Muslims Will Turn Cities into 'Karbala', If Anyone Tries To Put Hands on 'Izzat' Of Prophet Muhammad: JD (U) Leader Ghulam Rasool Balyawi
New Age Islam News Bureau
21 January 2023
JD (U) leader Gulam Rasool Balyawi.(File image)
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• Saudi Arabia Links Israel Normalisation with Israel
with Two-State Solution with the Palestinians
• UK Failing To Tackle “Involuntarily Celibate”
Culture Due To Focus on Islamist Extremism: MP
• 42 Journalists Murdered In Last 4 Years: Senate Told
By Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
• Newly-Released Footage Shows Israeli Settlers Drink
Alcohol, Urinate In Al-Aqsa Mosque
India
• Supreme Court to Hear Pleas Challenging
Constitutional Validity of Polygamy and 'Nikah Halala' Among Muslims
• “Muslim Outreach” Has Become the Latest Buzzword for
the BJP in Poll-Bound Karnataka
• Haridwar: 7 Mosques Fined For Violating Permissible
Sound Levels
• Legacy of ‘Golden Age of Islam’ Between the 8th And
14th Centuries Recreated In Hyderabad
• UP Madrassa Board Made Silly Statement: NCPCR Chief
on Non-Muslim Students
• ‘Take Pro-Woman Stand on Muslim Succession Laws’
Asks Forum for Muslim Women’s Gender Justice
• Popular Front Of India Forms ‘Service Teams’, ‘Killer
Squads’ To Establish Islamic Rule By 2047: NIA Charge Sheet
• Police complaint against PM Modi BBC documentary for
'conspiracy to incite Muslims’
• 6 MoUs to be inked during Egypt president’s Republic
Day trip
• 'BBC documentary timing is sinister when India heads
G20': UK's Lord Rami Ranger writes to broadcaster
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Arab World
• Lebanon stripped of voting rights at UN over unpaid
annual dues
• Lebanon Central Bank sets new rate for withdrawals
from dollar deposits
• Iraqi football fans chant ‘Iran out’ at Arabian Gulf
Cup final
• Residents protests YPG/PKK terror group in Syria's
Deir ez-Zor
• Saudi foreign minister, Interpol chief discuss
combating crime, terrorism
• Bahraini courts sentence 21 protesters, including
three minors to prison
• Nasralllah: US Pursuing Maximum Pressure Policy on
'Axis of Resistance' Countries
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Europe
• Matthew King, the British Teenager Admits Plotting
Islamist Terrorist Attack against Police Officers
• Russia Says There Is Evidence US Secretly Sponsoring
Daesh in Afghanistan
• Having banned far-right parties, Greece overlooks
terror group PKK’s operations on its soil
• UN says Taliban divided on appeal to restore women’s
rights
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Pakistan
• UAE Businessmen Need To Exploit Business
Opportunities In Pakistan: PM Shehbaz Sharif
• Nawaz Sharif blames Gen Bajwa & Gen Faiz for
Pakistan's current turmoil
• China steals rich natural resources of Balochistan
while locals remain impoverished
• Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations
with Russian Federation: PM
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Mideast
• Sunni Leader Calls for Updating Iran’s Constitution
as Protesters Take to Streets
• Israeli settlers storm al-Aqsa Mosque, perform
provocative dances
• Türkiye Summons Swedish Envoy over Planned
Desecration of Holy Quran in Stockholm
• Ankara cancels Sweden defence minister visit over
planned anti-Turkey protest
• Iran: IRGC Largest Anti-Terror Organization in World
• Israeli forces remove West Bank settler outpost,
angering rightists in government
• Palestinian killed after allegedly trying to stab
Israeli
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South Asia
• Pakistan Seeks Afghan Taliban Cooperation in
Countering Terrorism
• Moscow Discussed Recognition with Islamic Emirate:
Russian Foreign Ministry
• UN says Taliban divided on appeal to restore women's
rights
• Kabul residents SOS as 78 die in severe cold wave in
Afghanistan
• 30,000 Afghan refugees return from Iran in last 3
weeks
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Africa
• Islamic Scholar Calls For Establishment of Hisbah
(An Islamic Doctrine on Upholding Community Morals) In Katsina
• Kano State Court Remands 8 Sharia Judges, 7 Others
For Allegedly Diverting N99m Belonging To Orphans
• In ‘Alegría,’ Jews, Christians and Muslims come to a
boil in a Spanish melting pot
• Al-Shabaab kills senor commando in attack on army
camp in central Somalia
• Türkiye condemns 'heinous' terrorist attacks in
Somalia
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Southeast Asia
• On Lunar New Year, Indonesia’s Minority Chinese
Muslims Embrace Ancient Heritage
• Malaysian employers happy with fewer foreign labour
recruitment requirements, but concerns linger
• Another mufti comes out against anti-HIV drug for
LGBT
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North America
• Three Drones Target US Base In Syria, Injuring Two
Opposition Fighters
• Canada to repatriate 19 women, children from Syria
• US says its base in Syria comes under suicide drone
attack
• Turkish foreign minister hopes US extradites members
of FETO terror group
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/muslims-karbala-izzat-prophet-jdu-balyawi/d/128935
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Muslims Will Turn Cities into 'Karbala', If Anyone Tries To Put Hands on 'Izzat' Of Prophet Muhammad: JD (U) Leader Ghulam Rasool Balyawi
JD (U) leader Gulam Rasool Balyawi.(File image)
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Jan 20, 2023
PATNA: JD(U) national general secretary and former
Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Rasool Balyawi has sparked a major political
controversy with his remark that Muslims will turn cities into
"Karbala" if anyone tries to put hands on the "Izzat" of
Prophet Muhammad.
A video clip of Balyawi's speech at the Karbala Maidan
near Barhi town of Hazaribagh district in which he categorically said that
Muslims will turn cities into "Karbala", went viral on different
platforms of social media on Friday, inviting sharp reactions from the BJP
leaders.
"Agar Mere Aaka Ki Izzat Par Hath Daloge Toh,
Abhi Toh Hum Karbala Maidan Mein Ekattha Hai, Unki Izzat Ke Liye Hum Shahron Ko
Bhi Karbala Bana Denge (If you put hands on the Izzat of Prophet Muhammad, -
right now we are gathered at the Karbala Maidan, - we will turn cities into
‘Karbala’ for His honour)," Balyawi said while addressing a religious
congregation of Muslims near Barhi town on Wednesday. But the video clip of his
speech went viral on Friday.
Karbala is a place in Iraq where Prophet Muhammed's
grandson Imam Hussein, along with 72 followers and members of his family, were
believed to have been slaughtered in the battle. They laid down their lives to
keep the flag of Islam high.
Contacted, Balyawi told TOI on Friday that whatever is
being shown and heard in the video, he had said all those during his speech at
the Karbala Maidan near Barhi town. "I stand by my speech and I have said
nothing against any person or any institution. Karbala means supreme sacrifice.
Karbala means to 'give away everything' and 'sacrifice everything, but not let
humanity and brotherhood be sacrificed," the JD(U) leader said.
Balyawi also said that at his Barhi meeting, he called
upon Muslim brothers to launch a struggle against the atrocities with members
of the minority community.
"If exhorting people for struggle and supreme
sacrifice is a crime, I am ready to commit such a crime every day,"
Balyawi told this newspaper.
During his speech at Barhi, Balyawi also said,
"Not a single so-called secular leader demanded the arrest of this crazy
woman." He was referring to the now suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur
Sharma's comments over the Prophet which led to a controversy and triggered
nationwide violent protests.
"On other hand, when our children came on roads
to protest over offensive comments against the Prophet (in Ranchi), they were
shot dead," Balyawi can be heard in the video.
Balyawi, in his speech, also demanded a "Muslim
Safety Act" just like the one for the scheduled caste to protect the
Muslim youth from being "labelled as terrorists" or being "shot
dead.”
Balyawi’s speech invited sharp reactions from senior leaders
of the BJP. Rajya Sabha member and former deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi urged CM
Nitish Kumar to take cognizance of "provocative speech" of Balyawi.
"Balyawi is issuing threats to create internal
strife in the country. Like BJP took action against Nupur Sharma, the CM Nitish
should show his courage by taking action against Balyawi," Sushil Modi
said on Friday.
The Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "Nitish
Kumar is the helpless chief minister. He is sitting like 'Dhritarashtra' for
power and trying to increase social tension in the state.”
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Saudi Arabia Links Israel Normalisation with Israel
with Two-State Solution with the Palestinians
Image: AP
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January 21, 2023
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will not normalise ties with
Israel in the absence of a two-state solution with the Palestinians, the
kingdom’s top diplomat has said, according to a tweet by the foreign ministry
on Friday.
The comments by Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on
the side-lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos came as Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed normalisation with Saudi Arabia in talks
with White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Jerusalem on
Thursday.
“True normalisation and true stability will only come
through… giving the Palestinians a state,” Prince Faisal told Bloomberg at the
summit.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, is a
close partner of the United States but it has repeatedly refused to normalise
ties with US-ally Israel due to its occupation of Palestinian territories.
The US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020 saw the
kingdom’s neighbours — the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — establish full
diplomatic ties with Israel.
Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed his desire to see
Saudi Arabia join the list.
In their talks on Thursday, Netanyahu and Sullivan
discussed “measures to deepen the Abraham Accords… with an emphasis on a
breakthrough with Saudi,” the Israeli leader’s office said.
The West Bank and the Gaza Strip plus Israeli-annexed
east Jerusalem were long touted as the basis of a Palestinian state in a
“two-state” solution to the long-running conflict. But that goal has become
ever more distant, with the occupied West Bank fragmented by Jewish
settlements.
Netanyahu plans to pursue a policy of increased
settlement expansion in the West Bank, with ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties in
his coalition advocating the annexation of some of the territory.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1732775/saudi-arabia-links-israel-normalisation-with-two-state-solution
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UK Failing To Tackle “Involuntarily Celibate” Culture
Due To Focus on Islamist Extremism: MP
The UK’s counter-extremism
strategy Prevent is failing to tackle “incel” culture due to its focus on
Islamist extremism, an MP for the main opposition Labour Party has warned.
(File/AFP)
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January 20, 2023
LONDON: The UK’s counter-extremism strategy Prevent is
failing to tackle “incel” culture due to its focus on Islamist extremism, an MP
for the main opposition Labour Party has warned.
“Incels,” or “involuntarily celibate,” are men who
consider themselves unable to attract women and resultantly express hostility
toward them.
Despite half of those referred to Prevent for having a
“mixed, unstable or unclear ideology” being incels — compared to 22 percent for
Islamist extremism and 25 percent for being far right — Prevent does not yet
have a category specifically for them.
MP Luke Pollard told The Times that the government
needs to amend the strategy to address the rising numbers of young men in
Britain joining incel communities online.
“We know there’s a lot of incels who are referred to
Prevent and then drop out because a lot of those programs are designed to tackle
Islamic or Irish terrorism. Because we don’t track what incel is, we cannot see
how many incel-related attacks there are,” he said.
“We don’t have a strategy to tackle incel because we
don’t know what it is. The only thing we have is we say it’s not terrorism.”
Pollard said the buck for tackling the issue is being
passed among people working in policing, education, social services and health
because it is not being prioritized by any one government department.
“Every day that goes by without action, we have incel
culture growing online and more young men and adults being radicalized, pushing
them toward misogyny — and violent misogyny, in some cases,” he added.
Pollard’s activism in this area follows the killing of
five people in his constituency of Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport in 2021 by
22-year-old Jake Davison, who identified as an incel.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236036/world
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42 Journalists Murdered In Last 4 Years: Senate Told
By Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
File picture of Pakistani
journalists staging a demonstration to condemn a suicide bombing in Quetta that
killed dozens of people including some journalists, in Karachi, Pakistan, on
August 8, 2016 | Photo Credit: AP
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January 21, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza
Javed Abbasi on Friday informed the Senate that 42 journalists were murdered in
the last four years across the country.
Responding to the question of Jamaat-e-Islami’s
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, he said that it was a critical situation and the
government should take prompt action against the culprits and journalists
should be provided special security.
Abbasi directed the Ministry of Interior to prepare a
consolidated report on the matter and present it to the House within the period
of two months.
Balochistan Awami Party’s Senator Danesh Kumar pointed
out that there were more than 10 journalists who were murdered in Balochistan
instead of three shown in this report.
To this, the minister said that this report was
compiled after a thorough consultation with all the quarters concerned of the
provinces and if someone had given a wrong figure, he must be accountable as it
was a sensitive matter.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Senator Kamran Murtaza
proposed the minister that the journalists who had lost their lives in line of
their duty, should be properly probed on which subject they were working before
their murder.
To this, the minister assured the House that the
report would be a comprehensive one.
According to the statistics, 15 journalists were
murdered in Punjab while 11 in Sindh, 13 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 3 in
Balochistan.
Muhammad Saad, Safdar Ali, Muhammad Wajid, Zeeshan
Ashraf Butt, Mirza Waseem Baig, Saeed Butt, Zia -ur-Rehman Farooqi, Rao
Matloob, Husnain Shah, Mian Razzaq, Zahid Ali, Muhammad Nizam, Kashif Hussain,
Lala Fazal Jan, Zia Kamboh, Aziz Memon, Ajay Lalwani, Ali Sher Rajpar, Mureed
Abbas, Ilyas Warsi, Zulfiqar Ali Mandrani, Noor Lanjwani, Nazim Jokhio, Murtaza
Shar, Athar Mateen, Ishtiaq Sodharo, Wahab, Zaman Mehsood, Haroon Khan,
Javidullah Khan, Noonul Hassan, Iftikhar Ahmad, Tahir Hussain, Ihsan Ullah
Sherpao, Waseem Alam, Abdul Wahab, Muhammad Sohail Khan, Aman Ullah, Qais Javed
Maseeh, Abdul Wahid Raisani, Anwar Khetran and Shahid Zehri were the
journalists murdered during the last four years across the country, he added.
