Muslim World Needs No Lecture From You About Free Speech, Malaysian Opposition Leader Tells France’s Macron
New
Age Islam News Bureau
28
October 2020
Malaysian
Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
------
•
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet Condemns Cartoons Offending Prophet Mohammed: Statement
•
Turkey’s Erdogan Sues Extremist Dutch Politician Over Insulting Cartoon
•
Kashi And Mathura Shrines Being Dragged Into Fresh Legal Dispute, Sunni Central
Waqf Board Voices Concern
•
Facing Muslim Anger, France Warns Citizens Abroad To Take Caution, Avoid
Gatherings
•
Tens Of Thousands Stage Anti-France Rally In Bangladesh Capital, Calls For
Boycott Of French Products
•
UAE Lavishes ‘Aid’ On Sudan After Normalization With Israel
•
Canada Needs A Plan To Bring Home The Children Of Jihadists
Southeast
Asia
•
Muslim World Needs No Lecture From You About Free Speech, Malaysian Opposition
Leader Tells France’s Macron
•
Malaysian Religious Affairs Minister Writes, Gifts Book On Prophet Muhammad To
French Ambassador
•
Indonesian groups denounce normalization with Israel
--------
Arab
World
•
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet Condemns Cartoons Offending Prophet Mohammed: Statement
•
Syria: Turkey-backed fighters retaliate against regime-allied forces
•
Syria: 30 fighters dead in a battle between Russia-backed regime forces and
ISIS
•
Dubai ruler, Sudanese prime minister discuss common issues between UAE, Sudan
•
US, EU continue economic terrorism against Syria: UN ambassador
•
Saudi Arabia Plans To Abolish Sponsorship System, Known As Kafala,
-------
Mideast
•
Turkey’s Erdogan Sues Extremist Dutch Politician Over Insulting Cartoon
•
FM: Iran Not to Tolerate Presence of Terrorists at Northwestern Borders
•
Iran's Human Rights Headquarters Blasts UN Special Rapporteur for Biased Report
•
Iranian Ambassador: Pakistan Attack Displays Violent Face of Terrorism Against
Islam
•
Israel to approve new settler units in al-Khalil: Peace Now
•
Yemeni minister of youth, sports assassinated in Sana’a
•
Future US president must first compensate Iran for damage before rejoining
nuclear deal: Govt. spokesman
--------
India
•
Kashi And Mathura Shrines Being Dragged Into Fresh Legal Dispute, Sunni Central
Waqf Board Voices Concern
•
Pulwama kingpin and Hizbul chief among 18 based in Pakistan listed as
‘designated terrorist’
•
India, US call on Pakistan to take immediate and irreversible action against
terrorism
•
Afghanistan battles Pak 'hurdles' to export onions to India
•
NIA raids several locations across Kashmir in terror-funding case
•
Two terrorists killed in Badgam in encounter with security forces: Police
--------
Europe
•
Facing Muslim Anger, France Warns Citizens Abroad To Take Caution, Avoid
Gatherings
•
Macron’s Islamophobia unleashes waves of protest, boycott, diplomatic rebuke in
Muslim world
•
Two Swiss Muslim Leaders Convicted Of Spreading Propaganda Supporting Al-Qaeda
•
Four civilians killed in Armenian missile attack: Azerbaijan
•
France pushes tougher EU rules for social media in wake of terror attack
--------
South
Asia
•
Tens Of Thousands Stage Anti-France Rally In Bangladesh Capital, Calls For
Boycott Of French Products
•
International Donors Pledge Nearly $600 Million To Support Rohingya Muslims
•
Officials Nab ‘Alleged Facilitator of Taliban Terrorist’ in Paghman
•
Deadly militant attack hits Afghanistan's Khost amid faltering 'peace' talks
--------
Africa
•
UAE Lavishes ‘Aid’ On Sudan After Normalization With Israel
•
Boko Haram Jihadists Kill Eight Farmers in Nigeria’s Borno State
•
Somalia conflict: Al-Shabab 'collects more revenue than government'
--------
North
America
•
Canada Needs A Plan To Bring Home The Children Of Jihadists
•
Even if Biden wins, all sanctions against Iran won't be lifted: US envoy
•
U.S. slams Iran with another round of sanctions over support for ‘terrorist
entities’
--------
Pakistan
•
US Move To Share Military Data With India Alarms Pakistan Foreign Office
•
Pakistan summons Indian Chargé d' Affaires over Kashmir issue
•
Terrorism section deleted against cleric in Justice Isa case
•
Iran slams fatal blast in Pakistan, urges collective fight against terror in
region
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-world-needs-no-lecture/d/123296
--------
Muslim World Needs No Lecture From You About Free Speech, Malaysian Opposition Leader Tells France’s Macron
27
Oct 2020
BY
JERRY CHOONG
Malaysian
Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
------
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — Freedom of speech is an essential value of Islam and the Muslim world does not need any more lectures about its significance, least of all from those who suffer from Islamophobia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today.
The
Malaysian Opposition leader is the latest Muslim leader to censure French
president Emmanuel Macron for his October 2 speech claiming Islam in crisis
worldwide while defending France’s secularism and push for the removal of
religious influences from education and its public sector.
“Monsieur
Macron needs to be aware that freedom of speech is an essential value of
Islam,” Anwar said in a strongly-worded statement.
He
said Macron’s defence of “laïcité” — French for secularism — by claiming that
Islam is in crisis globally is “offensive” and “unreasonable” because it tars
an entire religion and its followers for the “evils” committed by a minority.
He
said that in arguing for secularism, Macron had resorted to demonising and
dehumanising Islam rather than engage in discussion, pointing out the dangers
of such sweeping misrepresentations lead to a cycle of violence.
“No
society, ideology or religion is immune from spawning single minded brutality
and plunging into barbarism.
“The
Muslim World does not need lectures any more than it can tolerate libellous
smears and Islamophobic rhetoric from the French President,” Anwar added.
He
urged Macron to take responsibility for his “rabblerousing smears” against
Islam, pointing to the October 6 killing of French teacher Samuel Paty after
the latter showed some students in class caricatures of Prophet Muhammad
published by satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Anwar
acknowledged that Macron is not alone in his skewed view of linking Islam to
terrorism even as he said Muslims worldwide too need “to recover and reconnect
with a higher vision of Islam”.
However,
he said making slurs “does nothing to advance open debate, mutual understanding
and common cause against the evil of terrorism”.
The
secularism and Islam debate in France has deepened tensions domestically.
International relations with some Muslim countries have also been affected.
France
recalled its ambassador to Turkey after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan
suggested Macron undergo “mental checks” for his thoughts about Islam and its
followers.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/10/27/muslim-world-needs-no-lecture-from-you-about-free-speech-anwar-tells-france/1916914
--------
Saudi
Arabia’s Cabinet Condemns Cartoons Offending Prophet Mohammed: Statement
28
October 2020
King
Salman bin Abdulaziz
-----
Saudi
Arabia’s cabinet renewed on Tuesday its refusal of any attempt to link Islam
and terrorism, it said in a statement.
The
cabinet also condemned cartoons offending the Prophet Mohammed.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
statement did not refer to calls in some Muslim countries for a boycott of
French products over images being displayed in France of the Prophet.
The
statement added that the cabinet also renewed “its condemnation and rejection
of every terrorist act or practices and actions that generate hatred, violence,
and extremism,” while affirming that intellectual freedom is a means of
respect, tolerance, and peace.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/10/28/Saudi-Arabia-s-cabinet-condemns-cartoons-offending-prophet-Mohammed-Statement
--------
Turkey’s
Erdogan Sues Extremist Dutch Politician Over Insulting Cartoon
27
October 2020
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (AP)
------
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has filed a criminal lawsuit against a far-right
Dutch politician for posting an insulting cartoon of him on Twitter.
Turkey’s
state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Tuesday that Erdogan’s lawyer had
filed the complaint against Geert Wilders with the Ankara prosecutor’s office
for “insulting the president,” which constitutes a crime under Turkish law.
Invoking
the 104th article of Turkey’s constitution, the complaint said that Erdogan
represented the Turkish people and the country and any offense against him
would be considered an offense against his office and not just himself.
Wilders,
whose far-right Freedom party (PVV) is the biggest opposition force in the
Dutch parliament, on Saturday shared a cartoon of Erdogan wearing a bomb-shaped
hat that featured the logo of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP),
along with the headline “terrorist.”
Reacting
to the insult at the weekend, Erdogan said, “There is this so-called Dutch
deputy who speaks ill of us. Unlike him, we don’t condone racism, and fascists
have no place in Turkey.”
“Fascism
is not in our book, it’s in your book. Social justice is in our book,” the
Turkish president said. “The forces that make the world uninhabitable have put
us on the target board because we disrupt their games and reveal their true
faces.”
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also condemned the cartoon, saying, “The
racist losers of Europe have shown their true colors when faced with reality.”
Separately,
the Turkish president lashed out at his French counterpart this weekend for
supporting blasphemous cartoons of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in France
and making anti-Islam comments.
President
Erdogan questioned Emmanuel Macron’s mental health and expressed support for a
boycott of French goods.
Macron’s
backing of the sacrilegious cartoons has sparked widespread backlash from
Muslims across the world.
Europe
reacts to Erdogan’s call for boycott of French goods
Meanwhile,
the European Commission said Tuesday that Erdogan’s support for a boycott of
French goods was a further setback to his country’s bid to join the European
Union (EU).
“Calls
for boycott of products of any member state are contrary to the spirit of these
obligations and will take Turkey even further away from the European Union,” a
commission spokesman said.
The
European Commission, which oversees the EU application process, also warned
that an official boycott would breach the terms of Turkey’s trade relationship
with the bloc.
“EU
agreements with Turkey foresee free trade of goods,” the spokesman said. “The
bilateral obligations that Turkey has committed to under these agreements, as
expressed in the Association Agreement, the Customs Union and the agricultural
and coal and steel FTAs (free trade agreements), should be fully respected.”
Turkey
applied to join the then-European Economic Community in 1987 and began formal
accession talks to the EU in 2005, but the bid has long been stalled amid
disagreements over a number of issues.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637354/Turkey-Erdogan-sues-extremist-Dutch-politician-over-insulting-cartoon
--------
Kashi
And Mathura Shrines Being Dragged Into Fresh Legal Dispute, Sunni Central Waqf
Board Voices Concern
Oct
28, 2020
Ayodhya:
Amidst the Kashi and Mathura shrines being dragged into fresh legal dispute,
just months after the apex court’s Ayodhya verdict, Sunni Central Waqf Board
expressed concern over moves to reclaim religious structures and sought strict
implementation of Places of Worship Act, 1991, which was reiterated by Supreme
Court in its November-2019 verdict on the Ayodhya title suit.
In
an exclusive chat with TOI, chairman of Sunni Central Waqf Board, Zufar
Farooqui, who is also president of the Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, said,
“The Places of Worship Act aims to freeze the status of any place of worship as
it existed on August 15, 1947.”
“The
Supreme Court too invoked this law in its Ayodhya verdict while mandating
construction of temple at Ramjanmabhoomi premises to preempt new claims by any
group,” he added.
Talking
about recent litigation to reclaim the Gyanvapi masjid in Varanasi and Shahi
Eidgah in Mathura, Farooqui said, “The Sunni Waqf Board will be dealing with
the court cases, but since the Places of Worship Act is in place, the law must
be implemented to stop attempts to change status of mosques in India.”
Farooqui,
who’s also president of the Trust mandated to construct a mosque in Ayodhya in
lieu of the Babri mosque, said: “We are working on a war footing to begin
construction of the mosque and other public facilities in the 5acre land in
Dhannipur village in Ayodhya. The blueprint has been finalized and will be
presented next month. We are seeking advice from international experts to make
the facility world class.”
The
new mosque will be bigger than Babri masjid, but won’t be a lookalike of the
structure which once stood in Ramjanmabhoomi premises. The hospital of course
will hold centrestage and will serve people in the true spirit of Islam as
taught by the prophet.
“The
hospital won’t be a usual concrete structure, but will be in sync with the
architecture of the mosque, replete with calligraphy and Islamic symbols,” said
Farooqui.
“It
will house a 300-bed speciality unit, where doctors will work with missionary
zeal to provide free treatment to the ailing,” he added.
The
master plan will be designed to house an archive, museum and community kitchen.
The archive and museum will exhibit contributions of Muslims to nation
building, Indian culture and freedom struggle and of course Sufi saints who
spread love and harmony.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/sunni-board-voices-concern-over-moves-to-reclaim-kashi-mathura/articleshow/78901654.cms
--------
Facing
Muslim anger, France warns citizens abroad to take caution, avoid gatherings
27
October 2020
France
urged its citizens Tuesday to be cautious and avoid mass gatherings in
countries that have announced boycotts of French products in a fast-spreading
protest against perceived anti-Muslim bias from Paris.
Muslims
have reacted angrily to President Emmanuel Macron’s staunch defense of the
right to mock religion following the beheading of a history teacher who had
shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed during a class discussion on
free speech.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Tens
of thousands marched Tuesday in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, while in Syria
protesters have burnt pictures of Macron and in Libya they torched French
flags.
