More Than 10,000 Suicide Bombings in the Islamic World but None in India Show Muslims’ Faith in the Country: SC Told
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 September 2022
Representative Image
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• UP Doctor Who Faked ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ Threat
Approaches ‘Hate Monger’ Narsinghanand
• Where is Masood Azhar? Will Pak Or Taliban Take
Account for ‘Missing’ JeM Chief?
• US Demands Accountability in Death of Iranian Woman
after Her Hijab Arrest
• Taliban Conducts Night-time Door-to-Door Search
India
• Hijab Ban Case: ‘Just Like Turbans for Sikhs, Hijabs
Important For Muslim Women,’ Petitioners’ Lawyer Tells SC
• Muslim Students Being Forced To Sing Hindu Hymns
Draws Ire in Kashmir
• Muslim Rashtriya Manch Seeks Probe into Assets Held
By Madrasas in Uttar Pradesh
• SC Cites Hindus’ Religious Assets Rights to Counter
Waqf Act Critics
• SC seeks Centre’s response to plea seeking to
declare ‘Talaq-e-Ahsan’ illegal
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan Urges OIC to Push For Appointment of UN
Envoy on Fast-Growing Islamophobia
• Senior Pak ministers booked in terror case for
spreading religious hatred against Imran Khan
• Pakistan court drops terrorism charges against
former PM Imran Khan
• Consulting ‘absconder’ Nawaz over COAS choice a
disgrace: Imran
• US, Europe not accepting any more Afghan asylum
seekers, NA body told
• Military cooperation ‘important pillar’ of Sino,
Pakistan ties: Chinese defence minister tells Gen Bajwa
--------
North
America
• Blinken meets with Yemen’s president, urges
extension of UN-mediated truce
• Turkish First Lady, UN Chief Sign Goodwill Document
Regarding 'Zero Waste' Project
• Biden hails release of American prisoner held by
Taliban for over 2 years
• US adds Iranian cargo planes to export violation
list linked to Russia
• Russia says Pelosi's 'loud announcements' on
Azerbaijan-Armenia border conflict destabilizing
--------
South
Asia
• Prisoner Swap; Senior Taliban Member Released from
Guantanamo
• Taliban free last US hostage in swap for drug lord
• Taliban release American engineer Frerichs in
prisoner swap
• Afghanistan provinces of Parwan, Kandahar witness
mass evacuation as Taliban raids houses
• Taliban’s Move In Undermining Persian’s Literature
Rise In Public Concern
• Taliban say US national freed in exchange for key
ally
--------
Arab
World
• UAE FM Sheikh Abdullah Meets Israeli Defence
Minister Gantz
• Lebanon-Israel Demarcation Talks ‘In Final Stages':
Aoun
• Egypt to cooperate with Maersk on $15 bln clean
fuels project for ships: Presidency
• Israeli troops cross into Syria, wounding one of
four ‘suspects’
• UN readying US-funded salary support for Lebanese
soldiers: Presidency
• Israel to begin production from contested gas field
amid Lebanon dispute
--------
Europe
• UN Special Rapporteur: Islamic Emirate Must Probe
Alleged Panjshir Crimes 'Genuinely'
• Nearly 86 Percent of Anti-Muslim Twitter Posts Come
From US, UK and India
• Supreme Council of German Muslims drops membership
of Brotherhood-linked entities
• British Muslims ‘experience’ Islam in Rumi’s Turkish
hometown
• French FM urges Iran to accept latest offer on
nuclear deal
• Swiss court sentences ‘Daesh’ knifewoman
--------
Africa
• 75 Al-Shabaab Terrorists Killed In Central Somalia:
Security Official
• 5 Tunisian parties to boycott parliamentary
elections
• Ennahda deputy chief slams terror accusations as
‘distraction’
• Tunisia’s anti-terrorism police detain former Prime
Minister Ali Laarayedh
--------
Mideast
• Israel Arrests Director of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa
Mosque
• Palestinian schools in al-Quds protest Israel’s plan
to distort textbooks
• Iranian FM: Ball in Court of US Policy-Makers to
Finalize Negotiations
• Iran Picks "World War III" for Oscar Film
Entry
• Iranian President Flatly Rejects Meeting with US
Officials
• Iran’s security forces kill four amid protests over
Mahsa Amini’s death: Rights group
• Iranian demonstrators attempt to flip over police
car as protests escalate
• Turkish warplanes bombard villages in Iraq’s
northern Kurdistan region, casualties feared
--------
Southeast
Asia
• Don’t Misuse Halal Logo, Noh Omar Tells Traders:
Malay Minister
• Fraudsters have software to read OTP and delete SMS
sent by banks
• Best to hold polls if PM can’t manage economy, says
Muhyiddin
• Indonesian Christians mourn pro-minority Islamic
scholar
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/suicide-bombings-india-muslim-faith/d/127990
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More Than 10,000 Suicide Bombings in the Islamic World but None in India Show Muslims’ Faith in the Country: SC Told
Representative Image
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Sep 20, 2022
NEW DELHI: Challenging a Karnataka HC decision
upholding hijab ban in educational institutions, the Muslim side on Monday told
the Supreme Court that the ban impinged minority community’s faith in India and
the right to freedom of conscience guaranteed to every citizen by the
Constitution to choose and follow any religious practice, including hijab.
During the two hour long inconclusive arguments,
petitioner Munisha Bushra Abedi's counsel Dushyant Dave meandered through
India’s history, referred to tolerance practiced during Mughal emperor Akbar
and the compromise recorded in the Constituent Assembly debates for bestowing
certain special rights to minority community in the Constitution and attempted
to drive home that ‘tolerance’ and ‘fraternity’ are cardinal principles in the
democratic governance of a multi-cultural India.
Abedi's two other co-petitioners are All India Muslim
Personal Law Board and Jaleesa Sultana Yaseen.
Repeatedly requesting a bench of Justices Hemant Gupta
and Sudhanshu Dhulia not to interpret the Constitution in a manner that would
impinge upon the faith of minority community in India and the Constitutional
guarantees, Dave said a religious practice, like hijab, may not be ‘essential’
but if a person chose to practice it as per his conscience, there is little the
courts or authorities can do.
To elaborate on the faith reposed by the Muslim
community in India, Dave said, “More than 10,000 suicide bombings have taken
place in the Islamic world. Only one in India (has taken place). This means the
minority community has faith in India. Every day the newspapers report suicide
bombings from Iraq, Syria and other countries, but not in India,” he said. He
appeared to convey that tinkering with religious practices could be a major
reason for sectarian violence.
Dave said, “Religious practices are individual
preferences. How one practices his religion is his or her choice. Whether a
person practices a religious custom, be it wearing hijab or putting a ‘Tilak’
on the forehead, is his/her personal choice. Basic structure of the
Constitution guarantees the freedom of conscience when it comes to religion and
religious practices.”
“Regrettably, the Karnataka HC judges did not
understand the constitutional morality, vision and freedoms guaranteed to every
citizen and its interplay with the right to freedom of conscience. Religious
practices are not confined to a structure commanded by a religion. An
individual can choose a religious practice or prescribed by a community,” he
said, adding Muslim women in every country have been wearing it for centuries
either as a religious belief or personal choice, just like the Sikhs wear
turban.
Dave said, “Our PM wears beautiful headgears from
different regions every year while hoisting the flag on Independence Day
celebrations. Similarly, the Muslim women want to wear hijab, either out of
choice or religious belief. No court nor authority can stop it. The teachers
and students are not mandated to keep their fundamental rights at the gates of
the educational institutions before entering its premises." Arguments
would continue on Tuesday.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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UP
Doctor Who Faked ‘Sar Tan Se Juda’ Threat Approaches ‘Hate Monger’
Narsinghanand
Doctor
Arvind Vatsa Akela with Yati Narasinghanand
-----
19th
September 2022
Doctor
Arvind Vatsa Akela, who claimed to have received death threats, proven guilty
by the state police for faking the messages he received, has now sought refuge
with the hate speech accused, chief of the Dasna Devi Temple, Yati
Narsinghanand.
In
a video, released by Yati on social media, Arvind can be seen standing behind
the ‘hate monger’ while the latter holds Muslims responsible if anything
happens to the doctor.
He
says that it is irrelevant if the person who issued the death threats is an
acquaintance of the doctor. “Even if he is an acquaintance or not, a Muslim is
a Muslim,” says Yati implying that Muslims are a threat to the lives of Hindus.
He
also adds that if the doctor is guilty, a case should be registered against
him.
“If
something happens to Doctor saab or if he is found dead, then the police alone
will be responsible for it. Police have killed many such Hindus. Don’t become
the weapons of the unjust,” claims Yati.
“What
maximum is going to happen to you, a transfer? That’s it!” Yati mocks the
police.
A
few days ago, the doctor from Ghaziabad made headlines in mainstream media
claiming he received ” sar tan se juda..” threats, from an unknown number for
supporting Hindutva groups.
He
claimed that the caller said neither Modi, Yogi nor Yati Narasinghanand will be
able to save him.
However,
on Sunday, police investigations revealed that the doctor was lying throughout
his interview. According to a police officer investigating the case, the doctor
made internet calls to himself in order to get famous.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Where
is Masood Azhar? Will Pak Or Taliban Take Account for ‘Missing’ JeM Chief?
Masood
Azhar, JeM Chief
-----
19
Sep 2022
Pakistan,
even in the middle of the worst flooding in its recent history, is never short
of entertainment. The latest farce started few days ago with a scoop reported
by the Pakistani channel Geo News.
According
to Geo News, the Pakistani Government has written an official letter to the
Taliban Government stating that Masood Azhar is hiding in Afghanistan, living
most probably between the provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar. In the letter,
apparently, Islamabad is asking the Government of Kabul to arrest the
Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief and hand him to Pakistan.
Masood
Azhar’s Explosive Hideout Claims
Nobody
has confirmed or denied the news in the Pakistani Government, but Foreign Minister
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari when asked by the press about Masood Azhar, declared,
“Our information is that the said individual is in Afghanistan."
The
Taliban reacted almost immediately, stating that: “The JeM leader is not here
in Afghanistan. This is an organisation which could be in Pakistan. Anyway, he
is not in Afghanistan and we have not been asked anything like this. We have
heard about it in the news. Our reaction is that this is not true."
It
also added, “We also call on all parties to refrain from such allegations
lacking any proof and documentation. Such media allegations can adversely
affect bilateral relations." And we're still waiting for the next chapter.
Letter
or not, let's stick to the facts. Not so long ago, Pakistan had said Azhar was
under house arrest in Bahawalpur, then they said they had no idea of his
whereabouts.
JeM’s
Role in the Rise of Afghan Taliban
Now,
it's an open secret that for the past year or so, JeM, through its
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handlers, has maintained close ties with the
Afghan Taliban, providing them with a continuous stream of Pakistani recruits
from the provinces of South Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally
Administered Tribal Area (FATA).
According
to local sources, the province of Nangahar in Afghanistan has practically been
handed over by the Taliban to JeM. On ISI's instructions, JeM cadres have been
shifted to Nangahar from Khyber Agency and Parachinar on the Pakistan-Afghan
border.
Mufti
Abdul Rauf Asghar Kashmiri, brother of Masood Azhar, is in charge of the
Nangahar camps. Masood has been seen in the country more than a year ago,
immediately after the Taliban took charge. Asghar, despite being at a point
placed officially under protective custody, has been seen holding multiple
meetings with ISI operatives.
Terror
Outfits Play Loyal Aides to Taliban
The
ISI line of course prevailed, and JeM, along with Lashkar-e-Taiba(LeT), was put
on the job of raising funds for the Taliban and to facilitate the movements of
Jihadi (including Al Qaida members) from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
The
rest is history. Al-Qaida’s chief Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by a drone in
Kabul, almost certainly with some kind of help from Pakistan. Islamabad, a
little later got the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) help it so desperately
needed. Next goal, for Islamabad, is to get out of the Financial Action Task
Force's (FATF) grey list which adversely impacts the finances of the country.
Conspiracy
Theories Fan the Flame for Global Insurgency
But
of course nobody, except maybe Bilawal Bhutto, is so naive to believe that
Islamabad would so easily give up one of its main strategic assets. There's no
safer place for Azhar than the place where he's been living and thriving until
now, in the loving care of ISI.
Unless,
as one of the theories circulating in the country says, is that Masood might
already be dead and Islamabad is trying to score points from his death trying
to stage another brilliant strategic operation. Interestingly enough, China has
recently put a hold on a proposal by the US and India at the UNSC to designate
Abdul Rauf Azhar as an 'International Terrorist.' Let's wait and watch.
