patron of NDA ally Bharat Dharma Jana Sena, was reacting to
allegations raised by a Catholic priest that Christian women are being lured by
Hindu Ezhava men. He also flayed the controversial “love jihad” and “narcotic
jihad” remarks of Pala Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt, saying it was “not right to
target Muslim community” on the issue.
“When
a Christian woman goes to Muslim side, there are a hundred women from other
communities getting married to Christians. Why is nobody speaking about that?
Christians are marrying Ezhava women. Christians are the largest group in the
country engaged in conversion. Muslims do not convert on that scale. In love
jihad, only a Christian woman is taken to Muslim community. Whereas in
conversion, an entire family is going to Christianity. When speaking about
conversion and love jihad, no doubt Christians are at the forefront,’’ he said.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Narcotic
Jihad: Religious Leaders Call for Steps to Strengthen Secular Fabric of Kerala
Society
SEPTEMBER
20, 2021
Ameeting
of leaders of various religions on Monday called for steps to strengthen the
secular fabric of Kerala society in the wake of controversial “narcotic jihad"
remarks made by a Catholic Bishop, even as political parties continued to
engage in a slugfest over the issue. The meeting, convened by Cardinal Baselios
Cleemis of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, was attended by Muslim Youth
League leader Panakkad Sayyid Munavvar Ali Shihab Thangal, Swami Gururethnam
Jnana Thapaswi of the Santhigiri Ashram and representatives of other religious
organisations.
However,
representatives of the Syro-Malabar Church did not attend the meeting.
Representatives of various other Muslim organisations also did not turn up for
the meeting.
Talking
to reporters after the meeting, Cardinal Cleemis said they did not discuss the
“narcotic jihad" issue, although they gathered together here in the
context of Pala Bishop’s remarks.
He
said the meeting deliberated on how to strengthen the harmony among various
communities of the state and what they can contribute to achieve that goal.
Asked
whether he supported the suggestion from various quarters to convene an
all-party meeting to resolve the issue, the priest welcomed it and said if the
Chief Minister convenes a meeting of all religious heads, that will be seen as
a positive step. Thangal emphasised the need to fight against all forms of
communalism and create a positive atmosphere in the state.
He
said differences should be resolved through discussions and dialogue.
Meanwhile, the political wrangling continued over the issue with CPI(M) acting
state secretary A Vijayaraghavan accusing the Congress of creating a division
among communities and KPCC chief K Sudhakaran hitting back at the Communist
leader, calling him a communalist. Talking to reporters, Vijayaraghavan alleged
that the Congress was engaged in creating divisions in society, “adopting the
style of the BJP."
Source:
News18
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
at forefront to push for joint, collective effort to combat terrorism, says
Tirumurti
Sep
21, 2021
NEW
YORK: India has played an active role in shaping global counter-terrorism
strategy, said India's Permanent Representative to United Nations TS Tirumurti
on Monday.
In
an exclusive interview with ANI, Tirumurti said, "As regards terrorism,
India has always been at the forefront to push for a joint and collective
effort to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We by having
played an active role in shaping global counter-terrorism strategy."
Tirumurti
further reiterated that India has done so before and will continue to do in
future.
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing the 76th session of the United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 25.
The
worsening situation in Afghanistan post-Taliban takeover has drawn global
attention and as per Tirumurti, the issues relating to terrorism will be
extremely important at UNGA.
"On
Afghanistan, our Prime Minister has already made our stand very clear in his
recent address to the SCO summit last week," said the Indian envoy.
Speaking
at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)-Collective Security Treaty
Organization (CSTO) Outreach Summit on Afghanistan, the Prime Minister drew
attention to issues related to the developments in Afghanistan, noting that the
power change in Afghanistan is not inclusive and has taken place without
negotiations.
"Prime
Minister dealt with some very specific issues relating to the non-inclusive non
negotiated transition of power. He emphasized the presentation of all sections,
including women and minorities," said Tirumurti.
Drawing
the attention of SCO member countries towards the possibility of an increase in
the uncontrolled flow of drugs, illegal arms and human trafficking, PM Modi had
said that to monitor these flows and to increase information sharing, SCO
Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) mechanism can play a positive role.
"Afghanistan
is facing a serious humanitarian crisis due to the impact of fundamentalism and
instability on terrorism, extremist ideologies, increasing radicalization,
uncontrolled flow of drugs, illegal weapons and human trafficking," said
Tirumurti.
He
also talked about Resolution 2593 that was passed by the UNSC under the
presidency of India on August 30, 2021, with Russia and China abstaining from
voting.
This
resolution demands that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or
attack any country or to finance terrorist acts.
"We
have also had an important resolution, as you know, this was a resolution
passed in the UN Security Council on August 30, under our presidency, and this
in many ways it's the benchmark for the situation in Afghanistan. And we also
see a central role for the United Nations in this context, even for the
international community to come and address them jointly and effectively,"
added Tirumurti.
He
further reiterated that India will stop all attempts to weaken the collective
resolve of the member states to fight terrorism or to provide justification for
terror.
Source:
Times of India
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
Parents
of newly engaged 11-year-old bride, 12-year-old groom arrested in Egypt
20
September ,2021
Security
forces in Egypt’s Giza have arrested the parents of an 11-year-old bride-to-be
and 12-year-old groom-to-be an hour after announcing their engagement in the
village of Umm Khenan in the city of Hawamdiya, Al Arabiya reported on Sunday.
The
engagement party for the two children took place in the village, just 30
kilometers from Cairo, on Friday.
The
celebration held by the two families was cut short after the jewelry shop that
the newlywed’s parents bought gold from posted photos on Facebook.
This
led to security forces tracking down the details of the event. They then found
the parents, arrested them and referred them to prosecution for investigation,
according to Egypt’s National Council for Childhood and Motherhood.
Sahar
al-Sunbati, secretary-general of the council, said in a statement that the
Child Support System was notified about the incident on Saturday via their
designated hotline, citing photos of the children in question being circulated
on social media.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kingdom
will always provide 'good offices' to ease Pak-India ties: Saudi FM
September
21, 2021
Saudi
Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has said that the
Kingdom will always provide its "good offices" when possible to
resolve issues between Pakistan and India.
In
an interview with The Hindu on Sunday during his three-day visit to India, he
spoke on a myriad of topics including Afghanistan and Saudi-India ties.
Responding
to a question about whether the Kingdom was disappointed with the fact that
there aren't talks between India and Pakistan, he said: "We will always
provide our good offices when we can, but it’s up to India and Pakistan to
decide when the time is right."
The
interviewer noted that one of the issues between India and the Kingdom were
statements by the Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) regarding
occupied Kashmir, the status of Indian Muslims and communal violence.
When
asked whether he had discussed this in a meeting with his Indian counterpart,
the Saudi minister said that these were "domestic issues".
"It
is up to the people of India and to the government of India to address these
concerns. And we would, of course, always support any initiatives in this
regard that the Indian government takes, but from our perspective, it’s a
domestic affair," he said.
Commenting
on occupied Kashmir, he said that it was an issue that "continues to be a
dispute" between the two countries.
"Therefore,
what we would encourage is that there should be a focus on a path of dialogue
and discussion among India and Pakistan to resolve these issues in a way that
can settle these concerns permanently," he said.
Source:
Dawn
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Two
jihadist commanders killed in Syria drone strikes: monitor
Sep
21, 2021
BEIRUT:
Drone strikes Monday killed two jihadist commanders close to Al-Qaeda in the
Idlib region of northwest Syria, a war monitor said.
The
raids were carried out by the US-led international coalition battling jihadists
in Syria and Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The
US military acknowledged killing an Al-Qaeda official, shortly after the
coalition told AFP it had not carried out any strikes in Idlib province on
Monday.
"US
forces conducted a kinetic counter-terrorism strike near Idlib, Syria, today,
on a senior al-Qaeda leader," a US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokeswoman,
Lieutenant Josie Lynne Lenny, said in a statement.
"Initial
indications are that we struck the individual we were aiming for, and there are
no indications of civilian casualties as a result of the strike," she
said.
The
strikes targeted a vehicle on the road leading from Idlib city to Binnish
further north, according to the Observatory.
Observatory
chief Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP that one of the commanders killed was
Tunisian, while the other was from Yemen or Saudi Arabia, without identifying
the group they belonged to.
The
Idlib region is dominated by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, but rebels and
other jihadists are also present.
Source:
Times of India
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--------
US
kills ‘senior al-Qaeda leader’ in strike near Syria’s Idlib
20
September ,2021
The
US killed a “senior al-Qaeda leader” in an airstrike conducted near Idlib in
Syria, Central Command said on Monday.
“US
forces conducted a kinetic counterterrorism strike near Idlib, Syria, today, on
a senior al-Qaeda leader. Initial indications are that we struck the individual
we were aiming for, and there are no indications of civilian casualties as a
result of the strike,” Navy Lt. Josie Lynne Lenny said in a statement.
Earlier,
Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported an
unidentified drone targeted a vehicle carrying a commander of an extremist
group on a road in Idlib’s countryside.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Arabia destroys two Houthi drones headed for Khamis Mushait: Arab Coalition
21
September ,2021
The
Arab Coalition said Saudi Arabian forces destroyed two booby-trapped drones
launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis that were headed for Khamis Mushait on
Tuesday, according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The
Coalition stated that it is taking measures to protect citizens and civilians
in the area in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Arab
Coalition destroys two booby-trapped Houthi boats, thwarts attack
20
September ,2021
The
Arab Coalition has destroyed two booby-trapped boats belonging to the
Iran-backed Houthi militia near the coastal area of As-Salif, thwarting an
imminent attack, according to state television report.
The
Arab Coalition said in statements released that the Houthi continue to threaten
to military and commercial naval trade routes in the Bab al-Mandab strait and
the southern Red Sea.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
South Asia
Islamic
State Bomb Attacks On Taliban Raise Spectre Of Wider Conflict
September
21, 2021
The
extremist Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly
roadside bombs targeting Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan, raising the
spectre of a wider conflict between the country's new Taliban rulers and their
long-time rivals.
A
string of explosions struck Taliban vehicles in Afghanistan's provincial city
of Jalalabad over the weekend, killing eight people, among them Taliban
fighters. On Monday, three more explosions were heard in the city, an IS
stronghold, with unconfirmed reports of additional Taliban casualties.
The
Taliban are under pressure to contain IS militants, in part to make good on a
promise to the international community that they will prevent the staging of
terror attacks from Afghan soil. There is also a widely held expectation among
conflict-weary Afghans that — despite fears and misgivings about the Taliban —
the new rulers will at least restore a measure of public safety.
"We
thought that since the Taliban have come, peace will come," said Feda
Mohammad, a brother of an 18-year-old rickshaw driver who was killed in one of
Sunday's blasts, along with a 10-year-old cousin.
"But
there's no peace, no security. You can't hear anything except the news of bomb
blasts killing this one or that," Mohammad said, speaking at the family
home where relatives and neighbours gathered for a memorial ceremony, drinking
black tea and reciting verses from the Quran.
The
latest IS bombings come as the Taliban face the daunting task of governing a
country shredded by four decades of war. The economy is in free fall, the
health system on the verge of collapse and thousands of members of the
country's educated elite have fled. International aid groups predict worsening
drought, hunger and poverty.
"Our
misery has reached its peak," Abdullah, a shopkeeper in Jalalabad, said
Monday, a day after IS claimed responsibility for the bombings that rocked the
city the two days before.
"People
have no jobs, people sell their carpets to buy flour ... still there are
explosions and (IS) claims the attacks," said Abdullah, who like many
Afghans goes by one name.
The
weekend bomb blasts served as a reminder of the threat the militants pose. Just
weeks ago, as American and foreign troops completed their withdrawal and
frantic airlift from the country, IS suicide bombers targeted U.S. evacuation
efforts outside Kabul international airport in one of the deadliest attacks in
Afghanistan in years. The blast killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.
The
events have bolstered fears of more violence, as IS militants exploit the
vulnerability of an overstretched Taliban government facing massive security
challenges and an economic meltdown.
"They're
making a very dramatic comeback," Ibraheem Bahiss, an International Crisis
Group consultant and an independent research analyst said of Islamic State.
"There could be a long-term struggle between the groups."
For
now, the Afghan affiliate of IS has shied away from attacks against the West
and maintained a local focus, but that could potentially change, Bahiss said.
The
aims of the IS affiliate in Afghanistan are different from those of the
Taliban, who seized control of the country days before the U.S. troop pullout
last month. While the Taliban have fought to gain ground in Afghanistan, the IS
chapter seeks to incorporate swaths of the country into a broader self-styled
caliphate, or Islamic empire, across the Middle East.
The
franchise, largely made up of Pakistani militants pushed across the border by
military operations, first embraced the IS call for a worldwide jihad against
non-Muslims in the months after the group's core fighters swept through Syria
and Iraq in the summer of 2014.
While
they share enmity toward American forces and a harsh interpretation of Sunni
Islam, the Taliban and IS are sworn enemies. Just as the Taliban battled U.S.
coalition troops in the long Afghan war, the group also waged a successful
offensive to drive IS militants from their enclaves in the country's north and
east — at times assisted by the U.S. and U.S.-backed Afghan government.