“In
several countries in recent days, there have been calls for a boycott of French
products, particularly foodstuff, and more generally calls to protest against
France,” the French foreign ministry said on its website.
“It
is advisable to avoid areas where demonstrations are held, to stay away from
gatherings, and to follow the guidance of the relevant French embassy or
consulate,” it added.
“It
is recommended to be most vigilant, especially when traveling, and in places
frequented by tourists and expatriate communities.”
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has led the charge against Macron, backing calls
in the Islamic world to boycott French goods.
Depictions
of the Prophet Mohammed are considered offensive by many Muslims, but in France
such cartoons have become synonymous with freedom of expression and a proud
secular tradition dating back to the Revolution.
In
the aftermath of teacher Samuel Paty’s murder, Macron vowed the country “will
not give up cartoons.”
Publication
of the same drawings had sparked the 2015 massacre of cartoonists and others at
the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, the beginning of a spate of deadly terror
attacks on French soil.
Earlier
this month, Macron had unveiled a plan to defend France’s secular values against
a trend of “Islamist separatism,” and described Islam as a religion “in
crisis”.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/10/27/Facing-Muslim-anger-France-warns-citizens-abroad-to-take-caution-avoid-gatherings
--------
Tens
Of Thousands Stage Anti-France Rally In Bangladesh Capital, Calls For Boycott
Of French Products
Oct
27, 2020
DHAKA:
Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the Bangladesh capital on
Tuesday calling for a boycott of French products and burning an effigy of
President Emmanuel Macron after he defended cartoons depicting the Prophet
Mohammed.
Police
estimated that more than 40,000 people took part in the march organised by an
Islamist party which was halted before it could get close to the French embassy
in Dhaka.
Hundreds
of officers used a barbed-wire barricade to stop the protesters who broke up
without violence.
The
French leader has been the target of protests in several countries over his
comments, made after a teacher was decapitated for showing the cartoons to his
pupils.
The
rally was organised by Islami Andolon Bangladesh (IAB), one of the country's
largest Islamist parties, and started at Bangladesh's biggest mosque.
Protesters
chanted "Boycott French products" and called for Macron to be
punished.
"Macron
is one of the few leaders who worship Satan," Ataur Rahman, a senior
Islami Andolon told the rally at the Baitul Mukarram national mosque.
Rahman
called on the Bangladesh government to "kick out" the French
ambassador while another leader, Hasan Jamal, said activists would "tear
down every brick of that building" if the envoy was not ordered out.
"France
is the enemy of Muslims. Those who represent them are also our enemies,"
said Nesar Uddin, a young leader of the group.
Even
after the rally was halted, demonstrators marched down other streets chanting
"Boycott France" and "Macron will pay a high price".
The
French president's comments on Islam have already led to a diplomatic showdown
with Turkey. Macron said the school teacher "was killed because Islamists
want our future".
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/tens-of-thousands-stage-anti-france-rally-in-bangladesh-capital/articleshow/78888890.cms
--------
UAE
lavishes ‘aid’ on Sudan after normalization with Israel
27
October 2020
The
United Arab Emirates has given more than half a billion dollars in “financial
aid” to Sudan since the latter normalized relations with Israel.
The
sum of $556.5 million was given by the so-called Abu Dhabi Fund for Development
(ADFD) to allegedly buttress Sudan’s financial, economic, health, education,
nutrition, and agriculture sectors, the Emirates’ official WAM news agency
reported.
“The
aid was part of an overall Emirati grant worth 1.5 billion dollars to fulfill
the basic needs of the Sudanese people,” ADFD Director-General Mohammed Saif Al
Suwaidi alleged in remarks to WAM.
The
administration of US President Donald Trump — whose tenure has been marked by
favors to the Israeli regime in absolute disregard for Palestinians’ age-old
demands — has over the past months launched a campaign of pressing for
normalization agreements between some regional countries and the occupying
regime.
The
UAE and Bahrain signed such deals with Israel at the White House on September
15, when Trump claimed more states were next in line.
Sudan
signed its normalization deal on Friday following a meeting between US and
Sudanese officials in the Emirates last month and subsequent Emirati pressure
on Khartoum to yield.
Similarly
reporting on the Sudan-bound Emirati “aid,” the London-based New Arab news and
opinion website referred to the UAE as “a staunch backer” of the current junta
in Sudan, which has been sharing power with civilian entities.
The
“aid” comes as that ruling structure is in a fragile state and as popular rage
simmers both over the military’s reported killing of some 130 people during a
crackdown on protests last year and the normalization agreement with Israel.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637385/UAE-lavishes-aid-on-Sudan-after-normalization-with-Israel
--------
Canada
needs a plan to bring home the children of jihadists
Oct
26, 2020
The
children live in overcrowded refugee camps, in unsanitary conditions, without
education and sometimes without basic health care. And although they were born
to Canadian parents, the children’s repatriation is neither popular nor
considered a priority because they were born to jihadists.
The
Canadian government recently announced the repatriation of Amira, a
five-year-old Canadian orphan. Her parents, who had joined the Islamic State,
were killed in 2019 in an airstrike on Baghouz, Syria.
This
“exfiltration” came after a bitter fight led by her Toronto family, which filed
a lawsuit against the Canadian government to obtain Amira’s repatriation. The
federal government has been reluctant to welcome these nationals, as they are
considered to be Canadian Extremist Travellers (CETs).
How
should Canada deal with these children and Canadian minors returning from areas
considered to be hotbeds and training grounds for terrorism?
The
Canadian government has been repeatedly criticized for its lack of action and
questioned about facilitating the return of children from extremist parents.
I
am interested in the supervision of escapes from violence as part of my
doctoral research. By studying the trajectories of individuals who have joined
terrorist organizations, I have come to think about how states should supervise
the return of these citizens. What are the main issues raised by these delicate
and controversial situations?
Mass
or case-by-case repatriation
Unlike
France or the United States, Canada has very few CETs in the Syrian-Iraqi zone:
eight men, 13 women and 25 children. However, public opinion is divided between
international obligations regarding children’s rights on the one hand and
security imperatives on the other.
The
Canadian government has always justified its reservations about repatriation
because of the lack of diplomatic representation in these sensitive areas and
the complexity of rescue operations, which require significant logistical
planning. In addition, there is a lack of international consensus on the
approach to be taken by states to deal with these returns.
This
is difficult to justify in light of the principles of equality and
non-discrimination: states have legal and international obligations towards
their nationals. This selective empathy also hinders policy development and the
implementation of strategies that would be appropriate to manage these
repatriations.
On
Aug. 31, the United Nations Security Council once again failed to adopt a
resolution on the fate of foreign jihadi fighters — this reflects the
crystallization of the two opposing trends on the international scene.
The
U.S. and Russia support the systematic repatriation of all nationals who have
joined the Islamic State.
Several
European countries are campaigning for the prosecution of CETs to occur “as
close as possible” to the place where their crimes were committed, and for
repatriation to be considered on a case-by-case basis. This position is also
shared by the Canadian government, which so far only repatriates “exceptional
cases.”
This
reluctance is due in part to the many obstacles facing the judiciary in trying
CETs in Canada for crimes committed in Iraq or Syria. Indeed, it should be
recalled that individuals who have joined the Islamic State are presumed to
have participated in serious abuses and may pose a grave threat upon their
return. However, the security issue deserves to be questioned here with regard
to the children of CETs.
Between
moral panic and the reality of the threat
The
return of CETs and their children has remained highly controversial due to
security reasons and the risk of indoctrination. Research has highlighted the
Islamic State’s methods of training Caliphate soldiers through the use of
textbooks as propaganda tools.
There
is an increased tendency in the media to systematically present these children
as a new generation of “minor terrorists,” “time bombs” or “folk devils.” This
can be linked to moral panic, a theory developed by sociologist Stanley Cohen,
which points to the definition of a group of people as a danger to society.
This in turn guides the implementation of stricter policies and social
controls.
The
very stereotypical portrayal of the children of jihadists makes them scapegoats
for a situation which they have not chosen. The average age of CET children is
six years old, which puts into perspective the risks that they are supposed to
represent for society and shows the need of integrating them quickly into a normal
life. The fear of welcoming these children because they have had presumed close
ties with the Islamic State should certainly not hide the fact that they are
held in detention camps in Syria where they live in degrading conditions.
A
recent study showed the impact of the traumatic experiences of children
returning from territories formerly controlled by the Islamic State. In the
same vein, initiatives aimed at humanizing these children and shaping public
opinion regarding their fate clearly illustrate the distress of families and
the complexity of these issues.
Synergy
in interventions
Until
international practices and regulations are harmonized through diplomatic
co-operation, the Canadian government must address the issue of children who
are at risk of statelessness because they were born in Islamic State-controlled
territories.
Possible
difficulties in the placement of siblings should also be considered, while
special support should be provided for the reunification of these children with
their families. It is also necessary to ensure synergy in the interventions. A
multi-sectoral approach must be co-ordinated, particularly between the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, child and youth protection services and mental health
services.
Finally,
at the risk of burying one’s head in the sand, we must reflect on what
penalties adult CETs should face when they are repatriated. It would indeed be
questionable for a country that respects human rights to organize only the
return of orphans or to take children away from their parents on the grounds
that they are CETs.
Canada
must also develop a relevant strategy for the mothers who accompany these
children and who have sometimes lost their husbands in these areas. They need
to figure out how to facilitate their reintegration or their standing under the
law.
These
reflections are necessary, given that the Kurdish authorities have just
announced the release of thousands of prisoners and families of jihadists from
Al-Hol, Syria’s largest refugee camp. They are, for the most part, western
citizens whose repatriation is still the subject of debate.
Lydie
C. Belporo receives funding from Fonds de recherche du Quebec — Societe et
culture (FRQSC).
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-needs-a-plan-to-bring-home-the-children-of-jihadists?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1657492_
--------
Southeast
Asia
Malaysian
Religious Affairs Minister Writes, Gifts Book On Prophet Muhammad To French
Ambassador
By
Teh Athira Yusof
October
27, 2020
KUALA
LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk
Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri has expressed disappointment over the
publication of Prophet Muhammad's caricature by French satirical magazine
Charlie Hebdo.
In
a letter addressed to the French Ambassador in Malaysia, Zulkifli said on
behalf of Malaysian Muslims, he was against extremism and terrorism as they
were not representation of any religion in the world.
"Referring
to the latest issue of Charlie Hebdo's cartoon regarding Prophet Muhammad, we
are also disconsolate and disheartened about the incident.
"We
as leaders of the community must discourage such action, in particular by
persuading the youth who are vulnerable to such acts to refrain from committing
them and express their disagreements in peaceful ways," he said in the
letter which has been uploaded on Facebook.
Zulkifli
said the letter would be accompanied by a book titled The Sublime Qualities of
the Prophet Muhammad gifted personally to the French Ambassador in Malaysia,
saying it was a suitable gift to learn about the Prophet Muhammad's history
seeing the month of Rabiulawal according to the Muslim calendar starting on Oct
18 to Nov 17, also coincides with the Prophet's birth month.
"We
as Muslims will not avenge the provocative cartoon the same way or express
discourtesy to the public.
"We
strongly hold on to the saying of the Prophet, 'The best among you is the one
who doesn't harm others with his tongue and hands.'
"With
gratitude from our part, please accept this modest gift of a book entitled
al-Shama'il al-Muhammadiyyah (The Sublime Qualities of Muhammad). May God bless
Your Excellency," he wrote.
Zulkifli
also noted that France was the first European country to have diplomatic tie
with Malaysia after the latter achieved Merdeka in 1957.
"Hopefully,
this event will bring a meaningful impact for strengthening the ties between
France and Malaysia," he wrote on his Facebook post.
The
former federal territories mufti's issued the statement following the controversial
statement by the French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron who criticised Islamists
and vowed not to "give up cartoons" depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
Macron's
comment came in light to the beheading of a teacher, Samuel Paty, outside his
school in a suburb outside Paris earlier this month, after he had shown
cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed during a class he was leading on free speech.
Several
Muslim leaders have criticised the French premier and had called for a boycott
over French products.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/10/635716/religious-affairs-minister-writes-gifts-book-prophet-muhammad-french
--------
Indonesian
groups denounce normalization with Israel
Pizaro
Gozali Idrus
27.10.2020
JAKARTA,
Indonesia
Indonesian
Islamic groups and pro-Palestinian NGOs Tuesday condemned Israel’s recent
normalization of relations with several Arab states, including the United Arab
Emirates (UAE).
The
Indonesian Committee for Palestinian Solidarity (KISPA) stressed that Israel is
an occupying state and should not be trusted to bring peace to the region.
"Any
form of support or normalization with Israel means supporting the
occupation," KISPA Chair Muhendri Muchtar told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.
Muchtar
said normalization betrays the Palestinian struggle and the Indonesian people
firmly reject it as their Constitution opposes all forms of colonialism.
Justifying
crime
The
Hidayatullah Islamic Organization also denounced the normalization of
UEA-Israel relations, saying it aims to justify Israeli violations of
Palestine.
