Security Threat From Islamic State: Taliban Recruiting Suicide Bombers To Army Ranks To Bolster Defences
New
Age Islam News Bureau
06
January 2022
A
display of Taliban suicide vests, bombs and weapons was shown on television in
Afghanistan
-----
• Telegram
Channel Targeting Hindu Women Surfaces After 'Bulli Bai', Minister Says Action
Taken
• Muslims
Face A Suicide Crisis In America; The Taboo Of Talking About It Must End
• 3,280
Schools Closed In Burkina Faso Due To Terrorism
• Iran’s
Judiciary Chief Blasts US, Canada’s Hypocritical Approach towards Human Rights
South Asia
• ‘Allah
Has Blessed Us’: Rain Hits Major Afghan Cities, That Were Was Reeling Under
Draught, After Salat ul Istisqa
• Afghan
Taliban turn blind eye to Pakistani militants
• Bangladesh
Destroys 3,000 Shops Belonging To Rohingya Muslim Refugees
• UN
collects $1.5 billion to address Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis
• It
is time for world to recognize Taliban: Deputy FM
• Taliban
pilots crash MD-530 helicopter in Kandahar during training
--------
India
• ‘Bulli
Bai’ App: Women in Criminal Law Association Condemn Targeting of Muslim Women,
Demand Immediate Action
• Gurugram
Offered A Dizzy New Modernity; Neighbourhoods Called Beverly Park, Nirvana • County
And Wellington Estate, Now Has Street Groups Cheering Nathuram Godse
• RSS
To Reach Out To Muslim Women In UP To Apprise F The Measures Taken By The BJP
Governments At The Centre And The State
• Jaish
trio killed in Pulwama encounter, arms recovered
• Malwani
module: NIA court accepts guilty pleas, convicts both ISIS recruiters
--------
North America
• US
Muslims Call For Action As ‘Spying’ Incidents Shake Community
• For
Muslim Migrants, Religious Prejudice Compounds Horrors Of Latin American Route
• US-Coalition
Against ISIS Faces Dual Attacks In Syria And Iraq By Iran-Backed Groups
• US
politician Rashida Tlaib running for new Detroit-area seat after redistricting
--------
Africa
• Israeli
Defence Chief Meets Jordanian King In Reset Of Ties
• Algeria
says envoy to France to resume duties
• Tunisian
judiciary refers 19 people to trial for ‘electoral crimes’
• Islamic
City Petitions Buhari Over Ejection Plans
--------
Mideast
• Hamas
Official: Resistance Movements Won’t Accept Continuation Of Israeli Siege On
Gaza
• Iran,
France Vow to Broaden Judicial Cooperation
• Iran
Rescues 11 Indian Crew before Vessel Sinks in Persian Gulf
• Iran
to Prosecute 127 Persons Involved in Assassination of General Soleimani
• Iran,
Nicaragua to Further Expand Cultural Ties
• Palestinian
killed by Israel army in West Bank: Sources
• Palestinian-American
gets 2 life terms for Israeli teen’s murder
--------
Pakistan
• Martyrs'
Blood Went Into Pak-Afghan Border Fencing, Will Continue As Planned: DG ISPR
• Seniority
Neither Requirement Nor Convention For Elevation To SC: Body
• Pakistan:
Imran Khan's PTI under scanner after EC report on foreign funding
• After
Taliban took power in Kabul, terror attacks in Pakistan surged
• Lord
Nazir Ahmed convicted of sexual offences
• Pakistan,
GCC finalise action plan for strategic dialogue
--------
Southeast Asia
• Aceh's
Residents On 31-Year Waiting List For Mecca Hajj: Official
• Indonesian
Prosecutors Seek Life for Bali Bombing Suspect
• Islamic
religious dept to rein in Raja Bomoh for anti-rain ritual
• Covid-19:
Umrah pilgrim becomes first Omicron case in Sabah, says state minister
--------
Arab World
• US Lawsuit
Filed Against Lebanon And Its Powerful Intelligence Agency
• Israel
issues first sentence in mob attack on Arab driver
• Arab
Coalition receives distress signal from oil tanker off Yemen’s Hodeidah port
• Rocket
attack hits military camp near Baghdad Airport
• Israeli
tank fire hits south-western Syrian village as choppers hover overhead: Report
• Rockets
target Ain al-Assad base hosting US troops in Iraq's Anbar
• Gen.
Soleimani Rushed To Iraq’s Aid Against Daesh At Critical Time: President Salih
--------
Europe
• EU
Calls For Restraint On All Sides In Kazakhstan
• Diplomats
scuffle at Afghan embassy in Rome
• Kazakhstan's
president fails to quell protests, 8 deaths reported
• Kuwait's
Jazeera Airways suspends Kazakhstan flights amid unrest
• Moscow-led
alliance sends first troops to Kazakhstan: Statement
• Blair's
defence secretary says he was told to burn memo saying Iraq war may be illegal
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Security
Threat From Islamic State: Taliban Recruiting Suicide Bombers To Army Ranks To
Bolster Defences
A
display of Taliban suicide vests, bombs and weapons was shown on television in
Afghanistan
-----
January
06, 2022
The
Taliban will officially recruit suicide bombers to become part of the army as
the militant group tries to contain its biggest security threat from rival
Islamic State since forming government in Afghanistan four months ago.
Before
sweeping into power last year, the Taliban used suicide bombers as a key weapon
to attack and defeat US and Afghan troops in the 20-year war. Now the group
wants to reform and organize the scattered squads of suicide bombers across the
country to operate under a single unit and protect Afghanistan, said the
Taliban's deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi.
Their
main target now would be the local offshoot of the Islamic State, which has
carried out at least five major attacks as the Taliban looked to consolidate
power after the US withdrew from Afghanistan in August. Several of those
attacks were carried out by suicide bombers.
"The
special forces that include martyrdom seekers will be used for more
sophisticated and special operations," Karimi said by phone, without
providing details.
The
militant group is building a "strong and organized army to bolster
defense" nationwide and at the borders with the suicide bombers becoming a
integral part of the strategy, Karimi added. Some 150,000 fighters will be
invited to join the military, Al Jazeera reported in November, citing the
Taliban's chief of staff Qari Fasihuddin.
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The
recruitment drive comes after the Taliban purged the military ranks to stop
those who were conducting house-to-house searches to settle scores with
opponents, according to spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed. The group also said it
had begun to identify and capture possible Islamic State infiltrators within
their own ranks.
Islamic
State fighters have constantly challenged the authority of the Taliban,
prompting concerns that Afghanistan could descend into another war. The group's
deadliest attack took place on Aug. 26 when a suicide bomber killed nearly 200
people including 13 US marines in Kabul airport as desperate Afghans were
waiting for U.S. evacuation flights to flee the country.
Source:
ND TV
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Telegram
Channel Targeting Hindu Women Surfaces After 'Bulli Bai', Minister Says Action
Taken
Pages
abusing Hindu women have surfaced on social media platforms.
-----
Jan
05, 2022
Amid
the Bulli Bai row, several channels on social media platforms like Facebook and
Telegram allegedly targetting Hindu women have been brought to the notice of IT
minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday. Talking about a particular channel on
Telegram, the minister said the channel has already been taken down. A verified
user complained against this particular Telegram channel which was created in
June 2021 and has been targeting Hindu women, sharing their photos and abusing
them. "Channel blocked. Government of India coordinating with police
authorities of states for action," the minister tweeted.
Channel
blocked. Government of India coordinating with police authorities of states for
action. https://t.co/kCB6Ys8TI2
—
Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 5, 2022
Uttarakhand
girl arrested in Bulli Bai app case is a class 12 pass-out. She’s 18
The
abusive pages come amid the ongoing Bulli Bai app case, in connection with
which three people have been arrested so far, including two from Uttarakhand
and one from Bengaluru. Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said some
more people could be involved in this matter. "The probe in the case is on
and anyone involved in the crime directly or indirectly will be arrested and
prosecuted,” he said.
The
Mumbai police had registered an FIR against unidentified persons following
complaints that doctored photographs of hundreds of Muslim women were uploaded
for ‘auction’ on the app called `Bulli Bai', hosted on the open-source software
platform GitHub. While there was no actual `auction' or `sale', the purpose of
the app seemed to be to humiliate and intimidate the targeted women, many of
whom are active social media users. The Mumbai cyber police station has also
registered a case against the app's unidentified developers and Twitter handles
which promoted it.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
Muslims
Face A Suicide Crisis In America; The Taboo Of Talking About It Must End
AFP
via Getty Images
----
Rania
Awaad and Taimur Kouser
January
3, 2022
Sana
was gripped with fear. Her mind raced as she debated whether Allah would
forgive her for being so ungrateful. She became certain that her new-born and
toddler would be better off without her, a mother who couldn’t bond with her
children.
The
thoughts surprised her. Sana considered herself religious and was aware that
suicide is forbidden in Islam. But it seemed like the only solution.
Her
characteristically joyful personality had given way to uncontrollable feelings
of guilt, despair and hypocrisy. Here she was, a lawyer and teacher of the
Islamic sciences, considering suicide.
Seeking
help from friends was futile, as they told her what she already felt – she was
suffering from weak iman (faith). They encouraged her to read more of the Quran
and pray to restore her faith and gratitude.
On
the day Sana had planned to die by suicide, a concerned friend called to check
in. She had just completed a suicide response training developed by the
Stanford Muslim Mental Health & Islamic Psychology (MMHIP) Lab and offered
by Maristan, a community partner with the lab.
Sana’s
friend recognized red flags that she had learned about, explained to Sana that
her symptoms were the result of postpartum depression, and insisted that she
take her to an emergency room for a psychiatric evaluation.
Learning
about her symptoms and that they were unrelated to her level of education or
religiosity helped to comfort Sana and ultimately saved her life.
Mental
illness is still highly stigmatized around the world, but its stigma in Muslim
communities is especially strong. Instead of seeing mental health challenges as
medical problems requiring (in part) medical solutions, many Muslims view such
challenges as purely spiritual ones that can be prayed away or addressed with
similar spiritual solutions.
Suicide,
in particular, is a taboo within a taboo not only because of its connection to
a mental health vocabulary, but also because it is morally forbidden in Islam.
A
combination of Quranic verses and Hadith (narrations of the Prophet Muhammad, peace
be upon him) underscores God’s explicit prohibition of killing oneself,
emphasizing the special status that He has given to each human life and
reminding Muslims about the nature of trials in this life and the need and
goodness of patiently enduring them.
But
moral prohibitions alone do not afford Muslims blanket immunity from suffering
suicidal thoughts or dying by suicide. Research shows that a significant number
of Muslims attempt and die by suicide each year, despite the fact that reported
rates of Muslim deaths by suicide are low.
There
also might be a good reason to believe that the rates are actually much higher
than reported. In addition to its social stigma, suicide is criminalized in
many Muslim-majority countries, which may yield underreporting or
misclassification of deaths by suicide as “accidental deaths.”
American
Muslims at higher risk
In
the United States, our recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry – through a
partnership among our Stanford MMHIP Lab, the Institute for Social Policy and
Understanding, and the Institute for Muslim Mental Health – showed that
American Muslims are twice as likely as any other religious group to report
previous suicide attempts.
As
noted in The Economist, it is hard to imagine that this is not linked to the
high rates of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment that defined post-9/11
experiences for most American Muslims. But there’s more, too.
Mental
health is not only stigmatized, and culturally and religiously congruent
resources not easily accessible, but American Muslims also suffer from unique
stressors in their daily lives that hurt their mental well-being.
For
example, our study showed that experiencing discrimination – especially the
combination of Islamophobic and gender-based discrimination – increased suicide
attempts by 180%. And gay and bisexual Muslims were eight times as likely to
report attempting suicide.
Cultural
assimilation also plays a major role. U.S.-born Muslims were much more likely
to attempt suicide than their immigrant-born predecessors.
Ultimately,
the study underscores that there is a growing suicide crisis afflicting the
American Muslim community.
Over
the past several years, our Stanford MMHIP Lab has been contacted by numerous
Muslim communities in the United States and abroad following deaths by suicide.
It became clear to us that we needed to develop custom-tailored resources for
Muslim communities to help them navigate the impact of suicide on their
communities.
By
April, when two brothers killed themselves and their family members in a murder
suicide in the Muslim community in Allen, Texas, we had completed the first
draft of a suicide prevention, intervention and post-intervention manual that
integrates the latest evidence-based scientific research on suicide along with
Islamic ethics and moral teachings.
Within
24 hours of the Allen tragedy, our team had hosted multiple virtual training
sessions for Muslim leaders in the Dallas area, including training specific to
imams, other religious leaders and mental health professionals.
We
also published a widely circulated article on the do’s and don’ts of suicide
response for Muslims who were reeling after the brothers’ graphic suicide note
had gone viral. Our goal was to prevent a suicide contagion in U.S. Muslim
communities.
Addressing
suicide has been a major gap in Muslim communities worldwide, but we are
finally beginning to take meaningful steps to combat the troubling anecdotal,
clinical and research findings that show an increase in suicidal ideation and
deaths by suicide.
The
Stanford MMHIP Lab recently received a John Templeton Foundation grant to study
Islamic-inspired character virtues that may serve as unique resiliency and
protective factors against suicide, representing a significant stride in Muslim
mental health research.
Suicide
prevention training is available
Several
recent tragedies were the catalyst for Maristan to launch its 500 Imam Campaign
with a goal to train at least 500 Muslim leaders across the country in 2022 in
suicide prevention, intervention and post-intervention. Maristan’s five-year
goal is to train leaders in all 3,000 mosques across the USA.
Muslim
communities seem finally to be waking up to the reality of mental illness and
the acute need to address it through collaborations among mental health professionals
and community and religious leaders.
But
there is still much work to do. Effective suicide prevention in Muslim
communities requires more information, more commitment and more communication.
It requires the entire community to engage. It requires a solution that is
medical and spiritual, and one that meets each community where it is at and
uses tools from varying traditions to engage the problem effectively.
We
need more research to document the extent of the problem, more resources to
provide care based in the Islamic tradition, more communication about the
importance of mental health care, more recognition of unique stressors, and
more leadership to responsibly guide communities to a healthier future.
Yet,
there is reason for hope. At Maristan's first in-person suicide prevention
training in September, an imam was the first person to arrive. And he sat in
the front row. A few years ago, he had brushed off the need to talk about
mental health, despite our efforts to seek his support.
Dr.
Rania Awaad is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Taimur
Kouser is a Masters in Bioethics & Science Policy student at Duke
University.
Source:
Yahoo News
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://news.yahoo.com/muslims-face-suicide-crisis-america-110159976.html
--------
3,280
Schools Closed In Burkina Faso Due To Terrorism
(Representative
Image)
----
Aurore
Bonny
06.01.2022
DOUALA,
Cameroon
Raids
by armed extremists have forced the closure of more than 3,000 schools in
Burkina Faso, affecting thousands of students and teachers, the government said
Wednesday.
The
Ministry of National Education, Literacy, and the Promotion of National
Languages said that as of Dec. 31, 2021, 3,280 schools had been closed.
The
figure accounts for 13.09% of the country's schools or 511,221 students and
14,901 teachers.
"This
is very impressive and there are reasons for concern," government
spokesman Alkassoum Maiga said at a press briefing.
However,
205 schools involving 39,812 students and 1,099 teachers have been reopened and
25 schools have also been relocated, according to Maiga.
"This
allows us to meet the education imperative, especially for those in exam
classes," he said, pointing to the re-enrollment of 135,981 students whose
parents are internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In
May 2021, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) noted that closures affected 304,450 students, including 156,456
boys and 147,994 girls, and 11,068 teachers, including 7,259 men and 3,809
women, noting "a fairly turbulent security situation."
The
West African country has been the target of recurring terrorist attacks since
2015.