Source: Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/01/21/42-journalists-murdered-in-last-4-years-senate-told/
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Newly-Released Footage Shows Israeli Settlers Drink
Alcohol, Urinate In Al-Aqsa Mosque
Photo: Middle East Monitor
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20 January 2023
Newly-released footage shows Israeli settlers drinking
alcohol and urinating in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds.
According to footage published by the Middle East
Monitor on Friday, two settlers are seen taking alcoholic drinks and another
one urinating at a corner of the holy place.
The blatant acts of desecration come in continuation
of Israeli provocations at the Muslims’ third holiest site.
Dozens of settlers stormed the mosque compound late on
Thursday under the protection of Israeli forces. According to eyewitnesses, the
radical settlers raised Israeli flags and performed provocative dances inside
the vicinity.
The resistance movement Hamas called upon Palestinians
from all walks of life to mobilize en masse, increase presence at the mosque’s
compound, and protect the sacred site against recurrent incursions by Israeli
settlers. “We hail the Palestinian people in occupied Palestinian territories
and across the West Bank who stand steadfast against the Israeli occupation
violations and crimes,” it said in a statement.
Hamas also called on the Arab and Muslim Ummah, along
with the free people of the world, to “support the steadfastness of the
Palestinian people and work toward protecting them against the Israeli
occupation’s violations.”
The new wave of desecration comes as one of the most
far-right cabinets have taken control of Israel, raising fears of probable
attempts to change the status quo of al-Aqsa Mosque. Extremist right-wing
groups have openly called for turning al-Aqsa into a Jewish worship area and
tearing down the Islamic shrines in order to build a Jewish temple on the
location.
Hardline Israeli legislators and settlers regularly
storm the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied city, a provocative move that
infuriates Palestinians. Such mass settler break-ins almost always take place
at the behest of Tel Aviv-backed temple groups and under the auspices of the
Israeli police in al-Quds.
The issue has been a major flash point between the
Israeli occupation and Palestinians for decades. It was the epicenter of the
2000-2005 Palestinian Intifada, also known as the Uprising.
The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which sits just above the
Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque.
Source: Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/01/20/696692/Israeli-settlers-desecrate-aqsa-mosque
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India
Supreme Court to Hear Pleas Challenging Constitutional
Validity of Polygamy and 'Nikah Halala' Among Muslims
Jan 20, 2023
The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will set up a
five-judge Constitution bench to hear pleas challenging the constitutional
validity of polygamy and 'Nikah Halala' practice among Muslims.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and
Justice PS Narasimha took note of the submissions of lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay,
who has filed one of the PILs on the issue, that a fresh five-judge bench was
needed to be constituted as two judges of the previous constitution bench --
Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Hemant Gupta -- have retired.
“There are very important matters which are pending
before a five-judge bench. We will constitute one and bear this matter in
mind,” the CJI said. The matter was earlier mentioned on November 2, last year
also by Upadhyay.
On August 30, last year, a five-judge bench comprising
Justices Indira Banerjee, Hemant Gupta, Surya Kant, M M Sundresh and Sudhanshu
Dhulia had made the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National
Commission for Women (NCW) and the National Commission for Minorities (NCM)
parties to the PILs and sought their responses.
Later, Justice Banerjee and Justice Gupta retired on
September 23 and October 16 this year respectively giving rise to the need for
re-constitution of the bench to hear as many as eight petitions against the
practices of polygamy and 'nikah halala'.
Upadhyay, in his PIL, has sought a direction to
declare polygamy and 'nikah halala' unconstitutional and illegal.
While polygamy allows a Muslim man to have four wives,
'nikah halala' deals with the process in which a Muslim woman, who wants to
re-marry her husband after divorce, has to first marry another person and get a
divorce from him after the consummation.
Source: India Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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“Muslim Outreach” Has Become the Latest Buzzword for
the BJP in Poll-Bound Karnataka
K.M. Rakesh
| Bangalore
21.01.23
“Muslim outreach” has become the latest buzzword for
the BJP in poll-bound Karnataka, apparently following a nudge from Prime
Minister Narendra Modi after months of minority-bashing over “love jihad”,
hijabs and halal food.
While senior BJP leaders have been mouthing what in
the Hindutva lexicon counts as placatory noises towards the minority community
— such as “not all Muslims are bad” — police on Thursday removed Sangh parivar
banners debarring Muslim vendors from a temple festival in Mangalore.
The banners were put up by parivar outfits near the
Kadri Sri Manjunatha Temple to prohibit the entry of Muslim vendors during the
January 15-21 festival. No complaint had been lodged against the banners —
a regular feature of temple festivals in
Karnataka in recent times.
E. Shujayatullah, state general secretary of the
People’s Union of Civil Liberties, told The Telegraph: “The sudden love for
Muslims is all because of the coming elections.”
Another activist said the BJP was trying to garner
Muslim support in Bangalore, Mysore and the northern districts to offset the
possible loss of votes from the Panchamashali sub-sect among Lingayats, whose
demand for a higher percentage of OBC reservation remains unfulfilled.
On Wednesday, former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa
had told reporters in Shimoga that Modi had at the two-day BJP national
executive in New Delhi, which ended on Tuesday, told the party to take Muslims
into confidence.
“In any case, we have a good rapport with the Muslims
whom we respect. We shall contact them more in the coming days in keeping with
the Prime Minister’s advice,” he said.
Yediyurappa had been invited to a one-to-one meeting
with Modi on the sidelines of the national executive, apparently to keep him in
good humour and retain the support of his Lingayat community.
Maharashtra leader Devendra Fadnavis had on Tuesday
told reporters that Modi had, at the national executive, emphasised the
proximity of the 2024 general election and asked the party to reach out to all
sections whether or not they voted for the BJP.
Questioned on Thursday about Yediyurappa’s comment,
Karnataka higher education minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan told reporters: “We
never said all Muslims are bad.”
He went on to praise Hyder Ali, 18th-centuryruler of
Mysore and father of parivar bugbear Tipu Sultan.
“We never said Hyder Ali was a fanatic like his son,
Tipu Sultan. Hyder Ali was a good ruler while his son was a fanatic who was
against Kannada. In the same way, there are a lot of good Muslims,” Narayan
said.
The minister, who is in charge of the BJP’s Vijaya
Sankalpa Yatra — a voter outreach drive — said the party would “explain” its
programmes to Muslims and “convince them to vote for us” in the upcoming
Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Mangalore-based social activist Shabbir Ahmed,
formerly with the Jamaat-e-Islami, said the BJP’s efforts to woo Muslims would
not work in coastal Karnataka. “Any move to befriend Muslims will only prove
counter-productive for the BJP in these parts. Muslims will anyway never vote
for them after all the hate campaigns over the hijab, halal and love jihad,” he
told this newspaper.
Coastal Karnataka has witnessed a spurt in Hindutva
vigilantism against “love jihad” — an alleged Muslim conspiracy to romance and
marry Hindu women to convert them —with Sangh parivar outfits demanding a
specific law and a dedicated police wing against it.
Days before the latest efforts to court Muslims began,
state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel had told booth-level party workers to
highlight “love jihad” rather than “small issues” like roads and sewerage,
buttressing the charges of an attempt to polarise voters.
Karnataka’s Muslim voters — 13 per cent of an
electorate of 5.05 crore — have traditionally supported the Congress and the
Janata Dal Secular.
Source: Telegraph India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/poll-set-bjp-discovers-utility-of-amity/cid/1911166
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Haridwar: 7 mosques fined for violating permissible
sound levels
Mudit Aggarwal
Jan 21, 2023
The Haridwar administration has imposed a fine of Rs
5,000 each on seven mosques that were found violating the sound levels
permitted in the High Court order, on Thursday, January 19.
The administration acted after the replies furnished
to the show-case notices served on the respective clerics were found
unsatisfactory. This action was carried out on orders of Haridwar SDM Puran
Singh Rana.
The seven mosques which were penalised are Jama
Masjid, Ibadullahahitala (Kikkar Wali) Masjid, Bilal Masjid, another Jama
Masjid in the city, Sabri Jama Masjid and two others.
These mosques have been told not to exceed the
permissible decibel levels when playing Azan, said the official.
SDM Rana said that as per the orders of the
Uttarakhand High Court, a limit on the sound level has been fixed for the
loudspeakers.
“We had some complaints from the area about
non-compliance with the noise levels. On the basis of these complaints,
inspections were carried out. The checks revealed the deviations”, he said.
Muslim cleric Mohammad Arif said that a meeting was
held, wherein everyone accepted that there was no problem in reducing the
sound.
“Our point is that the pollution is not spreading
because of Azan. It is being spread by car honking and DJs at weddings. DJs at
weddings play music till 1 am and the police are not paying attention to it”.
Source: India Today
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the original story:
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Legacy of ‘Golden Age of Islam’ Between the 8th And
14th Centuries Recreated In Hyderabad
21st January 2023
By Ramya Vennapusala
HYDERABAD: The exhibition aims to retrieve the legacy
that has been overshadowed by western culture and highlight the scientific and
intellectual revolution that took place during the ‘Golden age of Islam’
between the 8th and 14th centuries.
The two-day exhibition showcases the Muslim legacy of
invention and innovation, is being held by Springfield Educational Society in
Tolichowki. This exhibition features interesting models, artefacts, and
enlightening presentations created by the students of Springfield Education,
using 'Do IT Yourself' techniques. Most of the models were rather cute, with a
touch of innovation.
There were various booths related to science, math,
language, art, and architecture, highlighting the many innovations and
inventions made during the 8th and 14th centuries, such as the Garden of Fields
by Hyder Ali, different models of fountains invented by the Syrian Banū Mūsā
brothers, the elephant clock (a model of water clock) invented by the medieval
Islamic engineer Ismail al-Jazari, and the beautiful stained glass window by
Abbas ibn Firnas.
The exhibition aimed to retrieve the legacy that has
been overshadowed by Eurocentric culture and highlight the scientific and
intellectual revolution that took place during the "golden age of
Islam" between the 8th and 14th centuries.
So far, 25 schools have visited the exhibition, with
many more expected to come. The exhibition was inaugurated by the chief guest
Ashgar Hussain, the former President of UNESCO, and MA Lateef Atear, academic
head of Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society.
During the inaugural, Asghar Hussain said, "It is the first exhibition on
Muslim Scientists. There shall be a continued effort to improvise and curate
many more such exhibitions around the world."
Source: New Indian Express
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UP Madrassa Board Made Silly Statement: NCPCR Chief on
Non-Muslim Students
Jan 21, 2023
The Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Board had made an
objectionable and silly statement that it will continue to admit non-Muslim
students in madrassas, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights
(NCPCR) chief Priyank Kanoongo said on Friday after the child rights panel
asked state chief secretaries to identify madrassas which are being attended by
non-Muslim students as well.
"We have received complaints from various places
about non-Muslim students attending madrassas funded or recognized by the
government. We have issued notices to all state chief secretaries to identify
such madrassas and shift non-Muslim students from these madrassas to the
schools," NCPCR chief Priyank Kanoongo told ANI.
Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Education Council Chairman
Iftikhar Ahmed Javed had earlier urged the NCPCR to reconsider their letter
urging states and UTs to conduct a detailed inquiry of all recognized madrasas
admitting non-Muslim children. The child rights panel had also recommended the
chief secretaries facilitate admission of all non-Muslim students in the said
Madrasas to formal schools subsequent to the inquiry besides the mapping of all
unmapped madrasas.
Madrasas are primarily responsible for imparting religious
education to children. They are of three types "Recognised Madrasas",
"Unrecognised Madrasas" and "Unmapped Madrasas".
Replying to the child rights panel's letter, Iftikhar
said, "Non-Muslims are studying in madrasas and non-Hindu children are
studying in Sanskrit schools. Children of every religion are also studying in
missionary schools. Even though I myself studied at Banaras Hindu University
(BHU), NCPCR should reconsider their letter."
Source: Hindustan Times
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‘Take Pro-Woman Stand on Muslim Succession Laws’ Asks
Forum for Muslim Women’s Gender Justice
21st January 2023
KOZHIKODE: The Forum for Muslim Women’s Gender Justice
has asked the state government to file an affidavit in the Supreme Court that
is favourable to Muslim women in the matter of succession rights. In a
memorandum submitted to the chief minister, the forum said the apex court had
sought the opinion of state governments on a petition that sought to declare as
unconstitutional provisions in the Muslim Succession Laws that are
discriminatory. “The government had sought the opinion of male Muslim scholars
on the issue, who reportedly said neither the government nor courts have any
right to change Indian Sharia,” said the memorandum.
It added that Muslim women were facing discrimination
while taking a decision on succession. The absence of a codified law is proving
disadvantageous to women, the memorandum said. A member of the delegation that
submitted the memorandum said many Muslim countries have revised the succession
laws.
Goa has a uniform code and the laws in Lakshadweep are
different.
There is an opinion that the present law is framed as
quid pro quo for some Muslim scholars’ support to British rule. Therefore, the
law needs to be revised, they said.