Despite
years of U.S. airstrikes and other military setbacks that shrank IS ranks, the
United Nations reported this year the group "remains active and
dangerous," a threat to Afghanistan and the wider region. The affiliate
has mounted some of the country's most brutal attacks in recent years on
schools, mosques and even a maternity hospital, mainly targeting the Shiite
Muslim minority.
The
affiliate has increasingly drawn hard-line Taliban defectors and foreign
militants disillusioned with what they see as the Taliban's overly moderate
ways. The New York-based Soufan Center said in an analysis on Monday that the
franchise poses "one of the most serious risks to future splintering of
the Taliban ... at a time when the group is seeking to gather strength and play
a major spoiler role in Afghanistan." As a power struggle between
pragmatists and ideologues in the Taliban leadership intensifies, the IS branch
has ramped up recruiting efforts.
For
now, Taliban forces far outnumber IS militants and experts doubt the extremist
group poses an existential threat to Afghanistan's new rulers. But if the
bombings continue, said Franz Marty, a Kabul-based fellow at the Swiss
Institute for Global Affairs, "it could become a large problem."
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/islamic-state-bomb-attacks-on-taliban-1855080-2021-09-21
--------
Taliban
leader Baradar's message after clash looked like hostage video: Report
SEP
21, 2021
A
power struggle within the Taliban has badly hurt two key players - deputy prime
minister Mullah Baradar and the group's spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada
- UK-based magazine The Spectator reported on Monday. It cited the recent clash
during the government formation talks between Baradar faction and the Haqqani
network to say that the former emerged as the "principal loser".
The
chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also threw his weight
behind the Haqqanis, ensuring that all of the key positions went to Pakistani
loyalists, principally from the hardline Haqqani network, The Spectator
reported.
The
clashes in early September saw "furniture as well as large thermos flasks
full of hot green thrown around", said The Spectator. At one point during
the meeting, Haqqani network leader Khalil-ul-Rahman Haqqani rose from his
chair and began punching Baradar, The Spectator report said. Baradar had pushed
for an "inclusive" cabinet that included non-Taliban leaders and
ethnic minorities, which would be more acceptable to the rest of the world.
He
disappeared for a while after the clashes and resurfaced in Kandahar. He held a
meeting of tribal leaders who are supporting him, but was also forced to
release a video message on the state-run TV network controlled by the Taliban.
The message "looked like a hostage video", The Spectator reported.
On
Akhundzada, the publication reported that his whereabouts are not known.
"He has not been seen or heard from for some time, and there are many
rumours that he is dead," reported The Spectator.
This
vacuum at the top has allowed for arguments between the Taliban factions -
something which was not seen during their earlier rule two decades ago, the
report further said.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
Emirate Of Afghanistan Changes Name Of University In Kabul
20
Sep 2021
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan officially changed the name of a government university
from University of Burhanuddin Rabbani-former Afghan President and founder of
Afghanistan’s second-biggest political party- to Kabul Education University.
An
official directive released by the ministry of higher education reads,
universities are the intellectual assets of Afghanistan and should be named
after political or ethnic leaders.
The
previous name of the university was brought down on Monday, September 20, and
will now be addressed by its first name- Kabul Educational University.
The
directive reads that lingual, regional, and ethnic discrimination have
prevailed in Afghanistan in the past two decades and national places were named
based on those.
The
university was named after Burhanuddin Rabbani after he was killed in a suicide
attack in his home in 2009.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-changes-name-of-university-in-kabul-8685/
--------
WHO
chief meets Taliban’s premier and officials
20
Sep 2021
Head
of the world health organization Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Kabul
on Monday, September 20, and met with the prime minister of Afghanistan Mullah
Muhammad Hassan Akhund in Presidential Palace (ARG).
The
meeting was conducted between the head of WHO, his delegation, head of UNAMA
Deborah Lyons, and the premier of Afghanistan, his deputy Mullah Baradar,
acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi.
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan has not disclosed details of the meeting until.
Adhanom
is said to have come to Afghanistan in order to build coordination among the
health administrations and to support them.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/who-chief-meets-talibans-premier-and-officials-87686/
--------
Witnesses
say explosion targets Taliban, 2nd in as many days
September
20, 2021
Witnesses
say an explosion targeted a Taliban vehicle in the provincial city of
Jalalabad, the second such deadly blast in as many days in an Islamic State
stronghold.
The
Taliban and IS extremists are enemies, and fought each other even before the
Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last month.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
After
Afghans fell from plane, families live with horror
Sep
21, 2021
KABUL:
It's a scene that has come to symbolize the chaotic end to America's 20 years
of war in Afghanistan: A lumbering US Air Force cargo plane takes off from
Kabul airport, chased by hundreds of desperate Afghan men scrambling to get on
the aircraft.
As
the C-17 transporter gains altitude, shaky mobile phone video captures two tiny
dots dropping from the plane. Footage from another angle shows many in the
crowd on the tarmac stopping in their tracks and pointing.
The
full extent of the horror becomes apparent only later. The dots, it turns out,
were desperate Afghans hidden in the wheel well. As the wheels folded into the
body of the plane, the stowaways faced the choice of being crushed to death or
letting go and plunging to the ground.
More
than a month later, much remains unclear about what happened in that tragic
takeoff on Aug. 16, a day after the Taliban swept into Kabul, prompting a flood
of Afghans trying to escape the country.
Even
how many were killed remains unknown. Videos show two dots falling from the
airborne plane, several seconds apart. But two bodies landed on the same
rooftop at the same time, suggesting they fell together, so the other figure
seen falling in the videos could be at least one other person. Also, the US
military has said it found human remains still in the wheel well of the C-17
when it landed in Qatar but did not specify how many people. At least one
person, a young soccer player, died on the tarmac, crushed under the C-17's
wheels.
The
US military says it has not completed its investigation into the day. It said
the C-17 was bringing in supplies for the evacuation effort at the airport but
was mobbed by Afghans on the tarmac as it landed. Fearing the plane would be
overwhelmed, the crew decided to take off again without unloading the cargo.
Videos taken by Afghans on the tarmac show hundreds running alongside it, and
perhaps a dozen people sitting on top of the wheel well, though it is not known
how many jumped off before the plane lifted off.
One
of those tucked into the wheel well was Fida Mohammad, a 24-year-old dentist.
He
had once been full of hope, his family said. He had married last year in an
extravagant ceremony that cost his family $13,000. His dream of opening a
dental clinic in Kabul had become a reality.
Then
the Taliban seized Kabul, and all the possibilities for his future seemed to
disappear, his father Painda Mohammed told The Associated Press.
The
older man still struggles to understand what his son was thinking when he
climbed into the wheel well. He's wracked with guilt, fearing that Fida took
such an enormous risk because he wanted to help repay the large loan his father
took out for the wedding.
Burying
his head in his hands, Painda says he spends hours imagining his son's final
minutes, the fear he must have felt as the earth below him began to disappear
and the wheels swung in, knowing he had no choice but to let go.
On
the ground, Abdullah Waiz was asleep in his home at the time and was awakened
by a powerful noise. His first thought was an explosion. He rushed outside. His
neighbors gestured toward his roof and told him of the bodies tumbling from the
sky.
Two
bodies hit in the same corner of his roof, Waiz said, pointing at the spot,
where the concrete was still stained with blood. Waiz believes they were
holding hands since they fell in the same location. He collected the remains on
a cloth and carried it to a nearby mosque, he said.
"For
48 hours after that, I couldn't sleep or eat," he said.
They
identified one body as Fida, as he had stuffed his father's name and number in
his pocket. Local media said the second body was identified as a young man
named Safiullah Hotak.
For
two weeks at the end of August as the United States and its allies wrapped up
their presence in Afghanistan, tens of thousands of Afghans surged toward the
Kabul airport, frantic to escape a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. A 2-year-old
child died in the stampede. An Islamic State group suicide bomber blew himself
up in the middle of the crowd, killing 169 Afghans and 13 US military
personnel. Yet even after the explosion, thousands returned to the airport,
hoping to make it inside.
The
scenes were so traumatic that the US Air Force offered psychological counseling
to the air force personnel who worked at Kabul airport, as well as the crew of
the ill-fated C-17 flight after it landed at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
expand interim cabinet, double down on all-male team
September
21, 2021
The
Taliban expanded their interim cabinet by naming deputy ministers on Tuesday
but failed to appoint any women, doubling down on a hardline course despite the
international outcry that followed their initial presentation of an all-male
cabinet lineup earlier this month.
The
international community has warned that it will judge the Taliban by their
actions, and that recognition of a Taliban-led government would be linked to
the treatment of women and minorities. In their previous rule of Afghanistan in
the late 1990s, the Taliban had barred girls and women from schools, work and
public life.
Taliban
government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid defended the latest additions to the
cabinet at a news conference on Tuesday, saying it included members of ethnic
minorities, such as Hazaras, and that women might be added later.
Mujahid
bristled at international conditions for recognition, saying there was no
reason for withholding it. “It is the responsibility of the United Nations to
recognise our government [and] for other countries, including European, Asian
and Islamic countries, to have diplomatic relations with us,” he said.
The
Taliban have framed their current cabinet as an interim government, suggesting
that change was still possible, but they have not said if there would ever be
elections.
Mujahid
was also asked about the recent restrictions imposed on girls and women,
including a decision not to allow girls in grades six to 12 to return to
classrooms for the time being.
He
suggested this was a temporary decision, and that “soon it will be announced
when they can go to school”. He said plans were being made to allow for their
return but did not elaborate.
Boys
in grades six to 12 resumed their studies over the weekend.
Mujahid
also made no reference to the now-closed women's affairs ministry, which was
shut down last week and replaced with a department that earned notoriety for
enforcing religious doctrine during the previous Taliban regime.
“These
positions are considered important for the functioning of the emirate,” he
said, announcing the final cabinet appointments, which included additions to
the health ministry.
The
Taliban now face the colossal task of ruling Afghanistan, an aid-dependent
country whose economic troubles have only deepened since the group seized power
and outside funding was frozen.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1647593/taliban-expand-interim-cabinet-double-down-on-all-male-team
--------
Afghan
cricket lovers disappointed over Taliban ban on telecast of IPL on national
media
20.09.2021
After
coming to power in Afghanistan the Taliban have imposed restrictions on many
sports including most forms of entertainment. They have also banned sports for
women. A Taliban leader had recently said that it was not necessary for women
to play. So they will decide what is necessary for women and what is not.
According to the Taliban leaders, the broadcasts were banned because girls are
seen dancing with open hair which is anti-Islam.
Now
they have banned the telecast and broadcast of the IPL matches in Afghanistan
due to ‘anti-Islam content’. The IPL is underway in the UAE and most Afghans
are very excited about the outcome of the matches as three star cricketers of
Afghanistan have been playing IPL for the last few years. Mohammad Nabi, Rashid
Khan and Mujib Zadran have been regular features of the IPL played in India.
Their participation has created a lot of interest in cricket among Afghans and
also promoted friendship and bonhomie between the two countries. Both Rashid
and Nabi play for Hydrabad Sunrisers.
But
the report on the ban on the telecast of the IPL’S UAE leg, has caused a lot of
disappointment among the cricket lovers of Afghanistan. They have expressed
their disappointment over the issue on the social media. A
tweet of a journalist gives the news:
Afghanistan
national Radio and TV will not broadcast the
@IPL
as
usual as it was reportedly banned to live the matches resumed tonight due to
possible anti-islam contents, girls dancing & the attendence of barred hair
women in the stadium by Islamic Emirates of the Taliban. #CSKvMI
With
the ban on telecast of the UAE Leg of the IPL 2021, some Afghan women have
expressed their disappointment and have reminisced the days when they had
enjoyed cricket on TV and expressed their solidarity with the Aftghan cricket
team in various wasys;
An
Afghan woman Peymana Assad who enjoys cricket remembered the days when she wore
clothes with colours of the Afghan flag.
Peymana
Assad
@Peymasad
8h
From
the Afghanistan vs England cricket match in 2019. So glad I wore my Afghan flag
coloured clothes that day
#NewProfilePic
An
Aghan cricket fan Ziaul Haq Amarkhil wishes the Afghan cricketer Happy Birthday
and wishes him success.
Ziaulhaq
Amarkhil
@ZiaulhaqAmarkhi
•
16h
Happy
Birthday to the player who introduced
and rose Afghanistan national flag in the cricket world and is an inspiration
for many youths. Many many happy returns of the day
@rashidkhan_19
,
May you dominate your cricket career for years.
The
Afghan cricketers Muhammmad Nabi, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Zadran have also
expressed their disappointment as they feel that the Aftghan people will now
not been able to watch them play.
The
Taliban have their own theology formed by their own ulema who have a rigid
outlook and an intolerant attitude towards modern developments. They have taken
away the freedom of its citizens. The citizens badly remember the days when
they could move freely with their loved ones and enjoyed the life.
