Motivated, Misleading and Mischievous Comments: India Reacts to OIC's Statement amid Prophet Muhammad Controversy
New Age Islam News Bureau
06 June 2022
File photo of ministry of external affairs
spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
----
• Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait Condemn
Controversial Remarks of BJP Leaders against Prophet Mohammed
• Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Slams India,
Calls Upon UN to Take Measures to Address ‘Practices Targeting Muslims’
• Curb Spread of Reincarnation Concept among Muslims,
Says Penang Mufti
• Attack On Catholic Church in Nigeria’s Ondo State
during Mass On Sunday Kills 50
India
• After Gulf Backlash, BJP Removes Spokespersons, Says
It 'Denounces Insult of Religious Personality'
• Muslim Cleric Threatens To 'Chop off Tongues That
Insult Prophet Mohammad' In Rajasthan's Bundi Area
• 'Religious Intolerance Only On TV': Sadhguru Says No
Major Riots in Past 10 Years In India
• Islamic organisation Raza Academy members protest
attacks on Kashmiri Pandits
• After suspension from BJP, Nupur Sharma withdraws
statement
• Gyanvapi row: Fresh petition seeks action against
mosque committee, Hindu seer files plea to worship Shivling
• In Agra, Shahi Jama Masjid Mosque committee’s
chairman booked for threatening lawyer
• Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist arrested in Jammu &
Kashmir's Kishtwar
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Arab
World
• Saudi Arabia Condemns Indian Officials’ Comments
Insulting Prophet Mohammed; Doha Demanded the Indian Government Issue a Public
Apology
• YPG/PKK terrorists hide weapons among civilians in
Syria's Tal Rifat
• PKK terror group attacks Peshmerga forces in
northern Iraq
• 38 Daesh/ISIS terrorists captured in Iraqi raid
• Lebanon warns Israel against any ‘aggression’ in
disputed waters
• Egypt rejects ship carrying Indian wheat originally
intended for Turkey
• Iraqi security forces intercept microlight aircraft
carrying million captagon pills
--------
Southeast
Asia
• 60 Rohingya found abandoned on Thai island: police
• Annuar is bold but part of an Umno minority, say
analysts
--------
Africa
• Owo Massacre: Boko Haram Is In South West, More
Churches, Mosques Next Targets – Islamic Group
• Algerian man arrested over insulting Prophet
• Tunisia police block protests against Saied
referendum
• Tunisia's Ennahda slams ‘policy of distortion’
against judges
--------
North
America
• Adam Schiff: Biden should not visit Saudi Arabia,
meet crown prince
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistan PM Sharif Condemns Controversial Remarks of
BJP Leader against Prophet
• Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan trigger
diplomatic row
• Pakistan ruling alliance questions PM Shehbaz
Sharif’s decision to empower ISI to conduct verification of civil servants
• Farah Khan involved in ‘Asia’s largest
money-laundering scam’: PML-N
• Govt wants NA speaker to accept Imran, Qureshi’s
resignations
• Seven terrorists killed by security forces in two
separate IBOs
• Pakistan to benefit from Indonesian’s palm oil
export: Envoy
• Terror-financing case filed against KU suicide
bomber’s husband, others
• Pakistan: Shehbaz govt accuses Imran, wife Bushra,
her friend of making billions during PTI tenure
--------
South
Asia
• Taliban Atrocities on Afghan Media Continue As TV
Channel Converted To Religious Seminary in Balkh
• Dawlat Waziri, Former Defence Ministry Spokesperson,
Returns to Afghanistan
• Zabihullah Mujahid: Religious Rights Are “Protected”
in Afghanistan
• Muttaqi: We Have a Balanced Policy and Maintain Good
Relations with Our Neighbouring Countries
• Afghan musicians flee Taliban wrath, face Pakistan
raids on illegal refugees
• Bangladesh chemical depot fire kills 49, injures 450
--------
Mideast
• Iran Summons Indian Ambassador Over Sacrilegious
Remarks against Prophet Muhammad
• Hamas Warns of Zionists' Forced Entry into Al-Aqsa
Mosque for Jewish Shavuot Feast
• Deputy FM: Iraq First Priority of Iran in
Enhancement of Trade Ties
• Greece’s ambassador to Turkey summoned over PKK
concerns
• Hamas: Unity, resistance only way to fight Israeli
occupation, foil its plots
• Aqsa Mosque director: Israeli violations will lead to
uncontrollable explosion
• Hamas calls for international action to protect
Palestinian children from Israel's crimes
--------
Europe
• Al Mustafa Intl. University slams Quran burning in
Sweden
• UK reopens its embassy in Libya after 8-year hiatus
• Türkiye summons Greek envoy for terror groups'
activities in Greece
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mischievous-oic-prophet-muhammad-controversy/d/127182
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Motivated, Misleading and Mischievous Comments: India
Reacts to OIC's Statement amid Prophet Muhammad Controversy
File photo of ministry of external affairs
spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.
----
By: ABP News Bureau | Updated at: 06 Jun 2022
New Delhi: India has categorically rejected the
statement by the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) on Monday as 'unwarranted and narrow-minded' comments and reiterated its
stance that India accords the highest respect to all religions. In response to
the OIC statement, ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam
Bagchi said, “The offensive tweets and comments denigrating a religious
personality were made by certain individuals. They do not, in any manner,
reflect the views of the Government of India. Strong action has already been
taken against these individuals by relevant bodies.”
The government stated it is regrettable that OIC
Secretariat has yet again chosen to make motivated, misleading, and mischievous
comments. “This only exposes its divisive agenda being pursued at the behest of
vested interests,” it noted.
The government urged the OIC Secretariat to stop
pursuing its communal approach and show due respect to all faiths and
religions.
The 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) raised concerns against the "systematic harassment of minorities in
India" on Sunday. India conveyed to Qatar and Kuwait that it had taken
strong action against those who made controversial remarks on Twitter against
the minorities.
The controversial remarks have caused anger among Arab
nations, including Qatar, Kuwait, and Iran. Saudi Arabia also joined the list
of nations by issuing official notes to India amid the controversy.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday
suspended Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal from the party’s primary membership.
The order in this regard was issued by the BJP Central Disciplinary Committee.
Jindal has been terminated from the BJP’s primary membership “for expressing
thoughts of communal disharmony on social media”, ANI reported.
The ruling party had already distanced itself from the
controversial comments allegedly made by Sharma against Prophet Mohammed. BJP
national general secretary Arun Singh in a statement said the party is strongly
against any ideology, which insults or demeans any sect or religion.
After the action, Sharma unconditionally withdrew her
controversial statement made in the TV debate and claimed that her comments
were a reaction to “continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev”‘
(Lord Shiva). Both the leaders said it was never their intention to hurt
anyone’s religious feelings.
Jindal who had also posted objectionable tweets,
deleted later, has been accused of often posting inciting comments. After BJP's
decision, he responded by saying he had tweeted asking a question to those
attacking and insulting Hindu deities and it was not aimed at hurting the
religious sentiments of any community.
Source: ABP Live
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait Condemn
Controversial Remarks of BJP Leaders against Prophet Mohammed
Women from the Muslim community shout slogans during
their protest against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her alleged remarks on
Prophet Mohammad ( Image Source : PTI )
-----
06.06.22
Saudi Arabia on Monday joined Qatar, Iran and Kuwait
to express its condemnation of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader
against Prophet Mohammed and called for "respect for beliefs and
religions."
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
expressed its condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the BJP
spokesperson, saying it insulted Prophet Mohammed.
The ministry reiterated its "permanent rejection
of prejudice against the symbols of the Islamic religion."
It also rejected anything that give rise to prejudice
against "all religious figures and symbols."
While welcoming the measures taken by the BJP to
suspend the spokeswoman, the ministry reaffirmed the "Kingdom's position
calling for respect for beliefs and religions".
Qatar, Iran and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's
Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and
condemnation of the controversial remarks of a BJP leader against Prophet
Mohammed.
Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of
the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said on Sunday that the Ambassadors
"conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the
Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements."
In New Delhi, the BJP on Sunday suspended its national
spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal
after their controversial remarks against the Prophet.
Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the
party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and
distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions
and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.
The controversial remarks also sparked a Twitter trend
in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Slams India, Calls
Upon UN to Take Measures to Address ‘Practices Targeting Muslims’
OIC HEADQUARTERS. [PHOTO: TWITTER/ OIC
----
Jun 6, 2022
NEW DELHI: The 57-member OIC, which sees itself as the
collective voice of the Muslim world, also slammed India for the comments
against the Prophet and called upon the UN to take necessary measures to
address "the practices targeting Muslims in India".
"These abuses come in the context of the
escalation of hatred and abuse of Islam in India and in the context of the
systematic practices against Muslims and restrictions on them, especially in
light of a series of decisions banning headscarves in educational institutions
in a number of Indian states and demolitions of Muslim property, in addition to
the increase in violence against them," it said.
The Muslim body was joined by Pakistan, which India
has often accused of manipulating OIC's agenda, in condemning the remarks by
BJP functionaries. "Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling
religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note &
severely reprimand India," tweeted Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif.
The OIC called upon Indian to resolutely confront
these abuses and to ensure the safety, security and well-being of the Muslim
community in India and to protect its rights, religious and cultural identity,
dignity and places of worship.
Source: Times Of India
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original story:
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Curb Spread Of Reincarnation Concept Among Muslims,
Says Penang Mufti
Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor said
reincarnation is a false belief and deviates from the true teachings of Islam.
(Bernama pic)
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June 5, 2022
GEORGE TOWN: Islamic religious authorities have been
urged to take prompt action to curb the spread of the reincarnation concept,
namely transmigration of the soul of a dead person to another body, among
Muslims in the country.
Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor made this call
after the spread of a video of a religious talk delivered by an independent
preacher who mentioned about the transfer of the soul (from a dead person) to
the body of another person who is still alive.
“The reincarnation concept is utterly absurd (in
Islam). Among the religions that believe in reincarnation are Hinduism,
Buddhism, several Shia branches in Lebanon and Syria, as well as certain
extreme tadauf tarikat (school of Sufism).
“In this regard, I urge the Islamic religious
authorities, including the Malaysian Islamic development department (Jakim) and
state religious departments, to view this issue seriously and take prompt
action to curb it,” he said in a statement today.
Wan Salim was commenting on a 10-minute video of an
independent preacher quoting his teacher as saying that Allah created souls
which could be transferred (from one to another living body).
Wan Salim said based on the perspective of Ahli Sunnah
Wal Jamaah, reincarnation is a false belief and deviates from the true
teachings of Islam as it is against the Quran and Sunnah Nabawiyah (prophetic
tradition).
In fact, he said that according to Islamic teaching, a
human being has only one life and it is not shared by anyone after his death.
He said Islam teaches that after death, the soul will
enter Barzakh (a place separating the living from the hereafter) until the Day
of Judgement before subsequently ending in heaven or hell.
According to Wan Salim, anyone who tried to spread the
deviant belief to Muslims must be given a stern warning. If he was obstinate,
legal action must be taken against him, he added.
“In addition, the person must be barred from
delivering talks and lectures at mosques or suraus to preserve the faith of
Muslims,” he added.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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original story:
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Attack On Catholic Church in Nigeria’s Ondo State
during Mass On Sunday Kills 50
Victims of the bomb attack
during a Catholic mass at St. Francis Catholic church receive treatment at St.
Louis Catholic Hospital, in Owo, Nigeria, June 5, 2022. REUTERS/Stringer
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06.06.22
At least 50 people were killed and others injured
after gunmen attacked a Catholic church in Nigeria’s Ondo state during mass on
Sunday, a doctor and local media reported.
A doctor at a hospital in Owo, a town in the state in
Nigeria’s southwest, told Reuters that no fewer than 50 bodies had been moved
to the FMC (Federal Medical Center) in Owo and to St Louis Catholic Hospital.