Source: New Indian Express
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Popular Front Of India Forms ‘Service Teams’, ‘Killer
Squads’ To Establish Islamic Rule By 2047: NIA Charge Sheet
21 January, 2023
New Delhi [India], January 21 (ANI): As part of its
agenda to create terror, communal hatred and unrest in society and to further
its agenda of establishing Islamic rule in India by 2047, the banned outfit
Popular Front of India (PFI) formed secret teams called ‘Service Teams’ or
‘Killer Squads’ to carry out killings of its ‘perceived enemies’ and targets.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) made these
revelations in a charge sheet filed on Friday before a special court in
Bengaluru pertaining to the killing of BJP’s Yuva Morcha district committee
member Praveen Nettaru on July 26 last year in Bellare village of Sullia Taluk
in Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada district. Nettaru was killed in full public
view with lethal weapons to create terror among the people at large and
especially among members of a particular community.
The charge sheet, which was filed against 20 PFI
members, further mentions that “these ‘Service Team’ members were given arms as
well attack training and surveillance techniques training in order to identify,
list out and to mount surveillance on individuals and leaders belonging to certain
communities and groups”.
“These ‘Service Team’ members were further trained to
assault and kill identified targets on the instructions of senior PFI leaders,”
said the NIA in the charge sheet.
In furtherance of conspiracy meetings by PFI members
and leaders held at Bengaluru city, Sullia Town and Bellare village, said the
charge sheet, adding “the head of district Service Team Mustafa Paichar was
instructed to recce, identify and target a prominent member of a particular
community”.
“As per instructions, four persons were recced and
identified and among them, Praveen Nettaru, who was a BJP Yuva Morcha member,
was assaulted and killed on July 26 last year in full public view with lethal
weapons to create terror among the people at large and especially among members
of a particular community,” mentions the charge-sheet.
Of the 20 chargesheeted PFI members, six are
absconding and rewards have been declared for information leading to their
arrest in the case.
The accused persons have been charge-sheeted under various
sections of 120B, 153A, 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 16, 18
and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and Section 25(1)(a)
of Arms Act.
Mahammed Shiyab, Abdul Basheer, Riyaz, Mustafa
Paichar, Masud KA, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Noufal M, Ismail
Shafi K, K Mahammad Iqbal, Shaheed M, Mahammad Shafeek G, Ummar Farook M R,
Abdul Kabeer CA, Muhammad Ibrahim Sha, Sainul Abid Y, Shekh Saddam Hussain,
Zakiar A, N Abdul Haris, Thufail MH have been chargesheeted in the case.
Among the chargesheeted accused, Mustafa Paichar,
Masud KA, Kodaje Mohammed Sherif, Abubakkar Siddik, Ummar Farook MR and Thufail
MH are currently absconding and rewards have been declared for information
leading to their arrest.
The case was initially registered on July 27 by at
Bellare Police Station of Dakshina Kannada district and re-registered by the
NIA on August 4 last year.
The Home Ministry in September banned the PFI, its
associates, and affiliates for a period of five years under the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by declaring it as an unlawful association.
Source: The Print
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Police complaint against PM Modi BBC documentary for
'conspiracy to incite Muslims’
Kanu Sarda
Jan 20, 2023
Supreme Court advocate and social activist Vineet
Jindal filed a complaint against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on
Friday over a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi that questions Modi’s
leadership as the state CM during the 2002 Gujarat riots when violence broke
out following the burning of a train carrying Hindu pilgrims in Godhra.
The advocate took to Twitter and wrote, “The people of
the country chose PM Modi. There is a constitutional government in the country
and this act of BBC News is a conspiracy to incite Muslims against Hindus not
just in India but in the world. Therefore, it can be dangerous and action
should be taken against it.”
The advocate also said that he filed a complaint
against the BBC for “attacking the integrity of the country.”
He called the documentary a deliberate act to provoke
the Muslim community in India as well as all over the world against Hindus.
He filed complaints under sections 121,153,153A
&B, 295,298, and 505 of IPC.
Source: India Today
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6 MoUs to be inked during Egypt president’s Republic
Day trip
Jan 21, 2023
NEW DELHI: India and Egypt are hoping to sign six MoUs
during President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to India next week. While the
details are still being worked out, the government is also examining a request
by Egypt, which imports a lot of foodgrains from Russia and Ukraine, for supply
of more wheat from India.
Meanwhile, India and Egypt are now conducting their
first-ever joint Army exercise between their special forces at Jaisalmer, even
as New Delhi is all set to host El-Sisi as the chief guest at the Republic Day
parade on January 26.
The visit comes at a time the two countries are
looking to boost economic, security and defence ties as evident from foreign
minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to the Arab
world’s most populous country and also its third largest economy. The 14-day
“Exercise Cyclone-1” aims to “focus on sharing professional skills and
interoperability of special forces in desert terrain while undertaking counter
terrorism, reconnaissance, raids and other special operations” an officer said
on Friday. “It would provide an insight into the culture of both armies,
thereby fostering military cooperation and interoperability to further
strengthen bilateral diplomatic ties. A 120-member Egyptian Army contingent
will also take part in Republic Day parade,” he said.
Source: Times Of India
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'BBC documentary timing is sinister when India heads
G20': UK's Lord Rami Ranger writes to broadcaster
Jan 20, 2023
By Shishir Gupta
Lord Rami Ranger, a member of the House of Lords of
the UK Parliament, wrote to the BBC strongly condemning the documentary on
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the timing of the documentary is sinister
when India and the UK are working for a free trade agreement, India has assumed
the presidency of G20 and the UK has an Indian-origin prime minister.
Urging the broadcaster to stop screening the second
part of the documentary, Rami Ranger wrote the 2nd part would exasperate the
"already tense situation" between British Hindus and Muslims in many
of UK cities. "The timing of this documentary is sinister; when India
assumed the Presidency of G20, we have our first Prime Minister of Indian
origin in No.10 and we are working for the UK-India free trade agreement,"
he said asking the broadcaster whether BBC's "Pakistani-origin staff were
behind this nonsense".
Lord Rami Ranger wrote a letter to BBC director
general Tim Davie.
The documentary insults the democratically elected
prime minister, the Judiciary and also Parliament, he wrote in a letter
addressed to Tim Davie, director general of BBC.
"I am appalled by the documentary," Rami
Ranger wrote accusing the producer of the document of showing a lack of vision,
common sense and judgement.
"I condemn violence and loss of life wherever it
takes place, and I equally condemn those stirring up religious hatred in the
United Kingdon by bringing up the politics of the subcontinent to the United
Kingdom," he wrote.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Arab World
Lebanon
stripped of voting rights at UN over unpaid annual dues
NAJIA
HOUSSARI
January
21, 2023
BEIRUT:
Lebanon has been stripped of its voting rights at the UN General Assembly for
failing to pay its annual dues.
Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres said the government in Beirut must pay arrears of about $1.8
million to regain its status. Other countries that lost the right to vote were
Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, South Sudan and Venezuela.
Under
UN rules, a country can lose its vote if it is in arrears of at least two
years’ contributions, unless it shows evidence that it cannot pay for reasons
beyond its control. Lebanon has been mired in economic chaos since 2019, when
its financial system collapsed after decades of profligate spending,
mismanagement and corruption.
The
Foreign Ministry said on Friday the debt would be paid “immediately, in a
manner that preserves Lebanon’s rights in the UN.”
Meanwhile
two independent MPs who spent Thursday night in parliament said on Friday they
were refusing to move until the assembly elected a new president. Lebanon has
had no head of state for more than two months and the government has been
operating in a caretaker capacity since May.
Melhem
Khalaf and Najat Saliba were elected last year on the back of protests in late
2019 against Lebanon’s corrupt ruling elite. The squabbling over the presidency
is mostly between supporters and opponents of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
Saliba
said: “Our constitutional right is to remain in the hall until a president is
elected, and we … are simply asking MPs to do what they are asked. We are not
challenging anyone, nor can we force anyone to do anything. But we are staying
here.”
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236311/middle-east
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Lebanon
Central Bank sets new rate for withdrawals from dollar deposits
20
January ,2023
Lebanon’s
central bank said on Thursday it had set a new rate of 15,000 Lebanese pounds
to the US dollar for withdrawals from bank deposits denominated in dollars, but
which can now be accessed largely in the local currency.
The
rate was previously set at 8,000 pounds under central bank Circular 151, which
implied a “haircut” or loss of more than 80 percent at the current market rate
of around 50,000 pounds per dollar. The new rate represents a haircut of around
70 percent.
The
central bank also set a withdrawal ceiling of $1,600 per month equivalent in
Lebanese pounds for account-holders, who have been unable to freely access
their savings since the collapse of the financial sector in 2019.
The
central bank had maintained a pegged rate of 1,500 pounds per dollar until the
summer of 2019, when it unofficially allowed the currency to become untethered
after accumulating tens of billions of dollars in losses.
The
pound has since lost more than 95 percent of its value, throwing the majority
of Lebanon’s population into poverty and leading to shortages of basic goods
such as medicines in the formerly middle-income country.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Iraqi
football fans chant ‘Iran out’ at Arabian Gulf Cup final
20
January ,2023
Iraqi
fans gathered in the city of Basra to watch their national football team
compete in the final of the Arabian Gulf Cup on Thursday used the occasion to
call for Iran to stay out of Iraq’s affairs, according to footage circulating
on social media.
In
a video shared on social media, fans can be seen chanting “Iran out” at Jaza’a
Al Nakhla Stadium in Basra.
This
sentiment is echoed by many Iraqis who accuse Iran of destabilizing their
country and interfering in its internal affairs by supporting dozens of armed
militias within Iraq.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Residents
protests YPG/PKK terror group in Syria's Deir ez-Zor
Eşref
Musa, Ethem Emre Özcan
21.01.2023
TAL
ABYAD, Syria
Residents
living under the YPG/PKK terror group occupation rallied Friday in Deir Ez-Zor
to protest deteriorating living conditions and increasing corruption in the
region.
Dozens
of protesters, gathered in the villages of Havayic Busama and al-Jurzi in the
countryside of Deir ez-Zor, protested corruption incidents in the so-called
municipal councils of the YPG/PKK terror group.
Deir
ez-Zor is east of the Euphrates River in Syria.
Sources
said bakeries of the terror group have been stealing flour -- reducing the
quality of bread.
Angry
villagers in al-Jurzi burned tires and blocked roads.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Saudi
foreign minister, Interpol chief discuss combating crime, terrorism
January
20, 2023
DAVOS:
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with the
Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
Gen. Jurgen Stock, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum 2023, in the
Swiss city of Davos.
During
the meeting, they reviewed several issues of common concern, in addition to
discussing international efforts to eradicate crime and combat terrorism and
extremism, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said.
Source:
Arab News
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of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236131/saudi-arabia
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Bahraini
courts sentence 21 protesters, including three minors to prison
21
January 2023
Courts
in Bahrain have handed down prison sentences to nearly two dozen anti-regime
protesters, including three minors as the ruling Al Khalifah regime presses
ahead with its heavy-handed clampdown in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom.
The
Arabic-language Lua Lua television network reported that the courts gave the
dissidents jail terms from three years to life in prison.
It
said seven of the defendants were given life sentences in absentia, while 9
others received 10 years in jail each. Two young dissidents were also handed
down five years in prison, and three minors received three years each.
All
the defendants were convicted of trumped-up terror-related charges, and found
guilty of forming a “terror” cell.
Pro-democracy
campaigners scoffed at the rulings passed against the three minors, stating
that they have been deprived of their most basic rights in the notorious
prisons of Bahrain. They also warned against their exposition to various forms
of harsh mental and physical torture.
Bahrainis
voice solidarity with political inmates, demand their freedom
Protesters
have taken to the streets in Bahrain to show solidarity with political
prisoners, and demand their immediate and unconditional release.
The
protesters staged rallies in the villages of Abu Saiba, Shakhura and Dumistan
to denounce Bahraini authorities’ mistreatment of jailed activists and their
miserable conditions at detention centers.
The
demonstrators held up pictures of prisoners of conscience being kept behind
bars in crowded jails, and demanded their freedom.
Demonstrations
have been held in Bahrain on a regular basis since a popular uprising began in
the Arab country in mid-February 2011.
Source:
Press TV
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Nasralllah:
US Pursuing Maximum Pressure Policy on 'Axis of Resistance' Countries
2023-January-20
“The
United States is pursuing the policy of maximum pressure and economic sanctions
against the countries and nations that are part of the Axis of Resistance, like
the Islamic Republic of Iran, Syria and Yemen. These nations’ financial
problems are due to the fact that they do not want to surrender to Washington’s
diktats,” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addressed a ceremony in the Lebanese capital
city of Beirut on Thursday evening, presstv reported.
He
added, “It is regrettable that some people in Lebanon deny the existence of an
economic siege. They believe that the blockade of Lebanon would happen only if
a battleship is moored off the coast of the country. This is while the policies
and actions of US administrations vis-à-vis our country are a testimony to such
a fact.”
Nasrallah
noted that Washington has been behind the decades-long economic woes in
Lebanon, adding that the US obstructs financial aids to the country in one way
or another, and does not allow any state to offer assistance to Beirut to help
it meet its basic needs.
“No
one would argue that Lebanon is facing an unprecedented economic crisis. Our
country is no exception because many countries in the world are now on the
brink of collapse. Despite some evil attempts to spread hopelessness, we must
not allow the existing financial problems to drive us to despair,” the
Hezbollah chief pointed out.
He
stressed, “It is utterly unacceptable to remain in a state of confusion, as was
the case in the past. A competent authority should somewhere take the
initiative to develop a vision aimed at addressing the current economic
turmoil. Accordingly, detailed plans and programs can be drawn up to resolve
the issue.”
