Pakistan: 63,000 Cases of Gender-Based Violence Reported In Past 3 Years
New Age Islam News Bureau
09 March 2023
Representative Image
(Source: Pakistan NHRC's Twitter handle)
------
• Taliban-run Afghanistan Is World's Most Repressive
Country for Women, Says UN
• J-K: Jama Masjid Management Committee Says
'Extremely Unfortunate' That Cops Denying Closing Mosque
• Islam Is Positive Force for Economic, Social and
Political Well-Being of Women, Says Saudi Envoy to the UN
• US Transfers Guantanamo Bay Detainee, Ghassan
Abdullah al-Sharbi, to Saudi Arabia
Pakistan
• Ex-ISI Chief, Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid, Being Investigated
For Corruption: Pak Interior Minister
• Pakistan: At Least 15 Hindu Students Left Injured
After Being Attacked For Celebrating Holi
• Pakistan police and ex-PM Imran Khan's supporters
clash, injuring several
• Handful of misguided elements cannot shake the
resolve of the people of Balochistan: COAS Munir
• LHC reserves verdict on Imran’s plea against Pemra
ban on broadcasting his speeches
• Police officials involved in baton-charging
Islamabad Aurat March have been suspended: Sanaullah
--------
South Asia
• Global Figures Urge End to 'Harassment' Of Nobel Laureate
Muhammad Yunus
• Afghanistan’s Neighbouring Countries Call on Western
States to Unfreeze DAB Assets
• Taliban governor of Afghanistan’s Balkh province
killed in blast at his office
--------
India
• Fatwa against couple's marriage under special act
• ISI espionage ring busted in Assam, 5 arrested
• India slams Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto
for raking up Kashmir at UNSC debate
--------
Arab World
• Saudi Arabia Says Talks Underway On Syria's Return
to Arab League
• Several conditions set to offer Iftar services in
Prophet's Mosque
• Austin and Sisi reaffirm US-Egypt military ties:
Egyptian presidency
• Egypt offers new ways foreign investors can buy
citizenship to attract vital dollars
• France asks Lebanon to question two suspects in 1983
Beirut bombing
--------
North America
• US Arms Firms Sued For 'Aiding and Abetting' War
Crimes in Yemen
• US House votes against resolution to pull American
troops out of Syria
• House committee slams Biden for failure of
leadership during Afghan withdrawal
• Obama-era hawkish envoy wants end to US occupation
of Syria within 180 days
• NYC considers renaming Harlem Street after Nation of
Islam leader Elijah Muhammad
• Arif Naqvi loses final appeal against extradition to
US
--------
Mideast
• Israelis Stage 'Day of Resistance' Against Netanyahu
Plan to Overhaul the Judiciary
• On Women’s Day: US Issues Human-Rights Abuse
Sanctions on Iran Army Chief, Officials
• Israeli protests impact Pentagon chief meeting
locations, arrival in Tel Aviv
• EBRD to invest 1.5 bln euros in Turkey’s
earthquake-hit regions
• UN agency urges probe of schoolgirl poisonings in
Iran
• 11 women, 3 children among 16 Yemenis drowned in 2
Red Sea boat accidents
• Three Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in West
Bank
• Yemen Will Launch ‘Decisive Battle’ If Talks with Saudis
Fail, Warns Ansarullah Official
--------
Southeast Asia
• Religious Speakers without State Islamic Council's
Accreditation May Face Legal Action, Says Johor Rep
• Kedah KPDN targets 200 premises to offer Menu Rahmah
before Ramadan
• Mufti: 603 Mosques under MAIK never used as
political arena
• Hajiji wants Sabahans to fully understand, grasp
Malaysia Madani concept
--------
Africa
• Allah Guide, Grant You Wisdom as President – Sultan of
Sokoto Tells Tinubu
• Split Libya pushes back against UN plan for
elections
• Jordanian Senate’s Palestine Committee calls on inter-Palestinian
unity to face Israeli aggression
• Opposition bloc calls for release of political
prisoners in Tunisia
--------
Europe
• UN Special Envoy for Syria to Meet With Cease-Fire
Task Force to Discuss Need for Calm on Ground
• 2 Men Paid For Paludan's Police Applications for
Burning Copy of Quran, Swedish Daily Says
• Belgium raises over $1.9M in single day for quake
victims in Türkiye, Syria
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/pakistan-gender-violence-/d/129283
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Pakistan: 63,000 Cases of Gender-Based Violence
Reported In Past 3 Years
Representative Image (Source: Pakistan NHRC's Twitter
handle)
------
8 March, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 8 (ANI): Around 63,000
cases of gender-based violence (GBV) were reported in Pakistan over the past
three years, with some 4,000 being reported in the first half of 2020 when
lockdowns were imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus, Dawn News reported.
This was revealed in a new report released by the
National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) of Pakistan on Tuesday.
The commission, while quoting numbers from the human
rights ministry said 80 per cent of these cases were related to domestic
violence, while some 47 pc of domestic rape where married women experienced
sexual abuse, the Dawn reported.
The report cautioned that since the data was based on
reported cases, the actual number could be much higher.
The NCHR’s report termed “key contribution in leading
the discourse” regarding intimate partner violence was shared with participants
in a gathering at a hotel.
Senator Rehman and MNA Marri termed these cases the
tip of the iceberg.
Senator Rehman, who is also the Minister for Climate
Change, said violence against women was a display of “power” and called such
cases a “hidden pandemic” and “statistics of shame”, the Dawn reported.
“The statistics are staggering, 90 pc of women face
some form of domestic violence in their lifetime, yet 50 pc do not report it,
and only 0.4 pc of them go to courts,” she said.
“Our society is layered with patriarchy, and it
subjugates women through a series of institutional, social, and cultural norms
that allow and normalise violence against women.”
She said that in addition to legislation, the
implementation of laws and changes at the societal level are equally important
to address the root causes of domestic violence.
A bill to end domestic violence was first introduced
in 2004 but the legislation still has to see the light of day, Senator Rehman
added.
The Islamabad police chief said there was a need to
enhance the capacity of police to deal with cases of gender-based violence. In
addition to establishing a special investigation unit that would probe offences
against women and children, there was a need to hire and recruit able
prosecutors as well as judges who are sensitised to this issue, as per the
report published by Dawn.
FSC CJ (Federal Sharia Court Chief Justice) Muhammad
Anwar said Islam abhors violence against women and referred to Chapter 58 of
the Holy Quran. “Domestic violence has nothing to do with Islam,” he
reiterated.
In her address, NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha
said the commission through this document aimed to lay the groundwork for an
inclusive society, where women are equally empowered.
The report said domestic violence is grounded in
multiple social, cultural and religious factors, such as patriarchy, gender
inequality, lack of awareness, economic dependence, religious beliefs, and
social stigma. These factors are compounded by institutional hurdles that
“women face in accessing justice and redress”.
It claimed the cases of domestic violence are
dismissed by police as a ‘private matter despite abuse and relevant
legislation. Unlike other provinces, domestic violence is not criminalised in
Pakistan’s Punjab.
The report also addressed the use of religion to
oppose laws pertaining to such violence. It quoted an FSC judgement wherein the
court said the “domestic violence legislation of Punjab is in line with Islamic
injunctions and constitutional fundamental rights”.
The policy document called for advocated training for
law enforcers and health professionals, the inclusion of male allies in campaigns
against domestic violence, and legal aid systems available to women at all
levels. (ANI)
Source: The Print
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Taliban-run Afghanistan Is World's Most Repressive
Country for Women, Says UN
An Afghan woman weaves a
carpet at a traditional carpet factory in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, March 6,
2023. After the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, women have been deprived
of many of their basic rights. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
------
08 MAR 2023
The United Nations on Wednesday said Afghanistan has
become the most repressive country in the world for girls and women since the
takeover by Taliban.
The militant group Taliban took over Afghanistan in
August 2021 after overthrowing the West-backed Kabul government. Since then,
the Taliban regime has eroded girls and women's rights, stopping them from
education, workplaces, sports, and most public places — essentially confining
them to homes.
In a statement on the International Women's Day, the
UN mission said that Afghanistan's new rulers have shown an almost
"singular focus on imposing rules that leave most women and girls
effectively trapped in their homes".
Despite initial promises of a more moderate stance,
the Taliban has banned girls' education beyond sixth grade and women from
public spaces such as parks and gyms. Women are also barred from working at
national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and ordered to
cover themselves from head to toe.
"Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most
repressive country in the world regarding women's rights...It has been
distressing to witness their methodical, deliberate, and systematic efforts to
push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere," said Roza
Otunbayeva, special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the
mission to Afghanistan.
The restrictions, especially the bans on education and
NGO work, have drawn fierce international condemnation. But the Taliban have
shown no signs of backing down, claiming the bans are temporary suspensions in
place allegedly because women were not wearing the Islamic headscarf, or hijab,
correctly and because gender segregation rules were not being followed.
As for the ban on university education, the Taliban
government has said that some of the subjects being taught were not in line
with Afghan and Islamic values.
Otunbayeva further said, "Confining half of the
country's population to their homes in one of the world's largest humanitarian
and economic crises is a colossal act of national self-harm...It will condemn
not only women and girls, but all Afghans, to poverty and aid-dependency for
generations to come. It will further isolate Afghanistan from its own citizens
and from the rest of the world."
The UN mission to Afghanistan also said it has
recorded an almost constant stream of discriminatory edicts and measures
against women since the Taliban takeover — women's right to travel or work
outside the confines of their home and access to spaces is largely restricted,
and they have also been excluded from all levels of public decision-making.
"The implications of the harm the Taliban are
inflicting on their own citizens goes beyond women and girls," said Alison
Davidian, the special representative for UN Women in Afghanistan.
No officials from the Taliban-led government was
immediately available for comment.
The UN Security Council was to meet later on Wednesday
with Otunbayeva and women representatives from Afghan civil society groups.
According to the statement, 11.6 million Afghan women
and girls are in need of humanitarian assistance. However, the Taliban are
further undermining the international aid effort through their ban on women
working for NGOs.
Source: Outlook India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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J-K: Jama Masjid Management Committee Says 'Extremely
Unfortunate' That Cops Denying Closing of Mosque
Jama Masjid Srinagar
-----
08 MAR 2023
The management committee of the Jama Masjid in the
Nowhatta area of the city on Wednesday alleged it was "extremely
unfortunate" that the authorities closed down the mosque on the occasion
of Shab-e-Barat and later denied doing so.
The Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid -- the managing body of
the grand mosque – claimed on Tuesday that the mosque was locked by the police
and no Shab-e-Barat congregational prayers were allowed.
Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti took to
Twitter to criticise the police action.
"Locking up Jama Masjid on the auspicious
occasion of Shab e Barat is a brazen violation of fundamental rights &
religious freedom guaranteed by the Indian Constitution...," she tweeted
Tuesday last night.
Referring to the former chief minister's tweet, the
Srinagar Police said it has nothing to do with the prayers not taking place.
"It is clarified that Administration & Police
has nothing to do with night prayers on the occasion of Shab-e-Barat...not
taking place in Jamia Masjid today. Neither any orders for disallowing were
given nor it was executed by Administration/Police. Kindly don't spread
rumours,” the police said in a tweet.