Source:
The Quint
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
US
Demands Accountability in Death of Iranian Woman after Her Hijab Arrest
A
newspaper with a cover picture of Mahsa Amini, a woman who died after being
arrested by the Islamic republic's "morality police" is seen in
Tehran, Iran September 18, 2022. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
via REUTERS
------
19
September, 2022
The
US wants accountability for the death of an Iranian woman after she was
arrested in Tehran last week for wearing an ‘improper’ hijab, a spokesperson
for the White House National Security Council said on Monday.
“Mahsa
Amini’s death after injuries sustained while in police custody for wearing an
'improper' hijab is an appalling and egregious affront to human rights,” the
official said. “Our thoughts are with Mahsa’s family and loved ones.”
“Women
in Iran should have the right to wear what they want, free from violence or
harassment. Iran must end its use of violence against women for exercising
their fundamental freedoms,” the official said. “There must be accountability
for Mahsa’s death.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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Taliban
Conducts Night-time Door-to-Door Search
Photo:
Khaama Press
----
By
Saqalain Eqbal
19
Sep 2022
Local
sources in the central and southern Afghan provinces of Parwan and Kandahar,
respectively, have said that the Taliban has begun carrying out sweeping
door-to-door searches.
In
the Kolami area of the Salang district of Parwan province, the Taliban are said
to have first arrested men and searched homes while breaking in, according to
sources in Parwan.
The
Taliban stormed the village of Kolami on Sunday night, the 18th of September,
imprisoned men there, and searched the homes, according to domestic media
reports, confirming this approach of the Taliban.
The
residents of this Kolami village in the Salang district of Parwan are
reportedly considering a mass evacuation because they are concerned about the
Taliban nighttime searches.
Meanwhile,
Kandahar province house-to-house searches have reportedly begun, according to
sources in the province of Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan.
The
Taliban has acknowledged conducting house searches in this province, and the
Kandahar chief of police stated on Monday that the Taliban are not operating
alone in their activities; they are joined by neighborhood elders and religious
scholars.
People
are concerned if the Taliban had other targets in mind, despite the Taliban’s
assertion that they perform thorough house searches across Afghanistan to find
criminals and track down illegal or state-owned firearms.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-conducts-nighttime-door-to-door-search-67548/
--------
India
Hijab
ban case: ‘Just like turbans for Sikhs, hijabs important for Muslim women,’
petitioners’ lawyer tells SC
September
19, 2022
A
Supreme Court bench comprising of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia
continued hearing a batch of petitions challenging the ban on wearing hijab in
educational institutions in Karnataka for the seventh day on Monday.
The
apex court will resume the hearing at 11 am on Tuesday. According to Live Law,
senior advocate Dushyant Dave will be allowed to present his arguments till 1
pm, after which no one else from the petitioners’ side will be allowed.
During
the hearing, Live Law reported, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who appeared for
one of the petitioners, pointed out: “This is not about uniform. We are not
dealing with military schools, we are not dealing with Nazi schools with
regimentation. We are dealing with pre-university colleges.”
Continuing
his arguments, advocate Dave said: “Just like turban for Sikhs, hijab is
important for Muslim women. Nothing wrong with that. It is their faith.
Somebody wanting to wear tilak, somebody wanting to wear a cross, everybody has
the right. And that is the beauty of social life.”
“This
country is built upon a beautiful culture..built on traditions. And in 5000
years, we have adopted many religions… India gave birth to Hinduism, Buddhism,
and Jainism. Islam came here without conquering and we accepted. India is the
only place where people who came here settled here without conquest, except the
British,” he stated.
Pointing
out that the fears of Dr B R Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhai Patel were coming
true, Dave said: “How is it unity in diversity if a Hindu has to get permission
from Magistrate to marry a Muslim? How can you shackle love? And Magistrate
will take his sweet time and all the fringe elements will come in. How is it
democracy?”
“Your
Lordships are not just custodians of fundamental rights for us, citizens. Your
Lordships can alone stand between parliamentary excesses and citizens,” Bar and
Bench quoted Advocate Dushyant Dave as stating.
Mentioning
that powerful western economies have taken a view and permitted Hijab, Dave
further said: “The American Army has allowed turbans. That is the respect they
have for religions. Constitution framers didn’t speak of turban, only kirpan.”
“The
only religion that matters to this Court is the Constitution of India. As
important is Gita for Hindus, Quran for Muslims, Guru Grant Sahib for Sikhs and
Bible for Christians, without Constitution, we will be left nowhere,” Live Law
quoted Dave as stating.
When
advocate Dave referred to debates on Article 25 and said it “is founded upon
tolerance”, Justice Dhulia asked if anybody in the Constituent Assembly said
why it is important to include “propagate” in Article 25. “Perhaps, the reason
is what given by Seervai..in some religions, like Christianity, it is an
important part of faith to spread the message,” Live Law quoted Justice Dhulia
as saying.
Source:
Indian Express
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
Students Being Forced To Sing Hindu Hymns Draws Ire In Kashmir
September
20, 2022
PDP
and NC take exception to the Lieutenant Governor’s directive ahead of Gandhi
Jayanti
J&K’s
main regional parties, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and National Conference
(NC), on Monday took exception to the Lieutenant Governor’s move to make Muslim
students allegedly sing Hindu hymns in government-run educational institutes
ahead of Gandhi Jayanti.
“Jailing
religious scholars, shutting down Jama Masjid and directing school kids here to
sing Hindu hymns exposes the real Hindutva agenda of GOI (Government of India)
in Kashmir. Refusing these rabid dictates invites Public Safety Act and
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). It is the cost that we are paying
for this so called “Badalta J&K”,” Mehbooba Mufti said.
Her
remarks came after students in several schools in the Kashmir valley were seen
singing Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram in classes as part of the preparation for the
upcoming Gandhi Jayanti. One video from a school in south Kashmir went viral on
social media.
The
former Chief Minister also posted the video on Twitter. “India is a democracy
and every community lives with rights. The Constitution allows all communities
to follow their religion. This precisely was the reason that J&K, despite
being a Muslim majority, decided to be part of India and not Pakistan in 1947.
Our religion too is a target now. Kashmir is being made laboratory of rabid
Hindutva agenda,” Ms. Mufti said.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
Rashtriya Manch Seeks Probe Into Assets Held By Madrasas In Uttar Pradesh
SEPTEMBER
19, 2022
The
Muslim Rashtriya Manch has links to the RSS
Along
with gathering basic details on madrasas, the Uttar Pradesh Government must
also get information on the assets held by the Islamic educational institutions
and the visits abroad by their management and staff, a member of the Muslim
Rashtriya Manch (MRM) has demanded.
The
MRM has links to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Rao
Musharraf Ali, senior leader and convener of the Saharanpur unit of the MRM,
told The Hindu, “In the national interest, it is necessary to hold an inquiry
into the foreign trips and assets of those who are associated with madrasa
management. In Saharanpur or Deoband, whenever students have been arrested for
terror activities, the link with madrasas has come out.”
Mr.
Ali also alleged that madrasa representatives receive money through Hawala
networks and might have links with anti-India elements.
“Why
do these people go for foreign trips? They receive money from middle eastern
countries through Hawala networks, so when the inquiry across U.P. happens,
these things will come out,” Mr. Ali said.
Uttar
Pradesh officials have started a survey of madrasas and the report is required
to be submitted to the State government by October 25.
Many
Muslim organisations and all the major Opposition parties have criticised the
State Government, alleging that the ruling dispensation was bent on terrorising
the Muslim community with such acts and indulging in a “malicious” move to
disparage the madrasa system.
The
State Government has maintained that the survey aims to gather information
about the details of teachers and students, curriculum, and the links of
unrecognised madrasas with any non-government organisation.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
SC
Cites Hindus’ Religious Assets Rights to Counter Waqf Act Critics
Sep
20, 2022
NEW
DELHI: As BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay challenged various provision
of Waqf Act and alleged that why only Muslims be allowed to manage properties
when there was no law for other religious community, the Supreme Court on
Monday reminded him that there are Hindu Endowments Act framed by many states
on as per which only Hindus can manage and administer religious places and
their assets.
The
apex court was hearing a plea filed by Upadhyay contending that the Waqf Act
was totally against the secularism, Unity and integrity of the nation as the
law was made to administer the properties of Muslims but there were no similar
laws for followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jain-ism, Sikhism, Judaism, Bahaism,
Zoroastrianism and Christianity.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
SC
seeks Centre’s response to plea seeking to declare ‘Talaq-e-Ahsan’ illegal
19th
September 2022
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and others
to a plea seeking to declare ‘Talaq-e-Ahsan’ and all other forms of “unilateral
extra-judicial” dissolution of marriages under the Muslim Personal Laws as
illegal and unconstitutional.
The
petition has also sought directions to the Centre and others to frame
guidelines for a gender neutral, religion neutral uniform ground and procedure
for divorce.
According
to the petition filed by a Pune-based woman, as per the customs and procedure,
‘Talaq-e-Ahsan’ requires pronouncement of Talaq once followed by abstinence
from conjugal relation for three lunar months or 90 days and thereafter, if the
parties to the marriage do not resume their conjugal relationship within 90
days, the marriage stands dissolved.
A
bench of Justices S K Kaul and A S Oka agreed to hear the petition and issued
notices to the Centre and others, including the National Commission for Women,
seeking their responses.
The
plea, filed through advocate Nirmal Kumar Ambastha, has said the petitioner,
who is an engineer by profession, was divorced by her husband through the
‘Talaq-e-Ahsan’ procedure by sending a letter through speed post after she was
driven out of her matrimonial home.
It
claimed that the petitioner was assaulted and driven out of her matrimonial
home during two years of her marriage on several occasions only for the reason
that she was unwilling to meet all the demands for money by her husband and his
family.
The
plea said the petitioner’s husband sent her a letter of divorce on July 16,
2022 through speed post levelling various baseless and untrue allegations
against her.
“The
petitioner tried to approach the local police against the atrocities and
harassment by her husband and in laws and also against the unilateral
dissolution of marriage, but the local police did not register the case on the
ground that ‘Talaq-e-Ahsan’ is a recognised process for dissolution of Muslim
marriages,” the plea said.
The
petition said ‘Talaq-e-Ahsan’ and all other forms of “unilateral
extra-judicial” dissolution of marriages contravene Article 21 of the
Constitution, offending right to dignity of Muslim Women. Article 21 relates to
the right to protection of life and personal liberty.
It
has sought court’s direction declaring that section 2 of the Muslim Personal
Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 is void and unconstitutional for being
violative of Articles 14,15,21 and 25 of the Constitution, in so far as it
seeks to validate practices of Talaq-e-Ahsan’ and all other forms of unilateral
extra-judicial dissolution of marriages.
While
issuing notice on the plea, the apex court tagged it with two separate pending
writ petitions which have raised the issue of ‘Talaq-e-Hasan’.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Pakistan
Pakistan
urges OIC to push for appointment of UN envoy on fast-growing Islamophobia
September
19, 2022
UNITED
NATIONS: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Monday urged the
OIC to approach the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy – or at least
a focal person – on Islamophobia, which, he said, had reached an alarming level
worldwide, especially in Europe.
“What
is most worrisome is that Islamophobia continues to find strong resonance in
political spheres in Europe, ultimately leading to the institutionalization of
Islamophobia through new legislations and policies such as discriminatory
travel bans and visa restrictions,” the foreign minister told a meeting of the
OIC Contact Group on Muslims in Europe held on the sidelines of UN General Assembly’s
77th session.
The
UN General Assembly last year adopted the landmark resolution, introduced by
Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries,
designating March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia.
“The
momentum generated by this resolution should be maintained,” FM Bilawal said.
“Today,
one of the worst manifestations of such Islamophobia is in Hindutva-inspired
India,” he said, adding, “Driven by the ideology of hate against Muslims, the
(ruling) BJP-RSS regime is executing its century-old plan to obliterate India’s
Islamic legacy and to transform India into an exclusive Hindu state.”
Noting
that the rise in hate crimes against the Muslims in Europe are well documented,
FM Bilawal said, “The gender aspect of Islamophobia is also gaining prominence,
with Muslim girls and women being targeted due to mode of their dress and the
general notion that Muslim women are oppressed and thus must be ‘liberated’.”
In
this regard, he proposed:
1.
OIC needs to further strengthen the OIC observatory to monitor all such
incidents of discrimination and hate crimes in Europe and other parts of the
world;
2.
OIC should call on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human
Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe to establish an observatory to
monitor acts of religious hatred, hostility and violence against Muslims, and
report regularly to the relevant policy organisations;
3.
OIC should urge the UN secretary-general to appoint a special envoy or at least
a focal person on Islamophobia, and,
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Senior
Pak ministers booked in terror case for spreading religious hatred against
Imran Khan
M ZULQERNAIN
19
September, 2022
Lahore,
Sep 19 (PTI) Two senior PML-N ministers and officials of a state-run television
channel were booked under terrorism charges by the Punjab government in
Pakistan on Monday for endangering ousted prime minister Imran Khan’s life by
calling him a “non-Muslim” and inciting religious hatred against him.