“Corruption
is a long-standing problem in Lebanon. We would not have encountered the status
quo if all factions had done their share, came up with novel ideas and
shouldered their own administrative responsibilities,” Nasrallah said.
The
Hezbollah leader went on to refer to lack of production, racketeering, absence
of sustainable development, political brinkmanship and rivalry among political
groups as some of the main reasons behind Lebanon’s financial crisis.
“We
must build an economy that would ensure food security, and would not depend on
foreign aid and assistance,” he highlighted.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Nasrallah said, “It is a mistaken belief that the region is
heading towards making peace with Israel and embracing the regime. Such a wrong
notion has driven us to the current situation.”
“Whoever
wants to formulate [Lebanon’s] new economic policies should abandon the false
illusion that regional states are about to make peace with Israel and that the
so-called two-state solution is within reach, especially as a corrupt and
terrorist Israeli administration is now in place," he added.
In
case of a peace with Israel, “there would definitely be more tensions in the
region. There would neither be any settlements nor any scenes of peace. Crises
would be rampant across the region,” Nasrallah warned.
Elsewhere
in his remarks, Nasrallah called for the election of “a brave [Lebanese]
president who is willing to sacrifice”.
“We
want the election of a president, the formation of a government and the
salvation of the country,” the Hezbollah leader said.
“We
want a brave president who is willing to sacrifice and does not care about the
threats of the Americans. There are such examples and we must look for a
government of this type and ministers of this type,” the Hezbollah chief
underlined.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Europe
Matthew
King, the British Teenager Admits Plotting Islamist Terrorist Attack against
Police Officers
Gillian
Duncan
Jan
20, 2023
A
British teenager accused of holding extremist beliefs pleaded guilty to
planning an Islamist terrorist attack, allegedly with the intention to target
police officers or military personnel.
Prosecutors
said Matthew King, 19, carried out surveillance at police stations, railway
stations, a magistrate’s court and a British Army barracks.
At
a hearing at the Old Bailey in London on Friday, King pleaded guilty to
preparation of terrorist acts.
The
teenager stood in the dock to enter his plea wearing a grey shirt and
sleeveless black padded jacket.
His
lawyer, Hossein Zahir KC, said the defence had submitted a basis of plea to the
court.
Judge
Mark Lucraft KC adjourned sentencing until April 14 for a pre-sentence report
to be prepared, which will include the issue of the danger posed by the defendant.
Addressing
King, Judge Lucraft stressed it was in his "best interests" to help
those preparing the report.
Speaking
quietly in the dock, King replied: "Understood."
Authorities
had been tipped off about King through an anti-terrorist hotline and the
Prevent counter-terrorism programme after he posted a video on a WhatsApp group
on April 13 last year.
In
it was an image of a male holding a knife with the words: "Those who said
that there is no jihad and no battle. They are lying!
"Our
jihad will continue until disappearance, until the day of judgment! Now the
battle has begun and it will continue until the day of judgment. So take out
your sword, O youth, and destroy the kufr."
King,
from Wickford, Essex, was arrested at his home on May 18 by officers from the
Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command and his mobile phone was
examined.
After
being cautioned, he responded: "I don't believe in the UK law, the only
law I believe in is the law of Allah."
He
was subsequently charged with preparing an act of terrorism between December
22, 2021 and May 17, 2022.
Prosecutors
alleged the plot was related to extreme Islamist beliefs and that King carried
out surveillance at railway stations, police stations, Stratford Magistrates
Court in east London and an Army barracks in East Ham, also east London.
At
an earlier hearing, prosecutor Gillian Curl had said that no "specific act
of terrorism" had been identified.
Source:
The National News
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Russia
Says There Is Evidence US Secretly Sponsoring Daesh in Afghanistan
2023-January-20
"Yes,
there is such data, they [the US authorities] do it not for good, but for harm,
because they really want to avenge their shameful military-political defeat in
Afghanistan and, in retaliation, they do everything so that peace is not
established in this long-suffering land, but even worse is that, in addition to
contacts with the armed opposition in Afghanistan, the Anglo-Saxons secretly
sponsor the Daesh," Kabulov told Russian broadcaster, RIA Novosti
reported.
Since
the Taliban return to power in Afghanistan in mid-August, militants have
allegedly carried out several terrorist attacks across the country, including
at the Kabul airport in August in which more than 180 people were killed, and
on a Shiite mosque in Kunduz in October that resulted in more than 150 people
being killed.
The
United States withdrew from Afghanistan in the specified time-frame, but did so
haphazardly, causing chaos at the Kabul airport, with Afghans desperately
attempting to make it out of the country, and 13 American soldiers killed in a
bombing perpetrated by a local branch of the Daesh terror group.
The
Taliban government has not been recognized by the international community,
although some countries, including Russia and China, are holding diplomatic
meetings with representatives of the movement to rectify the humanitarian
situation in the country.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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Having
banned far-right parties, Greece overlooks terror group PKK’s operations on its
soil
20.01.2023
Amid
media reports that the Greek government seeks to outlaw the Ellines party, led
by Ilias Kasidiaris, a former deputy and spokesperson of the neo-Nazi Golden
Dawn party that was declared a criminal group and banned in October 2020, one
rightfully wonders what Athens thinks about the terror group PKK’s current
operations on its soil.
The
presence in Greece of the PKK, which has been listed as a terrorist
organization by the US, EU, and UK, dates back to the 1980s. Athens saw the
PKK, along with other far-left terror groups, including the DHKP-C and ASALA –
the latter infamous for its campaign to assassinate Turkish diplomats in
1973-1986 – as a “strategic asset” against Ankara. This was marketed to the
Greek public as part of Greece’s policy of supporting so-called “national
liberation struggles.”
Against
this background, Greece provided numerous PKK terrorists with political asylum,
safe houses, and the freedom to operate freely to enlist the political and
financial support of the Greek public.
Greece’s
support for the PKK terror group reached its zenith in the 1990s in parallel to
the deterioration of relations with Türkiye. Many PKK arsonists and terrorists
who were arrested at the time confessed that Greek spy services had trained
them.
Even
though Greece kept rebuffing the accusations as “Turkish propaganda,” Ankara’s
arguments proved vindicated in the events surrounding the 1999 capture of the
terrorist PKK ringleader Abdullah Ocalan, who stayed for a couple of days in
Athens after being expelled by Syria and ended up in the Greek Embassy’s
residence in Kenyan capital Nairobi before his capture.
It
was later understood that then-Prime Minister Costas Simitis had ordered the
Greek secret service to remove Ocalan from Greece and Greek protection out of
concern that Türkiye would become aware of his presence and sever ties with
Greece, triggering a crisis that could even lead to war.
Consequently,
Athens, caught red-handed, significantly reduced its support for the PKK terror
group. The improvement of Turkish-Greek relations from the late 1990s to the
mid-2010s also played a role in this state of affairs.
In
recent years, along with the deteriorating relations between Ankara and Athens
as a consequence of Greece’s maximalist demands in the Aegean and Eastern
Mediterranean, provocative actions, and rhetoric against Türkiye, Athens
brought back its “PKK card.”
In
March 2022, a major Greek broadcaster aired footage of a PKK camp in the
central city of Lavrion and interviews with some terrorists and sympathizers
affiliated with the terror group. Moreover, Turkish authorities last September
arrested some PKK terrorists who said they had been trained in the same camp.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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UN
says Taliban divided on appeal to restore women’s rights
January
21, 2023
UNITED
NATIONS: A delegation led by the highest-ranking woman at the United Nations
urged the Taliban during a four-day visit to Afghanistan that ended Friday to
reverse their crackdown on women and girls. Some Taliban officials were more
open to restoring women’s rights but others were clearly opposed, a UN
spokesman said.
The
UN team met with the Taliban in the capital of Kabul and the southern city of
Kandahar. It did not release the names of any of the Taliban officials. The
meetings focused on the restrictive measures the Taliban have imposed on women
and girls since they took power in August 2021, during the final weeks of the
US and NATO forces’ pullout after 20 years of war.
The
team, headed by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, found that some
Taliban officials “have been cooperative and they’ve received some signs of
progress,” said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. “The key thing is to reconcile
the (Taliban) officials that they’ve met who’ve been more helpful with those
who have not.”
Haq
stressed that “there are many different points of authority” among the Taliban
and that the UN team will try to get them to “work together to advance the
goals that we want, which include most crucially, bringing women and girls back
to the full enjoyment of their rights.”
Mohammed,
a former Nigerian Cabinet minister and a Muslim, was joined on the trip by Sima
Bahous, executive director of UN Women, which promotes gender equality and
women’s rights, and Assistant Secretary General for political affairs Khaled
Khiari.
As
the Taliban did during their previous rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001,
they gradually re-imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.
Girls have been barred from school beyond the sixth grade and women are banned
from most jobs, public spaces and gyms.
In
late December, the Taliban barred aid groups from employing women, paralyzing
deliveries that help keep millions of Afghans alive, and threatening
humanitarian services countrywide. In addition, thousands of women who work for
aid organizations across the war-battered country are facing the loss of income
they desperately need to feed their own families.
Limited
work by women has been allowed in some sectors, including the health field.
“What
we’ve seen in terms of basic rights for women and girls is a huge step
backwards,” Haq said. “We are trying to do more and we’ll continue on that
front.”
In
a statement, Mohammed said her message to the Taliban was very clear — “these
restrictions present Afghan women and girls with a future that confines them in
their own homes, violating their rights and depriving the communities of their
services.”
She
stressed that delivery of humanitarian aid is based on the principle requiring
unhindered and safe access for all aid workers, including women.
“Our
collective ambition is for a prosperous Afghanistan that is at peace with
itself and its neighbors, and on a path to sustainable development. But right
now, Afghanistan is isolating itself, in the midst of a terrible humanitarian
crisis and one of the most vulnerable nations on earth to climate change,” she
said.
During
the trip that also included a visit to western Herat, Mohammed’s team also met
humanitarian workers, civil society representatives and women in the three
cities.
“Afghan
women left us no doubt of their courage and refusal to be erased from public
life,” Bahous, of UN Women, said in a statement. “They will continue to
advocate and fight for their rights, and we are duty bound to support them in
doing so.”
“What
is happening in Afghanistan is a grave women’s right crisis and a wakeup call
for the international community,” she said, stressing that the Taliban
restrictions and edicts show “how quickly decades of progress on women´s rights
can be reversed in a matter of days.”
Before
arriving in Kabul, members of the delegation visited Muslim countries in the
Middle East as well as Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkiye. They met leaders of the
57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Islamic Development Bank
and groups of Afghan women in Ankara, Turkiye, and Islamabad, as well as a
group of ambassadors and special envoys to Afghanistan based in Doha, the
capital of Qatar.
“The
need for a revitalized and realistic political pathway was consistently
highlighted and all remained firm on the fundamental principles, including
women’s and girls’ rights to education, work and public life in Afghanistan,”
the UN said.
Haq
apologized for a photo on social media of seven men from the UN delegation’s
security team posing in front of a Taliban flag, calling it “a mistake” and “a
significant lapse of judgment.”
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236296/world
--------
Pakistan
UAE
Businessmen Need To Exploit Business Opportunities In Pakistan: PM Shehbaz
Sharif
January
20, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that businessmen of the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) need to utilize the immense business opportunities in Pakistan –
a market of over 220 million people – offering its investors a strong and large
consumer market.
In
an interview with Khaleej Times during his visit to the UAE last week, he said,
“Energy, infrastructure, e-commerce, agro-based industry, and IT sectors are up
for grabs.”
Premier
Shehbaz Sharif besides his meeting the UAE leadership, also witnessed the
signing of three memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the fields of combating
human trafficking, information exchange, and cooperation between the diplomatic
academies of both countries.
To
a question about the trade relations between Pakistan and UAE, the prime
minister pointed out that the bilateral trade with the UAE had increased by
25.40% during 2021-22 as compared to the previous year, amounting to US$10.60
billion.
However,
he said, “The current level of bilateral trade is still not a true reflection.”
“We
are looking to further strengthen our existing economic, trade and investment
ties.”
PM
Shehbaz said the average annual trade between the two countries stood at US$8
billion making the UAE the largest trading partner of Pakistan in the MENA
region.
Responding
to another query on new areas of cooperation, he said, “We find new avenues of
economic cooperation to take our economic relations at par with our excellent
political relations.”
The
prime minister described Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence
(AI), and Financial Technology (Fintech) as new areas of collaboration with
much greater potential.
Commenting
on the UAE humanitarian aid to flood victims in Pakistan, Prime Minister
Shehbaz thanked the UAE for its “valuable and timely” humanitarian support for
flood-affected people.
“The
day floods hit Pakistan I received a call from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin
Zayed, who said, ‘we will immediately start sending relief goods for the
flood-affected areas’,” he recalled.
And
then, he said, an air bridge was established between Abu Dhabi and Pakistan,
and relief goods were sent to Islamabad, and different cities of Sindh
including Karachi, Badin and Shikarpur.
On
the UAE and Pakistan friendship, the prime minister explained that the
foundation of these relations was laid by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al
Nahyan, who wanted Pakistan to be among the leading, prosperous and progressive
countries.
“We
will never forget his benevolence and generosity for all times to come.”