“Israeli
occupation of Palestinian lands is a crime, and normalizing relations with
Israel means validating a crime,” said Dzikrullah Pramudya, Hidayatullah’s
foreign policy head, on Tuesday.
“What
if the Indonesian people were fighting for their independence, but at the same
time, their neighbors such as Malaysia, Brunei, or Singapore normalized their
relations with the Dutch [colonizers]? How would we feel about that?” he added.
Dzikrullah
said the UAE was founded in 1971 and it was never colonized.
"So
the UAE can’t empathize with their Palestinian brothers, even though they are
only 1,000 kilometers away," he told Anadolu Agency.
As
a country that won its independence through struggles, Indonesia must tell the
UAE how to act towards Israel, not the other way around, he said.
He
also stressed that Indonesia does not need to normalize its relations with
Israel.
"We
have a lot of natural resources. If we need technology, there are many other friendly
countries that can provide it,” said Dzikrullah.
'Normalization
is a betrayal'
Persatuan
Islam, one of the oldest mass organizations in the country, urged the
international community not to follow in the UAE’s footsteps.
Jeje
Zaenuddin, the group’s deputy chair, said it would continue to press the
Indonesian government to maintain its support for the Palestinian cause.
“Normalization
is a betrayal for Muslims in general and Palestine in particular,” said Jeje.
On
Sept. 15, Bahrain and the UAE agreed to establish full diplomatic, cultural,
and commercial relations with Israel after signing controversial agreements at
the White House.
The
deals have drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who say the accords
ignore their rights and do not serve the Palestinian cause.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/latest-on-coronavirus-outbreak/indonesian-groups-denounce-normalization-with-israel/2021401
--------
Arab
World
Syria:
Turkey-backed fighters retaliate against regime-allied forces
27
October 2020
Syrian
opposition groups lobbed hundreds of missiles and artillery rockets at
government posts in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, in retaliation for a deadly
attack that killed dozens of their fighters a day earlier.
The
renewed violence has undermined an already shaky cease-fire in place since
March that aimed to quell military operations and government troop advances in
the overcrowded opposition enclave.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
escalation also comes as relations between Russia and Turkey, who negotiated
the cease-fire, show signs of strain over Ankara's increased military
involvement in a region stretching from Syria to the Caucasus and the
Mediterranean.
U.N
Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pederson appealed to Russia and Turkey to “contain
the situation.” Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his
Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, discussed the attack in Idlib as well as
the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya in a telephone call on Tuesday, the
Turkish Foreign Ministry said. It did not provide details.
Monday’s
strike was the deadliest in Idlib since the Turkish-Russian-brokered truce
there came into effect, raising fears that the truce could further fray. Some 1
million people were displaced by the last offensive inside the already packed
enclave, home to over 3 million.
In
retaliation, the Turkey-backed groups, operating under the umbrella of the
National Front for Liberation, fired hundreds of artillery rounds and missiles
since late Monday at government posts in territories adjacent to areas they
control in Idlib and Aleppo provinces.
A
spokesman for the NFL, Naji al-Mustafa, said the opposition's military
retaliation targeted and killed Russian officers in southern Idlib, as well as
Syrian soldiers working in the area.
The
report could not be independently verified and there was no immediate comment
from Russia or Syria.
The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recorded hundreds of
projectiles lobbed by opposition fighters at nearly 30 government posts in
different locations in southern Idlib, western Aleppo and the coastal province
of Latakia. The Observatory said 12 Syrian soldiers and allied fighters were
killed in the barrage.
The
Monday airstrike on an opposition training camp near the border with Turkey
killed more than 50 Turkish-backed fighters, according to one opposition
spokesman, and wounded nearly as many, in one of the heaviest blows to the
opposition’s strongest groups. The Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors
the war in Syria, put the toll at 78 fighters dead and nearly 90 wounded.
Videos circulating online showed the bodies of about a dozen men spread on the
ground of an open space, wrapped in blankets.
The
camp, operated by Faylaq al-Sham, an NFL faction, was hosting training sessions
for new recruits. The NFL said a “large number” of fighters were killed, but
declined to give details. It vowed retaliation and blamed Russia for the
attack.
U.S.
Special Representative for Syria James Jeffrey said the escalation in Idlib in
violation of the March cease-fire deal is “dangerous” and threatens to prolong
the conflict and deepen the Syrian people's suffering. Jeffrey said the UN-led
political process is the only way to peace and stability in Syria.
“By
continuing their quest for a military victory, the Assad regime and its Russian
and Iranian allies are threatening the stability of the surrounding region,” he
said in a statement Tuesday. “It is time for the Assad regime and its allies to
end their needless, brutal war against the Syrian people.”
Russia
and Turkey, although they support opposite sides in Syria’s nine-year conflict,
have worked together to maintain a cease-fire in the last enclave of Syria’s
opposition.
In
the first official comment following the violence, the Turkish state-run
Anadolu Agency said top Turkish presidential aide Ibrahim Kalin discussed the
situation in Idlib with U.S. President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser
Robert O’Brien late Monday. The two men expressed concern over “recently
increased attacks by the regime and its supporters,” according to Anadolu.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/10/27/Syria-Turkey-backed-fighters-retaliate-against-regime-allied-forces
--------
Syria:
30 fighters dead in a battle between Russia-backed regime forces and ISIS
27
October 2020
Clashes
Tuesday in the Syrian desert between Russia-backed regime forces and ISIS have
killed almost 30 fighters, a Britain-based war monitor said.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Battles
have been ongoing in Syria's vast Badia desert since the start of the month,
with regime forces supported by Russian aircraft.
On
Tuesday, clashes and Russian air strikes killed 13 fighters, while 16 regime
fighters died in fighting, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The
battles centred around Ithriya, in Hama province, and further east, near where
the provincial borders of Hama, Aleppo and Raqa meet.
Mobile
ISIS units have remained active in the Syrian desert since the groups lost the
last shred of their self-proclaimed caliphate in March last year.
Intermittent
fighting, mostly in the Badia, has killed more than 900 regime fighters and 140
allied Iran-backed combatants since March, as well as almost 500 ISIS fighters,
the Observatory said.
ISIS
overran large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014, declaring a proto-state there,
before several campaigns in both countries led to its territorial defeat.
In
August, IS claimed an attack that killed a Russian general near the Euphrates
valley city of Deir Ezzor.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/10/27/Syria-30-fighters-dead-in-a-battle-between-Russia-backed-regime-forces-and-ISIS
--------
Dubai
ruler, Sudanese prime minister discuss common issues between UAE, Sudan
Emily
Judd
27
October 2020
Dubai’s
ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum received a phone call from Sudanese
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on Tuesday, and discussed “several common issues”
between their two countries, according to Dubai Media Office.
Sheikh
Mohammed, who is also Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab
Emirates, heads the United Arab Emirates’ Council of Ministers, which recently
adopted the country’s peace agreement with Israel, known as the Abraham
Accords.
“The
Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed bin Rashid adopts a resolution
ratifying the Abraham Accords… and orders the initiation of constitutional
procedures to issue a federal decree ratifying the agreement,” the UAE government
announced last week.
Sudan
and Israel announced Friday they would normalize relations, marking Israel’s
third peace agreement with an Arab country in six weeks, following the UAE and
Bahrain.
US
President Donald Trump held a three-way phone call with the leaders of Sudan
and Israel to announce the deal.
Netanyahu
thanked Trump on Sunday, as well as Hamdok and Chairman of the Sudanese
Sovereignty Council Abd al-Fattah al-Burhan for their “historic decisions.”
An
Israeli delegation will visit Sudan in the coming days to finalize
normalization between the two countries, according to the office of Israel’s
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/gulf/2020/10/27/Sudanese-prime-minister-Dubai-ruler-discuss-common-issues-between-UAE-Sudan
--------
US,
EU continue economic terrorism against Syria: UN ambassador
28
October 2020
Syria’s
Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Bashar al-Ja’afari, has
censured the US and the European Union for their economic terrorism against the
people of the Arab country.
Ja’afri
made the remarks during a UN Security Council session via video conference on
Tuesday, saying that the Western restrictions come in clear disregard for
international law and the UN charter.
The
Syrian diplomat also underlined that the US and its allies have defied calls
from the UN chief and the UN human rights council for the lifting of such
restrictive measures, particularly at the time of the covid-19 pandemic.
“The
US administration and the European Union continue their economic terrorism
against Syria through imposing unilateral coercive measures aiming to
tightening the noose around the civilians and depriving them from food,
medicine and essential medical supplies along with preventing reconstruction
process and the return of the displaced,” Ja’afri was quoted as saying by
Syria's official SANA news agency.
The
United States recently imposed a round of sanctions against Syria known as the
Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act.
The
sanctions came into effect on June 17 -- six months after being signed into law
by US President Donald Trump -- targeting individuals and businesses anywhere
in the world that operate directly or indirectly within the sphere of Syria's
economy. This includes entities that help the Arab country produce oil or fight
terrorism in any way.
The
US economic measures have effectively blocked imports of essential goods,
impacting the Syrian people’s access to medical equipment, food, fuel, natural
gas, and electricity.
Syria
blasts Turkey's occupation
On
Tuesday, the Syrian diplomat also lashed out at Turkey for occupying Syrian
territories and supporting terrorism, and accused Ankara of "war
crimes."
“Crimes
of the Turkish regime will never change the legal situation of Syrian
territories it occupies , won’t they hurt Syria’s sovereignty or its legal
rights,” he underlined.
Ja’afri
accused Turkey of forced displacement of Syrians and plundering the country’s
wealth and natural resources, also renewing his country’s demand for an end to
the foreign military presence in Syria.
Since
last October, Turkish military forces and Ankara-backed militants have launched
a long-threatened cross-border invasion of northeast Syria in a declared
attempt to push Kurdish militants from the People's Protection Units (YPG) away
from border areas.
Ankara
views the US-backed YPG as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has been seeking an autonomous Kurdish
region in Turkey since 1984. The YPG constitutes the backbone of the so-called
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The
Turkish government calls all these militant groups the so-called armed
opposition groups and distinguishes them with Takfiri terrorist groups like
Daesh and the like. However, rebranding these militant groups does not alter
their terrorist nature and their use of ordinary people as human shields
against advancing army forces.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/28/637399/Syria-Bashar-al-Ja%E2%80%99afari-US-EU-sanctions
--------
Saudi
Arabia Plans To Abolish Sponsorship System, Known As Kafala,
28
Oct 2020
KARACHI:
Saudi Arabia plans to cancel a foreign worker sponsorship system, known as
kafala, and replace it with a new form of contract between employers and
employees, a Reuters report said on Tuesday.
Quoting
Maaal, the Arabic language online economic newspaper, the report said that the
kafala system — that generally binds an expatriate worker to one employer — had
been in place for seven decades in the kingdom.
Rights
groups criticise the system and say it leaves workers vulnerable to
exploitation. However, Saudi media had said the abrogation of the sponsorship
law would lead to limiting the relationship between the employer and the
expatriate worker to the employment contract that defines the rights and duties
of both the parties.
A
report says the end to the kafala system is also aimed at promoting economic
growth and expanding commercial activities
In
February, a Saudi Gazette report had said that the decision to end the
sponsorship system was part of economic reforms that Riyadh is witnessing after
the launch of Vision 2030 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as
MBS.
Under
the plan, the abolition of the sponsorship system will give expatriate workers
freedom to secure their exit and re-entry visas while also getting their final
exit stamped on their own as well as taking up employment without any
restriction or approval of the employer.
The
expatriate workers will have complete freedom of movement according to what is
stipulated in the employment contract.
The
sponsorship system, which has been in force in Saudi Arabia for seven decades,
governs the relationship between the expatriate worker and the employer. Under
the system, the worker, upon his arrival in the kingdom, becomes obligated to
work for his sponsor in accordance with the terms of the contract, and he is
not entitled to work with others without transferring his sponsorship.
The
sponsorship system went through several changes aimed at protecting human
rights as well as behavioural and financial rights of both parties, the
newspaper said, adding that a sizable number of employers misused many
provisions of the system, which led to calls from international organisations
to abolish the system.
The
sponsorship system carries much negativity that adversely impacted on
unemployment rates as well as on the image of the kingdom externally due to its
misuse by some sponsors for individual gains at the expense of the country’s
interest. One of the disadvantages of the sponsorship system is that it opened
the way for flourishing black market for visa trade.
On
the other hand, the abolition of the sponsorship system is expected to bring
about many advantages to the Saudi labour market while supporting the
competitiveness of citizens to that of expatriate workers. Another advantage
would be to attract highly competent and specialised expatriates from different
countries, besides improving working environment for talented workforce.
In
2019, Saudi Arabia had launched its first permanent residency programme —
Premium Residency Card (PRC) — for certain expatriates, allowing them to reside
in the country with their families without a Saudi sponsor. The idea was first
announced in 2016 by MBS but approved by the Shura Council in May 2019.