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack,
calling it “heinous”. The identity and motive of the attackers were not
immediately clear.
Local media said gunmen had fired at worshippers and
detonated explosives at the church. Those killed included women and children.
Funmilayo Ibukun Odunlami, police spokesperson for
Ondo state, only said that there had been an incident at the Saint Francis
Catholic Church in Owo and the police would issue a further statement soon.
Ondo governor Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu cut
short a trip to capital Abuja and returned to Ondo after the attack. “We shall
commit every available resource to hunt down these assailants and make them
pay,” he said.
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/church-attack-kills-50-in-nigeria/cid/1868538
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India
After Gulf Backlash, BJP Removes Spokespersons, Says It 'Denounces Insult of Religious Personality'
6th June 2022
New Delhi: After hashtags calling for the boycott of
Indian products began trending on Twitter in Arab countries over alleged
inflammatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
spokespersons Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal, the party cracked a whip
against them.
While Nupur Sharma has been suspended from the party
“with immediate effect”, Jindal’s primary membership of the party has been
cancelled.
The Grand Mufti of Oman along with Twitter handles
with a large following have called for the boycott. The tweets also included a
scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Grand Mufti of Oman Sheikh Al-Khalili tweeted:
With the issue snowballing into a major controversy,
the BJP has swung into action.
In a statement released on Sunday, June 5, by BJP’s
party general secretary Arun Singh, the party asserted that it “is strongly
against any ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion,” adding
that it “respects all religions and strongly denounces insult of any religious
personality.”
“The BJP does not promote such people or philosophy,”
said Arun Singh.
The BJP statement, however, made no direct mention of
any incident or comment. It also did not provide any context for the statement,
either by referring to Sharma’s comments or about the religion in question.
Sharma’s and Jindal’s remarks have drawn protests from
Muslim groups.
Singh said, “During the thousands of years of history of
India every religion has blossomed and flourished. The Bharatiya Janata Party
respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insult of any religious
personalities of any religion.”
“India’s constitution gives the right to every citizen
to practice any religion of his or her choice and to honour and respect every
religion,” he said.
“As India celebrates 75th year of its Independence, we
are committed to making India a great country where all are equal and everyone
lives with dignity, where all are committed to India’s unity and integrity,
where all enjoy the fruits of growth and development,” the BJP leader said.
Under pressure, the BJP acted against Sharma and
Jindal. In its suspension letter to Sharma, the Central Disciplinary Committee
of the BJP said, “…pending further inquiry, you are suspended from the party
and from your responsibilities/assignments if any with immediate effect.”
Soon after she was served with the suspension notice,
Sharma took to Twitter and said it was never her intention to hurt anyone’s
religious feelings. She said her remarks made on TV were only in response to
“continuous insult and disrespect to our Mahadev” and that it was “mockingly
being said it is not Shivling but a fountain.” The Shivling referred to the
ongoing controversy concerning the Gyanvapi mosque.
The Delhi unit BJP in its letter addressed to Jindal
said, “You have expressed your views which instigate communal disharmony. This
is against the fundamental principles of the BJP. You have acted against the
party’s thoughts and policies.”
The letter was incidentally sent out by Delhi BJP
president, Adesh Gupta, who has been criticised by civil society for making
communal remarks against Muslim residents of Delhi.
A number of BJP supporters on Twitter lent their
support to Sharma and Jindal, and called the BJP high command’s decision
“cowardly”.
In the meantime, a video has been circulating online
showing militant Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand doubling down on the
remarks made by Sharma in the TV debate.
Global pressure against Hindu majoritarian politics
Coming against the backdrop of protests occurring both
within and outside India against Sharma’s and Jindal’s remarks and an attempt
by Hindutva workers to lay claim to Gyanvapi mosque adjacent to the premises of
Kashi Vishwanath temple, the BJP is possibly feeling the heat at the
international level for what has now become an unabashed pursuit of Hindu
majoritarian politics.
Incidentally, the ruling party’s statement in reaction
to the social media backlash is in contrast to New Delhi’s indignant tone when
it accused the United States of indulging in “votebank politics in international
relations” after US secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke of “rising attacks
against people and places of worship” in India.
This time around there has been no official statement
from the ministry of external affairs or any of the Indian missions in the
Gulf.
However, the Indian embassy in Oman did re-post tweets
of the BJP’s statement through its official Twitter account.
According to Indian officials familiar with the Gulf
region, the Grand Mufti’s statement is not endorsed by the Oman government and
can only be seen as his personal views. They also noted that the Grand Mufti
had also previously issued statements about incidents against the Muslim
community in India. He had tweeted in September last year in the wake of Assam
police’s actions which largely targeted Muslims during an eviction drive.
This is not the first time that statements from BJP
members had led to a backlash in the Gulf region.
In April 2020, the Tablighi Jamaat was accused of
being a “super-spreader” of coronavirus infections, with BJP members even
accusing them of being “human bombs”. With the media and members of the ruling
party issuing provocative remarks which seemingly targeted all Indian Muslims,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a general tweet calling for unity and
covid-19 not discriminating against any community.
While the Indian embassies highlighted the Indian PM’s
tweet, it was not enough to stop the social media momentum with a number of
prominent Arab social media personalities focussing on the remarks by several
BJP members, actions by authorities which had an alleged anti-Muslim bias, as
well as, social media posts of Gulf-based Indians. There were also calls for
the boycott of Indian businesses in the Gulf.
The Indian missions in the Gulf countries had to also
issue statements asking the Indian diaspora to remain vigilant against
religious divisions.
Source: The Wire
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Muslim cleric threatens to 'chop off tongues that insult
Prophet Mohammad' in Rajasthan's Bundi area
June 05, 2022
A Muslim cleric was caught on camera issuing open
threats to 'cut off the tongues of those who insult Prophet Mohammad'.
The incident took place in Rajasthan's Bundi.
According to a report in Times Now, "The Muslim
cleric went on to say that 'people's hands and tongues will be chopped off,
eyes will be gouged out' over Prophet Mohammad's insult."
Meanwhile, the police in the video was seen standing
silently during the provocative speech.
Earlier, a violent clash broke out between two groups
of different communities over a market shutdown in Kanpur on Friday. Violence
erupted after groups of people tried to force shopkeepers to close shops over
an alleged insult to Prophet Mohammed on a television show.
Source: Firstpost
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'Religious intolerance only on TV': Sadhguru says no
major riots in past 10 years in India
Jun 6, 2022
NEW DELHI: Founder of Isha Foundation Sadhguru Jaggi
Vasudev said that there is a "lot of heat" in television studios,
which is being exaggerated to suggest that there is rising religious
intolerance in the country while underlining that the last one decade has been
free of major communal violence.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, the spiritual
leader spoke of his college days, saying that "major riots took place in
the country" while contrasting with the past 10 years "when no major
communal riots took place in the country".
Sadhguru recently arrived in India after covering a
30,000-km lone motorcycle journey across 27 countries as part of his 'Save
Soil' campaign.
"I think we tend to exaggerate things quite a
bit. Yes, there are a few issues which have come to debate and there is a lot
of heat on television channels. You don't see it anywhere on the street. You
walk across Delhi or any village in the country, there is no such intolerance
or such violence or anything," Sadhguru said when he was asked about the
claims of the rising religious intolerance in the country.
He strongly advocated action against people involved
in violence while underlining that there's "exaggeration" about the
heat in the tv studios on discussions on issues with religious undertones.
"There are some consensus issues where there are
some debates going on. They are all in a court of law. You should allow the law
to go its way. But now once you get the momentum, people are excited to go all
over the place and in case, there is an election or something in the area,
people use that to do these things," he added.
Sadhguru's comments came close on the heels of violent
incidents reported from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Recently, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has claimed that there are
rising attacks on people at places of worship in India.
The Isha Foundation founder recalled his graduation
days when communal violence incidents were considered "normal".
"But I feel these things (communal violence) have
come down significantly in the last 25 years. When we were in university, there
was not a single year when there was no major communal riot in the country.
Every year, there used to be somewhere, major (riots). I have not heard (of
communal violence) in the 5-6 years atleast or maybe 10 years. You have not
heard of such things. Some flashpoints have happened, unfortunately. But large
communal violence, as we thought as normal for this country to face, you are
not hearing that which is a very positive thing," he added.
Sadhguru further stated that there are people who are
looking for trouble all the time. "I think that the law should contain
these people because, in all the communities, people want to take care of their
lives, they want to educate, find jobs, and make a good living. Above all,
women in their families want to live well. They don't want their men to be
bickering and quarrelling... They don't have time and patience nor do they
intend to have in that direction. Such elements are there everywhere," he
said.
When asked whether he confronts questions about
secularism in India, the spiritual leader stressed that "some people with
their own vested interests talk about it but the word India commands much more
respect now than ever before".
Source: Times Of India
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Islamic organisation Raza Academy members protest
attacks on Kashmiri Pandits
Jun 05, 2022
Members of Islamic organisation Raza Academy on
Saturday staged a demonstration outside Minara Masjid in Mumbai against the
recent killings in Kashmir targeting Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu migrants. Raza
Academy president Muhammad Saeed Noori called on the authorities to take action
against those doing atrocities on the minorities in the Valley, saying the
Muslim community stand by the Kashmiri Pandits.
“Take action against those who are doing these
atrocities. We stand by Kashmiri pandits,” ANI quoted the Raza Academy
president as saying.
In the photographs of the demonstration shared by the
official Twitter handle of Raza Academy, protesters can be seen holding
placards in Hindi, English and Urdu that read ‘Stop attacks on Kashmiri
Pandits’.
The BJP-led central government is facing criticism
from opposition parties over the recent spate of killings which has triggered
another round of exits from the Valley. On Thursday, a bank manager, identified
as Vijay Kumar Beniwal, was shot dead by terrorists in the Kulgam district of
Jammu and Kashmir.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel slammed the
Centre saying the problem persists despite the strategy adopted by the
government, and the method to solve it "has been unsuccessful".
"Earlier Kashmiri Pandits were killed and now
Hindus(migrants) are getting killed. Whatever strategy you (Centre) have
adopted, the problem still exists even after that. The method used to solve the
problem has been unsuccessful," he told ANI.
Source: Hindustan Times
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After suspension from BJP, Nupur Sharma withdraws
statement
J.P. Yadav
06.06.22
When a case was registered in Mumbai against her
“blasphemous” comments on Prophet Mohammed, then BJP national spokesperson
Nupur Sharma had been quick to underline her importance.
She claimed the entire “senior leadership”, starting
with the Prime Minister’s Office, had reassured her saying “we are with you”.
On Sunday, after her suspension, she posted an apology
but defended herself saying her controversial remarks had been a response to
“insults” to Lord Shiva.
Party insiders said the BJP and Sharma had had their
hands “forced by circumstance” and that this didn’t mean the end of her political
career.
“She will bounce back once the heat settles down,” a
BJP leader said, underlining Sharma’s “deep connections” within the party and
the Sangh parivar at large.
Sharma, an articulate, English-speaking law graduate
from Delhi University with a master’s from the London School of Economics, had
always seemed in a hurry to grab the headlines since the BJP appointed her as a
national spokesperson in 2020.
And what surer way to attract attention in the current
atmosphere than hurling provocative, anti-Islam remarks on TV?
Her comments, made on Times Now during a debate on the
Gyanvapi mosque controversy, triggered violence in India and a backlash abroad.
When the FIR was filed, the 37-year-old claimed she
had received death threats from “Islamists”.
“(Former Maharashtra chief minister) Devendra Fadnavis
ji called and said ‘Don’t worry beta, we are with you. We are all here with
you’,” she told OpIndia, a media organisation seen as pro-government.
She claimed the “senior leadership” of the BJP was
with her. “So, the senior leadership, be it the Prime Minister’s Office, the
hon’ble home minister’s office, be it the party president’s office, they are
all rallying behind me,” she said.