After
“the first Burkinabe school attacks were recorded in 2017, the number and
severity of these attacks have been on the rise,” according to Human Right
Watch.
"School
attacks and disruptions to schooling have reduced the quality of education
provided and caused many students to fall behind academically," the
organization noted.
Terrorism
has also caused the internal displacement of more than 1.4 million people and
food insecurity for more than 2.8 million people, OCHA reported.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/3-280-schools-closed-in-burkina-faso-due-to-terrorism/2466571
--------
Iran’s
Judiciary Chief Blasts US, Canada’s Hypocritical Approach towards Human Rights
Terming
Canada as a human rights violater, Judiciary Chief noted that today, the notion
of human rights has become a tool for putting pressure on independent states.
----
2022-January-5
Those
who have committed the most brutal crimes, taken anti-human measures, displaced
the oppressed people worldwide, and annihilated countries' infrastructures
claim now that they are after human rights, Mohseni Eje’i said, addressing a
meeting in Tehran on Wednesday also participated by Foreign Minister Hossein
Amir Abdollahian, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali
Shamkhani and Judiciary Deputy Chief and Secretary-General of Iran's Human
Rights Headquarters Kazzem Qaribabadi.
He
stressed the need not to take a passive approach towards the issue of the human
rights.
Mohseni
Eje’i further appreciated measures taken by different bodies in the country to
defend the Islamic Republic of Iran against human rights-related allegations.
He
added that the US as the main supporter of terrorism accuses Iran of supporting
terrorists.
Also,
Canada that has killed indigenous people and children often sponsors human
rights resolutions against Iran, the official noted, adding that such claims
shock the world.
Also
in the meeting, Qaribabadi said that the US and the West have turned the issue
of human rights as an anti-Iran project and make use of all their capacities to
proceed their project.
In
relevant remarks in November, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Islamic
Republic of Iran to the United Nations Zahra Ershadi condemned the
politically-tainted human rights resolution drafted by Canada against Iran,
saying that the world will not forget violation of the indigenous Canadian
people's rights.
"The
biased and non-constructive draft resolution, on which the third committee is
about to take action, is an insincere and indefensible political move. Replete
with factual errors, the draft resolution marks selective and politicized
distortion of the realities on the ground and unmasks the deliberate hostile
policy of incitement to Iranophobia. Like any other country-specific resolutions
under this agenda item, Iran has clearly rejected this draft resolution since
it was first introduced," she said.
"An
examination of the list of the draft resolution’s main sponsors – namely
Canada, the United States, the child-killer Israeli regime and certain Western
countries – exposes the fact that the main proponents of racism, occupation,
and those behind the abhorrent murder of indigenous peoples have come together
to lecture others on human rights."
"The
West may choose silence over Canada’s horrendous crimes, but history will never
forget that in the so-called land of the free, thousands of indigenous children
were sexually abused, killed and dumped in mass graves," Ershadi added.
"The
United States has also earned its place in the history books, as systematic
attacks on people of African descent, Muslims and Asian Americans continue with
no end in sight. The US police have even taken a step forward and strangle
African Americans in broad daylight."
Asking
how can the draft resolution be taken seriously when the child-killer Israeli
regime continues to commit all core international crimes," the Iranian
envoy said, "The international community must hold the Israeli regime
accountable for shedding the blood of countless Palestinian people."
"In
an attempt to whitewash its vicious campaign of genocide, Canada has colluded
with the Special Rapporteur on the [so-called] Situation of Human rights in the
Islamic Republic of Iran and invited him to a session in order to support its
baseless allegations and lobby against my Country. It reminds us of a famous
Iranian proverb about fox’s trickery, which says: They asked the fox who is
your witness? He said, my tail. The proverb applies to one who brings his own
dependents as evidence to testify in his favor. FACT, a culprit cannot call a
complicit as a witness to the court."
"The
majority of Member States have repeatedly rejected the manipulation of human
rights for political objectives, and have insisted on the imperative of the
promotion and protection of human rights in all countries through constructive
dialogue, engagement and cooperation. Unfortunately, in many cases these
principles are not upheld, and these important mechanisms have mostly failed to
fulfill their duties," Ershadi said.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the text of the original story:
--------
South Asia
‘Allah Has Blessed Us’: Rain Hits Major Afghan Cities, That Were Was Reeling Under Draught, After Salat ul Istisqa
January
06, 2022
Afghanistan’s
southern city of Kandahar was reeling under draught a week ago, but the
situation changed after thousands of Afghans gathered to make a special prayer
for rain (Salatul Istisqa).
For
two days it has been raining in the region and the metrological department has
predicted a week-long downpour for the desperate people of the city.
On
December 25, Kandahar’s Information and Culture department chief, Hafiz
Saidullah, told the media that tens of thousands of people from towns and
villages had joined the prayers.
The
prayers were organised by the Islamic Emirate and pictures and videos of the
prayers were widely shared on different social media platforms.
According
to an Islamic Emirate official, Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada also sent
a message and greetings to the attendees, urging them to work harder. Netizens
reacted to the rain and called it a blessing of Allah at the right time.
Farhan
Hotak, a freelance journalist in Kabul tweeted: “Kandahar City, Aino Mina,
people are coming to enjoy miraculous rain that hasn’t happened in a long
time”. In another tweet, he said: “A local farmer in Lashkargah tells me that
this year’s crops look promising for him, wheat will be good he says.”
Hasib
Noor, Founder and Director of The Legacy Institute in the United States,
attached a picture of prayers and tweeted: “There was a drought in Afghanistan.
1000s of Afghans (Kandahar pictured below) gathered to pray the rain prayer
asking Allah for rain. It started raining and will rain for a week. Allah is
the greatest.”
Muslims
traditionally pray for rain (Salatul Istisqa) during drought-like situations in
different parts of the world. Currently, a humanitarian crisis is looming in
Afghanistan and the county is witnessing the worst drought and food shortages
in decades. Millions are on the verge of starvation.
Source:
5Pillarsuk
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Afghan
Taliban turn blind eye to Pakistani militants
January
06, 2022
PESHAWAR:
Each year on Jan. 17, Shahana bakes a cake and invites friends to her home in
the Pakistani city of Peshawar. They sing happy birthday for her son, even
light a candle. But it’s a birthday without the birthday boy.
Her
son, Asfand Khan, was 15 in December 2014 when gunmen rampaged through his
military-run public school in Peshawar killing 150 people, most of them
students, some as young as 5. Asfand was shot three times in the head at close
range.
The
attackers were Pakistani Taliban, who seven years later have once again ramped
up their attacks, seemingly emboldened by the return of Afghanistan’s Taliban
to power in Kabul. In the last week of December, they killed eight Pakistani
army personnel in a half dozen attacks and counter attacks, all in the
country’s northwest. Another two Pakistani soldiers were killed in an attack on
Taliban outposts late Wednesday night.
The
Pakistani Taliban, known by the acronym TTP, are regrouping and reorganizing,
with their leadership headquartered in neighboring Afghanistan, according to a
UN report from July. That is raising fears among Pakistanis like Shahana of a
return of the horrific violence the group once inflicted.
Yet
the Afghan Taliban have shown no signs of expelling TTP leaders or preventing
them from carrying out attacks in Pakistan, even as Pakistan leads an effort to
get a reluctant world to engage with Afghanistan’s new rulers and salvage the
country from economic collapse.
It is
a dilemma faced by all of Afghanistan’s neighbors and major powers like China,
Russia and the United States as they ponder how to deal with Kabul.
Multiple
militant groups found safe haven in Afghanistan during more than four decades
of war, and some of them, like the TTP, are former battlefield allies of the
Afghan Taliban.
So
far, the Taliban have appeared unwilling or unable to root them out. The sole
exception is the Islamic State affiliate, which is the Taliban’s enemy and has
waged a campaign of violence against them and for years against Afghanistan’s
minority Shiite Muslims, killing hundreds in dozens of horrific attacks targeting,
schools, mosques, even a maternity hospital
Washington
has identified the Islamic State branch, known by the acronym IS-K, as its
major militant worry emanating from Afghanistan. The Taliban’s longtime ally
Al-Qaeda is not seen as a strong threat. Though US military leaders say there
are signs it may be growing slightly, it is struggling near rudderless, with
its current leader, Ayman Al-Zawahri, alive but unwell, according to the July
UN report.
Still,
there are plenty of other militants based in Afghanistan, and they are raising
concerns among Afghanistan’s neighbors.
China
fears insurgents from its Uighur ethnic minority who want an independent
Xinjiang region. Russia and Central Asian nations worry about the Islamic
Movement of Uzbekistan, which in recent years went on a recruitment drive among
Afghanistan’s ethnic Uzbeks.
For
Pakistan, it is the TTP, which stands for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. The group
perpetrated some of the worst terrorist assaults on Pakistan, including the
2014 assault on the military public school.
The
TTP numbers anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 fighters, according to the UN report.
It has also succeeded in expanding its recruitment inside Pakistan beyond the
former tribal regions along the border where it traditionally found fighters,
says Amir Rana, executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies,
an independent think tank in the capital Islamabad.
Analysts
say the Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to clamp down on the TTP does not bode well
for their readiness to crack down on the many other groups.
“The
plain truth is that most of the terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan,
aside from IS-K, are Taliban allies,” says Michael Kugelman, deputy director of
the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center. “And the Taliban aren’t
about to turn their guns on their friends, even with mounting pressure from
regional players and the West.”
The
militants’ presence complicates Pakistan’s efforts to encourage international
dealings with the Afghan Taliban in hopes of bringing some stability to an
Afghanistan sliding into economic ruin.
Analysts
say Pakistan’s military has made a calculation that the losses inflicted by the
TTP are preferable to undermining Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers by pressing them
on the issue. A collapse would bring a flood of refugees; Pakistan might be
their first stop, but Islamabad warns that Europe and North America will be
their preferred destination.
Islamabad
attempted to negotiate with the TTP recently, but the effort fell apart. Rana
of the Pakistan Institute of Peace Studies said Pakistan’s policy of
simultaneously negotiating with and attacking the TTP is “confusing” and risks
emboldening like-minded insurgents in both countries.
It
also worries its allies, he said.
China,
which is spending billions in Pakistan, was not happy with Islamabad’s attempts
at talks with the TTP because of its close affiliation with Uighur separatists,
said Rana. The TTP took responsibility for a July bombing in northwest Pakistan
that killed Chinese engineers as well as an April bombing at a hotel where the
Chinese ambassador was staying.
Pressure
is mounting on Pakistan to demand the Afghan Taliban hand over the TTP
leadership.
But
Islamabad’s relationship with the Taliban is complicated.
Pakistan’s
powerful military, which shepherds the country’s Afghan policy, has ties to the
Taliban leadership going back more than 40 years to an earlier invasion. Then,
together with the US, they fought and defeated the invading former Soviet
Union.
After
the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan was accused by Washington and
its Afghan allies of aiding the Taliban. Pakistan denied the accusations, even
as Taliban leaders and their families lived in Pakistan while waging their
insurgency against Kabul.
But
the Taliban also have interests divergent from Pakistan’s, particularly the
issue of the two countries’ 2,500-kilometer border. Afghanistan has never
recognized the border, known as the Durand Line, which was drawn by British
colonial administrators in the 19th Century.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1999216/world
--------
Bangladesh
destroys 3,000 shops belonging to Rohingya Muslim refugees
Sravasti
Dasgupta
January
5, 2022
Authorities
in Bangladesh have bulldozed over 3,000 Rohingya shops in the last month
calling them “illegal”.
In a
statement to AFP, the country’s deputy refugee commissioner Shamsud Douza
confirmed the figure and said that the “illegal shops” had been cleared as “the
number of Rohingya is increasing”.
“And
they need shelters. We are already building sheds on the premises,” he added.
While
Mr Douza said that relief groups were ensuring the refugees were still getting
daily necessities, members of the Rohingya groups said that the shop owners are
struggling to survive.
“Rohingya
families are large and the amount of food ration given to them is decreasing.
Many families used to rely on the income from the shops,” said Khin Maung, a
Rohingya community leader and rights activist.
Bangladesh
has received international praise for taking in Rohingyas, a stateless Muslim
minority from Myanmar who fled after a military clampdown in 2017 that prompted
an international genocide investigation.
At
present about 850,000 members of the Rohingya community live in various
displacement camps in Bangladesh.
With
their makeshift shops demolished, Mr Maung said that the lives of tens of
thousands have been affected in these refugee camps.
“That
shop was my last hope. How do I run a family now? There is no way out except to
die. I am helpless,” said Salim Ullah, whose grocery shop was demolished.
He
added that feeding his family of eight would now be a struggle.
Amnesty
international officials said that the demolition could leave the Rohingya
refugees more vulnerable.
Source:
Independent UK
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
UN
collects $1.5 billion to address Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis
05
Jan 2022
The
spokesperson of the General Secretary of the United Nations has announced that
based on the estimates of the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, they have so far collected $1.5 billion to address the ongoing
humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Stephen
Dujarric, spokesperson of UNGS in a press conference on Tuesday, 5 January 2022
said that the ongoing freezing winter will make the lives of Afghan people
further dire.
The
spokesperson also said that recent snowfall and drainage have affected most
areas in Afghanistan and that flights to Kabul have been delayed.
Dujarric
further added that they have provided foodstuff to 7 million Afghans in last
year’s December and that the UN’s humanitarian agencies will continue providing
humanitarian aids to Afghan people.
“Aids
of cash, foodstuff, and other relief assistance is still being provided in
different areas of Afghanistan.” Said the spokesperson.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/un-collects-1-5-billion-to-address-afghanistans-humanitarian-crisis-546456/
--------
It is
time for world to recognize Taliban: Deputy FM
06
Jan 2022
Deputy
Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Sher Muhammad Abbas
Stanekzai said that they have completed all preconditions for recognition and
now is the time for the International Community to come forward and recognize
the IEA.
Speaking
at a convention in Paktia province, Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanekzai said that
security, rule of law, and full control over Afghanistan’s borders are major
preconditions for recognitions that have been met by the Taliban.
The
Deputy FM who was also a key member of the Taliban’s negotiating team during
US-Taliban talks said, they have been busy negotiating with the US and European
countries for months and the talks are yet to be finished.
“No
negotiations have been carried out between Pakistan and Afghanistan on Durand
Line. No Afghan government has authority to decide about the line as this is
only the authority of the Afghan people.” Said Stanekzai about the recent
conflicts over the line between the borders guards of the two countries.
Source:
Khaama Press
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.khaama.com/it-is-time-for-world-to-recognize-taliban-deputy-fm-786876/
--------
Taliban
pilots crash MD-530 helicopter in Kandahar during training
January
06, 2022
The
Taliban has confirmed that a military helicopter, MD-530 provided with
surveillance cameras and machine guns crashed in a training flight in the
southern province of Kandahar.
A
spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Inayatullah Khwarazmi on Wednesday said
the crash was due to technical problems and two pilots were injured, reported
Tolo News.
"The
helicopter crashed and is destroyed. Our pilots are injured but we don't have
fatalities. One of the pilots is in stable condition, another pilot is in
critical condition," he said.
Earlier,
a video of the crash was making the rounds on social media. Some social media
users said that the helicopter was evacuating people stuck in the flood in the
Maiwan district of Kandahar, reported Tolo News. The cost of an MD-530
helicopter is nearly one million dollars. Military veterans called on the
Islamic Emirate to appoint former pilots and maintenance people to operate the
aircraft.
"The
improper use of this equipment is a crime, in fact. We as a country may not be
able to purchase the current equipment due to financial problems," said
Hekmatullah Hekmat, a military veteran.
"If
the military equipment is used by inexperienced people, it (equipment) will be
destroyed," said Sadeq Shinwari, a military analyst, reported Tolo News.