The mosque management committee on Wednesday said it
was “extremely unfortunate” that after closing down the mosque and not even
allowing "Maghrib" (evening) prayers, the authorities were denying
any such action.
“If it was not personnel from the local police station
who visited the premise and locked the gates, then who were they, it needs to
be asked. These police personnel expressed personal regret at doing so, but
said that they are carrying out orders of the district administration,” the
managing body of the mosque said in a statement.
Source: Outlook India
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
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Islam
Is Positive Force for Economic, Social and Political Well-Being of Women, Says
Saudi Envoy to the UN
Mohammed
Abdulaziz Alateek, Saudi deputy permanent representative to the UN. (SPA)
------
Ephrem
Kossaify
March
09, 2023
NEW
YORK CITY: The Saudi deputy permanent representative to the UN on Wednesday
said that his country has enacted a number of reforms that ban all forms of
discrimination against women, legislatively, professionally and in the family
domain.
Mohammed
Abdulaziz Alateek said that Islam is a great positive force for the economic,
social and political well-being of women, and it is essential that countries
develop their national legislation on the basis of that understanding.
The
envoy was speaking during an event at the UN headquarters in New York titled
“Women in Islam,” hosted by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to mark
International Women’s Day.
In
Saudi Arabia “a number of commitments and objectives have been proclaimed to
empower women, and a number of special laws have been enacted, or older laws
amended, to guarantee the equality of women and men,” Alateek said.
He
called for enhanced international and regional cooperation in efforts to
empower women, and pledged Riyadh’s commitment to achieving this.
A
large number of officials from the Arab world and international organizations
spoke at the event and many called for negative stereotypes of Islam, and
Muslim women in particular, to be debunked, with some warning that extremism
and Islamophobia are two sides of the same coin.
Alateek
said the sacred texts of Islam show great respect for women and guarantee them
equal rights.
“Whoever
does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, we will most certainly
make their life happy and give them the reward for the best of what they've
done,” he said, quoting the Holy Qur’an directly.
Islam
has for 1400 years been a pioneer in its calls for the rights of women to be
respected and upheld, Alateek told the gathering. He added that in the
definition of Sadhak (or dowry) in the Qur’an “there’s a reference to wishing a
happy and fulfilled life to all women and giving them the right to manage
financial affairs and benefit from all that is good in this world.”
Women
also play an active and important role in conflict zones, the envoy said, and
he talked about 80 areas around the world where women who are particularly
vulnerable, economically and socially, benefit from humanitarian assistance
provided by Saudi Arabia in the fields of education, careers, and their general
well-being.
The
participants in the event were united in their condemnation of the Taliban’s
violations of the rights women, in particular the recent ban that excludes
girls from secondary education. Afghanistan the only country in the world with
such a restriction.
“The
international order, particularly in Islamic countries, unfortunately, runs
into reality at some points in some countries that are far from the ideals
proclaimed by Islam,” Alateek said.
Saudi
Arabia is committed to strengthening the role of women in all societies by
providing “various kinds of aid, specifically humanitarian aid, working with
the international community to exchange good practices (that) strengthen the
rights of women and empower them,” he added.
Alateek
called on UN member states “to work with us to guarantee equality and to adopt
policies and programs that truly guarantee the implementation of these
principles in an effective manner, (while) taking into account the religious,
cultural, and social traits of each specific country.”
He
added: “We particularly work closely with those countries that share our vision
and our views, but also, with others, we are prepared to engage in a debate and
a discussion over the religious, cultural or social nature, as to what works
best to promote the role of women in society.”
The
envoy also called on religious scholars, particularly those in Islam, “to work
with us to correctly interpret the message contained in the holy texts.”
International
Women’s Day, which is celebrated on March 8 each year, was recognized by the UN
General Assembly in 1977 and proclaimed to be the international day in
celebration of women’s rights and peace.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2265206/saudi-arabia
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US
Transfers Guantanamo Bay Detainee, Ghassan Abdullah al-Sharbi, to Saudi Arabia
Representative
Image
------
Rabia
İclal Turan
09.03.2023
The
US on Wednesday announced the release of a Saudi engineer from Guantanamo Bay
who was suspected of being a member of Al Qaeda after the Sept. 11, 2001
terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
"The
Department of Defence announced today the repatriation of Ghassan Al Sharbi
from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay to the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia," the Pentagon said in a statement.
"On
February 4, 2022, the Periodic Review Board (PRB) process determined that
continued law of war detention of Ghassan Al Sharbi was no longer necessary to
protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the
United States," it added.
The
statement noted that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin notified Congress on Sept.
21, 2022 of his intent to repatriate Sharbi to Saudi Arabia.
Ghassan
Abdullah al-Sharbi, 48, was suspected of training in bomb-making for Al Qaeda
and was arrested in Pakistan in March 2002 but was never brought to trial.
In
all, 31 prisoners remain at Guantanamo Bay, including 17 who are eligible for
transfer, according to the Defense Department.
An
additional three are eligible for a hearing before a governmental board, while
nine are in military court proceedings. The remaining two had previously been
convicted in a military court.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-transfers-guantanamo-bay-detainee-to-saudi-arabia/2840669
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Pakistan
Ex-ISI
Chief, Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid, Being Investigated For Corruption: Pak Interior
Minister
Iftikhar
A. Khan | Zulqernain Tahir
March
9, 2023
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:
Former spy chief retired Lt-Gen Faiz Hamid is being investigated for alleged
corruption, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah revealed, while his party leader
Maryam Nawaz Sharif called for the retired general’s court martial over his
alleged role in bringing down her father’s government and implicating both her
and Nawaz Sharif in NAB cases.
Meanwhile,
Gen Hamid also seemed to break his silence over the fresh wave of allegations
being levelled against him — by the PML-N in general and Ms Sharif in
particular — when he told a journalist that it is the army chief who calls the
shots in the military.
In
a press conference on Wednesday, the interior minister said that a probe was
underway against the ex-Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) boss and his brother
over alleged corruption and accumulating assets beyond means. However, he said
it would be premature to say anything further at this stage.
When
it was pointed out that any probe into assets beyond means would fall in the
domain of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the law minister said an
investigation was already under way.
“When
something surfaces, you will be informed,” he told the questioner.
Separately,
in an interview with a newly-launched digital news outlet, Ms Sharif demanded
strong action against the former ISI DG for his role in getting her and her
father convicted in NAB corruption references in 2017.
Unlike
her arch-rival Imran Khan, who is demanding the court martial of the previous
army chief, Ms Sharif stopped short of seeking any major punitive action
against retired Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, saying that as of now, she wanted to
make an example of Gen Hamid.
“I
had spoken against Gen Hamid in court when he was the sitting ISI chief for his
alleged involvement in getting me and Nawaz Sharif punished. I had evidence
against him,” she said, referring to former Islamabad High Court judge Shaukat
Aziz Siddiqui’s claims that the spy agency tried to prevail on him to issue a
verdict of their liking.
When
asked to comment on the PML-N leader’s demand for Gen Hamid’s court martial for
his alleged unconstitutional acts, Rana Sanaullah said that this was a matter
for GHQ to decide.
“Politicians
make demands and express their viewpoint,” he said, explaining that a court martial
of a former military officer does not fall within the jurisdiction of civil
authorities.
Later,
senior journalist Kamran Khan claimed in a tweet that the former ISI chief had
reached out to him and provided a response to the allegations being levelled by
Ms Sharif.
According
to the journalist, Gen Hamid argued that in 2017-18, he was simply a major
general in the army and asked whether, under military discipline, a lone
officer could topple the government.
He
was also quoted by Mr Khan as saying that it is the chief of army staff who has
the final say, and that all the major decisions — seemingly a reference to
Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification and subsequent imprisonment — were taken by the
courts.
Unhappy
with uncle Shehbaz?
During
the interview, Ms Nawaz also opened up about the episode of her arrest from
Lahore airport in 2018, saying that she still had regrets over the fact that a
rally led by her uncle, incumbent PM Shehbaz Sharif, could not reach the
airport in time, before she and her father were arrested.
When
asked who would be her party’s pick for the slots of prime minister and finance
minister if they win the next general elections, Ms Sharif smiled but refrained
from answering.
This
is not the first time Ms Sharif has been critical of her uncle and his
government.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1741186/ex-isi-chief-being-investigated-for-corruption-sanaullah
--------
Pakistan:
At Least 15 Hindu Students Left Injured After Being Attacked For Celebrating
Holi
08
Mar 2023
At
least fifteen students from Pakistan's minority Hindu community were injured
when they were attacked by members of a radical Islamic student organisation
Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT). The said incident occurred when the Hindu students
were celebrating Holi at the University of Karachi. It is being alleged that
this was the second such incident in two days. A number of videos have surfaced
on the social networking platform showing the IJT attacking Hindu communities
even after the students obtained permission from the administration to
celebrate Holi.
The
police had received an application to open a case against the attacker.
According to Siasat, other videos show security guards wielding batons and
beating students as they flee the scene.
Following
the incident, a University of Karachi official confirmed that there was a
mishap in the Sindhi department where Hindus and other students were
celebrating Holi and throwing colored powder at each other, when some students
attacked and injured them. The official went on to say that they are
investigating the incident because it is completely against their policies.
An
unnamed Hindu girl student, dressed in a mask with other students, later posted
a video on Twitter detailing the entire incident. As per Siasat, she stated
that IJT activists attacked students celebrating Holi in the hall and beat some
of them. She further provided that the
attackers also harassed female students, forcing them to leave the place. She
said that the Hindu students had assembled to celebrate the Holi festival, and
she wants the government and varsity to take action against those responsible.
According
to Telangana Today, the Sindh Council General Secretary Kashif Brohi stated in
response to the incident that members of the Hindu community and the council
had organised a Holi celebration after obtaining permission from the university
administration. He claimed that IJT activists began hurling threats after
students posted Holi invitations on their Facebook page. He claimed that on
Monday morning, members of the Sindh Council and the Hindu community were
celebrating Holi outside PU Law College when IJT activists wielding guns and
batons attacked them.
Source:
Sabrang India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
police and ex-PM Imran Khan's supporters clash, injuring several
Mar
8, 2023
LAHORE:
Pakistani police lobbed tear gas shells and baton-charged supporters of former
prime minister Imran Khan in clashes which injured several on both sides on
Wednesday, a government minister and his party said.
The
clashes erupted in the eastern city of Lahore ahead of a Khan's planned rally
to kick-start his election campaign, but which the government then banned.
The
former premier has been demanding snap polls since he was ousted in a
parliament vote of confidence last year. His successor has rejected the demand
and stated elections would be held as scheduled later this year.
Khan
was shot and wounded at one of his own political rallies last year.
Wednesday's
rally was banned owing to a threat to the law and order situation as there were
International Women's Day gatherings in the area, provincial information
minister Amir Mir said, adding supporters attacked the police when they were
ordered to disperse.
"In
retaliation, police used water cannons, tear gas and batons to disperse
them," Mir told Reuters. He said at least seven police officials were
injured. Twelve workers of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party were
arrested, he added.