On
the social media, Some Afghan citizens have reminisced the days before the
ascent of Taliban when they enjoyed freedom. Ferdous Samim has written:
Ferdous
Samim
@AFSamim
21h
We
need back the color of #Afghanistan! 2017 Eid in #Badakhshan. This was our lives
that the world took from us. It was not perfect. It never will be. But it was
us. Together! We are scattered now. Out of the country and within the country.
We deserved to enrich this life.
Islam does not oppose or condemn sports and modest
modes of entertainment but Taliban have the view that sports promote immodesty
and vulgarity. They also believe that women should not participate in sports
though women of Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries are allowed to take
part in international sports. The ban on
the telecast of IPL matches in Afghanistan show that the Taliban will also
dictate Afghan people on what they should watch. They will not allow the Afghan
cricket lovers only because girls will be seen dancing in the galleries and
will be present in the stadium with open hair.
Taliban will take Afghanistan back to the 8th century despite their
hollow claims that they want Afghanistan make progress along with the
developing nations of the world.
---------
Pakistan
Imran
Khan to address UNGA virtually; raise Afghanistan issue
Sep
20, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to address the 76th United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) virtually, on Friday.
Pakistan's
Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram informed
about PM Khan's UN address to US-state media, reports ARY news.
Akram
said that Pakistan would draw the world's attention towards the urgency to
stabilise Afghanistan.
On
the Afghanistan issue, Khan on Saturday informed that his government has
started negotiations with the Taliban to form an inclusive government in
Afghanistan.
Khan's
remarks came following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting held
in Dushanbe, where SCO members thoroughly discussed issues associated with Afghanistan.
"After
long meetings in Dushanbe with leaders of Afghanistan's neighbours, especially
with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, I have begun negotiations with the
Taliban for the inclusion of the Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek communities in the
Afghan government for an inclusive government," Prime Minister Imran Khan
said in a tweet.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Qureshi
says no rush to recognise Taliban govt in Afghanistan
September
21, 2021
Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers should
understand that if they want recognition and assistance in rebuilding the
war-battered country, they have to be more sensitive and more receptive to
international opinion and norms.
Qureshi,
who is in New York to attend the 76th session of the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA), said on Tuesday that countries are watching to see how things
evolve in Afghanistan before considering recognition.
“I
don't think anybody is in a rush to recognise at this stage and the Taliban
should keep an eye on that,” he said.
If
the Taliban want recognition, “they have to be more sensitive and more
receptive to international opinion,” he said.
The
minister said that Pakistan's objective was peace and stability in Afghanistan
and to achieve that "we would suggest to Afghans that they should have an
inclusive government".
He
said their initial statements indicate they aren't averse to the idea, so
"let's see".
Qureshi
expressed the hope the Afghan Taliban would live up to their promise that girls
and women would be allowed to go to school, college and university.
He
also strongly urged the United States and other countries that have frozen money
from the former Afghan government to release it because "that's Afghan
money that should be spent on Afghan people".
He
said the most urgent priority was averting an even deeper economic collapse of
the neighboring nation that could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe.
“On
one hand, you're raising fresh funds to avert a crisis and on the other hand
money that is theirs — belongs to them — they cannot use,” Qureshi told
reporters.
“I
think freezing the assets is not helping the situation. I would strongly urge
the powers that be that they should revisit that policy and think of an
unfreeze,” he said.
“It
will be a confidence-building measure as well and that could also incentivise
positive behavior.”
The
United States froze $9.5 billion in Afghan central bank assets and
international lenders have stayed clear of Afghanistan, wary of providing money
that could be used by the Taliban.
Qureshi
reaches New York for five-day visit
Qureshi
is currently in New York on a five-day visit during which he will attend the
76th session of the UN General Assembly and hold bilateral talks with his
counterparts from other countries participating in the summit.
According
to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, Prime Minister Imran Khan will
address the session via a video link and will outline Pakistan's perspective on
key global and regional issues.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1647584/qureshi-says-no-rush-to-recognise-taliban-govt-in-afghanistan
--------
Pakistan
satisfied with security assurances by Afghan Taliban: ISPR
September
21, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan is maintaining a regular engagement with the Afghan Taliban for
safeguarding the country’s security interests, said military spokesman Maj Gen
Babar Iftikhar on Monday.
The
Inter-Services Public Relations director general added that Pakistan was
satisfied with the assurances extended by the Taliban regarding peace and
security.
In
an interview published by Urdu News, the DG ISPR said: “The Taliban have
reiterated on several occasions that no group or terrorist organisation will be
allowed to use Afghan territory for any terrorist activity against any country,
including Pakistan. We have no reason to doubt their intentions, and that is
why we are in constant touch with them to protect our national interest.”
One
of the country’s major concerns has been the presence of the banned
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan.
We
are in constant touch with the group to protect our national interests, says
Maj Gen Babar
Although
there has been no commitment so far by the Afghan Taliban about any action
against the TTP present on their territory, the former had claimed it would not
allow anyone to use their territory against any country.
There
have also been discussions between the Pakistani authorities and the Afghan
Taliban about new border control measures to prevent undesired elements from
crossing the border into Pakistan. There has been a significant uptick in TTP
attacks since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. However, Pakistani
authorities are not ready to blame the Afghan Taliban for that and often say it
is too early to expect them to establish their writ in the bordering areas and
be in full control of the situation.
In
his Urdu News interview, Gen Babar underscored the progress being made in
fencing the 2,600-km-long border with Afghanistan.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1647461/pakistan-satisfied-with-security-assurances-by-afghan-taliban-ispr
--------
Allama
Ahmed Iqbal: Punjab government nothing as compare to Banu Ummayah & Abbas
in cruelty
September
21, 2021
Central
Deputy Secretary-General of MWM of Pakistan, Allama Ahmed Iqbal Rizvi, said
that Fourteen Hundred years ago, when Banu Ummayah and Banu Abbas were ruling,
they left no effort to subdue Azadari-e-Imam Hussain (AS) (mourning for Imam
al-Hussain) but we kept continue said duty without any care and fear then how
we would be frightened of Punjab government which had no comparison with cruel
Malookiate of ancient Islamic History.
He
further said that our leaders were brave and bold, and ready to face every
challenge at any time for Azadari. Our stand is crystal clear in said regard
and known to all that our motto was loyalty with the country and mourning of
Imam Hussain (AS). We would never allow anyone to spread sectarian extremism in
Pakistan.
He
also condemned the attempt of making curriculum sectarian and vowed to unveil
this high-level conspiracy.
He
said that the omission of lessons about Hazrat Fatima Salamullah Alaiha and
Imam Hussain (AS) as well as the addition of fake Hadith was highly deplorable
and we would challenge all these changes in the syllabus because we were
willing to keep Pakistan according to principles of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama
Iqbal.
Source:
ABNA
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistani
scholars, poets call Ostad Shahriar as a reviver of classical poetry
September
21, 2021
Pakistani
writers and poets taking part in a virtual meeting commemorating the
"Persian Poetry and Literature Day", which was organized by the
Cultural House of Iran Lahore said Ostad Shahriar was a reviver of classical
poetry.
A
virtual meeting commemorating the Day of Persian Poetry and Literature and
commemorating Ostad Shahriar was held in Pakistani city of Lahore, with the
participation of Persian language professors from Lahore University, poets and
those interested in Iranian culture and Persian language.
participants
in their comments examined the influence of Persian poetry and literature by
explaining the position of Shahriar as the reviver of the classical poetry
style in the contemporary era.
Iran"s
Cultural Attaché to Pakistan, Jafar Ronas, expressing the privileged position
of Ostad Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Behjat Tabrizi (1906 - September 18, 1988) ,
said Shahriar is the most important lyric poet of the classical style of
Persian poetry among contemporary poets, despite the numerous Iranian poets and
writers , naming the day of Persian poetry and literature as Master Shahriar
shows the importance of the position of this contemporary poet.
Babar
Nasim Asi, Head of the Iranology Room at Lahore State University, said that it
is necessary to study and get acquainted with contemporary Iranian poets in the
Pakistani literary community.
Expressing
the role of poets in the flourishing of science in Iran, the head of the
Department of Iranian Studies at Lahore State University said the reason why
these poems never become obsolete and old fashion like other branches of
science, because these beautiful texts originate from the knowledge of poets
and lyricists.
Azami
Zarrin Nazieh, a Persian language teacher, for his part said verses from
Shahriar"s poetry which were composed with innate creativity, are very
sweet, rich and pleasant.
He
added: "Shahriar was not only patriotic but also humane, which is why his
poems live in the hearts and souls of all human beings."
Source:
ABNA
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click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan:
Tortured for getting water from mosque, Hindu family blames Imran Khan’s party
September
20, 2021
Fetching
drinking water from a mosque in Pakistan's Punjab province landed a family of
poor farmers from the minority Hindu community in trouble as some people
tortured and held them hostage for “violating the sanctity” of their place of
worship, a media report said on Monday.
The
family alleged that the attackers to a politician relation to Imran Khan's
ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
Alam
Ram Bheel, a resident of Punjab’s Rahimyar Khan city, was picking raw cotton
along with his other family members, including his wife, in a field. Bheel said
when the family went outside a nearby mosque to fetch drinking water from a
tap, some local landlords beat them up, the Dawn newspaper reported.
When
the family was returning home after unloading the picked cotton, the landlords
held them hostage at their dera (outhouse) and tortured them again for “violating
the sanctity” of the mosque, it said.
The
police did not register a case as the attackers were related to a local
parliamentarian of Prime Minister Imran Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) party, Bheel said. Protesting the police apathy, Bheel held a sit-in
outside the police station along with another clan member Peter John Bheel.
Peter,
also a member of the district peace committee, said that they approached ruling
PTI lawmaker Javed Warriach who helped them lodge a case on Friday.
Peter
requested other members of the district peace committee to call an emergency
meeting over the issue but they did not take the matter seriously, the report
said.
PTI’s
south Punjab minority wing secretary-general Yodhister Chohan said that
incident was in his knowledge but due to the influence of a ruling party’s MP,
he preferred to stay away.
District
Police Officer Asad Sarfraz said that he was looking into the matter.
Deputy
Commissioner Dr. Khuram Shehzad said he would meet Hindu minority elders on
Monday before taking any action. Asked about the 'inactive' peace committee,
the officer claimed it was “fully functional”.
Farooq
Rind, a senior lawyer and former district bar president, said he also belonged
to the Basti Kahoor area where the Bheels had been living for more than a
century. He said that most of the clan members were farmworkers and extremely
poor.
Source:
India Today
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Sindh
lacks capacity, resources to accommodate more Afghan refugees, Sindh Assembly
told
Tahir
Siddiqui
September
21, 2021
KARACHI:
Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh informed the Sindh Assembly on Monday that
the province did not have any more capacity and resources to accommodate Afghan
refugees, who might arrive here in the wake of recent events in Afghanistan.
Responding
to a calling-attention notice given by Arif Mustafa Jatoi of the Grand
Democratic Alliance (GDA), he said that the province was already flooded with
hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals, demanding that the federal
government take effective measures to stop any further influx of refugees in
the province.
The
GDA lawmaker through his calling-attention notice apprehended that the arrival
of Afghan refugees could lead to spread of the coronavirus pandemic as most of
them were not vaccinated.
“So
far, Pakistan administered the first jab of Covid-19 to 70 million people while
in Afghanistan, around 400,000, or only one per cent, got the first dose,” he
said, adding that polio was also on the rise in Afghanistan.
Provincial
govt is ready to hold LG polls if census issue is settled or ECP wants it,
minister tells house
He
asked what steps were being taken by the provincial government to look after
them and to ensure that they did not get jobs in Sindh or spread polio or
coronavirus in the province.
The
provincial energy minister, replying on behalf of the chief minister who also
held the portfolio of home, said that it would be very difficult to send the
Afghan refugees back if they came to cities in the province. “Camps should be
established at borders from where the refugees could be sent back to their
country. The refugees can be accommodated at camps on humanitarian grounds,” he
added.
Mr
Shaikh also said that the GDA lawmaker raised the issue on a wrong platform as
management of borders was a federal subject. “Nonetheless, we are making sure
that there is no burden on Sindh.”
He
said that the GDA, being a coalition partner of the Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf-led federal government, should take up the matter with
Islamabad.
‘Sindh
govt doesn’t want to devolve powers’
While
opposing an adjournment motion of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s Syed Abdul Rasheed,
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that the local
government elections had been delayed in the province due to the
‘controversial’ census 2017.
He
said that Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah was the only member who opposed
the approval of the census in the meeting of the Council of Common Interests
(CCI).
“As
far as I know, the local government elections will be held as per the new
census. We are ready to conduct the polls, if census issue is settled or the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) wants it,” he added.
The
MMA member in his adjournment motion said that the provincial government did
not want to devolve powers at the grassroots level, that’s why it was not
holding the LG polls.
Referring
to the appointment of Barrister Murtaza Wahab as the administrator of the
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), he said that a political figure was
appointed to the post.
The
MMA lawmaker said that the people were deprived of their local representatives.
He said that the civic and municipal problems of people were not being resolved
due to the delay in LG elections in all the districts of the province.
However,
Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani ruled the adjournment motion out of order.
