New
Age Islam News Bureau
20
January 2022
Pak
Woman, Aneeqa Ateeq, 26/ Photo Sabah
----
• Recognise
‘Hinduphobia’ And Violence Against Buddhists, Sikhs Too: Indian Envoy To U.N.
• Muslims
on Edge as Buddhist Ethnic Group Bids
for Power in Rakhine State
• France
Closes Yet Another Mosque For Supporting ‘Anti-Semitic Remarks’ In Cannes
• Arab
Coalition Strikes Kill 90 Houthi ‘Terrorists,’ Destroy 11 Vehicles In Yemen
Pakistan
• Parliamentary
Panel Approves Justice Ayesha Malik’s Appointment To Supreme Court
• Opposition
sees campaign behind emergency rumours
• In
call with UAE crown prince, Imran condemns Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi
--------
India
• Clubhouse
group targeting Muslim women: Police zero in on 4-5 speakers, set to bring them
in for questioning
• Delhi
Police writes to Clubhouse app, Google over targeting of Muslim women in group
audio chat
• J&K:
Kashmiri Pandits observe 'Exodus Day', demand justice for victims
• Terrorists
fire at CRPF's bunker at Anantnag, flee
• Bajrang
Dal Leader Among 4 Held For Murder Of K’taka Muslim Teen
• Winning
Muslim Voters' Trust Biggest Challenge For BJP In Second Phase Of UP Polls
--------
South Asia
• IEA
interim cabinet passes uniform scheme for Taliban affiliates
• Taliban’s
Prime Minister Mulla Akhund Calls On Muslim States To Recognise Afghan Govt
• Six
people including IEA local commander killed in gunfire
• Frozen
assets will lead to unemployment of 1.5 million Afghans: Afghan industrialists
• All
you need to know about IEA’s first Economic Conference in Kabul: report
--------
Europe
• UK
Company Report Alleges ‘War Crimes’ In J&K
• Abubaker
Deghayes guilty of encouraging 'jihad by sword'
• European
countries urge Israel to stop construction in East Jerusalem
--------
Arab World
• World
Muslim Communities Council condemns terrorist attack on Abu Dhabi
• Al-Sadr
condemns the attacks on the political headquarters in Iraq: not acceptable by
Sharia and law
• Twelve
Syrian police wounded in bus blast: State media
• Impoverished
Lebanese, Syrians struggle to survive cold
• UAE
ambassador to US: Houthis used missiles in attack on Abu Dhabi
--------
Southeast Asia
• Shariah
Chief Judge Files RM30m Defamation Suit Against Lokman Adam In Connection With
Allegations Of Sexual Harassment
• Crowd
understood Khairy’s ‘homosexual’ remark against Anwar, says lawyer
• Indonesian
security forces blasted over Papua abuses
• Indonesian
militant gets 15 years in jail over 2002 Bali bombings
--------
Mideast
• Commander:
Iran Ready to Supply Neighbouring, Friendly States with Military Technologies
• Iran
Underlines Need to End War in Yemen
• Participants
in Vienna Talks Working on 4 Texts
• Iran,
Iraq Agree to Set Up Joint Arbitration Centre
• Turkish
envoy meets Libyan parliament speaker Aguila Saleh
• US
envoy set to visit Gulf for Yemen peace talks
• 3
civilians killed in rebel shelling in Yemen’s Shabwa
--------
Africa
• Hajj:
We Are Working To Ensure Ban On Nigeria Is Lifted – NAHCON to Muslims
• Tunisian
police killed man in first death of protests, activists say
• UN
chief cites ‘demonstrable effort’ at peace in Ethiopia
• Bashir-era
detainees end hunger strike in Sudan
• Ethiopian
Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany
• At
least 220 killed this year in attacks in Nigerian state
--------
North America
• US Considering
Re-Designating Iran-Backed Houthis As A Terror Group, Biden Says
• Biden
says ‘not time to give up’ on Iran nuclear talks
• Iranian-American
arrested in US for trying to illegally export technology to Iran
• UN
demands Israel end displacements after eviction of Palestinian family
• US defence
department releases first video of botched Kabul airstrike
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Pak
Woman, Aneeqa Ateeq, 26, Sentenced To Death For Texting Caricatures Of Prophet
via WhatsApp
Pak
Woman, Aneeqa Ateeq, 26/ Photo Sabah
----
January
19, 2022
Islamabad:
A Muslim woman was sentenced to death in Pakistan on Wednesday after being
convicted of sending a blasphemous text message and caricatures of Prophet
Muhammad via WhatsApp, a court said.
Blasphemy
is a hugely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, and laws prohibiting
it can carry a potential death sentence -- although it has never been enforced
for the crime.
Aneeqa
Ateeq, 26, was arrested in May 2020 and charged with posting "blasphemous
material" as her WhatsApp status, according to a summary issued by the
court.
When
a friend urged her to change it, she instead forwarded the material to him, it
said.
Caricatures
of Mohammed are forbidden by Islam.
The
sentence was announced in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, with the court
ordering her to be "hanged by her neck till she is dead".
She
was also given a 20-year jail sentence.
Up to
80 people are known to be jailed in Pakistan on blasphemy charges -- half of
whom face life in prison or the death penalty -- according to the US Commission
on International Religious Freedom.
While
many cases involve Muslims accusing fellow Muslims, rights activists have
warned that religious minorities -- particularly Christians -- are often caught
in the crossfire, with blasphemy charges used to settle personal scores.
PromotedListen
to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com
In
December, a Sri Lankan factory manager working in Pakistan was beaten to death
and set ablaze by a mob after being accused of blasphemy.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Recognise
‘Hinduphobia’ And Violence Against Buddhists, Sikhs Too: Indian Envoy To U.N.
India's
Permanent Representative to the UN, T.S. Tirumurti speaking at the UNSC, in New
York. File | Photo Credit: PTI
-----
Suhasini
Haidar
JANUARY
20, 2022
India’s
Ambassador to the United Nations says global terror strategy is selective,
urges against adding right wing extremism, violent nationalism to anti-terror
resolutions
Calling
for the United Nations to recognise ‘Hinduphobia’ along with other acts of
religious hatred against Buddhism and Sikhism, India’s U.N. envoy T.S.Tirumurti
said that the U.N.’s latest Global Counter-Terrorism strategy passed last year
is full of flaws and is selective, and could reverse gains from the global
consensus in the “war on terror” post 9/11. In remarks indicating the
government’s discomfort with new terms being added to the definition of
terrorism, he also said that terms like “violent nationalism” and “right wing
extremism” must not be included to resolutions on terrorism, as they would
“dilute” them.
“In
the past two years, several member states, driven by their political, religious
and other motivations, have been trying to label terrorism into categories such
as racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism, violent nationalism,
right wing extremism, etc. This tendency is dangerous for several reasons,” Mr.
Tirumurti said, delivering a keynote address at a virtual conference organised
by the Delhi-based Global Counter-Terrorism Centre (GCTC), where he said he
spoke as Ambassador of India to the U.N. and not in his capacity as Chair of the
Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) at the U.N. Security Council for 2022.
India
assumed the chair of the CTC this month, and Mr. Tirumurti’s strong remarks
suggest that India will oppose any expansion of the terms that are included in
the UNSC’s discussions on terrorism, until it demits the UNSC seat in December
this year.
Mr.
Tirumurti pointed out that only religious phobias against “Abrahamic
religions”: Islam, Christianity and Judaism had been named in the “Global
Counter Terrorism Strategy’s” 7th review passed by the U.N. General Assembly in
June 2021. “The emergence of contemporary forms of religiophobia, especially
anti-Hindu, anti-Buddhist and anti-Sikh phobias is a matter of serious concern
and needs attention of the U.N. and all member states to address this threat,”
Mr. Tirumurti said, without mentioning any examples.
In
comments that appeared to counter recent criticism in western press of
“right-wing” ideology in India, the envoy said that putting “labels” to
“so-called” threats was “misleading and erroneous”.
“It
is important to understand that in democracies right-wing and left-wing are
part of the polity primarily because they come to power through the ballot
reflecting the majority will of the people and also since democracy by
definition contains a broad spectrum of ideologies and beliefs,” Mr. Tirumurti
said, adding that national or regional narratives must not become part of
global narratives.
Mr.
Tirumurti said that attempts to characterise the motivation behind terror
groups were another danger that could take the world “back to the pre 9/11-era”
where groups were labelled as “your terrorists and my terrorists”. At the UNSC,
India also chairs the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee, and would have to
preside over any requests on easing or waiving sanctions against Taliban
leaders.
“Terrorists
are terrorists; there are no good and bad ones.Those who propagate this
distinction have an agenda. And those who cover up for them are just as
culpable,” he said, calling on the Security Council “to be on guard against new
terminologies and false priorities that can dilute our focus”.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Muslims
on Edge as Buddhist Ethnic Group Bids
for Power in Rakhine State
FILE
- Ethnic Rakhine villagers arrive at a temporary monastery camp with their
belongings, June 29, 2020, in Sittwe, Rakhine State, Myanmar.
-----
January
20, 2022
YANGON,
MYANMAR —
With
Myanmar’s ruling military preoccupied elsewhere, leaders of a Buddhist ethnic
minority in western Rakhine state are establishing themselves as the effective
government and security force in the state and persuading at least some Muslims
that they are a better alternative than the junta.
But
the development is worrying other Muslims in the state, the scene of a
murderous 2017 rampage by government troops that left thousands dead and drove
more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to safety in neighboring Bangladesh.
For
them, a recent series of ethnically charged incidents — including the murder of
a local official — is bringing back memories of conflict between the two communities
in 2012, when people were killed, houses and religious buildings were set on
fire, and more than 30,000 people were forced from their homes.
In
recent months, Rakhine has remained relatively peaceful despite rising violence
elsewhere in Myanmar, where the military – known as the Tatmadaw – is facing
popular resistance to its seizure of power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup.
That
has left an opening for a bid for power by a mainly Buddhist ethnic group known
as Rakhines or Arakans, led by an armed militia known as the Arakan Army which
has been fighting the central government since 2009, demanding
self-determination for the Rakhine people.
Since
the middle of last year, the Arakan Army has been establishing itself as an
alternative government in Rakhine, inviting the public to come to it with
complaints and to settle legal issues including theft, robbery and land
disputes.
“We
are running a sort of administration in Rakhine. Our judicial system has also
been built up there. We have established a tax system,” said Arakan Army chief
General Twan Mrat Naing during a Dec. 19 interview published in the Bangladeshi
news outlet Prothomalo Alo.
“This
is nothing new in Burma,” he added using an alternative name for Myanmar.
“Almost all the ethnic groups involved in armed struggle run their own
administration in their respective areas.”
Khaing
Kaung San, executive director of the Wan Lark Foundation, which works to
improve relations among groups in Rakhine, said the Arakan Army has been able
to take advantage of a lack of effective rule in the province by the junta,
made up mainly of the nation’s ethnic majority Burmese.
“No
one trusts them. So most people rely on AA when something goes wrong. AA is
also capable of controlling different communities to prevent getting worse when
having an issue among them,” he said.
The
Arakan Army is increasing efforts to gain credibility with locals. In the
Prothomalo Alo interview, Twan Mrat Naing, discussing the Rohingyas and the
Buddhist Rakhines, said the Arakan Army’s position is “as we are all on one
side against the Burmese, we want all in Arakan to remain together.”
Most
Rakhines are optimistic about the Arakan Army’s performance in Rakhine state,
but some Muslims say they do not fully trust it and are concerned about a power
struggle between the Arakan Army and the junta.
Village
administrators and village elders from Muslim villages have been warned by the
junta not to deal with the Arakan Army. Locals say the military council often
arrests locals for suspected links to the insurgent force and prosecutes them
under anti-terrorism laws.
Many
Muslims are also worried by a wave of recent incidents, including the murder of
a local government official for which a 14-year-old Muslim boy is being held.