Khan's
aide Shafqat Mahmood said several of the workers were injured in the clashes,
which, he termed, "fascist tactics."
Live
TV footage showed the police using extensive teargas shelling on several spots
around Khan's Lahore home, with a couple of the workers seen bleeding.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Handful
of misguided elements cannot shake the resolve of the people of Balochistan:
COAS Munir
Iftikhar
Shirazi
March
9, 2023
Chief
of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir said on Thursday that a “handful of
misguided elements” cannot shake the resolve of the people of Balochistan and
the armed forces were committed to ensuring peace and prosperity in the
province.
According
to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the
army chief made the remarks during a visit to Gwadar.
Balochistan
Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo and Quetta Corps Commander Lt Gen Asif
Ghafoor were present during the army chief’s visit.
The
ISPR statement said Gen Munir was briefed on the prevailing security situation
in the province, the formation’s operational preparedness for the security of
the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and efforts for ensuring a peaceful
and secure environment.
During
the meeting, the army chief appreciated the efforts of all ranks and urged them
to continue working with professional commitment for the good of the people of
Balochistan, the military’s media wing said.
“While
interacting with troops, the COAS emphasised that a handful of misguided
elements cannot shake the resolve of the people of Balochistan and the Armed
Forces [are] committed towards ensuring peace and prosperity,” the ISPR quoted
Gen Munir as saying.
He
also laid particular emphasis on the socio-economic development of the area and
announced welfare projects related to education, installation of solar systems,
fisheries, water, health, sports and livelihood in the province.
Over
the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened,
with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country.
Insurgents
in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a
nexus with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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LHC
reserves verdict on Imran’s plea against Pemra ban on broadcasting his speeches
Rana
Bilal
March
9, 2023
The
Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday reserved its verdict on PTI chairman Imran
Khan’s plea against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s
(Pemra) decision to bar all satellite TV channels from broadcasting his
speeches and press talks.
The
judgment will be announced by Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza shortly.
On
Sunday, the media regulator had slapped a ban on Imran’s speeches and press
talks with “immediate effect” after he had lashed out at former army chief
Qamar Javed Bajwa for what he called “protecting incumbent rulers in their
alleged corruption cases”.
Subsequently,
the PTI chief approached the court. He argued that Pemra’s order was “purely
driven out of vengeance”.
As
the LHC took up the petition today, Justice Mirza asked how such a ban could be
imposed on the head of a political party. “This is against freedom of speech,”
he remarked.
However,
Pemra’s counsel argued that the matter should be heard by a full bench.
“I
request the court that this is not its jurisdiction,” the government lawyer
also said.
On
the other hand, Imran’s counsel contended that Pemra’s ban on the former prime
minister’s speeches and live talks was a violation of fundamental rights
enshrined under the Constitution. He also requested that the court should set
aside the authority’s order.
Subsequently,
the court reserved its verdict on Imran’s plea.
The
petition
In
the petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Imran named Pemra and
the authority’s director (operations, broadcast media) as respondents.
The
plea pointed out that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had set aside a similar
prohibition order in the past.
The
petition said that Pemra had issued the order “in excess of the jurisdiction
vested in it and without having regard to the constitutional rights guaranteed
under Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution”. It further contended that the
authority was not empowered to issue a blanket prohibition order, which appears
to be “in violation of the principle of proportionality”.
The
plea argued that according to Section 8 of the Pemra Ordinance, one-third of
the total number of members were required to constitute quorum for meetings.
But the meeting which passed the order against Imran comprised only the
chairman and three members which made the order “coram-non-judice”.
It
said that Pemra’s order was “illegal, unlawful, more than its jurisdiction, and
contrary to the fundamental rights as enshrined under the Constitution” and
liable to be set aside.
“The
Impugned Order in effect has prohibited all news channels from airing live
speeches of Imran based on spreading hate speech and making provocative
statements against state institutions and officers. It is submitted that no
hate speech or any such statements were made against the state institutions
during his speech which entails such penal consequences as notified in the
impugned order,” the petition said, arguing that the ban was in violation of
Article 19 of the Constitution and the Pemra Ordinance, 2002.
The
petition said that Imran’s speech in question had been “incorrectly labelled as
hate speech” and his words were in no way “prejudicial to the maintenance of
law and order”. It contended that Pemra was taking the statement “out of the
context and political backdrop in which it was made in order to create censorship
and inhibit the ‘freedom of speech’.”
It
further said that the move to ban Imran’s speeches was an “arbitrary and
malafide use” of Pemra’s powers to “stifle discussion regarding the torture and
brutality being carried out against Shahbaz Gill and keep the public at large
unaware of the developments in the case and essentially, thwart justice”.
It
said that the order was “purely driven out of vengeance” and the respondents
invoked criminal proceedings “just to illegally harass the appellants and stop
them from pursuing their political activities”.
Pemra
bans Imran’s speeches, again
In
the prohibition order issued on Sunday, Pemra referred to previous directives
wherein all licencees were directed to “refrain from telecasting any content
against state institutions”.
The
authority noted that Imran, in his speeches and statements, was “leveling
baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative
statements against state institutions and officers which is prejudicial to the
maintenance of law and order and is likely to disturb public peace and
tranquility.”
Pemra
said that licencees telecasted the content without the effective utilisation of
the time delay mechanism, in violation of the authority’s laws and judgements
by the apex court.
“…
therefore, the competent authority i.e. chairman Pemra in view of the above
mentioned background and reasons, in exercise of delegated powers of the
authority vested in Section 27(a) of the Pemra Ordinance 2002 as amended by
Pemra (Amendment) Act 2007, hereby prohibits broadcast/rebroadcast of
speech(s)/press talks (recorded or live) of Imran Khan on all satellite TV
channels with immediate effect,” the order said.
The
authority also directed all satellite TV channels to ensure that an “impartial
editorial board” is constituted to ensure that their platforms is not used by
anyone for “uttering remarks in any manner which are contemptuous and against
any state institution and hateful, prejudicial to law and order situation in
the country”.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Police
officials involved in baton-charging Islamabad Aurat March have been suspended:
Sanaullah
March
8, 2023
Interior
Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Wednesday that police personnel involved in
baton-charging the participants of Aurat March — a public demonstration held
annually in various cities to mark International Women’s Day — in Islamabad had
been suspended.
In
a tweet, the minister said “other persons responsible for misbehaviour” were
also being identified and proper action would also be taken against them.
In
an earlier tweet, the interior minister had vowed that “strict legal action”
would be pursued against those responsible for the “mistreatment” of citizens
participating in the march
Sanaullah
said he had taken strict notice of the behaviour meted out to the participants
of the march, adding that the Islamabad police chief had been summoned
regarding the matter.
One
of the march’s organisers, Punjrush, explained what had happened during the
rally, saying that transgender persons were performing when police charged at
the protesters, causing some of them to get “crushed”.
“Then
they started pushing us so we started to push back […] and then they started
fighting and we started fighting and it just got confusing,” she said.
Separately,
Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman also condemned the Islamabad police’s
action against citizens participating in the march.
“The
Islamabad police had no business baton-charging a small peaceful procession,”
she tweeted after a video of a police official pushing a female participant
back emerged online.
“It
is the women holding laathis that need to be pushed back, not progressive
women. Sad to see this happening. I will seek an inquiry,” she said.
In
another tweet, she strongly condemned the violence, adding that she had sought
an inquiry on the incident. “There is no excuse for this. That too on International
Women’s Day. This is not what we fought for and will not tolerate it,” she
said.
The
minister added that the incident had been brought to the attention of the
interior minister.
“One
day, just one day of the year our women, our courageous, talented but oppressed
women, want to march and we find ways to disrupt it. What’s wrong with us?”
asked PML-N’s Miftah Ismail.
The
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also condemned the use of force by
the Islamabad police. It said it was also concerned about reports that
religious organisations were trying to hinder women from taking part in the
march.
“Women
have as much right to peaceful assembly as any citizen. The police are supposed
to provide security to the marchers, not to resort to violence against peaceful
demonstrators,” the commission said.
Meanwhile,
Islamabad police said Inspector General Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan had taken
notice of the incident and sought a report from the DIG operations.
“Islamabad
police apologises for this incident,” the force’s official Twitter handle said,
adding that the Islamabad IG had asked the IDG Operations to identify those
responsible and take action against them.
“The
Islamabad police stands with the participants of the march for the struggle and
protection of women’s rights,” the statement said.
Source:
Pakistan Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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South Asia
Global
figures urge end to 'harassment' of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus
Mar
9, 2023
DHAKA:
Forty global figures including Ban Ki-moon, Hillary Clinton and Bono published
Wednesday a joint letter calling on Bangladesh to stop "unfair"
attacks and harassment of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Yunus
is credited with lifting millions out of poverty with his pioneering
micro-credit bank, but he has fallen out with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who
has said he is "sucking blood" from the poor.
The
anti-graft watchdog last year ordered a wide-ranging probe into firms Yunus
chairs and Hasina has attacked him personally, blaming him for the World Bank
pulling out from a bridge project that was mired in corruption allegations.
The
letter signed by former UN chief Ban, former US secretary of state Clinton, U2
singer Bono, former US vice president Al Gore and others said that they had
"deep concerns" about Yunus's "well-being" and ability to
focus on his work.
"It
is ... painful to see Prof Yunus, a man of impeccable integrity, and his life's
work unfairly attacked and repeatedly harassed and investigated by your
government," they said in the letter, which was also published in the
Washington Post newspaper.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Afghanistan’s
Neighbouring Countries Call on Western States to Unfreeze DAB Assets
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
March
8, 2023
Afghanistan’s
neighbouring countries including Iran, Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,
Turkmenistan, and Russia attended a conference in Tashkent on Tuesday and
called on the US to unfreeze Afghan central bank assets.
During
the inaugural meeting on Tuesday, the foreign ministers of the seven countries
discussed ways to achieve long-term peace in war-ravaged Afghanistan, and
continue the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan during
these difficult times.
The
conference was held in the absence of the Taliban representatives in Tashkent.
Besides, several neighbouring countries including Russia, China, Iran, and
Pakistan have officially handed over the Afghan Embassies to the Taliban
diplomats, the group is still not invited to such meetings on regional levels.
Other
than Tajikistan, all other six countries including Iran, Pakistan, China,
Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have close ties with the Taliban regime.
Additionally, these countries have their embassies operational in Kabul. The
so-called ‘regional club’ convened the situation in Afghanistan and discussed
ways to find solutions to the existing problems.
Despite
their absence, Taliban officials welcomed the inauguration of such conferences
which benefits Afghanistan in one way or the other – be it humanitarian issues,
governance, or economic development projects.
Meanwhile,
Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries have repeatedly called on the Islamic
Emirate authorities to respect human rights, lift the restrictions on women and
girls attending education, and form an all-inclusive government so that
everyone can see them represented in the regime. However, the Taliban officials
have their own priorities and policies, and no progress is seen as of now.
“The
foreign ministers reiterated the return of the Afghan central bank asset should
be used primarily to pay the salaries of school teachers, and doctors, and
contribute towards the living conditions of the general population,” Uzbek
special representative Ismatilla Ergashev said.