The
Lahore’s Green Town police registered an FIR against Pakistan Muslim League
Nawaz (PML-N) ministers Marriyum Aurangzeb and Mian Javed Latif and Pakistan
Television (PTV) Managing Director Sohail Khan and controller programmes Rashid
Baig on the complaint of a cleric under the anti-terrorism Act 1997.
According
to the FIR, Latif declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Khan a “non-Muslim
in a press conference on September 14 and a facilitator of the minority Ahmadi
community.” It said Latif held the press conference in collaboration with
information minister Aurangzeb and the PTV managing director and the controller
programmes.
“By
doing so, these ministers and PTV officials spread hatred against PTI chairman
Imran Khan and endangered his life,” it said.
The
PTI last week lambasted the PMLN-led coalition for ‘stooping too low’ to
campaign against Khan on the state-run PTV.
“State-run
Pakistan Television has started to distribute religious certificates by
questioning if @ImranKhanPTI is not Muslim. Fascist regime,” senior journalist
Mubashir Zaidi had said in a tweet.
“When
all has failed, PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) has accused Imran Khan of
blasphemy – the last resort of the desperate. Now they’re endangering Khan’s
life with their methodical viciousness. The nation is watching every shameless
shameful act of PDM,” wrote senior journalist Mehr Tarar.
“One
of the craziest acts of PDM government was the terrorism allegation against
Imran Khan. Today IHC (Islamabad High Court) invalidated it. Now let’s see when
the PML-N leaders will stop their blasphemy drama. Priorities? Focus on the
dying economy and millions of flood-affected Pakistanis,” she said.
Punjab
government’s Home Minister Muhammad Hashim said Latif accused Khan of attacking
the basic principles of Islam by supporting the Ahmadi community.
The
government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif last month booked Khan in a
terrorism case for ‘threatening’ a female judge and senior police officers in a
public rally.
A
Pakistani court on Monday ordered that ‘terrorism’ charges against Khan for his
remarks against a female judge and senior police officials be dropped.
Khan,
69, was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his
leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him
because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and
Afghanistan.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
court drops terrorism charges against former PM Imran Khan
September
19, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A Pakistan high court on Monday quashed terrorism charges against former Prime
Minister Imran Khan, his defense lawyers said, a relief for the former cricket
star who has faced a spate of legal woes since being ousted from office.
The
court said Khan’s alleged offense didn’t attract terrorism charges, Faisal
Chaudhry, one of his lawyers told Reuters.
The
charges are related to a speech by Khan in which he allegedly threatened police
and judicial officers after one of his close aides was denied bail in a
sedition case.
“The
case against Imran Khan, however, will remain intact, that will now be tried in
an ordinary court, instead an anti-terrorism court,” Chaudhry said.
“This
is actually an order to quash the charges,” another of his lawyers, Babar Awan,
told Reuters, adding, “It only proves that these are trumped up charges, and
just a tool for political victimization.”
Islamabad
police brought the charges against Khan in August after his public remarks that
he would not spare the police and a judicial officer who had denied bail to his
aide.
Khan
subsequently explained that his remarks were not meant to be a threat.
The
former premier has faced several cases since his ousting in April in a vote of
confidence won by opposition parties in an effort led by his successor, Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
One
of the cases is at a crucial stage in the high court, which is slated to indict
Khan on Sept 22 in a contempt of court case for threatening the judicial
officer. If convicted, he could face disqualification from politics for at
least five years.
Another
case involves foreign funding for his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party that an
election tribunal found unlawful.
Khan,
who rode to power in a 2018 election allegedly on the back of support from
Pakistan’s military, had fallen out of favor with the powerful generals. Both
the military and Khan deny he came to power with the military’s support.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2165376/world
--------
Consulting
‘absconder’ Nawaz over COAS choice a disgrace: Imran
Hamid
Asghar | Ikram Junaidi
September
20, 2022
GUJAR
KHAN / ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday castigated Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif for discussing the appointment of the next army chief
with his elder brother, while the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf termed it a
violation of the Official Secrets Act and a breach of the PM’s oath of office.
“We
are seeing pictures [of Prime Minister] Shehbaz Sharif consulting Nawaz Sharif
to appoint the next army chief,” the ex-premier said, adding that “what can be
a bigger disgrace for our country that thieves are making decisions for us.”
Nawaz
Sharif was a convict who had “lied to the nation and fled the country” as he
had done during Musharraf’s regime, Mr Khan said, asking if “convicts and
absconders” would be allowed to select the new army chief.
Referring
to the chief of the military’s media wing, Mr Khan said he had questioned why
they did not understand that ‘thieves’ should never select the army chief.
PTI
leaders term PM’s meeting with Nawaz a violation of his oath and Officials
Secrets Act
He
said that he had only suggested that the next army chief be appointed on merit,
but the Sharifs and Zardaris did not believe in merit.
If
they did, “intellectuals like Aitzaz Ahsan would have been leading the PPP and
seasoned politicians such as Chaudhry Nisar would not have parted ways with the
PML-N,” he said.
Also
on Monday, Fawad Chaudhry and Shireen Mazari chastised the PM for “violating
his oath by consulting a convict and absconder” over such an important
appointment. Mr Chaudhry said the PML-N ministers had admitted the meeting in
London was pertaining to the appointment and that Nawaz Sharif decide who the
new COAS would be.
He
said that people held the Pakistan Army close to their hearts and allowing a
convicted person to choose its head was against its dignity and respect. PTI
strongly protests this grave legal violation, he added.
Dr
Mazari, in her remarks, said: “Do those who brought crime minister and cabal of
crooks to power realise that this lot is a security risk and threat to Pakistan
because everything is discussed with convict sitting in London which is a
violation of Official Secrets Act, including confidential matters?”
Shehbaz-Putin
While
criticising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the public meeting, Mr Khan showed
a video clip of the premier, compiled by American comedian Jimmy Fallon,
struggling to put on his earphones during his meeting with Russian President
Vladimir Putin.
He
said, “Kaampain taang rahi thin” [legs were shaking] when Shehbaz met Putin.
“Those who imposed him on us, they did not do it for he would serve the people
but would fulfil their orders,” he said.
He
asked what PM Shehbaz would achieve by attending the United Nations session. He
said if the Sharifs and Zardaris bring back half of the looted money, there
would be no need to beg from other powers.
Mr
Khan said “he may have many disagreements with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, but he was
a respectful leader and was hanged to death by the then Mir Jaffar and Mir
Sadiq by hatching a conspiracy”.
He
said that “Bhutto also talked of Azadi (freedom)”.
Mr
Khan then criticised the Sharifs for begging money from the world on one hand
and looting billions of rupees in the name of their servants on the other. He
said three witnesses and an FIA investigator died of cardiac arrest as soon as
Mr Sharif came to power.
He
said that international community was not helping Pakistan in testing times,
because they knew the real face of ‘thieves’. “Nobody gives money to thieves,”
he said, recalling that he collected Rs14 billion during three telethons as
people knew he did not own any foreign property or keep money abroad.
He
also criticised the Sindh government for not building a canal along the Indus
River that he said resulted in the flooding of the towns .
He
condemned the government action against those TV channels and journalists who
were pro-PTI and said graceful journalists like Arshad Sharif and Sabbir Shakir
were “forced to leave” the country. He said his aide Shahbaz Gill was tortured
in jail, and he was booked for terrorism when he asked for action against those
involved in torturing Mr Gill.
Meanwhile,
Mr Khan claimed work on the mega Ravi City Project, which would have the
world’s largest waterfront, was steadily progressing.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1711055/consulting-absconder-nawaz-over-coas-choice-a-disgrace-imran
--------
US,
Europe not accepting any more Afghan asylum seekers, NA body told
Amir
Wasim
September
20, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights was informed on Monday
about the grim situation being faced by Pakistan due to the presence of over
1.4 million Afghan refugees, following the refusal by the US and European
countries to receive further Afghan asylum seekers. The committee members were
also surprised to learn that the government has so far not devised any policy
in this regard.
Briefing
the members of the committee, which met under its chairperson Dr Mahreen Razzaq
Bhutto of the PPP, a senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said
Pakistan could not afford the influx of further refugees and, at the same time,
they could not forcefully send these refugees back across the border, where
there was a threat to their lives.
The
committee members were informed that the Afghan nationals, who had arrived in
Pakistan after August 2021, were not considered refugees as they were asylum
seekers who wanted to move to the US and some European countries.
The
official said if these Afghans were not allowed to go to their desired
countries, the government would look into how they could be taken care of.
Talking
to Dawn, North Waziristan MNA Mohsin Dawar said it was surprising the
authorities did not have any guideline or policy to deal with these asylum
seekers. He regretted that the committee was not even informed about the number
of asylum seekers who were stranded in Pakistan.
“Whatever
is their number, the problem wants to do with them,” said Mr Dawar.
The
chairperson of the committee directed the Islamabad police to behave better
with these Afghan refugees, including women and children, presently camped in
parks and open spaces in the capital.
Missing
MQM workers
Also
on Monday, Kishwar Zehra of MQM-Pakistan raised the issue of the recovery of
the bodies of the “missing” party workers from different parts of Sindh.
Ms
Zehra protested over the killing of the MQM workers who had gone missing from
Karachi several years ago and called for action against those responsible for
such a heinous crime.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Military
cooperation ‘important pillar’ of Sino, Pakistan ties: Chinese defence minister
tells Gen Bajwa
September
19, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe on Monday told the visiting Chief
of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa that Pakistan-China military
cooperation an important pillar of bilateral relations.
General
Wei Fenghe made these remarks during a meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS)
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who is on a two-day official visit to China, an
Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said.
Gen
Wei Fenghe expressed his country’s willingness to provide technical assistance
for supporting flood relief efforts in Pakistan.
The
Chinese defence minister said China greatly valued its time-tested relations
with Pakistan and its army, and looked forward to further expanding the
cooperation.
He
also said the development of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was aimed
at bringing more benefits and prosperity to the people of both countries.
General
Wei Fenghe thanked the COAS for special measures taken for provision of safe
and secure environment to CPEC projects in Pakistan and efforts towards
regional stability.
He
expressed satisfaction over progress on CPEC and hoped for timely completion of
the project. He conveyed his grief over the devastation caused by ongoing
floods in Pakistan due to climate changes and offered sincere condolence to the
families of the victims.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/09/19/army-chief-arrives-in-china-on-state-visist/
--------
North
America
Blinken
meets with Yemen’s president, urges extension of UN-mediated truce
19
September, 2022
The
top US diplomat and Yemen’s president discussed on Monday the need for
extending the UN-mediated truce inside the war-torn country, with both calling
on the Iran-backed Houthis to help ease the humanitarian crisis.
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken met with Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC)
President Rashad al-Alimi in New York during one of his first meetings on the
sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
Blinken
affirmed strong US support for the PLC and al-Alimi’s leadership, the State
Department said after the meeting.
A
UN-mediated ceasefire started in April for 60 days and was renewed twice for
the same period. The current truce is set to expire on October 2, and the
Houthis have refused to support a six-month deal.
“Secretary
Blinken and President al-Alimi discussed the urgency of extending and expanding
the UN-mediated truce by October 2,” the State Department said.
Blinken
praised the Yemeni government’s leadership on the truce.
Both
officials voiced their support for more steps under the truce, which include
opening roads in Taiz and other areas, expanding commercial flights from Sana’a
airport, and ensuring salary payments to tens of thousands of teachers, nurses,
and other civil servants.
“They
expressed their hope that the Houthis will also support such important steps to
bring relief to Yemenis,” the State Department said.
Washington
has long said that the truce was the best way forward and the only way to reach
a permanent ceasefire.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkish
first lady, UN chief sign goodwill document regarding 'Zero Waste' project
Servet
Gunerigok and Burak Bir
20.09.2022
NEW
YORK/ANKARA
Türkiye's
first lady Emine Erdogan and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday
signed a goodwill document to extend Türkiye's Zero Waste project across the
world.
Erdogan
and Guterres had a meeting at UN headquarters which tackled environmental
issues, including "Zero Waste," a project launched in 2017 by the
first lady in Türkiye.
The
project aims to contain waste under sustainable development principles and
reduce pollution.
Following
the meeting, Guterres said that waste is a vital problem for today and the
project in this sense is very valuable and impressive.
The
UN chief also called on UN countries to expand Türkiye's Zero Waste project
globally as part of the environmentalist project, which is among the most
important issues the UN is struggling with.
Referring
to the goodwill text on the project, Guterres said he would sign this in front
of the camera over the importance of the issue.
"The
text we will sign with you today reveals our common intention in this sense. I
hope that the number of signatures under this declaration, which we will sign
the first two, will increase," underlined Erdogan, adding she wished that
the project to be spread globally.