The
report said the end to the sponsorship system is also aimed at providing
further push to the wheel of the robust economic growth and expanding
commercial activities as the new residency system gives expatriates freedom of
movement, rights for issuance of residence and visit visas for their relatives
and thus attracting more capitals into the kingdom.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587323/saudi-arabia-plans-to-abolish-sponsorship-system
--------
Mideast
FM:
Iran Not to Tolerate Presence of Terrorists at Northwestern Borders
Oct
27, 2020
“The
Islamic Republic has an active diplomacy on Karabakh issue and acts based on
respect for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, settlement of the dispute
through peaceful means and the fact that the international borders cannot be changed,”
Zarif said on Tuesday.
He
said that Iran is concerned about the presence of Takfiri terrorists and other
terrorists in the region.
“We
have clearly declared our positions to both sides and said that it (presence of
terrorists in the region) is intolerable to the Islamic Republic,” Zarif said.
Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is due to visit Baku, Yerevan, Moscow,
and Ankara to confer with the relevant officials on Iran's initiative for
ending the Karabakh conflict.
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday that Araqchi will
act as Tehran's special representative to follow up Iran’s initiative for
solving the disputes between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Karabakh region.
He
is making a trip to the Northwestern provinces to visit the Iranian regions
bordering the conflict zone.
Araqchi
himself stressed that security is Iran’s red line and it should not be harmed
during the conflict between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.
He
also said that Iran attaches great importance to the security of electricity
facilities and they should not be harmed under any circumstances.
The
conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the highland region of
Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory that had been part of Azerbaijan before
the Soviet Union break-up, but primarily populated by ethnic Armenians, broke
out in February 1988 after the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region announced its
withdrawal from the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.
Islamic
Revolution Ground Force Commander Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour said last
week that any threat that harms people’s security and calm will receive Iran’s
countermeasure, but further warned that his country would not tolerate any
change in the geopolitical borders in regions close to Iran.
“Any
insecurity and threat that damages the security and psychological calm of our
dear people will face our countermeasures,” Brigadier General Pakpour said
during his third visit on Saturday to the Northwestern borders of Iran with the
neighboring Azerbaijan Republic and Armenia, and added, “Basically, people’s
security and national interests of our country are our redline.”
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990806000971
--------
Iran's
Human Rights Headquarters Blasts UN Special Rapporteur for Biased Report
Oct
27, 2020
“This
report, from a logical perspective, should have covered, both positive and
negative aspects of the human rights situation, and along raising allegations
of human rights violations, to mention cases of protection and promotion of
human rights. Unfortunately, the report focuses entirely on the negative cases
and ignores the efforts, measures and actions which resulted in the promotion
of the human rights situation in Iran. Referring to False information from
terrorist sects and hostile governments The report is based on false
information received from some terrorist sects and groups that have a dark
history of killing thousands of innocent Iranians, and presently try every
possible course of animosity against the Iranian people and alliance with the
enemies, leaves no room for the Special Rapporteur to claim neutrality,” the
statement said.
“Also,
the bold role of information received from some organizations affiliated with
the governments hostile to the Iranian nation, including the British regime,
which has a heavy history of crimes against the Iranian people, over the past
few decades, as well as supporting the enemies of the Iranian nation,
especially the former Ba'athist regime in Iraq, the terrorist regime in the
United States, the occupying Zionist regime, and the invading Saudi regime,
have been a proof and indication of lack of honesty and lack of good will by
the Special Rapporteur,” it added.
It
also criticized ignorance of the US assassination of former IRGC Quds Force
Commander Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in the rapporteur’s report,
noting, “The assassination of the greatest defender of the rights of the
nations of the region and the most powerful commander in the fight against
terrorism, General Qassem Soleimani, which, according to the report of the
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, to the
forty-fifth session of the Human Rights Council, was considered as the
violation of the three thematic areas of international law, namely right to use
of force, humanitarian law and human rights law, was deliberately ignored.”
“This
crime had such an impact on the Iranian nation that tens of millions of
Iranians came to streets, in tens of cities, for a week and mourned for the
greatest savior of the people of the region, including Sunni and Shi’ite
Muslims and followers of other religions Christians. The absence of this
greatest human rights phenomenon of Iran in the Special Rapporteur's report
leaves no doubt that he is not neutral and neither fair,” the statement
underlined.
Iran
had also in November complained to the UN human rights body about the
unprofessional behavior of Javaid Rehman, the UN Special Rapporteur on the
human rights situation in Iran.
Former
Secretary of Iran's Human Rights Council Mohammad Javad Larijani made the
remarks in Geneva at the time, addressing a meeting on the sidelines of the UN
Human Rights Council conference.
He
added that Iran has cooperated with the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights and invited three rapporteurs to visit the
country.
Larijani
referred to the unprofessional measures adopted by Rehman, and said he has
conducted several interviews with anti-Iran opposition TV channels in breach of
his mandate.
Tehran
had also in March 2019, rapped Rehman for his propaganda against Iran, and
stressed once again that designation of a special rapporteur for the country is
not justified legally and rationally.
Iran's
Human Rights Headquarters in a statement lashed out at Javaid for his
hostility, propaganda and lies against Iran in interviews with different media,
including the BBC, stressing that he should only report to the UN and is not
allowed to involve in media and propaganda issues.
It
added that Javaid Rehman's behavior indicates again that designation of a
special rapporteur for Iran "is not justified legally and rationally and
only shows the double-standards and political deception of the Human Rights
Council".
The
statement warned that if the high commissioner for human rights fails to stop
Javaid's attitude "the extensive cooperation of the Islamic Republic of
Iran with the Human Rights Council on this rapporteur will no doubt be
reviewed".
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990806000292
--------
Iranian
Ambassador: Pakistan Attack Displays Violent Face of Terrorism Against Islam
Oct
27, 2020
"It
is the duty of every awakened conscience to condemn this violence,"
Hosseini said in a tweet post on Tuesday.
"Terrorist
crime of martyring children learning the Holy Quran at a school in Peshawar
shows the violent face of terrorism against Islam. Muslims are oppressed
victims of terrorism in the world," the Iranian ambassador added.
An
explosion at a religious seminary in Pakistan’s Northern city of Peshawar
killed at least eight people and injured 110 others.
The
deadly blast took place at about 8.30am at the Jamia Zuberia religious school
in Dir Colony, where about 500 students were gathered to hear a lecture by
influential cleric Rahimullah Haqqani. Most of them were between 20 and 30
years old and from the Khyber Pakthunkwa and Balochistan regions of Pakistan,
as well as some from Afghanistan.
A
police superintendent, Waqar Azeem Kharal, said the explosion had been caused
by high-quality explosives brought into the lecture hall in a bag. Kharal said
that ball bearings were also used in the explosives. “It shows the attackers
planned for mass casualties,” he said.
Earlier
on Tuesday, the Iranian foreign ministry deplored the Tuesday terrorist attack
at a seminary in Peshawar in Northern Pakistan which killed and wounded several
people, including children.
Foreign
Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh described massacre of innocent people,
including defenseless children, as an indication of non-commitment of
perpetrators of the attack to the moral and humanity principles.
He
also warned that the recent targeted terrorist attacks in a number of
neighboring states are aimed at exacerbating the ethnic and religious
differences in the region, stressing that fighting such plots needs vigilance,
synergy in efforts and all-out assistance by all regional governments.
https://en.farsnews.ir/newstext.aspx?nn=13990806000975
--------
Israel
to approve new settler units in al-Khalil: Peace Now
27
October 2020
Israel
is set to approve construction of settler units in the southern West Bank city
of al-Khalil (Hebron) for the first time since 2002, an anti-occupation group
says.
Peace
Now, which tracks settlement construction in the occupied territory, said
Tuesday that Israeli military authorities had given the green light to the
construction of 31 settler housing units "in the heart of Hebron."
The
anti-settlement monitoring group condemned the Israeli plan as an attempt to
"squeeze in" the approvals before the US presidential election next
week.
"The
attempt to squeeze in this construction of 31 settlement units before the US
election is an unscrupulous act that threatens Israel's national interest and
relations on the world stage," Peace Now said.
COGAT,
an Israeli military body, took steps to approve new settler units in central
al-Khalil in 2017.
Peace
Now and the city's municipality challenged that project in court.
According
to Peace Now, Israel allocated more than 21 million shekels ($6.2 million) to
the project in 2018.
The
Jerusalem al-Quds District Court had told Tel Aviv that the project cannot go
ahead until the legal challenge is resolved, with a hearing set for January 31,
Peace Now said.
However,
Israeli authorities told the court on Sunday that they would issue the permits
within a week, the settlement watchdog said in a statement.
Israel
"was quick to issue the building permit even though the court has
explicitly ruled that work should not start until the... hearing takes
place," said the NGO's statement.
The
statement added that the Tel Aviv regime "explains to the court that
although the court order prohibits the commencement of the works, it does not
prohibit the issuance of the permit itself."
Al-Khalil
(Hebron) is a flashpoint of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
Despite
being home to about 200,000 Palestinians, significant parts of the city's
center are already occupied by about 800 Israeli settlers.
The
city includes the site known to Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque and to Jews as
the Cave of the Patriarchs, which is revered by both faiths.
The
holy site complex is believed to mark the burial sites of Prophets Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob.
About
600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967
Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East
Jerusalem al-Quds.
Much
of the international community regards the Israeli settlements as illegal
because the territories were captured by Israel in the 1967 war and are hence
subject to the Geneva Conventions, which forbids construction on the occupied
lands.
The
Israeli regime has faced widespread global condemnation over settlement
constructions in the occupied Palestinian lands.
The
United Nations Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in
the occupied territories in several resolutions.
Less
than a month before US President Donald Trump took office, in December 2016,
the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334 , calling on Israel
to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied
Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem” al-Quds.
Palestinians
want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East
Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637349/Israel-West-Bank-al-Khalil-settlement-Peace-Now
--------
Yemeni
minister of youth, sports assassinated in Sana’a
27
October 2020
Yemen
says Minister of Youth and Sports Hassan Zaid has been killed in an
assassination operation carried out by criminal elements affiliated with
Saudi-led aggressors.
In
a statement carried by al-Masirah television network, the Yemeni Interior
Ministry announced that Zaid was shot while driving with his daughter in the
Yemeni capital, Sana'a, on Tuesday.
The
assassination operation claimed the minister’s life and injured his daughter,
it added.
The
targeted killing of Zaid is a criminal act, which is part of the aggressors'
schemes to remove Yemeni national figures, the ministry said, noting that an
investigation was underway to bring criminals to justice.
Saudi-owned
Al Arabiya TV channel described Zaid as an important leader of Yemen’s Houthi
Ansaruallh movement.
So
far, no group has claimed the responsibility for the attack.
Saudi
Arabia launched a devastating military aggression against its southern neighbor
in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its allied states, and with
arms support from the US and several Western countries.
The
aim was to return to power a Riyadh-backed former regime and defeat the Houthi
movement that has taken control of state matters since the resignation of the
then president and his government.
The
war, however, has failed to achieve its goals, but killed tens of thousands of
innocent Yemenis and destroyed the impoverished country’s infrastructure. The
UN refers to the situation in Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637342/Yemen-minister-assassinated-Sana-a
--------
Future
US president must first compensate Iran for damage before rejoining nuclear
deal: Govt. spokesman
27
October 2020
Tehran
says the future American president will first have to compensate Iran for the
damage the US has done to the nation with its unilateral departure from the
2015 nuclear deal if he wants to rejoin the multilateral accord.
Ali
Rabiei, the spokesman of Iran’s administration, made the remarks on Tuesday
when asked if the United States might return to the nuclear deal, officially
called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), following the upcoming
presidential election.
American
voters will decide on November 3 whether Republican President Donald Trump
remains at the White House for another four years or his Democratic rival, Joe
Biden, will take office.
The
US under Trump unleashed a so-called maximum pressure campaign against Iran in
2018, when it left the nuclear deal.
Following
its withdrawal, Washington targeted the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever”
economic sanctions in order to bring it to its knees, but the country’s economy
keeps humming and is getting back on its feet.
“It
makes no difference to us who becomes the president of the United States, and
it does not matter who decides to return to the JCPOA. We act according to our
principles,” Rabiei said.
The
Iranian official went on to say that Tehran would welcome a decision to return
to the JCPOA by any US president.
At
the same time, he said, “the United States must be held accountable for the
damage [it has] done to the Iranian people by its unilateral withdrawal from
the JCPOA, and the US must be prepared to make other commitments to ensure that
such violations will not be repeated.”
“Our
policy on the JCPOA has been and is transparent. We did not leave the JCPOA
when Trump left, while they thought we would do so, but we did not leave in
line with our clear policy, and today we are seeing its effects,” he said.
Rabiei
further defended the country’s move to suspend some of its commitments under
JCPOA as a proper reaction to the US withdrawal from the nuclear accord and
schemes to prevent other parties from fulfilling their commitments.
Under
the JCPOA, signed between Iran and the five permanent members of the United
Nations Security Council, Tehran undertook to put limits on its nuclear program
in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against
Tehran.
However,
Trump pulled his country out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and re-imposed harsh
sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticisms,
leaving the future of the historic deal in limbo.