Source:
Khaama Press
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Taliban
governor of Afghanistan’s Balkh province killed in blast at his office
09
March ,2023
The
Taliban governor of Afghanistan’s Balkh province was killed in a blast at his
office on Thursday, police said.
“Two
people, including Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, the governor of Balkh, have been
killed in an explosion this morning,” Balkh police spokesman Asif Waziri told
AFP, adding the nature of the blast was unclear.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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India
Fatwa
against couple's marriage under special act
Mar
9, 2023
KOZHIKODE:
The Council for Fatwa and Research, a body of religious scholars under Darul
Huda Islamic University at Chemmad in Malappuram, issued a fatwa against the
registration of marriage by advocate C Shukkur and former MGU PVC Dr Sheena
Shukkur, under the Special Marriage Act years after their Nikkah to overcome
'discriminatory' provisions of the Muslim Law of Inheritance.
The
fatwa says that believers will not get deceived by the drama of those who use
religion for their selfish interests and they will strongly resist moves to
insult religious laws and destroy their morale.
The
fatwa dated March 7 says it is contradictory that a person who follows Islamic
laws is getting married a second time under the Special Marriage Act to ensure
that his three daughters get his property.
As
per the inheritance law in Islam, if a deceased father has only daughters, they
will get only two thirds of the property and the rest will be divided among his
sisters and brothers. To bypass this law and a selfish thought that his
brothers shouldn't get even a portion of his property the lawyer remarried,
said the fatwa, adding that this thought came from the failure to understand
the economic system put forward by Islam.
Meanwhile,
Shukkur and Sheena registered their marriage, which was solemnized in 1994
under Islamic rites, under Special Marriage Act at Hosdurg sub-registrar office
in Kasaragod on Wednesday morning in the presence of their three daughters.
Shukkur
later wrote on Facebook that he hadn't insulted religious laws and had no
intent to destroy the morale of believers and so there was no need for 'strong
resistance' against him. If anyone misunderstands the word 'resistance' and
tries to physically attack me, then all the persons who issued the statement
will be fully responsible, he wrote on FB, adding that he expects law enforcers
to take note of it.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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ISI
espionage ring busted in Assam, 5 arrested
Mar
9, 2023
GUWAHATI:
Five people were arrested from Nagaon and Morigaon districts of Assam for
allegedly supplying SIM cards to Pakistani agents, a police spokesperson said
on Wednesday.
Several
mobile phones, SIM cards and other incriminating materials, including a handset
used to share defence information with a foreign embassy, were seized, he said.
Assam
police spokesperson Prasanta Bhuyan said the arrests were made during an
operation carried out on Tuesday night, based on inputs from a central agency
and other sources.
"There
were inputs that around 10 people from the two districts were involved in
fraudulently procuring SIM cards from different service providers and supplying
those to some Pakistani agents, thus working against the integrity and
sovereignty of the nation," he said.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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India
slams Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto for raking up Kashmir at UNSC
debate
Mar
8, 2023
NEW
DELHI: India on Tuesday responded strongly to Pakistan's foreign minister
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari comments on Jammu and Kashmir at a UN Security Council
debate on women, peace and security.
India's
Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, dismissed
Zardari's statement as "baseless and politically motivated." “Before
I conclude, let me dismiss the frivolous, baseless and politically motivated
remarks made by the delegate of Pakistan regarding the Union Territory of Jammu
and Kashmir,” she said. Kamboj said that her delegation considered it
"unworthy" to respond to "such malicious and false propaganda."
She
emphasized the importance of the women, peace and security agenda and
reaffirmed India's commitment to positive and forward-looking efforts.
Kamboj's
sharp retort came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Zardari referred to Jammu and
Kashmir in his remarks to the Council debate held under Mozambique's Presidency
for this month, on the eve of International Women's Day.
Source:
Times Of India
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab World
Saudi
Arabia says talks underway on Syria's return to Arab League
Ibrahim
al-Khazen
08.03.2023
Saudi
Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said talks are underway on Syria’s
return to the Arab League.
“There
is a consensus in the Arab world that the situation in Syria is not
acceptable,” bin Farhan said in an interview with Saudi-run Al Arabiya
television.
“There
is a dialogue on the return of Syria to the Arab League, but I think it’s too
early to discuss,” he added.
The
Saudi minister's comments came weeks after last month’s devastating earthquakes
that killed thousands in both Syria and Türkiye
According
to UN figures, around 6,000 were killed and 12,000 others injured in the quakes
in Syria.
Syria's
membership in the Cairo-based Arab League was suspended in 2011 following a
deadly crackdown by the regime of Bashar al-Assad on pro-democracy protests.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Several
conditions set to offer Iftar services in Prophet's Mosque
March
08, 2023
MADINAH
— The Agency of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet's Mosque
has set several conditions to offer Iftar services for fasting people in the
Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, in preparation for the upcoming holy month of
Ramadan 1444 AH.
The
Agency required that the permits and commercial register of the catering
contractors in the Hajj and Umrah must be valid to be able to receive requests.
The
space and area of the facility in the affiliated facilities should not be less
than 600 square meters.
Every
facility must have a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), in
addition to licensing 3 refrigerated food transport vehicles as a minimum, and
equipped with 4 stainless steel trolleys for each vehicle.
The
conditions also included the importance of providing experience in the field
without any related notes affecting the quality of the product and service.
The
agency said that designated and equipped sites for packaging should also be
provided, with an area of no less than 65 square meters, in addition to the
importance of having a meal preparation headquarters in Madinah.
The
agency also confirmed that Iftar service providers in the Prophet’s Mosque are
allowed to distribute meals themselves or through catering companies.
While
it has noted that the distribution of Iftar meals, which is through catering
companies, will only be for those who will be licensed by them in accordance
with the requirements specified in the permit and conforming to the general
specifications approved by the Food and Drug General Authority.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Austin
and Sisi reaffirm US-Egypt military ties: Egyptian presidency
08
March ,2023
US
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
reaffirmed their countries' close military ties Wednesday, Sisi's office said,
during the Cairo leg of Austin's regional tour.
Sisi
highlighted “Egypt's eagerness to strengthen its strategic partnership with the
United States”, particularly in military and security cooperation, presidential
spokesman Ahmed Fahmy said.
The
Pentagon chief's stop in Cairo comes on the heels of his surprise visit to
Baghdad ahead of the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion that toppled
Saddam Hussein, as well as after talks in Amman with staunch US ally King
Abdullah II.
In
both the Iraqi and Jordanian capitals, Austin spoke of the US' commitment to
security and stability in the region.
In
a Twitter post ahead of his meeting with Sisi, Austin called the US' defense
partnership with Egypt “an essential pillar” of the US's “commitment to this
region”.
According
to the presidential spokesman, Austin hailed Cairo's role as “a responsible
stabilizing force” in the Middle East, highlighting “defense cooperation as the
main pillar of relations between the two countries”.
Cairo
is a key ally of the US in the region, playing a mediator role between the
Palestinians and the Israelis, as well as holding sway in other regional
hotspots.
The
US sends over $1 billion a year in direct military aid to Egypt, which has been
one of the largest recipients of US assistance since it became the first Arab
nation to normalize relations with Israel in 1979.
Though
voices within the US Congress had called for broader aid cuts to Egypt over its
notorious human rights record, President Joe Biden withheld only $130 million
in 2021.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Egypt
offers new ways foreign investors can buy citizenship to attract vital dollars
08
March ,2023
Egypt
announced Wednesday it is offering citizenship to foreign investors willing to
spend at least $250,000 in the country, as it struggles to fill its depleted
coffers.
According
to state newspaper Al-Ahram, a decision by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli
published in the official gazette, says the premier can now “grant Egyptian
nationality” to applicants that meet one of four conditions.
Foreigners
can either buy at least $300,000 of real estate in Egypt, invest $350,000 in
the country, deposit $500,000 in an Egyptian bank account or “make a non-refundable
$250,000 deposit in direct revenues in foreign currency into the state's public
treasury”.
It
is the latest in a series of measures by the government to woo foreign
investment into Egypt, which is sapped dry of dollars and battling crippling inflation.
In
2018, parliament had passed a law allowing foreigners to apply for the Egyptian
nationality with a bank deposit of 7 million Egyptian pounds -- at the time
around $400,000 -- or its foreign currency equivalent.
Now,
however, transfers must be made in dollars, as Egypt scrambles to fill its
depleted coffers.
Cairo's
foreign reserves currently stand at $34.35 billion, down from $41 billion in
February 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine unsettled global investors
who pulled billions out of the country.
Some
$28 billion of those reserves are deposits from wealthy Gulf allies, who have
also stepped up to acquire Egyptian state assets but stalled many deals ahead
of a fresh currency devaluation, according to experts.
In
under a year, the Egyptian pound has lost half of its value, propelling annual
inflation in the import-dependent country to 26.5 percent in January, according
to figures published in February.
Late
last year the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $3 billion loan
program for Egypt spread over 46 months, conditioned on “a permanent shift to a
flexible exchange rate regime”.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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France
asks Lebanon to question two suspects in 1983 Beirut bombing
08
March ,2023
French
authorities have asked Lebanese prosecutors to detain two people suspected of
involvement in a 1983 bombing in Beirut that killed dozens of French troops,
Lebanese judicial officials said Wednesday.
It
is highly unlikely that Lebanese authorities will detain the suspects nearly 40
years after the attacks. Neither has ever been taken into custody.
The
request identified the two suspects as Yousef al-Khalil and Sanaa al-Khalil and
called on Lebanon’s prosecutor’s office to detain and question them, then
inform French authorities of the outcome. It was not immediately clear if the
two are related.
On
Oct. 23, 1983, suicide car bombers simultaneously blew up a US Marine base and
French paratroopers headquarters in Beirut, killing 241 American servicemembers
and 58 French troops.
The
American and French troops were deployed in Lebanon a year earlier as part of a
multinational force following Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon.
A
pro-Iranian Shia group, Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for the 1983
attacks, which marked the beginning of the end of Western attempts to stop
Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war. Several months later, the peacekeeping force of
US, French, British and Italian troops left Lebanon.
Islamic
Jihad was believed to be linked to Hezbollah, although Hezbollah officials have
denied that.
The
judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with
regulations, did not say whether the two are members of the Iran-backed
Hezbollah. The request did not say whether the two are still alive, the
officials said without giving further details.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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North America
US
arms firms sued for 'aiding and abetting' war crimes in Yemen
08
March 2023
American
arms manufacturers face lawsuit for “aiding and abetting” war crimes in Yemen
which is suffering a full-blown humanitarian crisis as a result of the 8 year Saudi
led war of aggression.
US
defense contractors Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and, General Dynamics, have been
sued by a group of seven Yemeni nationals for aiding and abetting war crimes
and extrajudicial killings by selling weapons to be used in waging war on
Yemen.
The
lawsuit, filed in the District Court of Washington DC, also names the Crown
Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman al Saud, and the United Arab
Emirates’ leader, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as US Secretary of
State, Antony Blinken, and Pentagon Chief, Lloyd Austin, as defendants.
