National Security Advisor Mr. Ajit Doval Leads Interfaith Meet With Sufi Clerics To Maintain Inter-Faith Harmony in India
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 July 2022
National Security Advisor
Ajit Doval acted as a bridge for an inter-faith dialogue between eminent Hindu
and Muslim religious leaders a day after SC’s judgement on the decades-long
Ayodhya issue.(PTI Photo)
----
• Institutions Shouldn’t Be Used For ‘Political
Gains’: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Calls Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf A Group Of
Anarchists
• Indonesia Revokes Textbook Containing ‘Heretical’
Christian Teachings
• Muslim Brotherhood Rejects 'Struggle For Power',
Exiled Leader Says, Amid Exclusion From Egypt's 'National Dialogue'
• Taliban Welcomes Back India-Trained Afghan Defence
Personnel
India
• Restrictions Stay, Mangaluru Tense After Muslim Man’s
Murder
• Muslim Association Chairman, 3 Others Booked For
Threatening Kanpur Trader
• Muslim PU Colleges Demand To Increase Intake
--------
Pakistan
• Pakistanis Among Top 10 Buyers As Dubai Property
Sales Skyrocket
• Fazl demands immediate decision in PTI’s prohibited
foreign funding case
• Six ‘militants’ killed, soldier martyred in Kech
operation
• How a charity cricket league in UK helped funnel
millions to Imran Khan's party
• Audio released to settle facts of ‘contested’ JCP
meeting
• Indian and Pakistani FMs avoid ‘bilateral tiffs’ at
SCO
• PTI funding, economic crisis dominate discussion in
Senate
• Pakistan to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain
relations with US: Gen Bajwa tells US counterpart
--------
Southeast Asia
• Ask housewives for fair valuation of their worth,
Putrajaya told
• PM calls for 'tasamuh' among Malaysians to ensure harmony,
unity
• In conjunction with Ma’al Hijrah, King calls on
Malaysians not to insult, ridicule religions in the name of freedom of
expression
--------
Arab World
• Saudi Arabia, France issue joint statement following
Crown Prince’s visit to Paris
• Saudi Crown Prince, Macron to work to ‘ease effects’
of Ukraine war: Statement
• Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz meets Russian
deputy PM to discuss cooperation
• Syrian ship carrying 'stolen' Ukrainian grain docks
in Lebanon
• Pro-Sadr protesters flock to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square
despite calls to withdraw
• Iraq’s PMF says Daesh attack thwarted in north of
Baghdad
--------
South Asia
• ISIS causing unrest in Afghanistan, says Taliban's
acting foreign minister
• Videos on social media showing Taliban destroying
Pakistan-built minaret: report
• Four wounded in bomb blast at Afghan cricket match
• Jaishankar likely to hold 1st in-person meet with
Taliban foreign minister Muttaqi in Tashkent
--------
Africa
• New Tunisian Constitution Brings Hope To Many People
In Struggling Nation
• Muslim-Muslim Ticket: New CAN President, Okoh states
position
• Bomb blast kills regional judicial official in
Somalia
• Al-Shabaab terrorists launch fresh attack on Somali
town bordering Ethiopia
• Islamic New Year: JGSG Declares Monday Work Free Day
--------
North America
• US Congress Calls On EU To Designate Hezbollah In
Its Entirety As A Terrorist Group
• Islamic State group: Canadian narrator of propaganda
videos jailed
• US, Pakistan pressing Taliban to let girls go to
school: Blinken
--------
Europe
• Labour Bans 'Muslim Plot' Councillor Over Islamophobia
Finding
• Daesh ‘groomer’ with ties to Manchester Arena bomber
could be released from jail
• Plans for Muslim burial sites in Madrid given
approval
• UN wants Syria talks to be insulated from Ukraine
war
--------
Mideast
• Iran State Media Share Video Of US Children Singing
Tehran-Sponsored Religious Anthem
• Iran Appoints New Representative to IAEA, UN Offices
in Vienna
• Iranian FM Calls for Settlement of Hirmand River
Dispute with Afghanistan
• Iran's Spokesman: Israel's Nuclear Program Serious
Threat to International Security
• Iran executes three women in single day for
murdering their husbands: NGO
• Palestinian teen of 16 years shot dead by Israeli
army: Ministry
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/nsa-doval-interfaith-sufi-cleric-india/d/127611
--------
National Security Advisor Mr. Ajit Doval Leads
Interfaith Meet With Sufi Clerics To Maintain Inter-Faith Harmony in India
National Security Advisor
Ajit Doval acted as a bridge for an inter-faith dialogue between eminent Hindu
and Muslim religious leaders a day after SC’s judgement on the decades-long
Ayodhya issue.(PTI Photo)
----
Jul 30, 2022
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Saturday will
hold an inter-faith meeting as part of the Narendra Modi government's outreach
to maintain inter-faith harmony.
The inter-faith conference will be attended by
religious heads from different faiths. Sufi saints will also attend this conference
during which a resolution for peace, unity and harmony will be passed.
Hazrath Syed Naseeruddin Chishty, the chairperson of
the All India Sufi SajjadaNasheen Council will be the key attendee at the
conference.
The inter-faith conference is an outreach by the
BJP-ruled government to defuse religious tensions in wake of the controversy
over suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma's remarks and the extreme reaction
from a section of Barelvi Muslims.
The country witnessed killings as a fallout of the
Nupur Sharma controversy with a tailor Kanhaiya Lal being beheaded by two
Muslim youths in Udaipur, who even filmed the act and threatened Prime Minister
Narendra Modi. The National Investigation Agency is investigating the
ISIS-styled killing.
A similar hate killing took place in Maharashtra's
Amravati where a pharmacist named Umesh Kolhe was hacked to death. The central
agency is also probing the killing.
It is not the first time when Doval is holding an
inter-faith meet with religious leaders. Back in 2019, he had met religious
leaders after the Ayodhya verdict.
Source: Hindustan Times
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Institutions
Shouldn’t Be Used For ‘Political Gains’: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl Calls Pakistan
Tehreek-i-Insaf A Group Of Anarchists
Maulana Fazlur Rehman greets
former PTI leader Iftikhar Mohmand on joining the JUI-F in Peshawar. — White
Star
----
July
30, 2022
PESHAWAR:
Calling the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) a group of anarchists, Jamiat
Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday said the ruling
coalition in the centre would contest the upcoming by-elections from a joint
platform to defeat former prime minister Imran Khan’s party.
Addressing
a news conference at the party’s provincial secretariat here on Friday, Mr
Fazl, who also heads the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), said judges,
generals and senior bureaucrats should join mainstream politics instead of
using their respective national institutions for ‘political gains’.
“If
you [judges, generals and bureaucrats] are interested in politics, then do not
malign your institutions and instead formally join politics,” he said.
On
the occasion, PTI leader and former provincial minister Iftikhar Khan Mohmand
along with his supporters announced the joining of the JUI-F.
PDM
chief says ruling coalition to contest by-polls from joint platform, terms PTI
a group of anarchists
The
JUI-F chief said allied parties of the PDM and other coalition partners would
contest the upcoming by elections from a joint platform, which would allow them
to wipe out the ‘fascist’ group by ballot paper.
He
said the speaker of the National Assembly had begun accepting letters of
resignation submitted by the PTI MNAs and that the PDM and its allies would
field joint candidates in those by-elections.
Mr
Fazl urged party workers to fully support whichever candidates the PDM chose to
contest by- elections.
He
said all schools of thought, irrespective of their political ideologies,
including nationalist, secular, liberal and religious groups, had a consensus
about the elimination of the fascist group, PTI.
“Although
we have political and ideological differences, we will fight against this
menace,” he said.
The
JUI-F leader said he had a lot of respect for state institutions but the judges
should refrain from meddling in political affairs.
“For
God’s sake, do not put your names in the list of CJPs Justice Munir and Justice
Saqib Nisar,” he said.
Expressing
serious reservations about the verdict of a three-member Supreme Court bench in
the Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi case, he said a larger or full bench of the apex
court should have heard the ‘historic’ case.
In
a veiled reference to the chief justice of Pakistan, Mr Fazl said, “I think
they did not trust other respectable judges and therefore, a full bench was not
constituted and every case is referred to the same bench, which comprises three
judges.
He
said the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s meeting was called on the ‘very
strange’ pretext that the judges were on leave.
The
JUI-F leader said 25 MPAs of the Punjab Assembly were de-seated on the basis of
a letter by the PTI chief but the bench chose to ignore a similar letter by
PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
“How
do they [courts] expect us [PDM] to trust them when they gave relief to one
party and punished another on a similar legal matter,” he said.
Mr
Fazl urged the Election Commission of Pakistan not to further delay the
decision in foreign funding case against the PTI.
He
said a Financial Times report had disclosed that the Abraj Group had donated $2
million to the PTI in the name of donations for charity work.
The
JUI-F leader said the PTI had handed over Punjab to someone whom its chief and
former prime minister Imran Khan had once called the province’s biggest thief.
He
claimed that the coalition government in the centre would complete its term and
general elections would be held on time.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702243/institutions-shouldnt-be-used-for-political-gains-fazl
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Indonesia
Revokes Textbook Containing ‘Heretical’ Christian Teachings
Indonesian government has revoked a secondary school
textbook after Christians protested over 'heretical contents' on Catholicism
and Protestantism. (Photo: Unsplash)
-----
Jul
29, 2022
JAKARTA:
The Indonesian government has revoked a textbook for secondary school children
following protests from Catholics and Protestants against its “deviant”
content, including one on the doctrine of the Trinity.
In
a statement, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology said
it would soon revise the book by involving the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference
and the Communion of Churches in Indonesia.
“We
are pulling the book which is currently circulating in electronic format and we
will soon replace it with a revised edition. For the printed version, we have
stopped the process of printing, and the next printing will use the revised
edition,” it said.
“We
will also immediately distribute the revised supplement for those who have
received the book,” the ministry added.
The
ministry stated that it “appreciates inputs, suggestions, and corrections for
continuous improvement of educational books” because the books they publish “is
a living document that is constantly being improved and updated”.
The
book on Pancasila and Citizenship Education for junior high school students for
Grade VII was written by two Muslim writers and published last year. It sparked
widespread controversy on July 26 after a page containing an explanation of
Catholicism and Protestantism went viral on social media.
The
section on Protestantism mentioned: “The Lord of Protestantism is God, the
Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ as three singular or Trinity. Its holy book is
the Gospel. Protestant Christians are obliged to worship every weekend in their
respective churches.”
While
the section on Catholicism stated that “Its Lord is the same as Protestants,
namely the Trinity of God, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ. Its holy book is
also the Gospel. With worship that is different from Protestantism, Catholics
are obliged to worship every weekend in the Catholic church.”
Catholics,
including priests, have taken to social media to criticise the ministry for
printing the book with unacceptable content.
An
influential inter-church group, the Communion of Churches in Indonesia, issued
a letter asking the education minister to revise the book and requested to
involve religious institutions in the process.
Franciscan
Fr Vinsensius Darmin Mbula, chairman of the National Council for Catholic
Education, said they originally planned to send a letter to the ministry, but
it was cancelled after the ministry’s office contacted the Indonesian Bishops’
Conference to discuss the matter.
“We
participated in preparing the proposal for the revision by involving
theologians,” he said.
