Salafi Preacher Mujahid Balussery Attacks PFI For For Justifying Its Killings Invoking Quran
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 April 2022
Mujahid Balussery
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• Torn Pages Of Sacred Text, Raw Meat, And Threats And
Abuses Written On Paper Dumped Outside Four Ayodhya Mosques
• UAE Mars Mission Discovers New Aurora On Red Planet,
Scientists Share Excitement
•
Federal Shariat Court Declares Interest-Based Banking System As Against Shariah
• Terrorism In Prisons: UK Report Warns Of Impact Of
Extremist Groups In Prisons
India
• Newly-Wed Hindu Youth Hosts Iftar Party At Mosque In
Karnataka
• Kerala Muslim Man’s Dedicated Work At Church, A
Lesson In True Piety
• This Ramadan, No Friday Prayers Allowed AtSrinagar’s
Historic Jamia Masjid
• Ethnic Group Slams Bid To Notify Them As Indigenous Assamese
Muslims
• BJP Says Uniform Civil Code Will Benefit All After Muslim
Personal Law Board Calls It ‘Unconstitutional’
• Assam’s Latest ID Proposal, For Assamese Muslims,
Raises Fresh Questions
• UP: Day Before Eid, Hindu Group To Hold A Jagran In
Muslim Locality in Meerut
--------
Arab World
• Saudi Arabia renews call for independent Palestinian
state
• Egyptian MPs Say Muslim Brotherhood Cannot Be
Invited To Proposed Political Dialogue
• Syria says reserves right to respond to Israel,
Turkey, US aggression
• Saudi Arabia condemns terrorist bombing at
Pakistan’s Karachi University
• Middle East helps Europe fill diesel void as Russian
flows slump amid war, sanctions
--------
Pakistan
• Investigators Say Varsity Blast Intended To Sabotage
Pak-China Ties
• Man picked up from Punjab University hostel for KU
blast connections
• KU attack ‘final wake-up call’ on crisis in
Balochistan
• Bilawal Bhutto Zardari takes oath as Pakistan's
foreign minister
• Pakistan Court To Indict PM Shehbaz Sharif, Son
Hamza In Money Laundering Case
• Pakistan cannot afford 'enmity with US at all': PM
Shehbaz Sharif
• ECP seeks recording of Imran's April 26 address from
Pemra
• IMF, Pakistan technical-level talks begin
• Centre, Sindh team up for security audit after KU
blast
--------
Europe
• Defending UK's Counter-Extremism Strategy, David
Cameron Fuels Anti-Muslim Hostility
• Tensions over race, religion in France’s
presidential race
• Pakistan calls for greater responsibility in using
veto
• Afghan refugees in Germany moved from govt housing
amid Ukrainian influx
--------
South Asia
• Bangladesh Communal Harmony: A Hindu Donates Land
For Mosque And A Muslim For Crematorium
• Bangladeshi Scientists Launch IsDB-Funded
Eco-Friendly Homes In Rohingya Camps
• EU Delivers 34 Tonnes of Humanitarian Aid to
Afghanistan
• US Left $7bn worth of Military Equipment in
Afghanistan: DoD
• Former Afghan president Karzai urges Taliban to
reopen schools for girls
--------
Mideast
• Thousands of Palestinians pray at al-Aqsa Mosque
ahead of Intl. Quds Day
• Erdogan says Turkish courts proved independence by
convicting Osman Kavala
• Turkey prevents Hamas members from entering its
territory: Report
• Iranian Deputy FM: Any Initiative in Palestine
Should End Zionists' Occupation
• Iranian Interior Minister Dismisses Clash with
Taliban Forces at Borders
• Iranian DM: Escalation of Crisis in World Result of
West's Hegemonic Policies
• Human Rights Official Raps European States for
Failure to Protect Iranian Missions
• Minister: Iran to End Flare Burning to Produce
Petrochemical Feedstock
• Iran, China agree to expand military cooperation:
Iranian military chief
• Maqloubah, a tasty Palestinian food and a 'symbol of
Israel downfall'
--------
Southeast Asia
• Bukit Aman Confirms Viralled Statement On
Prohibition For Use Of Loudspeakers For Azan Not In Malaysia
• July 25 hearing for PM’s injunction application over
‘begged for support’ article
• ‘Sudden death’ used as catch-all for many migrant
worker fatalities, says analyst
• Bersatu ‘will work with anyone’ for straight fight
against BN
--------
Africa
• Jordan Pushing To Restore Jerusalem Mosque Status
Quo - Sources
• Ethiopia: 21 Muslims killed in “planned massacre” in
Gonder
• Clashes in Sudan’s West Darfur killed over 210:
Governor
• Former top Sudanese official Suleiman says he’s
released from detention
• French army watches for bombs and potholes as it
withdraws from Mali base
--------
North America
• Irish Member Of The European Parliament Slams US
Sanctions On Iran, Others As ‘Crime Against Humanity’
• Vast majority of Afghans turned away by US entry
program
• Biden, Clintons herald Madeleine Albright as force
for good at Washington funeral
• Moscow swaps ex-US marine Reed for Russian pilot
jailed in US
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Salafi Preacher Mujahid Balussery Attacks PFI For For Justifying Its Killings Invoking Quran
27th April 2022
Mujahid Balussery
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KOZHIKODE: Salafi preacher Mujahid Balussery has
launched a scathing attack on the Popular Front of India (PFI) for justifying
its killings invoking the Islamic scriptures. He asserted that emotional
approach is not beneficial to the community at a time when the enemies are
waiting for an opportunity to put the Muslims on the defensive.
“If Prophet Muhammad were alive, he would have slapped
the NDF (PFI) leaders. I have decided to launch a campaign against NDF for the
coming two years even if they mount a physical attack on me,” Balussery said in
a video that appeared on social media.
“A person who loves the religion of Allah cannot love
the NDF for even a fraction of a second. I have accessed the inside details of
the NDF and have understood the paths they have taken in various places in
Kerala,” he said.
Balussery said the PFI leaders exhort its workers to
flee the scene of action and go into hiding in other states, leaving their
families to the mercy of the police. “Then, they claim that this is Islam,” he
said. The Salafi preacher said the PFI will swing into action only when its
cadre members are attacked.
“Will the organisation avenge the murder of an IUML or
PDP worker or an innocent CPM cadre? This revenge killing is the Jewish
tradition, not the Islamic one,” he added. Balussery asked whether the PFI
would implement the Islamic punishment in all aspects of life. “Would you chop
off the hands of those who stole something from your house? Would you stone to
death those who indulge in adultery? Why Quranic law is applicable only in
chopping off the heads?” he asked.
Punishing a person who is in no way connected to
violence is not the justice envisaged in Islam. “In fact, PFI is not opposing
the RSS; it is actually helping it. The RSS has an agenda of killing a Muslim
in Holy Ramzan in front of mosque and those who help the RSS in achieving its
goal is not the ally of Muslims,” said Balussery.
Source:New Indian Express
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Torn Pages Of Sacred Text, Raw Meat, And Threats And
Abuses Written On Paper Dumped Outside Four Ayodhya Mosques
Apr 28, 2022
Pandey said that the accused were arrested on the
basis of CCTV footage.
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AYODHYA: In an alleged attempt to disrupt peace and
harmony in the temple town of Ayodhya, unidentified persons dumped some
objectionable items, including torn pages of sacred text, raw meat, and threats
and abuses written on paper, outside mosques in the district during the early
hours of Wednesday.
Senior police officials described the incident as an
attempt by mischief-mongers to disrupt communal harmony and added that the
Muslim community exercised restraint which helped in maintaining peace in the
district.
Four FIRs were lodged against unidentified persons for
dumping objectionable material at four religious spots -Taatshah Jama Masjid,
Masjid Ghosiyana, Kashmiri Mohalla mosque and the Mazar of Gulab Shah Baba. All
these religious places fall under the jurisdiction of Kotwali City police
station of Ayodhya.
Commissioner NavdivRinwa, IG KP Singh, DM Nitish Kumar
and SSP Shailesh Pandey rushed to the spots to take stock of the situation.
Taking to the TOI, DM Nitish Kumar and SSP Shailesh Pandey said it was an
attempt to trigger communal riots in Ayodhya but the Muslim community kept
patience and reposed faith in the Ayodhya district administration to foil the
nefarious designs of the anti-social elements.
"Some people are trying to defame the state
government by creating an atmosphere of communalism. I strongly condemn this
act and no such activity should be carried out as it can disturb communal
harmony," BJP MP from Faizabad, Lallu Singh, said.
The priest of Hanumangarhi Temple, Mahant Dharam Das,
said: "I condemn this act on behalf of the Hindu community. People
belonging to both the communities are peace loving and everything is normal. I
appeal to Muslims to remain patient and firmly believe in Hindu-Muslim
amity."
The district administration officials held multiple
meetings with Muslim clerics and assured them that strict action would be taken
against the accused persons.
Source: Times Of India
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original story:
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UAE Mars mission discovers new aurora on red planet,
scientists share excitement
28 April ,2022
Visualization showing the occurrence of the newly
found aurora on Mars by the Emirates Mars Mission. (Twitter)
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The United Arab Emirates’ Mars mission (EMM) has
identified a mysterious-looking aurora in the planet’s atmosphere that has
opened up various avenues to further explore the newly found phenomena, the
Emirates news agency WAM reported on Wednesday.
Experts are dubbing the occurrence “sinuous discrete
aurora” and described it as “a huge worm-like aurora” that extends halfway
around the planet, according to WAM.
It’s reportedly carried around the planet by a solar
wind combined with the magnetism in the Martian crust, and it extends from the
dayside and into night.
Aurora light displays can be seen on earth’s sky in
high-altitude regions, and are a result of an interaction with charged
particles from the sun with atoms in the upper atmosphere. These are commonly
found on the north and south poles of Earth.
While auroras look similar on Mars, the cause of the
phenomenon is different from that of the Earth.
“When we first imaged Mars’ discrete aurora shortly
after the Hope probe arrived at Mars in 2021, we knew we had unveiled a new
potential to make observations never before possible on this scale, and we took
the decision to increase our focus on these auroras,” Emirates Mars Mission
Science Lead, Hessa al-Matroushi said, according to WAM.
“We can obtain nearly whole-disk, synoptic snapshots
of the atmosphere to investigate atmospheric phenomena and interactions. It
means we are seeing discrete auroral effects on a massive scale and in ways we
never anticipated.”
The discovery has piqued the interest of the science
community. Dr. Rob Lillis, EMUS team member at the University of California,
Berkeley was quoted by WAM as saying that it has left scientists “scratching
their heads,” and called it a “shocking” discovery.
EMM project director Omran Sharaf said that the
discovery “opened up whole new avenues of investigation into these transient
and dynamic phenomena. Novel science was a core mission objective and this is
certainly novel.”
The Hope probe arrived at the red planet coinciding
with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee in 2021. All images and data captured by the
probe have been made available free of charge online.
Space technology is a key part of the Gulf state’s
plans to reduce its dependence on oil. The Emirates Mars Mission is the first
interplanetary exploration undertaken by an Arab nation.
The country entered the space race last year when it
launched the first Arab mission to Mars. It established a space agency in 2014
and sent its first astronaut to the International Space Station five years
later.
Earlier in February, the UAE and Bahrain co-launched a
terrestrial gamma-ray flashes monitoring nano-satellite from the international
space station.
Source: Al Arabiya
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Federal Shariat Court Declares Interest-Based Banking
System As Against Shariah
Haseeb Bhatti
April 28, 2022
A file photo of the Federal Shariat Court building in
Islamabad. — Photo courtesy Radio Pakistan
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The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) on Thursday announced
a verdict in a long-pending case on Riba (interest), declaring the prevailing
interest-based banking system as against the Shariah and directed the
government to facilitate all loans under an interest-free system.
In its long-awaited verdict, the court ruled that the
federal government and provincial governments must amend relevant laws and
issued directives that the country's banking system should be free of interest
by December 2027.
The court observed that banks were receiving more than
the loan amount when fell under the category of usury. "Islamic banking
system is risk-free and against exploitation," Justice Dr Syed Muhammad
Anwar remarked.
"Almost two decades have elapsed but the
governments have not taken any decisions against the interest system,"
Justice Anwar said.
The court also declared all the provisions of the
Interest Act 1839, which facilitate interest, as unlawful.
The FSC had reserved its verdict in the case on April
12.
The full FSC bench comprising Chief Justice Muhammad
Noor Meskanzai, Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwar, and Justice Khadim Hussain M
Shaikh had heard a number of constitutional petitions filed against the
interest-based banking system in the country and reserved the decision of the
case after the completion of arguments of the lawyers of the parties.
In the hearing today, Justice Anwar said an
interest-free banking system is possible the world over.
He emphasised that the elimination of interest from
the economic system is a shariah and legal obligation.
"I disagree with the federal government in its
reply stating negative effects of interest-free banking," the judge noted.
The case
The first petition for the abolition of the
interest-based banking system in the country was filed in the FSC on June 30,
1990.
The then chief justice of the FSC, Dr Tanzeelur
Rehman, had constituted a three-member bench that delivered judgment in the
case on November 14, 1991, and sought its implementation by April 30, 1992. The
then PML-N government had challenged the decision in the apex court.
Years later on December 23, 1999, the Supreme Court
upheld the decision of the FSC and directed authorities to ensure its
implementation by June 30, 2000.
Subsequently, a review appeal was filed in 2002 with
the top court, and on June 24, 2002, the decision of the Shariah Court was
suspended and the case was referred back to the FSC for interpretation of Riba.
The case against the interest rate system had been
pending in the Shariat Court for the last 19 years. Around nine chief justices
of the FSC have completed their terms since then, but the case remained
undecided until its verdict was announced today.
Source: Dawn
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Terrorism In Prisons: UK Report Warns Of Impact Of
Extremist Groups In Prisons
April 27, 2022
Usman Khan killed two in a knife attack in central
London in 2019. (AP/Reuters/File photos)
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LONDON: Britain’s prisons have failed to recognize the
dangers of extremist “gang-type activity” and the impact of those groups has
been underestimated for too long by authorities, an independent report into the
prison service said.
The landmark review on “Terrorism in Prisons” said
that for the last 15 years groups of prisoners had adopted “an anti-state
Islamist stance” that condones or encourages violence toward non-Muslim
prisoners, prison officers and the general public.
The review was commissioned after a 2019 attack near
London Bridge in which Usman Khan, a convicted militant who had been released
early from prison, killed two people.
The report said there was a clear strand of prison
behavior that could be illustrated by referring to Khan’s time there. “Much but
not all of it is related to Usman Khan’s role in extremist groups within the
prison,” the review said.
Extremist group behaviour had come to be seen as part
of the prison landscape, the report said, and warned that militants who have
been convicted of serious offenses tended to exert influence within groups of
prisoners.
The report said there was an understandable fear of
discriminating against Muslim prisoners generally by focusing on a particular
“flavour of gang-type behaviour.”
It cited a tendency to regard Islam as a “no-go area”
leading both to a reluctance to focus on extremist group behaviour and an
overloading of responsibility on prison imams.
“The point is to ensure that terrorist-risk
behaviour...is nipped in the bud, and take action to ensure that extremist
groups are not the dominant source of prisoner power and that prisoners do not
feel the need to adopt particular pro-terrorist identities in order to fit in,”
the review said.
After the review, justice minister Dominic Raab
announced a raft of measures on Wednesday including the use of “Separation
Centres” in prisons to target what the government said were “influential and
charismatic terrorists” to keep them away from the main prison population.