Before
the signing ceremony, Erdogan presented the portrait of Guterres, created with
waste textile materials by the artist Deniz Sagdic, to the secretary-general.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Biden
hails release of American prisoner held by Taliban for over 2 years
Michael
Hernandez
19.09.2022
WASHINGTON
US
President Joe Biden hailed on Monday the release of an American prisoner
following two-and-a-half years in Taliban captivity, saying Mark Frerichs will
"soon be home."
Biden
said the Navy veteran's release was the culmination "of years of tireless
work by dedicated public servants" after Frerichs' abduction in January
2020 while he was working in Afghanistan as a civil engineer.
"Bringing
the negotiations that led to Mark’s freedom to a successful resolution required
difficult decisions, which I did not take lightly. Our priority now is to make
sure Mark receives a healthy and safe return and is given the space and time he
needs to transition back into society," Biden said in a statement.
"My
Administration continues to prioritize the safe return of all Americans who are
held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, and we will not stop until they are
reunited with their families. We have much more work to do in many other cases,
but Mark’s release demonstrates our enduring commitment," he added.
Frerichs
was released in exchange for Haji Bashar Noorzai, a Taliban ally and drug lord
who was sentenced to life in prison on drug charges.
Afghan
Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told reporters that Noorzai was held at the
infamous US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, but a senior Biden
administration official sharply rebutted the suggestion.
The
official said Noorzai was "never a detainee at the Guantanamo Bay
detention facility," and was instead held in prison after being convicted
in 2009 of attempting to smuggle heroin in to the US for distribution.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
adds Iranian cargo planes to export violation list linked to Russia
19
September 2022
The
administration of US President Joe Biden has added three cargo airplanes
operated by Iranian airlines to a list of aircraft which are claimed to have
violated US export controls as part of Washington’s sanctions against Moscow
over the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
The
US Commerce Department said on Monday that three Boeing 747 airplanes operated
by Mahan Air, Qeshm Fars Air, and Iran Air were added to the violation list
over what it claimed to be “flying and transporting goods” to Russia.
“Using
commercially available data, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and
Security identified planes operated by Mahan Air, Qeshm Fars Air, and Iran Air
flying and transporting goods, including electronic items, to Russia in
apparent violation of the Commerce Department's stringent export controls on
Russia,” the department said.
There
are now a total of 183 aircraft on the list identified for apparent violations
of the export controls, the department added.
Biden
has repeatedly dismissed former President Donald Trump administration’s
“maximum pressure” campaign against Iran as a failure but he has been pursuing
and even expanding the same failed policy in practice.
Back
in May 2018, Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of the nuclear deal,
officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and
initiated the so-called maximum pressure campaign against Tehran despite its
full compliance with the pact.
While
the Biden administration had voiced willingness to undo Trump’s “failed” policy
toward Tehran and rejoin the ailing deal, it has retained the anti-Iran
sanctions as leverage since talks began last year in the Austrian capital of
Vienna to bring the US back into the deal.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Russia
says Pelosi's 'loud announcements' on Azerbaijan-Armenia border conflict
destabilizing
19
September 2022
The
Kremlin says US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “loud announcements” about the
latest clashes on the border conflicts between Azerbaijan and Armenia are
unlikely to contribute to settling the tension.
The
Kremlin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday that a "quiet
and businesslike approach" to the border conflict between the two
countries would bear fruit.
“Anything...
done in a quiet and businesslike approach can contribute to the normalization
of relations, the stabilization of the situation on the border, all this can be
welcomed. Can such high-profile actions and statements really contribute to the
normalization of the situation? Let's see.”
On
the second day of her three-day visit to Armenia on Sunday, Pelosi, the Speaker
of the US House of Representatives, blamed Azerbaijan for igniting the latest
episode with Armenia. She said Baku launched an “illegal” and “deadly” attack.
“We strongly condemn those attacks -- on behalf of Congress -- which threaten
(the) prospects of the much-needed peace agreement,” she said at a press conference
in the Armenian capital, Yerevan.
Her
provocative comments infuriated Baku, prompting the Azeri Foreign Ministry to
respond with anger later in the day. “The unsubstantiated and unfair
accusations leveled by Pelosi against Azerbaijan are unacceptable," the
ministry said. “Pelosi is known as a pro-Armenian politician.”
“This
is a serious blow to the efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and
Azerbaijan,” the ministry added, condemning Pelosi’s remarks as “Armenian
propaganda.”
The
Azeri Foreign Ministry also accused Pelosi of attempting to cater to
Armenian-Americans ahead of midterm elections in the United States.
“It
is unacceptable to transfer the domestic political intrigues on the US agenda
and lobbying interests to the South Caucasus region through Armenia,” it said.
“Such unilateral steps and baseless statements serve not to strengthen the
fragile peace in the region, but, on the contrary, to escalate tensions.”
The
Armenia-Azerbaijan border was tense once again on the night on September 12
over the control of the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Both sides have
traded blame for the latest deadly episode, which left scores of troops killed
on each side. According to the Azeri side, a ceasefire is currently being
observed.
The
fighting was the most recent flare-up in tensions between the two neighbors
since thousands were killed in a 44-day war over the disputed territory of
Nagorno-Karabakh that ended in November 2020. The conflict, which claimed over
65,000 lives on both sides, ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire, but
friction deepened.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South
Asia
Prisoner
Swap; Senior Taliban Member Released from Guantanamo
By
Saqalain Eqbal
19
Sep 2022
A
prominent Taliban member, Haji Bashir Noorzai, has been released after decades
of imprisonment in Guantanamo and arrived in Kabul on Monday, according to a
tweet from the Taliban Doha-based spokesman.
Amir
Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, later revealed to
reporters during a press conference in Kabul on Monday that the group had
released American engineer Mark Frerichs in return for the US releasing Haji
Bashir.
Noorzai
was reportedly jailed by the US on charges of trafficking heroin into the US
and Europe worth more than $50 million.
Engineer
Frerichs, a veteran of the US Navy from Illinois, US, spent ten years working
on development projects in Afghanistan. His kidnapping happened in February
2020.
No
official representative of the US government is present in Afghanistan, and US
government representatives abroad were not promptly available for comment.
Asadullah
Haroon, one of the remaining Taliban prisoners in Guantanamo, was freed on the
24th of June after 15 years in captivity after talks with the US government.
The
infamous Guantanamo jail once housed hundreds of suspected militants. During
the War on Terrorism, these Taliban suspects were arrested by US soldiers and
incarcerated at Guantanamo.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/prisoner-swap-senior-taliban-member-released-from-guantanamo-748753/
--------
Taliban
free last US hostage in swap for drug lord
Sep
20, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Taliban on Monday freed Mark Frerichs, a navy veteran who was the last
remaining American hostage in Afghanistan, in exchange for Bashir Noorzai, an
Afghan tribal leader detained by the US in 2005 over drug charges.
Taliban
foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told reporters that the prisoner swap took
place at Kabul airport in the presence of government officials and an American
delegation. “Today Mark Frerichs was handed over to the US and Haji Bashir was
handed over to us,” Muttaqi said.
Frerichs,
60, was abducted by the Taliban in 2020, a year before the group took control
of Afghanistan after toppling the previous US-backed Afghan government.
Frerichs
had been working in Kabul as a civil engineer for almost a decade. He was last
seen in a video earlier this year, pleading for his release. There was no
immediate word from the US government or Frerichs’s family following his
release.
Noorzai
-- known as Haji Bashir -- was arrested in New York in 2005 and subsequently
charged with smuggling millions of dollars worth of heroin into the US. In
2008, he was convicted by a court in New York of conspiring to smuggle into the
US heroin valued at more than $50 million.
The
Afghan drug lord was considered a close ally and friend of Taliban founder
Mullah Omar and had reportedly helped finance the first Taliban government in
the 1990s.
“In
2001, after the US began military operations in Afghanistan, Noorzai, at Mullah
Omar’s request, provided the Taliban with hundreds of fighters to battle the
then-anti-Taliban alliance of Afghan groups,” a US charge-sheet against him
read.
On
Monday, Noorzai was given a hero’s welcome on his return to Kabul, greeted by
Taliban fighters with garlands of flowers. “My release, together with that of
an American, will make peace between the countries,” Noorzai told a presser
alongside foreign minister Muttaqi and the Taliban acting deputy prime
ministers.
Muttaqi
said the swap was the outcome of long negotiations between Kabul and
Washington. “The development has opened a new chapter in relations between
Afghanistan and the US and it would help resolve bilateral problems through
negotiations,” he added.
Critics
felt, however, that it was too early to conclude whether the exchange would
lead to any change in US dealings with the Taliban, noting that the Islamist
group had for long denied it was behind Frerichs’ abduction.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban
release American engineer Frerichs in prisoner swap
Sep
19, 2022
KABUL:
Afghanistan's Taliban freed on Monday American engineer Mark Frerichs in
exchange for an Afghan tribal leader linked to the Taliban who the United States
had held on drugs charges since 2005, the group's acting foreign minister said.
Frerichs
was exchanged at the airport in the capital, Kabul, with Bashir Noorzai, acting
foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi told a news conference in the city.
Noorzai
was detained by the United States on suspicion of smuggling more than $50
million worth of heroin into the United States and Europe.
"The
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is ready to solve problems by negotiation with
all including the United States," Muttaqi said, referring to the Taliban.
Frerichs
is an engineer and U.S. Navy veteran from Lombard, Illinois, who worked in
Afghanistan for a decade on development projects. He was abducted in February
2020.
The
United States has no official representation in Afghanistan and U.S. government
officials elsewhere were not immediately available for comment.
The
United States has been pushing for the release of Frerichs, including after the
Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, as U.S.-led foreign forces were
withdrawing.
U.S.
officials have said his case would influence their view on the legitimacy of a
Taliban-led government. No foreign government has formally recognised the
Taliban, in part due to the group's restriction of most girls from education.
Noorzai
briefly addressed the news conference at a Kabul hotel, alongside Muttaqi and
the Taliban's acting deputy prime ministers.
"I
am proud to be in the capital of my country among my brothers," he said.
The
tribal leader had longstanding ties to the Taliban.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Afghanistan
provinces of Parwan, Kandahar witness mass evacuation as Taliban raids houses
20
September, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], September 20 (ANI): Taliban has begun carrying out door-to-door
nighttime raids in the central and southern provinces of Kandahar and Parwan in
Afghanistan under the pretext of tracking down illegal arms, triggering fear
among locals, leading to mass evacuations.
As
door-to-door searches by the Taliban have become regular in Afghanistan,
residents of Kolami village in the Salang district of Parwan are considering a
mass evacuation because they are petrified by the Taliban’s nighttime searches,
according to Khaama Press.
Since
US troops returned on August 15 last year and the Taliban took control,
house-to-house searches have been conducted by Islamic Emirate forces in
various parts of the nation.
Speaking
on the raids conducted by the Taliban officials, the Kandahar chief of police
said, “The Taliban are not operating alone in their activities; they are joined
by neighbourhood elders and religious scholars,” reported Khaama Press.
However,
the Taliban officials have claimed that the purpose of these searches is to
track down illegal or state-owned firearms.
Earlier
in August, the Taliban security forces also conducted house-to-house raids in
the city and some districts of the province.
Since
the previous government fell, house-to-house searches have been conducted by
the Taliban time and again in various parts of the nation.
In
August 2021, the US left much of the military equipment and weapons at the
disposal of the Afghan forces which eventually fell into the hands of the
Taliban.
After
capturing Kabul, the Taliban not only took political control of Afghanistan but
also gained control of all the US-made weapons and military equipment that were
left behind by the fleeing Afghan forces. The US-made arms and military
accessories are openly traded in shops by Afghan gun dealers.
The
traffickers are collecting the weapons from the abandoned Afghan army bases,
and procuring them from the Afghan government soldiers and Taliban fighters.
These weapons are then mostly sold in weapons markets or arms bazaars in tribal
areas of the Afghan-Pakistan border.
Meanwhile,
Afghanistan is the prime source of opium supply to the world drug markets and
Pakistan is the transport hub with drug networks operating from the country
using its drug routes to reach international markets.
The
Taliban is under UN sanctions over terrorist activities and has established an
interim government in Afghanistan led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a prominent
member of the first Taliban cabinet.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Taliban’s
move in undermining Persian’s literature rise in public concern
19
Sep 2022
In
recent moves by the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, the signs of the
health and educational institutions have been modified to only Pashto which has
raised concerns among the Afghan publics.
Pictures
of the Balkh University in Mazar-e-Sharif is being circulated on social media
where it shows individuals are eliminating the ‘Persian’ version of the sign.
Prior
to this, Herat residents had criticized about the elimination of ‘Persian’ sign
on the entrance gate of Herat’s regional healthcare center.
Social
media users criticize that the Taliban do not consider and respect the diverse
culture in Afghanistan, while they are forcefully promoting their own cultural
values.