Resolution
on finality of prophethood
The
house passed a unanimous resolution moved by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s
Mohammad Qasim for implementation of another resolution adopted last year
asking the authorities to make it mandatory to write “Khatim-un-Nabiyyeen”
(Last Prophet) along with the name of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) in
official documents, books and wherever the holy name was used.
In
the resolution, the lawmakers also demanded that Quranic verses and ahadith
regarding the Last Prophet should also be written in the Sindh Assembly and
other government offices.
Meanwhile,
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chawla introduced The University of Mirpurkhas
Bill, 2021 for establishment of a varsity at Mirpurkhas. The assembly sent the
bill to the standing committee concerned for further deliberations.
The
Sindh Mines and Minerals Governance Bill, 2021 was also introduced and sent to
the standing committee concerned.
Source:
Dawn
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North America
Pentagon
chief orders new review of mistaken US drone strike in Kabul
21
September ,2021
Defense
Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a senior-level review of the investigation
that found that 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children, were killed in
an Aug. 29 US drone strike in Kabul that the Pentagon initially said had killed
an Islamic State fighter. The reviewer is to consider whether any military
disciplinary action is warranted.
Pentagon
spokesman John Kirby said Monday that Austin told the Air Force to appoint an
officer at three- or four-star rank to review the Central Command
investigation, which examined in detail the chronology of events leading to the
tragedy. The main findings were that only Afghan civilians were killed and that
the US military had been mistaken in its belief that the white Toyota Corolla
it tracked for hours and then struck with a Hellfire missile was a valid
threat.
Discrepancies
between the military’s initial claims about the strike and findings on the
ground quickly emerged. The Associated Press and other news organizations
reported that the driver of the targeted vehicle was a longtime employee at a
US humanitarian organization. There were no signs of a large secondary blast,
despite the Pentagon’s assertion that the vehicle contained explosives.
The
head of Central Command, Gen. Frank McKenzie, announced Friday that his
investigation had determined that the vehicle targeted by the drone had
initially been spotted at a known Islamic State compound in Kabul and was
tracked by US intelligence for eight hours. McKenzie said the intelligence
about the vehicle turned out to be tragically mistaken.
The
military initially asserted that at least one Islamic State fighter had been
killed in the vehicle, but McKenzie’s investigation found that only innocent
civilians were killed. McKenzie took blame for the mistake and apologized.
“This
particular strike certainly was a terrible mistake, and we certainly regret
that, and I’ve been very clear that we take full responsibility for it,” he
told a Pentagon news conference.
Austin
on Friday alluded to his request for a review, saying in a written statement
that he wanted to be sure that Central Command had considered “all available
context and information” about the mistaken attack and that accountability be
fully considered.
The
decision to require a review is a reflection of the seriousness of the mistakes
made in the final hours of the US military withdrawal from Kabul, which
included a hurried evacuation of more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and
others. The evacuation was carried out under the threat of attack by the
Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate, which had conducted a deadly
suicide bombing outside the airport three days before the mistaken drone
strike.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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‘We
were them’: Vietnamese Americans help Afghan refugees
21
September ,2021
In
the faces of Afghans desperate to leave their country after US forces withdrew,
Thuy Do sees her own family, decades earlier and thousands of miles away.
A
39-year-old doctor in Seattle, Washington, Do remembers hearing how her parents
sought to leave Saigon after Vietnam fell to communist rule in 1975 and the
American military airlifted out allies in the final hours. It took years for
her family to finally get out of the country, after several failed attempts,
and make their way to the United States, carrying two sets of clothes a piece
and a combined $300. When they finally arrived, she was 9 years old.
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the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
These
stories and early memories drove Do and her husband Jesse Robbins to reach out
to assist Afghans fleeing their country now. The couple has a vacant rental
home and decided to offer it up to refugee resettlement groups, which furnished
it for newly arriving Afghans in need of a place to stay.
“We
were them 40 years ago,” Do said. “With the fall of Saigon in 1975, this was
us.”
Television
images of Afghans vying for spots on US military flights out of Kabul evoked
memories for many Vietnamese Americans of their own attempts to escape a
falling Saigon more than four decades ago. The crisis in Afghanistan has
reopened painful wounds for many of the country’s 2 million Vietnamese
Americans and driven some elders to open up about their harrowing departures to
younger generations for the first time.
It
has also spurred many Vietnamese Americans to donate money to refugee
resettlement groups and raise their hands to help by providing housing,
furniture and legal assistance to newly arriving Afghans. Less tangible but
still essential, some also said they want to offer critical guidance they know
refugees and new immigrants need: how to shop at a supermarket, enroll kids in
school and drive a car in the United States.
Since
the Vietnam War, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese have come to the United
States, settling in communities from California to Virginia.
Today,
Vietnamese Americans are the sixth-largest immigrant group in the United
States. Many settled in California’s Orange County after arriving initially at
the nearby Camp Pendleton military base and today have a strong voice in local
politics.
“We
lived through this and we can’t help but feel that we are brethren in our
common experience,” Andrew Do, who fled Saigon with his family a day before it
fell to communism and today chairs the county’s board of supervisors, said
during a recent press conference in the area known as “Little Saigon.”
The
US had long announced plans to withdraw from Afghanistan after a 20-year war.
But the final exit was much more frantic, with more than 180 Afghans and 13 US
service members killed in an attack on the Kabul airport.
In
the last two weeks of August, the US evacuated 31,000 people from Afghanistan,
three-quarters of them Afghans who supported American military efforts during
the extensive operations. But many Afghan allies were left behind with no clear
way out of the landlocked nation under strict Taliban control.
Similarly,
many Vietnamese Americans recall how they couldn’t get out before the impending
fall of Saigon to communism. They stayed behind and faced long spells in
reeducation camps in retaliation for their allegiance to the Americans who had
fought in their country. Once they were allowed to return to their families,
many Vietnamese left and took small boats onto the seas, hoping to escape and
survive.
For
some families, the journey took years and many failed attempts, which is why
many Vietnamese Americans view the departure of the US military from
Afghanistan not as the end of the crisis, but the beginning.
“We
have to remember now is the time to lay a foundation for a humanitarian crisis
that may last long past the moment the last US help leaves the Afghan space,”
said Thanh Tan, a Seattle filmmaker who started a group for Vietnamese
Americans willing to house arriving Afghans. Her own family, she said, made the
trip four years after the US left Vietnam. “We have to be prepared because
people will do whatever it takes to survive.”
Afghans
arriving in the United States may have a special status for those who supported
US military operations, or may have been sponsored to come by relatives already
here. Others are expected to arrive as refuges or seek permission to travel to
the United States under a process known as humanitarian parole and apply for
asylum or other legal protection once they are here.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Turkey's
first lady attends screening of documentary 'Ottoman America'
Esin
Eşkinat Sayılgan
21.09.2021
NEW
YORK
Turkey's
first lady Emine Erdogan on Monday attended the screening of a documentary film
on Ottoman immigrants who went to the US in the early 1900s.
"Ottoman
America" was produced in cooperation with Bay Atlantic University, the
Bahcesehir University Civilization Studies Center (MEDAM) and the Presidency
for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB).
It
was promoted with the attendance of Turkey's first lady at the newly
inaugurated Turkevi Center, or Turkish House, in Manhattan across from UN
headquarters.
Speaking
at the event, Erdogan said the documentary not only illuminates Turkish history
in America but also makes a great contribution to the science of history.
"Turkish,
Kurdish, Armenian, Jewish and Greek immigrants set out on this path together
and stayed together in America. We see the multiculturalism of the Ottoman
Empire in this migration adventure," she added.
Noting
the importance of the historical basis presented by the documentary for Turks
in America, she said she hopes the documentary will "be instrumental in establishing
a museum that will record our migration history."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Turkish
foreign minister meets Colombian, Venezuelan, Bahraini counterparts
Burak
Bir
20.09.2021
Turkey's
foreign minister on Monday held separate meetings with his Colombian,
Venezuelan, Bahraini counterparts in New York.
Meeting
with Colombian Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucia Ramirez, Mevlut
Cavusoglu said that the two countries will finalize agreements to encourage
trade and investment.
"We
will increase cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organized crime and
irregular migration," he said on Twitter.
Following
his meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart Felix Plasencia, Cavusoglu said
that the trade volume between the two countries doubled despite the pandemic
and stressed that they will continue the momentum.
The
Turkish foreign minister also met with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin
Rashid Al-Zayani and underlined the positive developments between the two
countries.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Turkish
president cuts ribbon on landmark Turkevi Center in New York
Servet
Gunerigok
20.09.2021
NEW
YORK
Calling
the landmark building "a masterpiece," Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan on Monday has officially inaugurated the Turkevi Center, or Turkish
House, in New York City.
Speaking
at its opening ceremony, which also featured a music concert, Erdogan said the
Turkevi Center will stand as a reflection of Turkey's place on the world stage
ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic, in 2023.
"We
are proud" of the new center, said the president.
"Because
for our nation and for our state, we have now bestowed a permanent work of art.
We are proud because of we are adding to the silhouette of New York, with a
sterling example of our historical and traditional architecture," said
Erdogan.
"I
would like to extend my special gratitude to each of you for being with us on
this historic day," he added. He also said the Turkevi Center is a symbol
of Turkey's faith in the United Nations, along with multilateralism, justice,
and peace.
Bought
from American tech giant IBM in 1977, the building served as Ankara's permanent
mission to the UN and consulate general until 2013, when extensive renovations
began.
The
president said the building will serve for decades to come as a lasting symbol
of Turkey’s diplomatic success.
Among
the distinguished guests who attended the inauguration at 821 First Avenue in
Manhattan – a stone’s throw from UN headquarters – was Antonio Guterres, the UN
secretary-general.
Other
guests included Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) President Ersin
Tatar, Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, and Lithuanian President Gitanas
Nauseda, as well as representatives of foreign missions.
Calling
it an "enormous pleasure" to attend the inauguration of the new
Turkevi Center, Guterres went on to laud Turkey’s unmatched record in hosting
and helping refugees.
"I
am personally familiar with the enormous generosity of Turkey and Turkish host
communities towards refugees," said Guterres, adding: “I offer my sincere
appreciation for your support to people in need of protection.”
'Turkey’s
commitment to international solidarity'
In
a pair of tweets, Turkish Communications Director Fahrettin Altun said that
Erdogan paved the way for the new Turkevi Center, adding that its doors are
open to the people of all nations.
"President
Erdogan’s determined leadership is the most important factor in the creation of
this incredible new building, Turkevi,” he wrote.
“It
brings together Seljukid architectural style with modern technology and is
situated right across from the United Nations.
"The
building is a testament to Turkey’s commitment to international solidarity
& cooperation for the sake of humanity.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Europe
Four
charged with ‘anti-semitic abuse’ during pro-Palestinian protest in London
20
September ,2021
Four
men in Britain have been charged for allegedly shouting anti-Semitic abuse and
threats during a pro-Palestinian protest in north London earlier this year,
police said on Monday.
London’s
Metropolitan Police said the four, all from Blackburn, in northwest England,
were charged with “using threatening, abusive or insulting words, or behavior,
with intent, likely to stir up racial hatred.”
The
men were arrested after video circulated on social media in May which appeared
to show anti-Semitic abuse being shouted from a car travelling in a convoy
decorated with Palestinian flags.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UK
reveals contacts of 250 Afghan interpreters in email
21
September ,2021
Britain’s
defense ministry has apologized after it accidentally revealed the email
addresses of more than 250 Afghan interpreters seeking to move to the UK.
The
error came as the UK acknowledged it had left behind hundreds of Afghans
eligible for relocation in the rushed evacuation following the Taliban
takeover.
The
BBC reported that an email sent by a defense ministry team promising help with
relocation mistakenly copied in the addresses of more than 250 people, so they
were visible to all recipients.
Many
addresses also contained photographs.
The
ministry reportedly sent another message 30 minutes later, advising the
recipients to change their email addresses.
An
interpreter told the broadcaster the mistake “could cost the life of
interpreters, especially for those who are still in Afghanistan”.
A
defense ministry spokesperson said late on Monday that an investigation had
been launched into a “data breach of information from the Afghan Relocations
Assistance Policy team”.
“We
apologize to everyone impacted by this breach and are working hard to ensure it
does not happen again,” said the spokesperson.
The
data breach prompted anger from Conservative MP and former veterans minister
Johnny Mercer, who called it a “criminally negligent performance”.
In
August, The Times newspaper reported that it had found contact details of staff
and job applicants left behind at the British embassy compound in Kabul,
potentially endangering them.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UK,
US discuss Iran, Afghanistan, security deal
21
September ,2021
UK
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the
UN General Assembly in New York and held discussions on Iran, Afghanistan and
the trilateral security partnership between the US, Australia and the UK,
Britain’s foreign office said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/09/21/UK-US-discuss-Iran-Afghanistan-security-deal
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World
powers to meet with Iran at UN to push for return to nuclear talks: France
21
September ,2021
Ministers
from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia will meet with Iran at the
United Nations later this week to try to give fresh momentum to stalled talks
over reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, France’s foreign minister said on Monday.