On Sunday, after the party disowned her remarks and
suspended her, she posted a statement on her Twitter page, “unconditionally”
withdrawing her comments but also defending herself.
“I have been attending TV debates for the past many
days where our Mahadev (Shiva) was being insulted and disrespected
continuously. It was mockingly being said that it (an article purportedly found
on the Gyanvapi mosque premises) is not Shivling but a fountain,” she said.
“I could not tolerate this continuous insult and
disrespect towards our Mahadev and I said somethings (sic) in response to it.
If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone
whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement. It was never my
intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings.”
Sharma had been an active member of the ABVP as a
student at Delhi’s Hindu College.
She won the election for president of the Delhi
University students’ union in 2008 as an ABVP candidate at a time the
Congress-backed NSUI dominated Delhi University.
Then came her high-profile electoral debut in 2015,
when the BJP fielded her against Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi Assembly
seat. She lost by over 30,000 votes.
Source: Telegraph India
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Gyanvapi row: Fresh petition seeks action against
mosque committee, Hindu seer files plea to worship Shivling
Roshan Jaiswal
Varanasi
June 6, 2022
In yet another development in the legal battle over
the Gyanvapi Masjid, a Varanasi court will hear a plea on Monday seeking action
against the mosque management committee for performing ‘wazu’ over the alleged
Shivling found inside the complex.
At today’s hearing, Special Chief Judicial Magistrate
Samarthama Nagesh Verma will decide whether the application seeking the
registration of a case under 156(3) of the CrPC against the Anjuman Intezamia
Masjid Committee’s joint secretary and hundreds of unknown persons is
maintainable or not.
Wazu or Wudu is an act of ritual purification before
offering namaz, performed by cleansing parts of the body with water.
The Hindu litigants in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi
Mosque case claim that a Shivling was discovered in the mosque’s wazukhana
during the court-mandated survey of the premises. The finding has been disputed
by the Muslim side, which claims the purported Shivling is actually a fountain.
Meanwhile, the Varanasi district court will take up
Swami Avimukteshwaranand’s petition to offer prayers before the Shivling in the
Gyanvapi Mosque. As the court is on break for summer vacation, a hearing has
been sought from the vacation bench.
The prominent Hindu seer is on a hunger strike since
Saturday, after the police stopped him from setting out for the Gyanvapi
complex to worship the Shivling allegedly discovered there.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand is a disciple of Swami Swaroopanand
Saraswati, who is the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharada Peetham in Gujarat and
the Jyotir Math in Badrinath. He is currently at the Sri Vidya Matt in
Varanasi.
The district court is also hearing the matter of the
maintainability of a plea by five Hindu women seeking permission for daily
worship of the Shringar Gauri Sthal in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex.
The next hearing in the case will take place on July 4.
THE GYANVAPI CASE
A petition filed in 1991 in a Varanasi court claimed
that the Gyanvapi Mosque was built on the orders of Aurangzeb by demolishing a
part of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple during his reign in the 16th century.
The petitioners and local priests sought permission to
worship in the Gyanvapi Mosque complex. The Allahabad High Court in 2019
ordered a stay on an ASI survey that was requested by the petitioners.
The current controversy started when five Hindu women
sought to routinely worship Shringar Gauri and other idols within the Gyanvapi
mosque complex.
Source: India Today
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In Agra, Shahi Jama Masjid Mosque committee’s chairman
booked for threatening lawyer
JUNE 05, 2022
Mathura-based lawyer alerted ASI and the Centre that
the Keshav Dev temple idols were buried under the staircase of Sahiba Begum
Masjid in Agra’s Shahi Jama Masjid complex
The Agra police have booked the chairman of Shahi Jama
Masjid’s management committee here over a purported audio clip in which he
allegedly threatens a lawyer who claimed that expensive idols taken from a
temple were buried under the mosque premises.
Mathura-based lawyer Mahendra Pratap Singh had
recently sent notices to the Archaeological Survey of India and the Centre
claiming that the idols of Keshav Dev temple of the Uttar Pradesh district were
buried under the staircase of Sahiba Begum Masjid in Agra’s Shahi Jama Masjid
complex by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb when he allegedly destroyed the temple in
1670, and sought their recovery.
Agra Senior Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar
Singh said, “A case has been registered against the chairman of the Intezamia
Committee at Sahi Jama Masjid Jahid alias Pappu at Mantola police station for giving
a provoking statement and making it viral on the internet.”
He said Jahid has been booked under Sections 153
(wanton vilification or intent to cause religious riots), 153A (promoting
enmity between different groups), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian
Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
“Police are gathering evidence and strict action will
be taken in this regard. We will not allow anybody to make provocative
statements and post them on social media,” he added.
According to the FIR, Jahid had on Friday made a
speech at the Shai Jama Masjid premises during which he allegedly threatened
lawyer Singh and the petitioner in the Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi case in Mathura.
He had also allegedly made the audio clip viral on
social media.
However, on Saturday, Jahid released a video statement
saying he did not make a comment against the government or the country, but it
was against individual people who are trying to “provoke” Muslims for their
vested interests.
Source: The Hindu
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Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist arrested in Jammu &
Kashmir's Kishtwar
Jun 6, 2022
Jammu: A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist operating as a
local recruiter for the past six years was arrested in J&K’s Kishtwar
district, an official said on Sunday. Security forces termed Talib Hussain's
arrest a "major blow" to the Pakistan-headquartered outfit's plan to
step up terror attacks in the district.
A police spokesperson from Kishtwar said that based on
a specific input, a joint team of the police, 17 Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF
arrested Talib, a resident of Rashgwari in Kishtwar, on June 3. “He had joined
Hizbul in 2016 and remained active along with other terrorists of Kishtwar and
was instrumental in reviving terrorism by way of recruiting local youth,” he
said.
Source: Times Of India
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Arab
World
Saudi Arabia Condemns Indian Officials’ Comments
Insulting Prophet Mohammed; Doha Demanded the Indian Government Issue a Public
Apology
05 June, 2022
Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces statements by the spokeswoman
of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which constituted an insult to
the Prophet Mohammed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its
condemnation and denunciation of the statements made by the spokeswoman of the
Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), insulting the Prophet Muhammad, peace and
blessings be upon him, and reaffirms its permanent rejection of prejudice
against the symbols of the Islamic religion, alongside all religious figures
and symbols,” state news agency SPA reported.
India’s ruling party BJP suspended its spokeswoman
Nupur Sharma over her comments about Prophet Mohammed.
The Saudi ministry welcomed BJP’s measures and
reiterated the Kingdom's position calling for respecting all beliefs and
religions.
Gulf states Qatar and Kuwait had summoned their Indian
ambassadors. Doha demanded the Indian Government Issue a public apology over
Sharma's comments.
Sharma said on Twitter that her comments had been in
response to “insults” made against the Hindu god Shiva.
Source: Al Arabiya
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YPG/PKK terrorists hide weapons among civilians in
Syria's Tal Rifat
Mohammad Mistou
06.06.2022
ALEPPO, Syria / ISTANBUL
The YPG, the Syrian branch of PKK terror group, is
digging trenches in residential areas to hide weapons in Tal Rifat in northern
Syria.
An Anadolu Agency aerial footage showed YPG/PKK
terrorists digging tunnels and trenches in the villages around Tal Rifat,
including Sheikh Issa, Menagh, Al-Alqamiyeh, Ayn Daqnah, Kashtaar and
Tatmarash.
YPG/PKK terrorists were also seen hiding military
tanks and other types of weapons inside civilian homes in the area.
Over the past years, the terrorist group managed to
dig a network of tunnels in Tal Rifat and surrounding villages, which YPG/PKK
terrorists occupied in February 2016 and forced tens of thousands to leave
their homes and areas.
The YPG/PKK terror group uses Tal Rifat and
surrounding villages to launch attacks against areas cleared from terrorists by
Türkiye.
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
said his country is set to clear two areas of northern Syria, near the Turkish
border, of terrorist elements in a bid to eliminate the terror threat from the
region.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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PKK terror group attacks Peshmerga forces in northern
Iraq
06.06.2022
DUHOK, Iraq
The PKK terror group attacked Peshmerga soldiers of
the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), security sources said late Sunday.
Commenting to Anadolu Agency on the attack, which took
place in Kani Masi village in Duhok province, local Peshmerga commander Major
General Salar Teymur revealed that the terrorist group used rockets and machine
guns.
The terrorists were repelled without causing any
casualties among the Peshmerga’s ranks, he noted.
On June 5, 2021, five Peshmerga soldiers were killed
in a PKK ambush in Duhok.
According to official data from the KRG government,
the PKK had occupied 515 villages on the border of Erbil, Duhok and
Sulaymaniyah in 2015. Of these, 304 were in Duhok province, while 177 were in
Erbil and 34 in Sulaymaniyah.
Following Turkiye's successful cross-border operations
in recent years, the PKK retreated from the Turkish border into Iraq. It
occupied 285 more villages in the last seven years.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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38 Daesh/ISIS terrorists captured in Iraqi raid
Ali Makram Ghareeb
05.06.2022
KIRKUK, Iraq
Iraqi army forces captured 38 militants from the
Daesh/ISIS terror group Saturday, according to the military.
A large number of weapons and ammunition were seized
during the large-scale raid in Kirkuk, Ali Al-Fariji, head of operations
command in Kirkuk told Anadolu Agency.
Security forces also destroyed eight shelters
belonging to the terror group, he added.
Attacks blamed on Daesh/ISIS terrorists have escalated
in Iraq in recent months, especially in the Salahuddin, Diyala and Kirkuk
provinces.
In 2017, Iraq declared victory against Daesh/ISIS by
reclaiming all of its territories -- about a third of the country -- invaded by
the terror group in 2014.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Lebanon warns Israel against any ‘aggression’ in
disputed waters
05 June, 2022
Lebanon warned Israel on Sunday against any
“aggressive action” in disputed waters where both states hope to develop
offshore energy, after a ship arrived off the coast to produce gas for Israel.
President Michel Aoun said any activity in the
disputed area would amount to an act of aggression and a provocation, after the
arrival of the natural gas storage and production ship operated by London-based
Energean.
Israel says the field in question is within its
exclusive economic zone, not in disputed waters.
But in a statement, the Lebanese presidency said Aoun
discussed with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati the vessel’s entry “into
the disputed maritime area with Israel, and asked the Army Command to provide
him with accurate and official data to build upon the matter.”
Aoun said negotiations to delineate the southern maritime
border continued and “any action or activity in the disputed area represents a
provocation and an aggressive action.”
There was no immediate response from the Israeli
government to Aoun’s statement. Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elaharrar
welcomed the vessel’s arrival and said she hoped it would be brought online
quickly.
“We will continue to work to diversify the energy
market and maintain stability and reliability,” she said.
Energean said its floating production storage and
offloading vessel arrived on Sunday at the Karish field, about 80 km (50 miles)
west of the city of Haifa, in Israel’s exclusive economic zone. The company
said it planned to bring it online in the third quarter.
Mikati said Israel was “encroaching on Lebanon’s
maritime wealth, and imposing a fait accompli in a disputed area,” calling this
“extremely dangerous.”
The United States began mediating indirect talks
between the sides in 2000 to settle a long-running dispute between old foes
that has obstructed energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean. Lebanon is
home to the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has fought
numerous wars with Israel.
Hezbollah has previously warned Israel against
drilling for oil and gas in the disputed area until the issue is resolved, and
said the group would take action if it did so.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Egypt rejects ship carrying Indian wheat originally
intended for Turkey
04 June, 2022
Egypt barred the entry of a ship carrying 55,000 tons
of Indian wheat originally intended for Turkey because it did not meet
quarantine requirements, Egyptian plant quarantine chief Ahmed al-Attar said on
Saturday.