Other incidents include allegations of a plot by two Muslims to rape a Rakhine
woman, and destruction of property of both Rakhines and Muslims in November and
December.
In
November, an Islamic school and a dormitory inside a school were burned down.
According
to official figures, 13 fires broke out in Maungdaw district, which borders
Bangladesh and has a large Rohingya population, between January and Nov. 25
last year. Eleven of those were in Muslim villages.
“Rakhine
state seems stable. In reality, it is like a bomb that can explode at any time.
There are a lot of invisible problems,” said Phone Pyae Phyo, who chairs the
Arakan Students' Union. He spoke to VOA from Sittwe township.
The
violence has sparked memories of clashes between the two communities in 2012
after three Muslim men raped a Burmese woman, Thida Htwe, in the town of
Kyaukphyu. Violence and vandalism spread throughout the state, including the
capital, Sittwe.
Leaders
of the Arakan Army and its political wing, the United League of Arakan, have
denounced the recent violence as “an attempt to create fears and anxieties
among people.” In a formal statement, the group did not assign blame for the
incidents, but promised to investigate and provide security for locals.
A
similar note was sounded by U Tun Aung Kyaw, a member of central executive
committee of another Rakhine-based group, the Arakan National Party.
“People
from both sides are on high alert not to have sectarian violence like that in
2012. No one wants to get into trouble again,” he told VOA. “Now, unscrupulous
people are using incidents to try to cause trouble again. Fortunately, leaders
of both communities have tried to maintain stability.”
Despite
the recent friction, for many Muslims the greater threat is from the Tatmadaw,
which perpetrated the 2017 massacres and still strictly limits their movements.
They
say the military has set up checkpoints at township entrances and exits and
requires government permission slips, with multiple approvals, to travel beyond
their townships. Muslims also say they are barred from traveling to other
states and regions.
"So
far, we have spent at least 250,000 kyats [$141] to get permission to go to
another township in Rakhine state. We are being blocked from visiting other
places,” said Maw Lawi Tun, a Muslim resident of the state capital, Sittwe.
Adul
Malein, a Muslim living in Buthidaung township, said Muslims’ living conditions
were deteriorating year by year. Many cannot find work and have relied heavily
on International Committee of the Red Cross food assistance.
"AA
came to our village and persuaded us to cooperate with them. They told us that
if they succeed and completely control the state, we would have a chance and
would enjoy equal rights,” Adul Malein said.
“Many
are still watching the situation, even if we do not fully trust the Arakan
Army,” he said, adding that they will go with the side that can create a better
situation for them.
“We
are afraid of both sides [AA and junta] and follow their orders because we have
nowhere to go,” Adul Malien said.
Source:
VOA News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
France
Closes Yet Another Mosque For Supporting ‘Anti-Semitic Remarks’ In Cannes
(File
photo) French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin Photograph:( AFP )
-----
19
January 2022
A
mosque in the southern city of Cannes has been closed by the authorities for
alleged promotion of “anti-Semitic remarks,” the French Interior Minister has
announced.
In an
interview with a French TV channel, CNews, Gerald Darmanin said the decision to
close Al Madina Al Mounawara mosque for two months was also taken because it
supported the Collective against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) and BarakaCity –
two groups that were banned for spreading “Islamist propaganda.”
The
other reasons cited for the closure are the mosque’s support of “antisemitic
remarks” and “incitement of hatred.” However, no particular incident was
specified by the minister.
A
statement from the Cannes municipality said that the decision “comes after
meticulous research by the state services and multiple reports made directly by
the municipality of Cannes since 2015. The vast majority of Muslims who frequent
this very old mosque do not share its orientation; some also alerted us. It is
therefore up to the emergence of new leaders respectful of the French Republic
and the country so that the place of worship can then reopen.”
However,
the mosque’s new imam, Amhed Guessoum, said he had nothing to do with these
accusations.
“The
request for closure is not justified,” he said. “The accused is the former
rector Mustapha Dali who has retired, but continues to express himself on
social networks and on the mosque’s Facebook page when he has been living in
Paris for six months. We cannot intervene directly on this Facebook page and we
will create another one.”
The
decision comes two weeks after regional authorities in northern France closed
down a mosque in Beauvais because of an imam’s alleged “speeches against
Christians, Jews and homosexuals.”
According
to Interior Ministry data, 99 mosques and Muslim prayer halls have been
investigated in recent months. Some of them were accused of spreading
“separatist ideology.” Around 23 have already been closed for various reasons
and more are being investigated.
The
crackdown came after the October 2020 murder of teacher Samuel Paty who was
targeted following an online campaign against him for having shown blasphemous
cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) published by the magazine Charlie
Hebdo.
The
ministry data says there are 2,623 mosques and Muslim prayer halls in France.
In December last year, interior minister ordered an investigation into 76
mosques for what the government described as a “massive and unprecedented
action against separatism.”
France
does not have a state religion but the country has armed itself with laws that
allow it to close mosques, churches, synagogues and other places of worship in
certain circumstances.
A
law, Sécurité Intérieure et Lutte contre le Terrorisme, came into force in
2017. It states: “For the sole purpose of preventing the commission of acts of
terrorism, the representative of the State in the department, or in Paris the
Police Préfet, may pronounce the closure of places of worship in which the
remarks that are held, the ideas or theories that are disseminated or the
activities that take place provoke violence, hatred or discrimination, provoke
the commission of acts of terrorism or glorify such acts.”
Similarly,
In July, the National Assembly of France passed an “anti-separatism” bill.
Later in August, it was approved by the highest constitutional authority.
The
law was criticised for restricting religious freedom and singling out Muslims.
The government has defended itself stating that it is intended to strengthen
France’s secular system.
Source:
5pillars UK
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Arab
Coalition Strikes Kill 90 Houthi ‘Terrorists,’ Destroy 11 Vehicles In Yemen
A
Yemeni government fighter fires a vehicle-mounted weapon at a frontline position
during fighting against Houthi fighters in Marib, Yemen March 9, 2021.
(Reuters)
-----
19
January ,2022
Arab
Coalition strikes in Marib against the Iran-backed Houthis have killed more
than 90 “terrorists” and destroyed 11 military vehicles in the last 24 hours,
the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
The
latest update was part of 19 targeted strikes carried out by the coalition, two
days after the Iran-backed Houthis attacked the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.
A
construction site at Abu Dhabi’s new airport extension, and an oil facility
caught fire on Monday morning, causing an explosion in three oil tankers.
Police said the incidents were possibly caused by drones.
UAE
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed later described the incidents as
“terrorist attacks and [a] sinister criminal escalation,” adding that they
“will not go unpunished.”
The
fires were a rare instance of attacks on UAE soil.
Saudi
Arabia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks in a statement released on
Monday.
Yemen’s
Iran-backed Houthis launched dozens of cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia
throughout 2021.
In
September 2021, the Houthis intensified their efforts to take Marib, a
provincial capital which is the government’s last northern stronghold.
The
Iran-backed militia frequently target civilian areas and energy facilities in
the Kingdom with explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles.
The
Arab Coalition has been carrying out attacks against legitimate military Houthi
targets in Yemen in recent months, warning civilians to not approach or gather
around the targeted sites beforehand.
The
coalition also stressed that the operations will be conducted in line with
international humanitarian law.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Parliamentary
panel approves Justice Ayesha Malik’s appointment to Supreme Court
Malik
Asad
January
20, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Parliamentary Committee on appointment of judges on Wednesday confirmed the
nomination of Justice Ayesha Malik to the Supreme Court. This means that she
only requires the president’s formal assent to become the first woman to be
elevated to the country’s top court.
However,
the committee chaired by Senator Farooq H. Naek rejected the names of three
lower court judges that were put forward by the Judicial Commission of Pakistan
(JCP) for elevation to the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
Justice
Malik will remain a judge of the Supreme Court until March 2031 and may even
have a chance to become the first woman to hold the post of chief justice.
JCP
asked to reconsider elevation of three KP district judiciary officers to PHC
Following
the parliamentary committee meeting, Mr Naek told reporters that Justice
Malik’s elevation was approved unanimously. He maintained that the body did not
compromise on seniority rules, adding that since Justice Malik would be the
first woman judge in the apex court and had a reputation for competence and
integrity, the committee had voted in her favour.
But
sources said the committee had also deliberated on the concerns raised by bar
councils and lawyers’ representative bodies, who had objected to her nomination
as a judge of the Supreme Court.
After
a heated session on Jan 6 that lasted for over three hours, the JCP recommended
Justice Malik’s name by a majority of five votes to four.
Chief
Justice Gulzar Ahmed, senior puisne judge Justice Umar Ata Bandial, former
judge Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Law Minister Barrister Farogh Naseem and Attorney
General Khalid Jawed Khan had supported Justice Malik’s candidature, while
Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood and
Pakistan Bar Council representative Akhtar Hussain opposed the selection.
PHC
judges
On
Wednesday, the parliamentary committee also rejected three of the six nominees,
proposed by the JCP for elevation to the Peshawar High Court.
The
commission had recommended the elevation of Nowshera district and sessions
judge (DSJ) Fazal Subhan, Peshawar Accountability Court Administrative Judge
Shahid Khan and Special Court Presiding Officer Dr Khurshid Iqbal, alongside
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Additional Advocate General Kamran Hayat Miankhel and
Supreme Court lawyers Mohammad Ijaz Khan and Mohammad Faheem Wali.
However,
sources said the parliamentary committee dropped the names of the three lower
court judges and referred the matter to the JCP for reconsideration.
The
committee was of the view that two judges from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial
Service, Asim Imam and Kaleem Khan, were on top of the seniority list.
The
committee was told that the KP Judicial Services Tribunal had confirmed the
seniority of Kaleem Khan, while Mr Imam was the next senior-most, having served
as an anti-terrorism court judge in Swat and Hangu.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Opposition
sees campaign behind emergency rumours
Amir
Wasim
January
20, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The country’s major opposition parties see a “systematic and planned campaign”
behind circulation of rumours about imposition of some kind of an emergency in
the country and ongoing talk in social and mainstream media in favour of
presidential form of government.
The
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)
suspect that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is behind such a
“campaign” to distract the people’s attention from real issues and its failure
on every front.
This
perception, however, was categorically refuted by Federal Minister for
Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry, who termed the speculation about
emergency or presidential form of government a part of “fake news culture”
prevailing in the country thanks to some YouTubers and V-loggers.
Amid
this gossip, the members of the joint opposition on Wednesday submitted a
resolution to the National Assembly Secretariat expressing the resolve to uphold
and strengthen the federal parliamentary system in the country as provided in
the 1973 Constitution.
Fawad
terms it part of ‘fake news culture’
Ahsan
Iqbal, the PML-N secretary general, posted an image of the hand-written
resolution signed by members belonging to almost all opposition parties in the
assembly on his official social media account on Twitter with the caption
“let’s see if it comes on the assembly’s agenda on Friday or not”.
“When
the government, imposed through rigged elections, has ruined the country, then
whisperings of imposition of an Indira Gandhi-like emergency and change in the
system through various formulas are being heard,” wrote Mr Iqbal on his Twitter
handle.
Mr
Iqbal was referring to the imposition of emergency in India by the then prime
minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975. It remained in force till March 21,
1977.
This
emergency is regarded as the darkest chapter in the history of democratic India
as during this period the country saw a crackdown on civil liberties and stifling
of dissenting voices. This emergency had also been reportedly imposed by Ms
Gandhi after a court had convicted her on charges of rigging in elections.
During
an informal chat with reporters on Wednesday, PPP MNA Dr Nafisa Shah said it
seemed that the government itself was behind this campaign to divert the
attention of the public ahead of the opposition-announced long marches. She
said the people of this country were in pain due to the bad performance of the
present government in every field.
“The
government’s Gestapos and state machinery are behind it (campaign). Those doing
it in the media should refrain from it,” she said.