The
revision, he said, in addition to properly explaining the matter of the
Trinity, also explained other issues, such as the source of the teachings of
the Catholic faith. -- ucanews.com
Source: Herald Malaysia
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
Brotherhood Rejects 'Struggle For Power', Exiled Leader Says, Amid Exclusion
From Egypt's 'National Dialogue'
Exiled leader Ibrahim Munir said that the Muslim
Brotherhood 'rejects' the struggle for power even if between political parties
through elections 'organised by the state' [Getty]
-----
29
July, 2022
Egypt's
Muslim Brotherhood will not launch a new struggle for power with authorities
which toppled it from government nine years ago, even though the movement still
claims wide support, its acting leader said.
The
once formidable Islamist movement won Egypt's first free presidential election
in 2012, but was overthrown by the military a year later after mass protests
against its rule and has endured a fierce crackdown by authorities since then.
Many
of its leaders and thousands of its supporters languish in jail on trumped-up
charges, where they are imprisoned for long periods of time or even sentenced
to death a move which has drawn strong condemnation by human rights groups, as
well as the United Nations.
The
group has been excluded from a political dialogue to be launched soon by
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who as the army chief deposed the Brotherhood
in 2013.
Hundreds
of Muslim Brotherhood supporters were massacred by the military in Cairo’s
Rabaa Square in August of the same year.
Cairo
has designated the Brotherhood a "terrorist organisation", but acting
leader Ibrahim Munir reiterated the group's long-standing rejection of
violence.
He
also appeared to rule out challenging for power through the ballot box -
something the group is unable to do directly while it remains banned in Egypt,
although it did field independent candidates in parliamentary elections in the
past.
"We
completely reject (violence) and we consider it outside the ideology of the
Muslim Brotherhood - not only the use of violence and arms, but to have a
struggle for power in Egypt in any form," Munir told Reuters in an
interview.
"We
reject the struggle for power even if between political parties through
elections organised by the state. This is totally rejected by us".
Munir,
85, who was twice jailed in Egypt in the 1950s and 1960s and has lived in exile
for most of the last 40 years, said the Brotherhood had survived difficult
times before but was now experiencing the toughest period since it was founded
more than 90 years ago.
He
said it was not clear how many Brotherhood supporters were in jail in Egypt,
though he cited some estimates that put the numbers around 5,000 and 6,000.
Many, he said, had also had their money confiscated.
Egypt's
state press centre did not respond to a request for comment. Officials deny
holding political prisoners and say that security measures taken against the
Brotherhood were "necessary" to stabilise the country.
"Definitely
this time is tougher than previous times and previous ordeals," Munir
said.
Munir
himself took the mantle of acting leader two years ago because the
Brotherhood's general guide, or leader, has been in jail since the group lost
power in 2013 and his initial successor was then detained in 2020.
Munir
acknowledged that the Brotherhood had experienced internal division over how to
respond to the crisis, and that a new leader would be chosen "when the
situation stabilises".
Regional
shifts
Compounding
the Brotherhood's challenges, shifting Middle East diplomacy has seen two
countries which offered refuge to Brotherhood supporters in the last decade -
Turkey and Qatar - mending relations with an axis of states committed to
crushing the group - , Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Turkey
last year asked Egyptian opposition television channels operating on its
territory to moderate criticism of the Cairo government as it tries to rebuild
relations with Egypt.
Munir
said the Brotherhood had not yet come under pressure in Turkey. "So far we
do not see or feel it but it is the right of the Turkish state to do anything
that ensures its peace and the security of its people," he said.
Within
Egypt the movement, which over decades developed a network of charitable
organisations, still enjoys the sympathy of many of the country's 102 million
people, Munir said.
He
said the political dialogue expected to start within weeks between Sisi's government
and selected opposition groups is not a serious initiative and cannot achieve
results if it excludes the Muslim Brotherhood or other figures.
"Dialogue
is really needed but it has to include everyone," said Munir.
The
chair of the dialogue has said that the Brotherhood could not take part because
they had "blood on their hands".
Source:
The News Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/egypts-muslim-brotherhood-rejects-struggle-power
--------
Taliban
Welcomes Back India-Trained Afghan Defence Personnel
Image used for representational purpose only. (Photo
| AP)
----
30th
July 2022
Kabul:
In a sign of the Taliban’s warming up to India, the Kabul regime on Friday
rolled out the red carpet for a batch of Afghan Military cadets who returned to
Kabul after completing their training in India.
Around
two dozen of Afghan Military cadets, who returned to Kabul, had passed the
Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun on June 11.
“The
MoD, Afghanistan, encouraged by our humanitarian aid and placement of our
technical team in Indian Embassy, Kabul, had requested EoI Kabul through an
official letter on 25.06.22 requesting direct communication with the Afghan cadets
trained in IMA/ NDA, India. Govt agencies including MEA facilitated talks
between MoD Afghanistan and Afghan cadets and they finally returned after
assurances of safety and employment from the Afghan Minister of Defence on
28.07.22,” Taliban led Defence Ministry said in a statement on the return of
Afghan cadets.
It
is pertinent to mention that all 25 cadets of the Afghan military academy were
sent to India before the Taliban came to power, against whom they were taught
to fight.
The
warm welcome of India-trained Afghan cadets by the Taliban government reflects
Kabul’s growing closeness to New Delhi.
Sources
reveal that the Taliban-led Afghan government is keen to use the skills of
these cadets to maintain security in the country.
Ever
since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan last year, the Afghan National
Army has ceased to exist, erasing hopes of any such training possibilities for
Afghan cadets in future.
However,
with the kind of welcome the cadets received while reaching Kabul, the hopes
are raised high for new Afghan cadets coming to India for training.
After
the regime change in the country, no new cadets came to IMA for training.
Earlier
in February, amid reports of detention and execution of Afghan security
personnel by the Taliban, the Indian defence ministry had facilitated a
prolonged stay for close to 80 Afghan cadets from various Indian military
training institutions.
India
also provided them with a 12-month English course under the Indian Technical
and Economic Cooperation Programme.
That
also came after the Afghan cadets refused to return to their country. Some
sought asylum in India, the US and other western nations.
Source:
Siasat Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/taliban-welcomes-back-india-trained-afghan-defence-personnel-2379754/
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India
Restrictions stay, Mangaluru tense after Muslim man’s murder
Jul
30, 2022
A
day after 23-year-old Faizal was killed in Surathkal municipality of Dakshina
Kannada district, the CCTV footage of the gruesome crime was released by the
police. The murder has added to the tension in the region that has been on the
edge since Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth wing leader Praveen Nettaru was
killed three days ago in Bellare village.
In
the CCTV footage that was reviewed by HT, a man in a white shirt running out of
a clothing shop. Seconds after that the victim Faizal is seen running out as
well. He is then chased by a group of men, who corner him inside the shop. They
then draw machetes out and hack Faizal to death even as mannequins outside the
shop fall around them.
Police
said that the suspects waited outside the shop for nearly 30 minutes before
attacking Faizal.
On
Friday, hundreds attended Faizal’s funeral procession in Surathkal, which was
held after the police handed over his body to the family members. Tension
prevailed in Muslim-dominated areas of Surathkal.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Muslim
Association chairman, 3 others booked for threatening Kanpur trader
Simer
Chawla
Kanpur
July
29, 2022
Muslim
Association chairman Abdul Haseeb and three others have been booked for
threatening to kill a leather trader in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur.
Abdul
Haseeb allegedly believed that the businessman had sent an anonymous complaint
to the Police Commissioner over Haseeb’s role in the violence that broke out in
Kanpur on June 3. The anonymous complaint alleged that Abdul Haseeb had
business relations with Haji Wasi and both of them built illegal buildings on
the land of the Muslim Association. The complaint also mentioned funding by
Haseeb in the June 3 violence.
Haseeb
suspected the leather trader had sent an anonymous complaint to the police
commissioner.
In
retaliation, Abdul Haseeb allegedly sent a video of a goat being killed to the
Kanpur businessman and threatened to murder him. Abdul Haseeb's brother and
henchmen reportedly threatened the businessman at his house.
Police
Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena said that accused Haseeb suspected that the
leather trader had written a letter to police regarding his role in Kanpur
violence. Haseeb then sent him some threatening messages, Vijay Singh Meena
confirmed.
Source:
India Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Muslim
PU colleges demand to increase intake
Jul
30, 2022
Mangaluru:
A few PU colleges run by Muslims in Dakshina Kannada, have requested the
department of pre-university education to allow them an extra intake of 20
students for select subject combinations. As a result of the hijab row, all
these institutions have seen a rush in admissions this academic year.
According
to officials aware of the development, these institutions never had such
requests all these years, but due to a sudden increase in admissions due to the
hijab row, they have demanded to allow 20 more students to be admitted this
academic year. There are about 30 unaided PU colleges run by Muslims in the
district. Unaided PU colleges can admit 80 students per section, in each
combination. It can be increased to 100, with an extra 20 seats.
A
source added that the I PU admissions are still in progress, and so far, they
have received requests from 14 unaided PU colleges, to allow more intake. Among
the 14, four colleges belong to Muslims. The numbers are likely to go up in the
coming days, since the admission process is still on. “In the past, these PU
colleges, which have demanded extra seats, used to find it difficult to fill
their normal allocated seats. However, as the hijab rule is in force in
government and other aided colleges, many Muslim girls are comfortable taking
admission in colleges run by their community,” the source added.
Another
source said that a lot of Muslim girls who completed their I PU education in
private colleges that have the uniform rule in force, have transferred to
Muslim minority PU colleges.
C
D Jayanna, DDPU, Dakshina Kannada, said that the department is considering the
request of colleges, whenever they send proposals demanding an additional
number of seats
PU
college granted permission to start courses
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
Pakistan
Pakistanis
among top 10 buyers as Dubai property sales skyrocket
July
30, 2022
DUBAI:
Dubai’s red-hot property market surged in the first half of the year as
investors piled in, with Russians among the top five buyers as the emirate
benefits from an influx of wealth in the wake of Western sanctions.
The
first half saw residential real estate transaction volumes up 60 per cent with
an 85pc rise in the value of properties sold, property consultancy Betterhomes
said in a report.
The
top buyers were from India, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia and France, in
that order, followed by Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Egypt
tied in eighth place, Lebanon and China.
The
number of Russian buyers surged 164ppc in the first half of this year from the
first half of 2021, Betterhomes said in response to a query. The numbers for
France and Britain rose 42pc and 18pc, respectively, while those from India
fell 8pc and Italy dropped 17pc.
Market
surges 60pc as investors flock in; India, UK, Italy, Russia, France top five
buyers
Demand
was boosted by geopolitical instability in Europe and mortgage buyers looking
to get in ahead of well-telegraphed interest rate hikes, Betterhomes said.
It
was reported earlier this year that Russians were pouring money into Dubai
properties, seeking a financial haven in the wake of Western sanctions on
Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.
“The
market has faced growing headwinds in the form of rising interest rates and a
strengthening dollar but has so far proven to be robust with little sign of
slowing,” Betterhomes said.
In
the first half of the year, a record 37,762 units were sold, it said, citing
Dubai Land Department data, with residential property market transactions
totalling nearly 89 billion dirhams ($24.23bn).
Dubai’s
property market began recovering from 2020’s severe downturn early last year
with buyers snapping up luxury units after the emirate eased pandemic
restrictions faster than most cities around the world.