Back
in August, reports had emerged that the Taliban was supplying a huge quantity
of American weapons captured by it from the Afghan Army to Pakistan. The US
weapons- which were seized by the Taliban after American troops withdrawal- are
being openly sold in shops by Afghan gun dealers who paid government soldiers
and Taliban members for guns and ammunition, The New York Times reported.
Under
a US training and assistance programme- that had cost American taxpayers more
than USD 83 billion through two decades of war- the equipment was originally
provided to the Afghan security forces, the report had said.
Source:
India TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
India
‘Bulli
Bai’ App: Women in Criminal Law Association Condemn Targeting of Muslim Women,
Demand Immediate Action
Jan
5, 2022
New
Delhi: The Women in Criminal Law Association (WCLA) on January 4, Tuesday,
strongly condemned the targeted harassment of Indian Muslim women, including
journalists, researchers, social workers, through the ‘Bulli Bai’ app, and the “inaction”
by the authorities.
The
WCLA said, “We stand in solidarity with the Indian Muslim women whose
photographs and information have been shared without their knowledge or consent
on ‘Bulli Bai’ and unconditionally condemn this attempt to sexualise, dehumanise
and harass Muslim women. This is a targetted, misogynistic hate campaign
directed at Muslim women punishable under Indian criminal law.”
It
said, “The terms ‘Sulli’ and ‘Bulli’ are derogatory slurs used to specifically
insult and disrespect Muslim women and constitute hate speech. ‘Auctioning’
women on the internet also amounts to a gross violation of their constitutional
right to dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy.”
The
Mumbai police have arrested three people in connection with the case. The Mumbai
cyber police station has also registered a case against the unidentified
developers of the app and the Twitter handles that promoted it.
Calling
the app an “attempt to silence the political participation of Indian Muslim
women”, the WCLA has expressed concerns over the lack of action and
transparency on the case by the police.
They
have demanded immediate action against the creators of both “Sulli Deals” and
“Bulli Bai”, and that GitHub should direct more resources immediately towards
scanning all its webpages for Islamophobic and misogynistic content and take
them down promptly in the future.
They
further demanded that “the accused must be prosecuted under relevant sections
of the Indian Penal Code including but not limited to sections 153A (Promoting
enmity on grounds of religion etc), 153B (Imputations prejudicial to
national-integration), 354A and 509 for sexual harassment along with the
section 66 & 67 of IT Act and provisions against trafficking and slavery.”
Meanwhile,
the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) also condemned the app, calling
the ‘auction’ a “malicious, mischievous and reprehensible” act.
A
resolution issued by the DHCBA said that it has been unanimously resolved that
the lawyers’ body shall write to the Delhi police commissioner, demanding the
registration of a first information report and an efficient and expeditious
investigation so that those found guilty of committing the “dastardly crime”
are punished in accordance with the law.
It
further said the app is not only tantamount to the commission of grave criminal
offences but also targets and brings disrepute to the female citizenry.
Read
WCLA’s complete statement.
§
WCLA
Solidarity Statement with Muslim Women Targeted in Bulli Bai
The
Women in Criminal Law Association (WCLA) strongly condemns the targeted
Islamophobic harassment of Indian Muslim women through the “Bulli Bai” webpage,
and the subsequent inaction by concerned authorities.
On
1st January 2022 photos and Twitter of hundreds of Indian Muslim women appeared
for
“auction”
without their knowledge or consent on a public page called “Bulli Bai”
(bullibai.github.io,
now pulled down) hosted on GitHub, in a blatant Islamophobic attempt to harass
Indian Muslim women. This comes on the heels of “Sulli Deals,” also hosted on GitHub
in July 2021, where Indian Muslim women were again “auctioned” without their
knowledge or consent and inaction since then has emboldened the accused and
enabled further such crimes against Muslim women. The users in both incidents
have used anonymous Twitter handles and hide behind the GitHub platform to
harass, disrespect and threaten Indian Muslim women.
Many
of the women targeted on Bulli Bai are prominent public personalities,
including journalists, researchers, social workers, and others in an attempt to
silence the political participation of Indian Muslim women.
We
stand in solidarity with the Indian Muslim women whose photographs and
information
have
been shared without their knowledge or consent on Bulli Bai and unconditionally
condemn this attempt to sexualise, dehumanise and harass Muslim women. This is
a targeted, misogynistic hate campaign directed at Muslim women punishable
under Indian criminal law.
The
terms “Sulli” and “Bulli” are derogatory slurs used to specifically insult and
disrespect Muslim women and constitute hate speech. “Auctioning” women on the
internet also amounts to a gross violation of their constitutional right to
dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy.
Despite
two FIRs having been registered by the police in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi,
no concrete action has been taken against perpetrators in either FIR, with no
transparent information available from the police on the identities of the
creators of “Sulli Deals,” and whether any investigation has been undertaken.
Not a single arrest had been made as yet in connection with Sulli Deals and
this has emboldened the accused to act with impunity.
As of
2nd January 2022, GitHub has confirmed blocking the user who hosted Bulli Bai.
Microsoft-owned GitHub is one of the world’s largest and most popular services
for developers to collaborate and publish code. The Mumbai police have also
arrested a person in connection with the matter.
In
rage, grief, and solidarity with the Muslim women whose information and
photographs were
used
to “auction” them to men on the internet on the Sulli Deals and Bulli Bai
webpages, the Women in Criminal Law Association makes the following demands:
1. We
demand immediate action against the creators of both “Sulli Deals” and “Bulli
Bai.” We demand that the Delhi police take swift action in investigating FIR
No. 0001, Cyber Police Station South East Delhi registered on the basis of a
complaint registered by one of the women whose pictures were posted on Bulli
Bai. We also demand that the Maharashtra police take swift action in
investigating the FIR filed before the Maharashtra Cyber Cell on 2nd January
2022 on the basis of a complaint registered by another woman whose pictures
were posted on Bulli Bai.
2. We
demand that the Delhi police and Uttar Pradesh police take swift and immediate
action against the creators of Sulli Deals in the FIRs registered in New Delhi
and Uttar Pradesh on the basis of complaints filed by women whose pictures were
posted on Sulli Deals.
3. We
demand that GitHub direct resources immediately towards ensuring that anyone
who made a copy, or ‘fork,’ of the code on their own GitHub account and/or
liked/starred the Sulli Deals and/or Bulli Bai repositories do not have other
projects that include similar hate speech, misogyny, violence, or otherwise
unacceptable material.
4. We
demand that GitHub also direct more resources immediately towards specifically
scanning all upcoming GitHub webpages for Islamophobic, misogynistic content,
and specifically similar “auctions” of Indian Muslim women, to ensure that such
webpages are taken down promptly in the future, and their creators do not enjoy
impunity from GitHub.
5. We
demand that GitHub cooperate completely and transparently with Indian law
enforcement agencies and assist them in their investigation by providing them
with all particulars and information available with GitHub regarding the users
responsible for creating and using the “Sulli Deals” and “Bulli Bai” webpages.
6.
The accused must be prosecuted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code
including but not limited to sections 153A (Promoting enmity on grounds of
religion etc), 153B (Imputations prejudicial to national-integration), 354A
& 509 for sexual harassment along with the section 66 & 67 of IT Act
and provisions against trafficking and slavery.
Source:
The Wire
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thewire.in/rights/bulli-bai-muslim-women-targeting-condemn-wcla-dhcba
--------
Gurugram
Offered A Dizzy New Modernity; Neighbourhoods Called Beverly Park, Nirvana
County And Wellington Estate, Now Has Street Groups Cheering Nathuram Godse
TINA
DAS
6
January, 2022
With
its dizzying high-rise condos and glass fronted offices and malls, Gurgaon was
NCR’s Neverland. It offered a glimpse of new modernity, much like Bangalore did
in the 1990s, only louder and flashier. But the ‘suburb on steroids’, with
neighbourhoods called Beverly Park, Nirvana County and Wellington Estate, now
has street groups cheering Nathuram Godse. RSS shakhas grew inside the
condominiums, only this time transformed as Sunday 10 am chai baithaks,
appropriate for the preppy residents.
Gurgaon’s
cosmopolitanism, fuelled by three decades of economic growth, has turned on its
head. Over the past few years, the city’s Hindu residents have gathered on
streets and parks — to stop fellow Muslim citizens from offering Friday namaz.
Now the disruptions have become a weekly affair, with large gatherings
occupying spaces where Muslims used to offer namaz, and filling it with cow
dung or performing one of their own rituals.
The
anti-Muslim hate is widespread, and not just limited to their prayers. “Ubers
cancel more often now. Ab pata nahi naam dekh ke ya kuch aur, but pehle se
zyada hota hai. It seems like the question has moved from why Muslims need to
pray in groups to why they should do anything at all,” says Heena, a
24-year-old design intern, about Uber drivers frequently cancelling ride requests
after, she suspects, seeing their names.
Those
who have lived in the city for years are acutely aware of the change that has
set in, a battleground of sorts to ‘test’ the perseverance of the Muslim
community. “What has happened in Gurugram seems like an experiment with how far
you can go, and get away with it,” says a pilot who has lived in the city for
17 years, requesting anonymity.
Millennium
city’s another transformation
Gurgaon’s
growth was paved by the entry of global businesses that set up offices here —
Ernst & Young, Citibank, American Express, which boasts its highest
headcount at its Gurgaon campus than anywhere else in India, and the number of
call centres that sprung up as a lifeline for thousands of people hunting for a
job.
The
city has the most number of startups, after Bengaluru, and from Maruti in the
1980s to Hyundai last year, boasts of having manufacturing plants of various
luxury vehicles. Soon, Gurgaon earned the name of a “millennium city”, and
started being spoken about as the place to live or set a business in.
“Last
20 years of working in the corporate, we were given spaces to pray, especially
during Ramzan. There were iftar parties. Now I think even corporations will
say, ‘keep it out of our office’ at least in Gurugram. They are frightened that
some Hindu group will come and create an issue,“ says Altaf Ahmed, founding
member of Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch (GNEM), a citizens’ forum. The largely
‘apolitical’ corporates are now reacting to the politics unfolding in Gurugram
— with silence, refusing to engage and ‘invite’ trouble.
“It
is now an almost unwritten code. If you hire Muslims, you may be inviting
trouble, because of what keeps happening in Delhi or even in Gurugram,” a
senior HR in a leading MNC said on the condition of anonymity,
Muslims
were already unable to find houses on rent or purchase one in prime locations
because of their religious identity. Now it has spilled over to jobs as well.
Students
in big, private schools and universities are experiencing it too. “Nowadays,
Muslims are really afraid to practice their own religion and even walking on
streets wearing a topi (skull cap), especially at night,” says a student who
wishes to remain anonymous.
Ifham,
a 28-year-old architect based in Gurugram who studied in Amity University’s
Manesar campus, spoke about a conversation he had with his friends last week.
They wondered how “the most normal thing” of them offering namaz twice in their
college campus back in the day “would be impossible now”.
Politics,
lack of administrative support
On 10
December, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was unequivocal in his protest
against Muslim prayer. “Namaz should not become a show of strength,” he said,
adding that offering namaz in public places could not be “tolerated”. This is
not the first time that Khattar has spoken in this vein. In 2018, he had said
that namaz should be offered at mosques, idgahs or other designated places, not
in public.
But
Muslims of Gurugram had anticipated such troubles long ago, and had filed
applications in 2016 to purchase two of the five Haryana government sites on
sale. A report in The Hindu said the trusts representing the community had even
paid Rs 18 lakh for the plot but they never got the approval.
“There
are only 13 mosques in the city, and several people don’t find space to perform
namaz,” said Mufti Saleem Qasmi, a Gurugram-based religious leader.
The
‘public spaces’ where Muslims offer namaz are random lands in front of shops,
or dumping grounds where they work as cleaners. These aren’t public parks or
‘prime locations’ that Hindus allege are being ‘hijacked’ by praying Muslim
groups.
And
so, they have pulled every trick in their book to stop the Friday prayers —
from parking trucks to playing cricket to conducting a puja and leaving dung
cakes behind. Rarely does the police stop the disruptors.
“All
these disturbances used to happen earlier too, when elections were around the
corner. Every party has done it to some extent. But now it is all the time, and
more mainstream,“ says a corporate leader who has lived in Gurugram for 10
years and helped establish four major corporations.
Altaf
Ahmed says “it is the social manifestation of an economic problem”. The Centre
for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE)’s March 2021 report showed Haryana had the
highest unemployment rate in India — 26.4 per cent against the national average
of 6.9 per cent. Others may not agree.
Amit,
a former wrestler, who claims to be part of the Bajrang Dal and Youth Morcha
president of an outfit called Rashtriya Hindu Shakti Sangathan, says that he is
unemployed and works for “Hindu rashtra now”.
The
police do not have much to comment, except that they are “doing their duty”.
There is also confusion among residents as the administration keeps changing
the number of ‘allowed’ spaces to offer namaz, depending on how ‘rowdy’ the
protesters are. The irony here is that it is done to “maintain peace”.
Hate
and the silence over it
Gurugram
was built by new money, new aspirations and new investments. It is not ‘Dilli
meri jaan’ — but an upscale city that prides itself on having the best that
money has to offer. Now that idea is shrinking for its middle class Muslims.
“I
came back to India after living in the US for 12 years. I wanted my children to
experience the Indian culture. I said hello to my neighbour, and he did not
even acknowledge. I do not know what to say anymore now,” says 70-year-old
Suhel Farooq Khan, who built a house in Palam village when it barely had 200
houses. Now there are more than 5,000 constructions.
Hindus
who acknowledge the rise in anti-Muslim hate say they are “afraid” to speak up.
“Kafi galat hai yeh sab. Aapas mein hum saalon se reh rahe hain. But kya kar
sakte hain, darr lagta hai gundon se. (What’s happening is wrong. Hindus and
Muslims here have lived together peacefully for years. But what can we do, we
are scared of the goons),” says Rahul Verma, who lives on rent near Sector 12A
where BJP member Kapil Mishra had organised the Govardhan Puja to obstruct
namaz prayers.
The
price of this silence is paid by Muslims. “People have changed their names so
that they can continue working,” Altaf Ahmed of Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch says,
recounting how WhatsApp forwards about the owner of a dairy shop being a Muslim
led to fewer people buying from his shop.
Amir
Ullah Khan, Research Director, Centre for Development Policy and Practice says
the current atmosphere came with the change in government. He wants people to
“to protest” otherwise “everybody will suffer”.
Source:
The Print
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
RSS
To Reach Out To Muslim Women In UP To Apprise F The Measures Taken By The BJP
Governments At The Centre And The State
January
05, 2022
The
RSS Muslim wing has plans to hold a door-to-door campaign in poll-bound Uttar
Pradesh to apprise women from the community of the measures taken by the BJP
governments at the Centre and the state for their welfare and empowerment.
As
part of the move, the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) has decided to organise at least
50 meetings with minority Community members in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the
Assembly polls next year.
"From
the scrapping of instant triple talaq to increasing the minimum age of marriage
from 18 to 21, the BJP government has taken several measures for the welfare
and empowerment of Muslim women and the minority community," MRM's
national convenor Shahid Sayeed told PTI.
To
apprise the minority community members of the measures that the Narendra Modi
and Yogi Adityanath governments have taken for their welfare, the MRM has
decided to organise at least 50 small and big meetings in the next 70 days
across Uttar Pradesh, he said.
Besides,
door-to-door public awareness campaigns will also be carried out to reach out
to the community members, especially women, in the state, he said.
"Women's
wing of the MRM will take the lead in the execution of the plan under the
leadership and guidance of our chief patron Indresh Kumar (a senior RSS
leader)," he said.
Sayeed
said the MRM organised two such meetings recently, one in Ayodhya and the other
in Amroha of Uttar Pradesh.
Kumar,
the MRM's founder and chief patron, presided over these meetings, he said.