Mohammad
Halim Fidai, a former government official believes that the Taliban are raising
the cultural issues in order to divert action from the current crisis to a
different dirction.
“These
conflicts are indeed arisen to further divide Afghan people”. Mohammad Halim
Fidai tweeted.
‘Persian’
is one of the most ancient languages spoken in many Asian and Middle Eastern
countries. The majority of Afghans living in the north, west, center and
capital region of Afghanistan speak ‘Persian’ while most people living in the
south and south-east of Afghanistan speak Pashto.
‘Persian’
was the first official language in Afghanistan before 1964, while later due to
political changes, Pashto was also named as the second official language in
Afghanistan.
Both
Pashto and Persian were the official languages of Afghanistan during the
presidency of Hamid Karzai and Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
Historical
records indicate that Persian which was later renamed to ‘Dari’ was the first
language during kingdoms in Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/talibans-move-in-undermining-persians-literature-rises-public-concern-97889/
--------
Taliban
say US national freed in exchange for key ally
September
19, 2022
An
American navy veteran detained in Afghanistan since 2020 was released by the
Taliban on Monday in exchange for an ally who spent 17 years in a US jail for
heroin smuggling, Afghanistan’s foreign minister said.
Mark
Frerichs was working as a civil engineer on construction projects in
Afghanistan when he was “taken hostage”, Washington previously said.
“After
long negotiations, US citizen Mark Frerichs was handed over to an American
delegation and that delegation handed over (Bashar Noorzai) to us today at
Kabul airport,” Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at a press
conference.
“We
are happy that at Kabul International Airport, in the capital of Afghanistan,
we witnessed the wonderful ceremony of one of our compatriots returning home.”
Noorzai
was welcomed with a hero’s fanfare by the government of the newly-styled
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA). Photos show he was greeted by masked
Taliban soldiers bearing floral garlands.
“If
the IEA had not shown its strong determination, I would not have been here
today,” Noorzai told reporters at the press conference.
“My
release in exchange for an American will be a source of peace between
Afghanistan and Americans.”
Noorzai
is the second Afghan inmate released by the United States in recent months. In
June, Assadullah Haroon was released after 15 years of detention in the United
States’ notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.
Haroon
was accused of links to Al-Qaeda but languished without charge for years at the
US detention centre in Cuba, after his arrest in 2006 whilst working as a honey
trader.
He
was not released under the terms of a deal with the Taliban.
Afghan
security analyst Hekmatullah Hekmat said Noorzai’s release was a “major
achievement” for Kabul’s new rulers.
“The
Taliban can tell their foot soldiers and Afghans that they are able to bring
back their people held by opposition groups,” he told AFP.
Muttaqi
said the homecoming of Noorzai marks the beginning of a “new chapter” in
relations between Afghanistan and the United States.
‘Non-negotiable’
The
Taliban seized power in Afghanistan a little over a year ago, as the United
States and their NATO allies withdrew from the country after 20 years of
military intervention.
Since
then, the nation has been further plunged into economic and humanitarian
hardship, with billions in Afghan assets abroad frozen by Washington and
international aid vastly reduced.
No
country has yet recognised the new government, with Washington repeatedly
telling the Taliban that they will have to “earn” legitimacy.
The
US State Department had previously described navy veteran Frerich’s release as
one of the government’s “core, non-negotiable priorities”.
“The
Taliban must immediately release Mark before it can expect any consideration of
its aspirations for legitimacy. This is not negotiable,” US President Joe Biden
said in a statement in January.
Noorzai,
a militia commander and Taliban associate, was sentenced to life imprisonment
for heroin smuggling and had served 17 years.
He
once fought with US-backed mujahideen forces against the Soviet occupation of
Afghanistan and was a close associate of the Taliban’s late founder Mullah
Omar.
At
the time of his trial, US prosecutors said he ran a “worldwide narcotics
network” and supported the Taliban’s first regime between 1996 and 2001.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1710931
--------
Arab
World
UAE
FM Sheikh Abdullah Meets Israeli Defence Minister Gantz
19
September, 2022
The
United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed met with
Israel’s defense minister Benny Gantz, the official Emirates News Agency
reported on Monday.
The
meeting coincided with the top UAE diplomat’s official visit to Israel and was
attended by several high-level diplomats from both countries.
The
pair discussed enhancing bilateral relations and the role of the Abraham
Accords agreement to promote stability in the Middle East.
Sheikh
Abdullah underscored the importance of supporting the Palestinian Authority to
achieve stability and security for their people and emphasized the significance
of the Abraham Accords agreement, noting that people in the region are looking
forward to a future filled with development and prosperity.
Gantz
emphasized the importance of the UAE foreign minister’s visit in strengthening
cooperation channels between the two nations across all fronts, especially with
the two countries’ success in building a unique model of partnership and
cooperation over the past two years.
The
meeting was attended by UAE Minister of state Ahmed bin Ali Mohammed al-Sayegh,
Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for
Cultural and Public Diplomacy Omar Ghobash, and the UAE’s Ambassador to Israel
Mohamed Mahmoud al-Khaja.
During
his visit to Israel, the foreign minister also met with Israeli politicians
including former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Israel’s finance
minister Avigdor Lieberman and interior minister Ayelet Shaked, WAM reported on
Friday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lebanon-Israel
demarcation talks ‘in final stages': Aoun
Wassim
Seif El Din
19.09.2022
BEIRUT,
Lebanon
Lebanese
President Michel Aoun said Monday border demarcation talks with Israel over
Lebanon's southern borders are in "their final stages.”
Aoun
met with UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, in the Baabda
Palace in the capital Beirut.
He
said the ongoing talks are about technical details related to the demarcation
process "to guarantee Lebanon's rights to explore for gas and oil in the
specified fields in the exclusive economic zone," the Lebanese Presidency
said in a statement.
Aoun
said communication with US mediator Amos Hochstein is ongoing to address the
technical details of the demarcation process.
He
voiced hope that the exploration for oil and fuel "would contribute to the
revival of the Lebanese economy", which is witnessing severe
deterioration.
Last
week, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said, citing an Israeli official, that Tel
Aviv has “especially cautious optimism” that a deal can be reached with Lebanon
on their disputed maritime border.
Lebanon
and Israel are locked in a dispute over a maritime area of 860 square
kilometers (332 square miles), according to maps sent by both countries to the
UN in 2011.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/lebanon-israel-demarcation-talks-in-final-stages-aoun/2688847
--------
Egypt
to cooperate with Maersk on $15 bln clean fuels project for ships: Presidency
19
September, 2022
Egypt’s
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has directed the government to cooperate with AP
Moeller-Maersk to establish a network to produce and distribute green energy
and clean fuels for ships, a presidency spokesperson said on Monday.
Maersk
Chief Executive Soren Skou discussed with Sisi during their meeting a project
to produce clean fuel for ships with investments of $15 billion, the statement
added.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
troops cross into Syria, wounding one of four ‘suspects’
19
September, 2022
Israeli
forces crossed into Syria on Monday and fired at four individuals who had
“hurled objects along the border fence,” wounding one of them, the army said.
Israel,
which regularly carries out airstrikes inside Syria’s territory, rarely
publicly acknowledges cross-border operations.
According
to an Israeli army statement, “observation soldiers spotted four suspects” near
Haspin in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, without providing any specific
information on what they were throwing.
Israel
Defense Forces “soldiers were dispatched to the scene, crossed the border and
operated... by firing at one of the suspects’ legs,” the statement added.
The
wounded suspect, whose condition wasn’t immediately clear, was “evacuated by
helicopter to a hospital” in Israel, the army said without mentioning what
happened to the other three.
Israel
rarely comments on its military actions in Syria, save for operations in direct
response to what the army considers immediate threats to Israel’s sovereignty.
But
Israel has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, targeting
both government positions and Iran-backed forces, since civil war broke out in
the country in 2011.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
readying US-funded salary support for Lebanese soldiers: Presidency
19 September,
2022
The
United Nations is finalizing a plan to provide US-funded salary assistance to
Lebanese soldiers hard hit by the country’s financial crisis, the UN special
coordinator for Lebanon told the country’s president on Monday, the presidency
said.
Discontent
has been brewing in the security forces as Lebanon’s currency has lost more
than 90 percent of its value against the dollar, driving down most soldiers’
wages to less than $100 per month. Many have taken extra jobs, and thousands
have quit.
The
military has been squeezed so badly by the country’s three-year-old financial
meltdown that its canteens stopped offering meat to troops in 2020 and began
offering sightseeing tours in its helicopters to raise cash.
UN
Special Coordinator Joanna Wronecka told President Michel Aoun that US
assistance for the salaries of soldiers “is in its final organizational stages
and will be paid to soldiers via a United Nations program.”
Washington
is the biggest foreign aid donor to Lebanon.
The
US Embassy in Beirut did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A
Lebanese army spokesperson said they had no information about any such US
support.
In
January, the US State Department informed Congress of plans to reroute $67
million of military aid for Lebanon to include “livelihood support” for
Lebanese soldiers, citing economic turmoil as well as social unrest.
Qatar
in June pledged $60 million to support Lebanese soldiers, which a Lebanese Army
source told Reuters would allow for payments of $100 per soldier through the
end of the year.
The
source, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter,
said that roughly 5,000 soldiers had left the 80,00-strong army since the
beginning of the crisis.
The
army command’s decision to allow soldiers to take on second jobs has slowed the
pace of desertions, the source said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
to begin production from contested gas field amid Lebanon dispute
19.09.2022
Israeli
Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Monday that production at the contested Karish
gas field will begin soon amid a maritime border dispute with Lebanon.
“Israel
believes it is possible to reach an agreement on the maritime border between
Lebanon and Israel in a way that will serve the interests of both country’s
citizens and strengthen regional stability,” Lapid said in statements.
“The
production of gas from the Karish rig is not related to the negotiations, and
the rig will start producing gas as soon as is possible,” he added.
Early
Monday, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said border demarcation talks with
Israel over Lebanon's southern borders are in "their final stages.”
Last
week, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said, citing an Israeli official, that Tel
Aviv has “especially cautious optimism” that a deal can be reached with Lebanon
on their disputed maritime border.
Lebanon
and Israel are locked in a dispute over a maritime area of 860 square
kilometers (332 square miles), according to maps sent by both countries to the
UN in 2011.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
UN
Special Rapporteur: Islamic Emirate Must Probe Alleged Panjshir Crimes
'Genuinely'
September
20, 2022
Referring
to the Islamic Emirate’s decision to investigate the reports of extra judicial
killings in Panjshir, the UN special rapporteur for Afghan Human Rights,
Richard Bennett said that “investigations an any prosecutions must be conducted
genuinely and according to international standards.”
“Noting
dfA MoD has opened an investigation into reports of extra-judicial killings in
Panjshir, I remind Taliban that they bear responsibility for the actions of
their forces,” Bennett said on Twitter.
The
local officials in Panshir said that a serious investigation is underway.
“The
Ministry of Defense and the provincial governor’s office started a serious
investigation into this to find out the time of the videos because the fighting
happened in several areas. Sometimes the videos are misused,” said Nasrullah
Malikzada, head of the Panjshir department of culture.
Earlier,
the Ministry of Defense said in a statement it would investigate footage on
social media about the killing of detainees.
The
ministry said the perpetrators will be brought to justice if it is proven that
the footage is new and that the incident happened in Panjshir.
“Based
on our initial investigation, these videos of killing by Taliban are new and
are in Panjshir province,” said Zaman Sultani, South Asia Researcher at Amnesty
International.
Some
military veterans believe that the war parties should consider the law of war
during the clashes.
“The
demand of the people of Afghanistan to the two involved parties is based on
Islamic and international laws of war -- they should stop mistreatment of
detainees,” said Asadullah Nadeem, a military veteran.
“Both
from the side of Sharia and international convention, shooting and torturing
detainees is a crime,” said Mohammad Mateen Mohammad Khail, a military analyst.
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-179921
--------
Nearly
86 Percent of Anti-Muslim Twitter Posts Come From US, UK and India
19
September 2022
Nearly
86 percent of anti-Muslim posts on social media come from the US, the UK and
India, a report by the Australian-based Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) has
found.
Over
a two-year period, between 28 August 2019 and 27 August 2021, India saw the
highest figure, with 871,379 Islamophobic tweets, followed by the US with
289,248, and the UK, with 196,376.
The
report, Islamophobia in the Digital Age, states that in India, the rampant
Islamophobia is a result of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP)
normalisation of hatred against Muslims. In the US, though, Islamophobia has
long been a problem, one that “was dramatically exacerbated by the racist,
conspiratorial and inflammatory rhetoric employed by Donald Trump”, the report
states.
As
for the UK, the prevalence of anti-Muslim tweets was attributed to a multitude
of factors, including the global reach of Trump’s hatred, the country’s
longstanding issues with anti-migrant sentiment, and the casual racism of
former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the report wrote.