Terming
it a “drama” and “gimmick”, the PPP MNA “condemned” the campaign and vowed to
defend the country’s federal parliamentary system as enshrined in the 1973
Constitution.
“If
anyone tries to play with the country’s sacred Constitution, he will receive a
befitting reply,” she said.
The
PPP MNA regretted that starting from the social media, the campaign had now
reached the main media as discussions were taking place on the issue of
presidential form of government. She said it had been a “settled issue” since
the creation of Pakistan in 1947 that the country would have a federal
parliamentary system. The Constitution, she said, provided complete structure
of the federation and parliament and this was a “red line” which no one could
cross.
When
contacted, Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry regretted that it had
become a tradition that two or three people talked about such things on YouTube
and from there it went viral through WhatsApp and then finally newspapers and
TV channels also started reporting them.
“This
is the actual fake news cycle with which we have a problem and media wants to
promote it,” he said, while denying the impression that the campaign had
anything to do with the government policy.
“There
are thousands of options available on YouTube and everyone has access to it.
There are people who want to keep themselves alive on YouTube and WhatsApp,” he
added.
“The
problem is that in Pakistan the fake news has become a culture through YouTube
and WhatsApp and no one is allowing the government to bring legislation to end
this culture,” he said, alleging that the media groups in the country were
“encouraging” this culture.
“Even
the newspaper like Dawn writes an editorial on fake news and writes on PMDA
bill without realising that no such law exists,” he said while referring to the
criticism on the government for suggesting formation of Pakistan Media
Development Authority (PMDA) to regulate all the media, including the social
media. The proposal to set up the media authority had been rejected by all
media and journalists’ organisations and later the government claimed that it
had not yet drafted any such bill.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1670434/opposition-sees-campaign-behind-emergency-rumours
--------
In
call with UAE crown prince, Imran condemns Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi
January
19, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday condemned the Houthi attack against Abu
Dhabi — that killed one Pakistan national and two Indians, and was claimed by
the Iran-backed militia — in a telephonic conversation with United Arab
Emirates (UAE) Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Police
in the capital, Abu Dhabi, said Monday’s attacks targeted three oil tanker
trucks at an oil facility and an extension of the Abu Dhabi International
Airport. They said six people were wounded.
There
was no significant damage to the airport or oil facility, police added.
Today,
the prime minister expressed solidarity with the leadership, government and
people of the Emirates, a press statement issued by his office said.
Khan
underlined that such attacks could not be justified under any circumstances and
stressed their immediate cessation, observing they posed a grave threat to
regional peace and security.
The
prime minister offered deepest condolences to the families of all the victims
and prayed for the speedy recovery of the wounded.
Al
Nahyan thanked Khan for the “strong expression of support”, and also offered
condolence on the death of the Pakistan national.
A
spokesperson for the rebel group said it had carried out the attacks on the
UAE’s economic hub of Abu Dhabi in retaliation for its role in a military
offensive in Yemen last week.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
Clubhouse
group targeting Muslim women: Police zero in on 4-5 speakers, set to bring them
in for questioning
January
20, 2022
A day
after the Delhi Police registered an FIR against people who allegedly made
derogatory remarks against Muslim women during a session on Clubhouse app,
Cyber Cell officials said they have narrowed down on four-five suspects and
will bring them in for questioning.
On
Tuesday, the Delhi Police took cognizance of a group on Clubhouse, an audio-only
app, where dozens of users participated in a discussion during which derogatory
and sexually loaded remarks were made about Muslim women. The discussion was
recorded and shared online, prompting the Delhi Commission for Women to write
to the police seeking action.
Cyber
Cell officials said they have sent notices to the US-based company seeking
details of the users/organisers who started the group, and have also sent a
notice to Google Play Store to “keep a check” on such apps.
Sources
told The Indian Express that the investigating team has identified a number of
participants and are now looking for four-five people who were the “speakers”.
“We
have found that all suspects are from adjoining states and not from Delhi. They
are all adults. Mostly, the users had accounts under fake names and used
aliases on Clubhouse. We heard the conversations on the app and found there
were four-five main participants. We are tracing their location and they will
be picked up soon,” said a source.
An
FIR under IPC sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on the
ground of religion), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage
religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion) and 354 A (sexual
harassment) has been registered in the matter.
On
Wednesday, a recording of another group on Clubhouse emerged where some
participants can purportedly be heard making vulgar remarks.
Police
said they have seen the group and found that a few of the accused in the first
group were also participants in the other one. “We are looking into both the
groups. We suspect a few people might be using dubbed voices to pose as
men/women. We will detain them and question them about their aliases,” said a
police officer.
This
comes less than a month after an app, hosted on software platform GitHub, used
photos of Muslim women alongside derogatory comments meant to imply they were
being “auctioned”. The Delhi Police has arrested two men, from Assam and
Indore, in connection with the case. And six months ago, another GitHub app
held a similar “auction”.
Source:
Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Delhi
Police writes to Clubhouse app, Google over targeting of Muslim women in group
audio chat
Jan
19, 2022
NEW
DELHI: The Delhi Police on Wednesday wrote to the Clubhouse app and search
engine Google seeking details about the organiser of the alleged audio group
chat in which "obscene comments were made against Muslim women",
official sources said.
The
police have also identified some members of the group audio chat, which
included men and women from both communities, as part of the investigation,
they said.
Google
has been asked to provide information about the Clubhouse application as well
as the reason behind hosting it on their play store, they said.
"We
have identified five to six suspects as of now who were part of the alleged
chat room. Many among them are also based outside Delhi and other states.
Suspects include both men and women and all of them are adults," one of
the sources said.
Police
officials said that as per preliminary investigation, it has emerged that all
the suspects were using fake names and operated from fake accounts, and efforts
are underway to trace their exact locations and nab them.
They
said that suspects belong to both the communities and alleged that some among
them had also modulated their voice and edited it in order to erase any digital
footprint.
The
development comes a day after the Delhi Police's Intelligence Fusion and
Strategic Operations unit, which works under the supervision of Special Cell,
filed an FIR against the unknown persons in the matter.
The
FIR was registered Tuesday just hours after the Delhi Commission for Women
(DCW) issued a notice to the Delhi Police demanding action against some people
who made "obscene comments against Muslim women" on the app.
"A
case has already been registered in the matter under relevant sections of the
Indian Penal Code. We have also written to Google and to Clubhouse app seeking
details about the organiser of the alleged audio chap group in which some
obscene comments were made against Muslim women," the official source said
on Wednesday.
The
sections include 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of
religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts
prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts
intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion
or religious beliefs) and 354 A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual
harassment), according to police.
In
its notice to the Cyber Crime Cell, the DCW had said it had taken sou-moto
cognisance of a video posted on Twitter which showed a Clubhouse conversation
where Muslim women and girls were being referred to in a disparaging way.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
J&K:
Kashmiri Pandits observe 'Exodus Day', demand justice for victims
Jan
20, 2022
JAMMU:
Kashmiri Hindus on Wednesday observed a 'Black Day' and staged a protest to
mark 32 years of their mass exodus following a genocidal campaign initiated by
terrorists.
The
protesters held several placards, which read 'Hang our killers'. They demanded
justice for the victims who sacrificed their lives and severe punishment for
those responsible for the exodus.
Virji
Kachroo, a Kashmiri Pandit expressed his resentments against the Central
government and asked why is this government not sending us to back our homes in
Kashmir valley.
"We
voted the Central government twice, thinking of that they will take this issue
seriously. We do want to ask the government when will we go back to our
home?" Kachroo said.
"It
has been 32 years since we have been struggling to date. This is not just a
normal day for us, it was the day when were driven away from our homes,"
he said.
Shadilal
Pandit, another Kashmiri Pandit said "we have been living our lives in
exile. 19 January 1990 was a black day when Pakistan conspired against Kashmiri
pandits and we have thrown out of our homes."
Shadilal
slammed the Central government for not taking appropriate action to ensure the
rehabilitation of the community.
"We
are disappointed with the government who promised us rehabilitation but they
have used us as a political tool," he said.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Terrorists
fire at CRPF's bunker at Anantnag, flee
M
Saleem Pandit
Jan
20, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Terrorists fired at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bunker near FM Gali
in KP Road in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday. None was,
however, injured in the attack, officials said.
A
CRPF officer said that the assailants fired three-four bullets at the bunker
before escaping. Searches were launched in the area soon after to trace the
perpetrators.
CRPF
trooper kills self in Budgam
A
CRPF trooper hanged himself at a Covid centre in Humhama area in central
Kashmir's Budgam district on Wednesday evening, senior officials said.
Source:
Times Of India
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--------
Bajrang
Dal leader among 4 held for murder of K’taka Muslim teen
Jan
20, 2022
By
Arun Dev
A
Bajrang Dal leader, among four, was arrested in the murder case of a
19-year-old Muslim youth in Karnataka, said police on Wednesday.
Police
said the accused were identified as Bajrang Dal leader Sanju Nalvade, his
associates, Gundya Muttappa Hiremath, Channu Chandrashekar Akki, and Sakrappa
Hanumanthappa Kakanur .
The
incident took place on Monday when Nargund resident Shamir Shahapur and his
friend, Shamshir were returning home after closing their business. The duo was
attacked with lethal weapons during which Shahapur was killed and Shamshir
sustained serious injuries. Shamshir is undergoing treatment at KMC Hospital,
Hubli, the police said.
A
senior police officer in Gadag said, “The actual case relates to an alleged
incident which took place about two-three months ago when a Muslim boy was
accused of eve-teasing a Hindu girl. This case is under investigation.
Following this, the Bajrang Dal members went the area and tried to pick a
fight.”
Following
this incident, Nalavadi made a provocative speech in front of the police
station on January 17, where he dared the police to arrest him and his
associates.
The
police booked a case against the leader, but instead of the speech, he was
booked for violation of Covid-19 rules. They were let off with a fine for the
violation. “They murdered the 19-year-old the same night after leaving the
police station,” said the officer.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Winning
Muslim voters' trust biggest challenge for BJP in second phase of UP polls
20th
January 2022
LUCKNOW:
The ruling BJP might face a tougher battle on the 55 seats that will go to
polls in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election compared to
the first round since the region has a high concentration of Muslims,
influenced by the religious leaders of the Barelvi and Deoband sects.
The
polling in the second phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election will be held
on February 14 and a notification for the same will be issued on January 21.
Both
the important seats of the Barelvi and Deobandi sects -- Bareilly and
Saharanpur respectively -- will go to polls in this phase.
The
55 Assembly segments of the western districts of the state -- Saharanpur,
Bijnor, Amroha, Sambhal, Moradabad, Rampur -- and of the Rohilkhand region's
Bareilly, Budaun and Shahjahanpur districts will go to polls in the second
phase.
Of
the 55 seats, the BJP had won 38 in 2017, while the main opposition Samajwadi
Party (SP) bagged 15 and the Congress two.
The
SP and the Congress contested the last Assembly election in an alliance.
Of
the 15 seats won by the SP, Muslim candidates emerged victorious in 10.
Of
the 58 seats that will go to polls in the first phase, the BJP had won 53, the
SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) got two each and the Rashtriya Lok Dal
(RLD) bagged one.
Maulana
Tauqir Raza Khan, the president of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) and the
religious guru of Barelvi Muslims, has announced his support to the Congress
candidates in the five poll-bound states, including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Keeping
in mind the large Muslim population, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
(AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has also fielded candidates in some of the seats
in the region.
Uttar
Pradesh BJP vice president and MLC Vijay Bahadur Pathak told PTI that his party
will win more seats than before in the second phase too because "ever
since the BJP government was formed at the Centre and in the state, all
sections of the society have developed and this is clearly felt by all".
"The
aggrieved public will not give a chance to parties like the Congress that
headed the government for long, or the SP and the BSP, which have been in power
in the state continuously for 15 years, during which loot and corruption
continued unabated," he said.