“We rejected the ship before it entered Egypt,”
al-Attar told Reuters, adding that Turkish quarantine authorities had already
blocked the arrival of the vessel.
Separately, Egypt, typically the world’s biggest
importer of wheat, was expecting the arrival of its first Indian wheat shipment
later on Saturday, purchased by the Egyptian private sector.
Supply Minister Aly Moselhy said in May that a deal
with India to directly purchase 500,000 tons of wheat outside the usual tender
system had been agreed but not yet signed.
In April, Egypt’s agriculture ministry announced it
had approved India as a source of wheat supplies as the North African country
seeks to supplant purchases disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
India’s government confirmed that it would still allow
shipments awaiting customs clearance and exports to Egypt.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Iraqi security forces intercept microlight aircraft
carrying million captagon pills
04 June, 2022
Iraqi security forces have said they forced down a
microlight aircraft near the Kuwaiti border headed to the emirate from Iran
with one million pills of the amphetamine-type stimulant captagon.
Captagon has been sweeping the Middle East for years,
with large seizures reported weekly, particularly in the oil-rich Gulf Arab
states.
The Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency said
the microlight entered Iraqi airspace from neighboring Iran on Friday.
It said agents were alerted to the flight by a tip-off
and opened fire on the aircraft.
“That forced the pilot to land. He fled toward the
border of a neighboring country,” the agency said in a statement.
The statement said the million captagon pills
recovered in a search of the abandoned aircraft were intended for sale inside
Iraq.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Southeast
Asia
60 Rohingya found abandoned on Thai island: police
Jun 5, 2022
BANGKOK: Fifty-nine Rohingya people have been
discovered on a Thai island, saying they were abandoned by traffickers en route
to Malaysia, a senior police officer said Sunday.
The group -- among them five children -- were found on
Koh Dong island in the southern Satun province on Saturday, said lieutenant
general Surachet Hakpan.
Each year, thousands of the mostly Muslim minority
Rohingya people, heavily persecuted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, risk their
lives in months-long expensive journeys to reach Malaysia over Thailand's seas.
Police said they had been charged with illegal entry
and could face deportation to Myanmar following a court case.
"We are providing humanitarian assistance and
will investigate whether they are victims of human trafficking or if they
entered illegally," Surachet said.
The group appeared "starving and was likely to
have had no food for three to five days", a police statement said.
Group members told officers their boat was among three
vessels carrying 178 people that had left Myanmar and Bangladesh, having paid
an agent around 5,000 ringgit ($1,300) for the journey.
The first two boats carrying 119 people were stopped
and arrested by Malaysian authorities, according to the Thai police statement.
The boat's crew then decided to abandon those onboard
on Koh Dong island -- telling them that they had reached Malaysia, the group
told officers.
The incident comes after the bodies of 14 Rohingya
people, including children, were discovered washed up on a beach last month
after they attempted to flee Myanmar.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fled a
military crackdown in the nation in 2017, bringing with them harrowing stories
of murder, rape and arson.
Those still in Myanmar are widely seen as interlopers
from Bangladesh and are largely denied citizenship, many rights and access to
healthcare and education.
Muslim-majority Malaysia is a key destination for
Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar or refugee camps in Bangladesh.
In 2019, a Thai boat captain was charged with
smuggling 65 Rohingya people from Myanmar after their vessel was shipwrecked on
an island off the coast of Satun province.
Source: Times Of India
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Annuar is bold but part of an Umno minority, say
analysts
Nicholas Chung and Reshna Reem Ganesan
June 6, 2022
PETALING JAYA: Two analysts have described Ketereh MP
Annuar Musa as a bold Umno member with nothing to lose, after his blatant
“disobedience” to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for support to
fast-track the general election.
However, the analysts say Annuar was in a minority of
Umno members who did not want an early general election (GE15), although he has
claimed that many in Barisan Nasional were against it.
Annuar had admitted to staying seated at BN’s
convention on Thursday when Zahid urged delegates in support of an early GE15
to stand. He also claimed many others did not stand or were hesitant about
doing so.
James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia
Institute believed that the majority of Umno members – especially its
grassroots supporters – want GE15 to be held as soon as possible.
He told FMT that Umno members believed they have
strong momentum in their favour, following the results of the Melaka and Johor
state elections.
“The best time (to hold GE15) for them is in July or
August, that is the impression I get,” he said.
Chin added that Annuar knew Zahid and Najib Razak’s
camp had regarded him as “an enemy” since last year, leaving him with little to
lose in speaking out against the two figures.
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara believed that there
were some factions in Umno that were against a snap GE15 and were also more
inclined to its Muafakat Nasional pact with PAS.
Annuar was among this group of Umno members, Azmi
said. “He is more inclined to Umno not only contesting under MN but to also
working with Bersatu.”
However, he agreed with Chin that these groups were in
the minority in the party, adding that Umno’s strength right now would only be
weakened by working with PAS and even more so Bersatu.
“Yes, Zahid is not getting 100% support from Umno and
even BN. But we have to give credit to Zahid and his team. Since the outcome of
GE14, Umno is now the strongest compared to other political parties.”
In his latest push against an early GE15, Annuar said
Putrajaya’s memorandum of understanding with Pakatan Harapan had no expiry
date.
Source: Free Malaysia Today
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Africa
Owo massacre: Boko Haram is in South West, more
churches, mosques next targets – Islamic group
June 6, 2022
By John Owen Nwachukwu
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has warned that
there is the presence of Boko Haram in the South West.
The group believes that the barbaric attack on the St.
Francis Catholic Church Owo, that left many worshippers dead, was carried out
by Boko Haram and warned strongly that more Churches and mosques may come under
such attack
MURIC strongly condemned the terrorist’ attack,
calling on the government to act decisively and arrest the attackers.
DAILY POST reported that the attackers killed dozens
of worshippers during Sunday service and MURIC said they should be arrested
immediately.
MURIC’s statement was signed by its director,
Professor Ishaq Akintola.
It said, “We strongly condemn this act of unprovoked
aggression. It is inhuman, heinous, horrific and horrendous.
“We call for immediate arrest and prosecution of the
attackers.”
The Muslim rights advocacy group called on the
Inspector General of Police, IGP Usban Alkali Baba and the Ondo Police Command
to find the killers without delay, insisting that the killers must have a
hideout.
The group further appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari
to, without further delay, order the Nigerian Army to join in the search for
these murderers
“This latest attack is indubitable evidence of the
existence of Boko Haram in the South West after their penetration into Niger
and Kogi States,” the group said.
“Going by Boko Haram modus operandi, we warn that
mosques and more churches may be the next targets because this was how they
started in the North. We, therefore, ask for protection for all churches and
mosques in the region,” it said.
MURIC sympathised with families who have lost their
loved ones in the attack and also prayed for the wounded who are receiving
treatment in hospitals.
Source: Daily Post Nigeria
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Algerian man arrested over insulting Prophet
June 6, 2022
Algerian security forces have arrested a man over his
alleged insult to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on social media.
Intelligence forces of Constantine Province have
arrested a citizen for alleged insults to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Islam on
his Facebook account, Alalam reported.
The arrested man who is in his 30s has been handed to
judiciary officials.
He had allegedly shared desecrating images and
cartoons on Facebook.
Source: ABNA24
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Tunisia police block protests against Saied referendum
04 June, 2022
Tunisian police scuffled with protesters against
President Kais Saied on Saturday as around 100 people demonstrated against a
planned July referendum.
The police blocked the protesters as they attempted to
reach the headquarters of the electoral board whose chief Saied had replaced
last month in a further move to extend his control of state institutions.
Some at the protest in the Tunisian capital, organized
by five small political parties, held up placards reading “the president’s
commission = fraud commission.”
Saied on July 25 sacked the government and suspended
parliament which he later dissolved.
He has laid out plans for a referendum next month on a
replacement for a 2014 constitution that had enshrined a mixed
parliamentary-presidential system often plagued by deadlock and nepotism.
On April 22, Saied gave himself powers to appoint
three of the seven members of the ISIE electoral commission, including the
president.
Then last month he appointed former ISIE member Farouk
Bouasker to replace Nabil Baffoun, a critic of his July power grab.
Saied’s opponents accuse him of moving toward an
autocracy and putting in place a compliant electoral body ahead of the July
referendum and parliamentary elections in December.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Tunisia's Ennahda slams ‘policy of distortion’ against
judges
04.06.2022
TUNIS, Tunisia
Tunisia’s Ennahda movement has strongly condemned the
dismissal of dozens of judges by the country’s president, Kais Saied.
Last week, Saied sacked 57 judges, accusing them of
corruption and protecting terrorists.
Among those sacked was Youssef Bouzaker, the former
head of the Supreme Judicial Council whose members the Tunisian president
replaced this year.
Another prominent judge on the list was Bachir Akremi,
whom Saied’s supporters accuse of being too close to the Ennahda Party.
Ennahda “strongly condemns the policy of distortion
and systematic intimidation of judges and the dismissal of fifty-seven of them
outside the law and the constitution," the movement’s Executive Office
said in a statement.
It termed the dismissal as a “new step to control the
Judiciary, end the independence of the judicial authority and employ it to
strike opponents of the coup and restrict freedoms.”
The movement called on all supporters of freedom,
democracy and national sovereignty “to unite their efforts to end the coup and
limit its dangerous repercussions after it became a major obstacle to a
comprehensive national dialogue to get the country out of its complex
crisis."
Source: Anadolu Agency
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North
America
Adam Schiff: Biden should not visit Saudi Arabia, meet
crown prince
05 June 2022
Congressman Adam Schiff says US President Joe Biden
should not visit Saudi Arabia or meet its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
(MBS), who was accused by American intelligence of ordering the assassination
of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
A team of Saudi operatives murdered Khashoggi, a
Washington Post journalist, in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey on
October 2, 2018.
Biden, who once called for Saudi Arabia to be made a
pariah, on Friday acknowledged the possibility he may visit Saudi Arabia soon,
according to American media reports.
Asked if Biden should go to the kingdom and meet the
crown prince, its de facto ruler, Representative Schiff said: "In my view,
no.”
"I wouldn't go. I wouldn't shake his hand. This
is someone who butchered an American resident, cut him up into pieces and in
the most terrible and premeditated way," said Schiff, who chairs the House
of Representatives intelligence committee.
Saudi Arabia has denied any involvement by the crown
prince in the murder and rejected a US intelligence report that assessed that
MBS "approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill"
Khashoggi.
"Until Saudi Arabia makes a radical change in
terms of (its) human rights, I wouldn't want anything to do with him,"
Schiff said of the crown prince.
Schiff also dismissed arguments that Biden should
visit the kingdom to try to get it to increase oil production and lower
American gasoline prices.
The price for a gallon has doubled since Biden took
office in January last year, but that same gallon costs $4.81 on Saturday
morning, according to data from the non-profit American Automobile Association
(AAA). The association said the average gallon of gas cost only $2.39 during
the first week of Biden’s presidency.
The gasoline prices are a problem for Biden and his
fellow Democrats ahead of the November midterm congressional elections.
Schiff said the United States should wean itself off
oil "so we don't have despots and murderers calling the shots."
White House postpones Biden trips to Saudi Arabia
Several officials told NBC News on Friday that Biden’s
planned visits to Saudi Arabia and Israel later this month have been postponed
until July.
Sources added that the White House is now planning a
more comprehensive trip to the Middle East next month.
“We are working on a trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia
for a GCC+3 Summit,” a senior administration official told NBC News. “We are
working to confirm dates. When we have something to announce, we will.”
Since the beginning of Russia's military operation in
Ukraine and the ensuing spikes in oil prices, the US president has made great
efforts to control fuel prices as well as isolate Russia.
Many analysts believe that Biden's current move to travel
to Saudi Arabia is in line with the effort.