However,
S&P Global Ratings said in October that Dubai’s real estate recovery was
fragile and uneven, and an oversupply of residential properties would pressure
prices in the long run.
Luxury
property transactions were up 87pc compared with the first half of last year,
with apartments making up 62pc of all transactions, Betterhomes said.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702248/pakistanis-among-top-10-buyers-as-dubai-property-sales-skyrocket
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Fazl
demands immediate decision in PTI’s prohibited foreign funding case
July
29, 2022
By
Aziz Buneri
PESHAWAR:
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday
demanded an immediate decision by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in
prohibited foreign funding case of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI).
Addressing
a press conference, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who is also the
central leader of Jamiat Ulema Islam-F, said that PTI’s foreign funding was
pending for several years and urged ECP to decide it immediate.
He
said that people of Pakistan knew that which party had received foreign funding
from rival countries and this party might be banned immediately if it would
found guilty.
He
said PTI lawmakers of Punjab Assembly were de-seated on the letter of PTI
Chairman while almost a similar letter of PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat
Hussain was ignored in a same case.
He
said decision in the case of Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly’s ruling might be
different if a full court bench of Supreme Court had been formed. He said
double standard in the dispensation of justice could weak democracy and
confidence of people, he added.
He
said that we highly respect state institutions including judiciary and demanded
that all decisions should be taken on merit. Fazl said that institutions should
not be used for political gains or promoting an individual.
He
said Pakistan was created for its people and not for “Ladla”, adding if any one
in a state institutions was fond of politics should come in political field
rather than pushing “Ladla.”
He
said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was charged in Panama case and was
later disqualified on Aqama. He said religious and political parties despite
ideological differences gathered under PDM’s umbrella were fighting for the
country’s survival rather for the government.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Six
‘militants’ killed, soldier martyred in Kech operation
Saleem
Shahid
July
30, 2022
QUETTA:
At least six “armed militants” were killed in a heavy exchange of fire with
security forces in the Hoshab area of Kech district during an operation on
Friday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
A
soldier, Hawaldar Hidayatullah, embraced martyrdom while another got injured
during the exchange of fire.
Security
forces conducted the operation based on information that a “terrorist group”
was on the move on motorcycles from Kech to Panjgur.
The
forces immediately cordoned off the area and combed it to apprehend the
militants. However, once surrounded, the militants opened indiscriminate fire
on the raiding party. A heavy exchange of fire ensued, in which six terrorists
were killed and a large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702265/six-militants-killed-soldier-martyred-in-kech-operation
--------
How
a charity cricket league in UK helped funnel millions to Imran Khan's party
Jul
29, 2022
NEW
DELHI: Did Pakistani tycoon Arif Naqvi help funnel millions of dollars to Imran
Khan's PTI? A new report may have blown the lid off a long-kept secret related
to the finances of the former Pakistani PM's political party, which have been
under the scanner of Election Commission for many years.
A
report in the Financial Times claims that Naqvi, a prominent Pakistani
businessman and founder of the Dubai-based Abraaj Group, hosted a cricket
tournament at his country estate in the Oxfordshire village of Wootton from
2010 to 2012 and used the proceeds from the charity fundraisers to bankroll
Imran's party.
The
report says that Naqvi transferred as many as three instalments directly to the
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2013 adding up to a total of $2.12 million.
According
to the UK-based publication, the guests participating in the "Wootton T20
Cup" were asked to pay between £2,000 and £2,500 each to attend. The money
apparently went to unspecified “philanthropic causes”.
The
report said that the fees was paid to Wootton Cricket Ltd, a Cayman Islands-incorporated
company owned by Naqvi, and the money was being used to bankroll Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Notably,
Imran himself was invited to participate in the league, along with many PTI
members, and was even "persuaded to take the field” at Wootton.
"Funds
poured into Wootton Cricket from companies and individuals, including at least
£2 million from a United Arab Emirates government minister who is also a member
of the Abu Dhabi royal family," the FT report said.
The
report claims Naqvi exchanged emails with a colleague about transferring $1.2
million more to the PTI.
"Six
days after the $2 million arrived in the Wootton Cricket bank account, Naqvi
transferred $1.2 million from it to Pakistan in two instalments. Rafique
Lakhani, the senior Abraaj executive responsible for managing cash flow, wrote
in an email to Naqvi that the transfers were intended for the PTI," the
report said.
The
explosive claims made in the report come at a time when ousted Imran Khan is
facing trouble at home in the alleged prohibited funding case.
Political
parties in Pakistan are not allowed to receive funding from foreign nationals
and companies.
According
to Pakistan-based Geo TV, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had been
probing the party's funding since 2014, when founder Akbar S Babar alleged
major irregularities in the party's finances, including in funding from outside
Pakistan.
While
the case has been concluded, the date of verdict is yet to be announced by the
poll panel.
It
was previously reported that Naqvi had funded Imran Khan's political party.
However, the actual source of the money was never revealed.
Meanwhile,
to questions by FT, Imran Khan wrote back saying he had gone to "a
fundraising event which was attended by many PTI supporters".
The
FT report described the time as "critical" for Khan to collect funds
ahead of the 2013 general elections due in May.
Source:
Times Of India
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Audio
released to settle facts of ‘contested’ JCP meeting
Nasir
Iqbal
July
30, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The controversy surrounding developments during Thursday’s closed-door meeting
of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) deepened further on Friday when
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial relaxed the commission’s rules
and ordered the release of over-two-hour-long audio recording of the session to
public.
Prompting
the release of the recording were the letters issued by two JCP members —
senior puisne Supreme Court judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Sardar
Tariq Masood — both of whom claimed the meeting had disapproved the nominations
of judges, proposed by the CJP, for elevation to the top court.
But
the press release issued by the apex court’s public relations officer on
Thursday stated the meeting had been deferred to enable the CJP to place
additional information and data about the nominations and add more names to the
list for consideration, if he considered appropriate.
On
Friday, a fresh press release was issued — seemingly meant to put an end to the
controversy — announcing the release of the JCP meeting audio recording. “This
infighting among the judges will only bring a bad omen to the institution that
delivers justice,” lamented a senior counsel on condition of anonymity, saying
that in 1997, a CJP was isolated, vilified, physically assaulted and ousted.
“The resemblance with today is uncanny.”
The
JCP had met to consider elevation of Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Qaiser
Rasheed Khan, Justice Shahid Waheed of the Lahore High Court, and Justice Syed
Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiq and Justice Naimatullah
Phulpoto from the Sindh High Court to the Supreme Court.
CJP
takes ‘unprecedented’ decision in bid to end controversy created by Justice
Isa, Justice Masood’s letters
The
audio recording was released after Justice Masood, who was part of the
nine-member JCP, in a letter to other commission members, including the CJP,
highlighted the need for putting out factual and correct minutes of the
meeting, in which details of observations and discussions of each member should
be mentioned. The audio recording discussed the credentials of each nominee and
the judgements rendered by them.
“The
correct minutes of the meeting, if made publically, will stop needless
rumours,” Justice Masood wrote in his two-page letter.
In
a similar letter written to other JCP members, Justice Qazi Faez Isa had also
highlighted that the acting secretary, who had attended the meeting in the
absence of the JCP secretary, should immediately release this decision to the
media, which would also stem unnecessary speculation and misreporting, as the
meeting was held behind closed doors. It was expected that the detailed minutes
would accurately reflect all that transpired.
Editorial:
Supreme discontent
Soon
after Justice Masood’s letter became public, a press release was issued on the
instruction of the CJP, who is also JCP chairman, in defence of the version
contained in Thursday’s statement, which has now been disputed by the two
judges.
“A
resulting controversy has therefore arisen in the print and electronic media.
In these exceptional circumstances the JCP chairman has been pleased to relax
the restriction under Rule 5(4) of the JCP Rules, 2010 and has directed for the
audio recording of the JCP proceedings of July 28, 2022 to be made available on
the official website of the apex court. The audio recording from time slot
1:29:45 to 1:38:08 contains the statement by Attorney General for Pakistan
(AGP) Ashtar Ausaf that the matters under discussion should be deferred to
frame appropriate rules. He did not assess or reject the merits of any of the
high court judges proposed for appointment to the apex court. As a result, five
members of the JCP supported the deferment of the meeting as reported in the
press note of Thursday,” the fresh statement said.
The
recording indicates the AGP did request for a deferment of the issues for the
time being, but at the same time also suggested that JCP rules be framed
urgently by developing a system of checking or ticking the boxes of the data
provided, which will help discourage debates on issues in future so informed
decisions could be made properly. In the audio tape, the AGP can be heard
saying “when we talk of seniority, ability, integrity and temperament, we
should also consider whether the appellate courts have appreciated their
judgements or overturned them”.
The
AGP had also opposed the idea of discussing nominations on vacancies that would
occur next month, saying that one should cross the bridge when one reached
there. He also highlighted the need to consider the input of bar about judges
instead of deciding the matter of elevation in haste.
“While
nominating judges we should also consider how much time they will have in the
Supreme Court to decide matters,” he said, pointing out that if they had only
three years, then it would not be enough.
Justice
Isa, who spoke in the end after the CJP, expressed surprise that while the two
senior-most CJs of the high courts could sit in the Supreme Judicial Council
(SJC), they were not fit to be elevated in the Supreme Court. “What an irony?”
he remarked.
“What
does a CJ of the high court bring to this court? [He] brings experience as a
CJ. What I have learnt as CJ, I would never have learned as a judge. It is
altogether a different ball game,” he emphasised.
Justice
Isa also said the CJP had no unilateral power to nominate anybody. “We all are equal
and can nominate and all of us carry one vote to decide. This is not about
winning or losing but a question of future. You are bypassing chief justices,”
Justice Isa regretted.
However
after Justice Isa spoke, the CJP said: “let’s rise” and left the room, leaving
Justice Isa and Justice Sardar Tariq wondering whether the meeting had ended
abruptly and what would happen to the minutes of the meeting.
Read:
Why transparency in judicial appointments is critical
During
the meeting, the CJP also coined an idea regarding increasing the number of
judges in the Supreme Court and saying that if everybody cooperated, he could
approach the government for amending the necessary laws to have a couple of
judges more in the apex court, especially in view of a backlog of cases. “We
will be short of five judges next month and we have 50,000 cases,” the CJP
pointed out.
Justice
Tariq Masood’s letter
Justice
Tariq Masood who gave a detailed overview on the competency, integrity and
capacity of each nominees, however, disputed the facts mentioned by PRO in
Thursday’s press release.
Justice
Masood said he came to know through the newspapers that a press release was
issued by Supreme Court’s PRO giving a totally different version of events from
what actually had occurred during the meeting.
Narrating
the events, the letter recalled when the meeting started on Thursday, the CJP
described the credentials of his nominees and then requested Justice (retd)
Sarmad Jalal Osmany – a member of the commission, for his views regarding the
nominations who endorsed four nominees but disapproved the nomination of
Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto.
Thereafter,
Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan fully endorsed all the judges
nominated by the CJP for their appointment as judges of the Supreme Court.
On
his turn, Justice Sardar Masood said, after discussing the seniority principle
referred to a comparative analysis of the nominated judges with superseded
senior judges.
“I
also recommended that Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah, who
was second in seniority amongst the chief justices of all the high courts, be
considered and stated that no one has raised a finger against his integrity,
competency etc,” the letter said, adding he did not approve three nominated
judges of the Sindh High Court and one judge of the Lahore High Court and
requested that the nomination of the chief justice of Peshawar High Court be
deferred.