A
sixth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington was adjourned in
June after hardliner Ebrahim Raisi was elected Iran’s president. Raisi took
office on Aug. 5.
Since
April, Iran and the world powers have tried to work out how Tehran and
Washington can both return to compliance with the nuclear pact, which former US
President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions on
Tehran.
“The
negotiation must restart,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
“Time is playing against a potential accord. We need to take advantage of this
week to restart these talks. Iran must accept to return as quickly as possible
by appointing its representatives for the negotiations.”
New
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is due to meet with her Iranian counterpart
Amir Abdollahian in New York on Monday as high-level officials meet at the
annual UN General Assembly.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Turkey's
parliament speaker criticizes EU over migration, Islamophobia
Senhan
Bolelli
21.09.2021
MADRID
Turkey's
parliament speaker on Tuesday criticized the EU for being inconsistent and
unrealistic over the migration crisis, Islamophobia and Eastern Mediterranean
crisis.
On
the 3rd day of his visit to Spain, Mustafa Sentop also spoke on Turkey's ties
with the European country, saying it wants to improve inter-parliamentary
relations.
His
visit to Spain is Turkey’s first at the parliament speaker level since 1994.
Reminding
that Turkey sent protective equipment and other supplies to Spain when the
coronavirus pandemic started last year, he said Spain was one of the first
countries to send firefighting planes to Turkey as the forest fires spread
across its southern provinces this summer.
"There
is a friendship between Turkey and Spain that emerges in difficult times,"
he told reporters in Madrid, adding that Turkey's Trade Minister Mehmet Mus
will visit Spain in the coming weeks, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro
Sanchez will come to Turkey on Nov. 17.
Alliance
of Civilizations
Emphasizing
that rising Islamophobia in Europe "plays a very dangerous role,"
Sentop said the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, which was founded 16
years ago under the co-chairmanship of Turkey and Spain, is "much more
needed in this period."
"It
will undoubtedly take time for this project to become operational and
effective," he said, adding that Turkey and Spain remain committed to the
initiative. "We can make it happen."
The
alliance aims to overcome fear and polarization between Muslim countries and
Western societies.
Migration
issue
Underlining
that the EU did not fully comply with the 2016 migration agreement with Turkey,
Sentop said: "What the EU has done in Turkey does not even make up
one-tenth of its promises."
He
stressed that every country has "responsibility and authority" over
the migration crisis, and that only "Turkey does not have to bear the
burden."
"Those
who create it must also step in and take the burden," he said. "If
this does not happen, the turmoil, economic imbalances, injustices in the world
will lead to new waves of migration."
Eastern
Mediterranean
Asked
about the tension in Eastern Mediterranean, Sentop said: "It would be
beneficial to leave the Eastern Mediterranean to the Eastern
Mediterranean."
"Greece
is not in the Eastern Mediterranean, France has nothing to do with it," he
said. "Turkey will always protect and defend its rights within the
international law."
He
also criticized the EU for shaping its relations with Turkey based on the
"whims of Greece and the Greek Cypriots."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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German
chancellor 'hopeful' vows to enhance ties with Turkey
Cuneyt
Karadag, Erbil Basay
21.09.2021
German
conservative chancellor candidate Armin Laschet has promised to improve ties
with Turkey if his party wins parliamentary elections on Sunday.
“I
know how important Turkey is to us, as a NATO member, as a country closely
linked to Europe, with many [areas of] cooperation,” Laschet said Monday in an
exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency.
"And
as a friend of Turkey, I hope that with my chancellorship, relations will
improve again. We have to work on that,” he stressed.
The
60-year-old experienced politician, who is the leader of the Christian
Democratic Union (CDU), is hopeful that the conservative bloc will win the
elections and he will succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor.
Laschet
praised the contributions of Germany’s Turkish community to the country and
said the first generation of Turkish immigrants worked hard in rebuilding the
economy and many from the second and third generations have successfully
integrated into the society.
“One
of my goals would be to ensure that German society recognizes this great
potential,” he said, and promised to take steps to eradicate all forms of
discrimination and achieve equal opportunities for all people with migrant
backgrounds.
Laschet
said if his party wins the election and forms the new government, economic
growth, digitization and climate change would be their main priorities.
“The
most important thing is that we should focus on economic growth again after the
[coronavirus] pandemic,” he said, adding they will implement new programs to
modernize the country, to achieve goals on digitalization, energy transition
and climate protection.
He
also promised an active foreign policy, stressing that Germany will continue to
act in a responsible way.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/german-chancellor-hopeful-vows-to-enhance-ties-with-turkey/2370051
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Turkish
president meets British premier at Turkevi Center in New York
Mehmet
Tosun
21.09.2021
Turkey’s
president and Britain’s prime minister held a closed-door meeting Monday in New
York.
Recep
Tayyip Erdogan received Boris Johnson at the Turkevi Center, or Turkish House,
in Manhattan across from UN headquarters.
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri
Ersoy, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and Trade Minister Mehmet Mus were
also present during the meeting, which lasted 40 minutes.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Anti-Zionist
Jew seeks UK asylum after refusing military service in Israel
Zuhal
Demirci
20.09.2021
LONDON
An
Orthodox Jewish young man, who fears for his life after refusing to take part
in the Israeli army, is seeking asylum in the UK.
The
man, whose name was not revealed at the instructions of the court, got his
asylum application rejected in December 2020 in the UK. The court will decide
on his appeal on Monday.
The
21-year-old man, who is pursuing formal training to become a rabbi, talked to
Anadolu Agency about his views on Zionism and the legitimacy of the state of
Israel, as well as his stance against the compulsory military service and the
ordeal he went through.
“Zionism is an affront to Judaism. According to
Jewish scripture, the Jewish people are prohibited by God from assembling in
masses in the Holy Land as a punishment for our sins and this punishment will
only be lifted with the return of the Messiah,” he said, adding” “this was the
overwhelming opinion of global Jewry for decades prior to the Holocaust.”
He
said that Zionism is a political project that exploits Jewish suffering and the
Jewish people in general for its own agenda.
“In
the process, it has forcibly displaced the indigenous Palestinian people and
stolen their land. The Zionists have engaged in theft and mass killing to
create their Zionist state which racially discriminates against the Arabs. They
have rebelled against God in the gravest way,” he added.
Explaining
his reasons for opposing the existence of Israel, he said: “It is an affront to
Judaism and has put in place a system that subjugates the indigenous
Palestinian people by stealing their land, displacing the people, slaughtering
them and denying them all rights.”
‘Immoral army’
Responding
to a question on why he refused to serve in the military, he said: “It would
have gone against everything that I stand for. I oppose Zionism and the
legitimacy of the State of Israel and could not, therefore, participate in protecting
the state. Furthermore, the State of Israel practices apartheid and is
routinely involved in war crimes against the Palestinian people.”
“I cannot serve in such an immoral army that
carries out such atrocities on a daily basis,” he added.
He
said that he was arrested in 2015 during a protest against compulsory military
service, when he was 17.
“I was arrested and taken into police custody. I
was handcuffed and pushed to the floor and then dragged by my handcuffs. I was
sworn at, spat upon, and beaten with a stick. It was a very humiliating and
painful experience,” he said.
He
said that he fears he will be persecuted if his asylum is rejected and has to
return to Israel.
“I have been persecuted by the State of Israel in
the past for my religious beliefs and political opinions. I am unwilling to
change those beliefs and opinions as they are a fundamental aspect of my
identity,” he explained.
“I will always actively oppose Zionism and fear
that I will be persecuted as a result. I am afraid of being conscripted into an
army that practices apartheid and engages in war crimes. As a military
deserter, I fear that they will send me to prison for up to 15 years and
torture me for refusing to serve,” he added.
‘He
can be imprisoned for up to 15 years, tortured’
Also
speaking to Anadolu Agency, the young man’s lawyer Fahad Ansari said his client
can be imprisoned for up to 15 years and tortured in case of return to Israel.
He
said that his client is a Rabbinical student and when he was in Israel, he was
arrested for protesting against the forcible conscription of yeshiva students.
He
was beaten, abused, spat upon, hit with a stick when he was in police custody,
Ansari said, adding that his client then fled the country and came to the UK to
seek asylum.
Ansari
said that his client’s fear of going back to Israel is based on two premises.
“Firstly, he's afraid that if he goes back, he's
going to be treated like a military deserter. And as a result, go to prison for
up to 15 years, during which time it is likely that he will be tortured as
well,” he said.
“And secondly, he feels that the fundamental aspect
of his identity is that he has to protest against the state of Israel ... And
if he does, so, he's likely to be picked up and tortured again,” he added.
Ansari
said that the Home Office rejected his client’s application because he suffers
from Asperger’s syndrome and that he will be exempt from military service.
However,
he said that his client will not be “automatically” exempted from the military
service on mental health grounds and that since he has already left the
country, he is going to be treated like a deserter.
Ansari
said: “It’s an asylum case. Now, we believe that he will be persecuted on the
basis of his religious and political opinions, religious opinions. Obviously,
he's a Jew, and he's an Orthodox Jew. And according to his beliefs, the State
of Israel should not even exist, and Zionism must be opposed at all costs.”
‘Role
model’
The
lawyer said that he has not had a case like this before or heard anything like
this.
“We haven't been able to find a precedent for it.
And we think this is unprecedented,” he said, adding he is confident that they
have enough evidence to convince the judge.
“It would be quite incredible for the court to
refuse his appeal and to dismiss his appeal. Of course, if that was to happen.
We're ready to take this to the next stage and appeal it to further up,” he
added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
France’s
Macron asks ‘forgiveness’ for French treatment of Algerian Harki fighters
20
September ,2021
French
President Emmanuel Macron on Monday asked for “forgiveness” on behalf of his
country for abandoning Algerians who fought alongside France in their country’s
war of independence.
Tens
of thousands of Algerians fought with the French army in the war that pitted
Algerian independence fighters against their French colonial masters from 1954
to 1962.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
'Secessionist
terrorists' kill 15 soldiers in Cameroon conflict zones
Aurore
Bonny
21.09.2021
Around
15 soldiers and several civilians died in two attacks in English-speaking areas
of Cameroon plagued by a separatist crisis, the Ministry of Defense said
Monday.
"On
the evening of Thursday, September 16, 2021, a convoy of the 6th Rapid
Intervention Battalion (BIR) on a reconnaissance mission was the target of an
ambush by heavily armed terrorists" in the locality of Bamessing in the
North West region, according to a note signed by Atonfack Nguemo Cyril Serge,
the spokesman for the Cameroonian army.
He
also cited a previous attack on Sept. 12 during which a military convoy was hit
by an improvised explosive device (IED) at Kumbo in the same region.
"The
cumulative toll of these attacks is about 15 soldiers and several civilians
killed, as well as three vehicles damaged," he said.
Those
attacks were carried out "in defiance of international humanitarian
law" and were "unspeakably barbaric" in terms of the use of
civilians as "human shields" as well as the "camouflage" in
the said populations and the "use of high explosives against the defense
forces,” he added.
Cameroon's
North West and South West regions are English-speaking areas that have been in
the grip of a secessionist crisis since 2016.
"The
secessionist terrorists," according to the Ministry of Defense, have
established links with “exogenous violent fundamentalist groups.”
This
bilingual country in Central Africa has a population of more than 27 million,
with a 20% English-speaking minority that claims to be marginalized. Anglophone
people are divided between those who want federalism and those who want
secession as a form of independence.
This
unresolved crisis has turned into a theater of criminality where the military
deployed in the North West and South West are engaged in fighting against armed
separatists.
There
are several consistent reports of thousands of deaths as well as several
hundred thousand externally displaced persons and over 700,000 internally
displaced persons.
Several
crimes against humanity such as killings, rapes and abductions have also been
documented by human rights organizations.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Man
who inspired ‘Hotel Rwanda’ gets 25 years for terrorism
James
Tasamba
21.09.2021
A
Rwandan dissident was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday on
terrorism-related charges.
Paul
Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the Oscar-nominated film Hotel
Rwanda, was convicted on eight of nine counts.
The
conviction was related to acts of terrorism committed by the National
Liberation Front (FLN) in 2018 which claimed the lives of nine civilians in
Rwanda’s southwest.
The
FLN is the armed wing of the political organization the Rwanda Movement for
Democratic Change (MRCD), which operates out of various places in the region
and abroad. Rusesabagina has acknowledged being a member of the MRCD, which is
opposed to Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s rule.
The
MRCD has denied responsibility for the violence carried out by the FLN and
Rusesabagina has denied the charges against him.
Judges
at the Rwandan High Court Special Chamber for International and Cross-border
Crimes in the capital Kigali found Rusesabagina “guilty of creating and being a
member of a terrorist organization but he is not guilty of forming an illegal
armed group.”
“He
is therefore sentenced to 25 years in prison,” Justice Antoine Muhima said
after reading a lengthy verdict.
He
was tried alongside 20 other defendants.
The
court also sentenced Callixte Nsabimana, aka Sankara, who was a spokesman for
the FLN, to 20 years in prison for his role in terrorist attacks on Rwanda and
mobilization for terrorism activities.