Critical
of Washington’s move, the European parties to the JCPOA vowed efforts to keep
the deal in place by protecting Tehran against the US sanctions, but did little
in practice.
In
May2019, a year after the US’s exit, Tehran began reducing its commitments
under the JCPOA on a stage-by-stage basis in response to Washington’s pullout
and the ensuing European failure to make up for America’s absence.
'Claims
of Iran meddling in US vote unfounded'
Elsewhere
in his Tuesday remarks, Rabiei dismissed as “unfounded” claims by US national
security officials that Iran is attempting to influence American voters, saying
that Tehran has no motive for or belief in meddling with other countries’
internal affairs.
“We
believe that nations should be free to determine their own destiny and act
without the interference of other countries,” he said.
He
reiterated Iran’s neutrality in the US election, saying, “What matters to us
are the policies that the winner of the election will pursue and his will to
restore the rights of the Iranian people."
Last
week, Director of US National Intelligence John Ratcliffe alleged that Iran and
Russia had obtained voter registration information in an attempt to undermine
confidence in the 2020 polls, an accusation categorically rejected by Tehran
and Moscow.
Iran
summoned the Swiss envoy who represents US interests in the Islamic Republic
over the issue.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637370/Iran-US-elections-JCPOA-Ali-Rabiei
--------
India
Pulwama
kingpin and Hizbul chief among 18 based in Pakistan listed as ‘designated
terrorist’
Oct
28, 2020
NEW
DELHI: The home ministry on Tuesday listed 18 terrorists based in Pakistan –
including key 26/11 attack conspirators, Indian Mujahideen brass, Dawood
Ibrahim aides wanted for 1993 Mumbai blasts, besides Hizbul Mujahideen chief
Syed Salahudeen and Jaish e Mohammad No. 2 Abdul Rauf Asghar – as “designated
terrorists” under Schedule 4 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Among
the key names added to Schedule 4 of UAPA are key conspirator behind 2001
Parliament attack and more recently the Pulwama terror attack Rauf Asghar;
Hizbul Mujahideen chief and head of United Jihad Council Syed Salahuddin;
Dawood aide Chhota Shakeel, wanted in 104 criminal cases; and founder of Indian
Mujahideen Riyaz Bhatkal wanted for a series of bomb blasts across the country
between 2008 and 2010.
Schedule
4 was added to UAPA in August 2019 as part of Narendra Modi government’s ‘zero
tolerance’ approach to terror. Home minister Amit Shah, guided by “iron-willed”
leadership of PM Modi, has unequivocally reaffirmed the nation’s resolve to
fight terrorism, the home ministry said on Tuesday.
Key
26/11 accused and Lashker e Toiba operatives based in Pakistan – Sajid Mir, one
of the main planners behind the 2008 Mumbai siege; commander of LeT operations
in J&K Yousuf Muzammil Butt; and LeT chief Hafiz Saeed’s brother-in-law and
head of LeT political affairs Abdur Rehman Makki – now stand designated as
“terrorists” under UAPA. Both Mir and Makki were earlier designated as
‘Specially Designated Global Terrorists’ by the US. Another LeT name in the
updated Schedule 4 is Shahid Mehmood Rehmatullah, deputy chief of proscribed
LeT arm Falah-i-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF).
Key
accused in Kandahar hijack case of 1999 – in which Maulana Masood Azhar was
freed as part of a hostage-swap deal, followed by his founding Jaish e Mohammad
– designated as terrorists on Tuesday include Rauf Asghar, who is also brother
of Masood. Rauf, involved in setting up of training camps in Pakistan for
recruitment and militant training, was the key conspirator in 2001 Parliament
attack and, more recently, the Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
Ibrahim
Athar and Yusuf Azhar, both involved in the Kandahar hijacking, have also been
enlisted as individual terrorists.
Apart
from Hizbul chief Syed Salahudeen, his deputy Ghulam Nabi Khan alias Saifullah
Khalid and the outfit’s finance head Zaffar Hussain Bhat alias Khursheed, were
named as designated terrorists. Zafar was last week chargesheeted by NIA in the
Hizbul Mujahideen narco-terror case.
Top
Indian Mujahideen terrorists based in Pakistan Riyaz Bhatkal, who as per an NIA
chargesheet had escaped to Pakistan in March 2009 with ISI's help, and
Shabandri Mohammad Iqbal alias Iqbal Bhatkal, are also now designated as
terrorists.
Four
aides of Dawood Ibrahim -- Chhota Shakeel who looks after all criminal and
underworld operations of D-Company; Mohammad Anis Shaikh who supplied arms,
ammunition and hand grenades and was involved in 1993 blasts; Tiger Memon who
hatched the 1993 blasts conspiracy; and Javed Chikna – figure in the updated
list of designated terrorists .
Others
in the list are 2002 Akshardham temple attack accused Farhatullah Ghori and
Shahid Latif, JeM’s Commander of Sialkot sector involved in launching of JeM
terrorists into India including those behind 2016 Pathankot attack.
With
18 new additions, Schedule 4 of UAPA now has 31 designated terrorists.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pulwama-kingpin-and-hizbul-chief-among-18-based-in-pakistan-listed-as-designated-terrorist/articleshow/78901977.cms
--------
India,
US call on Pakistan to take immediate and irreversible action against terrorism
Edited
by Sohini Sarkar
Oct
27, 2020
India
and the US on Tuesday reiterated their call for Pakistan to take irreversible
action to ensure its territory isn’t used for terror attacks and to speedily
prosecute the perpetrators and planners of the attacks in Mumbai, Uri and
Pathankot.
The
demand for action by Pakistan to counter terrorism, which figured in a joint
statement issued after the 2+2 ministerial dialogue, was similar to calls made
by India and the US in recent years. The joint statement also called for
“concerted action” against terrorist networks such as al-Qaeda, Islamic State
and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Besides
China’s aggressive actions across the region and beyond, counter-terrorism was
part of the discussions between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and
defence minister Rajnath Singh and their US counterparts Mike Pompeo and Mark
Esper. Jaishankar told a media interaction after the meeting that the Indian
side made it “clear that cross-border terrorism is completely unacceptable”.
The
joint statement noted the ministers had “denounced the use of terrorist proxies
and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms”, and said:
“They emphasised the need for concerted action against all terrorist networks,
including al-Qaeda, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar-e- Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)
and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.”
The
statement added, “The ministers called on Pakistan to take immediate, sustained
and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used
for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators
and planners of all such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai, Uri, and Pathankot.”
Six
American citizens were among the 166 people killed in the 2008 Mumbai attacks
carried out by a 10-member LeT team from Pakistan. The 2016 Uri attack and the
Pathankot attack in 2016 were blamed on Pakistan-based JeM.
The
joint statement said the two sides are committed to continued exchange of
information about sanctions and designations of terror groups and individuals,
particularly in light of recent legislative changes in India, and countering
the financing and operations of terror organisations, countering radicalism and
terrorist use of the internet.
People
familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that India-US
counter-terrorism cooperation has made considerable progress with enhanced
information-sharing and operational cooperation. The joint working groups on
counter-terrorism and designation dialogue meet regularly to enable cooperation
in pursuing sanctions and designations of terror groups and individuals, the
people said.
The
joint statement further said the two sides are committed to countering
“cross-border movement of terrorists, and prosecuting, rehabilitating, and
reintegrating returning terrorist fighters and family members”.
While
enhancing cooperation in multilateral forums such as the UN, the two sides
reaffirmed their support for early adoption of a UN Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism to strengthen global cooperation.
The
ongoing Afghan peace process also figured in the 2+2 meeting, with the joint
statement saying the ministers had discussed their “shared interest in
promoting a sovereign, peaceful, united, democratic, inclusive, stable and
secure Afghanistan, including support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace
process”.
The
US side “applauded India’s development assistance and efforts to build trade
linkages and multi-modal connectivity infrastructure for Afghanistan to enhance
its regional connectivity to sustain growth and development”.
Jaishankar
told the media interaction: “On Afghanistan, India’s stakes in its security and
stability are evident, as is our willingness to contribute to international
efforts to that end.” Pompeo said the “US values India as a multilateral
partner, whether it’s through the Quad [or] making the Afghan peace
negotiations successful...”
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-us-call-on-pakistan-to-take-immediate-and-irreversible-action-against-terrorism/story-KqlOXxZpUoInRcOaVjmWSN.html
--------
Afghanistan
battles Pak 'hurdles' to export onions to India
Oct
27, 2020
NEW
DELHI: Afghanistan is looking to circumvent hurdles allegedly created by
Pakistan agencies at the Wagah-Attari border to export onions to India. It has
raised with Pakistan authorities the need for officials to not delay the export
to India.
The
Indian government has been keen to import onions from Afghanistan via the land
border with Pakistan to meet the shortage here of the kitchen staple.
Pakistan
had in June resumed Afghan exports through Wagah border crossing, after
implementing Covid-19 protocols, in keeping with its transit trade agreement
with Afghanistan. Afghanistan's exports to India via Wagah had been disrupted
in March because of Covid.
Pakistan
claims it remains fully committed to further strengthening its bilateral
relations with Afghanistan in all areas including trade, and to facilitate
Afghanistan’s transit trade. However, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and
Investment (ACCI) has received complaints from traders in Kabul alleging that
almost 70 percent of the onions meant for India was rotting away at the Wagah
border because of the delay in processing.
Sources
said only 30 percent of the trucks arriving at the border were being processed
daily. Then there were other problems like, as a source said, not enough
scanners and Pakistan authorities insisting on repackaging the consignment in
bags of smaller sizes leading to an increase in cost for traders and also delay
in processing. The ACCI had warned that these conditions could hurt bilateral
trade.
Under
its 2010 transit trade agreement with Afghanistan, Pakistan allows Afghanistan
to export to India via the border but not to import from India. Pakistani
authorities have so far opposed any proposal to allow India to use the border
for two-way trade with Afghanistan, claiming it will hurt their agreement with
Afghanistan.
According
to the Indian government, while there is immense potential to expand bilateral
trade with Afghanistan, the difficulties in transit via Pakistan remained a
major hurdle in expanding trade ties. In order to expand trade, Afghanistan and
India had launched a dedicated Air Freight Corridor in 2017.
The
Corridor is said to have already witnessed
close
to a 1000 flights, carrying goods valued at more than $ 216 million. "This
has provided a boost to Afghan exports to India and has directly benefited
Afghan farmers and small traders and exporters," says an official.
The
operationalisation of the Chabahar Port in Iran in 2017 and the subsequent
agreement to manage port operations also helped India strengthen bilateral
trade, bypassing Pakistan. According to Indian authorities, the Port has so far
handled over 5,000 containers ferrying over 110,000 tons of wheat and over
2,000 tons of pulses sent by India as assistance to Afghanistan via Chabahar.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/afghanistan-battles-pak-hurdles-to-export-onion-to-india/articleshow/78897944.cms
--------
NIA
raids several locations across Kashmir in terror-funding case
Edited
by Poulomi Ghosh
Oct
28, 2020
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids at multiple
locations in Srinagar, including the office of Greater Kashmir newspaper and
the residence of human rights activist Khurram Parvaiz in Sonwar in connection
with ‘unaccounted funding’. The offices of NGO Athrout are also being raided.
The
NIA has registered a new case to probe into the fund-raising activities of the
NGO — who are funding them and where the funds are being channelised to. Hawala
racket, misappropriation of funds and terror funding are some of the
allegations against these NGOs, officials said.
In
2016, Khurram Parvez was arrested from his home in Srinagar which stoked a
controversy as it was alleged that he was detained without any formal arrest
warrant. He was detained for 76 days even after a sessions court ordered his
release as he was re-arrested under Public Safety Act.
In
2019, NIA interrogated Greater Kashmir editor-in-chief Fayaz Kaloo over a few
articles that appeared on the paper after Burhan Wani was killed.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/nia-raids-several-locations-across-kashmir-in-terror-funding-case/story-oxZsathzc7XmLBMUIT5quJ.html
--------
Two
terrorists killed in Badgam in encounter with security forces: Police
Oct
28, 2020
SRINAGAR:
Two unidentified terrorists were killed by security forces in an encounter that
broke out on Tuesday night in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, police
said.
Security
forces launched a cordon-and-search operation at Moachwah in Chadoora area of
Budgam district around 7pm on Tuesday following information about the presence
of terrorists there, a police official said.
He
said the search operation turned into an encounter around 9pm after terrorists
opened fire at security forces positions.
Two
terrorists were killed in the gunbattle, which lasted nearly four hours.
The
identity and group affiliation of the slain terrorists was being ascertained,
the official said, adding preliminary investigation suggests that one of the
slain ultras was a foreigner.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/two-terrorists-killed-in-badgam-in-encounter-with-security-forces-police/articleshow/78902946.cms
--------
Europe
Macron’s
Islamophobia unleashes waves of protest, boycott, diplomatic rebuke in Muslim
world
27
October 2020
Anger
continues to grow across the Muslim world after French President Emmanuel
Macron publicly attacked Islam in defense of the publication of derogatory
cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Earlier
in October, France led a national tribute to a teacher, who was recently
beheaded by a Chechen teenager after showing his class the offensive
caricatures.