SP
chief Akhilesh Yadav had formed alliances with both the Congress and the BSP
for different elections and people have taught him a lesson, Pathak said.
The
SP had formed an alliance with the Congress in the 2017 Assembly polls and with
the BSP and the RLD in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.
In
both the elections, the politics of the alliance worked as compared to that of
the BJP's in this region.
But
this time, with the SP, the BSP and the Congress going it alone, critics claim
that there will be a split of votes and the BJP can benefit from it.
The
BSP has fielded Muslim candidates in the area and a split of the Dalit and
Muslim votes is also expected.
The
Mayawati-led party has become active and apart from its MPs, its national
general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra has also toured this region
extensively.
In
the 2017 Assembly polls, the SP-Congress alliance had won 17 seats in the area
and in the Lok Sabha election, of the 11 seats, seven had gone to the SP-BSP
alliance with the BSP getting Saharanpur, Nagina, Bijnor and Amroha and the SP
winning Moradabad, Sambhal and Rampur.
The
formula of an alliance of Muslim, Jat and Dalit voters was successful in this
region.
This
time, the SP has formed an alliance with the RLD and the Mahan Dal, which has
influence among the voters of western Uttar Pradesh, and both parties are
believed to hold considerable sway over the Jat, Shakya, Saini, Kushwaha,
Maurya and Koiri fraternities in the region.
Akhilesh
Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav have their own influence in the Yadav
community.
The
SP is also trying to capitalise on the issue of arrest of Rampur MP and former
minister Azam Khan, who has been in the Sitapur jail for nearly two years now
in land-grabbing and other criminal cases.
Akhilesh
Yadav has accused the BJP of implicating Khan in fake cases.
SP's
national secretary and chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary told PTI that his
party's alliance is very strong in the areas going to polls in the second
phase.
"BJP's
ground has slipped from under its feet and its lies and fraud have been
exposed. This time, the people of Uttar Pradesh will send the BJP on an
exile," he said.
Another
SP leader pointed out that Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh Saini, who
resigned as ministers recently and joined the SP, will add strength to the
SP-RLD alliance and along with Keshav Dev Maurya of the Mahan Dal, they will
ensure that the BJP is "wiped out" from the region.
Source:
New Indian Express
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
IEA
interim cabinet passes uniform scheme for Taliban affiliates
20
Jan 2022
Interior
Ministry of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on Wednesday, January 19, 2022,
announced that the interim government led by Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund has
passed the scheme of uniform for the personnel of the ministry.
Deputy
Spokesperson of the Ministry engineer Izam in a video clip said that the scheme
was sent to the cabinet over a week ago that has been passed now.
Engineer
Izam said that the uniform for the Ministry of Interior will not be much
different from that of the national police of the previous government.
“The
scheme of the police of the Interior Ministry sent to the cabinet was passed by
ministerial council and the uniform will soon be distributed across
Afghanistan.” Said Izam.
It
comes as the Taliban affiliates-police- are yet to be given a specific uniform
now six months after the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regained power on
August 15 last year.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/iea-interim-cabinet-passes-uniform-scheme-for-taliban-affiliates-87687/
--------
Taliban’s
Prime Minister Mulla Akhund Calls On Muslim States To Recognise Afghan Govt
January
20, 2022
KABUL:
The Taliban’s prime minister called Wednesday on Muslim nations to be the first
to officially recognise their government, as aid-dependent Afghanistan faces
economic collapse.
Although
the group has promised a softer rule in line with their interpretation of
Islamic Sharia law, women are largely excluded from government employment and
secondary schools for girls are mostly shuttered.
"I
call on Muslim countries to take the lead and recognise us officially. Then I
hope we will be able to develop quickly," Mohammad Hassan Akhund told a
conference in Kabul called to address the country´s massive economic woes.
Source:
The News Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/926631-mulla-akhund-calls-on-muslim-states-to-recognise-afghan-govt
--------
Six
people including IEA local commander killed in gunfire
19 Jan
2022
Local
officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in the eastern Kunar province
confirmed that a local commander including six others was killed in gunfire on
Wednesday, January 19, 2022.
Intelligence
officials of the IEA said that the commander, his son, and five others were
shot killed in the Narang district of the province.
The
officials said that the people were killed as a result of personal enmity.
The
incident is not new in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, people across
Afghanistan have often been killed as a result of the enmity.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/six-people-including-iea-local-commander-killed-in-gunfire-8978756/
--------
Frozen
assets will lead to unemployment of 1.5 million Afghans: Afghan industrialists
20
Jan 2022
Head
of the Chamber of Mines and Industries of Afghanistan Sherbaz Kaminzada said
that factories in the country which are on the brink of collapse will
completely close if the assets of Afghanistan do not get unfrozen.
He
warned that lack of cash and the restrictions on the banking system that has
made difficult procurement of raw material will leave 1.5 million people out of
jobs, over 500,000 of them women.
Sherbaz
Kaminzada expressed the remarks in his meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s
special representative to Afghanistan Deborah Lyons on the sideline of the
Economic Conference in Kabul on Wednesday, January 19, 2022.
Kaminzada
said that Afghanistan had an unreal and fragile economy during the past twenty
years and asked the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the International
Community to cooperate with Afghan industrialists for the growth of the
economy.
“Hundreds
of factories in Afghanistan do not have raw material that has directly affected
the workers, investors, and common people.” Said Kaminzada.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
All
you need to know about IEA’s first Economic Conference in Kabul: report
19
Jan 2022
Islamic
Emirate of Afghanistan convened their first-ever Economic Conference that was
attended by high-ranking officials of the IEA and representatives of 80
countries both in-person and online.
The
conference was named “Economy of Afghanistan”, was held in the office of the
Prime Minister (ARG), and was telecast live on the state-run RTA channel on
Wednesday, January 19, 2022.
In
the conference, acting PM of the IEA Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund delivered
his first-ever video speech after he occupied the post and accused the West of
violating human rights by imposing economic sanctions on Afghanistan that have
affected the lives of 40 million people in Afghanistan.
Mullah
Muhammad Hassan Akhund asked for humanitarian aid to the Afghan people and
pleaded for the release of nearly $10 billion now frozen in the western banks.
“I
ask all foreign investors to come to Afghanistan and invest here, they should
not take recognition of the IEA as a pretext. Previous government with all
problems, unjust and corruption was recognized. We should also be recognized as
we have fulfilled the criteria for one. We don’t even a single penny for our Mujahideen
(Taliban affiliates) and ministers; all we want is for the impoverished people.
So release our assets and respect rights of these humans.” said the PM.
Mullah
Muhammad Hassan Akhund asked the Islamic countries to prove their independence
and take the lead in recognizing the interim government of Afghanistan.
Speaking
at the conference, second Deputy PM Abdul Salaam Hanafi said that their foreign
policy is based on economy-concentrated, and for that purpose, they have been
focusing on major regional economic projects.
Abdul
Salaam Hanafi said that they do not want to have an economy dependent on
foreign aid and will strive to arrange annual budgets from their domestic
resources.
He
also added that they have uprooted corruption and embezzlement in Afghanistan
and are trying to get the takes of all for economic stability.
On
the other hand, UN Secretary-General’s special representative for Afghanistan
Deborah Lyons said that they have prepared a transitional mechanism and will
collect up to $8 billion for the Afghan people.
Deborah
Lyons said that economic sanctions have affected the lives of millions of
Afghan people and over half of the Afghan population needs life-saving aid.
“Economic
sanctions and frozen assets of Afghanistan have led to the ongoing crisis in
the country and now a shared thought is needed between the Afghan government
and private sector. We have raised our voice with donor countries regarding the
release of funds and lifting sanctions.” Said Lyons.
Acting
Minister of Finance Hidayatullah Badri said that they have brought vas reforms
in the country’s customs and incoming system of the country and has reactivated
the treasury.
Source:
Khaama Press
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Europe
UK
company report alleges ‘war crimes’ in J&K
NAOMI
CANTON
Jan
20, 2022
LONDON:
In what’s seen by the Indian authorities as a Pakistan-backed propaganda
exercise, a London law firm published a report, containing alleged testimonies
from more than 2,000 people living in Kashmir, which it said provided evidence
of “war crimes and violence conducted by India in J&K”.
A
complaint against the Indian Army, ministers and senior officials was also
passed on to the Metropolitan Police war crimes
unit
calling for an investigation into alleged war crimes by Indian authorities in
Kashmir.
An
Indian source said the firm is linked to authorities in Turkey and was acting
on Pakistan’s behalf. He added that the Indian high commission had not been
contacted by any UK authority about the police complaint. “The report is too
frivolous to merit any response. It alleges genocide and human rights
violations but is totally silent on crossborder terror promoted by Pakistan,”
said the source.
Stoke
White international law firm, which has offices in Istanbul and London,
specialises in Islamic law and has strong Turkish connections. It claims to
have its own investigations unit based within the law firm which it says is
“dedicated to investigations covering public interest matters”. It said in a
statement that it had passed its report titled ‘India’s war crimes in Kashmir’
onto the Metropolitan Police war crimes unit this month to investigate and
called for the arrest of senior officials for carrying out war crimes and
torture in J&K.
Last
year, the same firm filed a case against the UAE and Saudi Arabia, accusing
them of committing war crimes in Yemen. Saudi Arabia has regional tensions with
Turkey. Pakistan has, on the other hand, extended its ties with Turkey and
Turkey is currently trying to project itself as the new Caliph in the region
and carrying out Pakistan’s bidding.
Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly taken the Pakistan position on
Kashmir while India does not support Turkey’s position on Cyprus. Stoke White
was instrumental in bringing about the Ankara agreement for Turkish nationals
which has allowed thousands of them to settle in Britain.
The
UK has universal jurisdiction on war crimes under the Geneva Conventions Act
1957. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “We can confirm the
Metropolitan Police War Crimes team received a referral on 18 January 2022
concerning allegations of core International crimes alleged to have been
recently committed in the Kashmir region in India. The war crimes team is
reviewing the allegations in line with CPS (Crown Prosecution Service)
guidelines and a decision will be taken whether to open an investigation."
The
41-page report claims the testimonies expose war crimes and human rights
violations in J&K, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance
and arbitrary detention as well as harassment of NGOs and journalists.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Abubaker
Deghayes guilty of encouraging 'jihad by sword'
19
January 2022
A man
who made a stabbing gesture as he called for jihad "by sword" at a
busy Brighton mosque has been found guilty of encouraging terrorism.
Abubaker
Deghayes, 53, was convicted at the Old Bailey following a trial.
He
addressed about 50 worshippers, including children, at the Brighton Mosque and
Muslim Community Centre on 1 November 2020 after evening prayers.
The
judge said he was considering immediate custody for Deghayes, who will be
sentenced on 25 February.
Deghayes,
from Saltdean in East Sussex, was bailed with conditions to stay at his home
address on an electronically monitored curfew. He was told to report to a
police station on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
He
has been instructed to surrender his passport and not apply for travel
documents, and not to attend the Brighton Mosque mentioned in this case.
Judge
Nigel Lickley said: "Because of the offence you have been convicted of I
must have in the forefront of my mind an immediate custodial sentence."
'Jihad
is compulsory'
Prosecutor
Ben Lloyd told the jury Deghayes had said "jihad is fighting by
sword" and was compulsory.
In a
video of the speech played to the court, Deghayes said: "Whose power is
more powerful than us? Allah is more powerful than you.
"You,
idiots. You kuffar (non-believers)... The non-believer is an idiot. He's
stupid."
He
went on to say: "Jihad, jihad, jihad. Jihad is compulsory. Jihad is
fighting by sword.
"That
means this jihad is compulsory upon you, not jihad is the word of mouth but
jihad will remain compulsory until the Day of Resurrection."