Law
Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf – who
joined the meeting through a video link from the US – and Pakistan Bar Council
(PBC) representative Akhtar Hussain also agreed with his recommendations.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702281/audio-released-to-settle-facts-of-contested-jcp-meeting
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Indian
and Pakistani FMs avoid ‘bilateral tiffs’ at SCO
Baqir
Sajjad Syed
July
30, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistani and Indian foreign ministers on Friday together attended the
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers’
meeting and events on its margins, but avoided handshakes.
The
SCO meeting was the first multilateral event where Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and
S. Jaishankar came together since the former became the foreign minister after
the change of government in Pakistan in April.
Even
in informal settings, for instance when the foreign ministers of SCO member
countries waited for a joint call on Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev,
the two foreign ministers sat away from each other.
Relations
between the two neighbouring nuclear-armed rivals have been bitter for long.
Islamabad had lowered diplomatic ties with New Delhi after the BJP government
revoked the autonomous status of Indian-held Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.
Despite
being in same room, Bilawal, Jaishankar steer clear of handshakes
Subsequent
events in Kashmir and Hindu supremacists’ actions against Muslims in India have
so far prevented re-engagement. Islamabad’s position has been that it wants
normalisation, but it is for India to provide a conducive environment for that
to happen.
Foreign
Minister Bhutto-Zardari, while speaking at a government-run think tank in
Islamabad last month, emphasised the need to engage India. He had argued at the
time that despite a “long history of war and conflict” and Indian government’s
actions in Occupied Kashmir and its anti-Muslim agenda, it was not in
Pakistan’s interest to remain disengaged.
But
soon afterwards, the Foreign Office clarified that there was no change in
Pakistan’s policy on India, on which there is national consensus.
However,
Mr Bhutto-Zardari and Mr Jaishankar, in line with SCO rules and charter, neither
mentioned bilateral disputes, nor accused each other.
There
is a clause in SCO charter barring member states from bringing their bilateral
acrimony to the organisation’s meetings.
The
Pakistani FM, in his speech at the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting,
highlighted Pakistan’s perspective on important regional and international
issues of concern to SCO member states. He emphasised that “shared prosperity”
was essential for peace, stability and development in the SCO region and
globally.
The
foreign minister also shared Pakistan’s vision for the future direction and
growth of SCO which could be achieved through joint efforts to enhance greater
connectivity; road/rail links within the SCO region; building network of
businessmen and entrepreneurs of SCO; harnessing the potential of technology
and digitalization; and removing barriers to intra-SCO trade.
About
strengthening connectivity in the SCO region, Mr Bhutto-Zardari proposed the
construction of railways and roads, and the opening of trade routes. He said
Pakistan backs the proposed “strategy for the development of interconnectedness
and the creation of efficient transport corridors.”
Pakistan
is working with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan on a planned railway project. This
project, if it is realised, could provide an important access for Central Asian
countries to the seaports of Pakistan, and will become an important component
of the transport system of the SCO region.
The
foreign minister also spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and
reminded the member states about their responsibility to help the war ravaged
country.
Indian
Foreign Minister Jaishankar, meanwhile, touched upon the challenges facing the
region and expansion of the organization.
According
to the FO, the SCO Foreign Ministers deliberated upon important topical issues
facing the organization after 20 years of its establishment, including
expansion in its membership; improvement in the mechanisms of the SCO
Secretariat; and SCO’s stance on global economic and political developments and
the challenges for SCO countries.
The
foreign ministers signed sixteen decisions endorsing proposals on diverse areas
of socio-economic cooperation and adopted a Joint Statement on Strengthening
the Biological Weapons Convention.
FM
Bhutto-Zardari, on the sidelines of the conferences, also met with his
counterparts from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Source:
Dawn
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1702279/indian-and-pakistani-fms-avoid-bilateral-tiffs-at-sco
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PTI
funding, economic crisis dominate discussion in Senate
Iftikhar
A. Khan
July
30, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
As the ruling coalition and the opposition traded charges in the Senate holding
each other responsible for the economic meltdown, the controversy over
prohibited funding echoed in the house.
The
issue was raised in the house by Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman.
Chiding
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Dr Shahzad Wasim for holding the present
government responsible for the economic mess, the PPP senator pointed out that
the PTI, which had promised to break the begging bowl, almost doubled the
external debts in just less than four years in power.
Earlier,
Shahzad Wasim accused the government of violating Article 73 of the
Constitution by failing to lay the real budget document before the house.
JI
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed, speaking on the situation of floods, regretted the
indifferent behaviour of the federal and provincial governments as well the
institutions concerned to cope with the devastating heavy rains in different
parts of the country. “Where is the state, where is the government?”
He
said floods had destroyed peoples’ homes, agriculture, livestock and
businesses, but the state was invisible at the time of this difficulty. “Where
is prime minister? Has the premier visited the flood-affected areas, including
Karachi?”
He
said the performance of the NDMA and provincial disaster management authorities
were abysmal in this time of emergency. “These institutions have become white
elephants.” He demanded that the federal and provincial governments compensate
the flood-affected people.
BAP
Senator Mazoor Ahmed Kakar said the floods had ruined Balochistan, Punjab,
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, but politicians were busy blaming each other. He
alleged that the ruling coalition was only busy protecting its government and
was least concerned about the bad situation of people due to rains.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1702271/pti-funding-economic-crisis-dominate-discussion-in-senate
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Pakistan
to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain relations with US: Gen Bajwa tells
US counterpart
July
29, 2022
RAWALPINDI:
General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and General Michael Erik
Kurilla, Commander United States (US) CENTCOM had a telephonic conversation on
Friday.
During
the call, matters of mutual interests, regional stability as well as defence
and security cooperation were discussed in detail. COAS said that Pakistan
values its relations with US and we earnestly look forward to enhance mutually
beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests. Both reiterated
the desire to further enhance bilateral relations in all fields.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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Southeast Asia
Ask
housewives for fair valuation of their worth, Putrajaya told
Esther
Yap
July
30, 202
PETALING
JAYA: Several women’s rights groups have criticised the government’s RM600 “presumed
work value” of a housewife, saying it did not reflect the amount of work she
does.
Jernell
Tan of the All Women’s Action Society told the human resources ministry to
explain how it arrived at such a meagre estimate.
She
was commenting on a clause in the Housewives’ Social Security Bill 2022 (SKSSR)
that mentions RM600 as the “presumed work value” of a housewife.
Under
the bill, housewives who contribute to the scheme are entitled to medical
benefits, permanent disability benefits, regular attendance allowance,
survivor’s pension and funeral benefits.
The
valuation came under fire from former deputy women, family and community
development minister Hannah Yeoh, who described it as “insulting”.
Tan
told FMT: “Being a housewife is a 24/7 vocation. This estimate is not just
inappropriate. It is an abomination.”
She
said the government should carry out a study to get a better picture of the
contribution of housework to the national gross domestic product (GDP).
She
said this was something that had been done in Vietnam.
In
a policy brief, anti-poverty group ActionAid said that unpaid care work, which
includes housework, contributed to more than 20% of the country’s GDP in 2015.
Engender
Consultancy founder Omna Sreeni-Ong voiced a similar sentiment, saying the statistics
department should carry out a comprehensive time-use survey to understand the
realities faced by housewives.
“Beyond
domestic chores and caregiving, a stay-at-home parent is tasked with driving,
grocery shopping, cooking, paying bills, attending children’s school activities
and caring for elders at home,” she said.
“All
these tasks, if calculated, would be many times more than what is valued in the
bill, which is RM20 per day.”
According
to the United Nations Statistics Division, time-use statistics measure
individuals’ time allocation to various activities over a specified period.
Tenaganita
executive director Glorene Das, noting that domestic work is usually seen in
terms of social value, said a survey was crucial if the government intended to
put “a number on it”.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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PM
calls for 'tasamuh' among Malaysians to ensure harmony, unity
By
Hana Naz Harun
July
29, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has called on Malaysians
to practice tolerance in ensuring harmony and unity in the community.
He
said the concept of 'tasamuh' or tolerance as demanded in Islam was a trait
that is universal, and not only allowed the people to take the country to
greater heights, but could also avoid unnecessary and harmful disputes.
"The
spirit of tasamuh, introduced by Prophet Muhammad SAW when developing the holy
city of Madinah where the Ansar (local Madinah inhabitants) and the Muhajirin
(early followers of Islam who migrated from Makkah to Madinah) adopted the
spirit of tolerance that created a caring society."
He
said this in his special address in conjunction with the Maal Hijrah
1444H/2022M celebration, themed "Keluarga Malaysia: Catalyst for
Prosperity" aired on local television channels tonight.
In
his speech, Ismail Sabri said the spirit of tasamuh was also adopted by members
of Parliament when they unanimously agreed to the Constitution (Amendment) Bill
(No. 3), banning party-hopping among MPs on Thursday.
The
MPs, he said, had put aside political differences for the sake of Keluarga
Malaysia.
He
said Maal Hijrah was not just about appreciating the migration of Prophet
Muhammad from Makkah to Madinah to spread the message of Islam, but also had a
greater meaning.
"The
challenges faced today require tenacity and resilience of every citizen, such
as the spirit of sacrifice of the Muhajirin who were willing to leave their
property and homes.
Hijrah
in today's context is making an effort to change into a better individual that
is useful to others.
"Within
our own scope of duties, we are responsible for ensuring that relations between
communities are in line with the principles of inclusivity, togetherness and
gratitude as emphasised in the concept of Keluarga Malaysia," said Ismail
Sabri, adding that such values were important to deal with unprecedented
challenges.
It
is with the spirit of togetherness, he said, that Malaysia had also
successfully entered the transition to the endemic phase after over two years
battling health and economic issues as a result of the Covid–19 pandemic.
Source:
NST
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In
conjunction with Ma’al Hijrah, King calls on Malaysians not to insult, ridicule
religions in the name of freedom of expression
29
Jul 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, July 29 — Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin
Al-Mustafa Billah Shah decreed that people should never belittle, insult or
ridicule religions in the name of freedom of expression.
His
Majesty also urged that the sanctity of all religions be preserved and
respected at all times.
“Religion
is not something to be joked about and used as a joke.
“I
am afraid that such an act will fuel the flames of racism and destroy the bond
of unity between all races that has been built for a long time,” said His
Majesty in conjunction with the national-level Ma’al Hijrah1444H celebration
and the recitation of Yassin, in conjunction with Warriors’ Day at the Federal
Territory Mosque here tonight.
Also
present was Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah
Iskandariah.
Prime
Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Minister in the Prime Minister’s
Department (Religious Affairs), Senator Datuk Idris Ahmad and the Cabinet
ministers were also in attendance.
Al-Sultan
Abdullah also called on the people to safeguard the blessings of this
independent and sovereign country.
“May
Allah SWT illuminate our hearts and souls with the spirit of peace, avoid the
traits that can invite division and protect this beloved country from any
calamity and danger,” he said.
Al-Sultan
Abdullah said in line with this year’s Ma’al Hijrah theme, “Keluarga Malaysia
Pemangkin Kemakmuran”, the hijrah (migration) of Prophet Muhammad should be
used as a guide to building a stable and glorious future for the country.
His
Majesty said following the great event, an Islamic country was born which
became the starting point for the development and spread of Islam throughout
the world.