The
lawsuit states: "Year after year, the bombs fell on wedding tents, funeral
halls, fishing boats and a school bus, killing thousands of civilians and
helping turn Yemen into the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Weapons supplied
by US companies through sales unlawfully approved by US officials allowed Saudi
Arabia and the UAE through the named defendant officials to pursue an
indiscriminate and brutal bombing campaign".
The
lawsuit was filed on behalf of the victims of two separate bombings in Yemen by
the Saudi led coalition, one for a wedding in 2015 and another for a funeral in
2016.
According
to Human rights groups, in October 2015 a group of Yemeni people were preparing
to celebrate the wedding of a relive when a coalition jet bombed the area
killing 43 innocent people, including 13 women and 16 children.
A
year later, Saudi led coalition jets dropped a US manufactured laser guided
bomb on a crowded funeral killing over 100 civilians.
The
Yemeni plaintiffs are filing the lawsuit under the Torture Victim Protection
Act of 1991, a US law that allows victims of torture to sue for compensation
from their tormentors if the accused are in the US.
The
lawsuit names the Saudi and Emirati leaders under the Alien Tort Statute, a law
that grants federal courts jurisdiction over violations of international law.
The
lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Yemeni nationals, alleges that Western
manufactured bombs have killed over 25,000 civilians since the beginning of the
Western backed war nearly eight years ago.
In
December, the UN declared that at least 11,000 children had been killed or
maimed during the war, adding that the true toll of this conflict is likely to
be far higher.
The
lawsuit comes more than a month after the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) in
January said it could be taking legal action against the UK government over its
arms sales to Saudi Arabia during the ongoing war in Yemen.
The
Saudi led war in Yemen has turned the lives of Yemeni people into a nightmare.
Earlier this week more than 70 rights groups came together to protest
Washington's support for the war in several states across America.
The
United States remains involved in enabling the military actions of the Saudi
led coalition in Yemen with US military contractors providing direct support in
the form of spare parts and maintenance for approximately two thirds of the
Royal Saudi Air Force.
Without
this assistance, these aircraft would quickly become non operational.
The
Saudi led coalition launched a wide ranging aerial bombing campaign carrying
out thousands of airstrikes.
Coalition
forces also imposed an economic blockade on Yemen, including a sea and air
blockade, worsening economic conditions for millions of Yemenis.
Meanwhile,
the United States has no sufficiently compelling interest in Yemen that would
justify its involvement in the worst humanitarian crisis in the World. US
military aid has failed to upset the balance of the conflict. The Saudi led air
war has proven largely futile.
The
original objective of the Saudi led coalition was to defeat the popular
Ansarullah movement and restore the ousted Western backed president, Abdrabbuh
Mansur Hadi, to power. However, this appears increasingly unlikely as
Ansarullah has consolidated its control in Yemen.
Ansarullah
has been battling terrorist groups on the one hand and defending the country's
territorial integrity on the other.
Senior
Yemeni politicians have regularly declared that the US has sent weapons
shipments for the Saudis amounting to tens of billions of dollars along with
other means of support such as intelligence and training.
Source:
Press TV
Please
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/08/699510/US-arms-manufacturers-sued-complicit-in-Yemen-war
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US
House votes against resolution to pull American troops out of Syria
Rabia
İclal Turan
09.03.2023
By
Rabia İclal Turan
WASHINGTON
(AA) - The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday against a resolution
directing the Biden administration to withdraw all US troops from Syria.
The
war powers resolution was submitted by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz and was
rejected in a 103-321 vote, with 47 Republicans and 56 Democrats voting
"Yes."
The
bill cited section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, directing President Joe
Biden to remove US armed forces from Syria within 180 days after the adoption of
the resolution.
Among
the Republicans who backed Gaetz's resolution were Marjorie Taylor Greene of
Georgia, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Anna Paulina Luna of Florida.
In
his address to the House, Gaetz questioned how Syria has become "the great
platform of great power competition in the world."
Recalling
that security forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad opened fire when
anti-government protests erupted in the country in 2011, he said there were
"a whole lot of weapons and money being sent from the rich Gulf monarchies
through Jordan into Syria."
Accusing
Iran of "activating Hezbollah" and "invading Syria," he
noted that Russia is also "pitching their vision of the world as a regime
preservation force."
He
added that Israel cut "a deal with Russia to keep Iran out of southern
Syria."
"Now,
all of a sudden you've got the Kurds who declare war on Syria, and it makes it
a little messy that the Kurds are also in conflict with Turkey, which is a NATO
ally," he continued.
Adding
that the US got involved in “this mess in Syria” in 2015, he said: "And
since we have been there, we have seen Americans die, we have seen tens of
billions of dollars wasted."
On
the fight against Daesh/ISIS, Gaetz said he would encourage his colleagues to
"go read the inspector general's report of the last quarter, which
indicates that ISIS is not a threat to the homeland,” also noting that Türkiye
is conducting operations against Daesh/ISIS in Syria.
"I
do not believe what stands between a caliphate and not a caliphate are the 900
Americans who have been sent to this hellscape with no definition of victory,
no clear objective, and purely existing as a vestige to the regime-change
failed foreign policies of multiple former presidents," he said.
Some
900 US troops are currently deployed in Syria, and US Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley visited northern Syria this weekend.
According
to US media reports, reporters traveling with Milley asked if he believed the
deployment of around 900 US troops to Syria was worth the risk.
“If
you think that that's important, then the answer is 'Yes,’” he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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House
committee slams Biden for failure of leadership during Afghan withdrawal
Servet
Günerigök
09.03.2023
WASHINGTON
US
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul blamed President Joe
Biden’s administration Wednesday for its "stunning failure" of leadership
during the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"What
happened in Afghanistan was a systemic breakdown of the federal government at
every level – and a stunning, stunning failure of leadership by the Biden
administration," said McCaul during a hearing on the US evacuation of
Afghanistan.
The
hearing was the first one of the Republican-controlled House committee.
"Because
even though President Biden said, and I quote, 'if there’s American citizens
left, we’re gonna stay to get them all out,' we now know he left more than
1,000 American citizens in Afghanistan," said the Republican lawmaker.
McCaul
also slammed the State Department during his remarks, saying the agency ignored
the realities on the ground.
"In
the midst of the unfolding chaos in Kabul in August 2021, the United States
State Department was all but useless," he said.
He
noted that the US abandoned almost 200,000 Afghan partners and allies during
the withdrawal.
Gregory
Meeks, a top Democrat on the committee, however, defended Biden's decision to
withdraw from Afghanistan, saying it was correct.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Obama-era
hawkish envoy wants end to US occupation of Syria within 180 days
08
March 2023
Robert
Ford, an Obama-era ambassador to Syria who pushed an aggressive approach to
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, is now backing a resolution to
force the withdrawal of occupying US troops from the Arab country.
The
US House is expected to vote on a War Powers Resolution introduced by Florida
Republican Matt Gaetz last week. The bill would force a withdrawal of all US
troops from Syria following a recent incident in which four American soldiers
were injured during a raid.
“Congress
has never authorized the use of military force in Syria,” Gaetz said in the
press release that accompanied the announcement of a similar bill late last
month. “The United States is currently not in a war with or against Syria, so
why are we conducting dangerous military operations there?”
The
war powers bill will require President Joe Biden to bring US troops home within
180 days unless Congress votes to authorize a longer deployment.
Ford
has supported Gaetz’s bill, saying the US mission has no clear objective.
“After more than eight years of military operations in Syria there is no
definition of what the ‘enduring’ defeat of ISIS (Daesh) would look like,” Ford
writes in the letter.
We
owe our soldiers serving there in harm’s way a serious debate about whether
their mission is, in fact, achievable.”
The
Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), a group consisting of over 100 members,
has now joined Gaetz in calling for Congressional approval over long-term troop
deployments in Syria. The CPC’s leadership urged members to support the bill,
according to The Intercept.
Democratic
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar expressed support for the bill as well, saying, “I
wish Gaetz had worked more closely with the coalition of groups that have been
working on this and the CPC. Nonetheless, I am a yes on the resolution.”
The
CPC told its members the bill was “largely consistent with previous bipartisan
efforts led by CPC Members to terminate such unauthorized military presence
within one year, for which 130 House Democrats voted yes last year.”
Democratic
New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman previously introduced similar legislation in 2022
and got 155 votes, including 25 from breakaway Republicans.
The
US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria for years,
with the Pentagon claiming that the deployment is aimed at preventing the
oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.
Damascus,
however, maintains the deployment is meant to plunder the country's rich
mineral resources and to destabilize the country.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/03/08/699534/Syria-US-Robert-Ford--Matt-Gaetz-Daesh-Russia-
--------
NYC
considers renaming Harlem street after Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad
30
January 2023
The
New York City Council is set to vote on renaming a Harlem street after Nation
of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad.
The
corner of West 127th Street and Malcolm X Boulevard, where the eastern regional
headquarters of the Nation of Islam is located at Mosque Temple No. 7, would be
named “The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad Way". It is one of the 128
street names changes the council will debate Tuesday.
But
renaming the intersection could divide community members. Elijah Muhammad was
once a mentor to Malcom X, but the two had a falling out, resulting in Malcolm
X leaving the Nation of Islam.
Malcolm
X was assassinated in 1965 while giving a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in
Manhattan. Two men associated with the Nation of Islam were convicted of
murdering the iconic figure.
Last
year, they were exonerated after an investigation ruled that the New York
Police Department and the FBI had undermined the case. However, speculation
continues to swirl about Elijah Muhammad's role in the killing.
The
Nation of Islam preached separatism and economic self-sufficiency for the Black
community. Critics say the group promoted conspiracy theories and espoused the
superiority of Black people over whites. The Southern Poverty Law Centre refers
to the group as a Black supremacist hate group and accuses it of "deeply
racist, anti-semitic and anti-LGBT rhetoric".
Advocates
say that The Nation of Islam allowed for the self-empowerment of a
disenfranchised minority.
The
Nation of Islam's central message was economic self-reliance, and it developed
a vast network of Black-owned business enterprises from bakeries to nightclubs.
The
move to rename the street has sparked debate within the council.
Harlem
councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan, a Democratic Socialist, put in the
request. Robert Holden, a council member from Queens, called Muhammad “a Black
supremacist” and said the renaming would be “an insult to Malcolm X Boulevard”.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arif
Naqvi loses final appeal against extradition to US
Atika
Rehman
March
9, 2023
LONDON:
Arif Naqvi, the founder of collapsed private equity firm Abraaj Group, on
Wednesday lost his final challenge to an impending extradition to the United
States, where he faces charges of fraud.
US
prosecutors allege that Mr Naqvi masterminded a plot to defraud investors,
including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the US
government-run agency Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). He denies
wrongdoing, but if convicted, could face a prison term of up to 291 years.
Mr
Naqvi had challenged the approval of his extradition in 2021 in the London High
Court, but Judge Jonathan Swift refused him permission to bring a judicial
review against the 2021 approval of his extradition by then Home Secretary
Priti Patel. Ms Patel approved the extradition after a magistrate’s court
earlier that year found no bars to extradition.
Edward
Fitzgerald, a lawyer for Mr Naqvi, had told the high court a day earlier that
if extradited, Mr Naqvi was likely to be held in a New Jersey prison where he
may have to share a dormitory with violent criminals.