According
to the ICV, there were at least 3,759,180 Islamophobic posts made on Twitter
between 28 August 2019 and 27 August 2021. After nearly one year, 85 percent of
the hateful tweets were still online; only 14.8 percent were eventually
removed, either because they had been hidden through privacy settings, taken
down by users, or deleted by moderators.
“We
conclude from this that Twitter is drastically failing at removing anti-Muslim
content,” the report noted. “This is unsurprising given that they do not
automatically screen posts for hate, but rather only act once a report has been
filed. In practice, however, even when Islamophobia is brought to their
attention, a mere 3 percent of flagged tweets end up being removed.”
The
top three common themes that were observed in the anti-Muslim tweets included:
the association of Islam with terrorism, the depiction of Muslim men as
perpetrators of sexual violence, and the fear that Muslims wish to impose
sharia law on others.
Other
types of tweets included conspiracy theories that Muslims are being sent as
migrants to out-reproduce non-Muslim communities, the targeted harassment of
Muslim public figures, and the characterisation of halal slaughter as inhumane.
When
there is a terrorist attack in the West, anti-Muslim hate is more likely to be
prevalent online than it is following attacks committed elsewhere, the report
found. When more than 50 people were beheaded in Mozambique, there were 6,264
recorded anti-Muslim tweets. After the London Bridge stabbing, there were over
10,000.
The
report also found that how politicians respond to events connected to Islam can
have an impact on Islamophobia. It was found that the third largest spike in
anti-Muslim tweets on 25 February 2020, for example, was a result of hateful
remarks by the BJP against Muslim opponents of its Citizenship Amendment act.
In
August, it was found that hate crimes against Muslim communities across Canada
increased by 71 percent in 2021, according to a newly released report by the
government agency Statistics Canada.
The
study found that the number of recorded attacks against Muslims rose from 84
incidents in 2020 to 144 in 2021. The jump followed a decline from the previous
year, when in 2019 there were 182 reported incidents targeting Muslims.
To
combat this hatred, the ICV recommends a number of steps, such as introducing
penalties for platforms that fail to act to prevent Islamophobia and pressuring
the Indian government to end anti-Muslim rhetoric.
ICV
suggests that Twitter should end the policy of not screening tweets and should
automatically detect and remove hateful content. It also recommends that
Twitter establish an independent oversight body to evaluate the effectiveness
of its moderation policies.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/majority-anti-muslim-twitter-posts-come-us-uk-india
--------
Supreme
Council of German Muslims drops membership of Brotherhood-linked entities
19
Sep 2022
The
council also stripped Ibrahim El-Zayat, one of the Brotherhood leaders based in
Germany, of all his positions, according to sources.
El-Zayat,
who is of Egyptian origin, held several positions in Germany, including the
presidency of the Islamic Society in Germany in 2001, according to media
reports.
The
Council of German Muslims held its elections on Sunday amid major challenges
facing Muslims in Germany. Foremost of these is taking advantage of their
legitimate platforms that represent them by the Brotherhood group.
Egypt
designated the Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in 2013, months after the
ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi following mass protests. Saudi
Arabia and the UAE followed suit in 2020.
Source:
Ahram
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/476371.aspx
--------
British
Muslims ‘experience’ Islam in Rumi’s Turkish hometown
SEP
19, 2022
Agroup
of British converts to Islam visited Konya, the central Turkish province better
known as the place where world-famous Sufi mystic Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi spent
most of his life. The visit was part of a project called “Experience Islam in
Konya,” jointly organized by Cambridge Central Mosque, the municipality of
Konya and Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs (DIB).
Ten
Muslims got acquainted with locals and visited historical and religious sites
in the province, which was once the capital of the powerful Anatolian Seljuk
state.
The
visitors, all from diverse backgrounds, were chosen after interviews back in
Britain for the project, which seeks to familiarize them with daily life in a
Muslim country. Theology experts also accompanied the group, teaching new
converts the basics of Islam while the group also had an opportunity to see the
examples of Islamic art in Konya.
Ali
Öge, the mufti of Konya, said they organized an eight-day tour for their
foreign visitors. “We organize tours for our brothers and sisters who recently
converted to Islam in the United States and Europe. They also attend courses
here on Islamic arts, history, civilization, hadith and tafsir (interpretation
of the holy book Quran). We see our guests are pleased with what they
experienced here,” he told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Sunday.
Philip
Collins, a 50-year-old convert from Nottingham, was among the guests. He said
becoming a Muslim changed “many things” in his life. A real estate manager,
Collins said he had everything but felt like something was “missing” in his
life. “I met some Muslims in Nottingham and I was curious about their religion.
They gave me a Quran. I have always been a skeptic (about religion) but the
Quran convinced me. I found the right path,” Collins, who converted to Islam
about 18 months ago told AA. Collins said he was impressed with Türkiye,
especially seeing how people rushed to the mosques at the times of prayers.
“Seeing traces of Islam here in Konya is wonderful. This program taught me a
lot about Islam,” he said.
Louisa
Isabelle Fenton, a teacher, said she studied Islam for a long time before
embracing it. “I was impressed with the kindness and respect of Muslims around
me and about two years ago, I converted to Islam. My family never opposed my
choice,” she said. Fenton said she was lucky to visit Konya and happy to have a
chance to meet the “Muslim ummah (community).” “I am moved by the hospitality
we had here,” she said.
Timothy
Masters converted to Islam three months ago but he says it was the result “of a
process of more than 20 years.”
Source:
Daily Sabah
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/british-muslims-experience-islam-in-rumis-turkish-hometown/news
--------
French
FM urges Iran to accept latest offer on nuclear deal
20
September, 2022
France’s
foreign minister called Monday on Iran to accept a proposal to revive a nuclear
deal, warning that it will not get anything better.
At
the start of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, Foreign Minister
Catherine Colonna did not rule out that President Emmanuel Macron would meet
his counterpart Ebrahim Raisi.
“We’ll
see what this week brings,” she told reporters. “The window of opportunity
seems ready to close again.”
“We
are repeatedly saying... there is no better offer for Iran,” she said. “It’s up
to them to make a decision.”
Raisi,
in an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” said he was open to a “good” deal
but pressed for guarantees from President Joe Biden that the United States will
not again leave the accord under a future leader -- a promise that the US administration
considers impossible.
Former
president Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 deal under which Iran drastically
scaled back nuclear work in return for promises of sanctions relief.
The
Biden administration says the deal remains the best way to restrict Iran’s
nuclear program but has been increasingly pessimistic that Tehran will agree to
a compromise negotiated by European Union mediators.
Separately,
Colonna said she met Monday in New York with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov.
She
said she urged him to allow a security zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear
plant in Ukraine, whose occupation by Moscow has raised mounting concerns.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Swiss
court sentences ‘Daesh’ knifewoman
September
19, 2022
BELLINZONA:
A Swiss woman was given a nine-year jail term on Monday for slashing two people
in the name of Daesh but her sentence was suspended so she can undergo
psychiatric treatment.
The
court found the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, guilty of
attempted murder and of terrorism-linked charges.
She
had “no respect for human life,” court president Fiorenza Bergomi said as she
read out the verdict.
She
had “acted in cold blood, had planned her actions and decided what weapon to
use, and where to buy it,” Bergomi continued.
The
29-year-old woman’s mental state was at the heart of the trial at Switzerland’s
Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, in the southern Italian-speaking Ticino region
where the attack occurred.
The
attack, which did not result in fatalities, took place on November 24, 2020 in
the plush Manor department store in Lugano, near Bellinzona.
The
woman had suddenly lunged at two random women shopping at the store, attempting
to slit their throats.
One
of the two victims suffered a serious neck injury, while the second sustained
wounds on one hand and managed, with others, to control the assailant until the
police arrived.
During
the trial, the court heard that the woman has been in contact with
psychologists and psychiatrists since childhood, with two experts testifying
that she suffers from a range of psychological disorders.
Her
lawyers argue the accused’s psychological disorders mean the attack could not
be considered a “terrorist act” because the woman lived in a fantasy world.
When
questioned during the trial, the woman showed no remorse, telling the court:
“If I could go back, I would do it better.”
On
Monday, she was found guilty of “repeated murder attempts” and of violating the
Swiss laws against association with Al-Qaeda, Daesh and related Islamist
groups.
The
accused was ordered to pay the woman who suffered the most serious injuries,
and who was a civil party in the case, 41,000 Swiss francs ($42,000) to cover her
legal costs and as compensation for the “moral wrong.”
The
court president pointed to studies indicating that terror suspects could suffer
from stress and psychiatric problems.
“We
must not forget that there are... people with psychiatric problems who do not
belong to terrorist organizations, but who are considered lone wolves,” she
said.
Monday’s
verdict was in line with the prosecution’s request, but her sentence was
shorter than the 14-year-term it had asked for.
The
prosecutors, who had also suggested her sentence be suspended and that she be
committed to a closed treatment facility for as long as she was deemed a
threat, said Monday that they “took note” of the verdict, but did not indicate
whether they would appeal.
The
daughter of a Swiss father and a Serbian mother, her adolescence was marked by
anorexia and she did not attend secondary school.
Aged
19, she married a man of Afghan origin and converted to Islam. The pair
divorced last year.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2165366/world
--------
Africa
75
al-Shabaab terrorists killed in central Somalia: Security official
Mohammed
Dhaysane
19.09.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
The
Somali military killed 75 al-Shabaab terrorists in a counter-terrorism
operation in the central Hiran province, a security official said on Monday.
After
a fierce firefight, the army liberated the village of Yasoman and seized
weapons from the terrorists, the official told Anadolu Agency on condition of
anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Meanwhile,
a statement by the Information Ministry on Sunday said that the military
liberated 30 villages in recent operations in several parts of the country and
killed 200 al-Shabaab terrorists.
The
Hiran region has seen increased military activities this month as the new
government encouraged locals to take part in efforts to liberate villages from
the al-Shabaab terror group.
Somalia
has been grappling with increasing insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab being
one of the main threats in the Horn of Africa country.
Since
at least 2007, al-Shabaab has waged a deadly campaign against the Somali
government and international forces.
The
UN has also warned of growing instability in the country, with its periodic
reports on Somalia this year detailing attacks by al-Shabaab and pro-Daesh/ISIS
groups.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
5
Tunisian parties to boycott parliamentary elections
Adel
Al-Thabti
19.09.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Five
Tunisian parties on Monday announced their boycott of the upcoming
parliamentary elections on Dec. 17.
This
came in a press conference held by the Republican Party, the Workers' Party,
the Qutb Party, the Democratic Current, and the Democratic Forum for Labor and
Liberties in the capital, Tunis.
“These
elections are the last stop in a political agenda that [President Kais] Saied
tries to impose after his coup against the constitution and legitimacy,” Issam
Chebbi, Secretary-General of the Republican Party, said.
He
argued that most Tunisians boycotted a constitutional referendum held in July,
which saw a voter turnout of 30.5 percent.
“Tunisia
is not in a mood for elections. This coup path can’t be supported,” he added.
Last
week, Saied issued a decree calling on voters to cast ballot in the country’s
legislative elections on Dec. 17.
Tunisia
has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's
economic conditions since last year, when Saied ousted the government and
dissolved parliament.
While
opponents see Saied’s measures as a “coup against the constitution,"
others view them a "correction of the course of the 2011 revolution,"
which overthrew then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/5-tunisian-parties-to-boycott-parliamentary-elections/2688887
--------
Ennahda
deputy chief slams terror accusations as ‘distraction’
Adel
Al-Thabti
19.09.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Ennahda
deputy leader Ali Laarayedh has condemned terrorism accusations against
opponents as an attempt to “distract” attention away from economic woes.
Tunisian
judicial authorities summoned Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi and Laarayedh
for questioning on Monday into accusations of sending Tunisians to hotspots
overseas.
This
“is an attempt to target opponents, including Ennahda leaders and national
figures,” Laarayedh told reporters outside the headquarters of the anti-terror
unit in the capital Tunis.
“It’s
an attempt to distract attention away from the real issues, including the
current economic situation,” he added.
Last
week, the private Radio Mosaique, citing informed sources, said that judicial
authorities have given permission to the relevant security body to take
necessary measures to investigate the case with "involved politicians,
former security officials, lawyers and heads of charity
organizations."
According
to local media, arrest warrants were issued against three former security
officials, former parliamentarian Reda al-Jawadi, businessman Mohamed Frikha
and cleric Bechir ben Hasan.
The
Ennahda party termed the warrants as “random arrests" aimed at defaming
the image of the party and its figures.
Tunisia
has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's
economic conditions since last year, when President Kais Saied ousted the
government and dissolved parliament.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tunisia’s
anti-terrorism police detain former prime minister Ali Laarayedh
September
20, 2022
TUNIS:
Tunisia’s anti-terrorism police detained for one day Ali Laarayedh, a former
prime minister and senior official in the Islamist opposition Ennahda party,
after an investigation into suspicions of sending militants to Syria, lawyers
said on Tuesday.