Al-Sultan
Abdullah added that the construction of Madinah is the true reality of the
unity of the plural society of an Islamic country, which is the most successful
in the political history of the world.
“The
unity was successfully achieved through the agreement of all races and
religions, based on the Charter of Madinah,” His Majesty said.
Therefore,
Al-Sultan Abdullah urged that efforts should be made so that all people,
regardless of race or religion, can live in unity, peace and prosperity under
the Sovereign Ruler, and uphold the Federal Constitution.
By
appreciating the Sirah (history) Rasulullah, His Majesty said the unity of a
pluralistic society can be achieved by respecting and understanding the
existing diversity.
The
King also said that today’s hijrah demands not only in terms of migration but
it involves the transformation of the mind to form a culture based on morality
and ethics.
“Being
malicious, jealous and always finding fault with others are reprehensible
traits that Allah SWT dislikes.
Source:
Malay Mail
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Arab World
Saudi
Arabia, France issue joint statement following Crown Prince’s visit to Paris
29
July ,2022
Saudi
Arabia and France agreed to boost cooperation on renewable energy including
solar, wind and clean hydrogen following the guidelines of the Paris Climate
Accords, the Saudi Press agency reported on Friday.
Citing
a joint statement released following Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit
to Paris, SPA also said the leaders also discussed the importance of
stabilizing the global energy market and maintaining a steady food supply of
wheat and grains globally.
The
meeting also stressed on the need for a continuous evaluation of common threats
that face both Saudi Arabia and France, and maintaining security and stability
in the Middle East.
The
Saudi Crown Prince and Macron reportedly agreed on the importance of
strengthening cooperation in defense while simultaneously combating terrorism,
crime and its financing by sharing experiences and conducting training
exercises.
Security
and stability in Lebanon were another area of discussion. Both Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman and Macron agreed upon the importance of implementing
comprehensive political and economic reforms to maintain Lebanon sovereignty,
and “expressed satisfaction” with the work being undertaken by the Saudi-French
fund for humanitarian and relief work in the Middle East nation, according to
the joint statement.
The
safety of the Syrian people and the preservation of the territory was a part of
the talks, according to the SPA report. It added that the two leaders also
explored the international efforts in place to prevent Iran from acquiring a
nuclear weapon and urged its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA).
France’s
Macron also reportedly commended Saudi Arabia’s efforts and support for the
truce in Yemen. The Kingdom, meanwhile, appreciated France’s support behind UN
efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis.
The
leaders also reviewed the historical and strategic relations between the two
countries and discussed ways to further develop them. They also exchanged views
on regional and international issues, SPA reported.
In
a separate statement issued by the French presidency, Macron and the Crown
Prince underlined the need to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and
“intensify their cooperation to ease the effects in Europe, the Middle East and
the wider world.”
The
statement made no explicit reference to oil or gas, but said Macron had
“underlined the importance of continuing the ongoing coordination with Saudi
Arabia with regards to the diversification of energy supplies for European countries.”
With
Russian oil and gas supplies either unavailable to EU nations due to sanctions
or being withheld by Moscow, European countries are desperately seeking
alternative sources of fossil fuels, AFP reported.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Crown Prince, Macron to work to ‘ease effects’ of Ukraine war: Statement
29
July ,2022
French
President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed to
work “to ease the effects” of the war in Ukraine during talks in Paris, the
French presidency said on Friday.
“The
President and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia underlined the need to bring an
end to this conflict and intensify their cooperation to ease the effects in
Europe, the Middle East and the wider world,” a statement said.
The
statement made no explicit reference to oil or gas, but said Macron had
“underlined the importance of continuing the ongoing coordination with Saudi
Arabia with regards to the diversification of energy supplies for European
countries.”
With
Russian oil and gas supplies either unavailable to EU nations due to sanctions
or being withheld by Moscow, European countries are desperately seeking
alternative sources of fossil fuels.
Saudi
Arabia is one of few countries worldwide with the capacity to increase its
output.
The
French statement said that Macron and the Saudi Crown Prince had also discussed
food security amid fears of famines caused by the loss of Ukrainian grain.
Talks
over dinner by the two leaders covered regional crises including the war in
Yemen and Iran’s nuclear program.
“With
regards to the war in Yemen, the president commended the efforts by Saudi
Arabia to find a political, global and inclusive solution under the aegis of
the United Nations and expressed his hope that the truce continues,” the
statement said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Saudi
Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz meets Russian deputy PM to discuss cooperation
29
July ,2022
Saudi
Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman met on Friday with Russian
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak to discuss the latest developments in the
work of the Saudi-Russian joint committee, according to a tweet by the Saudi
Energy Ministry.
The
two discussed the latest developments in the work of the joint Saudi-Russian
committee and discussed opportunities for cooperation between their countries,
the ministry added.
Their
meeting came ahead of an OPEC+ meeting set for August 3. Both Saudi Arabia and
Russia are part of OPEC+.
A
senior administration official recently said the US is optimistic that there
could be some positive announcement when OPEC+ meets next week, adding that
additional oil supplies would help further stabilize the market.
The
official said this was based on conversations during President Joe Biden’s
bilateral and multilateral meetings on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, but
that “these are decisions that OPEC members have to make and we respect that
process.”
“We
are optimistic based on the conversations we had about this next OPEC+
meeting,” the official, who declined to be named told reporters.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Syrian
ship carrying 'stolen' Ukrainian grain docks in Lebanon
İdiris
Okuduci
29.07.2022
BEIRUT
A
Syrian ship carrying stolen grain from Ukraine anchored in Lebanon's Tripoli
Port, a Lebanese minister said.
“The
Ministry of Agriculture and the General Customs Office are following the
developments regarding the Syrian ship, which carried stolen flour and barley
of Ukraine and anchored in Tripoli Port,” Lebanese Trade Minister Amin Salam
told Lebanese daily Annahar on Thursday.
The
minister said the ship was sanctioned by the United States.
The
Ukrainian Embassy in Beirut warned in a statement that "importing wheat
and barley belonging to Ukraine and stolen by Russia will harm Lebanese-Ukrainian
relations."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pro-Sadr
protesters flock to Baghdad’s Tahrir Square despite calls to withdraw
July
30, 2022
BAGHDAD:
Several pro-Sadr demonstrators were injured when Iraqi security forces used
water cannons and tear gas to disperse protesters trying to break into the
Green Zone in Baghdad, according to local news reports.
Supporters
of powerful Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr flocked to Tahrir Square in Baghdad on
Saturday to protest against the nomination of Mohammed Al-Sudani as the new
prime minister of Iraq, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The
highly-secured Green Zone in the capital is home to several government
buildings and diplomatic missions.
Protests
in the capital have been going on since Wednesday despite calls from current
Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi urging demonstrators to “immediately
withdraw,” according to INA.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132451/middle-east
--------
Iraq’s
PMF says Daesh attack thwarted in north of Baghdad
July
30, 2022
The
Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said it thwarted an attempted
attack by Daesh in the Tarmiyah district, north of Baghdad, the Iraq News
Agency (INA) reported on Friday.
“A
force from the 12th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization repelled an attack by
[Daesh] that targeted the Tarmiyah district, north of Baghdad, and the force
was able to thwart a [Daesh] attempt to infiltrate the district and carry out
terrorist operations,” the PMF said in a statement carried by INA.
The
militants launched a counterattack in the district to secure the area and
conducted security sweeps in search of fleeing Daesh fighters, the statement
added.
Iraq’s
PMF – a state-sanctioned umbrella organization of mostly Shiite militias backed
by Iran – was created when influential Shiite cleric Ali Al-Sistani urged the
public to take up arms against Daesh.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132406/middle-east
--------
South Asia
ISIS
causing unrest in Afghanistan, says Taliban's acting foreign minister
July
29, 2022
The
Taliban's acting Foreign Minister admitted that 1,800 ISIS terrorists were
released last year and claimed that ISIS fighters have been subdued while on
the contrary, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the recent deadly attacks on
mosques, schools, and cars across Afghanistan.
Muttaqi
even contradicted his statement, saying "the ISIS prisoners had been
causing unrest in the country during the previous 11 months."
Addressing
the Tashkent international conference, acting Foreign Minister of the Taliban
Amir Khan Muttaqi informed that when the Taliban took control of Kabul, the
Afghan capital, 1,800 ISIS terrorists were released from Bagram and
Pul-e-Charkhi prisons, the Khaama Press reported.
During
his address, Foreign Minister Muttaqi confirmed the release of the ISIS
prisoners and said that the Taliban had grown strong enough to subdue ISIS
fighters during the previous 11 months of their administration.
The
previous Afghan administration flew the ISIS members to Kabul after they were
besieged by the Taliban in Jawzjan province in northern Afghanistan, Khaama
quoted the acting minister as saying.
Uzbekistan
hosted an international conference on Afghanistan on July 25-26 which was
attended by the representatives of 20 world countries.
Earlier,
US officials expressed concern over the release of the ISIS prisoners and said
that their release by the Taliban from the prisons of Pul-e-Charkhi and Bagram
had strengthened the group.
In
February, the nominee to head the US Central Command, Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla
raised concern over the Taliban freeing Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS)
prisoners and warned that the foreign terrorist groups are "reconstituting"
in Afghanistan.
All
prisoners in detention centres and prisons in Afghanistan were pardoned after
the Taliban took control of the country last August.
Despite
the Taliban's claims that ISIS does not physically exist in Afghanistan and
does not pose a threat, the group had claimed responsibility for deadly attacks
on mosques, schools, and cars, the publication said.
Since
the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last August, the country has been mired
in violence.
The
string of terrorist attacks took place in Afghanistan on April 21, 2022,
including the attack against the Seh Dokan Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif and a
separate attack in Kunduz, both claimed by Islamic State in Khorasan Province
(ISKP), an entity affiliated with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant
(ISIL/Da'esh). The attacks have resulted in dozens killed and many more injured
and follow other recent attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure,
including in religious minority communities, across Afghanistan.
Source:
Business Standard
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Videos
on social media showing Taliban destroying Pakistan-built minaret: report
29
July, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], July 29 (ANI): Exposing the rift between Pakistan and
Afghanistan, a new video surfaced on social media showing the members of the
Taliban destroying a minaret built by the Pakistani Army in Afghanistan by
Badakhshis in Wakhan Badakhshan, a local media reported.
The
videos claimed that the Taliban destroyed a pillar with the Pakistan emblem
made by the Pakistan government at the zero point of the alleged border with
Afghanistan in Badakhshan’s Wakhan district.
Earlier,
a similar incident was reported where the members of the Taliban destroyed the
border signs along the Durand Line in Wakhan and Badakhshan, a media report
said amid the rising tension over the border dispute.
In
another video, one person can be heard saying Pakistan is apparently trying to
capture the only source of water in the region, TOLOnews reported without
confirming the exact recording time and location of these videos.
The
ties between Taliban-led Afghanistan and Pakistan have been frosty of late and
matters have been exacerbated by recent border tensions. These videos have
emerged amid an ongoing standoff on the border between the Balochistan and
Nimroz Provinces of the two countries.
“Both
sides refused to move from their respective positions and the Taliban commander
of Zakir Camp Qari Hamidullah informed the Pakistan Army that he was under
instructions not to negotiate and demanded the removal of poles intended for
fencing on the Durand Line,” said Toronto-based think tank International Forum
For Rights And Security (IFFRAS).