Shehbaz
Sharif thanked the UAE government and its leadership when asked about the
welfare of Pakistani diaspora, noting that the UAE was hosting and allowing 1.7
million Pakistanis to earn their livelihood in the country with dignity and
respect.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Nawaz
Sharif blames Gen Bajwa & Gen Faiz for Pakistan's current turmoil
January
20, 2023
Pakistan's
former three-time premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo
Nawaz Sharif has blamed the ex-Army chief and ex-ISI head for the current
turmoil in the country by rigging the 2018 general elections and installing
Imran Khan-led government.
The
former prime minister held ex-Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and
ex-Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Faiz Hamid
responsible for spinning Pakistan around for their personal wishes and whims,
the Geo News reported.
Talking
to the media on Thursday in London after meeting with a delegation of senior
PML-N leaders from Pakistan, Mr. Sharif recalled his 2016 Gujranwala speech at
the PML-N public gathering where he directly accused the ex-military men of
rigging elections to make way for installing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
government in 2018.
At
the time he also questioned who was responsible for the “two governments” in
the country and went on to blame then-army chief Gen Bajwa and then-ISI chief
Faiz Hamid as being behind everything.
The
PML-N meeting comes at a time of heightened political activity in Pakistan as
both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies dissolved.
His
latest remarks come in the wake of a top-level huddle where he and his
daughter, Maryam Nawaz who is also PML-N senior Vice President, met with party
leaders to discuss strategy as the possibility of polls in two provinces grows.
Earlier,
Mr. Sharif blamed the military top brass for installing PTI's Mr. Khan as the
prime minister in violation of the Constitution, removing his government,
muzzling the media, pressurising the judiciary, and victimising opposition
politicians, the report said.
Mr.
Sharif broke his silence for the first time after his party faced a major
political blow in Punjab following the victory of PTI's Parvez Elahi in a vote
of confidence shortly before the dissolution of the provincial assembly, saying
“a cruel joke had been played on Pakistan… for the sake of personal gains”.
He
said that the people of Pakistan are well aware of the “faces and characters of
the two retired generals who are believed to be behind implementing the
Tabdeeli project originally envisioned by former intelligence chiefs General
(retd) Shuja Pasha, General (retd) Zaheer-ul-Islam and their colleagues."
When asked if he held Gen Bajwa and Gen Hamid responsible for the state of the
country, he said, “The reality is before everyone. Now no name or face is
hidden. Pakistan was used for personal gain. It was a cruel joke played on the
nation." "Lt Gen (retd) Faiz and Gen (retd) Bajwa were responsible
for making it all about their personalities, wishes, and desires," the
73-year-old Mr. Sharif said.
Talking
about the meeting with his daughter and party leaders, Mr. Sharif said that he
discussed Pakistan’s current situation with them.
“Inshallah,
all will be well. Pakistan will come out of the difficulties and we will make
sure that happens. Our track record of progress is a witness and it’s not
possible that we will not make that happen," he said.
In
the four-hour huddle at Stanhope House on Thursday, senior leaders of Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — Rana Sanaullah, Pervaiz Rashid, and Javed Latif
were present where along with the ongoing political situation, Maryam Nawaz’s
return to Pakistan and the party’s election campaign prospects were also
discussed.
Although
it was being speculated that Sanaullah — who was charged with overseeing trust
vote proceedings in the Punjab Assembly — had been summoned to London to
explain the party’s defeat, a source privy to the discussion rubbished reports
that the senior Sharif was annoyed with the interior minister.
According
to the source, the meeting was called to discuss the return of Ms. Nawaz and
her role as chief organiser, saying that Sanaullah’s opinion on the programme
and implementation to mobilise the party was critical to Ms. Nawaz’s return,
the Dawn newspaper report said.
When
pressed on the party’s defeat in the vote of confidence at the Punjab Assembly,
Sanaullah attributed it to the “doublespeak” of former CM Elahi, who had
earlier said he wouldn’t take a vote of confidence or dissolve the assembly.
“We
had the numbers and we will show we have the numbers. The coming elections will
show PML-N strength and victory,” he told reporters outside the PML-N’s London
headquarters.
He
said there will be more meetings in the coming days, and that the party’s
election campaign will be kicked off according to the guidance given by their
leader. He confirmed Ms. Nawaz will return next week. When asked about the
return of the senior Sharif, Sanaullah said, “It is understood MNS (Muhammad
Nawaz Sharif) will return, and he will lead the party’s election campaign. The
legal formalities regarding his return were also discussed.
“MNS
return is critical as he is the leader of the party, he has the vote and
support of the people.” According to Dawn, the interior minister also rubbished
reports of rifts between former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the PML-N
leadership. “There are no differences and Mr Abbasi is committed to the party.”
Calling the PTI chief Khan a "mad man", Mr. Sharif said, “Compare his
[performance during the] four years of [PTI] government with four years of our
government and you will see how happy and prosperous people were in two tenures
and how he [Khan] destroyed Pakistan,” he was quoted as saying.
Source:
The Hindu
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
China
steals rich natural resources of Balochistan while locals remain impoverished
21
January, 2023
Islamabad
[Pakistan], January 21 (ANI): Balochistan, the treasure trove of natural
resources, is being excavated by China, while it remains an impoverished area
with a per capita GDP under USD 1,000, reported Islam Khabar.
Pakistan’s
largest province is being robbed of its natural resources by China under the
Belt and Road Initiative and CPEC and the profits are being garnered by Chinese
companies.
The
local population gets little by way of employment or monetary benefits. A
similar situation is obtained in Myanmar, where China has in recent years, been
illegally mining in the border areas. This experience indicates the deleterious
impact of Chinese activity in the extraction of natural resources, reported
Islam Khabar.
China
is playing a major role in the local economy. Notably, the Chinese company
which mines gold, silver and copper in the Balochistan province has claimed
that it made profits of around USD 75 million in 2021 (Invest Pakistan,14
January 2022), despite disruption to its operations caused by Covid.
A
majority of profits will be sent back to China. Supporters of the mine say it
has helped to fund better education and health facilities, as well as creating
jobs. However, many local people say their lives have not improved much.
The
reality on the ground is that Balochistan remains an impoverished and neglected
province, and the Saindak copper and gold project epitomises the tragedy that
Chinese investment has brought with it while generating profits for the
Pakistani state, reported Islam Khabar.
Pakistan
and China signed a deal worth USD 350 million for the development of the mine,
initially a 10-year lease to Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd (MCC), a
subsidiary of China Metallurgical Group Corporation.
The
agreement shows that 50 per cent of revenues from the mine go to MCC, 48 per
cent to the Government of Pakistan, and 2 per cent to the Balochistan
provincial government. The lease was extended (January 2023), for another 15
years, with Pakistan’s share of revenue up to 53 per cent, and 5 to 6.5 per
cent going to the Balochistan provincial government, reported Islam Khabar.
According
to the revised terms that Pakistan’s Cabinet Economic Coordination Committee
recently approved, the Chinese company also agreed to enhance rent, royalty,
and social uplift payments to the federal and Balochistan governments.
However,
Kazim Baloch, a political activist in Chagai told The China Project that the
area still has “features of the medieval era”. “Mud houses, muddy and unpaved
roads, a lack of potable water, poverty, deprivation, underdevelopment and
backwardness still rule,” said Baloch.
Akbar
Notezai, an investigative journalist from Chagai associated with Pakistan’s
leading media group Dawn recently published a story which said that the jobs
created for local people were “menial” and the overall situation in the region
is “pitiable.” “Despite extracting gold and copper for two decades, why has the
administration not yet constructed a metalled road? There are roads that lead
to the company’s sites, but many villages are left without any roads,” says
Notezai.
Clearly,
the odds have been stacked against Balochistan, for it is getting peanuts for
minerals extracted from its soil. Activists regard it as unjust that
Balochistan receives less than 6 per cent of the profits, reported Islam
Khabar.
Source:
The Print
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
attaches great importance to its relations with Russian Federation: PM
January
20, 2023
LAHORE:
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan attaches great
importance to its relations with Russian Federation.
Speaking
during a meeting with a delegation led by the Russian Energy Minister Mr
Nikolay Shulginov which called on him in Lahore on Thursday, the prime minister
recalled his meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Samarkand in September
2022 and said that the meeting had reached important decisions to further
strengthen Pakistan-Russia relations.
Premier
Shehbaz Sharif also noted with satisfaction the keen desire on both the sides
to upgrade the bilateral cooperation in trade, investment and economic matters.
The
Russian Energy Minister reciprocated Prime Minister’s sentiments and delivered
a special message of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Prime Minister. In
his message, President Putin referring to Pakistan as Russia’s important
partner in South Asia and the Islamic World reiterated Russia’s strong interest
to deepen the bilateral relationship.
Both
sides agreed on the importance of energy sector for the development of
bilateral economic and trade relations. In this regard views were exchanged on
supplying oil and gas from Russia to Pakistan on a long term basis. Matters
related to gas pipelines were also reviewed.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif provided guidance for the work of 8th Round of
Pakistan-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission meeting scheduled to be held in
Islamabad on 20 January 2023.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Mideast
Sunni
leader calls for updating Iran’s constitution as protesters take to streets
20
January ,2023
Protesters
took to the streets in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan on
Friday to denounce the Islamic Republic, in what has become a weekly show of
defiance against the regime in the Sunni-majority region.
Despite
a brutal crackdown by security forces, Sistan-Baluchistan has witnessed
protests weekly after Friday prayers since late September.
Videos
shared on Twitter showed a large crowd marching in the streets of Zahedan, the
capital of Sistan-Baluchistan, with demonstrators chanting against Iran’s
clerical rulers, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and the Basij, a
paramilitary force heavily involved in the regime’s crackdown on protests.
“Khamenei
is a murderer, his rule is illegitimate,” protesters chanted in one video.
Prior
to Friday’s protests, Molavi Abdolhamid, Iran’s most prominent Sunni cleric,
called on authorities not to imprison, torture or execute protesters.
Abdolhamid,
who is based in Zahedan, also urged for the Islamic Republic’s constitution to
be updated to reflect the needs of the new generation.
“The
new generation has new conditions and different needs. It is very unfortunate
that the whole of our constitution is the same law that was approved 44 years
ago. This law should be updated according to the conditions of the time,” he
said in a Friday prayers sermon, according to his website.
The
Sunni cleric has been openly critical of the regime since nationwide protests
erupted in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa
Amini in police custody on September 16.
In
November, Abdolhamid called for an internationally monitored referendum in
Iran.
The
protests, which quickly escalated into calls for the overthrow of the Islamic
Republic, have been met with a violent crackdown from authorities, who view the
protests as “riots” backed by foreign powers.
According
to the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights, at least 481 people, including 64
children and 35 women, have been killed by security forces during the protests,
with Sistan-Baluchistan having the highest number of fatalities at 131.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Israeli
settlers storm al-Aqsa Mosque, perform provocative dances
20
January 2023
Dozens
of Israeli settlers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East
al-Quds, in yet another provocative move against Palestinian worshipers.
Eyewitnesses
told Ma’an news agency that the raid by the radical settlers was carried out
under heavy protection from Israeli forces. They said the settlers raised
Israeli flags and performed provocative dances inside the vicinity.
The
occupation troops also deployed soldiers inside and around the mosque to secure
the settlers’ intrusions, said the eyewitnesses.
Israeli
soldiers also attacked scores of Palestinians, including young men, in the
mosque’s courtyards through the Bab al-Amoud area and the Old City. They tried
to force the Palestinians to leave the site to allow the colonizers to tour it,
leading to protests.
Palestinian
resistance movement Hamas called upon Palestinians from all walks of life to
mobilize en masse, increase their presence at the mosque’s compound, and
protect the sacred site against recurrent incursions by Israeli settlers.
“We
hail the Palestinian people in occupied Palestinian territories and across the
West Bank who stand steadfast against the Israeli occupation violations and
crimes,” it said in a statement.
Hamas
also called on the Arab and Muslim Ummah, along with the free people of the
world, to “support the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and work toward
protecting them against the Israeli occupation’s violations.”
On
Friday morning, thousands of Palestinian worshipers reached al-Aqsa Mosque to
perform Friday prayers in its courtyards amid the strict Israeli measures.
According to local news agencies, the number of Palestinians attending the prayers
reached 75,000.
Israeli
settler incursions into al-Aqsa Mosque have been on the rise in recent weeks in
light of the arrival of a new far-right extremist regime led by PM Benjamin
Netanyahu.
Such
mass settler break-ins almost always take place at the behest of Tel
Aviv-backed temple groups and under the auspices of the Israeli police in
al-Quds, leading to daily confrontations with Palestinians at the mosque, with
many injured, arrested and killed.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Türkiye
Summons Swedish Envoy over Planned Desecration of Holy Quran in Stockholm
JAN
20, 2023
The
Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish envoy in Türkiye's capital Ankara over
the country’s authorization of a demonstration involving the burning of the
Holy Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday, diplomatic
sources said Friday.
Staffan
Herrstrom was told that Türkiye strongly condemns the provocative act, which
amounts to hate speech, and that Stockholm's stance is unacceptable.
The
ministry also told him that the desecration of sacred values cannot be defended
under the "guise of democratic rights."
The
ministry further said that Sweden's authorization of the planned demonstration
by sympathizers of the PKK terrorist group and its affiliates in downtown
Stockholm is a clear violation of the trilateral memorandum signed between
Türkiye, Finland and Sweden, under the scope of their NATO membership.
Ömer
Çelik, spokesperson for the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), also
condemned the "permission for an action aimed at burning the Quran in
front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm."
"What
the Swedish authorities are doing is patronizing hate crime," he said on
Twitter, adding that "the Swedish authorities are encouraging fascism by
permitting such acts."