Source:
BBC News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-60055075
--------
European
countries urge Israel to stop construction in East Jerusalem
January
20, 2022
PARIS:
The foreign ministries of France, Germany, Italy and Spain urged Israeli
authorities on Wednesday evening to stop the construction of new housing units
in East Jerusalem.
Earlier
in the month, Israeli authorities approved plans for the construction of around
3,500 homes in occupied East Jerusalem, nearly half of which are to be built in
the controversial areas of Givat Hamatos and Har Homa.
In a
statement, the European countries said that the hundreds of new buildings would
“constitute an additional obstacle to the two-state solution,” referring to
international peace efforts to create a state for Palestinians.
They
said that building in this area would further disconnect the West Bank from
East Jerusalem and that these settlements are a violation of international law.
The
Israeli ministry of foreign affairs did not immediately respond to a Reuters
request for comment.
Israel
captured East Jerusalem including the Old City in a 1967 war and later annexed
it, a move not recognized internationally.
Palestinians
want East Jerusalem for the capital of a state they seek in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, which abuts the city, and the Gaza Strip. Israel
views the entire city as its indivisible capital.
Most
world powers deem the Israeli settlements illegal for taking in territory where
Palestinians seek statehood.
The
four countries also expressed concern about the evictions and demolitions in
the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, where residents say they are
being displaced.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2008121/middle-east
--------
Arab World
World
Muslim Communities Council condemns terrorist attack on Abu Dhabi
20-01-2022
ABU
DHABI, 20th January, 2022 (WAM) -- The World Muslim Communities Council
expressed its strong condemnation of the terrorist Houthi militia's targeting
of civilian facilities in Abu Dhabi.
In a
statement issued by its general secretariat, the Council expressed its
denunciation and condemnation of the incident and rejects of all acts of
violence and extremism that target innocents. The Council noted that all
religions oppose these terrorist crimes, because they perpetuate hatred and
fuel feelings of violence and extremism.
The
Council demanded the international community to include the Houthi militia on
the list of terrorist organisations, and put an end to these terrorist
practices that destroy societies and target innocents.
The
Council’s statement affirmed its confidence in the ability and wisdom of the
Emirati leadership to protect the security of its citizens and residents. It
also stressed the importance of the world’s solidarity to confront these
terrorist practices that contradict all religious and humanitarian values. The
Council called on all religious leaders to take a firm stance against the
crimes committed by these militias.
Source:
wam
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
http://wam.ae/en/details/1395303013117
--------
Al-Sadr
condemns the attacks on the political headquarters in Iraq: not acceptable by
Sharia and law
2022-01-20
Shafaq
News/ The leader of the Sadrist Movement, Muqtada al-Sadr, addressed the party
behind targeting the offices of political parties.
"Some
of those affiliated with the political forces opposed to the elections resorted
to violence by targeting the headquarters of parties loyal to the majority
government, and this is not acceptable by Sharia and law." Al-Sadr said on
Twitter.
"It
is not logical for a politician to resort to violence if he does not get what
he wants. Those who pretend the resistance should not target Iraqis, as this
aggravates the security situation and discredit its reputation among the
people."
Al-Sadr
said, "The government should also take the necessary security measures to
find the perpetrators so that the democratic process does not turn into a
puppet in the hands of all the people."
"If
we lose the elections or give up or exclude from forming a majority government,
we will not resort to violence."
"Earlier
today, unidentified men threw a grenade at the office of the deputy speaker of
the Iraqi Parliament.
A
security source told Shafaq News Agency, "persons in a car threw on
Wednesday a grenade at the office of the second deputy speaker, Shakhwan
Abdullah, in the Rahimawa area of Kirkuk city."
The
attack caused only material damage to the office without any casualties.
Abdullah
has been elected as second deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, obtaining
180 votes.
He is
a member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). KDP headquarters were
targeted last week.
Source:
Shafaq
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Twelve
Syrian police wounded in bus blast: State media
19
January ,2022
Twelve
members of Syria's internal security forces were lightly wounded Wednesday in a
bomb blast on a police bus in the southern province of Daraa, state news agency
SANA reported.
The
device exploded near Jisr Saida in Daraa province, SANA said.
Daraa
province and its capital of the same name, the cradle of Syria's 2011 uprising,
returned to government control in 2018.
However,
holdout rebels who stayed on in a southern part of the city called Daraa
al-Balad continued to battle regime forces last year.
A
Moscow-brokered 2021 truce saw dozens of opposition fighters bused out of the
city, but some have stayed on.
The
Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has an extensive
network of sources inside Syria, said 20 attacks have been recorded in Daraa
province since the beginning of the year.
The
war monitor says 16 people have been killed in those attacks, including eight
civilians.
In
October last year, two bombs planted on an army bus in the capital Damascus
killed at least 14 people and wounded three others, the worst such attack there
in four years, according to SANA.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Impoverished
Lebanese, Syrians struggle to survive cold
19
January ,2022
A
snowstorm in the Middle East has left many Lebanese and Syrians scrambling to
find ways to survive, burning old clothes, plastic and in some cases even sheep
manure to keep warm as temperatures plummet and poverty soars.
The
storm, dubbed “Hiba” in Lebanon, began Tuesday night and is expected to peak
Thursday. Lebanon's economic collapse and currency crash have meant an
increasing number of families are unable to afford fuel to heat their homes
this winter.
Hundreds
of thousands of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan and others displaced by
Syria’s war are sheltering in poorly heated tents, relying mostly on layers of
blankets to keep warm.
“The
situation is very, very difficult,” said social activist Baseem Atrash,
speaking from the snowcapped northeastern Lebanese town of Arsal near the
Syrian border. Arsal is home to one of the largest Syrian refugee
concentrations in Lebanon, with some 50,000 people, most of them living in
flimsy tents.
Atrash
said Syrian refugees, as well as some Lebanese who have fallen into poverty
since the country's financial meltdown began in October 2019, lack diesel for
heaters, while constant power cuts make electric heaters useless.
“They
are burning anything to keep their heaters on, from plastic to old clothes,”
Atrash said. Earlier this month, a Syrian mother and her three children died in
their sleep after inhaling toxic fumes from burning coal to heat their room in
a village in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon,
a country of 6 million people, is home to 1.5 million Syrians who fled the now
decade-old civil war in their country. The United Nations estimates that 90% of
Syrian refugee households live in extreme poverty. But as Lebanon grapples with
an unprecedented economic crisis, the poverty has deepened for both Lebanese
and Syrians. Sky-rocketing fuel prices coupled with a currency collapse has meant
many essential commodities are now out of reach for the average Lebanese.
Nadim
Attieh, a Lebanese, decided to donate some of his firewood to needy families
after he heard of how cold it will get. He used Twitter to spread the word of
his in-kind donation: a ton of wood — enough to last five or six families
through the coldest three days ahead.
“I
have stocked up on wood during summer and I have a good quantity. So why not
share with people who are underprivileged,” asked Attieh, himself out of work
since losing his job in the Persian Gulf a couple of years ago.
The
cost of a ton of wood is now equivalent to five times the minimum wage, selling
for 3 million Lebanese pounds ($120) while some 20 liters of diesel now going
for about 300,000 — nearly 10 times what it cost three years ago.
In
Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, where many of the 3 million residents
are displaced, Yassin al-Yassin was fortifying his tent with extra tarps and
supports as the weather worsened.
Al-Yassin,
who lives in the tent with his wife, two daughters and son, couldn’t afford
wood or diesel for heating, so he'll be burning dried sheep manure that's been
piled up since summer.
“All
we have to protect us is tarp and blankets,” he said by telephone from the
tent, surrounded by mountains near the Turkish border. He said only those
receiving hard currency from relatives abroad can afford to buy diesel and wood
for heating.
Aid
group CARE International said temperatures are expected to drop in Jordan,
Lebanon, and Syria to well below freezing, endangering the lives of millions
already living in precarious circumstances.
“People
can see their own breath when lying on their thin mattresses, you will see
children walk around in flipflops and ripped shirts. Families are afraid that
they will freeze to death,” said Jolien Veldwijk, CARE Syria Country Director.
Cold
and respiratory illnesses are rising and spreading, as is the threat of
COVID-19 in overcrowded camps without sufficient healthcare, CARE said.
Ahamd
Rakan, displaced nearly two years ago from his hometown of Kfar Nabel in the
last rebel-held stronghold in northwest Syria and now living in a tent, said he
has been gathering wood, olive seeds, papers and old clothes for months in
order to use them for heating.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UAE
ambassador to US: Houthis used missiles in attack on Abu Dhabi
19
January ,2022
Yemen's
Iran-backed Houthi militia used cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as
drones, in Monday’s attack on Abu Dhabi that killed three people, the UAE
ambassador to the US said on Wednesday.
“A
combination of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones targeted
civilian sites in the UAE. Several were intercepted, a few of them didn’t, and
three innocent civilians unfortunately lost their lives,” ambassador Yousef
Al-Otaiba said in a panel hosted by the Jewish Institute for National Security
of America.
This
marked the first acknowledgement by UAE officials that missiles were used by
the Houthis in Monday’s attack on Abu Dhabi which led to a fire breaking out
and resulted in the explosion of three petroleum tankers, and another fire that
broke out in the area of the new construction site of Abu Dhabi International
Airport.
In
addition to the three causalities, six others were wounded.
Yemen’s
Houthi militia claimed responsibility for the attack saying it conducted an
operation “deep in the UAE,” and the group’s spokesman said they fired five
ballistic missiles and “a large number” of explosive-laden drones at “sensitive
sites” in the UAE.
Otaiba
said the Houthis were a “terrorist organization” that attacked civilians in a
country “that was not at war.”
“We
have long left the Yemen war. We are still being a target. And for the sake of
transparency, we are asking our friends in the [US] administration and in
Congress to re-instate the Houthi terrorist designation as an FTO,” he added.
President
Joe Biden’s administration revoked a terrorist designation of the Houthis
introduced by former President Donald Trump in January of last year. Biden also
announced in ending US support for the offensive operations of the Arab
Coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, which intervened in Yemen in 2015.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Shariah
Chief Judge Files RM30m Defamation Suit Against Lokman Adam In Connection With
Allegations Of Sexual Harassment
19
Jan 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 19 — Chief Syarie Judge Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar has filed a defamation
suit amounting to RM30 million against former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk
Lokman Noor Adam in connection with allegations of sexual harassment against
several women, including one carrying the title “Datin”.
Mohd
Na’im, 54, filed the suit in the High Court through Messrs Akberdin & Co on
January 17, naming Lokman, 49, as the defendant.
Based
on the statement of claim, Mohd Na’im, who is also the director-general of the
Department of Syariah Judiciary Malaysia, filed the suit in his personal capacity,
claiming that the defendant had defamed him by making statements through two
live posts on the Facebook page “Lokman Noor Adam Official” on January 10 and
January 13.
The
plaintiff claimed that the defendant also uploaded the live broadcast on his
YouTube page on January 10, and January 14 respectively, besides uploading
three defamatory posts against him on Facebook on January 11 and January 13.
The
plaintiff further claimed that the defamatory statements implied that he was a
spiritual opportunist, had failed to be a credible leader or set a good example
for the community, and tarnished the good image of the Syariah Judiciary
Department.
Mohd
Na’im claimed that the live broadcast and other posts had been spread to third
parties, as the defendant’s Facebook and YouTube could be viewed and commented
on by the general public.
“The
defendant published the statement with the intent that it would be published
domestically and internationally through the electronic media as well as print
media,” the plaintiff claimed in the lawsuit.
According
to the plaintiff, a police report was lodged on December 12 last year to deny
the “Datin’s” allegations against him, and he had also lodged a police report
against Lokman over his actions.
The
plaintiff said a notice of claim dated January 13 was issued against the
defendant to withdraw the defamatory statements and delete the posts on
Facebook, besides making a public apology within 24 hours, but as of today, the
defendant had ignored the police report and notice.