The Project on Middle East Democracy said on Twitter
that the visit "is a slap in the face to activists, dissidents, women
human rights defenders, journalists, & everyday citizens - in Saudi and
abroad - who have been imprisoned, disappeared, and murdered.”
US relations with Saudi Arabia have been strained
since the assassination of Khashoggi.
Biden, after winning the presidential election and
even in the election campaign, had repeatedly said that bin Salman was the main
perpetrator of this crime. But to date, no practical action has been taken by
the White House in this regard.
Democratic members of the US House of Representatives
had introduced two bills to penalize MBS for his personal role in the violent murder
of Khashoggi.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said back then that the
legislation would freeze the Saudi crown prince’s assets and impose a visa ban
on him.
Source: Press TV
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Pakistan
Pakistan PM Sharif condemns controversial remarks of
BJP leader against Prophet
Jun 5, 202
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on
Sunday condemned the "hurtful" remarks by a ruling party leader in
India against the prophet of Islam.
"I condemn in strongest possible words hurtful
comments of India's BJP leader about our beloved Prophet (PBUH)," Shehbaz
tweeted.
The prime minister also alleged that the current
Indian government was trampling religious freedom and especially the rights of
Muslims.
"Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is
trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims. World should take note
& severely reprimand India. Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is
supreme," he said.
He went on to add: "All Muslims can sacrifice their
life for the Love & Respect of their Holy Prophet (PBUH)."
Our love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is supreme. All
Muslims can sacrifice their life for the Love & Respect of their Holy
Prophet (PBUH).
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) 1654440131000
Pakistan's Foreign Office also retweeted the brief
statement by the Prime Minister.
In New Delhi, the BJP suspended its national
spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal
after their controversial remarks against the Prophet, as it sought to defuse a
row over the issue.
Source: Times Of India
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Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan trigger diplomatic
row
Jun 6, 2022
KABUL: Pakistan's airstrike within the territory of
Afghanistan on April 16 this year has created a diplomatic row between the two
countries.
The airstrikes blatantly violated international law.
Hamid Pakteen, writing in Afghan Diaspora Network,
said that these airstrikes were supposedly in retaliation to 'violent acts' of
the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistani Taliban.
However, this abrupt use of overwhelming force by
Pakistan led to a total of 45 casualties, amongst them were 20 children,
including 12 girls and 3 boys in Khost Province, and 3 girls and 2 boys in
Kunar Province.
The Taliban regime, Afghanistan's de facto Government,
condemned the airstrikes and summoned Pakistan's ambassador in Kabul to hand
over him a demarche.
As per international law, the above would be the case
even if the 'government' in question came to power through unconstitutional
means, till the time there is no rival entity with a constitutional claim.
That is precisely the reason that Naseer Ahmad Faiq,
the Charge d'Affaires at the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United
Nations wrote to the President of the Security Council, that the airstrikes by
the Pakistani Air Force inside Afghanistan constitute "aggression against
the territorial integrity" of Afghanistan.
Pakistan's actions constitute a clear violation of
international law, most flagrantly against the prohibition on the use of force
or the threat of use of force as encapsulated in Article 51 of the UN Charter.
A basic principle of international law is respect for sovereignty and
international borders.
Similarly, a fundamental principle of international
humanitarian law (the law of armed conflict) is that military force cannot be
used against civilian targets. Arguably then, the Pakistani actions are not
only contrary to customary and treaty law governing the use of force, but also
constitute war crimes inasmuch as they are in utter defiance of the Geneva
Conventions, said Pakteen.
Further, these strikes pose bigger threats to the
troubled region of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In eastern Afghanistan,
many feared that due to the recent airstrikes more violence would take place,
perhaps escalating into a full-scale war.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
ruling alliance questions PM Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to empower ISI to
conduct verification of civil servants
JUNE
05, 2022
The
Sharif government issued a notification on Friday to give the status of a
Special Vetting Agency (SVA) to the ISI.
Pakistan's
ruling alliance have questioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to
empower the spy agency — Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — to conduct
verification of all government officers before their induction, appointments
and postings, as well as promotions.
The
Sharif government issued a notification on Friday to give the status of a
Special Vetting Agency (SVA) to the ISI. The decision angered not just the
allies but also his own Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The
ISI is Pakistan's powerful spy agency. In 1950, it was officially given the
task of safeguarding Pakistani interests and national security, inside and
outside the country.
Some
members belonging to allied parties even criticised Prime Minister Sharif for
not taking the coalition partners and parliament into confidence, vowing to
take the matter to the court, The Express Tribune newspaper has reported.
They
quipped that the premier should also consider including politicians in the
notification as “most of the traitors” were there.
"This
has been done behind the back of coalition partners and parliament,"
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) General-Secretary Farhatullah Babar said, asking
why the decision was taken as it is not a single-party government.
In
a tweet, Mr. Babar said that the decision must be unacceptable to many
coalition partners, and they must protest to reverse it, adding that unilateral
alteration in civil service rules must be challenged.
Mr.
Babar noted that the agency that “failed to detect Osama bin Laden hiding in
Abbottabad” has been tasked with reporting on the competence and
professionalism of civil servants. He urged everyone to say no to the decision
as it was "unacceptable".
PML-N
former information minister Pervaiz Rashid also questioned the move in a tweet,
saying if the task of investigating civilian officers was included in ISI’s
responsibilities, then the spy agency should also be placed under civilian
control and be accountable to the parliament.
PPP
Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar chided the premier on tasking the intelligence
agency to vet government officers by “requesting” that Sharif include all
public office holders in the notification at once.
"Why
discriminate against politicians?" Khokhar asked, adding that “after all,
traitors are more common in our ranks".
Mr.
Khokhar was referring to the notification’s part where it used the words
verification and screening of all public office holders but then added the
words “officers’ category” in brackets.
Similarly,
PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani also said that the notification issued by the
federal government, declaring the ISI as the SVA, was “surprising”.
“The
verification and screening of all civil servants before their induction,
appointments, postings and promotions by the SVA amounts to ceding civilian
space,” Mr. Rabbani said.
Given
the situation on the eastern and western borders, the Afghan situation,
Kashmir, internal terrorism and other related issues, he said, the additional
task will be overburdening it.
“It
also blurs the distinction between the civil and military bureaucracy as well
as lack of confidence in the civilian apparatus of the state,” Mr. Rabbani
maintained, saying the 1973 Constitution and the Civil Servants Act, 1973, as
amended by parliament, is a comprehensive law.
“They
do not require such screening of civil servants,” he said. “The courts have in
some judgments disregarded intelligence reports in such matters.” Besides, he
added, the civil servants were already working under the pressure of the
National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.
An
official of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said that the decision was
surprising for the party too as no discussion had taken place in the party
meetings on the issue.
The
Express Tribune also reported some bureaucrats as saying that the spy agency
with the special status and powers would keep an eye on the moral and financial
affairs of the government officers and would submit details to the promotion
boards, especially the high-powered board and Central Selection Board (CSB).
Previously,
they said, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was performing the vetting process.
Some politicians and government officers, requesting not to be named, said that
the government’s move surprised many as several parties in the coalition
government used to oppose the interference of the intelligence agencies in the
government’s affairs before coming into power.
However,
after coming into power, they said, they have done exactly the opposite and, in
fact, helped enhance the spy agency’s control over the bureaucracy and
governmental affairs.
Information
Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb was also asked to share her views, but she did not
give a comment.
The
opposition also questioned the move, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
leaders Fawad Chaudhry voicing his concerns over the matter.
Fawad
said that if "institutions wanted to increase their role in civilian
affairs, then they would have to pay for it in the form of public
accountability".
Source:
The Hindu
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Farah
Khan involved in ‘Asia’s largest money-laundering scam’: PML-N
June
6, 2022
LAHORE:
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has claimed that the former
first lady’s friend Farah Khan was involved in perhaps “Asia’s largest
money-laundering scandal”.
The
party leaders at a presser on Sunday ran an audio clip involving a property
tycoon as purported evidence of the “corruption being done by Imran Khan’s wife
Bushra Bibi and Farah Khan” when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was in
power.
Dawn
was unable to independently verify the content and origin of the audiotape.
Ataullah
Tarar, the Punjab government’s spokesperson, and PML-N provincial information
secretary Azma Bukhari alleged that Farah Khan “ruled over the entire country
from her office in Punjab” and accumulated “assets worth billions of rupees”.
Calling
her Farah Gogi, Mr Tarar alleged that she used to “approve transfers and
appointments” of government officials in Punjab against hefty payments and the
wealth was spent on purchasing diamonds worth billions of rupees. The diamonds
were sent to Dubai, where they were sold off.
He
alleged that “the matter is not confined to diamond dealings as information
about the selling of expensive paintings and watches will come to the fore
soon”.
He
said proceeds from the sale in Dubai were transferred to Pakistan through
hawala and hundi.
He
called upon the PTI chairman to ask Farah Gogi to return home and join
investigations.
The
audio clip allegedly featuring top realtor Malik Riaz and his daughter was
played during the presser. The duo was talking about demands made by Farah Khan
in return for some “government favours”.
In
the audio clip, the daughter tells her father that Farah Khan had phoned her to
inform that the first lady had asked her not to accept a three-carat diamond
ring. She quoted Farah as asking her to take back the ring as “I don’t like
such an ordinary object”.
Then
the tycoon asks his daughter to give her what she’s asking for. “I have offered
her (Farah) to buy them a five-carat [ring], which would cost Rs10 million. She
says as ‘your appointment (with Farah) has been set for Saturday’, the ring
should be arranged before it,” the daughter replies.
Malik
Riaz asks his daughter to place an order for the ring. She says she had done so
and it would be delivered the next day.
The
daughter is also heard telling her father that the locks of his site [for
developing a residential society] would be opened in the morning.
Without
naming Farah, she quotes her as saying that [Imran] Khan Saheb had phoned,
guaranteeing that he would get removed the [negative] report which had been
submitted [apparently about the housing scheme site] and that [former adviser
to PM on accountability] Shehzad Akbar’s letter would also be delivered to
them.
According
to sources, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had objected to a housing scheme
by Malik Riaz in Peshawar because it was “illegal as it had been launched
without seeking permission” from the authorities concerned.
Mr
Tarar claimed that the government had acquired more audio recordings as “evidence
against corruption of Ms Gogi”. “The clips could be sent for a forensic test if
required.”
Ms
Bukhari, the PML-N leader, said sarcastically the two women — Bushra Bibi and
Farah Gogi — had steered Imran Khan out of poverty after running the “financial
affairs of Banigala”.
“Imran
Khan has hired two front women for his corrupt practices,” she alleged.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1693378/farah-khan-involved-in-asias-largest-money-laundering-scam-pml-n
--------
Govt
wants NA speaker to accept Imran, Qureshi’s resignations
Syed
Irfan Raza
June
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The coalition government is considering asking National Assembly Speaker Raja
Pervaiz Ashraf to accept the resignations of those PTI MNAs, including party
chairman Imran Khan and vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who have publicly
announced resigning from their seats, Dawn has learnt through sources.
The
decision has been made after the PTI leadership directed party lawmakers not to
appear before the speaker, who is set to start verifying the resignations of
131 PTI lawmakers from Monday (today).
Besides,
the government has put off a joint sitting of parliament until June 9,
apparently to counter President Dr Arif Alvi’s refusal to give his assent to
two crucial bills.
All
PTI MNAs resigned en masse after their government’s ouster in April. However,
the speaker wanted them to appear in person to confirm the “voluntary character
and genuineness” of their resignation letters.
A
source in the National Assembly Secretariat told Dawn on Sunday the speaker was
likely to accept the resignations of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, as Mr
Khan had publicly and Mr Qureshi on the floor of the National Assembly had
confirmed their resignations.
The
source said the government did not want to accept all resignations in one go to
avoid burdening the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with several
by-elections on vacant seats.
Last
month, the speaker summoned PTI legislators on June 6. Given that he wanted 30
members to appear before him daily, the exercise is likely to be completed in
four to five days.