“This
event is the latest in a series of incidents on the border. In response,
Pakistan refused to remove the poles and also threatened to destroy Zakir Camp
if Afghanistan maintained an aggressive posture,” it added.
Earlier
this month, Taliban-appointed Afghan Defence Minister said that the country
will not allow any other country to act aggressively against Afghanistan.
The
refusal to accept the status of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan by
the Taliban regime has clearly shown the cracks in the relationship between the
two countries.
During
his visit to the Durand Line in Paktia province, Mawalwi Mohammad Yaqoob
Mujahid said the Taliban wants good ties with all neighbouring countries and
expects the same from them.
Regional
analysts believe that Pakistan has committed a strategic blunder in thinking
that the Taliban, which the country helped in fighting a US-backed Afghanistan
for over two decades, will fulfil Islamabad’s wishes.
After
Pakistan backed the Taliban for over two decades to gain Afghanistan’s control
back, it seemed like a legitimate expectation of Islamabad that the Taliban
will show some gratitude and accede to Pakistan’s wish list on a range of
issues.
However,
the Taliban have so far not shown any signs of acceding to these wishes.
Rather, on several occasions, rejected Pakistan’s demands including the one to
recognize the Durand Line.
According
to the Canadian think tank, ‘borders’ that have remained porous for centuries
have suddenly been shut down, dividing clans and families.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Four
wounded in bomb blast at Afghan cricket match
Jul
29, 2022
KABUL:
A grenade blast during a match at Afghanistan's main cricket stadium wounded
four spectators and briefly halted the game on Friday, officials and police
said.
The
explosion happened at a match between Pamir Zalmi and Band-e-Amir Dragons in
the country's domestic T20 league, held at the Kabul International Cricket
Stadium.
Hundreds
of people were at the match on Friday, the weekly holiday in Afghanistan.
Kabul
police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the blast was caused by a grenade, adding
that the game was halted for a few minutes.
It
injured four spectators, said the Afghanistan Cricket Board's chief executive
Naseeb Khan.
"The
players, staff members and foreigners are all safe," he said on Twitter,
without offering details.
This
year's edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League -- its eighth season -- is the
first such tournament since the Taliban seized power in August last year.
Its
eight teams have many players from the country's national team.
Cricket
is a popular game in Afghanistan, with many of its players gaining international
recognition.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Jaishankar
likely to hold 1st in-person meet with Taliban foreign minister Muttaqi in
Tashkent
NAYANIMA
BASU
29
July, 2022
New
Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is likely to hold a bilateral
meeting with Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
(SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting being held under the Uzbek presidency,
ThePrint has learnt.
While
there is no official confirmation on the meeting from either side,
Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has been requesting a meeting with Jaishankar ever
since India decided to reopen its embassy in Kabul in June this year,
diplomatic sources told ThePrint.
If
such a meeting does take place, it will be the first ever face-to-face
interaction between Jaishankar and Muttaqi.
The
proposed meeting, top-level sources said, will purely focus on issues
concerning humanitarian aid and assistance meant for the Afghan people.
Jaishankar
left Thursday on a two-day visit to Uzbekistan for the SCO foreign ministers’
meeting, where he is expected to have a slew of bilateral meetings on the
sidelines of the main event, including a meeting with Chinese foreign minister
Wang Yi.
While
Jaishankar and Muttaqi are likely to take stock of the humanitarian aid flowing
from India to Afghanistan at the proposed meeting, the Afghan side is likely to
make a proposal for New Delhi to resume work on some of the mega Indian
infrastructure projects that were stalled by the overthrow of the former Ashraf
Ghani government in Kabul, sources told ThePrint.
Jaishankar,
on the other hand, is likely to “insist strongly” on the fact that New Delhi
will not tolerate a rise in terrorism on Afghan soil, thereby reiterating the
stand India took under UNSC Resolution 2593 passed in August last year during
its presidency of the UN Security Council, sources added.
India
has been engaging with the Taliban ever since the latter took power in Kabul in
August last year. But it was in June this year that New Delhi made the decision
to reopen its embassy in Afghanistan by sending a “technical team” there.
Earlier
that month, India had sent an official delegation to Kabul led by J.P. Singh,
joint secretary (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran division) at the Ministry of
External Affairs (MEA), who also held a meeting with Muttaqi. Singh is also
part of the Indian delegation in Tashkent for the SCO foreign ministers’
meeting.
International
conference on Afghanistan
Muttaqi,
meanwhile, has been in Tashkent since the beginning of this week as he had to
also attend a special meeting on Afghanistan hosted by the Uzbek government.
The meeting was attended by more than 30 countries, including India.
The
Uzbek foreign ministry said in a statement: “The main goal of the event is to
develop a set of measures and proposals for the approaches of the world
community to promote stability, security, post-conflict reconstruction in
Afghanistan and its integration into regional cooperation processes in the
interests of the multinational Afghan people and the whole world.”
MEA
spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said Thursday at a media briefing that India “did
participate in that event (at an official level)”.
“It
was in continuation of our efforts to engage with the international community
on issues related to Afghanistan. During this conference, India reiterated its
commitment to assist the Afghan people in this difficult time and provide
humanitarian assistance. We also reiterated UNSC 2593 (at the meeting),” Bagchi
added.
At
the international conference on Afghanistan, chaired by Uzbek foreign minister
Vladimir Norov, the Taliban foreign minister assured all international
participants that the government in Kabul is working every day to make Afghanistan
secure, focussing on the country’s reconstruction. Afghanistan is hence open
for business, he said.
“Before
we came to power, everyone used to call for an end to violence in Afghanistan.
Look, we are discussing the reconstruction of our country and developing its
economy…We want investment,” Muttaqi added.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Africa
New
Tunisian constitution brings hope to many people in struggling nation
July
29, 2022
TUNIS:
Tunisian voters have approved a referendum on a new constitution that gives
more powers to the country’s president. It’s a step that brings hope to many in
the struggling North African nation.
Some
people interviewed by The Associated Press this week celebrated the result of
Monday’s referendum and expressed support for President Kais Saied, who
spearheaded the project and proposed the text himself.
Others
said they worry about what the changes could mean for the future of democracy
in the country.
The
overhauled constitution gives sweeping executive powers to the president and
weakens the influence of the legislative and judicial branches of the
government.
Adel,
a 51-year-old plumber who refused to give his last name due to fear of
political reprisals, said that while he supported Saied, he did not participate
in Monday’s referendum because he thought the proposed changes gave the
executive branch too much power.
“This
constitution he made was not for the long-term. Those who will come after Saied
will do whatever they want without being held accountable,” he said.
Saied
won the presidency in 2019 with over 70 percent of the vote. He continues to
enjoy widespread popular support; recent polls put his approval rating at well
over 50 percent.
The
referendum took place a year to the day after Saied froze Tunisia’s parliament
and dismissed his government. Opponents derided the moves as “a coup,” but many
Tunisians supported the president’s actions due to exasperation with political
elites and years of economic stagnation.
In
the same way, many citizens think the new constitution will end years of
political deadlock and reduce the influence of the country’s largest political
party, Ennahdha.
Others
saw a “yes” vote as a vote for Saied and a chance to change their fortunes.
Saida
Masoudi, 49, a fast-food seller in a Tunis suburb who voted for the revised
constitution, said she hoped the changes would pave the way to economic reforms
and lower living costs.
“We
just want the country to improve and reform. That’s why I participated in this
referendum, so that the country will return to how it was before” she said,
adding that she thinks Tunisians lived better under former President Ben Ali
than they do today.
However,
Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s regional director, called the
constitution’s adoption “deeply worrying.”
She
said in a statement that the revisions were drafted behind closed doors in a
process controlled by Saied.
“The
new constitution dismantles many of the guarantees to the independence of the
judiciary, removes protection for civilians from military trials and grants the
authorities the power to restrict human rights or renege on international human
rights commitments in the name of religion” Morayef said.
Official
preliminary results showed about one-third of registered voters cast ballots,
with 94.6 percent giving their approval.
Opposition
leaders had called for a boycott of the referendum, saying the process was
flawed, and they argue the turnout reflected discomfort with the changes to
Tunisia’s system of government.
“The
referendum was rigged from the start, with no participation threshold provided
for,” International Commission of Jurists regional director Said Benarbia said.
“The
low turnout and the opaque, illegal process by which the adoption of the
constitution was made possible do not give the president any mandate or
legitimacy to change Tunisia’s constitutional order.”
Several
people the Associated Press spoke with said they did not vote in the
referendum.
Some
said they were uninterested in politics, while others said a new constitution
would do little to change their quality of life. Several did not understand the
changes it would introduce.
“I
didn’t vote because none of this interests me,” Khalil Riahi, a 26-year-old DJ,
said.
“Whether
it’s Kais Saied doing this or someone else, it’s all the same to me. Nothing
will change.”
Monica
Marks, professor of Middle East politics at NYU Abu Dhabi, says that many
Tunisians have grown tired, disillusioned and cynical in recent years but that
they “never called for a complete up-ending of their political system”.
“What
they’ve been calling for, for years, is for effective leadership from
government that makes a real tangible difference in their everyday lives and
solves the economic challenges that they’re desperately grappling with” says
Marks, explaining that many are attached to the idea that “one man alone can
take the system, break it and maybe fix it.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132251/middle-east
--------
Muslim-Muslim
Ticket: New CAN President, Okoh states position
July
29, 2022
By
Don Silas
Archbishop
Daniel Okoh, the new president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN),
on Thursday, said several Christians have the genuine fear that there is a
deliberate plan to remove the Christian faith from the scheme of things and
make them second-class citizens in Nigeria.
Okoh
said the fear was borne out of the recent happenings in the polity.
According
to him, “that is, the same-faith ticket in one of the major political parties
in Nigeria despite the caution raised by CAN since two years ago.”
In
his acceptance speech in Abuja after the General Assembly of CAN validated his
election, Okoh said: “We are coming in at the time that all of us in the
Christian faith, believe that some section of political leaders are not
sensitive to the diverse nature of our population when certain decisions are
being made.
“Whatever
happens, no matter how many times our sensibilities are insulted, we must
resolve to make a positive impact on the political, economic and social systems
of our dear nation.”
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/07/29/muslim-muslim-ticket-new-can-president-okoh-states-position/
--------
Bomb
blast kills regional judicial official in Somalia
Mohammed
Dhaysane
29.07.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Multiple
casualties were reported on Friday after a bomb blast targeted senior regional
government officials in the southwestern Somali city of Baidoa, officials said.
A
security official in Baidoa told Anadolu Agency over the phone that initial
reports said Hassan Ibrahim Lugbur, justice minister in the South West State,
is among the dead.
The
bomb exploded shortly after Lugbur left a mosque after Friday prayers, he
added.
The
official said at least seven people were also wounded in the attack and were
taken to local hospitals.
Baidoa,
the largest city in the South West State, is located 245 kilometers (152 miles)
southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/bomb-blast-kills-regional-judicial-official-in-somalia/2648684
--------
Al-Shabaab
terrorists launch fresh attack on Somali town bordering Ethiopia
Mohammed
Dhaysane
29.07.2022
MOGADISHU,
Somalia
Al-Shabaab
terrorists on Friday launched a fresh attack on a Somali town located near the
border with Ethiopia, officials said.
The
attacks took place in the town of Aato in Bokol region near Ethiopia's Somali
region, where Liyu police, a counterinsurgency force, operates.