He
also said, "any disrespect toward the Quran is a crime against
humanity."
Rasmus
Paludan, the leader of a Danish far-right party, was given permission to burn
the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, according to Stockholm
police.
Meanwhile,
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom seemed to comprehend that the planned
desecration of Islam's holy book specifically chosen to be conducted in front
of the Turkish Embassy risks further "delaying" Türkiye's
ratification of Sweden's NATO bid. However, he said that it would be "very
inappropriate" for him to not allow a person to carry out, what he termed,
"a demonstration."
Sweden
and Finland formally applied to join NATO in May, a decision spurred by Russia's
war on Ukraine.
However,
Türkiye, a vital NATO member for more than 70 years, opposed the two countries'
membership aspirations due to their tolerance and even backing for terrorist
groups.
A
trilateral agreement signed among the countries in June stipulates that Finland
and Sweden will not provide support to the YPG/PYD, the PKK's Syrian offshoot,
nor to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) – the group behind the 2016 defeated
coup in Türkiye – and said Ankara extends full support to Finland and Sweden against
threats to their national security.
Source:
Daily Sabah
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Ankara
cancels Sweden defence minister visit over planned anti-Turkey protest
21
January ,2023
Turkey
said on Saturday that it had called off a visit by Sweden’s defense minister
over a planned anti-Turkey protest in Stockholm.
“At
this point, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson’s visit to Turkey on January 27
has lost its significance and meaning, so we canceled the visit,” Turkish Defence
Minister Hulusi Akar said.
The
Swedish minister visit was aimed at overcoming Ankara’s objections to Sweden’s
bid to join the NATO military alliance.
Turkey
has been angered by permission obtained by a right-wing extremist to
demonstrate later on Saturday in front of the Turkish embassy in the Swedish
capital.
The
Danish-Swedish politician, Rasmus Paludan, whose anti-Islamist actions sparked
riots across Sweden last year, has expressed his intention to “burn the Quran”,
Islam’s holy book, during his protest on Saturday.
Turkey
had on Friday summoned Sweden’s ambassador to “condemn this provocative action
which is clearly a hate crime - in strongest terms,” a diplomatic source said.
This
is the second time in more than a week that Sweden’s ambassador to Turkey was
summoned.
Last
week, he was called to answer for a video posted by a Kurdish group in
Stockholm that depicted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan swinging by his legs
from a rope.
Sweden,
along with neighboring Finland, needs Turkey’s consent to join NATO.
Both
countries dropped decades of military non-alignment last year when they applied
to join the Western defense alliance in response to Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine.
Ankara
says any progress depends on Swedish steps to extradite people it accuses of
terrorism or of having played a part in the 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Iran:
IRGC Largest Anti-Terror Organization in World
2023-January-20
"Israel's
apartheid regime is the biggest organized terrorist entity in the world, the
British regime is the founder and the United States regime is its biggest
backer," Kana'ani tweeted in response to the approval of the European
Parliament's anti-IRGC motion.
He
saidd that the reason for the anger of the 'Global Club of Terrorists' at the
IRGC is clear, adding, "It is because the IRGC is the largest
anti-terrorism organization in the world."
The
European Parliament passed a resolution on Thursday that calls for blacklisting
the IRGC. The resolution has been sent to the European Council to decide on it.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14011030000312/Iran-IRGC-Larges-Ani-Terrr-Organizain-in-Wrld
--------
Israeli
forces remove West Bank settler outpost, angering rightists in government
20
January ,2023
Israeli
security forces on Friday evicted a small group of Jewish settlers from an
outpost they erected hours earlier in the occupied West Bank, upsetting
pro-settlement members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
The
group had built a handful of small, temporary structures on a rocky field near
a larger Jewish settlement, according to pictures carried by Israeli media.
Similar outposts have been built and removed many times over the years.
While
there were no reports of violence or injuries between the settlers and security
officers, Friday’s eviction was a test for Netanyahu’s new government, which
took office about a month ago and includes senior ministers from the far right.
A
member of Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party heads the defense ministry,
which runs the authority that coordinates policy in the West Bank, though it
ceded some settlement policymaking to hardline politician Bezalel Smotrich.
Smotrich
on Friday had instructed the authority that coordinates policy not to remove
the outpost until after a discussion next week, according to a statement from
his office.
The
statement said that Defense Minister Yoav Galant went ahead regardless and
ordered its removal, “completely contradicting the coalition agreements that
form the basis for the government’s existence.”
Netanyahu
issued his own statement afterward, saying that “the government supports
settlement but only when it is done legally and is coordinated in advance with
the prime minister and security officials, which was not done in this case.”
Most
countries view settlements that Israel has built on land captured in a 1967 war
as illegal and their expansion as an obstacle to peace, since they eat away at
land the Palestinians claim for a future state.
Israel
disputes that and cites biblical, historical and political links to the West
Bank, as well as security interests.
The
Palestinian foreign ministry, before the outpost’s removal, had condemned its
building, calling it “a flagrant challenge to international and US requests
that Israel’s unilateral and illegal measures must end.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Palestinian
killed after allegedly trying to stab Israeli
January
21, 2023
JERUSALEM:
Israeli fire killed a Palestinian Saturday, the Palestinian Health Ministry
said, after he allegedly attempted to stab an Israeli in a West Bank settler
outpost, according to the Israeli military.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry identified the man as Tariq Maali, 42, saying only
that he was shot northwest of the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied
West Bank.
The
Israeli military said the man arrived at the outpost and tried to stab an
Israeli civilian. Israeli media reported he was armed with a knife and that the
settler shot him.
Palestinians
and rights groups accuse Israel of using excessive force against the
Palestinians, who have in recent years carried out a spate of shooting,
stabbing and car-ramming attacks. The military says soldiers, and in some cases
civilians, face complex, life-threatening situations.
Saturday’s
death was the latest in months of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Tensions have soared in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has been
conducting near-nightly arrest raids since last spring after a wave of
Palestinian attacks against Israelis killed 19 people. Another 10 Israelis were
killed in a second string of attacks later last year.
Israel
says the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future
attacks. The Palestinians see them as further entrenchment of Israel’s
open-ended, 55-year occupation of lands they seek for their future state.
Saturday’s
death put at 18 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank
since the beginning of 2023.
Nearly
150 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the West Bank and east Jerusalem in
2022, according to figures by the Israeli rights group B’Tselem, making it the
deadliest year since 2004.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236366/middle-east
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South Asia
Pakistan
seeks Afghan Taliban cooperation in countering terrorism
By
Fidel Rahmati
January
20, 2023
Foreign
Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasized the need for cooperation
between Pakistan and Afghanistan to combat terrorism.
Zardari,
in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on
Friday, said, “I am confident that if we can work with the Afghan interim
government, which influences these groups, we will be successful in maintaining
our security,”
Meanwhile,
he added that “we are not interested in initiating a cross-border operation,
nor would we want to push for an advocate for military action after what we
have already witnessed was the most prolonged conflict.
Instead,
he asked the interim government in Afghanistan to join hands in combating
Tahreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terror organizations threatening
Pakistan’s security.
On
the other hand, he accused PTI chief Imran Khan former prime minister of
Pakistan, of providing TTP with a place to hide. He said that Khan released the
TTP prisoners in Pakistan’s custody and engaged in dialogue with them.
When
asked if Pakistan had hoped the new Afghan government would take action against
the TTP, FM Bilawal responded, “Our desire, and they agreed that their soil
would not be utilized for terrorism. We hope to work with them to combat
terrorists, which is a concern to us.”
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/pakistan-seeks-afghan-taliban-cooperation-in-countering-terrorism/
--------
Moscow
Discussed Recognition with Islamic Emirate: Russian Foreign Ministry
By
Mohammad Farshad Daryosh
The
Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that during the visit of its envoy
to Afghanistan, the two sides discussed recognition of the Islamic Emirate.
The
statement said that Russian envoy Zamir Kabulov has also discussed
strengthening of economic, cultural education relations between the two
countries as well as issues of terrorism and prevention of narcotics.
“In
the meeting, there was a considerable attention by the Russian envoy for
Afghanistan for recognition and the diplomacy of the Islamic Emirate by the
international community,” the statement reads.
The
Islamic Emirate called recognition important for economic and political
improvement in the region.
“Countries
should understand that imposition of pressure and other political pressures
will not bring results. It is better to engage with the Afghans,” Islamic
Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said.
“They
have discussed some of the issues. Russia is trying to make the Taliban busy in
improvement of relations with Russia and show the Taliban that it is
recognizing them,” said Rahmatullah Bizhanpor, a political analyst.
“Russia
will not recognize Afghanistan in the near future and if Russia is the only
country to recognize Afghanistan, the problems of Afghanistan will not be
solved” said Torek Farhadi, a political analyst.
Source:
Tolo News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-181682
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UN
says Taliban divided on appeal to restore women's rights
Jan
21, 2023
UNITED
NATIONS: A delegation led by the highest-ranking woman at the United Nations
urged the Taliban during a four-day visit to Afghanistan that ended Friday to
reverse their crackdown on women and girls. Some Taliban officials were more
open to restoring women's rights but others were clearly opposed, a UN
spokesman said.
The
UN team met with the Taliban in the capital of Kabul and the southern city of
Kandahar. It did not release the names of any of the Taliban officials. The
meetings focused on the restrictive measures the Taliban have imposed on women
and girls since they took power in August 2021, during the final weeks of the
US and NATO forces' pullout after 20 years of war.
The
team, headed by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, found that some
Taliban officials "have been cooperative and they've received some signs
of progress," said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. "The key thing is
to reconcile the (Taliban) officials that they've met who've been more helpful
with those who have not."
Haq
stressed that "there are many different points of authority" among
the Taliban and that the UN team will try to get them to "work together to
advance the goals that we want, which include most crucially, bringing women
and girls back to the full enjoyment of their rights."
Mohammed,
a former Nigerian Cabinet minister and a Muslim, was joined on the trip by Sima
Bahous, executive director of UN Women, which promotes gender equality and
women's rights, and Assistant Secretary General for political affairs Khaled
Khiari.
As
the Taliban did during their previous rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001,
they gradually re-imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.
Girls have been barred from school beyond the sixth grade and women are banned
from most jobs, public spaces and gyms.
In
late December, the Taliban barred aid groups from employing women, paralysing
deliveries that help keep millions of Afghans alive, and threatening
humanitarian services countrywide. In addition, thousands of women who work for
aid organisations across the war-battered country are facing the loss of income
they desperately need to feed their own families.
Limited
work by women has been allowed in some sectors, including the health field.
"What
we've seen in terms of basic rights for women and girls is a huge step
backwards," Haq said. "We are trying to do more and we'll continue on
that front."
In
a statement, Mohammed said her message to the Taliban was very clear —
"these restrictions present Afghan women and girls with a future that
confines them in their own homes, violating their rights and depriving the
communities of their services."
She
stressed that delivery of humanitarian aid is based on the principle requiring
unhindered and safe access for all aid workers, including women.
"Our
collective ambition is for a prosperous Afghanistan that is at peace with
itself and its neighbours, and on a path to sustainable development. But right
now, Afghanistan is isolating itself, in the midst of a terrible humanitarian
crisis and one of the most vulnerable nations on earth to climate change,"
she said.
During
the trip that also included a visit to western Herat, Mohammed's team also met
humanitarian workers, civil society representatives and women in the three
cities.
"Afghan
women left us no doubt of their courage and refusal to be erased from public
life," Bahous, of UN Women, said in a statement. "They will continue
to advocate and fight for their rights, and we are duty-bound to support them
in doing so."
"What
is happening in Afghanistan is a grave women's rights crisis and a wakeup call
for the international community," she said, stressing that the Taliban
restrictions and edicts show "how quickly decades of progress on women´s
rights can be reversed in a matter of days".
Before
arriving in Kabul, members of the delegation visited Muslim countries in the
Middle East as well as Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey. They met leaders of the
57-nation Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Islamic Development Bank
and groups of Afghan women in Ankara, Turkey, and Islamabad, as well as a group
of ambassadors and special envoys to Afghanistan based in Doha, the capital of
Qatar.
"The
need for a revitalised and realistic political pathway was consistently
highlighted and all remained firm on the fundamental principles, including
women's and girls' rights to education, work and public life in
Afghanistan," the UN said.
Haq
apologised for a photo on social media of seven men from the UN delegation's
security team posing in front of a Taliban flag, calling it "a
mistake" and "a significant lapse of judgment".
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
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Kabul
residents SOS as 78 die in severe cold wave in Afghanistan
Jan
20, 2023
KABUL:
At least 78 people have died in Afghanistan in just over a week amid extreme
cold conditions that have compounded the country's humanitarian crisis.
"The
ministry in collaboration with other governmental institutions has provided
food and cash aid to at least one million people," TOLOnews quoted
Shafiullah Rahimi, a spokesperson for the Taliban-led Ministry of Natural
Disaster Management.
Many
needy families claimed that the temperature drop has caused them a lot of
trouble. Shila, a native of Kabul and a mother of 10 children, claimed she was
unable to afford to buy firewood to heat their homes during the winter.
"We
even don't have a heater in our home," Shila said, as she described her
plight.
"We
just have one blanket and all of us sleep under it," said Ahmad, a member
of a vulnerable family in Kabul.
A
number of Kabul residents said the government and aid organizations should
provide support to them during this winter. The distribution of relief to those
in need has been hampered by the shutdown of numerous important roadways in
numerous regions due to extreme weather and snowstorms, TOLOnews reported.