However,
PTI chairman Imran Khan had already announced that no MNA of his party would
appear before the speaker in this regard.
The
source said more than two dozen PTI MNAs had contacted the speaker, asking him
not to accept their resignations.
Those
30 legislators who had been summoned for personnel appearance on June 6 are Dr
Haider Ali Khan (NA-2), Saleem Rehamn (NA-3), Murad Saeed (NA-4), Sahibzada
Sibghatullah (NA-5), Mehbood Shah (NA-6), Muhammad Bashir Khan (NA-7), Junaid
Akbar (NA-8), Sher Akbar Khan (NA-9), Prince Muhammad Nawaz Allai (NA-12), Ali
Khan Jadoon (NA-16), Omar Ayub Khan (NA-17), Asad Qaiser (NA-18), Engr Usman
Khan Tarakal (NA-19), Mujahid Ali (NA-20), All Muhammad Khan (NA-22), Malik
Anwar Taj (NA-23), Fazal Muhammad Khan (NA-24), Pervez Khattak (NA-25), Imran
Khattak (NA-26), Arbab Amir Ayub (NA-28), Nasir Khan Musa Zai (NA-29), Sher Ali
Arbab (NA-30), Shaukat Ali (NA-31), Shehryar Afridi (NA-32), Shahid Ahmad
(NA-34), Ali Amin Khan (NA-38), Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh (NA-39), Gul Dad Khan
(NA-40), Gul Zafar Khan (NA-41) and Sajid Khan (NA-42).
All
PTI lawmakers, except party dissidents, resigned from the National Assembly en
masse on April 11 before the scheduled voting began for electing a new prime
minister.
According
to the National Assembly spokesperson, letters had been dispatched to the MNAs
to inform them that they had to appear separately before the speaker to endorse
that they had given resignation according to their will without any pressure.
The
source said earlier that the joint sitting of the two houses of the parliament
was to be held on June 7, but the government had put it off until June 9 as it
was expecting President Alvi’s refusal to assent to the crucial bills regarding
the amendments to National Accountability Ordinance and election laws.
“Now
the two bills will be passed by the joint sitting and will become law
automatically,” the source said, adding that if the bills were once refused by
the president but then passed by the joint sitting, they did not need the
president’s assent to become law.
In
a bid to create another hurdle for the coalition government of Prime Minister
Shehbaz Sharif, President Alvi refused to give his assent on Saturday to the
bills recently passed by the two houses of parliament. He returned the two
pieces of legislation to the government for “consideration and detailed
deliberations” by parliament and its committees.
The
president, who belongs to the former ruling party PTI, has returned the two
crucial bills using his powers under Article 75(1) of the Constitution,
according to an official handout issued by President Office.
Article
75(1) states: “When a bill is presented to the president for assent, the
president shall, within [ten] days (a) assent to the bill; or (b) in the case
of a bill other than a money bill, return the bill to the Majlis-e-Shoora
(Parliament) with a message requesting that the bill or any specified provision
thereof, be reconsidered and that any amendment specified in the message be
considered.”
Sources
said the government would make all-out efforts to get the two bills passed from
parliament before presenting the federal budget in the National Assembly on
June 10, as it could not bring any legislation during the budget session.
The
coalition government managed to get the Elections (Amendment) Bill 2022 and
National Accountability (Second Amendment) Bill 2021 passed from the National
Assembly and the Senate on May 26 and May 28, respectively.
Through
the election bill, the government aims to reverse controversial changes made by
the previous PTI government in the 2017 law to introduce i-voting by overseas
Pakistanis and the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the next general
elections.
The
bill seeking amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999
seeks to clip vast powers of the National Accountability Bureau.
In
the National Assembly, the government faced no problem in getting the two bills
passed but witnessed a strong opposition in the upper house, where PTI senators
lodged a noisy protest over the move to pass the bills without referring them
to the house committees.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1693383/govt-wants-na-speaker-to-accept-imran-qureshis-resignations
--------
Seven
terrorists killed by security forces in two separate IBOs
June
5, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
At least seven terrorists were killed in two separate Intelligence Based
Operations (IBOs) in Bannu and North Waziristan districts of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa.
According
to the ISPR, Security Forces conducted Intelligence Based Operations in Jani
Khel, Bannu District and Hassan Khel, North Waziristan District, on reported
presence of terrorists on Sunday.
“During
intense exchange of fire, 7 terrorists got killed; 5 terrorists in Jani Khel
and 2 terrorists got killed in NWD. Weapons and ammunition was also recovered
from the killed terrorists,” the statement said.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
to benefit from Indonesian’s palm oil export: Envoy
June
5, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Ambassador of Indonesia to Pakistan, Adam Mulawarman Tugio on Sunday said that
Indonesia lifted the global ban on palm oil export from last week and now palm
oil supply in Pakistan would be improved.
Indonesia
is the largest supplier of palm oil to Pakistan as the palm oil would now be
available in the local markets, Ambassador Adam Mulawarman Tugio told APP here.
In
this regard, the Indonesian government is paying a special attention to
increase the supply of Palm oil into Pakistani markets.
He
acknowledged that due to the ban on exports of palm oil, people and traders of
Pakistan had faced difficulties.
For
that matter, the Indonesian embassy in Islamabad will fully cooperate with the
local market, said the ambassador.
Last
week, Indonesian President Joko Widido lifted the ban on palm oil exports.
The
Ambassador said that in early May, 2022, the Indonesian government temporarily
banned global exports of palm oil for local market regulation and
stabilization.
Moreover,
ambassador apprised that considering the
global trade dynamics and the global supply chain, the decision was made on
palm oil exports, which would improve price stability in Indonesia’s domestic
market.
The
Ambassador said, with the arrival of holy month of Ramzan, edible oil
consumption in Indonesia also increased and it becomes difficult to provide
edible oil to the local Indonesian market of 270 million people with global
exports.
Replying
to a question, he said that the global consumption of palm oil worldwide was
currently 70 MT, of which 33 MT was produced in Indonesia.
Similarly,
Indonesia is the world’s largest exporter of palm oil, which also impacts the
local Indonesian market and has to be adjusted according to its prices, he
said.
In
response to another question, he said that Pakistan was a big consumer of
Indonesian palm oil as Islamabad was
exporting $2.8 billion worth of palm oil annually from Indonesia.
Adam
M. Tugio said the policy was designed to meet the demand for palm oil in the
local market in Indonesia, both at domestic and industrial level.
Meanwhile,
talking to APP, Amir Waheed, former president of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (ICCI) and Palm Oil Exporter from Indonesia, appreciated the
resumption of palm oil exports by the Indonesian government.
Amir
Waheed said that there would be a stabilization in ghee and edible oil prices
in the local market.
He
said that the ban on palm oil export from Indonesia has an impact on both
industrial and domestic levels in Pakistan.
He
said that due to demand and supply, local prices of edible oil had increased.
Senior
business leader and former president, ICCI Atif Ikram, said that the Indonesian
government has taken a good step by restoring palm oil supply to Pakistan.
According
to the data issued here by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the palm oil import
surged by 46.74 percent during the first three quarters of the current fiscal
year as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
The
palm oil import during July-March (2021-22) was recorded at $2,730.668 million
against the imports of $1,860.934 million in July-March (2020-21), the data
said.
On
the other hand, the soybean import also went up by 113.73 percent to $103.283
million as compared to the import of $48.325 million during last fiscal year.
On
a year on year basis, the palm oil import witnessed an increase of 5.43 percent
during March 2022 as compared to the same month of last year. The palm oil
import during March 2022 was recorded at $290.524 million against the import of
$275.549 million in March 2021), according to PBS data.
The
soybean import during the month under review also increased by 100 percent to
$11.750 million as compared to the zero import of the same month of last year.
Meanwhile,
on a month to month basis, the palm oil import declined by 6.21 percent in
March 2022 as compared to the import of $309.766 million in February 2022.
The
import of soybean, however, went up by 27.7 percent in March 2022 as compared
to the imports of $16.772 in February 2022.
It
is pertinent to mention here that ‘Edible Oil’ prices have gone following the
Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Terror-financing
case filed against KU suicide bomber’s husband, others
June
5, 2022
A
terror financing case has been registered against Habitan Bashir and other
accused in Karachi University suicide attack.
Police
Inspector Sanaullah has been complainant in the case against the accused.
Habitan
Bashir and others nominated in the case, have been accused of providing funds
for April 26 suicide attack in the university.
Police
is searching for suicide bomber Shari Baloch’s husband Habitan Bashir and his
accomplices in the case.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan:
Shehbaz govt accuses Imran, wife Bushra, her friend of making billions during
PTI tenure
6
June, 2022
Islamabad
[Pakistan], June 6 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has claimed that a
troika of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and her friend
Farah Gogi made “billions” under the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
government.
“It
started in 2019, when Imran Khan gave a relief worth Pakistani rupees 320
million to Ahsan Jamil Gujjar – Farah’s husband – under an amnesty scheme,”
PML-N leader Atta Ullah Tarar said during a press conference.
The
Express Tribune quoting Tarar reported that the former Prime Minister gave the
relief due to his personal relations and friendship between Bushra and Farah.
Regarding
this, he also played an audio tape — purportedly a conversation between a
business tycoon and his daughter, revealing how Farah ‘demanded a gift’ for the
ex-first lady.
During
the conversation, the woman said to her father that Farah Gogi allegedly
demanded a precious diamond as a gift for the ex-first lady in return for
“removing locks” on a project site and withdrawing a report against her father,
The Express Tribune reported.
It
was revealed during that discussion that Farah Gogi earlier had rejected a
three-carat diamond sent by the daughter of a business tycoon as unworthy and
unsuitable for the first lady, who she allegedly said routinely wore such
things, and asked for a five-carat diamond.
The
lady could be heard telling her father how Farah taunted her for sending “only
a five-carat diamond ring”. She also promised that the former premier would
overturn measures against the projects of the business tycoon if a “more
valuable gift was offered.”
While
property tycoon Malik Riaz on Sunday termed an audio clip attributed to him on
social media as “fake”. He also threatened to take legal action against those
behind the ‘conspiracy”.
“With
latest technologies as Deep Fake, fabricating an audio conversation shouldn’t
be a surprise,” Riaz said in his statement cited by The Express Tribune.
He
said that the audio tape associated to him on social media is a product of Deep
Fake. “I don’t wish to [be] involve[d] in political campaigns of any party, but
the most appalling fact is that my voice and reference is being misused to
settle personal and political scores,” he added.
He
said that Farah Gogi left Pakistan as soon as she realised that she was about
to get into trouble and Imran Khan helped her in fleeing the country.
Uzma
Bukhari, another PML-N leader, said that her party knew about the misconduct of
the PTI government, adding that now ‘proofs’ are being surfaced for everyone to
see.
“The
audio reveals just one case [of bribery] but it is not the entire story… it is
only a trailer of a film,” she added.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
South
Asia
Taliban
atrocities on Afghan media continue as TV channel converted to religious
Seminary in Balkh
4
June, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], June 4 (ANI): Media watchdogs have called out the Taliban for
another crackdown imposed by the organization as TV channel Metra in Balkh
province of Afghanistan has been converted into a religious seminary.
Since
the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August last year, its atrocities on
media houses have continued, private TV channel Metra being the latest that has
been transformed into a religious outlet to prioritize Islamic sentiments among
the Afghan crowd, TOLOnews reported.
Speaking
at the inauguration ceremony, the acting Minister of education, Noorullah
Munir, said that the Islamic Emirate prioritizes attention on Islamic
education.
“We
have 20,000 schools across Afghanistan, but the seminaries registered with the
Islamic Emirate are not more than 1,000,” he said.
The
Metra TV Channel formerly broadcast several programs and is now a seminary for
more than 1,000 students.