Source:
The Week
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2022/01/05/rss-to-reach-out-to-muslim-women-in-up.html
--------
Jaish
trio killed in Pulwama encounter, arms recovered
M
Saleem Pandit
Jan
6, 2022
SRINAGAR:
Three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists, two of them from Pakistan, were gunned down
by security forces in an anti-terror operation at Chandgam in south Kashmir’s
Pulwama district on Wednesday, IGP (Kashmir Zone) Vijay Kumar said.
This
was the second anti-terror operation against Jaish in south Kashmir within 24
hours, resulting in two local terrorists from the outfit being killed during a
gunfight with security forces in Kulgam.
IGP
Kumar identified the local terrorist killed in Wednesday’s encounter as Mir
Owais Amin from Pulwama. The names of the Pakistani duo weren't immediately
known. Two M-4 carbines and an AK-series rifle were among the arms, ammunition
and other incriminating material recovered from the site of the firefight, he
said.
Early
Wednesday, a joint team of the Army, police and CRPF had launched the
cordon-and-search operation in Chandgam, based on intelligence inputs about the
presence of terrorists there, said an official.
As
the security forces neared the suspected terrorist hideout, holed-up terrorists
rained bullets on the search party, triggering an encounter in which the Jaish
trio was killed, the official added.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Malwani
module: NIA court accepts guilty pleas, convicts both ISIS recruiters
Jan
06, 2022
By
Vinay Dalvi
MUMBAI:
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday accepted the
guilty plea of the two accused booked for radicalising youth from Malwani in
Malad to join the banned terror outfit Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
and held them guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The special court has now posted the
case for hearing the convicts and their lawyers on the quantum of sentence on
Friday.
Special
NIA judge A T Wankhede on Wednesday accepted the pleas of Rizwan Ahmed, 25, and
Mohsin Sayyed, 32, and held them guilty under IPC 120 B for conspiracy, section
18 of UAPA for conspiracy, section 20 of UAPA for being a member of a terrorist
organisation, section 38 of UAPA for having committed offences related to
membership of a terrorist organisation, and section 39 for offences related to
support given to a terrorist organisation. The judge told the accused that he
will decide their quantum of sentence after hearing both sides on Friday. The
accused face punishment ranging from five years’ imprisonment to a life term.
The
two accused had pleaded guilty before the court mid-trial in the first week of
December. The court had by then already examined 39 of the 220 enlisted
prosecution witnesses.
Sayyed
had submitted in his plea filed before the judge, “I have been lodged in prison
since the last six years, and that I was influenced by the videos and
propaganda of ISIS which was widely circulated on the internet. Due to the said
material, I tried to flee the country to join ISIS. I was unsuccessful after
which I was arrested by the police. That while in prison reflecting upon my
actions, I realised my mistakes and sincerely regret my errors. I am remorseful
and regretful for my acts of omission and for commission of unlawful acts. I
have suffered greatly due to my mistake and I wish to rectify it and start a
new life and be a better person and take care of my old ailing parents and my
family who have also suffered due to my error. I want to return to the
mainstream and rehabilitate myself. My conduct in jail was satisfactory and
there is nothing adverse against me. I am pleading guilty voluntarily without
any pressure, threat, coercion; inducement or undue influence; and that I
understand the consequences.”
While
Rizwan Ahmed had submitted in his plea filed before the judge, “I want to to
return to mainstream society and rehabilitate. I am having clean antecedents;
even my conduct in jail was satisfactory and there is nothing adverse against
me. I am remorseful for the acts alleged against me and undertake not to
indulge in similar acts in the future. I was merely involved in propagation of
the banned terrorist organisation and was never involved in any type of
violence or killings. I may be sentenced for the period already spent in jail
by me. I belong to a very poor family and have a wife and two minor children,
and aged parents to look after. I have already undergone six years in jail and
further punishment would cause great prejudice to my wife, old ailing parents
and minor children.”
NIA
special prosecutor, Prakash Shetty had said that the court should accept the
unconditional pleas.
Source:
Hindustan Times
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
North America
US
Muslims Call For Action As ‘Spying’ Incidents Shake Community
By
Ali Harb
30
Dec 2021
Washington,
DC – First, the major Muslim-American advocacy group reported that a “mole” had
infiltrated the leadership of one of its state branches. Then, only days later,
the organisation said a “spy” at a US mosque had passed information on to an
“anti-Muslim” group.
The
two incidents, revealed earlier this month by the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), have shaken Muslim advocates in the United States and renewed
longstanding concerns about spying on the community.
“Community
members were shocked and saddened to learn about this specific situation, but a
lot of people were also not surprised that an anti-Muslim hate group was
targeting CAIR and spying this way,” said Whitney Siddiqi, community affairs
director at CAIR-Ohio.
The
CAIR chapter said on December 15 that it had sacked Romin Iqbal, its executive
and legal director in the Columbus-Cincinnati area, for “egregious ethical and
professional violations”.
CAIR
accused Iqbal of handing confidential information to the Investigative Project
on Terrorism (IPT), a group that the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a
civil rights organisation that tracks hate groups in the US, has said was
founded by an “anti-Muslim activist”.
Separately,
CAIR’s national office in Washington, DC said on December 21 that another
individual volunteering at a US mosque had come forward and said he was paid by
Steven Emerson, IPT’s executive director, to provide information on the
community.
“Community
update: a second IPT ‘spy’ has voluntarily come forward, confessed and agreed
to cooperate with us. He was not part of CAIR. He was an active volunteer in a
large mosque who was invited to national community meetings & events,” CAIR
said in a Twitter thread, without identifying the alleged spy or where he was
volunteering.
Siddiqi
said one of the aims of the spying is to create “fear and distrust in our own
communities”, but she stressed that CAIR is moving forward “with transparency”
and redoubling its efforts to battle Islamophobia.
“Again,
we recognize the devastation of this news and it certainly takes time to
process, but something positive to come out of this is the fact that we are
strengthening our connections and our work to protect and defend Muslims,” she
told Al Jazeera in an email.
Wider
surveillance
In
the two decades since the 9/11 attacks, Muslim Americans have faced instances
of surveillance, a slew of discriminatory policies – including travel bans – as
well as a rise in hate crimes, while spying programmes run by federal and local
law enforcement agencies targeted their communities.
For
example, between 2002 and 2014, the New York Police Department dedicated an
entire unit to spy on the city’s Muslim population. According to the American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), police mapped out where Muslim New Yorkers lived,
recruited informants from within the Muslim community, and placed mosques under
surveillance.
Now,
the recent incidents involving CAIR have renewed concerns across the country.
“It’s just really scary,” Nadia Ahmad, a law professor and Muslim-American
activist based in southern Florida, told Al Jazeera.
The
Family and Youth Institute, a Michigan-based research institution focused on
mental health, recently released a toolkit on how to deal with the fallout of
spying allegations, advising people to acknowledge the effects of the news and
channel their energy “towards efforts in your community”.
“When
spying is carried out by an individual who works for an organization that
advocates for the civil rights of American Muslims, then the trauma, stress,
and shock is overwhelming and the damage can last a long time,” the institute
said.
IPT
and its founder
CAIR
said it found “conclusive evidence” that Iqbal – the former Ohio office
official – “spent years secretly recording CAIR network meetings and passing
confidential information regarding CAIR’s national advocacy work” to IPT.
In an
email to Al Jazeera on Friday, Iqbal’s lawyer declined to comment on the
allegations.
IPT
rejects being labelled a hate group. It says it is a research organisation and
a “principal source of critical evidence to a wide variety of government
offices and law enforcement agencies”.
Emerson
and other people associated with the group have testified as experts on
terrorism at various US congressional hearings, including as recently as 2016.
Pete Hoekstra, an ex-congressman and former senior fellow at IPT, served as
ambassador to the Netherlands during the Trump administration.
Meanwhile,
the group’s website is filled with anti-CAIR material, as well as articles slamming
critics of Israel, and the organisation openly solicits tips on
“terrorism-related information”.
“Mr.
Emerson is not anti-Muslim, nor does he lead a ‘hate group,'” the group told Al
Jazeera in an email on Friday.
IPT
also said it “has never monitored and will never monitor the wider American
Muslim community”, but “will not hesitate to uncover and publicly expose
radical Islamist activity on American soil”.
But a
2011 report (PDF) by The Centre for American Progress, a liberal US think-tank,
accused Emerson and his group of pushing to portray Islam as violent.
“Such
wildly over-the-top portraits of Islam as inherently radical require some
creativity on Emerson’s part,” the report reads. “Proving he’s up to the
challenge, Emerson boasts a history of fabricating evidence that perpetuates
conspiracies of radical Islam infiltrating America through Muslim civil rights
and advocacy organizations.”
The
SPLC has also described Emerson as an “anti-Muslim activist”.
Israel
connection alleged
CAIR
has also accused IPT of “collaborating with” Israeli officials.
On
Tuesday, the Muslim advocacy group shared screenshots it said showed an email
exchange between Emerson and Israeli government officials who ask him for
possible links between Students for Justice in Palestine, a student-led
advocacy group active in American universities, and the Palestinian faction
Hamas.
Al
Jazeera was not able to verify the authenticity of the screenshots. The Israeli
embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday and
Friday. CAIR has not said how it obtained the emails.
CAIR
Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement on December 14 that
“Emerson’s hate group was communicating with and providing assistance to
Israeli intelligence with the office of then-Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu”.
“Let
me say that again,” Awad wrote. “The Israeli government was collaborating with
an anti-Muslim hate group.”
In a
statement to Al Jazeera, IPT denied that Emerson or the organisation “has ever
worked at the direction of any government, foreign or domestic; and has never
received any funding from any government, foreign or domestic”.
‘Protect
ourselves’
Activists
have documented ties between right-wing, pro-Israel advocacy groups and
organisations that perpetuate Islamophobia more generally over the years.
“There’s
a definite connection between Islamophobia and activism [against]
pro-Palestinian causes,” said Ahmad, the law professor, speaking in general
terms. “And this is something that we have seen happening not just in the past
few months or years, but for decades.”
Abed
Ayoub, legal director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC),
a civil rights advocacy group, also said the alleged collaboration between
Emerson and the Israeli government shows the overlap between anti-Palestinian
sentiment and Islamophobia.
Source:
Al Jazeera
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
For
Muslim Migrants, Religious Prejudice Compounds Horrors Of Latin American Route
January
03, 2022
SAO
PAULO, Brazil: Among the thousands of migrants who try to reach the border
between Mexico and the US every month, the presence of Muslims — most of whom
leave African and Asian countries in search of a better future — is both
conspicuous and constant.
There
are no official figures about Muslim migrant flows through the Latin American
route, but organizations that assist immigrants in the region report that their
numbers have been rising.
They
not only face the usual hardships of the journey north, such as the
exploitation by coyotes, but also specific difficulties, including religious
prejudice all along the way and obstacles concerning the observance of their
faith.
One
of the main gateways for Muslim immigrants and refugees in Latin America, Sao
Paulo, has been receiving people from Southeast Asia, the Middle East and
African countries over the past years.
“I
estimate that 20 percent of all people welcomed by us in 2020 were Muslim,”
said Fr. Paolo Parise, who heads a Catholic immigrant center called Mission
Peace in Brazil’s largest city.
Parise
said that most of the Muslim foreigners assisted by the institution come from
countries like Nigeria, Mali and Senegal, besides some groups from the Middle
East.
“We
have also recently welcomed people from Afghanistan,” he added.
These
migrants and refugees have traditionally viewed Brazil as a country of transit,
especially over the past five years, a period marked by economic decline and
shrinking opportunities.
“They
enter Brazil with tourist visas and later they request a refugee status,”
Parise said.
After
a few months, most of them try to get into the US, using the traditional routes
used by Haitians, Venezuelans and other groups.
But
every route abounds with obstacles and disappointments. As of July 2021, 70
percent of asylum requests made in Mexico were concentrated in the border town
of Chiapas, which receives daily flights of people expelled from the US under
Title 42 legislation.
The
public health order, issued in March 2020 by the Trump administration,
justifies the expulsions on the grounds that there is a communicable disease,
namely COVID-19, in the migrant’s country of origin.
Consider
the case of Ghanian-born Ahmed Usman, 34, now a resident in the Mexican city of
Tijuana, on the border with the US. Usman lived in Brazil for one year and
eight months.
“I
worked in a factory in Criciuma (a city in the South of Brazil). After paying
my rent and utilities and sending a bit of money to my family, I had no money
left,” he told Arab News.
Criciuma
has a small Muslim community, but Usman said he received more help from
Christians.
In
2016, he decided to head to the US and began a long trip through Peru, Ecuador,
Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala, until he arrived in
Mexico.
“We
lacked money. We saw many people getting sick and dying along the trip,” he
said, exhaustion and disbelief in his eyes.
Usman
spent eight months in Costa Rica, where he was helped by a Catholic church and
a mosque in the city of San Jose.
“We
were also helped by a man who would feed us many times. And he understood that
we did not eat pork,” he said.
In
2017, he finally arrived in Mexico. He ended up finding work in Tijuana and has
not tried to cross the border until now.
Usman’s
story is similar to those of many other desperate people who head to Mexico,
increasingly seen as a country of transit and asylum.
In
2014, 2,100 people arrived in the country to request refugee status; in 2019,
that had risen to more than 70,000.
The
figures dropped in 2020, as travel restrictions imposed as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic slowed global migration but, between January and November
2021, the country received more than 123,000 asylum requests from people coming
from the Caribbean and Central American and South American countries, such as
Haiti, Honduras, Cuba, El Salvador, Chile, Venezuela, Guatemala, Nicaragua,
Brazil and Colombia.
Usman’s
narrative is also a good example of the plight of Muslim migrants along the
Latin American route.
Most
of them find little support among the Islamic community and must rely on the
assistance given by Catholics or civic organizations.
“Most
Muslim communities in the region see those immigrants as competitors or as a
problem. Some of them have resources to help them but prefer to avoid what they
see as trouble,” said Moroccan-born Sheikh Abderrahman Agdaou, who lives in El
Salvador and has intervened in many immigrants’ cases in recent years.
On
several occasions, Agdaou helped Uighur, Syrian and Iraqi refugees who lacked
the necessary documents to continue travelling to the US, coordinating
assistance with Catholic entities and the UN.
He
also had to give support to former Guantanamo prison inmates, who obtained
refugee status in El Salvador thanks to his support.
“Once,
a Syrian family with four children was taken to El Salvador by a coyote and was
abandoned there at the airport. The person just disappeared, and they did not
know what to do,” he said.
Agdaou
said he intervened and assisted the family in going back to Syria.
According
to him, Islamic organizations offer more support to immigrants and command more
influence in relatively well-off countries with large Muslim communities,
notably Brazil, Chile and Argentina.
“But
in many countries, Muslims feel like they are foreigners and so they should not
meddle in politics,” he said.
Agdaou
wants regional Islamic entities to improve the level of coordination between
them and civic organizations that assist immigrants.
Other
problems seem to be of a more serious nature. Some immigrants belonging to
sub-Saharan countries reported that they felt discriminated against by Arab
Muslims who head mosques in Latin American countries.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1997661/world
--------
US-coalition
against ISIS faces dual attacks in Syria and Iraq by Iran-backed groups
05
January ,2022
The
US-led coalition fighting the terrorist group ISIS faced dual attacks, with one
base in Syria and the other in Iraq coming under fire by Iran-backed groups,
the coalition said on Wednesday.
“Coalition
forces were targeted this morning by eight rounds of indirect fire at Green
Village, a Syrian Democratic Forces base with a small Coalition advisory
presence, in northeast Syria,” the coalition said in a statement, it added that
there were no casualties but there was minor damage inside the base.
The
Coalition responded by firing six rounds of artillery towards the point of
origin of the attack just outside al-Mayadeen town in Syria’s Deir Ezzor
province.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The
second attack was in Iraq, where five rockets landed near Ain al-Asad airbase,
which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq. The attack
caused no casualties or damage.