His
lawyers approached the court claiming new evidence supporting this argument,
pointing to weaknesses in the US prisons system. They reiterated the argument
made during his trial that Mr Naqvi suffers from depression and was ‘at risk of
suicide’. They also argued that the 2021 magistrate court ruling failed to take
into account US prison conditions which Mr Naqvi would likely be subjected to.
Edward
Fitzgerald KC told the high court that conditions in the Essex County
Correctional Facility in New Jersey where Mr Naqvi was likely to be kept, would
breach his human rights and affect his mental health.
Extradition
Lawyers
representing the US government, however, maintained that Mr Naqvi has been
given assurances that prosecutors will not oppose bail before he stands trial
if the extradition takes place.
US
government lawyer Mark Summers argued that the judge in Mr Naqvi’s case,
District Judge Lewis Kaplan, is the same who granted bail to FTX founder Sam
Bankman-Fried, arguing that it is a “strong indication” that Mr Naqvi too will
be granted bail. Mr Naqvi’s lawyers, however, believe that allowing or denying
bail is the judge’s discretion, and that the US authorities will change their
mind if he is extradited.
Judge
Swift denied the appeal, and ruled on Wednesday that there had been no
“material change” in prison conditions since the 2021 ruling approving Mr
Naqvi’s extradition. The judge also said that his suicide risk could be
‘adequately managed’ if he was held in a US prison.
After
Wednesday’s ruling, the US government lawyer told the court that the government
had a 28-day period to make the arrangements for “a safe and orderly surrender”
by Mr Naqvi to the US.
Mr
Naqvi is currently on bail under restrictive conditions after lodging £15mn
security pending the extradition proceedings. He lives with his family at his
apartment in South Kensington.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1741195/arif-naqvi-loses-final-appeal-against-extradition-to-us
--------
Mideast
Israelis
Stage 'Day of Resistance' Against Netanyahu Plan to Overhaul the Judiciary
09
March, 2023
Israeli
protesters on Thursday were intensifying their opposition to a contentious
government plan to overhaul the judiciary, with plans to block Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu’s route to the airport ahead of an official trip overseas
and as the US defense secretary was visiting.
Demonstrators,
who have been out protesting for more than two months against the overhaul,
planned a “day of resistance to dictatorship” on Thursday. Parents and children
demonstrated across the country ahead of school drop off and some protesters
barricaded the offices of a conservative think tank helping to spearhead the judicial
changes.
The
uproar over Netanyahu’s legal overhaul has plunged Israel into one of its worst
domestic crises. Beyond the protests, which have drawn tens of thousands of
Israelis to the streets and recently became violent, opposition has surged from
across society, with business leaders and legal officials speaking out against
the dangers of the plan. The rift has not spared Israel’s military, which is
seeing unprecedented opposition from within its own ranks.
Netanyahu,
who took office in late December after a protracted political stalemate, and
his allies say the measures aim to rein in a court that has overstepped its
authority. Critics say the overhaul will upset the delicate system of checks
and balances and slide Israel toward authoritarianism.
Critics
also say Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is driven by personal
grievances and that he could find an escape route from the charges through the
overhaul. Netanyahu denies wrongdoing, and says the legal changes have nothing
to do with his trial.
Demonstrations
were planned across the country as Netanyahu and his allies have pledged to
press ahead with a series of bills that would strip the Supreme Court of its
ability to review legislation and give coalition politicians control over
judicial appointments.
Protesters
planned to block highways leading to Israel’s main international airport ahead
of Netanyahu’s departure to Rome for a state visit. Police, overseen by
ultranationalist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have pledged to prevent
the disturbances.
Israeli
media reported the disruptions could force Netanyahu to change his travel plans
to the airport.
The
visit Thursday by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was also being affected by
the protests. An Israeli official said that Austin’s meetings had been moved to
a factory near the airport due to the expected disruptions. The protest
movement has been centered in central Tel Aviv, near the Defense Ministry. The
Israeli official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
On
Women’s Day: US issues human-rights abuse sanctions on Iran army chief,
officials
08
March ,2023
The
US issued a new round of sanctions related to human-rights violations and
corruption targeting some of Iran’s top military leaders, senior government
officials and entities, the Department of Treasury announced on Wednesday,
adding that the measures were taken in coordination with Western allies to mark
international Women’s Day.
The
sanctions target the top commander of the Iranian army, Major General
Abdolrahim Mousavi, a high-ranking commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC) leading the Shohada Provincial Corps in West Azerbaijan Province,
as well as an Iranian government official who directly took part in the
regime’s efforts to block internet access to the people.
Mousavi
was in charge of units tasked with suppressing protests both in 2019 and the
protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the morality
police’s custody in 2022. “Troops under Mousavi’s command used machine guns to
fire indiscriminately into crowds of protestors,” the Treasury said.
Mass
protests have swept Iran for the past six months after Amini’s death. Iranians
have gathered across the country to take part in demonstrations that called for
the downfall of the regime. The regime responded with a violent crackdown on
protesters, with dozens killed in clashes with the security forces and
thousands arrested.
The
sanctions also targeted two senior officials in Iran’s prison system
responsible for serious human rights violations against women and girls. The
Treasury said that protestors who have been sent to prisons under Ali
Chaharmahali’s oversight have been tortured and pressured into forced
confessions. He also “served as warden of the infamous Evin prison, under whose
oversight prison officials, including members of the IRGC, tortured political
opponents of the regime, including through the use of electrocutions, burnings,
and severe beatings,” the Treasury said, adding that female inmates at Evin
Prison were regularly threatened with rape as a form of coercion.
The
other prison official, Dariush Bakhshi, was in charge of Orumiyeh central
prison, in which women have been subjected to sexual violence and other forms
of mistreatment at the hands of prison officials and IRGC interrogators.
“Prisons officials under Bakshi’s oversight have used their positions of power
to coerce women inmates into having sexual relations in exchange for better
treatment, such as short furloughs from prison. Bakhshi has personally overseen
the physical abuse of prisoners held for political or religious reasons. Prison
officials in his jurisdiction have attacked such prisoners with batons, tear
gas, and electroshock weapons,” the Treasury reports.
Media
reported in December widespread abuse in prisons and sexual assault of Iranians
arrested during the ongoing protests. A charge Iran’s prison service denied the
allegations as false.
The
new US sanctions also targeted three Iranian companies and their leadership for
supporting and supplying goods and equipment and services to Iran’s security
services, the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), which regularly used lethal force
to suppress Iranian protests.
Under
Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E.
Nelson said: “The US, along with our partners and allies, stand with the women
of Iran, who advocate for fundamental freedoms in the face of a brutal regime
that treats women as second-class citizens and attempts to suppress their
voices by any means.”
“We
will continue to take action against the regime, which perpetuates abuse and
violence against its own citizens—especially women and girls.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israeli
protests impact Pentagon chief meeting locations, arrival in Tel Aviv
08
March ,2023
US
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s meetings with Israeli leaders have changed
locations within Israel and his arrival slightly delayed because of a spate of
recent protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul
the country’s court system, a US official said on Wednesday.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
EBRD
to invest 1.5 bln euros in Turkey’s earthquake-hit regions
09
March ,2023
The
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Thursday that
it will invest up to 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in the next two years to
support reconstruction and recovery in the Turkish regions hit by earthquakes
last month.
The
investment will include 600 million euros of credit lines to local banks for
businesses and individuals affected by the earthquakes, as well as lending to
companies working in reconstruction.
The
EBRD will also provide funding and advisory to small- and medium-sized
enterprises regarding repairing damage and building resilience.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
agency urges probe of schoolgirl poisonings in Iran
08
March ,2023
The
UN cultural agency on Wednesday expressed concern about the suspected poisoning
of thousands of schoolgirls across Iran and called for investigations.
Thousands
of students across hundreds of mostly girls’ schools have reported being
sickened by toxic fumes in incidents going back to November. There have been no
fatalities.
It
remains unclear what chemical might have been used, if any. No one has claimed
the attacks and authorities have not identified any suspects. Unlike
neighboring Afghanistan, Iran has no history of religious extremists targeting
girls’ education.
UNESCO
“urges thorough investigations and immediate actions to protect schools and
facilitate the return of affected students,” the agency tweeted.
“I
am deeply concerned about the reported poisoning of schoolgirls in Iran over
the past three months. This is a violation of their right to safe education,”
UNESCO head Audrey Azoulay said.
Iranian
officials say they are investigating the incidents, and Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei has called for anyone found responsible to be severely punished.
But
authorities have also further tightened restrictions on independent media,
arresting journalists, activists and others for speaking about the alleged
poisonings. That has made it difficult to determine the scope and nature of the
crisis.
Iran
was already heavily restricting media amid waves of anti-government protests in
recent months that were sparked by the September death of a young woman who was
detained by the morality police. Iran’s clerical rulers force women to dress
conservatively and cover their hair in public but have never objected to
women’s and girls’ education.
Some
Iranian officials have suggested, without evidence, that the protests and the
allegations of poisoning are part of a foreign conspiracy to foment unrest.
Videos circulated online appeared to show teachers protesting over the
suspected poisonings in several cities on Tuesday.
Iran’s
Interior Ministry meanwhile announced arrests in six provinces linked to the
suspected poisonings. But its statement focused on an individual accused of
making a video that was sent to “hostile media” and said three others were
active in recent protests.
Iran
has described some of the alleged poisonings as episodes of “hysteria.”
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
11
women, 3 children among 16 Yemenis drowned in 2 Red Sea boat accidents
SAEED
AL-BATATI
March
08, 2023
AL-MUKALLA:
At least 16 Yemenis, including 11 women and three children, died and 12 were
rescued after two boats overturned in separate incidents off Yemen’s western
shores, officials and residents reported on Wednesday.
Two
Yemeni fishermen died and two others survived when their boat sank in high
winds off Khokha on Wednesday morning, a local fisherman told Arab News.
The
incident came after a boat — believed to be overloaded — carrying at least 25
people sank on Monday afternoon near Kamaran Island, resulting in at least 14
deaths.
The
boat involved in the Monday tragedy had been ferrying passengers from the
coastal village of Khuba, in the western province of Hodeidah, to a wedding on
Kamaran when a strong gust of wind reportedly capsized it.
A
Khuba resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told Arab News: “The only
survivors were men who could swim, while all the women and three children
died.”
They
said locals had received news that the boat had gone missing five hours after
it had left and immediately raised the alarm.
“The
journey from Khuba to Kamaran generally takes an hour-and-a-half, and no such
tragedy has occurred since the 1980s,” the resident added.
Local
coastguards and fishermen located the missing boat and started recovering
bodies from the sea early on Tuesday morning.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2264956/middle-east
--------
Three
Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in West Bank
March
09, 2023
JERUSALEM:
Israeli forces killed three Palestinians near a village close to the volatile
West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said,
without giving details.
According
to residents quoted by Palestinian radio, Israeli forces also raided the
village of Jaba, south of Jenin, surrounding a house where there was an
exchange of fire and one person was arrested before the Israeli force withdrew.