The
president said he would not “renounce the caricatures.” He described Islam as a
religion “in crisis” and declared war on “Islamist separatism,” which he claimed
was taking over France’s estimated six-million-strong Muslim population.
The
comments have angered not only the Muslim community in France, but all Islamic
nations, leading to protests, boycott calls and diplomatic condemnations in the
Middle East and the broader Muslim world.
Tens
of thousands stage anti-France rally in Bangladesh
On
Tuesday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the Bangladeshi
capital Dhaka to express their anger at French President Emmanuel Macron’s
comments.
More
than 40,000 people took part in the march organized by Islami Andolon
Bangladesh (IAB), one of the largest Islamic parties in the South Asian
country.
During
the march, which started from the Baitul Mukarram national mosque, the
protesters called for a boycott of French products and burnt an effigy of the
French leader.
They
chanted “Boycott French products” and called for Macron to be punished.
“Macron
is one of the few leaders who worship Satan,” Ataur Rahman, a senior IAB leader
addressed the rally at Bangladesh’s biggest mosque.
Rahman
also called on the Bangladesh government to “kick out” the French ambassador,
Jean-Marin Schuh.
Another
Islami Andolon Bangladesh leader, Hasan Jamal, said activists would “tear down
every brick of that building” if the envoy was not ordered out.
“France
is the enemy of Muslims. Those who represent them are also our enemies,” Nesar
Uddin, a young leader of the group, said.
Hundreds
of police officers used a barbed-wire barricade to stop the protesters from
getting close to the French embassy.
Demonstrators
marched down other streets after police intervened, chanting “Boycott France”
and “Macron will pay a high price.”
Iraqis
demand apology, boycott
On
Monday, hundreds of people staged rallies outside the French embassy in Iraq to
condemn the move. The protesters burned France’s national flag near the
country’s diplomatic mission in the capital Baghdad, in the latest display of
anger in the Muslim world over the images and Macron’s comments.
The
demonstrators also held up posters showing caricatures of the European leader
and chanted slogans in support of the Prophet.
“These
( Macron’s) statements jeopardize global security and harmony since they damage
the coexistence between different religions. We condemn these statements and we
ask the French president to apologize to all Muslims,” Abu Ayman, a protester,
said.
Aqil
al-Kadhemi, a cleric at the rally, also demanded an “apology to all Muslims
because the Prophet is a symbol of Islam and Muslims.”
“We
are demonstrating to denounce and strongly disapprove” of Macron’s comments,
Kadhemi told AFP at the protest.
Other
protesters called for a boycott of French products, like those already underway
in supermarkets in the Persian Gulf kingdoms of Qatar and Kuwait, and demanded
in Jordan and Turkey.
Moreover,
Iraq’s Islamic Dawa Party strongly condemned Macron’s comments against Islam
and demanded that he apologize.
In
a provocative move that hurt the feelings of Muslims, Macron “has defended
publication of caricatures offending Prophet Muhammad and said France would not
give them up under the pretext that the country adheres to ‘secularism’ and
‘freedom of expression.’ The free speech has, however, been abused for repeated
and deliberate insults to the Prophet, Islam and religions,” the political
party said in a statement.
It
added, “Such aggressive viewpoints reflect his (Macron’s) psychological
complexes, his internal defeat and his tendency to insult dignitaries in the
hopes that he would look great. These positions come within a deliberate
approach aimed at undermining Islam and targeting its sanctities. Accordingly,
they should not be tolerated.”
The
Islamic Dawa Party then called on all Muslim institutions, states and nations
to “express their outrage and condemnation, and voice their support for the
Prophet.”
It
also demanded an apology from the French leader, stating that his recent
Islamophobic comments have hurt the feelings of nearly two billion Muslims
across the globe, who make up more than a quarter of the world’s population and
whose religion is currently the world’s second-largest after Christianity.
Separately,
the Fatah (Conquest) Alliance has called for a boycott French goods in Iraq in
protest at Macron’s anti-Islam stance.
“Muslim
and Arab world besides friends of the French nation were astonished by Macron’s
offensive statements against Islam and its honorable Prophet. We denounce
Macron’s comments as we see them as a grave affront to humanitarian and
cultural values,” it stated.
“Macron’s
offensive remarks indicate his ignorance of Islam. He is living in a country,
where Orientalism was born and flourished and a great deal of research has been
conducted on the knowledge of Islam and its philosophical advantage over the
Western civilization,” the statement added.
“The
smallest response to this blatant insult of the Prophet (PBUH) is to boycott
French products. The [Iraqi] government must summon the French ambassador
[Bruno Aubert] and send a note of strong protest to the French government,” the
Fatah Alliance pointed out.
Turkey:
Macron after leadership in Europe
Furthermore,
Turkey's Presidential Spokesman Fahrettin Altun slammed the French president on
Monday over his controversial remarks about Islam.
“President
Macron’s recent anti-Islam rhetoric is yet another example of a desperate
European politician vying for relevance,” Altun wrote in a series of posts
published on his official Twitter page.
“His
flailing attempt to assume leadership in Europe is driving his promotion of
Islamophobia, xenophobia, and his attacks on our President [Recep Tayyip]
Erdogan,” he added.
Altun
stressed that Macron is discriminating against Muslims in France and in Europe
for a political purpose.
“We
need to call out such irresponsible figures whose statements and actions are
not simply the effect but the cause of hostility against Islam. Politicians
like Macron are savoring opportunities to condemn a whole religion in order to
cover their failings at the home front,” the senior Turkish official pointed
out.
Pakistan
blasts France’s campaign of Islamophobia
Pakistan’s
upper and lower houses of parliament also adopted resolutions on Monday,
condemning France over a “systematic” Islamophobic campaign under the pretext
of freedom of expression.
The
lawmakers unanimously voted for two separate resolutions, which strongly
condemned the “illegal” and “Islamophobic” publication of insulting caricatures
of Prophet Muhammad in France.
The
resolution, introduced in the National Assembly by Foreign Minister Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, urged the Islamabad government to recall its ambassador from
France in protest against the sacrilegious moves.
The
resolution also called on Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC)Yousef al-Othaimeen to closely monitor the ongoing campaign of
Islamophobia and take necessary actions, which represent the Muslim countries’
common position on the matter.
It
urged the UN as well to immediately arrange an international dialog for
inter-faith harmony and combat the rising trend of Islamophobia.
Muslim
rights group 'no longer feels safe in France'
Additionally,
the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) announced in a statement
on Monday that it plans to expand its activities outside the European country
amid concerns for its safety in the wake of Macron’s remarks.
“As
an organization, we no longer feel we can conduct our work in a safe
environment, as our lives are threatened and the government designates us as an
enemy,” it said.
The
French Muslim human rights group highlighted that it had been targeted by hate
messages, death threats and insults over the past week after the French
government announced it wanted to dissolve the organization.
“Using
fake news from the far right, some political figures in the entourage of
president Macron have even tried to pin last Friday's attack on organizations
who denounce Islamophobia, as if it was conceptually impossible to address both
terrorism and contemporary forms of racism, including Islamophobia,” the statement
read.
“For
these reasons, whatever the outcome of the government’s attempt to dissolve
CCIF, we have decided to extend our activities internationally, to ensure
continuity of our operations and protect our teams,” the group pointed out.
Jordan
summons French ambassador
Meanwhile,
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi summoned French Ambassador Véronique
Vouland-Aneini to express his country’s strong dissatisfaction with publication
of the cartoons offending Prophet Muhammad and Macron’s anti-Islam comments.
“Insulting
religious symbols and sanctities fuels the culture of abhorrence, violence,
extremist and terrorism that the Kindom condemns in all its forms,” Safadi
said.
He
underlined that the affront to Prophet Muhammad and other divine prophets cannot
be accepted under freedom of expression.
The
top Jordanian diplomat said the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on
October 25, 2018 that insulting Islam’s Prophet Muhammad is not covered by
freedom of expression.
Oman
Mufti: Muslims should boycott French firms
Meanwhile,
the Grand Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Ahmad bin Hamad al-Khalili,
expressed his support for the boycott of French products in protest at the
insult to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He
called on Muslims worldwide to withdraw their money from French businesses, and
work towards the creation of an independent international economic system.
Saudi
Arabia condemns cartoons disparaging Prophet Muhammad
In
a belated reaction, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday also condemned the cartoons and any
attempts to link Islam with terrorism.
An
unnamed foreign ministry official said in a statement that the Persian Gulf
state condemned all acts of terrorism, in an apparent reference to the French
teacher’s murder.
“Freedom
of expression and culture should be a beacon of respect, tolerance and peace
that rejects practices and acts which generate hatred, violence and extremism
and are contrary to coexistence,” the statement carried by state media said.
Even
though calls for a boycott of French supermarket chain Carrefour are trending
on social media in Saudi Arabia, the corporation continues to operate in the
kingdom and two main stores Reuters visited in the capital Riyadh on Monday
seemed as busy as normal.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637326/Outrage-boils-across-Muslim-world-after-Macron-backs-Prophet-Mohammed-cartoons
--------
Two
Swiss Muslim leaders convicted of spreading propaganda supporting al-Qaeda
27
October 2020
A
Swiss court handed suspended jail terms on Tuesday to two senior officials from
a Swiss Islamic group for spreading propaganda supporting al-Qaeda, in a
retrial which followed their earlier acquittal.
Nicolas
Blancho, president of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS), and
media spokesman Abdel Azziz Qaasim Illi were sentenced by the Federal Criminal
Court to 15 months and 18 months in prison respectively, both suspended for
three years.
For
all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Prosecutors
originally charged the two men and one other ICCS official in 2017 over videos
posted online two years earlier that included interviews with leaders of Jabhat
al-Nusra, at the time al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch.
The
ICCS did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday’s ruling. It has previously
said the footage was intended to shed light on a troubled region, not glorify
extremists.
Films
of the interview were subsequently used online as propaganda for al-Qaeda,
according to the indictment. Prosecutors said the filmmakers failed to explicitly
distance themselves from al-Qaeda activities in Syria in the 2015 videos.
The
charges were made under a Swiss law that bans al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Blancho
and Illi were found not guilty in the earlier trial because the court held that
prosecutors had failed to provide sufficient detail about the allegations. The
third ICCS official was convicted at the time.
The
Federal Court overturned Blancho and Illi’s acquittals in March and ordered a
new hearing.
The
Office of the Attorney General, which brought the prosecution, said it noted
the court’s decision on Tuesday with satisfaction.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/10/27/Two-Swiss-Muslim-leaders-convicted-of-spreading-propaganda-supporting-al-Qaeda
--------
Four
civilians killed in Armenian missile attack: Azerbaijan
27
October 2020
Azerbaijan
on Tuesday accused Armenia of carrying out a missile attack on its town of
Barda near the frontline with Nagorno-Karabakh that killed four people.
Azerbaijani
presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said on Twitter that a toddler was among the
dead and that 10 people were wounded, accusing Armenia of an “indiscriminate
and targeted attack against civilians”.
https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/world/2020/10/27/Four-civilians-killed-in-Armenian-missile-attack-Azerbaijan
--------
France pushes tougher EU rules for social media in wake of terror attack
October
26, 2020
France
is pushing the EU to harden upcoming rules for social media platforms after a
schoolteacher was beheaded in France, arguing that "harmful content"
such as hate speech needs to be reined in.
The
push, which comes as Brussels is drafting a new rulebook for platforms like
Facebook and Twitter, includes urging the EU to go beyond its current focus on
illegal content, according to an EU official with firsthand knowledge of
France's position.
Ministers
in French President Emmanuel Macron's government are also lining up to
criticize platforms' content moderation efforts after Samuel Paty, the slain
schoolteacher, faced a wave of online harassment.
“Today,
we don’t have the information or the capacity to force the large social media
platforms to implement [content] moderation worthy of what they represent … A
text pushed by France will be presented in early December at European level,”
Junior Digital Minister Cédric O said over the weekend.
Paris
has long been a driving force behind the EU’s effort to rein in tech companies.
But the harassment of Paty, who was killed for showing caricatures of the
Prophet Muhammad in a classroom, has prompted the government to ramp up
pressure on the European Commission.
The
push comes as the Commission is due to present on December 2 a legislative
proposal known as the Digital Services Act that will lay out content moderation
rules for platforms such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok. New rules
could include harmonization of notice-and-take down procedures across the bloc.
The
stakes are high for France. A national law on hate speech was struck down
before the summer by the Constitutional Council for threatening freedom of
expression. Since then, the law's author Laetitia Avia has taken the fight to
Brussels.
"Platform
regulation has been a priority for the French government, and not only in the
past few days. There has been an acceleration in the sense that the prime
minister himself has taken up the issue," said Avia, an MP from Macron's
La République En Marche party who's in regular contact with Internal Market
Commissioner Thierry Breton and his team about platform regulation.
France's
Plan B
Prime
Minister Jean Castex conveyed a message of urgency during his inaugural visit
to Brussels last week.
“It’s
important for France to make progress — and to do so very quickly — on strong
regulation of those networks,” Castex said after meeting with Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen and Breton. A French official added that Paris
is hoping for swift negotiations in Brussels in 2021.