In
the same case, the police postponed the hearing of Tunisia’s Islamist
opposition leader and speaker of the dissolved parliament Rached Ghannouchi to
midday on Tuesday, after waiting for about 14 hours.
It
is expected that Laarayedh will appear before a judge on Wednesday, lawyer
Mokthar Jmayi told Reuters.
Ennahda
denies accusations of terrorism, calling it a political attack on a foe of
President Kais Saied.
Ghannouchi,
81, has accused Saied of an anti-democratic coup since he seized most powers
last summer, shutting down the parliament and moving to rule by decree, powers
he has largely formalized with a new constitution ratified in a July
referendum.
Last
month, several former security officials and two Ennahda members were arrested
on charges connected to Tunisians traveling for jihad.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2165936/middle-east
--------
Mideast
Israel
arrests director of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque
Abdelraouf
Arna'out
19.09.2022
JERUSALEM
Israeli
police on Monday detained director of the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque in East
Jerusalem, Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani, according to eyewitnesses.
Israeli
forces raided the home of al-Kiswani in al-Tur neighborhood in East Jerusalem
and took him into custody, witnesses said.
No
reason for provided for his detention.
According
to witnesses, Israeli forces confiscated a computer and a number of documents
during the raid.
On
Saturday, Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Israeli authorities decided to
deport a number of Palestinians from Al-Aqsa Mosque in preparation for Jewish
holidays.
Al-Kiswani
was detained several times before by Israeli police for the intelligence
service.
Al-Aqsa
Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the
"Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in
ancient times.
Since
2003, Israel has allowed settlers into the flashpoint compound almost on a
daily basis with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-arrests-director-of-jerusalem-s-al-aqsa-mosque/2688652
--------
Palestinian
schools in al-Quds protest Israel’s plan to distort textbooks
19
September 2022
Teachers
and students in al-Quds have held a general strike against plans by the
occupying authorities to impose Israeli texts on Palestinian curricula.
All
schools across the occupied city remained closed on Monday. Protesters demanded
that the Israeli regime stop interfering in the academic affairs of Palestinian
students.
The
Palestinian National and Islamic Forces (PNIF), a coalition of the Palestinian
political factions, had called for the strike.
Earlier
this month, Israeli authorities printed new textbooks, which contain distorted
Palestinian history, culture and national symbols.
Israeli
authorities have revoked the teaching license of several schools in East
al-Quds under the pretext of teaching provocative textbooks against the
occupying regime.
The
controversial steps by the Israeli regime have sparked a wave of protests
across the occupied territories over the past few days.
Students
in West Bank schools, education minister voice solidarity
Meanwhile,
students at schools across the occupied West Bank carried banners and chanted
slogan denouncing the Israeli violation of the Palestinian right to education.
Palestinian
Minister of Education Marwan Awartani, speaking from New York, where he is
attending a summit, called on the international community to act to protect the
right to education for the Palestinian students.
“At
a time when the world is meeting today at the Education Transformation Summit
in New York to lead and coordinate global efforts to develop education and help
students recover from the repercussions of the Corona pandemic and the
challenges facing education, Palestinian children in al-Quds are living a
situation imposed on them by the Israeli occupation that forced their parents
to declare a strike and not go to schools to protest the practices of the
occupation against their national, historical and educational identity,” said
the minister.
“The
parents reject all forms of financial blackmail practiced by the so-called
Israeli Ministry of Education against the school administrations and the open
and implied threats to assert that the right to education and study the
national curriculum is an inalienable right of a people under occupation to
choose their curriculum taught to their children, in line with the Palestinian
narrative, history and national identity as a sovereign issue, and they are now
in their homes deprived of their right to education due to the policies of this
occupation."
According
to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, thousands of Palestinian children,
staff and teachers are “attacked” by either Israeli settlers or soldiers each
year.
The
United Nations says Israeli attacks are “incidents of interference in schools
by Israeli forces,” which include “threats of demolition, clashes on the way to
school between students and security forces, teachers stopped at checkpoints,
and the violent actions of Israeli forces and settlers on some occasions.”
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/09/19/689503/Palestinians-Quds-West-Bank
--------
Iranian
FM: Ball in Court of US Policy-Makers to Finalize Negotiations
2022-September-19
Amir
Abdollahian stated that his country is serious about reaching a nuclear deal
with the world powers, adding that Tehran’s “relations with the whole world
have improved” since the administration of President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi took
office last year.
"Tehran
seeks an agreement that guarantees its economic benefits and has been the party
that has tabled the largest number of initiatives during the Vienna
talks," Iran's foreign minister continued.
"The
ball is in the court of the US and it is for Washington to make a political
decision to bring the negotiations to fruition and pave the way for an
agreement in the near future," the top diplomat stressed.
On
relations between Iran and the world countries, Amir Abdollahian noted the current
administration has “made a new choice” based on a “correct” understanding of
the international order to expand its relations with all countries around the
world, while giving priority to the “look to Asia” and “focus on
neighborliness”.
The
United States and Iran have traded responses via the EU to a proposal put
forward by the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell.
Washington
claims that Tehran has taken "a step backward" with its latest
response to a European Union proposal, calling a near-term agreement
"unlikely".
Tehran
says its response to Washington's view regarding the EU's proposed draft text
was constructive and transparent. Officials stress that receiving guarantees
from the Western side is the most important issue in the talks and Iran wants
stronger guarantees from the US to clinch an agreement.
Tehran
says it will not be able to trust Washington as long as President Joe Biden
continues the wrong policy of maximum pressure and sanctions practiced by
Donald Trump against Iran. Iranian officials say the Biden administration has
yet done nothing but hollow promises to lift sanctions against Tehran. They
blast the US addiction to sanctions, and slammed the POTUS for continuing his
predecessor's policy on Iran.
Tehran
and the five remaining parties to the nuclear deal have held several rounds of
negotiations since April last year to restore the agreement, which was
unilaterally abandoned by Trump in May 2018.
In
quitting the agreement, Trump restored sanctions on Iran as part of what he
called the “maximum pressure” campaign against the country. Those sanctions are
being enforced to this day by the Biden administration, even though it has
repeatedly acknowledged that the policy has been a mistake and a failure.
Iranian
officials say the ball is in the US' court, and the Biden administration should
assure Tehran that it will not repeat Trump's past mistakes.
Diplomats
have also criticized Washington for raising excessive demands from Tehran
during the nuclear talks, and blocking efforts to reach an agreement on the
JCPOA. They emphasized the Tehran's will to reach a good, strong and lasting
agreement, and stressed that the US should lift unilateral sanctions, and
assure Iran that it will not repeat its past mistakes.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Picks "World War III" for Oscar Film Entry
2022-September-19
The
film selection committee announced that after deliberations on the five shortlisted
films, majority of the board picked "World War III" to compete on
behalf of Iran.
The
movie won two awards at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in Italy in
mid-September.
In
the Orizzonti section of the awards at the Venice International Film Festival,
which runs parallel to the primary competition, the top honor was given to
Iranian filmmaker’s “World War III".
The film also featured a best actor award winner in Mohsen Tanabandeh,
who played the protagonist.
The
film tells the story of a worker named Shakib, who loses his wife and child in
an earthquake, and then meets a deaf girl called Ladan.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010628000726/Iran-Picks-Wrld-War-III-fr-Oscar-Film-Enry
--------
Iranian
President Flatly Rejects Meeting with US Officials
2022-September-19
Presiednt
Rayeesi left Tehran for New York on Monday to attend the 77th session of the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He will give an address at the General
Assembly and meet other heads of state and other international figures on the
sidelines.
Before
departing Tehran for New York, the Iranian president said that "no
meetings will be held with the US officials" during his five-day visit.
"Presence
in the UNGA is an opportunity for expressing the viewpoints of the Islamic
Republic of Iran. This is a chance that should be grasped to voice out
oppression maintained against the great Iranian nation," he told
reporters.
"Sanctions
and threats cannot stop the Iranian nation," Rayeesi stressed.
About
his plans, the Iranian chief executive stated he will hold bilateral talks with
heads of the participating states on the sidelines of the assembly at the UN.
Meeting with Iranians residing in the United States is also among the plans,
Rayeesi continued.
At
the end of his remarks, the president expressed hope to represent the Iranian
nation well and to bring about significant impacts for the oppressed Muslim
nations worldwide.
Iran's
president did not attend the high-level summit in the previous year and only
delivered a video speech. This year’s debate will be fully in person for the
first time since the COVID pandemic began plaguing the world in late 2019.
In
an interview with CBS News' 60 Minutes program, Rayeesi said he does not
believe that a face-to-face conversation with US President Joe Biden on the
sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York would be of any
benefit to his country or could help revive the 2015 nuclear deal. The Iranian
president added that he has no plans for either meeting or talking with his US
counterpart during his upcoming trip.
"I
do not think that such a meeting is going to take place. I don't believe having
a meeting or a talk with him will be beneficial," the Iranian chief
executive told CBS reporter Lesley Stahl in a 60 Minutes interview.
The
Iranian president was also asked whether he could see any differences between
the Biden administration and the administration of his predecessor Donald
Trump.
"The
new administration in the US, they claim that they are different from the Trump
administration," Rayeesi said, adding, "They have said it in their
messages to us. But we haven't witnessed any changes in reality."
On
nuclear deal, he stressed that an agreement without guarantees was meaningless
for Iran because of the United States broke its promises.
Iran
stresses it has not quit the negotiating table with the world powers, but will
not put all its eggs in the negotiation basket and will not wait for the United
States to return to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.
"Although
the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to the process of talks on removal of
the sanctions, it acts dynamically and vigilantly to achieve its strategic
goals and enhance foreign relations; and the country does not wait for the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPO) and the US return to the deal,"
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kana'ani stated on Thursday.
Iranian
officials have emphasized that Tehran does not tie its economy to the results
of the talks with the United States and its European allies.
Back
in mid-August, President Rayeesi said that Tehran never left the negotiating
table, but his administration will not tie the country’s economy to its fate.
"We
will not tie the country's progress and settlement of the problems to the JCPOA
(the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).
The Iranian negotiating team will not leave the negotiating table,
either," Rayeesi stated, stressing that Tehran does not tie ordinary life
of people to external factors.
He
added Iran’s progress and economy would never be kept back on account of other
people’s “smiles and scowls".
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010628000119/Iranian-Presiden-Flaly-Rejecs-Meeing-wih-US-Officials
--------
Iran’s
security forces kill four amid protests over Mahsa Amini’s death: Rights group
19
September, 2022
An
Iranian Kurdish rights group said on Monday at least four people were killed,
over a dozen injured, and a 10-year-old girl was in critical condition after
being shot in the head by security forces during anti-government protests
sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody.
Protests
triggered by the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini
escalated late on Monday, spreading to multiple cities and turning violent in
some areas.
Rights
group Hengaw said security forces opened fire on protesters in the city of
Saqqez, Amini’s hometown, in Kurdistan province, killing two people.
In
Divandarreh, also in Kurdistan province, where heavy clashes erupted between
protesters and security forces earlier on Monday, “at least two citizens –
Fouad Qadimi and Mohsen Mohammadi – died after being taken to Kosar Hospital in
Sanandaj and 15 others were injured,” Hengaw said.
The
rights group also said that a 10-year-old girl was in critical condition after
being shot in the head in Bukan, a city in West Azerbaijan province.
Protesters
in multiple cities clashed with security forces late on Monday and shouted
slogans against the regime and its highest authority, Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei, videos shared on Twitter showed.
A
video shared by @1500tasvir, an Iranian Twitter account that reports on
protests in Iran, showed demonstrators in Tehran attempting to flip over a
police vehicle with smashed windows.
Another
video from Tehran showed protesters clashing with a water cannon deployed by
riot police as it attempted to disperse demonstrators.
“We
will fight, we will die, we will take Iran back,” protesters in Tehran chanted
in one video shared on Twitter. “Clerics must get lost,” protesters in the
capital chanted, in reference to Iran’s theocratic rulers, another video
showed.
Protests
also broke out in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace, with
demonstrators chanting “death to the Islamic Republic,” footage circulating on
Twitter showed.
In
the northern city of Rasht, protesters chanted “death to the dictator,”
referring to Khamenei, according to a video shared on Twitter.
Another
video from Rasht showed security forces running away from protesters.
Al
Arabiya English could not independently verify the videos’ authenticity.
Internet
blockage observatory NetBlocks reported “a near-total disruption to internet
connectivity” in Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Kurdistan province on
Friday.
Iranian
authorities typically restrict internet access during anti-government protests
to stymie demonstrations.
The
protests began after Amini was pronounced dead on Friday. Amini fell into a
coma shortly after she was detained by the morality police for not complying
with the regime's strict hijab rules in Tehran on September 13.