There
was no immediate comment from the Israeli military but Security Minister Itamar
Ben-Givr issued a statement confirming the three dead and hailing the “precise
action and the elimination of those who opened fire on our fighters.”
Hamas
radio said the Israeli forces targeted a group it called the Jaba Brigade and
killed its leader.
The
operation came days after Israeli forces raided a refugee camp in Jenin and
killed six Palestinian militant fighters, including the Hamas gunman suspected
of killing two Jewish settlers in the West Bank on Feb. 26.
The
Palestinian health ministry said a 14-year-old boy, wounded during the
gunbattle that broke out in Jenin during the Israeli raid, had died of his
wounds.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2265256/middle-east
--------
Yemen
will launch ‘decisive battle’ if talks with Saudis fail, warns Ansarullah
official
09
March 2023
A
senior member of Yemen’s Ansarullah says the resistance movement will launch a
“decisive battle” to end the devastating Saudi war if the negotiations with
Riyadh fail to reach a breakthrough.
“The
talks may fail … and we will have to wage a decisive battle to end the
aggression and lift the blockade,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of
Ansarullah’s political bureau, tweeted on Wednesday.
He
advised the Yemenis, who are fighting in the enemy’s ranks, to join resistance
fighters in its push to swiftly finalize the decisive battle.
A UN-mediated
ceasefire between Ansarullah and the self-proclaimed Yemeni regime, which is
supported by Saudi Arabia, broke down last October six months after it went
into effect.
Since
then, Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has stepped up efforts
to broker a new truce agreement.
Saudi
Arabia, in collaboration with its Arab allies and with arms and logistics
support from the US and other Western states, launched the devastating war on
Yemen in March 2015.
The
objective was to crush the popular Ansarullah, which has been running state
affairs in the absence of a functional government in Yemen, and reinstall the
Riyadh-friendly regime of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.
While
the Saudi-led coalition has failed to achieve any of its objectives, the war
has killed hundreds of thousands of Yemenis and spawned the world’s worst
humanitarian crisis.
Also
in his tweet, Bukhaiti said that the US presence in Yemen is an extension of
the Saudi-led offensive, adding that the reality of the aggression has become
clear to everyone
He
had earlier said that the United States and Britain do not want peace in Yemen,
noting that the pair try to hamper progress in the negotiations and put a
military option on the table in case of the failure of the dialogue.
The
US has recently increased encroachment in Yemen’s eastern provinces of
al-Mahrah and Hadhramaut.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Southeast Asia
Religious
speakers without state Islamic council's accreditation may face legal action,
says Johor rep
By
Ben Tan
08
Mar 2023
JOHOR
BARU, March 8 — The Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ) will take legal
action against any individual who is found to be teaching or lecturing Islam
without accreditation in the state.
State
Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said action
will also be taken against the event or programme organiser who is considered
to be complicit.
"Johor
Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has decreed that speakers who teach and give
lectures on Islam in this state must be accredited," said Mohd Fared in a
statement here.
"Any
Islamic teaching and lecture programme organiser using speakers who are not
certified by MAINJ is committing an offence to conspire under Section 43 of the
Shariah Criminal Offenses Enactment 1997.
"If
found guilty, they can be fined up to RM5,000 or imprisoned for a maximum of
three years or both," he added.
Mohd
Fared said those who are found to be teaching and giving lectures on Islam
without accreditation are committing a Shariah offence under Section 119(1) of
the Islamic Religious Administration Enactment (State of Johor) 2003 and
Section 11 of the Shariah Criminal Offenses Enactment 1997.
He
explained that those who are prosecuted for the offence can be fined up to
RM5,000, or face a maximum of three years in prison, or both, if convicted.
Mohd
Fared said that the credentials required from the MAINJ cover the area of
mosques and suraus, as well as any place in Johor.
The
move, he said, was in line with Section 118(3) of the Islamic Religious
Administration Enactment (State of Johor) 2003 as among the methods for
controlling doctrines and beliefs that deviate from Shariah law in this state.
"It
is also to ensure that those who teach and give lectures on Islam or matters
about the Islamic religion must have a MAINJ certificate,” he said.
Mohd
Fared said MAINJ is an Islamic religious authority that takes care of the
affairs of the Muslim community in the state to comply with Shariah law based
on the Sunni denomination's al-Asya'irah and al-Maturidiyyah teachings which
follow the Shafie school of jurisprudence.
He
added that this decree however does not mean it is rejecting other schools of
jurisprudence or Sufi teachings.
"The
Muslim community needs to obey the laws that have been enacted to ensure that
the true and correct teachings of Islam are upheld and implemented in this
state,” he said.
On
March 2, Terengganu’s Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council announced a
ban on talks and sermons by political leaders in mosques and prayer halls.
Johor
Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Ibrahim had in January ordered that political
discussions are banned in mosques and prayer halls in the state.
Source:
Malay Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kedah
KPDN targets 200 premises to offer Menu Rahmah before Ramadan
09-03-
2023
ALOR
SETAR: The Kedah branch of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living
(KPDN) is targeting 200 eateries in Kedah to offer Menu Rahmah before the start
of the Ramadan month on March 23.
Its
director, Affendi Rajini Kanth said that, so far, the number of eateries
offering Menu Rahmah is nearing its initial target of 150 premises.
“We
are nearing our initial target and it is hoped that, before this Ramadan month,
we can have 200 premises offering Menu Rahmah statewide to help the needy.
“We
also plan to implement this Menu Rahmah at the Bazaar Ramadan but talks with the
traders and local authorities need to be held first to find the best mechanism
to implement the programme,” he told reporters, here, today.
Earlier,
he officiated the Pre-Ramadan Rahmah Sales Programme held at the Youth and
Sports Complex, here, and it was also attended by Suka Menanti state
assemblyman Datuk Zamri Yusuf.
Affendi
said that in today’s programme, an estimated 150 individuals had the
opportunity to obtain 16 types of items which were offered at a low price,
among them are chickens, eggs, flour, sugar and rice.
“We
hope this programme can be implemented in all state assembly areas to enable
local communities to purchase items at a cheap price, so we will cooperate and
discuss with the assemblymen in the areas,” he said.
Meanwhile,
consumer Zawiyah Shah Budin, 44, from Taman Sri Gunung near here, said she came
as early as 8.30 am to purchase goods on offer under the programme today.
“The
initiative taken is very good because it can help the less fortunate to obtain
goods at prices that are way cheaper compared to grocery stores or
supermarkets.
Source:
The Sun Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mufti:
603 Mosques under MAIK never used as political arena
08-03-
2023
KOTA
BHARU: A total of 603 mosques in Kelantan, under the state Islamic Religious
and Malay Customs Council (MAIK), have never been used as a stage for politics,
said Mufti of Kelantan, Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad.
He
said that MAIK had never allowed any party to turn the mosque into a political
arena since the religious institution was established in 1915.
“Politics
cannot be separated from Islam, but the political party must be separated from
the mosque, and individuals who want to speak or teach (in mosques) must have
credentials.
“Only
certified speakers can teach in the mosque, and this matter is controlled by
MAIK, as an institution that is looking after these matters, so that they
(mosques) are not disturbed by the situation to the point of causing anxiety,”
he said.
He
said this to reporters during a press conference, after the launch of the
Muhammadi Mosque’s 150th Anniversary Book (1867-2017), at the MAIK Library,
here today.
He
said this in response to the decree of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan
Sharafuddin Idris Shah, as the head of state and head of the Islamic religion
in Selangor, that mosques in the state must be free of both political
influences and elements, so as to prevent divisions caused by religious
differences.
Mohamad
Shukri said that in Kelantan, there had been attempts to make the mosque a
venue for politics, but the effort failed due to the state government
constantly monitoring the issue to avoid mosques being used for party
interests.
“Thus
far there have been no cases, and the mosques in the state have not been abused
with political elements.
“Therefore,
the management of the mosque needs to ensure that only speakers with religious
teaching credentials from MAIK are allowed to deliver lectures in mosques, as
stipulated in Section 91 of the MAIK Enactment,” he said.
Source:
The Sun Daily
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Hajiji
wants Sabahans to fully understand, grasp Malaysia Madani concept
By
DURIE RAINER FONG
09
Mar 2023
KOTA
KINABALU: Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor wants Sabahans to fully understand and grasp
the Malaysia Madani concept.
The
Chief Minister said the concept which was inspired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Anwar Ibrahim must be explained holistically by experts in various fields.
He
added that this must be done by relating the diversity that was synonymous with
the country, particularly in Sabah.
The
Malaysia Madani concept, he said, has now been upheld as a new paradigm shift
for the country to chart its policy direction and strategy implementation for
all sectors.
“Efforts
to embrace this concept are very important as it is the basis for all of us to
be more harmonious and prosperous.
“Therefore,
this concept is most apt for the situation and needs of Sabah, which has more
than 30 ethnic groups,” Hajiji said, when opening the “Malaysia Forum Madani:
Harmony In Diversity” event at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC)
here Thursday (March 9).
The
forum was organised by the United Sabah Islamic Association (Usia) in
collaboration with the Deputy State Secretary's Office (Special Tasks).
Toward
this end, Hajiji said the Malaysia Madani concept was in line with the Sabah
Maju Jaya (SMJ) development plan that was introduced by the state government.
The
Chief Minister was also proud that Sabah was the first state to organise
seminars and forums related to Malaysia Madani in order to explain and clarify
the vision introduced by the premier.
For
example, he said, a seminar on developing Malaysia Madani through the local
narrative was held by the state Wadah Pencerdasan Umat Malaysia (Wadah), Institut
Darul Ehsan (IDE) and the Sabah Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) last
month.
“I
believe there will be more associations, non-governmental organisations and
public as well as private institutes of higher education, and government
agencies, will organise seminars, forums and workshops that will further
explore and deepen the concept of Malaysia Madani for the benefit of members,
students, graduates and government servants,” he said.
Hajiji
added that although Usia was an Islamic organisation, its role and
responsibility in helping the government to implement a programme beneficial to
the people regardless of race and religion should be supported by all parties.
Source:
The Star
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Africa
Allah
guide, grant you wisdom as president – Sultan of Sokoto tells Tinubu
March
8, 2023
By
Seun Opejobi
The
Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III has said Allah would guide and grant the
President-elect, Bola Tinubu the wisdom and strength to pilot the affairs of
Nigeria.
Abubakar
spoke in a congratulatory message to Tinubu, and was contained in a statement
by the Deputy Secretary-General of Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs,
NSCIA, Prof. Salisu Shehu.
He
said Tinubu’s trajectory of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication in public
service speaks volume.
The
monarch described the president-elect as an experienced human and financial
resources manager.
The
statement reads: “Tinubu would also foster unity, peace and engender
sustainable development that we all crave.
“We
would like to remind him that as a Muslim in a position of authority,
leadership is trust and a lot will also be expected from and demanded of him by
the people of this great country.
“We
pray that the Almighty Allah bless him abundantly and grant him success so that
his tenure shall be a reference point in the annals of leadership in this
country.
“We
also beseech Allah to guide, guard and grant him the wisdom and strength to
discharge his duties creditably.”
The
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Tinubu winner of the
presidential election after gaining the highest number of votes.