In
a statement, Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said the lengthy
trial “had exposed the terrorist activities of the FLN group.”
“The
evidence against the accused was indisputable, and the people of Rwanda will
feel safer now that justice has been delivered. The trial has been a long and
painful ordeal for the victims of FLN attacks, particularly for those who were
called upon to testify. Our thoughts today are with these brave witnesses and
the family and friends of the victims,” she said.
However,
Rusesabagina’s family in a statement dismissed the verdict, saying “an innocent
man kidnapped and held as a political prisoner was wrongfully convicted after
going through a show trial.”
Rusesabagina
faced multiple charges including forming an illegal armed group, financing
terror activities, murder, kidnap and arson in a trial he boycotted since March
on claims of “unfairness and a lack of independence.”
“They
should be found guilty for being part of this terror group,” Judge Beatrice
Mukamurenzi had said earlier in the day.
“They
attacked people in their homes, or even in their cars on the road travelling,”
she added.
While
Rusesabagina acknowledged membership in the MRCD, he has denied responsibility
for the violence carried out by the FLN.
He
was arrested in August 2020 when the Burundi-bound plane he boarded from the United
Arab Emirates instead landed in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.
He
objected to his trial in Rwanda, telling the court then that he is a Belgian
citizen being held "hostage" and questioned its competence to try
him.
On
Feb. 11, the European Parliament in a resolution called for the release of
Rusesabagina and expressed doubt that he would receive a fair trial in Rwanda.
But
in a counter resolution, Rwandan lawmakers described the demand of the European
Parliament as an attack on the country’s judicial system.
"The
reported lack of fair trial guarantees calls into question the fairness of the
verdict,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
Belgian
Foreign Affairs Minister Sophie Wilmes said that despite repeated appeals from
Belgium, it must be concluded that Rusesabagina had “not been given a fair and
equitable trial, in particular with regard to the rights of the defense.”
Lewis
Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said “the Rwandan
authorities undermined their case every step of the way starting with the
manner in which they unlawfully detained Paul Rusesabagina through to multiple
violations of the right to a fair trial.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/man-who-inspired-hotel-rwanda-gets-25-years-for-terrorism/2370074
--------
Sudan
failed coup attempt: Situation under control, suspects arrested
21
September ,2021
Sudanese
authorities have foiled an attempted coup, the army said on Tuesday, warding
off a challenge to a civilian-military council that has run the country since
Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in 2019.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
A
civilian member of the ruling council told Reuters the situation was under
control after the attempted coup overnight had been contained. Interrogation of
suspects was due to begin, the council member, spokesman Mohamed al-Faki
Suleiman said.
The
ruling body known as the Sovereign Council has run Sudan under a fragile
power-sharing deal between the military and civilians following Bashir’s
overthrow.
It
plans to hold free elections in 2024.
“The
military has defeated the coup attempt and the situation is completely under
control,” the media adviser to Sovereign Council head, General Abdelfattah
al-Burhan, told state news agency SUNA.
A
government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the coup attempt
had involved an effort to take control of state radio in Omdurman, across the
River Nile from the capital Khartoum.
Measures
were being taken to contain a limited number of people involved, the source
said. All those implicated had been arrested, SUNA reported.
A
witness said that military units loyal to the council had used tanks to close a
bridge connecting Khartoum with Omdurman early on Tuesday morning.
It
was not the first challenge to the transitional authorities, who say they have
foiled or detected previous coup attempts linked to factions loyal to Bashir,
who was deposed by the army after months of protests against his rule.
In
2020, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survived an assassination attempt targeting
his convoy as he headed to work in Khartoum.
Sudan
after overthrow of Bashir
Sudan
has gradually been welcomed into the international fold since the overthrow of
Bashir, who ruled Sudan for almost 30 years and is wanted by the International
Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged atrocities committed in Darfur in the early
2000s.
Bashir
is presently in prison in Khartoum, where he faces several trials.
The
ICC’s chief prosecutor held talks with Sudanese officials last month on
accelerating steps to hand over those wanted over Darfur.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Libya’s
upper house calls for elections to be delayed for a year
20
September ,2021
The
upper house of Libya’s parliament called Monday for presidential elections set
for December to be postponed for a year following a controversy over an
electoral law.
Under
a UN-brokered deal between Libya’s rival eastern and western camps, the
war-torn country is scheduled to hold legislative and presidential polls on
December 24.
Earlier
this month, eastern-based House of Representatives speaker Aguila Saleh
ratified a law for the presidential vote, but he has come under fire for not
presenting a final version to the assembly for a vote.
Critics
charge that Saleh was trying to push through legislation favoring his eastern
ally, military general Khalifa Haftar.
On
Monday, the head of the Tripoli-based High Council of State (HCS), Khalid
al-Mishri, rejected legislation which he said had been passed “without a legal
vote or consensus.”
“We
do not recognize the House of Representatives as having passed a presidential
elections law,” Khalid al-Mishri told journalists.
Presidential
elections “would not produce stability in Libya at the present time,” al-Mishri
added.
He
said the HCS proposed parliamentary elections on December 24 as agreed at the
UN talks, but with another year to reach agreement on a new constitution before
setting a date for presidential polls.
“Our
hands reach out for dialogue, but the HoR (lower house) can’t simply pass laws
on its own,” al-Mishri said.
Critics
of Saleh’s move have pointed to a clause stipulating that military officials
may stand in presidential polls on condition they withdraw from their posts
three months beforehand.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Indonesian
G20 presidency promises to put a ‘battle for the soul of Islam’ on the front
burner
September
20, 2021
By
Dr. James M. Dorsey
Indonesian
religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas set the bar high for President
Joko Widodo as well as Nahdlatul Ulama, the religious backbone of Mr. Widodo’s
government when he laid out the agenda for his country’s presidency of the
Group of 20. The G20 groups the world’s largest economies.
Speaking
to the G20 Interfaith Forum in Bologna as Italy prepared to handover its
presidency to Indonesia, Mr. Qoumas also threw down a gauntlet for Indonesia’s
Middle Eastern competitors in a battle to define the degree to which Islam
incorporates principles of tolerance, pluralism, gender equality, secularism
and human rights as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The
battle, which is likely to likewise determine which Muslim-majority country or
countries will be recognized as leaders of the Islamic world, takes on added
significance with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and concerns about
Taliban policy towards militants on Afghan soil.
Meanwhile,
uncertainty about US reliability as a security guarantor in the Gulf is
prompting regional foes to contain their differences to ensure that they don’t
spin out of control, increasing their emphasis on the projection of soft power.
Turkey’s
2022 budget appears to signal the shift and the importance President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan attributes to this particular challenge.
The
budget of the powerful Directorate of Religious Affairs or Diyanet is expected
to increase by 20 per cent for fiscal 2022, giving it greater financial
flexibility than the ministries of interior, foreign affairs, trade, industry
and technology, environment and urbanization, energy and natural resources and
culture and tourism.
These
ministries are key for enabling Turkey to resolve its economic problems,
compensate for the fallout of the pandemic and enhance its appeal as a
potential leader of the Muslim world.
The
Diyanet, in another sign of Mr. Erdogan’s emphasis on religious rather than
national identity, recently urged Turks to use the religiously framed greeting
Peace Be Upon (Selamün aleyküm) You rather than phrases like Good Morning
(Gunaydin), prevalent in Turkey since its founding as a republic almost a
century ago.
Diyanet
president Ali Erbas argued in a recently published Turkish-language book, Human
Religion and Religion in the Information Age, that the greeting ‘Good Morning’
traced its origins to the pre-Islamic era.
These
latest moves suggest that Mr. Erdogan is taking his country, also a member of
the G20, down a path diametrically opposed to what Mr. Qoumas was arguing in
Bologna.
The
minister contended in contrast to Mr. Erdogan’s policies that religion “has the
potential to help block the political weaponization of identity; curtail the
spread of communal hatred; promote solidarity and respect among the diverse
people, cultures and nations of the world; and foster the emergence of a truly
just and harmonious world order, founded upon respect for the equal rights and
dignity of every human being. Yet to realize this potential, we must wisely
manage the inevitable struggle between competing values, as globalization
brings highly diverse peoples, cultures, and traditions into ever closer
contact.”
Mr.
Qoumas made his remarks as an Islamist journalist called on Mr. Erdogan to
avoid the weaponization of religion.
Writing
in Karar, a Turkish publication believed to be close to Mr. Erdogan’s erstwhile
prime and foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, who left the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP) to found a party of his own, journalist Ahmet
Tasgetiren, warned that the president appeared to be politicizing the Diyanet.
Drawing
a comparison to Mr. Erdogan’ politicization of Turkey’s judiciary, Mr.
Tasgetiren noted that it “weakens people’s confidence in it.” Pleading with Mr.
Erdogan, Mr. Tasgetiren cautioned that “the politicization of the religion and
the Diyanet ruins people’s relationship with religion… I think you would never
want this for the religion. For the religion’s sake, please.”
Mr.
Qoumas, the scion of an influential Nahdlatul Ulama family and the former head
of the group’s powerful youth wing, GP Ansor, went on to say in his speech that
“one major task that lies before us is to identify, and conscientiously
observe, those universal values that a majority of the world’s inhabitants
already acknowledge, such as the virtues of honesty, truth-seeking, compassion
and justice. Another parallel task is to develop a global consensus regarding
shared values that the world’s diverse cultures will need to embrace if we are to
co-exist peacefully.”
Implicitly,
the minister noted that in contrast to its competitors – Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran – in the battle to reshape mainstream
Islam, Nahdlatul Ulama, one of, if not the world’s largest Muslim civil society
organization, has put its money where its mouth is.
Mr.
Qoumas noted that a gathering in 2019 of more than 20,000 Muslim religious
scholars associated with Nahdlatul Ulama ruled that the legal category of
infidel was “neither relevant to nor applicable within, the context of a modern
nation-state.” In doing so, Nahdlatul Ulama became the world’s first major
contemporary Sunni Muslim religious entity to seek to update and modernize
Islamic jurisprudence.
Mr.
Qoumas stopped short of laying out an agenda for dealing with other concepts in
Islamic law that Nahdlatul Ulama clerics have identified as either problematic
or obsolete such as blasphemy. Nahdlatul
Ulama has argued that concepts like the dhimmi or people of the book who are
recognized in classical Islamic jurisprudence but not granted equal status
before the law, and apostasy, had been invalidated by the ruling on infidels.
Source:
Modern Diplomacy
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indonesian
Analysts: MIT Leader’s Killing May Bring about Militant Group’s Demise
2021-09-20
The
killing of an Indonesian militant leader during a shootout with police in
Central Sulawesi province may spell the demise of his pro-Islamic State group
because he had no apparent successor, terrorism analysts said.
Security
forces gunned down Ali Kalora, the top commander of the Eastern Indonesia
Mujahideen (MIT), and one of his followers who was identified as Jaka Ramadhan,
in the jungles of Parigi Moutong regency on Saturday. The deaths reduced MIT’s
members to four, with police vowing to capture the remnants “dead or alive.”
“MIT
was already very weak and only survived on stealing farmers’ crops at the foot
of the mountain,” said Ridlwan Habib, a security expert and researcher at the
University of Indonesia.
“I
believe these four people will be caught soon or turn themselves in,” Ridlwan
told BenarNews.
None
of the surviving MIT militants could potentially replace Ali, analysts said.
Ali’s
likely successor, Muhammad Busra (also known as Qatar), was killed by security
forces in July, said Muh Taufiqurrohman, a researcher at the Center for
Radicalism and Deradicalization Studies (PAKAR) in Jakarta.
“Now
the four who are on the run are leaderless and sooner or later they will be
caught or killed,” Taufiqurrohman told BenarNews. “MIT is militarily coming to
an end.”
Police
said they were able to identify Ali’s remains through his family.
“Ali
Kalora’s wife and two children came from Poso on Sunday afternoon and we
immediately took DNA samples and matched them,” police spokesman Bronto
Budiyono said.
After
the identification, Ali’s body was buried in the provincial capital, Palu.
Bronto said Ali’s widow approved the burial about 200 km (125 miles) from Poso
regency, where MIT is based, to avoid a gathering of his supporters.
“Ali
must have a lot of sympathizers in Poso. We don’t want his sympathizers to
gather in Poso and cause security disturbances,” he said.
Jaka’s
body was buried in Palu as well without the presence of family members who live
in Banten province near Jakarta.
The
MIT insurgency is concentrated in Indonesia’s Sulawesi region and is rooted in
a Muslim-Christian conflict, which left more than 1,000 people dead between
1998 and 2001.
Many
in Poso remain hostile toward the other side over land rights, Taufiqurrohman
said.
“If
this is not resolved, it could have serious consequences,” Taufiqurrohman said.
Another
analyst, Harits Abu Ulya, a researcher at the Community of Analysts on Ideological
Islam think-tank, said Ali’s death should reduce the threat of terrorism in
Poso, Parigi Moutong, and Sigi – three Central Sulawesi areas where MIT has
been active.
“I
expect that those who remain in the jungles will be demoralized,” Harits told
BenarNews, adding that they hardly had few weapons.