"We
call on Islamic Emirate to help the needy people this winter," said Ramin,
a Kabul resident.
On
Tuesday, at least 140 people were hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning in
Herat province as they were using gas as the only option to warm their homes
amid harsh winters due to the surge in the price of firewood and other basic
amenities being too high in the country.
Since
the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the country is under a severe economic
as well as a humanitarian crisis.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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30,000
Afghan refugees return from Iran in last 3 weeks
January
21, 2023
The
Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) says in the last three weeks, more
than 12,500 people entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border and nearly
16,000 Afghan migrants entered Afghanistan through the Nimroz border.
According
to MoRR, most of the returnees went to Iran illegally and were without their
families. Many were also deported from Iran.
“We
request all countries not to relate the issues of immigrants to politics; the
rights given to immigrants by Islam and the world must be respected,” said
Mohammad Arsala Kharoti, deputy refugees minister.
Some
returning immigrants have said they are back home but want the government to
provide job opportunities for them.
A
number of experts meanwhile have said that Iran is not so keen on hosting
Afghan migrants as sanctions imposed on Tehran by the West is having an impact
on their economy.
“There
are still financial and unemployment problems in Afghanistan and many are
unemployed and cannot support their families,” said Sara Rahmani, an immigrant
affairs expert.
“They
are forced to leave Afghanistan and migrate to neighboring countries,” she
added.
Khalil-ur-Rehman
Haqqani, minister of refugees, also said that efforts are underway to free
Afghan prisoners from prisons in Pakistan and China.
“The
office of the prime minister has ordered us to start work on releasing Afghan
refugees, and this ministry is ready to make any sacrifices for the release of
Afghan prisoners,” said Haqqani.
Source:
Pak Observer
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://pakobserver.net/30000-afghan-refugees-return-from-iran-in-last-3-weeks/
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Africa
Islamic
Scholar Calls For Establishment of Hisbah (An Islamic Doctrine on Upholding
Community Morals) In Katsina
By
Mustapha Usman
January
20, 2023
Sheikh
Yakubu Musa, a renowned Islamic Scholar in Katsina State, on Thursday called on
the state government to establish a Hisbah board in the state.
Hisbah
is an Islamic doctrine on upholding community morals, based on the Qur’anic
injunction, to enjoin good and forbid wrong.
It
is otherwise known as the enforcement arm of the Sharia law.
Sheikh
Musa, who is the state Chairman, Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah, JIBWIS,
made the call during the launching of the State’s Action Plan, SAP, on women,
peace and security in Katsina.
According
to him, if such a board is established in the state, it will contribute towards
controlling the wrong doings in the society, especially among women, girls and
the youth.
He
commended Governor Aminu Masari for all his efforts towards ensuring that any
issue related to the good moral training of the children brought before him,
was given prompt attention.
Sheikh
Musa said, “I am calling on the governor to assist us by ensuring that the
Hisbah comes on board, because they know the society and also can enter places
that other security personnel can not.
“Those
youths that are into drug abuse and other social vices are from the society, they
are all known, therefore, Hisbah will assist in reducing the menace.
“Those
that are into the drug businesses can be fished out from society. I know about
a bill before the assembly on the establishment of the board, but at the moment
I don’t know where it’s hanging.”
He
appealed to the governor’s wife, Hadiza Masari, to ensure that before the end
of their tenure, the agitation for the establishment of the board became
reality.
The
scholar explained that the introduction of the SAP was a good initiative, but
advised that such a plan should be properly used in such a way it could go with
the teaching of Islam.
The
Sheikh noted that women were the backbone of any society because of their
importance, giving examples from the holy Qur’an where there is a whole chapter
(Suratul Nisa’i) that talked about them.
He
explained that the training of children was the major responsibility of the
mother, saying that any child without good moral training, must have gotten the
wrong training from the mother.
Source:
Daily Nigerian
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://dailynigerian.com/islamic-scholar-calls/
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Kano
State Court Remands 8 Sharia Judges, 7 Others for Allegedly Diverting N99m
Belonging To Orphans
January
20, 2023
By
Francis Ugwu
A
magistrate court in Kano State has ordered eight Sharia Court judges and seven
Sharia Commission staff members to be remanded in prison custody over the
allegation of diversion of N99 million belonging to orphans in the state.
Magistrate
Mustapha Sa’ad Datti gave the order on Thursday following charges of diverting
N99 million instituted against the 15 persons before the court by the
Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
Magistrate
Datti ordered that the defendants be kept behind bars pending the next sitting
of the court.
The
defendants include Gazzali Wada, Yusuf Abdullahi, Sani Ali, Bashir Baffa, Sani
Uba Ali, Hadi Tijjani Mu’azu, Mustafah Bala, and Alkasim Abdullahi.
Other
defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Center facility are
Abdullahi Sulaiman Zango, Jaafar Ahmad, Bashir Ali Kurawa, Adamu Balarabe,
Garba Yusuf, Aminu Abdulhadi, and Usaina Imam.
As
presented, the judges and the staff were accused of “conspiracy, betrayal of
trust and theft of N99 million.”
Meanwhile,
the defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Accordingly,
the lead counsel for the plaintiff, Zaharaddin Kofar Mata, called for an
adjournment to present substantial evidence before the court.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2023/01/20/court-remands-8-sharia-judges-7-others-for-allegedly-stealing-n99m/
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In
‘Alegría,’ Jews, Christians and Muslims come to a boil in a Spanish melting pot
By
RICH TENORIO
20
January 2023
Located
on the coast of a rocky peninsula jutting into the Mediterranean Sea, Melilla,
an autonomous Spanish port city in North Africa, is home to Christians, Muslims
and Jews. The enclave’s 12 square kilometers are a mix of coexistence and
tension that is only heightened by the fence that separates it from Morocco.
For
the new feature film, “Alegría,” isolated Melilla is the ideal venue for
navigating some complex family history.
Directed
by Spanish filmmaker Violeta Salama, “Alegría” is screening on January 22 at
the New York Jewish Film Festival, where Salama will host a live Q&A
session.
The
film focuses on its protagonist, Alegría, who is portrayed by Mexican actress
Cecilia Suárez. Although Alegría is of Jewish descent, she is reluctant to
embrace her heritage, in contrast to the next generation of her family,
including her niece Yael (Laia Manzanares), who comes to Melilla to have an
Orthodox wedding. When Alegría hosts Yael for the upcoming celebration, the
issue of identity becomes inescapable.
Initially
screened in Spain, the film has received an enthusiastic response abroad,
including at festivals in Israel and the United States.
Salama
drew upon her own background to make it: The daughter of a Sephardic Jewish
father and a Catholic mother, she grew up in Melilla and lived there for 12
years. The film shows sweeping shots of the director’s hometown — its seascapes
and palm trees with the mountains of Morocco beyond, along with the call of the
muezzin and the cry of the seagulls.
“Alegría
[the character] is my father and my grandmother all mixed together,” Salama
told The Times of Israel. Meanwhile, the director said, Yael exemplifies “the
way of being Jewish in your own way.” She embodies those who “try to move
around, travel, know different cultures, decide how you want to live your
life.”
That’s
what Salama herself has tried to do. She describes her father as coming from a
traditional Sephardic background and her mother from a military family, noting
that there has long been a military presence in Melilla — it was where the
first shots of the Spanish Civil War were fired.
Growing
up, Salama was one of only a handful of Muslim and Jewish children who did not
attend Catholic religious school.
And
while she was unsure about her identity, she was quite certain of her career
path. She received a master’s degree in creative documentary from the
Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona and then, in 2007, went across the globe to
the Vancouver Film School. When she wasn’t working on shows such as
“Smallville” in Canada, she was meeting other people with complex identities.
“It
was the first time I met Jewish people like me,” she said — which she defines
as “Jewish in your own way.”
She
further explored her identity by journeying to Israel with her grandmother and
meeting other family members there.
“I
started to connect a lot of dots,” Salama said. “For me, it was fascinating. I
wanted to imagine more about it.”
What
began as a film project about her family transformed into a different kind of
narrative — set not in Israel but in Melilla. Its theme would be similar,
though — finding oneself.
For
the character Alegría, it’s quite a journey.
When
the film begins, Alegría, a doctor, has returned to her hometown of Melilla.
She seems ready to meet any challenge in her way, whether treating an injured
North African refugee boy or working with her Muslim housekeeper, Dunia (Sarah
Perles), to get her home ready for Yael.
Yet
tensions arrive even before Yael does. We learn that Alegría is estranged from
her Jewish roots — as well as from her daughter Sara. Born from a relationship
in Mexico that further alienated Alegría from her family, Sara has embraced her
Judaism and lives in Israel.
Alegría
tweaks the customs of observant Jewish family members visiting for the wedding.
She installs a mezuzah on her doorpost for them, but delights in gluing it to
the surface, in defiance of a technicality in the Jewish law. As for Israel,
she calls it the one country she will never visit.
As
the film progresses, there are hints, however, that Alegría is less dismissive
of her Jewish heritage than she seems. She has a complicated history with
Simón, one of Melilla’s rabbis, as shown in a scene in what Salama considers
the most beautiful of the city synagogues. Simón is played by veteran Argentine
actor Leonardo Sbaraglia.
“He
is a very famous actor in the Latin world,” Salama said. “It was just an honor
for him to want to play that character.”
The
director describes Alegría’s backstory with Simón as follows: “If she had been
less stubborn with the religion, maybe she would have admitted the person
behind the veil. She denied her Judaism when she was a teenager. She missed a
lot of things. She missed [seeing] Simón as a person.”
In
the present, Salama said, Alegría “does not want a family, but needs it at the
same time.” She explains the main character’s view of her brother, Yael’s
father: “’I do not want to be judged by you, but I need you to approve of me’…
Family always brings your contradictions out. I wanted that to happen with the
brother. She has this mask of strength, she cannot be hurt at all. Her brother
is the one who has the power, who knows she is vulnerable.”
If
there is to be a reconciliation between Alegría and her family — or between
Alegría and her Judaism — it must come through acceptance that life gets
complicated. And throughout the film, there are hints that Alegría is less
willing to construct barriers than she is to overcome them.
For
example, she sympathizes with the situation of Melilla’s Muslims. Many come
from the indigenous Amazigh people of Morocco (commonly known as Berbers,
though many don’t prefer this nomenclature) and are represented in the film by
Dunia. According to Salama, Muslims in Melilla generally consider themselves
Spanish, yet this is not reciprocated among the exclave’s Christian population,
leading to feelings of alienation.
In
the film, Alegría encourages Dunia and Yael to get to know each other. When
Yael expresses a desire for a “Berber night” — a Sephardic version of a
bachelorette party — Alegría finds a way to make it work. The gathering takes
place in a poignant scene at Dunia’s family home in Morocco, hosted by her
grandmother. (The grandmother was played by the actual grandmother of one of
Salama’s Amazigh friends in Melilla.) In this scene, there’s a retelling of the
story of La Kahina, a historical Amazigh heroine who navigated among the
Maghreb’s Jews, Muslims and Christians. A song from the terrific soundtrack references
La Kahina, with lyrics in Spanish, Hebrew and Arabic.
“I’ve
always loved the song,” Salama said. “I tried to make it with the three
languages, more powerful.”
Alegría’s
willingness to break down barriers for others presages her coming to terms with
the barriers in her own life, some of them self-constructed. Even if she can’t
quite answer the question of whether or not she is Jewish, she’s on the way to
feeling more comfortable in the complexities.
Source:
Times Of Israel
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Al-Shabaab
kills senor commando in attack on army camp in central Somalia
Mohammed
Dhaysane
21.01.2023
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
A
senior trained Somali national army commando was killed Friday and several
wounded when al-Shabaab terrorists launched an early morning attack on a
military camp in central Somalia, said officials.
The
attack involved car bombs at a military base in the newly liberated Galcad town
in Galmudug state that resulted in multiple casualties, including US-trained
commandos (DANAB) deputy commander Hassan Tuurre, according to Ilyas Ali, a
security official who spoke to Anadolu.
Galcad
is a strategic town located 375 kilometers (233 miles) northeast of the
nation’s capital of Mogadishu.
Tuurre
was a key figure in the ongoing military offensives against the al-Shabaab
terror group in the central region.
Residents
who spoke to Anadolu reported that they heard heavy explosions and a fierce
gunfight between commandos and the terrorists.
Former
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire described Tuurre as “brave” and who devoted
himself to protecting “the life, wealth and honor of the nation.”
He
urged Somalia to unite and fight terrorists.
“I
once again urge the Somali people to unite to eradicate the Kharijite group,”
he said in a statement.
Al-Shabaab
terrorists claimed responsibility for the attack and said it killed more than
100 soldiers.
The
group has intensified its attacks, mainly targeting security personnel and
their bases, since the national army, backed by residents, started its
offensive against the terrorists.
President
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” on all fronts against the
terrorists and since the announcement, the army has scored significant
victories against the group.
Earlier
this week, the army liberated the strategic seaside town of Haradhere which has
been under the control of the terror group for more than a decade.
Somalia
has been plagued by insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS being
among the main threats.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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Türkiye
condemns 'heinous' terrorist attacks in Somalia
Diyar
Guldogan
20.01.2023
Türkiye
on Friday strongly condemned "heinous" terrorist attacks targeting
military bases in Somalia’s central Galgaduud region.
"We
are deeply saddened to learn that many soldiers lost their lives and were
injured in the terrorist attack that took place today against the military
bases in the Galgaduud region of Somalia,” said a Turkish Foreign Ministry
statement.