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
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Split
Libya pushes back against UN plan for elections
March
09, 2023
TRIPOLI:
The new UN envoy to Libya had hoped to usher in long-delayed elections, but his
initiative is facing pushback from the eastern-based parliament and a lukewarm
reception by its rivals in Tripoli.
Senegalese
diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily told the UN Security Council last month he planned
to create a panel tasked with delivering presidential and legislative elections
in conflict-torn Libya later this year.
But
his blunt criticism of the North African country’s two houses of parliament for
failing to agree on a legal basis for elections has sparked a backlash that
threatens to derail Bathily’s plans.
The
pushback was “predictable,” said Khaled Al-Montasser, a professor of
international relations at the University of Tripoli, as elections would see
members of both chambers potentially lose their seats and privileges.
Despite
the rivalry between them, both view the UN initiative as “interference in their
sovereign decision-making power and an attempt to impose international will on
Libyans,” Montasser told AFP.
Libya
has seen more than a decade of stop-start conflict since the 2011 revolt that
toppled strongman Muammar Qaddafi, with a myriad rival militias, foreign powers
and multiple governments vying for influence.
The
country remains split between a supposedly interim government in the western
capital, Tripoli, and another in the east nominally backed by military chief
Khalifa Haftar.
While
most observers believe Libyans overwhelmingly support elections, bitter
wrangling over the legal basis for holding them has been a key sticking point
since the last major battle between Haftar and western Libyan forces in 2020.
Last
month, the eastern-based House of Representatives passed an amendment to the
country’s Constitutional Declaration — an interim constitution — which it said
would provide a legal basis for elections.
Bathily,
who was appointed as head of the UN’s Libya mission UNSMIL in October, said the
amendment was “controversial” among Libyans and lacked clarity of key issues
such as who may stand in presidential polls.
He
also noted it had not been endorsed by the High Council of State, the
Tripoli-based upper house of parliament.
The
House in turn accused Bathily of “double standards” and “lacking impartiality“
Libyan
analyst Abdallah Al-Rayes said the UN envoy’s initiative aimed to put pressure
on rival Libyan factions by giving them a “last chance” before “a vote takes
place without them.”
“The
international community wants to embarrass the two chambers, who are masters in
the art of wasting time and political horse-trading,” he said.
The
Tripoli-based transitional government of Qaddafi-era tycoon Abdelhamid Dbeibah
has signalled its willingness to cooperate with Bathily’s plan, asking the
United Nations to provide logistical support to that end.
The
US embassy last week called on “key Libyan leaders to approach the plan in a
constructive spirit,” saying in an online post the UN proposal would “build on
progress made between” the two chambers “on the legal basis for elections.”
Britain
also said it supported the plan.
“Libyans
deserve certainty and faith in their institutions,” its mission at the United
Nations in New York tweeted shortly after Bathily had spoken at the Security
Council.
“Conditions
for elections must be agreed by all and the results respected.”
But
Monstasser said US and British backing was “not enough,” stressing the
importance of buy-in from their arch-rival Russia, which has a presence in
southern Libya via the Kremlin-linked Wagner paramilitary group.
“Moscow
is a powerful actor in Libya and exerts influence on Haftar,” he said.
Western
Libyan efforts to prevent Haftar, a US citizen, from standing in presidential
polls have been a key factor in the stalemate over the legal basis for polls.
Source:
Arab News
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2265221/middle-east
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Jordanian
Senate’s Palestine Committee calls on inter-Palestinian unity to face Israeli
aggression
March
08, 2023
AMMAN:
The Jordanian Senate’s Palestine Committee has reiterated its call for
inter-Palestinian reconciliation and unity to face blatant Israeli aggression,
Jordan’s News Agency reported on Wednesday.
In
a statement, the committee referenced Israel’s violent operations against the
Palestinian people in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza, in conjunction with
incursions by the Israeli army and Jewish settlers into cities of Nablus, Jenin
and Hawara, which led to numerous people being injured.
Headed
by Nayef Qadi, the committee said hundreds of extremist Jewish settlers stormed
Al-Aqsa Mosque and carried out provocative activities and rituals under the
protection of Israeli police.
Decrying
Israel’s measures against the Palestinians, the committee said that such
activities undermine a just settlement to end Arab-Israeli conflict by
establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital on the June 4,
1967 borders.
At the
same time, the committee praised the “remarkable” efforts made by Jordan’s
diplomacy to achieve a solution that meets Palestinians’ aspirations and
restores their full rights of sovereignty, dignity and independent will.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2264901/middle-east
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Opposition
bloc calls for release of political prisoners in Tunisia
Adel
Al Thabiti
08.03.2023
TUNIS,
Tunisia
Tunisia’s
main opposition bloc on Wednesday called for the release of political prisoners
amid a deep crisis in the North African country.
Supporters
of the National Salvation Front (NSF) staged a protest in the capital Tunis to
demand the release of critics of the policies of President Kais Saied.
Protesters
held pictures of activists held by the authorities, including NSF member Chaima
Issa, former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh, and Issam Chebbi, Secretary-General
of the Republican Party, according to an Anadolu reporter.
Protesters
also chanted slogans condemning what they called a “coup” by the Tunisian
president.
“We
stand in solidarity with political detainees,” Abdellatif Mekki,
Secretary-General of the Labor and Achievement Party, told the protesters.
“A
regime that uses arrests for accountability and fails to deal with corruption
is nothing but an authoritarian regime, and the largest incubator of corruption
is the tyrannical regime,” Mekki added.
There
was no comment from the Tunisian authorities on the NSF rally.
Earlier
Wednesday, a protest was staged by the Women Against Tyranny group to demand
the release of Issa and other political detainees.
The
NSF says three of its leaders are held for “political reasons”, but the
Tunisian president accuses them of "conspiring against state security.”
Tunisia
has been in the throes of a deep political crisis that aggravated the country's
economic conditions since 2021 when Saied ousted the government and dissolved
parliament.
Since
then, Saied held a referendum to draft a new constitution in July 2022 and
parliamentary elections last December.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Europe
UN
special envoy for Syria to meet with cease-fire task force to discuss need for
calm on ground
Beyza
Binnur Donmez
08.03.2023
GENEVA
UN
Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said Wednesday he will meet a cease-fire
task force to discuss the need for calm after two earthquakes devastated the
region.
"We
need calm on the ground. Something that I will be stressing when I'm meeting
tomorrow with the ceasefire task force here in Geneva," Pedersen said at a
news conference.
The
earthquakes that struck the region last month have also acted as a wake-up call
to the world that the Syrian tragedy is "far from over," he said,
noting that after 12 years of war and conflict, Syrians have been struck by a
terrible natural disaster.
He
said the attention on Syria renewed regionally and internationally following
the earthquakes.
"We
need to take this attention and see if it can help us unlock progress on the
way forward, " he said.
"Without
the political solution, Syrian suffering will endure," he said. "All
the challenges that existed pre-earthquake still remain and I think this is
extremely important."
The
envoy said no existing group or actors "can resolve this conflict
alone" before adding: "There needs to be a genuine Syrian-led and own
political process facilitated by the United Nations. There needs to be a
coordinated international effort in support of this with all key players
working in a coherent effort."
Beyond
the need for a new Constitution for Syria, other issues also need to be
addressed, he said, such as issues of governance, sovereignty, territorial
integrity, nationwide cease-fire, building a safe, calm and neutral
environment, files of the detained, disappeared and missing, safe, dignified
and long term return of refugees and post-conflict reconstruction and
rehabilitation.
The
earthquakes have only created new needs, he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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2
men paid for Paludan's police applications for burning copy of Quran, Swedish
daily says
Alexandra
Enberg
08.03.2023
Two
unidentified middle-aged men were the accomplice of Rasmus Paludan, who caused
great anger and condemnation after his hostile act of burning a copy of the
Quran last month, according to a report by local media.
The
men had paid for a quarter of the 47 permit applications Paludan had filed to
the police authorities, but now they are trying to erase the traces of their
connection with him, Aftonbladet reported on Wednesday.
Paludan
has said he received the offer for payment from at least one new member of his
far-right Stram Kurs party's Swedish branch, according to the daily. The party
operates both in Denmark, where Paludan is originally from and in Sweden.
He,
however, did not reveal the identities of the men, failing to respond to
Aftonbladet's questions in an effort to keep their identities unknown. Paludan
also claimed that he hardly knew any Stram Kurs members in Sweden.
Eleven
of the applications have been paid by the two men and they are both believed to
be living in Orebro city, according to the report.
The
first man, in his 60s, had no criminal record and was described by former
colleagues as a loyal worker and the second one, in his 40s, was previously
convicted of financial crimes.
The
second man paid for 8 of Paludan's applications. He made the first such payment
in May 2022 for a Quran-burning act in his hometown of Orebro.
According
to the daily, the older man said he had been duped in an advanced fraud where
he paid several fees to the Police Authority as part of the payment for a
purchase of nine precious collector cars from the web auction site. But a list
of all collector car sales found by Aftonbladet did not match the description
the man gave.
When
confronted with inconsistencies in his story, the man changed the story.
The
daily also found out that the man had contact with Ingrid Carlqvist, who for
several years had been a central figure in the Swedish extreme right, who is
known for Islamophobic views, has openly considered collaboration with the Nazi
organization Nordic Resistance Movement, and has also expressed support for
Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine on Twitter.
Rasmus
Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Stram Kurs, while
surrounded and protected by the police, set the Quran on fire in Sweden's
capital Stockholm in front of the Turkish Embassy in January.
Following
a long rant in which he verbally attacked Islam and immigration in Sweden, he
shouted: "If you don't think there should be freedom of expression, you
have to live somewhere else."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Belgium
raises over $1.9M in single day for quake victims in Türkiye, Syria
Agnes
Szucs
08.03.2023
BRUSSELS
Over
€1.8 million ($1.9 million) was raised in a single day in Belgium to help the
victims of last month’s earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in response to a call
by the country’s biggest charities.
In
a statement Tuesday, the 12-12 Consortium, assembling Belgium’s seven most
important charity organizations, said that “€1.8 million has been raised in
favor of the victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria at the big day of
solidarity on March 6.”
Marking
one month since the disaster, all Belgian media outlets dedicated programs or
content on the disastrous effects of the earthquakes and called on people to
make donations.
“The
day of solidarity ended with an impressive result,” said Gilles Van Moortel,
the consortium’s coordinator, explaining that they received three times more
donations than in an average day due to the media coverage.
The
amount collected Monday represents 15% of the funds, bringing the total to
€11.6 million.
Caritas
International, Red Cross Belgium, Handicap International (Humanity &
Inclusion), Medecins du Monde, Oxfam Belgium, Plan International Belgium and
UNICEF Belgium are members of the consortium.
The
charities raised over €8.27 million in the first two weeks after the
earthquakes, according to their data.
More
than 46,100 people were killed in Türkiye by magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes that
struck on Feb. 6, according to officials.
The
strong tremors, which were centered in Kahramanmaras province, also hit 10
other provinces: Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis,
Osmaniye, Sanliurfa and Elazig.
Some
13.5 million people have been affected in Türkiye by the massive quakes, which
struck in less than 10 hours.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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