Tehran’s
police said Amini “suddenly had a heart problem” while in detention, and
state-run outlets published reports claiming she suffered from multiple health
conditions prior to her arrest.
But
Amini’s parents have said that their daughter did not have any health problems
prior to being detained. Activists say she was beaten while in detention,
causing serious injuries that led to her death.
Hijab,
which was made mandatory for women in Iran shortly after the country’s 1979
revolution, is considered a red line for Iran’s theocratic rulers. Women who break
the strict dress code risk being harassed and arrested by Iran’s morality
police.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
demonstrators attempt to flip over police car as protests escalate
19
September, 2022
Iranian
protesters attempted to flip over a police vehicle in the capital Tehran on
Monday, footage shared on social media showed, as demonstrations triggered by
the death of a young woman in police custody spread to other parts of the
country.
A
video shared by @1500tasvir, an Iranian Twitter account that reports on
protests in Iran, showed demonstrators in Tehran attempting to flip over a
police vehicle with smashed windows.
Another
video from Tehran showed protesters clashing with a water cannon as it
attempted to disperse demonstrators.
“We
will fight, we will die, we will take Iran back,” protesters in Tehran chanted
in one video shared on Twitter.
Other
videos shared on Twitter showed protests spreading to other parts of Iran,
including the northern city of Rasht and the northeastern city of Mashhad.
Al
Arabiya English could not independently verify the videos’ authenticity.
Earlier
on Monday, heavy clashes erupted between protesters and security forces in
Divandarreh, a city in Iran’s Kurdistan province. Security forces opened fire
on protesters in Divandarreh, according to unconfirmed reports.
The
protests began after Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman, was
pronounced dead on Friday. Amini fell into a coma shortly after she was
detained by the morality police over her hijab in Tehran on September 13.
Tehran’s
police said Amini “suddenly had a heart problem” while in detention, and
state-run outlets ran stories claiming she suffered from multiple health
conditions prior to her arrest.
But
Amini’s parents have said that their daughter did not have any health problems
prior to being detained. Activists say she was beaten while in detention,
causing serious injuries that led to her death.
Hijab,
which was made mandatory for women in Iran shortly after the country’s 1979
revolution, is considered a red line for Iran’s theocratic rulers. Women who
break the strict dress code risk being harassed and arrested by Iran’s morality
police.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Turkish
warplanes bombard villages in Iraq’s northern Kurdistan region, casualties
feared
19
September 2022
Turkish
fighter jets have bombarded several border villages in Iraq's semi-autonomous
region of Kurdistan, as Ankara is engaged in an ongoing military operation
against purported positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant
group in the rugged mountainous areas.
A
local source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Iraq’s Arabic-language
al-Maalomah news agency that the Turkish warplanes struck villages located on
the slopes of Mount Matin in the Amadiya district of Duhok province on Monday.
The
source added that the airstrikes caused serious damage to houses in the
targeted areas, noting that the exact number of casualties as a result of the
aerial attacks remains unknown.
He
went on note that Turkish military aircraft continue to fly overhead after the
raids.
The
development came a day after Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel associated
with Iraqi anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units – better known by the Arabic
name Hashd al-Sha’abi – reported that a Turkish unmanned aerial vehicle had crashed
on the outskirts of Qaladze town, situated north of Sulaymaniyah city, in
Kurdistan region.
Turkey
launched Operation Claw-Lock in April to target the hideouts of PKK terrorists
in Iraq’s northern Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan areas.
It
was initiated after cross-border Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle to root
out terrorists hiding in border areas close to Turkey and plotting attacks.
Militants
of the PKK — designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and
the European Union — regularly clash with Turkish forces in the
Kurdish-dominated southeast of Turkey attached to northern Iraq.
In
response, the Turkish military has occupied areas in northern Iraq, where it
regularly conducts attacks against purported PKK positions without the Arab
country's consent. Baghdad has repeatedly condemned Ankara's ongoing military
operations in northern Iraq.
Iraqi
resistance groups have also time and again warned Turkey of the consequences of
its incursions into their country.
Back
on July 20, Turkey carried out a strike against the Iraqi hill village of
Parakh in the Zakho district of Dohuk province, killing at least nine tourists,
including children and women, and wounding more than 20 others.
Authorities
in Iraq insist that the attack was carried out by Turkish forces and that they
are responsible for the deaths and injuries of Iraqi civilians, while Ankara
says the country’s forces did not attack civilians.
In
an interview with Iraq's al-Sumaria television network later in the day, Iraqi
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said, "If there is a problem between the
Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), this problem should
not be dragged into the Iraqi territory.”
“Some
Iraqi military experts have proved that this attack was carried out by Turkey,"
he added.
However,
Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the following day that
"according to the information we’ve received from the Turkish Air Force,
we have not had any attacks on civilians [in Dohuk, Iraq]."
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Southeast
Asia
Don’t
Misuse Halal Logo, Noh Omar Tells Traders: Malay Minister
19
Sep 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Traders and the public at large have been reminded not to misuse the
halal logo because it is considered as being insensitive to the Muslim
community.
Entrepreneur
Development and Cooperatives Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said that such actions
indirectly undermine the recognition given by the authority on halal food.
"I
hope no party tries to misuse the halal logo, mock the halal logo...this matter
is very sensitive because in our country, we have to respect religious
freedom," he said after launching the Cashless Halal Food Festival here.
According
to him, halal certification can benefit entrepreneurs who are seeking to
advance their businesses, especially in the food and beverage sector, as it can
attract Muslim customers in addition to non-Muslim patrons.
On
the food festival, he said the event is expected to rake in RM1mil in sales.
Noh
said the festival is also aimed at promoting cashless business transactions
among the public in line with the government’s aspiration to raise financial
literacy among members of Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family).
Source:
The Star
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/09/19/dont-misuse-halal-logo-noh-omar-tells-traders
--------
Fraudsters have software to read OTP and delete SMS sent by banks
Suraya
Ali
09-
20- 2022
PETALING
JAYA: A cybersecurity expert has warned that scammers have new tools in their
arsenal that can get around bank security systems, and the public must not
install any mobile apps that have not been verified or are from unknown
sources.
Cybersecurity
service provider LGMS Berhad chairman Fong Choong Fook told theSun: “New
versions of software are now able to read one-time passwords and they can even
delete the SMS sent by banks, leading (victims) to believe they were not given
any notification before fund transfers.”
He
said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) previously issued a mandate calling on all
banks to perform an annual assessment, during which they run several tests on
their cybersecurity infrastructure and online systems.
He
said based on these tests, the IT infrastructure and systems installed by the
banking industry to identify cybersecurity threats are considered sound and
secure.
“From
a cybersecurity perspective, scammers are unable to penetrate or change the
online banking system.
“Instead,
they find ways to attack (account holders) through mobile apps. The problem is
that Malaysians download unverified apps, which often become security threats
that steal information stored on mobile phones. This is the root of the
problem,” he said.
To
address this, Fong said the authorities need to carry out awareness campaigns
on online banking financial scams.
“Also,
the banking industry should work together to identify and stop the opening of
suspicious accounts at the early stage, so we can put a halt to illegal
transfers to mule accounts.”
Fong
also said scammers are constantly updating and improvising their arsenal of
cyber tools and technologies, so the public needs to be aware that one false
move such as downloading unverified apps could cause them to become another
victim of online scams.
In
response to queries from theSun, BNM said it takes all forms of financial scams
seriously.
It
said over the years, it has issued multiple policy documents and security
advisories to financial institutions on the modus operandi of the latest scams
and additional countermeasures to be taken.
“The
banking and payment channels remain secure and are equipped with the latest
security controls and fraud risk management capabilities.”
It
said in line with the principles of the Fair Treatment of Financial Consumers
document issued by BNM, it requires all licensed financial institutions to
ensure proper communication as well as fair redress for customers who have
taken the necessary steps to protect themselves and have not acted
fraudulently.
BNM
has been collaborating with the police, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia
Commission and the financial industry to coordinate efforts in combating
financial fraud and scams, it added.
Last
week, theSun reported Malaysia Muslim Consumer Association (PPIM) chief
activist Datuk Nadzim Johan as saying PPIM has received numerous complaints
from victims of mule accounts and even bankrupts, where the culprits have never
been investigated or faced justice.
theSun
also reported its executive director Adam Ong discovered on Aug 31 that his
HSBC credit card had been blocked by the bank due to unauthorised transactions.
Nadzim
said despite overwhelming evidence that mule account owners were also victims,
little or no action was taken against those who illegally used the accounts.
In
response, HSBC Bank Malaysia Berhad communications manager Mae Leong said
unauthorised transactions may have been prompted by those made on non-3D
secured platforms, which do not trigger an SMS one-time password.
“If
a customer receives unauthorised transactions from a non-secured platform, they
are eligible for a full refund.
“We
aim to reverse these transactions with a temporary refund to the credit card
within 18 business days. There is a window of up to 120 days for the chargeback
to be filed. We assure customers that disputed transactions submitted will be
processed accordingly.”
She
said HSBC has taken stringent countermeasures to protect customers from the
risk of fraudulent or unauthorised transactions.
Source:
The Sun Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Best
to hold polls if PM can’t manage economy, says Muhyiddin
September
19, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: If the prime minister cannot manage the economy and country well, a
general election should be held so the people can elect a capable government, says
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin.
The
former prime minister noted that the falling ringgit, rising inflation and
current economic climate had hit regular Malaysians hard, while the B40 income
group had effectively turned into the B60.
As
the National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman, he said, he had put forward
several recommendations to bolster economic recovery, such as another round of
loan moratoriums for small and medium enterprises, and simplifying the loan
application process for businesses.
Muhyiddin
said many businesses had been forced to downsize or shut down operations
because of a labour shortage. He said this was an issue raised at every MPN
meeting, though there had yet to be any comprehensive solution.
“The
fall of the ringgit is also not taken seriously. The prime minister (Ismail
Sabri Yaakob) has not come forward to explain measures being taken to curb this
fall. In fact, he said that this isn’t a big problem.
“Apparently,
Malaysia is not in a crisis, (it is) as if everything is okay. But I know that
not everything is okay out there. It seems that the prime minister does not
consider these issues as urgent,” the Perikatan Nasional chairman said in a
Facebook post.
Muhyiddin
said he had yet to come to the point of urging Ismail to dissolve Parliament,
noting that Barisan Nasional had been doing so repeatedly this year.
“However,
I do think that if the prime minister fails to manage the economy and country
well, it’s best that a general election is held so that a new government that
is capable and free of corruption can be elected by the people.”
Last
week, Ismail said there was still time for the next general election to be held
this year. He said it all depended on Umno’s “top five”, which refers to the
party president, the deputy president and the three vice-presidents, one of
whom is Ismail.
Umno’s
top five leaders will meet on Sept 30 to discuss the coming polls.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Indonesian
Christians mourn pro-minority Islamic scholar
September
19, 2022
Indonesian
Christians are mourning the death of an Islamic scholar, who stood for the
rights of religious minorities and for the promotion of interfaith dialogue in
the Muslim-majority country.
Professor
Azyumardi Azra died of a heart attack while away on a speaking assignment in
neighboring Malaysia on Sept. 18. He was 67.
Indonesian
President Joko Widodo, ministers, politicians and religious leaders have
expressed condolences on his death.
Ucan
Store
Azra
was the chairman of the national council of the Setara Institute for Democracy
and Peace, a research and advocacy group for religious freedom. He was also
elected as chairman of the Press Council in May.
He
was the rector of the State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta,
during 1998-2006 and director of the campus postgraduate program from 2007 to
2015.
His
tireless promotion of interfaith dialogue was honored with the title of
Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2010 and The Order of the
Rising Sun: Gold and Silver Star from Japan Emperor Akihito in 2017.
Azra
often spoke for affirmative policies to help facilitate the construction of
places of worship for minority groups, including Christians. He also strongly
condemned the attacks on churches by extremist groups.
Father
Antonius Benny Susetyo described Azra as an “organic intellectual” who was
concerned about the future of diversity in the Indonesian nation.
“He
had a serious concern for human rights and religious freedom, which are
guaranteed in principle by the constitution," he added.
Father
Otto Gusti Madung, the rector of the Ledalero Institute of Philosophy and
Creative Technology on the Catholic-majority island of Flores, described him as
“a very open person.”
He
recalled inviting Azra as a speaker on campus in 2019. “At that time he stayed
here with the Divine Word priests and also prayed with them. He also offered to
help our campus if we wanted to open a doctoral program,” Father Madung told UCA
News.
The
priest said public intellectuals like Azra were the pillars of religious
tolerance in Indonesia.
Reverend
Gomar Gultom, chairman of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia, called Azra a
“teacher and friend” who always spoke frankly.
“His
intellectual endeavors transcended the barriers of nation, ethnicity, religion,
etc.,” he said.
Source:
UCA News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-christians-mourn-pro-minority-islamic-scholar/98811
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