“They
may have one homemade revolver and a few homemade bombs, but nothing else,” he
said.
Even
if all are captured or killed, the ideology of MIT could survive because the
group enjoyed support among people in Poso, Taufiqurrohman warned.
“In
terms of security, it’s good as Poso will be safer, but if the government and
the community don’t work together to build the economy and promote harmony in
Poso, other Ali Kaloras and Santosos will emerge,” he said.
Ali
succeeded MIT founder Santoso who was killed by police in July 2016. Santoso
was the first Indonesian militant to publicly pledge allegiance to the
so-called Islamic State militant group.
Authorities
said MIT members have been responsible for several killings, including of
civilians and police, in Poso and its surroundings since 2012. In its latest
attack, police said the group beheaded a farmer and killed three others in Poso
on May 11.
Madago
Raya
Police
and soldiers taking part in a manhunt code-named Madago Raya – the latest
iteration of years-long efforts to destroy MIT – will continue to search for
the group’s remaining members, said Inspector Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi, the Central
Sulawesi police chief who leads the operation.
“Our
goal is to rid Central Sulawesi of acts of terrorism. The remaining four
fugitives will be caught dead or alive,” Rudy told reporters.
Indonesian
authorities have made similar pronouncements in the past but have not yet
eliminated the MIT threat although the number of members dwindled to no more
than 20 after Santoso was killed. The group operates in rugged and mountainous
terrain.
“If
they turn themselves in, they will be prosecuted. If they don’t surrender, the
task force will continue to pursue them,” Rudy said.
Source:
Benar News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/indonesian/no-scuccessor-09202021150257.html
--------
Malaysian
transgender activist arrested in Thailand
September
21, 2021
Thai
authorities have caused controversy by arresting a transgender activist from
Malaysia who is wanted in Thailand’s Muslim-majority neighbor for allegedly
insulting Islam.
Nur
Sajat Kamaruzzaman, a 36-year-old transgender woman who is a social media
personality and runs a cosmetics business in her homeland, is facing the
prospect of being deported back to Malaysia where she could be sentenced to
years in prison.
“Efforts
are being made to bring the suspect back,” a Malaysian police officer was
quoted as saying on Sept. 20.
Nur
Sajat, whose birth name is Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruz Zaman, has been charged with
violating Islamic Sharia law in Malaysia by showing up in a woman’s dress at a
religious event in 2018.
If
convicted, Nur Sajat could be sentenced to three years in prison in the
conservative Muslim nation where transgender people and members of the LGBTQ
community face regular discrimination and harassment by authorities.
The
Muslim transgender woman, who is an outspoken advocate for transgender rights
in Malaysia, failed to show up for a court hearing in February and went
missing, which prompted Malaysian authorities to issue an arrest warrant for
her.
Her
arrest in Thailand has caused concern about her well-being among the Buddhist
country’s transgender activists.
“Transgender
people can live openly in Thailand but they cannot do that in Malaysia,” a
Bangkok-based Muslim transgender woman from Thailand’s Muslim-majority Pattani
province told UCA News on condition of anonymity.
“I
fear for her safety if she is sent back to Malaysia and sentenced to prison
there.”
Malaysian
transgender activists have expressed similar sentiments in the wake of Nur
Sajat’s arrest.
In
an interview with AFP news agency, Thilaga Sulathireh, co-founder of Malaysian
transgender activist group Justice for Sisters, decried what she called
“continuous persecution against Nur Sajat [which] represents the climate of
repression against LGBT persons in Malaysia.”
The
activist called on Malaysian police to “immediately drop all investigations and
harassment against Sajat.”
Over
the years international rights groups have repeatedly called on Malaysian
authorities to respect the rights of transgender people.
“The
Islamic authorities should abandon their preoccupation with transpeople’s
attire, an obsession that in recent years has prompted dozens if not hundreds
of arrests of transwomen under state [Sharia] laws, which criminalize a male
person posing as a female,” said Neela Ghoshal, associate director of Human
Rights Watch’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program.
Source:
UC News
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/malaysian-transgender-activist-arrested-in-thailand/94223#
--------
PBDS
president urges Christian MPs from Sarawak to not support controversial RUU 355
in Parliament
20
Sep 2021
BY
SULOK TAWIE
KUCHING,
Sept 20 — Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) president Bobby William today urged
Christian Members of Parliament from Sarawak to reject a Bill to Shariah Courts
(Criminal Jurisdiction) Act to increase the criminal powers of Shariah Courts
if it seeks to control and restrict the propagation of non-Islamic faiths in
the state.
He
said Sarawakian Christians will be watching them closely if they will vote
according to their conscience when the Bill is tabled in Parliament this year.
“PBDS
is of the opinion that supporting this RUU355 is against our religion and as
Christians, we must stand up for our faith,” he said when responding to Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Yaakob’s recent statement that the federal government
was currently in the midst of drafting the Shariah Courts (Criminal
Jurisdiction) (Amendment) Act to increase the criminal powers of Shariah
Courts.
The
Act is known by its number 355, and the proposal for the amendment is commonly
known by the Malay initials for Rang Undang-undang, as RUU355.
Bobby
asked if Saratok Member of Parliament Datuk Ali Biju and Puncak Borneo Member
of Parliament Datuk Willie Mongin, both Christians, would vote against the Bill
since they are now Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).
He
said the Christian-majority Sarawak does not have any religious issue, adding
that the people of different ethnic backgrounds have the freedom to practise
their faiths.
Bobby
asked what is the objective of the “Malaysian Family”’ concept if RUU355 is to
be enforced nationwide, controlling and restricting the propagation of other
faiths.
“Where
is the harmony and democracy of a multiracial nation if it is being imposed as
part of the integration with the civic law?” he asked.
Bobby
urged all Sarawakians, especially the non-Muslims to voice out their opposition
to any attempts to control the propagation of their faiths.
“Let
our voices be heard so that we can get true equality and justice for the
betterment of Malaysia and Sarawak,” he said.
In
a statement on September 16, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in a parliamentary reply to
Shah Alam MP Khalid Abdul Samad, had said that the government, through the
Islamic and Civil Law technical committee, under the National Council for
Islamic Religious Affairs, had held a series of meetings to discuss RUU 355,
since 2020.
“This
is to look into various aspects, especially the constitution and syarak law so
that RUU 355 is more comprehensive and further strengthens the criminal
jurisdiction of the Shariah courts,” Ismail Sabri said in the written reply
posted on the Parliament website.
The
PM said the government Bill will be presented to the states for discussion once
it was finalised. Islamic law falls under state jurisdiction in Malaysia.
The
controversy over the proposal to strengthen the Shariah courts first erupted
when it was linked to hudud, and was seen as a way to impose harsh punishments
against Muslims perceived to run afoul of Islamic laws, including those in the
LGBT community.
RUU355
was tabled by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for the first reading
in the Dewan Rakyat on May 26, 2016 as a private member’s Bill.
The
Bill as proposed by Hadi sought to raise the Shariah courts’ maximum sentencing
limits to 30 years’ jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the cane.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Mideast
Iran’s
Top Commander Asks US Soldiers Not to Turn into Infantries of Warmongering
Rulers
2021-September-21
“I
would like to talk to the freethinking soldiers and military personnel of the
United States, that is the cause of war, turmoil and insecurity and the leader
of anti-peace front in the international arena, and ask them some questions,”
General Baqeri wrote in a message on the occasion of the Holy Defense Week
(invasion of Iraq against Iran in 1980s) and The World Peace Day 2021.
“By
the way, have you ever thought of the question what the US army is looking for
in other countries by mongering wars and occupation tens of thousands of
kilometers away from home,” he added.
“Has
their presence in the countries under invasion, occupation and war such as
Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. actually brought peace, security and tranquility?
Truly, should it be believed that the hasty withdrawal from the main military
base in Afghanistan was for the sake of peace, tranquility and democracy in
Afghanistan,” General Baqeri asked.
“Think
a little about the realities and events these days in Yemen to see what the support
and proximity of the US army along with the Saudi coalition has done to the
oppressed and defenseless people of Yemen,” he added.
“Do
not allow the absurd rulers of the US and the criminal and blood-thirsty
terrorists sitting in command rooms of that country’s army make distance
between you and international facts and realities by fictitious and mean
image-making and make you the spelled infantry of their domination policies and
war mongering,” General Baqeri said.
“They
try to frighten you not to think about some of the obvious and undeniable
bitter issues and realities of the world that are the products of the planning
of the Zionist lobby.”
“Common
sense requires that you find your share in the list of oppression, crime, war,
violence and insecurity and displacing hundreds of thousands of people across
the world who are eager to live with dignity, security and tranquility yet
being deprived of them and judge on them based on your nature and conscience,”
he added.
“I
rest assured that your inquisitive minds can find a brave and
responsible-making response to these questions and then depict your role toward
them,” General Baqeri said.
“While
peace means non-existence of war and violence, and entails mutual respect for
the rights of nations under the Charter of the United Nations, America and the
Zionist regime and their global and regional allies and like-minded rulers in
their deceptive discourse and operation have in full pretended to be so
philanthropist that it is they who are the true harbinger of peace!! While
dictating a special definition of peace to the world, they have been the cause
of wars, challenges and military tensions as well as insecurity, homelessness,
misery, displacement of the nations of West Asia, especially in recent
decades,” he added.
“The
Zionist-Western peace-seeking circus and the criminal acts of America across
the world, depicts the disaster depth of threat to peace and the investment and
also providing military finance by the world powers never show peace-seeking in
the world.”
“By
looking at the war in Yemen and the crime that the brave yet oppressed people
of this country suffer, displays this reality that beyond the peace-seeking
motto of the West, a large portion of weapons used by Saudi Arabia and its
criminal coalition against the people of Yemen is supplied by the rulers of the
so-called peace-seeking and humanitarian countries, especially America,”
General Baqeri said.
“Stable
and persistent peace is possible and accessible provided that it is followed in
the light of justice and outside of the domination of American discourse and
definition. From the Islamic Republic of Iran’s point of view, a just peace
whose outcome is a true peace and friendship is the very discourse that has
been stipulated in all divine religions and Islamic Iran has always been its
harbinger and considers it a missing link of today’s world.”
“In
the meantime, it is a source of hope that the goals and covetousness of
American and western neo-colonial movements have been revealed to the nations
of the world who are returning to their divine and clean nature,” he
added.
His
comments came after Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
Major General Hossein Salami said on Sunday that the US has lost its power and
is a defeated, fugitive and depressed state which has been forced to withdraw
its forces from the region.
“Today
we no longer see a dangerous US, but we witness a failed, fleeing and depressed
US,” General Salami said.
General
Salami also expressed delight that the Iranian nation’s resistance too had
helped them weather all pressures.
“Inside
our own country, despite all natural or imposed pressures, the Iranian nation
has been engaged in resistance [too]. And now, these obstacles are being
removed, the adversities are giving way to easier times, and the roads are
being paved,” he said.
The
entire world is now envying this nation that has been successfully standing up
to great powers for more than four decades, the commander said.
“Iran’s
name is identified with grandeur, compassion, advancement, integrity, and
unity,” he stated, and also hailed the Iranian people’s strong emotional bond
with Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Iran
Calls for UN's Active Role in Afghanistan
2021-September-21
Amir
Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in New York on Tuesday.
The
Iranian foreign minister pointed to Iran's hosting of millions of Afghan
refugees, and called for more active UNHCR role to address the critical
humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Filippo
Grandi, for his part, appreciated Iran for being host to Afghan refugees, and
recalled the UN's commitment to the situation of refugees, including in
Afghanistan.
In relevant remarks last week, Iranian President
Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi said that members of the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization (SCO) are in a consensus that Afghanistan needs an inclusive
government consisting of all ethnic groups.
During
a security meeting on Afghanistan, which was held on the sidelines of the SCO
Summit, Iran’s stances were explained and the participants reached a consensus
on the situation in the war-ravaged country, Rayeesi said on Saturday upon
returning from a three-day visit to Tajikistan, where he attended the 21st SCO
summit.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000630000279/Iran-Calls-fr-UN's-Acive-Rle-in-Afghanisan
--------
Iran,
IAEA Agree to Continue Cooperation
2021-September-21
The
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami and IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi reached the
agreement during their talks in Austrian capital of Vienna on Monday evening.
During
the meeting, the two sides stressed the need to establish ties based on mutual
respect and good faith.
In
addition, AEOI chief and IAEA director general exchanged their views on mutual
cooperation in various areas and issues of mutual interests.
Earlier,
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami, who is in Vienna to take part in the 65th General
Conference of IAEA, met and held talks with his Russian counterpart, the
Director-General of Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (ROSATOM) Alexey
Likhachev.
The
65th General Conference of the IAEA was underway with the participation of
representatives of 171 countries.
In
relevant remarks earlier on Monday, Eslami called on the UN nuclear watchdog to
refrain from making politically-tainted decisions, and stressed the need for US
to remove sanctions against Tehran in a verifiable manner.
"The
so called maximum pressure policy was doomed to fail and the US administration
should abandon its addiction to unilateral sanctions and respect international
law. Now, it is the time to rectify the wrong policies and initially remove all
sanctions in a practical, effective and verifiable manner," Eslami said,
addressing the IAEA's 65th General Conference in Vienna on Monday.