“Replacing
a media outlet complex with a religious seminary is considered an unfair action
for journalists. We call on the Islamic Emirate to help in reopening media
outlets that were closed after the fall of the former government,” said Ahmad
Yar Mujroh, a member of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association
(AIJA).
Metra
TV broadcast for more than a decade but stopped its operations After the
Islamic Emirate came to power in Afghanistan, Metra TV which broadcast for more
than a decade in the country stopped its operations for an indefinite period of
time.
A
recent survey by the Afghanistan Journalists Federation, reviewed by Committee
to Protect Journalists (CPJ), found that before the fall of Kabul, around 4,090
Afghan male journalists and 979 female journalists were active in Afghanistan.
Six
months later, an estimated 2,091 male journalists and 243 female journalists
are still working in the country. In every respect, Afghanistan’s once-thriving
media ecosystem is declining rapidly under Taliban rule.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Dawlat
Waziri, Former Defence Ministry Spokesperson, Returns to Afghanistan
By
Saqalain Eqbal
05
Jun 2022
Afghanistan
National Television, one of the Taliban-controlled television channels,
announced that former Defense Ministry spokesman General Dawlat Waziri has
returned to Afghanistan.
The
efforts of the Taliban’s Return and Communications with Former Afghan Officials
and Political Figures Commission, according to National Television, have
encouraged Dawlat Waziri to return to the country.
The
Taliban’s Commission of Return and Communications with Former Afghan Officials
and Political Figures spokesman, Ahmadullah Wasiq, confirmed Dawlat Waziri’s
arrival and has expressed satisfaction and delight.
Dawlat
Waziri is a former member of the former government’s security sector who was an
outspoken opponent of the Taliban and is now glad to be back in Afghanistan,
claiming the Taliban’s presence is encouraging and positive.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Zabihullah
Mujahid: Religious Rights Are “Protected” in Afghanistan
By
Saqalain Eqbal
05
Jun 2022
In
response to the US State Department report on religious freedom, which noted
that there was a clear violation of religious freedoms in Afghanistan, Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that “the religious and civil rights of all
minorities in Afghanistan are protected.”
Mujahid
tweeted today, June 5th, that the State Department’s report findings on
Afghanistan with respect to the religious freedom is “incomplete” and based on
“false information”.
“All
our Sunnis, Shiites, Sikhs and Hindus practice their religion freely,” he wrote
on his official twitter handle.
According
to the State Department, this year has seen “gross violation” of religious
freedom in China, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Myanmar, and India.
According
to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, after the Taliban took power in
Afghanistan, the group’s basic rights for women and girls were infringed, and
the Taliban’s ideological constraints hampered women and girls’ liberties.
He
further said that after the Taliban took power, the groundwork was laid for
ISIL to operate in Afghanistan, and that religious minorities, particularly the
thousands of Afghans, were under threat from the Taliban.
The
US Commission on International Religious Freedom previously told the State
Department to place Afghanistan at the bottom of religious freedom rankings.
In
terms of religious freedom, the committee called the Taliban’s coming to power
a “disaster” for Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/zabihullah-mujahid-religious-rights-are-protected-in-afghanistan67485/
--------
Muttaqi:
We Have a Balanced Policy and Maintain Good Relations with Our Neighbouring
Countries
By
Saqalain Eqbal
05
Jun 2022
The
Taliban’s acting Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, recently stated that the
group had good relations with neighboring countries, despite the fact that at
least four neighboring countries have had clashes with the group’s armed
forces.
Foreign
Minister Muttaqi stated at the Marble Palace (Qasr-e-Marmarin) in Kabul on
Saturday, 4th June, that their foreign policy was balanced with neighboring
countries and that there is no diplomatic and commercial trade relations
problem.
He
continued, “The ports of Sher Khan, Hairatan, Turghundi, Islam Qala, Spin
Boldak, and Torkham are all open, and we have good relations with everyone.”
However,
the US has consistently expressed concern about the growing number of terrorist
groups in Afghanistan, warning that the country is likely to convert to a
terrorist sanctuary in the near future.
The
Taliban’s statements come at a time when, nearly ten months later, no country
has recognized the Taliban, and the Taliban still lack international legitimacy
in terms of diplomatic cooperation and the international economy.
Source:
Khaama Press
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Afghan
musicians flee Taliban wrath, face Pakistan raids on illegal refugees
Jun
5, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
More than 200 low-profile Afghan musicians have migrated to Pakistan to escape
the wrath of the Taliban rule, following in the footsteps of their affluent
colleagues who have fled to the US, Europe and Australia after the fall of the
American-sponsored regime in Kabul in August 2021. But Pakistan isn’t safe
either as authorities were catching and deporting “undocumented” Afghan
refugees, including musicians.
Unlike
their previous rule from 1996 to 2001 when they outlawed music, the current
Taliban government hasn’t issued a ban but individual Taliban fighters were
taking matters into their own hands and targeting musicians, halting
performances, and breaking and burning instruments because they say music is
“haram,” or proscribed by Islamic law.
Out
of job and in fear of becoming a Taliban target, more than 200 Afghan singers
and musicians have fled to Pakistan. They are living with little food and money
in dilapidated neighbourhoods of Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa in the northwest.
In
recent days, Pakistani authorities had launched a crackdown on undocumented
Afghan refugees and deported them back to Afghanistan. Last week, police
arrested four Afghan musicians from Peshawar’s Tehkal area for living illegally
in the country without travel documents.
Pakistani
musicians and activists protested against the arrests, imploring authorities
not to deport them. “The Afghan artistes live in fear and great misery. They
have confined themselves to their accommodations as their passports and visas
have expired. Many had entered Pakistan without travel documents. They avoid
going out, fearing arrest and deportation,” Zaryali, an Afghan singer, said in
Peshawar. He said they cannot perform or find any work in this situation.
Dozens
of Afghan and Pashtun artistes from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa held a protest outside
the provincial assembly building in Peshawar on Thursday, asking authorities to
spare the Afghan musicians whose lives are at risk in their country.
“You
can’t throw them to the wolves,” read one of the placards. Rashid Ahmad, head
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Pashto literary and cultural organization, urged the
authorities to issue special permits to the Afghan artistes so that they can
stay on humanitarian grounds. “The artiste community helped them financially
and arranged places for them to live,” Ahmed said.
Peshawar’s
artistes have planned to march to Islamabad if the arrested Afghan were not
released or if any of them was deported. “Our main demand is that they should
not be deported to Afghanistan under the current situation as millions of other
Afghan refugees are also living here,” said Shahid Malang, a Pakistani singer.
Source:
Times Of India
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Bangladesh
chemical depot fire kills 49, injures 450
Jun
6, 2022
DHAKA:
A massive fire and a series of explosions at a private chemical container depot
in southeastern Bangladesh killed at least 49 people, including nine
firefighters, and injured more than 450 others, officials said on Sunday, as
authorities were still struggling to extinguish the blaze. According to
doctors, the toll could rise further as many of the injured were being treated
with severe burns. The firefighters backed by army troops were yet to enter
deep down the blast site to douse the fire nearly 23 hours after the fire broke
out on Saturday night. The shipping container facility is at Sitakunda, 40 km
from the port city of Chittagong. Chemical-filled containers were still
exploding on Sunday as firefighters attempted to douse the fire and officials
said the army had joined the mission. Drone footage showed thick columns of
smoke and rows of burntout containers.
“The
deafening explosions turned the sky a blazing orange throughout the night,” a
resident in the neighbourhood told aTV channel adding that the explosions threw
several people metres away from where they were standing. The residents said
the explosions rocked the neighbourhood within a nearly four-kilometre radius.
Apungent odour in the air forced rescuers to cover their noses in masks while
they also complained of itching eyes apparently due to chemicals. Officials
said the depot — a site with 21 acres of land — stored around 4,000 containers,
many filled with garments destined for Western retailers. Chittagong civil
surgeon Mohammed Elias Hossain said the injured included firefighters and
policemen, he said. Hundreds of distraught relatives rushed from one hospital
to another in afrantic search for their loved ones, witnesses said. It was not
immediately clear what had caused the blaze. Fire service officials said they
suspected it may have originated in a container of hydrogen peroxide and spread
quickly to other containers. Newton Das, a fire service official, said there
were still explosions of containers containing hydrogen peroxide and others
containing sulphur.
Source:
Times Of India
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Mideast
Iran
Summons Indian Ambassador Over Sacrilegious Remarks against Prophet Muhammad
05
June 2022
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry has summoned the Indian ambassador to protest a TV debate
during which sacrilegious remarks were made against Islam’s Prophet Muhammad
(Peace be upon Him), sparking widespread condemnations across the Muslim world.
The
director general of the South Asia Department at Iran’s Foreign Ministry on
Sunday summoned the Indian envoy to convey the strong protest of the Iranian
government and people over the sacrilegious comments against Prophet Muhammad,
the Iranian Foreign Ministry website reported.
The
Indian envoy, for his part, expressed regret, saying that any sacrilege against
the Prophet of Islam is not acceptable at all.
The
ambassador also clarified that the comments made by two officials of the ruling
party did not reflect the position of the Indian government, which he said
reveres all religions.
In
recent remarks on a TV news debate, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)'s
spokesperson Nupur Sharma made inflammatory comments against the Prophet of
Islam, which led to widespread condemnation in the country and also triggered
violent clashes in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on Friday.
The
BJP on Sunday suspended Sharma from the party while distancing itself from her
offensive remarks.
The
party also expelled Naveen Kumar Jindal, who heads its Delhi media, from the
party, after he allegedly posted a tweet about the Prophet but later deleted
it. The BJP said Jindal's views on social media undermine communal harmony and
are in violation of the party's fundamental beliefs.
In
a statement earlier in the day, the BJP said, “During the thousands of years of
the history of India, every religion has blossomed and flourished. The Bhartiya
Janata Party respects all religions. The BJP strongly denounces insult of any
religious personalities of any religion.”
“The
Bhartiya Janata Party is also strongly against any ideology, which insults or
demeans any sect or religion. The BJP does not promote such people or
philosophy,” it added.
Following
the development, #الا ـ رسول ـ الله ـ يا ـ مودي (#AnyoneButTheProphetOModi) has taken
social media by storm, securing the number one trend on Twitter in Arab states.
In
a tweet on Sunday, Sharma apologized for her comments, saying, “I take back my
words if they have hurt anyone's religious sentiments.”
Muslim
countries, OIC slam sacrilege of Prophet Muhammad
Sharma's
comments have stirred outrage in several Muslim countries, including Pakistan,
Qatar and Kuwait.
Pakistan
said in a statement that it condemns in the "strongest possible
terms" the highly derogatory remarks.
"Pakistan
once again calls on the international community to take immediate cognizance of
the grievously aggravating situation of Islamophobia in India," it said.
The
State of Kuwait also summoned the Indian ambassador, saying that it had handed
the ambassador a protest note in which Kuwait rejected and denounced the
statements made by the BJP official.
Qatar's
Foreign Ministry statement also said it welcomed the (BJP) party's decision to
suspend the official, but said Qatar was expecting a public apology and
immediate condemnation of these remarks by the Indian government.
Indian
ambassador in Doha, Deepak Mittal, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on the
second day of a high profile visit by India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and
Indian business leaders.
The
envoy was handed an official protest letter which said "Qatar is expecting
a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the
government of India," according to a foreign ministry statement.
"Allowing
such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constitutes a grave
danger to the protection of human rights" and "will create a cycle of
violence and hate", it added.
The
Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the sacrilegious remarks,
saying they came in a "context of intensifying hatred and abuse towards
Islam in India and systematic practices against Muslims."
Source:
Press TV
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Hamas
Warns of Zionists' Forced Entry into Al-Aqsa Mosque for Jewish Shavuot Feast
2022-June-5
The
office of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Tehran issued
a statement, warning that extremist Jewish organizations called
"Hekal" organizations have called on the Zionists to storm the holy
Al-Aqsa Mosque next Sunday and Monday, coinciding with June 5 and 6, on the
occasion of Shavuot.