Coalition
spokesperson Maj. Gen. John W. Brennan, Jr. said: “Our coalition continues to
see threats against our forces in Iraq and Syria by militia groups that are
backed by Iran. These attacks are a dangerous distraction from our coalition's
shared mission to advise, assist, and enable partner forces to maintain the
enduring defeat of [ISIS].”
This
is the latest in a series of recent attacks on US bases or locations where
there is American presence in both Syria and Iraq.
On
Tuesday, two armed drones approached Ain al-Asad airbase and coalition forces
shot them down. On Monday, the coalition also shot down two armed drones
targeting its compound at Baghdad airport.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
US
politician Rashida Tlaib running for new Detroit-area seat after redistricting
January
05, 2022
LANSING,
Michigan: Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib announced Wednesday she will seek
reelection in a new Detroit-area seat created through redistricting, hours
after fellow Democratic Rep. Brenda Lawrence said she will retire from Congress
rather than run in the district.
The
new 12th District includes portions of Detroit and suburbs including Dearborn
and Southfield. Tlaib, one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, said the
seat has nearly two-thirds of people she currently represents.
The
move leaves open the new 13th District, which includes much of Detroit along
with other areas of Wayne County. Declared candidates so far include state Rep.
Shri Thanedar and former state Rep. Sherry Gay-Dagnogo, who’s now on the
Detroit school board.
“I am
excited about the opportunity to expand our work to include more communities
that want the same access to a better quality of life, including clean air and
water, affordable housing, economic justice and more,” Tlaib, who is in her
second term, said in a statement.
Michigan
lost a seat following the census, dropping to 13.
Lawrence,
the state’s lone Black member of Congress, announced Tuesday night that she
would not seek a fifth term. She said redistricting did not factor into her
decision, though it was believed she was unhappy with the map.
Several
Black state legislators are suing to block the congressional and legislative
maps drawn by a new independent commission, contending they weaken the ability
of African Americans to elect Black lawmakers.
The
plans are fairer politically to Democrats than when the Republican-controlled
Legislature drafted gerrymandered maps in 2011 and 2001. But they cut the
number of seats where African Americans account for a majority of the
voting-age population.
The
old maps had 15 such seats by decade’s end: two in the US House, two in the
state Senate and 11 in the state House. Now there are seven, all in the state
House.
Source:
Arab News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1998791/world
--------
Africa
Israeli
Defence Chief Meets Jordanian King In Reset Of Ties
05
January ,2022
Israel’s
defense minister met with the Jordanian king on Wednesday, both sides said,
part of a reset of ties between the two countries.
According
to Benny Gantz’ office, the two discussed “security and policy topics.” Gantz
“welcomed the expansion of relations between Jordan and the current Israeli
government.”
A
statement from King Abdullah II said the two spoke about “the need to maintain
calm in the Palestinian Territories,” and the measures necessary to lay the
foundation for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The two met in the
Jordanian capital, Amman.
The
meeting is part of revamped ties between Israel and Jordan, which became
strained under the leadership of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It
follows a secret meeting last year between Abdullah and current Israeli Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett, as well as a separate meeting between the countries’
foreign ministers.
Israel
and Jordan made peace in 1994 and maintain close security ties, but relations
soured in recent years over tensions at a flashpoint Jerusalem mosque, Israel’s
expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and the lack of any
progress in the long-moribund peace process. The countries also fell out over a
shooting incident by a guard at Israel’s embassy in Amman.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Algeria
says envoy to France to resume duties
05
January ,2022
Algeria's
ambassador to Paris is to return to his post after he was recalled in October
following comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that Algiers deemed
offensive, the presidency said Wednesday.
President
Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Wednesday met with the envoy, Mohamed Antar-Daoud,
announcing that he “will resume his duties in Paris from Thursday,” his office
said in a statement.
Relations
between Algiers and Paris have been strained for much of the six decades since
the former French colony won its independence after a 130-year occupation.
Macron
has gone further than his predecessors in owning up to French abuses during the
colonial era.
But
ties collapsed in October after he accused Algeria's “political-military
system” of rewriting history and fomenting “hatred towards France”.
In
remarks to descendants of independence fighters, reported by Le Monde, Macron
also questioned whether Algeria had existed as a nation before the French
invasion in the 1800s.
As
well as recalling Antar-Daoud, Algiers also banned French military planes from
its airspace, which they cross to fly to the Sahel region where troops are
helping to battle jihadist insurgents.
The
Algerian president had warned in November he would not take “the first step” to
calm tensions.
The
dispute prompted a rare expression of contrition from the French presidency,
which said it “regretted” the misunderstandings caused by the remarks.
Last
month, France's top diplomat Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Algiers and called for
an easing of tensions.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Tunisian
judiciary refers 19 people to trial for ‘electoral crimes’
Yousri
Ounas
06.01.2022
TUNIS,
Tunisia
The
Tunisian judiciary on Wednesday referred 19 people to trial for "election
violations," including the head of the Ennahda movement, Rachid
Ghannouchi, and former President Moncef Marzouki.
According
to a statement issued by the Information and Communication Office of the Court
of First Instance, the defendants were referred "for committing electoral
crimes during the 2019 elections such as the use of illegal electoral
propaganda through social media and propaganda during the electoral silence
period."
According
to the statement, the individuals referred also include Nabil Karoui, the head
of the Heart of Tunisia party and a presidential candidate for the 2019
elections, and former Defense Minister Abdelkarim Zubaidi.
They
also include four former prime ministers: Youssef Chahed, Elyes Fakhfakh, Mehdi
Jomaa and Hamadi Jebali.
The
court’s decision is based on a report by the Court of Accounts regarding the
early presidential elections in 2019.
On
Wednesday, the adviser to the head of the Ennahda movement, Riadh Chouaibi,
told Anadolu Agency that "Ghannouchi was not a candidate in the 2019
presidential elections and therefore there is no justification for this
procedure against him."
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Islamic
City petitions Buhari over ejection plans
Jan
6, 2022
A
group of Muslims in Ogun State, under the aegis of Zumuratul Jamiu Mumin
Society of Nigeria, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President
Ahmed Lawan and Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola over alleged plot
to drive them from their land at Pakuro-Lotto on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The
group said the contractor handling the rehabilitation of Lagos-Ibadan
expressway intended to construct an overhead bridge on their settlement,
popularly called Islamic City.
The
decision, the group said, was an attempt to eliminate the only thriving Muslim
community in the area.
Amir
(President) of Zumuratul Jamiu Mumin Society of Nigeria, Khalifah Issa
Olayiwola and Secretary, Ustaz Ahmad Atanda, explained that the flyover bridge,
if not urgently corrected, would consume their six acres of land which houses
residential buildings, schools, mosque, religious centres and the burial
grounds of their founding fathers.
In
its petition, titled: Objection to the construction of interchange design
overhead bridge and the grand plan to clandestinely eliminate the Muslim
community of Islamic City located on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Pakuro/Lotto
Bus-Stop, Mowe, Ogun State, Nigeria, the group regretted that all attempts by
the leadership of the Muslim community to prevail on the contractor to correct
the imbalances proved abortive.
It
urged President Buhari, the leadership of the National Assembly and Fashola to
intervene in the imbroglio.
The
group also urged them to prevail on the Federal Ministry of Works and the
Contractor undertaking the project to ensure that in whatever design of the
interchange being implemented in the project, the land accommodating the Muslim
Community of Islamic City is preserved.
Khalifah
Olayiwola said: “The Muslim community of Islamic City is just one of the
minority land settlements within the numerous faith-based/religious settlements
on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway populated by different Christian groups.
“It
has become imperative that we urgently bring to the attention of Your
Excellency to what we consider a glaring injustice, religious oppression and
intolerance and a deliberate ploy and grand design to cleverly eliminate the
Muslim community of Islamic City from their current legitimate site using the
construction of the interchange as an excuse.
“We
say this because the ongoing project, with respect to the overhead
bridge/flyover and/or interchange bridge currently being embarked upon at
Pakuro/Lotto Bus Stop of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Mowe, Ogun State, is one
that has been shrouded in secrecy by the contractor undertaking the project.
“It
may interest your Excellency to know that Zumuratul Jamiu Mumin Society of
Nigeria (ZJM) under our founder obtained its first Certificate of Occupancy (C
of O) over the current location of land in 1993 from Ogun State government and
the Certificate of Occupancy, dated June 16, 1993, was registered as 48/48/458
at the Lands Registry Office in Abeokuta over the parcel of the land measuring
1.446 hectares.
Source:
The Nation
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thenationonlineng.net/islamic-city-petitions-buhari-over-ejection-plans/
--------
Mideast
Hamas
official: Resistance movements won’t accept continuation of Israeli siege on
Gaza
05
January 2022
A
member of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has
warned that resistance movements will not remain silent for long on the siege
imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip.
Husam
Badran told Anadolu news agency on Wednesday that the resistance movements
"will not accept the continuation of the siege on Gaza."
He
stressed that the upcoming days will prove that the resistance groups “will not
remain silent for long” on the present situation.
Badran
also noted that “the resistance leadership sent clear messages that al-Quds
Sword is still legitimized,” referring to the operation launched by the
Palestinian resistance movements against the Israeli regime’s latest war on the
coastal sliver in May.
Back
on May 10, the Israeli military launched a brutal bombing campaign against
Gaza, following Palestinian retaliation for violent Israeli raids on worshipers
at al-Aqsa Mosque and the regime’s plans to force a number of Palestinian
families out of their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East al-Quds.
About
260 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli bombardment, including dozens of
women and children.
In
response, Palestinian resistance movements, chief among them Hamas, launched
Operation al-Quds Sword and fired more than 4,000 rockets and missiles into the
occupied territories, killing 12 Israelis.
Apparently
caught off guard by the unprecedented barrage of rockets from Gaza, Israel
announced a unilateral ceasefire on May 21, which Palestinian resistance
movements accepted with Egyptian mediation.
Badran
also noted that Hamas is engaged in contacts with Egypt and a number of mediators
to ease the siege on the Gaza Strip.
He
also stated that Hamas rejects any requirements set by Tel Aviv in order to
resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or reach a prisoner exchange deal,
indicating that these conditions are aimed to “shuffle the cards.”
Israel
bans medical equipment from entering Gaza
The
health ministry in Gaza said on Wednesday that the Israeli regime continues to
block the entry of medical equipment to the Gaza Strip.
"At
a time when the world is on alert to confront the new variant of the
coronavirus, the [Israeli] occupation is committing this full-fledged crime of
hindering the entry of a number of diagnostic and medical devices that help
enhance the readiness of the health system in the Gaza Strip.”
Source:
Press TV
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran,
France Vow to Broaden Judicial Cooperation
2022-January-5
During
the meeting in Tehran on Tuesday, Qaribabadi and Thiébaud explored avenues for
bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral relations in the judicial fields.
Referring
to the experience of expert dialogues on legal and judicial issues with some
European countries, Qaribabadi said that Iran is ready to exchange views with
France in this field.
"The
expert judicial dialogues could also help the countries to come to a better
mutual understanding," he added.
Qaribabadi,
also the secretary of Iran's Human Rights Headquarters, criticized the
approaches and double standards of some countries towards the issue of human
rights.
Philippe
Thiébaud, for his part, explained his country's views on human rights and
welcomed Iran's proposal on exchanging legal and judicial dialogues.
In
relevant remarks last year, Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Ebrahim Rayeesi
said that his country was ready to open the doors of its jails to all those who
claim to be advocates of human rights provided that Tehran will be given a
similar access to prisons of other countries.
“We
are ready to open the doors of our prisons to any country in the world that
wants to see inside of them, provided that we will be allowed to visit any
prison in any country that we want; if this happens, it will be clarified where
human rights are respected and where these rights are being ignored,” Rayeesi
said.
“Today,
the freedom-seeking people in the world do not believe the westerners’ respect
for human rights, and they know that the westerners’ moves are political, and
they have used human rights as a pretext to put pressure on independent and
developing countries,” he added.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001015000381/Iran-France-Vw-Braden-Jdicial-Cperain
--------
Iran
Rescues 11 Indian Crew before Vessel Sinks in Persian Gulf
2022-January-5
"The
vessel, which was carrying a sugar load, was headed to the Port of Sohar, Oman,
which changed its direction towards Iran's waters due to storms, weather
conditions, and technical defects," Mehrani said.
He
pointed out that the general condition of the crew members is good, saying that
the vessel went down four miles from Gabrik, Jask, and sank due to a fracture.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran
to Prosecute 127 Persons Involved in Assassination of General Soleimani
2022-January-5
Iranian
Judiciary Spokesman Zabihollah Khodayian said the country has sent 11 letters
of request to 9 countries asking for measures against the 127 culprits.
He
also said Iran and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding in this
regard adding that two neighbors have formed working groups which will soon
hold their third joint meeting.
Khodayian
expressed the hope that with cooperation from the vice president for legal
affairs and the department for international affairs of the Judiciary, the
assassination of General Soleimani will be followed up on more seriously
internationally.
Former
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Qods Force Lieutenant
General Qassem Soleimani, his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the
second-in-command of Iraq’s PMU, and ten of their deputies were martyred by an
armed drone strike as their convoy left Baghdad International Airport on
January 3, 2020. The attack was ordered by then US President Donald Trump.
To
date, Iran’s chief civilian prosecutor has indicted tens of individuals in
connection with the assassination, among them former president Trump, the head
of US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie Jr., and former US Secretaries
of State and Defense Mike Pompeo and Mark Esper.
The
file remains open to the further addition of individuals that Tehran determines
to have played a role in the killing.
Both
commanders were highly popular because of their key role in fighting against
the ISIL terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria.
Back
in January 2020, two days after the assassination, the Iraqi parliament passed
a law requiring the Iraqi government to end the presence of the US-led foreign
forces in the Arab country.
Last
year, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement on ending the presence of all
US combat troops in Iraq by the end of 2021.
The
US military declared the end of its combat mission in Iraq this month, but
resistance forces remain bent on expelling all American forces, including those
who have stayed in the country on the pretext of training Iraqi forces or
playing an advisory role.
Since
the assassination, Iraqi resistance forces have ramped up pressure on the US
military to leave their country, targeting American bases and forces on
numerous occasions, at one point pushing the Americans to ask them to “just
leave us alone”.
Iran
and Iraq in a joint statement last month underlined their determination to
identify, prosecute and punish the culprits behind the assassination of General
Soleimani and al-Muhandis.
Iran
and Iraq have issued a joint statement on an investigation into the “criminal
and terrorist” assassination by the US of top anti-terror commanders of the two
countries in Baghdad in 2020, Deputy Head of Iran’s Judiciary for international
affairs and secretary general of the country's High Council for Human Rights
Kazzem Qaribabadi said.
He
added that the statement was issued during the second session of a joint
Iran-Iraq committee investigating the murder of General Soleimani and
al-Muhandis.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Iran,
Nicaragua to Further Expand Cultural Ties
2022-January-5
Chairman
of Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) Hojjatoleslam
Mohammad Mahdi Imanipour and the Co-Director General of Nicaragua's Culture
Institute Enrique Morales Alonso signed the MoU on cultural and artistic
cooperation.
Imanipour,
for his part, stated that the MoU has great potential that can provide good
opportunities for cultural and artistic cooperation between the Iranian and
Nicaraguan nations.
He
also stressed the need to expand comprehensive relations between Iran and
Nicaragua.
In
the meeting, Alonso said that signing the MoU in the field of tourism and
cinema will form the essential background for the two countries to get
acquainted with each other.
Nicaraguan
Ambassador to Iran Isaac Lenin Bravo who also attended the meeting, for his
turn, expressed the hope that the two countries will see the expansion of
cooperation in the future by signing the MoU.
In a
relevant development last month, Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi in a
phone conversation with his Nicaraguan counterpart Daniel Ortega underlined the
two nations’ capability to confront the US cruel embargoes and pressures.
During
the phone talks, Rayeesi said that the Iranian nation did not stop its
advancement in the face of the obstacles and problems that had been created by
the United States among others.
“We
are certain that Nicaragua too can overcome the US’s threats and sanctions
since today the US is in decline and is growing weaker day by day,” he said.
The US’s
coercive measures and threats, the Iranian chief executive noted, has no impact
on the willpower of the world’s independent and freedom-seeking countries.
“The
(international) hegemonic system cannot impose its will on the Islamic Republic
and Nicaragua since the countries rely on their peoples’ votes and support, and
can (therefore) stand up to hegemonic powers’ excessive demands,” Rayeesi
stated.
Source:
Fars News Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14001015000854/Iran-Nicaraga-Frher-Expand-Clral-Ties
--------
Palestinian
killed by Israel army in West Bank: Sources
06
January ,2022
A
Palestinian was killed by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank early
Thursday, Palestinian medical and security sources said.
Bakir
Hashash, 21, of the Balata refugee camp, was shot in the head after the Israeli
army entered an area east of the northern city of Nablus to make arrests, the
sources said.
Contacted
by AFP, the Israeli army had no immediate comment.
Clashes
break out frequently in Palestinian population centres in the West Bank when
Israeli troops mount incursions to carry out arrests.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Palestinian-American
gets 2 life terms for Israeli teen’s murder
05
January ,2022
An
Israeli military court Wednesday sentenced a Palestinian man with US citizenship
to two life terms and more than $800,000 in penalties for the murder of a
Jewish student in the occupied West Bank.
“The
defendant will serve a total of two life sentences for this case,” the
three-judge panel of the military court ruled.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Montasser
Shalabi, 44, was convicted last August of “intentional manslaughter --
equivalent to the offence of murder” after he opened fire at passengers waiting
at a bus stop at Tapuah junction in the northern West Bank in May 2021.
The
attack killed Yehuda Guetta, 19, a student at a religious seminary in Itamar
settlement, and wounded two of his friends.
The
military court ruled that Shalabi should also pay the equivalent of $484,000 to
Guetta’s family, $323,000 to a student left paralyzed by his shooting injuries,
and about $6,500 to a another student lightly injured in the attack.
Source:
Al Arabiya
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan
Martyrs'
blood went into Pak-Afghan border fencing, will continue as planned: DG ISPR
January
5, 2022
Inter-Services
Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar on Wednesday
said that fencing of the Pak-Afghan border would continue as planned, adding
that the blood of martyred soldiers was involved in erecting the fence.
Maj
Gen Iftikhar made these remarks in Rawalpindi during a press conference, his
first of 2022, scheduled to coincide with Kashmiri people's Right to Self-Determination
Day.
During
the wide-ranging media talk on a myriad of issues relating to security and
regional developments, the army spokesperson also discussed issues related to
the Pak-Afghan border, including its fencing.
According
to the DG ISPR, border fencing was being done in an effort to protect the
people on both sides as well as to regulate trade. "The fence on the
Pak-Afghan border is needed to regulate security, border crossing and trade.
The purpose of this is not to divide the people, but to protect them."
He
also said that the security situation along the Western border was
"challenging" during 2021. "The western border management,
specifically the Pak-Afghan border ... there are some specific local,
operational and strategic dynamics and these are [being] addressed at the
relevant level."
The
DG ISPR said that the Pak-Afghan border fencing was 94 per cent complete,
adding: "We are totally focused, and under the western border management
regime, the work that is underway will be completed in some time."
He
said that the border management system would be made more effective with the
passage of time. "The blood of our martyrs was spilled in erecting this
fence. It is a fence of peace. It will be completed and will remain [in
place]."
He
also said that 67 new wings of Frontier Corps Balochistan and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa had been established in 2021 to further strengthen border security.
He added that a process to establish six more wings had been initiated.
When
asked whether the government had protested with Afghanistan about recent
incidents of damage to the border fence, the DG ISPR reiterated that western
border management had "local and strategic dynamics".
The
DG ISPR deemed the recent uprooting of the fence by Taliban fighters as
"one or two localised problems", which he said was being discussed by
the governments of both the countries.
"We
have very good relations. We understand each other and keep talking about
different issues that keep surfacing. There is no problem, fencing is underway
and will continue."
Talk
of deal with Nawaz 'baseless speculation'
During
the question and answers session, when asked to comment on rumours of a deal
with PML-N's self-exiled leader Nawaz Sharif, the DG ISPR said: "I will
only say that all of this is baseless speculation.
"If
anyone is talking about a deal, please ask them who is doing the deal. Where is
the evidence of such a deal. There is no such thing," he said.
The
DG ISPR called on reporters to instead question those talking about a deal,
reiterating that it was "baseless speculation". "In my
understanding, and I am very clear on that, this is baseless speculation."
Later,
he was also asked about the state of civil-military relations, to which he
responded that there were "no issues".
"The
armed forces are subservient to the government and work according to their
directives. There is nothing more to it."
He
also urged the media to keep the "establishment" out of politics.
"There are more issues to discuss in this country, such as health and
education [...] please keep us out of it."
'No
ceasefire with TTP currently, operations to continue'
The
DG ISPR also touched on recent talks with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP) during the press briefing, stating that they were "on hold" but
operations were "ongoing".
"The
ceasefire [with the TTP] ended on Dec 9. It [the ceasefire] was a
confidence-building measure taken ahead of talks with these violent non-state
actors on the request of the current Afghan government.
"There
was a requirement for the interim Afghan govt that the TTP should not be using
their soil against us so they said they would bring them to the table and make
them accept what Pakistan wants. Obviously, those external conditions were yet
to be settled.
"The
TTP is not a monolith. They have internal differences. There were some problems
... some conditions that were non-negotiable from our side so there is no
ceasefire [right now]. We are continuing with operations and will continue till
we get rid of this menace. That's how it goes."
'Propaganda
against institutions has failed'
The
DG ISPR also spoke of a "campaign" against national institutions,
which he said was hatched to create a a "gulf" between the masses and
the institutions and to "damage people's trust".
"We
are aware of these efforts and their various linkages," he said.
"[Those] who spew half-truths, fake news and false propaganda to target
institutions and damage the country have failed and will always fail."
At
one point, a reporter also asked the army spokesperson about whether Chief of
Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa would be granted another extension in
2022.
However,
the DG ISPR firmly stated that it would be best not to indulge in such
"baseless accusations".
Occupied
Kashmir
Maj
Gen Babar Iftikhar began the press conference by recalling Indian forces'
atrocities in occupied Kashmir as well as "propaganda" campaigns by
their media.
He
said that under the ceasefire agreement signed with India in February 2020, the
situation along the Line of Control (LoC) remained largely peaceful, adding
that the "biggest dividend" was that it improved the lives of locals
living in the area.
"At
the same time, the blame from the Indian military leadership and false
propaganda points to a specific agenda to remove global attention from Indian
atrocities in occupied Kashmir."
The
DG ISPR accused India of engendering regional security through its defence
procurement, adding that it would trigger an "arms race" in the
region and have a negative impact on peace.
He
also rejected Indian allegations against Pakistan regarding infiltration.
"They have committed false propaganda about infiltration along the
LoC," he said.
"They
recently staged a fake encounter in Neelum Valley in Kirin sector and killed an
innocent Kashmiri and then blamed us. In this particular incident, the Indian
media ran pictures of a terrorist named Shabbir. He is not only alive but is at
his home in Sharda," he said, adding that India had killed countless
Kashmiris.
"The
reality is that India wants to externalise the indigenous freedom struggle of
the Kashmiris. But voices are cropping up from everywhere that the people are
being targeted and their struggle is being stamped out," he said.
"On
January 5, 1989, the people of Kashmir were promised the right to
self-determination by the UN. That promise remains unfulfilled. On this
occasion, we salute their (Kashmiri people's) bravery."
Review
of armed forces' performance in 2021
Maj
Gen Babar also reviewed the armed forces' performance during 2021, calling
their work "wonderful".
He said
that under Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, 60,000 intelligence-based operations were
carried out which helped to dismantle terrorist networks.
"In
2021, intelligence agencies issued 890 threat alerts, on the basis of which
70pc incidents were averted," he said. "The masterminds and their
facilitators were unmasked."
"In
tribal areas, more than 70,000 mines ... were recovered and lives were saved.
Many officials were injured and martyred during the process."
"In
2021, 248 troops were martyred. We salute them and their families. [Their
sacrifices] helped establish peace."
"Under
the National Action Plan (NAP), action was taken against terrorists. We can
tackle extremism by focusing on the NAP. The ulema and media have also played
their part. In Pakistan, no group or person can be allowed to take the law in
their hand. Only the state can exercise this power."
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Seniority
neither requirement nor convention for elevation to SC: body
January
5, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The suggestion that seniority is a legal prerequisite for the elevation of a
junior judge to the Supreme Court is a myth and “there is no [such] requirement
in law and Constitution” of Pakistan, the Women in Law Pakistan, an initiative
seeking to connect the female lawyers scattered across the nation, said.
In
August, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed nominated Justice Ayesha A. Malik of the
Lahore High Court (LHC) for elevation to the top court as the first-ever woman
judge in the nation’s judicial history but many in the male-dominated bar
councils declared she’s no Ruth Bader Ginsburg, forcing the Judicial Commission
of Pakistan (JCP) to defer her appointment.
The
bodies advocate that only the senior-most judge of a high court should be the
one elevated to the Supreme Court. Justice Malik is fourth in the seniority
order of the LHC.
The
latest attempt at doing the same appears to be meeting a similar fate as a
section of the legal fraternity called on Chief Justice Ahmed to postpone
Thursday’s meeting of the JCP convened to consider the elevation of Justice
Malik.
In a
statement issued Wednesday, Women in Law Pakistan said “at least 41 times
judges have been appointed to the Supreme Court without them being most senior.
There is, therefore, no such custom either. Seniority is at best a mere demand
of some members of the Bars at the moment and has no legal basis”.
The
statement makes a reference to Article 175-A(3) of the Constitution which
“speaks of seniority only in relation to the appointment of the Chief Justice
of Pakistan”.
In
addition, as per Article 177(2) of the Constitution, to be eligible for
appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court, a person must be a citizen of
Pakistan, a judge of the high court for five years, or an advocate of the high
court for 15 years.
Justice
Malik has served as a judge on the high court since March 27, 2012.
“Absence
of the words, ‘the most senior’ in Article 177 for appointment of Judges of the
SC shows that seniority of a Judge in the High Court is not an essential
condition for their appointment as a Judge of the SC.”
“Seniority
as an interim measure will halt conversation for holistic reforms actually
needed for greater transparency and representation,” it added.
Source:
Pakistan Today
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Pakistan:
Imran Khan's PTI under scanner after EC report on foreign funding
Jan
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan's ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) headed by Prime Minister
Imran Khan is under scanner after a report compiled by the Election Commission
of Pakistan (ECP)'s on its funding.
The
foreign funding has once again put the spotlight on the murky fundraising of
Pakistan parties. The report says the party received funding from foreign
nationals and companies, under-reported funds, concealed numerous bank
accounts, and refused to divulge details of large transactions, according to
Dawn.
The
Election Commission of Pakistan's report stated that the PTI provided
"false information" regarding the party's funding. It's said the
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) statement revealed that the party had received Rs
1.64 million in funding.
The
fact that the panel struggled to get details of foreign accounts and its funds
abroad is troubling, though there is no explicit allegation of wrongdoing in
the report, the party's resistance during the entire case raises questions,
according to Dawn.
Earlier,
Imran Khan has campaigned on the pledge of 'clean' and 'transparent' governance
in the lead-up to the 2018 elections.
If,
as the PM and PTI ministers say, the funds are genuine donations and the audit
is welcome, then the party should provide details of the foreign accounts and
funds in them, according to Dawn.
Earlier,
the scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) constituted
in March 2019 to audit the foreign funds of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf
(PTI) submitted its report to the commission in November last year.
Terming
the foreign funding report a "damning indictment" of Prime Minister
Imran Khan, the country's two main opposition parties -- the Pakistan Muslim
League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) -- have urged the
Supreme Court (SC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to proceed
against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
After
Taliban took power in Kabul, terror attacks in Pakistan surged
Jan
5, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
After the Taliban took control of Kabul and Afghanistan, terror attacks in
neighbouring Pakistan have surged, contradictory to Prime Minister Imran Khan's
claims of having defeated terrorism.
Terror
attacks actually rose by 56 per cent in Pakistan, with the majority of them
fuelled by the return to power of the Taliban. The spurt began in May last year
when the Taliban had swept through large parts of Afghanistan, much of it with
Pakistan's logistic support and the participation of some 6,000 fighters of the
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other Pakistan-based Sunni extremist
groups who enjoy ideological affinity with the new Kabul rulers, International
Forum For Right And Security (IFRAS) said in a report on Wednesday.
The
development has also resulted in the rise of Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) in
the region. The IS-K is challenging the new rulers in Kabul.
The
affiliate of the IS focuses on South Asia, challenging the new government in
Kabul, thus muddying waters for both the Taliban and for Pakistan that has been
confidently awaiting the benefit of its Taliban's sponsorship by gaining what
it bills as "strategic depth." Analysts call it "strategic
landmine" that Pakistan has set foot on, the report added.
IS-K
has claimed several attacks in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal and the
Taliban's return to power. The group has been also behind some attacks in
recent months in Pakistan. These attacks by the IS-K have exploited the
political opportunities to establish itself as the pre-eminent resistance to
Afghanistan's Taliban and its allies in Pakistan.
The
figures gathered and analysed by Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute
for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) show that after a consistent decline
in militant attacks for the past six years, Pakistan witnessed a 56 per cent
increase in the number of terror attacks during 2021. In 2021, militants
carried out 294 attacks, killing 388 people and wounding another 606, according
to the report that details the rising frequency, lethality and geographic scope
of terror attacks across Pakistan this year, said IFFRAS.
Neither
Islamabad nor Kabul has commented on the report yet. But heads in both
countries have attempted to downplay the IS-K threat.
Pakistan's
Balochistan is the most turbulent province of the country accounting for the
highest number of deaths (170) in 103 militant attacks. The highest number of
injured were also reported in Balochistan, where over 50 per cent of all
injuries from militant attacks in the country occurred (331), the PICSS
Militancy Database shows, said IFFRAS.
Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa's tribal districts were the second most impacted region in the
country. In the over 100 attacks, which occurred in the region, 117 people were
killed while 103 were injured.
Source:
Times of India
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Lord
Nazir Ahmed convicted of sexual offences
January
6, 2022
A
BRITISH court convicted Lord Nazir Ahmed, a former British parliamentarian of
Pakistan descent, on Wednesday of sexual offences against two children in the
1970s.
According
to the BBC, the court found Lord Ahmed guilty of a serious sexual assault
against a boy and the attempted rape of a girl. The Sheffield Crown Court heard
the repeated sexual abuse happened in Rotherham, Yorkshire, when the former MP
was a teenager.
The
64-year-old had denied the charges.
Judge
Mr Justice Lavender will decide later when Lord Ahmed will be sentenced.
Prosecutor
Tom Little told the court Nazir Ahmed had attempted to rape the girl in the
early 1970s, when the defendant was aged 16 or 17 but she was much younger. The
attack on the boy, who was aged under 11 at the time, also happened during the same
period.
Mr
Little said Lord Nazir Ahmed claimed the allegations were a “malicious
fiction”, but a phone recording of a 2016 conversation between the two victims
showed they were not “made-up or concocted”.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1667852/lord-nazir-ahmed-convicted-of-sexual-offences
--------
Pakistan,
GCC finalise action plan for strategic dialogue
January
6, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Wednesday finalised the
Joint Action Plan for Strategic Dialogue (2022-26).
The
plan, in line with a memorandum of understanding on strategic dialogue,
provides for an institutional approach to deepen cooperation in various fields,
including political, security, trade and investment, agricultural and food
security, transportation, energy, environment, health, culture and education.
The
action plan was finalised during a delegation-level meeting between Foreign
Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and GCC Secretary General Dr Nayef Falah M.
Al-Hajraf.
During
the talks, the two sides reviewed cooperation in diverse fields and explored
new avenues for an enhanced mutually beneficial partnership, said the Foreign
Office in a statement.
Tarin,
Al-Hajraf discuss various avenues of economic cooperation
The
two sides also exchanged views on the regional developments, in particular the
prevailing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and the deteriorating human
rights situation in Indian occupied Kashmir. Fondly recalling the meeting in
December 2021, Foreign Minister Qureshi extended a warm welcome to Dr
Al-Hajraf.
He
reaffirmed Pakistan’s abiding fraternal and historical ties with the GCC member
states, rooted firmly in shared faith, values and culture.
Foreign
Minister Qureshi and Secretary General Al-Hajraf underscored that the Action
Plan would impart a strong impetus towards optimally realising the tremendous
potential for increased cooperation between Pakistan and the GCC states.
Noting
the progress on the ongoing efforts to conclude the Free Trade Agreement
between Pakistan and the GCC, Mr Qureshi and Dr Al-Hajraf expressed
determination to conclude the negotiations on priority.
Mr
Qureshi expressed gratitude to the GCC and its member states for strong
expression of support for the people of Afghanistan in the 17th Extraordinary
Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers held in Islamabad on December
19, 2021.
The
foreign minister urged the world community to upscale its efforts to reach out
to the Afghan people on an urgent basis to help address the humanitarian crisis
and stabilise the economic situation in that country.
Later,
Dr Al-Hajraf called on Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin.
Talking
to the GCC delegation, Mr Tarin said the Pakistan government was committed to
introducing reforms in various sectors to address the outstanding structural
issues and to attain sustainable and inclusive growth.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1667922/pakistan-gcc-finalise-action-plan-for-strategic-dialogue
--------
Southeast Asia
Aceh's
residents on 31-year waiting list for Mecca hajj: Official
January
06, 2022
West
Aceh, Aceh (ANTARA) - Aceh Province's residents, who registered for going on
hajj to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, starting from 2022, are on a
31-year waiting list, a local government official stated.
"Some
129,119 residents of Aceh Province have registered for hajj," Head of the
West Aceh Office for Religious Affairs Khairul Azhar noted in a statement here,
Wednesday.
The
waiting time for being able to depart for the hajj pilgrimage in Mecca could be
longer owing to the global pandemic of COVID-19 that has also been affecting
Saudi Arabia since 2020, he pointed out.
The
COVID-19 pandemic has repeatedly prompted the Government of Saudi Arabia to
impose travel restrictions for those keen to perform hajj and umrah (minor
hajj).
As a
result of the travel curbs imposed amid the pandemic, Indonesia's hajj
pilgrims, including those from Aceh, have been unable to go to Mecca since
2020, he remarked.
This
condition has extended the length of the waiting list, he noted, adding that
during the hajj season, Aceh has the opportunity to send 4,359 residents for
the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The
hajj pilgrims come from 23 districts all over Aceh, Indonesia's westernmost
province that lies on the northern tip of Sumatra Island.
Speaking
in connection with the hajj season in Mecca, Chairperson of the Honorary
Council of the Indonesian Hajj Brotherhood Association (IPHI) Jusuf Kalla is optimistic
of normalcy being restored for conducting the hajj pilgrimage in 2022.
The
COVID-19 pandemic had impeded hajj pilgrimage in 2020 and 2021, with pilgrims
performing hajj rituals under coronavirus restrictions, Kalla stated.
Meanwhile,
ANTARA reported earlier that Saudi Arabia had lifted the suspension on direct
flights from Indonesia, effective from December 1, 2021.
According
to Director General of Hajj and Umrah at the Religious Affairs Ministry, Hilman
Latief, the decision taken by the Saudi Arabian aviation authority also applies
to flights for Umrah pilgrims.
Source:
Antara News
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Indonesian
Prosecutors Seek Life for Bali Bombing Suspect
By
Niniek Karmini
January
06, 2022
Indonesian
prosecutors on Wednesday demanded a life sentence for a top terror suspect who
eluded capture for 18 years and accused him of masterminding a series of deadly
attacks in the world’s most populous Muslim nation.
Aris
Sumarsono, 58, whose real name is Arif Sunarso but is better known as
Zulkarnaen, sat impassively as the prosecution announced the sentencing demand
before a panel of three judges in East Jakarta District Court in a session that
was held remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Police
and prosecutors say Zulkarnaen is the former military commander of Jemaah
Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian militant group with ties to al-Qaida. The group is
widely blamed for attacks, including the 2002 bombings on the Indonesian resort
island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists, as well as
attacks in the Philippines.
Zulkarnaen
had eluded capture for 18 years after being named a suspect in the October 2002
suicide bombings of Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club in Bali. He was arrested last
year in Lampung, a province on the southern tip of Sumatra. Police were tipped
off to his hideout after interrogating several suspected militants arrested in
earlier raids.
Zulkarnaen
argued that he was a leader of the network’s military wing but was not involved
in the operation of the Bali bombings, as he was focused on organizing his
squad for sectarian conflicts in Ambon and Poso and in the southern
Philippines.
During
his trial, which began in September, other convicted militants in the 2002 Bali
bombings, including Umar Patek and Ali Imron, who were sentenced to 20 years
and life in jail, respectively, supported Zulkarnaen’s claim, saying he knew
about the plot but did not play a role in its operation.
The
sentencing demand was initially scheduled for November 24 but was postponed
several times.
State
prosecutor Agus Tri told the court that Zulkarnaen’s acts had resulted in
deaths and injuries and that there was no reason for leniency. “The defendant
was involved in the Bali bombings plan,” he told the court. “He also instructed
his group’s special forces led by him to save Jemaah Islamiyah’s assets,
including weapons and explosives.”
Police
previously said Zulkarnaen masterminded church attacks that occurred
simultaneously in many Indonesian regions on Christmas and New Year’s Eve in
2000 that killed more than 20 people. He was also the mastermind of a bomb
attack on the official residence of the Philippine ambassador in Jakarta in
2000 that killed two people, and the architect of sectarian conflict in Ambon
and Poso from 1998 to 2000.
Conflicts
between Christians and Muslims in Ambon, the provincial capital of the Molluca
islands, left more than 5,000 people dead and half-a-million displaced. The
Muslim-Christian conflict in Poso, known as a hotbed of Islamic militancy on
Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killed at least 1,000 people from 1998 to 2002.
Zulkarnaen,
a biologist who was among the first Indonesian militants to go to Afghanistan
in the 1980s for training, was an instructor at a military academy there for
seven years, Indonesian police said.
Since
May 2005, Zulkarnaen has been listed on an al-Qaida sanctions list by the U.N.
Security Council for being associated with Osama bin Laden or the Taliban.
The
Security Council said that Zulkarnaen, who became an expert in sabotage, was
one of al-Qaida’s representatives in Southeast Asia and one of the few people
in Indonesia who had had direct contact with bin Laden’s network.
It
said that Zulkarnaen led a squad of fighters known as the Laskar Khos, or
Special Force, whose members were recruited from among some 300 Indonesians who
trained in Afghanistan and the Philippines.
Source:
The Diplomat
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://thediplomat.com/2022/01/indonesian-prosecutors-seek-life-for-bali-bombing-suspect/
--------
Islamic
religious dept to rein in Raja Bomoh for anti-rain ritual
January
6, 2022
PETALING
JAYA: Ibrahim Mat Zin, better known as Raja Bomoh, will be called by the Perak
Islamic religious department in connection with a ritual supposedly to ward off
floods which went viral on social media yesterday.
Ibrahim
had risen to fame for all the wrong reasons when he claimed that he could find
MH370 by using coconuts, a “flying” carpet and a few bamboo sticks several
years ago.
The
department’s director, Mohd Yusop Husin, said it would also call other
individuals involved in the incident at Dataran Pengairan and Saliran Teluk Intan
to assist in the investigation under Section 14 of the Perak Syariah Criminal
Enactment 1992 for defaming and insulting Islam.
“People
are advised not to be influenced by such things and stay away from practices
that lead to superstition,” Bernama quoted him as saying.
A
25-minute video had gone viral on social media recently showing Ibrahim and a
woman performing a ritual using ingredients including rice, turmeric, flowers
and leaves before leaving them to be washed into the sea.
The
video also showed the woman, known as Puteri Zaleha, purportedly singing a song
called Mayang Sari while placing the Quran in front of them.
Perak
police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid had earlier said they received a report
on the incident at 4.20pm yesterday.
Source:
Free Malaysia Today
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
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Covid-19:
Umrah pilgrim becomes first Omicron case in Sabah, says state minister
05
Jan 2022
KOTA
KINABALU, Jan 5 — A local man who returned to the country on December 19 after
performing umrah became the first case of Covid-19 Omicron variant to be
detected in Sabah, said state Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk
Masidi Manjun.
The
Sabah Covid-19 spokesman said the man and his wife performed umrah from
December 9 to 18 and returned to Malaysia on December 19 via Kuala Lumpur
International Airport.
He
said the patient and his wife arrived in Tawau on December 20 and were ordered
to undergo quarantine at home but the ‘whole genome sequencing’ test result on
January 4 showed the patient was positive for Omicron variant.
“While
being confirmed positive for Covid-19 earlier, the husband placed in category 2
while the wife was in category 1. Both completed their quarantine on January 1,
2022, and had recovered from the virus infection. (Note: the patient recovered
from infection before the Covid-19 infection of the patient was confirmed an
Omicron patient on January 4).
Source:
Malay Mail
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab World
US
lawsuit filed against Lebanon and its powerful intelligence agency
05
January ,2022
The
head of Lebanon’s General Security may have landed himself and his country in
hot water after intervening in a US lawsuit that initially accused Iran of
ordering the detainment and detention of a Lebanese-American citizen.
The
family of Amer Fakhoury, who had worked with an Israeli-backed militia in
southern Lebanon until 2000, is now suing Lebanon, the General Security and its
chief, Abbas Ibrahim, who is known for negotiating prisoner swaps and freeing
captives, including US citizens.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Fakhoury
worked as a senior warden at the notorious Khiam Prison in south Lebanon, run
by the Israeli-backed South Lebanon Army (SLA), before Israel ended its 18-year
occupation in 2000.
His
family says he worked at the prison but never had contact with inmates and did
not torture prisoners.
Despite
being accused by Lebanese officials of torturing prisoners during his time with
the SLA, Fakhoury’s lawyer said he was given assurances that he could enter
Lebanon after nearly 20 years.
He
reportedly met with Lebanon’s president, Michel Aoun, during a visit to Boston
before traveling to Lebanon. According to a lawsuit by the family, Fakhoury was
also in contact with a member of Aoun’s presidential office.
He
was detained in Beirut in September 2019 and released the following March. But
a travel ban was placed on him after a military judge appealed the decision.
Nevertheless,
he was flown out of the country following a movie-like operation from the US
Embassy in Beirut.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Israel
issues first sentence in mob attack on Arab driver
05
January ,2022
An
Israeli court on Wednesday sentenced a man to one year in prison for his
involvement in a mob attack on an Arab motorist during a spasm of communal
violence last year.
Lahav
Nagauker, who was 20 at the time, was convicted of incitement to violence and
racism as part of a plea deal that resulted in lighter charges.
His
sentencing was the first in the incident that took place last May, when a mob
yanked Said Moussa from his car and proceeded to beat him in an assault that
left him motionless and bloodied on the ground. Moussa was seriously injured in
the attack.
The
court said Nagauker was not involved in the actual attack, but threw a bottle
at Moussa’s car, damaging the rear windshield.
The
beating, which took place in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam, occurred while
Israel was at war with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. The 11-day war
ignited an unprecedented wave of internecine Jewish-Arab violence in cities
around the country.
The
unprovoked beating of the motorist was caught on live television, shocking the
public. Nagauker was interviewed live moments after the beating, telling a
reporter “we came tonight to fight with Arabs ... if we must we will kill them,
and if we must we will murder them.”
According
to the plea deal, Nagauker confessed to the charges against him. His one-year
prison term is retroactive to the day he was arrested in May. He was also
ordered to pay 2,000 shekels ($645) to a restaurant damaged in the unrest.
Nagauker
is among at least 10 people who were charged in the incident. In all, hundreds
of people, mostly Arabs, were arrested for the nationwide violence, which saw
mobs of Jews or Arabs vandalize property and violently clash, in some cases
resulting in deaths.
Also
Wednesday, an Israeli military court sentenced a Palestinian-American man to
two life sentences for carrying out a deadly attack on Israelis in the occupied
West Bank.
Israel
says Muntasser Shalaby, 44, carried out a drive-by shooting last May that
killed Israeli student Yehuda Guetta and wounded two others. He was arrested
days after the attack and Israeli forces demolished his house weeks later.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Arab
Coalition receives distress signal from oil tanker off Yemen’s Hodeidah port
06
January ,2022
The
Arab Coalition received on Wednesday a distress signal from an oil tanker after
it was subjected to armed harassment off Yemen’s Hodeidah port, state media
reported.
The
Coalition confirmed the presence of high-risk indicators in the region and the
sea corridor opposite the port of Hodeidah.
The
Coalition had earlier said it monitored and documented “preparations for
hostile action by an explosive-laden boat from the Yemeni port of Saleef.”
It
reiterated that the planning and execution of the seizure of the
Emirati-flagged “Rawabi” ship originated from the port of Hodeidah.
The
Coalition considers the port of Hodeidah to be a major center for receiving and
assembling Iranian ballistic missiles, and stressed that both Hodeidah and
Saleef are major centers for the launch of hostilities and threaten maritime
security.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Rocket
attack hits military camp near Baghdad Airport
Ali
Jawad
05.01.2022
BAGHDAD
A
camp in the vicinity of Baghdad International Airport has been hit by a rocket
attack, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.
"A
Katyusha rocket landed on the Al-Nasr camp in the vicinity of Baghdad
International Airport in the capital," the ministry said in a statement.
No
casualties were reported.
Al-Nasr
(Victory) camp is one of the military sites where advisers to the US-led
international coalition against the Daesh/ISIS terror group are located.
Wednesday’s
attack was the fourth against US-led coalition bases in Iraq within a week,
which came amid tension over the presence of US-led forces in Iraq.
On
Dec. 9, both Iraq and the international coalition announced the official end of
the combat mission of coalition forces in the country.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/rocket-attack-hits-military-camp-near-baghdad-airport/2465792
--------
Israeli
tank fire hits south-western Syrian village as choppers hover overhead: Report
05
January 2022
The
Israeli regime’s tanks have reportedly fired a number of shells towards the
Quneitra Province that lies in Syria’s extreme southwest.
The
official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)’s reported late Wednesday that the tank
shells had fallen near Quneitra’s al-Horriah Village.
“Explosions
were heard in the area,” the report said.
The
attack was carried out as Israeli helicopters were seen loitering overhead, it
added.
Syria
and the Israeli regime are technically at war since the latter has been
occupying the Arab country’s Golan Heights since 1967, when the regime launched
its second major war against regional Arab nations.
The
regime uses the hugely strategic plateau to launch recurrent attacks against
the Syrian soil.
Most
recently, the regime attacked Latakia, the country's biggest port city, which
lies in its northwest with missiles last Tuesday, prompting Syria's air
defenses to confront the projectiles.
Source:
Press TV
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/01/05/674156/Syria-attack-Israel-tanks-Quneitra
--------
Rockets
target Ain al-Assad base hosting US troops in Iraq's Anbar
05
January 2022
A
number of rockets have targeted the Ain al-Assad air base, which hosts US
forces, in Iraq’s western province of al-Anbar.
Shafaq
News cited a security source as saying that five rockets targeted Ain al-Assad
air base on Wednesday evening.
Later
in the day, the news website said the rockets landed near the air base.
According
to the report, the attack activated the C-RAM missile system of the base.
An
official within the US-led coalition told Reuters that five rockets landed near
Ain al-Asad base, adding that the attack caused no casualties.
Reuters
also cited Iraqi military officials as saying that the rounds fired were
Katyusha rockets.
Ain
al-Assad air base was targeted by two explosive-laden drones on Tuesday, but
they were reportedly shot down by Iraqi air defenses as they approached the
base.
The
attacks come amid growing anti-US sentiments over Washington’s military and
political adventurism in the region, and also at a time that coincides with the
second martyrdom anniversary of Iran’s top anti-terror commander Lieutenant
General Qassem Soleimani and his comrades in a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020.
General
Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps (IRGC), and his Iraqi comrade Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the
second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), were martyred
along with their companions in a US drone strike authorized by former president
Donald Trump near Baghdad International Airport on January 3, 2020.
Both
commanders were highly revered across the Middle East because of their key role
in fighting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in
Iraq and Syria.
Five
days after the assassination, in a military operation codenamed Operation
Martyr Soleimani, the IRGC launched a volley of ballistic missiles at the Ain
al-Asad air base.
Iran
said the missile strike was only a “first slap” in its process of taking “hard
revenge” and that it would not rest until the US military leaves the Middle
East in disgrace.
Back
in January 2020, two days after the assassination, the Iraqi parliament passed
a law requiring the Iraqi government to end the presence of the US-led foreign
forces in the Arab country.
Since
the assassination, Iraqi resistance forces have ramped up pressure on the US
military to leave their country, targeting American bases and forces on
numerous occasions, at one point pushing the Americans to ask them to “just
leave us alone.”
Last
year, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement on ending the presence of all
US combat troops in Iraq by the end of the year.
Source:
Press TV
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/01/05/674148/Rockets-target-Ain-al-Assad-base-Iraq
--------
Gen.
Soleimani rushed to Iraq’s aid against Daesh at critical time: President Salih
05
January 2022
Iraq’s
President Barham Salih says Iran’s top anti-terror commander General Qassem
Soleimani rushed to the Arab country’s assistance at a critical time in the
face of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.
Salih
made the remarks on Wednesday at a ceremony held in Baghdad by Iraq’s Popular
Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Sha’abi, marking the second anniversary of
the US assassination of General Soleimani and his Iraqi trenchmate Abu Mahdi
al-Muhandis, deputy PMU head, two influential figures in the counter-terrorism
fight in the region.
"Today,
we have gathered to pay tribute to the great victory leaders who confronted the
terrorist Daesh. We proudly remember the victory over Daesh and the foiling of
its ominous plot. We achieved a triumph over Daesh thanks to the fatwa of the
[religious] authority and the support of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani
Sistani,” he said, referring to the religious decree by Iraq’s prominent Shia
cleric in June 2014 that led to the establishment of the PMU.
“Along
with our armed forces and citizens, Martyr Qassem Soleimani, the great Iranian
commander, participated in the fight against Daesh and helped save our country
from a dangerous terrorist campaign that had entangled us. He came to Iraq in
difficult circumstances to defend the country, along with the children of Iraq,
against Daesh terrorism,” he added.
In
2014, when Daesh unleashed its campaign of terror in Iraq, Iranian military
advisers rushed to the aid of Iraqi armed forces on Baghdad’s request, helping
them reverse Daesh’s gains and ultimately liberate their entire homeland from
the US-sponsored terror outfit some three years later.
General
Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC), played a key role in eliminating Daesh in the region.
However,
angered by the senior general’s gains in the battle against Daesh, the US
assassinated him upon his arrival at Baghdad International Airport on January
3, 2020 on an official visit to Iraq. The attack also killed the commander’s
companions, including Muhandis.
Also
in his speech, the Iraqi president underlined the need for resolving crises in
the region and ending conflicts in order to prevent Daesh and other terrorist
groups from wreaking havoc.
He
further said that the new Iraqi government should be capable to meet the
demands of the nation.
Gen.
Soleimani was guest of Iraq: PMU head
PMU
chief Falih al-Fayyadh also addressed the event, saying General Soleimani was
“the guest of Iraq and the supporter of its people.”
He
also noted that Washington’s assassination operation “must have consequences
for the nature of military relations with the United States."
"We
renew our allegiance and declare our loyalty with the martyred commanders. We
will be an impenetrable barrier against terrorism and will work with the
government to achieve our right to expel foreign forces from the country,"
Fayyadh stressed.
US
crime will go down in history: PM
Meanwhile,
Iraqi Interior Minister Othman al-Ghanmi read out a message sent by Prime
Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to the ceremony.
“The
crime of assassinating the commanders, who achieved victory against Daesh,
would always remain alive in the history. The martyrdom of the commanders will
be a beacon of freedom for all the people who wish for freedom and peace,” the
message read.
“These
commanders were the role model for every soldier who fought against Daesh
terrorism. Their path of defeating terrorism will be continued.”
Commanders’
performance enlightens path towards freedom: Maliki
Meanwhile,
former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said what the resistance commanders
recorded in their counter-terrorism battle enlightens the path of all
freedom-seeking countries that face terror.
Source:
Press TV
Please
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/01/05/674118/Iraq-Barham-Salih-PMU-Soleimnai-Daesh
--------
Europe
EU
calls for restraint on all sides in Kazakhstan
Agnes
Szucs
06.01.2022
BRUSSELS
The
European Union on Wednesday urged all sides in Kazakhstan to show restraint and
responsibility amid rising social tensions over a huge increase in liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) prices.
“We
call on all concerned to act with responsibility and restraint and to refrain
from actions that could lead to a further escalation of violence,” Nabila
Massrali, the spokeswoman for the European External Action Service, said in a
written statement.
On
one hand, the EU called on the Kazakh authorities to respect the fundamental
right of peaceful protests and the principle of proportionality when they
defend their legitimate security interests.
On
the other hand, the bloc urged protesters to avoid violence while recognizing
their right to peaceful demonstrations.
“The
European Union encourages a peaceful resolution of the situation through
inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders and respect for the fundamental rights
of citizens,” the statement said, adding the bloc was closely following the
developments in Kazakhstan.
Drivers
in the city of Zhanaozen began demonstrating against the increase in LPG prices
Sunday, which soon grew into mass protests throughout the country.
According
to the Kazakh Interior Ministry, more than 200 people were arrested for
disrupting public order after 37 police vehicles were damaged and 95 officers
were injured during the protests.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/eu-calls-for-restraint-on-all-sides-in-kazakhstan/2466501
--------
Diplomats
scuffle at Afghan embassy in Rome
January
6, 2022
ROME:
Police were called to Afghanistan’s embassy in Rome this week after a sacked
Afghan diplomat claiming ties to the Taliban attacked the ambassador, the
mission said.
Many
of Afghanistan’s embassies are in diplomatic limbo, with staff still loyal to
the Western-backed government toppled by the Taliban last August.
The
Taliban have not appointed new representatives to most missions, however, and
their government is not recognised by any nation.
In a
statement published on social media on Tuesday, the Rome embassy said a
diplomat — appointed by the former Afghan government but recently dismissed —
returned to the mission earlier that day, claiming he had been named ambassador
by the Taliban.
“Later
he attacked the ambassador in the presence of an embassy employee but the
ambassador defended himself and called the Italian police,” read the statement,
written in the Dari language.
It
named the dismissed diplomat as Mohammad Fahim Kashaf, saying he lost his job
due to “lack of commitment to national values and the values of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan”.
Police
escorted Kashaf — who had been with his child — out of the embassy, while the
ambassador was unharmed, it said.
The
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is the United Nations-recognised name of the
country, which the Taliban call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
An
Afghan diplomatic source said Kashaf had “switched loyalty” to the Taliban, and
had been “beaten up” by his former colleagues.
The
Rome embassy did not return a telephone call and email seeking comment.
Police
in Rome said a “misunderstanding” had taken place at the embassy, but provided
no further details.
The
Taliban’s foreign ministry in Kabul denied Kashaf been appointed ambassador,
but also said he had not been dismissed.
It
said records showed Kashaf was appointed first secretary at the embassy in
December 2020, with a contract valid until December next year.
Source:
Dawn
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1667908/diplomats-scuffle-at-afghan-embassy-in-rome
--------
Kazakhstan's
president fails to quell protests, 8 deaths reported
05
January ,2022
Protests
around Kazakhstan have killed eight security personnel and injured 317, a news
agency said on Wednesday, as President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev failed to quell
public outrage over the influence of his powerful predecessor.
Initially
angered by a New Year's Day fuel price rise, protesters have stormed and
torched state buildings and chanted against Nursultan Nazarbayev, who kept wide
authority despite stepping down as president in 2019 after nearly three
decades.
Tokayev
sacked him as head of the national Security Council on Wednesday while his
Cabinet also resigned.
Russia's
state-owned Sputnik news agency quoted the Kazakh interior ministry as saying
the police and national guard troops were killed and injured in several regions
on Tuesday and Wednesday during Kazakhstan's worst unrest in over a decade.
For
the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
Kazakhstan's
reputation for stability under Nazarbayev helped attract hundreds of billions
of dollars of foreign investment in its oil and metals industries. But
political analysts said a younger generation was demanding the liberalization
seen in other former Soviet states.
The
protesters seized control of the airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city,
a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. All flights to and from Almaty
were cancelled.
A
witness told Reuters he could see protesters removing benches along Almaty's
main Astana square to build barricades. Earlier, riot police used teargas and
flash grenades against the protesters but then appeared to abandon some streets
in Almaty.
Both
the United States and Russia appealed for calm.
Nazarbayev's
hand-chosen successor as president, Tokayev said in a national address that he
had taken over as head of the State Security Committee, a post that had been
retained by Nazarbayev.
The
81-year-old former president has still been widely seen as the main political
force in Nur-Sultan, the purpose-built capital which bears his name. His family
is believed to control much of the Kazakh economy, the largest in Central Asia.
In
his TV address, Tokayev did not mention his predecessor by name. Nazarbayev has
not been seen or heard from since the protests began.
Tokayev
also removed Nazarbayev's nephew as No. 2 at the State Security Committee,
successor to the Soviet-era KGB.
‘Complete
anarchy’
A
resident of Almaty who mingled with the protesters on Wednesday said most of
those he met appeared to come from the city's impoverished outskirts or nearby
villages and towns.
At
the main square, vodka was being distributed and some people were discussing
whether to head towards the city bazaar or a wealthy residential area for
possible looting, the resident said.
“There
is complete anarchy in the street. Police are nowhere to be seen,” he said.
Footage
posted on the internet showed protesters chanting below a giant bronze statue
of Nazarbayev, strung with ropes in an apparent attempt to pull it down. A
woman who posted it to Twitter said it was filmed in the eastern city of
Taldykorgan.
Earlier,
an Instagram live stream by a Kazakh blogger had shown a fire blazing in the
office of the Almaty mayor, with apparent gunshots audible. Videos posted
online also showed the nearby prosecutor's office burning.
Early
on Wednesday, Reuters journalists had seen thousands of protesters pressing
towards Almaty city center, some of them on a large truck. The city's police
chief said Almaty was under attack by “extremists and radicals”.
States
of emergency were declared in Nur-Sultan, Almaty, and westerly Mangistau
province. The internet was shut down in what monitoring site Netblocks called
“a nation-scale internet blackout”.
In
the city of Aqtobe, what appeared to be several hundred protesters gathered on
a square shouting: “Old Man, go away!”. A video posted online showed police
using water cannon and stun grenades against protesters near the mayor's office
there.
After
accepting the cabinet's resignation, Tokayev ordered acting ministers to
reverse the fuel price rise, which doubled the cost of liquefied petroleum gas
from the start of the year. The gas is widely used to power vehicles in
Kazakhstan where official prices had made it much cheaper than gasoline.
The
unrest saw the price of Kazakhstan's dollar bonds plunge by nearly 6 cents, the
worst showing since the height of the market collapse of 2020 after the start
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The
unrest was the worst in Kazakhstan at least since 2011, when at least 14
protesters were killed by police during a strike by oil workers in the western
city of Zhanaozen.
“I
think there is an underlying undercurrent of frustrations in Kazakhstan over
the lack of democracy,” said Tim Ash, emerging market strategist at BlueBay
Asset Management.
“Young,
internet-savvy Kazakhs, especially in Almaty, likely want similar freedoms as
Ukrainians, Georgians, Moldovans, Kyrgyz and Armenians, who have also vented
their frustrations over the years with authoritarian regimes.”
The
Kremlin said it expected Kazakhstan, a close ally of Russia, to quickly resolve
its internal problems, warning other countries against interfering.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Kuwait's
Jazeera Airways suspends Kazakhstan flights amid unrest
05
January ,2022
Kuwaiti
budget carrier Jazeera Airways on Wednesday suspended flights to Kazakhstan's
biggest city Almaty as violent protests against the government there continued
across the country.
“We
will provide an update on our operations when we have further information,” an
airline spokesperson said by email.
The
Gulf carrier typically operates weekly flights to Almaty, its only destination
in the Central Asian country.
Lufthansa,
Qatar Airways and flydubai, which operate regular flights to Kazakhstan,
separately said they were monitoring events in the country.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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--------
Moscow-led
alliance sends first troops to Kazakhstan: Statement
06
January ,2022
A
Moscow-led military alliance said Thursday it had sent its first troops to
Kazakhstan after its government requested help to quell mounting unrest.
“Peacekeeping
forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization were sent to the Republic
of Kazakhstan for a limited time to stabilize and normalize the situation,” the
CSTO secretariat said in a statement posted online by Russian foreign ministry
spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
Blair's
defense secretary says he was told to burn memo saying Iraq war may be illegal
Karim
El-Bar
06.01.2022
LONDON
Former
British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon, who was in office during the Iraq War,
claimed he was told to burn a memo from the attorney general that said the
invasion of Iraq could be illegal, local media reported Wednesday.
Hoon
served as defense secretary between 1999 and 2003 under former Prime Minister
Tony Blair. Iraq was invaded in 2003 by a coalition led mainly by the US and
the UK.
Hoon
made the claim in his recently published memoir See How They Run.
The
Daily Mail was the first to report the story and said that then Chief of
Defense Staff Mike Boyce wanted legal backing that British troops could fight
in Iraq.
Hoon
in turn received a “very long and very detailed opinion” from the attorney
general that essentially said the invasion of Iraq could be seen as lawful if
the prime minister believed it was in the UK’s national interest.
“It
was not exactly the ringing endorsement that the chief of the defense staff was
looking for, and in any event, I was not strictly allowed to show it to him or
even discuss it with him,” Hoon wrote in his memoir.
“Moreover,
when my principal private secretary, Peter Watkins, called Jonathan Powell in
Downing St and asked what he should now do with the document, he was told in no
uncertain terms that he should ‘burn it’.”
Hoon
said he did not end up burning the document.
“I
agreed that we should lock the document securely into an MoD safe to which only
he had access. For all I know, it is probably still there.”
Separately,
Powell, who was Blair’s chief of staff, denied to the Daily Mail that he
demanded the legal advice be burned, instead saying he told Hoon to destroy a
separate document from months earlier.
Blair
was awarded a knighthood by the Queen in her New Year honor’s list – but over
700,000 people have signed a petition calling for it to be rescinded.
The
petition on Change.org reads: “Tony Blair caused irreparable damage to both the
constitution of the United Kingdom and to the very fabric of the nation’s
society. He was personally responsible for causing the death of countless
innocent, civilian lives and servicemen in various conflicts. For this alone he
should be held accountable for war crimes.”
Source:
Anadolu Agency
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
--------
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