However,
if the EU legislation doesn’t go far enough on hate speech, the French
government is ready to add measures in an upcoming national bill that aims to
fight radical Islam, according to the Journal du Dimanche.
The
French draft legislation is expected on December 9 — one week after the Digital
Services Act, though it's currently unclear what kind of new obligations would
be included if Paris is not satisfied by the EU proposal.
The
French government could also decide to integrate the DSA's obligations in its
own bill to ensure they are applicable in France faster, Avia said.
O’s
office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Go
beyond illegal content
Behind
the scenes, France has been pushing for a far-reaching piece of legislation
that would cover a wide range of content.
Paris
recently circulated a document arguing the Digital Services Act should go
beyond illegal content to tackle material that is harmful but legal, such as
disinformation, an EU official with firsthand knowledge of the document told
POLITICO. The document was drafted before the terror attack, French officials
said.
The
French authorities also wrote that the future legislation should not only set
rules for content removals after notification, but also impose transparency and
supervision obligations on the platforms’ content moderation algorithms and
filtering tools, the EU official said.
When
it comes to disinformation, measures to reduce the content’s virality — such as
downgrading its visibility or limiting sharing — would be more appropriate than
removals and blocking, according to the French.
France
also wants regulators and civil society to be able to audit moderation
algorithms, which implies having access to data, and have more information
about human moderation. Regulators should also have the power to issue
injunctions and, in the case of systemic failure to remove content, sanctions.
Economy
Minister Bruno Le Maire recently pitched fines that could go up to 4 percent of
the company's turnover.
"Whether
the Commission decides on 3 or 5 percent [fines] is irrelevant, what matters is
that it's efficient," O said over the weekend.
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-renews-social-media-regulation-push-at-eu-level-in-wake-of-terror-attack/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1657492_
--------
South
Asia
International
donors pledge nearly $600 million to support Rohingya Muslims
OCT
23, 2020
International
donors pledged nearly $600 million to support displaced Rohingya Muslims on
Thursday, succeeding in bridging a huge gap in funding for hundreds of
thousands of refugees.
Britain,
the United States and European Union organized the virtual conference along
with the United Nations refugee agency, aiming to meet a target of $1 billion
in funding for 2020, less than half of which had been raised.
The
United States, the largest single donor, announced nearly $200 million in new
funds while the EU pledged about $113 million and Britain about $60 million. A
number of other countries also contributed.
"The
international community has demonstrated its strong commitment to the humanitarian
response with its announcement of funding today totaling $597 million,"
U.N High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said.
More
than 730,000 Rohingya, members of a persecuted Muslim minority, fled Myanmar in
2017 for neighboring Bangladesh following a military crackdown the United
Nations has said was carried out with genocidal intent.
Myanmar
denies the allegations, saying it was conducting legitimate security operations
against insurgents who attacked police posts.
Close
to a million Rohingya Muslims now live in crowded Bangladesh camps that
comprise the world’s largest refugee settlement.
Hundreds
of thousands remain in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where they are widely regarded
as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and are confined in camps and villages,
mostly denied citizenship, free movement and access to health care.
Dozens
have died this year while embarking on perilous journeys by boat to Malaysia
seeking better lives.
UNHCR's
Grandi said growing numbers undertaking sea voyages – 2,400 this year – showed
the growing despair in the camps.
"We
need...not to lose ground on the gains that we have achieved and to make
further progress both for refugees and the host communities," he said.
Shahriar
Alam, Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said the country was
tired of hosting so many refugees, saying the situation was
"untenable."
"Bangladesh
is not in a position to continue to take the burden anymore," he said,
adding that Rohingya must return to Myanmar as soon as possible.
Bangladesh
plans to move 100,000 refugees to Bhasan Char, a flood-prone island where it
has built housing, he said.
Attempts
to kickstart repatriation have ended in failure, amid refugee protests. Many
Rohingya say they will not return without a guarantee of basic rights.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/asia-pacific/international-donors-pledge-nearly-600-million-to-support-rohingya-muslims
--------
Officials
Nab ‘Alleged Facilitator of Taliban Terrorist’ in Paghman
By
Mohammad Arif Sheva
27
Oct 2020
KABUL,
Afghanistan – General Command of Police Special Unit (GCPSU) has arrested an
“alleged facilitator of the Taliban terrorist” in operation carried in Paghman
district of Afghan capital Kabul, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said in a
statement Tuesday.
According
to the statement, security officials seized at least two AK-47 assault rifles
and a number of ammunition during the operation.
“An
alleged facilitator of Taliban terrorists arrested during an operation carried
out by GCPSU in Paghman district of Kabul,” said MoIA in a tweet. “GCPSU seized
two AK-47 assault rifles, one pistol & some amount of ammunition &
military equipment.”
The
Taliban did not immediately comment on the incident.
Meanwhile,
in a news from Mazar-e-Sharif, the special unit forces nabbed at least one
suspect charged with arm trafficking in Balkh city, seizing at least one PK
machine gun and three kilograms of hashish.
“GCPSU
detained a gun trafficker in Mazar-e-Sharif City of Balkh,” MoIA said. “Two
rockets, three AK-47 assault rifles, one PK machine gun, one rifle, one pistol
& 3kg of hashish were also seized.”
https://www.khaama.com/officials-nab-alleged-facilitator-of-taliban-terrorist-in-paghman-345344/
--------
Deadly
militant attack hits Afghanistan's Khost amid faltering 'peace' talks
27
October 2020
A
car bomb attack has killed at least seven people and wounded 33, including
police forces and civilians, in Afghanistan’s eastern Khost Province, as a new
UN report says the ongoing 'peace' talks
have failed to slow the civilian casualty toll.
The
car bombing targeted a police special forces compound in the city of Khost,
near the border with Pakistan, on Tuesday morning.
Gunmen
then entered the building and engaged security officers in gun battles,
according to local authorities.
“The
security forces destroyed another car bomb before it reached its target,”
Provincial Police Chief Daoud Tarakhel said, adding that “several security
forces have been wounded in the attack.”
He
said that the attackers had been confined to one building and that other parts
of the police special unit compound had been cleared of the assailants.
No
group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Afghan
Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian announced that at least four assailants
had been killed during the clashes and that efforts were underway to neutralize
the remaining militants.
“This
morning, terrorists blew up a vehicle loaded with explosives near a special
police unit in the area of the former governor office of Khost Province. Four
terrorists were killed and efforts are underway to eliminate the other two
terrorists,” the Afghan Interior Ministry said in a statement.
“In
this incident, 16 soldiers and nine civilians were injured, and two people were
martyred,” it said.
Khost
Civil Hospital’s chief physician Sakhi Sardar said that the medical center had
received 32 wounded soldiers and civilians — including women and children — as
well as the bodies of three people.
The
development came a day after US forces conducted yet another airstrike against
a Taliban outpost in central Afghanistan despite a “peace” deal that Washington
and the militants signed in February.
Under
the deal, the militants agreed to stop their attacks on foreign forces in
return for the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Official
data shows, however, that bombings and other assaults have increased by 70
percent in Afghanistan.
More
than 20 civilians, including women, were killed in bomb attacks carried out in
the capital Kabul on Saturday.
Afghanistan
deadliest place in world to be a civilian: UN report
A
new report released by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on
Monday expressed serious concern about the continuing rise in the number of
civilian casualties across the country despite intra-Afghan peace talks, now
underway following the deal between the United States and the Taliban.
In
its latest quarterly report, the mission documented 5,939 civilian casualties
(2,117 deaths and 3,822 injuries) from January 1 to September 30, 2020,
insisting that high levels of violence continued throughout the country with a
devastating impact on civilians, “with Afghanistan remaining among the
deadliest places in the world to be a civilian.”
The
report said that “the harm done to civilians remains inordinate and shocking”
and reiterated that all parties to the conflict can and must do more to protect
civilians from harm by urgently reviewing practices and strengthening
mitigation measures.
The
mission raised “increasing concern over the intensification of the fighting in
Helmand, as well as several indiscriminate attacks in Nangarhar, Laghman, and
Ghor along with an airstrike in Takhar and a suicide attack targeting civilians
in Kabul that taken together killed and injured more than 400 civilians.”
“The
peace talks will need some time to help deliver peace. But all parties can
immediately prioritize discussions and take urgent, and frankly overdue,
additional steps to stem the terrible harm to civilians,” said Deborah Lyons,
the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Afghanistan.
“New
thinking and concrete action towards safeguarding civilian life will not only
save thousands of families from suffering and grief but it can also help lessen
recriminations and, instead, bolster confidence and trust among negotiators,”
added Lyons, who also serves as UNAMA’s chief.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637335/Car-bomb-attack-kills-7-wounds-33-in-Afghanistan
--------
Africa
Boko
Haram Jihadists Kill Eight Farmers in Nigeria’s Borno State
OCTOBER
26, 2020
Eight
farmers have been killed by Boko Haram jihadists in northeastern Nigeria,
security sources said Monday.
The
insurgents attacked the farmers on Sunday as they were harvesting crops in
Moranti outside Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, two sources said.
“The
attackers used knives, not guns, to kill all eight farmers, so as not to
attract attention,” militia leader Babakura Kolo said.
Local
communities have resorted to armed vigilantes or militias, who work alongside
the army, as self-defense.
“They
(Boko Haram) hacked the farmers and slit their throats,” said a second militia
leader, Umar Ari, who was involved in evacuating the bodies.
Boko
Haram militants slaughtered 14 farmers earlier this month as they worked on
fields in Ngwom village near Maiduguri.
Meanwhile,
a Boko Haram rival group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP),
launched attacks at the weekend on three military bases in Borno and
neighboring Yobe state that were thwarted by troops, according to security
sources and residents.
ISWAP
claimed to have killed a dozen soldiers, but this could not be independently
verified.
At
least 36,000 people have been killed and around two million people have fled
their homes since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009.
The
violence has spread into neighboring Niger, Chad, and Cameroon and prompted the
creation of a regional military coalition to fight the militants.
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2020/10/26/boko-haram-kill-eight-nigeria/?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1657492_
--------
Somalia
conflict: Al-Shabab 'collects more revenue than government'
By
Mary Harper
OCTOBER
26, 2020
Using
intimidation and violence, Somalia-based Islamist militant group al-Shabab
raises as much revenue as the country's authorities, a report says.
The
militants collect at least $15m (£11m) a month, with more than half the amount
coming from the capital, Mogadishu, the Hiraal Institute said.
Some
businesses pay both the jihadists and the internationally recognised
government.
Al-Shabab
has been fighting that government for more than a decade.
The
group controls much of southern and central Somalia but has been able to extend
its influence into areas controlled by the government based in Mogadishu.
The
report describes as "brutal" the way the group extracts money from
the rural population.
"Fear
and a credible threat to their lives is the only motivation that drives
al-Shabab taxpayers," the report says.
According
to the Hiraal Institute, unlike the Somali government, al-Shabab is
"running a major financial surplus" as the amount of money it
collects increases yearly, whilst its operational costs remain fairly static.
All
major companies in Somalia give the jihadists money, both in the form of
monthly payments and a yearly "zakat" (obligatory alms) of 2.5% of
annual profits, says the report, which is based on interviews with al-Shabab
members, Somali businesspeople, government officials and others.
Businesspeople
in government-controlled areas complain they have to pay both the militants and
the government.
These
include those in the Villa Somalia neighbourhood of Mogadishu, where the
government is based, and those in the cities of Bossasso and Jowhar, and to a
lesser extent Kismayo and Baidoa, all of which are officially outside militant
control.
The
seaport in Mogadishu is a major source of revenue for the Somali government.
However, imports are also "taxed" by the jihadists who get the cargo
ships' manifests from port officials.
The
Hiraal Institute says many government employees give a part of their salaries
to al-Shabab in the hope that the group will leave them alone despite
considering them legitimate targets.
State
employees and other people working in government-controlled areas also explain
how the insurgents contact them by mobile phone to demand money.
Army
commander pays al-Shabab
In
areas controlled by al-Shabab, jihadist revenue collectors go directly to the
businesses and demand payment.
A
commander in the Somali army described how he "sent money to al-Shabab
despite being at war with the group".
The
soldier explained how a man who was building a house for him stopped the
construction work and left after the commander refused to pay a fee to the
militants.
The
vehicles transporting building materials also stopped coming to the site after
they too were asked to pay.
"Finally
I was forced to either drop the construction work or pay al-Shabab," said
the commander.
"Regrettably,
I paid them $3,600 (£2,750) and my house was completed," he said.
The
report says the jihadists keep almost as close an eye on the booming real
estate sector as they do on imports.
An
estate agent in the southern port city of Kismayo explained how colleague are
called up by the militants, "given details of the transactions they
conducted and ordered to pay a non-negotiable amount - and they pay exactly
what al-Shabab demanded".
Acting
as a quasi-government, al-Shabab is the only entity in the country which
collects revenue in rural areas. It sets levies on livestock, on crops, even on
the use of water resources.
The
militant group explained how, in the areas it controls, only farmers who pay
money for irrigation can use rivers and canals to water their fields.