He claimed
that the defamatory statements had tarnished his reputation, dignity, image and
status in the eyes of the public.
Mohd
Na’im is seeking an injunction for the defendant to delete the videos and the
posts, as well as to prevent the defendant from republishing them, besides an
apology from the defendant to be uploaded on social media.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Crowd
understood Khairy’s ‘homosexual’ remark against Anwar, says lawyer
V
Anbalagan
January
17, 2022
PUTRAJAYA:
Former Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin had defamed Anwar Ibrahim in front
of a Malay crowd by depicting him as a homosexual and a person of low morals,
the Court of Appeal heard.
Lawyer
Gopal Sri Ram said Khairy’s “main belakang” statement was made before a Malay
and Umno crowd during a ceramah at Lembah Pantai in 2008 and he was not
addressing foreigners.
“Khairy
was addressing a crowd who understood the context in which the reference against
Anwar was made,” Sri Ram said in his submission before a three-member bench
chaired by Lee Swee Seng.
Homosexuality
went against the penal and Shariah laws, Sri Ram said.
In a
statement of claim, Anwar said Khairy had uttered that the then opposition coalition,
comprising PAS, DAP and PKR, “undergoes mutaah marriage as practised by the
Shia sect. They marry at night and divorce the following day to legitimise a
vice. PAS plays DAP from the left and DAP plays PAS from the right. Anwar plays
both from the back.”
Sri
Ram said that when the speech was made, Anwar had been acquitted of sodomising
his former family driver, Azizan Abu Bakar, by the Federal Court in 2004.
“Khairy
was accusing Anwar as a sodomite and guilty of the criminal offence,” he said.
He
said Khairy was also addressing a Muslim crowd who belonged to the Shafiʽi sect and reference was made to the Shi’a
sect who were regarded
as a deviant group in this counry.
“He
was attacking Anwar and the boisterous crowd was laughing when Anwar’s name was
mentioned,” he said during a virtual proceeding.
He
said the trial judge was aligned to the context and did not see the statements
made in isolation.
Lawyer
Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, appearing for Khairy, said the judge “over-analysed
the statements from the perspective of a common man”.
He
said Khairy’s statement was a metaphor to state Anwar was the “glue to bring
the opposition together”.
“Anwar
accepted this suggestion when he was cross-examined during the trial,” he said,
adding that there were political and sexual connotations in these statements.
Shafee
said Anwar did not bring any other witness apart from himself to support the
claim that Khairy had defamed him.
He
said there was nothing wrong for the Umno crowd, which he doubted, to laugh as
Khairy was merely driving home the point that Anwar could not be trusted politically.
He
also said Khairy could rely on the defence of justification that Anwar was a
homosexual as the Federal Court gave such an opinion in 2004.
“We
are relying on the defence of justification as an antidote in response to the
defamation suit by the respondent (Anwar),” he said.
In
September 2004, judges Abdul Hamid Mohamad and the late Tengku Baharuddin Shah
Tengku Mahmud, in a majority ruling, allowed Anwar’s appeal, while Rahmah
Hussain dissented.
The
panel also allowed the appeal of Anwar’s adopted brother, Sukma Darmawan
Sasmitaat Madja, who was jailed for six years for the same offence.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indonesian
security forces blasted over Papua abuses
Konradus
Epa
January
19, 2022
Indonesia’s
National Commission on Human Rights has called on the government to rein in
security forces after recording hundreds of acts of violence committed by them
against civilians in Papua over the last year.
“Of
1,182 violent incidents recorded in the restive region, at least 480 or 41.3
percent were committed by security forces,” commission spokesman Mohammad
Choirul Anam said.
He
said security forces were involved in the shooting and torturing of civilians
as well as the burning and destruction of schools and homes.
Anam
also said at least 24 civilians had died as a result of violence committed by
security forces and separatist rebels during this time.
The
commission called on the government to ensure civilians in Papua are not
persecuted by security forces that have been fighting an insurgency in the
country’s easternmost region for decades and which has intensified in recent
years.
Theo
Hesegem, executive director of the Papua Justice and Human Integrity
Foundation, pointed to specific cases where civilians were killed by security
forces.
“Surya
Wenda was shot dead by police in Wamena district in 2021 for no apparent
reason, while Reverend Yeremias Zanambani was shot dead by the military in 2020
in Intan Jaya district,” he said.
Source:
UCA News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-security-forces-blasted-over-papua-abuses/95779
--------
Indonesian
militant gets 15 years in jail over 2002 Bali bombings
JANUARY
19, 2022
Prosecutors
say Zulkarnaen is the former military commander of Jemaah Islamiyah, a
Southeast Asian militant group with ties to al-Qaeda
An
Islamic militant who eluded capture for 18 years, was sentenced to 15 years in
prison on Wednesday after an Indonesian court found him guilty of hiding
information about the 2002 Bali bombings from authorities and harboring other
suspects.
Prosecutors
previously demanded a life sentence for Aris Sumarsono, 58, whose real name is
Arif Sunarso but is better known as Zulkarnaen, for his role in the October
2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists including 88
Australians and seven Americans.
However,
the panel of three judges in East Jakarta District Court said they ignored the
prosecutors' first charge because the prosecution period had expired, and they
sentenced Zulkarnaen to 15 years in jail for harbouring other suspects,
including bomb-maker Upik Lawanga, and for hiding information from authorities
about the deadly attacks.
Indonesia's
Criminal Code stipulates that the authority to prosecute criminals is abolished
after 18 years.
“The
accused is found guilty in a legal and convincing manner of carrying out an act
of terrorism of third charge,” the presiding judge told the court in a session
that was held remotely due to the pandemic, adding that Zulkarnaen knew about
the terrorism attacks but “did not inform authorities; instead, he harboured a
terror suspect.” Zulkarnaen has been detained since Dec. 10. The judges ordered
that the time he has already served be deducted from his sentence.
Prosecutors
said they would appeal to a higher court, while Zulkarnaen said he accepted the
ruling and would not appeal.
Police
and prosecutors say Zulkarnaen is the former military commander of Jemaah
Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian militant group with ties to al-Qaeda. The group is
widely blamed for the October 2002 nightclub bombings on the Indonesian resort
island of Bali and attacks in the Philippines.
Zulkarnaen
had eluded capture for 18 years after being named a suspect in the 2002 suicide
bombings of Paddy's Pub and the Sari Club in Bali. He was arrested last year in
the same southern town on Sumatra island where Lawanga, a bomb-maker for the
Jemaah Islamiyah network who eluded capture for 16 years, was arrested by
counterterrorism police a week earlier. Lawanga was sentenced to life in prison
last month.
Police
were tipped off to their hideout after interrogating several suspected
militants arrested in earlier raids.
Zulkarnaen
argued that although he was a leader of the network's military wing, he was not
involved in the operation of the Bali bombings, as he was focused on organizing
his squad for sectarian conflicts in Ambon and Poso and in the southern
Philippines.
“I
didn't even know when the Bali bombings would take place,” Zulkarnaen told the
court in his plea last week.
During
his trial, which began in September, other convicted militants in the 2002 Bali
bombings, including Umar Patek and Ali Imron, who were sentenced to 20 years
and life in jail, respectively, supported Zulkarnaen's claim, saying he knew
about the plot but did not play a role in its operation.
Police
previously said Zulkarnaen masterminded church attacks that occurred
simultaneously in many Indonesian regions on Christmas and New Year's Eve in
2000 that killed more than 20 people. He was also the mastermind of a bomb
attack on the official residence of the Philippine ambassador in Jakarta in
2000 that killed two people, and the architect of sectarian conflict in Ambon
and Poso from 1998 to 2000.
Conflicts
between Christians and Muslims in Ambon, the provincial capital of the Molluca
islands, left more than 5,000 people dead and half a million displaced. The Muslim-Christian
conflict in Poso, known as a hotbed of Islamic militancy on Indonesia's
Sulawesi island, killed at least 1,000 people from 1998 to 2002.
Zulkarnaen
was among the first Indonesian militants to go to Afghanistan in the 1980s for
training. He later became an instructor at a military academy there for seven
years, Indonesian police said.
Since
May 2005, Zulkarnaen has been named on an al-Qaeda sanctions list by the U.N.
Security Council for being associated with Osama bin Laden or the Taliban.
The
Security Council said that Zulkarnaen, who became an expert in sabotage, was
one of al-Qaida's representatives in Southeast Asia and one of the few people
in Indonesia who had had direct contact with bin Laden's network.
It
said that Zulkarnaen led a squad of fighters known as the Laskar Khos, or
Special Force, whose members were recruited from among some 300 Indonesians who
trained in Afghanistan and the Philippines.
Source:
The Hindu
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Commander:
Iran Ready to Supply Neighbouring, Friendly States with Military Technologies
2022-January-19
The
Islamic Republic stands ready to provide advanced scientific and military
technologies to friendly and neighborly states, Rear Admiral Sayyari said on
Tuesday, addressing a meeting with foreign military attachés residing in Iran.
He
added that Iran had achieved self-sufficiency and scientific capabilities in
the field of military power and manufacturing state-of-the-art weaponry.
“Besides
progressive relations with various countries, Iran is engaged in military
cooperation with some of them and is interested in sharing its advanced
scientific and military technologies with other friendly and neighboring countries
as well,” Rear Admiral Sayyari said.
He
said the neighboring countries, in turn, need to understand the nature of
Iran’s power because “regional stability and security will be established based
on mutual strength and interactions”.
Rear
Admiral Sayyari also said Iran was facing problems in establishing ties with
some of its neighbors since it has been under the “most oppressive and harsh”
sanctions in the history of international relation.
“We
believe, however, that these problems can be solved through interactions and
dialog and there is no need for any help from foreign powers,” he added.
“Deeper neighborly ties will bring greater economic benefits to the West Asia
region.”
The
Islamic Republic has always supported regional nations, has never violated
their rights, and has recognized independence of all countries, Rear Admiral
Sayyari said.
The
senior commander reiterated Iran’s friendly and brotherly policy towards its
neighbors, adding that the Islamic Republic had never have a greedy eye on any country
and believed based on Islamic teachings that common interests and regional and
collective security could be achieved without the presence of trans-regional
states.
Former
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami in a meeting with his Iraqi
counterpart General Juma Anad Saadoun in Tehran in November 2021 underlined his
country’s preparedness to supply the Armed Forces in Iraq with needed weapons
and military equipment.
“Thanks
to its abundant capacities and infrastructures which are the fruits of the
cruel sanctions era after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Islamic
Republic of Iran’s defense ministry is ready to provide the Iraqi Armed Forces’
needs to strengthen Iraq’s defense power,” General Hatami said in the meeting.
General
Hatami also said that the Iranian and Iraqi nations as well as the resistance
front will never forget the blood of martyred anti-terror commander Lieutenant
General Qassem Soleimani and Deputy Commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization
Forces (PMF) Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis who were assassinated by the US in Iraq in
January.
Saadoun,
for his part, stressed Iraq’s willingness to use Iran’s valuable experiences in
the defense field, appreciating the country for its assistance to Iraq in
fighting against the ISIL and other terrorist groups by playing military
advisory role and supplying weapons.
Also
in the same month, Iranian Army Airborne Commander General Yousef Qorbani
announced that the Iraqi Army has demanded Iran to sell and mount its
indigenous night vision systems on the Arab country’s helicopters.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
Underlines Need to End War in Yemen
2022-January-19
“Siege
and military attacks cannot resolve the Yemen crisis, rather expanding the
scope of tensions in the region,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed
Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday.
Iran
has invariably backed initiatives that are based on political solutions for
ending the blockade and war against Yemen and supported the courses of action
that could end intervention in Yemen’s domestic affairs and enable preservation
of its territorial integrity, he said.
“The
Islamic Republic has always insisted that the solution to none of the region’s
crises rests in seeking recourse to warfare and violence,” Khatibzadeh said,
noting that regional peace and stability could only come about through the
establishment of calm and avoidance of tension.