Some
of the wounded are under treatment at the Recep Tayyip Erdogan Training and
Research Hospital in the capital Mogadishu, it added.
The
ministry said the attack will not hinder the Somali National Army’s
determination in its fight against the terrorist group.
"We
wish Allah's mercy upon those who lost their lives, extend our condolences to
the relatives as well as to the friendly and brotherly people and the
Government of Somalia, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.
"Türkiye
will continue to stand by Somalia in its fight against terrorism," it
added.
Al-Shabaab
terrorists claimed responsibility for the deadly early morning attacks, which
claimed the lives of many soldiers.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/turkiye-condemns-heinous-terrorist-attacks-in-somalia/2793039
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Southeast Asia
On Lunar New Year, Indonesia’s minority Chinese Muslims embrace ancient
heritage
SHEANY
YASUKO LAI
January
20, 2023
JAKARTA:
Ahead of Lunar New Year, Lili Sumiati is constantly busy cleaning her family
home to sweep away ill fortune and open space for good luck.
The
routine she follows is the same as that of the rest of her family: chores,
shopping, cooking. Only, unlike them, she is Muslim.
It
is estimated that Chinese-descended citizens make up about 3 percent of
Indonesia’s Muslim-majority population of over 270 million. Most are either
Buddhists or Christians, while a small minority professes Islam.
Every
year, Sumiati’s family gathers at her mother’s home in Pontianak, West
Kalimantan, to celebrate the new year together — to give children pocket money
in red envelopes, light firecrackers, and feast.
Widely
observed across Asia, the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year festival is
believed to date back to the 14th century B.C., to the times of the Shang
Dynasty, China’s earliest ruling dynasty, when people celebrated good harvests.
“I
feel happy during Lunar New Year celebrations. It’s a form of gratitude, so as
an ethnic Chinese, I am equally excited about the festivities,” Sumiati, a
48-year-old mother of four, told Arab News.
“Lunar
New Year is cultural, and Muslims are respectful of non-Muslim traditions.”
Sumiati
became Muslim right after high school. Initially, dining at home posed a
problem as some dishes on the table would not be halal. Eventually, her mother
began cooking only halal food for everyone to enjoy.
But
for others, such as Qisha K., navigating between two identities can be a more
complex affair.
“Being
Chinese Muslim is a bit awkward,” she told Arab News. “It’s like we’re a
minority within a minority.”
Most
Indonesians have the idea that Chinese culture is one where pork is a staple
food and so clashes with Islam, Qisha said.
“They
forget that each of those things is just a sliver of the culture and religion.
And, honestly, it’s very easy to eat halal Chinese food in Indonesia.”
On
the other hand, her unfamiliarity with the Chinese language is also a source of
insecurity.
Many
Indonesian Chinese are unfamiliar with the speech of their great-grandfathers,
which was banned for decades under former President Suharto, who put in place
restrictive policies of forced assimilation, some of which were only lifted
years after his regime fell in the late 1990s.
Those,
such as 29-year-old Qisha, or her parents, had no chance to learn Chinese at
school.
Growing
up in Jakarta as both Muslim and Chinese, she often felt that she did not
belong. But during the Lunar New Year festival that feeling disappears.
“It’s
like the time I can embrace and go all out to show my appreciation of my
heritage,” she said.
“Lunar
New Year makes me feel like I actually do belong.”
In
2023, Chinese New Year falls on Jan. 22 and will be celebrated for another two
weeks.
For
Jodi Baskoro, 37, from Jakarta, the festival is a way to reconnect with his
ancestry.
Baskoro
realized only recently how little he knows about the Chinese side of his mixed
family. “As I’m getting older, I’m starting to embrace my Chinese heritage,” he
told Arab News.
His
curiosity was piqued as he learned more about Indonesia’s discriminatory
treatment of ethnic Chinese, whose role in society has always been complex.
“I
feel like we, as Chinese Indonesians, never had a chance to just live. We are
forced to adapt and yet get shunned at the same time,” he said.
“Celebrated
Chinese Indonesians are often athletes, businessmen, or some kind of clerics —
we need to be worth something just to be accepted.”
In
his personal celebration of Lunar New Year, Baskoro looks for traditional food
items, such as mooncakes and mandarin oranges. This year, he also bought some
traditional knick-knacks for good luck.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236071/world
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Malaysian
employers happy with fewer foreign labour recruitment requirements, but
concerns linger
By
Keertan Ayamany
21
Jan 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 21 — The government’s announcement that it will ease up on rules
for hiring foreign workers has inspired a new hope that business will improve,
said Zobir Osman, managing director of construction company Juru Wajar Sdn Bhd.
“It’s
been a struggle to get foreign workers since after the movement control order
(MCO)... at this site, I have seven workers but if I could, I would rather have
11 or 12,” he said, when met at a construction site in Kuala Lumpur.
Zobir
said that the lack of foreign labour and the rising price of raw materials
played equal parts in creating a business environment full of desperate
contractors willing to underquote to get projects, which left those unwilling
to take such risks out of stable work.
“Many
of these government contracts pay contractors a lump sum before work begins,
and the desperate companies want this so they can service their bank loans...
but if they do this too often, they may cause their business to die later,” he
said.
With
Malaysia preparing to face a global recession this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim announced on January 10 that “unprecedented” steps would be taken
to meet the country’s economic development needs.
He
said this includes the removal of a quota that previously required Malaysian
employers to hire at least three local workers before being eligible to hire
one foreigner.
Furthermore,
it was decided that the Illegal Immigrant Recalibration Plan 2.0 (IIRP)
programme would be reintroduced.
The
plan provides an official working permit to undocumented migrants after they
pay a compound, with Malaysia earning over RM700 million in earnings this way
last year.
Between
November 2020 and the end of June 2022, 418,528 individuals registered for the
recalibration programme.
“These
initiatives by Datuk Seri Anwar will be solving a big part of the problem for
all industry players, whether Malay contractors, Chinese contractors,
everyone,” said Malaysian Malay Contractors Association (PKMM) president Datuk
Seri Mohamed Fadzill Hassan when contacted by Malay Mail.
Similarly,
the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association’s (Presma) president Datuk
Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said his members were “very happy” with the prime
minister’s decision.
Federation
of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) president Tan Sri Datuk Soh Thian Lai on
February 11 issued a statement thanking the government for “recognising the
importance and complementary role that foreign workers play in supporting
economic recovery.”
However,
employers said that they would also like several long-standing requests to be
fulfilled.
Mohamed
Fadzill said that the ineligibility of refugees that are United Nations High
Commission For Refugees (UNHCR) cardholders to work in Malaysia was a situation
that should be changed.
“They
are here with their families. They too need food to eat, so it’s better to let
them work instead of them causing social issues. It will also be a win-win for
Malaysian companies that are struggling to find workers,” he said.
Meanwhile,
Jawahar Ali said that there needs to be protection for employers when foreign
employees want to return home or run away.
“If
the foreign employee is determined to return to his home country, he needs to
make a confession in front of a high-ranking immigration official and after his
departure is recorded then an automatic replacement of an employee should be
given to the employer.
“Also,
there should be an automatic replacement for foreign employees who run away,
after the employer reports the matter to the police and pays a RM750 fine,” he
suggested.
Malaysia
also recently had its relationship with neighbouring countries tested because
of how it treats foreign workers.
In
July 2022, Indonesia temporarily stopped sending its citizens to work in
Malaysia. This included thousands recruited for the plantation sector, citing a
breach in an agreement that aimed at improving the protection of domestic
workers employed in Malaysian households.
However,
this was sorted out about a month later, in August 2022.
Arulkumar
Singaraveloo, the co-founder of Malaysia HR Forum, said that Malaysia needs to
be careful to avoid a similar situation and make sure that even as employment
rules are relaxed, the needs of migrant workers are taken care of — especially
appropriate accommodation.
“There
should be at least a minimum criteria that companies who are applying to get
foreign workers must first prove that they have accommodation for their
existing workers that is approved by the labour department.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
--------
Another
mufti comes out against anti-HIV drug for LGBT
'Ainin
Wan Salleh
January
20, 2023
PETALING
JAYA: The Penang mufti has agreed with the Selangor mufti department in issuing
an advisory note against dispensing an oral drug to prevent HIV infection among
homosexuals.
Wan
Salim Wan Mohd Noor said the medicine, called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP),
should be limited to those in a physical relationship with people living with
HIV, such as a wife of a drug addict.
Wan
Salim said dispensing PrEP to the LGBT community was akin to encouraging such
behaviour; it could “also further promote such deviant lifestyles”, he told
FMT.
His
stance is similar to that of the Selangor mufti department and came from a
religious understanding on how Islam viewed homosexuality.
However,
he said: “I have no authority to force my views on others” as life in a
democratic country meant that people were free to accept or reject his views.
Wan
Salim’s comments come in response to the head of a health think tank who had
criticised the Selangor mufti department for issuing a “misinformed” advisory
which it said was likely to mislead the public.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text of
the original story:
--------
North America
Three
drones target US base in Syria, injuring two opposition fighters
20
January ,2023
Three
suicide drones attacked a US base in eastern Syria on Friday, wounding two
Syrian opposition fighters, the US military said. No Americans were hurt in the
attack.
It
was not clear who was behind the drone attack, but Iran-backed fighters in the
region have carried out such operations in the past. Sleeper cells of ISIS are
also active in the area.
Two
of the drones were shot down and the third struck the compound at al-Tanf base
where the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan meet, the US military said.
The
military said the drone that struck the building wounded two members of the
Syrian Free Army, who received medical treatment.
The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor,
said the attack was likely carried out by Iran-backed fighters who are deployed
in different parts of war-torn Syria.
“Attacks
of this kind are unacceptable — they place our troops and our partners at risk
and jeopardize the fight against ISIS,” US military spokesman Joe Buccino said,
using an acronym for ISIS.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/01/20/Three-drones-target-US-base-in-Syria
--------
Canada to repatriate 19 women, children from Syria
January
21, 2023
MONTREAL:
Canada will repatriate six women and 13 infants who have been detained in
northeast Syria in camps for family members of Daesh Group fighters, Ottawa
announced Friday.
It
is the largest such repatriation of Daesh family members yet for Canada, and
comes after the women went to court to force the government to bring them home,
saying it was obliged to under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
On
Friday the country’s foreign ministry said it had reached a “mutually
acceptable resolution” of the case over their application to return.
The
agreement resolved the case for the 19 Canadian women and children, but left
four men who are also seeking repatriation as part of the case to be decided on
in the coming weeks.
“The
safety and security of Canadians is our government’s top priority,” said Global
Affairs Canada, the foreign ministry.
“We
continue to evaluate the provision of extraordinary assistance on a case by
case basis, including repatriation to Canada, in line with the policy framework
adopted in 2021,” it said.
Up
until now the government of Justin Trudeau has treated the detained IS families
on a case-by-case basis, and in four years only a handful of women and children
have been repatriated.
Since
the destruction of the Daesh “caliphate” across Syria and Iraq in 2019, more
than 42,400 foreign adults and children with alleged ties to the Daesh have
been held in camps in Syria, according to Human Rights Watch.
Repatriating
them is a highly sensitive issue for many countries, but rights groups have
denounced their reluctance to bring back their own nationals from the camps,
controlled mostly by Syrian Kurds.
Human
Rights Watch said around 30 Canadian citizens, including 10 infants, remain in
the camps.
Farida
Deif, the group’s head in Canada, said that Global Affairs Canada has informed
a number of them by letter that they fulfill the requirements for repatriation.
However,
she said, “none of the men have been notified of anything or have been part of
any agreements thus far.”
The
authorities did not say when the 19 would come to Canada or whether any of them
would face legal proceedings for their association with Daesh.
Last
October Canada brought back two women and two children from Syria.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2236281/middle-east
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US
says its base in Syria comes under suicide drone attack
Michael
Hernandez
20.01.2023
WASHINGTON
A
US military base in southeastern Syria came under attack from three suicide
drones on Friday, resulting in casulties to some of the US's partner forces.
Two
of the drones were shot down, but a third hit the al-Tanf Garrison, resulting
in injuries to two members of the Syrian Free Army who required medical
attention, US Central Command said in a statement. No US service members were
injured.
“Attacks
of this kind are unacceptable – they place our troops and our partners at risk
and jeopardize the fight against ISIS,” spokesperson Joe Buccino said.
The
base sits in the remote Syrian desert near the Iraqi and Jordanian borders.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-says-its-base-in-syria-comes-under-suicide-drone-attack/2792992
--------
Turkish
foreign minister hopes US extradites members of FETO terror group
Servet
Günerigök
20.01.2023
WASHINGTON
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday that he "hopes"
Washington will extradite members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO)
based in the US.
Speaking
at an event to meet members of the Turkish American community and Ahiska Turks
in Houston, Texas, Cavusoglu stressed that FETO members are
"intensely" present in the city.
Stating
that FETO's educational institutions were shut down in many countries and their
members were handed over to Türkiye, Cavusoglu said: "I hope the United
States will also extradite" them.
The
minister said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been carrying out
investigations in connection with FETO's activities in several US states and
added that officials with the US investigative bureau traveled to Ankara and
provided their counterparts with information about their work.
"The
FBI told us that they saw the dark side of the FETO terrorist organization and
that they resorted to all kinds of methods, including human smuggling,
irregularities in visas, money laundering," said Cavusoglu.
"I
hope the entire US will see what FETO is at the end of these
investigations," he added.
FETO
orchestrated the July 15, 2016 defeated coup in Türkiye in which 251 people
were killed and 2,734 injured.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
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