"A
farmer complained that he was forced to pay 'operations taxes' for his tractor
even when it was out of operation due to technical issues."
'Payments
not voluntary'
Most
businesspeople, government employees and others who pay money to al-Shabab told
the Hiraal researchers they only do so out of fear.
"The
paying of al-Shabab taxes is not a voluntary venture."
Those
who refuse are either killed, forced to shut down their businesses or flee the
country.
Some
feel it is worth their while paying money to al-Shabab as they receive services
in return. Unlike the government, the militants are able to provide a degree of
security.
"Taxes
paid at al-Shabab checkpoints ensure safe passage through the whole of
al-Shabab territory and in government-held areas where the militants are
active."
The
report details how the jihadists solve disputes between businesspeople and
regulate the production of certain export items such as lemons.
Hiraal
says the only way to stop the militants from raising revenue in this way is to
improve the security situation, so members of the business community and others
can operate without interference from al-Shabab.
Given
that the group has been in existence for more than a decade and continues to
stage attacks in government-controlled areas, it would appear that the
militants will be able to keep on getting money, no matter where they are in
Somalia, for some time to come.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54690561?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1657492_
--------
North
America
Even
if Biden wins, all sanctions against Iran won't be lifted: US envoy
27
October 2020
If
Joe Biden won the US presidential election he would have a tough time lifting
economic sanctions against Iran imposed by President Donald Trump, a Trump
envoy has claimed.
US
Special Representative for Iran and Venezuela Elliott Abrams said that
Washington “now has a comprehensive sanctions structure in place that will stay
for a while.”
“Those
who believe that a President Biden could come to office in January and by the
second or third day all sanctions will be gone, will find out that it’s not
feasible even if they wanted to do it,” he said in a recent interview with The
National, which is a English-language newspaper published in Abu Dhabi, the
United Arab Emirates.
Biden
has promised to return the US to the Iran nuclear deal — left by the Trump
administration two years ago — if he wins the November 3 election.
Biden
said that Washington will rejoin the 2015 deal if Iran returns to what he
called “strict compliance” with the nuclear accord, known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“I
will also take steps to make sure US sanctions do not hinder Iran's fight
against COVID-19,” Biden Claimed.
Abrams,
however, said anti-Iran sanctions, especially those imposed by the Trump
administration outside the Iran 2015 nuclear deal, will not be lifted anytime
soon.
“Every
sanction action that the Trump administration took until the official
withdrawal from the JCPOA, could have been done under the agreement,” he said.
Some
of the sanctions have been imposed on Tehran since 1979 and have nothing to do
with Iran’s nuclear program, according to Abrams.
The
Washington envoy declined to comment on what Biden would do with the nuclear
deal.
The
Democratic presidential nominee has formerly signaled that he wants to
renegotiate the international deal with Tehran.
Tehran,
however, has repeatedly said that its ties with Washington does not depend on
the result of the November election in the US.
It
asserted on several occasions that there will be no positive development in the
relations between the Islamic Republic and the US, unless Washington abandons
its unlawful sanctions and corrects the wrong path it has chosen.
The
Tehran government also said it will not renegotiate the existing accord or make
a new one with the US as long as sanctions remain in place.
Since
scrapping the deal, the Trump administration has unleashed its “toughest ever”
sanctions to bring Iran's economy to its knees.
The
economic bans have obstructed Iran's access to medicines amid the coronavirus
pandemic.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637359/US-Iran-sanctions-JCPOA-Donald-Trump-Joe-Biden--Elliott-Abrams
--------
U.S.
slams Iran with another round of sanctions over support for ‘terrorist
entities’
Amanda
Macias
OCT
26 2020
WASHINGTON
— The Trump administration on Monday announced a slew of fresh sanctions and
additional measures targeting Iran’s petroleum sector as Washington continues
to up the ante in its maximum pressure campaign against Tehran.
The
Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Iran’s Ministry of Petroleum, the
National Iranian Oil Company and the National Iranian Tanker Company for
providing financial support to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the
Assad regime in Syria, according to a release Monday.
Treasury
also designated multiple entities and individuals associated with the petroleum
ministry, the oil company and the tanker company, including front companies,
subsidiaries and senior executives. In addition, Treasury designated four
persons involved in the recent sale of Iranian gasoline to the Maduro regime in
Venezuela.
According
to Treasury, the cooperation and coordination of these entities to sell oil
resulted in the collection of tens of millions of dollars in proceeds that
benefited Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“The
regime in Iran uses the petroleum sector to fund the destabilizing activities
of the IRGC-QF,” said Secretary Steven Mnuchin in a statement. “The Iranian
regime continues to prioritize its support for terrorist entities and its
nuclear program over the needs of the Iranian people,” Mnuchin added.
The
latest revelation comes a little over a week until Election Day and one month
after the United States unilaterally reimposed U.N. sanctions on Tehran through
a snapback process, which other U.N. Security Council members have previously
said Washington does not have the authority to execute because it withdrew from
the nuclear deal in 2018.
The
same week that the U.S. reimposed the U.N. sanctions the Trump administration
upped the ante even more. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, flanked by Defense
Secretary Mark Esper, Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, said the
administration would sanction Iran’s entire Ministry of Defense.
“No
matter who you are, if you violate the U.N. arms embargo on Iran, you risk
sanctions,” Pompeo said in an address on Sept. 21. “Our actions today are a
warning that should be heard worldwide,” he added.
Esper
followed on Pompeo’s remarks and said the Pentagon was “ready to respond to
future Iranian aggression” and called on Tehran to “act like a normal country.”
“We
continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies and partners to counter
Iran’s destabilizing behavior. In doing so, we will protect our people and our
interests and maintain the security of like-minded nations across the region,”
Esper added.
Tensions
between Washington and Tehran have mounted after President Donald Trump’s
withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement in 2018, calling it “the
worst deal ever.”
The
2015 accord lifted sanctions on Iran that crippled its economy and cut its oil
exports roughly in half. In exchange for sanctions relief, Iran accepted limits
on its nuclear program until the terms expire in 2025.
Trump
has previously said that the U.S. wants to reach a broader deal with Iran that
puts stricter limits on its nuclear and ballistic missile work and suppresses
the regime’s role in regional proxy wars. Tehran has refused to negotiate while
U.S. sanctions remain in place.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/26/us-slams-iran-with-sanctions-over-support-for-terrorist-entities.html?utm_source=iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1657492_
--------
Pakistan
US
Move To Share Military Data With India Alarms Pakistan Foreign Office
28
Oct 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Tuesday repeated its fears about regional strategic stability being
disturbed by the advanced military hardware and technologies shared with India
by the West as Washington signed a major pact with Delhi allowing sharing of
top-secret satellite data.
The
agreement called Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) was signed at
the third edition of India-US 2+2 talks held in Delhi. The accord will enable
India to access precision topographical, nautical and aeronautical data and
topographical images from US military satellites on a real time basis. The data
could be used for missiles and armed drones.
It
is the eighth agreement signed by the United States and India since they
embarked on a strategic partnership in 2005. Pakistani strategists believe that
the agreement would increase Pakistan’s strategic dilemma, even though it is
being presented as part of efforts to contain China.
The
Foreign Office, in its reaction to the signing of the agreement, said:
“Pakistan has taken note of the signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation
Agreement. Pakistan has been consistently highlighting the threats posed to
strategic stability in South Asia as a result of provision of advanced military
hardware, technologies and knowledge to India.”
It
added: “India’s massive acquisition of armaments and expansion of its nuclear
forces, including introduction of new destabilising weapon systems, are
developments with serious repercussions for peace and stability in South Asia.”
Defence
analysts say BECA would provide an American overlay to India’s indigenous
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
The
data made available to India under BECA, they say, would help it increase its
missile accuracy and precision. It would also allow the US to provide advanced
navigational aids and avionics to India in future military aircraft deals.
The
US secretary of state referred to Chinese threat after the 2+2 talks with
Indian external affairs and defence ministers.
The
US State Department, meanwhile, hailed growing cooperation with India, saying
it was “critical to the security and prosperity of both countries, the
Indo-Pacific region, and the world”.
But
it is feared in Islamabad that the agreement would affect Pakistan the most.
“The
recent unprecedented rate of missile tests conducted by India is yet another
manifestation of dangerous Indian conventional and nuclear military build-ups,”
the FO said.
It
observed that the developments have corroborated concerns about the military
spin-offs of conducting high technology trade with India, which has not only
eroded international norms, but also resulted in negatively affecting the
strategic stability in South Asia.
“These
developments clearly negate the argument that India’s mainstreaming in the
international export control regimes will further the non-proliferation
objectives of these regimes,” the FO maintained.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587335/us-move-to-share-military-data-with-india-alarms-fo
--------
Pakistan
summons Indian Chargé d' Affaires over Kashmir issue
Oct
27, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan on Tuesday summoned the Indian Chargé d' Affaires to protest over the
Kashmir issue.
The
Foreign Office in a statement said the Indian diplomat was summoned to register
"strong protest" on the "Kashmir Black Day".
It
demanded that India rescind its "unilateral" action" of
withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcating it into two
union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Pakistan
has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India
for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5 last year and
bifurcating it into two union territories.
India
has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of
Article 370 of the Constitution was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan
to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.
Prime
Minister Imran Khan in his message said that Pakistan will continue to raise
his voice in support of Kashmiris.
India
has firmly told Pakistan that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has
been, is, and shall continue to be an integral part of India. New Delhi has
maintained that issues related to Jammu and Kashmir are internal matters to
India.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/pakistan-summons-indian-charg-d-affaires-over-kashmir-issue/articleshow/78896524.cms
--------
Terrorism
section deleted against cleric in Justice Isa case
Malik
Asad
28
Oct 2020
ISLAMABAD:
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday deleted sections of Anti-Terrorism Act
(ATA) invoked against the Rawalpindi-based cleric Agha Iftikharuddin Mirza who
had hurled threats and abuses at Justice Qazi Faez Isa and other judges of the
Supreme Court.
The
threats were made in a video lecture that went viral on social media in June
this year.
Following
the incident, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed took suo motu notice of this incident.
ATC
Judge Shahrukh Arjumand deciding petition filed by the cleric ruled that the
offence did not fall under the ambit of ATA. Subsequently, he referred the case
back to the sessions court.
The
cleric was facing proceedings under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act 2016
(PECA) and section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) besides section 6 of
the ATA.
However,
after the deletion of the section 6 of ATA, the accused would be tried under
the PECA and PPC.
Section
500 of the PPC suggests punishment that may extend to two years with fine for
defamation.
During
the hearing of the suo motu case, Mirza submitted an affidavit to the Supreme
Court which stated: “In a private meeting during conversation [he]
unintentionally uttered some words against judiciary, honourable judges. [He]
has lots of regrets, and feels sorry for those words; he seeks unconditional
apology and surrenders himself at mercy of the honourable Supreme Court.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1587399/terrorism-section-deleted-against-cleric-in-justice-isa-case
--------
Iran
slams fatal blast in Pakistan, urges collective fight against terror in region
27
October 2020
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry has censured a deadly attack on a religious school in
Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar, saying the fight against acts of
terror in the region requires vigilance and collective cooperation among all
regional countries.
Saeed
Khatibzadeh, the ministry’s spokesman, said on Tuesday that systematic acts of
terror in some neighboring countries in recent weeks are part of sinister plots
to escalate ethnic and religious discord in the region.
He
added that the killing of innocent people, including defenseless children,
showed that the perpetrators are not bound by any moral and human principles.
At
least seven people were killed and over 80 wounded, including children, after
an explosion targeted a Holy Qur’an study class at a religious school in
Peshawar on Tuesday.
No
group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. But the Pakistani Taliban
have formerly staged assaults in the area.
Peshawar
is the provincial capital of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province bordering
Afghanistan. The province has been the scene of attacks by pro-Taliban
militants in recent years.
Meanwhile,
Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan Mohammad Ali Hosseini also condemned the bloody
attack in Peshawar and said the killing of children learning the Holy Qur’an
“shows violent face of terrorism against Islam.”
“It
is the duty of every awakened conscience to condemn this violence. #Muslims are
oppressed victims of terrorism in world,” the Iranian diplomat wrote in a post
to his Twitter.
The
#terrorist crime of martyring children learning Quran at a madresah in PٍEW shows violent face of
#terrorism against ISLM
It
is the duty of every awakened conscience to condemn this violence.#Muslims are
oppressed victims of terrorism in world.#Peshawar #Peshawarblast
pic.twitter.com/DpjfIEKZWC
—
Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini (@HossainiSma) October 27, 2020
Pakistan
has been battling the scourge of militancy for years. Even though there has been
a relative decline in deadly attacks in the country, extremist groups launch
sporadic attacks that target both security forces and civilians.
Since
2014, the army has been targeting militant hideouts especially in northern and
northwestern regions that are a hotbed of radicalism.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/10/27/637344/Peshawar-Khatibzadeh-Hosseini-Iran-Pakistan-terrorism-Ambassador
--------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslim-world-needs-no-lecture/d/123296
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism