PM Modi Flaunts "Awards Conferred On Me By Islamic Nations" Like The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain
New Age Islam News Bureau
03 December 2022
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
----
• Destroyed Quran Left Near Entrance To Mosque In
Stockholm In An Islamophobic Attack
• US Designates Pakistan, China, Myanmar And Nine
Others As Countries Of Particular Concerns For Religious Freedom Violation
• Afghans Marrying Off Young Daughters To Avoid Forced
Marriages With Taliban
• Hollywood Stars Help Kick Off Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea
Film Festival Making Dazzling Appearances On The Red Carpet
India
• Hindus Should Adopt Muslim Formula, Marry Girls At
18-20 Years: AIDUF Chief Badruddin Ajmal
• VHP Releases Over 400 Alleged 'Love Jihad' Cases; To
Launch Awareness Against Religious Conversion
• Probe Against 6 Teachers In Madhya Pradesh Facing
Charges Of Promoting Religious Fundamentalism
• In Nitish Kumar’s Blatant Minority Appeasement,
Local Muslims Permitted To Offer Prayers At Buddhist Shrine
--------
Europe
• Husband Of Daesh Bride Shamima Begum Disputes
‘Grooming’ Claims
• Sweden extradites PKK/KCK terror group member to
Türkiye
• Switzerland pledges over $42M to UN's Palestinian
refugee agency
• Türkiye rescues 82 irregular migrants after illegal
Greek pushbacks
• Indonesian farm workers left stranded in debt in UK,
embassy warns
--------
North America
• US and SDF stop all joint operations against Islamic
State amid Turkish bombing
• Confusion and outrage after 'anti-Muslim truck'
circles mosques in New Jersey
• Canada imposes additional sanctions on Iranians,
including former Tehran police chief
• US adds Wagner to religious freedom blacklist,
downgrades Cuba, Nicaragua
• US pursuing a regime-change policy in Iran: Analyst
--------
South Asia
• Head of Afghan Journalists Safety Committee returns
to Kabul
• Mujahid: War Has Ended But Islamic Emirate Still Not
Recognized
• Pakistani embassy in Kabul attacked, one injured
• India will resume work in at least 20 stalled
projects in Afghanistan: Taliban
• 25 years later, Bangladesh finally gets closer to
peace in border region
• Attack on Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s office leaves 2 dead
• Afghan economic stability ‘critically dependent’ on
humanitarian aid: Report
--------
Arab World
• Syria’s Army Takes Credit For Killing ISIS Leader In
October: State Media
• Space may be ‘home’ sooner than we think, Riyadh
forum told
• British filmmaker Guy Ritchie envisions bright
future for Saudi film industry
• Hezbollah won’t accept new Lebanese president
subservient to US, Israeli regime
• Saudi Arabia extends $3 billion deposit term to
cash-strapped Pakistan
--------
Southeast Asia
• Kuala Lumpur Forum to Discuss Quranic Solutions for
Contemporary Challenges
• Why Indonesia's Announcement To Penalise Premarital
Sex Is Not Unprecedented
• Terengganu Shariah amendments have harmful impact,
say groups
• Judge blocks Indiana abortion ban on religious
grounds
• Former e-hailing driver nabbed with drugs worth
RM6.14mil
--------
Pakistan
• Errors Made in Some Quran Translations, Pakistan’s
Jamiat Ulama e Islam Says
• Pakistan pins hope on Afghan govt for action against
TTP
• Parliament never allowed military to hold talks with
TTP: senators
• Afghanistan reassures not to allow anyone to use
soil against Pakistan: FO
• Imran Khan directs party leaders to ensure no
criticism of Pakistan Army: Report
• Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif approves early retirement
of Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, who was shortlisted for the post of army
chief: Report
• NA members quibble over Fazl’s ‘derogatory’ remarks,
again
• NA deputy speaker bans AIOU’s 11th class book
‘Imraniyat’
• Pakistan set to launch first ever animal rights
curriculum
• Pakistan, US reshaping partnerships in diverse
fields: Envoy
• Pakistan’s diplomatic officials come under attack in
Kabul
--------
Mideast
• Top Iranian Sunni Cleric, Molavi Abdolhamid, Says
Protesters Should Not Face Death Sentences
• Iran: Human rights a plaything for some criminal
regimes
• Terrorists opened fire on civilians to implicate
government in killings: Iran MP
• UN nuclear chief says Iran ties need to get back on
track
• Israeli officer kills assailant in West Bank;
Palestinians denounce as execution work
• Israeli peace activists show presence in West Bank
hot spot
• Israeli police shoot dead Palestinian in West Bank
--------
Africa
• Northern Christian, Muslim Leaders Adopt Atiku As
Consensus Candidate For 2023 Presidential Election
• Kenyan president suspends 4 election commissioners
who disputed his win
• 11 worshippers injured in mosque attack in south
Nigeria
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/modi-islamic-nations-uae-saudi-arabia-bahrain/d/128557
--------
PM Modi Flaunts "Awards Conferred On Me By Islamic
Nations" Like The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
----
December 02, 2022
Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said
India developed strong relations with Islamic nations like Saudi Arabia after
he assumed office in 2014.
Addressing an election rally after leading a road show
here on the penultimate day of campaigning for the second phase voting on
December 5, he also slammed the Congress and claimed the opposition party and
its governments splurged taxpayers' money on "family, relatives, and for
their personal use".
"After 2014, India has developed strong relations
with Islamic nations. It is a matter of pride for me as well as for every
Gujarati that nations like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and
Bahrain have conferred their top awards to me. Yoga is now part of the official
syllabus in Saudi Arabia," said PM Modi.
Hindu temples are also coming up in Bahrain and Abu
Dhabi, the prime minister told the gathering.
Unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which puts
nation first, the Congress has always given priority to just one family, said
the PM.
According to the PM, the Indian economy ranked 6th in
the world when the country got Independence in 1947 and went down to the 10th
position by 2014, when the Congress was last in power at the Centre.
"After I assumed office and the BJP came to power
in 2014, the economy rose from the 10th spot to the 5th position (in 2022) in
eight years. The Congress could not do it because of dynastic politics, scams
and appeasement politics," he said.
The second phase of voting covering the remaining 93
Gujarat Assembly seats will take place on December 5. Polling for 89 seats in
the first phase took place on December 1. The votes polled in all the 182 seats
will be counted on December 8.
Source: ND TV
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Destroyed Quran Left Near Entrance To Mosque In
Stockholm In An Islamophobic Attack
Photo: aa.com
----
Atila Altuntaş
03.12.2022
STOCKHOLM
A destroyed Quran was left Friday near the entrance to
a mosque in Stockholm in an Islamophobic attack.
Images shared by the Stockholm Mosque show the damaged
holy book of the Muslims chained up and hanging from an iron railing outside
the mosque.
The mosque said in a statement that it and its
congregation frequently receive threats.
The mosque has been subjected to Islamophobic attacks
before such as anti-Islamic graffiti and writings painted on its door.
It said that it shared the photographs and information
about the incident to draw the attention of the public and to prevent hate
crimes from being normalized.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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original story:
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US Designates Pakistan, China, Myanmar And Nine Others As Countries Of
Particular Concerns For Religious Freedom Violation
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,
-----
3 December, 2022
Washington, Dec 2 (PTI) The United States on Friday
designated 12 countries, including China, Pakistan and Myanmar, as “countries
of particular concern” for the current status of religious freedom in these
nations.
Ahead of the announcement of such an annual
designation by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, there were massive lobbying
efforts by groups like Indian American Muslim Council and pressures from
organisations like US Commission for International Religious Freedom to
designate India as a country of concerns.
“Today, I am announcing designations against Burma
(Myanmar), the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, the
DPRK, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries
of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 for
having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious
freedom,” Blinken said in a statement on Friday.
Simultaneously, Blinken also placed Algeria, the
Central African Republic, Comoros and Vietnam on the Special Watch List for
engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.
The US also designated al-Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat
Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jama’at
Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, the Taliban, and the Wagner Group based on its
actions in the Central African Republic as “Entities of Particular Concern”.
“Our announcement of these designations is in keeping
with our values and interests to protect national security and to advance human
rights around the globe. Countries that effectively safeguard this and other
human rights are more peaceful, stable, prosperous and more reliable partners
of the United States than those that do not,” Blinken said.
Blinken said the US will continue to carefully monitor
the status of freedom of religion or belief in every country around the world
and advocate for those facing religious persecution or discrimination.
“We will also regularly engage countries about our
concerns regarding limitations on freedom of religion or belief, regardless of
whether those countries have been designated,” he said.
The United States, he said, welcomes the opportunity
to meet with all governments to address laws and practices that do not meet
international standards and commitments, and to outline concrete steps in a
pathway to removal from these lists. PTI LKJ PMS PMS
Source: The Print
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original story:
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Afghans
Marrying Off Young Daughters To Avoid Forced Marriages With Taliban
A young Afghan lady
----
Dec
2, 2022
KABUL:
Since Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, there has been a dramatic
increase in early marriages of Afghan girls -- a trend activists and human
rights campaigners attribute to parents' belief that securing a spouse for
their girls is better than seeing them forced to marry members of the Taliban,
a media report said.
Marrying
their girls off also provides some sense of security: fewer mouths to feed at a
time when Afghan girls have been banned from attending school and face
harassment as the country deals with a humanitarian crisis and economic ruin,
said the RFE/RL report.
Shukria
Sherzai, a women's rights activist in Ghor province, says the cases of forced
and underage marriages have increased exponentially since the Taliban seized
power.
She
says that many families agree to early unions in the hope of sparing them from
being forced to marry Taliban members. But even if the reasoning is based on
securing a better life, the effect has been devastating to the family structure,
RFE/RL reported.
"Forced
and underage marriages have resulted in violence and turmoil within
families," she said.International rights watchdogs have documented similar
trends. "The rates of child, early, and forced marriage in Afghanistan are
surging under Taliban rule," noted a July report by Amnesty International.
Nicolette
Waldman, a researcher for Amnesty International, says that the most common
drivers of child, early, and forced marriage since the Taliban's takeover
include the economic and humanitarian crisis and lack of educational and
professional prospects for women.
Many
are not able to find alternatives to the Taliban. "Families are forcing
women and girls to marry Taliban members, and Taliban members are forcing women
and girls to marry them," Waldman said.
Afghanistan
is rife with speculation that the Taliban is contemplating a complete ban on
women's education, work, and mobility in a return to the policies imposed
during the extremist group's infamous first stint in power from 1996 to 2001,
RFE/RL reported.
A
December 2021 decree by the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah
Akhundzada, about women's rights was silent on women's education and work. But
it outlawed forced marriages by requiring women's consent for marriage.
That
requirement is apparently not being enforced. Marziah Nurzai, a women's rights
activist in the western province of Farah, attributes the rise in forced and
underage marriages to the Taliban's decision to close girls' schools.
She
witnessed one father marrying his daughter to a drug addict in exchange for a
dowry worth some $2,500. Another one sold off his 10-year-old for more than
$4,000 in cash, RFE/RL reported.
"Think
about what will happen to such girls in the future," Nurzai said.
"Since there is no hope for reopening schools, girls are losing hope and
self-confidence."
Source:
Times Of India
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Hollywood
Stars Help Kick Off Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival Making Dazzling
Appearances On The Red Carpet
Hollywood actress Sharon Stone poses on the red
carpet at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah on December 1,
2022. (Twitter)
-----
02
December ,2022
Saudi
Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival kicked off its second edition in Jeddah on
Friday with a host of Hollywood stars and celebrities from across the world
making dazzling appearances on the red carpet.
The
festival - which will feature 131 films and short films from 61 countries in 41
languages, including both established and emerging talent - will run until
December 10.
Celebrities
who walked the red carpet on Friday to mark the official launch of the festival
included Saudi actress Mila Alzahrani, Egyptian actors Hussein Fahmy, Yousra
and Nelly Karim, Hollywood actors Michelle Rodriguez and Lucy Hale, Lebanese
actors Nicolas Mouawad and Nadine Nassib Njeim, Australian director Andrew
Dominik, South Korean actor Park Hae Soo and Indian actors Shah Rukh Khan and
Bollywood sensation Priyanka Chopra.
Held
in partnership with VOX Cinemas and MBC Group, the festival, opened with
‘What’s Love Got to Do with It?,’ a romantic comedy directed by Shekhar Kapur
whose movies Elizabeth (1998) and Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) earned him
wide acclaim.
Several
new Saudi films will be shown alongside the best of new international cinema,
featuring 25 new films from Saudi filmmakers, the festival said in a statement.
In
addition to showing movies, the festival includes conversations that will allow
attendees to hear filmmakers and actors talk about their career.
Those
in the line-up include Hollywood actors Sharon Stone and Andy Garcia, Lebanese
director and actress Nadine Labaki and Indian actor Ranbir Kapoor.
Commenting
on the festival, CEO Mohammed al-Turki said the event does not only serve as a
clear indictor of change, but it also plays a significant role “in transforming
and reshaping the future for our next generation of creatives.”
“We
have a unique opportunity to make new films accessible to wider audiences,
showcase the work of exciting new voices and make a meaningful contribution to
the Saudi culture and wider region,” al-Turki said.
“We
are excited to welcome film lovers, storytellers, talent and industry
professionals from around the world to Jeddah for our second edition, which I
hope will exceed expectations,” he added.
Also
attending Friday’s red carpet event was legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone, who
leads the judging panel during this year’s festival.
Stone
attended along with the other members of the jury which includes Georgian
director Levan Koguashvili and Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania.
The
festival also includes the Red Sea Souk which will host events to foster
co-production, international distribution, and encourage new business
opportunities.
Representatives
from 46 countries will attend the Souk which runs from December 3 until
December 6.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
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India
Hindus
Should Adopt Muslim Formula, Marry Girls At 18-20 Years: AIDUF Chief Badruddin
Ajmal
Dec
02, 2022
All
India United Democratic Front (AIDUF) chief Badruddin Ajmal on Friday said that
Hindus should adopt the Muslim formula and get their children married at a
young age.
"Muslim
men marry at the age of 20-22, and Muslim women also marry at 18 after the
permissible age by the government. On the other hand, (Hindus) keep one two or
three illegal wives before marriage, they don't give birth to babies, enjoy
themselves and save money...," the AIDUF chief said.
When
asked about claims that the Muslim population was increasing the AIDUF chief
said, "After the age of 40 they get married under parental pressure... So,
how can one expect that they will bear children after 40? If you sow in fertile
land then only you can bear good crops. There will then be growth."
Ajmal
said, "They (Hindus) should also follow adopt the formula of Muslims and
get their children married at a young age, get them married at the age of
20-22, get the girls married at 18-20 years and then see how many children are
born... "
AIUDF
chief Ajmal also responded to recent Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's
comments on "Love Jihad" with reference to the Shraddha Walker murder
case that had gripped the national capital recently.
"Chief
Minister is one of the top leaders of the country today. So, who is stopping
him, you also carry out four to five 'Love Jihad' and take away our Muslim
girls. We will welcome it and won't even fight. It will also be seen how much
power you have," Ajmal said.
Assam
CM had recently said that there was an element of 'love jihad' in the Shraddha
Walkar case. Sarma had last month said that India needs a Uniform Civil Code
and a law against 'love jihad'. During the roadshow in Delhi ahead of the
Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, the Assam Chief Minister said
"India does not need a person like Aaftab (Shraddha murder case accused)
but a person like Lord Ram, a leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Meanwhile,
the AIUDF chief Ajmal today said also urged the Waqf board to allow Hindu girls
to study in colleges being opened solely for Muslim girls.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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VHP
releases over 400 alleged 'Love Jihad' cases; to launch awareness against
religious conversion
By
Rajesh Kumar Thakur
NEW
DELHI: In the past few years, more than 420 alleged cases of 'Love Jihad' were
reported by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), alleged Dr Surendra Jain-joint
national secretary of VHP.
He
said that the VHP will launch a nationwide public awareness "Dharma Raksha
Abhiyan" from December 21 to 31 against religious conversion and the growing
activities of Love Jihad.
Speaking
to the media persons on Thursday here, Dr Jain said that Bajrang Dal has also
started taking out "Shaurya Yatras" across the country in every block
from December 1 to 19.
Releasing
a list of 420 incidents of alleged 'love Jihad', he said that love Jihad is the
most heinous and inhuman forms of Jihad".
To
prevent such activity through 'Durga Vahini', a deterrent force will be created
by spreading awareness among the girls in the country", he said. After
releasing the list of more than 400 incidents of Love- Jihad, Dr Jain said that
there is a strong need for a strong central law to prevent love jihad and
illegal conversions, which create social discontent and threats to national
security.
Quoting
the Kerala High Court's remark, given in 2010, he described love-jihad as the
most gruesome form of religious conversion. "This cannot be avoided by
calling it cruelty by some Jihadi youths with perverted mentality. Behind this
is the inspiration of Mullah-Maulvi and fundamentalist Muslim leaders and the
protection of the Tukde Tukde gang", he alleged.
"In
the case of Kerala's Hadiya, it became clear that terrorist organizations like
PFI make eminent lawyers stand on the side of Jihadis by paying fees of crores
of rupees. For this, they get a huge amount of money from abroad", he
said. He quoted the Churches of Kerala and Karnataka describing 10,000
Christian girls as victims of love jihad and 2000 girls missing from Hyderabad.
"For
this, the High Court is seeking an explanation from the state government.
Peace-loving states like Himachal and Ladakh are also moving towards anger
after being troubled by love jihad. In Kerala, the Church has also alleged that
their girls are being trapped and sent to Syria and Afghanistan", he said.
He
said that the recent 'Sir Tan Se Juda' gang has also become very active.
"Against which the helpline numbers issued by Bajrang Dal have received
more than 13000 calls. Out of these, 6285 were only for information, about 5605
were resolved and 9783 calls were meant to join Bajrang Dal", he said.
He
also warned Mullah Maulvi and radical Muslim leaders to keep both "their
tongues and their youths" in control. "Muslim society in India has
more rights than Hindus for development, but trying to provoke every issue will
push Muslim society on the suicidal path of destruction, not development",
he said. According to the list of alleged Love-Jihad incidents, UP has reported
more incidents than other states.
Source:
New Indian Express
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Probe
against 6 teachers in Madhya Pradesh facing charges of promoting religious
fundamentalism
Dec
03, 2022
By
Shruti Tomar
Six
teachers of a government-run college in Indore, including four Muslims, have
been taken off duty for five days following complaints by the Akhil Bharatiya
Vidya Parishad (ABVP) that they were teaching “anti-Hindu” content and
spreading hatred, the college principal said on Friday.
Speaking
to reporters, the principal of the Government New Law College, Inamur Rehman,
said the six teachers were also accused of promoting “religious
fundamentalism”.
After
a delegation of the ABVP handed over the complaint to Rehman on Thursday, he
ordered an independent inquiry into the matter on Friday.
“They
(the six teachers) have been sent on leave of five days so that independent
inquiry could be taken place in the matter,” states the order.
ABVP’s
Malwa region chief, Ghanshyam Singh, said the six teachers were speaking
negatively about the Indian Army and the government.
“Many
female students also informed that the professors forced them to go to a pub
with them. We have given a book written by some Muslim author titled ‘Samuhik
Hinsa and Dandika Nyaya Paddhati’ in which, at many places, it was written that
Hindu sectrianism is coming into light in a subversive manner and that VHP
[Vishwa Hindu Parishad] and other organisations wanted to make others their slave.”
“The
book has so many things that have nothing to do with the law and its knowledge.
The professors are discussing against army and government too. We earlier
informed the principal in a verbal complaint, but he didn’t pay any attention.
So, we handed over a memorandum on Thursday,” said Singh.
A
student at the college said on condition of anonymity, “Many wrong things are
going on in the college. A professor also forced us to attend Bharat Jodo
Yatra. They are inclined towards an ideology and creating trouble for others by
mocking in the classroom.”
Any
reactions/comments from accused teachers?
Rehman
said the inquiry report will be sent to the state government for action because
he is not authorised to take any tough action against them.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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In
Nitish Kumar’s Blatant Minority Appeasement, Local Muslims Permitted To Offer
Prayers At Buddhist Shrine
December
02, 2022
New
Delhi: A cavern in Kaimur Hills, nearly 3 km south of Sasaram in Bihar’s Rohtas
district, where Lord Buddha is believed to have spent a night after attaining
enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, has turned into a symbol of the Nitish Kumar-led
government’s blatant appeasement of minorities.
Barely
a few days earlier, on 29 November, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI),
tweeted that it had wrested control of a 2300-year-old Buddhist shrine in
Sasaram from Muslim encroachers, who used it to offer prayers.
But
in reality, Muslims have been allowed to worship at the shrine that they had
initially captured in 2005.
Legend
has it that Emperor Ashoka inscribed an edict in Brahmi script in one of the
walls of this very cavern. Since then, it is known as one of Ashoka’s 13 minor
rock edicts. The cavern was discovered during the British rule and was acquired
and declared a ‘protected monument’ by the ASI on 1 December, 1917.
But
the central archaeological agency did not maintain the cavern nor did it take
any measures to protect it. In its neglected state, in 2005, local Muslims of
the area ‘captured’ the cavern and installed a gate at its entrance. They then
declared that the cavern was the mausoleum of an obscure Sufi saint and began
offering prayers there. They also managed to damage some of the rock edicts of
Emperor Ashoka and later covered them with a green cloth inscribed with Islamic
prayers.
With
the passage of time, a large Dargah was built next to the cavern and a part of
the Dargah even encroached on the roof of the cavern. Nearly three years later,
in 2008, on being informed about the encroachment, the ASI swung into action
and sent a letter to the Rohtas district authorities asking it to remove the
encroachments.
The
ASI also put up a signboard declaring it to be a protected monument. The
signboard detailed the historicity of the cavern and stated that it contained
Ashokan rock edicts and was a Buddhist shrine.
Ignoring
the cavern’s Buddhist history, the local Muslims promptly removed the signboard
and allegedly put out a false story that a Sufi saint had spent months in the
cavern and was buried there.
In
a fix, the district administration asked the Bihar government for directives.
According to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, CM Nitish Kumar who also had
the home portfolio asked the Rohtas district authorities to ignore the ASI’s
request to look into the matter.
During
the decade spanning 2008 to 2018, the ASI wrote as many as 20 letters to the
Rohtas district administration asking the latter to remove the encroachments
from around the cavern. But the district authorities, acting on the directives
of the Bihar CM feigned ignorance of the matter.
In
September this year, the Bihar unit of the BJP launched an agitation in protest
against the encroachment. Apprehending that the issue may blow out of proportion,
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reportedly told the Rohtas district authorities to
ask the Muslims to surrender their claim over the cavern. The Sasaram Sub
Divisional Magistrate (SDM) then asked the ‘Markazi Muharram Committee’
(custodians of the Dargah) to hand over the keys of the gate to the cavern to
the ASI.
The
Committee refused and reiterated that the cavern was not a Buddhist shrine but
a Mazar of a Sufi saint.
Bihar
BJP leader and leader of opposition Samrat Chaudhury, threatened to intensify
the agitation against the encroachment of the Buddhist shrine. Other activists
threatened to take the matter to court.
Kumar
then stepped in and directed the district administration to hold negotiations
with the Muslims and find a way out of the dispute. With help from the local
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders, the Muslims ultimately agreed to hand over
one key of the gate to the cavern to the ASI.
The
ASI promptly posted photos of the Muslims handing over the key to its
representative. But the issue continues to remain unsolved because the Muslims
retained a duplicate key of the gate and continue to offer prayers at the
cavern.
The
Bihar government’s attitude regarding the controversial cavern can be
attributed to the fact Muslims comprise over 25.5 per cent of the population of
Sasaram, and wield disproportionate influence because they are a powerful vote
bank there.
Source:
Firstpost
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Europe
Husband
of Daesh bride Shamima Begum disputes ‘grooming’ claims
December
02, 2022
LONDON:
The husband of Daesh bride Shamima Begum has insisted his marriage to the
British schoolgirl was a happy one, the Daily Mail reported.
Yago
Riedijk, who was 23 when he married Begum, then 15, said the couple enjoyed a
good marriage in Syria, despite claims from Begum she was groomed and
trafficked.
Begum
left her east London home in February 2015 and married Dutch convert and Daesh
soldier Riedijk days after arriving in Syria.
The
couple had three children, all of whom died of disease or malnutrition.
Lawyers
for Begum, who is appealing a British government decision to strip her of her
citizenship, told the special immigration court there was “overwhelming”
evidence she was groomed and trafficked by Daesh for the purpose of “sexual
exploitation and marriage to an adult male.”
Nick
Squires KC, a member of Begum’s legal team, told the Special Immigration
Appeals Commission: “In doing so, she was following a well-known pattern by
which ISIS (another term for the terror group) cynically recruited and groomed
female children as young as 14 so that they could be offered as wives to adult
men.”
However,
Riedijk, who was speaking in an interview from prison in northern Syria, said
the marriage was consensual and, initially at least, a happy one.
“Basically,
I was looking for marriage and a friend of mine came to me and said ‘there’s a
sister looking for marriage, are you interested?’ I took him up on his offer.
“We
had a talk, we agreed on the conditions of marriage,” he said.
It
was “not really something big or anything important, it was small things like
going out shopping, things like this,” he added.
“Basically
she asked for some freedoms, which I agreed to give her — going shopping,
seeing her friends, very, very basic stuff. We agreed on a dowry — all she
asked for was an English translation of the Quran, which I agreed to.”
Following
Daesh’s ousting from the last of the territory it had seized across Syria and
Iraq in March 2019, the British government said Begum was a risk and rescinded
her citizenship.
MI5,
the UK’s security service, concluded that Begum’s travel to Syria was voluntary
and she had “demonstrated determination and commitment” to joining the terror
group.
Female
recruits to Daesh were likely to have been radicalized and were probably given
military training to fight in defense of the group, it said in a statement.
“They
were exposed to routine acts of extreme violence, which would be likely to have
had the effect of desensitizing individuals, and encouraging them to view
violent terrorist activity as an acceptable and legitimate course of action.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2209901/world
--------
Sweden
extradites PKK/KCK terror group member to Türkiye
Kenan
Irtak, Emrah Gökmen
03.12.2022
Sweden
extradited a PKK/KCK terror group member to Türkiye on Friday.
Mahmut
Tat was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison in Sweden after he was
arrested on charges of being a member of the PKK/KCK terror organization.
He
applied for asylum in Sweden in 2015 because of his sentence but was denied.
Tat
was taken to a detention center in Molndal. After completing procedures he was
sent to Türkiye by plane.
Sweden
and Finland formally applied to join NATO in May, abandoning decades of
military non-alignment, a decision spurred by Russia's war against Ukraine.
But
Türkiye -- a NATO member for more than 70 years -- voiced objections to their
membership bids, accusing the two countries of tolerating and even supporting
terror groups.
Türkiye
and the two Nordic countries signed a memorandum in June at a NATO summit to
address Ankara's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for their
eventual membership in the alliance.
Under
the memorandum, Finland and Sweden extend their full support to Türkiye
countering threats to its national security. To that effect, Helsinki and
Stockholm are not to provide support to the YPG/PYD terror group or the
Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- the group behind the defeated 2016
coup in Türkiye.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a
terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU -- has been responsible for
the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.
The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/sweden-extradites-pkk-kck-terror-group-member-to-turkiye/2754466
--------
Switzerland
pledges over $42M to UN's Palestinian refugee agency
Beyza
Binnur Donmez
02.12.2022
Switzerland
on Friday pledged 40 million Swiss francs ($42.5 million) to the UN Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
In
a statement, the country’s Federal Council said that UNRWA will receive 20
million Swiss francs annually for the years 2023 and 2024.
"With
these funds, Switzerland is reaffirming its commitment to human development,
humanitarian action and regional stability," it said.
According
to the government, 96% of the Palestinian refugees who are still living in
Syria depend on humanitarian aid provided by UNRWA for their survival, while in
Lebanon, 73% of Palestinian refugees live below the poverty line.
The
government also said that the agency plays “a key role as a stabilizing factor
in the region.”
The
situation of Palestinian refugees in the region, particularly in Lebanon and
Syria, has been exacerbated by conflicts over the past decade, it said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Türkiye
rescues 82 irregular migrants after illegal Greek pushbacks
Sabri
Kesen
02.12.2022
The
Turkish Coast Guard said it rescued 82 irregular migrants Thursday after Greek
authorities pushed them into Turkish territorial waters.
Teams
were dispatched off the coast of Datca district in western Mugla province after
the agency received information that there were irregular migrants in rubber
boats. A total of 27 people were rescued, it said.
In
a separate operation, Coast Guard units rescued 12 irregular migrants off the
coast of Ayvacik in northwestern Canakkale province after they were pushed back
by Greek forces into Turkish territorial waters.
And
Coast Guard teams rescued 43 irregular migrants in two rubber boats off the
coast of the Seferihisar district of Izmir province.
All
of the migrants were transported to provincial migration offices.
Türkiye
has been a key transit point for irregular migrants wanting to cross into
Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
Human
rights groups and media outlets have frequently reported on illegal pushbacks
and other human rights breaches by Greek authorities.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indonesian
farm workers left stranded in debt in UK, embassy warns
December
02, 2022
LONDON:
More than 200 Indonesian fruit pickers have since July sought help from their
nation’s embassy in London after wracking up huge debts traveling to the UK for
work, only to find their jobs being cut short, the mission said on Friday.
The
true number of Indonesians struggling in the industry was likely to be much
higher, it added, with more than 1,450 of them sent this year by a company
called AG Recruitment to work on six-month seasonal worker visas.
An
embassy official told The Guardian newspaper that initially people “started
coming to us with problems about the targets on farms.”
But
the official added: “Currently, most people are contacting us because there’s
no more work at the farms. They try to transfer, but AG tells them there’s no
other work.”
One
worker told The Guardian he had borrowed £4,650 ($5,700) in Java to pay an
agent to take him to the UK, but that his job at Castleton Farm in Scotland
paid only about £200 per week. When he was dismissed after just two months he
still owed £1,700.
Ross
Mitchell, managing director of Castleton Fruit Ltd., said the farm had employed
106 Indonesian workers this year, 70 of whom were still on site, working an
average of just under 42 hours per week, with an average weekly gross pay of
about £450, excluding costs such as accommodation.
He
added he was “very concerned” about “payment demanded by third-party agents”
and that the company relied on “approved agents to have carried out due
diligence to ensure that the workers are not paying excessive fees.”
“We
had hoped the relevant bodies would have dealt with this issue,” he told The
Guardian.
An
investigation by the paper in August revealed Indonesian workers were regularly
taking on debts of up to £5,000 to work in the UK for a single fruit picking
season.
AG
Recruitment, which has no presence in Indonesia, used Jakarta-based Al Zubara
Manpower to source workers, which in turn used third-party brokers who charged
the high fees to prospective workers, The Guardian said.
AG
Recruitment denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of the practice, but has since been
investigated by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, a UK government
agency.
A
GLAA spokesperson told The Guardian: “Where there are allegations of labor
exploitation we will investigate and take appropriate action if our licensing
standards are not being fully adhered to … Scheme operators are fully aware of
their responsibilities to workers.”
AG
director Douglas Amesz said: “Workers should never pay fees to anyone to
receive a job in the UK; this is UK law. However, unfortunately this is not law
in all the countries we have historically recruited from so we are actively
working to educate citizens abroad that they should never pay anyone fees to
receive a job in the UK or anywhere else.”
Yulia
Guyeni, director of Al Zubara, said: “We send workers based on the request from
AG. We only charge based on the placement agreement the workers signed.
She
added: “It is not our responsibility (to check the debts of workers) as we do
not encourage them to have debt. They are old enough and should be responsible
to realize the consequences of debt.”
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2209891/world
--------
North America
US
and SDF stop all joint operations against Islamic State amid Turkish bombing
2
December 2022
The
Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed militia made up primarily of Kurds,
announced on Friday that they had stopped all joint counter-terrorism
operations with the United States against the Islamic State group as a result
of Turkish attacks on its territory.
The
move was confirmed by the US military, which said in a statement that US forces
in the region had "paused all partnered operations" against the
Islamic State group in Syria.
Turkey
already controls vast swathes of northern Syria, which it invaded with the aim
of stamping out Kurdish militants on its border. Ankara has been conducting an
artillery and air campaign in the region for weeks, and Turkish officials have
warned a ground invasion could be imminent.
On
Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told his Turkish counterpart that
Washington was in "strong opposition to a new Turkish military operation
in Syria".
White
House spokesman John Kirby reaffirmed the US position on Friday, stating:
"We also don't want to see anything that would affect our ability to
continue to put the pressure on ISIS and to affect our partnership with the
SDF," adding that previous Turkish military actions had made the SDF
"less willing to continue to contribute to counter-ISIS" operations.
The
US has backed the SDF with military assistance and conducts joint operations
with the group, which it sees as the most effective fighting force against IS.
Turkey,
however, views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which
has waged a decades-long war for independence against Turkey. The US considers
the group, known as the PKK, a terrorist organisation, but differentiates it
from the SDF.
With
the threat of a new Turkish invasion looming, the SDF has gone public, pleading
with its US ally to rein in Ankara. However, analysts and former senior US
officials tell Middle East Eye that Washington's overtures to Turkey may fall
on deaf ears.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Confusion
and outrage after 'anti-Muslim truck' circles mosques in New Jersey
By
Azad Essa
2
December 2022
A
mobile billboard truck emblazoned with anti-Muslim images that drove around the
state of New Jersey and parked outside at least three Islamic centres last
weekend was a deliberate attempt to intimidate and demonise the community,
Muslim activists and community leaders have said.
According
to the Council for American Islamic Relations, New Jersey (Cair-NJ), a mobile
billboard truck entered the parking lot of the Muslim Center of Middlesex
County in Piscataway and the New Brunswick Islamic Center last Saturday,
broadcasting video and photos from the horrific Mumbai attacks in India that
killed at least 175 people in late November 2008.
According
to footage reviewed by MEE, the truck also stopped outside the Muslim Community
of New Jersey Masjid in Fords, where it parked outside the entrance of the
mosque and flashed scenes of explosions, names and faces of suspects
responsible for the attacks and other messages of hate for 45 minutes,
activists say.
One
of the signs on the rotating billboard read: "Mumbai 26/11: We won't
forgive. We won't forget." Another read: "Men, women and children or
elderly, no one was spared by LeT terrorists who entered India via sea on a
boat."
The
Mumbai attacks took place over four days in late November 2008. Saturday marked
the first day of the attack, 14 years ago, which India blamed on the
Pakistan-based group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Dina
Sayedahmed, Cair-NJ's communication manager, condemned the incidents,
describing them as "deliberate and well coordinated" and "with
intent".
"The
perpetrator of this designed several anti-Muslim posters, rented a truck with
an electronic billboard to display them, and then drove to at least two Islamic
centres, displaying these vile and anti-Muslim messages both at the Islamic
centere as well as on the road," she told Middle East Eye.
Disgusted
by 'act of bigotry'
This
week, several politicians, including a US senator and two assemblywomen, issued
statements of condemnation and called for an investigation.
On
Tuesday, US Senator Bob Menendez said he was "disgusted by this act of
bigotry".
"Let
me be clear: New Jersey stands with our Muslim community and will always defend
your right to worship freely and without fear of harassment and
intimidation," Menendez said in a tweet.
Likewise,
Assemblywomen Shama Haider and Sadaf Jaffer called the incident "a
stunt" and said "this sort of hate had no place in New Jersey".
The
incidents in New Jersey on Saturday were followed by a similar act of
intimidation directed at the Sikh community in the neighbouring state of New
Hampshire.
On
Monday, another mobile billboard truck was spotted in the town of Norwich,
Connecticut, in which the images on the truck accused Pakistan of fueling a
Sikh rebellion in the Indian state of Punjab.
According
to a Fox61 report, one of the rotating images showed a man in a turban carrying
what appeared to be a semi-automatic weapon along with an oversized ammunition
belt. According to the report, both the Department of Justice and the FBI have
opened an investigation into the matter.
“I
think these kinds of things could lead to serious violence,” Gurpreet Singh, a
resident of Norwich, told Fox61.
That
incident comes three months after a bulldozer, bearing the images of Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar
Pradesh, rolled through the streets of Edison and Woodridge during the India
Day parade in August.
Like
the truck, the bulldozer stopped outside Muslim-owned businesses and left the
Muslim community in the vicinity feeling intimidated and concerned for their
safety.
Bulldozers
are synonymous with the destruction of activists and political dissidents'
homes, particularly Muslim-owned homes in India.
Adityanath's
reputation for the tactic has earned him the moniker of Bulldozer Baba
("Daddy Bulldozer").
"It
appears the imagery on the truck was trying to link Muslims with the attacks in
Mumbai and we had nothing to do with it," Minhaj Khan, an activist with
the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), told MEE.
"Instead
of trying to build bridges on independence day, they brought a bulldozer and
they tried to intimidate us, and now they brought this truck during a national
day of mourning at a place of worship... It was appalling."
In
Edison, organisers were forced to apologise for the bulldozer following an
outcry and national coverage but those closely following the events in the
state say that Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism, is deeply embedded in states
such as New Jersey, Texas and California.
Earlier
this week, Cair-NJ and members of the Muslim Center of Middlesex County held a
joint press conference in Piscataway to demand a response to the incident.
"While
everyone - even bigots - has the right to free speech, no-one has the right to
target religious minorities, especially at their houses of worship, with acts
of perceived intimidation and harassment," Cair-NJ Executive Director
Selaedin Maksut said in a statement.
Source:
Middle East Eye
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/confusion-and-fear-new-jersey-anti-muslim-symbols-escalate
--------
Canada
imposes additional sanctions on Iranians, including former Tehran police chief
Barry
Ellsworth
03.12.2022
TRENTON,
Canada
Canada
slapped more sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals Friday, including
on a former Tehran police chief who was seen in a Toronto gym in 2021.
"Moretza
Talaei (is) a Second Brigadier General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
(IRGC) and former commander of Tehran's Law Enforcement Forces," the
Canadian government said in a statement.
He
was Tehran's police chief in 2003 when Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra
Kazemi was beaten to death after taking pictures of Tehran's Evin prison, the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Under
the sanctions, Canada can ban those from entering the country and freeze assets
they have in Canada.
"We're
looking and continuing to look at all ways to ensure that the Iranian regime
knows its continued reprehensible behaviour is absolutely unacceptable,"
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
adds Wagner to religious freedom blacklist, downgrades Cuba, Nicaragua
Michael
Hernandez
02.12.2022
WASHINGTON
The
US on Friday added Russia's mercenary Wagner Group to its religious freedoms
blacklist, and downgraded the status of Latin American nations Cuba and
Nicaragua.
"Around
the world, governments and non-state actors harass, threaten, jail, and even
kill individuals on account of their beliefs. In some instances, they stifle
individuals’ freedom of religion or belief to exploit opportunities for
political gain," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement
announcing the designations.
"These
actions sow division, undermine economic security, and threaten political
stability and peace. The United States will not stand by in the face of these
abuses," he added.
The
Wagner Group's addition as an entity of particular concern is being made for
its actions in the Central African Republic, according to the top diplomat. He
did not elaborate, but Human Rights Watch said in May that the Russian
government-affiliated mercenary group has "summarily executed, tortured,
and beaten civilians since 2019."
Hostilities
in the country have been going on for a decade, and have largely pitted religious
communities against one another.
Other
entities of concern include al-Shabab, Boko Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the
Houthis, ISIS-Greater Sahara, ISIS-West Africa, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam
wal-Muslimin, the Taliban, the State Department said.
The
decision to add Wagner to the religious freedoms blacklist comes amid
speculation that the US could designate it as a foreign terrorist organization,
in part, because of brutalities in which it has been implicated in the Ukraine
war. No official decision has been announced.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
pursuing a regime-change policy in Iran: Analyst
02
December 2022
The
United States is pursuing a regime-change policy in Iran and has "given up
the charade of diplomacy," according to an American political commentator
in Oregon.
Charles
Dunaway made the remarks in an interview with Press TV on Friday after US
President Joe Biden was reported to threaten Iran with military action in case
Tehran does not reach a nuclear agreement with Washington on its terms.
The
Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA), was an agreement signed in 2015 by Tehran with the United States, the
United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China, during the presidency of
Barack Obama. However, Obama’s successor Donald Trump abandoned the JCPOA in
May 2018 and slapped cruel sanctions on Iran.
Biden
had vowed to resume talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal and remove the harsh
US sanctions. Two years into the presidency, Biden has failed to keep his
promise and is now threatening to take military action.
In
an interview with Foreign Policy’s podcast Playlist broadcasted on Wednesday,
US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said Biden is prepared for a military
option if nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran and others fail to reach
an agreement.
Malley
said that Washington was exerting unprecedented pressure on Iran to accept the
terms of the nuclear deal.
“The
JCPOA negotiations should have been easy.
The US Trump administration pulled out of the agreement and all that was
necessary was for the Biden administration to reaffirm the original commitments
and begin fulfilling its obligations.
But that was never politically feasible for the United States,” said
Dunaway.
“The
Zionist lobby and the intense partisan divide make it highly unlikely that any
sanctions relief could be implemented and impossible to assure Iran that a
renewed agreement would not be abrogated by the next administration. Additionally, the Biden team insisted on
imposing new conditions requiring Iran to cease its support for those fighting
occupation and state terrorism in the region, conform to Western human rights
standards, and end their ballistic missile program. The United States wanted Iran to give up its
sovereignty and render itself vulnerable to attack,” he stated.
The
analyst added, “Mr. Malley also misrepresents the negotiations he participated
in. Josep Borrell, EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs, announced a tentative agreement in August,
but the US State Department almost immediately rejected it. According to the New York Times, ‘At the
White House, national security meetings on Iran are devoted less to
negotiation's strategy and more to how to undermine Iran’s nuclear plans, [and]
provide communications gear to protesters…’
In other words, they have given up their charade of diplomacy and are
revealing their true intentions- regime change.”
“Have
the policymakers in Washington become so addled by the narcissistic doctrine of
US exceptionalism that they actually believe they can credibly threaten war
against Russia, China and Iran all at once?
Will they unleash the Zionist regime in Tel Aviv and then try to sell
the war as a defense of Israel? A dying
Empire is a wounded animal and must be treated as such,” Dunaway concluded.
The
talks to salvage the JCPOA kicked off in Vienna in April last year, months
after Biden succeeded Trump, with the intention of examining Washington’s seriousness
in rejoining the deal and removing anti-Iran sanctions.
Despite
notable progress, the US indecisiveness and procrastination caused multiple
interruptions in the marathon talks.
‘Biden
is going way past anything Trump even contemplated’
New
York-based journalist Don DeBar said Biden is the real warmonger and he is
"going way past anything Trump even contemplated."
“And
yet, the bulk of the western media, and consequently a sizeable part of the
population in the US and Europe, believe that Trump is the warmonger, not
Biden,” he said.
“Biden
is going way past anything Trump even contemplated and he's going there with
the support of the Western media and a sizable portion of the Western public,
many of whom believe themselves to actually be anti-war,” DeBar told Press TV
on Friday.
“And
Trump did walk from the JCPOA. But it should be noted that the sanctions had
not been removed by Obama although he had ample time to do so and that the US
Congress on its own passed a veto-proof (517 to 5!) additional sanctions bill
against Iran (and Russia and DPRK). So, in essence, Trump's withdrawal during
his presidency was merely symbolic since there was no way the Congress was
going to allow the lifting of sanctions as it imposed additional ones,” he
noted.
In
the mid-sixties, the United State entered the war in Vietnam under the pretext
of the false flag Gulf of Tonkin incident.
In
1964, then-US President Lyndon B. Johnson claimed that North Vietnamese forces
had twice attacked American destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.
The
false flag operation led to clashes between US forces and North Vietnamese
troops
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/12/02/693793/US-pursuing-a-regime-change-policy-in-Iran--Analyst
--------
South Asia
Head
of Afghan Journalists Safety Committee returns to Kabul
December
1, 2022
The
head of Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) who used to live abroad
following the collapse of Afghan republic administration in 2021, has
reportedly returned back to Afghanistan.
Afghan
government’s Bakhtar news agency has claimed that Najibullah Sharifi, the head
of Afghan Journalists Safety Committee has returned back to Afghanistan as a
result of the efforts made by the ‘contact committee’ by IEA.
AJSC
is one of the journalists support organization that has remained operational
since the fall of Afghanistan’s republic government.
This
comes as that freedom of press and journalism activities in Afghanistan have
been going through hard and challenging time due to exceeding limitations and
censorships imposed by the government.
Dozens
of media agencies including television networks, radio stations, daily
newspapers and news agencies have been shut down either due to financial crisis
or political reasons since August 2021.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/head-of-afghan-journalists-safety-committee-returns-to-kabul/
--------
Mujahid:
War Has Ended But Islamic Emirate Still Not Recognized
December
2, 2022
The
Islamic Emirate's spokesman said that although the war in the country has come
to an end, the Islamic Emirate has not been recognized by the international
community.
Zabiullah
Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, said that so far world powers
have not reached a "basic understanding" with the Islamic Emirate
regarding recognition, and this is creating problems.
"A
year and a half has passed since the war ended in the country. Security and
peace have returned to the nation, but the Islamic Emirate has not yet been
recognized. The previous government had nothing, was completely alien, and was
rife with theft, usurpation, and bribery; however, that was official, and the
international community recognized it. But now that a system has come without
any corruption or bribery, they do not recognize it," said Mujahid.
According
to some experts in international relations, the lack of the Islamic Emirate to
fulfill the conditions of the international community is the reason for the
Islamic Emirate's lack of recognition by the rest of the world.
"If
the Taliban takes positive actions in accordance with the principles of good
governance, I think some of the world's powerful countries will not have an
excuse to use it against the Taliban or the future government of Afghanistan,”
said Javid Sangdil, international relations expert.
"The
Islamic Emirate has fulfilled all requirements for recognition. The Islamic
Emirate has interacted with the international community using every diplomatic
and communication tool available, however, up to this point, foreign powers
have prevented the Islamic Emirate from being recognized. Official interaction
on one side cannot begin as long there is no bilateral interaction. The main
obstacle to this is that America and the other great countries refuse to
recognize Afghanistan,” said Mohammad Bashar, a political expert.
Source:
Tolo News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-181007
--------
Pakistani
embassy in Kabul attacked, one injured
Dec
3, 2022
KABUL:
Pakistan's embassy in Kabul came under attack on Friday with gunfire wounding a
Pakistani security guard, officials said, in what Islamabad called an attempt
to assassinate its head of mission, who was unhurt.
In
a separate attack in the Afghan capital on Friday, one person was killed in a
suicide bombing near the office of the Hezb-e-Islami party of ex-prime minister
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
It
was not immediately clear who was behind the embassy attack, which came just
days after Pakistan's minister of state for foreign affairs led a team to Kabul
to meet Taliban authorities to ease tensions along the border between the two countries.
A
spokesperson for Kabul police said the embassy compound was targeted by gunfire
from a nearby building. Police had arrested one suspect and recovered two
firearms, the statement said.
Pakistan's
Foreign Office said the attack had been aimed at the head of mission,
Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani. It said Nizamani was safe, but a Pakistani security
guard, Sepoy Israr Mohammad, was critically wounded in the attack while
protecting the ambassador.
Nizamani
arrived in Kabul last month to take up the role at one of the few embassies
that has remained operational throughout the period since the hardline Islamist
Taliban seized power in August 2021 after foreign forces withdrew.
A
spokesperson for Pakistan's foreign office said they had no plans to evacuate the
embassy after the incident.
Pakistani
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a Twitter post, called the attack an
"assassination attempt" while seeking an investigation and action
against the perpetrators.
Pakistan's
foreign office also said the Afghan charge d'affaires in Islambad had been
called in over the "extremely serious lapse in security" and that he
told them security had been "beefed up" at Pakistan's mission.
A
spokesperson for the Taliban foreign ministry condemned the attack.
"(The)
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan strongly condemns the attempted shooting and
failed attack on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul," spokesperson Abdul Qahar
Balkhi said on Twitter, adding that Taliban security agencies would
investigate.
The
attack occurred at a time of heightened security concerns in areas bordering
Afghanistan after the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) said on Monday it would no longer
abide by a months-long ceasefire with the Pakistani government.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
will resume work in at least 20 stalled projects in Afghanistan: Taliban
Dec
1, 2022
The
Taliban dispensation in Afghanistan has said that India will resume work in at
least 20 stalled projects in several provinces across the war-torn country.
In
June, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a
"technical team" in its embassy in the Afghan capital.
India
withdrew its officials from the embassy after the Taliban seized power in
August 2021, following concerns over their security.
In
August, Afghanistan's foreign ministry said India's diplomatic presence in the
country would result in the completion of "unfinished projects" that
New Delhi had initiated and the commencement of new ones.
On
Tuesday, Afghanistan's Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MUDH) said
the Indian chargés d'affaires, Bharat Kumar, expressed interest in the
improvement of relations and the resumption of stalled projects in the country,
according to news portal Tolo News.
Kumar
made the remarks during a meeting with the Minister of Urban Development and
Housing, Hamdullah Nomani, it said.
According
to the MUDH, it is expected that India will resume work on at least 20 projects
in several provinces of the country.
“Projects
they were implementing during the former government but were delayed due
political changes or other issues --- they are now interested in resuming these
projects," Tolo News quoted Mohammad Kamal Afghan, a spokesman for the
MUDH as saying.
Economists
said the move will facilitate job opportunities and boost development in the
country.
“The
resumption of these projects can also create job opportunities for the people
and it can promote people's income and drive Afghanistan out of political
isolation,'' Darya Khan Baheer, an economist was quoted as saying in the
report.
“The
restart of these projects will decrease the level of poverty and unemployment,”
said Nazkamir Ziarmal, another economist.
India
has not recognised the new regime in Afghanistan and has been pitching for the
formation of a truly inclusive government in Kabul, besides insisting that
Afghan soil must not be used for any terrorist activities against any country.
New
Delhi has been pitching for providing unimpeded humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
to address the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country.
India
extended humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and it has already
dispatched several shipments of humanitarian assistance consisting of 20,000
metric tonnes of wheat, 13 tonnes of medicines, 500,000 doses of Covid-19
vaccine and winter clothing, according to the MEA.
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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25
years later, Bangladesh finally gets closer to peace in border region
December
2, 2022
A
quarter century ago, Modhumala Chakma says it was impossible to leave her house
in the evening and walk around the nearby hills because they were controlled by
a tribal insurgent group seeking autonomy in southeastern Bangladesh.
It
was a difficult time, says the 60-year-old farm worker from an ethnic minority
in the Shuvolong area of Rangamati, one of three districts bordering India and
Myanmar collectively called Chittagong Hill Tracts.
We
lived in constant fear of being raped or killed.
Those
bad days are gone, she says.
Eleven
ethnic groups live in the three districts, Rangamati, Bandarban and
Khagrachhari.
About
half the population is tribal people who mainly follow Theravada Buddhism and
half is Bengali who are mostly Muslim.
Twenty-five
years ago, the government and a tribal organisation signed the Chittagong Hill
Tracts Peace Accord officially ending the insurgency.
While
Modhumala is enthusiastic about progress since then, she's uncertain whether
the region has actually established peace.
The
government insists it has met most of the terms of the Dec. 2, 1997, treaty,
but tribal groups and their supporters say it still needs to resolve critical
issues including land disputes.
The
region covers one-tenth of Bangladesh's total territory and has a population of
1.6 million.
The
armed insurgency, led by a group called the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati
Samiti, demanded autonomy and land rights for its people.
The
insurgency began in 1977, six years after Bangladesh gained independence from
Pakistan.
This
part of Bangladesh was in a state of war, in a state of armed conflict for
long. Since 1997 the region has changed in many ways, said Delwar Hossain, a
professor of international relations at Dhaka University.
It
is relatively stable, and it has brought about quality changes in many aspects.
He
says things are moving in the right direction, but it takes time to heal.
Experts
say land disputes remain a concern, and tribal groups allege that several past
governments have violated the treaty by allowing non-indigenous Bengali people
to move into the area, changing its character and taking away land from tribal
groups.
Violence
and crime still mar the Chittagong Hill Tracts as authorities struggle to reach
the remotest areas where they say gangs are pushing for control and extorting
money.
Dipankar
Talukdar, a four-time ruling Awami League party member of Parliament in
Rangamati, said some groups are using the disputes as a distraction. They need
a cover to do the extortion," he said.
They
talk about independence and ensuring rights and other things. But the original
reason is to extort.
He
said security agencies have arrested members of a new group called the Kuki
Chin National Front that has sheltered fundamentalist terrorists in remote
jungles for training purposes.
The
civil and military administration is working together to establish peace as a
response to those people or groups that want to destabilise the region, said
the top government official in Rangamati, Mohammad Mizanur Rahman.
It's
a continuous process. Since the accord was signed, the government has worked to
develop infrastructure in the region.
In
1997, the Chittagong Hill Tracts had 2,800 kilometers of roads, which has
increased to about 8,000 kilometers.
The
number of hospitals and clinics has grown from 24 to 270, and the number of
temples and churches from 1,663 to 2,820, the government says.
Source:
Business Standard
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Attack
on Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s office leaves 2 dead
December
2, 2022
Afghanistan
Islamic Political Party led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has confirmed an attack on
its HQ Kabul office during a Friday prayer.
According
to a statement published by Hezb-e-Islami (Islamic Political Party) on Friday,
3 gunmen stormed the group’s HQ building in Kabul trying to reach the mosque
inside the compound where the Friday prayer was in progress.
Two
militants have been killed and the third one has managed to escape the area,
the statement said.
The
statement also confirmed casualties to the armed security personnel of the
party’s compound.
Hezb-e-Islami’s
main compound is Kabul is located on Dar-Al-Aman road, close the well-known
palace of Dar-Al-Aman in district 6 of Kabul city.
No
individual or groups have yet claimed the responsibility of this attack.
Source:
Khaama Press
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https://www.khaama.com/attack-on-gulbuddin-hekmatyars-office-leaves-2-dead/
--------
Afghan
economic stability ‘critically dependent’ on humanitarian aid: Report
2
December, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], December 2 (ANI): The economic stability in Afghanistan is
extensively dependent on humanitarian aid flows as the country faces hunger and
deprivation for a second winter in a row, the US Institute for Peace (USIP)
report said.
According
to the report, the biggest factor contributing to the worsening of food
insecurity has been lost revenue as a result of the economic collapse that
followed the Taliban taking control in August 2021, Khaama Press reported.
“Loss
of income due to the economic collapse following the Taliban takeover in August
2021 has been the main culprit in worsening food insecurity, exacerbated by a
succession of drought-induced poor harvests,” the report read.
According
to the report, “there was also an increase in female unemployment (i.e., women
and girls reported to be looking for work but not being successful), but this
was equivalent to only one-third of the increase in labour force participation
(which includes salaried employment, self-employment, and home-based gainful
economic activity, as well as people who are looking for work but are
unsuccessful).”
Some
women claimed that having more women in the workforce benefits their families’
financial status.
Rahima,
a teacher, stated that “women are half of society and may be successful in
economic progress if they are given the opportunity to apply their talents and
skills,” Khaama Press reported.
Afghanistan
is currently grappling with a serious humanitarian crisis as according to
international assessments, the country now has the highest number of people in
emergency food insecurity in the world, with more than 23 million in need of
assistance and approximately, 95 per cent of the population having insufficient
food consumption.
Moreover,
the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of
the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power in August last year.
Additionally,
the Ukraine crisis has had a massive impact on the rise in food costs and how
it was out of reach for many Afghans.
Source:
The Print
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Arab World
Syria’s
army takes credit for killing ISIS leader in October: State media
02
December ,2022
Syria’s
army has taken credit for killing the head of the ISIS extremist group in an
operation in the country’s south in October, state media reported on Friday.
Abu
al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi was killed in an operation carried out in
Daraa, the southern province where Syria’s uprising first kicked off in 2011,
according to those involved in the fighting as well as the US military.
It
was both the first time the US-led coalition was not involved in killing the
top ISIS leader and the first time an ISIS leader was killed in Syria’s south
rather than the north, where a range of factions, some of them US-backed, hold
sway.
Deraa
returned to Syrian army control in 2018 following Russian-brokered
reconciliation deals that saw the opposition hand over heavy weapons and be
incorporated into pro-government units.
In
October, some of those fighters surrounded the house Quraishi was using as a
hideout in the town of Jasem, according to former fighters involved in the
clash, relatives of others who died in the fighting, and residents.
But
on Friday, a security source in Daraa province told the state news agency SANA
that the operation directly involved Syrian army troops as well as “local and
civil groups” and resulted in his killing on October 15.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Space
may be ‘home’ sooner than we think, Riyadh forum told
December
02, 2022
RIYADH:
The second edition of the Riyadh Philosophy Conference launched on Thursday as
international and local specialists gathered to discuss topics under the theme
“Knowledge and Exploration: Space, Time and Humanity.”
Organized
by Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission, the
three-day event kicked off with welcome remarks by Saudi critic, thinker and
translator Saad bin Abdulrahman Albazie, who was introduced by the CEO of the
commission, Mohammed Alwan.
With
participation from over 19 countries, the global platform targets a wide
audience from various academic and professional backgrounds.
“We
are heading toward endless informational and explorational horizons, toward
space, time and humanity, and settling into our human fate, moral values and
scientific criteria of the universe,” Albazie said.
“We
will create a philosophical space out of our physical space, and propose new
concepts in an undiscovered field in the spirit of entrepreneurial research
that has been touched upon by this conference’s esteemed guests.”
While
taking a trip to space is, undoubtedly, a dream for many, it may well be a
place we call “home” much sooner than we think.
A
keynote speech by Mishaal Ashemimry, moderated by Prof. Nicolas de Warren of
Penn State University, examined the futuristic concept of humanity becoming an
interplanetary species.
Discussing
humanity’s options if Earth is no longer accommodating or habitable, Ashemimry,
special adviser to the CEO at the Saudi Space Commission, said: “We must
prepare for our future because no one knows. Yes, we can monitor all these
items that are orbiting Earth, but there are so many that we don’t know about.
“I’m
not suggesting that this is the only way. I am suggesting that we need to hedge
our bets, invest in all the technologies necessary and all the possible
solutions to prevent this existential problem — whether it’s going to Mars or
preparing to go to Mars, or whether it’s intercepting that asteroid, and having
mechanisms to detect it sooner and enable us to have enough time.”
The
conversation around space continued with Abdullah Al-Ghathami, professor of
criticism and theory at King Saud University, delivering a keynote speech under
the title “Humanity in Space: Glory or Power.”
Leading
thinkers took part in panel discussions, including “Inquiry Techniques in the
Classroom” by General Manager of the Baseera Institute Dalia Toonsi, and “Chaos
and Logos” with physicist Reem Taibah and Saudi Space Commission adviser
Haithem Al-Twaijry.
This
year’s conference is building off the success of last year’s event, which
discussed unpredictability.
The
forum aims to open up the once-taboo study of philosophy in the region by
involving contemporary philosophers, scientists, writers and intellectuals from
all over the world.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2209846/saudi-arabia
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British
filmmaker Guy Ritchie envisions bright future for Saudi film industry
December
02, 2022
RIYADH:
British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, most famous for his hit gangster films, the
"Sherlock Holmes" franchise and his live-action "Aladdin"
adaptation, said that Saudi Arabia is ripe for building a successful film
industry, at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
The
director was speaking to Arab News on day two of the film festival in Jeddah.
"What's
interesting about (Saudi Arabia) is that there's such an explosion of
enthusiasm. It's young and it's creative. And there's a high desire to express
creativity. That makes it very interesting. So it's trying to couple the
inexperience with the enthusiasm, because you have the enthusiasm and the means.
And now you've just got to develop some form of experience and
sub-structure," said Ritchie about the developing and nascent film
industry in Saudi Arabia.
"I
don't like making movies in the UK anyway. So I'd rather make movies outside of
the UK. We worked in Jordan for 'Aladdin.' And that worked very well for us. We
were in Spain for the last film and in Turkey for the film before that. There's
no need to get out of the UK but I'd much rather work in in new and exciting
environments. And for that really you just need a sub-structure in order to
facilitate the ability of making movies. And I'm sure that will happen,"
added the filmmaker, who is attending the film festival along with his
actress-wife Jacqui Ainsley.
In
a separate 'In Conversation' segment on Friday, Ritchie address this topic
again and said, "I think I'm very interested in this part of the world.
And I think creativity should find its way into this part of the world. That's
why I'm here. Really, what we're after is a fusion and the integration of
cultural collaboration."
Ritchie
went on to explain that for a healthy film industry to be built, incentives and
subsidies for film productions are the way to go. "I can't shoot in the UK
anymore because it's too busy to shoot there. That's how busy it is. And
they've been able to do that because of incentives. So once you have
incentives, then the other thing you need is to make a few movies here in Saudi
Arabia. So other filmmakers look at the filmmakers that have gone before and
then they just trust that," said Ritchie.
Ritchie
first made headlines and found international acclaim with the 1998 British
black comedy crime film "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," which
he wrote and directed. In an In Conversation panel at the Red Sea International
Film Festival on Friday, Ritchie talked about how the film almost didn't get
made.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2209871/lifestyle
--------
Hezbollah
won’t accept new Lebanese president subservient to US, Israeli regime
02
December 2022
A
high-ranking Hezbollah official says the Lebanese resistance movement will not
accept a new president who would capitulate to the US and the Israeli regime,
emphasizing that the new head of state must have the capability to rescue the
Arab country from the protracted financial crisis.
“We
have repeatedly stated that we want to elect a president as soon as possible,
but the processes require a two-thirds quorum in the parliament,"
Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said at a ceremony in the
Lebanese capital city of Beirut.
"Neither
can we solely garner the two-thirds majority nor does any party have such a
capacity by itself."
He
pointed out that none of the parliamentary blocs can elect a president without
a national consensus, adding that some parties accuse Hezbollah of obstructing
the presidential election in order to hide their own failures to elect a new
head of state.
Sheikh
Qassem stressed that the new Lebanese president must be able to save the nation
from the severe economic crisis facing the country and initiate a dialogue
among all segments of the society.
The
senior Hezbollah official also underlined that his group will never accept a
president who would stir sedition among the Lebanese people, and be subservient
to the plans imposed by Washington and Tel Aviv.
The
remarks came after the Lebanese parliament convened on Thursday to elect the
new president who will succeed former president Michel Aoun. But the eighth
attempt also proved futile.
The
legislative body held the ballot with the voting session attended by only 110
lawmakers out of 128 as some legislators did not show up for the event.
It
resulted in 37 votes for Michel Mouawad -- a senior lawmaker whose father Rene
Moawad was a former president -- four votes for prominent academic Issam
Khalifeh, two votes for former minister of interior and municipalities Ziyad
Baroud, 52 blank votes and some votes with mock choices on.
In
order for a candidate to secure the presidency, he needs to be backed by 86 or
two-thirds of the parliamentarians.
Lebanon’s
presidency has seen stalemate several times since the 1975-1990 civil war. The country
has also had only a caretaker government since May.
The
Arab country has been mired in an economic crisis that the World Bank has
dubbed one of the worst in recent history, which comes amid crippling sanctions
imposed by the US and its allies.
The
Lebanese pound has lost more than 95 percent of its value on the black market
since 2019.
According
to the United Nations, the ongoing financial crisis in Lebanon has caused
poverty rates to reach more than 80 percent of the population, and food prices
have risen by an astonishing 2,000 percent.
Source:
Press TV
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Saudi
Arabia extends $3 billion deposit term to cash-strapped Pakistan
Dec
2, 2022
CAIRO:
Saudi Arabia on Friday extended the term of a $3 billion deposit it made to
Pakistan's foreign reserves, state news agency SPA and Pakistan's central bank
said.
Saudi
Arabia deposited the money in Pakistan's central bank late last year as a loan
to shore up the cash-strapped country's reserves.
The
central bank reserves stood at $7.5 billion as of Nov 25 this year.
Too
low to cover more than a month of imports, the reserves together with a
widening current account deficit have threatened a balance of payment crises
for the South Asian economy, which has to make another $1 billion bond payment
next week.
"Saudi
Fund for Development (SFD) extended the term for the deposit provided by the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the amount of 3 billion dollars to the State Bank of
Pakistan," the bank said in a statement.
By
shoring up the reserves, it added, the money has contributed to meeting
external sector challenges and achieve sustainable economic growth for the
country.
Pakistan
has been in dire need of external financing as it waits for the 9th review of a
$7 billion bailout package by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
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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Southeast Asia
Kuala
Lumpur Forum to Discuss Quranic Solutions for Contemporary Challenges
December
02, 2022
The
Warisan Ummah Ikhlas Foundation (WUIF) is organizing the event with the
participation of experts from several countries.
The
speakers will be from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, the United States
and Palestine.
The
Perdana Hall MTI in Kuala Lumpur will host the convention from 8:30 AM to 6:30
PM tomorrow.
The
messages of Surah As-Sajdah (32) and the solutions it provides in facing
various challenges of life will be the main theme of the gathering.
According
to the foundation’s CEO, Marhaini Yusoff, people are facing four challenges
today, namely financial, career, family and social or spiritual (development)
and they need to be overcome with the help of God.
She
added that the foundation is holding the international event to try to find
ways to tackle challenges of life based on the teachings of the Holy Quran.
Source:
IQNA
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Why
Indonesia's Announcement To Penalise Premarital Sex Is Not Unprecedented
02
DEC 2022
Indonesian
Parliament is set to pass a Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) within a few days that
will penalise premarital sex, with up to one year punishment in jail.
“Anyone
who has intercourse with someone who is not their husband or wife shall be
punished for adultery with a maximum imprisonment of 1 (one) year or a maximum
fine of Category II," reads Article 413, Paragraph 1. The regulation will
come into effect in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation if a
complaint is registered by the husband or wife of the perpetrator of adultery
or parents of children not bound by marriage. However, complaints can be
withdrawn before the matter reaches trial court.
The
development came after a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Law and Human
Rights and Commission III of the Indonesian Parliament in November.
When
the code was announced three years back, tens of thousands across Indonesia
protested in the streets for this curb on their freedom of speech. If the new
criminal code is passed, then it would be applicable to Indonesian citizens and
foreigners alike. Business groups have raised their concerns that the new rules
might impact Indonesia's image as a tourist and investment destination.
Other
bans in Indonesia include insulting the president or state institutions,
expressing dissent/having opposing views to Indonesia's state ideology, love-in
relationships, which discriminate against women, religious minorities, and
LGBTQ community.
Indonesia,
not a stray case
Indonesia's
declaration that consummation of a relationship before marriage as illegal, is
not unprecedented, and apart from a list of Muslim countries that criminalised
this situation long back, there are a few surprises.
Among
India's neighbours, Pakistan has blacklisted premarital sex and adultery as
crimes under the Hudood Ordinance. Premarital sex can also be punished by up to
five years in prison. In Afghanistan, the Taliban punishes 'offenders' of
premarital sex and adultery are stoned to death. In August 2010, a young couple
was stoned to death by hundreds of villagers in Kunduz Province of northern
Afghanistan for pre-marital sex.
Qatar,
currently hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, follows Zina laws that ignify
voluntary sexual intercourse between a man and a woman not married to one
another. This form of Islamic legal tradition considers sex outside of
marriage, pregnancy out of wedlock, and adultery as crimes and 'perpetrators'
could face upto one year imprisonment. Muslim offenders are given an additional
penalty of flogging, while married Muslims may be stoned to death. Reports
state that even foreign fans who have come to catch the football tournament,
could face up to seven years in prison if caught violating the ban. Saudi
Arabia also follows Zina laws and bans pre-marital sex. However, the
pre-requisite here requires four respectable people who were witnesses to the
actual penetration.
In
Iran, the Penal Code “stipulates that the penalty for fornication is flogging,
that is 100 strokes of the lash, for unmarried male and female offenders”.
Article 83 states that adultery in the following cases shall be punishable by
stoning.
Somalia,
being an African country that follows Islamic law, considers sex outside
marriage a criminal offence, and those convicted by Sharia courts face brutal
punishments. In 2008, a young woman was killed after being pelted with stones
in the wake of a conviction by a Sharia court for adultery.
Sudan,
which has a Muslim majority, operates under the Sharia law, punishes the
accused of premarital sex and adultery by stoning them accused to death. In 2012,
Intisar Sharif Abdallah a young mother of one was found guilty of adultery and
sentenced to death by stoning. Malaysia also follows the Sharia law, and it is
illegal for unmarried Muslims to even meet behind closed doors. If they engage
in close proximity or khalwat, the couple can be fined Rs 1,000 ringgit (€216)
and up to six months in prison.
Source:
Outlook India
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Terengganu
Shariah amendments have harmful impact, say groups
December
3, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Human rights groups have called on the Malaysian human rights commission
(Suhakam) to undertake a human rights impact assessment of the latest version
of the Terengganu Shariah Criminal Offences Enactment 2022.
Two
of the 10 signatories, Sisters in Islam (SIS) and Justice for Sisters (JFS),
said they were concerned over the amendments that were passed yesterday by the
Terengganu state assembly.
“The
amendments to the enactment further exacerbate existing harmful impacts on
women, young people and LGBTQ persons, among others,” they said in a statement.
They
were responding to media reports of the proceedings on Nov 28 which provided
some details of the amendments. They included the criminalisation of
out-of-wedlock pregnancies (Section 29A).
“The
criminalisation of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, for instance, not only places
unnecessary trauma but burden and shame on survivors of sexual assault,” they
said.
Citing
a 2018 report by SIS and Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre on child
marriages, they added that criminalisation contributed to an increase in child
marriages, perpetuating the cycle of poverty and illiteracy among girls.
SIS
and JFS said Malaysia, as a party to the Convention on Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) and the Convention on Rights of the
Child (CRC), was obligated to eliminate all forms of discrimination against all
women and children.
Other
amendments made to the enactment include the criminalisation of witchcraft and
black magic (Section 3A), females posing as men (Section 33A) and sodomy
(Section 36A).
On
Thursday, Terengganu syariah implementation, education and higher education
committee chairman Satiful Bahri Mamat said the issue of females posing as men
was becoming more widespread.
Individuals
found guilty can be punished under Section 356 for up to three years in prison,
a fine of RM5,000 and six lashes.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Judge
blocks Indiana abortion ban on religious grounds
December
3, 2022
CARLSBAD:
A second Indiana judge yesterday blocked the state from enforcing its law
banning most abortions after Jewish, Muslim and other non-Christian women
challenged it in a lawsuit.
Marion
county superior court judge Heather Welch issued a preliminary injunction
against the Republican-backed law, which prohibits abortions with limited
exceptions for rape, incest, lethal foetal abnormalities or a serious health
risk to the mother.
The
plaintiffs have argued that the measure infringes on religious freedom
protected by another state law.
The
law had already been on hold, as another judge in September blocked Indiana
from enforcing it while Planned Parenthood and other healthcare providers
challenge it in court.
Indiana
became the first state to pass a new law banning abortion after the US Supreme
Court in June overturned its landmark 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that had legalised
the procedure nationwide.
Other
Republican-led states quickly began enforcing older bans.
Welch
issued her injunction after a group called Hoosier Jews for Choice and five
individual women challenged the abortion law under Indiana’s Religious Freedom
Restoration Act in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The
ACLU said the plaintiffs represented religions including Judaism and Islam as
well as “independent spiritual belief systems”.
“The
court finds that SEA 1 substantially burdens the religious exercise of the
plaintiffs,” Welch wrote, using the formal name of the law, in granting the
plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction while the challenge to its
legality proceeds.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Former
e-hailing driver nabbed with drugs worth RM6.14mil
December
2, 2022
SHAH
ALAM: Police arrested a former e-hailing driver and confiscated 170.58kg of
drugs worth RM6.14 million following a raid at a house in Subang Jaya on
Wednesday.
Selangor
deputy police chief S Sasikala Devi said the 49-year-old suspect was nabbed at
3pm in a rented house which was believed to be used to store the drugs.
She
said the arrest and drug haul followed a week-long intelligence work.
“Our
investigation revealed that the suspect has a previous record related to a
gambling den, and he is believed to have been active in drug trafficking
activities around the Klang Valley for the past two months,” she said at a
press conference here.
Sasikala
added that the drugs, believed to have been obtained overseas, comprised 166
plastic packages, each of which contained 111 smaller packets labelled as
Chinese tea, and another 55 transparent plastic packages containing suspected
methamphetamine.
Police
also seized a car during the raid.
The
suspect has been remanded for seven days until Dec 7 under Section 117 of the
Criminal Procedure Code, and the case is being investigated under Section 39B
of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Police
were conducting further investigations to find out if the suspect, who tested
negative for drugs, was involved with other drug syndicates, she said.
Meanwhile,
Sasikala reminded the public to be wary of job vacancy advertisements on social
media which offer lucrative income but where the recruitment process and work
are done without having to meet the employer.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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Pakistan
Errors
Made in Some Quran Translations, Pakistan’s Jamiat Ulama e Islam Says
December
02, 2022
This
came after the Jamiat Ulama e Islam (JUI) on Friday claimed that an incorrect
translation had been made in some copies of the Holy Quran.
During
a specially summoned meeting of the National Assembly today, chaired by Deputy
Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani, the matter of inaccurate translations of the Holy
Quran was raised.
Federal
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi said that incorrect
translations were made in some copies of the Holy Quran while controversial
sentences related to Shariah and Usury were also used in the book of Aina
Imranyat at the Allama Iqbal Open University.
He
demanded the Punjab government to take action on the issue.
JUI
member Maulana Akbar Chitrali said that sentences included in the textbook
claimed that the prohibition of interest and maintaining the veil were an
obstacle in the path of national development.
JUI
member Shahida Akhtar Ali blamed the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)
government for the issue.
Source:
IQNA
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Pakistan
pins hope on Afghan govt for action against TTP
December
3, 2022
KARACHI:
After the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) vowed to carry out attacks
all over the country, Pakistan on Friday said it was hopeful that Afghanistan
would live up to the promise of not allowing its territory to be used for
terrorist activities in other countries.
Addressing
the weekly press briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said
Pakistan has serious concerns over terrorist activities and the issue was
raised with the Afghan government.
“[W]e
have received assurances of sustained counter-terrorism action against TTP and
other terrorist organisations and we hope that the promises that have been made
will be respected,” she added.
Briefing
about the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar’s visit to
Kabul, Ms Baloch said the minister raised “key concerns and preferences” of
Pakistan and the two sides agreed to develop mechanisms for follow-up on
various issues.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1724434/pakistan-pins-hope-on-afghan-govt-for-action-against-ttp
--------
Parliament
never allowed military to hold talks with TTP: senators
Iftikhar
A. Khan
December
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed the parliament had
authorised military leadership to hold talks with outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP), lawmakers from within the ruling coalition made it clear that
this was not the case.
They
said the parliamentary committee on national security was simply informed by
the military about talks that were already under way.
“No
permission was sought by the military from parliament for holding parleys with
the TTP,” former Senate chairman and PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani told Dawn.
He
said the parliamentary committee on national security had been informed by the
military that negotiations were taking place with the banned outfit.
He
said a very skeptical picture of ongoing negotiations had been given and even
at that time nobody knew when these talks had actually started.
He
also said the statement of the federal government on the issue of the cessation
of ceasefire with the TTP and the increase in terror attacks through a press
conference should have been made in a joint sitting of parliament or at least
on the floor of the National Assembly which was in session.
“One
fails to understand why the government is shy of the parliament,” he said.
The
PPP leader said the dialogue and the operation against the TTP was rightly in
the hands of the army and, therefore, it would have been appropriate if the
defence ministry was also involved in the said briefing.
Mr
Rabbani said the recent suicide attack claimed by the TTP in Quetta and the
attack on a girls’ school in South Waziristan was just the tip of the
iceberg.
He
said it appeared from the press conference of the federal government that it
still intended to pursue the policy of “force and appeasement”. This policy, he
observed, had been tried and failed in the past.
He
said what made the situation all the more complicated was the fragmentation of
the TTP and, therefore, mere appeasement would not work.
“It
is once again demanded that a joint sitting of parliament be summoned
immediately in which all stakeholders be invited to brief parliament on the
present situation and to collectively find a way forward,” the PPP leader said.
PML-N
Senator Irfan Siddiqui also said the parliament never authorised the military
to negotiate with the TTP.
He
told Dawn that following a disclosure during the PTI’s days in power, he had
asked on the floor of the Senate as to who was in talks with whom, on what
conditions and on whose behest and who was the facilitator.
He
recalled that when the then PML-N government held talks with the TTP in 2014,
it had convened a multi-party conference to take all parties on board on the
issue.
He
said besides other party leaders, the conference was also attended by PTI
Chairman Imran Khan, and the forum had endorsed the idea of the then prime
minister Nawaz Sharif to resolve the issue by holding talks.
He
said that the PM at the time had also taken parliament into confidence over the
issue, and the names of the negotiating team members had also been announced on
the floor of the National Assembly.
Mr
Siddiqui, who was one of the three members of the team besides Rahimullah
Yousufzai and retired Major Amir, said the TTP also formed a team, led by
Maulana Samiul Haq.
He
said the TTP had also named Imran Khan as the member of the team, but Mr Khan
excused himself from the task. He said Mr Khan was represented by former
ambassador Rustam Shah Mohmand, while Professor Ibrahim of Jamaat-i-Islami was
also a member of the team.
He
said the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the then interior minister Chaudhry
Nisar Ali Khan and he (Irfan Siddiqui) had gone to Banigala to brief Mr Khan
about the progress of talks with the TTP. The then interior minister, Sheikh
Rashid Ahmed, had in October last year expressed ignorance about the talks with
TTP.
In
November last year a short lived ceasefire had been reached between the two
sides, which ended in December with the TTP accusing Pakistan of breaching the
terms including release of prisoners and formation of negotiating committees.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1724367/parliament-never-allowed-military-to-hold-talks-with-ttp-senators
--------
Afghanistan
reassures not to allow anyone to use soil against Pakistan: FO
December
2, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan says Afghanistan has reassured that it will not allow anyone to use
its soil against Pakistan.
This
was stated by Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch while addressing
the weekly media briefing here in Islamabad on Friday. She said the assurance
was given by Afghan authorities during Minister for State for Foreign Affairs
Hina Rabbani Khar’s visit to Afghanistan recently.
The
Spokesperson said TTP is a threat to Pakistan and we hope that Afghanistan will
fulfill its promises. She reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to work with
Afghanistan to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation across the entire
spectrum of our bilateral relations.
Condemning
recent statements by former Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shankersinh Vaghela and
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, she said such statement confirms BJP
leadership’s direct involvement in anti-Muslim violence during the horrific
Gujarat riots of 2002 that led to the massacre of over two thousand Muslims.
She
said it is an internationally acknowledged fact that Narendra Modi who was then
the Chief Minister of Gujarat was directly responsible for fomenting
anti-Muslim riots and the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat.
Mumtaz
Zahra Baloch said 6th of December this year marks the 30 years of the
demolition of Babri Mosque by BJP-RSS zealots. It serves as a reminder that
space has become restricted for minorities in India.
She
said Pakistan is also seriously concerned over the decision this week by Indian
National Investigation Agency’s Delhi court to award life imprisonment to five
innocent Kashmiri youth in a fabricated case.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Imran
Khan directs party leaders to ensure no criticism of Pakistan Army: Report
Dec
2, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Former Pakistan prime minister and chief of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Imran Khan
has directed party leaders and social media team to ensure that there is no
criticism of the Army and its new chief General Asim Munir, a media report said
on Friday.
General
Munir on November 24 replaced General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired after
serving two consecutive three-year terms as the Army chief in the coup-prone
country, where the military wields considerable power in matters of security
and foreign policy.
Lt
Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza was also picked as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Committee (CJCSC).
In
a Whatsapp message to the group of party leaders and PTI social media managers,
Khan directed: “Please ensure there is no criticism of the new Chief of Army
Staff”, The News International newspaper reported.
The
paper said that the direction by Khan is a clear sign of the party's effort to
rebuild troubled relationships with the military establishment.
The
party source said that following the appointment of General Munir, Khan also
does not want any reflection of what had happened between him and the new Army
chief during his tenure as prime minister.
When
approached, PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry did not confirm or deny Khan's
latest direction to his leaders and social media team but said that the party's
policy was not to have a confrontation with the institution.
Chaudhry
explained that in the past, the PTI had issues with certain individuals and
their policies.
"We
never had any problem with the Army as an institution which, he said, was vital
for the security and defence of Pakistan," he said.
Earlier,
Khan in a tweet congratulated General Mirza as the new CJCSC and General Munir
as the new Chief of Army Staff.
Khan
hoped: “The new military leadership will work to end the prevailing trust
deficit that has built up in the last 8 months between the nation and the
state. Strength of the State is deprived of its people”.
In
the same tweet, he shared Muhammad Ali Jinnah's quote: “Do not forget that the
armed forces are the servants of the people and you do not make national
policy; it is we, the civilians, who decide these issues and it is your duty to
carry out these tasks with which you are entrusted.”
The
paper further reported that following the appointment of the new Army Chief,
Khan and the PTI made a major policy shift from what the former prime minister
and his party leaders as well as the social media team have been propagating
for the last eight months.
Ever
since his ouster as the prime minister in April, Khan severely attacked the
military establishment and held it responsible for the removal of his
government.
He
also attacked the neutrality of the institution and repeatedly urged the
military establishment under former Army Chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa to
remove the present government and pave the way for general elections.
During
all these months, the social media of the PTI ran innumerable campaigns
targeting the military establishment, Army's top command.
Abusive
language has also been used in these campaigns. Some PTI leaders also used
indecent language against the military establishment and its key players.
According
to sources, Khan initially had reservations about the appointment of General
Munir as Army chief but later he changed his policy and said that he would have
no objection no matter who was appointed as the COAS.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
PM Shehbaz Sharif approves early retirement of Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid,
who was shortlisted for the post of army chief: Report
Dec
2, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the early retirement
application of Lieutenant General Faiz Hamid, a former ISI chief and one of the
six names apparently shortlisted for the post of the Army chief, according to a
media report on Friday.
The
report comes days after the Chief of General Staff (CGS) Lt General Azhar Abbas
also sought early retirement following General Asim Munir's appointment as the
chief of army staff (COAS).
Former
ISI chief General Munir has replaced General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who retired on
November 29 after serving two consecutive three-year terms as Pakistan's Army
chief in the coup-prone country, where the military wields considerable power
in matters of security and foreign policy.Lt General Hamid sent his application
to the Army General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi a few days ago, which
forwarded it to the Prime Minister's office for approval, according to Geo TV.
Lt
General Hamid served as DG ISI and corps commander Peshawar under former Prime
Minister Imran Khan. He was later posted as Bahawalpur corps commander, the
report said.
Lt
General Hamid and Lt General Abbas were among the six candidates recommended
for the office of the chief of the army staff to succeed General Bajwa.
Other
names in the list apart from General Munir, included Lt General Sahir Shamshad
Mirza, Lt General Nauman Mehmood and Lt General Mohammad Amir.
General
Munir is the first Army chief who heads both powerful intelligence agencies -
the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Military Intelligence (MI).
Pakistan
Army General Shahir Shamshad Mirza on Sunday took charge as the chairman Joint
Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) after his predecessor, General (retd) Nadeem
Raza, hung up his boots a day earlier.
The
post of army chief is the most powerful position in coup-prone Pakistan where
the military wields considerable power in matters of security and foreign
policy.
Source:
Times Of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
NA
members quibble over Fazl’s ‘derogatory’ remarks, again
Amir
Wasim
December
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
At a time when the country is facing serious challenges — rise in terror
attacks and a worsening economic crisis — lawmakers on Friday once again
deliberated upon Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s
‘controversial’ remarks about women.
During
an hour-long sitting, the National Assembly members also raised the issue of an
alleged ‘anti-Islam campaign’ by a minority group and the publication of a book
containing ‘objectionable material’ contrary to Islamic teachings.
The
house witnessed lacklustre proceedings as members spoke on points of order
without giving any importance to the 23-point agenda issued for the day.
At
the outset, Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani, who belongs to the JUI-F, gave
the floor to his party’s Shahida Akhtar Ali, providing her with a full
opportunity to defend the party chief who has been under fire over his
controversial remarks about women during the public meetings.
JI
lawmaker seeks ban on grade 11 book
Ms
Ali alleged the PTI has launched a social media campaign against Mr Rehman by
uploading ‘doctored’ videos of his speech.
She
said her party’s chief has “great respect for women” and accused PTI’s social
media activists of “twisting” his statement.
“We
condemn those women who are accusing the Maulana of using objectionable
language,” she said in an apparent reference to Ms Bano’s speech a day ago.
“It
is said that we use religion. Obviously, we do it as we are a religious party,
but people are wary of the way you [Imran Khan] are giving religious touch to
your politics,” she added.
This
was the second day in a row when the JUI-F chief’s remarks dominated the debate
and hampered the routing proceedings.
Thursday’s
session was also adjourned abruptly after an opposition member from the Grand
Democratic Alliance (GDA) pointed out the lack of quorum after being denied a
chance to speak.
A
day ago, rumpus broke into the house when GDA’s Saira Bano drew attention to viral
video clips of the JUI-F chief uttering ‘derogatory remarks’ about women and
targeting the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
During
Friday’s session, a PTI dissident, Nuzhat Pathan, also lashed out at former
prime minister Imran Khan for targeting her and two other women members when
they did not support him during the vote on the no-confidence in April.
Taking
the floor, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of Jamaat-i-Islami drew the attention
of the house towards a grade 11 sociology book taught by Allama Iqbal Open
University which, according to him, was allegedly teaching “anti-Islamic
values” to the youth.”
Deputy
Speaker Durrani immediately passed a ruling and called for a ban on the book
and demanded legal action against the author and the publisher.
He
also referred the matter to the house committee concerned.
Later,
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi accused Ahmadis of damaging
Islam and claimed that the Punjab government was not taking any action in this
regard.
He
said that the activities of the minority group were a threat to the religion.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1724369
--------
NA
deputy speaker bans AIOU’s 11th class book ‘Imraniyat’
December
2, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Zahid Akram Durrani on Friday banned the
Allama Iqbal Open University’s (AIOU) eleventh class book ‘Imraniyat’ as it was
projecting allegedly “anti-Islamic values in the youth”.
Giving
his ruling for banning the book, he asked the quarters concerned to take legal
action against the alleged responsible who had drafted it and permitted it to
be published, and above all allowed it to be taught to the students.
Talking
on a point of order, Jaamat-e-Islami’s Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali raised the
issue that in the said book, the ‘veil of woman’ was allegedly portrayed as one
of the main hindrances in the advancement of society.
He
further said the book allegedly promoted Riba (usury) trying to build a
positive perception[…] by giving examples it had played in the economic
development of the countries.
Giving
reference to the book, it was allegedly stated that by banning the usury it
would deprive the country’s economy of flourishing and grooming further.
Demanding
the ban on the book, Maulana Chitrali proposed that the government should take
stern action against all those people allegedly involved in the compilation of
this book which was “propagating anti-Islamic values in our young generation”.
He
also highlighted that in Sindh, the provincial government was also appointing
“non-Muslims” for teaching the subject of Islamiyat, accommodating them in the
allocated two percent quota of minorities in jobs.
He
said “how a non-believer could teach the true spirit of Islam to the students
as he himself did not believe in the Islamic teachings and values”.
He
asked the deputy speaker to give his ruling on this important issue and direct
the Sindh government to appoint Muslims for teaching the subject of Islamiyat
in schools and colleges.
Responding
to incorrect translation of Holy Quran by a particular segment of the society,
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi said the Punjab government
instead of taking up the issue allegedly ignored it.
He
also urged the deputy speaker to give his ruling on this serious matter of
public interest.
NA
Deputy Speaker Durrani while giving his ruling asked the provincial governments
to take adequate actions to resolve the following issues on priority.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/12/02/na-deputy-speaker-bans-aious-11th-class-book-imraniyat/
--------
Pakistan
set to launch first ever animal rights curriculum
2
Dec, 2022
PM
Shehbaz Sharif’s Strategic Reforms Unit has just announced that a special curriculum
designed to educate children on animal rights will be launched on December 9,
prior to International Animal Rights Day.
It
will be focused teach kids about the responsibility of keeping pets and
treating stray animals with compassion.
Head
of PM’s Strategic Reforms Salman Sufi shared an update on Twitter: “It’s almost
time. On directions of PM Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s first curriculum on animal
rights will be launched on International Animal Rights Day. Will be sharing
event details for online participation few days before the event,” he added.
Apart
from pets, Sufi continued, students will also be taught about stray animals.
“They need to understand that they cannot throw stones at stray dogs… even
Islam teaches us to respect every living being and emphasises how animals
should be protected.”
Source:
Daily Pakistan
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/02-Dec-2022/pakistan-set-to-launch-first-animal-rights-curriculum
--------
Pakistan,
US reshaping partnerships in diverse fields: Envoy
December
2, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan has said Pakistan and US
are reshaping their partnerships in critical areas of trade, investment, green
energy, infrastructure, health and education.
He
was addressing a two-day conference titled “Pakistan at 75”, in Harvard
University at Boston, says a press release received here on Friday from Boston,
US. He said Pakistan emphasis on promoting people to people exchanges between
the two countries.
He
said after recalibrating our relations beyond Afghanistan and the wars we have
fought together, we would continue to counter terrorism and foster regional
stability.
The
Ambassador said the core foreign policy principles of the country were: peace,
regional equilibrium, strategic balance, shared prosperity, and connectivity
and win-win partnerships.
Underscoring
the highest importance that Pakistan attaches to its partnership with the
United States, Masood Khan said the US has always been a preferred source for
technical knowhow and military equipment and a top destination for Pak exports,
which jumped from 7 to 9 billion dollars last year.
He
said nearly one million Pakistani Americans are a strong bridge between our two
nations. He said the two countries are making efforts to build solid
foundations for their economic collaboration that would not only serve the
people of two countries but also contribute to regional stability and
prosperity.
The
envoy said the outlook is bright, as the US has de-hyphenated its relationship
with Pakistan from Afghanistan, India and even China. On Sino-Pak relations,
Masood Khan reiterated that the United States had not asked Pakistan to make a
binary choice between Washington and Beijing.
Masood
Khan said that Pakistan wanted peaceful relations with India and we realize
that a cohesive, economically integrated South Asia will benefit its people and
the entire globe.
Underscoring
the need for resolution of all issues including the longstanding issue of
Kashmir, Ambassador Khan said that let’s not try to sweep the issues that
divide us under the carpet.
This
has not worked in the past; it will not work in future. He said peace would
remain elusive if there is no dialogue for confidence building, effective
communication and responsible stewardship.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan’s
diplomatic officials come under attack in Kabul
December
2, 2022
KABUL:
A gun attack was carried out against Pakistan’s diplomatic officials in Kabul,
leaving a security guard seriously wounded.
The
gun attack was carried out at a time when Chargé d’Affaires to Afghanistan
Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani was walking in the garden of Pakistan’s embassy in
Kabul, sources said.
According
to sources, multiple gunshots were fired on Pakistan’s embassy, however, Chargé
d’Affaires Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani escaped unhurt.
A
security guard received three bullets in his chest and was immediately shifted
to the hospital for medical assistance.
Pakistan
Embassy spokesperson Tahir Noorani told media that gunshots were fired by
unidentified assailants from outside the building. He said that all diplomatic
officials of the Pakistan Embassy were safe.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded an investigation into the attack and action
against the attackers.
“I
strongly condemn dastardly assassination attempt on Pakistan’s Head of Mission,
Kabul,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.
He
saluted the brave security guard, who took a bullet to save Nizamani’s life.
“Prayers
for the swift recovery of security guard. I demand immediate investigation
& action against perpetrators of this heinous act,” he further said.
In
a subsequent tweet, PM Shehbaz said that he has spoken to Nizamani and was
relieved to hear that he is safe.
“I
expressed solidarity of gov[ernmen]t & people with him, while assuring full
support & assistance to him & mission on all counts. I also conveyed
prayers for swift recovery of brave security guard,” he also said.
Afghanistan’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi condemned the
“failed” firing attack and prayed for the speedy recovery of the security
guard.
“IEA
will not allow any malicious actors to pose a threat to the security of
diplomatic missions in Kabul,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Our
security will conduct a serious investigation, identify perpetrators &
bring them to justice,” he further said.
Pakistan’s
Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq took to
Twitter to make the announcement.
“The
compound of the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul came under attack today targeting
Head of Mission, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani. By the grace of Allah Almighty, the
Head of Mission is safe. However, a Pakistani security guard Sepoy Israr
Mohammad has been critically injured in the attack while protecting the Head of
Mission. The Government of Pakistan strongly condemns the assassination attempt
against the Head of Mission and the attack against the embassy compound in
Kabul,” said the envoy.
“The
Interim Government of Afghanistan must immediately hold thorough investigations
in this attack, apprehend the culprits, hold them to account, and take urgent
measures to ensure the safety and security of Pakistani diplomatic personnel
and citizens in Afghanistan,” he added.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Mideast
Top
Iranian Sunni Cleric, Molavi Abdolhamid, Says Protesters Should Not Face Death
Sentences
02
December ,2022
A
prominent Sunni cleric said on Friday it was wrong to charge protesters with
capital offences as renewed demonstrations shook Iran’s restive southeast in
the third month of protests despite a violent state clampdown.
Videos
posted by the Iran Human Rights group showed minority ethnic Baluch women
chanting “I will kill whoever killed my brother”, and police shooting what it
said was birdshot and teargas at demonstrators. Another unverified video showed
injured protesters treated at a makeshift clinic in a mosque.
Molavi
Abdolhamid, a powerful dissenting Sunni voice in the Shi’ite-ruled Islamic
Republic, said it was wrong for the hardline judiciary to charge protesters
with “moharebeh” – an Islamic term meaning warring against God – which carries
the death penalty.
“A
person who has protested with stones and sticks or just by shouting should not
be accused of moharebeh. What the Koran calls moharebeh is when a group uses
arms and engages (in fighting),” Molavi Abdolhamid said in a Friday prayers
sermon, according to his website.
Besides
Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province where Molavi Abdolhamid
spoke, protests were held in Chabahar, Taftan and other parts of the
impoverished province, according to videos posted on social media. Reuters
could not verify the footage.
On
Tuesday, Javaid Rehman, a U.N.-appointed independent expert on Iran, voiced concern
that the repression of protesters was intensifying, with authorities launching
a “campaign” of sentencing them to death.
Already,
21 people arrested in the context of the protests face the death penalty,
including a woman indicted on “vague and broadly formulated criminal offences”,
and six have been sentenced this month, Rehman said.
Source:
The Globe And Mail
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran:
Human rights a plaything for some criminal regimes
03
December 2022
Iran’s
Foreign Ministry spokesman has denounced the fatal shooting of a young
Palestinian man by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, saying human
rights have turned into a plaything in the hands of some criminal governments.
Nasser
Kan’ani made the remarks in a post published on his Twitter page after video
footage widely circulated on social media showed an Israeli soldier putting the
Palestinian man, identified as 22-year-old Ammar Mefleh, in a headlock on the
street in the town of Huwara, south of Nablus, as two other men try to wrestle
him away.
The
man then appears to strike the Israeli soldier, before the trooper pulls out a
handgun and shoots him several times at point-blank.
“The
assassination of young Palestinian Ammar Hamdi Mefleh by the Zionist regime's
military fire at point-blank and before many eyes deserves an international
reaction. Nevertheless, the daily crimes of the criminal Zionist regime are
neither condemned by the so-called advocates of human rights, nor a fact-finding
commission is formed to probe such crimes,” Kan’ani tweeted.
He
added, “Human rights have become a plaything in the hands of some criminal
governments.”
Israeli
forces present at the scene prevented residents and ambulances from providing
aid to the injured Palestinian youth, provoking clashes with locals.
The
Palestinian Ministry of Health said Mefleh died of his critical wounds.
Meanwhile,
the United Nations Middle East envoy, Tor Wennesland, said on Twitter that he
was horrified by the latest killing.
Palestinian
Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said the criminal execution in the town of
Huwara reflects the extent of organized racism being practiced by Israeli
military forces.
Shtayyeh
expressed his utter shock and anger over the heartbreaking video footage of
Mefleh being fatally shot at point-blank by an Israeli soldier.
He
said Israeli soldiers feel assured that they will not be held accountable for
their crimes, and the approach emboldens them to repeat such offenses.
Shtayyeh
warned of the dangerous repercussions of such horrific crimes, calling on the
international community to immediately intervene to stop the crimes committed
by the occupying Israeli regime against the Palestinian nation.
He
also urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to quickly hold the
perpetrators to account.
Moreover,
the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the
heinous crime committed by an Israeli soldier against 22-year-old Palestinian
youth Ammar Mefleh.
The
ministry held Israel directly responsible for the assassination, stating that
the crime proves once again the regime’s predetermined plans to exacerbate the
situation and expand the scope of targeting killings of Palestinians.
Israeli
forces have recently been conducting overnight raids and killings in the
northern occupied West Bank, mainly in the cities of Jenin and Nablus, where
new groups of Palestinian resistance fighters have been formed.
Since
the start of 2022, Israeli troops have killed more than 200 Palestinians,
including more than 50 children, in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds as
well as the besieged Gaza Strip.
According
to the United Nations, the number of Palestinians killed by Israel in the
occupied West Bank this year is the highest in 16 years.
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Terrorists
opened fire on civilians to implicate government in killings: Iran MP
02
December 2022
The
head of the Iranian Parliament's foreign relations subcommittee says
Western-backed terrorists used firearms to shoot at security forces and
civilians to implicate the Iranian government in the killings.
Abbas
Golroo made the remarks on Friday while speaking to Iran’s official news agency
IRNA about the adoption of a resolution by the UN Human Rights Council,
engineered by Germany, to probe claims of human rights abuses during the recent
riots.
Martyrdom
of security forces in recent riots shows that they entered the field, without
being armed, to defend citizens, Golroo said. But the terrorists “opened fire
on people and military and police forces to implicate the government in killing
people.”
International
institutions are established to address issues facing countries according to
international law and without any political bias, he said, adding, “however,
the resolutions which were recently discussed in the UN Human Rights Council
and the IAEA Board of Governors were totally political and were ratified
against the Islamic Republic of Iran according to plans devised by the US and
the West and supported by their allies.”
The
UN body has voted to establish an independent international fact-finding
mission to investigate the purported abuses; however, Iran has strongly
condemned and rejected the resolution as an interference in its internal
affairs.
‘West
behind false-flag killings’
Golroo
noted that the hostile stances of those countries who voted in favor of the
resolution at the UN Human Rights Council are crystal clear.
“We
consider this to be a hostile approach far from reality, and we will have no
cooperation with such a committee because recent riots occurred due to the
involvement of terrorist movements to implement false-flag killings and level
accusations against Iran,” the lawmaker said.
He
said all such plots are “hatched by Western states, the US, and the Zionist
regime.”
The
resolution points to alleged violence against civilians and the killing of
protestors, especially children and women, while such false-flag killings have
been conducted by terrorist groups who are backed by Western countries, he
added.
If
the fact-finding committee is truly independent and seeks truth, it should
investigate terrorist attacks in Shah Cheragh and Izeh, said the MP, referring
to two recent terrorist attacks in Iran.
On
October 26, a Daesh-affiliated terrorist attacked the Shah Cheragh shrine in
the southern province of Fars before the evening prayers, killing at least 15
pilgrims — including a woman and two children — and injuring 40 others.
At
least seven people were also killed after terrorists opened fire at people and
security forces at a crowded market in Khuzestan province’s Izeh around sunset
on November 17.
The
bulk of the victims of these attacks were women and children, Golroo said,
adding, “All clues of these terrorist attacks can be traced back to countries
who called for the establishment of a fact-finding committee.”
Double
standards
Elsewhere
in his comments, Golroo said the countries who have demanded the formation of
the fact-finding committee are themselves perpetrators of such crimes.
“Why
didn’t they establish such a committee on crimes of the US, the UK, Germany,
and other supporters of such resolutions that have carried out crimes in Syria,
Yemen, Iran-Iraq war and other countries? ... [or] on the killing of half a
million women and children in Syria and Iraq by Daesh who acted as agents of
Europe, America, and the Zionist regime?” he asked.
The
anti-Iran resolution comes as foreign-backed riots have hit some Iranian
provinces since 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini died at the hospital on September
16, three days after she collapsed at a police station.
An
investigation has attributed Amini’s death to her medical condition, rather
than alleged beatings by the police.
Source:
Press TV
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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UN
nuclear chief says Iran ties need to get back on track
02
December ,2022
Iran
appears to be at odds with the UN nuclear watchdog over information it should
be providing regarding its atomic program, the head of the International Atomic
Energy Agency said on Friday.
“We
don’t seem to be seeing eye-to-eye with Iran over their obligations to the
IAEA,” Rafael Grossi told a conference in Rome, adding that he was concerned
over a recent announcement by Tehran that it was boosting its enrichment
capacity.
“We
need to put our relationship back on track,” he said.
Grossi
said he was “still hopeful” Teheran would give an explanation for the unexpected
discovery a few years back of traces of uranium traces at three undeclared
sites.
A
recent IAEA report said Iran had agreed to a visit by the UN watchdog in
November to start giving long-waited answers. However, the meeting has not yet
happened.
The
issue of the unexplained uranium particles has become an obstacle in wider
talks to revive Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers since Tehran is now
seeking a closure of the IAEA’s investigation as part of those negotiations,
Western powers say.
Grossi
said the talks appeared to have stalled. “At the moment it does not seem to
have the momentum it needs to (get) back to life,” he said.
He
added that he was concerned by Iran’s announcement last month that it had begun
enriching uranium to 60 percent purity at its Fordow nuclear plant.
“Iran
informed us they were tripling, not doubling, tripling their capacity to enrich
uranium at 60 percent, which is very close to military level, which is 90
percent” he said.
“This
is not banal. This is something that has consequences.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Israeli
officer kills assailant in West Bank; Palestinians denounce as execution work
02
December ,2022
An
Israeli officer shot dead a Palestinian assailant in the occupied West Bank on
Friday, border police said, an incident which the Palestinians denounced as an
execution.
The
man had stabbed and lightly wounded a border policeman after which another
officer overpowered him. The man then fought with the officer and tried to
snatch his rifle before the officer shot him dead, border police said in a
statement.
The
Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed his death. The Palestinian Foreign
Ministry said it was tantamount to an execution meant to escalate already
spiraling violence in the territory, which Palestinians seek for a state.
Border
police distributed a photo of a knife on the ground and another of a border
policeman with what appears to be a stabbing wound to his head.
A
video circulating on social media showed an officer holding a man in a
head-lock by a road as two other men try to wrestle him away. The man then
appears to strike the officer and attempt to take hold of his rifle before the
officer pulls out a handgun and shoots him several times as he falls to the
ground.
The
video, taken from a distance as vehicles cross the frame, could not be
independently verified by Reuters. It does not show what had transpired prior
and whether the man had been holding a knife or any other weapon before it was
filmed.
A
border police spokesman did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the
incident, which took place close to the city of Nablus.
The
city, along with nearby Jenin, has seen intensified and often fatal Israeli
military operations, since a spate of deadly Palestinian street attacks in
Israeli cities in March.
The
worst violence in the West Bank in years has deepened diplomatic stagnation
since US-brokered peace talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state there,
in Gaza and in East Jerusalem, collapsed in 2014.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Israeli
peace activists show presence in West Bank hot spot
December
03, 2022
HEBRON:
Dozens of Israeli peace activists toured the occupied West Bank’s largest city
on Friday in a show of solidarity with Palestinians, amid chants of “shame,
shame” from ultra-nationalist hecklers.
The
encounter in the center of Hebron signaled the widening rift among Israelis
over the nature of their society and Israel’s open-ended military rule over the
Palestinians, now in its 56th year.
After
parliamentary elections last month, the most right-wing and religious
government in Israel’s history is poised to be installed in coming days or
weeks, with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returning to power.
In
coalition agreements, Netanyahu has already handed key authorities in the West
Bank to ultra-nationalist faction leaders, including former fringe figure
Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his anti-Arab rhetoric.
The
new roles include oversight of Israeli settlement construction and the
paramilitary border police, often deployed in Palestinian population centers.
At
the same time, peace activists and pro-Palestinian rights groups have come
under attack in recent years from right-wing politicians branding them
traitors.
The
immediate trigger for Friday’s tour was an incident in volatile Hebron that was
caught on video last week.
The
video shows a soldier pushing a man to the ground and punching him in the face
after a tense standoff with a small group of peace activists.
Another
soldier is heard telling the activists: “Ben-Gvir is going to sort things out
in this place. That’s it, you guys have lost.”
The
soldier uttering the taunts was initially sentenced to 10 days in military
jail, but the army then reduced the sentence to six days.
As
incoming national security minister, Ben-Gvir will have control over the border
police whose troops are often deployed alongside regular soldiers in the West
Bank.
As
about 200 peace activists arrived in the center of Hebron on Friday, they were greeted
by a group of protesters holding a banner reading: “The people of Israel
demand: expel the anarchists from Hebron.” One man shouting through a bullhorn
yelled, “shame, shame,” as the visitors listened to tour guides in a parking
lot, separated from the right-wing protesters by security forces.
Friday’s
visit was part of the regular offerings of anti-occupation groups, but turnout
was larger than usual because of the election results and last week’s incident
in Hebron, said Ori Givati, a spokesman for Breaking the Silence, one of the
groups organizing the trip.
He
said activists were worried — but also determined to continue their work,
including tours to West Bank hot spots like Hebron, where dozens of heavily
guarded settlers live in a city of tens of thousands of Palestinians.
“There
is definitely fear for the safety, first and foremost for Palestinians under
this occupation that are now going to be under a government that promotes hate
and racism more than ever toward them, and toward our organization and other
organizations and activists that are now in a reality where their activity here
is delegitimized, also more than ever,” Givati said.
Those
chanting slogans against the peace activists portrayed themselves as defenders
of Israeli settlements and soldiers.
Matan
Gerafi of the right-wing Im Tirtzu group alleged the activists aimed to
discredit soldiers and branded them “anarchists.”
Palestinians
were largely out of sight as the Israeli groups faced off.
Issa
Amro, a Palestinian activist in Hebron, said he believes the hard-line ideology
of Ben-Gvir and others will spread further in Israeli society.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2210011/middle-east
--------
Israeli
police shoot dead Palestinian in West Bank
December
03, 2022
HUWARA:
Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian on Friday in the occupied West Bank, in
an incident described by the force as a stabbing and by a Palestinian official
as a quarrel.
Israeli
police said its border guards were approached by several suspects in the town
of Huwara when one “pulled out a knife and stabbed one of them.”
The
guards “responded by shooting one suspect and neutralizing him,” police said in
a statement, before confirming to AFP the Palestinian was killed.
There
are regular patrols by Israeli forces through the town of Huwara, which
straddles the main road south of Nablus in the northern West Bank.
A
member of the Huwara municipality, Wajeh Odeh, told AFP the shooting followed
“a quarrel.”
“An
Israeli soldier pushed the Palestinian to the floor and shot him from zero
distance,” Odeh said.
Heavily
armed border guards were deployed along the street following the incident,
according to an AFP journalist at the scene.
The
Palestinian Red Crescent told AFP its medics “were prevented from dealing with
a wounded person who was later declared dead.”
Israeli
police said one of its officers suffered minor injuries.
The
shooting marks the ninth Palestinian killed since Tuesday in the West Bank,
mostly in clashes with or raids by Israeli forces.
In
one incident, a man was shot dead after running over a soldier in an alleged
car ramming.
The
recent surge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has alarmed the
international community.
On
Monday, the UN envoy for Middle East peace, Tor Wennesland, warned the
situation in the West Bank was “reaching a boiling point.”
At
least 145 Palestinians and 26 Israelis have been killed so far this year across
the West Bank, Israel and the contested city of Jerusalem.
Israel
has occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem since the 1967 Six-Day War.
The
US representative for Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, on Wednesday said Washington
is “deeply aware of the tragic loss of life” in the Palestinian territories.
Those
killed in recent months include Israeli soldiers, Palestinian militants and
scores of civilians.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2210001/middle-east
--------
Africa
Northern
Christian, Muslim leaders adopt Atiku as consensus candidate for 2023
presidential election
December
2, 2022
Forum
of Christian and Muslim Political Leaders from the 19 northern states and the
Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have adopted the Presidential candidate of the
People’s Democratic Party, PDP, as the consensus candidate for the 2023
election.
Arising
from meeting of leaders and delegates from all over the north comprising of
religions leaders, women and youth organisations took the decision in Abuja on
Friday at the Atiku Abubakar Hall of Shehu Musa Yaradua centre.
The
forum adopted the report of IRS technical committee led by a former minority
leader of the House of Representatives Mohammed Kumalia and Nunge Mele, SAN.
It
will be recalled that the forum of Northern Christian and Muslim Leaders had on
October 8 set up the committee to recommend a pan-Nigerian platform to adopt in
the 2023 presidential election.
Source:
Daily Nigerian
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://dailynigerian.com/northern-christian-muslim/
--------
Kenyan
president suspends 4 election commissioners who disputed his win
Andrew
Wasike
02.12.2022
NAIROBI,
Kenya
Kenya’s
president on Friday suspended four of the nation’s election commissioners who
had disputed his win this August.
In
a notice, William Ruto said he carried out the suspension “having received and
considered the petition of the National Assembly and in exercise of the
prerogative vested in the Head of State and Government by Article 251 of the
Constitution.”
The
four commissioners from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries
Commissioners include Juliana Cherera, its vice chair, and three other top
members.
Ruto
has also formed a tribunal chaired by High Court Judge Aggrey Muchelule to
investigate the commissioners and report any constitutional violations or
“gross misconduct” they may have committed.
This
summer the quartet had disputed Ruto’s Aug. 9 election as defying math and
logic.
Late
Thursday, the National Assembly decided to create a committee report that
suggested dismissing the four commissioners.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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11
worshippers injured in mosque attack in south Nigeria
02
December, 2022
Gunmen
stormed a mosque in southern Nigeria's Delta state on Friday, wounding 11
worshippers after attempting to kidnap the imam, police said.
No
group has claimed responsibility for the violence, but Nigeria is facing a
myriad of security challenges, including a jihadist insurgency in the
northeast, kidnappings in central and northwestern states and separatist
tensions in the south.
The
early morning assault occurred at the mosque in Ughelli, near the oil city of
Warri.
"Eleven
(people) were injured," police spokesman Bright Edafe told AFP confirming
the incident.
He
said an investigation was underway to find the suspects.
Local
media quoting a community leader and a victim reported that an imam was
kidnapped during the attack.
Police
rejected the claim, saying "it was the intention to take him (the imam)
but they (the gunmen) did not succeed."
Kidnappings
are common in Nigeria and are largely committed for financial gain by criminals
known as bandits who have no known ideological motivation.
Security
in Delta state had improved compared to the early 2000s when militant groups
frequently attacked oil facilities or kidnapped oil workers.
But
in neighbouring southeastern states, scores of recent assaults have been blamed
on the outlawed separatists, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group and
its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.
IPOB,
which seeks a separate state for ethnic Igbo people has repeatedly denied
responsibility for the violence.
Source:
The New Arab
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.newarab.com/news/11-worshippers-injured-mosque-attack-south-nigeria
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