Source: ArabNews
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original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2071951/world
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India
Newly-wed
Hindu youth hosts Iftar party at mosque in Karnataka
Apr
28, 2022
Setting
an example in communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka, a
newly married Hindu youth hosted an Iftar party at a mosque in Vittal in
Bantwal taluk.
Amid
the outcry over hijab, halal, azaan and the call for boycotting shops belonging
to Muslims, the youth emerged as a symbol of communal harmony through his
action.
J
Chandrashekar of Byrikatte in Vittal got married on April 24. As Muslims are
celebrating Ramzan this month, many of his friends in the community could not
enjoy the feast at the wedding ceremony.
He
then decided to host an Iftar party for his Muslim friends at a mosque to mark
his wedding celebration.
Later,
the newly wed man was felicitated by the Imam and office-bearers of
JalaliyaJuma Masjid and all the people who attended the Iftar blessed the
newly-wed couple.
The
controversial dominos fell one after the other without break in the state,
after the outbreak of the hijab ban row. From the ban on Muslim traders at
local fairs and annual festivals in various parts of Karnataka, the killing of
Bajrang Dal activist Harsha by a Muslim gang in Shivamogga, RSS leader Kalladka
Prabhakar Bhat's statements that ‘Saffron flag can replace the Tricolour,’ and
demands for ban on madrasas and halal meat during Ugadi all came later, owing
to heightened communal tension in the state.
Source: Hindustan Times
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Kerala
Muslim man’s dedicated work at church, a lesson in true piety
28th
April 2022
By
NejmaSulaiman
IDUKKI:
In what could be perceived as an example of devotion with no boundaries, a
58-year-old Muslim man has been cleaning and taking care of a church in
Thodupuzha in Idukki for more than 30 years. Nazar Hameed, a resident of
Karikode in Thodupuzha, has been a vital part in the day-today activities of St
Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Church since the time the church was built in the late
1980s.
From
ringing the church bell to organising wedding ceremonies, funerals and the
annual church feast procession, Nazar plays a key role. “I started with doing
small jobs at the church at the age of 20. Then, I did it to earn whatever
pocket money I could to avoid disturbing my father for cash. After I started doing
it, it turned a habitual work that gave me peace of mind,” Nazar said.
As
years passed, Nazar got married and the couple had three children. No one
including his wife objected to his work. Seeing the dedication of Nazar, the
church authorities also gave him the permission to set up a temporary vegetable
stall in front of the ‘kappela’ of the church situated inside the Thodupuzha
market, which gives him an income in addition to the monthly salary given by
the church authorities. People in the area appreciate his work.
Source:New
Indian Express
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This
Ramadan, no Friday prayers allowed at Srinagar’s historic Jamia Masjid
by
Bashaarat Masood
April
28, 2022
The
Jammu and Kashmir government has decided not to allow the last congregational
Friday prayers of Ramadan at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.
“It
has been conveyed that the Jumat-ul-Vida (the last Friday prayers of Ramadan)
and Shab-e-Qadr (night prayers on the 27th night of Ramadan) would not be
allowed at the grand mosque,” secretary of AnjumanAuqaf Jamia Masjid, Altaf
Ahmad Bhat, said.
A
team of officials led by the tehsildar and police officials conveyed the
decision late on Wednesday evening.
While
the Shab-e-Qadr – the night on which Muslims stay awake and pray – falls on
Thursday, the Jumat-ul-Vida prayers fall on Friday. The Jumat-ul-Vida prayers
are traditionally the largest congregation of the year at the grand mosque and
over 1 lakh worshippers attend.
Police
sources said the decision to disallow the prayers was taken as police did not
want to take any chances. “Traditionally, it is a huge congregation and it can
easily spiral into an Azadi protest,” a police officer said. “It would be
difficult for us to manage such a huge congregation.”
Friday
prayers at the grand mosque were allowed in March after almost two and a half
years. While the mosque was closed for worshippers after the abrogation of
Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5, 2019, Friday congregational
prayers were not allowed due to the pandemic till March this year.
A
religious seat of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the grand mosque in the
old Srinagar city has traditionally been the stronghold of separatists. Since
August 2019, Mirwaiz has been under house detention and has not been allowed to
give a sermon at the mosque.
The
mosque was opened for Friday prayers on March 4 this year after a meeting
between the management and a team of government officials led by Divisional
Commissioner Pandurag Pole and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay
Kumar.
Source:
Indian Express
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Ethnic
group slams bid to notify them as indigenous Assamese Muslims
Rahul
Karmakar
APRIL
28, 2022
Calls
out panel recommendation by the BJP-led government as bid to sift
Assamese-speaking Muslims from Bengali-speaking Muslims
A
mostly Muslim ethnic group has slammed the BJP-led Assam government’s decision
to notify Assamese Muslims as a distinct indigenous community.
The
move, based on the recommendations of a panel that the State government set up
in July 2021, seeks to identify a section of the Assamese by their religion and
not by their ethnicity, the Sadou Asom GoriaJatiya Parishad (SAGJP) said on
Wednesday.
Goria
is one of the sub-groups of people generalised as Assamese Muslims. The others
are Syed, Moria, Deshi and Julha.
These
communities have been classified according to those Muslims, who have either
settled down in Assam or converted from other communities since the 13 th
century. The Deshi and Julha people, for instance, converted from the
Rajbongshi and the Adivasi or “tea tribes” communities.
“The
panel on indigenous Assamese Muslims comprising seven sub-committees, in its
July 21 report submitted to the government, suggested notification of the
community. This is essentially flawed and divisive since our history has no
reference to Assamese Muslims,” SAGJP president Moinul Islam said.
The
Assamese society was not established on the basis of religion, he said.
“There
is no such thing as Assamese Muslims, just as there is no Assamese Hindu or
Assamese Christian community. The government is trying to erase the ethnic
identity of the Goria-Moria people and impose the religious identity on them,
which is unconstitutional,” Mir Arif Iqbal Hussain, the organisation’s general
secretary said.
The
SAGJP said the ‘Assamese Muslim’ tag will lead to some members of the Goria
community, who follow other faiths, to lose their ethnic identity. It cited the
example of Azizul Haque, a priest at a Baptist Church in Guwahati.
Critics
of the plan to notify the Assamese Muslims say it is a bid to sift
Assamese-speaking Muslims from the Bengali-speaking or Bengal-origin Muslims,
viewed as “Bangladeshis” or “illegal migrants” in Assam. The Assamese-speaking
Muslims are about 4% of the total Muslim population in Assam.
Source:TheHindu
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BJP
says Uniform Civil Code will benefit all after Muslim Personal Law Board calls
it ‘unconstitutional’
Abhishek
Mishra
April
27, 2022
The
recent Hanuman Chalisa and hijab controversies have sparked a discussion on the
possibility of the Uniform Civil Code being implemented in India.
The
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has termed the Uniform Civil Code
as unconstitutional and anti-minority.
In
this context, AIMPLB general secretary Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani
stated that the Constitution of the country allows every citizen to live life
according to their religion and this has been included in the fundamental
rights.
However,
Uttar Pradesh minority welfare minister and BJP leader Dharmpal Singh told
India Today that the Uniform Civil Code would benefit every community and
opposition to it is not justified.
WHAT
AIMPLB SAID
According
to AIMPLB general secretary Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, personal
laws were made for minority groups as per their wishes under the fundamental
rights in the Constitution and these must be continued.
He
said that this has helped to maintain unity and trust between majority and
minority communities in the nation and has not caused any harm.
Mohammad
Suleman, founding member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, alleged
that the issue of Uniform Civil Code had been brought up to divert attention
from real issues and called the BJP government’s policies divisive.
Echoing
these sentiments, Darul Uloom Deoband spokesperson Maulana Sufiyan Nizami told
India Today that the Uniform Civil Code is not in the interest of Muslims,
whose religious practices, education and rules and regulations are different
from other religions.
He
added that Muslims, like tribal communities, have their own culture. “All
Muslims support the stand of the personal law board and if this bill comes in,
it will be legally opposed,” he said.
WHAT
BJP SAID
Responding
to these statements, BJP leader Mohsin Raza questioned the significance of
AIMPLB. He said that if the organisation wants Sharia laws to be imposed, they
should go to countries where such laws already exist.
“In
India, UCC will work,” he said.
Source:IndiaToday
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Assam’s
latest ID proposal, for Assamese Muslims, raises fresh questions
by
Tora Agarwala
April
28, 2022
An
Assam government panel’s recommendation to identify Assamese Muslims as a
distinct group has given rise to questions about whether it will benefit the
community or fuel further division among Muslims, and what indigenous means in
a state whose demography has been shaped by waves of migration over the
decades.
Last
week, the panel recommended the issuance of a notification and identity cards
or certificates, and a census to “identify and document” the Assamese Muslim
community. Considered distinct from Bengali-speaking Muslims who migrated from
present-day Bangladesh, the “indigenous” Muslim community is divided into four
main groups that claim to trace their origins in Assam to several centuries
ago. These groups are the Goriyas and the Moriyas (from Upper Assam), the
Deshis (from Lower Assam), and the Julha Muslims (from the tea gardens).
The
panel was set up last July after Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarma’s meeting
with Assamese Muslims from various fields — writers, doctors, cultural workers,
lecturers, historians, and musicians, among others — to discuss socio-economic
challenges confronting the community. The stated aim of Sarma’s outreach was
the community’s welfare. In the meeting, he emphasised that the “uniqueness of
the indigenous Assamese Muslims should be protected and preserved”.
Divided
into seven sub-committees, the panel submitted its report on April 21. It also
made suggestions on matters related to education, political representation,
health, skill development, and women’s empowerment. Accepting the
recommendations, the chief minister said they were “implementable” and added
that the committee had also defined Assamese Muslims. “We have accepted the
definition … now the target group will be clearer, and what work needs to be
done for them,” he added.
Some
in the community see official recognition as a way to end their “identity
crisis” as they are often confused with Bengali-speaking Muslims. BJP member
Syed MuminulAowal who heads the JanagosthiyaSamannay Parishad (JSPA), an
umbrella body of more than 30 “indigenous” organisations, said Assamese Muslims
had the “same names as Bengali Muslims and are often clubbed with them”.
“Among
the 1.3 core Muslims in Assam, Assamese Muslims are a minority. We barely have
any political representation. A step like this will help indigenous Assamese Muslims
benefit not just from Clause 6 but other schemes too,” said Aowal, who was
earlier the chairperson of the Assam Minorities Development Board. He was
referring to Clause 6 of the Assam Accord that grants “constitutional,
legislative, and administrative safeguards” to the “Assamese people”.
Pointing
out the fraught nature of an attempt to define “indigenous” in a state such as
Assam, and the ambiguity of the term, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)
legislator Aminul Islam said the panel’s proposals were part of a “political
rhetoric” to “isolate Bengali Muslims further”.
“They
want to bring yet another division among Muslims, that is why they are doing
this. Till now, we do not have a base year to define who is an Assamese. More
than that, there are many marriages between Assamese and Bengali Muslims. How
does one identify such families?” he asked.
A
Congress legislator, who did not wish to be named, agreed that the step was not
good news for Bengali Muslims. “But it is also true that Assamese Muslims have
long felt deprived of benefits and for them it is a good step. But yes, this
will create a division and isolate Bengali Muslims even further,” he added.
Push
for a census
A
census for Assamese Muslims was first proposed in February 2020. After a meeting
with the community’s members, then state Minorities Minister Ranjit Dutta
confirmed plans to hold the census based on the 2019 Budget that had provisions
for a “Development Corporation for Indigenous Muslims” for “holistic
development” of the community as well as a “socio-economic census”.
There
was no movement on the matter till April 2021 when Aowal’s JSPA, independent of
the government, launched a website to conduct a census of Assamese Muslims
“modelled on the lines of the National Register of Citizens (NRC)”. But the
exercise did not take off.
Last
week’s development shows the census may indeed be taken forward. The Congress
legislator said there had been noise about various such efforts but it was a
topic “no one wanted to touch, considering it was a hot potato”. “However, the
chief minister is a shrewd politician and he knows this will help him
politically,” he added.
Aowal
said the recommendations were good but added they need to be reviewed. He
added, “In its current form, the recommendations refer to identification for
the ‘Assamese Muslim’ — but it is important that specific groups such as
Goriyas, Moriyas, Deshis, and Julas are identified, considering the definition
of indigenous is not clear.”
Islam
said it would “ultimately not be implemented” since it was not
“constitutionally legal” and warned that “damage would be done and further
marginalise the Bengali Muslim community”.
Source:
Indian Express
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UP:
Day Before Eid, Hindu Group To Hold A Jagran In Muslim Locality in Meerut
27th
April 2022
Amidst
communal tensions in the country, a Hindu group plans to hold a night-long
ritual (also known as a Jagran), in a Muslim locality on the eve of Eid al-Fitr
in Meerut. This is despite the police stating clearly that permission would not
be granted.
In
a video that surfaced on Twitter, a Hindu priest was seen threatening a police
officer, demanding that the Jagran be given permission.
In
a video that surfaced on Twitter, a Hindu priest, surrounded by a group of his
followers, can be seen arguing with the police.
Although
the inspector tries reasoning with the priest, the latter remained adamant. The
inspector said, “No permission is given for you to hold the Jagran. However,
you are free to do as you wish.”
The
priest replies, “I will conduct the Jagran regardless of whether permission is
granted or not.”
This
incident is accompanied by a series of anti-muslim crimes and charges of
discrimination that have gravely affected the community.
Source:Siasat
Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/up-day-before-eid-hindu-group-to-hold-a-jagran-in-muslim-locality-2316774/
--------
Arab World
Saudi
Arabia renews call for independent Palestinian state
April
27, 2022
NEW
YORK: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday reaffirmed to the UN its stance over Palestine
calling for end to the Israeli occupation, the establishment of an independent
Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the guaranteed right of
return for refugees.
The
message came during a speech to a UN Security Council session — to discuss the
Middle East and Palestinian situation — by Counselor Mohammed Al-Ateeq, charge
d’affaires of the permanent mission of Saudi Arabia to the UN.
He
highlighted the importance of comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle
East as a strategic option to end the conflict, on the basis of the two-state
solution, in accordance with international references, the 2002 Arab Peace
Initiative, return of refugees, and putting an end to Israel’s occupation of
all Arab territories.
Al-Ateeq
said: “The Muslims’ holy month of Ramadan has witnessed the Israeli occupation
forces storming Al-Aqsa Mosque, closing its gates, and attacking defenseless
worshippers inside the mosque and in its outer courtyards.”
He
noted that the Kingdom strongly condemned the Israeli actions describing them
as a blatant attack on the Islamic nation and a violation of international
resolutions.
The
Saudi diplomat called on the international community, and the UN Security
Council in particular, to hold Israel fully responsible for its continued
violations against Palestinian people and their territories which, he pointed
out, would only lead to more violence and security tensions in the region.
Addressing
delegates, Al-Ateeq also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of recent
attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on civilian targets in the Kingdom. He told
the session that it was his country’s sovereign right to take all necessary
measures to defend its territories and citizens, in accordance with its
obligations under international law.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2072061/saudi-arabia
--------
Egyptian
MPs say Muslim Brotherhood cannot be invited to proposed political dialogue
27
Apr 2022
Gamal
Essam El-Din
El-Sisi's
made the call at a Ramadan Iftar attended by representatives of most of the
country's political forces, business associations, ministers, leading MPs and
senators, opposition figures, media people, journalists and youth leaders.
El-Sisi
said that recommendations for this dialogue will be referred to the House and
Senate for further discussion.
Egyptian
MPs agreed that the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood cannot be invited to any
expected political dialogue.
MP
Mahmoud Badr said in a statement that he believes that President El-Sisi's call
for a political dialogue is directed to civilian forces only.
"Those
who have blood on their hands or were implicated in terror-related crimes
cannot be invited to such a national political dialogue," said Badr,
adding that "the Muslim Brotherhood was designated a terrorist
organisation in 2013, and so nobody can expect that members of such a terrorist
organisation can be invited to such national dialogues."
Badr
said that during the iftar ceremony, President El-Sisi referred to the TV
series El-Ikhtiar 3, which documents the years of confrontation between the
Muslim Brotherhood and civilian forces.
"According
to the president during the Iftar ceremony, El-Ikhtiar 3 is showing exactly
what happened on the ground in Egypt between 2012 and 2013," said Badr,
adding that "these words clearly mean that the Muslim Brotherhood is a
terrorist organisation and can't be part of any national dialogue."
In
his statement before the Iftar ceremony on Tuesday evening, President El-Sisi
said Egypt lost $38 billion in its war against terrorist organisations after
the year 2011.
Badr
also indicated that President El-Sisi's support for releasing activists does not
apply to the Muslim Brotherhood.
"This
applies to civilian activists and not to members of terrorist organisations
with blood on their hands," said Badr.
On
24 April, the prosecutor-general announced a decision to release 41 pretrial
detainees, mostly lawyers, human rights activists and journalists. President
El-Sisi said on Tuesday that he was happy that they had been released, noting
that “the homeland should be wide open for all and differences of opinion
should not harm the nation.”
Moushira
Khattab, president of the National Council for Human Rights, indicated that
most of the released detainees were political activists or journalists.
“We
are hopeful that others who are not involved in terror-related cases will be
released,” she said.
Most
of the 41 released detainees were in custody pending trial in political or
freedom of speech cases.
Tarek
Radwan, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Human Rights Committee, said
in a statement that the release of activists and journalists would help pave
the way for a successful political dialogue.
"Those
released are civilian activists and not members of terrorist
organisations," said Radwan, also agreeing that "the Muslim
Brotherhood can't be invited to any proposed national dialogue."
In
a statement issued on Wednesday, the leftist Tagammu Party said it strongly
supports El-Sisi's call for a political dialogue as it reflects a national
need.
"But
this dialogue should be confined to civilian forces only, including recognised
political parties and civil society organisations, with the objective of
drawing up a new political roadmap for the coming years," said
El-Tagammu's statement.
MP
Faridi El-Biaddi, a member of the leftist Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party,
also said in a statement on Wednesday that El-Sisi's call for political
dialogue is directed to all civilian political and social forces.
“We
saw symbols of some of these forces attending the iftar ceremony and I think
they are the only ones who will be invited to the proposed dialogue,” said
El-Biaddi.
El-Biaddi
also agreed that civilian activists serving prison sentences or are in custody
pending trial are the ones expected to be released in the future.
"But
we do not expect that members of terrorist-designated organisations who were
implicated in terror-related crimes will be released," said El-Biaddi,
concluding that "we want a nation for all – Muslims and Christians,
majority and opposition – but not for radical and terrorist forces."
Former
MP Kamal Ahmed also warned in a press interview on Wednesday against inviting
the Muslim Brotherhood to the proposed political dialogue.
"Inviting
this organisation to such a dialogue means that they could be integrated into
the political process again and this will be quite a dangerous
development," said Ahmed, wondering "how, while we are watching the
anti-Brotherhood TV serial El-Ikhtiar, can we open the door for this terrorist
organisation to come back to political life?"
Ahmed,
a founder of the Arab Nasserist Party, said "the call for a national
political dialogue should not be directed only to gather support from political
forces for a new loan deal with the IMF or satisfy the American who are openly
exerting political pressure on Egypt."
Independent
MP Mostafa Bakri also tweeted on Wednesday that he has high hopes that
"the call for a wide-ranging dialogue will put an end to the state of
political sclerosis in Egypt."
Bakri
also agreed that the call for political dialogue should be directed to all
civilian forces without exception.
Source:
Ahram
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/465374.aspx
--------
Syria
says reserves right to respond to Israel, Turkey, US aggression
27
April 2022
Syria
says it reserves the right to respond "by appropriate means" to
occasionally-deadly attacks by the Israeli, Turkish, and American forces
against the Arab country's territory and citizens.
The
Syrian foreign ministry made the remarks on Wednesday in a letter to United
Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council, the
official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.
Earlier
in the day, the Israeli military conducted a missile attack against the Syrian
capital of Damascus' countryside, killing four soldiers, wounding three others,
and causing some material damage.
The
ministry denounced the attack as "blatant and cowardly aggression,"
calling on the UN General Secretariat and Security Council "to condemn the
Israeli crimes and demand their cessation and respect [for] the relevant
Security Council resolutions," the agency reported.
The
attack "coincided with the continuous attacks perpetrated by the US and
Turkish occupation forces on Syrian citizens and Syrian lands."
These
attacks, it added, were being conducted "in support of terrorist
groups," and were therefore threatening to "prolong the war in
Syria."
he
Israeli regime's attacks on Syria started to grow significantly in scale and
frequency after 2011, when Syria found itself in the grip of rampant
foreign-backed terrorism.
The
regime would, meanwhile, provide safe passage and medical treatment to the
Takfiri terrorists that could flee the Syrian military's operations into
Syria's Golan Heights that has been under Tel Aviv's occupation since 1967.
Turkey
has been conducting an incursion against Syria’s northern parts since 2016
under the pretext of fighting back against Kurdish militants known as the
People’s Protection Units (YPG). Turkey associates the YPG with the Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK), which has been fighting against Ankara for decades in an
effort to carve out a separatist state in southeastern Turkey.
So
far, Turkey has deployed thousands of troops in the areas, in what Damascus has
decried as, outright violation of its sovereignty.
Source:PressTV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Saudi
Arabia condemns terrorist bombing at Pakistan’s Karachi University
April
28, 2022
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the terrorist bombing that took place near a
Chinese institute at Pakistan's Karachi university killing a number of people.
The
Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs renewed in a statement the Kingdom’s
solidarity and stand with Pakistan against violence, extremism and terrorism.
It also stressed Saudi Arabia’s rejection of these criminal acts that are
incompatible with all religious principles and morals and human values, the
Saudi Press Agency said.
The
ministry offered condolences to the families of the victims, and the Pakistani
government and people.
A
Pakistan separatist group warned Wednesday of more deadly attacks on Chinese
targets, a day after a woman suicide bomber killed four people — including
three teachers posted from Beijing.
Three
Chinese teachers and a Pakistani driver were killed near the gate of the
Confucius Institute at Karachi University, when the bomber detonated explosives
next to their minibus.
China’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged Pakistan to ensure the safety of all Chinese
citizens and interests in the country and to launch a full investigation.
It
also advised citizens to “take strict precautions, and do not go out unless
necessary.”
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2072181/saudi-arabia
--------
Middle
East helps Europe fill diesel void as Russian flows slump amid war, sanctions
28
April ,2022
Middle
Eastern petrostates are helping Europe make up for a drop in diesel supplies
from Russia.
Flows
of the transport fuel from the Arabian Gulf to Europe are set to rise almost
130 percent this month to 379,000 barrels a day, according to fixture reports
and tanker tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
That’s
the highest figure since October 2020 and will be bigger than the 166,000
barrel-a-day fall in European imports from Russia, according to the provisional
bookings data.
The
shift comes as the Europe Union tries to isolate Moscow for its attack on
Ukraine with far-reaching sanctions. Energy exports are yet to be penalized by
the bloc but traders, shippers and insurers are increasingly wary of taking on
Russian barrels.
On
Wednesday, Moscow escalated its standoff with Europe by cutting natural gas to
Poland and Bulgaria.
In
Europe, prices of diesel, used to power trucks, heavy machinery and ships, have
surged around 70 percent this year. That’s even more than crude, which jumped
above $100 a barrel in the wake of Russia’s attack.
The
so-called crack spread for diesel - a measure of the profitability for refining
crude - has increased from $11 a barrel at the start of 2022 to more than $40.
That’s
giving countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates an incentive
to increase exports of diesel. The two OPEC members are known as swing
producers for their ability to ramp up crude output.
But
after more than a decade of expanding refining capacity and building their
trading arms, they’re now playing a similar role in refined fuel markets. The
diesel flows may generate Middle Eastern producers around $1.5 billion in
revenue over the course of this month based on current prices, according to
Bloomberg calculations.
Diesel
stockpiles around the world fell heavily last year as demand recovered from the
worst of the coronavirus pandemic, and the trend’s accelerated since the
Ukraine war started. The problem could worsen in the coming months as more
long-term Russian supply contracts expire and traders refuse to extend them,
said Matt Stanley, a Dubai-based broker at Star Fuels.
Russia
will still be the biggest diesel supplier to Europe this month, with flows
averaging 618,000 barrels a day, according to the data.
Shippers
and traders have booked 19 vessels to take refined products to Europe from the
Gulf for potential delivery in May, almost three times as many as were reserved
for April delivery at the same point last month.
Middle
Eastern refiners have the capacity to raise diesel production further as
they’re coming out of their traditional winter maintenance period, when demand
is lower.
Companies
such Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. are among those most likely to
benefit from diesel’s rise, said Stanley. That’s because their integrated
production, refining and trading businesses allow them to react quickly to
market swings.
Aramco’s
largest refinery of Ras Tanura, capable of handling 550,000 barrels a day of
crude, is back to capacity after shutting diesel units for maintenance in
March, traders said. The company’s new 400,000 barrel-a-day refinery at Jazan
on the Red Sea is still ramping up, they said.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Investigators
say varsity blast intended to sabotage Pak-China ties
Imtiaz
Ali
April
28, 2022
KARACHI:
Police on Wednesday launched an investigation into the suicide bombing at
Karachi University Confucius Institute that claimed lives of three Chinese
academics and their local van driver and caused injuries to four others,
including one Chinese teacher, on Tuesday.
The
Counter-Terrorism Department registered a case on behalf of the state at the
Mobina Town police station on murder and terrorism charges against two
commanders of the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Officials
believed that the motive of the attack was to sabotage Pakistan and China
relations. They suspected the involvement of a foreign hostile agency.
CTD
official Raja Umar Khattab said that the suicide bomber, identified as Shari Baloch
alias Brimash, was born in Turbat in 1991. She was married and had two
children.
Missing
husband
He
said that her husband, Dr Haibatan, originally hailed from Kech, was currently
doing a public health course at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC)
and was staying at a nearby five-star hotel. However, his wife lived in
Gulistan-i-Jauhar with her children.
He
said that she and her husband had left their places a week before the attack
and the husband’s whereabouts were not known. Raids were being carried out to
find the husband and other facilitators, he said.
The
CTD official also clarified that the suicide bomber was not a student of KU. He
said she got all her education up to university level in Balochistan and later
she was employed as a government schoolteacher.
The
officer added that the outlawed BLA had claimed responsibility for the attack
and shared details about the attacker on their social media platforms.
Injured
out of danger
Separately,
SSP-East Syed Abdul Rahim Sherazi said the condition of all four injured
persons, including one Chinese, was out of danger.
He
said two Rangers personnel escorting the van of the Chinese faculty members
suffered minor injuries. One private guard, Hamid, suffered injuries in the leg
and face. Chinese teacher Wang Yuqing underwent surgery.
Additional
Police Surgeon at the JPMC Dr Summaiya Syed said that four charred bodies and
remains of a fifth person were brought to the hospital on Tuesday evening for a
post-mortem examination.
She
said that four bodies — two males and two females — were beyond recognition and
100pc burnt. Their multiple samples for DNA profiling were taken.
The
police surgeon said that the “remains of the alleged suicide bomber included
both lower legs (below knee), scalp with hair attached and some other body
parts (muscles and skin)”. The DNA samples were collected from all parts.
The
post-mortem reports were prepared and DNA samples dispatched to a Karachi
University laboratory and they were waiting for results.
FIR
lodged
According
to the FIR lodged on the complaint of SHO Basharat Husain, he was performing
his duty when he got information about an explosion inside the KU on Tuesday at
2pm. He rushed to the scene and saw that one van near the Confucius Institute
and one motorbike of Rangers were completely destroyed in the blast.
He
called fire brigade, bomb disposal squad, crime scene unit and ambulances. One
completely burnt body was lying on the driver’s seat while three other burnt
bodies were lying on rear seats of the van. At some distance, body pieces of
woman, including two legs, one with ladies shoe, were also found, which were
sent to the JPMC for autopsy.
The
BDS team examined the place and collected four parcels of samples and came to
the conclusion that it was a suicide bombing.
The
complainant said through intelligence sources, he came to know that the banned
BLA Majeed Brigade had claimed responsibility for the blast.
The
SHO said BLA Majeed Brigade militant commanders Bashir Zaib and Rehman Gul and
others were involved in the attack.
The
BLA wanted to undermine relations between Pakistan and China and get publicity
for their outlawed outfit through terrorist acts, the FIR added.
Furthermore,
there was a strong possibility that a hostile foreign agency was also involved
in it, it said.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Man
picked up from Punjab University hostel for KU blast connections
Imran
Gabol
April
28, 2022
LAHORE:
Security agencies picked up a man from the hostel of the Punjab University on Wednesday,
purportedly in connection with the Karachi University (KU) suicide blast case.
BebgarImdad,
a student of the seventh semester of English Literature in Numl, Islamabad, and
a native of Kech, was visiting his relative in Hostel No 7.
On
Wednesday morning, PU security guards and other security agencies bundled him
into a truck.
A
video of the incident was also circulating on social media in which the
security agency officials covering their faces are seen bundling him in the
back of a Vigo vehicle.
One
of the students on the condition of anonymity told Dawn that the security
agencies suspected that Imdad might be involved in the recent attack in which
three Chinese nationals were killed while four others injured outside the KU’s
Confucius Institute.
He
said they tried to resist the arrest of Imdad but the personnel told them to
stay away and that if the suspect did not have any involvement in the blast, he
would be released by evening. By the evening, he said, the security agencies
did not release the student.
“Imdad
was visiting his cousin and with him, he was to travel to their home town for
Eid together,” he said.
The
Baloch Student Council strongly protested the “abduction of a Baloch student
from the PU” and called it “a continuation of the enforced disappearances and
harassment of the Baloch students in the country”.
The
council said the Baloch students were being picked up from educational
institutes and the profiling of the Baloch students was being done so that the
Baloch stopped taking education.
They
said the university administration was also harassing the Baloch students in
the name of data and details.
A
spokesperson for the council said that picking up students was harassment of
the Baloch people and students, which is creating an environment of fear among
them.
He
said the PU administration and agencies would be held responsible if something
happened to the student.
He
appealed to human rights organisation, and social activists to help them
recover Imdad safely and raise their voices against the injustice within the
Baloch nation.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
KU
attack ‘final wake-up call’ on crisis in Balochistan
Amir
Wasim
April
28, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Describing the suicide attack by an educated woman on Chinese nationals in
Karachi as a “new and dangerous trend”, the country’s mainstream and
nationalist political parties on Wednesday asked the authorities concerned to
take the incident as a “final wake-up call” and resolve the issue of missing
persons at the earliest as a major confidence-building measure to end the sense
of deprivation among the Baloch people.
Key
political figures belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the National Party were unanimous in saying
that the solution to Balochistan’s woes lies in political dialogue and not
military operations.
Several
political leaders also expressed their displeasure over the recent statement of
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during his visit to Balochistan, where he had
reportedly said he would raise the issue of missing persons with “powerful
quarters”.
“Mr
Sharif should not have uttered these words, as by doing so he has actually
proved that there are some other quarters that are more powerful than the government,”
said a senior politician now in the government. He then added that though the
prime minister was right in saying so, he should not have at least said it
publicly.
Mainstream
political parties express concern over new trend in terrorist attacks on
Chinese; call for recovery of missing persons
A
female suicide bomber targeted a vehicle carrying faculty members of Karachi
University’s Confucius Institute, killing three Chinese nationals and their
local driver on Tuesday. The attack was later claimed by the banned Majeed
Brigade of Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which stated that this was the first
time they had employed a female suicide bomber. The group also shared a photo
of the bomber, referred to as Shari Baloch alias Bramsh.
Talking
to Dawn, PML-N Senator Mushahid Hussain said the way forward, according to him,
was to “stop treating Balochistan as a political plaything, frequently picking,
choosing and changing favourites, end the shameful crime of missing persons,
ensure benefits of development for local communities and end border harassment
and corruption”.
He
believed that Tuesday’s terrorist attack was not a normal one, as the
involvement of an educated woman proved how deep the sense of alienation had
been penetrated among the Baloch people. He stressed the need for continuing
the local political process instead of controlling the province through remote
control while sitting in Islamabad.
He
said the missing persons’ issue must be resolved immediately. He questioned the
utility of the commission on the missing persons and termed it a “joke” with
the nation.
Mr
Hussain said that after the Karachi incident, alarm bells should be ringing not
in the government circles in Islamabad but in the “military establishment” as
well.
The
PML-N senator, who is also the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on
Defence, described the Karachi incident as a “monumental failure and breach of
security.” He regretted that there were some 26 intelligence agencies operating
in the country, but it seemed there was no coordination among them at all.
He
said it was the same old story that the security warnings went unheeded and the
system of security was outmoded and the end result was that “the terror groups
can strike at will at a time and target of their choosing whether its Karachi,
Dasu, Gwadar or anywhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa”.
The
senator also drew attention to the alleged harassment and corruption by the
security officials deployed at the border. He said the Baloch people recently
protested when the law enforcement agencies resorted to firing on the people
who were accused of smuggling oil.
Similarly,
PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, in a statement, condemned the suicide attack within
the precincts of the Karachi University, saying these attacks were aimed at
destabilising the strategic relations between Pakistan and China.
“What
is alarming is the fact that these terrorist organisations are recruiting women
as suicide bombers, who belong to the educated middle class and have a family
background of academics,” he said, adding that the state must realise the
significance of this fault line.
“Extreme
nationalism has permeated to such an extent that educated women are willing to
lay down their lives,” Mr Rabbani said. “This means that the seeds of
oppression, suppression, alienation and the sense of deprivation are so deep
that it motivates violent reaction against the state and its strategic
interests.”
The
state, he said, must realise that the question of missing persons, particularly
in Balochistan, was a mistrust of the state in the judicial system.
Mr
Rabbani, who had previously served as the Senate chairman, said a national
consensus of all political parties and stakeholders had to be achieved, as was
done by the PPP when it announced the Aghaz-i-HaqooqBalochistanprogramme.
Meanwhile,
National Party Punjab president Ayub Malik also urged the new federal
government to take urgent steps to resolve the issue of enforced
disappearances, as it was vital to restore permanent peace in Balochistan.
He
said that in the past, the party’s president and former Balochistan chief
minister, Abdul Malik, had initiated talks with the groups sittings abroad
after consulting all the stakeholders and some of them were amenable to the
idea of solving the problem through dialogue. He regretted that those talks
were abruptly discontinued and insisted that the use of force or military
action would only exacerbate the situation.
“Efforts
should be made to solve the problem through political dialogue within the
parameters of the Constitution,” he said but added that some
confidence-building measures must be taken before that happens, such as the
recovery of missing persons.
Talking
to Dawn, a senior PML-N leader from Balochistan and a member of the party’s
central working committee Sydaal Nasar disclosed that the woman who had carried
out the suicide attack in Karachi had been sitting outside the Quetta Press
Club for the past over four years, as many of her family members were among the
missing persons.
The
PML-N leader suggested that the gravity of the situation demanded that the
country’s top political leadership, including the prime minister, should
immediately reach Balochistan and stay in the province for at least two weeks.
During
their stay, he said the leaders should hold talks with the Baloch people,
including students, lawyers, labourers, traders, businessmen, fishermen and
others, and listen to their grievances.
Mr
Nasar was of the view that those sitting abroad should also be approached. He
also suggested setting up a “powerful grand jirga” comprising elders of all the
tribes to engage the dissidents. This jirga, he said, must be on the pattern of
Shahi Jirga, which existed at the time of the partition of the subcontinent.
Source: Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1687196/ku-attack-final-wake-up-call-on-crisis-in-balochistan
--------
Pakistan
court to indict PM Shehbaz Sharif, son Hamza in money laundering case
Apr
28, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
A special court of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency on Wednesday issued
an order that it will indict Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son and
Punjab Chief Minister-elect Hamza Shahbaz in a money laundering case, reported
local media.
Notably,
the court had to indict the duo and others allegedly involved in the case
earlier this month but the process was delayed due to the absence of the
premier, reported Geo News.
However,
Shehbaz Sharif did not appear before the court even on Wednesday, following
which, the court, in its written order, summoned him, Hamza Shahbaz and all the
other suspects on May 14.
"It
is being made clear to all the parties that on the next hearing, we will indict
them [...] all the suspects should ensure their attendance," the media
outlet quoted the special court as saying while noting that the indictment
could not take place on Wednesday due to the premier's absence.
Source:
Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
cannot afford 'enmity with US at all': PM Shehbaz Sharif
Apr
27, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan cannot afford to have "enmity with the US at all," Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said, as he vowed to mend fences with all allies
and friends of the country who have been estranged from Islamabad due to the
faulty foreign policies of the previous government of Imran Khan.
Sharif,
who assumed office on April 11, regretted that the previous government led by
the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by Khan had annoyed all those
countries that had always helped Pakistan in difficult times, especially China,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United States.
He
said there was a need to end the mistrust between Pakistan and the United
States, and both countries needed to see if they had committed any mistakes in
the past, the Dawn newspaper reported on Wednesday.
"Pakistan
cannot afford to have enmity with the US at all," Sharif, also the
President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said while responding to a
volley of questions from senior journalists during an Iftar reception at the
Prime Minister House on Tuesday.
Khan
was ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership,
which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his
independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
The
cricketer-turned-politician has repeatedly alleged that his political opponents
colluded with the US to bring about regime in Pakistan. But he provided no
credible evidence of this and Washington has strongly denied any foreign
interference.
Though
Sharif touched on all the issues during his nearly hour-long conversation with
journalists, his main emphasis remained on the country's foreign policy, the
report said.
He
spoke about his forthcoming visit to Saudi Arabia and also expressed his
concerns over the suicide attack on the Chinese nationals in Karachi earlier on
Tuesday.
The
prime minister said he was expected to have a discussion on bilateral issues
and cooperation with the Saudi leadership during his upcoming visit to Riyadh
from Thursday.
Hitting
out at the previous government over its flawed foreign policy, Sharif said
first the PTI government annoyed Qatar royal family by raising fingers at the
contract signed by Pakistan for the purchase of gas in 2016, and then they did
the same thing with China when they cried foul and corruption in Chinese
projects launched in Pakistan under the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic
Corridor.
Criticising
the previous government's foreign policy, he said that Saudi Arabia had given
oil on deferred payment to Pakistan, as well as deposited money with the central
bank to help the country's economy; the PTI government had told Saudi Arabia
“we can raise the issue of Kashmir without you”.
On
his government's Afghan policy, Sharif said: “What is good for Afghanistan, it
is good for Pakistan and vice versa.”
Prime
Minister Sharif's media interaction was also attended by Interior Minister Rana
Sanaullah, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Musaddiq Malik and other senior PML-N
leaders.
Commenting
on Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party's planned marches and rallies, he
said that his government did not believe in politics of revenge, but he would
also not tolerate anarchy in the country.
Source: Times Of India
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
ECP
seeks recording of Imran's April 26 address from Pemra
Fahad
Chaudhry
April
28, 2022
The
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought from the Pakistan Electronic
Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) a soft copy of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
(PTI) chairperson Imran Khan's address to supporters on Tuesday (April 26)
where the PTI chief had lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
Sikandar Sultan Raja, calling him a "planted agent" of the PML-N.
"Raja
has lost all his credibility and should immediately resign," Imran had
said in a speech to party leaders and lawmakers at the Chief Minister House in
Peshawar. "He has no reason to remain as the CEC anymore. An umpire is
always independent. When the country's biggest party doesn't have confidence in
him, it's time for him to resign," he added.
The
PTI chief had warned of country-wide protests if Raja did not step down as CEC
and urged supporters to start a campaign to collect signatures on an online
petition against him.
On
Wednesday, ECP Additional Director General Haroon Khan Shinwari wrote to the
Pemra chairperson, seeking a soft copy of Imran's address which was aired on
television.
He
also sought soft copies of speeches made by PTI leaders Khurram Sher Zaman,
Haleem Adil Sheikh and Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry the day Imran's remarks were
broadcast.
In
the letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, Shinwari communicated
to the Pemra chairperson that he had been directed to seek the footage and
requested him to "provide recordings of the aforementioned addresses
immediately for placing before the Hon'able Commission (ECP)".
PTI's
criticism of ECP, CEC
The
ECP's request to the Pemra has been made in the wake of growing PTI criticism
of the ECP, and particularly CEC Raja, over what Imran and his cohorts allege
is his biased conduct. During this period, the ECP has also been conducting
hearings into the PTI's foreign funding case.
Last
Saturday, Imran had demanded the CEC's resignation, saying the party believed
him to be "biased". Addressing a press conference at his Bani Gala
residence, Imran had said the PTI did not trust the CEC, claiming all his
decisions were against the party.
On
Sunday, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry had announced that the party would begin
staging country-wide protests outside ECP offices from April 26 against the
CEC's alleged biased behaviour. He, too, had accused the CEC of being
"partisan and dishonest" and alleged that a declaration to de-seat
the PTI's dissident assembly members had still not been issued by the ECP.
On
Tuesday, PTI supporters had staged demonstrations outside ECP offices in
different cities and raised slogans against the commission.
In
response to the demonstrations, the ECP, however, maintained that it had been
impartially discharging its legal and constitutional obligations, and would
keep on doing so without any fear or favour.
CEC
Sikander Sultan Raja has also said that he had no intention to resign, and
would continue to work in the "best interests of the country".
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1687236/ecp-seeks-recording-of-imrans-april-26-address-from-pemra
--------
IMF,
Pakistan technical-level talks begin
Anwar
Iqbal
April
28, 2022
WASHINGTON:
Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha said on Wednesday that Pakistan
and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have started their technical level
talks for an enhanced financial package from the fund.
In
Dubai, a senior IMF officials told journalists that the fund has urged Pakistan
to bring its current account deficit under control as the country’s new
government seeks an increase in the size and duration of the current programme.
In
2019, the IMF approved a $6 billion loan for Pakistan but concerns about the
pace of IMF-mandated reforms have delayed its disbursements, although half of
this amount has been disbursed.
The
IMF completed the 6th review of the programme in February, which led to the
disbursement of $1bn. Pakistan has asked the IMF to enhance its bailout package
from the remaining $3bn to $5bn.
“Yes,
the talks have started,” Ms Pasha told Dawn from New York. “We are holding
virtual talks, which will continue as the two sides are discussing various
aspects of the enhanced package.” The staff level talks will also start soon,
she added.
Ms
Pasha, who accompanied Finance Minister Miftah Ismail to Washington to
participate in the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Banks, leaves for
Pakistan on Friday.
Ms
Pasha said their talks with IMF officials focused on the subsidies given by the
PTI government as the Fund felt those were not sustainable, but they also
showed concern about Pakistan’s increasing current account deficit.
In
Dubai, Jihad Azour, director of IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department,
told Reuters they also discussed the country’s huge current account deficit
with Pakistani officials in Washington.
Pakistan’s
current account deficit ballooned to $13.2 billion in the nine months of its
fiscal year from a gap of $275 million a year earlier on the back of soaring
oil import costs, the agency reported.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1687185/imf-pakistan-technical-level-talks-begin
--------
Centre,
Sindh team up for security audit after KU blast
Tahir
Siddiqui
April
28, 2022
KARACHI:
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah
on Wednesday sat together with the head of the provincial top security agencies
and Chinese diplomats to conduct security audit of the principal institutions
in general and foreign nationals, especially Chinese, in particular.
Acting
Chinese Ambassador Ms Pang Chunxue and Consul General Mr Li Bijian attended the
meeting, held at CM House in the backdrop of the suicide attack on Chinese
nationals at Karachi University (KU).
The
interior minister, who had earlier held a one-to-one meeting with the chief
minister, assured the Sindh government of full cooperation for security.
The
meeting was given a detailed briefing. The Chinese diplomats were also apprised
that the details of the Chinese nationals associated with China-Pakistan
Economic Corridor (CPEC) were available with the relevant agencies but details
of other Chinese nationals were not.
China
strongly condemns attack, seeks arrest of culprits
At
a hurriedly called joint presser with CM Shah, MrSanaullah later said security
of life and property of Chinese nationals would be ensured with effective
measures, adding that China had always stood with Pakistan in difficult times.
He said he had offered to enhance the security of the Chinese embassy, but the
Chinese diplomats seemed to be satisfied with the arrangements.
“The
security of those working with the CPEC will be ensured at all costs,” he
declared.
Investigators
did not rule out the involvement of a hostile foreign agency in the suicide
bombing and believed sabotaging China-Pakistan relations was the motive for the
attack, as a case was registered against the proscribed Baloch Liberation Army
on murder and terrorism charges.
“Those
who are fighting for people’s rights are not involved in terrorism,” he said
referring to the coalition partners from Balochistan.
Responding
to another question, he said people had rejected the narrative of former
premier Imran Khan against the election commission and did not pay any heed to his
calls that was also evident from the fact that out of the entire population of
Punjab, only 2,345 people managed to come out for demonstrations.
Also,
the federal minister along with the CM visited the home of the van driver,
Khalid Nawaz, who died in the blast, in Gulshan-i-Maymar where he along with
his wife and their seven children resided. They met the brothers of the late
Nawaz, offered condolence and announced compensation of Rs2 million — Rs1
million each from the provincial and federal governments — for the legal heirs
of the victim.
Meanwhile,
China expressed its strong condemnation over the attack and extended deep
condolences to the victims and sympathies to the injured and bereaved families,
adds APP.
“The
Chinese side expresses strong condemnation and indignation over this major
terrorist attack and extends deep condolences to the victims and sympathies to
the injured and bereaved families,” a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The
spokesperson said the Chinese foreign ministry and diplomatic missions in
Pakistan had activated the emergency response mechanism immediately after the
incident.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1687195/centre-sindh-team-up-for-security-audit-after-ku-blast
--------
Europe
Defending
UK's counter-extremism strategy, David Cameron fuels anti-Muslim hostility
April
27, 2022
Nasim
Ahmed
Former
British Prime Minister, David Cameron, issued a robust defence yesterday of
UK's counter-terrorism strategy, known as "Prevent". Writing in the
Times, the 55-year old took-aim at mainstream Muslim organisations critical of
the so-called de-radicalisationprogramme. In the article, Cameron endorsed a
new report by the Policy Exchange think tank which calls for the
"de-legitimisation" of Muslim voices critical of the government and
also funding cuts to Muslim groups campaigning to "undermine" the
scheme.
Cameron's
intervention comes as the UK Tory government is about to release details for
the overhaul of the "Prevent" strategy in the wake of the murder of
the Conservative MP, Sir David Amess. Ali Harbi Ali, who was found guilty of
the murder, had been referred to "Prevent" seven years earlier. He is
not the only one who, despite going through the government's de-radicalisation
scheme, went on to commit horrific acts of terrorism.
The
timing of Cameron's article and his exclusive focus on Muslims would suggest
that his broadside in the Times is a precursor for likely reforms that will
further push "Prevent" towards a more anti-Muslim direction. Some on
the right of politics are not pleased at the fact that "Prevent" has
become more preoccupied with neo-Nazis and white supremacists instead of
Muslims. Cameron himself admits that "In 2020-21, 46 per cent of referrals
to "Prevent's" Channel deradicalisationprogramme related to far-right
extremism and only 22 per cent to Islamist extremism." With the Tories
moving further to the right, are we about to see an overhaul of
"Prevent", which will tilt the balance to make sure the focus returns
to Muslims even though the threat of terrorism from the far-right is a bigger
concern?
Though
we can only speculate about the direction of "Prevent", there is
little doubt over the fact that Cameron's piece further legitimises
Islamophobic tropes that are now dangerously pervasive in our society. The
former Prime Minister's baseless claim that Muslim groups critical of
"Prevent" are "enabling terrorism" is as clear an
indication as any that his robust defence of the de-radicalisationprogramme is
intended to fuel moral panic about Muslims.
The
United Nation, human rights group Amnesty International, Liberty and many
others have major misgiving with "Prevent". Why then single out
Muslim groups, as Cameron does, if not to further vilify the Muslim community?
Few
have been more scathing than the UN. The UK government risks "promoting
extremism, rather than countering it" and is creating a "Big
Brother" culture reminiscent of the Soviet Union, is how the UN Special
Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association,
Kenyan lawyer, MainaKiai, chose to describe UK's de-radicalisation policy.
Kiai
offered this conclusion in 2016 after "Prevent" was extended into
schools, universities, hospitals and other public sector settings a year
earlier, placing a legal obligation on teachers, doctors and other staff to
have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into
terrorism". Kiai said the feedback he had received on the implementation
of "Prevent" had been "overwhelmingly negative", and he had
heard "countless anecdotes of the programme being implemented in a way
that translates simply into crude racial, ideological, cultural and religious
profiling".
"This
lack of definitional clarity, combined with the encouragement of people to
report suspicious activity, have created unease and uncertainty around what can
legitimately be discussed in public," he said. "It appears that
"Prevent" is having the opposite of its intended effect: by dividing,
stigmatising and alienating segments of the population."
In
their condemnation, Amnesty International said that "Prevent is a highly
dubious scheme built on shaky, almost evidence-free, foundations – it's sorely
in need of a proper review. Peers need to ensure that "Prevent" is
rigorously and independently assessed, with all the human rights impacts of the
scheme fully investigated." Reacting to Cameron's defence of the
"Prevent" programme, the rights groups said that the article is
"shockingly misplaced."
Similar
concerns were raised by (UK)'s Legal and Policy Director, Human Rights Watch,
Adriana Edmeades Jones. "In the face of mounting evidence that
"Prevent" is undermining relationships of trust and chilling
expression in classrooms and consultation rooms across the country, it is clear
that "Prevent" is simply not fit for purpose. It is in everyone's
interests – the communities who are targeted, the teachers, doctors and social
workers tasked with implementing it, and the Government itself – that
"Prevent" is subject to an independent review." Though the Tory
government launched a review, the choice of anti-Muslim William Shawcross to
lead the investigation is seen as a stitch up.
Shawcross,
who was also previously a board member of the anti-Muslim Henry Jackson Society
(HJS), is known for his derogatory remarks about Islam in British society and
Europe as a whole. Back in 2012, he stated that "Europe and Islam is one
of the greatest, most terrifying problems of our future. I think all European
countries have vastly, very quickly growing Islamic populations."
Unsurprisingly,
Cameron's decision to ignore these concerns and single out Muslim critics as
"enablers of terrorism" while endorsing the anti-Muslim agenda of a
right-wing think tank, which BBC Newsnight accused of fabricating evidence
about mosques disseminating extremist literature, has been met with strong
condemnation.
"It
is very telling that in its attempt to defend "Prevent", Policy
Exchange has completely ignored the vast body of critique from beyond the
Muslim community. This underlines their open Islamophobic agenda" said
Muhammad Rabbani, Managing Director of CAGE, one of the groups mentioned in the
Policy Exchange report. "It's
indicative of Islamophobia in the UK when former PM's give their name to such
open hostility to Muslim civil society."
Dr
Layla Aitlhadj, Director at Prevent Watch and co-chair of the People's Review
of Prevent, said: "The Policy Exchange report offers little in terms of
research or academic criticism but presents a series of attacks on Muslim civil
society organisations and individuals who are critical of the government's
toxic "Prevent" programme and its impact on Muslims and wider
society."
A
spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) – also singled out by
Cameron – said that Policy Exchange has consistently led efforts to discourage
cooperation between the authorities and the Muslim Council of Britain. The
right-wing think tank recommended the UK government in 2007 to cut ties with
the MCB, following an investigation which, as mentioned, was found to have
fabricated evidence according to BBC Newsnight.
"It is therefore laughable that the Policy Exchange should now
claim that we are the ones discouraging cooperation because we are exercising
our democratic responsibility to scrutinise bad policy," said the MCB
spokesperson. "The MCB has always
repeatedly and loudly opposed all forms of terrorism, but the Policy Exchange's
amnesia fails to acknowledge this."
Source: MiddleEastMonitor
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tensions
over race, religion in France’s presidential race
April
21, 2022
By
Arno Pedram
PARIS
(AP) — From attacks on “wokeism” to crackdowns on mosques, France’s
presidential campaign has been especially challenging for voters of immigrant
heritage and religious minorities, as discourse painting them as “the other”
has gained ground across a swath of French society.
French
voters head to polls on Sunday in a runoff vote between centrist incumbent
Emmanuel Macron and nationalist rival Marine Le Pen, wrapping up a campaign
that experts have seen as unusually dominated by discriminatory discourse and
proposals targeting immigration and Islam.
With
Le Pen proposing to ban women from wearing Muslim headscarves in public, women
like 19-year-old student NailaOuazarf are in a bind.
“I
want a president who accepts me as a person,” said Ouazarf, clad in a beige
robe and matching head covering. She said she would defy the promised law
should Le Pen become president, and pay the eventual fine.
Macron
attacked Le Pen on the headscarf issue in their presidential debate Wednesday,
warning it could stoke “civil war.” But polls put Le Pen closer to Macron than
she was in their last runoff five years ago. And in the first round, far-right
candidates Le Pen and Eric Zemmour together collected nearly a third of votes.
France
has no hard data on voters’ race or religion because of its doctrine of
colorblindness, which sees all citizens as universally French and encourages
assimilation.
Le
Pen’s National Rally party, formerly called the National Front, has a history
of ties with neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers and militias who opposed Algeria’s
war for independence from colonial France. Le Pen has distanced herself from
that past and softened her public image, but a top priority of her program is
to prioritize French citizens over immigrants for welfare benefits, which
critics see as institutionalizing discrimination. She also hopes to ban Muslim
women from wearing a headscarf in public, toughen asylum rules and sharply
curtail immigration.
She
has gained ground among voters since 2017, when she lost badly to Macron. This
time around, Le Pen has put a greater emphasis on policies to help the working
poor.
Le
Pen can also thank the rabble-rousing Zemmour, who came in fourth in the first-round
vote, for boosting her popularity by making her seem softer. Zemmour has been
repeatedly convicted of inciting racial or religious hatred, and has promoted
the baseless “great replacement” conspiracy theory, used as justification by
white supremacists who committed massacres in New Zealand’s Christchurch, in El
Paso, Texas, and on a California synagogue.
“Eric
Zemmour’s presence placed the issue (of Islam and immigration) on the side of
aggressive and violent stigmatization,” Cecile Alduy, a Stanford semiologist
who has studied Zemmour’s language, told The Associated Press. “Meanwhile,
there is a decline in humanist values: words such as equality, human rights,
fight against discrimination, or gender are qualified as politically correct or
‘wokeism’ by a large swath of media, public intellectuals, and ministers of the
current government.”
For
some experts and anti-racist groups in France, Macron too is at fault for the
current climate, as his administration has adopted legislation and language
that echoes some far-right mottos, in hopes of eating into Le Pen’s support.
Racial
profiling and police violence targeting people of color, which activists in
France have long decried, have also remained a concern under Macron’s
presidency, which saw repeated protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death in
the U.S. over France’s own cases of police violence.
Also
under Macron’s watch, France passed a law against terrorism enshrining the
state of emergency started after the 2015 attacks on the Bataclan theater, Paris
cafes and Charlie Hebdo newspaper into common law. This extended the
government’s right to search people and conduct surveillance, control movement
and shut down some schools and religious sites in the name of the fight against
extremism.
Human
rights watchdogs warned the law was discriminatory. Amnesty International wrote
“in some cases Muslims may have been targeted because of their religious
practice, considered to be ‘radical,’ by authorities, without substantiating
why they constituted a threat for public order or security.”
Then
in 2021, the government passed a law targeting what Macron labeled “separatism”
by Muslim radicals, extending the state’s oversight over associations and
religious sites. The government’s own watchdog argued that the law’s scope is
too broad.
AbdourahmaneRidouane
has seen this first hand. In February, he was visited by two police officers
who handed him a notice of closure for the mosque he manages in the
southwestern town of Pessac in Bordeaux wine country. Authorities argued that
his mosque’s criticism of “state Islamophobia” encourages and justifies what
they called Muslim rebellion and terrorism, and criticized political and
anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian posts on their social media page.
“I
felt deeply saddened by a process I deemed unworthy of a democratic state,”
Ridouane told the AP. He challenged the state’s decision and won on appeal. The
appeals court found the closure was a “grave and manifest illegal infringement
on religious liberty.” The state took the case to France’s highest court,
expected to rule Thursday in the case.
France
has also seen the rise of criticism of “Islamo-leftism” and “wokeism”
reminiscent of attacks on critical race theory in the U.S. Macron’s government
has commissioned a study into its presence in French universities.
Yet
race or colonial studies research departments don’t exist in French
universities, because they are seen as contrary to French universalism. Critics
say this doctrine allows authorities to turn a blind eye to deep-seated discrimination,
both on the French mainland and in overseas French territories where most
voters aren’t white.
“The
election comes in this climate, the increasing right-wing and conservative
discourse, a retreat into a white, universalist, colorblind discourse blind to
all discriminations and systemic racism in French society,” said NaciraGuénif,
an anthropology and sociology professor at Paris VIII University focusing on
race and gender.
On
the left, meanwhile, “denial prevails,” Guénif said, because many left-wing
French voters are “profoundly uncomfortable with the question of race because
they think that talking about race makes you racist.”
Despite
concerns over measures under Macron, the Pessac mosque director is not hesitant
as to whom he will vote for in the second round.
Source:ReligionNews
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://religionnews.com/2022/04/21/tensions-over-race-religion-in-frances-presidential-race/
--------
Pakistan
calls for greater responsibility in using veto
Anwar
Iqbal
April
28, 2022
UNITED
NATIONS: Pakistan said on Wednesday it hoped a UN General Assembly veto
initiative would bring greater responsibility in the conduct of five permanent
members of the United Nations Security Council.
The
General Assembly decided on Tuesday to automatically meet within 10 days, if
any of the five members used a veto to block a move in the Security Council.
The
initiative also requires the veto user to defend its conduct in the General
Assembly. The move would allow other members to debate it as well. The five
veto wielders are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
The
resolution containing the veto initiative was co-sponsored by 83 member states.
Introduced by Liechtenstein, the resolution was adopted by consensus.
Explaining
its position after the vote, Pakistan said it agreed with the overall objective
of the resolution, which “is to bring greater responsibility in the conduct of
the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council”.
Pakistan
appreciated the co-sponsors’ assurance that the resolution and its provisions
would not prejudice the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council
reform. Pakistan opposes adding more permanent members to the council on the
current pattern.
Pakistan
noted that the trigger for holding the General Assembly session in the wake of
a veto from a permanent member “is a situation where the Council is prevented
from acting on questions relating to maintenance of international peace and
security”.
Source:
Dawn
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1687180/pakistan-calls-for-greater-responsibility-in-using-veto
--------
Afghan
refugees in Germany moved from govt housing amid Ukrainian influx
April
27, 2022
LONDON:
Germany has moved hundreds of Afghans from temporary government housing to
accommodate Ukrainian refugees, The Independent reported on Wednesday.
Over
the past decade, about 630,000 Afghans applied for EU asylum, with Germany
accepting some of the highest refugee numbers in Europe.
The
German government said the evictions in Berlin were taking place because the
Afghan families had been using short-term arrival centers.
But
TareqAlaows, a board member of the Berlin Refugee Council, said some of the
Afghans had been evicted from housing that they had used for years.
“The
evictions purposefully weren’t publicized,” he added. “Some people had lived in
their homes for years and were ripped out of their social structures, including
children who were moved to locations far from their respective schools.”
Alaows
told Foreign Policy magazine: “Few people’s living conditions improved, but
most were afraid to speak up, afraid it could impact their immigration status.”
He
said the blame does not lie with Ukrainian refugees, but there is a difference
in their treatment and how authorities handled the Afghan refugee influx.
“The
last months showed that different treatment of refugees is possible, and this
needs to be systematically anchored in our society,” he added.
Berlin’s
Senate Department for Integration, Labor and Social Services cited
“operationally necessary and difficult considerations” as a basis for the
evictions, and said there was “no alternative” due to Ukrainian arrivals
needing immediate shelter.
Stefan
Strauss, the department’s press secretary, said: “We regret that this caused
additional hardships to the Afghan families and that the affected people had to
move out of their familiar surroundings, and now possibly have to keep up with
their social connections with great difficulty.”
He
added that the German capital hosts about 22,000 refugees in 83 accommodation
centers, but that Ukrainian arrivals need to be housed together for processing
purposes. He said the evicted Afghans were provided with equivalent housing
elsewhere.
Germany
has officially admitted 160,000 Ukrainian refugees since the start of the
conflict on Feb. 24.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2071931/world
--------
South Asia
Bangladesh
Communal Harmony: A Hindu Donates Land For Mosque And A Muslim For Crematorium
28
Apr 2022
Over
the last few years, there have been a smattering of unsavoury incidents
stemming from religion being used by fundamentalists to sow discord and
division that threatened to tear apart the secular fabric of Bangladesh.
However,
in Bagerhat, two men of different faiths -- one a Hindu teacher and the other a
Muslim politician -- are earning plaudits for delivering a lesson in communal
harmony through their acts of charity.
Pranab
Kumar Ghosh, an assistant professor at FakirhatAzahar Ali Degree College,
donated land for the construction of a mosque while Sheikh Mizanur Rahman, a
local Awami League leader, gave away a piece of his land to be used as a
cremation ground in FakirhatUpazila.
The
issue was widely publicised at a recent event marking communal harmony in the
district.
When
the Khulna-Mawa highway opened a few years ago, the junction at the Attaki
village in FakirhatSadar Union gained prominence. It would go on to be called
'Biswa Roader Mor'.
People
from 18 districts now regularly travel through the Upazila. A bus stand and
many shops line the junction.
As
there was no mosque in the area, locals sought the help of Pranab, a landowner
in the area. He agreed and subsequently donated land for the mosque.
Initially,
a small prayer house was built there. It was later replaced by a two-storey
building constructed on 16 hectares of land.
Meanwhile,
the central crematorium of the followers of Sanatan Dharma on the banks of the
river Bhairab in FakirhatSadar was washed away. Sheikh Mizanur Rahman, who
owned land next to the crematorium, gave it to the Hindus to build a new
crematorium.
Addressing
the matter, Pranab said, “A lot of shops have cropped up here after Biswa Road
was built. There are about 50 shops on my land. The shopkeepers here were
having trouble finding a place to offer prayers. When they came and asked me, I
gave them a place behind the market."
"We
are moving forward in harmony with each other. The harmony here is still the
same as it was before the mosque was built. It will never be lost. ”
Gaus
Sheikh, an official at the mosque said Pranab made the decision after his
childhood friend, MoniruzzamanBablu, spoke about the problem facing locals.
"Pranab
sir did not just give us land. Think about this mosque -- look into the pros
and cons. When he was invited to the mosque, he came and we ate together. He
has given as much land as needed for an Eidgah [open air enclosure] and a
separate space for women to pray.”
Mizanur,
a former vice chairman of Fakirhat Union Council, said he was deeply moved by
the thought that a community of people did not have any land to conduct the
funeral rites for their dead.
"People
from different communities, including Hindus and Muslims, live here. When the
central cremation ground was swallowed by the river, the Hindu devotees had
some problems performing their funeral rites. I owned land next to the cremation
ground. When local Hindus asked for it, I gave it to them."
"We
want to live in harmony in the days to come," he said.
Recently,
The Hunger Project, an international organisation, arranged a gathering to
celebrate communal harmony in Attaki village. The issue of the land donations
made by the two men came up during the event.
Khan
Mahmud Ariful Haque, coordinator of The Hunger Project, said, "We have
been working for a long time on religious and political harmony. Two people of
two religions in the area have set a unique example by donating land for each
other's religious institutions."
Source:
Bdnews24
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Bangladeshi
scientists launch IsDB-funded eco-friendly homes in Rohingya camps
April
27, 2022
DHAKA:
Bangladeshi scientists have introduced eco-friendly housing to Rohingya refugee
camps in Cox’s Bazar using a new durable material developed in a project
financed by the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank.
Bangladesh
hosts more than 1.1 million Rohingya who fled neighboring Myanmar during a
military crackdown in 2017. Most of them live in Cox’s Bazar district, a
coastal region in the country’s east, which with the arrival of Rohingya,
became the world’s largest refugee settlement.
The
location, climate and topography of Cox’s Bazar make it vulnerable to natural
hazards and extreme weather events such as cyclones, landslides and flash
floods. The Rohingya crisis has increased the size of the population, creating
new environmental risks due to deforestation and infrastructure pressure.
The
construction of sustainable housing based on jutin — a combination of jute
fiber and resin — has been spearheaded in Cox’s Bazar by the Dhaka-based
ICDDR,B (formerly known as the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease
Research, Bangladesh), one of the world’s leading global health research
institutes that also undertakes environmental intervention work.
“The
houses made of jutin are heat resistant, which means people will feel
significantly cooler temperatures while living in these houses compared with
outside temperatures,” project coordinator Dr. Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman told
Arab News earlier this week.
In
a pilot project, the ICDDR,B has built six jutin houses in Cox’s Bazar. Two of
them are expected to be handed over to Rohingya refugees and another four will
host communities in the area next month.
“Our
research is still underway,” Rahman added. “We are now collecting data on these
houses in different conditions, like the changes of temperature between day and
night, and in different seasons.”
Jutin
was invented by Bangladeshi scientist Dr. Mubarak Ahmad Khan, who patented the
material in 2008.
Lightweight,
durable, bio-acceptable, heat and saline water-resistant, jutin has been
developed as an alternative housing material in disaster-prone coastal areas of
Bangladesh. According to Khan, it is four times stronger than tin, which is
traditionally used in small house construction.
“Jutin
is mainly a housing material which can be used instead of wood. It also has
uses in the electric appliance and car-making industry,” Khan said. “In the
cyclone-prone areas, sometimes people get injured when tin from the roofs flies
away due to gusty winds.”
ICDDR,B
research on introducing jutin to the camp areas of Cox’s Bazar was financed
with an $100,000 grant under IsDB’s “Transform Innovation” initiative.
It
costs about $1,000 to build one 14-square-meter jutin house measuring 2.6
meters in height.
Dr.
Farjana Jahan, principal investigator of the jutin house pilot project, said
that makeshift houses for Rohingya refugees are mainly made from plastic that
is replaced every six months.
“Jutin
houses are much more durable and last up to 60 years,” she told Arab News.
“Jutin can be considered as a climate smart solution for addressing the shelter
issues in the Rohingya camps.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2072091/world
--------
EU
Delivers 34 Tonnes of Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan
28
Apr 2022
European
Commissioner for Crisis Management JenezLenarcic on Wednesday, April 27, 2022,
said that the European Union has delivered 34 tonnes of food and medical
supplies to Afghanistan in a bid to help medicated the Afghan humanitarian
crisis.
JenezLenacic
in a Twitter post said that the Air Brigade landed at Kabul International
Airport on Wednesday and the assistance will soon be distributed to people in
need.
“Today,
another Humanitarian Air Brigade landed in Kabul, carrying 34 tonnes of
nutritional items and medical supplies.” Reads the Tweet.
As
per the European Commissioner that was the 15th air brigade operation carried
out since August 2021 which is a sign of the European Union’s continued
commitment to support the Afghan people in these challenging times.
It
comes as the Netherlands has also allocated EUR 20 million in humanitarian aid
to Afghanistan.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/eu-delivers-34-tonnes-of-humanitarian-aid-to-afghanistan-67578576/
--------
US
Left $7bn worth of Military Equipment in Afghanistan: DoD
28
Apr 2022
Department
of Defense of the United States said that they have left behind $7.12 billion
worth of military hardware in Afghanistan as the Taliban has taken over the
country.
The
DoD reports that are obtained by CNN indicate that the military equipment
includes aircraft, vehicles, weapons, ammunition, and communication hardware
that were once given to the previous Afghan National Defense and Security
Forces (ANDSF).
CNN
further reports that the US army does not intend to destroy or retrieve the
military hardware adding that most of them will go out of function as they need
special maintenance.
This
comes as the US military destroyed 170 pieces of military equipment including
vehicles and aircraft before they conclude the withdrawal in August last year.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/us-left-7bn-worth-of-military-equipment-in-afghanistan-dod-56785756/
--------
Former
Afghan president Karzai urges Taliban to reopen schools for girls
April
26, 2022
Afghanistan's
former President Hamid Karzai has raised concerns over the closure of schools
for girls, above grade 6, by the Taliban regime, stating that the people of
Afghanistan want their girls to return to schools.
"There
is no way... that the country can live without our girls going to school. It
can't be. The Afghan people will not allow that and I am sure the schools for
girls will reopen because that is what the Afghan people want and want clearly,"
Karzai said as cited by Tolo News.
The
Taliban has received constant backlash from other countries as well owing to
its decision to shut schools for girls from grades 7 to 12 and it has been
about 120 days since Afghan girls have been barred from going to school.
Several
Afghan clerics, notable politicians and members of the civil society have urged
the Taliban to consider the reopening of schools for the female students and
grant them access to education, reported Tolo News.
Further,
Human Rights Watch has expressed concerns that banning girls from going to
school will lead to a rise in early marriages for them.
Associate
Director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, Heather Barr
said that thousands of Afghan girls have been denied education for almost a
year, emphasizing that blocking them from receiving education will become the
cause of child marriage and forced marriage.
"They
are imposing a new law with each passing day, but there is a serious will to
reopen the schools," said NaveedaKhurasani, a women's rights activist as
reported by Tolo News.
Earlier,
the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that the
closing of secondary and high schools for girl students is a serious issue.
Source:
BusinessStandard
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Mideast
Thousands
of Palestinians pray at al-Aqsa Mosque ahead of Intl. Quds Day
28
April 2022
Palestinians
have turned out en masse for prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque as a portrayal of
national solidarity against the occupying Israeli regime, as freedom seekers
worldwide prepare to mark the International Quds Day.
At
least 250,000 Palestinian worshipers congregated at the mosque in the Old City
of occupied al-Quds to perform prayers on Wednesday night, defying Israeli
threats against such gatherings, Palestinian sources reported.
The
large turnout came ahead of International Quds Day, which falls on last Friday
of holy month of Ramadan, whereby people rally across the world in support of
the Palestinian cause of liberation from Israeli aggression and occupation. The
occasion has been designated by Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic
Republic in Iran.
Following
the great assembly, Twitter users widely shared videos and photos of the
prayers on their accounts.
One
of the users posted touching footage of the event, wishing to be among the
crowd.
The
user also shared the story of a group of young men who used to get arrested
every year upon attempting to enter the mosque for 10 years, but eventually
succeeded this year.
Another
user also shared photos of worshipers offering taraweeh prayers inside al-Aqsa
Mosque.
As
in previous years, tensions between Palestinians and Israel have ramped up
since the beginning of Ramadan, with Israeli forces stepping up raids of
al-Aqsa Mosque, assaulting Muslim worshipers inside prayer halls, and providing
protection to the Israeli settlers desecrating Islam’s third holiest site.
Last
Friday, at least 150,000 Palestinians thronged al-Aqsa Mosque to attend
prayers, despite restrictions imposed on the entry of worshipers to the holy
site.
On
the same day, Israeli forces raided the mosque after dawn prayers and fired
rubber-coated bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at the Palestinian worshipers
at the Dome of the Rock inside the compound.
On
Tuesday, during the multinational “Al-Quds Podium” event, Ismail Haniyeh, head
of the Gaza-based resistance movement of Hamas’ Political Bureau, among other
resistance leaders, encouraged Palestinians in their brave resistance campaign
against Israel.
The
latest wave of Israeli crimes has sparked widespread condemnation from Muslims
and other supporters of the Palestinian cause across the world. Large
anti-Israeli rallies were held in many European cities and Canada on Tuesday.
The
persisting violence has also fueled fears among Israelis of an outbreak of a
new war with Gaza.
Jordan
intensifying efforts to restore Aqsa status quo
In
an effort to ease tensions in al-Aqsa Mosque, Jordan is reported to have
stepped up efforts to push Israel to respect the historic status quo of Islam’s
third holiest site.
According
to a report by Reuters, citing Jordanian officials and Western diplomats, the
country is ready to discuss the issue in a joint committee with Washington,
which could convene after the holy month of Ramadan next week, in a bid to
reach an agreement on how to end tensions and avoid violent incidents that
could give rise to a wider conflict.
Jordan,
which oversees the flashpoint site via its control of the Waqf Islamic
religious endowment that manages the compound, accuses Israel of having
gradually changed restrictions on worship at the mosque since 2000, undermining
a centuries-old tradition under which non-Muslims do not worship in the mosque
compound.
The
committee aims to identify steps that Israel could take to return conditions at
the mosque to those of 22 years ago.
The
new diplomatic effort is “to address the roots of the tension and ensure that
issues do not flare up again,” said a Jordanian official who requested
anonymity, adding that Washington had recently been handed a document “clearly”
stating the position of the kingdom.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Erdogan
says Turkish courts proved independence by convicting Osman Kavala
28
April ,2022
President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a decision to jail philanthropist Osman Kavala for
life over anti-government protests in 2013 showed that Turkey’s courts were
independent.
Erdogan
said the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) - which had called for an end to
Kavala’s detention without a conviction - as well as Ankara’s Western allies
would have to abide by the court’s verdict.
After
being detained without a conviction for four and a half years, he was convicted
and sentenced to life in prison without parole on Monday for allegedly
organizing and financing nationwide protests in 2013.
Seven
others were handed sentences of 18 years. All denied the charges. They say the
protests erupted spontaneously and were protected by constitutional rights,
denying that they organized them.
Ankara’s
Western allies, rights groups and the ECHR say Monday’s decision was
politically motivated and meant to intimidate Erdogan’s opponents. Opposition
parties also criticized the verdict.
Critics
say Turkish courts are under the influence of Erdogan and his AK Party, claims
they deny.
Erdogan
dismissed this again on Wednesday.
“Our
judiciary has proved their independence by not bowing down to blackmail by
those outside Turkey and their spokespeople,” he said.
He
also targeted Kavala personally, comparing him to billionaire George Soros and
saying that he was the “behind-the-scenes coordinator” of the protests.
“The
decision regarding one person made some circles uncomfortable. This man was the
Soros of Turkey and the behind-the-scenes coordinator of the Gezi events,” he
said.
Rights
groups say the case was aimed at criminalizing the so-called Gezi protests and
creating the perception they were funded by foreign powers.
Turkey
now faces suspension from the Council of Europe rights watchdog.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Turkey
prevents Hamas members from entering its territory: Report
April
28, 2022
A
few months after the normalization of relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv,
media are reporting that Turkish officials have prevented Hamas members to
enter Turkish territory at the request of Tel Aviv.
A
Hebrew language newspaper reported that Ankara had barred dozens of the
Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) members from entering Turkey at
Tel Aviv's request.
According
to the source, Turkish officials have told Hamas leaders that they have
economic interests with Israel and that there are new signs that their
political relations are improving.
The
Zionist newspaper added that Hamas knows that Israel has an influence on
Turkey's security affairs saying that in this regard some representatives of
the Israeli security agency have traveled to Turkey.
About
two weeks ago, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned Turkey and Bahrain for
supporting Tel Aviv. The Hamas spokesman stressed that the Palestinian
martyrdom-seeking operations in the occupied territories were a
"resistance" act that "is guaranteed by all international
law."
Source: ABNA24
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
Deputy FM: Any Initiative in Palestine Should End Zionists' Occupation
2022-April-27
Baqeri
Kani made the remarks on Wednesday, addressing the first Conference on
Referendum in Palestine at Imam Sadeq University in Tehran on Wednesday.
He
noted that the cause of Palestine is an issue in which values of the Islamic
Revolution, including justice-seeking, freedom-loving and counter-hegemony
fighting, are remarkably reflected.
Baqeri
Kani referred to the Abraham Accords, warning that the Palestinians’ rights
have been traded with politics, economy, and temporary security profits of
certain governments, while the maximum usage of the project is to give
artificial respiration to the occupying regime.
Among
all important issues related to Palestine, the topic of humans’ life and human
rights is of the most importance, he noted.
For
seven decades, the Zionist regime has had the biggest compilation of human
rights violation, the official said, noting that the issue of Palestine is not
limited to the dispute over a part of land because the regime is the systemic
violator of human rights in recent history and at international level.
Only
a peace based of justice can be sustainable in Palestine, Baqeri Kani said,
stipulating that fairness has nothing to do with occupation and incursion by
Zionists.
The
westerners’ support for the occupying Zionist regime has challenged their
claims on backing human rights and democracy, he added.
He
went on to say that any initiative, which does not end occupation and incursion
of Zionists in Palestine, is not a solution, and that the hard solution is
resistance and the soft solution would be a referendum; thus, each of the
solutions, which help end occupation sooner and pave the way for return of
Palestinians to their homeland, can bring about sustainable peace in the region
and the world.
Resistance
and referendum are two sides of one coin, Baqeri Kani said, adding that all
those who claim that they are backing human rights should support resistance.
The
Zionist regime and its western allies hatch plots for “eradication of
Palestine”, without knowing that resistance has its roots in hearts of regional
nations, he underlined.
The
regime is still facing lack of legitimacy after 70 years of occupation;
therefor, along-term program for the Israeli regime is nothing but a mirage,
Baqeri Kani said, adding that the Zionists are of the opinion that they can
find legitimacy by the use of force and crime while the continuation of
incursion and occupation has been threatening the existence of the regime
internally.
In
relevant remarks on Tuesday, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah
Seyed Ali Khamenei warned the Muslims governments that normalization of
relations with the Zionists is not the way to help the Palestinians.
“Unfortunately,
Muslim governments are acting very badly [vis-à-vis Palestine] and are not even
willing to talk about the Palestinian issue. Some of them imagine that
establishing relations with the Zionists is the way to help Palestine, while
this is a big mistake,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a meeting with a
group of university students and representatives of student associations in
Tehran ahead of the upcoming International Quds Day.
He
added that such normalization would bear no fruit even for the Tel Aviv regime,
expressing the hope that the Palestinian people would soon regain their
territories and liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli occupation.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
Interior Minister Dismisses Clash with Taliban Forces at Borders
2022-April-27
"No
clashes erupted between Iranian forces and the Taliban on the country's
borders; what happened was only a misunderstanding," Vahidi said on
Wednesday.
The
Taliban thought that some border areas should be under their control, he added,
noting that the Iranian border guards could convince that they are wrong.
The
presence of the Taliban armed forces in border areas increased the alertness of
the Iranian forces but no clashes have taken place, Vahidi said.
Iranian
authorities announced on Sunday that the country's main border with Afghanistan
which had been temporarily shut down due to a dispute over unauthorized
construction of a road along the bordering areas has reopened.
Doqaroun
crossing located 18 kilometers off the Eastern Iranian border with Afghanistan
was closed on Saturday.
Reports
said that the decision had come after some border disputes emerged between
Iranian and Afghan authorities.
They
added that trucks waiting for border clearance at Doqaroun had been transferred
to parking spaces at a safe distance from the frontier.
Other
reports said that customs services had been suspended temporarily and staff
would only respond to emergency calls at the crossing.
The
closure came after reports suggested that Iranian border guards had entered the
Afghan territory to stop the construction of a road that authorities said had
not been coordinated with the Iranian side.
Doqaroun
is the main trade gateway between Iran and Afghanistan. It has seen a surge in
shipments crossing from Iran into Afghanistan in recent months.
Government
figures show that Afghanistan has remained one of five main importers of
Iranian goods even after the rise of the Taliban in August.
Iranian
president’s special envoy to Afghanistan Hassan KazzemiQomi said that Iran had
submitted a protest to the Taliban’s ministry of interior to inform the group
that any construction project near the border needed the approval of a joint
border committee.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iranian
DM: Escalation of Crisis in World Result of West's Hegemonic Policies
2022-April-27
History
shows that the military presence of the US in any part of the world has brought
nothing but a wave of insecurity, instability, war, destruction, and
displacement in the world, General Ashtiani said in a meeting with his Chinese
counterpart Wei Fenghe in Tehran on Wednesday.
He
expressed concern over the escalation of security crises in the world, saying that
these crises are rooted in the hegemonic policies of the West and the US.
Stressing
the need to counter US hegemony in the world by strengthening multilateralism,
General Ashtiani said that with the cooperation among independent countries,
common security challenges and threats can be addressed.
He
referred to the policy of Iran in developing relations with neighboring and
Asian countries, and said that holding such bilateral meetings will help to
deepen relations between Iran and China and ultimately to maintain peace and
security in the region and the world.
General
Ashtiani said that the formation of indigenous and endogenous security in the
Persian Gulf region is the strategic policy of Iran, and stressed the need for
holding security talks between the countries of the region.
Elsewhere,
he referred to the outstanding services of Iran in the fight against terrorism,
hailing the constructive role of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani in this
regard.
The
Chinese defense minister, for his part, hailed the historical background of
Iran-China relations, emphasizing that boosting the level of strategic defense
cooperation between the two countries is the purpose of his visit to Tehran.
Many
of the world's wars and insecurities are rooted in the US hegemonic and
unilateral actions, Wei Fenghe said, adding, "The cooperation of the Armed
Forces of Iran and China will play an important role in thwarting such
moves."
Iranian
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi
in a telephone conversation in September underlined the need to implement the
strategic partnership agreement that has already been signed between the two
countries.
During
the phone conversation, the two sides stressed the implementation of the
25-year comprehensive strategic partnership agreement that was signed by Tehran
and Beijing back in March 2021.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Human
Rights Official Raps European States for Failure to Protect Iranian Missions
2022-April-27
Qaribabadi
made the remarks on Tuesday, addressing a conference on "investigating
attacks on Iran's diplomatic missions from the perspective of international
law" on the occasion of the anniversary of the 1980 attack on the Iranian
embassy in London.
He
that immunity of diplomatic missions is the absolute right of any country and
the host country cannot waive this immunity.
According
to Qaribabadi, under international law, representatives of the host country
cannot enter an embassy without permission — even to put out a fire.
Most
of the attacks on Iran's diplomatic missions have occurred in European
countries, he also said, the governments of European countries had a hand in
supporting such moves.
Meantime,
addressing the conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh
said that the immunity of diplomatic missions is an obvious right, adding that
unfortunately, over the past few years, the employees of the Iranian Foreign
Ministry in different countries have been martyred while performing their
diplomatic missions.
The
Iranian Embassy siege took place from 30 April to 5 May 1980, after a group of
six armed men stormed the Iranian embassy on Prince's Gate in South Kensington,
London.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Minister:
Iran to End Flare Burning to Produce Petrochemical Feedstock
2022-April-27
Iran
has signed 28 contracts worth one billion euros (1.065 billion dollars) to end
flare burning at its industrial plants, Owji said.
He
added that the contracts would see all flare stacks removed in two to three
years and “these rich gases, which would have been burned into smoke and
contaminate the environment, will be used as petrochemical feedstock".
Owji
did not specify what partners the contracts had been signed with.
The
Iranian minister said the country was also planning to build eight new
petrochemical plants and one petrochemical unit in the southern province of
Hormozgan that would have a production output of 300,000 barrels per day.
He
said Iran needed to increase its refinery output capacity to end the import of
petroleum products over the next three to four years.
Earlier
this month, Owji said that the country’s production of petrochemical products
will increase to 140mln tons in the next 3 years.
Based
on the schedule, the capacity of petrochemical products will reach 140mln tons
by the end of the tenure of the new Iranian government and the figure will show
50 percent growth, he said.
The
minister added that the country has signed $16.5bln of new deals in oil
industry, which is worth several times the deal with reneging Total.
Due
to the sanctions, Owji did not refer to the names of domestic and foreign
companies with which Iran has signed agreements in the past seven months.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran,
China agree to expand military cooperation: Iranian military chief
27
April ,2022
Iran
and China have agreed to expand their military cooperation, Iran’s top military
commander said on Wednesday during a visit by the Chinese defense minister to
Tehran.
China’s
Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe met with senior Iranian officials in
Tehran, including President Ebrahim Raisi.
“In
[Wednesday’s] meeting with the Chinese minister of defense, we agreed to expand
bilateral cooperation in joint military drills, exchange of strategies,
training issues and other common fields between the two countries’ armed forces
so that we can provide better security for the two countries’ territories,”
Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, told
reporters in Tehran after meeting with Wei.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Military
ties between Iran and China have deepened in recent years. In January, the two
countries, along with Russia, held their third joint naval drills since 2019 in
the northern Indian Ocean.
Raisi
described Tehran-Beijing ties as “strategic” in his meeting with Wei.
“We
pursue these strategic relations [with China] regardless of international
developments and based on mutual political trust, and the successful
implementation of the 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement is a priority
in this regard,” state news agency IRNA quoted Raisi as saying.
In
2021, Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement to strengthen
economic and political relations.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Maqloubah,
a tasty Palestinian food and a 'symbol of Israel downfall'
28
April 2022
Yusef
Jalali
Iran
has hosted an Iftar dinner in support of Palestine amid a rise in Israel's
violence against Palestinian worshippers at the al-Aqsa Mosque during the holy
month of Ramadan.
Maqloubah
is a Palestinian upside-down rice, usually cooked with chicken or lamb. Now the
Iranian and Lebanese women have taken part in a group cooking of Maqloubah as a
solidarity gesture with Palestinian women, amid the escalation of the Israeli
violence against Palestinian worshippers at al-Aqsa mosque.
They
say Maqloubah is not just a delicious food, but a symbol of the downfall of
Israel.
Since
the start of the month of Ramadan, Israeli forces have been assaulting Muslim
worshippers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, injuring scores of people. The
escalation in tensions has drawn worldwide condemnation, with protesters
calling on the UN to take action to end the regime's crackdown against
Palestinians.
This
humanitarian move is one of tens of solidarity gestures staged in Iran and
worldwide in support of Palestinians. The event also comes ahead of the
international Quds Day, a global pro Palestine rally that takes place every
year on the last Friday of the month of Ramadan.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/04/28/681125/Maqloubah-Palestine-Israel-downfall-iftar-
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Southeast Asia
Bukit
Aman confirms viralled statement on prohibition for use of loudspeakers for
azan not in Malaysia
27
Apr 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, April 27 ― The police have confirmed that a statement, which has been
viralled on the social media, on the prohibition of the use of loudspeakers for
“azan” (Muslim call to prayer) was not issued in Malaysia, but in Pune, India.
Bukit
Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan
said the order was made by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray
and was reported by a portal, The New Indian Express, on April 17.
He
said Thackeray also ordered the removal of all loudspeakers from the mosque
before May 3 and threatened to play the Hanuman Chalisa (Hindu devotional hymn)
on loudspeakers of mosques that did not comply with the order.
The
police are also investigating the owner of a TikTok account known as 'Syierabahari’
for the provocative comment as it could threaten peace and racial harmony in
the country," he said in a statement today.
He
said the investigation was conducted under Section 505 (c) of the Penal Code
for issuing a statement with the intent of inciting certain group or race and
Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, for improper use of
network facilities or network services.
Abd
Jalil advised the public against making any speculation that could affect the
investigation and to be vigilant on issues that affect religious and racial
sensitivities.
Source:
MalayMail
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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July
25 hearing for PM’s injunction application over ‘begged for support’ article
April
27, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: The High Court has fixed July 25 to hear Prime Minister Ismail Sabri
Yaakob’s application to restrain the owner of a news portal from publishing or
repeating an article until the disposal of a defamation suit.
Ismail
is suing Agenda Daily and its owner, IzwanMohdZubit, for its article titled
“Ismail Sabri bimbangjadi PM paling singkat, ‘rayu’ jangantariksokongan”,
saying it implied that he had begged his Perikatan Nasional (PN) allies for
their continued support.
Lawyer
Joshua Tan, representing Ismail, said the court wrote to parties last week to
vacate today’s hearing.
“Today’s
proceeding was converted into case management before deputy registrar
IdamaslizaMaarof, and July 25 was set to hear the injunction application,” he
told FMT.
Tan
said an ad interim injunction obtained by Ismail against Agenda Daily on March
4 will remain in force.
The
ad interim injunction serves to temporarily protect the plaintiff (Ismail), who
filed the application to preserve the status quo, pending the hearing of the
interim injunction.
Lawyer
Asiah Abdul Jalil represented Izwan, the owner of Agenda Daily Media
Enterprise, a business enterprise that operates the news portal.
In
his statement of claim, Ismail said the posting, in its ordinary meaning and by
inference, meant that he was concerned about ending up as the prime minister
with the shortest tenure in Malaysian history.
He
said it was also implied that he was desperate to hold on to the office at any
cost and was willing to “beg” a certain political party not to withdraw support
for him.
He
said the posting also gave the impression that he was concerned only about his
position and did not care for the people.
He
is seeking a permanent injunction, damages and an apology to be published in
Agenda Daily and two other local papers.
Agenda
Daily, in its defence, said it had practised responsible journalism and the
report was not published with malicious intent.
Source:Free
Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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‘Sudden
death’ used as catch-all for many migrant worker fatalities, says analyst
Reshna
Reem Ganesan
April
28, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: “Sudden death” has been used as a catch-all term for many migrant worker
deaths over the past two years, says a senior analyst at the Institute of
Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia.
Tashny
Sukumaran said based on the preliminary findings in the Labour Law Reform
Coalition’s (LLRC) Occupational Health and Safety Report 2022, migrant
community leaders had raised concerns about the catch-all term.
“During
the pandemic, 64.2% of deaths were categorised as ‘sudden deaths’ without
further details,” she said at a press conference today.
Tashny
said union leaders had claimed that employers often paid off the authorities to
classify deaths stemming from exhaustion and other work-related maladies as
“sudden death” to avoid scrutiny and accountability.
“The
government must assume greater responsibility in record-keeping of migrant
worker fatalities and injuries, and conduct thorough investigations into claims
of sudden deaths to ensure their veracity,” she said.
She
said migrant community leaders had also claimed that in some cases murders were
made to appear as suicides.
“While
there is no evidence for this, photographic documentation of alleged suicides
allegedly carried out via implausible methods gives credence to this theory,”
she said.
FMT
has reached out to the police for comment on these allegations.
The
other key takeaways from the report include a lack of Covid-19 protective
measures for migrant workers, poor occupational safety and health standards,
and increased vulnerability of female migrant workers.
To
address these issues, Tashny suggested that the government develop a programme
for migrant workers’ families to receive fair and just compensation for past
deaths, and the implementation of a cross-border system to verify the payment
of compensation to families in the country of origin.
“A
Corporate Manslaughter Act should also be enacted that will treat companies as
corporate persons and sentence them for criminal offences,” she said.
Source:Free
Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Bersatu
‘will work with anyone’ for straight fight against BN
April
24, 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR: Bersatu is prepared to cooperate with any political party to ensure
straight fights against Barisan Nasional in the coming 15th general election.
Bersatu
president Muhyiddin Yassin said the party was currently in the initial stage of
discussions to offer a “win-win” formula to achieve that objective.
Muhyiddin,
who is also Perikatan Nasional chairman, said an understanding among political
parties was important to avoid split votes, as demonstrated by the results of
the Melaka and Johor state elections.
He
said the initial meetings showed encouraging signs “but we haven’t finalised
the type of understanding to avoid clashes”.
“If
our objective is important for the country, then leaders of other parties
should be on the same page and they have shown a rather positive reaction but
we haven’t fine-tuned what would be implemented,” he told reporters after
Bersatu’s breaking of fast event here tonight.
On
Friday, Pakatan Harapan secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the
coalition was prepared to negotiate and discuss with any political party about
electoral cooperation.
Source:Free
Malaysia Today
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Africa
Jordan
pushing to restore Jerusalem mosque status quo - sources
By
Suleiman Al-Khalidi
April
28, 2022
AMMAN,
April 28 (Reuters) - Jordan has intensified efforts to push Israel to respect
the historic status quo of Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque and avoid violent
confrontations that could threaten a wider conflict, Jordanian officials and
Western diplomats said on Thursday.
The
officials said Jordan had notified Washington it was ready to discuss the issue
with Israel after the end of the holy month of Ramadan next week. The aim would
be to identify steps that Israel could take to return conditions at the mosque
to those of 22 years ago.
Jordan
accuses Israel of having gradually changed restrictions on worship at the
mosque since 2000.
The
new diplomatic effort is "to deal with the roots of the tension and ensure
that matters don't explode again," a Jordanian official who requested
anonymity said, adding that Washington had recently been given a paper that
"clearly" stated the kingdom's position.
Clashes
over the past two weeks between Palestinians and Israeli police at the mosque
compound have stoked Arab anger and international concern about a slide back to
a wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A
tinder-box for Israeli-Arab antagonism, the compound, known as the Noble
Sanctuary, is the third holiest site in Islam. Jews refer to it as the Temple
Mount and regard it as the holiest site in Judaism.
A
Western diplomat said Jordan's proposal did not include convening a joint
committee with Israel concerning Muslim and Christian shrines in the Old City
of Jerusalem. Several Israeli media outlets said it did, but Jordan is
unwilling to concede a such a formal role for Israel.
Jordan,
whose ruling Hashemite family has custodianship of the Muslim and Christian
sites, says that since 2000 Israel has undermined a centuries-old tradition
under which non-Muslims do not worship in the mosque compound.
Amman
told Washington that Israel should end restrictions on staffing of Jordan's
religious Waqf administration and let it manage all visits by non-Muslims and
prevent worship by them, the sources said.
Israel
denies accusations by Jordan and Arab states it has tried to change the status
quo of Muslim holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem, which it occupied in the
1967 Arab-Israeli War. It also says it is enforcing a long-standing ban on
Jewish prayer at the compound.
Jordan
says Israel is restricting access by Muslim worshippers and not restraining
Israeli far-right nationalists whose rituals violate the former status quo and,
from an Islamic point of view, desecrate the holy site.
"Jordan
is continuing its contacts directly with the Israelis and Washington and other
international parties to demand that Israel respects the historic situation
that existed before 2000," another Jordanian official said.
Source:Reuters
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Ethiopia:
21 Muslims killed in “planned massacre” in Gonder
27th
April 2022
At
least twenty one people were killed after a group of people attacked mourners
at the funeral of Sheik Kamal Legas, a prominent local Sheik in the city who
passed away on Tuesday after a short illness. Several reports also indicate
mosques were targeted in the attack.
“The
number of our brothers killed in Gonder has risen to three. Mosques are
currently being attacked; We have heard from residents that homes are being
looted in broad daylight and Muslim property is being destroyed. If the state
does not respond immediately to the government or the federal government
intervenes, it will not be easy to stop,” wrote a well know Muslim scholar,
Ustaz BediruHussien on his Facebook page.
The
Addis Abeba Islamic Affairs’ High Council said in a statement on Wednesday that
the attack was a “planned massacre”. The Council also said that mosques and
Qur’ans were burned down, women were raped and properties belonging to Muslims
in the city were destroyed.
Source:Siasat
Daily
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.siasat.com/ethiopia-21-muslims-killed-in-planned-massacre-in-gonder-2316831/'
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Clashes
in Sudan’s West Darfur killed over 210: Governor
27
April ,2022
At
least 213 people were killed in three days of violence between Arab and
non-Arab groups in Sudan’s West Darfur, the state governor said, giving the
first official toll for recent clashes.
West
Darfur has been gripped by days of deadly fighting largely centered in Krink, a
locality of nearly 500,000 people and mostly inhabited by the African Massalit
tribe.
“This
massive crime left around 201 killed and 103 wounded” on Sunday alone, said
West Darfur governor Khamees Abkar in a video published late Tuesday.
The
violence first broke out on Friday and escalated when armed men attacked
villages of the non-Arab Massalit in retaliation for the killing of two
tribesmen, according to the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in
Darfur, an independent aid group.
At
least eight people were killed on Friday, Abkar said, confirming a death toll
for that day already reported by the aid group.
The
state governor blamed government forces tasked with securing Krink and its
environs for “withdrawing without any justification” as the main attacks began
early Sunday.
Krink
town “was completely destroyed including government institutions,” Abkar said.
“It is a crime against humanity.”
The
fighting on Monday spread to Geneina, the provincial capital of West Darfur.
Witnesses
have accused the Janjaweed militia of orchestrating the violence.
The
Janjaweed was an Arab militia which gained notoriety for its role in the
repression of an ethnic minority rebellion in Darfur in the early 2000s under
then President Omar al-Bashir.
According
to rights groups, many of its members were later integrated into the feared
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The
General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur on Monday reported a
combined death toll of 180 for the fighting around Krink and in Geneina,
including four killed in the state capital on Monday.
Abkar
on Wednesday confirmed to AFP that four were killed on Monday, taking the total
toll to at least 213.
On
Tuesday, Doctors Without Borders, known by the French acronym MSF, said several
medical workers were killed in the fighting as hospitals were attacked.
Consequently,
“MSF teams have not been able to reach the health facilities we support nor
conduct mobile clinic activities” in Geneina and cannot return to Krink, the
aid group said in a statement.
The
conflict in Darfur that began in 2003 killed more than 300,000 people and
displaced 2.5 million, according to the UN.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Former
top Sudanese official Suleiman says he’s released from detention
27
April ,2022
Former
Sudanese Sovereign Council member Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman has been released
from detention on bail, he told Reuters by phone on Wednesday.
Suleiman,
along with several other top civilian politicians and former officials, was
arrested in February on corruption charges stemming from their work on a
committee working to dismantle the country’s former regime.
Their
arrests came after an October coup that ended a power-sharing arrangement
between the military and the civilian coalition they represented.
On
Tuesday, former cabinet minister Khalid Omer Yousif was released on bail, while
Suleiman and another member, Wagdi Salih, saw their detention extended on
separate charges, according to lawyers.
Other
members of the committee were asked to pay what lawyers described as exorbitant
bail.
Suleiman,
however, confirmed to Reuters by phone on Wednesday that he had been released.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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French
army watches for bombs and potholes as it withdraws from Mali base
27
April ,2022
The
French military left a remote base in northern Mali before dawn last week for
the last time, one hundred vehicles forming a miles-long convoy across the
barren desert terrain.
Helicopters
whirred above, air support for hundreds of troops in trucks and armored cars
leaving the camp near the town of Gossi. A team of sappers led the way, looking
for explosives hidden on the sandy floor.
“We
are in the middle of the desert, on a road with big potholes and with a real
direct risk from enemies who can lay mines or attack us with a car bomb,” said
Lieutenant Imran, part of a tactical team charged with protecting the convoy.
This
is what France’s withdrawal from northern Mali looks like: painstaking and
slow, through hostile territory that its forces have failed to secure in ten
years of conflict.
The
departure from Gossi, which follows similar withdrawals from bases in Timbuktu
and Kidal, is part of a staggered pullout announced by France in February,
prompted by worsening violence and a breakdown in relations between the two
countries.
It
marks the end to a mission that began in 2013 with quick successes against
extremists who had taken over parts of the north, but which became a quagmire,
sucking in thousands of troops and billions of dollars.
Over
50 French soldiers have died in Mali. As the conflict dragged on, anti-French
sentiment grew and relations with Mali’s military junta, which took power in
2020, frayed beyond repair.
Now
a shift in the international fight against terrorists in the region is
underway. As France moves out of Mali, Russian mercenaries from Wagner Group
have moved in, rights groups and sources say, raising concern among Western
powers of a potential spike in violence.
Mali
and Russia have previously said that there are no mercenaries in Mali, only
Russian trainers helping local troops.
Packing
up
The
Gossi base, which housed between 300 and 400 troops, is little more than a
walled compound surrounded by scrubland. Soldiers slept on cots under the
stars. It was abuzz last week as they packed up generators and other kit and
loaded them onto trucks.
The
journey north to the city of Gao is 160 kilometers (100 miles), but it took the
slow-moving convoy a day and half to get there. The soldiers know the route
well: miles of thorny scrub, rocky outcrops and the occasional camel.
Breakdowns are common.
Before
leaving on April 19, the French soldiers handed the base over to the Malian
army. As saluting soldiers looked on, the French flag was lowered and removed
and replaced with the Malian one.
The
base has since been in the headlines. A day after leaving, the French military
released drone footage of what it said was men burying bodies close to the
base. The army said it was an attempt by Russian mercenaries to discredit
French soldiers.
Source: Al Arabiya
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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North America
Irish
Member Of The European Parliament Slams US Sanctions On Iran, Others As ‘Crime
Against Humanity’
28
April 2022
An
independent Irish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) has criticized the US
government for imposing sanctions on various countries around the world,
including Iran, denouncing the move as “a crime against humanity.”
Mick
Wallace made the remarks in a post on his Twitter account on Thursday, while
referring to the recent death of former US secretary of state Madeleine
Albright, whom he called a “war criminal.”
“Sanctions
on Iraq, which war criminal Madeleine Albright thought ‘were worth it’ were a
collective punishment against people of Iraq that killed 500,00 children,”
Wallace tweeted.
He
added that those sanctions amounted to “a crime against humanity,” just like
the ones imposed on Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Cuba, and Afghanistan.
The
US, under former president Donald Trump, launched what it called a maximum
pressure campaign against Iran at the time, targeting the Iranian nation with
the “toughest ever” sanctions.
Although
Trump failed to reach its professed goals with his maximum pressure campaign,
the bans have badly hurt the Iranian population.
Albright
died on March 23 at the age of 84. She served as America's top diplomat during
the administration of former US president Bill Clinton. Albright is widely held
responsible for the death of countless Iraqi kids.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Vast
majority of Afghans turned away by US entry program
28
April 2022
The
administration of President Joe Biden has denied nearly 85 percent of the
applications it has processed from Afghans who want to enter the US through a
program which allows for temporarily waiving immigration requirements.
A
new report by The Hill shows the administration has only processed around 2,600
applications from those Afghans who seek to come to the US through the
humanitarian parole process. And 2,250 of those applicants have been denied.
Immigrant
advocates argue the Biden administration has failed to honor its pledge to
assist Afghans who were left behind after the US military’s hasty pullout from
the war-torn country in August following a swift takeover by the Taliban.
The
latest figures put into question the administration’s ability to process
applications from some 45,000 Afghans now scattershot across the world, as well
as the possibility that their applications will be granted.
Although
76,000 Afghans entered the US following its troops’ withdrawal, those who left
through private charters remain abroad.
Additionally,
an estimated over 100,000 made vulnerable because of their ties to the US are
still in Afghanistan and have limited options for entering the US.
By
February, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had processed fewer
than 2,000 of the applications of the more than 43,000 submitted since July 1.
The
applications of 1,500 Afghans were denied, while just 170 had been given the green
light to come to the US. The new figures indicate 340 have now been granted
conditional approval to come to the United States.
Immigrant
advocates in the US began filing humanitarian parole applications for Afghans
in August in a last-ditch effort to get them on American evacuation flights out
of the country before the withdrawal.
By
November, however, the agency had posted a list of narrow criteria for Afghan
applicants and held a webinar telling attorneys that parole is typically
granted only if there's evidence someone faces "imminent severe
harm."
The
new data shows that the majority of Afghans whose humanitarian parole
applications have been reviewed are being denied.
“The
administration should immediately create a functioning Afghan parole program, a
lifeline for Afghans whom we have left behind. The United States has
demonstrated that we have the capacity to implement novel and innovative
solutions for vulnerable populations in need of protection. Everyone deserves a
safe place to call home,” Meredith Owen, director of policy and advocacy at
Church World Service, a refugee resettlement agency, told The Hill.
Source:
Press TV
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/04/28/681133/US-Afghans-immigrants-US-withdrawal-
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Biden,
Clintons herald Madeleine Albright as force for good at Washington funeral
April
27, 2022
WASHINGTON:
US leaders past and present praised former Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright as a fighter against fascism and a champion of women on Wednesday at a
funeral service honoring her life and legacy as the first woman to serve as the
United States’ top diplomat.
President
Joe Biden called Albright a “force of nature” who changed the tide of history
and said she was a big reason why the NATO alliance — which he has rallied to
support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion — is strong and galvanized today.
Albright,
who served as secretary of state from 1997 to 2001, died last month of cancer
at age 84. The professor, businesswoman, mother and grandmother was heralded as
a trailblazer after her death.
“Her
name is still synonymous with America as a force for good in the world,” Biden
told mourners at the Washington National Cathedral.
“She
loved to speak about America as the indispensable nation. ... It was about
gratitude for all this country made possible for her. It was a testament to her
belief in the endless possibilities that only America could help unlock around
the world.”
Albright
and her family fled the Nazis in her native Czechoslovakia during World War
Two. They eventually settled in the United States, where Albright grew to
become a tough-talking diplomat, famous for a sometimes-sharp tongue and a
collection of pins she would wear to send political messages.
Former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who as first lady urged her husband, then
President Bill Clinton, to choose Albright to be secretary of state, said it
was important to heed the lessons of Albright’s life experience.
“Once
again, we must heed the wisdom of her life and the cause of her public service:
Stand up to dictators and demagogues — from the battlefields of Ukraine to the
halls of our own Capitol,” she said, referring to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol
attack by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, who was not present at the
funeral.
Clinton
noted Albright’s support of other women.
“She
didn’t just help other women; she spent her entire life counseling and
cajoling, inspiring and lifting up so many of us who are here today,” Clinton
said.
As
US ambassador to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997, Albright raised eyebrows
with her response to a 1996 incident in which Cuban jet fighters downed two
unarmed US-based planes, saying: “This is not cojones, this is cowardice,”
using a Spanish vulgarity meaning “testicles.”
Former
President Clinton said he told her afterwards that it was the best line anyone
had used in his administration until then. “I called her and I said, ‘I’m just
jealous,’” he recalled.
More
than 1,400 people were expected to attend Albright’s service, according to a
spokesperson for the family, including foreign ministers, ambassadors and
members of Congress.
The
family requested that attendees wear masks inside the cathedral; Washington has
experienced a dramatic uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks.
Albright’s
three daughters gave tributes and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
gave a reading from the Bible.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2072031/world
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Moscow
swaps ex-US marine Reed for Russian pilot jailed in US
April
27, 2022
MOSCOW:
Moscow said Wednesday it has exchanged former US marine Trevor Reed, jailed in
Russia for assaulting police, for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was
convicted of drug smuggling in the United States.
The
prisoner swap comes at a time of soaring tensions between Moscow and Washington
over Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
“As
a result of a lengthy negotiations process, on April 27, 2022, US citizen
Trevor Reed, previously convicted in the Russian Federation, was exchanged for
Russian citizen Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison
by an American court,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
said on Telegram.
Images
released by Russian state TV showed Reed — dressed all in black and carrying a
large bag — escorted onto a plane at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport by men in
military uniform.
Reed,
a student and former marine from Texas, was in July 2020 sentenced to nine
years in prison by a Russian court after allegedly attacking police officers
while drunk.
While
being driven to a police station, he allegedly grabbed the arm of a police
officer, causing the car they were in to swerve, and elbowed another officer in
the abdomen.
He
pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying he remembers nothing of the incident.
Source:
Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2071791/world
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