He
also referred to Iran's long-term cooperation with the IAEA, and said,
"Although, Iran has always cooperated with the Agency, at the same time,
it is necessary that the IAEA avoids politicization and maintains its
independence, impartiality and professionalism."
"Iran’s
experience in nuclear field dates back to mid-1950s and in 1958 Iran has joined
the IAEA. Since 1960s, Iran has begun working on nuclear R&D and its first
nuclear research center was established in the mid-1960. In early 1970s, Iran
has planned to build nuclear power reactors, and for this many experts and
technicians were trained in highly qualified research and training centers around
the world. Bushehr Power Plant is the first operationalized nuclear power plant
in Iran."
"The
inevitable trend of rising demand for energy, along with the similar rising
preference for increased reliance on clean and safe sources, as well as other
rising demands in areas such as health, medicine, water, food and agriculture,
and the manufacturing industry in general, are all facts of our life; however,
the challenges are outpacing the partnership to address them by utilizing the
technological advances. There is a dire need for the international community to
collectively take steps in addressing the emerging challenges. Turning blind
eyes to the challenging issues is not a viable option and such an ignorance
policy would progressively backfire on all of us in the long run," Eslami
said.
"The
Agency, as per its Statute, is mandated to assist Member States in developing
the peaceful use of nuclear energy indiscriminately. The Agency is also
entitled to strengthen the area of technical cooperation with due consideration
for member states’ needs and priorities, and as such, to help them achieve
their Sustainable Development Goals through sharing of knowledge and experience
and transfer of technology and equipment without any types of discrimination
and political objectives. The areas within the realm of peaceful nuclear
activities, falling under the IAEA’s umbrella, can certainly be strengthened by
our collective efforts and cooperation."
"The
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was concluded in order to
remove the impediments of Iran’s progress, is a clear example of Iran’s
goodwill which the United States not only violated with complete disregard, but
also through its unilateral policies, violated provisions of the JCPOA and UNSC
resolution 2231 and withdrew from the Deal. The so called maximum pressure
policy was doomed to fail and the U.S administration should abandon its
addiction to unilateral sanctions and respect international law. As a result of
the unilateral policies, the US violated the text and spirit of the JCPOA and
UNSC resolution 2231 and withdrew from the Deal," he added.
"Unfortunately,
the US has not sufficed to re-imposing its previously lifted unilateral
sanctions, but also exerted and continues to exert pressures on the others, be it
public or private, to follow suit, in defiance of the UNSC Resolution 2231
(2015). These pressures and sanctions are not necessarily restricted to trade
related matters, but also extended to the peaceful and humanitarian
applications of the nuclear science and technology, even by imposing sanctions
on radiopharmaceutical production facilitates and Iran’s Nuclear Regulatory
Body, in contradiction with the letters and spirit of the IAEA Statute. Such an
irresponsible and inhuman behavior by the US is endangering the lives of
hundreds of thousands of patients in dire need of those radiopharmaceuticals.
Despite
all difficulties, the Islamic Republic of Iran, promised and assured by the
remaining parties of implementation of their commitments, decided to remain in
the deal and continue to constructively and closely work with the Agency, while
not benefiting from the deal. This fact has been verified by the IAEA for 15
consecutive times."
"Although,
Iran has always cooperated with the Agency, at the same time, it is necessary
that the IAEA avoids politicization and maintains its independence,
impartiality and professionalism," Eslami underlined.
"In
this context, only after about two and a half years of continued proliferation
of inclusive economic sanctions against different sectors of Iran’s economy by
the U.S and lack of practical actions by the E3/EU in meeting their
commitments, on 2nd December 2020, Parliament of the Islamic Republic of Iran
passed a law, which required the Government to stop the implementation of all
verification and monitoring activities beyond Iran’s Comprehensive Safeguards
Agreement, in case of the continuation of non-compliance of the participants of
the deal within two months after the entry into force of the law. The so called
maximum pressure policy was doomed to fail and the US administration should
abandon its addiction to unilateral sanctions and respect international
law."
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000629000604/Iran-IAEA-Agree-Cnine-Cperain
--------
IRGC
Destroys 4 Bases of Anti-Revolutionary Groups in Northern Iraq
2021-September-20
“Anti-revolutionary
groups have been organized by the intelligence services of hostile and foreign
countries, and even certain Arab states, in Northern Iraq to be used in line
with their goals and create obstacles on the way of the Islamic Republic,” Deputy
Commander of the IRGC Hamzeh Seyed al-Shohada base in Northwestern Iran
Brigadier General Majid Arjmandfar told reporters.
"These
anti-revolutionary groups were stationed in a short distance from the Iranian
borders, and necessary warnings were given to the Iraqi government, officials
and managers in the Northern parts of the neighboring country."
"We
had said and warned that if the slightest mistake is seen from these hostile
groups, they will receive a harsh response, which led to the destruction of the
four bases of these anti-revolutionary groups," General Arjmandfar said.
He
underlined that anywhere these counter-revolutionary groups are stationed is
considered as enemy territory by Iran, and said, “We proved this in the recent
attack and we targeted all positions, command centers and the ammunition dumps
they had."
Earlier
today, the IRGC had said in a statement that their forces had targeted and
destroyed terrorist hideouts in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.
A
statement by the IRGC's Hamzeh Seyed al-Shohada Base in West Azerbaijan
Province in Northwestern Iran said on Monday that "four bases of the
anti-revolutionary groups were targeted and destroyed by precision-striking
weapons in response to their movements on the border of our country with Northern
Iraq".
The
statement added that anti-Iran groups have been organized and sponsored in the
Northern region of Iraq by the foreign and hostile intelligence services and
some Arab states to use them in line with their goals and create obstacles on
the way of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
In
relevant remarks on Monday, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major
General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri warned of the country’s continued attacks
against the hideouts of anti-revolutionary groups in the region, specially the
Iraqi Kurdistan region.
General
Baqeri made the remarks, referring to the recent IRGC operations against the
terrorist and anti-revolutionary groups in the Iraqi Kurdistan region,
“The
officials of this region and the Iraqi government should take action to
confront these groups," he added.
General
Baqeri warned the Americans that their bases in the region should also be
abolished and not be used as an anti-revolutionary center, and said, "We
will continue our operations against the anti-revolutionary groups and we will
not tolerate any mischiefs at these borders."
"Confronting
these groups is our right based on the UN Charter," he stressed.
General
Baqeri said that the Iraqi Kurdistan region officials should not allow the
armed anti-revolutionary groups which are affiliated to the US and Israel to
have military bases and TV and radio stations and attack the Iranian borders,
and warned, “The (Iranian) Armed Forces will annihilate these groups.”
Earlier
this month, the IRGC attacked the positions of terrorists in the Iraqi
Kurdistan region with artillery fire, missiles and drones.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Iran’s
Top Commander: Besieged Israel Aware of Incapability to Survive War against
Resistance Front
2021-September-20
“By
usurping the Palestinian lands, the Zionist regime thought that it can pave the
path of growth and gain more power by reliance on the US power and it was
pleased to be in contact with a number of despicable and mercenary countries in
the region but the incidents in Afghanistan and other events in the axis of
resistance and the successive defeats of the child-killing regime showed that a
happy ending is not waiting for it,” General Baqeri said.
"These
days, we've been witnessing that the Zionist regime officials have been going
to the US one after another, asking the US to take a more serious approach
towards Iran and the axis of resistance, but they were said that they have to
find a way themselves,” he added.
“Whenever
the Zionist regime officials raises threats, they know very well that any
attack on the territory and interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran will face
a decisive and crushing response from Iran and they are not capable of
resistance in confrontation against the resistance front and under the siege of
the resistance groups, including Hamas and (Islamic) Jihad,” General Baqeri
said.
In
relevant remarks earlier today, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General
Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned Zionist officials against any “unwise” act
against Iran, underlining that any hostile move will receive Tehran's crushing
response.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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Erdoğan
receives representatives of Turkish, Muslim communities in US
SEP
20, 2021
President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday met with Turkish citizens and representatives of
the Muslim community in the United States during his visit to the country to
attend the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The
reception at the Manhattan Center was closed to the press and was organized in
cooperation with the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB)
and the Turkish American National Steering Committee (TASC).
“From
here, through you, I send my greetings to all the oppressed and victims whose
hearts beat with us. I send my greetings to all my brothers and sisters who are
struggling to hold on to life as Muslims in different corners of the world,”
Erdoğan said at the opening.
Stating
that they came together again this year in good health and well-being after a
two-year obligatory break, Erdoğan said: "I am very happy to be among our
brothers. I bring you the greetings of your relatives, friends and brothers
from Turkey. We missed you very much, we see that our brothers in America
missed us too."
Expressing
that he is pleased with the aid campaigns organized by the American Islamic
community by foundations and associations, Erdoğan said that both Turkish
citizens and Muslims have carried out valuable works and that they have shown
the beauty of being a Muslim to American society with their lives, stances and
generosity.
Erdoğan
stated that he sees the fight against Islamophobia both through nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs) and individually and that he is pleased with this.
"With this vast experience you have, it is very important that you
contribute more to the fight against hate crimes and cultural racism. As
Turkey, we take a leading role in the fight against Islamophobia and
intolerance on international platforms."
Using
the phrase "The achievements you have achieved in America make us and our
nation proud as much as you do," Erdoğan said that he believes the number
of successful businesspersons and scientists in the U.S. will increase even
more.
"I
hope that you will assume a greater role in the political field in parallel
with the successes you have achieved in the commercial, scientific, social and
cultural fields. In the coming period, I expect you to raise many more
political representatives, both at the federal and state level. This is what
suits this powerful community where the number of people of only Turkish
descent exceeds 300,000," he added.
Emphasizing
that the contributions of Turkish society to American society have had
extremely positive reflections on Turkish-American relations, Erdoğan stated
that he especially follows the efforts of NGOs established by Turkish citizens
and compatriots living in the United States to promote Turkey, its culture and
history to Americans.
Pointing
out that the Turkish-American society has reached a certain level of maturity,
Erdoğan said he believes Turkish society will make greater contributions to
Turkey-U.S. relations by acting in unity and solidarity.
The
U.S. launch of the book "A Fairer World Is Possible" written by
Erdoğan was also held in New York.
The
book, in which Erdoğan describes in detail Turkey's pursuit of justice for all
humanity, was introduced at the event organized by the TASC at The Manhattan
Center.
The
book, which was translated into English and Arabic, was given as a gift to the
guests attending the event.
Erdoğan
on Sunday departed for New York to attend the 76th session of UNGA. During his
visit to the United States, Erdoğan is expected to reiterate his message
calling for global justice and hold bilateral contacts with world leaders.
Among the most important issues on the president's agenda are U.N. reforms, the
fight against irregular migration, global climate change, Islamophobia and
sharing knowledge and experience to control the pandemic.
More
than 130 heads of state and government, foreign ministers and delegates will
attend the 76th U.N. summit, which will be held in New York this year and
begins Tuesday, with some leaders sending video messages. Afghanistan, the
COVID-19 pandemic and climate change will come to the fore at the General
Assembly meetings, which will bring world leaders together in a hybrid format
this year.
Erdoğan,
who, like all world leaders, sent a video message to the U.N. summit last year,
departed to New York on Sunday to attend the General Assembly meetings this
year. Erdogan will address the General Assembly on Tuesday. Addressing world
leaders at the summit, Erdoğan will call for global justice. It is noted that
Erdogan will express his views on the restructuring of the U.N., and in his
General Assembly speech, he will repeat his call for everyone to take
responsibility for the global migrations crisis.
Addressing
reporters in Istanbul ahead of his trip to the U.S., Erdoğan said: "I will
emphasize Turkey's strong support for multilateralism and the goal of
establishing a fairer world order."
Source:
Daily Sabah
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President
Rayeesi: Iran No Longer Focuses Only on Ties with West
2021-September-21
Rayeesi
made the remarks in a meeting with a group of families of martyrs in Tehran on
Monday.
He
underscored that overcoming many challenging tasks would be made possible by
tapping into domestic capabilities.
"Unfortunately,
we witnessed that certain people had stopped importing vaccines or even tied
joining the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to the approval of the FATF
(Financial Action Task Force), and even insisted on their position in official
meetings," Rayeesi said.
He
added that during the short time since the inauguration of the 13th government
in August, nothing special has happened to have led to an increase in the
import of vaccines or the country's membership in the SCO.
“But
our neighboring and friendly countries saw that we no longer focus only on the
West and that (improving) relations with neighbors and regional countries has
become a priority of Iran's foreign policy,” Rayeesi stated.
In
the path towards development, he emphasized, Iran sets no limitation to make
use of various countries’ experience “but we will be very careful to choose an
appropriate version of progress that is in full compliance with the situation
of the Islamic Iran”.
The
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) officially admitted Iran as a new
member of the Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance at its 21st
summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on Friday.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following url to read the full text of the original story:
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/maulvi-abdul-aziz-lal-masjid-taliban/d/125408