Officials
in Bakol region, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity,
confirmed the attack, without giving any further details.
Al-Shabaab
terrorists later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying they targeted a
security camp in the town killing 103 Ethiopian Liyu police officers.
Witnesses
said they heard heavy fighting between al-Shabaab and the security forces.
The
attack comes a week after the group crossed Somali border with Ethiopia,
sparking heavy gun battles.
US
Africa Command commander Gen Stephen J. Townsend late Thursday said the group
reached 150km inside Ethiopia before being been stopped.
Mustafe
Omar, president of Somali region, said a functioning state can never be
intimidated by ragtag outfits such as al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with
al-Qaeda.
“Our
gallant special forces are once again proving that the peace in the region is
not at the mercy of terrorists," he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
New Year: JGSG declares Monday work free day
July
29, 2022
By
Khaleel Muhammad
The
Jigawa State Government has declared Monday, 1st August 2022 a work-free day to
mark the Islamic New Year.
This
was contained in a statement signed by the Head of the Civil Service, Hussaini
Ali Kila on behalf of Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar.
The
Governor urged civil servants and residents in the state to use the day to pray
for the state and the country at large for God’s intervention to salvage the
nation from the lingering security challenges.
“The
period of the Islamic New Year should remind all people of the countless
favours bestowed on them by the Almighty God,” he said.
He
called on the citizens to intensify prayers for those affected by floods in
some parts of the state, those that lost their lives and many others who lost
their homes and properties.
“People
should also use the period to reflect and live their lives based on the
teachings of Islam and practice of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
“During
the occasion, it is expected that all public servants and the entire people of
the State will also pray to Almighty Allah for continued protection and
guidance of our leaders,” it said.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailypost.ng/2022/07/29/islamic-new-year-jgsg-declares-monday-work-free-day/
--------
North America
US
Congress Calls On EU To Designate Hezbollah In Its Entirety As A Terrorist
Group
30
July ,2022
The
US House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) passed a measure calling on the
European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terror group in its entirety.
Lawmakers
on the committee also passed a separate resolution calling for the US
government to dismantle narcotics networks of the Assad regime, specifically
Captagon, an amphetamine-type stimulant.
The
resolution, which now will be voted on by the House, applauds and expresses
support for the continued, increased cooperation between the US and EU in
thwarting Hezbollah’s criminal and terrorist activities.
It
also calls on the EU to sanction Hezbollah-affiliated terrorists in tandem with
the US. The resolution “urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah in its
entirety as a terrorist organization and increase pressure on the group.”
Pressure
on the group would include better cross-border cooperation between European
Union members in combatting Hezbollah, issuing arrest warrants against members
and active supporters of the group, freezing Hezbollah’s assets in Europe and
banning fundraising activities in support of it.
Washington
has worked to isolate and pressure Iran-backed Hezbollah for years, but Europe,
specifically France, has held up unified opposition.
The
Elysee continues to differentiate between Hezbollah’s so-called military and
political wings.
And
in recent years, several countries in the Gulf, South and Central America, and
Europe have designated Hezbollah in its entirety.
The
group, formed in 1982 by Iran to fight Israelis in Lebanon, continues to expand
its power across the region and its arsenal of ballistic missiles and weapons.
The
US designated Hezbollah as a terrorist group in 1997. Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad
Organization (IJO) is responsible for one of the deadliest attacks on US troops
on foreign soil and carried out multiple bombings against US marines, the US
Embassy and the US Embassy in Lebanon.
Captagon
and Bashar al-Assad
Narcotics
trafficking, particularly with links to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, was
also targeted in a separate measure this week.
Most
of Captagon is produced in Syria and Lebanon and smuggled to its primary
consumer market in the Gulf.
The
HFAC voted on a measure to require a strategy by the US government “to disrupt
and dismantle the Captagon trade and narcotics networks of Bashar al-Assad in
Syria.”
The
‘‘Countering Assad’s Proliferation Trafficking And Garnering Of Narcotics Act’’
or the ‘‘CAPTAGON Act’’ would require the US secretaries of Defense, State,
Treasury, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Director of National
Intelligence to develop a way to dismantle the production and trafficking of
the narcotic.
Congressman
French Hill praised the passing of the Captagon Act. “These drugs not only
cripple local populations, they also serve to fuel hostilities and finance the
Assad regime and Iran-backed groups in the region,” Hill said in a statement.
“The US government must do all it can to disrupt the industrial-level drug production
currently taking place in Syria.”
The
top Republican on the HFAC said the Captagon trade directly undermines US and
international sanctions on the Assad regime. “The Administration needs to
develop and implement a plan to stop production and trafficking of these
drugs,” McCaul said.
Methods
could include diplomatic and intelligence support by assisting and training law
enforcement services in countries other than Syria, where Captagon is being
transited.
If
passed, the US government would be required to develop a manner where it could
leverage cooperation with international partners to disrupt the narcotics
infrastructure of the Assad regime.
The
resolution also calls for a strategy to mobilize a “public communications
campaign to increase awareness of the extent of the connection of the Assad
regime to illicit narcotics trade.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
State group: Canadian narrator of propaganda videos jailed
July
30, 2022
A
US court has sentenced a Canadian citizen who produced and narrated propaganda
videos for the Islamic State group (IS) to life in prison.
Saudi-born
Mohammed Khalifa was found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to
the group.
The
US Department of Justice said Khalifa, 39, had been a "formidable
figure" within IS and personally killed two captive Syrian soldiers.
IS
was defeated by Iraqi forces and a US-led coalition in 2017.
But
the group still maintains a presence in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, as well as
the Horn of Africa and West Africa.
US
prosecutors say Khalifa provided English-speaking narration for 15 propaganda
videos that glorified horrific murders designed to incite attacks and recruit
others to the group.
Khalifa,
who grew up in Toronto, travelled to Syria in spring of 2013, and joined IS
that November. He worked within the IS media operation until late 2018.
In
2014 alone, the unit released videos of the beheading of US journalists James
Foley and Steven Sotloff, and of British aid workers Alan Henning and David
Haines.
In
January 2019, Khalifa was captured in Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF), a US-backed, Kurdish-led militia.
Armed
with three grenades and an AK-47, he had carried out a solo attack on an SDF
position in Abu Badran, Syria, said the US justice department.
He
threw one grenade at SDF forces on the roof of the compound, before running
inside where he engaged in a gunfight with a soldier on the stairs.
Source:
BBC
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62356415
--------
US,
Pakistan pressing Taliban to let girls go to school: Blinken
Anwar
Iqbal
July
30, 2022
WASHINGTON:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has identified Pakistan as one of the
partners the United States has been working with to persuade the Taliban to let
girls go back to school.
On
Thursday, Secretary Blinken launched the US-Afghan Consultative Mechanism
(USACM), which would enable Afghan citizens to communicate directly with
American policymakers.
Addressing
the launching ceremony, the top US diplomat said that besides Pakistan, the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Qatar and Turkey, and others were also
backing US efforts to convince the Taliban to reverse their decision to keep
Afghan girls out of school.
The
new platform — USACM — that was launched in Washington on Thursday brings together
Afghan women, journalists, and at-risk ethnic and religious communities with
the representatives of the US State Department. It will facilitate regular
engagement with the US government on issues ranging from human rights
documentation to women in Islam.
Kabul,
Washington discuss possible release of Afghanistan’s frozen assets
With
USACM’s launch, “we are taking these relationships to the next level. That’s
why I’m so pleased about today,” Secretary Blinken said. He identified the group’s priorities as
supporting income-generating activities for Afghan women, strategising ways to
help Afghan human rights monitors safely document abuses, and devising new
methods to promote religious freedom.
Afghan
assets
The
United States has discussed with Taliban officials the possible release of
Afghan central bank’s assets frozen after the fall of Kabul in August last
year, the US State Department confirmed on Friday.
“The
two sides discussed ongoing efforts to enable the $3.5 billion in licensed
Afghan central bank reserves to be used for the benefit of the Afghan people,”
said an official statement released in Washington.
“The
United States expressed the need to address the urgent humanitarian situation
in Afghanistan” and also “underscored the need to accelerate the work on these
efforts,” the statement added.
The
meeting, involving Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West and Under
Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian
Nelson, took place on Wednesday in Tashkent. The meetings took place after the
conclusion of the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan that Uzbekistan hosted on
July 26.
Media
reports on the meeting claimed that the talks had made “some progress” and the
US and Taliban officials had exchanged proposals for unfreezing the assets. But
some differences remained unresolved.
Source:
Dawn
Please
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1702260/us-pakistan-pressing-taliban-to-let-girls-go-to-school-blinken
--------
Europe
Labour
bans 'Muslim plot' councillor over Islamophobia finding
July
30, 2022
A
former Labour deputy leader of Newcastle City Council has been found guilty of
Islamophobia and suspended from the party for a year.
Joyce
McCarty faced a probe into claims she made in a text message of a "Muslim
plot", which ousted her ally and former leader Nick Forbes.
Ms
McCarty, who was re-elected in May, will sit as an independent.
Newcastle
Labour Party says it condemns "any act of hate crime" and will
"call out any such behaviour when seen".
It
said: "Joyce McCarty has been found guilty through investigation of
Islamophobia and is suspended from the Labour Party with immediate
effect."
Ms
McCarty declined to comment when contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting
Service (LDRS).
Labour
indicated that the 12-month suspension includes the four already served since
her initial suspension in March.
"The
Labour Party takes all complaints extremely seriously and they are fully
investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate
disciplinary action is taken," a spokesman added.
In
a text message seen by LDRS and first reported by JOE, Ms McCarty said she was
aware of a "specific Muslim plot" organised by councillors in
Newcastle's West End to remove the leader and get more black, Asian, and
minority ethnic candidates selected.
Despite
being suspended in March, she remained on local election ballot papers for
Labour in May and was re-elected in her Wingrove ward with an overwhelming
majority.
She
was first elected to the city council in 1994 and was deputy leader from 2011
to 2021.
The
veteran councillor also sat on the local authority's cabinet with
responsibilities for issues including support for refugees and asylum seekers.
In
February, Mr Forbes was defeated in the contest for his Arthur's Hill ward when
Labour members voted by 13 to four in favour of Abdul Samad.
Source:
BBC
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-62352829
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Daesh
‘groomer’ with ties to Manchester Arena bomber could be released from jail
July
29, 2022
LONDON:
A British man convicted of helping people travel to join Daesh and accused of
“grooming” the Manchester Arena bomber could soon be released from jail.
Abdalraouf
Abdallah, 29, could be up for parole in November. He was jailed for
nine-and-a-half years in 2016 for facilitating travel for people to fight in
the civil war in Syria, and of raising money to support their efforts.
He
was paralyzed from the waist down while fighting in the Libyan revolution of
2011, and was arrested in 2014 in the UK for suspected terrorist activities —
charges he continues to deny.
At
his trial in London it was revealed that correspondence was found on his mobile
phone with the Manchester Arena bomber, Salman Abedi, in which the two discussed,
among other things, martyrdom and the death of a member of Al-Qaeda.
Abdallah
was released on license in November 2020, but was recalled to prison soon after
for breaching his behavior-related conditions.
His
prospective re-release comes after a change in the law in February 2020,
mandating that criminals with convictions for terrorism offenses must serve
two-thirds of their sentence in jail before review by the Parole Board.