The
Feast of the Revelation of the Torah is one of the three main Jewish feasts
that was emphasized in the Torah before the Babylonian captivity and was
believed to be celebrated in the temple by the Jews.
On
this day, the Jews celebrate the revelation of the Torah to Prophet Moses
(pbuh). This year coincides with the 55th anniversary of the occupation of
Al-Aqsa Mosque according to the Gregorian calendar, and this has made the
extremist Zionist organizations to call for storming into Al-Aqsa Mosque
against the Palestinians' will.
Shavuot,
also called Festival of the Weeks, is the second of the three Pilgrim Festivals
of the Jewish religious calendar.
It
was originally an agricultural festival, marking the beginning of the wheat
harvest. During the Temple period, the first fruits of the harvest were brought
to the Temple, and two loaves of bread made from the new wheat were offered.
After
this Feast, there will be no occasion in the Jewish calendar for a long time,
because the first important occasion of the future is the anniversary of the
so-called demolition of the fake Jewish temple, which started the uprising in
1929, and after that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was set on fire in 1969. This year, the
Jews celebrate this occasion on August 7, which according to the Islamic Hijri
calendar coincides with the day of Ashura.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Deputy
FM: Iraq First Priority of Iran in Enhancement of Trade Ties
2022-June-5
Safari
said that building trade and economic relations with neighboring countries is
prioritized in the current administration of President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi.
From
among the regional countries, Iraq is the first priority of the Islamic
Republic of Iran in enhancing trade and economic relations, he added.
Safari
stated that Iran attaches great importance to enhance its trade and economic
relations with neighboring Iraq.
He
made the remarks in a meeting with Governor-General of Iraqi’s Basra province
on Saturday.
During
the meeting, the two sides exchanged their views on increasing bilateral trade
and economic relations through Shalamcheh Border Terminal, connection of
Khorramshahr railway to Basra and also delegating various technical and
engineering projects of the province to competent Iranian companies.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Safari pointed to the high capabilities and potentials of the
country in the field of producing medicines based on new technologies, and said
that Iranian small-sized pharmaceutical firms are ready to establish
pharmaceutical cooperation with Iraqi province of Basra, specially in the field
of cancerous medicines.
The
issue of road, air, rail and sea transportation is of paramount importance in
the fields of trade and exports, he added.
The
value of Iran's exports to Iraq exceeded $8 billion in the first 11 months of
the current Iranian year (March 21, 2021-February 20, 2022), Chairman of the
Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Yahya Al-Es'haq announced in November.
"This
year, imports from Iraq have reached about $2 billion, while last year the
value of our imports from that country was about $140 million to $150
million," the Iranian official said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Hamas:
Unity, resistance only way to fight Israeli occupation, foil its plots
05
June 2022
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says only through unity and resilience
can the Palestinians fight the Israeli occupation and foil its plots.
Hamas
made the comments in a statement released on the 55th anniversary of the
‘Naksa’ (setback), a term Palestinians use to describe the Israeli occupation
of East al-Quds, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967.
“Comprehensive
resistance is the only way to regain our Palestinian rights and liberate our
land and sanctities. Resistance has proven its ability to unite our Palestinian
people in all their residences, curb the occupation, and repel the enemy's
aggression,” the resistance movement said.
Hamas
also stressed the importance of achieving national unity and true partnership
in accordance with a resistance program to protect and defend the national
rights and the holy sites.
“The
occupation’s crimes, its massacres and ongoing aggression against our land,
people and holy sites, especially Jerusalem [al-Quds] and the Aqsa Mosque, will
not bring it security or alleged sovereignty over an inch of our land or
succeed in breaking our people’s will and determination to continue their
legitimate struggle for their national rights,” the statement further read.
Hamas
noted that the Israeli regime, after seven decades of “its brutal occupation of
our historical land”, has begun to see it demise, doubt the future of its
existence, and the departure of its settlers from the occupied Palestinian
territories, due to its fear of the steadfast Palestinians in al-Quds and the
heroism of their youth across the occupied West Bank.
The
Gaza-based resistance movement also called on those Arab countries that have
already normalized their relations with the Tel Aviv regime to backtrack the
so-called “normalization path.”
Hamas
said such a path is “in the wrong direction that serves only the agenda of the
occupation in escalating its terrorism against our Palestinian people, land,
and sanctities.”
It
concluded that the “duty to liberate Palestine and end the occupation is not
only a Palestinian responsibility”, stressing, however, that it is also the
duty of all Muslims around the world.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/06/05/683379/Palestine-Israel-Hamas-occupation-unity-resistance-
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Aqsa
Mosque director: Israeli violations will lead to uncontrollable explosion
05
June 2022
The
director of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound says Israel’s unrelenting violations at
the holy site will lead to what he has termed uncontrollable explosion.
In
a statement released on Sunday, Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani said the occupying
regime has been desperately attempting to alter the status quo of the holy site
by encouraging settler incursions. The cleric censured the regime for allowing
Israeli settlers to defile the compound under protection from the regime
troops.
Since
Saturday, June 4, Israeli forces have had a siege in place on the compound and
have been barring the Palestinians under the age of 40 from paying visits to
the compound, al-Kiswani said. He urged the leaders of the Arab and Muslim
countries to fulfill their responsibility toward the al-Aqsa Mosque.
The
compound sits just above the Western Wall plaza. It houses both the Dome of the
Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque.
The
Jewish visitation of al-Aqsa is permitted, but according to an agreement signed
between Israel and the Jordanian government in the wake of Israel’s occupation
of East Jerusalem al-Quds in 1967, non-Muslim worship at the compound is
prohibited.
Palestinian
resistance groups have already threatened they will not allow Israeli
“provocations” to go by unanswered.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/06/05/683378/Kiswani-Israel-aqsa-
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Hamas
calls for international action to protect Palestinian children from Israel's
crimes
05
June 2022
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on the international community
to take immediate action to protect Palestinian children from Israeli
brutality, saying they are suffering both in Palestine and abroad due to
Israel’s occupation of their homeland.
Hamas
made the appeal on “the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of
Aggression” on Saturday, urging the international community to save Palestinian
children through criminalizing the Israeli occupation and putting an end to it,
the Palestinian Information Center reported.
“The
children of Palestine are victims of aggression and brutal occupation,” the
movement said in a statement.
“This
day has come once again as a reminder of the Palestinian children’s suffering
and pain at home, in refugee camps, and abroad and to call upon the world to
pay attention to the appalling aggression that is still practiced by the
Zionist occupation against our children,” it said.
Hamas
also pointed out that more than 88 Palestinian children had been killed by
Israeli forces between 2021 and 2022, adding that “over 170 Palestinian
children are being held in Israeli jails, where they are subjected to
psychological and physical torture.”
It
went on to say that in addition to getting killed and detained, Palestinian
children are used as human shields and systematically exposed to other crimes,
including kidnapping, blockade, home confinement, banishment, and displacement.
The
resistance movement further noted that the humanitarian suffering of
Palestinian children living in the besieged Gaza Strip is also ongoing, as they
are denied access to medicines, treatment, and food in violation of
international law.
Hamas
stressed that “The existence of the occupation on our land is the root cause of
our people’s suffering, and the international failure to criminalize its
violations against Palestinian children and take legal action against those who
perpetrate them is considered a disgrace to the entire world.”
Hundreds
of Palestinian children are regularly held in Israeli jails under a draconian
administrative detention policy implemented by the Israeli regime.
According
to human rights groups, the Israeli regime prosecutes between 500 and 700
Palestinian children from the occupied territories in military courts every
year, and most of them are denied a fair trial.
They
are interrogated blindfolded, forced to give confessions, and put into solitary
confinement, while being deprived of the right to have legal counsel.
14
Palestinian children killed since January
Meanwhile,
the non-governmental organization Defense for Children International
(DCI-Palestine) has reported that 14 Palestinian children have been killed by
Israeli forces since the beginning of 2022.
DCI-Palestine
said in a statement that the latest among these victims was a 16-year-old
Palestinian who was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of
Ramallah on Thursday, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
“The
international community’s silence and lack of legal accountability encouraged
the Israeli occupation army to continue killing Palestinian children,” said
Ayed Abu Eqtaish, the director of the Accountability Program at the DCIP.
He
also said the evidence DCI-Palestine has gathered indicates that Israeli forces
use lethal force against Palestinian children, “in circumstances that may
amount to extrajudicial killings or murder.”
Source:
Press TV
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Europe
Al
Mustafa Intl. University slams Quran burning in Sweden
June
6, 2022
In
a statement, Al Mustafa International University has strongly condemned the
desecration of the Quran in Sweden.
Here
is the full text of the statement:
In
the Name of God the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful
“They
desire to put out the light of God with their mouths, but God will perfect His
light though the faithless should be averse” [The Holy Quran, 61:8]
Insulting
the beliefs and values of religions is to be blamed by all free human beings.
Insulting the Holy Quran, which hurts the feelings of more than two billion
Muslims is an unforgivable crime stemming from blind and extremist terrorism.
Islam
is a religion of peace, friendship and respect for the rights of others and
highlights the need to protect religious sanctities, however, this heinous act
is inconsistent with any interpretation of the freedom of expression and
respect for the beliefs and sanctities of others and is at odds with
international efforts to combat the promotion of violence and extremism.
Al-Mustafa
International University expresses its disgust with such shameful and
uncivilized actions and behaviors in insulting the sanctity of the Holy Quran,
which is repeated periodically. It considers these acts as violating humanistic
principles in respecting divine religions and the peaceful coexistence of the
followers of these religions and emphasizes the necessity of legal
confrontation with the perpetrators of such actions.
The
statement comes as Rasmus Paludan, leader of a far-right Danish political party
called Hard Line (Stram Kurs), has burned several copies of the Quran in
separate events during the past weeks under the protection of the Swedish
police.
Source:
ABNA24
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of the original story:
https://en.abna24.com/news//al-mustafa-intl-university-slams-quran-burning-in-sweden_1264343.html
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UK
reopens its embassy in Libya after 8-year hiatus
Ebu
Bekir Aşkın
06.06.2022
The
UK reopened its embassy in Libya on Sunday after an eight-year hiatus.
“This
is a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to the whole of Libya. I am proud our
work touches the lives of Libyans across the whole country already,” said
Ambassador Caroline Hurndall on Twitter.
UK-Libya
relations are deep and historical, she added.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-reopens-its-embassy-in-libya-after-8-year-hiatus/2606448
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Türkiye
summons Greek envoy for terror groups' activities in Greece
Burak
Bir
04.06.2022
Türkiye’s
Foreign Ministry summoned Greece's ambassador to Ankara on Friday because of
the PKK terror group demonstrations near the Turkish Embassy in Athens and his
country's turning a blind eye to terror groups.
Christodoulos
Lazaris was summoned to the Foreign Ministry building and was informed of
Türkiye's views and reactions to the presence and activities of terror groups
in Greece, according to diplomatic sources.
The
Greek ambassador was also informed that terror organizations easily carry out
propaganda, financing and recruitment activities in Greece and Greece's
identity as a "safe haven" has increased in circles associated with
terrorism.
Additionally,
the Lavrio camp was shown to Lazaris as an example that terror groups
threatening Türkiye's security benefit from all kinds of logistics and training
opportunities.
Lazaris,
who was also told that the Lavrion camp has become a hotbed for terrorism
comparable to PKK camps in Iraq and Syria, was informed of Türkiye's reaction
and views on the subject due to action that started from the camp and turned
into an overt PKK demonstration around the Turkish Embassy in Athens.
During
the meeting, concerns about the safety of Turkish representatives and citizens
in Greece were also expressed, and the expectation of effective cooperation in
the fight against terrorism was reiterated.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/mischievous-oic-prophet-muhammad-controversy/d/127182