In a
relevant development late last week, Senior Assistant to the Iranian Foreign Minister
for Special Political Affairs Ali Asqar Khaji and UN Secretary-General’s
Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grunberg discussed ways to resolve the crisis in
the war-hit country.
During
the phone conversation on Sunday, Khaji sadi that the people of Yemen will make
the final decision on their country's future, adding that the lifting of the
oppressive blockade could trigger a political settlement in the country.
He
referred to the UN key role in resolving the Yemen crisis, saying that lack of
trust exists in the negotiations progress.
“Rebuilding
trust should be accompanied by taking practical measures, specially in the
field of humanitarian affairs,” Khaji said.
Grunberg,
for his part, said that the UN is currently assessing different points of view
and seeks to take into account the concerns of various Yemeni groups in its
future plans while advancing its short-term priorities in accordance with the
long-term goals.
Leading
several of its allies, Saudi Arabia started the war on the Arab world’s already
poorest nation in March 2015 to change the country’s ruling structure in favor
of its former Riyadh-allied government.
The
war has stopped short of the goal, while killing tens of thousands of Yemenis
in the process and turning the entire country into the scene of the world’s
worst humanitarian crisis.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001029000322/Iran-Underlines-Need-End-War-in-Yemen
--------
Participants
in Vienna Talks Working on 4 Texts
2022-January-19
Iran
and the Group4+1 (Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) are currently
working on four texts, one of which is called "decision text" and the
other three are annexes that deal with the implementation of possible
agreement.
Iran
and the G4+1 negotiators are currently working on four texts, the main text of
which is called "decision draft" that contains the key areas to agree
on in principle.
The
third working group on implementation (sequencing) is also writing the main
draft.
The
main draft has three annexes, the first of which deals with the removal of
sanctions and details the US lifting of sanctions against Iran. This draft is
also being written by the working group that is working on the removal of
sanctions.
This
text has three components, the first of which deals with the removal of
sanctions and explains in detail the obligations of the US to lift sanctions
against Iran. This draft is also being written by the working group on the
lifting of sanctions
The
second draft is related to Iran’s nuclear commitments and the halt to the
remedial measures taken after the illegal US withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018.
The working group that is formed by parties to work on nuclear issues is in
charge of writing the related draft.
Moreover,
the third draft also refers to implementation of the commitments by different
parties and the measures that need to be taken by them to implement the
agreement.
The
third working group on implementation (sequencing) is working on drafting this
document as well.
In
relevant remarks on Tuesday, senior political and foreign policy analyst Seyed
Mostafa Khoshcheshm said that Iran is after different types of assurances from
the US and the EU in the talks underway in Vienna in a bid to ensure the merits
of the nuclear deal, adding that the requested insurance program entails
nuclear, trade, legal and political guarantees.
Reflecting
to a report released in the Wall Street Journal titled ‘Iran demands legal
pledge that the US will not quit nuclear deal again’, the senior analyst, who
is close to the Iranian team of negotiators in Vienna talks, said the Obama and
Trump administrations have taught Iran that it needs to foresee a complex plan
to ensure that any US cheating in future won't harm Iran's merits under the
nuclear deal and won't cost Iran direly, if it ever gets back to the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action, of course.
Noting
these assurances in a tweet, he said Iran intends to keep its enriched uranium
stockpile excessive to the maximum ceiling enshrined in the JCPOA as well as
its advanced centrifuge machines under the IAEA seal, but without dismantling
or destroying them, so that if the US violates the deal again, it won't sustain
much of a loss again (like the last time the JCPOA went into force and then
discarded by the US) and could resume nuclear operations immediately under such
circumstances.
A
second guarantee pertains to US insurance to all trade firms and companies that
they can continue business with Iran for years without being punished no matter
the US remain under the deal or not, Khoshcheshm wrote on his twitter page on
Tuesday.
He
further pointed out that Iran has also requested the US and the EU to provide
it with legal and political assurances as part of guarantees to lower the
chances for a US cheating, though he stressed that the US record of actions
displays that Washington is no trustworthy partner to any deal.
Iranian
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday that certain
important issues have still remained unresolved in Vienna talks between Tehran
and the world powers and their solution requires Washington's political resolve
and decision-making.
What
remained in negotiations are key issues that require the adoption of specific
political decisions, specially by the US, Khatibzadeh told reporters in his
weekly press conference in Tehran.
Regarding
the latest situation of Vienna talks, he said that the chief negotiators of the
delegations have returned to their capitals for a break for more consultations.
What
remained in negotiations are key issues that may require special political
decisions by the US in particular in order to announce their decisions on the
removal of sanctions and remaining issues that some of which are serious,
Khatibzadeh added.
Khatibzadeh
dismissed Washington’s attempts to set a deadline for the Vienna negotiations
to bear fruit, calling it "fabricated".
He
said the US would better focus on its Plan A rather than threatening Iran with
a Plan B. Days earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had said there
were only “a few weeks left” to save the 2015 deal, officially called the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“We’re
very, very short on time,” because “Iran is getting closer and closer to the
point where they could produce on very, very short order enough fissile
material for a nuclear weapon,” Blinken claimed.
He
added that the US is “looking at other steps, other options” – often seen as a
military threat – with allies including in Europe and the Middle East.
In
response, Khatibzadeh said a Plan B is “not appealing for any country”.
“Blinken
knows better than anyone that every country has a B Plan for itself and that
Iran’s Plan B may not be very appealing to them. They need to make every effort
to show that they have the necessary will and capacity for a Plan A,” he
remarked.
Khatibzadeh
said that in the draft texts, “many of the tables and columns are ready and
some of the parentheses were omitted”, adding that the negotiators have reached
agreements on most ideas, which are currently being turned into written words.
He
also urged the US to stop what he termed as its “bullying behavior” and fulfill
its international obligations instead. “Significant disagreements remain in
Vienna, and the most important one is the insufficient speed of the other
sides, especially the United States,” Khatibzadeh said. He added that great
progress has also been made “on technical issues, but on the issue of sanctions
removal, talks have been subject to political decisions that have been delayed
on the other side”.
Iran
and the remaining parties to the JCPOA – Russia, China, France, Britain, and
Germany – have been holding talks in the Austrian capital since April last
year. The focus of the talks has been on the removal of all sanctions that the
United States re-imposed on Iran following its withdrawal from the deal.
On
Friday evening, the eighth round of the Vienna talks was paused so that the
negotiators could return to their respective capitals for consultations. They
are expected to return to the negotiating table after two days.
Throughout
the talks, Tehran has made clear that the US, as the only country that has left
the JCPOA, is responsible for the status quo, and therefore, it needs to take
the initial step by removing all of the sanctions that it imposed after
withdrawing from the deal in May 2018.
The
Islamic Republic has also criticized the US and its European allies for paying
lip service to safeguarding Iran’s economic dividends, as foreseen in the
JCPOA, and for their unconstructive attitude during the Vienna talks.
On
Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian noted a
“contradiction” in the Western parties’ conduct, saying that reaching a “good
agreement in the shortest time possible” would only depend on them.
“The
conduct of Westerners compared to their statements that they are concerned and
are in a hurry shows that there is a contradiction in their behaviors and
remarks,” Amir Abdollahian said on Friday, while on a high-profile visit to
China.
“I
would like to loudly declare that the Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes
reaching a good agreement as soon as possible, but this would depend on the Western
side,” he added.
Amir
Abdollahian had also in November in a phone conversation with his German
counterpart Heiko Maas blamed Washington for the problems and
non-implementation of the nuclear deal.
The
US government is the main culprit in creating current situation in
JCPOA-related issues, Amir Abdollahian said during the phone talks initiated by
Maas.
The
US government's withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018 and the inaction of three
European countries involved in nuclear talks, including Britain, France and
Germany, has increased distrust significantly, he added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001029000189/Paricipans-in-Vienna-Talks-Wrking-n-4-Texs
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Iran,
Iraq Agree to Set Up Joint Arbitration Centre
2022-January-19
The
agreement was signed between Head of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries,
Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Gholamhossein Shafeyee and his Iraqi
counterpart Abdul Razzaq al-Zuhairi in Baghdad on Tuesday.
The
two sides signed the agreement during a joint business forum with participation
of private sector leaders from both countries.
A
high-ranking delegation of Iranian private sector led by Iran Chamber chief
arrived in Iraq on Sunday.
On
the first day of their stay in Iraq, the Iranian delegation paid a visit to
Iraq Federation of Industries where Iran Chamber Chief said Iraq is more than a
trade partner for Iran.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001028000816/Iran-Ira-Agree-Se-Up-Jin-Arbirain-Cener
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Turkish
envoy meets Libyan parliament speaker Aguila Saleh
19.01.2022
Turkiye's
envoy to Libya met on Wednesday with the Libyan parliament speaker Aguila Saleh
in his hometown of al-Qubah.
Speaking
to Anadolu Agency after the meeting, Ambassador Kenan Yilmaz said he visited
the eastern city after receiving an invitation from Saleh, confirming that the
visit was fruitful.
"During
the meeting, we expressed our willingness, when conditions are suitable, to
reopen our consulate-general in Benghazi, to evaluate the resumption of the
Turkish Airlines' flights to Benghazi and to encourage our companies to
complete their unfinished projects, as well as implementing new ones," said
Yilmaz.
He
also said he plans to soon visit Benghazi, stressing the importance of
achieving Libya's national reconciliation and hold elections based on a
consensus among Libyan parties.
Turkish
Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in December that Turkiye does not
differentiate between the west and the east of Libya and that Yilmaz would
visit eastern Libya to meet with officials.
In
2014, Turkiye closed its consulate in Benghazi under security tension following
an offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar to take Libya under his control. Haftar
failed in those attempts and retreated to eastern Libya.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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US
envoy set to visit Gulf for Yemen peace talks
Mohammad
al-Rajawi
19.01.2022
ISTANBUL
US
special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking will set out on a Gulf tour this week in
an effort to revive peace talks in war-torn Yemen.
Lenderking
will meet with senior regional government officials and other international
partners to press parties involved in the Yemeni conflict to “de-escalate
militarily” and to engage in "an inclusive UN-led peace process," the
US Department of State said in a statement.
The
US envoy will also focus on the “urgent need to mitigate the dire humanitarian
and economic crises facing Yemenis,” it added.
The
statement called on the parties to the Yemeni conflict to "take steps to
improve humanitarian access and address Yemen's fuel crisis."
On
Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had killed 90 Houthi rebels
in attacks in Yemen over the past 24 hours. Houthi rebels, meanwhile, shelled
the energy-rich Shabwa province, killing at least three people.
Yemen
has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned
Houthis captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/us-envoy-set-to-visit-gulf-for-yemen-peace-talks/2479750
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3
civilians killed in rebel shelling in Yemen’s Shabwa
Shukri
Hussein
19.01.2022
SANAA,
Yemen
Three
Yemeni civilians were killed on Wednesday in Houthi rebel shelling in
energy-rich Shabwa province, according to eyewitnesses.
The
attack targeted a fuel station in Ain district, leaving several vehicles in
flames, a witness told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity.
Nine
other people were injured in the attack.
There
was no comment from the Yemeni government on the attack.
Last
week, the Yemeni army announced liberating several districts in Shabwa from
Houthi rebels.
Yemen
has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned
Houthis captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/3-civilians-killed-in-rebel-shelling-in-yemen-s-shabwa/2479676
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Africa
Hajj:
We are working to ensure ban on Nigeria is lifted – NAHCON to Muslims
January
19, 2022
By
John Owen Nwachukwu
The
National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, HAHCON, said it has begun the process to
ensure that Muslims preparing for the Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia are lifted to
the country at the pointed time.
Recall
that the Saudi Arabian General Authority for Civil Aviation, GACA, had on the
8th of December 2021, announced the suspension of flights from Nigeria to Saudi
Arabia.