In
the UK, convicted criminals typically only serve half of a given custodial sentence
dependent on circumstances before parole considerations.
A
Parole Board spokesperson said: “We can confirm the parole review of Abdalraouf
Abdallah has been referred to the Parole Board by the secretary of state for
justice and is following standard processes.
“Parole
Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to
the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community,”
the spokesperson said.
“A
panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the
original crime, and any evidence of behavior change, as well as explore the
harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
“Evidence
from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists,
officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal
statements may be given at the hearing.
“It
is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during
the hearing, which often lasts a full day or more. Parole reviews are undertaken
thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one
priority.”
Abdallah’s
trial heard that he arranged for the movement of people and money to Syria, all
while confined to his wheelchair.
Prosecutor
Max Hill, QC, accused Abdallah of being “at the center of a jihadist network
facilitating foreign fighters . . . intent upon sending fighters to join groups
in Syria who were committing terrorist acts in that country.”
After
his conviction, Abdallah was visited in prison by Abedi, and continued to
contact him via an illegal mobile phone in 2017 before the Manchester Arena
bombing on May 22, which killed 23 people.
The
inquiry into the bombing was told by one expert Abedi was “groomed” by
Abdallah, who is from Moss Side in Manchester, claiming he converted Abedi to
his “violent, Islamist, extremist world view.”
Abdallah
denies involvement in the bombing. He was transferred from Wakefield Prison to
give evidence at the inquiry in November 2021, where he said he was “haunted”
by the attack, describing his correspondence with Abedi as “normal chitchat.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132206/world
--------
Plans
for Muslim burial sites in Madrid given approval
July
29, 2022
MADRID:
The Madrid City Council last week approved the use of land in the Spanish
capital for Muslim burial spaces.
Maysoun
Douas, the first and only Muslim councillor on the City Council for Mas Madrid,
made a speech to highlight the problems and lack of rights faced by the Muslim
community in the region.
Religious
freedom includes the right to receive a dignified burial without discrimination
on religious grounds, she said.
However,
there is currently only one Muslim cemetery in the Autonomous Community of
Madrid, in Grinon, 40 km from the center of Madrid.
In
2016, it was already full and did not even allow burials according to the
Islamic rite, because municipal ordinances require the use of coffins.
The
space was historically designated for Franco’s “Guardia Mora” during the
Francoist dictatorship.
The
Autonomous Community of Madrid has about 250 public cemeteries, 14 of which are
municipal in the city of Madrid.
Of
all of them, only the one in Grinon is Muslim, for about 300,000 people in the
community and 100,000 in the capital who practice Islam.
All
this comes under civil rights for Muslim citizens, which have been stigmatized
according to Douas.
“The
official interlocutors for religious issues, organizations we trusted,
convinced us that we were fighting for our rights when they were actually
hijacking them,” she said.
“This
is a group that needs real institutional support, as organizations have done
little or nothing to implement basic rights recognized for other citizens,” she
added.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2132261/world
--------
UN
wants Syria talks to be insulated from Ukraine war
29
July ,2022
The
UN is calling for a “firewall” around the Syria process, after diplomatic talks
for the conflict-torn country were postponed over Russian demands reportedly
linked to its war in Ukraine.
The
UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, had been set to host a ninth round
of talks in Geneva towards a new Syrian constitution this week.
But
he was forced to postpone after Moscow raised issues over the venue, reportedly
insisting that Switzerland, which has imposed sanctions over the Ukraine war,
is not neutral.
Spokeswoman
Jenifer Fenton told reporters in Geneva that Pedersen had briefed the Security
Council behind closed doors Thursday, and had described the postponement as
“unfortunate and disheartening, particularly since it results from matters
unrelated to the Syria file.”
He
had told the council that a Syrian government representative had informed him
that it would only be ready to participate in the next round of constitutional
talks “when what he described as requests made by the Russian Federation have
been met,” she said.
Pedersen,
she said, “urged all parties to firewall the Syrian process from the impact of
the conflicts elsewhere in the world and put the interest of Syrians first.”
Fenton
highlighted that back in 2018 when the constitutional committee was conceived,
one of the conditions was that it “would hold its meetings in Geneva without
foreign interference.”
Pedersen
acknowledged that the challenges facing the long-stuck talks aimed at rewriting
Syria’s constitution “run much deeper than issues of venue,” she said.
“One
challenge is that of pace and working methods, and another challenge, is that
of political will.”
During
the last round of talks in early June, the rival parties made very little
headway, with Pedersen’s office decrying the slow pace and acknowledging at the
time that “differences remained significant.”
On
Thursday, Pedersen told the council that the “current deadlock ... calls for a broader
reflection,” Fenton said.
He
had said the situation for Syrians remains “dire,” and had stressed the need to
“put aside our differences and offer Syrians a common and constructive
position.”
Syria’s
war, which erupted in 2011 after the brutal repression of anti-government
protests, has killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions.
The
tentative negotiations are aimed at rewriting the war-torn country’s
constitution. It is hoped the talks could pave the way towards a broader
political process.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Iran
state media share video of US children singing Tehran-sponsored religious
anthem
29
July ,2022
A
group of Shia Muslim children in Houston, Texas, sang an Iranian-sponsored
religious anthem that includes references to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
and slain military commander Qassem Soleimani last week, videos shared online
showed.
The
event was organized by the Islamic Education Center of Houston, according to a
post on the organisation’s Facebook page. Video of the children singing the
anthem was shared by Iranian state media.
The
anthem, “Salam Farmandeh” – meaning “Hello Commander” – is a pledge of
allegiance by young children to the 12th Imam and Shia Messiah, al-Mahdi,
according to the anthem’s creators in Iran.
The
anthem was “written upon the recommendation of” Khamenei, “who called on
children and youths to address Imam Mahdi,” according to the Lebanese Hezbollah’s
al-Manar TV.
The
anthem, which aired for the first time in March on Iranian state TV, makes
references to Khamenei and former Revolutionary Guards commander Soleimani. The
anthem has been heavily promoted by Iranian state media.
“I
promise to be your Haj Qassem,” the children sing, referring to Soleimani.
Rights
activists have criticised the anthem, saying it is a propaganda anthem that
seeks to recruit child soldiers and brainwash children.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Appoints New Representative to IAEA, UN Offices in Vienna
2022-July-29
Naziri
Asl was also appointed as Iran's new ambassador and permanent representative to
the United Nations Office in Vienna.
Naziri
Asl succeeded Kazzem Qaribabadi who was the last Permanent Representative of
Iran to the UN Office in Vienna.
Source:
Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
FM Calls for Settlement of Hirmand River Dispute with Afghanistan
2022-July-29
During
the conversation on Thursday, Amir Abdollahian conferred on the long-standing
dispute over shared water resources with the Afghan official, making a
"serious demand" for settlement of the dispute in line with the
agreement between the two sides.
The
top Iranian diplomat, meantime, pointed out that a high-ranking delegation from
Iran's Ministry of Energy would pay a visit to Afghanistan to investigate and
remove the existing obstacles and consult with Afghan authorities about Iran's
water share.
Muttaqi
welcomed the continuation of consultations on the matter as well as dispatching
of an expert team by the Iranian government that would pursue the issue.
The
top Iranian diplomat had last month warned that Iran will take legal measures
if the Taliban fail to secure its water rights “because the supplement of
Iran’s water rights from Hirmand [River] plays a decisive role in our strategic
policy towards Afghanistan’s acting Taliban government”.
Days
after his statement, a member of the Iranian parliament’s national security and
foreign policy committee announced that a delegation will travel to Afghanistan
to hold talks with the Taliban officials on the water-sharing dispute and other
issues.
The
two neighboring countries have been locked in a protracted water dispute, which
has prevented them from realizing the vast potential of their bilateral trade
ties.
At
the heart of the dispute is the Hirmand River, which originates in the Hindu
Kush Mountains near Kabul and flows 700 miles (1,126 kilometers) south before
flowing into Hamoun wetlands, located in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan
province.
The
two countries signed a water-sharing accord on the Hirmand River in 1973, under
which Afghanistan pledged to deliver an average of 820 million cubic meters of
water per annum to Iran.
Iran
has repeatedly criticized Afghanistan for failing to honor the agreement in
letter and spirit.
Source: Fars News Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran's
Spokesman: Israel's Nuclear Program Serious Threat to International Security
2022-July-29
"The
advanced nuclear military program of the apartheid regime of Israel and the
regime's continued reluctance to put its nuclear facilities under comprehensive
safeguards and not to join the non-proliferation treaty is a serious threat to
international security and the non-proliferation regime," Kana'ani tweeted
on Friday.
The
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman also called on the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) to fulfill its responsibility in this regard as per its
statute.
Israel,
which pursues a policy of deliberate ambiguity about its nuclear weapons, is
estimated to have 200 to 400 nuclear warheads in its arsenal.
The
occupying entity has refused to allow inspections of its military nuclear
facilities or sign the NPT.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
executes three women in single day for murdering their husbands: NGO
29
July ,2022
Iran
this week executed three women in the space of a single day, all on charges of
murdering their husbands, an NGO said on Friday.
There
has been growing concern over the increasing number of women being hanged in
Iran as the country sees a surge in executions.
Many
killed husbands who were abusive or they married as child brides or even relatives,
activists say.
Norway-based
Iran Human Rights (IHR) said that on July 27 three women were executed in
different prisons for murdering their husbands in separate cases, meaning at
least 10 women have now been executed by Iran in 2022.
Senobar
Jalali, an Afghan national, was executed in a prison outside Tehran, it said.
Meanwhile
Soheila Abedi, who had married her husband when aged just 15, was hanged in a
prison in the city of Sanandaj in western Iran.
She
had committed the murder 10 years after their marriage and was convicted in
2015, IHR said.
Faranak
Beheshti, who had been convicted around five years ago for the murder of her
husband, was executed in the prison in the northwestern city of Urmia, it said.
Activists
argue that Iran’s laws are stacked against women, who do not have the right to
unilaterally demand a divorce, even in cases of domestic violence and abuse.
A
report by IHR published in October last year said that at least 164 women were
executed between 2010 and October 2021.
But
activists are alarmed by a surge in executions in Iran this year, coinciding
with the rise of former judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi to the presidency in 2021
and protests over an economic crisis.
At
least 306 people have been executed so far in Iran in 2022, according to a
count by IHR.
Washington-based
Abdorrahman Boroumand Centre for Human Rights in Iran and London-based Amnesty
International said Wednesday that Iran is carrying out executions at a
“horrifying pace” in an “abhorrent assault” on the right to life.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinian
teen of 16 years shot dead by Israeli army: Ministry
29
July ,2022
A
Palestinian teenager was killed on Friday in clashes with the Israeli army in
the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Amjad
Nashaat Abu Alia, 16, “died of critical wounds sustained by live bullets in the
chest,” during clashes near the village of al-Mughayer, close to Ramallah, the
ministry said in a statement.
An
AFP photographer at the scene reported 300 to 400 Palestinians had gathered for
a protest march, to demonstrate against Israeli settlement expansion in the
area.
Clashes
erupted when Israeli settlers and Palestinians began throwing rocks at each
other.
The
Israeli army said it was looking into the incident.
It
came after two Palestinians were killed during an overnight raid by the Israeli
military in Nablus early on Sunday, in what the army described as a shootout
with gunmen.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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