Though
no reason(s) was given in the circular, it may not be unconnected with the
manifestation of the COVID-19 omicron variant in Nigeria.
NAHCON
is the Commission responsible for facilitating Hajj and Umrah journeys from
Nigeria to Saudi Arabia.
The
Commission said it has immediately engaged networking strategies with sister
agencies for the purpose of convincing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to end
Nigeria’s flight suspension into its territory.
A
statement to DAILY POST from the Commission said, ” In accordance with the
strategy, NAHCON Chairman, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, on Monday paid a
follow-up visit to the Nigerian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb.
Zubairu Dada in his office.
The
meeting, according to the Commission, was to consolidate the initiatives
already deployed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards ending the impasse.
NAHCON
Chairman commended the Ministry for its consistent push for an inroad into the
matter considering that many Muslims have paid for the ongoing Umrah pilgrimage
and traditionally, the numbers rise during Ramadan lesser Hajj.
The
Chairman expressed hope that the suspension would be lifted in time to enable
Nigerians participate in the 2022 Hajj if it would be open for foreign
pilgrims.
Furthermore,
Hassan lauded the efforts of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 towards
curtailing the spread of the virus, which has led to the conviction of other
countries that had hitherto banned Nigeria and some Southern African countries
for similar reasons to rescind their decision.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Tunisian
police killed man in first death of protests, activists say
19
January ,2022
A
Tunisian man died in hospital on Wednesday from injuries inflicted by police,
activists said, in what would be the first death from protests against
President Kais Saied's assumption of extra powers.
Local
radio station Mosaique FM said the public prosecutor was investigating the
death after police deployed water cannons and batons against protesters on
Friday.
But
there was no immediate comment from authorities.
Saied
is facing growing discontent over his suspension of parliament last July and
subsequent rule by decree.
“Ridha
Bouziane, who took part in the January 14 protest died in a hospital in the
capital after suffering serious injuries as a result of the excessive violence
by police in the demonstration,” the Citizens Against the Coup coalition said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UN
chief cites ‘demonstrable effort’ at peace in Ethiopia
19
January ,2022
The
United Nations secretary-general said Wednesday he was delighted to hear “there
is now a demonstrable effort to make peace” in Ethiopia after more than 14
months of war, but he gave no details.
Antonio
Guterres’ statement on Wednesday came after a call with African Union envoy
Olusegun Obasanjo following the envoy’s latest visit to Addis Ababa and the
capital of Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region.
Guterres
said Obasanjo “expressed optimism that there is now a real opportunity for
political and diplomatic resolution of the conflict.” His statement did not
describe efforts by Ethiopia’s government and the rival Tigray forces, and
Obasanjo’s spokesman didn’t immediately respond to questions.
A new
US envoy for the Horn of Africa, Ambassador David Satterfield, is set to meet
with Ethiopian officials on Thursday.
Ethiopia's
war has killed an estimated tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
The United States says some 900,000 people in Tigray, which has been under an
Ethiopian government blockade since late June, face famine conditions.
The
World Health Organization says medical supplies have not been allowed into the
region of some 6 million people.
Despite
his mention of optimism, the UN chief also warned that “ongoing military
operations in some parts of Ethiopia remain a challenge to the peace process
and sour the confidence-building measures that we hope are being taken by all
parties in the conflict.”
Other
combatants include soldiers from neighboring Eritrea who are allied with
Ethiopian forces and blamed by witnesses for some of the worst atrocities in
the war, as well as fighters from Ethiopia’s Amhara region who now occupy
western Tigray.
Guterres
called on all parties “to move rapidly towards cessation of hostilities,” and
he said the U.N. watches the African Union-led mediation efforts with great
hope.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Bashir-era
detainees end hunger strike in Sudan
Talal
Ismael
19.01.2022
KHARTOUM,
Sudan
Former
officials of ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s regime ended their
hunger strike on Wednesday, according to a defense lawyer.
“The
detainees ended their hunger strike after they were referred to court,” Ahmed
Senussi said in a statement.
A
dozen of Bashir-era officials, including Ibrahim Ghandour, the head of Sudan’s
former ruling party, went on hunger strike last week in protest of their
detention without trial.
Senussi
said prosecutors accused the detainees of forming terrorist groups and
undermining constitutional order.
He
said the court set January 23 for holding the first session of their trial.
Families
of the detainees also confirmed in a statement that they had ended their hunger
strike.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/bashir-era-detainees-end-hunger-strike-in-sudan/2479702
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Ethiopian
Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany
Seleshi
Tessema
19.01.2022
ADDIS
ABABA, Ethiopia
Clad
in all-white traditional Ethiopian dress, thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox
Christians Wednesday beat drums and sang religious songs to celebrate Epiphany
in the capital Addis Ababa.
Inscribed
by UNESCO in 2019 as one of the world’s highly valued intangible cultural
heritage, Ethiopia’s commemoration of the baptism of Jesus is a two-day
religious and cultural extravaganza that began on Monday afternoon and was
marked throughout the country.
Orthodox
Christians, who constitute 43% of Ethiopia's estimated 120 million population,
accompanied the priests who carried the Holy Tablets (replicas of the Ark of
Covenant) of the city’s 80 churches to designated public spaces in various
parts of the capital.
However,
Wednesday’s main celebration took place at the city’s open-air Jan Meda sports
venue under heavy police presence.
A
notable absentee at this year’s celebration is the Patriarch of Ethiopian
Orthodox Church (EOC) Abune Mathias who fell ill.
The
priests sprinkled the holy water on the participants.
Bishop
Melke Tsadik said that Epiphany is an embodiment of a belief and a culture of
unity and togetherness.
“We
shall maintain the originality of the celebration and peace and unity of
Ethiopia,” he added.
Ayele
Neguse, who participated in the celebration, told Anadolu Agency that this
year’s colorful commemoration of the baptism of Jesus will help elevate our
spirits depressed by the war.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/ethiopian-orthodox-christians-celebrate-epiphany/2479303
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At
least 220 killed this year in attacks in Nigerian state
Adam
Abu-bashal
19.01.2022
ABUJA,
Nigeria
At
least 220 people have been killed in attacks on communities in Nigeria’s Niger
state since the start of this year, the state’s governor announced late
Tuesday.
Abubakar
Sani Bello revealed the information to reporters after meeting with President
Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in the capital Abuja.
More
than 50 attacks were carried out in the state from Jan. 1-17, said Bello.
He
noted that more than 200 people were also kidnapped during the period,
including three Chinese nationals.
Bello
suggested that the gunmen were operating not only in Niger state but also in
the states near it.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/at-least-220-killed-this-year-in-attacks-in-nigerian-state/2478889
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North America
US
considering re-designating Iran-backed Houthis as a terror group, Biden says
19
January ,2022
President
Joe Biden revealed Wednesday that the US was considering re-designating the
Iran-backed Houthis as a terror organization, as the UAE and other countries
ramped up pressure to make the move.
Asked
about US efforts to end the war in Yemen, Biden said it would be difficult.
“Ending the war in Yemen takes the two parties to be involved to do; it’s going
to be very difficult,” he said in response to a question from Al Arabiya.
UAE
Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba had earlier called on the White House and
US lawmakers to support the re-designation, days after a deadly attack by the
Iran-backed group killed civilians in Abu Dhabi.
Abu
Dhabi was targeted on Monday when drone and missile attacks resulted in the
explosion of three fuel tankers. Three people were killed and six others were
wounded.
Another
fire broke out in the area of the new construction site of the Abu Dhabi
International Airport.
“In
comments earlier today, Amb Al Otaiba described the Houthi terrorist attacks
against civilian sites in the UAE that killed 3 innocent civilians. He called
on the Administration and Congress to support re-designating the Houthi
terrorist organization as an FTO,” a tweet from the UAE Embassy in the US read.
Al
Otaiba also said that he would join Ali Al Shamsi, the UAE Director of National
Intelligence, for meetings with officials from the White House and Congress in
Washington later in the day.
Washington’s
renewed diplomatic efforts came after the election of Biden last year; however,
one of his first foreign policy moves saw the Houthis removed from the terror
blacklist. Additionally, the Biden administration lifted senior Houthi
officials’ names off the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list.
Separately,
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discussed the recent Houthi attacks on the
UAE with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Biden
says ‘not time to give up’ on Iran nuclear talks
20
January ,2022
US
President Joe Biden said Wednesday that it is “not time to give up” on talks
with Iran aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
“It's
not time to give up,” Biden said at a press conference to mark his first year
in the White House.
“There
is some progress being made,” he said.
“P5+1
are on the same page but it remains to be seen,” Biden said in a reference to
the nations taking part in the negotiations in Vienna.
Talks
to restore the 2015 accord between Tehran and world powers -- US, France,
Britain, Russia, China, and Germany -- began last year but stopped in June as
Iran elected ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi.
The
talks resumed in November.
US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that there were only “a few
weeks left” to save the Iran nuclear deal, and the US is ready to look at
“other options” if the talks fail.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Iranian-American
arrested in US for trying to illegally export technology to Iran
19
January ,2022
A
dual Iranian-US citizen was arrested on Friday in Chicago for allegedly trying
to illegally export US technology to Iran’s government, the US Department of
Justice said on Tuesday.
“Kambiz
Attar Kashani, 44, conspired to illegally export goods and technology to the
Central Bank of Iran (CBI), which the US government recognizes is an agency of
the government of Iran,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.
The
US prohibits the sale of goods and services to the CBI on the grounds that it
cooperates with terrorist organizations, including Iran’s Quds Force and
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“Kashani
repeatedly lied to numerous US companies to conceal his intention to ship items
to Iran, allowing him to illegally obtain information technology for use by the
CBI and other Iranian entities,” the statement said.
“Technology
illegally transferred to Iran from the United States could be used by
terrorists … Those doing the bidding for Iran in the United States should
expect the full force of our law enforcement and Intelligence Community
partners,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI's
Counterintelligence Division.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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UN
demands Israel end displacements after eviction of Palestinian family
Servet
Gunerigok
19.01.2022
WASHINGTON
UN
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland demanded
Wednesday that Israeli authorities end the displacement of Palestinians in
occupied East Jerusalem.
Wennesland's
call at UN Security Council briefing came after Israeli forces demolished a
Palestinian’s home earlier Wednesday that is at the center of an anti-expulsion
campaign in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Israeli
police went to the home of the Salhiyeh family before dawn and assaulted
several occupants, Walid Tayeh, the family’s lawyer, told Anadolu Agency.
Wennesland
voiced concern about the potential evictions of more Palestinian families from
their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods, which he said would
prompt violence.
"I
call on Israeli authorities to end the displacement and eviction of
Palestinians, in line with its obligations under international law, and to
approve additional plans that would enable Palestinian communities to build
legally and address their development needs," said Wennesland.
Israeli
police said it enforced a court-approved eviction order of what it called
"illegal buildings built on grounds designated for a school."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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US
defence department releases first video of botched Kabul airstrike
January
20, 2022
WASHINGTON:
The Pentagon has declassified and publicly released video footage of a US drone
strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians in the final hours of a chaotic American
withdrawal that ended a 20-year war in Afghanistan.
The
New York Times obtained the footage through a Freedom of Information Act
lawsuit against US Central Command, which then posted the imagery to its
website. It marks the first public release of video footage of the Aug. 29
strike, which the Pentagon initially defended but later called a tragic
mistake.
The
videos include about 25 minutes of footage from what the Times reported were
two MQ-9 Reaper drones, showing the scene of the strike prior to, during and
after a missile struck a civilian car in a courtyard on a residential street.
Indistinct images show individuals moving in or near the attack zone.
The
military has said it struck what it thought was an extremist with the Daesh
group’s Afghanistan affiliate who might imminently detonate a bomb near the
Kabul airport, where a hurried evacuation was still under way.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2008146/world
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